GOOD MORNING. IT IS NOW 9:04 ON TUESDAY THE 12TH OF NOVEMBER, AND I AM NOW CONVENING THE QUALITY OF [Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on November 12, 2024.] [00:00:10] LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE MEETING. FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 21ST QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES. DO I HEAR A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU. ANY DISCUSSION OR CHANGES? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. MINUTES ARE ADOPTED. NEXT BRIEFING ITEM A PERIODIC WEEKEND STREET CLOSURES TO CREATE VEHICLE FREE ZONES. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I'M ROSA FLEMING, THE DIRECTOR FOR CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES, AND WE BROUGHT WITH US A TEAM TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS AND TO PROVIDE THE BRIEFING. SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE BRIEFING ABOUT AND EXPLORING THE IDEA OF PERIODIC WEEKEND STREET CLOSURES TO CREATE VEHICLE FREE ZONES. THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED IN OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS OPEN STREETS. WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS PRESENTATION WILL BE REVIEWING THE PURPOSE OF CHAPTER 42A IN PARTICULAR AS IT RELATES TO STREET CLOSURES, SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT RELATES TO BOTH OPEN STREETS AND JUST STREET CLOSURES AND REGULAR EVENTS, ETC., AND SO THEN WE'LL REVIEW WHEN A PERMIT IS NEEDED FOR A SPECIAL EVENT TO KIND OF GIVE SOME REFRESHER ON THAT THE PERMIT PROCESS AND COMPARE A TYPICAL SPECIAL EVENT STREET CLOSURE TO ONE AND THE IDEA OF OPEN STREETS. WE HAVE PD HERE TO TALK IN PARTICULAR ABOUT SOME OF THE STREET CLOSURES THAT CURRENTLY HAPPEN, PARTICULARLY IN DEEP ELLUM AND THEN WE'LL SHARE SOME EXAMPLES OF OPEN STREETS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, AND TALK ABOUT SAFETY AND THE TYPICAL SPECIAL EVENT, AND FINALLY, WHAT AN OPEN STREETS PROGRAM PILOT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN DALLAS. SO WITHIN THE PORTFOLIO OF CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES, WE HAVE THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS. SO MY MAIN JOB. PRIMARY JOB IS TO ADMINISTER THE CHAPTER 42 A, WHICH IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE. SO CHAPTER 42 A REALLY SPEAKS TO OUTDOOR TEMPORARY ACTIVITY. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT FARMER'S MARKET, ANYTIME YOU WANT STREET POLE BANNERS PUT UP OR IN THE COURSE OF A SPECIAL EVENT, LIKE A RUN OR ANY OF THE MOVING EVENTS. THAT'S WHEN YOU START TO WORK WITH OUR DIVISION WITHIN CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES, AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THE ORDINANCE IS REALLY TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH. A LOT OF WHAT WE DO, MOST OF WHAT WE DO AND CONVENTION EVENT SERVICES RELATES TO THAT, AND SO THE IDEA OF ACTIVATING AND ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THESE EVENTS IS IMPORTANT. IT ACTIVATES RETAIL AREAS AND RESTAURANTS AND ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO COME TO TOWN AND VISIT, AND SO THIS IS DONE. WE TRY TO BALANCE THESE SPECIAL EVENTS AGAINST THE OVERALL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK. WE CONTINUE TO MODIFY 42 A AS CONCERNS ISSUES AND NEW PROGRAMS COME UP, AND SO THIS IN PARTICULAR IS ONE OF THE ITEMS I KNOW THAT IS OF INTEREST TO SEVERAL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO WE'RE BRIEFING THAT TODAY, AND IN A TYPICAL YEAR, NOT JUST WITH OPEN STREETS BUT WITH OTHER PROGRAMS, WE ISSUE ABOUT 1200 PERMITS IN A GIVEN YEAR, AND SO I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO JACKIE. I WANT HER TO TALK ABOUT JACKIE JUSTICE, WHO'S OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THIS PROGRAM TO TALK ABOUT THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND HOW IT FUNCTIONS, IN PARTICULAR WITH OPEN STREETS. NEXT SLIDE, AND ONE MORE SLIDE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ROSA. AS ROSA EXPLAINS, CHAPTER 42A'S PURPOSE IS TO BALANCE THE IMPACTS OF EVENTS ON OUR COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE, WHILE ALSO STIMULATING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND VIBRANCY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY. OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE ATTENDED EVENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 24 THAT WERE PERMITTED BY CES-OSE AND 763 SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS WERE ISSUED. [00:05:01] SO NOW LET'S TAKE A DEEPER DIVE AND LOOK AT WHAT ACTUALLY QUALIFIES AS A SPECIAL EVENT. NEXT SLIDE. THANK YOU. A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ANY TEMPORARY OUTDOOR GATHERING, WITH AN EXPECTED TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 100 OR MORE INVOLVING ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ON PRIVATE OR PUBLIC PROPERTY WHERE OTHERWISE PROHIBITED. SO YOU SEE ALL OF THOSE, WE CALL THEM TRIGGERS FOR A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT, AND THEN THE FINAL ONE, ANY CLOSING OR RESTRICTION OF A PUBLIC STREET, LANE, ALLEY OR SIDEWALK REGARDLESS OF THE EXPECTED TOTAL ATTENDANCE AND SO THAT'S THE MAIN TRIGGER WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. SO HERE IS THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT PROCESS. SO IN 2022 WE IMPLEMENTED APPROVAL, WHICH MOVED THE ENTIRE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT REVIEW PROCESS ONLINE. SO NOW THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS ONLINE. THIS GRAPHIC KIND OF ILLUSTRATES A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF WHAT THE APPLICANT WILL GO THROUGH TO RECEIVE THEIR SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT TO HOST AN EVENT. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF FOCUS ON THE FOURTH SQUARE. WHERE THIS IS THE BOX WHERE WE PUT ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS ON THE APPLICANT TO ASSURE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A SAFE EVENT, AND SO SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS PERSONNEL BARRICADES AND TRAFFIC DEVICES MAYBE RESTROOMS, INSURANCE AND NOTIFICATIONS TO THE PUBLIC. SO THE NOTIFICATIONS ARE AN IMPORTANT PIECE HERE, BECAUSE WE'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITIES, NEIGHBORS, AND BUSINESSES ARE KNOW THAT AN EVENT IS COMING. NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. ON THIS SLIDE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK REALLY AT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SPECIAL EVENT AND AN OPEN STREET CONCEPT. NOW BOTH OPTIONS WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT UNDER CHAPTER 42 A BECAUSE IT'S ALL STREET CLOSURES AS WE JUST REFERENCED IN THE DEFINITION. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT A SPECIAL EVENT, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT AN EVENT ORGANIZER PLANNING THAT EVENT AND CLOSING DOWN, YOU KNOW, A FOOTPRINT, PERHAPS A STREET FOR THE NEEDS OF THE EVENT. MOST OF OUR SPECIAL EVENTS HAVE HEAVILY PROGRAMED PARTICIPATION ITEMS LIKE A CONCERT OR A FESTIVAL. THEY'LL BRING IN THEIR OWN VENDORS THAT WILL BE FOR KIND OF THE BENEFIT OF THE EVENT VERSUS THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY, AND OFTEN THEY THEY OCCUR ANNUALLY, LIKE ONE TIME. SOME EXAMPLES THAT WE'LL SHARE LATER ARE THE ARTS DISTRICT, BLOCK PARTY AND THEN OTHER. OTHER EXAMPLES ARE BASTILLE ON BISHOP AND THE STOCKING STROLL. MOST OF THE TIME THE STREETS ARE OPEN REALLY FOR EVENT PARTICIPANTS ONLY, AND IT REALLY, LIKE I SAID, PROMOTES THE INDIVIDUAL EVENTS INTERESTS. NOW WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONCEPT OF AN OPEN STREET, WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT A CLOSED STREET IN A PRE-DESIGNATED AREA, BUT IT COULD BE ORGANIZED BY A CITY OR A CITY DESIGNEE, AND THERE'S REALLY NO CENTRAL PROGRAMING, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CURRENT RETAIL AND ESTABLISHED RESTAURANTS TO BE OPEN AND ACTIVE ALONG THE ROUTE OF THE CLOSURE, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOME SPACES. MAYBE THERE'S A PARK WITHIN THAT CLOSURE THAT COULD HAVE SOME LIKE A HUB OF ACTIVITY, PERHAPS VENDORS OR FOOD TRUCKS, MUSICIANS. THESE STREET CLOSURES WOULD HAPPEN POSSIBLY ON A REGULAR CADENCE, AND THEY'RE OPEN FOR PEDESTRIANS, BIKES, SCOOTERS, AND THEY HAVE A REASON. THEY PROMOTE IMPROVED MOBILITY, PLACEMAKING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY, ETC.. NEXT SLIDE. ONE MORE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF OPEN STREETS AROUND THE UNITED STATES. SO CURRENTLY IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA WE HAVE VIVA CALLE SAN JOSE, AND IT HAPPENS AROUND THREE TIMES A YEAR. IT HAPPENS DURING THE DAY, 10 A.M. TO 4 P.M., AND IT'S ORGANIZED BY THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, AND ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE, IT'S A FREE PROGRAM THAT TEMPORARILY, TEMPORARILY CLOSES MILES OF SAN JOSE STREETS TO BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO WALK, BIKE, SKATE, PLAY AND EXPLORE THE CITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE. SOME ITEMS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ACTIVATION. THEY INCLUDE BATHROOMS AND ADA ACCESSIBLE ONES ALONG THE ROUTE. THEY ALSO PROVIDE WATER STATIONS ALONG THE ROUTE AND THEN IN SPECIFIC ORGANIZED AREA. THEY HAVE ACTIVITY HUBS FOR THINGS LIKE YOGA AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES. OF NOTE FOR THIS ACTIVATION, THEY CHANGED THE ROUTE EACH TIME THEY DO IT TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE CITY AND ALSO TO SPREAD THE IMPACT OF THOSE STREET CLOSURES. NEXT SLIDE. [00:10:02] ALL RIGHT. THIS IS AN OPEN STREET CONCEPT IN PORTLAND OREGON. IT'S CALLED SUNDAY PARKWAYS. AGAIN IT HAPPENS AROUND THREE TIMES A YEAR DURING THE DAY, AND THIS THIS ACTIVATION IS ORGANIZED BY THE BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION. ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE, PORTLAND SUNDAY PARKWAYS PROMOTES HEALTHY LIVING, ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH A SERIES OF FREE OPEN STREET EVENTS WHERE PORTLANDERS CAN EXPLORE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION BY WALKING, BIKING, OR ROLLING. THIS EVENT IS FUNDED BY ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT DOLLARS AND ALSO EXTERNAL SPONSORSHIPS. THE WAY THEY NOTIFY FOLKS ALONG THE ROUTE. THEY THEY POST THE ROUTE OBVIOUSLY IN ADVANCE, AND THEN VOLUNTEERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO HELP THEM. HELP NEIGHBORS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE STREET CLOSURES MOVE AROUND THEM AND USE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES. NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS OUR INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLE. THIS IS CICLOVIA IN MEXICO CITY. THIS HAPPENS ACTUALLY EVERY WEEK ON SUNDAYS FROM 8 A.M. TO 2 P.M.. IT'S ORGANIZED BY THE MINISTRY OF MOBILITY AND THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, AND BACK IN 2007, THIS WAS LAUNCHED TO INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG RESIDENTS. THIS EVENT, THIS WEEKLY ACTIVATION AVERAGES AROUND 50,000 ATTENDEES EACH WEEK AND IT CLOSES DOWN OVER 30 MILES OF THE CITY, BUT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS HEAVILY INVESTED TO INSTALL BIKE LANES ACROSS THE CITY AND ORGANIZE LEARN TO RIDE CLASSES FOR ITS CITIZENS. THEY NOTIFY EVERYONE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC STREET CLOSURES FROM A GOVERNMENT-MANAGED FACEBOOK PAGE, AND OF COURSE, THEY DO HAVE ALONG THE ROUTE FOLKS ACTIVATE BIKE BORROWING STATIONS, BICYCLE MECHANICS AND BATHROOMS, AND EVEN THE RESTAURANTS HAVE INSTALLED BIKE RACKS TO ENCOURAGE THE RIDERS TO STOP AND HAVE LUNCH. NEXT SLIDE. THIS WILL BE HANDLED BY MAJOR MADISON. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE STREET CLOSURES IN DEEP ELLUM. THESE STREET CLOSURES ARE DESIGNED TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY. THEY'RE IN A PLAN EFFECT THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED ANY TIME ON ANY DAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT FOR THE MOST PURPOSES, WE CLOSED THEM ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF APPROXIMATELY 10 P.M. AND WHEN BARS CLOSE AND PEOPLE LEAVE. DURING THESE STREET CLOSURES, WE PREVENT VEHICLES FROM TRAVELING EAST AND WESTBOUND ON MAIN AND COMMERCE STREETS BETWEEN GOOD LATIMER AND MALCOLM X. IT IS COMPLETELY CONTROLLED BY THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DEEP ELLUM FOUNDATION, BUT WE ALSO INCITE FEEDBACK FROM THE LOCAL BUSINESSES ON WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOES NOT WORK. THE STREET CLOSURES ARE DESIGNED TO PREVENT CARS FROM DRIVING UP AND DOWN. THERE IS NO CRUISING ORDINANCE, BUT WHAT WE SAW WAS A STREET TRAFFIC WAS SO DENSE IT WAS PREVENTING PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES FROM SAFELY LEAVING AND COMING FROM BAYLOR HOSPITAL, WHICH IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, PLUS OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO CALLS, AND SO THERE WERE SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED IN 2022 THAT WE BEGAN THE PROCESS BEFORE THERE. THERE WAS A MODIFIED PROGRAM, AND IN 2022, WE KIND OF IMPLEMENTED THE FORMAL PLAN WE HAVE NOW. THE STREET CLOSURES DO NOT MAKE IT LEGAL FOR PEOPLE TO WALK DOWN THE STREETS WITH OPEN CONTAINERS. WE STILL ENFORCE ALL CITY ORDINANCES IN DEEP ELLUM. THAT'S ONE OF OUR REGULAR THINGS WE ARREST CONSTANTLY FOR IN DEEP ELLUM IS OPEN CONTAINERS. SO THIS IS STRICTLY FOR VEHICLES TO PREVENT PEDESTRIANS FROM GETTING STRUCK AND FOR INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THE DEEP ELLUM. THANK YOU, MAJOR MADISON. NEXT SLIDE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF SPECIAL EVENTS STREET CLOSURES. NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS OUR DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT BLOCK PARTY. IT ALSO HAS THE NAME OF CHANGING PERSPECTIVES, AND IT HAPPENS OR IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST TWO TIMES A YEAR, AND IT IS ORGANIZED BY THE DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT FOUNDATION. SO IT CLOSES FLORA AND HARWOOD AND HAS ABOUT 5000 ATTENDEES EACH TIME IT'S HOSTED. IT IS HOSTED FOR A REASON. IN CELEBRATION OF DALLAS ARTS MONTH, AND WHEN THEY CLOSE THE STREET, THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS KIND OF OPEN THEIR DOORS AND LET PEOPLE KIND OF EXPLORE THEIR MUSEUMS AND KIND OF GET FAMILIAR AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE ARTS DISTRICT. THEY ALSO BRING IN FOOD TRUCKS AND A LOT OF OUTDOOR CONCERTS, MUSICIANS AND PUBLIC ART FOR DISPLAY. NEXT SLIDE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS UNDER 42 A THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A STREET CLOSURE, AND AS YOU SEE THIS IS DONE BY MAKING SURE THAT ALL PUBLIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS ON THE STREET ARE SAFE TO ENJOY THE EVENT. SO THIS WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STAFFING, INSURANCE, BARRICADES AND TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, METER HOODING AND PARKING PLANS, AGAIN [00:15:06] NOTIFICATIONS, AND THEN PORTABLE RESTROOM AND CLEANUP PLAN, AND WHEN YOU PULL A PERMIT UNDER CHAPTER 42 A, THE EVENT PLANNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING ALL OF THOSE REQUIRED ELEMENTS AT THEIR COST. NEXT SLIDE. AN OPEN STREETS EVENT WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT THROUGH CHAPTER 42 A BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE ALL OF THE SAME SAFETY FEATURES, RIGHT? PUBLIC SAFETY STAFFING, BARRICADES AND TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. METER HOODING A PARKING PLAN. NOTIFICATIONS. PORTABLE RESTROOMS AND A CLEANUP PLAN, AND THE CITY CES-OSE, DPD, TRANSPORTATION WORKS OR THE CITY'S DESIGNEE COULD ACT AS A PERMIT APPLICANT AND WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE REQUIRED ELEMENTS. OKAY. THANK YOU, JACKIE. SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING TODAY IS THAT YOU CONSIDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPEN STREETS PILOT PROGRAM. SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO INSTITUTE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE IN OTHER CITIES ON A PILOT BASIS, AND IN THAT WE COULD MAKE CORRECTIONS, COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE AND DISCUSS THE OUTCOMES OF THOSE. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITH YOU ON HOW LONG THAT PILOT WOULD LAST AND HOW WHICH AREAS OF THE CITY WE WOULD DO IT IN. SO RIGHT NOW OUR NEXT STEPS ARE TO GO BACK. WE'LL REVIEW THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DPD AND TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO ASSESS THE NEEDS FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR OPEN STREETS, WE WOULD LOOK INTO OUR CURRENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR MERCHANTS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SO THEY CAN BE PART OF THE DECISION MAKING AS WE STEP INTO THIS. IF THE COMMITTEE IS AMENABLE TO THAT, AND THE BISHOP'S ART DISTRICT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS, INC. WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAM, AND SO IF WE GO BACK AND WE LOOK OUR DEPARTMENT THROUGH SPECIAL EVENTS, HAS DONE 763 EVENTS PERMITTED THIS YEAR, 214 OF THOSE INCLUDED STREET CLOSURES. THE REMAINDER BY 49 HAD NO STREET CLOSURES. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE OPEN TO QUESTIONS AND LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE, MISS SCHULTZ? YES, MR. CHAIR, COUNCILMEMBER BLACKMON AND I WERE JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND THE, AND THE OTHER. THE OTHER CLOSURE IS THE CITY ACTS AS THE APPLICANT. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. SO SIMILAR TO HOW WE DO DECK THE PLAZA AND THINGS THAT ARE CITY INITIATED. THE CITY, OUR DEPARTMENT OR SPONSORING DEPARTMENT OR A COUNCIL MEMBER CAN ADVOCATE FOR THE PERMIT. WE PUT IT IN AND WE ABSORB THE COST. OKAY. THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE REALLY HELPFUL DOWN THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE DID TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THIS, BECAUSE IT'S ENORMOUS. I AM EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. ANYTHING TO ME THAT GETS PEOPLE, GETS DALLAS TO SEE ITSELF AS LESS CAR CENTRIC, THE BETTER IT IS. IN FACT, IN IN ONE OF THE CITIES THAT YOU MENTIONED IN PORTLAND, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BIKE SCHOOL BUS ROUTES. SO LIKE JUST LIKE A SCHOOL BUS WOULD GO HOUSE TO HOUSE, THEY PICK UP KIDS ON BIKES AND GO AS A GROUP TO SCHOOL SO THAT THEY CAN TRAVEL SAFELY IN A GROUP. THAT'S ONE. THE OTHER IS, I'M SURE MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE READ IN THE BOOK HAPPY CITY ABOUT BOGOTA. IT CHANGED THE CITY COMPLETELY WHEN THE CITY MADE THE DECISION TO INVEST IN BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS. THEY PUT THE MONEY FIRST IN THOSE IN REPAIR BEFORE STREET REPAIRS, AND AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE CITY CHANGED ITS CHARACTER TO ONE OF BEING VERY PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY. IT, YOU KNOW, IN LIKE, EXPONENTIALLY INCREASE THEIR ECONOMIC VALUE AS A CITY. PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE THERE. NOW. IT'S A GREAT TOURIST DESTINATION WHERE IT WAS NOT BEFORE BECAUSE OF THAT, THE LEADERSHIP OF THAT CITY. SO IN MY OPINION, MR. CHAIR, AS FAR AS STAFF RECOMMENDATION, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT ANY OF THESE KIND OF PROGRAMS IS THE DIRECTION TO GO. THANK YOU. YES, MISS BLACKMON. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO SO THE KEY. SO RIGHT NOW, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO CLOSE A STREET, THEY GO UNDER SLIDE 15. THAT'S HOW THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING. CORRECT. YOU WANT TO CHANGE BECAUSE I'M KIND OF CONFUSED, BUT YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT TO WHAT SLIDE 16 IS? NO, NO. SO WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS, YOU KNOW, IF A PERSON WHO HAD THE INTERESTS OF AN EVENT THEY ARE PLANNING SEPARATE FROM A CITY INITIATIVE, WANTED TO CLOSE A STREET, THEY WOULD GO UNDER CHAPTER 42 A AND APPLY FOR A PERMIT AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE ACTIVATION REQUIREMENTS. [00:20:03] OKAY, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN AN OPEN STREET PROGRAM THAT THE CITY INITIATES, THEN CROSS-DEPARTMENTALLY, WE WOULD WORK TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND THEY WOULD WE WOULD STILL GET A PERMIT THROUGH CHAPTER 42 A BUT WE WOULD THE CITY WOULD BE PROVIDING THE NEEDED REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. SO BECAUSE BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THE DEEP ELLUM CLOSURE, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM OPEN STREETS. OKAY. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING? ARE WE LOOKING AT BOTH OF THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY, OR IS IT ONLY JUST OPEN STREETS? SO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STREET CLOSURE THAT FALL UNDER A SPECIAL EVENT, THOSE ARE NOT CHANGING. IT'S STILL THE NOTIFICATION. IT'S STILL WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS, WHO WORK WITH WHO THEN WORK WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND DPD TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY TRAFFIC FLOW ISSUES, OR THAT IT'S AN INTERMITTENT CLOSURE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE TO GO TO WORK AND DO THE OTHER THINGS OF THEIR DAILY LIFE IN THIS PROGRAM. OPEN STREETS IS REALLY A MORE OF A PROGRAM WHERE YOU ARE ASKING US TO CLOSE A STREET FOR AN ENTIRE DAY WITH NO INTERMITTENT CLOSURES OR, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL DAYS TO HAVE AN EVENT, AND SO IN THAT, WE WOULD MODEL OURSELVES AFTER SOME OF THE CITIES THAT WE PROVIDED, AND PERHAPS WE'LL LOOK AT OTHER EXAMPLES TOO, AND THOSE WOULD BE THINGS LIKE, LIKE THAT WOULD GENERATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN ACTUAL PROGRAM. NOW, IF WE'RE DOING IT AS THE CITY, THERE ARE ECONOMIC AND REVENUE RELATED TO THAT, RIGHT. THE DEPARTMENT'S US PRIMARILY OR WHATEVER INITIATING DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE TO ABSORB THE PROGRAMMING COSTS. IF IT IS A CITIZEN OR AN ENTITY ASKING TO DO IT, THEN WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT THEIR PLANNERS AND THEIR EVENT ABSORB THAT COST. SO MY QUESTION IS NOW TO DPD AND HOW I'M SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE ENFORCEMENT AROUND SOME OF THESE OPEN CONCEPTS. HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE FUNDED AND MANAGED AND STAFFED? IS IT PART OF THE WHOLE EQUATION THAT THIS IS? GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT PROCESS WOULD NOT CHANGE AS FAR AS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICERS. NOW, THE FUNDING OF THOSE OFFICERS, AS OPPOSED TO BEING HIRED OFF DUTY OR ON DUTY, WOULD BE IF THE CITY ABSORBED THE COST FOR CITY SPONSORED STREETS, IT WOULD BE ASSUMED, JUST LIKE WE WOULD FOR THE DEEP ELLUM CLOSURES, BUT AS FAR AS ANY OTHER EVENT THAT'S OFF DUTY RESOURCES THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR STREET CLOSURES. I DO THINK THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO CLOSE AREAS FOR VARIOUS REASONS. I MEAN, I THINK KLYDE WARREN PARK SHOULD BE CLOSED ON WEEKENDS TO MAKE IT ONE SEAMLESS. YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT'S AT HARWOOD. I MEAN, I BUT AND EVEN TO THE DMA EVEN INTO IF YOU LOOK AT AROUND AROUND THE PARK ON WEEKENDS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT BUSY ON WEEKDAY. I MEAN, IT'S BUSY WEEKDAYS, BUT ON WEEKENDS TO CREATE THAT PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION. SO I GUESS MY CONCERN OR NOT, MY CONCERN OR MY CHALLENGE TO YOU GUYS IS THINK BEYOND JUST THE NORM. LIKE, REALLY LOOK AT THIS AS A WAY TO CHANGE HOW A CITY LOOKS AT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CARS