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TODAY IS AUGUST 5TH.[Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs on August 5, 2025.]
IT IS 1 0 2.I CALLED TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS.
WE ONLY HAVE FOUR THINGS ON OUR AGENDA IN ADDITION TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
AND, UH, TWO OF THEM WILL BE BRIEFING AND TWO WILL BE ACTION ITEMS. OUR FIRST ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 15TH, 2025 MEETING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY CORRECTIONS CHANGES? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST WANNA SAY BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE OUR LEGISLATIVE TEAM.
UM, CLIFFORD SPARKS HAS REALLY BEEN THE KING OF TEXAS, HOW YOU LIKE THAT? UM,
UM, BUT THEY'VE ALSO SUPPORTED OUR STATE EFFORTS.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK YOU'VE DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB, ALL FOUR OF YOU.
AND, UM, YOU HAVE WORKED HARD DURING THE WEEK.
YOU'VE WORKED HARD WEEKNIGHTS, YOU'VE WORKED HARD WEEKENDS, YOU'VE WORKED HARD IN DALLAS AND IN AUSTIN AND IN DC AND, UM, THIS IS THE CLOSEST I'VE COME TO SEEING ALL OF IT.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND THE PEOPLE OF DALLAS.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD AND YOU'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT, UM, INROADS TO HELP US ADVOCATE FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, WHICH WE WILL SEE THROUGH THESE PRESENTATIONS.
SO I JUST REALLY WANTED TO START WITH THAT.
SO STARTING, WE'RE GONNA START WITH TEXAS FIRST.
UM, AND, AND BOTH THESE ITEMS. AND SO, CLIFFORD, YOU'RE FIRST UP.
THIS IS THE POST SESSION REVIEW AND, UH, YOU'VE GOT A GREAT POWERPOINT FOR US.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME BACK EVERYONE.
IF YOU CAN MOVE THAT CLOSER AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SPEAK RIGHT INTO IT.
IS THIS BETTER? TESTING, TESTING.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME BACK TO THOSE WHO THIS WILL BE MORE THAN YOUR FIRST TOUR OF DUTY.
AND WELCOME TO THOSE WHO THIS IS YOUR FIRST TOUR OF DUTY ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHOWING OFF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF PROJECTING INTO THE FUTURE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JAKE TO KIND OF GIVE US THE, UH, ONCE OVER ON THE FIRST FEW SLIDES AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
UM, JUST REAL QUICK, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE 89TH, UH, REGULAR TEXAS SESSION.
UM, TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT FROM THE OGA PERSPECTIVE ABOUT, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND HOW WE GOT TO THE PROGRAM THAT WE FOLLOWED.
UM, AND WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE HIGH LEVEL STATS THAT OCCURRED, UM, IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CLIFFORD TO TALK THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE BILLS, THE, UH, THE FUNDING, UM, AND THE, THE ACTIVITY THAT'S, THAT'S GONE ON, UH, IN THE WORK THAT WAS DONE IN AUSTIN.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT'S, THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, UM, BEFORE WRAPPING IT UP AND TURNING IT BACK TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS.
SO THIS WAS AS BUSY OF A SEASON OR A SESSION AS TEXAS HAS REALLY EVER SEEN.
UM, WE HAD OVER 9,000 BILLS FILED IN THE SESSION.
UM, AND OF THOSE NEARLY 1500 WOULD'VE IMPACTED THE CITY OF DALLAS OPERATIONS.
UM, IN TOTAL OF THOSE 9,000 BILLS, OVER 1200 WERE SENT TO THE GOVERNOR, UM, AND, AND BECAME LAW 137 OF WHICH, UH, WE DETERMINED WOULD IMPACT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR US IS THAT FIVE OF THE CITY'S, UH, TOP KIND OF NINE PRIORITIES WERE SIGNED INTO LAW.
UM, WHAT I'M BASING THAT OFF OF IS THAT THE, THE APPENDIX TO OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD CATEGORIES PURSUE, SUPPORT, MONITOR, UM, AND OPPOSE.
AND THERE WERE 10 ITEMS IN THE PURSUE CATEGORIES, NINE OF WHICH WERE, WERE POLICY POSITIONS THAT WE, WE TOOK, UM, OR UNDERTOOK.
UH, AND THEN THE 10TH OF WHICH WAS KIND OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
IT WASN'T A POLICY POSITION, IT WAS MAINTAINING LOCAL CONTROL, WHICH I WOULD ARGUE WE, WE HAD A GOOD SESSION, UM, ON THAT FRONT AS WELL.
AND I KNOW CLIFFORD WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THOSE BILLS, UM, HERE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT BEFORE HE DOES, I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO LINLEY DERIAN, UM, OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC POLICY LIAISON.
UM, SHE'S GONNA BRIEFLY REVIEW THE PROCESS, UH, THAT GUIDED THE CREATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, UM, AND THE PROCESS THAT WE USE TO REVIEW BILLS THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.
UM, AND GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, ON THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE ENTIRE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
A FEW OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN THIS BEFORE.
UM, THIS SHOWS THE FORMATION OF OUR PROGRAM TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, SO JUST TO BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, BEGINNING IN THE FALL OF 2023, THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ISSUED A CALL TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMITTEES, UM, OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE GETTING A WIDE VARIETY, UM, OF PERSPECTIVES AND INPUT
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FOR OUR PROGRAM.ONCE ALL THE PRIORITIES WERE SUBMITTED, UM, THEY WERE EACH VETTED THROUGH THE EIGHT STANDING COMMITTEES.
UM, THE RESULTS OF THAT PROCESS OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS IS THEN THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM THAT YOU ALL ADOPTED IN OCTOBER AND AMENDED IN JANUARY.
UM, AFTER THE PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED, OUR OFFICE, UM, CONTINUED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS, UM, US COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TO ASSURE, UM, THAT WE ALIGNED ON ALL OF OUR KEY INITIATIVES AS WE WERE GOING DOWN TO AUSTIN, UM, TO ADVOCATE.
SO ON THIS SLIDE, THIS SHOWS YOUR 2025 ADOPTED LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR REFERENCE, UH, I WON'T BELABOR EACH POINT ON HERE, BUT JUST TO GO OVER THE FOUR OVERARCHING THEMES.
AND AS, UM, I MENTIONED ON THE LAST SLIDE, THESE ARE ALL CATEGORIZED BY YOUR EIGHT STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEN THE PENSIONS AS WELL.
SO FIRST, MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL AND PRESERVE TOOLS TO RESPOND TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE DALLAS COMMUNITY.
PROMOTE A BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT TO ATTRACT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
NEXT, PURSUE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
AND LAST, SUPPORT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND OPPOSE ANY LE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ERODE ON EXISTING PROTECTIONS.
AND AS JAKE MENTIONED AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE DID INCLUDE OUR FULL APPENDIX, UM, CATEGORIZED BY PURSUE, MONITOR, SUPPORT AND OPPOSE.
UM, SO THESE WERE PURSUER THE BILLS WE WERE REALLY CHAMPIONING, UM, LOOKING FOR AUTHORS ON.
UM, THESE WERE OUR TOP PRIORITIES.
SUPPORT WOULD MEAN WE WERE PROVIDING TESTIMONIES LETTERS, BUT WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY THE FRONT MAN ON THOSE BILLS.
UM, MONITOR, WE WERE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT THEM, BUT, AND HAD ANALYSIS ON THEM BUT MAYBE DIDN'T NECESSARILY SUBMIT A LETTER TESTIMONY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THE REASON WE INCLUDED THIS AS A PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, 'CAUSE PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE HAD OVER 200 PRIORITIES SUBMITTED TO OUR OFFICE.
AND WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T HAVE ALL THOSE ON OUR PROGRAM, BUT WE WANTED YOU GUYS JUST BE MORE TRANSPARENT WHAT WE WERE DOWN THERE ACTIVE, UM, DOWN THERE ADVOCATING FOR.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM.
SO NOW I WOULD LIKE TO, OH, NEXT SLIDE.
NOW I'D LIKE TO WALK YOU GUYS THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, UM, IN A FEW QUICK STATISTICS FROM THIS PAST SESSION.
SO AS BILLS WERE FILED, THE LEGISLATIVE TEAM, UM, IDENTIFIED AND ROUTED THEM TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AN APPROPRIATE CITY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, REALLY MAINTAINING A CONSTANT FLOW OF COMMUNICATION.
UM, AND THIS IS HOW WE, UH, GATHERED THE ANALYSIS FOR EACH BILL.
UM, WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE CHAIR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT FEEDBACK WAS TIMELY, REFLECTIVE, UM, OF THE CITY'S OPERATIONAL NEEDS.
SO THIS INCLUDED OUR WEEKLY FRIDAY MEETINGS, UM, WITH CHAIR MENDELSSOHN, WITH CAO, UM, THE OGA TEAM CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND DURING THOSE MEETINGS WE WOULD TALK ABOUT OUR BILL ANALYSIS, UM, WHAT THE CITY IMPACTS WOULD BE, PREPARING TESTIMONY, PLANNING, UPCOMING TRAVEL, TALKING ABOUT STRATEGY, VARIOUS THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IN TERMS OF OUTPUT, A FEW QUICK STATISTICS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE.
WE DISTRIBUTED 41 COUNCIL UPDATES, WHETHER THAT BE THROUGH OUR WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATES, UM, AD HOC MEETINGS, MEMOS, THINGS LIKE THIS.
BUT THAT NUMBER DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MANY, MANY ONE-OFF CONVERSATIONS THAT JAKE CLIFFORD.
UM, CAO CHAIRMAN MENDELSOHN ALL HAD, UM, THE TEXT CONVERSATIONS, MEETINGS WITH OUR LEGISLATORS IN THEIR OFFICES.
UM, OUR ADVOCACY DAYS, DALLAS DAY IN AUSTIN, OR OUR LEGISLATIVE LUNCH BACK IN THE FALL.
SO THERE WERE MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT WEREN'T RECORDED.
UM, WE PROVIDED TESTIMONY ON 45 BILLS.
UM, WE SUBMITTED 27 LETTERS AND WE DROPPED CARDS ON 45 BILLS.
WE COORDINATED 18 COUNCIL TRIPS TO AUSTIN AND COORDINATED 48 STAFF TRIPS TO AUSTIN.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WAS A VERY BUSY SESSION IN AUSTIN.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CLIFFORD TO GO THROUGH THE BILL HIGHLIGHTS AND SUMMARY.
AND IF WE COULD STAY ON THIS SLIDE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OUR CHAIR FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT SHE DID THIS SESSION.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH BEING THE CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATIVE AD HOC REALLY ENTAILS.
UH, ME AND HER TALK ANYWHERE FROM SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO SOMETIMES LATE INTO MIDNIGHT.
UH, HOWEVER LATE THE LEGISLATURE GOES, THAT'S HOW LATE WE GO.
AND IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO SAY A FULL-TIME JOB PLUS SOME.
AND EVEN WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO RUN FOR REELECTION, I WOULD CALL HER IN THE MIDDLE OF HER DOING EVENTS AND SHE WOULD ANSWER.
AND I TOLD HER, LOOK, I JUST NEED YOU FOR A FEW SECONDS.
AND SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE, UH, TAKE THE TIME TO THANK, UH, MS. TAMMY PALINO, OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF THOSE ONES THAT WAS UP LATE WITH ME UP EARLY WITH ME GRINDING AND OUT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY HAD WHAT THEY NEEDED.
ME AND THE LOBBY TEAM HAD WHAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD MAKE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY IN THOSE MIDNIGHT HOURS.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR DELEGATION.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT A
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DELEGATION.NONE OF US CAN VOTE DOWN THERE.
UH, OUR DELEGATION WAS HUGE FOR US THIS SESSION.
UM, THEY TAUGHT US SOME THINGS AND THEY ALSO SHOWED US SOME THINGS.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK THAT WE SEE HERE UP ON THIS SCREEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE BLOCKING AND TACKLING, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT'S DONE BEHIND THE SCENES FROM THE CITY ATTORNEYS TO OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TO OTHER CITY STAFF, YOU KNOW, LIKE NONE OF THAT THAT I JUST MENTIONED ABOVE, NONE OF THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT EVERYBODY DOING THE WORK AT THE GRUNT LEVEL, AT THE GROUND LEVEL.
SO I DON'T WANT TO JUST GLOSS OVER THIS, UH, PARTICULAR SLIDE AS IF IT'S NOTHING.
THIS IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING THAT WE TAKE EVERY SINGLE SESSION.
AND WITHOUT ALL THAT WORK AND MINUTIAE THAT THEY'RE GOING OVER, I MEAN, NONE OF THAT WOULD MATTER AND HOW LATE WE'RE STAYING UP BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE GOOD INFORMATION TO TELL ANYBODY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE FAVORABLE LEGISLATION.
UM, I WANNA READ THIS TO YOU, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SOME POINTS THIS SESSION.
KINDA LIKE LAST SESSION, WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD OVERALL SESSION, IN MY OPINION.
IF YOU COMBINE WHAT HAPPENED LAST SESSION, WE PROBABLY HAD OVER 50 PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WE PASSED OVERALL FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS STANDPOINT.
THAT'S NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT TO, TO MAKE LIGHT OF ANYTHING.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.
WE ARE STILL CONSIDERED A BLUE CITY AND A SEA OF RED.
SO FOR US TO BE PASSING THAT MANY PIECES OF LEGISLATION, THAT IS HUGE.
