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[Senior Affairs Commission on December 16, 2024.]
IT IS.YES, WE JUST DID, RIGHT? WE HAVE, UM, NEXT ITEM UP IS THE MINUTES, UM, RECEIVED THEM.
MOTION TO APPROVE DISMISS MOTION.
UH, DID ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS? UH, MY NAME WAS MISSPELLED ON SECOND PAGE.
WHERE ON THE SECOND PAGE, WE WILL GET, WE WILL GET THAT FIXED BEFORE WE, UH, FINAL PRINT.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER MEETING? I, OR WAIVE OR AYE.
NO, SHE WE'RE ALMOST ALL HERE.
THE, UH, ONE THING THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA THAT I DID WANNA MAKE ABOUT IS WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, A FORUM FOR US TO MEET WITH THE CONSULTANTS FOR THE, UH, PLAN AND GETTING THAT SCHEDULED IS THE, UH, IS THE CHALLENGE BOTH FROM GETTING THEM LINED UP AND THEN GETTING SPACE AT CITY HALL LINED UP.
WE THINK WE'VE GOT IT LINED UP, UH, FOR JANUARY 13TH AT 10:00 AM AND AS SOON AS WE GET CONFIRMATION IN THE MEETING SPACE, UH, WE WILL SEND EVERYBODY AN EMAIL CONFIRMING THAT IF YOU GET THAT ON THE CALENDAR FOR 13TH.
SO IF YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO OUT OF THE CITY, WE CAN WILL, WILL THERE BE A WAY FOR US TO I WILL HAVE WIFI.
IT, IT'LL BE, IT'LL, IT'LL BE A PUBLIC MEETING AND IT WILL BE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT.
UM, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE FOR EVERYBODY THAT CAN POSSIBLY BE HERE FIRST.
OKAY, WELL, WE BACK AT FORUM DOWN THERE.
HE CAN CONVINCE MY HUSBAND THAT HE SHOULD STAY HOME THEN.
WE, UH, HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE BOARD AND COMMISSIONS MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT THE
CHAPTER EIGHT, ATTENDANCE REPORTING AND
UH, WHO DO WE HAVE? MS. WESTON IS ON MS. WESTON.
OH, IS THAT A CALVA BRIDGE IN THE BACKGROUND THERE?
I, I AM SHANI WESTIN, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MANAGER, AND WE ALSO HAVE DONNA BROWN, OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSION MANAGER, AND WE'RE FROM THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BRIEFLY JUST GIVE AN OVERVIEW REGARDING SOME OF THE PROCESSES WHEN IT COMES TO ATTENDANCE.
AND AFTER WE PRESENT, THEN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM, PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE LEGALITY AND THE REASONING WHY THE CITY CODE, UM, ADDRESSES THESE ISSUES.
AND, UM, SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE, SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
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SO THE PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PURPOSE OF THE ATTENDANCE, UM, THAT WE HAVE STATE LAW, THE BACKGROUND AS TO WHY WE FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES, THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE CATEGORIES.UM, JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CHAPTER EIGHT AND TOMA.
UM, WHICH AGAIN, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS GOING TO GET A LOT MORE INTO THAT.
UM, THE REPORTING MECHANISMS AND THE REPORTING PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES AND, UM, ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THE PURPOSE OF, UM, OUR ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND OUR MEETING TODAY WITH YOU ALL IS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION HAS REGARDING ATTENDANCE REPORTING AND POLICY INQUIRY.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS, AGAIN, PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF, UM, THE CITY AND STATE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS.
THAT'LL BE ALONG WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WE'LL DEFINITELY GET INTO, UM, MORE INTO THE DETAIL.
WE'LL JUST BE REFERENCING SOME OF THE CITY CODE AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF YOU AS MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE CITY PROCESS AND PROCEDURES WHEN IT COMES TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND SO THE BACKGROUND AS TO WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, ATTENDANCE AND ALL THESE NEW PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ARE COMING ABOUT.
WELL, THERE WAS A 2021 AUDIT ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND THROUGH THAT AUDIT, THEY HAD REPORTED THAT, UM, THERE WAS SOME NEED TO, UM, TIGHTEN UP ON THE COMPLIANCE OF CHAPTER EIGHT.
CHAPTER EIGHT IS THE CITY CODE WHEN IT COMES TO HOW BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE TO RUN.
SO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT, THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL HEAR US SAY TOMA.
AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IT ADDRESSED IN THAT AUDIT WAS THAT, UM, THERE WAS A LACK OF SUBMITTING MEETING MINUTES AND ATTENDANCE RECORDS AND REPORTS.
UM, THERE WAS A LACK OF COMPLIANCE WHEN IT CAME TO SOME OF THE SET CITY CODE, SECTION 8 4 8 OF THE CITY CODE, WHICH TALKS ABOUT QUORUM AND HOW TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE, UM, UM, REPORTING AND TRANSPARENT REGARDING THOSE ISSUES.
8, 6 8 TALKS ABOUT THE PUBLIC CHARACTER OF THE MEETINGS AND HOW MEETINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CONDUCTED.
AND, UM, ADHERE TO CHAPTER SIX.
CHAPTER EIGHT, EIGHT TALKS ABOUT THE REPORTING OF MINUTES.
WE HAD, UM, SOME ISSUES WHEN IT CAME TO REPORTING AND SUBMITTING THE MEETING MINUTES TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND ALSO CHAPTER EIGHT 20.
AND SO OUT OF THIS AUDIT AUDIT, UM, THAT WAS WHEN MY POSITION WAS DEVELOPED.
IT WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD SOME TYPE OF INTERNAL CONTROLS, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUBMITTING ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BECAUSE THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE IS THE OFFICIAL RECORD KEEPERS FOR THE CITY.
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRANSPARENT, THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WHEN ANY RESIDENT COMES AND INQUIRES ON, UM, OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS JUST AS THEY DO WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS OR ANY OTHER CITY MEETINGS.
AND SO WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT WAS, UM, THE AUDIT RECOMMENDED THAT THERE WOULD BE A DEVELOPMENT OF PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS SOME COMPLIANCE TO THE CITY CODE REGULATIONS.
AND SO IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, THERE ARE SOME FORMS THAT, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS NEED TO SUBMIT TO US SO THAT WE ENSURE, AGAIN, TRANSPARENCY COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY CODE AND TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
AND THESE ARE THE SAME DOCUMENTS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, SUBMIT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, SUCH AS THE AGENDA, RIGHT? THE AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED SEVEN TWO HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
MEETING MINUTES MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
UM, FIVE, UH, AT LEAST NO PAST FIVE DAYS AFTER THE MEETING HAS BEEN HELD.
THE ATTENDANCE RECORDS ENSURE THAT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE FOLLOWING THE, THE STATE, THE CITY CODE WHEN IT COMES TO ATTENDANCE AND AN ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS, I SEE ON YOUR AGENDA, YOU'RE STARTING TO WORK ON THAT.
AND THEN, AS YOU KNOW, THE FINANCIAL INTEREST FORMS THOSE FDR FORMS AND OTHER FORMS THAT YOU SUBMIT TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST SOME GENERAL INFORMATION.
AGAIN, DONNA BROWN IS ON THE LINE ALSO.
WE CAN ADDRESS ANY GENERAL QUESTIONS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA WAIT TILL THE END AFTER CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PRESENTS.
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GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, NOT ON CITY ATTORNEY OFFICE OR CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.IS THAT WHAT I MEANT? CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
SHE, THAT WAS MS. WEST, RIGHT? BROWN.
I'M PART OF THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
SO WE JUST PRESENTED, UM, IS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THERE? IT'S DONNA BROWN, RIGHT? DONNA CITY SECRETARY? THAT'S NO, BUT THE DONNA BROWN ON THE LEFT.
OH, RIGHT HAND SIDE, RIGHT? JUST, UH, STEVEN MC MCFE DIDN'T, IS THAT CORRECT? THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO ATTORNEY ON THAT.
SO WE DON'T, FROM THE CAMERA COMES, SO OUR AGENDA WAS NOT CORRECT.
YEAH, DONNA, WE'RE WORKING ON TO GET ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE.
THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT HE ACTUALLY, UM, INVITED APPARENTLY DID NOT SHOW TODAY.
SO WE ARE, OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON, I GUESS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DONNA? YES, SIR.
JUST ONE QUESTION, AND I MAY HAVE MY MIND DRIFT IT OFF, BUT I WAS WONDERING, WANTING YOU TO ADDRESS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF, UH, ABSENCES THAT, UH, A COMMISSIONER IS ABLE TO APPROVE.
SO YOUR ATTENDANCE BASED ON YOUR BOARD, WHETHER YOUR BOARD MEETS MONTHLY, BIWEEKLY, OR QUARTERLY, YOUR ATTENDANCE IS CALCULATED ON A PERCENTAGE.
SO, UH, THE PERCENTAGE IS 25%.
YOU CANNOT MISS MORE THAN 25% OF YOUR, I I BELIEVE YOUR BOARD MEETS MONTHLY.
YOU CANNOT MISS MORE THAN 25% OF YOUR MONTHLY MEETINGS.
AND IF YOU MISS THREE MEETINGS CONSECUTIVELY, THEN YOU FORFEIT YOUR POSITION.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, IT DOES.
AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT HAS BEEN INTERPRETED TO US.
UM, IF ABSENCES WERE LIKE RANDOMLY THREE, THEN SOMEONE WOULD GET A LETTER SAYING THAT THEIR POSITION WAS IN JEOPARDY.
OR ONE, UH, COMMISSIONER WAS ACTUALLY OUSTED FROM THE COMMISSION.
AND THAT'S ONE QUESTION OR ONE POINT.
AND THE OTHER POINT IS ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, HAD A DEATH IN HER FAMILY AND IT WAS, UH, SOMEONE THAT, UH, HER SISTER AND SHE WAS CARING FOR THIS PERSON.
THIS PERSON WAS VERY, VERY ILL.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW THIS PERSON DOESN'T MIND ME SHARING THIS WITH YOU.
UH, THE DAY THAT SHE HAD TO GO TO THE FUNERAL HOME TO VIEW THE BODY, TO, UH, SO THAT THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR WOULD ALLOW IT TO BE SEEN, SHE COULD NOT COME.
IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME TIME AS OUR MEETING AND THAT WAS HELD AGAINST HER.
I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE EXCUSED.
JUST LIKE IN, IN A SCHOOL SETTING, AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING, THERE SHOULD BE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE EXCUSED.
A DEATH IN A FAMILY, ESPECIALLY A SISTER, UH, A MEDICAL PROCEDURE.
UH, THERE'S A COMMISSIONER THAT HAD TO HAVE A MEDICAL PROCEDURE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE SCHEDULE THOSE LIKE MONTHS IN ADVANCE, LIKE ALMOST A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
UH, THOSE THINGS CANNOT BE AVOIDED.
SO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT CONSECUTIVE MADE SENSE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE OFF FOR THE FUNERAL, IT WON'T BE EVERY MONTH THAT YOU'RE DOING THE SAME FUNERAL OR YOU WON'T BE HAVING THAT SAME PROCEDURE EVERY MONTH.
SO YOU'RE SAYING CONSECUTIVE ABSENCES.
AND THAT DOES CLEAR THINGS UP FOR ME, BUT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN MISINFORMED.
