Apr 20, 2026 Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee

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GOOD MORNING,

[Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on April 20, 2026.]

MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS, A FEW ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND A COUPLE OF BRIEFING MEMOS TO BRING TO YOUR AWARENESS. ON TODAY, OBVIOUSLY, IS WE'RE GONNA TALK A LOT ABOUT THE LIBRARIES, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE, REALLY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPACE, AND THEN WE HAVE AN AVIATION WORKFORCE PRESENTATION BROUGHT TO US BY THE SEIU GROUP.

AS WELL. SO, UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS, I WANT TO TALK— AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND BRING UP THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY UPDATE.

AND AS WE DO THAT, UM, CITY STAFF IS BRINGING A LIBRARY UPDATE AS A FOLLOW-UP FROM THE JANUARY 26TH, UH, PRE— 2026 PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED LIBRARY REGIONAL MODEL.

AND AS PART OF THE RECENT BUDGET, UH, ADOPTION PROCESS, IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY WOULD MOVE TOWARDS A REGIONAL MODEL IN FISCAL YEAR 26-27, WHICH INCLUDED CLOSURE OF BRANCH LIBRARIES TO ACCOUNT FOR A BUDGET SAVINGS OF $2.6 MILLION. THIS MODEL INCLUDED A SMALLER NUMBER OF STRATEGICALLY LOCATED REGIONAL BRANCHES SUPPORTED BY SURROUNDING SATELLITE LOCATIONS.

THOSE STRATEGIC LOCATIONS ARE THE FLAGSHIPS. SINCE JANUARY, THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY SPONSORED A COMMUNITY SURVEY, AND STAFF HAS RETURNED TODAY TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION REQUESTED BY QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE IN JANUARY. SO TODAY, AS A MATTER OF POLICY, THE COMMITTEE IS BEING ASKED TO GIVE OUR FEEDBACK TO THE THREE CONSIDERATIONS TODAY.

REGIONAL MODEL, CREATION OF FIVE FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES AND FOUR CLOSURES; A FLAGSHIP MODEL, CREATION OF FIVE FLAGSHIP MODEL— FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES WITH NO CLOSURES; AND STATUS QUO.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES, MANYA SHORR, TO PROVIDE THE LIBRARY UPDATE AT THIS TIME. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR GRACEY, VICE CHAIR CADENA, AND MEMBERS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE, ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS MANYA SHORR, AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY.

TODAY I AM HERE, AS YOU HEARD, TO PRESENT AN UPDATE AND FOLLOW-UP TO MY PRESENTATION IN JANUARY. BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE LIBRARY SUPPORTERS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY AND THOSE WATCHING, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THEIR RED SHIRTS. NONE OF THIS IS EASY, BUT I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK I HAVE RECEIVED THIS PAST YEAR, EVEN FROM PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

LIBRARIES ARE VOLUNTARY INSTITUTIONS AND NO ONE IS REQUIRED TO USE THEM. THIS MEANS THAT THE FEEDBACK IS EVEN MORE MEANINGFUL BECAUSE IT MEANS PEOPLE VALUE THEIR CIVIC INSTITUTIONS LIKE LIBRARIES, PARKS, AND CULTURAL RECREATION AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. THE VIBRANT DEPARTMENTS ARE THE BEATING HEART OF THIS CITY AND HELP CREATE THE ATMOSPHERE THAT MAKES PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN DALLAS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. TODAY I WILL COVER THE SITUATION THAT BROUGHT US HERE TODAY, RESULTS FROM THE RECENT COMMUNITY SURVEY, INFORMATION I WAS ASKED TO BRING BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE, POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, AND THEN I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE.

NEXT SLIDE. FIRST, WITH THE BACKGROUND. AS PART OF THE MOST RECENT BUDGET PROJECTION PROCESS, THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY PROPOSED MOVING TO A REGIONAL MODEL IN FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027.

THIS INCLUDES AN EXPANSION OF SERVICE HOURS AND DAYS AT DESIGNATED FLAGSHIP LOCATIONS, WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN INCREASED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

TO FIND A BUDGET SAVINGS OF $2.6 MILLION, THE LIBRARY PROPOSED CLOSING 4 NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES AND ELIMINATING 32 FTE.

IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE EXPERIENCED— THIS YEAR'S, WE EXPERIENCED A SAVINGS OF $1.9 MILLION. I WILL NOTE THAT THE REGIONAL MODEL ONLY APPLIED TO THE BRANCH NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES AND NOT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.

NEXT SLIDE. AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND OUR COMMITMENT TO LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY GENEROUSLY SPONSORED AND FUNDED

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BACK ONE, PLEASE. THANK YOU.

THE LINK WAS AVAILABLE FOR 2 WEEKS IN FEBRUARY 2026.

IT WAS SHARED WIDELY THROUGH OFFICIAL CITY COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU TO MANY OF YOU ON THE DAIS WHO SHARED IT THROUGH YOUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS. OVER 4,000 PEOPLE FILLED OUT THE SURVEY, AND I WILL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE RESULTS IN THE SUBSEQUENT SLIDES.

BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANT TO MENTION THAT THE SURVEY WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE AN OPEN LINK SURVEY THAT EVERYONE WAS WELCOME TO FILL OUT. BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE RESULTS, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ESPECIALLY THANK NICOLE PAQUETTE, BOARD CHAIR, AND DENISE MCGOVERN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY, FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND GENEROSITY IN MAKING THIS SURVEY HAPPEN IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

WE ARE A BETTER LIBRARY BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS. NEXT SLIDE. I MENTIONED THE FACT THAT THE SURVEY IS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, BUT THE RESULTS ARE STILL HELPFUL.

IT IS CLEAR IN LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS, WHO FILLED OUT THE SURVEY, THAT THEY DO NOT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY. WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE, BUT I'LL EMPHASIZE THAT THE SURVEY IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF FEEDBACK THAT I AND MANY OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT THE LIBRARY REGIONAL MODEL. I RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF EMAILS, AND THE COMMUNITY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AT THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS.

NEXT SLIDE. YOU ALL RECEIVED A COPY OF THE FULL SURVEY RESULTS, BUT I HAVE PULLED OUT A FEW TO HIGHLIGHT OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES. AS YOU CAN SEE, ALMOST 99% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY IS IMPORTANT TO THEM, AND 43% USE THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY AT LEAST WEEKLY.

NEXT SLIDE. 87% OF RESPONDENTS THINK FUNDING FOR THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY SHOULD BE INCREASED, AND 71% OPPOSE CLOSING 4 NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES. NEXT SLIDE.

92% OF RESPONDENTS THINK THE CITY OF DALLAS SHOULD PRIORITIZE ADDING FUNDING TO THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET. NEXT SLIDE. RESPONDENTS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICE MODELS IN THE FUTURE, INCLUDING 39% SUPPORTING CO-LOCATING WITH COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTERS 24% LIKE THE IDEA OF MOBILE OR POP-UP LIBRARIES, AND 38% SUPPORT LIBRARIES NEAR GROCERY STORES OR IN SHOPPING CENTERS.

NEXT SLIDE. I HAVE A FEW TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SURVEY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE RESPONDENTS— AND FRANKLY, IN THE EMAILS WE'VE RECEIVED AND THE TOWN HALLS SUPPORT THIS— VALUE THEIR LIBRARY, DO NOT WANT THEM TO CLOSE OR TO EXPERIENCE REDUCED FUNDING.

THE FLAGSHIP CONCEPT IS CONFUSING FOR PEOPLE, AND THE LIBRARY NEEDS TO DO MORE EDUCATION SPECIFICALLY AROUND FLAGSHIPS. LASTLY, RESPONDENTS ARE OPEN TO ALTERNATIVE SERVICE MODELS, WHICH WILL HELP TAKE THE LIBRARY AWAY FROM ONLY BUILDING STANDALONE LIBRARIES, WHICH IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE WAY TO RUN A LIBRARY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR WORK ALIGNS WITH THE NEW DRIVERS OF OPPORTUNITY FRAMEWORK, WHICH HELPS THE CITY OF DALLAS USE RESIDENT FEEDBACK AND DATA TO UNDERSTAND COMMUNITY NEEDS, SET PRIORITIES, AND TRACK PROGRESS.

LIBRARY PROGRAMS WILL BE PART OF THAT FRAMEWORK SO WE CAN SHOW HOW SERVICES ACROSS LIBRARIES PARKS, RECREATION CENTERS, AND CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY CENTERS CAN BE OPTIMIZED TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC MOBILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FOR OUR RESIDENTS. THIS INFORMATION WILL HELP GUIDE FUTURE PROGRAMMING, SHARED SPACES, AND OUTREACH. NEXT SLIDE.

THE COMMITTEE ASKED ME TO BRING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AFTER THE JANUARY QALAC PRESENTATION, AND I WILL PRESENT THE THOSE IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES. NEXT SLIDE. I WAS ASKED TO BRING BACK HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LIBRARY LOCATIONS, PROXIMITY OF LIBRARIES TO SIMILAR CITY FACILITIES SUCH AS COMMUNITY RECREATION AND CULTURAL CENTERS, INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESS TO OUR BUILDINGS BY RESIDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE A VEHICLE, ADDITIONAL FEATURES TO CONSIDER, AND REVENUE IDEAS.

NEXT SLIDE. I'LL START WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

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IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WILL BE PRESENTING INFORMATION FOR 13 BRANCH LIBRARIES AND NOT ALL 28, BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY HAS SIGNIFICANCE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.

NEXT SLIDE. I'LL MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH THESE EXAMPLES, BUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW DURING THE DISCUSSION PERIOD IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. STARTING WITH ARCADIA PARK BRANCH LIBRARY IS THE FIRST DALLAS ISD, AND IT SERVES AS BOTH THE SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARY.

NEXT SLIDE. DALLAS WEST BRANCH LIBRARY WAS RECOMMENDED FOR CLOSURE IN 1986 AND WAS SAVED BY PUBLIC OPPOSITION AND A PETITION WITH 2,500 SIGNATURES. NEXT SLIDE.

THE LIBRARY BOARD WAS RELUCTANT TO APPROVE THE SITE FOR THE FRETZ PARK BRANCH LIBRARY BECAUSE THEY FELT IT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE RICHARDSON CITY LIMITS AND BUT A CITIZEN PETITION MADE IT HAPPEN. NEXT SLIDE. HAMPTON, ILLINOIS BRANCH LIBRARY PACKS A BIG PUNCH WITH BEING A DISD SCHOOL LIBRARY, HAVING A BLACK BOX THEATER, AND PROVIDING FREE SUMMER MEALS TO KIDS AND TEENS.

NEXT SLIDE. THE KLEBERG-RILEY BRANCH LIBRARY WAS BUILT IN RESPONSE TO A KIDS' LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN AND VISITS TO CITY HALL IN THE EARLY 1990S. NEXT SLIDE.

THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BRANCH LIBRARY IS THE ONLY LIBRARY WE HAVE THAT IS PART OF A COMPLEX THAT INCLUDES A RECREATION CENTER, COMMUNITY CENTER, SOCIAL AND MEDICAL SERVICES, AND MORE. NEXT SLIDE. THE OAK LAWN BRANCH LIBRARY BEGAN AS A SMALL COLLECTION OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS IN 1929, AND THE CURRENT BUILDING WAS FULLY FUNDED BY KROGER AS PART OF A REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN 1996.

NEXT SLIDE. THE PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR LANCASTER-KEAST BRANCH LIBRARY WAS NAMED TO HONOR THE FORMER SEGREGATED LIBRARY IN THE STATE THOMAS AREA, WHICH WAS OPEN FROM 1931 TO 1959 FOLLOWING A CAMPAIGN BY MEMBERS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. NEXT SLIDE.

PLEASANT GROVE BRANCH LIBRARY WAS CREATED BECAUSE OF A LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN AND A PETITION CONTAINING MORE THAN 10,000 SIGNATURES. THE LAND WAS DONATED BY NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS MR. AND MRS. GRADY WALL. NEXT SLIDE. THE POLK WISDOM BRANCH LIBRARY WAS ORIGINALLY A BOOKMOBILE STOP, BUT DEMAND WAS SO HIGH THAT FUNDS FOR A BRANCH WERE APPROVED IN THE 1967 CROSSROADS BOND PROGRAM.

NEXT SLIDE. PRESTON ROYAL BRANCH LIBRARY IS THE OLDEST REMAINING BRANCH LIBRARY, AND IT ORIGINALLY OPENED AFTER A PETITION FROM FROM CITY RESIDENTS WAS SUBMITTED. NEXT SLIDE.

THE RENNER-FRANKFORD BRANCH LIBRARY WAS THE FIRST DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY TO OPEN OUTSIDE OF DALLAS COUNTY.

TO THIS DAY, WE HAVE TWO, WITH THE SECOND BEING TIMBER GLEN, WHICH IS IN DENTON COUNTY. NEXT SLIDE.

THE SKYLINE BRANCH LIBRARY WAS SERVICED BY TWO BOOKMOBILE STOPS PRIOR TO THE BRANCH OPENING. NEXT SLIDE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MORE LIBRARY BRANCH HISTORY, I'LL REFER YOU TO OUR FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, WHICH YOU CAN FIND AT THE URL ON THE SCREEN.

NEXT SLIDE. I WAS ALSO ASKED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT SHOWED THE PROXIMITIES OF LIBRARY LOCATIONS TO SIMILAR CITY FACILITIES SUCH AS COMMUNITY, RECREATION, AND CULTURAL CENTERS. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE HARDWORKING FOLKS IN THE DATA ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT FOR CREATING THESE MAPS.

THOSE OF US WHO DIRECTLY SERVE THE PUBLIC ARE ONLY ABLE TO DO SO SUCCESSFULLY BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES FROM OUR INTERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENTS.

NEXT SLIDE. THE FOLLOWING MAPS ARE BROKEN DOWN BY LIBRARY AREAS, THE SAME AREAS YOU WERE SHOWN IN JANUARY.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE EAST AREA, THE LIBRARIES ARE TAGGED WITH THE BLUE ICON, COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL CENTERS WITH YELLOW, AND RECREATION CENTERS IN GREEN. THE LIBRARIES IN THIS AREA ARE LOCKWOOD, LAKEWOOD, AND WHITE ROCK HILLS. NEXT SLIDE.

THIS MAP REPRESENTS THE NORTH AREA WITH TIMBER GLEN, RENNER-FRANKFORD, AND FRITZ PARK LIBRARIES. NEXT SLIDE.

THIS IS THE NORTHEAST AREA WITH PRESTON ROYAL, FOREST GREEN, ODILIA ROAD, VICARY PARK, AND BOOKMARKS LIBRARY LOCATIONS.

NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS THE NORTHWEST AREA WITH PARK FOREST, BACHMAN LAKE, OAK LAWN, AND GRAUWEILER PARK LIBRARIES. NEXT SLIDE.

IN SOUTHEAST, THERE IS SKYLINE, MLK, PLEASANT GROVE, PRAIRIE CREEK, AND KLEBERG-RILEY BRANCH LIBRARIES.

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NEXT SLIDE. AND FINALLY, THE WEST AREA HAS ARCADIA PARK, DALLAS WEST, NORTH OAK CLIFF, AND HAMPTON, ILLINOIS LIBRARIES. NEXT SLIDE.

IN JANUARY, WE DISCUSSED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESS ESPECIALLY IF 4 LIBRARIES WERE TO CLOSE. I WAS ASKED TO BRING BACK INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESS, AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE— AND THERE ARE ALSO LARGE PRINTOUTS AT YOUR STATIONS— IS THE PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH ACCESS TO A VEHICLE IN EACH OF THE 7 AREAS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST RATE OF, OF ACCESS TO A VEHICLE IS THE NORTHWEST REGION, WITH 94% OF RESIDENTS HAVING ACCESS.

AND THE LOWEST IS SOUTHWEST WITH 89% OF RESIDENTS HAVING ACCESS TO A VEHICLE. AS A REMINDER, THE PROPOSED 5 FLAGSHIPS WILL ALL BE WITHIN A 15-MINUTE DRIVE OF 87% OF DALLAS RESIDENTS.

NEXT SLIDE.

HERE ARE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT ARE OFFERED AT MANY DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS THAT THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND OFTEN CRITICAL FOR THE COMMUNITY. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE THINGS LIKE VOTING, FREE SUMMER LUNCHES, AFTER-SCHOOL SNACKS, SUMMER CAMPSITES, BLACK BOX THEATERS, PARTNERSHIPS SUCH AS TAX ASSISTANCE, NONPROFIT RESOURCES, AND MORE. AS YOU CAN SEE, MANY OF THESE ARE OFFERED AT MULTIPLE LIBRARIES.

NEXT SLIDE. NEXT SLIDE. THERE IS A FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY NONPROFIT THAT HAS PAID STAFF AND RAISES LARGE DOLLARS ON BEHALF OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY.

BUT 10 BRANCH LIBRARIES HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDS GROUPS THAT RAISE MONEY AND SUPPORT ONE BRANCH LIBRARY. THE 10 LOCATIONS ARE LISTED HERE, AND THERE ARE 2 COMMUNITIES WORKING ON CREATING ADDITIONAL FRIENDS GROUPS. NEXT SLIDE.

I WAS ALSO ASKED TO BRING BACK REVENUE IDEAS FOR THE LIBRARY, AND THEY ARE LISTED HERE. THEY INCLUDE CHARGING FOR PARKING AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, INCREASING WHAT WE CHARGE FOR INTERLIBRARY LOAN, CHARGING FOR NOTARY SERVICES, ESTABLISHING PASSPORT OFFICES, AND INCREASING MEETING ROOM RATES. IN MY EXPERIENCE HAVING WORKED IN 6 LARGE URBAN LIBRARY SYSTEMS, THE MOST VIABLE OPTION IS A PASSPORT CENTER.

THERE ARE MANY LIBRARIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT OFFER PASSPORT SERVICES, AND IT CAN BE QUITE LUCRATIVE.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO APPROVE THE SITES, AND THERE ARE MANY SPECIFICATIONS THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED, BUT IT CAN BE A GOOD OFFERING IN COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE PLACES THAT OFFER PASSPORT SERVICES AFTER HOURS AND ON WEEKENDS. NEXT SLIDE.

IN SUMMATION, NON-QUALITATIVE REASONS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO INCORPORATE INTO DATA-DRIVEN RECOMMENDATIONS. THERE IS A REASON COMMUNITIES DO NOT WANT TO LOSE THEIR LIBRARIES. ALL NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES HAVE SIGNIFICANCE TO THE COMMUNITIES THEY THEY SERVE.

IN ADDITION, ANY REVENUE RAISED BY THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET CONVERSATION, AS REVENUE WOULD GO INTO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.

NEXT SLIDE. AFTER LISTENING TO FEEDBACK FROM THIS COMMITTEE, THE SURVEY, TOWN HALLS, AND MORE, I WAS ASKED TO BRING BACK ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET SAVINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DEFINED.

NEXT SLIDE. WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU ARE THOSE POLICY CONSIDERATIONS. NUMBER 1 IS THE REGIONAL MODEL THAT I PRESENTED TO THIS COMMITTEE IN JANUARY.

THIS IS THE ONE THAT CREATES 5 FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES AND CLOSES 04, LEAVING 19 NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES. NUMBER 2 ALSO CREATES 5 FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES BUT NO NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES WILL BE CLOSED, LEAVING 23 LOCATIONS. AND NUMBER 3 CLOSES NO LIBRARIES AND CREATES NO FLAGSHIP LOCATIONS.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT IN ALL 3 SCENARIOS, THERE IS A $2.6 MILLION BUDGET SAVINGS, AND THERE WOULD NEED TO BE IMPACTS ON STAFFING AND HOURS OF SERVICE. TODAY WE ARE HOPING FOR FEEDBACK FROM FROM THE COMMITTEE ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED AS WE CONTINUE BUDGET PREPARATION.

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LIBRARIES THAT ARE OPEN WHEN PEOPLE NEED THEM.

AND THIS IS NO SMALL THING.

FOR EXAMPLE, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN RICHARDSON ISD GETS OUT OF SCHOOL SCHOOL ONLY 40 MINUTES BEFORE OUR LIBRARIES CLOSED— CLOSE MOST EVENINGS.

FLAGSHIP LIBRARIES WOULD BE OPEN UNTIL 8 PM MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK.

NEXT SLIDE.

BEFORE I TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS, I'D REALLY LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR FILLED WITH UNCERTAINTY, AND I KNOW WE ALL THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.

TOMORROW IS NATIONAL LIBRARY WORKER DAY, SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO, PLEASE THANK DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF FOR THEIR SERVICE. AND NOW I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, MANYA, AND I WILL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS, AND I WILL START TO MY RIGHT.

IF MADAM MAYOR PRO TEM— OKAY, I CAN. ALL RIGHT, SURE. HEY, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE— NOT FOR, FOR ABBREVIATING THE PRESENTATION, REALIZING WE HAD SEEN IT BEFORE AND THAT WE'VE, WE'VE PROBABLY ALL READ IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR NOT READING EACH SLIDE TO US, UM, AND FOR GOING THROUGH THE SURVEY RESULTS.

UM, A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND THEN, UM, COMMENTS, AND THESE CAME IN FROM SOME OF MY MY LIBRARY ADVOCATES, THAT ON THE REVENUE SLIDE ON SLIDE 41, CAN YOU JUST KIND OF— DO YOU— CAN YOU GET TO WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT POTENTIAL REVENUE COULD BE GENERATED OVER TIME? LIKE, WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH THOSE FIGURES? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER WEST. YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS NOT REALLY SET UP TO MAKE MONEY.