THAT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING THAT SHOWS THE WIDE RANGE THAT WE HAVE IN THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE DOWN IN AUSTIN.
NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AS I FEEL LIKE WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE DONE.
AND WHY DO I SAY THAT? BECAUSE THERE, THERE'S JUST SOMETIMES THINGS THAT DON'T GET DONE BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS OR THAT.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE BLUE CITY, WE ARE GETTING THINGS DONE IN A MAJOR WAY.
AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SIT UP HERE AND SAY THAT, THAT WITH ALL THE THINGS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IT, WE ARE KNOCKING THINGS OUTTA THE PARK.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT US COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES AND STATES ACROSS THE NATION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'M PROUD OF TOO, IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT LEGISLATION LIKE HB 21.
THE STATE WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE CONSTRICTING OUR BUDGET, SO TO SPEAK, THEY WERE ALSO WILLING TO HELP US ON SOME FRONTS TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE ELSE WAS CONSTRICTING IT.
SO HB 21, UH, PASSING A BILL LIKE THAT WAS HUGE FOR US.
MAKING SURE THAT NO OTHER JURISDICTIONS COULD COME IN AND TAKE THINGS OFF OF OUR TAX ROLL, THAT'S HUGE BECAUSE THAT WAS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT WE WERE RUNNING INTO THAT WE NEEDED TO CURTAIL AND THEY WORKED WITH US ON THAT.
UM, LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, UM, WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE DEFINITELY GOT DONE, AND I KNOW IT'S STILL SOME CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, WAS MOVING OUR GENERAL ELECTION DATE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE STILL HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE STATE WAS MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP US OUT ON TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WILL OF OUR CITIZENS WAS REFLECTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, SUFFICE IT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY ALSO LET SOME OTHER STUFF HAPPEN TO US THAT OUR CITIZENS SAID THAT WE PROBABLY DIDN'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH.
BUT NONETHELESS, THEY'RE LISTENING.
THEY'RE WANTING TO HELP, THEY ARE HELPING, THEY'RE PASSING LEGISLATION THAT REFLECTS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THEM WHETHER WE AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT, WHETHER WE SIT ON A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE AISLE OR NOT.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THESE PEOPLE.
AND YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY THIS AFTER EVERY LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP THAT I DO, YOU GUYS SITTING UP THERE ON THEIR DIETS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHEERLEADERS THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT YOU DO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, WHEN YOU SEE MEMBERS OUT AND ABOUT THE PHONE CALLS, THE TEXT MESSAGES THAT YOU MAKE, THAT'S WHAT SETS UP OUR PROGRAM FOR SUCCESSFUL FAILURE IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE SUCCESSES THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU AND VICE VERSA.
SO I APPLAUD ALL OF YOU AGAIN.
AND JUST LIKE MOST THINGS, MOST THINGS, THERE'S TWO SIDES TO EVERY COIN.
THERE WAS SOME UNFAVORABLE LEGISLATION THAT PASSED, UH, BUT THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF MASSAGE SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
IN PARTICULAR THINGS LIKE SB 15.
UM, ALLOW ME TO TAKE A STEP BACK ON THIS.
THE STATE HAS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, INCREASED ITS WANTING OF TRYING TO DO YOUR JOB WHEN IT COMES TO LAND USE AND ZONING REGULATION.
SB 15 IS ONE OF THOSE MARKERS THAT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE STILL GOING TO PULL UP A
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SEAT.AND EVEN THOUGH THERE'S 15 SHARES RIGHT HERE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL SET A 16TH DOWN BECAUSE THEY ARE SITTING DOWN AT THE TABLE MAKING DECISIONS FOR YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, THIS HERE IS A SMALL, UH, SMALL LOT BILL, MEANING THAT ANY, ANY LOTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE OVER FIVE ACRES, INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO DO MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT OR ANY TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CREATIVITY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ZONING AND LAND USE, NOW IT'S RESTRICTED TO ONE THING, SMALL SINGLE FAMILY, LOTS UNDER 3000 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LIMITED TO ON ANY TYPE OF UNDEVELOPED LAND THAT HASN'T BEEN PLATTED UP TO THIS POINT OR, UH, ONCE THE, UH, SEPTEMBER 1ST KICKS IN.
SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE STATE IS DEFINITELY TELLING US THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH OUR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM.
THEY THINK THAT THIS IS THE WAY TO DEAL WITH IT.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A CARVE OUT IN SB 15 TO OUR UNT DALLAS AREA THAT WOULD AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT AROUND THAT AREA.
SO MILE RADIUS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO PROTECT THAT.
WE TRY TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS.
WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL IN THAT, BUT WE WERE, WE WERE ABLE TO PROTECT PARTS OF OUR CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THAT RESPECT WHERE THE STATE WAS ALSO HAVING DIRECT INVESTMENT IN.
SO EVEN THOUGH THIS BILL PASSED AND THIS LABELED IS UNFAVORABLE, THERE WERE SOME FAVORABLE THINGS THAT STILL HAPPENED IN THAT.
THE OTHER BILL I WANNA TALK ABOUT AGAIN, WHEN WE FOCUS ON LAND USE IS SB EIGHT 40.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT DOES, BECAUSE THAT HAS REAL WORLD AND REAL IMPACT EFFECTS ON US.
UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK SENATOR BRIAN HUGHES FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO ALLOW US TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND MASSAGE THIS BILL THE WAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, WE HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT WITH HIM, UH, THANKFULLY.
AND SO THIS BILL COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE UNFAVORABLE, BUT IT ACTUALLY CAME OUT, UH, IN A WAY OR IN WAYS THAT ALLOWED US STILL SOME BREATHING ROOM.
UH, BUT LIKE I SAID, IT, IT IS ON THE UNFAVORABLE SLIDE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL MONUMENTAL THAT WE ARE AT THE TABLE AS THE SAUSAGE IS BEING MADE.
AND IF I CAN MAKE A ANOTHER PERSONAL POINT, THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
NOW, WHEN I FIRST STARTED, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO, THE SENATE WOULDN'T, WAS MORE RELUCTANT TO LET US HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
NOW THEY'RE STARTING TO LET US HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
THEY'RE STARTING TO LET US INFLUENCE BILLS ON THE SENATE SIDE MORE THAN THEY EVER HAVE.
AND I STILL THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE VOLUME OF THE PEOPLE THAT SIT UP HERE IN THESE CHAIRS.
SO EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE MIGHT LOOK AT US DIFFERENTLY AND THINK, HEY, YOU'RE A BLUE CITY, DA, DA DA, DA, BUT THEY STILL RESPECT US ENOUGH TO PUT US AT THE FOREFRONT TO WHERE WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS ON HOW THE WAY THEY ARE GOING TO DICTATE TO US.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO MISS THAT.
WE DO HAVE SEATS AT THE TABLE.
AND I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WINS.
YOU KNOW, BUDGET IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT? POLICY AND BUDGET GO TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM SOUTHERN GATEWAY, CHARLES, JUDGE ROSE PARK, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS ARE HUGE FOR US.
UH, WE ALSO SAW AN INCREASE IN A LOT OF OUR GRANT FUNDING PROGRAMS. I WANNA POINT OUT ONE IN PARTICULAR, THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM THERE, THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT GRANTS.
THE REASON WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS I JUST WANNA USE THAT AS A MICROCOSM OF WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY.
THAT GRANT WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE CANCELED, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR HARD WORK AND OUR DEDICATION, THE CHAIR'S INVOLVEMENT, YOU KNOW, CITY ATTORNEY'S INVOLVEMENT, OGA A'S INVOLVEMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT GRANT OFF THE FLOOR AND GET IT BACK INTO OUR COFFERS.
AND WE ACTUALLY TRIPLED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ARE GETTING FROM THAT.
THAT'S HUGE IN TIMES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD'VE BEEN EATING THAT.
WE ACTUALLY TRIPLED THE MONEY FOR IT.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE WITH THAT BECAUSE OF IT.
SO I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT, THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE DO DOWN THERE IN AUSTIN ON THE CITY'S BEHALF THAT I THINK IS VERY MONUMENTAL.
I, NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN REAL TIME.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A SPECIAL SESSION CALLED BY OUR GOVERNOR, UH, IT WAS CALLED IN, UM, MID TO LATE, UH, JULY.
AND ONE OF THE THING, AND THESE ITEMS ARE ON THE LIST, THE ONE IN PARTICULAR THOUGH THAT REALLY AFFECTS US, THAT REALLY IS BECOMING A PROBLEM OR IS GONNA BE A HUGE PROBLEM FOR US, IS SB NINE.
SB NINE IS, UH, BASICALLY LOWERS THE CAP, THE CURRENT CAP FROM THREE AND A HALF PERCENT TO 2.5%.
THAT'S, AS, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW.
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TO SAY, I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THE CHAIR AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE NEGOTIATING WITH SENATOR BETTENCOURT AND HIS STAFF.YOU KNOW, WE WERE NEGOTIATING THIS WEEKEND WITH THEM, AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS PROUD OF HOW THE WAY THAT THINGS WENT.
YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, IN SPITE OF THE QUORUM BREAK, I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS STILL MATERIALIZE IN WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE ABLE TO BENEFIT US LONG TERM.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE, AGAIN, WE, WE DO HAVE SEATS AT THE TABLE.
WE ARE TALKING, WE ARE GETTING OUR CONCERNS IN FRONT OF THE MEMBERS, AND HOPEFULLY IT'S GONNA BE FRUITFUL.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALL THIS IS KIND OF HAPPENING IN REAL TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE DEBATING IT TODAY ON THE FLOOR.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE I'M TALKING, THEY MAY BE DISCUSSING IT RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
I'LL GO BACK AND CHECK ON THAT.
WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AS SOON AS WE CAN.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, THAT SB NINE IS GOING TO BE A BOONDOGGLE IF IT PASSES IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
SO HOPEFULLY THEY WORK WITH US, UM, TO TRY TO GET SOME RELIEF VOWS IN THERE FOR US, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET AND OUR NEEDS CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND EVEN THOUGH OUR GRANT PROGRAMS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW, WE STILL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT A RESPECTABLE LEVEL.
SO WITH THAT BEING, COULD, WILL YOU JUST PAUSE IN, IN THE MOST BASIC LEVEL, EXPLAIN WHAT SB NINE IS? YEAH.
SO SB NINE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAYS TODAY, IT IS, IT, IT'S BASICALLY A REVENUE CAP OR A SPENDING CAP.
THEY WANT TO REDUCE OUR SPENDING CAP FROM THAT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT CAP, WHICH AT ONE TIME IT WAS AT EIGHT POINT A HALF, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO.
NOW THEY'RE MOVING IT DOWN TO TWO AND A HALF.
AND SO THEY'RE, YOU'RE SEEING HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO, BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS TO GO OVER THAT CAP.
THAT'S WHAT YOUR THRESHOLD IS NOW.
SO YOU CAN SPEND 2.5% UP TO WHAT YOUR, UM, TAX RATE WOULD BE.
AND SO IN ESSENCE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIMITING HOW MUCH YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND, EVEN THOUGH THE REVENUE IS COMING IN THE WAY THAT IT IS FROM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE EXCESS GROWTH THAT WE'RE HAVING.
SO THE BUDGET THAT THE STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UM, IS FOR, UM, MULTIPLE KINDS OF REVENUE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE THAT WE LOOK AT IS REAPPRAISAL PROPERTIES.
AND WE'VE HAD, UM, UNDER A FORMER, UH, TERM SB TWO, WHICH SAID IT CAN ONLY GO UP THREE AND A HALF PERCENT THE BILL AND, AND WE CAN HAVE BRAND NEW REVENUE FROM NEW PROPERTIES IN ADDITION TO THAT.
WELL, THIS BILL IS SAYING, ACTUALLY, YOU CAN ONLY GO UP TO TWO POINT A HALF PERCENT, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED FOR IMMEDIATE ADOPTION, MEANING OCTOBER ONE.
SO THE BUDGET THAT OUR STAFF HAS WORKED SO HARD TO PREPARE, UM, WOULD NOT MEET THE THRESHOLD IF IT GOES FORWARD AS INITIALLY LAID OUT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, HUGE DEAL, VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR ALL THE JURISDICTIONS IN TEXAS.
AND, UM, SEVERAL WERE DOWN THERE, NOT THAT MANY, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND IT, IT, IT'S REALLY GONNA PUT US AT RISK.
UM, WE HAVE INVESTED A LOT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, AND YOU'VE ALREADY HAD PREVIEWS.
MANY OF YOU, UM, IF NOT, YOU'RE ABOUT TO FROM THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT'S COMING LATER THIS WEEK.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE MASSIVE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO WE ARE MAKING THE CASE WITH THE HELP OF, UH, SENATOR ROYCE WEST, UM, ABOUT SOME MORE COMPLICATED CALCULATIONS INSTEAD OF SAYING JUST TWO POINT A HALF PERCENT CORRECT.
SO THIS, THIS IS WHERE HAVING LOBBYISTS IS ESSENTIAL FOR A CITY BECAUSE IT IS COMPLICATED, BUT ALSO HAVING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A BIG RISK TO US.
AND I THINK WE ENDED UP CALCULATING THAT IT WAS GONNA BE, UM, ABOUT $22 MILLION WORTH OF REVENUE WE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, THAT ENDS MY PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO JAKE.
UM, SO I, I'LL I'LL KEEP THIS REAL BRIEF.
