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GUESS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.[Dallas Design District TIF Board of Directors Meeting on May 12, 2025.]
THE RECORDING.UM, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE DESIGN DISTRICT BOARD MEETING TO ORDER ON MAY 12TH, 2025 AT 2:06 PM AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN THE MEETING OVER TO OUR CHAIR.
UM, FIRST ITEM WILL BE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING THAT WAS ON NOVEMBER 20.
UH, DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UH, ADDITIONS, DIRECTIONS, QUESTIONS? UH, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
UM, AMANDA, ARE YOU ABLE TO GET ON CAMERA AS WELL? MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S LEGIT.
MAKE SURE IT'S A REAL PERSON, NOT A BOT.
UM, SHE'S, I THINK SHE'S MUTED.
IS THAT WHAT THAT SHE IS MUTED.
AMANDA, ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN ON, UH, VIDEO AS WELL? SHE STEPPED AWAY A SECOND.
JUST WAIT TO SEE IF SHE COMES BACK.
UM, REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, UH, FOR 2324.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS YOUR LAST TIME.
THE ATTORNEYS HAVE THIS, NO, THEY HAVE THIS FORMAT WHERE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND THE ACTUAL AGENDA IN FOR THERE IT IS,
SO REALLY THE MAIN THING WE WANNA TALK ABOUT TODAY IS BEGINNING JUST PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS AS TO HOW THE TIP WILL, UM, SUNSET OUT AND, AND WHAT WE'LL DO WITH REMAINING MONEY BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UM, SO I THINK I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO SUE.
UM, SHE'S BEEN TALKING TO SEVERAL PEOPLE I KNOW.
UM, AND THEN I'VE GOT SOME IDEAS TOO, AND MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE WILL, YEAH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST KIND OF FRAME THIS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, SUCCESSFULLY SUNSET THREE TIP DISTRICTS, DISTRICTS TO DATE.
AND IN VARYING DEGREES, WE'VE DONE SORT OF LIKE A FINAL STRATEGY WITH ALL OF THOSE.
LIKE STATE THOMAS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST ROBUST WHERE WE SPENT LIKE A COUPLE OF YEARS WORKING WITH THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY LIKE A LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS.
'CAUSE WE WERE, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN ALL THESE CASES TO HAVE SOME FUNDING REMAINING AT THE END OF THE LIFE OF THE, THE TIP DISTRICT.
IN THE CASE OF STATE THOMAS, THERE WERE LIKE, UM, THERE WERE CERTAIN STREETS WHERE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE TIP DISTRICT, SO THERE WERE GAPS IN SIDEWALKS OR OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE WAS A DESIRE TO, UM, DO SOME UPGRADES TO, TO GRIGGS PARK.
UM, IN THE CASE OF, UH, CEDARS, THERE WAS LIKE SOME FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO OLD CITY PARK AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
CITY PLACE, AGAIN, IT WAS SORT OF FINISHING OUT LIKE GAPS IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, START THE PROCESS OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE PROJECTS OR IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE GONE UNFINISHED THAT WOULD HELP KIND OF FILL IN THE GAPS IN TERMS OF LIKE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY, YOU KNOW, OR OTHER KINDS OF PRIORITIES.
AND JUST SORT OF START GENERATING A LIST OF PROJECTS IN A NUMBER OF CASES THAT'LL REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, COORDINATION WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE COST ESTIMATES.
LIKE WHO WOULD IMPLEMENT THE WORK.
YOU KNOW, IF A DEVELOPER'S NOT DOING IT, WE WOULD NEED A CITY DEPARTMENT OR ANOTHER PARTNER TO IMPLEMENT THE WORK.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO GET, YOU KNOW, SOME STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY I THINK THE GOAL WOULD BE BEFORE THE END OF THE LIFE OF THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A STRATEGY WHERE WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT ARE, MAY BE LIKE AN PRIORITY ORDER.
WE HAVE A GAME PLAN FOR WHO WOULD IMPLEMENT THEM.
