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GOOD MORNING. THE TIME IS 9:00. IS THAT 9:08?
[Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on January 20, 2026.]
YEAH. GLASSES. TIME IS 9:08, AND WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
APPROVAL? I HAVE A SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND PROPERLY SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ALL OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. WE'RE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO ITEM.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND A COUPLE OF BRIEFING ITEMS, BRIEFING MEMOS AS WELL.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE, WITH THE BODY AS WELL AS LEGAL.
SO WE CAN LOOP SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS IN. SO WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS BOTH ON ITEMS A AND ITEMS B, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE COMMITTEE. B OR D. I'M SORRY A AND D, D AS IN DAVID.
THANK YOU. ALRIGHT SO WITH THAT I'LL HAND IT OVER TO STAFF.
LET'S GO. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR GRACEY, VICE CHAIR CADENA AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS MANYA SHORR AND I AM THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
I AM JOINED TODAY BY DOCTOR BRETT ANDERSON, THE CITY'S CHIEF DATA OFFICER.
NO ONE, LEAST OF ALL ME, WANTS TO CLOSE LIBRARIES.
BUT WE HAVE FOUND OURSELVES AT THE CROSSROADS OF A REALLY TOUGH TIME, AND IF NO ONE HAD SHOWN UP OR BEEN UPSET, I AND ALL LIBRARY STAFF WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED.
NO RECOMMENDATION IS PERFECT. NO ANALYSIS IS PERFECT.
BUT I WAS ASKED TO COME FORWARD WITH A PLAN THAT CREATES A CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE WAY TO SUSTAIN BUDGET PRESSURES, AND ALSO GIVE THE RESIDENTS OF DALLAS MORE ACCESS TO LIBRARY SERVICES.
NEXT SLIDE. TODAY WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY REGIONAL MODEL AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. WE'LL DISCUSS THE BACKGROUND, HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF THE REGIONAL MODEL.
DOCTOR ANDERCHEK WILL COVER WHAT WE CONSIDERED AND THE DATA WE USE TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
NEXT SLIDE. AS PART OF THE MOST RECENT BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY, MOVING TO A REGIONAL MODEL IN FISCAL YEAR 26-27.
NEXT SLIDE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE REGIONAL MODEL ESTABLISHES SERVICE REGIONS THAT ARE ANCHORED WITH FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES THAT WILL PROVIDE EXPANDED HOURS AND DEEPER AND MORE IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL ASK WHY IS THE LIBRARY RECOMMENDING A REGIONAL MODEL? WELL, FOR A FEW REASONS. IT WILL ALIGN SERVICE EXPECTATIONS WITH THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS WE HAVE AND CREATE A SUSTAINABLE ANNUAL BUDGET WITH COST SAVINGS. WE WERE ASKED TO FIND $1.9 MILLION IN SAVINGS IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND AN ADDITIONAL $2.6 MILLION IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THAT'S A TOTAL BUDGET SAVINGS OF $4.5 MILLION THAT WE WERE ASKED TO FIND OVER TWO YEARS.
THE REGIONAL MODEL WILL ALLOW US TO OFFER SERVICES WHEN RESIDENTS NEED THEM MOST, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE NOW, AND IT WILL CONDENSE OUR HIGHEST IMPACT SERVICES INTO FIVE FLAGSHIP LOCATIONS, WITH A PLAN TO ADD ADDITIONAL FLAGSHIPS IN FUTURE YEARS. NEXT SLIDE. NOW, BEFORE WE CONTINUE, I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY IS NOT PART OF THE REGIONAL MODEL CONVERSATION, FOR THE MOST PART, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BRANCH LIBRARIES OFFER SIMILAR LEVELS OF SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, BUT CENTRAL LIBRARY IS A RESOURCE FOR THE REGION AND EVEN THE COUNTRY, AND HAS SPECIALIZED SERVICES THAT DO NOT EXIST AT THE BRANCH LIBRARIES.
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THESE INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING ONE OF THE TOP TEN GENEALOGY LIBRARIES IN THE COUNTRY AND DALLAS SPECIFIC LOCAL HISTORY AND ARCHIVES. I WILL BE COMING BACK TO QLAC AT A LATER DATE WITH A PROPOSAL TO REIMAGINE THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.NEXT SLIDE. SO I'D LIKE TO START WITH SOME HISTORY SO YOU KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE.
ON THE LEFT YOU WILL SEE BUDGET DOLLARS. AND RUNNING ALONG THE BOTTOM ARE THE YEARS.
THIS GRAPH STARTS IN 2001 AND ENDS WITH NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT OUR PEAK BUDGET YEAR WAS 07-08, RIGHT BEFORE THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
AFTER THAT, WE DIPPED LIKE EVERY LIBRARY AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT WE'VE NEVER RECOVERED.
WE ALSO HAVE MORE LIBRARY LOCATIONS NOW THAN WE DID THEN.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2007, 2008, WE HAD 26 LOCATIONS AND NOW WE HAVE 29.
WE ARE DOING MORE WITH LESS AND HAVE BEEN FOR QUITE A WHILE.
NEXT SLIDE. HERE'S ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THE SAME INFORMATION.
THE SOLID BLUE LINE IN THE GRAPH REPRESENTS BUDGET DOLLARS PER LIBRARY BRANCH OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THE DOTTED BLUE LINE SHOWS THE TREND OF THE DOLLAR PER LIBRARY BRANCH SPENT, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAPH INFLATION ADJUSTED DOLLAR BUDGET PER LIBRARY BRANCH HAS OVERALL DECLINED, PARTICULARLY AFTER 2007, AND HAS NEVER REACHED BACK TO ITS PRIOR LEVELS.
IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD FLUCTUATIONS IN OUR BUDGET OVER TIME, EVEN WITH SOME INCREASES, THE TREND IS THAT WE HAVE LESS OVER TIME TO OPERATE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? IT MEANS THAT DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY FUNDING HAS NOT RECOVERED FROM THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN OF 2008 TO 2011. OUR BUDGET HAS REMAINED STAGNANT SINCE 2001, EVEN WITH POPULATION INCREASES, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND INCREASED BRANCH LOCATIONS. OUR PURCHASING POWER HAS DECREASED BY ON AVERAGE 20% SINCE 2001 DUE TO INFLATION, AND WE ARE AT 2008 LEVELS OF SPENDING, WHICH IS ROUGHLY $33 PER DALLAS RESIDENT PER YEAR. HOWEVER, NEW LIBRARIES HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH BOND FUNDING, BUT THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE LIBRARY HAS NOT INCREASED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE COST OF OPERATIONS AT THE NEW BRANCHES.
NEXT SLIDE. LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT OTHER LIBRARIES.
HERE ARE SOME OF OUR PEER LIBRARIES. WE INCLUDED THE OTHER LARGE CITIES IN TEXAS, SINCE THEY HAVE A COMPARABLE STRUCTURE, AND THEN OTHER MUNICIPAL LIBRARIES AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH SIMILAR POPULATION SIZES.
AND WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO THE MEDIAN PEER LIBRARY ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE CAN SEE THAT DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS MORE LIBRARY BRANCHES COMPARED TO THE MEDIAN PEER CITY, BUT WITH A ALMOST $8 MILLION SMALLER ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET, ALMOST 28 FEWER EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS ALMOST ENOUGH TO STAFF THREE BRANCHES, AND WE SPEND OVER $8 LESS PER RESIDENT THAN THE MEDIAN LIBRARY AMONG OUR PEERS.
NEXT SLIDE. FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27, WE ARE RECOMMENDING MOVING TO A REGIONAL MODEL.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WILL MOVE FROM ONE EXISTING FLAGSHIP LIBRARY IN THE VICKERY PARK BRANCH TO FIVE, WITH A GOAL TO MOVE TO SEVEN FLAGSHIP LOCATIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2027-28, PENDING BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, WE WILL ESTABLISH SEVEN LIBRARY REGIONS THAT YOU SEE HERE.
AND WE WILL DISCUSS THOSE MORE THOROUGHLY WITH DOCTOR ANDERSON.
BUT THESE FORMED THE BASIS OF OUR RECOMMENDED SERVICE MODEL.
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AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, SAVING $2.6 MILLION IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.THIS IS AFTER WE ALREADY FOUND 1.9 MILLION IN SAVINGS THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, THAT'S A TOTAL BUDGET SAVINGS OF $4.5 MILLION.
BECAUSE OF THE OPERATING BUDGET TRENDS YOU SAW IN PREVIOUS SLIDES, WE ARE ONLY OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES, BUT WITH VERY LIMITED HOURS. FOR EXAMPLE, ALL BRANCHES CLOSE AT 5 P.M.
SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK. THIS IS OUR CURRENT STATE, AND IT LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO OFFER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND MAKE COMMUNITIES BETTER. HAVING FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES WILL CHANGE ALL OF THAT BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE ROBUST STAFFING.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO BE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND UNTIL 8 P.M.
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AT THE FLAGSHIPS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO CONCENTRATE OUR MOST IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS AND OFFER THEM WHEN PEOPLE NEED THEM MOST. PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SUCH AS ADULT LEARNING, ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES, GED INSTRUCTION, RESEARCH AND HOMEWORK HELP, COMPUTER INSTRUCTION AND SO MUCH MORE.
THIS WILL LEAD TO DEEPER CONNECTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND THE GOAL IS TO, EVEN IN A BUDGET DOWN CYCLE, TO OFFER LOCATIONS THAT ARE VIBRANT, ACTIVE AND OPEN WHEN WORKING FAMILIES NEED THEM.
I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE RECOMMENDING A CONTRACTION OF LIBRARY LOCATIONS IN THE SHORT TERM, THE LONG TERM GOAL IS EXPANSION IN NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS.
I BELIEVE WE CAN OFFER LIBRARY SERVICES IN RETAIL LOCATIONS, SUCH AS THE BRANCH WE HAVE IN NORTH PARK CENTER, CO-LOCATIONS WITH NONPROFITS AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, POP UPS, AND OTHER CREATIVE IDEAS.
STAND ALONE LIBRARY FACILITIES ARE BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE WAY TO OFFER LIBRARY SERVICES, AND I'M COMMITTED TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO EXPAND IN THE FUTURE.
AND I WILL FIRST TURN IT OVER TO DOCTOR ANDRECHEK TO DISCUSS THE REGIONS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SHORR. THE OFFICE OF DATA ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE USED THE LIBRARY'S EXISTING SEVEN REGION ADMINISTRATIVE MAP, AND WE BALANCE THOSE REGIONS BY POPULATION. USING 2023 DATA FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU'S AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY'S, FINAL REFINEMENTS WERE MADE TO ALIGN THOSE ZONES WITH REAL WORLD FEATURES, SUCH AS MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND THE TRINITY RIVER BASIN.
THIS APPROACH PRODUCED ZONES THAT WERE STATISTICALLY BALANCED IN REGARDS TO POPULATION SIZE, WHILE STILL MAKING SENSE TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND MOVE THROUGH THE CITY.
SO THE MAP ON SLIDE 15 SHOWS THOSE REGIONS, AS WELL AS A TABLE WITH EACH REGION'S CENSUS ESTIMATED POPULATION AND OVERLAYS THE CITY'S LIBRARIES. I KNOW THAT THE MAP IS SMALL, AND SO ALL OF YOU COUNCILMEMBERS SHOULD HAVE A MAP IN FRONT OF YOU.
THERE SHOULD BE A BIG VERSION IN FRONT OF YOU. IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK IN FIGURING OUT HOW TO APPROACH CLOSURE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PEOPLE USE LIBRARIES DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
AS I'VE SAID TO THIS BODY LAST FALL, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS USE LIBRARIES IN TRADITIONAL WAYS, CHECKING OUT BOOKS, BUT IN OTHERS, THE LIBRARY IS A SAFE SPACE FOR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL OR A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GO TO ACCESS THE INTERNET OR USE A PRINTER.
IT WAS CRITICAL THAT WE USE A COMBINATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND LIBRARY USE DATA.
IF WE ONLY USE TRADITIONAL LIBRARY DATA, WE WERE AT RISK OF THE FORMULA RECOMMENDING THAT WE CLOSE LIBRARIES IN AREAS OF HIGH COMMUNITY NEED. THE LIBRARY TEAM COLLABORATED WITH THE OFFICE OF DATA ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TO UNDERSTAND DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIBRARIES AND SERVICES PROVIDED. THE BIGGEST IMPACT WE HAVE IS WITH OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WORKING WITH DBI.
THIS IS WHY YOU SEE THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION, AND AGE UNDER FIVE.
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THESE ARE THE CLEAREST MARKERS OF POVERTY AND A NEED FOR MORE EDUCATION.LIBRARY USAGE COVERS THE TRADITIONAL METRICS YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE.
OH, WE'RE ON THE WRONG SLIDE. SLIDE 16 PLEASE.
MY APOLOGIES. SO YOU'LL SEE THE THE COMMUNITY NEED AND THE VARIABLES THAT I MENTIONED HERE.
AND THEN MOVING DOWN TO LIBRARY USAGE THAT COVERS THE TRADITIONAL METRICS YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE, INCLUDING CHECKOUTS, COMPUTER SESSIONS, PROGRAMS, AND ATTENDANCE.
THE TABLE ON SLIDE 16, WHICH DIRECTOR SHORR HAS BEEN TALKING US THROUGH, SHOWS THE ELEMENTS THAT MADE UP THE MODEL WITH THEIR CORRESPONDING VARIABLES AND DESCRIPTION. THERE WERE THREE MAJOR ELEMENTS REPRESENTING LIBRARY COMMUNITY NEEDS LIBRARY COVERAGE, AND LIBRARY USAGE METRICS THAT WERE CONSIDERED IN THE REGIONAL MODEL.
LIBRARY USAGE METRICS REFLECTS HOW RESIDENTS ENGAGE WITH THE LIBRARY, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE CHECKOUTS, PROGRAMS, AND COMPUTER SESSIONS. LIBRARY COVERAGE PROVIDES DETAILS ON INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND CAPACITY.
SO THESE THREE ELEMENTS WERE THEN WEIGHTED BASED ON LIBRARY STAFF, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, AND AS DIRECTOR SHORR MENTIONED, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO WITH THE COMMUNITY NEED MODEL.
THIS MODEL ASSIGNS GREATER IMPORTANCE, OR A WEIGHT OF 50%, TO THE COMMUNITY BASED SOCIO ECONOMIC DATA, INDICATIVE OF A COMMUNITY'S NEEDS WITHIN A LIBRARY SERVICE AREA.
SO ON THAT LEFT HAND COLUMN UNDER ELEMENT, YOU CAN SEE THE WEIGHTING OF EACH ELEMENT AT 50, 30, AND 20% RESPECTIVELY. COMPOSITE SCORES WERE THEN GENERATED FOR EACH LIBRARY BASED ON THE WEIGHTED SUM OF COMMUNITY NEED, LIBRARY COVERAGE, AND LIBRARY USAGE STATISTICS, AND THEN THOSE LIBRARIES WERE RANKED BASED ON THOSE FACTORS WITHIN THEIR CORRESPONDING GEOGRAPHIC REGION. AT NO TIME WERE WE INTENDING A DATA ANALYSIS TO TAKE THE PLACE OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, BUT RATHER TO PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK TO THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR WITHIN REGION RESULTS.
DIRECTOR SHORR IS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE FLAGSHIPS BY REGION ON SLIDE 17.
FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES WERE CHOSEN USING A DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT RELIED ON LIBRARIES.
AS BRITA SAID, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE. IN ORDER TO BE OPEN EVERY DAY WITH LONG HOURS AND ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL OF BEING ACTIVE, BUSY AND VIBRANT SPACES, WE IDENTIFIED LOCATIONS THAT HAD A LARGE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND UNIQUE OFFERINGS, SUCH AS A BLACK BOX THEATER, AND WE'RE CLOSE TO A MAJOR INTERSECTIONS OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HUBS.
SO OUR FLAGSHIPS ARE FRETZ PARK IN NORTH, BACHMAN LAKE IN NORTHWEST, VICKERY PARK IN NORTHEAST, HAMPTON ILLINOIS IN WEST, AND PLEASANT GROVE IN SOUTHEAST.
WITH THESE AND YOU'LL SEE THIS MAP IN THE APPENDIX, AND I BELIEVE IN FRONT OF YOU WITH THES, 87% OF DALLAS RESIDENTS WILL LIVE WITHIN A 15 MINUTE DRIVE OF A FLAGSHIP LIBRARY.
THAT MEANS THAT A 15 MINUTE DRIVE TO ACCESS LIBRARIES OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND OF COURSE, THERE WILL STILL BE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES AVAILABLE WITH MORE LIMITED HOURS.