OBVIOUSLY THE SPECIAL SESSION CONTINUES.
UM, WE WILL BE CON CONTINU TO CONTINUING TO UPDATE YOU AS THINGS CHANGE AND AS THE LANDSCAPE SHIFTS.
UM, WE'RE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND OGA ARE WORKING INTERNALLY WITH DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT ANY CHANGES, UH, FROM THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT HAD PASSED.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU ON THOSE AS WELL.
AND DURING THE INTERIM, UM, WHEN THE, UH, THE LEGISLATURE STOPS MEETING, UM, WE WILL WORK, UM, AND MONITOR ANY PLANS FOR, UH, FOR THE INTERIM CHARGES AND THE AGENCY ACTIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN OUTREACH WITH OUR,
[00:25:01]
UM, OUR LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS.AND THEN WE WILL START THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING, UM, THE ISSUES OF INTEREST TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, IN, IN PREPARATION FOR THE 90TH SPECIAL, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, THE 90TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, WHICH WILL MEET IN SPRING OF 27.
UM, WE'LL BEGIN WORKING WITH THE, THE COMMITTEES TO, TO FORM THAT, UM, THAT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
SO WITH THAT, UH, CHAIR, WE'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, LIKE CLIFFORD, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE NUMBER OF VISITS WE MADE, BOTH AS A COUNCIL AS WELL AS STAFF TO AUSTIN, UM, AS TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING IS DISCUSSED.
UM, IN TERMS OF BANNING IT, I'LL SAY, I THINK THAT WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE DOING OUR PART AND I WANNA THANK MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WENT TO AUSTIN, WHO TESTIFIED THIS WAS, UM, HELPFUL.
UH, WE DID THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THIS SESSION AND, UM, I ASKED COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OWN CERTAIN TOPICS TO MAKE SURE THEY STAYED UP TO DATE ON IT, TO BE WILLING TO GO AND TESTIFY ON IT.
DIDN'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
I THINK IT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL.
UM, AND, AND SO I'D LOVE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE WHOLE COUNCIL ACTUALLY ON THAT, SINCE EVERYBODY, UM, MOSTLY WAS INVOLVED.
UM, THE, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT FIRST OFF, UM, SECOND, UM, STAFF WAS VERY ACCESSIBLE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF TIMES THE RIGHT PERSON TO TESTIFY WAS A TECHNICAL EXPERT.
AND, UM, SO I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE A LOT OF THE, UM, THOUGHT LEADERS IN THIS BUILDING TO GO AND PROVIDE THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION AND THE PERSPECTIVE THAT THEIR CAREERS HAVE AFFORDED THEM, UM, TO THE LEGISLATORS WHO SOMETIMES HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A CITY BEFORE, RIGHT? THEIR, THEIR ATTORNEYS OR THEIR, UH, MAYBE THEY WENT DIRECTLY TO A COUNTY, BUT THEY HAVEN'T, UM, THEY HAVEN'T DEALT WITH THE CITY LEVEL.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CLIFFORD, YOU MENTIONED OUR DELEGATION.
I THINK THEY WERE EXTREMELY WARM AND WELCOMING TO US.
UM, MANY OF US CAMPED OUT IN THEIR OFFICES WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR HEARINGS OR WAITING TO TALK TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND, UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A WONDERFUL KIND OF PARTNERSHIP.
BUT ALSO, UM, SOMETIMES THEY GAVE US GREAT ADVICE ON STEERING US IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, AND I THINK WE MADE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE BEYOND OUR DELEGATION WHO WERE ABLE TO HELP US, WHO WERE SORT OF LEADING EFFORTS ON CERTAIN TOPICS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND, UM, AGAIN, VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AND I WOULD SAY SURPRISING TO ME HOW OPEN THEY WERE TO HEARING FROM DALLAS WHEN THEY DIDN'T REPRESENT US.
AND, UM, SO ALL OF THAT IS, I THINK, HELPFUL FOR US.
UM, I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE NEW ON THE COMMITTEE, THE APPROVED LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WE HAVE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE SPECIAL SESSIONS.
AND I WOULD PROPOSE TO YOU THAT WE START SOONER THAN LATER ON GATHERING WHAT WE WANT FOR THE NEXT SESSION.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL LEAVE IT OPEN.
WE MIGHT WANNA AMEND IT WHEN WE GET CLOSE.
BUT THE REASON, WHAT I FOUND IS THAT ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WANT TO INITIATE, OR WE WANNA ENCOURAGE ONE OF OUR STATE REPS OR SENATORS TO BRING FORWARD LEGISLATION, THEY'RE LIKE READY TO START TALKING ABOUT THAT NOW.
I'M NOT SURE OUR ISSUES CHANGE DRAMATICALLY YEAR TO YEAR ANYHOW, OR EVERY TWO YEARS.
SO I THINK WE COULD BE GETTING READY A LOT SOONER.
WE ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS THIS TIME, THE SOONEST WE EVER HAD, BUT WE DIDN'T GET TO THE FINISH LINE A LOT SOONER THAN WE USUALLY DO.
SO THIS TIME I PROPOSE WE START A LOT EARLIER, BUT WE ALSO FINISH A LOT EARLIER AND JUST LEAVE IT OPEN FOR LAST MINUTE ITEMS THAT MIGHT COME UP.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT YIELD SOME ADDITIONAL RESULTS FOR US.
SO, CLIFFORD, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT? YES, I, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE TO THAT POINT, WHENEVER YOU HAVE SOMETHING READY IN YOUR BACK POCKET, SO TO SPEAK, WHEN YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT TALKING WITH DIFFERENT MEMBERS, THEY CAN GIVE YOU INSTANT FEEDBACK AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
YOU KNOW, YEAH, LET, LET'S TRY THAT.
OR I'LL PICK THAT BILL UP, OR, HEY, YOU SHOULD GO TALK TO THIS CHAIRMAN OR THAT CHAIRMAN.
OR YOU COULD GET THE OPPOSITE FEEDBACK WHERE THEY SAY, EH, YEAH, YOU SHOULDN'T TRY THAT THIS SESSION BECAUSE OF EXTRANEOUS FACTORS THAT ARE COMING UP.
AND SO THAT WAY IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, ME TELLING YOU OR THE LOBBY TEAM TELLING YOU NO, IT'S, NO, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS ARE TELLING YOU THIS ISN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
SO THEREFORE WE DON'T, THEREFORE WE SPEND TIME ON THINGS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET DONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM WITH ALL THE WINS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF SESSIONS.
SO, SO I, I, I AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT.
AND CAN I JUST ADD FROM, FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE, THE INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, THIS, THIS LAST TIME AROUND, WE DID INITIALLY ADOPT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM IN OCTOBER TO CHAIRMAN MENDELSSOHN'S POINT, AND THEN WE CAME BACK IN JANUARY
[00:30:01]
TO MAKE ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES AS THE SESSION WAS GETTING STARTED.SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE MOVE THAT TIMELINE UP, THERE WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA TWEAK OUR PRIORITIES, UM, OR WE WANT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA CHANGE, UH, THE ORDER PRIORITIZATION ON ANY GIVEN THING.
UM, BUT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO FACTOR THAT IN AND BUILD THAT INTO THE PROCESS.
UM, OVERALL, I'LL JUST SAY, I THOUGHT WE GOT DONE MORE THAN I EXPECTED WE WOULD.
AND, UM, I DEFINITELY SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR THAT.
AND OF COURSE THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY TAKE THE VOTE DOWN IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR, FOR CLIFFORD OR JAKE, UM, BOTH ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND WHAT WAS DONE AND ABOUT IDEAS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR GOING FORWARD.
CHAIR MORENO, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
WE WILL MAYBE GO OVER TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AROUND THIS SIDE.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION AS WE'RE TRACKING BILL THE BILLS, IS THAT DONE THROUGH THE OGA, THE LOBBYISTS OR REFERRAL FROM MCC? WE WORK AS A TEAM.
UM, YEAH, THE, THE WHOLE TEAM TRACKS BILLS, UM, TOGETHER.
AND SO AS THINGS ARE FILED, UM, WATCHING IT, GETTING INFORMATION FROM CLIFFORD AND THEN DISTRIBUTING IT OUT TO STAFF.
SO EVEN, EVEN STAFF WILL SOMETIMES GET A CALL FROM THEIR, THEIR COLLEAGUE DOWN IN SAN ANTONIO WHO'S LIKE, HEY, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BILL? AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL REACH OUT TO US SO WE CAN ADD IT.
UM, AS WE'RE DOING BILL ANALYSIS AND THERE'S COUNCIL MEMBERS PREPARING TO GO DOWN TO TESTIFY, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE ON ONE, I KNOW BILL BILLS GET FILED SPORADIC, BUT ONCE WE KNOW SOMETHING'S BEEN FILED, HAVING THAT PREPARED TESTIMONY, HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU TRY AS A DEPARTMENT TO HAVE THAT PREPARED? SO ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE DID THIS, UH, THIS SESSION WAS WE REALIZED, AS YOU SAW ON AN EARLIER SLIDE, THERE WERE 1500 BILLS THAT WERE FILED THAT AFFECTED DALLAS.
WE KNEW THAT MANY, MANY OF THOSE WOULD NOT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, THEY WOULDN'T GET A HEARING.
UH, IT WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO TESTIFY ON.
SO, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, THE SHEER VOLUME OF WORK THAT IT IS TO EVALUATE BILLS, UM, WE, WE DID EVALUATE 400 SOMETHING BILLS THIS SESSION.
AND SO WE WAITED TO BE SURE, UM, WHAT BILLS WOULD BE MOVING BEFORE, UM, BEFORE PREPARING, UM, ANY SORT OF TESTIMONY, WHICH MEANS IT WAS A SHORT TURNAROUND TIME AND, UH, BUT THAT IT WAS IN ORDER TO SAVE ALL STAFF SOME TIME AND MAKE SURE WE WERE FOCUSING ON THE PRIORITIES THAT THE, UH, THE LEGISLATURE WAS FOCUSING ON.
AND AS YOU'RE PREPARING THE TESTIMONY, IT'S OBVIOUSLY CRITICAL TO HAVE STAFF'S TECHNICAL, UM, BACKING ON IT.
AND SO HOW DO YOU GUYS DRAW THE, THE BALANCE OF THE POSITION OF THE CITY WHEN SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S BEING, UH, PREPARED BY, BY CITY STAFF? SO ONCE CITY STAFF GIVES US FEEDBACK, UH, WE TYPICALLY GET FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY MANAGEMENT SIDE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY SIDE.
ONCE WE GET THAT FEEDBACK, UM, OGA THEN TAKES IT AND PUTS IT TOGETHER, PRESENTS IT TO ME, THEN I TAKE IT AND PRESENT IT TO THE CHAIR.
BECAUSE AS THE LEGISLATIVE AD HOC CHAIR, SHE ULTIMATELY DETERMINES WHO, WHAT OUR MESSAGE IS GOING TO BE.
AND SO ALL THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IN A MATTER OF HOURS, SOMETIMES IN A MATTER OF DAYS.
IT ALL DEPENDS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE.
I MEAN, IF THE TURNAROUND IS, YOU KNOW, HEY, I NEED THIS BACK IN AN HOUR, THEN YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF IT HAPPENS PRETTY FAST.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST DICTATED ABOUT HOW LONG WE HAVE UNTIL WE NEED TO MAKE OUR PRESENCE KNOWN ON A PARTICULAR BILL.
UH, THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS I THINK ARE SO IMPORTANT.
UH, IT GIVES US A WAY TO TRY TO QUANTIFY WHAT WE'RE GETTING.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL, UH, FEEDBACK.
I THINK, UM, AT LEAST FOR MY ASSIGNMENTS, I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE AND, AND VERSED IN, IN THE HOUSING AND THE HOMELESSNESS, UH, ARENA.
UM, SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT THE ONLY, UH, ADVICE THAT I WOULD HAVE FOR STAFF IS I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WE GO DOWN AND SPEAK ON MULTIPLE BILLS AT THE SAME TIME.
SOMETIMES THEY GET, THEY ARE ASKED TO BE COMBINED.
AND SO HAVING, UH, A SUMMARY OF MULTIPLE BILL TESTIMONY, UH, CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED, WHETHER IT'S TESTIFYING ON THREE OR FIVE DIFFERENT ONES OR IF IT'S CONSOLIDATED DOWN TO ONE, UM, THAT'S, UH, MY INPUT.
YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY THERE'S NO ACCOUNTING FOR WHAT A CHAIR IS GONNA DO, AND THEY MIGHT CHANGE HOW MUCH TIME THEY GIVE US TO SPEAK, AND YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES PREPARED, AND SUDDENLY IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, NOPE, YOU'RE GETTING TWO OR YOU'RE GETTING ONE.
UM, OR OKAY, YOU CAN HAVE THREE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SPEAK ON ALL OF THIS.
[00:35:01]
FOLKS THAT ARE THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT AN ITEM ARE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.AND, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RENO, I'M SORRY, MAYOR PROM, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR TESTIMONY ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND BECAUSE YOU KNEW THE SUBJECT DEEPLY WHEN THEY ASKED YOU QUESTIONS, YOU HAD REALLY EXCELLENT ANSWERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO MAYBE DOESN'T SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE, OR THIS HAS NOT BEEN THEIR, UM, PASSION, IT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC AND POSSIBLY EVEN EMBARRASSING FOR THE CITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTED THE CITY VERY WELL ON, ON THAT TOPIC.