AND THEN THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT JUST THAT THE, THAT THE FUNDING IS COMMITTED BEFORE THE END OF THE LIFE OF THE DISTRICT.
AND AS LONG AS THE FUNDS ARE ENCUMBERED,
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CONSTRUCTION CAN OCCUR AFTER THE TIFF A SUNSET.BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE FUNDING COMMITMENTS IN PLACE BEFORE IT'S SUNSET.
SO I LAID OUT KIND OF THIS COLOR CODED KIND OF GENERAL TIMELINE AND SET OF STEPS, UM, JUST TO KIND OF GET THE THOUGHT PROCESS STARTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME.
UH, BUT THIS WAS JUST SORT OF LIKE A FIRST STAB AT KIND OF PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF A FRAMEWORK.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TODAY WAS REALLY JUST A KICKOFF TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, IDEAS.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE EVEN NOT JUST IDEAS ABOUT PROJECTS, BUT JUST PEOPLE THAT WE THINK WE WANNA ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, WELL, I'LL JUST START AROUND THE ROOM.
PAM, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UM, IDEAS THAT YOU WANNA, UH, THROW IN? I, I DON'T HAVE.
I MEAN, MAINLY MY IDEAS ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONAL.
I MEAN, I MANAGE OPERATION AND, YOU KNOW, UM, I NEED, I HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS, BUT WHERE I NEED FUNDING, BUT NOT, I MEAN, NOT CAPITAL EXPENDITURES RIGHT NOW AT THIS TIME, IT, MINE ARE MORE, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH CRIME, DEALING WITH, UM, THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION THAT WE HAVE, UH, GRAFFITI, VANDALISM, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
WHEN IT COMES TO CRIME, THE ONE THING THAT TIF DISTRICTS HAVE DONE IN A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS IS FUNDED LIGHTING, WHICH IS A CAPITAL THING THAT CAN HELP WITH HIGH CRIME SPOTS.
SO THAT'S ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT.
ARE THERE PLACES THAT, WHERE THERE'S A LACK OF LIGHTING? SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE IDEA.
AND THERE MAY BE OTHERS THAT I, THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF, BUT I DEFINITELY AM INTERESTED IN IN THAT CONVERSATION.
LOUIS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT? NO, I CURRENTLY DON'T.
UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A, LIGHTING IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN, I THINK WOULD BE AN, AN INTERESTING PROPOSITION.
I'LL, I'LL MU THIS OVER AND, AND HAVE SOMETHING FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, MY ONLY COMMENT, I, I THINK THAT, UM, KINDA SHARE LIKE LOUIS'S THOUGHTS, BUT MY, MY OVERRIDING COMMENT AND, AND LIGHTING WOULD BE ONE TO A DEGREE IS THAT WHATEVER WE, UH, DECIDE UPON OR EXPLORE THAT THERE'S A SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENT TO IT, RIGHT? SO IF THERE IS LIGHTING, THEN LET'S LOOK AT THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, SOLAR POWERED AND YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO RE REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE NET OUT, AND I'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS, LET'S THINK ABOUT IT THROUGH A, A RECYCLING OR SUSTAINABLE OR, OR SOME KIND OF REUSE, UH, IMAGINATIVE, IMAGINATIVE, UH, TYPE OF, TYPE OF WAY.
WE'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FOR THE TRAIL TOO, WHEN WE DID DO THE LIGHTING THERE, THAT THEY WOULD, WOULD DO SOLAR, UH, AND I KNOW THE CAGE TRAIL CONSTANTLY HAVING TO MAINTAIN THEIR, THEIR, UH, WIRED LIGHTS.
UM, AMANDA, UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN, I CAN.
IS THERE ANY, UM, ANYTHING ABOUT LIGHTING? OBVIOUSLY IT'S IMPORTANT EVERYBODY, I CONCUR WITH WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT LANDSCAPING? LANDSCAPING IS POSSIBLE, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY TO MAINTAIN IT.