WE'RE NOT THE WATER DEPARTMENT.

IT'S JUST NOT PART OF OUR SERVICE MODEL. SO I DO NOT THINK THAT ANY OF THESE REVENUES WILL GET US TO $2.6 MILLION. I'LL TELL YOU THAT JUST RIGHT OFF THE TOP. I THINK, AS I MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, THE ONE THAT I THINK WILL BRING IN THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE GENERAL FUND WOULD BE POTENTIAL PASSPORT OFFICES.

ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN RUN 2, 03, OR 4 OF THEM AROUND THE CITY. I KNOW LIBRARIES THAT BRING IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WITH PASSPORT— RUNNING PASSPORT OFFICES. AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT LIKES THEM BECAUSE WE ARE OPEN UNTIL 8 O'CLOCK AND ON THE WEEKENDS, WHICH NO POST OFFICE IS.

SO THAT TO ME IS THE MOST LIKELY ONE TO MAKE MONEY. I THINK CHARGING FOR CENTRAL LIBRARY PARKING COULD BE LUCRATIVE. IT COMES WITH SOME CHALLENGES.

WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT NOW, SO IT WOULD TAKE AN INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO TURN IT INTO A PARKING GARAGE THAT, THAT CAN CHARGE. THE OTHER, THE OTHER VIABLE ONE COULD POTENTIALLY BE THE MEETING ROOM USE. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT ONE IS OUR MEETING ROOMS ARE WELL USED BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEAP, AND SO IF WE RAISE THE RATE AND CHARGED OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO USE THE CENTRAL LIBRARY MEETING ROOMS LIKE CRAZY, WE COULD POTENTIALLY RAISE SOME MONEY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF RAISING THE RATES MIGHT RUN PEOPLE AWAY.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A GUESSING GAME WITH THAT ONE. AND THEN THE OTHER TWO, INTERLIBRARY LOAN AND NOTARY SERVICES, I DON'T SEE BRINGING IN MUCH MONEY. WE ARE CAPPED ON BOTH OF THOSE ON HOW MUCH WE CAN CHARGE.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE RESPONSES. AND AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T BELIEVE THE LIBRARY SHOULD BE A MONEYMAKER. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

BUT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN OFFSET SOME OF THE BUDGET, THAT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL. AND THE OTHER THING THAT YOU MENTIONED IS THE LIBRARY DOESN'T RECEIVE ANY OF THE REVENUES THAT IT COLLECTS. IT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUNDS.

HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT? I'M GOING TO DEFER TO MR. IRELAND TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. IRELAND. UH, GOOD MORNING.

JACK IRELAND, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY. SO THE, UH, LIBRARY DEPARTMENT IS A GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT, AND THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT AN ENTERPRISE FUND. THEY DO NOT GENERATE REVENUE TO COVER THEIR EXPENSES.

UH, THE EXPENSES FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT ARE $43 MILLION THIS YEAR. AND THEIR REVENUE THAT THEY GENERATE IS LESS THAN $400,000. AND SO THE REVENUE OF ALL GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND ARE THEN ALLOCATED AS A WHOLE— PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, FRANCHISE, OTHERS.

IT'S NOT UNTIL A DEPARTMENT IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT WE

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BUT THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE SELF-FUNDING IF THEY BECAME ENTERPRISE, RIGHT? WHICH THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S HAPPENING. OKAY, SO, SO YOU'RE TELLING ME LIKE WHEN PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, THEY HOST SUMMER CAMPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE ALL OF THE FUNDING FROM THAT DOESN'T GO TO PARKS, IT GOES INTO THE GENERAL? SO IN THAT CASE, THERE ARE SOME EXPENSES THAT ARE CAPTURED IN SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS THAT ARE USED TO DELIVER THAT SPECIFIC SERVICE.

SO, UH, THEY MAY HAVE A UH, I'M MAKING A JAZZERCISE CLASS, AND THE FEES THAT ARE CHARGED FOR THAT PAY THE INSTRUCTOR.

SO THERE IS A TIE FOR THAT, BUT IT IS A ONE-FOR-ONE ON THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES, UH, THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED.

OKAY, AND THAT MIGHT BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPLORING THAT SITUATION, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN— IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHARGE A FEE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S SPECIFICALLY BEING AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE WITHIN THE LIBRARY, IF YOU WANT TO CHARGE FOR A READING CLASS, AND THEN WE COULD ALLOCATE THE, THE REVENUE TO THE TEACHER FOR THE CLASS, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, AS AN ADDITIONAL, UH, PROGRAM THAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND.

I, I THINK THAT WE COULD CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT CHARGING FOR PROGRAMS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT CURRENTLY THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE MONEY THAT THEY GIVE US PAYS FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER ALREADY. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.

OKAY, I'LL JUST PUT, I'VE HAD, YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH ME ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU. AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THESE BRIEFINGS. AS THE BUDGET COMES UP, I'LL JUST BE VERY CLEAR ON MY POSITION TO MR. IRELAND AND TO YOU IS I DO NOT SUPPORT, I SUPPORT FULLY RESTORING THE BUDGET AND I SUPPORT KEEPING THE BRANCHES INTACT. NOW, THE FLAGSHIP MODELS, I THINK THEY'RE INTERESTING, BUT MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS KEEPING THE BRANCHES INTACT AND, AND FOR US TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE THEM AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE. SO WE HAVE— KIM TOLBERT RECENTLY MENTIONED PUBLICLY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A $5.4 BILLION BUDGET AND SHAME ON US IF WE CAN'T FIND THE $2 MILLION YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO KEEP OPERATING.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, AS WE— AS SOME OF THESE FACILITIES AGE OUT IN THE FUTURE, I DO THINK THAT US EXPLORING CO-SHARING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OFFSET THE COST IS VERY WISE. LIKE, SO WE'RE SEEING THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT USING HOUSING ON TOP TO HELP CONSTRUCT A NEW FACILITY.

AND I THINK FINDING PLACES LIKE— IS IT BOOKMARKS?— IN NORTH PARK MALL IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PUTTING LIBRARIES IN A PLACE WHERE IT'S— YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE ALREADY THERE IN AN AREA WHERE THEY CAN GET A LOT OF BENEFIT. AND YOU GET A LOT OF ATTENDANCE AT THAT LIBRARY, RIGHT? WE DO.

IN FACT, MORE PEOPLE GO TO BOOKMARK'S PROGRAMS IN ONE MONTH THAN ALL OF THE OTHER 28 LOCATIONS COMBINED.

IT IS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. AND I THINK, COUNCILMEMBER, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT CO-LOCATION AND RETAIL LIBRARIES ARE NOT JUST ABOUT COST SAVINGS. IT IS ABOUT BEING WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY GOING.

WHEN YOU BUILD STANDALONE LIBRARIES, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND THEY'RE NECESSARY IN SOME SITUATIONS, BUT WE'RE ALSO MAKING PEOPLE TAKE AN EXTRA STEP TO GET TO US.

WHEREAS WHEN WE'RE IN A GROCERY STORE OR WE'RE IN A MALL OR A STRIP MALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE ARE ALREADY CAPTURING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE. IT'S EASIER ON, ON FAMILIES TO USE THE LIBRARY.

SO TO WRAP IT— THANK YOU FOR THAT— TO WRAP IT UP, IF IN MY MIND, IF WE'RE GOING TO LOSE A LOCATION, I WOULD LIKE TO I SEE A PROPOSAL FOR A REPLACEMENT THAT WOULD BE MELDED INTO SOMETHING LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT'S BEEN VETTED OUT BY THE ADVOCATES AND THE COMMUNITY, AND IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S NEW AND MODERN WITH WHAT OUR USERS ARE LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND TO BUILD ON WHAT MY COLLEAGUE WAS JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ENTERTAIN AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE EFFICIENT AND RUN OUR GOVERNMENT IN WAYS THAT CUT DOLLARS, SOMETIMES SERVICES. I MEAN, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE EQUATION IS EACH YEAR, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS.

BUT THE MORE, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN COMING BEFORE US, THE MORE I'M ARRIVING AT A PLACE WHERE WE NEED TO FIND THIS MONEY.

AND LIBRARIES SERVE SO MANY PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE LITTLE FRICTION EXCEPT FOR SOMETIMES THE STANDALONE THAT WAS JUST BROUGHT UP. AND I THINK THAT

[00:30:02]

NOW, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT WORDS YOU MAY HAVE SAID, AND I WROTE THEM DOWN, MS. SHORR, IS STANDALONE IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE WAY TO RUN A LIBRARY. SO THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE LOOKING, NOT ON TAKING AWAY, BUT ON FINDING A DIFFERENT MODEL THAT HELPS US KEEP THEM ALIVE AND THRIVING.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SEE US FOCUS ON. UM, SO I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY SPACE OFFSET BECAUSE IN SOME CASES, I KNOW IN VICKERY WE DON'T HAVE A REC CENTER, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.

THE LIBRARY IS IT. THANK GOODNESS WE'VE GOT IT. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE MAPS, OR WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE AREA MAPS, NOT REGIONAL BUT AREAS, UM, WAS THAT DRIVEN BY POPULATION? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'VE GOT 13, SOME 10, SOME 9, ALL IN ONE AREA.

IN JANUARY, WHEN I PRESENTED WHAT WERE THEN BEING CALLED THE REGIONS, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR WORK WITH THE DATA ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP THOSE MAPS. THOSE ARE REALLY LIBRARY SERVICE AREAS, AND WE, WE USE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT EACH OF THE AREAS HAD ROUGHLY THE SAME POPULATION.

POPULATION SIZE.

THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT IT.

WE DID NOT LOOK AT HOW MANY LIBRARIES WERE IN EACH AREA. IT WAS MORE SERVICE AREA AND POPULATION.

OKAY. SO THAT WAS A WAY TO KIND OF LEVEL BY DOING IT BY AREAS VERSUS— ALL RIGHT.

ANOTHER THING THAT YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS GOOD OLD CITY HALL ENCUMBERING PROGRESS, IS ABOUT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.

RIGHT NOW ALL LIBRARY EMPLOYEES ARE FULL-TIME, AND WE JUST DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO MODIFY THAT? I MEAN, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? HOW CAN WE HELP YOU WITH HR TO GIVE US BETTER HOURS THAT ARE MORE CONSUMER-FRIENDLY FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR JOB SEEKERS, SHIFT WORKERS, ET CETERA, TO MAKE THE LIBRARIES MORE USABLE FOR MORE HOURS? I APPRECIATE THAT, CHAIR WILLIS. WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE HR DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, I INHERITED A LIBRARY SYSTEM AND THAT HAD ONLY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.

AND I'LL, I'LL NEVER FORGET THE MOMENT I LEARNED THAT AND WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD TO BE NIMBLE WITH YOUR HOURS WHEN EVERYONE IS FULL-TIME. IT MEANS THAT THE OPEN HOURS ARE SET BASED ON EMPLOYEE SCHEDULES RATHER THAN COMMUNITY NEED.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO ESTABLISH PART-TIME.

WE NOW HAVE 3 AT ALL OF VICKERY PARK, AND THAT'S VERY, VERY NEW. WE HAVE TO TAKE ONE FULL-TIME VACANCY TO MAKE ONE PART-TIME VACANCY.

SO THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS, UH, WE CAN ONLY STEP INTO MORE PART-TIME STAFF OVER TIME AS EMPLOYEES LEAVE AND WE'RE HIRING.

SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A REALLY SOLID EXAMPLE OF WHERE PART-TIME STAFF WOULD BE HELPFUL AND WHY WE STARTED THEM AT VICKERY IS WE ARE CURRENTLY OPEN SUNDAY HOURS AT SEVERAL OF OUR LOCATIONS, AND WE'RE OPEN ALL DAY. NOBODY COMES TO LIBRARIES ON SUNDAY MORNINGS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

WHETHER THEY'RE AT CHURCH OR THEY'RE SLEEPING IN OR THEY'RE HAVING A BRUNCH, THEY'RE NOT AT THE LIBRARY.

BUT AFTERNOONS ARE SLAMMED. SO WE NEED TO BE OPEN IN THE AFTERNOONS.

WE'RE OPEN ALL DAY BECAUSE A FULL-TIME STAFF PERSON WORKS ALL DAY. SO IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO TO BE OPEN ALL DAY FOR THAT REASON. SO PART-TIME STAFF ARE CRITICAL.

MUCH OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, THE RETAIL LOCATIONS, THE PART-TIME STAFF, ALL I NEED IS TIME TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. I NEED TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEVELOPERS. THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO.

IN FORT WORTH, I USED THE BOOKMARKS MODEL TO OPEN 2 RETAIL LIBRARIES, AND ONE OF THEM TOOK ME 3 OF WORKING WITH A DEVELOPER. SO THE ONE THING THAT I HAVEN'T HAD IS THE TIME I NEED TO DO ALL OF THESE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL WANT. SO GIVEN TIME, WE WILL HAVE MORE PART-TIME STAFF, AND THAT WILL HAPPEN.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT, IS I THINK WE NEED TO PROTECT THIS. I LIKE THE IDEA OF PUTTING LIBRARIES IN PEOPLE'S WAY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE KIND OF MAKE IT HARD. IT'S A SPECIAL DESTINATION.

INSTEAD, IT NEEDS TO BE ON THE WAY TO THE GROCERY STORE OR SOME OTHER PLACE WHERE IT CAN BE BAKED INTO THE SCHEDULE. AND I'M NEVER GOING TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY LIBRARIES ARE REC CENTERS FROM THE NECK UP, AND WE DON'T LOOK AT CUTTING OUR REC CENTERS.

AND SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT CUTTING OUR LIBRARIES.

THANKS. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMEMBER BAZALDUA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. UM, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SHORR, UM, AND FOR YOUR WORK AND, UM, YOUR DUE DILIGENCE TO KEEP US, UM, COMMUNICATED.

I, I THINK I'LL DO, UH, EXACTLY AS MY COLLEAGUE DID AND POINT

[00:35:01]

THESE ARE VERY NOMINAL. I THINK THAT EVEN IF WE MAXIMIZED EVERY SINGLE REVENUE POTENTIAL THAT YOU'VE LISTED HERE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT HITTING THAT 2.6, RIGHT? AND SO I'M THINKING MORE OF LIKE NAMING RIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES, SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, UM, EVEN LEASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COFFEE SHOPS.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT COFFEE SHOPS BEFORE. I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO RUN A COFFEE SHOP. I DON'T WANT YOU TO RUN A COFFEE SHOP.

BUT WE HAVE THE ABILITY, JUST LIKE IN OUR GROCERY STORES, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE THE TOM THUMB THAT HAS A STARBUCKS INSIDE OF IT, THE TOM THUMB EMPLOYEES ARE NOT RUNNING THAT STARBUCKS, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE THE SAME CAPABILITIES THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE US EXPLORE MORE ROBUSTLY. I'D SAY OUT OF WHAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED US, NUMBER 2 OF THE MODELS IS WHAT I WOULD BE MOST SUPPORTIVE OF, KEEPING ALL OF THE BRANCHES OPEN BUT STILL MOVING TOWARDS THE FLAGSHIP POTENTIAL. HOWEVER, TO MR. WEST'S POINT ON THE REVENUE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE'VE MADE POLICY DECISIONS MANY A TIMES, AND I THINK THE MOST RECENT, WE LOOKED AT THE INTERACTIVE KIOSKS BEING A REVENUE GENERATOR SPECIFICALLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'VE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT FEES GOING SPECIFIC TO A CERTAIN AREA. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF WHAT WE COULD DO HERE.

UH, WE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD NOT LOOK AT THIS AS THE ABYSS OF THE GENERAL FUND. AND TO THAT, I SENT A MEMO ON FRIDAY OUTLINING THAT WE HAD A SALE OF A, OF A LIBRARY THAT WAS VERY CONTENTIOUS LAST YEAR, THE SKILLMAN LIBRARY. IT, I BELIEVE IT WAS $3.3 MILLION. AND WE HAVE A $2.6 MILLION SHORTFALL.

YES, CORRECT. OKAY, TO ME IT DOESN'T SEEM CRAZY FOR US TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM ALREADY SOLVED. YOU NEED MORE TIME.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A ONE-TIME, UH, REVENUE SOURCE.

NO ONE, I BELIEVE, WOULD SUPPORT THIS THINKING THIS WOULD BE THE SILVER BULLET.

HOWEVER, AN ENTIRE NEW FISCAL YEAR WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND OUR OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DIG INTO THIS SUBJECT AND EXPLORE WHAT OUR OTHER OPTIONS ARE COULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.

JACK, YOU CAME OUT HERE, SO I ASSUME YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY. YES, SIR. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME INFORMATION ON THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY.

THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL POLICY IS THAT THE PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF SURPLUS PROPERTY GOES TO THE GENERAL CAPITAL RESERVE FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. SO ABSENT OF SOME OTHER ACTION BY THE COUNCIL, IT'S AUTOMATIC THAT THOSE FUNDS WILL GO INTO THE GENERAL CAPITAL RESERVE AND BE USED FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF OUR 500 CITY-OWNED BUILDINGS, AND SO THAT IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS IS SO INADEQUATE FOR EVERY BUILDING THAT WE HAVE.

I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU OF THAT POLICY. IT IS A COUNCIL POLICY. IF COUNCIL SAID YOU WANTED TO CHANGE IT FOR THIS ITEM, ABSOLUTELY YOU COULD.

I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE MADE AWARE THAT THAT WAS THE CURRENT POLICY. I APPRECIATE THAT. I, I THINK THAT ONE— THAT POLICY COULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'VE ENDED UP IN THIS SITUATION, BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE FROM ONE, IGNORE IT, AND REPLACE, UH, UM, THOSE FUNDS FROM ANOTHER PLACE IN THE CITY.

AND AGAIN, THAT ABYSS MINDSET HAS REALLY HINDERED OUR ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR ASSETS.

AND SO HERE WE ARE WITH $2.6 MILLION THAT WAS ALREADY FROM THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE NEEDLE IT'S MOVING FOR US TO PUT THAT $2.6 INTO OUR LARGE NEEDS OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.

BUT IT— BY DOING SO, WITH WHATEVER WE'D BE ADDRESSING WITH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WE WOULD BE COMPROMISING AND SACRIFICING THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO JUST FLOAT THAT OUT THERE FOR CONVERSATION, FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER, FOR US TO LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE GIVING POLICY DIRECTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS IN DIRE NEED FOR US TO HAVE TO SCRAP, UH, UM,

[00:40:02]

AND IT GIVES US AGAIN MORE TIME FOR YOU TO LOOK AT A, A MORE ROBUST REGIONAL MODEL, HOW WE CAN REALLY DELIVER ON THE FLAGSHIPS WHILE STILL BUYING US TIME AND IT NOT FEELING LIKE THE COMMUNITY FEELS THAT WE'VE BEEN PULLING THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER THEM. I, I WANT TO SAY WITH PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY. I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BEFORE YOU EVEN GOT HERE, BUT I, I USED TO TEACH WITH DISD, AND ONE THING THAT I DID OUTSIDE OF THE BELL SCHEDULE WAS I DROVE FOR UBER, LYFT, FAVOR.

I WAS A STARBUCKS BARISTA. THE POINT I'M MAKING IS THAT JUST ABOUT EVERY TEACHER INSIDE THOSE HALLWAYS IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER INCOME OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET PAID VERY MUCH. AND ONE THING THAT THEY LOVE DOING WITH THESE OPPORTUNITIES IS POURING BACK INTO THE STUDENTS THAT THEY ALREADY SERVE.

IF WE FIGURED OUT A PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH DISD TO EXTEND EXTEND OUR LIBRARY OPPORTUNITY— I MEAN, HOURS— AND GIVE A PART-TIME WORK OPPORTUNITY, HOURLY EMPLOYEE— I MEAN, OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TEACHERS, THE TEACHER'S ASSISTANTS. I THINK THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO THAT WITHOUT COMPROMISING ANY OF OUR FTES AND TRULY LOOKING AT A PARTNERSHIP WITH DISD. IF I WAS A TEACHER STILL THERE, IN A HEARTBEAT, INSTEAD OF TURNING ON THOSE APPS, I WOULD HAVE WENT OVER TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AND WORKED FOR 3 HOURS THERE AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, STILL BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO THE STUDENT POPULATION.

I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE. I KNOW DISD IS REALLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HELP, UM, UH, STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, THIS IS A GREAT— WHERE— A GREAT PLACE TO START.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S A HUGE INVESTMENT FOR, UM, DISD TO PROVIDE THAT SPACE FOR STUDENTS AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR THAT IDEA. I'LL, I'LL LOOK INTO IT.

THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. UM, AND THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ULTIMATELY, I JUST REALLY WANT TO KEEP OUR LIBRARIES OPEN. I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT IS.

BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER, UH, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND, UM, PROVIDING ALSO SOME DIRECTION ON THAT $2.6 MILLION, UH, OR THE $3.3 MILLION RATHER.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, UH, UH, COUNCILMEMBER BAZALDUA, FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR— AGAIN, AS WE CONTINUE IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS, DON'T FORGET TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHETHER YOU ARE FOR OPTIONS 1, 2, OR 3 IN YOUR DISCUSSION POINTS.

JACK, AS A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION, IF I MAY, I WANTED TO ASK, BASED ON WHAT COUNCILMEMBER BAZALDUA WAS RECOMMENDING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, NECESSARY POLICY CHANGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WE ARE KIND OF STEPPING INTO NOW? YES, SIR.

