[Board of Adjustments: Full Board Meeting on October 28, 2025]
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EVERYONE NEEDS TO TURN THEIR VOLUME OFF OF THEIR, ON THEIR LAPTOPS, THE VOLUME, THE LAPTOPS OR IPADS NEED TO HAVE THE VOLUMES OFF.
OTHERWISE, THERE'LL BE AN ECHO CHAMBER.
THE FULL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER AT 9:00 AM ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, 2025, HERE AT DALLAS CITY HALL.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, MY NAME IS DAVE NEWMAN.
I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE FULL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
WE HAVE 13 MEMBERS AND ALTERNATE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE IN PERSON THIS MORNING, WHICH EXCEEDS OUR QUORUM REQUIREMENT OF 10 UNDER OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR A FULL BOARD MEETING.
AND THEREFORE, A QUORUM IS DECLARED PRESENT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
WE'RE EXPECTING TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TODAY, MR. HOPKOS AND MS. EVANS.
TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS WILL JOIN US, SO WE'LL BE AT THE FULL STRENGTH OF 15 MOMENTARILY.
THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS SINCERELY FOR MAKING THE A PRIORITY AND EFFORT TO BE HERE TODAY.
AS YOU HOPEFULLY HAVE REVIEWED IN THE AGENDA, IT IS PACKED.
UM, IT IS PACKED AND IT IS DESIGNED TO BE EDUCATIONAL FOR YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND FOR THE BOARD.
UM, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND WILL BE RUN CONSISTENT WITH OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE AND ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
PLEASE ASK FOR RECOGNITION TO SPEAK.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO ALLOW EVERY BOARD MEMBER EQUAL TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'LL TRY TO KEEP SOME SORT OF, UH, RUNNING LIST TO THE PUBLIC.
THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS A QUASI-JUDICIAL BOARD CREATED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, CODIFIED BY THE CITY OF DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE AND THE BOARD'S RULES OF PROCEDURE TO MAKE DETERMINATIONS OF A PROPERTY OWNER'S REQUEST FOR ZONING VARIANCES.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION AMORTIZATION OF NON-CONFORMING USES AND APPEALS OF DECISIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIALS CONCERNING THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE, LAND USE IS THE BEST WAY OF ZEROING IN ON WHAT OUR FOCUS AND OUR AUTHORITY IS.
COMMUNICATION TO AND FROM MEMBERS, THEREFORE IS RESTRICTED TO SOLELY PUBLIC HEARING, SUCH AS TODAY'S MEETING.
THE BOARD ADJUSTMENT IS COMPOSED OF 15 MEMBERS AND SIX ALTERNATE MEMBERS.
THE BOARD FURTHER DIVIDES INTO THREE HEARING PANELS OF FIVE EACH TO ADJUDICATE APPEALS OF THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
MEMBERS AND ALTERNATE MEMBERS ARE NOMINATED BY INDIVIDUAL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM THROUGHOUT THE CITY, MANY OUTSIDE A SPECIFIC DISTRICT.
WE DO NOT REPRESENT A SPECIFIC DISTRICT.
WE REPRESENT THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
UM, WE RECEIVE NO FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR OUR VOLUNTEER TIME.
UH, FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THERE'S COFFEE AND LIGHT BREAKFAST IN THE BACK.
UH, WE'LL BE HAVING LUNCH SERVED AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME WHEN, WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF MORNING ENERGY.
UM, OUR FULL BOARD IS CONVENED AT LEAST ANNUALLY.
I MENTIONED THIS TO, UH, EMERITUS ATTORNEY, UM, UH, DANIEL MOORE THAT THE BOARD HAD HAD NEVER MEETING, HAD NEVER MET IN FULL UNTIL FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND NOW IT'S A REGULAR DEAL WHERE THE FULL BOARD COMES TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR IN ORDER TO GET TRAINING AND APPROVE A CALENDAR AND REVIEW RULES AND PROCEDURES.
OUR AGENDA IS PUBLISHED BY THE, UH, ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AT CITY SECRETARY'S WEBSITE SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING ON OCTOBER 21ST.
CONSISTENT WITH OUR RULES IN THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, ALLOW ME NOW TO PREVIEW THE AGENDA.
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN EMAIL WITH, UH, A HYPERLINK TO THE AGENDA.
UH, WE'RE WE, BETWEEN 8 39, WE DID COFFEE, REGISTRATION AND MEET AND GREET.
THE MEETING WAS CALLED ORDER AT NINE.
IN A MOMENT, WE'RE GONNA DO INTRODUCTIONS AND I'LL SPEAK ABOUT THAT FOR THOSE THAT WERE HERE LAST YEAR, YEAR BEFORE, YEAR BEFORE.
YOU'LL REMEMBER WHAT THAT'S ABOUT FOR THE NEW ONES.
WELL, YOU'LL GET AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, THEN WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE DOCKET, WHICH IS 250 PAGES, NOW, 250 PAGES.
WE'RE NOT GONNA READ EVERY PAGE OR EVERY LINE.
WE'RE GONNA DO IT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, UH, TO ENGENDER YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR FEEDBACK.
SO THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT, ONE PAGE.
THEN WE HAVE TWO GUEST SPEAKERS TODAY, EMILY LI, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, AND BARON ELIASON, WHO'S THE INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT ETHICS AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST THROUGHOUT THEIR PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS THE, THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATION TODAY.
SO IT GIVES EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TODAY, IS TO ASK QUESTIONS.
THEN WE'LL GO INTO BOARD TRAINING.
KAMIKA MILLER HOSKINS, OUR BOARD ADMINISTRATOR WILL INTRODUCE HER TEAM.
UH, WE'LL GO THROUGH A LITERAL MEMBER ORIENTATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH IN PAST YEARS IS HOW DO WE BRING NEW MEMBERS ONTO THE BOARD? EACH ONE OF YOU THAT ARE NEW IN THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS, YOU'LL RECALL ME GETTING TOGETHER WITH YOU HAVING COFFEE AND GOING THROUGH A BUNCH OF THINGS.
WELL, NOW WE HAVE AN ACTUAL MEMBER ORIENTATION GUIDE, AND TO SOME OF YOU TODAY, IT
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WILL BE REDUNDANT TO AT LEAST HALF OF YOU.IT'LL BE BRAND NEW INFORMATION.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE US THROUGH THAT.
UH, WE THEN WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION ON PARKING CODE.
OH MY GOSH, I READ THAT THREE TIMES AND I'M STILL HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
THEN ZONING CHANGES, THEN DALLAS ZONING REFORM.
THAT'S THE FUTURE OF THE DEVELOPMENT CODE GOING FORWARD.
THEN WE'LL SWITCH GEARS AND GO TO OUR BOARD ATTORNEY, UH, THERESA CARLISLE, WHO WILL INTRODUCE HER TEAM AND TALK ABOUT STANDARDS FOR VARIANCES, SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS, COMPLIANCE APPEALS AND COMPLIANCE CASES, TEXAS CASE LAW.
AND THEN OUR FAVORITE SUBJECT, UH, FROM OUR EMERITUS BOARD ATTORNEY TEXAS OPEN MEANS ACT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WHETHER IT'S AFTER MS, UH, DR.
OUR BOARD ADMINISTRATOR'S PRESENTATIONS, UH, WE WILL TAKE A BREAK FOR LUNCH.
IT'LL ALL DEPEND ON THE PROGRESS WE GO.
UM, THEN WE WILL HAVE ACTION ITEMS. OUR ACTION ITEMS ARE REVIEWING AND ADOPTION, OUR ANNUAL REPORT.
UH, THIS CHAPTER EIGHT REQUIRES EVERY BOARD AND COMMISSION TO SUBMIT TO THE CITY COUNCIL THEIR ANNUAL REPORT BY FEBRUARY 1ST OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND SO, UM, THE OFFICERS AND I, UM, AND OUR BOARD SECRETARY AND BOARD ADMINISTRATOR HAVE WORKED ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'LL REVIEW AND HOPEFULLY APPROVE A MEETING CALENDAR AND RULES OF PROCEDURE.
THAT IS THE PREVIEW OF OUR AGENDA QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA.
AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO DO WHIPLASH ALL DAY TO KEEP EYES ON ANY, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS INTRODUCTIONS.
SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ASKING, WHAT I'M GONNA ASK EACH MEMBER AT THE TABLE IS TO BRIEFLY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
UH, TELL US WHAT AREA OF THE CITY, GEOGRAPHY WISE YOU LIVE IN.
TELL US THE NAME OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, AND I'LL START OFF TO GIVE EVERYONE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.
NOW WE HAVE 15 MEMBERS PLUS THREE OFFICERS, SO THAT'S 18 PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE SPEAKING.
SO DON'T GO TOO LONG, BUT GO LONG ENOUGH.
I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY SINCE 1982.
I WAS A BANKER AND THEN EXECUTIVE WITH FIDELITY INVESTMENTS.
UM, THEN MY WIFE AND I STARTED AND OPERATED A WOMEN'S APPAREL MANUFACTURING COMPANY FOR 25 YEARS.
SOLD THE COMPANY, GOT INTO POLITICS, WAS, UH, AN ALTERNATE TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT 20 YEARS AGO WITH THAT YOUNG MAN IN THE AUDIENCE AS MY BOARD ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT 20 YEARS AGO AS AN ALTERNATE MEMBER WAS VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, SERVED ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND FOUR YEARS AGO, MAYOR JOHNSON ASKED ME TO TAKE THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
I LIVE IN NORTH DALLAS, NEAR PRESTON AND FOREST IN THE PRESTON HOLLOW NEIGHBORHOOD, THE NORTH END OF PRESTON HOLLOW.
SO DO NORTH PRESTON AND FOREST IS OUR HOME.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY CLOSE TO CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? UM, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
UH, I LIVE IN EAST DALLAS, SO IN THE KIND OF M STREETS, GREENLAND HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M A LAWYER AT A FIRM HERE IN TOWN CALLED CARRINGTON COLEMAN, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
SO I'M JUST REALLY, UH, HAPPY AND EXCITED TO BE HERE.
MOVED HERE IN 1980, WAS DRAGGED BY MY THEN FIANCE, NOT HUSBAND FROM NEW YORK CITY AND NEVER WANTED TO LEAVE.
I AM IN, UH, NORTH DALLAS, VERY CLOSE TO MR. NEWMAN.
UH, WE ARE IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCOMBOBULATION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING FROM OUR HOME OF 25 YEARS INTO A DOWNSIZED COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE MOVING FROM THE RICK CIRCLE AREA TO LAKE FOREST, AND THAT WILL HAPPEN BY NOVEMBER 15TH.
UM, BUT IT'S LOVELY TO MEET YOU ALL.
AND, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN RICK CIRCLE IN NORTH DALLAS, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE HAMLET.
AND THIS IS MS. EVANS FIRST MEETING YES.
I LIVE AT THE INTERSECTION ROUGHLY OF SPRING VALLEY AND PRESTON ROAD, SO A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF DAVE AND CANDY.
UM, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF DALLAS SINCE 1976, SO ABOUT 49 YEARS, I GUESS, IN THIS TOWN.
UM, HAVE A COUPLE OF KIDS THAT ARE GROWN ADULTS AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE PART OF THIS BOARD.
MR. QUINCE FIRST MEETING FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE LIVED IN DALLAS FOR OVER A DECADE.
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I LIVE IN WEST OAK CLIFF, AND, UH, MY BACKGROUND IS IN ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING.I MOVED TO DALLAS IN 1990 WHEN I GRADUATED FROM A AND M WITH A CIVIL ENGINEERING DEGREE.
AND I WORKED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, MOSTLY A LOT OF CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS BACK IN THE DAY.
UM, STARTED MY OWN FIRM IN 2000, SOLD IT IN 2018, RETIRED FROM CIVIL ENGINEERING, UM, IN 22, JOINED THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT THAT YEAR.
UM, I LIVE IN EAST DALLAS IN THE LITTLE FOREST HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS OVER BY THE ARBORETUM.
HELLO, MY NAME IS STUART CAMPBELL.
I RUN THE DALLAS EVICTION ADVOCACY CENTER HERE THAT REPRESENTS, UH, AT TENANTS FOR FREE IN EVICTION COURT IN DALLAS.
AND, UH, THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING.
AND I LIVE IN THE CASA VIEW OAKS AREA.
I MOVED TO DALLAS SIX YEARS AGO WITH MY THEN BOYFRIEND, NOW HUSBAND, AND IT'S GOING TO BE OUR FOREVER HOME.
I RUN THE, UH, DESTINATIONS, TEXAS, WHICH IS AN ASSOCIATION FOR DESTINATION ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND I LIVE, UH, JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN IN THE NORTH CL NORTH OAK CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD OF KESSLER PARK.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR FOUR YEARS.
UH, MY LAW FIRM IS OLSON AND BIRD.
UM, I STARTED SERVING ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AS AN ALTERNATE, I GUESS ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO.
UH, I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED GREENWAY PARKS THAT'S RELATIVELY CLOSE TO LOVE FIELD.
CAMIKA MILLER HOSKINS, AND I SERVE AS THE CHIEF PLANNER BOARD ADMINISTRATOR FOR, UM, THE CITY OF DALLAS BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
I AM NOT A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I LIVE, UM, IN TERRELL, TEXAS, AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR THREE YEARS AND WITH THE BOARD FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS NOW.
THAT'S THE FIRST I KNEW SHE LIVED IN.
I FLY INTO TARRELL ALL THE TIME.
YOU IN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
NEXT TIME YOU'LL HAVE TO TELL ME EXACTLY WHERE YOU LIVE AND I'LL DO A FLY BY
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR NINE YEARS NOW, AND THIS IS MY SECOND ROTATION ON THE BOARD.
OUR SECTION, UM, ROTATES THROUGH THE DIFFERENT BOARDS EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND SO THIS IS MY SECOND ROTATION.
MY NAME IS MARY WILLIAMS. I AM THE, UM, SORRY, THE BOARD COORDINATOR AND BOARD SECRETARY FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR 11 YEARS, SO ONE.
ONE COMMENT BEFORE WE GO TO MR. DORN.
UM, THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD IS 15 MEMBERS, SIX ALTERNATE MEMBERS, AND THREE OFFICERS BESIDES THE CHAIRMAN AND THE TWO VICE CHAIRS.
SO KAMIKA SERVES, EXCUSE ME, DR. MILLER.
HOSKINS SERVES AS THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR AND OFFICER, NON-VOTING.
THERESA CARLISLE SERVES AS AN OFFICER, BOARD, BOARD ATTORNEY, NON-VOTING, AND MARY WILLIAMS SERVES AS BOARD SECRETARY NON-VOTING.
THEY'RE AT THE PANEL HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF THE OFFICER CORPS OF THE BOARD.
VERY IMPORTANT, VITAL, DIFFERENT ROLES.
I HAVE JOINED THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT BACK IN APRIL.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN THE DALLAS AREA, STARTING IN COPPEL, TEXAS FIRST AND NOW DALLAS FOR THE, FOR 30 YEARS COMBINED.
UM, I ALSO SERVE AS A CHIEF AUDIT EXECUTIVE FOR A COUPLE OF HOSPITALITY REITS, WHICH I KNOW CANDACE FROM ONE OF THOSE.
WHAT AREA OF THE CITY DO YOU LIVE IN? OH, SORRY.
IN THE, UH, COOPER'S AEROBIC CENTER AREA.
JUST SOUTH OF THERE, NORTH OF FOREST.
I'M RODNEY MILLIKEN, UH, LIFE TIME RESIDENT OF DALLAS SINCE 1963, SO THAT'S A LONG TIME.
SO YOU'RE THE SENIOR IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW BY NAME? I, I AM YOU'RE THE SENIOR, RIGHT? I DIDN'T MEAN AGE, I JUST SAID SENIOR.
AND I LIVE IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS IN THE PARKDALE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I LIVE IN WEST ALLIES IN THE LOS ALTOS AREA.
UH, THIS IS MY SECOND TIME ON THE BOARD.
I WORK WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE.
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LINDA GARNER.UM, I AM A LIFELONG DALLAS RESIDENT.
I LIVE, I MOVED TO THE CEDARS ABOUT 2002.
BOOKER T WASHINGTON GRAD EL CENTRO GRAD.
UM, I'M BASICALLY SOUTHERN DOWNTOWN, SO IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
MORNING, UH, ROGER ING, I LIVE IN THE FAR SOUTHWEST CORNER OF DALLAS.
UH, USED TO BE CHAIRMAN NEWMAN'S DISTRICT AT ONE TIME.
UM, I JOINED THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IN 2018, I BELIEVE.
UM, UH, SO I MOVED MY FAMILY HERE FROM ALABAMA ROLL TIDE, UH, IN 2006.
UM, AND, UH, RACHEL, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UH, 2006, UM, THAT WE HAVE FOUR KIDS.
ONE GRADUATED IN THREE YEARS, UH, THIS PAST SUMMER, UH, FROM COLLEGE AND, UH, TWO YOUNGER KIDS, UM, THAT, WELL, THREE, UH, THREE YOUNGER KIDS THAT ARE STILL IN GRADE SCHOOL.
LOVE WORKING WITH MR. STEVE OVER THERE.
HE'S, UH, PROBABLY THE ONE OF THE BEST.
NO ONE MENTIONED THE DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE IN.
THAT IS FABULOUS BECAUSE VERY TRULY, WHEN WE SERVE HERE AS A FULL BOARD OR WE SERVE IN A PANEL HEADING, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT DISTRICT OR ADDRESS YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE A MEMBER OF A ADJUDICATING PANEL MAKING A DECISION ON LAND USE.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT THROUGHOUT TODAY, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MANY THINGS ABOUT MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO A DISTRICT, IT DEALS WITH THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE ADDITIONAL STAFF INTRODUCTIONS WHEN THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR AND THE BOARD ATTORNEY DO THEIR TRAINING PORTION, THEY'LL INTRODUCE THEIR FOLKS.
UM, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IS THERE'S PUBLIC TESTIMONY AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR MEETING.
UM, AND SO, MS. BOARD, SECRETARY, I'M SORRY.
MR. STEVE, LONG BEFORE HE BEGINS, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO EMBARRASS HIM AS MUCH AS I CAN.
UH, MANY OF US REMEMBER STEVE LONG FROM HIS SERVICE.
MANY OF US REMEMBER STEVE LONG AFTER HIS SERVICE.
UH, STEVE AND I HAVE GOTTEN TOGETHER MANY TIMES FOR LUNCH, UM, AT NORMA'S ON EIGHTH STREET IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, JUST TO PICK HIS BRAIN ABOUT WHAT DID HAPPEN, WOULD HAPPEN, SHOULD HAPPEN.
UM, I, MY RECALL FROM 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED, I WAS AN ALTERNATE, WAS BASED ON THE TRAINING FROM STEVE LONG.
SO STEVE, I CAN'T TELL YOU ENOUGH, JUST LIKE I SAID TO YOU WHEN YOU WALKED IN, HOW FORTUNATE IT IS THAT IT IS FOR THE BOARD FOR YOU TO BE WITH US TODAY.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME'S STEVE LONG, MY ADDRESS IS 9 0 2 THOMASON.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THE, I'M NOT REALLY TO GIVE YOU MY BIO, BUT I THINK I AM TO A POINT WHERE I THINK IT'S, IM, UM, WILL BE RELEVANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM WHEN I ACTUALLY CONCLUDE BY SAYING WHAT I CAME TO SAY.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1986.
I CAME TO THIS BUILDING IN 1980 6TH OF JANUARY.
THIS WONDERFUL IM PAY BUILDING THAT, UM, I LOOK AT DIFFERENTLY NOW GIVEN THE, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR CITY AND THE CONDITION OF IT.
I STARTED, UM, UH, AT THE CITY OF DALLAS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IN 1986.
I, UH, BOUGHT A HOME IN NORTH OAK CLIFF IN 1989.
AND I STARTED THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AROUND 1995.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF A CONTEXT.
AND WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT, UM, FROM 1995 TO 2019, WHEN I RETIRED IN MY RETIREMENT SPEECH, I ACTUALLY, UM, CALCULATED THAT I HAD DEALT WITH OVER ABOUT 3000 APPLICANTS, UM, SEVERAL CITY MANAGERS, DIRECTORS, BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD APPLICANTS.
AND IT WAS, UH, MY HONOR TO BE A, A SERVANT AND, UM, A PERSON THAT PROVIDED INFORMATION TO THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS AND, UM, TO THE, TO THE BOARD.
AND, UM, IT WAS A, JUST ONCE AGAIN, A GREAT HONOR.
UM, I DO HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR ROLE HERE AS BOARD MEMBERS, HAVING BEEN YOUR ADMINISTRATOR, HAVING BEEN THE ADMINISTRATOR FROM 1995 TO 2019.
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UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT COMES BEFORE YOU IN AN APPLICATION, SOMETIMES 10 PAGES AND SOMETIMES OVER A THOUSAND PAGES OF INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE SO DILIGENT WITH REVIEWING AND, UM, ASSESSING.I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE INFORMATION'S GIVEN YOU IN A DOCKET MATERIAL REPORT, I WAS ALWAYS VERY CLEAR TO THE APPLICANTS AND THE PUBLIC AT A PUBLIC HEARING OR A BRIEFING ACTUALLY, TO TELL THEM THAT WHILE THERE'S CERTAIN INFORMATION THAT'S MAYBE CONVEYED, THAT'S ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL ALL EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AT THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
UM, I THINK WITH THAT BEING SAID, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU 15 MEMBERS FOR YOUR, UM, WILLINGNESS TO VOLUNTEER ON THIS BOARD.
I UNDERSTAND AS A PERSON INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT.
SOMETIMES IT'S IMPORTANT WITH A HIGH PROFILE APPLICATION TO MANY PEOPLE, BUT IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO AT LEAST ONE PERSON, THE PERSON THAT MADE THE APPLICATION TO YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, MAKING SURE PER YOUR ATTORNEY AND YOUR STAFF, PEOPLE THAT YOU CAREFULLY REVIEW THE APPLICATION, THAT YOU CAREFULLY USE THE STANDARD THAT'S IN THE DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT GRANTS YOU CERTAIN, UM, POWERS TO FLEX CHAPTER 51 A, VOLUME THREE, THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE, WITH MOSTLY VARIANCES AND SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, I REALLY GIVE YOU A VERY SINCERE, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD.
AND I THINK WITH THE, MAYBE A BOTTOM LINE OF MAKING THE CITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND DO BUSINESS.
THANK YOU MS. WILLIAMS. I THINK MR. VINCENT NEXT, MR. JONATHAN VINCENT.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, MY NAME IS JONATHAN VINCENT.
UM, AND FIRST OF ALL, UM, AND I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU, NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF PRESENTING A CASE, BUT JUST TO SPEAK IN GENERAL TERMS ABOUT THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PROCESS AND ABOUT YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, BEFORE I GO ANY FARTHER, I DON'T WANNA FORGET TO DO THIS TO RECOGNIZE MR. STEVE LONG.
UM, I THINK THE FIRST TIME I DID A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT CASE WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 1998, AND STEVE WAS JUST A TERRIFIC, UM, COMPANION ON THAT JOURNEY, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL ALL THE TIME, EXTREMELY HELPFUL, KIND OF KEPT ME ON THE RIGHT PATH, YOU KNOW, IN A FAIR KIND OF WAY, NOT TELLING ME WHAT TO DO, BUT CERTAINLY FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THAT I, I HAD BEEN ON THE PLAN COMMISSION IN THE EARLY NINETIES, SO I KNEW THE ZONING PROCESS PRETTY WELL, BUT BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, IS A KIND OF A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
SO, UM, IT'S GREAT TO SEE STEVE.
UM, HE WAS, HE WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON TO WORK WITH ON THESE BOARD CASES, AND IT'S, IT'S NICE TO SEE HIM, NICE TO SEE HE'S DOING WELL, UM, FROM A STANDPOINT OF, YOU KNOW, AN OCCASIONAL CURRENT APPLICANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T OFTEN GET A CHANCE TO, TO SAY THIS, SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT I'M ALWAYS HUGELY IMPRESSED BY ALL OF YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS IN TERMS OF YOUR DILIGENCE AND YOUR FOCUS AND YOUR SERIOUSNESS.
I KNOW YOU'RE ALL CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS.
UM, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT DON'T PLEASE PEOPLE, SOMETIMES DON'T PLEASE ANYBODY.
BUT, UM, I'M ALWAYS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED BY THE SERIOUSNESS AND THE FOCUS THAT YOU BRING TO THIS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE VERY MUCH.
I'VE BEEN HERE PROBABLY ABOUT 65 YEARS OF MY LIFE, UH, OFF AND ON BACK SINCE 1980 AFTER SCHOOL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AS A CITIZEN THAT YOU ALL DO SUCH A GREAT JOB AS WELL.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
I THINK THE PROCESS RUNS VERY WELL CONSIDERING THE VOLUME OF CASES AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE CASES.
UM, I ALSO DON'T WANNA FORGET TO COMPLIMENT THE CITY STAFF, UM, SOME OF WHOM I KNOW BETTER THAN OTHERS, UM, BUT ALSO VERY IMPRESSED BY THEIR DILIGENCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, UH, KIND OF LIKE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE, TRYING TO HANDLE THESE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT CASES, SOMETIMES LONG AGENDAS, COMPLEX CASES.
UM, SOMETIMES THEY MAKE RE, YOU KNOW, ON VARIANCE CASES, THEY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS, SOMETIMES NOT, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO DO THE INTAKE AND
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DO THE ANALYSIS AND PRESENT YOU WITH A CASE REPORT.UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE PROCESS RUNS WELL CONSIDERING ALL THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE VOLUME OF CASES.
