[Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on May 20, 2024.]
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FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 15TH QUALITY OF LIFE, ARTS AND CULTURE MEETING MINUTES.IT'S BEEN MOVED. CAN I GET A SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING? NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THE MINUTES PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE AGENDA A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH BRIEFING ITEM D AND GO BACKWARDS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR LIBRARY SYSTEMS. WE'VE GOT OUR LIBRARY DREAM TEAM IN FRONT OF US NOW.
SO I'LL JUST KICK IT OVER TO YOU, DIRECTOR GUIDICE.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU, CHAIR.
MY NAME IS JO GUIDICE, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES.
WITH ME TODAY I HAVE MY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, SEAN MCGREW, HEATHER LOWE AND KIRSTEN NIELSEN.
SO WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR DEPARTMENT BASED ON OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
NEXT SLIDE. SO WE UPDATED OUR MISSION STATEMENT THIS YEAR WITH OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, BRINGING EQUITY TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MISSION, ALONG WITH OUR LONG STANDING COMMITMENT TO CONNECTING, INSPIRING, AND ADVANCING THE COMMUNITY.
THE GOALS YOU SEE LISTED HERE WERE ADOPTED BY COUNCIL ON APRIL 17TH WITH OUR NEW STRATEGIC AND FACILITIES PLAN, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THE OBJECTIVES TO ALIGN WITH STAFF TO ALIGN THESE GOALS TO OUR DAILY WORK.
THE LIBRARY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN BOOKS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND THE GREAT INITIATIVES YOU SEE HERE ARE ONLY A FRACTION OF WHAT THE TALENTED STAFF PROVIDE TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DALLAS RESIDENTS.
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE IS THE FAIRY TALE CLOSET, WHICH STARTED AS A ONE DAY GIVEAWAY EVENT TEN YEARS AGO TARGETING MADISON HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH OUR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BRANCH, AND HAS GROWN INTO A CITYWIDE INITIATIVE TAKING PLACE OVER MULTIPLE WEEKS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
NEXT SLIDE. THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN SERVING DALLAS RESIDENTS FOR 123 YEARS, ACTUALLY, 123.5.
WITH 30 LOCATIONS SPREAD OUT OVER THE 340MI² THAT MAKE UP THE CITY OF DALLAS.
HERE ARE SOME OF OUR STATISTICS FOR YOU.
WE ARE MOST PROUD OF OUR URBAN LIBRARY COUNCIL AWARDS THAT YOU SEE LISTED HERE, WHICH AWARDED US FOR DATA USE AND RACIAL EQUITY IN BUILDING OUR BUDGET, AND THIS YEAR WE GOT A TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AWARD CALLED THE BRANDING IRON FOR USE OF PEGGY THE PEGASUS IN PROMOTING EARLY CHILDHOOD READING.
NEXT SLIDE. SO OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART IS MADE UP OVER THESE BUCKETS OF COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE, OUR OPERATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS.
I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR COMMS DEPARTMENT.
WE JUST DID IT A FEW YEARS BACK BECAUSE WE NO LONGER WANT TO BE THE HIDDEN GEM OF THE CITY.
NEXT SLIDE AND I'M GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO SEAN MCGREW.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, IT'S AT $43.5 MILLION.
WE DO, HOWEVER, MAINTAIN FIVE TRUST FUNDS WITHIN OUR SPECIAL REVENUES FOR ABOUT $300,000.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT INCREASE INTO FISCAL YEAR 25 PLANNED.
NEXT SLIDE. SO THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY MAINTAINS 468 POSITIONS.
NEXT SLIDE. SO OUR BUDGET IS BROKEN UP INTO THREE PRIMARY SERVICES.
THE FIRST ONE, THE LIBRARY MATERIALS COLLECTION.
THAT'S THE ACQUISITION OF ALL OF OUR MATERIALS AND THE IT THAT WE MAINTAIN, AND THEN THE LIBRARY OPERATIONS AND PUBLIC SERVICE GROUP IS OUR BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATIONS AND ALL OF THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND OVERHEAD ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE OUR LITERACY INITIATIVES, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP, AND THAT GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE TO FOSTER ALL OF THE PARTICIPATION IN ARTISTIC, CULTURAL, CIVIC AND LITERARY EVENTS AND ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING CLASSES,
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ADULT PROGRAMMING AND ON.SO THIS TABLE REPRESENTS OUR REVENUE ALLOCATION.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW WE ARE NOT A REVENUE GENERATING DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE THE NONRESIDENT FEE CARDS.
YOU SEE THE DISD INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WE HAVE FOR SHARED SPACE WITH ARCADIA AND HAMPTON, ILLINOIS.
THIS TABLE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE TRACK.
THESE MEASURES ARE INTENDED TO BE ABLE TO TRACK PERFORMANCE THAT PROVIDE INFERENCES ON THE OVERALL USE OF OUR MATERIALS COLLECTION, DIGITAL RESOURCE PORTFOLIO, AND ON AS WELL AS IMPACT AND SATISFACTION OF OUR PROGRAMS, AND THEN I'LL KICK IT BACK TO JOE, AND I WILL NOTE THAT WE ARE ON TARGET OR AHEAD OF OUR TARGETS ON OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT THE LIBRARY PROVIDES.
WE ALSO HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE THIRD SPACE.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE MATERIALS TO CHECK OUT DIGITALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY, AS WELL AS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE, AND I WILL NOTE THAT WE HAVE SEVEN LOCATIONS OPEN ON SUNDAY THAT YOU SEE IN THE LITTLE QUICK FACTS TO THE RIGHT.
NEXT SLIDE. THE LIBRARY IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY.
SO IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S EQUITY GOALS, WE HAVE TRAINED STAFF TO ASSIST IN HOUSING EFFORTS, JOB SEEKERS, OUR GED AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING CLASSES, AS WELL AS CITIZENSHIP, AS WELL AS OFFERING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS THROUGH OUR MANY CULTURAL PROGRAMS. WE ALSO OFFER TAX ASSISTANCE, WHICH THE NUMBER YOU SEE OUT.
WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY OUT OF THE 15 LOCATIONS WHERE WE DID TAX ASSISTANCE THIS YEAR, WE HAVE NUMBERS JUST FROM FOUR OF THEM, AND THEY REPORTED $7.2 MILLION IN REFUNDS PROCURED.
THIS WAS THROUGH OUR PARTNER DALLAS COMMUNITY TAX CENTERS.
THERE'S A FULL LIST OF OUR TAX LOCATIONS IN YOUR APPENDIX.
SO WHEN WE ARE SERVING THE YOUTH OF DALLAS, WE ARE FOCUSED ON CREATING LIFELONG LEARNERS, AND TO DO THAT, WE WANT TO MAKE LEARNING FUN THROUGH OUR SMART SUMMER AND STEM PROGRAMS. ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES IS TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN IS OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY PROGRAMS. YOU CAN SEE THE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS LISTED, AND WE ARE OFFERING WE THAT WE ARE OFFERING TOWARDS THAT GOAL, BUT I'M REALLY, TRULY PROUD OF OUR READING READY KITS THAT WE PROVIDE AT OUR WIC CLINICS, WHICH ILLUSTRATE FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS THAT THEY ARE THEIR CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER.
NEXT SLIDE. SO HIGHLIGHTING OUR PROGRAM EFFORTS HERE.
THIS IS HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
SO PROGRAMS AT EACH LOCATION WILL VARY BASED ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S NEEDS.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO SUPPORT BEING A LITERARY CITY THROUGH OUR POET LAUREATE AND YOUTH POET LAUREATE PROGRAMS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OR SORRY, NO, OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE AND DEEP VELLUM PUBLISHING, WHICH GREW OUT OF OUR LOVE FOR POETRY AND THE WRITTEN WORD THROUGH OUR EXPRESS YOURSELF YOUTH POETRY COMPETITION, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 28 YEARS.
SO OUR EXPANDED HOURS LED TO AN 11% INCREASE IN COMPUTER SESSIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 23, AND EVEN WITH OUR LONG OUTAGE DUE TO RANSOMWARE, WE MADE UP A LITTLE BIT OF WORK THERE.
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TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE IN THEIR HOMES, SUCH AS RECORDING EQUIPMENT, SCANNERS, PRINTING AND TO PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE STAFF. FOR OUR ESPECIALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WITH LOW DIGITAL LITERACY LEVELS.SO EVEN THOUGH THE DEMAND FOR DIGITAL MATERIAL IS INCREASING RAPIDLY, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAINTAIN A ROBUST PHYSICAL COLLECTION OF MATERIALS.
IN A SNAPSHOT, ABOUT 65% OF OUR USERS CHECKED OUT WHO CHECKED OUT A PHYSICAL ITEM, ONLY CHECKED OUT A PHYSICAL ITEM, BUT OUR CUSTOMERS WHO USE DIGITAL MATERIALS HAD STEADILY INCREASED OVER 25% EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO AS PEOPLE GET MORE COMFORTABLE READING ON A DEVICE OR PHONE, WE EXPECT THOSE NUMBERS TO INCREASE.
FUN FACT 65% CHECK OUT PHYSICAL MATERIALS 22 E-MATERIALS, BUT 13% OF OUR USERS CHECK OUT BOTH.
NEXT SLIDE, AND I TURN IT BACK OVER TO SEAN.
SO THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY'S FACILITIES TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT OUR BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ARE MAINTAINED INSIDE AND OUT, AND OF COURSE, WE CANNOT DO THAT WITHOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BUILDING SERVICES, BUT WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE CITY MARSHALS FOR OUR SECURITY FOOTPRINT AND THEN A NUMBER OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
EACH YEAR, THIS TEAM WORKS TO COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT A VARIETY OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE MEASURES, AS WELL AS TO COORDINATE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF BUILDING SERVICES DIRECT PURVIEW SUCH AS GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF FURNITURE, FIRE ALARM SYSTEM REPAIRS, AND ON FOR SECURITY.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DO PARTNER WITH THE MARSHALS TO PROVIDE SECURITY GUARD COVERAGE AS WELL AS TO MAINTAIN OUR CAMERA SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS. NEXT SLIDE.
SO DELIVERY SERVICES, SOME OF THE UNSUNG HEROES OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
THIS GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE BOOKS THAT ARE CHECKED OUT, THAT COME BACK TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, GO BACK TO THE BRANCHES WHERE THEY ONCE WERE, OR IF THEY GO TO ONE BRANCH AND NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER BRANCH FOR A HOLD, THEY MAKE THOSE MOVEMENTS ACROSS THAT GROUP LAST YEAR ALONE BROUGHT IN AND SCANNED AND SORTED OVER ALMOST 900,000 ITEMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ABOUT 75,000 ITEMS A MONTH, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE ALSO MAINTAIN A BUSINESS OFFICE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT AND OUR BUDGET REPORTING, AS WELL AS OUR CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES, AND OF COURSE, OUR INVOICING ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE.
MY PERSONAL MANTRA IS LIBRARY DOMINATION THROUGH RADICAL COLLABORATION.
SO YOU SEE WE HAVE OVER 200 PARTNERS ALREADY, AND WE'RE ALWAYS GET GAINING MORE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
FULL LIST OF OUR PARTNERS IS IN THE APPENDIX FOR YOU.
YOU MIGHT NEED YOUR READING GLASSES AS I DID, BUT PUBLIC TRUST FOR THE COMMUNITY REALLY IS HOW LIBRARY ENHANCES OUR PARTNERS ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND OTHER PLACES IN OUR LIBRARY BUILDINGS WHERE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
NEXT SLIDE, AND GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE COMPLETED PHASE TWO OF OUR RETURN TO FULL YEAR OF FULL SERVICE THIS YEAR BY BEING OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK AT ALL LOCATIONS, AND WITH THAT, I WILL THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION AND NOW WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN WALK INTO ANY LIBRARY AND SEE ALL OF THESE POSTERS, AND IT'S FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, WHICH IS WHAT OUR CITY IS COMPRISED OF, AND IT'S CREATIVE AND IN TOUCH, AND YOU JUST SEE PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
IT'S JUST SUCH AN AMAZING TOUCHPOINT WITH OUR RESIDENTS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WE ONLY HAVE ONE TESTING CENTER, WHICH IS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, BUT WE HAVE TWO LITERACY.
HUBS, I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO CALL IT.
ONE IS AT BACHMAN LAKE AND THE OTHER IS AT DALLAS WEST, WHICH ARE BOTH SPONSORED BY ATMOS ENERGY.
OKAY, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING, RIGHT? WE HAVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AND GED AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, BUT THOSE TWO LOCATIONS HAVE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF CLASSES AND A LITTLE MORE FOCUS.
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OKAY, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AN IMPORTANT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR WORKFORCE.SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TRACK THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR BUILDINGS.
OUR PEOPLE COUNTERS HAD BEEN NONFUNCTIONAL.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY ARE ARE ALL REINSTALLED AND BEING UPDATED BY ITS AS WE SPEAK, AND HOPEFULLY VERY SOON WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT METRIC, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TRACK IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
OKAY, AND THEN ON THE SMART SUMMER READING PROGRAMS, HOW ARE THOSE ZIP CODES SELECTED TO MEASURE? THOSE ARE THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, I'M SORRY, THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY PLAN.
OBVIOUSLY I'M VERY INTERESTED IN 75231, AND THEN FINALLY I NOTICED IN ON PAGE 34, IN THE APPENDIX, WE'VE GOT THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY LISTED.
SO THEY MAKE IT LOOKS LIKE THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR WAS $742,000, CORRECT, TOWARD PROGRAMMING OF ALL DIFFERENT NATURES AND EVEN SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO HOW IS THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE FRIENDS GROUP? WELL, IT'S FANTASTIC, AND WE HAVE THE FRIENDS OF DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND WE ALSO HAVE NINE FRIENDS GROUPS THAT ARE BRANCH SPECIFIC.
THEY HAVE CUT BACK OUR BUDGET, WE KNOW IN THE COMING YEAR BECAUSE THEIR FISCAL YEAR ENDS IN JUNE THAT THEIR FUNDING FOR OUR PROGRAMMING IS GOING TO DECREASE A LITTLE BIT.
SO YOU SEE, IT'S QUITE A BIG DIFFERENCE, BUT THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET DID HAVE ALMOST $300,000 IN CAPITAL OUTLAY TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH THEY HELPED PAY FOR. SO IT'S NOT AS BIG A DIFFERENCE AS IT APPEARS IN THE NUMBERS.
SO THEY HELP FUND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEY HELP FUND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
OKAY. WELL I JUST THAT'S SUCH A STRONG GROUP AND I THINK I EVEN KNOW HOW OLD THEY ARE.
OKAY. JUST IT'S SO GREAT WHEN WE'VE GOT A CITY DEPARTMENT THAT CAN HAVE SUCH A GREAT ALLY THERE.
THANK YOU. MISS SCHULTZ. THANK YOU.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE IS, I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE, AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING WITH THE BENEFITS OF THE GED AND THE REVENUES FROM THE TAX ASSISTANCE, TO FIND A WAY TO LEVERAGE THAT IN TERMS OF WHEN, WHEN DISCUSSIONS COME UP ON BUDGET HOW MUCH YOU'VE RETURNED BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, TO OUR CITY WITH THAT. SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.
I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OR MAYBE I MISSED IT IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEENS.
SO COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TEEN PROGRAMMING AND WHAT? AND IT DOVETAILS INTO MY NEXT QUESTION REALLY, WHICH IS WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? LIKE WHAT WOULD YOU WHERE WOULD YOU WANT TO GO? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU EVEN MORE THAN THIS STRAIGHT BUDGET AND EVERYTHING YOU'RE PRESENTING HERE.
I'LL LET KIRSTEN NIELSEN ANSWER THE TEEN QUESTION.
KIRSTEN NIELSEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
SO WE HAVE A TEEN ADVISORY BOARD THAT'S ONLINE.
THEY GIVE US A LOT OF FEEDBACK, AND WE HAVE DONE SOME TARGETED TEEN PROGRAMS AND BRANCHES WHERE THEY'RE ACTIVE, AND I THINK WITH OUR YOUTH POET LAUREATE AND EXPRESS YOURSELF YOUTH POETRY CONTEST OR COMPETITION, WE SEE A LOT OF TEENS INVOLVED.