SO, UM, OUR OFFICE IS REQUIRED TO ABIDE BY THE CITY CODE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO ATTENDANCE, ATTENDANCE IS, LIKE I SAID, IS ATTEN IS CALCULATED A NUMBER OF WAYS.
ONE IS CONSECUTIVE ABSENCES, THE OTHER IS BY PERCENTAGE BASED ON HOW THE BOARD MEETS.
SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK ON YOUR SCREEN, CHAP, CHAPTER EIGHT, SECTION 20 STATES THAT A MEMBER OF A BOARD THAT MEETS MONTHLY WHO IS ABSENT FOR MORE THAN 25%
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OF THE REGULAR MEETINGS DURING ANY 12 MONTH PERIOD, WHETHER EXCUSED OR NOT, SHALL RESULT IN A FORFEITURE EXCUSED ABSENCES.THE CODE STATES THAT, UM, NO MEMBER SHALL BE EXCUSED FROM ATTENDANCE UNLESS FOR A MEDICAL REASONS CERTIFIED BY A PHYSICIAN OR, OR UNLESS EXCUSED BY THE BOARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
EVEN THE, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE HOSPITAL WITH JUST BASED ON THE CODE.
WITHOUT A CERTIFIED LETTER FROM YOUR DOCTOR, THAT CANNOT BE EXCUSED.
AND UNLESS THE BOARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE YOUR ABSENCE, IT'S CONSIDERED UNEXCUSED AND WE HAVE TO GO BY THE CODE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, FUNERALS AND, AND MEDICAL REASONS, BUT THIS IS THE CITY CODE AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
I, LIKE I SAID, I'M HEARING THINGS IN YOUR EXPLANATION THAT MAKE SENSE, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T UNDERSTANDING BEFORE BECAUSE THOSE THINGS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE EXPLANATIONS WE RECEIVED BEFORE.
AND SO I, I AM HEARING MEDICAL EXCUSE CERTIFIED BY A DOCTOR.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, YEAH, DONNA, THIS IS, MAY I GO? YES.
SO IF I WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS INFORMATION, IT WOULD BE ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
IF YOU GO TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S WEBPAGE, WHEN YOU OPEN UP THAT PAGE TO THE LEFT OF THE PAGE IS A MENU, AND IT, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THAT MENU SAYS CITY CODE, BECAUSE THAT WILL GIVE US ALL THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ.
IF YOU'RE IN, IN ATTENDANCE HERE, WE CAN'T EVEN SEE THE SCREEN MUCH LESS READ IT.
WE CAN SEE THE SCREEN, BUT WE CAN'T READ IT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT WOULD ALLOW ALL OF US TO REVIEW IT IN DETAIL AND NOT HAVE A PROBLEM.
WE COULD JUST SHARE THE LINK WITH YOU ALL.
OH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF, UH, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND IT.
SO IT'S THREE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS, THREE RESULTS IN THE FORFEIT OR FOUR MEETINGS THAT ARE NOT CONSECUTIVE WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS, CORRECT.
IT'S, IT'S ANYTHING OVER 25% PERCENTAGE.
WHAT'S, NORMALLY SOMEBODY MISSES FOUR MEETINGS IN A 12 MONTH.
THAT WOULD BE A FOUR PERCENTAGE PERCENTAGE.
IT'S BASED ON A PERCENTAGE, BUT YES.
BUT 25% WOULD BE THREE MEETINGS.
WELL, 25% SOMETIMES, LIKE I SAID, DEPENDS ON HOW OFTEN YOU MEET.
'CAUSE IF YOU, YOU MEAN I DON'T, THIS COMMISSION MEETS MONTHLY.
NORMALLY IT IS 25% FOR A MONTHLY BOARD.
IT'S USUALLY ON YOUR FOURTH ABSENCE YOU ARE FORFEITED BECAUSE USUALLY 25% IS, YOU ARE RIGHT AT 25% ON YOUR THIRD ABSENCE.
SO IT'S 25%, ANYTHING OVER 25%.
SO YES, IF YOU MISS FOUR, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CONSECUTIVE.
IF YOU MISS FOUR RANDOMLY THROUGHOUT THAT 12 MONTH PERIOD, THEN YES, YOU WILL BE FORFEITED.
IF YOU MISS THREE CONSECUTIVELY, YOU WILL BE FORFEITED.
ARE THOSE FOUR EXCUSED OR UNEXCUSED OR JUST UNEXCUSED? I WILL SAY EXCUSED OR UNEXCUSED.
AND I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE THE, THE CODE STATES THAT THE ONLY WAY TO BE EXCUSED IS BY A CERTIFIED LETTER MEMO OR LETTER FROM YOUR DOCTOR OR BY APPROVAL BY THE BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES.
SO THIS, UM, THREE OR FOUR, WHICHEVER IT IS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WITHIN A CALENDAR YEAR OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SAFER INSTANCE, YOU MISS A MEETING IN APRIL, SO YOU HAVE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING APRIL WHERE IT'S CONSIDERED THAT YOU HAVE THREE OR FOUR, UM, MEETINGS THAT YOU MISSED? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE
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I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I'VE BEEN DISMISSED, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN I HADN'T ACTUALLY MISSED THOSE MANY DAYS.AND EVEN MY COUNCILMAN QUESTIONED THAT.
SO WHEN WE CALCULATE, IT JUST REINSTATED ME.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE CALCULATE ATTENDANCE, IT IS OUR CALENDAR THAT YOUR COORDINATOR SUBMITS HAS 13 MONTHS AND IT IS A ROLLING CALENDAR.
AND SO WE CALCULATE HOW MANY ABSENCES WITHIN THAT 12 MONTH PERIOD.
NOW WE INCLUDE 13 MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FULL YEAR.
BUT OUR, OUR THE, YOUR COORDINATOR SUBMITS A CALENDAR, WE CALCULATE FOR THAT 12 MONTH PERIOD.
SO IT'S APRIL TO APRIL, MAY TO MAY, JUNE TO JUNE IS 12 MONTHS.
SO IF YOU MISS RANDOMLY 25% WITHIN THAT 12 MONTH PERIOD, YOU'LL FORFEIT YOUR MEMBERSHIP FROM THE BOARD.
NOW IT IS, IF YOU FORFEIT IT IS UP TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IF THEY WANNA PUT YOU BACK ON THE BOARD.
BUT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THAT 12 MONTHS FROM YOUR FIRST ABSENCE, CORRECT.
12 MONTHS FROM THE TIME THAT YOU WERE APPOINTED, BECAUSE IF YOU ARE REAPPOINTED, THEN YOUR ATTENDANCE STARTS OVER.
THAT HASN'T BEEN THE WAY THAT IT WORKED.
BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'M GONNA LET IT GO BECAUSE HE IMMEDIATELY RE REINSTATED ME BOTH TIMES.
BUT I'M GLAD THAT THIS ISSUE CAME UP 'CAUSE IT REALLY NEEDED SOME CLARIFICATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
JUST ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M HEARING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'M HEARING 25%, WHICH MEANS IF YOU ARE ABSENT FOR THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION THREE TIMES, THEN THAT'S IT.
THEN I HEARD SOMEONE SAY THE FOURTH.
SO WHICH ACTUALLY IS IT, IS IT THE THIRD, WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE 25% OR THE, THE FOURTH.
IF YOU ARE ABSENT THREE TIMES CONSECUTIVELY, SO IF YOU ARE ABSENT MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY, YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR POSITION.
IF YOU ARE ABSENT MARCH, JULY, AUGUST, OCTOBER, THEN THOSE ABSENCES ARE CALCULATED BY 25%.
SO THAT WILL, LIKE I SAID, DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU WERE APPOINTED AND THE WAY YOUR YEAR ROLLS IT, THAT'S WHEN THE 25% COMES IN.
IF IT IS CONSECUTIVE, WE HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE CITY CODE SAYS CONSECUTIVELY, WE HAVE TO FORFEIT YOU THREE NON-CONSECUTIVE ABSENCES.
AND OUR YEAR STARTS IN OCTOBER ONLY ONLY GETS YOU TO 25%.
AND, AND DONNA, CAN IT BE NOTED THAT, THAT WHEN SOMEONE IS OFF BECAUSE THEY'RE ON A VACATION AS OPPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH A DEATH IN THE FAMILY OR A MEDICAL REASON, THERE SHOULD BE SOME DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO BECAUSE ONE IS JUST CAREFREE AND THE OTHER IS A MUST.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY CONCERN BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE ARE EMERGENCIES, WE ALL HAVE THEM IN OUR LIVES.
SO THAT'S JUST A CONCERN TO ME.
I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T REWRITE THE CITY CODE.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO DO THAT, BUT THAT'S JUST A CONCERN TO ME.
JUST, IT'S JUST, IT BOTHERS ME.
WELL, THE, THE ONLY SUGGESTION THAT I CAN GIVE TO YOU REGARDING ANY, UH, ABSENCES OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE CITY CODE STATES IS, YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE A NUMBER OF YOU THAT ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL AND STATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO RECONSIDER, UH, BOARD ATTENDANCE AND HOW IT'S CALCULATED AND WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EXCUSED ABSENCE.
THAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN PRESENT TO CITY COUNCIL.
BUT FOR OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GO BY THE CITY CODE.
I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION, AND I PROMISE THIS BE MY LAST QUESTION.
SO THE, UH, CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE IS MAKING THOSE DECISIONS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT HAD BEEN PROVIDED BY OUR SENIOR AFFAIRS COORDINATOR, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO JUST WANNA NOTE THAT NO ONE ON THE, ON THE COMMISSION, INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN OR THE VICE CHAIR MAKING THOSE DECISIONS? IT
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IS.NO, WE GO STRICTLY BASED OFF OF THE ATTENDANCE ROSTER THAT IS SUBMITTED TO OUR OFFICE.
BUT THEY HAVE TO GET THE ATTENDANCE FROM SOMEWHERE.
SO WHERE THEY GET THE ATTENDANCE FROM COORDINATOR, THE COORDINATORS ARE HERE AT EVERY MEETING.
SO THE COORDINATOR, NOT THE CHAIRPERSON INTO POSITION.
WE SUBMIT THE ATTENDANCE STATUS.
JUST WANT, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND I'M SURE DURING OUR ORIENTATION, I READ THIS BECAUSE WE HAD TO DO A LOT OF READING AND SO I MAY NOT, I PROBABLY JUST PAID ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THAT PORTION OF IT.
AND SO IT JUST KIND OF HIT ME IN THE FACE WHEN I, UH, EXPERIENCED IT.
BUT THANKS SO MUCH FOR YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, WE HAVE HANNAH PUP FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS WHOLE COUNSEL? HOW MANY? EXCUSE THE ABSENCE, MR. I HAVE NO IDEA.
HANNAH PEACOCK, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY.
SO I AM FILLING IN FOR STEVEN MCFADDEN TODAY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAD A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT HE WAS PROVIDED ALONG WITH SOME ANSWERS.
UM, HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.
I DON'T, UH, CURRENTLY HAVE HIS ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL OF THESE TODAY.
UM, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT OUR OFFICE WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP, UM, WITH SOME ANSWERS IN MEMO FORMAT, IF THAT IS.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER DEBBIE AUSTIN, DISTRICT EIGHT MAYOR PRO TEMP ATKINS.
MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE AGENDA AND ABOUT FOLLOWING THE AGENDA.
