[Commission on Disabilities on March 26, 2024]
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CAL CONLEY SHARED THAT HE ATTENDED THE 15TH, UH, ANNUAL, UH, RE RESEARCH, ART ARTS AND WRITING GRADUATE CONFERENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS.
THOSE ARE THE EDITS I WOULD LIKE TO BE MADE ON THE MINUTES.
I AM NOW TURNING THE FLOOR OVER TO THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE EDITS THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
AGAIN, THIS IS COMMISSIONER CHRISTINA POE, DISTRICT EIGHT ON PAGE TWO.
UM, I FIRST WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE.
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT SPRING BREAK.
UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE MEETING SUMMARY IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH, UM, IT'S REVEREND DR.
FREDDIE HAYNES, AND HIS NAME SHOULD BE SPELLED F-R-E-D-D-I-E, NOT WITH A Y.
ALSO, UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER ERRORS IN THAT SAME PARAGRAPH BECAUSE THE DATES ARE INCORRECT.
SO THE INSTALLMENT OF REVEREND DR.
FREDDIE HAYNES, UM, BEING THE PRESIDENCY O OF THE RAINBOW PUSH COALITION WAS ON FEBRUARY THE FIRST, NOT THE 15TH.
ALSO, UM, FEBRUARY THE 15TH IS THE BLACK BEAUTY EFFECT DOCUMENTARY, RED CORPORATE PREMIER, AND IT INDICATES THAT I ATTENDED ANOTHER BLACK HISTORY EVENT IN MY DISTRICT.
I WAS VERY SPECIFIC WHEN WE, UM, INDICATED THOSE EVENTS THAT I ATTENDED.
I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR THAT, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST ADDING ANOTHER BLACK EVENT THAT IT IS LISTED WHAT THAT EVENT WAS.
UM, I HAD ACTUALLY BROUGHT THE PAMPHLET FOR THAT EVENT, SO THE CORRECT WORDING THAT SHOULD BE IN THAT PARAGRAPH, WHICH THE, UM, IT WAS HONORING BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO IT WAS A BLACK, UH, SERVANT AWARD EVENT, UM, ON FEBRUARY THE 17TH.
UM, THAT'S WHEN THAT EVENT WAS NOT THE 15TH.
WHAT'S, UM, OMITTED FROM THIS PARAGRAPH IS FEBRUARY THE 24TH.
THERE WAS THE ELITE NEWS 49TH ANNUAL AWARDS NIGHT THAT ALSO HONORED COMMUNITY LEADERS, CONSTABLES JUDGES, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR, UM, CONSTABLE OFFICES AND OUR DALLAS COUNTY JUDGES.
AND ALSO ON FEBRUARY THE 14TH, UM, STEVEN GAU NAME IS SPELLED G-O-U-D-E-A-U, UM, HAD A FASHION SHOW AT THE TOWER CLUB, UM, AND THE PRODUCER OF THAT SHOW WAS WILLIE JOHNSON III.
SO THOSE, UM, THAT INFORMATION WAS OMITTED IN THE FIFTH PARAGRAPH IT READS, COMMISSIONER POEY MENTIONED THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT SHOULD BE WORDED AND READ THAT I INQUIRED ABOUT THE END OF THE YEAR 2023, UH, FISCAL ANNUAL REPORT.
THAT NEXT SENTENCE READS, CHAIRMAN CAL CONNIE STATED THAT WE WERE INFORMED THE REPORT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TO BE TAKEN.
THE PROPER STATEMENT SHOULD BE THAT, UM, CHAIRMAN CAL CONNIE, UM, INDICATED THAT HE WAS INFORMED FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION BY THE DIRECTOR THAT THE REPORT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED AND THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO ADD ANY OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND THEN MY FOLLOW UP COMMENT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FROM FEBRUARY, 2023.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PIA FOR YOUR CORRECTIONS.
ANY OTHER ONES WHO WISH TO PROVIDE EDITS? YES, SIR.
UH, COMMISSIONER BALLOU, PLEASE MAKE SURE MY NAME WRIST IS CHRIS BALLOU.
UH, SIR, AND COMMISSIONER BALLOU, CAN YOU PLEASE ALSO STATE THE DISTRICT YOU'RE FROM AS MENTIONED BEFORE, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, WE WOULD KINDLY REQUEST YOU TO STATE YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT IN ORDER TO AVOID CONFUSION.
AS IT SAYS IN THE MINUTES, I'M DISTRICT 10.
COMMISSIONER BLU, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE EDITS AT THIS TIME? THIS IS COMMISSIONER REVY DISTRICT ONE UNDER ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE MINUTES, WHICH IS PAGE THREE, PARAGRAPH SEVEN, LINE ONE.
IT READS THAT COMMISSIONER REVY ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS A NEW SKATE PARK FOR CHILDREN.
THE CORRECT WORDING SHOULD BE, COMMISSIONER REVE ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS A NEW SKATE PARK
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BEING PLANNED FOR CHILDREN.THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER REVE FOR THIS CORRECTION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMERS THAT DO WISH TO MAKE EDITS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO APPROVING THEM? I DO HAVE ONE FINAL CORRECTION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
I DID NOTICE THAT IN SOME SPOTS OF THE MINUTES, IT'S, IT LISTS CHAIRWOMAN PIER.
UM, I THINK THE WORDING SHOULD BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
IT SHOULD SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF FORMER CHAIRWOMAN PYA OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
OR COMMISSIONER YES, IT SHOULD SAY COMMISSIONER PYA.
UM, ALONG THOSE LINES, ACTUALLY, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT.
I'M LOOKING AT PAGES AND I DON'T SEE THAT IT, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE READ DOES READ COMMISSIONER EY.
BUT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ASKED WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE CALLED.
UH, ALTHOUGH I AM THE FORMER AND THE FIRST IMMEDIATE CHAIRWOMAN, I'M, OR A CM, I'M ALSO THE FOUNDING CHAIRWOMAN.
BUT WHERE COULD YOU TELL US WHAT PAGE, WHERE YOU SEE THAT? BECAUSE EVERYTHING I'M READING DOES LIST COMMISSIONER POEY.
I CANNOT EXACTLY RECALL WHAT PAGE NUMBER I SAW THIS ON, BUT I DO REMEMBER VERY WELL READING THOSE.
UM, IT MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE ABOVE SECTIONS OF THE MINUTES, ALTHOUGH I CANNOT RECALL.
YOU MAY BE REFERRING TO THE PREVIOUS MINUTES THAT WE HAD TO VOTE ON FOR SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR THAT SHOULD HAVE READ CHAIRWOMAN 'CAUSE AT THE TIME I WAS PRESIDING.
BUT IN OUR NOTES FOR FEBRUARY THE 27TH OF 2024, IT DOES NOT INDICATE THAT I'M THE CURRENT CHAIRWOMAN.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
COMMISSIONER POYA, ARE THERE ANY OTHER EDITS OR CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE BEFORE WE MOVE ON? OKAY.
IF THERE IS NONE, THEN I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE MINUTES WITH THE EDITS BE ACCEPTED AS READ.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE.
SO THE MOTION PASSES AND THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AS READ WITH THE EDITS.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON THE AGENDA.
I WILL BEGIN BY PROVIDING THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.
ON MARCH THE 19TH, I ATTENDED THE DISABILITY LISTENING SESSION, WHICH WAS HOSTED BY WFAA NEWS STATION AND ORGANIZED BY THE NORTH TEXAS DISABILITY CHAMBER.
THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW.
IT WAS A DISTINCT HONOR TO BE THERE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES, AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY NICE TO SEE COMMISSIONER H****R PRESENT THERE AS WELL.
BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH WFAA NEW STAFF WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AS WE ENGAGED IN A LIVELY CONVERSATION ABOUT BEST PRACTICES FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION.
WE ALSO BRAINSTORMED ON STRATEGIES REGARDING ACCESSIBILITY.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE DISCUSSED ABOUT REFRAMING THE NARRATIVE AS IT RELATES TO THE CONCEPT OF DISABILITY AS A WHOLE.