WE WOULD AND WE'VE ADDED SOME TECHNOLOGY AT LANCASTER, KIEST AND HIGHLAND HILLS DRONES.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT ELSE, CRICKETS.
A FEW OTHER THINGS TO REALLY ENGAGE RECORDING EQUIPMENT, AND I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT IN A VERY TARGETED WAY, WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE TEENS AND WORK FROM A BASE GROWING IT.
WELL, IF I MAY, OUR YOUTH COMMISSION COULD BE A TERRIFIC PLACE TO PRESENT AND GET FEEDBACK BACK FROM THEM, AS WELL AS OUR COLLEGE ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR YOUNG ADULTS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE STILL TEENS AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD SOURCE.
YOU KNOW, MANY OF US RECEIVE A LOT OF REQUESTS FROM TEENS TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, AND SO IF WE HAD SOME SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WE COULD HELP CHANNEL THEM, YOU KNOW, AT EACH LIBRARY OR HOWEVER YOU WANTED TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND THEN FINALLY, I WAS I KNOW I EMAILED YOU AND YOU RESPONDED ABOUT THE LIBRARY CARDHOLDERS.
I PULLED UP A COUPLE OF NUMBERS THAT I THINK IS VERY INTERESTING.
ONE IS IF I DID MY MATH RIGHT, WHICH LIKE NEVER LET ME BALANCE YOUR CHECKBOOK, BUT OVER 50% OF OUR
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POPULATION HAS LIBRARY CARDS IN DALLAS.CAN YOU GET THEM AT BIRTH? YOU CAN. YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK COULD BE A VERY INTERESTING AND FUN CAMPAIGN.
THE FINAL THING THAT I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT, IF I AGAIN, ON MATH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S THE COST IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, SINCE THIS IS A BUDGET REVIEW IS JUST UNDER $36 A PERSON A YEAR FOR OUR RESIDENTS FOR YOUR BUDGET, AND SO I THINK ALL OF US WOULD ARGUE THAT WE GET WAY MORE THAN THAT IN BENEFIT FOR THE CITY.
SO I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND MONEY WELL SPENT.
THAT'S A GREAT POINT, MS. SCHULTZ.
MR. RIDLEY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S CLEAR THAT THE SCOPE AND BREADTH OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE WILL CURRENTLY DOESN'T MEET THE DEMAND FOR THEM, THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A TREMENDOUS DEMAND FOR THE KINDS OF SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE AND PROBABLY EXCEED THE CAPABILITIES WITHIN YOUR BUDGET.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE POTENTIAL IS FOR VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST YOU IN YOUR MISSION.
WHAT CAN THEY DO? SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VERY ROBUST VOLUNTEER COORDINATION PROGRAM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE ACTUALLY UTILIZE VOLUNTEERS NOW, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY A CORE PART OF WHO'S TEACHING OUR GED AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES NOW.
SO ARE YOU GETTING THE WORD OUT THAT YOU'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER AT THE LIBRARIES? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUR NEW COMMS--YES, WE HAVE ONE PERSON FOCUSED ON IT.
GOOD. I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL WE'RE DOING.
IT'S HARD TO JUDGE, BUT WE ARE GETTING FEEDBACK, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE PUT OUT A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.
WE ACTUALLY DO GET RESPONSES FOR THAT.
GREAT. WELL, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT RESOURCE BOTH TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE FOR YOU TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT YOU CAN DO THROUGH YOUR NORMAL BUDGET. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO EXPLOIT THAT OPPORTUNITY.
MM'HMM. THANK YOU, MR. RIDLEY. MISS BLACKMON.
THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
IT'S TOO QUIET FOR ME, BUT I DO LOVE THE LIBRARIES.
SO MY QUESTION IS, BECAUSE WE GOT A BUDGET BRIEFING AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE IN THE HOLE.
IF YOU HAD TO CUT ANYTHING, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? ARE YOU PREPARED TO CUT IT WITHIN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM? WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FIGURING THAT OUT CURRENTLY, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL US NOW BECAUSE I'M SURE WE'LL SEE IT BUT I MEAN, I THINK THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY SACRED COWS, BUT GIVEN THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY ASSET, I AND THEY'RE ALL COMMUNITY ASSETS, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH.
SO I'M GOING TO LOOK TO YOU GUYS TO SHOW US WHERE WE CAN BE MORE STRATEGIC AND MAYBE LEANING ON OUR PRIVATE SECTOR OR LOOKING AT PARTNERS TO FILL SOME GAPS, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
DOES THIS BUDGET FURTHER YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN? IT DOES.
IT SUPPORTS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN MOVING FORWARD AND PRIMARILY THE SKILLS AND TALENTS OF OUR STAFF.
OKAY, AND SO SO YOU FEEL YOU'RE ON TRACK WITH THIS BUDGET TO FULFILL WHAT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN HAS LAID OUT? I DO, I DO.
I DO LOVE THAT WE HAVE THAT 100 DAY PLAN FROM OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER.
IT GIVES US A ROADMAP AND CHECKING THINGS OFF, BUT I DO THINK AS A CITY WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, WE NEED TO HAVE A REALLY ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW OUR CITY GROWS, AND BECAUSE IT ONLY AFFECTS HOW WE INVEST OUR DOLLARS AND THEY'RE GETTING MORE PRECIOUS EACH TIME.
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SO THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS BLACKMON.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND MINE ARE GOING TO BE CENTERED SPECIFICALLY AROUND SLIDE 11 WITH THE DISD INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH ARCADIA PARK AND HAMPTON JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF THAT RELATIONSHIP, AND I GUESS I'LL START, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE QUESTIONS OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, ALTHOUGH I KNOW YOU PROBABLY DO.
ONE LET'S JUST START WITH THE CHANGE BETWEEN 2022 AND 23, THE CHANGE IN THAT CONTRIBUTION.
WELL, ONE IS THAT MONEY COMING FROM DISD.
JUST LET ME ASK THAT QUESTION FIRST.
SO YES, SO THERE IS A FORMULA ASSOCIATED WITH THE UTILITY EXPENSES THAT ARE INCURRED AT THAT TIME, AND AS THEY RAMP BACK UP, COMING BACK FROM COVID IN THAT YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT SLIGHT IMPACT THERE.
IT'S ALSO BASED ON THE STAFFING THAT WAS ASSIGNED THERE AT THE TIME.
THERE'RE SPECIFIC POSITIONS THAT WERE THERE, AND SO IF WE HAD A POSITION THAT NEEDED TO BE FILLED AT THAT TIME, THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THAT IMMEDIATE RESOURCE REIMBURSEMENT, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE NOTING THERE. JO, WOULD YOU ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THAT? WE DO HAVE TWO STAFF THAT DISD REIMBURSES FOR US.
OKAY. PERFECT. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT RELATIONSHIP.
OKAY, AND THEN ACTUALLY, YOU JUST ANSWERED.
THANK YOU ACTUALLY ANSWERED ALL OF THEM I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GRACEY. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND AS IT'S BEEN SAID, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU ALL'S WORK.
I DEFINITELY WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S A GEM.
I'D LOVE IT TO BE LESS HIDDEN OF A GEM AS WELL.
I JUST LOVE HEARING FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES OR THEIR OWN PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE LIBRARY SYSTEMS, AND IT'S A DEPARTMENT THAT TO THIS DAY, FIVE YEARS INTO BEING IN OFFICE, I'M HEARING ABOUT NEW THINGS ON A LIKE WEEKLY BASIS, AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH BUDGET SEASON.
I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE LAID THIS OUT VERY WELL, AND I REALLY LOVE THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE INVESTMENT PER MEMBER, IF YOU WILL, THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS SERVING, BUT I WANT TO ASK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE HOURS.
I KNOW YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY EXPECTING THAT ONE, AND I SEE IN WHERE YOU PUT THAT, WE'RE GOING TO ADD 14 LOCATIONS FOR THE SEVEN DAY. CORRECT.
OR THAT IT'S ALREADY IN EFFECT, BUT SO WHERE AS OF OCTOBER 1ST THIS YEAR AND WITH WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING NOW, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? SO WE ARE MAINTAINING, WE ARE PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN THE HOURS THAT WE HAVE, AND CURRENTLY ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS ARE OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK.
SEVEN OF THEM ARE OPEN ON SUNDAYS, SO THEY WILL BE CLOSED A DIFFERENT DAY.
WE ARE NOT. WE ARE ASKING TO MAINTAIN IT.
OKAY, AND WE HAVE HOW MANY LOCATIONS THAT ARE OPEN TILL 8 P.M.
RIGHT NOW? EVERY LOCATION IS OPEN TILL 8 P.M., TWO DAYS A WEEK.
TWO DAYS A WEEK, AND THERE'S NO INTENT TO EXPAND THAT AT ALL AS WELL.
SO WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MORE STAFF.
SO WE'D HAVE TO ADJUST A DIFFERENT DAY TO HAVE ANOTHER DAY OPEN TILL 8 P.M..
HAVE YOU ALL LOOKED INTO THE SUGGESTION I MADE IN WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR POTENTIAL PART TIME STAFFING OPPORTUNITY WITH THE TEACHERS IN THE NEIGHBORING LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK INTO THAT.
OKAY WELL, HOURS IS MY BIGGEST PRIORITY.
I KNOW THE PROGRAMMING IS GREAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST IS.
WHEN WE GET TO CLOSER TO THE BUDGET, I AM GOING TO CHAT WITH YOU ALL TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK THAT IN.
I LOVE THAT WE'VE SEEN ESSENTIALLY THE LINE ON THE GRAPH GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION SINCE COVID IT BACK, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO GET TO A PLACE OF BEING OKAY WITH SEEING THE LINE.
LET'S CONTINUE THAT MOMENTUM, AT LEAST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ADD CONTEXT.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET BACK WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING EXTRA.
[00:30:02]
SO THAT'S ONE PIECE OF FEEDBACK I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE REVENUE.THERE SEEM TO BE QUITE A BIT OF A JUMP THIS FISCAL YEAR IN YOU ALL'S ROOM RENTALS, WHICH IS GREAT.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE FINDING REVENUE IN THAT SOURCE.
WHAT WAS WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT WITH SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL JUMP.
INCREASED USAGE, MORE PEOPLE KNOWING THAT THE LIBRARY HAS SPACE FOR THEM, AND I THINK THAT IS IN PART TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT PUTTING IT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND SHARING WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU CAN COME AND RENT A ROOM AT THE LIBRARY, AND IT'S JUST AND WE HAVE TWO STAFF ACTUALLY FOCUSED ON THAT.
ARE YOU ALL ADVERTISING THAT ANY DIFFERENTLY, OR? WELL, WE DO PROMOTE IT.
ADVERTISING COSTS MONEY, [CHUCKLING] SO NOT REALLY IF YOU BUT WE ARE PROMOTING IT, YES SIR.
CAN YOU BREAK THAT DOWN FOR ME? ABSOLUTELY SO YOU KNOW IN 2019 WE WENT FINE FREE, RIGHT.
SO WE DON'T CHARGE LATE FINES ANYMORE.
GOT IT, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY WHERE THESE FEES COME FROM, AND WHAT DOES THAT TIMELINE LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IS THE ACTUAL RECOVERY RATE OF THOSE? I ASKED BECAUSE IT'S THAT TO YOU, IT'S A NUMBER THAT'S SOMEWHAT SKEWED IF WE AREN'T EXPECTING TO GET IT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, BUT IT'S AN ANTICIPATED REVENUE SOURCE BUT ARE REALLY GOING TO GET IT.
WE WERE AVERAGING ABOUT 10%, WHICH NATIONWIDE WAS ABOUT THE NORM.
WELL I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT YOU ALL'S WISH LIST IS, IF YOU WILL.
JUST AS COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ MENTIONED, I SO I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSERVATIVE APPROACH AND GIVING US THIS, BUT LET'S WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE DOING THEM ON THE BACK END.
THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL THING OF THIS EXERCISE GETTING STARTED SO EARLY.
SO IF MAYBE YOU COULD FOLLOW UP WITH A MEMO THAT DOES INCLUDE SOME OF THOSE IF WE COULD TYPE ITEMS AND ALLOW FOR US TO CONTEMPLATE THAT AS WE GO INTO BUDGET SEASON BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU. WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM C, DEPARTMENT OF CODE COMPLIANCE BUDGET REVIEW.
WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM DIRECTOR CHRIS CHRISTIAN AND HIS DREAM TEAM.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND COUNCILMEMBERS.
HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY WITH YOU.
TODAY I'M JOINED BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JEREMY REED, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR BRIAN MORRIS, AND INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CEDRIC [INAUDIBLE], AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT BUDGET AND OUR PLAN BUDGET AND OUR OVERVIEW OF OUR SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THIS SLIDE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF OUR THREE MAIN DIVISIONS NEIGHBORHOOD NUISANCE ABATEMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD CODE COMPLIANCE SERVICES, AND OUR CONSUMER HEALTH AND DEPARTMENT SUPPORT TEAMS. THE SLIDE DETAILS A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY EACH DIVISION.
OUR MISSION AND CODE COMPLIANCE IS SAFEGUARDING AND SUPPORTING A STRONG, HEALTHY COMMUNITY.
WE DO THAT BY ACTIVELY PURSUING THE GOALS BELOW TO INCLUDE INSPECTIONS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE, HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE VIOLATIONS, BOTH REACTIVELY AND PROACTIVELY.
THE REST OF OUR GOALS ARE HERE ON THE SLIDE FOR YOUR REVIEW.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
WE HAVE 490 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS ORG CHART HOW EACH OF THOSE DIVISIONS IS DIVIDED UP THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND EACH BOX ALSO INCLUDES THE PM COUNT, THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS FOR EACH DIVISION IN THE DEPARTMENT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OUR PLANNED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24-25 SHOWS A $2 MILLION INCREASE, AND THAT'S DUE TO COUNCIL APPROVED FUNDING ENHANCEMENTS FOR OUR PROACTIVE GRAFFITI ABATEMENT TEAM AND THE REMAINING POSITIONS FOR OUR NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM, OF WHICH WE GOT FIVE POSITIONS LAST YEAR AND ARE SCHEDULED TO GET THE REMAINING FIVE POSITIONS THIS YEAR.
[00:35:04]
THE OTHER MILLION IS DUE TO COST ADJUSTMENTS AS EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS, MERIT FLEET MAINTENANCE, FUEL AND OTHER RELATED ADJUSTMENTS.AS WE SPOKE EARLIER, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 490 POSITIONS WITH A PLAN 24-25 OF 501 POSITIONS, WHICH ADDS 11 POSITIONS FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED TEAMS. THE COUNCIL APPROVAL IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, THE GRAFFITI ABATEMENT TEAM WILL GET SIX POSITIONS, AND THE NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM WILL RECEIVE FIVE POSITIONS.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF OUR BUDGET BY SERVICES.
THE ACTUALS FOR 22-23 ARE INCLUDED, AS WELL AS OUR ADOPTED BUDGET FOR 23-24, ALSO INCLUDING OUR FORECAST AND OUR PLANNED BUDGET FOR EACH MAJOR SERVICE PROVIDER.
THIS SLIDE CONTAINS THE DETAILS OF OUR OPERATING EXPENSES AND REVENUES.
AGAIN, THE ACTUAL THE ADOPTED, THE FORECAST AND OUR PLANNED BUDGET FOR 24-25.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF OUR REVENUES BY OUR SERVICES ACTUALS FOR 22-23.
ADOPTED FOR 23-24, OUR FORECAST AND OUR PLANNED BUDGET AS WELL.
FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CODE, OUR REVENUES ARE MAINLY FOR OUR MULTI TENANT REGISTRATION, SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATIONS, INSPECTIONS AND OUR FOOD PROTECTION PERMITS, AND ALSO BOARDING HOMES. OUR NUISANCE ABATEMENT REVENUES COME FROM LIENS FROM MOWING HEAVY CLEANS AND SECURE CLOSURES, AND OUR CONSUMER HEALTH REVENUES COME FROM OUR FOOD INSPECTION PERMITS, OUR FIXED FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND TEMPORARY FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.
