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[Dallas Park and Recreation Board on November 21, 2024.]
IT IS 10:00 AM AND WE CONVENE OUR DALLAS PARK AND RECREATIONS BOARD.WITH THAT, OUR FIRST POINT OF BUSINESS, UH,
ALL PEOPLE SAY I MOTION LAUGHTER.
ANY DISCUSSION, PLEASE, WITH NO DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
A DESIGN EXCITING, UH, BRIEFING MR.
SHOULD WE GO? OH, THERE YOU GO.
YOU CAN THINK IT BE THIS FAST, RIGHT, MR.
WE'LL MEET APOLOGIES FOR THE PRODUCT.
UH,
SHE WILL INTRODUCE SOME OTHER BOARD MEMBERS IF SHE HAS WITH HER TODAY AND PROVIDE.
WE SAY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LITTLE UPDATE TO THE COMMUNITY PARK, UM, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, IS CENTERPIECE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING.
EXTENS PARK, WE HAVE CREATED A COMMITTEE, UM, WITH THE BOARD OUTSIDE TO FOCUS PRETTY MUCH SOLELY, UH,
UH, I BROUGHT TWO BOARD WITH MEMBERS ASSIST IN THE DISCUSSION TO MY IMMEDIATE RIGHT WAS EITHER, A, SO MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE IN THE PAST BUILDING OF WORKS, TRANSPORTATION, THE GREEN BUILDING EXPERT, AND IS CURRENTLY A HEAD OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF
SHE IS CO-CHAIR OF FACILITIES FOR FAIR PARK, AND KNOWS OUR BUILDINGS AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENT.
UH, JASON IS OUR VICE CHAIR, AND, UM, HE IS RIGHT NOW
HE'S COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PRESIDENT AND CEO CITY, WELL KNOWN HOUSING.
HE WAS, UM, DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 40 UNDER 40 NEXT YEAR IN THE IMMEDIATE SOUTH, UH, AND DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF HOMES, UH, HISTORIC HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UH, JUST TO REMIND YOU, WE HAVE SIX MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE SIX MEMBERS OF
SO I WILL NOW TO THAT, YOU CAN JUST TELL ME NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL CLICK IT.
UH, I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL.
IT'S, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
UH, NOT ONLY AS AS VICE FIRST, BUT AS A RESIDENT OF, UH, SOUTH DALLAS, UH, FAIR PARK.
UH, I SEEN ALL DIFFERENT EVOLUTIONS OF, OF THIRD PARK WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR GROCERY STORES AND, AND FULL SERVICE GAS STATIONS.
UH, SO I'M EXCITED TO BE BACK AND BE A PART OF THE WORK, UH, AND FURTHER DEPART OUR, OUR COMMITMENT TO SEEING THE DEPART DELIVERING ON OUR PROMISE.
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A LITTLE DELAY LITTLE BIT ON THERE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THERE.ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE ABOUT OUR PROMISE IS CONTINUING ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, OUR STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AND, AND, AND OUR DEVELOP.
I THINK THAT COMMUNICATIONS IS, IS MORE IMPORTANT.
UM, JUST GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, FOLKS ARE SEEKING CLARITY, SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT.
ONE THING ABOUT CREATING A SELF COMMITTEE, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE ON AS A BOARD DIRECTLY TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE COMMUNICATION AND ALL OUR PARTNERS ARE, ARE UP TO SPEED TO TALK ABOUT FUNDING.
OUR COMMITMENT, OUR DONORS IS, IS STILL RELEVANT.
UM, AND WE'RE COMMITTED AND, AND FIGURING OUT, UH, THE GAP AND, AND, AND FIGURING OUT WHERE ADDITIONAL FUNDS ARE GONNA COME.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE DO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TO GET STARTED AND, AND COMPLETE THE WORK.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SCOPE CREEP, BEEN WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
WE ADDRESSED HEAD ON AND, UH, WE'RE GETTING AFTER THIS, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, UH, IN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PUT THE TIMELINE OUT THERE, YOU GUYS AS WELL AS THE MEDIA.
BUT STICKING TO THAT TIMELINE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THINGS HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY IN CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY, UH, WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING OUTSIDE, IT IS, I DON'T THINK THIS THING'S DRAWING ANYTHING IN WHEN WE'RE DOING A PARK OUTSIDE, BUT BEING COMMITTED AND HITTING IT HEAD ON, BECAUSE YOU GUYS KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PARKS AND DOING SOMETHING.
REVIT, REVITALIZING FAIR PARK, OUR CITY'S JEWEL FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
AND, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TIME TO GET IT RIGHT AND GET THIS DONE.
UH, THIS IS ONE THING THAT REALLY GOT ME EXCITED WHEN THIS CONSULTING HAPPENED.
UH, AS FAR AS HOW THE TEAM WAS, UH, INTENTIONAL ON WHO THEY RECEIVED.
ONE THING ABOUT IT, UH, YOU ALWAYS HEAR, YOU KNOW, FOLKS COMING IN FROM THE OUTSIDE TRYING TO TELL WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN ON THE INSIDE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL ON IN INVOLVING, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, IMMEDIATELY AROUND THE PARK.
I MEAN, AS YOU SEE ON THE SLIDES, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, WE AFTER THE SURVEYS, UM, AND 160 PLUS MEETINGS, UM, THESE ARE THE THINGS, THE ITEMS THAT COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE.
AND WE HAVE THOSE IN OUR, IN OUR DESIGN PLANS.
THERE WAS A RESET, UH, WITH OUR BOARD.
UH, WE FIGURED OUT SOME OF THE SKILLS THAT WE WERE LACKING, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO, UH, TO BE ALONGSIDE THESE TWO LADIES, UH, WITH
AND WE BROUGHT ON, UH, ADDITIONAL FOLKS IN THE FINANCE SPACES AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC AUDIT, UH, NONPROFIT WORK, UH, AT A LARGE SCALE.
UM, WE HAVE THOSE ON THE TEAM, HAVE US ATTORNEY ON THE TEAM, FORMER US ATTORNEY.
UM, SO WE BELIEVE WE HAVE THE SKILL SETS THAT WE NEED TO, TO SEE THIS THROUGH.
UM, IT'S LED WITH ALYSSA AS THE, UH, ACTING CEO RIGHT NOW.
UH, MYSELF, JASON, I'LL BE CHAIRING THE, UH, PARK SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, SHELBY, WE HAVEDO, WE HAVE JOHN.
UM, WE HAVE OUR COMMITMENT WITH, UH, DALLAS FOUNDATION.
UH, YOU GUYS BE HEARING MORE ABOUT, UM, AND OUR DESIGN TEAM.
SO, AND ALSO NEW ADDITION TO THE TEAM.
WE HAVE NORMAN, WHICH WILL BE, UH, LEADING US OUT FROM OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT SIDE.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED, UH, WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE PARK, WHICH IS NOT KNOWLEDGE OF, UH, DIFFERENT FINANCING MECHANISMS IN THE WAY MONEY FLOWS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT HE'S ACCEPTED, UH, THIS POSITION.
UM, RELATED TO THE PARK, YOU CAN SEE HERE THE REFINING PARK LAYOUT, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN THE REQUESTED AMENITIES.
AND WE'RE SHOWING HERE NOT ONLY THE TOP ROUND AMENITIES THAT JASON, UH, MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, BUT, UM, ADDITIONAL AMENITIES THAT SUPPORT, UH, BUILDINGS LIKE THE
UH, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT NO CHANGES IN THE PROPOSED AMENITIES HAVE BEEN MADE AND
UM, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE, AND THE REASON FOR THESE REFINED, UH, LAYOUT IS THE ADDITIONAL OF THE PARKING SPACES, UH, FOR US TO, UM, BE ABLE TO MEET OUR, UH, SUPPORT TO OUR PARTNERS AT THIRD PART.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE CAN SEE, UH, ANOTHER, UH, RENDERING OF THE PARK WITH ALL OF THE GREEN AREAS.
UH, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE, UH, PROVIDING THE PARKING CLOSER TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK AND LEAVING THE PARK CLOSER TO
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THE, TO THE STREET TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR VISIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY.AS, UH, ALSO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE OUR TIMELINE THAT WE'VE WORKED THROUGH.
UH, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MET THE
AND RATHER THAN STARTING OVER OF THE SAME, WE WANT JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS REFINEMENTS, MEET WITH THE TEAM AND DISCUSS THIS OPING SO THAT WE CAN GET STARTED IMMEDIATELY ON THE NEXT.
SO WE ANTICIPATE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS.
SO WE WOULD BE MOVING TOWARDS CO DOCUMENTS TOWARDS THE SPRING, UM, AND MOBILIZING AFTER THE FAIR YEAR, BUT WORKING AROUND THE FAIR, BOTH IN 25 AND 2026.
SO OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN FINISH CONSTRUCTION, UM, EITHER RIGHT BETWEEN FAIR OR RIGHT AFTER THE FAIR IN 2026, BUT SERVE THAT UNITED 2026 RELATED TO THE BUDGET.
UM, OUR, UH, BUDGET AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT NOW, AND THIS IS TURNKEY, UH, CONSTRUCTION, SOFT AND HARD COSTS.
WE HAVE THAT 39 FOOT 1 MILLION OF THAT WE SECURED AND AWARDED 30 MILLION.
UH, SO THAT INCLUDE ALL THE FUNDS SPENT TO DATE, UH, AND PLEDGES AND, UH, OTHER, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL, UH, AWARDS FOR
WE STILL WILL NEED TO RAISE, UH, JUST OVER $9.5 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE PARK.
UH, BUT WE BELIEVE, UM, UH, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RAISE THAT OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 18
SO, UM, WE'LL OPEN QUESTIONS, BUT JUST, UH, IN SUMMARY, UH, THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS WE'LL SPEND IN FINISHING THE DESIGN ASPECT.
SHE WILL REMEMBER, UH, THAT THIS PART ORIGINALLY STARTED THE BUDGET WAS 35 MILLION, SO WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT THE ORIGINAL
SO WE ARE BASICALLY IN THAT RENTAL.
WE DO NOT HAVE A PARKING GARAGE, WHICH WE HAD REALLY ORIGINALLY HAD ANTICIPATED.
THAT'S FOR A NUMBER OF REFUNDS.
NUMBER ONE, THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHEN WE BROUGHT FORTH A PARKING GARAGE WAS NOT ACCEPTING 'EM HAVING A PARKING GARAGE FACING THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR MASTER PLANS FAIR PART, THERE IS, UH, SET ACTUALLY SEVERAL, UH, PARKING GARAGES, BUT THIS TIME THAT WOULD BE DONE.
AREA NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH NEIGHBORS, ENGINE, ENGINE PARKING, UH, AND THE NEIGHBORS NOT ONLY ACROSS THE STREET, BUT ALSO ON THE SITE, SPECIFICALLY THE STATE BUREAU OF TEXAS END OF TECH, UM, WHICH YOU HAD BEFORE YOU RECENTLY, THEY'RE ADDING A $2 CHARGE TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE TO THE PARK.
SO WE BELIEVE OUR TIMELINE AND OPENING IN 20, LATE 26 IS, IS DOABLE.
I DO WANT YOU TO REMEMBER, WE ARE, WE NOT ONLY WORK AROUND THE STATE FAIR, WE WILL BE WORKING AROUND FIFA, UH, WHICH WILL BE COMING TO THE PARK IN SOME FORM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, AN ACTIVATION OUT THERE.
AND WE WILL HAVE, UH, PRACTICE GAMES.
SO WE WILL BE WORKING AND MR. JENKINS, MR. O'CONNOR WILL CLOSELY WITH US TO ENSURE, UH, THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR NEW PARTNERS IN THE FORM.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTION AND THANK YOU
JASON, PLEASE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
ONE THING, LET'S JUST KEEP IT FOR THE COMMUNITY PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
LIMITED TO THE, I SEE MR. DANIEL BOTH.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UM, TO BETA.
UM, AND, UM, I, I HAVE FULL COMMIT OR FULL, UM, TRUST BECAUSE I'VE KNOWN
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A LONG TIME.JASON'S MOM LIVES IN SOUTH DALLAS.
UM, SO HE GREW UP THERE, UM, AND HE CAME BACK AND THIS IS NEAR AND DEAR HIS HEART.
SO I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.
AND, UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL REALLY ENJOY.
THE, WE DO THE PARK, WILL THERE STILL BE A FENCE ON THE OUTSIDE ALONG THE, IS IT MCC NOT, UH, THE CONNECTOR? IF IT, UM, WILL THERE STILL BE FENCING ALONG THERE OR, OR DID WE GET CREATIVE TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN FENCING THE KEY PEOPLE FROM THAT SIX LANE ROAD? I THINK WE HAVE
SO THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE ABLE TO WALK EASILY IN THE PARK WITH NO AFFECT, SPECIFICALLY THERE.
OBVIOUSLY THE STATE FAIR HAS
WELL, UH, AND, AND JEN IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY, AND WE'VE DONE TRAFFIC STUDIES ALREADY.
