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[ Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs on January 15, 2025.]
IT'S EIGHT TWENTY TWO, AND I CALL THE OR TO ORDER THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF A LATE START, BUT IT'S NO PROBLEM.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT THROUGH THIS AGENDA PRETTY QUICKLY.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 6TH MEETING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE? IS THERE A SECOND? I THINK OMAR WAS SAYING SECOND.
UM, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO WHAT WE HAVE, UM, FOR OUR BRIEFING ITEMS, WE JUST INDIVIDUALLY LISTED THEM.
THEY'RE THE ITEMS THAT WE STILL HAD FOR DISCUSSION, UM, FROM OUR LAST MEETING WHERE WE WERE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
AND SO I THINK JAKE IS READY TO GO, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE THEM ONE BY ONE.
BASICALLY, THESE ARE JUST MOVING THEM INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, AND THE IDEA OF IT IS, IS SIMPLY THIS, EVERY SINGLE ITEM ON OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT.
THERE'S NONE THAT ARE NOT A PRIORITY, AND WE HAVE SEPARATED THEM INTO DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS, WHICH HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT.
BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHICH CATEGORY IT'S IN, IT'S IMPORTANT OR ELSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE PUT IT ON THERE.
SO IF YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT AWAY.
JAKE ANDERSON, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, THE CHAIR'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE, THE, THE ENTIRE, UH, REASON TO HAVE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE APPENDIX TO OUR, OUR STATE, UM, PROGRAM IS, UH, JUST TO DIVIDE WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES, UM, AND, AND, AND BE VERY CLEAR ON THE ACTIONS THAT THAT STAFF WILL BE TAKING ON THEM.
THE REASON THAT YOU ADOPTED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEY REMAIN.
SO, UM, SO IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK, UH, THERE WAS A MEMO THAT, THAT WENT OUT THIS MORNING, UM, TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THERE YOU ALSO HAVE HARD COPIES IF YOU'RE IN THE ROOM WITH US.
UM, THERE'S JUST A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF EACH OF THE FOUR CATEGORIES.
THOSE CATEGORIES ARE PURSUE, SUPPORT, MONITOR, AND OPPOSE.
UM, THESE, THESE ARE THE, THE CATEGORIES, UM, UNDER WHICH EVERYTHING IN THE AGENDA FALL.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE APPENDIX, EVERY ITEM THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, UM, FALLS UNDER ONE OF THESE FOUR, UM, CATEGORIES.
UH, WE, WE HAVE ABOUT, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S EIGHT OR NINE, UH, ITEMS UNDER PURSUE.
UM, AND THIS IS THE LEGISLATION ON WHICH THE, THE CITY'S GOING GOING TO BE ACTIVELY DRAFTING LEGISLATION, SECURING AN AUTHOR AND PRIORITIZING AS THE TOP BILLS FOR PASSAGE.
SO THESE, THESE ARE, UH, THE, THE TOP OF THE TOP, BUT AGAIN, EVERYTHING ON THIS, ON THIS LIST ARE PRIORITIES.
SO AS YOU MOVE DOWN TO SUPPORT THIS IS, UM, UH, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT THE, THE CITY WILL BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON, ENDORSING, SUPPORTING, UM, WHEN MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS ON, UH, ONCE THEY'RE FILED AND WORK DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE THEIR SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE.
SO WHILE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR TEAM CLIFFORD AND, AND THE, UM, LOBBYISTS MAY NOT BE DRAFTING THE BILL LANGUAGE, THEY'RE WORKING ON AMENDMENTS.
THEY WERE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SITTING DOWN WITH THE LEGISLATORS WHO ARE WRITING THOSE.
THEY'RE, UM, GOING INTO MEETINGS WITH THE, THE LEGISLATORS THEMSELVES AND ADVOCATING ON, ON THESE BILLS.
AND THE, THE SAME IS, IS TRUE OF MONITORING THE SENSE THAT WE WILL BE ENGAGING ON THEM AS THEY START TO PROGRESS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE THEM FILED AND, UM, AS, AS THERE'S, UH, COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE HEARINGS SCHEDULED, UH, WE WILL BE TESTIFYING ON THEM.
WE'LL BE DROPPING CARDS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THESE ARE ALL, AGAIN, PRIORITIES.
THEY, IT'S JUST A, A MATTER OF THE STRATEGY OF HOW WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR THEM.
UM, AND THEN OPPOSE, UM, IS PRETTY CLEAR AND IT'S, UH, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PURSUE COIN WHERE WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TO, UM, TO, TO STOP THOSE BILLS OR, OR TO AMEND THOSE BILLS TO, TO MAKE THEM, UM, MORE, UH, IN LINE WITH WHAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE ON YOUR AGENDA THAT YOU HAVE THIS, THE SIX ITEMS THAT WERE PROPOSED, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, BY THE CHAIR, UM, THAT, THAT WERE SUGGESTED FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, ON, ON THE MEMO, YOU'LL SEE THEM IN BOLD, UH, NUMBER ONE THROUGH SIX.
AND THEN IN, UH, ITALICS YOU WILL SEE THE, THE SUGGESTION.
UM, SO, UH, CHAIR, I, IF YOU WANT ME TO, I'M READY TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU FOR EITHER FOR QUESTIONS OR TO MOVE AHEAD WITH THOSE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE DESCRIPTION YOU GAVE.
I JUST WANNA ADD AN ADDITIONAL ELEMENT.
SO NOT ONLY DID WE PUT THINGS IN PURSUE SUPPORT MONITOR, WHICH THE FULL COUNCIL AND OPPOSED, WHICH ONLY HAS LOCAL CONTROL, BY THE WAY, BUT THE COUNCIL APPROVED IT THAT WAY.
SO I, I WANNA SHARE THAT, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT WE WANT, IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE, THE LEGISLATIVE REALITIES.
AND SO IF IT'S NOT LIKELY TO GO ANYWHERE, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD LEADERSHIP SAY, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE TAKING THIS ITEM UP, WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THIS ITEM.
WE FEEL THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU'RE ADVOCATING FOR ABOUT THIS ITEM.
WE WERE HOPING TO MOVE THOSE TO A LOWER LEVEL OF MONITOR AS OPPOSED TO, UM, SUPPORT.
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LIKELY WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IS ACTUALLY A DEFENSE AS OPPOSED TO AN OFFENSE.AND DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING WITH THAT? UH, YES MA'AM.
I, I THINK, UM, YOU, YOU SUMMARIZED IT PRETTY WELL.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THAT TWO OF THESE ITEMS, UM, REALLY MAKE MORE SENSE ON THE FEDERAL SIDE TOO.
AND SO A PART OF IT IS SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANNA WATCH IF IT'S COMING THROUGH AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT RAIL SAFETY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS REALLY A FEDERAL ITEM.