HERE WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
OVER THE NEXT TEN SLIDES, WE'LL DISCUSS SOME OF OUR KEY PROGRAMS AND THE SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THOSE PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
OKAY. RIGHT HERE. NO, JUST HOLD RIGHT HERE.
THIS SLIDE IS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CODE COMPLIANCE SERVICES TEAM.
HOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CODE DISTRICTS ARE DIVIDED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, OUR REDEPLOYMENT TRACKS, AND IT ALSO HAS A BREAKDOWN OF THE COUNCIL AREAS SERVED AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED AT EACH LOCATION THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
THIS THIS DIVISION IS OVERSEEN BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JEREMY REED.
THIS SLIDE CONTAINS A FEW PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR OUR TOP FIVE CODE VIOLATIONS PER COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND SO THE FIRST CHART IS A FEW PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR THIS TEAM.
THE MIDDLE GRAPH SHOWS OUR TOP FIVE CODE VIOLATIONS AND THE COUNT PER CODE PER COUNCIL DISTRICT AND THE LAST CHART SHOWS OUR TOP FIVE.
CODE VIOLATIONS PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE TOTAL COUNT FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR.
THIS SLIDE BREAKS DOWN OUR INSPECTOR CHANGE.
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE COUNT OF ACTUAL CODE OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE.
IT DETAILS THAT DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AS OUR CODE OFFICER COUNT GREW FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD, IT SHOWS THAT MORE VIOLATIONS WERE FOUND AND ADDRESSED, AND RESPONSE AND RESOLUTION TIMES WERE ALSO QUICKER.
THESE UNITS ARE OVERSEEN BY INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CEDRIC SUNDIATA, AND IT HAS HERE OUR MULTIFAMILY INSPECTION TEAM, OUR SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL TEAM, OUR NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM, THE FIRST FIVE POSITIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED CONSUMER PROTECTION, DEMOLITION, BOARDING HOMES AND SHORT TERM RENTALS.
THIS SLIDE CONTAINS SOME OF OUR SPECIAL UNIT PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
[00:40:02]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.THE DIVISION IS OVERSEEN BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR BRIAN MORRIS.
IT INCLUDES OUR CLEAN TEAMS, HEAVY CLEAN TEAMS, ILLEGAL DUMPING TEAM, PROACTIVE ILLEGAL DUMPING TEAM, GRAFFITI, TIRE AND CLOSURE TEAMS AND OUR SUPPORTIVE ROLE IN THE HART TEAM.
HERE ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE A FEW OF OUR NUISANCE ABATEMENT TEAM PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AS WELL AS A CHART FOR SERVICE ACTIVITY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE AS A NOTE ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE, LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE ABATED 9171 TONS OF DEBRIS AND LITTER FROM CITY OF DALLAS STREETS THAT AMOUNT TO 18 MILLION POUNDS AND REMOVED OVER 16,000 TIRES.
THIS SLIDE CONTAINS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FOOD PROTECTION TEAM, WHICH REGULATES COMMERCIAL POOLS AND SPAS AS WELL, AND OUR ANNUAL MOSQUITO ABATEMENT PLAN. THIS SLIDE PROVIDES DETAILS OF EACH OF THE SERVICE AREAS AND SOME OF THE SERVICE ACTIVITY PROVIDED BY THIS TEAM.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ON THIS SLIDE AGAIN, YOU WILL SEE SOME OF OUR CONSUMER HEALTH PERFORMANCE MEASURES AS WELL AS SERVICE ACTIVITY PROVIDED BY THIS TEAM.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OVERVIEW OF MORE OF OUR DEPARTMENT SUPPORT TEAMS. OUR TRAINING AND TALENT ACQUISITION TEAM MANAGES OUR CODE OFFICER, CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS RESIDENTIAL CODE ACADEMIES AND ALSO OUR FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND QUALITY SYSTEMS, ISO.
WE ARE AN ISO CERTIFIED DEPARTMENT IN ALL THREE AREAS WHO SUBJECT OURSELVES TO EXTERNAL AUDITS EVERY YEAR TO MAINTAIN THESE SYSTEMS, OF WHICH WE HAVE HAD THREE PASSING SCORES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WITH NO MAJOR NON-CONFORMANCES.
IT'S A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW AT THE TOP AND SOME CHARTS THAT CONTAIN THE SERVICE ACTIVITY NUMBERS AND SOME OF THE RESULTS OF OUR COMMUNITY TRASH OFF EVENTS ALSO. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS SLIDE CONTAINS AN UPDATE ON ALL OF OUR BUDGET INITIATIVES, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO REPORT ARE ALL ON TRACK AT THIS TIME, WITH EXCEPTION TO ONE BEING SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER A TEMPORARY INJUNCTION FROM THE COURTS, SO WE ARE UNABLE TO CURRENTLY ENFORCE THAT ORDINANCE, AND ALL OTHER BUDGET INITIATIVES ARE CURRENTLY ON TRACK, AND EVEN THE INITIATIVE FOR THE NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM, WE NOW HAVE ALL FIVE OF THOSE POSITIONS FILLED.
THE FIRST APPENDIX A, IS A LINK TO OUR KEEP DALLAS BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM.
HIGHLIGHTS, INCLUDING OUR MOST RECENT GOLD STAR CERTIFICATION THAT WE ACHIEVED THIS YEAR.
THE APPENDIX B INCLUDES A MORE EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF CODE COMPLIANCE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE DO PUBLICIZE ON OUR WEBSITE QUARTERLY, MONTHLY, AND ANNUALLY, AND APPENDIX C.
HAS A BREAKDOWN OF OUR BUDGET INCREASES OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND THE COUNCIL APPROVED INITIATIVES THAT WERE RELATED TO THOSE BUDGET ENHANCEMENTS AS WELL AS THE POSITION INCREASES FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND WHAT THOSE POSITION INCREASES WERE RELATED TO AS FAR AS COUNCIL APPROVED INITIATIVES,
[00:45:06]
AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE HERE FOR.LIZ CEDILLO-PEREIRA, AND ON BEHALF OF CFO JACK IRELAND, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A BRIEF REITERATION OF THE PURPOSE OF THE BRIEFINGS TODAY IS TO IS TO SEEK YOUR INSIGHTS ON OUR CURRENT BUDGET AND OUR BUDGET INITIATIVES, AND TO TAKE THAT BACK, HOLDING IT UNDER ADVISEMENT, AS AS THE BUDGET PRESENTATION OR IS DEVELOPED FOR PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL IN AUGUST.
SO THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS LIKE LIBRARY AND CODE ARE HERE TO OPEN UP THEIR BOOKS, IF YOU WILL, TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT, AND THEN FOR SORT OF WHAT'S NEXT, THE PURPOSE IS, FOR US AT LEAST, IS TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU WHEN WE PRESENT IT IN AUGUST.
IF YOU COULD GIVE US A FOLLOW UP IN A MEMO SO THAT WE CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY, AND THEN YOU ALL CAN BAKE THAT IN, AS YOU WISH GOING INTO AUGUST, BUT IF WE MAKE IT MORE OF A DIALOG IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE.
MISS SCHULTZ, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AT RESPONSE.
COULD YOU SHARE WHY THE REVENUE FROM THE NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAM REDUCED? IF I READ THAT RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER, AND SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SLIDE NINE, I BELIEVE THE REVENUE FOR THE NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAM DID NOT ACTUALLY REDUCE THE BUDGETED AMOUNT WAS THE SAME IN ALL YEARS.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THE ACTUAL FOR 22-23 JUST MEANS THAT WE ACTUALLY COLLECTED MORE AND LEAN REVENUES FOR THAT YEAR, AND SO IT'S HARD TO FORECAST HOW MANY FOLKS ARE GOING TO PAY THEIR LIENS OR IF A PROPERTY IS GOING TO SELL, AND WE'RE GOING TO RECOUP THE COST FOR THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AT THAT PROPERTY, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE SEE INCREASES IN THAT REVENUE LINE ITEM.
SO OKAY, SO SORRY JUST TRANSLATE FOR ME IN TERMS OF THE PLANNED BUDGET THEN WHAT THAT MEANS, AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE THE PLANNED BUDGET FOR 24-25 IS ACTUALLY THE EXACT SAME AS THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR 23-24, AND SO THAT IS THE PROJECTED REVENUE THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO RECEIVE FROM LIENS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS WE SOMETIMES RECEIVE MORE, AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE FORECAST FOR 23-24, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME IN ABOUT 400,000 OVER THAT BASED ON THE LIENS THAT WE'VE CURRENTLY RECEIVED THIS YEAR.
SO YOU'RE JUST BEING SUPER CONSERVATIVE.
YES, MA'AM. WELL, THE BUDGET THE BUDGET OFFICE IS BEING SUPER CONSERVATIVE.
THANK YOU. ALSO, I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR THE BLOOMBERG GRANT PROGRAM, AND I WANTED TO KNOW HOW YOU PLAN, HOW WE CAN HELP FROM A BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS ANYTHING ELSE IN TERMS OF GROWING THE KEEP DALLAS BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM.
IT'S CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO THE PLACE WHERE IT'S BECOMING A CORE PART OF OUR WORK, AND HOW DO WE HELP BUILD THAT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER.
I THINK THE COUNCIL IS SO GRACIOUSLY APPROVED, 400,003 POSITIONS FOR THAT PROGRAM LAST YEAR, AND WE'VE JUST BEEN ABLE TO DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THAT FUNDING AND WITH THOSE POSITIONS, AND SO WE'LL BE REEVALUATING THAT TEAM AND WHAT NEEDS WE HAVE COMING INTO THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS THIS SUMMER AND PROPOSING SOME SOME IDEAS WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEEDS.
IT MAKES SENSE, BUT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, IN TERMS OF THE SPIRIT OF THE DIALOG THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE IS LOOKING FOR, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT QUITE A BIT OVER THE YEARS THROUGH THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION EQUITY COMMITTEE, IS THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF VOLUNTEERISM AND COUNCILMEMBER RIDLEY BROUGHT IT UP WITH THE LIBRARIES HERE.
WE HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS IN OUR CITY THAT CAN HELP OFFSET STAFF COSTS IN SOME WAYS, OR AT LEAST BUILD UP THE SERVICE LEVEL, EVEN IF WE DON'T REDUCE ANY STAFFING, AND SO I THINK TAKING A GOOD LOOK DOWN THE ROAD AT HOW WE DO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT AND ALL THAT CHANNELING, I THINK COULD BE SOMETHING WORTH THINKING ABOUT.
THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO I HAD TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONE IS WHY ARE THE FOOD INSPECTIONS DOWN SO MUCH UNLESS I READ THIS WRONG?
[00:50:07]
WHAT SLIDE ARE YOU LOOKING AT, COUNCILMEMBER? I DON'T KNOW, I WROTE MY QUESTIONS AND OH, HERE I THINK IT'S NO.OH, HERE IT'S SLIDE TEN ON THE NUMBER OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENT INSPECTION CONDUCTED PER FULL TIME.
SO DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE BEING MORE EFFICIENT OR ARE THERE OR IS THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS ACTUALLY DOWN? YES, MA'AM, AND SO FOR THE NUMBER OF FOOD--THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER--THE NUMBER OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENT INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED PER FTE, AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS EVERY YEAR AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, WE REEVALUATE OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR OUR TEAM.
WE LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TEAM, THE FROM THE LAST YEAR AND THE CURRENT YEAR, AND THEN AS WE'RE PROJECTING WHAT OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES SHOULD BE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT, AND SO IF WE HAVE A PERFORMANCE MEASURE SET THAT OUR TEAM IS NOT HITTING REGULARLY WITH EFFICIENCY AND THEY'RE FALLING SHORT OF THOSE TOTALS, THEN WE LOOK AT POTENTIALLY REDUCING THOSE TOTALS IN ORDER TO GET OUR TEAM'S PERFORMANCE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY PERFORMING, AND SO AT THIS TIME, WE DECIDED TO DROP THAT GOAL BECAUSE WE HAD SOME ATTRITION, SOME TURNOVER IN OUR SANITARIAN RANKS.
WE LOST QUITE A FEW SANITARIANS, AND WE HAD JUST A HANDFUL OF SANITARIANS THAT WERE STILL THERE PERFORMING THOSE INSPECTIONS, AND WE WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO COMPREHENSIVELY LOOK AT OUR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH A PERFORMANCE MEASURE THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACHIEVE.
SO I GUESS THIS GOES ACROSS THE BOARD.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU SPECIFICALLY, BUT I GUESS THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THE GENERAL QUESTIONS IS HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGING SORT OF STRETCH GOALS WITHOUT PEOPLE BEING PENALIZED WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE THEM, AND IT'S INHERENT TO ALL BUREAUCRACIES BOTH WITH BUDGET AS WELL AS WITH GENERAL PERFORMANCE BUT I THINK IT'S A QUESTION DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ASK, HOW DO WE HELP OUR EMPLOYEES REACH FARTHER THAN THEY MAY BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE WITHOUT PUNISHING THEM FINANCIALLY IF THEY DON'T ACHIEVE THEM? ARE YOU WITH ME? SO THAT IS ALL, AND I'M ASSUMING THE SINGLE FAMILY REGISTRATION IS FOR THE RENTALS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, MISS SCHULTZ.
MR. RIDLEY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MR. CHRISTIAN, I WOULD LIKE SOME FEEDBACK FROM YOU ON THE SUCCESS OF THE TIRE SHOP ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED A YEAR OR SO AGO.
ITS INTENT WAS TO REQUIRE REGISTRATION OF TIRE SHOPS AND TRACEABILITY FOR WHAT THEY DID WITH THEIR SCRAP TIRES IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOUR ASSESSMENT IS WHAT'S YOUR ASSESSMENT IS ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THAT PROGRAM? IS IT KEEPING SCRAP TIRES OUT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND REDUCING YOUR COSTS OF TIRE SCRAP TIRE ABATEMENT? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER.
WE DO HAVE TIRE SHOP OWNERS PARTICIPATING IN OUR ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL COURSE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERY YEAR AND CODE COMPLIANCE AND SO FAR THINGS ARE GOING REALLY WELL WITH THAT ORDINANCE AND THAT PROGRAM.
YES, SIR. GOOD, GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
GENERALLY, HOW IS YOUR DEPARTMENT'S RETENTION OF EMPLOYEES AND YOUR ABILITY TO HIRE AT CURRENT SALARY LEVELS AND FOR THE TASKS THAT YOU HAVE? SO CODE COMPLIANCE--THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER-- OUR RETENTION IS IMPROVING IN CODE COMPLIANCE.
I THINK WE ALWAYS STRUGGLE WITH A BIT OF ATTRITION AND WE CARRY A VACANCY RATE.
THE CODE THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION IS A DIFFICULT ONE.
IT'S A LOT OF VERY DIFFICULT THINGS.
WE'RE ASKING OUR EMPLOYEES TO DEAL WITH THE PAY RANGE.
WE'RE HOPING TO ELEVATE THOSE GRADES A LITTLE BIT TO INCREASE THOSE RANGES.
THERE'S SOME SOME HAZARDS THAT THEY DEAL WITH OUT IN THE FIELD AS WELL.
OUR OFFICERS ARE WEARING BULLETPROOF VESTS NOW.
BODY CAMS WE'VE HAD OFFICERS HAVE WEAPONS PULLED ON THEM.
[00:55:03]
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, FOLKS REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT THE JOB FOR THEM AND THEY LEAVE.WE HAVE AN INTERNAL HIRING TEAM THAT'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
WE HAVE 42 NEW CADETS IN THE ONBOARDING PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE SHOWN TO HAVE ABOUT 62 VACANCIES, I THINK, BUT 42 OF THOSE ARE CURRENTLY BEING ONBOARDED DUE TO JOB FAIRS AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO EDUCATE FOLKS ABOUT WHAT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION IS AND WHAT IT CAN BE AS A CAREER PATH AND A JOURNEY, AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES WITH OUR HR TEAM AND COMPENSATION TEAM.