THE STAFF SEEMED VERY RECEPTIVE TO OUR CONCERNS, AND THEY ARE TRULY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NARRATIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE TOLD AS WE WISH.
THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.
I WOULD NOW LIKE TO PASS IT OVER TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO WISH TO OFFER REPORTS.
COMMISSIONER REVY, DISTRICT ONE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE.
IN PAST MEETINGS, I HAVE INFORMED YOU OF OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO LEARN ABOUT HANDICAP PARKING ENFORCEMENT IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE HAVE COME UP WITH AN EXAMPLE THAT'S BEEN USED BY OTHER TECH CITIES AND HAS A PROGRAM THAT'S APPROVED BY THE STATE.
IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT VOLUNTEERS BE TRAINED, THEY PHOTOGRAPH VIOLATIONS OF HANDICAP PARKING, SUBMIT THE PHOTOGRAPH, AND THE PHOTOGRAPH ENTERS THE SYSTEM.
TODAY, I WANT TO TELL YOU THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW FOR SUBMITTING A COMPLAINT ABOUT A PARKING VIOLATION IN A HANDICAP SPACE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
IF YOU SEE A VIOLATION IN A PUBLIC AREA,
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FOR EXAMPLE, ON A STREET OR IN AN ALLEY, THERE'S A DIFFERENT PROCEDURE.IF YOU SEE THIS HAPPENING IN A PRIVATE AREA SUCH AS A PARKING LOT, THAT PROCEDURE IS EVEN LONGER AND MORE COMPLICATED.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THERE TODAY.
SO TODAY, HERE'S WHAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE TO DO, AND WHAT I DID YESTERDAY.
WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THROUGH THE YEARS THAT DALLAS POLICE ENFORCE HANDICAP PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND COMPLIANCE.
THE 9 1 1 OPERATOR TOLD ME THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HANDLE HANDICAP PARKING VIOLATIONS.
THEY'RE HANDLED BY TRANSPORTATION.
AND SHE OFFERED TO TRANSFER MY CALL TO TRANSPORTATION, AND I AGREED.
I, THE PHONE RANG AND I WAS TRANSFERRED TO 3 1 1, THE DALLAS CITY APP.
I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR ME TO GO TO THE 3 1 1 APP INSTEAD OF WAITING ONLINE.
SO I DID, I HUNG UP THE PHONE CALL AND OPENED THE THREE ONE ONE APP.
I SELECTED CREATE A NEW REQUEST.
THEN I TOUCHED ON REPORT, A PARKING VIOLATION QUESTION.
NEXT INSTRUCTION, UPLOAD PHOTO, AND THEN CLICK CONTINUE.
THEN CLICK AGAIN TO CONFIRM THE MAP THAT POPS UP, SHOWING THE LOCATION OF THE PHOTO THAT'S FOLLOWED BY A QUESTION SCREEN, WHICH SAYS, CLICK PUBLIC STREET, ALLEY, OR SIDEWALK.
NEXT CLICK QUESTION, WHAT TYPE OF VIOLATION? AND THEN YOU SCROLL FROM A POP DOWN MENU THAT HAS NINE OPTIONS IN INCLUDING EXPIRED METER, OBSTRUCTING BIKE LANE.
HANDICAP PARKING VIOLATION IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE LIST OF VIOLATIONS.
SO I TYPED IT IN UNDER OPTIONS.
ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? THIS IS STEP 15.
THEN IT'S, I GOT A SCREEN THAT SAYS, IF OTHER, PLEASE DESCRIBE HANDICAP PARKING VIOLATION, WHICH I ENTERED.
NEXT, ENTER THE MAKE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH I ENTERED.
NEXT, ENTER THE COLOR OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH I KEYED IN.
NEXT, ENTER THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER AND STATE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH I DID.
THEN CLICK YES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED IF THIS COMPLAINT IS ACTED UPON.
FILLED IN MY NAME, MY PHONE NUMBER, AND MY EMAIL.
NOW ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? STEP 27 I CLIP SUBMIT.
AND MY COMPLAINT, COMPLAINT WAS SUBMITTED TO TRANSPORTATION.
RESPONSE TIME IS TWO BUSINESS DAYS, TWO BUSINESS DAYS FOR A PARKING VIOLATION.
NOW, NOW, YESTERDAY, MONDAY, THE DAY AFTER I FILED THIS COMPLAINT ONLINE ON THE WEB WITH TRANSPORTATION, I CALLED TRANSPORTATION.
I ASKED THEM HOW THEY HANDLE HANDICAPPED PARKING VIOLATIONS.
CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THEY SAID? THEY DON'T HANDLE HANDICAPPED PARKING VIOLATIONS.
DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT HANDLES PARKING VIOLATIONS IN HANDICAP SPOTS.
THUS, END OF THE REPORT FOR THE DAY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PIA FOR THIS REPORT.
I STRONGLY COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP AT IT BECAUSE THIS HAS BECOME A SERIOUS ISSUE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN OUR CITY.
NOW, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO OFFER REPORTS? YES.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER BELU DISTRICT.
ONE REPORT THAT ON, UH, MARCH 21ST WAS WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY.
THIS IS A GLOBAL AWARENESS DAY, WHICH HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY OBSERVED BY THE UNITED NATIONS SINCE 2002.
THE DATE FOR WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY BEING THE 21ST DAY OF THE THIRD MONTH WAS SELECTED TO SIGNIFY THE UNIQUENESS OF THE TRISOMY OF THE 21ST CHROMOSOME, WHICH CAUSES D DOWN SYNDROME.
THIS DAY IS CELEBRATED AROUND THE WORLD WITH DIFFERENT EVENTS AND THE LIGHTING UP OF BUS BUSINESSES EVERYWHERE IN ORDER TO WA RAISE AWARENESS OF THE VALUE THAT PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES BRING TO THEIR COMMUNITIES ONCE YOU GET PAST THE STIGMA AND THE, THE, UM, THE PREJUDICE THAT COMES WITH THAT.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING.
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OR BALLOU, EXCUSE ME.I THINK COMMISSIONER PYA HAD A REPORT SHE WANTED TO MAKE.
FIRST, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COMMISSIONER REVY.
I WAS EXHAUSTED HEARING ALL THOSE STEPS.
SO WHEN WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR COMMUNITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, WHETHER IT IS COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL, PHYSICAL, AND THE LIST GOES ON, THAT'S OVERWHELMING.
AND WHEN WE KNOW HERE IN FULL TRANSPARENCY IN OUR CITY, WE'RE SLOW TO PROGRESS.
WE'RE SLOW TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY, WE'RE SLOW TO SUPPORT, AND WE NEED A DIFFERENT SYSTEM THAN THIS BECAUSE IT, WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE PROGRESSION IF WE KEEP GETTING KNOCKED BACK.
AND, AND I, I, I AM, I DO BACK THE BLUE, BUT THIS IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS.
SHE'S HEARING THAT THEY DON'T DO IT.
MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW WHO DOES IT.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE SHOULD BE A COLLABORATION OF THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THESE DEPARTMENTS.
TRANSPORTATION, IE UH, COMMISSIONER OF DISABILITIES, IE AND THEN, UH, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE CHAIR.
WE DON'T HAVE A VICE-CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER REVY WHO, UH, SIGNED UP TO BE ON THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WHEN WE HAD OUR RETREAT LAST YEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS, THEN WE CAN'T HAVE SOLUTIONS.
AND WE NEED A SOLUTION BECAUSE IN ONE POINT, WAY OR FASHION, ONE OF US, IF NOT A FAMILY MEMBER OR A CHILD OR A SPOUSE, HAS A DISABILITY, AND WE HAVE THIS RIGHT AND PRIVILEGE TO PARK IN THOSE SPACES.
UM, ALSO, COMMISSIONER, UH, OU, AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? AM THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING YES.
