* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] WE'LL [Special Senior Affairs Commission on January 13, 2025.] CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING TO LORD. AND, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS. UH, FOR THE MOST PART, THIS MEETING'S GONNA GET TURNED OVER TO THE CONSULTING FIRM AND, AND CLAUDIA IS GOING TO BE CLAUDIA, RIGHT? YES. IS IS GOING TO BE, UH, LEADING THE DISCUSSION. EVERYBODY RECEIVED A LIST OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT THEY'RE PARTICULARLY LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM US. UH, AND THAT'S THE FRAMEWORK FOR THIS MEETING. AND WE WON'T BE COVERING ANYTHING THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. SO WE NEED TO KEEP TO THE TOPICS AND MOVING ALONG SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE FEEDBACK. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, UM, I WAS ASKED TO ANNOUNCE IS THE, UM, IN ADDITION TO THEIR MEETING WITH US, THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING A PROVIDER, UH, SURVEY AND ULTIMATELY A, A LISTENING SESSION. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, WE WILL RECEIVE A LIST OF ALL THE PROVIDERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE LIST, UH, THAT, THAT THEY PLAN TO SEND THE SURVEY OUT, DO. AND IF ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD REVIEW THAT LIST AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYBODY, ANY, ANY ORGANIZATION OR SERVICE THAT'S MISSING THAT SHOULD BE ON THE LIST TO GET FEEDBACK FROM FOR THE CONSULTANTS, UH, CONTACT WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS, PREFERABLY, UH, TABITHA, BECAUSE SHE'S GONNA BE COORDINATING ANY ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM US. BUT IF THERE'S ANY, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT EMAIL TODAY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU WOULD TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THAT EMAIL SO THAT WE CAN, UH, REVIEW IT IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY WHO'S MISSING, GET , TABITHA IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS SO WE CAN GET IT ON THE LIST TO KEEP THE PROCESS. I GUESS THE OTHER THING I NEED TO COVER TECHNICALLY IS IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC, ANY ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC THAT IS HERE AT THE MEETING THAT WANTS TO SPEAK, UH, WE CAN DO THAT. THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA, SO, OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON. AND WITH THAT, UM, WE WILL, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO CLAUDIA SANDAL AND SHE WILL INTRODUCE THE MEETING AND INTRODUCE THE PROCESS HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, WELL GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. UM, MY NAME'S CLAUDIA SANDOVAL. I'M ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS WITH GUIDEHOUSE AND COST THAT IS LEADING WITH THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION AND OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE, THE NEW, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN ON AGING. SO REALLY EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU ALL THIS MORNING. UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD, I TAKE, CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. I'M GOING THROUGH OUR AGENDA AND IT'S REALLY GONNA BE A MAJORITY OF THE TIME IN THE LISTENING SESSION, BUT WE'LL START OFF WITH JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND . UM, WE'LL START WITH INTRODUCTIONS, OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT, AND WE GO ONE OF THE SAME QUESTIONS, WHICH YOU ALL HAVE HOPEFULLY ALREADY SEEN. NEXT SLIDE. ALRIGHT, SO ONLINE WE HAVE OUR, MOST OF OUR GUIDE HOUSE TEAM IS ONLINE. WE HAVE ROBERTSON, WHO IS OUR PARTNER, RICK HENLEY, WHO IS OUR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS PROJECT. MYSELF, MEETING SOME MORE OF OUR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, WE RIGHT, UM, AND LAURA, ELLIE, AND BOTH FROM GUIDEHOUSE AS WELL, HELPING WITH THE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORTS AND OTHER DELIVERABLES THAT WE HAVE AS PART OF THIS PROJECT. AND THEN IN PERSON, WE HAVE TWO OF OUR SPARROW TEAM MEMBERS, WHICH I WILL GO AHEAD AND ALSO INTRODUCE OR LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES SINCE THEY'RE HERE. HI EVERYONE. MY NAME'S MADELINE HOLLER, A PART OF THE COAST SPARROW GUIDEHOUSE TEAM. WE'RE A LOCAL CONSULTING AGENCY, REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, LISTENING, FOCUSED ON SOCIAL IMPACT. EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH GUIDEHOUSE SPECIFICALLY ON THE COMMUNICATIONS AND HOW YOU COMMUNICATE WITH AGING ADULTS. SO, UH, I'M HERE MYSELF AS A SENIOR CONSULTANT WITH TONY AS WELL. HOW YOU DOING Y'ALL? I'M, UH, TONY MOTON JR. UH, AND I'M THE MANAGING CONSULTANT AT SPARROW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL AND I'M, UH, EXCITED TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO SOME MORE QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? ALRIGHT, SO TO JUST GIVE A QUICK ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THIS INITIATIVE SINCE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS OF IT. UM, BUT OUR FIRST PHASE IS REALLY DIGGING INTO CURRENT STATE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY AND OUR SENIOR POPULATION. UM, LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT SERVICES THE CITY HAS, NOT JUST INTERNALLY, BUT ALSO WITH ALL OF YOUR PARTNERS AND MAKING AN UPDATED [00:05:01] INDEX OF THAT. UM, THAT TAKES US INTO PHASE TWO. UM, AND THEN ALSO, AND THEN PHASE THREE IS REALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINAL PLAN. UM, AND ALL OF THIS IS REALLY ITERATIVE. UM, WE SHARE ALL OF OUR DRAFTS AND UPDATES WITH TABITHA AND HER TEAM TO GET INPUT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING ON OUR END. UM, BUT THAT IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW. TABITHA, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET THE PRESENTATION ON THE SCREEN HERE? IT'S JUST A LITTLE HARD TO SEE. IF NOT, IT'S OKAY. I CAN KEEP GOING. PERFECT, THANKS. UM, AND THEN JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR TIMELINE FOR THE PROJECT. WE KICKED OFF IN NOVEMBER OF 2024. UM, STILL CURRENTLY IN OUR PHASE ONE, SO GOING THROUGH THE END OF FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, AND THEN FINALIZING IN MAY OF THIS YEAR. OKAY. AND SO NOW WE REALLY WANNA GET INTO OUR LISTENING SESSIONS OR OUR LISTENING SESSIONS QUESTIONS. UM, WE HAVE SIX QUESTIONS AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE AND GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL. UM, THIS WILL BE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR PUBLIC LISTENING SESSIONS. UM, THERE WILL BE MORE PEOPLE THERE, SO WE'LL BE BROKEN UP INTO GROUPS, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT'S JUST AN OPEN FLOOR. SO I'LL LET THE CHAIR, UM, KIND OF MANAGE WHO'S ANSWERING FIRST. UM, BUT OUR FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT LONG-TERM VISION FOR SENIOR SERVICE, WHAT IS YOUR LONG-TERM VISION FOR SENIOR SERVICES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS? OKAY. I THINK THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO GO DISTRICT BY DISTRICT. SO LET'S START WITH DISTRICT ONE AND, UH, ONE THAT SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL. TAKE THAT UP. UM, AND SORRY, JUST REALLY QUICK, LET'S TRY TO LIMIT OUR RESPONSES FOR EACH PERSON TO TWO MINUTES SO THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH EVERYONE AND THROUGH ALL OF THE QUESTIONS, I CAN HAVE A SUGGESTION. YES, MA'AM. I JUST HAVE A SUGGESTION. SHE, SINCE SHE SAID SHE HATE BEING NUMBER ONE, AND IT SOUND LIKE IF SOMEBODY DON'T WANT TO SPEAK THAT THE CHAIR PUT 'EM ON THE OPINION. SO YOU WANNA HEAR FORGIVING ONE AND CONCLUSIVELY, OR YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO ANSWER OR JUST LISTEN. THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST ASKING. I MEAN, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, AND SOMEBODY DON'T WANNA SPEAK, BUT THEY GONNA SAY PASS. I, YEAH, I THINK YOU CAN JUST PASS IF YOU DON'T WANNA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK. OKAY. I'M JUST SAYING THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S SESSION. NO, NO, I HAVE THE WHOLE PURPOSE. GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INPUT SO THAT THEY, I HAVE MY ANSWERS, SO YEAH. YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST, I JUST ASK NUMBER ONE, JUST POINT OF CLARIFICATION. ARE WE ANSWERING QUESTION ONE, NUMBER ONE FIRST? NUMBER ONE, YES. YEAH. YEAH. WE'LL JUST, WE'LL DO EVERYONE FOR QUESTION ONE AND THEN GO AROUND AGAIN FOR THE NEXT QUESTIONS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT THE LGBT COMMUNITY SENIOR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S NOT REPRESENTED NOW AND WE HAVE ALL OUR CULTURES REPRESENTED TO, I'M, I'M REALLY HOPING THAT, UM, AND I DO WANT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY OF COLOR TO FEEL THAT WE'RE, THEY'RE GETTING THE SAME INFORMATION AS EVERYONE ELSE'S. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME IN DISTRICT ONE AS WELL AS MY COUNCIL PERSON. HE, THAT'S WHY HE AVOIDED ME TO, TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO EVERYONE IN MY COMMUNITY. GREAT. THANK YOU. DISTRICT TWO. UM, I'M PORTIA AND I AM THE COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT TWO. AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I TEND TO BE LONG-WINDED AND I DESERVE THAT, BUT I'VE PRINTED OUT THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AND I PRINTED OUT COPIES FOR ALL OF YOU. SO INSTEAD OF ME GOING FOR AND EVER, UM, THIS IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT SENIORS IN GENERAL, IT IS THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE ONLY OUT GAY COMMISSIONER. [00:10:02] SO I'M, I'M A VOICE FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q SENIOR COMMUNITY, SO I HAVE COPIES FOR YOU ALL AND I'LL JUST SEE ALL OF MY ANSWERS TO SOMEONE ELSE. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DISTRICT THREE. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. UH, MY PRIORITY AND PRIORITIES WOULD BE CENTERED AROUND, UH, ENSURING THAT ALL SENIORS, UH, HAVE FREE, UH, OR HAVE THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO RECEIVE SERVICES THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH US. SO AWARENESS OF WINS. UM, DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FOUR, FELIX SLEEVE WOULD'VE BEEN SAID IS ALREADY KIND OF TOOK IT OUT MY MOUTH, BUT THAT WAS MY MAIN CONCERN. AND SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE ON THE BOARD, I HAVE ENJOYED GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT AND SOUND LIKE I'M HEARING SO FAR THE 1, 2, 3, UH, EQUAL BUT NOT SEPARATE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE EQUAL BUT SEPARATE AND THAT EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE AS WE GET THE INFORMATION TO FEEL FREELY TO PASS IT ON AND COMMISSION THE THREE TO MY WORD TO SERVICE THE PEOPLE I LOVE SERVING. I'M HERE TO, I'M A SERVANT AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT A LONG TERM GOAL. NOT JUST STOP IT AT, WE START STRONG, BUT YOU FINISH REAL WEAK. BUT TO CONTINUE AND LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THEY HAVE A OUTLET, LIKE DISTRICT TWO GATHER ME IN DISTRICT ONE. SO I'M KIND OF LIKE PIGGYBACKING OFF THE SAME THING. SO THAT'S MY LONG-TERM GOAL. EQUAL, BUT NOT SEPARATE. THANK YOU MR. UH, YES. I'M POLICE JARVIS. UM, I THINK MY LONG TERM VISION FOR THE SENIORS FOR SENIOR SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS IS THAT SENIOR SERVICES ACTS AS A COORDINATOR FOR ALL SENIOR SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY. SO THAT THE CITY WORKS BOTH WITH PROFIT AND NONPROFIT GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SENIORS, BLACK, HISPANIC, ARE TAKEN CARE OF. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY ALSO HAS TO PROVIDE A ROBUST DATABASE OF NOT ONLY THAT POPULATION, BUT WHAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE. SO I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO BE THE MAIN COORDINATOR. UM, I'VE HEARD OF, UH, A 2 1 1, BUT THAT DOESN'T WORK OR ISN'T WORKING. AND SO IT MIGHT BE THAT IT'S A RESERVATION OF THAT. UM, AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE CLARITY ON WHETHER OUR FOCUS IS FOR ALL SENIORS, ALL ETHNICS ARE HIGHEST NEED SENIORS OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS BECAUSE HIM AND I ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO USE AS MANY SENIOR SERVICES AS NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS. SO I THINK THERE JUST HAS TO BE A CLEAR DEFINITION OF, UH, HOW WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY TO, UM, TO PROVIDE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN HIGHEST NEED, UH, WITHIN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. DISTRICT SIX. GOOD MORNING. SEVEN. I'M IN DISTRICT SIX AND I AM A, I'M A COUNTY PERSON, NOT A CITY, BUT THE COUNTY TAKES CARE OF A CITY SENIOR. EITHER THEY LIFE PAID ALL OF THAT THERE. I BROADCAST AT EVERYWHERE I GO TO CHURCH, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW. YOU WOULD SURPRISED THAT THOSE DON'T KNOW THE HELP THAT THEY GOT OUT THERE FOR CITY DALLAS COUNTY GOT A LOT OF HELP FOR PAYING THEIR MEDICATION. THEY CAN'T PAY FOR IT. THEY MAKE SURE THEY GIVE A RIDE. THEY DON'T SHOW THEY SITTING, THEY BUS. SO I'M LEARNING THIS. A LOT OF DON'T KNOW THIS, THAT DALLAS COUNTY DOES THE SAME THING THAT THE CITY DOES. SO AWARENESS FOR BOTH COUNTY AND CITY SERVICES? YEAH, BECAUSE COUNTY DOES. THEY HAVE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, LADIES THAT SIT IN WITH US, THEY HAVE EMPLOYEES THERE, SO THEY THINK OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT WE GOT SO MANY PEOPLES, THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW. THE DALLAS COUNTY WILL PAY RENT, GET THEIR MEDICINE, GET THEIR RIDES, SEE WHATEVER THEY NEED, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW. THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW CITY PEOPLE. WHEN I GO UP TO MAD DASH, THEY DON'T KNOW. I HAVE TO TELL. AND SO THEY COME DOWN THERE. THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. OKAY. MY CONCERN IS THE CLARITY [00:15:01] OF INFORMATION, THE WAY IT'S DISSEMINATED. WE CAN HAVE A PLETHORA OF ALL DIFFERENT SERVICES, BUT UNLESS A SENIOR SOMETIMES NEEDS TO HAVE IT WRITTEN ON PAPER, UM, MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET. BUT WE NEED TO MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE HAVE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO BE DISSEMINATE TO A SENIORS IN A WAY THAT THEY UNDERSTAND IT. BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS REALLY IF, UH, I'M A VISUAL LEARNER, I HAVE TO HAVE IT ON PAPER. IF YOU TELL ME HOW TO GET TO YOUR HOUSE, I WILD, WILD , BUT I HAVE TO HAVE IT. OKAY, YOU TURN LEFT ON SUCH AND SUCH STREET. THAT'S THE WAY I LEARN. SO, AND THEN A LOT OF OUR SENIORS MAY HAVE, UH, HEARING VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS ALL THOSE LEVELS OF ACCESS TO OUR SENIORS. AND IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO BE CLEAR AND PRECISE AND NOT WRITTEN THE LANGUAGE FOR YOU. SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THEY HAVE TROUBLE OBTAINING ALL THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU. MR SEVEN. DEBBIE AUSTIN. IS SHE ON? YES. IS SHE ON MUTE? YES. I ON MUTE. THERE YOU GO. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. YOU READY FOR ME TO SPEAK? WE'RE ON DISTRICT EIGHT NOW, DEBBIE. WELL, I FEEL LIKE THE GOALS FOR SENIOR SERVICES SHOULD BE, THERE SHOULD BE A FOCUS ON MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELLBEING OF SENIORS. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UM, ADDRESS PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE, FOSTERING A SENSE OF PURPOSE, PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTHCARE, FACILITATING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, AND ENSURING SAFE AND COMFORTABLE LIVING ENVIRONMENTS. AND ALSO THERE SHOULD BE A COMPONENT THAT ASSISTS OR SUPPORTS CAREGIVERS. THANK YOU. DISTRICT NINE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. I, DEBBIE PRETTY MUCH SAID WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY ALONG WITH WHAT FELICE SAID. UTILIZING AND COORDINATING RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SENIORS. GOT IT. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 10. SO I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND I'VE LISTENED TO WHAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER STATED AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE SAID I AGREE WITH MM-HMM . UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I GUESS I HAVE TO SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I AM THE LONG BLACK MALE IN THE COMMISSION. I'M THE LONG MALE OF COLOR OF THE COMMISSION. AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT LONG-TERM GOALS, UH, WHEN I WAS ON THE RICHARDSON ISD SCHOOL BOARD, WE ALWAYS TOUTED THE TERM ALL. UH, THE REALITY OF IT IS ALL IS REALLY RESERVED FOR A SPECIAL CLASS PEOPLE OR SPECIAL GROUPS. UH, ALL FOR ME REALLY SHOULD BE INCLUSIVE, SHOULD BE TRULY INCLUSIVE OF ALL. AND, AND, AND CERTAINLY THE THINGS THAT I HAVE NOTICED, AND SOME OF THESE ON A PERSONAL BASIS THAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT, UH, BLACK MEN AND HISPANIC MEN ARE NOT INCLUDED IN PROCESS. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, WE GET SHORTCHANGED CHANGED, CHANGED BY THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, UH, AND BY THE PUBLIC SYSTEM INCLUSIVE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF THE LONG TERM GOALS, REALLY IMMEDIATE, UH, OUTREACH FOR, UH, UH, FOR THE SENIORS IN THESE IS THE CITY OF DALLAS, THAT, THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC MALES ARE A PART OF THE INCLUSIVENESS AND ARE A PART OF WHAT THE CITY DETERMINES AS ALL. THANK YOU MR. DEL LEVIN. UH, MOST OF WHAT I WOULD SAY, UH, HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. UH, I WANNA, UH, JUST ADD TWO THINGS, UH, BRIEFLY. UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SENIOR SERVICES, UM, UH, BE THERE BE A SENIOR SERVICES ONE STOP SHOP. SO ALL SENIOR [00:20:01] ACTIVITIES, LIKE THERE WOULD BE LIKE ONE CLEARING HOUSE, UM, THAT EVERYBODY, THIS WOULD BE THE PLACE, UM, WHERE IF ANYBODY HAD ANY ISSUES OR ANY CONCERNS ABOUT SENIORS, THIS IS WHERE IT WOULD BE. SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME SORT OF A COORDINATED EFFORT. AND, AND I THANKFULLY SAID IT, YOU KNOW, BOTH, UH, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE DON'T WASTE OUR, OUR RESOURCES. UM, AND THEN, UH, COMMUNICATION THAT WE UTILIZE EVERY EFFORT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION BEST PRACTICES ARE. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY SAW LAST WEEK AN ARTICLE ABOUT IN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS ABOUT HOW MCKINNEY IS COMMUNICATING, UH, WITH THEIR GENERAL POPULATION AND HOW THEY HAVE MADE IT A PRIORITY, UH, AND HOW MUCH THEIR COMMUNICATION HAS INCREASED, UH, BECAUSE OF THE WAYS THEY'VE DECIDED TO DO IT. SO THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR PRIORITY FOR ME IN ALL SECTORS OF THE CITY AND OUR SENIOR POPULATION THAT, UM, WE FIGURE OUT COMMUNICATION BEST PRACTICES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. UH, DISTRICT 12. GOOD MORNING. I'M ROB FRIEDMAN FROM DISTRICT 12. FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE MENTIONED. UM, I THINK STRATEGICALLY, I THINK OF THIS AS AN EFFORT THAT NEEDS TO START WITH AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH AND A DATA DERIVATIVE APPROACH. SOMETHING THAT IS DERIVED FROM ALL THE DATA AND IS THAT OVERARCHING INCLUSIVENESS HAS GOT TO BE THE KEY. AND THAT LEADS THEN TO A COORDINATED, COHESIVE PLAN ACROSS ALL THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMPONENTS THAT PROVIDE SENIOR SERVICES. 'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT HOPEFULLY WHAT WE ALL WANT IS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES FOR SENIORS TO LIVE. AND SO, CONSIDERING BEST PRACTICES AMONG ALL THE OTHER CITIES, THERE'S, WE DON'T HAVE TO INVENT A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES THAT I'M SURE THROUGHOUT THE US DO THIS EXTREMELY WELL. AND THE CITY OF DALLAS SHOULD BE ONE OF THOSE. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 13, THAT WOULD BE ME . UM, MY APPROACH TO ANSWERING THIS QUESTION IS I THINK VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT'S BEEN SAID, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE SENIOR SERVICES FUNCTION, THAT THE CITY IS NOT A SERVICE PROVIDER TO INDIVIDUAL THINGS AND TO INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE FOR THE MOST PART. THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THEY ARE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT'S, IT'S AN INFORMATION GATHERING AND AN INFORMATION DIS DISPENSING INFORMATION AND HELPING CONNECT SENIORS. I I THINK THAT THE CITY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOUTH, NOR IS THE COUNTY. AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRYING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY REALLY BE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND UNDERSTANDING BE THE GO-TO SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT ALL KINDS OF SENIORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THEM AND FACTS. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THINGS ON A CITYWIDE BASIS, YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, ONLY A LITTLE TINY PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY MAY HAVE A PARTICULAR ISSUE OR PROBLEM. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN A MORE, IN A MORE REFINED BASIS, YOU FIGURE OUT THAT THERE ARE 20 HOT SPOTS AROUND THE CITY THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, THAT YOU CAN MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON HELPING CONNECT PEOPLE TO A WHOLE WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES THAT I, I THINK IS REALLY CRITICAL THAT THE, THAT SENIOR SERVICES TAKE ON THE MAN OF KNOWING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF IS THAT THE, THE LACK OF AWARENESS IS AMAZING. WE'VE GOT 200,000 SENIORS WHO ARE 60 AND OLDER IN THE CITY OF DALLAS. AND OUR HELPLINE SERVED 1200 INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE DURING THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR. AND THAT'S LESS THAN 1% OF THE, OF, OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. WE KNOW THAT 15% OF THE, OF THE SENIOR POPULATION ARE LIVING AT OR BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. I'VE GOTTA BELIEVE THAT AT LEAST THAT 15% OR ROUGHLY 30,000 PEOPLE HAVE NEEDS THAT ARE GOING UNMET BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING THE INFORMATION TO 'EM ABOUT WHAT IS THERE. AND, AND THAT INCLUDES ALL [00:25:01] OF THE SUBGROUPS THAT, THAT ARE OUT THERE. UH, SO I THINK THAT THE, THE FIRST THING THAT IN MY VISION OF WHAT CITY SENIOR SERVICES SHOULD BE IS IT NEEDS TO BE THE PLACE WHERE DATA GETS GATHERED. THE DATA ANALYTICS GROUP FOR THE CITY IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD, BUT THEY NEED TO BE USED. AND WE'VE USED THEM FROM A COMMISSION PERSPECTIVE, BUT REALLY IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SENIOR SERVICES STAFF TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UPDATED AND THAT WE HAVE CURRENT, AS CURRENT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME. AND ANYBODY OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT. THEY, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THERE'S GREAT INTEREST AMONG THE PROVIDERS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR FACTUAL INFORMATION THAT JUST DOESN'T, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THEM. I THINK THAT THE, WE NEED TO HAVE A HIGHLY VISIBLE AND WELL PUBLICIZED SENIOR HELPLINE. AND THE CITY SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT, AND IT SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY STAFFED SO THAT YOU CAN HANDLE THE VOLUMES THAT SHOULD BE THERE IF PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT IT. AND RIGHT NOW, NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT PHONE NUMBER IS, AND IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO ULTIMATELY GET TO SENIOR SERVICES FOR HELP GET REFERRED FREQUENTLY THROUGH CITY COUNCIL OFFICES OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S ONLY THE DESPERATE GET THERE, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER WHOLE LAYER THAT ARE NEAR DESPERATE THAT ARE NOT BEING, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT. IT'S UNAWARE. AND I THINK THAT EXTENDS TO THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY IN THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE A AVAILABLE. SO IT REALLY IS ALL ENCOMPASSING. UM, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH EVERYBODY WHO'S TRYING TO HELP THIS. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF SILOS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE PE EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH SENIORS EVERY ORGANIZATION, BUT WHAT GENERALLY IS HAPPENING IS THEY'RE ONLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW ABOUT 'EM. THEY DON'T HAVE, THERE'S NO CENTRAL LIST OF, OF SENIORS AND NO WAY TO GET TO 'EM IN ANY KIND OF AN EFFECTIVE MANNER. AND I, I THINK THAT, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER A, A TASK FORCE OF GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL, UH, AGENCIES TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN YOU, HOW CAN WE DO THIS ON A MORE HOLISTIC BASIS? AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE MODEL OF HOW THE CITY AND THE OTHER AGENCIES HAVE HANDLED THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE WITH, WITH A WELL-FUNDED, BOTH FROM THE CITY AND FROM, UH, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND FROM PHILANTHROPY, FRANKLY, FOR THE HOMELESS SITUATION. IF, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD BE CREATED FOR THE, FOR SENIORS, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH A SENIOR POPULATION AND, AND HAVING IT BE A MUCH MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AS OPPOSED TO EVERYBODY TRYING TO DO THEIR OWN THING AND HOPE THAT IT GETS THE PEOPLE, UM, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A MUCH, A VERY AGGRESSIVE OUTREACH EFFORT THAT RIGHT NOW WE TRY TO HELP THE PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY TO US. AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS IDENTIFYING WHERE THE POCKETS OF, OF THE SENIOR POPULATION ARE, THAT WE NO NEED HELP AND WE NEED TO GO TO THEM. AND THE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I THINK WE COULD DO IS HAVE A SENIOR INFORMATION CENTER AT EVERY REC CENTER AND EVERY LIBRARY THAT, THAT IS OUT THERE. AND IT IS PUBLICIZED THAT IF PEOPLE WANT INFORMATION ABOUT IT AND GO THERE, THERE'S ONE OF THOSE IN GENERALLY IN ALMOST ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY. AND WE'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S DISPERSED OUT THERE. AND THAT, THAT WHETHER THERE'S ACTUALLY A REPRESENTATIVE, THE SENIOR SERVICES STAFF THAT ARE ON SITE AT THOSE FACILITIES AT ALL TIME. I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S THE PIPE DREAM THING. IF THERE'S NO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING THING. UM, AND I, YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO YES. OTHER QUESTIONS. SO IF YOU HAVE YEAH, I, I'M DONE, I'M DONE WITH THAT. AWESOME. THAT WAS THE ONE THAT I SPENT THE MOST TIME. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK IF WE COULD, IF YOU HAVE NOT OTHER QUESTIONS, DO THAT SO THAT ONCE YOU START GIVING YOUR RESPONSES THAT YOU'RE GIVING YOUR RESPONSES TO THAT QUESTION, AND I THINK OUR TIME WOULD BE . THANK YOU. UM, FEBRUARY 14. WELL, I WANNA SAY EVERYBODY STOLE MY IDEAS, BUT, UH, THEY DID A VERY GOOD JOB GETTING THE ONE OTHER AREA THAT I REALLY WANNA STRESS IS HOUSING. UH, THE HOMELESS APPROACH TO HOMELESS, UH, [00:30:01] SITUATIONS NOW IS YOU START WITH A HOUSE. AND I THINK THAT THE CITY, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER READING OUR ANNUAL REPORT, THE DATA THAT'S COME IN AND JUST LIVING WHERE I LIVE, WE HAVE GOT TO PRESERVE OUR HOUSING THAT OUR SENIORS ARE IN. WE, FORTUNATELY, MANY SENIORS DO OWN THEIR OWN HOME, AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE, UH, SAFE AND SECURE HOUSING FOR THOSE THAT DON'T OWN THEIR OWN HOME. AND SO I THINK HOUSING AND APPROACHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER ONE OF THE, THE AREAS WE FOCUS AND I, I DOING WHAT I CAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, DISTRICT 15, I'M MIKE NORY, DISTRICT 15. AS I SHOWED DAVID, PETER TOOK UP ALL THREE OF 'EM, , BUT IN, UH, LONG-TERM VISION WOULD BE INCREASED VISIBILITY, WHICH I THINK WOULD HELP. I'M SORRY. SO YOU BACK. IT'S OKAY. I CAN HEAR, UH, ENSURE INCLUSION, UH, THE INCREASED VISIBILITY, ALSO ONE COORDINATED EFFORT, AS YOU MENTIONED, ONE LIST, UH, OR CLEARING HOUSES, MAYBE GET INTO OTHER THINGS WE'LL GET TO. AND THEN THE, UH, WELL THAT, THAT WAS IT. ALL THE GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I THINK AS WE GET INTO THE NEXT QUESTIONS, IF SOMEBODY HAS ALREADY, UM, SAID WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT IT, YOU CAN JUST SAY WHATEVER ELSE HASN'T BEEN SHARED, OR YOU CAN SAY, PASS IT. EVERYTHING HAS ALREADY BEEN SHARED JUST TO HELP WITH TIME. SO OUR SECOND QUESTION, WHAT WOULD MOST HELP IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SENIORS IN DALLAS? UM, FIRST 15. YEAH. 15. OKAY. SO AGAIN, EASE OF COMMUNICATIONS. UM, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, WHERE THE VISIBILITY I THINK WOULD HELP THAT BECAUSE THEY WOULD KNOW WHAT IS AVAILABLE. AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING A LIST OF PROVIDERS THAT KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THROUGH OUR SENIORS. THANK YOU, . WELL, UM, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED IS THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. I KNOW THAT'S IN YOUR PLAN. UH, I COME FROM A BACKGROUND WHERE THAT'S WHERE YOU START. AND SO I, I DO THINK THAT, I THINK, UM, WE ALSO KIND OF AS A PROCESS FOR THIS, WE HAVE GOT TO RAISE THE PUBLIC AND, AND POLITICAL AWARENESS OF THE NEEDS OF SENIORS. AND I KNOW THAT'S ADDRESSED IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT, BUT, UH, BY DOING THAT, I THINK WE CAN WORK TOWARDS IMPROVING THE LIVES OF SENIORS. AND I LOVE, UH, THE IDEA OF CALLING THIS ONE OF THE BEST CITIES FOR SENIORS TO LIVE IN. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT WE CAN DO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 13. UH, YEAH, I JUST THINK MOST OF IT, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING IS, UH, HELPING SENIORS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO 'EM. I, I THINK MOST SENIORS DON'T KNOW THE RANGE OF THINGS IN FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO 'EM. THEY'RE NOT FULLY SIGNED UP IN PROGRAMS. AND SO I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, CREATING AN AWARENESS THAT THOSE, WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE AND ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY HELPING THEM SIGN UP FOR 'EM WOULD BE THE BIGGEST THING WE COULD DO TO ELEVATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CERTAINLY A HUGE SEGMENT OF THE LOWER INCOME SENIORS. FOR SURE. THANK YOU. WELL, UM, I THINK THE COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION OF SENIOR SERVICES IS CRITICAL THAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER , BUT ONE THING THAT COMES WHEN TO DO THAT IS IT COSTS MONEY AND THE EDUCATION AND THE USE OF THE DATA, ONCE AGAIN, TO EDUCATE CITY LEADERS, STATE LEADERS, COUNTY LEADERS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, UM, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MIGHT CONTRIBUTE THE PHILANTHROPIES, UM, THAT AREN'T WELL REPRESENTED FOR SENIORS TO RAISE MORE OF THAT FUNDING SO THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE THESE SERVICES KNOW THAT THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASED DEMAND IF THEY'RE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY. I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT IS THE CONCERN OF, WELL, IF WE COMMUNICATE MORE, THEN THAT MEANS THERE WILL BE MORE DEMAND AND WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO PROVIDE THAT. SO WE'RE AT OUR CAP, WE'RE HAPPY WHERE WE'RE AT, WE DON'T WANT TO GROW. RIGHT. UM, BUT BECAUSE THAT GROWTH REQUIRES FUNDING. YEAH. SUSTAINABILITY, YES. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 11. I REALLY, AGAIN, I, UH, MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS RENEE CAR. UM, I THINK WE'RE HEARING FROM EVERYBODY, UH, OR SOME OF THE THINGS ARE [00:35:01] CLEARLY COORDINATION OF EFFORTS ACROSS ALL SERVICES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UH, AND COMMUNICATION, FIGURING THAT OUT. SO, UM, I'M, I KEEP HEARING THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. SOMETIMES IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE AND SOMETIMES IN SOPHISTICATED LANGUAGE. BUT I THINK WHEN WE BOIL IT DOWN, WE'VE GOTTA GO TO WHERE THE SENIORS ARE. WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. 10. ONCE AGAIN, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS PRETTY MUCH ECHO WHAT I, WHAT I BELIEVE IN NEEDS ASSESSMENTS ARE, I THINK ARE, ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND THEN WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN WE HAD OUR INDIVIDUAL LISTENING SESSIONS, HOW MUCH ACTION WAS ACTUALLY TAKING, TAKING PLACE AFTER, AFTER THE LISTENING SESSIONS TOOK, TOOK PLACE. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CITY IS BEING ACTIONABLE, UH, WHEN THOSE THINGS ARE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION. THANK DISTRICT NINE. PRETTY MUCH WHAT EVERYBODY SAID. UM, THE ABILITY TO ACCESS INFORMATION, ABILITY TO ACCESS TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM OVER ON MY SIDE OF THE LAKE. THANK YOU MR. HA. DEB. DEBBIE. DEBBIE. SHE'S MUTED. I BELIEVE THAT, UM, IF WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR SENIORS TO HAVE A AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND THAT, UH, WE PROVIDE LIKE, KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IN OUR LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE WE BRING IN DIFFERENT AGENCIES, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND SO THAT THEY ARE THERE TO LEARN AND TO KNOW WHERE THESE THINGS ARE. AND I'D SAID IN A PREVIOUS MEETING THAT WORD OF MOUTH IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THOSE THAT COME CAN SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THOSE THAT CAN'T COME. UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT. JUST ENGAGEMENT, INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CITY OF DALLAS AND ITS SENIORS, SENIOR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. DISTRICT SEVEN. UM, LETTING SENIORS KNOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET TO BE 65, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TO BE 55? WHAT HAPPENED? LET THEM KNOW YOU GONNA BE A SENIOR THE THINK ABOUT, SO ADVERTISE IT, LETTING THEM KNOW BEFORE ARE SENIOR THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT. I LOVE THAT. KIND LIKE YOU BECOME AN ALUMNI UNIVERSITY. ALL THE INFORMATION DISTRICT SIX, I CAN ONLY SPEAK ON, THEY NEED MORE HOUSING. THAT'S A LOT OF SENIORS DOESN'T HAVE A HOUSE. THEY LIVING WITH THEIR KIDS AND THEY DON'T LIVE ON THEIR OWN DISTRICT FIVE. UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, HOWEVER, WITH WHAT, UH, DISTRICT SIX HAS JUST SAID. I THINK THERE ARE EXPENSES THAT SENIORS HAVE THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE THAT ARE A BURDEN FROM THE CITY. REAL ESTATE TAXES, SANITATION TAXES, UH, ALARM PERMIT FEES, SANITATION. SANITATION FEES, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND MAYBE IT'S BASED ON HOW LONG YOU'VE LIVED HERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR WHAT YOUR INCOME WOULD, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE IN A FIXED INCOME, THAT STUFF JUST EATS AWAY AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO REPLACE IT. DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FOUR, UH, WANTS YOU ADVOCATE FOR THE SENIOR AFFAIRS, UH, AS A WHOLE BECAUSE I GO TO A LOT OF THEIR OUTINGS AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER OFFICER SAID, WORD OF MOUTH. AND I GO TO A LOT OF THINGS WHERE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND AGENCIES THERE. I HAVE A PROBLEM PERSONALLY. WE GET IN LITTLE ROOM AND WE TALK ABOUT WE GONNA MAKE THIS LITTLE BOY UP AND YOU CALL, CALL. NO. WHEN YOU GET IN A ROOM AND YOU SPREAD IT OUT AND WE GO TO THE FAIR BOARD, I'VE BEEN TO THE FAIR, WE'VE HAD GRANDPARENTS DAY DOT WOULD COME AND JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I CAN'T NAME 'EM ALL, BUT I CAN TELL YOU NOW THAT THE HORSE AND RECREATIONS, 'CAUSE I GO AT, UH, I'M AN OF MINE, WHICH IS ELOISE LUNDY. AND I KNOW IN OUR DISTRICT WHERE, UM, [00:40:01] UH, COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN KING ARNOLD IS MY COUNCIL PERSON, HAVE INFORMATION WHERE WE DO CALENDARS, LET THE PEOPLE KNOW. AND I GUARANTEE YOU WHEN ONE PERSON TELL 'EM WHAT'S GOING ON, THEN WE PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT. SO MY IDEA WOULD BE ACTION RATHER THAN JUST IN A ROOM PLANNING ALL THIS PLANNING, WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE RESULTS. SO IF YOU GET TOGETHER IN YOUR OWN, UM, RECREATION CENTERS AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF THEM THAT HAVE PROGRAMS AND I'M A WITNESS 'CAUSE I ATTEND AND I HAVE TOLD A LOT OF PEOPLE A LOT OF THINGS. SO MY THING WOULD BE NOT TO JUST GET TOGETHER, SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON SALARIES. OH, TELL ME HOW MANY WE ALREADY KNOW YOU GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT WHAT YOU GOING TO DO TO HELP THEM? LET 'EM COME, GATHER UP SOMEWHERE AND IT'S PROBABLY BEEN SAID AND THEN BRANCH OUT. SO I JUST WANNA SPEAK UP FOR THE SENIOR AFFAIRS AS A WHOLE. THEY DO DO THAT. NOW, WHETHER THE PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE, THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE, BUT WE HAVE PROGRAMS AND THEY ARE WELCOME TO COME. AND I JUST LIKE THAT ABOUT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT DISTRICT THREE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, WE COLLECT A LOT OF DATA, UH, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS. MY CONCERN IS THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS CORRECTLY INTERPRET THAT DATA AND THEN ACT ON, UH, THE FINAL INTERPRETATION BECAUSE SOME PERSONS THAT ARE A PART OF THE DATA ARE NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THE DATA. AND SO MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SENIORS OUT THERE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO COME TO A RECREATION CENTER OR PARTICIPATE IN PARIS OR WHATEVER. AND THOSE ARE THE PERSONS THAT I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT FINDING THEM AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SERVICES, UH, THAT THEY NEED. THANK YOU MR. THANK YOU MR. DAWN. UM, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE RECREATING A WHEEL. I LIKE TO KNOW IN THE SAME , AND I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE AUSTIN THAT HAS PROGRAM FOR SENIORS THAT STANDS ABOVE OURS BECAUSE I JUST KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE'RE, OUR BIGGEST THING IS COMMUNICATION. AND NO MATTER WHAT I GET PHONE CALLS, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF GIVING MY PHONE NUMBER OUT, BUT I DON'T MIND BECAUSE THAT'S WHY I GIVE IT OUT. AND THEY'LL ASK ME AND PEOPLE WILL ASK ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT S IN OUR DISTRICT, WE HAD ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSING, UM, REPAIR. AND IT WAS AN APPLICATION, A 12 PAGE APPLICATION. NOT ALL THESE SENIORS CAN DO THAT. THEY SAID, WELL, YOU CAN GO TO THE LIBRARY AND PEOPLE WILL HELP YOU. SO I WENT TO THE LIBRARY TO SEE HOW THEY HELP, WELL HERE'S THE FORM, YOU NEED ENGLISH OR SPANISH. AND, AND THAT WAS IT. IT WASN'T LIKE, LET ME HELP YOU. I MEAN, IT'S A COMPLICATED FORM, YOU KNOW, AND NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE A 12 PAGE OR 24 PAGE APPLICATION. SO, AND NOT EVERY SENIOR HAS A COMPUTER NOT. AND WE STARTED GETTING INFORMATION OUT BY ME GIVING IT TO OUR HOME ASSOCIATIONS IN THE AREA OF OAK CLIFF. SO IT'S, IT'S COMMUNICATION. LIKE EVERYONE HAS SAID THAT WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE, WE HAVE TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT SOMEHOW. AND I GET SO AND THUM , IT'S LIKE, OH MY GOSH. BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE I'M WILLING TO GIVE THE INFORMATION AND WE HAVE TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH OUR SENIORS OR THEIR CHILDREN TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S ASSISTANCE FOR THAT. THANK YOU. UM, AND THIS TIME WE'LL START BACK AT DISTRICT ONE FOR THE NEXT QUESTION. OKAY. UM, WHAT CHALLENGES ARE THERE IN ACCESSING SENIOR SERVICES? SO WE'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION IS BARRIER. UM, NOT EVERYONE HAS TECHNOLOGY ACCESS. UM, WHAT OTHER THINGS BESIDES THOSE WOULD YOU ALL WANT TO POINT OUT? UH, FOR INSTANCE, I THIS WEEKEND, THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT SENIOR SOURCE. SENIOR SOURCE IS A GIFT. THEY'RE THERE ALL THE TIME. THEY'RE NOT 24 7, WHICH IN A SENSE IS A SHAME THAT SOMEONE CAN'T HAVE PHONE SERVICES TWENTY FOUR SEVEN. BUT, UM, ONE OF OUR [00:45:01] NEIGHBORS, YOUR CHILD LIVES OUTTA STATE AND CALL THEM. AND THERE WAS NO ANSWER. AND I SAID, YOU CAN DO A WELL CHECK ON ON YOUR MOM OR DAD AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL COME TO THEIR HOUSE. SO WE NEED TO HAVE A LIST, I GUESS A LIST OF ALL THESE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE CAN COMMUNICATE. SENIOR SOURCE IS A GREAT ONE ALSO. UM, CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS A GOOD, THERE IS, UM, ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISA THAT DON'T ONLY COVER THE SENIORS. THEY COVER YOUNG ADULTS FOR HEARING AIDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED THAT. SO IF WE COULD COMBINE AND MIRROR SOMEONE THAT HAS SUCCEEDED SO FAR, GETTING INFORMATION OUT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT. SO GOING BACK TO THAT CONSOLIDATED COORDINATED PLAN AND INFORMATION WORKING. CORRECT. DISTRICT TWO, SORRY. DISTRICT THREE. THANK YOU. I, I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF LACK OF COMMUNICATION IN THAT EVEN AMONG OUR COUNCIL PERSON. 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME COUNCIL NURSES HAVE THE DOOR CARDS AND OTHER THINGS TO HAVE THOSE BOARD MEMBERS ON THEM THAT THEY GIVE OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. AND IF THIS, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR ONE, UH, DISTRICT, IT WOULD WORK FOR OTHERS AS WELL. AND THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, UM, WHAT WE CAN SUGGEST THAT MAKING AS A RECOMMENDATION OR HOW. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS OUT THERE. AND ANOTHER OF THAT CHALLENGE WOULD BE COMMUNICATION. AND I THINK ANOTHER CHALLENGE WOULD BE, UH, UH, GOING BACK TO I THINK WELL MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND THEN I GO BACK TO, UH, BOTH PERSON. WE HAVE TO FIND THEM AND I KNOW THAT, THAT WE KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. AND I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THAT AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. BUT I THINK THAT'S A CHALLENGE. GETTING TO THOSE THAT ARE NOT BEING SERVICED ARE INDIAN DISTRICT FIVE OR DISTRICT FOUR. SORRY. YOU DID RIGHT. I'M JUST GONNA JUST PIGGYBACK OFF THAT'S SHE GOT THE SAME, UH, YES. SO, UM, TRANSPORTATION I THINK IS A HUGE ISSUE OF SENIORS NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS ALL THE AVAILABLE SERVICES THAT ARE OUT THERE. I THINK WHERE SOMEBODY LIVES IS ALSO ONE OF THOSE INHIBITORS. IF YOU'RE IN AN AREA THAT DOESN'T HAVE EVEN HAVE A HOSPITAL IN IT OR 10 MILES, THAT'S KIND OF AN ISSUE OR DOCK IN THE BOXES OR EVEN JUST A, A HEALTH CLINIC. UM, UM, AND I THINK THAT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS THIS PROBABLY IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THE LOCAL COFFERS TO THAT'S ALLOCATED TO THE CARE OF SENIORS. THANK YOU. DISTRICT SIX IN MY, IN THE DISTRICT SIX COMMUNICATION. THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS COMMUNICATION. BUT I KNOW WHEN THEY GO TO SENIORS OVER THERE TO TALK TO THEM, THEY GONNA ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEM. I KNOW THEY DO MACKAY, HOLLY, MARY, AND ALL OF THEM, WHEN YOU BRING A SENIOR TO THEM, THEY GET RIGHT HOME, YOU KNOW? AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD THAT COMMUNICATION UP THERE AT THE CENTER, BUT