UM, WHEN WE HAVE AN AGENDA THAT'S HAS, THAT HAS TO BE APPROVED HOURS, DAYS IN ADVANCE, IT'S AN INAPPROPRIATE OR, UM, OUT OF ORDER TO BRING UP SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ON THAT AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION AND TO DISCUSS IT.
UM, I NEED AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
SO UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THERE'S A 72 HOUR, UM, POSTING A NOTICE REQUIREMENT WHEN POSTING THE AGENDA.
SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT'S ON THE AGENDA WILL NEED TO BE POSTED AT LEAST 72 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, AND THEN ONCE IT GETS TO THE MEETING, THE ONLY THINGS THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
SINCE THAT, THOSE ARE THE ONLY MATTERS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS NOTICE OF.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IF SOMEBODY AT THE MEETING WANTS TO BRING UP A MATTER THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA THAT WAS POSTED, THEN THAT CAN'T BE DISCUSSED BECAUSE THE PUBLIC DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THAT MATTER ON THE AGENDA AND, AND DECIDE IF THEY WANNA COME DOWN AND HAVE COMMENTS ON IT.
SO, UM, ONLY TOPICS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA MAY BE DISCUSSED AND DISCUSSION HAS TO BE GERMANE TO THOSE TOPICS.
QUESTION, WHERE DOES NEW BUSINESS COME IN? IT DOESN'T, IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
OH, IT'S ON THE, WE BRING IT UP.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT, SO CALL ME.
I'VE BEEN CALLED DOWN TO SAY SOMETHING.
IT'S ON THE AGENDA AS NEW BUSINESS, ISN'T IT? MS. PEACOCK? UM, LET ME CHECK.
HIS QUESTION WAS, WHERE DOES NEW BUSINESS COME IN? AND, AND I THINK NEW BUSINESS IS USUALLY AT THE END OF THE AGENDA.
PULLING UP TODAY'S COPY OF THE AGENDA.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS ITEM FIVE ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
VERNA, DID YOU GET YOUR QUESTION TO ANSWER? OH, NO, I NEVER ASKED IT.
I WAS, UH, INQUIRING HOW MANY F ARE PROVIDED FOR THE COUNCIL PERSONS.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IS DEPENDENT ON EITHER, I, I, I APOLOGIZE, I'M NOT, UM, FAMILIAR WITH THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A, UH, RULES AND PROCEDURES DOCUMENT APPLICABLE TO THIS SPECIFIC COMMISSION.
BUT USUALLY ABSENCE POLICIES ARE, UM, LISTED IN THERE, OR, UM, PURSUANT TO THE CITY CODE, SINCE THE CHAPTER EIGHT OF THE CITY CODE IS WHAT COVERS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO I WILL, UM, SHE WAS NOT ASKING ABOUT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SHE WAS ASKING ABOUT CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
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THAT I CAN, UM, I CAN FOLLOW UP ON.IT WILL BE DISCUSSION OF THE WORKING DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT.
UH, I HAVE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM TWO OR THREE MEMBERS, UH, THAT, UH, WERE MOSTLY JUST GRAMMATICAL, UH, AND, UH, BUT I, I THINK WHAT WE, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GO AROUND THE TABLE AND HAVE EVERYONE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THE GOAL, JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, WE'RE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THE ANNUAL REPORT FEBRUARY 1ST.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS GOING TO BE JANUARY 29TH, I THINK.
UH, SO AT AT THE NEXT MEETING, WE WILL HAVE A FINAL APPROVAL DRAFT.
AND, UH, IDEALLY THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY SURPRISES THAT DAY.
WE WILL MAKE CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS OR CHANGES.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL, WE WILL WIND UP REDISTRIBUTING THE WORKING DRAFT, REFLECTING THOSE CHANGES IN ADVANCE OF THE, UH, MEETING SO THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE JANUARY MEETING, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE A FAIRLY PERFUNCTORY AGENDA ITEM AND WE CAN APPROVE WHATEVER EVERYBODY'S AGREED TO, UH, BETWEEN TODAY AND IF
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE GAME PLAN.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, LISA, DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THE REPORT? UM, FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T READ IT, UH, I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS ACTED ON, YOU NEED TO GET THAT TO ME BY JANUARY 10TH BECAUSE I NEED TIME TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THINGS, FINISH THE APPROVALS ARE HAPPENING.
SO THAT'LL BE COMPLETE BY THE TIME WE MEET.
AND IF IT, IF I DON'T HAVE IT BY THE 10TH, YOU PROBABLY WON'T GET, YOU'D BE ABLE TO RAISE THE QUESTION AT THE JANUARY MEETING.
IS, IS YOU WOULD ANYWAY, BUT, UH, I GUESS TO SOME DEGREE, FAIRNESS TO ME WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON THIS WILL SPEND MORE TIME WORKING ON IT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
I CAN'T HAVE IT AT THE LAST MINUTE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I ABSOLUTELY DO HAVE SOME ISSUES, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF EXTENSIVE.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO EMAIL IT TO YOU.
UM, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAFTING THIS? AND YOU JUST ANSWERED THAT QUESTION, RIGHT? UM, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE IS THAT YOU ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONER LBT COMMUNITY, YET YOU HAVE A SITTING BOARD MEMBER OF SITTING COMMISSIONER WHO IS PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T FEEL THAT WHAT YOU WROTE IS REALLY, IT'S NOT, LET'S JUST SAY I DON'T FEEL THAT IT IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT THIS.
YEAH, IN A WAY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT IT IS JUST VERY GLOSSY OVER AND WAIT.
AND, UM, IN OTHER ISSUES YOU ARE VERY, VERY EXTENSIVE AND YOU REALLY GET INTO IT INTO THE ISSUES.
AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT 'CAUSE YOU DON'T, AND AS FAR AS THE LGBT COMMUNITY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GAY.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
AND, AND I BELIEVE, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU.
I, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A REFERENCE THE WAY THAT I, THE REASON IT'S COVERED, THE WAY IT IS IN THE
[00:35:01]
DRAFT, AND THIS IS, THIS IS A WORKING DRAFT, IT'S NOT, THE FINAL REPORT IS THAT WE SAID LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR'S REPORT THAT WE WERE TRYING TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A COMMITTEE OR TASK FORCE THAT WAS GOING TO WORK ON THIS ISSUE.AND SO THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE REASONS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IS WE THOUGHT THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS GONNA BE STARTED SIX OR NINE MONTHS BEFORE IT ACTUALLY DID GET STARTED, WHICH IT JUST, JUST GOT STARTED.
AND THAT WAS SPECIFIED THAT THE, THE WHOLE GATE ASPECT OF THIS AND DOING MORE RESEARCH WAS SPECIFIED IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE USED TO HIRE THE CONSULTANT.
SO WE HAD FOR, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER INFORMATION TO GO FROM BECAUSE NO WORK'S BEEN DONE ON IT OTHER THAN INCLUDING IT IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING CONSULTING PROJECT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NEW INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S WHY WHAT GOT WROTE GOT WHAT WAS WRITTEN, GOT WRITTEN.
I WELCOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT IT IF WE DO IT.
BUT THIS IS A REPORT OF WHAT THE COMMISSION IS DONE, NOT NECESSARILY THE ISSUE ITSELF.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF WHAT I'M ADDRESSING IN MY EMAIL TO YOU.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO SEND THAT EMAIL TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION.
SO I'M NOT GONNA BE LONG-WINDED ABOUT IT, JUST KNOW THAT IT'S COMING.
I WAS GOING TO EMAIL IT TO YOU THIS MORNING AND I THINK I SENT IT TO MCKAY BY ACCIDENT.
WELL, THE PROBLEM IS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I FEEL AS A COMMISSION WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS WE SHOULD HAVE DONE.
I'M SENDING, JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD, A WEEK AGO I SENT OUT AN EMAIL TO EVERYONE ASKING THEM TO CAREFULLY REVIEW THIS AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY ISSUES.
I ONLY HEARD FROM THREE PEOPLE HAVING DONE THAT.
AND SO IT WASN'T A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO EXCLUDE ANYBODY'S OPINION.
I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT AND DIDN'T HEAR ANY RESPOND.
SO THAT'S YOU, I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU DID NOT DO DUE DILIGENCE.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT AS A COMMISSION, WE SHOULD HAVE BEFORE AND NOW ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND NOW I'M ALL CONFUSED ABOUT WHETHER I COULD TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, THIS IS, YEAH, THIS IS, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS WHOLE AGENDA ITEM IS TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT OR DIDN'T INCLUDE FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON.
BUT ANYBODY THAT HAS ISSUES OR, OR THINKS THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE INCLUDED THAT AREN'T HERE, SHOULD BE SPEAKING UP TODAY AT THIS MEETING AND ANY, ANY SUGGESTIONS TO, FOR CHANGES, WE, WE NEED THAT BECAUSE IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH A FINAL REPORT THAT SATISFIES EVERYBODY, IT COVERS THE TOPICS.
THE, THE REASON THAT IT WAS DONE IN THIS MANNER IS THAT IT IS A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO GET A DRAFT WORKING COPY DONE, WHICH IS NOT INTENDED TO BE THE FINAL REPORT SO THAT PEOPLE WILL GIVE INPUT.
OTHERWISE, I HAVE NOTHING TO ACT ON IF I DON'T GET ANY AND THAT'S NOT WELCOME.
YOUR EMAIL LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, I'LL TRY TO INCLUDE IT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA WIND UP WITH ENOUGH THINGS THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY OR SUBSTANTIVELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
I'LL EARLY IN THE EARLY IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, I WILL TRY TO INCORPORATE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE INCLUDED OR WHATEVER INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO ME.
AND I WILL REDISTRIBUTE THE WORK BEFORE WE GET CHAIRMAN KLEIN.
UM, WE HAD, I'M SORRY, WE HAD SUBCOMMITTEES AND THE SUBCOMMITTEES WERE MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS WHO HAD AN INTEREST IN THAT PARTICULAR COMMITTEE.
AND THOSE COMMITTEES COULD HAVE MADE REPORTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE, THE OUTCOME OR THE OUTPUT OF YOUR REPORT.
BUT YOU'VE DISBANDED THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DON'T HAVE THEM.
[00:40:01]
HAVE THOSE AND THEY WORK TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOAL.A LOT OF THE REPORT, I READ ALL OF IT.
BUT, UM, A LOT OF THE REPORT IS IDENTICAL TO LAST YEAR'S REPORT.
UH, THE, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LISTENING SESSIONS IS NEW.
AND, UH, YOU DID NOTE THAT THE, IN THAT THE DATA IS FROM AN OLD CENSUS REPORT, I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT, UM, THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES DOESN'T ALLOW ALL OF US TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE OR THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THAT REPORT.
BUT WE ARE ACCREDITED AS BEING A PART OF MAKING UP THAT REPORT.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER CONTRARE IS.
CONTRARE IS SAYING THAT IT SAYS THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSIONERS, BUT WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAVE A PART IN, UH, PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
SO YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
AND WE REALLY NEED THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES BACK BECAUSE, UH, COMMISSIONER CANTRELL WAS ON MINE AND MINE WAS SOCIAL ENGAGE, SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, ISOLATION AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT.
I, I THINK THAT THE, THE REASON THEY WERE DISBANDED WAS THAT NO ONE WAS SHOWING UP TO 'EM.
YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP TO MY LAST ONE.
AND MY GUESS WAS, UH, UM, CITY COUNCILMAN CASEY THOMAS, HAVE SOME WATER HERE, SOMEBODY SPEAKING.
I REALLY THINK I HAD THE FLOOR.
I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU, DEBBIE, AND I'M TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY BACK FOR YOU.
SOMEBODY ELSE IS SPEAKING TO PETER.
SOMEBODY ELSE STARTED SPEAKING TO, AND I WAS GONNA SAY THAT AT MY MEETING, WHATEVER HAPPENED, I DON'T KNOW, BUT MY, MY SPEAKER DID SHOW UP, UH, CASEY THOMAS, WHO IS AN EX CITY COUNCILMAN, AND HE WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ON EQUITY AND INCLUSION BECAUSE HE WAS PART OF A COMMITTEE THAT THE CITY HAD ON EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
AND YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP THAT DAY.
UM, YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE MEETING OR SOMETHING.
BUT WE HAD THOSE COMMITTEES IN THE PAST AND THEY DO WORK AND PEOPLE HAVE EMERGENCIES.
I JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT A FEW MINUTES AGO.
AND THINGS HAPPEN IN YOUR LIVES WHERE YOU CAN'T MAKE EVERYTHING.
BUT I DO NOT SEE WHERE THOSE COMMITTEES WERE A BAD THING AND WHY THEY NEEDED TO BE DISBANDED.
I, I, I THINK JUST IS THE REASON FOR DISBANDING 'EM WAS MUCH MORE RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THEY, GOING BACK FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THOSE COMMITTEES AND THEY WERE FUNCTIONAL AND THEY WERE ACTING, THEY WERE NOT PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE WEREN'T REQUIRED TO HAVE OUR COMMITTEES BE PUBLIC MEETINGS, WHICH MEAN WE HAVE TO HAVE A ROOM WITH THE TV AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT GOES WITH IT, AS WELL AS STAFF TO STAFF A PUBLIC MEETING.
AND WE HAD SPARSE ATTENDANCE AT VIRTUALLY ALL OF 'EM.
AND THAT, THAT WAS WHY IT WASN'T, WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY'S TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THINGS.
AND I, I THINK THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE RECONSTITUTE MEETINGS FOR NEXT YEAR AND, AND TRY TO DO THAT.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO THIS YEAR IS I HAD SUGGESTED WE TREAT, INSTEAD OF CALLING A COMMITTEE MEETING, WE ASKED FOR CONTENT SPECIALISTS WHO WOULD TAKE THE, AND I ASKED FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THAT AND GOT NO VOLUNTEERS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON, VERNA.
YEAH, I'M JUST GONNA CALL AGENDA.
AND IF I MAY, I KNOW PERSONAL PRIVILEGE BECAUSE I REALLY WANT, I READ THE REPORT IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE INFORMATION THAT I READ I THOUGHT WAS VERY CONCISE AND TO THE POINT I REALIZED THAT SOME OF THE DATA IS OUTDATED WITH ALL THE
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE, HAVE TO USE AND, AND PUT IN THE DOCUMENT THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE OUT MAKE THEM AGAIN.
AND IN SPEAKING WITH YOU THIS MORNING, YOU SAID THAT YOU FELT THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT MAKE THOSE, UH, CHANGES THAT I MENTIONED.
AND SO FOR MY INPUT, I'M PLEASED.
NOW THERE ARE AREAS THAT I'M NOT EQUIPPED, UH, TO RESPOND TO AND I DIDN'T RESPOND TO ANYTHING IN THOSE AREAS.
ONLY ONLY RESPONDED TO WHAT I FELT COMFORTABLE AND
[00:45:01]
THAT I COULD RESPOND TO.AND MAY I BE EXCUSED? YOU MAY BE EXCUSED.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EXCUSE
I WELCOME YOU TO SEND THAT TO ME.
TRY TO WORK WITH ARE THERE ANY OTHER THINGS IN THE REPORT THAT YOU HAD ISSUED WITH QUESTION? NO, UM, THAT, THAT SECTION TO ME, I JUST, I I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS IN MY EMAIL TO YOU.
I DIDN'T INTEND FOR THIS TO TURN INTO A FULL BLOWN DISCUSSION, BUT PART OF THE REASON THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IS BECAUSE WE NEVER HAVE AN ASPECT WHERE WE'RE EDUCATING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON THE COMMUNITY.
SO NOBODY HERE ME IS ABLE TO ADDRESS ANYTHING REGARDING THE LGBT COMMUN, UH, COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE EDUCATED OR EVERY TIME I BROUGHT IT UP, SOMEONE, WHETHER IT WAS YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE WHO DECIDES TO JUMP IN ON IT, FEELS WE SHOULD NOT, THIS IS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE TO DISCUSS IT YET.
WE HAVE NO OTHER TIME IN PLACE.
WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF AGENDA ITEMS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
YOU LET YOU LED THE CONVERSATION ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT WAS QUITE EXTENSIVE.
WE'VE GOT NEW MEMBERS WHO HAVEN'T HEARD THAT AND I DON'T DISPUTE THAT WE SHOULD SHAME I AM ON THIS ISSUE THAT WE COULD NOT GET SCHEDULED DURING THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR.
BUT ANYBODY THAT'S GOT A TOPIC OR AN AREA OF INTEREST THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING MORE IN DEPTH, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS SPEAK UP AND WE CAN EITHER CREATE A SPECIAL TASK FORCE OR WE CAN INVITE A SPEAKER IN FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OR YOU, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION, I JUST NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT SO WE GET ON THE AGENDA.
BUT IF NOBODY TELLS ME THAT THEY'D LIKE TO BE ON THE AGENDA, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE WAY IT IS.
BUT IF YOU WOULD SHARE THAT WITH ME, I WILL GET BACK TO YOU.
MAYBE NOT UNTIL AFTER, BUT, UH, I, I WILL LOOK AT IT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I READ THE REPORT ITS ENTIRETY.
I AGREE WITH THE OTHER COMMENTS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE, CONCISE.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT IT DID A REALLY NICE JOB OF, OF CONVEYING A FEW NEEDS, THE NEED FOR DATA SHARING ALL THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND SHARING THAT AMONG OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, STATE COUNTY NONPROFITS, ET CETERA.
THE KNOWLEDGE SHARING, UM, THE NEED FOR SENIOR PHILANTHROPY, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN YOUR OP-ED PIECE, THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT, NONPROFIT AND PHILANTHROPIC PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS.
I THOUGHT THAT THE REPORT DID A NICE JOB OF CONVEYING INCREASE, UM, NEED TO DO MORE OF THOSE THINGS.
A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND THESE ARE SORT OF LIKE IN RANDOM ORDER, UM, THAT I THOUGHT COULD POTENTIALLY BE INCLUDED EITHER IN THE REPORT OR PROBABLY MOST LIKELY IN AS PART OF THE CONSULTING ENGAGEMENT ARE, UH, FACTS ABOUT ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS LIKE CAREGIVERS SUPPORT THE FACT THAT WHILE WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE SENIOR COMMUNITY, UM, ANOTHER HUGE GROUP OF THE POPULATION IN THE CITY OF DALLAS NEEDS HELP ARE ALL THE CAREGIVERS FOR SENIOR.
AND THE FACT THAT I LOOKED UP A FEW STATISTICS, 20 TO 30 PARTICULARS OVER 65 NEED DAILY ASSISTANCE.
AND ACCORDING TO A A RP, 78% OF CAREGIVERS FOR OLDER ADULTS THAT NEED THAT DAILY ASSISTANCE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE SENIORS THEMSELVES, IT'S ABOUT ALL THE CAREGIVERS THAT ALSO NEED SUPPORT.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS, AND I PROBABLY JUST NEED TO LOOK IT UP ABOUT THE DOCUMENTATION FOR AGE FRIENDLY DALLAS.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S DEFINE, BUT I KNOW I NEED TO EDUCATE MYSELF A LITTLE BIT MORE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT SAYS AND, AND WHAT IT CLAIMS ARE ITS GOALS.
[00:50:01]
THAT THAT CAME TO MIND TOO WAS THE IMPACT OF IMPENDING ACTIONS TO DEPORT UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT THAT THAT HAS ON US, THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE A STANCE ON OR AT LEAST MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY HAS A STANCE ON IT, UNDERSTANDS POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THAT ON, BECAUSE AS WE NOTED IN, IN SOME OF OUR, UM, MEETING NOTES OR, OR SOME OF THE NOTES REGARDING THE LISTENING SESSIONS, QUITE A FEW SENIORS EXPRESS THE, THE DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING HELP AND ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED TO STAY IN PLACE AT THEIR OWN HOMES.AND OF COURSE WITH SOME OF THAT, UM, POTENTIAL UPCOMING ACTION THAT COULD REALLY IMPACT THE ABILITY TO DO SO.
UM, I ALSO FELT THAT THAT AS WE TRY TO MEASURE H FRIENDLY EFFECTIVENESS, UM, WHAT, WHAT'S UNCLEAR TO ME, AND IT COULD BE JUST THAT I'M RELATIVELY NEW ON THE COMMISSION, IS I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE MEASUREMENTS FOR THAT.
LIKE HOW IS A TRIM IN DALLAS MEASURE ITSELF? UM, AND WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC METRICS AND HOW ARE THOSE BEING LOOKED AT AND EVALUATED? SO HOW WE'RE DOING AS A CITY OR DOING IN THE CITY COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, I'M NOT SURE HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE, BUT IT'S THE, IT'S THE METRICS, YOU KNOW, THE OLD SAYING, MANAGE WHAT YOU MEASURE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW WE ARE MEASURING OURSELVES AS THE CITY ITSELF IN TERMS OF ARE WE A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE FOR SENIORS.
I I THINK THAT A LOT AS YOU POINTED OUT, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE INCORPORATED IN STRATEGIC AND THEN WE HAVE THAT MEETING.
THOSE ISSUES SHOULD BE RAISED AT THAT MEETING JUST AS THE, UH, THE GAY COMMUNITIES ISSUES SHOULD BE RAISED AS THAT MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONSULTANTS KNOW THE CITY'S PAYING THE CONSULTANT A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP PUT TOGETHER A PLAN.
AND WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE CONSULTANT KNOWS WHAT THE HOT BUTTONS ARE THAT NEED TO BE COVERED.
THE WHAT HAPPENED WITH H FRIENDLY DALLAS PLAN WAS A, ORIGINALLY A JOINT EFFORT WITH OUR AND SEVERAL OTHER, VIRTUALLY ANY ORGANIZATION IN TOWN BACK IN 2018 WAS WHEN MOST OF THAT GOT PUT TOGETHER.
AND YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN YOUR HANDBOOK FACT THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS COVID AND BASICALLY NOTHING HAPPENED BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN FOR TWO YEARS.
UH, AND SO THAT'S A LARGE PART OF WHY TABITHA'S JOB WAS CREATED WAS WE NEED, WE NEED TO PROBABLY REDO THAT PLAN AND UPDATE IT AT A MINIMUM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IS AND ISN'T HAPPEN.
WE'LL BE HEARING FROM HER MOST OF OUR MEETINGS GOING FORWARD AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT.
BUT SHE'S GONNA BE PRETTY TIED UP WITH THE CONSULTANT UNTIL THEY FINISH THE PROGRAM.
