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[Park, Trails, and Environment Committee on February 3, 2025.]
[00:00:04]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 3RD, 2025 PARKS, TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 9 0 4.
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, AS ALWAYS, IS TO APPROVE MINUTES.
THESE ARE FROM JANUARY, JANUARY 6TH.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? THANK YOU.
DO I HAVE A SECOND FROM SOMEONE? VIRTUALLY
WE CAN START WITH OUR FIRST BRIEFING ITEM, I BELIEVE IT IS AN UPDATE ON ENHANCEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO WHITE ROCK LAKE.
AND WE HAVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RENEE JOHNSON HERE TO TAKE US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, TO SPEAK ABOUT WHITE ROCK AND OUR MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS.
I HAVE, UH, DAVID SMITH HERE, WHO IS THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.
HE IS ALL THINGS WHITE ROCK, UH, UH, REALLY LED ALL THOSE MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
AND OF COURSE I HAVE CHRIS TURNER, NOWHERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, IN REGARD TO CAPITAL, WHO IS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DESIGN.
SO, I'LL INTRODUCE THE PRESENTATION AND THEN DAVID WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE.
SO, WE WANNA GIVE YOU KIND OF A COMPLETE OVERVIEW TODAY.
UM, WE WANNA LET YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE TYPE OF AGREEMENTS WE HAVE THERE, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THE MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS, AND JUST ONGOING, UH, PROJECTS AND PROGRESS.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FIRST APPROACH, UH, OUR RENEWED PHILOSOPHY.
'CAUSE WE'VE REALLY CONCENTRATED ON CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO TODAY WE WANNA BRIEF YOU, UH, ON THE MAINTENANCE AND THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, UH, THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED AT WHITE ROCK.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHITE ROCK.
IT'S THE LARGEST URBAN LAKE, UH, DESIGNATED LEGACY, UH, PARK AND BIRD CONSERVATION AREA, BUT IT'S JUST A JEWEL OF OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS A GATEWAY TO THE DALLAS PARK SYSTEM THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF WITH THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
AND OF COURSE, IT SEES OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE PER YEAR.
SO WE JUST LOVE OUR WHITE ROCK.
THE COMMUNITY LOVES IT, AND THE CITY LOVES ITS, LOVES IT AS WELL AS THE REGION.
SO, OUR RENEWED PHILOSOPHY AS IT RELATES TO CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOU KNOW, UH, SERVICE NEEDS OVER THE NEEDS OF INTERNAL GROUP.
UH, WE DID A SHIFT IN MINDSET SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UH, WE SAW THAT WE HAD SEVERAL CHALLENGES, MANY CHALLENGES AT WHITE ROCK AS IT RELATED TO LIST LITTER, UH, TURF MAINTENANCE, UM, AMENITIES THAT NEEDED TO BE IMPROVED.
UH, OUR, YOU KNOW, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LOT OF ADVOCACY THERE, IT WASN'T AS WELL ORGANIZED AS WE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN.
AND SO WE'VE PUT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, UH, TO CREATE A RENEWED PHILOSOPHY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DAVID AND HE'S GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WHITE ROCK AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THROUGHOUT THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
ONE OF THE LARGER COMPONENTS IS IN REGARDS TO OUR SUCCESS, HAS BEEN THE BEAUTIFICATION AGREEMENTS.
UH, THOSE AGREEMENTS WOULD COME WITH A LOT OF BENEFITS, SOME OF THOSE BENEFITS BEING THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE, WHICH WILL ENHANCE OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS, THE TURF CONDITIONS, UH, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, WORKING WITH PARTNERS LIKE FOR THE LOVE OF THE LAKE TO INCREASE OUR LITTER PICKUP, FOR INSTANCE, AND ADDITIONALLY TRAIL MAINTENANCE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, WHICH BRINGS IN THE PRAIRIE MANAGEMENT WHERE WE WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND THEY ASSIST US IN THE EVASIVE SPECIES THAT WORK WITHIN THEIR, UH, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.
ALSO, WITHIN THOSE AGREEMENTS, IT ENHANCES OUR COMMUNICATION, NOT JUST INTERNALLY, BUT EXTERNALLY, WHETHER IT'S WITH THOSE PARTNERS OR THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
IN ADDITION, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE VOLUNTEERISM THAT COMES FROM, LIKE I STATED A MOMENT AGO, UH, THE LITTER PICKUP WAS FOR THE LOVE OF THE LAKE, UH, THE, UH, ATHLETIC FIELDS AT WINFREY POINT WITH DALLAS CLASSIC BASEBALL AND THE ADOPTED PRAIRIE GROUPS THAT WORK AROUND THE LAKE.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE COME, COME ABOUT.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN DOING THE INSTALLATION OF A 80 DA PACKAGE AROUND THE LAKE FOR THE LOVE OF THE LAKE.
ALSO, WE'VE WORKED WITH A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, SO INSTEAD OF DOING WOODEN BALLARDS, WE'RE LOOKING AT A MORE DECORATIVE MOSS BOULDER TO YOU.
JUST MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS TAKING PLACE DOWN IN THE OLD FISH HATCHERY, WHETHER IT'S WITH, UH, NEW TRAILS BEING BUILT IN THERE OR DOING SOME ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE.
UH, WITH THAT COMES THE ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS WHERE WE, THE RUBBER REALLY MEETS THE ROAD WHERE, UM, THOSE, THE
[00:05:01]
FOLKS WITHIN THAT GROUP CAN ACTUALLY DO EDUCATION COMPONENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY.SO WITH THE NORTH TEXAS MASTER NATURALISTS DOING EDUCATION THERE, WHITE ROCK LAKE TASK FORCE, WE MEET WITH THEM ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UM, WHICH REALLY IS COMPRISED OF A LOT OF THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS.
THEN ALSO, UH, ENGAGEMENT, LIKE THE WHITE ROCK LAKE CONSERVANCY WE DO RUNS WITH THEM.
SO THERE REALLY IS A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT TAKING PLACE WHERE THE COMMUNITY'S INVOLVED.
GOING INTO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS, THIS IS, UH, COMES FROM VERY MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES, BUT THE FIRST ONE BEING THE PLAIN AND DESIGN DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON SEVERAL PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS, BUT ONE OF THOSE BEING THE WHITE ROCK LAKE TRAIL, THE COMPLETION OF THE WIDENING OF IT, NEXT ONE BEING SUNSET IN WHICH WAS JUST COMPLETED, THAT WAS A CONVERSION OF PULLING THE AQUATICS DEPARTMENT OUT OF THE BUILDING.
SO NOW IT'S BEEN RENOVATED, SO WE CAN USE IT AS A REVENUE STREAM.
UH, THEN WE HAVE THE WHITE ROCK LAKE DOG PARK AS WELL WHERE, UH, PLANE AND DESIGN AND PMO JOINED FORCES TO DO A SUSTAINABILITY PIECE IN REGARDS TO THE, UM, THE PLANE SURFACE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST DO WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE WORK WITH THE TEXAS, UH, EXCUSE ME, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WORKING ALONG THE EROSION THERE ALONG GARLAND ROAD WHERE THE TRAIL COMES CLOSE.
UM, WE ALSO WORKED WITH DALLAS UNITED CREW AS FAR AS BUILDING THE PIERS, ROWING LANES AND SO FORTH.
THEN, UH, ALSO THE WHITE ROCK LAKE BOATHOUSE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE, UM, BIG STAKEHOLDERS.
WE HAVE WHITE ROCK LAKE FOUNDATION.
THEY RECENTLY JUST COMPLETED THE, UH, WAY FINDING SIGNS AROUND THE LAKE TO ASSIST WITH PEOPLE MOVING THROUGHOUT THE LAKE AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEY ARE.
WITH TWO, 2 MILLION PLUS VISITORS DAILY, AND ESPECIALLY COMING THROUGH THE TRAILS, IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR US TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
UM, ALSO WE, THROUGH THE WHITE ROCK LAKE CONSERVANCY, THEY HAVE DONE SEVERAL PROJECTS THERE AT THE STONE TABLES, WHETHER IT BE THE PAVILION LARINE IN A FUTURE PROJECT REGARDING THE PLAYGROUND.
GOING INTO WINFREY POINT, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG ONES THAT'S HAPPENING NOW, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COMPLETION OF IT AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
UM, SOME OF THE SCOPE INCLUDED, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE EXTERIOR PAINTING, ROOF, RE RE ROOF REPLACEMENT, INTERIOR PAINTING, LIGHT FIXTURES IN THE MAIN ROOM, KITCHEN FLOORING REPLACEMENT, UM, AND THEN, UH, UPGRADES TO THE RESTROOM FACILITIES.
UM, EXCUSE ME, IF YOU COULD GO BACK ONE PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, THEN WE HAVE THE WHITE ROCK LAKE FILTER BUILDING, WHICH THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024, BUT, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE NEW HVA SYSTEM DON'T WORK THE EXTERIOR BRICK, WE HAD SOME ISSUES AS FAR AS WEATHERIZATION, SO WE TOOK CARE OF SOME CAULKING ON THE WINDOWS, ROOF DRAIN REPAIRS, INTERIOR PAINTING, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A SEALER ON THAT MASONRY AND SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL AESTHETIC REPAIRS.
ALRIGHT, SO THESE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES ARE GONNA BE A REFLECTION OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
SO IT STARTED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STONE TABLES AREA, THIS IS THE PAVILION AND THE PICNIC AREA WHERE THE CONSERVANCY DID SOME WORK.
THE CENTER PICTURE IS GOING TO BE A REFLECTION OF THE, UM, CONVERSION THAT WE DID THERE AT THE WHITE ROCK LAKE DOG PARK.
THEN ON THE RIGHT IS GONNA BE STONE TABLES AS WELL, WHERE THE CONSERVANCY DID THE LARINE.
ALRIGHT, ON THE LEFT WE'RE LOOKING AT WEST LAU AT LAKEWOOD.
THIS IS GONNA BE A TREE PLANTING.
WE DO PROBABLY ONE TO TWO TREE PLANTINGS EVERY YEAR AT WHITE ROCK LAKE, JUST DEPENDENT UPON WHERE OUR CANOPY SELECTION IS, IS DESIGNATED.
BUT THE NEXT, THE, THE MIDDLE PHOTO IS GONNA BE A REFLECTION OF THE WAY FINDING SIGNS FROM WHITE ROCK LAKE FOUNDATION.
AND ON THE LEFT WE HAVE AN INSTALLATION OF A NEW A DA DRINKER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
THIS IS GONNA BE ANOTHER PICTURE OF WHITE ROCK LAKE DOG PARK, BUT IN THE SMALL DOG PARK.
SO WE, WE, UH, DID ENHANCEMENT TO BOTH PADDOCKS.
ALRIGHT, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THIS IS A, IT'S GONNA BE A RUSH CREEK, A TRIBUTARY, AND WE DID AN INSTALLATION OF SEVERAL LITTER BOOMS TO HELP MITIGATE THE LITTER THAT'S COMING IN.
BUT THIS IS JUST A REFLECTION OF ONE OF THOSE.
UH, THE CENTER PHOTO IS GONNA BE A REFLECTION OF ADDITIONAL TREE PLANTINGS.
THEN ON THE RIGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT CAME TO, UM, OUR ATTENTION SEVERAL YEARS BACK IS THE, THE NECESSITY TO REPLACE, UH, REBUILD SOME OF THE DOCKS THERE AROUND THE LAKE.
SO WE PUT THAT ON A THREE YEAR ROTATION, AND THIS IS A REFLECTION OF ONE OF THOSE.
ON THE LEFT, THIS IS A REFLECTION OF ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE PIERS.
THE CENTER IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT JUST FINISHED UP WITH A PLANNING AND DESIGN DE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE WENT FROM THE OLD GATE SYSTEM, I'M SURE SOME OF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND NOW WE HAVE A COLLAPSIBLE BALLARD THAT WILL FOLD DOWN AND,
[00:10:01]
UH, IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR OURSELVES, BUT ALSO, UM, THE POLICE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.SO THEY HAVE THEIR LOCKS ON THERE AS WELL.
THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE BATHHOUSE.
UM, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THAT PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW A DA DRINKER THAT CONNECTS TO THE ROAD, BUT ALSO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THERE IS A, UM, STRUCTURE AROUND THAT DUMPSTER.
MAKE IT A LITTLE COSMETICALLY MORE APPEALING.
WE HAVE A PICTURE OF SUNSET INN THERE ON THE LEFT.
SO THAT WILL BE OPEN AND, UH, FOR RESERVATIONS, I BELIEVE IT IS NOW.
THEN WE HAVE THE, IN THE CENTER, WE HAVE THE TENNIS COURT SLASH PICKLEBALL COURT THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BATHHOUSE THAT WAS RECENTLY RESURFACED.
AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THIS IS GONNA BE ALONG WINSTEAD ROAD, UM, IN BETWEEN WHITE ROCK ROAD AND SOAK, UM, THIS TRAIL THAT YOU SEE THERE.
AND THE, THE STREET ITSELF WAS, UM, RECENTLY RENOVATED.
WE WORKED WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND WE GOT THEM TO DO THE TRAIL FOR US FOR FREE.
AND, UM, AND THEY ALSO ADDED SEVERAL, UH, A DA ENTRANCE FROM COMING FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
RIGHT ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF WINFREY POINT.
UM, I THINK EV WE'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO THE SCOPE THERE, SO I'LL MOVE ON.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE IS GONNA BE ANOTHER PORTAL ENCLOSURE THERE AT THE DUC, WE WERE HAVING SEVERAL ISSUES OF THOSE PORTAGES TURNING OVER, UM, WHETHER IT BE FROM WIND OR, YOU KNOW, ACCIDENTAL BEHAVIOR.
UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT UP.
WE WERE GONNA BE GOING AROUND THE ENTIRETY OF THE LAKE, UM, TO, TO DO THIS AS WELL, JUST TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY, ANY OTHER CONCERNS COME UP ALONG THE WAY.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE, UH, THE NEW PORTION OF TRAIL THAT WAS JUST DONE TO THE, TO THE SOUTH OF SUNSET INN GOING TOWARDS, UH, WINFREY POINT.
ON THE LEFT HERE, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A PARKING LOT AT THE END OF, UH, WINSTEAD, RIGHT THERE NEXT TO SOAK.
THIS IS WHERE THAT TRAIL WAS, UH, DISCUSSED EARLIER, WAS COMING DOWN.
SO WE GOT, UH, WE GOT PUBLIC WORKS TO ACTUALLY BUILD US A PARKING LOT WHERE IT WAS JUST A GRAVEL FLEX, FLEX BASE PARKING LOT BEFORE ACROSS FROM THESE APARTMENTS.
THEY ACTUALLY WENT AHEAD AND, AND EXTENDED, EXTENDED A COURTESY AND GAVE US A, A PROPER PARKING LOT.
UH, ALSO WE HAVE THERE IN THE CENTER, THIS IS GONNA BE THE WINFREY BASEBALL FIELD FLEX BASE PARKING LOT, UM, WHICH HAD BEEN, UH, RENOVATED AND REDESIGNED SEVERAL YEARS BACK.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THIS IS AN INSTALLATION OF ONE OF THE BOULDERS, MANY BOULDERS THERE AROUND WHITE ROCK LAKE ON THE WEST SIDE.
ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THIS IS A REFLECTION OF THE WAY FINDING SIGNS THAT THE WHITE ROCK LAKE FOUNDATION INSTALLED WITH BELIEVE WE DID 11 AROUND THE LAKE.
UM, THERE IN THE CENTER WE HAVE A REFLECTION OF A NEW BOTTLE FILLER FOR, UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR AREA TO HELP CUT DOWN AND REDUCE ANY PLASTIC CONSUMABLES.
UM, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THIS IS A REFLECTION OF THE WINSTEAD PARKING LOT.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE, THE PORTALS NOW ARE SITTING ON A CONCRETE PAD AS OPPOSED TO JUST SITTING ON THE GROUND.
SO THIS IS STEP ONE OF, UH, TWO STEPS.
THE SECOND WOULD BE TO PUT THE ENCLOSURE AROUND THEM, AS YOU SAW AT THE OTHER LOCATIONS.
ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS A REFLECTION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING TAKEN THAT'S TAKING PLACE CURRENTLY WITH TEXDOT TO, UH, BUILD THE CONCRETE BARRIER ALONG, ALONG GARLAND ROAD.
UM, THEY WORK IS STILL TAKING PLACE, BUT THEY ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS IN THE CENTER.
WE HAVE A REFLECTION OF SOME OF THE MARQUES SIGNS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE AROUND THE LAKE SEVERAL YEARS BACK TO HELP DESIGNATE THOSE, DESIGNATE THOSE MAJOR LOCATIONS AROUND THE LAKE.
THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS ANOTHER REFLECTION OF A WAY FINDING SIGN JUST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BATHHOUSE.
SO, ONGOING PROJECTS, ONE OF THE THINGS WITH WHITE ROCK LAKE, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING OR TWO THING THAT'S HAPPENING.
THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY HAPPENING TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S HOW, HOW I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD OUR SUCCESS.
SO, SOME OF THOSE THINGS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE HAVE THE GARLAND ROAD BARRIER.
WE HAVE THE, THE DREDGING ONGOING PEER REPLACEMENTS, PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS IN THE BOND FOR ALONG WINSTEAD VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, INFORMAL SIGNAGE, RENOVATION, THE A DA PROJECTS THROUGH, THROUGH OUR PARTNERS.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A NEW AREA DEVELOPMENT, ATHLETIC ENHANCEMENTS, AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT, EXERCISE EQUIPMENT RENOVATIONS AND TRAIL REPLACEMENT.
IT'S NEVER ENDING 9 MILLION PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO I DO BELIEVE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND, UM,
[00:15:01]
CURRENTLY AND MOVING FORWARD, WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A GRASP OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE'RE PLANNING TOGETHER WITH OUR INTERNALLY AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS.ALRIGHT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YOU KNOW, WE DO, RIGHT?
AND, UM, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
Y'ALL HAVE DONE A FABULOUS JOB OF GETTING US ORGANIZED.
AND SO THANKS TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THANKS TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL OUR INDIVIDUALS WHO JUST DO THINGS ON THEIR OWN, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MARIA HAS, BEENY HAS BEEN VERY GOOD AT CREATING MORE OF A SYSTEM IN WHICH WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER VERSUS DOING FRAGMENTED THINGS.
SO I, 'CAUSE I REMEMBER, WAS IT, WHAT, THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS LIKE ALL OVER THE PLACE, THE TREE TRIMMING WAS ONE THING.
THE DOCKS WERE FALLING APART AND WE CREATED THE MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT WE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY FOCUSED.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE DOCKS ARE BEING REPAIRED.
IS THAT, I MEAN, I'M SEEING THAT THOSE ARE KIND OF ON A ROTATION NOW TO ACTUALLY BE ADDRESSED.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? YES, MA'AM.
WE'VE MADE IT THROUGH FOUR OR FIVE AT THIS POINT AND THERE'S EIGHT TOTAL.
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY GOING BACK TO THEM.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT THEY'RE, UH, BEING MAINTAINED.
BUT YOU SAID, IS THERE 2 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR THAT COME THROUGH OR DAILY? A YEAR.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU SAID DAILY.
THE COFFEE HAD TO EXCUSE ME IF I DID, BUT NO.
YEAH, BETWEEN THE PARK AND THE TRAILS THAT COME THROUGH, WE'RE LOOKING AT 2 MILLION PLUS.
'CAUSE I DO KNOW THAT IT'S A HUB FOR OUR TRAIL NETWORK, SO I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTA KEEP IT LOOKING NICE.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS JUST TO TALK ABOUT ON THE TRAIL EROSION PROJECT.
DO Y'ALL WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT? ARE Y'ALL READY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, WHERE WE ARE ON THAT? BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A HOT TOPIC AND, UM, I MEAN, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT.
WE HAVE, UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR MASTER PLAN IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO THERE'S A WAYS THAT WE, MAYBE WE CAN MOVE THAT SEGMENT UP EARLIER AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE TR WHAT'S HAPPENING ALONG THAT TRAIL EROSION, UM, AREA.
MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCILWOMAN BLACKMAN.
UM, BASICALLY WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH OPTIONS ON THAT, BUT WE HAVE A, UH, PRELIMINARY OPTION THAT HAS NOT BEEN PRESENTED TO THE PARK BOARD YET.
HOWEVER, UM, IT IS TO LOOK AT POTENTIALLY A FLOATING DOCK INTO THE LAKE TO TAKE THE TRAIL OFF OF THE, THE, UM, BANK AND PUT IT ACTUALLY INTO THE LAKE.
SO LIKE HOW IT IS ON THE NORTH SIDE, BUT IT KIND OF FLOATS OUT.
IT'S OVER, IT'S A BRIDGE, BUT THIS WOULD BE ACTUALLY ON THE WATER.
THIS WOULD BE ACTUALLY A BOARDWALK IN THE WATER.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE APPROVAL FOR IT YET, BUT THAT IS A SECONDARY CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE ARE STILL ALSO LOOKING AT THE SHEET PILING OPTION THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING ORIGINALLY.
UM, WE HAVE SOME FINAL COSTS ON THOSE AND, UM, HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THOSE WITH MANAGEMENT TO SEE WHICH DIRECTION WE WANNA GO.
AND I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA HEAR, HEAR ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE MASTER PLAN.
SO IT KIND OF WORKS, I MEAN, MAKE LEMONADE WHEN YOU GET LEMONS.
AND SO LET'S TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, GO LOOK FOR SOME GRANT MONEY BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF WALK ON THE WATER BECAUSE THE PERSPECTIVE FROM THE WATER IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE BANKS.
SO I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO CAN GET ON THE WATER NOT SWIMMING, BUT IN A, IN A, IN AN INSTRUMENT, RIGHT.
UM, ANOTHER THING ALONG THOSE BARRIERS THAT WE'RE PUTTING UP, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME PUBLIC ART? HAVE WE TALKED, I KNOW WE TALKED TO DEX TXDOT EARLIER AND MAYBE I NEED TO TALK TO, YOU KNOW, MARIA, BUT TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE A MURAL OR SOMETHING THAT'S WHITE ROCK LAKE CENTRIC THAT SHOWS MAYBE A SUNSET, BUT TO PAINT THE BARRIERS SO IT'S NOT JUST THE GRAY BARRIERS.
WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH TDOT AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S ALREADY BEEN STARTED OR NOT, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY START THAT DISCUSSION AND SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING.
I KNOW MARIA HAD TALKED TO SEASON.
BUT THAT WAS BEFORE, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS WAY WAY EARLIER.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME PUBLIC ART THERE SO WE CAN GET SOME ART AND CULTURE IN THAT AND TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT, UH, SOME OF THE FUN THINGS THAT WE DO POST PAST AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FROM THE YEARS PAST AND PRESENT AND EVEN FUTURE AT WRIGHT ROCK LAKE, UM, MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR AGREEMENTS WITH OUR PARTNERS ARE UP IN COMPLIANCE.
SO, UH, THE ATTORNEYS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS MAINTAINING THE PAPERWORK AND THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING IT.
UM, HOW ABOUT A DREDGE UPDATE? WHY DON'T WE, UM, I KNOW Y'ALL MENTIONED IT AND WE ARE WORKING, WE HAVE $20 MILLION IN THE BOND, BUT ARE Y'ALL READY TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE NOW ON THAT TOO? UM, SURE.
UM, WE JUST LAST WEEK, UM, RECEIVED THE PRE 30% PLANS.
SO WE ARE REVIEWING THOSE FROM THE CONSULTANT RIGHT NOW.
WE DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS WITH THEM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE $2 MILLION FROM THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO WORK ON, UM, PLANNING DOCUMENTS,
[00:20:01]
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS, AND A PROJECT REPORT.SO WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THEM REGULARLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND ARE LOOKING TO SCHEDULE A FIELD MEETING WITH THEM IN FEBRUARY TO ACTUALLY GO OUT TO THE LAKE AND LOOK AT IT AND DISCUSS WITH THEM THE PROJECT ITSELF AND, AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND I MEAN, EVEN THOUGH THIS PARK RESIDES IN D NINE, IT IS A COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PARK, SO, UM, ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND WE SAW THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN IT WAS JUST FLOODED WITH PEOPLE WANTING OUTDOOR SPACE.
AND SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING AWAY.
SO I WANNA THANK THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE THE WAY FINDING, BECAUSE IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT GO INTO VISITING A PARK, WHETHER IT'S SAFETY OR IT'S OUTDOOR OR JUST THE, YOU KNOW, TRASH BEING PICKED UP, RIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, TRASH IN THE WATER BEING PICKED UP, HEALTHY WATER, WATER ECOSYSTEMS. AND SO Y'ALL ARE VERY, VERY FOCUSED AND AWARE OF ALL THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE, UM, WE, PEOPLE, IT'S INTERESTING HOW PEOPLE FEEL THAT THAT'S THEIR PARK AND I LOVE THAT.
AND SO, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING THROUGH HOW MANY PARKS DO WE HAVE,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PROCESS AND WE GET TO IT AND WE WILL PUT IT IN THE SYSTEM AND WE WILL, WE WILL MAINTAIN IT AND WE WILL FIX IT.
SO I DO WANNA THANK YOU 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK WE PUBLICLY THANK YOU ENOUGH.
AND I KNOW, RENEE, YOU ARE, YOU, YOU TAKE IT PERSONALLY AND I LOVE THAT.
I MEAN, YOU ARE OUT THERE WITH THIS PLANTING AND DOING IT ALL, SO YOU, YOU LOVE THE PARK TOO.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU AND THANK ALL OF YOU IN THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT.
WE'VE, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO.
ARNOLD, DO YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? YES, I DO HAVE COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE HEARD THIS CONVERSATION AROUND WHITE ROCK LOCK LAKE AND THE DREDGING AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT HAVE ALSO RECEIVED, UH, COMMENTS AND SOME CONCERNS AND COMPLIMENTS AND WHATEVER, OF COURSE ALWAYS FOR PARK DEPARTMENT.
BUT WHERE I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU, UH, CHAIRWOMAN, UM, NOT CHAIRWOMAN, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU CHAIRWOMAN YOUR WORK, BUT TO, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, AND FOLLOW UP ON WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY HERE, THERE WERE SOME, UH, UM, ISSUES I GUESS OF CONCERNS, QUESTIONS AROUND THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON HERE AS IT RELATES TO THE IMPACT ON MAYBE HISTORICAL COMMUNITIES THAT WERE ONCE, UM, UH, IN CONTROL OF OR LIVED ON THE PROPERTIES LIVED ON BY AFRICAN AMERICANS.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS FIND OUT IS ANY OF THESE COMMUNITIES IN THESE UPGRADES THAT WE'RE GETTING HAVE IMPACTED IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.