AS FAR AS OUR SALARIES, WE'VE JUST RECENTLY DEPLOYED A NEW CAREER SERIES THAT WE'RE WORKING TO IMPLEMENT IN CODE COMPLIANCE FOR OUR OFFICERS TO CREATE SOME TIERED PROGRESSION AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND SO WITH WITH THOSE THINGS, WE FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPROVE OUR RETENTION AND ATTRITION EVEN MORE, BUT ULTIMATELY, IT'S GOING TO BE BEING ABLE TO HIRE QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO DO THIS WORK WELL, AND I THINK TRAINING IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF RETENTION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN YOUR PRESENTATION ARE YOU KEEPING UP WITH THE NEEDS FOR TRAINING ALL OF THESE NEW RECRUITS TO ENSURE THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS AND GET JOB SATISFACTION? ABSOLUTELY, COUNCILMEMBER, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
WE HAVE A VERY, VERY ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM IN CODE COMPLIANCE.
WE PARTNERED WITH THE DALLAS POLICE.
WE'RE DOING SOME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TRAINING.
WE'RE WORKING AT SOME OF THEIR FACILITIES TO DO ENVIRONMENT SAFETY AWARENESS TRAINING AROUND CODE INSPECTIONS, AND JUST INTERNALLY, WE MANAGE ALL OF OUR CEUS FOR OUR CODE OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO RENEW THEIR LICENSE, AND SO WE'RE BUILDING A LIBRARY OF TRAINING THAT OUR OFFICERS HAVE ACCESS TO THROUGH OUR LEARNINGZEN PROGRAM. WE HAVE A DIVISION WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT IS TOTALLY DEDICATED TO THIS, AND WE PRIORITIZE TRAINING OF OUR OFFICERS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. RIDLEY. MISS WILLIS, THANK YOU.
THESE NUMBERS ARE AMAZING, AND I HEAR SO MANY STORIES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU AT MY OFFICE.
I MEAN, SO MANY CALLS THAT WE GET ARE ARE TIED BACK TO CODE COMPLIANCE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SEE IT AND I ALSO GET THE FEEDBACK, AND SO I KNOW YOUR TEAM IS OUT THERE WORKING SO HARD EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR US.
SO WE'VE GOT THESE SIX POSITIONS THIS YEAR AND IT'S TALKING ABOUT PROACTIVE GRAFFITI ABATEMENT.
IS THIS GETTING AT THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY LIKE WITH PAINT COATINGS OR SOMETHING? I MEAN TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT AND WHY WE'VE ADDED SIX POSITIONS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A GRAFFITI ABATEMENT TEAM AS A PART OF OUR NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAM, AND BASICALLY THEY'RE RESPONDING REACTIVELY TO GRAFFITI REQUESTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SOMETIMES ON TXDOT PROPERTY, SOMETIMES ON OUR PILLARS, OUR OVERPASSES, OUR UNDERPASSES, SOMETIMES ON BUSINESSES THE GANG RELATED GRAFFITI.
WE HAVE A TEAM THAT RESPONDS REACTIVELY TO THOSE REQUESTS.
CURRENTLY, WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO DO WITH THIS BUDGET ENHANCEMENT WAS TO CREATE A PROACTIVE TEAM THAT WOULD ACTUALLY THE SIX POSITIONS WOULD ACTUALLY BE TWO TEAMS. THEY WOULD GO OUT WITH THEIR THEIR PAINT, THEIR ROLLERS, ALL THE PPE THAT THEY NEED TO PERFORM GRAFFITI ABATEMENTS, AND THEY WOULD PROACTIVELY IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THAT GRAFFITI ON SITE THAT DAY VERSUS US WAITING TO RECEIVE A COMPLAINT AND GO OUT AND RESPOND TO IT.
SO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR PROACTIVE ILLEGAL DUMPING TEAMS. SAME SAME SAME THING HERE.
DO WE GET DO WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO DO THAT FOR TXDOT? ARE WE COMPENSATED FOR DOING THAT FOR TXDOT? AND SO USUALLY WHEN WE SEE GRAFFITI ON TXDOT PROPERTY, WE WILL REFER IT TO THEM.
OUR TEAMS CAN DO IT A LOT FASTER THAN THAT, AND AS FAR AS KEEPING THE CITY WELCOMING AND DEALING WITH THE ESTHETIC PROBLEM THAT GRAFFITI CAUSES WE SEND OUR TEAM OUT TO TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE WE CAN DO IT FASTER THAN THAN TXDOT WILL.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SET UP TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THOSE GRAFFITI ABATEMENTS AT THIS TIME, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF KEEPING OUR CITY CLEAN AND SAFE AND WELCOMING, WE JUST GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF IT. WELL, I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M WONDERING ABOUT A DISTINCTION BETWEEN IF IT'S SOMETHING OBJECTIONABLE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED RIGHT AWAY VERSUS LETTING THEM GO ON AND FULFILL SOMETHING THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
YES, MA'AM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY OPINION.
[01:00:02]
SO ON THE NIGHT TIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE A 24 OVER SEVEN CITY, AND WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THAT FALL OUTSIDE OF OURS WHERE SOMETHING COMES IN.ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AND THEN IT'S NOT ADDRESSED UNTIL MONDAY.
SO TELL ME ABOUT THE NIGHTTIME TEAM AND HOW LATE THEY'RE WORKING, AND THEN WHAT MOVES WE CAN MAKE TO GET TO BEING MORE RESPONSIVE, SAY, ON A SUNDAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE'S CLEARED OUT OF A SITUATION YOU KNOW, A RESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY MORNING TO SEE SOME KIND OF RESPONSE. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER.
OUR NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM CURRENTLY IS PERFORMING REALLY WELL.
THEY'RE ENGAGING WITH OUR OPERATORS, OUR MANAGERS, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS A WILLINGNESS TO VOLUNTARILY COMPLY WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CODE SAYS AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF THEM, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB OF BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND MAKING OUR QUARTERLY 24 HOUR DALLAS MEETINGS AND SHARING FEEDBACK, GETTING FEEDBACK, AND JUST WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE A BETTER ENVIRONMENT IN OUR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS.
WHAT WE ALWAYS THOUGHT AS A PART OF OUR NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TRICKLE OUT INTO OTHER AREAS TO ADDRESS CERTAIN THINGS THAT MIGHT BE CODE RELATED IN THE AFTER HOURS ON THOSE DAYS OUR CONCERN IS STILL PRIMARILY JUST THE SAFETY OF OUR OFFICERS, AND AT TIMES WE COULD POTENTIALLY NEED DPD SUPPORT OR MARSHAL SUPPORT TO ADDRESS CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THE DISORDERLY CONDUCT, THE RAMBUNCTIOUS PARTIES, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SEEING, AND SOME OF THE THINGS EVEN RELATED TO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE PASSED OUR ORDINANCE.
NOW IT'S WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND SO BUT YOU WERE READY TO STAFF UP FOR THAT DECEMBER 6TH OR WHATEVER THE DATE WAS LAST DECEMBER, AND SO YOU HAVE THOSE STAFF MEMBERS, AND SO NOW THEY'RE ALLOCATED TO WHAT? JEREMY, YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ONE? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. MEMBER, COUNCILMEMBER JEREMY REED, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR CODE COMPLIANCE.
SO, YES BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR ACTUALLY STARTED, OCTOBER 1ST, WE WERE ALREADY IN PROCESS OF HIRING FOR THOSE SHORT TERM RENTAL OFFICERS IN ANTICIPATION OF THAT DECEMBER ROLLOUT.
EXCUSE ME OVER THAT NEXT MONTH, WE GOT THAT TEAM FULLY STAFFED.
THEY'VE BEEN HELPING THOSE TEAMS TO CATCH UP ON OUR GRADED LICENSE INSPECTIONS, OUR COMPLAINT INSPECTIONS WITH THE MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO THAT HAS SERVED AS A TRAINING GROUND FOR THEM.
SO ONCE THAT'S RESOLVED, WE CAN REACTIVATE THEM ON THAT ORIGINAL TASK.
YES, MA'AM. THEY'LL BE READY TO GO OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ARE WE MOVING TO ANOTHER ITEM OR DO WE HAVE OTHER? NO, MR. GRACEY.
THANK YOU, MISS WILLIS. MR. GRACEY. THANK YOU, AND THIS MAY BE JUST FOR MY OWN UNDERSTANDING, PERHAPS FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC, TOO.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK IT AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING JUST A LITTLE BIT IGNORANT, BUT I SEE ON SLIDE 18, WE ABATED WHAT WAS THAT ALMOST 18 MILLION POUNDS WORTH OF FROM A RECYCLING PERSPECTIVE, HOW DOES IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO RECEIVE REVENUE BASED ON ALL OF THAT TONNAGE, OR IS THAT ALL JUST A PART OF THE CITY OPERATIONS? JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT.
THANK. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER.
FROM A CODE COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVE, NO THE REVENUE WOULD BE FROM THE LIENS IF THIS LITTER AND DEBRIS THAT'S RELATED TO OUR HEAVY CLEANS OR OUR MOW LITTER ABATEMENTS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHO DID NOT COMPLY WITHIN THEIR DUE PROCESS PERIOD, WE WILL LEAN FOR THAT WORK AND THAT ACTIVITY, AND SO WE'LL GET A REVENUE STREAM BACK FROM THAT.
AS FAR AS THE DISPOSAL OF THE WASTE THAT'S HANDLED AT THE MCCOMMAS BLUFF LANDFILL.
[01:05:01]
SO THAT WOULD BE UNDER CLIFF, AND YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF DIVERSION OR RECYCLING THINGS THEY COULD DO THERE.THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU ALL'S PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU ALL'S WORK.
I WANT TO ASK, THOUGH, ABOUT THE FEES.
ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND MADE A PRETTY BIG ADJUSTMENT TO FEES TO ALLOW FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO THRIVE, AS I MENTIONED, WITH ADEQUATE RESOURCES AND NOT GETTING IN THE HOLE I SEE SPECIFICALLY WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS ONE, ESPECIALLY WITH DEVOTING EIGHT POSITIONS TO IT AND US ESSENTIALLY NOT GETTING ANYTHING IN BACK. CAN YOU ALL QUANTIFY THAT? AND CAN CAN WE SEE THAT ACTUALLY BROKEN DOWN FOR, FOR ALL OF NOT NECESSARILY JUST THE SPECIALTY, BUT IF THERE'S ANY THAT, THAT MAY FALL IN LINE WITH THAT, WE ARE FUNDING FOR A SPECIFIC SPECIALTY USE BUT NOT GETTING FEES GENERATED AS A REVENUE SOURCE TO RECOVER THOSE COSTS AND THAT, THAT'S IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT, JUST CURIOUS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, CHAIR.
MOST OF OUR FEES IN CODE COMPLIANCE ARE REVIEWED EVERY THREE YEARS BY THE BUDGET OFFICE.
I THINK YOU GUYS TALKED TO THEM JUST EARLIER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THOSE EVERY YEAR OR EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS WITH BUT SHORT TERM RENTALS WE DID OUTSIDE OF OUR TRADITIONAL FEE STUDY, JUST TO PREPARE FOR THAT BUDGET REQUEST THAT WE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL AND SO WE DID THAT OUT OF CYCLE THE NUMBER OF SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT WE HAVE OPERATING NOW, WE'RE GETTING THAT DATA FROM GRANICUS, OUR HOST COMPLIANCE SOFTWARE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING ONLINE IN PREPARATION FOR ENFORCEMENT AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE BRINGING THAT ITEM TO COUNCIL, WE DIDN'T HAVE EXACT NUMBERS.
WE HAD PROJECTED NUMBERS AND WHAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE OUT THERE, AND SO THE FEE STUDY THAT WE CONDUCTED FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS HAD A LOT OF PROJECTIONS IN IT, AND SO I THINK WE COULD GO BACK WITH MORE ACCURATE NUMBERS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS A OPERATOR WITHIN THE CITY, AND SEE IF THOSE FEES CAN BE ADJUSTED TO, TO MATCH THE DATA THAT WE NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THAT WE DIDN'T AT THAT TIME.
THANK YOU, AND I KNOW WITH WHAT YOU ALL PRESENTED TO US, IT WAS MUCH MORE ROBUST, BUT I'M CURIOUS IF IN THE INTERIM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE LETTING LITIGATION PLAY OUT, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ATTACHED TO THE MUNI REV SYSTEM THAT I KNOW IS JUST COLLECTING THE TAX PORTION, BUT IS THERE A SENSE OF A PROCESSING FEE OR A SOME SORT OF FEE THAT COULD BE TACKED ON SO THAT WE ALREADY KNOW THOSE WHO ARE COMING ON AND PAYING THEIR HOT TAXES? THAT'S GREAT. NONE OF THAT GOES TO YOU ALL, SO DOESN'T HELP YOU ALL, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE THEM.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WHEN COLLECTING THOSE ANNUAL TAXES, THAT THERE IS A FEE ADDED TO THAT, THAT EACH OPERATOR HAS TO PAY INTO THAT COULD BE A COST RECOVERY TOOL FOR YOU ALL.
THAT'S A FANTASTIC QUESTION, CHAIR.
AWESOME. THANK YOU, AND I JUST I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE NIGHT TIME ENTERTAINMENT.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL FOR A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR FORESIGHT.
IT WAS DECIDED THAT WAS GOING TO BE A THREE YEAR STEP UP, AND SO THIS YEAR IT'S I THINK 53.
NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE 64, AND IN YEAR THREE IT'LL GO UP TO 74, AND THAT'LL BE 100%, AND ALL OF OUR OTHER CODE REGISTRATIONS AND INSPECTION PROGRAMS WILL BE AT 100% COST RECOVERY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU'VE CHOSEN THAT SINGLE FAMILY? I DON'T THINK IT WAS A CHOICE WE MADE.
I THINK THAT WAS THE COUNCIL DECISION TO DO THE STEP UP APPROACH, JUST LIKE WE HAD DONE IN SOME OF OUR OTHER STUFF IN THE PAST BUT IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION.
I'M CURIOUS WHY THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION.
OUTSIDE OF OTHER FEES BEING STAIR STEPPED.
I'M NOT SURE AT THIS TIME, IS THERE?
[01:10:03]
WAS THERE COGNIZANCE THAT IT WOULD BE IT TRICKLED DOWN TO THE RENTER.IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. I DON'T KNOW, JEREMY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? YES. YES, CHAIR, THAT WAS PART OF IT, AND JUST AS MORE OFTENTIMES, SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL OPERATORS ARE SMALLER BUSINESSES, ONE, TWO, THREE RENTALS PER SE, AND SO THAT WOULD REALLY HAVE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL EFFECT ON THAT ON THAT BUSINESS ACROSS THE CITY, AND SO WE BELIEVED THAT THE STEP, THE RECOMMENDATION CAME BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE STEP APPROACH WOULD MAKE IT MORE PALATABLE FOR THOSE WHO KIND OF HAVE JUST A FEW RENTALS ACROSS THE CITY.
I'VE ATTENDED A FEW FORWARD DALLAS MEETINGS THAT WILL DEBUNK THAT THEORY.
YOU JUST SAID IT'S A BUNCH OF CORPORATE ENTITIES, IS WHAT I'VE HEARD.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, THOUGH, MORE ON WHAT MISS WILLIS WAS MENTIONING ON THE GRAFFITI ABATEMENT.
IF YOU GO TO THE PRODUCTIVITY OR PERFORMANCE MEASURES, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ALL HAVE INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY PRETTY WELL WITH YOUR CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS.
I'M CURIOUS WHY YOU'RE ASKING FOR MORE.
I'M ALL ABOUT THIS DIVISION, BY THE WAY.
YOU ALL HELP A LOT IN SOUTH DALLAS, SO I'M NOT IN IT, BUT I'M CURIOUS WHEN YOU SEE THAT WE'VE GONE UP TO A 97% IN PERFORMANCE MEASURES WITH CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS, YOU'RE ASKING FOR MORE STAFFING LEVELS AND YOU'RE GIVING US A FORECAST, A TARGET THAT'S LESS THAN WHERE YOU'RE AT NOW.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER.
SO TWO PARTS, THE FIRST PART OF ASKING FOR THE PROACTIVE TEAM IS TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT IDENTIFYING AND PROACTIVELY RESOLVING.