AND ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO ADD FLAGSHIPS IN SOUTHWEST AND EAST REGIONS, WE WILL GET EVEN CLOSER TO 100% COVERAGE WITHIN A 15 MINUTE DRIVE. SLIDE 18 SHOWS THE RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY NEED MODEL THAT WE TALKED THROUGH ON SLIDE 16.
AND ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE REGIONS.
THESE RANKINGS DO NOT CHANGE MUCH, NO MATTER HOW WE WEIGHT THOSE ATTRIBUTES.
RENNER, FRANKFORD IN THE NORTH. APOLOGIES. SLIDE 19 PLEASE.
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THANK YOU. RENNER FRANKFORD IN THE NORTH, OAK LAWN IN NORTHWEST, ARCADIA PARK IN WEST, AND SKYLINE IN SOUTHEAST. NEXT SLIDE. I RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY THIS PROPOSAL WILL WANT TO GIVE FEEDBACK.WE HAVE STAKEHOLDERS, COMMUNITIES THAT LOVE US.
ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTNER WITH US. AND THESE DECISIONS WERE NOT MADE IN A VACUUM.
AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MANY OF THESE GROUPS FOR MONTHS.
I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND CONNECTIONS.
IF THERE ARE OTHER GROUPS THAT WOULD LIKE TO MEET AND DISCUSS.
NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT YEAR WILL BE A BUSY ONE FOR THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I PLAN TO COME BACK TO THIS BODY LATER THIS YEAR TO DISCUSS THE REIMAGINING OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, AND A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE REGIONAL MODEL TO FULL COUNCIL IN THE SPRING.
THE SELECTED NEIGHBORHOOD BRANCH LIBRARIES WILL CLOSE NEAR THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES OPEN IN JANUARY OF 2027. WE LEARNED QUITE A BIT, CLOSING SKILLMAN SOUTHWESTERN AND IT'S A HEAVY LIFT TO CLOSE ONE BRANCH, LET ALONE FOUR. WE NEED TIME TO CLEAN OUT THE LOCATIONS, WORK WITH FRM AND ITS, REASSIGN AND TRAIN STAFF AND PLAN FOR OPENING NEW FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES. NEXT SLIDE.
AND WITH THAT, DOCTOR ANDERCHECK AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
MR. ROTH. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. IT'S THIS IS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION BECAUSE THE LIBRARIES ARE REALLY A CENTRAL PART OF, OF OF OUR WHOLE ECOSYSTEM ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, COMMUNITY BASED.
IT'S IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT, ESPECIALLY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHEN I'M EXPECTING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE AT A MILLION AND A HALF PEOPLE NOW.
IN 20 YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO BE 3 MILLION PEOPLE, PROBABLY.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER OUR PLANNING IS REALLY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE THE GROWTH THAT'S ESTABLISHED IN THE, IN THE SHORT TERM, THE MID-TERM AND THE LONG TERM FOR, FOR THIS SITUATION.
AND IT'S AND ANY DECISIONS AND ANY PLANNING THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, I THINK, NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW, DENSITY IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE.
AND I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE EVALUATING STRATEGICALLY IN YOUR PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH AND PLANNING OF OF OF THE SYSTEM, RATHER THAN JUST THE IMMEDIATE EFFICIENCIES THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER ROTH, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'LL GO BACK TO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN GROWING. THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN ALMOST ENTIRELY THROUGH STANDALONE LIBRARIES, BOOKMARKS BRANCH INSIDE NORTH PARK CENTER BEING THE EXCEPTION.
THAT'S BEEN OPEN FOR 20 YEARS. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDING MORE RETAIL LOCATIONS, MORE CO-LOCATIONS, BECAUSE BOND FUNDED STANDALONE LIBRARIES ARE EXPENSIVE.
THAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING I DO EVERY DAY, WHICH IS OPEN ALL 29 LOCATIONS.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT GROWTH, WHAT I WANT TO THINK ABOUT IS DO WE NEED LARGE LIBRARIES? CAN WE HAVE SPACES THAT CAN EXPAND AND CONTRACT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT WE'RE GIVEN? WHAT DOES THAT COMMUNITY NEED? THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED TRANSACTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, SUCH AS PICKING UP THEIR HOLDS, A SMALL BROWSING COLLECTION, AND THEN THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT JUST NEED SOME COMPUTERS.
WE DO NOT NEED TO BE BUILDING 20,000 SQUARE FOOT LIBRARIES EVERY FOUR YEARS.
SO AS I THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE, THAT'S WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON.
THANK YOU. THE OTHER THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS THAT THE NATURE OF THE LIBRARY SERVICES IS NOT CLEAR TO ME, AND WHAT THE PLAN IS, AND WHAT THE SORT OF THE FUTURE OF LIBRARY SERVICES REALLY ARE.
ASIDE FROM HOW DO YOU ACCESS BOOKS READING MATERIAL, RESEARCH MATERIALS?
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IT SEEMS LIKE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF YOUR PLANNING NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THE SOCIAL INTERACTION, THE COMMUNITY NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE CONGREGATING, INTERACTING, AND THAT REQUIRES STAFF THAT REQUIRES PEOPLE.IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE A PLACE WHERE YOU'RE TOUCHING A SCREEN AND AND DOING SOMETHING ON YOUR OWN.
SO AGAIN, IS THAT IS WHAT IS THE MODELS FOR OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT ARE, THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS IN GROWTH COMMUNITIES? YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN LIBRARIES FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS HARD FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE NIMBLE THE WAY THAT PRIVATE COMPANIES DO. SO WE HAVE MANY BUILDINGS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY THAT WERE BUILT BEFORE THE INTERNET. NO ONE COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE ROLE THAT THE INTERNET WOULD PLAY IN TERMS OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL AND EVEN BOOKS.
COVID ALONE PUSHED MANY PEOPLE TOWARDS EBOOKS TO THE POINT THAT IT IS NOW 50% OF OUR CIRCULATION IS IMMATERIAL, AND I EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE TO GROW. SO WE HAVE THE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE, AND WHAT WE DO AS WE CAN IS, IS WE TRY TO ANTICIPATE THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS, BUT I'M WITH YOU.
IT IS IT IS DIFFICULT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS THE CIVIC COMMONS, AND IT IS A PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE. AND I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT.
THANK YOU. AND COMMITTEE, I APOLOGIZE. I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF ETIQUETTE.
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH DISTRICTS WHOSE LIBRARIES WOULD BE IMPACTED FIRST.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL START PASS IT ON TO VICE CHAIR DANA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
SO WAS THE ADVISORY BOARD ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE CLOSURES.
HOWEVER, THIS VERY SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE SEEING TODAY THAT WE WORKED ON WITH DBI WAS EMBARGOED UNTIL FRIDAY FOR REASONS THAT IT WAS JUST WE NEEDED TO HAVE AN UNBIASED PROCESS IN ORDER TO RECOMMEND CLOSURES WITH THE IDEA THAT WE'D BE COMING TO THE COMMUNITY AFTER THAT. SO THE MUNICIPAL LIBRARY BOARD HAS OPEN MEETINGS, SO THEY DID NOT SEE THIS LIST.
IN FACT, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RECOMMENDED CLOSURE LIBRARIES UNTIL ABOUT UNTIL ABOUT NEW YEAR'S EVE.
AND THEN HOW WERE THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS CHOSEN THEIR LOCATIONS FOR AFTER THE CLOSURES? ABSOLUTELY. WE CHOSE THE FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES VERY DELIBERATELY FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE IS CAPACITY. I'M EXPECTING LARGE CROWDS, AND THE FLAGSHIPS WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE AND HAVE BIG SPACES. AND TWO, BECAUSE MY HOPE IS THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL COME AND EXPERIENCE THE FLAGSHIPS.
IF THEY HAVEN'T SEEN THEM BEFORE, THAT THEY WILL DRIVE TO THEM, THEY WILL TAKE THE BUS TO THEM, THEY WILL COME TO THEM AND AND SEE WHAT IS BEING OFFERED IN THOSE FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES.
AND THEN IN SOME CASES, THESE LIBRARIES ARE THE ONLY CITY BUILDING IN A COMMUNITY, IT'S WHERE COMMUNITY MEETINGS ARE HELD. WAS THAT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE METRICS THAT Y'ALL FORMULATED? IT WAS NOT. WE DON'T KEEP TRACK OF SEPARATE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
WHAT WAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WERE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS, THE LIBRARY PROGRAM.
SO STORYTIMES, BOOK CLUBS, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN ALSO OUR ROOMS THAT ARE RENTED OR RESERVED.
BUT WE DID NOT PULL OUT COMMUNITY MEETINGS SPECIFICALLY.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, I LOOK AT WEST DALLAS WHO IS ON THE VERY EDGE OF ONE OF THESE REGIONAL LIBRARIES.
WEST DALLAS HAS THE DALLAS HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THERE WAS A SUIT, THE WALKER DECREE, ABOUT DISCRIMINATION THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I SEE DALLAS WEST IS THERE, WE'RE CLOSING THE ARCADIA LIBRARY OR PROPOSED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IT ALSO FEELS LIKE WE'RE ASSUMING THAT PEOPLE HAVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, LIKE TO GET SOMEWHERE IN 15 MINUTES. I MEAN, ARE DID WE TAKE, YOU KNOW, OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL?
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AND DID WE MAKE SURE THAT DART GETS TO THESE LOCATIONS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG IT ACTUALLY TAKES THEM TO GET TO THESE LOCATIONS AS WELL? YES, MA'AM. I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. IN THE APPENDIX, WE HAVE A MAP THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF BUS STOPS THAT ARE WITHIN A TEN MINUTE WALK AND A 15 MINUTE WALK OF EACH OF THE FLAGSHIPS. THE REALITY IS THAT THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS CURRENTLY ARE ALL CLOSE TO BUS STOPS.SO WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AT ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS.
AS FOR THE HISTORY OF AN AREA, I CAN TURN THAT OVER TO DOCTOR ANDERCHECK.
WE DID WANT AN UNBIASED WAY OF MEASURING IMPACT, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT.
SO VICE CHAIR JUST TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE LIKE A NUMBER OF LAWSUITS OR PER LIBRARY BRANCH, WE DIDN'T INCORPORATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THINGS LIKE THAT ABOUT AROUND HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY OR THE USES IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT UP TO KIND OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE THROUGH THE LIBRARY STAFF.
THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT DATA CANNOT CAPTURE.
THERE'S STORIES AND HISTORY FOR THESE LIBRARIES.
THEY'RE CULTURAL CENTERS, REALLY. AND SO I THINK THAT IT FEELS LIKE THAT THAT IS MISSING FROM THIS.
MY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE I NOTICED ON THE PROPOSED REGIONAL MODEL ARCADIA PARK, WHICH IS A PROPOSED CLOSURE, IS A TWO, BUT NORTH OAK CLIFF IS A THREE. AND THEN BUT FOR SOME REASON, ARCADIA WAS CHOSEN TO CLOSE.
AND BOTH FOR DALLAS WEST AND ARCADIA. THOSE ARE THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A LOWER MEDIAN INCOME THAN EITHER THE HAMPTON, ILLINOIS OR THE OAK NORTH OAK CLIFF. I'M WONDERING WHY THIS ONE WAS SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN.
AS DOCTOR ANDERCHECK MENTIONED WHEN SHE WALKED YOU THROUGH THE MODEL, WE REMOVED ANY CURRENT OR IMMEDIATE PAST BOND PROJECTS FROM CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THE VOTERS DID JUST VOTE ON THOSE.
SO NORTH OAK CLIFF IS PART OF THE MOST CURRENT BOND.
AND THEN BASED ON TAKING THAT ONE OUT, ARCADIA PARK COMES UP AS THE RECOMMENDED BRANCH TO CLOSE.
SO ARCADIA PARK HAS BEEN A PART OF PAST BONDS.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE A PARK PROJECT THAT WAS A PART OF IT.
SO THERE HAS BEEN HEAVY INVESTMENT IN THIS. IT'S RIGHT NEAR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT'S PERPLEXING HOW WE CAN OUTWEIGH ONE, I GUESS, BOND OVER ANOTHER ONE. RIGHT. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT THAT OLD EITHER. I REMEMBER WHEN THEY THEY BUILT THIS LIBRARY.
AND SO YOU KNOW THAT IT'S A QUESTION I DEFINITELY HAVE ON HOW HOW WE CAN CHOOSE ONE LIBRARY OVER ANOTHER THAT'S ALREADY THERE. AND IF THE OTHER ONE HAS NOT EVEN BEEN BUILT YET.
THAT IS A QUESTION FOR THE BOND OFFICE, BUT I HAVE TO IMAGINE IT IS.
MOST OF THEM IS HOW THEY WERE BUILT. SO WE COULDN'T WE COULDN'T EXCLUDE EVERY SINGLE BOND PROJECT WHICH NORTH OAK CLIFF WAS JUST VOTED ON LAST YEAR BY THE VOTERS. OKAY. I'M DONE WITH QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, MR. RIDLEY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO REGISTER MY OBJECTION TO THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH THE CLOSED LIBRARIES ARE SLATED WERE NEVER ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR CLOSURE.
NOW, THIS WHOLE SCHEME SEEMS TO BE BASED ON SAVING MONEY.
YOU'VE TALKED REPEATEDLY ABOUT SAVING $4.5 MILLION, BUT I HAVE TO ASK IF YOU'RE DOING THIS TO SAVE MONEY, WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM TO EXPAND IN THE FUTURE WITH POP UPS, WITH RETAIL LOCATIONS WITH SEVEN DAY A WEEK ROBUST STAFFING WITH OPENINGS FOUR EVENINGS A WEEK UNTIL 8 P.M.. WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FOR THAT? THANK YOU FOR THAT, COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY. THE MONEY IS COMING FROM STAFF WHO ARE AT THE LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE CLOSED.
[00:35:02]
AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO EXPAND THOSE HOURS.AND THEN THE REMAINING POSITIONS WILL BE ELIMINATED OUT OF THE BUDGET.
WELL, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF YOUR COSTS AT BRANCH LIBRARIES, I'M SURE, IS STAFFING, IS IT NOT? IT IS. AND SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE TRANSFERRING AT LEAST TWO INDIVIDUALS FROM EACH LIBRARY TO ANOTHER LIBRARY, YOU'RE NOT SAVING MONEY ON THAT STAFF. THAT'S CORRECT.
WE'RE SAVING MONEY ON THE CLOSURE OF THE BRANCH AND THE REMAINING POSITIONS BEING ELIMINATED TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $650,000 ON AVERAGE, PER BRANCH THAT'S BEING CLOSED. THAT'S HOW WE GET TO THE 2.6 WITH FORECLOSURES.
WELL, ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE THIS IS A FALSE ECONOMY.
I BELIEVE YOUR REGIONAL MODEL FRAMEWORK ON SLIDE 16 IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED IN THAT THIS ANALYTICAL MODEL PAYS NO ATTENTION AT ALL TO THE COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIVIDUAL BRANCH LIBRARIES.
[APPLAUSE] AND I'D LIKE TO. I'D LIKE TO READ FROM SOME FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED ALREADY ABOUT THE OAK LAWN LIBRARY IN MY DISTRICT FROM THE PRIDE IN DALLAS. THIS LIBRARY HOLDS A DISTINCTION THAT MAKES IT NATIONALLY UNIQUE.
IT HOUSES THE ONLY CIRCULATING NON-REFERENCE LGBTQ+ COLLECTION IN THE US.
AS DALLAS VOICE NOTES [APPLAUSE]. PLEASE, PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE AS DALLAS VOICE NOTES.
THIS COLLECTION IS NOT JUST SYMBOLIC, IT IS ACTIVELY USED BY STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEEKING REPRESENTATION AND ACCESS TO AFFIRMING MATERIALS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LONG RECOGNIZED AS THE HEART OF DALLAS LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY THAT ACCESS MATTERS. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025, STILL QUOTING THE LIBRARY SERVED AS A CENTRAL COORDINATION HUB FOR PRIDE RELATED PLANNING AND EXECUTION, INCLUDING LOGISTICAL MEETINGS, VOLUNTEER COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION ACCESS AND PLANNING SUPPORT TIED DIRECTLY TO THE PRIDE PARADE AND ASSOCIATED EVENTS. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT THE PRIDE PARADE OCCURS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOORS OF THE OAK LAWN LIBRARY.