AND SO I'M SPEAKING TO YOU, UH, CITY, UH, CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT, CITY MANAGER, IF WE WERE GO IN AND LOOK AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, AS YOU TALK ABOUT DOING UPGRADES AND OF COURSE THIS ART AND WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT IF INDEED WE ARE, UM, LOOKING OVER AND NOT INTEGRATING AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD BE THE HISTORY, UH, AS WE ESTABLISH TRAILS AND THESE SITES ON THE WATER, WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT WE NOT OVERLOOK THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.
SO THAT IS WHAT I WANNA MAKE SURE I PUT ON THE RECORD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE CONCERN.
AND SO I CONTINUE TO, UM, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AREA I SERVED, AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS FOR THE RECORD THOUGH, IT OFFENDS SOME PEOPLE, BUT I DO, I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN YEARS BACK TO BE IN THAT COMMUNITY AS I WAS A PART OF THE WOODROW WILSON COMMUNITY.
SO I KNOW MUCH, MANY TIMES, THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF THE CELEBRATIONS, WHAT HAVE YOU TOOK PLACE THERE.
SO I'M NOT NAIVE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BEING, UH, EQUITABLE AND COMMITTED, UH, TO THE WHOLE OF DALLAS AND MAKING DALLAS QUOTE GREAT AGAIN, THAT WE INCLUDE THE HISTORICAL MARKERS AND RECOGNITION OF THOSE WHO WERE HERE BEFORE WE TOOK THE LAND FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO CHAIRWOMAN, THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO WEIGH IN ON BECAUSE I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA DO WITH TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS, BUT AS THEY GET KIND OF TIGHT COMING IN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE BEGINNING TO REALIZE HOW MUCH WE DEPEND ON FEDERAL GOV, GOVERNMENT DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY IN THE FORM OF GRANTS, AND WE BEGIN TO MAKE DECISIONS, I WANT US TO MAKE DECISIONS NOT IN A RUSHED FASHION WHERE WE ARE MOVING SO FAST THAT WE DON'T PAY THE TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED TO BUILD THAT FOUNDATION.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I AM TODAY.
UH, AND I WILL BE ALSO ASKING YOU, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, IF YOU WOULD GO IN AND LOOK AT THESE DOLLARS, AND I KNOW YOU ALL DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT MONIES TAKEN AWAY FROM ANY DOLLARS THAT WERE, UM, UNLESS THEY ARE ESTABLISHED AND THEY'RE DOCUMENTED THAT NO DOLLARS ARE BEING TAKEN FROM THOSE TARGETED AREAS THAT WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE WHERE IF MONIES WERE INTENTIONALLY, UH, MOVED OR ATTEMPTED TO BE MOVED FROM TARGETED AREAS WHO REALLY NEED FUNDS.
SO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT WE, I GET THAT REPORT SO THAT THE APPROPRIATE TARGET DOLLARS
[00:25:01]
CAN GO TO THE APPROPRIATE ZIP CODES IN APPROPRIATE, UH, COMMUNITIES AND THE APPROPRIATE PROJECTS.AND IT'S NOT TAKEN AWAY FROM THOSE WHO NEED US THE MOST AS WE HAVE VOTED ON, UH, WITH THIS COUNCIL ABOUT MOVING FUNDS TOWARD THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED US THE MOST.
BUT I CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR WORK.
I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFICIENCIES.
YOU ALWAYS GET BACK TO US AND I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT PARKS.
UH, YOU ALWAYS WORKING AND YOU ALWAYS RESPOND.
BUT IN LIGHT OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND MAKING DALLAS GREAT AGAIN, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UPFRONT ABOUT OUR CONCERNS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE NOT IGNORED IN THE PROCESS.
ARNOLD, DO I HAVE ANYBODY ONLINE? UH, THERE WE GO.
CHAIR, CHAIR MORENO, GO AHEAD.
UM, MS. ARNOLD, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING A, A BIG SUPPORTER OF OUR PARK SYSTEM.
UM, I DO WANNA ECHO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN BLACKMAN SAID ON THE, ON THE GARLAND ROAD, ON THE, THE WORK, THE EMBANKMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING CURRENTLY.
UH, I DO BELIEVE SOME SORT OF, UH, BEAUTIFICATION, WHETHER IT BE ARTWORK OR OR IVY, SOME SORT OF LANDSCAPING MATERIAL, UH, WILL REALLY MAKE THAT, UH, JUST MORE ATTRACTIVE, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, I DROVE BY IT THIS MORNING AND IT'S, IT'S NOT THE, UH, MOST AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, UH, THING TO, TO LOOK AT IT KE IT'S GONNA KEEP OUR RUNNERS AND CYCLISTS SAFE.
UH, LOVE THE IDEA OF POTENTIALLY DOING SOMETHING ON THE WATER.
UM, I AM CURIOUS THOUGH, AS RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONE LANE THAT ON GARLAND ROAD, I KNOW IT'S A TEXAS STATE HIGHWAY, UM, AND IT'S TAKING UP ONLY, SO THERE WAS ONE, TWO LANES IN TRAFFIC.
AND SO WAS THERE EVER A POSSIBILITY OF ONLY DOING A TWO, UH, TWO LANE PORTION ALONG THE LAKE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO EXTEND THE TRAIL EVEN FURTHER OUT WITH THE EROSION ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD? WERE THOSE DIS, WERE THOSE DISCUSSED WITH THAT TEXT OUT ON THE POSSIBILITY OF NARROWING THE LANES OF ROADS, UH, ON, UM, GARLAND, UM, YES, CHAIRMAN MORENO, UM, BASICALLY WE HAVE TALKED WITH, UH, TXDOT REGARDING THEIR PLANS FOR GARLAND ROAD.
THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING A STUDY RIGHT NOW OF GARLAND ROAD, PRETTY MUCH ALL THE WAY FROM I 30 GOING, UM, TOWARDS WHITE ROCK LAKE TO DO AN EVALUATION OF HOW MANY LANES THEY ACTUALLY NEED ON GARLAND ROAD.
SO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY REDUCE LANES, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET.
THEY ARE STILL IN THE MIDST OF DOING THAT STUDY.
AND THEN I ALSO, UH, NOTICED SOME, SOME NEW LIGHTS THERE, UM, THE MORE, UH, ATTRACTIVE LIGHT, UH, BLACK LIGHT FIXTURES, UM, ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF GARLAND.
SO GLAD TO SEE ALL THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION WITH WHITE ROCK IS, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS, UM, IF THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE ON HAND IS, UH, AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THAT, BUT WE HAD A NUMBER OF, UH, INQUIRIES THAT CAME IN ABOUT A LOT OF DEAD FISH, UH, ALONG THE, UH, ALONG THE LAKE.
DO Y'ALL HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT? UM, I DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE AT THIS TIME, BUT I CAN PROVIDE THAT.
I KNOW, UH, BRETT JOHNSON AND OUR URBAN BIOLOGIST, THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT, UM, IN COHESION WITH, UH, DWU, SO I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO YOU ALL.
SO, UM, AND AGAIN, I, FIRST I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR THESE, UM, ROBUST CONVERSATIONS.
UM, AS YOU SAID, WHITE ROCK LAKE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UM, NOT JUST TO, UM, NORTHEAST DALLAS, BUT TO THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE REGION.
UM, SO MY, UM, QUESTION IS GONNA BE ABOUT THE PROCUREMENTS ON ALL OF THESE AMAZING PROJECTS.
UM, DO Y'ALL HAPPEN TO HAVE A LIST OF, UM, HOW THE PROCUREMENTS WERE DONE, WHETHER THEY WERE DONE EMERGENCY AND OR, UM, THROUGH REGULAR PROCUREMENT? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ON YOU AT THIS TIME, CAN YOU GET THAT, UM, TO ME, UM, THAT LIST BY PROJECT, UM, IN THE NEXT, UM, BEFORE, BEFORE THE NEXT PARTS TRAILS AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING? YES, SIR.
AND COLLEAGUES, THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION IS BECAUSE IT'S, UM, COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT, UM, IN PARKS WE SEEM TO USE THE EMERGENCY, UM, PROCUREMENT, UH, AT A, AT AN, IN MY OPINION, AT AN ALARMINGLY HIGH RATE.
AND, UM, THAT IS A WAY FOR, UM, THINGS TO
[00:30:01]
BYPASS THE MWBE.AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR THIS BECAUSE I WANNA SEE IF IT'S WAS JUST ONE AREA THAT THIS HAPPENED IN THAT SEEMED A LITTLE, UM, ICKY OR IF IT'S THE ENTIRE, UM, PARK SYSTEM.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, SO, UM, I ALWAYS PREFACE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY BY GIVING A TINY LITTLE VIGNETTE OR STORY OR TELL YOU WHERE I WAS.
SO YES, UH, FRIDAY I WAS BABYSITTING OUR TWINS GRANDSONS, AND I WAS SITTING ON THE GROUND OF THE PLAYGROUND AT FLY POOL HILL.
AND, UM, THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT SITTING DOWN ON THE GROUND OF THE PLAYGROUND IS IN THE WINTERTIME YOU CAN SEE WHITE ROCK LAKE.
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND IT REMINDED ME THAT WE'RE HOW CONNECTED WE ARE.
THAT FLAGPOLE HILL IS REALLY PART OF WHITE ROCK LAKE.
IT'S JUST THE NORTHERN SECTION AND I KNOW IT'S IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT, AND I I I WILL JUST SAY I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION OR UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WE, UM, AND WE CAN, THIS CAN BE CONVERSATIONS FOR ANOTHER DAY, BUT IT FEELS LIKE WE TALK ABOUT WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK AS BEING SOUTH OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AND NOT, WE DON'T INCLUDE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE INCLUDE NORBU PARK, IS NORBU INCLUDED IN WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK.
AND THEN SO WE COME NORTH AND THERE'S OLIVE SHAPIRO PARK, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH A FLOOD PLAIN.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ALL, ALL OF SHAPIRO PARK AND THEN YOU COME A LITTLE BIT FURTHER NORTH AND YOU'RE IN FLAG HILL PARK OR, OR ANYTHING NORTH OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY.
IS THAT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT UPDATES AND ENHANCEMENTS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT, WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK IS FLAG BULL HILL CAN PART OF THAT.
THERE WAS ONE MAP I SAW ON MONDAY WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS, WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DRAWN IN.
AND, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ALL ONE PARK SYSTEM.
UM, I KNOW IT'S IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND, AND, BUT I, BUT WHITE ROCK CREEK TRAIL COMES RIGHT UP INTO, ALL RIGHT, NEAR ALL OF SHAPIRO.
I MEAN, IT GOES UNDERNEATH NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IS RIGHT IN THAT AREA.
SO I THINK WE'RE CONNECTED, BUT MAYBE CHAIR BLACKMAN AND I NEED TO LIKE, UM, HAVE A ARM WRESTLE OVER THIS AND FIGURE THIS.
I MEAN, ABOUT WHETHER IT'S INCLUDED.
WELL, I JUST, IF WE COULD JUST MAKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CHANGE WE NEED TO MAKE SO THAT WE SEE IT AS ONE PARK SYSTEM, THE WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK PARKS PLURAL, OR PARK SYSTEM, OR HOWEVER WE WANNA LOOK AT THAT, OR, OR PHRASE THAT.
I KNOW WORDS ARE IMPORTANT, I GUESS IS WHAT I, IN THIS, IN THIS CASE SPECIFICALLY.
UH, SO CHAIR STEWART, YOU, UM, YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AS WE MARKET WHITE ROCK, UH, LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CONNECTING AREA.
WE SEE IT AS PART OF THE SYSTEM.
UM, BUT I GUESS WE DON'T REALLY, UM, WE'RE NOT AS ASSERTIVE ABOUT THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND WE NEED TO BE, WELL, PERHAPS I SHOULD GO TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND MAKE SURE THEY WANNA BE CONNECTED.
UM, I, IT'S JUST A, IT'S A GRAY AREA AND I LIVED, YOU KNOW, HALF A BLOCK OFF A WHITE ROCK TRAIL WALKABLE TO VILLE HILL FOR 20 YEARS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I ALWAYS SAW IT AS PART OF THE SYSTEM WHEN, WHEN ROB AND I WOULD WALK, WE WOULD WALK SOUTH INTO, YOU KNOW, DOWN TO THE LAKE AND THEN WALK BACK.
AND SO TO ME IT'S, IT'S ALL ONE PARK.
UM, BUT I I, I SEE THE WAY YOU ALL ARE LOOKING BACK AT ME, LIKE, HUH, IS IT ONE PARK? I GUESS IT IS ONE PARK.
SO I'M JUST GONNA CHALLENGE YOU ALL TO, TO PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO THAT AND MAYBE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, LOOK BACK AT THIS.
AND, UM, I WILL ALSO CHECK WITH MY CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'RE TERRITORIAL, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE.
SO PREVIOUSLY, BECAUSE IT MOSTLY RESIDES IN NINE, UM, THE PREVIOUS PERSON JUST BASICALLY SAID, SINCE YOU'VE GOT THE MAJORITY OF THE PARK, THEN JUST WORK IT.
BUT HE, BUT THAT PART OF FLAGPOLE HILL WAS HIS, THAT HE WORKED IT AND I'D STAYED AWAY.
SO IT WAS THAT PART OF THAT TERRITORIAL, WHERE IS IT IN YOUR DISTRICT? YOU FOCUS ON IT.
IF IT'S NOT, THEN YOU BACK AWAY.