THE TEAM IS DOING A GOOD JOB BEING REACTIVE AND RESPONDING TO THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE DO GET TO COUNCILWOMAN SCHULTZ POINT EARLIER AND CODE COMPLIANCE, AND ACROSS ALL OUR DIVISIONS, WE REVIEW OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS ANNUALLY AND MONTHLY AT A MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETING, AND SO EVERY YEAR OUR GOAL IS TO STRETCH OUR TEAMS IN MOST CASES IN OUR ILLEGAL DUMPING.
YOU CAN SEE IN OUR BUDGET MEASURES.
WHEN I STARTED IN CODE COMPLIANCE THREE YEARS AGO, IT WAS 20 DAYS TO ABATE ILLEGAL DUMPING.
THEN WE DROPPED IT TO TEN DAYS AND MOST RECENTLY IT'S GONE DOWN TO SEVEN DAYS, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT FIVE DAYS GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR, AND SO EACH YEAR WE'LL LOOK AT OUR MEASURES, WE'LL LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR TEAMS AND WE'LL WE'LL INCREASE THE COMPLEXITY OF ACHIEVING THE PERFORMANCE MEASURE.
WHY THIS PARTICULAR ONE DROPPED? I THINK I'VE DISCUSSED WITH MY TEAM INTERNALLY.
WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT RAISING THAT BACK UP.
I THINK IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR MANAGEMENT'S PART FOR IT TO GO DOWN BECAUSE THE TEAM WAS PERFORMING SO WELL, BUT THAT'S JUST AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART, AND THAT MEASURE WILL PROBABLY BE GOING BACK UP.
PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LOOK FORWARD TO THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU ALL GIVE FROM WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS TODAY AND GETTING INTO THE BUDGET SEASON, ONE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED YOU'VE GIVEN US WHAT I WOULD ASSUME TO BE PRETTY CONSERVATIVE.
I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO AT THIS POINT, COMING INTO THIS LEVEL OF BUDGET, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT WOULD INCREASE CERTAIN PRODUCTIVITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ILLEGAL DUMPING PRO TEAM OR ANYTHING THAT IS NOT LISTED HERE, IF YOU COULD ALSO JUST KIND OF ITEMIZE WHAT YOUR WISH LIST WOULD BE IF THERE WERE MORE.
MOVING ON TO COMMUNITY COURTS, ITEM B.
WE ARE GOING TO BE HEARING FROM OUR SECTION CHIEF OF COMMUNITY COURTS.
HEY, MATTHEW, TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND COUNCILMEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY COURTS.
I'M THE CHIEF OF THE COMMUNITY COURTS SECTION OF THE DALLAS CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
ALSO WITH ME HERE THIS MORNING IS JILL HANING, WHO IS A SECTION CHIEF OVER COMMUNITY PROSECUTION.
CAN YOU MOVE THAT A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOU? YES. THANK YOU.
YES. SO ALSO WITH ME HERE IS JILL HENNING, WHO IS A SECTION CHIEF WITH THE COMMUNITY PROSECUTION SECTION OF THE DALLAS CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE PRESTON ROBINSON.
DURING THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE COVERING A TIME.
I'LL BE COVERING A TIMELINE, OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS, SUCCESS STORIES, AND ENHANCEMENTS.
[01:15:04]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.ALL RIGHT. THIS IS A LEFT TO RIGHT CHRONOLOGY OF COMMUNITY COURTS.
CREATION 2004 MARKED THE CREATION OF THE SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY COURT IN THE MLK CENTER.
IN 2008, THE WEST DALLAS COMMUNITY COURT WAS CREATED IN THE WEST DALLAS MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER.
IN 2010, THE SOUTH OAK CLIFF COMMUNITY COURT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE DART POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
IN 2014, THE ADULT DRUG TREATMENT COURT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE MLK CENTER, AND THE FOCUS OF THIS SPECIALTY COURT IS TO PROVIDE TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AS WELL.
IN 2016, THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COURT AND THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT WAS ESTABLISHED.
ITS FOCUS IS TO PROVIDE VETERANS WITH TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND FINALLY IN 2017, THE DOWNTOWN NIGHT COURT WAS ESTABLISHED.
AFTER RECEIVING A CITATION AND COMING TO THE COMMUNITY COURTS, A SOCIAL SERVICE COORDINATOR EVALUATES THE INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE COORDINATOR EVALUATES THE INDIVIDUAL TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY SERVICE THEY CAN PERFORM.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS EACH COMMUNITY COURT LOCATION, AS WELL AS THE DAYS AND TIMES THAT DOCKETS ARE HELD.
THE SOUTH DALLAS DRUG COURT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY COURT.
THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE SOUTH OAK CLIFF COMMUNITY COURT, AND THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COURT IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE VICKERY MEADOW COMMUNITY COURT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
IN 2008, 2018, AND 2023 AS A MENTOR COURT, THE SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY COURT PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE EITHER CREATING OR FURTHER DEVELOPING THEIR OWN COMMUNITY COURTS.
THE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF OUR SECTIONS PERSONNEL IS SHOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ONCE AN INDIVIDUAL PLEADS GUILTY OR NO CONTEST IN COMMUNITY COURT, SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF EVALUATE THE PERSON TO FIND OUT WHAT UNDERLYING ISSUES OR BARRIERS EXIST IN THAT PERSON'S LIFE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF QUALITY OF LIFE OFFENSES.
NO DRIVER'S LICENSE OR SUSPENDED LICENSE.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.
THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF QUALITY OF LIFE OFFENSES AS WELL.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
DRUG AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT AS WELL AS HOUSING, EDUCATION AND JOB TRAINING REFERRALS.
ALSO IN COURT INTERPRETATION SERVICES ARE PROVIDED.
HERE ARE A FEW COMMUNITY SERVICE EXAMPLES.
[01:20:03]
YARD CARE, LITTER PICKUP AND FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANCE.WRAPAROUND SERVICES SUCH AS BUS PASSES AND HOUSING REFERRALS WERE ALSO PROVIDED.
ULTIMATELY, THIS PERSON'S RECOVERY JOURNEY RESULTED IN DISMISSAL OF 15 CITATIONS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GRADUATION FROM THE SOUTH DALLAS DRUG COURTS TREATMENT PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ADDITIONALLY, COMMUNITY COURT CONNECTED THIS PERSON WITH ANOTHER LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT INSTALLED AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AT NO COST AFTER COMPLETING COMMUNITY SERVICE AND A CODE CLASS, AND THE CODE CLASS IS REALLY DESIGNED TO EDUCATE THIS PERSON ABOUT THE CODE COMPLIANCE AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS.
THIS PERSON CITATION WAS DISMISSED.
TRANSLATING COMMUNITY COURT FLYERS IN THE TOP FIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN DALLAS.
USING ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE AND HIGH FOOT TRAFFIC AREAS.
UPDATING THE INFORMATION ON THE COMMUNITY COURT'S PAGE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WEBSITE, AS WELL AS WORKING TO INCREASE OUR PRESENCE ON OTHER PAGES OF THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
ESTABLISHING A TRANSFER PROGRAM SO THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH CITATIONS AT DALLAS MUNICIPAL COURT CAN VOLUNTARILY TRANSFER THEIR CASES TO CONVENIENTLY LOCATED COMMUNITY COURTS THAT LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING HELPFUL WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO REDUCE BARRIERS IN THEIR LIVES.
AS WELL AS EDUCATING THEM ON RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR THE OVERVIEW, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
I'M GOING TO START WITH MR. RIDLEY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO I'M INTERESTED IN THE DIVERSION PROCESS.
HOW DO PEOPLE GET DIVERTED FROM THE TRADITIONAL MUNICIPAL COURT CITATION ENFORCEMENT PROCESS TO THE COMMUNITY COURT PROCESS? DO THEY HAVE TO APPLY OR DO CASEWORKERS IDENTIFY THOSE PEOPLE MEETING INCOME QUALIFICATIONS? YES. EXCELLENT QUESTION FOR SURE.
WE'VE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY AND WE NOW HAVE A PERSON ACTUALLY OVER THERE ON SITE IN 2014, MAINE, WHICH IS DALLAS MUNICIPAL COURT, TO SHARE THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN OFFER WHEN IT COMES TO SERVICES AND ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP INDIVIDUALS OUT.
SHOULD THAT PERSON OR PEOPLE VOLUNTARILY LIKE TO TRANSFER THEIR CASE, THEY CAN REQUEST THAT AND THEN THEIR CASE CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO COMMUNITY COURTS, BUT IT'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS, AND HAVING THAT PERSON THERE IS SO HELPFUL BECAUSE THEY CAN REALLY TALK THE INDIVIDUAL ABOUT THEIR UNIQUE SITUATION AND CIRCUMSTANCES AND MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY COURTS IS A RIGHT FIT FOR THEM AND THEIR NEEDS, AND THEN ALSO FACILITATE TRANSFER TO THE CLOSEST COMMUNITY COURT TO THAT INDIVIDUAL SO THAT IT'S MOST CONVENIENT FOR THEM AS WELL. SO DO THEY HAVE TO MEET CERTAIN INCOME QUALIFICATIONS SO THAT SOMEONE, LET'S SAY, ISN'T MAINTAINING THEIR PROPERTY, THEY CAN AFFORD TO DO IT.
[01:25:02]
CAN THEY QUALIFY FOR THE COMMUNITY COURT, OR DO THEY GET EXCLUDED FROM THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TO PERFORM? THEY WOULDN'T BE. NO ONE'S GOING TO BE EXCLUDED FROM COMMUNITY COURTS, BUT I WILL SAY THE LARGE DIFFERENCE THERE IS, THERE'S A DETAILED ASSESSMENT THAT OCCURS, AND DURING THAT ASSESSMENT, INCOME IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT'S ANALYZED AND LOOKED AT, AND OF COURSE, IF THE INDIVIDUAL HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES, THEN THAT WOULD BE DETERMINATIVE OF THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED.IF IT'S THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THEY'RE JUST CHOOSING NOT TO HAVE THEIR HOUSE PAINTED, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN THAT WOULD BE A SITUATION WHERE THAT PERSON WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE, THOSE RESOURCES THAT WOULD PAY FOR IT IF THEY HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO DO SO.
THE EVALUATION PROCESS, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT.
IT GOES THROUGH MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE PERSON'S LIFE, BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO SEE NOT ONLY, OF COURSE, WHAT THEIR RESOURCES ARE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT OTHER BARRIERS OR ISSUES EXIST IN THEIR LIVES SO THAT WE CAN MATERIALLY HELP THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE OUR COMMUNITY COURTS, THEY ARE DRAMATICALLY BETTER OFF THAN WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH THE DOORS, AND SO I TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SQUARELY, IF SOMEONE IN THAT EVALUATION PROCESS WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES AND DIDN'T NEED THAT TYPE OF HELP, THEN THAT WOULD NOT BE HELPED.
IT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THAT PERSON AND FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE A STATISTIC ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF CITY CITATIONS THAT ARE DIVERTED TO THE COMMUNITY COURTS? FROM 2014 MAINE? FROM DALLAS MUNICIPAL COURT? YES. I DO NOT HAVE THAT WITH ME, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION.
OKAY. THAT'D BE VERY INTERESTING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS SCHULTZ.
I KNOW YOU WEREN'T ASKED TO AS PART OF THE OTHER BUDGET PRESENTATION.
SO IN A FOLLOW UP MEMO THAT GETTING THE BUDGET AND YOUR METRICS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
THE OTHER THING IS, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS WHAT TYPES OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS HAVE SHOWN TO HAVE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON COMMUNITY RESTORATION? YES, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS THAT WE DO, INCLUDING YARD CARE, LITTER PICKUP.
LET ME JUST INTERRUPT BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A GREAT LIST.
SO MY QUESTION IS, BASED ON YOUR EVALUATION, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN SOME OF THESE EFFORTS ACTUALLY BEGIN TO CHANGE A COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN NECESSARILY JUST THE ONE PERSON THAT MAY BE PARTICIPATING OR BE ASSIGNED, YOU KNOW, SOME LITTER PICKUP OR WHATEVER? HAVE YOU SEEN THROUGH YOUR WORK? WELL, WE BEGIN, SINCE WE HAVE SUCH A WIDE VARIETY OF WAYS THAT A PERSON CAN SERVE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY, HAVE YOU SEEN SOME THAT ACTUALLY BEGIN TO MOVE THE NEEDLE THAT MAYBE WE COULD INVEST IN BEYOND COMMUNITY COURTS? ABSOLUTELY, YES, AND SO WHEN THESE PROJECTS ARE CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY ARE FOCUSED ON WHEN IT COMES, THERE'S WE HAVE A LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS, AND WHEN OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM, FOR EXAMPLE THERE ARE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTY OR CANNOT AFFORD TO PAINT THE TRIM, THAT SORT OF THING, AND THEY'RE AT RISK OF PERHAPS GETTING A CODE ENFORCEMENT CITATION FOR BEING OUT OF COMPLIANCE, AND SO OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM, THEY HAVE A PRIORITY LIST OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE OUT THERE, AND FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME, OR MAYBE THEY HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES AND THEY CANNOT DO IT THEMSELVES.
THERE'S NOT SOMEONE ABLE BODIED WHO LIVES WITH THEM THAT CAN DO IT AS WELL.
THEN THEY MOVE UP OUR LIST AND PRIORITY, AND WE WILL ACTUALLY SEND OUT THE COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM WITH THE PARTICIPANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR YARD OR TRIM IT, TRIM THE SHRUBS, PAINT THE TRIM, THAT SORT OF THING, AND THAT WHEN YOU AGGREGATE THAT OUT, IT MATERIALLY NOT ONLY HELPS THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THOSE THINGS, BUT IT ALSO HAS AN AGGREGATE EFFECT ON THAT COMMUNITY IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL TO BRING THEM WITHIN. WELL, AND I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE HITTING ON HERE IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A VERY INTERESTING DOCUMENTARY KIND OF PROCESS, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A TRIPLE WIN, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT PERSON WHO WAS ASSIGNED THAT PERSON, THAT HOUSE, WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THEIRS, LIKE, WHAT A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, RIGHT? PLUS THE OTHER FACTORS THAT YOU LISTED IT WOULD BE IT REALLY COULD BE AN INCREDIBLE THING TO OCUMENT AND SEE THOSE LIFE CHANGES AS A RESULT OF EVERYBODY SORT OF HELPING EACH OTHER, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANTED TO.
[01:30:02]
RIGHT? YES. I GUESS AND OH, THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHERE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU COULD HAVE MORE COMMUNITY COURTS, WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU BE IF YOU COULD? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, AND IN ORDER TO IN ORDER TO PROPERLY ANSWER THAT, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND THEN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.YEAH. MAYBE ALONG WITH THE BUDGET AND THE METRICS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S GREAT WORK.
IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD OF.
THANK YOU. SO I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON PAGE 11.
WHEN YOU LIST A FEW OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OFFENSES YOU'VE GOT MANIFESTING THE PURPOSE OF ENGAGING IN PROSTITUTION, AND SINCE WE KNOW THAT IS BECOMING ACTIVE NOW THAT OFFICERS HAVE RECEIVED THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ARE THE RESOURCES IN PLACE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COURT SYSTEM WITH OUR TRAFFICKING, OUR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING, NONPROFITS AND OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO BE PART OF THIS BECAUSE THIS MAY PICK UP. SO I WANT TO BE SURE THAT RESOURCE IS IN PLACE.
YES, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY WORKING ON.
JILL IS ALSO HERE TO PROVIDE RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION.
YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
WE ALSO ARE WORKING TO REENGAGE THE PROSTITUTION DIVERSION INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT, COMMUNITY COURTS, THE DISTRICT COURTS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS SO THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN PROSTITUTION ARE OFFERED THE SERVICES NECESSARY TO GET THEM OUT OF THE LIFE.
OKAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS RE COALESCING, AND SO THE NORTH TEXAS COALITION, THIS SOUNDS LIKE GREAT PROGRAMMING FOR THEM AT AN UPCOMING MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, A NEW STEP IS BEING TAKEN TO REACTIVATE THIS.
SO GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMEMBER RIDLEY BROUGHT UP.