ITS LOCATION, ACCESSIBILITY, PUBLIC MEETING SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES MADE IT A PRACTICAL AND RELIABLE STAGING POINT FOR ORGANIZERS, VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. I'VE ALSO HEARD FROM THE CEDAR SPRINGS MERCHANT ASSOCIATION, WHICH REPRESENTS OVER 60 BUSINESSES IN THE HEART OF OAK LAWN, STATING THE OAK LAWN LIBRARY TYPICALLY HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST VOTER TURNOUTS DURING ELECTIONS, QUOTING, WE CANNOT CULTIVATE A WORLD CLASS CITY BY DISMANTLING THE VERY INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WORLD CLASS TO THEIR RESIDENTS. INVESTING IN NOT DIVESTING FROM NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY.
AND SO THAT ISN'T IN THIS METRIC ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE.
AND IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT ITS INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY OF THE LGBTQ POPULATION.
NOW, YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE SAFE SPACE FOR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL.
BUT HOW ARE THOSE KIDS GOING TO GET TO A LIBRARY THAT'S A 15 MINUTE DRIVE AWAY AFTER SCHOOL? SIR, I WOULD I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR FIRST POINT FIRST, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY DOES NOT HAVE THE ONLY CIRCULATING LGBTQ COLLECTION IN THE COUNTRY.
IN FACT, SEATTLE, NEW YORK PUBLIC, SAN FRANCISCO, STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, AND AUSTIN AND OAKLAND AND MANY OTHERS HAVE CIRCULATING COLLECTIONS THAT ARE LARGER. AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO, EVEN IF THIS LIBRARY CLOSES, MOVING THE COLLECTION TO ANOTHER BRANCH OR THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND KEEPING IT AVAILABLE FOR CHECKOUT. WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WILL MAKE IT INACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
NOW, I NOTICED THAT YOUR EFFORT AT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS FOCUSED NOT ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THE CLOSED LIBRARIES ARE, BUT INSTEAD ON THE PROPOSED FLAGSHIP LIBRARY BRANCHES.
EVERYONE EXCEPT THE VIRTUAL IS AT A FLAGSHIP LIBRARY BRANCH.
[00:40:01]
[APPLAUSE] THAT WAS NOT MY. THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION.COUNCIL MEMBER AS I. HANG ON, HANG ON. CAN CAN WE PLEASE JUST LET'S LET'S LISTEN AND KEEP OUR OUTBURSTS UNDER CONTROL, PLEASE. THANK YOU. AS I SAID TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADENA, THE GOAL WAS, WELL, TWOFOLD.
ONE IS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE MEETINGS ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THE FLAGSHIPS HAVE THE SPACE FOR A LARGE CROWD, AND ALSO IN THE HOPES THAT PEOPLE WOULD COME AND VISIT A FLAGSHIP AND SEE IT.
I AM HAPPY TO ADD ADDITIONAL MEETINGS IF THAT IS WHAT THE COMMITTEE DESIRES.
WELL, I REQUEST THAT YOU DO THAT, AND THOSE SHOULD BE AT THE LOCATIONS THAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO CLOSE, SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS PLAN.
I APPRECIATE THAT, AND OF COURSE, AND OF COURSE I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
EVERY LIBRARY HAS A HISTORY. EVERY LIBRARY HAS SIGNIFICANCE TO ITS COMMUNITY.
I WAS ASKED TO COME UP WITH A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO A BUDGET PROBLEM, AND THAT IS WHAT I DID.
IF WE DO NOT MOVE TO A REGIONAL MODEL AND CLOSE FOUR LIBRARIES, WHAT I WILL HAVE TO DO IS REDUCE HOURS AND DAYS FOR EVERY LIBRARY IN THIS CITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN RESPONSE TO BUDGET PRESSURES TO THE TUNE OF EIGHT TIMES OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
WELL, FRANKLY, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE PREFERABLE IF WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH BUDGET PRESSURE, AT LEAST THOSE LIBRARIES WOULD BE OPEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT RELY UPON THEM, RATHER THAN HAVE TO TRY TO ARRANGE TRANSPORTATION FOR A 15 MINUTE DRIVE TO GET TO A LIBRARY. SO AT LEAST SOME PRESENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS BETTER THAN NONE.
AND FINALLY, WITH REGARD TO ITEM D, THE MEMO FROM OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, IT CITES THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE STRATEGIC LIBRARY PLAN IN APRIL OF 24 WITH NUMEROUS GOALS, THREE OF WHICH I WANT TO RECITE THAT I THINK THIS CLOSURE PLAN IS IN OPPOSITION TO. FIRST, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND DISCOVERY.
YOU DEPRIVE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY CAN'T GET TO THE NEW LIBRARY.
TWO, REDUCING BARRIERS TO ACCESS WERE INCREASING THE BARRIERS TO ACCESS BY MAKING THE LIBRARY'S PATRONS DEPENDENT UPON TRANSPORTATION TO GET THERE. AND THIRD, MAKING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
WE'RE DEPRIVING THE COMMUNITY OF CONNECTIONS.
THANK YOU. CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR. BAZALDUA. THANK YOU.
CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I WOULD AGREE THAT THERE'S NO COMMUNITY THAT'S GOING TO BE WELCOMING THIS CHANGE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT HOW WE GOT HERE IS FLAWED.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND SAY THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FALLS ONLY AT THE FOOTSTEPS OF YOU.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TASKED TO DO.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND EMPHASIZE THAT, DIRECTOR SHORR, THAT I THINK THAT WE'RE.
MY CONCERN IS IS ABOVE YOUR HEAD. I BELIEVE JUST AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, YOU WERE ASKED TO DO A BUDGETARY EXERCISE THAT I THINK IN LARGE WAS A BUS STEERED BY YOU AS THE DIRECTOR OF A DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS UNFAIR.
ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION IS PURSE STRINGS OF OUR CITY, WHICH FALLS ON THIS BODY.
AND I THINK THAT THE CITY MANAGER FAILED IN NOT BRINGING THIS TO US IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR US TO HAVE MORE OF A CONSIDERATION WITH THIS BEING CLEARLY A POLICY DECISION.
YOU SPOKE IN YOUR PRESENTATION BEING THAT WE HAD A PEAK USAGE OF OUR LIBRARY SYSTEMS. IN 2008. I UNDERSTAND THAT 2008 WAS A VERY HARD YEAR AND THAT WE HAD TO MAKE DRASTIC CUTS IN OUR CITY, INCLUDING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME.
YOU ALSO SPEAK ABOUT THE PER DALLAS RESIDENT SPENDING BEING NOW BACK TO 2008.
CAN YOU? AND IF YOU CAN'T, I SEE THAT WE HAVE LIZ FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS WELL.
CAN YOU GIVE ME WHAT DEPARTMENTS WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT THE SAME PER CAPITA NUMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT BEING FUNDED IN FROM 2008 NUMBERS. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA, [INAUDIBLE] WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
[00:45:08]
DELIBERATION ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL. AS YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE FY 20, IT WAS.BUT LET ME JUST BE VERY CLEAR. IT WAS DONE HAPHAZARD.
WE WERE TOLD A PLAN. WE WERE TOLD A CONCEPT OF ONE.
WE WERE NOT GIVEN DETAILS AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
YES, SIR. AND THIS IS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS TASKED US THROUGH THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR THROUGH THE DOCTOR ANDERCHECK'S TEAM, WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DELIBERATE AND DELIBERATIVE PROCESS INTERNALLY.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THAT PROCESS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT SHE'S PROVIDED US CITY MANAGER TOLBERT DIRECTION AS TO BRIEFING THIS EARLY IN THE YEAR. WE'RE HERE IN JANUARY SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE COUNSEL THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE, SUFFICIENT TIME TO DELIBERATE, TO PROVIDE US DIRECTION, TO MAKE CHANGES AS NEEDED.
WE HEAR THE VALID POINTS ABOUT HISTORY, ABOUT CULTURE, ETC..
SO YES, IT'S NOT ALL IN THE LIBRARY STAFF. IT'S NOT ALL ON OUR DATA EXPERTS.
IT'S IT'S ON CITY LEADERSHIP. AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO TO STARTING THIS PROCESS, THAT WE'RE NOT DONE TODAY. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THAT CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU. JACK IRELAND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND I'LL ADD TO WHAT LIZ MENTIONED.
THERE'S ACTUALLY CONVERSATION ABOUT MAKING MORE CHANGES LAST SEPTEMBER, AUGUST WITH THE BUDGET.
BUT MISS TOLBERT THOUGHT THAT MORE TIME WAS NEEDED TO GO THROUGH THE DATA TO REVIEW, TO MAKE DECISIONS AND TO ALLOW THE NEW LIBRARY, THE DIRECTOR, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A PLAN.
SO RATHER THAN RUSHING IT THROUGH WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE LAST BUDGET OR THE BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR LAST AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO SLOWER, TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, TO ENGAGE THIS BODY.
AND THAT'S WHAT AS LIZ MENTIONED, WE'RE BEGINNING TODAY IS TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE INTRODUCED WITH THE ROLLOUT OF THE BUDGET THIS PAST SUMMER.
YOU DID NOT GIVE US A PLAN. WE DID NOT HAVE THESE DETAILS TO CONSIDER.
AND THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. IN FACT, I THINK CRAFTING TO THIS POINT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL FOR US TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AS SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED WHEN WE LOOK AT TRANSIT DEPENDENCY I SAW THAT YOU HAVE THIS REGIONAL OUTLOOK. WHAT ABOUT WITH MULTIMODAL ACCESS AND BEYOND JUST MASS TRANSIT? WHAT CONSIDERATION AND WHAT FORMULA, IF YOU WILL, WAS WEIGHTED FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRANSIT DEPENDENT.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO WE DID NOT DO ANY SORT OF MULTIMODAL CONSIDERATION AT THIS POINT.
WE SIMPLY MAPPED BOTH THE DRIVE TIME AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESS.
SO THERE'S A YES, THERE'S A WALK TIME, THERE'S A DRIVE TIME AND THERE'S PUBLIC TRANSIT.
THERE WASN'T. THERE'S SOCIOECONOMICS, THERE'S OTHER CITY RESOURCES.
I DON'T THINK THAT THOSE THINGS WERE CONSIDERED THE EMPHASIS ON VOTING CENTERS.
WHAT DO YOU SEE THIS TO BE AN IMPACT OF? WHAT EXERCISE HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH TO EVEN ATTEMPT TO SEE THE IMPACT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE IN OAK LAWN AND SKYLINE OF THE HIGHEST VOTING TURNOUT CENTERS IN OUR CITY? SO I'LL START AND THEN HAND IT TO DIRECTOR SHORR.
SO I THINK WHAT WHAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY IS THAT THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS OF THIS.
AND THAT'S THAT'S THE STUFF THAT YOU CAN MEASURE WITH NUMBERS.
AND THEN THERE'S THIS OTHER QUALITATIVE COMPONENT WHICH MANY OF YOU ARE BRINGING UP TODAY, THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDINGS, THE VOTER ASPECTS, THINGS THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD LOOK AT AS A PART OF THIS.
AND SO THAT THAT IS HEARD, UNDERSTOOD, THOSE ARE THINGS ARE MUCH HARDER TO MEASURE, BUT THEY CAN BE INCORPORATED IN LESS FORMAL, LESS FORMULAIC WAYS. SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO MANYA, BUT I THINK IN TERMS OF VOTER LOCATIONS WERE NOT CONSIDERED.
SO WE WERE FOCUSED ON LIBRARY SERVICES AND THE SERVICES THAT LIBRARIES PROVIDE IN THE COMMUNITY.
[00:50:03]
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WE MEASURED AT THIS TIME. SO WE HAVE NO DATA TO SUPPORT THAT.THIS IS NOT GOING TO PLAY INTO SOME VOTER SUPPRESSION.
THAT'S ONLY PARTIALLY TRUE. THE CITY SECRETARY PLAYS A HUGE ROLE, AND SHE ACTUALLY DOES HER DUE DILIGENCE AND SPEAKS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR MOST IMPACTFUL. WHEN THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE'VE HAD TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF VOTING CENTERS IN OUR DISTRICTS, WE HAD A PRETTY HARD SAY IN WHAT TOOK PLACE. AND SKYLINE, FOR INSTANCE, WAS ONE THAT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO EVEN CONSIDER THAT NOT BEING A VOTING LOCATION.
AND SO I REALLY AM STRONGLY CONCERNED WITH WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO VOTER TURNOUT, ESPECIALLY JUST AS COUNCIL MEMBER CADENA MENTIONED THAT IF THIS IS THE ONLY CITY FACILITY, WHERE DOES THAT GET MOVED TO? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT. I THINK THAT IS A QUESTION FOR THE CUNTY.
AND VOTING IS, IS JUST A COUPLE OR FEW DAYS A YEAR.
SO WE DID NOT INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF A METRIC.
AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING BACK IS THAT WE'RE MISSING SOME THINGS.
AND SO WE WILL START TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO INCORPORATE THOSE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MISSING SOME THINGS, I'M CURIOUS WHAT OTHER MODELS WERE CONSIDERED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE GIVEN A CONCEPT AT BUDGET SEASON WHAT OTHER MODELS WERE CONSIDERED THAT WOULD BE A MORE SHARED IMPACT ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION THAT WOULDN'T BE AS IMPACTFUL TO JUST LIBRARIES THEMSELVES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, LIKE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, THAT HAS GROWN MORE THAN 100% SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, AND THEN WE LOOK AT TOUTING A WIN FOR OUR LIBRARY SYSTEMS, MAINTAINING PER RESIDENT FUNDING THAT WE HAD 15 YEARS AGO, 12 YEARS AGO. I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT OTHER MODELS WERE CONSIDERED AND WHY WERE WE NOT GIVEN OPTIONS TO CONSIDER OF WHAT THESE MODELS COULD LOOK LIKE INSTEAD OF TELLING US THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AS A CONCEPT DURING BUDGET SEASON, AND THEN NOW GIVING US THIS AS OUR OPTION. SO I WILL START ON THAT AGAIN.
JACK GARLAND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AS YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET PROCESS HAS BECOME VERY DIFFICULT FOR US, AND I'M TOLD OVER AND OVER THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT OUR EXPENSES AND IDENTIFYING WAYS, WHERE POSSIBLE TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT. THE LAST TWO YEARS, AS AN EXAMPLE, OUR GENERAL FUND HAS GROWN AND MORE THAN 100% OF THE GROWTH IN OUR GENERAL FUND HAS BEEN USED FOR THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE DALLAS FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT HAS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE CONTINUE TO INVEST. AND WE DO CONTINUE TO ASK OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK FOR EFFICIENCIES, LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES. SO WHEN WE APPROACH THE LIBRARY ABOUT REDUCTIONS, THERE WAS CONVERSATION ABOUT DO WE CLOSE FACILITIES? DO WE JUST REDUCE THE SERVICES WITHIN A FACILITY? AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER EIGHT TIMES, I BELIEVE OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS, THE SOLUTION HAS BEEN WE REDUCE HOURS, WE REDUCE MATERIALS, THEN IT GETS BETTER IN THE BUDGET AND WE EXPAND AGAIN, AND THEN IT GETS WORSE AND WE SHRINK AGAIN, AND THEN IT GETS BETTER AND WE EXPAND AGAIN. WE'RE JUST GOING BACK AND FORTH.
AND SO HERE THE MODEL THAT WAS PROPOSED WAS TO STOP THAT CYCLE.
BUT LET ME LET ME INTERRUPT YOU. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M ASKING WHAT OTHER MODELS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONVERSATION.
THAT WASN'T JUST ONE IN PARTICULAR. AND SO TWO COMMENTS I'LL MAKE ABOUT THAT ONE FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT, I THINK THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL MODEL LOOKED AT, AND THAT WAS WHETHER WE CONTINUE THE CYCLE OF SHRINKING AND EXPANDING OR DO WE DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND THE REGIONAL MODEL THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THAT CYCLE.
[00:55:04]
AS FAR AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR REDUCTIONS, WHETHER IT'S IN PARK AND RECREATION, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS, REDUCTIONS TO OVERTIME IN OUR UNIFORM DEPARTMENTS.SO THERE IS AN ONGOING EFFORT TO MAKE REDUCTIONS WHERE WE CAN.
AND TODAY WE WERE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS ONE PARTICULAR COMPONENT.
YOU WILL SEE OTHER REDUCTIONS IN THE BUDGET AS YOU HAVE THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE SEEN REDUCTIONS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND I ANTICIPATE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE.