UM, AND SO IT MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE SUPPORT SECTION, IT MIGHT JUST BE MONITOR IN CASE SOMETHING COMES THROUGH.
AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, UM, WE, WE KNOW THE, THE REAL, THE POLITICAL REALITIES OF AUSTIN AND WE UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT, WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS PASSED.
AND SO THEREFORE IT'S, IT MIGHT JUST BE PLAYING DEFENSE ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. HEY, THERE'S A BILL COMING, GOING THROUGH HERE THAT WOULD ATTACK, UM, THESE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE.
HOW DO WE, UM, HOW DO WE DEFEND AGAINST THOSE? OKAY.
SO WITH THAT, UM, THE FIRST ITEM IS CONSIDER AMENDING THE MOVEMENT OF THE ITEM, AMEND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES AND AUTHORIZE RANK CHOICE VOTING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS FROM PURSUIT TO SUPPORT WITH THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM APPENDIX.
AND I'M WONDERING IF ANYBODY HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT ITEM? ME? YES.
SORRY, I NEED TO DRINK MORE COFFEE.
AND SO ON THIS ITEM, IT SEEMS TO ME ITEM ONE HAS TWO PARTS TO IT.
AND, UM, JAKE, PERHAPS YOU CAN CLARIFY FOR ME HOW THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES RELATES TO ONE OF OUR CHARTER AMENDMENTS.
AND I, I'LL JUST LET YOU REFRESH OUR MEMORY ON THAT.
SO, UH, IF YOU REMEMBER DURING THE CHARTER REVIEW, UM, PROCESS, UH, THIS, THE BOTH OF THESE TOPICS CAME UP.
UM, AND, UH, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATE THAT'S REFERRED TO HERE, UM, IS REFERRING BACK TO A PROPOSITION THAT WAS PASSED BY VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.
UH, THAT PROPOSITION REMOVED, UH, THE LANGUAGE, UH, INDICATING A SPECIFIC ELECTION DATE, WHICH WE HAVE IN MAY, AS YOU KNOW, UM, CURRENTLY, UM, AND JUST ALLOWED FOR THE CITY TO CHANGE ITS ELECTION DATE BETWEEN THE TWO APPROVED ELECTION DATES BY THE STATE, UM, IF AND WHEN THE STATE ALLOWS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO DO SO.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE, THE, THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW A CITY TO CHANGE BETWEEN MAY AND NOVEMBER, WHICH ARE THE DATES, UM, APPROVED BY THE, THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS.
HOWEVER, IF THAT WERE TO CHANGE, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE THEN THE CITY COUNCIL BY ORDINANCE, UM, TO CHANGE, UM, OUR ELECTION DATES TO NOVEMBER SHOULD IT CHOOSE TO DO SO.
SO, UM, THIS WAS KIND OF THE SECOND STEP ON, IF, IF THE CITY WANTS TO CHANGE TO A NOVEMBER ELECTION DATE, UH, THE STATE WOULD NOW NEED TO ALLOW US TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THE FIRST STEP TAKEN BY THE VOTERS, WHICH OPENED THIS, THIS KIND OF CHANCE UP FOR US, UM, IN OUR CHARTER WHEN THE, NOW NOW WE GO TO LEGISLATURE.
IF THE LEGISLATURE APPROVES IT, THEN IT COULD BE DONE BY CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE.
AND I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT YOU MAKE A GREAT POINT THAT IT'S ACTUALLY TWO ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO ONE, WHICH WAS REALLY BASED ON A PRIOR CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD.
AND IT'S POSSIBLE IF IT'S THE WILL OF THIS GROUP TO SEPARATE THOSE TWO AND EVEN MOVE THEM TO DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE.
I DON'T THINK THE RESIDENTS, WHEN THEY VOTED YES, THAT THEY WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF POTENTIALLY MOVING IT TO A DIFFERENT MONTH, THOUGHT THAT WE WERE JUST GONNA MONITOR THAT.
OR WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM PURSUE TO, UM, TO SUPPORT.
I, I, I HEAR THAT AS THEM ASKING US TO PURSUE THIS.
IT'S ASKING US TO TAKE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TOWARDS MOVING THIS DIRECTION.
WHETHER I DON'T, I CAN'T SAY WHAT OUR CHANCES ARE FOR THAT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE RESIDENTS BASED ON THEIR VOTE TO DO MORE THAN JUST SUPPORT.
I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY ASKING US TO PURSUE.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND WE SPLIT THEM OUT AND WE MOVE THAT PORTION OF, UM, ITEM ONE, THE AMEND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES, OR ACTUALLY, I GUESS IT'S KEEPING THAT UNDER PURSUIT, EXCUSE ME.
AND PERHAPS JUST MOVING AUTHORIZED RANKED CHOICE VOTING TO SUPPORT.
I KNOW I DO HAVE COMMENTS TOO, WHENEVER I GET A CHANCE, THE CHAIR.
UM, AND, AND I'M GONNA TAKE THE COMMITTEE FIRST, BUT I DO APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCILOR WEST BEING HERE SINCE I KNOW THIS WAS, UM, INITIALLY BROUGHT TO US FROM THE, ON THE CHARTER ITEM FROM HIM AS WELL AS HE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED THIS TOPIC, HE'S VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS TOPIC.
UM, BUT CAN I JUST GET A GENERAL SENSE? ARE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SEPARATING THEM? BECAUSE LET'S EVEN SEPARATE THE DISCUSSION IF SO.
OMAR, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SEPARATING? YES, YES.
SO THEN LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT ELECTION DATE AND IF WE WANNA KEEP THAT IN PURSUIT OR IF YOU WANNA MOVE IT TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD IN SOMETHING ON THAT FOR JUST
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ELECTION DATE? UH, IT'S LIKE, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH.WELL, THE QUESTION IS, FOR ELECTION DATE, DO YOU WANT THAT TO BE PURSUE SUPPORT MONITOR? I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SAY SUPPORT, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO PUSH, UH, TOWARDS THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, AGENDA IN AUSTIN.
AND, AND I HAVE NOT HAD A FEEL, UM, UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE RECOMMENDATION DOWN THERE, UH, RIGHT NOW, I KNOW TO TRYING TO SAY WE'RE GONNA MOVE THE ELECTION DAY ACCORDING TO THE STATE LEGISLATOR OR KEEP IT HERE, A CULTURAL RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN TO KEEP IT AS THE CURRENT IS, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST COMPLETE SUPPORT OF THAT BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, I, UM, WE BE AT THE END OF THE BALLOT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? EVERYBODY SAID, BUT WE AT THE END OF THE BALLOT, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE RESIDENT, ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL.
AND SO MY, MY CONCERN IS, AND, AND MY RECOMMENDATION IS I PREFER TO KEEP IT AS IT IS.