THE JONES SYNDROME OF THE DAY.
I WANT TO, UM, INDICATE I ATTENDED ON MARCH THE 23RD, UM, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY JOHNSON LIBRARY HAD AN EVENT.
IT IS WOMEN'S, I WANNA SAY HERSTORY.
WE SAY HISTORY, BUT WE'RE WOMEN, RIGHT? UM, WOMEN BREAK IN BARRIERS.
AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO MEET DR. RUTH SIMMONS, WHO IS THE EIGHTH, WAS THE EIGHTH PRESIDENT AT PRAIRIE VIEW, A AND M UNIVERSITY, AND ALSO BROWN UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS THE HBCU.
AND SHE NOW CURRENTLY WORKS WITH HARVARD UNIVERSITY, UM, IN CREATING, UM, PROGRAMS FOR THERE TO BE DIVERSITY AND SELECTING STUDENTS TO ATTEND HARVARD.
UM, REALLY QUICKLY, I'M NOT SURE, UM, IF YOU WERE INFORMED, BECAUSE SOME OF US READ OUR EMAILS, SOME OF US DO NOT.
MY SON IS A GOLF FRIEND, HAS A DISABILITY, THERE IS A DISABILITY GOLF CLINIC THIS EVENING.
BUT I HAD A, A FEW QUESTIONS AND A FEW CONCERNS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR LIVES ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A DISABILITY.
AND USUALLY GOLF CLINICS ARE DURING THE DAY.
UM, IT, THIS CLINIC IS AT FIVE O'CLOCK THIS EVENING.
THAT'S A DISSERVICE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED.
AND IT'S LOCATED AT THE KEATON GOLF COURSE, WHICH IS OFF OF JIM MILLER, MYSELF.
AND MANY OF YOU CAN PROBABLY, UM, DRIVE OVER THERE WITH EASE.
BUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES HAVE TO DEPEND ON PARATRANSIT AND DART.
AND WE'VE HAD DART COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE PICKUP TIME AND THE DROP OFF TIME THAT MOSTLY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEY RESERVE THAT SERVICE FOR THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS.
AND THEN IN RECEIVING THE EMAIL, AND I LOOKED AT THE IMAGES, AND LET'S BE, AGAIN, IN ORDER FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CONSTITUENTS TO TRUST US, WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH OUR INTERNAL AND OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS.
AND THE IMAGES DID NOT REFLECT BEING INCLUSIVE.
THERE WERE NO AFRICAN AMERICAN, NO HISPANICS, NO ASIAN, NO ANY OTHER MULTICULTURAL, DIVERSE GROUPS.
UM, THAT WAS THE QUESTION OF MINE.
SO I DID SPEAK WITH TEXAS GOLF ASSOCIATION.
I DO HOPE TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA WORK OUT THE QUIRKS.
AND WHILE WE'RE THEY HAVE INITIATED THIS PROCESS IN THIS PROGRAM, IT IS A START.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT IF WE'RE, WHEN WE, NOT IF, BUT WHEN WE DO INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, LET'S MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT NEED IS AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUSIVE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED AND ALLOW THEM TO COME TO CLINICS DURING THE DAYTIME LIKE WE DO WITH OUR JORDAN SPS AND OUR PGA AND OUR FIRST HE OF GREATER DALLAS.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PYA FOR MENTIONING THIS AS WELL AS FOR VOICING YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING THE ISSUE WITH TGA.
BE MINDFUL THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS GOING TO ANNOUNCE ANYWAYS.
SO YOU HAD SPOKEN BEFORE ME ABOUT THAT THIS IS A START.
SO I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING INCLUDING PEOPLE OF COLOR AS WELL AS THOSE OF MULTICULTURAL, UM, STATUSES.
HOWEVER, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE DOING IT.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS JUST A TEST TO SEE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO HANDLE IT.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY RECEIVE FROM THE
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GOERS, THEN THEY CAN TAKE NECESSARY ACTION TO VOICE THOSE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAD JUST MENTIONED.ACTUALLY ABOUT COUNTER STATEMENT.
UH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, CHAIR, I DID NOT SPEAK FOR YOU.
I SPOKE IN REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT I HAVE A GOLF FAMILY AND MY SON HAS BEEN PLAYING SINCE HE WAS SEVEN.
AND GOLF, UM, AS WE KNOW, HAS NOT BEEN AN INCLUSIVE SPORT.
THAT BEING SAID, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THEIR FIRST CLINIC FOR DISABILITIES IS NOT THEIR FIRST CLINIC, CLINICS ARE NOT AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING.
UM, AND I'M ADDRESSING, UM, BEING A COMMISSIONER FOR DISABILITIES, HAVING A ONE HOUR CLINIC FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE DISABLED AT 5:00 PM IS NOT BEING INCLUSIVE.
UM, AGAIN, AS I STATED, I SPOKE WITH TGA, WHICH IN THAT ACRONYM IS FOR TEXAS GOLF ASSOCIATION, AND THEY ACTUALLY AGREED WITH ME THAT THE IMAGES DO NOT REFLECT BEING INCLUSIVE.
THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THEIR FIRST DISABILITY GOLF CLINIC, THAT MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL OF THEIR CLINICS ARE NOT AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING.
I HAD A A VERY THOROUGH CONVERSATION.
AND IT WASN'T TO ANTAGONIZE OR ATTACK THEM, IT WAS TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN WHEN WE ARE BEING INCLUSIVE, WHETHER YOU'RE A GOLFER OR NOT, OR A SPECTATOR, LET'S BE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD.
OKAY, COMMISSIONER ETTE, ONCE AGAIN, WE DO APPRECIATE YOU VOICING YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT WE DO HAVE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO REPORT, WE ARE MOVING TO THE BRIEFINGS SECTION.
WE ARE DEEPLY HONORED TO HAVE TWO GUESTS PRESENT TO US TODAY.
WELL, ACTUALLY WE HAVE A FEW, BUT WE FIRST WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, OFFICE OF WELCOMING COMMUNITIES AND IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS, CHRISTINA DESILVA AND HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, MR. CHRISTOPHER GRAVES.
THEY WILL BE PRESENTING TO US ABOUT A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, WHICH I STRONGLY SUPPORT AND WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THEM TO GIVE THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
HELLO? CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTRODUCTION CHAIR.
MY, AGAIN, MY NAME IS CHRISTINA DE SILVA AND I AM THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SLASH WELCOMING COMMUNITIES AND IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS DIVISION OFFICER.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED HERE TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH MY COLLEAGUE.
SO, UH, MY NAME IS CHRIS GRAYS AND I'M THE NEW HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER.
SO ON THIS SLIDE YOU CAN SEE, UM, A TARGET WITH AN ARROW GOING THROUGH IT, AND IT'S THE COLOR BLUE.
AND ON THIS SLIDE, WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE RECEIVED A DIRECTIVE FROM CITY COUNCIL TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
SO AS PART OF THIS PROCESS TO, UH, POTENTIALLY DEVELOP THE, UH, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, COLLECT FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL AS COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UM, WE HOPE TO, UH, SHARE SOME, SOME IN SOME QUESTIONS WE HAVE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AT THE END.
SO, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BROADER HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION.
SO AS A WHOLE, WE REALLY FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, WHETHER THEY'RE SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.
AND THAT INCLUDES ALSO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
OF COURSE, WE WANNA WORK AT THE SYSTEM LEVEL SO THAT WE, WE CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THOSE SURVIVORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES ARE INTERSECTIONAL.
AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THAT ALSO INTERSECTS WITH HOUSING RIGHTS AND ALSO WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WE ALSO WORK WITH A WIDE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS ON ADVANCING HUMAN RIGHTS.
SOMETHING BIG THAT'S GONNA COME UP TO DALLAS AT THIS 2026 FIFTH AND MEN'S WORLD CUP.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE AN ACTION PLAN THAT'S DUE AT THE END OF THE YEAR ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA OPERATIONALIZE OUR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITMENTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT WAY WE LEAVE A POSITIVE LEGACY LONG AFTER THE GAMES ARE HERE.