THE CROSSING OF
UM, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUR PEDESTRIAN THAT, AND WE'VE COME UP WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS, BUT THERE WILL BE MORE, UM, THAT THE PEDESTRIAN, WHICH I DON'T, I THINK IT IS MUCH BETTER TO HAVE AN BACKGROUND LEVEL, BUT WE WILL NEED TO FIND A WAY TO SLOW THE TRAFFIC, ENSURE THAT SPECIFICALLY FROM THE NEIGHBORS ACCESS THINGS
SO PEDESTRIAN, IT NEEDS TO BE VULNERABLE BECAUSE THIS IS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SAID ALL ALONG.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT COMMUNITY HAS EASY ACCESS, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN BLOCKING THE FENCE.
AND ALSO WE NEED TO ENSURE WE'RE NOT BLOCKING THEM WITH THE ROAD, OR AT LEAST ON THAT
WELL, THAT COME THROUGH THIS, THAT WILL COME, THAT WON'T COME BY THERE.
I THINK THAT'S, IT'S A GOOD, BEAUTIFUL, UM,
WE MIGHT HAVE SPEED BUMP, BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW WITH YOU GUYS IN THAT CONTROL SPEAKING DOWN THAT ROAD AGAIN.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU PUT, UH, EXCELLENT TEAM TOGETHER AND GET THIS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
I JUST, UH, HAD TWO VERY QUICK COMMENTS ABOUT WHEN I WAS LOOKING OVER THE
NUMBER ONE WAS WIFI, NUMBER TWO WAS SPLASH PAD.
UM, SO IT, I DON'T SEE A SPLASH PAD.
I SEE IT IN EMERGENT FOUNTAIN.
SO IF YOU CAN ANSWER, UH, HOW YOU ADDRESS THOSE
SO THE SPLASH PAD, I FANCY NAME FOR ONE
UM, AND THEN WIFI, ARE WE, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET WIFI IN THERE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S A BIGGER ARC ISSUE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HELPS TO YOUR SPECS? I, I DON'T KNOW.
I, I, UM, I KNOW THAT THE STATE FAIR AND THEN ACTUALLY MR. JENKINS OR MR. O'CONNOR MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS, UM, AND STATE FAIR HAS JUST WRAPPED UP AND, AND THEREFORE THE PARK INCLUDED THE BEGINNING AFTER OCTOBER 21ST.
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IS TODAY THEIR INTENTION IN POST FAIR IS TO BE DOING A, IS TO IMPROVE WIFI ACCESS TO MOVE THE PARK WITH SOME INVESTMENT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE, AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE STATE FAIR IN THEIR INVESTMENT, UM, BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER WAYS THAT WE INTEND TO IMPROVE WIFI AND STUFF.UM, AND JASON CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE FACE BOTH IN THE PARK.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN THE PARK WITH WIFI IS WHEN LIKE 90,000 PEOPLE SHOW UP TO TEXAS OU AND THEY ALL GET ON THEIR PHONES.
UM, SO IT, BUT WE NEED THE WIFI ACCESS AND LIKE I SAID, THE STATE FAIR WILL BE DOING SOME AMENITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'LL HELP WITH THAT AND WE'LL COME BACK, WE'LL FIND OUT MORE AND BECAUSE WE ALL NEED OUR WIFI, BUT THAT WAS THEIR NUMBER ONE.
I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE AT LEAST ADDRESSING NUMBER ONE.
WE WE'RE, WE'RE IN CONVERSATION WITH THE RIGHT, BUT YOU WOULDN'T THINK WOULD NECESSARILY BE A PARK ISSUE, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS IN THEIR PARK.
THAT'S, UH, VERY LAST QUESTION.
WHAT, WHAT IS A MARKET GROW? IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT?
UM, AND THAT THIS RELATES TO HEALTH, UH, AND IT WILL BE, SO WE ARE DOING TESTS FARMER'S MARKET NOW IN FAIR PARK.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO AND, AND USING SOUTH DALLAS FENDERS.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THE MARKET GROWTH IS YES, ALL THE
SO IT'S AN AREA YOU PUT SET UP FENDERS AND, AND SMALL THINGS WITHIN GROWTH.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S COMING TOGETHER NICELY.
AND, AND WE DO ALSO HAVE A DONOR FOR
WE'VE, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SECURE.
JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, WHERE IS THE MAINTENANCE COMING, UH, WHERE, HOW'S THE MAINTENANCE HAPPENING ON THIS PART? IS IT COMING OUT OF DISTRICT SEVEN OR IS IT YOU GUYS OR WHO'S DOING THE MAINTENANCE ON THIS? I, I, WE, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE US.
UM, AND THEN THE SECURITY LIGHTING ON HERE ON THIS PART.
I SEE THE MAP, BUT I DON'T SEE IT IN, I KNOW IT'S NOT A PARK AMENITY, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS ON HOW THE, THE SECURITY ID CAMERAS.
I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THAT
AND THEN, UM, I I HEARD YOU MENTION ABOUT THE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE STATE FAIR AND, BUT HOW IS THAT ALSO WORKING WITH LIVE NATION? AND YOU DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT PROCESS THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH WITH WORKING WITH THE CURRENT, THE VENDORS AND THE, AND THE WOMEN TO COME.
WELL, WE HAVE A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT, WITH LIVE AND AS HUMAN JUST SEVERAL WEEKS AGO PASSED THE $2, UH, FEE THAT THAT MONEY GOES BACK INTO MAINTENANCE INTO THE BAR.
IN ADDITION, THAT PART OF THAT MONEY IS TO BE USED BEFORE MADE FOUND STUDY.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, I, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT
I MAY, LET ME SPEC SPECIFY MY QUESTION.
WHEN YOU HAVE IN THEIR PROGRAMMING, HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH YOUR VENDORS FOR PROGRAMMING WITHIN THE PARK COMPARED TO LIKE WHEN THEY HAVE CONCERTS OR THE FAIR, HOW IS THAT WORKING OUT? YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY AN ALYSSA QUESTION AND ALYSSA'S OUT OF THE COUNTRY, BUT, UM, SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE TO WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH EVERYBODY WHO, WHO IS,
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IS ON THE GROUNDS IN TERMS OF THE PROGRAM.UH, I I DON'T, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW AS IT, AS A, ON THE PARK BOARD AND FOR THE PUBLIC, HOW YOU GUYS WORK CLOSELY WITH THOSE VENDORS TO WHEN, WHEN WITH, WITH THOSE VENDORS TO WHEN YOU'RE GONNA PROGRAM THE PARK AND THEN YOU'RE ALSO HAVING EVENTS IN OTHER, IN AT CONCERT AND LIVE NATION OR THE FAIR OR LIKE HOW DOES THAT RELATIONSHIP WORK? I, I THINK THAT PART IS, IS STILL TO BE DETERMINING, UH, AND YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE ALREADY STARTED ACTIVATING THE PART, UH, WITH OUR EVENTS THAT WE DO, UH, IN HOUSE, UH, AND AS THAT CONTINUE TO GROW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING TO WORK THROUGH BECAUSE I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND CONCERNS THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS TO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY PART ONCE STATE FAIR COMES IN OR ANY OTHER LARGE TENANT THAT TAKES UP THE PLACE WITH THAT PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE STILL NEED TO WORK THROUGH TO ACTUALLY HAVING A PLAN OR SOME TYPE OF SOP AROUND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, SO JASON, SO YOU ALREADY HAVE A CAL, SO THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR CALENDAR, THEN YOU WORK AROUND THEIR CALENDAR, THEN PROGRAM THE ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK FOR THE MOST PART? YEAH.
SO FOR INSTANCE, UH, WHEN HONOR BREAKS COME DOWN, NOT PROGRAM OR ANY OF, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR LARGE EVENTS, THEY KIND OCCUPY AROUND THE AREA OF CENTER.
UM, SO WE JUST DON'T DO PROGRAMMING.
UH, THAT'S HOW IT IS NOW, BUT WE MOVING TOWARD PART, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S GONNA BE SOME CHALLENGES FIGURE OUT MUCH IT.
AND THE REASON WHY IS THIS IS A PUBLIC PART FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHERE, SO LIKE, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A DILIGENT PARTNERSHIP THAT THE PARK IS FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT THEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PLAY AROUND THE PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH ATION, THE FAIR AND ALL THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING AND THAT THE PUBLIC PARK AND THE EVENTS WHERE THE PUBLIC DON'T GET PUT TO THE WAYSIDE OR SECOND PRIORITY.
AND THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER THING TOO, TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE LOCATION, UH, OF THE PARK.
THE COMMUNITY VOTED IN FAVOR OF THAT.
UH, AND THEN WHEN WE STARTED HAVING TIME CONVERSATION REALIZED THAT'S KIND OF THE BEST PLACE FOR THE PARK, OBVIOUSLY ABOUT THE REASONS, BUT ALSO TOO THAT WE CAN STILL KEEP ACTIVATION HAPPENING WHILE THE REST OF THE PARK IS, IS STILL ENGAGED WITH OTHER PROPERTY.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT CAN BE SOME DEDICATED PARKING JUST FOR THE PARK IN ADDITION TO THE PARKING THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING FOR LIKE NATION.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE AN IN INTENTIONAL, UM, INTENT IS TO MAKE THE FARM ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY EVEN IF THEIR CHILDREN'S GONE.
BUT LIKE JASON SAYS, THE DETAILS OF BASICALLY HOW THAT WILL WORK, YOU ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE WORKING AND THEN YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE THE ONES RESERVING BEING, DOING THE RESERVATIONS FOR WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO PRESERVE PLACES IN THE PARK OR A BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE PARK OR, SO THAT ALL COMES FROM FAIR PARK.
UM, ONE OF THE SLIDES HAS, UH, THE PARK AMENITIES LISTED OUT.
AND I, I HAVE TO SAY I'VE NEVER SEEN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, ROBUST, THOROUGH LIST OF AMENITIES.
THERE TRULY IS SOMETHING FOR, FOR EVERYONE THERE.
I WANT TO, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR EVERYONE, PERHAPS WATCHING AT HOME, THERE'S THREE PLAYGROUNDS IN THERE.
THERE'S AN ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND, A CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND, AND A TOP LOT.
I KINDA WANNA CALL THAT A TATER TO, BUT THERE'S THREE PLAYGROUNDS.
I CAN PROBABLY IMAGINE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE DOCUMENTATION OR ANYTHING LIKE OUT THERE THAT MIGHT HAVE DETAILS OF THOSE PLAYGROUNDS? BECAUSE THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE WHEN A SUBURB, GRAND PRAIRIE ALLEN OR WHATEVER, WHEN THEY BUILD THIS INNOVATIVE PLAYGROUND, A LOT OF TIMES IT MAKES BIG NEWS, UH, FOR, FOR ALL THE DFW AREAS.
SO, SO IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S SOMETHING INNOVATIVE IN ONE OF THESE THREE, WHICH I EXPECT ALL THREE PROBABLY INNOVATIVE IN THEIR OWN WAY, IS THERE, IS THERE A WEBSITE, IS THERE A DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN, LIKE START SHARING OR TALKING ABOUT NOW? NOT YET.
GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME UNTIL WE COMPLETED THE REFINE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
PLAYGROUND, UH, DRAWINGS ALREADY FOR, FOR THIS PLAYGROUND.
BUT SINCE WE ARE RESHAPING AND RECOUPING A LITTLE BIT, AND I'D ASK YOU TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT.
WE WILL HAVE, UH, RENDERINGS TO SHARE AND WE'RE WORKING ALSO ON THAT, MANAGING THE, THE MESSAGING AND, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING WHEN WE ARE READY TO, TO SHOWCASE THESE.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE HAVE ALMOST 50 NEW PLAYGROUNDS, INCLUDING IN THE 2024 BOND FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
SO THIS WILL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THAT.
MY LAST QUESTION IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED A TEXAS TWISTER.
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WHAT IS THAT? YOGAUM, THAT QUITE FRANKLY IS TO BE DETERMINED WHETHER THAT'S GONNA SHOW UP, BUT OKAY.
WE DO NOT HAVE A, WE DO NOT HAVE A DONOR FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY.
IT'S, UM, QUESTION IF, IF, IF YOU THINK OF THE ONE, I GUESS OF THE ARBORETUM WHERE PEOPLE CLIMB UP.
UM, BUT IT DOES, AS I SAY, WE DO NOT HAVE A DONOR YET, SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF PUBLIC SCULPTURE AND A LITTLE BIT OF PLAY.
BUT, AND, AND IN THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURAL DISCUSSION, THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
WHAT'S WHAT'S THE ECOLOGY OF THIS AREA? AND HISTORICALLY, WHAT WAS THE ECOLOGY OF THE AREA? SO SOME OF THESE CAME SORT OF THAT, AS I SAY, WE DON'T DIRECTLY HAVE A DONOR FOR THIS NOW, SO IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS ON THERE THAT'S STILL YET TO BE DETERMINED.
I WANNA GIVE YOU A, WE DIDN'T REALLY TELL YOU THE SIZE OF THIS, SO I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
ORIGINALLY YOU HEARD TERMS LIKE 18 ACRES.