I, I KNOW, UM, THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF CONTROVERSY DURING OUR HEALTH SCHOOL SYSTEM LEGISLATOR THERE.
UH, BUT THE POINT IS, WE GETTING INTO NOVEMBER AND, AND, AND, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME AND EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO TRY AND GET THE VOTERS OUT MORE VOTES TO GO VOTE.
BUT ALSO, YOU STILL GONNA BE AT THE END OF THE BALLOT WHEN YOU DO THAT.
SO, UM, I'M JUST GOING TO LISTEN AND, UM, AND, UM, AND, AND WAIT TILL WE, UM, UH, ACTUALLY MAKE A VOTE.
UM, I WAS GONNA, UM, SAY I, I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE IT AND PURSUE BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE TO PURSUE IT IF WE AS A CITY DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO GO AFTER, UM, MOVING THE DATE.
UM, AND I, I MEAN, WE WE'RE NOT AT THAT PART OF THE DISCUSSION, BUT WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT IT'S, UM, THE OFF YEAR IN NOVEMBER.
SO NOT ON THE GOVERNOR YEAR OR THE PRESIDENTIAL YEAR.
SO, UM, THE, THE CONCERN YOU HEARD FROM, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE ON THE PARTISAN BALLOT.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S A DISCUSSION I THINK THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE COUNCIL LATER ON IF, UM, WHEN, WHENEVER IT COMES.
BUT I DEFINITELY THINK WE NEED TO LEAVE IT IN PURSUIT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE THE ONES GOING IN AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, IT'S NOT THE WILL OF COUNCIL, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T BE PURSUING IT.
SO, UM, BUT WE HAVE TO, I THINK WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.
COUNCILMAN GRAYSON DID GRACIE DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? NO, I, I, UH, I AGREE WITH, WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN TERMS OF, UH, LEAVING IT AT PURSUIT AND THANK YOU.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER WEST, DID YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON PURSUE OR OTHER AREAS FOR ELECTION DATE? YES, THANK YOU CHAIR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT I'M HEARING EVERYONE SAY ABOUT SEPARATING THESE TWO ITEMS, THE RANK CHOICE, VOTING AND THE AMEND.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES, KEEPING AMEND, LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE MOVING, AMEND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DATES TO PURSUE.
UM, 65.6% OF OUR VOTERS TOLD US THAT DURING THE CHARTER ELECTION THAT THEY SUPPORTED, UM, AN OP OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MOVE OUR NOVEMBER ELECTION OR ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER.
UM, AS WE HAVE SEEN WITH THE CITY OF FORT STOCKTON, EL PASO, ISD, UM, THE STATE HAS ALLOWED CITIES TO, AND, AND ENTITIES TO, TO MOVE THEIR ELECTION DATES.
UM, BUT THEY'VE GOTTA TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO DO SO.
THEY CAN'T SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR 'EM.
SO IF WE WANNA GET THIS DONE, WE WANNA SUPPORT OUR VOTERS, UM, WE NEED TO ACTUALLY TAKE POSITIVE ACTION.
I'M HAPPY TO ACCEPT YES, I, I I JUST WANTED TO, TO ADD SOMETHING, GO BACK A LITTLE BIT TO SOMETHING MR. NVA SAID.
UM, AND I'M, I'M LOOKING TO THE ATTORNEYS JUST TO, TO CONFIRM, BUT, UM, THIS ITEM, YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO DECIDE WHAT E LIKE WHETHER IT'S ODD OR EVEN NUMBERED YEARS, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE IT WRITTEN THAT THE, THE COUNCIL WILL BE ABLE TO THEN ADOPT AN ORDINANCE DECIDING THAT.
SO THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE'RE JUST ASKING THEM TO OPEN UP THE, THE WINDOW FOR US TO MAKE THE DECISION.
YEAH, IT IS A GOOD IDEA THOUGH.
SO THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT IN.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO KEEP ELECTION DATES AND PURSUE SO MOVED MOVE THAT WE KEEP IT IN PURSUE.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA PUT YOU, ONE OF YOU IS HAVING MADE IT, ONE OF YOU IS HAVING SECONDED.
LET KATHY MAKE IT AND I'LL SECOND.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THAT? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
OKAY, SO THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
SO NOW LET'S MOVE TO THE RANK CHOICE VOTING.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS MADE BY OFFICIALS THAT THIS WILL BE A VERY, VERY STEEP UPHILL BATTLE.
AND SO HAVING SEPARATED THEM, YOU KNOW, THIS ITEM WAS
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TO MOVE IT TO SUPPORT, BUT ACTUALLY IT WAS PARTIALLY MOVED TO SUPPORT BECAUSE OF THAT KIND OF DEAD WEIGHT THERE.SO I WOULD MAYBE EVEN SUGGEST A DISCUSSION ABOUT IF WE WOULD WANNA MOVE RANK CHOICE VOTING TO MONITOR, SINCE IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY TOUGH ITEM CHAIR.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A PROBABLY EVEN BETTER IDEA IS, UM, IF WE CAN JUST ELIMINATE IT SINCE, UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING ANYBODY'S GONNA BE BRINGING UP AND THE, UM, UH, THE LAW DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND AT THIS POINT, SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WHAT'S THE POINT OF US EVEN HAVING IT ON THERE? SO, OKAY.
UM, I THINK IT SHOULD BE JUST REMOVED COMPLETELY.
I DON'T KNOW, COUNCILOR, NOR YOU AND I AGREE ON EVERYTHING THIS MORNING,
SO ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT IDEA? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN, OH, SO IS THERE A MOTION I, I MOVE THAT WE REMOVE RANK CHOICE VOTING OFF OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
SO THIS IS CONSIDER RECOMMENDING THE MOVEMENT OF THE ITEM ENHANCED SAFETY FOR RESIDENTS OF SENIOR FACILITIES FROM MONITOR TO SUPPORT WITHIN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, THERE, THERE WILL BE BILLS THAT ARE GONNA COME FORWARD ABOUT, UM, PROTECTING THE SENIORS AND YES.
QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SAFETY FOR RESIDENT OF SENIOR FACILITIES, UM, IN THE LEGISLATURE.
IS THAT UNDER AN I POLICY? I CODE? BECAUSE WE TALKING ABOUT RESIDENT, IS THAT A STATE FACILITY? SO THIS, UM, EMANATED FROM THE BILLY SCHMEAR MIRROR MURDERS WHERE HE, UM, ENTERED SENIOR FACILITIES.
UM, HE DID IT WITHOUT ANY KIND OF BACKGROUND CHECK.
THERE WAS NO, UM, UH, LIKE NAME TAG ISSUE.
UM, HE GAINED A LOT OF, UH, TRUST FROM RESIDENTS AND THERE'S A ADVOCACY GROUP THAT IS THE SURVIVORS.