IF IT'S THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNCIL TO NOT GO FORWARD WITH A REGIONAL MODEL, WHICH WAS PART OF OUR 2-YEAR PLAN THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, I MEAN, YOU CAN DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER THAT YOU WANT HER TO, TO ADDRESS THAT AND LEAVE IT UP TO HER AND THE BUDGET TEAM TO IDENTIFY HOW WE'RE GOING TO FIX IT.

OR IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE SPECIFIC AND SAY I WANT YOU TO FIX IT THIS WAY, YOU CAN DO THAT WITH ADDITIONAL DIRECTION. IT WOULD REQUIRE AN EXTRA VOTE BECAUSE THERE IS A POLICY, AND WITHOUT A VOTE I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE POLICY. SURE.

AND SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO VOTE TO TELL ME TO, TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THAT COULD BE DONE THROUGH THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS. OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS— OKAY, PERFECT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, MR. RIDLEY. CHAIR RIDLEY.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO BACK TO THE REVENUE CONSIDERATION, THE ITEM THAT I THINK MAY HAVE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR GENERATING REVENUE WOULD BE THE CHARGE FOR PASSPORTS.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SECRETARY LOOKED AT A YEAR OR MORE AGO. WE ULTIMATELY DECIDED NOT TO DO IT. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THAT WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD GENERATE ENOUGH REVENUE TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTIONS OF HOW MUCH REVENUE THAT COULD GENERATE FOR THE LIBRARIES? YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHAIR RIDLEY.

I DON'T HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF OBVIOUSLY THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE I ARRIVED. I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT PUTTING A PASSPORT OFFICE HERE AT CITY HALL, SO THE LOCATION MAY HAVE BEEN A DRIVER OF WHY IT WAS— DIDN'T WORK OUT.

LIKE I SAID DURING MY PRESENTATION, THE STATE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES WHETHER A LOCATION CAN MOVE FORWARD OR NOT, AND THEY TEND TO, IN MY EXPERIENCE, SAY NO TO LOCATIONS THAT ARE LOCATED BY OTHER PASSPORT OFFICES THAT HAVE ROBUST HOURS.

AND OFTEN DOWNTOWNS HAVE LARGE POST OFFICES OR OTHER, OTHER AMENITIES LIKE THAT. SO WE'D BE LOOKING AT AREAS THAT ARE MORE REMOTE AND DO NOT HAVE PASSPORT OFFICES OR POST OFFICES THAT ARE OPEN

[00:45:02]

THERE WOULD BE SOME COMMITMENT WE'D HAVE TO MAKE BECAUSE EXISTING STAFF WOULD NEED TO STAFF THE PASSPORT OFFICES, SO WE'D HAVE TO PULL THEM OFF OF OTHER WORK THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING, AND THERE ARE SPECIFICATIONS WE'D NEED TO LIVE UP TO THROUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT. NAMELY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOCKED PRIVATE SPACE WITH A TELEPHONE AND LOCKED FILES, THAT SORT OF THING.

BUT I DO KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT IF YOU CAN HAVE A PASSPORT OFFICE THAT'S OPEN MULTIPLE DAYS A WEEK AND ON THE WEEKENDS, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING IN $100,000 APPROXIMATELY, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY HOURS YOU'RE OPEN.

AND IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FLAGSHIP LOCATIONS BEING THE PASSPORT OFFICES, AGAIN, THOSE ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK AND UNTIL 8:00 PM DURING THE WEEK. SO THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE. AND THE WAY THAT IT WORKS IS PEOPLE MAKE APPOINTMENTS.

SO WE DON'T HAVE TO STAFF IT FOR DROP-INS. WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT THROUGH STAFFING ON A WEEKLY BASIS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS APPOINTMENTS WE HAVE. OKAY, THANK YOU.

SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT HAS ALMOST 50 OPEN POSITIONS. CAN YOU ENLIGHTEN US AS TO WHY THERE ARE SO MANY OPEN POSITIONS? YES, SIR, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE ARE ACTIVELY HOLDING VACANCIES BECAUSE OF THE 32.

NOW, WE DIDN'T MEAN TO GET UP TO 50. WE'RE ALSO HIRING, BUT WE HAVE BEEN INVESTED THIS YEAR IN HOLDING VACANCIES SO THAT IF AND WHEN THE TIME CAME THAT WE NEEDED TO ELIMINATE 32 POSITIONS, WE COULD SAVE THE EMPLOYEES' JOBS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE DID WITH SKILLMAN ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE.

WE MOVED THOSE POSITIONS— THOSE PEOPLE INTO VACANCY POSITIONS BEFORE THEY WERE— THOSE POSITIONS AT SKILLMAN WERE ELIMINATED IN THE BUDGET. WE ARE SUPPLEMENTING THAT. THIS IS NOT AS MUCH OF A COST SAVINGS AS IT APPEARS, AND IT ALSO DOES NOT MEAN WE CAN FUNCTION WITH FEWER STAFF.

WE ARE SUPPLEMENTING WITH TEMP STAFF. WE HAVE— THERE'S A MASTER AGREEMENT THROUGH THE CITY FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, AND WE ARE USING THOSE VACANCY DOLLARS TO HIRE TEMPORARY STAFF TO FILL IN BEHIND THE VACANCIES.

BUT IT IS ENTIRELY TO TRY AND SAVE LIBRARY JOBS.

SO I HAVE TO NOTE IN PASSING THAT THE PROFILE FOR THE OAK LAWN LIBRARY, WHICH WAS ONE OF THOSE PROPOSED FOR CLOSURE, IS ALREADY A CO-LOCATION FACILITY IN THAT IT'S IN THE PARKING LOT OF A KROGER GROCERY STORE, WHICH ACTUALLY FUNDED ITS CONSTRUCTION AT NO COST TO THE CITY 30 YEARS AGO. AND SO THAT TO ME IS JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY WE SHOULD KEEP IT OPEN BECAUSE IT'S EASY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THEIR WEEKLY GROCERY SHOPPING TO PARK ONCE AND ATTEND BOTH LOCATIONS, THE LIBRARY AND THE GROCERIES.

SO I THINK THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY I THINK THAT BRANCH SHOULD BE KEPT OPEN.

AND IN LINE WITH THAT, IN TERMS OF THE POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, I TOO WOULD FAVOR OPTION 2 TO TRY OUT THE FLAGSHIP MODEL WHILE RETAINING ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BRANCHES.

AT ONE POINT DURING A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD, YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD A WAY TO DO THAT AND STILL CUT $2.6 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET BY ALTERING THE HOURS AT THE BRANCHES.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT? YES, SIR. THANK YOU, CHAIR RIDLEY. SO THE REASON THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ABSORB A $2 MILLION REDUCTION IN OUR BUDGET WITH THE FORECLOSURES IS BOTH THE SAVINGS WE HAVE FROM CLOSING THE LIBRARIES— JUST OPERATING THEM COSTS US A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY EVERY YEAR— AND THEN THE 32 EMPLOYEES.

SO IF WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE SAVINGS FROM CLOSURE, THEN THE SAVINGS WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM MORE EMPLOYEES, POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE ELIMINATED. AND THEN OF COURSE EMPLOYEES DRIVE EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. EMPLOYEES ARE THE REASONS WE ARE ABLE TO BE OPEN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS, OFFER PROGRAMS, ET CETERA.

SO WITHOUT THOSE EMPLOYEE POSITIONS, WE WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE THE OPEN HOURS IN ORDER TO FIND THE $2.6 MILLION. SO IN LINE WITH THE DISCUSSION ABOUT PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO TERMINATE SOME OF THE FULL-TIME POSITIONS AND THEN STAFF WITH PART-TIME WORKERS? NOT IN THIS SCENARIO BECAUSE

[00:50:03]

SO WE ARE CONVERTING AS PEOPLE LEAVE EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY AND LEAVE A VACANCY. BUT IN A BUDGET SAVINGS SITUATION, WE'RE ACTUALLY ELIMINATING THAT POSITION. SO I WOULD NO LONGER HAVE THAT VACANT POSITION TO CONVERT INTO PART-TIME.

SO, UM, WHAT WOULD THE REDUCED HOURS AT THE BRANCH LIBRARIES HAVE TO LOOK LIKE TO SAVE THIS $2.6 MILLION? WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, AND IT WOULDN'T JUST BE THE REMAINING NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE CENTRAL LIBRARY HOURS.

THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO OPEN UP THAT BRANCH EVERY DAY— OR THAT LIBRARY EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT IS SO LARGE. SO IT WOULD BE A COMBINATION OF CENTRAL LIBRARY REDUCTION IN HOURS AS WELL AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER TODAY. WELL, I THINK THERE IS ROOM FOR CHANGE IN THE BRANCH LIBRARY HOURS TO BRING IT MORE IN CONFORMANCE WITH WHEN PEOPLE USE THE LIBRARY.

FOR EXAMPLE, SUNDAY MORNINGS, NOBODY'S THERE. THAT'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO CUT LABOR COSTS BY GOING TO AN AFTERNOON HOUR SCHEDULE ON SUNDAYS WITH PART-TIME PART-TIME WORKERS. ALSO, I THINK THE LIBRARIES GENERALLY OPEN AT 9 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOME GOING TO AFTERNOON OPENING OR OPENING SOMEWHAT LATER IN THE MORNING, 10 OR 10:30.

IN OTHER WORDS, CONFORM IT TO WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO USE THE LIBRARY, BECAUSE AS YOU SAY, OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE MODEL FORCES US TO OPEN LIBRARIES WHEN AND NOBODY WANTS THEM OPEN. YES, YOU AND I ARE IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THIS, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED SEVERAL TIMES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM LOATH TO DO IS TO CHANGE THE HOURS TOO OFTEN.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND A CHANGE OF HOURS. I WORKED IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA, IN A BRANCH THAT HAD BEEN OPEN ON FRIDAYS FOR LESS THAN 5 YEARS, AND PEOPLE WERE STILL SURPRISED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS NOW OPEN ON FRIDAY. IT TAKES A LONG TIME.

SO I'VE KNOWN THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE THAT WE NEEDED TO CHANGE THE BRANCH HOURS TO MATCH COMMUNITY NEEDS, BUT WITH THIS SCENARIO BEING SO UNCERTAIN WITH THE REGIONAL MODEL, I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO DO BASICALLY A, A ONE-TIME ACROSS THE LIBRARY SYSTEM CHANGE SO WE WEREN'T DOING IT PIECEMEAL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU, 9:00 A.M. IS TOO EARLY, AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, ESPECIALLY ONCE WE HAVE A SOLID ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE BUDGET SAVINGS, THEN WE'LL ATTACK THE HOURS.

SO IF YOU GET A CONSENSUS FROM THIS COMMITTEE THAT WE SUBSCRIBE TO MODEL NUMBER 2, WOULD THAT PROVIDE YOU THE ASSURANCE WITH WHICH YOU COULD THEN SERIOUSLY STUDY THE HOURS FOR OPENING THE BRANCHES.

COUNCILMEMBER, I THINK YOU WILL GIVE THE DIRECTION DEFINITELY FOR STAFF TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS AND REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THAT OPTION 2 LOOKS LIKE. SO IT WILL, IT WILL GIVE THEM THAT DIRECTION TO REALLY ANALYZE OPTION 2 WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S INVOLVED WITH IT.

WELL, MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE ALREADY HEARD AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SUPPORT OPTION NUMBER 2. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST A STRAW VOTE OF PERHAPS BUILDING CONSENSUS BEHIND THAT OPTION TO GIVE THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT THE CERTAINTY THAT THEY NEED TO REVAMP THEIR HOUR MODEL.

YES, AND THAT IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. I HAVE BEEN KEEPING TALLY, SO WHEN I GET BACK AROUND TO MY CLOSING ARGUMENTS, I WILL VERIFY EVERYONE'S OPTIONS AGAIN, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

MISS CADENA, VICE CHAIR CADENA. THANK YOU. UM, SO CAN I GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT MAKES A FLAGSHIP AGAIN? WHAT'S IT— WHAT MAKES A FLAGSHIP? SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

ARE YOU ASKING FOR WHAT A FLAGSHIP WILL LOOK LIKE OR HOW WE DETERMINED WHICH ONES WOULD BE FLAGSHIPS? I THINK BOTH. OKAY, SURE, I'D BE HAPPY TO START. AND IN JANUARY, I PRESENTED THE FLAGSHIPS, AND, AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED ABOUT THE ONES THAT I'M RECOMMENDING OR, OR WHY.

THE FLAGSHIPS WERE DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE DETERMINE WHICH ONES TO RECOMMEND TO CLOSE.

THE FLAGSHIPS WERE CHOSEN FOR— BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE, EITHER ON MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HUBS.

THEY'RE LARGE, SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE AND CAN ACCOMMODATE 7 DAYS A WEEK, BOTH PUBLIC AND STAFF.

THEY HAVE, UM, THINGS

[00:55:01]

SO WE WOULD BE OPEN UNTIL 8:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. WE DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE LIBRARY THAT IS OPEN INTO THE EVENINGS 4 DAYS IN A ROW. THAT ON ITS OWN IS A HUGE LIFT FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS AND SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT HAVE RIGHT RIGHT NOW.

BUT WITH INCREASED HOURS AND DAYS COMES MORE, MORE PROGRAMS, MORE SERVICES, THE ABILITY TO HAVE OUR AUDITORIUMS AND MEETING ROOMS AVAILABLE WHEN YOU ALL NEED THEM. I MEAN, WE HAD A SITUATION, VICE CHAIR CADENA, WHERE YOU WANTED BACHMAN LAKE ON A NIGHT THAT WE CLOSED AT 5 O'CLOCK. THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE WHEN BACHMAN LAKE IS A FLAGSHIP LIBRARY.

WE WOULD ALSO CONCENTRATE OUR CORE SERVICES IN THE FLAGSHIPS. SO OUR ADULT LEARNING, GED, CITIZENSHIP CLASSES, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING, THOSE CLASSES WOULD BE CENTERED AT THE FLAGSHIPS BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO OFFER THEM IN HOURS THAT WE CAN'T AND DAYS THAT WE CAN'T RIGHT NOW. AND THEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES WE WOULD CONSIDER OUR CORE LOCATIONS.

THEY'RE NOT LESS THAN ANYMORE.

THEY CONTINUE TO BE THE NUCLEUS OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND OFFER THE CORE SERVICES THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS LOVE AND ENJOY RIGHT NOW, JUST WITH SLIGHTLY FEWER HOURS, OPEN HOURS AND DAYS IN THIS RECOMMENDATION IN NUMBER 2. OKAY.

I THINK ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THE FLAGSHIP IS, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT THE MODEL IS THAT THERE IS 4 IN THE NORTHWEST. AND 3 IN THE SOUTHWEST. AND SO THAT DEFINITELY IMPACTS MY COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND IF YOU LOOK AT WEST DALLAS, IT'S A DARK BLUE RIGHT THERE IN THE CENTER WHERE DALLAS HOUSING AUTHORITY IS, AND THEN WHERE ARCADIA IS, WHICH MEANS THAT MORE THAN 25% OF HOUSEHOLDS DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE AVAILABLE, AND THE NEAREST FLAGSHIP IS QUITE A BIT AWAY FOR THEM.

AND, UM, SO I THINK ACCESS IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR ME, ESPECIALLY FOR MY COMMUNITY.

THE OTHER THING THAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT ARCADIA IN TALKING TO OUR DISD TRUSTEE IS THAT ORIGINALLY THE PROPERTY WAS PARKLAND FROM NORTH ARCADIA PARK, AND THE CITY OF DALLAS STILL OWNS IT. I THINK MAYBE MONEY WAS REPROGRAMMED AND IT BECAME, IT BECAME A LIBRARY.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT'S IN THE PARK INVENTORY ANYMORE.

AND ACCORDING TO THE MOU FROM DISD, I'VE BEEN TOLD IT IS CONSIDERED PARKLAND. AND SO THAT COMMUNITY GAVE UP THEIR PARK TO HAVE A LIBRARY.

AND SO THAT ALSO CONCERNS ME AS WELL, IN THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY LOSING THE— BE LOSING THIS RESOURCE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO— IF WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH THE FLAGSHIP, I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOME MORE WORK ON IT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING EQUITABLE TO ALL OF OUR, OUR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS. I KNOW, LIKE IN WEST DALLAS, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CIRCUIT BECAUSE TOYOTA IS DOING A PILOT BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION IS SUCH A HUGE ISSUE IN THAT AREA.

AND HAVING A FLAGSHIP SO FAR AWAY IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO BE A CONCERN OR SOMETHING DIFFICULT MAYBE FOR THEM TO GET TO IF IT'S SO FAR AWAY.

COULD I ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? SO WHAT I'M HEARING PRETTY CLEARLY FROM THE COMMITTEE IS THAT YOU WANT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.

RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 2, WHICH CLOSES NO NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES.

SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT, THE ARCADIA PARK ISSUE WOULD NO LONGER BE ON THE TABLE FOR CLOSURE. BUT I, I DO WANT TO REMIND THE COMMITTEE THAT IN JANUARY WHEN I PRESENTED THE FLAGSHIPS, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 5 PROPOSED FLAGSHIPS WITH A GOAL TO GET TO 7, ONE IN EACH OF THE 7 AREAS. SO WE WOULD HAVE ONE IN SOUTHWEST AND WE WOULD HAVE ONE IN EAST IN THE FUTURE.

SO THAT WOULD— THAT WOULD PLUG UP THOSE GAPS THAT YOU ARE IDENTIFYING IN SOUTH DALLAS FOR NOT HAVING A FLAGSHIP.

THEY DON'T HAVE ONE PROPOSED NOW, BUT THEY WILL IN THE FUTURE. YEAH, I THINK THAT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING

[01:00:01]

THE OTHER THING, I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT CAPTURING PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE TWO SCHOOLS THAT HAVE LIBRARIES, AND SO THAT DOES KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S A POPULATION THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY THERE. AND SO I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THE FLAGSHIPS, IF WE CAN LOOK AT, AT THOSE THINGS AS WELL AS WE TRY TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER ROTH.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY FOR ALL THE ACTIVITY THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING IN SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY'S VOLUNTEER AND FINANCIAL BASE, WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLY IMPORTANT.

AND ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU ALL ARE STARTING NEW CHAPTERS INTO THE LIBRARIES THAT DON'T HAVE IT. I THINK THAT REALLY SENDS A VOTE OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF LIBRARIES IN ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR— AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER— WHAT IS THE BUDGET FOR THE LIBRARY RIGHT NOW? THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? THIS PAST YEAR? MY APOLOGIES, COUNCILMEMBER.

YES, THIS THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS ABOUT $43.5 MILLION, AND THAT'S TO RUN 29 LOCATIONS, INCLUDING THE LARGEST LIBRARY BUILDING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND ABOUT 400 EMPLOYEES.

AND THAT INCLUDES THE CENTRAL LIBRARY? YES, SIR.

THE CENTRAL LIBRARY IS 8 FLOORS AND 650,000 SQUARE FEET, AND THAT IS THE ONE THAT'S THE LARGEST LIBRARY BUILDING IN THE STATE. IT'S HOW BIG? 650,000 SQUARE FEET. IT HAS 8 FLOORS AND 2 SUBTERRANEAN FLOORS.

IT'S A BIG BUILDING. I'M IN FAVOR OF THE FLAGSHIP MODEL NUMBER 2. I THINK THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO CUT THE LIBRARY BUDGET.

I THINK IT IS SHORT-SIGHTED. I THINK THAT $2.5 MILLION OR $2.6 MILLION, WHATEVER THE, THE SHORTFALL IS, IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, UH, CHAMPION YOUR FIGURING OUT HOW, HOW TO GET THAT MONEY WITH OUR HELP. I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DOABLE.

UM, I THINK IT SENDS THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR LIBRARIES AND, AND FIND THE MONEY FOR THOSE LIBRARIES.

HOWEVER, I WOULD REALLY THOUGH IMPLORE YOU IN THAT IN THAT DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN TO REALLY CONSIDER ALL THE ALTERNATIVES THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT UP WITH BEING CREATIVE, BEING COST-EFFECTIVE IN OUR STAFFING, IN OUR HOURS OF OPERATION, AND REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD FOCUS ON WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY SATELLITE LIBRARY NEEDS ARE, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I AM ALSO I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE RETAIL IDEA OF TRYING TO PARTNER UP WITH PRIVATE PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT— AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE JUST MALLS AND SHOPPING CENTERS. IT COULD BE OTHER INSTITUTIONAL USERS.

IT COULD BE OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE USERS, FAITH-BASED AS WELL AS PRIVATE AS WELL AS PHILANTHROPIC, ALSO IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.

PERHAPS THERE'S OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO PARTNER UP WITH FOLKS THAT MIGHT HAVE FACILITIES AND MAY BE ABLE TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING.

I WOULD— I WANT TO GIVE YOU ENOUGH TIME TO BE PROACTIVE. IT'S A CHALLENGE. IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY.

IT'S A PRESSURE. BUT IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE YOU ALL THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS.

ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COMMENTS. AND, MANYA, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND QUITE HONESTLY HOW YOU'VE LED THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS OF— IN SUCH SHORT TIME.

WE KIND OF THREW YOU TO THE WOLVES AS SOON AS YOU GOT HERE.

SO THANK YOU FOR HOW YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THROUGH ALL OF THIS. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A CONSENSUS AROUND KIND OF THAT FLAGSHIP MODEL THERE, BUT IN THAT ALSO INCLUDING SOME OF THOSE REVENUE, EXPLORING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE REVENUE SIDE.