WHEN WEIGHING THIS DECISION, YOU GIVE US ARBITRARY NUMBERS OF WHAT THE SAVINGS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
WHAT ANALYSIS WAS DONE ON WHAT THESE ASSETS PROVIDE IF DEEMED SURPLUS THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, THE VALUE OF A RESALE OPPORTUNITY. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE CLOSURE OF THESE TO RESULT IN A DOLLAR AMOUNT INTO OUR GENERAL LEDGER? LIKE WHAT? MY CHARGE WAS TO FIGURE OUT LIBRARY SERVICES.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BUILDING AFTER THE LIBRARY VACATES IS REALLY A QUESTION FOR FRM.
I THINK IT'S ALSO A CITY MANAGER QUESTION. I MEAN, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING SUCH DRASTIC CHANGES IN OUR ORGANIZATION, WHY WOULD WE NOT BE WEIGHING HOLISTICALLY WHAT A DECISION LIKE THIS WOULD BRING TO THE BOTTOM LINE? IF THIS IS ABOUT SAVING DOLLARS AND THIS IS ABOUT MONETIZING ASSETS.
SO ONE OF THE RESPONSES REGARDING FACILITIES, IF WE DO MAKE A DECISION, IF THIS BODY MAKES A DECISION TO CLOSE FACILITIES, IT WILL REALLY DEPEND UPON WHICH FACILITIES ARE CLOSED.
OUR FIRST TASK WILL BE TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY OUTSTANDING BONDS ON THE FACILITY.
WE ARE ABLE TO CLOSE THE FACILITY. AS MANYA MENTIONED EARLIER, ALL OF OUR FACILITIES WERE BUILT WITH BONDS, BUT WE'VE MADE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE FACILITIES.
AND IF THEY WERE BOND FUNDED. WE WILL WORK WITH BOND COUNCIL TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY OUTSTANDING BONDS ON THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY, IN WHICH CASE WE WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO USE THE PROCEEDS FROM THAT TO PAY BOND THE DEBT OR PUT BACK INTO A LIBRARY FACILITY.
IF THERE IS NO OUTSTANDING BONDS ON A FACILITY, THEN THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY, AS WE DO WITH OTHER SALE OF SURPLUS PROPERTY TO PUT IT INTO OUR MAINTENANCE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF OUR OTHER CITY FACILITIES, AND THAT HAS BEEN OUR HISTORY. WHEN WE DO SELL A SURPLUS PROPERTY IS TO PUT IT INTO MAINTENANCE.
BUT NUMBER ONE, WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO SEE IF WE NEED TO DEFEASE ANY BONDS.
NUMBER TWO, ARE THE PROCEEDS AVAILABLE FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE? OKAY. I STILL THINK THAT ALSO THAT WAS MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT TO PRIORITIZE THE LAST BOND, NOT ONES THAT WE'RE STILL SEEING PROJECTS COME FROM PREVIOUS BONDS.
THAT WAS ALSO DONE KIND OF HALF ASS. WE HAVE, THE OVERALL ANALYSIS OF WHAT THIS COULD BE DOING TO OUR GENERAL FUND IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT, JUST AS I JUST MENTIONED.
I GET THAT YOU'RE SAYING ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION TO KNOW TO, TO, TO MAKE THESE, THESE DECISIONS ON WHICH ONES WE WOULD CLOSE EVEN JUST IN GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITIES WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PLEASANT GROVE LIBRARY BEING A REGIONAL, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THAT THAT WAS CHOSEN.
BUT WE HAVE A PRAIRIE CREEK LIBRARY THAT'S JUST ABOUT A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE SAME ROAD, AND THIS IS GOING TO CLOSE IN ABOUT A 20 MINUTE GAP FROM THE NEXT LIBRARY FROM PLEASANT GROVE ALL THE WAY UP TO WHITE ROCK HILLS.
IT THIS SITS NEXT TO THE LARGEST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN OUR REGION.
ONE OF THE TOP FIVE IN THE STATE. THE IMPACT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY THERE.
WHAT CONVERSATIONS WERE HAD WITH DISD TO THAT REGARD? AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE WERE ANY. I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE WE'RE BEING GIVEN A REALLY, REALLY HALF ASSED PLAN. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NEAR THE AMOUNT OF DUE DILIGENCE THAT HAVE GONE INTO WHAT THIS IS BEING ASKED OF THE COUNCIL.
AND I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE WERE A PART OF THIS PROCESS EARLY ENOUGH FOR THIS TO HAVE NOT BEEN, QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW, WHICH IS A PR NIGHTMARE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LAY IN THE BED THAT WE'VE MADE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. IT'S A PR NIGHTMARE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.
AND MISS WILLIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[01:00:05]
SO I RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF A PROCESS AND THAT OUR BUDGETS ARE APPROVED IN TIME FOR THEM TO START OVER ON OCTOBER 1ST.AND SO DOING THIS IN JANUARY SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO ME TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN INITIAL PASS AND THEN TO UNDERTAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH I'M SURE WILL HAVE ROBUST AMOUNT OF THAT AND LOTS OF INPUT.
THAT'S WHY CFO IRELAND HAS COME DOWN TO SPEAK WITH US AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT INCREASING COSTS OF ALL SORTS. I MEAN, STAFF AND LABOR, THE BENEFITS THAT GO WITH THAT, MATERIALS, ETC. IT'S PRESSING CITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE'VE GOT LEGISLATIVE NOISE ABOUT CAPPING HOW MUCH THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SPEND.
I MEAN, TO AN EXTREME SENSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S TO COME.
AND THEN WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS OF FUNDING OUR BASIC NEEDS, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF A CITY, OUR STREETS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE FACE OF HEARING ABOUT A UTILITY INCREASE, THAT'S PRETTY CONCERNING. YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH CAN YOU REALLY PUT ON THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY? AND SO ALL OF THIS IS A VICE. IT'S REALLY SQUEEZING.
AND SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT EVERY ASPECT OF HOW THE CITY OPERATES.
SO I APPRECIATE THE INITIAL WORK DONE ON THIS.
THIS ALSO SPEAKS TO SOMETHING I USUALLY BRING UP AROUND PARKS, BUT IT'S AROUND SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS, PRIVATE DOLLARS AND HOW WE CAN MORE AGGRESSIVELY INFUSE OUR SYSTEM BECAUSE CLEARLY WE HAVE PASSION FOR THIS SUBJECT.
SO WE NEED TO CHANNEL THAT INTO SOME DOLLARS AND CENTS.
BUT THE DISCUSSION AROUND A MODEL CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE MUST CONSIDER, BECAUSE THE DAYS OF BRICK AND MORTAR STANDALONE SINGULAR DESTINATION SEEMS A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY. I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING THE SUCCESS OF BOOKMARKS IN NORTH PARK PLAYED OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE CITY, AND SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE LISTED TO REPLACE THEM WITH A MODEL THAT'S LESS EXPENSIVE, BUT PUTS LIBRARIES AND ALL OF THEIR RICH PROGRAMING IN THE WAY OF PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE USING THEM AS FREQUENTLY. IS REALLY APPEALING TO ME, AND WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOCIETAL PROBLEMS WE'VE GOT IN THE COUNTRY IS AROUND ISOLATION, WHETHER IT'S OUR SENIORS OR OTHERS. AND I LOVE PUTTING THESE RESOURCES IN A PLACE THAT PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE ENGAGING WITH THEM AND ENGAGING WITH OTHERS. SO THAT SHOULD NOT GO AWAY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
IN FACT, THIS COULD IMPROVE THE WAY THAT THEY ARE DELIVERED UPON.
SO I I THINK IT WOULD GIVE MORE COMFORT IF THAT COULD BE EXPLORED, MORE ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL MODELS, SOME EXAMPLES OTHER CITIES HAVE. I MEAN, WE HAVE BOOKMARKS, BUT WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT THAT MIGHT PLAY OUT IN A STRIP CENTER OR IN A PLACE THAT'S MORE IN, IN THE COURSE OF EVERYDAY LIFE? AND THAT MAY HELP US AS THIS CONCEPT IS DISCUSSED.
AND I APPRECIATE THE DATA CRUNCHING AND THE UNBIASED READ THAT DATA CAN GIVE TO US.
AND I DON'T KNOW SOME OF THE LOCATIONS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED AS AS WELL.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE COMPONENT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE OAK LAWN BRANCH.
THAT IS MORE THAN JUST A THIRD SPACE. AND FOR A COMMUNITY THAT ALLOWS SOME ATTENTION, THAT IS SAFER AND THAT IS NOT ONLY PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT HAS A REAL EMOTIONAL COMPONENT AS WELL.
BUT I THINK IN OUR CITY AND IN OUR CLIMATE THAT REALLY GAVE ME PAUSE.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION NOW. SO IS THERE ANYTHING, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THESE BRICK AND MORTAR SPACES, ARE THERE ANY CITIES ADDING A WAY TO GENERATE REVENUE AT THESE SPACES, MAYBE WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN OPERATION.
AND I KNOW EVERY LIBRARY DIRECTOR ALWAYS SAYS, DON'T TELL ME TO OPEN A COFFEE SHOP.
SO BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT ARE SOME OTHER WAYS THAT THE SPACE COULD BE UTILIZED? OR IS ANYONE ELSE DOING THIS IN A WAY THAT WOULD BRING IN THE DOLLARS NEEDED TO KEEP THOSE FUNCTIONING? YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS.
THANK YOU. I WOULD SAY PLEASE DON'T TELL ME TO OPEN A COFFEE SHOP.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, THEY THEY SOUND GREAT, BUT THEY REALLY JUST DON'T BRING IN VERY MUCH MONEY.
AND IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD TO FIND OPERATORS BECAUSE THE THE MARGIN IS SO THIN.
I THINK THAT WE COULD TAKE THAT BACK AND DO SOME INVESTIGATING.
[01:05:02]
I THINK THERE COULD BE OPPORTUNITIES TO CHARGE MORE TO RENT OUR SPACES RIGHT NOW.I MEAN, THIS IS THE BALANCE WE HAVE TO TRY AND FIND, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, OUR OUR FEE FOR RENTING A SPACE IS QUITE LOW COMPARED TO FOR PROFIT PLACES. AND THAT'S DELIBERATE. THAT'S TO ALLOW COMMUNITY GROUPS TO USE OUR SPACES FOR VERY INEXPENSIVELY AND JUST FOR US TO RECOVER STAFF COSTS. WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A MODEL OUT THERE THAT WOULD MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO SUSTAIN A BRANCH OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR. AND THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS ANY FEES THAT THE LIBRARY TAKES IN DOES NOT COME TO THE LIBRARY.
IT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND. WELL. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY ROOMS, I THINK ARE SPONSORED FOR, YOU KNOW, BIG SUPPORTERS.
AND BUT I SEE THIS AS A CORPORATE OPPORTUNITY TOO, BECAUSE WHAT A GREAT MESSAGE.
FEES ARE LOW OR DON'T EXIST. SO WE CAN HAVE COMMUNITY GROUPS COME IN THANKS TO XYZ.
IT'S PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR A CITY DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A 501 C.3 THAT SUPPORTS IT.
WE ALSO HAVE BRANCH FRIENDS THAT SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL BRANCHES, AND THAT REALLY SUPPLEMENTS WHAT WE ARE GIVEN FROM THE CITY, BUT IT DOES NOT FUND OPERATING. SO THE FRIENDS FUND ALL OF OUR PROGRAMING, INCLUDING THE PROGRAMING THAT'S AT BOOKMARKS, WHICH IS FUNDED BY ATMOS ENERGY. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE IS NOTHING BUT OPPORTUNITY FOR NAMING OF SPACES, FOR CONSIDERING PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY AS A PART OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL.
AND THAT'S UNDERSTOOD I JUST IN THE FACE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE ALL TOUCHED ON, I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE WE CAN DIAL THAT UP TO TO HELP KEEP WHAT WE'VE GOT AND SERVE. I AM I LIKE THE IDEA OF A FLAGSHIP MODEL BECAUSE I LIKE MORE EVENING HOURS.
I LIKE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND MORE ROBUST SERVICES FOR MORE PEOPLE.
BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THE HARDSHIPS THAT THAT CAN CREATE AS WELL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND LET ME GO DOWN TO MISS MENDELSOHN SINCE SHE HAS A LIBRARY BEING IMPACTED. YES. MR. RIDLEY SAID DON'T FORGET ABOUT PAULA.
I'VE SAID WE CAN CUT EXPENSES WITHOUT CUTTING SERVICES TO RESIDENTS.
WHEN YOU'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT $2 MILLION OUT OF A $5.2 BILLION BUDGET, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW LOSE HALF A DATA ANALYTICS, REDUCE HUMAN RESOURCES, WHICH HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY.
AND RIGHT THERE YOU'RE GOOD. AND YOU'VE MAINTAINED THE SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR A BUDGET EXERCISE, LET'S DO THAT.
NUMBER TWO, THE DOLLARS THAT WERE SHOWN AND COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA, YOU WERE POINTING OUT THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN GROWTH BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED, BUT IT WAS MISREPRESENTED BECAUSE THEY ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.
SO ACTUALLY IN 2000 FISCAL YEAR 2001, THE LIBRARY BUDGET WAS $22 MILLION.
BUT THIS YEAR IT'S $43 MILLION. SO IT'S BECAUSE OUR DATA ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT ADJUSTED THAT, IT MAKES IT LOOKS AT LOOK AS IF WE HAVE NOT BEEN INVESTING AND IT HASN'T GROWN.
SO WHILE YOU WERE SHARING ABOUT THE POLICE BUDGET HAVING INCREASED, YOU WERE USING ACTUAL DOLLARS, COMPARING IT TO INFLATION ADJUSTED. SO WE'VE GOT TO GO APPLES TO APPLES.
THE LIBRARY BUDGET HAS GROWN PROBABLY NOT AS IT SHOULD, BUT IT HAS GROWN.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST TEXAS, WHAT DO WE SEE? WE'RE SPENDING MORE PER RESIDENT THAN HOUSTON, MORE PER RESIDENT THAN FORT WORTH.
AUSTIN IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN OUTLIER. AND I BELIEVE YOU CAME FROM AUSTIN, CORRECT? NO. OKAY. SORRY. WE DID NOT APPROVE THIS REGIONAL MODEL WITH OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PLAN. THERE WAS NO APPROVAL OF THAT. THERE WAS PRETTY WORDS ABOUT IT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I THOUGHT IT MEANT. IS THIS CLOSE?
[01:10:03]
SOUTHWEST. SKILLMAN. SOUTHWEST? ABSOLUTELY. IT WAS REDUNDANT.MY HOPE WAS THAT THERE WERE OTHER REDUNDANT LIBRARIES.
BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARIES THAT ARE ON YOUR LIST, THESE ARE NOT REDUNDANT.
AND IN FACT, SOME OF THEM ARE EXTREMELY UNIQUE.
FOR A DATA ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IN THIS PRESENTATION? THE METRICS, THE ACTUAL METRICS. SO THERE'S A MODEL ABOUT COMMUNITY NEED.
THERE'S A MODEL ABOUT USAGE AND COVERAGE. BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS THE RAW DATA ON CIRCULATION, ON CHECKOUTS, ON THE VISITORS ANNUALLY, ON THE HOURS OF COMPUTER USAGE, THE NUMBER OF USERS, THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, AND THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES FOR EACH AND EVERY LIBRARY IN OUR SYSTEM.
WHY WEREN'T WE? WHY WEREN'T WE GIVEN THAT INFORMATION? I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
I THINK WE DIDN'T SHARE IT IN THE PRESENTATION JUST FOR TIME.
SO YOU CAN'T JUST LOOK AT A LIST OF CHECKOUTS AND IT'S KIND OF AN AFFRONT THAT IT WASN'T PROVIDED AND THAT YOU'RE SITTING HERE DATA ANALYTICS WITH NO DATA, JUST LOTS OF FRAMEWORKS. AND FRANKLY, SOME OF THEM I BELIEVE, HAVE NOW BEEN OUTLAWED.
SO THE SPECIFICALLY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT RENNER.
RENNER IS OUR ONLY LIBRARY IN COLLIN COUNTY. MANY OF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE COLLIN COUNTY PART OF DALLAS, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S GOT 55,000 PEOPLE. IT'S A SMALL AREA BECAUSE IT'S HIGHLY DENSE AND COMPACT.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE RENNER-FRANKFORD, WHAT GEOGRAPHIC AREA DID YOU INCLUDE? WE WORKED WITH WITH THE DATA ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT TO DEFINE REGIONS.
AND YOU HAVE YOU SHOULD HAVE A LARGE MAP IN FRONT OF YOU THAT DEFINES THE REGION.
BUT IT LEFT OFF HIGHLAND SPRINGS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST SENIOR FACILITY IN THE ENTIRE CITY.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT USE RENNER-FRANKFORD LIBRARY.
RENNER-FRANKFORD LIBRARY BEFORE COVID, I PULLED CIRCULATION NUMBERS AND I PULLED ATTENDANCE.