EITHER THAT IS, UM, LOW MAINTENANCE AND PERHAPS IT'S SOMETHING A CITY DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE ON OR AN ADJACENT OWNER.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY THING ABOUT LANDSCAPING IS THAT MAINTENANCE.
EITHER WE NEED AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PIT OR A PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, A AMANDA, ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON? I WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN COUNT EACH, OH, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, IT'S A STATE, IT'S A STATE LAW THING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, I'M SORRY.
YES, I THOUGHT I HAD IT ON, UH, REGARDING LANDSCAPING, UM, SWA THAT HAS DONE, UH, A LOT OF LANDSCAPING, UH, FOR THE LOOP.
UM, AND IT'S, UH, OFFERED TO DO A, A LANDSCAPING PLAN FOR TRINITY STRAND TRAIL, UM, IN FAIR AMOUNT OF DETAIL, UH, WHICH WILL THEN ALLOW THE TRAIL GROUP TO, UH, HAVE A, A USE AND ENHANCEMENT AGREEMENT, UH, WITH, WITH THE CITY.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS GONNA BE FINISHED PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, SIX MONTHS AT THE MOST.
MAYBE I, I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT LONG.
UM, SO IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THAT LANDSCAPING COULD BE PAID FOR OUT THIS, THAT, THAT WOULD
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BE GREAT.I, UM, LET'S, LET'S GO ON, UH, GOT THINGS.
ANY SPECIFIC, UH, PROPOSAL AT THIS POINT? UM, ONE BIG COUPLE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WE ENGAGE THIS MULTI-MONTH BRAIN.
ONE, IF YOU MENTIONED, UH, YOU'VE KIND OF DEVELOPED WIND DOWN THE OTHER, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING DOCUMENTED THERE? BECAUSE IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL BENCHMARK TO SEE HOW THESE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE.
AND THEN, UM, THE SECOND THING, ACTUALLY, AS I LISTENED TO SOME OF THE OTHER IDEAS, QUOTES, I THINK WE'VE HAD BITS AND PIECES OF THIS BEFORE, AND I MIGHT JUST BEGINNING, BUT DO WE HAVE ANY RECORD OF WHAT WE'VE INVESTED IN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN, IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT? JUST BECAUSE AS WE THINK ABOUT A BALANCED PORTFOLIO OF, HEY, WE'VE DONE SOME
AND IT MIGHT HELP US BALANCE OR PICK THE RIGHT PATH OF, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THIS, OR WE WANT TO ACCENTUATE THAT ELEMENT OF THE PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS BEFORE WE WIND UP.
WE HAVE IT LIKE IN DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS HOPING ABOUT, WE LOST SOME STAFF, WAS TO KIND OF INVENTORY OUR EXISTING, LIKE PAST PLANS AND IES AND EXISTING STUFF, MAPPING WHAT WE'VE DONE, IF THAT BE YEAH, IF THAT WERE AVAILABLE, THAT BE IN LIEU OF THAT.
AT LEAST IF WE, IF YOU HAVE A PDF ON THE ANNUAL WORK, LAST COUPLE, WE GET AT LEAST READ THOSE COMPETITIVE.
AND THEN THE, THE BENCHMARK, I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THE TIMEFRAME, IT'S JUST AN EXCEL DOCUMENT WITH LIKE A, A PROCESS, PROPOSED TIMELINE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
IT BASICALLY MAKES ME THINK, OKAY, WE SHOULD REALLY STEP BACK AND BE OFF HERE VERSUS JUST LEAP IMPULSIVELY IN ONE DIRECTION.
UM, THE, THE LANDSCAPING OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A TERRIFIC FOR THE DISTRICT, UM, UH, ON THE TRAIL.
I, I THINK IT WOULD BE A HUGE ENHANCEMENT.
UM, COULD THEY DO IT THEMSELVES? UH, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY, UH, WITH, WITH THEIR OWN FUNDRAISING.
UM, SO IT'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S CRITICAL.