AND THEN ON THIS SLIDE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE A PICTURE OF THE DALLAS HUMAN RIGHTS PLAN.
IT FEATURES AN ARRAY OF IMAGES FROM STAKEHOLDERS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS PLAYING SOCCER.
SO WITH THE FIFA WORLD CUP, IT WAS PART OF THE ACTUAL BID.
THE DALLAS SUBMITTED, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES TO WORK ON A HUMAN RIGHTS PLAN.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF HUMAN RIGHTS AREAS THAT CITIES WERE TASKED TO ADDRESS, AND THAT INCLUDED NOT ONLY ADDRESSING RISKS TO HOSTING, BUT ALSO HOW YOU'RE REALLY GONNA ESTABLISH THOSE LEGACY OPPORTUNITIES.
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IN PARTICULAR, THERE WERE A RANGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES THAT STAKEHOLDERS FOCUSED ON AND THAT CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONALS WORKED WITH TO DEVELOP A PLAN.THE AREAS WERE VERY DIVERSE, THAT INCLUDED FAIR HOUSING WORKERS' RIGHTS.
THOSE WHO IDENTIFIED AS L-G-B-T-Q-I-A, THE ISSUE WAS ALSO WITH IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM.
OF COURSE, WE ALSO WANNA ENSURE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FAN FEST OR ANY OF THE VENUES THAT ARE GONNA BE USED FOR THE 2026 GAMES.
OF COURSE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING WAS A BIG ISSUE AS WELL, BUT ALSO COUNTERING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.
THERE WAS ALSO A BIG FOCUS ON GENOCIDE AWARENESS, AND PARTICULARLY IN EFFORTS TO PREVENT HATE CRIMES.
OF COURSE, GENDER EQUITY WAS ALSO AN ISSUE.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S A ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TO HOSTING.
SO DALLAS WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MITIGATE THAT AND THAT WE PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
AND THEN ON THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE A GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THAT SHOWS DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED IN A NETWORK THAT DEPICTS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
NOW, FIFA HAS RELEASED, OR IS ABOUT TO RELEASE A HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK.
WHAT'S VERY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS FRAMEWORK IS THAT IT ADVANCES INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE CENTRAL PILLARS IS INCLUSION AND SAFEGUARDING.
AND THEN WITHIN INCLUSION AND SAFEGUARDING, IT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT HUMAN RIGHTS AREAS ALL THROUGH AN INTERSECTIONAL LENS.
AND THAT INCLUDES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO ON THIS SLIDE WE'RE ON SLIDE SEVEN, UM, YOU CAN SEE A BLUE SOCCER BALL, AND THEN ALSO ON THE RIGHT, A BLUE FIGURE REPRESENTING THREE PEOPLE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE POSTING OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP IS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, UH, WITH AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE SOCCER FANS, UM, BUT THERE IS A PHRASE THAT WE CALL SOCCER THE BEAUTIFUL GAME, BECAUSE IT DOES JUST THAT UNITE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
AND COLLECTIVELY, WE HOPE THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT FORTH TO THIS BODY, UM, AND OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT ARE, UH, UH, INTERSECTING WITH, UH, HUMAN RIGHTS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF HOSTING THE FIFA WORLD CUP TO ADVANCE THOSE ISSUES.
ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THREE SPEECH BUBBLES.
SO AS A, AN ADVISORY COMMISSION, WE REALLY VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK AND WE HAVE, UH, SOME PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO BRING FORTH TO YOU ALL TO CONSIDER.
BUT, UH, FIRST, CURIOUS TO HEAR, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION? UM, YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW IT WOULD BE STRUCTURED, THE INTERSECTIONAL, UH, OP, THE INTERSECTIONS WITH DISABILITY ISSUES, AND ALSO WHAT RESOURCES THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WOULD NEED? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND, AND THERE ARE A RANGE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
SO FROM LEADERSHIP, ONE PROPOSAL WAS TO POTENTIALLY WORK TO COMBINE THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES WITH A BROADER HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BEING EXPLORED, AND WE'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
IN PARTICULAR, IF COMBINED, WHAT WOULD YOU SEE AS A POTENTIAL IMPACT ON REPRESENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS? AND REALLY WHAT ARE YOUR OVERALL CONCERNS? FROM OUR, OUR PERSPECTIVE? WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GATHERING INFORMATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
MM-HMM,
THIS WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
AS I HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, DISABILITY RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISABILITIES, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I AM SEEING ON A REGULAR BASIS IS WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME DISCUSSING ACCESSIBILITY AND TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIES.
BUT IN ALL, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, ACCESSIBILITY IS A HUMAN RIGHT.
BEING ABLE TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IS ALSO A HUMAN RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT'S BEING LEFT OUT OF THE EQUATION.
SO, BY THE CREATION OF THIS COMMISSION, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, ADD A HUMAN RIGHTS ELEMENT TO CHANGE PERSPECTIVES.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE TAKING THE INTERSECTIONALITY APPROACH WHEN CREATING THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE, UM, DISABILITY IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE HUMAN CONDITION.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS.
YOU MAY HAVE A DISABILITY, BUT YOU MAY BE A PERSON OF COLOR,
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YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION.YOUR IMMIGRANT STATUS MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE AROUND YOU.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING TO TACKLE GENOCIDE AWARENESS.
THIS IS ESSENTIAL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE ARE SEEING AN ALARMING RISE IN ANTISEMITISM AND HATE CRIMES HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING IN THE UNITED STATES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST YOU CONSIDER IS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE DALLAS HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN RIGHTS MUSEUM, BECAUSE THIS INSTITUTION CHANGES ATTITUDES THROUGH EDUCATION.
SO I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO BRING TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, A COLLABORATION EFFORT, POSSIBLY, AND TRY TO INCLUDE AN EDUCATIONAL ELEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO GENOCIDE AWARENESS OR DISABILITY RIGHTS, SO THAT MORE INDIVIDUALS ARE AWARE OF WHAT JUSTICE IS ALL ABOUT.
OH, CHAIR, WILL YOU FINISH WRAPPING UP? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER CHRISTINA POWAY HERE, DISTRICT EIGHT.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME?
UM, I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON CHAIRS, UH, COMMENTS AND REFERENCE TO HUMAN RIGHTS PRIVILEGES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, I DO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, BUT THE CONCERN IS, AND, AND, AND, AND HAVING THINGS, UM, BEING COMBINED AND COLLABORATE IS A GOOD POINT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT FORGETTING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING AND PROMOTING AND ENSURING, UM, EQUAL FUNDAMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION, IF WE ONLY JUST TALK ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION, AGAIN, TO CHAIR'S POINT, YOU COULD BE BLACK, YOU COULD BE HISPANIC, YOU CAN BE AN IMMIGRANT, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE, AND NOT BECAUSE OF SEPARATISM, BUT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAS A DISABILITY.
UM, OR IT'S LISTED ABOUT IN NUMBER EIGHT ON PAGE FIVE, GENDER EQUALITY.
BUT WE NEED GENDER DISABILITY EQUALITY AS WELL.
UM, NUMBER FOUR, MENTIONS ACCESS AND AWARENESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
BUT AGAIN, ACCESS TO WHAT? TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU KNOW, OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
WE HAVE, I BELIEVE EIGHT OF THEM.
BUT IN THE LAST YEAR, WE WERE FOCUSED ON THREE OF THEM BECAUSE, UM, WE WERE STILL DEVELOPING OUR COMMISSION.