IT'S THE SURVIVING CHILDREN OF THE MURDERED VICTIMS, UM, AND SENIOR SOURCE HAS JOINED THEM.
AND SO, UM, I'VE MET WITH THEM.
THIS IS HOW IT ENDED UP ON OUR PROGRAM.
THERE'S, UH, I THINK THERE'S A SERIES OF SEVEN TO NINE ITEMS THAT THEY'RE GOING FOR.
WE ADOPTED A COUPLE OF THEM, NOT ALL OF THEM.
WHICH ONE DO WE ADOPT? I MEAN, I'M, I'M THIS JUST, IT'S SO GENERAL.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND, UH, HIGH LEASE.
WELL, THE ITEM IS LISTED THAT WAY GENERALLY, BUT IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR THE MAINTENANCE WORKERS THAT COME INTO A SENIOR FACILITY, UM, AND IDENTIFICATION SO THAT THE RESIDENTS CAN KNOW THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN BACKGROUND CHECKED BEFORE THEY LET THEM IN THEIR HOME.
AND, AND THAT'S A STATE DEMONSTRATOR TO, TO, TO DO THAT? OR THAT'S A CITY, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THEY'RE LOOKING TO ENACT.
IT'S ON OUR PROGRAM TO ENACT STATEWIDE THAT'S CURRENTLY, SO IT, IT WOULD BE NOT THERE ADOPTING A STATE LAW.
I MEAN, WE, I'M TRYING TO GET TO, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET A STATE LAW BECAUSE WE, WE CANNOT DO THIS.
THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT RIGHT.
WE GOTTA GET THE STATE TO, TO DO IT, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO MONITOR.
WE WOULD NOT BE IN A MONITORING SITUATION.
THAT WOULD BE, UM, IT WOULD BE STATE LAW AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WOULD OVERSEE THAT AND, AND HELP HUMAN SERVICES.
THAT COUNTY? NO, THAT'S STATE.
THEY DO NOT REPORT THE COUNTY.
THE COUNTY ALSO HAS A HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION THOUGHT SO.
SO I KNOW THAT'S CONFUSING, BUT RIGHT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A JURISDICTION, THEY'RE LICENSED JURISDICTION OF THE STATES.
SO IT, THIS IS JUST MOVING IT UP FROM MONITOR TO SUPPORT.
I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO DO THAT.
SO YOU'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? CHAIRMAN GRACIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDERING MOVEMENT OF THE ITEM SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND UTILITY OPERATIONS AND GRID RELIABILITY FROM SUPPORT TO MONITOR WITH THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
SO THE, THERE'S A COUPLE ISSUES HERE THAT WHY I AM, WHY I SUGGESTED THIS.
FIRST, WE DON'T HAVE A CORRESPONDING DEPARTMENT.
LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT DEAL WITH THIS AT ALL.
UM, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE LAST ITEM, THE SENIOR FACILITIES, WE DO HAVE AN INTERSECTION WITH OUR OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE, BUT
[00:20:01]
WE DON'T HAVE AN INTERSECTION HERE.UM, WE CERTAINLY DO APPROVE THE RATES, RIGHT? AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRID RELIABILITY, I MEAN, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY ON COUNCIL THAT HAS A BACKGROUND IN THIS.
I'M NOT AWARE OF IT, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY WEIGH IN, LIKE OUR RESIDENTS COUNT ON HAVING, UH, CONTINUOUS RELIABLE UTILITIES.
BUT AS FAR AS BEING, UM, IN THE SUPPORT LEVEL, I THINK WE'RE MORE ON THE MONITOR LEVEL, WHICH AGAIN, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT IMPORTANT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA BE INVOLVED.
IF WE'RE ASKED TO TESTIFY, WE'RE THERE, UM, WE MAY OFFER TO TESTIFY ABOUT, I MEAN, I THINK WE COULD ALL TELL THE HARROWING STORIES OF THE BIG FREEZE THAT HAPPENED IN, WAS IT 21, FEBRUARY 21? UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THE EFFECT OF IT.
BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO SECURE THE GRID, I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE A BIG OPINION ON THAT OR KNOWLEDGE ON THAT.
SO JUST LOOKING TO MOVE IT TO AN APPROPRIATE CATEGORY, IF YOU AGREE.
TOM, WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT THE GRID AND UTILITY OPERATION, THE GRID RELIABILITY, I'M, I'M TRYING TO, UM, IN MY MIND THINK, UH, UH, EXAMPLE, GIMME AN EXAMPLE.
UM, SO THIS IS ENSURING THAT THE ELECTRIC GRID STAYS UP, THAT THE GAS, UH, NATURAL GAS IS AVAILABLE, THAT OUR WATER SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE.
I MEAN, IN THAT SENSE, UM, OF COURSE WE, WE DO HAVE SOME, I'LL SAY IN THE NEARLY SIX YEARS I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, WE'VE NEVER HAD A WATER OUTAGE.
UM, WELL, IS IS, IS THAT, I GUESS JAY, IS IS THAT SOMETHING THAT ALREADY WE GOING THROUGH AND ALSO JUST SAID, WE TRYING TO PUT A RELIABILITY TO MAKE SURE THE GRID IS STAY UP AND ALL OF THAT.
THAT'S SOMETHING ALREADY ON THE BOOKS AND THE LEGISLATOR, I KNOW
BUT IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT, THAT I KNOW IS, IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF, UM, WHAT LEGISLATORS ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, AND WE EXPECT THINGS LIKE WATER, WATER BILLS TO, TO COME FORWARD.
WELL, THE ONLY THING IS SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO, BUT I'M TRYING TO FIND HOW FAR DOWN THE ROAD IT IS.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WE'RE DOING ANYWAY.
SO I'LL DEFER TO CLIFF IT ON THAT.
AND THEN JUST TO REMIND YOU, MONITOR MEANS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT THE CITY SUPPORTS AND WILL ENGAGE WITH AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, INCLUDING PROVIDING TESTIMONY AS APPROPRIATE.
I THINK, UH, CLIFFORD, WERE YOU GONNA JUMP IN? YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA WEIGH IN TO ANSWER, UM, UH, THE QUESTION THAT WAS ON THE TABLE.
CLIFF SPARKS LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORS HERE AT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, THERE ARE BILLS, UH, THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT, UH, LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT HAVE BEEN FILED AS ONES THAT HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE PAST THAT HAVE AFFECTED US, UH, ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LEVELS AS FAR AS, UH, OUR WATER DEPARTMENT AND THE FUEL THAT THEY USE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE WATER SYSTEM GOING.