I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF IF, IF I HAVE ONE SUBSTANTIVE COMMENT OR SUGGESTION, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? UM, AND I JUST BRIEFLY, THE, UH, PRE-SCREEN INTAKE PROCESS, UM, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, AN INNOVATION THAT WAS DONE, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS.
AND I THINK THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HELPS THE STAFF AND HELPS THE APPLICANTS UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES THESE APPLICATIONS THEMSELVES ARE VERY COMPLEX AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE INCLUDED THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AN APPLICANT THAT'S NOT DOWN HERE A LOT DOESN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY HELPFUL PROCESS.
UM, I THINK POSSIBLY CONSIDERATION MIGHT BE GIVEN TO EVEN MAYBE SYSTEMATIZING THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS OF TIMELINES.
LIKE, IF YOU GET YOUR PRE-SCREEN MATERIALS IN ON X DATE, THEN MAYBE YOU'LL GET COMMENTS BY Y DATE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE THE ACTUAL APPLICATION DEADLINE 12 NOON FOURTH FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A FIRM DEADLINE AS FAR AS I KNOW.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN IN MY EXPERIENCE.
SO I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO GET THOSE COMMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND TURN 'EM AROUND, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME BACK AND FORTH, YOU KNOW, STAFF NEEDS SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IT'S ON THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE THAT.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY SUBSTATIVE COMMENT I HAVE.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
ALWAYS VERY IMPRESSED BY YOUR DILIGENCE AND YOUR FOCUS CITY STAFF, UM, IS GREAT TO WORK WITH, HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL, AND I APPRECIATE THEM.
AND, UH, LASTLY, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY, SO THANK YOU.
MR. SINGTON HAS A COMMENT OR A QUESTION? UH, CHAIR NEWMAN, I JUST WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO PUT A PIN HERE.
WHILE WE DO ALWAYS APPRECIATE, UH, MR. UH, MR. LONG AND HIS EFFORTS IN HIS WORK, HIS ABILITY TO TEACH AND TRAIN AND RELAY INFORMATION, I DO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, UM, GIVE PRAISE TO OUR CURRENT STAFF, UM, DR. MILLER HOSKINS AND THE REST OF THE TEAM, UH, WITH THE WAY THEY PRESENT THE INFORMATION, THEY GIVE THE INFORMATION, THE EFFICIENCY AT WHICH, AT WHICH THEY WORK.
I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, UM, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, GIVE THEM PRAISE FOR THE WAY THAT THE BOARD IS CONDUCTED, UM, NOW.
SO, UH, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM.
I'M GONNA SPEAK TO THAT VERY, VERY ISSUE ON MY CHAIRMAN'S REPORT NEXT.
SO, UH, THANK YOU, MR. VINCENT.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU ONE, ONE COMMENT I'LL MAKE, OKAY.
AS YOU SPOKE TO, NOT A SPECIFIC CASE, I STARTED THINKING OF ALL THE CASES I'VE HEARD FROM YOU AS AN APPLICANT AND THINKING, OH, THAT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THIS, AND THAT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THAT, AND WE HAD TO HOLD THIS OVER BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE OR THAT ISSUE.
UM, UH, IT IS A WORK IN PROCESS, AND PART OF THAT IS BOARD MEMBERS, THE BOARD PANELS, STAFF, ATTORNEYS, APPLICANTS, SAYING, OKAY, HOW CAN WE DO BETTER EACH NEXT TIME? SO, UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AGAIN, IS IN MY CHAIRMAN'S REPORT, AND I WILL REITERATE TO THE ENTIRE BOARD, IS EVERY SINGLE MONTH, UM, DR. MILLER HOSKINS AND I AS BOARD ADMINISTRATOR AND MS. WILLIAMS GO THROUGH THIS COUNTDOWN ON THE DEADLINE FOR CASES.
AND YES, WE HAVE A HARD, FAST COUNT, UH, DEADLINE DATE, BUT I'M ALWAYS SAYING, CAN'T WE EXTEND IT? CAN'T WE EXTEND IT? LET'S EXTEND IT ANOTHER WEEK SO WE GIVE MORE TIME SO WE CAN SHRINK THAT DELAY TIME.
SO THE, THE ISSUE OF INTAKE AND TIMELINES IS, I'M TAKING NOTES.
AND PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME.
NO, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A CRITICISM.
THAT'S JUST, THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX PROCESS FOR ALL OF US.
OF COURSE, IT'S NOT TAKEN AS CRITICISM.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR, UH, HAS DONE IS TO TRY TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS.
AND I THINK SHE'S GONNA SPEAK TO THAT IS PART OF HER PRESENTATIONS.
UM, IN ORDER TO GIVE THE APPLICANT NOT, IT'S A FINE LINE BECAUSE THE APPLICANT, THE BURDEN IS ON THE APPLICANT.
AT THE SAME TOKEN, THE BIG CITY HALL CAN BE VERY INTIMIDATING.
SO IT'S PART OF THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR'S STAFF'S JOB TO ASSIST WITHOUT DIRECTING.
AND I CAN'T TELL HER TO ASK HER HOW SHE, HOW THAT HAPPENS, BUT IT'S THIS LINE OF ASSISTING WITHOUT DIRECTING.
AND I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE, AND, AND I, I SOMETIMES FEEL BAD FOR AN AVERAGE CITIZEN WHO'S DOWN HERE TRYING TO ASK FOR A VARIANCE WHO'S NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
AND IT, IT'S, IT CAN BE, UH, CHALLENGING, I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT FOR ALL BOARD MEMBERS.
WHEN YOU HEAR A PANEL, WHEN YOU'RE ON A PANEL AND YOU HAVE A CASE AND YOU HAVE A PRIVATE CITIZEN, NOT A BIG GUN, A JACKSON WALKER, BIG GUN HERE, UH, BUT AN AVERAGE CITIZEN, THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT AVERAGE CITIZEN'S GOING THROUGH.
A LOT OF TIMES WHAT I'LL TRY TO DO IS SAY, LET'S SLOW IT DOWN.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT TO SO THAT, THAT APPLICANT CAN ADJUST TO THE INTIMIDATION.
'CAUSE LEMME TELL YOU GUYS, STANDING THERE LOOKING THIS WAY,
[00:30:01]
WE'RE HIGHER UP THAN THAT PERSON.SO, UH, SO I AGREE SO THAT THE, YOU HIRED GUNS, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE PAID FOR.
BUT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN, IT'S, THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE IN OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, THE COMMENT ABOUT USER FRIENDLY, USER FRIENDLY, HOW ARE WE BEING USER FRIENDLY? NOT FOR THE HIRED GUNS.
THEY KNOW HOW TO DO IT, BUT THE REST OF THE PEOPLE USER FRIENDLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR EITHER TWO SPEAKERS TODAY? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
OKAY, SO WHO'S CLICK, WHO'S, WHO'S DOING THE POWERPOINTS FOR TODAY? IS THAT YOU, MARY? MR. WILLIAMS? SO IF I'M GONNA, MR. BRIAN THOMPSON, WILL THOMPSON ASSISTING IN SOME, IN SOME, OKAY.
SO WE NEED TO GO TO PAGE FIVE, WHICH IS THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
I DON'T KNOW, WHOEVER, WHOEVER'S GONNA BE DOING THE CLICKING, WE NEED TO GO TO THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
AND AGAIN, THE FULL BOARD WAS GIVEN THE ENTIRE AGENDA A WEEK AGO.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY IS NOT READ EVERY PAGE OR EVERY LINE ITEM.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS HIGHLIGHT, ALRIGHT, THE PURPOSE OF THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT IS TO GIVE FROM THIS CHAIR TO THE BOARD KEY THINGS THAT WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND OR WERE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST CALENDAR YEAR.
AND WE RUN ON A FISCAL YEAR, THAT'S OCTOBER ONE OF 24 TO SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 25.
SO IN THAT 12 MONTH PERIOD, FOCUS WAS ON FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY, TIMELINESS, AND ACCURACY ADVOCACY.
SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, I'VE MET WITH ROBIN BENTLEY, WHO'S THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND ALSO MS. EMILY LIU, WHO'S GONNA BE PRESENTING HER MOMENTARILY.
IT, IT'S, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, MS. LOU AND I WILL SEE EACH OTHER AT CITY HALL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE'LL SAY, DAVE, CAN YOU STEP IN? OR, SHE'S, SHE'S PROPER, SHE'S MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN STEP IN AND HALF HOUR LATER WE FINISH.
SO IT, IT HAS BEEN QUITE ENJOYABLE AND IT'S A GREAT ACCESS FOR YOUR BOARD TO HAVE TO THE DIRECTOR.
SHE SPOKE LAST YEAR, SHE, WE ASKED HER TO SPEAK AGAIN THIS YEAR.
UM, THE SAME THING AS IT RELATES TO CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH NOT ONLY BERT VANDENBERG, BUT ALSO CASEY BERGES, THE TWO OTHER EXECUTIVES THAT ARE ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR TALKING ABOUT THE BOARD'S EXPRESSED AND IMPLIED AUTHORITY TO HANDLE CASES.
UM, AND ALSO ADDITIONAL BRIEFINGS TO THE BOARD EMPOWERMENT.
UH, MYSELF AND THE VICE CHAIRS HAVE WORKED VERY CAREFULLY TO TRY TO FURTHER EMPOWER CITIZEN LEADERS ON THE PANELS AS OPPOSED TO STAFF.
NOTHING AGAINST STAFF, BUT THIS IS A CITY COUNCIL CREATED BOARD AND PANEL, UM, CITY STAFF LEADERSHIP.
IT'S BEEN REMARKABLE THIS YEAR.
THE, OF THE PROGRESS THE STAFF HAS MADE KEY, AND SHE'LL SPEAK TO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
KEY IS OUR HEARING DAYS ARE DOWN TO 54 DAYS.
OH MY GOSH, FOUR YEARS AGO IT WAS 93 DAYS WHEN AN APPLICANT WOULD COME TO MAKE AN APPLICATION BEFORE THEY GET A HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD.
FOUR YEARS AGO, 93 DAYS WE'RE DOWN TO 54.
AND I THINK WE'VE IMPROVED THE QUALITY AS WE'VE REDUCED THE TIME.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO KEEP SAYING TO MISS, TO OUR BOARD MINISTER, CAN WE DO 50? CAN WE DO 45? CAN WE DO 40? I DIDN'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REASONABLE.
BUT THE SAME TOKEN, TREMENDOUS PROGRESS ON THAT FRONT.
ALMOST EVERY MONTH THE BOARD MINISTER AND I GET TOGETHER AFTER MY PANEL HEARING AND WE KIBBITZ WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT THINGS I NEED TO KNOW, WHAT THINGS SHE NEEDS TO KNOW, WHAT THINGS WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE PIS BACK AND FORTH.
SO THAT IS A REGULAR COMMUNICATION I MENTIONED EARLIER, REGULARLY, I'M ASKING HER, EXTEND THE DEADLINE.
CAN YOU EXTEND THE DEADLINE? AND SHE CAN DO THAT AS LONG AS SHE CAN MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF THE WORK.
SO THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING BALANCE.
LAST AND NOT LEAST IS FURTHER LEVERAGING THE BE IT BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT WEBSITE.
THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND ACCESS.
THAT IS OUR FRONT DOOR IS THE WEBSITE, UM, FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT QUESTIONS ON THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL NOW GO TO OUR PRESENTATIONS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER TODAY IS EMILY LIU, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND WHO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S RUNNING HER POWERPOINT.
MS. LOU, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR NEWMAN, A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
UM, DID I, DID I SPEAK CORRECTLY ABOUT HOW WE RUN INTO EACH OTHER AND THEN I HAVE A HAVE A A GET TOGETHER MEETING REGULARLY?
[00:35:01]
ABSOLUTELY.THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF THINGS DONE WITHIN THAT 30 MINUTES.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THE TRADITION A LITTLE BIT.
INTRODUCE MYSELF A LITTLE BEYOND MY TITLE SO YOU KNOW ME A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I'M A PROFESSIONAL PLANNER BY TRAINING AND BY PRACTICE.
SO I GRADUATE FROM THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WITH A MASTER DEGREE IN URBAN REGIONAL PLANNING.
AND THEN I FOLLOWED MY FAMILY TO OHIO AND GOT MY FIRST JOB THERE.
I WAS SO EXACT, IT TOOK ME MORE THAN A YEAR THOUGH,
BUT ANYWAY, AND THEN, UM, I FOLLOWED MY FAMILY AGAIN TO ILLINOIS, THEN MY FAMILY AGAIN TO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.
SO WE LIVED THERE FOR 21 YEARS AND 10, UH, MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF THAT, I, I SERVE AS THE PLANNING DIRECTOR FOR LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN, UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I FOLLOWED MY FAMILY AGAIN TO DALLAS.
LIKE MANY OF YOU MOVED TO DALLAS FOR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I DID THAT TO LET YOU KNOW, I DID NOT COME HERE.
JUST TAKE THIS CHALLENGING JOB.
AND, UH, CURRENTLY I LIVE, UM, IN OAK CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, VERY DIVERSE AND ALSO CLOSE TO, UM, MY OTHER OFFICE IN MONT.
UH, MOST OF MY STAFF ACTUALLY STATIONED THERE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF MY BACKGROUND WHERE I LIVE A LITTLE BIT.
I'M TRYING TO CONNECT WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND PLEASE, WHEN YOU COME CITY HALL, STOP BY A LOT OF TIME I'M AT MEETINGS ON THE PHONE, BUT I CAN ALWAYS MAKE TIME.
AND JUST, UH, LAST WEEK I MET ANDREW AT THE STATE, A PA CONFERENCE.
SO KNOW HIM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I GUESS YOU KNOW ME A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE PRESENTED THERE, WE HAD OUT TOGETHER, SO IT'S GREAT.
JUST LET YOU KNOW NEXT YEAR, THIS TIME, UM, AND TEXAS AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION GOING TO HOLD THEIR STATE CONFERENCE HERE IN THE DALLAS FORWARDS METROPLEX.
SO WE'LL SEE, UH, HOW MANY OF YOU'LL BE INTERESTED AND WE'LL TRY TO ACCOMMODATE AS MANY AS WE CAN.
THAT'S A GREAT TRAINING OPPORTUNITY.
AND ALSO CONNECT WITH OTHER CITIES AND PLANNERS TO SEE HOW THEY DO THEIR JOB.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO GET TO THE TOPIC.
SO THIS IS A MISSION STATEMENT DEVELOPED BY OUR STAFF THE LAST YEAR.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE TWO DEPARTMENT MERGE PLANNING, URBAN DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MERGED INTO ONE.
UM, IT IS A, A LOT OF WORK AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID AT THE VERY BEGINNING TO, UH, DEVELOP A MISSION STATEMENT.
THIS IS OUR STAFF MANAGERS AND LEADERSHIP CAN, UM, UH, UP WITH, UH, TOGETHER WE'RE PLANNING AND BUILDING A BETTER DALLAS FOR ALL.
SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR STAFF TO KNOW THE LONG-TERM PICTURE, THE BIG PICTURE, WHY THEY'RE HERE, WHAT THEY'RE WORKING FOR, AND THIS REALLY GIVE THEM SOME PURPOSE.
UM, AND THAT'S OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT INTRODUCTION ABOUT, UH, THE STRUCTURE.
I KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO READ HERE, BUT THIS IS OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, TWO DEPARTMENT MERGE INTO ONE.
UM, SO AS A RESULT, RESULT, WE HAVE TWO, UH, DEPARTMENT, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASON WE MERGED BECAUSE TRYING TO BREAK DOWN THE SILOS USED TO BE A LOT OF SILOS IN ONE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER NOW IT'S OLD, UH, OLD UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.
UNDER THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL, WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
ONE IS A PLANNING LED BY ANDREW GILLIS, AND THAT'S MOSTLY LONG RANGE PLANNING.
YOU HEARD ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, ALL THREATS, HEARING DATA, RESEARCH, GS MAPPING, URBAN DESIGN, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND ALSO CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
AND THEN THE ZONING ZONING SECTION IS LED BY DR.
ANDREA RIA AND WITH, UH, SUPPORT FROM MEGAN AND WEER.
ANDREA WOODROW IS A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OVERSEEING ALL THE ZONING FUNCTION IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO PREVIOUSLY WE HAVE TWO DEPARTMENTS, UH, PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
[00:40:01]
SURVEY.EACH OF THEM HAVE, UH, HAD A, UM, ZONING FUNCTION.
SO ONE TIME YOU GO THROUGH ALL THE REZONING PROCESS OR SOME, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY TO THE PERMITTING STAGE, ONLY TO BE TOLD YOU HAVE TO START OVER BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR DEPARTMENT HAVE ONE INTERPRETATION AND, UH, ONE VOICE.
THAT'S KIND OF BREAK DOWN THE SILOS WHEN SOMETHING WAS ADOPTED AS AUTHORIZED HERE, AIR WIDE REZONING, MAKE SURE OUR PERMITTING STAFF KNOWS WHAT THAT IS.
SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE, UH, SYSTEMIC MISTAKES ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG BENEFIT ABOUT BIG ONE, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT.
THEN WE'LL HAVE PERMITTING ALL KINDS OF PERMITTING, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, UH, REROOFING, SOLAR PANEL, ALL OF THAT AND INSPECTION ALL UNDER ONE.
AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE ANOTHER SECTION, UM, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND ALSO TEAM EXCELLENCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUDGETING, HR ISSUES, SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, UH, VEHICLES, MAINTENANCE, THAT'S A BIG JOB.
UM, CUSTOMER SURVEY, UM, AND, UH, ARCHIVES, TRAINING, TECHNOLOGY, ALL OF THAT.
AND, UH, HERE TODAY IS, UH, NO STRANGER TO YOU.
JASON POOLE IS ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS UNDER THAT, THAT SECTION IS LED BY, UM, WERNA YOUNG.
UH, THE PERMITTING IS LED BY, UM, SAM ES GONDER.
SO THOSE KIND OF FOUR BIG SECTION.
I WANNA FOCUS ON THE SECTION, THE ZONING SECTION, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AS MENTIONED, THAT'S WHERE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT FUNCTION, UH, LIES UNDER.
SO UNDER THE ZONING, UH, WE HAVE, UH, BOARD ADJUSTMENT.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE SIX MEMBERS.
I THINK WE'RE FULLY STAFFED, KNOCK ON WOOD.
UM, THEY, THEY'VE DONE AMAZING JOB.
I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, CAMIKA AND SARAH MAY, UH, SARAH MAY SUPERVISE SEVERAL TEAMS. BOARD ZONE ADJUSTMENT IS ONE OF THEM AS ONE OF A VERY IMPORTANT FUNCTION.
AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
THIS IS THE VOLUNTEER WORK, NOT LIKE I COME TO WORK, THAT'S MY PROFESSIONAL WORK.
BUT YOU AS A VOLUNTEER, COME TO HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY MONTH SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO READ YOUR, UH, YOU KNOW, REPORT AND, UH, HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING, HAVE TO MAKE VERY TOUGH DECISION.
SO MY HEAD IS OFF TO YOU ALL AND I'M REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
YES, ALTHOUGH GO TO IT, BUT I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JASON POOLE.
UM, I REACHED OUT TO HIM A COUPLE DAYS AGO AND I SAID, OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA BE AT THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT FULL MEETING.
AND HE QUICKLY RESPONDED, YES.
AND I TOLD HIM THIS MORNING, I'M GONNA EMBARRASS YOU, JASON, IN FRONT OF THE BOARD, IN FRONT OF YOUR BOSS BOSS.
WE CANNOT TELL YOU ENOUGH HOW VALUABLE JASON'S IMPACT WAS ON THE BOARD.
IT WASN'T THIS LAST YEAR PIECE.
YOU TOOK HIM FROM US, YOU TOOK HIM FROM US, PROMOTED HIM AND TOOK HIM FROM US.
BUT HE'S ONE OF THE ENDEARING, IMPACTFUL PEOPLE THAT HELPED TURN THE BOARD AROUND.
ANYTIME YOU WANT TO GIVE HIM TO US, GIVE HIM ANOTHER PROMOTION.
BUT NO, JASON HELPED AUTOMATE THE WEBSITE.
HE HELPED PUT US, GIVE US NEW SIGNS THAT WERE, HE CREATED UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE PENDING CASE LOG WHERE CITIZENS CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE AND LOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT'S PENDING ON A CASE WITH A SIGN IN THE YARD.
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND HE GETS ALL THE CREDIT AND HE GETS SOME BLAME TOO.
WE WENT THROUGH SOME, HOW, HOW DO I SAY? WE WENT THROUGH SOME THICKETS.
WE WON'T TELL HIM WHAT TYPE OF THICKETS.
SOME OF US KNOW BETTER THAN WORSE.
WE WENT THROUGH SOME THICKETS.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, KUDOS TO JASON POOL AND, AND YOU GET THE CREDIT FOR HIM AND HE GETS THE CREDIT FOR THE TEAM HE HANDLED.
SO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT ONE COMMENT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOGNITION.
UH, JASON IS A GREAT ASSET, NOT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
HE WORK LIKE FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TILL LATE AT NIGHT.
AND SOMETIME MY ONLY REQUEST IS, PLEASE TAKE A BREAK.
I YOU TO GO TO HIM, NOT ASK HIM TO DO MORE.
I SAID, HAVE YOU TAKEN A FEW DAYS OFF YET? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
AND JASON IS AMAZING, AMAZING, UH, VERY FORTUNATE.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRAG A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT ACHIEVEMENT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS TOO, UH, BUT I THINK,
[00:45:01]
UM, THE, THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE OVER A LITTLE YEAR HAVE, UM, HAS A ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.SO I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE.
MY PRESENTATION IS VERY HIGH LEVEL.
ONE OF THEM IS FORWARD DALLAS, I THINK YOU PROBABLY AT LEAST HEARD ABOUT IT AND GET INVOLVED SOMEWHAT FORWARD.
DALLAS IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THAT TELLS YOU WHAT'S, UH, THE FUTURE, UH, IN THE, IN, IN, IN THE CITY.
AND WITH A LOT OF TREMENDOUS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S A POLICY, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION.
AND UM, IT'S, UM, NOT A REQUIREMENT.
I WANT TO DISTINGUISH THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, FORWARD DALLAS IS A LAND USE PLAN, IS A POLICY.
UM, GIVE YOU THE GUIDE FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO THIS WAS ADOPTED SEPTEMBER, UH, OF LAST YEAR, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.
I WANNA PUT IN HERE BECAUSE I WANT GIVE YOU THE CONTEXT AND HOW IMPORTANT THIS DOCUMENT IS.
IT'S A PAST CITY COUNCIL, UM, UH, SEPTEMBER, 2024.
IT PROVIDE A LOT OF GUIDANCE AND FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT HAS TO UH, IMPLEMENT FORWARD DALLAS IS THE ZONING.
AS YOU KNOW, YOU DEALING WITH ZONING EVERY DAY, RIGHT? THEY COME TO YOU BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FULLY COMPLY WITH THE ZONING.
THEY ASK FOR VARIANCE, THEY ASK FOR INTERPRETATION.
THE LAW IS NOT MEANT TO BE PERFECT.
I HAVE YET IN MY 30 YEAR CAREER TO FIND A PERFECT ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO THE DALLAS ZONING REFORM, THE FRAMEWORK WOULD PRETTY MUCH DEVELOP IN 1960.
THERE'S SOME CHANGES IN 1980S, BUT IT'S PRETTY, UM, OUTDATED.
SO ONE OF THE, THE GOAL IS TO MODERNIZE, UH, THIS, UM, ZONING REFORM TO MAKE IT SIMPLE RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY COMPLEX.
UM, AND UM, MAKE IT CLARIFY THAT, AND ALSO MAKE IT FUTURE READY BECAUSE THIS WAS DEVELOPING THE CITIES FOR THAT TIME BEING AND GUIDE THE CITY FOR DECADES.
BUT WE ARE MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO AS SOON AS THE FORWARD DATA GOT ADOPTED, ONE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, UM, UH, ADAM IS TO DO THE ZONING REFORM.
CITY COUNCIL PASSED A, UH, CONTRACT.
UH, THIS SOMETHING IS BEYOND OUR DEPARTMENTS, A LOT OF WORK.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED A DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CONSULTANT IS A BIG CONTRACT.
SO EARLY THIS YEAR, THIS PROCESS STARTED, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO DETAIL BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM MICHAEL WADE LATER TODAY ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S IN IT.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AT THAT TIME.
WE ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING STAGE.
SO I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO GET INVOLVED BECAUSE THIS IS LAW.
THIS IS A REQUIREMENT, THIS IS A MANDATORY, UM, UH, THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO IT'S GOING TO DICTATE OR GOING TO IMPACT DALLAS FOR DECADES TO COME.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET INVOLVED.
AND I ASK YOU, I REACH OUT TO YOU TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT.
WE HAVE A WEBSITE, UH, CALLED DALLAS ONLY REFORM.COM.
A LOT INFORMATION, A LOT TO UPTODATE INFORMATION ARE, UM, UH, LISTED IN THERE.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO LOOK AT IT, GET YOURSELF FAMILIAR WITH IT IN CASE YOUR NEIGHBORS OR YOUR CONSTITUENTS COME TO YOU AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU CAN REFER THEM AND GET MORE INFORMATION.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT ME OR OUR STAFF DIRECTLY FOR ANY QUESTION YOU MAY HAVE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE'RE PROUD OF, I WANNA MAKE SURE OUR STAFF ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE, VERY HELPFUL, NICE TO THE BOARD COMMISSION AND TO THE CITIZENS.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD AND THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, GENERALLY IT'S NOT A PLANNING FUNCTION BECAUSE WE ALSO OVERSEE THE PERMITTING.