UM, IN CONSIDERATION OF THAT, UM, THOSE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, RIGHT? ARE THEY DISPLACED? ARE THEY HOMELESS? IS THERE A DRUG ADDICTION? BECAUSE ONE OF OUR, EXCUSE ME, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IS ALSO DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AS WELL, THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AS WELL, AND CONSIDER THOSE VERY SPECIFIC NEEDS TO THOSE VERY SPECIFIC STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
AND THEN ON PAGE, UM, NINE TO YOUR QUESTIONS, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION? BECAUSE EVERYONE POSSIBLY WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OR OPINION, OR THEY COULD GOOGLE, YOU KNOW, THE DEFINITION.
UM, I, I WROTE HERE PROHIBIT IT, IT, IT TO PROHIBIT EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING DISCRIMINATION.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE MISSING THE PIECE OF DISABILITY BECAUSE WE ARE THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES.
UM, AND HERE, 'CAUSE WE, WE ADDRESS THAT.
WE ADDRESS EMPLOYMENT, WE ADDRESS ACCESSIBILITY, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, THAT WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE DISABILITY COMPONENT.
UM, COMMISSIONER PYA, WE DO APPRECIATE YOU EXPRESSING YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS.
FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, ACTUALLY COMBINING THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES WITH A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BETTER.
I THINK IT'LL BENEFIT EVERYONE AS A WHOLE, INCLUDING RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
AND REST ASSURED THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
BECAUSE IF THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES REMAIN SEPARATE, IT'S JUST ONLY US WHO KNOWS ABOUT IT.
YOU HAVE TO ALSO REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE NOT ALWAYS VISIBLE BECAUSE OF THE BARRIERS THAT ARE PLACED IN THEM.
BUT IF WE COMBINE IT TOGETHER WITH A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, IT'S REALLY GOING TO SERVE AS
[00:35:01]
A TOOL TO BRING AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES YOU MENTIONED, INCLUDING HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION AMONG MANY OTHERS.WELL, TO COMMENT ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, IT'S ONLY US IN THIS HORSESHOE BEING AWARE OF IT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AS COMMISSIONERS IN OUR PROSPECTIVE DISTRICTS, AND NOT JUST IN OUR DISTRICTS.
YOU COULD BE IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT AND ATTEND A TOWN HALL OR A RESOURCE FAIR.
UM, WE'RE NEW, RIGHT? SO THE MAYOR JUST APPROVED THIS 2019.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD A FULL OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE WHO WE ARE TO THE CITY, UH, PROMOTE AWARENESS, INFORMATION, AND EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT WE DO, BECAUSE SOME OF US DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING BECAUSE WE HAVE A, A, A SHIFT.
UM, AND NOT JUST ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT TRANSPARENCY.
AND AGAIN, ARE WE SAYING THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HAS MORE ACCESSIBILITY FUNDING? UM, WE NEED TO HAVE INFORMATION IN TERMS OF THEIR COMMISSION AS WELL.
SO ARE WE COMBINING BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE, UM, AVAILABILITY, MORE ACCESSIBILITY, MORE AFFORDABILITY, AND WHY DO WE NOT HAVE THE SAME? SO WE HAVE PARK BOARD, WE HAVE ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, SO THAT IS STILL SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO SHRINK OURSELVES? WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW.
THANK YOU AGAIN, COMMISSIONER PYA.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS.
I DO HAVE ONE FINAL QUICK NOTE TO MAKE BEFORE WE MOVE TO OUR NEXT PRESENTER.
AND IT IS THAT COLLABORATION CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AS I ALWAYS SAY, ONE CANNOT DO SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK ALONE.
WE CAN COMBINE AND JUST DON'T WANT US TO BE FORGOTTEN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THEY WISH TO MAKE? I AGREE WITH THE, UH, THIS IS BISHOP BALLOU, DISTRICT 10.
I AGREE WITH YOU CHAIR, AND THAT THERE IS LOTS OF SYNERGY THAT CAN HAPPEN THROUGH COMBINING, UM, DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS.
AND, UH, ASSUMING TO, UH, COMMISSIONER PIER'S RESPONSE, WE DON'T LOSE FOCUS ON OUR CHARTER AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, THAT IT'S NOT JUST A FOLD IN, BUT THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO HOW THAT COMMISSION'S CHARTER READS.
AND WHAT I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE SOMEONE CAN ANSWER IS HOW OLD IS THIS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS? THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO IT, IT'S A PROPOSAL CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED, RIGHT? IT WAS BY COMMISSION THEN.
WE, WE HAD DRAFTED A FRAMEWORK FOR HOW IT COULD WORK, BUT WE'VE SPENT THE LAST, ESSENTIALLY TWO MONTHS, UH, TALKING TO OTHER US CITIES ON THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, RIGHT? REALLY TO UNDERSTAND BEST PRACTICES, HOW THEY HAVE THEIR STRUCTURED AND WHETHER THEY'VE ENCOUNTERED ANY CHALLENGES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE WANTED TO ENGAGE YOU AS WELL AS VETERAN AFFAIRS.
SO WE'RE STILL IN THE INFORMATION COLLECTING PHASE, BUT WE'RE SCHEDULED TO GO TO WE COMMITTEE IN APRIL TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO WE COMMITTEE ON WHAT WE FOUND OUT DURING THIS RESEARCH PROCESS AND ALL THE CONCERNS AND ALL THE ITEMS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, WE'LL BE SURE TO INCLUDE IN OUR PRESENTATION.
DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR THESE PRESENTERS? OH, IN THAT CASE THEN WE ARE MOVING TO OUR NEXT PRESENTER.
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME MR. TRAVIS HOUSTON.
HE IS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
MR. HOUSTON WILL BE PROVIDING US A DETAILED PRESENTATION ABOUT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AS WELL AS RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WELCOME MR. HOUSTON TO GIVE HIS PRESENTATION.
THANK GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU.
UH, AGAIN, MY NAME IS TRAVIS HOUSTON, AND ACTUALLY ON YOUR PRESENTATION IT SAYS, INTERIM DIRECTOR A ACTUALLY, SINCE THAT PRESENTATION WAS SUBMITTED, I, I, UH, WAS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
SO I WAS A VERY RECENT CHANGE THERE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M VERY THANKFUL TO BE HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, OUR OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN GENERAL, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
[00:40:01]
OVERVIEW.AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR OFFICE AND WHAT WE DO, SOME OF THE HAZARDS THAT WE FACE IN DALLAS, THE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS WORK THAT WE DO.
AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES, UH, TO GET READY AS, AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
UH, WE WILL DISCUSS SOME, SOME KEY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE DISABILITY ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP BY DISCUSSING HOW WE MIGHT WORK TOGETHER.
SO, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
UH, IF, IF YOU BOILED IT DOWN, WE, WE REALLY HAVE TWO KEY FUNCTIONS ON BLUE SKY DAYS.
WE'RE PREPARING IN COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITY OF THE CITY RESIDENTS AND GUESTS RESPOND AND RECOVER FROM DISASTERS.
AND THEN ON BLACK SKY DAYS, OR WHEN A DISASTER IS OCCURRING OR HAS OCCURRED, WE ARE SUPPORTING THE ON SCENE RESPONSE BY COORDINATING RESOURCES AND CONNECTING PARTNERS SO THAT RESPONSE OBJECTIVES ARE MET AND WE CAN BEGIN RECOVERY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, TO THAT END, WE MANAGE SEVERAL FUNCTIONAL AREAS.
OF COURSE, HERE IN CITY HALL IS THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, AND THAT'S WHERE WE BRING ALL OF THE PARTNERS INTO THE ROOM AFTER A DISASTER TO COORDINATE THE RESPONSE.
UH, AND THEN EMERGENCY PLANNING IS ANOTHER VERY KEY THING THAT WE DO IN OUR OFFICE.
I WON'T GO THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST HERE, BUT TRAINING AND EXERCISE, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND WARNING, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, MANAGES.
SO, UH, THERE ARE NO NATURAL DISASTERS.
UH, A A DISASTER DOESN'T OCCUR THERE.
THERE ARE NATURAL HAZARDS AND A DISASTER OCCURS WHEN THOSE HAZARDS INTERSECT WITH PEOPLE AND PROPERTY.