BOTH OF THEM. ATTENDANCE AND CIRCULATION FOR RENNER-FRANKFORD WERE IN THE TOP TEN.
FRANKLY, THEY WERE ALSO AT TIMBERGLEN LIBRARY, OUR ONLY DENTON COUNTY LIBRARY.
YOU'RE CORRECT. IT'S BIGGER. IT'S GOT A LOT OF AMENITIES.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT COLLIN COUNTY HAS? IT'S THE ONLY PLACE TO GO VOTE IN COLLIN COUNTY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT SERVES A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACT.
OFTEN PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LEVELS OF POVERTY IN DISTRICT 12, BUT ALL OF THE COLLIN COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE FEDERAL, ARE LOW INCOME SCHOOLS. THEY'RE ALL TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
THERE'S CURRENTLY A VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT COMES AND DOES AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING.
THERE ARE NO ART CENTERS TO MOVE TO. THERE'S NO REC CENTERS IN COLLIN COUNTY TO MOVE TO.
THERE'S NO LARGE CHURCHES TO GO TO. SO WHEN YOU SAY, WELL, THE VOTING CENTER WILL MOVE.
ACTUALLY, BILLY RAY AND I COULDN'T COME UP WITH ANOTHER LOCATION.
SO OUR LARGEST FIRE STATION, WHICH IS STILL VERY SMALL, HAD TO MOVE ITS VEHICLES OUT OF THE BAY FOR THE ENTIRE VOTING PERIOD, WHICH OF COURSE WAS MAY NOW WILL BE NOVEMBER.
KEEP THE BAY DOORS OPEN AND THERE'S NO PARKING.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE WE ARE SPENDING MONEY TO FIX THE LIBRARIES TO BE ADA COMPLIANT.
IT IS A NICER SHAPE THAN I'LL BET 90% OF THE LIBRARIES IN OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM.
[01:15:01]
COLLIN COUNTY PART OF DALLAS TO DO SO. SO TO GIVE THIS UP IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SHORTSIGHTED THINGS I'VE HEARD IN A LONG TIME. IN ADDITION TO GETTING THE ACTUAL RAW DATA ON THAT, I'D LIKE TO GET THE DETAILED OPERATING EXPENSES FOR EACH LOCATION.I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFIC SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS THAT YOU'RE EXPECTING TO FUND FOR THE REGIONAL LIBRARIES, AND WHAT THAT INCREASE IN COST WILL BE AT EACH OF THE LOCATIONS, SO STAFFING, UTILITIES, MAINTENANCE, MATERIAL AND SECURITY. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT METRICS DEMONSTRATE THAT FEWER, LARGER REGIONAL LIBRARIES PRODUCE OBJECTIVELY BETTER EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR THE CITY? DO YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT INFORMATION? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROVE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EXIST.
COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT HAVING HOURS OPEN WHEN PEOPLE NEED US TO BE OPEN WILL ABSOLUTELY GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS IMPROVING THOSE METRICS. WELL, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS IS IN THE COLLIN COUNTY PART, IT'S OPEN ON SUNDAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. TIMBERGLEN IS NOT OPEN ON SUNDAY, BUT IT'S OPEN ON SATURDAY.
SO THAT MEANS THAT EVERYBODY IN THE NORTH HAS A LIBRARY THEY CAN GO TO THAT MEETS THEIR RELIGIOUS NEEDS, THAT MEETS THEIR LIFESTYLE. SOMETIMES PARENTS CAN'T GET TO A LIBRARY ON A SATURDAY, SO I AGREE.
I ACTUALLY THINK ALL OUR LIBRARIES SHOULD BE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
I'VE SAID THAT REPEATEDLY. THEY SHOULD BE THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE NEED TO CO-LOCATE THEM. THAT'S WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY EXPECTING YOU TO SAY.
I CERTAINLY WASN'T EXPECTING TO SEE RENNER-FRANKFORD ON THE LIST.
I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE SAID TIMBERGLEN, BECAUSE SOMEHOW THE DEPARTMENT ALLOWED BATHROOMS TO BE RENOVATED AND IS NOW ASKING THEM TO BE CLOSED WHILE THE WORKMEN ARE THERE SPENDING TAX DOLLARS.
IT'S TRULY SHOCKING. THE. OKAY, I'M GOING TO SKIP THAT PART.
THE SILOING OF THIS ISSUE IS ACTUALLY SHOCKING BECAUSE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL SIX AND A HALF YEARS REPEATEDLY, CITY STAFF HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE SILOING, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SILOING, COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA I THINK YOU SPOKE TO IT PERFECTLY THAT NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT VOTING, BUT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER USES AND REASONS WHY WE HAVE A LIBRARY THERE.
BACK TO RENNER-FRANKFORD I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, DO YOU REALIZE THERE ARE NO CITY BUILDINGS IN COLLIN COUNTY, CITY OF DALLAS, BESIDES THE POLICE STATION AND TWO FIRE STATIONS? LIKE, THERE'S LITERALLY NOTHING ELSE. THERE ARE FEWER CITY FACILITIES IN DISTRICT 12 THAN ANY OTHER DISTRICT BESIDES 11 WHO HAS AN EQUAL NUMBER.
SO TO TO CLOSE ONE IS REALLY KIND OF RIDICULOUS.
THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO SAY IS THAT I THINK IT'S A SHOCKING LEVEL OF DISRESPECT, THE WAY THIS WHOLE THING HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED AND STAFF HAS NOT MET WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES IMPACTED, HASN'T TALKED TO THEIR OWN LIBRARY BOARD, HASN'T GOTTEN ANY KIND OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AND THEN TO SEE THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS SCHEDULED AT LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT THE ONES IMPACTED. LITERALLY, MY DISTRICT WILL HAVE TO LEAVE ITS DISTRICT GO TALK ABOUT THIS.
REALLY SHOCKING AND INAPPROPRIATE. AND I CAN'T SAY THAT IN STRONGER TERMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] WELL, Y'ALL BEEN HOLDING THAT ONE IN.
LET IT OUT, LET IT OUT. ALRIGHT. Y'ALL WAS HOLDING THAT ONE, I CAN TELL.
I MEAN, ALL RIGHT MISS BLACKMON. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME JOIN IN VIRTUALLY.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE LIBRARY BOARD.
I MEAN, LIKE HOW WHAT WAS THE MATRIX? BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND I MEAN, THE MATRIX, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE ON HOW YOU'RE GRADING.
[01:20:03]
SO COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE MORE? I MEAN, Y'ALL WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSING IT, BUT IT SHOULD BE CLEAR AND FORTHRIGHT ON HOW WE'RE RANKING THIS.SO I'M NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THIS. I AM SURPRISED AT THE WHAT SHE CHOSE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON. SO ON SLIDE 18, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS RANKING OF LIBRARIES WITHIN A REGION.
CORRECT. SO DOES THAT TELL ME WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND? MY QUESTION IS, IS HOW DID YOU GET THE RANKINGS WITHIN THE REGION? YES. OKAY. SO THE RANKING. SO FIRST OF ALL WE'VE GOT A WHITE PAPER THAT WALKS THROUGH EXACTLY HOW ALL THE MATH WAS DONE.
AND WE'LL PROVIDE THESE ADDITIONAL FACTS. SO WHAT HAPPENED WITHIN EACH REGION IS WE USE THAT METRIC OF COMMUNITY NEED, WHICH ARE THE VARIABLES THAT APPEAR ON SLIDE 16.
SO MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION AND THEN THOSE LIBRARY USAGE STATISTICS.
SO WE TOOK ALL OF THOSE. WE CREATED A COMPOSITE SCORE FOR THE LIBRARIES BASED ON THOSE FACTS.
OKAY, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING. WHERE IS THE THE RUBRIC ON COMMUNITY NEED LIBRARY USAGE, LIBRARY COVERAGE? AM I MISSING IT BECAUSE AS IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT, I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER IT.
THERE'S VERY BIG NUANCES TO A LOT OF BECAUSE EACH COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING. IS IT MORE BLACK AND WHITE? IS THERE GRAY? I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
SO THERE'S THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF GRAY HERE. RIGHT.
BECAUSE THE QUANTITATIVE PORTION IS ONLY ONE PIECE.
AND THIS THERE WAS NO THRESHOLD THAT ANY LIBRARY WAS SCORED ON THAT IT MET OR DIDN'T MEET.
THAT MEANT IT WAS CLOSED OR STAYING OPEN. THE MATH WAS NOT WHAT MADE ANY FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE IDEA WAS TO CREATE A RANKING BASED ON THE NEED FOR A LIBRARY AND THE USAGE OF A LIBRARY WITHIN A REGION, SO THAT IT COULD THEN BE ASSESSED WITH SOME OF THESE CULTURAL HISTORICAL FACILITIES.
OTHER SORT OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE INFORMATION.
SO THERE'S NOT A MATRIX FOR THOSE QUALITATIVE COMPONENTS.
THERE'S JUST THE MATRIX FOR THOSE COMPONENTS THAT WERE MEASURED.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. OKAY. NOW.
YES. SO MY QUESTION IS IS GIVEN THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN, ARE YOU GOING TO LIKE BECAUSE I WILL SAY YOU'RE NOT USING THE SAME THAT YOU USED FOR SKILLMAN SOUTHWESTERN. UNDERSTOOD. SO AND. SO IT'S A LITTLE IT'S A LITTLE DISINGENUOUS TO SAY BECAUSE I MEAN I HAD ONE AFFECTED.
AND SO IN THAT I GUESS THAT GOES WITH YOUR LIBRARY COVERAGE, THE 20%.
BUT AND THEN IT WAS A LOT RELATED TO CENSUS TRACKS AND, AND OTHER OF THAT SORT OF STUFF.
SO I'M KIND OF I GET THAT WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT SPACE WITH THE SKILLMAN SOUTHWESTERN.
WE ARE HERE. BUT I DO FEEL THAT IT'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES THAT WE ARE DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT.
AND AND IT'S KIND OF IT'S UPSETTING, I THINK, TO HEAR IT FROM YOU GUYS THAT, OH, NOW WE'VE CHANGED THIS WHOLE PARAMETERS AND WE'RE GOING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. AND, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, SKILLMAN IS GOING TO BE SOLD NEXT WEEK OR THIS WEEK, I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT IT'S I AND AND I CAN SAY THAT YOU ARE WHEN YOU CLOSE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU DO RIP OUT THE SOUL OF A COMMUNITY. AND IT'S NOT FUN.
AND REALLY, I MEAN, IT SEEMED LIKE THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH BAKED WHEN IT CAME TO HERE.
AND I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, SO I DO APPRECIATE THE THE CHAIR TO LET ME SPEAK.
BUT I DO FEEL THAT YOU MAY WANT TO GO BACK AND GET MORE PARTICIPATION FROM THE LIBRARY BOARD, BECAUSE ALSO TO THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY IS NOT PART OF THIS.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOT THE REGIONAL PLAN, BUT IT IS KIND OF A REGIONAL PLAN.
[01:25:02]
SO AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO THE END OF THE TIME. AND I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT I DO THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO REVISIT A, A WHOLE PROCESS THAT DOES INCLUDE THE BOARD AND DOES COME A LITTLE BIT MORE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS MODEL SO THAT THAT'S IT AND WE CAN MEET OFFLINE. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO TIME, AND I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU.MISS MORENO OR MAYOR PRO TEM. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU.
CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE DISCUSSION.
I KNOW THIS CAN'T BE EASY FOR YOU. FOR SOMEONE WHO LIVES AND BREATHES BOOKS EACH AND EVERY SINGLE DAY, THIS BRIEFING SHOULD NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO TO MANY.
WE KNOW THAT LIBRARIES HAVE EVOLVED AND WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
AND WE'VE SEEN THOSE WORK. I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD SOME PERSONAL AND RIGHTFULLY SO EMOTIONAL TESTIMONY FROM SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TODAY, AND I CAN ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THEIR INSIGHT.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE WORK AND UNBIASED APPROACH THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM TOOK.
AND WHEN IT CAME TO RANKING AND THE LIMIT, IN ORDER TO LIMIT THE INFLUENCE FROM ONE ON ONE MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAKEHOLDERS, WE NEEDED TO HAVE A STARTING POINT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. TODAY IS A STARTING POINT. SO WE HEARD ABOUT NOW IT'S MY HOPE AFTER LISTENING TODAY.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT FROM INPUT FROM TODAY AND FUTURE MEETINGS, ALONG FROM COMMUNITY INPUT AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING SCHEDULED ALREADY. BUT YOU'VE HEARD FROM ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES IN PARTICULAR WHEN IT COMES TO THE OAK LAWN COMMUNITY.
OAKLAWN LIBRARY IS MUCH MORE THAN A BUILDING.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIR RIDLEY STATED EARLIER IT IS A VITAL LIFELINE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
DALLAS CENTER LIBRARY IS NOT ON HERE. YOU DID MENTION THAT IT WOULD COME AT A FUTURE DATE.
DO YOU HAVE AN APPROXIMATE TIME FRAME? WE'RE EXPECTING SOMETIME THIS SPRING TO BE ABLE TO BRIEF ON THAT CENTRAL LIBRARY, SIR. AND SO, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE SOMEWHAT ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND SO WHAT OTHER REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE ASIDE FROM CO-WORKING SPACE, RETAIL? I KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT COFFEE SHOPS, BUT I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, AT LEAST AT SOME OF OUR LARGER FACILITIES.
AND SO WHAT ARE THE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE.
BUT I WILL SAY WE'RE NOT REALLY DESIGNED TO MAKE MONEY, AND THAT IS A CHALLENGE FOR US.
BUT I HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I'LL BRING BACK.
THANK YOU. ON PAGE 17 WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NEW FLAGSHIPS, THERE IS A BIG GAP IN EAST DALLAS.
AND SO I KNOW YOU ALSO MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FLAGSHIPS IN FUTURE YEARS.
AND SO IS THAT AN AREA THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED OR WILL BE IDENTIFIED? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THE GOAL IS TO OPEN A FLAGSHIP IN THE EAST REGION AND ONE IN SOUTHWEST IN A FUTURE BUDGET YEAR AS WE ARE ABLE.
OKAY. AGAIN, WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT OUR LIBRARIES ARE.
AND SO THE CHALLENGE THAT I PUT TO MY COLLEAGUES INTO CITY MANAGEMENT STAFF IS THAT WE LOOK AT OUTSIDE WE LOOK AT OUR ENTIRE BUDGET AND WITHOUT CUTTING OUR CORE BASIC SERVICES, AND THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP THESE LIBRARIES OPEN.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT FIRST APPROACH THAT YOU GUYS BROUGHT TO US TODAY, HAD WE HAD OUTSIDE INFLUENCE, WE WOULD WE WOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT TIME TODAY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND SO I KNOW IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
[01:30:02]
THANK YOU. CHAIR. LISTEN, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.I WANT TO, I'LL SAY TO ECHO A LOT OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID.
I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD START FROM A DATA ANALYTICS PERSPECTIVE.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS NOT LET'S HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR LIBRARY.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN HAVE WITH THE PUBLIC.
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER LAYERS OF METHODOLOGY THAT WE CAN USE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.
AGAIN, NOT WITH ANY PARTICULAR LIBRARY IN MIND, BUT GIVING THE COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME INPUT ON HOW WE COME UP WITH THE METHODOLOGY. THAT'S WHAT WAS MISSED. THE OTHER PIECE THAT WAS MISSED WAS WE ALL FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FROM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. AS THE CHAIR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED.
THAT RIGHT THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM. VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN PREPARE OUR COMMUNITY. IF THEY WERE IMPACTED BY THIS, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPPORTUNITY.
YOU DID WHAT YOU WERE ASKED TO DO. WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
THE OTHER PIECE IS THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF THESE DECISIONS.
THAT HAS TO BE DONE JOINTLY WITH ALL OF OUR CITY MANAGERS, WITH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION THAT IS TAKING WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY, THE WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID ABOUT THE DIFFERENT MODELS, WHAT THE CITY HAS SAID ABOUT THE USE OF THESE FACILITIES.
CITY SECRETARY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, WE COULD HAVE COME TOGETHER. WE DON'T HAVE TO RUSH THESE DECISIONS. WE DON'T. WE KNOW WE BROKE. YOU ALL DID A WONDERFUL JOB SETTING US UP FOR THE REGIONAL MODEL I WAS ACTUALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
AND PERSONALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T LIKE THE REGIONAL MODEL.