UH, THE PART OF THE, UM, PART THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS TRYING TO TAKE SOUTH DALLAS AND OAK CLIFF TO GET PUT 'EM TOGETHER.
SOUTH DALLAS AND SOUTH DALLAS AND OAK CLIFF IS OAK CLIFF.
I'M OAK CLIFF FROM DISTRICT FOUR.
SO WHEN YOU WRITE THE REPORT, DON'T PUT ALL THAT SAYING SOUTH DALLAS BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE THAT LIKE SEPARATE NOW WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT THE CENTERS, I WORK CLOSELY IN THE CENTERS, PARK AND RECREATION CENTERS AND THE WORD OF MILES IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT.
AND THE REPORT, I THINK IT TALKED ABOUT FOCUSING ON THE PEOPLE THAT'S NOT BEING SERVICED, BUT IT, WE FOCUS ON THE ONES THAT'S COMING AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO TELL THOSE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE SERVICES FOR THEM.
'CAUSE IT JUST SEEMED LIKE IT WAS NEGATIVE.
LIKE ALL THOSE PEOPLE NOT AT THE CENTERS AND HALF OF THEM COME DON'T KNOW.
WELL THEY DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN TO THEIR CENTERS.
SO KIND OF MAKES ME WORK WITH THE PARTS OF RECREATION, OUR INDIVIDUAL CENTERS TO HELP, UM, GET THE WORD OUT OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR OUR SENIORS.
AND WHAT YOU WERE SAYING CAREGIVERS, 'CAUSE ALL CAREGIVERS ARE NOT OLDER PEOPLE, BUT THEY HELP OLDER PEOPLE.
BECAUSE I WAS UM, TALKING TO A LADY, SHE NEED A BED AND SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD NOBODY TO HELP HER.
AND I'M GOING, UM, DO YOU KNOW WHO YOUR COUNSELOR PERSON IS AND ALL THAT? AND I DON'T THINK SHE REALLY DID.
SO I TELL MY CENTER AND SINCE I'VE BEEN DOING
[00:55:01]
THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, I'VE BEEN GOING TO OTHER CENTERS AND I CAN SEE HOW THAT'S BEING BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF US.THE LISTENING SESSIONS ARE REALLY GOOD.
AND ANOTHER THING, WAS IT WRITTEN IN STONE THAT WE WAS GONNA HAVE A CENTER BEFORE THIS YEAR WAS OUT? 'CAUSE I THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE.
I'VE NOT HAD MY LISTING ISSUE.
YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT THIS.
OKAY, SO YOU IF, OKAY, SO I HAD TO BE, SO THAT BE, IT WAS SIMPLY ME OUT THAT, OH, WE HAVE ONE PERSON I HAD, BUT IT WAS MISS, UH, COUNCIL ON ARNOLD.
WHO HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION ON WHEN FOR THE TIME I COULD HAVE IT.
SO I DIDN'T HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT.
I I WASN'T, I WAS TRYING TO BE, MATTER OF FACT ABOUT THAT WE DIDN'T GET ALL OF THE DISTRICTS, I WASN'T TRYING TO INDICT YOU.
SO I AM GONNA HAVE, WE DO HAVE IT SCHEDULED.
OH, IT'S SCHEDULED AND I, I THINK WE, I THINK IT SAYS IN THE REPORT ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR IT.
AND AND YOUR THAT WOULD BE THE LAST ONE.
THE ONLY ONE, THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT HASN'T HELD THEIR MEETING YET IS DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH IS IN OAKFIELD.
AND WE'VE GOT ONCE, ONCE WE, ONCE WE GET THAT DONE, THE WRITEUP, THERE'S A WRITEUP WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT AS PART OF THE APPENDIX IN THE BACK SO THAT, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME WE ISSUE THE REPORT, IT WILL ACTUALLY BE JANUARY, YOU WILL HAVE HAD YOUR MEETING.
BUT THE REPORT TECHNICALLY IS FOR THE YEAR 2024.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I WAS WORKING.
OH, WE WOULD TAKE ATTENDANCE ON HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO THE MEETINGS OR, WHICH IS YEAH.
HAVE A GOOD PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
LIKE, LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU INVITE TO COME TO YOUR LISTEN SESSION, THEY ALL SIGN IN.
SO WHOEVER COME, SO IT'S, IT'S SO AND SO HAD MORE THAN SO AND SO IT'S JUST WHOEVER WILL LET 'EM COME.
I'M JUST SAYING ARY SAY SO AND SO HAD MORE THAN SO AND SO FIVE CAME, 10 CAME, IT'S JUST OPEN.
THE, THE, THE RATIONALE THAT WAS USED IN WRITING SOME OF THIS UP WAS NOT TO BE CRITICAL TO PEOPLE WHO DID COME.
I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO DID SHOW UP AT THE MEETINGS ALL FELT LIKE IT WAS A WORTHWHILE MEETING.
AND MAYBE NOT ALL, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY THOUGHT IT WAS A WORTHWHILE MEETING AND IT WAS PRODUCTIVE AND PEOPLE GOT THINGS OUT OF IT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
MY CONCERN IS WHEN WE HAVE 140,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER, 200,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE 60 AND OVER, AND THE MOST PEOPLE SERVED BY PARKS AND REC ARE 8,600, ALL LIKE THAT.
THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT BEING SERVED, SERVED AND BY THE CITY.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE POVERTY STATS OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY, WE'VE GOT 30,000 PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW ARE LIVING AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL AND WE'RE NOT SERVING ANYWHERE NEAR THAT MANY PEOPLE.
AND THOSE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING SERVED.
SO I, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING SERVED BY PARKS AND REC AND THE OTHER, IT'S WONDERFUL.
WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE BE SERVED.
YOU KNOW, I I AND THOSE OTHER PEOPLE JUST KIND OF LIKE UNDER BELOW POVERTY LEVEL, OTHER PARTS AND RECS TOO.
AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN WE HAVE THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH I'VE BEEN, I HAVEN'T HAD MINE, BUT I'VE BEEN ATTENDING, I HAVE REALLY GAINED A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE.
THEY HAVE BEEN INFORMATIVE AND I'VE LEARNED SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN BENEFIT FROM AND SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN ADD TO.
AND THOSE PEOPLE CAN BE MORE SERVED WHEN WE CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND CENTERS OR MAYBE CROSS OVER.
YOU TELL SOMEBODY, I TELL SOMEBODY AND THE WORD CAN GET OUT AND INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, OH, LET'S GET THE DATA TOGETHER AND SEE.
SO I KIND OF LIKE IT WHEN WE COLLABORATE AND, AND TOGETHER I'VE ENJOYED EVERYBODY'S MEETING THAT I'VE DONE.
NO, I THINK THE MEETINGS WERE, WE'RE, WE'RE PRODUCTIVE.
THEY DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH WHAT THE ORIGINAL, THE ORIGINAL MISSION OF HAVING THESE MEETINGS WAS TO TRY TO GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE PEOPLE ATTENDING SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BETTER SERVE THE, AND THAT WASN'T ACCOMPLISHED AND WE DIDN'T GET AS MUCH, WE DIDN'T GET AS MUCH INFORMATION FROM THE ATTENDEES AS I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN.
BUT I THINK WE, WE GOT, WE CERTAINLY GOT SOME, BUT A LOT OF THE, IN, IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT I WAS AT, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE WERE, DIDN'T INCLUDE VERY MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE REALLY LIVING IN POVERTY.
AND YOU KNOW, MOST OF 'EM HAD TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THEY GOT THERE AND YOU KNOW, ALL
[01:00:01]
OF THE KINDS OF ISSUES THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY, THERE'S A REASON WHY THEY DIDN'T GET THERE.THEY, THEY, THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
THEY COULDN'T GET THERE OR, OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
AND I JUST THINK THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO BE MORE FOCUSED, NOT LESS FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE SERVING.
NOW WE WANT OBVIOUSLY WANT TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE IN DESPERATE NEED WHO ARE NOT BEING SERVED AT ALL AS A COMMISSION.
WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE SERVICE FOR THAT GROUP OF AND HOW TO GET THE WORD OUT.
HOW DO YOU GET THE WORD OUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT'S UNDER UNDERSERVED? AND I WOULD SAY LIKE
BUT MY POINT IS WE DO COLLABORATE IN OUR CENTERS THAT WE ALL HAVE IN DISTRICT FOUR AREA, WHICH IS CLE AREA AND WE WORK TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO TRY TO HELP ONE ANOTHER.
AND NOT ONLY DO I AS FEEL THE INDIVIDUALLY, I DON'T KEEP BOTTLE UP TOWARDS GOOD, BUT MY AREA, I TRY TO HELP OTHER AREAS.
LIKE IF DISTRICT THREE NEEDS SOMETHING AND I HAVE INFORMATION, I'M SHARE.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN OR CAN'T DO? JUST SHARE.
I'M ASKING IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO.
YEAH, LET'S CARRY OUT AND TRY TO GET THE SCENE.
I, YOU KNOW, I THINK CLEAR KNOWING, KNOWING THAT, KNOWING, KNOWING THAT SOME PEOPLE GET OFFENDED IF A COMMISSIONER WINDS UP EVA, THEIR DISTRICT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING BAD EXPERIENCE.
WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS THAT WERE WERE HAPPENING IN A PARTICULAR DISTRICT BY A COMMISSIONER THAT DIDN'T REPRESENT THAT DISTRICT, THE COMMISSIONER FOR THAT DISTRICT DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT WAS PRETTY UPSET.
I WOULD SAY JUST COMMUNICATE IS ALL I'M SAYING.
COMMUNICATE WITH UH, UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, WHEN I WENT TO HER DEAL IN SOUTH DALLAS, IT WAS VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE WITH THE CARDBOARD PROJECT AND I ASKED MY, UM, I THINK I
AND A LOT OF 'EM SAY, OH, WHY DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD THAT.
AND THAT'S RIGHT IN THE HEART NOW THAT SOUTH DALLAS LUTHER KING.
BUT I LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT AND, AND, AND HER THING, I HAVE SANDRA HEARD ABOUT, UM, THE DENTIST PART, BUT I JUST HEARD NUMBERS UNTIL I ACTUALLY GOT IN MY CAR, WENT TO
AND THEY HAVE VERY GOOD BENEFITS.
SO NOW I'M THE MOUTHPIECE TO GO OUT AND TELL EVERYBODY I'M MEET.
I DON'T CARE WHAT DISTRICT YOU IN, IF YOU NEED THEM HELP, THE GOVERNMENT IS PAYING FOR, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF I'M SAYING THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE AL ON AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW BECAUSE, UM, AT HER THING, I THINK I MEANT THE HEAD PRESIDENT WAS THE HEAD PRESIDENT OF COURT, THE HEAD MAN WAS THERE AND I TOLD THEM THAT AND I STRESSING THAT BECAUSE I WAS TELLING PEOPLE AND I NEVER COULDN'T GET IN.
I'M GOING, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? HE TOOK MY NAME AND NUMBER, HE MADE SURE SO THEY'RE NOT TOO BIG IN OFFICE TO HELP THE MM-HMM
DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE REPORT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE WORDED DIFFERENTLY? JUST BECAUSE, UH, KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, I THINK THAT SOUTH GUYS OAK CLIFF KIND OF BEND DOES BECAUSE WE ARE DISTRICT FOUR AND ALL OF US OAK CLIFF AND THEN THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS ARE REALLY, AND THEY DO DO A GOOD JOB IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE TO WORD IT DIFFERENT OR WHATEVER.