AND SO, REALLY, IT'S, IT'S, UH, UP TO US TO DEFINE AT WHICH POINT THAT INTERSECTION OCCURS AND THE WAY THAT WE PLAN AND PREPARE CAN CHANGE WHEN A NATURAL HAZARD BECOMES A DISASTER.
SO, AT THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING WE DO IN OEM, UH, IS THE THREAT AND HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT THAT OUTLINES ALL OF THE THREATS AND HAZARDS THAT, THAT WE FEEL.
THE CITY OF DALLAS MAY, MAY OR NOT FEEL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE QUANTITATIVE WAYS TO MEASURE, UH, THE, THE HAZARDS THAT WE MAY FACE.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT WHAT IS OUR RISK FOR EACH OF THOSE.
SO SEVERAL ARE LISTED ON THE SLIDE HERE, OF COURSE, FLOODING, TORNADOES, WINTER STORMS. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS PREPARING FOR.
AND THAT DOCUMENT, AS I MENTIONED, IS A FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT THAT REALLY DRIVES ALL OF OUR PLANNING, TRAINING, AND EXERCISE, UM, EFFORTS.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE KNOW THAT DISASTERS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT AND MORE SEVERE.
UH, THEY ARE MORE FREQUENTLY INTERSECTING WITH PEOPLE IN PROPERTY.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
AND SO REALLY, WHAT, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO IN THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS BUILD A CULTURE OF PREPAREDNESS WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS, BOTH AS AN ORGANIZATION AND WITHIN THE, THE WAY THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE, ARE, ARE PREPARING THEMSELVES ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT DISASTERS ARE NOT EQUITABLE.
THEY DO NOT AFFECT EVERYONE THE SAME WAY.
AND SO WHAT WE, UH, STRIVE TO DO IS ALWAYS TAKE AN EQUITABLE APPROACH IN HOW WE'RE PLANNING FOR A DISASTER.
SO, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS AN OFFICE ON THE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS SIDE OF THINGS, UH, A, A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IS THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM.
THAT'S A 20 HOUR PROGRAM THAT TRAINS RESIDENTS IN BASIC DISASTER PREPAREDNESS.
AND THOSE TEAMS ARE MAINTAINED AS A PART OF THE CITY'S, UH, EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITY.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE TOTAL PURPOSE IS TO HAVE THESE FOLKS MAINTAINED AS A PART OF OUR RESPONSE CAPABILITY.
UH, REALLY I SEE THE VALUE IN CER IS THAT IT TEACHES FOLKS TO, TO SOME OF THE SKILLS THAT IT TAKES TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE DISASTER.
UH, THEY'RE THE IMMEDIATE RESPONDERS BECAUSE THEY, UH, KNOW HOW TO DO BASIC THINGS LIKE HOW DO YOU SHUT OFF UTILITIES? HOW DO YOU DO, YOU KNOW, SOME BASIC FIRST AID.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WE TEACH IN THAT CLASS, AND WE, WE FIND THAT IT'S VERY VALUABLE.
UM, WE ALSO DO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PRESENTATIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, OUR AIM THERE IS TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF NATURAL AND MANMADE HAZARDS AND TEACH DISASTER SAFETY AND RESILIENCE SKILLS, AND REALLY TRY AND DRIVE HOME THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE DO.
WE CAN'T DO WHAT WE NEED TO REALLY IN A RESPONSE AND RECOVERY SITUATION UNLESS WE'RE LEVERAGING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
THOSE COME UP IN EVERY SINGLE DISASTER.
AND SO OUR PHILOSOPHY IS TO MAKE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ON THE FRONT END SO WE'RE NOT SHAKING HANDS FOR THE FIRST
[00:45:01]
TIME AT, AT THE DISASTER SITE.AND THEN ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT'S A LITTLE NEWER FOR US, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE OEM COMMUNITY PARTNERS PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE REALIZED THAT IN ADDITION TO THE TRADITIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK IN THE DISASTER, THE DISASTER SPACE, THERE ARE MANY, MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A STAKE IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO HELP.
AND PERHAPS DISASTER RESPONSE IS NOT A PART OF THEIR DAY-TO-DAY MISSION.
BUT WHEN SOMETHING OCCURS, THEY KNOW THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY WANT TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE, WE REALLY JUST SORT OF OPENED IT UP TO SAY, IF, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH US IN A DISASTER, LET'S GET TOGETHER AND PLAN TOGETHER.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH HOW THAT GROUP HAS TURNED OUT, AND WE, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS OVER THE LAST YEAR WITH THOSE GROUPS.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO, UH, GROW THIS GROUP.
SO, NEXT, I'M JUST GONNA COVER THE, THE THREE KIND OF TENETS OF PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS AND, AND ONE OF THE, WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
AND THE FIRST THING IS GETTING INFORMED.
UH, IT'S, IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE HAZARDS THAT YOU MAY FACE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE EDUCATION ABOUT THOSE.
WE HAVE LOTS OF INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, BUT IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT COULD HAPPEN, IT, IT MAKES IT VERY HARD TO PREPARE FOR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IN ADDITION TO CITY DISASTER PLANS AND EVACUATION PLANS, AND WHERE LOCAL SHELTERS MIGHT BE.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO TAKE INVENTORY OF WHERE ARE THE PLACES THAT YOU'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT PLANS MIGHT BE IN PLACE THERE.
SUCH SCHOOL, CHURCH, WORK THOSE PLACES.
KNOWING WHAT THEIR PLAN IS DURING A DISASTER IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WARNING SYSTEMS, VERY CRITICAL PIECE OF THIS.
SO I, I, I PUT A COUPLE OF, UM, WARNING SYSTEMS ON THE SCREEN HERE THAT I THINK MIGHT BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
ONE BEING THE KNOW A WEATHER RADIO.
THAT'S A, THAT'S KIND OF OUR, OUR GO-TO RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY SOLID.
UH, THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO GET BOTH WEATHER RELATED EMERGENCY ALERTS, BUT ALSO, UH, MUNICIPALITIES LIKE THE CITY OF DALLAS, IF IF NEEDED.
WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO SEND EMERGENCY MESSAGES FOR THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE WEATHER, STRICTLY WEATHER RELATED.
SO IN, IN DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH HERE, I I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, THAT THE FEMA APP, UH, IS GREAT BECAUSE IT ALSO TAKES IN, UM, ALL OF THE EMERGENCY ALERTS THAT MIGHT COME THROUGH THE WEATHER SERVICE AND THEN ADDS, UH, IT, IT'S A, IT'S COMPATIBLE WITH THINGS LIKE SCREEN READERS AND OTHER ACCESSIBILITY DEVICES.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE OUTDOOR WARNING SYSTEM.
THAT'S A, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, OVERSEES.
THOSE ARE, UH, 179 OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS STRATEGICALLY PLACED THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT WE USE, UH, UNDER CERTAIN CRITERIA, PRIMARILY WEATHER RELATED.
UH, AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ARE THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND WE'LL DISCUSS A FEW OF THESE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
THE NEXT THE NEXT THING IS, UH, MAKE A PLAN.
SO YOU GOTTA KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
AND AFTER EVERY DISASTER, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT COMES UP IS COMMUNICATIONS.
AND SO IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START, EVEN FOR A PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS PLAN.
IT SHOULD INCLUDE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK, ANY CAREGIVERS.
UH, UNDERSTAND WHO YOU MIGHT NEED TO GET IN CONTACT AND WHO MIGHT WANT TO BE CONTACTING YOU.
KNOW WHAT, IF YOU'RE DISPLACED FROM YOUR HOME FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN THOSE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS, WHAT ARE THE KEY MEDICATIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED? UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND PLAN FOR WHAT THOSE ARE ASSISTIVE MEDICAL DEVICES.
UH, PLAN FOR HOW YOU WILL KEEP THOSE, UH, THAT, THAT MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RUNNING WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, IF THAT BECOMES AN ISSUE.