I JUST WONDER WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE THERE THAT SOME OF THE COMMUNITY COULD HAVE USED PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK FROM? THAT'S THE ONE SPOT. SO I'LL SAY THAT THE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ARE AND I TOOK A MOMENT TRY TO GET SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE CROWD BECAUSE AGAIN, I KNEW HOW SENSITIVE WAS. SO I HAD MY STAFF JUST GO PASS OUT SOME NOTE CARDS JUST TO GET QUESTIONS.
I GOT A COUPLE OF THEM. THE BIGGEST QUESTION WAS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FACILITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, ARCADIA PARK. MY SON WENT TO THAT SCHOOL.
ARCADIA PARK IS ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THAT SCHOOL? YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
THE ARCADIA PARK LIBRARY IS NOT JUST ATTACHED TO THE SCHOOL.
IT ACTUALLY FUNCTIONS AS THE SCHOOL LIBRARY. SO WE HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH DISD.
AND I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE HEAD OF DISD LIBRARIES TO BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION.
AS FOR THE REMAINING BUILDINGS, IT'S THE SAME RESPONSE WE GAVE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SKILLMAN THAT I GAVE EARLIER TODAY, WHICH IS THAT IS NOT MY QUESTION TO ANSWER. THAT IS A QUESTION FOR FRM.
WHAT HAPPENS TO A BUILDING AFTER WE VACATE? IT IS IS NOT THE LIBRARY.
YOU DID EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE ASKED TO DO. AGAIN, THE INCOMPLETENESS OF IT IS THE FULL DISCUSSION, KNOWING THE SENSITIVITY OF IT. WE HAVE TO INCLUDE OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR STAFF. THAT SHOULD BE THE NEW MODEL GOING FORWARD.
ANYTIME WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SUCH BIG DECISIONS LIKE THIS, WE HAVE TO START WITH THAT COMMUNITY AND GET A METHODOLOGY AND SOME OPTIONS AND BRING THAT BACK SO THAT THEY CAN ONE, WE ARE INCLUDING THEM IN THIS PROCESS, BUT IT KEEPS IT WHERE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HOW THIS BUILDING MAKES ME FEEL, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE OPTIONS? THERE COULD BE SOME BUSINESS MODELS THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT WORK.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I JUST THINK WE JUST MISSED.
GROSSLY, GROSSLY. SO I KNOW I SAID MR.. MISS [INAUDIBLE], I WANT TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE, BUT WE ARE REALLY CRUNCHED FOR TIME HERE. SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO SAY THANK YOU.
THERE IS NO RECOMMENDATION. CORRECT. BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE DO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THEM IN TERMS OF THE METHODOLOGY AND THE MODELS, AND THEN COME BACK AND MAKE A SUGGESTION.
YES. I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE READY FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
[01:35:05]
THE TRUTH IS, I THINK THE SAME EXACT QUESTIONS WILL COME UP FROM THE COMMUNITY AND IT REALLY WON'T BE PRODUCTIVE.AND WHEN MY CHILDREN WOULD GIVE ME AN ANSWER TO SOMETHING THAT WAS PROBABLY INCORRECT, MY ANSWER WASN'T, NO, IT'S WRONG. IT'S KEEP THINKING. AND I WOULD SAY THEY NEED TO RETHINK THIS.
AND ACTUALLY, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY IS A MASTER PLAN.
WE HAD A LIBRARY MASTER PLAN. THIS ISN'T ANY PART OF IT.
AND THEY PROBABLY NEED TO GO BACK AND DO THAT.
THE DEEP DIVE WITH THE LIBRARY BOARD, WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT WILL ALL THE REGIONALS BE, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH DOWNTOWN? SHOULD WE EVEN BE PROCEEDING WITH THESE BOND FUNDED PROJECTS? HOW ARE WE OPENING NEW LIBRARIES WHEN WE'RE CLOSING OTHERS? THAT'S RIDICULOUS. THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DATA REQUESTS STILL OUT, AND I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY RECEIVE THOSE BEFORE IT GOES FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT MAY ACTUALLY INFORM WHAT WE WANT TO SAY TO THEM.
BUT PERHAPS YOU CAN ASK FOR THIS TO BE A FULL COUNCIL BRIEFING IN THE SPRING ONCE ALL THAT DATA HAS BEEN SHARED, AND MAYBE THEY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL IDEAS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. IN RESPONSE FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SPEAK ALSO TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WHO MAY HAVE MORE INPUT FOR US AND BRING IT BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE, AS YOU WILL, AND CONCURRENTLY HOLD OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS. BECAUSE, AS YOU SAID, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT EVERY POINT IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS PROCESS.
THAT WOULD BE OUR SUGGESTION, SIR. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. MR. CHAIR, I JUST WOULD CHIME IN AND SAY THAT I WOULD AGREE WITH MISS MENDELSOHN.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK THAT IT IS QUITE READY TO GO TO A FULL COUNCIL BRIEFING, I DO THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE VETTING AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, AND THAT I THINK THAT WE NEXT STEP, IN MY OPINION, WOULD BE AT TO SEE THEM COME BACK INCORPORATED WITH ALL OF OUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER THIS TO COME BACK TO OUR COMMITTEE IN MARCH IN YOUR MARCH SCHEDULED MEETING SO THAT WE CAN HEAR ANY FEEDBACK THAT THEY HAVE COLLECTED FROM THIS MEETING.
DO THAT. I'LL ACCEPT THAT. IS THERE IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL RIGHT. MOTION'S MADE AND PROPERLY SECOND TO BRING THIS BACK IN MARCH BASED ON SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU RECEIVED TODAY.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT. ALL OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. CHAIR.
THANK YOU. COMMITTEE. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND REPRESENTING AS YOU ALWAYS DO. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
NEXT ITEM IS ITEM B. THIS IS PROPOSED CODE AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 50, STREET VENDOR.
COLLEAGUES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A QUICK PRESENTATION. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE'LL COME BACK WITH QUESTIONS. ARE WE READY? WE'RE NOT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHRISTIAN WE'RE IN YOUR HANDS.
THESE CHANGES ARE ABOUT ALIGNING OUR CODE WITH RECENT STATE LAW CHANGES, CLOSING THE REGULATORY GAP, AND PLACING OVERSIGHT IN THE CORRECT CHAPTER OF OUR CODE.
I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES QUICKLY. I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF PRESSED FOR TIME, SO I'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THEM AS QUICK AS I CAN. WE'LL BRIEFLY COVER CHAPTER 17 UPDATE, EXPLAIN THE REGULATORY GAP, AND THEN WALK THROUGH CHAPTER 50 AND WHY IT'S THE APPROPRIATE FRAMEWORK FOR ADDRESSING FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
WE'LL THEN REVIEW THE PROPOSED AUTHORIZATION FRAMEWORK.
KEY POLICY CONSIDERATIONS AND OUR IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH.
IN DECEMBER OF 2025, DALLAS CITY CODE CHAPTER 17 WAS UPDATED TO COMPLY WITH SENATE BILL 108, WHICH REQUIRES A UNIFORM STATEWIDE STANDARD FOR PERMITTED FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS SUCH AS RESTAURANTS, CATERERS OR FOOD TRUCKS. AS A RESULT, CHARITABLE, FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND STREET VENDING ARE NO LONGER APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED WITHIN CHAPTER 17. THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN BY REGULATORY RESET.
[01:40:03]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. HISTORICALLY, SECTION 17-1.6 INCLUDED DEFENSES TO PROSECUTION FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION IF BASIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES WERE FOLLOWED.THESE WERE DEFENSES, NOT AFFIRMATIVE REQUIREMENTS.
FIELD CONDITIONS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED RECURRING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND SANITATION CONCERNS.
AFTER YEARS OF EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT CLARIFICATION AND UPDATES TO CHAPTER 50 ARE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT CONSISTENT CITYWIDE ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS ABOUT ALIGNING REGULATION WITH REALITY PLACING STREET VENDING, INCLUDING FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION, IN THE CHAPTER THAT ALREADY GOVERNS STREET VENDORS.
IMPORTANTLY, THE PREVIOUS DEFENSES FROM CHAPTER 17 ARE NOT BEING ELIMINATED.
THEY ARE BEING MOVED AND CONVERTED INTO CLEAR AFFIRMATIVE PERMIT CONDITIONS IN CHAPTER 50.
THESE CONDITIONS ARE OBJECTIVE, PRACTICAL, AND CONSISTENT WITH WHAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY DO.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE AUTHORIZATION FRAMEWORK PERMIT CONCEPT.
THE PERMIT SERVES THREE BASIC PURPOSES. IDENTIFIES A RESPONSIBLE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION.
DOCUMENTS LOCATION AND FREQUENCY OF ACTIVITY.
ATTACHES BASIC FOOD SAFETY AND SANITATION CONDITIONS.
THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL VENDOR LICENSE. THIS IS NOT A RESTAURANT OR MOBILE FOOD PERMIT.
THE PERMIT IS DESIGNED TO BE ADMINISTRATIVE, PREDICTABLE, AND EASY TO OBTAIN.
AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED. THERE IS NO DISCRETIONARY DENIAL.
OUR GOAL IS CONSISTENCY AND SAFETY, NOT CREATING UNNECESSARY BARRIERS FOR VOLUNTEERS OR NONPROFITS.
POLICY CONSIDERATIONS. FIRST, WE'RE MOVING CERTAIN PROVISIONS THAT NO LONGER BELONG IN CHAPTER 17 INTO CHAPTER 50, BECAUSE STREET VENDING IS OUTSIDE OF TFER THIS BODY'S APPROVAL.
SECOND, WE ARE MODERNIZING THE STREET VENDOR DEFINITION TO REFLECT THAT FOOD OR DRINK CAN BE DISTRIBUTED, CAN. WE ARE MODIFYING THE STREET VENDOR DEFINITION TO INCLUDE THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD OR DRINK FREE OF CHARGE.
THIRD, WE ARE CONVERTING PRIOR DEFENSES TO PROSECUTION INTO AFFIRMATIVE PERMIT CONDITIONS.
SO EXPECTATIONS ARE CLEAR, ENFORCEABLE, AND TRANSPARENT.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING THIS COLLABORATIVELY AND THOUGHTFULLY. NEXT SLIDE.
IS JUST OUR PROPOSED NEXT STEPS. AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I SAW THE LANGUAGE SOMEWHERE.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL BE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IT IS 10:52 A.M. ON JANUARY 20TH, 2026 QUALITY LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION UNDER SECTION 551.071 OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO RECEIVE ADVICE FROM AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THE FOLLOWING MATTER DESCRIBED IN TODAY'S AGENDA.
ITEM B PROPOSED CODE AMENDMENTS. CHAPTER 50 STREET VENDORS.
QUALITY OF LIFE, ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE HAS COMPLETED ITS CLOSED SESSION UNDER SECTION FIVE, 551.071 OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND AT 11:52 A.M.
[01:45:07]
I'LL START TO MY RIGHT. THANK YOU. HOW ARE YOU DOING, MR. CHRISTIAN? DOING WELL, SIR. THANK YOU. I WANT TO JUST SAY I'M ADAMANTLY OPPOSED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S COMING FROM STAFF.I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO SET US UP FOR INEVITABLY AND DISCRIMINATORY ENFORCEMENT.
IT LOOKS AS IF THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO CRIMINALIZE ACTS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, WHICH HAS BEEN ARGUED AGAINST LEGALLY AS FAR AS LEGAL MUSTER.
I THINK THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE NOT BEEN PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE DATA TO SUPPORT A DEFENSE OF THIS TYPE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC FEEDING. CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF TRASH RECEPTACLES OR SPECIFIC INVESTMENTS THAT HAS BEEN MADE BY OUR CITY TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR HERE? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. CM BAZALDUA. SO FOR THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR'S, WE TYPICALLY CODE COMPLIANCE, WE TYPICALLY PUT ADDITIONAL RECEPTACLES OUT IN THE CBD CORRIDORS IN ABOUT 6 OR 7 LOCATIONS, AND THEN WE SERVICE THOSE BINS AS WELL THROUGHOUT THOSE HOLIDAYS, AND WE RETRIEVE THEM AFTER THE HOLIDAYS.
BUT THE ISSUES AND THE CONCERNS ARE MULTIFACETED.
SO WE DO GET CODE COMPLAINTS, CODE COMPLIANCE CASES, SERVICE REQUESTS THAT ARE CALLED IN FOR OUR TEAM BASED ON THE LITTER AND THE TRASH AND THE DEBRIS THAT'S LEFT BEHIND. AND THEN FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT, TYPICALLY THOSE ISSUES BECOME THAT OF THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND SO THE OWNERS OF THE PARKING LOTS, THE OWNERS OF THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS WHERE THESE FEEDINGS OCCUR, THE OWNERS OF THOSE PROPERTIES WHO SOMETIMES DON'T EVEN ARE NOT EVEN AWARE THAT THIS ACTIVITY IS GOING ON, ON THEIR PROPERTY, ARE THEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NUISANCE THAT'S LEFT BEHIND.
HOW CAN YOU RESPOND TO MY CONCERN THAT WE SEE WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE ILLEGAL FOOD VENDORS ON JUST ABOUT EVERY DISD CAMPUS AT DISMISSAL.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF SERVICE REQUESTS PUT IN FOR LITTER AND DEBRIS THAT COULD EASILY BE TRACED TO WHAT'S BEING SOLD DIRECTLY OUTSIDE OF THOSE SCHOOL CAMPUSES IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
OR ARE THOSE NEIGHBORS CONCERNS NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY THIS? AND IF THEY ARE, HOW? THEY'RE VALID AND THEY ARE AND CAN BE ADDRESSED UNDER THE SAME CHAPTER 50 ORDINANCE STREET VENDING THROUGH A SERVICE REQUEST, IF A SERVICE REQUEST IS PUT IN FOR ILLEGAL VENDING ACTIVITY, WE WOULD GO OUT AND INVESTIGATE THAT CONCERN.
TYPICALLY, THAT RESPONSE WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETIME AFTER THE REQUEST IS PUT IN.
AND SO FOR US, IT WOULD BE ABOUT US FINDING THAT PERSON ON LOCATION WHEN OUR TEAM ARRIVED TO INVESTIGATE AND IF ILLEGAL VENDING WAS OCCURRING, WE COULD ADDRESS THAT THROUGH OUR NOTICE PROCESS, OUR CITATION PROCESS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO RIGHT NOW MY STAFF IS ACTUALLY BECAUSE I'M STILL IN COMMITTEE, ABOUT TO START A LUNCH AND LEARN THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FREE LUNCH FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT'S COMING TO LEARN ABOUT OUR FACADE PROGRAM. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
ABSOLUTELY ILLEGAL IN Y'ALL'S EYES WITH WHAT THIS IS.
IT IS BECAUSE I'M NOT I'M NOT PERMITTED BY THE FOOD.
I DON'T HAVE A FOOD HANDLERS IN THAT REGARD. THOSE WHO WE PURCHASE THE FOOD FROM ARE NOT ON SITE.
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF HOW LONG I'VE HAD THEM IN MY HAD THE FOOD IN MY POSSESSION THAT I'M SERVING.
SO THERE IS ABSOLUTELY AN INTEREST IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THERE'S NO WAY TO ENFORCE THAT. SO TELL ME, WOULD YOU ALL BE GIVING ME A CITATION? THOSE OF MY STAFF WHO ARE HANDING THE FOOD OUT TO THE COMMUNITY OR TO THE EMPLOYEES AT VISTA BANK WHO ARE HOSTING US FOR THIS EVENT.
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY THAT DOESN'T ALLOW THEM TO SERVE FOOD.
SO EXPLAIN THAT. AND SO THE ORDINANCE IS STILL BEING DRAFTED.
[01:50:03]
WE'RE HAPPY TO ADD THOSE THINGS TO THE ORDINANCE AS WELL.YES, SIR. SO CHAPTER 17, WHICH IS OUR CODE THAT GOVERNS OUR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.
WE UPDATED THAT CODE IN RESPONSE TO SENATE BILL 1008, WHICH AT THE PAST LEGISLATOR REQUIRES THAT THE BASICALLY THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENT CODE BE UNIFORM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE FEES, THE PERMITTING STRUCTURE WITH WITH NO CITY ALTERATIONS.
AND SO WE UPDATED OUR CODE CHAPTER 17 TO ALIGN WITH SENATE BILL 1008 REQUIREMENTS.
AND IN DOING THAT, THE DEFENSES THAT CURRENTLY RESIDE IN CHAPTER 17 RELATED TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD AND DRINK FREE OF CHARGE THEY NO LONGER HAVE A PLACE IN CHAPTER 17 BECAUSE THE STATE IS MUTE ON THOSE ACTIVITIES.