I JUST WANT TO JUST, I WAS JUST KIND OF FITTED ABOUT THE POINT LIKE, OH, WE HAD TO LISTEN SESSION SO AND SO HAD SO AND SO I SAID I AIN'T EVEN HAD MINE YET.
SO I'M
SO, SO I CAN ONLY RESPOND TO THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
WELL NO, I NEED SPECIFIC THINGS THAT BOTHER YOU ABOUT OKAY.
WITH THE PAGE NUMBER AND TELL ME, OKAY, TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT DOWN PAGE THAT YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU WRITE THIS REPORT UP MAKE SURE YOU SEPARATE OAK CLIFF
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PAGE IS, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT ONE.
I I DON'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ONLY HAVE A PROBLEM.
OAK CLIFF SOUTH DALLAS TOO CASE I, I, I, I'M FINE.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS AND THE ONLY WAY I CAN INCLUDE THINGS IS IF PEOPLE TELL ME, AND YOU NEED TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHERE, WHERE YOU THINK SOMETHING IS WORDED POORLY OR INADEQUATELY OR
[01:05:01]
WHATEVER ELSE.AND I'LL TRY TO INCORPORATE IT WHEN WE GO FROM THIS DRAFT TO THE NEXT DRAFT.
YOU WERE IN THE HOSPITAL LAST TIME.
I, I GOT THAT THIS MORNING, BUT I, ME TO BE HERE IF I WANTED TO DO IT LIVE, BUT I'M WAITING TO GET OUT AND JUST WAITED
SO I WANT THANK ALL Y'ALL THAT CAME MEETING.
Y'ALL GOT INFORMATION TO THEM, TO THE VISITING COMMITTEE, MS. DEBBIE
AND THEY HAD THE 3 1 1 SENIOR RESOURCE, UH, EVERYTHING WAS THERE AND THEY WAS ASKING QUESTIONS THAT THEY NEEDED TO KNOW HE WAS THERE AND THEY TOLD HIM HOW TO, WE HAD SPANISH INTERPRETATE, THEREFORE WE HAVE A LOT OF SPANISH DISTRICT CITY AND UH, MY CITY COUNCIL, THIS ONE AND MISS DEBBIE SHOWED UP AND HAD SOME ANSWERS FOR THEM.
PEOPLE LIKE THEY WERE RUNNING BECAUSE THEY WAS ING AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW, WELL HOW CAN WE GET THIS 3 1 1 TOLD 'EM EVERYTHING TO DO AND THEN MAC, KYLE AND MARY CAME BACK AND HELPED THEM WITH IT AND SHOWED 'EM.
AND THEN THE COLLEGE PEOPLES CAME IN AND TOLD 'EM, SAID WE HAVE RESOURCES TO HELP SENIORS.
AND WE WERE THERE TO DO THEIR PAPERWORK IF THEY NEED, BUT THE THINGS THAT THEY LEARNED, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT, YOU KNOW.
BUT I TOOK MINES TO THE CHURCH,
SO, UH, BUT I'M A DALLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
I'M NOT WITH THE PARKING SECTION, UH, PUBLIC PARK ARREST.
SO THE COUNTY PEOPLE WAS THERE, EVERYBODY WAS THERE, BUT THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASKED, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T EVEN, THAT'S HOW FAR OFF THEY WAS.
LEARNING ABOUT GETTING HELP IN THEIR HOUSES WHEN THEY SICK, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY CAN GO TO LIKE THE DENTIST.
THEY ASKED ALL THOSE PERSONS AND THEY GAVE IT TO 'EM IN SPANISH.
BUT THEY LEFT ME, THEY WENT TO MISS DADDY BECAUSE MISS DADDY WAS
THEN THEY LEFT ME AND WENT BACK TO SPEAK
BUT I WAS SICK THEN, BUT I HAD TO GET THERE.
AND I'M JUST SAYING THEY LISTENING SESSION TO HELP THOSE PEOPLES GOOD BECAUSE, UH, MY, UH, PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT THEY CAME UP TO THE CENTER THAT MONDAY, TUESDAY AND THEY WANTED TO TALK SOME MORE AND THEY CAME FROM MAD NATIONAL.
SO I GAVE 'EM ALL Y'ALL NUMBERS,
AND THEY SAID NOBODY ELSE TO PULL THEM TOGETHER AND TELL 'EM THE RESOURCE, THE HOUSES, APPOINTMENTS THAT THEY HAD JUST BILL FOR.
SO THEY ENJOYED THE MEETING AND ONE LADY TOLD ME, HEY WEST DALLAS, YOU DON'T HAVE NO SIDEWALKS WITH 'EM.
GET OUT THE WHEELCHAIR AND GO DOWN.
SO
SO WHAT AREA IS THAT? THIS TWO SAID WEST'S DALLAS.
WHERE'S DALLAS? YEAH, WEST'S DALLAS.
WHAT'S DALLAS? SO THEY, THEY CALL RELATED WHAT? BUT THEY COME, THE CITY IS COMING AND PUT THAT IN.
BUT YOU REMEMBER, I DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE GONNA DO IT THAT FAST.
DADDY HAD TO TELL 'EM ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS FOR THOSE SPANISH AND THE DEAF PEOPLES AND STUFF.
THEY WAS SOLD THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHEN DID THING LAST? LITTLE TOO LONG, DIDN'T IT? DO WHAT YOU DIDN'T THINK SO.
AND
DO YOU HAVE, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO READ THE REPORT THAT GOT SENT TO YOU?
OR THE PROPERTY, EVERYTHING, BUT YEAH, THOSE PEOPLE ASKED ME FOR THAT THERE, BUT I WANTED TO KNOW BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAID THEY TWO YEARS OLD.
CENSUS DEPARTMENT ISSUES REPORTS IN 2023 USING 2021 DATA.
SO IT IS THE MOST RECENT DATA THAT WAS AVAILABLE.
THEY JUST LAST WEEK RELEASED THE REPORT THAT WE'LL HAVE 23 DATA AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE DATA
[01:10:01]
FILES, THE DATA ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE MECHANICS OF TRYING TO PUT IT BACK THROUGH AND, AND CREATE ANOTHER SET OF THOSE INFO INFOGRAPHICS.THE, THE SET WE'RE USING NOW IS THE SECOND ONE WE'VE DONE.
THE FIRST ONE WAS BASED ON 2019.
AND WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE A NEW ONE PROBABLY TOWARD THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER.
THEY WILL HAVE MORE RECENT DATA.
SOME OF 'EM TOOK THE DAR BUS AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE KNEE.
THEY MADE ARRANGEMENT TO GET THEM, BUT THEY WERE TREATED SO NICE THAT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL.
MISS DEBBIE, I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU CHILLERS AND NEW PEOPLE I WANT, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE DOPE PRIZES AND THEY HAD NO PRIZES WHEN THEY GOT THAT.
IT WAS, YES, IT WAS BECAUSE I LEFT THERE, WENT IN THE HOSPITAL.
UM, GOING OVER THE, UH, TIME SHORTS, HUNTER.
UM, IN TERMS OF CHANGES TO THE REPORT, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE BETTER IS THAT THIS IS 80 PAGE REPORT.
NO, IT'S LIKE 40 PAGES OR SOMETHING LONGER.
AND IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THE APPENDIX IN, SO IT'S GONNA BE EVEN LONGER.
SO I THINK THAT A COUNCILMAN OR ANYONE ELSE WHO DOES ANYTHING BESIDES JEFFREY IS GONNA GET LOST IN IT BEFORE THEY EVER GET TO WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR 2025 AND WHAT OBSERVATIONS AND
BUT WAY IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TO HAVE MAYBE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WITH THE SUBTEXT THAT'S OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS PAST YEAR.
AND THEN A SUMMARY OF THE GOALS FOR 2025.
JUST, JUST EXPANDING EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A LITTLE BIT.
AND IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE REDUCE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD IN PREVIOUS REPORTS TO BE MORE ONE LINERS OR NOT AS MUCH, AND AS IT RELATES TO THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SO THAT YOU CAN CREATE MORE SPACE FOR OBSERVATIONS, COMMENTS, AND THE GOALS.
AGAIN, YOU GIMME SOME SPECIFIC I WORDS.
I CAN, YOU'RE GONNA SUPPORT NOW.
I, I, I, I, FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GETTING
BUT I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH, BECAUSE OF THE DATA AND THE WAY YOU PRESENT THE DATA AND THE WAY YOU PRESENT THE ISSUES.
AND I WILL READ IT AGAIN AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING I REALLY SPECIFICALLY WANNA COMMENT ABOUT.
BUT I MEAN, I, THE WAY YOU ADDRESS THINGS LIKE THE POVERTY, UH, I MEAN, I WAS ALREADY SPEAKING TO A FRIEND ON, ON PHONE TALKING ABOUT HOW SIGNIFICANT THIS IS NOW ABSOLUTELY SIGNIFICANT.
AND, AND, AND AS YOU KNOW, HOUSING IS KIND OF MY THING AND I CAN SEE USING THIS DATA AND THIS INFORMATION IN RELATED TO THE HOUSING POLICIES CITY HAS OR VIOLATES OR WHATEVER.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD DOCUMENT.
I AGREE WHEN I FINISH THAT, IT IS LONG.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN SUM UP, I DON'T WANNA GET RID OF OUR GOALS, BUT THAT LOOK LIKE A LOT TO ME.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST HAD TO READ THE SWEET SONG LINE.
I, BUT I WILL LOOK AT IT TO GET BACK TO YOU.
ONE OF THE LITTLE, LITTLE THINGS I REALLY AGREED ON THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE OF MINE SINCE THE EIGHTIES IS SERVICE FEES.
AND I REALLY WANT US TO STRESS THAT THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, I, I HAD MY WATER BILL THE OTHER DAY AND I THINK IT WAS ALMOST $80 AND, AND MAYBE 90, EVEN $15 WORTH OF.
AND, UM, I, I USED TO WORK WITH SENIORS THAT WERE LIVING ON SSI AND, AND, AND YOUR REPORT IN THERE, YOU KNOW, THAT $14,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS BARELY A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH.
AND WE JUST KEEP ADDING THOSE FEES.
SO THAT'S JUST MY LITTLE THING AND I WILL STRESS IT IN MY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, MIKE.
UM, I DID SEND YOU SOME COMMENTS THAT WERE, YOU SAID JUST DRAMATICAL PHIL.
[01:15:01]
BUT AGAIN, I WANNA POINT OUT THIS WAS A REPORT AND NOT A PLAN.AND I THOUGHT IT COVERED EVERYTHING FAIRLY WELL OF WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
I'M PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON THIS AGE, NOT AGE, THIS NEW CONSULTANT PLAN.
WE'RE PUTTING OUT 250 BIG ONES.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MEAT AND SOME IDEAS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME, AS YOU POINT OUT VERY WELL.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CONSULTANT SIDE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PLAN AND A REPORT.
UM, I HAD SOME IDEAS, ONE ON COMMUNICATION, BUT AGAIN, AS I SAW IT AND YOU BROUGHT GOOD POINT, ROB.
THAT'S FOR THE NEXT ROUND WHEN WE HAVE TO GIVE OUR IDEAS TO THE CONSULTING PLAN.