I THINK COUNCILMEMBER BAZALDUA MENTIONED NAMING RIGHTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO REALLY DOING THAT. AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE SOME THINGS IF YOU HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, THOSE ARE SOME THINGS YOU COULD LOOK INTO.

SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THAT COMMENT AS WELL. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME CONSENSUS AROUND EXPLORING THE PASSPORT OFFICE OPTION AS A REVENUE OPTION THERE. AND THEN THE

[01:05:04]

SO I THINK FROM THIS BRIEFING, YOU'VE GOTTEN A CONSENSUS AROUND FLAGSHIP. CONSENSUS AROUND PASSPORT, CONSENSUS IS TO EXPLORE MORE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SORT OF A STATUS QUO IN TERMS OF KEEPING THE LIBRARIES OPEN FROM THERE. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, AGAIN, I CAN APPRECIATE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DON'T GET ANYBODY ELSE THAT MAY DISAGREE WITH THIS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A DECENT IDEA WORTH EXPLORING, AND THAT IS LOOKING AT THE REVENUE FROM THE SALE OF THE SKILLMAN LIBRARY TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE.

DONE, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE POLICY CHANGES.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO JUST PUT OUT THERE AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS FOR US TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT AS WELL. SO IF THERE AREN'T ANY MORE QUESTIONS— YES, MA'AM.

NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK, WE APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES, SIR. JUST POINT OF INFORMATION, I SAW THAT THIS WAS A BRIEFING AND ACTION.

ARE Y'ALL ASKING FOR ANY FORMAL MOTION OF A RECOMMENDATION? NO, I SAW NO WITH LIZ. OKAY, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, AND, UH, IF YOU ALL WILL, UH, DON'T MIND, I WANT TO DO WITH— SINCE WE HAVE, UH, SOME GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE, I WANT TO JUMP TO THE NEXT BRIEFING, UH, UH, ITEM C, WHICH IS AVIATION WORKFORCE PRESENTATION. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE— WHY, AS MISS ELSA FLORES COMES DOWN FOR THE BRIEFING, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL TAKING TIME TO BE HERE FOR TODAY. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AS TO, WELL, WHAT IS THIS BRIEFING, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR MANY WHO, YOU KNOW, SOME WHO ARE NEW TO THE COUNCIL.

BUT YEARS AGO, THE CITY OF DALLAS ESTABLISHED A WAGE FLOOR BY WHICH WE WOULD DETERMINE THAT THERE WOULD BE A MINIMUM WAGE THAT WE WOULD PAY CITY EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS A MINIMUM WAGE FLOOR THAT WE TO BE ESTABLISHED TO PAY CITY EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS VENDORS WHO ARE CONTRACTING WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND IT'S BASED ON THE MIT CALCULATION THAT'S DONE, I FORGET HOW OFTEN, THERE. SO THAT'S THAT PIECE.

SO ANYBODY THAT DOES BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND DOES CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS ARE COMMITTED TO THIS WAGE FLOOR BY OUR POLICY.

WHERE IT DOES NOT REACH IS IN THE OTHER SPACES, PARTICULARLY IN THE AVIATION SPACE, SPACE AROUND OUR LEASING CONTRACTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY ARE NOT PAYING THE WAGE, THE LIVING WAGE IN THE AVIATION SPACE OR IN THE CONCESSION SPACE. SO I WANTED TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY REALLY AS A MATTER OF EDUCATION, ONE, SO WE COULD HEAR FROM YOU ALL.

I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE DONE THIS BRIEFING BEFORE, BUT GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY EXPLAIN KIND OF WHAT THEIR POSITION IS ON THIS, BUT ALSO AS AN EDUCATION UNDERSTAND IT MAY NOT BE AS EASY AS US VOTING TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO IT HERE BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT IT OVERLAPS AND IMPACTS.

BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WILL HAVE MISS ELSA BEGIN THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.

PUSH YOUR GREEN BUTTON. THERE WE GO. IT WORKS PERFECT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU.

I KNOW IT'S A PACKED AGENDA, SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION IN IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE ALLOTTED. MY NAME IS ELSA FLORES. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION IN TEXAS, OR SEIU TEXAS.

AND I REALLY DO JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE REALLY QUICKLY THAT WE HAVE MANY OF THE AIRPORT WORKERS RIGHT HERE FROM LOVE FIELD WITH ME TODAY. THEY'RE THE FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY IMPACTED BY WHAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING HERE TODAY. UM, SO THAT'S ON SLIDE, UH, 1.

CAN YOU MOVE TO SLIDE 2, PLEASE? OUR UNION REPRESENTS OVER 8,000 JANITORIAL, MULTI-SERVICE, AIRPORT, AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS THROUGHOUT TEXAS, INCLUDING AIRPORT WORKERS RIGHT HERE IN DALLAS.

WE'RE PROUD TO BE A PART OF A BROAD NATIONAL, NATIONAL UNION THAT REPRESENTS OVER 42,000 AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

NEXT SLIDE.

WE ARE BANDING TOGETHER ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WE NEED HIGHER WAGES, MORE RIGHTS, AND A VOICE ON THE JOB. OUR WORK IS DIFFICULT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, AND WE NEED SALARIES THAT LET US KEEP DOING THAT WORK WHILE WE PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILIES. AS YOU'LL SEE IN THIS PRESENTATION, SEVERAL AIRPORTS HAVE ALREADY RAISED WAGES IN RECOGNITION OF THAT FACT.

NEXT SLIDE. AIRPORT AND AIR TRAVEL ARE CRITICAL PART OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUR WORLD.

TRAVELERS FROM DALLAS AND AROUND THE WORLD RELY ON LOVE FIELD TO TRAVEL, CONDUCT BUSINESS, AND CONNECT WITH THE LOVED ONES.

[01:10:01]

NEXT SLIDE. WE ARE THE CABIN CLEANERS THAT NOT ONLY KEEP THE PLANES CLEAN AND SANITARY, BUT ALSO CHECK FOR DANGEROUS OBJECTS TO KEEP PASSENGERS SAFE.

SAFE.

WE ARE THE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR ESCORTS WHO MAKE SURE OUR MOST PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS TRAVELERS MAKE IT SAFELY TO THEIR LOVED ONES EVERY TIME.

WE ARE THE WHEELCHAIR AGENTS WHO ENSURE THAT TRAVELERS WITH MOBILITY RESTRICTIONS CAN ACCESS THE AIRPORT, AND WE FILL COUNTLESS, COUNTLESS OTHER VITAL ROLES THAT MAKE AIR TRAVEL POSSIBLE.

OUR JOBS CAN BE DIFFICULT.

WHEELCHAIR AGENTS HAVE BEEN INJURED BECAUSE OF THE STRAIN ON THEIR BODIES, AND CABIN CLEANERS HAVE SUFFERED HEAT STROKES FROM RUSHING TO CLEAN PLANES IN THE HOT SUN. BUT WE RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE. NEXT SLIDE.

WE'RE EVERY BIT AS VITAL FOR AIR TRAVEL AS PILOTS, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, AND OTHER JOBS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY.

INDUSTRY. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR JOBS FALL WELL BEHIND.

THE MEDIAN WAGE FOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY IS $32.68 AN HOUR. AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT MAKES— MAKE AS MUCH AS $77.24 AN HOUR. BUT THE SERVICE WORKERS AT LOVE FIELD MAKE AS LITTLE AS $11 AN HOUR. NEXT SLIDE.

THIS LEADS TO A WHOLE CLASS OF WORKERS THAT, THAT THE AIRPORT RELIES ON BUT WHO LIVE IN POVERTY.

ALMOST ONE QUARTER OF CABIN CLEANERS ARE FORCED TO LIVE ON FOOD STAMPS. ALMOST ONE-FIFTH OF WHEELCHAIR AGENTS RELIED ON MEDICAID.

NEXT SLIDE. WHEN WORKERS ARE FORCED TO DO DIFFICULT JOBS FOR SALARIES THAT KEEP THEM IN POVERTY, THEY LOOK FOR WORK ELSEWHERE. THIS LEADS TO HIGHER TURNOVER, WHICH IN TURN LEADS TO SHORT STAFFING AND WORSE CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINING WORKERS.

WE'VE SPOKEN TO CABIN CLEANERS WHO REPORT TRYING TO CLEAN A PLANE AND PERFORM SECURITY CHECKS WITH THE SAME TIME LIMIT, BUT WITH HALF OF THE STAFF THEY USED TO HAVE. THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S HARD TO PROVIDE THOROUGH CLEANING AND AND CAN'T PERFORM A THOROUGH SEARCH FOR DANGEROUS OBJECTS.

WHEELCHAIR AGENTS RUSH TO TRY TO GET PASSENGERS IN TIME BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH AGENTS FOR EVERYONE.

SOMETIMES PASSENGERS JUST GET TIRED OF WAITING, THEN TRY TO WALK AND FALL DOWN. THE GOOD NEWS IS OTHER AIRPORTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REDUCED TURNOVER BY RAISING SALARIES. WE SAW THIS OURSELVES IN HOUSTON.

WHEN PAY INCREASED BY $1 PER HOUR BETWEEN 2023 AND 2024, WE SAW TURNOVER DECLINE BY 20%. A STUDY OF SAN FRANCISCO'S PAY RATES FOUND THAT BETTER SALARIES LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, EMPLOYEE MORALE, AND REDUCTION OF DISCIPLINARY ISSUES AND CALLOUTS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

REMEMBER, THIS AIRPORT DOESN'T BELONG TO THE AIRLINES. IT BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE IN DALLAS. EVERY YEAR, $13 BILLION OF TAX REVENUE GOES TO THE COMMERCIAL AVIATION INDUSTRY.

THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW OF 2021 EARMARKED $25 BILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR AIRPORTS AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROJECTS. NATIONWIDE, THE AIR TRAVEL INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT BY TAXPAYERS IS WORTH AN ESTIMATED $1 TRILLION. SO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT OUR AIRPORT, AIRPORT BUILT BY OUR TAX DOLLARS, SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IN OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE RAISE WAGES, AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND CONTINUE TO CONDUCT PROFITABLE BUSINESS.

THE MAIN AIRLINE AT LOVE FIELD IS SOUTHWEST.

AND OTHER SOUTHWEST HUBS HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A LIVING WAGE POLICY. EXAMPLES OF THAT INCLUDE HOBBY AIRPORT, MIDWAY, BALTIMORE, DENVER, SAN JOSE, AND OAKLAND. IN FACT, AFTER HOBBY AIRPORT RAISED ITS WAGES IN 2023 AND REDUCED THE TURNOVER

[01:15:04]

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT AIRPORTS ARE PASSING A LIVING WAGE STANDARD TO ENSURE SAFETY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND WE DON'T WANT LOVE FIELD TO BE LEFT BEHIND.

NEXT SLIDE. DALLAS HAS LED THE WAY IN PASSING A LIVING WAGE POLICY FOR THE CITY-CONTRACTED WORKERS TO $23.06, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE ENOUGH TO SURVIVE.

BUT AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS ARE STILL MAKING AS LITTLE AS $11 AN HOUR. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THE SALARY IS FORCING OVER 500 AIRPORT WORKERS AT LOVE FIELD INTO POVERTY.

NEXT SLIDE. THE COST OF LIVING IN DALLAS HAS SKYROCKETED, BUT AIRPORT WAGES HAVE STAYED THE SAME. $11 HAS NOT BEEN A LIVING WAGE SINCE 2020.

NOW IT MEANS WORKERS ARE MAKING LESS THAN, LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT THEY WOULD NEED TO SURVIVE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IT MEANS THAT AN AVERAGE SERVICE WORKER AT LOVE FIELD WILL STRUGGLE TO AFFORD EVEN A ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT.

NEXT SLIDE. ACCORDING TO THE— TO THE MIT LIVING WAGE CALCULATOR, A SINGLE ADULT WITH A FULL-TIME JOB AND NO CHILDREN WILL NEED TO MAKE $4,137 A MONTH. JUST TO SURVIVE.

THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD NEED JUST TO FEED THEMSELVES, GET TO WORK, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, AND PUT A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. BUT THE $11 AN HOUR WAGE AT LOVE FIELD ADDS UP TO ONLY $1,906.67 A MONTH. THAT LEAVES THEM OVER $2,230 SHORT OF WHAT THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.

IMAGINE HOW MUCH HARDER THAT IS IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT A FAMILY.

IT IS WHY WE HAVE WORKERS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THEIR CAR. IT IS WHY WE HAVE AIRPORT WORKERS FORCED INTO HOMELESSNESS. IT IS WHY WE HAVE SO MUCH TROUBLE RETAINING STAFF AT THE AIRPORT.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IT IS WHY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, COMPARABLE SIZE AIRPORTS HAVE DECIDED TO HOLD THEIR CONTRACTORS AND THEIR LICENSEES TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD.

PORTLAND, OREGON, WITH 8,000— I'M SORRY, 08,639,088 EMPLACEMENTS COMPARED TO 8,654,991 AT LOVE FIELD, HAS A WAGE STANDARD OF $19.36.

$19.50 AN HOUR. SAN LUIS, WITH 7,807,362 ENPLANEMENTS, HAS A WAGE STANDARD OF $22.02.

HERE IN TEXAS, HOBBY HAS A MINIMUM WAGE OF $15 AN HOUR.

AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, ENPLANEMENT IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET ON A PLANE. I HAD TO ACTUALLY LOOK THAT UP FOR MYSELF.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. PALATFIELD HAS NO WAGE STANDARD FOR AIRLINE CONTRACTED WORKERS, AND SALARIES FALL FAR SHORT ANY OF THOSE SIMILAR SIZE AIRPORTS AT JUST $11. IF OTHER AIRPORTS CONTINUE TO SET HIGHER STANDARDS THROUGH THEIR LIVING WAGE POLICIES, WE'LL SEE THEM CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SAFETY WHILE KEEPING STRUGGLE WHILE WE KEEP STRUGGLING WITH TURNOVER.

WE WANT OUR AIRPORT TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE LEFT BEHIND. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN— THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS THE POWER TO DEMAND A LIVING WAGE THAT WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT.

TO OPERATE AT THE AIRPORT, AIRLINES AND CONTRACTORS REQUIRE PERMISSIONS IN THE FORM OF PERMITS AND LEASES. AIRLINE LEASES AND CONTRACTOR PERMITS ARE COVENANTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE COMPANIES THAT USE THE AIRPORT.

IF CONTRACTORS FAIL TO PAY SALARIES THAT MAINTAIN ADEQUATE STAFFING LEVELS FOR OUR SAFETY AND SERVICE STANDARDS ON THEIR OWN, WE CAN REQUIRE THEM TO PAY A LIVING WAGE TO THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.

WE PROPOSE THAT DALLAS CITY COUNCIL USES THESE PERMITS TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRPORT WORK— THE AIRPORT WORKS FOR TRAVELERS, WORKING PEOPLE, AIRLINES, AND CONTRACTORS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A COUPLE OF WORKERS THAT

[01:20:02]

TOMLINSON. SHE'S A WHEELCHAIR AGENT. MISS NOPAL HAS TO WORK 2 JOBS AND STILL WORRIES EVERY WEEK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT SHE'LL BE ABLE TO COLLECT ENOUGH TIPS TO PAY HER RENT.

MIND YOU, THESE ARE NOT TIP EMPLOYEES, BUT THIS IS HOW THEY MAKE ENDS MEET. SHE ALSO WORRIES ABOUT PHYSICAL INJURY FROM THE STRAIN, FROM THE STRAIN OF HER JOB OR GETTING TOO WORN OUT TO CONTINUE, ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE CAN'T AFFORD HEALTHCARE INSURANCE. SHE'S SEEN IT HAPPEN TO SEVERAL OF HER COWORKERS OVER TIME.

THEY GET TOO WORN OUT AND CAN'T MAKE THE JOB ANYMORE. MS. NOPAL ALREADY NEEDS TO WEAR A BACK BRACE.

SHE LOVES HER JOB AND WANTS TO KEEP DOING IT. THAT IS WHY SHE WANTS TO BRING MORE PASSENGER SERVICE AGENTS AND MAKE THE JOB MORE SUSTAINABLE.

BUT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, SHE THINKS LOVE FIELD NEEDS TO PAY A HIGHER WAGE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. NOW I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MS. EBONY AMBER CUMBRIA.

MS. EBONY MAKES $1,700 PER MONTH AS A PASSENGER SERVICE AGENT AND STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE ON IT. SHE PAYS $1,000 A MONTH IN RENT.

AND HAS TO MAKE THE REMAINING $700 STRETCH TO COVER FOOD, GAS, TREATMENT FOR HER LUNG, AND TREATMENT FOR HER LUNG CONDITION.

SOMETIMES SHE'S FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PAYING HER BILLS OR PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE. MS. EBONY NOTICED THAT A LOT OF OTHER COWORKERS LEAVE FOR HIGHER-PAYING JOBS ELSEWHERE.

SHE THINKS A HIGHER-PAYING WAGE WILL, WILL LET MORE OF HER COWORKERS' STAY AND THEIR JOB, ON THEIR JOB, AND LEAD TO BETTER AIRPORTS FOR EVERYONE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

WORKERS CAN'T KEEP LIVING LIKE THIS, AND OUR AIRPORT CAN'T KEEP GOING LIKE THIS. WORKERS DESERVE BETTER. TRAVELERS DESERVE BETTER.

AND THE PEOPLE OF DALLAS DESERVE BETTER. WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL TO FIND A WAY TO ESTABLISH A LIVING WAGE FOR LOVE FIELD AIRPORT WORKERS SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE STAFFING, MAINTAIN SAFETY, AND THE SERVICE STANDARDS THAT DALLAS DESERVES. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BRIEFING, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UM, AGAIN, COLLEAGUES, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A DECISION OR ANYTHING, UH, TODAY, BUT THIS IS ONE, TO BRING AWARENESS, IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY AWARE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES BY WHICH SOME OF OUR FOLKS ARE WORKING AND CONDITIONS THEY'RE WORKING IN, NOT JUST FROM A LIVING WAGE PERSPECTIVE, BUT JUST FROM A REAL-LIFE PRACTICAL OPERATION AND WHAT THEY'RE NEEDING TO SURVIVE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANTED— IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, I WANTED US TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF HAVE SOME DIALOGUE ABOUT WHY IT'S NOT THAT NOT AS SIMPLE AS I MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THAT, WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, A LOT OF OUR CONTRACTS, WE DO HAVE THE WAGE AND THE WAGE FLOOR FOR OUR CONTRACTED THINGS.

BUT AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES IN THAT AVIATION SPACE, AND QUITE HONESTLY, IN A LOT OF THE OTHER REVENUE GENERATING SPACES, THESE CONTRACTS ARE DONE WITH A LEASE AGREEMENT. AND WITH THOSE LEASE AGREEMENTS, THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY APPLY TO THE WAGE FLOOR POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO ANCHOR THE CONVERSATION THERE AND SAY IT'S NOT JUST OUR AVIATION INDUSTRY FOLKS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS TOO.

IT'S MANY OF THEM AND A LOT OF OUR LEASING CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE. AND AGAIN, IT WOULD BE A BIGGER DISCUSSION THAT NEEDED TO BE HAD, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO AT LEAST OPEN THE DIALOGUE TODAY AND GET ANY FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL IF NECESSARY.

YES, SIR.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

AND I THINK WE DEFINITELY HAVE A LABOR-SUPPORTIVE COUNCIL.

AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

BUT MORE SO, THANK YOU ALL FOR Y'ALL'S WORK AND FOR BEING PART OF THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY.

AND THAT'S WHY LIVABLE WAGES IS SOMETHING THAT I AM FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF AND SOMETHING I'VE BEEN A CHAMPION FOR SINCE BEING ON COUNCIL. WE DO HAVE CURRENT POLICIES IN PLACE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND, AND LEVEL UP KIND OF WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED.

UM, IN, IN— FOR LOVE FIELD SPECIFICALLY, IF THEY'RE AN HOURLY EMPLOYEE, THEY DO HAVE STANDARD, BUT THAT IS WITHIN BEING EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF DALLAS. THAT IS CORRECT. AND SO WE DO HAVE THE CONTRACTS.

NOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, A FEW WAYS TO, TO, TO GO ABOUT THIS, AND I, I THINK THAT CITY STAFF, IF Y'ALL COULD CHIME IN AS WELL.

[01:25:01]

SO IT WOULD BE A STAGGERED, LONGER PROCESS THAN JUST WAVING A WAND. CAN YOU CHIME INTO THAT? CERTAINLY. GOOD MORNING.

DONZO GIBSON, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. THIS IS A FAIRLY COMPLEX ISSUE, MANAGING THE AIRPORT, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AIRLINES, WHICH IS BASED ON A LEASE AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, FALLS OUTSIDE THIS VERY ROBUST LIVING WAGE POLICY THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED, THAT WE'VE SEEN SOME INCREASES OVER THE YEARS AND, AND WE'VE MANAGED THE BUDGET THAT WAY.

UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AIRLINES ABOUT THINGS SUCH AS THIS AND ABOUT THEIR VIABILITY OF MANAGING, UH, THE AIRLINES AND THEIR OPERATIONS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD REALLY HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND, AND REALLY WORK WITH THEM ON TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES FOR OUR OPERATION THERE AT LOVE FIELD.