THEY, THEY WANNA DO SOME INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE THE TRAIL IS SO NARROW IN SOME SPOTS THAT THEY CAN'T REALLY PLANT A BIG TREE, BUT THEY CAN DO SOME KIND OF A, A TRELLIS TYPE THING THAT, THAT THEN WILL HAVE, UM, A VINE GROWING UP JUST TO PROVIDE SHADE.
AND, UM, UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, TRAILS TYPICALLY INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE, UH, AROUND 30% TO A TRAIL.
UH, SO IF AS IT'S ENHANCED THAT WILL ALSO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MORE, UM, MORE THINGS HAPPENING, UM, I THINK THAT THAT TRAIL LIGHTING, UH, COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD THROW IN THERE.
UM, AND I, I THINK NOW THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE DOWN THERE, UH, USING A, A LOT OF DIFFERENT HOURS, THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE FINE.
UM, I THINK SOMETIMES SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST IT WERE, WELL, IF YOU LIGHT IT, THEN THEY THINK IT'S SAFE AND THEY TEND TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
BUT IT, THEY'RE ALL PUBLIC PARKS AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT USE 'EM, THE SAFER IT GETS.
SO I THINK SOMETHING THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE USAGE OF IT.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, PROBABLY REDUCE PRIME JUST BECAUSE THE FACT THAT IT'S SPLIT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE LESS, LESS OF THAT GOING ON.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING I WOULD THROW IN.
UM, THE AMOUNT OF LANDSCAPING AND, UH, ALL THAT'S BEEN DONE ON THE HIGH LINE, UH, PART OF THE TRAIL WOULD BE GREAT TO JUST SEE THAT EXTEND, UH, ON, UH, ACROSS THE BRIDGE, UH, TO, TO THE REST OF, OF THE TRAIL.
UM, UH, SO THAT'S ONCE AGAIN JUST WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, I THINK THAT AS FAR AS THE TRAIL ITSELF, ONE MORE BRIDGE, PROBABLY CONNECTING FARRINGTON AND MONITOR WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT LOOPS FOR PEOPLE SHORTER, UH, WALKING LOOPS, UH, AND ALSO ENHANCE, UM, UH, CONNECTIVITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UH, THAT WOULD BE A MILLION, MILLION AND A HALF, VERY MOST 2 MILLION, UH, FOR JUST A BASIC BRIDGE.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST, JUST A THOUGHT.
UM, I THINK LUIS HAS HIS HAND, LUIS HAND.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD TELL US WHAT THE ESTIMATED END OF LIFE AMOUNT IS GONNA BE.
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SOMEWHERE AROUND 20 MILLION.I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL WE'LL MONITOR, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE LAST TIME I KIND OF TOOK A BROAD BRUSH LOOK.
I WAS THINKING THAT PROBABLY WE COULD HAVE AROUND $20 MILLION BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE LIFE.
AND THAT'S UNCOMMITTED FUNDS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
NOW IF A HUGE PROJECT COMES ALONG AND, AND HAS A BIG ASK, THAT COULD CHANGE, BUT YEAH, SURE.
BUT ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL AT THE END OF THE LIFE, IF NO NEW PROJECTS COME IN, IT'S $20 MILLION LEFT OVER.
DO YOU WANT MANAGING IN THE DISTRICT, UM, BENCHES, UM, OTHER KINDS OF LANDSCAPING IN DIFFERENT AREAS BESIDES THE TRAIL? IS THAT, WOULD THAT QUALIFY? THAT WOULD WE, AGAIN, WE WOULD NEED TO KINDA LOOK AT MAINTENANCE.
'CAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS YEARS AGO THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS HAVING MORE GATEWAY SIGNAGE, LIKE HAVING THOSE IV MARKERS ALONG RIVERFRONT AND OTHER PLACES.
BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS SORT OF THE ISSUE OF LIKE NOT HAVING AN ORGANIZED GROUP TO LIKE LOOK AFTER THAT STUFF.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
BUT THERE ARE LIKE THINGS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST THAT HAVEN'T BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
SO AT DIFFERENT TIMES, THE CITY WAS GOING TO DO WAYFINDING FOR THE STRAND TRAIL.
