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[Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs on August 27, 2024.]
GOOD AFTERNOON.THIS IS AD HOC COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
BUT THIS ROOM HAS BEEN IN USE CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 9:00 AM AND A COUPLE THINGS GOT BACKED UP.
SO WITH THAT, UM, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 28TH AD HOC COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND, OR ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
WELL, WE HAVE TWO BRIEFING ITEMS, AND SO YOU'LL SEE FIRST WE'RE DOING FEDERAL, AND SECOND, WE'RE DOING, UM, STATE.
AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE OUR STAFF HERE.
THEY'VE WORKED VERY HARD ON THESE PRESENTATIONS, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WORK AS THEY GO THROUGH THE POWERPOINT.
AND WITH THAT, UM, CARRIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE IT AWAY? THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRWOMAN.
UM, I AM CARRIE ROGERS AND I'M PLEASED TO SERVE AS YOUR DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, WITH ME TODAY ARE ALEX RENT, WHO IS OUR FEDERAL RELATIONS POLICY ANALYST, JAKE ANDERSON, OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, AND ERICA RE, WHO I CALL OUR MONEY LADY, BUT SHE'S OUR LEGISLATIVE GRANTS MANAGER.
UM, WE ARE GONNA GO OVER OUR, UM, DRAFT FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE HUNDRED 19TH CONGRESS.
A LOT OF THESE SLIDES YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE, BUT LABOR THROUGH IT WITH US.
UM, THE FIRST, UM, I THINK NEXT SLIDE, LINLEY.
WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, UM, AND THEN, UM, GO OVER STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WILL BE NEW TODAY.
UM, AND THEN FOLLOW, UM, CONCLUDE WITH NEXT STEPS.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ALEX TO PICK IT UP FROM HERE.
ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE A VISUAL REPRESENTATION, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED.
TO BRIEFLY GO OVER THIS PROCESS, BEGINNING IN THE FALL OF 2023, THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SENT OUT A CALL TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMITTEES AND CITY STAFF TO SUBMIT THEIR PROPOSED, PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO OUR OFFICE.
WE ALSO ENGAGED WITH OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO GATHER THEIR INPUT AS WELL, AND WE'LL COVER THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
ONCE WE COMPILED ALL THE SUBMITTED PRIORITIES, THEY WERE EACH VETTED THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
PART OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAM WAS ADVANCED BY THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS ON MAY 7TH.
BUT AS THE WORK ON THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BEGAN, MORE ITEMS ARE BROUGHT FORWARD TO BE ADDED TO THE FEDERAL AGENDA.
TODAY WE ARE ON THE THIRD REVIEW OF THE FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
IN SEEKING TO GATHER FEEDBACK FROM THIS COMMITTEE AS WE RECEIVED LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, WE COLLABORATED WITH OUR PEER DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE CITY MANAGER AND THE LEGAL TEAM AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF EACH ITEM SUBMITTED.
AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, OUR OFFICE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ENGAGING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO GATHER A WIDE RANGE OF INPUT AND EXPERTISE AS WE DEVELOPED THE PROGRAM.
ON THIS LIST, YOU WILL SEE SOME OF OUR CONTACT GROUPS THAT WE CALLED ON, UH, GROUPS LIKE THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE PARTNERS AT THE COUNTIES, LOCAL ISD, AND VARIOUS HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATIONS.
ON THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE A SHORTENED TIMELINE OF WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES WERE BRIEFED ON LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
UM, NOTE ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2023, WE WAS WHEN WE SENT OUT THE INITIAL CALL FOR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
HERE ARE THE METHODS OF COMMUNICATION THAT WE TOOK TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE GATHERING A WIDE RANGE OF INPUT, SUCH AS SENDING OUT A BILINGUAL INFOGRAPHIC WITH OUR EMAIL AND A QR CODE FOR THE PUBLIC AND THE STAKEHOLDERS TO SUBMIT THEIR PRIORITIES.
ONCE THE PROGRAMS ARE FORMALLY ADOPTED, OUR OFFICE PLANS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE EXTERNAL PARTNERS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE AND BE AVAILABLE TO OFFER PRESENTATIONS ABOUT OUR PROGRAM TO ENSURE COORDINATION AND EDUCATE THEM ABOUT OUR GOALS IN THE UPCOMING SESSION.
ALSO, IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN RESIDENT TOWN HALLS.
AS WE KNOW THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HAS YOUR OWN SET OF PERSONAL CONSTITUENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
WE INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING TWO SLIDES AS AN FYI.
THIS SHOWS OUR DALLAS CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS AND THE DIFFERENT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES THAT, AND SUBCOMMITTEES THAT THEY SERVE ON, WHICH IS A GOOD OVERVIEW OF THE WIDE RANGE OF POLICY
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ISSUES THAT COMES ACROSS THEIR DESK ON A DAILY BASIS.AND HERE ARE OUR US SENATORS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
UM, PLEASE NOTE THAT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN THE 119 CONGRESS.
SO WHENEVER WE ARE DETERMINING FEDERAL PRIORITIES, THERE ARE MANY CONSIDERATIONS IN GOING THROUGH A PROCESS LIKE THIS, SUCH AS WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES OF OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION? SECOND, WE WANT TO BALANCE OUR ASK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS WANTS, AS WELL AS WHAT ARE THE CITY'S OVERALL PRIORITIES VERSUS ANYONE'S INDIVIDUAL PRIORITIES.
ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS HOW DO THESE NEEDS PLAY INTO THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT? IF CONGRESS HAS TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO OTHER PRIORITIES, SOME ITEMS WILL BE LIKELY BE PRESENTED AT A FUTURE CONGRESSIONAL SESSION.
AND OF COURSE, ANY UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD DRAW CONGRESS'S ATTE ATTENTION AWAY FROM THEIR ROUTINE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES.
AS WE COMB THROUGH THESE MANY ITEMS, THERE WERE DOMINANT THEMES THAT PRESENTED THEM THEMSELVES.
WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS SCREEN IS STAFF'S INTERPRETATION AND SUMMARIZING WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE OVERARCHING THEMES ACROSS THEIR PRIORITIES SUBMITTED.
THE OVERALL DOMINANT THEME IS, WAS THE DESIRE TO MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL AND SPECIFIC TOOLS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE DALLAS COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE FUNDING AVENUES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE AND PARKS.
UM, SO HERE FOR THE NEXT PART OF THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL GO OVER, UM, THE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WERE SUBMITTED BY COMMITTEE.
SINCE UM, THIS IS THE FIRST SLIDE, I WANT TO KNOW A FEW THINGS IN THE FORMATTING.
WE DO HAVE EACH ITEM LISTED WITH THE NUMBER AT THE BEGINNING TO MATCH THE LIST, UM, OF LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT WE SUBMITTED, UH, THAT WE EMAILED A A COUPLE WEEKS BACK.
WE ALSO INCLUDED A NOTE SECTION FOR EACH ITEM TO KNOW WHICH ITEMS HAD BEEN ADVANCED BY THE COMMITTEE ON MAY 7TH, AND WHICH HAVE BEEN ADDED OR MODIFIED SINCE THEN.
SO WE'LL START OFF WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE COMMITTEE SUBMITTED LEGISLATION THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND PRIORITIZE BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
THE GPFM COMMITTEE SUPPORTS LEGISLATION THAT WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO REMAIN WITH LOCAL CONTROL, WHILE ALSO ADDRESSING PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF RESIDENT AND COMMERCIAL DATA, THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND EXPLORING ANY INITIATIVES THAT WOULD REDUCE CITY EXPENSES AND MAINTAINING THE TAX EXEMPTION FOR MUNICIPAL BONDS.
THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE SUBMITTED ADDITIONAL ITEMS. UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS IS CONTINUE TO EXPAND CDBG ON HOME AND ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO GROW THE HOUSING STOCK, HOUSING STOCK AND PROTECTING THE TENANT BILL OF RIGHTS.
OTHER ADDITION, OTHER ADDITIONS INCLUDE, UM, SEEKING FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, INCLUDING COST RECOVERY FROM SHELTERED SERVICES PROVIDED BY MUNICIPALITIES AS A REGIONAL SERVICE.
I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONE OR TWO ON THOSE.
SO, UH, THE LITECH HHF ONE AND TWO.
I CAN, UM, I WASN'T PLANNING TO READ THROUGH EACH ONE OF 'EM, BUT I CAN.
UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, WE HAVE SUPPORTING LEGISLATION THAT WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR LOCAL, LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, UM, SUCH AS CONTINUING TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE AND FUNDING FOR REENTRY SERVICES.
UNDER PARKS TRAIL AND THE ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE INCREASING FUNDING FOR PARKS AND URBAN TRAILS, ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE STATE'S NATURAL AND WATER RESOURCES SUCH AS LAKES, RIVERS, AND WATER SUPPLY, AND SUPPORTING THE GROWTH OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
AND HERE IS A CONTINUATION OF ITEMS SUBMITTED, INCREASING INCENTIVES FOR TECHNOLOGY THAT PROTECTS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES FROM WEATHERIZATION AND SUPPORT ENERGY EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS SOLAR ENERGY AND ADVANCE THE DEPLOYMENT OF SUSTAINABLE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS ELECTRIC VEHICLES
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UNDER THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.UM, THE FOLLOWING WAS SUBMITTED, STUDY, IMPLEMENT AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC, UM, AND ENSURE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
HERE ARE ADDITIONAL ITEMS, UM, INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM, AND FUNDING FOR THE TEXAS STATE AND LIBRARY ARCHIVES COMMISSION SUPPORT THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO RESEARCH THE IMPAIRMENT EFFECTS FOR TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE COMMITTEE AT ADVANCED, UM, THE FIRST TWO ITEMS, WHICH ARE WORK WITH REGIONAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES TO ADDRESS PROGRAMS AND FUNDING FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF WATER SYSTEMS AND ENHANCE FUNDING FOR MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE ADDITIONAL ITEMS LISTED, UM, HERE THAT SAY FIRST REVIEW CAME FROM A DRAFT MEMO ON THE AUGUST 19TH TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE THAT WAS POSTPONED.
SO THAT IS WHY YOU SEE A FIRST REVIEW ON THOSE ITEMS. UM, THOSE ITEMS ARE SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM UPGRADES, SUPPORT LEGISLATION IF NEEDED FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL, STREET CARDS, AND OTHER METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION SUPPORTING LEGISLATION THAT GUARANTEES TRANSPARENCY IN UTILITY OPERATIONS AND SERVICE DELIVERY TO CONSUMERS AND SUPPORTING ANY MOBILITY SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS THAT ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S CITY'S VISION ZERO PLAN.
UNDER WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY, THE ITEMS THAT WERE SUBMITTED INCLUDE EXPAND FUNDING FOR NUTRITION NUTRITION PROGRAMS SUCH AS WIC AND SNAP SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS WHISTLEBLOWERS AND MAINTAINS ETHICAL STANDARDS IN THE WORKPLACE AND PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF ALL VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER ADDITIONS.
UM, SUPPORT POST-INCARCERATION PROGRAMS AND REENTRY SERVICES, UM, SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT EXPANDS RESOURCES TO FOSTER AND POST FOSTER CHILDREN INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
UM, ADDITIONAL ITEMS ARE SUPPORT FOR CHILDCARE ACCESS AND FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR RESTRICTIONS ON EVICTIONS.
UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CARRIE.
UM, WHAT, UH, THESE FOLLOWING SLIDES ARE GONNA PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO, AS ALEX NOTED, OVER THE LAST 10 MONTHS OR SO, WE'VE RECEIVED MORE THAN 200 ITEMS AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL STAFF WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF EMAILING AND MEETING AND CIRCLING BACK AND TALKING AGAIN ABOUT EACH OF THESE ITEMS TO GET TO, UM, A DRAFT PROGRAM THAT WE THOUGHT REFLECTED WHAT THE COMMITTEE WAS ASKING FOR.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE CLEAR TO THE COMMITTEE, THESE ARE STAFF'S WORDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD.
IF AT ANY POINT, UM, ONE OF OUR REVISIONS OR WORDSMITHING NEGATED THE MEANING IN YOUR HEART AND MIND OF SOMETHING THAT YOU SUBMITTED, LET US KNOW THAT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, SO UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID.
THIS IS LAST YEAR'S PROGRAM FOR THE RECORD FOR MATERIALS FRONT AND BACK.
UM, BUT WE HAVE SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TOOLS, UM, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO UNDERNEATH THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND THEN INCREASED FUNDING FOR U OS E, UM, WHICH IS, UM, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNDING, UM, FOR THINGS, BIG EVENTS COMING UP SUCH AS FIFA, ET CETERA.
SO WE'VE HEARD THAT FROM OUR OEM TEAM, UM, UH, UNDER HOUSING STABILITY SUPPORT, UM, TENANT PROTECTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE AT THE GREATEST RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
UM, WE DO HAVE ON HERE, UM, I THINK CHAIR, YOU MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, EXPANDING THE LITECH PROGRAM TO INCLUDE BLIGHT REMEDIATION AS AN ELIGIBILITY FOR, UH, FUND USE.
UM, GROW THE HOUSING STOCK AND PRESERVE HOME OWNERSHIP, PROTECT TENANT RIGHTS, ENHANCE THE POINT IN TIME COUNT PROCESS TO ENSURE PO UH, THE HOMELESS POPULATION IS ACCURATELY REFLECTED.
UM, AND MODERNIZE AND EXPAND HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR BOTH CDBG AND THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
UM, UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STRENGTHEN OUR WORKFORCE, UM, AND EXPAND BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, YOU A, YOU MAY RECALL THAT THERE WAS BROADBAND BROADBAND FUNDING IN THE IIJA FEDERAL LEGISLATION.
UM, THERE'S THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE HERE AT, AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND IIJ FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM PASSES THROUGH THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE HERE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO WE CERTAINLY WANNA, UM, GET A PASS AT SOME OF THAT FUNDING.
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UM, UH, GPFM FOR GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE PROTECT, PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF RESIDENT AND COMMERCIAL DATA.THIS WAS ACTUALLY ON YOUR ADOPTED PROGRAM LAST YEAR AND CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY BOTH FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO PROVIDING PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE BACKEND TO ENSURE PROTECTION OF THAT DATA.
UM, A NEW ITEM THIS YEAR IS AI, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, 45 OF THE 50 STATES, UM, MEET IN BOTH ODD AND EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.
AND 45 OF THOSE STATES HAVE TAKEN UP LEGISLATION RELATED TO AI THIS YEAR.
UM, SO THAT'S A CONTINUING TREND.
AND THEN I'LL NOTE TOO, UM, OUR LEADERSHIP TESTIFIED BEFORE AN AI COMMITTEE IN AUSTIN JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO ABOUT THE CITY'S EFFORTS, UM, MAINTAINED TAX EXEMPTION FOR MUNICIPAL BONDS, OF COURSE, TO MAKE, UM, UM, ENTERING TO THE BOND MARKET MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE.
WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT TAX TAX EXEMPTION, UM, UNDER SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT ENHANCES OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK, SEEK FUNDING AND UPKEEP FOR THE RENEWAL OF WATER WASTEWATER, STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT.
HIGH-SPEED RAIL INITIATIVES PURSUE TOOLS THAT WOULD FURTHER IMPLEMENT THE CITY OF DALLAS'S VISION ZERO PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE HEARD, UM, HEARD THAT CONSISTENTLY FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THEN SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY IN OUR UTILITY OPERATIONS.