UH, SO TO THE POINT THAT THE CHAIR MADE, UH, SHE WAS EXACTLY RIGHT, UH, THIS COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT HOW THE WAY, UH, WE GENERATE POWER, UH, THROUGH, UH, UH, THROUGH ANOTHER SNOW MCD, SO TO SPEAK, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF OUTAGE THAT HAPPENS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ANYBODY CAN COME UP WITH.
BUT, UH, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO MONITOR.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
UH, THIS LAST POINT I'LL MAKE IS THAT IN THE PAST, THE LEGISLATURE HAS TRIED TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE BUY GENERATORS THAT RUN ON GAS OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUEL, UM, THAT WEREN'T EVEN ON THE MARKET, THAT WOULD'VE COST THEM BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN PASSED ONTO OUR RATE PAYERS.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE WITH THEM TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PUSH BACK AND, AND KIND OF COME TO A MORE SENSIBLE CONCLUSION TO THOSE THAT DIDN'T COST US AND OUR TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NEED TO BE, UM, MAYBE IN THE SUPPORT CATEGORY, BUT IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO WATCH, AND IT IS A VERY BIG DEAL, IN MY OPINION.
WOULD, WOULD YOU WANNA SAY, AND, AND PLEASE FEEL FREE, LIKE THERE'S, WE WE'RE TRULY LOOKING FOR YOUR ADVICE HERE.
WOULD YOU WANNA SAY WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT SHOULD GO IN THE SUPPORT OR THE MONITOR CATEGORY? YES.
IT, IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD STAY IN THE, OR IT SHOULD GO TO THE SUPPORT CATEGORY IF IT'S NOT ALREADY THERE.
WELL, IT'S CURRENTLY THERE AND THEN OKAY.
WELL THEN I, I, I RECOMMEND IT, IT STAYS THERE.
AND COUNCILOR NVA, YOU CHAIR, I, I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA THANK YOU, CLIFFORD.
I WAS GONNA SAY THE EXACT SAME THING.
[00:25:01]
UM, WHENEVER OUR MOTION'S READY, I, I'LL MOVE THAT.UM, I WOULD MOVE THEN THAT WE LEAVE SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND UTILITY OPERATIONS AND GRID RELIABILITY IN THE SUPPORT CATEGORY AS OPPOSED TO MOVING IT TO MONITOR.
SECOND, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? UM, CHAIR, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT WITH, UM, ERCOT AND ALL OF THAT, UM, THIS IS, THIS STILL GOES UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE, SO I KNOW THAT, UM, WE MAY NOT HAVE THE EXACT PERSON WHO WORKS ON IT, BUT WE DO WORK ON THESE TYPES OF ISSUES THROUGH, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
CONSIDER RECOMMEND RECOMMENDING THE MOVEMENT OF THE ITEM SUPPORT RAIL SAFETY LEGISLATION TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND PROTECTION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES FROM SUPPORT TO MONITOR WITHIN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, IT'S JUST QUITE THAT SIMPLE, MOVING FROM SUPPORT TO MONITOR.
UM, SHERIFF, IS IT OKAY IF WE HEAR FROM, UM, CLIFFORD ON THIS, HIS RECOMMENDATION? CLIFFORD, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? CAN YOU SEE ME? YES.
SO YEAH, I, I I VOTE THAT WE LEAVE IT, UH, WHERE IT IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE NEW, WITH WITH THE LEADERSHIP, UH, CHANGE THAT WE'VE HAD.
IT, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT GOES, BUT I VOTE THAT WE LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS.
SO YOU, I THANK YOU CHAIR CLIFFORD'S RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM? OKAY.
OH, UH, COUNCILOR NVA, DID YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION ON THAT? I, I, I MOVE THAT WE LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS IN THE SUPPORT CATEGORY.
AND WE HAVE A SECOND RAILROAD SAFETY.
ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
CONSIDER RECOMMENDING THE MOVEMENT OF THE ITEM, PROMOTE PROPER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN MEDICAID FROM SUPPORT TO MONITOR WITHIN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
DO WE WANNA HEAR FROM CLIFFORD
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? UH, I, I GUESS CLIFFORD, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT FROM MENTALLY TO PHYSICAL HEALTHCARE, UH, WHAT ROLE DO THE CITY OF DALLAS PLAY IN THERE? UM, NOT AS BIG AS A ROLE AS OUR COUNTY OR OUR STATE COUNTERPARTS PLAY.
UH, I KNOW WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, HEALTH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH, UH, LIKE OUR, LIKE OUR RIGHT CARE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN REAL BIG AT THE STATE, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME MEMBERS THAT WANT TO HELP US EXPAND IT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST EVEN MORE AROUND THE CITY, BUT TO THE COUNT OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE BECAUSE OF ALL THE GOOD RUN THAT WE'VE HAD OUT OF IT.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, UH, SUPPORT AS IT COMES OUT SO THAT WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, ET CETERA.
UM, THAT'S, SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DICHOTOMY.
IT'S, IT'S NOT AS MUCH OUR THING AS IT IS A HEALTHY HUMAN SERVICES THING, BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME COMPONENTS THAT WILL AFFECT US.
SO I STILL THINK WE NEED TO BE IN THE CONVERSATION, UH, WITH THAT, WITH MOST OF THE REVENUES OF SOURCE OF FUNDING, WE GO THROUGH THE COUNTY TRICKLE DOWN TO THE, THE CITY BECAUSE IT'S A, A HEALTH ISSUE, NOT A CITY WHEN WE DEAL WITH HELP.
AND THAT'LL BE A PART OF THE NEGOTIATION, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SEE IF WE CAN GET OUR PORTION SPLIT OFF TO US OR IF IT'LL HAVE TO BE ROUTED THROUGH THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT IT, IT THAT, THAT'LL JUST BE IN THE NEGOTIATION PACKAGE.
COUNCILOR STEWART? SO, UM, CAN WE MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT IT BECOMES A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND THEN POTENTIALLY GET THE FUNDS COMING OUR DIRECTION? CLIFFORD, WOULD THAT ARGUMENT FLY? MM-HMM
WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE THE ARGUMENT WHETHER OR NOT THEY CHOOSE TO USE IT TO PUSH IN OUR DIRECTION IS ALWAYS THE, THE QUESTION MARK.
BUT, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE ME IN THE LOBBY TEAM'S JOB NOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT FEELERS OUT TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'LL BITE ON.
SO THE REASON WHY I MOVED TO PUT THAT FROM SUPPORT TO MONITOR IS EXACTLY
[00:30:01]
THE REASON THAT, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED, WHICH IS THAT WE'VE DESIGNATED OUR HEALTH AUTHORITY TO THE COUNTY.WE DON'T ACTUALLY DO MENTAL HEALTH OR PHYSICAL HEALTH.