UM, THIS WORK, UM, IS A LITTLE TECHNICAL.
ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY BEFORE THIS PASSES OR MOST OF THE CITY, ALMOST THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, UM, THERE ARE TWO BUILDING CODE.
ONE IS INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE THAT ONLY DICTATE OR REGULATE SINGLE FAMILY AND DUPLEX INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE.
THAT STILL THE CASE TODAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
[00:50:01]
BUILDING CODE ANYTHING MORE THAN A DUPLEX, TRIPLEX, FOURPLEX, EIGHT PLEX, 20 PLEX, ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK AMERICA TOWER HAVE THE SAME BUILDING CODE.DO YOU THINK TRIPLE IS A CLOSER DUPLEX OR CLOSER TO 200 APARTMENT OR BANK AMERICA TOWER? THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
SO THERE'S THIS MOVEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSE HOUSING TYPE.
YOU SEE A LOT OF, UH, SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS GREAT IN DALLAS, BUT YOU ALSO SEE THESE NEW MULTI-FAMILY BUILDINGS ACROSS DALLAS, RIGHT? WE'RE BUILDING LIKE 30,000 UNITS A YEAR.
THEY OCCUPY THE ENTIRE BLOCK, HAVE A PARKING THE CENTER, AND 200 UNIT MORE.
BUT YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.
THAT IS CALLED MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASON WHY MIDDLE HOUSING IS MISSING.
ZONING IS DEFINITELY PART TO BLAME, BUT IT'S ONLY, IT'S JUST ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE RECENTLY YEAR FIGURED OUT THAT THIS BUILDING CODE IS REALLY A BARRIER BUILDING A TRIPLEX HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME STANDARDS AS BUILDING 200 UNITS.
UM, SO IN CITY OF DALLAS FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE SOME MULTIFAMILY ZONING ADDRESS.
MOSTLY OUR ZONE SINGLE FAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY ONLY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR THE LIMITED, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AREA THAT ZONE MATI FAMILY SAY THEY ARE ALLOWED BY ZONING TO BUILD PLEX.
GUESS WHAT? ALMOST ALL OF THEM DO NOT BUILD A PLEX.
THEY BUILD EITHER A LUXURY SINGLE FAMILY OR LUXURY DUPLEX.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY MAKE MORE MONEY BUILDING SINGLE FAMILY AND DUPLEX.
THEY ARE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE, WHICH IS MUCH EASIER, WHICH IS MUCH CHEAPER TO BUILD THAN EVEN TRIPLEX OR EIGHT PLEX BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL THESE OTHER STANDARD.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN THE TRIPLEX VERSUS PLEX.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASON WE START LOOKING AT THIS.
I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO, UM, A COUPLE OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE REALLY CHAMPIONING ON THIS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE FIRST MONTH I STARTED HERE, I WAS CALLED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, OFFICE AND A LIST OF THINGS THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
WITHOUT OUR COUNCIL MEMBER CHAMPION ON THIS, THIS WILL NOT PASS.
SO AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTOR, OUR DEPARTMENT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, WE QUICKLY ASSEMBLE A STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND WE WORK WITH STAFF WITHIN FOUR MONTHS.
WE GOT THE DRAFT, WE GO THROUGH, UH, THE BUILDING CODE BOARD, WHICH IS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
IT SOUNDS VERY EASY
THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH.
BUT EVENTUALLY IT GOT ADOPTED AT THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY.
I DID NOT REALIZE HOW BIG A DEAL THIS IS UNTIL I GOT ALL THESE CALLS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
OBVIOUSLY CITY OF DALLAS, IT'S THE FIRST CITY HAVE EVER GONE THIS FAR UP TO EIGHT UNITS ALLOWING THEM IN THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE, WHICH MAKES LOTS OF SENSE, IT'S RESIDENTIAL.
UM, WE GOT NATIONAL NEWS, MEDIA SLATE MESSAGING, STRONG TOWNS, NATIONAL LEAGUE, A CITY WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS DUE TO THIS DAY.
GOT LOT CALLS AND EMAIL FROM CITIES AND BIG AND SMALL FROM EVEN DEVELOPER FROM OTHER CITY WANT TO KNOW.
AND I HAVE CALLS FROM MY OTHER PLANNING DIRECTOR SAY, HEY, OUR DEVELOPER CONTACT ME AND SAY YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING THERE.
THEY WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING HERE IN MY CITY.
HOW DID YOU DO THAT? SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE DID HAVE AN IMPACT, NOT ONLY TO THE STATE OF DALLAS, BUT ALSO AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
GUESS WHAT? WHEN PEOPLE KNOW THOSE THINGS, GREAT INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE THING WE'RE DOING IN THE STATE OF DALLAS, IT GOT ATTENTION OF OUR INVESTORS.
WE ALL WANT PEOPLE COME TO INVEST IN THE STATE OF DALLAS.
WE ALL WANT TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO MOVE TO DALLAS, RIGHT? MOST OF YOU MOVE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THAT IS AN IMAGE WE WANT TO PROJECT TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER IN THE GOAL SECTION.
THIS IS ONE TO EIGHT NEW PARKING REFORM.
I KNOW EVERYBODY HAVE OPINION ABOUT THIS ONE.
OH, I'M SORRY, TOO QUICK COME.
CAN I COME BACK TO THE PARKING REFORM? WHICH ONE? OKAY, PARKING REFORM.
I HAVE DOCTOR ANDREA WOODROW HERE.
SHE WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
[00:55:01]
FINALLY, UH, IN MAY, UH, THIS YEAR, IT CROSSED THE FINISH LINE.UM, THIS IS NOT ELIMINATE PARKING PER SE, IT'S REALLY PARKING REFORM FOR FLEXIBILITY.
IT BASIC SAYS IN CERTAIN CASES YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM PARKING, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN PEOPLE ARE NOT BUILDING PARKING.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND ONE PROPOSAL RECENTLY THAT HAVE ZERO PARKING.
MOST OF 'EM STILL COME IN WITH A PARKING, BUT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED, RIGHT, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN, UM, ATTRACT THEIR CUSTOMERS, MAKE SURE THEIR TENANT HAVE A SPACE.
IT'S STILL DALLAS, STILL VERY AUTO ORIENTED.
SO WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
BUT THIS SET THE TONE AND GRADUALLY PEOPLE WILL REALIZE THAT WE DON'T NEED THAT MANY PARKING.
UM, SO, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING IS TREMENDOUS.
I BELIEVE DALLAS IS A BIGGER CITY THAT HAVE ADOPTED SOMETHING IN THIS, UH, EXTENT.
BASICALLY IN CERTAIN CASES GOT ELIMINATED AND AT LEAST GOT REDUCED.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, HOUSING IS A TIER SYSTEM.
OF COURSE SINGLE FAMILY AND DUPLEX, IT STILL REQUIRE USED TO BE PER BEDROOM, LIKE THE, SOME OF SOME OF THESE.
BUT NOW IT'S JUST ONE PER UNIT.
AND, UM, THREE UNITS, 20 UNITS NOT REQUIRE MINIMUM.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE PARKING.
BUT THIS WILL HELP ACTUALLY THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, THE, UM, THAT WERE BUILT WITHOUT A CAR BACK A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
AND WE FIND THAT, UM, THESE FLEXIBILITY PROVIDE ADAPTIVE REUSE.
UH, SO MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST IS YOU REQUIRE A CERTAIN, UH, PARKING IF YOU WANT TO DO LIKE SAY A FOURPLEX OR A SMALL CORNER COMMERCIAL RESTAURANT IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND YOU TOLD THEM NO, YOU CANNOT MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE YOU HAVE LIKE 20 PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
THEY DON'T HAVE IT BECAUSE THE BUILDING ARE NOT BUILT FOR AUTOMOBILES.
THEY'RE BUILT TO THE STREET WITH THE ALLEY.
SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY'RE, THEY EITHER GIVE IT UP OR THEY BUY THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR, TAKE IT DOWN AND MAKE IT A PARKING LOT.
IT HAPPENS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE.
SO THIS PARKING REFORM FOR FLEXIBILITY IS AWESOME.
UH, THAT REALLY GAVE PEOPLE THE FLEXIBILITY.
I'VE GOT SO MANY COMPLIMENTS, UH, LAST FEW MONTHS ABOUT THIS GREAT THING H MART.
FIRST H MART OPENED IN THE CITY OF DALLAS LAST WEEK.
GUESS WHAT? WHAT OBSTACLE THEY HAVE.
THEY WERE STUCK IN THE PERMIT.
THEY TOLD US WE HAVE 550 PARKING SPOTS AND WE TOLD THEM, YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH.
AND IT WAS STRUGGLE, IT WAS STUCK IN THE PERMIT.
EVENTUALLY WE HAD TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING VERY CREATIVE WAY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
BUT NOW THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED AND THEY STILL HAVE 550, UH, PARKING SPOT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED.
SO THE PARKING IS THERE TO HELP THE CUSTOMERS.
SO BACK TO MY TIERED RESIDENTIAL UP TO 20 UNIT, YOU'RE NOT RE UM, REQUIRED EVEN THOUGH YOU STILL PROVIDE THEM.
21 TO 199 IS HALF SPACE PER UNIT.
ABOUT 200 IS ONE PER UNIT, REGARDLESS, OVER 200.
EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T REQUIRE THEM, THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE PROBABLY AT LEAST ONE.
AND THEN WITHIN THE TRANSIT ORANGE EVENT, WE HAVE THE, UM, SEWER LINE JUST OPENED.
26 MILES JUST OPENED THIS PAST SATURDAY.
ALONG THOSE STATIONS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CITY DALLAS.
RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT JUST APPROVED.
A LOT OF THEM STILL HAVE A LOT OF REQUIRED FOR PARKING BEFORE, BUT NOW AFTER THE REFORM WITHIN A HALF MILE, YOU NO LONGER REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PARKING WITHIN A HALF MILE.
IF YOU ARE, THEY PROBABLY STILL WILL HAVE PARKING.
SO WE'RE HOPING PEOPLE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
SO YOU MINIMIZE THE REQUIREMENT FOR FOR CARS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER AREA THAT WITH, UM, PARKING IS NO LONGER REQUIRED.
UM, ANYWAY, THE NEXT ONE PLEASE.
AND ALSO THIS YEAR I ALSO WANT TO GIVE, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, BIG SHOUT OUT TO JASON PAUL.
SO ALSO IN MAY THIS YEAR WE LAUNCHED A BIG PROGRAM.
BASICALLY DIGITIZE OUR ENTIRE PROCESS.
IN THE PAST, PEOPLE HAVE THE SUBMITTING PAPER.
ANDREA WOODER KNOWS PEOPLE LIKE HAVE A BIG ROW PAPER COME HERE AND IT'S VERY HARD TO DISTRIBUTE OR EVEN REVIEW.
SO STARTING IN MAY, EVERYTHING IS STREAMLINED, EVERYTHING
[01:00:01]
IS DIGITIZED.BUT OF COURSE THERE ARE SOME GLITCHES AND JASON IS SO FOCUSED ON FIXING, UM, SOME OF THE GLITCHES.
UM, SO WE ARE VERY, VERY, UM, GLAD THIS PROGRAM, UH, ROLLED OUT, UM, IN MAY.
AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE, IMPROVE, MAKE IT BETTER IF YOU HEAR ABOUT SOMETHING.
SO I, WE HAVE, WE'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT OF BRIEFING ON DALLAS NOW FROM MS. MAY AND OUR BOARD ADMINISTRATOR.
WHAT'S THE FEEDBACK FOR THE AVERAGE PROPERTY OWNER THAT IS NOT EXPERIENCED IN THE CITY PROCESS? HAS IT, DO THEY FEEL IT'S USER FRIENDLY? I MEAN AS OPPOSED, AS OPPOSED TO THE OLD STYLE OF COME IN WITH YOUR PAPER AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
I USED TO GO TO FLY TO BANK, UH, NO BACK MY AMERICAN AIRLINE.
I JUST, I LIKE TO GO TO THE COUNTER AND LAST FEW TIME I WENT TO THE COUNTER.
THEY SHOW ME, HERE'S A KIOSK YOU NEED TO DO.
USED TO BE I JUST COME TO A PIECE OF PAPER, YOU HELP ME, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU CAN HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER AT YOUR BASE, BUT IT'S ALL ONLINE.
YOU GO TO THE ONLINE, PUT IT IN THERE.
I WANT TO TELL YOU, WE ARE ALL ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
OUR CUSTOMER CENTER OPENS, YOU KNOW, DURING THE BUSINESS HOUR.
IF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH A SPECIAL IN ITALY, YOU CAN COME HERE AND OUR STAFF ARE HOLDING YOUR HAND FROM BEGINNING TO END IF YOU GOT STUCK SOME OF THE WAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TECHNOLOGY, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND YOU CAN CHOOSE.
JASON AND I CALL JASON ALL THE TIME.
SOMETIMES HE CALL, CALL ME AND I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS.
I GET JASON, JASON WILL SQUARE SQUARED AWAY LIKE IMMEDIATELY.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT, IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM PAPER TO DIGITAL.
BUT THAT IS A DIRECTION, UH, EVERYTHING IS GOING.
SO, UM, I THINK, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE IF NEEDED.
I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TIME CONSTRAINED TODAY.
AND ALSO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK, THIS IS A SENATOR BILL EIGHT 40.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT IMPACTED OUR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
I WANT TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT THE SENATOR BILL EIGHT 40 HIGH LEVEL.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A BRIEFING TODAY FROM JENNIFER AUGAR ABOUT WHAT THIS IS, HOW WE APPLY THIS.
SO THIS IS A STATE, BASICALLY, UH, STATE PASSED THIS LAW THAT SUPERSEDE THE LOCAL ZONING.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, YEAH, THIS IS ZONING AUTHORITY, BUT KEEP IN MIND, ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, THE STATE OR THE STATE IN THE UNITED STATE DELEGATE THAT POWER TO THE CITIES OR TOWNS WHO HAD ZONING AUTHORITY.
AND, AND SOME OF THESE, UM, CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING TODAY, MOSTLY HOUSING SHORTAGES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS STATE DID THIS.
PREEMPTIVE LAWS TO, UM, TELL CITY THAT YOU NEED TO DO CERTAIN THING FOR STATE BILL 8 42 THINGS, I WON'T BE VERY QUICK.
BASICALLY IN THE PAST COMMERCIAL OFFICE, RETAIL LIGHT WEAR, UH, WAREHOUSE LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL, UH, NOT MOST OF THE CASES DO NOT ALLOW MULTIFAMILY, OR MULTIFAMILY WAS MIXED USE.
THIS IS NOT THE BEST PRACTICE, BUT WAY A LOT OF THE CITY ALLOWED IT.
UH, IT'S CALLED CUMULATIVE ZONING.
LIKE THE HIGH INTENSITY ZONING ALLOWS LOWEST INTENSITY, LIKE OFFICE USUALLY ALLOW.
UM, MULTIFAMILY COMMERCIAL ALLOWS OFFICE ACCUMULATIVE ZONING.
BUT CITY OF DALLAS, WE HAVE THIS EXCLUSIVE ZONING, MULTIFAMILY, MULTIFAMILY OFFICE, OFFICE, COMMERCIALS, COMMERCIAL WHERE, SO STATE NOTICED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING, SOMETIME IT, IT BECOME A BARRIER.
BASIC SAYS, HEY, CITY OF DALLAS AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAVE A POPULATION OF 150,000 MORE, THERE ARE 19 CITIES ACROSS THE STATE THAT FIT INTO THIS CRITERIA, AND 10 OF THEM IN THIS METROPLEX.
SO WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THIS LAW.
BASICALLY, MULTIFAMILY IS NOW WE HAVE TO ALLOT THEM IN OLD COMMERCIAL, UH, OFFICE, RETAIL AND, UH, WAREHOUSE OR LEAD INDUSTRIAL, EVERYWHERE.
THOSE USES ALLOW, WE HAVE TO ALLOW MULTIFAMILY OR MIXED USE, UH, WITH, UH, RESIDENTIAL AS A COMPONENT.
SECOND ONE IS THEY ALSO, UM, HAS A STANDARD IN PLACE THAT YOU CANNOT, A MINIMUM HEIGHT HAS TO BE 45 FEET.
IF YOU ARE ZONE INDUSTRY, ALLOW 35 FEET.
NOW YOU HAVE TO ALLOW 45 FEET NOW.
[01:05:01]
ALSO THE DENSITY INTENSITY, WHATEVER THE CITY ALLOW, THE MAXIMUM DENSITY INTENSITY, THIS, UM, MULTIFAMILY HAS TO BE ALLOWED.SO, UH, JENNIFER WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IT HAVE A HUGE IMPACT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, IT BECAME EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST.
WE START TO SEE A LOT INTEREST IN THIS.
UH, BASICALLY IT TAKES AWAY THE DISCRETIONARY PROCESS IN THE PAST.
IF YOU WANT BUILD MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL, A SHOPPING CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE, REDEVELOP OF YOU HAVE TO DO REZONING GOING THROUGH LENGTH PROCESS.
THE PUBLIC, BASICALLY THE STATE SAID YOU CAN NO LONGER REQUIRE A PUBLIC REVIEW DIS DISCRE PROCESS.
IT HAS TO BE ADMINISTRATIVELY MANAGED, BASICALLY GOES STRAIGHT TO THE PERMITTING, AND SOMETIME THEY REVIEW, UH, REQUIRE A SET PLAN.
THAT SET PLAN HAS TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY STAFF, NOT THROUGH A DIFFERENT PROCESS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF, UM, THE BIG, UM, UM, HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF WHAT SENATOR BILL EIGHT 40.
THERE'S ALSO SENATOR BILL EIGHT 15, WHICH HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR SPECIFIC SMALL LOT SMALL HOME LEGISLATION.
THE CITY CAN NO LONGER REQUIRE THE MINIMUM LOSS SIZE MORE THAN 3000 SQUARE FEET IF THEY'RE IN THE RESIDENTIAL ANYWHERE.
WE HAVE TO ALLOW, UH, LOSS AS SMALL AS, UH, 3000 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT, UH, CENTER BILL.
UH, I THINK, UH, NEXT ONE PLEASE.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, ALL I HAVE, UH, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS 20, 26 GOALS EVERY YEAR, JUST LIKE THE BOARD OF JASMINE, WE COME UP WITH GOAL LAST YEAR.
UH, WE ARE GLAD TO REPORT WHERE WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN PLANNING THOSE GOALS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
SO THIS YEAR WORKING WITH OUR TEAM, WE, UM, COME OUT WITH SIX DIFFERENT GOALS.
BASICALLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT FORWARD DALLAS, BUT MAINLY FOCUS ON THE, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, MIXED USE CORRIDOR WITH EIGHT 40, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT IN THESE MIXED USE CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.
AND ALSO, UM, STANDARDS, SOME RESIDENTIAL DESIGN STANDARD.
EVEN SOMETIMES YOU BUILD SINGLE FAMILY A DUPLEX, UH, WITHOUT DESIGN STANDARD THAT COULD BE AUTO CHARACTER WITHIN OUR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S ONE THING WE'D LIKE FOCUS ON TO, I IMPLEMENT FORWARD DALLAS, BUT FOCUS ON THOSE AREA.
OF COURSE, I MENTIONED WE JUST STARTED THE DALLAS ZONING FORUM.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE, ESPECIALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UM, IN SHAPING THE INITIAL DRAFT OF THE DALLAS ONLY REFORM.
WE GOT THIS STARTED EARLY THIS YEAR.
WE, IN THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, PHASE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PHASE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, BUT WE ANTICIPATE A FIRST DRAFT TO BE RELEASED NEXT SUMMER.
SO, AND THEN WE WILL GET, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT FIRST DRAFT.
AND WE'RE HOPING, UH, MAYBE TWO YEAR DOWN THE ROAD, UH, WE CAN BRING IT TO THE, UM, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND ALSO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON STREAMLINE THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.
LAST YEAR WE DID A LOT WORK INTERNALLY WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT LOOK LIKE HOW WE CAN MAKE IT EASIER, MAKE IT BETTER FOR OUR, UH, CUSTOMERS, UH, THE DEVELOPERS, CITIZENS WHO WANT A PERMIT.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT, BUT THIS YEAR WE WANT TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT.
PEOPLE THINK, OH, MY PERMIT STUCK IN THE, YOU KNOW, PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SOMETIME.
WE CANNOT JUST MAKE OUR DECISION ALL BY OURSELF.
SO THIS YEAR WE ALSO WANT TO WORK WITH OTHER EXTERNAL AGENCIES, UM, THAT CAN EVOLVE IN WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO STREAMLINE AND COLLABORATE WITH THEM.
SO THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT GOAL.
AND ALSO CUSTOMER SERVICE IS KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S WHY JASON POST'S TITLE IS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
SO HIS GOAL, AND HE'S DOING A VERY GOOD JOB, UM, TRYING TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERS ALL LEVEL.
CUSTOMER, BIG DEVELOPER, UH, SMALL PROJECT BY CITIZEN.
A RESIDENT CAN BE YOU COULD BE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
WE'RE HELPING THEM ALL, BUT WE CANNOT JUST DOING THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD WHAT THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENTLY.
WE WANT TO, UH, START LOOKING AT THE TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY, UM, LIKE AI.
UH, JASON'S ALREADY WORKING WITH A PROFESSOR, UH, IN THE TEXAS SYSTEM TO SEE WHAT WE CAN USE AI TO IMPROVE, UH, EFFICIENCY AND ALSO ACCURACY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, UH, USE TECHNOLOGY
[01:10:02]
AND TO CONTINUE, UH, TO DELIVER A FASTER, MORE TRANSPARENT, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.TRANSPARENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT THE SPEED OF BUSINESS.
THIS IS A REQUEST OF A CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.
WHEN WE MERGE, THEY WANT US TO BE AT THE SPEED OF BUSINESS BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE MAY LOSE THEM TO OTHER CITIES.
WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE, A LOT OF THESE BIG COMPANIES COME TO THE CITY OF DALLAS, INVEST THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO DO, UH, A, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENT TO MAKE IT EVEN EASIER TO DO BUSINESS HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO THAT WILL ALWAYS BE A CORE, UM, GOAL FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, TEAMWORK.
I WANT TO SAY ALL THE ACCOMPLISHMENT I ADDRESSED EARLIER, THAT'S NOT ME.
THE LEADERSHIP, THE MANAGERS, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM CONTRIBUTED TO THAT SUCCESS.
THERE ARE SO MANY, THERE'S LIKE 400 NAMES, I JUST CAN'T SAY THEM OUT HERE, BUT THEY ARE THE ONE WHO ARE DOING THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK.
THEY ARE THE ONE TO MAKE SURE THE CUSTOMERS, UH, GOT HELP.
THEY ARE THE ONE TO MAKE SURE THE PHONE CALLS GOT ANSWERED.
AND THEY ARE THE ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHERE REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO THE ENGAGEMENT.
THEY'RE NOT BECAUSE OF ME, THEY'RE BECAUSE OF OUR TEAM AND BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MAGIC BECAUSE OF THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THEIR VISION.
UH, BUT WE HAVE, UM, REALLY FOSTER GOOD CULTURE LAST YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN FOCUSED AT THE HIGH LEVEL FOSTER THAT CULTURE.
BUT THIS YEAR WE WANT TO ADVANCE THE CULTURE OF TEAMWORK AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
WITH THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT FOR PROBLEM SOLVING.
AND THE LAST ONE, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE WE'LL HAVE MORE GOALS COMING UP ALONG THE WAY, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
WE, OUR DEPARTMENT KEEP REVOLVING.
SO LAST ONE ON THIS LIST IS ELEVATE THE DEPARTMENT TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
AND BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING EXCELLENT IN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE SEND A MESSAGE TO OTHER BUSINESSES, SEND MESSAGE TO THE TALENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT DALLAS IS A PLACE TO BE.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN JUST DO IN OUR WORK WITHOUT THIS IMPACT COULD BE BROADER, UM, THAN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE, UH, AS A DEPARTMENT ALSO HELP THE CITY TO RECRUIT BUSINESSES, TO ATTRACT TALENTS SO WE CAN INCREASE OUR TECH SPACE, RIGHT? WE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE BUDGET CHALLENGES, MORE INVESTMENT WE HAVE THE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, TECH SPACE WE CAN CREATE.
THE MORE PEOPLE MOVE HERE, THE MORE RETAIL, UH, SERVICE WILL BE NEEDED.
THAT WILL ALSO HELP OUR TECH SPACE.
AND WE ARE CITY OF POSSIBILITY.
SO IT'S VERY, VERY, UH, EXCITING TO BE PART OF DALLAS.
UM, NOW THAT'S END THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE TONS OF QUESTION FOR ME.
IF THE TIME ALLOWS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY ONE OF THEM.
AND AGAIN, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
I REALLY LIKE, I THINK I NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB TO CONNECT WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
THIS YEAR I WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON INTERNAL, THE FIRST YEAR.
THIS, THIS YEAR I'M GONNA REACH OUT TO MANY, MANY DIFFERENT, UM, UH, BOARD COMMISSIONS ORGANIZATIONS DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS MY GOAL FOR THIS YEAR.
WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR DIRECTOR LIU? I DON'T WANNA GET WHIPLASH HERE.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN NEWMAN.
UM, DIRECTOR LOU, I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE.