UM, NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, SUPPORT FUNDING FOR DALLAS PARKS AND TRAILS.
YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE STATE PROGRAM AS WELL, UM, AND SUPPORT GROWTH IN INDUSTRIES AND SUSTAINABILITY.
WHAT WE SAW AS, AS A THEME OUT OF PARKS AND TRAILS WAS SUPPORT FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL USE, UM, UM, INITIATIVES AND LEGISLATION THAT WOULD SUPPORT THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, AND INCLUDING ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR OWN NATURAL RESOURCES, LAKES AND RESERVOIRS UNDER QUALITY OF LIFE SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT FOSTERS, UH, CLEAN AND APPEALING NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THAT INCLUDES STUDY, IMPLEMENT, AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES RELATED TO THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.
IF YOU ARE IN PUBLIC SAFETY THIS MORNING, YOU HEARD A BRIEFING ON OVERDOSE AND THE IMPACT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE A FOCUS OF LEADERSHIP AS WELL, UM, FOR BOTH DFR AND DPD, UH, PROMOTE PROPER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL, UM, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN MEDICAID.
AGAIN, WHEN WE LOOK AT NATIONAL TRENDS THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 5,000 BILLS FILED ACROSS THE COUNTRY RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, MORE THAN 5,000.
UM, INCREASED FUNDING TO PROMOTE THE ARTS AND MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES, AND THEN LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND SEEK ADDITIONAL RESEARCH METRICS REGARDING ITS ECONOMIC AND HEALTH IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN LASTLY, UNDER HUMAN RIGHTS EXPAND FUNDING AND ELIGIBILITY AND ACCESS TO SNAP AND WIC PROGRAMS. UM, WE'VE SEEN A LOT IN, UM, RECENT MONTHS REGARDING, UH, THE ENROLLMENT AND UNEN ENROLLMENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THOSE PROGRAMS AS THEY RESET POST PANDEMIC.
UM, AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE A, A FOCUS FOR OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, UM, EXPANDING FUNDING FOR DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY PROTECTIVE SERVICES, WHICH SOME OF THAT FUNDING IS FED DOWN THROUGH DC PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING REFUGEES AND OUR LB L-G-B-T-Q AND SENIOR, UM, RESIDENTS THAT WAS IN YOUR PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
UM, SUPPORT POST-INCARCERATION SERVICES AND REENTRY SERVICES FUNDING ALSO IN YOUR PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
UM, RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANTS AND HUMANITARIAN RESPONSES.
AND THEN FINALLY EXPAND RESOURCES TO FOSTER AND POST FOSTER CHILDREN.
SO THAT IS, UM, THE SUMMARY OF STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS IN ITS ENTIRETY.
AGAIN, WE WANNA REITERATE THESE ARE OUR THOUGHTS.
WE CERTAINLY WELCOME COMMITTEE FEEDBACK.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO JAKE TO CLOSE US OUT FOR THE FORMAL PRESENTATION.
UM, AS WE CLOSE OUT THIS PRESENTATION, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T NOTE, UM, OUR TEAM MEMBERS AND THE TEAM STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE ON THE FEDERAL SIDE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR DIRECTOR, UM, REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, AND THEN UNDER, UM, THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, THERE'S TWO TEAMS. THERE'S THE LEGISLATIVE GRANTS, UH, MANAGER, ERICA, UM, WHO GOES AND GETS ALL THE MONEY FOR, UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, OUR TEAM, WHICH IS THE LEGISLATIVE TEAM AND OUR FEDERAL ANALYST, ALEX, UM, HAS REALLY BEARED THE BRUNT OF THE, THE FEDERAL WORK, AND SHE'S DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
UM, SO I WANNA GIVE HER JUST PLOTTED HERE, UM, FOR THE MOMENT BECAUSE SHE, SHE'S DONE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR, FOR ALL OF THAT.
BUT OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE THE MEMBERS IN DC OUR, OUR LOBBYISTS WHO, UM, ALSO DO AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK FOR US AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR, UM, 25 YEARS PLUS.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, CAPITAL EDGE WITH RALPH GAUSSIAN AND, UH, DEBORAH DE HANEY HOWARD.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THORN RUN PARTNERS WITH PAUL SCHLESINGER AND JIM DAVENPORT.
UM, ALL, ALL OF THOSE FIRMS ARE ON TODAY, UM, TO
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ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.AND, UM, THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO CHIME IN SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THEM SPECIFICALLY.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO COME, UH, WE LOOK BACKWARDS NOW, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARDS.
UM, IT IS OF COURSE A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR, AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD.
UM, SO THE NEW NOVEMBER ELECTION IS GOING TO BE PRETTY SPIRITED.
UM, POLICYMAKING HISTORICALLY IN, IN ELECTION YEARS, UM, HAS BEEN SLOW GOING AND DIFFICULT IN CONGRESS.
UM, AND THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN TRUE THIS YEAR.
UM, NOW ON JANUARY, UH, OR, OR LOOKING AHEAD, YOU KNOW, UH, JANUARY 6TH, UM, IS WHEN THE ELECTORAL VOTES WILL BE COUNTED.
UM, THEN THERE WILL BE, UM, ON JANUARY 20TH, THE PRESIDENT WILL BE INAUGURATED.
SO AFTER THAT IS WHEN KINDA THE FORMALITIES WILL TAKE PLACE.
UM, SPEAKER, THE HOUSE WILL BE APPOINTED, UM, THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC LEADERS ARE CHOSEN, UM, AND THEN THEY GET TO WORK.
SO, UH, THIS IS JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU AN IDEA OF WHEN, UH, WHEN THOSE THINGS MIGHT HAPPEN.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE, THE TEXAS, UM, LEGISLATURE REFLECTED ON THAT SLIDE AS WELL.
UM, SO TODAY WE'RE HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, AS CARRIE MENTIONED AND REFINE THIS FEDERAL PROGRAM.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE BRINGING THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL, UM, PROVIDED THAT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ADVANCES IT ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, UH, 2024 WITH THE ANTICIPATED COUNCIL ACTION, UM, HAPPENING A WEEK AFTER THAT ON SEPTEMBER 25TH.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE OUTREACH WITH OUR DELEGATION AND STAKEHOLDERS BASED ON THE, THE RESULTS, UM, OF, OF YOUR DELIBERATION AND ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL'S DECISIONS.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION ON FEDERAL ITEMS. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE DONE AN EXTREMELY THOROUGH JOB, AND I WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT IS ARGUABLY THE MOST OUTREACH THAT WE'VE EVER DONE.
THE MOST COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS, UM, TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, BECAUSE IT'S EVERY PERSON FOR ALL THE COMMITTEES THAT HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF EVALUATION OF THESE ITEMS. UM, AT THIS POINT, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS AT EVERY COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE.
AND SO THE POINT OF THIS BRIEFING IS REALLY JUST TO COME BACK, HAVING GOTTEN ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, YOU CAN SEE ALEX HAS DONE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK.
UM, EVERY SINGLE ITEM HAS A NUMBER, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE FROM STAFF RECOMMENDATION, ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN PULLED OUT.
IF YOU'RE LIKE, WOW, I WANT THAT BACK IN, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO EASILY IDENTIFY IT BY NUMBER.
OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU WISH WASN'T, YOU CAN ALSO SAY, THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT.
UM, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO MAKE THIS EASIER AT THE FULL COUNCIL TO SAY, HERE WAS STAFF RECOMMENDATION, HERE'S WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED, AND HOPEFULLY THEN THAT CAN JUST PASS WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY A LOT OF DRAMA.
BUT ALL OF THIS IS OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO DISCUSS.
THAT'S AN ABSOLUTELY THE POINT OF THIS MEETING.
SO, WITH THAT, WHO HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE FEDERAL PROGRAM? THAT IS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION? COUNCIL MEMBER? SORRY.
YOU'RE TAKING YOUR, UH, KING ARNOLD YES.
SOLVE PROBLEM WHILE I'M DOING THIS.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, AND I AM NOT A MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE, BUT WE DID HAVE AN ITEM THAT I, I THINK IT FITS SOMEWHERE WITH THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE.
UH, AS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST PROBABLY A YEAR, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN ATTACKS ON OUR CRITICAL, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IT IS IMPACTING NOT THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS PROTECT IS IMPACTING LIFE IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY FROM A MEDICAL STANDPOINT, WHERE WE HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT HOME, WHO ARE TIED DOWN TO, UM, THE, UM, MONITORS THAT NEED INTERNET CAPABILITY.
AND SO WHEN THEY'RE DISCONNECTED, THEIR LIVES ARE PUT AT RISK.
UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FROM HOME WHO, WHOSE, UH, PRODUCTION IS BEING IMPACTED BY THIS THEFT OF, OF, UM, FIBER AND COPPER.
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE, UH, THE, THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN, WELL, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO CALL THE POLICE.
WELL, THE AVERAGE CITIZEN DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT.
AND SO THEY DIDN'T KNOW TO CALL THE POLICE.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO GET A MESSAGE OUT, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY REGARDING NEXT STEPS.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT, UM, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE COMING ON BACK OF TRUCKS, DAYTIME AND NIGHT CUTTING THE CABLE LINES TO STEAL THE, THE, THE COPPER IN PARTICULAR.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING, UH, AND THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY FRIDAY, I THINK I SAW AN EXAMPLE.
UH, IT WAS IN GARLAND, BROAD DAYLIGHT.
HE HAD A, A HACKSAW AND HE'S JUST UP IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, JUST CUTTING.
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A PICTURE, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW REALLY WHAT ALL THEY NEEDED TO DO.SO I HAVE MET WITH, UM, UH, A COUPLE OF THE TELECOMMUNICATION MEMBERS.
UH, THEY BROUGHT NOT ONLY THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, BUT ALSO THEIR, UM, SECURITY TEAMS WITH THEM.
UH, THEY ARE CATCHING THESE INDIVIDUALS, BUT WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT HOW CAN WE MOVE THIS CONVERSATION TO A STATE LEVEL AND POSSIBLY FEDERAL.
SO WE PUT MORE TEETH IN THE LEGISLATION.
WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION ON THE BOOK NOW WHERE SENATOR WEST A COUPLE YEARS AGO WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH, UH, LEGISLATION THAT THAT SETS UP FINES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO BUY COPPER.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS AN UNDERGROUND FOR THIS MARKET.
WE KNOW THAT AS WE TRY TO MOVE FORWARD NOW, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET PUSHBACK FROM SOME OF THE, UM, SCRAP METAL PEOPLE AND ALL THAT.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA GET WHAT THEY GET.
BUT I THINK FOR US, THE CRITICAL, THE CRITICAL CONVERSATION WITH CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS THAT WE RUN THE RISK OF, OF HAVING OUR SYSTEMS SHUT DOWN, WHETHER IT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR HOSPITALS BEING CHALLENGED, UH, AND OTHER SENSITIVE, UM, PLACES AND SPACES.
BUT THE HOME IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL WANNA PROTECT AS WE LIVE DAY TO DAY.
SO, CHAIRWOMAN, THAT'S KIND OF IN A NUTSHELL.
I DIDN'T WANNA TAKE UP ALL OF YOUR TIME, BUT WE WILL BE MEETING, UH, WITH THE, UH, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UH, LATER ON THIS MONTH.
I THINK WE ALSO, THEY HAVE A MS. CARRIE ROGERS CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE PRO THE WORKSHOP THAT'S COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS ON THIS TOPIC.
BUT THIS IS A TOPIC I'VE JUST SPOKEN WITH SENATOR WEST ON, AND WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO OTHER MEMBERS ON THE STATE LEVEL TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO BEGIN WORKING TOGETHER TO DO PSAS.
UH, WE CAN'T DO ENOUGH TO, UH, CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS CHALLENGE.
AND ALSO, IF YOU LOOK FROM THIS DAY ON, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF CABLES THAT'S JUST HANGING DOWN, THAT THEY'RE JUST HANGING BECAUSE THEY HAVE CUT THEM
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LEFT WITH.
THEN WE HAVE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE ALREADY WITH ALL OF THE HEAT THAT'S COMING OFF OF THE, THAT, THAT, UM, THE MATERIALS THAT THEY'RE USING IN THE CABLES.
SO IT'S SOMETHING, UH, CHAIRWOMAN AND COMMITTEE THAT WE REALLY, I HOPE THAT WE WILL TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND BE ABLE TO PUT WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THIS INDUSTRY SO THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING TO, UH, THE LEGISLATURE, UH, AND EVEN TO PROPERTY CONGRESS.
SO WE CAN PUT SOME TEETH IN THIS JUST AS THE, JUST AS THE POLICE HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE TO, TO, TO HEIGHTEN, UH, THE LEVEL OF OFFENSE SO THAT SOMETIMES THESE HABITUAL OFFENDERS CAN GET PROSECUTED UNDER THE FEDERAL LAW.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO.
SO THAT'S REALLY ABOUT IT IN A NUTSHELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME, UH, SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT I WOULD BE ENGAGED IN A NUMBER OF PRESS CONFERENCES AND NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND PSAS TO ALERT US TO WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN DALLAS AND SURROUNDING CON UH, SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
AND IT'S, IT'S A NATIONAL, IT'S A NATIONAL, UM, UH, UH, PANDEMIC THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
AND ONE LAST THING I'LL PUT HERE IS THAT THE OLYMPICS, IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, THE TRAIN SYSTEM WAS SHUT DOWN AT LEAST FOR ONE DAY, RIGHT WHEN THE, THE LIMITS BEGAN BECAUSE OF THIS ABILITY TO, TO USE THAT EXPERTISE TO DO DANGEROUS THINGS FOR US.
UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT AS PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIR, I'M HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH YOU ON THIS.
AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
UM, SECOND, OF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL PROGRAM NOW, BUT WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE STATE IN JUST A MINUTE.
AND IF YOU HAVE PROPOSED, UM, ITEMS FOR IT, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
OF COURSE IT'S ALREADY ILLEGAL, BUT IF THERE'S SOME LEGISLATION THAT YOU BELIEVE, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH, UM, THE, THE PROVIDERS THROUGH SENATOR WEST'S OFFICE THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL, THEN PLEASE SUBMIT THAT TO, UH, MS. ROGERS FOR, UM, FOR, FOR POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN THERE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
HOW WOULD WE, WE ARE WORKING WITH, WITH, UH, UH, MS. ROGERS.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE GET THAT TO HER, AND YOU WILL SHARE THAT WITH CHAIR AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? YEAH, WE, WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS.
SO I'LL GO, GOES FOR EVERYTHING.
FEEL FREE TO GO THROUGH STAFF.
IF YOU, IF YOU'D RATHER BRING IT TO ME DIRECTLY, YOU'RE OF COURSE WELCOME TO.
BUT THEY'RE VERY CAPABLE AND AVAILABLE.
WHO ELSE HAS ADDITIONAL INPUT ON THE FEDERAL PROGRAM? SURE.
JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, THE WAY THIS IS ORGANIZED AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING TO, TO, TO, TO HERD US CATS CAN BE, UH, A LOT OF WORK.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PATIENCE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THE WAY THIS IS ORGANIZED IS, IS, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT.
[00:30:02]
OKAY.UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO, UM, ACCEPT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AS OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR THE FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM? YES.
SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION, PLEASE SAY AYE.
WELL, I THINK THAT WAS THE EASIER ONE.
SO LET'S GO FOR THE STATE NOW THAT WE'RE ALL WARMED UP.