IT NEVER HAPPENED, BUT THAT WOULD BE REALLY, YEAH.
THEY, WE'VE WORKED WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO DO KIOSK AND THAT KIND OF THING, AND UPDATE THEM AND YEAH, THAT'S THE THING.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME EXISTING WAYFINDING LIKE KIOSK THINGS THAT ARE REALLY OUTDATED.
AND THAT'S BEING WORKED ON NOW AS FAR AS ON THE TRIP.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE? I THINK THOSE WERE THE ONLY THINGS I HAD DOWN, UM, FOR NOW.
DID, UM, DID ANYBODY TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UH, POWER LINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS FROM TIME TO TIME ABOUT BEARING UTILITIES, BUT IT'LL HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT LIKE, I THINK COMPREHENSIVELY AND THEN WHETHER IT'S, UM, FROM A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS WORTH IT.
'CAUSE I KNOW AT ONE POINT WE WERE LOOKING AT IT LIKE RIGHT BY, UM, PARTS OF SLOCUM, BUT THERE WERE, IT WAS JUST THE COST BENEFIT OF IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY SO THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
LIKE STATE THOMAS, A LOT OF THE FOCUS WAS, UM, BEARING THE REMAINING LINES THAT WERE MISSED, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH FINDING PLACES FOR TRANSFORMER BOXES.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, LIKE IN MAYBE CERTAIN AREAS, IF IT WAS LIKE, COULD BE DONE AT A REASONABLE COST AND ABOUT SIDEWALKS, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK THAT WOULD BE, I WOULD THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT, WOULD BE TO FILL IN SIDEWALK GAPS.
YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE ARE STREETS THAT DON'T HAVE THEM.
I REMEMBER, UM, YEAH, WHAT'S THAT MEAN? A COUPLE, WELL, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, BUT THEY CAME IN AND THEY PUT IN THOSE BIG FAT POLES, LIKE THERE'S A BIG FAT ONE AT THE CORNER OF OAK LAWN AND HIGHLINE.
AND, UM, I REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE DOING IT, WE WERE, I WAS ON THE TIFF THEN, AND WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT A COST AND WHETHER IT WAS FEASIBLE TO DO THEM, UH, ALL, ALL AROUND THAT AREA.
AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS DEFINITELY FEASIBLE.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE COST, BUT WE DID, I REMEMBER WE GOT A BALLPARK BECAUSE WE WERE WHAT KIND OF GOAL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THOSE, THOSE BIG, THOSE AERIAL, THE AERIAL WIRES, YOU KNOW, UM, ENCORE CAME IN AND REDID THOSE AERIAL WIRES ALL IN OUR AREA A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
I MEAN, IT'S ONLY BEEN, I MEAN, IT MAY MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY, BUT, AND THEY PUT IN THOSE BIG GIANT FAT POLES.
AND, UH, THERE'S ONE BY METAL, SOME MOTH, IF YOU WANNA DROP BY AND LOOK AT IT, IT'S HUGE.
LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, LIKE MAYBE EIGHT FEET WIDE OR SIX FEET WIDE.
AND WE WERE ALL KIND OF FREAKING OUT ABOUT HOW BIG THE POLES WERE.
THEY'RE NOT ALL THAT BIG, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT BIG, AND, AND WE INQUIRED ABOUT, OH NO, LET'S DON'T DO THIS.
CAN WE, CAN WE USE TIF FUNDS? CAN WE BURY THESE THINGS? AND WE WERE ALL INVOLVED IN IT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WASN'T COST EFFECTIVE LIKE SUE SAID, BUT IT WAS FEASIBLE.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US MAYBE REVISIT THAT, UM, AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S FEASIBLE, THAT'S GREAT, BUT HOW MUCH IS IT? AND MAYBE WE COULD PLAN, YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEAR PERIOD TO POSSIBLY BURY THE LINES.
UM, AT LEAST, AT LEAST START ON IT, START ON SOME KIND OF PLAN.