UM, WE CERTAINLY HAVE AN INTERSECTION AND IT ABSOLUTELY AFFECTS OUR RESIDENTS, WHICH IS WHY IT'S ON OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS BEING THE OUT FRONT LEADER, I THINK WE'RE REALLY IN A SUPPORT POSITION, NOT AS THE LEADER.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS PROPOSING MOVING IT TO MONITOR, WHICH AGAIN SAYS WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT, WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE, WE'RE GONNA TESTIFY, ALL THOSE THINGS IS APPROPRIATE.
BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO LEND TOWARDS THIS LIKE THE COUNTY DOES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND BE THE SUPPORT.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW MENTAL HEALTH IS AFFECTING PUBLIC SAFETY, HOW IT'S AFFECTING, YOU KNOW, QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, THE INSURANCE CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS AND CLINICS AVAILABLE.
LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA, THAT'S NOT OUR WHEELHOUSE.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS THE REASON FOR, UM, CONSIDERING MOVING IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS AND THAT'S WHY THEY ARE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UH, COUNCILOR NVA? YES, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I WAS GOING TO, UM, MAKE MY COMMENTS AND SAY, UM, I, WHAT, WHERE, WHAT I HEARD WAS, UM, FROM CLIFFORD AND WHY, WHY I, I WANNA SUPPORT LEAVING IT.
WHERE IT IS, IS THAT BY BEING IT UNDER SUPPORT, WE CAN BE IN THE CONVERSATION TO NEGOTIATE FOR RIGHT CARE.
AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT FALLS UNDER HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
AND IF WE CAN GET GRANTS OR A PIECE OF THAT PIE, UM, FOR US AND NOT DEPEND ON, OH, PLEASE, COUNTY GIVE US MONEY OR PLEASE, YOU KNOW, UM, WHATEVER STATE AGENCY, PLEASE GIVE US MONEY AND WE CAN BE PART OF THAT NEGOTIATION AND BE PART OF THAT EXPANSION.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO BE THERE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE LEGISLATORS WHO MAY BE FILING BILLS OR HAVE FILED, I, I, I CAN'T KEEP UP ENOUGH YET.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY OF 'EM ALREADY, UM, TO THAT, IF THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT MODELING AFTER US, UM, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE IN THE, IN THE CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK OUR RIGHT CARE TEAM IS THE PERFECT PEOPLE TO, UM, BE THE ONES TO GO AND DISCUSS ALL THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S THE PART THAT I THINK WHERE WE NEED TO BE THERE.
UM, AND I GET WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF RIGHT CARE AND IF WE CAN GET GRANTS OR ANY KIND OF FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO HELP US WITH THAT PROGRAM, I THINK THAT WE, WE SHOULD STAY IN SUPPORT.
SO, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, I REALLY JUST THINK WE'RE SPLITTING HAIRS.
WE ALL THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, WHETHER IT'S ON ONE CATEGORY OR THE OTHER.
HONESTLY, I THINK OUR ACTIVITIES WOULD BE THE SAME.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN WHATEVER MOTION COMES FORWARD.
I, I GUESS TALKING ABOUT, UM, CHAIRMAN DE DEVICE, UH, CLIFF WAS NUMBER ONE SINCE WE DO HAVE RIGHT CAR, WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE, RIGHT? CAR AT THE BEGINNING WAS A PILOT PROGRAM.
WE DO NEED MONEY, DO FALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO, SO THEREFORE IS ANY MONEY THAT CAN CAN COME DIRECT TO THE CITY THAT I THINK WE NEED TO TRY TO SUPPORT, MAKE SURE WE GET OUR FAIR SHARE, NOT GOING THROUGH A PASS THROUGH.
SO YEAH, AND I THINK NO MATTER WHAT CATEGORY THAT'S IN, ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES WILL HAPPEN AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, BUT HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
SO THE MOTION WAS, I'M SORRY, THE MOTION WAS TO MOVE IT TO SUPPORT SUPPORT UHHUH.
IT, IT'S NOT WRITTEN PROPERLY ON THE AGENDA.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS IN SUPPORT, BUT SUPPORT.
LET'S JUST KEEP THE SUPPORT, SUPPORT SUPPORT IT TO LEAVE IT IN SUPPORT BOARD.
ARE IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? HI.
WELL, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.
THE FINAL ITEM, SEE HOW FAST WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS IS CONSIDER RECOMMENDING THE MOVEMENT OF THE ITEM SEEK CLARITY REGARDING CAR ROOMS FROM MONITOR TO PURSUE WITHIN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA START OFF BY SAYING THAT WE, WE, WE NEED CLARITY AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GO OUT AND SEEK IT.
I DON'T THINK, UM, IT'S GONNA JUST ORGANICALLY HAPPEN.
I DO THINK THERE, UM, WELL I ALREADY KNOW THERE'S, UH, GONNA BE BILLS FOR ALL SORTS OF GAMBLING THINGS OPPOSING SUPPORTING, BUT WE
[00:35:01]
HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS DONE.YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES AROUND THE HORSESHOE.
WE'RE FUNDING BOTH SIDES OF A LAWSUIT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PENDING BUSINESSES AND JUST HAVING THAT CLARITY WILL LET US MOVE FORWARD.
SO IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT MOVING THAT FROM, UH, SUPPORT TO, UM, PURSUE CHAIR? UM, CAN I GET A CLARIFICATION? UH, WE JUST, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE PURSUING? ARE WE PURSUING THAT WE'RE IN FAVOR OF CARD ROOMS OR OPPOSED TO CARD ROOMS OR, BECAUSE I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT IT'S SAYING, SO YEAH, I KNOW WE NEED CLARITY.
YEAH, IT'S, BUT CLARITY IS, WE'RE ASKING FOR LAW.
THE CARD ROOM ISSUE WE HAD NOT TAKEN A POSITION ON.
IT WAS JUST SO THAT WE COULD GET CLARITY.
SO MOVE ALL THE WAY UP TO PURSUE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS TOLD ME THEY HAVE ASKED THE, UM, ATTORNEY GENERAL TO WRITE AN OPINION ON IT.
THEY HAVE REFERRED TO PREVIOUS OPINIONS THAT ALSO ARE NOT AS CLEAR AS NECESSARY.
UM, SO I THINK THE ISSUE IS JUST TO SEEK LEGAL CLARITY, NOT TO PUSH A POSITION.
UM, UH, IF I MAY, UM, CLIFFORD, UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THIS DO? AND I MEAN, 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE LEGISLATORS ARE MAKING, I, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A PLACE FOR THE LEGISLATORS TO DO THAT UNLESS THEY'RE SAYING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UH, UH, AM I CORRECT ON THAT OR AM I THAT YES, SIR.
SO THE WAY THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT LIKE THIS, 'CAUSE I'VE, I'VE DID SOME SOFT TOUCHES ON THIS, JUST KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF WHERE THEY'RE AT.