IT IS 10 ACRES WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 10 ACRES THAT ALLOWS US TO ACCOMMODATE THE PARKING, ET CETERA.
AND FOR SCALE WISE, THAT'S ABOUT DOUBLE THE ORIGINAL SIZE OF FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND SCALE.
THAT'S ABOUT TWICE THAT, THAT'S ROUGHLY TWICE THAT SIZE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M ALWAYS EXCITED WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE COMING DOWN THIS COMPLAIN.
SO I WANT THANK YOU GUYS, UH, WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY.
WE'RE SITTING HERE, WE REALIZE FROM THE BEGINNING I WAS LIKE, EH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REALLY NOT THIS.
BUT, UH, AFTER GOING THROUGH ALL THESE UPS AND DOWNS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW LEADERSHIP, WHICH I THINK, UH, AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK IT'S TRULY A BLESSING IN ME GROWING UP IN THE COMMUNITY LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WHAT I SEE HERE AS MY ESTEEM COLLEAGUE WAS SAYING, THESE AMENITIES AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE OUR OWN CLA WARREN PARK.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, WE DOING DECK PARK OVER BY THE ZOO, BUT THIS IS WHAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS FROM THE FAMILY.
YOU TALKING ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.
PARKS CONNECT PEOPLE AND WE TALK ABOUT, ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, THE PARKS THAT WE DO, THE DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS REALLY GONNA IMPACT THAT COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK IF YOU CARE FOR THIS CITY AND YOU WILL TALKING ABOUT OUR DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, YOU, IF YOU WANT EMPATHY FOR YOUR DISTRICT, YOU BETTER HAVE EMPATHY FOR ALL DISTRICTS.
I'M ON BOARD THIS AND I SEE NOW, UH, I CAN GO, YOU KNOW, I CAN TAKE MY FAMILY HERE EVEN THOUGH I DON'T LIVE IN
THIS IS REALLY GONNA BENEFIT THEM.
I WANT THANK YOU GUYS, WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THANK YOU MS. LI AND BOARD MEMBERS BECAUSE THIS IS A TOUGH WRESTLE.
I'M GONNA GET YOU WW F SOON AS YOU CAN SIGN A CONTRACT WITH US.
UM, I, I'M SO ENCOURAGED TO SEE THAT YOU'RE $9.1 MILLION AWAY FROM THE GOAL, WHICH IS WONDERFUL NEWS THIS MANY YEARS INTO THE THING.
AND, UH, I DON'T MEAN THIS IN A 90, 90 BOOBOO SORT OF WAY, BUT I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, UH, REGARDING THE SCOPE CREEP, THAT WHEN THIS WAS PRESENTED TO US BACK IN AUGUST 2ND, UH, 2018, THIS BOARD WAS PROMISED THAT WE WOULD HAVE REALLY STRONG OVERSIGHT, THE COMMUNITY PARK AND WHAT WENT INTO THE COMMUNITY PARK.
AND I, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE BRIEFING AND THAT THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALL ALONG.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE IF, IF WE, IF THAT PROMISE HAD BEEN KEPT AND WE HAD BEEN ADVISED AS THIS CREEP, THE SCOPE CREEP WAS HAPPENING, IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THIS BOARD REALLY CARES ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND SO IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE.
AND THAT GETS ME TO THE SECOND THING THAT YOU MENTIONED IS THAT THE RESET ON
[00:35:01]
THE BOARD, UH, MR. WOOD AND I ARE THE LIAISONS FROM THE PARK BOARD TO FAIR PARK FIRST.AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MR. WOOD, A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN ME.
BUT I WILL TELL THE BOARD THAT WHAT I'VE OBSERVED IS AN INCREDIBLE RESET ON THE BOARD, UH, PEOPLE COMING ON THAT ARE HEAVY HITTERS, I MEAN NFL TYPE PEOPLE.
AND I HAVE A LOT OF, NOT LITERALLY, NOT LITERALLY NO LINE BACKWARDS.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT QUARTERBACK, BUT, UH, IT'S REALLY A CHANGE.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS INSTITUTED BASED ON, ON LESSONS LEARNED LIKE, UH, AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND NEW OVERSIGHT PROCEDURES THAT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE'S BEEN TALK OF THIS MAYBE FAIR PARK FIRST SHOULD GO AWAY AND MAYBE YOU HAVE ALL OF THAT TALK, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT HOWEVER IT WORKS OUT, THIS IS AS STRONG A CHANCE AS WE HAVE TO, TO GET EVERYTHING FIXED WITH THIS TEAM AND THE DIRECTION AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK YOU PUT IN.
IT'S JUST BEYOND, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
I UNPAID AND, AND IT IS, IT IS A GREAT THING.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I'M, I'M SO ENCOURAGED AND HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE.
NO MATTER WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON, WE, I THINK WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
I JUST HOPE THE CITY STEPS UP AND DOES WHAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF THIS TREMENDOUS FACILITY.
UH, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THIS, UH, LOVE SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, WHAT THIS PLAN, UH, LOVE SEEING ALL THE AMENITIES, AS MR. CREAMY POINTED OUT, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH HAPPENING IN THIS PARK.
UM, WHAT, LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SLIDE AND JUST WANNA CLARIFY SOMETHING.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS SOME DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON WHERE THE PARK SHOULD GO.
SO IS THAT IN FACT WHERE THE PARK WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING IS LOT 11, RIGHT? SO THE LOCATION IS FINALIZED AND THAT'S WHAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S REFLECTED HERE ON, UH, ON SLIDE FIVE.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT IS GOING TO BE THE FINAL LOCATION FOR THE PARK.
AND, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT SPECIFICALLY, EXCEPT WE'VE DONE TRANSPORTATION STUDIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ON MAP THAT WE DO.
AND WE HAD TO WAIT TILL ALL THE WAY TILL THE END OF 2023 TO DO, WE DID TWO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.
ONE CAME UP AND SAID EVERYTHING LOOKS CLEAR, BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE MAYBE WHAT COULD BE A GAS TANK UNDER THERE BECAUSE AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A GAS STATION IN THE GENERAL AREA.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SANDBORN MAPS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, WE DID A SECOND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.
IT, IT, IT, THE VOID WAS NOT A GAS TANK.
SO THERE IS, THERE IS NO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM UNDER THERE.
I DO WANT YOU TO REMEMBER HOUSES WERE ON THIS SITE, PEOPLE LIVED ON THIS SITE.
UM, SO WE WILL FIND, IT'S PROBABLY GOOD AND I, WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED IT, BUT WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE AN ARCHEOLOGIST COME OUT.
WE START THIS AS SOMEBODY WHO USED TO REP, WHO ONCE REPRESENTED UPTOWN.
UM, I AM FREQUENTLY AROUND GREENWOOD CEMETERY WHEN DEVELOPMENT OCCURRED, WOULD HAS BEEN AN ARCHEOLOGIST TAKE A LOOK JUST TO MAKE SURE.
AND A LOT OF IT'S TO FIND IMPORTANT INTEREST OF OUR HISTORY.
UH, AND SO I THINK THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD SAY FROM MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA JUST TO FIND OUT BECAUSE THIS IS PART, PART OF SOUTH DALLAS HISTORY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND SO I WANNA GO BACK TO THE TRANSPORTATION STUDY AS WELL TOO.
SO IS IT EXPECTED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY ACCESS THIS PART WILL BE BY VEHICLE THERE ANY MECHANISM FOR SOMEBODY AS A PEDESTRIAN OR A CYCLIST? OR ARE THERE ANY TRAIL CONNECTIONS? HOW, HOW ARE WE EXPECTING PEOPLE TO GET HERE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAXIMIZE WALKABILITY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESSING THIS PARK? UM, RECENTLY YOU APPROVED THE EXTENSION OF THE SANTA FE SLASH FAIR PARK TRAIL, AND THAT WILL GO BY HERE.
UH, YOU WILL REMEMBER, UM, THAT WILL BE DONE IN TWO PHASES.
SO THIS IS PROBABLY PHASE ONE AND MR. O'CONNOR MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT THAN ME, BUT I THINK I AM CORRECT IN SAYING THAT.
UH, THE OTHER PIECE IS YES, PEDESTRIANS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE PARK IN TEMPORARY PARKING LOTS ACROSS
[00:40:01]
THE STREET NOW AND THOSE PEOPLE NEED DURING STATE FAIR AND THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO CROSS.AND SO I ASKED THIS YEAR THAT THE STATE FAIR AND THEY HAVE A NEW FACILITIES, PERSON'S FABULOUS AND DO
AND THAT'S BEFORE THE GRAPHIC STUDY IS IMPLEMENTED.
UH, AND, AND AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION OUT THERE.
MAYBE WE NEED A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING.
AND THEN I, I, I PERSONALLY, THIS IS ME PERSONALLY, I LIKE PLANNING STUFF POINT.
I LIKE THINGS AT THE GROUND LEVEL AND WANT PEOPLE TO BE SAFE.
AND THAT WILL MEAN FLASHING LIGHTS AND, AND, AND IMPROVED, YOU KNOW, I ONCE REPRESENTED GREENVILLE AVENUE AND OAKLAND.
I UNDERSTAND HOW DEEPLY IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET YOUR, AND TO GET YOUR PEDESTRIANS, SPECIFICALLY THE NEIGHBORS.
THIS BEING WALKABLE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IS UNDERNEATH WIFI AND CELL PHONES AND A FEW OTHER THINGS IS A TOP PRIORITY, MAKING SURE, SO MOBILITY WILL COME AND YOU DO REMEMBER PEER PARK IS ACCESSED FINE, NOT ONE, BUT TWO, TWO DARK STOPS.
I I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE, UH, PRIORITIZATION OF ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS AND OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND REALLY MAKING THIS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN REACH EASILY.
AND SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF ENHANCING OUR SIDEWALKS OR CROSSWALKS WITH, UH, THOSE SAFETY FEATURES, UH, WITH LIGHTS.
AND SO APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, LA LAST QUESTION WAS JUST ON THE PROGRAMS AND EVENTS THAT ARE LISTED HERE.
SO WHO'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THOSE PROGRAMS? IS THAT FAIR PART FIRST? IS THAT FAIR? OKAY.
AND WE, WE ALREADY DO, WE ALREADY DO MOVIE NIGHTS.
WE, WE DO MAR FARMER'S MARKETS AND MARKETS.
IN FACT, I THINK DECEMBER THE FIRST, SATURDAY AND DECEMBER IS ZERO MARKET AND IT WILL BE OVER BY TEXAS DISCOVERY GARDEN IN THE AQUARIUM AREA.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH VENDORS AND WE, WE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE, UM, CRYSTAL Z IN ON OUR, ON OUR STAFF ACTUALLY DOES THAT.
Y'ALL, Y'ALL WOULDN'T EXPECT TO SET UP A SEPARATE FRIENDS GROUP JUST FOR THIS PARK.
THIS WILL BE PART OF WHAT FAIR IT'S IT IS PART OF THE OVERALL PARK.
AND, AND REMEMBER AT THE CURRENT TIME, OBG, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A REALLY BIG 50,000 PEOPLE, IT IS THEM PROGRAMMING.
IF IT'S A COMMERCIAL EVENT, IF IT IS A COMMUNITY EVENT, IT'S SUCKS REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT OCCURS ON THE, AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS AND THAT'S THE WAY IT'S, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. JUDGE GRADY.
WELL, I DEFINITELY SHARE IN MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS' EXCITEMENT, UM, AND APPRECIATE THEIR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
WHILE I DON'T LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO WORK, I LIVE ONLY ABOUT 10 MINUTES, FOUR MILES EAST OF IT AND DRIVE STRAIGHT PAST THAT EVERY TIME I COME HERE.
SO, UH, I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO PERSONALLY ACCESSING, I PARTICULARLY LIKE THE, THE MARKET SPACE.
I THINK THAT'S A UNIQUE PIECE OF A PARK THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN IN A LOT OF OTHER PLACES.
UM, ESPECIALLY READING POSSIBILITY OF FRESH FOOD TO THIS AREA AND MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.
HOPEFULLY THAT IS DONE IN A WAY THAT ALSO KEEPS IT AFFORDABLE, UM, TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, WALKING TO THE PARK ESPECIALLY.
I THINK THAT SPACE COULD ADDITIONALLY POTENTIALLY BE UTILIZED AS, YOU KNOW, TIMES PERHAPS LIKE ART MARKET OR A HOLIDAY MARKET AS WELL.
AND I'M SURE YOU'VE THOUGHT OF THOSE THINGS.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THEM OUT LOUD.
UH, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE RELATES TO THE BUDGET THAT I I I SHARE YOUR CONFIDENCE THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO RAISE THE EXTRA NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UM, OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, UM, AND BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT ANY WAY I CAN.