SO YOU'VE KIND OF WORKED THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO A CITATION WOULD STAY ON SOMEONE'S RECORD EVEN IF THEY COMPLETE WHATEVER THE COURT TELLS THEM THEY HAVE TO DO, IT STAYS ON THEIR RECORD OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE EXPUNGED OR. I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO GET A JOB OR RENT AN APARTMENT, AND, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY THINGS ARE TOUGH BUT IF THEY GO THROUGH AND COMPLETE THIS PROCESS, HOW DO WE HELP REMOVE THAT OBSTACLE? YES, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM.
IT'S A WIN WIN, AND WHEN I SAY THAT UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION, THE CASE IS ULTIMATELY DISMISSED, AND THEN THE PERSON CAN, OF COURSE, APPLY FOR AN EXPUNCTION THAT WOULD WIPE OFF OF THEIR RECORD ANY MENTION OF THE CASE OF THE ARREST.
ASSUMING IF THEY FILE FOR THE EXPUNCTION AFTER DISMISSAL, THAT THERE WOULD BE NO WATERMARK IN THEIR LIFE OF HAVING COME THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY COURTS, EXCEPT THAT LASTING IMPRESSION OF THE RELATIONSHIP WE BUILT WITH THEM, AND THAT WE MAINTAIN WITH THEM EVEN GOING FORWARD BECAUSE THE WAY WE LOOK AT IT IS EVEN IF SOMEONE GRADUATES FROM OUR PROGRAM, THAT'S A RELATIONSHIP THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO US AND TO THEM.
WE MAINTAIN THAT EVEN GOING FORWARD, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY, OF COURSE, REQUEST AN EXPULSION, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY MENTION OF THE ARREST OR THE OFFENSE OR THE CASE ON THE RECORD.
SO HOW DO WE CLOSE THAT LOOP? ARE THEY BEING ADEQUATELY ADVISED OF THIS OPPORTUNITY? IS THERE ACTUALLY ONCE THEY COMPLETE THIS THIS PROGRAM, COULD THE NEXT STEP BE LET US HELP YOU FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION FOR EXPUNGEMENT.
IS THAT HAPPENING? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND THERE IS INFORMATION ACTUALLY, AND JUDGE ROBINSON CAN PROBABLY PROVIDE THIS ON THE WEBSITE.
I APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE INSTRUCTED WHEN THEY COME INTO THE PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE CASE WILL BE DISMISSED AND THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE EXPULSION FILED.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THAT IF THERE ARE OTHER OUTSTANDING CASES THAT THE PERSON HAS, THE COMMUNITY COURT KIND OF TAGS ALONG THOSE OTHER CASES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DISPOSED OF AS WELL.
SO WHEN THE CHIEF IS SAYING IT'S A WIN WIN, IT REALLY IS A WIN WIN THAT YOU COME IN, YOU HAVE ONE CITATION, AND WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE OTHER CITATIONS YOU HAVE AS WELL THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN OF, OR THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU COULD TAKE CARE OF.
IN ADDITION, OUR COURTS ALSO WORK WITH THE DA'S OFFICE DURING THE EXPULSION FAIR SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING AT ALL TO HAVE THOSE CASES EXPUNGED, BUT CAN THAT CASE MANAGER, I MEAN, BEFORE CLOSING THAT FILE AS COMPLETED AND I GUESS MAINTAINING A RELATIONSHIP STILL, CAN THIS BE THE LAST STEP? I MEAN, COULD IT'S SOMETHING DEFINITELY THAT WE CAN ADD INTO THE PROCESS.
IT'S SOMETHING TRADITIONALLY WE HAVE NOT DONE, BUT I DON'T MIND ADDING IT AT ALL.
I'M HERE AT THE TABLE BECAUSE WE WORK WELL WITH COMMUNITY COURTS, SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD INTO THAT MIX TO SAY AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE, WE'RE GOING TO AGREE AND THE JUDGE IS GOING TO SIGN OFF ON THE EXPULSION.
CORRECT. THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
[01:35:03]
IT'S ONE THING TO HAND PEOPLE INFORMATION, BUT IF WE CAN GO ON AND TAKE THAT STEP.LAST QUESTION ON PAGE 15, YOU TALK ABOUT EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND HAVE WE EXPLORED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHETHER, I MEAN, I GUESS THERE ARE CERTAIN OFFENSES THAT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE THAN OTHERS, WHETHER BEING A SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO FOR SURE.
I KNOW THAT WITH THAT POSITION WOULD COME CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT AS A POTENTIAL AVENUE, BUT IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA FOR SURE, AND I'LL MAKE NOTE OF THAT. WELL, I KNOW THAT WE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S RELIABLE AND WHO WILL SHOW UP BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A CRITICAL JOB, BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING WITH OUR POPULATION SIZE THAT'S HITTING OUR BUDGET, AND SO THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER THINGS ON HERE THAT CLEARLY HELP THE COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD JUST LOVE FOR YOU TO EXPLORE THAT AND SEE IF THERE ARE CERTAIN OFFENSES THAT COULD QUALIFY AND CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF SOMEONE WHO WOULD SHOW UP AND WOULD DO THAT.
I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU ALL LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPACT THE COMMUNITY.
EXPANDING WITH THE PROSTITUTION DIVERSION IS SOMETHING THAT I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
I THINK THAT THERE IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY IN THAT REALM, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING I'M NOT THE BIGGEST FAN OF THE MANIFESTATION ORDINANCE, AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US PUTTING MORE RESOURCES INTO THESE PROGRAMS INSTEAD OF CRIMINALIZING VICTIMS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THERE ISN'T, AS MENTIONED, THE BUDGET FROM YOU ALL YET I KNOW THAT WE'LL GET THAT WITH YOU ALL.
I'VE STARTED A DISCUSSION WITH JOHN FORTUNE AND KEVIN ODIN SPECIFICALLY FOR A MORE ROBUST DIVERSION CENTER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON RECORD THAT AS YOU ALL ARE LOOKING TO INCREASE SERVICES IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT FACILITY OR OTHER RESOURCES THAT COULD ADD TO YOU ALL'S ABILITY TO SERVE, IF YOU COULD MAKE SURE TO BE READY FOR THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS WHEN WE DO DISCUSS BUDGET, AND THEN ALSO, IF YOU COULD JUST GET YOUR WHEELS TURNING ON HOW WE COULD GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN DALLAS COUNTY, IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU ALL'S WORK.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU ALL'S PRESENTATION.
OKAY, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA PLAN, I'M JUST GOING TO START ON BRIEFING ITEM E. THERE'S A RESOLUTION THAT I HAVE PUT FORWARD TO PROPOSE REGARDING SENATE BILL FOUR FROM THE FOURTH SPECIAL SESSION. LAST TIME IT WENT INTO EFFECT THIS MARCH THERE'S A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION IN THE ITEMS, AND I'M OPEN IT UP FOR ANY DISCUSSION, AND MORE THAN HAPPY TO READ IT ON RECORD, IF THAT'S WHAT THERE'S THAT DESIRE.
ALL RIGHT. WHEREAS ON DECEMBER 18TH, 2023, SENATE BILL FOUR WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND WAS SCHEDULED TO GO INTO EFFECT MARCH 5TH, 2024, AND HEREAS SENATE BILL FOUR AUTHORIZES LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO ARREST PEOPLE THEY SUSPECT CROSSED INTO THE UNITED STATES UNLAWFULLY AND CREATES A SYSTEM WHEREBY TEXAS STATE AND LOCAL MAGISTRATES HAVE THE POWER TO REMOVE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT HAS LONG HELD THAT ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAW IS THE PURVIEW OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DALLAS VALUES PUBLIC SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, AND NEARLY ONE QUARTER OF DALLAS RESIDENTS IS FROM A COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DALLAS EMBRACES AND WELCOMES INDIVIDUALS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, AND THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS CONCERNS REGARDING SENATE BILL FOUR, INCLUDING THE STRAIN ON LOCAL RESOURCES AND THE IMPACT ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
[01:40:01]
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DALLAS SERVES RESIDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS TO DELIVER PUBLIC SERVICES AND REQUESTING OR INVESTIGATING IMMIGRATION STATUS DURING THOSE INTERACTIONS IS A FEDERAL MATTER OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S JURISDICTION, AND WHEREAS THE VIBRANCY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF DALLAS ARE ENRICHED BY ITS IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, WITH IMMIGRANTS PRESENT IN 39.9% OF HOUSEHOLDS, AND WHEREAS IMMIGRANTS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN ADVANCING DALLAS ECONOMY, COMPRISING 28.9% OF THE LOCAL WORKFORCE AND REPRESENTING 38.9% OF BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CITY, AND WHEREAS IMMIGRANTS IN DALLAS PAY FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, INCLUDING PROPERTY SALES AND EXCISE TAXES LEVIED BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING $1.6 BILLION THAT WENT TO FEDERAL TAXES AND 900.6 MILLION THAT WENT TO STATE AND LOCAL TAXES IN 2022, AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS A SHORTAGE OF UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS, AND COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE BILL FOUR WOULD STRAIN POLICE RESOURCES AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES.NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, SECTION ONE, THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS CONDEMNS SENATE BILL FOUR, IN ITS CURRENT FORM DUE TO ITS POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
SECTION THREE THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS URGES THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER THE CONCERNS RAISED BY THE CITY AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SAFETY AND RESPECT THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SECTION FOUR THAT THIS RESOLUTION SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY FROM AND AFTER ITS PASSAGE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND IT IS ACCORDINGLY SO RESOLVED.
I WILL JUST START BY SAYING THAT THIS IS WE WILL WE WILL SPEAK TO UNFUNDED MANDATES ESSENTIALLY FROM THE STATE, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, FROM A RESOURCE STANDPOINT ALONE, I LOOK AT THIS LEGISLATION AS NO DIFFERENT.
WE DON'T ALLOW FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE STRAINED TO DO SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. ULTIMATELY ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT IT IS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S PURVIEW TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAW.
I THE LAST THING THAT WE NEED IS A STOP AND FRISK MENTALITY FOR CERTAIN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN OUR CITY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE ALL COMMUNITIES FEEL WELCOME AND KNOW THAT WE STAND FOR THAT.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
WELL, I AGREE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE RESOLUTION AND I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD.
I THINK THE SENATE BILL FOUR IS PATENTLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN THE COURTS WHERE ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN ENJOINED, AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THE COURTS WILL FIND IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND STRIKE IT DOWN, AND SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS RESOLUTION REALLY IS NECESSARY.
IT'S I UNDERSTAND JUST A RESOLUTION, BUT I JUST THINK THIS SITUATION IS GOING TO BE RESOLVED THROUGH THE COURTS, AND PASSING THIS RESOLUTION, FRANKLY, IS NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE THE LEGISLATURE ONE BIT, NOR WILL IT REALLY AFFECT THE COURTS, AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'S NECESSARY.
I WOULD JUST RESPOND BY SAYING, I THINK THAT THE MAIN POINT, ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION, IS THAT IT FALLS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE VOTED ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AND I THINK THAT THE MESSAGE THAT IT SENDS TO A LOT OF FEAR THAT IS PUT INTO OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN JUST GOING TO THE STORE, GETTING IN THE VEHICLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY TO KNOW THAT OUR CITY IS NOT WANTING TO PERPETUATE WHAT I BELIEVE COULD BE A VERY SCARY REALITY FOR A LOT OF OUR DALLASITES.
[01:45:02]
IT MAY NOT INFLUENCE THE LEGISLATURE, BUT IT COULD SHOW OUR COMMUNITY WHERE WE STAND AS A CITY.MR. GRACEY, AND THEN I THINK I HEARD MR. RESENDEZ; WE'LL COME RIGHT TO YOU NEXT.
THANK YOU AND TO YOUR POINT, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT SENTIMENT IN THAT RECENTLY I HELD A SERIES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND I HELD ONE SPECIFICALLY FOR, AND IT WAS ENTIRELY IN SPANISH, AND A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I GOT WAS THAT THEY WERE AFRAID TO ACTUALLY ATTEND THESE MEETINGS, TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT BECAUSE OF THIS THREAT.
SO SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES SAY THAT, HEY, THE CITY OF DALLAS DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY, BOTH FROM A FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO FROM A WELCOMING PERSPECTIVE.
SO I TOO CAN SUPPORT THIS AND APPRECIATE THE EFFORT, AND IT JUST PUTS OUR PLACE IN HISTORY ON WHICH SIDE AND WHERE WE STAND. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS.
MR. RESENDEZ. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND I'M GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS COMING BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE, AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT THE SB FOUR IS, YOU KNOW, TIED UP IN THE COURTS I THINK IT'S STILL CRUCIAL FOR US TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST SUCH DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION, AND BY CONDEMNING THIS LAW NOW, WE EMPHASIZE OUR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS AND FOSTERING A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE FEELS SAFE AND VALUED AND PREVENTING SIMILAR HARMFUL MEASURES FROM BEING ENACTED IN THE FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, SB FOUR RISKS INSTITUTIONALIZING RACIAL PROFILING, LEADING TO DISCRIMINATORY DISCRIMINATION BASED SOLELY ON APPEARANCE OR PERCEIVED IMMIGRATION STATUS. WHICH, AS YOU STATED, MR. CHAIR, IT UNDERMINES TRUST BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE, AND BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IS CRUCIAL FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
IF PEOPLE CANNOT TRUST OUR CITY GOVERNMENT OR, AND OR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEN THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO REPORT CRIMES, COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR SEEK NECESSARY SERVICES, PUTTING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AT RISK.
SO I THINK AS CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO OPPOSE LAWS THAT PROMOTE DISCRIMINATION, AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE IN PROMOTING JUST POLICIES AND SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE WON'T TOLERATE MEASURES THAT HARM OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND ERODE THE VALUES OF RESPECT AND DIGNITY FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR. RESENDEZ. VERY WELL SAID. MISS BLACKMON, I HAVE A QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FROM THIS POINT? WILL IT BE MOVED ON TO FULL COUNCIL? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'D LIKE TO SAVE MY QUESTIONS, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
I DRAFTED IT WITH THE DATE OF JUNE 12TH AND OPEN TO A MOTION TO SEND A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL FOR THAT DATE, AND THEN, SECONDLY CAN WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE LAWSUITS? IF WE'VE ACTUALLY EXPRESSED OUR I GUESS WE CAN SAY THAT EVEN OPENLY.
. WE CAN OUR IT HAS BEEN VETTED.
IT HAS BEEN VETTED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THAT'S THE QUESTION WITH CHIEF GARCIA AS WELL.
THIS IT DEFINITELY PASSES THE LEGAL MUSTER.
WE'RE NOT DIRECTING MAKING ANY DIRECTION OF ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE'RE TAKING A STANCE ON THE PRIORITIZATION FROM US AS POLICY MAKERS.
SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, I COULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
THE MOTION IS TO SEND TO FULL COUNCIL WITH THE RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY. EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU. ALL. THE ITEM E IS MOVING ON TO COUNCIL.
NOW WE WILL GO TO ITEM A, SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA PLAN.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST IN THE CHAMBERS RIGHT NOW.
CITY PLANNING COMMISSIONER THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND RECOGNIZE AND ALSO SAY THAT SHE WAS ONE OF OUR CO-CHAIRS FOR THE AREA PLAN THAT IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF WHAT YOU WILL SEE TODAY, BUT IF IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I ALSO WANT TO JUST VOLUNTOLD HER THAT SHE'S HERE.
[01:50:04]
SO WITH THAT DIRECTOR GILLIS, ACTUALLY, I'M BACK TO YOU, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GILLIS.AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR IN PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN WHO IS GOING THROUGH THE ORIENTATION, SO I'M SURE YOU'LL MEET HER SOON AND ACTUALLY, WE HAD JUST ASKED COMMISSIONER WHEELER IF SHE WANTED TO COME AND DO THE PRESENTATION, SO SHE'S BEING VERY VOLUNTOLD TODAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS MAKE SURE TO EMPHASIZE AND BRING FORWARD THIS PLANNING EFFORT THAT IS REALLY, HONESTLY, NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW, AND SO IT'S BEEN A HUGE EFFORT.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR, I THINK SUCCESSES COMING OUT OF THIS PROCESS IS A REBUILDING OF TRUST, REBUILDING OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, REBUILDING OF SORT OF A COALESCING OF SOME REALLY PROMINENT NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO HAVE REALLY TAKEN THE CHARGE COMING OUT OF THIS PLAN AND HAVE REALLY STARTED TO BEGIN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OF THIS WORK.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS.