IF YOU'LL GIVE US A MOMENT TO LET LINLEY GET DOWN HERE, AND CLIFFORD WELL, I'LL JUST, UH, WARM YOU UP BY SAYING I THINK THERE'S A RECORD NUMBER OF SUGGESTED PRIORITIES.
SO THE COOL THING IS THAT I THINK WE'VE ALL TALKED A LOT ABOUT LEGISLATIVE ITEMS, AND I KNOW I'VE LEARNED A LOT AS WE'VE DONE THAT, BUT, UM, I THINK ALL OF US HAVE PARTICIPATED IN, UM, SOME VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO WITH THAT, CARRIE, IF YOU WANNA KICK IT OFF, THAT'D BE GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRWOMAN.
FOR THOSE OF US JUST JOINING US, CARRIE ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AND TODAY WE ARE GONNA GO THROUGH OUR, UM, FIRST REVIEW OF STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMITTEE'S CONSIDERATION.
WITH US TODAY ARE ERICA ZENGA, OUR LEGISLATIVE GRANTS MANOR MANAGER, WHO GETS ALL THE MONEY FOR US.
LINLEY DERIAN, WHO'S OUR POLICY ANALYST FOR STATE RELATIONS, JAKE ANDERSON, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, AND CLIFFORD SPARKS, WHO'S OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THIS IS OUR IDENTICAL SLIDE TO THE FEDERAL BRIEFING OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA GO OVER TODAY.
UM, WE ARE GONNA REVIEW THE PROCESS, REVIEW ALL THE SUBMITTED PRIORITIES THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE COMMITTEE, AND THEN MOVE TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE'S INPUT.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO LINLEY.
GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, AS CARRIE NOTED, HERE IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS, UM, AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.
I WILL NOTE THERE WAS AN AD HOC FOR STATE IN MAY, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST REVIEW OF ALL THOSE PRIORITIES ENCOMPASSED TOGETHER AFTER WE WENT BACK TO THE JUNE COMMITTEES.
SO AGAIN, HERE IS THE COLLABORATION INTERNALLY OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WE WORKED WITH ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE ANYONE OUT WHEN GATHERING THIS FEEDBACK.
AND AGAIN, UM, IN TERMS OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, WE REACHED OUT TO ALL THE DIFFERENT CHAMBERS, HOUSING GROUPS, INFRASTRUCTURE GROUPS, UM, VARIOUS DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY, UM, TO ENSURE WE HAD A WIDE RANGE OF FEEDBACK TO INCORPORATE INTO THIS PROGRAM.
SO AS WE'VE NOTED, WE STARTED THIS CALL BACK IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
AND OVER THE NEXT TWO SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THE TIMELINE OF ALL THE COMMITTEES, UM, INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEES, THE AD HOC COMMITTEES.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS ALMOST A YEAR LONG PROCESS OF GETTING TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND AGAIN, WITH COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH, WE SENT OUT BILINGUAL COMMUNICATIONS, UM, THAT INCLUDED QR CODES THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PUBLIC, UM, AND RESIDENTS TO SEND IN THEIR PRIORITIES, UM, OR THEIR FEEDBACK TO OUR OFFICE.
UM, AND AS MENTIONED, ONCE THESE PROGRAMS ARE ADOPTED, OUR OFFICE IS HAPPY TO HELP FACILITATE TOWN HALL MEETINGS WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AS WE SAID, WE HAVE OUR GROUP, UM, BUT WE KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR OWN CONSTITUENTS AS WELL AND WANNA SELL THOSE PROGRAMS TO THEM.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO CARRIE.
UM, DEVELOPING A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE NINTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY IS NOT A PASSIVE EFFORT.
AND I HOPE THAT, UM, THE INFORMATION BEFORE YOU TODAY HAS DEMONSTRATES AGAIN, WHAT A ROBUST, UM, EFFORT HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD TO COME UP WITH A PROGRAM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY.
UM, AS WE COMBED THROUGH THE MORE THAN 200 ITEMS THAT WE RECEIVED, THERE ARE MANY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS LIKE THIS AND WHAT WE CALL SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, BUT WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES OF OUR OWN DALLAS LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION? WHAT ARE THE CITY COUNCIL'S NEEDS ONCE AND NICE TO HAVE? AND THEN HOW DO THOSE REFLECT THE CITY COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES VERSUS ONE INDIVIDUAL'S PARTICULAR PRIORITIES? AND THEN HOW DO THOSE NEEDS PLAY INTO THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IN AUSTIN? AND WE'LL HAVE CLIFFORD TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
AND THEN FINALLY, THERE ARE THE UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CAN CHANGE THE HEARTBEAT OF A LEGISLATIVE SESSION AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
SO JUST THE THINGS THAT COULD COME UP, WE DON'T KNOW.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CLIFFORD TO TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN AUSTIN, AND THEN WE'LL PICK UP GOING THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AFTER
[00:35:01]
THAT.AGAIN, MY NAME IS CLIFFORD SPARKS.
I'M A STATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR HERE AT THE CITY.
UM, THE SLIDE THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, JUST WANNA POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLS THAT YOU SEE, UH, DOWN THERE TOWARDS 2023.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS CONTENDED THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY FILE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BILLS, THAT STILL DOESN'T REPRESENT THE TRUE NUMBER OF PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
THOSE BILLS TAKE ON A DIFFERENT MATURATION AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND EVERY TIME IT TAKES ON THAT DIFFERENT MATURATION, YOU HAVE TO TREAT IT AS IF IT'S A BRAND NEW BILL.
SO YOU CAN REALLY TRIPLE THAT NUMBER WITH ALL THE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTES, WITH ALL THE AMENDMENTS, WITH ALL THE CHANGES AND NEGOTIATIONS THAT GO ON.
SO THE, THE TRUE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE DO SESSION IN AND SESSION OUT, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A BIG NUMBER, IT STILL DOESN'T CAPTURE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE DO WHEN IT COMES TO TESTIFYING ON THOSE BILLS.
WE HAVE HISTORICALLY, UM, CARRIED THE WATER DOWN IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE TESTIFIED ON MORE BILLS THAN ANY OTHER CITY, HANDS DOWN CONSISTENTLY OVER THE PAST DECADE.
SO WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF NEGOTIATIONS THERE.
IT TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME, TAKES UP A LOT OF RESOURCES.
SO WHY DO I SAY THAT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, THE SCOPE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TODAY, AND YOU COMPARE IT TO WHAT OTHER CITIES DO OR WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN RESPONSE TO A LOT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OR THAT ARE HAPPENING DOWN IN AUSTIN, UM, ANY DOUBLE DIGIT LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS IS GONNA BE VERY HARD TO GET DONE DOWN IN AUSTIN.
AND SO I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO TAKE A STRONG LOOK AT THESE ITEMS. UH, LET'S FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CONSOLIDATE THESE ITEMS DOWN INTO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN SOMETHING THAT OUR DELEGATION CAN HANDLE FOR THAT MATTER.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, LET'S JUST KEEP IN MIND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE AN EMBATTLED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW THAT JUST BARELY MADE IT BACK.
THAT'S GONNA PLAY A LOT INTO HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY GET DONE.
A LOT OF HIS PRIORITIES AREN'T GONNA GET DONE, AND I DON'T EXPECT US TO OUTSHINE HIM.
NEITHER DOES ANY OTHER CITY AT THIS POINT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM AND THE CONSIDERATION OF PRIORITIES.
NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, AGAIN, WHATEVER YOU SEND ME DOWN THERE TO DO, I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO DO.
BUT I'M JUST GIVING YOU THE LAY OF THE LAND OF HOW THE WAY IT LOOKS AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS RIGHT NOW.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CARRIE.
SO CAN WE JUST PAUSE THERE FOR A SECOND? UM, WHAT KIND OF NUMBER DO YOU THINK IS AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER? I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE 82.
WE STARTED WITH I THINK 80, OH, UH, WE STARTED WITH 97 FOR THE STATE PROGRAM, AND I BELIEVE WE, UH, ACCORDING TO LINLEY HERE, WE'RE AT 37.
SO HOW DOES 37 AS A NUMBER WORK FOR A CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM? WELL, TO, TO ME, AND FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM OTHER CITIES, THAT'S STILL A VERY BIG NUMBER.
UM, I KNOW LAST SESSION WE HAD A VERY ROBUST PROGRAM AS WELL.
UM, THINGS WORKED OUT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
THERE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT MORE, UM, PEOPLE WERE PLAYING A LOT NICER THAN THEY ARE NOW.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE EMBATTLEMENT OF OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL IS GONNA PLAY HUGE INTO HOW EACH CHAMBER DEALS WITH EACH OTHER MOVING FORWARD.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE DOORS THAT WE HAD TO RUN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM THROUGH ARE STILL GONNA BE AS OPEN TO US AS THEY WERE IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION.
SO THE, SO AGAIN, THE THE BE THE MORE CONCISE WE CAN GET, THE BETTER, IN MY OPINION.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR CLIFFORD BEFORE WE MOVE ON? UH, COUNCILOR STEWART, DID I HEAR YOU SAY SINGLE DIGIT NUMBER? I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SINGLE DIGIT NUMBER
SO INSTEAD OF 37, LIKE 13 OR NINE, OR WE CAN GET DOWN TO EIGHT IF, AND BECAUSE IN MY OPINION, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE, THE ENVIRONMENT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T PASSED THEIR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, THEIR PROGRAM IS NOWHERE NEAR 90 TO 90 NUMBER.
AND SO I'M JUST, JUST COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, JUST LOOKING AT EVERYONE ELSE'S.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I GET THE SINGLE DIFFERENT PHONE.
SO MAYBE COULD WE ASK HOW, WHAT ARE THE NUMBER OF PRIORITIES OF SOME OF THE OTHER TEXAS CITIES? DO WE HAVE THAT? UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME AND WE CAN CAPTURE THAT, BUT I DID BRING A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES FROM PRIOR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS HERE AT THE CITY.
SO THIS IS THE ONE FROM THE 87TH SESSION, WHICH WAS A SESSION BEFORE I STARTED IN THIS ROLE.
UM, AND IT IS 12 PAGES OF, AND A LOT
[00:40:01]
OF IT IS NARRATIVE FOCUSED AS OPPOSED TO BULLETED ITEMS. UM, HERE IS ONE FROM THE 81ST SESSION, WE'RE GOING IN THE WAY BACK FILE HERE AND IT HAS TABS, ET CETERA.AND IT IS, UM, LOOKS TO BE, UM, ABOUT 15 PAGES.
AND SO LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE MOVED, THIS IS MY WORLD.
I KNOW CLIFFORD KNOWS THIS TOO.
YOU SORT OF LIVE BY THE ONE PAGER.
UM, AND SO WE MOVED TO THIS, UM, AMOUNT OF REAL ESTATE.
AND I THINK THE IDEA WAS THERE WAS A, UM, THERE WERE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT OPINIONS AMONG THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANTED TO DO GRANULAR ITEMS LIKE SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, PARKS, TRAILS, AND, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA FUNDING.
OR IF YOU JUST WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WAS GENERAL, WHICH IS SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT FOSTERS A CLEAN AND APPEALING NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO WE TRIED TO STRIKE A BALANCE THAT, THAT GAVE YOU YOUR HIGH LEVEL NARRATIVE OR THEME.
AND THEN WE GOT INTO SOME OF THE MORE GRANULAR ITEMS. SO I MEAN, OF COURSE IT'S UP TO THE WILL OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE CITY COUNCIL, WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
WHAT I'VE SEEN IS IT HAS STREAMLINED DOWN, BUT WHEN I FOLLOWED UP ON CLIFFORD'S COMMENT EARLIER, WE COULD GET DOWN TO EIGHT BECAUSE WE COULD JUST GO WITH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IS THE CAPTION AT THE TOP OF EACH OF THESE COMMITTEES, WHICH ARE REFLECTED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEES IS WHERE THESE PRIORITIES CAME FROM.
SO JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT AS YOU TAKE THIS UP.
SO SINCE YOU'RE ON THE TML PAGE, UM, I, I FIRST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, TWO OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFFERS CAME TO THE, UM, TML, UH, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SESSION POLICY POLICY, POLICY SESSION.
UM, THIS SLIDE COMES FROM THAT AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN SHARE LINLEY, MAYBE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HEARD ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT WITH, UM, WITH REGARD TO HOW MUCH WE COULD GET PASSED FROM TMLS PERSPECTIVE AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ASKING TO TRY TO GET LEGISLATION PASSED AS MUCH AS DEFENSIVE TO NOT HAVE BILLS THAT WOULD HARM US.
SO FROM THAT SUMMIT, UM, AND WE HAVE SHARED THOSE MATERIALS, SO YOU CAN READ THROUGH THAT A BIG BOOKLET WE GOT, BUT A LOT OF WHAT I GOT WAS, IT'S MUCH MORE PLAYING DEFENSE, UM, THAN OFFENSE.
A LOT OF WHAT WAS CARRIED OVER FROM THE SPECIAL SESSION, I KIND OF GOT, IT'LL BE CARRIED OVER INTO THE 89TH SESSION.
UM, SO THING, WHATEVER THOSE PRIORITIES ARE OF THE, UM, SPEAKER, LIEUTENANT, GOVERNOR WILL BE CARRIED OVER.
UM, SO I'M MUCH MORE OF A OPPOSITION, UM, KIND OF HAVE THOSE BAD BILLS YOU WANT TO OPPOSE.
THEN MAYBE A FEW OF THOSE ONES YOU WANNA REALLY GO FOR CLIFFORD, ANY ANYTHING TO ADD? YEAH, WELL, AND, AND WE CAN GO BACK TO STRATEGY AND ALL OF THAT AFTER, BUT UM, I JUST WANTED TO PAUSE SINCE WE'RE ON THAT SLIDE, BUT IF YOU WANNA PICK UP THE REST OF THE, UM, PRESENTATION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
ALRIGHT, SO ON THIS SLIDE YOU WILL SEE SIMILAR TO ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, OUR MEMBERS OF OUR DALLAS DELEGATION, OUR SENATE MEMBERS AND THEIR COMMITTEES, THEY SAT ON FOR THE 88 SESSION.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS LIKELY TO CHANGE IN THE 89TH, BUT JUST TO GIVE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHERE THINGS WERE LAST SESSION.
AND NOTE THE ONES THAT ARE BOLDED, UM, THE MEMBERS VICE CHAIR OR THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
AND THEN HERE ARE OF OUR HOUSE MEMBERS.
THESE WERE FOR THE 88 SESSIONS, SO LIVELY TO CHANGE FOR THE 89TH.
AND AGAIN, MORE OF OUR MEMBERS NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO HERE, THIS IS, UM, THE SAME SLIDE THAT YOU SEE ON THE FEDERAL PRESENTATION.
OUR OVERARCHING THEMES FOR EACH OF THESE.
SO THESE 97 ITEMS THAT WE COLLECTED, THESE FOUR BLURBS WERE WHAT WE GATHERED ENCOMPASSED THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
SO MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL, PROMOTE A BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT, PURSUE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND SUPPORT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CARRIE TO GO THROUGH THE 97 ITEMS. THANK YOU, LINLEY.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE ITEMS AS WE RECEIVED THEM FROM COMMITTEE AND THEN MOVE TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS INTENDED TO DROP INTO SOMETHING LIKE IN THIS FORMAT.
UM, SO FIRST UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS, UM, GROW THE TAX BASE, INCLUDING HAVING A ROLE IN GAMING.