UH, WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR CONSIDERATIONS ARE, BUT THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER COMPLEX MODEL OF KEEPING THE OPERATIONS AT THE AIRPORT GOING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE A BALANCED APPROACH AND BRIEFING BACK TO THE COUNCIL SO THAT YOU COULD WEIGH IN. WE'D ALSO HAVE TO HAVE SOME CONSULTATION WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM ABOUT WHAT OUR, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES ARE THAT WE COULD THEN ALSO SHARE WITH COUNCIL. SO I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WE'RE AT A POSITION RIGHT NOW WHERE WE HAVE HEARD COUNCIL, WE HEARD THIS BRIEFING, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT SHE'S BROUGHT TO THE TABLE TODAY.

BUT WE WOULD REALLY NEED TO DO SOME LEGWORK AND RESEARCH TO BRING BACK SOME POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS IN AN EFFORT FOR COUNCIL TO MAKE A REALLY BALANCED DECISION. BECAUSE WHAT YOU WANT TO ALSO KNOW IS WHAT IMPACT IS THAT GOING TO HAVE AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHAT IMPACT IS THAT GOING TO HAVE WITH OUR PARTNERS THAT HELP US MANAGE AND OPERATE THE AIRPORT, SPECIFICALLY THE AIRLINES.

WELL, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

I WAS SPEAKING MORE OF JUST THE PROCESS, UH, OF, OF WHAT IT IS. I, I UNDERSTAND THE POLICY CONSIDERATION THAT THIS BODY WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER. I ALSO WOULD, WOULD, WOULD ARGUE FROM THE, THE PREMISE THAT YOU LAID THAT OUT, THAT, UH, WE HAVE VERY PROFITABLE, UH, VENTURES AT BOTH OF OUR AIRPORTS.

AND I, I WOULD SAY I SEE SHORING UP OUR LIVABLE WAGE STANDARDS TO THOSE WHO ARE A PART OF WHY THEY ARE SO PROFITABLE AS TO ME SOMETHING UNEQUIVOCALLY I WOULD SUPPORT.

SO I GET WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE MENTIONING. BUT AS LONG AS WE HAVE EXECUTIVES WITH THESE AIRLINES THAT ARE PROFITING FROM THESE AIRPORTS AT THE DISPARITY OF WAGE GAP THAT WE HAVE EXISTING IN THIS INDUSTRY, WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING IT.

AND IT DOESN'T MATCH UP IN LINE WITH WHAT WE HAVE SAID WE PRIORITIZE AS A CITY. AND IT'S ALSO— WE'VE, WE'VE PUT SKIN IN THE GAME.

WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED TO DO, EVEN DURING HARD BUDGET YEARS, DO RIGHT BY OUR HOURLY EMPLOYEES, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO UNDER OUR SPECIFIC PURVIEW WITH SETTING THAT EXAMPLE.

I WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING VERY FAIR TO LOOK AT OUR PARTNERS AND EXPECT THEM TO HAVE THE SAME STANDARDS.

THE REALITY IS, IS IF WE HAVE SO MUCH THAT WE CAN CONTROL THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY OUR, OUR CITY VERSUS THAT THAT ARE BEING CONTRACTED, AND YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S MAKING DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF AN HOURLY WAGE VERSUS THAT OF 9, 10, $10 AN HOUR OUT AT THE AIRPORT, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. AND WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.

I KNOW THAT WE NEED STATE LEGISLATION TO SEE THE MINIMUM WAGE STANDARDS AS A WHOLE BE INCREASED.

BUT THE REALITY IS, IS WE'VE SEEN SOME OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO, OR SOME OF OUR PEER AIRPORT SYSTEMS THAT WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO, THAT HAVE ALREADY MADE DRASTIC CHANGES TO ADDRESS THE WAGE GAPS. SO I GET WHAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.

I UNDERSTAND THE CONSIDERATION THAT STAFF WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH. BUT ULTIMATELY, THIS IS A POLICY DECISION AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD, AS YOU MENTIONED, BE GIVEN THE CORRECT DATA FOR US TO TAKE UP AND TO CONSIDER. BUT WHAT I WAS ASKING YOU WAS HOW WE COULD GO ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THAT AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A LEVEL SET EXPECTATION FROM THOSE WHO ARE ADVOCATING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE CAN JUST TAKE AN UP OR DOWN VOTE ON AN ORDINANCE AND IT SWEEPS ACROSS.

THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE STAGGERED. THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE AN EXPECTATION OF SEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. AND, AND THAT WOULD BE A PART OF THE DATA THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SEE OF WHAT,

[01:30:02]

AND I WAS JUST WANTING YOU TO KIND OF MORE CONFIRM ON WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. IF I MAY, UH, COUNCILMEMBER BAZALDUA, JUST TO KIND OF HELP ELABORATE, THINK ALONG THE LINES OF WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE WAGE FLOOR CONTRACT OR THE POLICY AND WE ROLLED THE EXISTING CONTRACTS OVER.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE HE'S GOING WITH THE CONVERSATION. GOT IT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

SO OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AIRPORT, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN, BUT I THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE WE NEED TO BRING BACK POSSIBLY BRIEFING TO FULL COUNCIL THAT LAYS OUT AN OUTLINE, A TIMELINE, AND WHAT ALL THE OPTIONS ARE IN CONSULTATION WITH DEALING WITH THE AIRLINES, OUR LEGAL TEAM, AND ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO BRING YOU THE INFORMATION THAT, THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN MAKE SOME POLICY DECISIONS, POTENTIALLY EVEN, UH, ROLLING INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR. SO GIVE STAFF SOME TIME TO GO BACK AND HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY AND POTENTIALLY BRING BACK A BRIEFING TO THIS COMMITTEE, OR LIKELY FULL COUNCIL, PROBABLY WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE SO THAT WE CAN DO NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH JUST TELLING MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT AN EASY FEAT, BUT IT'S ONE THAT IS ACCOMPLISHABLE IF WE HAVE THE WILL.

I KNOW THAT WE CHANGED OUR FLOOR POLICY, AS, AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, WHICH ADDRESSED LOVE FIELD BUT DID NOT WITH DFW. WE DID WE LATER TALKED TO DFW AND WE GAVE SOME RESISTANCE AT THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET CYCLE AND WE DID NOT APPROVE THE BUDGET AS WAS PRESENTED TO US AND IT CREATED A CONVERSATION.

CHAIRMAN NARVAEZ AT THE TIME ON TRANSPORTATION AND I MET WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF DFW AND RELUCTANT, BUT THEY DID COME BACK IN AND CHANGE THEIR BUDGET TO TO REFLECT A MIRRORED POLICY TO WHAT WE HAD WITH OUR LOVE FIELD PARTNERS.

SO REGARDLESS OF THE RESISTANCE THAT WE'RE INEVITABLY GOING TO GET FROM OUR PARTNERS, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH EXPLORING AND ONE THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO MANY OF OUR PRIORITIES AS A CITY, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE CAN CONTINUE TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN A BOX AS ONE ISSUE, BUT AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT PAYING PEOPLE LIVABLE WAGES, THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REASON THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN HOUSING IN OUR CITY. SO ALL OF THIS IS AN ECOSYSTEM THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. CAN, CAN I ADD JUST ONE THING? SO I HAD THE, THE PRIVILEGE, I WOULD SAY, TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO GET WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE AIRLINES SOMETIMES THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM. I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE WENT FROM MINIMUM WAGE, $7.25 AN HOUR, AND CREATED A SCALE THAT GOT US TO $15 AN HOUR.

AND WE ARE NOW WORKING WITH THE CITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE EXTEND THAT, BECAUSE WE ARE AWARE THAT $15 IS NO LONGER A LIVABLE WAGE FOR ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY, LET ALONE IN OUR CITY.

FOR RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING.

WE DID NOT SEE ANY AIRLINE LEAVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON OR HOBBY AIRPORT OR BUSH. IF ANYTHING, WE ARE GROWING, WE'RE THRIVING. OUR AIRPORTS ARE GETTING BIGGER.

HOBBY GREW. SOUTHWEST GREW TO AN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE RATHER THAN JUST BEING A DOMESTIC AIRLINE. SO THERE WAS NO IMPACT.

IF THE DEMAND IS NOT MADE, THE AIRLINES ARE NOT GOING TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.

RIGHT? AT THE END, THE CONTRACTORS ARE JUST WAITING TO BE TOLD WHAT THE AIRLINES WANT THEM TO DO. SO THE STAGGERING, WHILE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DEALT WITH IN HOUSTON, IT REALLY DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE ONCE THE AIRLINE IS SUCH A SMALL FRACTION OF WHAT THEY ACTUALLY MAKE, THAT THEY WERE LIKE, WE COULD JUST GET IT DONE.

YOU KNOW WHAT? AND THEN THE CONTRACTORS CAME IN AND SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE. YOU JUST GAVE THIS OTHER ONE MORE MONEY.

I WANT MORE MONEY TOO.

WE WANT TO PAY. 'CAUSE THEN OTHER WORKERS, THEN THEY SAY, "WELL, NO, I'M GONNA GO WORK WITH THIS ONE WHO JUST RAISED THE WAGES." SO THEY HAD TO DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYBODY JUST BECAUSE IT'S WHAT MAKES SENSE.

WE CANNOT RETAIN WORKERS UNLESS YOU START PAYING. WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A WORLD-CLASS EVENT, AND HOUSTON AND DALLAS ARE MAJOR PLAYERS ON THE WORLD CUP. YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A SHORTAGE OF WORKERS AT A TIME THAT YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN.

I JUST WANTED TO POINT THOSE THINGS OUT. NO AIRLINE IS GOING TO LEAVE A PROFITABLE BUSINESS.

THIS IS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS FOR THEM.

CHAIR GRACEY, TO MRS. FLORES' POINT, WHEN WE BRING BACK A BRIEF IN THE COUNCIL, WE CAN BENCHMARK THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ANY OTHERS THAT HAVE AIRPORTS THAT POTENTIALLY HAVE WORKED THROUGH SOLUTIONS THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK TO COUNCIL IN THE SAME. SO I THANK YOU, MS. FLORES, FOR THAT INFORMATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

[01:35:05]

WELL, DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THE CURRENT LEASE RUNS? NO, SIR, I DO NOT. BUT WE CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION TODAY. OKAY, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT.

IS THAT TYPICALLY A 5-YEAR CONTRACT? DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW EITHER. WE'LL GET YOU SOME INFORMATION ON THE— OKAY, AT LEAST AGREEMENTS WITH THE AIRPORT PARTNERS.

GREAT. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

WELL, UM, MISS FLORES, I, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS CONFUSED BY YOUR PRESENTATION.

THE DISTINCTION— AND IT CENTERS AROUND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS. CAN YOU TELL ME THE DIFFERENCE? SO WE CALL AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THESE WORKERS ALL USED TO WORK DIRECTLY FOR THE AIRLINE, RIGHT? WHAT THE AIRLINE BASICALLY DID IS DECIDED TO SUBCONTRACT THE WORK. AND SO NOW THEY HAVE MANY, MANY OTHER CONTRACTORS WHO DO WORK AT THE AIRPORT WHO ARE CONSIDERED SERVICE EMPLOYEES OF THE AIRPORT.

BUT ARE SUBCONTRACTED BY THE AIRLINES. THE AIRLINES DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY WANT TO PAY THOSE CONTRACTORS, AND THEN VICE VERSA, THAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH WAGES THEY HAVE. WELL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE'VE GOT AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS ON THE ONE HAND WHO ARE CONTRACTED TO THE AIRLINES THAT SERVICE THAT AIRPORT, AND THEN WE HAVE AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS WHO CONTRACT WITH THE AIRPORT TO PERFORM THEIR SERVICES.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. AND THEY DO THE SAME WORK. THEY'RE JUST— ONE IS PAID BY THE CITY AND THE OTHER ONE IS PAID BY A CONTRACTOR THAT THE AIRLINE HAS.

BUT DOING THE SAME WORK— AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS DON'T CLEAN PLANES, DO THEY? THAT'S THE AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS. I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT FOR YOU. I THINK SOMETIMES THEY, UH, THEY DO BOTH WORK, EXCEPT THAT IF THEY WANT TO DO THE WORK IN CLEANING THE PLANES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PAID BY ANOTHER FORCE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING BOTH WORKS.

WELL, YOU SAY ON THE FIRST PAGE THAT THE SEIU REPRESENTS AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS. DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU DON'T REPRESENT AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS? WE REPRESENT AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS. WE ALSO REPRESENT AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS.

WE REPRESENT BOTH. OKAY.

WELL, THE SOURCE OF THE CONFUSION RESULTS FROM THE INFLATION OF THOSE TWO GROUPS.

FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE SLIDE NUMBERS, BUT THE SLIDE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE 500 AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS AT DALLAS LOVE FIELD AND THE AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS MAKE $11 PER HOUR. AND WE SEE ON A LATER SLIDE THAT'S ENTITLED DON'T LET LOVE FIELD GET LEFT BEHIND SHOWING LIVING WAGE POLICIES FOR AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS VERSUS LOVE FIELD. YOU SHOW LOVE FIELD WORKERS, AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS, MAKING $11 AN HOUR, SUBSTANTIALLY BEHIND THE COMPARISON CITIES.

BUT DON'T WE PAY THE AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS $23 AN HOUR, AS REFLECTED IN YOUR OWN PRESENTATION UNDER WAGES AT LOVE FIELD IN 2025. SO ISN'T THIS BAR CHART SHOWING DALLAS AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS AT $11 INCORRECT? I'M SORRY THAT THERE'S CONFUSION IN THAT. I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.

THE WORKERS THAT ARE MAKING $11 AN HOUR, OR AN AVERAGE OF $11 AN HOUR, ARE THE WORKERS THAT ARE SUBCONTRACTED BY THE AIRLINES, NOT THE WORKERS THAT ARE DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY THE CITY. SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? YOU CAN HAVE A WORKER WEARING EVEN THE SAME UNIFORM SOMETIMES. WELL, ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IF THEY WORK FOR THE CITY, BUT THEY DO THE SAME WORK.

THEY ARE STILL PUSHING WHEELCHAIRS. ONE GETS PAID $23. OKAY, BUT WHETHER THEY'RE SUBCONTRACTORS OR NOT, THEY'RE EMPLOYED ULTIMATELY BY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, CORRECT? AS OPPOSED TO THE CITY? YES, THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYED BY THE CITY.

SO WHEN YOU TALK IN THIS GRAPH ABOUT AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS AT LOVE FIELD MAKING $11 AN HOUR, IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS AS WE HAVE DEFINED THEM AS WORKING UNDER CONTRACT TO THE CITY, THIS GRAPH IS INCORRECT, ISN'T IT? SIR, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS.

THEY'RE ALL SERVING THE SAME GROUP. WELL, THERE AGAIN, YOU'RE CONFLATING THE TWO GROUPS.

AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE DISTINCTION IS AND DISTINGUISH THEM. THE ONLY— THESE PURPOSES— OKAY, LET ME LET YOU FINISH.

THE ONLY DISTINCTION IS NOT THE WORK THAT THEY PROVIDE, IT IS WHO'S PAYING THEM.

THE ONLY DISTINCTION IS THEY'RE

[01:40:02]

I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE SECOND-CLASS WORKFORCE JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS PAYING THEM DOING THE SAME WORK IN YOUR AIRPORT, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE PRESENTATION IS TRYING TO DO. I APOLOGIZE. AIRLINE SERVICE WORKERS AND AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS, WE CAN SET THE WAGE RATES FOR OUR CONTRACTORS AS AIRPORT SERVICE SERVICE WORKERS, AND WE'VE GIVEN THEM A LIVING WAGE WHICH IS HIGHER THAN ALL OF THE OTHER CITIES THAT YOU USE FOR COMPARISON.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THE NOMENCLATURE HERE SO THAT YOUR MESSAGE ISN'T MUDDIED. IT SEEMS TO BE A VALID MESSAGE THAT THERE ARE UNDERPAID WORKERS AT LOVE FIELD. CORRECT.

BUT THEY'RE PAID BY THE AIRLINE, NOT BY THE CITY, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THAT'S ALL WE NEEDED TO KNOW.

AND MY GOAL HERE WAS JUST TO POINT THAT OUT AND TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND A SOLUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE CITIZENS OF DALLAS DOING THE SAME WORK IN THE SAME AIRPORT BUT BEING PAID DIFFERENT.

BUT YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT SOURCE OF THAT FUND. ONE IS PAID BY THE CITY THROUGH THE AIRPORT DEPARTMENT.

THE OTHER IS PAID BY THE PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, AIRLINE, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION, ISN'T IT? I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR RIDLEY.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE POINT THAT SHE WAS MAKING. THE SLIDE WITH THE WAGES— AND YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG— BUT THE SLIDE WITH THE LIVING POLICY, UH, LIVING WAGE POLICIES FOR AIRPORT SERVICE WORKERS VERSUS, UH, DALLAS, I THINK WHAT THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING THERE IS THAT EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THESE WORKERS ARE CONTRACTED BY THE— DIRECTLY BY THE AIRLINES, THEY ARE BEING PAID MORE THAN THE WORKERS THAT ARE BEING CONTRACTED BY OUR FOLKS. I THINK THAT'S THE POINT YOU WERE TRYING TO MAKE THERE, CORRECT? IT'S— LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

IT'S IF YOU'RE BEING PAID BY THE CITY, YOU'RE BEING PAID MORE THAN IF YOU'RE WORKING BY THE SUBCONTRACTOR THAT THE AIRLINE BROUGHT, RIGHT? BUT JUST, JUST, JUST JUST TRYING TO DISTINGUISH ON THE DON'T LET LOVE FIELD GET LEFT BEHIND ON THAT PARTICULAR SLIDE.

YEAH, THAT IS THAT DISTINCTION THERE. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT— WE ARE AWARE WE'VE HAD THE LIVING WAGE, SO I'M GONNA— AND I WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLARIFIED OUR MESSAGE.

YES, MA'AM. UH, CHAIR CADENA.

THANK YOU.

UM, SO HAS— I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, AFTER ALL OF THIS DISCUSSION, HAS SOUTHWEST OR ANY OTHER CARRIER AT LOVE RAISED THESE WAGES AT OTHER AIRPORTS? YES. YES.

AND THEN, UM, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY IF THEY'RE PROVIDING THE SAME WORK, WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE SAME WAGES, RIGHT? WE WANT THE SAME FOR DALLAS RESIDENTS AS THESE CARRIERS ARE DOING IN OTHER CITIES AS WELL.

I DO RECALL WHEN THIS WAS BRIEFED AT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME DIFFERENCE OVER AT DFW AIRPORT. I THINK, UM, I REMEMBER I WAS TRYING TO CALL SOME SOME OF THE AIRLINES DIRECTLY, AND I WOULDN'T EVEN GET A PHONE CALL RETURNED.

BUT I THINK IF THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FAIR WAGES AT OUR AIRPORTS FOR ALL OF OUR WORKERS, WHETHER THEY'RE DIRECTLY CONTRACTED WITH US OR WE HAVE SOME KIND OF INFLUENCE, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY WANT TO DO BECAUSE IT HELPS OUR RESIDENTS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, CHAIR GRACEY. WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME INFORMATION BASED ON COUNCILMAN RIDLEY'S REQUEST OR QUESTION.

SO YOU ARE CORRECT, WITHIN THE PAST YEAR WE, WE DID AN EXTENSION WITH SOUTHWEST AIRLINES THROUGH 2040. I'M SORRY, UH, COUNCILMEMBER ROTH. UH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND THANKS, UH, TO COUNCILMAN, UH, RIDLEY FOR CLARIFYING.

HE ANSWERED PART OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAD AS THE CLARIFICATION ON WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF— I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS IS MANDATING FOR ITS EMPLOYEES THE HIGHEST WAGES THAT ARE BEING PAID AND DO PROVIDE— YES, YOU ARE. —ADEQUATE, SIGNIFICANT, AND ACTUALLY EXCESS. INCREASED WAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FOLKS THAT, THAT ARE WORKING ON OUR BEHALF.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR IN THE PUBLIC AND THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT. I'M INTRIGUED, AND I'M SORT OF WONDERING IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT, IF AS PART OF YOUR COMPENSATION CONCERNS GENERALLY IS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE SUITABLE,

[01:45:02]

AND ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE DEALING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES, VOUCHER ISSUES, TRYING TO ESTABLISH NEW PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR FOLKS THAT NEED TO HAVE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING OR SUBSIDIZED SOCIAL SERVICES THAT WE ARE— THAT WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOOKING AT AND THAT ARE BEING FUNDED BY OTHER FEDERAL AND STATE SOURCES THAT WE, THAT WE MANAGE OR ARE ABLE TO DIRECT. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU'RE HAVING WITH, WITH YOUR FOLKS AND WITH YOUR CLIENTS, AS WELL AS WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS. THANK YOU, SIR.

I WANT TO SAY THAT'S EXACTLY THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE HERE, THAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY ACCESSING SERVICES THAT ARE YOU KNOW, THEN BECOMING AN ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THE COSTS NEED TO BE PAID BY TAXPAYERS WHILE THE AIRLINES ARE VERY PROFITABLE. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE WORKERS WHO HAVE TO GO AND ACCESS SERVICES OF THE CITY WHEN YOU HAVE AN AIRLINE WHO COULD ACTUALLY PAY A LIVABLE WAGE, WHO COULD DIRECT THEIR CONTRACTS TO PAY A LIVABLE WAGE AND ALLOW THOSE SERVICES TO THEN REMAIN FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD A— IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, ANY OTHER BUSINESS WHO FRANKLY WAS STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, I WOULDN'T BE ASKING FOR THIS.

BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AIRLINES HERE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, THE CEO RIGHT NOW OF ONE OF THESE AIRLINES MAKES $10 MILLION. I MEAN, IT'S INSANE THAT YOU ARE NOT— THAT I'M TELLING YOU, YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS AND YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, WHY AM I HAVING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION? FOR 500 WORKERS WHEN I COULD PUT THIS TO BED AND PAY THEM THE RIGHT THING AND IT WOULDN'T EVEN MAKE A DENT IN THEIR BUDGET, RIGHT? SO IT'S— IF WE DO NOT ASK, IF WE DO NOT MAKE A DEMAND, THEN IT BECOMES ON US. MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR.

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. SO I DID READ THIS AND HAD THE CALL ON FRIDAY.

AND OFFERED SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT YOU COULD BRING TODAY.

I'M NOT HEARING THAT.

BUT I MEAN, I WAS ASKING ABOUT WHY WOULD ANYONE STAY IN A JOB FOR $11 AN HOUR RIGHT NOW WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT RESOURCES? IN FACT, AT THE CITY OF DALLAS WITH MANY OPENINGS, WHY YOU DO THAT? AND I WAS TOLD IT'S A SOURCE OF PRIDE, THAT YOU LOVE WORKING WITH GUESTS AND GREETING THEM AND THAT SORT OF THING.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

BUT YOU LOVE LOVE FIELD, BUT LOVE FIELD DOESN'T LOVE YOU.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO IS GO ELSEWHERE.

NOW, WE CAN ONLY CONTROL SO MUCH OF THIS REALM, AND I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF DICTATING TO THE SUBCONTRACTORS WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD BUSINESS IN AN AMERICAN MARKETPLACE. HOWEVER, THE CHART OF THE WAGES IS JUST SHAMEFUL.

JUST SHAMEFUL. AND SO WHAT I HAD RECOMMENDED WAS TO NOT JUST TALK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND SECURITY, BUT START WORKING ON A FORMULA. YOU KNOW, IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO BE AT AN AVERAGE— NO, LIKE A FLOOR FORMULA OF, YOU KNOW, AVERAGING CERTAIN PEER AIRPORTS, YOU GET DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, A FLOOR AND IT'S GOING TO BE NO LOWER THAN THIS.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MATH IS GOING TO BE ON THAT, BUT I'M ASKING YOU TO PUT A FRAMEWORK AROUND WHAT YOU CAN ASK FOR BECAUSE NOW WE'RE UNDER THE MIT LIVING WAGE AND WE ARE STRUGGLING UNDER THIS AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT YEAR. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE DO THAT. BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT FIFA COMING, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A NICE BARGAINING CHIP.

SO I WOULD NOT LET THAT ONE SLIP BY. BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRUE. I THINK THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED IS THAT BY THE SUBCONTRACTORS PAYING THIS SUPER LOW RATE, IT FOISTS BACK ONTO THE DALLAS TAXPAYER RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND FOOD ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SERVICES THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO AND SEEK BECAUSE YOU WORK HARD AND YOU'RE COMMITTED, AND THAT HAS VALUE IN THE MARKETPLACE.

SO I HOPE YOU SEE THE VALUE THAT YOU HAVE. I WANT TO HELP RAISE THIS FLOOR, BUT YOU CAN ALSO TAKE ACTION ON YOUR OWN BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD APPRECIATE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU DO. SO I'M HAPPY TO LOOK AT THIS AND, AND JOIN THE CHORUS OF, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE DON'T HAVE AN $11 HOURLY RATE FOR THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT— IT'S A HARD JOB.

I MEAN, IT REALLY IS A HARD JOB.

BUT WHEN YOU GET INTO SOME ARE PAID THIS AND SOME ARE PAID

[01:50:01]

BUT I WANT TO WORK ON THIS, BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO MANDATE SOMETHING FOR OUR AIRLINE OR AIRPORT SUBCONTRACTORS. THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK.

WE'LL TAKE IT BACK. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH FOR, UH, THIS BRIEFING.

AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE ASK, WELL, WHY WOULD THIS BECOME THE QUALITY OF LIFE VERSUS TRANSPORTATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT? BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY MORE AND MORE QUALITY OF LIVES ARE BEING IMPACTED, NOT JUST BY THE POLICIES AND DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING, BUT THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, AND IT'S— AND WE'RE ALL STARTING TO FEEL THAT. SO THIS QUICKLY BECOMES A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, BUT I ALSO WANTED US TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT I WANTED YOU ALL TO APPRECIATE WHILE THERE IS A HEART AND A DESIRE TO DO THAT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS AS SIMPLE SIMPLE AS A POLICY CHANGE BECAUSE AGAIN WE HAVE SEVERAL LEASE CONTRACTS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR CONCESSION CONTRACTS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ALSO IMPACTED AND STILL JUSTIFIABLY SHOULD BE. BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT A SIMPLE CONSIDERATION IS I THINK THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE. BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT THERE IS A CONSENSUS AND AN INTEREST TO EXPLORE.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR CONTINUING YOUR MESSAGE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND THANK YOU IF YOU HAVE SACRIFICED PAID TODAY TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR DOING THAT, AND THAT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING US COME TODAY IN FRONT OF YOU. APPRECIATE YOU.

AND I'M HAPPY TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH ANYONE WHO HAS QUESTIONS, SO PLEASE JUST HAVE YOUR FOLKS REACH OUT TO US. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS TO THE STAFF OR TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES, WE'RE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO NOW, UH, ITEM B, WHICH IS THE LIBRARY-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, THERE. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, THEY ARE— IS PETER HERE? OKAY, THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN GRACIE, THANK YOU FOR THIS MORNING. UH, I'M JUST HERE MORE FOR THE INTRO AND THEN I'LL LET PETER TAKE OVER.

BUT AS YOU GUYS MAY RECALL, SEVERAL BUDGET CYCLES AGO, THERE WAS A COUNCIL AMENDMENT THAT WAS DONE WITH THE EMPHASIS TO BE PLACED ON TWO, UH, TWO, TWO LIBRARIES— EXCUSE ME— THAT WERE IN THE BOND PROGRAM AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THERE TO BE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AT BOTH OF THOSE LOCATIONS.

AND, AND SO STAFF BEGAN SOME WORK MORE THAN A YEAR AGO WITH CBRE. WE LAST BRIEFED BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2025. I THINK THIS COMMITTEE WAS VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE PROGRESS THAT HAD BEEN MADE AND ASKED STAFF TO CONTINUE THAT WORK.

WE'VE BRIEFED DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS AND CHAIR WEST BECAUSE THESE LIBRARIES RESIDE IN THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICT, THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNCIL DISTRICTS, AND, AND THEY'VE STAYED IN TOUCH WITH US AND ENCOURAGED STAFF TO CONTINUE TO MOVE WITH THE SUPPORT OF CBRE. SO AGAIN, WE'RE READY FOR THE NEXT UPDATE, WHICH IS MORE OF A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND PERSPECTIVE ABOUT WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE PROJECTS LOOK LIKE AND THEN SOME POTENTIAL OUTCOMES IN THE FUTURE SHOULD THE COUNCIL DECIDE THAT THIS IS THE NEXT STEPS, THAT WE SHOULD MOVE TO NEXT STEPS. AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO PETER AND WE WILL BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

GOOD MORNING. I HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING WELL. SEE, WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION UP ON THE SCREEN.

IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

WHEN WE WERE ENGAGED BY THE CITY, WE HAD A COUPLE OF CHARGES. ONE, TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE SITES AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE SITES, ALONG WITH ALL THE ASSOCIATED DUE DILIGENCE.

AND THEN TO MOVE INTO THE LATEST PHASE, WHICH WAS A FEASIBILITY STUDY.

AND I'M GOING TO DEFINE FEASIBILITY SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND NOT TALKING ABOUT, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER TO OUR STUDY IS THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE FINANCIAL VIABILITY FOR A RANGE OF DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS THAT CAN INCLUDE A LIBRARY PROGRAM WITHIN THE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT.

WHETHER COUNCIL DIRECTS STAFF TO PURSUE THAT IS ALSO DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT HERE IN TERMS OF PROS AND CONS OF THAT.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE PROJECTS, WE LOOK AT THE OVERARCHING TIMELINE, THE FUNDING RELATED

[01:55:01]

AND WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THAT YES, THERE ARE DEVELOPERS THAT WOULD TAKE THIS ON. WE'VE DONE SOME MARKET SOUNDING AND SOME, SOME PULSE CHECKING ON THIS.

THE OUTCOMES ARE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE. THERE ARE A RANGE OF POTENTIAL OUTCOMES, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.

BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS.

ON THE SCREEN, YOU SEE A POTENTIAL PROCESS MAP FOR HOW WE WOULD INTEGRATE THE BOND FUNDING FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION WITH THESE PROJECTS. BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF A REAL ESTATE EXECUTION STRATEGY, THOSE BOND FUNDS WOULD BE CONTRIBUTED TO AN ESCROW ACCOUNT POTENTIALLY AND THEN MANAGED THROUGH CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, SO THE CITY DOESN'T LOSE ANY— LOSE ANY DESIGN OR FINANCIAL CONTROLS, BUT VERY CLEARLY THIS IS A PRIVATE SECTOR EXECUTION STRATEGY WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL OVER DESIGN OR PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO I BEGAN THIS WITH THE DISCUSSION OF WHAT DOES FEASIBILITY MEAN, AND THERE ARE KIND OF A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE EXPLORING DURING THE STUDY TO EXAMINE THAT. ONE, IS THE UNIT MIX SUPPORTED BY A MARKET? IN OTHER WORDS, CAN YOU GET 1 BEDROOMS, 2 BEDROOMS, 3 BEDROOMS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAM FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR USES? AND THEN THERE ARE A HOST OF OTHER FINANCING, ZONING, DUE DILIGENCE, AND VISION QUESTIONS THAT WE EXPLORED CONCURRENTLY.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE 2 QUESTIONS AT THE, AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE.

DOES THE PROJECT HAVE AN ECONOMIC OUTCOME THAT MERITS A COMPLEX EXECUTION? ADMITTEDLY, THESE ARE COMPLICATED PROJECTS THAT TAKE TIME. SO THERE HAS TO BE ENOUGH FINANCIAL BENEFIT FOR THE CITY TO PURSUE THIS.

AND SECONDARILY, DOES THE PROJECT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER HOUSING IN KEY AREAS? DOES IT HAVE A SOCIAL IMPACT THAT COUNCIL PREFERS AND THAT CITIZENS PREFER? SO THOSE ARE THE DRIVING QUESTIONS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS EXAMINED IN THE CONTEXT OF THOSE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A REFRESHER. WE COMPLETED ALL OF THE INTENSE SITE DUE DILIGENCE.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR, YOUR ALTA STUDIES, YOUR UTILITY STUDIES, YOUR, YOUR ZONING AND INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY GOTCHAS ON THE SITE THAT WE WOULDN'T GO FORWARD INTO THE MARKET AND THEN DISCOVER THERE WAS SOME VERY INHIBITING ENVIRONMENTAL FINDING, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THOSE HAVE ALL CHECKED OUT, AND THEN WE'VE COMPLETED A SERIES OF OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT FORM THE BACKBONE THIS. BUT THE DUE DILIGENCE IS COMPLETE.

THE MARKET SOUNDING REVEALS THAT THERE'S MEANINGFUL INTEREST IN COMPLETING THIS.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE CAPITAL MARKETS ARE NOT FAVORABLE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, BUT FOR A PUBLIC SECTOR LANDOWNER, THAT CREATES UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS IS INDICATIVE DESIGN THAT SHOWS THE GENERAL SIZE AND SCALE OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE ON NORTH OAK CLIFF. THERE ARE NEW PARKING, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT— A NEW PARKING CODE THAT GIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES TO SIZE AND SCALE. SO WHAT WE ANALYZED WAS AN UNDER-200-UNIT PARKING, UH, 100-200-UNIT DEVELOPMENT TO ALLOW FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE REDUCED PARKING CODE.

THE MARKET, QUOTE UNQUOTE MARKET DEAL HERE, IS THE SUPERIOR REVENUE STREAM TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARIES. AND THEN MARKET, AND TODAY BECAUSE OF WHERE UNIT COSTS ARE AND UNIT REVENUES ARE, IS ACTUALLY FAIRLY CLOSE TO AMI LIMITS. SO THERE'S SOME INTERSECTION THERE.

WE DETERMINED THAT A LI-TECH STRUCTURE HERE WAS NOT AS EFFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT BE AS COMPETITIVE.

BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THIS IS A HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREA. ADMITTEDLY, YOU MAY NOT LIKE THE BLOCKING AND THE MASSING HERE, AND THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.

THIS IS DIRECTIONAL TO SHOW WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND ALSO TO FORM A HIGH SIDE OF THE ANALYSIS.

IN OTHER WORDS, TO SHOW WHAT YOUR MAXIMUM BENEFIT IS. THIS IS NOT INDICATIVE OF WHAT WILL BE PURSUED, AND COUNCIL WILL— EXCUSE ME— WE WILL WELCOME YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF THE PERFORMANCE SPECS AND THE DESIGN CRITERIA THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND THAT WOULD BE ARTICULATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.

BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THIS FORMS A SENSE OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE ON THE SITE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS THE PROJECT VISION FOR THE LIBRARY PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED TO CBRE FROM THE LIBRARY TEAM.

IT'S— THIS IS A NICE WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE BLOCK AND TACKLE COMPONENTS OF WHAT IS REQUIRED IN A LIBRARY PROGRAM. UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S NOT A DESIGN HERE. THIS IS THE

[02:00:01]

BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT'S ABOUT 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF PROGRAM, BUT IN AN INTEGRATED MIXED-USE PROJECT FOR EXAMPLE, THERE CAN BE SHARING OF AMENITIES OR OVERLAP OF AMENITIES THAT MIGHT LEAD TO CONSTRUCTION EFFICIENCIES FOR THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY, SO HOW WOULD WE DO THIS? UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IN A PROJECT EXECUTION OF THIS SIZE, WE WANT TO TARGET A DENSITY THAT MAKES SENSE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MARKET.

WE LOOKED AT 300-UNIT PROJECTS, ASSEMBLING SITES, MAKING THE PROJECT LARGER.

BUT WE HAVE TO ALIGN ON KIND OF A COMMON GROUND, A STARTING POINT. AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND AT THIS POINT YOU GENERALLY TARGET AROUND 200 UNITS, A LITTLE BIT UNDER, FOR THE PARKING CODE COMPLIANCE.

THE— IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH, WITH STAKEHOLDERS, WE CLEARLY DON'T WANT A LIBRARY ON THE TOP FLOOR. WE WANT GROUND FLOOR INTEGRATION. THE IDEA HERE IS HIGH DESIGN INGRESS/EGRESS, SOME PUBLIC SPACES, OPEN SPACE WHERE POSSIBLE.

IT'S NOT UP TO US ON THE CONSULTING SIDE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT DESIGN THAT SATISFIES EVERYONE. WE'RE BIG BELIEVERS IN COMPETITION AND LETTING THE DESIGN COMMUNITY PRODUCE A VARIETY OF POSSIBILITIES. SO GROUND FLOOR LEVEL LIBRARY AND PUBLIC SPACES, HIGH DESIGN INGRESS/EGRESS IS IS THE ALIGNMENT WE FOUND SO FAR.

NOW, YOU'LL NOTICE THIS IS— IN THIS ANALYSIS, WE DID 100% MARKET RATE UNITS.

THE IDEA AND THE PRIMARY DRIVER HERE IS TO FIND REVENUE TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARIES, AND THAT MERITS THE JUSTIFICATION OF A COMPLEX EXECUTION STRATEGY. SO THIS IS NOT A PRESCRIPTIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE WANT TO HIT XYZ AMI UNITS AFFORDABILITY LIMITS.

THAT SAID, YOU COULD REQUEST THAT. OUR INITIAL INDICATIONS IN THE FEASIBILITY SAYS BECAUSE OF THE STATUS OF THE CURRENT MARKET AND BECAUSE OF THE UNIT RATES THAT ARE BEING ACHIEVED IN THIS SUBMARKET, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF BENEFIT TO PURSUING AN EVEN MORE COMPLICATED EXECUTION STRATEGY WITH LIHTC, WHICH WOULD TAKE POTENTIALLY AN EXTRA YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF OF EXECUTION.

EXECUTION TIMELINE.

SO THE MODEL AND THE NUMBERS THAT I'M GOING TO CITE ARE PREDICATED ON MARKET RATES, AGAIN WITH THE PRIMARY DRIVER BEING GENERATING REVENUE TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT A TWO-STEP RFP WITH A QUALIFICATIONS PACKET FIRST, WITH THE CITY CONTRIBUTING THE LAND TOWARD THE POTENTIAL JOINT VENTURE, EITHER IN THE FORM OF A GROUND LEASE OR PARTICIPATORY GROUND LEASE OR AN OUTRIGHT EQUITY CONTRIBUTION, UM, CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THIS STRATEGY. THAT SAID, THE EXACT RETURNS ARE ALWAYS A SUBJECT OF COMPETITION.

UH, THE PROGRAM INCLUDES 40 SPACES OF PARKING FOR THE LIBRARY. THIS WOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT, SHARING PARKING. THERE ARE HOUR OVERLAPS THAT ARE ACCRETIVE WITH MULTI- FAMILY AND RETAIL, UM, BASED ON THE HOURS OF OPERATION.

SO, UH, THERE PROBABLY WILL BE SOME SHARING OR PARKING EASEMENTS OR A JOINT PARKING, UM, ACCESS PROGRAM THAT WOULD MAKE THE MOST SENSE FOR THIS.

UH, IMPORTANTLY, AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS, I SAID THIS EARLIER, THIS IS AN INDICATIVE DESIGN, IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIVE.

UM, AND IN ALL OF THESE EXECUTION MODELS, THE CITY RETAINS FULL CONTROL OVER INPUTS AND THE EXECUTION OF THE LIBRARY DESIGN.

WE'RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU HAVE TO REDUCE THE QUALITY OF THE LIBRARY TO EXECUTE THIS PROJECT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY, SO WHAT— WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT? UM, A LIB— EXCUSE ME, A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SIZE IS A $50 TO $55 MILLION PROJECT.

IN THE MARKET RATE ANALYSIS WE'VE KEPT THE PROPERTY ON THE TAX ROLLS, AND OVER 10 TO 15 YEARS, YOU ALL OBVIOUSLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT STAKE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOME BY KEEPING PROPERTIES ON THE TAX ROLLS. IN, IN AGGREGATE, WE THINK THERE IS A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BENEFIT TO KEEPING THIS ON THE TAX ROLLS AND PURSUING THIS. THAT SAID, THAT ALSO CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF A BUFFER WE'VE MODELED THINGS CONSERVATIVELY WITH HIGH CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

IF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS COME IN LOWER, THAT WOULD BE ACCRETIVE TO THE OVERALL ECONOMICS FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEVELOPER AND THE CITY. THAT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU ROOM TO ADD THINGS LIKE AFFORDABILITY OR INVEST ADDITIONAL CAPITAL INTO THE LIBRARY. SO WITH THE

[02:05:02]

AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND TO STAFF WHO WOULD BE EXECUTING THIS PROJECT, IS, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT THE OUTCOME AND THE COMPETITIVE POOL IS AND THEN CHECK BACK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE SURE WE ASK THE RIGHT THINGS. BUT AT PROJECT LEVEL ECONOMICS, OUTSIDE OF TAXES, WE THINK THERE'S A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS OF CASH FLOW AND THEN SOME SORT OF MARKUP ON THE LAND CONTRIBUTION OR PARTICIPATION IN THE GROUND LEASE, THAT WOULD BE REVENUE THAT YOU ALL COULD DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH, WHETHER THAT GOES TO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM OR BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. I THINK IT'S A POLICY QUESTION, BUT THAT'S THE INITIAL FINDINGS ON NORTH OAK CLIFF, AGAIN SUBJECT TO MARKET RATES, NOT AT A PRESCRIPTIVE AMI RATE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. PARK FOREST IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT OUTCOME. THERE ARE DESIGN AND ENTITLEMENT AND ZONING ISSUES THAT IMPACT THIS SITE.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT A PROJECT SIZE OF ABOUT 160 UNITS IS THE RIGHT MIX, UM, GIVEN SOME OF THE SETBACKS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRATION BASED ON WHERE THE SITE IS LOCATED.

AND HERE, A 4% LIHTC STRATEGY IS MOST LIKELY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME, UH, AGAIN, SUBJECT TO COMPETITION. UH, THIS MARKET IS PRETTY NATURAL FOR TARGETING SENIOR HOUSING, AND WE THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPERS THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY WANT TO RESPOND TO THIS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO SEE, BUT WE DID EXAMINE IN THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT WHAT A LARGER PROJECT WOULD LOOK LIKE. ONCE YOU GET OVER THAT 160 UNITS, AND I MEAN 160 TO 200, THERE'S SOME ACCRETIVE BENEFITS OVER 200, DEFINITELY NOT.

THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL MARKETS IMPLICATIONS. SO, UH, WE DEFINITELY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A LARGER SIZE PROJECT IS GOING TO BENEFIT YOU ALL. AND IN FACT, ONCE YOU GET OVER CERTAIN SIZES, THE, THE TYPE OF DEVELOPER STARTS TO CHANGE.

SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT 160 UNITS HERE. AGAIN, GROUND LEVEL ACCESS FOR THE LIBRARY WITH HIGH DESIGN HIGH DESIGN INGRESS AND EGRESS. THERE IS A SITE AND PARK RIGHT NEXT DOOR, SO THERE'S SOME VERY NATURAL OPEN SPACE THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH THAT HIGH DESIGN.