BUT YOU HAD MENTIONED, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THE TEXAS TWISTER BEING AN UNFUNDED PART, AND SO OF THAT, FOR THAT NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, JUST FOR CLARITY, ARE THERE CERTAIN AMENITIES THAT MAKE THAT OF SIMILAR TO THAT, THAT ARE UNFUNDED INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE THE TREES YOU MENTIONED? OR IS IT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THAT MUCH TO COMPLETE THE PARK AS A WHOLE? ARE THERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD NOT BE BUILT IF, IF THE FULL AMOUNT ISN'T RAISED AND WHAT
[00:45:01]
IS THE PRIORITY LIST OF WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE? I MEAN, HOW, HOW IS THAT NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ALLOCATED IN TERMS OF WHAT'S UNFUNDED AT THIS POINT? THE, THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN THINK OF, AND PLEASE DON'T HOLD ME TO IT BECAUSE WE FINISH THIS UP IN THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS, THE ONLY THING THE TEXAS TWISTER IS PARTICULARLY EXPENSIVE, UH, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A DONOR.SO THAT WOULD BE ONE OF, OF THE CUTS.
BUT THE OTHER THINGS ARE LARGELY THE 9 MILLION GOES INTO THE GENERAL OVERALL, OR THE PART.
UM, SO HEATHER, HEATHER STEVENS DOES FUNDRAISING FOR US, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I DON'T GIVE YOU ANY INFORMATION THAT HEATHER, WHO ACTUALLY RAISES THIS MONEY WILL DISAGREE WITH ME.
SO HEATHER, BUT YOU ANSWER YEP.
Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME RIGHT? IT'S ALL, OKAY, GREAT.
SO OF THE 3.91 MILLION, 39.1 MILLION, 30 MILLION HAS BEEN SECURED.
THERE IS 17 MILLION SITTING TO THE SIDE THAT'S BEEN FUNDED BY BOTH PHILANTHROPY AND PUBLIC FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS.
ONE WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A FEW WEEKS.
UM, OF THAT, THE ONLY THING IN THAT DRAWING IS THE TEXAS TWISTER.
IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS LISTED.
IT'S, THERE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE IS LIKE A WISHLIST.
IT'S REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THERE.
UM, 9.7 WILL BE THE FULL FUNDING FOR THE ENTIRE, THE AMENITIES THAT ARE LISTED.
SO THEY HAVE A, A HARD STOP ON THAT.
I'M, I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET SOME CLARITY ON, YOU KNOW, SAY WORST CASE SCENARIO 5 MILLION SHORTER.
IS THAT PART OF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO REASON IN IT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT A PART OF IT DOESN'T HAVE THIS AMENITY OR THAT AMENITY? OR IS IT JUST AN UNFINISHED PART, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THE MONEY IS RAISED RAISED? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND, THE COT LOT, THE ADVENTURE AREA PLAYGROUNDS, ALL THE PLAYGROUNDS HAVE BEEN FUNDED BOTH BY PRIVATE DONORS AND PHILANTHROPISTS.
THE TREES HAVE ALL BEEN FUNDED.
THE 9.7 THAT'S REMAINING IS REALLY AROUND THE PAVILION SPACE.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE UNATTRACTIVE THINGS THAT ARE THE ELECTRICAL INCUMBENTS WITHIN THE PARK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A DESIGN QUESTION TO, FOR THE COMMITTEE TO DECIDE IF THEY WERE GONNA OMIT SOMETHING BECAUSE OF FUNDING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY COME FROM THE TOP AMENITIES AND PROMISES TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANNA ADD THAT TOO ALSO TOO WITH THAT, THAT GAP, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FUNDRAISE, SO WE STILL KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS ENTIRE RESET, UH, THAT RESET, YOU KNOW, FROM THE BOARD SIDE, OUR STRATEGIES DONE THIS HERE AS FAR AS THE REIMAGINE PARTNER SPACE, UM, IT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO GO BACK TO THE DONOR SPACE AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE DETERMINE KIND OF REALLY WHERE WE'RE SHORT AT, UM, BASED ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE IN CONVERSATION WITH THEM, UH, HEAVY FROM NOW UNTIL AT LEAST FEBRUARY, MARCH.
I AM GLAD, UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
UH, I SHARE MY COLLEAGUE EXCITEMENT ABOUT WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN FAIR PARK TO ACTUALLY HAVE A PARK.
UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TRUSTED LEADERS AROUND THE TABLE TO ACTUALLY DELIVER FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, BUT SOMETHING I'M NOT HEARING A LOT ABOUT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY COVER THE HISTORY.
I KNOW, UH, MS. FORSIGHT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS PARK ACTUALLY BEING PLACED ON THE SITE WHERE HOMES ONCE WERE, AND I THINK DALLAS IS IN A PLACE, IS THE NINTH LARGEST CITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY.
IT'S EVEN COVERED, UH, PRETTY, PRETTY DEEPLY IN THE, UH, THE ACCOMMODATION.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE ARE GONNA MARK THE HISTORY OF THE FACT THAT THE CITY USED EMINENT DOMAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME 60 PLUS YEARS AGO TO TAKE SOME OF THESE HOMES.
THEY COULD NOT BE PURCHASED AND JUST COMMEMORATE THAT THERE WAS A COMMUNITY ACTUALLY THERE.
ARE THERE PLANS TO DO THAT? WE CAN CERTAINLY, I WOULD SAY YES, BUT IT IS NOT A SPECIFIC PLAN AT THE MOMENT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT IN TWO WAYS.
UM, YOU RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, SALEM INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH HAS GOT A HISTORIC MARKER WITHIN THE LAST, I THINK, UM, SO OBVIOUSLY BEING A STRONG PRESERVATIONIST, I WOULD LIKE SOME KIND OF SIGN.
WE, THE ARCHITECTS ORIGINALLY LOOKED AT THOUGH, AS I SAID, THE ECOLOGY OF THIS SITE AND THE HISTORY OF THE SITE IN TERMS OF HUMANITY AND, AND BEING
[00:50:01]
AS WE'VE LOOKED AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE.AND NORM AUSTIN, WHO'S A PROJECT MANAGER, YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS A PRESERVATION ARCHITECT.
UH, AND SO HE'LL BE DOING THAT.
I THINK WHAT'S EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT THOUGH IS THAT WE DO PROGRAMMING THAT RELATES TO THE HISTORY OF THE PARK ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND YOU, UH, MAYBE YOU CAME LAST YEAR WHEN ARTILLERY DID THE INTERACTIVE PIECE THAT WAS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY ARE RETURNING, UH, IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
THIS WILL BE MORE ABOUT IMMIGRANT, UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ON SITE A LOT OF IN FAIR PARK, A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THIS HISTORY.
UH, WHETHER YOU GO INTO THE MUSIC HALL AND SEE THE HISTORY THERE, UH, THE ARCHIVES OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, THE ART OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, THE ART, THE ONLY JUNETEENTH DOCUMENT STILL IN EXISTENCE IS IN PART OF THE HALL STATE.
AND SO WE HAVE THE ARCHIVES, WE HAVE THE PROGRAMMING, WE HAVE REGULATION TO ARCHITECT.
SO I THINK YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT THERE WILL BE BOTH OF SOME PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION, BUT EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT FOR THAT.
'CAUSE I HAVE ONE OF THOSE DALLAS CITIZENS WHO ACTUALLY COMBS THE LIBRARY FOR THE DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND GOES BY THESE DIFFERENT
SO I'M EXCITED TO EITHER, WE'RE GONNA USE IT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF ECONOMIC VALUE, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, AND THEN I ALSO, I BEAT THIS HORSE ALL THE TIME ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND NOW THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS GETTING IT BEING BY ALL AROUND THE WORLD, IS THERE A PLAN TO USE AI AND TECHNOLOGY TO DO THINGS LIKE ONE BE AUTONOMOUS WITH HOW WE MIGHT LET PEOPLE INTO CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE PARK THAT IS ACTUALLY FOR RESIDENTS WITHOUT NECESSARILY NEEDING STAFF, UM, AND OR AUTONOMOUS, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES IN AI THAT THEY COULD MAYBE LOOK AT SECURITY FEATURES FOR SUCH A LARGE AREA? OR ARE Y'ALL USING ANYTHING LIKE THAT? OR IS THERE A PLAN? WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THAT FAR YET, BUT I HEAR YOU.
I'M MAKING NOTES OF ALL THE, I I, I KNOW SOME FOLKS.
WE, WE, I'M A CO-FOUNDER OF SOMETHING CALLED AURORA.
IT WAS THIS WEEKEND AROUND CITY HALL, UH, AND WE UTILIZED SOME AI WITH WITHIN THE ART FORMS. UH, AND I WANT TO USE, I WILL ADMIT TO YOU, I WANT AURORA TO COME TO FAIR PARK.
UM, I'M MOVING MY CHEST PIECES RIGHT NOW THERE.
UM, BUT THE USE OF INTERACTIVITY IS, I FEEL OUR FUTURE A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE DO NEED PASSIVE PART OF A PARK TO SIT AND CONTEMPLATE.
I BELIEVE YOU ALSO NEED SOME INTERACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
THAT'S NOT JUST THROUGH SPORTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT INTERACTIVITY, UH, AMONG PEOPLE AND IMMERSIVE DRIVES OF EASIER.
LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU AGAIN.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE A RESIDENT OF DALLAS.
I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT Y'ALL ARE ABOUT TO DO.
I I JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE AMAZING WORK THAT THE LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN DOING.
UM, YES, WE'VE HAD SOME STRUGGLES.
YES, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF NEGATIVE, UM, COMMENTS, BUT THE STRATEGY AND THE LEADERS HAVEN'T BEEN ARRESTED ON THEIR LAURELS BECAUSE WE'VE STILL RAISED MONEY EVEN DURING THE BAD PRESS.
UM, PER SE, WE'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE ONE OF THOSE SHORTLY.
UM, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF BEEN ANNOUNCED, BUT NOT SO THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S GOOD NEWS COMING FROM WHAT I HEAR.
DONORS AREN'T WAIVING, THEY'RE HERE FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY PARK.
UM, THEY'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
THEY'RE COMMITTED TO, UM, THE PARK AND THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO, THEY BELIEVE IN FAIR PARK AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU AND, UM, MS. STEVENS BRINGS, UM, SOME GREAT STRATEGY, UM, WITH RISE 360, UM, TO THE TABLE.
UM, AND SHE'S WORKED HARD WITH THE CITY TO SECURE DIFFERENT GRANTS AND DIFFERENT
[00:55:01]
THINGS ALONG THE WAY.UM, SO WHILE THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ANTHROPY MONEY IN THE LAST YEAR OR SIX MONTHS, EIGHT MONTHS, THERE'S BEEN OTHER, YOU KNOW, YOU PIVOTED AND YOU'VE WORKED IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE HARD WORK WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
AND FAIR PARK IS GOING TO BE THE JEWEL OF OUR CITY OR ONE OF THE MANY JEWELS 'CAUSE EVERYBODY WILL GET BACK THAT THEY'RE, BUT I HAVE THE JEWEL AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN, SO I'M THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT TEAM IN PLACE.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU, MR. LE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS LAST TIME.
I THINK WHEN THE EARLIER MANAGEMENT, UH, C CAME, THE BUDGET FOR THIS PART WAS 67 MILLION, AND I KNOW THE HAS BEEN TURNED TO 38, 39, 39.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A HUGE RESET.
CAN YOU ENLIGHTEN US A LITTLE BIT ON THAT? WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING DOES, MR. BROWN SPOKE OF MAYBE SCOPE REALIGNMENT, AND I, IN SOME CASES, AT SOME POINT THERE WAS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, A BERM THAT WAS TO BE ON ONE SIDE OF THE PARK AND IT WAS TO TO HOUSE, UM, MAINTENANCE FACILITY UNDERNEATH THAT BURN THAT IS GONE.
WE HAVE A MAINTENANCE BUILDING ON THE OTHER SIDE AND IT, AND IT'S COSTLY.
THE OTHER PIECE WAS FIFA GOT A LITTLE BIT, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF FEVER OVER FIFA AND AT ONE POINT, OBG HAD REQUESTED A BIGGER STAGE AND IT WAS A STAGE THAT HAD, EXCUSE ME, IT WAS A STAGE THAT HAD DRESSING ROOMS AND GREEN ROOMS AND THE PARK WOULD SEAT, UH, THE GREEN SPACE WHERE THE LAWN SPACE WOULD SEAT 15,000 PEOPLE, NUMBER ONE.
THAT'S IN PRETTY MUCH IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY
NUMBER TWO, THAT'S NOT COMMUNITY, THAT'S COMMERCIAL.
UM, I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE ART FACILITIES.
WE DO NOT NEED DRESSING ROOMS AND GREEN ROOMS IN THAT PARK.
SO THE REMOVAL OF THOSE FEATURES IS AN IMPORTANT THAT IT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THAT BERM AND THAT MAINTENANCE FACILITY THAT WAS SORT OF UNDERNEATH THE PARK FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
AND SECONDLY, THE REMOVAL OF A STAGE THAT WAS MORE WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS COMMERCIAL THAT WAS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTRIC.
SO
DOES THAT EFFECT IN TERMS OF THE DONORS THAT WE HAD SHOWN THEM A MASTER PLAN, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE AMBITIOUS AND ALL.