I WANNA MENTION HERE ON THE FRONT END THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT APPEARED ON SEVERAL, UM, STANDING COMMITTEES, PLATFORMS, AND A ROLE IN REGULATION OF GAMBLING, GAMING, CASINOS, ET CETERA.
APPEARED ON THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEE AGENDAS, UM, PROJECT DELIVERY PROCESSES.
UM, THERE WERE A FEW ITEMS RELATING TO LEGISLATION SUCH AS PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WHEN WE GET TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW WE'RE, UH, PROPOSING TO ROLL THAT UP.
UM, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, THIS WAS IN YOUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
[00:45:01]
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE HEARD NUMEROUS TIMES FROM JACK AND JEANETTE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, SENATE BILL, TOO.UM, THE TAX, UH, I THINK TAX REFORM AND TRANSPARENCY ACT FROM 2019 AND THE IMPACT OF THAT ON THE CITY'S BUDGET.
UM, SO LET'S NOT ASK JACK AND JEANETTE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS, BUT THIS WAS AN, AN ITEM THAT CARRIED OVER FROM LAST SESSION.
ALSO UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRENGTH IN THE WORKFORCE.
WE SAW THIS LAST YEAR, UM, PRIORITI PRIORITIZE BROADBAND AS A CRITICAL UTILITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, THIS ISSUE, UM, REALLY MADE IT TO THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN PEOPLE WERE REALLY INHIBITED FROM BEING ABLE TO DO THEIR SCHOOL AND THEIR WORK, ET CETERA, WITHOUT HAVING THAT ACCESS.
SO, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT CREATED A BROADBAND COUNCIL, WHICH THEN CREATED A PLAN, WHICH THEN LED TO LEGISLATION THAT CREATED THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
AND I BELIEVE AT LAST STANDING THERE WAS $10 BILLION RELATED AT THE STATE LEVEL IN FUNDING AVAILABLE TO BROADBAND ACCESS.
AND I DON'T, CAN YOU, UM, JUST EXPOUND ON THAT JUST FOR A SECOND? SURE.
SO, UM, ERICA ZANGRE, UM, LEGISLATIVE GRANTS MANAGER, OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
SO THE BROADBAND USA PROGRAM IS AN ENTITY THAT'S HOUSED UNDER ONE OF THE FOUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS PASSED THROUGH FOR IIJA.
AND, UM, CURRENTLY THE GRANTS TEAM WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH OCC TO, UH, WRITE A GRANT OR TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR, UH, THEIR DIGITAL EQUITY GRANT.
SO CONTINUING ALONG THE SAME LINES OF PROVIDING, UH, BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY FOR ALL.
WE'D RECEIVED A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, SO I WANTED HER HERE FOR THE HARD STUFF.
UM, UNDER GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, UM, THIS IS ANOTHER ITEM THAT HAS APPEARED ON, I BELIEVE THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES RELATED TO SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN SOME FORM PENSION OBLIGATIONS.
AND I WANNA NOTE IN TMLS LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM THAT THEY, UM, TALKED ABOUT, UM, AT THE POLICY SUMMIT EARLIER THIS MONTH, THAT THERE WAS MENTION OF PENSION REFORMS AND THEY CITE RECOMMENDATIONS GOING BACK A DECADE TO LOOK AT, UM, UM, CONVERTING PENSION SYSTEMS TO SOME SORT OF 401K PLAN THAT SAYS IN THE NARRATIVE AS I READ IT, UM, ALSO IN GPFM SEEK RESTRUCTURING OF DART SALES TAX CONTRIBUTIONS.
THIS WAS JUST ADDED DURING THE GPFM, UM, DISCUSSION IN JUNE OF LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS, UM, REQUIRE MANDATORY DISCLOSURE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE PRICES, PRICES.
THIS WAS ON THE 2023 PROGRAM, AND I WILL SAY WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR REAL ESTATE FOLKS THAT THEY, UM, ARE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
UM, AND THEN THIS LAST ITEM AGAIN REGARDING DELIVERY PROCESSES REALLY SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE BILLS THAT PASSED LAST SESSION THAT WE MAY WANNA LOOK AT REVISITING.
UM, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO THAT WHEN WE GET TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, ALSO UNDER GPFM ESTABLISH A DATABASE OF HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
UM, THIS IS REALLY GETTING TO THE ISSUE OF, UM, AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME HEADLINES WITH THIS, OF PERSONS, UH, CLAIMING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTY, WHICH YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO.
UM, PRESERVE LOCAL AUTHORITY TO COLLECT FRANCHISE FEES, EXPAND OPTIONS FOR PUBLICATION LEGAL NOTICES.
THIS IS ALSO ANOTHER ITEM THAT'S IN TMLS LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM WITH THE PREMISE BEING THAT PRINT NEWSPAPER IS NOT THE ONLY OR PRIMARY SOURCE OF GOVERNMENT NEWS THESE DAYS.
UM, BUT THE, THE NEWSPAPER LOBBY IS A POWERFUL LOBBY.
UM, AND THE LAST ONE HERE, PRICE CONSIDERATION IN THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS.
UM, ALEX, UM, AMEND GOVERNMENT CODE 2274, UM, REGARDING PROHIBITION OF SERVICE CONTRACTS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY IS, UM, A REFLECTION OF SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE WORKED THROUGH THIS.
SO I'M GONNA SET THIS ONE ASIDE FOR A SECOND.
UM, SUPPORT FLEXIBILITY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES.
THIS CAME OUT OF THE CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS, I THINK AS A PLACEHOLDER FOR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED AS A RESULT OF THE CHARTER PROCESS.
UM, I DO WANNA NOTE HERE AGAIN, IT IS IN THE TML LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
THE LAST ACTION ON THIS WAS, UM, PUT FORWARD BY SENATOR TOBY FRAZIER.
I'M GOING IN THE WAY BACK FILE, UM, WHICH EXTENDED THE PREVIOUS DEADLINE FOR CITIES TO CHANGE THEIR UNIFORM ELECTION DATE.
THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW BILLS FILED LAST SESSION ON THIS TOPIC, BUT NONE HAVE PASSED.
BUT I DO WANNA NOTE IT IS ON T ML'S RADAR.
UM, AND THEN HERE IS THE SECOND OF THE THREE MENTIONS OF GAMBLING AND PRIORITIES.
AGAIN, AS I SAID, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT THAT APPEARED MULTIPLE TIMES.
DATA PRIVACY, NOTHING NEW, UM, THERE.
AND THAT WAS ON OUR PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED DURING THE FEDERAL BRIEFING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A NATIONAL TREND.
[00:50:01]
UM, HAVE FILED BILLS THAT'S ABOUT 450 BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH 69 BECOMING LAW ACROSS THE COUNTRY RELATED TO AI.AND I DO WANNA MENTION HERE AGAIN, UM, AS THIS IS A NEW BRIEFING THAT THE CITY DID TESTIFY BEFORE THE AI ADVISORY COUNCIL IN AUSTIN A FEW WEEKS AGO TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING HERE.
UM, THAT PARTICULAR AI COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY SENATOR TAN PARKER, WHO REP REPRESENTS A PORTION OF DALLAS AND REPRESENTATIVE CAPONE OR, UM, IS THE CO-CHAIR.
AND THEIR COMMITTEE IS TASKED WITH COMING UP WITH GUIDELINES TO PUT IN STATUTE FOR HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGES AI.
SO THE CITY OF DALLAS IS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, ENHANCE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROTECTIONS AGAINST SQUATTING.
UM, THIS IS A RESULT OF I THINK SOME HEADLINES AND EXPERIENCES HERE IN DALLAS.
UM, PRESERVE TOOLS FOR SENIORS TO AGE IN PLACE AND PRESERVE HOME OWNERSHIP.
THE PREMISE HERE, I BELIEVE WAS TO LOOK AT SOME SORT OF PROTECTIONS FOR LEGACY HOMEOWNERS OR SENIOR HOMEOWNERS.
UM, REMOVE BARRIERS TO GROWING THE HOUSING STOCK, INCLUDING THE AVAILABILITY OF CONDOS, UM, AND THEN PROTECT, UM, TENANTS AND RIGHT TO CURE.
THERE IS A STATUTE IN PLACE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT A PRIOR COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY A STATUTE REGARDING, UM, RIGHT TO CURE.
AND THIS IS, UM, I BELIEVE THE INTENT IS TO ENSURE FURTHER PROTECTIONS.
UM, SEEK FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, INCLUDING COST RECOVERY FOR UNSHELTERED SERVICES.
UM, HERE IN THE REGION, UM, HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FREQUENTLY.
THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, PROVIDES, UH, SERVICES FOR UNSHELTERED OFTEN FOR THOSE FOLKS OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY BOUNDARIES.
AND SO THERE'S A DESIRE TO PER PERHAPS LOOK AT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
UM, AND THEN HERE WE HAVE A LOCAL CONTROL ITEM, WHICH I DON'T KNOW THAT I MENTIONED, BUT LOCAL CONTROL WAS MENTIONED IN EVERY COMMITTEE, SO WE HAVE IT AS SUCH IN EVERY COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT IN STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS WE'LL LAND IN ONE SPOT.
UM, PARKS, TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT STRENGTHEN THE STATE'S ELECTRICITY GRID.
THIS WAS IN LAST YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, YOU ALL, UH, MAY RECALL THE STORM IMPACT, UM, HERE IN DALLAS IN AT THE END OF MAY.
UM, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS TALK TOOK LONGER THAN OTHERS TO COME BACK ONLINE.
UM, CITY LEADERSHIP, UM, RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN A MEETING WITH ERCOT BOARD MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT OUR CONCERNS IN TERMS OF GRID RELIABILITY, BUT ALSO COMMUNICATION.
AND THE FACT THAT, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT GRID RELIABILITY DO COME UP ROUTINELY IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS.
WHEN BUSINESSES COME HERE, THEY ASK, UM, OUR LIGHT'S GONNA STAY ON.
AND SO WE, UM, DISCUSS THIS WITH OUR, UM, ERCOT BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, AMEND EXISTING LEGISLATION TO CAPTURE A PORTION OF SHORT TERM CAR RENTAL TAX FOR PARKS AND TRAILS IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK AN OPPORTUNITY TO, I IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARKS, UM, INCREASED FUNDING FOR OPEN GREEN SPACES.
AND THEN, UH, SIMILAR TO THE FEDERAL ITEM, SUPPORT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WEATHERIZATION UTILITY EFFICIENCIES, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD IN THE PROGRAM LAST YEAR.
INCREASE INCENTIVES FOR TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS FROM AND BUSINESSES FROM HARSHER WEATHER SUCH AS WEATHERIZATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS AND TECHNOLOGY.
UM, THE DEPLOYMENT FOR CLEANER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION A NUMBER OF TIMES, UM, AND ENSURE INCREASED COLLABORATION BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
REGARDING PERMITTING PROCESSES.
THIS WAS ON OUR PROGRAM LAST YEAR AND I BELIEVE, UM, WAS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, UM, REQUIRING, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES TO WORK WITH THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BEFORE, UH, PERMITTING INDUSTRIES, UM, NEAR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS, UM, THAT MIGHT REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL LOOK, SEE AND INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
AGAIN, THAT WAS ON THE FEDERAL PROGRAM.
UM, MOVING ON TO PUBLIC SAFETY HERE I THINK IS THE THIRD AND LAST MENTION OF PENSIONS, UM, SUPPORT FOR PENSION OBLIGATIONS IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS A REQUEST FROM DPD CREATING A DEFINITE DEFINITION FOR LESS LETHAL DEVICES.
THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGY RELATED TO TASERS, UM, THAT REQUIRES A STATUTORY CHANGE.
AND, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A PRIORITY OF OUR VERY OWN.
CHIEF GARCIA PROPERLY ALIGNED RESOURCES AND SEEK FUNDING FOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PROGRAMS. I BELIEVE DON ZEL AND OUR UM, UH, COURTS TEAM BRIEFED COMMITTEE RECENTLY ON CROSSING GUARD PROGRAMS.
[00:55:01]
UM, PRIOR TO 2012, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATED AND MANAGED THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM.FROM 2012 TO 2018, THE DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS MANAGED AND OPERATED IT AND FROM 2018 ON DALLAS HAS HANDLED THAT.
AND THAT IS A THREE YEAR CONTRACT JUST UNDER $24 MILLION.
AND, UM, AND WE EMPLOY OVER 500 CROSSING GUARDS.
ENHANCED SAFETY FOR RESIDENTS OF SENIOR FACILITIES.
UM, EXPAND THE BABY MOSES LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAFE HAVEN LAW.
I THINK CURRENTLY THE AGE HERE IS 60 DAYS AND UNDER, AND SO IT WOULD BE INCREASING THAT AGE.
UM, AMEND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT TO EXEMPT PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT'S EARLY SOFTWARE, EARLY WARNING SOFTWARE PLATFORMS FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
UM, AND DPD I'M HOPING IS HERE AND CAN SPEAK MORE TO THAT.
UM, THIS NEXT ITEM SORT OF STRADDLED PUBLIC SAFETY IN A TRANSPORTATION ASK, BUT PURSUE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALLOW MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALITIES TO DESIGNATE ROADWAYS AS HIGH INJURY NETWORKS.
AND THIS AGAIN GOES TO VISION ZERO THAT YOU'VE HEARD BRIEF BEFORE.
THERE ARE SOME INTERSECTIONS, UM, JUST LIKE THERE ARE SOME GRIDS IN THE CITY THAT SEE HIGHER CRIME.
THERE ARE SOME INTERSECTIONS IN THE CITY THAT SEE HIGHER ACCIDENTS.
AND SO IS THERE AN OPTION TO PUT UP SOME SIGNAGE THAT INDICATES THAT'S A HIGH INJURY NETWORK, UM, INTERSECTION? AND COULD THERE BE ADDITIONAL FINES OR FEES RELATED TO THOSE, UM, PARTICULAR INTERSECTIONS? WE DID TALK WITH TDOT ABOUT IT AND THERE IS AN INTEREST PERHAPS IN PARTNERING ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
AUTHORIZED MUNICIPALITIES TO INSTALL AUTOMATED SPEED, AUTOMATED SPEED SAFETY CAMERAS.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY AND I THINK CHIEF GARCIA CAME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, KNOWING WHAT A LIFT IT WAS TO GET SPEED CAMERAS UNDONE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, AND, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT CLIFFORD AND THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN AUSTIN AND HOW THIS MAY BE RECEIVED, BUT WE BELIEVED IF YOU KNOW ANYONE COULD GET IT DONE, IT WOULD BE CHIEF GARCIA.
UM, STREAMLINE THE OUT-OF-STATE LATERAL TRANSFER PROCESS FOR PEACE OFFICERS.
UM, THAT AGAIN SPEAKS TO, UH, UM, HIRE AND RETAIN, UM, AUTHORIZE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO CONDUCT DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED CHECKPOINTS.
UM, SO SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS HERE IN THE STATE, UM, REQUEST FUNDING TO FUND A WEED AND SEED PROGRAM IN THE CITY.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD SUBMITTED, UM, EARMARK REQUESTS FOR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH AND THEN REQUEST FUNDING FOR A CHILDCARE CENTER AT THE NEW, UM, REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING FACILITY.