HOWEVER, WE MAY NEED TO CHALLENGE STAFF TO LOOK AT IT AS ONE THING, AND THEN WE MAY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND BREAK DOWN THAT BARRIER.
I MEAN, THEY DON'T CARE WHERE THE BORDER IS, THEY SEE IT AS ONE.
AND THEN MAKING MORE CONNECTABILITY BETWEEN FLAGPOLE HILL AND
[00:35:01]
THE, AND I WANNA CALL IT THE MAIN PART OF THE, BUT IT, BUT IT'S THE LAKE PART WHERE THAT'S WHERE THE, ALL THE TRAILS AND ALL THE PLAYGROUNDS, OR NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF MORE TRAILS, BUT THERE'S GROWING MORE AT FLAGPOLE HILL.SO THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
MAYBE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UH, THE MASTER PLAN IS THAT IF IT'S NOT INCLUDED AS THAT, I THINK IT IS 'CAUSE THEY LOOKED AT IT.
I'M TRYING TO, BUT, BUT THAT WE NEED, MAYBE IT'S A MINDSET WE NEED TO CHANGE HERE AT THE HORSESHOE AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR STAFF.
I THINK WHY, AND THIS MAKES SENSE, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S GONNA WORK ON, YOU KNOW, THE PARK THAT'S IN THEIR DISTRICT IN TERMS OF FUNDING, BUT WE HAVE A VERY NICE PLAYGROUND.
WE NOW HAVE A LOOP TRAIL, WE HAVE A NEW PARKING LOT, WE'VE HAD SOME ENHANCEMENTS AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT JUST, WE'LL, LET'S, LET'S JUST PUT THAT ON OUR, UM, TO-DO LIST.
THE LONG TO-DO LIST THAT YOU ALL HAVE ABOUT JUST HOW TO THINK ABOUT THAT MORE HOLISTICALLY.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, I DON'T, YOUR AVERAGE NEIGHBOR IS NOT GONNA DISTINGUISH.
THEY DON'T KNOW THAT NORTHWEST HIGHWAY IS, IS THE BOUNDARY FOR THE TWO DISTRICTS.
AND UM, PLUS I ALWAYS BELIEVE WE'RE STRONGER WHEN WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER THAN WHEN WE DRAW LINES AND SAY, THAT'S YOURS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE.
ANYTHING EL ANYBODY ELSE? YES, I DO WANNA FOLLOW UP.
I THINK ALSO WHAT'S IMPORTANT, 'CAUSE I'M HAVING TO, UH, JUST KIND OF GO IN AND RETHINK OF NUMBER OF STRATEGIES AND THE CONVERSATIONS HOLISTICALLY THAT WE ARE HAVING IN THIS NATION, UH, THAT WILL ALSO, THAT HAVE ALSO BEGUN TO FILTER HERE AT THE CITY.
UH, I'M HEARING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE GOING FROM HERE AND DOWN THE ROAD TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW COMMUNITY'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IN THE POSITIONS THAT WE SERVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S THERE, YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND YOU UNDERSTAND SERVICE.
SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE CLEAR ON THE MESSAGING BECAUSE NO ONE IS GONNA BE HERE FOREVER.
AND SO AS YOU HAVE THE REPRESENTATION OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT ARCHIVED AND YOU'RE CLEAR ON, ON WHAT WE ARE ASKING THE, THE PARK DEPARTMENT TO DO.
IF IT NEEDS TO BE IN A CONTRACT, YOU NEED TO GET THAT IN THE LANGUAGE.
WE HAVE A PARK THAT'S COMING OVER IN, IN MY COMMUNITY, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE MY OTHER HAT IS WHERE I SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M ASKING THAT YOU ALL PUT CERTAIN THINGS IN WRITING.
SO, UH, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE KNOWS WHETHER WE ARE HERE IN THIS POSITION AS A, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER OR IF WE ARE PRESIDENT OF, UH, THAT WE HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE BECAUSE YOU MAY TRANSITION OUT AND NO ONE WILL KNOW WHAT THE PLANS WERE.
AND SO A CHAIR, I JUST WANNA CAUTION YOU ABOUT THAT, TO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND BECAUSE WE, NO ONE IS, IS PROMISED A LIFETIME IN TERMS OF SERVICE HERE IS 1500 MY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE PARKS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR, FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
BUT WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES AT ALL COSTS BECAUSE AS COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM ALWAYS SAYS, IF IT'S NOT IN WRITING, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND SO I'M LEARNING THAT AS WELL.
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COMMUNITIES, WE MUST HAVE THAT PROTECTION LONG TERM.
SO I JUST WANNA CAUTION YOU ABOUT THAT AND MORE.
SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT WE NEED TO READ THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR CONVERSATION IS CLEAR MONIES PERHAPS THAT WE NEED TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT THAT WILL PROMISE.
WE NEED TO BEGIN TO LOOK TO SEE IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA COME THROUGH.
AND SO, UH, THAT IS A TASK THAT THE CITY MANAGER, UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE PARK DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, UH, DR. JENKINS, I'LL CALL HIM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS CALL HIM THE REVEREND DR. JENKINS BECAUSE HE ALWAYS COMES THROUGH, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT ON A VERY SERIOUS NOTE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE PROJECTS AND PUT THE TYPE OF THE, THE, UH, FUNDING ON PAPER AND THE, THE, UH, RHETORIC TRANSCRIBED TO TO, TO THE EMOTIONS ON THE PAPER AND THE COMMITMENT.
BUT IF THE DOLLARS ARE NOT THERE, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR ME, ESPECIALLY MY ADVOCACY AROUND THE COLOR, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHO GET LOST SOMETIMES IN THESE CONVERSATIONS AND FUNDS, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE SHORT, THEY TAKE THEM FROM CONTINUE TO TAKE 'EM FROM THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
NOT THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THAT, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M SPEAKING THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF THE ATTACK ON PROJECTS THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME COVERAGE IN WRITING.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND I HOPE YOU WILL, UM, UH, UNDERSTAND MY COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY AT ALL COSTS.
AND IT'S ALL ABOUT TRANSPARENCY DUE PROCESS IN THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY.
AND OF COURSE THE CITY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS AN EQUITABLE ONE.
BUT I KNOW SOME WANT TO MAKE DALLAS GREAT AGAIN AND WE HAVE TO STAY WOKE ON THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
[00:40:02]
I WAS JUST WONDERING, COULD WE GET, I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING AN UPDATE FROM LIKE POTENTIAL REALLOCATION, BUT I, I, I'M HEARING SOME, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT, UM, CONCERNS OF, OF, OF AN EQUITABLE, UH, INVESTING, ET CETERA.I BELIEVE WE HAVE A QUITE A BIT OF OUTSTANDING BOND DOLLARS.
COULD WE GET A LIST OF THAT, UM, SPECIFIC TO THE DISTRICTS OF HOW MUCH MONEY IS OUT THERE AND WHAT HAS YET TO BE ENCUMBERED OR, OR, UM, UH, SPENT TO, UH, DEPLOY FOR, UM, SAID COMMUNITIES, PLEASE? UM, YES.
UH, CHAIR BASIL DUA, AND ACTUALLY I KNOW THAT THE BOND CONSTRUCTION OFFICE IS GETTING READY TO DO A PRESENTATION TO GPFM IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS ON THE STATUS OF
I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS BROKEN DOWN, UM, ON, ON ONTO, UH, ACTUAL, UM, BOND PROPOSITIONS, EQUITY FUNDS, ET CETERA, SO THAT WE CAN SEE AND THEN ALSO SEE AND WHAT DISTRICTS, UH, THESE SPECIFIC FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY ALLOCATED TO.
I, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE HIGH LEVEL AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REALLY GRANULARLY, UM, UH, DISSECT WHAT, UM, HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING, WHAT HAS, UH, FAILED TO BE INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY, ET CETERA.
I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL WITH A LOT OF THE, UH, CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE COMING, UM, ON SEVERAL OF THESE BRIEFINGS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF BOND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND CHRIS IS RIGHT, WE WILL BE BRIEFING GPFM, UH, LATER THIS MONTH AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT FOR EVERY BOND PROPOSITION GOING BACK TO 2006.
AND WE WILL BE INCLUDING A BREAKDOWN OF THE, UM, DISCRETIONARY FUND THAT'S BEEN USED IN THE PAST BY DISTRICT.
I DO HAVE ONE WHEN YOU GET THROUGH.
AND I NEED, UH, I, I'M NOW BEGINNING TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO, SO I NEED TO MAKE SURE I PUT THIS ON THE RECORD, UH, AND GLAD THAT IT WILL BE IN TRANSCRIPT AS WELL AS VIDEO.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT WE GET A CALL GET CAUGHT UP IN IS WE ARE TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT PROJECTS AND THE QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING AND DISCRETIONARIES.
WHAT I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE ALL HAVE AN AGENDA HERE AT THIS AT THE CITY.
MY AGENDA WILL ALWAYS BE ABOUT PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
IN THIS CASE, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
YOU'RE TRYING TO HANDLE, JUGGLE THE FUNDS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, AND IF EVERY DISTRICT CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN GIVEN DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IS THAT WE GET CAUGHT UP IN TRYING TO SEE WHAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE DOING IN THEIR DISTRICT WITH THEIR FUNDING AND TRY TO GIVE A MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT'S NOT BEING DONE.
AND SO I KNOW THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND I'M PUTTING THAT ON THE RECORD.
AND SO I STAND STRONG THAT WHAT A COUNCIL MEMBER IS ENGAGED IN, IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL AS A STAFF, UH, IS NOT NECESSARILY GUIDED BY WHAT ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO SAY IN TERMS ABOUT HOW LONG THE MONEY IS TAKING THE MONEY TO BE DISTRIBUTED.
WE HAVE TO BE STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW I DO WITH DISCRETIONARY MONEY IS TO MAKE SURE IT HAS THE IMPACT OF BEING A GOOD STEWARD.
AND SO THERE WILL BE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I PUT THAT ON THE RECORD SO THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR.
AS WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CONNECT THE DOTS AND UNDERSTAND THOSE QUESTIONS.
BUT I DID WANNA MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND DISCRETIONARY IS VERY IMPORTANT, THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS IF WE UNDERSTAND THE WORD DISCRETIONARY AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING, UH, CHAIRWOMAN AND NOT SUCCUMB TO POLITICAL PRESSURES AND POPULARITY OF TRYING TO BE, UH, BE MORE THAN WHAT THE, THE CITIZENS SENT US DOWN HERE TO BE.
AND SO I'M HERE TO BE A COUNCILWOMAN AND I DID WANNA PUT THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA STAND UP.
'CAUSE IF YOU DON'T STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, NOBODY ELSE WILL.
SO I'M STANDING UP FOR MYSELF THIS MORNING AND THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT AS WE TALK ABOUT DISCRETIONARY FUNDS AND BEING GOOD STEWARDS.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ALL DO EVEN WITH THE BOND OFFICE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR CHAIR.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE A VOICE FOR OUR PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GOING ON AT 1500 MARILLA AS IT RELATES TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
THANK YOU CHAIR ARNOLD, AND, UH, CHAIR AYAS.
UM, REALLY QUICKLY, UM, UH, UH, ON THIS CONVERSATION, IT MADE ME REMEMBER I WANTED TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION WAS, UM, WITH ALL THESE, UM, UPGRADES AND CHANGES AND, AND THEN ALL THAT, WHICH, THEY'RE ALL FANTASTIC AND YES, THANK YOU.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I REITERATE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID.
THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF AND ALL THE WAY, YOU KNOW, BOND OFFICE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, UM, FOR ALL OF THE, THE WORK THAT'S DONE AND OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL THAT, BUT IS, UM, MAINTENANCE.
SO ALL OF THIS STUFF IS GREAT, BUT, UM, A REASON THAT WE GOT INTO SOME OF THIS MESS OF HAVING TO REDO EVERYTHING OR TO MAKE BIG CHANGES, WHICH ARE ALL POSITIVE IS, UM, FOR LACK OF MAINTENANCE IN
[00:45:01]
THE BUDGET.ARE WE GOING TO BE MAKING, ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE MAKING SURE, UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S UP TO EACH COUNCIL AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT THAT THERE'S ENOUGH DOLLARS IN MAINTENANCE TO KEEP THESE FACILITIES, THESE, ALL THESE AMENITIES.
I MEAN, I GOT 'EM IN BACHMAN AND MANY OTHER, UM, PARKS AND I'M, I KNOW EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER DOES, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE IMPROVE AND CREATE.
UM, HOW, HOW IS THAT GONNA WORK WITH ALL OF THIS? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION,
WELL, AS WE GO THROUGH, I KNOW, UH, THERE'S A SYSTEM COMING ON AS FAR AS THE BUDGETING, UH, WITH PRIORITIES.
AND OF COURSE, UH, AS WE CREATE OUR BUDGET PACKAGE, UH, FOR THE PARK BOARD AND, AND THE PARK AND, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL, UH, WE WILL DEFINITELY PUT BE PUTTING OUR PRIORITIES FIRST.
AND SO WITHIN THAT, OUR GOAL, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN FIRST OF ALL TO DO THESE UPGRADES AND TO IT THEY'LL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN, SO IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN THOSE AREAS BECAUSE WE'VE KEPT THEM UP TO PAR.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT.
BUT OF COURSE, AS WE PREPARE OUR BUDGET, BUDGET PACKAGE, UH, YOU WILL SEE SOME THINGS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR NEW PROPERTIES COMING ON BOARD AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE DEFINITELY WILL NEED CONSIDERATION FROM THE PARK BOARD AND THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO US.