AND BASED ON THAT, THEY MADE THEIR COMMITMENTS.
AND NOW WE ARE CUTTING DOWN AND, AND THESE ARE ALL VERY GOOD CUTS BY WAY.
BUT, UH, UH, IF I'M A DONOR AND IF I WAS GIVEN A HUGE MASTER PLAN OF, AND SOME FANCY DRAWINGS, WHICH WE SAW A FEW YEARS BACK HERE ALSO IN THIS WORLD, AND THAT, THAT CHANGES MY YOU COMMITTEE TO WANT TO CUT THIS.
NOW, I, I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS.
OUR, OUR DONORS ARE COMMITTED TO FAIR PARK.
THEY'RE, MANY OF THEM ARE ALSO VERY COMMITTED TO SOUTH ISLAND.
THEY FEEL THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN SOUTH ISLANDS AND MAKING, MAKING A BETTER SPACE.
SO THEY ARE CONTINUING TO STAY WITH THIS IDEA.
NUMBER TWO, MANY DONORS ARE LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC AMENITIES THAT MATCH THEIR MISSION STATEMENT.
UM, THE MARKET GROWTH, IT MATCHES THE DONOR'S WORK.
OKAY? AND THEREFORE THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE.
AND AS I SAID, THE THOSE THINGS THAT DONORS HAVE PAID
[01:00:01]
FOR WILL BE THERE.OKAY? SO MOST DONORS, WHEN WE RECEIVE, LET'S SAY GOVERNMENT FUNDING, IT'S MORE OVERALL FUNDING.
BUT MOST DONORS ARE LIKE, THEY'RE NOT SAYING JUST, I'M JUST GIVING YOU THE PART.
THEY'RE SAYING I WANT, THEY KNOW WHAT THE WANTS WERE FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR OWN MISSION STATEMENT IS AND THEY ATTEMPT TO ALIGN THAT.
AND SO MOST OF THOSE DONORS, I, I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE DONOR THAT SAID, I WANT TO STAGE AND IN, IN, IN A SPACE OF WE SEE 15,000 AND I WANT STAGE THAT HAS DRESSING ROOMS NO DONOR HAS FOR THAT.
AND SO WHAT'S BEING ESSENTIALLY TAKEN OUT OF THE PLAN WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS ASKED FOR BY, BY ANY SPECIFIC DONOR OR QUITE FRANKLY THE COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE ARE OUR TWO CONSTITUENCY.
I THINK IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT TOO, UM, CONVERSATIONS I HAVE WITH, UH, WERE ACTUALLY KIND OF RELIEVED THAT THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING.
UM, BECAUSE THE MAY THEY WENT IN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, THIS IS COOL, UM, BUT HOW MUCH IS GONNA COST TO OPERATE? IF YOU HAVE A STRUCTURE WHERE IT IS TODAY, WHAT IS IT GONNA COST YOU TO OPERATE 5, 6, 7 YEARS NOW? SO KNOWING THAT'S NOT IN THE PICTURE RIGHT NOW, YOU THAT TOPIC.
AND I'D LIKE TO ADD, BECAUSE WE DID AN EXERCISE TO, TO WORK ON THIS REFINEMENT AND SCOPING AND THE SIZES OF MOST OF THEM ARE MANY DIFFERENT, MANY THINGS WE'VE JUST CONFIGURED SOME OF IT SO THAT WE COULD MAKE ROOM FOR THE PARKING.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE AMENITIES THAT ARE PROVIDED, WE'RE NOT COMPRISING.
UM, ANYTHING WE'RE REDUCED THE STAGE SIZE, UM, SOME OF THE SMALL AREAS, BUT IN GENERAL, ALL OF THOSE
AND OF COURSE YOU WERE SAMPLE AN EXCELLENT BOARD.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THE BOARD IS A VOLUNTEER BOARD.
YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STAFF, UH, BANDWIDTH.
ULTIMATELY THEY WILL BE OVERSEEING, UH, THIS AND UH, HOW, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? WE'VE HAD CHANGES AND THERE WILL BE MORE CHANGES.
UH, NUMBER ONE, UM, AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE TAKEN BACK OVER MANAGEMENT OF OUR MONEY.
SO WE'VE HAD TO HIRE SOMEONE TO DALLAS FOUNDATION MANAGING OUR MONEY SO THAT, THAT, THAT TAKES IT OFF OUR PLATE.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING A FRACTIONAL CFO.
WE HAVE SOMEBODY DOING OUR BOOKS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING PROCESS OF HIRING A FRACTIONAL CEO.
WE INTEND TO LOOK FOR A START THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CEO IN THE NEW YEAR.
OKAY? RIGHT NOW WE NEEDED STABILIZATION.
WE WILL START THAT SEARCH AND THEN WE CAN MAKE, I WOULD PREFER THAT WE NOT MAKE SIGNIFICANT STAFFING CHANGES UNTIL WE HAVE OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY AND WITH OVG AND IN ADDITION THAT WE HAVE A NEW CEO IN PLACE.
SO THAT PERSON HAS SOME, OR IF IT IS ALYSSA, THAT SHE HAS, WHOEVER IT IS, NEEDS TO HAVE SOME CAPABILITY TO DO THE FINE OF AN ESTABL.
AND THAT BRINGS TO MY FINAL QUESTION.
WHAT IS ROLE OF OBG RIGHT NOW IN THIS PARK STILL? MM-HMM,
WHEN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING THIS PARK THAT'LL HAVE TO GO, OKAY, THIS IS BEING PAID FOR BY, UH, DONORS AND GOVERNMENT GRANTS.
UH, YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THEIR NAME ON THE PAGE BECAUSE WE'VE HIRED OUR, WE HAVE OUR OWN PROJECT MANAGER HERE AND, AND, AND ARCHITECT FIRMS AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND SO FORTH.
SO THERE IS, RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO ROLE IN THAT.
THE LARGER ROLE IS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PARK DEPARTMENT AND THE ATTORNEYS.
SO YEAH, SO WHICH WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN CONNECTED TO THE LEGAL GIVEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IN ANY OF THOSE CONTRACT DOES THIS BECAUSE I PUT, UH, YOU KNOW,
[01:05:01]
26 ON MY CALENDAR FOR RIBBON EVEN CUTTING ON.SO DO YOU THINK THAT AFFECTS ANY OF THAT BASED ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FUTURE OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS OVERALL BASIS? ARE ARE, ARE YOU ASKING WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PARK IF YES, OBG IS GONE OR? EXACTLY.
AGAIN, I'M NOT RECOMMENDING OR NOT, I, I I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND.
UM, THIS IS YOUR, THIS IS THE CITY'S PROPERTY, OKAY? AND IF, IF EVERYBODY GOES AWAY, IT'S STILL THE CITY'S PROPERTY.
OKAY? UM, IF OBG IS TO ENDS UP LEAVING IN THE FUTURE, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE ANOTHER ASSISTANCE IN OPERATING.
AND SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT OPERATOR WHO, WHO OPERATES IN BOOKS AND THAT SORT.
SO IT'S EITHER THEM OR NEW OR, OR, OR REPLACEMENT.
IF WE ALL GO AWAY, IF, IF THE NONPROFIT THAT I REPRESENT GOES AWAY THAN THE OPERATOR ESSENTIALLY GOES AWAY.
'CAUSE YOUR CONTRACT IS NOT THEM, IS WITH US.
IF WE GO AWAY, THEN THAT WOULD BE TURNING UP EVERYTHING THAT 34 BUILDINGS, 277 ACRES AND THE 10 ACRE BACK TO THE CITY HOUSE.
I THINK THESE ARE AMAZING CHANGES AND I KNOW BOTH SEEMS VERY EXCITED, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST SKEPTIC BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WERE TOLD AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
BUT WE'LL BE ROOTING FOR YOU TO, HOPEFULLY THESE ALL COMES TOO.
BUT, BUT JUST, JUST REMEMBER, I THINK NOW PEOPLE WILL BE WATCHING MORE CLOSELY OF WHAT HAPPENS.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR SUCCESS.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, I, I WAS AT ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS FROM THE BEGINNING, AND SO I'VE SEEN THIS ORGANICALLY COME THROUGH AND STEADFAST YOU GUYS ARE DELIVERING THIS COMMUNITY PARK.
UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD THIS PARK IS GONNA HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, HELL OR HIGH WATER, THIS PARK IS HAPPENING.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE TRED THROUGH A LOT OF, UM, MUD, UM, TO COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMITMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY, I SAW THEM AT THE NUMEROUS MEETINGS THAT THE 160 SOME COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT THEY WENT THROUGH IN THE ENGAGEMENT PHASE, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO HONOR THAT COMMITMENT, UM, ON THE PARK'S BEHALF.
I MEAN, YOU'RE THERE ON OUR BEHALF MANAGING THE PARK FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMITMENT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT UPDATE.
AND, UH, WE GO TO THE NEXT MEETING ON DIRECTOR PERFORMANCE.
BEFORE WE GO, I THINK BECAUSE I THINK MEMBERS WANTED TO BE EARLY, I THINK WE, DIRECTOR JENKINS IS JUST GIVE, WRITE SOME DOCUMENTS FOR ALL US TO REVIEW SO THAT WE ARE READY TO MAKE THAT, UH, PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
THESE DOCUMENTS ARE THERE, ANALYZE THEM, UH, CALL HIM, TALK TO HIM, OR WHEN WE READY TO OUR CLOSED SESSION
THAT'S ALL WE ARE DOING IN THAT SUBJECT MATTER TODAY.
ANY
WE HAVE ASKED IN TASK, LET ME SHOW UP TO THOSE REVIEW.
UH, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY DISCUSSION, BUT IF YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
UH, YOU, YOU TOUCHED ON IT, UH, PRESIDENT
BASICALLY YOU HAVE THE MATERIAL, UH, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK I'VE RECEIVED FROM THE LAST PERFORMANCE
[01:10:01]
REVIEW.I INCORPORATED THOSE INTO THE DOCUMENTS YOU HAVE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR YOU NEED TO MEET WITH ME, FEEL FREE.
I URGE TO KEEP THIS CONFIDENTIAL, UH, DOCUMENT JUST, UH, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY SO IT, IT IT'LL BECOME, UH, PUBLIC WHEN WE ARE READY TO REVIEW.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S FOR OUR INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS.
WITH THAT, I MOVE TO THE NEXT BRIEFING PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATE.
GOOD MORNING, PRESIDENT I, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
UM, WITH ME, I HAVE OUR ENGINEERING PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR OF OUR HORIZONTAL DIVISION, TANYA LANE, AND I CHAIR OUR SUPERINTENDENT
THEY'RE GONNA DO THE MAJORITY OF THE PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST GONNA DO A VERY BRIEF INTRODUCTION.
SO BASICALLY THE PURPOSE OF THIS BY AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT PROJECTS MANAGED BY THE PLAN ENVIRON DIVISION.
AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, WE SEE OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OF MAINTENANCE PROJECTS FOR ALL OF OUR FACILITIES.
OUR PROJECTS ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY OF DALLAS BOND FUNDS, ARFA, CDBG.
WE HAVE VARIOUS, UH, FUNDING SOURCES.
AND TODAY'S BRIEFING IS GONNA HIGHLIGHT THE CURRENT PROJECTS FOR THE HORIZONTAL FACILITIES SECTIONS OF THE PLANNING DECISION.
WE TO DO OUR PLANNING AND
SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO TURN UP THE 20.
SO OUR FIRST HORIZONTAL PROJECT IS THE KK PREP LABOR REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER AND THE EXISTING PLAYGROUND WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED, UH, WILL EQUIP AND NEW ENGINEER
UH, AS YOU SEE IN THE PHOTOS, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THE PROJECT WAS $217,000 AND IT WAS FUNDED WITH FOR EIGHT MONTHS.
NEXT EXHIBIT ON THE SCREEN YOU HAVE THE DANIELDALE PARK.
IT'S IN COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT.
IT'S A PART OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT.
UH, GRANT, THE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY 91% COMPLETE.
UM, AND THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE A PRE-FABRICATED RESTROOM BUILDING, REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAYGROUND, AND AN A DA WATER FOUNTAIN.
THE PROJECT WILL ALSO BE BID WITH ALTERNATES, SEVERAL ALTERNATES, INCLUDING RUBBERIZED SOFT SURFACE SYNTHETIC TURF, SURFACING ENGINEERED WOOD BY BAR AND STAGE ME.
THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET IS A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS AND WE ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE OUR FINAL PLANS COMPLETED IN DECEMBER AND WE WILL ADVERTISE IN JANUARY.
COME TO PARK BOARD IN FEBRUARY AND SEE COUNCIL IN MARCH UNIVERSITY CROSSING, UH, TRAIL LIGHTING PROJECT.