HOW DO YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT BALANCE SERVING THE CUSTOMERS OF TODAY VERSUS THE CUSTOMERS OF THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF HELPING CITIZENS OF DALLAS FIGURE OUT WHAT SORT OF DEVELOPMENT SHOULD OCCUR, NOT JUST NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION FOR THE PLANNING DIRECTOR.
AND I'LL SAY OUR DEPARTMENT DO BOTH PLANNING AND PERMITTING.
PERMITTING IS MORE ABOUT TODAY, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT MAKE SURE THE LAWS ARE FORWARD LOOKING.
ONE THING I MENTIONED ABOUT IS ONE TO EIGHT IN RESIDENTIAL.
THAT IS A FORWARD LOOKING ACTION.
WE TOOK, IN ADDITION, JUST BE REACTIVE, YOU KNOW, I GOT A
[01:15:01]
PERMIT.LET'S JUST, SO WE ARE ALSO FOCUSING ON LITTLE BIT PROACTIVE WHAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT YEAR OR NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S THE JOB THE DIRECTORS AND AND LEADERSHIP NEED TO DO.
SO WE ARE COMING UP WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT INITIATIVE BEYOND OUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
SO MY GOAL IS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THEN HOW OUR DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO BREAKTHROUGH WORK TO SERVE THE CUSTOMERS, TO SERVE THE FUTURE OF THE STATE OF DALLAS.
AND ALSO, LUCKILY WE HAVE THE PLANNING FUNCTION.
THE, THE PLANNERS THERE I JUST MENTIONED FORWARD DALLAS.
THAT IS A FORWARD LOOKING DOCUMENT POLICY GUIDE.
WE ARE ALL THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT UNDER THAT GUIDE.
THAT GUIDE IS LOOKING, UH, CITY OF DALLAS LONG TERM, AT LEAST 10 YEARS OUT.
AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE CITY OF DALLAS COMPREHENSIVELY, NOT JUST ONE ASPECT.
TALK ABOUT HOUSING, TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TALK ABOUT LAND USE.
ALL OF THOSE HAS TO BE VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
SO EVERY DAY WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE EVERY DAY.
PHONE ONE PHONE CALLS AT A TIME, ONE EMAILS AT A TIME.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO ELEVATE, THIS IS WHAT I ASKED OUR LEADERSHIP TO HELP ME WITH, TO LOOK AFTER THE CITY IN THE LONG TERM.
SO EVERY DAY WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
I NEED TO FOCUS SOMETIME EASY TO BE DRAWN TO THE DAY TO DAY, PUT OUT THE FIRES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I TOLD STAFF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT LONG TERM.
WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT ONE OR TWO, BUT I DON'T WANT TO CUT.
MS. EVANS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, PROTECTION OF EXISTING, UH, CONSUMERS OR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU PLACE ON THAT? I MEAN, THESE ARE THE, THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE, THEY'VE GOT A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, THEY LIVE HERE AND THEY'RE PAYING TAXES.
SO WHAT IS YOUR FOCUS ON THAT? AND DO YOU CONSIDER THAT ALSO? OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOOD QUESTION.
IT COUPLED WITH, UH, LAST QUESTION, I THINK THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S EVERYTHING IS LAID OUT IN FORWARD DALLAS.
AND I THINK IF TIME PERMIT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ONE OF DEPUTY DIRECTORS WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THAT TO COME HERE AND TALK ABOUT FORWARD DALLAS.
THERE IS A BALANCE PROTECTING, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME.
ALLOW DALLAS TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
AS I SAID, WE HAVE MORE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE DIVERSE HOUSING TYPE, BUT IT HAS TO BE STRATEGIC WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
AND DESIGN HAS ALSO BEEN PART, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT YOU.
BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT WHAT KIND DUPLEX DO YOU HAVE? GOOD DESIGN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY IN DALLAS, THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S VERY WELL COMPATIBLE.
YOU CANNOT EVEN TELL UNLESS YOU REALLY GO AND COUNT HOW MANY METERS THEY HAVE.
IT'S A DUPLEX, TRIPLEX, IT'S BLEND IN SO WELL.
AND THAT IS THE PROTECTION WE'RE TRYING TO SEE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE VERY COMPATIBLE AND TO MAKE SURE SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT NEED TO BE IN CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION WITH SOME DESIGN.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, A BOARD MEMBER SLATE ALSO ASKED.
WE HAVE TO GO BEYOND JUST WHAT ON THE GROUND.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE FUTURE GENERATION WANTS.
I THINK THE FUTURE GENERATION MAY WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN ME, LIKE THE DALLAS.
NOW I AM A BABY BOOMER AND I GREW UP WITH PAPER, BUT THAT'S A TRANSITION FOR ME.
BUT THE FUTURE PEOPLE, THEY DON'T CARRY PAPERS.
MY KIDS DON'T CARRY PAPERS EVERYWHERE.
THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE IS A PHONE.
AND NOW I THINK WE HAVE TO ADAPT TO THAT.
AND THAT'S ONE WE LAUNCHED, UH, DALLAS NOW.
AND THAT'S ALSO, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF DALLAS.
RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE, A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, BUT WHAT ARE FUTURE RESIDENT WANTS? AND THAT COULD INCLUDE OUR CURRENT RENTERS EVENTUALLY BECOME OWNERS, HOMEOWNER, WHAT KIND OF HOUSING THEY WANT.
I'M PRETTY SURE NEXT GENERATION MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT HOUSING NEED THAN MY GENERATION.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE THING WE CONSTANTLY, CONSTANTLY, UM, LOOKING AT, TRYING TO SEEK A BALANCE.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I'LL MAKE A COMMENT AND THEN A COMMENT.
UM, THE FIRST IS, IT KIND OF FOLLOWS A LITTLE BIT OF MR. SLATE'S DEAL, AND I'M GLAD IN YOUR GOALS ELEVATING THE DEPARTMENT TO NATIONAL RECOGNITION.
SO I'VE BEEN HERE JUST A FEW YEARS AND I REMEMBER COMING TO DALLAS AND DALLAS WAS BIG D AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY BIG D AND IT KIND OF WAS, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE DALLAS COWBOYS.
[01:20:01]
WHAT THAT IS NOT.BUT IT IS, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT NOT JUST THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE CITY COUNCIL WORK TOWARDS REESTABLISHING DALLAS AS A PIVOTAL CITY OF THE FUTURE.
UM, IT WAS DEPRESSING TO ME WHEN WE BECAME THE NINTH LARGEST CITY IN SAN ANTONIO.
PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO FROM THE EIGHTH LARGEST CITY.
BUT MAKING DALLAS COMPETITIVE AGAIN.
AND I I IT JUST, AND THAT SLICES LIKE MS. EVANS QUESTIONS RELATING TO SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT IT'S ALSO AS IT RELATES TO DEVELOPMENT, I DON'T WANT TO SAY BUSINESS FRIENDLY, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SAY FRIENDLY AND OPEN FOR IDEAS AND GROWTH.
THAT ASIDE, SO NOW I'M GONNA REPEAT FOR THE BOARD'S BENEFIT.
A CONVERSATION YOU AND I HAD IN YOUR OFFICE TWO WEEKS AGO.
I SAID, EMILY, THE BOARD IS VERY FRUSTRATED ABOUT PERMITTING MISTAKES.
WE SEEM TO BE DEALING WITH A LOT OF PERMITTING MISTAKES WHERE AN APPLICATION COMES IN AND FOR SOME REASON MACH APPROVES IT AND THEN REVOKES IT LATER ON, WHETHER IT'S DAY ONE OR DAY 20 OR A YEAR AND A HALF AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND I SAID TO MS. LOU, I SAID, THERE'S VIS VISCERAL FRUSTRATION OF WHY WE ARE DEALING WITH A PERMIT ISSUED REVOKED.
AND THEN THEY HAVE TO COME TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT OR CERTIFICATE OCRACY ISSUED AND THEN REVOKED.
AND THEY HAVE TO COME TO BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
NOW, MIND YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, AND YOU KNOW THIS, ANDREA KNOWS THIS BY STATUTE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE, WE ARE AN ADJUDICATING BODY TO CORRECT MISTAKES.
AND WE DO IT ARMS LENGTH IN A QUASI ISSUE FASHION.
SO I WAS BEATEN UP ON HER NICELY, DOOR CLOSED, IT WAS A NICE BEAT UP.
SHE'S SMIRKING AND SHE PUT HER HEAD DOWN JUST LIKE THAT.
AND I SAID, OH, THESE PERMITTING MISTAKES, THEY'RE JUST FRUSTRATING.
AND THEN SHE PULLED OUT HER ANNUAL REPORT AND SHE SAID, MR. CHAIRMAN, ARE YOU AWARE OF HOW MANY PERMITS THE CITY OF DALLAS ISSUED LAST YEAR? AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER WAS AND I'M GONNA LET HER TELL US THE NUMBER AGAIN.
AND I, I DIDN'T EVEN GUESS HOW MANY MS. LU YEARLY 50,005.
SO I SAT BACK IN MY CHAIR IN HER OFFICE AND WENT, I'M GONNA HAVE TO EAT ALL MY WORDS.
IT STILL IS VERY FRUSTRATING, I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT GIVES US PERSPECTIVE.
AND, AND I'M REPEATING THIS TO THE BOARD SO YOU ALL HEAR WHAT YOUR CHAIRMAN IS ADVOCATING FOR YOU.
AND I SAID, MS. LOU, PLEASE STILL OWN THOSE MISTAKES.
I SAID, BUT NOW I GET A PERSPECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE COME ACROSS, I DON'T KNOW, 2025, WHATEVER THE NUMBER THAT MAKE IT TO US IN PERMITTING AREAS.
AND WE GET ANGRY 50,000 PERMITS A YEAR.
I'M NOT AN UH, ANALYST, BUT I, YOU COULD DO A REGRESSION ANALYSIS TO SAY THAT'S STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA SAY THAT.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US THAT YOU UNDER THAT YOUR TEAM, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, DO THE BEST YOU CAN TO PREVENT THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
WE INDIVIDUALLY DO NOT SHRINK FROM OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ADJUDICATE THOSE MISTAKES.
WHETHER IT'S OFFENSE, WHETHER IT'S A SETBACK, WHETHER IT'S AN AO APPEAL, ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL, WHETHER IT'S A COMPLIANCE ISSUE, WHETHER IT'S A, A CERTIFICATE OCCUPANCY.
WE JUST ARE IN PAIN TO SEE THE COMMUNITY IMPACTED BY THOSE THINGS.
BUT IT DOES GIVE US PERSPECTIVE THE NUMBER THAT WE HEAR VERSUS 50,000 PERMITS EACH YEAR.
AND I'M GUESSING THAT'S GONNA GO UP TOO IN TIME.
WELL, YOUR CASE CERTAINLY GO UP.
I STILL NEED TO LOOK AT OUR OVERALL NUMBER.
I DON'T HAVE IT YET, BUT NO, IT'S USUALLY AROUND 50,000 PERMITS A YEAR.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD WITH THAT.
I TOLD HER I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT IT TODAY.
I TOLD HER I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT IT 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO AMBUSH HER.
IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR US, BUT IT DOES PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE.
I I HAVE A TWO PART QUESTION AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED THIS.
THE FIRST ONE IS, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF PERMITS THAT ARE ISSUED IN ERROR? AND THEN NUMBER TWO, I'D LOVE TO KNOW THE PROGRESS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
HAS THAT NUMBER DECREASED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS? HAS IT REMAINED STEADY? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I THINK THE PERMIT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE MISTAKE.
I MEAN IF YOU, UH, THE ARROWS, UM, IT'S A VERY SMALL SIZE.
I THINK IF YOU PUT IT LIKE TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ZERO, IT IS PROBABLY NOT EVEN GOING TO SHOW BECAUSE OUT OF 50,000, A FEW, AND I SEE THOSE AS TWO CATEGORY, RIGHT? THERE'S SOME ISOLATED MISTAKE.
THOSE ARE THE ONE THAT IS ONE OFF MISTAKE.
AND, AND SOMETIME IT'S, IT'S, WE'LL DO THE BEST WE WE CAN TO CATCH THOSE.
BUT THEY ALSO, THERE'S SYSTEMIC MISTAKE.
THE THE THE SECOND
SO THOSE ARE THE ONE WE HAVE REALLY WORKED HARD, UH, IN THE PAST.
[01:25:01]
BUT I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THE QUESTION.I'M NOT, I'M NOT ASKING WHY THERE WERE MISTAKES.
I'M ASKING FOR WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED IN ERROR AND WHAT IS THAT HISTORY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THOSE STATS AND I WILL SAY ALL THE ERRORS CAME TO YOU, BUT THE BOARD, RIGHT, THE MISTAKE ISSUE THE ERROR.
WE HAVE TO, UM, EITHER, UH, REVOKE IT AND THEY APPEAL.
SO THOSE ARE DO COME TO YOU, BUT VERY FEW, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, MS. DAVIS, I CAN TRY TO FIND THEM AND GET IT TO YOU, BUT I DON'T SEE AN INCREASE IN ERROR UNLESS YOU CAN GIVE ME A DIFFERENT NUMBER.
BUT I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE FOCUS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS MM-HMM
AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR FOCUS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
SO I THINK OUR GOAL IS REALLY TRYING TO PREVENT THE SYSTEMIC ERRORS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
THE ISOLATED AREA WILL DO OUR BEST AGAIN.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T HAVE NUMBERS.
I'M THINKING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TRACKED.
WE, WE SHOULD SEE WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE IS EVERY YEAR AND IF THAT'S GETTING BETTER OR NOT.
I DON'T CARE WHAT THE MISTAKES ARE.
I'M NOT ASKING QUALITATIVELY, I'M JUST ASKING FOR QUANTITATIVE.
WHAT ARE THOSE PERCENTAGES? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
BUT THAT, BUT THAT'S HOW YOU TRACK HOW IT'S WORKING.
I THINK WE HAVE, I MAY, WE MAY HAVE SOME.
I NEED TO CHECK WITH OUR STAFF ON THAT ONE.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE IT, UH, THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
I MEAN, SOMETIME THE ARROW DEPENDS HOW YOU INTERPRET THAT TO ME.
I INTERPRET DIFFERENT WAY TO OTHERS INTERPRET LIKE THE BOARD AND THE STAFF DO NOT SEE THAT.
THE ERROR IS REALLY HAS TO HAVE A CONTACT.
SO I HAVE TO REALLY LOOK HARD.
WHAT IS THE ERROR? SOMETIME IT'S CLEARLY AN ERROR, SOMETIME IT'S INTERPRETATION AND, AND REALIZE I'M GONNA GO TO MS. DR. GLOVER NEXT.
AND THEN I AND THEN MR. QUINT, UM, REALIZE ALSO THAT NOT ALL THE ERRORS MAKE IT TO US.
SOMETIMES THE ERRORS ARE, ARE COMMUNICATED TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THEN THE ISSUE CLOSE.
EITHER THE PROPERTY OWNER SAYS, FORGET IT, OR, UH, THEY REARRANGE, REARRANGE THE REQUEST.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT INFORMED THE DECISION YOUR, UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISION TO WAIVE PARKING? 'CAUSE IT CREATES A SOCIAL PROBLEM WHERE, UM, THERE IS LESS PARKING, BUT THE CITY HAS POSITIONED ITSELF TO ACTIVELY ENFORCE PARKING BY TICKETING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE WEEKENDS.
UM, I THINK, UH, AS I MENTIONED, UH, NO PARKING MINIMUM REDUCED PARKING LIMIT DOES NOT MEAN THERE'S NO PARKING.
I I IT, IT, UH, WE HAVE A APPLICATION.
THE DAY CAME IN, NOT ONLY THAT REQUIRES ZERO.
NOT ONLY THEY DID NOT HAVE ZERO PARKING.
THEY WERE DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF PARKING THAT WAS REQUIRED PREVIOUSLY.
SO I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY AREA THAT JUST LIKE, BECAUSE OF PARKING REFORM CREATE AN ISSUE.
BUT WE, IF THAT HAPPENS, WE HAVE TOOLS, UM, WE HAVE THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, PARKING PERMIT.
WE HAVE THE PARKING DISTRICT, UH, IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH THE AREA OF THE BUSINESS WILL BENEFIT.
THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE WORK VERY WELL IN OTHER CITIES.
SO WE HAVE THE TOOL IN OUR POCKET.
IF THERE IS A PARKING ISSUE, UM, ARISES BECAUSE OF PARKING FORM, WE HAVE OTHER, UH, WE CAN TAKE OTHER ACTIONS TO MITIGATE THAT.
SO FAR, BASED ON THE APPLICATION WE SEE, I HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF ISSUE AT THIS TIME.
ONE BENEFIT, I HAVE TO POINT IT OUT.
ONE BENEFIT IS, UM, THAT, UM, IT TAKE A LOT LESS TIME FOR STAFF TO REVIEW, UH, THE PLAN.
I JUST TALKED TO A PLAN, UM, SUPERVISOR YESTERDAY.
I SAID, BECAUSE OF PARKING REFORM, HOW MUCH TIME SAVE YOU? HE SAID, SAVE ME MORE THAN 50% OF MY TIME.
BECAUSE IN THE PAST THEY HAVE TO CALCULATE, YOU KNOW, ONE PER BEDROOM, HOW MANY BEDROOM DO I HAVE, HOW MANY SQUARE FEET DO I HAVE? HOW DO WE INTERPRET IT? A SMALL COFFEE SHOP IN THE GROCERY STORE.
ALL OF THAT REQUIRE INTERPRETATION.
AND A LOT OF TIME WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TURN THE O AWAY AND SMALL BUSINESS COME IN AND SAY, I ONLY HAVE FIVE PARKING SPACE, BUT YOU COULD REQUIRE SEVEN.
AND THEY'LL SAY, WELL FORTUNATELY IT'S A CODE YOU HAVE TO COME WITH SEVEN.
AND THEY ENDED UP EITHER NOT OPENING THE BUSINESS OR IT TAKE ANOTHER THREE MONTHS TO FIND A, UM, CONTRACT WITH SOMEBODY TO HAVE A PARKING AGREEMENT.
OR THEY FILE A CASE OR THEY FILE A CASE WITH THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND GET A SPECIAL YEAH, OR YOU CAN GET A, BUT THAT'S A LONG PROCESS, YOU KNOW.
AND UH, UM, A LOT OF TIME PEOPLE WANT DON'T WANT
[01:30:01]
TO TAKE THAT ROUTE BECAUSE IT MAKE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBOR FEEL LIKE, OH, YOU HAVE PARKING REDUCTION AND WHAT THAT MEAN TO MY STREET AND THINGS LIKE THAT.UM, BUT I DO, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE OVERALL NUMBERS FOR MS. DAVIS, BUT I DO THINK WHEN KAMIKA IS PRESENTING, UH, MORE DETAILED INFORMATION, WE KNOW HOW MANY, UH, CASES WE HAVE ABOUT THE BOARD ADJUSTMENT.
UH, BUT, UM, AND OUT OF THAT, UH, OR THOSE NUMBERS YOU REVIEWED OVER 200, I THINK 230 IS A NUMBER OF CASES YOU REVIEWED.
AND THAT'S A TOTAL REQUEST OUT OF THOSE, I THINK THERE ARE A FEW THAT CAN BE QUANTIFIED.
UH, CAMIKA,
SO IT'S ABOUT 1% OR LESS THAN 1% FOR THE BOARD ADJUSTMENT CASES.
UH, OF COURSE I NEED TO WORK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THESE OTHER CASES.
MR. QUINT, YOU HAD A QUESTION.
MS. LOU, GIVE ME AN, YOU MENTIONED THAT PERMITTING ERRORS, THAT YOU CORRECTED SOME SYSTEMIC ERRORS THAT WERE IN PLACE.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT SYSTEMIC ERRORS WERE CORRECTED? ACTUALLY, TRY NOT TO REVISIT THAT.
UH, SO THERE WAS ONE, UH, BEFORE THE MERGER, THIS HAPPENED BEFORE THE TWO DEPARTMENT MERGED.
UM, THERE WAS ERROR WIDE REZONING OF A CERTAIN AREA DOWN ZONE.
YOU REALLY DO NOT CREATE THIS AREA, BUT WHEN YOU DOWN ZONE, YOU SHOULD ALLOW DUPLEX.
NOW YOU ONLY ALLOW SINGLE FAMILY USED TO BE ALLOWING, UM, MORE LOCK COVERAGE, BUT NOW YOU HAVE LESS LOCK COVERAGE.
THAT AREA WIDE REZONING PASS BY ONE DEPARTMENT.
IT IS NOT COLLABORATED WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENT, WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENT DID STILL USING THE OLD CODE AND USING THE OLD STANDARD BECAUSE OF DOWN ZONING.
SO THEY ENDED UP APPROVING QUITE A FEW, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUE QUITE A FEW PERMIT THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE LATEST, LATEST ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S, I CAUSED SYSTEMIC MISTAKE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WORK VERY HARD TO BREAK DOWN THE SILOS TO MAKE SURE, UM, SOMETHING PASSED AWARENESS THIS WAY WILL TRANSLATE TO PERMITTING RIGHT AWAY.
SO OUR PERMITTING STAFF KNOWS, OKAY, THE LAW HAVE CHANGED EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT POSTED.
IT TAKE A WHILE FOR THOSE LAW TO BE POSTED ONLINE, TO BE SIGNED BY THE SECRETARY.
AND SO WE HAVE INTERNAL SYSTEMS. ACTUALLY, I'M REALLY GLAD JASON PAUL IS IN, IN, IN CHART OF THAT AND TO MAKE SURE WE COLLABORATE, WE MAKE SURE WE TRANSLATE.
UM, I WAS REALLY THINKING JUST BY COMBINING THE DEPARTMENT, BY COLLABORATING WITH EACH OTHER, BY BEING ONE TEAM, UH, WILL REALLY PREVENT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE DO NOT REPEAT OUR MISTAKE THAT SCALE.
SO, SO MR. QUINT, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS ELM THICKET, THE BOARD MET AND MADE A DECISION TO EXPEDITE THE HEARING OF THE ISSUES RELATING TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND IT LOOKED AT OVER 170 INSTANCES WHERE THERE WAS QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO WHETHER PERMITTING WAS CORRECT OR NOT.
MR. POOLE, IS THAT, IS THAT CONCLUDED NOW? IS THE ELM THICKET? YES.
UM, I, SO THAT I, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM THAT LOOKS LIKE WE HOPE HAS BEEN SOLVED AND THE DIRECTORS SAYING HOPEFULLY WILL NOT REPEAT ITSELF.
UH, AND THE BOARD HAD TO DEAL WITH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER WAS OF ACTUAL CASES, WHETHER IN VARIANCE REQUESTS OR, UH, APPEALS OF A BUILDING OFFICIAL AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO I'M NOT BELABORING IT, BUT I SHE DIDN'T WANNA MENTION THE NAME OF IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEALT WITH AND HOPEFULLY THAT DOES NOT REPEAT ITSELF.
WE HAVE ONE MORE CASE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO OH, OKAY.
THEN WE SHOULDN'T REALLY TALK ANY FURTHER ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PREJUDICE THE OUTCOME.
DID, DID THAT CLOSE YOUR QUESTION? MR. SASHING? THANK YOU.
UM, DIRECTOR LU, UM, A, A STATEMENT AND THEN A QUESTION.
SO, UM, AS A, IN A PREVIOUS LIFE, LIFE BEING A CUSTOMER OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS TYPES OF CLIENTS THAT YOU GET IN STATE AND OUT STATE, UM, UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE DIGITAL OPTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING, YOU KNOW, BEEN A CONTRACTOR TRYING TO PERMIT IN, YOU KNOW, CITIES LIKE SACRAMENTO AND SAN DIEGO AND LA THE DIGITAL OPTION REALLY CREATES A LOT OF, UM, INCENTIVE TO
[01:35:01]
WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY.SO, UH, THANK, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR, FOR, UH, CREATING THAT.
UM, I WILL ASK, UM, FROM A LONG-TERM, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR WHEELHOUSE, URBAN DEVELOPMENT FROM A LONG-TERM, UM, UH, COORDINATION, UH, STANDPOINT WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT BREAKING DOWN SILOS IN THIS, IN THE AREA OF THE CITY THAT I LIVE IN, WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WHEN I WAS ON THE, UM, UH, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS THAT AS THE CITY GREW AND IN THAT SECTOR OF THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS FARMLANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, TRAFFIC EXPONENTIALLY GREW.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE BORDERED BY GRAND PRAIRIE, CEDAR HILL, DUNCANVILLE, UM, AND FURTHER, AND AS THAT AREA GREW, THE TRA IT BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE ON CERTAIN, ON ONE SIDE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE BACK JUST TO GET TO THE FRONT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET OUT BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC WAS SO BAD AND IT WAS, IT IS A RESULT OF MAYBE THE VISION NOT CONSIDERING THE TRAFFIC AND HOW THAT WOULD GROW.
AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW IN DEVELOPING IN THE FUTURE OF DALLAS, HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO MITIGATE THAT TYPE OF, UH, UH, POTENTIAL RISK? I THINK I WANT TO SPEAK A BROADER FROM INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT? TRAFFIC WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COULD BE WATER AND SEWER CAPACITY, ALL OF THAT.
THAT IS ONE OF THE FOCUS FOR US TO DO THIS YEAR TO WORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OUR LAND, WE, WE MAINLY, OUR DEPARTMENT MAINLY DEAL WITH LAND USE, BUT LAND USE TRANSPORTATION IS KIND OF HAND IN HAND OR CHICKEN OR EGG.
UM, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH PUBLIC WORKS TRANSPORTATION IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
TALK ABOUT A, A FEW THINGS AND THAT COULD BE ONE OF THEM.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH WATER, UM, UTILITIES.