AND, UM, AND IT'S, IT'S WHY BEING ABLE TO PAIR PEOPLE WITH THEIR, UM, THEIR AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND AND PASSION HAVE HAVE, I THINK, BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
COUNCILOR STEWART? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, I THINK HAVING SAT ON THIS COMMITTEE LAST, LAST TIME, UH, LAST TERM, AND NOW LOOKING AT IT, AND I REMEMBER SOME OF THE ANXIETY OF THIS MOMENT, UM, BUT I WANNA COMPLIMENT THE CHAIR ON YOUR STRATEGY THIS TIME.
I THINK IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM MORENO BEING THE RIGHT PERSON TO BE DOWN THERE TESTIFYING AND, AND WAS THE, THE KNOWLEDGE EXPERT FROM THAT, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BEING THE CHAIR, UM, AT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO I THINK I WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON YOUR STRATEGY.
I THINK IT WAS VERY, PROBABLY VERY EFFICIENT, BUT ALSO VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK AND THE MANY HOURS AND, UM, 6:00 AM AND LATE NIGHT CALLS.
UM, THAT'S, IT'S HARD TO MAKE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS WORK WELL AT SOMETIMES AT THOSE TIMES OF THE DAY,
SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR REALLY PUTTING IN THE EXTRA, THE EXTRA EFFORT.
UM, SO YOU SAID WE HAD TOP, WE, WE HAD SUCCESS WITH FIVE OF OUR 10 TOP PRIORITIES.
DID YOU, DID YOU LIST THOSE TOP PRIORITIES AND I JUST DIDN'T RUN 'EM DOWN FAST ENOUGH? IF YOU LOOK IN THE, UM, THE APPENDIX TO THIS PRESENTATION IN THE APPENDIX, UM, YOU'LL, IT IS THE APPENDIX TO THE STATE PROGRAM, RIGHT? AND YOU'LL SEE, UH, SOME POLICY POSITIONS BROKEN OUT UNDER DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS, IS OUR PURSUE CATEGORY.
UM, THAT IS, THERE'S 10 ITEMS ON THERE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROLS REALLY MORE OF A, A POLICY POSITION THAT WE TOOK.
UM, BUT THE OTHER NINE, UM, WE, WE, UH, IS WHAT WE GR WERE GRADED OURSELVES AGAINST.
UM, AND THERE WERE FIVE THAT PASSED, AND THAT IS, AND SO CAN YOU TELL US WHICH OF THE FIVE YOU GRADED AS A HIGH GRADE? SO, UH, GOING OFF THE, THE PURSUIT LANGUAGE DEFINE USE FOR LESS LETHAL DEVICES WAS ONE, UM, ENHANCED PROTECTIONS AGAINST SQUATTING WAS TWO, UM, HARM REDUCTION FOR OPIOIDS.
UH, OPIOID ABATEMENT, UM, HAD TWO BILLS ACTUALLY THAT PASSED.
UM, THE, THE COPPER THEFT ITEM, UM, WE HAD A BILL THAT PASSED AND THEN THE ELECTION DATE ITEM PASSED.
AND IF I CAN ALSO ADD NUMBER 10, THE C CLARITY REGARDING CARD ROOMS. YEAH, WE DID GET CLARITY THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA GET CLARITY ON THAT.
SO THAT WAS SO, WE'LL, WE'LL COUNT THAT AS PROGRESS, WE'LL COUNT AS PROGRESS, THAT THE STATE WAS VERY ADAMANT THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
UH, TALKED TO EVERYBODY FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO COMMITTEE MEMBER, UH, COMMITTEE CLERKS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE JUST COULDN'T GET A DEFINITIVE ANSWER.
SO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET A YES OR A NO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE CONSIDERED THAT THAT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, A WIN FOR US.
YEAH, AND I'LL JUST SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT SENATE BILL EIGHT 40, UM, IS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF, OF MINE.
AND MOSTLY, UH, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF MINE BECAUSE OF THE, MY RESIDENTS AND THE VULNERABILITY THAT THEY NOW FEEL THEY HAVE, THAT THEY WON'T HAVE A VOICE IN HOW PARTICULAR PROPERTIES, UM, DEVELOP.
AND, UM, THEY'VE RELIED ON, I'M NOT GONNA CALL ANY PROPERTY OUT, BUT THEY'VE RELIED ON, UH, A ZONING CHANGE AS BEING THEIR ABILITY TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT WOULD GO IN SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS AND HAVING LOST THAT VOICE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION.
SO I, I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, AND, AND I WON'T, UH, I WON'T, I WON'T GO INTO IT ANY FURTHER, BUT JUST AS WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ONES WITH CONCERNS AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, SB 12 IS, UM, GOING, OR 9, 9, 9, 9, SORRY, GETTING MY NUMBERS CONFUSED, UM, IS ALSO, UM, VERY CONCERNING.
THAT IS TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, CORRECT.
UM, BUT I THINK YOU MAKE A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND THAT'S, UM, FOR, FOR HB EIGHT 40, THE, AND THIS IS ALLOWING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF, UH, COMMERCIAL,
[00:40:02]
YOU KNOW, UH, THINK ABOUT A RETAIL STRIP CENTER INTO HOUSING, RIGHT? UM, SO OFTEN WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, THEY'RE SAYING THAT WE AS LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS, I MEAN, WE ARE THE LOWEST LEVEL WE'RE RUNNING INTO FOLKS AT TOM HUM.LIKE WE'RE AT THE SOCCER GAMES TOGETHER, THAT WE ARE NOT ADVOCATING FOR OUR PEOPLE WITH THESE TAX DOLLARS.
AND IT'S JUST FACTUALLY NOT TRUE.
AND THIS BILL WHERE OUR PEOPLE HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD US THEY WANT A VOICE AND WE WERE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR VOICE AND THEY TOOK AWAY THE VOTE VOICE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHY WE ARE SO IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESS.
AND THE NARRATIVE OF TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING IS SAID ONE WAY, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAY THAT WE'RE DOWN THERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE TAXES ON OUR FOLKS, WELL, WE LITERALLY WROTE A LETTER, UM, ENCOURAGING THEM TO, UM, INCREASE THE TAX EXEMPTION.
WE ARE TRULY GIVING VOICE TO OUR RESIDENTS, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
HOPEFULLY THAT THAT DOES NOT PASS, ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY WON'T.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART ASKED THE QUESTION, I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT WHICH OF THE PURSUE ITEMS WERE SUCCESSES, BUT THAT LEAVES A REMAINING QUESTION IN MY MIND OF THE REMAINING PURSUE AGENDA.
DID YOU LEARN THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH, UH, IF ANY OF THOSE ARE UNLIKELY TO EVER FIND SUPPORT? OR ARE THEY THINGS THAT WE CAN RENEW FOR THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION? FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, LET'S JUST TAKE 'EM ONE BY ONE.
UM, STARTING EVEN WITH MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL, UH, THAT'S STILL GONNA BE TOUGH, IS IT'S CONSTANTLY UNDER ASSAULT.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S A POLICY POSITION.
UM, AS FAR AS THE PENSION BILL, THE THOUGHT WAS TO GET SOMETHING DONE LOCALLY.
SO WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAN GET DONE DOWN IN AUSTIN STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
BUT THEY WOULD RATHER US, AND WHEN I SAY US, NOT JUST OUR DELEGATION, BUT THE STATE AS A WHOLE BASICALLY TOLD US, UM, OR REALLY THE HOUSE SIDE TOLD US THAT THEY WANTED US TO BRING THEM AN AGREED UPON PLAN BEFORE THEY'D BE WILLING TO ENSHRINE IT INTO LAW.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PURSUIT, NUMBER FIVE, PURSUE LEGISLATION AND CAPTURE PORTION OF SHORT TERM CAR RENTAL TAX.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES AT THIS TIME, THEY REALLY AREN'T INTERESTED IN ALLOWING TAXES TO BE RAISED.
UH, NOTHING REALLY PAST CONCERNING SHORT TERM CAR RENTAL TAX AT ALL THIS SESSION.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S MORE OF A, A STATEMENT FROM THEM THAT UNLESS IT'S ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET IT MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW? UH, 'CAUSE WHEN THEY DIDN'T LET ANYTHING GET OUT, THAT'S WHAT THAT TELLS ME.
AND SO, YEAH, AND WITH CARD ROOMS, THEY, EVERYONE THAT WE TALKED TO ME AND THE LOBBY TEAM TALKED TO, THEY WERE VERY COY WITH US.
THEY WERE VERY, UM, MATTER OF FACT ABOUT IT.
LIKE, WELL, EITHER YOU CAN DO IT NOW OR YOU CAN, AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, TAKE IT TO COURT.
YOU KNOW, THEY ENCOURAGED US TO KICK IT TO THE COURTS.
AND I SAID, WELL, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE.
SO IF THERE'S ANY, BECAUSE LIGHT THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT YOU CAN SHED FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THAT ONE'S GONNA GET RESOLVED ANYTIME SOON.
WHICH ONE WAS THAT? UH, NUMBER 10.
THE CCL ON THE CARD ROOMS? YES, SIR.
WHAT ABOUT NINE? YOU SKIPPED OVER NINE.
THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.
SO THAT ONE, UH, WAS AN INTERESTING ONE.
THE, THE WAY IT WAS COUCHED TO ME WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, T COLE AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE VERY PROTECTIVE OVER THAT STATUTE WHEN YOU TRY TO ADD SOMEONE TO IT.
AND I DID SEE THAT THERE WAS A, SOME LEGISLATION WHERE SOMEONE DID GET ADDED TO IT THIS PAST SESSION.
UH, FOR SOME REASON THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT WHAT WE HAD ADDED TO IT.
THEY DIDN'T WANT OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL ADDED TO IT.
UH, THEY ALSO PUSHED BACK AND SAID THAT THERE WERE OTHER AVENUES FOR US TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT, THAT THERE WERE OTHER MEANS.
UM, LIKE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, UH, TEXAS RANGERS, UH, DA, THEY FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU GUYS ASKED FOR THIS WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE OTHER AVENUES? AND IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THOSE AVENUES, TELL US THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU'RE HAVING.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT CONCERNING THAT.
WELL, I TEND TO AGREE WITH THAT LAST ONE, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER.
AND SO JUST CONCERNING THE PURSUIT THAT, THAT'S
[00:45:01]
MY ANALYSIS.I WOULD LIKE, UH, ADMINISTRATION IF YOU CAN, UH, SPEAK ON SB 15, UH, RELATED TO RELATING TO SIZE AND DENSITY REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL LOTS IN CERTAIN, UH, MUNICIPALITIES.
UH, CAN YOU SPEAK MORE, GIVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, PLEASE? YOU SAID MORE INFORMATION, RIGHT? YES.
SO BASICALLY, UH, ANYTIME YOU HAVE A FIVE ACRE SWATH OF LAND THAT'S UNDEVELOPED AND UN PLATTED, UH, WITHIN YOUR CITY OR ETJ IN THIS MATTER, UM, YOU CANNOT DEVELOP IT ANY OTHER WAY OTHER THAN A SMALL LOT.
SO EVEN IF YOU WANNA PUT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN SIZE.
IT'S LIMITED TO 3000 SQUARE FEET JUST PER LOT SIZE.
WHEREAS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE OPEN TO DOING IT, HOWEVER, WHATEVER THE LOT SIZE WE WERE, WHETHER WE WANTED TO BE RANCH STYLE OR WHATEVER, NOW THEY'VE LIMITED, LIMITED THAT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, FIVE ACRES, UNPLED, UNDEVELOPED.
NOW, PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF IT WERE ACTUALLY, IN MY OPINION, A LOT WORSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT HAD LESS RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT IT WAS.
IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY UNDEVELOPED LAND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A, A 7,000 SQUARE FOOT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, VACANT LOT OUT HERE IN DALLAS, LIKE IT WAS ENCOMPASSING THAT LIKE WE HAD TO START DIVIDING THAT UP OR EVEN TAKING ANYTIME WE WANTED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES.
OR IF, LET'S SAY A HOMEOWNER WANTED TO MAKE A CHANGE TO THE HOUSE, THEY WOULD BE PREVENTED FROM DOING THAT AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY TURN THE HOUSE INTO A SMALL LOT LIKE WE WOULD'VE TO DIVIDE IT UP.
SO LUCKILY THOSE MATURATIONS DIDN'T MAKE IT.
AND SO THIS IS THE, THE VERSION THAT ACTUALLY DID PASS TO WHERE IT IS JUST CONFINED TO, YOU KNOW, VERY LARGE AREAS THAT ARE UNDEVELOPED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT CAME OUT OF IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN I JUST POINT OUT, SO WE HAVE THIS ON OUR UNFAVORABLE LIST, BUT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY HEARD WAS THE WIN THE CITY GOT, WHICH IS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND AS THIS PRESENTATION WAS BEING DEVELOPED, IT WAS ONE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO YOU EXPRESS, FIRST OF ALL THE THINGS THAT AREN'T EVEN ON THIS LIST BECAUSE WE WERE PART OF AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THEY NEVER GOT TO A VOTE.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT.
AND FRANKLY, I'M NOT SURE POLITICALLY WE SHOULD.