SO SOME OF THE IMPETUS FOR PLANNING WHAT I WILL SAY IS WHEN I CAME INTO THIS IN 2020-21 THIS PLAN HAD JUST BEEN KICKED OFF ABOUT NINE, NINE MONTHS PRIOR, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT IT AS AN AREA PLAN WHERE YOU START OUT, WHAT DO YOU WANT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? THERE WAS A TASK FORCE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT COMMUNITY COMMUNITY LEADERS AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES.
WELL, I WALKED INTO A MEETING IN, I THINK, SEPTEMBER OF 2021, AND IT WAS DICEY, AND WHAT I HEARD, IT WAS VERY DICEY, AND WHAT I HEARD FROM EVERYONE AFTER LOTS OF CONVERSATION WAS, WHY ARE WE PLANNING AGAIN? WE HAVE YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.
WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH ANOTHER PLANNING PROCESS? AND IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT THIS NEEDED TO BE A DIFFERENT PROCESS.
OVER THE PAST MAYBE 20 YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN A VERY ABOUT OVER 100 STUDIES, REPORTS, ANALYSIS PLANS IN THIS SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA. SO WHEN WE WORKED WITH THE TASK FORCE, WHO WAS VERY VOCAL, VERY FRUSTRATED, UNDERSTANDABLY, WE DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO DO AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THIS NEEDED TO BE SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO DEVELOP NEXT STEPS.
SO IT'S A VERY LARGE AREA, AND THEN THE QUESTION WAS THIS IS A HUGE AREA.
IT HAS TWO METRO STATIONS OR TWO TRAIN STATIONS WITHIN IT.
IT HAS HAD MULTIPLE DIFFERENT LAND USE PLANS IN IT AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE PD 595, WHICH IS JUST AN ENORMOUS PD FOR THIS AREA, AND IT IS THE PD THAT WAS DEVELOPED. IT'S THE 80S? NO, 2000 IT FEELS LIKE THE 80S.
SO I DO WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TWO CO-CHAIRS.
WELL, SINCE TABITHA WHEELER TOOK OVER AS A OUR COMMISSIONER ON CPC, SHE HAD TO STEP DOWN, BUT SCOTT, SHE WAS, FOR THE LONGEST TIME ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS WITH SCOTTY SMITH ON THE TASK FORCE.
WE HAD THE FRAZIER REVITALIZATION INC REPRESENTED BY DOROTHY HOPKINS.
MISS AVA JONES IN THE QUEEN CITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
HANK LAWSON, WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN PLANNING AND THE CITY DEVELOPMENT FOR YEARS.
WE ALSO HAD SAINT PHILLIPS REPRESENTED BONTON FARMS, TRAC.
SO IT WAS A REALLY SIGNIFICANT GROUP OF MEMBERS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES YOU'LL SEE.
[01:55:03]
THE FIRST ONE WAS IMPLEMENTATION.WE WANT THIS TO BE ABOUT ACTION.
WE ALSO WERE UNDERTAKING THE FORWARD DALLAS PROCESS.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ALREADY DOVETAILED PERFECTLY INTO FORWARD DALLAS AND IT ALIGNED WITH THAT VISION, AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE APPROVED FUNDING MECHANISMS OR THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL APPROVED FUNDING MECHANISMS TO PROCEED FORWARD IN THIS AREA.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
SO OBVIOUSLY OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS WE'VE HAD A SERIES, WE'VE HAD POP UPS, WE'VE HAD COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD TASK FORCE MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. IT'S REALLY BEEN PERVASIVE THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING AREA.
WE'VE ALSO DONE A LOT OF EDUCATION WORKSHOPS, TOO, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND A LOT OF IT'S BEEN REQUEST BASED SO THAT WE'VE GONE OUT AND TAILORED SOME OF THOSE WORKSHOPS TO MEET SOME OF THE ISSUES AND THE NEEDS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AND ONE OF THE OTHER BIG THINGS, TOO, IS WE KEPT HEARING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WORKS IN SILOS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING ALL THIS WORK.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATING WITH THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AND NOT JUST BRINGING THINGS BACK, BRINGING THINGS BACK TO CITY HALL THAT WE'VE HEARD, BUT ALSO BRINGING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY TO START TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
WHAT WE STARTED DOING IS MAPPING OUT SOME OF THE CATALYTIC PROJECTS IN THE AREA, SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, BIG EFFORTS THAT HAVE GONE ON THROUGH THE YEARS, SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE KNEW WERE COMING, AND THEN STARTED, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE TASK FORCE AND DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS START IDENTIFYING KEY AREAS WITHIN THE PLAN.
SO WITHIN THE PLAN AREA, AND WE SAID TO THEM, LISTEN, YOU ALL, THIS IS A HUGE AREA.
IF WE WANT TO ACTUALLY START CHIPPING AWAY AT THINGS AND START PRIORITIZING AND IMPLEMENTING, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A MANAGEABLE AMOUNT OF AREAS THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON.
SO WE HAD THE GROUP, THEY VOTED.
FIRST ONE WAS SECOND AVENUE SOUTH OF MILL CITY.
I THINK THERE'S JUST SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS FOCUS ON SECOND AVENUE GOING FORWARD, AND THE COMMUNITY VISION WAS FOR A MIXED USE LOW RISE CORRIDOR FOCUSING ON RETAIL, RESTAURANT ENTERTAINING AND SOME HOUSING.
SO WE CAN'T EVEN A LOT OF THE WITHIN THE PD 595 AREA, THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WAS, YEAH, WE CAN DO ALL THIS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE NEED HOUSING AND WE CAN'T DO HOUSING BASED ON THE ZONING.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THAT MOVING FORWARD, AND WHAT IS THAT HOUSING GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
ELSIE FAYE HIGGINS AND SECOND AVENUE.
WE HAD A LOT OF DEBATE OVER THIS, ESPECIALLY BY THE SHOPPING CENTER AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT.
THIS OBVIOUSLY COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LARGER SCALE DEVELOPMENT.
SO REALLY WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DIDN'T GET LOST INTO THE MIX.
THIS AGAIN THIS ALSO GOES THROUGH QUEEN CITY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FOCUSES AREAS AS WELL.
WE HAD PARKING CHALLENGES AS WELL.
AGAIN, NOT ABLE TO DO HOUSING OR AT LEAST THE HOUSING TO THE EXTENT THAT WAS IMAGINED IN THIS AREA.
WE HAVE A LOT OF LEGACY BUILDINGS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT COULD BE REUSED, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, MUCH OF IT BEING PARKING, BUT THEN ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL, AND MAKING THIS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THIS A MORE WALKABLE AREA, AN INVITING AREA.
[02:00:05]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AND THEN THE MLK JR DART STATION.THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND A LOT OF WORK ON THIS.
WE'VE SINCE HAD, AS YOU'LL SEE AND A KIND OF BRIEF OVER SOME OF THOSE, BUT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED IMPLEMENTING SOME PIECES OF THIS PLAN AS THIS HAS BEEN MOVING OVER AND OR HAS BEEN MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
A LOT OF IT IS INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY HAVE OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THEY'VE STARTED TO COME TO THE CITY WITH VERY FOCUSED, AND KEY ASKS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO IN THIS AREA AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER ON SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE MLK JR DART STATION.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AND THEN QUEEN CITY.
SO YOU MAY HAVE SEEN LAST WEEK IT WAS AT QUEEN CITY WAS AT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION TO START THE INITIATION OF THE DESIGNATION FOR A HISTORIC DISTRICT IN QUEEN CITY.
IT'S ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
SO WE'RE STARTING THE PROCESS TO WORK THROUGH THAT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO I JUST WANT TO YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES, THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES.
IF YOU COULD SORT OF THIS IMPLEMENTATION IN REAL TIME.
THIS YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A GROWING SORT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOCUS OF REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE CAPACITY IS THERE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WHEN THE PLAN IS DONE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE POINTE SOUTH REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE.
THEY'VE REALLY STARTED AMPING UP THEIR WORK AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT AND THEIR ASKS FROM CITY AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY CAN REDEVELOP THE PROPERTIES AROUND THE MLK STATION.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THERE, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS OUR COLLABORATION IS WITH HOUSING, AND HAVING HOUSING COME OUT TO WORK WITH THE TASK FORCE AND WITH THE COMMUNITY, IT HAS BEEN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A HOUSING TARGET STRATEGY AREA, AND THEN THERE WAS JUST A MEETING RECENTLY ABOUT HAVING PORTIONS OR ZIP CODES WITHIN THAT AREA BE IDENTIFIED AS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION STRATEGY AREAS.
SO IF THEY'RE IDENTIFIED THAT FOR THAT, THERE ARE CERTAIN OTHER TOOLS THAT CAN BE ACCESSED.
IF THAT AREA GETS IDENTIFIED FOR THAT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
I ALREADY MENTIONED THE QUEEN CITY HISTORIC DISTRICT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AND WITH THIS, I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER FOR PATRICK TO SORT OF TAKE OVER BRIEFLY COMING THROUGH SOME OF THE AREA PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THOSE.
SO WHERE WE'RE AT AT THIS, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH AT THE DRAFTING PHASE OF THE AREA PLAN.
SO AND I WILL SAY THAT IT MATCHES IT IS IN LINE WITH FORWARD DALLAS, AND IT'S ALSO ALIGNED TO START MOVING INTO THE NEXT STEPS OF UPDATING PD 595, BECAUSE THAT'S AN OPEN, AUTHORIZED HEARING.
OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE PRETTY QUICKLY.
THE FIRST ONE HERE IS JUST TALKS ABOUT COMMUNITY CAPACITY RECOMMENDATIONS.
MISS GILLES ALREADY WENT OVER SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING.
THAT'S KIND OF A BROADER COALITION.
THE FIRST MEETING AGAIN HAPPENED THIS APRIL.
WE'VE HAD ANOTHER MEETING THAT COMMUNITY TASK FORCE OR THAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AGAIN, HAS COME TOGETHER THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME TOGETHER TWO YEARS AGO, AND AS THAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO MATURATE PUD STAFF WILL BE INVOLVED IN THAT TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HELP IN THAT MATURATION AS WELL AS A KIND OF A CORRIDOR OR A BUSINESS COALITION GROUP MUCH LIKE THE FARMERS MARKET STAKEHOLDERS ORGANIZATION
[02:05:02]
OR DEEP ELLUM FOUNDATION, THERE WAS AN IDEA THAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN SOUTH DALLAS.THE POINTE SOUTH GROUP THAT MISTER LAWSON HAS PUT TOGETHER AND MISTER SMITH HAS PUT TOGETHER HAS BEGUN TO ACT AS THAT ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT THE TASK FORCE SAID IS THEY WANTED DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS TO FOCUS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PLAN.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RECOMMENDATIONS REVOLVE AROUND THE TIF, THE OPPORTUNITY FUND AND THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER. FOR THE TIF THEY REALLY NEED TO COMPLETE THE AUTHORIZED HEARING CHANGE THE LAND USE AND THE ZONING SORRY CHANGE THE ZONING AROUND SOUTH DALLAS TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS ALSO INCLUDE TALKING ABOUT THE BOARD MEMBERS WITH THE VESTED INTEREST IN SOUTH DALLAS AND MAKING SURE THOSE BOARD MEMBERS ARE ONBOARDED AND EDUCATED IN THE PROCESS. FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FUND, AGAIN, IT'S A LOT OF RECRUITING GOOD MEMBERS FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY FUND SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE GREAT DECISIONS.
THAT THOSE TYPES OF FUNDS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, IT'S USING THE SMALL BUSINESS CENTER TO ENCOURAGE NEW AND INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THE AREA TO SUPPLEMENT THE EXISTING LOGISTICAL EMPLOYMENT CENTERS THAT ARE DOWN THERE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FOR THE HOUSING RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'LL GET TO IT HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE IS SOME DISAGREEMENT ABOUT HOW SOME OF THAT NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING LOOKS, AND SO THE TASK FORCE USES A BOTH A STICK AND A CARROT, AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
JUST IN THE PD FOR NEW SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER SUGGESTIONS ABOUT AIRSHIP, ABOUT JEFFREY MEYERS MAKING THAT COMPLETE.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM, BUT IT'S BASICALLY THEY CREATED A PRIORITY LIST.
SO FOR THE LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AGAIN, AS MISS GILLES WENT OVER THIS, MOST OF THIS AREA SITS WITHIN PD 595.
IT'S DONE A GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING WHAT THOSE ISSUES WERE 20 YEARS AGO, BUT IT DOES NEED TO BE UPDATED TO ADDRESS SOME CURRENT ISSUES, NEW DEVELOPMENT TRENDS, DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES. IN SHORT, WHAT THE TASK FORCE SAID IS THAT THEY WANTED TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS WHILE ALLOWING FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND GROWTH ALONG PARTICULAR CORRIDORS OR IN PARTICULAR ACTIVITY CENTERS.
WHAT DO THEY LIKE? WHAT DO THEY NOT LIKE? AND IN VERY SHORT, THEY SAID, WHAT DO WE LIKE? WELL, WE LIKE THE OLDER EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 100 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE ARE THESE NEW HOMES THAT ARE BUILT IN SOUTH DALLAS, AND I WILL USE THE [INAUDIBLE] MISS RAGSDALE, WHO SAID SOME OF THOSE NEW HOMES ARE GROSSLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING HOMES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY ALSO SAID IS WE DON'T LIKE APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE UNDERSTAND DUPLEXES HAVE BEEN IN SOUTH DALLAS FOR YEARS, 100 YEARS.
WE LIKE THE FACT THAT THE DUPLEXES ARE THERE.
THE ISSUE IS THE NEW DUPLEXES DON'T LOOK LIKE THE OLD EXISTING HOMES THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE DON'T LIKE HOW THOSE NEW DUPLEXES LOOK.
ALSO THEY SAID, YES, WE HAVE BACK HOUSES THAT ARE HERE IN SOUTH DALLAS, BUT AGAIN, SOME OF THE ONES THAT WE SEE GOING UP DON'T THEY DON'T LOOK THEY DON'T MATCH THE CHARACTER OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
[02:10:09]
DISTRICT. AGAIN, AS MISS GILLES SAID, IT'S 3500 ACRES.IT'S THOUSANDS OF SINGLE FAMILY LOTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
IT WOULD BE AN UNMANAGEABLE PROCESS TO DO ONE CONSERVATION DISTRICT, AND WHEN WE WORK, WHEN WE BROUGHT OUT CONSERVATION AND HISTORIC DISTRICT STAFF OUT THERE AND THEY GAVE EXAMPLES, THEY SAID, WELL, THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND SO VERY QUICKLY GOT TO THE POINT OF, OKAY, WELL, CAN WE DO 37 DIFFERENT CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, WHICH AGAIN, WOULD BE AN UNMANAGEABLE PROCESS AS WELL, AND SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, EVEN AMONGST THEMSELVES, WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH A CONSERVATION DISTRICT, THAT THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT, AND SO WE WORKED WITH TASK FORCE TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT ARE SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES AND BASIC DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT WOULD WORK FOR NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE AREAS AND THOSE ARE FIVE SIMPLE THINGS IT SUPPORTS IN THE FRONT GARAGE IN THE BACK TWO STORIES MAX HEIGHT A PITCHED ROOF AND A SMALLER DRIVEWAY.
THAT'S FOR THE AUTHORIZED HEARING TO GO OVER, BUT THE BASIC CONCEPT OF A PORCH IN THE FRONT GARAGE IN THE BACK, TWO STORIES IN HEIGHT, PITCHED ROOF AND A SMALLER DRIVEWAY IS SOMETHING THAT THE THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS COULD ALL BASICALLY AGREE UPON.
THEY ALSO COULD SAY, YES, WE LIKE ADUS, BUT AGAIN, WE WANT THEM TO MATCH THE SAME DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THIS AREA PLAN IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE FIVE DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE FOR THE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY ZONING THAT'S IN THE PD.