AND MADAM CHAIR, THAT, THE REASON I ASKED THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, UM, SHE SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST EXACTLY, EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE GOT BRAND NEW, SO IT'S EASIER TO MAINTAIN TO START, BUT AT SOME POINT, RIGHT, YOU GET A BRAND NEW CAR AT SOME POINT, YOU DRIVE IT ENOUGH, UM, YOU GOTTA START DOING MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? OIL CHANGE, CHANGE THE TIRES, WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, AND THAT'S THE SAME THING WITH OUR AMENITIES AT OUR PARK.
SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP IS TO ALSO SHOW THAT THIS DOESN'T END BECAUSE WE GOT SOMETHING NEW.
UM, WE'VE GOT TO MAINTAIN IT AND IF WE MAINTAIN IT, IT'LL LAST A HECK OF A LOT LONGER AND, UM, STAY NICE A LOT LONGER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM OUR VIRTUAL AUDIENCE HERE? OKAY.
I THINK WE ARE FINISHED WITH THIS BRIEFING.
AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO BRIEFING B CHRIS, I GUESS YOU'LL STAY PUT OR MOVE OVER OR, BUT THIS IS ON THE WHITE ROCK LAKE MASTER PLAN.
UM, GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE PTE COMMITTEE.
UM, TODAY WE HAVE PHIL DUNAWAY AND BRAD MOULTON FROM DUNAWAY AND ASSOCIATES, OUR CONSULTING ENGINEERS WHO ARE WORKING ON THE WHITE ROCK LAKE MASTER PLAN TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE.
AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THEM IF WE CAN BRING UP THAT PRESENTATION PLEASE.
PHILIP NEELY WITH DUNAWAY ASSOCIATES.
WE HAVE, UH, REALLY ENJOYED THE LAST, WHAT YEAR AND A HALF, PUSHING TWO YEARS NOW TO GET TO WORK ON WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK MASTER PLAN UPDATE.
UM, IS THE PRESENTATION UP YET COMING? WANT ME JUST TO PAUSE FOR A MINUTE TILL WE GET THAT IN FRONT OF US? LET'S PAUSE JUST A SECOND UNTIL WE GET THAT PULLED UP.
UH, WHEN WE BE, WE'RE BROUGHT INTO THIS PROJECT, I'VE, I'VE BEEN REALLY HAD THE DELIGHT SINCE YEAR 2000 TO HAVE, BE INVOLVED IN MANY PROJECTS AT WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK.
AND SO IT IS AN HONOR TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS AND TO CONTINUE TO SEE THE, THE EVOLUTION OR THE DECADES OF, UH, OF HISTORY.
AND SO WHEN WE WERE COMMISSIONED TO DO THIS WORK, IT WAS VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING.
NOBODY'S TRYING TO START OVER WITH REDESIGN IN THIS PARK.
IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST PARKS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IT'S LOVED BY EVERYBODY A MILE AWAY FROM HERE, OR A THOUSAND MILES AWAY FROM HERE.
SO WE KNEW THAT WHAT WE WERE REALLY TASKED TO DO WAS TO BRING A STEWARDSHIP FROM THE GET GO, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN DECADES OF STUDIES AND PARTICULAR AREAS OF, OF FOCUS FOR THE, FOR THE PARK AND FOR THE LAKE.
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AND BEGIN TO CAREFULLY CONSOLIDATE A LOT OF HISTORY AND BRING IT UP TO DATE.SO THAT STATEMENT TO CON TO CONSOLIDATE OR A CONSOLIDATED VISION WITH THE RICH HISTORY, EARLY ON WE WERE GIVEN NUMEROUS DOCUMENTS AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, PIECES OF HISTORY TO BEGIN TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF OUR WORK WAS IN THOSE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS WERE JUST SHOWING RESPECT TO THAT LEVEL OF WORK.
THE LAST TRUE MASTER PLAN, UH, FOR WHITE ROCK WAS IN THE NINETIES, SO IT HAD BEEN 30 YEARS.
THERE WAS, THERE'S THINGS ABOUT THE LAKE, THE PARK, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE UPDATES THAT NEEDED JUST TO BE FRESHLY EVALUATED FROM THE STANDPOINT HOW TRUE ARE THOSE TO THE PREVIOUS PLAN? HOW TRUE ARE THOSE TO SOME EVEN PLANS WAY BEFORE THAT.
AND SO THAT WAS A GUIDING ETHIC FOR US.
YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE COMING THROUGH THOSE EARLY MONTHS OF RESEARCH AND GATHERING THE, THE DOCUMENTATION FROM HISTORY, ENGAGING THE STAKEHOLDERS, AND THAT ENDED UP BEING, UH, A KEY POINT FOR US TO JUST SAY, HEY, LET'S, LET'S NOT RUSH.
UH, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE TOO QUICKLY.
AND SO WE BEGAN TO, UM, EXPAND ON AND MAKE, MAKE EVEN MORE EFFORTS TO, IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND REACHING OUT AND HAVING PEOPLE COME IN AND TALK TO US.
WE WOULD BRING FLIP CHARTS AND MAPS AND BLOW UP, YOU KNOW, AREAS OF THE, OF THE LAKE.
SO IT, IT PROVED TO BE A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP.
AND THEN STAFF, THE PARK STAFF, WHILE WE WERE DOING, STARTING THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS, THEY PUT A SURVEY INSTRUMENT OUT AND SO THERE'S AN ONLINE SURVEY INSTRUMENT THAT WAS OUT THERE FOR WHAT MONTH AND A HALF, TWO MONTHS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE WERE GETTING THE SAME KINDS OF FEEDBACK, SAME KINDS OF TOPICS, UM, MAJOR TOPICS, AND THEN PEOPLE COULD REACT TO THOSE.
AND THEN WE HAD WRITE IN COMMENTS AND THOSE WERE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS, RIGHT, BRAD, THAT WE WOULD GET FEEDBACK AND THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, EXPECT PEOPLE TO COMMENT ON THAT DEALT WITH PUBLIC ACCESS AND TRAILS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND USE OF THE WATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I'M, I'M JUST EMPHASIZING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WAS CLEARLY GONNA BE COMMITTED TO AS MORE OF A LONGER SERIES OF STEPS.
AND WE WERE FINE WITH THAT AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE BEGAN TO DO IN 2023.
I THINK WE GOT, YEAH, OTHER WAY.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CATEGORIES, UH, THAT WE WERE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM DURING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE ONLINE SURVEY TRAILS.
YOU CAN SEE THE KINDS OF COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULD GET.
TRAILS ARE LOVED AND USED BY THE THOUSANDS DAILY GENERAL MAINTENANCE WOULD COME UP.
UM, OTHER KINDS OF THINGS ABOUT THE OPEN SPACE OR PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION, EVEN, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, I MENTIONED THAT.
AND THEN OTHER TYPES OF RECREATION.
BUT AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA TRY TO DIVE INTO DETAIL.
THESE WERE THE TYPES OF GROUPINGS THAT WE COULD, WE COULD SORT THROUGH THE COMMENTS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE'S INTEREST AND CONCERNS OR PASSIONS WERE FOR CONTINUING TO KEEP THE LAKE AND THE PARK A GREAT PLACE.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMON THEMES, UH, MAINTENANCE IN THE LAKE, THE LAKE EDGE, UH, PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION.
ONE, BECAUSE PEOPLE, HOW DO THEY DEFINE RESTORATION VERSUS PRESERVATION AND, AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD, UH, BE COMMITTED TO THAT, YOU KNOW? SO WE HAD A LOT OF WRITING COMMENTS ABOUT PRESERVATION AND THEN SECURITY, SAFETY, PUBLIC ACCESS, USE OF TRAILS.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S POINTS OF CONFLICT OR ISSUES WHERE THE TRAIL AND PARKING HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY THOUGHT THROUGH.
SO THESE WERE THE KINDS OF COMMENTS WE WERE GETTING.
AGAIN, THIS IS A MASTER PLAN LEVEL, SO WE WEREN'T, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TAKE A MASTER PLAN AND GET INTO DETAIL DESIGN, BUT UNDERSTAND THE FRAMEWORK OF THE, THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND THEN HOW THAT WOULD HELP US UPDATE THE MASTER PLAN.
SO I'LL TOUCH ON THESE VERY QUICKLY AND THEN BRAD CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE.
THIS IS A, THE BEGINNING OF A TIMELINE, 1936, THE ORIGINAL MASTER PLAN BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS REMARKABLE HISTORY.
SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF PLANS AS WE WOULD GO THROUGH 'EM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, BRAD AND I BOTH HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE IN PREVIOUS WORK WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AT WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK, BUT THIS IS JUST BEGINNING TO SHOW THAT TIMELINE.
AS WE MOVE ALONG FROM THE SEVEN TO EIGHTIES NOW, 1990, THESE ARE IMPORTANT.
BRAD WILL COME BACK TO THESE TWO STUDIES RIGHT HERE.
ONE DEALING WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN IN 1990 AND THE 94 DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHICH IS REFERENCED OFTENTIMES.
AND THEN WHAT HAS BEEN THE, I WOULD SAY TRAVELING MOST IDENTIFIED MASTER PLAN ON THE LEFT THERE IS,
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IS WAS DONE, UH, DECADES AGO.AND IT, IT IS, IT IS CONSTANTLY BEEN THE REFERENCE POINT WHEN THE, WHEN THE STAFF AND OTHER DESIGN FIRMS COME IN AND LOOK AT UPDATING SECTIONS OF THE PARK, WE GO BACK TO THIS.
WE'VE SEEN MANY OTHERS THAT DO THE SAME THING.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN THE TRAVELING MASTER PLAN FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.
THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS A LIGHTING MASTER PLAN.
AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST A SERIES OF, UH, WONDERFUL DOCUMENTS THROUGH THE DECADES NEXT SLIDE.
SO FROM THAT, WE'LL MOVE INTO SOME OF THE EXISTING CONDITIONS AND THE ANALYSIS THAT OUR TEAM DID, AND BRAD, BRAD WILL PICK IT UP FROM HERE.
UH, NO, AS, AS PHILIP MENTIONED THROUGH THAT TIMELINE, THESE, THESE PLANS STARTED TO COME OUT TO, TO REALLY SHOW SUBJECT SPECIFIC MASTER PLANS, SUCH AS THE LIGHTING MASTER PLAN, OR THE SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS MASTER PLAN, AND THEN LAKE WIDE STRATEGY PLANS, THE, THE PREVIOUS 94 DESIGN GUIDELINES, UH, AND EVEN A 1989, UH, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO, COLLECTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EACH OF THOSE HAS BEEN PART OF THE, THE ELEMENT TO THEN BASICALLY VALIDATE SOME OF THOSE, UH, SEE IF SOME, SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
SOME OF THEM HAVE EITHER BEEN, AT THIS POINT, SUNSETTED IN TERMS OF AN IDEA THAT, THAT WE'RE MOVING ON FROM, OR, UH, EXPANDING FROM.
SO WITHIN OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS, UH, WE HAVE THIS SET OF, UH, COMPILED RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING WITH THE TASK FORCE, UH, BUT THEN LOOKING AT THAT IN A PHYSICAL SENSE TOO, SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, THE 1994 DESIGN GUIDELINES, UH, IMPLEMENTED A, IT WAS CALLED THE DIVERSIFIED CONCEPT.
THEY PRESENTED THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR, UH, MASTER PLANNING IMPROVEMENTS AT WHITE ROCK LAKE.
UM, SO AS, AS PHILIP MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT REINVENTING THAT CONCEPT, BUT WE'RE BRINGING THAT FORWARD IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THIS IN ZONES OR AREAS, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT, WE FEEL LIKE THIS PLAN HAS DONE ITS, ITS PURPOSE IN TERMS OF CREATING THAT DIVERSIFIED CONCEPT.
AND THEN IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE SHOWING THE, UH, THE 2002 OR THE, THE NJB PLAN.
THEN WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS STARTS TO GO INTO OUR PRELIMINARY, UH, MASTER PLAN WORK.
UM, LOOKING AT THE ENTIRETY OF THE, OF THE SY, THIS WHITE ROCK LAKE PARK SYSTEM, AS YOU WERE MENTIONING EARLIER, UH, KIND OF FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH, WE'VE BROKEN IT INTO ABOUT 17 DIFFERENT KIND OF PARKS WITHIN THE PARK.
UM, THAT DOES INCLUDE FLAGPOLE HILL.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE, THE NATURE AREA JUST SOUTH OF THAT, THE, ESSENTIALLY THE, THE NATURAL AREA IN BETWEEN THE TWO HIGHWAYS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE, TO THE SPILLWAY.
SO WITHIN THIS AREA, UH, WE WANT TO BASICALLY UPDATE THAT 1994, UH, GUIDELINE AS WELL AS THE 2002 PHYSICAL MASTER PLAN.
SO THERE WERE AREAS SUCH AS THE DOG PARK THAT WERE NOT ON THAT PREVIOUS MASTER PLAN.
THERE'S AREAS OF THE, THE FLAGPOLE HILL, THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE TRAILS, THE PARKING AND THE PLAYGROUND.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, ALONG THE EAST SIDE, SOME NEW FACILITIES AS WELL.
SO WITHIN EACH OF THESE 17 AREAS, WE'VE LISTED OUT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, ASSETS, AND THEN SURROUNDING INFLUENCES.
YOU MENTIONED THE, THE, UH, OTHER PARKS LIKE SHAPIRO LAKE, HIGHLANDS, NORBU.