UM, AND SECOND, UM, LIKE THIS EXAMPLE WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO SHAPE SOMETHING INTO SOMETHING BETTER THAN WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN, EVEN IF WE STILL DON'T LIKE THAT IT CAME TO BE, RIGHT.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF THAT THAT HAPPENED WHERE SOME OF THESE BILLS THAT WE WOULD SAY ARE UNFAVORABLE, MOSTLY BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE LIST, THEY'RE MOSTLY THE ISSUE OF LOCAL CONTROL, RIGHT? EVEN SOME OF THEM YOU MIGHT KIND OF LIKE IT, EVEN THOUGH, BUT IT REALLY WAS NOT YOURS TO DO.
UM, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE
UH, ALSO, I KNOW MADAM CHAIR ASKED THIS EARLIER, BUT I I DIDN'T HEAR SOME OF THE ANSWERS.
COULD YOU GO BACK OVER, UM, SENATE BILL NINE FOR US PLEASE AND DESCRIBE THAT? YEAH.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SENATE BILL NINE IN THE CURRENT, YES.
SO SENATE BILL NINE IS BASICALLY THE REVENUE CAP BILL, SO IT CAPS THE CURRENT 3.5%.
IT WOULD TAKE IT DOWN TO THE TWO POINT HALF PERCENT.
AND LIKE I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, AT ONE TIME, THAT CAP USED TO BE AT 8.5% RIGHT BEFORE YOU HAD TO GO TO THE VOTERS TO GO OVER THAT CAP.
SO THE FACT THAT NOW THEY'RE PROPOSING SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH ALL THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE FROM THIS PAST SESSION, ALL THE REVENUE RESTRICTIONS AND OTHER BILLS, UH, NOW WE'RE SEEING THAT CAP BEING LOWERED FROM 3.5% TO TWO POINT HALF PERCENT.
AND SO, AND AS THE CHAIR POINTED OUT TOO, THAT UNDER THE CURRENT MATURATION OF THE BILL, IT WILL GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY, AND THAT'S VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR THE BUDGET WRITERS LIKE YOURSELVES.
NOW, I SPOKE WITH, UM, UH, JAKE, UM, AND I ASKED THIS QUESTION, I WANT TO ASK IT AGAIN.
HOW IMPORTANT IS, UH, I BELIEVE ADVOCACY IS IMPORTANT? I'M SAYING SO, BUT HOW IMPORTANT IN YOUR WORDS, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR LOBBYISTS ARE THERE, UH, AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE SPEAKING ON OUR BEHALF AS A CITY.
CAN YOU SPEAK ON THAT, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO YOU, TO OUR CITY? UH, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS? YEAH, SO I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE WINS THAT YOU SEE THAT WE HAVE, YES, YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THAT, BUT THEY TAKE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PUSHING AND PURSUING AND THEY TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND THEY HELP GET IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
SO THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, OUR EYES AND EARS, YOUR EYES AND EARS EVERY TIME WE NEED INFORMATION OR INTEL ON DIFFERENT THINGS.
REGA, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S MEETINGS, KEY MEETINGS, TO BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE PIECES OF LEGISLATION.
LIKE THEY HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET IN THOSE DOORS.
THEY HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE HALLWAY MEETINGS.
THEY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE, THEY MAKE SURE THAT OUR TESTIMONY IS WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, CORRECTLY.
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AND THAT WE'RE NOT POKING PEOPLE AN EYE INADVERTENTLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE MEETINGS AS THEY'RE BEING SET UP AND CONSTRUED THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S BEST JUST TO MEET WITH STAFF AND NOT THE MEMBER.YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S BEST TO MEET WITH THE MEMBER, NOT THE STAFF.
AND SO KNOWING THE DIFFERENT MINUTIAE OF THE DAY YEAH.
AND GRANTED, EVEN WITH, YOU KNOW, ME AND THE CHAIR HAVING BOOTS ON THE GROUND, WE CAN'T BE ALL OVER THAT.
WE CAN'T COVER THAT BUILDING BY OURSELVES.
AND THE MORE HELP WE HAVE WITH OUR LOBBYISTS THAT HELPS US COVER MORE GROUND, IT HELPS US STAY OUT IN FRONT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND IT ALSO HELPS ME BE IN MULTIPLE PLACES AT ONCE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET MORE STUFF DONE.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF REPRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE, I THINK YOU SEE A STARK DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHO CAN ARGUE AGAINST HAVING MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
BERT, DID YOU HAVE A CLARIFICATION? UH, BERT VANDENBERG, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, YOU GOTTA GO RIGHT INTO THAT MICROPHONE.
UM, UH, JUST A QUICK CLARIFICATION ON SB EIGHT 40.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE EVERYTHING TO BE SMALL LOTS.
IT REQUIRES US TO ALLOW THOSE SMALL LOTS.
UM, SO THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT WE PUT MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL AS OUR FIRST ITEM ON BOTH, UM, PURSUE SUPPORT.
AND I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO CHANGE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PASS A BILL THAT SAYS WE BELIEVE IN LOCAL CONTROL.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE KIND OF NEED TO TAKE THAT OFF FOR THE NEXT TIME.
UM, AND MAYBE UNDER EVERY TITLE IT SAYS GUIDING PHILOSOPHY IS, UM, BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SAY ON OUR WEEKLY MEETINGS, WE PROBABLY SAID THE WORD LOCAL CONTROL MULTIPLE TIMES EVERY SINGLE MEETING.
AND IT WAS A GUIDING IDEA OF, WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THEIRS TO DECIDE.
SO, UM, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY THAT, UM, FOR THE NEW MEMBERS, I WILL SAY NOT ONLY ARE, ARE WE KEEPING THIS THROUGH HOWEVER MANY SPECIAL SESSIONS THERE ARE, MAYBE JUST THIS ONE, MAYBE MANY MORE.
UM, THERE MAY BE ITEMS ON THERE THAT YOU DON'T PERSONALLY AGREE WITH.
THERE ARE ITEMS ON OUR, OUR PROGRAM THAT I DON'T PERSONALLY AGREE WITH.
UM, I TEND NOT TO BE A PERSON WHO'S TESTIFYING ON THOSE ITEMS, AND I MAKE SURE SOMEBODY WHO DOES FULLY BELIEVE IN THEM DO THAT.
BUT WHEN I'M ASKED ABOUT AN ITEM THAT IS PART OF OUR AGENDA, WHETHER I AGREE WITH HER OR NOT, I'M VERY CLEAR TO SAY, THE CITY OF DALLAS POSITION IS THIS BECAUSE THE BODY MADE A VOTE THAT SAID THAT'S WHAT THE POSITION WILL BE.
AND I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT LIKE, I HAVE TO ALWAYS CHECK MYSELF BECAUSE I DON'T, I WOULDN'T PERSONALLY HAVE PUT ALL OF THESE ITEMS ON THERE.
UM, BUT IT IS THE WILL OF OUR COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH LOTS OF ITEMS TOGETHER AS WE DO THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT OF, UM, PRIORITIES.
BUT IF, IF YOU'LL JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE UNIFIED.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL SOMETIMES SAY, THIS IS THE POSITION OF THE CITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THIS PERSON TO TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I KNOW I AM NOT GONNA BE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THEM TO TALK TO ABOUT A TOPIC.
UM, BUT OTHERS, I THINK I'M EXACTLY THE RIGHT PERSON.
SO, UM, IT JUST, IT JUST IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAINTAIN THAT UNIFIED FRONT OF THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE ASK THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO BRING FORWARD.
YOU READY TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE? YEAH.
UM, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR PRESENTATION ON, UH, THE KEY DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE HUNDRED 19TH CONGRESS, WHICH IS, UH, THE ONGOING SESSION OF, UH, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN DC.
UM, AND KIND OF, AND TALK THROUGH THAT WITH YOU ALL.
UH, YOU'LL, YOU'LL CAN SEE KIND OF THE OVERVIEW WE HAVE HERE.
WE'RE GONNA TALK FIRST ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED.
IT'S BEEN A BUSY SIX MONTHS, UM, UP IN DC.
UH, AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, UM, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS A LOT
[00:55:01]
ON THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS, UM, THAT WAS ONGOING UNTIL ABOUT THE 4TH OF JULY.UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESCISSIONS, UM, THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE, UM, BEEN UNDERTAKEN, UM, WILL THEN TRANSITION INTO THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, WHICH IS ONGOING NOW.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AND WE'LL WRAP UP BY TALKING ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE, WE'VE DONE AND ARE DOING ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, IN ORDER TO ADVANCE THE CITY COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES.
UM, AND THEN GIVE KIND OF A, A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT TO EXPECT MOVING FORWARD, UM, THROUGHOUT FALL 2025.
SO, WITH THAT, I WANTED TO TURN IT OVER TO ALEX TO START US OFF.
GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THIS PRESENTATION WITH A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN DC.
UM, SO FAR, CONGRESS HAS INTRODUCED MORE THAN 8,000 BILLS, BUT ONLY 27 OF THEM HAVE BEEN ENACTED INTO LAW.
UNLIKE THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THE FEDERAL PROCESS MOVES AT A DIFFERENT PACE, AND IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF BILLS TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT THROUGH.
UH, MOST OF THE LEGISLATION THAT DOES PASS IS OFTEN WRAPPED INTO LARGER LEGISLATIVE PACKAGES LIKE THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS, UM, MAKING IT FAIRLY RARE FOR STANDALONE BILLS TO PASS ON THEIR OWN.
WITH THAT SAID, CONGRESS HAS PASSED SEVERAL KEY PIECES OF LEGISLATION THIS YEAR.
UM, FIRST OFF, THE FULL YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS ACT OF 2025 THAT, UH, KEPT THE GOVERNMENT, KEEPS THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THIS YEAR.
THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL RECONCILIATION ACT, WHICH WE'LL COVER IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, THE RES ACT, UM, WHICH TARGETS FEDERAL SPENDING CUTS AND UN OBLIGATED FUNDS, AND THE GENIUS ACT OF 2025, UM, FOCUSED ON CRYPTOCURRENCY REGULATION.
IN ADDITION TO CONGRESS'S LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SIGNED ROUGHLY 180 EXECUTIVE ORDERS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HIS SECOND TERM, AND THE SENATE HAS BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING ON CONFIRMING CABINET MEMBERS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT.
AND WHEN THE SENATE RETURNS IN THE FALL, THEY STILL HAVE MORE THAN 100 TO WORK THROUGH.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT, HR ONE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, WAS SIGNED INTO LAW ON JULY 4TH AND WILL TAKE EFFECT 45 DAYS AFTER SIGNING, UM, THESE YEAR'S, RECONCILIATION BILL WAS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT MADE MANY OF THE EXPIRING PROVISIONS FROM THE 2017 TAX CUT AND JOBS ACT, UH, PERMANENT JUST MONTHS BEFORE THEY WERE SET TO SUNSET AT THE END OF 2025.
UM, ON THIS SLIDE, WE WANTED TO NOTE THAT APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET RECONCILIATION ARE TWO DISTINCT PROCESSES THAT CONGRESS USES TO ACHIEVE DIFFERENT GOALS.
APPROPRIATIONS FUND DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS LIKE EDUCATION DEFENSE, TRANSPORTATION RECONCILIATION, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A SPECIAL PROCESS USED TO MAKE CHANGES TO MANDATORY SPENDING, UM, REVENUE AND THE FEDERAL DEBT LIMIT.
UM, THE REASON WHY RECONCILIATION IS A POWERFUL LEGISLATIVE TOOL IS BECAUSE IT OPERATES UNDER SPECIAL RULES IN THE SENATE.
SO, MOST LEGISLATION THAT PASSED PASSES IN THE SENATE, UM, NEEDS AT LEAST 60 VOTES TO OVERCOME THE FILIBUSTER, BUT RECONCILIATION ONLY NEEDS, UM, A SIMPLE MAJORITY, 51 VOTES, MAKING IT MUCH EASIER TO PASS IN A DIVIDED SENATE.
AND JUST TO HELP VISUALIZE HOW BUDGET RECONCILIATION WORKS, WE'VE INCLUDED A SIMPLE FLOW CHART.
SO THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION STARTS WITH THE BUDGET RESOLUTION THAT'S ADOPT THAT WAS ADOPTED AT THE BEGINNING, UM, OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN FROM THERE, SPECIFIC COMMITTEES ARE ASKED TO REPORT LEGISLATION AND RESPONSE TO THOSE DIRECTIVES INCLUDED IN THE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN FROM THERE, IT MOVES, UM, THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE GONNA BREAK DOWN WHAT'S ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN HR ONE.
SO, UM, HERE ON THIS SLIDE, WE INCLUDED KEY PROVISIONS FROM HR ONE THAT ARE RELEVANT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, STARTING WITH MUNICIPAL BONDS.
THE BILL DOES PRESERVE THE TAX EXEMPT STATUS OF MUNICIPAL BONDS, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT WIN FOR CITIES LIKE DALLAS THAT RELY ON THESE BONDS TO FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR ELIMINATED THE TAX EXEMPTION FOR MUNICIPAL BONDS, UH, WAS CONSIDERED AS A POTENTIAL, UH, BUDGET OFFSET IN ONE OF THE COMMITTEES.
SO WE ADVOCATED HEAVILY, UM, FOR THIS.
SECOND, THE BILL, UH, PERMANENTLY INCREASES THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT BY 12%.
THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES TAX INCENTIVES, UH, TO BUILD OR PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE THIRD BULLET POINT, UM, THE BILL ALSO MAKES THE NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT PROGRAM NOW PERMANENT.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPACTFUL FOR DALLAS, UM, WHERE THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT
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FUND HAS USED NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS TO FUND ROUGHLY 24 MAJOR PROJECTS THAT HAVE IN TURN GENERATED JOBS IN THE REGION.UM, WE ALSO ADVOCATED FOR THIS DIRECTLY VIA OUTREACH TO SENATOR CORNIN AND SENATOR CRUZ'S OFFICE, UH, WHEN THE HOUSE RECONCILIATION PACKAGE HAD OMITTED ITS EXTENSION.
ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WAS EXTENDED WAS THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWS GOVERNORS TO DESIGNATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES EVERY 10 YEARS.
UM, DALLAS CURRENTLY HAS 15 OPPORTUNITY ZONES THAT SPAN OVER NINE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, SUCH AS SOUTHERN GATEWAY AND LANCASTER CORRIDOR.
AND WE LOOK, UH, ON THIS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO ASK THE GOVERNOR TO DESIGNATE FOR MORE OPPORTUNITY ZONES FOR DALLAS IN THE COMING YEAR.
AND THE RECONCILIATION ALSO STRUCK A 10 YEAR MORATORIUM ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WHICH WOULD HAVE PREEMPTED THE CITY FROM PASSING ANY, UM, REGULATIONS RELATED TO AI.
THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BILL INCLUDED THIS PROVISION, SO WE ARE HAPPY THAT ULTIMATELY IT WAS STRUCK IN THE SENATE.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE BILL ALSO INCLUDES A 625 MILLION APPROPRIATION FOR HOMELAND SECURITY GRANTS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY AND CITIES HOSTING THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP DALLAS, UM, AS A HOST CITY ACTIVELY, UM, ADVOCATED FOR THIS FUNDING, WHICH WILL BE CRITICAL TO ENSURING PREPAREDNESS AND SECURITY FOR ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST SPORTING EVENTS.
ON THIS SLIDE, WE INCLUDED THE PROVISIONS THAT CARRY NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS, STARTING OFF WITH THE, THE BILL RESCINDS, UM, ANY UNOBLIGATED FUNDS FROM SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY AUTHORIZED UNDER THE 2022 INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
UM, WHICH MEANS THAT ANY UNSPENT FUNDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE INTENDED FOR CLIMATE, ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE AS PART OF OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
WE HAVE HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING FOR, UM, IRA PROGRAMS. SECOND, THE BILL INTRODUCES LONG TERM REFORMS TO MEDICAID AND SNAP AIMED AT REDUCING FEDERAL EXPENDITURES.
THESE CHANGES WILL BE A PHASE IN OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND INCLUDE, UM, THINGS LIKE TITAN MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MAY RE, UH, RESULT IN REDUCED COVERAGE AND SHIFTING MORE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS TO THE STATES.
UH, FOR DALLAS, THESE CHANGES COULD STRAIN LOCAL, UH, STRAIN LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND REDUCE ACCESS TO BENEFITS.
AND AS PART OF OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, THE CITY HAS CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND MAINTAIN STRONG MEDICAID COVERAGE.
UM, SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
UM, ON THIS SLIDE, WE INCLUDED A TABLE WITH THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT HAVE DIRECT IMPLICATIONS TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS ALREADY BEEN BRIEFED ON THE FIRST FIVE EXECUTIVE ORDERS, SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING EACH ONE, BUT I DID WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE LAST EXECUTIVE ORDER TITLED ENDING CRIME AND DISORDER ON AMERICA STREETS, WHICH WAS SIGNED, UM, BY PRESIDENT TRUMP ON JULY 24TH, WHICH HAS A FOCUS ON HOMELESSNESS.
UH, THIS ORDER DIRECTS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO PRIORITIZE GRANT MONEY FOR CITIES AND STATES THAT ENFORCE BANS ON PUBLIC DRUG USE, CAMPING, LOITERING, AND SQUATTING.
UM, AGAIN, THE CITY IS ACTIVELY REVIEWING IMPLICATIONS, UH, CAUSED BY THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
AND AN UPDATE BRIEFING WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 6TH.
AND FROM HERE, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JAKE.
SO, UM, EVERY YEAR CITY COUNCIL DOES GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO DC AND ADVOCATE, UM, FOR THE CITY'S INTERESTS BEFORE OUR DELEGATION.
UM, AND SO IN MARCH OF 2025, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS UP THERE, AND WE DID GET A CHANCE TO MEET WITH EVERY MEMBER, UH, OF OUR DELEGATION OR THEIR STAFF.
UM, SO THAT WAS THE STAFF OF BOTH SENATORS CRUZ AND CORNIN, AS WELL AS, UH, GOT TO SIT DOWN WITH ALL OF OUR, UH, OUR HOUSE DELEGATION MEMBERS, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES, CROCKETT, UM, REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON VAN DYNE, AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVE VC.
UM, SO I DO JUST WANNA GIVE A QUICK THANK YOU AND SHOUT OUT TO OUR DELEGATION, UM, AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH US.
UM, WE, THEY'RE, UH, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN GREAT ADVOCATES FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE'LL, WE'LL TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN WE GET INTO THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS AND ALL OF THE MONEY THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BRINGING INTO DALLAS.
UM, BUT THEY DO A GREAT JOB ADVOCATING ON OUR BEHALF ON A MYRIAD OF ISSUES.
UM, AND WE'LL TOUCH ON THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL.
UM, BUT THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANNA TURN OUR, OUR ATTENTION TO THE FISCAL YEAR 26 APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS.
SO YOU HEARD FROM ALEX ABOUT THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS, UM, BUT THIS IS NOW, UH, THE, UH, A SEPARATE DISTINCT PROCESS THAT IS YEAR DONE YEARLY, UM, AND FOCUSES ON THE, THE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING AND THE NON-DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, UM, THAT, THAT CONGRESS IS IMPLEMENTING.
[01:05:01]
SO, CONGRESS IS WORKING ON THIS NOW, AND YOU MAY, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BEFORE THEY CAME BACK FOR THE AUGUST WORK SESSION, BUT, UM, THERE ARE SOME HEADWINDS THAT WILL LIKELY DELAY PASSAGE OF ANY FISCAL YEAR 26 APPROPRIATIONS BILL UNTIL AFTER OCTOBER ONE.UM, THIS IS PRETTY NORMAL, UM, AT THIS POINT.
UH, IF YOU LOOK HISTORICALLY, MOST YEARS, CONGRESS DOES NOT GET A, UM, AN APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE PASSED PRIOR TO THE FISCAL YEAR STARTING, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO IMPLEMENT, UH, CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS IN ORDER TO OPERATE.
UM, AGAIN, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THESE CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER A YEARS YEAR LONG CONTINUING RESOLUTION.
SO THE FISCAL YEAR 25 APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS NEVER FINISHED.
THERE WAS NEVER A, AN APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE THAT PASSED.
AND SO THEY DID A CONTINUING RESOLUTION THAT EXTENDED THE, FOR THE MOST PART, THE FUNDING LEVELS THAT WE SAW IN FISCAL YEAR 24, UH, THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND ANY FUTURE, UH, CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS, WE CAN REASONABLY EXPECT TO LOOK VERY SIMILAR, UM, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26 PROCESS.
HOWEVER, CONGRESS IS OPERATING WITH PRETTY STRICT CAPS ON ALL DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE DEFENSE CATEGORIES.
UM, THE CURRENT MARKUPS THAT WE'RE SEEING ARE NOT QUITE AS AUSTERE AS THE, UH, PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR.
BUT WE ARE GONNA TOUCH ON THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO A FEW, UM, A FEW PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS RELIES ON.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS.
SO NEXT SLIDE, WHICH YOU SEE HERE IS A, UH, LIST OF PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WE'RE WATCHING AND, AND ADVOCATING ON.
UH, THERE'S SEVERAL CATEGORIES WITHIN THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, UM, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM HOUSING TO DISASTER MITIGATION, UM, TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, AND SO THE CORRESPONDING PROGRAMS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, UM, WITH EACH OF THE CATEGORIES, UM, JUST KIND OF DEMONSTRATE EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE WATCHING AND MAY MAY BE AT RISK HERE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, PROCESS TO EITHER BEING CUT OR, UM, UH, REDUCED TO ZERO OR ZEROED OUT ALTOGETHER.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL JUST TOUCH ON JUST A COUPLE OF THEM.
UM, THE FIRST ONES THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT ARE CDBG AND HOME.
UH, THESE ARE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT ARE AIMED TO INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK, UM, AND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE DID ADVANCE A SPENDING BILL, UM, A HUD SPENDING BILL THAT WOULD MAINTAIN CDBG FUNDING AT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF $3.3 BILLION, UM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND, UM, CONTRARY TO THE PRESIDENT'S REQUEST, UH, TO ZERO THAT OUT.
BUT, UH, ON THE HOME SIDE, THEY, THEY HAVE ZEROED OUT THE HOME PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT, UH, THE, THE CURRENT BILL DOES NOT HAVE ANY FUNDING FOR, UH, FOR HOME.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE, UM, ALSO REFERRED TO AS U OSSI, WHICH MAY BE TARGETED FOR RESCISSIONS.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING CONCRETE ON THAT FRONT, BUT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE RECEIVED SIX, UH, SIX TO $7 MILLION PER YEAR IN U OSSI FUNDING, UM, WHICH WE'VE USED FOR A WIDE, WIDE RANGE OF ITEMS RANGING FROM THINGS LIKE BALLISTIC HELMETS, INVESTS, UH, FOR DPD, UH, FUSION CENTER INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE, UH, A COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM IN OUR, UM, AND INTENTIONAL MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT TRAINING FOR DFR AND DPD AMONG MANY, MANY OTHER PROJECTS.
UM, SO UAC IS REALLY A CRUCIAL PROGRAM, UM, FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS. UM, SO WE'RE KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THOSE FUNDS.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TALK ON, TALK ABOUT WAS THE IIJA, THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT.
UM, THIS IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THAT, UM, FROM THE DISCUSSIONS BACK IN 2020 AND 2021 TIMEFRAME.
UM, AND THAT HAD INCLUDED HISTORIC INVESTMENTS, UH, AND GRANT PROGRAMS. UM, AND THE REASON I PHRASE IT THAT WAY IS BECAUSE, UH, THE IAJA INCLUDED ABOUT $550 BILLION IN NEW INVESTMENTS IN PROGRAMS THAT WERE NOT IN PREVIOUS, UH, TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION PACKAGES.
UM, AND THOSE, THAT 550 BILLION FOCUSED ON THINGS RANGING FROM BROADBAND ACCESS TO OVERHAULING CLIMATE AND ENERGY POLICY AND, AND MANY MORE PROGRAMS, UM, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS SIGNALED THAT THEY WILL BE TARGETING MANY OF THOSE PROGRAMS, UM, FOR RESCISSION.
AND SO, UH, THE NEXT TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION, UH, WHICH, UH, PACKAGE WHICH WE EXPECT TO SEE WORK START ON IN THE FALL, IS LIKELY TO RETURN TO HISTORIC LEVELS OF FUNDING, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF THAT SIZE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE INCLUDED OR NOT INCLUDED, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
SO NOW I JUST WANNA TOUCH ON OUR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY A, A PLACE WHERE OUR DELEGATION GETS TO GO OUT AND ADVOCATE SPECIFICALLY FOR PROJECTS, UM, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AND THESE, THIS IS WHAT WE COLLOQUIALLY CALL EARMARKS.
UM, BUT EARMARKS ARE NO LONGER A A THING EARMARKS WERE DONE AWAY WITH SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UM, BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
AND IN 2021, THEY ACTUALLY INSTITUTED A, A RIGOROUS PROCESS TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF REQUESTS
[01:10:01]
THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS.SO, UM, WHAT WE GET TO DO, UH, EVERY, EVERY MEMBER OF THE, OUR DELEGATION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT UP TO 15 PROJECTS, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION FOR FUNDING.
UM, SO WE, THEY WILL SOLICIT PROJECTS FROM THEIR DISTRICT, UH, WE WILL SUBMIT PROJECTS FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION, AND THEN THEY WILL, UH, BRING THOSE TO THEIR COLLEAGUES, UM, ON THE RELEVANT COMMITTEES, APPROPRIATIONS, UH, SUBCOMMITTEES AND, AND COMMITTEES TO, UM, TO VET THOSE PROJECTS AND ULTIMATELY INCLUDE IN THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
UM, SO THIS YEAR WE SUBMITTED 28 PROJECTS TO OUR DELEGATION, AND WE HAD 17 SELECTED, UH, AND ADVANCED, UH, TO THE CURRENT STAGE THAT WE'RE IN.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S, THERE'S A REASON TO CELEBRATE.
WE'VE GOT MORE PROJECTS, UM, THAN WE'VE EVER HAD SELECTED, UM, SINCE THE NEW, NEW TRANSPARENCY MEASURES WERE IMPLEMENTED IN 2021.
UM, AND LIKEWISE, THE $15 MILLION WE ANTICIPATE FOR MOST PROJECTS, UM, IS ALSO THE HIGHEST DOLLAR TOTAL.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST ISSUE A WORD OF CAUTION.
AS YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
WE HAD 13 PROJECTS SELECTED, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE RECEIVED $0.