VERSUS PEDESTRIANS VERSUS CYCLISTS, AND WHAT DOES INSTEAD OF JUST GOING AT IT AS A ONE OFF THAT LOOK AT IF WE REALLY LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN LAKEWOOD, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BIKE PATHS TO THE ELEMENTARY BECAUSE EVERYBODY GOES TO THE SCHOOL THERE OR AT SAINT THOMAS, RIGHT, AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE CREATE THOSE PATHWAYS THAT GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE CARS, THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW YOU'RE SEEING CYCLISTS AND WALKERS AND JOGGERS VERSUS CARS SCREENING DOWN, WHICH GUS AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGHT THIS FOREVER. SO I GUESS I LOOK AT IT MORE FROM A STRATEGIC STRATEGY, LOOKING AT IT IN A BROAD SCOPE, THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO CHANGE THIS THING AND THIS THING LIKE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO CHANGE HOW YOUR CITY INTERACTS IN THOSE AND INTERSECTS WITH THOSE, THEN YOU NEED TO GO DEEPER THAN JUST ONE OFFS AND START THOSE CONVERSATIONS. IT CAN BE RELATED TO VISION ZERO, RIGHT? I MEAN IT'S LIKE, LET'S I SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU KNOW? LET'S DO THIS THING, THIS THING AND THIS THING, BUT LET'S PUT THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER TO CREATE A DIFFERENT LOOK AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. THAT'S ALL WE'RE DOING IS HAVING THE CONVERSATION, AND I THINK THAT, I MEAN, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE NEED TO REIMAGINE AND RETHINK HOW WE LOOK AT THESE INSTEAD OF JUST DOING THE EASIEST WAY AND MAYBE HAVE THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS IN A VERY INTELLECTUAL, CALM WAY THAT HAS THE CONVERSATION OF HOW TO DO THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE MR. RIDLEY AND I ARE LOOKING AT TWO STREETS WITH ABRAMS AND SKILLMAN AND PEOPLE WANT RELIEF FROM THOSE THINGS, AND SO HOW DO YOU CREATE THAT? [00:25:04] THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS. SO LOOK AT IT IN A BROADER SENSE, AND IT COULD BE FUN TO DO THIS VERSUS JUST, OKAY, LET'S DO THIS THING AND THIS THING. THAT'S JUST MY SUGGESTION. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR RESENDEZ. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, PURSUING THIS IN A PILOT PROGRAM CAPACITY. I'M WONDERING, THOUGH, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AREAS THAT DON'T ALREADY HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS OR A KLYDE WARREN PARK, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR CERTAIN DISTRICTS OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE? YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO AREAS LIKE THAT? I THINK IT WOULD, AND I THINK THIS IS KIND OF AN EQUALIZER, ALMOST IN A WAY, BECAUSE YOU CAN PICK THE AREAS. OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND DPD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE IT WORK, BUT I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE IT ACROSS THE CITY. OKAY. I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT CERTAIN AREAS DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ENGAGEMENT, OR DON'T HAVE AS MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WILLING AND ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. SO I JUST THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, AND THEN I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION IS, HOW WOULD THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOW THAT A STREET IS GOING TO BE CLOSED? SO THERE'S A NOTIFICATION PROCESS THAT'S A NATURAL PART OF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND CHAPTER 42. SO I'M GOING TO LET JACKIE KIND OF WALK THROUGH THAT. YES. SO WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENT OVER COMMUNICATIONS AND CRAFT THE NOTIFICATIONS, AND THEN IN CHAPTER 42 A THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF NOTIFICATIONS REQUIRED. WE ALSO REQUIRE LANGUAGE ACCESS. SO DEPENDING ON WHERE AND WHO WE'RE NOTIFYING. SO WE DO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. WE DO NEXT DOOR. WE ALSO USE YOU KNOW, DOOR TO DOOR FLIERS. SO THERE'S VARIOUS WAYS WE PUT UP SIGNS AS WELL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT THEY KNOW SOMETHING'S COMING AND ON THE DATE AND TIME. WOULD THOSE THINGS BE DONE PRIOR TO THE PROJECT GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT? BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. YEAH. I THINK BEFORE WE MOVE COMPLETELY FORWARD, THERE'RE CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD. SO WE WOULD WORK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, THE OTHER WAYS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH CHAPTER 42 AND SOME OF THE CHANGES IS TO DO BOTH ONLINE IN PERSON AND TELEPHONE TOWN HALL ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, SO THAT WE'RE BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND GETTING THROUGH TO PEOPLE AND HAVING THE DISCUSSIONS BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT ANYTHING. I THINK THAT ENGAGEMENT IS SUPER IMPORTANT. IT ALSO ALLOWS THE DEPARTMENTS ETERNITY TO LOOK AT COST AND OTHER THINGS, STAFFING, ETC., TO LOOK AT THE VIABILITY OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, ONE, TWO, WHATEVER WE'RE GOING TO DO. THAT'S GOOD. SOUNDS GOOD. SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS ROLLS OUT. CHAIR GRACEY. THANK YOU. I GUESS TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, ONE, I'LL START WITH HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE SUCCESS FOR THE FOR THESE, FOR THIS INVESTMENT? LET ME SPEAK FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. SURE. SO ANYTHING THAT WE DO, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES, AND I KNOW FOR OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION AND DPD IS TO LOOK AT THE RETURN. RIGHT, AND SO THAT INCLUDES ENGAGEMENT, THAT INCLUDES HOW MANY COME OUT, ETC.. IT'S HOW WE MEASURE THINGS. LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOING DECK THE PLAZA, IT WAS HOW MUCH ENGAGEMENT DID WE GET THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME OUT, AND SO WAS IT SOMETHING TO CONTINUE? THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE. IF WE GO BACK TO COVID AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT INTO THE FRESH AIR IN A WAY THAT WAS SAFE. WE DID SOME HALLOWEEN RELATED EVENTS, FOR EXAMPLE AT OLD CITY PARK, AND WHEN WE DIDN'T GET IN THE SECOND YEAR, WHEN WE DIDN'T GET THE TURNOUT THAT WE HAD, WE DECIDED THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING THE RETURN. WE DID THE SAME LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND AMPED IT UP EVEN A LITTLE BIT, AND SO WE LOOK AT THOSE TO DETERMINE, HEY, MAYBE THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, OR WE'VE NOT ENGAGED ENOUGH, OR WE NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND WORK A LITTLE HARDER AND SO WE DO THAT, WE MEASURE THAT, AND THEN WE COME BACK AND DISCUSS IT. OKAY, AND THE REASON I ASK THAT IS AGAIN CHAIR RESENDEZ KIND OF ALLUDED TO IT A LITTLE BIT, AND I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING IN TERMS OF IF WE HAVE AREAS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT WE WANT TO BEGIN IDENTIFYING, BUT MAY TAKE SOME TIME, IS THERE SOME SCALE UP, [00:30:08] I DON'T KNOW, TOOL OR SOMETHING THAT SAYS, OKAY, IF BY THE THIRD YEAR THIS THING IS NOT DOING THAT, THEN THIS IS NO LONGER A GOOD INVESTMENT. SO THINKING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, AS WE TRY TO IDENTIFY AREAS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, AND THEN ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, HOW MUCH ARE WE PROJECTING THIS PILOT TO COST? WELL, I THINK IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE AREA THAT WE DO IT IN, WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE WITH A LOT OF OUR SPECIAL EVENTS AND I'LL LET DPD ACTUALLY RESPOND TO THIS, BUT I THINK IN A LOT OF OUR SPECIAL EVENTS WE TRY TO ASK FOR ON-DUTY OFFICERS SO THAT WE MITIGATE SOME OF THE COSTS. THE BIGGEST COST IS TYPICALLY PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THEN IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION, THERE'S STAFFING, ETC.. SO WE TRY TO LOOK AT THOSE COST AND LOOK AT OUR STAFFING COSTS, AND WE DO MEASURE ACROSS YEARS AND WE WILL SUGGEST THE CANCELLATION OF SOMETHING IF IT'S NOT GROWING OVER THE COURSE OF 2 TO 3 YEARS. OKAY. OKAY. DID YOU ALL WANT TO RESPOND TO? HIT YOUR BUTTON. I'M SGT VILLARREAL FOR SPECIAL EVENTS DPD. I'M THE FIRST LINE SUPERVISOR, SO IT WILL ALL DEPEND. LIKE. LIKE SHE WAS SAYING ABOUT ARE WE GOING TO BE USING ON-DUTY RESOURCES OR OFF-DUTY RESOURCES? THE FOOTPRINT. THE FOOTPRINT IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. SOMETHING REALLY SMALL WOULD NOT TAKE AS MUCH, BUT SO THAT'S GOING TO BE THE VARIABLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHEN WE ASSESS IT. OKAY, AND AGAIN THE OVERALL WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS AGAIN YOU HAVE DISTRICTS WHO WANT TO TRY TO SCALE UP AND TRY TO BRING THESE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES AND ATTENTION TO PARTICULAR AREAS IN THE DISTRICT, BUT ALSO WE KNOW WE HAVE A BUDGET THAT WE NEED TO MANAGE AS WELL. SO AS WE'RE PROJECTING THESE COSTS FROM THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AT WHAT POINT DOES IT SAY, OKAY, WE'VE HAD YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START RUNNING OUT OF MONEY AND THE DISTRICT, A PARTICULAR DISTRICT WANTS TO DO SOMETHING BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT BUDGET HAS NOW BEEN MAXED BECAUSE WE'VE HAD 72 EVENTS DOWNTOWN, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? HOW DO WE MANAGE THE BUDGET FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT ARE AROUND? BECAUSE THIS IS THIS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD AND GREAT, AND I ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THESE THINGS BECAUSE DISTRICT THREE, AS YOU KNOW, IS THE OUTDOOR DESTINATION THAT WE'RE MAKING IT. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS. I WORKED IT IN, BUT ALSO I WANT TO BE PRACTICAL ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE THE BUDGET AND MANAGE THESE EVENTS. SO JUST AGAIN, I'M FOR THIS PILOT, BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK WE NEED TO BE THINKING PRACTICALLY ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE THE NUMBER OF EVENTS AND THE BUDGET AT THE SAME TIME. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. CHAIR WEST, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES I DO, CHAIR. THANK YOU, AND THIS IS REALLY EXCITING. I'M REALLY ALSO GLAD TO HEAR ALL MY COLLEAGUES COMMENTS ABOUT WALKABILITY AND BIKE-ABILITY I LOVE IT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GLAD TO SEE THE STAFF DOING BECAUSE I THINK, AS STAFF HAS ADEQUATELY POINTED OUT, THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE PROCESS FOR AN AREA OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF BUSINESSES TO COME TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY WORK THROUGH, THE COMPLEXITY HAS MADE THIS PROHIBITIVE, AT LEAST IN DISTRICT ONE, WHERE I KNOW THEY MENTIONED ROSIE. YOU MENTIONED BISHOP ARTS DISTRICT. WE TRIED TO DO THIS FOR LIKE 4 OR 5 YEARS AND HAVE NOT HAD SUCCESS BECAUSE OF JUST, WELL, COVID DIDN'T HELP, BUT ON TOP OF THAT THE COMPLEXITIES OF ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT HAD TO COME TOGETHER. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT THIS IS A SIMPLIFICATION OF IT, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD BABY STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. A FULL CLOSURE OF A STREET IN AN AREA. PEOPLE LOSE THEIR MINDS WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THAT IN DALLAS, BUT A CLOSURE FOR A FEW HOURS ON ONE DAY HERE AND THERE, I THINK IS A WAY TO GET PEOPLE MORE INTO IT. SO THIS PROGRAM ITSELF, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, AND THEN YOU POINTED OUT MEXICO CITY AND MAYBE IT WAS JAYNIE SOMEONE ELSE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES CLOSING DOWN AREAS AS LIKE A THOROUGHFARE TO GET PEOPLE TO GO FROM ONE AREA TO THE OTHER IS LIKE YOU KNOW, FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GETTING PEOPLE FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD TO GO TO ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT AREAS, NOT USING CARS. I THINK THAT IS A CONCEPT IN GENERAL IS VERY EXCITING AND KIND OF SEXY, AND I LOVE IT FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. SO I WOULD FULLY SUPPORT THAT IF STAFF GETS REALLY AGGRESSIVE AND DOES THAT, BUT FOR THIS PROGRAM ALONE, THAT AS YOU BRIEFED TODAY, I LIKE IT. I FULLY SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. [00:35:04] THE WAY I UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESENTATION, WE HAVE THE ORDINANCES IN PLACE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS OPEN STREETS PILOT PROGRAM, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, AND SO YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO DO WHAT EXACTLY? SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ENTITY COMING TO US AND SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION AND SAYING, I WANT A STREET CLOSURE FOR THE CHOCOLATE RUN, FOR EXAMPLE. OR I WANT INTERMITTENT CLOSURES AND WORKING WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND WORKING WITH PD AND OUR OFFICE TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT ROUTE LOOKS LIKE, HOW LONG THOSE STREET CLOSURES, THE NOTIFICATION OF THE IMPACT TO CITIZENS, AND A PROGRAM, AN OPEN STREET PROGRAM THAT IS ACTUALLY PLANNED OUT TO LAST A FINITE TIME AMOUNT OF TIME THAT INVITES ALL OF THE CITIZENRY OF DALLAS TO ENJOY IT, WHETHER IT'S A BIKING DAY OR WHETHER IT'S AN ACTIVITY THAT BRINGS EVERYONE OUT TO DO KITING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WITH THE WHOLE POINT OF LESSENING TRAFFIC THAT DAY AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BE OUTSIDE. NOW, IT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE, AGAIN, COULD DO IN SPECIFIC DISTRICTS AND BE A CITY EVENT, OR IT COULD BE A PROGRAM THAT'S SPONSORED BY KLYDE WARREN, FOR EXAMPLE, OR SOME OTHER ENTITY THAT WOULD ABSORB THE COST FOR THAT CLOSURE. SO IT'S A PROGRAM VERSUS AN APPLICATION, OKAY, WITH THE INTENT TO ENCOURAGE THESE KINDS OF OPEN STREETS EVENTS. CORRECT. WOULD THAT INVOLVE STREAMLINING THE APPLICATION PROCESS OR WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE STAFF WILL BE DISCUSSING IN THIS CONNECTION? WELL, WE BELIEVE KIND OF THE PROCESS IS AS STREAMLINED AS IT CAN GET AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE REALLY ALWAYS WILL KEEP IT CENTRAL PUBLIC SAFETY. RIGHT? SO WE CAN'T LOOK OVER THE CERTAIN STEPS IN THE PERMIT PROCESS FOR THE OPEN STREETS, BECAUSE IF WE'RE INVITING THE PUBLIC TO COME INTO THE STREET, WE WANT IT TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? SO WE WOULD STILL REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW, AND DURING THAT REVIEW THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL ARE ASSIGNED AND ALSO THE NUMBER OF BARRICADES ARE ASSIGNED, AND THEN OF COURSE, LIKE WE'VE ALREADY SAID, THE NOTIFICATIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN MEETING WITH THOSE MERCHANT ASSOCIATIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. SO BUT THE CITY WOULD TAKE ON THAT PROCESS, RIGHT? SO WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE NOTIFICATIONS AND WE WOULD WORK WITH DPD TO MAKE TO DO THE REVIEW AND MAKE THE ASSIGNMENTS. SO THAT'S BASICALLY FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW UNDER 42 A. CORRECT. OKAY. NOW PERIODICALLY NEIGHBORHOODS WILL REQUEST STREET CLOSURES FOR STREET FAIRS, CENTENNIAL EVENTS, HOME TOURS, WHATEVER. WHAT PROCESS DO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH? THEY STILL THEY STILL SUBMIT A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT UNDER CHAPTER 42. OKAY, AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE COSTS OF BARRICADE RENTAL, RESTROOMS, POLICE PROTECTION, THAT SORT OF THING. YES, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR A 501(C)(3) CAN SUBMIT AN IN-KIND DOCUMENT AND TRADITIONALLY THEN SOMETIMES WE'RE ABLE TO WAIVE PARKING METER FEES, OR WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPLY A MINIMUM NUMBER OF BARRICADES OR TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. OKAY. WOULD THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SO KIND OF A HYBRID EVENT THAT WOULD BE APPLIED FOR BY THE CITY WOULD INVOLVE STREET CLOSURES AND OPEN STREET, BUT COULD BE CO-SPONSORED, IF YOU WILL, BY A NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION SUCH AS A PID OR A TIF TO PROMOTE THEIR AIMS IN ADDITION TO THE CITY'S AIMS, BUT EACH PROVIDING CERTAIN RESOURCES TO THE EFFORT? YES, AND WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. WE'VE DONE THAT IN TERMS OF I BELIEVE WE HAD AN AREA THAT WE USED FOR TO PROMOTE FOOD TRUCKS, ETC, AND SO THOSE WERE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN THE CITY. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT. IT WAS SOMETHING IF WE LOOK AT THAT EXAMPLE, IT WAS ANSWERING THE FOOD DESERT CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY, AND SO WE PARTNERED WITH THEM, AND IN THAT WE DID THINGS LIKE WAIVING THE PERMIT FEE. WE WORKED WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, AND WE GOT THEM TO WAIVE SOME OF THEIR FEES, AND THEN THE NONPROFIT BROUGHT IN THE REMAINDER OF THE [00:40:04] FUNDS. I SEE. SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS HAVE COMBINED TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD BE TOP OF MIND TODAY. THOSE INCLUDE THE INTEREST IN OUR RESIDENTS, IN SAFER STREETS, IN ACTIVATION OF STREETS. PEOPLE WANT TO GET OUT INTO NATURE AND NOT JUST DRIVE STREETS, BUT TO BIKE, TO SCOOTER, TO WALK OUTDOORS IN PLACES THAT ARE PART OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN THAT THEY NORMALLY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO BECAUSE OF MOTOR VEHICLES, AND SO IN PARTICULAR AREAS IN MY DISTRICT, I THINK THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS JUST RIPE FOR THIS BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE 15,000 PEOPLE LIVING DOWNTOWN. THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF THE PUBLIC REALM EXCEPT A FEW PARKS, FORTUNATELY, HAVE INCREASED RECENTLY, BUT THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED, AND THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITY CENTERS IN A SAFE MANNER THAT COULD ALSO BE BENEFICIAL TO BUSINESSES AND INVOLVE GREATER ACTIVITY WITH THOSE KINDS OF BUSINESSES. IF WE WERE TO DO IT ON A WEEKEND WHEN THERE IS LITTLE TRAFFIC, PARTICULARLY DOWNTOWN, ON A SUNDAY. THAT'S WHAT ORIGINALLY GOT ME INTERESTED IN THIS IDEA AND I THINK ITS TIME HAS COME. I THINK IT'S APPLICABLE TO EVERY DISTRICT IN THE CITY THAT WANTS TO ACTIVATE THEIR PUBLIC REALM, THEIR THOROUGHFARES OR STREETS AND ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO IDENTIFY MORE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS BY GETTING THEM OUT OF THEIR CARS AND OUT OF THEIR HOMES INTO THE PUBLIC REALM. SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. IT'S WHY I ORIGINALLY ASKED STAFF TO LOOK AT THIS IDEA, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO OUR COMMITTEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, EARLY NEXT YEAR, WITH ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU HAVE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS ROCKET SCIENCE. I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD BASIC ORDINANCE IN PLACE, AND WE JUST NEED PERHAPS A STRATEGY FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO PUBLICIZE A PILOT PROGRAM AND WHO WE'RE GOING TO PARTNER WITH THOSE KINDS OF DETAILS THAT CAN ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS INITIATIVE. SO WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE? OKAY. SEEING NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ITEM B ON OUR AGENDA. ADULT LEARNING INITIATIVES AT DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. HEATHER LOWE, INTERIM DIRECTOR, DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND I HAVE WITH ME SHANNON ADAMS, ADULT ENGAGEMENT ADMINISTRATOR. OKAY. SO THIS MORNING WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE ADULT LEARNING INITIATIVES AT THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THOSE INITIATIVES STARTED, HOW THEY'VE DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO OUR INITIATIVE STARTED IN 2012 AND THEY WERE REALLY A RESPONSE TO DISD REGION TEN R EALLY AT THAT TIME WAS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES, AND DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IN 2008, THEY DECIDED TO END THOSE CLASSES. SO THERE WAS REALLY A HOLE IN THE ADULT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT. INITIALLY WE STARTED OUR PROGRAMS WITH WIOA FUNDING. THAT'S FEDERAL FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE INITIATIVES, AND WE WERE PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON FOR TEACHERS. WE GARNERED SOME CORPORATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT TWO LITERACY CENTERS AT BACHMAN LAKE AND DALLAS WEST, AND IN 2014, WE BECAME THE FIRST LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE A GED TESTING CENTER, AND AT THAT TIME WE HAD FUNDING TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GED TESTS. IN 2017, WE BEGAN TEACHING CITIZENSHIP CLASSES AGAIN BECAUSE PARTNER IN THE CITY LOST FUNDING TO HOLD THOSE CLASSES, AND SO [00:45:10] WE TOOK THAT OPPORTUNITY TO FILL THAT GAP. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WE WERE ABLE TO VASTLY EXPAND OUR OFFERINGS THROUGH A THREE YEAR GRANT INITIATIVE THROUGH THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COMMISSION, AND THIS OFFERED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE FULL TIME CITY OF DALLAS INSTRUCTORS, AND SO IT REALLY CHANGED WHERE AND HOW WE COULD PROVIDE CLASSES, BECAUSE WE WERE PRIMARILY A VOLUNTEER LED ORGANIZATION PRIOR TO THIS. WE ADAPTED VERY QUICKLY IN THE PANDEMIC TO OFFER ONLINE CLASSES IN 2020 AND THEN IN 2021, WE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON CLASSES AND WE WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH A GED ONLINE PROGRAM IN SPANISH. PRIOR TO THAT, WE'D ONLY HAD IT AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, AND LAST YEAR WE BEGAN OFFERING AN ACTUAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA PROGRAM, AND THIS ACTUALLY HELPS PEOPLE UTILIZE CREDITS THEY MAY HAVE HAD IN HIGH SCHOOL AND GET A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA INSTEAD OF A GED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THESE ARE ALL OF THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN ADULT LEARNING. THERE ARE GED PREPARATION CLASSES AS WELL AS THAT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA DIPLOMA PROGRAM. WE HAVE A GED TESTING CENTER AND GRADUATIONS. WE HAVE A LARGE PROGRAM OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, CITIZENSHIP TEST PREPARATION. WE HAVE CLASSES FOR ADULT BASIC LITERACY. SO THOSE THOSE BASIC READING SKILLS, AND THEN WE'VE JUST LAUNCHED A SPANISH ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXCHANGE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO LOOKING AT OUR GED PROGRAM IN 2024 WE HAD 1470 ENROLLMENTS. THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE WHO ENROLLED IN OUR PROGRAMS. ALL CLASSES ARE TAUGHT BY EITHER STAFF, INSTRUCTORS OR VOLUNTEERS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH PRETTY RIGOROUS TRAINING, AND OUR VOLUNTEERS REALLY ARE OUR HEROES. THEY EACH TERM THEY SPEND ABOUT 60 HOURS VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME FOR 11 TO 12 WEEKS TO HELP PEOPLE PREPARE FOR TESTS, AND THERE ARE FOUR CLASSES AVAILABLE ONLINE, AND WE HAVE CLASSES IN PERSON AT 14 LOCATIONS. WE ALSO HAVE THAT SELF-PACED GED ACADEMY PROGRAM IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR FOLKS THAT CAN'T MAKE IT TO CLASSES. ONE THING THAT REALLY MAKES OUR GED CLASSES DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CLASSES PROVIDED IN THE CITY, IS THAT THERE'S NO INCOME OR IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, LIKE OTHER WIOA FUNDED PROGRAMS THAT HAVE SOME REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. SO WE'RE REALLY THE LOWEST BARRIER CLASSES, AND THERE'S ALSO NO LIMIT TO HOW MANY CLASSES THAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE. SO FOR SOME OF THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OLDER AND NEED MORE PREPARATION, OUR CLASSES REALLY OFFER A LIFELINE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN CAN TAKE THEM. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A TWO TERM LIMIT. IT'S IF YOU NEED TO BE IN CLASSES FOR FOUR YEARS TO LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LEARN, YOU CAN STAY IN THOSE CLASSES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE HAVE BOTH A GED TESTING CENTER AND GRADUATIONS. SO THE COST OF THE TESTS, THERE'S FOUR TESTS EACH. THEY RANGE FROM ABOUT 90 MINUTES TO 2 HOURS, AND THEY COST $145 AT MINIMUM FOR THE FULL FOUR TESTS. WE THROUGH GENEROUS PRIVATE FUNDING, WE HAVE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ALLOW SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS, AND SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SPECIAL ABOUT THAT PROGRAM IS THAT IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY TO HELP THEM REGISTER FOR TESTS, AND FOR THAT REASON, OUR TESTING CENTER HAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT PASS INDIVIDUAL TESTS AS WELL AS COMPLETE ALL FOUR TESTS TOGETHER. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING CLASSES, WE HAVE 2163 INDIVIDUALS THAT ENROLLED AND IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE LAST SLIDE IN OUR 2024 CLASSES, THEY ARE ALSO JUST LIKE OUR GED CLASSES TAUGHT BY EITHER STAFF, INSTRUCTORS OR TRAINED VOLUNTEERS. [00:50:01] WE ALSO HAVE TWO PARTNERS THAT HELP TO PROVIDE THOSE CLASSES THE WILKINSON CENTER AND HOPE LITERACY, AND AGAIN, WE OFFER IN-PERSON AND ONLINE CLASSES, AND THESE CLASSES ARE HELD AT 15 LOCATIONS, AND THERE'S TWO AVAILABLE ONLINE, AND JUST LIKE OUR GED CLASSES, THERE'S NO INCOME OR IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, WHICH DEFINITELY HELPS INDIVIDUALS FEEL LIKE IT'S SAFE TO COME AND TAKE THOSE CLASSES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WE ALSO HAVE A CITIZENSHIP TEST PREPARATION PROGRAM, AND THAT TAKES PLACE AT FIVE LOCATIONS. SO THAT IS DALLAS WEST, WHITE ROCK HILLS, KLEBERG RILEY AT PLEASANT GROVE. WE HAVE IT IN SPANISH AND AT VICKERY PARK. NOW, THE REASON WE DON'T OFFER MORE CLASSES IN SPANISH IS GENERALLY YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE CITIZENSHIP CLASS IN ENGLISH, BUT THERE ARE SOME LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH, BECAUSE OF AGE AND LENGTH OF TIME IN THE COUNTRY, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE CITIZENSHIP TEST IN SPANISH. WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH LIGHT OF HOPE IMMIGRATION FOR CLASSES AT VICKERY PARK, AND 18 STUDENTS BECAME FULL CITIZENS IN 2024. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. BECAUSE WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF INTEREST IN SPANISH CLASSES, WE HAVE LAUNCHED A SPANISH ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM. WE PILOTED THIS AT THE NORTH OAK CLIFF BRANCH AND WE HAVE MOVED IT TO ARCADIA PARK, BACHMAN LAKE AND WHITE ROCK HILLS THIS FALL, AND THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT MEETS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY. NOT ONLY DOES IT HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING SPANISH, LEARN SPANISH. IT HELPS OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ENGLISH SKILLS AND KIND OF HELPS THEM FLIP THE SCRIPT AND BE THE TEACHER, BUT IT ALSO IS GREAT AT BREAKING DOWN LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AND THEN THERE ARE THEN THERE IS OUR BASIC ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM. THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY TO LEARN BASIC LITERACY SKILLS AS AN ADULT. WE PARTNER WITH READERS TO LEADERS, AND THE CURRICULUM IS EVIDENCE BASED ON PHONICS INSTRUCTION, AND WE FOUND THAT WITH FOLKS THAT NEED THESE BASIC LITERACY SKILLS, HAVING A GROUP SETTING REALLY HELPS TO DESTIGMATIZE NEEDING TO LEARN THESE BASIC SKILLS, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CLASS AT DALLAS WEST. TWO EVENINGS A WEEK. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WE ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL INITIATIVE AT THE VICKERY PARK BRANCH LIBRARY THROUGH FUNDING FROM COUNCILMEMBER WILLIS, AND SO WE HAVE A DEDICATED BRANCH INSTRUCTOR. THEY HAVE BEEN TEACHING ENGLISH CLASSES AS WELL AS SOME LIFE SKILLS CLASSES. WE STARTED SEWING CLASSES THERE THIS FALL IN ADDITION TO THE ENGLISH CLASSES, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO BUILD MORE WORK SKILLS CLASSES INTO THIS PARTICULAR BRANCH. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO IN THE FUTURE WE ARE LOOKING TO HOW WE CAN HELP OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY WORK ON CREDENTIALING. PROVING THAT THEY HAVE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY CREDENTIALS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. THAT CAN BE A CONFUSING AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO PILOT SOME PROGRAMS ON HOW TO HELP PEOPLE GET CERTIFICATIONS FOR JOBS, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO INCREASE THE CAREER AND DIGITAL LITERACY AVAILABLE IN THESE ENGLISH AND GED CLASSES, AND OF COURSE, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO RECRUIT MORE VOLUNTEERS. NEXT SLIDE, AND THAT THERE IS AN APPENDIX WITH THE LIST OF PARTNERS AS WELL AS THE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES FOR THE FALL, AND NOW WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, HEATHER. ONCE AGAIN, I'M SO IMPRESSED BY WHAT THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY DOES FOR OUR RESIDENTS. IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE THE BREADTH OF YOUR SERVICES AS REALLY AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION FACILITY THAT IS OPEN TO ANYONE WITHOUT REGARD TO CITIZENSHIP OR FINANCIAL CAPABILITY, AND THAT'S SUCH A MUCH NEEDED ORGANIZATION IN OUR CITY TODAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? MISS SCHULTZ? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I CONCUR WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID, AND GREAT WORK. TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. ONE IS YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A THREE YEAR GRANT AND I THINK 2018 FROM THE TEXAS, FROM THE STATE. [00:55:03] HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER ANY OTHER FUNDING FROM THE STATE FOR ANY OF THIS WORK? SO THAT FUNDING WAS THROUGH GRANT FUNDING. SO IT WAS A THREE YEAR. IT'S LIKE A SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANT. SO THE GIST OF IT IS TO PILOT A PROGRAM AND THEN THE CITY ACTUALLY. NOW CURRENTLY PAYS FOR FIVE INSTRUCTORS. SO I'M JUST ASKING IN TERMS OF CONTINUITY AND OTHER OUTSIDE FUNDING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT NOW, BUT I THINK REALLY WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR CITY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO MORE AND MORE, FIND MORE AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING FOR THINGS. ALSO, DO YOU TIE IN WITH THE TARGET AREAS FOR THE CITY OR OTHER ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED AREAS OF THE CITY? SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE IN THE PLACES IN I KNOW DISTRICT 11 THE BEST, OF COURSE. SO IN THE TWO AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED TARGET AREAS FOR ECONOMIC DISPARITIES, THERE ARE NO LIBRARIES, AND SO IS THERE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO PORTABLE PROGRAMS, TO DO NON-LIBRARY BASED PROGRAMS IN PLACES THAT ARE NOT THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED BUT DON'T HAVE A FACILITY? SURE. SO WE LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHICS. WE LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHICS FOR WHEN WE PLACE OUR PROGRAMS. I WOULD SAY CURRENTLY WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CAPACITY TO HOLD CLASSES OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY. SO PART OF THE BEAUTY OF HAVING THE CLASSES AND THE LIBRARY IS THAT I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT LIBRARY USERS. THEY COME TO THE LIBRARY FOR THE CLASSES, AND THEN THEY DISCOVER THE LIBRARY AS A RESOURCE FOR THEIR KIDS FOR, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WOULD BE OPEN. IT'S JUST A YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S WHOLE SWATHS OF TOWN ON THIS LIST THAT ARE NOT COVERED, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE LIBRARIES ARE LOCATED IN AFFLUENT AREAS, AND SO THEY WOULDN'T FIT. RIGHT, AND SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AFFLUENT, WHO DO LIVE IN NORTH DALLAS, HAVE NO ACCESS TO ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS UNLESS THEY DRIVE A BIT, IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS CORRECTLY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'D LIKE YOU TO REALLY LOOK AT. SO WHETHER IT'S, AGAIN, THE INSTRUCTOR COMING TO A CITY OWNED FACILITY SO IT WOULDN'T COST YOU ANYTHING IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS WHICH WE HAVE OR SOMETHING ELSE, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE REALLY TO LOOK AT THAT. THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE, IF I MAY, MR. CHAIR, IS IS THERE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER ANY LAY LED CLASSES OR IS EVERYTHING DONE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, BY PROFESSIONALLY CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS? NO, ACTUALLY WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS THAT HELP US LEAD OUR CLASSES. OUR PROGRAM STARTED AS LED BY VOLUNTEERS. SO WE DEPEND ON VOLUNTEERS. WE DO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES BECAUSE VOLUNTEERS, NOT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS THE LUXURY TO HAVE TIME TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TIME TO VOLUNTEER, BUT WE ARE ALWAYS ACCEPTING VOLUNTEERS, ALWAYS TRAINING. YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INVERSE PROBLEM, ISN'T IT? RIGHT. IT'S AN INVERSE PROBLEM. SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO LOOK AT STRUCTURALLY TO SEE WHERE THERE'S HOW WE CAN MEET SOME OF THOSE NEEDS. THANK YOU, AND I MAY JUST ADD THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO SEE IF WE CAN HARNESS SOME STUDENTS VOLUNTEERING. SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TROUBLE BEING CONSISTENT, BUT WE THINK THAT COULD BE A GOOD SOURCE FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'D CERTAINLY BE A GOOD CLASS CREDIT PROGRAM. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR RESENDEZ. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'D JUST LIKE TO BEGIN BY ECHOING THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE JUST A SECOND AGO ABOUT THE VALUE OF THIS WORK. I'M AND I ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY WITH REGARDS TO FUNDING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY I, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GREAT TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO BROADEN THE IMPACT OF THESE INITIATIVES AND ONE QUESTION I DID HAVE IS WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ADULT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE LIBRARY, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT TRADITIONALLY ENGAGE WITH THE LIBRARY SYSTEM? SURE. SO WE I MEAN, PART OF OUR WE HAVE THREE SEMESTERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND PART OF WHAT OUR INSTRUCTORS AND OUR VOLUNTEERS DO IS TO DO VERY TARGETED OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITIES. WE LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHICS, WE LOOK AT BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHICS. WE GO TO BUSINESSES WHERE THAT MIGHT EMPLOY FOLKS THAT NEED THESE SERVICES. EVEN INTERNALLY IN THE CITY, WE'VE GONE TO DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE A LOT OF STAFF THAT MIGHT BE LACKING A HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIAL OR MIGHT BE LOOKING TO LEARN ENGLISH. SO WE REALLY TRY TO REACH OUT TO PLACES WHERE THE LIBRARY ISN'T. I'M ASSUMING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND EMAIL BLASTS OR YOU KNOW. [01:00:05] YEAH, WE'VE USED OUR PRIVATE FUNDING TO DO SOME TARGETED SOCIAL MEDIA ADS TO DEMOGRAPHICS WE THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE CLASS, AND THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL, PARTICULARLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. NICE. MAYBE REACHING OUT TO SPANISH MEDIA COULD HELP AS WELL, OR MEDIA IN GENERAL. THE SPANISH MEDIA DOES HELP US QUITE A BIT. WE HAVE STAFF THAT GO ON UNIVISION AND TELEMUNDO QUITE A BIT. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL. WELL DOVETAILING ON THE VICE CHAIR'S COMMENTS, I THINK WHAT YOU DO IN ADULT LEARNING SHOULD BE SHOUTED FROM THE ROOFTOPS, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU AREN'T ALREADY. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING WITH THE COMMS OFFICE TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT YOUR PROGRAMS? YES, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH WITH THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT. WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE PRESS RELEASES. WE ACTUALLY THIS PAST YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME THROUGH AGAIN THROUGH PRIVATE FUNDING, HAD BUS ADS FOR OUR PROGRAMS, WHICH WERE REALLY EFFECTIVE IN GETTING THE WORD OUT AS WELL. GREAT. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PROVIDING NOTICES OF CLASSES STARTING UP TO THE COUNCIL OFFICES, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR E-NEWSLETTERS? WE WILL ABSOLUTELY DO THAT. GREAT. I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT AND WOULD PUT THAT IN MY NEWSLETTER. HOPEFULLY OTHERS WILL AS WELL. DO YOU CHARGE ANY FEES TO THE STUDENTS IN ANY OF YOUR PROGRAMS? NO, WE DO NOT. OKAY. I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED IN YOUR PUBLICITY ABOUT THESE COURSES, SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE ARE JUST FEW BARRIERS TO ENTRY. YES, SIR. WE MAKE SURE THAT THE WORD FREE IS USED MANY TIMES IN OUR LITERATURE. FREE IS GOOD. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, YES, MR. GRACEY. YES. I WAS LOOKING AT THAT LIST ON SLIDE. I THINK IT'S SLIDE 15, AND JUST QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CITIZENSHIP, THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE CITIZENSHIP TRAINING, PARTICULARLY IN ARCADIA PARK AND THE HAMPTON, ILLINOIS LIBRARY. IS IT THAT IT WAS THERE AND IT JUST WASN'T AN INTEREST OR IT JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW WAS IT DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE CLASSES ARE OFFERED? WE DO IT PARTLY BY DEMOGRAPHIC. WE ALSO GENERALLY. THE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR ENGLISH CLASSES GIVE US A GOOD WINDOW INTO WHO IS GETTING READY TO TAKE WHERE WE HAVE POCKETS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GETTING READY TO TAKE THE CITIZENSHIP TEST, AND SO WE HAVE HAD IT AT ARCADIA PARK, WE OUR CITIZENSHIP CLASSES, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CAPACITY TO TEACH THOSE. WE TEND TO MOVE THEM AROUND IN THE CITY AS WE FIND AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING READY FOR THE TEST. OKAY. WELL, I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THERE. I KNOW I SHARED ARCADIA PARK WITH COUNCILMEMBER NARVAEZ IN HAMPTON, ILLINOIS WITH COUNCILWOMAN ARNOLD, AND THOSE ARE BOTH HIGHLY HISPANIC AREAS, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS YOU KNOW, IT ROTATES, THAT THOSE TWO AREAS GET INCLUDED IN THAT, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK, AND YOU MAY HAVE SAID THIS, DO COLLEGES IN THE DISD, DO THEY OFFER SIMILAR PROGRAMS TO WHERE LIKE, I'M JUDGING THIS LIST RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DON'T SEE CITIZENSHIP FOR ARCADIA PARK, BUT IT MAY BE THAT MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGE IS OFFERING SOMETHING SIMILAR. IS THAT THE CASE? SO DALLAS COLLEGE DOES PROVIDE GED CLASSES AND ENGLISH CLASSES. I'M NOT AWARE THAT THEY PROVIDE CITIZENSHIP CLASSES. UNT DALLAS DOES OFFER SOME CITIZENSHIP CLASSES. THE ISD NO LONGER PROVIDES THOSE ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES, THOUGH. OKAY, JUST GOING BACK TO THAT COMMENT ABOUT THEM JUST BEING IN THE LIBRARY, JUST THINKING ABOUT ARE THERE OTHER PARTNERS THAT DO THAT? YOU FILL IN THESE GAPS, I GUESS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. SO ONE FURTHER THOUGHT. IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME THAT YOUR EFFORTS AT ADULT LEARNING HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT IN THAT PEOPLE WHO OBTAIN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA NOW WILL QUALIFY TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND ULTIMATELY GET BETTER EMPLOYMENT. IS THERE ANY EFFORT TO TRY TO QUANTIFY THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF YOUR PROGRAMS, PERHAPS THROUGH THE DATA ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT? THERE IS EFFORT, YES. BECAUSE OUR PROGRAMS DO NOT REQUIRE A LOT OF UPFRONT REGISTRATION DATA, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO TRACK STUDENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, WITH OUR GED PROGRAM, WE'RE NOT CONSIDERED AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, AND SO WHEN STUDENTS TAKE THE TEST, [01:05:10] WE DON'T AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE THOSE RESULTS. THIS IS ALSO A POPULATION THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, THEY MIGHT CHANGE THEIR PHONE NUMBER FAIRLY REGULARLY, THEY MIGHT MOVE. SO FOLLOWING UP IS FAIRLY DIFFICULT, BUT WE ARE MAKING EFFORTS TO DO MORE OF THAT. WE HAVE GOTTEN SPECIAL COMPENSATION FROM THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO OPT IN TO SENDING US THEIR TEST RESULTS. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE GED TEST, BUT THAT REQUIRES THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO DO IT, AND ALSO TO REMEMBER TO DO IT IN A PROCESS WHERE THEY MAY NOT HAVE THEY MAY NOT HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS AND SO IT IS A FAIRLY HIGH ASK, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY TO QUANTIFY THE IMPACT. WELL, IF YOU NEED THE STUDENT'S CONSENT TO RELEASING THAT DATA TO YOU, PERHAPS WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION JUST ANONYMOUSLY. ONCE THEY DO PASS THE TESTS, PERHAPS YOU JUST PASS OUT A FORUM AT THE LAST DAY OF THE CLASS AND ASKED THEM TO SIGN IT, ALLOWING THEIR RESULTS ANONYMIZED, TO BE TRANSFERRED TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN QUANTIFY THE ECONOMIC IMPACT HERE. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? WE ARE EXPLORING EVERY AVENUE. WE DO TRY TO FOLLOW UP WITH STUDENTS THE RELEASING OF THE SCORES. IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR THE TEST. SO THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ON OUR. THIS IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, IS THAT THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ON OUR SIDE TO SORT OF PREEMPT THAT CHOICE WHEN PEOPLE ARE REGISTERING, WHEN WE GIVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS, WE DO ASK THAT THEY ALLOW US TO ACCESS TO THE SCORES. WE WALK THEM THROUGH HOW TO REGISTER, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS A COMPLICATED, VERY STRESSFUL PROCESS FOR PEOPLE. SO NOT EVERY STUDENT, EVEN EVEN WELL-INTENTIONED STUDENTS THAT WOULD GIVE US PERMISSION, DON'T ALWAYS CHECK THE TECHNICAL BOX THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE SCORES. WELL, I WOULD THINK, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE BEING AWARDED, THAT OUGHT TO BE A REQUIREMENT TO QUALIFY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP, AND THAT SHOULD CERTAINLY MOTIVATE THEM TO ALLOW THE RELEASE OF THEIR SCORES TO YOU. JUST A THOUGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY, HEATHER. OUR NEXT ITEMS ARE BRIEFING MEMOS STARTING WITH C. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEMO ON THE SALMON CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOR MISS ELISE? SEEING NONE, LET'S MOVE ON TO D. THE AMENDMENT TO THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE TO ALIGN WITH TEXAS SENATE BILL 929 IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. I THINK THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS ON THIS. SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? MISS SCHULTZ, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU. I HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS. THE FIRST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS HOW DOES THIS IMPACT PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALL THAT ARE CURRENTLY NON-CONFORMING? MY NAME IS EMILY LIU, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. TODAY I HAVE HERE WITH SARAH MAY, WHO IS A CASE MANAGER HANDLING THIS ISSUE AND ALSO HAVE CASEY NEXT TO ME. SO THE THREE OF US, ONE OF US WILL ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A LEGAL QUESTION. CASEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER THAT ONE? YES. SB 929 REALLY HAS NO EFFECT ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY NON-CONFORMING. THEY CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE JUST LIKE THEY ALWAYS HAVE. REALLY, WHERE SB 929 WOULD KICK IN WOULD BE IF THE CITY WERE TO TRY TO SHUT ONE OF THOSE DOWN. WELL, SO THEN ABSOLUTELY IT DOES, AND SO THE QUESTION THEN IS SO IT'S REALLY ALL PROPERTIES THAT ARE NON-CONFORMING, WHETHER IT'S CURRENT OR FUTURE. RIGHT. CORRECT. CORRECT. OKAY. SO THEN IN THAT CASE, DO WE HAVE A LIST OF THE CURRENTLY NON-CONFORMING PROPERTIES SO THAT WE CAN BE ON ALERT FOR ANY CHANGES? [01:10:03] I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A LIST. SOMETIME YOU MAKE A TEXT AMENDMENT THAT ALONE COULD, YOU KNOW, TRIGGER A NON-CONFORMING USE, BUT WE DID HAVE THIS DATA. I JUST WANT TO GIVE IT TO YOU FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS. THERE ARE 18 CASES THAT WAS INITIATED WITH A COMPLIANCE DATE WHICH CAN BE RELEVANT TO THIS, MEANING YOU NEED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE AT A CERTAIN DATE. OF THOSE 18, NINE HAVE BEEN APPROVED WITH THE COMPLIANCE DATE. TWO IS EITHER A WITHDRAWAL OR NO ACTIVITY, SEVEN HAS BEEN DENIED, BUT IN TERMS OF HOW MANY EXACTLY NONCONFORMING USE OUT THERE, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE LIKE WHAT YOU CREATE A TEXT AMENDMENT THAT CAN TRIGGER WELL EVEN OF THE CURRENT. SO LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THIS. OF THE 18 THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS TO SAY YOU NEED TO EITHER SHUT DOWN OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? YOU'RE SAYING YES AT A CERTAIN DATE. RIGHT. SO COULD CAN WE GET AN UPDATE MEMO THEN SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THOSE PROPERTIES ON US BECAUSE OUR MY UNDERSTANDING OF SINCE WE ALREADY THEN INITIATED THAT SHUTDOWN. RIGHT. THEN WE HAVE TO WE BY STATE LAW, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THEN FOR THOSE THOSE ALREADY APPROVED. RIGHT. THOSE 18 WERE BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2005 AND 2024. SO IT WAS, AND REALLY WHAT I'M CONFUSED. THE LAST ONE WAS 2021. SO ALL THOSE PRECEDED THE STATE BILL. THAT SAID WE HAVE TO OFFER COMPENSATION IF WE SET A COMPLIANCE. SO SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY NOW, DO WE HAVE ANY NOW THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY LIABLE FOR. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CURRENT APPLICATIONS. OKAY. SO NOW LET'S GO INTO THE APPLICATION THING FOR A SECOND, AND THAT IS COULD YOU PLEASE JUST THIS IS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE PAYOUT REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE PAYOUT REQUIREMENTS. HAS THIS BILL YET BEEN TESTED IN COURT, SB 929? IT HAS NOT. ONE THING I WILL SAY IS MOST CITIES IN TEXAS DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE AN AMORTIZATION PROCESS. IT IS A RARITY IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW. SO WHAT DO THEY DO WHEN THERE'S SOMEBODY DOING WHAT SHOULDN'T BE DONE ON A PROPERTY? WELL, I CAN SPEAK FOR SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH. THEY USUALLY IF YOU CREATE A NON-CONFORMING THROUGH EITHER TEXT AMENDMENT SAYING A LIMITED USE IN THE COMMERCIAL ZONING OR INDUSTRIAL OR THROUGH REZONING PROCESS, THE MAP AMENDMENT TEXT AMENDMENT. EITHER WAY, MOST CITIES ALLOW THEM NON-CONFORMING IN EXISTENCE FOR IN PERPETUITY. THERE ARE SOME CITIES HAVE AMORTIZATION. SO DALLAS IS PRETTY UNIQUE. SO IN THE PAST YOU ALLOW THAT, BUT THIS STATE LAW BASICALLY SAY IF YOU IN THE FUTURE YOU WANT TO DO THE AMORTIZATION OR SET A COMPLIANCE DATE, THE CITY HAS TO PAY. SO THEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN THESE OTHER CITIES, IF YOU'RE A NON-CONFORMING USE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU GET TO KEEP DOING THAT FOREVER. OR IF YOU MAKE THE CHANGES LIKE WE HAVE IN OUR CODE, IF YOU CHANGE IT IN ANY WAY, THEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOW IT'S A NUMBER OF WAYS. ONE, IF YOU CEASE OPERATION FOR A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS, THEN YOU LOSE THAT NONCONFORMING USE. OR IF YOU INTENTIONALLY DESTROY THE NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE, USE IT, BUT NATURAL CAUSES ARE EXEMPT, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING ANYTHING THAT OCCURRED IN THE NATURAL SETTING, YOU KNOW, FIRE OR HURRICANE, THINGS LIKE THAT. THEN YOU CAN BE ALLOWED TO REBUILD. YEAH. NO, I'M ASKING SO IN THESE OTHER CITIES THAT DON'T HAVE AMORTIZATION. SO IF SOMEBODY IS AN EXTREME POLLUTER, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY GET TO KEEP DOING IT FOREVER. WELL, THOSE ARE YOU MAY HAVE OTHER LAWS TO REGULATE THAT, AND THEY COULD BE A NUISANCE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. SO BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT CORRECT. WE DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S POLLUTING. IF WE WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO AMORTIZATION IN DALLAS, WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM SB 929 BUT SOMEBODY IS A NUISANCE. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IS AN EXTREME POLLUTER. ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING? IS THERE ANY PROTECTION AT ALL FOR THE RESIDENTS? SO BURT VANDENBERG WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE DO HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STORMWATER LAWS, AND THERE'S TCEQ AND EPA REGULATIONS IF IT IS SEVERE ENOUGH. [01:15:06] SO THEN THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ENACTED THROUGH OUR OWN CCAP OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EFFORTS. WE'RE NOT ALLOWED. WE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENFORCE THOSE. IS THAT CORRECT? IF IT DOESN'T. I'M SAYING IF IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY EXCEED EPA, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOT AN IMPACT BECAUSE OF OUR AIR QUALITY MONITORS OR WATER OR WHATEVER IT IS. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR CASE. I'M JUST ASKING IN GENERAL IN OUR. BECAUSE WE HAVE FANTASTIC EFFORTS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THAT WE'VE ADOPTED AS A COUNCIL. SO WOULD THOSE, AND IF THOSE MAY EXCEED THOSE, RIGHT, THOSE REQUIREMENTS MAY EXCEED WHAT MAY BE FEDERAL OR STATE STANDARDS. SO HOW DO WE THEN PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS IF WE CAN'T AMORTIZE SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN THAT, YOU KNOW, RANGE? I THINK ON EACH ONE OF THOSE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A CASE BY CASE BASIS WHERE WE WOULD WORK WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND OUR OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TO SEE WHAT STEPS WE COULD TAKE. I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE WRONG THING. OKAY, SO I'M JUST GOING TO SWITCH OVER, IF I MAY. MR. CHAIR, I THINK I'M ASKING QUESTIONS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING, SO, AND THAT IS OKAY. SO NOW LET'S JUST TALK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. RIGHT. SO TELL ME HOW REMOVING, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION, YOU'RE REMOVING THE RESIDENT FILING. HOW DOES THAT PROTECT THE CITY? WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE ORIGINAL VERSION THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD ONLY HAD COUNCIL, COMMITTEE OR COUNCIL BEING ABLE TO MAKE APPLICATION TO DO AMORTIZATION AND COMPLIANCE HEARINGS. SO WHEN IT WAS COMING OUT OF [INAUDIBLE], THEY DID ASK US TO PLEASE INCLUDE A RESIDENT FACET. WE ADDED THAT BACK IN ALLOWING THEM TO DO IT, BUT WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS FUNDING. WE CAN'T JUST BECAUSE BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY, WE'RE POTENTIALLY A LOT OF MONEY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WINDOW IS IS PRETTY BIG THE WAY THEY REDESIGNED THE PAYOUT SYSTEM. WHEN WE GOT TO CITY PLAN COMMISSION, THE SORT OF THE OVERRIDING VIEW OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION, AND IT WAS IT WAS KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD WAS THAT COST REQUIREMENT WAS A POISON PILL AND HAD HAD ESSENTIALLY ENDED AMORTIZATION IN TEXAS. THEY REMOVED THE RESIDENT ONLY REQUIREMENT. SO WE BELIEVE REMOVING THAT TAKES OUT THE UNCERTAINTY. YOU HAVE A LOT OF THERE'S NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S THE PUBLIC WILL COME IN THINKING THAT THEY CAN DO THIS AND THEN WE WILL HAVE AN APPLICATION SAY JUST SORT OF HANGING IN THE BALANCE, RIGHT, TO SEE IF IT GETS FUNDED, BUT THEN THERE'S SOME UNCERTAINTY OF IF THERE'S FUNDING, WHICH APPLICATION GOES FORWARD. IF WE HAVE A BUNCH OF SMALL ONES, SHOULD THOSE GET DONE VERSUS ONE BIG ONE? THERE WAS TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY. WE FIGURED WE FELT THAT IF WE ALLOWED COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT DECISION, THEY COULD ALSO TAKE CARE OF THE FUNDING THROUGH THE MID-YEAR APPROPRIATIONS OR THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS TO MAKE A FUND FOR IT. WE DID TALK TO THE BUDGET FOLKS, AND THEY SAID WE WOULD MAKE A SPECIAL FUND TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT IT GOT VERY CONFUSING FOR A WHILE. WELL, WHAT IT DOES, AND I THINK, MR. CHAIR, IF I MAY, AND IF THERE'S CONSENSUS FROM THE COMMITTEE, IT'S I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE BRIEFED TO COUNCIL. IT'S IT'S GOING TO IMPACT ALL OF US, AND THE DECISIONS ULTIMATELY ARE GOING TO COME THROUGH, AS YOU MENTIONED, WHETHER IT'S BUDGET OR POLICY, AND SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED, YOU KNOW, WE CAN YOU KNOW, I CAN KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS ALL DAY LONG ON THIS, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE SAME QUESTIONS WILL GET ASKED AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL. CLEARLY, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER WEST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHERS THAT MAY WANT TO DO THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO END THIS BRIEFING. ON THE OTHER HAND, I HAVE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS. IT'S NOT FAIR TO MY COLLEAGUES. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND, IF WE MAY, THAT WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS GETS BRIEFED TO FULL COUNCIL. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MISS BLACKMON, YES, I AGREE, IT'S FIVE PAGES AND IT'S PRETTY MEATY STUFF, AND I UNDERSTAND IT ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I NEED TO ASK MORE AND DEEPER QUESTIONS AFTER. IT'S BEEN A THOUGHTFUL PROCESS OF DISCUSSION, AND SO I WOULD APPRECIATE COMING TO A FULL COUNCIL, NOT A COMMITTEE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S AND I MEAN, MAYBE EVEN SCHEDULING IT FOR AN EXECUTIVE TO GO IN THE BACK TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION. SO THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS ON THIS. SO BUT I DO THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING IT, AND AGAIN, IF IT'S FIVE PAGES IN A MEMO, IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE A BRIEFING. MR. GRACEY. I WAS JUST GOING TO CONCUR, AND WHEN IT COMES TO COMES BACK TO COUNCIL, I THINK HAVING, YOU KNOW, A HOUSING DEPARTMENT ARE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, ALL OF THOSE [01:20:04] FOLKS THERE BECAUSE THERE'S A CAUSE AND EFFECT TO THIS THAT HAS PRODUCED A MILLION QUESTIONS FOR ME AS WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND YOU HAVE THESE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES WHO MAY NOT BE YOU KNOW, GREAT NEIGHBORS AND THINGS NEED TO BE DONE. SO IT'S I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO CONFLICT WITH A LOT OF OUR POLICIES. SO I THINK HAVING THOSE FOLKS THERE WOULD REALLY HELP IN THIS DISCUSSION. MR. WEST, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REMAINING. I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SCOPE OF THIS SB 929 AND ILLEGAL NONCONFORMING USES, WHICH IN MY UNDERSTANDING, WOULD NOT BE GOVERNED BY THIS NEW BILL, AND IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THOSE TWO, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. FOR THE RECORD. ALL NONCONFORMING. A NONCONFORMING USE IS, BY DEFINITION, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL USE IS JUST THAT, AN ILLEGAL USE, AND WE WOULD GO AFTER THEM AS AN ILLEGAL LAND USE, BUT A NONCONFORMING USE IS WAS LEGAL AT THE TIME IT CAME INTO EXISTENCE, CONTINUES TO BE LEGAL, AND THEY ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE. SO IF SOMEONE OPENS A CAR REPAIR SHOP IN A RESIDENTIAL ZONE WITH NO PREEXISTING RIGHTS TO THAT USE, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ILLEGAL NONCONFORMING USE SUBJECT TO ABATEMENT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WOULD JUST BE CONSIDERED A STRAIGHT ILLEGAL USE. AGAIN, NONCONFORMING IMPLIES THAT IT IS A LEGAL USE. IT IS JUST AN ILLEGAL LAND USE. OKAY, AND THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO ABATEMENT NOTWITHSTANDING SB 929. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO IS WAS YOUR READING OF THE PLAN COMMISSION'S DECISION NOT TO INCLUDE A RESIDENTIAL APPLICATION PROCESS BASED SOLELY UPON THE ALLOCATION OF CITY FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF AMORTIZATION AND HOW THAT WOULD OCCUR? OR WERE THERE OTHER REASONS? I WOULD I WOULD SAY THAT A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS. SO IF CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS ANYWAY WITH ANY APPLICATIONS INITIATED BY THE CITY, WHY WOULD THAT BE AN IMPEDIMENT TO DO THE SAME PROCESS WITH NEIGHBOR INITIATED APPLICATIONS? AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHICH APPLICATIONS WOULD BE THE ONES THAT ARE FUNDED. IF A LUMP SUM IS PUT INTO A WHAT WE'LL CALL THE AMORTIZATION FUND, WHICH IF THERE'S ONLY 20 MILLION AND OF THE USES MAY COST UPWARDS OF 100 MILLION, AND YOU HAVE THREE SMALL USES THAT MAY EACH BE 5 MILLION, WHICH ACTUALLY GETS DONE. IS IT THE ONE THAT CAME FIRST IN TIME? DO THEY JUST HOLD ON UNTIL THE 120 IS FUNDED? I JUST THINK IT CREATED A LOT OF CONFUSION. OKAY, WELL, PERHAPS THAT CAN BE RESOLVED AT A FULL COUNCIL BRIEFING. I HAVE RECEIVED COMMUNICATIONS FROM TWO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING FOR A NEIGHBOR APPLICATION PROCESS. ADVOCATES FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION AND DOWNWINDERS AT RISK. SO THERE IS CLEARLY INTEREST IN THAT FROM OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE FULL COUNCIL NEEDS TO CONSIDER. SO DID YOU WAS STAFF LOOKING FOR ANY PARTICULAR ACTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON THIS ISSUE? I THINK WE WILL WAIT FOR BRIEFING. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE STAFF, BUT I THINK WE'LL WAIT TO GO TO THE BRIEFING AND SEE. I THINK WE'VE HEARD THAT YOU GUYS WANT IT TO BE HEARD BY THE FULL COUNCIL. YES. THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM, SO WE CAN'T TAKE A VOTE ON THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S CLEARLY THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMITTEE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR BRIEFING ON THIS. OH, WAIT A MINUTE. CAN WE RECOMMEND THAT MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL? WELL, WE CAN'T MAKE A MOTION BECAUSE IT'S NOT LISTED AS AN ACTION ITEM, BUT I THINK IT'S A RECOMMENDATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK THEY'VE HEARD US THAT THIS IS THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM IS E, WHICH IS THE OAK CLIFF CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION PLANNING STATUS UPDATE. DID ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BRIEFING MEMO? I DO, CHAIR YES. CHAIRMAN WEST. THANK YOU. I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS VERY DISTRICT ONE SPECIFIC. [01:25:01] A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR STAFF AND OR COMMISSIONER HOLOMO AND THE FINE ARTS SOCIETY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE MAINLY WE'RE ON TRACK FOR GETTING THE TIMELINE MET FOR GETTING OUR LETTER OF INTENT IN BY JANUARY. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS, ACTUALLY GOING ON FIVE, AND REALLY, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THIS CULTURAL DISTRICT STOOD UP. SO COULD YOU GIVE ME AN INDICATION OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS AND GIVE ME SOME CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO MEET THE TIMELINE? SURE THING. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER WEST, FOR INVITING US TO BE ON THIS AGENDA FOR TODAY. THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF. LIZ LEO, MARTIN PHILIPPE, RAPHAEL TAMAYO. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE AND ENCOURAGING. WE ARE ON TRACK TO GET OUR LETTER OF INTENT SUBMITTED BY JANUARY 30TH TO 2025. IN FACT, WE SHOULD BE SEEING A DRAFT AND PRESENTING IT TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER WEST NEXT WEEK. FINGERS CROSSED, AND THEN WE INTEND TO FILE THE APPLICATION BY JUNE 15TH, 2025. OKAY. WHEN ARE THE WHEN ARE THE CULTURAL DISTRICT TASK FORCE GROUPS? WHEN ARE YOU GUYS MEETING REGULARLY? IF SO, WHEN ARE YOU MEETING AND WHERE IS THIS INFORMATION POSTED? SURE THING. SO WE HAVE A WEBSITE A VERY SIMPLE WEBSITE. RIGHT NOW OAK CLIFF CULTURAL DISTRICT. ORG. WE HOLD OUR MEETINGS EVERY TWO WEEKS. WE ALTERNATE BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. DONNA MILLER SERVES AS OUR SECRETARY AND I HAPPEN TO SERVE AS THE TREASURER. WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS. THE TASK FORCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND WE GET TOGETHER WITH THEM EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. SO NOVEMBER 19TH AT 6 P.M., WE HAVE OUR NEXT TASK FORCE MEETING. WE HAVE ADDED A ZOOM ELEMENT TO IT SO THAT THOSE WHO CAN'T MAKE IT, THEY CAN CALL IN FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE AND THOSE ARE OPEN. ALL RIGHT. SO AND HOW ARE WE GETTING THE WORD OUT TO EVERYONE ABOUT THESE MEETINGS. HOW ARE WE COMMUNICATING WITH LIKE THE GENERAL ARTS COMMUNITY IN OAK CLIFF. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY TACTIC TO WE HAVE NOT EMPLOYED ANY TACTIC THUS FAR TO GET THE GENERAL PUBLIC. HOWEVER, AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WE JUST PRESENTED AT THE OAK CLIFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUNCH AND LEARN LAST THURSDAY, AND WE GOT A COUPLE OF MORE POTENTIAL TASK FORCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS OUT OF THAT. SO THAT'S HOW IT HAPPENS. IT'S WORD OF MOUTH. IT'S PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO, BUT IF WE CAN MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN HOW MAYBE WE CAN EMPLOY NEXT DOOR, ADVOCATE OTHER TOOLS TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THESE MEETINGS, AND THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL ADD, THANKS TO DONNA MILLER'S SUGGESTION, WE MEET AT THE TURNER HOUSE. WE SOMETIMES MEET AT THE OAK CLIFF CULTURAL CENTER, AND SOMETIMES WE MEET AT KIDD SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER. ALL RIGHT. IF WE'RE IF THIS IF YOU'RE ULTIMATELY SELECTED AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT, WHEN CAN FUNDING START GETTING RECEIVED? HOW DOES WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THAT? SO WE HAVE NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THIS YET, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WE HAVE BEEN GRANTED A $5,000 GRANT FROM GAYLE HALPERIN, THE JAMES AND GAYLE HALPERIN FOUNDATION, AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVEN'T MADE THIS PUBLIC YET, BUT WE INTEND TO TURN THAT INTO A MATCHING GRANT, AND WE HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF SERVICES IN-KIND, INCLUDING ATTORNEY ROBIN MINNICK, WHO HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND HELPFUL IN GETTING ALL OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PAPERWORK IN ORDER. WHAT ABOUT IF YOU'RE SELECTED BY THE STATE, THOUGH, THEN WHAT HAPPENS AND TIMELINE IN THAT PROCESS? HOW WILL THAT WORK? RIGHT. OKAY. SO THAT IS A PROCESS WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO SUBMIT GRANT LETTER OF SUPPORT AS THE OAK CLIFF SOCIETY OF FINE ARTS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS MIGHT BE NEW TO YOU COMMITTEE MEMBERS. COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE NEEDED A MANAGEMENT ENTITY GROUP TO HELP US WITH OUR APPLICATION. WE COULD NOT APPLY AS A NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATION OR A FLEDGLING NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATION. WE HAD TO DEMONSTRATE REVENUE OF $50,000 FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. PUBLISHED ON OUR NINE 90S. SO WE REACHED OUT TO THE OAK CLIFF SOCIETY OF FINE ARTS, AND THEY HAVE BECOME OUR MANAGEMENT ENTITY. WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THEM. WHEN IT IS TIME FOR TCA GRANTS. OCSFA, OAK CLIFF SOCIETY NEEDS TO SUBMIT A LETTER SAYING THAT NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH ARE QUALIFYING NONPROFIT ARTS [01:30:10] ORGANIZATIONS, AND I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH, BECAUSE WE MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR FOOTPRINT, BUT THEY MUST BE QUALIFYING ACCORDING TO HOW TCA IDENTIFIES AND ESTABLISHES THEM. SO THEN, FOR EXAMPLE, BISHOP ARTS THEATER, THEY WANT TO APPLY FOR A TEXAS COMMISSION OF THE ARTS CULTURAL DISTRICT FUNDING EITHER FOR A SEASON OF PROGRAMING OR FOR THEIR BUILDING. THEN OCSFA WILL WRITE A LETTER SAYING THAT THEY ARE A MEMBER IN OUR FOOTPRINT. GOOD STANDING AND WE SUPPORT THEM. THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR THE DEEP ELLUM FOUNDATION DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT, AND IT HAPPENS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT, I APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. NEXT ITEM OF THE AGENDA IS F SECOND OF TWO ONE YEAR RENEWAL OPTIONS FOR THE SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH THE SENIOR CITIZENS OF GREATER DALLAS, INC.. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THIS ITEM? YES, MISS SCHULTZ, I JUST HAVE A VERY QUICK ONE, IF I MAY, MISS GALLESHAW, AND AS ALWAYS, I CONGRATULATE YOU. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU MANAGE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, BECAUSE YOU MAKE OUR CITY SO MUCH BETTER FOR SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. QUICK QUESTION. THIS IS ONLY FOR NURSING HOMES, IS THAT CORRECT? THIS IS FOR NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES AND ASSISTED LIVING. OKAY, AND THEN ALSO, DO YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR THIS? BECAUSE THIS IS OUR, YOU KNOW, SECOND RENEWAL, ASSET RENEWAL. SO WILL WE THEN HAVE TO OPEN IT BACK UP OR HOW DOES IT WORK CONTRACT WISE? ARE THERE NOW OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW SENIOR I KNOW SENIOR CITIZENS OF GREATER DALLAS. THAT'S A SENIOR SOURCE, RIGHT? YES, YES. SO SENIOR SOURCE IS YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OF COURSE THE BEST BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO COULD DO THIS KIND OF WORK. SO I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO DEEP INTO THE POTENTIAL FOR WHAT A PROCUREMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE THERE WITHOUT DOING RESEARCH, BUT I WILL SPEAK TO PREVIOUS ONES. IN THE PAST, WE HAVE ADVANCED ON A SOLE SOURCE PROCESS FOR THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT DUE TO SOME LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS OR ENABLES SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENTS FOR WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL ENTITY HAS SOME SORT OF AUTHORIZED TASK BY STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. SO IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE THE SENIOR SOURCE IS THE DESIGNATED OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM FOR THIS COMMUNITY BY HHSC AT THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PROVIDE OMBUDSMAN SERVICE, AND I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER PROGRAM THAT DOES THAT. SPECIFICALLY. I CANNOT SAY THAT I'M AWARE OF ANY OTHER PROGRAM THAT DOES THOSE TYPES OF SAFETY FOCUSED VISITS, EITHER. HOWEVER, WE WOULD ULTIMATELY TAKE STEPS TO KIND OF RESEARCH AND REVIEW THAT ANY TIME WE WOULD NEED TO MOVE INTO A NEW CONTRACT TERM. THANK YOU. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY IN WORKING WITH SENIORS, IS THAT BUILDING OF TRUST IN THAT RELATIONSHIP IN ORDER TO BE AN EFFECTIVE OMBUDSMAN, YOU KNOW, IN THESE SETTINGS, BECAUSE IT'S A REAL POWER IMBALANCE BETWEEN WHERE YOU'RE LIVING AND YOU, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND SO I THINK THAT WHEN WE DO THE NEXT ROUND OF PROCUREMENT, I THINK THAT ELEMENT SHOULD BE PART OF THE REQUEST THAT WE ASK IS, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? SO THAT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH HAVE THAT LEVEL OF TRUST WITH YOU? SO I WOULD HATE TO SEE ANY OF THAT BE JEOPARDIZED. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE ON THE COMMITTEE SEEING NO ONE? I HAVE A QUESTION, MISS GALLESHAW, ABOUT THE INCREASE IN FUNDING BY $150,000 IN AN EXERCISE OF BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY SUCH A LARGE INCREASE 50% INCREASE? WELL, SO THAT INCREASE JUST REFLECTS THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE YEAR. IT APPEARS THAT WAY IN THE WAY THAT THE AGENDA IS DRAFTED, BECAUSE THIS CONTRACT WAS AUTHORIZED WITH EACH YEAR INDEPENDENTLY, WHEREAS TYPICALLY CONTRACTS WITH RENEWAL ARE AUTHORIZED AT THEIR TOTAL AMOUNT AT ONCE AND THEN RENEWED VIA ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION OR OTHER TASKS. SO IN THIS CASE IT WAS 150 THE FIRST YEAR, 150 THE SECOND YEAR, AND IS 150 THE THIRD YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE AUTHORIZING THE THIRD YEAR. OH, OKAY. SO THERE'S NO REAL INCREASE, NO ALLOCATION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THAT IS THE ANNUAL BUDGET AND THE ANNUAL CONTRACTED AMOUNT FOR THE PROGRAM. [01:35:02] OKAY. WELL, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. IT'S VERY NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF OUR CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN NURSING HOMES OR ASSISTED LIVING. SO I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE RENEWING THIS AND THAT THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE, MISS GALLESHAW. THAT CONCLUDES OUR BRIEFING MEMOS. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FORECAST FOR UPCOMING MEETINGS? SEEING NONE. THIS COMMITTEE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:40 A.M.. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.