* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Environmental Commission on April 8, 2026.] [00:00:02] ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8TH, AND THE TIME IS NOW 5:37 PM I AM CHAIRWOMAN CATHERINE GURA, AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ORDER. RA, WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR MEETINGS IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR PREFERENCE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TRANSLATION OR OTHER ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, PLEASE CALL 4 6 9 7 2 4 6 5 3 8 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING. OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED ON MAY 13TH AT 5:30 PM WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT INTO OUR ROLL CALL THIS EVENING. WHEN I CALL YOUR DISTRICT, PLEASE RESPOND WITH YOUR NAME, DISTRICT ONE, JORDAN CLARK, DISTRICT TWO, MARK WOOTEN, DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR ARE VACANT. DISTRICT FIVE, TRACY WALLACE. DISTRICT SIX IS VACANT. DISTRICT SEVEN RE, DISTRICT EIGHT. RENEE ROBERTON. I'M DISTRICT NINE. DISTRICT 10. PRESIDENT. ANDREW SIEGEL, DISTRICT 11, WHITNEY BURLE, DISTRICT 12, BARRY LACKMAN, DISTRICT 13. DISTRICT 14. PAULA, DISTRICT 15. JULIE HIROTO. ALL GOING ON TO OUR TECHNICAL PANEL. MS. BE, I'M HERE. SORRY. DR. BORO DON'T SEE MS. STRAUSS. OH, SHE'S ON HER WAY, I'M TOLD. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER POSTON, I'M GONNA NOTE THAT YOU ARE PRESENT THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT, MS. TAMIN, PRESENT THERE, MR. HOFFMAN? I DON'T SEE YET. NOPE. ALL RIGHT. MR. MARQUI HERE. DR. JACK PRESENT. . OKAY. LET'S GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS TONIGHT? STEPHANIE? MS. SMITH. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. LET ME RECITE OUR SPEAKER GUIDELINES. UH, SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY, THE CORPSMAN, GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, ANY SPEAKER MAKING PERSONAL AND PERTINENT PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, OR WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WHEN YOUR TIME'S ENDED. PLEASE CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS, UM, MS. GELMAN. UH, GO AHEAD AND JUST PUSH THE BUTTON. TURN IT ON. OKAY. GO RIGHT AHEAD. HI. UM, YES, I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TO SAY, BUT, UH, TODAY, UH, I MET WITH, UM, DR. LACKMAN AND, UH, MS. ROBERSON ABOUT, UH, UH, THE, THE MOSQUITO ABATEMENT ISSUES AND SPRAYING. UM, I'VE DONE A LOT, SOME RESEARCH AND GAVE TO THEM, UM, THE, UH, PERSONNEL IN CHARGE AT DALLAS, UH, CITY, CITY OF DALLAS. AND I ALSO, UM, WAS ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT AND SPOKE WITH QUITE A AT LENGTH WITH, UM, THE AUSTIN MOSQUITO ABATEMENT SUPERVISOR ON THE PHONE. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8TH, AND THE TIME IS NOW 5:37 PM I AM CHAIRWOMAN CATHERINE GARRA, AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ORDER. [00:05:01] WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR MEETINGS IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR PREFERENCE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TRANSLATION OR OTHER ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, PLEASE CALL 4 6 9 7 2 4 6 5 3 8 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING. OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED ON MAY 13TH AT 5:30 PM WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT INTO OUR ROLL CALL THIS EVENING. WHEN I CALL YOUR DISTRICT, PLEASE RESPOND WITH YOUR NAME. DISTRICT ONE JORDAN CLARK, DISTRICT TWO, MARK WOOTEN, DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR ARE VACANT. DISTRICT FIVE, TRACY WALLACE, DISTRICT SIX IS VACANT. DISTRICT SEVEN SAN RE, DISTRICT EIGHT. RENEE ROBERTSON. I'M DISTRICT NINE. DISTRICT 10 PRESENT. ANDREW SIEGEL, DISTRICT 11. WHITNEY BELE, DISTRICT 12. BARRY LACKMAN, DISTRICT 13. DISTRICT 14. HOLIDAY DISTRICT 15. JULIE HIROTO. ALL RIGHT. GOING ON TO OUR TECHNICAL PANEL. MS. BE, I'M HERE. SORRY. DR. BORO. DON'T SEE MS. STRAUS. OH, SHE'S ON HER WAY. I'M TOLD. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER POSTON, I'M GONNA NOTE THAT YOU ARE PRESENT THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT, MS. TAMIA PRESENT THERE, MR. HOFFMAN? I DON'T SEE YET. NOPE. ALL RIGHT. MR. MARQUI HERE. DR. JACK PRESENT. OKAY. LET'S GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS TONIGHT? STEPHANIE. MS. SMITH. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. LET ME RECITE OUR SPEAKER GUIDELINES. UH, SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OR PROPRIETY TO CORPSMAN GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. ANY SPEAKER MAKING PERSONAL AND PERTINENT PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, OR WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSING THE PERMISSION WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WHEN YOUR TIME'S ENDED. PLEASE CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS, UM, MS. GELMAN. UH, GO AHEAD AND JUST PUSH THE BUTTON. TURN IT ON. OKAY. GO RIGHT AHEAD. I, UM, YES, I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TO SAY, BUT, UH, TODAY, UH, I MET WITH, UM, DR. LACKMAN AND, UH, MS. ROBERSON ABOUT, UH, UH, THE, THE MOSQUITO ABATEMENT ISSUES AND SPRAYING. UM, I'VE DONE A LOT, SOME RESEARCH AND GAVE TO THEM, UM, THE, UH, PERSONNEL IN CHARGE AT DALLAS, UH, CITY, CITY OF DALLAS. AND I ALSO, UM, WAS ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT AND SPOKE WITH QUITE A LI AT LENGTH WITH, UM, THE AUSTIN MOSQUITO ABATEMENT SUPERVISOR ON THE PHONE. SO I GAVE ALL THE NOTES AND EVERYTHING TO DR. LACKMAN AND MS. ROBERSON SO THAT THEY CAN GO FORWARD WITH, UH, INVESTIGATING FURTHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING, TOO. ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS. UM, IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE JOIN ME, UH, IN CONGRATULATING OUR NEW VICE CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, COMMISSIONER TRACY WALLACE. SHE WAS APPOINTED BY THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL TODAY. UM, AND AS Y'ALL ALL KNOW, HAS BEEN THE CHAIR OF ONE OF OUR STANDING COMMITTEES FOR QUITE SOME TIME, SERVED ON THE COMMISSION SINCE ITS FORMATION, INCEPTION, AND ALSO SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE THAT FORMED THE COMMISSION. SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING ON THIS ROLE AND SUPPORTING, UM, THE COMMISSION AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. SO, ALL RIGHT, WE ARE JUST GONNA GO RIGHT INTO OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING. THERE'LL BE TIME FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SHARING OF UPCOMING EVENTS LATER ON IN THE AGENDA. UM, SO LET'S GO ON TO THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM OUR MARCH 11TH, 2020 MEETING. SO I'LL JUST TAKE A MOTION. SO MOVED TO APPROVE, AND IF THERE'S A SECOND, SECOND HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. WE'RE GONNA TAKE THINGS JUST A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER THIS EVENING. SO WITH US THIS EVENING, WE HAVE, UH, SOME STAFF THAT IS JOINING US THAT NEEDS TO LEAVE JUST [00:10:01] A LITTLE BIT EARLY. SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEM THE BRIEFING MEMOS, ITEM B, THE SOLAR PANEL PERMITTING, PROCESS, IMPROVEMENTS, AND PERFORMANCE. SECOND UPDATE. WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT ITEM FIRST. ANGELA, IF YOU WANNA INTRODUCE US. UM, SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. ANGELA HODGES, SCOTT, DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. UM, TODAY WE HAVE WITH US, UH, DIRECTORY LOOP FROM, UM, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. AND MOMMY WILLIS WITH US TO PRESENT ON WITH AN UPDATE ON THEIR SOLAR PERMITTING PROCESS. UM, SO TAKE IT AWAY. ALRIGHT, WELCOME. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. UM, HELLO EVERYONE. UH, AGAIN, MY NAME'S EMILY LIU. I'M DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, HERE WITH ME TODAY, THE EXPERT, JUAN WILLIS, UH, MANAGER OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS. ABOUT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO IN MAY, 2025. UM, I WAS HERE IN FRONT OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION ABOUT OUR PROCESS, FIRST OF ALL, AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT, UM, SOLO APP AND, UH, AND SOME, SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AT THE TIME. SO THIS IS KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON THAT PRESENTATION. YOU HAVE A MEMO, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU. AND THIS MEMO KIND OF OUTLINE, UH, OUTLINE ALL THE IMPROVEMENT THAT THE OFFICE HAVE MADE SINCE THEN. SO I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW LIKE SOME OF THE NUMBERS. SO BACK THEN, ABOUT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, UH, WE HAVE A SOLO PANEL REVIEW TIME, WHICH IS AROUND AVERAGE ABOUT 20 DAYS. A MEDIUM IS ABOUT 15 DAYS. AND THAT'S BACK THEN AT THAT MEETING. UH, I HAVE SEVERAL. THAT ONE YOU ARE HERE TOO, RIGHT? WE TALK ABOUT WE'RE READY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENT, UH, TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, MAKE IT EASIER FOR A RESIDENT TO GET THE SOLAR PERMIT PER, UH, PERMIT ISSUED AND APPROVED, AND SO THEY CAN INSTALL IT QUICKLY. AND SO THIS IS, CAN TODAY IS KINDA UPDATE ON THAT. WHAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, QUICKLY THAT, UM, WHEN YOU INSTALL A SOLAR PANEL, UH, OR JUST BY ITSELF OR SOLAR PANEL WITH BATTERY, FIRST OF ALL, YOU NEED A PERMIT, UH, PERMIT FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS AND OUR OFFICE, OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, MANAGING THAT PERMIT. AND, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, UM, LATER, LAST YEAR, THERE'S SOME CHANGES IN FEDERAL POLICIES. SO, UM, SECOND HALF OF LAST YEAR, WE DO SEE A LOT OF, UH, APPLICATIONS. I THINK BETWEEN JUNE AND END OF THE YEAR WE SEE A LOT OF APPLICATION. BUT SINCE THEN, UM, SINCE JANUARY, UM, THE, THE NUMBER HAS, UH, COME DOWN TREMENDOUSLY. UH, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE UP, YOU KNOW, UPDATE ABOUT THE TOTAL NUMBERS WE'VE SEEN. AND I THINK, UM, IN FEBRUARY, MARCH, THAT NUMBERS SEEM TO BE STABILIZED A LITTLE BIT, BUT JANUARY WE HAVE A BIG JOB. UM, YOU ALREADY, EVERY GIVEN MONTH, WE, WE HAVE, UM, CLOSE TO, UH, MAYBE 80 OR TO A HUNDRED. AND THAT MONTH WE ONLY HAVE 30 JANUARY. BUT SINCE THEN SEEMS TO BE, THE NUMBERS SEEM TO BE STABILIZED. UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT. AS I MENTIONED, UH, WHEN WE PRESENTED TO YOU ABOUT 11 MONTHS AGO, OUR SOLAR PANEL, UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME COMPLAINT EVEN FROM THIS COMMISSION'S TOO SLOW. AND I, I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT AT THE TIME, WE'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL WEEKS OF APPROVAL PROCESS. AND WE HAVE REALLY LOOK AT IT VERY HARD DURING THE LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER MEETING, WE HAVE STREAMLINED THE PROCESS AND MAKE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT. AT THE TIME, WE TELL YOU OUR GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE REVIEW TIME FROM 21 DAYS OR 15 DAY MEDIUM TO ABOUT THREE DAYS AT THE TIME. BUT NOW I CAN LET YOU KNOW WE NEEDED, UH, MOST OF THE CASES ARE WITHIN 24 HOURS, SO WE WENT EVEN FURTHER ON THAT. SO I REALLY LIKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO JUAN'S TEAM, UM, HIS TEAM REVIEW SOLO PANEL, NOT JUST THAT, AND AMONG MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING. [00:15:01] UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CHANGES IN THE PROCESS. I'M NOT GONNA GET IN DETAIL HOW WE ASSIGN THE CASES, HOW WE APPROVE THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTION. BUT BE, UH, BASICALLY ANY, UM, SOLAR PANEL WITHOUT A BATTERY OR WITHOUT ANY HISTORIC DIS HISTORIC DISTRICT, YOU DO HAVE TO SOMETIME HAVE A SEPARATE REVIEW. WE HAVE A BATTERY, IT INVOLVE OTHER DEPARTMENT REVIEW. SOMETIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE TO REVIEW. SO THAT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, JUST NOT HISTORIC DISTRICT. UM, NOT IN, UM, UH, WITH BATTERIES. WE PERFORM ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SOLAR PANEL, UM, WITHIN 24 HOURS. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK THIS WAS POSSIBLE LAST YEAR. WE PRESENT IT. I SAID MAYBE IT'S THREE DAYS. THAT'S OUR GOAL, BUT ACTUALLY MUCH, MUCH BETTER. AND I JUST, UH, WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE ARE HAPPENING. UH, OF COURSE WE WANT THE NEXT STEP WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENT. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN SQUEEZE, BUT I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO STAY WITHIN 24 HOURS, UM, FOR, UH, SOLAR PANEL WITHOUT, UM, BATTERIES, WITHOUT BEING IN HISTORIC DISTRICT. AND, UH, WE ARE WOULD LIKE TO ALSO EVALUATE SOME OTHER, UH, OPTIONS OUT THERE. AND KNOW SOLAR PANEL IS COMING HERE. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT SOLAR PANEL AT LAST MEETING. WE MET WITH HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO AND SOME OTHER CITY WITHIN TEXAS BECAUSE WE ARE PRETTY MUCH GOVERNED BY THE SAME TYPE OF, UH, STATE LAW. UM, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WITH BROUGHT UP IS, UH, SAN ANTONIO, THEY USE SOLAR APP BECAUSE, UM, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF CAPACITY AT THE TIME. AND LATER ON WHEN THEY INCREASE THAT CAPACITY, THEY STOP USING THAT OR REDUCE, UH, RELY ON THAT. WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THERE ARE SOME, IT'S PRO AND CONS. SO THE SOLAR PANEL OR SOLAR APP IS VERY QUICK. IT'S PROBABLY JUST AS BIG AS OURS, I DON'T THINK. I THINK WE'RE VERY COMPETITIVE NOW. AND, UH, SOMETIME YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY, UH, THOROUGH REVIEW AT THE BEGINNING. THE INSPECTORS WILL FIND ISSUES WHEN THEY DO THE INSPECTION, SO THEY HAVE TO SEND IT BACK. AND THAT'S EVEN COSTLY, NOT JUST FROM THE TIME PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO, UH, COST A LOT OF MONEY. SO, UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, THIRD PARTY, EVEN THIS YEAR, VERY FEW, BUT THEY, PEOPLE CHOOSE TO USE THE THIRD PARTY. YOU CAN STILL DO THAT, BUT GREAT MAJORITY OF THAT REVIEW BY OUR GREAT STAFF, UM, WITH, UM, A LOT OF IMPROVED PROCESS, UH, MAKE IT VERY EASY TO GET IT THROUGH, UH, THE PERMITTING, UM, QUICKLY. SO, UH, WITH THAT, I THINK I'M JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. JUAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? UM, NO MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, WE'LL GO TO VICE CHAIR WALLACE AND THEN CHAIR ROBERTON. THANK YOU. UM, AND JUST A REMINDER THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD THE BRIEFING MEMO UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON IN NOVEMBER OF 2023 TO ADOPT SOLAR APP PLUS AT THAT TIME AND HAD, UM, A MEETING WITH NRL AT THE TIME NOW SOLAR APP FOUNDATION, WHO MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO MEET WITH YOU ALL TO GO THROUGH AND HELP CUSTOMIZE THE APPLICATION, WHICH IS JUST FOR A REMINDER FOR EVERYBODY HERE IS FREE. IT REQUIRES NO STAFF TIME AND MAKES IT QUICK. I MEAN, VERY RARELY DO WE HAVE ALL THESE THINGS ALIGNED THAT IT'S QUICK FOR THE HOMEOWNER, QUICK FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER, THE INSTALLER, AND, UM, ANYWAY, AND THEN AGAIN, FREE TO THE CITY. SO BACK THEN, BEFORE YOU WERE ON, UH, STAFF DIRECTOR LOU, WE HAD A PRESENTATION WITH NRL AND THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY STAFF AT THE TIME AND WERE ABLE TO HELP STAFF UNDERSTAND THAT IT COULD BE, UM, UM, WHATEVER THE WORD IS, I'M TRYING TO PULL OUTTA MY HEAD. UM, MADE SPECIFIC TO THE REQUIREMENTS IN DALLAS. BEG PARDON? CUSTOMIZE. UM, AND SINCE LAST FALL, SO THEN, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS LATER WE HAD YOU, UH, LAST HERE, LAST MAY. AND, UM, I'M WONDERING IF IN THAT TIME, IN ADDITION TO THE CITIES THAT MENTIONED, DID YOU MEET WITH THE SOLAR APP FOUNDATION AND GET THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST [00:20:01] A CHECKLIST. I MEAN, THE CHECKLIST IS THE CODE, UM, PLAN REVIEW CAN HAPPEN WHEN IT'S CUSTOMIZED FOR US. UM, SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU MET WITH THEM, UH, WHAT WAS DISCUSSED. HAVE YOU RECEIVED A DEMO OF THE SOFTWARE DIRECTLY FROM SOLAR APP, UH, FOUNDATION, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT ANSWERS TO YOUR OBJECTIONS THAT, UM, THAT THEY CAME UP WITH? IT'S, UM, I THINK, OH, I'M SORRY. OH, SORRY. UM, YEAH, UH, IT'S, IT JUST, IT SAVES TIME FOR EVERYONE ALL AROUND. AND THEN, UH, I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE HERE WILL ADDRESS THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEW LAW, THE THIRD PARTY PERMITTING. WELL, I WANT TO SAY THE MAJOR CONCERN WHEN I STARTED, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN, BUT OTHER THING, BUT SPECIFIC TO SOLAR PANEL IS A TIME IT TAKES TO GET A PERMIT OUT THE DOOR. THAT'S EX LOT OF, AND WE MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES TO THAT. UH, WE MOVE THIS APPLICATION, UH, AROUND AND, AND ONE IS, IS REVIEWING THAT AND WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR OUR GOAL, UH, INITIALLY NOT 24 HOURS. SO THAT'S A CONCERN WE HAVE AND WE QUICKLY ADDRESS THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD. UM, BUT JUAN HAVE, I MEAN, I I JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS A CONCERN. UH, AND THE TIME TIMELINE AND I, IT'S A VALID CONCERN. IT'S ABSOLUTELY A VALID TAKES TWO OR THREE WEEKS TO GET A SOLAR PANEL OUT. IT, IT DOESN'T IN THESE OTHER MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE NATION THAT ARE USING SOLAR A PLUS. AND, UM, INFORMATION, UH, THAT WILL BE COVERED SHORTLY, SHOWS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE NATION, INCLUDING IN HOUSTON, UM, WHERE SOLAR REP PLUS IS VERY EFFECTIVELY USED. AND SO MY QUESTION WAS TO YOU, HAVE YOU MET WITH SOLAR REP FOUNDATION AND RECEIVED A DEMO FROM THEM? NOBODY HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT, UH, UM, A MEETING WITH THEM OR I, I'M NOT AWARE THAT, UH, I, I HAVE NOT MET WITH THEM. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, NO. BUT IF THEY DID A DEMO THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT TO US AND I, I THINK WE'RE OPEN IF THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER, BUT I HAVE NOT MET WITH THEM. I, OKAY. WELL THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS LAST MAY THAT YOU TOLD US IS THAT YOU WOULD MEET WITH SOLAR APP. WE HAVE MET WITH SOME OTHER CITY THAT YOU THE CITIES, BUT NOT, YEAH, THE FOUNDATION TO RECEIVE. WE MET WITH SOME OTHER CITY WHO USING SOLAR APP. WE, BECAUSE WE ARE VERY SIMILAR, RIGHT? LIKE HOUSTON, WE MET WITH HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, UH, AND THEN, UH, JUST WORK WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE AND, AND PRO AND CONS. SO WE DID MET WITH THOSE CITIES JUST IN THE, JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTER RIGHT AFTER YOU WHO ACTUALLY NEEDS TO LEAVE, UH, NOT LONG AFTER YOU DO. UM, CAN WE JUST FOCUS ON JUST THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED RIGHT NOW? SO THE QUESTION WAS, Y'ALL MET, Y'ALL DIDN'T MEET WITH SOLAR APP, YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE A DEMO. WHAT WAS YOUR OTHER QUESTION? NOT ABOUT CITIES. I KNOW THAT WELL, BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE HERE LA IN MAY OF 2025, YOU SAID YOU WOULD MEET WITH SOLAR APP FOUNDATION AND RECEIVE A DEMO, AND THEN THEY FOLLOWED UP WITH YOUR OFFICE, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN THEY RECEIVED NO RESPONSE WHEN THEY FOLLOWED UP. I DEFINITELY CHECK ON THAT. I MEAN, I, WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO, UM, TO SEE OTHER, ESPECIALLY NOW, I MEAN THIRD PARTY. WE DO HAVE SOME THIRD PARTY THAT REVIEW SOME OF OUR ELECTRICAL WORK. I MEAN, THAT IS ALLOWED RIGHT NOW WHEN, UH, LIKE SAYING IT'S PROHIBITED. THAT THAT COULD BE A ALLOWED, IF YOU WANT TO CONNECT ME, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. IF YOU WANT TO BE AT THE MEETING, I'LL BE HAPPY, UM, TO, IF YOU WANT HELP FACILITATE THAT. WHEN DID YOU SAY THEY DID A DEMO AT THIS? IS IT TWO YEARS AGO? THE DEMO WAS DONE IN 2024 AND THE VERY FIRST MEETING WE SET UP FOR A DEMO. OKAY. STAFF WAS A NO-SHOW. OKAY. AND WE HAD TO SET IT UP THE SECOND TIME. AND IT WASN'T JUST A NO-SHOW TO ME VOLUNTEER COMMISSIONER, IT WAS NRA, TEXAS SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY AND PUBLIC CITIZEN. OKAY. WHY DON'T WE, UH, DO YOU MIND, I CAN GIVE YOU MY, UM, CONTACT INFORMATION. DO YOU MIND TO HELP WITH THAT? I, I'D LIKE YOU TO BE THERE AS WELL. I MEAN, THIS SEEMED TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, [00:25:01] YOU KNOW, YOU ARE THERE, UM, TO HELP OR WHATEVER NEEDED. THANK YOU. I I WOULD BE HAP HAPPY TO DO THAT, BUT I AND I'LL JUST ECHO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE IT WAS A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MADE TO STAFF, THAT STAFF INVESTIGATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH SOLAR AT PLUS. SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTING THAT, UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH THEM. AND IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS, TWO YEARS, TWO AND A HALF YEARS SINCE WE MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION. WAS IT 23? IT WAS NOVEMBER OF 2023. I'M SO SORRY. THAT'S SOMETHING I DEFINITELY WILL FOLLOW UP. UH, I I, I WASN'T HERE AT THE TIME, BUT SOMETHING I DEFINITELY, I HEAR LOUD AND CLEAR TODAY. YOU WANT US TO MEET THEM AND WE'LL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON THAT. YEAH. OKAY. UM, THAT WAS 2023. I UNDERSTAND. UM, BUT THANK YOU. SORRY. COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, DO YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? I DO. AND I'LL BE QUICK. I KNOW WE PRESS YOUR TIME. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, BUT I, MY IT'S NOT A QUESTION, IT'S JUST A COMMENT. WHEN YOU ISSUE THE PERMITS, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING PERMITS, IS IT A PERMIT FOR THE HOMEOWNER TO HAVE SOLAR PANELS OR IS IT A PERMIT FROM THE COMPANY TO PUT THEM ON ? IT'S AN ACTUAL, UH, PERMIT FOR THE COMPANY. . OKAY. DO YOU GUYS, THESE COMPANIES, WHEN YOU DO, WHEN YOU GIVE THEM THEIR PERMIT, KINDA LOOK, SEE IF THEY CAN NOT PRESENT YOU WITH THE CONTRACT, THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE THE, UH, THE HOMEOWNER AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT, I'M NOT SAYING LOOK AT THE WHOLE CONTRACT. I'M JUST SAYING HAVE THREE OR FOUR THINGS ITEMIZED THAT THEY CAN DO SO THAT THE HOMEOWNER, I HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE IN, UM, THE BATTERIES OUT OR WHATEVER, THEY WON'T REPLACE IT AND SHE'S STILL PAYING $300 A MONTH AND THE COMPANY WILL NOT WORK WITH HER. YOU WANNA WEED OUT PEOPLE LIKE THAT BECAUSE THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW IS PREY, ESPECIALLY SOUTH. THEY ARE PREYING ON THEM. SOME OF THESE HOUSES ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR, UH, 'CAUSE THEY'RE COVERED WITH TREES OR WHATEVER. THEY'RE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR IT. JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU ISSUE THE PERMIT, WE, UM, WE ACTUALLY REQUIRE HOMEOWNERS NO, AT THE, THE COMPANY HAS TO DIVIDE BECAUSE IT, IT LETS THEM KNOW THAT IF THEY SELECT THIRD PARTY THAT ELIMINATE SOME OF OUR INSPECTION. SO WE'RE LETTING THEM KNOW THAT IF THEY CHOOSE, IF THEY CAN, THAT AT THAT POINT THEY ELECTRICAL SUBMITTAL THE ELECTRICAL THAT IS COMPLETELY ON THE ARMS OF THE COMPANY. WE'RE ONLY GOING TO IN INSPECT PER STATE LAW TO TIE. SO WE, WE, WE TRY TO INFORM THE HOMEOWNER THAT YOU ARE ACT KIND OF THE DISCRETION WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL EXPENSE HOME. THAT PERSON SAY OKAY. BUT, UM, IF THE PERMIT IS SUBMITTED TO OUR OFFICE REVIEW BY OFFICE, WE DO SEND FACTOR TO INSPECT THEM, MAKE SURE THEY'RE SAFE AND, UH, UH, FOR THE HOMEOWNERS. SO WE DO SEND THE BOTH ELECTRIC INSPECTOR AND BUILDING INSPECTOR TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE INSTALLED CORRECTLY TO MAKE SURE IT TIE INTO THE EXISTING ELECTRIC SYSTEM CORRECTLY AS WELL. SO THAT'S, IT'S REALLY A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. WE DO, UH, REVIEW BOTH BY THE BUILDING SIDE, WHICH IS ONE TEAM, AND OUR ELECTRICAL, UH, CHIEF WILL REVIEW THAT BEFORE WE SEND OUT TO INSPECTION. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO DR. JACK AND THEN MR. HOFFMAN. THANK YOU CHAIR BEAN. YEAH. FIRST OF ALL, I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE CALLING ME. THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? CHAIR BEAN. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, UNDERSTAND WE'RE SHORT FOR TIME. I JUST WANTED TO, I THINK, COMMENT, UH, NOT KNOWING THE FULL HISTORY. I KNOW THAT, UH, CHAIR WALLACE HAS LED THIS INITIATIVE FOR MANY YEARS. SO OUTSIDE OF THE, THE PROCEDURAL ISSUE, UM, UH, FOLLOWING THROUGH THE, WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, I JUST WANTED TO POINT TO THE ORIGINAL INTENT, WHICH IS TO ADDRESS THE, UM, THE SOFT COSTS WITH SYSTEM INSTALLATION THROUGH STREAMLINING PERMITS, WHICH IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS IMPORTANT. THAT'S WHERE THIS WAS ALL BORN. AND I DID WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENT WITH THE PERMIT TIMING. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT. AND ALSO, UM, WHEN YOU ARE REACHING OUT, UM, CITI, I DIDN'T HEAR THE CITY STAFF PERSON. I'M SO SORRY. I KNOW IT'S ON MY MEMO, UM, TO OTHER CITIES FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION. I JUST WANNA POINT TO, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE SPEED, FOR [00:30:01] THE INSTALLERS THAT THE LANGUAGE BE CONSISTENT ACROSS NORTH TEXAS JURISDICTION. SO WE HAVE SEVERAL INSTALLERS THAT OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND THE ISSUE OFTEN IS JUST DIFFERENT PROCESSES FROM CITY TO CITY TO CITY. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THIS APP IS ADDRESSING THAT, UH, CONSISTENCY. SO HOUSTON WILL USUALLY HAVE DIFFERENT INSTALLERS THAN THAN THE CITY OF DALLAS. SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO REACH OUT TO PEERS WITHIN THE COG SERVICE TERRITORY, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT. AND LORI CLARK AT THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HAS HISTORICALLY DONE A LOT OF CONVENING OF SOLAR INSTALLERS AND ADDRESSING PERMITTING ISSUES. UM, SO THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME CONNECTIONS THERE AS WELL. AND PROBABLY EXPERIENCE IN NORTH TEXAS WITH THE SOLAR APP. THAT'S IT. THANKS. THANKS, DR. JACK. UM, MR. HOFFMAN. . ALAN, YOU'RE MUTED. AND THEN BARRY, WE'LL GO TO YOU RIGHT AFTER, UM, BARRY, HOLD ON JUST ONE SECOND. IT'S MR. HOFFMAN. ONE SECOND. AND HE'S NOT UNMUTED. AMAYA. I'M SORRY. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. UM, EMILY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UH, APPRECIATE. I KNOW THAT THIS, THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS GONE THROUGH SOME MAJOR TRANSFORMATIONS AND I'VE, I'VE OBSERVED REAL, REAL IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT, THOSE CHANGES. UH, THAT BEING SAID, I WANTED TO ALSO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM. UM, I, UH, UM, I BUILD HO HOMES WHERE, UM, WE DO USE SOLAR. WE DO USE BATTERY BACKUP. UM, UH, IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, UH, THE STAFF, UH, IN SOME WAYS DOES NOT LIKE BATTERY BACKUP. AND I'VE HAD, UH, IN A, A PERMIT THAT WAS STALLED FOR EIGHT WEEKS, UM, IN REVIEW AND BACK AND FORTH WITH REGARD TO COMPONENTS THAT WEREN'T FAMILIAR TO STAFF. AND, UH, UH, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. SO WE, UH, AT THE, AFTER WAITING FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE CONTRACTED WITH A THIRD PARTY. WE HIRED A THIRD PARTY, UH, REVIEWER AND INSPECTOR, UH, GOT THE PROJECT INSTALLED AND ALSO HAD ENCORE REVIEW AND INSPECT WHAT WE HAD SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF DALLAS. UH, AND, UH, WAS APPROVED AND, AND PASSED AND THE SYSTEM'S OPERATING, OPERATING FINE, UH, WITHOUT A CITY OF DALLAS PERMIT. SO I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. 'CAUSE I WORKED WITH THE DEPARTMENT QUITE A BIT. BUT ULTIMATELY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO SO THE PERSON COULD GO AHEAD AND GET THEIR SYSTEM INSTALLED. SO I, I THINK THAT THE APP IS GOING TO CREATE SOME UNIFORMITY, UNDERSTANDING IN STAFF, WHEREAS WE DON'T HAVE IT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPONENTS IN THE INDUSTRY. AND THIS IS A TECHNICAL ISSUE THAT I KNOW SOME STAFF AND CERTAIN SEGMENTS IN THE REVIEWERS HAVE TO BE SPECIALIZED ELECTRICIANS. AND I'M NOT AN ELECTRICIAN AND I COULDN'T DE DE DESCRIBE, UH, UH, HOW TO PLAN A SYSTEM. BUT I DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE THAT I HIRED ARE COMPETENT. THEY DO INSTALLATIONS ALL OVER THE STATE. THEY HAVE DONE MULTIPLE INSTALLATIONS. AND TO HAVE, UH, THEIR REVIEW BE REALLY SUBJECTIVELY GOOD AND NOT REALLY SERIOUSLY REVIEWED. AND ON ONE LEVEL, UM, I, I WAS REALLY, REALLY DISTURBED. UH, I HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON AT THE DEPARTMENT. BUT I HAVE TO QUESTION THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL REVIEW FOR SOLAR ARRAYS. AND I THINK THAT COULD BE EX IT COULD BE IMPROVED WITH, UH, ADOPTION OF THIS APP, WHICH WILL CREATE SOME UNIFORMITY. THERE ARE SOME, A COUPLE OF CITIES NOTORIOUS IN THE STATE, WACO AND DALLAS BEING AMONG THEM, AMONGST INSTALLERS THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY PROBLEMATIC TO GET SYSTEMS IN AND REVIEWED QUICKLY THAT JUST QUICKLY JUST REVIEWED. AND I, I AM LIVING EXAMPLE OF. AND THE OTHER THING THAT UPSETS ME ON ONE LEVEL ALSO, UH, IT TAKES ME, UM, A 3000 FOOT HOUSE FOR A PERMIT. IT COSTS ABOUT 1500 TO $1,600 FOR THE WHOLE HOUSE PERMIT. IT'S NEARLY, IT'S JUST A COUPLE. IT, UH, UH, ABOUT $40 SHY OF THAT, UH, OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A SOLAR PERMIT REVIEW. AND AS SOMEONE THAT KNOWS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE SOLAR AND BACKUP ENERGY IN THIS CITY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE COLLECTING A THOUSAND DOLLARS FEE FOR SOLAR REVIEW. NOW, IF IT'S JUST TAKING FOREVER AND STAFF DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO REVIEW IT, THEN I UNDERSTAND. THAT'S WHY I'VE HAD TO MOVE TO THIRD PARTY. AND THE THIRD PARTY IS AN OPTION. AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL TO THE STATE TO THAT, THAT [00:35:01] ALLOWED THIS TO TAKE PLACE. BUT, UH, I, I'M SORRY, THAT IS ONE AREA OF THE DEPARTMENT WHERE I HAVE REAL CONCERNS. THANK YOU, MR. HOFFMAN. DR. LACKMAN. UM, OKAY. SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO, UM, UH, COMPLIMENT YOU ON THE IMPROVEMENTS YOU HAVE MADE. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS FROM THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. UH, AND, UH, HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HEAR. I THINK COMMENTS. UM, ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD IS WHETHER YOU NOW HAVE AN ONGOING THOUGHT ABOUT AN ONGOING PROCESS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO SEEK PERMITS, TO KNOW WHAT SORT OF ISSUES THEY RUN INTO, UH, RATHER THAN HAVING TO US TO GO UP AND SAY, OH, THERE'S A PROBLEM. IF YOU WERE RE AS MANY PLACES I DEAL WITH, THEY'RE DOING REGULARLY SURVEYING, HOW WAS YOUR PROCESS? YOU MAY GET SOME FEEDBACK THAT YOU CAN USE TO IMPROVE MORE PROSPECTIVELY. AND MY LAST QUESTION IS WHETHER DUE TO THE INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, UH, IN, UM, ENERGY COST, COST, WHETHER YOU ANTICIPATE ANY INCREASE IN THE REQUEST FOR PERMITS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH? WELL, I PERSONALLY MET WITH SOME VENDORS, BUT I THINK THEY'RE LIMITED. UM, BUT I, I THINK JUAN HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, A LOT OF OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS PROBABLY MEET WITH THEM ON REGULAR BASIS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT? WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CONSULTATION TEAM, . SO WHEN THEY COME THROUGH ON, I APOLOGIZE TO INTERRUPT YOU. CAN YOU MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS ON? OKAY. THEN WE WILL, UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY. SO THEN WE WILL, UM, GET THOSE, GET THAT INFORMATION, GET THOSE CLIENTS, THOSE CUSTOMERS UP TO OUR ELECTRICAL TREE SHEETS, AND THEY CAN ALSO CALL IN AS WELL FOR THOSE ELECTRICAL CONSULTATIONS. AND THEY ARE ON OUR WEB FOR THEM TO FIND AND CONTACT. AND SO WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM, FROM THE CONS ELECTRICAL CONSULTATION. AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WAS WHETHER OR NOT YOU ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT YOU'LL RECEIVE. WE ARE ALL, WE WE'RE STEADY, LIKE I SAY, JANUARY WAS A LITTLE BIT, THERE WAS A DROP, BUT THERE'S TYPICALLY A DROP AS IN THAT'S TYPICALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE QUARTER, END OF THE QUARTER. FOR A LOT OF COMPANIES IT PICKED UP, LIKE IT ALWAYS DOES. SO WE MAINTAINED, TO EMILY'S EARLIER POINT, ABOUT 60 TO 70 A MONTH SOMETIME EXCEEDING THAT. WE HAD A FEW MONTHS WHERE WE HAD A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING LIKE FOLKS WERE MAKING UP FOR THAT DROP. 'CAUSE NOW THE, THE PHONE TIME TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT. BUT, UH, YES, IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT FOR US. WE DO EXPECT MORE, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR EFFORTS TO DO 24 HOURS. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MEET 24 HOURS THAT WE'RE DOING. AND FROM SOME OF THE FOLKS I SPOKE WITH AT SOLAR APP, THAT'S KIND JUST VIA TELEPHONE. THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE 24 HOUR. 'CAUSE WE'RE GETTING THAT. AND ONCE YOU PAY THAT, THAT INITIAL FEE, YOU'RE GETTING THAT PERMIT IN 24 HOURS. YEAH, IT'S AN INTERESTING, A GREAT, UH, IMPROVEMENT ON YOUR PART. UM, UH, UH, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I'VE NOTED, I'VE HAD MY SYSTEM FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND I JUST LOOKED, UH, 88% OF MY ELECTRICITY. NO, 82% OF MY ELECTRICITY COMES FROM WHAT I GENERATED AND ONLY 18% FROM THE POWER COMPANY. SO, UH, THAT'S A PRETTY, UH, IN THE LIFETIME. SO, UH, I'M AVERAGING ABOUT 20% PER YEAR FROM THE ELECTRIC COMPANY. SO THERE'S, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANCE IN SAVINGS. I, I'D LOVE TO TELL SOMEBODY ABOUT IT. SO THEY DO IT. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS? ALL RIGHT, I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS. MY FIRST, UM, I THINK THAT THERE WERE SOME FOLLOW UP ITEMS FROM OUR LAST MEETING THAT WE WERE WAITING FROM Y'ALL ON. UM, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK AND, AND MAYBE REVIEW THE, THAT MEETING AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE THIS MEMO, UM, ADDRESSED SOME OF THEM. BUT I THINK ONE ITEM THAT WASN'T ADDRESSED, UH, WAS SPECIFIC TO, UM, USE OF, UH, LET'S SEE IF SOLAR APP PLUS IS GONNA BE ABLE TO USE THE GIS, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE PDS. THAT WAS A DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD, I THINK, UM, WHEN WE LAST DISCUSSED THIS. UM, AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP VIA EMAIL. [00:40:01] UM, I THINK FROM WHAT WE'RE HEARING, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A REALLY GREAT RECOMMENDATION MIGHT BE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND THAT 24 HOUR RE, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION TO 24 HOURS IS SIGNIFICANT. UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU COULD BUILD IN SOME REAL CONSISTENCY FOR INSTALLERS, UM, BY, BY, IN ADDITION UTILIZING THIS FREE APP. UM, AND, AND HELPING THEM TO STREAMLINE THEIR PROCESSES IN A WAY THAT ALLOW THEM TO INSTALL MORE SOLAR, WHICH IS OUR GOAL AS A CITY, UM, TO INSTALL MORE SOLAR IN DALLAS. UM, AS, UH, VICE CHAIR WALLACE ALLUDED, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CITY'S COMPLIANCE WITH SB 1202, WHICH IS THE NEW LAW PERTAINING TO THE INSTALLATIONS AND THIRD PARTY INSPECTIONS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AND AND BASED ON SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS THIS EVENING, ARE, ARE, IS THE CITY REQUIRING SEPARATE PERMITS AND INSTRUCTIONS, UH, INSPECTIONS? EXCUSE ME. UM, AND JUST SORT OF BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR A THIRD PARTY INSTALLER TO BE ABLE TO FULLY, UM, OR A THIRD PARTY INSPECTOR TO BE ABLE TO FULLY INSPECT AND APPROVE THESE BASED ON THE CITY'S PRINTS PROCESSES. SO WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY SUBMIT THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONCERNED WITH THE PANELS, THE ACTUAL INSTALLATION, WE HAVE A COMPONENT THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR FOR YOUR PATH ALONG THE ROOF. UM, ENSURE THAT THERE'S A, A THREE FOOT DISTANCE AROUND THAT. UM, AND THAT'S A FIRE LIFE SAFETY ISSUE THAT WE LOOK AT. WE ALSO LOOK AT THE ZONING, AND THAT'S IN REFERENCE TO THE GIS AND THE DIFFERENT PDS AND HEIGHT, UM, ALLOWANCES. THE SEPARATE, THERE IS A SEPARATE ELECTRICAL PERMIT REQUIRED FOR THE TIE TO THE EXISTENCE SYSTEM. 'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SYSTEM'S NOT OVERLOADED AND THAT EVERYTHING TIES IN TOGETHER. THAT IS THE ELECTRICAL INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE CITY. BUT SINCE IT CAN'T BE A PART OF THAT ORIGINAL SUBMITTAL, PER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE, UH, STATE LAW, IT HAS TO BE A SEPARATE ELECTRICAL PERMIT THAT'S REQUIRED BECAUSE THAT CAN, THAT INSPECTION CAN BE, UM, PERFORMED BY A THIRD PARTY ACCORDING TO THIS NEW STATE LAW. IS THAT WHAT, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, IS THAT, THAT THEY CAN DO THE INSPECTION FOR THEIR ACTUAL PANEL, THE WIRING, ALL OF THOSE, THE INTERNAL WIRING FOR THE SYSTEM, FOR THE EXISTING TIEING. WE GOT IT. WE WANT 'EM TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT TIE IN IS, IS SAFE AND THAT IT, IT, IT COMPLIES. OKAY. AND SO I ALSO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY IS COMPLYING WITH SB 1202. YOU KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER AND I ARE, ARE GETTING INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK FROM OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE APPROACH. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT LAW. THERE IS A BUILDING JUST, THERE IS A BUILDING INSPECTION AS WELL, RIGHT. FOR THAT FINAL, AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY DO GET CONFUSED. SO THEY BELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW, IN OTHER CITIES, THEY BELIEVE THAT ONCE THEY GET THEIR, ONCE THEY'RE APPROVAL IS THEN FINAL, THEY'RE GOOD TO GO. AND SO THEN WE HAVE TO INFORM THEM AND WE STILL NEED A BUILDING, BUILDING FROM US. SO THAT MAY BE WHERE SOME OF THE, OKAY. AND I, YOU KNOW, I'LL ASK MORE QUESTIONS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, TRY TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION. BUT I, WE JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT'S KIND OF ON THE RADAR OF SOME FOLKS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST AS MUCH AS ANYBODY WANT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THESE LAWS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPORTING OUR ABILITY TO INSTALL, UM, MAY I JUST, UH, UH, JUMP ON THAT ONE QUESTION? SO AFTER STATE LAW PASSES, OUR DEPARTMENT MADE A INSTRUCTION, UM, PRODUCE LIKE MORE LIKE A BULLETIN OR A MEMO TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND HOW THAT LAW APPLIES. AND I, WE HAVE IT LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE. A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO THE WEBSITE TO SEEK, UM, GUIDANCE. SO THAT HAS BEEN POSTED THAT WERE POSTED LAST YEAR AFTER THIS BECOMING FACTOR. SO WE DO HAVE THAT IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW, HOW THIRD PARTY CAN UTILIZE THIS NEW LAW. AND, AND SO IT'S IN THERE ON OUR WEBSITE. OKAY. BUT THE CITY'S NOT REJECTING THIRD PARTY IN INSTALL IN INSPECTION? WELL, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ON THE, YEAH. ANYBODY WHO WANTS THIRD PARTY, THEY MAY CALL US. WE CAN GIVE THAT DOCUMENT, GIVE THEM SOME GUIDANCE, IS IN WRITING. UM, AND THAT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE CONSISTENTLY IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION. AND THAT, UM, HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANT WITH THE STATE LAW. OKAY. SO WE'LL JUST WRAP THIS UP, UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA KEEP YOU LONGER. WE KNOW YOU HAVE TO, TO KIND OF DIP OUT TO YOU A LITTLE, UM, THIS EVENING. [00:45:02] I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOUR MEETING WITH SOLAR APP GOES. SURE. YEAH. AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT, UM, IF, UH, COMMISSIONER WALLACE, VICE CHAIR WALLACE COULD BE INCLUDED, AND THAT WAY WE ALL KIND OF ARE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION. YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST BEEN LINGERING FOR QUITE A WHILE. I FELT LIKE DURING OUR LAST, UH, UPDATE, WE WERE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS THAT WE WERE, WE WERE TRYING TO, TO AIM FOR. UM, AND SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR THAT Y'ALL HAVE MET AND AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND, AND GET A DEMO AND EVALUATE IT. YEAH. I ALSO WANT TO KNOW THAT, UM, THE 23, NOVEMBER 23, I CAN GO BACK. IT LOOK LIKE THESE ARE RECORDED. I CAN GO BACK AND REVIEW THAT. I WASN'T HERE, BUT DOESN'T NOT MEAN I CANNOT REVIEW. SO I CAN ALSO REVIEW OKAY. THAT RECORDING AND TO SEE THE PRESENTATION. THAT MIGHT BE VERY HELPFUL. AND WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO, TO, UH, ALSO SHARE WITH YOU THE MEMO FROM THE RECOMMENDATION AND THE BASIS OF OUR OKAY. THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. AND I'M PRETTY SURE ANGELA CAN HELP US, UM, ORGANIZE THOSE MEETINGS AND MOVING FORWARD. PERFECT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR APPRECIATE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TIME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, FRIENDS, LET'S GO RIGHT ON INTO OUR FIRST ITEM. OUR BRIEFING PRESENTATION IS COMING FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AGRICULTURE TEAM ON THE COOP, THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN YEAR TO DATE UPDATES. I THINK DIRECTOR HODGES SCOTT IS GOING TO INTRODUCE REBECCA SEABERT AND HER TEAM TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRESS. SO WHILE THEY'RE GETTING SETTLED IN, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THEY, I, THIS TEAM HAS DONE GREAT WORK AND, UM, I THINK THEY HAVE A LOT OF REALLY EXCITING, UM, UPDATES FOR Y'ALL. AND, AND I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THE PRESENTATION. SO I WILL INTRODUCE REBECCA SEABERT, OUR URBAN AG PLANT MANAGER, EZ ESPINOZA, WHO ALSO WORKS ON THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM. AND, UM, ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, HE APPEARS HERE OFTEN, LEADING THE TEAM OVERALL. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO Y'ALL. HI FOLKS. MANY OF YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW ME. REBECCA CYBER, UM, URBAN AG PLAN MANAGER. SO WE ARE GOING TO BE GIVING YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON OUR COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AG PLAN. IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO JUST A LITTLE LEVEL SET ON THIS PLAN. UM, APOLOGIES. REBECCA, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, CAN WE SHARE THE PRESENTATION WITH THE ONLINE PARTICIPANTS WHILE WE'RE SHARING? CAN I DO THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE IT'S NOT THAT EXCITING. JUMP IN. GO FOR IT. OKAY. SO THE BACKGROUND ON THIS PLAN IS IT COMES FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. DURING THE CLIMATE PLANNING PROCESS, IT WAS IDENT OR ACCESS TO HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD WAS IDENTIFIED AS A CRITICAL ISSUE. SO WITH THAT, ALL DALLAS RESIDENTS HAVING ACCESS TO HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD BECAME GOAL SEVEN OF CCAP. AND THAT IS WHERE THE CONFERENCE OF URBAN AG PLAN LIVES AS THE RESILIENCY ARM OF CCAP. UM, THIS URBAN AG PLAN, IF WE CAN PROGRESS FORWARD, UH, REFERS TO THE CULTIVATION, AGGREGATION, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSUMPTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM VERTICAL WAREHOUSE, UM, HYDRO AQUA AEROPONICS, AND OF COURSE THE VERY POPULAR COMMUNITY GARDEN. LET'S GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE PLAN ITSELF HAS FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT INCLUDES 14 SOLUTIONS, OVER 58 ACTION ITEMS. WE WILL GO OVER EACH RECOMMENDATION AS WE PROVIDE UPDATES TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS OUR TIMELINE, AND THE PLAN ITSELF IS A FRAMEWORK OVER FIVE TO 10 YEARS TO REALLY DO ONE PRIMARY DIRECTIVE TO INCREASE PRODUCTION ON DALLAS SOIL. WE'VE BEEN IMPLEMENTING THIS PLAN FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS, SO WE'RE IN YEAR THREE, QUARTER TWO, AND WE HAVE A, UM, ANTICIPATED REVIEW AND UPDATE OF THE PLAN IN YEAR FIVE. LET'S MOVE FORWARD. THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION WILL COVER, UM, UPDATES AS RELEVANT TO EACH RECOMMENDATION PROGRESS. SO THIS FIRST RECOMMENDATION LOOKS AT REDUCING REGULATORY BARRIERS WITHIN THIS SPACE. WITHIN THIS SPACE, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM. UM, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDING TO URBAN AGRICULTURE STAKEHOLDERS FOR RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, INCLUDING UTILITY CONNECTIONS, WATER METERS, [00:50:01] TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATED TO NAVIGATING CITY PERMITTING, UM, AND PROCEDURES AS WELL AS STRUCTURES SUCH AS RAINWATER, CATCHMENT, OR HOOPHOUSES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM, SO WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED ONE ROUND OF THIS PILOT AND IT WAS FROM, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2324 FUNDS UNDER THE GENERAL FUND. THAT WAS $99,600 IMPLEMENTED WITH DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AS OUR PARTNER. THE MAX AWARD FOR THIS INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM IS $10,000. IN THE FIRST ROUND, 14 AWARDEES WERE, UM, GRANTED FUNDING OVER 22 SITES. SO THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PRESENTATION JUST SHOWS YOU WHERE THOSE 22 SITES WE'RE AT. UM, SO THIS YEAR WE ARE ALSO IMPLEMENTING WITH DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AS OUR PARTNER. SAME FUNDING AMOUNT, SAME MAX AWARD. WE OPENED THE APPLICATION IN NOVEMBER AND IT WAS OPEN FOR FIVE WEEKS UNTIL DECEMBER 29TH, 2026. WE RECEIVED 36 TOTAL APPLICANTS, 27 WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS, SEVEN RETURN APPLICANTS, AND THAT WAS 93% MORE APPLICANTS WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS ALONE YEAR OVER YEAR. WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THOSE APPLICATIONS WITH HOPES OF MAKING AWARDS WITHIN THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS OUR SECOND RECOMMENDATION, WHICH I'LL HAND OVER TO ISSA. THANK YOU WITH OHS OUR I, BUT ALL MORNING HERE WITH O WITH THE TEAM OVERSEEING OUR, UM, RECOGNITION TWO REGARD SUPPORTING LAND ACCESS AND MORE SO FOR GIS EXPLORER. ON THAT END, THE RECOMMENDATION ONE LOOKS AT VISUALIZING THE CITY OF DALLAS URBAN AG GIS EXPLORER, IN WHICH WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OVER OUR TIME HERE. UH, 20 23, 20 24, AND 2025. SITE MAPS ARE SEEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE AS WELL AS ACREAGE INCREASE. UH, AT MY INITIAL POINT WHEN WE ONBOARDED, WE SAW I REEVALUATED OUR BASELINE IN WHICH WE SAW 48 SITES AND 10 A 10.4 ACRES. OVER TIME. WE'VE SEEN A STUDY INCREASE AROUND 29 UP TO 34 PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER THE YEARS AS SEEN HERE. BUT THIS METRIC TOOL IS NOT ONLY MEANT FOR A PUBLIC RESOURCE, BUT ALSO A PUBLIC, UM, PUBLIC RESOURCE, BUT ALSO INTERNAL METRICS AS WE VIEW WHERE THE HIGH POTENTIAL URBAN AGRICULTURE AND OUR FUNDING AND PRIORITY ITEMS. ON THAT END. SECONDARY ITEM, WE LOOKED AT ESTABLISHING A PROCESS FOR HIGH END POTENTIAL CITY OWNED LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. UH, COULD WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? FROM ON THIS SLIDE, WE'RE SEEING AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE, UM, ACTIVATED IN DEPARTMENTS WE ACTIVE TO DATE. SO ON THE LEFT WE HAVE, AS TO DATE, WE HAVE CONNECTED PARKS AND REC IN REGARDS TO REVOCATION AGREEMENTS, INITIALLY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WITH PRIOR DIRECT, UH, DIRECTORS. AND IN REGARDS TO THE LAND TRANSFER PROGRAM AND DALLAS COUNTY, UM, DALLAS HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND COUNTIES LAND BANK PROGRAM IN EARLY 2025, AND AS WELL AS ENGAGED AS A RECENT, THE CO COMPLIANCE IMMIGRANT TO THEIR KEY BALLOT. BEAUTIFUL ADOPT A SPOT PROGRAM. THE IDEA ON THESE ITEMS IS TO INCREASE THE ME METRICS OF URBAN AG, URBAN AGRICULTURE WITHIN THE CITY AND THE ACTIVATION OF CITY USE LAND OR UNDERUTILIZED CITY USED LAND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. UM, JUST SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE ANALYSIS WE HAD DONE ON OUR END REGARDING ADOPT THE SPOTS AND LAND, UH, LIBRARY PARTNER SITES. UM, AS TO DATE, OH, THANK YOU AS DATE, WE ARE STILL, UH, UH, PENDING ON DIRECTIVE ON REGARDS THE CITY, UH, CURRENT INITIATIVE WITH THE CITIES OF DRIVERS OPPORTUNITY DUE TO PRIOR LAYERS HAVING, UM, UH, LAYER THAT WE ARE IS NOT WORKING WITH AT THE CURRENT MOMENT, BUT THOSE ARE BEING REVIEWED AND WE'RE CONNECTING WITH THOSE PARTNERS TO SEE WHAT DIRECTIVE IS FOR DOUBT AS WE EVALUATE, UM, ON THOSE ITEMS. AND THEN SECONDARY, WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN REGARDS TO NARROWING ACCESSIBLE LAND FOR AGRICULTURE ACTIVATION AND SPECIFIC, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS MOMENTUMS PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, RECOMMENDATION THREE LOOKS OVER AT PROVIDING URBAN AG EDUCATION RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR URBAN, UH, FOR DALLAS RESIDENTS. CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE, UH, WE HAVE A PLE FOR ITEMS UNDER THIS. I'LL BE HIGHLIGHTING OUR FIRST ITEM HERE, OUR CENTRALIZED WEBSITE RESOURCE PAGE MEANT FOR RESIDENTS AND URBAN AG STAKEHOLDERS AND IN HOLDING ZONING [00:55:01] RESOURCES. AND IDA. UM, BEYOND ON THAT, UM, REGARDING REDUCING SILOS. UH, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? WE'LL HAVE A, WE'LL HAVE A FINAL ASSET AT THE END, BUT WE, THIS IS A PREVIEW OF THE SITE IS ITSELF. WE ARE IN THE FINAL STEPS CURRENTLY. WHAT WE WOULD WOULD LIKE TO ASK EBCS, UM, REVIEW AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS PER CHANCE ON THIS END, WHICH IS A HIGH OVERVIEW. IT HAS, UM, LANDING PAGE OF WHAT URBAN AG, WHAT WE DISPLAY ON THAT END CO OVERVIEW, AS WELL AS AN URBAN AG DIRECTORY, SEEN LOCAL AG SITES AND PARTNERED AND BEYOND THAT, AS WELL AS RESOURCES WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT ZONING GRANTS, UM, INTERNAL CITY EXTERNAL FOR, FOR OVERARCHING PARTNERS. AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY, WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH. SO ON THIS SECOND SOLUTION WITHIN RECOMMENDATION THREE, IT LOOKS AT URBAN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION. SO WITHIN THIS SPACE, WE HAVE LAUNCHED OUR, YOU GUYS GETTING AN ECHO? OH, OKAY. UM, SO WITHIN THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION OF URBAN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION, WE HAVE LAUNCHED OUR GROWING WELLNESS HEALTH THROUGH AGRICULTURE SERIES, WHICH PROVIDES HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS ON HOW TO GROW AND UTILIZE HERBS THAT ARE GROWING HERE IN NORTH TEXAS. FOR AT-HOME REMEDIES, WE'VE COVERED AN ARRAY OF HERBS IN THE GARDEN, UM, AND WE HAVE MADE EVERYTHING FROM ELDERBERRY SYRUP TO NUTRITIONAL SALTS AND TEAS, TINCTURES AND SOS IN BETWEEN. UH, THE PROGRAM WAS ORIGINALLY PILOTED IN THE END OF 24. WE DID FOUR PILOT MODULES AND SAW THAT THE PUBLIC RECEIVED THIS WELL. SO WE WENT AHEAD AND FUNDED ANOTHER 10 ROUNDS IN 2025. THROUGH THOSE 10 VARIOUS WORKSHOPS LAST YEAR, WE DID A TOTAL OF 510 ENGAGEMENTS DURING THOSE WORKSHOPS, WE FUNDED THE PROGRAM AGAIN THIS YEAR AND YEAR TO DATE. LOOKING AT JANUARY, 2025 VERSUS JANUARY, 2026, WE HAD A 20 PER 26% INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION, UM, ON THIS PROGRAM SO FAR. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UNDER THIS THIRD SOLUTION, UH, WE LOOK AT URBAN AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. HERE WE HAVE PILOTED OUR GROWERS EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROGRAM. THIS WAS FUNDED WITH JUST SHY OF $50,000 FROM FY 2324. UM, IT WAS INTER, IT WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WITH FOUR AGRICULTURAL SITES ACROSS WITH EIGHT INTERNS ACROSS THOSE FOUR SITES, UM, THE AG FACILITATOR RECEIVES A STIPEND, AND THEN WE ALSO PAY THE APPRENTICE FOR UP TO 20 HOURS DURING THE 12 WEEKS OF THE APPRENTICESHIP. AND THAT'S, AT THE TIME THIS WAS PILOTED, THE CITY DALLAS MINIMUM WAGE WAS $18 AN HOUR. UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING TO ESTABLISH A SECOND PILOT FUNDED AT $70,000 TO ACCOUNT FOR THE INCREASE IN CITY DALLAS MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY THREE, DO $3 MORE COMPARED TO THE FIRST PILOT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS THE TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM, UM, FROM WHEN IT WAS FUNDED TO PILOT COMPLETION, WHICH WAS LAST MONTH MARCH OF 2026. SO 29 MONTHS FROM WHEN FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED UNTIL THE IN INTERNSHIPS CONCLUDED. UM, AS MENTIONED, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PROGRAM, AND BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A PRECEDENCE FOR THIS TYPE OF CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS, AS WELL AS A STRUCTURE FOR, UM, LEGAL AGREEMENTS WITH OUR PARTICIPANTS, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS TIMELINE WOULD BE CUT IN HALF AND WOULD EX STREAMLINE THE SECOND PILOT. UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM THIS FIRST ROUND OF THE GOOD PROGRAM. SO AT THE TIME OF THIS PRESENTATION, UM, NOT ALL EIGHT OF OUR INTERNS HAD HIT THE MIDPOINT PROGRAM, BUT WE HAD GOT AN A MIDPOINT EVALUATION OF SIX INTERNS ACROSS THE SEVEN CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE GOOD PROGRAM. THE GRAY REPRESENTS THEIR PRE-EVALUATION SCORES, AND THEN THE COLOR DIFFERENCE REPRESENTS THE MIDPOINT. SO ACROSS ALL INTERNS, WE SAW A 22% INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE, UM, ACROSS THE SEVEN CORE COMPETENCIES. WELL, SORRY GUYS. OKAY, SO I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH THE AVERAGE IS 22% INCREASE, UM, IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT A WEIGHTED ITEM. AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT, WE HAD THREE INTERNS WHO SHOWED OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE ON MULTIPLE CORE COMPETENCIES. AND, UM, AS WE ARE LOOKING TO FUND THE SECOND ROUND THIS YEAR, WE R WE WILL BE ENGAGING IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION [01:00:01] AS A PARTNER TO HELP, UM, CREATE SOME GRANULAR EDUCATION AND EVALUATION ON THIS PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE. OH, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE APPLICATION FOR THIS, THE GOOD PROGRAM AT THE END OF 2026 WITH THE HOPE OF THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERNSHIPS STARTING IN THE SPRING OF 2027. NOW WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE FOURTH RECOMMENDATION LOOKS AT FACILITATING PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION. IT CONTAINS TWO SOLUTIONS, ONE BEING THE URBAN AG ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND THE OTHER IS URBAN AGRICULTURE EVENTS, UM, KNOWLEDGE SHARING RESOURCES, ET CETERA. THE LOGOS ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT COMPREHENSIVE. WE COULD NOT FILL, IT WOULD TAKE AN ENTIRE PRESENTATION TO FILL, UM, ALL THE LOGOS THAT WE HAVE OF PEOPLE WE PARTNER WITH. BUT THIS PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION IS FOUNDATIONAL TO ALL THE WORK WE DO WITHIN THE URBAN AG PLAN. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROGRAMMING THAT IS NOT IN PARTNERSHIP OR COLLABORATION WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. UH, ONE ITEM WORTH NOTING THAT IS OUR LARGEST, OUR SINGLE LARGEST, UM, COLLABORATIVE EVENT IS THE DALLAS INNER CITY GROWERS SUMMIT, WHERE WE HAVE HOSTED THAT THREE YEARS IN A ROW NOW. UM, CHAIR GURA HAS ACTUALLY PROVIDED OPENING REMARKS FOR THAT EVENT A FEW TIMES, AND THIS LAST YEAR IN 2025, WE HAD OVER 300, UM, PARTICIPANTS REPRESENTING VARIOUS AG ENTITIES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ON OUR FIFTH RECOMMENDATION THAT LOOKS AT BUILDING MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, I'M GONNA BE TALKING TO YOU GUYS ABOUT OUR LOCAL KITCHEN PROGRAM, BUT REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT WHY THIS IS WHY LOCAL IS IMPORTANT TO THE DALLAS, UM, ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE. AND SO THE DATA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE IS EXTRAPOLATED FROM THE CIVIC ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY, AND IT SHOWCASES THAT IF EVERYBODY IN DALLAS TRANSITION 10% OF OUR PURCHASES TO BE, UH, LOCAL FROM PLACES INSTEAD OF LIKE WALMART OR KROGER, BUT TO BE LOCALLY PURCHASED, IT WOULD CREATE 3,200 NEW JOBS AND HAVE A TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $260 MILLION. UM, NOTE THAT THIS DATA IS FROM 2021, WHICH IS PRE PANDEMIC, SO IT DOESN'T INCLUDE INFLATION, BUT THAT WOULD, UM, THE DATA STILL DRIVES HOME THE POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, BUYING ONE OUT OF 10 ITEMS IN YOUR GROCERY CART LOCALLY COULD DRAMATICALLY SHIFT WHAT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY LOOKS LIKE. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE LOOK AT USING EDUCATION TO DRIVE THAT LOCAL DEMAND. SO OUR LOCAL KITCHEN PROGRAM IS A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH WHERE WE TEACH BOOKS TO GROW, COOK, AND EAT SEASONAL LOCAL PRODUCE. WE START EACH PROGRAM OUT IN THE GARDEN AND WE WORK WITH WHATEVER VEGGIE WE ARE GETTING FROM A LOCAL GROWER. SO WE PROCURE, UM, EIGHT WEEKS OF SEASONAL LOCAL VEGGIES, AND THEN WE WORK WITH IT IN THE GARDEN SO THAT FOLKS CAN IDENTIFY AND LEARN HOW TO GROW IT. THEN WE COME IN THE KITCHEN AND PROVIDE NUTRITION AND CULINARY EDUCATION WHERE WE COOK A RECIPE AND SEND FOLKS HOME WITH A GROCERY BAG REPLICATING THAT RECIPE. WE HAVE ENGAGED DOZENS OF PARTNERS FROM OUR AG NUTRITION AND CULINARY EDUCATORS TO OUR LOCAL GROWERS TO PROVIDE PRODUCE AND UM, GROCERIES FOR THESE. WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERED WITH TEXAS A AND M INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCING HEALTH THROUGH AGRICULTURE TO EVALUATE THE PROGRAM. THEY DID AN IRB EVALUATION ON THE FIRST AND SECOND COHORT AND FOUND THAT 95% OF PARTICIPANTS BY MEASURING THEIR BIOMETRIC DATA SHOWED AN INCREASE IN VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION FROM PRE TO POST EVALUATION. THEY ALSO LOOKED AT ATTITUDES AND MENTAL MODELS AROUND ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE LAND PRACTICES AND GROWING, COOKING AND EATING, UM, LOCAL GROWN FOODS. AND 90% OF PARTICIPANTS SHOWED POSITIVE ATTITUDES AND ADOPTIONS. UH, SO WE'RE EXCITED. BY THE WAY, THIS PROGRAM IS IN ITS THIRD COHORT RIGHT NOW. WE HAD THIS SIX OF EIGHT WEEKS, JUST TWO DAYS AGO. AND WE'LL WRAP UP THE PROGRAM ON APRIL 20TH. WE'LL LAUNCH THE FOURTH COHORT THIS FALL. HAPPY TO SHARE ALL THAT WITH YOU GUYS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO TODAY, LOOKING TOMORROW, TOMORROW, UH, UPCOMING ITEMS OF COURSE, OF WHAT WE'VE MENTIONED NOW ONGOING PROGRAMMING, BUT AS MENTIONED BEFORE FOR RECOMMENDATION THREE, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR VC'S FEEDBACK BEFORE FINAL LAUNCH OF THE WEBSITE ON THE CONTENT AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE GOTTEN ALL OF A HOLISTIC VIEW ON THAT END. UH, SECONDARY, UM, REGARDING RECOMMENDATION FIVE, BUILDING MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PARTNERSHIP UNDERWAY WITH THE LOCAL MARKETS AND CITY OF DALLAS DEPARTMENTS INTO ESTABLISHING SIMILAR COLOCATION, BUT MORE AT THE MARKET ITSELF, UH, WITH PUBLIC AND FISHING CLASSES, SESSIONS WITH THEIR VENDORS, AS WELL AS BACKING WITH DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ON A REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST. ON THAT END, LONG-TERM ITEMS, UM, I MENTIONED BEFORE, SECOND RECOMMENDATION TWO, WE IN LAND ACCESS, WE'LL BE EXPLORING AN EXPANSION, POTENTIAL EXPANSION WITH, UH, COMPUTATION OF PUBLIC WORKS [01:05:01] MOMENTUM PROGRAM. AND FOR THE LAST ION, ALL OF IT ON AND OVER. OUR FINAL, UH, LONG-TERM, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DIRECTLY INVOLVE THE ENVIRONMENTS COMMISSION IN IS THE, THE FORMING AND MAINTAINING OF AN URBAN AGRICULTURE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, OR EXCUSE ME, ENVIRON ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT REPRESENTS THE WIDE RANGE OF URBAN AG STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS. UH, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS ADVISORY COUNCIL, IT MEETS ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS TO ENGAGE THE DIVERSE, UH, POPULATION OF, UH, AGRICULTURE STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE CITY. BUT THIS COUNCIL WILL ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITY RESIDENTS AND THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP TO DISCUSS EMERGING ISSUES WITHIN THE FOOD SYSTEM, FACILITATE POLICY DISCUSSIONS, AND PROVIDE A VOICE FOR LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND SOME OF OUR PROGRAMMING. THIS, AGAIN, IS A STRUCTURED SOLUTION BASED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN AND OUR STRUCTURE AND THE STRUCTURE MIMICS WHAT A SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. SO THIS IS JUST A CONSIDERATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING MOVE FORWARD. AND FOR ONE OF OUR GOALS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR IS TO DETERMINE THE PLACE, THE PROPER PLACE TO HOST THIS ADVISORY COUNCIL IN ORDER TO ALLOW OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, WHICH IS GROWING AND VERY DIVERSE, TO HAVE, UH, DIRECT ACCESS TO THE CITY OF DALLAS IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE POLICIES, PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING AND HELP US EXPAND THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF MANY OF THE PILOT PROJECTS THAT WE MENTIONED TODAY INTO LONGSTANDING, UH, PROGRAMMING OFFERED BY OEQS IN THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE. I THINK THIS CONCLUDES THE SLIDES THAT WE HAVE TODAY, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GONNA CORRECT MY PRONUNCIATION OF REBECCA BERTS. UH, APOLOGIES FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT, WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE? OKAY, MS. SIMIA AND THEN DR. LA. SO, UM, YEAH, GREAT. I MEAN THIS IS A, A LOT OF A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND IT'S GONNA BE VERY USEFUL I KNOW IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, IS LOOKING TO GET FRESH, NUTRITIOUS FOOD OUT THERE. SO, UH, THE QUESTION THAT I HAD THOUGH IS YOU SAID THAT, UH, THERE WAS AN UPTAKE OF I THINK 97% FOR THE DALLAS GARDEN GRANT THAT WAS GOING. WAS THERE A REASON FOR THAT OR DID YOU JUST FOLLOW THAT? UM, 93% INCREASE AND WE FEEL THAT ONE, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN SITES. AS YOU MENTIONED, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOING THIS WORK TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, THERE WERE 48 SITES, UM, AND 10 PRODUCTIVE ACRES WITHIN SEATTLE, DALLAS, AND NOW IN 2025. WE HAVE 86 SITES AND 22, UM, PRODUCTIVE ACREAGE. SO WE'VE SEEN A GROWTH IN AGRICULTURE IN THE CITY ALSO. I FEEL THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRACTION IN MARKETING TO HELP GET THAT OUT. BUT ALL IN ALL, WE HAVE SEEN A NEARLY A DOUBLING IN SITES AND A DOUBLING IN ACREAGE ACROSS THE CITY OF AGRICULTURE. MM-HMM . ARE THOSE DONATED SITES FROM DEVELOPERS, OR WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NO, IT'S PREDOMINANTLY PRIVATE LAND. OKAY. WELL, UM, THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT YOU HAVE, WHAT IS THE, FOR THE, UM, YOUR KITCHEN PROGRAM, YOUR FOOD KITCHEN PROGRAM, UM, WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR THAT? LIKE, IS THERE MARKETING OUT THERE FOR THAT? I KNOW QUITE A FEW NON-PROFITS THAT ARE DOING, UH, UM, DDC DALLAS HEIM CENTERS, ONE THAT'S DOING A SIMILAR PROGRAM. I'M SURE THEY'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE AND GET IDEAS AND CHEF RESOURCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THE CRITERIA FOR RUNNING LOCAL KITCHEN IS THE QUESTION TO SIGN UP FOR IT OR BECOME PART OF THAT. SO IT'S OPEN TO ANYBODY. LIKE WE PUT IT OUT, WE DO A PRESS RELEASE, WE PUSH IT THROUGH VARIOUS CITY MARKETING CHANNELS AND ANYONE CAN ENROLL. WE HAVE ENGAGED 310 FOLKS DURING THE ORIENTATION. AND THEN FROM ORIENTATION YOU CAN ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM, SO YOU'RE REQUIRED TO ATTEND ONE OF TWO. UM, AND THEY'RE BOTH OFFERED IN-PERSON AND ONLINE ORIENTATION. SO WE TALK ABOUT, THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US, AND WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU IS THAT YOU DON'T MISS MORE THAN TWO CLASSES. THE EIGHT WEEKS IS BASED OFF OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE CHANGE STRATEGY, WHICH SAYS, UM, NEUROSCIENCE SHOWS THAT SIX TAKES 63 DAYS TO CREATE NEW NEURO PATHWAYS. SO WE'RE TRYING TO LIKE SHIFT MENTAL MODELS TO CREATE LASTING BEHAVIORS. THUS, IT'S A EIGHT WEEK LONG PROGRAM. SO WE DO ASK THAT FOLKS NOT MISS MORE THAN TWO CLASSES. AND THEN REALLY THE FURTHERMORE CRITERIA IS JUST LIKE YOUR ABILITY AND DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN TERMS OF SHOWING UP AND BEING A PART OF IT. AND THEN FOR THE ACTUAL, LIKE PARTNERING TO HOST OR BE A, A VENDOR OF THE PROGRAM, WE NEED A TEACHING GARDEN, LIKE [01:10:01] IT'S OUTDOOR. WE STILL, WE DO THIS AT THE WEST DALLAS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WHERE WE BUILT OUT A LEARNING GARDEN THAT CAN FACILITATE THE EIGHT WEEKS OF FEATURED VEGETABLES. SO IT NEEDS TO BE SIZABLE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HOST EDUCATION BASED ON EIGHT DIFFERENT VEGETABLES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. AND THEN WE ALSO NEED A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN BECAUSE WE ARE COOKING FOOD AND LETTING PEOPLE EAT IT IN CLASS. OKAY. PERFECT. YEAH, I HAVE A PHONE ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO WOULD FIT THAT, SO THAT'S THAT'S GREAT. UM, IS THERE ANY INCENTIVE FOR THE ORGANIZATION OTHER THAN GETTING THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC OR YOU GUYS DOING THAT, A SIMILAR GRANT SITUATION LIKE YOU DID WITH THE, UM, YOU MEAN FOR LOCAL KITCHEN? MM-HMM . SO THE, IN TERMS OF LIKE BEING A PARTNER, WE, OUR PARTNERS ARE ONE, I WORK WITH LO LOCAL PRODUCERS TO PROCURE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD TO SEND HOME WITH THE PARTICIPANTS. AND THEN WE HAVE AN AG EDUCATOR AND THEN A CULINARY AND NUTRITION PARTNER. WE'VE DONE THREE DIFFERENT ROUNDS OF THIS IN ONE ROUND. WE HAD, WELL, IN TWO ROUNDS, WE HAD VARIOUS ONE NUTRITION AND THEN ONE CULINARY. AND THEN NOW WE HAVE A TWO IN ONE WHO DOES BOTH THE NUTRITION AND THE CULINARY, AND WE PAY THEM AS A VENDOR TO COME ALONGSIDE AND TEACH. UM, AND THEN REMIND ME YOUR OTHER QUESTION. OH, I WAS GONNA STATE THAT OUR LIMITING FACTOR ON THIS PROGRAM IS PURELY STAFF BANDWIDTH. IT IS A LOT OF COORDINATION. LIKE WE BUILD OUT A WORKBOOK SO EVERYBODY GETS ALL THE CURRICULUM AND A WORKBOOK, AND THEN WE DO ALL THE, LIKE, LOGISTICS FOR THE 20. IT'S, UM, THE KITCHEN ITSELF HAS A CAPACITY THAT LIMITS HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN BE IN THE CLASS. AND THEN OF COURSE, STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO MM-HMM . AND THEN, UM, I TAKE ON ALL OF THE LOGISTICS AROUND PROCURING THE FRESH, LIKE WEEKLY SEASONAL VEGETABLE, AND THEN THE SUPPORT PRODUCE FOR THOSE RECIPES. AND THEN THE PANTRY ITEMS, WHICH CURRENTLY COMES FROM THREE DIFFERENT VENDORS. AND THEN WE REPACK AND EVERYBODY TAKES 'EM A GROCERY BAG REPLICATING TWO RECIPES THAT HIGHLIGHT THAT SEASONAL VEGETABLE. SO WE ARE AT A POINT IN TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE WE COULD NOT EXPAND THIS PROGRAM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL STAFF BANDWIDTH. OKAY. SO THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT STAYS IN 7 5, 2, 1 6, OR IF IT'S EXPANDING OUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST ABOUT CAPACITY AND RIGHT. AND BECAUSE IT'S A CITY OWNED FACILITY, WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A VENUE OR LAND ACCESS. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO TO DR. LACKMAN, MS. BOTON, AND THEN DR. ABI. OKAY. UM, FIRST, UM, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU. I LOOKED AT THE DATA, UH, VERY NICELY PRESENTED, AND IT REALLY SHOWS THE GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF GARDENS IN THE ACREAGE REALLY VERY, VERY NICELY. THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT GRAPHIC. UM, I WILL SAY, UH, I, I ALSO, IN YOUR LIST OF PARTNERSHIPS, UH, IS, UH, MY TEMPLE SHALOM GARDEN PART OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH YOU GUYS. YES. I KNOW WE'VE PARTNERED, BUT I, YEAH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, AS I MENTIONED, TO FIT EVERYONE'S LOGO WOULD TAKE AN ENTIRE SLIDE DECK. YEAH. AT ANY RATE, UM, I, I WILL SAY BASED ON OUR, THE EXPERIENCE I HAD AT SHALOM THAT, UM, WE HAVE A WAY TO GO IN THE REGULATORY AREA, UM, WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS OF, OF GETTING SOME OF THE CHANGES WE MADE, AND THE PROCESS WAS VERY CUMBERSOME AND DIFFICULT. UM, I, IT'S NOT OEQS, THAT'S THE PROBLEM, FRANKLY. IT'S THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AND, UH, THAT PROCESS REALLY NEEDS TO BE STREAMLINED, UM, MUCH MORE, UH, IN THE EDUCATION AREA. I SEE THE, UM, GROWTH IN THE EDUCATION, UM, AREA VERY NICELY. UM, UH, THE, THE RESULTS ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR FORMER EVALUATION ARE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. UM, I WILL COMMENT THAT, UM, WE LATELY AT SHALOM HAVE DEVELOPED, UH, PRESCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THE TEMPLE SHALOM PRESCHOOL, WHICH HAS A, UH, NATURE GARDEN, UH, FOCUS ON IT IS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS AT THIS POINT. AND, UH, WE'RE, AND I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR APPLICANTS, UH, AND, BUT, UM, USING, UH, AND ACQUIRING SOME OF, AND BEING ABLE TO USE SOME OF THE MATERIALS THEY DEVELOPED ON FAITH-BASED EDUCATION MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING MAKING MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE, UH, I THINK PROJECT FOR WHAT EUROPE DO. AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, I NOTE THAT, UM, THERE'S NOT, AT LEAST IN WHAT YOU PRESENTED, A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS. AND I THINK THAT'S A, UH, AND I'LL MAKE [01:15:01] A PRIME VERY POTENTIALLY FERTILE AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT. UM, I'M, I'M WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH, UH, UH, RESTORATIVE FARMS AND WITH, UM, PETER JOHNSON, WE'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE PASTORS IN SOUTH DALLAS. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF LAND THERE IN AREAS FOR POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, WE COULD DEVELOP. SO STAY TUNED, BUT AGAIN, I WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON SOME REALLY ENCOURAGING IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, TO BE CONTINUED. THANK YOU, DR. BLACKMAN. COMMISSIONER POSTON, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS WONDERFUL WORK AND REALLY EXCITING. UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, WHAT WAS THAT, THE SLIDE WHERE YOU GAVE THE ASPIRATION OF MOVING 10%, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD MOVE 10% OF ALL THE FOOD PURCHASES, UM, WHAT A BIG IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE. AND SO MY SPECIFIC QUESTION IS ABOUT THE DEMAND SIDE. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT NOW HOW YOU'RE GONNA STIMULATE, UM, CREATING THE GARDENS, MAKING SURE YOU'VE GOT THE, THE LABOR, ET CETERA. AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS, HELPING INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE TO MAKE THE DECISION. BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL DEMAND COULD COME FROM, OR ONE OF THE BIG SOURCES OF DEMAND, I SHOULD SAY, UM, AND I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS ON HOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS, IS, IS RESTAURANTS, SO FOR EXAMPLE, I GUESS WHAT I'VE READ IS SOMETHING LIKE A THIRD TO A HALF OF ALL FOOD PURCHASES, UM, ARE DONE BY THESE KIND OF INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING RESTAURANTS, WHICH IS THE MAJORITY OF THOSE PURCHASES. UM, AND BY WORKING WITH RESTAURANTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF BENEFITS TO WORKING WITH RESTAURANTS. SO THEY BUY IN BULK, THEY BUY CONSISTENTLY, YOU KNOW, THEY HELP TO ANCHOR THE LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN. SO IT SEEM TO BE SUPER IMPORTANT. YOU GET ONE RESTAURANT, IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU COULD COMMENT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU'RE REACHING OUT TO AND TRYING TO GENERATE DEMAND FROM, UM, FROM THE RESTAURANTS HERE IN DALLAS. SURE. I'LL TAKE THAT ONE. SO THERE'S A FEW THINGS I WANNA DO TO LEVEL SET THIS QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT WE, AT THIS POINT IN TIME HAVE ONLY A VERY SMALL HANDFUL OF FOR-PROFIT FARMERS. UM, SO THERE'S REALLY, IT'S A BOTH. AND WE'RE IN A PROCESS OF CREATING SUPPLY BEFORE WE DRIVE DEMAND. IT'S NOT THAT WE AREN'T DRIVING DEMAND. IN FACT, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE'VE SEEN SUCCESS IN THAT SPACE WITHIN THE DIG SUMMIT, WE HAVE HAD, UM, A CLINICAL PRACTITIONER FROM UT SOUTHWESTERN DO SOME SPEAKING. AND DURING THAT EVENT, WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE HER TO THE FOUNDER OF RESTORATIVE FARMS, WHO DR. LOCKMAN MENTIONED. AND NOW, UM, RESTORATIVE FARMS IS AN INSTITUTIONAL PROVIDER OF THEIR CLINICAL FOOD AS MEDICINE RESEARCH. SO THERE, LIKE, THE WAY THAT WE STRUM UP DEMAND WITHIN REASON IS THROUGH THESE CONNECTIVE EVENTS WHERE WE'RE SAYING, UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD LIKE FARMER CHEF EXPOS WHERE WE HOSTED A BUNCH OF CHEFS AND A BUNCH OF FARMERS IN THE SAME ROOM AT, UM, BIG TECH SERVING FARMS ON FAIR PARK. AND WE HAD A CHEF THERE COOKING STUFF FROM LOCAL GROW OR LOCAL, YEAH, LOCAL GROWERS AND JUST LIKE DOING TASTES OF LOCAL FOOD FOR PEOPLE TO TRY OUT. BUT IT'S VERY MUCH A BOTH. AND, AND, UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE FIND THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS ORGANICALLY AS THE SHOOT FITS. AND SO ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WAS ON OUR TODAY, LOOKING TOMORROW IS THIS LOCAL ROOTS ITEM WHERE WE'LL BE, UM, BRINGING PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE BE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET DUE TO A VARIOUS LIST OF REASONS, BUT POTENTIALLY LIKE ECONOMIC REASONS. AND SO WITHIN THAT PROGRAM, THE FIRST 20 PEOPLE, UM, WILL RECEIVE A, LIKE A CSBA CSA BAG SLASH LIKE VOUCHER TO SHOP AT THE MARKET. AND, UM, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH A CHEF TO GO THROUGH THE MARKET, WHATEVER'S AT THE MARKET THAT DAY. THEY WILL MAKE SOMETHING AND TALK ABOUT THE NUTRITION. AND THEN EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO'S A PART OF THE PROGRAM WILL TASTE IT. AND THEN THOSE FIRST 20 PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO TURN AROUND AND GO EITHER REBUY THE INGREDIENTS FROM THAT RECIPE, OR IF THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA USE IT. THAT'S FINE. WE'RE STILL GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE SOMETHING THEY WOULD USE. UM, IDEALLY IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE SEEING MORE OF THESE FARMER CHEF EXPOS THAT WE POSTED. UM, AS WELL AS WE HAVE WORKED WITH ENTITIES THAT ARE DISTRIBUTORS SPECIFICALLY TO FARMS, AND WE HELP CONNECT VARIOUS GROWERS TO THOSE DISTRIBUTORS. ALL RIGHT, DR. AVI, HI. THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM AND I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU'RE DOING. CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH, THERE'S A LITTLE SCRATCHINESS TO IT, BUT WE CAN HEAR YOU. IT'S OKAY. YEAH, I HEAR A LITTLE FEEDBACK TOO, SO I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. SO I GUESS THIS IS REALLY WONDERFUL, [01:20:01] BUT I, AND I, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH DR. ALVIN, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, A POWERHOUSE AND SHE'S GREAT WITH HER FOOD AS MEDICINE PROGRAM. AND I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT THAT, BUT I DON'T NEED TO. UM, BUT THE, THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW SUSTAINABLE IS THIS FOR KIND OF YOUR AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENT IN DALLAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE COSTS AND WHEN YOU GIVE THE CSA BAGS AND YOU GIVE THEM THEIR BAGS TO MAKE THEIR FOOD, ARE THEY ABLE TO REALLY, UM, AFFORD AND GET ACCESS TO THOSE FOODS TO BE ABLE TO RECAPITULATE THESE RECIPES LATER ON? AND ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS TO HELP WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY TO ALLOW FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS NOT JUST WITHIN THAT EIGHT WEEK PERIOD, WHICH I THINK IS AMAZING, BUT, YOU KNOW, A YEAR DOWN THE LINE AS WELL. UM, OKAY, I'M GONNA TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. IT WAS QUITE SQUIGGLY, BUT SOME OF THE OUTCOMES THAT WE HAVE SEEN, WE, IN THE LOCAL KITCHEN PROGRAM, WE WORK WITH A NUMBER OF LOCAL GROWERS AS MENTIONED, AND THE, GENERALLY THE FOLKS THAT PROVIDE THE SEASONAL VEGETABLE HOST, UM, CSAS, SO COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE, AND WE'RE ABLE TO INTRODUCE EVERYONE IN THOSE PROGRAMS TO THE FARMER WHO IS PROVIDING THE CSAS. WE ALSO HOST ONGOING PROGRAMMING AROUND, UH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD A WORKSHOP, HERBS FOR EVERYDAY USE WHERE WE TAUGHT PEOPLE HOW, LIKE, THESE ARE THE HERBS, WE'RE PLANTING THEM AND TAUGHT THEM HOW TO DO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM A TO Z ON PUTTING THAT IN THEIR OWN GARDEN. SO YES, UM, PART OF OUR APPROACH IS TO GIVE PEOPLE THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO GROW ON THEIR OWN VERY WELL UNDERSTANDING THAT LIKE THAT IS NOT PROVIDING FOOD ACCESS. UM, WE WILL HEAR FROM DR. STRAUSS AFTER THIS ON THE DALLAS, DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, WHICH IS GONNA BE MORE OF A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AT THAT WE ARE HOSTED UNDERNEATH THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN. AND SO WE KIND OF STAY IN OUR LANE IN TERMS OF NOT TRYING TO TALK ABOUT, I'M NOT LIKE LOOKING AT PUTTING GROCERY STORES IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S NOT ACCESS. HOWEVER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CONNECTION TO LOCAL GROWERS, TO LOCAL FOOD THROUGH THE FARMER'S MARKETS, AND PROVIDE PROGRAMMING, UM, EACH, WE HAVE MULTIPLE PUBLIC, PUBLIC FACING PROGRAMS EACH MONTH, LIKE AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT THREE, IF NOT FOUR, IF NOT SIX. UM, EXTERNAL FACING PROGRAMMING ON THIS TOPIC EACH MONTH. THANK YOU. THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION REALLY WELL. I APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS. I JUST HAVE COMMENTS. OH, I'M SO SORRY. COMMISSIONER DAY. GO AHEAD. UH, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UM, THE ACTIVATION SITES. SO IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY GARDENS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE DEFINITION OF URBAN AGRICULTURE, IT, YOU KNOW, TALKS ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, VERTICAL, UH, GROWING SITES, ROOFS, WAREHOUSES, THAT KIND OF THING. DO WE HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF THAT? IS THAT ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE INTEREST FROM PEOPLE IN, YOU KNOW, KNOW, UTILIZING SPACES FOR THAT KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR GROWING THE PROPS THAT WAY? SO BY ACTIVATION SITES, DO YOU MEAN THE FOLKS THAT RECEIVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS? YEAH. OKAY. UM, AND TO ANSWER YOUR SECOND QUESTION, YES, WE HAVE HYDROPONICS. IN FACT, RESTORATIVE FARMS HAS A TAP KIT, WHICH IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 3000 HEADS OF LETTUCE A MONTH. UM, THERE'S OTHER SPACES THAT I COULD REFERENCE, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY JUST THE MOST NOTABLE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT, WE ACTUALLY IN, UM, IN, WELL, WE DIDN'T, BUT ONE OF THE AWARDEES INSTALLED, UM, HYDRO TOWERS AT EIGHT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, UM, AS A STEM ITEM. WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WE HAVE, UM, GOTHAM GREENS, AND I WANT, I HOPE I'M RIGHT ON. THEY'RE IN SEVILLE, WHICH IS NOT TECHNICALLY IN DALLAS, BUT THEY ARE A WAREHOUSE, UM, HYDROPONICS OPERATION WHERE WE'VE DONE SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH THOSE FOLKS ON JUST LIKE A TOUR AND LIKE SETTING UP EDUCATION. UM, BUT ON WHOLE, IT IS MOSTLY GOING TO BE IN GROUND OR RAISED BED OR HOOP HOUSES. UH, WE HAVE A, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF GREENHOUSES AS WELL. WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO PRETTY, UM, TIGHT KNIT, LIKE POULTRY PRODUCTION. THAT'S VERY MUCH AT A PRODUCTION LEVEL. UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY, NOW I'LL GO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT Y'ALL HAVE METRICS IN THIS PRESENTATION AND THAT YOU CAN QUANTIFY THE IMPACT, THE MASSIVE IMPACT THAT Y'ALL ARE HAVING THAT THIS PROGRAM IS HAVING. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE ABLE TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. I REALLY LIKE THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS AND ALSO THE, THE EDUCATIONAL GARDEN AND COOKING, COOKING, UM, THAT WE'RE [01:25:01] OFFERING TO OP, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, , THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THOSE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO THE SOCIAL CHANNELS FOR US TO SHARE OUT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT IF YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, SEND THEM RIGHT TO US, WE WILL SHARE THOSE OUT FOR Y'ALL. UM, YEAH. AND, UH, OAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INCLUDING US IN THE CONSIDERATION. I WANNA MAKE THE ASK CLEAR. I WANNA UNDERSTAND IS, IS THE ASK ON THAT COMMITTEE THAT WE HELP FACILITATE OR THAT WE POTENTIALLY CONSIDER CREATING A SUBCOMMITTEE? WHAT IS THE ASK ON THAT COUNCIL? YES. SO IN THE, IN THE COOP PLAN, IT JUST ASK FOR THE CITY TO MAKE AN ADVISORY COUNCIL. SO, UH, THE ASK IS FOR THE, UH, THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER IS THIS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR THAT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO LIVE? CORRECT SUBCOMMITTEE. OKAY. GOT IT. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THEN ALSO THE SECOND ASK IS ALSO THE STRUCTURE OF IT AS WELL. WE KNOW WHAT THE OVERALL OBJECTIVES ARE, BUT HOW DOES THAT ACTUALLY APPLY TO OUR PROGRAMS AND ENGAGING AND CONNECTING WITH RESIDENTS? THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE WOULD LIKE, UH, COMMISSION FEEDBACK ON. PERFECT. I, I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE LARGEST ASPECTS THAT OUR FORMER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE WAS WORKING ON WAS FOOD, FOOD ACCESS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. I THINK IT COULD TIE IN, BUT, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE UP AND SO WE WILL CONSIDER ADDING THAT TO THE REGION. GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT WHITNEY IS ALSO WORKING ON THE DALLAS, DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, WHICH HAS A SIMILAR ADVISORY STRUCTURE. AND TO OUR CONVERSATIONS, I FEEL THAT WE FEEL THAT THIS URBAN AG ADVISORY COUNCIL WOULD BE LIVING POTENTIALLY AS A SUBGROUP WITHIN THE FOOD PLAN AS WELL. AND IT WOULD BE LIKE THE FOOD PLAN WOULD BE LIKE, COMPLIMENTARY TO IT AND WE COULD OPERATE AS TANDEM. SO MORE CONVERSATION TO BE HAD. GREAT. UM, YEAH, AND THANKS AGAIN FOR CONSIDERING US . YOU MENTIONED THE WEBSITE THAT YOU WANT US TO TAKE A LOOK AT. WILL Y'ALL SHARE THAT, UH, WEB ADDRESS WITH US? WE'RE STILL ON FINAL STAGES AND WE GET, UM, COMMS REVIEW, BUT WE'LL SEE FOR, SEND IT WHEN YOU'RE READY. MM-HMM . AND WE'LL CIRCULATE IT AND MAKE SURE WE GET YOU FEEDBACK BY A DATE CERTAIN. OH, OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR COMMISSIONERS THAT, UH, YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IT 'CAUSE THERE WERE JUST A HANDFUL, BUT THERE WERE BUDGET TOWN HALLS LAST WEEK AND THE WEEK BEFORE. AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE THINGS GET VERY BUSY, COUNCIL GOES TO RECESS AND THEN AS SOON AS THEY COME BACK, THEY START TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET. AND IF YOU'VE HEARD THERE'S A $5 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL AND ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK LAST YEAR, WERE PROGRAMS SUCH AS THIS, AND THIS WAS A HARD ONE LIKE PROGRAM. THE, THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN, UM, AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF IS ABLE TO DO BECAUSE OF IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE FUNDING. I'M UNDERSTANDING WE COULD USE A LITTLE MORE STAFF SUPPORT IN THIS AREA. UM, AND SO WE'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BUDGET BRINGS. BUT I WANT COMMISSIONERS TO NOT HESITATE TO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK WHEN YOU GO TO THOSE BUDGET TOWN HALLS AND GO TO THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS, LIKE YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP AND EXPRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY WILL MAKE GENERALIZED ASSUMPTIONS THAT IT'S NOT A PRIORITY AND IT IS. AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALLOW STAFF TO CONTINUE THIS GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE PROGRESS THAT THEY'RE MAKING ON THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN BY CONTINUING TO ENSURE THAT IT'S FUNDED. I'LL STEP OFF OF MY BUDGET SOAPBOX NOW. ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS IT. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. UM, AND CONGRATS, CONGRATS ON YOUR, ON YOUR PROGRESS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE. ALRIGHT, UH, DIRECTOR HODGES GOT, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT SOLAR MEMO IS GOING TO, UM, THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. IT IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO GO TO PTE COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH. IT WAS GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA FOR JUNE. JUNE. PERFECT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO ENGAGE WITH COUNSEL ON THAT ONE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET'S GO INTO BRIEFING ITEM B. I DO SEE THAT WE HAVE SOME VIRTUAL PARTICIPANTS WHO JOINED A LITTLE BIT LATE. I DO WANT TO JUST SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE BRIEFING MEMO B REGARDING THE SOLAR PANEL PERMITTING PROCESS. WE TOOK THAT ITEM FIRST. UM, THE RECORDING WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE SHORTLY AFTER I THINK MAYBE TOMORROW OR THE DAY FOLLOWING. UM, ON THAT CONVERSATION, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO, UH, ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR STAFF. WE'RE GONNA GO INTO BRIEFING PRESENTATION, BEEF DALLAS AND DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN OVERVIEW WITH OUR VERY OWN DR. WHITNEY STRAUSS, UM, WHO'S OUR FOOD ACCESS TECHNICAL PANELIST ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. WHITNEY, TURN IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME TIME TODAY. UM, I'VE SENT YOU ALL UPDATES ON THIS PROGRESS SINCE WE STARTED THESE CONVERSATIONS BACK [01:30:01] IN 2025. IT ACTUALLY, THIS EFFORT STARTED IN 2023. SO I, UM, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE DALLAS, DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN AND ALSO THE COLLABORATIVE THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED FROM THESE EFFORTS. SO NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT IS A FOOD PLAN? UM, IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR, A CITY, A CITY COUNTY FOOD PLAN IS A SHARED ROADMAP WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS USED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHY FOOD, NO MATTER THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO IT TURNS SCATTERED EFFORTS INTO A COORDINATED, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, HELPS WITH CONVENING FOR FUNDING AND HELPS ALSO HAVE A DASHBOARD FOR HOW ARE WE KEEPING EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE AND RESULTS FOR OUR OVERALL FOOD SYSTEM. SO JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON FOOD PLANS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF HOW COMPLICATED FOOD SYSTEM PLANNING IS, UH, FOOD DID NOT APPEAR IN CITY PLANNING UNTIL 2007. SO THIS IS A RECENT PHENOMENON. UM, THERE ARE OVER 300 FOOD POLICY COUNCILS THROUGHOUT THE US BUT ONLY ABOUT 30 CITIES ACTUALLY HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE FOOD PLAN. SO WE ARE GETTING IN THE GROUND FLOOR OF TRYING TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR WHAT DO WE WANT OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM TO LOOK LIKE AND BE MORE RESILIENT TO ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING US. UM, SOME OF WHICH WE ALREADY DISCUSSED, BUT WE'VE DEFINITELY SEEN THE, UM, IMPACT OF INFLATION, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD INSECURITY RATES CONTINUE TO RISE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES, THE ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM BECAUSE MAJORITY OF THE FOOD THAT WE CONSUME HERE IN DALLAS COMES FROM THE I 35 CORRIDOR. SO 98% WE ARE IMPORTING INTO OUR CITY. AND UM, THAT'S A LOT. AND SO THAT MAKES US SUSCEPTIBLE TO WHEN THERE'S SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES, WHEN THERE'S WEATHER. UM, AND AGAIN, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN. SO MUCH OF THE FOOD THAT WE CONSUME, UH, THE LAND SCARCITY AND OUR URBANIZATION RATES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE READ THE LATEST DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL, BUT JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW OUR POPULATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE. SO THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A STRAIN ON WHAT FOOD WE HAVE TO CONSUME AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT LOCAL SOLUTIONS FOR THAT. UM, ALSO BY THE TIME 2050, 80% OF WHAT FOOD IS CONSUMED WILL BE IN CITY POPULATIONS. AND AS, UH, REBECCA SAID, LOCAL FOOD IS LOCAL ECONOMY. SO WHEN WE HAVE A SAFE FOOD SUPPLY, WE'RE REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND THOSE ECONOMIC BENEFITS ARE STAYING WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS. NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT, WHAT IS THIS EFFORT? UM, IT HAS MAPPED ALL OF THE NEEDS AND ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CURRENT GROUP SYSTEM. THERE ARE MORE THAN 450 ORGANIZATIONS NOW INVOLVED. UH, 450 PLUS. WE ACTUALLY STOPPED COUNTING AT THAT, THAT POINT. UM, THE SMU, THE MASTERS OF ARTS DESIGN AND INNOVATION WAS BROUGHT ON TO MAP. WHAT, WHAT ARE ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS? WHAT ARE ALL THE INFLECTION POINTS? WHAT IS INCLUSIVE IN THE DALLAS FOOD SYSTEM? I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT ASSET WITH YOU. THIS IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL EXPLANATION. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHO IS ALREADY DOING WHAT? SO WHAT ARE THE CURRENT EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, DALLAS COUNTY, THE FOOD BANK, LOCAL NONPROFITS, THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, WHO'S ALREADY DOING WHAT IN WHAT SECTORS AND WHO ALREADY OWNS WHAT DATA AND WHAT SURVEYS HAVE BEEN DONE AND WHAT DATA'S ALREADY COLLECTED. SO THOSE, THAT ASSET MAP AND THAT DATA COLLECTION HAS ALREADY HAPPENED, UM, WHICH WAS FINISHED AT THE END OF 2025. UM, ANYWAY, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, IF WE MAPPED TO CREATE THIS FOOD PLAN AND THEN, UM, WHAT IT WILL ENTAIL AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THIS IS NOT TOTALLY COMPREHENSIVE, BUT THESE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ON OUR GOVERNING STEERING COMMITTEE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MACRO LEVEL FIRST OF WHAT ARE THE MAIN STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE FOOD SYSTEM? THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION, THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, GROCERY STORES, URBAN AGRICULTURE, THE CHILD POVERTY ACTION LAB, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE FOOD PLANS. YOU'LL SEE AUSTIN IS THE MOST RECENT. THEY PUBLISHED THEIR FOOD PLAN IN 2024. UM, SO THROUGH OUR RESEARCH OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THEIR FOOD PLANS, ALSO LESSONS LEARNED THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR FOOD PLANS AND WHAT MAY BE APPLICABLE IN DALLAS AND WHAT IS ALSO UNIQUE TO US. [01:35:01] NEXT SLIDE. SO OVERALL THE IMPACT. UM, SEEING A REDUCTION IN FOOD INSECURITY RATES, THE INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, JUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM. PEOPLE FEEL MORE EMPOWERED BECAUSE THEIR VOICES ARE INCLUDED IN HOW ARE WE PLANNING OUR FOOD SYSTEM. UM, DEFINITELY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS OF MORE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD, MORE LOCAL BUSINESSES, MORE FOOD, STAYING WITHIN THE, STAYING WITHIN THE CITY AND COUNTY. AND ALSO JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE DATA. UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, OUR DATA LIVES IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT ENTITIES. SO THIS ORGANIZATION IS PULLING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER TO LOOK AT OUR, ALL OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM DATA IN ONE SOURCE SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT ARE POTENTIAL COLLABORATIONS, UM, EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, AND ALSO PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES NEXT TIME. SO JUST PROOF OF CONCEPT. UM, THIS WAS ALSO SOMETHING THAT CAME UP FROM WHAT WE SAW WITH OTHER CITIES. THERE ARE MANY, MANY EXAMPLES OF PROOF OF CONCEPT THROUGHOUT THE US SO I'VE LISTED A FEW, NOT GONNA GO INTO ALL OF THESE, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT. BUT THROUGH OUR WORK, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, BUT ALSO HAVE POINTS OF CONTACT AND REFERENCE POINTS THROUGHOUT SO THAT WE CAN BORROW BEST PRACTICES AND BE ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THEIR FINDINGS HERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO OUR PROGRESS TODAY, I ALLUDED TO THIS, UM, OUR INITIAL STAKEHOLDER MEETING INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF A CITY, CITY COUNT, CITY AND COUNTY FOOD PLAN WAS IN JANUARY OF 2025. SO WE'RE PULLING TOGETHER THE INITIAL STAKEHOLDER GROUP TO SAY, ARE WE INTERESTED IN TAKING ON A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING EFFORT LIKE THIS AND ACTUALLY SEEING IT TO FRUITION? WE KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THAT HAVE STARTED AND STOPPED OVER THE YEARS, SOME PARTICULAR TO CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY, SOME PARTICULAR CERTAIN ISSUE AREAS THAT THIS PLAN WOULD COVER. SO IT WAS ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT WENT WELL BEFORE, WHAT COULD WE LEARN IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL. ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS WAS, UM, FUNDING. SO WE HAD TALKED TO PHILANTHROPISTS EARLY ON IN THIS PROCESS. IF WE ARE PULLING TOGETHER THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THERE'S LETTERS OF COMMITMENT TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, WOULD THEY BE ON BOARD WITH FUNDING THE CREATION OF A FOOD PLAN? AND UM, WE ARE FULLY FUNDED COMMUNITIES, FOUNDATION OF TEXAS, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION IN LIGHT OF HELL TO DATE, HAVE PROVIDED THE FUNDING TO CREATE OUR PLAN. UM, THE SMU MADDIE IS LEADING THE DESIGN. THEY ARE THE MASTERS OF ARTS DESIGN AND INNOVATION IS A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE. UH, THAT WAS AN INTENTIONAL PARTNERSHIP. ONE BECAUSE IT'S RESEARCH DRIVEN AND HUMAN-CENTERED RESEARCH, THEY HAVE THAT SPECIALTY AND IT'S LOCAL TO DALLAS. SO THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM ANALYSIS, WHICH AGAIN WAS ALL OF THE RESEARCH STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE DOING THE LANDSCAPE OF WHO'S DOING WHAT AND CURRENT EFFORTS AND PLANS. AND WITH THAT SAID, THIS, THE FOOD PLAN IS AN AND NOT AN OR. WE FULLY RECOGNIZE THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD EFFORTS ALREADY GOING ON. IT'S WHERE THERE ARE POINTS OF COLLABORATION AND WHERE WHERE ARE THE GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND THAT WE'RE ALL ALIGNED IN THOSE AREAS. UH, THE STEERING COMMITTEE'S BEEN FORMED AND MET AND NOW THIS YEAR IS OUR FINAL PHASE. SO WE WILL, WE HAVE, UM, FIVE WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE BEING FORMED AROUND OUR PILLARS, WHICH I'LL GO INTO IN A MINUTE. UM, AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH INTO THE PROBLEMS FACING OUR GROUP SYSTEM. OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL BE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AND THE SOLUTIONS. SO AS THE WORKING GROUPS ARE MEETING GOING INTO THROUGH OUR STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED GOING INTO, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, FORUMS, THINGS LIKE THAT TO ASK FOR ENGAGEMENT IN WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS THAT OUR NEIGHBORS WANT TO SEE HAPPEN. AND THEN FINISHING THE PLAN BY FALL OF 2026. WONDERFUL. SO OUR PILLARS THAT CAME FROM THE RESEARCH, UH, FOODIST MEDICINE BUILDING SUSTAINABLE DIETS AND NUTRITION, REALLY ELEVATING THOSE EFFORTS AND WHAT ARE BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND COUNTY. LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION AND OUR LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY THAT IS BRINGING IN THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN IN ADDITION TO HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGING MORE LOCAL FOOD BUSINESSES IN DALLAS? UM, BUT ALSO STARTING THOSE CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR READ THEM BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR. IF THE LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION DOESN'T STOP AT OUR CITY LIMITS, OUR COUNTY LIMITS. SO HOW ARE WE ENGAGING OTHER COUNTIES, OTHER [01:40:01] CITIES IN A TRUE NORTH TEXAS LOOK AT OUR LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION, THE EMERGENCY FOOD PREPAREDNESS. WE, UH, THAT IS WEATHER, BUT IT IS ALSO WHEN BENEFITS GET CUT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? SO, UM, HAVING A GROUP AROUND THAT, UH, FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT AND THEN FOOD ACCESS AND DISTRIBUTION. AND THAT'S MOVING TOWARDS NUTRITION SECURITY. THE NEXT SLIDE. SO JUST THE CONCEPTUAL MAP OF WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE AT THE END. UM, THE OVERALL VISION AND MACRO OUTCOMES, BUT THEN ALSO ACTION PLAN SPECIFIC FOR EACH PILLAR THROUGHOUT EACH, I SHOULD SAY. UM, IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN EACH WORKING GROUP, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT FOUR KEY ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR. UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, POLICY FUNDING AND EDUCATION AWARENESS. SO THOSE ARE FOUR THROUGHOUT EACH PILLAR. NEXT SLIDE. SO WITH THAT, THIS IS A VERY HIGH OVER HIGH, HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF A VERY MASSIVE EFFORT. SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INTENTION. ALRIGHT, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER AU AND THEN COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'M SO INTERESTED IN FOOD ACCESS 'CAUSE I HAVE A NONPROFIT WHERE WE GIVE OUT A FOOD EVERY WEDNESDAY, LIKE TODAY BEFORE I CAME. UH, SO WHAT I DO, UH, I GO PICK IT UP LIKE FOOD RESCUE. UH, UH, I DO IT EVERY WEDNESDAY. I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR NOW LIKE SIX YEARS. UH, I DO IT EVERY WEDNESDAY AND EVERY OTHER SATURDAY. SO THIS SATURDAY WE HAVE, UH, FOOD DISTRIBUTOR IN THE J COMMUNITY. OKAY. SO MY QUESTION IS, I WAS GONNA COME TO THE FOOD PLAN, UH, THING. I SIGNED UP, EMAILED EVERYTHING, BUT IT JUST SLIPPED MY MIND. I HATE I MISSED IT. BUT, UM, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU ALL HAVE HELP SECURING FOOD RESOURCE PICK UP WITH VENDORS LIKE FOR NONPROFITS LIKE ME WHO DO DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO COMMUNITIES AND AND THE RESIDENTS? DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY VENDORS THAT Y'ALL CAN LIKE, GIVE OUT TO THE NONPROFITS THE A LIST TO SAY, WELL THESE, OR, UH, THESE BUSINESS HAVE FOOD RESCUES, LIKE THE, UH, SPROUTS, THE COSTCOS. THE WALMARTS. THAT'S TODAY. I GOT A LOT OF SPROUTS IN WALMART. I GET TRADER JOE'S, I GET A VARIETY OF ALL COSTCOS SAM'S. BUT DO YOU ALL HAVE A VENDOR LIST FOR THAT? FOR THE NONPROFITS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MAP OF WHERE TO GO GET FOOD RESCUE FROM? WE DO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. MM-HMM . THAT COULD BE A GOAL OF THE FOOD THING NOW. OKAY. I, I WOULD LIKE IT. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THAT AS FAR AS A SPECIFIC VENDOR LIST. MM-HMM . NOT YET, BUT WE COULD. YEAH, THAT'LL BE GOOD. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, UH, I'M ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE, UH, JOVEY UP THERE ON BUCKNER. SO ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS WORKED THERE AND HAS, UH, CONNECTED ME TO THE MANAGER FOR KIN STORE, THE PROCESS OF PICKING UP FROM JOE HOPEFULLY. AND SO THAT'LL BE GOOD FOR Y Y'ALL CAN GET A LIST OF THAT TO GIVE OUT SOME NONPROFITS WHO, LIKE WHEN THEY FOOD, UH, DISTRIBUTING, UH, UH, PARTNERSHIPS GET LOW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAPPENED WITH DISASTROUS WITH LIKE TSA, THE NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK HAD TO DIRECT ALL THEIR ENERGY THERE. SO, UH, THAT'LL BE A GOOD LIST TO GET TOGETHER FOR PEOPLE LIKE MY NONPROFIT AND OTHER NONPROFITS. OKAY. AWESOME. THANK YOU. BUT GOOD WORK. I LOVE FOOD ACCESS 'CAUSE I LIVE IN JO WHEEL FOOD DESERT. THAT'S WHY MY MISSION IS TO GIVE OUR FOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER, UM, ROBERTON AND THEN, UH, CHAIR HER MODA. OKAY. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. IT'S A LOT OF WORK. I WAS JUST GONNA KIND OF PUT SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND. HAD YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE, THE STORES THAT WILL NOTS. I DON'T WANNA PUT THIS. I GREW UP HERE AND I GREW UP ON BOTH SIDES OF TOWN. I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A FOOD DESERT. SO AFTER THE NINETIES, RIGHT. SO WHEN I GREW UP IN OAK CLIFF UNDER 1990, IT WAS NOT A FOOD DESERT. THE STORES THAT LEFT HAVE YOU, UH, ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY DO NOT SET UP SOUTH? WHY THEY DID LEAVE, WHY THEY DID CREATE THE FOOD DESERT THAT WE HAD. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TOM THUMB TO COME. THEY WERE SET UP TO COME AND THEN THEY PULLED OUT. SO I JUST, [01:45:01] YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT, DID YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF POPULATION OR, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY SET UP, JUST PUTTING THAT ON YOUR MIND. NO, THANK YOU. THAT THAT WAS PART OF OUR RESEARCH. ALL RIGHT. CHAIR HERE, MOTO. AND THEN MR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THIS IS REALLY GREAT WORK OVER THE LAST YEAR AND APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND YOU SHARING THAT WITH US. UM, I GOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT FOOD WASTE UNTIL YOUR PILLARS FOR THE PLAN AT THE END. AND I THINK THAT PERHAPS A DIFFERENT TACTIC TO TAKE INSTEAD OF WASTE MANAGEMENT, WHICH DEALS WITH THE WASTE AFTER IT'S BEEN CREATED IS WASTE PREVENTION AND HOW THAT CAN BE REINTRODUCED INTO THE SCREEN. I'M SURE THAT'S PART OF THE THINKING ALREADY, BUT IT'S NOT ARTICULATED IN THE MATERIALS SHOWN. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. MS. DOIN, DO YOU HAVE A PLATFORM OR A SYSTEM THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE USING FOR THE DETENTION ON ANY OF THIS? SO FAR? YES. UM, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW IT LIVES AT SMU. OKAY. UM, BUT AS PART OF THE NEXT PHASE FOR THE COLLABORATIVE, WHICH IS A 5 0 1 C3, WITH ALL OF THESE PARTNERS, THERE WILL BE A DATA PLATFORM FOR WHERE ALL OF THIS WILL LIVE. OKAY. YES. AND THEN IT WILL BE PUBLIC FACING. OKAY. SO IT'S PART OF, I SHOULD SAY ONE OTHER PART OF THE PLAN IS TO PLAN WHAT THE COLLABORATIVE WILL BECOME. SO IT WILL BE AN ENTITY WHERE IT'S A DATA SOURCE, A CONVENING POINT, UM, ALSO DRIVING FUNDING OPPORTUNITY AND LOOKING AT THOSE COLLABOR THOSE COLLABORATIONS IN ADDITION THAT THE, WHERE THE DATA WILL LIVE WILL BE A PART OF THAT. OKAY. SO THE COALITION THAT'S FORMED ON THE 5 0 1 C3 WILL BE THE ONE, THE OWNERS OF THIS THAT THE PLATFORM. RIGHT. OKAY. AND THEN SO WHOEVER IS MANNING THAT, WHOEVER'S CAPTAIN THAT IS ON HIS DATA IS CAME AND CAME. I KNOW, AND COMING INTO THIS TWO YEARS AGO, I LEARNED VERY QUICKLY THAT, UH, OR THREE YEARS BEFORE YOU AGO, UM, WHEN ALL THE DATA IS THERE, ESPECIALLY AS COMMISSIONER, UH, THROW SAYING, UM, HAVING A LIST LIKE THE VENDORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT UNDER ONE ROOF IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT SO THAT RESOURCES, UM, BECOME SCARCE TO EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR WHO HOLDS THAT INFORMATION. MM-HMM . SO, UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION EXCEPT FOR THAT. I WANTED TO SEE WHERE THAT WAS GOING. AND YES, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THAT DATA TO BE, UH, OUTWARD FACING FOR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE THERE IS A WEALTH OF IT. AND I THINK, AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE KNOWN, GOING THROUGH YOUR STUDIES ALREADY WITH HEAT MAPS AND ALL THE THINGS RIGHT. OF WHERE TO BE ABLE TO FIND YOUR NEAREST PANTRY AND ALL, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS. SO ULTIMATELY, WHAT IS THE, THE GOAL OF THIS FOOD PLAN? IS IT JUST, I MEAN, I SAW YOUR FOUR CONCEPT CONCEPTS OF WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO, THE FOUR PILLARS MM-HMM . THAT YOU WANTED TO DO. BUT IS THIS A COMMUNITY BASED? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? LIKE THIS IS GONNA BE A HOUSE OF WHICH ALL THE NONPROFITS ARE COMING TO THIS PLACE TO KIND OF, UH, AS A SAFE HAVENS TO SAY, OKAY, I WANNA DO A FOOD PANTRY THIS WEEK SO I CAN GO TO THE FOOD COALITION. OR IS THIS A PLACE WHERE FARMERS ARE GOING BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING, I HAVE EXTRA FOOD AND I DON'T WANT IT TO GO TO WASTE? WHO'S YOUR CUSTOMER? WELL, I THINK THAT, I MEAN, OVERALL IT IS THE PLAN FOR HOW ARE WE BUILDING A RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEM. BUT I AS IF THERE'S A, SO WE ARE THE CONVENER TO THE CUSTOMERS. SO THERE'S ALREADY CONVENING SPOTS WHERE THOSE INTERACTIONS WILL OCCUR. MM-HMM . THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE GOAL OF THE COLLABORATIVE. OKAY. WELL YOU HAVE A GREAT LIST GOING. SO , GOOD START FOR YOU. SO , THAT'S AWESOME. IT, IT'S EVOLVING. THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT THESE ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. WHO CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, WHO'S IN IT AND, AND WHO GOES. SO, UM, FOR RIGHT NOW, IS THERE A CRITERIA FOR YOU? THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED THAT I ASKED YOU, UM, REBECCA, IS IT, IS THERE A CRITERIA FOR RIGHT NOW SIGNING UP AND BECOMING PART? THERE'S, THERE'S NOT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE OPEN. WE ARE OPEN. OKAY. BEING INCLUSIVE AND MOVING, MOVING FORWARD. UM, WELL, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO MOVING FORWARD, BUT FOR NOW, AT LEAST WITH THE WORKING GROUPS AND WHO WANTS, SO IT'S WHO'S IN THE, WHO IS THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS THAT THERE IS A CRITERIA FOR THAT. BUT AS [01:50:01] FAR AS THE WORKING GROUPS AND THEN WHO WANTS TO BE INFORMED OF IT? THERE'S NO CRITERIA FOR THAT. YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? A COMMENT JUST TO SAY YOU'VE BEEN VERY, VERY BUSY AND IT'S SO NICE TO HEAR . THIS IS NOT MY FULL-TIME JOB, , I JUST SAY VOLUNTEER POSITION. SO I, I APPRECIATE, UM, THE SUPPORT AND THE FEEDBACK TONIGHT. IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL, THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. SO I, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND, UH, THIS, I GUESS THE CALL TO ACTION IS TO STAY INVOLVED IN THIS, UM, AND, AND TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN BECAUSE THAT'S FEED TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT FEEDS INTO THE FOOD PLAN. SO, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND SHARING ALL THE, THE UPDATES AND THE PROGRESS. THANK YOU. AND LOOK FORWARD TO STAYING ENGAGED. SO THANKS, THANKS SO MUCH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET'S GO TO THAT BRIEFING MEMO. THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING, UH, BRIEFING MEMO A IS AN UPDATE Q2 UPDATES, INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP, AND THIS IS PERTAINING TO THE 2024, UH, BOND RESOLUTION, UM, AND THE SUSTAINABILITY CHECKLIST AND DIRECTOR HODGES GOT WILL TELL US JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS. SURE. THANK YOU CHAIR GARRA. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THIS IS, UM, ANOTHER UPDATE. I KNOW WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE BY EMAIL A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND SO THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT. UM, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP, ONE OF THE PRIMARY GOALS, UM, THAT THEY SET IN TERMS, UM, OF, OF ACTIONABLE ITEMS FOR THE WORKING GROUP WAS TO CREATE THE SUSTAINABILITY CHECKLIST JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A METHOD OF OBTAINING METRICS ON THE BOND PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING FORWARD. AND SO, UM, NATALIE PENEZ, SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED HER TO BEGIN WITH FROM MY TEAM WHO'S BEEN WORKING, UM, VERY HARD ON THAT. SHE'S BEEN FACILITATING THAT GROUP. 'CAUSE I DO WANNA POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OE QS, IT'S NOT OE Q S'S GROUP. WE ARE THE FACILITATORS AND THE LEADERS, BUT, UM, WE ARE RELYING ON INPUT AND PARTICIPATION FROM, UM, FOR MANY DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO WE HAVE A PRODUCT NOW THAT HAS BEEN, UM, THROUGH THE PILOT PROCESS. UM, IT IS, WE BELIEVE PRETTY CLOSE TO FINAL. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, UM, WITH MANAGEMENT TO FOLLOW UP, BUT, UM, WE EXPECT THAT THIS WILL BE FINALIZED AND PUT INTO, UM, INTO ACTION. AND, UM, THE, THE, THE IDEA IS THAT, UM, AS THIS DEVELOPS OVER THE YEAR AND, AND PROJECTS, UM, THE INFORMATION IS INPUT THAT WE CAN, IF THERE, IF FURTHER REFINEMENTS ARE NEEDED, THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE, UM, IN PROCESS. BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO, UM, HAVE A STARTING POINT TO, UM, TO START COLLECTING THAT DATA. AND SO I WILL ASK, NATALIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? DID I FORGET ANYTHING? NO, I THOUGHT YOU SUMMARIZED IT WELL, THANK YOU. UM, SO YES, SO THIS OPPORTUNITY IS JUST TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE FIRST, YOU KNOW, WHERE THIS ORIGINAL REVOLUTION CAME FROM AND THE WORKING GROUP THAT BASICALLY STARTED IT ALL. UM, SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU. UM, AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF FEEDBACK. UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT CHAIR, OTTO, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO TO YOU FIRST IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. ANGEL COMMENTS? YES, THANK YOU. CHAIR GURA, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE UPDATE. AND IN LOOKING AT THE MEMO, UM, IT DOESN'T SEEM CLEAR TO ME WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE CHECKLIST IS. IT READS MORE LIKE A SURVEY FORM THAN A CHECKLIST, AND I'M UNCLEAR WHAT THE INTENDED OUTCOME IS OF THE EXERCISE. SO AGAIN, IT'S TO, TO GATHER METRICS ON THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE PROCEEDING, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH BOND. AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S A BIT OF A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE I GUESS I WOULD SAY, BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE, IT HAD TO BE DRAFTED IN A WAY SO THAT IT WOULD CAPTURE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LARGE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS, UM, UNDER THE BOND. AND UM, THAT WOULD INCLUDE VERTICAL, VERTICAL PROJECTS, HORIZONTAL PROJECTS. UM, BUT AGAIN, JUST TO, TO CAPTURE, UM, CAPTURE THOSE METRICS. YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING NOW? YES, I WILL SAY PART OF THE CAPTURE OF THE METRICS TOO IS TO ALSO IDENTIFY BARRIERS OR PERHAPS CONCERNS FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT HOPEFULLY THE WORKING GROUP [01:55:01] CAN HELP ADDRESS, OR IF NOT, WE CAN FIND, UM, SOLUTION TO THOSE BARRIERS SO THAT WE KNOW WE ARE NOT JUST ACKNOWLEDGING POTENTIAL CONCERNS THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY HELP ADDRESS THOSE IN THE FUTURE. UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO HELP WITH THAT, UM, UPON AN ASSESSMENT, IF YOU WILL, UM, WITH THIS KIND OF INTRODUCTORY CHECKLIST. YEAH. SO THAT'S HELPFUL. SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE, THE DATA THAT YOU'RE GATHERING WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE MEETING THE CRITERIA AND IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP THEM COURSE CORRECT OR PROVIDE MORE, UM, RESOURCES TO GET THE PROJECTS BACK ON TRACK. IS THAT, AM I INTERPRETING THAT CORRECTLY? YES, MA'AM. SO THAT'S DEFINITELY PART OF IT. UM, AND LIKE YOU SAID, FIGURING OUT SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES OR, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE, UM, ADDITIONAL AREAS OF SUPPORT, WHERE CAN WE FEED THAT AS A GROUP OR AGAIN, FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST FORCE OF ACTION IS FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THAT'S GREAT. SO THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. AND IF THAT'S THE INTENT, THEN I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS GOES OUT EITHER AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROJECTS AND THEN MAYBE YOU ASK FOR AN ANNUAL OR SOME OTHER CADENCE UPDATE TO ENSURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST A GOAL THAT'S SET AT ONE POINT IN TIME AND THEN GETS FORGOTTEN ABOUT, BUT THAT IT'S, THEY'RE CONTINUALLY TRACKING TOWARDS THOSE GOALS. YES, MA'AM. THIS WILL ACT AS LIKE A PRE AND POST ASSESSMENT. SO WE DEFINITELY WANNA IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS SET IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS WHY, UM, YOU SEE THIS DRAFT HERE, WE'LL GIVE OUT AT THE HOPEFULLY THE BEGINNING OR BASICALLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UM, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, WHENEVER THAT IS, YES, WE WILL FOLLOW UP. UM, PERHAPS WITH NOT AS LENGTHY OF A CHECKLIST LIKE THIS, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, TO REITERATE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. DID THEY FOLLOW THROUGH WITH, YOU KNOW, THEIR SAID OBLIGATIONS, UM, AND GO FROM THERE? YEAH, I GUESS MY QUESTION IN THAT IS THAT YOU PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT A CADENCE THAT'S MORE FREQUENTLY THAN ONCE BEFORE THEY START AND ONCE WHEN THEY'RE AT THE END, IF THE GOAL IS TO COURSE CORRECT AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE TRACKING TOWARDS THE GOALS. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS TAKE THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS TO REALIZE COMPLETION. AND SO IN THAT TIME, TEAM MEMBERS MAY CHANGE, THEY MOVE, MAY LOSE SIGHT OF THE OBJECTIVES. AND SO I THINK A PART OF THE, THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP SHOULD BE TO DECIDE WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE CADENCE FOR THAT WITHOUT BEING ADMINISTRATIVELY BURDENSOME, BUT MEETING THE INTENT OF THE EXERCISE TO BEGIN WITH. THANK YOU THAT, OH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU. THAT INPUT IS HELPFUL BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IN THIS PILOT PERIOD, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL EARLY ON, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN VERY SMALL PROJECTS SO FAR. AND SO, UM, AND SO WE DO RECOGNIZE IN IN THAT AS PART OF THE INTENT TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, SYSTEM TO CONTINUALLY REEVALUATE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S MEETING NEEDS GOING FORWARD. EXCELLENT. UH, AND THEN ALSO FROM THE MEMO, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DRAFT WAS SHARED WITH THE, THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP IN THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, UH, A 30 DAY PILOT WAS MENTIONED. SO I ASSUME THIS IS COMPLETE NOW AND YOU'VE HAD 30 DAYS TO ANALYZE THE RESPONSES. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SO FAR FROM WHAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO YES, AS YOU SAID, THE PILOT DID FINISH UP FROM THE FEEDBACK WE DID RECEIVE. UM, THERE WAS DEFINITELY TALKS ABOUT, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH QUESTION 24, YOU'LL SEE AT THE END WITH MORE CAP ACTIONS BEING MORE INCLUSIVE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THINGS LIKE TRANSPORTATION. UM, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WERE SPECIFIC TO THE WORDING, UM, SOME OF IT MINOR, FOR EXAMPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, WASTE DIVERSION. SO INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING JUST FOR RECYCLING, HOW ABOUT WE SAY RECYCLING AND REUSE, UM, TERMS LIKE THAT. UM, I KNOW OTHERS WERE JUST KIND OF SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, CAN YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THEM WAS CAN YOU REFER TO THE 2024 BOND EXCEL CHECKLIST, OR NOT CHECKLIST, EXCUSE ME, PROJECT LIST. UM, JUST AGAIN, SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, OTHER THINGS, LIKE I SAID, WERE A LOT ABOUT, UM, JUST SPECIFIC WORD CHOICE. UM, AND THEN, UM, THAT'S WHAT HONESTLY, I CAN REMEMBER AT THE TOP OF MY HEAD. THAT'S NOT THE COMPLETE ASSESSMENT. UM, BUT THAT DOES GIVE YOU A VERY BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE INPUT WE RECEIVED SO FAR. SURE, THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL. UM, I, AND WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ALSO MIRRORS SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE. I WILL SEND YOU A DETAILED EMAIL WITH ALL OF THE THINGS, BUT TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE [02:00:01] INTO SOME LARGER THEMES, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT RESOLUTION 24 11 87, SECTION THREE TALKS ABOUT THE GOAL AND THE TARGET AND THAT THE PROJECTS, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PRACTICAL SHALL DO THESE THINGS. THE WAY THE FORM IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, UM, SHOULD BE ASKING PROJECTS TO VALIDATE ALIGNMENT WITH THESE GOALS AND TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY'RE ON TRACK TO MEET THESE TARGETS OR JUSTIFY WHY OR HOW COME THEY'RE NOT FEASIBLE THE WAY THE FORM IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW. IT'S LIKE, ARE YOU DOING THIS? IS IT, MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD IDEA? UM, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S HELPING US REALIZE THE GOALS. I THINK THE, THE GENERAL WORDING NEEDS TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH THE RESOLUTION TEXT ITSELF. ABSOLUTELY. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IT READS A LITTLE SOFT. UM, SO YES, I THINK ADDING THAT, I KNOW, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 'CAUSE ONE OF THE CHANGES TOO, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE WHAT IS THE BARRIER? LIKE WHAT IS THE WHY AND KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON THAT AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY AREN'T ABLE TO PERFORM AN ACTION OR FOLLOW THROUGH, UM, WITH WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE ACTION THEY WANTED TO GO THROUGH. SO YES, AND THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING UP ON THAT ON A SEPARATE DOCUMENT. I APPRECIATE IT. AND UM, JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU. SO JUST AS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, QUESTIONS NUMBER 12 AND NUMBER 18, READ IF ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS WILL BE SUBMITTED AND THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE IS REALLY CLEAR THAT NOT ONLY DO THEY NEED TO BE SUBMITTED FOR CERTAIN MATERIAL CATEGORIES, BUT THEY NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BEFORE THE PROJECT OR THAT MATERIAL IS PROCURED. IF THEY HAPPEN AFTER THAT, IT'S TOO LATE. SO AGAIN, IF THE GOAL IS TO HELP IDENTIFY THAT THINGS ARE ON TRACK AND PROGRESSING, FLAGGING THOSE ISSUES WHERE THE TEAM THINKS THAT THAT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT BEFOREHAND, WE CAN GET IN FRONT OF THAT TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES AND THE TOOLS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. UM, I THINK, OH, GO AHEAD. NO, I WAS JUST SAYING, UM, UNDERSTOOD AND THANK YOU FOR THAT EXAMPLE. UM, QUESTIONS ONE THROUGH EIGHT. I WONDER, I I HAVE TO FILL OUT A LOT OF FORMS I IMAGINE, AND I FILL OUT A FORM THAT'S ASKING ME FOR REDUNDANT INFORMATION OR INFORMATION THAT'S ELSEWHERE. AND I WONDER IF THERE'S AN AUTOMATION WITH THE BOND OFFICE THAT COULD GIVE YOU THESE DETAILS THAT I'M SURE IN THEIR DATABASE, UM, THAT, UM, WOULD HELP KIND OF FACILITATE THE COMPLETION OF THE FORM AND ALSO ELIMINATE DIFFERENT DATA IN DIFFERENT PLACES IF SOMEONE CHOSE TO INPUT A DIFFERENT RESPONSE. YES, THAT IS, I WILL ADMIT KIND OF ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD WITH THE CHECKLIST IS TRYING TO FIND A SYSTEMATIC WAY THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS CAN USE, UM, IN TRYING TO, I GUESS, LIKE YOU SAID, TRYING TO FIND THAT PLUGIN INFORMATION, UM, YOU KNOW, AND FINDING A PLATFORM THAT'S SUITABLE TO DO SO. UM, SO YEAH, I DO RECOGNIZE, UM, WE'LL CALL IT FRUSTRATION THERE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE HAS TO, YOU KNOW, FILL THAT PART OUT. UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT UNFORTUNATELY, UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT AT THE MOMENT. HOWEVER, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, IF WE DO FIND THAT SOLUTION, UM, I WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT UPDATE. AND UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON RIGHT NOW, BUT THE DIFFICULTY AGAIN IS JUST MAKING SURE, UM, THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THAT OR CAN PULL THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE VARIETY OF DEPARTMENTS. UM, BUT YES, THAT COMMENT I DO, I RECOGNIZE, UM, THAT ISSUE. AND THEN, UM, IN QUESTION NUMBER SIX, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU MATCH THE LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION IN SECTIONS THREE A AND THREE B WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT KIND OF PROJECT IS IT, YOU KNOW, IS IT A BUILDING, IS IT HORIZONTAL OR VERTICAL OR INFRASTRUCTURE, WHATEVER I, THE LANGUAGE IS ALREADY DEFINED IN, IN THE RESOLUTION. AND I THINK BY INTRODUCING OTHER TERMS, IT MIGHT BE CONFUSING FOR FOLKS. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. UH, OKAY. I HAVE JUST A COUPLE MORE POINTS HERE AT A GENERAL LEVEL AND THEN I'LL, I'LL SEND YOU THE EMAIL. I THINK THAT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ARE ALSO CONFUSING BECAUSE THEY MIX THE MINIMUM CRITERIA AND THE STRETCH GOALS. SO IT'LL BE IMPORTANT IN THE FORM TO SEPARATE AND DIFFERENTIATE THOSE CLEARLY. SO THAT, AGAIN, IF THE OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO GET PEOPLE INTO COMPLIANCE, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS AND WHERE THEIR OPPORTUNITY IS TO GO BEYOND THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, UM, NUMBER 16 [02:05:01] INCORRECTLY NAMES THE THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATIONS THAT ARE REFERENCED IN THE RESOLUTION. SO I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU TO, UM, CORRECT THAT. UM, QUESTIONS 20 TO 23. I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO ALIGN WITH THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA OF LEAD AND THE LEAD TERMINOLOGY. UM, LIKE THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE INSTEAD OF RECYCLING AND REUSE. UH, THE CREDIT IS BASED ON WASTE DIVERSION FROM LANDFILL. UH, AND AGAIN, IF LEAD GOLD IS REQUIRED FOR A BUILDING, LET'S JUST MAKE IT ALL ONE THING AND HELP AND UNDERSTAND AND ALIGN WITH THE LEAD LANGUAGE. UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S UNCLEAR OR THAT YOU WOULD NEED SOME KIND OF FEEDBACK FROM, FROM US? UM, NOT AT THE MOMENT, HONESTLY. I WAS JUST KIND OF TAKING ALL THE, ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN, UM, AS IT WAS PRESENTED TODAY. UM, I WILL BE SURE THOUGH, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU TO FOLLOW UP, IF THERE ARE MOMENTS THAT ARE UNCLEAR DEFINITION THAT I COULD USE OR PERHAPS IWG GIVE, USE ASSISTANCE ON, IF THAT IS OKAY WITH YOU OR OTHER MEMBERS. YES, I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO TAKE A CALL AND HELP GET IN FRONT OF THESE DRAFTS BEFORE THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED AND BEFORE PEOPLE ARE PUTTING EFFORT INTO THEM INSTEAD OF AFTER THE FACT. ABSOLUTELY. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK THROUGH THOSE AND I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TODAY. YES. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA. OF COURSE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, VICE CHAIR WALLACE, AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER CLARK. I SAW YOU NODDING. UH, SO IF YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I CAN COME TO YOU AFTER THAT. UM, I'M JUST GONNA APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I'M GONNA ASK A QUESTION THAT'S RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT BUT NOT THE BOND. SO IN THE, UH, MEMO THAT A APPRO, UH, THAT WE WENT OVER MAY, 2021 APPROVED SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT, IT TALKED ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A, OF AN INTERNAL WORKING GROUP. ALSO, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE BROUGHT IT UP A FEW MEETINGS AGO AND HAS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY WORK TOWARDS THAT? UM, SO THAT IS ISN'T RELATED TO THE BOND MEMO THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY. UM, I'M AWARE I JUST HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK, SO. RIGHT. SO, UM, SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED RECENTLY. UM, AS I EXPLAINED BEFORE, UM, THERE IS NO WORKING GROUP. THERE WAS NO WORKING GROUP WHEN I STARTED. UM, AND SO I I HAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION ON THAT FOR YOU. YEAH, APPARENTLY IT NEVER HAPPENED AND THE ONLY THING THAT THERE EVER WAS WAS THAT ONE RESOLUTION THAT SAID IT WOULD, THAT WAS MAY OF 2021. OKAY. I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND IT AGAIN. AND I KNOW IT'S, I MEAN, Y'ALL'S PLATES ARE FULL. UM, BUT IT IS, UM, IT TOOK US A WHILE TO EVEN DISCOVER THAT INFORMATION AND, UM, SO THANK YOU. AND I THINK BECAUSE IT WAS A, A COUNCIL ADOPTED, YOU KNOW, MANDATE, WE, WE COULD BE FOLLOWING UP WITH CITY COUNCIL AND SAYING, HEY, Y'ALL ARE AWARE THAT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT AND IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, UH, WASN'T FOLLOWED THROUGH ON. AND NOW THERE'S OPPORTUNITY AND NOW WE CAN, UM, COLLABORATE. BUT I THINK IT PUTS ONE DEPARTMENT IN SORT OF AN AWKWARD POSITION TO HOLD ANOTHER DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT COUNCIL MANDATED OF THEM. SO , WE ARE DEFINITELY GONNA KEEP BRINGING THAT BELL 'CAUSE IT, IT SHOULD BE HAPPENING AND JUST IN ALL HONESTY, IT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE MOVING FORWARD. UM, OKAY. ANY OTHER INPUT ON THIS, UH, MEMO OR THE CHECKLIST THAT NATALIE WORKING ON THE GROUP? ANY OTHER FEEDBACK? PLEASE REACH OUT TO NATALIE AND, UM, DO WE HAVE, OH, JORDAN, GO FOR IT. COMMISSIONER CLARK. YEAH, JUST TO, TO FOLLOW UP. UM, THIS IS GREAT. I, I APPRECIATE THIS EFFORT AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING AND I THINK THE, THE RESOLUTION THAT THIS CAME OUT, UH, FLOWED OUT FROM WAS, UM, A REALLY POSITIVE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT COMMISSIONER. HI, MOTO SAID SHE CAPTURED ALL THE MAIN POINTS. I, I ALSO THINK ON THE STRETCH GOALS, WHICH I THINK WAS NUMBER 17, UM, THAT COULD ALSO DO WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, GOING THROUGH WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FINE TOOTH [02:10:01] COMB, JUST TO KIND OF MAKE SURE ALL OF THOSE ARE CLEAR, LIKE CLIMATE POSITIVE DESIGN, YOU KNOW, CLARIFYING WHAT THAT'S REFERRING TO. IF IT'S THE, THE ORGANIZATION THAT PUTS OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, PATHFINDERS LISTED, IT'S, THAT IS A WEB APP, UM, TOOL FOR ESTIMATING LANDSCAPE CARBON. UM, SO I JUST THINK THE, UH, THE, THE STRETCH GOALS COULD DO, COULD SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARIFICATION THERE. SO, UM, YEAH, COMMISSIONER HERETO COVERED MOST OF THE OTHER BIG POINTS. CAN I RESPOND TO THAT? OH, SORRY. JUST SAYING I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK. UM, SO ALSO FIRST OFF, KUDOS, LIKE YOU SAID TO, UM, MS. JULIE HI MOTO FOR THAT, AND WITH THE RESOLUTION. SO A LOT OF CREDIT GOES TO HER. UM, SECONDLY, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE PIECES I DID NOT MENTION IS THAT, UM, A MINI RESOURCE GUIDE IS GOING TO BE PROVIDED THAT KIND OF EXPLAINS A LOT OF THE TOPICS AND ORGANIZATIONS YOU MENTIONED. SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THEY CAN AT LEAST START TO LEARN WHAT THAT IS. UM, AND AGAIN, PART OF AT LEAST ONE OF MY GOALS WITH THIS GROUP, UM, IT'S DEFINITELY TO BE DISCUSSED IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GETTING BETTER, BETTER AWARENESS OF THOSE STRETCH GOALS AND THE OTHER, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PUT FORTH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SOME OF THESE ARE TOOLS AS OPPOSED TO GOALS AND, AND MAKING THAT DISTINCTION A LITTLE CLEAR WOULD BE HELPFUL. I APPRECIATE THE, YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE. WE APPRECIATE THIS UPDATE. UM, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE MY CHAIR HERE IN LODO. UM, AND HOPEFULLY Y'ALL CAN CONNECT AND FINE TUNE AND THEN KEEP MOVING FORWARD, WHICH, UH, SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB ON. YES. EMPHASIS ON DRAFT . PERFECT. . THANK YOU GUYS. THIS IS THE TIME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, NATALIE. MM-HMM . THANK YOU, DIRECTOR HUTT, SCOTT. OKAY. LET'S GO INTO SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES. WE'RE GONNA HEAR, DO WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH UPTAKE? WE DO. OKAY. YOU WANNA TELL US? JUST BRIEFLY, VERY BRIEFLY. WE HAD THE SHORT BRIEF MEETING. WE'RE TYING UP LOOSE EDGES. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME MONTHS AGO THE VAPING, UH, MEMORANDUM. WE DID THAT PAST. AND SO NOW WE'RE WORKING ON THE BATCH BATCH PLANT, TRYING TO CLOSE THAT ONE OUT. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, THINGS WE CAN ADD TO THE DATA CENTERS. UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE COMMUNITY EDUCATION. LAURIE BLAIR WAS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT. WE WANT TO DO SOME EDUCATION ON, UM, ON THE DATA CENTERS IN OUR DISTRICT. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE GETTING READY FOR EARTH TODAY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE. ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO MONTHLY DISTRICT UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS. LET'S KEEP IT TO ABOUT 15 MINUTES. WE CAN WRAP, UH, RIGHT AT, RIGHT AT EIGHT O'CLOCK THIS EVENING. IF WE COULD. WE'RE GONNA START IN DISTRICT ONE WITH COMMISSIONER CLARK. UH, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER WEST REACHED OUT, UM, TO RAISE THE ISSUE OF, UH, PLASTIC POLLUTION, WHICH THE FOLKS FROM ENVIRONMENT TEXAS HAVE BEEN KIND OF PUSHING ACTION ON RECENTLY. UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME KIND OF LOBBYING EFFORTS TO, TO PUSH, UH, THE GOVERNOR TO ADOPT STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR, UH, PLASTIC LIKE PELLET POLLUTIONS, WHICH ARE BECOMING A REALLY BIG ISSUE IN, UM, STREAMS AND MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE GULF. UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, CITY OF GALVESTON PASSED A RESOLUTION IN THE PAST, UH, COUPLE MONTHS ON THIS. UH, I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY KIND OF A FRONTLINE COASTAL COMMUNITY, BUT EVERY LITTLE BIT OF, I THINK, UH, PRESSURE FROM MUNICIPAL ACTORS AND OTHERS, UH, IS VALUABLE. SO MAYBE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER FOR, FOR A FUTURE, UM, SESSION FOR DISCUSSION. UM, I ALSO KIND OF WANTED TO MENTION THAT I'M, UH, PART OF THE CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY ACTION COMMITTEE FOR A SLA, WHICH IS THE, UH, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE KIND OF PROFESSIONAL GROUP NATIONALLY. AND THE SUBJECT HAS BEEN KIND OF BREWING DATA CENTERS HAVE BEEN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION THERE AS, AS THEY HAVE IN MANY CIRCLES. UM, AND I, I'D LOVE TO KIND OF, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT, UM, THE THING THAT CAME UP IS, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MORATORIUM [02:15:01] AND, YOU KNOW, NEW ORLEANS AS AN EXAMPLE THERE, UM, KIND OF RECKONING WITH THE REALITY THAT THEY ARE SEEMING TO BE HERE TO STAY AND HOW CAN WE PUT, YOU KNOW, AND ENCOURAGE STRONGER REGULATIONS. UM, AND I'M THINKING IN PARTICULARLY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY AS A, A REALLY A BIG IMPACT THAT I DON'T SEE DISCUSSED QUITE AS MUCH AS THE, THE WATER CONSUMPTION AND THE, THE EMISSIONS. UM, AND, AND SO I, I KNOW THERE'S, UM, KIND OF COLLECTIONS OF EXAMPLES FROM STATES AND MUNICIPALITIES OUT THERE IN TERMS OF REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED OR ENACTED, UM, TO, IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO, TO TAKE PLACE, UM, AND THE, THE REGULATIONS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. SO I THINK THAT'D BE WORTH DISCUSSING FURTHER IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE QUESTION OF MORATORIUM IS, IS ONE THING, BUT THE SECOND IS, IS KIND OF REGULATING THEIR, THEIR DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT. SO THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DISTRICT TWO, I DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE. DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR ARE VACANT. DISTRICT FIVE, NOTHING TO REPORT. DISTRICT SIX IS VACANT. DISTRICT SEVEN, THANK YOU. UH, DISTRICT SEVEN, UH, ME CHAIR ATTENDED, UH, A ZONING CASE IN THE DIXON COMMUNITY. AND, UH, MS. HODGE DIRECTOR HODGE ATTENDED, UH, A ZONING CASE IN, UH, DISTRICT SEVEN IN THE DIXON COMMUNITY. PARKDALE, IT'S AROUND THE PARKDALE COMMUNITY, THE DIXON COMMUNITY, THE LONGVIEW PARK, AND THE PAR, UH, THE TRINITY TRAIL THAT IS BEING, UH, BUILT ALONG PARKDALE, UH, LAKE AND EVERYTHING. SO WE ATTENDED THAT, UH, CHAIR, BROUGHT A LOT OF AWARENESS INTO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UH, NOT GIVING THE COMMUNITY QUALITY, UH, ENOUGH TIME ABOUT THE, UH, NOTIFICATION OF THE MEETING, THE FLYER, UH, EVEN BROUGHT ATTENTION TO HAVE THE COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION WAS ENGAGING TO WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO IT WAS A GOOD MEETING THAT ME AND CHAIR WAS ABLE TO BRING AWARENESS TO THIS CASE. AND THE CASE GOES IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOMORROW. I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER, BUT IT IS, UH, IT'S, IT GOES IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOMORROW. THE COMPANY WANTS TO BE A, A RECYCLING COMPANY THAT IS GONNA SHRED TIRES AND BURN PLASTICS, BIO MANIC, PLASTIC, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND SO, UH, IT'S A NO GO, UH, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY DUE TO THE THE LOCATION IS AROUND GREENERY PARTS COMMUNITY, IT SHOULD BE A NO GO. SO THAT'S WHAT, UH, ME AND CHAIR DID ON LAST WEEK. UM, I GOT A NOTIFICATION ON LAST THURSDAY. MY NONPROFIT IS SUING TECQ. OUR CASE WAS FILED IN TRAVIS COUNTY COURT, AND WE GOT A NOTIFICATION NOTIFICATION LAST WEEK THAT IT WILL BE COMING UP ON THE DOCKET SOON. SO I WILL KEEP EVERYBODY ENGAGED ABOUT THE LAWSUIT. I'M SU UH, WE'RE THE DROP COMMUNITY IS SUING THEM BECAUSE THEY GAVE A AIR QUALITY PERMIT TO A, UH, INDUSTRIAL, UH, BATCH COMPANY AROUND OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WHAT TCQ DIDN'T DO IS FOLLOW THEY OWN REGULATIONS. THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE PROPER PAPERWORK THAT THE COMPANY SUPPOSED TO HAD SUBMITTED WHEN, UH, WE REQUESTED THE PAPERWORK, UH, FROM TCEQ. THEY DID NOT HAVE IT. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE, UH, THE PY COMMUNITY IS SUING TCEQ, UH, AND MY LAST IS EARTH DAY. EARTH DAY AND PY AT THE PY MAMA FARM IS APRIL THE 18TH FROM NINE TO TWO. OOH. OKAY. AND SO THIS YEAR WE, UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, DIRECTOR HOGE FOR, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE, UH, ME AND PY AND, UH, UH, GETTING US, UH, SIGNS FOR THE EVENT. YOU KNOW, WE NEED MARKETING, UH, MATERIAL. SO DIRECTOR HODGE, AND THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THE DEPARTMENT HAS HELPED WITH THIS. SO THANK YOU GUYS, PAUL AND DIRECTOR HODGE. THANK YOU FOR, UH, CONTINUE. BECAUSE MY JPI IS A VISIBLE, VISIBLE COMMUNITY. YOU COULD TELL 'EM, BUT YOU GOT TO SHOW 'EM. SO THE SIGNS WILL BE PLACED ON, AROUND THE COMMUNITY STARTING THIS WEEKEND, SO THEY'LL BE VISIBLE FOR THE EVENT. OKAY? UH, SO, UH, IF ANYONE WANTS TO ATTEND OR VOLUNTEER, UH, UH, WE WILL BE GETTING, UH, A DATA UPDATE ON THE AIR QUALITY MONITOR AT THE FARM. SO, UH, FREDDY WILL BE GIVING US A UPDATE ON THE AIR QUALITY [02:20:01] DATA THAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED SINCE THE LAST, UH, UH, EARTH DAY. AND WE WILL BE HAVING A, UH, NUTRITIONIST, UM, SPEAK ON NUTRITIONIST. AND KIM AND HER ARE GONNA DO TABLE TO FORM DEMONSTRATION AT EARTH DAY. SO IF YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO ON APRIL THE 18TH, 2026, A DROPPING MAMA FARM IS EARTH DAY WHERE WE ARE GONNA CELEBRATE AND JUST TRY TO BRING A LOT OF AWARENESS INTO PROTECTING THE OVERALL AND THE CLIMATE AND THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING. OKAY? THANK Y'ALL FOR THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. ALRIGHT. DISTRICT EIGHT, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE FOCUSING ON EDUCATION FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR, UH, DATA CENTERS, BUT, UH, PRIMARILY FOR CAP, THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE GOALS OF CAP AND WHAT IT EVEN IS. SO WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THAT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON SUPPORTING EARTH DAY CLIFF SO THAT IT IS ATTENDED A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS AT EARTH DAY CLIFF. UH, AND IT'S THE, THE 18TH IS WHAT DAY IS THE SATURDAY? OKAY. UH, EARTH DAY CLIFF IS ON A SUNDAY FROM 12 TO FIVE. AND SO, UH, I THINK THE FLYER IS, IS READY, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT GETS OUT TO EVERYBODY. I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT I KNOW WHO HE IS. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. DISTRICT 10, NO NOTHING TO REPORT DISTRICT 11. I HAVE NO UPDATES. THANK YOU. DISTRICT. WELL, I THINK I'VE ALREADY GIVEN ALL MY INFORMATION, MR. 13. HEY THERE. I JUST HAVE A QUICK REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS, UM, ON SATURDAY, MAY 2ND DURING THE DAY. IT'S FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM IS THE ANNUAL, UH, NATIVE PLANTS AND PRAIRIES DAY THAT SOME OF YOU KNOW ABOUT. IT'S PUT ON BY, UM, TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST DALLAS CHAPTER AND NATIVE PLANTS SOCIETY OF TEXAS, ET CETERA. UM, HELD DOWN ON WHITE ROCK LAKE. OKAY. THEY, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A TABLE, UM, REPRESENTING CCAP, BUT WE NEED, UM, A VOLUNTEER OR TWO TO HELP TO STAFF IT. IF YOU ARE AT ALL POSSIBLY INTERESTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. WE'D LOVE TO, UM, BE ABLE TO STAFF THAT TABLE. A LOT OF PEOPLE GO, IT'S A BIG EVENT. YEAH. THE, THE DATE, AGAIN, IS SATURDAY, MAY 2ND TO THE BATH CULTURAL HOUSE, WHICH IS DOWN THERE IN WHITE ROCK LAKE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DISTRICT 14, NO REPORTING DISTRICT 15. NOTHING ADDITIONAL TO SHARE. THANK YOU. UH, I DID JUST WANNA UPDATE FOLKS ON A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, YES, THERE'S A ZONING CASE. UH, Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER THIS PARTICULAR PARCEL IN DISTRICT SEVEN, BECAUSE IT IS WHERE THE CITY STUCK A BATCH PLANT IN THE DIXON CIRCLE NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, THEY SAID THAT THEY NEEDED THAT, UM, THAT THAT INDUSTRIAL HEAVY INDUSTRIAL USE NEXT TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR TWO YEARS. UH, THAT PROJECT WAS SUPPOSED TO CONCLUDE IN THE FALL OF 2024. UH, AND THAT BATCH PLANT IS STILL PRODUCING CONCRETE FOR THE MILL CIRCLE, MILL CREEK, EXCUSE ME, MILL CREEK DRAINAGE CHANNEL. UM, AND IS NOT NOW SLATED TO BE COMPLETED UNTIL THE END OF NEXT YEAR. AND SO THIS PARTICULAR, UH, ZONING CASE WILL BE CONSIDERATION OF THE FUTURE USE OF THAT LAND TO THE CONTINUED, UH, HEAVY INDUSTRIAL, UH, USE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, UH, BUT ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY CAME OUT IN STRONG OPPOSITION A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THEY PUT THE BATCH PLANT THERE AGAINST THE COMMUNITIES, UH, WISHES. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WERE PRETTY CLEAR THAT THEY DON'T WANT THAT TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL USE AND, AND THEY DON'T DESERVE TO BE, UH, DUMPED ON. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WON'T BE SUPPORTING IT. I THINK, UH, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT IT'S GONNA DIE AT THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION TOMORROW. AT LEAST THAT'S OUR HOPE. UH, BUT STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED FOR DENIAL. UH, THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION DELAYED IT, I THINK, UH, HELD IT UNDER ADVISEMENT, UH, BUT WANTED TO INITIALLY, I THINK, UM, DISMISS IT WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO REFILE IT. SO WE'LL SEE. WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. UM, THERE WERE SOME INTERIM CHARGES, UH, ANNOUNCED AT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE RELATED TO DATA CENTERS, AND NONE IN THE WAY THAT WE WOULD HOPE . SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, UM, AS THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEES START TO MEET AND DISCUSS THE INTERIM CHARGES. UM, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP YOU POSTED ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. UM, YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL THE UPDATES THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW. WE'LL [02:25:01] GO TO TECHNICAL PANEL MEMBERS AND WE'LL START WITH MS. BE WELL, UH, I'M JUST GONNA FOLLOW UP BEHIND CATHERINE. ACTUALLY, THERE IS A DATA CENTER HEARING TOMORROW AT 10:00 AM IN STATE AFFAIRS THAT'S CHAIRED BY KEN, REPRESENTATIVE KEN KING. I WILL BE THERE. UH, AND ALSO IF YOU WANNA MARK YOUR, IT, IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT SPEEDING UP APPLICATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS, UM, WHICH MANY OF US DO NOT SUPPORT. YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT LIVE STREAMED, OR YOU CAN GO BACK AT YOUR CONVENIENCE AND LISTEN TO THE ARCHIVE VERSION. UH, I JUST GOT A NOTICE TODAY THAT ANOTHER DATA CENTER, UH, HEARING IS IN THE SENATE IN WATER AG RURAL AFFAIRS ON SEPTEMBER 1ST. SO GO AHEAD AND MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THAT. I HAPPEN TO HAVE ALL THE INTERIM CHARGES FOR DATA CENTERS ON ONE SHEET, SO I WILL SEND THAT TO STEPHANIE SO SHE CAN CIRCULATE THAT TO THE COMMITTEE. UM, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT THERE ARE NOW EIGHT DATA CENTERS PROPOSED IN HOOD COUNTY. I WON'T GET INTO THE DETAILS, BUT I'M HELPING THE CITIZENS WORK, ALL OF THEM. , THERE'S TWO IN HUNT COUNTY AND ONE IN MAY PEARL AND TWO DATA CENTER ENTITIES ARE NOW DELAYED IN FORT WORTH. SO FEEL FREE TO GET AHOLD OF ME IF YOU WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT DATA CENTERS. I'M PRESENTING ON IT NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MR. HOFFMAN, I SAW YOUR HAND RAISED. UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ANNOUNCE THAT, THAT, UH, THIS MONTH, APRIL 25TH, 26TH, UH, WE HAVE A HOME BEING FEATURED IN THE WHITE ROCK HOME TOUR THAT'S IN A COMMUNITY THAT, UH, WE JUST, UH, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER HI MOTO. SHE, UH, URGED ME TO GO AHEAD AND ENTER MY COMMUNITY, A BOAT AT WHITE ROCK IN EAST DALLAS, UH, INTO THE ULI, UH, IMPACT AWARDS. AND WE WON OUR CATEGORY FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES FOR THAT COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO THANK HER FOR DOING THAT. AND, UH, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE OF THE HOMES, UH, IT IS ON THE WHITE ROCK HOME TOUR AND IT'S BENEFITING HETER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND DISD. UH, AND IT'S BEEN A, A ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, UH, FOR THEM. AND IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT TOUR. IT'S SOME WONDERFUL ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLES OF HOMES ON THAT TOUR. SO THANK YOU. AND RAINWATER COLLECTION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND REALLY CREATIVE ZONING AND PLANNING. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. . HI MS. TIMIA, AND THEN MR. MARKS. SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.