UH, THAT WAS NOT UNIQUE TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
BUT IT GOES BACK TO WHAT WE WERE SAYING ABOUT THE CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS BECAUSE NO APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE PASSED, UM, IN 2025.
THERE WERE NO COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS THAT WERE FUNDED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE ARE KIND OF AT THE MERCY OF THE, OF CONGRESS RIGHT NOW TO HAVE AN APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE PASS IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE FUNDING FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, AS I'M SURE YOU WERE WONDERING, WHAT PROJECTS DID WE HAVE FUNDED, UM, OR, OR ARE CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE IS A MORE ACCURATE WAY OF PUTTING IT.
AND, UM, THOSE ARE LISTED HERE.
SO THERE'S THE TRANSPORTATION HUD BILL, AND THE PACKAGE, UH, THE, UM, PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THAT PACKAGE ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE INCLUDES, UM, THE, THE OTHER PROJECTS.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND THANK OUR DELEGATION, BECAUSE AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS, UM, YOU'LL SEE, UH, EXACTLY WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS THAT WE HAVE A DELEGATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR THE CITY IN A VERY EFFECTIVE MANNER.
EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF OUR HOUSE, BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, UM, CHOSE TO SUBMIT AT LEAST ONE PROJECT ON OUR BEHALF.
UM, IT WAS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT IN MANY CASES TO GET THESE INCLUDED, UM, IN THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
AND OUR DELEGATION DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT, UM, FOR THE PROJECTS LISTED HERE BEING INCLUDED IN THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS, UH, AGAIN, AT THE, THE QUANTITY AND QUAL, UH, QUALITY, UM, THAT THEY'VE SELECTED.
SO NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE, THE LAST THREE PROJECTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND SCIENCE BILL, UM, FOR THE TOTAL OF 17 PROJECTS FOR ABOUT $15 MILLION.
UM, I WANNA SHIFT A LITTLE BIT FROM APPROPRIATIONS, UH, GENERALLY TO TALK, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON MATTERS, UM, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS PUT INTO THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, IT DOES LOOK DIFFERENT THAN IT DOES AT THE STATE.
UM, WE ARE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE ARE NOT QUITE AS BIG OF A FISH, UH, AT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND SO WE ARE FLYING VERY HEAVILY ON OUR DELEGATION, UM, TO ADVOCATE ON, UH, IN THE CITY'S INTERESTS.
AND SO, ALEX MENTIONED A, A MAJOR WIN EARLIER, UH, ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF TAX EXEMPT MUNICIPAL BONDS.
AND IF YOU WERE, UH, HERE IN THE FALL, YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE ITEM, UM, FOR CITIES, UH, EVERYWHERE, BUT CERTAINLY FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND ON THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, UH, BESIDES JUST MEETING WITH OUR DELEGATION AND, AND CERTAINLY EMPHASIZING THIS IN EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAD, WE ALSO LED A, AN EFFORT ACROSS THE METROPLEX, UM, TO SOLICIT, UH, FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF THE MEMBER CITIES WITHIN REPRESENTATIVE VANDYNE'S DISTRICT, SO THAT WHEN WE WALKED INTO A MEETING WITH HER, WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE FROM NOT JUST THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT, UH, MANY, UH, ALMOST A DOZEN CITIES THAT SHE REPRESENTS AS WELL AS DFW AIRPORT.
UM, AND THIS WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE REPRESENTATIVE VAN DYN IS AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
UM, SHE SERVES ON THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, WHICH IS, UH, WHERE THIS, UH, THIS, UM, TAX EXEMPT MUNICIPAL BONDS WERE BEING CONSIDERED AS A BUDGET OFFSET.
AND SO HER EFFORTS, UM, CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT, UH, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO ISSUE TAX EXEMPT MUNICIPAL BONDS.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO LEADING THAT ACROSS THE METROPLEX, WE ALSO COLLABORATED NATIONALLY WITH LARGE CITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY DELEGATION, NOT JUST THE DALLAS DELEGATION, BUT DELEGATIONS FROM E EVERY STATE, UM, AND EVERY REGION IN THE COUNTRY, WE'RE HEARING THE SAME MESSAGE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE, UH, THESE BONDS, HOW THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND JUST HOW DEVASTATING IT WOULD BE TO LOSE THIS TOOL.
UM, AND SO THANKFULLY, CONGRESS, CONGRESS, LISTON, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, UM, UH, ANYMORE.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT KIND OF ADVOCACY, WE, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FUNDING FOR CORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. I MENTIONED CDBG AND HOME AND UI.
UM, WE, WE SENT LETTERS ON THOSE, LIKE LI LIKEWISE, WE'VE COMMUNICATED, UM, OUR POSITION ON OTHER ISSUES, SUCH AS, UH, OPPOSING CUTS TO HUD, UH, SHARING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE.
THAT WAS, UH, A TOPIC, UM, OF DISCUSSION BACK IN EARLY FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME, UM, SUPPORTING FULL FUNDING FOR THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS. UM, DURING
[01:15:01]
THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS, WE ALSO, UH, ADVOCATED ON, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, UM, INCLUDING A LETTER, AS ALEX MENTIONED EARLIER, TO OUR SENATORS ABOUT THE NEW NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT PROGRAM, UM, WHICH WERE, WAS ABLE TO BE PUT BACK INTO THE, UM, RECONCILIATION BILL.AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT WE DO MONITOR THE FEDERAL REGISTER, UM, WITH, WITH OUR LOBBYISTS, UM, TO SUBMIT COMMENTS AND RULEMAKING, OPPORT, AND PROVIDE, UH, COMMENTS ON RULEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, OR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AS APPROPRIATE AS, AS THEY WOULD AFFECT THE CITY.
SO THIS YEAR WE'VE SUBMITTED COMMENTS ON CDBG AND HOME, AS WELL AS, UH, THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION PACKAGE THAT IS UPCOMING.
UM, OF COURSE, WE ADVOCATED FOR OUR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS WITH OUR DELEGATION.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE MONITORING AND ENGAGING OR APPROPRIATE, UH, ON THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, AND CONTINUE TO DO OUTREACH WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, UH, AND THE FEDERAL AGENCIES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE AT THE TABLE IN PROVIDING INPUT ON THE MATTERS THAT AFFECT US.
UM, SO AS WE LOOK, LOOK FORWARD, UM, INTO THE FALL, HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, AND AS I MENTIONED, WE DON'T NECESSARILY EXPECT THAT TO BE DONE BY OCTOBER ONE.
UH, THEY WILL COME BACK, THEY'LL WORK FAST AND FURIOUS THROUGH SEPTEMBER, WHO, WHO KNOWS HOW THAT'S GOING TO PLAY OUT.
UM, BUT THEN THEY'LL ALSO BEGIN THE, THE WORK ON THE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL, WHICH WILL REPLACE THE IIJA.
UM, AND IT IS STANDARD PRACTICE FOR THESE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILLS TO, UM, TO OCCUR EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF THIS, THIS IS BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THE SENSE THAT, UM, IT IS THAT FIVE YEAR TIMEFRAME WE EXPECT BY THE END OF 26, UH, FOR A NEW TRANSP SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION PACKAGE.
UM, BUT WE, LIKE I'VE MENTIONED EARLIER, WE, IT WILL LIKELY NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR AS BIG AS THE, UM, THE 2021 PACKAGE THAT, UM, THAT HAD A LOT OF THE, THE CLIMATE AND ENERGY PROGRAMS IN IT.
UM, THE LAST THING I WANT, UH, OR ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I WANT TO NOTE IS JUST THAT WE ARE HEARING SOME, UH, SOME CHATTER ABOUT A POTENTIAL SEQUEL TO, UM, THE SPRING'S RECONCILIATION PROCESS.
UH, YOU MAY, YOU MAY HAVE FOLLOWED ALONG, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, LET'S JUST TALK.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CONCRETE.
AND, BUT THAT IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL BE BACK IN THE, UH, IN, IN A KIND OF A SECOND RECONCILIATION PROCESS.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE WATCHING FOR MORE RESCISSION EFFORTS, UM, OF FUNDS THAT, UH, THAT MAY, MAY BE CLAWED BACK BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND ON THE LAST, THE LAST POINT I JUST WANNA MAKE IS THAT RIGHT BEFORE, UM, THEY WENT ON RECESS FOR AUGUST, THE, UH, SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE DID, UM, ADVANCE A PACKAGE OF BILLS CALLED THE ROAD TO HOUSING ACT, UM, THAT IS A SWEEPING PACKAGE OF, OF DOZENS OF HOUSING BILLS, UM, THAT WERE ADVANCED.
THEY WERE ADVANCED WITH STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, UM, AND WILL BE ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, UM, PERHAPS AS SOON AS THIS FALL.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER PACKAGE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WATCHING AND, AND WE'LL WEIGH ON ON AS NECESSARY.
I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT, NLC IS IS COMING UP IN NOVEMBER.
THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TRAVEL TO SALT LAKE CITY, UH, MEET WITH YOUR PEERS HERE FROM, UH, NLC AND ATTEND THAT CONFERENCE.
AND THEN IN MARCH, WE WILL BE BACK UP IN DC WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ALL TO ADVOCATE, UM, BEFORE OUR DELEGATION, UH, IN THEIR OFFICES AS THEY'RE DOING THE WORK, UM, IN DC.
UM, AND THEN BEFORE WE END, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE FEDERAL, THE FEDERAL TEAM, JUST A LITTLE BIT, INCLUDING OUR LOBBYIST, CAPITAL EDGE AND THORN RUN.
AS MS. MENDELSON NOTED ON THE STATE SIDE, UM, WE, THE WORK WE DO CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT OUR LOBBYISTS.
UM, CERTAINLY NOT AS EFFECTIVELY, UH, WITHOUT THEM.
UM, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING OUR TEAM INFORMED, UM, ENGAGED, UM, BRINGING, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT ANY, ANYTIME THERE'S SOMETHING POSTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER, WE, WE KNOW IT IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND WE TALK TO THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK AS WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE STAYING ON TOP OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT ALEX RENTERIA, WHO HAS LED OUR FEDERAL EFFORTS.
SHE'S REALLY THE ENGINE THAT MAKES OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY RUN.
UM, ESPECIALLY AS THIS SPRING, WE WERE SO INVOLVED IN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, ALEX HAD TO, HAD TO STEP UP, AND SHE REALLY ROSE TO THE OCCASION.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT MAKE SURE THAT, THAT SHE'S HIGHLIGHTED A LITTLE BIT, UM, BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY BECAUSE, UM, WE COULD NOT DO THE, DO THE WORK WITHOUT HER, UM, HER LEADERSHIP ON THE THESE, THIS FRONT.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE JUST WANNA TURN IT BACK, UH, TO YOU CHAIR.
UM, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES AS THE, UM, FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE CHEFS.
UM, ALEX, I HOPE YOU WERE HERE EARLIER WHEN I WAS THANKING YOU.
YOU WEREN'T SITTING UP THERE, BUT, UM, I INCLUDED YOU BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE BEEN, UM, SO IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO, UM, A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED BY SOMEBODY ABOUT TRACKING THE BILLS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TRACKING SOFTWARE YOU USE AND HOW YOU ARE SHARING AMONGST DEPARTMENTS THAT INFORMATION? SURE.
SO, UM, IN OGA, UM, WE KIND OF WORK INTERNALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENTS
[01:20:01]
ARE AWARE OF ANY, ANY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AFFECT THEM.AND SO, UH, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE, AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGHOUT SESSION AND THEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, WHICH AS WE MENTIONED, THINGS MOVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, WE'RE WATCHING FOR THESE KIND OF PACKAGES TO COME UP, AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT AS, UH, AS THINGS ARE MOVING, YOU KNOW, OUR, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS AWARE OF THIS HOUSING PACKAGE THAT IS COMING UP IN THE FALL.
UM, SO THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY AWARE OF IT, BUT WE WERE PREPARED TO ACT ON IT.
UH, AND SIMILARLY IN THE, AT THE, AT THE STATE SIDE, UM, WHEN THOSE BILLS ARE MOVING, UM, THEY ARE, THEY'RE ENGAGED AND WE SERVE, WE SERVE INTERNALLY AS KIND OF THE HUB OF WHAT COMES THROUGH.
UM, SO THEN, UH, EXTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, CLIFFORD, UM, AND THE LOBBYIST TEAM CAN, CAN TAKE THE MESSAGE FROM OUR DEPARTMENTS AND RUN WITH IT.
SO I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST FOLLOW UP BY SAYING OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OGA AND DEPARTMENTS ALL HAVE LOGINS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO ADD INFORMATION.
UM, THAT REALLY HELPS, I THINK, WITH PUTTING THE POSITIONS TOGETHER AND, AND THE TESTIMONY, UM, WHEN WE'RE DOING LETTERS, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GET THOSE TECHNICAL OPINIONS SO THAT WE CAN, UM, GET WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THE MAYOR TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THE SENATE ON HOUSING.
UM, PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FROM MARCH 16TH THROUGH 18TH FOR NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
THIS IS THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE THAT'S IN DC.
I'M GONNA SAY DAYS 'CAUSE WE USUALLY GO MORE THAN ONE.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HOST A RECEPTION FOR OUR DELEGATION.
SOMETIMES WE, WE'VE HAD SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS ATTEND, BUT MOSTLY IT'S THEIR STAFF.