UM, I TOO WAS ONE OF THE, UM, AGE FRIENDLY COMMITTEE HEADS OR CONTENT SPECIALISTS, AND I AGREE, ATTENDANCE SUCKED.
BUT ALSO IN REVIEWING THAT AGE FRIENDLY PLAN, IF YOU REMEMBER IT, TO ME IT WAS A LITTLE WONKY AND IT WAS, AND I'D FORGOTTEN IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN BY THREE, THE TOP IT, IT WAS WRITTEN BY A COMMITTEE.
UM, AND IT, IT GOT OUT THERE ON DIFFERENT PLACES.
WE HAD THE OUTDOOR SPACE AND OUTDOOR SPACE, OUTDOOR SPACE SOMETHING.
ANYWAY, UM, SO MY COMMENT IS THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE REPORT.
AND, UM, I, I'LL MAKE, I MAY MAKE A FEW MORE COMMENTS ON A RECORD.
SO THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR ON THE COMMITTEE.
SO A LOT OF WHAT I'VE SEEN HERE, UH, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE OF, UH, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POVERTY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, WE BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS OF SENIORS THAT ARE IN POVERTY.
UH, I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMEWHERE, AND I WAS GOING BACK TO LOOK AT THE CENSUS REPORT WHERE IT WAS BROKEN DOWN BY DEMOGRAPHICS.
DOES THAT NOT INCLUDE IN THE REPORT THAT I, NOT THAT I MISSED THAT MEANING BY DEMOGRAPHICS, BY AGE, BY GENDER? I'M SORRY, BY BY GENDER.
SEE, THAT'S BY DISTRICT OR YOU TALKING ABOUT IN POVERTY? YEAH, IN POVERTY.
TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT IN POVERTY.
UH, PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE SENIORS THAT ARE IN POVERTY.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THERE WHERE IT SPECIFIES IT BY RACE OR I'M SORRY, BUT YES, MY RACE
THERE IS THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE, BUT WE DO HAVE THE RACIAL PROFILE OR BAD WORD VIEWS, I GUESS, BUT RACIAL BREAKDOWN OF THE POPULATION IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT IN THE CHARTS THAT ARE IN EXHIBIT TWO.
IT'S DEFENDANTS TWO QUESTION QUESTION.
I'M ASKING CIVICALLY ASKING ABOUT POVERTY, ABOUT THE AREA OF POVERTY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU TOLD.
EMPHASIZING HARVARD, AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SSI AND PEOPLE BEING UNDER A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER MONTH INCOME.
JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERY, THE CITY NEEDS TO SEE THAT CITY COUNCIL PERSON NEED TO SEE THAT.
HOW DOES IT IMPACT PEOPLE? UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, AND, AND JUST A LOT, A LOT OF SINGLE FAMILIES ARE HERE.
A LOT OF SINGLE WOMEN, UH, OR UH,
IF THAT CAN'T BE DONE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING YES, SPECIFICS.
THAT'S WHY THE SPECIFIC I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DOES THAT, THAT AGAIN, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD BE RAISED IN OUR MEETING WITH THE CONSULTANTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO THE, YOU'RE NEW, THE REFERENCE POINT WAS THREE YEARS AGO WE HAD NO DATA.
AND WE, WE AREN'T WHERE WE OUGHT TO BE.
AND I DON DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR IDEA, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE.
AND HOPEFULLY, WE'LL, AS THIS THING ROLLS FORWARD AND WE, WE GET NEW DATA COMES IN, WE, IT'LL GET INCORPORATED.
DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE REPORT ITSELF? THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS IT.
I I, I, I DID NOT GO THROUGH IT COMPLETELY, BUT I WILL GO BACK.
SO, UM, I DID GO THROUGH IT COMPLETELY AND I'VE GOT NOTES ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT THREE, THREE THINGS THAT
[01:20:01]
I WANTED TO RAISE.UM, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO ADD DISTRICT MAPS? SO WE SAY DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT TWO, AND I KEPT REFERRING BACK TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, ALL RIGHT, WHERE IS THAT DISTRICT? SO I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO US IF WE COULD ATTACH A, A MAP TO THIS REPORT SO PEOPLE CAN PHYSICALLY SEE WHERE THE CITY WAS JUST IS.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE TO SEE.
SO, UM, AND THAT JUST PERSONALLY, I, IT TOOK ME FIVE TIMES AS LONG AS I KEPT GOING BACK TO THE RECORD, RIGHT? SO, UM, AND SOMEONE ALREADY RAISED PRIORITIZING GOALS BECAUSE THEY'RE LOFTY AND I AGREE WITH EVERY ONE OF THEM.
AND THE FACT, PETE, THAT YOU HAVE LET US TAKEN THE TIME TO DO THIS REPORT, RIGHT? KUDOS, KUDOS, KUDOS.
THIS IS AN AMAZING ENDEAVOR AND A GREAT REPORT.
SO THANK YOU FOR GETTING US STARTED ON THIS.
UM, DO WE WANNA WAIT WITH PRIORITIZING GOALS TILL AFTER THE CONSULTANT? THAT WAS, YEAH.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT UNTIL WE, THE COMMISSION ROLE IS TO BE AN ADVISORY ROLE, RIGHT? NOT TO DO ANYTHING.
AND SO THE IDEA OF HAVING COMMISSION GOALS BEFORE WE HAVE THE GOALS OF WHAT THE CITY'S TRYING TO DO IS THAT, THAT'S WHY THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE WEAK IN THE, SO I THINK OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO WHAT ARE WE GONNA WAVE RED FLAGS AT MM-HMM
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT OUR ROLE IS.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED LIKE SOME OF THE SPECIFIC AREA.
ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE WHAT WE WORKED ON MY, MY OUTDOOR OUTDOOR SPACES.
AGAIN, AND REACHING PEOPLE, IF THERE'S A PARK BENCH SOMEPLACE THAT REACHES PEOPLE THAT WE MAY NOT REACH 'EM IN OTHER WAYS.
SO IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT NOT TO GET, UM, I DON'T KNOW WE'RE BEING RECORDED, RIGHT? MCKAY, RIGHT? NOT TO GET STUCK IN SOME OF THE CITY REGS, BUT LIKE IF WE CAN, UM, DO RESEARCH TEAMS THAT ARE NOT, THAT ARE NOT GONNA BE COMMITTEE MEETINGS SO THAT SOME OF US CAN WORK ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA WIND UP LOOKING AT.
LIKE I'M, I HAVE BEEN PART OF A CONSORTIUM ON AGING PLACE INITIATIVES.
I AM IN INCREDIBLY INTERESTED.
I THINK IT'S GONNA SAVE THE CITY A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AND LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, I WANNA WORK ON IT.
BUT IF WE CREATE A COMMITTEE, THEN FINDING SPACE AND FINDING DATES.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO SLICE THIS.
WELL THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO DO WITH THE CONTENT SPECIALIST IDEA.
ANYBODY WHO SITS ON THE COMMISSION IS MORE THAN WELCOME TO GO RESEARCH ANYTHING THEY WANT TO RESEARCH AND BRING IT TO US.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BUT IF, IF NOBODY BRINGS ANYTHING TO US, WE, SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE DECIDE OUR GOALS, IF WE CAN RESUSCITATE, IT WOULD BE WE ACTIVELY MAKE SO RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK THAT THE, OUR, OUR GOAL OUGHT TO BE AS COMMISSIONERS TO RAISE THE ISSUES THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR OWN DISTRICT.
BUT MOST OF THOSE ISSUES ARE IN EVERY DISTRICT.
AND, AND SO IF YOU'VE GOT KNOWLEDGE FROM OTHER THINGS YOU'RE DOING THAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE, WE'RE, EVERY MONTH I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE STAFF TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE AGENDA'S GONNA BE.
AND SOMETIMES WE'RE GRABBING AT STRAWS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT MEETING.
I'M MORE THAN MORE THAN INTERESTED IN HAVING ANYBODY WHO'S GOT INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE SHARED TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA.
I THINK I, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS AMAZING.
BUT I THINK FOR SOME OF THE STUFF WE NEED TO BE DOING CONSULTANT AND GET THAT INCREDIBLE JOB, INCREDIBLE JOB AND JUST THE MAP.
THE ONLY CONCRETE RECOMMENDATION I HAVE IS THE DISTRICT MANAGER.
[01:25:02]
ANYTHING ELSE? OH, DEBBIE, YOU, WE HAVEN'T GIVEN YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK YET.UM, I DID MAKE PAGE NOTES AND I DID MAKE PARAGRAPH IN LINE NOTES.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE WAY I DID BEFORE.
UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT ON PAGE 16 AND 17 THAT THERE'S A CONTRADICTION.
AND THE CONTRADICTION IS, ONE PART SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THE RECREATION CENTERS ARE RECEIVING SERVICES AND INFORMATION.
AND THEN ON PAGE 17 IT SAYS ALMOST THE OPPOSITE.
THAT, UM, THEY ARE, THEY KNOW LITTLE ABOUT WHAT'S BEING OFFERED.
I'M NOT SURE IF I'M WORDING IT CORRECTLY 'CAUSE I WAS SCRIBBLING AND WRITING FAST, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S A CONTRADICTION ON PAGE 16 AND 17.
UH, AND THEY ARE, UH, THE LAST PARAGRAPH AND THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.
AND ALSO I WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE FACT THAT I LIVE IN OAK CLIFF.
AND OAK CLIFF IS CALLED CLIFF BECAUSE IT WAS ONCE UPON A TIME A COMMUNITY ALL ITS OWN.
AND IT WAS ANNEXED BY THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND IT MEANS THAT WE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OAK CLIFF AND WE WANNA BE CITED THAT WAY.
SO DISTRICT EIGHT, DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT THREE, AND I BELIEVE TERRA'S DISTRICT, WE ARE O CLIFF.
AND SO WE WANNA BE NOTED THAT WAY ON YOUR REPORT NOW SOUTH DALLAS.
SOUTH DALLAS IS WHERE THE FAIR PARK IS.
AND I POINTED THAT OUT TO MIRACLE WHEN SHE DID MY SUMMARY OF MY SENIOR, UH, LISTENING SESSION.
UM, THAT IS ON PAGE TWO AND LINE SEVEN.
I WANTED TO ALSO SAY THAT, UM, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEEDS IN OTHER DISTRICTS, NONE OF YOU I'M SURE, AND, AND I'M, I'M SAYING THAT SPECULATING, BUT I'M SURE THAT NONE OF YOU HAVE CITIZENS IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT HAVE COWS IN THEIR FRONT YARD AND PIGS RUNNING AROUND AND THAT THEY HAVE DITCHES IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSES AND NO SIDEWALKS OR HAVE UNPAVED ROADS.
WE DO IN DISTRICT EIGHT BECAUSE OUR DISTRICT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO SUNNYVILLE SEAVILLE, UH, AND UH, BAR SPRINGS.
AND SO OUT THERE WAY WE HAVE NEEDS AND WANTS THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN OTHER DISTRICTS THEIR SENIORS DON'T HAVE.
AND SO I WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRE I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED BEING INCLUDED IN ANY, UH, DISCUSSION THAT YOU ALL HAD ABOUT REACHING THE SENIORS THAT YOU'RE NOT REACHING BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MY SENIORS ARE DEALING WITH.