UH, THERE ARE ELEMENTS IN THIS MASTER PLAN THAT SPEAK TO THOSE, UM, WHILE FOCUSING ON DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THE CHARACTER OF WHITE ROCK LAKE AND HOW THAT CAN HELP INFLUENCE THOSE ADJACENT SPACES NEARBY.
THIS, THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SHOWING THOSE PARKS WITHIN THE PARK.
SO THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT WITHIN THE MASTER PLAN, EACH ONE OF THESE WILL HAVE A FOCUSED SHEET, AND WE HAVE FOUR OR FIVE OF THOSE, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, WITHIN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT AS THIS PLAN IS BEING DRAFTED NOW, UH, BEING COMPLETED NOW, UM, THE, THESE AREAS WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE FINAL DRAFT.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BLOW UP AREAS IN TERMS OF MOCKINGBIRD POINT, AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE, THE DOG PARK, WHICH WAS NOT IN THE, UH, PREVIOUS MASTER PLAN.
UH, MOSTLY REPRESENTING, UH, EXISTING CONDITIONS HERE TODAY.
UH, BUT THEN LOOKING AT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF PARKING UPGRADES, SURFACE UPGRADES.
UM, THERE WERE OTHER, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIFFERENT OVERLOOKS OR DIFFERENT TRAIL, UH, ALIGNMENTS IN PREVIOUS MASTER PLANS.
SO WE'VE WORKED THROUGH A FEW OF THOSE.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY EVEN UPDATES TO THIS, UH, MASTER PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, THROUGH COMMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING OUT WITH THE, UH, TASK FORCE AS WELL.
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WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.UH, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON SOME OF THE, UH, NATURAL AREAS AND, AND PRAIRIE GRASS, UH, SPACES.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, ARBORISTS IN THE, UH, NATURAL, UM, REPORTS THAT HAVE SHOWN THESE PRAIRIE AREAS ARE DOCUMENTED ALL THROUGHOUT THE MASTER PLAN.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THIS GRAPHIC HERE.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG, BIG IDEAS WITHIN THIS MASTER PLAN, AS PHILIP MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, PRESENTING THOSE IDEAS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS, UH, PLANNING EFFORTS OR PREVIOUS TRAIL PROJECTS, UH, WE VETTED THOSE THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS, UH, SUCH AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE MOCKINGBIRD BRIDGE.
THERE'S A LOT OF BYPASSING TRAFFIC, A LOT OF KIND OF DEAD END AS IT COMES DOWN TO, TO EAST LATHER THERE.
UH, THERE'S BEEN AN IDEA, YOU KNOW, TOSSED AROUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS ABOUT AN OVERPASS.
AND SO, UM, IF THAT BRIDGE COULD CONNECT OVER TO, UH, BOY SCOUT HILL AND THEN CONNECT INTO THE TRAIL, UH, WITH OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO COME OFF OF THAT.
UM, AGAIN, NOT A DETAILED DESIGN AT THIS POINT, BUT PUTTING OUT THAT IDEA FOR, UH, UM, EXPLORATION.
AND SO, SO FURTHER STUDY, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO THE NAUTICAL AREA OR THE EAST LAU SIDE OF THE PARK.
UM, I WAS OUT THERE YESTERDAY AND, UH, YOU, YOU COULD IMAGINE HOW MANY CARS WERE
UM, AND SO THIS, THIS AREA OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME CHALLENGES WITH CONGESTION AND, UM, BUT RIGHTFULLY SO, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON THE, ON THE LAKE.
AND, UH, YOU GET TO SEE ALL OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE BOATS COMING IN AND OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT'S REALLY BEEN ON THE TABLE, UH, SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES, UM, AS A, AS A PARKING STUDY FOR THIS AREA, AND KIND OF NOT NECESSARILY, UM, TAKING AWAY OR ADDING E EXPONENTIALLY PARKING, BUT REORGANIZING PARKING.
THERE'S A LOT OF INEFFICIENT PARKING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAKE TODAY THAT HAD BEEN SOLVED ON THE WEST SIDE OVER THE YEARS OF DIFFERENT IMPROVEMENTS ALONG WEST LAU.
UM, AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE THE CALICHE OR, OR GRAVEL LOTS OVER HERE THAT, UM, WHILE THAT'S STILL KIND OF REMINISCENT OF THE OLD, YOU KNOW, WHITE ROCK LAKE, IT'S ALSO BECOMING A CHALLENGE AND AN EROSION ISSUE AND, UH, AND ESSENTIALLY A MAINTENANCE ISSUE.
UM, ALSO, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO STRIPE THE PARKING LOTS,
UM, SO REALLY THE, THE MAIN OPPORTUNITIES OVER HERE WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, RECLAMATION OF GREEN SPACE FROM INEFFICIENT PARKING, UM, AND RESTORING, UH, THIS AREA TO, TO ITS NATURAL BEAUTY.
UM, WE HAVE SPOKEN A LOT ABOUT SHORELINE EROSION.
THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY VERY PROMPT, UH, UH, SU SUSCEPTIBLE FOR THAT BECAUSE THE SOUTHERN WINDS COMING UP AND HITTING THESE, THESE SHORELINES.
UM, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE THE SHORELINE IS ADJACENT TO EITHER A TRAIL OR PARKING AND DEVELOPING GUIDELINES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT'S 10 FEET OR LESS, WE REALLY NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE TREATMENT THAT THAT SHORELINE GETS, BECAUSE IT'S JUST CONTINUOUSLY EATING UP CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THOSE PAVED OR, OR UNPAVED AREAS THAT WE HAVE A, A NEEDED SURFACE FOR.
UM, ESPECIALLY UP AND AROUND THE, THE BOAT CLUBS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE BATHHOUSE, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, A GREAT KIND OF HUB FOR PARKING.
IF YOU CAN'T FIND A PARKING SPOT AT, AT WHITE ROCK LAKE, GO TO THE BATHHOUSE, YOU'LL ALWAYS FIND A PARKING SPOT THERE.
UM, BUT IT IS STILL A CHALLENGE KIND OF TO GET IN THERE.
THERE'S EVEN JUST AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE ON THE ROAD COMING INTO THE PARKING LOT.
UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION THROUGHOUT THE YEARS ON DIFFERENT MASTER PLANS TO, UH, TO, TO CORRECT.
AND, AND SO THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING FORWARD, BUT ALSO EXPANDING ON THAT.
THERE'S ANOTHER DRIVEWAY ALONG THE OUTER LOOP OF THE PARKING LOT THAT REALLY ISN'T USED AS A VEHICULAR PATH ANYMORE.
UM, IF A CAR GOES UP THERE, THEY'RE REALLY JUST TRAVELING AROUND TO THEN TURN AROUND AND COME BACK OUT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE, UH, REALLY EXPANDING THAT BIKE ONLY A PEDESTRIAN ONLY KIND OF ROAD NETWORK THROUGH THIS AREA, AND, AND REALLY DEFINING THAT, UH, VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN, UH, SPACE AND, AND, AND ELEMENTS THERE TO, TO PROVIDE MORE SPACE.
THE, THE TOPIC OF MANY CONVERSATIONS, AND, AND I KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS FIRST AND FOREMOST ON, ON MANY PEOPLE'S MINDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CURRENT PROJECTS GOING ON OUT THERE TODAY.
UM, AT, AT A MASTER PLAN LEVEL.
WE'D LOVE TO EXPLORE, UH, YOU KNOW, BIG IDEAS.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THING, THE, THE ITEMS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT AT, AT MEETINGS AND, AND LOTS OF STAFF DISCUSSION.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT MANY TIMES BEFORE, UH, IN THIS REALM OF, OF, YOU KNOW, DEPARTING FROM THE SHORELINE AND, AND CREATING EITHER A
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BOARDWALK OR, OR SOME ELEMENT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, REMOVES YOU FROM GARLAND ROAD.UM, YOU'LL SEE EXAMPLES LIKE THIS ACROSS THE NATION, MOST RELEVANT, PROBABLY DOWN AT LADY BIRD LAKE IN AUSTIN.
UM, PHILLIP AND I WORKED ON A PROJECT DOWN THERE MANY YEARS AGO, AND, AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL TO, UH, ONE, HELP THE SHORELINE EROSION AND KEEP PEOPLE OFF OF THOSE SKINNY AREAS IN BETWEEN EITHER PRIVATE PROPERTY OR, OR DIFFERENT ROAD NETWORKS.
UH, THIS COULD BE AN OPTION WHERE, UH, IT COULD ALSO PROVIDE CIRCULATION, BUT ALSO VIEWING AREAS.
THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY A CONFLICT IN THROUGH TRAFFIC AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SIGHTSEEING.
SO WE WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH OPPORTUNITIES HERE, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING AT LEAST A 20 FOOT, YOU KNOW, BOARDWALK.
SO, UH, THIS WOULD BE A, A, A SIGNATURE ELEMENT AT THE LAKE TO ONE, SOLVE CIRCULATION ISSUES, BUT ALSO PROVIDE, UH, AN ELEMENT OF AN AMENITY.
UM, REALLY THAT IS THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE OTHER BIG IDEAS WITH AROUND THE LAKE.
UH, THIS, WE DID WANT TO INCLUDE THIS ONE TO, TO SHOW THAT FLAGPOLE HILL.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME NEW LINE WORK ACTUALLY KIND OF, UH, GOING INTO THIS AREA, REPRESENTING THE NEW TRAILS AND THE PARKING LOTS, AND THE PLAYGROUND.
UM, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS HERE, KIND OF THE SEPARATION OF THE TWO THAT HAS PROBABLY JUST BEEN IN, IN TERMINOLOGY OVER THE YEARS, IS BECAUSE FLAGPOLE HILL ACTUALLY HAS ITS OWN MASTER PLAN THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ONGOING IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT DID COME OUT OF THIS EFFORT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE, THE PARK SYSTEM BUILDING DOWN AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF FLAGPOLE HILL AREA, AND KIND OF THE REPURPOSING OF THAT INTO A POTENTIAL, UH, FUTURE VISITOR CENTER, A FUTURE LAKE VISITOR CENTER, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME PLACES RECOGNIZABLY ACCESSIBLE OFF OF THE HIGH, OFF OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEPLACE THAT SOMEBODY COULD COME IN AND, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AREA AND TURN THAT INTO A PUBLIC AMENITY, UH, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING THE LAKE AND THE PARK.
SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS BRINGS US INTO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES SECTION, AND AS WE MENTIONED, THE 1994 DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHICH KIND OF SET FORTH THIS DIVERSIFIED CONCEPT AND STARTED TOUCHING ON, UH, YOU KNOW, DESIGN ELEMENTS AND, AND DESIGN INTERPRETATION AT THE LAKE.
UM, IT REALLY WAS WRITTEN IN A NARRATIVE FORM AND KIND OF STARTING THAT IDEA, UH, A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, SOME OF IT HAS BEEN DEPARTED FROM, SOME OF IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, BUT NOT FOLLOWING THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO SEVERAL PROJECTS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE EITHER BEEN BROUGHT BACK UP TO A STANDARD, YOU KNOW, OF CERTAIN STONE LAYOUT OR CERTAIN ELEMENTS, UM, REALLY JUST BY STAFF KIND OF STAYING IN, IN TUNE TO WHAT IS BEING CONSTRUCTED AT THE LAKE.
UM, THE DESIGN GUIDELINES BEING UPDATED NOW REALLY BRINGS A LOT OF THAT FORWARD.
AND THEN UPDATES THE ITEMS THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED WITH STAFF AND WITH THE TASK FORCE AND WITH THE PUBLIC THAT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, SHORELINE EROSION AND SHORELINE TREATMENTS.
UH, IN THE PREVIOUS DESIGN GUIDELINES, THERE WERE FOUR TREATMENT OPTIONS.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH SEVEN.
AND SO THAT JUST GIVES US MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT EITHER WERE NOT, UH, QUITE VETTED, UH, ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO.
SO THESE, UH, AGAIN, THIS ONE JUST SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TRAILS.
UH, PREVIOUSLY THERE WAS A 12 FOOT TRAIL RECOMMENDED.
UH, TODAY THERE'S, UH, A 14 FOOT TRAIL IS BEING CONSTRUCTED IN TERMS OF 12 FOOT OF ASPHALT AND ONE FOOT OF CONCRETE ON EITHER SIDE.
SO WE WANT THAT TO BE THE STANDARD, UH, DETAIL AS NEW TRAILS ARE, ARE PROMOTED, UH, OR, OR CONSTRUCTED IN AROUND THE LAKE, ALONG WITH THE DESIGN GUIDELINE OF WHAT THE TRAIL IS MADE OUT OF AND HOW IT'S MADE, WE ALSO HAVE A MAP OF WHERE THOSE TRAILS ARE, ARE IMPLEMENTED.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IS THE SUMMARY OF THE REPORT.
I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, UH, OBVIOUSLY A PASSION PROJECT OF OURS.
WE ARE VERY CONNECTED TO WHITE ROCK LAKE, AND I'M SURE IF ANYBODY'S BEEN IN A MEETING WITH ME OVER THE LAKE, THEY'VE HEARD THAT.