NOW TOO. BUT, UH, WE GET A, WE DO A LITTLE CALENDAR EVERY YEAR AND WE TELL, WE DO A CALENDAR EVERY MONTH TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT'S ACTIVITIES GOING ON WITH SENIORS. THE OTHER SENIORS, THEY RIDE THE BUSES, THEY GET ON TO THE OTHER SENIORS. SO WE COMMUNICATE THROUGH OUR SCHEDULES. SO THEY PASS OUR SCHEDULES AND TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S IN, WHERE YOU CAN GET A HAIRCUT OR YOU CAN GET A SHOT AT WHO'S A, A LADY THAT NEEDED SOME FURNITURE. SHE HAD GOT HIT BY A CAR AND SHE NEEDED A MICROWAVE, SHE NEEDED A, I BOUGHT A HEATER AND A STOVE AND AL GAVE HER A MESSAGE AND THEY CALLED US THE OTHER DAY AND CAME PUT IN. SO I TOLD 'EM, I SAID, Y'ALL JUST HAVE TO WAIT. YOU KNOW, A SINGLE DEALER WANT YOU TO DO IT NOW, BUT THEY GOT TO HAVE CIA AND I HAD TO TALK HER THROUGH THAT. BUT SHE GOT A STOVE, A ICE BOX, AND A HOT WATER. YEAH, THEY NEED THAT. YEAH. I, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY SHE GONNA GET IT. [00:50:01] SEVEN. UM, THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE COUNTY, THE CITY, ALL OF THE CENTERS ARE NOT, DON'T GET THE INFORM. THEY MAY GET THE INFORMATION, BUT IT'S NOT EQUALLY USED. CORRECT. RIGHT. YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN I WENT OVER TO THE KING AND I WENT OVER THERE TO TALK TO THEM, IT'S, IT'S NOT EQUAL. I MEAN, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T EITHER KNOW OR THEY DON'T WANT THOSE THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW FOR SOMETHING'S LACKING BECAUSE, UM, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT, WELL, THE COMMISSION'S TALKING ABOUT, THEY DON'T HAVE IT. IT'S NOT THERE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IF DO THEY GO TO THE, DO THEY MEET AS CENTERS AND DO THEY HAVE A MEETING WHERE ALL THE CENTERS COME TOGETHER? WE USED TO AND THEN THE, THEY'RE TRAINED AND GIVING INFORMATION SO EVERYBODY WILL KNOW BECAUSE IF I'M OVER SEVEN, THEN YOU OVER FIVE, WE HAVE THE SAME RE YOU KNOW, ACCESS THE SAME RESOURCE. IS IT LIKE THAT OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW. COORDINATION, INSEMINATION OF EACH. COULD I JUST ASK THE OFFICER FOR WHAT I'M THINKING REAL QUICKLY? YEAH, I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH THE, YOUR COUNCIL APPROACH AS A WHOLE. BECAUSE I KNOW WITH MINE THEY'VE SEEN A LOT OF EMAILS AND, UM, AND, AND I, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THE SENIOR AFFAIRS, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PARTS RECREATION. IT'S A DIFFERENT UMBRELLA, BUT THEY HAVE SEEN THE ASF PROGRAM. SO IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME ALL OF THEM SHOULD HAVE IT. AND WE'VE ALREADY DREDGED EVERYBODY DON'T HAVE EMAILS, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT THOSE CENTERS, WHEN THEY PUT THOSE CALENDARS OUT AND TELL THOSE PEOPLE MM-HMM . AND THOSE PEOPLE TELL THOSE PEOPLE, AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME BY WORD OF MOUTH. THAT AIN'T YOUR BEST OBSTACLE. YOU KNOW, YOU TELL ME, I TELL YOU IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE. MAYBE SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. I KNOW BECAUSE THEY, THEY ACT LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW. AND WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM, I'M JUST LIKE, TO ME, I THOUGHT THE CITY, IF YOU WORK FOR THE CITY, I THINK THEY ALL THE RECREATION CENTERS, ALL THE, THEY WOULD MEET TOGETHER AND HEAR THE SAME INFORMATION. MAYBE NOT. AND MAYBE SOME OF 'EM JUST ATED. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I'M JUST WONDERING IS IT LIKE THAT AS A WHOLE WITH THE CITY BECAUSE EVERYBODY OR EVERYBODY DOES WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO. . SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR LINDSEY AND YOU KNOW, HER TEAM, UM, FOR THE ASAP PROGRAM. BUT WE ARE HAPPY TO GO BACK IN. YEAH, THAT'S GOOD TOO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE WE ON DISTRICT EIGHT NOW? MR. I THINK THAT, UH, TRANSPORTATION IS A CHALLENGE. UM, ACCESSIBILITY WHICH KIND OF FALLS IN LINE WITH TRANSPORTATION AND ALSO EDUCATION. AND THOSE THREE THINGS ARE TO ME, THE MOST CHALLENGING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS IN DALLAS BECAUSE IF THEY CAN GET TO THE ACTIVITY PROGRAM, ORGANIZATION, IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO IT WITHOUT HAVING TO, UH, DO A LOT OF ONLINE THINGS. BECAUSE THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT THAT DON'T HAVE INTERNET AND THINGS, HAVING TO GO ONLINE AND SIGN UP AT A WEBSITE. AND ALSO EDUCATION ABOUT WHERE, WHERE THESE PLACES ARE, WHAT THEY DO, HOW THEY DO IT, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, THAT KIND OF THING. SO I SAY TRANSPORTATION, ACCESSIBILITY AND EDUCATION. THANK YOU. DISTRICT NINE. UM, OUTSIDE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID, ONE OF THE MAIN COMPLAINTS I HEAR IS LACK OF RESPONSE. PEOPLE WILL CALL CERTAIN AGENCIES, EVEN INCLUDING THE SENIOR SOURCE AND LEAVE MESSAGES AND NEVER HEAR BACK. SO THEY JUST KIND OF THROW THEIR HANDS UP IN THE AIR AND, YOU KNOW, DON'T EVEN TRY AGAIN NOW AT OUR MONTH. OR WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH AND I DO, THEY PUT ME ON THE AGENDA TO GIVE UPDATES AS TO WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF SENIORS. SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF COMMUNICATION GOING BUT STILL NEED A LOT MORE 'CAUSE THEY DON'T REALIZE THERE'S WHAT ALL IS OUT THERE. THANK YOU MR. 10. UH, COMMUNICATIONS AWARENESS AND PRIORITIZE AND PRIORITIZATION. OKAY. OKAY. YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF BREAK IT DEPTH, IT ALL KIND OF SOMEWHAT COME TOGETHER, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE ON FIRST PRIORITIZATION, I THINK CITY AS A WHOLE, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE SENIOR AFFAIRS FALLS WHEN YOU LOOK AT PRIORITIZING THINGS AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES WITH THAT, THAT'S INCLUSIVE OF THE CITY COUNCIL PART. YEAH. AND, AND I'M [00:55:01] GONNA USE ANOTHER EXAMPLE 'CAUSE I'M A MEMBER OF AN ORGANIZATION, PROBABLY THERE MAY BE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN HERE THAT ARE PART, PART OF A DIVINE NINE ORGANIZATION. AND, AND, AND MY ORGANIZATION MET LAST SATURDAY AND, AND ONE OF, UH, THERE IS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S A MEMBER OF MY ORGANIZATION AND, AND I TALKED ABOUT SENIOR AFFAIRS, UH, AND THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE, WHAT ? IT WAS LIKE, WHAT? AND I'M LIKE, WE GOT A, WE HAVE A, UH, CITY COUNCIL PERSON THAT'S BEEN A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION FOR 40 YEARS. SO PRIORITIZATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND AWARENESS. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 11. UH, OUR CHALLENGE IS LACK OF INFORMATION AND WE ARE NOW HEARING IT IN SO MANY WAYS. UM, I'M GONNA APOLOGIZE NOW. I'M OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND I'M OUT OF TIME. SO, UM, UH, THERE'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. UH, AWARENESS IS, IS I THINK PART OF A LOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN SAID. AND THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS, UM, KIND ALONG THE LINES OF THESE HEADS UP. WHEN YOU TURN 55, WHEN YOU TURN 65, I'D BACK IT UP TO WHEN YOU TURN 45. BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE POINTS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE BECOME CAREGIVERS. AND ALL OF THIS AWARENESS, ALL OF THE COMMUNICATION IN MY OPINION SHOULDN'T JUST BE FOCUSED ON THE SENIORS, BUT ALSO ON THOSE WHO ARE GONNA BE PROVIDING THE CARE IN MANY CASES, WHICH ARE THE FAMILIES. SO THE HEADS UP AT 45 IS YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD AND YOUR AUNT OR YOUR UNCLE. THEY'RE GONNA START FOR YOUR HELP AND HERE ARE THE SOURCES OF, OF HELP THAT YOU CAN HELP THEM ACCESS. GOOD. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 13. UH, I THINK THAT THE, ONE OF THE BIG, BIG CHALLENGES IS THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES WITHIN THE CITY AND WITHIN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE TRYING TO SERVE SENIORS EACH, EACH DEPARTMENT AND EACH ENTITY IS TRYING TO DO THEIR OWN THING WITH COMMUNICATIONS AND NONE OF 'EM ARE ALL THAT EFFECTIVE. THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A, SOME WAY OF PULLING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH A CENTRALIZED COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE THAT EVERYBODY CAN USE THAT HAS ACCESS TO ALL THE INFORMATION. UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, ONE OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES I WOULD POINT OUT IS THE CITY WEBSITE IS PERHAPS THE MOST DIFFICULT WEBSITE I'VE EVER SEEN TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT. AND WHEN YOU FINALLY DO GET TO A LANDING PAGE, YOU, YOU WIND UP WITH OLD INFORMATION AND CURRENT INFORMATION ISN'T THERE. IT'S BETTER THAN A LOT OF WORK'S BEEN DONE OUT IN THE LAST YEAR AND I THINK, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE CREDIT GIVEN FOR TRYING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. IT'S BETTER THAN IT WAS, BUT IT STILL IS NOT WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 14, UM, TWO AREAS THAT I'VE THOUGHT OF AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING IS PEOPLE THAT HA NEED MOBILITY ASSISTANCE. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT DARK AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS NOW. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE WORKED IN THE FIELD, BUT THEY WOULDN'T, IT USED TO BE DART WOULDN'T COME TO YOUR DOOR. YOU, THEY, AND I THINK THEY DO NOW, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT JUST AREN'T COMFORTABLE GETTING OUT ON THEIR OWN BECAUSE OF THEIR MOBILITY CHALLENGES. I DON'T MEAN THEY'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR OR ANYTHING, THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANNA BE OUT THERE BY THEMSELVES. THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, AS UH, I WAS TALKING ABOUT CAREGIVING ON YOUR CHILDREN. WELL THERE ARE A LOT OF ELDERLY OR OLDER PEOPLE THAT ARE CAREGIVERS TO CHILDREN AND DISABLED, UH, THEIR OWN DISABLED CHILDREN. AND WE DO KNOW, I KNOW WOMEN RAISING HER GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, MY GOSH. YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE DRUG PROBLEMS. SO THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE. I THINK PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT HAVE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES AND REALLY CAN'T BE LEAVING, PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THESE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES. THANK YOU. MR. 14? I'M 14. YES. OH, SORRY. 15. 15. 15. UM, SINCE I'M GONNA BE FIRST ON THE NEXT ONE, I'M GONNA COMBINE THESE TWO. I'M TRYING TO CONSERVE Y'ALL'S TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. WHAT CHALLENGES ARE THERE IN ACCESSING SENIOR SERVICES? THE COMMUNICATIONS. YOU JUST NEED ONLY ONE NUMBER TO CALL SOMEBODY. JUST TO CAN DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION. IF I HAD AN LIMITED BUDGET TO COMMUNICATE WITH AGING ADULTS, WHAT'S ONE BIG CHANGE? [01:00:01] I WOULD LIKE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE 2 1 1 NUMBER. WHY THAT, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL TO ME. BECAUSE DOESN'T THE 3 1 1 RUN UP TO NINE O'CLOCK OR SO AND THEN IT SWITCHES TO NINE ONE ONE. YOU CAN CALL 3 1 1 IN THEORY 24 HOURS. AND IF YOU'RE AFTER THE TIME IT SWITCHES. BUT MY AGAIN WOULD BE THIS CENTRAL DOCUMENT CONCERTED EFFORT. WHY WOULDN'T HE GO TO GERONTOLOGIST? I DON'T KNOW IF ERIC PRONOUNCED THE WORD RIGHT, BUT I GO TO ONE AND I'M EMBARRASSED I HAVEN'T, I GO BACK THIS WEEK AND I WILL GIVE HIM A LIST AND A NUMBER. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE GET QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME. WE'D LOVE, THAT'D BE GREAT. BECAUSE MY NURSES WERE ALWAYS SAYING, OH, WELL WE KNOW WHERE YOU CAN HELP GET A FREE WHEELCHAIR. YOU CAN DO THIS. BUT THEY REALLY DON'T. THEY HAVE TO GO LOOK LITTLE. YOU KNOW WHAT A ROLODEX IS? BEN ROLODEX DON'T. THE OTHER ONE, WE'D BE THE CHURCH COMMUNITY. I KNOW TWO CHURCHES ALONG FERGUSON ROAD 'CAUSE ONE OF 'EM WAS MINE, UH, THAT HAVE THE PASTOR FUND. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY APPROACH. BUT MAYBE THEY'RE ALL LIMITED OF TIGHT BUDGETS. THEY COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE YOU COULD FIND THAT ELSEWHERE. MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE DOOR HANGERS AT LEAST. AT LEAST I HAVE AN UNLIMITED BUDGET . SO DAVID, AND I'LL SIT UP AT HIGH LEVEL AND WATCH EVERYBODY DO THIS. THAT'S GOOD. , YOU PRETTY GOOD. 14. THAT'S GOOD FOR QUESTION FOUR. IF YOU HAD AN UNLIMITED BUDGET. OH, BE, I'M SORRY. I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH WHAT? WELL, UM, YES, THERE ARE CHALLENGES. YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AND YET, AND I'M SOME, SOME I'M FAMILIAR WITH 2 1 1 AND 2 1 1. THE LAST TIME I WAS USING IT, WE A LOT OF WORK. BUT THAT IS A STATEWIDE PROGRAM THAT'S LOCALLY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? I'M CORRECT. I THINK THROUGH EVERY AGENCY, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL. 'CAUSE IT'S NOT LIMITED TO SEE, UM, I DO THINK WE NEED TO SEE BETTER COORDINATION, BOTH AS HAS BEEN SAID WITH THE COUNTY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. UH, COMMUNITY COUNCIL AT ONE TIME DID PUBLISH THE LITTLE RED BOOK THAT HAD ALL THIS STUFF. I THINK WE NEED TO SEE IF THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT. THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT. I MEAN, EVERYTHING'S ONLINE THAT ISN'T WORKING. AND I'M, I DO NOT APOLOGIZE. I THINK I HAVE GOOD IT SKILLS FOR MY AGE, BUT GEE LOUISE, SOMETIMES IT'S TOO MUCH. UM, AND WE DO NEED THINGS LIKE, I WAS UP IN ONE OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES THE OTHER DAY AND THEY HAD THE LITTLE BOOKLET THAT OUR CALLING PUTS OUT. WE NEED MORE OF THAT KIND OF THING. AND IT DOES NEED TO BE COUNTYWIDE BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE SERVICES ARE, WE NEED TO COORDINATE MORE WITH THE SENIOR CENTERS. WHEN I WENT TO THE SENIOR CENTER IN MY NEIGHBOR IN MY, UH, DISTRICT, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S ONE, YOU KNOW, I WENT IN TO TALK AND, AND THE THE DIRECTOR YOU CALL IT, LEFT THE ROOM. SHE WASN'T EVEN INTERESTED IN WHAT I HAD TO SAY. AND, AND SO WE NEED TO DO MORE AT THE HEAD OF THAT DEPARTMENT TO EMPHASIZE AND WORK TOGETHER. WE'LL GET THEIR INPUT AND SHARE OURS AND, AND SHARE. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL FROM THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO CENTRALIZED REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION. 2 1 1 USING CHURCHES AS, UM, FOR OUTREACH. UM, POTENTIALLY SOME SORT OF PHYSICAL BOOK. UM, NOT EVERYTHING BEING ONLINE COORDINATION WITH SENIORS, BUT REC CENTERS AND PUT ON, THERE'S OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT YEAH, WE, YOU KNOW, COORDINATE AND HAS HAS BEEN SAID, COORDINATED COUNTY LEVEL. THERE REALLY IS A LOT OUT THERE. AND, UH, I MEAN, I WORKED AS A SOCIAL WORKER AT HOME HEALTH FOR YEARS AND WORKED WITH GERIATRICS FOR EVEN LONGER. THERE IS A LOT OUT THERE AND, AND I KNEW I KNEW IT, BUT I THINK NOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES DID I LEAVE A HOUSE AND PEOPLE SAID, OH MY GOSH, WE HAD NO IDEA. AND I, I WOULD SAY, WELL, THAT'S WHY I HAVE A JOB. WELL, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HELP FAMILIES AND THE INDIVIDUALS, PEOPLE THERE WHERE A LEAST TO GO. THANK YOU. UM, DISTRICT 13, IT IS, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD AN UNLIMITED BUDGET, I WOULD TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEVELOP A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK OF ALL THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TOWN AS WELL AS THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY AND CREATE A CONSOLIDATED, NOT WHO WOULD RUN IT. YOU HAVE MONEY, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO, IT DOESN'T MATTER. BUT IF, IF IT COULD BE CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE FRAMEWORK FOR THE [01:05:01] WHOLE COMMUNITY, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE. AND I, I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST THING. THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING IN COMMUNICATIONS IS I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN JUST ADVERTISE OR RUN TV SPOTS OR RADIO SPOTS OR NEWS. NOBODY READS THE NEWSPAPER ANYMORE. SO THE NEWS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT ADVERTISING DOESN'T WORK FOR THIS. UH, IN TRYING TO CREATE AWARENESS, I THINK CREATING NETWORKS FOR COMMUNICATION WITH TRUSTED SOURCES OF INFORMATION IN EACH COMMUNITY WITHIN THE CITY AND THE FAITH COMMUNITY IS PROBABLY THE MOST OBVIOUS THING. THAT IF EVERY COMMUNICATION FOR SENIORS WENT OUT TO EVERY FAITH COMMUNITY, UH, RESOURCE THAT THERE IS IN THAT IN THE VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS AND ASKED THEM TO RELAY IT TO THE SENIORS IN THEIR ORGANIZATION. THE, THE FOOD, THE FOOD BANK, UH, AND FOOD PANTRY THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO AND USING ARE NOT BEING UTILIZED FOR COMMUNICATING TO THESE PEOPLE, UH, WHILE THEY'RE THERE. AND I, I THINK A LOT OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE DONE THAT DON'T, SOME OF, WOULDN'T COST A LOT OF MONEY, BUT COORDINATING US WHERE THE EXPENSE WOULD BE. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 12. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN STATED. I THINK IT STARTS WITH THE CENTRAL REPOSITORY AT THE TOP AND ESSENTIALLY ALL THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS, HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO THAT CENTRAL REPOSITORY. SO THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATION, TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATIONS, THE TRAINING AND GETTING OUT THE COMMUNITY AND TRAINING FAITH-BASED GROUPS. THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN DIRECTING PEOPLE TO THE CENTRALIZED SOURCE IS ONE OF THE KEYS. THANK YOU. UM, DISTRICT 11, SHE'S GONE. UH, DISTRICT 10. YEAH. UH, UNLIMITED BUDGET. I WOULD HIRE A, UH, COORDINATOR FOR SENIOR SERVICES AT EVERY, UH, CITY COUNCIL. FOR EVERY CITY COUNCIL PERSON. THAT PERSON WOULD THEN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT . THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE THEIR PAID JOB TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TALK TO THE FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION. TALK TO THE DIVINE NINE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE, AND THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, PWI TYPE OF, OF SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. THE MASONS, THE PRINCE, ALL MASONS, THE SHRINERS. THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD DO THAT NOW IF, IF, IF WE HAD THE SKIM ON THE BUDGET, THEN THEY SHOULD THEN COMPENSATE US GOING OUT THERE. , THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING. UNLIMITED . THANK YOU. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE THAT'S RIGHT. COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. YEAH. A BOX. OUTTA THE BOX. THAT'S RIGHT. . ALRIGHT. DISTRICT NINE. UH, AGAIN, PRETTY MUCH WHAT EVERYBODY SAID. COMMUNICATION AND COMING UP WITH LIKE A, THE, YOU KNOW, A CENTRAL CLEARING HOUSE FOR IT. THANK YOU. DISTRICT EIGHT, DISTRICT EIGHT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM MOST OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS. AND I'VE MENTIONED THAT AT SEVERAL MEETINGS. WE HAVE A LOT OF RURAL AREA. WE ARE THE LARGEST, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT, I BELIEVE. AND SOME OF OUR AREAS ARE UNINCORPORATED. SOME OF OUR AREAS DO NOT HAVE, UH, RUNNING WATER. SOME OF OUR AREA HAS, UM, LIVESTOCK IN THEIR FRONT YARD AND NO PAVED STREETS. AND SO IF I HAD AN UNLIMITED BUDGET, I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THE SENIORS IN THOSE AREAS HAVE ACCESS TO HOTSPOTS SIMILAR TO THE PROGRAM THAT THEY LAUNCHED DURING THE COVID SEASON, WHERE HOTSPOTS WERE GIVEN TO CHILDREN SO THAT THEY COULD DO CLASSWORK AND WHATEVER. MM-HMM . ALSO TRAINING ON THE COMPUTER, HOW TO USE THE COMPUTER. THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED THE CARDBOARD PROJECT THAT WAS AT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS EVENT. GET THAT KIND OF ORGANIZATION INVOLVED WITH HELPING THESE PEOPLE TO BE COMPUTER LITERATE, BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT EVERYTHING YOU WANT ON THE INTERNET, BUT IF THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT OR KNOW HOW TO ACCESS IT, THEN IT'S JUST USED. SO EVERY DISTRICT HAS ITS OWN SPECIAL NEEDS. AND THOSE WOULD BE THE MAJOR NEED FOR MY DISTRICT. ALSO, RESPECTFULLY CORRECTING ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, A PHYSICIAN THAT, UH, DOES GERIATRIC CARE IS A GERIATRICIAN. I AM A GERONTOLOGIST BECAUSE I HAVE A DEGREE IN GER. SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. RESPECTFULLY RESPECT. THANK YOU. THIS STRETCH. UM, I WOULD HAVE, [01:10:01] UM, YOU KNOW HOW THEY HAVE INFORMATION IN THE WATER BILL? I'D HAVE INFORMATION PUT IN THE WATER BILLS. UM, EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE ME. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU 'CAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS TALKING WHILE YOU'RE TALKING. ALL THE MICS ARE OPEN. YES, THANK YOU. WE WOULD HAVE, UH, I WOULD HAVE, UH, INFORMATION PUT IN THE WATER BILL. YOU KNOW, THIS MONTH IT MAY BE RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND, AND BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THE ONLY COMMUNICATION THAT A SENIOR MAY HAVE IS THROUGH A WATER BILL OR THROUGH A BILL BECAUSE THE CHILDREN MAY NOT HAVE CHILDREN OR THEY MAY LIVE BY THEMSELVES. AND THEN I WOULD HIRE, I WOULD HAVE, UH, EVERY TIME, EVERY TELEVISION STATION WOULD HAVE A SENIOR PERSON THAT WOULD COME ON AT, AFTER THE NEWS AND SAY, THIS IS YOUR SENIOR MOMENT. AND THEN THEY WOULD, I'D BE EARLY NEWS. EARLY NEWS. IT WOULD BE ON THE EARLY NEWS AND THEN RIGHT. EVERY, UM, THE POLICE FIRE WOULD HAVE, UH, THE BOOKLET, LIKE THE 9 1 1 BOOKLET OR HAVE A RESOURCE SHEET. BECAUSE WHEN THEY GO TO A HOUSE AND THEY HAVE TO, UH, SOMEONE'S SICK AND THEY SEE THAT THEY NEED WHATEVER FOOD, AND THEY JUST HAVE, THEY, AND I KNOW THEY START, THEY HAVE STARTED DOING THAT. YES. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO TOUCH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THOSE RESOURCES, AND SO THEY WILL FEEL EMPOWERED TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE ALSO. THANK YOU MR. SIX. YEAH. MY, UH, IN MY DISTRICT, WE TRY TO GET EVERYTHING OUT TO EVERYONE. SO WHEN WE DO THOSE S THOSE CALENDARS AND THEN LIKE, WE TOOK THOSE THINGS TO THE CHURCH FOR OUR, UH, ME, LISTEN TO ME SO I COULD DO THE SEARCH. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE I'M LIKE, I THINK THAT THERE WAS, THAT WE GET OUR COMMUNICATIONS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE BUS TAKE TO THE GROCERY STORE EVERY TUESDAY AND EVERY THURSDAY THEY GO TO THE GROCERY STUFF, BUS TAKE THEM TO THE DOCTOR EVERYWHERE THEY NEED TO GO. BUT THAT'S ON COUNTY, SO THEY NEED TO GO TO THE EYE DOCTOR AND DENTIST COUNTY, MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR BUS. SO, AND WE, WHILE WE SPREAD IT OUT, IT BE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING UP TO THE CENTER TO GET THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, I JUST HAVE TO SAY DISTRICT SIX, THEY STAY ON IT FOR ME. OKAY. THANK YOU. DISTRICT FIVE, I'LL PASS MR FOUR. PASS DISTRICT TWO. I, I'LL TAKE THIS ONE. OKAY. I HAD AN UNLIMITED BUDGET. I WOULD HIRE OUTREACH TEAMS BECAUSE ONE THING THAT I DON'T THINK PEOPLE, THE MAJORITY OF COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAJORITY OF CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, I THINK ONE THING THEY DON'T REALIZE IS THAT SENIORS MY AGE GREW UP IN THE SIXTIES AND THE SEVENTIES WHERE WE WERE FOR THE MOST PART CONSIDERED DEPRAVED AND, UH, CENTERS. SO WE DON'T ACCESS THESE SENIOR CENTERS. WE DON'T ACCESS THE RESOURCE CENTERS UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY LGBT. WE DON'T ACCESS THESE GROUPS AT THE LIBRARIES, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT OTHER PEOPLE GET. IN ADDITION, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AGAIN, WE DON'T DO THAT. THERE IS ONE CHURCH IN THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT, UM, CATERS TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY, AND MOST OF US DON'T EVEN GO TO THAT. I KNOW, I DON'T. AND WE DON'T HAVE CHILDREN. AND SO MANY OF US WERE, UM, PUSHED OUT OF OUR FAMILIES. SO WHAT WE HAD IS EACH OTHER, WHICH IS ONE REASON I KEEP PUSHING FOR A SENIOR CENTER SPECIFICALLY, NOT INCLUSIVELY, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR LGBT SENIORS, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL WE HAVE. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT. AND THAT IS ONE REASON I KEEP TRYING TO EDUCATE THIS COMMISSION ABOUT SENIORS MY AGE. SO THE REST OF IT YOU HAVE IN MY PAPER , BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I [01:15:01] REALLY WANTED TO ADDRESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I APOLOGIZE, I SKIPPED OVER DISTRICT THREE. THAT'S OKAY. I SORRY. BACK TO WHAT THEN? SO, UM, SOMEONE HAD SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE A COORDINATOR IN THE COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE. MY COUNCIL PERSON HAS A LIAISON, AND I NEEDED A LIST FOR HOUSING FOR ONE OF MY SENIORS. HE SENT IT TO ME IN A FLASH. IT LISTED THE LOCATION, AND IT WAS FOR HOUSING FOR SENIORS ALL OVER DALLAS, NOT JUST OUR DISTRICT. SO HE SENT THAT TO ME. I PRINTED IT OUT, I GAVE HIM, IT LISTED THE LOCATION, IT LISTED WHETHER THEY TOOK PETS, IT LISTED THE AMOUNT. UH, IT, IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIST, AND YOU CAN GET THAT WITH ANY OF OUR COUNCIL PEOPLE'S OFFICE IF YOU NEED HOUSING INFORMATION. HE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE BILINGUAL, WHICH IS A GODSEND BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY DO HAVE TRANSLATION OR, UM, ASIANS THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AS WELL. AND OTHER LANGUAGES HERE WITH CITY OF DALLAS. I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD ACCESS IT, BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HAD THE NEED TO DO THAT YET. IF I DID, I WOULD FIND OUT THROUGH THE COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE, HE IS VERY INVOLVED WITH SENIORS. HIS, THE PARK COMMISSIONER FROM OUR DISTRICT. I SENT HIM INFORMATION. SO WHEN HE'S OUT THERE SPEAKING TO FAMILIES AND ALL THIS, AND HE KNOWS THAT SOME FAMILIES HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS, HE GIVES THEM THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE GIVEN HIM TO PASS ALONG. SO THERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS, AS LONG AS YOU SPEAK TO PEOPLE. AND I HAD THE, UM, DISABILITY COMMISSIONER FOR OUR DISTRICT AT MY, MY LISTENING SESSION. SHE IS WONDERFUL. SHE GAVE US INFORMATION ABOUT THE LINE PROGRAM, WHICH GIVES, UM, A IF YOU NEED A SCOOTER FOR A DAY, IT'S FREE. THEY DELIVER IT TO YOUR HOUSE, THEY PICK IT UP FROM YOUR HOUSE. IT'S, UH, FOR A LIMITED TIME. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT FOR A MONTH, BUT YOU CAN HAVE IT WHEN YOU NEED TO RUN SOMETHING. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I SAW ONE OF THE SENIORS AT WYNWOOD ON THE SCOOTER GOING BY, AND I THOUGHT, OH MY GOSH. AND HE HAD ACCESSED IT. SO THERE IS INFORMATION OUT THERE. I THINK THE LISTENING SESSIONS WE DO ARE VERY IMPORTANT. I'D LIKE TO SEE US COORDINATE WITH DISABILITY COMMISSIONERS. UM, THEY HAVE LOTS OF INFORMATION THAT ARE GOOD FOR ALL OF US AND SOMETHING WE FIND OUT NEW EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL START BACK AT ONE WITH OUR NEXT QUESTION, UM, WHICH IS QUESTION FIVE. WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE TRIED IN THE PAST TO ENGAGE OR COMMUNICATE WITH SENIORS THAT DIDN'T WORK AS EXPECTED? AND WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT EXPERIENCE? UM, IS THAT REALLY OKAY? UM, SO IF YOU CAN COMBINE YOUR ANSWERS FOR FIVE AND SIX AND KEEP IT TO ONE MINUTE IF COMFORTABLE AND ADDRESS THE QUESTION, SORRY. AND ADDRESS THE QUESTION. YES. UM, SO QUESTION SIX, THE CITY OF DALLAS, 2019, AGE 20 ACTION PLAN HAS SEVEN DOMAINS OF LIVABILITY LISTED, I THINK ON EVERYONE'S PAPERS. UM, WHICH OF THESE DOMAINS DO YOU BELIEVE THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS MADE MOST PROGRESS IN, AND WHAT SPECIFIC FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THAT? UM, AND WHICH ONE SHOULD THEY PRIORITIZE FOR THIS NEXT PLAN? SO DISTRICT ONE, ONE MINUTE I'LL PASS. OKAY. THIS DISTRICT THREE WE'RE NUMBER ONE, NUMBER FIVE AT THIS POINT, BOARD. NUMBER FIVE. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT WE TRIED THAT WE'VE, UH, NOT BEEN ABLE SUCCESSFULLY DO, AS WELL AS HAVING THE OPUS GROUPS AFTER OUR, UH, COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. THOSE ARE STILL ONGOING. UH, NUMBER SIX, I THINK POSSIBLY THE CITY HAS MADE THE MOST PROGRESS, UH, IN SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION. AND THAT WOULD BE AS A RESULT OF THE MOST RECENT DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT WAS ADDED I THINK MAYBE TWO, THREE YEARS AGO. I THINK WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING, UH, IN ALL THE OTHER AREAS, MAYBE WITH SOME OUTDOOR SPACES AND [01:20:01] NOT BUILDINGS, BUT OUTDOOR SPACES. E NEW DISTRICT BOARD, YES, MR FIVE. UH, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA OF HOW WELL THE CITY HAS DONE IN ANY OF THOSE DOMAINS BECAUSE IT IS NOT COMMUNICATED TO THIS COMMISSION VERY EFFECTIVELY. AND THAT THAT'S NOT A SLAM ON YOU AT ALL. NOT MEANT TO BE. BUT, UM, IT'S BEEN A LOW PRIORITY FOR THIS COMMISSION. UM, GIVEN ALL THE OTHER CHALLENGES WE HAVE, AND I DON'T SEE IT TALKED ABOUT VERY MUCH EVEN ON THE WEBSITE, AND THERE ARE NO GOALS THAT ARE ACTIONABLE ON THAT ANYWHERE. ARE THERE ANY OR MEASURABLE, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY? YEAH. ARE THERE ANY DOMAINS THAT YOU THINK THIS WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE FOR THE NEXT PLAN? UH, JUST BASED ON WHAT, YOU KNOW? UH, I THINK THAT, UH, HOUSING FOR THE CITY IS A BIG, BIG ISSUE AND SOMEBODY, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING PRETTY QUICKLY ON THAT EITHER CHANGING LOT SIZES, REQUIREMENTS, THAT, THAT KIND OF THING. UM, AND I BELIEVE THE CITY REALLY HAS AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE MM-HMM . AND HASN'T DONE ENOUGH TO, UH, ENSURE THAT THE ROADS ARE WIDE ENOUGH, THE PAS ARE PULLED UP, THE RAILROAD TRACKS ARE GOOD, THAT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. THANK YOU. DISTRICT SIX. OKAY. DISTRICT SEVEN. OH, I WAS JUST, I WAS TRYING TO DECIDE ABOUT WHICH WOULD BE THE BEST ONE. I, I WOULD THINK ALSO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF LONELINESS WOULD BE IN THERE. UM, WHAT WOULD BE SOCIAL PARTICIPATION? YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ALONE. UH, DISTRICT EIGHT, UM, SOMETHING THAT I'VE TRIED WITH SENIORS THAT DIDN'T WORK AS I EXPECTED WAS DRAWING ATTENTION TO ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S, UM, SAND BRANCH. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I MENTIONED IN THE LAST QUESTION THAT IS UNINCORPORATED. THEY DON'T HAVE RUNNING WATER. UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF SENIORS THERE, AND THE PEOPLE ARE VERY LOW ECONOMICALLY. UM, I THOUGHT THAT BY MENTIONING THEM IN THE MEETINGS AND BRINGING ATTENTION TO THEIR PLIGHT, MIGHT GET THEM THE ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED. THEY HAVE MY COUNCILMAN'S ATTENTION AND HE'S WORKING AS HARD AS HE CAN, BUT THEY DO RE THE SENIORS THERE REALLY DO NEED, UH, MORE ACCESS AND MORE ATTENTION SO THAT THEY CAN GET SERVICES AND THINGS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, DART DOESN'T EVEN GO OUT THERE. DART DOESN'T GO TO, UM, I THINK IT'S JAFFE EITHER, WHICH IS ANOTHER PART OF OUR DISTRICT EIGHT COMMUNITY AND THE CITY OF DALLAS AGE FRIENDLY PLAN. I WAS AROUND WHEN IT WAS DESIGNED, AND IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE. OF COURSE, WHEN WE HIT THE HICCUP OF, UM, COVID, THINGS CAME TO A STANDSTILL WHEN WE CAME BACK FROM COVID. OUR COMMISSION DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO ACTIVELY INITIATE OR PARTICIPATING IN ANY OF THOSE THINGS. SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, INCLUSION AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. INCLUSION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE THINGS, UH, REALLY STRESSED AND WORKED ON. AND OF COURSE, TRANSPORTATION. THANK YOU. DISTRICT NINE. IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK FOR QUESTIONS FIVE AND SIX, YOU MIGHT BE MUTED. PARDON? I PASSED. OKAY. DISTRICT NINE. THANK YOU. DISTRICT 10. SO ACTUALLY THIS IS GOING TO BEGINNING MY SECOND YEAR IN THE COMMISSION. UH, SO THE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING THAT I, THAT I TRIED WAS THE LISTING SESSION. I THOUGHT THE LISTING SESSION WAS EFFECTIVE, BUT THE, THE END RESULT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. SO, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSE TO THAT. AS FAR AS DOMAINS ARE CONCERNED, I WOULD JUST HAVE TO ECHO WHAT MY, UH, UH, WHAT MY COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID IN THOSE SPACES. THANK YOU. UH, DISTRICT 11, NOT HERE. DISTRICT 12. SO QUESTION NUMBER FIVE. I GO BACK TO SOME OF MY, UH, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, WHICH TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY. I'M TRYING TO COMMUNICATE TO SENIORS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SPECIAL