AND SO AND FINDING SOMEWHERE TO REMOVE THAT SECTION OF CHAPTER 17 WE FELT LIKE CHAPTER 50 WAS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR IT, SINCE IT ALREADY GOVERNED CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND STREET VENDORS AND STREET VENDING AND SO, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ATTORNEYS, WE BEGAN WORKING ON WHAT THIS NEW ORDINANCE WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH THAT SECTION ADDED TO CHAPTER 50.
SO DO WE NEED TO GIVE ANY RECOMMENDATION ON THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO GET MADE TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, OR ARE YOU ONLY ASKING FOR RECOMMENDATION ON THE CHANGES YOU WERE ABLE TO UNILATERALLY AND ADMINISTRATIVELY ADDRESS THE CHANGES THAT WERE NEEDED FOR STATE LAW COMPLIANCE? YOU GUYS APPROVED THE STATE LAW COMPLIANCE UPDATE DECEMBER 10TH, 2025.
SO THIS IS NOT AT ALL ABOUT THAT. THIS IS NOT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S REALLY CLEAR. THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF.
AND SO THANK YOU. WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I MOVE TO HOLD THIS UNDER ADVISEMENT INDEFINITELY.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? NAY, NAY. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
SIR. YEAH. OH. MAJORITY DO WE WANT TO DO A SHOW OF HANDS OR SOMETHING? BECAUSE TO ME, THERE ARE ONLY TWO IN FAVOR.
ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? NAY.
ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. MAJORITY. NAYS WIN. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. WHERE WAS I? I MOVE TO SEND THIS TO FULL COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO NOT APPROVE FROM THE COMMITTEE. MISTER CHAIR. I ASSUME YOU'LL BE UNDERTAKING DISCUSSION TO THIS MOTION.
YEAH, I'D LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. I WAS GOING THIS WAY, AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHO'S ON THE COMMITTEE NOW. I THINK MISS WILLIS IS ON THE COMMITTEE, AREN'T YOU? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S NO ONE OVER THERE. SO HE WENT TO ME, SO I.
SO MR. CHRISTIAN IS THE CURRENT FOOD SERVICE AT THE STREET, IN WHATEVER FORM, EQUITABLE IN TERMS OF FOOD SAFETY AND HANDLING? THAT IS TO SAY, IT SEEMS LIKE STREET VENDORS HAVE A STANDARD FOR HEALTH, BUT THOSE FEEDING ARE MOST VULNERABLE MAY NOT. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS, FOR US, IT'S ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR US. AS WE WERE OUT ENGAGING WITH STREET VENDORS, PROVIDING FOOD SERVICE AND 600 ENGAGEMENTS PLUS THAT WE CONDUCTED. WE FOUND THAT IN OVER 300 OF THOSE OPERATIONS, TIME AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY FOODS WERE BEING SERVED.
AND SO THOSE TYPE OF FOODS BEING SERVED ON THE STREETS CAN BE AND ARE CAN BE DANGEROUS IF NOT REGULATED AT THE APPROPRIATE TEMPERATURES OF 41 DEGREES AND BELOW FOR COLD FOOD AND 135 DEGREES AND ABOVE FOR HOT FOOD.
AND SO JUST THAT ALONE PRETTY MUCH TELLS US WE NEED TO HAVE AN EYE ON WHEN THIS IS OCCURRING, THE FREQUENCY AND AT WHAT FREQUENCY. AND WE NEED TO HAVE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO GO CHECK ON THE SERVICE OF THAT FOOD TO MAKE SURE OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION IS RECEIVING FOOD THAT WILL NOT MAKE THEM SICK OR CAUSE THEM HARM.
[01:55:02]
AND WE CHECK ON OTHER STREET VENDORS WHO ARE PERMITTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ABIDING BY.WE DO WE VISIT ALL PERMITTED FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND TEMPORARY EVENT PERMITS AND SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS TO ENSURE FOOD SAFETY AND SANITATION. SOMEONE WALKING UP AND PAYING FOR SOMETHING HAS A CERTAIN STANDARD.
OTHERS WHO MAY BE RECEIVING SOMETHING HAVE A LOWER STANDARD OF WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED SAFE.
AND SO REALLY, WHAT THIS ENDEAVOR IS TO BRING IT UP TO EQUITABLE STANDARDS OF PEOPLE HAVING AN EXPECTATION, A REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF WHAT THEY'RE BEING GIVEN OR BUYING IS NOT GOING TO HARM THEM.
THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ROTH. I'M OPPOSED TO THE CHANGE OF THIS ORDINANCE.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A A CODE THAT WORKS, THAT'S VALID, THAT'S BEEN LEGALLY VETTED THAT SEEMS TO HAVE TESTED TIME IN TERMS OF LEGAL ENFORCEMENT. AND I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST THAT WE CHANGE SOMETHING THAT'S WORKING AND THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD OPEN THE CITY UP TO POTENTIAL LITIGATION AND COULD AND IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE AND IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND BY THE POPULATION THAT'S GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY WHATEVER CHANGES YOU'RE SUGGESTING. I THINK THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT BE ADDRESSED.
I THINK THAT THE SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM IS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
AND I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS BODY DOES NOT RECOMMEND PROCEEDING WITH THIS CHANGE IN THE ORDINANCE, AS YOU'VE SUGGESTED, AND THAT WE ASK THAT YOU ALL COME BACK WITH ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS TO DEALING WITH WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS IN THE ROOM, WHICH IS DEALING WITH CHARITABLE FACILITIES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING GOOD SAMARITAN ASSISTANCE TO THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE IN NEED. AND NOT PUTTING THEM AT RISK AS THE BAD GUYS OR THE PEOPLE THAT POTENTIALLY BE VIOLATING AN ORDINANCE EITHER BY NEGLECT OR BY IGNORANCE OR BY INABILITY TO PERFORM.
THANK YOU, MISS CADENA. SO IN DISTRICT SIX, WE ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A FEW NON-PROFITS.
AND AS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS, I MEAN, I WONDER HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THEM.
EVEN THE WEST DALLAS MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER GIVES OUT FOOD TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF OUR NON-PROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE AFFECTED BY THIS. BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT RELY ON OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT GIVE TO THEM AND SO SEE HOW THIS MIGHT AFFECT THEM IN THEIR SERVICE. THANK YOU, MR. RIDLEY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO TAKE SOME KIND OF ACTION IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT OF SENATE BILL 1008, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT REQUIRED EACH CITY TO ADOPT THE TEXAS FOOD ESTABLISHMENT RULES THAT MADE A UNIFORM SET OF RULES STATEWIDE FOR ALL CITIES TO COMPLY WITH, WHICH HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO SECTION 17, CHAPTER 17.
AND SO, AS A RESULT, THAT HAS DISPLACED THE RULES THAT WE HAVE OPERATED UNDER AT LEAST SINCE 2014 WITH REGARD TO STREET FEEDING, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND SO THOSE RULES NO LONGER EXIST. SO WE CURRENTLY REALLY HAVE NO REGULATION OF STREET FEEDING.
OKAY. BUT THE ACTIONS THAT THE DEFENSES ARE FOR NO LONGER EXIST IN CHAPTER 17.
[02:00:01]
RULES. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME ACTION HERE.NOW, IN CONTEMPLATING THAT ACTION, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT MOVING THE PREVIOUS AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES FROM CHAPTER 17 TO CHAPTER 50 AS AFFIRMATIVE REQUIREMENTS, I KNOW THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE.
CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. SO WHAT I'M INQUIRING ABOUT NOW IS WHAT ARE THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, IF ANY, THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE WITH THESE AMENDMENTS? WE WANT TO REQUIRE A PERMIT IN ADVANCE. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE REQUIRE NOW IS A NOTIFICATION IN ADVANCE OF THE ACTIVITY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SERVING 75 PEOPLE OR MORE AND A NOTIFICATION UP TO 48 HOURS AFTER THE SERVICE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SERVING 75 PEOPLE OR LESS WE WANT TO REQUIRE A PERMIT TWO DAYS BEFORE A PERMIT APPLICATION, TWO DAYS BEFORE ANY SERVICE TAKES PLACE. SO OUR TEAM IS INFORMED WE KNOW WHERE THE SERVICE IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBLE PARTY OR ORGANIZATION THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH.
WE HAVE THEIR INFORMATION AND WE CAN PROVIDE THE REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES TO THEM.
THE OTHER SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE WOULD BE SO AS LONG AS THE CITY IS OFFERING A FREE SPONSORED SAFETY FOOD SAFETY TRAINING CLASS, THEN AT LEAST ONE MEMBER THAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENT DURING THE SERVICE OF DISTRIBUTION WOULD HAVE HAD TO ATTEND THAT CLASS WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 24 MONTHS, OR HAVE RECEIVED A FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATE FROM THE STATE.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES. THOSE ARE THE ONLY SUBSTANCES THAT YOU'RE CONTEMPLATING.
WELL, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THOSE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY FOOD HANDLING STUDIES THAT INDICATE FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURES THAT YOU CITED 41 DEGREES ON THE COLD SIDE, 135 ON THE HOT SIDE CAN LEAD TO CONTAMINATION OF FOOD OR FOOD POISONING. I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE STUDIES IN THIS PRESENTATION.
OH, I UNDERSTAND THAT. CAN YOU FIND THOSE? BUT ABSOLUTELY.
YES, SIR. AND THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FINDING THOSE STUDIES.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE THOSE IN THE RECORD THAT WE CAN RELY UPON TO JUSTIFY THESE CHANGES.
WELL, I SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THIS AS A VERY SIGNIFICANT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE.
SO THE ONLY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IS REQUIRING ADVANCE NOTICE FOR ALL VENDORS TWO DAYS BEFORE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN UNREASONABLE RESTRICTION.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT FOR GROUPS OF OVER 75.
SO I THINK AND NOBODY'S CHALLENGED THAT, HAVE THEY? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SIR. AND THEN THE OTHER IS REQUIRING A FOOD SAFETY COURSE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS ON SITE.
I THINK THAT IS AN EFFORT AT SELF-ENFORCEMENT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE CODE BREATHING DOWN PEOPLE'S NECKS AND MEASURING TEMPERATURES, IF SOMEBODY IS REQUIRED TO BE THERE, WHO KNOWS WHAT THOSE RANGE OF TEMPERATURES THAT ARE SAFE IS AND CAN SELF-POLICE THEMSELVES, THEN THAT REDUCES THE HEAVY HAND OF GOVERNMENT HERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE CHANGE TOO. THANK YOU.
ANYMORE. YES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. CHRISTIAN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I AM SUPPORTING THESE CHANGES. I HAVE A QUESTION.
WILL THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE PREVENT SOMEONE FROM STREET FEEDING IF THEY FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF THE ORDINANCE? NO, SIR. OKAY. AS SOMEONE WITH A BACKGROUND IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH CONSUMERS IS TOP PRIORITY FOR ME, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A MEAL THAT IS NOT GOING TO CAUSE FOODBORNE ILLNESS. IF SOMEONE WERE IF THERE WERE, IF AN OUTBREAK WERE TO HAPPEN IN ONE OF THESE FEEDINGS, HOW DO WE TRACK THAT? HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE THE SOURCE CAME FROM? HOW DO WE KNOW WHO MIGHT BE PART OF THAT ENVIRONMENT? WHAT'S THE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY TODAY, TO BE ACTUALLY TO BE ABLE TO FIND WHERE THE FOOD CAME FROM? MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT'S A FANTASTIC QUESTION. AND TODAY THAT IS VERY HARD INFORMATION FOR US TO TRACK.
[02:05:07]
JUST DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE BEING SERVED.WE'RE JUST NOT RECEIVING THOSE CALLS. WE'RE NOT RECEIVING THOSE COMPLAINTS. AND SO.
SO WE COULD EITHER HAVE INFORMATION ON FILE OR NOT HAVE INFORMATION ON FILE FOR WHOEVER PROVIDED THE FOOD, JUST BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THEY WERE SERVING, AND IF THEY WERE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE US NOTIFICATION OR NOT. ASIDE FROM STREET FEEDING, WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO CONTRIBUTE BACK TO THE CITY, WHO WANT TO HELP THOSE WHO MIGHT GO WITHOUT A MEAL.
THE BRIDGE, STEWPOT, AUSTIN STREET CENTER, OURCALLING.
THESE ARE ALL NONPROFITS THAT WE HAVE MET WITH. WE'VE SPOKEN TO. THEY ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO REACH OUT TO THEM, COME TO THEIR CENTERS, SERVE FROM THERE. THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS.
THEY WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND SERVE. THEY'RE ALSO PREPARING MEALS THREE TIMES A DAY AND SERVING FOOD.
AND ONE OF THEIR CONCERNS WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY PREPARE A LOT OF FOOD.
AND SO IT CREATES CONFLICTING GAPS IN THE SERVICE.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH OUR VENDORS AND PROVIDE A LOCATION FOR THE SERVICE.
AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE. WHAT TYPE OF EDUCATION HAS GONE INTO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT FREQUENT THE DOWNTOWN AREA? WHAT HAVE WE DONE AS A CITY TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THOSE PROVIDERS AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES? SO WE'VE BEEN OUT YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEKEND SINCE MAY OR IN OR AROUND MAY OF LAST YEAR.
2025 MAKING SURE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR CHARITABLE GIVERS, OUR STREET VENDORS, TO PROVIDE OUR CURRENT EXISTING ORDINANCE GUIDELINES TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PARTNER WITH THE EXISTING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD OPEN UP THEIR DOORS.
WE PROVIDED THE INFORMATION TO THOSE LOCATIONS, TO THE VENDORS.
WHAT WE FOUND IS ABOUT 30% OF THE CHARITABLE GIVERS ARE PERMANENT.
THE OTHER 70% OF FOLKS THAT WE ENGAGE WITH ARE JUST ONE OFF YOU KNOW, POP UP STREET FEEDERS THAT JUST WANT TO COME INTO THE TOWN, DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE WEEKEND. AND THAT REPRESENTS A LARGER PORTION OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
AND SO WHEN WE SEE THEM OUT THERE, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES AND EDUCATION TO THEM.
WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE HAND WASHING THE TEMPORARY BARRICADES.
THE CONSUMER HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE BRIDGE, OURCALLING, DDI METRO RELIEF AND OTHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS. WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THAT? WAS IT DID IT WERE WE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO AFTER EXPERIENCING THAT AND KNOWING HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
DID WE SEE PEOPLE START USING THOSE STRATEGIES OR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? NO, SIR. WE DIDN'T. WHEN WE HOSTED EVEN THE EVENT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF WE DIDN'T EVEN GET 100% COMPLIANCE FROM THE FEEDERS THAT WEEKEND.
THEY ALL DID NOT COME TO THE LOCATION THAT WE HAD PRESCRIBED OR THAT WE SET UP.
WE PROVIDED RECEPTACLES, TRASH BAGS. WE PROVIDED RESOURCES THAT DAY, AND WE STILL FOUND THAT THERE WERE VENDORS POPPING UP THROUGHOUT THE CITY DOWNTOWN TO FEED. AND SO WE WOULD WE HAD TO LEAVE THAT LOCATION AND ACTUALLY GO ENGAGE WITH SOME OF THOSE FEEDERS.
AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE WE GOT FROM THEM WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW ABOUT THE LOCATION AND WHERE YOU'VE SET UP FOR US TO COME TO, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE CODE THAT WE HAVE TO GO THERE AND SO WE CAN GO WHEREVER WE WANT.
SO WE JUST WANT TO REMAIN HERE. AND SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT IS SOMETHING THE PROPOSAL. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM READY TO TO SUPPORT.
AGAIN, THESE INDIVIDUALS SOMETIMES HAVE WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING FULL, NUTRITIOUS MEALS, LIKE AT THE BRIDGE THAT OFFERS THOSE.
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF THE COST FOR DEBRIS CLEANUP?
[02:10:04]
IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? I DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL FIGURE THAT I CAN SHARE.I'VE HEARD FIGURES FROM SOME OF OUR DOWNTOWN PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE'VE ENGAGED WITH.
THANK YOU. AND I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH THIS. I MEAN, THIS ORDINANCE DOES NOT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM COMING TO DOWNTOWN AND DOING STREET FEEDING SO LONG THAT THEY FOLLOW THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
THANK YOU. CHAIR. THANK YOU. I HAVE ANOTHER SO OUR COLLEAGUE, MISS MENDELSOHN JUST RECENTLY BAKED A BUNCH OF BROWNIES FOR OUR POLICE AND FIRE.