AND SO, UH, BEEN AROUND AND, UH, BEEN AROUND IT ALL MY LIFE, BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY ENJOYED, UH, BEING PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND GO OVER THE NEXT STEPS OF THE MASTER PLAN CHAIR BLACKMAN.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
UM, WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE AND STARTED LOOKING AT WHITE ROCK LAKE AND EVERYTHING, WHITE ROCK LAKE, IT WAS PRETTY, AS YOU COULD SEE, WAS IT THREE PAGES, THREE OR FOUR PAGES OF JUST STUFF THAT HAD JUST KIND OF, SOME OF IT WAS OUTDATED, SOME OF IT NEEDED UPDATING, SOME LIKE THE LIGHTING, RIGHT? BECAUSE LIGHTING HAS CHANGED.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED HINDERING THE MAINTENANCE PLAN AND THEN EVOLVED TO THIS MASTER PLAN, WHICH HAS REALLY BEEN
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TWO YEARS.AND I'M HAPPY THAT IT TOOK TWO YEARS BECAUSE SLOW AND DELIBERATE IS SOMETIMES WINS THE RACE.
AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE ADDED MORE, Y'ALL ADDED MORE PUBLIC INPUT, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU, BECAUSE GETTING IT RIGHT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING.
WE MODERNIZED, WE UPDATED, WE KIND OF CREATED A FRAMEWORK IN WHICH TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS IS A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.
IT IS NOT THAT WE'RE GONNA START DOING X, Y, AND Z.
IT IS TO START THAT NEXT CONVERSATION IN THOSE AREAS WHERE IT MAKES SENSE.
SO, I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE THIS IS EXACTLY KIND, I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT I EXPECTED, UM, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP THE ENGAGEMENT GOING, OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE FUNDING, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FOR GRANT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOT OUT AND EVERYBODY GOT ALL NERVOUS, AND THEN LIKE, YOU, LIKE YOU DID, WE, WE ADDED MORE MEETINGS, WE SLOWED IT DOWN, WE INTERACTED WITH THE TASK FORCE.
SO I THINK, UM, YOU DID IT RIGHT.
AND, UM, I MEAN, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL MARCH 6TH.
AND I'M SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME EVEN MORE CHANGES IF SOMEBODY SEES SOMETHING AND STARTS, YOU KNOW, GETTING UP UPSET OR NOT UNDERSTANDING.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE, UM, IT HAS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE FOR, FOR Y'ALL.
UH, I JUST GET TO COME IN AND FLY IN ON THE HIGH LEVEL STUFF, BUT I KNOW YOU AND MARIA, UM, HAD REALLY BEEN WORKING ALONG WITH OUR STAFF.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HEARING THE CONCERNS, YOU'RE ADDRESSING, THE CONCERNS YOU'RE CREATING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO MOVE THE PARK FORWARD IN A GOOD WAY.
BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE WAS LOW ON THE, THE, SO THAT MEANS WE ARE MAINTAINING, WE ARE DOING THINGS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT, BUT THEN THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WERE INTERESTING ON THE SURVEY.
SO I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST TO SAY THANK YOU AND, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT BOND, CHRISTINE CAN, CAN WORK ON THAT.
THANKS FOR COMING TO OUR MEETINGS.
SOMETIMES YOU'D COME IN REAL CASUAL AND BLEND RIGHT IN, AND YOU COULD SEE, YOU COULD SEE THE KINDS OF INTERACTIONS WE WERE GETTING AND PEOPLE WOULD WRITE NOTES.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT.
WELL, AND I LOVED YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I MEAN, THE BREAKING UP AND GETTING REALLY INTIMATE AND ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND EACH PERSON THAT WAS AT THE MAPS KNEW EVERY ASPECT, LIKE THEY, LIKE, SO IT WASN'T JUST, OH, LET ME TAKE YOUR INFORMATION.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE'S FEEDBACK, WHICH IS WHY WE DIDN'T HEAR A LOT AFTER WE STARTED THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, BECAUSE THEY FELT HEARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED, BECAUSE THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S PART.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MISS, UM, ARNOLD'S, I MEAN, WE, WE PROBABLY KNEW WHEN WE OPENED UP THE VISITOR CENTER, LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF THIS AREA AND REALLY UPDATING IT AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE HISTORY IS OF THE AREA, BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO THE, THE NATIVE AMERICANS, THE INDIGENOUS ACTUALLY.
AND SO ACTUALLY REALLY GOING DEEP AND UNDERSTANDING WHO, UM, OCCUPIED IT, UM, AND WHY IS IMPORTANT.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S JUST A WATER SOURCE, BUT IT WAS A TRUE MECHANISM OF LIFE FOR OUR, FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO, UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR, FOR REALLY GETTING IN AND, UM, GIVING US SOMETHING TO WORK WITH.
AND I, I'M HOPING IT'S NOT GONNA BE A PLAN ON A SHELF THAT WE ARE GONNA TAKE IT OUT WHEN BOND COMES AROUND, WHEN PRIVATE DONORS COME AROUND, WHEN GRANT OPPORTUNITIES COME AROUND AND REALLY, UM, BUILDING OUT, UH, THE PARK THAT, THAT SERVES THE REGION.
DO I HAVE QUESTIONS FROM MY VIRTUAL GROUP HERE? CHECKING MY TEXT MESSAGES, SHAKING HEADS? NO.
AND ONCE AGAIN, UH, IF I DON'T DO ANYTHING BUT SIT UP HERE AND TELL YOU, UH, AS, AS ALONG WITH DIRECTOR REVEREND DR. JENKINS, UH, THE HEAVY LIFTING THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DO, I'M NOT TAKING THAT, TAKING THAT LIGHTLY.
I HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS, I KNOW, UH, NOTHING IS PERFECT.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND SOME PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES AS IT RELATES TO, UH, INVESTMENTS, UH, THAT ARE SORELY NEEDED IN SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT WE CONTINUE TO REPRESENT FOR THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
BUT SINCE I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND SPEAK THIS MORNING, I WILL REPEAT ONCE AGAIN TO DIRECTOR JENKINS AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO DO WORK HARD ON GIVING US THE INFORMATION WE NEED.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE BEGIN TO RECOGNIZE AS WE APPROPRIATE, UH, FUNDS AND, UH, AND TO, TO GO OUT TO OUR SPONSORS THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT.
MOST OF THESE PROJECTS ARE GETTING FEDERAL FUNDING.
[01:15:01]
LET'S GET A GRIP.IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT FEDERAL, THE FEDERALISTS THAT THAT COMES, FLOWS THROUGH THE VARIOUS LEVELS.
AND SO WITH THAT COMES A GREAT DEAL OF, OF, OF EXPECTATIONS AROUND BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
AND AS I'VE TALKED TO, UH, DIRECTOR JENKINS, WE HAVE HAD SOME PROJECTS THAT, UM, THAT WE ARE, WE, UH, PARTNER UP WITH THE, WITH A, A NONPROFIT.
AND I KNOW THAT I'M HAVING A CHALLENGE EVEN WITH ONE OF MINE IN THE DISTRICT THAT I SERVE.
YOU CAN'T, THEY, WE MUST CONTINUE TO DISTRESS THE FACT THAT PROBABLY 95% OF THESE PROJECTS ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED.
AND SO THERE CAN'T BE THIS SECRECY THAT THEY'RE OPERATING OUT OF WHEN THEY DON'T WANNA TELL US, UH, JUST WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD OUT THIS PROJECT AND HOW, HOW LONG TERM WHERE THOSE DOLLARS AND CENTS ARE ACTUALLY GOING ONCE IT GETS, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
BUT MASTER PLANNING, I LOVE THE TERM, I LOVE THE INTENT OF IT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I HAVE REALIZED, AND I DO KNOW TODAY, THAT MUCH OF THAT MONEY IS REALLY, IT BOILS DOWN TO TAXPAYERS DOLLARS AND THEY HAVE AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS AND HOW IT'S GONNA BE SPENT.
SO YOU ALL, UH, JUST KIND OF BEAR WITH ME AS I CONTINUE AND WE ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT MY MOTIVE IS ALWAYS ABOUT BEING FAIR, BEING OPEN, BEING TRANSPARENT SO THAT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE, AND I CONTINUE TO REPRESENT A COMMUNITY THAT'S ON THE MOVE, UH, BEYOND THE SYSTEMIC, UM, PRACTICES THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO.
BUT I'M GONNA KEEP SPEAKING BECAUSE I HAVE TO KEEP BRINGING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS SAYING, MASTER PLANNING HAS A GOOD, GOOD, ITS INTENTIONS ARE GOOD, BUT IF IT DOESN'T HAVE FUNDING, IT DOESN'T GO FAR.
SO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR WORK AND THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE MASTER PLANNED OR VISIONED OUT HAVE FUNDING AND A COMMITMENT OF TRANSPARENCY AND DELIVERANCE.
BUT NONE OF IT, NONE OF IT SHOULD EVER BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE WHEN WE LOOK AT POTS OF MONEY AND OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, THIS MONEY'S GETTING READY TO GET TIGHT.
AND AS THE WORD, AS THE SONG GOES, IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE.
IT'S GETTING HOTTER AND HOTTER AS WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING, UH, THESE PROJECTS THAT WE WANNA DO.
SO WE WANNA SEE THEM COME THROUGH, WE WANT TO SEE THEM PROTECTED IN LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF THE, UH, CONTRACTS.
AND OF COURSE, WHETHER IT'S WITH THE CITY, YES, IT'S GONNA BE WITH THE CITY, BUT WITH THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, THEY MAY EVEN HAVE TO GIVE UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, TO GET THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
BUT THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, OF COURSE WE DESERVE IT.
BUT I COULD NOT LET THIS OPPORTUNITY GO, UH, CHAIRWOMAN WITHOUT WEIGHING IN ON THE FACT THAT I DO APPRECIATE AND MY COMMUNITY HAS APPRECIATED WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, THAT NEED THIS PARTICULAR, UM, AMENITY, IF YOU WILL, TO JUST KIND OF BUILD ON, UH, THE CULTURAL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH, CHAIR, AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK.
AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR YOU, BUT LONG TERM, I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND MR. JENKINS AND HIS COMMITMENT, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, AND I'M KIND OF GOING A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE THANK YOU WHEN YOU CAN.
THANK YOU REVEREND DR. JENKINS, FOR WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO AND BEING VERY PATIENT, OF COURSE WITH US AS WE TALK ABOUT MASTER PLANNING AND EQUITY WITH PARKS THROUGHOUT THIS CITY.
UM, I THINK MY COMMENTS WOULD BE, UM, AGAIN, AROUND, I NEED TO PROBABLY GET A BRIEFING ON WHAT THE, UH, FLY POLE HILL MASTER PLAN SAYS AND HOW THAT IS DOVETAILING HOPEFULLY WITH WHAT THIS MASTER PLAN IS LOOKING AT.
UM, I SEE THE FEBRUARY 11TH, UM, WHITE ROCK LAKE TASK FORCE SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHO'S UPDATING WHO? WE WILL GO BACK TO THE TASK FORCE GROUP THAT MEETS MONTHLY AND JUST MEET WITH THEIR, THEY HAVE A SMALLER COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG WHAT WE'RE DOING FROM THE MASTER PLAN.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND JUST GIVE THEM A BRIEFING ONE MORE TIME.
SO, UM, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY WE DON'T HAVE A GROUP THAT'S REPRESENTING FLAGPOLE HILL THAT WE'RE UPDATING ON A REGULAR BASIS.
CHRIS, YOU WANNA COMMENT ON THAT? NO, THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
THE FOCUS HERE WAS REALLY WHAT THE WHITE ROCK LAKE TASK FORCE AND, UM, THE FRIENDS OF THE LAKE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE DIDN'T REALLY FOCUS ON NECESSARILY THE FLAGPOLE HILL AREA SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT WAS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN.
[01:20:02]
I FEEL THE NEED TO GET THEM IN THE LOOPAND I'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHICH GROUP THAT WOULD BE.
UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL GROUPS DOING WORK UP THERE.
UM, BUT WHAT'S AND ON, SO ON MARCH THE SIXTH PARK BOARD IS AND CITY COUNCIL ARE JUST BEING BRIEFED OR THERE A VOTE OF ANY KIND? UM, THE PLAN RIGHT NOW WOULD BE TO BRIEF COUNSEL ON FEBRUARY 26TH, AND IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS OR VERY MINIMAL COMMENTS, THEN WE WOULD TAKE THIS TO PARK BOARD FOR APPROVAL ON MARCH 6TH IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROVAL.
AND THEN FROM APPROVAL, WHAT, WHAT GOES FROM THERE? WHAT IS, ONCE YOU HAVE APPROVAL, WHAT BEGINS TO HAPPEN NEXT? UM, BASICALLY THE PLAN IS FINALIZED AND IT IS UTILIZED FROM THAT POINT FORWARD IN TERMS OF LOOKING FOR DESIGN GUIDELINES OR ANYTHING DEALING WITH WHITE ROCK LAKE.
THIS WILL BE PRETTY MUCH OUR BIBLE FOR WHITE ROCK LAKE MOVING FORWARD.
SO YOU MOVE INTO DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THEN FROM THERE YOU BEGIN TO ACTIVATE CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS? YES, WE WILL, WE WILL UTILIZE THIS MASTER PLAN TO CREATE PROJECTS WITHIN THE NEEDS INVENTORY FOR WHITE ROCK LAKE.
AND THEN THOSE PROJECTS COULD BE CONSIDERED FUTURE BOND PROGRAMS. OKAY.
I JUST THINK I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW FLAGPOLE HILL IS FIGURED INTO THIS WHOLE SYSTEM, UM, BOTH NOW FROM A MAINTENANCE PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS THE, THE MASTER PLAN.