THAT PROJECT IS IN DISTRICT 14 AND WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, THE THIRD PROJECT WE INSTALLED LIGHT HOLES AMONG UNIVERSITY CROSSING TRAILS ELLSWORTH AVENUE TO MATILDA BRIDGE AND CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THAT PROJECT IS $1.4 MILLION FUNDED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND OF NOTE, UH, THIS EVENING THE UNIVERSITY CROSSING PIT WILL HOST A TRAIL CELEBRATION THIS EVENING, UH, HONORING ALL FOLKS WHO WORKED ON THE PROJECT.
HERE WE PARKWAY, PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND TRAIL.
THIS IS IN DISTRICT 11 AND IT'S A 2017 BOND PROJECT.
THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THAT PROJECT, UM, WAS INSTALLATION OF A NEW PRE FABRICATED BRIDGE, SLOW PROTECTION AND SAFETY RAILING, UH, ENTERING ENGINE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THE PROJECT, UH, IS IN SERVICE AND RIBBON CUTTING IS SCHEDULED FOR FAVOR.
GLEN MEADOW PARK
UH, THIS PROJECT IS IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 13 AND IT IS OF 2017 BOND PROJECT.
IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IT WILL BE COMPLETE AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND THE PROJECT INCLUDES NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND ENGINEERED WITH FIVE BAR SURFACING.
AND THE PROJECT COST IS 189,000
THIS PROJECT IS IN COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE AND IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER DESIGN.
IT WILL INCLUDE A NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND NECESSARY EROSION CONTROL BETWEEN LAKE HIGHLANDS DRIVE AND DIXON BRANCH PLAYGROUND AREA.
THE DESIGN IS ABOUT UM, FIVE TO 10% COMPLETE
[01:15:01]
AND THE ESTIMATED OPINION OF PROBABLE CONSTRUCTION COSTS IS 600,000 AND FUNDED WITH OPERATING LOSS.TRINITY STRAND HIGHLINE CONNECTOR BRIDGE IN DISTRICT SIX.
THIS PROJECT WAS RECENTLY BID FOR CONSTRUCTION AND IT INCLUDES, UH, 12 FOOT WIDE, 1200 LINEAR FOOT TRAIL WITH TWO PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES, UM, AND A CONSTRUCTION BUDGET OF 7 MILLION.
UM, THE PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED BY THE PARK DEPARTMENT IN COORDINATION WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, THE PROJECT IS FUNDED WITH TIF FUNDS.
UH, IN OCTOBER WE RECEIVED FIVE RESPONSIVE BIDS AND THE BIDS CAME IN OVER BUDGET.
HOWEVER, AS OF YESTERDAY, UH, THE DESIGN DISTRICT TIP BOARD APPROVED THE FUNDING INCREASE UP 2.7 MILLION TO COVER THE FUNDING SHORTFALLS.
SO THE PROJECT BUDGET IS NOW UH, 9.7 MILLION.
IT COVERS THE, THE LOWEST RESPONSES, BUT NEXT SLIDE.
ALRIGHT, UH, THIRD BIT MARCH, RECREATION FIELD CENTER PROJECT AND COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.
IT'S ALSO PART OF TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANT.
AND SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE PROJECT INCLUDES REDEVELOPMENT OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD, PRE FABRICATED RESTROOM BUILDING, SPORTS BUILD, LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS, LED, SECURITY LIGHTING IN THE PARKING LOT, 88 WATER FOUNTAIN.
HE BID, UH, SEVERAL ALTERNATES, UH, INCLUDING PREFABRICATED CONCESSION BUILDINGS FOR AND SIX FOOT FENCING.
TEAM BENCHES AND SPECTATOR BLEACHERS, LED SCOREBOARD, MOBILE ANNOUNCERS, BOOTH AND AUDIO EQUIPMENT, CHEERLEADING PRACTICE AREA WITH SOFT OR SYNTHETIC TURF AND SHADE STRUCTURE.
SO ON THIS PROJECT WE EXPECT, UH, THE PLANS TO BE FINALIZED IN DECEMBER.
WE'LL ADVERTISE IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND COUNCIL OVER IN MARCH.
UH, THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE GOT GOING ON THE FACILITY SERVICE.
THE FIRST ONE IS ALL THESE KNOWLEDGE FLASH PAD.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH PROCURE ON THERE RIGHT NOW TO GET THE CO-OP SUBMITTED.
UM, I'M WAITING FOR FUNDING SO I WILL BE SUBMITTING THAT HOPEFULLY EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE CO-OP TO PROCUREMENT TO FIND THE REST OF THE FUNDING.
OUR PARK, UM, THIS PHASE ONE OF THIS IS ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE TRAIL, THE TWO PAVILIONS, THE R PIECE ALL COMPLETE RIGHT NOW.
YOU SEE THE PICTURES BELIEVE TURN OUT VERY WELL.
UM, WE'RE FINISHING UP THE LIGHTING HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT, SHOULD BE ABOUT THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
PROVEN CUTTING, UM, DECEMBER 5TH FOR THAT.
SO EVERYTHING'S GOING REALLY WELL.
SECOND PAGE SHOULD BE FINISHED BY DECEMBER 5TH.
UH, LAKELAND HILLS DOG PARK, UH, STARTED ON THE EXCAVATION.
I'VE ACTUALLY GOT ABOUT HALF POST SET ON THIS NOW.
I, BY THERE, BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS OUT THERE IN THE LAST WEEK.
UH, ONCE WE GET ALL THE POSTS SET, THIS ONE'S GONNA MOVE PRETTY FAST.
IT'S GONNA BE A TWO PADDOCK DOG CARD, $237,000.
GREEN SAND WALL THAT FINALLY COMPLETED.
UM, COST OF CONSTRUCTION WAS 124,000 AND IT REALLY HAS SEEMED TO HELP SO FAR.
UH, LADY OF MARTINEZ, WE FINISHED THIS PROJECT UP.
WE DID SOME A DA CONNECTIVITY TRAILS, UPGRADED ALL THE LIGHT FIXTURES FROM THE OLD, UM, PRESSURE TO
THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WERE DAMAGED.
THE FIRST ROUND THAT WAS DAMAGED WERE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH THOSE.
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST WAS 75, A LITTLE OVER $75,000.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF COMING.
UH, THIS ATHLETIC FIELD POLE REPLACEMENT, WE SPENT A FEW LEFT ON, THIS WAS THE SECOND ROUND AFTER THE INSPECTION THAT WE HAD TO GO BACK AND PULL DOWN TWO THAT WE HAVE LEFT HERE THAT ARE IN PROGRESS OR PLEASANT OAK AND JAMESTOWN.
WE HAVE POLES AND WE HAVE THE FIXTURES.
[01:20:03]
SO RIGHT NOW, WORKING ON THE NEXT SLIDE, SHOULD JASON PHELP SLIDING PROJECT ON THE CROSS FIELD.WE'VE GOT THIS, I WOULD SAY THIS IS PROBABLY ABOUT 85% FROM FIFTH.
NOW WE'VE GOT FOUR OF THE SIX POLES THAT SHOULD HAVE THE RED POLE SET NEXT WEEK BY NOVEMBER.
UH, TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS ON THAT WAS $120,000.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TODAY.
UM, THIS IS PART OF OUR UPDATES, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE BOARD.
UM, AGAIN, WE DO THESE IN IN TWO DIFFERENT SESSIONS.
SO THIS WAS OUR SECOND ASSESSMENT.
UM, ON A BIG PICTURE, UM, ALL OF THESE HAVE PROJECT MANAGERS AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE RETIREES THAT HAVE COME BACK AS CONSULTANTS.
AND I'M, I'M WONDERING, LOOKING AT, AS WE GET INTO THE 2024 POT, HOW ARE WE FOR PROJECT MANAGERS? UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED A LOT, I THINK.
LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE MAYBE ENOUGH STAFF PROJECT MANAGERS NOW.
UH, UH, SO COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT, HOW, HOW OUR PROSPECTS ARE FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PROJECT MANAGERS AS THIS NEW BOND COMES ON, GET EVERYTHING DONE SO PEOPLE AREN'T BEING SPREAD THIN.
SOME OF THE 2017, I KNOW FROM PERSONALLY IN DISTRICT SIX, WE HAD SOME PROJECT MANAGERS THAT WERE ON TOP OF SHORT STAFFING OR SPLIT BETWEEN TWO THINGS AND SOME THINGS FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO I'M GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FULLY STAFFED WITH STAFF PROJECT MANAGERS, UM, IF THAT'S THE WAY TO GO IF OUR, IF THERE ARE ANOTHER, BUT HOW ARE WE DOING AND LOOKING FOR THAT TO BE READY FOR THAT? WELL, WE HAVE MADE AN OFFER TO A SENIOR ENGINEER AND ALSO TO A SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO GET THE STAFF MEMBERS ON BOARD.
WE HAVE INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED FOR SENIOR ARCHITECT POSITIONS.
UM, COMING UP NEXT MONTH WE HAVE TWO VACANT SENIOR ARCHITECT POSITIONS, UM, FULL TIME.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO GET ALL OF OUR PERMANENT POSITIONS BUILT.
UM, ONE THING WE, WE PUT OUT THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR, UM, ENGINEERING FIRMS. WHEN WE DO OUR ON CALL, BASICALLY WE ARE GOING TO INCLUDE STAFF AUGMENTATION SO THAT WE HAVE THE OPTION.
AND ONCE WE GET THIS CONSULTANTS ON BOARD, THOSE STAFF BE ABLE TO BRING THEM ON BOARD AS CONSULTANTS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE WILL BRING AS MANY STAFF AUGMENTATION FOLKS ON AS WE NEED TO MANAGE THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, NOT HAVE FULL-TIME.
SO WE WILL BE LOOKING TO GET THAT AUGMENTATION.
UM, AND JUST A QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR KIN.
UH, WE'RE COMING INTO THIS NEW BUDGET CYCLE.
UH, MS. BARRY'S GONNA BE BRIEFING THIS.
UH, ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED? I MEAN OUR OBJECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE MONEY TO GET GUESTS.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MAYBE TO START PAY SCALE OR WHATEVER, BUT HOW DOES IT IMPACT WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING FOR THE 25 26 BUDGET? YEAH.
UH, IT, IT SHOULD NOT IMPACT OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET BECAUSE ANY CHARGES RELATED TO THE BOND PROGRAM STAFF COSTS CHARGE BACK TOWARDS THE PROJECT.
BUT WE JUST, OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS JUST COMPETING WITH THE MARKET AND OUR, I THINK OUR PAY STRUCTURE HAS CAUGHT UP NOW IT'S JUST COMPETING WITH THE, UH, THE MARKET.
BUT I, BUT AS, AS A, THERE'S NOWHERE MENTIONED SHE'S GONNA DO STAFF AUGMENTATION.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS.
DO WE, WE HADN'T ROLLED OUT PROGRAM MANAGERS.
WE HADN'T WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING TO GET THIS, THESE PROJECTS COMPLETED IN FIVE YEARS.
SO EVEN MORE IN-HOUSE AT THAT PART, WE WOULD BE ASKING PROBABLY FOR SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE CAN EVEN CHARGE EVEN BUILDING OUT SOME OF OUR UH, S TEAMS, UH, ONCE WE PAY 'EM BACK THROUGH THE BARN HOMES.
WHAT, JUST TALKING WITH PRESIDENT AGARWAL, THE WAY THESE ARE SAYING PUBLIC, BUT THE WAY THESE, UH, BID ARE COMING BACK, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, SEND A MESSAGE TO CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS.
THAT CITY WON'T HESITATE TO KEEP PUTTING THINGS OUT BID, BUT WE WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO START
[01:25:01]
BUILDING THINGS IN-HOUSE TO GET COSTS DOWN.AND THAT'S DIRECTLY, THESE ARE MY SECOND QUESTION ABOUT FACILITIES.
I KNOW THAT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN UH, IN MY DISTRICT WE HAD A TIPTON PARK BUILDING THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO HAVE OUR FACILITIES, THESE
WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE AND THAT COST US A DELAY.
SO, UM, IN THE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, IS THAT ANOTHER FACTOR? LIKE IS THAT PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS TRYING TO BEEF UP OUR FACILITIES TEAM BECAUSE THAT THAT SAVES US MONEY.
I KNOW THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY OPTION BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THESE BIDS CONTINUE TO COME IN THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN COMING IN LIKE THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UP OUR IN-HOUSE TEAM TO COMPLETE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO TO, TO THESE CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS.
UH, WE WON'T HESITATE TO PUT THINGS BACK OUT FOR BID IT AGAIN OR TO BRING OTHER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN HOUSE TO GET BETTER PRICING.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD PERSONALLY, I'M, I LOVE TO DO IT YOURSELF APPROACH AND I HOPE WE CAN FACILITATE THAT BUDGET 'CAUSE IT GETS GREAT OUR THEY DO BEAUTIFUL WORK AND WE'LL MORE THANK THANK MR.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THIS.
I'M A BIG FAN OF THESE REPORTS AND I THINK EVEN WITH YOUR LIMITED STAFF, I KNOW WITH THE PROJECTS IN MY DISTRICT, HAVING A DESIGNATED PROJECT MANAGER IS WORKING GREAT AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE FOLKS YOU'VE HAD ON THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE WORKED ON.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, MAKING ALL THAT KIND OF COME TOGETHER.