THERE ARE THE WATER ENSURE, UM, PROVIDER.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE WORK CLOSELY WITH.
DART PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HAS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AS WELL.
WE CANNOT JUST BUILD A ROAD OUT OF THIS TRAFFIC ISSUE.
AND DART AND I, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT WORK VERY CLOSELY TO DEVELOP SOME STRATEGIES ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AROUND TRANSIT STATIONS, OVERALL, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
WE ALSO WORK WITH, UH, THE, THE LOCAL, UH, REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY.
THEY DO HAVE SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE.
SO WE WANT MAKE SURE WHAT'S STRATEGIC, ESPECIALLY CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW, WHICH IS GREAT, UM, THAT THE MORE STATE OF DALLAS IS READY TO GROW, THE LESS SPRAWL WE'LL HAVE FOR THE REGION BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO PUSH DEVELOPMENT GO FURTHER AND FURTHER AND FURTHER.
AND THAT IS A LONG TERM BURDEN FOR OUR REGION BECAUSE THOSE NEW DEVELOPMENT, THEY MAY NOT PAY FOR THEMSELVES IN THE FUTURE.
THEY HAVE A SUBDIVISION HAVE DROVE A 20, 30 YEAR DOWN THE ROAD WHO IS GONNA MAINTAIN THAT.
SO THAT HOPEFULLY WE'LL WORK TOGETHER BEYOND OUR DEPARTMENT OR EVEN AMONG THE REGION, TO TRYING TO DO A LOT OF IN FIELD DEVELOPMENT AS INFRASTRUCTURE.
ALREADY THERE IS A ROAD ALREADY THERE TRYING TO DO REDEVELOPMENT AND ALSO ADAPTED REUSE.
UM, CITY OF DALLAS STILL HAVE A LOT OF POTENTIAL, A LOT OF POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP UP TO DEVELOP, REDEVELOP AND TO INFILL.
UH, SO I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING CRITICAL.
WE TALK ABOUT LAND USE, WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING ROADWAY.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINKING THAT WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
THERE IS NO SOLUTION FOR ME TO OFFER TO YOU.
AND I DON'T THINK JUST THIS MEETING WILL RESOLVE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER, UH, PROBABLY FOR A FEW YEARS TO GET THAT RESOLVED AND WORK WITH CITY COUNCIL, WORKING WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, EVEN NEED TO WORK WITH SOME OTHER CITY AROUND US.
I WAS GONNA SAY, TO BE ORDER TO RESOLVE THOSE ORIGINAL ISSUES.
I WAS GONNA SAY THAT BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE RAN INTO DURING THAT WHOLE PROCESS, AND THANKS TO, UM, DIRECTOR K CARLY, UH, WORKING WITH THE CITY OF DUNCANVILLE BECAUSE THERE WERE, THERE WERE, UH, MAINTENANCE ISSUES, UH, WITH WITHIN THE MEDIAN BECAUSE I'M ON THE DALLAS SIDE AND DUNCANVILLE IS ACROSS THE HIGHWAY ON THE DUNCANVILLE SIDE, AND THE MEDIAN BELONGED TO DUNCANVILLE.
SO THERE WAS A WHOLE MULTI-YEAR CONVERSATION THAT WENT ON WITH GETTING, UM, A, A PARTICULAR PROJECT.
SO YEAH, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
WORKING NOT ONLY INTERNALLY TOGETHER, BUT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE ANSWER AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. LU? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[01:40:02]
BUILDING ON, UH, MR. ASHTON'S QUESTION, THERE IS A TRAFFIC ISSUE WITH DECREASING PARKING SPACES AND THE ANSWER IS TO WORK WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.THERE ARE CITIZENS WHO ARE INHERENTLY RELUCTANT TO USE, UH, MASS TRANSIT BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
ARE YOU ALSO BRINGING, UH, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT INTO THE DISCUSSION? DALLAS, WHAT DEPARTMENT DO YOU SAY? THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ON MASS TRANSIT.
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLE BECAUSE OF, THERE MAY BE SOME, UM, THAT SEE SOME SAFETY ISSUES ON MASS TRANSIT.
DALLAS IS STILL, I SAID AUTO, UH, CENTRIC CITY.
YOU KNOW, I DRIVE, YOU DRIVE, I HAVE A CAR, UM, TO GET AROUND.
UM, AND WE DON'T EXPECT EVERYBODY OR MOST PEOPLE WILL TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
I, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE FEW OF MY STAFF ARE CAR FREE FOR A WHILE AND IT'S STILL VERY CHALLENGING, ESPECIALLY OUR TRANSIT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FREQUENCY OR THE LOCATION.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE ON THAT.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DEFINITELY SHOULD BE A FACTOR.
SO HERE IS MY TAKE ON THE SAFETY, UH, SIDE OTHER THAN TRAFFIC DEFINITELY WORK SOMETIME WE DO, UH, WORK WITH THE POLICE.
PEOPLE PARK MOSTLY WITH TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE PEOPLE PARK IN THE WRONG SPOT.
THAT'S A TRAFFIC ISSUE OF TRANSPORTATION.
BUT IN CERTAIN CASES IN MY PREVIOUS CITY, WE DO WORK WITH A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO.
BUT A LOT OF TIME YOU WOULD LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO FOCUS ON MORE URGENT ISSUE THAN TRAFFIC.
THEY DEFINITELY PART, THEY GIVE TICKETS, RIGHT? THEY GIVE LOTS OF TICKETS.
SO FOR SPEEDING AND THINK YOUR VIOLATION OF THE LAW.
UM, YES, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE WORKING WITH THE POLICE.
AND ALSO JUST WANT TO KNOW I'M A PLANNER.
UH, MY PERSPECTIVE ON SAFETY BEYOND THE TRAFFIC IS PUT MORE EYES ON THE STREET.
YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT JANE JACOBS, UM, UH, KIND OF, UM, IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE DO ESPECIALLY DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT FIRST UH, FLOOR, THAT INTERACTION, UH, THE PUBLIC RUN BETWEEN THE STREET AND THE BUILDING, THAT AREA IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT COULD CREATE AN A, A UH, SCENARIO THAT PEOPLE JUST ARE SCARED TO WALK IN THE AREA BECAUSE IT'S COULD RELATED TO WHAT WE DO DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS NOT REALLY A SUPPORTIVE OF WALKABLE COMMUNITY OR EVEN SAFE COMMUTERS.
THERE, THERE'S OTHER WAYS BEYOND JUST THE POLICE TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT PLANNERS CAN CONTRIBUTE THAT TO THAT CONVERSATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.
OH, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I HAVE A FEW OTHER SLIDE ABOUT THE DATA, BUT I THINK YOU ALREADY MENTIONED THAT IF YOU NEEDED, UM, OUR CHIEF PLANNER KAMIKA CAN EMPHASIZE THAT.
BASICALLY JUST TELL YOU, YOU ALREADY MENTIONED WE REDUCE, UH, THE, UH, TIMELINE FROM 60 DAYS TO 54 DAYS.
WELL, LET'S, LET'S GET A REALITY CHECK.
FOUR YEARS AGO, IT WAS 93 DAYS.
SO FOUR YEARS AGO WAS 93 DAYS TO GET A DECISION.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT 93 DAYS IS NOT LIKE OUT OF LINE WITH OTHER CITIES.
SO WE ARE WAY UNDER COMPARED TO OUR PEER CITIES.
EVERY TIME THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR BRINGS A CASE TO THE PANEL, TO THE BOARD, I ALWAYS MAKE A BIG DEAL WHEN SHE GETS UNDER 50 OR WE USED TO BE WHEN IT WAS A BIG DEAL WHEN SHE WAS UNDER 60, THEN IT WAS WHEN SHE DID 55.
IT MEANS SO NO, BUT, BUT THERE IS MIGHT BE WE, WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE LAW.
EVERYTHING, OF COURSE, EVERYTHING.
THERE'S NOTICE REQUIREMENTS YOU NEED TO, YEAH, I JUST, BUT IT'S PROB YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE LIKE 10% EVERY YEAR, OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THE WORK.
WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE DIRECTION.
BUT FOR REFERENCE, IT WAS 93 4 YEARS AGO.
ALRIGHT, OKAY, SO WE'RE DOWN TO 54.
AND YOUR WORKLOAD HAS INCREASED 15% DURING THAT TIME.
REDUCING THE TIMELINE INCREASED 15% OF THE CASES.
BIG KUDOS TO ALL THE ENTIRE TEAM AND ALSO THE BOARD.
MR. YOU ARE DOING AMAZING WORK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE NEXT YEAR TO GIVE US QUESTION ANSWERS AGAIN.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER TODAY IS BARON ELIASON.
HE'S THE INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, BARON HAS SPOKEN AT THE LAST TWO FULL BOARD MEETINGS AND HE'S GONNA GIVE US SOME
[01:45:01]
ENLIGHTENING DISCUSSION ON ETHICS TRAINING.UM, AND AS YOU'VE, IF, AS YOU, AS YOU WOULD'VE PREVIEWED HIS SLIDES, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH SOME OF THE COMICAL EXAMPLES.
UM, I'M STALLING TILL YOU GET YOUR SLIDE DECK LOADED.
YOU'RE, ARE YOU GOING TO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SPEAK TO THE BONUS DECK, ALTHOUGH WE COULD GET THERE DEPENDING ON HOW THE CONVERSATION GOES, RIGHT? CORRECT.
PLEASE REINTRODUCE YOURSELF, SIR.
WELL, UH, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THIS, UH, REALLY INSPIRATIONAL TALK ON ETHICS.
THIS IS GONNA CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
UH, PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL THE END.
I'M THE, UH, INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE WHAT YOU DO IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU WORK INCREDIBLY HARD.
IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO HEAR HOW MUCH YOU DO DO AND HOW MANY, UH, TYPES OF ZONING CASES YOU HAVE.
AND IF ETHICS ISN'T WORKING, WE CAN UNTIE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
OR IF IT IS WORKING, WE CAN LIFT THE CITY OF DALLAS UP.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE AND THAT'S WHY THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL IS HERE.
WHAT IS COMING AROUND BEFORE YOU NOW IS WHAT I CALL A POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
IT IS, UH, SOMETHING YOU CAN THROW IN YOUR BRIEFCASE OR YOUR FILE FOLDER FOR YOUR WORK HERE WITH THIS BOARD.
UH, IT'S LIKE A TABLE OF CONTENTS.
IT'S GONNA HELP YOU TO NAVIGATE THE CODE WHEN YOU NEED THAT.
SO THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL HAS A COUPLE OF FUNCTIONS, UH, BUT WE DEAL WITH NOT JUST ETHICS, BUT ALSO FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE.
BUT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ETHICS SPECIFICALLY.
AND ETHICS IS A BROAD TOPIC, BUT FOR YOUR PURPOSES AND FOR ALL OF US AT WORK OR SERVE AT THE CITY, ETHICS IS WHAT'S IN THIS BOOK.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AS WE GO ALONG.
AND THAT PIECE OF PAPER, THAT POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE, IS GONNA HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT IS IN THE BOOK AND GET YOU THERE FASTER.
SO ETHICS JUST IN GENERAL IS, IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
IT, AND YOU ALL ALREADY HAVE IT.
I JUST WANT TO GET SOME THINGS, UM, IN FRONT OF YOUR MINDS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE BOARD THAT ARE TYPICAL PLACES WHERE YOU'RE GONNA RUN INTO IT SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO.
BUT ETHICS IS JUST, UH, FOR US, THE WAY WE PREVENT THE APPEARANCE OR THE FACT THAT THE THINGS THAT YOU DO ARE NOT ABOVE BOARD.
THAT THE THINGS THAT YOU DO ARE NOT OBJECTIVE, THAT THEY'RE SUBJECTIVE, THAT SOMEBODY'S GOT AN INTEREST THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE.
AND ETHICS IS THERE TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND SO, MICHAEL BARON, ONE SECOND.
IS SOMEONE RUNNING HIS SLIDE DECK? WOULD YOU BRING IT UP ON THE SCREEN SO THAT WE HAVE THAT? OKAY.
I THOUGHT I WAS ALREADY SENDING IT.
WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF MS. WILLIAMS NEEDS TO DO THAT, OR YOU OR WHO, BUT I I WANNA MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW ALONG.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS HAPPENING.
YOU HAVEN'T MISSED MUCH
LET'S SEE IF THAT, IF THIS WILL BRING IT UP.
ARE YOU DOING THE CLICKING? I'M DOING THE CLICKING.
SO THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT WE JUST HAD.
LET ME GET RID OF THIS, THIS BIT RIGHT HERE.
SO ETHICS IS SIMPLY THE WAY WE PREVENT THE FACTOR OR APPEARANCE THAT THINGS AREN'T ABOVE BOARD.
AND SO MY GOAL TODAY, WOW, IS TO INCREASE YOUR SPIDER SENSE.
ALL, ALL I NEED TO DO IS, IS AGAIN, GET IN YOUR MIND THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT A BOARD LIKE THIS IS GONNA RUN INTO.
INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME KEY TERMS. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ATTORNEYS THERE.
ONE LITTLE WORD CAN MEAN A LOT.
SO I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME CONFLICT PROVISIONS FOR YOU AND PROVIDE SOME RESOURCES AND THEN TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
THIS IS NOT ONLY WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH AS, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, BUT ALSO HOW THE CITY AND PEOPLE IN THE CITY SEE GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL AND, AND SEE THE WORK THAT WE ALL DO.
AND, AND YOU SEE THE, THE HAND ON THE SCALE THERE.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THINK IN CITY GOVERNMENT OR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, STATE AND FEDERAL, THAT, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS A HAND ON THE SCALE SOMEWHERE.
AND THAT'S WHY ETHICS IS SO IMPORTANT, IS IT'S, IT'S THE, THE MORE ETHICAL WE ARE AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE, THE MORE THAT WE CAN MEET THE GOALS THAT THE CHAIRMAN TALKED ABOUT,
[01:50:01]
MAKING PEOPLE WANT TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, ELEVATING US, UH, IN THEIR EYES BECAUSE THEY THINK WE DON'T HAVE OUR HANDS ON THE SCALE.THEY THINK IT THINGS ARE DONE HERE OBJECTIVELY.
SO, UH, HERE'S THE KEY, HERE'S THE BIG PICTURE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS TO MONEY, POWER, AUTHORITY, INFLUENCE, DECISION MAKING IN THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
PEOPLE WHO ARE SUSPICIOUS OF, OF WHAT WE DO ARE THINKING THAT WE'RE USING THAT MONEY, POWER, INFLUENCE, AND AUTHORITY TO PUT OUR FINGER ON THE SCALE.
AND THAT'S THE CLASSIC BLUNDER.
AND THAT'S AT THE HEARTBEAT OF ALL THE ETHICAL RULES.
JUST DON'T PUT YOUR FINGER ON THE SCALE.
AND THAT'S, I CAN'T PUT IT ANY, ANY, UH, MORE SIMPLE THAN THAT.
BUT OUR CODE GETS VERY SPECIFIC.
AND SO, UH, A LITTLE HINT ABOUT THE CODE.
IT HAS ABOUT 11 ARTICLES IN IT, BUT IT'S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE 95% OF THE RULES THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ARE IN THE FIRST THREE ARTICLES, ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
THERE'S ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR SPECIFIC ROLE.
AND THAT'S, UH, ARTICLE SIX THAT HAS TO DO WITH REPORTING THINGS.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
WHEN THE CODE OF ETHICS BEGINS, LIKE MOST THINGS OF THIS TYPE, IT BEGINS IN BIG, BROAD STROKES WITH, UH, WHAT ARE OUR STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND WHAT ARE OUR STANDARDS OF CIVILITY.
AND IF WE WANTED TO, IN FIVE MINUTES, WE COULD WRITE SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT'S IN THE CODE.
YOU'LL SEE IT THERE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE SCREEN.
YOU'LL SEE WORDS LIKE INTEGRITY AND TRUST AND, UH, SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC, THE APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UH, TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER PUBLIC PERCEPTION, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.
NONE OF YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE THIS IS NEWS TO YOU, RIGHT? AND YOU WOULDN'T BE HAVE BEEN PUT ON A COMMITTEE LIKE THIS IF YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IT GETS TO THE HEART OF WHAT WE'VE GOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO IN ETHICS.
NOW, THERE ARE SOME WORDS I SAID, UH, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN WORDS THAT CARRY A LOT OF WEIGHT, AND YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT BUMP INTO THOSE WORDS.
UH, YOU'RE A QUASI-JUDICIAL BODY.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT IN THE CODE, IT MATTERS.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU'RE NOT ADVISOR.
YOU MAKE DECISIONS AND, AND YOU KNOW THAT.
BUT THAT IS A DISTINGUISHMENT IN THE CODE THAT DIFFERENT DECISIONS AND, AND DIFFERENT OBLIGATIONS, UH, HINGE OFF OF.
SO REMEMBER THAT OF COURSE, YOU ARE CITY OFFICIALS AND THE CODE OF ETHICS APPLIES TO CITY OFFICIALS, IT APPLIES TO, UH, EMPLOYEES AND IT APPLIES TO LOBBYISTS AND PERSONS DOING BUSINESS OR EVEN TRYING TO DO BUSINESS, UH, WITH THE CITY.
SO THAT'S THE APPLICATION OF THE CODE.
NOW, HERE'S SOME GOOD TO KNOWS.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING ON THIS AND MAKING IT EASIER FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE NEW MEMBERS, THAT WITHIN, I'LL JUST READ IT TO YOU, THE ETHICS PLEDGE.
THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED AN ETHICS PLEDGE.
AND IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE BOARD, NEW, A NEW CITY OFFICIAL, UH, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TURN THIS PLEDGE IN TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
UH, WITHIN 30 DAYS, YOU'RE ALSO SUPPOSED TO HAVE FILED A, A FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL LEAD YOU THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
ALSO, THE CITY SECRETARY CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT KEY DEFINITION IN THE CODE THAT COMES INTO PLAY BECAUSE OF THE ROLE THAT YOU HAVE IS THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD RELATIVE AND WHO IS A RELATIVE TO YOU.
AND SO I'VE PUT THE DEFINITION IN YOUR SLIDES HERE.
YOU CAN READ IT FOR YOURSELF, BUT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE FROM TIME TO TIME, 'CAUSE YOU'RE ALL IN BUSINESS, YOU ALL ARE ACTIVE, UH, IN WHATEVER YOU DO OUTSIDE THIS BOARD, WHO YOUR RELATIVE IS MIGHT AFFECT WHAT THE ETHICS ARE FOR YOU.
MR. ELIASON, IF ANY MEMBER HAS A QUESTION, GET MY ATTENTION AND I'LL GENTLY INTERRUPT HIM.
I LIKE QUESTIONS AS WE GO, AS OPPOSED TO THE END.
OKAY? I DON'T SEE ANY YET, SO PROCEED.
OKAY, OTHER GOOD TO KNOWS, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED 82 14.
UM, IF I DIDN'T SAY IT ALREADY, I, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE WITH YOU ALL, UH, THAT ETHICS IS A TEAM SPORT.
WE NEED ALL THE EMPLOYEES AND ALL THE OFFICIALS.
AND SO SOMETIMES BECAUSE YOU WORK HERE OR NOT WORK HERE, BUT YOU SERVE HERE, YOU'RE GONNA RUN INTO SOME INFORMATION, UH, NOT JUST ABOUT ETHICS, BUT MAYBE ABOUT ABUSE OR ABOUT WASTE OR ABOUT FRAUD.
AND WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER FOR WHAT'S RIGHT IN THE CITY.
AND SO I BRING THESE DEFINITIONS, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL DEALS WITH.
[01:55:01]
AGAIN, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE CODE OF ETHICS, BUT LOOK AT THOSE, UH, DEFINITIONS FOR ABUSE AND WASTE.AND THERE'S ONE FOR FRAUD IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOW, IN THE CODE OF ETHICS, THERE ARE REALLY, UH, THREE KINDS OF RULES.
UH, THERE'S, UH, RULES THAT ARE, THERE'S, THERE'S SITUATIONS YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER.
IT'S NOT A CONFLICT, IT'S NOT A VIOLATION, BUT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER.
THEN THERE ARE ALL THE TIME RULES IS THE WAY I THINK OF THEM.
THERE'S NO IF TO IT, IT'S JUST ALL THE TIME.
AND THEN THERE ARE IF THEN RULES.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE NOW KEY ALL THE TIME RULES.
UH, YOU'VE ALL HEARD, I'M SURE OF FIDUCIARY DUTY.
IT'S THE HIGHEST DUTY UNDER THE LAW.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A DOCTOR AND A PATIENT, A LAWYER AND A CLIENT, CERTAIN FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, THAT FIDUCIARY DUTY IS THERE AND EVERYONE THAT SERVES AND WORKS AT THE CITY OF DALLAS OWES THAT LEVEL OF DUTY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO, SO REMEMBER THAT THAT'S THE STAT STANDARD THAT WE'RE UNDER CIVILITY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS PLAY NICELY, UH, TREAT OTHER PEOPLE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
AND AS CITY OFFICIALS, THERE'S AN EXTRA BURDEN THAT THE CODE OF ETHICS PUTS UPON YOU WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY.
AND SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
UM, HERE'S AN INTERESTING ONE, TOMA, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
AND I'M NOT HERE TO PRESENT ON THAT, BUT SOMETIMES EVEN IF IT'S NOT COVERED IN THE CODE OF ETHICS, UH, THERE'S A CATCHALL THAT IF THERE IS A RULE OR A LAW OR AN ORDINANCE THAT PERTAINS TO ETHICS, THEN IT IS COVERED UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF, OF WHAT THE OIG DOES.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO IF, IF, IF, AGAIN, IF YOUR SPIDER SENSE STARTS GOING OFF, AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT, UH, LEGALESE, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOUR GUT STARTS GOING OFF, WHEN SOMETHING NO LONGER PASSES THE SMELL TEST, THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THE CODE AND GETTING OUT THAT POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
AND THAT'S WHY I PUT THAT EXAMPLE IN THERE.
HERE IS THE, THE WAY CIVILITY IS DEALT WITH IN THE CITY OF DALLAS WHEN IT COMES TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES.
IT'S, IT'S AN UNEVEN RELATIONSHIP, AND WE ALL KNOW A LOT OF TIMES IN THE LAW.
GOT A QUESTION, MR. QUINTON? YES.
WHAT IS TOMA TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS AT? THANK YOU.
WE WILL BE BRIEFED ON IT A LITTLE BIT LATER TODAY BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
YEAH, SO IT, IT'S JUST A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN THE CODE EXPLICITLY, BUT, UH, IT MIGHT PERTAIN TO ETHICS IF IT'S VIOLENT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY, WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
NOW ON THIS, THERE IS AN ISSUE OF HOW CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES, UH, SHOULD INTERACT.
AND I SAY THERE'S AN ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S THE CITY COUNCIL HAS PUT IT IN THE CODE.
THERE'S A POWER IMBALANCE WHEN, WHEN YOU OR OTHER CITY OFFICIALS TALK TO EMPLOYEES.
AND SO AT SOME POINT, CITY COUNCIL DECIDED WE'RE GONNA STRUCTURE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES TALKING TOGETHER ABOUT PROJECTS AND THOSE, NO.
IT WOULD BE CRAZY IF YOU COULDN'T TALK TO EMPLOYEES AND, AND VICE VERSA.
BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE CITY OFFICIALS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND THEY ABUSE THAT, THAT THAT POWER DIFFERENTIAL.
WHEN YOU WANT TO TALK TO AN EMPLOYEE, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK TO TWO PEOPLE.
FIRST ONE IS SOMEBODY WITH THE WORD CITY IN FRONT OF THEIR NAME, CITY MANAGER, AUDITOR ATTORNEY, INSPECTOR, GENERAL SECRETARY, AND THE SECOND PERSON IS THEIR DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.
THIS IS MY OPINION ABOUT WHY THEY MADE THIS RULE.
IT'S SO THAT YOU'LL HAVE EYES IN HIGH PLACES.
YOU, YOU'LL HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT INTERACTION WITH THE SAME KIND OF GRAVITAS AS THE CITY OFFICIAL HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PUT IN THE CODE TO MAKE SURE CITY OFFICIALS DON'T INTERFERE WITH EMPLOYEE'S WORK OR IMPAIR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY OR INFLUENCE A RECOMMENDATION OR INFLUENCE A DECISION THAT THE EMPLOYEE'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE OR CERTAINLY NOT TO BERATE THEM.
SO HOW THAT PLAYS OUT, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ART TO IT, BUT YOU GET THE DRIFT.
THE DRIFT IS YOU GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO MANAGE THAT INTERACTION SO THAT WE CAN AVOID WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST IS NOT SO GOOD.
UH, OKAY, THE TWO STEP I'VE ALREADY DESCRIBED THAT THAT'S, UH, WHAT YOU DO IN ORDER TO GET HELP AND INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS IN VICO.
SO I'LL GIVE, SO I'M, I'M SORRY.
UH, I'M SO SORRY, MR. UH, CHAIRMAN.
ONE QUESTION AND I'LL COME TO YOU IN A SECOND.
MS. EVANS, UH, A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS EMILY LIU, WHO JUST SPOKE WITH US, IS THE DEPARTMENT
[02:00:01]
DIRECTOR THAT IS CHARGED UNDER THE CITY MANAGER WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS.BUT SO EMILY LOU IS THE DIRECTOR THAT IS SPOKEN TO ON THIS SLIDE, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THAT TIED TOGETHER.