UM, I DO WANNA NOTE HERE, UM, AS WELL AS WE SEE A LOT OF ITEMS RELATED TO FUNDING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN DONE IN PRIOR SESSIONS, IS WE PULLED OUT A LOT OF THE FUND THIS, SEEK FUNDING FOR THAT AND SET IT ASIDE AND GAVE IT TO OUR AUSTIN TEAM SEPARATELY FOR THE THEM TO GO THEN AND WORK.
SO YOU MAY NOT SEE A LOT OF THESE SEEK FUNDING.
UM, FUND THIS UNDER STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY, AGAIN, WE SEE SOME ADDITIONAL DPD ITEMS HERE.
UM, ADOPT A STATEWIDE MINIMUM CASH BAIL SCHEDULE FOR ELIGIBLE VIOLENT FELONIES.
LIEUTENANT GONZALEZ IS HERE AND CAN TAKE HARD QUESTIONS, UM, ON THOSE ITEMS. NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SUPPORT ADDITIONAL PREVENTION PROTECTIONS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS, BUT ALSO TREATMENT FOR ABUSERS.
UM, INCREASED FUNDING FOR REENTRY SERVICES.
AND THEN WE HAVE LOCAL CONTROL MOVING TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
I THINK THIS IS THE THIRD OF THE GAMBLING ITEMS, UM, ACROSS THE COMMITTEES.
UM, SUPPORT ACCESS TO VIBRANT AND DIVERSE COLLECTION OF MATERIALS.
UM, LOCAL CONTROL REDUCE BARRIERS TO OPIOID, UH, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION.
UM, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTHCARE.
YOU HEARD ME MENTION EARLIER THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 5,000 BILLS FILED NATIONALLY RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION.
UM, WHICH DEMONSTRATES OF COURSE AN INCREASED, UM, AWARENESS FOR, UH, MENTAL HEALTH RELATED ISSUES.
UM, SUPPORT THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IS HOW IT WAS SUBMITTED THROUGH COMMITTEE SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO RESEARCH THE MEASURE OF IMPAIRMENT EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA.
THIS WAS ADDED I BELIEVE DURING QUALITY OF LIFE JUST THIS MONTH ON THEIR LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING, UM, BY ONE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND THEN WE HAVE FUNDING FOR ARTS, UM, AND LIBRARY ARCHIVES.
I BELIEVE ALEX NOTED THIS EARLIER THAT TRANSPORTATION, UM, DID PUT OUT AN AGENDA, UM, WITH DRAFT ITEMS, BUT THE PROGRAM WAS DEFERRED.
AND SO THIS IS YOUR FIRST READING OF STATE, UM, LEGISLATIVE ITEMS RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION.
UM, PERMIT GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT IN RESIDENTIAL
[01:00:01]
AREAS 30 TO 25.THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF BILLS FILED OVER THE YEARS WITH THIS, AND I BELIEVE TXDOT WAS ABLE TO GET THIS DONE LAST SESSION.
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, IF THERE WAS A MA MAJOR WEATHER EVENT OR SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION, THEY'RE ABLE TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT ABSENT OF SPEED STUDY.
UM, ROADWAY SIGNAGE AGAIN YOU SEE HERE REGARDING THE HIGH INJURY NETWORKS.
UM, AUTOMATED VEHICLES ESTABLISH REGULATIONS RELATED TO AUTOMATED VEHICLES, UM, AND THEN PURSUE LEGISLATION TO SET AND ENFORCE STANDARDS FOR CONDITIONS ALONG STATE HIGHWAYS.
THIS SPEAKS TO WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS REGARDING, UM, YOU KNOW, A STANDARD OF CARE ALONG THE HIGHWAYS THAT RUN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES, WHETHER IT BE LITTER, PICKUP OR MOWING.
AND WE DID HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS A LOCAL ITEM THAT COULD BE TAKEN UP IN AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE NOTED THAT HERE, UM, FOR THE COMMITTEE'S CONSIDERATION.
UM, HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER ITEM, TXDOT TO PAY IN FULL, UM, MOWING, CLEANING, SWEEPING AND GENERAL UPKEEP ALONG THOSE HIGH, UM, HIGHWAYS.
THAT RUN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES.
LOCAL CONTROL IS THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND FUNDING FOR THAT, UM, FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. UM, WE HAVE AN ITEM HERE FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL LEGISLATION IF NEEDED.
UM, RAIL SAFETY LEGISLATION, WHICH IS, UM, I KNOW AN IMPORTANT, UM, TOPIC HERE IN OUR CITY AS WE DO HAVE TRANSIT, UM, THROUGH THE CITY AS WELL.
AND THERE WAS RECENTLY SOME FEDERAL LEGISLATION FILED, OR IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT SAW SOME MOVEMENT RECENTLY, UM, SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT GUARANTEES TRANSPARENT TRANSPARENCY AND UTILITY OPERATIONS.
THIS AGAIN, SPEAKS TO THE GRID RELIABILITY WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE FEDERAL PROGRAM.
KLEY HAS MENTIONED THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES, THAT THERE'S SOME LEGISLATIVE ASK RELATED TO IMPLEMENTING COMPONENTS OF THEIR PLAN, AND YOU'VE HEARD THOSE TODAY.
UM, UH, WE HAVE REPAIR AND RENEWAL OF WATER WASTEWATER AND STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, AND THEN ENHANCE AND FUND MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, FINALLY WE MOVE TO THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, THE FIRST ONE HERE REGARDING IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS.
THIS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS AT DALLAS COUNTY, DR. WONG, WHO WAS PRESENTING EARLIER TODAY, UM, THAT THERE HAS BEEN, UM, SOME INTEREST IN UNDOING IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND I THINK FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE, UM, THAT THE CITY STOOD STRONG IN, UM, REQUIRING IMMUNIZATION OF OUR YOUTH.
UM, PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN THE OFFICE OF LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN FOR SENIOR FACILITY CARE.
UM, EXPAND FUNDING AND ELIGIBILITY FOR SNAP AND WIC.
AGAIN, THIS WAS FOR LAST YEAR'S PROGRAM AS WELL, UM, SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS WHISTLE BLOWERS AND MAINTAINS ETHICAL STANDARDS IN THE WORKPLACE.
UM, THIS WAS A NEW ITEM THAT WAS ADDED THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE LOCAL CONTROL ON THE NEXT SLIDE, 37, UM, L-G-B-T-Q INDIVIDUALS, SENIORS AND REFUGEES RIGHTS PROTECTIONS THAT WAS ON LAST YEAR'S PROGRAM.
UM, SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE CRIMINAL HISTORY INQUIRIES DURING THE HIRING PROCESS.
THIS IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS BAN THE BOX.
THE CITY IMPLEMENTED THIS SOME YEARS BACK WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE BOX ON THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION, BUT IT DOESN'T, UM, PRECLUDE AT SOME POINT IN THE HIRING PROCESS TO INQUIRE OF CANDIDATES EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND, UM, AND THEN SUPPORT POST-INCARCERATION PROGRAMS AND REENTRY SERVICES.
UM, THE NEXT IS RESOURCES FOR FOSTER AND POST FOSTER CHILDREN SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE PROPER AND MENTAL PHYSICAL CARE.
SO YOU'VE HEARD THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES HERE IN THESE ITEMS SUBMITTED, UH, FAMILY AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
FUNDING, FUNDING FOR IMMIGRANTS AND HUMANITARIAN RESPONSES, SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING.
UM, AND I WANNA MENTION HERE, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY'S SAKE, UM, TYPICALLY WE HAVE THE CITY COUNCIL HAS NOT, UM, INCLUDED AN ITEM RE RELATED TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ON THEIR PROGRAM.
UM, SEEING IT AS SOMETHING THAT WE SUPPORT EDUCATION, OF COURSE, BUT IT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE IN OUR LANE.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, DEFER TO THE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND COUNCIL, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE.
SUPPORT AMENDMENTS FOR SENATE BILL FOUR TO INCREASE FUNDING OPTIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
I BELIEVE THE SENATE BILL FOUR THEY'RE REFERRING TO IS RELATED TO THE BORDER SECURITY LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION LAST YEAR IN ENFORCEMENT OF THAT, UM, SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION AND REMOVAL OF, AND I THINK WHAT THEY INTENDED TO SAY HERE WAS TO, UM, PROHIBIT REMOVAL OF DEI PROGRAMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTES.
UM, AND I DO WANNA NOTE, I BELIEVE THIS CAME UP IN THE WORKFORCE COMMITTEE,
[01:05:01]
UH, BRIEFING EARLIER THIS MONTH.IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD AT THIS STATE LEVEL, UM, MAYBE THE FOCUS OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IN THE COMING SESSION ON THOSE PROGRAMS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO FLAGGING THAT HERE FOR THE TEAM, UM, SUPPORT FOR FIGHT AGAINST FENTANYL AND OTHER ADDICTIVE DRUGS, WE SEE A THEME.
THIS HAS BEEN MENTIONED A NUMBER OF TIMES RELATED TO OPIOID RESPONSE, FENTANYL, UM, RESPONSE AND PREVENTION, AND THEN SUPPORT FOR RESTRICTIONS ON EVICTIONS AND OTHER HOUSING ISSUES.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES THE 97 ITEMS THAT WE, WE RECEIVED FOR CONSIDERATION ON THE STATE PROGRAM.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA GO OVER NOW IS, UM, OUR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND AGAIN, IF WE MISS THE VOTE HERE, IF WE'VE TAKEN THE MEETING OUT FOR SOMETHING, PLEASE DO RAISE A FLAG FOR US, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, IN STEP WITH THE COMMITTEE'S DESIRE.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOUSING HERE.
UM, SO PUBLIC SAFETY, INCREASED PROTECTIONS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS GROW AND RETAIN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE.
SO BACK ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, SUBMITTED ITEMS. YOU HEARD, UM, LEGISLATION RELATED TO, UM, PENSIONS, UM, TO CHILDCARE SUPPORT TO HELP GROW AND RETAIN.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE SAW, UM, THOSE ITEMS FALLING UNDER THAT, UM, THAT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON GROWING AND RETAINING OUR FINE OFFICERS HERE, UM, IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE.
UM, DEFINE THE USE OF LESS THAN LETHAL DEVICES.
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER.
UM, AND THEN THE WEED AND SEED PROGRAM, AS I MENTIONED, HAS BEEN A PRIORITY OF, UM, CHIEF GARCIA UNDER HOUSING, GROW THE HOUSING STOCK AND PRESERVE TOOLS FOR SENIORS TO AGE IN PLACE.
SO THIS WAS A COMBINATION OF TWO ITEMS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, AND WE JUST PUT THEM INTO, UM, ONE BULLET.
AND YOU'LL RECALL, WE, WE TOOK OUT MENTION OF THE CONDOS AND JUST SAID, GROW THE HOUSING STOCK SO THAT IT WAS LESS, UM, SPECIFIC, UM, ENHANCE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROTECTIONS AGAINST SQUATTING, UM, TENANTS RIGHTS AND RIGHT TO CURE DURING EVICTION PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN FUNDING FOR HOMELESS SERVICES AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY'S ROLE AND THE REGION'S ROLE IN FUNDING, UM, SERVICES FOR THE UNSHELTERED.
UNDER, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, I NOTED THAT THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES THAT TOOK UP GAMBLING.
WE LANDED IT HERE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU MAY FEEL DIFFERENTLY.
UM, EXPAND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW THE TAX BASE AND GENERATE REVENUE STREAMS FOR CITY PRIORITIES, INCLUDING AUTHORIZING LICENSING, REGULATING CASINO GAMBLING AND SPORTS WAGERING IN DALLAS.
UM, STRENGTHEN DALLAS'S WORKFORCE PIPELINE, EXPAND BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN SUPPORT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR RESIDENTS, WHICH YOU MAY, UM, WANT TO RECONSIDER.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SET AND ENFORCE STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS ALONG OUR STATE HIGHWAYS.
WE HEARD THAT FROM A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, PURSUE TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT CITY, THE CITY OF DALLAS'S, VISION ZERO MOBILITY, SAFETY PLAN, SUPPORT, TRANSPARENCY, AND UTILITY OPERATIONS.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE GRID RELIABILITY ITEM, AND ESTABLISH REGULATION OF, UM, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
OH, DID I SKIP OVER G? OH, OOPS, I'M JUST KIDDING.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THAT WAS IN, UM, UNDER EACH OF THE COMMITTEES.
WE PUT IT UNDER G-P-F-M-G-P-F-M HERE.
UM, FOR PURPOSES OF THIS EXERCISE, UM, PROTECT PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF RESIDENTIAL DATA.
UM, SEEK RESTRUCTURING OF DART SALES TAX CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, PRICE CONSIDERATION IN GOVERNMENT PURCHASING OF GOODS, AMEND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES, AND AUTHORIZED RANK CHOICE VOTING SUPPORT, RESPONSIBLE USE OF AI.
NATURAL RESOURCES SUPPORT FUNDING FOR DALLAS PARKS AND, AND PLAYGROUNDS ENSURE, UH, SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, SUPPORT GROWTH IN SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES AND WEATHERIZATION, UH, DEPLOYMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES, AND AMEND EXISTING LEGISLATION TO CAPTURE A PORTION OF THE RENTAL CAR SALES TAX FOR PARKS AND TRAILS IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, STUDY AND IMPLEMENT AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.
SUPPORT ACCESS TO VIBRANT AND DIVERSE COLLECTION OF MATERIALS IN OUR LIBRARIES.
[01:10:01]
PROMOTE AND, UH, PROPER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE AND LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, AND SEEK ADDITIONAL RESEARCH INTO THE ECONOMIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EFFECTS OF ITS USE.UM, HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, SUPPORT POST-INCARCERATION PROGRAMS. I THINK, AGAIN, THAT APPEARED IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SPOTS.
EXPAND FUNDING FOR WIC AND SNAP INCREASE FUNDING FOR DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR FOSTER AND POST FOSTER CHILDREN AND PROTECT WHISTLEBLOWERS AND MAINTAIN ETHICAL STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE.
SO THAT IS 97 ITEMS BOILED, UM, DOWN TO 37.
UM, AND AGAIN, IF THERE IS, UM, FEEDBACK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT.
WE CAN GO THROUGH THESE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES TO CLOSE US OUT, AND THEN WE'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU CHAIR.
JAKE, UH, DO YOU WANNA CLOSE US OUT? YES.
I WOULD, AGAIN, BE REMISS IF I DID NOT HIGHLIGHT THE INCREDIBLE WORK DONE BY THE ENTIRE TEAM, UM, SITTING BEFORE YOU, BUT ESPECIALLY, UH, LINLEY DERIAN WHO PULLED ALL OF THIS TOGETHER, UM, IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, AND ALL, ALL THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE HAS YOU, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE IN THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, THE TEAM THAT'S, THAT'S DOWN IN AUSTIN, UM, THAT ARE ALSO DOING INCREDIBLE WORK DOWN THERE.
UM, OF COURSE, UH, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR CLIFFORD SPARKS IS SITTING TO MY RIGHT.
AND THEN ALSO OUR, UH, STATE LOBBYISTS ARE LISTED THERE.
UM, IF YOU MOVE ON TO THE KEY DATES, UM, THIS IS A RECAP OF WHAT YOU SAW ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, BUT, UM, IN THIS CASE, I WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO A COUPLE DATES THAT RELATE TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UM, MOST NOTABLY IS NOVEMBER 11TH, WHICH IS WHEN PRE-FILING OF BILLS WILL BEGIN.
UM, AND THAT BILL FILING, UM, WINDOW WILL EXTEND UNTIL MARCH 14TH, UH, 2025.