FAIRS OR SPECIAL SERVICES, RECOGNIZING THAT YOU CAN SEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF EMAILS AND HAVE STUFF POSTED ALL OVER YOUR WEBSITE [01:25:01] AND HAVE LOTS OF FLYERS. AND IT'S STILL AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE BECAUSE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY, THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION. AND SO I JUST WANNA, YOU GOTTA INFORCE TO, TO THE COMMISSION THAT THIS STUFF IS REALLY HARD TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY. TAKES A TON OF TIME, A TON OF PATIENCE, UM, AND JUST A LOT OF ITERATIVE WORK TO TRY TO GET THROUGH TO KIND OF CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER AND THE NOISE. AND SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND. AS FAR AS THE AGE FRIENDLY PLAN. UM, I'M NOT AWARE EITHER OF WHAT'S REALLY WORKED TO THIS POINT, BUT MY OPINION IS THAT MOVING FORWARD WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THOSE AREAS THAT ARE GOING TO PROVIDE MOST BENEFIT TO THOSE MOST IN NEED AND WHO HAVE THE LEAST, UM, ABILITY. AND SO THOSE THINGS WOULD BE TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. HEALTH SERVICES. THANK YOU. UH, DISTRIBUTOR TEAM. TEAM. I THINK, YEAH, GOING BACK TO WHAT WE HAD BEFORE, THE WHOLE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION COMPONENT OF THE PLAN IS I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, OF ALL THOSE. AND THE, THE PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2019 REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MEASURABLE GOALS OR, AND, AND NO PROCESS WHATSOEVER FOR ROUTINE REPORTING ON WHERE WE STAND AGAINST WHATEVER GOALS ARE IN THERE. AND I THINK IF, IF THERE'S, IF THERE IS A NEW ITERATION OF THAT PLAN, SEPARATE APART FROM WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON AS A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SENIOR SERVICES, I, I THINK THAT IT, IT NEEDS TO, THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROVISION FOR MONITORING, HAVING MEASURABLE GOALS, MONITORING THE PROGRESS. AND, AND IT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO DO BECAUSE THERE'S, I THINK THERE WERE 40 ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN PUTTING THAT, UH, ORIGINAL THING TOGETHER. AND THAT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO ACTUALLY ASSIGN WHO'S RESPONSIBLE. IF YOU GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE ELEMENTS WHERE THE CITY ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY, IT WAS PROBABLY ONLY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE OF 'EM THAT HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT, UH, CITY ROLE IN IT. AND SO I, I, I THINK JUST KEEPING THAT IN MIND, I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO START WORKING ON CO A COALITION OF ALL OF THESE PLAYERS THAN IT IS TO HAVE A NEW ITERATION. THANK YOU. AND IF, DID YOU CALL OUT ANY OF THE SEVEN DOMAINS FOR PRIORITIZATION? UH, I, I THINK THAT THE, AGAIN, COMMUNICATIONS WAS ONE OF THOSE DOMAINS, I THINK. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND DID WELL, AS FAR AS EXPERIENCES THAT WORK, OF COURSE NOT ALL MY WORK, MY LISTENING SESSION COULD HAVE HAD MORE PEOPLE, BUT I LEARNED A LOT AND IT WAS VERY WELL DONE. UM, IN TERMS OF THE, THE PLAN, THE AGE-FRIENDLY ACTION THING, I WANNA, I, I HAD UNDERMINED HOUSING AND I HEARD MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER SPEAK. ACTUALLY. I THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS MADE SOME PROGRESS IN HOME REPAIR. YEAH. WE HAVEN'T BUILT NEW HOUSING AND I DON'T, I HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH WHAT'S BEING BUILT FOR SENIORS OR AFFORDABILITY. I MEAN, I SEE THINGS ALL THE TIME, BUT I HAVEN'T KEPT A MEASURE. WE HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. I REMEMBER THE SECOND YEAR I WAS HERE, WE RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL, UH, A MILLION DOLLARS FOR HOME REPAIRS. MY COUNCILMAN, I SPEAK PROUDLY GOT US A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND HE LABELED IT JUST FOR SENIORS. AND, UH, THAT PROGRAM HAS GROWN. UH, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S OVER 4 MILLION, 5 MILLION, AND I'M ACTUALLY MEETING WITH MR BEFORE ERICKSON RIGHT AFTER THIS MEETING. SO, UM, I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENT. SOME, SOME, AND, AND PART OF THAT, I MEAN, I HAVE TO SAY A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THE DIRECTOR DOING THE WORK, NOT US. BUT, UM, IT STILL REMAINS A HUGE PRIORITY. AND, UM, PRESERVING OUR EXISTING HOUSING HAS BEEN MY FOCUS. I MEAN, JUST HOLD ON TO WHAT WE'VE GOT. UH, YOU CANNOT GET OUT THE HOUSING CRISIS WHILE YOU'RE TEARING DOWN WHAT WE'VE GOT. SO, UM, I, I THINK WE'VE DONE SOME, WE'VE MADE AN IMPRESSION THERE. WE'VE MADE SOME, AND I AM TRYING TO FOCUS ON THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND DISTRICT 15? YES. NUMBER FIVE, PASS NUMBER SIX. I WANT SPEAK FOUR POSITIVE ON THE, UH, ACTION PLANS AND THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. OUTDOOR SPACES. [01:30:01] WE'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS, UH, INFUSION OF BRAND NEW PARKS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN JUST A GODSEND TO ME AND TO OTHERS. I'M SURE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. AND THE REASON THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY REALLY NOT SO MUCH OUR COMMISSION, WHICH WE'LL HAVE AN INFLUENCE, BUT OUR PARK, UH, REC BOARD IS JUST DONE MARVELOUS THERE. THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION, AND THAT'S ANOTHER PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH WELL MEN, I BELIEVE. AND THAT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. I CAN SPEAK FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE LAST YEAR I'VE SEEN TWO PEOPLE THAT WOULD'VE NEVER THOUGHT WOULD DARKEN THE DOOR OF THE REC CENTER, BUT THEY'RE THERE DOING CHERRY YOGA OR WHATEVER. IT'S JUST TREMENDOUS HOPE IT CONTINUES. UH, AND OF COURSE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION, NEED FOCUS AND ATTENTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, APOLOGIZE FOR GOING A FEW MINUTES OVER, BUT WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR FEEDBACK AND INSIGHTS. UM, NEXT STEP FOR US WILL BE TO TAKE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION BACK AND SYNTHESIZE IT. UM, THIS ULTIMATELY WILL FEED INTO OUR SENIOR SERVICES OR OUR SENIOR, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UM, THAT YOU ALL MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING. AND SO, AND THIS WILL THEN GO INTO OUR FINAL STRATEGIC PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE CLOSING COMMENT. I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN PARKS AND REC AND THE LIBRARIES AND SENIOR SERVICES AND EVERYTHING WORK REALLY HARD TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE. AND THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKEN CARE OF THAT, THAT DO GET INTO THE SYSTEM ARE RECEIVING REALLY FIRST RATE QUALITY SERVICES AND EVERYTHING. THE CONCERN THAT I'VE GOT IS THAT IT'S A TINY FRACTION OF THE 200,000 SENIORS OVER THE AGE OF 60 THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND, AND THE FOCUS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE ON HOW DO WE SERVE MORE OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE SERVED DESPERATELY AND, AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY RATHER THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS WE'RE DOING ARE GOOD THINGS. I'M NOT, I I'M NOT CRITICAL OF THAT AT ALL, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT EVEN SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF THIS. AND IN THE HOUSE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, YES, WE'VE MADE IN CREDIBLE PROGRESS, BUT BASICALLY IF SOMEBODY SIGNS UP FOR IT, THEY'RE ON A WAITING LIST AND, AND THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH FUNDS TO DO EVERYTHING THAT'S THERE. SO I, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DO ABOUT HOUSING. IT'S SUCH A HUGE ISSUE. AND IT'S HUGE ISSUE NOT JUST FOR SENIORS, BUT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. AND VIRTUALLY EVERY SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT. AND, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, BUT IF WE CAN KEEP, KEEP DOING IT, BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE STRATEGICALLY TARGET THE PEOPLE MOST IN NEED AND, AND MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS IS I, I THINK, REALLY SIGNIFICANT. YEAH. AND I'LL SAY THAT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A PRIORITY FOR, FOR OUR TEAM AND, AND TAPPAS TEAM AND THEIR DIRECTION TO US. SO THAT'S DEFINITELY, UM, TOP LINE, EXCUSE ME, THIS IS DEBBIE AUSTIN, DISTRICT EIGHT. UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS BEEN, UM, PARTNERING WITH MANY DEVELOPERS THAT ARE SAYING THAT THEY ARE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT WHEN YOU TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE, THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE CHARGING FOR RENT IS NOT AFFORDABLE FOR SENIORS ON FIXED INCOMES. AND I HAVE A REALLY BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF HOUSES BEING BUILT AND SHELTERS, UM, UH, UM, HOUSES AND, AND APARTMENT HOMES AND WHATEVER THEY CALL THOSE THREE STORY THINGS, THEY'RE BEING BUILT, BUT NOBODY CAN AFFORD THEM. AND PEOPLE ARE BEING SENT POSTCARDS IN THE MAIL TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY TO THESE PEOPLE THINKING THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE MONEY TO LIVE IN WHATEVER'S BEING BUILT THERE. AND IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. IT'S TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE. SO THEREFORE, A LOT OF SENIORS BECOME HOMELESS, AND THAT REALLY MAKES ME UPSET. SO THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO TALK TO THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT WHEN THEY GET READY TO APPROVE THESE, UH, DEVELOPERS THAT COME IN AND ASK FOR PERMISSION AND GET THESE INCENTIVES TO BUILD THESE, THESE PROPERTIES. THAT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR ME. HOUSING IS A BIG ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WILL PASS IT OVER TO THE CHAIR. OKAY. UM, I, I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE ACTUALLY DID HAVE WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT THEY HAD PREPARED, UH, AS, AS, UH, PORSCHE DID. AND WOULD, WOULD YOU EITHER SCAN YOUR HANDWRITTEN NOTES TO THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION, OR IF YOU DID TYPE SOMETHING UP, UH, SEND THAT TO TABITHA AND SHE'LL PASS IT ON TO THE CONSULTANT SO THEY'LL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF ACTUALLY WHAT YOU WROTE DOWN, UH, IN DETAIL. AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT TO 'EM ASAP. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP. [01:35:01] I'D NOT TO MAKE A MOTION. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME WITH US. AND, UH, IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ISSUES OR QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO ADDRESS AS A BODY OR INDIVIDUALLY, UH, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO TALK ABOUT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.