SO WE THINK IT WOULD BE A REALLY NICE LOOK AND FEEL TO THE AGGREGATE PROJECT.

HERE, BECAUSE OF THE LIHTC STRATEGY ON THE FINANCING SIDE, WE THINK YOU'LL SEE MOST OF THE UNITS AT ABOUT 60% AMI. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE A MARKET COMPONENT AS WELL, AND THAT MIX OF MARKET TO AMI AND THE FINAL FINANCING STRATEGY WILL BE THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF FINANCIAL RETURNS TO THE CITY.

SIMILAR THOUGHTS ON EXECUTION STRATEGY AND PARKING HERE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE FINANCIAL MODELING HERE, DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

THIS IS OFF THE TAX ROLLS IN THE INITIAL MODEL, AND THE FINANCIAL RETURNS TO THE CITY HERE ARE, ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN OAK CLIFF. THAT SAID, BECAUSE OF THE LIHTC EXECUTION STRATEGIES AND THIS— AND THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN A FORM OF A GROUND LEASE OR IN THE FORM OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEVELOPER, YOUR RETURNS WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE PROFITABILITY OF THE PROJECT. AND WE THINK IT'S GOING TO END UP AROUND $300,000 A YEAR IN BETWEEN YOUR GROUND LEASE PARTICIPATION AND FEE SPLITS, POTENTIALLY PLUS A NEGOTIABLE PERCENTAGE OF EQUITY IN THE PROJECT.

SO $300,000, A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS PROJECT, BUT THAT AGAIN CAN BE ACCRETIVE AND USED FOR WHATEVER YOU ALL SEE FIT.

15-YEAR OUTCOME HERE, STILL A FEW MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE OF THE PARTICIPATION AND THE EXIT ON THE BACK END. SO THERE'S A LOT OF INPUTS THAT GO INTO THESE.

THESE ARE, UH, VERY SIMPLIFIED MODELS FOR PRESENTATION, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH THERE IN ALL THE ITERATIONS THAT WE DID OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS, ONE, MARKET DEPTH, AND TWO, POSITIVE FINANCIAL RETURNS FOR THE CITY SUCH THAT IT SHOULD BE EXPLORED. ADMITTEDLY, THE MARKET CAN CHANGE. MARKET CONDITIONS COULD PROVE US WRONG IN A COUPLE MONTHS AS WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THIS.

THAT SAID, THERE'S ENOUGH THERE THAT WE THINK IT SHOULD BE EXPLORED IN THE THEME OF STEWARDSHIP AND FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT THE WHAT THE DESIGN, THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS, AND THE COMPETITION LOOKS LIKE AND REPORT BACK THEORETICALLY.

THANK YOU. I THINK I'LL STOP THERE AND OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THAT PRESENTATION AND THE WORK DONE TO GET THAT GOING.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GOING TO START WITH THE PROPERTIES, UH, IN THE AWARD THAT THEY WERE PRESENTED. SO I'LL START WITH CHAIR WEST AND THEN GO TO DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRMAN, AND THANKS FOR MAKING THIS— CONTINUING TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY ON HERE. I WANT TO SAY, FIRST

[02:10:01]

SO FOR EVERYONE ON THE TEAM WHO'S DONE THIS, THIS IS— I FEEL LIKE IN SOME SITUATIONS I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY HOUND AND PUSH TO GET PROJECTS MOVING, AND THIS IS LIKE COMING AT ME ME BEFORE I'M EVEN ANTICIPATING IT. SO IT'S ACTUALLY VERY REFRESHING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

SO PETER, YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED SOME OF MY PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, I DID CALL YOU AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE BLOCKING AND WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT NOTHING IN THIS PRESENTATION INCLUDED ANYTHING ABOUT OPEN SPACE, OUTDOOR OPEN SPACE, WHICH IS DRASTICALLY MISSING IN THE BISHOP ARTS AREA AND WAS IN INCLUDED AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN THE SURVEY, WHICH WAS TAKEN IN 2018 FOR THE NORTH OAK CLIFF LIBRARY. YOUR RESPONSE TO ME WAS— GOT ME, TALKED ME OFF THAT LEDGE, WHICH WAS LIKE, LET'S LET THE DESIGN TEAM KIND OF COME UP WITH ALL THE BEST OPTIONS, BUT ABSOLUTELY PUT THOSE REQUESTS IN THE RFP. I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY IF I MISSTATED ANY OF THAT.

YES, SIR. NO, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THEMATICALLY, WE'RE BIG BELIEVERS IN COMPETITION.

AND YOU HAVE TO CAST A BROAD NET AND DEFINE A SANDBOX THAT'S FAIRLY WIDE. YOU WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AND SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH.

I'M NOT A BIG BELIEVER IN PRESCRIPTIVE DESIGN WHICH SAYS IT HAS TO BE THIS OR THAT OR THE OTHER, BECAUSE SOME OF THE INPUTS IN THE MARKET CHANGE FASTER THAN THOSE PRESCRIPTIVE DESIGNS CAN OCCUR.

FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT SAY WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE THIS LEVEL OF HARDSCAPING OR LANDSCAPING, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, BUT WE FIND OUT THROUGH MATERIAL SELECTION AND DESIGN THAT THOSE THINGS BECOME COST PROHIBITIVE. WELL, THAT MIGHT SET US BACK 6 OR 9 MONTHS. SO THEMATICALLY AND PHILOSOPHICALLY, WE ADVISE AND TRY TO CREATE A VERY BROAD POOL OF COMPETITION.

THAT WAY YOU ALL CAN SAY WHAT YOU'RE NOT YOU CAN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NO TO BEFORE YOU SAY YES TO SOMETHING, RIGHT? AND THAT, I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS, IT JUST LEADS TO BETTER OUTCOMES. ONE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T POSSIBLY THINK OF ALL THE ITERATIONS OF DESIGN, AND TWO, AS CAPITAL MOVES BACK AND FORTH, SOME OF THE CAPITAL SOURCES HAVE VERY SPECIFIC MANDATES. WE WOULD NOT WANT TO EXCLUDE THEM FROM PARTICIPATING BY SUGGESTING A DESIGN FOCUS THAT'S TOO NARROW.

BUT 100% BIG BELIEVER IN OPEN SPACES, INTEGRATED HIGH DESIGN. BUT IN A 200-UNIT, YOU KNOW, $50 MILLION PROJECT, THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO GET THERE. AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE MARKET COULD PRODUCE, ITERATE ALONGSIDE THEM BEFORE MAKING A FINAL RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.

UM, AS PART OF THE— WELL, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THE RFP GOES OUT TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK ON WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE RFP, OR IS THIS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT NOW? I'D WELCOME THE FEEDBACK NOW AS THE CITY STAFF.

WELL, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU.

YOUR CALL.

I WAS FIGHTING THIS BUTTON. MY APOLOGIES. DONZEL GIBSON, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

ABSOLUTELY. IN FACT, I DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE, TO THE END OF THE STORY, BUT OUR NEXT STEP, AND IN MY MIND, WOULD BE IF THE COMMITTEE YOU KNOW, STILL HAS THE SAME LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM THAT I BELIEVE WE'RE HEARING, IS THAT WE DO A FULL COUNCIL BRIEFING FOR TWO REASONS. ONE, UH, THIS IS KIND OF A TRAILBLAZER PROJECT.

YEAH. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS, INCLUDING THINGS THAT HE MENTIONED, LIHTC, AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE WOULD WANT THE FULL COUNCIL TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE AND NOT JUST SILO THESE OFF AS TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS, BUT INVOLVE THE FULL COUNCIL AND MAKE SURE THAT FROM A POLICY DIRECTION, THESE ARE THE TYPE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO DO WITH ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK WE NEED TO INCORPORATE PRE-RFP.

AND THEN AT THAT STAGE, IN MY MIND, AFTER THAT BRIEFING, YOU GUYS GIVE US THE THUMBS UP TO GO AND MOVE FORWARD.

AND THEN PETER DOES HIS COMPETITIVE RFP WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BRING US THE BEST SOLUTIONS.

VERY GOOD. WELL, I WON'T TAKE UP THE COMMITTEE'S TIME WITH LIKE THIS VERY DISTRICT-SPECIFIC PROJECT, BUT I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE OTHER MINOR QUESTIONS HERE.

YOU MENTIONED THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR FACTORS IN, IN YOUR UNIT MIX WAS TO GENERATE THE REVENUE TO PAY FOR THE LIBRARY, OR YOU SAID SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. IS IT PAYING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LIBRARY AND THE ONGOING OPERATIONS? WILL, WILL THERE BE ONGOING REVENUE, OR IS IT JUST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION? IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW YOU STRUCTURE THE DEAL.

SO YOU HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO IDENTIFY OBVIOUSLY THE BEST DEAL TERMS. BUT, UH, YOU COULD STRUCTURE IT IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. THE, THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE IS ROUGHLY $10 MILLION THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION. THE IDEA IS TO CONTRIBUTE THE LAND AND THAT FUNDING AND SAY, COME UP WITH THE BEST INTEGRATED SOLUTION YOU POSSIBLY CAN, AND THEN WORK

[02:15:02]

AND IN THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO, THE CITY BECOMES AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THOSE PROFITS.

AND HOW THAT'S ALLOCATED IS, I THINK, A POLICY DECISION, BUT IT VERY WELL COULD BE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS ACTIVE ONGOING OPERATIONS. THIS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A COMMERCIAL CONDOMINIUM REGIME, AND THE CITY WILL HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO TO BE A UNIT INSIDE OF THAT REGIME TO FUND ITS ONGOING OBLIGATIONS SUCH AS MAINTENANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN THE OVERALL COST TO OPERATE THIS.

BUT THE OFFSETS ARE REALLY A MATTER OF YOUR DISCRETION.

GREAT. I GUESS AS WE DEVELOP THE RFP, I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE WHATEVER POLICY CHANGES NEED TO BE HAD TO SHOW THAT IF WE DO INCLUDE REVENUE FOR ONGOING OPERATIONS OF THE LIBRARY, THAT IS WORKED OUT BEFORE THIS IS ALL— THAT CAN ALL BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION WITH WHOEVER APPLIES.

AND ABSOLUTELY, THAT, THAT WAS MY SAME LINE OF THINKING AS WE MOVED TO FULL COUNCIL AND LAY OUT, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO— FORGIVE ME, I SAID THIS— WE'RE RIGHT IN NEW TERRITORY. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, ALL OF THIS FITS IN. IF IT'S GOING TO— I SEE MANYA OVER THERE WHO'S ALL THUMBS UP GOING ANYTHING FOR THE LIBRARY.

BY ALL MEANS. SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE SURE IT'S SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, THEN WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FULL COUNCIL HAD A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE. AND IT ALSO OPENS THE DOOR FOR FUTURE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LAY OUT A GOOD PROGRAM, NOT JUST, JUST THESE TWO PROJECTS.

THANK YOU. AND THEN PETER, UH, THIS IS— THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.

UM, ON THE— YOU, YOU'VE DONE THE NUMBERS AND SAW THAT LYTEC'S NOT, UH, IT DOESN'T WORK FOR THE NUMBERS HERE.

BUT YOU MENTIONED— I WROTE DOWN SLIDE 8, I THINK YOU, YOU LIST ALL THE BEDROOM SIZES ARE 1 OR 2 BEDROOMS. YOU KNOW, BEING ABOVE A LIBRARY WOULD BE GREAT FOR FAMILIES. IS THERE ANY SCENARIO WHERE 3-BEDROOM MIX COULD WORK IN THIS? YEAH, AND I THINK ACTUALLY THERE'S A TYPO.

THERE ARE 1 AND 2 AND 3 BEDROOMS IN THE MODEL. UM, THE EXACT UNIT MIX IS REALLY SUBJECT TO A DEVELOPER'S VISION FOR THE PROJECT. BUT, UH, YEAH, YOU CAN INTEGRATE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNIT MIXES IN HERE.

ALL RIGHT, FINAL QUESTION.

AT ONE POINT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AN ACQUISITION BY THE CITY AT THE ADJACENT PARCEL ON THE BLOCK. I DON'T WANT TO SLOW THIS DOWN BY TRYING TO GO THROUGH THAT LONG PROCESS.

DID THAT EVER GO ANYWHERE? NO, SIR, I HAVE NO DIRECTION TO PURSUE ANY OF THAT. OKAY, THANKS. THANK YOU.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. WELL, TO SAY THAT I'M GIDDY OVER THIS FINALLY GETTING TO THIS POINT IS JUST AN UNDERSTATEMENT. BUT IT'S AN EXCITING DAY BECAUSE THIS IS A MARRIAGE OF CITY PROPERTY, LIBRARY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

MINE HAS A GREENING INITIATIVE, SO THERE'S PARK SPACE. I WOULD CALL THIS THE CITY OF DALLAS REAL ESTATE MAXING. I MEAN, THIS IS LIKE TAKING SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT AND JUST SUPERSIZING IT OVER AND OVER IN ALL OF THESE CATEGORIES.

SO I'M SUPER EXCITED. I LIKE SEEING THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SENIOR HOUSING. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THROWING THAT OUT THERE IN YOUR RESEARCH, THAT IS BUBBLING UP TO BEING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PARK FOREST LOCATION.

YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND IS— I MEAN, BUT OTHER OPTIONS COULD ALSO BE OUT THERE, OR ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS REALLY A ZONE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE? WELL, THERE ARE, OF COURSE, A HOST OF OUTCOMES IN TERMS OF DEVELOPERS, THEIR INVESTMENT STYLES, THEIR PREFERRED UNIT MIXES.

BUT WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS WHEN THERE'S A MARRIAGE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE USES, SENIOR HOUSING IS A VERY NATURAL FIT, AND THAT IS IN NEED IN THIS SUBMARKET. SO ONE, WE'RE GOING TO ACTIVELY MARKET— SO WE'VE RECEIVED DIRECTION TO GO THIS PATH TO THOSE TYPE OF DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS.

SO THERE'S THE ACTIVE APPROACH, BUT BUT THEN THERE'S JUST THE NATURAL MARKET FORCES THAT ALREADY SUGGEST THAT'S A VIABLE AND INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT MAY BE MISSING IN THAT SUBMARKET.

THAT SAID, WE HAVE TO PROVE IT OUT, AND WE'LL HAVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DEVELOPERS WANT TO RESPOND AND WHY. WELL, AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO BE WORKING WITH CBRE. I MEAN, YOU ALL JUST BRING SO MUCH TO THE TABLE.

I LOVE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN OUR TWO PROJECTS AND THAT PARK FOREST WOULD BRING IN LIHTC THAT THAT COULD HELP MAKE IT GO, BUT IT DOES NOT MAKE THE BISHOP ARTS PROJECT GO. AND SO THIS— THESE ARE THE THINGS, EXACTLY THE THINGS WE NEEDED TO SORT THROUGH. AND I DO APPRECIATE, UM, DONZEL AND MANYA, BECAUSE I WAS SO AFRAID, BECAUSE THIS IS TRAILBLAZING, THAT IT MIGHT GO OFF THE RAILS AND IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN.

AND YOU ALL ARE CHARGING AHEAD, SO THANK YOU. UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS WE OFTEN HEAR WITH OUR HFC THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DRAWBACKS OF PFCS OR HFCS ARE HAVING TAX EXEMPT, UM, THE TAX EXEMPTION. SO THIS LAND IS ALREADY TAX EXEMPT, AND THOUGH WE COULD BRING IN A COMPONENT WHERE WE COULD DO THE GROUND LEASE OR WHATEVER AND GENERATE REVENUE, UM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON— I MEAN, I GUESS WE SHOULD SEE WHAT THE MARKETPLACE YIELDS,

[02:20:02]

YEAH, I MEAN, MY PHILOSOPHY AROUND THIS IS, I MEAN, THE CITY, BY ALL CITIES, BY BY DEFAULT ARE IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS, AND ALL OF YOUR PROPERTIES ARE OFF THE TAX ROLLS THAT YOU OWN.

AND SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE HARM IN EXPLORING WHAT OTHER THINGS COULD BE DEVELOPED ON TOP, BUT THE DURATION OF THOSE AGREEMENTS, THAT'S SUBJECT TO HFC, PFC, AND COUNCIL DIRECTION. YOU HAVE MANY BITES AT THE APPLE, SO TO SPEAK, TO GO THROUGH FINAL APPROVAL.

APPROVALS ON THOSE. SO, UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, COULD THIS BECOME ON THE TAX ROLLS? POSSIBLY.

UM, COULD IT STAY OFF THE TAX ROLLS FOR A VERY LONG TIME? ALSO A POSSIBILITY.

UM, THAT SAID, BY DEFAULT IT'S OFF THE TAX ROLLS, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY, UH, LOSING ANYTHING, SO TO SPEAK, RIGHT NOW IN ITS, IN ITS DEFAULT MODE.

WELL, AND THAT'S THE POINT.

AND THEN THE LEASE REVENUE COULD HELP GO BACK TO THE MODEL THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK TOWARD, I THINK, WHICH IS HAVING— AMENDING OUR POLICY TO WHERE A LIBRARY BECOMES NOT THE STANDALONE ANYMORE, BUT IT'S TIED VERY MUCH TO A CRITICAL NEED OF THE CITY, WHICH IN THIS CASE WOULD BE HOUSING, AND GENERATE SOME REVENUE THAT THEN GOES INTO HELPING THE LIBRARY OPERATE.

UM, AND I TOO HAD TALKED TO CHAIR WEST AND TO YOU ABOUT THE MASSING OR THE WAY THE PROJECT LOOKS. I WOULD NOT WANT A BIG PARKING GARAGE ALONG MARSH LANE BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE GOING TO LET THE EXPERTISE OF THE MARKETPLACE COME BACK AND GET CREATIVE ABOUT GREEN SPACE AND HOW THIS WOULD TAKE SHAPE.

OKAY.

I THINK— I HAVE VISITED THE BRONX AND BROOKLYN MODELS, AND I THINK THAT BEFORE WE GO TO MARKET WITH THIS RFP, WE MIGHT WANT TO GET SOME OF THE LEARNING FROM SOME FOLKS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONNECT YOU WITH THERE. MR. GIBSON.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS END? I'LL JUMP DOWN TO CHAIR ROTH. THANK YOU. THANKS, PETER, FOR THE— THIS IS REALLY ACTUALLY VERY EXCITING TO ME.

THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO DO A DEVELOPMENT THAT INCORPORATES THE LIBRARIES REALLY MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. I'M SORT OF INTRIGUED WITH SOME OF THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THERE MIGHT BE RELATED TO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE AGAIN, RATHER THAN DEALING WITH SPECIFICS, I'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME MAYBE CREATIVE IDEAS ON HOW TO FORMULATE THE DEVELOPMENT AS BEING POTENTIALLY SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS WE'VE HAD WHERE THE DEVELOPERS BUILD THE PROJECT, THEY PROVIDE THE SERVICE, AND THEY CONTRACT AS A REVENUE GENERATOR WITH US TO PROVIDE THE, THE SERVICE FOR THE LIBRARY AS PART OF THEIR ENTITLEMENT OR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT SOME OF THESE COULD BE— DID YOU SAY THIS WAS POTENTIALLY A CONDOMINIUM PROJECT? AND POTENTIALLY, YEAH, I THINK LEGALLY IT'LL BE SET UP AS A CONDOMINIUM REGIME WHERE THE PRIVATE SECTOR OWNS THE PRIVATE MARKET UNITS AND THEN THE CITY OWNS A UNIT INSIDE THE REGIME, AND THAT HAS TWO PROTECTIONS.

ONE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNER KNOWS THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO FULFILL A CONTRACT WITH RESPECT TO UPKEEPING YOUR OWN SPACE, BUT TWO, YOU ALL OBVIOUSLY KEEP FEE TITLE TO THE SPACE, AND IN THE CONTEXT OF A GROUND LEASE OR RETAINING OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND, THAT SEEMS PRETTY NATURAL.

THAT SAID— IT'S ANOTHER STRUCTURE. IT'S AN INTERESTING— AND I LIKE THAT IT'S AN INTERESTING STRUCTURE.

THE OTHER QUESTION IS, IS THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE LIBRARY AT THE 20,000, 17,000 SQUARE FEET FACILITY, IS THAT SORT OF THE WISH LIST TYPE OF A LIBRARY? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S THERE ALREADY THAT YOU'D WANT TO SORT OF EMULATE OR IS THAT SORT OF A BIG NUMBER THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT MUCH LIBRARY SPACE? LIBRARY FACILITY IN THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.

MY POINT BEING IS THAT THAT MIGHT GO TO THE SERVICES, THE SIZE, THE ABILITY FOR A DEVELOPER TO MAYBE PROVIDE A DIFFERENT FINANCIAL MODEL THAT MIGHT FACILITATE HAVING A LIBRARY THAT MAY HAVE DIFFERENT SERVICE COMPONENT, BUT THAT MIGHT BE MORE AFFORDABLE AND BE ABLE TO BE— THE COST BE ABLE TO BE PASSED ON TO THE DEVELOPER, AND WE COULD BE A RESOURCE FOR A SERVICE PROVIDER, WHICH WOULD GENERATE A REVENUE STREAM. AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST AN IDEA, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING TO DEBATE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT.