THERE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO DO LIKE A DEEP DIVE WITH ENCORE ON THAT.
I THINK ESPECIALLY IF THEY JUST INSTALLED, I MEAN, I GO BY THERE SO MUCH AND I JUST CAN'T PICTURE THAT HOLE.
SO I'M GO BY AND LOOK AT IT TOMORROW AGAIN.
AND, UH, AND, AND SOMETHING ELSE I WANNA TELL Y'ALL.
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UH, SO THOSE LINES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRAIL ON HIGHLINE DRIVE, WE HAD TO REMOVE A LOT OF THOSE BIG, GIANT, GORGEOUS LIVE OAKS BECAUSE ENCORE CAME IN AND BECAUSE OF THOSE LINES RUNNING RIGHT DOWN THE TRAIL, THEY, THEY HAD TO CUT SO MANY OF THE, THE BIG LIMBS OUT.I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE, UH, THE TRAIL AREA 12 YEARS AGO, BUT THAT'S HOW LONG I'VE BEEN HERE.
AND WE HAD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LIVE OAKS ALL ALONG THE TRAIL, AND THEY WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE UTILITY LINES AND NOBODY SEEMED TO CARE.
BUT AT SOME POINT, ENCORE HAS DECIDED TO COME IN AND THEY, THEY DO IT, THEY EVERY SINGLE YEAR NOW, THEY COME IN AND THEY TRIM ALL OF OUR LIMBS, AND WE LOST ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE OF THE BIG HEALTHY LIVE OAKS.
AND THE ONES THAT ARE STILL LEFT ARE HANGING ON, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN IDEAL CONDITION.
AND MY POINT IS, IS THAT IF WE COULD EVER GET THOSE UTILITIES BURIED, WE COULD GO BACK TO LETTING THE TREES GO THEIR FULL, YOU KNOW, HEALTHFUL LIFE.
AND IT WOULD REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFY, UH, THAT WHOLE AREA IF WE COULD LET THE TREES GO TALL, YOU KNOW, GROW TALL, UM, LIKE THEY USED TO.
I, I REMEMBER 'EM CO COMING THROUGH YEARS AGO AND CUTTING BIG KNEES OUT OF 'EM.
SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THEY, THEY SURVIVED BECAUSE THEY, THEY DIDN'T, I DON'T KNOW, BUT NO, THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T, MIKE, THEY DIDN'T, WE LOST, I CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU SOME KEY TENANTS THAT CAN TELL YOU WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THEY DID NOT SURVIVE.
I MEAN, YES, SOME OF THEM DID, BUT WE LOST SOME BIG ONES AND WE HAD TO CUT 'EM DOWN.
AND, AND NOW IF YOU'LL LOOK AT 'EM, THEY'RE FLATTENED AT THE TOP.
GO, GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND LOOK AT 'EM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THEY, THEY HAD TO LIKE MAKE A BOWL IN THE MIDDLE.
THERE'S LIKE, THEY, THEY'RE SHAPED LIKE A BOWL AND THE LINES RUN RIGHT THROUGH AND THEY REALLY CAN'T GET TALLER BECAUSE THEY GET TRIMMED EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THEY DID CHANGE THE, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR PROGRAM.
BUT THE OLD DAYS, THEY, THEY DID TRIM 'EM, BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE, THEY WERE, THEY WERE GOOD UNTIL THEY STARTED TO DO THAT CONSTRUCTION.
WELL, THE, UH, THE TRAIL AND THE PIT JUST, JUST PUT IN ABOUT 30 NEW LIVE OAKS ALL IN THE, UH, THE TRAIL AREA.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THEY'RE NOT GONNA, I MEAN, LONG TERM, THEY'RE JUST, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY REALLY GROW THEIR FULL LIFE OR GROW, GROW MORE, THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE CUT OUT IN THE MIDDLE.
THOSE UTILITY LINES RUN RIGHT THROUGH THAT TRAIL AND THEY'RE LOW.