UM, AND YOU'LL NOTE THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL ALSO CONVENE ON JANUARY 14TH, 2025.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, UM, SO THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO WHAT WE WILL BRING TO COUNCIL, UM, LATER IN SEPTEMBER.
AND ULTIMATELY, YOU WILL VOTE ON, UH, WITH THE INTENDED DATE BEING SEPTEMBER 25TH.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU CHAIR.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB ON THIS.
I HAVE MARVELED, AS YOU HAVE DEBATED THE QUALITY OF A SINGLE WORD, UM, EXTENSIVELY AND WHAT IT MEANT AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF IT.
BUT I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE LEVEL OF DETAIL YOU'VE BEEN AT AND IT SHOWS WITH WHAT YOU'VE PRODUCED.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS PROGRAM, IF I CAN JUST GO BACK TO PAGE 11, AND YOU HAVE CONSIDERATIONS WITH FOUR BULLETS, LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, PRIORITIES, BALANCING THE ASKS, POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND PERHAPS, AGAIN, CLIFFORD, IF YOU COULD SORT OF TALK ABOUT, NOW THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE STATE SIDE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US WITH ESPECIALLY THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT? I MEAN, CLEARLY THERE'S LOTS OF CHALLENGES HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT ABOUT IF WE PUT THINGS ON OUR PROGRAM THAT WE MIGHT ALREADY KNOW OR SUSPECT WILL BE RECEIVED POORLY BY LEADERSHIP? WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT? THANK YOU CHAIR FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, I THINK THE IMPLICATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UH, SHOWN AND EXPERIENCED.
UM, AND I'M POINTING IN PARTICULAR TO THE DEATH STAR BILL 21, 27 FROM LAST SESSION.
UM, THE STATE OR SOME MEMBERS.
SO 21, 27 IS WHAT WE ALL CALL THE DEATH STAR THOUGH, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND SO THAT BILL IS ATTEMPTING TO LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO, WHAT THEY THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO AS MUNICIPALITIES MOVING FORWARD.
UH, WE'RE HEARING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A, UH, DEATH STAR BILL 2.0.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A BILL NUMBER YET, SO THAT'S WHAT WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL IT.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THE CHAIR, UH, THAT OUR CHAIR HAS BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THE CHAIR ABOUT THAT.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO SOME NEGOTIATING WITH THEM OR WITH THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT THAT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, OVER THE PAST DECADE PLUS, THEY'VE MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO LIMIT AND RESTRICT US.
AND THEY, A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL USE AND POINT AT OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS TO SAY, THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO LIMIT, UM, CITIES OR MUNICIPALITIES MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UH, TO YOUR POINT CHAIR, IT COULD HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KNOW MORE ONCE BILL FILING STARTS.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE SOME FEEDBACK OR GUESTS OF
[01:15:01]
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? COUNCIL MEMBER NVAS, ARE YOU SPEAKING TO ME? I'M SORRY.I'M NOT, WE HAVE, IT'S UP TO YOU.
UM, SO, UM, I HAVE A, I HAVE A BIG PAUSE ON ONE, WHICH WAS THE, UM, ONE THAT CAME OUTTA G-P-F-M-I BELIEVE THAT RECOMMENDS, UM, RESTRUCTURING OR CHANGING, UM, DART FUNDING.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT REALLY NEEDS TO HAVE A MUCH BIGGER, ROBUST CONVERSATION WITH THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, NOT JUST, UM, ONE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO I WOULD NOT WANNA PUT THAT ON THE, UM, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY AT THIS TIME.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST SAYING WHAT I'M THINKING RIGHT NOW, AND, UM, I THINK I HAVE A BETTER IDEA THAN WHAT, UM, IS COMING UP.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION LATER ON.
AND THEN, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT I HAVE GREAT PAUSE ON.
EVERYTHING ELSE CAN BE, UM, WORKED OUT, I THINK.
AND SO LET ME JUST CLARIFY THAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS, ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY AT THE END I'M LOOKING FOR, UM, JUST LIKE WE DID ON FEDERAL, A MOTION TO SAY WE WOULD LIKE TO ADVANCE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, PLUS OR MINUS ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR REMOVE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS ENTIRE BRIEFING ALMOST EXACTLY IS GONNA GO TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
SO IT REALLY WAS FIRST TOE IN FOR US TO, TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING ALTOGETHER.
BUT REALLY, THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM BELONGS TO THE BODY, AND THERE'S PROBABLY NOBODY WHO WILL AGREE WITH EVERY ITEM.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
I THINK PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF ONE PERSON.
AND SO ANYTHING THAT GETS EIGHT VOTES, WE'RE GONNA GO FORWARD WITH, UM, WITH THAT COUNCILOR RIDLEY, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE IT AWAY.
SO CLIFFORD, UM, I'M SENSITIVE TO THE ISSUE YOU RAISED ABOUT HAVING TOO MANY ITEMS, AND I WOULD LIKE YOUR INPUT ON WHICH SPECIFIC ITEMS YOU THINK HAVE LITTLE CHANCE OF PASSING OR WOULD INCUR THE IRE OF LEADERSHIP AT THE LEDGE THAT MIGHT BACKFIRE AGAINST US.
UH, GREAT, GREAT QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, I WOULD SAY WITHOUT GOING THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REPEATS THAT WE'VE HAD, OR AS HOLDOVERS AS WE CALL THEM, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
THOSE ARE, I WOULD SAY THAT'S THE LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT I WOULD SAY THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO RECONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE.
COULD YOU PROVIDE A LIST OF THOSE FOR THE COUNCIL BRIEFING? SURE, SURE.
AND WHAT ABOUT ANY ITEMS THAT YOU THINK WOULD HAVE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CITY? UM, ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE US CURRENTLY STAYING IN OUR LANE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WITH THE DEATH STAR BILL THAT WAS, IT'S EVERY CONVERSATION WAS AROUND YOU GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING X, Y, AND Z.
SO ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T FIT INTO THAT NARRATIVE, IN THEIR OPINION, NOT NECESSARILY OURS, BUT IN THEIR OPINION, WOULD LIKELY DRAW THE I OF THEM.
WELL, I'D LIKE THE, UH, YOU TO PROVIDE THOSE SUBJECT MATTERS.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THEY LOVE TO REGULATE THINGS THAT ARE CLEARLY WITHIN OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
SO I, I WOULD VALUE YOUR INPUT ON THAT.
I WAS JUST GONNA PIGGYBACK, UM, ON CHAIR
UH, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT AVENUE TO STATE PLAY IN THAT ROLE ON OUR LEGISLATOR.
I MEAN, WHY, WHY WOULD THEY BE CONCERNED? WELL, I KNOW THE STATE, UH, THE STATE ORIGINALLY HAD TO GIVE THE AUTHORIZATION LANGUAGE.
LIKE WE HAD TO PASS THAT DOWN IN AUSTIN, BUT ULTIMATELY THE TAX TAXPAYERS HAD TO VOTE, YOU KNOW, HOW THE WAY THINGS WERE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AS FAR AS WITH THE FUNDING MECHANISM.
UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, THE TAXPAYERS STILL WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE COULD DO ANY TYPE OF OVERHAULS.
IS THAT PREMATURE? BUT THE, THE, THE CITY TAXPAYERS VOTERS WOULD BE ONE WHO HAD A CALL A VOTE
[01:20:01]
TO DO IT.YOU KNOW, IT LOOKED LIKE WE KINDA JUMPING OVER, JUMPING THE HURDLE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M THE, TO THE LEGISLATOR.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA GET THE FIRST BASE BEFORE YOU COULD GET HOME.
TO ME IT IS, UH, I KNOW LAST TIME WHEN I WAS A CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATOR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT DART SALE TAX AND, AND THE ISSUE, BUT THAT'S A LOCAL, UH, CONTROL ISSUE.
THEY, THEY WERE QUICK TO PUSH IT BACK IN OUR LAPS.
TO SAY THAT IT WAS A LOCAL ISSUE AND THAT WE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH IT LOCALLY BEFORE AND BASICALLY BRING THEM A PLAN OR BRING THEM A VOTE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DID HERE OR DART DID, UH, THEY WANTED US TO FIGURE IT OUT LOCALLY FIRST.
WELL, OKAY, BY SAYING THAT, DO YOU THINK THIS SOMETHING DESERT IS A PRIORITY BECAUSE THEY WANT US TO DEAL WITH IT LOCALLY FIRST AND WE HAVE NOT DEALT WITH IT LOCALLY YET.
BASED ON WHAT THEY TOLD US LAST SESSION, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND DEAL WITH IT LOCALLY FIRST.
THAT WOULD BE MY PERSONAL OPINION.
YEAH, THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DID I HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT? NO, WE, WE HEARD THE SAME THING.
UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, OF COURSE, DART IS CREATED IN LEGISLATIVE CHAPTERS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A RESTRUCTURING OF CONTRIBUTION TO HAPPEN AT THE DART BOARD LEVEL, BUT IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE TO HAVE LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH THE, WHICH WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE RATIFIED BY THE VOTERS LOCALLY.
AND, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE LEGISLATION THAT IS PURSUED BY AT LEAST SOME OF THE MEMBERS.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST GIVING US THE ABILITY TO WEIGH IN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I BELIEVE WE'RE UP TO SIX, MAYBE SEVEN CITIES THAT HAVE PASSED A RESOLUTION WHERE THEY SPECI, UH, SPECIFICALLY SAY THREE QUARTERS OF A CENT CONTRIBUTION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE NUMBER.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT NUMBER HAS ANY MORE MEANING THAN THE 1 CENT, MEANING IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO WHAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
BUT I DO THINK THAT IF THERE IS A CONVERSATION HAPPENING IN AUSTIN ABOUT DART FUNDING, WE NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE AND WE NEED TO HAVE A VOICE.
AND, UM, THERE MAY BE OTHER WAYS TO RESTRUCTURE THAT FUNDING IN A WAY THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THAT AS HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND WE, WE DON'T WANNA BE ABSENT FROM THAT CONVERSATION.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHY THERE'S NO SPECIFICITY ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT.
BUT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MEMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR THIS.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THEY'VE PASSED RESOLUTIONS SAYING THEY WILL DO IT.
AND AS THE LARGEST CITY AND WITH THE MOST RIDERS IN THE SYSTEM, WE NEED A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S ALREADY A RECOGNITION THAT THERE MAY BE SOME OVERFUNDING OF DART.
WE CAN HAVE THAT AS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR IT TO BE AN ITEM NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.
OF COURSE, IT NEEDS TO BE VOTED ON BY THE FULL COUNCIL.
SO IF EIGHT MEMBERS THINK IT SHOULD BE ON THERE, IT SHOULD.
I'M NOT TRYING TO, I'M NOT TRYING TO DO A DEBATE OR ANYTHING.
I DON'T JUST LOOK AT LOCAL CONTROL.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IF EVEN THE OTHER CITIES, IT'S STILL LOCAL, THAT WE GOTTA MAKE THE FIRST, UH, MOVE, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR TAXES, WITH OUR VOTERS, WHATEVER, TO GET THERE.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET A CONFUSED THAT WE HERE LOCAL, HAVE NOT DECIDED NOTHING.
AND THE STATES SAY, OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND OVERRIDE THIS AND LET'S KIND OF PUSH DOWN THE ROAD.
SO I WANNA TRY TO STAY LOCAL CONTROL, LET'S LOCAL FIGURE IT OUT FIRST BEFORE WE GO TO THE STATE.
AND THEN WE GET STATE, WE, WE CONTROLLED LOCAL CONTROL.
AND THAT'S MY CONCERN, YOU KNOW, JUST THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I KNOW THE SAME THING WITH DART RIGHT NOW.
WE GOT SOME LEGISLATOR HOW WE RESTRUCTURED DART.
WE WENT THROUGH THERE AND THEN, AND CLIFF, YOU KNOW HOW THAT WAS, WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH AND THEY SAY, HEY, Y'ALL NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN PROBLEM.
IF Y'ALL DON'T TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE OF Y'ALL PROBLEM.
WE GONNA CHANGE THE ORGANIZATION, WE GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO I TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CONCERNED OF WHAT'S GOING ON LOCALLY HERE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR LOBBYISTS KNOW THAT.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE GAMBLING AND ASSOCIATED ITEMS. CLIFFORD, WHAT'S THE OUTLOOK FOR GAMBLING AT THE LEDGE? SO LAST SESSION, UH, IT REALLY RESTED IN ONE CHAMBER.
UH, THE HOUSE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT THEY
[01:25:01]
EVEN WANTED TO PASS LEGISLATION CONCERNING GAMBLING BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE FATE OF IT ONCE IT LEFT THAT CHAMBER.SO I'M JUST GONNA ECHO EXACTLY WHAT THE HOUSE SAID LAST TIME.
IT'S REALLY GONNA BE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SENATE WANTS TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING, UH, AS FAR AS THEM CHANGING THEIR POSITION ON NOT WANTING TO PASS IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE I STAND.
AND HAS DAN PATRICK INDICATED HIS SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO PASSING A BILL ABOUT GAMBLING? I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY CHANGES IN HIS STANCES SINCE LAST SESSION, SO I THINK HE HAS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT RECENTLY.
I'LL JUST ASK YOU TO GO CHECK THAT OUT.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING UP IS ABOUT THE RANK CHOICE VOTING.
THIS ITEM DID NOT MAKE IT AS A, UM, CONSIDERATION FOR OUR CHARTER CHANGE, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO WITH A COUNCIL NOT HAVING VOTED FOR THIS ITEM, IT SEEMS INAPPROPRIATE TO PUT IT AS A PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
IS IS MY FEEDBACK ON THAT RECEIVED? AND I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE DRAFTED THIS PRIOR TO, TO ACTION TO THAT FINAL VOTE.
UM, WE DID, HOWEVER, PUT ON THERE FOR A NOVEMBER ELECTION DATE, CORRECT? YES MA'AM.
SO ALTHOUGH I DON'T PERSONALLY SUPPORT A NOVEMBER DATE, I DO THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR IT TO BE THERE IF THE CHARTER PROPOSITION PASSES.
AND IF IT DOESN'T PASS, I THINK WE SHOULD PULL IT OFF.
AND OF COURSE WE'LL HAVE TIME TO DO THAT AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM I HAVE, WHICH IS, UM, ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IS, UM, SET AND ENFORCE STANDARDS FOR THE CONDITIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF STATE HIGHWAYS AND ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
SO I 100% BELIEVE, ESPECIALLY TEXDOT NEEDS TO PAY FOR THE COST RECOVERY OF MOWING LITTER CONTROL.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT WAS GOING.
BUT I THINK IT'S, AND MORE THE PROBLEM WITH THE LANGUAGE IS THAT WHEN WE SAY SET AND ENFORCE STANDARDS FOR THE CONDITIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF STATE HIGHWAYS AND ADJACENT PROPERTIES, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND SAY TO US, WELL MAYBE WE NEED TO SET CONDITIONS FOR THE CONDITION OF YOUR STREETS.
AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A BILLION DOLLAR.
WELL, I THINK IT'S A $17 BILLION PROBLEM FOR US IF THAT HAPPENS.
AND SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY IT'S WORDED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
UM, AND WE'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE BETTER DEALT WITH LOCALLY BECAUSE, UM, THE STANDARDS FOR EVERY COMMUNITY ARE DIFFERENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH TXDOT WILL VARY FROM THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH TDOT, THE CITY OF GALVESTON, YOU KNOW, AND HOW HIGH THEY MOW AND HOW OFTEN THEY PICK UP TRASH.
