* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Commission on Disabilities on March 25, 2025.] [00:00:06] ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES MEETING. TODAY'S DATE IS TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH, 2025, AND THE CURRENT TIME IS 2:00 PM WE HAVE MET QUORUM AND THIS MEETING IS NOW BEING CALLED TO ORDER A FEW HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS PRIOR TO PROCEEDING WITH THE AGENDA ITEMS. FIRSTLY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US REMOTELY, WE KINDLY REQUEST THAT YOU KEEP YOUR CAMERAS ON AT ALL TIMES IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED PRESENT. SECOND, IF YOU WISH TO ASK A QUESTION OR MAKE A COMMENT, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT IN ORDER TO AVOID CONFUSION. AND LASTLY, WE ARE AWARE THAT COMMISSIONERS IN THIS ROOM HAVE MANY CONCERNS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. KINDLY BE ADVISED THAT WE HEAR YOU, BUT REQUEST THAT YOU KEEP YOUR COMMENTS AS BRIEF AND CONCISE AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS IN ORDER TO GIVE OTHERS IN THE ROOM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS AND VOICE THEIR CONCERNS. WE ALSO WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER REEDY, WHO IS NOW OUR NEWLY APPOINTED VICE CHAIR. WELCOME. WE'RE NOW MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER ONE ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS ROLL CALL. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING, PRESENT, WHEN YOUR NAME AND RESPECTIVE DISTRICT ARE CALLED, STARTING WITH COMMISSIONER. PARDON ME? NOW, VICE CHAIR REVY, DISTRICT ONE. COMMISSIONER REVY. DISTRICT ONE PRESENT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER COUNCIL. MELODY COUNCIL. DISTRICT TWO. UH, PRESENT. COMMISSIONER ROD H****R. DISTRICT THREE? NO. OKAY. DISTRICT FOUR IS VACANT. DISTRICT FIVE IS VACANT. DISTRICT SIX IS VACANT. DISTRICT SEVEN IS VACANT. DISTRICT EIGHT IS VACANT. MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONER BEVERLY WHITE. DISTRICT NINE. COMMISSIONER WHITE. DISTRICT NINE HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT COMMISSIONER CHRIS BALLOU. DISTRICT 10. UH, PRESENT WONDERFUL. DISTRICT 11 IS VACANT. DISTRICT 12 IS VACANT. MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONER STEVEN HUKA, DISTRICT 13 PRESENT. WONDERFUL. MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONER ASHLEY LINDSAY, DISTRICT 14 PRESENT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY. AND THIS IS CHAIRMAN JOHN CAL CONLEY, MAYOR APPOINTEE. I AM PRESENT. THIS CONCLUDES THE ROLL CALL SEGMENT OF OUR AGENDA. I WISH TO SINCERELY APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION TO THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES AND ITS EFFORTS. AS A BODY, WE REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS RECOMMENDING BEST PRACTICES FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION IN OUR CITY. AND WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENTS. AND MS. PETERSON, AS IT STANDS, DO WE STILL NOT HAVE PUBLIC SPEAKERS? THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING MS. PETERSON. THEREFORE, THIS CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENT SEGMENT OF OUR AGENDA. AS INDICATED IN OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE EACH COMMISSIONER IN THE ROOM TO INVITE INDIVIDUALS FROM THEIR CIRCLES WHO MAY WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON A VARIETY OF DISABILITY RELATED ISSUES. YOUR INSIGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS VALUED AND APPRECIATED. ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES. KEEP IN MIND, WE ARE APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 25TH, 2025 MEETING. ARE THERE ANY EDITS? ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO MAKE EDITS TO THE MINUTES PRIOR TO THEM BEING APPROVED, STARTING WITH VICE CHAIR, DISTRICT ONE? NO, NOTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL, DISTRICT TWO. NO COMMENTS. THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONER WHITE [00:05:01] DISTRICT NINE. ANY EDITS YOU WISH TO MAKE? YES, I HAVE A COUPLE. UM, YES MA'AM. UNDER, UNDER YOUTH 180, THERE NEEDS TO BE ADDED THAT, UH, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE TO ADD IT ACTUALLY. UM, THROUGH PREVENTION, IT SHOULD BE SAYING THROUGH EDUCATION AND PREVENTION. IT ALSO SHOULD ADD IN THERE LOOKS BEST AFTER ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, INCLUDING ADDICTION, BECAUSE THEY WORK HUGELY WITH ADDICTION IN OUR YOUTH AND GETTING THEM THE MEDICATION THEY NEED AND THE TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED, THE COUNSELING, UM, THAT'S, AND THAT MAINLY WHAT THEY DO. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE EDITS. COMMISSIONER WHITE, WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE NOTE, NOTE OF THEM. DO YOU WISH TO MAKE FURTHER EDITS BEFORE MOVING ON? NO, THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU'RE WELCOME. NEXT, WE, WE MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER BALLOU, DISTRICT 10. DO YOU WISH TO MAKE ANY EDITS TO THE MINUTES? YES, IT'S A MINOR, BUT ON THE LIST OF PEOPLE PRESENT, THE ASTERISK IS SUPPOSED TO NOTE WHO WAS ON VIDEO AND WHO WAS IN THE ROOM. UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S INCORRECT. I KNOW I WAS ON VIDEO. UM, I BELIEVE EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR YOURSELF, UM, VY AND WHITE WERE IN THE ROOM, SO THE REST OF 'EM SHOULD BE REFLECTED ACCURATELY OF WHO WAS ON VIDEO, IF THAT'S IMPORTANT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT. COMMISSIONER BEU. AND WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE NOTE OF IT AND FOR THE RECORDS. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER ISHKA FROM DISTRICT 13. DO YOU WISH TO MAKE ANY EDITS TO THE MINUTES? NO FURTHER COMMENTS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. COMMISSIONER LINDSAY, DISTRICT 14, DO YOU WISH TO MAKE EDITS TO THE MINUTES? NO COMMENT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND THIS IS CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY, DISTRICT 15. I ALSO DO NOT WISH TO MAKE FURTHER EDITS TO THE MINUTES AS WELL. ON THAT NOTE, I MAKE MOTION THAT THE MINUTES BE ACCEPTED AS READ WITH EDITS. MR. BALLOU SECONDS. WONDERFUL. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE. SO THE MOTION PASSES. THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AS READ WITH EDITS. NEXT, WE MOVE ON TO REPORTS. I WILL BEGIN BY PRESENTING THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. ON MARCH THE FIFTH, I ATTENDED A CITYWIDE INTEGRATION MEETING HOSTED BY VISIT DALLAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND. IT WAS A DISTINCT HONOR TO BE INVITED BY VISIT DALLAS AND SHARE ABOUT THE EFFORTS OF THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TO PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE 2025 ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND, WHICH WILL BE HELD FROM JULY 4TH THROUGH THE 11TH. AS IT STANDS, THERE WILL BE OVER 700 ATTENDEES WHO WILL BE A PART OF THIS CONFERENCE. ASIDE FROM SHARING ABOUT OUR WORK, I ALSO INFORMED ATTENDEES TO LET US KNOW IF THE COMMISSION COULD BE OF SERVICE AS DALLAS PREPARES FOR THIS ONE OF A KIND ADVENTURE. THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS MONTH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. AND I WILL NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY WISH TO PROVIDE REPORTS OF THEIR OWN. AS MENTIONED BEFORE, IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO PROVIDE A REPORT AT THIS TIME, YOU MAY INDICATE SO. WHEN YOUR NAME AND RESPECTIVE DISTRICT ARE CALLED, WE WILL START WITH VICE CHAIR REVY, DISTRICT ONE. THANK YOU CHAIRMAN. I HAVE THREE SHORT, UH, ITEMS TODAY. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK STAFF, ESPECIALLY MS. PETERSON, FOR GETTING OUT A LIST OF CONTACTS FOR US. UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU ARE APPRECIATED. SECONDLY, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'VE BEEN REALLY LOOKING AT AGENDAS AND HOW OTHER CITY COMMISSIONS FUNCTION AND THERE'S AN ITEM LACKING ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDED. AND THAT'S, UM, NEW BUSINESS AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ADDED, UH, AFTER THE CHAIR'S REPORT AND AT [00:10:01] AND BEFORE COMMISSIONER'S REPORTS. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING MOTION, I MOVE THAT NEW BUSINESS BE INSERTED INTO OUR AGENDA AS ITEM NUMBER SIX AFTER THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. AND BEFORE COMMISSIONER REPORTS. COMMISSIONER WHITE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER REE FOR PROVIDING THIS REPORT. I DID WANT TO, UM, CLARIFY IF YOU'D BE, IF YOU CAN ELABORATE ON WHY YOU ARE REQUESTING THAT NEW BUSINESS BE ADDED. LIKE WHAT, WHAT, HOW IS IT GOING TO BENEFIT THE CONDUCTING OF OUR MEETINGS? I THINK IT'LL GIVE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC TO INPUT. I THINK IT'S AN INVITATION. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I SECOND THE MOTION. IT HAS BEEN SECONDED. OKAY. SOMEBODY OKAY. I THINK WHITE DID. YES. COMMISSIONER WHITE. SECONDED. YES. SO IN THAT CASE, LET'S OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION STARTING WITH COMMISSIONER TOWNSEL DISTRICT TWO. I SEE. NO PROBLEM WITH THIS. OKAY. MOVING ON TO COMMISSIONER WHITE DISTRICT NINE. UM, WHEN I SERVED ON THE COMMISSIONER FOR SENIOR AFFAIRS, THAT WAS USED EVERY SINGLE MEETING FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD NEW THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO BRING UP BEFORE THE COMMISSION. AND, UM, I STRONGLY URGE EVERYONE TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF IT. OKAY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WHITE. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER BALLOU, DISTRICT 10. NO COMMENTS. I SUPPORT THIS CHANGE. KIND OF GOES MORE WITH STANDARD MEETING PRACTICES. OKAY. UM, NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER SKA, DISTRICT 13. UH, I, I, UH, ECHO THE SENTIMENT TO THE COMMISSIONERS BEFORE ME. NO OBJECTION. THANK YOU. AND LAST, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER LINDSEY, DISTRICT 14. I SUPPORT THIS COMMISSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LINDSEY. AND THIS IS CHAIRMAN CARL CONLEY, DISTRICT 15. I SUPPORT THE MOTION AS WELL. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADDING THIS ADDITIONAL ITEM TO THE AGENDA. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. A. ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE. SO THE MOTION PASSES. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER TWO THAT I HAVE, JULY HAS BEEN TYPICALLY REGARDED AS A QUIET MONTH HERE AT CITY HALL COUNCIL IS IN RECESS THE WHOLE MONTH. THIS BREAK GIVES STAFF A CHANCE TO CATCH UP AND FRANKLY GATHER UP THE STRENGTH TO GO ON WITH THE REST OF THE YEAR. I'M PROPOSING THAT WE NOT MEET IN THE MONTH OF JULY, SO I AM MAKING THE FOLLOWING MOTION. I MOVE THAT THIS COUNCIL, UH, NOT MEET IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. PARDON ME? COMMISSION. UM, VICE CHAIR RIVY, DID YOU SAY THAT YOU MAKE THE MOTION THAT THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMISSION NOT MEET? I'M SORRY. THAT THE COMMISSION THAT WE, OKAY. THIS IS CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY. I SECOND. WE WILL NOW GO TO DISTRICT TWO. I HAVE ONE MORE ITEM. OKAY. UH, RECENTLY I ATTENDED AN EVENT IN DISTRICT ONE. IT WAS SPONSORED BY, UH, THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION AND THEIR COMMISSIONER FROM DISTRICT ONE WAS THE HOST. IT WAS HELD AT A LOCAL CHURCH. IT WAS CALLED A CONVERSATION WITH SENIORS. IT'S THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN TRIED. IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED. THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, A LOT OF ANSWERS. CITY STAFF AND CITY DEPARTMENTS WERE ON HAND TO FACILITATE THE MEETING. AND THERE WAS GOOD CONVERSATION AFTERWARDS. I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULDN'T DO THE SAME THING. AND YOU AND I HAD AN EMAIL EXCHANGE. I ASKED ABOUT MONEY FOR COFFEE AND DONUTS AND NEITHER ONE OF US SEEMS TO KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY MONEY FOR THAT. BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SUGGEST THIS IS NOT A MOTION. I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE TRY AN EVENT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN HAVING THE COMMUNITY COME TO CITY HALL TO TELL US THEIR CONCERNS. WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS. I THINK MORE PEOPLE WILL SHOW UP. I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE IDEA. I, UH, THINK IT COULD BE DONE AT A LOCAL CHURCH OR A MEETING HALL OR A REC CENTER. AND PERHAPS ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS WOULD AGREE TO TAKE THIS ON IN THEIR DISTRICT. I SEE IT AS A GOOD WAY TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY FAMILIAR WITH US. SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WE EXIST. SO THAT'S MY SUGGESTION. CHAIR. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER, OR PARDON ME, EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU COM VICE CHAIR REVIEW FOR SUGGESTING THIS. WE'LL CERTAINLY REFLECT ON THIS AND SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE, BUT THANK YOU. PRIOR TO MOVING ON TO OTHER COMMISSIONER'S REPORTS, THERE WAS A MOTION THAT WAS MADE [00:15:01] TO DISCUSS THE, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE MOTION NOT MEETING IN JULY? YES, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A, UM, VICE CHAIR, UH, VICE CHAIR REY MADE A MOTION THAT WE NOT MEET IN THE MONTH OF JULY, WHICH I SECONDED. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION STARTING WITH COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE DISTRICT TWO. UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE MEASURE. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER WHITE DISTRICT NINE. I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF IT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BALLOU. DISTRICT 10. I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF IT. AND JUST ON A POINT OF ORDER, DO WE HAVE TO DO A ROLL CALL ON EVERY SINGLE MOTION OR CAN WE JUST ASK FOR DISCUSSION? IF THERE IS NO DISCUSSION, MOVE ON. I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO ACTUALLY DO A ROLL CALL. OKAY. IN THE INTEREST OF MAINTAINING TRANSPARENCY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S VOICES ARE HEARD, IT IS BEST PRACTICE TO DO ROLL CALL JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US ARE ON THE SAME PAGE. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER HUSHKA, DISTRICT 13. UH, NO OBJECTION. OKAY. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY DISTRICT 14. NO OBJECTION. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY, DISTRICT 15. I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS AS WELL. ON THAT NOTE. AND ON THAT NOTE, NOTE, THEN WE MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO NOT THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES MEETING, NOT MEET IN THE MONTH OF JULY. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE. SO THE MOTION PASSES. THERE WILL BE NO COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES MEETING IN THE MONTH OF JULY. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER FOR WE ARE CONTINUING OUR COMMISSIONER'S REPORT SECTION. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE, DISTRICT TWO. DO YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH? YES, I HAVE A FEW SHORT ITEMS. UH, MY FIRST IS SOME PROGRESS IN DISTRICT TWO THAT WE'RE FAIRLY EXCITED ABOUT. UM, THERE WAS A LONGSTANDING BATTLE, AND IT MAY SEEM SMALL, BUT, UH, DEVELOPER HAD PUT A STOP SIGN SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF A SIDEWALK RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GO AROUND THAT STOP SIGN. IT'S TAKEN MORE THAN A YEAR AND THE SUPPORT OF SEVERAL MEMBERS OF CITY STAFF AND LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS, AND A FEW APPEARANCES ON CHANNEL EIGHT. BUT, UH, THAT STOP SIGN HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED AND, UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THAT, UM, THAT CORNER RESTORED. UM, AND IT'S PRETTY EXCITING. ALONG THE SAME LINES, UM, I HAD BEEN FLAGGING FOR, UM, FLAGGING FOR, UM, MY COUNCILMAN JESSE MORENO. UM, SEVERAL AREAS WHERE IT'S COMPLETELY IMPASSABLE AROUND THE LORENZO HOTEL OVER TO, UM, THIS, TO, UH, THIS ALAMO CEDARS. AND AS OF THE LAST WEEK WE'VE HAD FOUR NEW, UM, HANDICAP BLIPS INSTALLED THAT ALLOWS WHEELCHAIR ACCESS. THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO GO, BUT IT IS HUGE PROGRESS. AND, UH, NO LONGER ARE THERE CRUMBLING. TWO TALL SIDEWALKS RIGHT THERE. THOSE HAVE BEEN PATCHED REPAIRED. SO IT'S A, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BETTER ABLE TO GET FROM THE LORENZO TO THE CEDARS ON A SIDEWALK IF YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR, WHICH WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT. AND THEN THE FINAL THING IS, UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS LATELY ON A, UM, UH, PLAYGROUND THAT'S BEING BUILT BY A 5 0 1 C3 IN THE HONOR OF A CHILD WHO PASSED AWAY IN A CAR WRECK. AND, UM, I WAS SPEAKING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE FUNDRAISING FOR THAT. AND IT IS, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL BE MAKING IT AN ALL INCLUSIVE, UM, UH, PARK WITH ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY. AND THERE'LL BE AN ARTIST RENDERING BEFORE TOO LONG AND I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO THE COMMISSION. BUT ALL THREE THINGS THAT ARE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS FOR US HERE IN THE CEDARS. AND HOPEFULLY MORE TO COME. I'M ONLY GETTING MY SEA LEGS, SO I'M FINALLY GETTING OUT AND GETTING ALL THE REPORTS BACK IN. AND TO MR. REED'S POINT, I WOULD LOVE TO SPONSOR ONE OF THOSE EVENTS 'CAUSE IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT BETTER AND TO BETTER REPRESENT THEM. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL FOR SHARING YOUR REPORT. WE'LL CERTAINLY KEEP THESE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS IN MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER WHITE, DISTRICT NINE. DO YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A REPORT? I DO. FIRST OFF, UH, AS TO COMMISSIONER REY'S, UH, WE'VE DONE THINGS LIKE THAT IN DISTRICT NINE AND DISTRICT TWO. UH, BECAUSE I LIVE IN DISTRICT TWO AND SERVE IN DISTRICT NINE. UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING, UH, MEETINGS LIKE THAT AT HARRY STONE REC CENTER FOR SOME TIME. WE JUST COMBINE IT WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE AND PHENOMENALLY THEY PUT THE BILL FOR IT. SO SO THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TOO. BUT THEY'RE VERY WELL ATTENDED. UM, MOVING ON, I MET WITH, UH, BRIAN TONY, WHO'S WITH THE DALLAS HOUSING COALITION. [00:20:01] UM, I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR SOME YEARS. AND, UM, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE PLANNING TO CHANGE THEIR PARKING RATIOS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS. AND, UM, HE EXPLAINED IN, IN DETAIL, UM, I WOULD LIKE HIM TO COME PRESENT SOMETIME. 'CAUSE IT'S, WE MET FOR QUITE A WHILE. UM, MOSTLY WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT LIMITING IT WOULD BE WHERE IT'S BY A DART STATION OR WHATEVER. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THAT'S ALL FINE AND GOOD FOR NICE, HEALTHY YOUNG MEN LIKE HIM. BUT THAT THERE ARE THOSE OF US THAT CAN'T WALK FOR 15 MINUTES. UM, THAT CAN'T, I CAN'T NAVIGATE THE, UM, TRANSIT SYSTEM. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW. I AM DISABLED. I HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND I GET CONFUSED EASILY. AND THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IS VERY GOOD ABOUT CONFUSING. ANYWAY. THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE GONNA STAY WITH A DA BUT THE PROBLEM THAT I SAW WAS THAT, AND I PROPOSED TO HIM WHERE THEY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PARKING. SAY I'M JUST PULLING NUMBERS. SAY IT USED TO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE FOUR FOR THE ORIGINAL, UH, REQUIREMENT FOR PARKING. NOW IT WOULD ONLY BE TWO. I WANT 'EM TO STAY WITH FOUR BECAUSE THE, THE DISABLED PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE USING ALL THAT STUFF THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. THEY'RE NOT REALLY GONNA BE RIDING BICYCLES AND, UH, WALKING FOR AN HOUR OR USING THE TRANSIT SYSTEM. UM, UH, HE DID EXPLAIN TO ME THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE, UH, WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO DO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, LOWER INCOME HOUSING. UM, NOT, NOT SECTION EIGHT, NOT TERRIBLY LOW, BUT JUST MORE AFFORDABLE. AND HE'S CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO, UH, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR, UM, GETTING ACCESSIBLE, UM, APARTMENTS INVOLVED IN SOME, AT LEAST SOME OF THESE. UM, HE'S PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH ABOUT ALL OF IT. UH, LIKE I SAID, I, I WOULD LIKE HIM TO COME PRESENT AT SOME POINT. HE WAS AGREEABLE TO THAT. UH, SECOND, I'D LIKE TO THANK GARY COPELAND FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN FINDING RESOURCES FOR A FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAD A, A FALL. AND HE'S CURRENTLY PARALYZED FROM THE NECK DOWN AND HE NEEDS ALL KINDS OF ASSISTANCE. AND GARY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUICK RESPONSE TO IT. UH, WHICH LEADS ME INTO, I HAVE A, WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CREATE A SIMPLIFIED DOCUMENT OF DISABILITY RESOURCES. NOT ALL DISABLED PEOPLE ARE COMPUTER KNOWLEDGEABLE. AND, UM, I FIND EVEN WHAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE CONFUSING AND NOT ALL OF 'EM ARE. I MEAN, WE NEED A LIST THAT'S EASY TO ACCESS, CAN BE PASSED OUT AT THESE KIND OF MEETINGS. WE HAD IT IN COMMISSION ON SENIOR AFFAIRS AND THAT WE USED IT OFTEN. UM, SOMETHING THAT'S ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO WHAT IT MIGHT BE FOR. UM, ANYWAY, I MAKE A MOTION THAT, UH, THAT DOCUMENT BE CREATED. I SECOND. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR SECONDING ON THIS MOTION. WE WILL START BY, WE'LL START DISCUSSING THE MOTION, STARTING WITH VICE CHAIR EV, DISTRICT ONE. EXCELLENT IDEA. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER WHITE. UM, THE CITY'S WEBSITE IS VERY WELL DONE, BUT IT'S CUMBERSOME AND CAN BE SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. SO I APPLAUD THIS EFFORT TO SEPARATE OUT RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. THANK YOU VICE CHAIR REVY FOR THIS. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER TWO. UM, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY CONCUR. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER TOWNSEL. AND NOW WE HAVE COMMISSIONER H****R FROM DISTRICT THREE WHO JUST JOINED US. WELCOME COMMISSIONER COM. COMMISSIONER H****R, ANY COMMENTS ON THE MOTION THAT YOU JUST HEARD? UH, NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS. YES. SO THE COMMISSIONER WHITE MADE A MOTION THAT THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES CREATE A RESOURCE LIST THAT IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. SO WE JUST WANTED TO RECEIVE YOUR COMMENT ON THAT. EXCUSE ME. A WRITTEN RESOURCE LIST, NOT A COMPUTER RESOURCE LIST. OKAY. YES. UM, WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO PLAY WITH WORDS HERE. WHETHER IT'S COMPUTER OR WRITTEN DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT DOES TO ME. OKAY. NEXT WE GO TO, UH, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER WHITE. YOU ALREADY, WELL, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MADE THE MOTION. SO NOW WE GO TO COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER BALLOU, DISTRICT 10. [00:25:07] COMMISSIONER BALLOU, YOU'RE MUTED. I APOLOGIZE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I'M GOOD WITH THIS. HOWEVER, I, I THINK WE BLAZED OVER THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE MOTION IS CAPTURED AS IT WAS STATED AND WE'RE VOTING ON THE WAY IT WAS STATED, WHICH I BELIEVE THE REQUEST WAS THAT THERE WAS A WRITTEN DOWN PRINTABLE LIST. AND WE DO, IT DOES MATTER HOW IT'S ASSESSED. SO, TO, TO, TO SAY THAT. SO, UM, THAT IS MY ONLY COMMENT. I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT, BUT I WANT IT, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT AS IT WAS PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. YEAH, THAT IS A VERY GOOD POINT. SO IT'S, IT APPEARS THAT SO FAR THE COMMISSIONERS ARE IN SUPPORT OF CREATING A WRITTEN RESOURCE LIST, WHICH WAS REC RECOMMENDED. AND, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MO THE, UM, POINTS OF OTHER COMMISSIONERS BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS MOTION. I UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU HAD DISMISSED HER CLARIFICATION THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER. AND IT DOES, WHEN A MOTION IS PRESENTED, IT HAS TO BE VOTED ON THE WAY IN WHICH IT WAS PHRASED BY THE PERSON WHO MADE IT, IT DOES NOT GET TO GET REVISED. OKAY. FIRST THINGS FIRST. COMMISSIONER BLUE. LET'S JUST BE CLEAR ON WHAT IT IS HERE. I WAS NOT BEING DISMISSIVE OF COMMISSIONER REY'S SUGGESTION TO BEGIN WITH SUGGESTING THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER. THE ONLY REASON WHY I SAID IT DIDN'T MATTER WAS BECAUSE I DID NOT HEAR THE WORD WRITTEN. AND EVEN IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S COMMISSIONER WHITE CHAIR, EXCUSE ME, I'M, I'M TALKING RIGHT NOW. WHITE. YES. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO COMMISSIONER REEDY AND SHE DIDN'T MAKE THE MOTION. I DID. OKAY. YEAH, EXACTLY. COMMISSIONER WHITE. AND BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING. COMMISSIONER BALLOU, YOU, YOU SAYING THAT I WAS BEING DISMISSIVE OF COMMISSIONER WHITE'S SUGGESTION IS ACTUALLY A MISNOMER. 'CAUSE ONE, I DID NOT HEAR THE WORD WRITTEN. AND TWO, EVEN IF IT IS TYPED ON A COMPUTER, IT IS WRITTEN. SO I DON'T THINK WE ARE IN A POSITION TO BE PLAYING WITH WORDS HERE NO MATTER WHAT. I ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR RESPONSE. THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING. NEXT WE GO, COMMISSIONER HUSHKA, DISTRICT 13. UH, NO OBJECTION TO THE PROPOSAL. THANK YOU. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY. UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS STAFF, IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTS CURRENTLY THAT COULD BE ADDED UPON, UM, FOR MORE RESOURCES LIKE COMMISSIONER WHITEHEAD ASKED FOR. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS STAFF TO RESPOND AT THIS POINT. THE CITY OF DALLAS. SO COMMISSIONER LINDSAY, YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT. SO THE CITY OF DALLAS STAFF ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSION IN OUR MOTION IN THE WORK THAT WE DO. BUT IF YOU WISH TO, UM, ADDRESS IT WITH YOU MAY CERTAINLY YOU, YOU MAY FEEL FREE TO DO SO AT YOUR OWN TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, THEN COMMISSIONER WHITE, I JUST HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU. WHAT KIND OF RESOURCE ON THIS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE WEREN'T EASILY ACCESSIBLE, UH, WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING FOR THEM? WELL, IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE I, I HAD TO WRITE GARY COPELAND TO GET THE ASSISTANCE THAT I NEEDED FOR, UH, RAMPS ALTERATIONS TO THEIR HOUSE. UM, OKAY. ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HE'S GONNA NEED. AND HE HAD TO GO TO A, THE, THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE THAT, UH, SPONSORS THE COMMISSION, UH, SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION. IN ORDER TO GET MY INFORMATION, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION HERE. AGREED. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WELCOME. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE OUR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, CHRIS GRAVES, WHO WISHES TO RESPOND. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR CO CONLEY, DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION. CURRENTLY THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION HAS A, A DA STAKEHOLDER LIST, NOT CURRENTLY A RESOURCE LIST, BUT WE HAVE DISCUSSED BUILDING OUT THE WELCOMING DASHBOARD TO INCLUDE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE DISABILITIES. AND WE COULD WORK TO EXPORT THAT TO CREATE A WRITTEN DOCUMENT THAT'S EASILY PRINTABLE. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THAT AND THEN BRIEFING THE COMMISSION AT A LATER POINT ON THE DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU MR. GRACE, FOR RESPONDING TO THIS. AND THIS IS CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY. I AM CERTAINLY IN SUPPORT OF HAVING A WRITTEN RESOURCE LIST SO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS OUT THERE SO THAT THEY, THEY'RE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND CAN KNOW THE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES TO ACCESS WHEN THE NEED COMES. SO, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE DO SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. EXCUSE ME. COMM UH, CHAIR. YES. COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL HAS HER HAND UP. SHE'S TRYING TO SPEAK. OKAY. YES. COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL. YOU DID HAVE YOUR HAND UP. YEAH, I'LL MAKE THIS BRIEF. UM, WHEN WE'RE [00:30:01] TALKING ABOUT A WRITTEN RESOURCE LIST, WE WOULD INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, BRAILLE FOR THAT, CORRECT? YES. THANK YOU. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. YES. THANK YOU. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACCESSIBILITY IS ENHANCED. I THINK THAT'S PART, PART OF THE REASON WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S EXTERNAL FROM THE WEB, UM, FOR MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. THAT'S PERFECTLY YES. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION BEFORE WE VOTE? YES. COMMISSIONER BALLOU, CAN I ASK THAT THE MOTION BE READ BACK AS WHAT WE WERE VOTING ON? 'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THAT. SO IF WE COULD HAVE THE MOTION HOW YOU, HOW IT'S BEING STATED. UNDERSTOOD. COMMISSIONER WHITE, IF YOU'D BE SO KIND TO CLARIFY THE MOTION THAT YOU HAD SUGGESTED, SO THAT ALL OF US ARE ON THE SAME PAGE. I AM. THE MOTION IS TO CREATE A SIMPLIFIED DOCUMENT OF DISABILITY RESOURCES SEPARATE FROM THE INTERNET THAT CAN BE ACCESSED EASILY AND HANDED OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT MOTION PRIOR TO VOTING ON THIS. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION IN THAT CASE THEN? ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION PLEASE DO SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE. SO THE MOTION PASSES REPORTS. UM, COMMISSIONER H****R, WE ARE STILL ON THE SEGMENT WHERE COMMISSIONERS ARE PROVIDING REPORTS OF THEIR OWN FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. MARCH. DID YOU WISH TO MAKE A REPORT? UH, NO. CHAIR. I DO NOT HAVE A REPORT. MS. MUT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, YOU SKIPPED OVER ME. YES. UM, I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO, I WAS GOING TO SAY YOUR NAME. SO IT'S YOUR TURN. COMMISSIONER BLUE DISTRICT, NOT 10. DO YOU PROVIDE A REPORT? ACTUALLY, I HAD THE REPORT. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE DOING IT IN THE ORDER THAT YOU NORMALLY DO IT IN. YES. I MEAN, I AM DOING WHAT I'M SPO YES. THANK YOU. I MEAN, I'M FULLY AWARE AND BECAUSE THIS, WE HAD THIS MOTION AND WE HAD SEVERAL MOTIONS TODAY THAT IS CON THAT IS MAKING, CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION. BUT KINDLY BE ADVISED THAT, THAT I AM CALLING COMMISSIONERS IN THE, IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY ARE PRESENTED. SO THANK YOU. SO IT'S MY, IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING. YOU DO NOT WISH TO PROVIDE A REPORT. NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER HUSHKA DISTRICT 13. UH, NO REPORT AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALSO. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY DISTRICT 14. THANK YOU. YES, I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COMMISSIONERS ON THE COUNCIL JUST TO HEAR THEIR PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES. AND SO IF YOU SEE AN EMAIL FROM ME, I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO YOU. ALSO. UM, I REALLY LIKED, UH, VICE CHAIR REY'S SUGGESTION OF THE COMMUNITY MEETING. AND I TOO WOULD, UH, BE OPEN TO HOSTING SOMETHING IN DISTRICT 14 OR COLLABORATING WITH OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WOULD LIKE TO HOST SOMETHING. UH, SO I'LL REACH OUT TO COMMISSIONER TOWNSEL AND COMMISSIONER WHITE SINCE YOU BOTH SPOKE UP ABOUT THAT AS WELL, TO SEE IF WE CAN COLLABORATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY FOR SHARING YOUR REPORT AT THIS TIME. THIS CONCLUDES THE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT, SEC SEGMENT OF THIS AGENDA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR REPORTS AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT SHARE THIS MONTH, WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY NEXT MONTH. WE'RE NOW MOVING TO THE BRIEFING SEGMENT OF OUR AGENDA. WE HAVE SEVERAL PRESENTERS TODAY. OUR FIRST PRESENTATION IS ENTITLED DISABILITY PRIDE, FLAG AND OVERVIEW. WE ARE VERY DELIGHTED TO HAVE OUR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, CHRIS GRAVES, WHO WILL BE SHARING WITH US AN OVERVIEW OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG, AND CITY PROCEDURES RELATING TO FLAG RAISING. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I NOW WELCOME MR. GRAVES TO THE PODIUM TO GIVE HIS PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AL CONLEY TO THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS BRIEFING. OF COURSE, AS CHAIR SAID, MY NAME IS CHRIS GRAVES. I SERVE AS THE HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS WITHIN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION WORK. ALONGSIDE MY UH, UH, EXCELLENT COLLEAGUES, GARY COPELAND AND KELSEY PETERSON. AND OF COURSE AT THE REQUEST OF CHAIR CON, WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO SECURE APPROVALS FOR THE CITY TO POSSIBLY RAISE THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG IN [00:35:01] JULY OF 2025. NEXT SLIDE. HERE WE GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION WE'LL GO THROUGH TODAY. OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG, THE DIFFERENT REVISIONS IT'S UNDERTAKEN. WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL HISTORY AND CONTEXT SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OF DALLAS. FOR AN INITIATIVE LIKE THIS, THERE ARE NUMEROUS STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS DIFFERENT LEVELS. WE WOULD HAVE TO ENGAGE FOR APPROVALS. WE'LL ALSO TAKE YOU THROUGH AN ESTIMATED TIMELINE. IF THE COMMISSION PROCEEDS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ESSENTIAL ROLE THE COMMISSION WILL PLAY IN SUPPORTING THE INITIATIVE. WILL NEXT BRIEF AS FAR AS THE ITEM FOR THE COMMISSION, IF IT SO MOVES TO DISCUSS POTENTIALLY A VOTE TO PROCEED, WE'LL THEN TAKE YOU THROUGH THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE COMMISSION. AND OF COURSE, WE WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE NEXT SLIDE. EXCELLENT. SO THIS IS A SLIDE ON THE HISTORY OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. I WANNA POINT OUT THERE ARE TWO IMAGES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. THEY BOTH REPRESENT DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. TOPMOST IS THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTION OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG WITH THE ZIGZAG BRIGHTLY COLORED LINES. ON THE BOTTOM IS A PICTURE OF THE MORE CONTEMPORARY DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG WITH THE NEW COLORS. SO OF COURSE THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED BY ANN MCGILL. SHE WAS A WRITER AND DISABILITY ACTIVIST. THIS WAS BACK IN 2019. NOW THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTION DID INCLUDE, AS I SAID, THE BRIGHTLY COLORED ZIGZAG LIKE ZIGZAG STRIPES OVER A BLACK BACKGROUND. OF COURSE, THE ZIGZAGS WERE MEANT TO REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FACED IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. AND OF COURSE, THE BLACK BACKGROUND WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FACE IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. NOW IT WAS REDESIGNED IN 2021 WITH INPUT FROM PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THIS IS BECAUSE THE ZIGZAGS AND THE BRIGHTLY COLORED LINES WERE, UH, JARRING TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. SO THEY SUGGESTED SOME MODIFICATIONS. WE WANNA POINT OUT THAT EACH COLOR REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DISABILITY. SO RED REPRESENTS PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. GOLD REPRESENTS NEURODIVERSITY. WE ALSO HAVE WHITE, WHICH COULD INCLUDE INVISIBLE DISABILITIES AS WELL AS THE DISABILITIES THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED. FOLLOWING THAT, WE HAVE BLUE, WHICH IS EMBLEMATIC OF EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE GREEN, WHICH INCLUDES SENSORY DISABILITIES. THIS COULD INCLUDE DEAFNESS, BLINDNESS, HEART OF HEARING, ET CETERA. NEXT SLIDE. HERE WE HAVE THE SAME TWO PICTURES WE HAVE IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE OF THE TWO DIFFERENT CONCEPTIONS, THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. AND OF COURSE HERE WE WANT TO TAKE YOU THROUGH WHAT THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG STANDS FOR, WHAT IT'S EMBLEMATIC OF. SO IT REALLY SIGNIFIES THE FULL EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, INCLUDING DIGNITY, PRIDE, AND STRUGGLE. OF COURSE, WITH A CONTEMPORARY VERSION AND THE CHARCOAL GRADE BACKGROUND, PEOPLE SEE THIS AS REPRESENTATIVE OF MOURNING FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF ABLEISM IF THEY'VE BEEN SUBJECTED TO VIOLENCE AND ABUSE DUE TO THEIR DISABILITY. THE DIAGONAL BANS AND LINES THAT CUT ACROSS THE BLACK BACKGROUND SIGNIFY THE WALLS AND BARRIERS THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OFTEN FACE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. BUT OF COURSE, AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND, WE HAVE BRIGHT COLORS, WHICH REPRESENT LIGHT AND CREATIVITY SHINING THROUGH THE DARKNESS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. HERE WE HAVE THE SAME TWO PICTURES OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. AND OF COURSE HERE WE WANNA PROVIDE JUST SOME ADDITIONAL HISTORY AND CONTEXT SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OF DALLAS. NOW OF COURSE, FLAGS CAN BE VALUABLE TOOLS TO RAISE AWARENESS THROUGH A SYMBOL OF SOLIDARITY, PRIDE, AND ACCEPTANCE. WE HAVE SEEN THAT DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE RISEN THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. THIS INCLUDES SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AS WELL AS CINCINNATI, OHIO. WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE CITY HAS A PROCESS FOR RAISING FLAGS. AND SO THE FLAG RISEN MUST HAVE THE CITY SEAL ON IT UNLESS COUNCIL APPROVES FOR IT NOT TO HAVE THE SEAL. IF IT DOES PROCEED ACROSS NUMEROUS APPROVALS, AND IF A RESOLUTION IS PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL, THE FLAG WILL NEED TO BE PURCHASED. NEXT SLIDE HERE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS YOU WOULD ENGAGE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES TO PROCEED VISUALLY, WHAT WE SEE ARE A SERIES OF STEPS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE EMBLEMATIC OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF APPROVAL THAT WE WOULD WORK THROUGH ON THIS IDEA OF RAISING THE DISABILITY PRIVATE FLAG. OF COURSE, HERE MARCH, 2025, WE START WITH THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES. IF THE COMMISSION SO MOVES AND DISCUSSES THE REQUEST TO PROPOSE, IT WOULD THEN MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. WE WOULD ESTIMATE THAT TO BE IN APRIL, 2025. AND WE WOULD THEN BRIEF OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION TO SEE IF IT CAN PROCEED. FROM THERE, IT GOES TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WITH CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. WE ESTIMATE IN THE SAME MONTH, APRIL, 2025, WHO MAKES THE SAME DETERMINATION. IF WE SECURE THE APPROVALS DURING THAT SAME MONTH, WE WOULD PREPARE A MEMO FOR THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE MEETS ONCE A MONTH. WE [00:40:01] ESTIMATE THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN MAY, 2025, WHERE THE WE COMMITTEE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY WOULD CONSIDER THE MEMO ON THE INITIATIVE. NEXT SLIDE. HERE WE SEE, WE SEE THE SAME VISUAL REPRESENTATION OR DIFFERENT STEPS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIFFERENT PROCESS WE WOULD'VE TO FOLLOW. SO IF THE WE COMMITTEE PROCEEDS, WE WOULD THEN WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DRAFT THE RESOLUTION. WE ESTIMATE THIS WOULD BE IN MAY, 2025. CITY COUNCIL, WE ESTIMATE WOULD CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION TO RAISE THE DISABILITY PROJECT IN JUNE OF 2025. BECAUSE OF THE VERY SHORT TIMELINE WE'D BE WORKING WITH IN THE SAME MONTH, WE WOULD START TO COORDINATE WITH FACILITIES AND REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT, THE BLACK MARSHAL, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OFFICE TO COORDINATE THE REVIEW OF THE FLAG WE WOULD RAISE IN JULY, 2025 IS OF COURSE THE RAISING OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. IF IT RECEIVES APPROVAL, WE DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT IT WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE A DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG RAISING EVENT. WE WOULD WANNA SUGGEST THAT THIS IS SEPARATELY CONSIDERED JUST FROM THE PROPOSAL TO ACTUALLY RAISE THE FLAG BY THE CITY. BUT IF THE COMMISSION DID SEPARATELY CONSIDER AND DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN EVENT, REALLY WE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATION BETWEEN OFFICE EQUITY INCLUSION, THE COMMISSION AND DISABILITIES, AS WELL AS OUR SUGGESTED, UH, STAKEHOLDER WOULD ALSO BE THE DISABILITIES AND ACCESSIBILITIES EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP, WHO HAS ALSO MADE THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG A FOCUS IN PAST COMMUNICATIONS. AND SO FOR THE ACTUAL EVENT, THIS WOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF THE A DA ANNIVERSARY EVENT. NEXT SLIDE. NOW THIS SLIDE VISUALLY REPRESENTS AN ARROW AND ENCOMPASSES THREE DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE WE ANTICIPATE THAT IT WOULD BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE. SO WE'RE GONNA START ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES TO PROCEED WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION TO RAISE THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG, WE WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE IT'S A PRIORITY IN UPCOMING MEETINGS. THIS MEANS THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BALANCED AGAINST DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUDGET TIME TO FOCUS ON IT, PROVIDE UPDATES, AS WELL AS IT WOULD ALSO GIVE THE COMMISSIONERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY HOW THEY HAVE SUPPORTED THE RAISING OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG IF THEY'VE ENGAGED THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER, ET CETERA. THE COMMISSION WILL ALSO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE WE WOULD SEE IN ENGAGEMENT. AND SO SUCCESS AT THE INITIATIVE WOULD REALLY DEPEND ON GIVING COUNCIL MEMBER BUY-IN. AND SO WE WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF ADMISSION TO ENGAGE THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ON THIS INITIATIVE AND REALLY TO GET THEIR SUPPORT IF IT DOES PROCEED TO GOING TO CITY COUNCIL AND THEY CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION. THIS WOULD BE AN IDEAL TIME FOR COMMISSIONERS TO ALSO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, VOICE THEIR SUPPORT OF THE INITIATIVE. AND OF COURSE, FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION FOR THE AN ACTUAL EVENT TO COMMEMORATE THE RAISING OF THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMMISSION'S ACTIVE COLLABORATION AND HOSTING THE EVENT. AND REALLY THERE WOULD BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION. THIS COULD BE IDENTIFYING PEOPLE TO INVITE VOLUNTEERING DAY OF AND EVEN ATTENDING THE LIVE EVENT. AND OF COURSE, THAT THIS IS ALL IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF THE COMMISSION'S. CONTINUE COMMITMENT TO ADVISE TO CITY COUNCIL AND CITY RELATED ISSUES. PROVIDE A FORUM FOR VOICE SEEING AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE CITY'S DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. NEXT SLIDE. HERE, WE'RE GOING TO STATE THE ITEM FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER IF IT IS SO MOVED, SECONDED, AND DISCUSSED. THE ITEM READS, RECOMMEND STAFF TO SEEK APPROVALS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A RESOLUTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO FLY THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG ON THE FLAG POLE AT CITY HALL, 1500 MARILLA AND OTHER CITY OPERATED FACILITIES IN PLACE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS. OFFICIAL FLAG FROM JULY 1ST TO JULY 22ND, 2025, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER ON JULY 26TH, CELEBRATE DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH IN THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT. A DA. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND HERE WE HAVE SOME HELPFUL REMINDERS AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, SINCE WE HAVE READ THE ITEM FOR THE, FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER. OF COURSE, A MOTION IS REQUIRED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE ITEM. A SECONDED IS NEEDED FOR THE MOTION TO GO ON THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION. WE WOULD NEED A SIMPLE MAJORITY FOR THE MOTION TO PASS, AND THEN UPON ADOPTION OF THE MOTION, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION. AND OUR TEAM WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS OF SEEKING APPROVALS AND PROVIDE THE COMMISSION WITH UPDATES AND WAYS TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT. NEXT SLIDE. EXCELLENT. AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. AND WE WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS FROM CHAIR MCC CONNOLLY, VICE CHAIR, RAY, AND OF COURSE ALL OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. [00:45:01] GRACE, FOR THIS VERY INFORMATIVE AND ENGAGING PRESENTATION. THIS IS CERTAINLY, UM, AND AN INITIATIVE THAT I THINK THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES WOULD CERTAINLY BE HONORED TO TAKE. PARDON IN. UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I MEAN, SHOWING RESPECT TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BEGINS BY HONORING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE AND BEARING WITNESS TO THE LESSONS OF HISTORY AND BECOMING THE DEFENDERS OF TRUTH. SO THIS IS, I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE DID THIS PRESENTATION TODAY, AND I HONESTLY THINK THAT I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF THE, OF ADOPTING A RESOLUTION FOR DISABILITY FLAG RAISING, AND EVEN PERHAPS DOING AN EVENT. SO I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DISCUSS THIS AS A COMMISSION PRIOR TO ANY ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN. SECOND, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IN THAT CASE THEN, SINCE COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE HAS SECONDED, I WOULD LIKE TO NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO VICE CHAIR REVY TO OFFER COMMENTS. SIR, WHO PAYS FOR THE FLAG? DOES THIS COMMISSION HAVE A BUDGET TO PAY FOR THE FLAG? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. VICE CHAIR. RAVI, THE COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE A BUDGET. THE BUDGET FOR THE COMMISSION WOULD COME FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE, DISTRICT TWO. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS SO MUCH A QUESTION AT, WELL, I GUESS IT IS. UM, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS WE ARE LIVING THROUGH A TIME OF POLITICAL TURMOIL RIGHT NOW, AND THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS GOING ON ABOUT, UM, ANYTHING THAT HAS THE NAME, PRIDE ON IT OR ANYTHING THAT HAS FEDERAL FUNDING ATTACHED TO IT. AND I'M WONDERING, UM, IF YOU'VE THOUGHT THROUGH WHAT ROLE THIS NEW POLITICAL BACKDROP MIGHT HAVE ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS MOTION? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER COUNCIL. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP. IT IS A CONTEXT WE HAVE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH AND OF COURSE, DURING THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF APPROVALS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT LEADERSHIP IS GONNA TAKE FROM OUR DIRECTOR, FROM OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. SO, UH, IF THE COMMISSION DOES PROCEED, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO FLAG THAT AS IT IS REVIEWED BY LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MR. GRACE FOR CLARIFYING THOSE POINTS. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER, UH, H****R DISTRICT THREE. UH, I HAVE NO COMMENT. OKAY, NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER WHITE DISTRICT NINE. UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT REALLY TRUTHFULLY SURE WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO KNOW WHAT THE FLAG IS. BUT, UM, I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION, I MEAN TO AMEND THE MOTION. SORRY. UM, I WANT THE TWO ISSUES SEPARATE THE VOTING ON THE FLAG AND THE VOTING ON THE EVENT BECAUSE IF THE FLAG DOESN'T PASS, WE DON'T NEED AN EVENT. SO I THINK THE MO THE VOTING ON THE EVENT SHOULD HAPPEN AFTER IT'S DETERMINED WHETHER THERE'S GOING TO BE A FLAG. I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD POINT. COMMISSIONER, EVIE, BECAUSE THESE TWO INSTANCES ARE SEPARATE, THE FLAG RESOLUTION AND THE EVENT, THEN UH, WE WOULD CERTAINLY NEED TO VOTE ON THEM SEPARATELY. SO THEREFORE I SECOND THAT MOTION. UM, COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH, MY QUESTION, THE, CAN WE, THE MOTION AS ORIGINALLY STATED WAS TO CONSIDER IT, RIGHT? IT WASN'T NECESSARILY TO TAKE THE VOTE ON MOVING FORWARD. IS THAT CORRECT? I'M, I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE MOTION NOW. SO THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS TO VOTE ON, NOW THAT WE, NOW THAT YOU, NOW THAT THE COMMISSION HAS HEARD THE PRESENTATION FROM MR. GRAVES, OUR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, ABOUT THE PRIDE FLAG AND ITS HISTORY AND CONTEXT AND THE PROCEDURES THAT, THAT WOULD NEED TO BE UNDERTAKEN. THE IDEA WAS, AND THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS TO CONSIDER IT AND VOTE ON WHETHER THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO PROCEED. OKAY. BUT IT'S TO PROCEED GENERALLY. IT WASN'T ON THE TWO SPECIFIC COMPONENTS THAT WERE JUST MENTIONED BY MY PUBLIC COMMISSIONER. NO, THAT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL MOTION. THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS TO CONSIDER AND THEN COMMISSIONER WHITE MADE THE MOTION THAT THESE BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. IN THAT CASE THEN, SINCE WE HAVE ANOTHER MOTION BEING MADE, WE'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION STARTING WITH VICE CHAIR REVY. DISTRICT ONE. ACTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE, THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION. I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE, UH, [00:50:01] AMENDMENT. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE, DISTRICT TWO, SUPPORTIVE OF THE AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER H****R. DISTRICT THREE. I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT AS WELL. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER WHITE FROM DISTRICT NINE. YOU OKAY. I SUPPORT COMMISSIONER AMENDMENT. UM, COMMISSIONER BLUE DISTRICT 10. YEAH. SO JUST SO I CAN CLARIFY, 'CAUSE I THINK I MAY HAVE LOST THE THREAD HERE. I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS TO WA WAS A MOTION FOR THE COMMISSION TO HAVE A DISCUSSION TO CONSIDER THE MOTION THAT THE GENTLEMAN'S ASKED FOR. AND THE AMENDMENT WAS THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO DO A VOTE ON SOMETHING, WE SPLIT THE TWO. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WE SPLIT THE A DA CELEBRATION FROM THE FLAG RAISING? IS THAT CORRECT? YES, BECAUSE THE, THE FLAG ADOPTING THE, THE, THE FLAG RESOLUTION, IT WAS SEPARATE FROM VOTING ON POSSIBLY HAVING AN EVENT IN JULY, WHICH WOULDN'T TAKE IT, IT WOULD REPLACE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING IN JULY THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS EVENT TO COMMEMORATE THE SIGNING OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. OKAY. SO THAT WAS THE EXACT MOTION. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I MAKE SURE IN MY HEAD THAT I'M CLEAR THAT IF I VOTE YES FOR THIS MOTION, I AM NOT VOTING YES FOR THIS, UM, STATED, UH, MOTION THAT WAS GIVEN TO US. YEAH, WE'RE VOTING ON TWO INSTANCES SEPARATELY, SIR. BUT I'LL BE VOTING JUST, OKAY. SO THAT CONFUSED ME AGAIN. SO I'LL BE VOTING ON TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. THAT'S WHAT, IF I JUST SAY YES, I'M SAYING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS, BUT WE WON'T BE VOTING ON WHETHER WE ADOPT THIS MOTION THAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE PRESENTATION. YES. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE VOTING ON, WE'RE VOTING TO DISCUSS, WHICH WAS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE. NOW WE'RE VOTING ON TWO ITEMS WHETHER THE CITY OF DALLAS WILL ADOPT A DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. THAT'S THE FIRST ITEM WE'RE VOTING ON. THE NEXT ITEM WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON IS WHETHER WE WILL HAVE AN EVENT IN JULY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MEETING IN THE MONTH OF JULY AS A COMMISSION FOR A REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING. OKAY. THAT'S A LOT CLEARER. 'CAUSE WHEN WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO, EXCUSE ME, WHETHER WE DISCUSS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN SAYING WE'RE VOTING . COMMISSIONER WHITE HERE. YES, COMMISSIONER WHITE. I AM, I WAS COMMISSIONER BALLOU. I WAS MAKING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL, THE ORIGINAL MOTION FOR DISCUSSION OR WHATEVER THAT THE TWO ITEMS BE SEPARATE, THAT WE VOTE ON THE FLAG PART FIRST AND WAIT TO VOTE ON ANY EVENT UNTIL IF AND WHEN THE FLAG IS APPROVED BY COUNSEL. UH, AND, AND MS. WHITE, IF I COULD CLARIFY, WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE DISCUSSION OF THOSE TWO SEPARATELY AND NOT VOTING TO APPROVE. I NO, WE WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSION ABOUT VOTING ON THE MOTION. THE MOTION WAS MADE TO, TO DISCUSS NO, THE MOTION WAS MADE AND, AND THEN WE HAVE DISCUSSION AND THEN WE VOTE ON THE MOTION. THE MOTION WAS MADE. IT'S CONFUSING. IT WAS VERY CONFUSING. THE MOTION WAS STATED AS TO VOTE WHETHER WE OUGHT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THIS. SO THAT'S WHERE I GOT CONFUSED TO THE CHAIR. I'M I'M SORRY TO, TO INTERRUPT. I I THINK PROCEDURALLY THE WAY THIS IS WAS INTENDED TO WORK WAS A MOTION TO TABLE YOUR MOTION PENDING A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD ON THE FLAG CEREMONY. IS THAT CLOSER TO WHAT YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT COMMISSIONER WHITE? YES. YEAH, SO I, I THINK COMMISSIONER WHITE INTENDED TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE A DISCUSSION OF THE EVENT PENDING REVIEW VOTE AND APPROVAL OF, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FLACK. OKAY. BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL, THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MOTIONS MADE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. SO ESSENTIALLY THE, THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL NOTE THAT I DISCUSSED. NOW WHAT ARE WE DISCUSSING? SO AS I, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, COMMISSIONER WHITE'S CONCERN WAS VOTING ON AN EVENT BEFORE THE PROPOSAL REGARDING THE FLAG WAS ADDRESSED. AND SO WHAT I HEARD HER SAY, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER WHITE, WAS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE THIS BODY TO CONSIDER A MOTION TO TABLE YOUR MOTION PENDING A VOTE AND APPROVAL BY THIS BODY OF THE RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE FLAG. IS THAT ACCURATE? COMMISSIONER WHITE? YES. THAT WE, WE DON'T [00:55:01] ADDRESS AN EVENT UNTIL WHEN. AND IF WE HAVE A FLAG CHAIR O CONLEY, MAY I PLEASE ADDRESS YOU? YES, MR. GRAVES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, JUST TO CLARIFY IN TERMS OF THE PRESENTATION, UH, FOR, FOR OUR TIMELINE TO BE FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF THE COMMISSION MEETING AND THE DIFFERENT APPROVALS WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO EVENTUALLY RAISE THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG, WHAT WE WOULD NEED FROM THE COMMISSION IS A RECOMMENDATION TO PROCEED. AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON IT. UM, IF IT WASN'T VOTED ON TODAY, AND IF WE DIDN'T RECEIVE APPROVAL TO PROCEED, OUR TIMELINE WOULDN'T BE FEASIBLE LEADING UP TO JULY. OKAY. SO MR. GRAVES, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL CLEAR HERE. SO THE, THE VOTE, THE THE MOTION THAT I HAD MADE ORIGINALLY WAS TO DISCUSS THIS AND PROCEED NOW, BECAUSE THE OTHER REASON WHY I'M WANTING TO BE CLEAR IS YOU SHARED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT THESE WOULD BE SEPARATE THE, THE POSSIBILITY OF HOSTING AN EVENT AND THEN ALSO VOTING ON THE CITY ADOPTING A FLAG. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT IT IS WE'RE VOTING ON HERE. YES, CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. IT, IT IS A RECOMMENDATION TO TREAT IT SEPARATELY. ON THE ONE HAND, CURRENTLY THE RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO PROCEED TO SECURE APPROVALS TO POTENTIALLY HAVE THE CITY RAISE THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG AND THEN SEPARATE FROM THAT, THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EVENT WHERE THE COMMISSIONER WOULD COLLABORATE. CORRECT. OKAY. SO BECAUSE THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS, PERHAPS IT MIGHT BE BEST THAT RIGHT NOW WE VOTE ON THE MOTION TO HAVE THE CITY STAFF MOVE PROCEED WITH APPROVING, UH, WITH THE APPROVALS AND THEN AT A, AT A FUTURE MEETING, VOTE ON IF WE HAVE A FLAG OR IF THAT IS APPROVED, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT AN EVENT. THAT SOUNDS GOOD. CHAIR. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. GRAYS FOR CLARIFYING. SO IN THAT CASE THEN, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TO YES, COMMISSIONER BLUE, JUST FOR, SORRY FOR CLARIFICATION AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WHAT WAS JUST SAID, WE ARE VOTING ON WHAT IS STATED ON SLIDE NINE OF THE PRESENTATION, WHICH SAYS, RECOMMEND STAFF TO SEEK APPROVAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A RESOLUTION DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER FLAG, DISABILITY, PRIDE, FLAG, FLAG, AND IT GOES ON. IS THAT WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON AT THIS TIME? YES, SIR. STANDS THAT OKAY. BECAUSE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY A DISCUSS, THIS IS THE ONLY ITEM. THANK YOU. THAT'S, SO THAT IS YOUR MOTION RIGHT THERE. YES, SIR. I MAKE, I'M MAKING THE MOTION THAT WE DISCUSS AND VOTE ON THE CITY STAFF SECURING APPROVALS FROM THE VARIOUS CHAINS OF COMMAND IN DEVELOPING A RESOLUTION FOR THE PRIDE FLAG. AND I WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS VOTE UNTIL I'VE HAD MORE TIME TO UNDERSTAND THIS. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP THE COMMISSION'S TIME AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME TIME TO SPEAK, BUT, UH, AND PUSH THIS TO THE APRIL, UM, MEETING. I UNDERSTAND THAT MESSED UP THE TIMELINE, BUT THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN THIS HAS BEEN THIS WEEK AND I HAVE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANSWERED COMMISSIONER WHITE SECONDS. OKAY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS IF WE MOTION THIS IN THE APRIL MEETING, THEN IT, IT WOULDN'T BE FEASIBLE TO MEET THE TIMELINE THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY MR. GRAVES. I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT THE, THE TIMELINE WASN'T PRESENTED US UNTIL WE GOT THIS PACKET ON THREE DAYS AGO. SO FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT I NEED TO, TO UNDERSTAND AND, UH, MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL AND MY COUNCIL MEMBER, I NEED TO BE BETTER UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE. UM, AND SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND ONCE AGAIN, IF, IF I'M, I'M ONE PERSON, IF THE MAJORITY DOES NOT AGREE WITH ME, THEN PLEASE GO AHEAD AND VOTE MY MOTION. NOW, AS A MATTER, COMMISSIONER COUNCIL, YOU, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A COMMENT. AS A MATTER OF PROCEDURE AND PROTOCOL, WE NOW HAVE MULTIPLE MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. DO WE NEED TO, I MEAN, DO WE CAN, DO WE HAVE THE OPTION TO DISMISS THE MOTIONS AND PROCEED WITH A FRESH MOTIONS OR WE'RE ALL CLEAR WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON? GOOD FOR IT? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. IT'S ADVISABLE TO DISMISS ONE OF THEM. AND AS IT STANDS, BECAUSE WE'RE THE, THE INTENT WAS TO HAVE A PRESENTATION TODAY AND BY MR. GRAVES, OUR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, WHOM WE'VE HEARD FROM JUST NOW, AND NOW WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE DISCUSSING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE APPROVING WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STAFF SECURING THOSE APPROVALS IN DEVELOPING A DIS A, A RESOLUTION FOR THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT AN EVENT RIGHT NOW, ONCE THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AND ONCE THE COMMISSION DECIDES TO MOVE FORWARD IN LETTING THE STAFF MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS OF SECURING THOSE APPROVALS, AND ONCE THAT IS APPROVED, [01:00:01] THEN WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN EVENT CHAIR CO. CONNOLLY, MAY I PLEASE, UH, BE RECOGNIZED? YES, MR. GRAVES, YOU YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR. SO, UH, JUST AS A HELPFUL REMINDER IN TERMS OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, IT IS BEST PRACTICE TO CONSIDER ONE MOTION AT A TIME. SO NOT TO INTRODUCE ONE MOTION WHEN ANOTHER MOTION IS ON THE TABLE. SO THAT, THAT, THAT IS RECOMMENDED. THANK YOU CHAIR. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. GRACE FOR CLARIFYING THAT. YES, IT IS CERTAINLY BEST PRACTICE TO NOT BE INTRODUCING SEVERAL MOTIONS AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING ONE PARTICULAR MOTION AT THIS POINT. COMMISSIONER WHITE HERE. YES, COMMISSIONER WHITE EX. EXCEPT IN THE SITUATION WHERE IT, IT AFFECTS THE ORIGINAL MOTION, THEN THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT EXCEPT BY MAKING SUCH AS MINE TO AMEND, WHICH I WILL WITHDRAW BECAUSE IT IS BEING DISCUSSED SEPARATELY. BUT COMMISSIONER BALLOU'S MOTION TO TABLE IT. THE VOTE FOR NOW HAS TO BE CONSIDERED FIRST AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COMMISSIONER WHITE. AS BEST AS I CAN RECOLLECT AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME. I BELIEVE CHAIR, YOU HAD FIRST MADE A MOTION TO CONSIDER THE ITEM UNDER DISCUSSION TO SEE IF THE COMMISSION WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. MR. GRAVES. IT IS. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS TO SEE IF THE COMMISSIONER WOULD APPROVE MOVING FORWARD IN LETTING CITY STAFF IN SECURING THOSE APPROVALS BEFORE DOING, BEFORE MOVING ON TO ANY OTHER ITEM RELATED TO THIS. OKAY. COMMISSIONER WHITE HAS WITHDRAWN HER AMENDMENT, THEREFORE WE ARE DISCUSSING ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS TO SEE IF THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES WOULD MOVE FORWARD IN LETTING THE STAFF IN SECURING APPROVALS POINT IN THAT CASE. MR. I I HAVE A MOTION STILL ON THE TABLE. I DID NOT WITHDRAW MY MOTION ON THE TABLE. OKAY, I UNDERSTAND. COMMISSIONER BLUE, YOU HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE ITEM, YOUR MOTION UN UNFORTUNATELY HAS TO BE DISMISSED AT THIS POINT. WE CANNOT HAVE MULTIPLE MOTIONS AT THE TIME. ACTUALLY, POINT OF ORDER. THIS IS COMMISSIONER BLUE. THAT DOES NOT, THAT'S NOT HOW ROBERTS WORK. IF I PUT A MOTION TO TABLE A MOTION THAT HAS TO BE VOTED ON FIRST AND THEN YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT TELL YOU THAT TAKES PRIORITY. AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG IF SOMEONE HAS THE BOOK, BUT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS HOW IT WORKS. MR. GRAVES, I'M ASKING YOU TO KINDLY REQUEST TO SPEAK ON THIS BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION HERE. THANK YOU AL CONNOLLY, IF I CAN PLEASE REQUEST OUR TEAM WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION, GARY AND KELSEY TO CONSULT VERY BRIEFLY, ROBERT PATROL'S ORDER AND WE'LL PROVIDE A RESPONSE ONCE WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO CHECK, TO PROVIDE YOU THE CORRECT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. GRACE, FOR CLARIFYING THIS AND PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION. SO, MR. SO IN THAT CASE THEN WE ARE GOING TO BE VOTING ON, WE'RE VOTING ON COMMISSIONER BALLOU'S MOTION, WHICH WAS TO TABLE IT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL TO DISCUSS FURTHER. DID ANYONE, ANYONE SECOND? MR. WHITE? SECOND, I BELIEVE. COMMISSIONER WHITE SECONDED? YES. COMMISSIONER WHITE. SECONDED. OKAY. UM, IN THAT CASE THEN WE WILL START WITH VICE CHAIR RE DISTRICT ONE. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DELAY. I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE ON, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE. SO I'M GOOD TO VOTE. NO, YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BALLOU DISTRICT, OR PARDON ME. COMMISSIONER H****R DISTRICT THREE. YOU'RE MUTED. COMMISSIONER H****R? I'M GONNA VOTE NO AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, COMMISSIONER WHITE DISTRICT NINE? YES. YOU VOTE? YES. OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER BLU, UH, BLU, YOU, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MADE THE MOTION. SO NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER SKA DISTRICT 13. UH, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENT AT THIS TIME. I'LL VOTE WHEN IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO CALL FOR VOTES. SO IN THAT CASE, YOU'RE VOTING? NO. UM, YOU'RE VOTING NO ON COMMISSIONER BALLOU'S MOTION? NO. I, I BELIEVE WE'RE IN THE COMMENT PERIOD. I HAVE NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. I'LL VOTE WHEN YOU CALL THE VOTE. AND COMMISSIONER LINDSAY, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS IS A VOTE. COMMISSIONER HUSKA, YOU'RE VOTING COMMISSIONER? YES, WE'RE VOTE WE'RE VOTING ON THE MOTION TO TABLE THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY COMMISSIONER BALLOU. I BELIEVE THE, IT'S A DISCUSSION, BUT IF YOU WANT TO DO A, A ROLL CALL, VOTE UM, THEN [01:05:01] I WOULD VOTE, UM, I WOULD VOTE YES ON THE MOTION. YOU, SO YOU'RE VOTING YES. ON THE MOTION TO TABLE THIS IN APRIL? YES. AND COMMISSIONER LINDSAY, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER. SO I'M VOTING NO, YOU'RE VOTING NO ON COMMISSIONER BALLOU'S BALLOU'S MOTION? YES. OKAY. SO IN THIS CASE, HOW MANY NOS AND YESES DO WE HAVE? I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE. OH, YES. UM, I'M SORRY. COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL, YOU, YOU VOTED? UH, I DID NOT VOTE. UM, I THOUGHT WE WERE IN THE DISCUSSION PERIOD AS WELL, BUT I VOTE NO ON THE MOTION. YOU VOTE? NO ON THE MOTION. OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER AND VICE CHAIR, YOU VOTED CORRECT. OKAY. HOW MANY NOS DID YOU HAVE? MY, I MEAN, MY VOTE IS NO, THIS IS CHAIRMAN AND THIS IS CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY. AND I ALSO VOTE NO ON THE MOTION. HOW MANY YESES? THREE YESES AND FIVE NOS. SO AS IT STANDS, WE ARE OF DUE TO THE TIMEFRAME OF WHEN THIS IS GOING TO BE DEVELOPED, WE HAVE THE, THE, THE NOSE HAVE IT THE MOST. SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOW VOTING THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE DISCUSSION ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? NAY? APPARENTLY THERE, THERE'S NONE. SO, NO, THERE WAS ONE. SO I'M ASSUMING WE'RE VOTING ON WHETHER WE MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION. I WASN'T CLEAR, BUT IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, I VOTE NO. EXCUSE ME. COMMISSIONER, UM, H****R, WE ARE CURRENTLY, WE'RE MAY PEOPLE HAVE VOTED ON THE MOTION THAT YOU HAD SUGGESTED TO TABLE THIS IN APRIL AND THAT'S WHAT WE VOTED ON JUST NOW. OH, I THOUGHT WE DID A ROLL CALL VOTE. UH, IT'S VERY CONFUSING. WE SEEM TO BE SKIPPING AROUND, BUT, OKAY. I'LL WAIT FOR THE NEXT VOTE. OKAY, SO, BECAUSE WE, AND WE VOTED TO GO BACK TO THE, DISCUSSING THE ORIGINAL MOTION. SO BECAUSE THE MOTION THAT YOU HAD TABLED DISCUSS THE APRIL IT WAS VOTED NO BECAUSE THE NO HAVE, DOES THAT MAKE, DOES THAT CLARIFY? WHAT, DOES THAT CLARIFY YOUR QUESTION? IT'S CLEAR NOW. THANK YOU. OKAY, YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY, SO IN THAT CASE, BECAUSE WE HAVE VOTED TO DISCUSS AGAIN, UM, THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH WAS TO, UM, HAVE THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES MOVE FORWARD IN LETTING STAFF SECURING THE RESOLUTIONS. WE'LL START THIS DISCUSSION ALL OVER AGAIN, STARTING WITH VICE CHAIR V. DISTRICT ONE. YES. I'LL VOTE. UH, I, I'LL BE VOTING FOR THE MOTION. YOU VOTE FOR THE MOTION. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER REEDY. WAIT, OR CHAIR, DID YOU CALL FOR A VOTE? I'M, I'M, I'M CALLING FOR OH, JUST DISCUSSION. WE'RE, SO WE'RE DISCUSS, DISCUSS. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS. THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH COMMENTS. OKAY, THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR REY, UM, COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE, DISTRICT TWO. UM, I THINK I'M GONNA GO BACK TO A THING I SAID EARLIER, AND I JUST WANNA FLAG NOT JUST FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT OTHERS MOVING FORWARD. AND I WANNA BE SUPER CLEAR AS I SAY THIS IS THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT BIPARTISAN POLITICS, BUT I AM A PRAGMATIST AND IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, I AM WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER PROCESS THIS GOES THROUGH, THAT WE MAKE SURE AS THE CITY OF DALLAS, THAT WE DON'T INADVERTENTLY, UM, UH, TAKE THE WRONG PATH AND FIND OURSELVES WITH SOME LIMITED FUNDING OR LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE ABOUT DEI AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE A DA AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. SO JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THE FLAG, BUT ALSO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HANDLE IT IN A WAY THAT MAKES SURE THAT WE DON'T DRAW ANY INADVERTENT HIRE. THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT. UM, THE CITY STAFF ARE AWARE OF THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT AS MR. GRAVES HAS POINTED OUT, AND SO THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING THE LANGUAGE AND THE, AND THE WORDING AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE APPROVALS. SO, AM I HEARING CLEARLY THAT YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF LETTING THE CITY STAFF MOVE FORWARD WITH SECURING THE DEVELOPMENTS? I AM IN FAVOR, BUT I YOU'RE CALLING A VOTE AFTER THIS, CORRECT? UM, YES, THAT IS EXACTLY CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER, UH, H****R DISTRICT THREE, UH, NO COMMENTS. NO COMMENTS. [01:10:01] OKAY. NEXT, COMMISSIONER, WHITE DISTRICT NINE, NO COMMENT. THANK YOU. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER BALLOU, DISTRICT 10. NO COMMENT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SKA, DISTRICT 13. NO COMMENT. THANK YOU. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY. DISTRICT 14. YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY STAFF. I KNOW THAT, UM, VICE CHAIR REVY HAD ASKED, I THINK IT WAS HER, UM, WHO HAD PAID FOR THE FLAG AND IT WAS FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THEY HAVE THAT BUDGET OR THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY. OF COURSE, THE BUDGET COMES FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION. THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW TO REQUEST FUNDING FOR THE FLAG. WE HAVE NOT YET IDENTIFIED WHAT THE COST WOULD BE, BUT THERE IS A ADMINISTRATOR PROCESS THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW TO SECURE FUNDING IF IT WAS APPROVED. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO IN THAT CASE THEN, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LINDSEY FOR PROVIDING, UM, YOUR SUGGESTIONS. UM, OKAY, SO NOW I CALL A VOTE. I, I CALL MOTION, OR I CALL A VOTE THAT WE LET THE CITY STAFF APPROVE THE MOVE FORWARD IN SECURING APPROVALS IN DEVELOPING A RESOLUTION FOR THE DISABILITY FLAG. AND NOW I'M CALLING FOR VOTES, STARTING WITH COMMISSIONER, OR PARDON ME? VICE CHAIR V. DISTRICT ONE. I VOTE YES. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE. DISTRICT TWO? YES. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER H****R. DISTRICT THREE. YES, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UH, NOW WE GO TO COMMISSIONER WHITE DISTRICT NINE? NO. OKAY. COMMISSIONER BLUE DISTRICT 10. NO, I BELIEVE I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS RIGHT NOW. SO YOU VOTE NO? CORRECT. OKAY. UM, NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER HUSHKA, DISTRICT 13, PROBABLY. YES. AND COMMISSIONER LINDSAY, DISTRICT 14. YES. YES. I, YES. SO WE HAVE, AS OF NOW WE HAVE FIVE YESES AND TWO NOS. SO, UM, THE YESES DO HAVE IT. AND WE ARE, UM, I VOTE THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS STAFF APPROVED MOVE FORWARD AND APPROVING WITH SECURING DEVELOPMENTS FOR A RESOLUTION RELATED TO THE DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THERE'S NONE. SO THERE TWO. OKAY. WHO HAS A COMMENT? NO COMMENTS. OKAY. TWO OPPOSED. OKAY. BUT, SO REGARDLESS OF THE, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TWO NO, UH, NOS, THE YESES DO HAVE IT. SO THE CITY OF STAFF IN THIS CASE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH SECURING THESE, THE, THE, AND THE PROCEDURES AND DEVELOPMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AL CONNOLLY AND THE COMMISSION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING UPDATES TO FUTURE MEETINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MR. GRAYS, AGAIN FOR THIS INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION. WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO STAYING IN, IN CO COMMUNICATION REGARDING THIS. OUR NEXT PRESENTER IS FROM THE DALLAS ACCESSIBILITY HAZARD ALERT SYSTEM, A HAS. WE WERE, ORIGINALLY IT WAS, UH, WE WERE PLANNING ON HAVING THE, UM, SPEAKER JOSH KOPA, UM, FROM THE, THE, UM, WHO'S, WHO WAS THE, HE WAS, HE WAS A SENIOR EMERGENCY MANAGER AND SPECIALIST JO, BUT BECAUSE HE'S NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT, WE HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTER. HER NAME IS CASSANDRA WALLACE, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING. SO, MS. WALLACE, WE NOW WELCOME YOU TO THE FLOOR TO PROVIDE YOUR PRESENTATION. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF YOU ALL ON THE DALLAS ACCESSIBLE HAZARD ALERT SYSTEM. UM, TODAY I'M JOINED BY KAY CHITO. SHE IS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF DEF LINK, AND SHE WILL HAVE, UH, UH, SHARE THIS PRESENTATION WITH ME. UM, SO THE CITY OF DALLAS IS PARTNERING WITH DEF LINK TO PROVIDE THE DALLAS ACCESSIBLE HAZARD ALERT SYSTEM. THE ACCESSIBLE ALERT MESSAGES ARE SENT OUT TO REGISTERED RESIDENTS WHO ARE DEAF BLIND PART OF HEARING OR DEAF BLIND. THIS IS AN OPT-IN ONLY SYSTEM, AND SUBSCRIBERS WILL RECEIVE CRITICAL UPDATES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS. OKAY, I'M SORRY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. [01:15:01] THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF THIS. I WANT EXPLAIN THE, THE JULIE THE HEARING. THANK YOU. THE MAJORITY OF THE HEARING POPULATION IS UNAWARE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S CALLED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, IT HAS NO ROOTS IN ENGLISH. IT'S THE THIRD MOST TAUGHT FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN OUR COLLEGES TODAY. AND SIGN LANGUAGE, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, IS ONE OF THE FEW LANGUAGES IN THE WORLD THAT HAS NO ORTHOGRAPHY OR WRITING SYSTEM BEHIND IT. WHAT ALL THIS MEANS, BASICALLY, IS THAT WHEN A TEXT ALERT IS RECEIVED BY A DEAF PERSON, AND, AND I WANNA BACK UP A LITTLE BIT AND EXPLAIN WHEN A PERSON WHO'S DEAF GOES THROUGH THE, THE SCHOOLING, THE SYSTEM, THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS COLLEGES, THERE'S AN INTERPRETER IN THAT CLASSROOM WITH THAT PERSON THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY SIGNED ENGLISH OF AS COMING OFF THE HANDS OF THAT INTERPRETER. IF THAT DEAF PERSON WHO'S RAISED WITH A SL IT IS SIGNED A SL, THAT MEANS, AGAIN, IT IS NOT ENGLISH THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING. AND YES, THEY DO GRADUATE AND MANY HAVE DEGREES, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCY INFORMATION OR CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT'S IN A WRITTEN FORMAT, WORDS LIKE MANDATORY EVACUATION, THEY REFER TO THEM AS A $10 HEARING WORDS. THAT IS, WITHOUT IT BEING SIGNED, THAT USUALLY THE COMPREHENSION ISN'T THERE. AND WHAT, WHAT THE CITY IS DOING IS GIVING THAT EQUAL ACCESS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR DEAF AND YOUR DEAF BLIND COMMUNITIES. THESE ALERTS ARE ALSO, UH, VOICED IN ENGLISH. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE THE SPANISH OR NOT. YOU DO. THEY'RE VOICED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. THE TEXT IS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY SIGN UP FOR. IT ALSO COMES UP IN SIGN LANGUAGE. THESE ALERTS WILL ACTUALLY RAISE THE DOTS ON A DEAFBLIND PERSON'S WELL READER AND GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE SAME INFORMATION THAT THEIR, THEIR HEARING COMPONENTS HAVE ACCESS TO. AND THE SAME FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND THAT MAY, MAY NOT HAVE THE BRAILLE READERS, IT'S VOICED IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH. THIS ACTUALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH FOR THIS POPULATION THAT THEY'RE SERVING. SO I, AS A FOUNDER OF THIS, AND A MEMBER BY GROWING UP WITH THE DEAF AND DEAF COMMUNITY, APPLAUD YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. SO, SO TO CONTINUE, UH, THE ACCESSIBLE DE ALERTS, UH, LIKE KAY SAID, WILL BE PROVIDED IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, ENGLISH, AND SPANISH. AND, AND THEY'RE SENT OUT TO SUBSCRIBERS VIA EMAIL AND TEXT MESSAGE. THE ALERTS CAN BE SENT TO INTERNET AND VIDEO CAPABLE DEVICES SUCH AS YOUR COMPUTERS, MOBILE PHONES, AND TABLET COMPUTERS. THE VIDEOS, UH, PROVIDE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE. DEAF LINK HAS STAFF WHO WILL RECORD THE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE VIDEOS OF EVERY ONE OF OUR EMERGENCY ALERTS. UM, AND THEY PROVIDE THIS SERVICE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THERE'S ALSO A VOICEOVER ON THE VIDEO ALERT, OR I'M SORRY, A VOICEOVER ON THE VIDEO. UM, THAT'S NOT TEXT TO SPEECH. UH, IT'S ALSO KEY TO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE TEXT ON THE SCREEN THAT, UH, IN ANY INTERNET CONNECTED BRAILLE CAPABLE DEVICE, UM, WILL PROVIDE BRAILLE READER ACCESSIBILITY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND CRISIS RESPONSE SENDS OUT ALERTS FOR EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS SUCH AS, UH, WEATHER ALERTS SUCH AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, FLOODS, TORNADOES, UM, AND WATCHES AND WARNINGS THAT ACCOMPANY THOSE ALERTS. OUR ALERTS WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EMERGENCY ITSELF AND WHAT ACTIONS THAT THE RESIDENT SHOULD, UH, TAKE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ON THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE ACTUALLY A PICTURE OF, UH, THE TEXT THAT IS RECEIVED BY THE SUBSCRIBER, WHICH WILL PROVIDE A LINK THAT WILL TAKE THE USER TO, UH, THE SCREEN ON THE RIGHT WHERE THEY CAN THEN PLAY THE VIDEO THAT, AGAIN, HAS VOICEOVER AND THE, UH, THE BRAILLE READER ACCESSIBILITY AT THE BOTTOM. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS NEXT SLIDE, UM, IF WE CAN PLAY THIS VIDEO, IT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A SHORT DEMONSTRATION OF AN EMERGENCY ALERT THAT, UH, A REGISTERED SUBSCRIBER WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS, UH, DURING EMERGENCIES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UNTIL 7:00 AM [01:20:01] HAZARDS INCLUDE 60 MILE PER HOUR WIND GUSTS AND HALF DOLLAR SIZE. HAIL, HAIL, DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND DAMAGE TO ROOFS, SIDING, AND TREES. END OF ALERT. THANK YOU. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE REGISTRATION FOR THE ACCESSIBLE HAZARD ALERT SYSTEM IS AGAIN, OPT IN AND ONE WOULD OPT IN BY SENDING A TEXT TO A HAS TO 6 8 2 2 2 2 9 6 0 6. THERE'S ALSO ONLINE REGISTRATION BY VISITING, UH, D.CI Y UH, SLASH AH, AS REGISTRATION. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE ARE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. WALLACE AND MS. CHIO FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THAT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. AT THIS POINT, I DO NOT HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I DO HAVE A COMMENT. FIRSTLY, WE WANT TO SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND PRESENT TO US, AND I AM REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE FACT THAT THESE ACCESSIBLE EMERGENCY ALERTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR READERS LIKE MYSELF WHO RELY ON THAT SYSTEM THE MOST FOR COMMUNICATION. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, AND I WILL NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION WHO MAY HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OF THEIR OWN, STARTING WITH VICE CHAIR REVY, DISTRICT ONE. THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I LEARNED A LOT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND I APPRECIATED THE VIDEO CLIP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VICE CHAIR FOR THIS. NEXT WE TURN TO COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE, DISTRICT TWO. UM, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, UM, BUT I, WHAT IS THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS? HOW DOES THIS GET FUNDED? I KNOW THERE WON'T BE ANY COST TO THE, TO, TO THE USERS, BUT HOW IS THE SURFACE ITSELF FUNDED? I'M GONNA DEFER REALLY QUICKLY TO MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHO HAS MORE INFORMATION, UH, ON THAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. COMMISSIONER TOWNSVILLE. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO, OH, YES, PARDON ME, SORRY, REAL FAST. UH, TRAVIS HUSSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND CRISIS RESPONSE. THIS WAS FUNDED OUT OF THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND. IT WAS INCLUDED AS AN ENHANCEMENT IN THE FY 25 26, UH, BUDGET. AND SO THIS WILL BE A, A, A PROGRAM THAT WE EXPECT TO BE FUNDED ONGOING. AND MAY I, HOW WILL THE, UM, THE ADVERTISING FOR THIS AND THE, I MEAN THE, I MEAN THE FACTO MARKETING FOR THIS, UM, IS IT FUNDED OUT OF THE SAME BUDGET? IT WOULD BE FUNDED. SO THERE'S A, THERE'S REALLY A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT COULD BE AT PLAY HERE. ONE OF THE PRIMARY PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH AND GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT IS THE CITY'S COMMUNICATIONS AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT. THEY HELP US DEVELOP MARKETING MATERIALS. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INTERNAL BUDGET FOR THAT. UH, WE ALSO, AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM, WHICH IS FUNDED THROUGH THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE, UH, THAT INCLUDES GENERAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION OF WHICH THIS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN OUR OVERALL PREPAREDNESS MESSAGING THAT WE, UH, GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. BUT ON THE NOTE OF MARKETING, UH, PART OF THE REASON WE'RE WE ARE HERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOUR HELP, UH, GETTING WORD OUT THERE ABOUT THIS. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ARE, UH, PART OF THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME TIE INTO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. AND SO YOUR HELP IN SHARING THIS WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BENEFIT FROM THIS SERVICE, UH, WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON BOTH TARGETED MARKETING EFFORTS, WORKING WITH, UH, WITH ENVISION AND SEVERAL OTHER, UH, DEBT ACTION CENTER. UH, BUT YEAH, ANYTHING Y'ALL CAN DO TO HELP AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE IS APPRECIATED. AND, AND JUST ONE LAST QUESTION. WOULD ANY PART OF THIS, IS ANY PART OF THIS FUNDED BY, UM, FEMA NO. THE SYSTEM? WELL, SO THE SYSTEM ITSELF IS NOT FUNDED BY FEMA. THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE IS A DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT. WE ARE A SUBRECIPIENT OF THAT GRANT THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY. UM, BUT AS I MENTIONED, THE PRIMARY METHOD OF MARKETING AND THE, THE GRAND MAJORITY OF THE, THE ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE GETTING WITH MARKETING, THIS IS THROUGH THE CITY'S COMMUNICATIONS AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, UH, DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS NOT FUNDED THROUGH FEMA. SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE PROGRAM ITSELF, UH, THERE IS NOT A A FEMA FUNDING COMPONENT. THANK YOU. UH, THIS IS KATE ITO. I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE [01:25:01] RECOMMEND IS BASICALLY UTILIZING NOT ONLY THE COMMISSION HERE, BUT ALSO YOUR COMMUNITY. THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD SHARE WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN BE PUT ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT IS HANDED OUT AT DEAF EVENTS. AND THIS PIECE OF PAPER, THERE WOULD BE A QR CODE ON IT. AND WE ACTUALLY RECOMMEND CLIPPING OFF THE RIGHT HAND CORNER, AS LONG AS THAT RIGHT HAND CORNER IS THAT CLIPPED OFF CORNER IS IN YOUR RIGHT HAND. THAT QR CODE'S RIGHT THERE MAKING IT SIMPLE FOR SOMEONE WHO'S BLIND TO KNOW WHERE TO PUT THEIR PHONE AND NOT HAVE TO TRY AND SCAN A WHOLE PAGE OR THE BACK OF THE PAGE TRYING TO LOOK FOR, YOU KNOW, AS THEY SAY, MYSTERY MEET. BUT, UH, WE MAKE THAT ACCESSIBLE WHEN THAT QR CODE COMES UP ON YOUR PHONE. IT'S VOICED IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH, AND IT'S IN SIGN LANGUAGE, AND IT ALSO WILL CONNECT WITH YOUR BRAILLE READERS AND GIVE YOU THAT SAME ACCESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH BOTH TO MR. HOUSTON AND MS. CHAO FOR THOSE CLARIFICATIONS. COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL, DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE MOVING ON? NO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER H****R, DISTRICT THREE. YES. UM, INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION, HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. UH, ONE, THE NATURE OF EVENTS, EMERGENCY EVENTS. ARE THEY ONLY RECEIVING ALERTS FOR EVENTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, OR DO THEY RECEIVE ALERTS FOR LIKE, FOR WORTH, UM, ANYTHING IN SOUTH TEXAS? WHAT'S THE RANGE FOR THAT? OUR EMERGENCY ALERT ALERTS ARE, UM, FOCUSED ON CITY OF DALLAS RESIDENTS ONLY. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THIS PROGRAM? DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT? SO THE PROGRAM WAS JUST RECENTLY LAUNCHED, COMMISSIONER, AND WE ONLY HAVE A FEW PEOPLE REGISTERED. SO AGAIN, UH, WE ARE, IT IS IN OUR PLAN, UH, TO HAVE SOME VERY FOCUSED MARKETING AND ADVERTISING EFFORTS TO, UM, INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER H****R FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER WHITE DISTRICT NINE. I BELIEVE SHE DROPPED OFF. OKAY. THEN WE WILL GO ON TO COMMISSIONER BALLOU, DISTRICT 10. UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS A WONDERFUL, UM, TOOL THAT I THINK WILL BE VERY, UM, WELL RECEIVED. UM, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE, AND IT'S KIND OF RELATED TO COMMISSIONER THINKER'S QUESTION, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, SO IF I WERE TO TRAVEL WITH THIS TO SAY SOUTH ARKANSAS AND THERE'D BE A EMERGENCY ALERT DOWN THERE FOR A TORNADO OR SOMETHING, IT WOULD NOT, OR WHERE IT'S NOT LOCATION BASED AT ALL AT THIS TIME, IT'S STRICTLY TO RECEIVE THE DALLAS ONES. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. IT IS NOT LOCATION BASED. OKAY. UM, BUT GREAT. IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT, UM, A GREAT PROGRAM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER BLUE. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER KKA, DISTRICT 13. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THE SPEAKERS? NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND HARD WORK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, COMMISSIONER HUSKA FOR THIS. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE GO TO COMMISSIONER LINDSAY. YEAH, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING TODAY. UM, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION TO BUILD ON COMMISSIONER HOOKER'S QUESTION. UM, YOU ALL MENTIONED YOU JUST HAVE A FEW PEOPLE REGISTERED RIGHT NOW, AND YOU'D LIKE OUR SUPPORT TO GET THERE TO INCREASE YOUR NUMBERS. UH, DO YOU HAVE A GOAL NUMBER OF FOLKS IN MIND THAT YOU'D LIKE REGISTERED AND BY WHEN? UH, THIS IS KATE IDO, ACTUALLY YOUR DEAF COMMUNITY, THE NUMBER MOVES AROUND. AND THE REASON BEING, THERE IS NO CENSUS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF THAT RELY ON SIGN LANGUAGE. IN FACT, WHEN THEY RECEIVE A CENSUS IN THE MAIL, IT'S TRASHED. THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT IT IS. AS WITH PARKING TICKETS UNDER THEIR WINDSHIELD WIPERS, WE, I'VE GOT A DEAF FRIEND THAT TEARS 'EM UP AND THROWS 'EM AWAY BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT IS A CONTENT THAT THEY CANNOT READ. AND I SAY THIS IN REGARDS, THERE ARE DEAF, THEY CAN READ AND WRITE ENGLISH PROBABLY BETTER THAN I CAN. I HAVE STAFF WHO ARE DEAF THAT TOTALLY RELY ON SIGN LANGUAGE. AND I ALSO HAVE STAFF THAT HAVE ABOUT A SECOND TO THIRD GRADE READING LEVEL OF ENGLISH, WHICH TENDS TO BE THE NORM. AND TWO, I WANTED TO ADDRESS, UH, COMMISSIONER HOOKER'S QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY REGISTERED, LET'S SAY IF YOU HAVE FOUR OR 500 REGISTER AT THIS MOMENT, THEY DAISY CHAIN IT. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TO GO TO A WEBSITE AND REGISTER FOR THIS REQUIRES [01:30:01] YOU TO HAVE A COMPUTER. MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF THAT RELY ON COMPUTER, ON, ON ACCESS, ON SIGN LANGUAGE, THEY DON'T OWN COMPUTERS. THEY HAVE THEIR PHONE, WHICH THEY CAN VP CALL VIDEO, CALL PEOPLE, OR RECEIVE SIGN MESSAGES, EVEN SIGN LANGUAGE. LIKE WE LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE. THEY LEAVE A SIGN MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE FOR, FOR, FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY. SO THEY WILL DAISY CHAIN THESE ALERTS. SO IT'S MORE AS HOW MANY HITS HAVE YOU GOTTEN ON THIS, ON THIS ALERT THAT WE SEE AT DEAF LINK? BUT THEY WILL SHARE IT AT DEAF BREAKFAST, DEAF COFFEE, THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS AND SIGN MORE PEOPLE UP. IN A SENSE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WORKING OUT WITH THE, YOUR CITY IS HAVING EVENTS WHERE THE, YOUR GRASSROOTS DEAF THAT RELY ON SIGN LANGUAGE COME IN AND LEARN ABOUT THIS IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY HEARD ABOUT IT AND OFFICIALLY SIGN UP INSTEAD OF THEM JUST DEPENDING ON SOMEONE WHO'S DEAF FORWARDING IT TO 15, 20 OTHER PEOPLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT. MS. CHETO, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTERS FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO COME AND TALK TO US. THE INFORMATION THAT THEY SHARED WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL AND VALUABLE AND COULD BE VERY USEFUL IN THE FUTURE AS WE MAY DEAL WITH CRITICAL SITUATIONS. THANKS AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW MOVING TO THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA BEFORE ADJOURNMENT. THAT IS ANNOUNCEMENTS. MARCH 21ST WAS WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY. AND ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONE IN 700 BABIES ARE BORN EACH YEAR WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND OVER 200,000 INDIVIDUALS ARE DIAGNOSED IN, IN THE UNITED STATES. DOWN SYNDROME IS THE MOST COMMON CHROMOSOME DISORDER THAT SUBSTANTIALLY IMPACTS THE CAPABILITIES AND, AND FUNCTIONAL LIMITS OF INDIVIDUALS. THIS DAY IS MEANT NOT ONLY TO HONOR THE LIVED EXPERIENCES, BUT ALSO TO VALUE THEM FOR THEIR DIGNITY AND HUMANITY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR BEING WHO THEY ARE AS OF NOW. THAT IS MY ONLY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THIS MONTH. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO VICE CHAIR TO SHARE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS. SHE MAY HAVE NONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER REEDY. NEXT WE TURN TO COMMISSIONER TOWNSELL, DISTRICT TWO, NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. THANK YOU. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER H****R, DISTRICT THREE, NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. THANK YOU. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER WHITE, DISTRICT NINE, SHEILA. OKAY. NEXT WE GO TO COMMISSIONER BALLOU, DISTRICT 10. YEAH, I'LL ADD ON TO THE DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS. UM, AS A PARENT OF A DAUGHTER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, UH, WE ARE DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS 365 DAYS A YEAR. BUT IT'S WONDERFUL THAT ONCE A YEAR WE GET TO CELEBRATE AND TRY TO, UH, HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE VITAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME, UM, GIVE US, UM, TO THE POINT WHERE THERE'S AN ARTICLE LAST WEEK, UM, ALL IN DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS DAY FROM THE RANGERS BASEBALL PLAYER, BOOGER BOOKER ANYWAY, OR BURGER WHERE HE, UH, HAD A CHILD BORN WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND HE'S ACTUALLY CREATED A FOUNDATION AND CELEBRATION THAT OF, OF, OF, OF HIS DAUGHTER. AND THE GOAL OF THE FOUNDATION IS TO MAKE DOWN SYNDROME. COOL. SO WE LOVE THAT. AND HE HAS CHANGED HIS NUMBER TO BE THE NUMBER 21. SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE MORE NORTH TEXANS PARTICIPATING AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE REALIZE HOW COOL PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME ARE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LOU FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NEXT WE TURN TO COMMISSIONER HUSHKA, DISTRICT 13. NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER LINDSAY, DISTRICT 14. NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU. OKAY. AT THIS POINT THEN I, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN THE MEETING. SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? OH, OKAY. JUST SOMEONE NEEDS TO SECOND, SECOND. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER TOWNSEL. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING THIS MEETING PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE. THE MEETING HAS ADJOURNED. AND FOR THE RECORDS, THE TIME THIS MEETING ADJOURNED IS 3:35 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES AND ITS EFFORTS. WE VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU BACK HERE NEXT MONTH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.