AND LIKE I SAID, IN THE OLD DAYS, NOBODY CAME OUT AND TRIMMED THE TREES, AND THE TREES JUST, JUST HUNG IN THERE WITH THE WIRES.
BUT IN TODAY'S TIMES, ENCORE COMES IN EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND THEY CUT ALL THE, THEY CUT OUT, THEY CUT OUT THE MIDDLE OF YOUR TREE SO THAT THE, THE TREE DOESN'T HIT THE LIMB, UH, DOESN'T HIT THE WIRES.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MONEY THAT IS.
YEAH, I GUESS I WOULD BE CURIOUS IF LIKE, THE LOOP, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY, WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF HIGHLINE, WHETHER THEY EXPLORED ANYTHING WITH ENCORE, I OBJECT, SUE, THIS IS MORE OF A KIND OF A TECHNICAL QUESTION, BUT DID, HAS DWU UH, UH, DONE ANY ASSESSMENT REGARDING THE WATER AND WASTEWATER IN TERMS OF CAPACITY SO THAT WE KNOW ALL OF THE THINGS THAT STILL, UM, HAPPENING AT SOME POINT IS LIKE THIS BIG, UM, THEY CALL IT THE EAST BANK INTERCEPTOR, WHICH, UM, BACK WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CABANA PROJECT, I KNOW THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, ABOUT THE CAPACITY.
AND SO THIS HUGE INTERCEPTOR PROJECT IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE SOMETHING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE 200 ACRES OR MORE.
THAT PROJECT IS STILL, UM, ON THE DRAWING BOARD.
THEY, THEY, I, THEY THINK THAT THEY'RE GONNA PROBABLY APPROACH IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
'CAUSE I ASKED ABOUT THAT RECENTLY BECAUSE ONE OF THE OTHER THOUGHTS WAS WHETHER THE TIFF MIGHT LOOK AT IMPROVING RIVERFRONT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE A LOT'S BEEN DONE EAST OF CONTINENTAL, BUT THE AREA IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT, YOU STILL DON'T REALLY HAVE SIDEWALKS AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT OF COURSE THE INTERCEPTOR IS SUPPOSED TO COME THROUGH.
AND SO I RECENTLY REACHED OUT TO DW AND THEY SAID THE INTERCEPTOR, THEY'VE BEEN CONTINUING TO FACE SOME CHALLENGES, SO IT'S STILL GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT IT MIGHT HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE STAGED FASHION.
SO, UM, I PROBABLY NEED TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER WITH THEM AND LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? AND WOULD THAT PREVENT US FROM DOING ANY KIND OF SURFACE LEVEL IMPROVEMENTS? BUT I THINK THAT'S SUPPOSED TO SOLVE A LOT OF THE BIG AREA NEEDS IN TERMS OF WATER AND WASTEWATER, BUT ON AN INDIVIDUALIZED BASIS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE MIGHT WANNA
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DO A DEEPER DIVE AS TO WHETHER THERE'S SOME SECTIONS OF THE DISTRICT THAT COULD USE SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS.WELL, UH, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE AS FAR AS BRAINSTORMING IDEAS? YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA FOR ALL OF US? UM, NEXT TIME YOU GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, JUST, JUST DRIVE AROUND THE DISTRICT AND, AND, UH, SEE IF YOU, UH, SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT.
UM, SO, AND THEN MAYBE FOR THE NEXT MEETING WE WOULD HAVE SOME, SOME IDEAS OR YOU COULD JUST SEND AN EMAIL IN AND, AND THE REST OF US CAN GO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT SAME THING.
UM, I JUST THOUGHT OF A, OF AN AREA THAT THE CITY OWNS, BUT IT'S ADJACENT TO THE TRAIL.
IT'S WHERE MANUFACTURING AND THE TRAIL IS.
IT'S A, SO IT'S AN ABANDONED RAIL BED, UH, THAT COULD BE A POCKET BAR.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE NICE, UM, UH, IT WOULDN'T COST THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT IT, RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST SCRUB, UM, STUFF.