MS. EVANS, I BELIEVE, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
AND I, I'LL, I'LL EXTRAPOLATE JUST AN IOTA.
I DON'T GO TO MS. LOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT THE BOARD NEEDS.
SHE'D SAY IT'S A WASTE OF HER TIME.
SHE DELEGATES THAT TO A DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TO AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO SARAH MAY AS A MANAGER, TO THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR KAMIKA MILLER HOSKINS.
AND ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, IT'S THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR TALKING TO THE CHAIRMAN OR VICE VERSA AND THAT SORT OF THING.
VERY FEW THINGS HAVE TO BE ELEVATED TO THE DIRECTOR.
NOW I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE DIRECTOR ABOUT THESE PERMITTING CHALLENGES AND THOSE THINGS, UM, BUT AS A FUNCTIONAL STANDPOINT, UH, SO I JUST WANT TO TIE THAT TOGETHER.
WE'RE PART OF MS. LOU'S ORGANIZATION.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FURTHER? OKAY, GO AHEAD, MR. SO THERE'S A COROLLARY TO IT, AND THIS HAS TO DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO INTERACT WITH CITY OFFICIALS.
AND IT'S ALSO IN THE SAME PLACE IN THE, IN THE, UH, CODE OF ETHICS.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL NOT INFLUENCE YOUR DELIBERATIONS OR DEMAND YOU VOTE A CERTAIN WAY OR THREATEN YOU WITH REMOVAL IF YOU DON'T.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FOOTNOTE.
UH, IT DOESN'T PROHIBIT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THINGS OR PROVIDING INFORMATION OR WORKING TOGETHER WITH YOU OR EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A FINE LINE IN THERE.
SO SEVERAL OF YOU THAT I'VE HAD ONE-ON-ONES WITH, AS YOU'VE COME ONTO THE BOARD, I'VE KIND OF GIVEN YOU A SHOCKING STATEMENT SAYING YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ANYMORE.
AND SOME OF YOU HAVE LOOKED AT ME LIKE, WHAT? AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THIS RIGHT HERE.
YOU WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL THAT PERCEPTION OF BEING INFLUENCED OR DIRECTED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER TO YOU IN A QUASI-JUDICIAL CAPACITY.
NOW, NUMBER THREE TALKS ABOUT DOESN'T PROHIBIT CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S A VERY FINE LINE, MS. HAYDEN, UM, TO THIS, TO THAT POINT, WE HAD A COUNCIL PERSON THAT CAME BEFORE OUR BOARD AT ONE OF OUR, UM, MEETINGS, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE IF, IF THIS PERSON IS USING THEIR POSITION TO INFLUENCE THE DELIBERATIONS OR IF THEY'RE SIMPLY EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS? I MEAN, I THINK IN THAT CASE, SHE WAS PROBABLY EXPRESSING HER OPINION, UM, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE IS OKAY.
BUT IF IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE FELT LIKE SHE WAS INFLUENCING THE DELIBERATIONS, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? SO THIS DID HAPPEN A MONTH AGO, AND IT WAS A LIVE ISSUE HERE.
THE BOARD MADE A DECISION, THE CASE IS FINAL.
UM, AND IT WAS A UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.
UM, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS HERE FOR THE WHOLE HEARING, WE'RE LIKE RIGHT THERE.
THAT IS VERY INTERESTING SITUATION.
AND IT IS, THERE IS A BIT OF ART TO THIS.
UM, IT GETS REALLY CLOSE TO THE LINE WHEN, UH, AND I'M GONNA GO OVER SOME, UH, THINGS THAT THE CODE REFERS TO AS THE PRESTIGE OF OFFICE THAT ARE GENERALLY PROHIBITED WHEN YOU'RE DEALING, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE POLITICAL ACTIVITY OR REPRESENTATION, UH, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS.
AND, UH, THE FACT THAT IT, YOU ARE TELLING ME IT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, THAT THAT IS JUST EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN I STARTED SAYING WHAT, WHAT YOU DEAL WITH HERE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WHEN YOU GET TO THE EDGE OF IT IN THE GRAY AREAS, A LOT OF YOUR GOOD WORK, UH, IT CAN BE HARMED BY THAT.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
I WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DO IF YOU FEEL LIKE SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG AND BEEN VIOLATED, AND THEN IT, IT BECOMES VERY FACTUAL.
SO, UM, I'LL MAKE ONE OTHER COMMENT, THEN I'LL LOOK AROUND FOR OTHER COMMENTS.
UH, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM DID THAT PARTICULAR PERSON, UM, I THINK CROSS THE LINE TO INTIMIDATE A VOTE OR A CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT CAME RIGHT UP TO IT.
UM, I WAS LEADING THE MEETING.
I CHOSE NOT TO SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN PLEASE RESPOND TO WHAT THE ATTORNEYS WERE SAYING AND MAKE YOUR COMMENTS TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER
[02:05:02]
IN ORDER TO KEEP IT CHANNELED.UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD'VE DONE IF IT WOULD'VE GOTTEN FARTHER.
I MEAN, WE ARE A BODY OF THE COUNCIL, AND SO WE ARE VERY SUBORDINATE THEREOF, EVEN THOUGH A JUDICIAL, THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN MY GRAY-HAIRED YEARS.
AND, BUT I APPLAUD MS. HAYDEN FOR BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE IT WAS A TENUOUS MOMENT THAT I, I HAD, I HAD MR. SLADE THEN MR. FINNEY, I'VE ALWAYS SORT OF THOUGHT OF THESE ETHICAL RULES AS WAYS TO ENCOURAGE SURFACING MATTERS THAT AREN'T SORT OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY COMPONENT OF IT.
AND SO I WOULD THINK IN THAT INSTANCE, IF THE COUNCIL MEMBER WERE OUT IN FRONT IN A PUBLIC SETTING OR OTHERWISE, THERE ISN'T.
UM, THIS IS WHERE YOU GET INTO THAT THIRD POINT OF DOES NOT PROHIBIT EXPRESSING OPINIONS OR PROVIDING INFORMATION AS OPPOSED TO, WHAT I WOULD NATURALLY ASSUME IS THAT THE POSITION TO INFLUENCE TALKS ABOUT DOING THINGS BEHIND THE SCENES INSTEAD OF IN FRONTING IN FRONT OF THE DAIS AS IT AS IT WERE.
AND JUST SORT OF HOW I SORT OF NAVIGATE THAT.
I ALWAYS THINK OF THESE AS THINGS THAT, LIKE, WOULD I HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS A BOARD MEMBER TO RAISE IT TO EITHER THE CHAIR OR COUNSEL IF I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING CROSSING THE LINE? WELL, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT CROSSED THE LINE.
NO, NO, I WAS JUST ONE OF FIVE IN THE ROOM.
THE OTHER FOUR CAN SPEAK THEIR TERM.
WE'RE NOT POINTING F WE'RE NOT POINTING ANY FINGERS.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT CROSSED THE LINE.
IT FALLS IN NUMBER THREE, MAYBE MR. FINNEY.
UM, SO I'M A LITTLE STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE THAT LINE IS AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS EVEN A POSSIBILITY OF A LINE SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARDS TO THE SITUATION WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER.
'CAUSE ISN'T THE PURPOSE OF EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION TO SWAY THE OUTCOME OF THE RULING.
SO I I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THERE IS A LINE.
WELL, TO MR. SLADE'S COMMENT, HE SAID THAT IF IT WAS IN A PUBLIC FORUM, THEN IT'S NOT BEHIND THE DOOR.
AND THAT INDIVIDUAL, UM, DID SWEAR IN, I THINK WE DID MS. WILLIAMS. YES, WE SWORE IN LIKE, AND IT WAS A LITTLE STRANGE, BUT THAT'S OUR RULES.
EVERYONE WHO SPEAKS GETS SWORN IN.
AND WE CHANNELED IT WITH COMMENTS TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER, BUT IT STILL WAS RIGHT TO THE LINE.
NOW, OTHER PEOPLE CAN COMMENT ABOUT IT.
UM, THIS IS NOT, I'VE GOT YOU ON THE LIST, MR. SINGTON.
UH, THIS IS NOT ABOUT DEMEANING ANYONE OR ANYTHING.
THIS IS ABOUT LEARNING AND TRAINING.
AND MR. ELIAS SAID, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT.
THIS IS THE MEAT THAT I WANT TO COME OUT OF THIS.
I WANT MEMBERS TO SAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS MR. KOVICH, THEN MR. ASHTON? WELL, I WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE I'M ON THE PANEL THAT WAS SITTING AND HEARING THAT.
AND COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSSOHN IS WHO APPOINTED ME, AND IT WAS, I'LL SAY, IMPLIED BY THE APPLICANTS OR THE, UH, OPPOSING THE, THE, THE PARTY INVOLVED IN THE CASE THAT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED OR SWAYED OR COORDINATED IN SOME WAY.
UM, MY, MY RESPONSE TO THAT, WHAT I DID, AND YOU CAN TELL ME IF I, THAT'S WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE OR WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY, WAS TO BASICALLY SWEAR MYSELF IN AND CATEGORICALLY DENY ANY COORDINATION OR INFLUENCE INVOLVED IN HOW I WAS VOTING.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
RESPOND BRIEFLY TO THAT, THEN I'M GONNA GO MR. SASHING AND MS. DAVIS.
SO, SO BRIEFLY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AND, AND, UH, THERE'S A NOTE IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE HAS TO DO, AND IT SAYS, BIG FOOTNOTE, AND, UH, IT SAYS EX PARTE.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THERE ARE SOME CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES OF FREE SPEECH THAT ARE IN PLAY.
AND THAT'S WHY A LITTLE BIT LATER, UH, ALTHOUGH I CAN ADDRESS THEM, UM, NOW I MIGHT, MIGHT AS WELL, I, I USE THE TERM PRESTIGE OF OFFICE.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S LIKE, UH, HEY, I'M, I'M JUST MAKING THIS UP.
SO DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'M COUNCIL MEMBER ELIASON, AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT I'M USING THE PRESTIGE OF MY OFFICE, AND IT, IT'S AS OPPOSED TO, HELLO, I'M BAR ELIASON AND I LIVE AT 33 37 MILTON AVENUE.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT I PERSONALLY THINK ABOUT THIS.
AND SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, UH, AS OFTEN HAPPENS.
[02:10:01]
NEED LAWYERS.UH, YOU, YOU FIND A GRAY SPOT, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE IN THAT SITUATION.
UH, ONE THING THAT'S VERY INTERESTING, AND I, ON ONE HAND, I MISS IT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T, UM, IF YOU EVER COME ACROSS A SITUATION LIKE THIS IN ADVANCE, AT LEAST, UH, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
NOW, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE CHANCE AT THIS MEETING.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, FOR AN ADVISORY OPINION.
UH, WHAT I CAN GIVE YOU IS AN OPINION.
WHEN WE WERE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I COULD GIVE YOU AN ADVISORY OPINION, YOU COULD TAKE IT TO THE BANK, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT'S JUST, IT WOULD JUST BE AN OPINION.
BUT YOU WERE, YOU WERE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
I DO THINK IT'S ALWAYS APPROPRIATE WHEN YOU'RE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION AND THERE'S NOT A RULE ON POINT.
IT'S FAIR GAME TO DISCLOSE WHAT YOU NEED TO DISCLOSE AND LET A CHAIRMAN WALK THE GROUP THROUGH WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
WHY? BECAUSE ETHICS MATTERS AND PEOPLE NEED TO SEE THAT WE'RE AT LEAST TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT AND, AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
UM, DOES THAT FINISH YOUR, YOUR STATEMENT COMING? OKAY, MR. SINGEN AND MS. DAVIS, UM, UNFORTUNATE SITUATION.
I, I WOULD SAY, UM, IN THAT CASE, BUT TO WHAT'S BEEN SPOKEN, THE COUNCIL PERSON HAD EVERY RIGHT TO COME, RIGHT? THEY'RE A CITIZEN OF, OF, OF THE CITY.
THEY HAD EVERY RIGHT TO COME AND BE AT THE PODIUM.
UM, IT WASN'T DONE BEHIND, YOU KNOW, CLOSED DOORS IN SECRECY TO TRY TO PERSUADE ANYONE'S VOTE.
SO DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ISSUE OF THAT.
BUT WHAT WE CAN BE RESOLUTE IN IS THAT, UM, WE TAKE AN OATH, RIGHT? AND WE, WE WERE APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT APPOINTED US BECAUSE THEY TRUST YOU TO DO A JOB, WHETHER THEY'RE STANDING THERE OR WHETHER THEY'RE NOT RIGHT.
THEY TRUST YOU TO, UH, MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THE EVIDENCE AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.
AND IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OF THAT, WE CAN ALWAYS LEAN ON CITY STAFF, ON THE LEGAL TEAM, ON THE, UM, ON, UH, DR. MILLER HOSKINS TEAM, UH, TO GUIDE US THROUGH THAT.
BUT WE, WE CAN BE RESOLUTE IN THE FACT THAT WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THE GUIDANCE THAT WE GET FROM THE CHAIR AND FROM CITY STAFF, AND NOT BE INTIMIDATED BECAUSE A CITY COUNCIL PERSON IS THERE BECAUSE YOU WERE APPOINTED TO DO A PARTICULAR JOB IN THE SERVE IN A PARTICULAR CAPACITY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENT THERE.
MS. DAVIS, I HAVE A COMMENT AND THEN A QUESTION ABOUT THAT SAME SITUATION, BECAUSE I WAS PART OF THE PANEL, AND I'M GONNA DISAGREE WITH A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES.
I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT CROSSED THE LINE, UM, BUT IT WAS REALLY, REALLY CLOSE, OR IT JUST DID A LITTLE BIT.
AND THE REASON, UM, I I'M SAYING THIS IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR MR. KOVICH TO HAVE TO DEFEND HIMSELF WITH HIS DECISION, BECAUSE SHE WAS THERE, PUT HIM IN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT POSITION TO ANY MEMBER WHOSE, UM, WHO, YOU KNOW, WHOSE COUNSEL PERSON APPOINTED YOU TO GET THAT PRESSURE.
NOT ONLY THAT, I MEAN, MY, I MY HUSBAND WORKS IN THE CITY, NOT FOR THE CITY, WITH THE CITY, AND IT, IT WAS A LITTLE, IT WAS VERY, VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED IN THAT MEETING WAS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS DEALS WITH ETHICS OR LEGAL, BUT THERE WAS SORT OF A, AN INTIMATION THAT, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW OUR PANEL RULED, WE COULD GET SUED.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS REALLY MADE IT FOR QUITE AN INTERESTING PANEL DISCUSSION.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT, THAT REVIEWS THIS AFTERWARD TO LOOK AT, OKAY, THIS REALLY WASN'T THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO, AND LIKE, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? BECAUSE WE WERE, WE ALL JUST SORT OF WERE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER WITH THESE TWO BIG THINGS THAT HAPPENED DURING THAT MEETING.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, DID ANYBODY TALK TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL WHO INCLUDED THAT IN THEIR, UM, AND I'M SORRY, CHAIRMAN, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE REPORT, BUT IN THEIR SUMMARY OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS NOW AFTER THAT HAPPENED, WHEN TWO THINGS HAPPEN DURING THAT DISCUSSION TO MAKE THE PANEL MEMBERS FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, UH, I, I'LL MAKE THIS COMMENT TO THE BOARD, TO THE PUBLIC THAT'S WATCHING, AND I SAY THIS AT PANEL MEETINGS.
THE BOARD DELIBERATES IN PUBLIC, THE BOARD DISCUSSES IN PUBLIC, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO THE BACK ROOM UNLESS WE CALL AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT HAS SPECIFIC LEGAL COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS.
THEREFORE, HERE WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS IN PUBLIC.
AND I WILL TELL YOU FOR ONE, I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT GUYS, THIS IS WHAT I WANT.
I WANT US TO HAVE HIM HERE NOT JUST TO DO POWERPOINTS, BUT TO DISCUSS THINGS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THIS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND NOT ACCUSE NO ONE HAS YET NOT ACCUSATORY OF ANYONE.
THERE WAS A SECOND COMPONENT TO THAT MEETING, WHICH WE WERE APPALLED AT, THAT A CITY EMPLOYEE THREATENED THE BOARD, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT AND THREATENED THE BOARD IN WRITING.
[02:15:02]
AND WE WERE JUST DUMBFOUNDED TO THE EXTENT THAT I HAD TO HAVE THE BOARD ATTORNEY READ ON THE RECORD THAT WE ARE INDEMNIFIED BY THE CITY AS, UH, CITY OFFICIALS.SO I'M PIGGYBACKING, MS. DAVIS'S, I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT ONE.
THAT THAT ONE IS ALMOST AS BAD AS THE OTHER.
SO WE'RE THROWING THIS OUT FOR US TO CONSUME.
OKAY? SO THIS IS NOT IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, THERE IS A, THERE IS A PROCESS, UM, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO BLAST YOU.
BUT, BUT THERE IS, UH, THERE IS A PROCESS FOR HOW THESE THINGS GO.
UH, AND IT'S OUTLINED IN THE CODE OF ETHICS.
IT'S NOT IN ONE, TWO, AND THREE OR SIX THAT I TOLD YOU TO LOOK, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK, I THINK IT'S AROUND 47, 48, 49, THOSE AREAS OF THE CODE, IT TALKS ABOUT, WELL, HOW DOES THIS WORK WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG? UH, SOME OF THE RULES THAT, AND THIS IS IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION LATER, IF YOU KNOW THE CODE HAS BEEN, UH, VIOLATED IN SOME WAY, THAT'S NO, NOT THINK IF, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL OBLIGATED TO MAKE A REPORT, AND THERE'S A MECHANISM FOR THAT.
IT, UH, IT'S CALLED THE WHISTLE.
WELL, NO ONE COULD SAY THEY KNEW YOU JUST NO, I KNOW.
NO, I'M JUST, I'M GONNA OUTLINE THE WHOLE THING.
DON'T GO TO STERN DEEP DETAIL.
SO, UM, THAT'S HOW THE CODE WORKS.
IF YOU THINK YOU, YOU COULD MAKE A REPORT OR NOT.
ALSO, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO INITIATE THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION IF THEY WANT TO.
ONCE THAT HAPPENS, UH, FOR, FOR REASONS OF REPUTATION AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IT IN A SENSE GOES DARK.
INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL.
SO IF YOU EVER, AS AN EXAMPLE, MAKE A COMPLAINT, THEN DON'T TURN AROUND AND EMAIL THE CHAIR OR ANYBODY ELSE, OH, I JUST MADE A COMPLAINT.
OR AT THAT POINT, IT'S CONFIDENTIAL, AND WE ARE ALL BOUND BY THOSE RULES.
THAT'S A GOOD THING WITH US BECAUSE, UH, REALLY IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY HAS, WE CAN KEEP THE ALLEGATION SEPARATE UNTIL A THOROUGH, UM, LOOK INTO IT, YOU KNOW, GETTING DOCUMENTS, ALL THAT STUFF, REVIEWING VIDEO, WHATEVER IT IS HAS BEEN DONE TO EITHER SAY THERE WAS A VIOLATION OR TO CLEAR THE PERSON, UH, OR THERE WAS NO VIOLATION EITHER WAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
UH, SOMETIMES I'M AWARE, UH, SINCE I AM IN THIS ROLE, UM, AT LEAST FOR AN INTERIM BASIS, MAYBE AFTER TODAY, WHO KNOWS
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, I'M JUST KIDDING.
AND I SHOULDN'T DO THAT IN A PUBLIC MEETING, AS WAS I, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY IN A PUBLIC MEETING, I SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
UM, DON'T, I'M NOT ALWAYS AWARE OF, OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
I WILL SAY THIS, I, UH, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS EVER GOING ON, AGAIN, I DON'T CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE THINGS THAT I SAY YOU CAN'T TAKE TO THE BANK, LIKE, LIKE WHEN THEY SAY THINGS, HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THE CODE, AND IF SOMETHING'S GOING ON, UH, THE CHAIRMAN KNOWS HOW TO REACH ME AND CALL ME AND I'LL, I'LL COME DOWN AND, AND DO WHAT I CAN.
WELL, I CHOSE NOT TO PURSUE IT.
ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OF MY PANEL MEMBERS ASKED ME, WHAT ARE YOU WE GONNA DO? UM, I'M VERY GLAD IT WAS ELEVATED, AND I'M NOT CUTTING OFF THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I'M GLAD IT WAS ELEVATED BECAUSE IT, IN BOTH OF THOSE INSTANCES, WE WERE PARALYZED AND THOUGHT, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO HERE? BUT WE CHARGED AHEAD.
I THINK THE BOARD MADE A, UM, PROPER, UH, HAD CONDUCTED A PROPER HEARING AND STUCK KEPT TO THE FACTS, DELIBERATED IN PUBLIC, AND MADE A DECISION AND MOVED ON.
WHAT ARE QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE BEFORE WE LET HIM CONTINUE? I'M NOT CUTTING HIM OFF.
I'M JUST KEEPING US MOVING FORWARD.
UH, I DID SAY THERE WAS A COROLLARY, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT MR. SLAVE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
AND IT'S EX PARTE, UH, DISCUSSIONS.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM, WITH, WHAT THAT MEANS IN A NUTSHELL IS, UH, BECAUSE YOU ARE, REMEMBER WE SAID IT'S IMPORTANT.
YOU'RE A QUASI-JUDICIAL BODY, AND THINGS COME BEFORE YOU FOR DECISIONS.
THAT MEANS NO, NO CITY OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE APPROACHING YOU INDIVIDUALLY TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE, OR, AND I THINK IT'S, UH, I'M LOOKING AT THERESA OR REASONABLY MIGHT BE BEFORE THE BOARD.
AND BY THE WAY, I'VE WORKED A LOT WITH THERESA, AND SHE'S THE BEST.
UM, A LOT OF MY ADVISORY OPINIONS GOT A LOT BETTER THANKS TO HER, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT AT ANY RATE, UM, YOU SHOULDN'T BE APPROACHED BY CITY EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS KIND OF OFF
[02:20:01]
TO THE SIDE.IF ANYBODY EVER TRIES TO DO THAT, THE RULE SAYS THEY GOTTA SIMULTANEOUSLY LET EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW.
SO THAT'S EX THAT'S EX PARTE, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING BEFORE.
NOW, LET, LET'S KEEP THIS IN, IN, LET'S KEEP US GROUNDED HERE.
CONVERSATIONS OCCUR ALL THE TIME.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE CASE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I, I WILL TALK TO THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT THE BANK OF CASES FOR NEXT MONTH, BUT I DON'T EVER GO INTO, OH, AND CASE NUMBER 1, 2, 3, 4 CAMIKA.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I, WE, I DON'T DO THAT.
UH, SO I, THERE IS A NATURAL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I I'VE GIVEN TO SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS IS IF YOU RUN INTO SOMEONE AT A RESTAURANT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY START TALKING ABOUT THE CASE, YOU NEED TO STOP THEM.
SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, I CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE CASE.
UM, HE'S GONNA CLARIFY MY ANALOGY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET PARALYZED BY INTERACTING WITH SOMEONE IF IT'S HIGH LEVEL INTERACTION AS OPPOSED TO QUESTIONS OR EDITORIAL ABOUT A PENDING OR CURRENT CASE.
I WILL SAY YOU, YOU CAN GET REALLY CLOSE TO THE LINE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
AND THERE IS AN, UH, MORE OR LESS AN EXCEPTION THAT SAYS THIS PROHIBITION DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY COMMUNICA.
NO PERSON SHALL DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY COMMUNICATE WITH ANY CITY OFFICIAL OF ANY.
THAT'S YOU ALL REGARDING ANY ADJUDICATED MATTER, UH, OR ONE THAT MAY REASONABLY, UH, BE EXPECTED TO BE BEFORE THE BOARD, UNLESS A FULL DISCLOSURE IS MADE TO EVERYONE ELSE.
AND THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO COMMUNICATION BY A CITY EMPLOYEE.
THE WORDS MATTER WITH THE BOARD OR COMMISSION IN THE POOR, IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CITY.
I DON'T NEED TO REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID, BUT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT.
JUST DON'T GET YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF A CASE.
AND IF YOU SOMEHOW GET SUCKED INTO IT, DISCLOSE IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE HEARING, VERY CLEARLY IN THAT ONE CASE, MY WIFE AND I WERE AT FIRST WATCH, AND AN APPLICANT CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. NEWMAN, FOR CONSIDERING MY CASE.
AND I TURNED WHITE THOUGHT, OH MY GOSH.
AT THE BEGINNING, AT THE, WHEN THE, AND WE HELD THE CASE OVER, I WENT AT THE BEGINNING OF, OF THE, OF THE, THAT NEXT HEARING.
I QUICKLY SAID, ON DATE X AT DATE TIME, THIS PERSON CAME UP TO ME.
I IMMEDIATELY TOLD 'EM, WE CAN'T TALK ANY FURTHER.
AND THEN I ASKED THE PANEL, IS THERE ANY CONCERN? AND NO ONE HAD A CONCERN.
I DON'T THINK HE WAS TRYING TO, THIS PERSON WAS TRYING TO INFLUENCE ME.
I THINK HE JUST WAS SINCERE SAYING, THANK YOU.
NOW, IF I THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO INFLUENCE ME, IT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
SO, AND JUST BE ON YOUR GUARD IS WHAT HE'S SAYING.
AND THERE IS A VECTOR TO THIS PROVISION.
BUT IT, IT ALSO PRESSES WHEN, WHEN OTHER KINDS OF THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WHEN YOU ARE, ARE REACHING OUT.
IT'S SO THERE, THAT IS A DISTINGUISHMENT.