AND THE REALITY IS NOT UNLIKE OUR OFFICES, OUR STAFF'S DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK, AND THEY ARE KEY.
SO SOME VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS HAVE HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE SITTING THERE EATING, YOU KNOW, SOME CHEESE.
SO I, I REALLY WOULD RECOMMEND TO YOU IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO ATTEND.
UM, MARCH IS PRETTY LOVELY ACTUALLY IN DC.
THE OTHER THING THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AND I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT, SO OFTEN WE'RE TALKING AROUND THIS HORSESHOE ABOUT WE NEED DEVELOPMENT IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE WANT MORE HOUSING, WE WANT MORE THIS.
AND IT COMES DOWN TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT FINANCES.
WELL, ARE WE GONNA GIVE 'EM A TAX EXEMPTION? ARE WE GONNA DO THIS OR THAT? AND I WILL SAY THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL ARE, IN MY OPINION, THE ANSWER TO SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES ON FINANCING.
SO OPPORTUNITY ZONES, NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS, UM, CERTAINLY TAX-FREE MUNICIPAL BONDS HELP US BUILD EVERY SINGLE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TAKING ON AT A LOWER COST THAN IT WOULD BE OTHERWISE.
SO IT MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE BIT BORING, BUT IT'S SO ESSENTIAL TO THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR CITY.
AND I, I THINK WE'VE MADE REALLY GOOD HEADWAY ON A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ALL OF THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, AND EVERY SINGLE YEAR THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN ON THE TOPIC.
AND SO THEY'VE BEEN AT RISK MANY TIMES.
THEY, SOME HAVE BEEN LEGAL, SOME HAVE NOT.
SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE CORE ISSUES, AGAIN, WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMITTEE TO, UM, ACCESS OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO GET MORE INFORMATION, BECAUSE THIS WILL FOR SURE BE ON OUR CHEAT SHEET LIST OF, THESE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TO THE, UM, DC DELEGATION.
AND, UM, SAME THING WITH OUR HUD PROGRAMS. AND LOTS OF CHANGES ARE HAPPENING AT HUD THAT, UM, MAY GREATLY IMPACT US.
I MEAN, ALREADY THE HOME PROGRAM GOING AWAY, VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR DALLAS.
SO, UM, SO GREAT JOB LAYING THAT OUT.
WHO'S GOT QUESTIONS ON THE FEDERAL SIDE? YOU WANNA START BACKWARDS? YOU WANNA START WITH YOU MAX? SORRY.
I WILL SAY IT'S A LITTLE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT AS DAY-TO-DAY INVOLVED AS WE ARE AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER, UM, YOU KNOW, A FULL SESSION.
WELL THEN I THINK WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C, WHICH IS, UM, CLIFFORD, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR, UM, CONSULTANT CONTRACTS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL LET THE, UH, PRESENTATION GET PULLED UP HERE.
UH, SO YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW WE JUST WANNA DISCUSS OUR STATE LOBBYING CONTRACTS THAT WE USE.
UM, RIGHT NOW, WE, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WE CURRENTLY RUN WITH ABOUT FOUR LOBBYISTS DOWN IN AUSTIN.
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THREE OF THEM, UH, ARE SWISS ARMY KNIVES, AND ONE OF THEM IS MAINLY USED FOR, UH, WATER.HE'S USING, UH, WITH DALLAS WATER UTILITIES.
HIS CONTRACT COMES OUT OF THAT.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY REQUESTING, UH, THE SAME AMOUNTS THAT YOU SEE, UH, HERE ON THE SLIDES, AND WE'D LIKE TO EXTEND THEM FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS WITH ANOTHER TWO YEAR OPTION IN THAT CONTRACT.
UM, IT IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, CUT THESE AWAY FROM US, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE BEEN EXPRESSING YOU GUYS, I MEAN, THESE, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN MONUMENTAL TO THE SUCCESS OF DALLAS.
UM, SHOOT OVER THE, I MEAN, SINCE ITS INCEPTION, I MEAN, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE TEAM, RANDY KAIN AND KWAME WALKER, UH, 20 PLUS YEARS, AND THEY'VE, UH, BEEN A PART OF OVER $213 MILLION THAT THEY BROUGHT BACK TO THE CITY OVER THOSE 20 PLUS YEARS.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THESE GUYS.
UH, WE'VE, UH, CONTINUALLY USED THEM.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE FOR US.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT THEY DO, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT THESE FOLKS STILL DO A VERY FINE JOB FOR US.
UH, AND IN LIGHT OF THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT'S STILL HERE AND THE WIDE RANGING OF THINGS THAT THEY CAN THROW AT US WITH THE SPECIAL SESSION, UM, I THINK THESE, UH, NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE AUTHORIZED, AND THIS IS STILL THE TEAM THAT WE NEED TO RUN WITH.
UM, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT THERE'S NO CHANGE IN FEE FROM THE CURRENT FEE TO THE PROPOSED FEE THAT WOULD BE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND IF YOU COUNT UP ALL THE DOLLARS SPENT ON STATE LOBBYISTS, UH, AND YOU DIVIDE IT BY OUR POPULATION, IT'S LESS THAN 30 CENTS PER YEAR, PER RESIDENT, 30 CENTS.
SO AS YOU HEAR THESE, UM, SOMETIMES BOMBASTIC COMMENTS ABOUT TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, I'LL REMIND YOU, 30 CENTS PER YEAR PER RESIDENT, AND YOU SEE THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMING TO DALLAS BASED ON THE WORK OF THIS GROUP, PLUS OUR COUNCIL TOGETHER AND OUR CITY STAFF, IT TAKES ALL THREE OF US.
ANYHOW, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? YES.
UH, DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TEMP, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT, UH, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK.
AND SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW WE QUANTIFY THE ROI.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING BACK TO THE CITY, BUT THERE'S ALSO, UH, MORE NON-TANGIBLE, UH, MONETARY WINS THAT COME.
SO IS HOW DO Y'ALL QUANTIFY THE, THE RETURN, UM, THAT WE'RE PAYING OUT TO OUR LOBBYISTS? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I QUANTIFY IS WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE OUT FRONT ON THINGS, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE IN THE RIGHT SITUATIONS, WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE A PRIME EXAMPLE.
WE WERE, UH, TALKING ABOUT SB NINE, ME AND THE CHAIR.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH SENATOR BETTENCOURT, UH, IN FACE TO FACE, BUT WE ALSO ABLE TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERACTIONS WITH HIS STAFF OFF CAMERA.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S CREATED BY THE LOBBYISTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET THAT KIND OF ACCESS TO SOMEONE WITH THAT TYPE OF POWER JUST BY JUST SHOWING UP.
I MEAN, AS THE CHAIR WILL TELL YOU, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE UP THERE THAT WANTED TO TALK TO 'EM, BUT NOT EVERYBODY GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK THEIR MIND, AND NOT EVERYBODY GOT AN AUDIENCE AFTERWARDS.
THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT I CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE HARD TO QUANTIFY, BUT THAT ARE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE DINNER'S BEING MADE TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF SET, YOU KNOW, THE SETTING OF THE TABLE.
IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN WE DON'T GET TO PASS ALL THE PIECES OF LEGISLATION.
WE DON'T GET THE ROI WITH THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WE DON'T GET TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YEAR AFTER YEAR WE'RE BRINGING OVER SEVEN PLUS MILLION DOLLARS BACK TO THE CITY ON AVERAGE.
WE DON'T GET TO DO THOSE THINGS WITHOUT THE EFFORTS THAT ARE FOR MEMBERS OF OUR LOBBY TEAM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD US OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE YES, YOU KNOW, IT DOES TAKE YOU GUYS, AND A LOT OF THIS IS BUILT ON THE STRENGTH OF DALLAS CITY COUNCIL, BUT YOU ALSO NEED POINT PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING IN THE WRONG ROOMS. YOU'RE NOT SAYING THE WRONG THINGS, YOU'RE NOT DOING THE WRONG THINGS, YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED SOMEONE TO QUARTERBACK YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN IN AUSTIN, AND EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN AUSTIN.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, AS WE'RE SITTING HERE, ALL BE IS SIT DOWN THERE MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS STILL STAYING KOSHER.
I'M GETTING TEXT MESSAGES FROM THEM AS WE SPEAK ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CAPITOL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T TAKE DAYS OFF AND NEITHER DO I, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THANKLESS JOBS, BUT THEY DO GET US INFORMATION IN REAL TIME AND HELP US STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME, SO TO SPEAK.
[01:30:01]
YES, YOU'RE THE LOBBYIST FOR, FOR CITY HALL, BUT YOU'RE ALSO THE LOBBYIST FOR THE RESIDENTS WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PUSHING THROUGH.UH, I MEAN, IT'S HARD FOR NEIGHBORHOODS TO HIRE THEIR OWN LOBBYISTS TO DO SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS, UM, ON THE SAME SIDE OF.
AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A BENCH FOR, TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE CONSTITUENTS AS WELL.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THIS CONTRACT? UH, WE PURSUE THESE CONTRACTS TO COUNSEL, SO MOVE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND SIMILARLY, WE HAVE A, A SHORT PRESENTATION ON OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS.
UM, CLIFFORD SAID IT VERY SUCCINCTLY, UM, SO I WON'T TAKE UP MUCH TIME, BUT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR TWO, UH, CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, CAPITAL EDGE, AND THORN RUN.
UM, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS OR, OR LONGER.
UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THEM AND, AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO, IN, IN THE CASE OF THORN RUN, PAUL SCHLESINGER AND, AND JIM DAVENPORT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WHO CAN GO TO THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND NAVIGATE THAT LABYRINTH OF BUREAUCRACY IN ORDER TO BRING IN THE MONEY NEEDED, UH, TO FUND, UH, THE EX THE LEVY EXTENSION OF THE TRINITY, UH, AT THE TRI TRINITY RIVER FLOODWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF VALUE THAT THEY BRING IN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, RALPH AND DEBORAH ARE INTEGRAL TO OUR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS.
AND AS YOU SAW, UM, WE ARE, UH, EVERY YEAR, UH, WE HAVE MORE AND MORE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS BEING SUBMITTED BY OUR DELEGATION, AND THAT IS IN NO SMALL PART TO THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UM, AND IN, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING US WITH THE INFORMATION WE NEED AND, UH, TO MAKE US SUCCESSFUL IN DC AND SETTING UP THE MEETINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE WHEN YOU GO UP TO DC, UM, AND TO ENSURE THAT YOUR MESSAGE IS GETTING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, UH, IN ALL CASES.
SO SIMILARLY, UH, WE ARE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT EXTENDING THEIR, THEIR THEM A NEW CONTRACT FOR A TWO YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD WITH A TWO YEAR, UH, RENEWAL OPTION, UM, BY COUNCIL.
UM, AND EACH ONE HAS JUST A SLIGHT INCREASE, UH, $2,000 PER YEAR FOR, UH, CAPITAL EDGE AND, UM, $3,000 PER YEAR FOR FOREIGN RUN PARTNERS.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU CHAIR.
UM, IN THIS CASE, I'LL SAY THAT, UM, THERE HAD NOT BEEN AN INCREASE BEFORE THIS PAST YEAR IN MANY YEARS.
UM, SO I THINK WE'RE SORT OF TRUING THIS UP.
AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMBINED TOTAL OF DOLLARS, THIS IS LESS THAN 20 CENTS PER PERSON PER YEAR.
AND I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS HIRES LOBBYISTS FOR DC TO ADVANCE THEIR AGENDA.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THIS ONE AND CHAIR? I'M SORRY, CAN, IF I CAN ADD ONE THING, I NOTICED THE FEDERAL, BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT ASKING FOR AN INCREASE, UH, JUST GOING BACK TO THE STATE, YOU KNOW, OUR STATE LOBBYISTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN WITH US FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, THE FIRST PAY RAISE THEY RECEIVED WAS BACK IN 2022, AND THAT'S AFTER ALL THE FUNDING THEY HAD BROUGHT BACK.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE FEDERAL TEAM, BEEN RUNNING A VERY TIGHT SHIP WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
BUT THE ROI, AS WAS DISCUSSED, HAS BEEN ENORMOUS IN OUR OPINION.
SO, AND LIKEWISE ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, TO CHAIRMAN MENDELSON'S POINT, 2023 WAS THE FIRST INCREASE EITHER OF THEM HAD RECEIVED, UM, IN, I THINK IT WAS TWO DECADES FOR CAPITAL EDGE AND ALMOST TWO DECADES FOR THORN RUN.
AND I'LL SAY, JUST FROM MY STANDPOINT, ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN VERY ACCESSIBLE TO ME.
I'VE NEVER PICKED UP THE PHONE AND TRIED TO TALK TO 'EM ABOUT AN ISSUE AND THEM NOT BEEN AVAILABLE.
IS THERE A MOTION, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE AND MOVE TO, UH, FULL COUNSEL? THANK YOU.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? NO DISCUSSION, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE A STATEMENT.
UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, JACK AND YOUR TEAM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION AS, UM, MAYOR PRO, TIM SAID THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IS IMPORTANT.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S IMPORTANT YOU GUYS ARE DOWN THERE, EYES AND THE EARS.
UH, AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU LOBBYING FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT YOU'RE ALSO OUR RESIDENTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND WE'RE SUPPORTING.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
THAT CONCLUDES THE BUSINESS OF THIS COMMITTEE MEETING AND THE TIME IS 2 37 AND WE'RE ADJOURNED.