THEY, TO YOUR POINT, THEY WANT TO KNOW, DO Y'ALL WANT US TO SHUT 'EM DOWN? DO Y'ALL WANT, OR BE ABLE TO REGULATE 'EM MORE.
LIKE THEY WANT UNMISTAKABLE CLARITY ABOUT WHERE WE WANT TO GO AS A CITY AND WHAT, WHAT POSITION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THEM TAKE, UM MM-HMM
BECAUSE THEN THAT CHANGES THE WHOLE DYNAMIC OF, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST BASICALLY WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE ENFORCEMENT OR WE JUST NEED SOME CLEANUP LANGUAGE TO SAY THAT Y'ALL CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, SO WE, THEY JUST NEED, RIGHT.
THEY NEED SOMETHING MORE DEFINITIVE.
LEGISLATORS I'VE TALKED TO, JUST TO ADD THIS LAST POINT, UH, THEY'VE ALSO TALKED TO ME ABOUT SOME OF THE ACTIVITY, UH, THAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE POKER ROOMS MM-HMM
AND WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO THERE, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THIS, MOVING THIS FROM, UH, ITS CURRENT POSITION, OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM TO PURSUE.
UH, WE'LL JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRAW A PICTURE FOR THEM AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT THIS SITUATION TO LOOK LIKE MM-HMM
BECAUSE, UM, LIKE THE CHAIR SAID, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A POSITION AS A CITY, UM, YET.
UM, WE CAN, WE, WE DO HAVE A LAWSUIT GOING ON.
UM, SO, UM, I MEAN, I'M TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF PURSUING IT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW IT'S LEGAL AND THAT WE CAN, UM, MONITOR AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE REGULATION ON IT.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE CONFUSING PART.
YOU KNOW, GAMBLING'S ILLEGAL IN TEXAS AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME OPINIONS THAT SAY THAT'S GAMBLING AND SOME OPINIONS JUST SAY IT'S, UM, PRIVATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE, UM, UM, WHAT ARE THOSE CALLED? UM, THOSE, UM, THOSE CLUBS, THE COUNTRY CLUBS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE POKER ROOMS INSIDE OF THEM AND THAT COMES WITH THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
UM, BUT YOU CAN'T OPEN A POKER CLUB ON ITS OWN.
SO IT'S LIKE, THERE'S JUST THESE ODD, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY ODD.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPINION THAT WE NEED TO FIND OUT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO PURSUE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE TO OPINE ON THIS, UH, BURT VANDENBERG, UH, NOPE, I'M SORRY.
UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT WE WERE SEEKING WITH CLARITY, WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS SEEKING WITH CLARITY ON WHAT SOME OF THE WORDS IN THE STATUTE MEAN, ESPECIALLY AS THEY APPLY TO THE CURRENT, UH, USES THAT ARE OPERATING THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND, AND IN THIS AREA, UH, THAT WOULD BE ECONOMIC BENEFIT AND PRIVATE PLACE.
WE JUST WANT CLARITY ON WHAT THOSE WORDS MEAN.
THAT MIGHT GO A LONG WAY IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S OUT THERE.
SO I, I GUESS MY NEXT QUESTION THEN WOULD BE, CLIFFORD, IS THAT, HOW DOES THAT, WOULD THAT WORK IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA? YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD TOTALLY DEPEND ON WHAT THEY'D BE WILLING TO DO AS, AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
IF WE WANTED TO SAY, LIKE, LET, LET'S SAY THEY GIVE US
[00:40:01]
A RESPONSE BACK THAT WE DIDN'T LIKE.AND SO NOW WE WANT TO GO PUSH, UH, ACTUAL LEGISLATION THAT GOES BEYOND JUST CLARITY AND THAT GIVES US A UNMISTAKABLE, YOU KNOW, THE BLACK AND WHITE, RIGHT? SO THEY, SO TO ME AT THIS POINT, I WOULD SAY PUT IT IN A SUPPORT CATEGORY, UM, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WE, WE, 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PHYSICALLY PUT SOMETHING IN THEIR HAND TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
SO UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT, I WOULD SAY, LET'S PUT IT IN THE SUPPORT CATEGORY.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING AND FROM MY DAYS, UM, BEING DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATORS ARE LOOKING TO PASS A, YOU KNOW, A LAW.
THEY'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DEFINE SOMETHING AND WE'RE ASKING THEM TO CLARIFY.
AND THAT'S NOT REALLY THEIR ROLE UNLESS WE SAY WE WANT YOU TO DEFINE IT THIS WAY OR THAT WAY.
I I THINK IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING FOR EVERYBODY, ALL OF US FOR REAL.
UM, SO I, I WOULD, UM, TAKE, I WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION, SAY LET'S PUT IT IN SUPPORT, UM, THAT WAY WE CAN MASSAGE IT AND SEE WHAT THE APPETITE IS WITH OUR LEGISLATORS.
AND ONCE WE FIGURE OUT THE APPETITE, THAT MAY BE A BILL WE CAN HIT A RIDE ON.
OR THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER CHANCE TO ASK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THE MEMBERS WILL BE TALKING WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT THIS FIRST.
SO FIRST I WANNA CLARIFY SOMETHING.
UM, IT WAS LISTED ON THE AGENDA THAT IT WAS GOING FROM MONITOR TO PURSUE, BUT ACTUALLY IT'S IN SUPPORT NOW.
UM, SO THAT WAS LISTED INCORRECTLY.
UM, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY SOMETHING, CLIFFORD.
UM, THERE'S MULTIPLE BILLS THAT COME OUT THAT REALLY ARE JUST DEFINITIONS AND IN FACT, MOST BILLS START WITH DEFINITIONS AND CORRECT.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU FEEL IT WOULD BE, UM, DIFFICULT TO GET A BILL THAT'S JUST GIVING DEFINITION? NO, I'M NOT SAYING IT'D BE DIFFICULT.
I'M JUST SAYING, AND TWO, WE KNOW WHAT WE, SO EVEN, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE DEFINITIONS, YOU'RE CLEANING UP THE DEFINITIONS TO TAKE A SIDE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TOUGH TIME WITH THAT GIVEN OUR LAWSUIT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WHERE YOU WANTED TO SAY IN RELATION TO THAT? NO.
AND SO I SAW COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MAYOR PRO TEM.
SO IT, IT'S, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE IN A MORE AGGRESSIVE STANCE THAN SUPPORT BECAUSE WE HAVE LAWSUITS, BECAUSE WE HAVE CURRENT ISSUES WHERE THERE IS NOT CLARITY.
AND I THINK WE ARE PURSUING CLARITY.
SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF MOVING IT TO PURSUE.
I, I UNDERSTAND THINGS ARE GONNA FLUCTUATE AND THINGS, YOU KNOW, IN SIX WEEKS MAY LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT WE ARE PURSUING CLARITY AND THAT WOULD BE IN THE DEFINITION SECTION.