SO, UM, BUT WE'LL GO BACK AND REVISIT THIS LANGUAGE AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING THAT MORE MEETS, UM, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S CLEARLY INSUFFICIENT.
DID YOU WANNA TALK ON THIS ITEM? YES, PLEASE.
UM, UH, I GUESS CLIFFORD CAR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH WITH MOWING, YOU KNOW, WITH TECH STOCK AND LOOK LIKE IT'S MORE, UH, POLITICAL THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE TO, TO MOLD, TO CUT AROUND.
THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE AND THEY'RE FUNDED.
BUT IT LOOK LIKE, TO ME, GETTING TO THE LEGISLATOR THAT IT BECAME BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, HEY, WE ARE NOT GONNA DO THIS UNLESS YOU DO THIS.
SO IS THERE ANY KIND OF COMPROMISE? UM, WHAT IS THE, THE MAIN ISSUE WHY IT WOULD NOT PAY FOR A SERVICE THAT, WHERE THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR IT AND WHICH THEY DO COLLECT MONEY TO IN ORDER TO DO THE SERVICE? WHAT IS THE MAIN ISSUE? I THINK WE ARE MISSING THE, THE POINT IN NEGOTIATING WHEN WE TALK TO THE LEGISLATORS.
CLIFFORD, CAN YOU CHIME IN? I SEE I'M HEARING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
NO, I'M, I'M HEARING THE SAME THING, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, BUT THE, TO YOUR POINT, WHAT'S THE MAIN ISSUE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE TOPIC OF A CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH MEMBERS OF OUR DELEGATION AS WELL AS TDOT.
SO I THINK ONCE WE GET THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER ATTACK IT AND FIGURE OUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HANDLE LOCALLY OR AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT WHEN I SAID LOCALLY, THE STATE THAT LEVEL, IT'S ABOUT DOLLARS.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT COSTS X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO CUT.
AND LET'S SAY IT COST, COST STATE $10 MILLION.
AND THEY SAY, WELL, DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU IS $6 MILLION, WE JUST ALLOCATE NUMBER THAN SIX.
SO IS THAT ANOTHER BUCKET THEY CAN REALLOCATE IT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, OR THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO ALLOCATE IT BECAUSE THERE'S A DOLLAR, THEY GOTTA PAY IT ANYWAY.
SO IT SHOULD BE 'CAUSE THEY ARE COLLECTING MONEY, YOU KNOW, GASOLINE FEES, WHATEVER, TO DO THE JOB ANYWAY.
SO IIII, I DON'T WANNA SIDESTEP THE ISSUE, BUT IT'S BECOME A BIG ISSUE
[01:30:01]
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE TAKING MONEY FROM OUR GENERAL FUND TO CUT THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, RIGHT OF WAY WE DOING THAT NOW.AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND OUR TAX PAYER HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, SOME THAT.
AND SO, AND, AND ON OUR LETTER SIDE, I THINK WE GOTTA PUSH THAT THE RIGHT WAY.
I THINK WE'RE PUSHING THE NEEDLE.
THERE'S SOMETHING, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG.
WE ARE NOT DOING SOMETHING CORRECTLY.
YOU KNOW, IN CHURCH, I JUST ASKED YOU CHAIR, FIND OUT WHY THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY.
I, WE ARE NOT GONNA PAY BECAUSE POLITICAL, WHY ARE WE NOT GONNA PAY THE BILL? HAVE WE SEND THEM A BILL AND SAID, HERE'S A BILL PET, WE'LL TAKE ONE, LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK TO AND, AND FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.
AND I DO WANNA ADD TOO THAT I THINK THIS ITEM ALSO ADDRESSES WHAT'S BEEN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION REGARDING UNSHELTERED ENCAMPMENT UNDER THE UNDERPASSES.
AND I DO KNOW THAT CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING AT THE, UM, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP LEVEL WITH OUR, UM, DALLAS TXDOT DISTRICT AND WHAT THOSE COSTS LOOK LIKE.
CON, CARLY WAS EDUCATING ME ON SOMETHING RECENTLY REGARDING, UM, FUNDING SHARE AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY, UM, USING THE, THE STREETLIGHTS AS AN EXAMPLE HERE THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY.
IT USED TO BE THEY PUT 'EM IN, THEY MAINTAINED THEM, THEY PUT 'EM IN NOW, BUT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THEM.
SO WHEN SOMEONE CUTS THE COPPER IN THEM, GUESS WHO HAS TO REPLACE THEM? WE DO.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ON, UM, THE TECH STOP RIGHT OF WAY.
SO WHAT I SEE IT AS IS A, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FUNDING CREEP ISSUE THAT'S SHIFTING MORE TO LOCAL.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING, UM, AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL WITH STAFF.
UM, I'LL JUST CHIME IN AND SAY THAT, UM, SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATIONS HAVE ALSO HAPPENED WITH SEASON.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE, UM, FREQUENTLY AT THE DALLAS REGIONAL MOBILITY COALITION MEETING WHERE THOSE HAVE HAPPENED.
UM, THE RTC MET WITH BOARD MEMBERS FROM TXDOT, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN NOVAS, UH, WAS ACTUALLY THE PERSON WHO SPOKE ABOUT THAT TO THEM.
UH, I THINK THAT EVERY SINGLE HEAD AROUND, UH, THE HORSESHOE THERE SHOOK YES.
'CAUSE WE ALL HAVE THIS ISSUE.
UM, TDOT STATEWIDE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ALMOST EVERY CITY IS SAYING THE SAME THING TO THEM.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT IT IS ON THIS AGENDA BECAUSE WE NEED TO PUT IT IN FRONT OF OUR, ESPECIALLY, WELL, WE NEED TO PUT IT IN FRONT OF OUR LOCALS, BUT STATEWIDE, I THINK THIS WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE SUPPORT AND THEY JUST NEED TO SORT OF SHIFT SOME MONEY THAT IS GOING TO HIGHWAY REPAIR, WHICH IS OF COURSE NECESSARY, BUT SOME OF THAT NEEDS TO POP OVER TO REIMBURSING THE CITIES FOR THE LAND THAT IS ACTUALLY THEIRS.
SO, UM, THEY DO NEED TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO I, I AGREE WITH YOU AND IT IS A BIG ISSUE IN DALLAS AND IT IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR US.
I'D LIKE TO BRING ANOTHER ITEM, WHICH IS THE PROTECT TENANT RIGHTS AND RIGHT TO CURE PERIOD DURING THE EVICTION PROCESS.
THIS IS ONE THAT, UM, A NUMBER OF LEGISLATORS HAVE, UM, SAID TO ME IS PROBLEMATIC AND THEY FEEL THAT IT'S COMPLETELY OVERSTEPPING OF THE CITY'S RIGHT TO WEIGH IN ON.
UM, CLIFFORD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT, BOB? I AGREE.
THAT'S THE SAME THING I'VE HEARD, AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD.
YEAH, I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK IT HAS ANY CHANCE WHATSOEVER.
UM, AND I THINK IS GONNA CREATE FRICTION UNNECESSARILY.
I MEAN, I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SAYING THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T WANT IT.
I'M JUST SAYING IT'S JUST NOT GONNA BE AN EFFECTIVE ITEM ON THIS LIST, IN MY OPINION.
UM, THE NEXT ONE I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT WAS, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS ITEM ACTUALLY MEANS.
SUPPORT ACCESS TO A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE COLLECTION OF MATERIALS AND RESOURCES THAT REPRESENTS THE INTEREST AND NEEDS OF ALL RESIDENTS OF DALLAS.
THIS IS THE SECOND ONE DOWN UNDER.
UM, YES, I BELIEVE THIS CAME TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHAT WAS THE LANGUAGE AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY? OH, UM, AND I BELIEVE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS, IT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ACCESS IN DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
AND, UM, WE WENT BACK AND DID OUR HOMEWORK WITH THE LIBRARY TEAM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS THEY WERE TRYING TO GET AT WHEN THEY SUBMITTED IT.
UM, AND SO, EXCUSE ME, WHAT THE LIBRARY HAD, UM, HAD SHARED WITH US THAT TRENDS OF LEGISLATURES AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROHIBITING SPECIFIC MATERIALS AT LIBRARIES ARE PLACING BARRIERS TO ACCESSING THESE MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH AND IN-SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
[01:35:01]
SO I BELIEVE THERE WAS A BILL LAST SESSION THAT WAS REGULATING IN SOME FORM OR FASHION BOOKS THAT CAME TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES.AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TWO LIBRARIES THAT SERVE AS THE SCHOOL LIBRARY.
UM, BUT ATTEMPTING TO REGULATE THAT AND THEN ALSO REQUIRING BOOK PUBLISHERS, I BELIEVE, TO GRADE THE BOOK OF WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS APPROPRIATE BEFORE IT COULD BE DISTRIBUTED.
AND SO OUR LIBRARY TEAM FELT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE ROLE OF THE BOOK PUBLISHERS AND NOR IS IT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT TO, UM, UH, STATE GOVERNMENT TO REGULATE WHAT'S IN THE LIBRARIES.
SO THE WORD, IF I CAN PARAPHRASE AND HEATHER CAN CORRECT ME IF SHE'S THE, THE WORD LIBRARY PROBABLY NEEDS TO JUST BE INSERTED.
SO, UM, COLLECTION OF LIBRARY MAT MATERIALS AND RESOURCES, YOU SEE THAT ON THE SECOND LINE? OH, YEAH.
I HAVE A FEELING IS NOT GONNA GO ANYWHERE LEGISLATIVELY.
CLIFFORD, DO YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON THIS ITEM? AGAIN? WE'VE HEARD THAT IN IN PREVIOUS SESSIONS.
SO, UH, JUST BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE LEGISLATURE AND THEIR TEMPERATURE TOWARDS IT, UM, IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO PUSH IT, THEY CAN, BUT THE LEGISLATURE LIKELY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO MUCH WITH IT OR HELP US WITH IT, SO.
LET ME FINISH THIS AND I'LL CERTAINLY CALL ON YOU NEXT.
UM, THERE MAY BE CASES WHERE THIS COUNCIL WISHES TO MAKE A POLITICAL STATEMENT BY HAVING THINGS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT THAT'S ALL THIS WOULD BE.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S LIKELY TO BE, UM, BILLS THAT PASS THAT DEAL WITH LIBRARY MATERIALS THAT WOULD NOT REFLECT THIS SENTIMENT.
SO, UM, UH, GO AHEAD, COUNCILOR NARVAEZ.
AND I, UM, THINK I'M, I'M PROBABLY ON THE SAME LINE YOU'RE ON WITH THIS IS, UM, EXCEPT I'M THINKING OF IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF THIS ISN'T A PRIORITY, IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DEFEND.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S MY OPINION, AND I AGREE WITH LIBRARY STAFF FOR WANTING TO PUT THIS ON THERE, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO PUSH, UM, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE, OH, WE'RE LOOKING TO PICK A FIGHT AND WE'RE, WE WILL LOSE THAT FIGHT.
AND I'D RATHER DEFEND THEM IF WE HAVE TO, UM, IF SOMETHING COMES UP.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANNA POKE THE BEAR AND HAVE THEM GOING AFTER OUR LIBRARIES BECAUSE, UM, WE PUT SOMETHING ON A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY LIST.
SO, UM, SO I, I THINK I'M ON THIS SAY WAVELENGTH AS YOU ARE SHARED, JUST MAYBE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE, BUT, UM, I AGREE IT, IT SHOULDN'T STAY ON THERE.
WELL, I THINK IT WAS WELL SAID.
UM, THE LAST ITEM I HAVE ON THERE IS THE MARIJUANA ITEM.
UM, WE DO HAVE THAT AGAIN AS A CHARTER ITEM, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT DEPENDING ON THE PASSAGE OF THE CHARTER, WE'LL GO BACK AND RECONSIDER THAT ITEM.
I THINK THAT ALSO IS GONNA BE FAIRLY PROBLEMATIC RECEIVED, IS IS THERE A PUSH ON THE, UM, I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF LEGISLATORS THAT THEY DO WANT TO PUSH, UM, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO PUSH EACH LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND THINGS GET, UM, A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST LIKE LITERALLY THREE CENTIMETERS OR IF IT'S A MILE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
CLIFFORD, COULD YOU TELL US WHERE THE PRO WEED LEGISLATION IS GOING OR HEADED OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE SESSIONS? YES, MR. CHAIRMAN.
SO YOU, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
EVERY SESSION IT MAKES IT A LITTLE FURTHER.
AND AS A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB, UH, WE ALWAYS SAY, UH, IN THE LOBBY THAT IT TAKES A COUPLE OF SESSIONS FOR SOMETHING TO REALLY GAIN TRACTION DOWN IN AUSTIN.
IT'S RARE THAT YOU HAVE A BILL THAT FLIES THROUGH, UH, WHEN IT'S SOMETHING NEW LIKE THIS THAT, UH, GETS THROUGH THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
UM, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT INCH FORWARD, UH, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN JUST THAT IT'S BEEN INCHING FORWARD.
SO, UM, DOES THAT MEAN THAT IT'S CLOSER TO PASSING? WELL, IT WAS CLOSER TO PASSING THAN IT WAS THE SESSION BEFORE, BUT HOW MUCH CLOSER? YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGEOVER AS WE KNOW IN THE HOUSE, WHICH TOTALLY CHANGES THE DYNAMIC.
THE HOUSE HAS BECOME WAY MORE CONSERVATIVE, SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THAT MEANS, UM, IN TERMS OF IF IT'LL HAVE MORE ATTRACTION THAN THE HOUSE THAN IT DID PREVIOUSLY.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, JUST AS A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB, IT HAS INCHED FORWARD EACH SESSION TO YOUR POINT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS GONNA BE A NEW LEGISLATURE AND THE HOUSES AND THE SENATE ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER ALONG WITH, UH, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
SO IT, IT'LL BE INTERESTING JUST TO SEE IF THOSE FRINGE ITEMS SEE HOW, HOW MUCH FURTHER THEY MAKE AT THIS TIME AROUND.
[01:40:03]
THANK YOU.THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR CLIFFORD, HAVE YOU HEARD, UM, ANY STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT THE CONFUSION THAT THE CANNABIS, UM, LEGISLATION HAS CREATED WITH MARIJUANA? AND ANY HOPES FOR CORRECTING ANY OF THAT? I HAVEN'T PERSONALLY HEARD, BUT IF THERE'S AN UPDATE THAT YOU RECEIVED, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT AS WELL.
JUST, JUST GONNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WASN'T MISSED AND ONE OF YOU'RE CALLING ON NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I WANTED TO GO TO THE, UH, GPFM ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED EARLIER ON NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW THE SLIDE NUMBER.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK THAT'S ON ITEM ON SLIDE 45.
DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THAT OR DID YOU WANNA GO BACK TO THE TOTALITY OF WHAT WAS SUBMITTED BY GPFM? NO, NO, NO.
SO IS THIS CLEAR ENOUGH GUIDANCE, CLIFFORD, ON BULLET NUMBER 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ON THE RIGHT FOR, UM, FOR YOUR TEAM TO SEEK, FOR US TO CHANGE OUR, UH, BASICALLY TO GIVE US FLEXIBILITY TO REMOVE, CHANGE OUR ELECTION DATE FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER OR, YEAH, SO, SO THE DIRECT ANSWER IS YES.