AND, UH, HOW WOULD YOU EVACUATE WITH THAT EQUIPMENT IF IT WAS NECESSARY? PETS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND, AND NOT JUST PETS, BUT OF COURSE SERVICE ANIMALS AS WELL.
UH, YOU, YOU, YOU NEED TO INCLUDE THEIR NEEDS IN YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN.
AND, UH, ALL CITY OF DALLAS SHELTERS EXCEPT PETS AND SERVICE ANIMALS, UM, WE WILL NEVER TURN SOMEONE AWAY JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO EVACUATE WITH THEIR PET.
AND THEN, UH, EMERGENCY FACILITIES AND NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING WHERE ARE THE NEAREST MEDICAL FACILITIES, LOCAL HOSPITALS, ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE IN YOUR PLAN AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO PLUG READY.GOV AS A GREAT LOCATION FOR, UM, FOR GENERAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, BUT THEY HAVE, UH, UH, A LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON, UH, PLANNING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH, UH, ACCESS FUNCTIONAL NEEDS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, BUILD A KIT.
[00:50:01]
THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE ON HAND.AGAIN, GOING BACK TO MEDICATIONS, UH, A RECOMMENDATION IS TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT CREATING AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF MEDICINES.
FOR, FOR A, YOU KNOW, A FEW DAYS, WE USUALLY RECOMMEND THINKING ABOUT 72 HOURS OF SUPPLIES AND KEEP A LIST, A HARD COPY OF, UH, YOUR PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES AS, AS WELL AS AS A DIGITAL COPY.
UH, MAKING SURE IN YOUR KIT IS, UH, MODEL INFORMATION AND WHERE MEDICAL DEVICES OR ASSISTIVE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES COME FROM.
SO IF THEY'RE DAMAGED OR, OR OTHERWISE YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO EVACUATE WITH THEM, WHENEVER YOU GET TO A SAFE PLACE, THAT THERE'S A STARTING POINT TO, TO REPLACING THOSE ITEMS. AND, AND THAT WOULD HELP SPEED UP THE PROCESS IF POSSIBLE.
FOOD AND WATER, WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND A THREE DAY SUPPLY OF FOOD AND NON-PERISHABLE, OR, I'M SORRY, WATER AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ON HAND.
UH, AND AGAIN, DON'T FORGET PET FOOD.
UH, MAKING SURE YOU HAVE A, BOTH A DIGITAL AND A PHYSICAL HARD COPY, UH, CONTACT LIST, IDEALLY IN A WATERTIGHT CONTAINER THAT YOU CAN REFER TO, UH, AFTER A DISASTER.
AND THEN BACKUPS, UH, REDUNDANCY IS, IS KEY.
AND SO, EYEGLASSES, CONTACTS, HEARING AIDS, BATTERIES, ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK YOU MIGHT NEED IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF A DISASTER, IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE.
SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT A, A FEW KEY RESOURCES.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE STATE OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY.
SO THIS PROGRAM REALLY IN, UH, INITIALLY WAS CREATED WITH COASTAL EVACUATIONS IN MIND, UNDERSTANDING, CREATING A REGISTRY SO THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS COULD IDENTIFY WHO MIGHT NEED HELP EVACUATING.
UH, BUT REALLY THEY, THEY STARTED DEPLOYING THAT AND ADVERTISING THIS PROGRAM STATEWIDE.
AND SO WE ARE INCLUDING THE STEER PROGRAM IN OUR PLANNING EFFORTS, AND WE ENCOURAGE ANYONE THAT MAY NEED ASSISTANCE AFTER AN EMERGENCY TO REGISTER.
UH, WITH THAT, IF, IF YOU CAN ALSO CALL 2 1 1 AND THEY WILL HELP, UH, GET YOU REGISTERED.
ANOTHER PROGRAM IS ENCORE, CRITICAL CARE OF CHRONIC CONDITION CUSTOMER PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S A REGISTRATION PROCESS TO NOTIFY ENCORE THAT, UH, YOU HAVE A CRITICAL NEED FOR POWER.
IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE THAT THE POWER IS GOING TO STAY ON, BUT IT DOES HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT RESTORATION PRIORITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE SOMEONE IS, UM, WHERE SOMEONE THAT MIGHT CRITICALLY NEED POWER IS.
AND THEN I'VE ALREADY PLUGGED FEMA READY.GOV.
THE ONE OTHER, I THINK THE ONE OTHER AREA I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT'S ACTUALLY SPECIFIC TO TEXAS IS THE DISABILITY RIGHTS TEXAS GROUP.
THAT'S AN ONLINE RESOURCE WITH VERY TEXAS SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION, AND THEY HAVE A GREAT EMERGENCY READY SHEET, UM, UH, TOOL THERE THAT KIND OF GUIDES YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, OF MAKING THAT PLAN, AND THEN GIVES YOU, GIVES THAT TO YOU AT, AT THE, AT THE END.
UH, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A DISASTER RESILIENCE EMAIL LIST THAT'S SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, DISABILITY ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS THAT WE ARE SIGNED UP FOR.
SO, WORKING TOGETHER ON THE PLANNING SIDE, WE WANT TO INCLUDE, UH, THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY IN OUR PLANNING EFFORTS SO THAT WE ARE BEING EQUITABLE AND THAT WE CAN ENSURE OUR PLANS ARE EFFECTIVE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE, I, I'M CONFIDENT THAT THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE BLIND SPOTS WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO APPROVE, IMPROVE, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE THAT IS.
AND WE WANT TO PLAN WITH YOU AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD PARTNER THERE.
UH, TRAINING, WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING OUR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PRESENTATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM CLASSES ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
UH, FOR THE CT CLASSES, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE ACCOMMODATIONS BEFORE AND WE'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO WORK WITH ANYONE THAT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM, IDENTIFYING WHAT, WHAT, UM, WHAT, UH, CHANGES WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE TO THE PROGRAM TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THEN EXERCISES, IT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.
AND WHEN WE CONDUCT EXERCISES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE START INCLUDING THE, THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY SO THAT OURSELVES AND FIRST RESPONDERS KIND OF GAINED THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND IT'S A PART OF OUR, OF OUR EXERCISE PROGRAM.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
HAPPY TO, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. HOUSTON, FOR THIS INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
WE SINCERELY CONGRATULATE YOU AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR NEW POSITION AS YOU TAKE ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR NEW ROLE.
UM, THIS IS REGARDING INDIVIDUALS WITH SERVICE DOGS, MYSELF INCLUDED, IN ORDER TO AVOID
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PANIC, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, WHEN A TORNADO HITS OR WHEN ANY FORM OF HAZARD HAPPENS, IT CAN BE A PANIC SITUATION.ONE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO ACT.
AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A PARTNER THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ELABORATE A BIT ON WHAT, FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, ARE SOME BEST PRACTICES FOR PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR A PERSON WHO HAS A SERVICE DOG? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT I'M ASKING IS, DO YOU SUGGEST THAT WE, UH, WAIT FOR THE DOG'S BEHAVIOR? DO YOU SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO KIND OF SEE HOW THE DOG BEHAVES, SOME OF THE MOVES HE MAKES, OR DO WE JUST DO WHAT WE FEEL IS BEST IN THIS CASE? THANK YOU.
AND THAT IS A VERY, THAT'S A VERY GOOD, GOOD QUESTION.
UM, AND I THINK IT, I THINK THAT THAT RIGHT THERE HIGHLIGHTS WHY WE NEED TO BE PLANNING TOGETHER SO THAT IN THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WE BETTER UNDERSTAND THOSE ANGLES THAT WE MAY NOT BE THINKING ABOUT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
YOU KNOW, I, IN PREPARING THIS PRESENTATION, I THOUGHT ABOUT SERVICE ANIMALS QUITE A BIT, UH, AND, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
BUT, BUT WHAT I DIDN'T CONSIDER WAS A SERVICE ANIMAL'S BEHAVIOR AFTER A DISASTER AND ALL THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE OCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY.