WE, WE JUST ALWAYS THOUGHT IN THE FUTURE THAT WE WOULD, WOULD ENHANCE THAT.
IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM JIM LAKES, UM, UH, OFFICES ON MANUFACTURING.
SO, AND FROM THE NEW SILO, ANYBODY BEEN TO THE SILO YET? DO YOU GUYS EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS? I'M NOT THE SILO.
THE SILO IS THE OLD GRAIN STORAGE ON MANUFACTURING.
THEY MADE IT INTO, INTO A, A HUGE NIGHTCLUB WITH LASER LIGHTS AND DISCO AND, UH, EVERYTHING.
WELL, YOU, YOU, YOU MISS ME AT NIGHTCLUB AND DISCO, SO I
THEY SAID IT REALLY WAS WELL DONE AND, AND THE MUSIC IS REALLY GOOD AND LOUD.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL, ALL I KNOW ABOUT THAT.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK IF WE JUST KIND OF WANNA JUST KIND OF KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION AND, UM, HOPEFULLY THE NEXT TIME WE MEET WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TANGIBLE YEAH.
UM, JUST, JUST AS AN FYI, UM, THE, THE TRAIL GROUP IS WORKING, UM, ACTIVELY TO EXTEND UP TO PEGASUS PARK WHERE COMMUNITY BREWER IS NOW.
SO, UM, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THEY'RE WORKING ON.
AND IN ADDITION TO ENHANCING WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY AND THE BRIDGE AND ALL THAT PART.
AND SPEAKING OF TRAIL, SO THE, UM, TRINITY STRAND TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS PROJECT, THE, THE BIG ONE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS STARTING CONSTRUCTION.
THEY SAID THEY'RE GONNA START ON THE, UM, BY THE IRVING BOULEVARD SIDE OF THINGS.
SO I HAVEN'T BEEN BY TO SEE IF THERE'S ACTUALLY ANYTHING, BUT THEY'VE DECIDED TO START OVER THERE AS OPPOSED TO HIGHLINE.
SO DIDN'T WE, IT'S JUST EASIER TO MOBILIZE PROPERLY, PROBABLY EASIER TO MOBILIZE.
AND, AND, AND PARDON, JUST REAL QUICK, DID I HEAR CORRECTLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING ALL THE WAY TO PEGASUS PARK.
DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? YES, ERIC.
I I WORK AT BIO LABS, UH, AT PEGASUS PARK, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW THAT, THAT'S A YOUNG
SO I THINK WE'D HAVE A REALLY GOOD, UH, THAT WOULD BE VERY WELL SERVED TO REACH THAT AREA.
LOT OF, LOT OF YOUNG FOLKS, BEAUTIFUL AREA, AND I THINK THAT CONNECTIVITY WILL BE GREAT FOR US.
WE'VE, UH, UH, WE'VE ACTIVELY GOT A PROPOSAL, UM, TO DO AN INITIAL STUDY, UM, FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO WHEN THAT GETS KICKED OFF AND, AND, AND FINISHED, THEN THERE'LL BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA THAT, HEY, THIS IS FEASIBLE.
IT'S ABOUT HOW MUCH IT'LL BE AND HOPEFULLY BE IN LINE FOR A BOND PROGRAM AND MAYBE SOME COG MONEY AND STUFF, SO.
LET ME KNOW IF I CAN BE OF ANY SUPPORT.
I'M, UH, CONNECTED TO DER HILL AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, THE WHOLE PEGASUS PARK CREW, SO, UH, I COULD REALLY HELP PROMOTE THAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE THERE.
YEAH, NO, I, I'LL, UH, WE'LL BE, UH, LET, LET'S TALK, UH, OFFLINE.
AND, UM, WE'LL BE CONTACTING MARGARET HERE PRETTY SOON, YOU KNOW, GET HER, UH, GET 'EM ALL ON BOARD.
OKAY, WELL, I, I GUESS THAT'S IT FOR TODAY.
AND, UM, UH, IF I HAVE A, UH, MOTION TO ADJOURN, WE WILL.
[00:30:02]
SO MOVED.