UM, I HAVE TWO QUICK, UH, COMMENTS.
ONE IS THAT I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL, UH, PREFAB BATHROOMS GOING INTO SEVERAL PARKS, WHICH I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT.
UH, I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, THROW THIS OUT THERE THAT WE ARE BUILDING LOVELY NEW THINGS LIKE DOG PARKS AND BATHROOMS THAT HAVE A MAINTENANCE PRICE TAG ATTACHED TO THEM.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AT A, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL THINKING ABOUT THAT FROM A MONEY LEVEL.
THESE ARE GREAT NEW AMENITIES THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING REAL HARD TO GIVE US, BUT ARE WE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THAT GOES ALONG WITH MAINTAINING THOSE SHINING OBJECTS? SO JUST TO COMMENT FOR THE DIRECTOR, HAVE THAT ON THE RADAR.
UM, SECONDLY I WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT THAT UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND EROSIONS LATELY AND THE DIXON BRANCH GREEN BELT BRIDGES IN THERE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SORT OF ROSE TO THE LEVEL OF CRISIS.
IT WAS A BRIDGE THAT HAD BEEN THERE FOREVER.
EVENTUALLY THE EROSION GOT TO IT, WE HAD TO CLOSE IT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MANY EROSION THAT KIND OF COME UP.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A BUDGET FOR IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO THE DIRECTOR AND DESIGN TO KIND OF COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO THAT WE COULD PIECEMEAL MONEY TOGETHER TO GET DONE.
BUT IT SPEAKS TO OUR KIND OF ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EROSION AND THE FACT THAT WE USUALLY DON'T ADDRESS IT UNTIL WE'RE AT CRISIS MODE.
AND I SEE THAT DONE HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR.
HOW MANY, UH, PROJECT MANAGERS DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? OUNCE? UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT 10, 12.
I DON'T WANT MY HEAD HAVE LOOKING.
MY STAFF, STAFF PROJECT MANAGERS.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY STAFF PROJECT MANAGER POSITIONS DO WE HAVE OPEN? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE BASICALLY FOUR POSITIONS OF
CAN YOU EXPLAIN, YOU SAID, YOU SAID THE WORD AUGMENTATION IN THE PHRASE CONTRACT FOR PROJECT MANAGER.
BASICALLY WHAT STAFF AUGMENTATION IS, IS BRINGING ON A CONSULTANTS AND MAKING THEM ESSENTIALLY PART OF THE STAFF.
WE WOULD BRING THEM INHOUSE, CONNECT THEM TO CITY, UM, FACILITIES AND, AND CITY UM, NETWORKS.
AND BASICALLY THEY WOULD BE JUST AN EXTENSION OF THE STAFF.
UM, AS FAR AS ANYONE EXTERNAL, THEY WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE A CONSULTANT VERSUS IT'S AN INTERNAL STAFF PERSON.
HOW MUCH DOES A PROJECT MANAGER CONSULTANT COST PROJECT MANAGER CONSULTANT IS RUNNING US APPROXIMATELY $300,000 A YEAR.
HOW MUCH DOES A STAFF PROPERTY MANAGER COST AVERAGE SALARY ON A STAFF PROJECT MANAGER? I'D SAY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A HUNDRED TO 120,000.
A LESS THAN GET UP TO ABOUT ONE, ABOUT 1 40, 1 50.
HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE WE SPENT ON AUGMENTED AMOUNT VERSUS WE SPEND IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT BY SOMEBODY ON STAFF? I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA, BUT I CAN OBTAIN THAT DATA.
DO YOU THINK IT'S SIGNIFICANT WITH HAVING RULES ARE UNFILLED? I THINK OUR STAFF SHORTAGE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE
[01:30:01]
AND WE'RE WORKING ON DEALING WITH THAT AS, AS DIRECTOR JENKINS APPLIED, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, COMPETING WITH THE MARKET TO GETUM, DO I THINK IF WE GET MENTALLY STAFFED WE CAN SPEND AS MUCH AS STAFF AUGMENTATION? NOT, SO MY QUESTION, DIRECTOR JENKINS YOU TALKED ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT HAVING BETTER PRICING AND BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN SAY WE'RE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
THIS IS THE CITY PROBLEM AND WE NEED TO FIX THE CITY PROBLEM THAT WE'RE PAYING DOUBLE OR TRIPLE STAFF RATES.
IF, IF WE NEED TO RAISE SALARIES FROM 125,000 TO 175,000 SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY $300,000 FOR A CONTRACTOR, WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT? YEAH.
UH, UH, MR. COLLINS WILLING AT ALL OPTIONS AND THE ONLY REASON WHEN YOU GET INTO STAFF, STAFF AUGMENTATION IS, IS WHEN OUR, IN THE CASE WHERE WE JUST COULDN'T HIRE ANY EMPLOYEES AND THEN IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STILL DELIVERING THOSE PROJECTS AND WE MAKE SURE WE EXPLAIN THAT TO EVERYONE AS WELL, WE COULD KEEP WAITING OR WE CAN, WE CAN, UM, AUGMENT IT.
'CAUSE IT'S THE ONLY OPTION WE HAVE AT THIS POINT.
UH, SO IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF TRADING OFF.
EITHER YOU WAIT UNTIL THEY GET SOME FREED UP MAN HOURS, WHICH MEANS YOUR PROJECT MAY STRETCH OUT ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO.
AND I WAS JUST TALKING TO MR. AL ABOUT THIS.
WELL, WHERE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO THINK CONTRACTORS IN THE MARKET GET US 'CAUSE THEY KNOW THERE'S NOT JUST PATIENCE TO WAIT
WE'LL WAIT, EVEN IF THAT MEANS, IF Y'ALL WANT US TO SAY, HEY, I DON'T WANT YOU DOING STAFF AUGMENTATION, I'M WILLING TO WAIT AN EXTRA SIX MONTHS OR AN EXTRA YEAR JUST SO WE CAN GET BETTER PRICING.
WE YEAH, BUT WE'VE HAD, THIS IS, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
THIS IS A PROBLEM NOW WHEN THIS IS A PREVIOUS PROBLEM, BUT THIS WILL CONTINUE BEING A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE CAN'T FIX THE PAST AND YOU CAN'T FIX THE PRESENT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE WANTS TO WAIT ON PROJECTS.
HOW ARE WE GONNA FIX THE FUTURE PROBLEM? WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW TO FIX IF, BECAUSE YOU JUST MENTIONED, AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
WE ARE NOT COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET IN TERMS OF STAFF SALARY, WHICH UNDERSTOOD.
I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA ON THAT.
BUT IF WE'RE PAYING DOUBLE AND TRIPLE WHAT STAFF SALARY IS NOW, WHY CAN'T WE GET WITH THE CITY A 20%, 25, 30% BUMP ON A SALARY? IT IT, IT IS, IT LIKE IT'S CITY POLITICS.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA RAISE SALARY BY 20% OR WE'RE GONNA BE TRIPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE TO GET A CONTRACTOR AND NOT BE IT'S CHECKERS, NOT CHESS.
I I AGREE WITH YOUR ENTIRE ASSESSMENT
AND, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TO, TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY HAVE BEEN ADJUSTING SORS FOR THOSE OVER LAST YEARS.
AND WE DON'T SAY OVER LAST YEARS.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE OVER IN, IN OUR CASE, I KNOW WE PROBABLY HAVE OVER 200 CLASSIFICATIONS.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH EACH ONE OF 'EM TO, TO TRY TO ADJUST THE SALARIES TO THE MARKET.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, WHAT HAPPENS IS BY TIME, BY THE TIME THEY GET AROUND ONE CLASSIFICATION, THE MARKET HAS ALREADY CHANGED THREE YEARS LATER.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHASING THE MARKET, BUT THEY'RE LIMITED ON STAFF WHO HAS TO GO OUT.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT BIG HR, NOT OUR HR, THEY'RE LIMITED ON STAFF WHO HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO ALL THESE MARKET STUDIES, ALL THAT.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, WE CAN'T WAIT.
THAT'S WHY I, CHRIS AND I, WE HAVE CHALLENGED OUR TEAMS THAT WE GOTTA GET CREATIVE.
I DON'T CARE IF WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW TO BRING ON A GENERAL CONTRACTOR TO NOW BE THE ONES YOU GOT EIGHT PLAYGROUNDS GO BUILD.
AND
BUT I THINK WE GOTTA EXPLORE ALL OPTIONS EITHER BRINGING UP STAFFING, FACILITY, SERVICE FLOOR, WE GOTTA LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS.
AND SO WE DON'T, TO YOUR POINT, WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, UTILIZING MORE OF OUR BUDGET TO BUILD OR AUGMENTATION.
YEAH, I MEAN IN IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR, THE DIRECTORS.
I KNOW THIS ISN'T, DOESN'T ALL FALL ON YOU AND DOESN'T BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH HR STAFF AT CITY HALL.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN ON THE PARK BOARD, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE CHAT STAFF DOOR SHORTAGE AND
[01:35:01]
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE CAN'T DELAY PROJECTS.BUT IF WE HAD MADE THIS A PRIORITY THREE YEARS AGO, NOT WE COLLECTIVELY, WE NOT YOU AND POINTING FINGERS, WE WOULD BE IN THIS POSITION.
NOW I UNDERSTAND CHASING THE MARKET, EVERYBODY CHASING THE MARKET IN TERMS OF STAFFING AND SALARY.
BUT I, I JUST, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY CONTINUING WITH PAYING OUTSIDE AND THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA WAIT.
IT'S THE, IT'S THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
SORRY, I I MEAN CALL TO ACTION.
I, I'M, WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX THIS? YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST I'VE BEEN VERY HONEST WHEN I WOULD SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO DO A, B, C, AND D AT THIS POINT, I'M JUST BEING HONEST.
IT IS TRULY JUST, YOU HAVE TO GET IN THE QUEUE.
WE'RE JUST ONE OF 30 DEPARTMENTS.
IS THERE A WAY TO SHOW THE CITY MANAGER, HEY, WE HAVE SPENT THE QUESTION, I ASKED X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS ON THESE PROJECT MANAGERS WHEN WE WOULD'VE SPENT Y AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IF WE HAD HAD A STAFF PERSON.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE TAX, I MEAN LIKE, I'M, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, TO MOVE AHEAD IN THE QUEUE? YEAH.
I THINK WHAT WE WOULD DO, LIKE DO WE REALLY NEED THAT STAFF ACCOUNTANT? AND I MEAN, AGAIN, I'M NOT IN THE CITY, BUT DO WE NEED THAT STAFF ACCOUNTANT IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR CAN WE PRIORITIZE THIS? 'CAUSE THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS ISN'T LIKE YOU'RE PAYING A STAFF ACCOUNT, 125,000 AN OUTSIDE PERSON'S COST IN 140.
IT IS 120,000 VERSUS 300, 350,000.
I, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO DAVE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS IT'S, I'M BACK SOME REAL ANALYSIS TO YOUR POINT HERE TO SHOW HOW MUCH IT DOES COST.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER.
LIKE YOU DATA TELLS YOUR STORY.
AND WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE, I KNOW THAT IT JUST LEFT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE COME BACK, GIVE YOU A FULL ANALYSIS OF WHEN IT, WHAT DOES IT COSTING US WHEN WE'RE NOT CATCHING UP WITH THE MARKET RIGHT AWAY.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO US AND NOT GETTING ANY PROJECTS DONE? WHAT DOES IT COST US WHEN WE HAVE TO PAY EXTRA COSTS? WELL IT'S, YEAH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST SALARY, IT'S, WE HELP IF WE HOLD, WE HAVE AN ISSUE LIKE THE PANDE PANDEMIC HAPPENS AGAIN AND WE HAVE INFLATIONARY ISSUES THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.
THAT THAT STAFF ROLE THAT YOU DIDN'T FILL ENDED UP COSTING US NOT JUST EXTRA, EXTRA 200,000, BUT AN EXTRA FOUR OR FIVE, 600, 800,000.
SHE KNOW MR. CARLOS, THE PUBLIC, THE END OF THE DAY PUBLIC GONNA SEE US DELIVER ON THE PROJECTS AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY DON'T CARE WHAT IS THE REASON WHY WE COULDN'T.
SO WE GOTTA GET THIS FIXED BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DELIVERING ON A PROJECT, IT'S COSTING THEM MORE.
I, I, YOU KNOW, BUT UH, ELAINE WAS SAYING, I AGREE, BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THE FACT.
AND WE'RE SEEING, UH, PERMISSION IN WHAT WE ASKED FOR.
WE'RE SEEING, WE GETTING REPORTS, THANK GOD FROM CHRIS.
UH, ONE THING THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION DID WAS BUREAUCRACY.
WE STARTED HAVING JOB FOR, WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND PROCUREMENT AND HEY, WE STARTED HIRING ON THE SPOT BECAUSE WE WERE BOTTOM ON THE LIST TO GETTING STAFF.