FOR DUPLEXES. SO AGAIN, WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S, I BELIEVE 16,000 PROPERTIES WITHOUT A STRUCTURE ON THEM RIGHT NOW IN SOUTH DALLAS AND SO THEY KNOW MORE HOUSES ARE GOING TO COME HERE, AND SO WHEN WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THAT HOUSING COULD LOOK LIKE, IF IT'S NOT A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, THE ONE LAND USE THAT THEY SAID, OKAY, WE'RE KIND OF OKAY WITH THAT WAS THE DUPLEXES, AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS AREA PLAN WOULD AGAIN HAVE THE SAME DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, PORCHES IN THE FRONT, GARAGES IN THE BACK, TWO STORIES IN HEIGHT, PITCHED ROOF, SMALLER DRIVEWAY.
IT WOULD JUST SAY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PROPOSE BECAUSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF A NUMBER OF PRIVATE ZONING CHANGE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE COME INTO SOUTH DALLAS HERE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO REZONE SINGLE FAMILY TO A DUPLEX.
IT WOULD SAY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, YOU STILL HAVE TO MEET THESE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO THAT IS THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PART.
AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTOOD THAT MORE GROWTH IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE NEED MORE ROOFTOPS. WE WANT MORE, MORE ROOFTOPS.
DEVELOPMENT IS HOPPING OVER THE HIGHWAY FROM DEEP ELM.
WHERE SHOULD THAT GO? THEY SAID THAT SHOULD GO ALONG OUR CORRIDORS, AND THOSE SHOULD BE MORE OF THE MIXED USE AREAS.
THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE MID TO HIGH RISE CORRIDORS.
THAT'S ALSO ALONG ROBERT B COLUMN.
THE LOW TO MID RISE AREAS WOULD BE JB JACKSON AGAIN STEPPING BACK FROM ROBERT B CULLEM.
SO AGAIN THIS IS JUST A MAP SHOWING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AGAIN YOU CAN SEE THE BIG BLUE THAT'S GOING TO BE FAIR PARK.
THE YELLOW AREAS, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE ALL THE AREAS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE CHANGES TO THE SINGLE FAMILY ZONING DISTRICTS THAT ARE THERE AND THEN THE BROWN AREAS, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE CORRIDORS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE LOW RISE MIXED USE CORRIDORS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO FOR LAND USES AND PARKING WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY GROWTH.
SO AGAIN, THE PD WAS CREATED 20 YEARS AGO TO ADDRESS SOME ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON THERE.
WE DO NEED TO MAKE SOME UPDATES.
SO ONE OF THEM IS ALLOWING CATERING USE.
RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT ALLOWED OR IT'S ALLOWED BY SUP.
IT WOULD CHANGE THAT TO ALLOWED BY RIGHT.
ALSO RIGHT NOW IF YOU ARE A RESTAURANT BUT ALL YOUR FOOD IS TO GO.
THAT'S NOT ALLOWED. THIS WOULD CHANGE IT TO ALLOWED BY RIGHT.
THERE'S SOME MINOR CHANGES IN THERE.
SO IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN SOUTH DALLAS THAT THE WAY THE PD SPEAKS ABOUT PARKING WITH THE PARKING MINIMUMS AND THEN THE LOCATION OF THAT PARKING, IT HAS BEEN A HURDLE FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHERN DALLAS BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S HISTORIC GROWTH PATTERN DOESN'T MATCH THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
[02:15:03]
SO THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TASK FORCE WOULD BE TO REMOVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO THEN TO WORK WITH TRANSPORTATION ABOUT THE RESIDENTIAL PARKING DISTRICTS AS WELL.NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AND THAT IS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MISS SCHULTZ. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. QUICKLY.
I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT HOW MANY RESIDENTS LIVE IN THIS AREA? SO I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS HAS DECLINED AS HOUSING HAS GONE AWAY, BUT IT'S SEVERAL THOUSAND.
MAYBE IF SOMEBODY HAS CLOSER INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT YOU'VE ADDRESSED SOMETHING THAT'S A HUGE IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITY.
YOU'VE HANDLED IT WELL. IT LOOKS LIKE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS POSITIVE AND ENFORCE IT.
REGARDING QUEEN CITY YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE VALUE AS THE AS FAIR PARK CONTINUES TO GROW.
THE VALUE ALL AROUND THERE, BUT PARTICULARLY QUEEN CITY.
SO IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, WHAT YOU SAID IS THE REASON THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS DID NOT WANT TO GO FOR A CONSERVATION DISTRICT, BUT ARE GOING FOR THE HISTORIC IS IN ORDER TO NOT GO THROUGH THE MACHINATIONS OF THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
PLUS, IT IS MUCH MORE BROAD THAN IF IT'S A HISTORIC.
IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, IT WAS A VERY EXTENSIVE PROCESS.
ALSO JUST TRYING TO GET THE THOUSANDS OF PROPERTY OWNERS TO POTENTIALLY AGREE ON THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE STANDARDS WOULD BE.
WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT PD 595.
SO IF I'M HEARING YOU RIGHT NOW, IF IT PASSES AT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION, THEN THERE'LL BE A MORATORIUM ON THE DEMOLITIONS, AND THEN SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TWO THINGS.
ONE IS ON THAT WHAT WAS IT, 16,000 PROPERTIES, I HEARD YOU SAY, OR 18,000? THOSE ARE THE PROPERTIES WITHOUT A STRUCTURE ON THEM.
SO THE QUEEN CITY NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING THROUGH THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION AND HOW MANY EMPTY PROPERTIES ARE THERE? I WOULDN'T HAVE IT IN QUEEN CITY.
REGARDLESS, HERE'S WHAT I'M GOING FOR.
HERE'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IN QUEEN CITY IS WHAT'S HAPPENED IN SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, RIGHT? WHERE THE ORIGINAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE STANDING GET DEMOLISHED IN ORDER TO BUILD ALL THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, THEN, IF IT'S A HISTORIC DISTRICT, HOW WHAT ARE THESE? THESE SAME FIVE WOULD BE THE GENERAL PARAMETERS.
NO, THEY WILL EVEN GO MORE FINE GRAINED.
SO QUEEN CITY WILL HAVE AN EXTRA ADDED PROCESS BECAUSE OF THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
SO I GUESS WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS AND I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR OUR TIME, BUT WHAT I WANT FOR QUEEN CITY IS FOR THEM OBVIOUSLY TO PRESERVE WHAT THEY HAVE AND THRIVE, AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ONUS OF BEING A HISTORIC DISTRICT DOESN'T END UP PREVENTING REPAIRS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF THAT BURDEN OF TRYING, TO BE EXACT.
SO HOW WILL WE THREAD THAT NEEDLE? WILL OUR NEW HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES? I THINK SO, YES.
LAYERING THOSE ON, AND WE HAD PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AND MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH RESIDENTS IN QUEEN CITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT PIECE OF THAT ADDITIONAL STEP THAT GOES INTO REHABBING IF YOU'RE IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO, YES, I THINK THAT WITH THE NEW HISTORIC PRESERVATION STRATEGY, SOME OF THE NEW TOOLS THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO HELP WITH THAT WILL BE ABLE TO BE LAYERED ON TO THAT AS WELL, AND THAT WILL THEN THOSE WILL IF THERE ARE EMPTY LOTS, THEN THE THOSE STANDARDS WILL THEN APPLY EVEN THOUGH IT'S NEW MATERIALS FOR.
THANK YOU. MISS WILLIS, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ALREADY HAVE GARAGE IN THE BACK AND SOME MAY NOT, AND SO I'M JUST AS WE LOOK AT OUR DOLLARS AND HAVING TO MAINTAIN ALLEYS, ETC., I JUST WANT TO BE SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT BY HAVING THAT DESIGN STANDARD OF HAVING GARAGES IN THE BACK.
[02:20:03]
ELIMINATE THE NEED TO ALWAYS HAVE ALLEY ENTRANCE TO HOMES BEING THE SOLE WAY TO GET INTO A HOME, BECAUSE WE'RE JUST SEEING THAT EVEN IF IT'S NOT ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND BEING ABLE TO KEEP UP, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THEY PRESENT A HOST OF ISSUES THAT ARE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR.YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS IS ON THE HOMEOWNER SIDE, SO IT JUST ADDS TO THAT AS WELL.
SO WHAT IS THE THINKING AROUND THAT.
YEAH. SO AND IT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE SAY GARAGES IN THE BACK.
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY THAT IT HAS TO BE ACCESSED FROM THE ALLEY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT JUST SAYS IT SHOULD BE IN THE BACK.
NOW WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THE ZONING? SO THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT THE GARAGES 5 OR 10FT SETBACK FROM THE FRONT FACADE, YOU STILL GET IT FROM THE STREET.
IT COULD BE IN THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, BUT IT JUST SAYS THAT, HEY, WHEN YOU WALK DOWN THE STREET, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU SHOULD SEE SHOULDN'T BE THE GARAGES AND THE DRIVEWAYS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SOUTH DALLAS SAYS WE DON'T WANT.
NOW AGAIN, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE ZONING CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE JUST SAY, HEY, GARAGE IS IN THE BACK AND THEN WE CAN WORK THROUGH THE ZONING ON IT. WELL, AND THAT MAKES SENSE.
I'M JUST SAYING FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE OF LOOKING AT THIS AS IF WE'RE SETTING A NEW TONE OR DIRECTION OR GUIDELINES, KNOWING THE COST THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT KIND OF MAINTENANCE, THAT SOMETIMES THEY'RE STANDING WATER, SOMETIMES THERE ARE ALL OF THESE OTHER ISSUES THAT THEN TRIGGER OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND EXPENSE, AND JUST BEING MINDFUL OF IN ADDITION TO THIS, FROM THE NEIGHBORS' VIEWPOINT, FROM THE CITY VIEWPOINT, IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED AROUND THAT TO JUST BE LOOKING AHEAD ON AT MAINTENANCE? YEAH. YES, MA'AM, 100%, BECAUSE IF WE SAID THAT YOU THE DESIGN STANDARD WAS YOU HAD TO ACCESS FROM THE ALLEY, THEN WE WOULD BE PUTTING A VERY BIG FUNDING MANDATE TO PAVE A LOT OF ALLEYS IN SOUTH DALLAS THAT AREN'T PAVED.
THAT WAS GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH TO THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO THIS, AND TO YOU AS WELL, COMMISSIONER WHEELER FOR ALL OF YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY, THIS WAS NO EASY TASK BY ANY MEANS, AND IT'S BEEN A LOT OF LABOR AND LOVE THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US A GREAT PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
THERE'S A FEW QUESTIONS, THOUGH.
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT ONE IN THE MULTIPLEX PLACE TYPE SPECIFICALLY.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THERE BE SOME TYPE OF ASTERISK LANGUAGE OR SOME SPECIFICITY ON ON THE EMPHASIS ON CORRIDORS FOR MULTIPLEX A, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE AREA PLAN LAID OUT FOR MIXED USE AND HOW WE HAVE IT ON THE CORRIDOR.
I THINK IT GOES A LOT IN LINE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD.
I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN, OF COURSE, SOME CONFLICTING NARRATIVES THAT HAVE CONFUSED SOME OF MY RESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY THAT HAVE WORKED TOWARDS BEING OKAY WITH WHERE WE ARE HERE AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CLARIFIED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT THIS LOOKS GREAT GIVES US A ROAD MAP OF THE FUTURE, BUT IT ALSO IS GOING TO OPEN UP A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, WHICH WE'RE PRONE FOR, RIGHT, AND SO MAKING SURE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS DONE RIGHT.
THERE'S AN INEVITABLE FACTOR OF VALUES GOING UP, AND HOW DO WE COUPLE THIS WITH DISPLACEMENT TOOLS? AND IF THOSE TOOLS AREN'T WITHIN PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH OTHER TOOLS OR RESOURCES? EVEN WITH THE LEGISLATING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD PRIORITIZE, THAT MAYBE OUR HANDS AS A LOCALITY ARE TIED.
I REALLY WANT US TO HAVE JUST AS MUCH OF AN EMPHASIS, A PRIORITY ON PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT THAT WE ARE FOR THESE STRATEGIC PLANS. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ARE CONTINUOUSLY BATTLING WITH, ESPECIALLY IN IN THIS AREA, KNOWING THAT THERE IS A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR, FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND KNOWING THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VACANT PROPERTIES.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE NEED.
I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME MORE LOCAL TOOLS.
THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT TOOLKIT IS BEING DEVELOPED.
I THINK IT'S IN ITS FINAL STAGES.
HOUSING HAS IDENTIFIED THIS AS A SPECIFIC TARGET AREA.
[02:25:01]
THERE MAY BE EVEN SOME ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL WHITTLING DOWN TO CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN IT.I THINK A COUPLE OF THE AREAS NEAR MILL CITY FOR EVEN MORE TARGETED ASSISTANCE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH IN THE TOOLBOX, AND I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT, AND INTERNALLY, WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING AMONGST DEPARTMENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT THOSE EXTRA TOOLS ARE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, AND SO HOW CAN WE LINK EACH, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE DO THE REZONING OR IF WE DO DESIGN STANDARDS, HOW CAN WE LINK TO MAKE SURE THAT IF HOUSING GOES OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT ON CERTAIN LOTS, THAT IT'S LINKED TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO YOU'RE NOT JUST GOING TO GET ANYTHING, BUT I THINK MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND I WOULD POINT OUT IF A PROCESS LIKE THIS HAD HAPPENED 40 OR 50 YEARS AGO I THINK THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
I THINK THIS IS THE CASE WHERE WE, AGAIN, LAND USE ISN'T A GREAT TOOL, ALWAYS TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT, BUT IN LISTENING TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SAYING, OKAY, THEY DON'T WANT THOSE THINGS AND THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE STILL, AS MS. GILLES MENTIONED, WE NEED MANY MORE TOOLS, BUT I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD TOOL FOR AT LEAST A FOUNDATION FOR THAT, AND JUST A SORRY, JUST A REAL MINI THING TOO. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REALLY CRITICAL REASONS.
THE DISPLACEMENT AND ALSO LOCAL WEALTH BUILDING IS ONE OF THE BIG REASONS WHY THE ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN, AND THE CAPACITY BUILDING HAS BEEN SUCH A BIG PIECE OF THIS AND SO IMPORTANT TO BRING OUT THE LOCALLY, THE LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY REDEVELOP THE PROPERTY VERSUS IT GOING ELSEWHERE.
THANK YOU ALL. FOR THE RESPONSES.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GET WITH THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY TALK TO COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER PLACES.
I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A WHEEL THAT NEEDS TO BE REINVENTED.
THERE ARE SOME INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
I KNOW THAT WE MAY BE BOUND WITH OUR STATE'S CONSTITUTION, BUT IT GIVES US SOME MARCHING ORDERS GOING INTO THIS NEXT SESSION, BECAUSE I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT ANY TOOL THAT'S REALLY GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THAT REGARD IS WE'RE GOING TO BE PREEMPTED AT THIS POINT FROM THE STATE BUT THIS IS NOT AN ANOMALY TO THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND SO WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TOWARDS A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE LARGE CITIES ACROSS THE STATE AND HOW WE CAN BE SPECIFIC TO ADDRESS THIS, BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY A FEAR OF MINE.
I THINK IT'S A FEAR OF A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOU ALL'S PRESENTATION AND YOU ALL'S WORK.
I'LL TELL JUST ONE QUICK STORY.
OUR COMMISSIONER ACTUALLY CAME TO ME WHEN I WAS FIRST RUNNING FOR OFFICE, AND SHE SAID, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, I JUST WANT YOU TO CHANGE PD 595, AND I LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, WHAT IS THAT? [CHUCKLING] I HAD NO IDEA.
SO WE'VE COME A LONG WAY AND I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT FIRST STEP OF THE NEW CHAPTER FOR SOUTH DALLAS.
SO THANK YOU ALL. MISS WHEELER, THANK YOU.
YES, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN CHANGING.
SO I'M GETTING READY TO GRADUATE WITH AN URBAN PLANNING AND POLICY DEGREE.
YES, MA'AM. SHE'S TAKING OVER.
THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE TIME IS NOW 11:33 AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.