I KNOW THAT SHE DOESN'T HAVE A FOOD HANDLER, AND ESSENTIALLY THAT THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF ACTS THAT I SEE HAPPEN AT FIRE AND POLICE STATIONS IN MY DISTRICT OFTEN. THOSE GOOD NEIGHBORS WOULD ALSO BE IN VIOLATION, RIGHT? DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SO ALL OF THE THANKSGIVING MEALS THAT WE SERVED AT ALL OF OUR FIREHOUSES IN A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ALSO WAS ILLEGAL AND WOULD BE SUBJECT TO ENFORCEMENT IF WE WERE TO MAKE THESE CHANGES BECAUSE NONE OF US WOULD HAVE APPLIED FOR ANY PERMITS, POTENTIALLY. YEAH. AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE ON BOOKS NOW TO UNDERSTAND THE NOURISHMENT OF THE FOOD THAT'S BEING PROVIDED AT THESE PARTNERS? BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST MENTIONED HERE AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE NO PARAMETERS ON THE ACTUAL NUTRITIOUS VALUE OF FOOD THAT'S BEING GIVEN. WE DON'T FOCUS ON THAT.
AND CONSUMER HEALTH. WE FOCUS ON THE TIME TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY.
THERE IS NO THERE IS NO METRICS ON ACTUAL NOURISHMENT.
I'M ALSO FROM THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY AS WELL.
THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. JUST MAKING SURE. AND THEN IN THE CASE THAT SOMEONE WERE TO GET A PERMIT, GIVE YOU TWO DAYS NOTICE, PURCHASE FOOD FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS A FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATE.
WHERE IS THE DISCONNECT? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN FOOD HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM ONE HANDS TO THE OTHER AS A FOOD HANDLER, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO THE ONUS IS ON FOR THE DANGER ZONE BEING VIOLATED WITHIN THE FIRST TWO HOUR PERIOD VERSUS THAT OF THE SECOND TWO HOUR PERIOD OF THE FOUR HOURS? HOW DO WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR HOUR BLOCK? HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP ADEQUATE RECORDS? AND WHO DOES THE ONUS FALL ON WHEN IT'S CHANGING HANDS, AND HOW IS THAT SPECIFIED FROM OUR STATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES? SO IN FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, THE DATE AND TIME HAS TO BE MARKED.
IT HAS TO BE MARKED. AND SO FOR FOR STREET VENDING SERVICE, IT WOULD BE THE SAME REQUIREMENT.
WE CHECK FOR THAT. OFTENTIMES THE CONTAINERS ARE NOT MARKED.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME DATE OR THE HOUR IT WAS PREPARED OR ON THOSE CONTAINERS.
WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO KNOW WHETHER THE FOOD WAS TRANSFERRED IN A CLEAN CONVEYANCE.
GOOD. GOOD. GOOD. I'M SORRY. GOOD MORNING, CEDRIC [INAUDIBLE]. I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN.
OUR STAFF OF SANITARIANS WHO ENGAGE WITH THESE STREET FEEDERS QUITE ROUTINELY.
IT IS PART OF OUR PROTOCOLS FOR THEM TO QUERY WHEN THE FOOD WAS PREPARED.
HAVE YOU ALSO FOUND THOSE FINDINGS IN FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS? YES, SIR WE HAVE. AND IN FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS, TYPICALLY WHEN WE FIND THAT BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE TO BE TIME OF DAY STAMPED, THEY WILL DISPOSE OF THAT. SURE. JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NO ANOMALY THAT'S HAPPENING ON OUR STREET.
THAT'S A PART OF WHY WE HAVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF COOKOUTS IN DISTRICT SEVEN, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, FOR INSTANCE.
HAPPENS OFTEN AT MANY OF THE CHURCHES THROUGHOUT SOUTH DALLAS, SPECIFICALLY ON A WEEK TO WEEK BASIS.
WHAT ONUS NOW FALLS ON THESE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE JUST DOING WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD?
[02:15:04]
ARE WE GOING TO SEND CODE ENFORCEMENT OUT ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL EVERYONE'S HOT DOGS ARE OF TEMPERATURE? NO. SO SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT GIVING DISCRETION AND ABILITY TO ENFORCE FEEDINGS ON A SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC, EVEN THOUGH THE COURTS HAVE ALREADY TOLD US WHEN OUR FIRST ATTEMPT THAT IT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.THERE SHOULD. BUT THE LINE OF QUESTIONING HERE TODAY AND WHERE THE FOCAL POINT SEEMS TO BE ON THESE CHANGES BEING BROUGHT TO US IS SPECIFIC TO AN UNSHELTERED POPULATION, SPECIFIC TO A DEMOGRAPHIC.
OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO UPDATE THE STREET VENDOR DEFINITION IN CHAPTER 50 AND TO INCLUDE THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD AND DRINK FREE OF CHARGE TO STREET VENDOR AND THEN THE DIVISION SEVEN ARTICLE OF THE CODE MAKING THE CHAPTER 17 DEFENSES AFFIRMATIVE WITH THE TWO CHANGES THAT WE RECOMMEND. IT IS NOT SOLELY FOCUSED ON THE CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD TO THE HOMELESS.
IT IS, IT IS. AND THAT MAY NOT BE THE WAY THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING IT YOURSELF, BUT IT ABSOLUTELY IS, BECAUSE UNTIL YOU CAN SIT IN FRONT OF ME AND TELL ME THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT IS ENFORCING EQUALLY AND EQUITABLY ACROSS OUR CITY FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THAT I JUST MENTIONED. WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS. THIS ISN'T ABOUT FOOD SAFETY.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
THIS IS ALLOWING FOR AN ENFORCEMENT OF A SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC.
WE COULD CALL IT WHAT IT IS, JUST AS THE COURTS HAVE ALREADY CALLED OUT IN THE PAST.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE CONSIDERING THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS A CITY, WE'VE TAKEN OUR OWN MEASURES TO ADDRESS THE SOLUTION, THE PROBLEM AND FIND A SOLUTION, AND WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT YET.
INSTEAD, THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO SEND YOU ALL OUT AND HAVE COVER TO ENFORCE DISPROPORTIONATELY TO AN ISSUE WHERE WE KNOW WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN CONCERN AND QUESTIONING FROM PEOPLE LIKE DOWNTOWN DALLAS INC, SPECIFIC TO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
IT'S ONLY WHENEVER IT CREEPS INTO THE NIMBY. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS.
WE'LL LOOK AT IT AND HOW THIS ORDINANCE PROPOSED ORDINANCE MIGHT IMPACT THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. MR. CHAIR, I MAKE A MOTION AT THIS POINT TO ADVANCE.
I'M SORRY MAY I MAKE SOME COMMENTS? OH, OKAY.
THANK YOU. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP MY BROWNIES WHICH I GOT MANY THANK YOU'S FOR AND NO COMPLAINTS. THE ISSUE FOR ME IS THAT WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WE CAN'T ENFORCE.
THIS IS NOT EVEN ENFORCEABLE. AND IT'S REALLY OVER THE TOP.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING NONPROFITS TO DO, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING CHARITABLE GROUPS TO DO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING JUST PEOPLE OF FAITH WHO WANT TO SHARE FOOD, WHICH IS A BASIC TENET OF MOST RELIGIONS, IS JUST BEYOND WHAT'S CALLED FOR.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THE STATE OF TEXAS PREEMPTS US.
BECAUSE WE COME UP WITH THESE VERY CONVOLUTED, DIFFICULT STATUES ORDINANCES, AND IT JUST IS MUDDYING THE WATER FOR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE. AND I WILL SAY THERE IS A RELIGIOUS ASPECT FOR THIS.
THANKING GOD FOR IT. THANKING FOR THE ABILITY TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.
AND THIS IS A BLESSING FOR PEOPLE THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE DISCOURAGING.
ALL THAT TO SAY, ARE THERE ISSUES WITH STREET FEEDING AND HOW IT'S HAPPENING DOWNTOWN? OF COURSE. AND IT HAS BEEN SINCE WAY BEFORE ANY OF US WERE ON COUNCIL.
AND IN FACT, I WAS INVOLVED WITH THIS WAY BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL.
IF THIS GETS PASSED, I'M JUST GOING, WE'LL BE SUED.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO QUESTION. WHAT I WOULD ASK IS IF WE CAN WORK WITH OUR ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN DAY AND OVERNIGHT SHELTERS TO MAYBE HAVE THEM REACH OUT. MAYBE WE CAN FACILITATE ROUNDTABLES WHERE THESE GROUPS CAN PARTNER WITH THEM.
THEY WOULD VERY MUCH WELCOME FOOD THAT THEY COULD THEN DISTRIBUTE INSIDE THEIR FACILITY.
AND THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE SECONDARY TO THE SHARING OF FOOD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSOHN.
[02:20:04]
THANK YOU CHAIR. I JUST HAVE A SHORT COMMENT, A SHORT QUESTION.IF WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT AN ADMINISTRATIVE SITUATION OF TRANSFERRING THE EXISTING ORDINANCE FROM 17 TO 50 WITHOUT ANY CHANGES, I WOULD BE AGREEABLE TO JUST DOING AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT CODE SECTION. BUT I DO WANT TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT AMENDING THAT TRANSFERRED ORDINANCE IN ANY WAY, BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL POTENTIAL ASPECTS OF IT, THE ENFORCEMENT ASPECTS OF IT AND THE CHANGE IN THE DESIGNATION OF THESE BEING DEFENSES. BECOMING NOT DEFENSES, BUT BECOMING PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES.
THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, I WAS ACTUALLY VERY DISTRESSED TO HEAR THAT OUR EXISTING SOME OF OUR EXISTING CHARITABLE PARTNERS ARE NOT ARE, ARE HAVING WASTED FOOD AND THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD. THESE ARE FOLKS THAT WE'RE GIVING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE THE EXPERTS IN HANDLING THIS KIND OF AN EVENT AND THESE KIND OF SERVICES.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE PAYING AND CONTRIBUTING, AND THE COMMUNITY IS EXPECTING THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US DO THIS. AND IF THEY'RE NOT DOING IT, WE BETTER FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM TO DO IT IN THE RIGHT WAY.
THAT'S I'M ALSO A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR PERCENTAGES.
YOU SAY THAT 30% OF THE PEOPLE ARE COMPLYING, BUT 70% AREN'T.
WHAT NUMBERS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT PERCENTAGES, BECAUSE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF THIS DEAL OR 100 PEOPLE. AND AGAIN, I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HERE IN TERMS OF WHO'S COMPLYING AND WHO'S NOT COMPLYING AND WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS, NOT THE PERCENTAGES. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROTH IT WASN'T A THIS NUMBER IS COMPLIANT.
HOW MANY ARE THOSE RECURRING? 30% OF. WHAT'S THE TOTAL? THE TOTAL NUMBER. TOTAL NUMBER OF ENGAGEMENTS RECORDED 621.
WHAT? 621 FEEDERS. THERE'S 630 PEOPLE. 30% OF 621 FEEDERS.
THERE'S. I'M SORRY. THERE'S 600 DIFFERENT GROUPS PROVIDING FOOD.
YES, SIR. ACTUALLY, IN THESE AREAS, THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME.
NO. TO DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN'S POINT. HE MENTIONED EARLIER WE HAD 260 GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ONE OFFS, AND WE HAVE 319 FEEDINGS BY 66 GROUPS.
66 GROUPS WHO SHOW UP WITH GREAT FREQUENCY. SO TO ADD SOME SPECIFICITY.
EXPLAIN THE NUMBERS TO ME, PLEASE. THIS IS DON'T.
I NEED TO UNDERSTAND? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? ARE THERE'S 60 PEOPLE. THERE'S 60 GROUPS THAT ARE FEEDING THE HOMELESS DOWNTOWN.
YES, SIR. OKAY. AND OF THOSE, 30% ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
SO THAT'S 20 ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY AND 40 AREN'T.
AND SO IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? BY AND LARGE, OF THE 621 TOTAL FEEDINGS THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTED, AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT COUNCILMAN ROTH, WE HAVE ISSUED 144 OVERALL NOTICES OF VIOLATION FOR ANY NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS, FAILING TO NOTIFY THE CITY, FAILING TO PROCURE THE APPROPRIATE FOOD, FREE CITY SPONSORED FOOD SAFETY TRAINING, OR A CERTIFIED STATE CERTIFICATION FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATION.
SO WE HAD 144. AND WHEN YOU PRESENT THOSE CITATIONS, THEY'RE NOT CITATIONS, NOTICES OF VIOLATION.
OR THE NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS, THEN THE INSTITUTION HAS THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS IT BY SAYING, HERE'S MY DEFENSE. WE DID HAVE IT. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT.
[02:25:04]
BUT THEY HAVE A DEFENSE IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK AND SAY, WE GOT OUR PAPERS, WE GOT THE RIGHT.AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MENTION.
THERE DO I HAVE A MOTION? YES. MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADVANCE THIS ITEM TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR A BRIEFING AFTER THE STAFF HAS FINALIZED THEIR PROPOSED ORDINANCE LANGUAGE AND HAS OBTAINED RESEARCH ABOUT THE RISKS OF IMPROPER FOOD HANDLING. SECOND. OKAY, A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE PROPERLY SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THE MAKER OF THIS MOTION WOULD ARTICULATE THE NEED FOR THIS TO GO DIRECTLY TO FULL COUNCIL INSTEAD OF US CONTINUING THE VETTING PROCESS WHEN IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A GREAT DEAL THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED STILL AT THIS COMMITTEE LEVEL. WELL I'M HAPPY TO RESPOND.
IT SEEMS LIKE OVER THE LAST HOUR AND A HALF THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS TO A GREAT EXTENT, AND IT'S APPARENT THAT THERE ARE SOME DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED VIEWPOINTS ABOUT IT AT THE COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO REACH A CONSENSUS ABOUT IT AT THE COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED AN INPUT FROM THE FULL COUNCIL AND THE DIVERSITY OF VIEWPOINTS THAT MAY BE REPRESENTED THERE THAT AREN'T ON THIS COMMITTEE TO DECIDE IF THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE WANTS TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I AGREE ALMOST WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT WHEN WE SEND IT TO GET THOSE OTHER PERSPECTIVES, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE A VETTING AT A COMMITTEE LEVEL, AND WITH THERE BEING QUITE A BIT, EVEN IN YOUR MOTION, THAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR THEM TO BRING BACK, TO BE CONSIDERATE OR TO BE CONSIDERED, THE STANCES COULD POTENTIALLY EVEN CHANGE AROUND HERE.
AND SO WHEN WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ASKING FOR THEM TO TAKE OUR FEEDBACK AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, BRING US BACK FEEDBACK FROM OUR FEEDBACK, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION AT THE FULL COUNCIL LEVEL, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO VET TO A PLACE WHERE WE COULD CONFIDENTLY GIVE, WHETHER IT'S WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT OR NOT SEND IT AFTER WE HAVE VETTED ALL THAT WE'VE ASKED STAFF TO BRING US BACK TO.
AND SO I WOULD I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT I AM FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF BRINGING IT BACK.
I WOULD JUST THINK THAT WE WOULD STILL NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DISCUSSION AT A COMMITTEE LEVEL BASED ON WHAT THEY WOULD BRING US NEW FINDINGS ON? WELL, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I'LL BE HAPPY TO AMEND MY MOTION TO PROVIDE THAT THE BRIEFING MUST COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE GOING ON TO COUNCIL, IF MY SECOND WILL APPROVE THAT. ALRIGHT. THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO BRING THIS BACK TO COMMITTEE WITH SEVERAL OF THOSE CONDITIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND IT WAS SECOND.
SO WE'LL COME BACK AND DISCUSS IT HERE BEFORE WE MOVE IT FORWARD.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. ALL.
WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM JUST REALLY QUICK. I'M NOT GOING TO BRIEF THAT ITEM, BUT I DO JUST WANT TO.
SURE. AND I KNOW THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN FEBRUARY.
WE HAVE AMENDMENT LANGUAGE FOR THE NOISE CODE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AMENDMENT LANGUAGE FOR WHAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING ON POLICY WITH SECTION 28, 10 AND 42 A AND SO I WANTED TO ASK THAT WE ALLOW THE STAFF TO BRING FORWARD SOME RECOMMENDED LANGUAGE SO THE COMMITTEE CAN CONSIDER THAT, ALONG WITH THE DECK AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING, SO WE CAN VET THAT AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
PERFECT. MS. [INAUDIBLE]. YES. IS THAT THE WILL OF THE COMMITTEE? YES. YES. I SUPPORT THAT, YES. JUST A CLARIFICATION.
WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IT AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL. YES. PERFECT. OKAY. NOTED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AT 12:37, THIS CONCLUDES THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE MEETING.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND TIME. TRANSPORTATION.
[02:30:02]
YEAH,