I GOTTA COMMEND THIS ADMINISTRATION AND OUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, ALL OF OUR DIRECTORS, ALL OF OUR MANAGERS, THIS IS WHAT THIS DEPARTMENT DOES.
THIS IS WHY THIS DEPARTMENT, THIS DEPARTMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO WE CAN'T HELP DAMAGE TO OUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE HR MANAGER'S OFFICE IS NOT.
SO WHEN YOU BE INNOVATIVE, AND I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS THING ABOUT DISTRICT EIGHT IS NOT IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
THURGOOD MORNING FIELD, IF YOU WOULD'VE EVER WENT OVER AND LOOKED AT THAT FIELD YEARS, YEARS AGO, YOUR PROBABLY WOULD'VE BROUGHT TEARS TO YOU.
AND, BUT OUR KIDS WERE PLAYING ON AND NOW THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH IT.
UH, THERE'S A COACH, COACH THOMAS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS.
THE WHITE PRESIDENT JOYCE BUSH AND BU ARE RECOGNIZED HIM FOR WHAT HE WAS DOING WITH THOSE KIDS OVER THERE.
AND THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY APPRECIATED FROM HIM IN THAT COMMUNITY.
WE SEE STUFF IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT EVERYBODY THAT I'M SITTING HERE WITH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SAME MINDSET AS I DO.
WE'RE NOT, EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU IS SUCH A BLESSING THAT I
[01:40:01]
BECOME FRIENDS WITH YOU.I KNOW YOU 'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU REPRESENT.
I AM SO PROUD OF THIS DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND I CONTINUE TO THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT.
AND THANK YOU, UH, JOHN FOR YOU LISTENING TO US AND YOU HEARD US, SO THANK YOU.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I KNOW CHRIS MENTIONED CHRIS THEN WILL BE KIND OF FULLY STAFFED.
THANK CHRIS WANTS TO GET THESE, THEY HAVE ONE OR TWO VACANCY BE THAT IS CORRECT.
DIRECTOR HAVE ONE PROJECT COORDINATOR.
I WILL SAY WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, UH, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
'CAUSE I REMEMBER WEARING HER TEAM LITERALLY PROBABLY WOULD HAD ABOUT SIX, SEVEN PROJECT MANAGERS.
I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO LEAVE HERE TODAY TO NOT THINK WE'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS ON HER.
AND I WILL TELL YOU SIZE, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT OUR OTHER DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A A A A, WHICH I WOULDN'T CALL AN ACCEPTABLE VACANCY RATE ME ACCEPTABLE VAC VACANCY RATE IS MORE LIKE AROUND 5%.
BUT I KNOW THIS DEPARTMENT, I THINK, AND I HAVE VANESSA COME AND REPORT, PROVIDE A BRIEFING TO THE BOARD.
BUT I THINK US COMPARED ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I THINK DEPARTMENT WAS DOWN UP UNDER 10% WHEN IT COMES TO A
AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF ALL THOSE INNOVATIVE JOB FAIRS.
UH, HR WORKING WITH US ON NOW, ALLOWING US TO OFFER SOME BONUSES TO EMPLOYEES, UH, STAMP PROGRAMS FOR THE EMPLOYEES SO WE CAN, UH, GET THEM CERTIFIED IN-HOUSE.
AND THEN THAT WAY WHEN THEY ARE CERTIFIED, THEN THEY AUTOMATICALLY MOVE UP.
SO I, I NEED TO COME BACK AND GIVE Y'ALL A BRIEF AND SO YOU WILL KNOW WE ARE PROGRESSING IN THAT AREA AND WE KNEW THE MARKET HIT TO FINALLY CATCH UP WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE, WHEN, WHEN UNEMPLOYMENT IS STARTING TO GO UP, THE CITY REALLY DOES WELL WITH RETAINING AND ATTRACTING NEW EMPLOYEES.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I AGREE THAT I WENT, UM, I LIKE SEEING THE PROGRESS.
UM, I DON'T WISH, UH, YOUR JOB UPON ANYBODY, UM, IN THE RESPECT THAT YOU HAVE 15 OF US PUSHING YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE JEREMY, THE PAVILION THAT EVERGLADE NEEDS TO GET DONE NEXT.
WE HAVE 15 COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR THAT ADVOCATE FOR THEIR PROJECTS AND
UM, AND WE DO THIS WITH A JOB, UH, UH, MENTALITY THAT I CAN MAKE MORE MONEY DELIVERING, UH, GRUB, WHAT IS IT, GRUB, GRUBHUB, OR, YOU KNOW, UBER EATS OR WHATEVER.
PEOPLE CAN MAKE MORE MONEY DOING THAT AND THEY CAN DO IT ON THEIR OWN TIME VERSUS COMING TO A NINE TO FIVE AND ANSWERING 30 PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS AND HAVING PEOPLE MAD AT THEM.
SO YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF, I MEAN, I I THINK SOMETIMES THAT'S WHY THE COST ESCALATES IS 'CAUSE WE'RE ALL PUSHING SO HARD AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA HEAR AN EXCUSE.
SO YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THE, THE PROJECTS DONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE PROJECTS DONE, UM, AND PUTTING UP WITH ALL OF US, UM, FIGHTING AND PUSHING AND SCREAMING, UM, TO GET OUR PROJECTS DONE, UM, IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOOD STUFF AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE A LOT OF THE NEW PROJECTS COME ALONG HOW WE'RE GET HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO TYPICALLY THANK YOU ON THE KYLO PARK PROJECT.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT ON THAT, LOTS OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME FROM ME AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY ARE THRILLED.
UM, MATT, GLAD THAT BRIDGE IS OPEN.
THANK YOU WITH THAT, NO MORE COMMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING UP AND MORE PROJECTS.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT
[01:45:01]
BY THE NEXT WEEK WE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF PRESENT PROJECT.YOU JUST DID BRIEF PRESENTATION ON SOME PROJECTS, BUT WE HAVE UPDATES ON, ON YOUR BUDGET IN THIS FORMAT, MOVIES THAT NATURE.
WITH THAT WE MOVE TO ANY STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT.
GOOD MORNING, MR. PRESIDENT AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE HAD, UM, WE, WE LOST OUR DEAR, UH, DR.
TINA ROBINSON, ALSO, YOU KNOW, DAVID LOPEZ.
SO I STILL, I WAS WORKING WITHOUT TWO SUPERINTENDENTS.
CHRISTY VA IS HELPING OUT RIGHT NOW AS AN INTERIM, BUT I'M REALLY GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT TODAY.
UM, KEVIN MONDAY HAS BEEN WITH US SINCE LAST WEEK.
UH, I'M GONNA LET YOU TELL, I'M GONNA LET YOU TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, UH, THAT GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, UH, RECRUITING AND INTERVIEWING HIM, HE WAS BEYOND IMPRESSIVE.
AND SO I JUST THINK THAT HE'S BEEN REALLY GOOD, UH, FOR OUR TEAM.
UM, AND HE HAS A LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND REALLY MATCHES THE SPIRIT OF THE PARK DEPARTMENT.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO KEVIN AND HE'S GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE TO MEET SOME OF YOU ALL.
I MAY HAVE WORKED WITH YOU IN A FORMER DEPARTMENT, UH, WHICH I'M TRANSITIONING ON IN FROM ON VARIOUS PROJECTS.
UH, MY BACKGROUND INCLUDES A STRONG, UH, ESSENCE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT LEADS TO THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT FOR OUR RESIDENTS, INCLUDING SAFETY AND BEAUTIFICATION.
UH, MOST RECENTLY, ONE OF MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY IS LIFTING AND ELEVATING OUR KEEP DALLAS BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM THAT WE NOW HAVE IN OUR CITY THAT WE ABSORBED FROM AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, UH, JUST PRIOR TO COVID.
SO WE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THAT PROGRAM FROM A, UH, NONPROFIT ELEVATED AND EXISTED IN OUR CITY PROGRAMS AND TAKING THAT TO A RECOGNIZED PROGRAM, NOT ONLY STATE SIDE, BUT NATIONAL SIDE RECEIVING, UH,
ALSO THAT INCLUDES RECEIVING FUNDING AND UH, WORKING WITH THE CURRENT COUNCIL WITH OVER ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF BUDGET FOR THAT PROJECT.
SO I'M EXCITED TO BE IN THE, UH, DALLAS PARK REGULATION DEPARTMENT.
I FIRST STARTED WORKING WITH PARKS AND REC IN 1995, RIGHT AS AN UNDERGRAD COLLEGE.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND TERRITORY AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL.
THEY HAVE ANY WHAT HAS ON REPORT? YES.
I JUST WANT TO PERSONALLY, UH, TO WORK
UM, AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE KEVIN ON THE PROJECT
UM, SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT PLEASURE ACTUALLY FROM KEVIN TO SEE YOU COMING OVER HERE AT THE SAME TIME AND DESIGN AND I REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BE HAVING TO SUPPORT ANY REPORTS.
PLEASE, MS. HE, UH, CHRISTMAS READ KICKED OFF.
THE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IS THERE 12 NIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS THERE, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN, PLEASE GO.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY, UH, MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME TICKETS ON THEIR DESK THIS MORNING FROM THE ARBORETUM.
UM, THIS SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A PRE CLEANING EVENT AT FIELDVIEW PARK, AND THEN ON DECEMBER THE 14TH AT 9:00 AM THEY'RE ALSO BE AT 9:00 AM ON SATURDAY.
I DIDN'T WANNA STEAL YOUR THUNDER, BUT I CAN
COMING UP ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD AT 10:00 AM WE ARE KICKING OFF AN EXCITING PROJECT AT THE WOODS OF VALUE.
THESE THIS IS THE NATURAL AREA AND VALUE THAT PREVIOUSLY HAD HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER DEBRIS THAT, UH, PARK STAFF MAINTENANCE.
UH, MIGUEL AND TEAM HAVE REALLY DONE AN AWESOME JOB OF CLEARING OUT AND PUTTING IN SOME NEW NATURE TRAILS.
[01:50:01]
YOU'RE INTERESTED, COME BY SATURDAY AT 10:00 AM AND THIS VALLEY EXCITING.THIS ISN'T EXACTLY A LIAISON REPORT, BUT I JUST WANNA REPORT SOME INCREDIBLE NEWS THAT OF THE FRIENDS OF BACHMAN LAKE, ONE OF OUR MOST ACTIVE FRIENDS GROUPS IN THE CITY, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED OUT THEIR WEBSITE, INMAN LAKE.ORG, IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
THEY HAVE MANAGED TO ACTIVATE, RENOVATE, AND REJUVENATE THIS DECADES LONG ELECTED AREA ON THE NORTH SIDE OF, OF THE BATMAN CREEK.
UH, I USED TO GO THERE WHEN I WAS A KID AND WE USED TO WATCH THE HOBOS, WE CALLED THEM.
UH, BUT FOR A LONG TIME IT'S BEEN JUST A TOTAL WILDERNESS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT KIDS DO TRACK IT AND LIKE, SO, BUT IT'S JUST AMAZING.
BUT THEY'VE DONE AND THEY MANAGED TO GET THROUGH, UM, GABLES, THAT'S A LARGE RESIDENTIAL APARTMENT THAT HAVE MANY, UH, SKILLED, UH, TRADESMEN AND JUST REGULAR VOLUNTEERS.
THEY GOT OVER A HUNDRED VOLUNTEER.
I WAS UNABLE TO DO IT TO GO MYSELF, BUT THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR IN THE ROW, YEAR IN A ROW THAT THEY'VE DONE THIS.
BUT THEY HAVE TOTALLY TRANSFORMED AN AREA THAT AT ONE POINT WAS SO NEGLECTED THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY USED WHEN WE DID THE QUICKTRIP APPROVAL.
UH, QUICKTRIP USED IT TO AS A REASON WHY THEY COULD THEIR, THEIR, UH, TRAILHEAD BECAUSE THIS AREA'S JUST NOTHING.
IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED AND IT'S NOT THAT WAY NOW.
AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE, IT'S SIMILAR TO THE, UH, UH, FRAZIER DAM WILDERNESS AREA WHERE GREEN SPACE, DALLAS AND OTHERS HAD BUILT BENCHES AND INTERPRETED SIGNS AND HAVE CLEARED OUT PRI THE DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TEAMS AND INCREDIBLE AND INCREDIBLE WORK WITH THEM.
BUT, UH, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A, A, A HIKE IN A VERY EASILY ACCESSIBLE AREA RIGHT IN THE HEART OF DALLAS AND TO KIND OF FORGET YOU'RE EVEN IN THE CITY, UH, I, I REALLY RECOMMEND YOU GO SEE IT.
AND MY HAT'S OFF BECAUSE IT, AND ALSO TO THE GABLES.
UH, 'CAUSE IT'S JUST THE BEST EXAMPLE OF WHAT ACTIVE COMMUNITY GROUP AND THE FRIENDS GROUP CAN DO TO MAKE A MAJOR, MAJOR CHANGE.
THANKS IS ON REPORTS AND BOARD MEETING IS AT 10:00 AM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12TH, 2024.
WISH YOU ALL A PRETTY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO WORK HOLIDAY 1153.