AND CLIFFORD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RELY ON YOU TO HELP US READ THE SITUATION, OBVIOUSLY.
AND IF WE, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN CHANGE THAT.
BUT I, I DON'T WANT US TO BE IN TOO MUCH OF, TAKE TOO MUCH OF A BACKSEAT ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS AN ISSUE FOR OUR CITY THAT WE'RE FACING AND IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AND WE DON'T HAVE CLARITY.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I'M ASSUMING WE HAVE LAWSUITS AND OTHER THINGS.
SO, UM, THAT I, SO I WILL JUST SAY I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE IT TO PURSUE BECAUSE IT IS, IT'S A CURRENT ISSUE FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT WE NEED HELP WITH.
IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE JUST, OR SOMETIMES TOUCHES US AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T.
IT SEEMS TO VERY CONSISTENTLY BE AN ISSUE, WHETHER IT'S NORTH DALLAS, SOUTH DALLAS, WHEREVER MAYOR PROTO.
I, I AGREE WITH YOUR CHAIR STEWARD, UH, BECAUSE OF THE LAWSUIT AND BECAUSE OF CLARITY.
I THINK WE NEED, UM, TO, TO, UM, PURSUE THIS, UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, BUR, UH, HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN IN THE LAWSUIT? IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN THEY FIRST CAME THROUGH.
HAS IT BEEN IT'S BEEN TWO, YEAH, IT BEEN, IT BEEN TWO YEARS.
AND BEFORE WE EVEN VOTE ON THERE, WE HAD, WE DID NOT HAVE CLARITY BEFORE WE EVEN, UH, UH, MADE THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO I, THAT'S WHY I SAID WE NEED TO PURSUE IT BECAUSE GAMBLING IS, IS ON THE RADAR DOWN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE IN THE, AT LEAST BE IN THE BALL GAME.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE, UM, UH, CHAIRMAN STEWART, WE MAKE A MOTION TO PURSUE IT, YOU KNOW.
I SEE, UH, CHAIRMAN GRACES IS ON THE YEAH.
UM, BECAUSE I'M, I'M PICKING UP KIND OF BOTH POSITIONS ON THIS OR REALLY ALL THREE AND, AND I GUESS, UH, ON ONE SIDE,
[00:45:01]
IF, IF I'M HEARING IT RIGHT, IF WE SAY LET'S PURSUE THIS, AND THEN HE COMES BACK AND SAYS, OKAY, Y'ALL, IT'S TIME TO TAKE A POSITION.ARE WE PREPARED AS A BODY TO TAKE THAT POSITION? IS THAT KIND OF WHAT I'M GETTING? UH, CLIFF, THE, IS THE, JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I GET, I CAN APPRECIATE GETTING THE CLARITY AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS FOR OUR, OUR CURRENT, UH, YOU KNOW, LAWSUITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I GUESS I'M, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET TO THE TIME TO MAKE A DECISION IF WE EVEN GET TO IT THIS SESSION? MAYBE THAT'S EVEN A QUESTION.
AND IF I CAN RESPOND, UH, TO CHAIRMAN GRACE, UH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT WE, WHAT WHAT I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WHAT WE WANT THIS TO LOOK LIKE, RIGHT? IF, IF WE KNOW DEFINITIVELY AS A COUNCIL, WE KNOW WHAT THIS LOOK LIKE, THIS DISCUSSION IS HELPING ME SHAPE, YOU KNOW, MY OPINION MORE OF WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.
SO, UM, I, I JUST REALLY NEED TO HEAR THAT FROM, I NEEDED TO HEAR THAT FROM THE BODY THAT THIS IS WHAT WE ULTIMATELY WANTED TO LOOK LIKE.
EVEN IF WE PUT IT IN THE PURSUIT CATEGORY, WHICH I'M COMPLETELY FINE WITH, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH BILL.
WE GET CLARITY FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, WE GET CLARITY FROM THE LEGISLATURE THAT SUFFICES FOR US, UH, WHETHER IT HELPS WITH THE LAWSUIT OR NOT, BUT IT, IT GIVES US CLARITY THEN IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT WE WANT.
NOW, IF WE JUST WANT IT DEFINITIVELY BE WRITTEN IN STONE, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO AS WELL.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, COUNCIL WOULD NEED TO DECIDE ON.
UM, AND THEN CLIFFORD, DO YOU WANNA JUST SHARE, UM, WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM LEADERSHIP ABOUT GAMBLING FOR THIS SESSION? UH, GAMBLING IN GENERAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS, SO JUST BROAD PICTURE, UH, GAMBLING IN GENERAL, IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS COME OUT AND ALREADY MADE A STATEMENT THAT, UH, THAT RIGHT NOW THE SENATE DOESN'T HAVE THE VOTES.
UH, THE HOUSE HAS BEEN WILLING TO TAKE THE VOTE AND PASSED, UH, BUT THEY'VE TABLED THE ISSUE, UM, A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT IT WAS DOA ONCE IT GOT TO THE SENATE.
UH, NOW GRANTED THINGS HAVE CHANGED, YOU KNOW, THAT THE BODY OF THE HOUSE HAS CHANGED.
SO, UH, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE AT.
BUT A LOT OF THE KEY LEADERSHIP PEOPLE THAT WERE WILLING TO PUSH GAMBLING IN THE HOUSE ARE STILL THERE, WHICH MEANS IT BODES WELL THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN, AT LEAST IN GAMBLING ON THE, ON THE HOUSE SIDE.
THE SENATE SIDE IS, IS STILL VERY MUCH IN THE AIR.
UM, NOW DOES THAT TRICKLE DOWN TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE POKER ROOM CARD ROOMS? UH, THAT'S ANYBODY'S GUESS, BUT OVERALL, UH, WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL SEE CASINO STYLE GAMBLING OR SPORTS BETTING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT I, I KNOW AT LEAST THE HOUSE ONCE THE SENATE IS, IS A WHOLE NOTHER STORY.
SO IT'S STILL A 50 50 COIN FLIP.
AND A BILL WOULD HAVE TO PASS BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE CORRECT.
AND ALSO GET PASSED THE GOVERNOR'S DESK, CORRECT? RIGHT.
DID YOU MAKE ONE ALREADY? I DON'T REMEMBER.
YOU MADE THE MOTION TO, TO PURSUE, KEEP IT ON, UH, TO MOVE IT TO PURSUE.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN EARLY.
IT'S NINE 10, THEY'RE PROBABLY WAITING FOR US DOWNSTAIRS, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT SO THAT WE CAN SAY DONE AND DONE.
AND LASTLY, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO SPEAKER BURROWS AND, UH, THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY MOVING FORWARD.
MEETINGS ADJOURNED AT NINE 11.