WHERE'S THE, THE CONVERSATION COMING FROM? OKAY.
RULES, THINGS TO AVOID EX PARTE.
REPRESENTATION OF, OF PRIVATE INTERESTS.
SO, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF RULES ABOUT THIS.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE IT MATTERS THAT YOU ARE QUASI-JUDICIAL.
UH, BUT WHETHER YOU'RE, YOU'RE RECEIVING COMPENSATION OR NOT, YOU ARE A CITY OFFICIAL.
AND THERE ARE RULES ABOUT REPRESENTATION.
AND HONESTLY, OR FRANKLY, UM, I, I WILL GO THROUGH THEM IF, IF YOU WANT, BUT I, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE REPRESENTING PRIVATE INTERESTS, YOU NEED TO GET AN ADVISORY OPINION.
BECAUSE I'VE READ THIS RULE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND I'VE GONE OVER IT WITH THERESA AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
AND, UH, I, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO GO THROUGH.
IT'S NOT THE EASIEST RULE, UM, TO READ.
BUT ONE OF THE OTHER PARTS, UH, THAT IS IN UNDER THAT RULE HAS TO DO WITH PRESTIGE OF OFFICE.
SO IF YOU ARE REPRESENTING, OR EVEN SOUND LIKE YOU'RE REPRESENTING A PRIVATE INTEREST AND YOU'RE USING YOUR SIGNATURE LINE, OR YOU'RE SAYING, I'M A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEMBER, SO-AND-SO, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING AS YOURSELF.
THAT'S HOW I WOULD GO FORWARD IF A COMPLAINT WAS MADE ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO REPRESENTATION IS THE UMBRELLA FOR CITY OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES.
LOBBYING IS A FORM OF REPRESENTATION TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA ABOUT THAT.
BUT LOBBYING, YOU COULD BE A CITY OFFICIAL EMPLOYEE OR NOT.
UM, BUT WATCH OUT FOR REPRESENTATION.
[02:25:01]
THE RULE.UH, BEFORE AS A, AS A CITY OFFICIAL ON A QUASI APPOINTED CITY OFFICIAL ON A QUASI-JUDICIAL BOARD, UM, FOR COMPENSATION OR NOT FOR COMPENSATION, THAT'S WHAT THIS ONE HAS APPLIED.
YOU CAN'T SPEAK BEFORE THIS BODY.
ITS STAFF OR THE BODY WITH APPELLATE JURISDICTION.
THAT WOULD BE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOU.
NO, THAT IS NOT, NOT, IT'S APPELLATE JURISDICTION IS A DISTRICT COURT.
OUR DECISIONS ARE ONLY APPEALABLE TO A STATE DISTRICT COURT.
UH, COMPENSATION CHANGES THINGS, OKAY? UH, USE OF PRESTIGE.
THIS IS THAT THIRD CATEGORY OF A RULE.
UH, IF YOU BUMP INTO THIS, IT'S NOT A VIOLATION.
IT'S NOT A CONFLICT THAT CAN GET YOU OUT OF SERVING ON, ON SOME ISSUE.
BUT APPEARANCES MATTER IN THE CITY.
AND NOTICE THIS, IT'S NOT JUST IN THE PROFESSIONAL PART, IT'S IN THE PERSONAL PART.
SO, SO NOW YOU ARE ATTACHED TO THE CITY.
WHAT YOU DO AFFECTS THE CITY'S REPUTATION.
AND THE RULE IS YOU GOTTA CAREFULLY CONSIDER YOUR ACTIONS.
'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK WHACK, QUACKS LIKE A DUCK WALKS LIKE A, IT'S A DUCK.
HERE'S SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO BE, UH, AWARE OF.
SO YOUR SPIDER SENSE IS ACTIVE AND READY TO GO THE FIRST YEAR OF SERVICE.
UH, SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEW, IF YOU EVER COME UP IN A DEAL THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON, AND THAT WHOEVER'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, UH, WAS, IS A FORMER EMPLOYER, YOU HAVE A RECUSAL SITUATION ON YOUR HANDS, SHOULDN'T BE WORKING ON THIS FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS.
UH, IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING INTEREST IN THE BUSINESS OR PROPERTY, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS GONNA BE AN ISSUE.
IF YOU HAVE A, SOMETHING CALLED A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST, WHICH BY THE WAY, UNDER THE CODE IS NOT VERY BIG.
UH, SO FOR INSTANCE, A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN PROPERTY IS $2,500.
DOES ANYBODY, CAN ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT A PIECE OF PROPERTY YOU CAN BUY IN DALLAS FOR $2,500
YOU KNOW THAT THAT ISN'T GONNA WORK.
UH, YOU GOTTA WATCH OUT FOR YOUR RELATIVES AND BENEFITS TO RELATIVES THAT CAN COUNT.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU ITCHY.
UH, YOU WANNA BE INVOLVED IN POLITICS.
WELL, THAT'S FINE, BUT THERE ARE RULES FOLLOW THEM.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN THE CODE, SOME OF THEM ARE IN THE CHARTER, SOME OF 'EM ARE OUTSIDE THE CHARTER.
IF SOMEONE EVER ASKS YOU TO BE THEIR CAMPAIGN TREASURER OR YOUR SPIDER SENSE SHOULD REALLY BE GOING OFF, UH, THAT'S PROBABLY A, A HARD NO.
UH, OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT, YOU'RE ALL EMPLOYED OUTSIDE THIS, UH, YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WHEN THAT'S GONNA CREATE SOME KIND OF A CONFLICT FOR YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
NOW, THERE IS A RULE ABOUT SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST.
THERE'S ALSO A RULE ABOUT ANY INTEREST FOR YOU SPECIFICALLY.
IF SOMETHING COMES UP AND ON TO BEFORE YOUR BOARD AND YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THAT PROPERTY, YOU CAN READ ABOUT THAT UNDER MISCELLANEOUS RULES.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIKELY GONNA HAVE A RECUSAL SITUATION.
MAKES SENSE? UM, THAT'S THE AREA OF NOTIFICATION AND PROPERTY INTEREST PART PRO TIP FOR Y'ALL.
I NOTICED THAT, UM, THE CHAIRMAN SAID YOU HAD A 250 PAGE, UH, AGENDA TODAY.
AND I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO READ IT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SITTING HERE OR, OR, OR IN YOUR OTHER MEETINGS, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, YOU, YOU MIGHT JUST WALK RIGHT INTO A RECUSAL SITUATION THAT HAD YOU HAVE READ IT, YOU WOULD'VE KNOWN I CAN'T DO THAT.
UH, SO THAT'S JUST A, A TIP FOR YOU.
UM, ADVISORY OPINIONS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, UH, YOU MAKE A REQUEST IN WRITING TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, IT HAS TO BE ABOUT FUTURE CONDUCT.
IF YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT, IT'S TOO LATE.
UH, YOU GIVE 'EM ALL THE FACTS AND THEY WILL TELL YOU WHAT THE SAFE HARBOR IS, AND THEY'LL TELL YOU WHERE THE ROCKS ARE.
IF YOU FOLLOW IT, YOU'LL BE FINE.
UH, NOW WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT, UH, LET'S JUST LET THIS ROLL OUT.
FROM THE TIME YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE A, HAVE A CONFLICT.
IT'S, IT'S PENCILS DOWN WHERE PEOPLE MAKE A MISTAKE ON THIS.
THEY DON'T PUT THEIR PENCILS DOWN.
THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SO THEY START SUMMARIZING THEIR WORK.
AND LET ME TELL THE NEXT PERSON THAT'S GONNA TAKE OVER WHAT I THINK AND ALL THIS STUFF.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT? YOU TELL THE, UH, CITY SECRETARY, I'VE GOT A CONFLICT, I GOTTA RECUSE.
LET'S, LET'S BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PRACTICAL, OKAY? IF A BOARD MEMBER, UH, WHICH GENERALLY DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT A CASE THEY'RE INVOLVED IN UNTIL SEVEN DAYS IN ADVANCE, SO I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THIS.
OUR BOARD SECRETARY SENDS THE DOCKET OUT SEVEN DAYS IN ADVANCE.
THE BEST THING TO DO BOARD MEMBERS IS TO SCAN THE AGENDA, LOOK FOR ADDRESSES OR TOPICS ON THE AGENDA.
[02:30:01]
SAY GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DOCKET, SCAN THE AGENDA FIRST TO SEE IF THERE IS A DEV, AN APPLICANT THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW A PROPERTY.YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU MAY OR NOT NOT KNOW.
AND YOU REALLY NEED TO DO THAT AT DAY SEVEN OUT.
UH, THEN IF THERE IS, OOH, I, THE SPIDER THING HE'S TALKING ABOUT, THEN YOU GO IN AND READ THE SPECIFICS OF IT.
IN MOST CASES, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, BUT IT MAY BE.
THE NEXT THING YOU NEED TO DO IS YOU NEED TO CONTACT EITHER MYSELF, YOUR PRESIDING OFFICER, OR THE, THE BOARD SECRETARY TO SAY, I THINK I MAY HAVE A CONFLICT.
IF IT COMES TO ME, I'M GONNA QUALIFY IT QUICKLY.
AND THEN I'M GONNA SAY, OKAY, TALK TO TERESA CARLA, OUR BOARD ATTORNEY, AND THEN SHE'LL HAVE A PRIVATE PRIVILEGED CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT, AND SHE'LL ASK APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS.
SHE MAY ELEVATE IT TO MR. ELIASON, OR SHE MAY SAY, NOPE, MR. MR. GRAHAM, YOU HAVE NO, NO CONFLICT.
UM, OR YOU MAY, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
I, I'VE GOT MR. I'VE GOT MR. MILLIKEN AND MR. SLADE.
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, GUYS, THAT SEVEN DAY OUT, WHEN YOU GET YOUR AGENDA, SCAN THE AGENDA TO SEE IF, IF THE PROPERTY, IF THE APPLICANT HAS ANY, LIKE HIS SPIDER SENSE, BECAUSE THAT WAY WE CAN CATCH IT EARLY TO CATCH IT AT THE HEARING.
WOO, YOU RISK SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT IT THAT WOULD, THAT GETS IN A LOT OF ISSUES.
SO WE HEARD A CASE ON OUR PANEL WHERE, UM, I FELT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE IT WAS A COMPETITOR.
THAT, UH, CASE THAT WE WERE HEARING A COMPETITOR, AGAIN, FOR A COMPANY THAT I WORK WITH, AND I DID REACH OUT TO OUR, UH, VICE CHAIR AS TO WHETHER HE FELT IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR NOT.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THERE A PROPER CHANNEL? BECAUSE I DID THAT VIA TEXT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS TO BE DONE A CERTAIN WAY OR NOT.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE CODE OF ETHICS DOESN'T, AS I SAID, IT DOESN'T COVER EVERY ETHICAL SITUATION THAT MIGHT COME UP.
IT DOESN'T, IT ALSO DOESN'T COVER EVERY SINGLE BIT OF HOW YOU MIGHT RESPOND.
ALL IT REQUIRES IS THAT YOU WOULD, WELL, AND SEE YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CONFLICT.
BUT IF YOU HAD A CONFLICT, IT REQUIRES YOU TO TELL THE CITY SECRETARY THERE IS A FORM FOR THAT TEXT WOULDN'T DO IT.
AND TO INFORM THE BOARD, THERE'S NO DIRECTION.
NOT EVERY ISSUE HAS TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE CITY SECRETARY RIGHT AWAY.
LET ME, ONCE IT'S DETERMINED THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT, THEN YOU FILE IT WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
SO THERE'S A, SO THE, TO, TO COMPLETE THE ANSWER, THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT.
WHEN YOU HAVE A CONFLICT, THEN THERE'S THAT OTHER ONE, THE SLIDE WITH THE DUCK ON IT.
AND THAT'S THAT THIRD CATEGORY OF, OF A RULE WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHAT'S GOING ON.
THERE'S NOTHING, IF YOU WERE TO READ THE CODE OR SEEK AN ADVISORY OPINION, YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND A PROVISION IN THERE THAT SAYS, OH, HE'S A, HE'S A BUSINESS COMPETITOR OF YOURS.
AND THERE'S GOOD REASON FOR THAT.
WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THINGS AND NOT BE ABLE TO RECUSE.
AND THIS IS MAYBE MORE FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT JUST IN GENERAL, EVERY TIME AN ISSUE IS CONTROVERSIAL IN SOME WAY, OH, I, I CAN'T BE IN IT.
I KNOW THE, I KNOW THE PERSON ON THE OTHER SIDE.
BUT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER IT AND YOU SAY, WELL, IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK, IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT.
AND SO IN THAT CASE, MAYBE YOU MAKE A DISCLOSURE BY TEXT TO THE CHAIRMAN, YOU WORK IT OUT IN ADVANCE.
WELL, WHAT I WOULD IMMEDIATELY DO IS TRY TO QUALIFY VERY BRIEFLY, AND THEN I WOULD PROBABLY CALL THE BOARD ATTORNEY.
UH, AND SO I GOT HER AND I'D SAY, THERESA, UH, RODNEY MILLIKEN HAS THIS SITUATION, THAT SITUATION.
AND I WOULD ZAP YOU BOTH SAY, OKAY, WOULD YOU PLEASE GET AHOLD OF HIM? RODNEY GET AHOLD OF HER.
AND THEN I BACK AWAY AND I DON'T, AND NOT INVOLVED AGAIN.
MY JOB AS A BOARD OFFICER IS GET YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER TO THE BOARD ATTORNEY, THEN SHE'S GONNA MAKE A DECISION.
SHE'S GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION.
SHE'S GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO TALK TO ELIASON OR DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.
UH, SHE'LL, THAT'S THE GENERAL FEEDBACK.
AM I CORRECT, MS. BOARD ATTORNEY IN THE, IN OUR PROCESS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
I WILL, YOU CAN COME WITH ME WITH ANY CONFLICT QUESTION AND I WILL HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU EVEN IF IT'S THE DAY OF THE HEARING, BECAUSE THE CODE SAYS WHEN THE CONFLICT IS RECOGNIZED, AND SOMETIMES IF YOU'RE FLIPPING THROUGH OR SOMEONE'S HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF AND YOU REALIZE YOU MAY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, IT'S WHEN THE CONFLICT IS RECOGNIZED.
SO THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION OFFLINE.
MR. SLATE, THAT IS A GREAT SEGUE BECAUSE I WAS, MY QUESTION CONCERNS, HOW
[02:35:01]
DO YOU NAVIGATE THE TENSION BETWEEN DOING DILIGENCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER A CONFLICT EXISTS AND THE RESTRICTION WE HAVE THAT MEMBERS MAY NOT DO THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON A CASE? YEAH, SO IT'S EXACTLY LIKE WHAT SHE SAID.THAT THE WAY THE CODE DEALS WITH THAT, IT'S, IT'S AT THE MOMENT OF, OF RECOGNITION AND THERE'S NOT A RULE.
UH, AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU WANT TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN THE BOARD RULES AT SOME POINT TO SAY A BOARD MEMBER WILL DO A CERTAIN CONTROL LEFT, CHECK FOR THEIR PERSONAL ADDRESSES OR WHATEVER, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THE, THE CODE SAYS THAT THE MOMENT YOU RECOGNIZE IT, AND I THINK THE CHAIRPERSON CHAIRMAN IS SAYING IT'S REALLY GOOD PRACTICE TO RECOGNIZE IT SEVEN DAYS BEFORE AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU'RE SITTING HERE.
BUT TO BUILD ON IT, IF WE HAVE AN APPLICANT WHO IS AN ENTITY, USUALLY IT'S A SINGLE PURPOSE ENTITY.
USUALLY IT MIGHT NOT BE CLEAR WHO IS BEHIND OR OWNS OR IS PURSUING SOMETHING.
UM, SO TO, TO, UH, TAKE THE EXAMPLE THAT MR. MILLIKEN WAS RAISING, IF IT HADN'T BEEN CLEAR THAT THE COMPANY LOOKING FOR RELIEF FROM THE BOARD WAS A COMPETITOR OF HIS EMPLOYER, IF IT WAS JUST A GENERIC GROUP THAT WAS LOOKING FOR A PARKING REDUCTION, HOW WOULD YOU GUIDE US ON WHAT WE SHOULD DO, IF ANYTHING, TO TRY TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO AFFORD, UM, THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR AND BOARD SECRETARY TO BE ABLE TO COME UP POTENTIALLY WITH AN ALTERNATE TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY? BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S DRIVING, IS THAT OUR DESIRE TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC BY MAKING SURE WE HAVE FULL PANELS TO BE ABLE TO HEAR AND ADJUDICATE ACTIONS.
THERE'S, THERE, I THINK THERE'S A POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS IN THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH YOU MIGHT DO WITH, WITH A 250 PAGE AGENDA EVERY TIME YOU'RE COMING UP HERE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S NOT AN ANSWER TO THAT IN THE CODE, IT'S JUST HOW FAR CAN YOU GO? BUT THE CONTROL F LET NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
LET'S GO BACK TO MS UH, CARLISLE'S COMMENT.
THERESA, YOU SAID AS, AS SOON AS IT'S RECOGNIZED, WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT? 'CAUSE THAT I THINK IS WHAT'S KEY.
THE CODE SAYS AS SOON AS THE CONFLICT IS RECOGNIZED, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DISCLOSE AND RECUSE YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT.
SO MY ENCOURAGEMENT IS, LOOK, SEVEN DAYS OUT, MR. SLADE'S ANALOGY IS YOU MAY NOT EVEN SEE IT UNTIL THE PERSON'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
WELL, WHEN YOU SEE IT, THEN YOU RECOGNIZE IT.
TELL YOUR PRESIDING OFFICER AND YOUR BOARD ATTORNEY AND LET THEM FIGURE THAT OUT.
NO ONE, I'LL GET YOU ONE SECOND, AMY.
I'LL PICK ON YOU MS. GARNER, BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T CATCH IT IF IT WASN'T VISIBLE.
THAT'S, I MEAN, BACK TO TERESA'S MS. THE BOARD ATTORNEY'S STANDARD AS SOON AS IT'S REC RECOGNIZED, CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
MS. EVANS, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
SO I HAVE A FEELING YOU TWO ARE GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES.
WOULD YOU MIND SHARING YOUR CONTACT INFO RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN GET YOU ON SPEED DIAL? IT'S ON THE SLIDE DECK COMING UP ON SLIDE DECK.
AND, AND HONESTLY, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME.
WHAT, WHAT THEY SAY IS GONNA BE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK.
I I WILL SAY IT'S INTERESTING IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, WELL, WHAT HA I'M GONNA VIOLATE THE CODE AND, AND THIS GUY IS GONNA FILE A COMPLAINT OR HE IS GONNA RECEIVE A COMPLAINT AND COME AT ME.
THERE'S A STANDARD IN THE CODE, A MENS REA STANDARD OF KNOWINGLY.
AND, UH, WHAT WE'RE DESCRIBING HERE IS A SITUATION WHERE YOU, LET ME READ THE DEFINITION.
IT'S IN THE DEFINITION OF THE CODE TOWARDS THE END, UM, WHERE YOUR CONDUCT OR CIRCUMSTANCE, CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING YOUR CONDUCT ARE INVOLVED.
IT'S KNOWING WHEN THE PERSON YOU IN THIS EXAMPLE IS AWARE OF THE NATURE OF THE CONDUCT WHERE YOU'RE NOT, 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF THIS OR THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST OR SHOULD BE REASONABLY CERTAIN TO CAUSE THE RESULT.
WELL, WELL, YOU'RE NOT, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT AWARE THAT SOMEWHERE UP IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, IT SAYS JOHN DOE IS IN THIS COMPANY AND, AND HE'S YOUR BUSINESS PARTNER AND SOME OTHER BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
DR. GLOVER HAS A QUESTION, UH, JUST A QUICK ONE.
SO IN A CASE WHERE YOU FEEL THERE'S A VIOLATION AND THE CITY ATTORNEY DOES NOT AGREE WITH YOU, HOW DO YOU PROCEED? THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
THERE IS A PROVISION, AND IT'S NOT IN THE CODE, BUT IT, IT'S IN, UH, CHAPTER EIGHT AND I BELIEVE IT'S 26, 27, AND 28.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH, WHEN YOU GET AN OPINION ABOUT THE LAW FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UNLESS YOU CAN HOLD UP A, A, LIKE A SUPREME
[02:40:01]
COURT CASE OR SOME KIND OF STATUTE THAT SAYS NO CITY ATTORNEY, YOU'RE WRONG.YOU, YOU FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE, YOU'LL FIND THAT IN 8 26, 27 AND 28.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT THAT HAS SOME TEETH TO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT A CASE BEFORE YOU START GOING AGAINST THEIR ADVICE.
UH, MY ANSWER ALSO, EMMANUEL, UH, MS. DR. GLOVER, IS IT'S YOUR DECISION IN THE END, IT'S YOUR DECISION END WHETHER YOU HAVE A CONFLICT.
I'M WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE BOARD ATTORNEY AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, YOUR DECISION, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING, THEY'RE GIVING YOU ADVICE.
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S ON THE FIRING LINE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
PROBABLY TOO CAUTIOUS, BUT, OKAY, UH, OTHER THINGS, I'VE TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT WHEN THERE IS A VIOLATION AND THERE'S A COMPLAINT AND AN INVESTIGATION BEGINS, THEN RULES THAT THAT LEAD TO AN INVESTIGATION BEING DONE IN THE RIGHT WAY COME INTO EFFECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN.
IF YOU'RE EVER CALLED, IT'S PROBABLY 'CAUSE YOU'RE A WITNESS.
WE, WE
YOU, YOU HAVE, YOU, YOU HAVE TO COOPERATE.
I'LL THE NEXT SLIDE I'LL EXPLAIN WHY.
UH, IF YOU EVER GIVE A A SWORN STATEMENT, YOU'LL, YOU'LL TELL THE TRUTH WHETHER IT'S SWORN OR NOT.
BUT THERE'S CONSEQUENCES, YOU KNOW, TO PEOPLE.
IF, IF, UH, YOU HEAR 'EM THINKING, WELL, MAYBE I CAN BE CUTE WITH THIS.
TELL 'EM NO, YOU CAN'T, DON'T INTERFERE.
DON'T RETALIATE UNDER THE CODE.
RETALIATION MEANS SOMEBODY IS STANDING UP AND FOLLOWING THE CODE AND I DON'T LIKE IT.
SO NOW I'M GONNA PUT SOME CONSEQUENCES ON THEM FOR FOLLOWING THE CODE.
THAT'S RETALIATION UNDER THE CODE.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY OTHER TYPES OF RETALIATION.
UH, THIS SLIDE, WHY REPORT TO THE IG AS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
HE WAS BLAMED FOR DIGGING UP THAT GARDEN.
AND GUESS WHAT? IT WASN'T FRITZ, IT WAS MY NEIGHBOR'S DOG, CARL.
THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU WANT TO USE THE WHISTLE HOTLINE.
UH, IF THERE'S GOTTA BE AN INVESTIGATION, IT'S GOTTA BE ON THE DOWN LOW UNTIL WE FOUND OUT WHO REALLY DID IT OR REPUTATIONS CAN BE LOST ZONING DECISIONS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS CAN HAPPEN THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.
UM, FOR YOU NEW MEMBERS PARTICULARLY, I'M UNDER AN OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OR A LINK TO THE CODE.
I'M TELLING YOU TO GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR THE INSPECTOR GENERAL DIVISION.
THERE'S A LINK TO THE CODE THERE.
YOU ALSO HAVE THE POCKET REFERENCE GUIDE.
AND THERE'S MY EMAIL IF YOU EVER NEED TO CONTACT ME, AND I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MY PHONE NUMBER, JUST NOT IN A PUBLIC HEARING.
AGREED
I'M NOT GONNA HAVE YOU GO OVER THEM.
'CAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO TAKE A RECESS, A BATHROOM RECESS.
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU, DOES ANYONE HAVE FOR THE INSPECTOR GENERAL? THIS HAS BEEN VERY GOOD.
AND, AND YOU CAN, HE'S, I'M GONNA MAKE HIM AVAILABLE AS WE RECESS HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES.
THE BONUS SLIDES ARE IMPACTFUL AS WELL THAT YOU'LL SEE.
UM, AGAIN, MY RECOMMENDATION IS IF YOU SEE THAT THERE'S A PERCEIVED OR ACTUAL CONFIDENCE OF INTEREST, UH, BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF YOUR PANEL PRESIDING OFFICER OR MYSELF AS CHAIRMAN.
AND I WILL IMMEDIATELY LINK TO OUR BOARD ATTORNEY AND SHE WILL LINK WITH YOU AND, OR CONNECT BACK WITH THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR FURTHER INTERPRETATION.
UH, AND THEN I WILL AGAIN, STEP OUT OF IT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY ISSUE, IT'S YOURS.
BUT I WANT TO GET YOU TO THE DECISION MAKE TO THE PEOPLE WITH THEY CAN GIVE YOU GOOD SOUND ADVICE QUESTIONS.
WOULD YOU HANG FOR A LITTLE BIT? SO IF MEMBERS WANNA ASK YOU A QUESTION, IT IS 11:43 AM ON THE 28TH OF OCTOBER.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO RECESS FOR 10 MINUTES TILL 1155, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME AND START ON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
UH, IT IS 11:55 AM ON TUESDAY, THE 28TH OF OCTOBER, THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT RESUMES SESSION.
UH, THE NEXT COMPONENT OF OUR AGENDA IS, UH, BOARD TRAINING, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
KAMIKA MILLER HOSKINS, BOARD ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF PLANNER.
I'M GONNA ASK HER TO DO TEAM INTRODUCTIONS, THEN.