AND SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION THAT I DON'T, I THINK I WOULD NEED TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH TO REALLY GIVE YOU A DEFINITIVE ANSWER ON THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT QUESTION NEEDS TO BE A PART OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL'S PLANNING PROCESS IF THEY DO HAVE A SERVICE ANIMAL.
SO WE'LL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. HOUSTON, ONCE AGAIN.
AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO ANY COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UM, IN RELATION TO BEHAVIOR, UM, CHILDREN AND EVEN ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES, WHEN THERE IS A DISASTER, UM, TRAINING IS A BIG COMPONENT OF IT, AND CAN'T IS A REAL WORD.
UM, WE HAVE, WE ALL HAVE EXPECTATIONS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, TORNADO, HURRICANE, OF COURSE, PETS, UH, SERVICE ANIMALS MORE SO SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAINED A DIFFERENT WAY TO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS A DISABILITY.
BUT EVEN, UM, ADULTS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, THEY MAY RESPOND OR REACT DIFFERENTLY.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR EMERGENCY, UH, AGENCIES, FEMA, UM, SALVATION ARMY, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, DOES YOUR TRAINING ALSO INCLUDE POSSIBLY A COLLABORATION WITH MAYBE SOCIAL WORKERS THAT CAN IDENTIFY THOSE BEHAVIORS SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO RESPOND TO, UM, US HUMAN BEINGS WHEN WE'RE, SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY NEUROTIC, BUT THAT'S THE WRONG TERM, BUT IN LAYMAN TERMS, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT AWARE THAT THEY HAVE A DISABILITY, YOU COULD SAY, OH, THEY'RE BEING AGGRESSIVE.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THOSE STEPS? UH, ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION.
I, I THINK THAT, UM, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IN, IN LOOKING AT THE PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH, WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC AFTER A DISASTER, USUALLY THAT'S IN THE REALM OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL MASS CARE SERVICES.
SO THAT'S SHELTERING, FEEDING, WATER DISTRIBUTION, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS, UH, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BEING ONE THAT, UH, ARE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE TRAINING THAT THEY GIVE THEIR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF SPECIFICALLY AROUND, UH, EMOTIONAL, UH, RESILIENCE AND RESPONSE AND, AND UNDERSTANDING.
WE ALSO HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY IN THE PAST WITH THE NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY TO, TO BRING IN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO OUR SHELTERS OR MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTERS, FOLKS THAT ARE TRAINED IN IDENTIFYING THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND CAN HELP US EITHER MITIGATE AN, AN ISSUE OR, OR RESPOND TO, TO SOMETHING QUICKLY.
SO I THINK FOR US, IT'S ABOUT IDENTIFYING THOSE KEY PARTNERS AND HAVING THEM, PLANNING WITH THEM ON THE FRONT END AND BEING READY TO CALL THEM IN WHENEVER WE NEED TO.
AND WE'VE, I THINK WE'VE HAD GOOD SUCCESS WITH THAT IN THE PAST.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO ASK QUESTIONS OR PROVIDE COMMENTS? THIS IS COMMISSIONER BALOO DISTRICT 10, SO THIS IS GREAT, UH, INFORMATION AND THE TRAINING SOUNDS WONDERFUL.
MY QUESTION IS, HAVE YOU GUYS THOUGHT TO DO TRAINING AIMED AT PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, WITH COGNITIVE, UH, ISSUES? SO, YOU KNOW, AS A CH AS A PARENT OF A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, YOU KNOW, GETTING HER TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FIRE EX, UH, ALARM, WHEN WE DO OUR FIRE DRILLS, IT'S, IT'S MORE ANNOYING THAN IT IS REACTIONARY.
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YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS COULD PROVIDE, OR MAYBE YOU DO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT, SO TO COMMENT MAYBE BEFORE, IT'S NOT SO MUCH OF A WHAT DO I DO WHEN THE TORNADO ALARMS ARE GOING OFF AND MAYBE MOM'S NOT HOME, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS HAVE LOOKED INTO? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LOVE TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND, AND HOPEFULLY WORK WITH THIS GROUP TO, UH, PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT TOGETHER.
WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL DO SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT MIGHT ALREADY BE OUT THERE, UH, TO SEE IF THERE'S, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION THAT WE CAN, WE CAN LEVERAGE.
WE HAVE NOT DONE A CLASS SPECIFIC TO THAT BEFORE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A VERY, UH, WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR.
AND I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH THIS GROUP TO, UH, TO VET THAT OR HELP, HELP, HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD BE MOST IMPORTANT IN, IN A PRESENTATION LIKE THAT.
COMMISSIONER BLUE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE, COMMENT OR ASK QUESTIONS? OKAY, IN THAT CASE, THERE IS NONE.
WE SINCERELY WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU, MR. HOUSTON, AS WELL AS THE OTHER PRESENTERS FOR SUCH AN INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION ABOUT VARIOUS TOPICS.
THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN ALL LEVELS.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER NINE ON THE AGENDA.
THIS IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT SECTION.
AS MOST COMMISSIONERS PROBABLY KNOW, MS. MEEKS SENT OUT AN EMAIL ON MARCH THE 15TH REGARDING THE FIRST GOLF CLUB.
I WOULD SAY FIRST ADAPTIVE GOLF CLINIC HOSTED BY THE TEXAS GOLF ASSOCIATION.
IT WILL BE HOSTED TODAY AT THE KEATON PARK GOLF COURSE LOCATED IN DALLAS.
THE ADDRESS IS 2 3 2 3 NORTH JIM MILLER ROAD.
THIS IS JUST A TEST BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO IT WILL BE NICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES AS WELL AS FAMILY MEMBERS TO GO CHECK IT OUT, AND WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF HOW IT GOES.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT MARCH IS BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT BRAIN INJURY IS THAT IT DOES NOT OCCUR IN ONE FORM.
THERE ARE SEVERAL KINDS OF BRAIN INJURY, INCLUDING THOSE CAUSED BY BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, AS WELL AS THOSE, UH, CAUSED BY, UH, BEING IN CONFLICT.
WHAT I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO IS TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, OFTEN EXPERIENCED BY VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS.
ONE FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT AT THE JANUARY MEETING I SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT NFB NEWSLINE.
THIS IS A FREE AUDIO AND BRAILLE SERVICE THAT PROVIDES HUNDREDS OF RESOURCES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND, LOW VISION, OR OTHERWISE PRINT DISABLED.
THIS AUDIO AND BRAILLE SERVICE OFFERS OVER 500 NEWSPAPERS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT OFFERS, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT TV LISTINGS, WEATHER FORECAST, JOB LISTINGS, AND SO MUCH MORE.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT WE DO HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE ON THIS PUBLICATION.
AND MS. MEEKS WILL BE SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH ALL OF US AFTER THIS MEETING.
THOSE ARE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT I HAVE AT THE MOMENT.
ONCE AGAIN, I NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO ANY COMMISSIONERS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE PUB THEIR ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE ADJOURNMENT.
COMMISSIONER REVY DISTRICT ONE, I'D LIKE TO JUST ANNOUNCE AN UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED ESCAPE PARK THAT WAS MENTIONED LAST MONTH.
THERE'S A COMMITTED GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TRYING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THIS PARK.
UH, I THINK SO FAR THEY'VE COLLECTED ABOUT 400,000 AND THE PLANNING IS NOW UNDER DALLAS PARKS AND RECREATION.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE COMMISSION MEMBERS TO, UH, KEEP INFORMED ON THIS.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER REVY FOR YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK IT IS VERY ESSENTIAL THAT WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY ON THESE ISSUES AS ONE CANNOT ACHIEVE THEM BY THEMSELVES AT THIS TIME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY.
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SO IN THIS CASE, I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED.ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL OPPOSED APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE.
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN ADJOURNED FOR THE RECORDS, THE TIME IS 3:15 PM THANK YOU.