BUT IS THE $17,000 A NUMBER THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE? IS THAT SORT OF JUST AN IDEA? GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE VERY COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT IN THE INPUTS WE RECEIVE FROM THE LIBRARY TEAM AND STAKEHOLDERS WITH RESPECT TO

[02:25:01]

A STANDALONE BUILDING CAN SOMETIMES BE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE SHARED COST OF A MIXED-USE PROJECT. SO I THINK IT, IT, IT'S GOOD DATA TO COLLECT ABOUT WHETHER AN INTEGRATED DESIGN AND EXECUTION STRATEGY EXECUTED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR ENDS UP COMING IN LOWER COST THAN PERHAPS A STANDALONE BUILDING EXECUTED THROUGH TRADITIONAL PROCESSES.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE RELEVANT INFORMATION POINTS FOR YOU ALL.

THAT SAID, I THINK THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROGRAM ARE BEST ANSWERED BY, BY MANYA.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, PETER, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER ROTH.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'VE WORKED ON A COUPLE OF DOZEN LIBRARY PROJECTS, AND THE SQUARE FOOTAGE DOESN'T NEED TO DICTATE THE PROGRAM.

I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE LIBRARY SERVICES CAN CONTRACT OR EXPAND BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WE'RE GIVEN. YOU KNOW, PRESTON ROYAL IS NOT BIG, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A FULL-SERVICE LIBRARY. I'VE HAD 900-SQUARE-FOOT LIBRARIES, SO 17,000 IS NOT A NUMBER THAT I HANG MY HAT ON.

I WOULD SAY FOR EACH OF THESE PROJECTS, THE LIBRARY DESIGN— AND PETER HAS ASSURED ME THAT THIS WILL BE THE CASE— WE WILL BE DESIGNING THE LIBRARY, NOT THE DEVELOPERS. AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPORTANT THING THAT WE ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN A MODERN LIBRARY.

AND WHETHER IT'S 17,000 SQUARE FEET OR 25,000 SQUARE FEET, WE WILL— IT WILL BE AN INCREDIBLE LIBRARY.

DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES. WHAT I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE IS WHAT'S DRIVING THE DECISION. IS IT THE— YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS ASK FOR THE BIGGEST PROJECT, THE BIGGEST BUILDING.

WHEN YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY WHAT KIND OF A BUILDING DO YOU WANT, I'M GOING TO SAY I WANT EVERYTHING IN IT. BUT THAT MAY DRIVE ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARKETPLACE WITH WHO IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT, HOW IS IT GOING TO SIT ON THE SITE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THE LIBRARY WOULD HAVE IN TRYING TO BUILD THE PROJECT, PROVIDE THE FACILITY THAT WOULD HELP ALSO STIMULATE THE PROJECT TOO, SO THAT YOU GOT A WIN FOR BOTH PEOPLE.

ANYWAY, THAT, THAT'S SORT OF THE— THAT'S JUST A GENERAL COMMENT. I THINK I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I'M GOING TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH ON, ON THE QUESTION THAT YOU GAVE.

SO PETER MENTIONED— YOU GOT TO FORGIVE ME BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD— BUT LET'S SAY THERE'S $10 MILLION FOR THE LIBRARY. THAT $10 MILLION IS GOING TO BE USED FOR THE LIBRARY. SO IF CONSTRUCTION COSTS OR THINGS CHANGE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY BASED ON THE PROGRAM OR WHATEVER, SHE'S GOING TO GET A $10 MILLION LIBRARY.

AND IF THERE'S OTHER INCENTIVES AND THINGS THAT THE DEVELOPER CAN DO TO GROW THAT OR ENHANCE OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT THE BOND FUNDS THAT WERE, THAT WERE THERE ARE INTENDED TO PRODUCE A LIBRARY. AND IF EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT BECAUSE WE ALL WANT THIS TO WORK, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LIBRARY AT NORTH OAK CLIFF. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LIBRARY AT PARK FOREST WHEN IT'S DONE.

AND IF ONLY THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ARE JUST THOSE, THEN SO BE IT. I'LL JUST OFFER UP THIS COMMENT TOO. I MEAN, PHILOSOPHICALLY, UH, YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR STARTING POINT IS IN YOUR STATUS QUO, WHICH IS A NON-TAXABLE SITE THAT'S GOING TO GET A LIBRARY.

UM, THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NO TO AT THIS POINT? AND, AND YOU DON'T. UM, AND SO WE'RE SUGGESTING THAT BY EXPLORING THIS, YOU'LL AT LEAST HAVE SOME COMPARATIVE OPTIONS NOW, IF THE NORTH STAR IS THIS IS YOUR BUDGET, YOU'RE STAYING WITHIN YOUR BUDGET, BUT THE TEAM COMES BACK AND SAYS, WELL, IF YOU INCREASE THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT OR DECREASE THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT, THIS IS THE IMPACT, THOSE ARE DECISIONS THAT, TO MONTY'S POINT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE DESIGN OR BUDGET CONTROL ON THIS.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A MENU OF OPTIONS THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT SAYS, WELL, IF YOU WANT A LITTLE MORE OPEN SPACE, THIS IS THE IMPACT ON THE DEAL.

IF YOU WANT A FEW MORE UNITS OF AFFORDABILITY, THIS IS THE IMPACT ON THE DEAL. CONVERSELY, IF YOU ALLOW US TO BE 100% MARKET OR INCREASE THE MARKET UNITS, IT CREATES THIS LEVEL OF REVENUE STREAM FOR YOU. ALL THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED EITHER INTO CAPEX, UH, FOR INCREASED PROGRAM, UM, OR OPEX FOR DECREASED LONG-TERM COSTS.

SO THE INTENT IS TO GO CREATE THAT MENU OF OPTIONS GUIDED BY— WE WILL STAY WITHIN WITHIN BUDGET. AND THEN IF THINGS DETERMINE TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE MUCH MORE INFORMATION FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES TO COME BACK AND PRESENT A REASONABLE CASE AS TO THE RATIONALE GOING FORWARD.

HOW WOULD THE RFP BE? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO AN RFP PROCESS.

UM, WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL GOING TO BE? AND THAT'S WHERE I'M

[02:30:02]

RIGHT. WITHOUT HAVING SORT OF AN IDEA OF WHAT IS ACHIEVABLE.

AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO GET INTO THE DETAILS HERE, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT I CAN THAT YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER, I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU TO DO THAT. TO YOUR POINT ABOUT COMPETITION AND THE PROCESS, I THINK IT IS VERY RELEVANT TO THE CONVERSATION. IN THE TWO-STEP RFQ/RFP PROCESS, ONE, YOU WANT TO IDENTIFY QUALIFIED PARTIES WHO HAVE THE CHOPS TO GET THIS DONE.

THIS IS A COMPLICATED PROJECT.

WE— YOU CAN'T JUST PICK ANYBODY. YOU KNOW, THEIR CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE IS RELEVANT, THEIR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE, THEIR MULTIFAMILY, THEIR CAPITAL MARKETS EXPERIENCE, ALL VERY RELEVANT TO THE PROJECT.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, CAN THEY DESIGN AND INTEGRATE A USE LIKE THIS, WHICH SOME PARTIES WOULD SAY IS AN AMENITY, OTHER PARTIES MIGHT SAY IT MIGHT BE A DETRACTOR FROM THEIR MULTIFAMILY PROJECT.

IT GATHERS PEOPLE, AND THAT'S A POSITIVE FOR A HOST OF FACTORS.

IN THE PROCESS, THOUGH, THROUGH QUALIFICATIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ASK MULTIPLE QUESTIONS AND FOLLOW-UP, AND PARTIES WILL DO SOME LEVEL OF DESIGN, USUALLY FOR FREE.

BUT THEN WHEN YOU GET TO A DOWN SELECTION PROCESS TO YOUR TOP 3 OR 4 GROUPS, THEY'LL OBVIOUSLY INCREASE THEIR BIZ DEV SPEND TO TRY TO WIN THE PROJECT. AND THE HOPE IS THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, INDICATIVELY BEFORE YOU MAKE A SELECTION WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PRODUCE AND WHAT THE MODEL LOOKS LIKE.

BUT WHEN YOU SIGN YOUR EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATION AGREEMENT OR EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, IT'S STILL GOING TO HAVE A DESIGN PERMITTING PROCESS WITH AN OPEN BOOK METHODOLOGY TO ALLOW YOU ALL TO SEE ALL OF THOSE ITERATIONS ALONG THE WAY.

SO THE INTENT IS YOU DON'T LOSE CONTROL, YOU STAY WITHIN BUDGET, YOU SEE AS MANY GREAT IDEAS AS ARE POSSIBLE, AND THEN YOU MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION RATHER THAN MAKE YOUR PERMANENT DECISION TODAY, WHICH IS WE'RE JUST GOING TO BUILD A STANDALONE LIBRARY. I THINK THAT THIS REALLY DOES GO TO THE— TO YOUR POINT IN YOUR EARLIER PRESENTATION THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOMETHING TO A FACILITY THAT PARTNERS UP WITH A NON— A THIRD PARTY THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR ACTIVITY, THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SYNERGY, THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR COST SAVINGS. I THINK IT'S A— IT'S IT'S A VERY CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL WAY, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TRYING TO HELP PROMOTE THAT FOR THAT.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS AND WOULD NOT SIT HERE TAKING CREDIT FOR IT. I ARRIVED AND THIS IDEA WAS ALREADY IN THE WORKS, THANKS TO YOUR FELLOW COUNCILMEMBERS.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU, AND AGAIN, SHOUT OUT TO BOTH THE COLLEAGUES FOR SUCH AN INNOVATIVE IDEA IN TERMS IN TERMS OF HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF— OUT OF LEMONS, I GUESS, IF YOU WILL. UH, SO, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO CBRE AND THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO DO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.

WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOU, UH, AND THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO. AND OF COURSE, TO DONZEL AND HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN OUR COMPLICATED WORLD OF REAL ESTATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES. WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION NOW.

WE HAVE A FEW BRIEFING MEMOS TO GO THROUGH. ITEM D IS A MEMO REGARDING THE NORTH TEXAS HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PLAN FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP. I'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THERE.

IF NOT, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ITEM G— ITEM D. ITEM E IS THE INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF THE VETERANS FAIRS, UH, VETERAN SERVICES HERE. I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THIS BOOK, A BOOKLET HERE THAT SHOWS THAT REPORT AND WANTED TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS.

YES, MA'AM. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS. SO I WAS EXCITED TO SEE ON THE VETERAN AFFAIRS ON THIS ASSESSMENT THAT THIS IS REALLY NOT ABOUT HAVING TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS, BUT RATHER JUST HAVING THEM COMMUNICATE BETTER.

AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT, HOW ARE WE LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THIS? I WAS AT A YMCA EVENT ON SATURDAY AND LEARNED ABOUT A GROUP CALLED VETERANS CONNECT THAT MEETS MONTHLY AT THE SIMONA'S FAMILY Y, AND I WAS TELLING THEM THIS WAS COMING AND THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PROGRAM. ARE WE GOING TO MAKE OUTWARD EFFORTS TO GET THIS OUT TO THOSE WHO NEED IT? THANK YOU. THIS IS CHRISTINA DA SILVA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF HOUSING COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.

I JUST WANT TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OUR, OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION HERE AND WANT TO THANK THEM FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. WE ALSO, I BELIEVE, HAVE SMU ONLINE.

BUT ESSENTIALLY, THIS WHOLE EFFORT HAS BEEN IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION.

[02:35:01]

TO PUBLIC, YEAH.

WE ARE PLANNING TO POST THIS ONLINE AND THEN ALSO WOULD BE OPEN TO ANY OTHER FEEDBACK ON RECOMMENDATIONS. YOU KNOW, WE GENERALLY WOULD HAVE LIKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, THAT SORT OF THING. YEAH, BUT WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE THIS PUBLIC AND AVAILABLE.

ALL RIGHT. THANKS, CHAIR WEST. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALSO WE ARE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR HERE, VICE CHAIR COLE AND CHAIRMAN AYERS. WHO'S HERE.

I WANTED TO SEE IF— YEAH, HE'S COMING DOWN. IF THE CHAIRMAN HAD WANTED TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'VE WORKED TOGETHER ON THIS QUITE A BIT. OH, HE MAY— IT'S OKAY, BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING UP ON THE CLOCK.

HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE ALSO THAT ONE OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO WORK ON WITH THE COMMISSION IS THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO HOST AN ONLINE VIRTUAL HUB THAT WOULD ALSO HELP WITH RESOURCE REFERRAL CONNECTIONS. SO THAT WAS ONE THING HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

THIS REPORT WAS QUITE LONG AND MEATY, SO IT'S— I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT I, I READ THE HIGHLIGHTS, AND IT'S GOING TO BE SOME READING FOR LATER THIS WEEK. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, NOT JUST ON THIS REPORT, BUT, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE CONTINUED TO DO IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN, IN SERVING IN MANY AREAS VERSUS HOUSING, WHETHER IT'S RESOURCES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, HOW YOU'RE LEADING THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION, AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

UM, NEXT ITEM IS ITEM F.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? THAT IS UPCOMING AGENDA AUTHORIZED. I BELIEVE WE DO. WE DO.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL START WITH, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM THANK YOU.

SO THIS IS THE $20 MILLION BOND FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DMA, AND I NOTICED THAT THIS TALKS ABOUT CERTAIN PROJECT MANAGEMENT DUTIES COULD BE ASSIGNED TO THE DMA AND THAT THEY WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE DAY-TO-DAY PROJECT COORDINATION WITHOUT CHARGING A MANAGEMENT FEE.

GREAT.

BUT HOW ARE THEY HIRING WHO'S GOING TO BE MANAGING THIS PROJECT? SURE. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DMA FOR SEVERAL MONTHS IN DEVELOPING THIS AGREEMENT, AND THEY HAVE HIRED AN OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE THAT IS WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM. IT'S THE SAME FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY HELPED OUT— HELPED WITH THE AT&T PERFORMANCE ARTS CENTER, AND THIS IS THE SAME CONSTRUCTION MODEL WHERE WE HANDED OVER CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEM.

SO, SO WE'RE IN GOOD HANDS. BUT I COULD GET YOU A NAME OR THE COMPANY IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. I JUST DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT NOW.

I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND ON THIS PROPERTY THAT IT IS YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE PROFESSIONAL CAPABILITY THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE DELIVERING WHAT WE WANT. AND OUR OFFICE WILL BE INVOLVED ON THE WEEKLY CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS TOO. SO WE'RE NOT TAKING A STEP BACK.

WE'RE JUST HANDING OVER THE OVERALL HEAVY LIFTING.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RUFF.

THANK YOU. JUST TO FOLLOW UP, AND THEN I— THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD ALSO, WAS HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE ADMINISTERED AND PROCESSED.

BUT SECOND OF ALL, AND I'M ASKING THE QUESTION, IS THERE— I SEEM TO RECALL THAT THERE WAS SOME PLANS FOR THE— FOR THE RENOV— NOT JUST THE RENOVATION OF THE MUSEUM, BUT ALSO A NEW CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO BUILD A NEW OR IMPROVE, MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT TO THE MUSEUM.

MUSEUM. IS THAT, IS THAT SOMEHOW RELATED TO THIS, OR IS THAT A FUTURE PROJECT THAT'S JUST ASPIRATIONAL, RIGHT? OR WHERE DOES THIS COME INTO THIS, TO THAT ISSUE? SO FOR THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR, RELATED TO THE BOND DOLLARS, THAT IS STRICTLY, UM, UM, FOR THE CURRENT DMA BUILDING.

IT'S NOT PART OF THE EXPANSION.

SO WHAT IS THE— DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTED PLAN I DON'T KNOW. ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS HAVE REALLY RELATED TO THE EXISTING FACILITY AND THE NEEDS. AND WHEN DO YOU THINK THESE, THESE FUNDS WOULD BE ACTUALLY EXPENDED? WHEN THEY'D BE SPENT, UH, SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM.

I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OUT ON THE STREET, UM, THIS FALL.

SO IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, UH, WHEN THE BOND FUNDS WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THEM.

AND HAS ALL THEIR, ALL THESE, THESE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BIDDED AND SORT OF, I MEAN, THESE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS.

THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD. YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR DESIGNER ON, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER THE PLANS, AND, AND THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT PROJECTING WHAT THOSE ESTIMATES ARE GOING TO BE. SO YEAH, WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT ABOUT THEM.

AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE, THAT THESE COSTS MAY GO UP, WHAT IS OUR OBLIGATION, IF ANY, AS A CITY? IS, UH, OUR OBLIGATION IS JUST FOR THE $20 MILLION. SO IF THERE IS A CHANGE, IF THE PRICES DO GO UP, THEN WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO REDUCE THE SCOPE. WE'D HAVE

[02:40:01]

WE WOULD DO AS MUCH AS WE COULD WITH THAT $20 MILLION. OR DOES THE DMA HAVE TO PAY ITSELF OR RAISE THE FUNDS? YES, SO FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, WE— ALL WE HAVE IS THAT $20 MILLION. SO ANYTHING BEYOND THAT WOULD, WOULD EITHER BE SOMETHING DMA WOULD HAVE TO PICK UP OR WE WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO THEM, YOU KNOW, FOR MAYBE A FUTURE BOND PROGRAM.

IS IT ANTICIPATED SAY THAT— ARE THESE 2024 NUMBERS? ARE THESE 2026 ESTIMATES? I BELIEVE THOSE WERE ESCALATED TO '26, BUT I CAN CONFIRM THAT.

TYPICALLY, THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH THE BOND PROGRAM, IS WE ESCALATE TO MID-YEAR, AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS DONE IN THIS SITUATION, BUT I CAN CONFIRM THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ITEM F? MOVING TO ITEM G. ANY QUESTIONS? MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS. THANK YOU.

AND I JUST, UM, WANTED TO CHECK ON— THIS IS ABOUT THE SENIOR ASSESSMENT.

SO I BELIEVE IN— IT WAS IN NOVEMBER. I'M LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE ON THE THIRD PAGE OF THE MEMO, UM, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE I'M CORRECT.

SO THE SENIOR ASSESSMENT WHERE COUNCIL HAS HEARD THIS OR AT QUALITY OF LIFE, IT WAS ABOUT THE RESEARCH AND WHAT THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM WERE GOING TO BE. AND SO NOW WE'VE GOT THE FINDINGS AND THE PLAN, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT THAT HAS NOT COME TO US EXCEPT FOR TODAY IN MEMO FORM. YES, MA'AM.

JESSICA GALLISHAW, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. SO YES, WE HAD COME BEFORE THIS BODY TO DELIVER A SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS THAT HAD BEEN FOUND FROM THE RESEARCH AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES AND GOALS. HOWEVER, THE PLAN ITSELF WAS NOT FINALIZED UNTIL AROUND DECEMBER, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE PLAN IN FULL WAS TAKEN TO OUR SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR DISCUSSION.

THEY HAD HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. THEY PROVIDED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND FEEDBACK, AND WE TOOK IT BACK TO THEM FOR AN ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION IN FEBRUARY, WHICH IS WHEN THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION ACTUALLY APPROVED THE PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD. THE PLAN AS A WHOLE DOCUMENT HAS NOT COME TO THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE.

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY FOR THAT. AND— BUT I SEE THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON ACCEPTING IT IN MAY, MAY 27TH, AND I JUST FEEL LIKE OUR SENIORS ARE IMPORTANT, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH THEM. I KNOW I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THIS WITH THOSE THAT I REPRESENT, AND I JUST, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING WORTHY OF COUNCIL'S EXPOSURE AS A WHOLE TO THIS, AND TO GO THROUGH THIS AND BE SURE WE'RE SPENDING THE AMOUNT OF TIME ON IT.

I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION.

THEY MAY HAVE INTERACTIONS DIFFERENT THAN WE DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT SINCE WE'VE WAITED FOR A WHILE FOR THIS, THAT WHEN WE ADOPT IT, THAT WE ARE REALLY 100% BEHIND IT AND THAT WE ARE JUST TWEAKING IT OR REVISING IT OR UNDERSTANDING IT. AND GIVING IT THE APPROPRIATE EXPOSURE, TOO.

SO, CHAIR, I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT HERE FOR A BRIEFING AND THEN DO IT AT COUNCIL, TOO, OR IF WE COULD JUST GO ON AND SAY THIS IS ABOUT OUR FASTEST-GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC AND A HUGE SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION AND IT MERITS A FULL BRIEFING. SO— THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. LOOKS LIKE, UH, WE CAN DEFINITELY BRING IT BACK TO COMMITTEE. I THINK IT IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO COUNCIL ON MAY 27TH, AND WE HAVE COMMITTEE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, MAY 18TH.

YES, SO WE COULD DEFINITELY DO THAT, BUT THAT'S MISSING MY POINT OF HAVING A FULL BRIEFING ON OUR SENIOR STRATEGIC PLAN TO ALL OF COUNCIL. SO IT'S JUST KIND OF RIGHT THROUGH TO APPROVING IT ON THE AGENDA. AND I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, OTHERS MAY FEEL DIFFERENTLY.

I JUST I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVING THIS THE EXPOSURE AND THE THOUGHT AND THE ATTENTION TO THIS SEGMENT THAT HAS BEEN SO EASILY PUSHED TO THE BACK. AND I JUST— I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. I THINK THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CLARITY, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. I JUST WANT TO, JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION MYSELF, ARE YOU PROPOSING IT COMES BACK HERE OR TO FULL COUNCIL FIRST? WELL, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT GO TO THE FULL COUNCIL. OKAY.

IF WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST TAKE ANOTHER STEP.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, ITEM H IS A QUALITY OF LIFE FORECAST FOR COMMITTEE BRIEFINGS. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 11:52. THANK YOU ALL.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.