THE OVERALL, THE MASTER PLAN IS GREAT AND I, I DO, I REALLY HONED IN ON THE WORD OF STEWARDSHIP THAT THAT WAS YOUR GUIDING FOCUS AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, IT IS AN ASSET AND HAS, I THINK, BEEN WELL DESIGNED OVERALL, BUT ALWAYS PROBABLY NEEDS TO HAVE LOOKS AND HOW CAN WE CONNECT THINGS BETTER OR, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THINGS IN A BETTER, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THE, SOME OF THE PRAIRIE AREAS AROUND, UM, BOY SCOUT HILL, AND THEN AS YOU GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF MOCKINGBIRD, WHATEVER AREA THAT IS, UM, THAT REALLY, THE WILDFLOWERS ARE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE INVASIVE SPECIES WHO ARE BEGINNING TO, UM, BE A CHALLENGE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PIECES AND PARTS TO THIS, AND I APPRECIATE THE OVERALL GUIDING, UH, FOCUS TO BE STEWARDSHIP.
BY THE WAY, OUR FIRM WAS INVOLVED IN THE FLAGPOLE HILL MASTER PLAN THAT WAS DONE SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO, SO THERE WOULD BE CONTINUITY.
WE, WE KNOW, WE KNEW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.
WHAT, SO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE, WE HAVE A PASSION FOR THAT TOO.
IT'S PRETTY KEY, ISN'T IT? THAT'S GREAT.
OKAY, SO THAT IS THE END OF THIS BRIEF.
WHOOPS, I DUNNO WHY I TURNED MY MICROPHONE OFF.
UM, WE HAVE A MEMO BRIEFING ON, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, ONE, SOME OF OUR GOLF COURSES AND I, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LAWRENCE, THANK YOU FOR, SO DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION OR ARE YOU JUST HERE FOR QUESTIONS? I AM JUST HERE FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE MEMO ON THE STEVENS PARK BOND.
I KNOW I TALKED TO CHAIR WEST AND, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE HE HAD ANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK HE MAY HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I JUST, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FROM STAFF HOW WE HAD PUT MANY PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS DURING THE 2024 BOND PROCESS ABOUT HOW REVENUE BONDS IN THE, IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT, UM, COULD BE USED FOR, UM, FUNDING GOLF COURSE RENOVATION PROJECTS.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE HEARING THAT BOND COUNCIL IS TELLING US IT'S NOT A VIABLE OPTION.
SO PLEASE WALK ME THROUGH THAT.
WELL, WELL, COUNCILMAN AND AFTER THE BOND PROJECT, UH, WENT THROUGH, WE EVALUATED THE PROJECTS AND THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAD FUNDED WAS CEDAR CREST GOLF COURSE AT $1 MILLION.
ORIGINALLY WE HAD ABOUT $15 MILLION IN PROJECTS IN THERE FOR A VARIETY OF GOLF COURSE PROJECTS, UH, FROM CEDAR CREST ALL THE WAY OVER TO LUNA VISTA.
THROUGH THE PROCESS, THOSE WERE REDUCED AND WE ENDED UP WITH $1 MILLION.
AND THROUGH, AFTER THAT PROCESS CAME THROUGH AND BEGINNING ABOUT SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, WE STARTED THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BOND OFFICE AND THE, THE, THE BUDGET OFFICE TO EXPLORE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS REVENUE BONDS.
UM, AFTER MANY CONVERSATIONS, AND IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, ROUND ABOUT DECEMBER THE 12TH, WE DID RECEIVE A MEMO THROUGH THE BOND OFFICE THAT THE, THERE WAS NOT A, AN APPETITE FOR REVENUE BONDS ASSOCIATED WITH GOLF COURSES, UM, THAT THEY WERE A HIGH RISK, UM, FROM THAT END AND WOULD'VE HAVE ASSOCIATED HIGHER INTEREST RATE.
AND THEIR, THEIR ADVICE WAS NOT TO PURSUE THOSE AT THE TIME.
MY QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, JOHN, IS WHY
[01:25:01]
ARE WE JUST LEARNING THIS NOW INSTEAD OF DURING THE BOND DISCUSSIONS? WHEN WE WERE TELLING THE COMMUNITY, AND I'M NOT SAYING I WAS, I'M SAYING STAFF WAS TELLING THE COMMUNITY THAT WE COULD USE, UM, REVENUE BONDS FOR RENOVATION OF GOLF COURSES, WHICH IS THE REPRESENTATION THAT WAS MADE BY STAFF THAT CAUSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL BACK OFF AND WE'LL WORK WITH THAT PROCESS.THAT'S WHAT I WANNA UNDERSTAND.
THROUGH THE PROCESS, I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE BONDS OVERALL, BUT IN DECEMBER WE STARTED HAVING THOSE EARLIER WE STARTED HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS AND THEY JUST WERE DROPPED OFF.
UH, AS FAR AS GETTING TO THE TIMELINE, THE BUDGET OFFICE WAS INVOLVED IN OTHER PROJECTS AND EVALUATING AND AT THAT TIME THEY, THEY GAVE US THEIR ANSWER IN DECEMBER.
SO, SO CAST AROUND, JUST, JUST LEMME MAKE SURE, I KNOW JOHN GAVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT WAS OUR INTENT.
WE THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REVENUE BONDS, JUST LIKE WE EXPLORE ALL KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCING PROJECTS.
AND IN THIS CASE, IN THIS CASE, IT, YOU KNOW, AS JOHN MENTIONED, IT IS JUST NOT AN APPETITE FOR JUST STRAIGHT REVENUE BONDS FOR GOLF COURSES.
UH, THERE MAY BE AN APPETITE LATER IN THE FUTURE.
HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED, AS YOU AND I DISCUSSED, WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIT ON THAT.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE OUR MULTI-YEAR FUNDS FROM THE GOLF COURSES.
THE REVENUE BONDS WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT BECAUSE IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO FINANCE ABOUT THREE OR FOUR GOLF COURSES, PROJECTS AT ONE TIME, BUT NOW I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO SPACE THE PROJECTS OUT BY JUST USING OUR MULTI-YEAR FUNDS.
SO WE HAVE A PATH FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO RENOVATE THE GOLF, I MEAN, THE PRO SHOP AT STEVENS.
ALRIGHT, AND I'M LOOKING AT THAT ON THE MEMO.
I'M, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE ADJUSTING AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.
UM, BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM BOND COUNCIL UNTIL AFTER THE BOND WAS PASSED BY THE VOTERS THAT, UM, WE COULDN'T, THAT REVENUE BONDS WAS NOT A VIABLE OPTION.
I'M GONNA LET IT GO, BUT I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE THAT I THINK THERE'S A LACK OF TRUST NOW FROM AT LEAST MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL GOLF COURSES ON HERE THAT WE'RE RELYING ON THIS, UM, UM, THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO ANYTHING TO FIX THESE GOLF COURSES.
I DON'T WANT NO WAY TO KNOW HOW TO THINK THAT THIS REFLECTS ANYTHING ON THE BOND COUNCIL OR ANYTHING ON THE BUDGET STAFF.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE PROCESSES.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MY INTENTION WERE TO TRULY, I TRULY THOUGHT THAT REVENUE BONDS WERE AN OPTION.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE BOND PROCESS WAS VERY INTENSE.
IT WAS VERY COMPLEX AND THERE'S NO ONE ELSE'S FAULT.
I MEAN, IT WAS JUST A, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT, THAT I THOUGHT WOULD ALLOW US TO GET CREATIVE AND DO MORE PROJECTS MORE THAN JUST ONE.
SO WE STILL HAVE A PATH FORWARD.
WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, IF I MAY, COUNCIL MEMBER, IF I MAY ADD THIS IS, YEAH, HE'S TALKING.
THIS IS JACK IRELAND, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
I'D LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THE CONVERSATION, IF I MAY.
UH, EARLY ON IN THE, UH, BOND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, I DO RECALL HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A COUPLE OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM STEVENS PARK GOLF COURSE AND TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING SOME TYPE OF DEBT SPECIFIC TO IT.
AND I INDICATED AT THE TIME THAT I DID NOT THINK IT WAS A FEASIBLE PROJECT FOR ISSUING SOME TYPE OF REVENUE BONDS.
SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS WERE IN ANY INDICATION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, IT WAS NOT SUPPORTED, UH, AS A POTENTIAL REVENUE BOND, UH, EARLY ON.
SO, UH, I THINK MR. JENKINS HAS A PATH FORWARD THAT WILL ENABLE, UH, SOME GOLF COURSE IMPROVEMENTS AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM ON TRYING TO, UH, FULFILL THOSE, UH, THOSE NEEDS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, THE ONE THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE MOST, WHICH IS STEVENS, UM, AND THE ESTIMATE FOR $3 MILLION FOR THE, THE RESTROOM AND THE KITCHEN.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN ALSO, THIS, THE BIG ISSUE WITH THIS IS THE A DA COMPLIANCE ON THE RESTROOM.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S A TERRIBLE BATHROOM, BUT YOU'VE GOT ONE STALL FOR ALL THE WOMEN GOLFERS AND ONE FOR THE MEN.
AND UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S NOT AADA A COMPLIANT AND I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN ALSO UTILIZE SOME OF THE OLD BOND FUNDS THAT ARE SITTING AROUND FOR A DA COMPLIANCE OR IF THOSE HAVE BEEN SPOKEN FOR.
YEAH, WE'LL DEFINITELY CHECK INTO IT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN I GET A, DO WE HAVE BOND COUNSEL HERE OR JENNY CAN TO GIVE US AN ANSWER IF THE A DA BOND FUNDS ARE SPOKEN FOR? UH, HI JENNY AND I JUST WONDER THE BOND OFFICE.
SO, UM, I WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
[01:30:01]
HAD SOME FROM 2006 THAT, UM, THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY FOR A DA FACILITIES.SO LET, LET ME LOOK AND, UM, MAKE SURE THOSE AREN'T COMPLETELY UTILIZED WITH THE A DA PROJECT THAT'S COMING UP.
WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO CHAIR IF YOU'RE WILLING TO KIND OF BRING THIS UP OCCASIONALLY JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S PROGRESS HERE.
UM, I WOULD FULLY SUPPORT AND, AND ASK FOR THAT.
SO, UH, OTHERWISE I, I'M FINISHED WITH MY QUESTIONS.
YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY PUT THE, PUT THIS ON THE, UM, UM, OUR, OUR UPDATE LIST, OUR LIST WHERE WE, WE JUST BRING IN REGULAR UPDATES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT ON, UM, THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN AS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME PROGRESS THERE.
SO YES, WE WILL PUT GOLF COURSES ON THE SAME LIST.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEY, ADAM, CHAIR? KATHY? YES, CHAIR MORENO.
HEY, UM, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I DO HAVE, UH, A QUESTION, A CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO USING, UH, REVENUE BONDS OR DWU FUNDS.
UH, WE, WHEN WE INCREASE GREEN FEES AT OUR GOLF COURSES IN ORDER TO DO THESE UPGRADES, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT PRICING OURSELVES OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THEN ONCE THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN REPAID, WHEN WE DO REPAIRS IMPROVEMENTS ON OUR GOLF COURSES, I'M NOT SEEING THOSE GREEN FEES GOING BACK DOWN IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BE A, A MEDIAN PRICE WHERE WE'RE STILL ATTRACTING THE GENERAL RESIDENTS OF DALLAS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD A ROUND OF GOLF.
AND SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE REPAYMENT PROCESS WHEN, UM, AND HOW GREEN FEES ARE IMPACTED.
COUNCILMAN I PART OF THE QUESTION THERE, BUT HOW GREEN FEES ARE USED TO PAY BACK LOANS, I BELIEVE IS THE GENERAL QUESTION THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN ONCE THOSE LOANS HAVE BEEN RE UH, REPAID, I'M NOT SEEING THOSE GREEN FEES GOING BACK TO THOSE HISTORICAL NUMBERS, UH, ONCE THOSE LOANS HAVE BEEN REPAID.
N NO, OUR GREEN FEES ARE VERY COMPETITIVE WITH THE MARKET.
WE'RE ABOUT FIVE TO 7% OFF OF THE MARKET OVERALL AND WE DO A STUDY ANNUALLY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COMPETITIVE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE WENT FROM 216,000 ROUNDS TO 277,000 ROUNDS ON AVERAGE AFTER THE PANDEMIC.
AND GOLF IS A VERY POPULAR SPORT RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS PAYMENT IN INCREASING, WE ARE LOOKING AT ANOTHER ROUND OF INCREASES IN, UM, GREEN FEES IN ABOUT TWO YEARS, AND THAT'S TO KIND OF KEEP UP WITH OUR, OUR EXPENSES AND KEYSTAR KEEP OUR COST RECOVERY RATE.
UM, THE OVERALL DALLAS WATER UTILITY LOAN IS PAID BACK IN 2034 AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE HOPE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS WILL GO BACK INTO WHAT WE REFER TO AS OUR MULTI-YEAR FUND.
AND OUR GREEN FEES ARE SPLIT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE MULTI-YEAR FUND.
MULTI-YEAR FUND GETS 55%, WHEREAS THE GENERAL FUND GETS 45% OF OUR TOTAL GREEN FEE REVENUE.
YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ON THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, TO YOUR POINT THAT WE'RE STAYING COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE LET MR. LAWRENCE GO? I DON'T SEE ANY.
YOU GUYS CAN LOOK AT OUR FORECAST, UM, AND THEN GIVE US INPUT IF YOU HAVE ANY CHANGES OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO, UH, TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC.
AND YES, CHAIR WEST, WE WILL GET THIS, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE GOLF COURSE, UM, PLAN AND THE MULTI-YEAR FUNDS AS WE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE READY TO ADJOURN.