SHE'S ASKED FOR US TO DO LITTLE REARRANGING OF THE HER PRESENTATIONS.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD ADMINISTRATOR.
CAMIKA MILLER HOSKINS, AND I AM THE CHIEF PLANNER BOARD ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL INTRODUCE BOARD STAFF, STARTING WITH OUR
[02:45:01]
SENIOR PLANNERS.UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER SENIOR PLANNER, MS. QUA DUNN, PLEASE STAND OUR PROJECT COORDINATOR.
MS. DIANA BARQUE, PLEASE STAND.
AND, UM, WE HAVE ONE SENIOR PLANNER EXAMINER, MS. TARA IBAR, WHO'S ABSENT TODAY.
UM, AND OF COURSE OUR BOARD ADMINISTRATOR, MS. MARY WILLIAMS. AT THIS TIME, I WILL, UM, HAVE MS. JENNIFER ALGAR COME FORWARD TO DO THE PRESENTATION ON ZONING CHANGES FROM STATE LAW.
UM, STATE BILL EIGHT 40 AND SB 15.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO PAGE ONE 19 IN THE DOCKET.
WELL, SHE BETTER SHOW UP QUICK.
UM, MS. SARAH MAY IS ALSO, UM, MY BOSS.
UM, PLANNING MANAGER FOR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
DID WE, WE MOVED JENNIFER UP AND THEN SHE DISAPPEARED.
ALRIGHT, UH, MS. BOARD ADMINISTRATOR, WOULD YOU AGAIN INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER? OUR NEXT SPEAKER? OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MS. JENNIFER AGAR DOING, UM, THE PRESENTATION ON ZONING CHANGES FROM STATE LAW SBA 40 AND SB 15.
SO, AS I SAY TO EVERY ONE OF OUR LUCKY SPEAKERS, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR POWERPOINT HERE.
PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT READ EVERY SLIDE OR EVERY WORD ON EVERY SLIDE.
UM, BECAUSE WHAT I WANT TO ENGENDER IS THINGS THAT YOU SAY THAT DRAW QUESTIONS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH EVERY PAGE, I WANT YOU TO GO THROUGH EVERY PAGE, BANANA, EVERY LINE.
HOW'S THAT? AND WE'RE AT ONE 19 IN THE DECK.
DO YOU NEED TO SHARE YOUR SLIDE DECK? I'M, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN.
UM, THE POWERPOINT THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE DOCKET FOR TODAY, UM, WAS ACTUALLY THE POWERPOINT, EXCUSE ME, THE POWERPOINT, UM, FROM OUR CPC BRIEFING THAT WAS HELD AUGUST 7TH.
UM, I'VE MADE A FEW CHANGES TO THAT TO TAKE OUT SOME OF THE BILLS WE'RE NOT GONNA DISCUSS.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, EXHIBITS.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AT ALL IN RPS, WE CAN HAVE RPS FUN AT THE END.
AND JUST FOR EVERYONE'S EDIFICATION, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, POWER THROUGH, UM, THESE PRESENTATIONS THAT IS, UM, ZONING CHANGES FROM STATE LAW, PARKING CODE, UPDATE IN DALLAS ZONING REFORM, UH, AND OR MEMBER ORIENTATION, THEN GO TO LUNCH.
I'M NOT GONNA STARVE YOU, BUT I'M GONNA DRIVE THROUGH THIS.
WHAT WE WON'T GET TO BEFORE LUNCH IS THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE BOARD ATTORNEY'S COMPONENTS OF THE AGENDA.
THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE AFTER LUNCH, JUST TELLING THAT TO EMERITUS OVER THERE WHO'S, OKAY.
UM, BUT PLEASE, GENTLEMEN, PLAN TO JOIN US FOR LUNCH.
UH, MY NAME IS JENNIFER ALLGEIER.
I'M ONE OF THE ZONING DIVISION MANAGERS, UM, WITH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SARAH MAY, AS YOU ARE AWARE, UM, HAS OVERSIGHT OVER BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TEAM AND A COUPLE OF OTHER TEAMS. UH, THE TEAMS THAT I OVERSEE CII WANNA SAY THIS PURPOSELY BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, IT'S A STICKING POINT FOR PROCESS, UM, AND QUALITY CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, ONE OF THE TEAMS THAT I OVERSEE IS THE ZONING COMMERCIAL PLAN REVIEW TEAM AT THE PERMIT OFFICE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SPECIAL ZONING PROJECTS TEAM THAT DOES SORT OF A VARIETY OF ZONING ACTIVITY, INCLUDING ZONING CASES, UH, MINOR AMENDMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
[02:50:01]
POWERPOINT WAS INITIALLY PRESENTED AT, UH, PLAN COMMISSION, MY COLLEAGUE MICHAEL PEPPY WAS A CO-AUTHOR AND CO-PRESENTER.SO HIS NAME IS STILL ON THE POWERPOINT.
UM, ALTHOUGH I WILL GO AHEAD AND, AND PRESENT THE PORTION THAT HE PRESENTED AT THAT TIME REGARDING SB 15.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, OF, UH, IMPORTANT BILLS PASSED AT THE 89TH LEGISLATURE.
UM, TWO HAVING THE MOST IMPACT, UM, FOR OUR PARTICULAR DIVISION.
UM, OUR SB 15 AND SB EIGHT 40, WHICH DEAL WITH, UH, SMALL LOT SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL USES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN NEW LOCATIONS AND WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I'LL BE BRIEFING ON TODAY.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS RELATED TO SMALL LOT SINGLE FAMILY.
AND JUST TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION THAT I DON'T THINK IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE POWERPOINT, A SMALL LOT UNDER THE STATE BILL IS DEFINED BASICALLY AS SOMETHING THAT IS LESS THAN 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES, UM, IN, IN DALLAS THAT'S GONNA MEAN A LOT.
THAT'S BETWEEN THREE AND 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S SPECIFICALLY HOW YOU DEFINE SOMETHING AS A SMALL LOT THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE REVISED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS THAT WE SEE IN THE BILL.
UM, WE'VE HAD A, A NUMBER OF PROJECTS COME IN FOR SCREENING, UM, PRE-APPLICATION SCREENING TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE BILL.
UM, AND HAVE LEARNED KIND OF SOME THINGS ALONG THE WAY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A, UM, A FIVE ACRE, UH, PARCEL OF LAND THAT IT'S, SAY EXISTING ZONING IS R 10 A, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE 10,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT MINIMUM UNDER THE BILL.
YOU COULD GO AS SMALL AS 3000 SQUARE FEET AND UP TO 4,000 SQUARE FEET WITH THE REVISED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS THAT ARE SHOWN IN THE POWERPOINT, UH, IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO BUILD, UM, IN THAT SAME DEVELOPMENT, THE BILL AUTHORIZES THE DEVELOPER TO INCLUDE LOTS THAT ARE ANYWHERE BETWEEN THAT 3000 AND 10,000 MINIMUM THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED UNDER THE, THE TYPICAL OR THE CURRENT ZONING OF THE PROPERTY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A THREE TO 4,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
AND THEN OTHERWISE YOU HAVE TO APPLY WITH THE STANDARDS OF THE, OF THE, THE ZONING DISTRICT.
IT CAN BE ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN.
SO KIND OF A BIG PICTURE HERE.
UM, SOME, SOME BASIC THINGS IS THAT THE, THE TRACT OR THE PARCEL OF LAND HAS TO BE AT LEAST FIVE ACRES, HAS TO BE UN PLATTED.
AND THERE ARE SOME EXCLUSIONS.
UM, THESE, THESE EXCLUSIONS HAVE BEEN HELPFULLY, UH, PLACED ONTO OUR, UH, OUR ZONING MAP, OUR GIS MAP THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND TO INTERNAL STAFF.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SEE HERE, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THAT GIS MAP OR THAT ZONING MAP? YOU SPEAK OF OUR GIS TEAM.
WHICH IS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GIS ACCURACY.
WE HAD ISSUES MONTHS AGO WITH THE, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS UPDATED CONCURRENTLY OR UPDATED ON A REGULAR ENOUGH BASIS TO BE ABLE TO BE RELIED UPON.
YEAH, THERE ARE, THERE'S DEFINITELY, UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY A DELAY BETWEEN A ZONING CHANGE ON A PROPERTY, SOME SORT OF ZONING ACTION ON A PROPERTY DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE AREA THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT CHANGE.
UM, AND I THINK DIRECTOR LOU MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY AN ISSUE WHERE PRIOR TO OUR DEPARTMENT JOINING, YES, THERE WAS THE ISSUE.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO DIG ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO, IT'S WITH G GISS WITHIN PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND, AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF AS CONTEMPORANEOUSLY UPDATED AS POSSIBLE.
I, I WILL PASS THAT ALONG TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREA GILLIS, WHO I'M SURE IS LISTENING IN TODAY, THAT IS, UH, UNDER HER PURVIEW.
SO SOME EXAMPLES, LIKE I SAID, 3000 WITHIN 3000 FEET OF AIRPORTS.
THOSE ARE THE PINK AREAS THAT YOU SEE HERE.
AND THEN WITHIN A MILE OF POLICE TRAINING FACILITIES, THOSE WOULD BE THE ORANGE.
THERE'S SOME OTHER EXCEPTIONS THAT APPLY TO THE OTHER BILL THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS TODAY.
THOSE ARE ALSO MAPPED ON THE GIS MAP FOR ANYONE TO KIND OF DO A QUICK SCREENING OF ELIGIBILITY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT HAS TO PERMIT SINGLE FAMILY.
WE ALREADY SAID THE SIZE AND THAT IT CAN'T BE PLATTED.
[02:55:01]
THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS CHANGE FOR THOSE SMALL LOTS THAT ARE, LIKE I SAID, BETWEEN THREE AND 4,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, 30 FEET WIDE BY 75 FEET DEEP, UM, WOULD BE, UM, LOT SIZE CHANGES.AND THEN THERE ARE ALSO SOME MODIFIED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WITH RESPECT TO SETBACKS.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME CASES WHERE THE SB 15 SETBACKS WILL APPLY FOR A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY AND THEN THE LESS RESTRICTIVE EXISTING ZONING WOULD APPLY TO A SETBACK ON ANOTHER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE WHOLE, WHICHEVER IS LESS RESTRICTED.
WHAT ABOUT THE WHOLE ISSUE OF BLOCK FACE CONTINUITY? DOES THIS TRUMP BLOCK FACE CONTINUITY? UM, YES, IT WOULD TRUMP BLOCK FACE CONTINUITY.
WHY? DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND WHAT I REFER TO WHEN I THAT? YEAH, WHICH MEANS I'LL COME TO YOU A SECOND, MR. QUINN, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIS, UH, POSSIBLY EXCEPT THAT REMEMBER THESE HAVE TO BE FIVE ACRE TRACKS.
SO IT'S, IT'S ON THE, THE SCALE OF A, OF AN ENTIRE SUBDIVISION.
MR. QUINN, IS THERE AN FAR RESTRICTION ON THESE SMALL LOTS? UH, NOT DIRECTLY.
UM, OUR, OUR, OUR EXISTING CODE DOESN'T HAVE AN FAR RESTRICTING FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
AND THIS DOESN'T DIRECTLY HAVE ONE EITHER.
UM, F-A-F-A-R FLOOR AREA RATIO.
UM, THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY SORT OF BULK RESTRICTIONS WHICH AN FAR WOULD BE DIRECTLY GETTING AT THE BULK OF THE BUILDING.
UM, ONE THING THAT'S INTERESTING THAT WE, THAT IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING IN TERMS OF, UH, APPLYING THIS IN DALLAS IS THE SECOND BULLET POINT THAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, THE CITY CANNOT REQUIRE MORE THAN 30% OPEN SPACE OR PERMEABLE SURFACE.
SO WE ARE INTERPRETING THAT, UM, ON A PRACTICAL A, UH, APPLICABILITY.
BASICALLY WE WILL USE THAT EXACT LANGUAGE WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES IN, UM, TO DEVELOP ONE OF THESE SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE FIVE ACRES OR MORE.
UM, BASICALLY THEY'LL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE 30% OF EACH LOT THAT IS AT LEAST PERMEABLE, UM, AND OPEN SPACE.
OTHER THAN THAT, THEY CAN PUT A BUILDING, THEY CAN PUT PAVING, THEY CAN PUT WHATEVER THEY WANT IN THAT OTHER PORTION.
MR. FINNEY THEN MS. EVANS, MR. FINNEY, UM, SO BACK TO THE BLOCK FACE CONTINUITY COMMENT.
UM, SO IN A, THE SPECIFIC SITUATION OF A, OF A KEY LOT WHERE YOU HAVE THE LOTS AT THE END OF A BLOCK ORIENTED PERPENDICULAR TO THE REST OF THE BLOCK, UH, WOULD THE, UH, ON THE CORNER LOTS, WOULD THE FRONT YARD SETBACK OF THE REST OF THE BLOCK APPLY? OR WOULD THE, THIS SIDE YARD SETBACK OF, UM, FIVE FEET APPLY? IT? IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER THAT SIDE YARD IS ACTING AS A FRONT YARD.
SO WE DID HAVE A DEVELOPMENT COME IN RECENTLY WHERE THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF LOTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAD THAT CORNER LOT SITUATION.
AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THEY HAD CONFIGURED ADJACENT LOTS ON THE SAME BLOCK FACE, THAT SIDE YARD WAS GONNA END UP BEING A 15 FOOT SETBACK.
WHEREAS IF THEY REORIENTED, UM, IF THEY REORIENTED THE REMAINDER OF THE LOTS ON THAT SAME BLOCK FACE, THEN THEY COULD, UH, USE THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK.
SO IN THAT SENSE, BLOCK FACE CONTINUITY WITHIN ITSELF STILL APPLIES.
SO WITHIN THAT DEVELOPMENT, BUT IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE ADJACENT TO AN R SEVEN FIVE A DEVELOPMENT, YOU DON'T SUDDENLY HAVE TO HAVE A 25 FOOT SETBACK FOR ONE OF THESE SUBDIVISIONS.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIVE ACRE TRACKS.
COULD WE JUST ELABORATE ON WHAT DEFINES THAT AND HOW THAT'S DEFINED? THE, THE, THE, IS IT A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CONSISTS OF A FIVE ACRE TRACT OR DOES THAT HAVE TO, HOW, HOW DO YOU FIND THAT? IT IS A FIVE ACRE? UM, AN AN A A PORTION OF PROPERTY OR PROPERTY THAT HAS AN AREA OF AT LEAST FIVE ACRES, REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED WITH THE EXCEPTION, IT, IT HAS TO BE A LOCATION THAT ALLOWS THE SINGLE FAMILY USE.
SO IF YOU COULD FIND A FIVE ACRE UN PLATTED, UH, TRACT OF LAND IN THE MIDDLE OF AN R SEVEN FIVE A DISTRICT, THEN YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO COME IN WITH ONE OF THESE SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, KEYWORD THERE WAS UNPLANTED WITHOUT A CURRENT PLANT? THAT'S CORRECT.
[03:00:01]
OKAY.DR. GLOVER, MY ISSUE IS ABOUT, UH, INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WITH NSOS.
UH, WE'VE SEEN AND HAD CASES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN NSOS IN SOME AREAS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION OVERLAYS IN AREAS, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE BOARD.
WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT TO UPDATE THE DOCKETS TO PROVIDE US THIS INFORMATION SO WE CAN HAVE FULL OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE SITUATION IS? I'M NOT SURE I'M FOLLOWING THE QUESTION TO UPDATE THE DOCKET.
SO BEFORE THE DOCKET IS PRESENTED, UM, INFORMATION IS GATHERED ABOUT THE CASE AND IN CERTAIN CASES THAT HAVE BEEN NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION OVERLAYS TO PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN ADDED TO THE DOCKET WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED.
SUPPORT ADMINISTRATOR? I CAN, SO I THINK HE MAY BE REFERENCING, UM, IN THE PAST, UM, SAY FOR INSTANCE, UM, A PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITH, YOU KNOW, IN A PROPERTY WHERE THERE'S AN NSO OR LOCATED WITHIN A PD, OUR STAFF GENERALLY JUST REFERENCE THE NSO OR REFERENCE THE PD WITHOUT ACTUALLY ADDING THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
THAT INCLUDES, UM, SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR NSO OR PD.
UM, WE DON'T DO THAT TYPICALLY BECAUSE IT'S, THEY'RE LARGE DOCUMENTS, RIGHT.
BUT, UM, IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN GOING FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A CASE, THEN WE'LL PROVIDE LIKE A SNIPPET.
WE STILL WON'T PROVIDE THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT'S JUST GONNA MAKE THE DOCKET ITSELF LARGER.
SO, AND I, I APOLOGIZE, I WASN'T QUITE UNDERSTANDING.
I, I WILL, UM, DEFER TO DR COM, UH, DR. MILLER HOSKINS ON ANYTHING SORT OF PROCEDURE WISE WITH RESPECT TO THE BOARD CASES THAT IS, UH, NOT AN AREA THAT I AM, YOU KNOW, INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH FOR CERTAINLY THERE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO THOSE PLANNERS IF NEEDED.
I WOULD SAY, UM, LET ME JUST SAY THIS ON THE RECORD AND TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS IN A ZONING CASE, UM, UH, WE DON'T NECESSARILY, UH, INCLUDE THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE OR ANY OVERLAYS AS PART OF THE DOCKET, BUT WE DO PROVIDE A LINK TO THAT ORDINANCE OR OVERLAY ON THE FRONT PAGE OF A STAFF REPORT.
SO, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO GET IT IN THERE AND PROVIDE QUICK ACCESS FOR REFERENCE IF THERE WAS A LINK DIRECTLY TO IT.
AND, UM, AT SOME POINT BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR, OR, UM, BEGINNING IN JANUARY, WE'RE GONNA START USING REGISTRAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? AND SO THAT WAY LINKS ARE EMBEDDED IN THAT DOCUMENT, SO OKAY.
UM, WE STILL CAN REGULATE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS REGULATED.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, THE BILL DOESN'T NECESSARILY PRECLUDE US FROM REGULATING, UM, THE ITEMS YOU SEE HERE.
ONE THING OF NOTE, UM, WITH RESPECT TO DRIVEWAY SHARING WITH ANOTHER LOT, UM, THE BILL, UM, DOES SPECIFY THAT CITIES CAN REQUIRE SHARED DRIVEWAYS, UM, IN THESE SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENTS.
WE IN DALLAS DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY MECHANISM IN OUR CODE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO REQUIRE THAT.
WE DON'T, I MEAN, BASICALLY THERE'S, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NOT A CURRENT REQUIREMENT TO DO THAT.
I BELIEVE THOUGH, THAT THERE ARE SOME DESIGN STANDARDS UNDER DISCUSSION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HELP SPECIFICALLY WITH THESE SMALLER LOT DEVELOPMENTS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING GOOD URBAN DESIGN WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT COMES IN.
BECAUSE AS YOU NOTED, IT CAN HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EXISTING, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT WOULD ALLOW SINGLE FAMILY.
SO WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GONNA BE GOOD DESIGN COMING IN.
UM, I'M KIND OF JUST GONNA ROLL THROUGH THE MAP ON THIS ONE.
UM, BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S JUST KIND OF GIVING SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THIS MIGHT BE APPLICABLE, BUT I WILL CAUTION YOU ON THIS MAP.
UM, IT INCLUDES, UM, PARK LAND AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER PROPERTY THAT ISN'T ACTUALLY DEVELOPABLE.
THIS IS A PRETTY OLD SLIDE, SO EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS GENERALLY ABOUT SB 15 BEFORE I GO ONTO THE NEXT BILL
[03:05:02]
UM, SO SB EIGHT 40 IS, UH, ONE THAT I'VE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN.
UM, WE HAVE A ESTABLISHED A, A PROCESS FOR PRE-APPLICATION SCREENING.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THE BOARD IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IS MAKING SURE THAT, UH, CONSISTENT AND ACCURATE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO DEVELOPERS AND ALSO TO REVIEW STAFF.
UM, AND SO GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS PARTICULAR BILL AND EVEN, UM, STATE BILL 15, WE HAVE A PRE-APPLICATION SCREENING PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN MEET WITH DEVELOPERS PRIOR TO GOING TO PERMITTING.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONGOING TRAINING, UM, FOR OUR REVIEW STAFF AND SUBDIVISION STAFF.
THIS BILL PARTICULARLY DEALS WITH, UM, THREE MAIN THINGS.
UM, ONE UNI MUNICIPALITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SIZE OF DALLAS, UM, UH, MUST ALLOW MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN ADDITIONAL ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS.
AND THAT MEANS PLACES WHERE IT'S NOT CURRENTLY ALLOWED.
SO RETAIL DISTRICTS, OFFICE DISTRICTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, IT ALSO LIMITS THE CITY'S AUTHORITY TO REGULATE CERTAIN ASPECTS RELATED TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THAT'S REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE MULTI-FAMILY IS ALLOWED UNDER THE EXISTING ZONING OR IF THE MULTIFAMILY IS ALLOWED BASED ON SB EIGHT 40.
AND THEN THERE'S A THIRD PART, UM, THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN AS MUCH TRACTION ON YET, BUT I, I, I THINK WILL COME SOON THERE.
UH, IT STREAMLINES THE PROCESS FOR CONVERTING CERTAIN EXISTING OFFICE BUILDINGS AND WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS FOR USE AS MULTIFAMILY OR MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL.
UM, THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THIS SLIDE, UM, THE BILL SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT THE CITY CAN STILL REGULATE CERTAIN THINGS, BUT THE SECOND BULLET HERE, THE MIXED INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BONUS PROGRAM, WE TECHNICALLY CAN STILL, UM, WE CAN STILL RUN THAT PROGRAM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT MANY OF THE BONUSES THAT DEVELOPERS WOULD TYPICALLY USE THE, UH, MIXED INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BONUS PROGRAM FOR, UM, ARE ACTUALLY TAKEN CARE OF AND PROVIDED FOR THEM THROUGH SB EIGHT 40.
SO WE'VE SEEN A BIT OF AN EXODUS OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD TYPICALLY GO AND USE THIS PROGRAM.
THEY MIGHT GO BECAUSE THEY NEED ADDITIONAL HEIGHT OR THEY NEED ADDITIONAL DENSITY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE SB EIGHT 40 APPLIES, UM, TO SO MANY PLACES, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS WITHDRAWING PROJECTS SO THAT THEY CAN RESUBMIT THEM UNDER SB EIGHT 40.
YES, MR. SLATE HAS A QUESTION.
UM, THAT'S MORE OF KIND OF A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT FOR US TO MAYBE DISCUSS LATER AND IS NOT DIRECTED HERE.
OUR STANDARDS FOR THE VARIANCE TALK ABOUT THAT WE CAN'T DEVELOP, YOU HAVE TO, IT HAS TO BE NECESSARY TO PERMIT DEVELOPMENT OF A SPECIFIC PARCEL OF LAND THAT CANNOT BE DEVELOPED IN A MATTER COMMENSURATE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT UPON OTHER PARCELS OF LAND WITH THE SAME ZONING DISTRICT.
THEN I THINK WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR, UM, LANGUAGE AND OUR STANDARDS FOR REVIEW AND OUR DOCKETS.
BUT PUTTING THAT ASIDE WITHIN THE SAME ZONING DISTRICT, I'M CURIOUS AS TO THINK ABOUT HOW THIS, THESE EXTENSIONS OF CERTAIN TYPE OF ZONING APPLICATIONS ARE GOING TO IMPACT THAT IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THINKING THROUGH RESTRICTIONS IN TERMS OF THE WAY A PARTICULAR DEVELOPER IS COMING AND ASKING FOR RELIEF VERSUS WHAT COULD BE DONE ON THE PARCEL DEPENDING ON HOW THESE APPLY.
WELL, I THINK THE LONG OF, THE SHORT OF BOTH THE, UM, THE, THE SMALL LOT SB 15 AND NOW SB EIGHT 40 IS THERE'S A NEW LEVEL OF PROPERTY RIGHTS, INHERIT PROPERTY RIGHTS CREATED BY THE STATE, AND IT IMP IT INCREASED THE PROPERTY RIGHTS.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE COMES TO US TO ASK FOR A VARIANCE OF SPECIAL EXCEPTION OR OTHERWISE, WELL, A LOT OF THAT WON'T, THAT REQUEST MAY NOT COME BECAUSE THEY JUST GOT ENHANCED PROPERTY RIGHTS.
SO THE, THE PRESUMPTION IS THAT PROFESSIONAL STAFF LEGAL AND PLANNING DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE TO BETTER QUALIFY THAT APPLICATION AS IT COMES THROUGH.
AND IN MANY CASES, IT'LL BE, YOU DON'T NEED TO APPLY.
YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT NEW PROPERTY.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IS WHAT THE, THE KEY THING'S GONNA BE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STAFF IS SUFFICIENTLY FORTIFIED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE NEW PROPERTY RIGHTS, UH, GIVEN PROPERTY RIGHTS.
[03:10:01]
QUESTION? I'M, IT DOES.I'M JUST CONTEMPLATING A SITUATION WHERE AN APPLICANT IS COMING TO US WANTING TO DO ONE THING IN PARTICULAR, AND OUR STANDARD IS GOING TO BE, WELL, IF YOU COULD DO IT IN THIS OTHER WAY WITH THESE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS YOU NOW HAVE, CAN YOU NOT SATISFY THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT OF YOUR CLAIM? BECAUSE YOU COULD DEVELOP IN A MATTER COMMISERATE WITH OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE DISTRICT, JUST IN A WAY MAYBE THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU WANT.