UH, IT, IT'S A VERY IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE I TRIED TO REPORT TO YOU ON, UH, SAND BRANCH AND UM, YOU BECAME UPSET AND ASKED ME, WHO TOLD ME TO DO THAT? UH, MY COUNCILMAN SENT ME OUT THERE.
AND THOSE PEOPLE REALLY NEED HELP.
AND THE SENIORS OUT THERE ARE JUST DESTITUTE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RUNNING WATER.
UH, AND I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE DISABILITY CHAIR.
THE DISABILITY COMMISSION CAN HELP THE PEOPLE IN, IN, UH, CENTERS LIKE WHERE COUNCILMAN MARYLAND IS, COMMISSIONER MARYLAND IS BECAUSE THEY CAN ASSIST US WITH GETTING THINGS FOR OUR SENIORS THAT WE DON'T KNOW OR HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND I WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DISABILITY COMMISSIONER IN MY AREA.
SO SOMEHOW WE NEED TO, UH, COLLABORATE WITH THEM OR, OR, OR GET WITH THEM.
UM, THE OTHER THING WAS, UH, OH, BACK TO TALKING ABOUT THE SUBCOMMITTEES.
WHEN I WAS ON MY SUBCOMMITTEE, WE HAD, PRIOR TO THE NEW YEAR STARTING, WE HAD MADE A CONTACT WITH A GROUP COLLEAGUE YNA.
AND YNA WAS MADE UP OF, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE OFFICERS IN THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT.
UH, THEY, I THINK HAVE DISBANDED THAT PROGRAM.
IT WAS A, UH, UH, JUST A TRIAL PROGRAM, BUT WE HAD TALKED TO SOME OF THEM ABOUT RESTARTING IT AND ABOUT INTRODUCING IT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD POLICEMEN TO ATTACK THE PROBLEM OF ISOLATION AND, AND LONELINESS AND THOSE SENIORS THAT WE JUST CAN'T SEEM TO REACH AND, AND BRING IN.
BUT I ALSO, AND I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER MARILYN BECAUSE, AND I HAD TO CRY WHEN SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A DEAF CHILD AND BECAUSE MY GRANDMOTHER WAS DEAF, I KNOW THE STRUGGLES THAT DEAF PEOPLE DEAL WITH.
AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE, THAT LADY TO STAND UP AT HER SESSION AND SAY HOW SHE WAS TREATED BECAUSE SHE'S DEAF.
AND THEN TO TELL HER AND SHARE WITH HER THAT THERE ARE SERVICES FOR HER IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I KNOW OF PERSONALLY, THAT CAN DO SO MUCH FOR HER, FOR HOUSING, FINANCES, UH, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, INTERNET TELEPHONES.
SHE COMES TO THE CENTER ALL THE TIME.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT PICTURE.
[01:30:01]
BE FIXED.SO IF THEY'RE COMING TO THE CENTER, ALL THOSE SERVICES NEED TO BE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GONNA INCORPORATE THAT IN YOUR REPORT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S DROPPING THE BALL.
AND AFTER THAT LADY SAID THAT, AND I ADDRESSED HER, SEVERAL PEOPLE CAME AND SIT NEXT TO ME TO ASK ABOUT THE DEAF ACTION CENTER AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO FOR DEAF PEOPLE.
AND I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE IT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I LIVE WITH A DEAF PERSON AND I KNOW HER STRUGGLES.
BUT I DO NEED THAT TO BE CORRECTED ABOUT A CLIFF.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER MITCHELL'S SESSION HAD THE LARGEST ATTENDANCE IT MIGHT HAVE AND BUT YOU DID SAY THE 45 40 NOBODY ELSE'S SESSION WAS BEYOND 45.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THE COPY OF MY SUMMARY THAT IKA WROTE AND SHE SAID I HAD 51 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
SO YOU NEED TO CORRECT THAT TOO, PLEASE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO FIND THE SOUTH DALLAS OAK CLIFF ISSUE THAT EVERYBODY HAS RAISED.
WILL YOU PLEASE TELL ME REPORT? DID YOU SAY THE OAK CLIFF ON PAGE 1617? OR THAT WAS WHAT WAS 16? BISHOP ARTS IS IN OAK CLIFF.
I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT I, CENTRAL HOSPITAL IS IN OAK PLACE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE REPORT.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW WE REFERRED TO SOMETHING.
PARAGRAPH PAGE 19, PARAGRAPH TWO, LINE SEVEN, PAGE 19, PARAGRAPH TWO, LINE SEVEN.
AND YOU ALSO, IT ALSO SAYS, UM, SOUTH WHERE IT SAYS SOUTH DALLAS, SOUTH IS LOWERCASE, DALLAS IS CAPITALIZED.
SO IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A PORTION OF DALLAS AND IT'S SOUTH DALLAS, THEN IT SHOULD BE CAPITAL S, CAPITAL D.
UH, I JUST WANNA CHANGE THOUGH, CLIFF.
SO, UM, DEBBIE, I CAN'T FIND IT AS WELL.
YOU SAID PAGE 19, THE SECOND BULLET THAT SAYS IN JUNE THE BE VISITING NURSES ASSOCIATION.
I WAS ON PAGE 19 AND IT'S ON AND I WROTE IT DOWN PARAGRAPH TWO, LINE SEVEN.
WHAT DOES THE LINE SAY? DEBBIE? IT READ, I'M READING FROM MY NOTES.
FELISE, ROBIN, MS. ROBIN ROSS, PAGE 19.
MS. RES, I THINK THE, I KNOW THEY THINK I CAN'T READ THE VNA AGREED TO HELP CREATE SOME CO-CHAIR OF SENIOR POVERTY PILOT PROJECT TO CONDUCT A NEEDS ANALYSIS IN THREE SOUTH DALLAS CENSUS TRACT SOUTH ISN'T CAPITALIZED.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE REASON I DON'T COME DOWNTOWN TO THOSE MEETINGS IS BECAUSE I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I'M BEING INTIMIDATED AND PUT DOWN AND DISRESPECT IT.
SO I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE DOING THE MEETINGS FROM MY HOME HERE ON MY COUCH.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE SOME SUPPORT.
'CAUSE I KNOW I HAVE THE SUPPORT OF SOME OTHER COMMISSIONERS, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT.
I'M NOT A HARD TO GET ALONG WITH PERSON.
I JUST, I GIVE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE THANK YOU.
BUT THAT'S, I'M, I'M NOT SURE, I DON'T SEE THE REFERENCE TO OAK CLIFF VERSUS IT'S NOT, IT NEVER IS, IT NEVER IS PUT IN THERE BUT, AND NOT BE LOOKED TOGETHER.
IF I MAY, I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IS SOUTH WE, WE, WE ALSO REFERRED SOUTH DALLAS.
THE, THE WHOLE AREA IS EVERYTHING SOUTH OF THE TRINITY RIVER AND THAT'S NOT TRUE.
SO MAYBE THE THING TO DO, UM, IS TO SAY SOUTH DALLAS WITH A CAPITAL S AND FOLK CLIFF.
SO IT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC.
KEEP YOU OUT OF A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE.
MARION? MARION WILLIAMS DISTRICT IS SOUTH DALLAS IN EAST DALLAS, SOUTHEAST DALLAS.
I NEED HELP WITH, ARE YOU? WELL, YOU COULD ASK THE DIFFERENT COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE AND THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT THEY REPRESENT O CLIFF, COUNCILWOMAN AR ARNOLD 10, ATKINS JASON TO SEE WHAT STATIONS.
YEAH, I ALSO A MAP WOULD BE SO HELPFUL AND NO, I YOU DOING THE COUNCIL, IT'S THE JUST FIX IT.
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY ANETTE MARY.
THAT'S WHAT, WHEN I POINTED IT OUT TO MIRACLE THAT
[01:35:01]
THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN OAK CLIFF DO NOT LIKE TO BE CALLED SOUTH DALLAS.I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO WITH YOUR COMMENTS IS FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO CHANGE AND WHERE IT IS IN THE DRAFT.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME A MARKED UP COPY AND EMAIL IT TO ME SO THAT I CAN, I KNOW WHERE TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, FOR THESE THINGS AND WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDED CHANGES ARE.
THE COUNCIL'S DISTRICT BEFORE, I'M JUST SAYING THAT BEFORE WHEN I SENT YOU, UH, MY, UH, COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS ON THE REPORT THAT YOU DID BEFORE, I SIMPLY GAVE YOU A PAGE NUMBER, PARAGRAPH NUMBER AND A LINE AND YOU SAID THAT WAS GREAT, THAT WOULD BE FINE, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT.
I'M, I'M REALLY NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE WITH ANYBODY.
I I'M JUST TRYING TO NO, I, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU, PETER.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE OUR MOMENTS, BUT, UM, AND I DO APPRECIATE NO, HE, HE KNOWS THAT WE DO.
BUT, UM, BECAUSE REMEMBER AT THE WEST DALLAS SESSION WE TALKED ABOUT THE DEAF ACTION CENTER AND WE TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS, SOME PERSONAL THINGS.
AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SOMETIMES WE'RE VENTURING OFF IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
AND SO I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO BRING US BACK TO WHAT WE'RE ALL HERE FOR.
AND THAT'S THE SENIORS OF DALLAS.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT DISTRICT THEY LIVE IN OR WHAT PART OF TOWN THEY LIVE IN, THEY ALL HAVE NEEDS, THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND WE JUST NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT.
I'M VERY PATIENT ABOUT THAT QUESTION.
IN TERMS OF CLARIFICATION THERE, THOSE THREE AREAS THAT YOU'RE SOUTH DALLAS PROPER.
SO WHAT ARE THOSE THREE YEARS? MINES
UHHUH MINE STARTED AT THE DEFICIT AND GOES ALL THE WAY NORTHWEST HIGHWAY.
COMMISSIONER DANIELS IS WEST DALLAS.
TERRACETA IS WEST OAK CLIFF, UH, VERNA MITCHELL IS CENTRAL OAK CLIFF.
AND UH, UH, UH, I AM SOUTH OAK CLIFF AND UH, COMMISSIONER LEE IS EAST OAKCLIFF.
AND MAYBE I KNOW THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I LIVE OVER HERE OR MAYBE I KNOW THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I CARE
SHE HAS A MAP, SO I THINK THAT WOULD
IF YOU'LL SEND ME LIKE YOU DID BEFORE WITH A PAGE NUMBER AND, AND THE REFERENCE AS TO WHAT IT IS, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE A CHANGE THAT, UH, HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
UM, DID, UH, DID I HAVE COPIES OF THE OP-ED PIECE THAT ACTUALLY RAN IN THE MORNING NEWS YESTERDAY? YOU UH, GREAT, THANK YOU.
I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE GOT ONE.
PETER, DO YOU HAVE AN EXTRA ONE? CAN YOU, KAREN, IF YOU HAVE AN ONE SO I DON'T HAVE TO COPY OUT.
DOES SOMEONE WANNA SHARE? DAVID, DID YOU GET ONE? I DID.
UM, JONATHAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO, UH, THIS WORKS FOR AMERICA FOR THE, UH, BE IN CONTACT WITH, UM, IF WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE JANUARY 13TH DATE, UM, TO HAVE A SESSION? I WANNA THANK YOU TO YOU.
ANYBODY WANT ME TO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO
[01:40:01]
ADJOURN THE MEETING.