UM, I, 'CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED ON, UH, IN PREVIOUS YEARS, SO UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS, I TAKE IT THAT IT'S THE SAME THING THAT WE ATTEMPTED TO DO BACK IN 2017.
SO I, I HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT I NEED, WELL, TO BE VERY SPECIFIC, AS PART OF OUR CHARTER DISCUSSIONS, THE COUNCIL, UM, UH, IS MOVING FORWARD WITH ADDING A CHARTER AMENDMENT FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE REFERENCE TO A MAY ELECTION DATE FROM OUR CHARTER DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY.
THE NEXT STEP IN THAT PROCESS FOR US TO CHANGE OUR ELECTION DATE AS A CITY TO MOVE IT FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER WOULD BE FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO GRANT US THE ABILITY TO DO SO, WHICH THEY'VE DONE FOR MESQUITE, THEY'VE DONE FOR, UM, EL PASO AND I BELIEVE AUSTIN.
AND SO WE, WE WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC AND, AND I BELIEVE THERE'S ALREADY SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE CARRYING THAT BILL, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU, YOU'RE ON BOARD WITH THAT YOUR TEAM IS READY TO GO IF THE VOTER APPROVE IN NOVEMBER.
I MEAN, IF IT'S ON OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, THAT'S OUR JOB TO PUSH IT, SO.
AND THEN I HEARD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE RANK CHOICE VOTING, AND I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MISCHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT WAS NOT MY UNDERSTANDING AND FOLKS CAN DISAGREE.
I THINK WE SHOULD BRING THIS ONE TO THE FULL COUNCIL, BUT THE, UH, CHARTER DISCUSSION WAS THAT THERE WAS NOT SUPPORT FOR PUTTING, UH, RANK CHOICE VOTING ON THE CHARTER, BUT I PERSONALLY FELT LIKE THERE WAS A MAJORITY, UM, OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WOULD SUPPORT US ADVOCATING FOR RANK CHOICE VOTING AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY ON THE COMMITTEE, WE VOTED IT OUT OF COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS ITEM SHOULD GO TO FULL COUNSEL FOR A DISCUSSION.
ALL OF THE ITEMS WILL GO TO FULL COUNSEL FOR DISCUSSION.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEM, YES.
WANNA PUT THAT? THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL I GOT.
UM, SO IF I CAN JUST GO BACK TO THE, UM, TEXT DOT ITEM, IF WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT THE WORD TDOT IN THERE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR THAT FOR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION FOR THE SET AND ENFORCE STANDARDS FOR THE CONDITIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF STATE HIGHWAYS.
I I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY SPECIFIC ON THAT SO THAT IT DOESN'T BOUNCE BACK TO US IS SOMETHING NEGATIVE RECEIVED? UM, OKAY.
THOSE WERE ALL THE FINE ITEMS. AND SO AT THIS POINT, UM, THERE COULD BE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS WITH A LIST OF ANY CHANGES WE'D LIKE TO MAKE OR WE COULD HAVE NO RECOMMENDATION ON IT AND JUST LEAVE IT AS IS FOR THE WHOLE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER EXACTLY IN THIS MANNER.
IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU TO DECIDE, I GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE AT FAULT COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER.
THAT'S, YOU WANNA MOVE IT FORWARD AS PRESENTED.
I WAS GONNA ASK, UM, CHAIR, WOULD YOU LIKE US TO REVIEW WHAT WE THINK WE HEARD IN TERMS OF REVISIONS BEFORE WE BRING BACK A MODIFIED, UM, SLIGHTLY MODIFIED PROGRAM, UM, FOR FULL
[01:45:01]
CITY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 18TH? AND WE CAN BE QUICK ABOUT IT? YEAH, AND JUST ONE QUESTION I IS THE OBJECTIVE TO MOVE, MOVE ALL OF THESE FORWARD, BUT WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO SEVEN, IS THAT STILL ON THE, OR ARE YOU STILL PROPOSING HOW YOU HAVE IT ORGANIZED? IS THE PROPOSAL? SO AT THIS POINT, WHEN WE GO TO COUNCIL, WHAT'S THE, WE ARE, WE ARE, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SOME, SOME DIFFERENCES IN SOME OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE LIST, SO THAT'LL, THROUGH THAT DISCUSSION WILL ELIMINATE SOME OF THESE HOPEFULLY.BUT THEN AT THAT POINT, WHEN WE GET THROUGH THAT DISCUSSION, WE NOW HAVE 30 LEFT OR 20 LEFT.
IS IT STILL THE OBJECTIVE TO GET TO SEVEN OR EIGHT THAT CAN MOVE FORWARD? I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME CLARITY ON ALL OF THAT.
SO I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU, I WAS RAISED BY PEOPLE WHO ANSWERED QUESTIONS WITH MORE QUESTIONS, WHICH MIGHT EXPLAIN TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
UM, CLIFFORD, LET ME LET YOU ASK, ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
IN A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM LIKE WE'RE WALKING INTO FOR THIS, THIS SEASON, HOW MANY LEGISLATIVE ITEMS DO YOU BELIEVE WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GIVEN THE NATURE OF WHAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO WALK INTO? I STILL BELIEVE THAT SINGLE DIGIT IS OUR BEST SHOT.
AND LINLEY, WHEN YOU WERE AT THE TML UH, POLICY SUMMIT, WHAT KIND OF ADVICE WAS TML GIVING ABOUT HOW MANY COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED THIS SESSION? IT WOULD BE A SMALL, IT WOULD BE A SMALLER LIST THAN WHAT WE HAVE FROM THESE 97 ITEMS, THAT'S FOR SURE.
SO THEY WERE, UM, ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO BE VERY HAPPY IF THEY GET TWO OR THREE ITEMS THROUGH.
AND I THINK THAT WAS VERY DEPRESSING.
UM, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT WE'RE WALKING INTO A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT SESSION WHERE IT'S NOT JUST TWO PARTIES THAT ARE FIGHTING, BUT THERE'S INTRAPARTY FIGHTING AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ENERGY IS GONNA BE DIRECTED TOWARDS CITIES AND NOT IN A POSITIVE WAY.
IT, WE, WE WOULD NOT PERCEIVE IT IN A POSITIVE WAY.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SAW DEATH STAR, EVERYBODY, UM, REACTED VERY STRONGLY TO IT.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY STILL A LAWSUIT GOING.
I THINK DEATH STAR 2.0 IS GONNA BE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN DEATH STAR.
AND SO I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND OUR TIME ON IS TRYING TO PRESERVE OUR OWN LOCAL CONTROL.
AND IT'S GREAT FOR US TO HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER WEST POINT ABOUT DID WE UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF THE DATE BEING NOVEMBER? THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, WE DO ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE INTENT WAS, RIGHT? AND, AND WE WANT IT TO MATCH WHATEVER THE VOTERS DO IN NOVEMBER.
SO I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXERCISE FOR US TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH ALL THESE ITEMS VERY INTENSIVELY, UM, EVERY WEEK
UM, BUT I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO AGREE ON WHAT WE WANT OUR FOCUS TO BE.
AND SO PERHAPS, YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS.
SO JUST IN ORDER TO KIND OF ANTICIPATE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT THIS NEXT, DURING THIS NEXT CONVERSATION, UM, DURING THIS NEXT CONVERSATION, YOU WERE GETTING READY TO GIVE US THE BLUNT RUNDOWN OF WHAT YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO.
BUT IF ONE OF THOSE COULD BE TO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A OVER OR UNDER THE LIKELIHOOD OF IT PASSING LIKE, LIKE SPORTS OR SOMETHING, BUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS THING PASSING, SO THAT CAN SAVE ME SOME ENERGY PERSONALLY.
AND IF THIS IS ONE THAT'S NOT EVEN GOING TO GO ANYWHERE, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GO THROUGH AND LOOK IN THAT ONE AND EVEN TRY TO PREPARE A DEBATE BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA PUT ENERGY THERE.
I WANNA PUT ENERGY INTO THINGS THAT WE KNOW MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT CHANCE.
SO I GUESS AS YOU ALL GO BACK THROUGH TO HELP US OR HELP ME NARROW SOME OF THESE DOWN SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND ENERGY AND ARGUING OVER THINGS THAT WON'T EVEN PASS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
NUMBER ONE, I I, I GUESS IF YOU, MS. ROGER OR CLIFFORD, HOW MANY ITEMS DO WE HAVE NOW? 37.
HOW MANY IS DUPLICATED FROM LAST YEAR? MAYBE 15,
[01:50:02]
20 OR SO OF THOSE.OKAY, SO, SO IF YOU GOT 37 AND WE DOING DUPLICATION, SO THEREFORE HOW MANY DID WE TURN IN LAST YEAR? THE LAST LEGISLATORS, HOW MANY WE TURNED IN? HOW MANY DID YOU TURN IN LAST SESSION? YEAH, IT WAS, UM, AROUND 200, RIGHT? 200 IS WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY RECEIVED.
AND WE NARROWED DOWN TO HOW MANY? TO 35 TO 35, RIGHT? MM-HMM,
AND SO TODAY THOSE 35 IS OH, 35 DUPLICATE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE.
SO SOME, SO, SO THEREFORE WE, WE CAN NARROW IT DOWN TO ABOUT 15, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO, SO THEREFORE, WOULD IT BE FURTHER TO SAID THAT WHAT WE DID LAST LEGISLATOR, WE DIDN'T FINISH UP.
SO IT'S STILL ON SOME, SOME OF THE LEGISLATIVE MINE, YOU KNOW, WHICH WE DIDN'T FINISH.
MAYBE IT'S STILL OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO FINISH IT UP.
SO WHY, WHY WE SHOULD PUT NEW LEGISLATOR ON THERE, WHICH THEY PROBABLY NOT GONNA GET TO IT.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT, UM, A, A REASONABLE WAY HOW TO NARROW IT DOWN, UH, UH, WHICH WE SHOULD KNOW, UM, WHICH THE LEGISLATURE KNOW IS THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S WAY OFF.
YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST SIT NUMBER ONE, YOU NEED TO SCRATCH THESE OFF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TO 'EM.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET TO IT, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT.
SO, UM, I I I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT I, I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT THE, THE STAFF, UH, AND, AND THE, AND THE DIFFERENT, UM, UM, CONVERSATION WITH THE DIFFERENT LEGISLATURE AND THE DIFFERENT CITIES, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN IN A SINGLE DIGIT, WHICH THAT SHOULD BE NO EASY, THAT SHOULD BE AN EASY TASK BECAUSE WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS ON THE LEGISLATOR, WHAT IS THE PRIORITY IS, UH, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND UM, IF I MAY SAY WE BROUGHT FORWARD STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE BELIEVE REFLECTED WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTED, WE CAN CERTAINLY BRING FORWARD A PAIRED DOWN PROGRAM OF WHAT WE ACTUALLY THINK WILL PASS, RIGHT? IF THAT IS WHAT THE DIRECTION IS, THAT THAT'S WHAT, AND THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THESE ITEMS. BUT, BUT WE CAN DO THAT AT THE NEXT ROUND IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THE COMMITTEE AND JUST FINISH UP.
THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THAT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE WASTING OUR TIME ON DOING SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW FROM DAY ONE IS NOT GONNA PASS.
AND THEN, AND YOU DOWN THERE AT THE LEGISLATOR RUNNING HERE, RUNNING THERE, AND YOU SAID, WELL, I'M RUNNING HERE AND I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA PASS.
I AIN'T GOT NO LEGISLATOR BECAUSE YOU DOWN THERE EARLY, RIGHT NOW YOU ARE TALKING TO SOME OF THE STATE AND THE SENATE SAY, HEY, DON'T BRING THIS DOWN HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA PASS.
SO THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL, HEY, THIS IS NOT GONNA PASS YOU AND PUT ON THERE BECAUSE I ALREADY, I ALREADY WENT DOWN THERE.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU'RE GOING DOWN THERE EARLY TO SEE, TO TEST THEM WATER, TO SEE WHAT CAN PASS, WHAT CAN I PASS? SO WE GOTTA RELY ON THE CHAIR TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID LAST TIME.
I I, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD CHANGE WHAT WE DOING.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE THE, THE SAME WAY BECAUSE WE DID A GREAT DEAL LAST TIME, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD CHANGE IT.
WELL, I THINK CHAIR ATKINS, YOU MAKE A GREAT SUGGESTION OF LET'S KEEP THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION BASED ON WHAT YOU HEARD FROM COUNSEL AND THEN LET'S ADD ONE MORE.
AND THAT'S IF YOU'ALL WILL GET TOGETHER, CLIFFORD, CARRIE AND CREW, AND SAY, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE HEARD, HERE'S WHAT WE ACTUALLY THINK YOU OUGHT TO ADOPT.
INCLUDE THIS CONVERSATION WITH THAT, INCLUDING THE NON-MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE WHO I THINK GAVE REALLY GOOD INPUT.
UM, AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET DOWN TO SOMETHING REALLY TIGHT AND WORKABLE AND LET'S INCLUDE THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND IF YOU DO THAT, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE MAKE ANY CHANGES TO, UM, WHAT YOU PROPOSE BASED ON WHAT COUNSEL HEARD.
LET'S KEEP THAT DOCUMENT IF EVERYONE'S GOOD WITH THAT, OTHER THAN IF YOU COULD ADD THE WORD LIBRARY IN, BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS CLEAR.
AND IF YOU COULD ADD THE WORD TDOT IN, UM, AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, MY SUGGESTION ABOUT, UH, RANK CHOICE VOTING BECAUSE THE COUNCIL DIDN'T MOVE THAT FORWARD, JUST LEAVE EVERYTHING IN AND LET'S JUST DO IT AT FULL COUNSEL.
IT'S GONNA BE AN EXCITING DAY.
IT JUST, OH, PUT YOUR MICROPHONE.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLAN.
IT JUST GIVES US SOME, SOME, I GUESS IF WE'RE GONNA ARGUE AT LEAST GIMME THE RULES.
SO THE PARAMETERS FOR, FOR THE ARGUMENT THAT, THAT WAY, AND NOT ARGUMENT, BUT DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE MAY NOT HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF ENERGY ON THESE AND AGAIN, WE CAN FOCUS ON THE ONES THAT REALLY MATTER.
SO WHEN WE GET TO FULL COUNSEL BRIEFING, THE CRITICISM'S GONNA BE, IT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A MORE FOCUSED PLAN TO GIVE THEM, BUT WE'RE ERRING ON THE SIDE OF INCLUSIVITY
[01:55:02]
AND, UM, SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE BODY.SO THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING FROM Y'ALL.
LET 'EM KNOW WE STARTED AT 97 OR Y'ALL STARTED AT 97.
WELL I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE JUST ME SAYING THAT, THAT THIS IS THE, THE WHOLE BOT, THE WHOLE COMMITTEE.
WE, WE'VE NEVER BEEN HERE THREE TO 16.
WELL, I WILL SAY THAT MOST OF US STARTED OUR FIRST MEETING AT NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
WELL WITH THAT, I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAVE WRAPPED UP THIS BRIEFING.
UM, I THINK YOU HAVE DIRECTION ON THE NEXT ITERATION.
HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON, UH, REVIEWING THAT BEFORE IT GOES TO FULL COUNSEL, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE BASICALLY YOUR WHOLE PRESENTATION READY TO GO.
UM, WHICH I BELIEVE IT'S SEPTEMBER 18TH.
WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY GOOD WORK.
AND WITH THAT, AT THREE 17, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.