[Parks, Trails & Environment Committee on May 4, 2026.]
[00:00:07]
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 9:08, AND FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS, AS USUAL TO APPROVE MINUTES.ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR FIRST BRIEFING.
I BELIEVE WE MIGHT HAVE RABEKHA AND YARITZA WITH US AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. GREAT.
THANK YOU, CHAIR STEWART. YES. SO, ANGELA HODGES GOTT, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND I HAVE RABEKHA SIEBERT WITH ME, WHO IS HEADING UP OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE EFFORTS FOR OEQS.
AND TODAY WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU JUST AN UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES TO DATE FOR THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN.
OKAY. ARE WE GOOD TO PROCEED? TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES? OR. WELL, WE'RE HAVING CHAIR DIFFICULTIES. OKAY.
I DON'T MEAN CHAIRMAN. I MEAN FUNCTIONALITY OF A CHAIR.
OKAY. I THINK WE'RE READY TO PROCEED. GREAT. THANK YOU.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. TODAY'S CITIES ARE EXPERIENCING RAPID URBANIZATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND NUMEROUS OTHER STRESSES. FOOD SUPPLIES ARE VULNERABLE TO DISRUPTIONS FROM EXTREME WEATHER, LABOR SHORTAGES AND LACK OF DIVERSIFIED PRODUCTION.
BORN OUT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, OR CECAP GOAL 7, ALL DALLAS RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD. THE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN, OR CUAP, WAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH OF 2023.
OEQS HAS A RANGE OF MECHANISMS TO ACHIEVE THAT OVER A 5 TO 10 YEAR PERIOD.
NEXT SLIDE. AS ADOPTED IN 2023, THE CUAP PROVIDES FIVE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION, FOOD SOURCING AND ACCESS THROUGH INCREASED AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
01, TO REDUCE REGULATORY BARRIERS. 2, SUPPORT LAND ACCESS.
03, PROVIDE URBAN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO DALLAS RESIDENTS.
04, FACILITATE COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS AMONG URBAN AGRICULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS.
AND 5, TO BUILD MARKET OPPORTUNITIES. UNDER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE CUAP AIMS TO FOSTER A THRIVING, EQUITABLE AND RESILIENT LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM THAT EMPOWERS INDIVIDUALS, UNITES COMMUNITIES, CREATES ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND PROVIDES AFFORDABLE, FRESH AND NUTRITIOUS LOCAL FOOD.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE REMAINDER OF THIS PRESENTATION WILL PRIMARILY COVER THE UPDATES AS IT RELATES TO EACH OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. NEXT SLIDE. THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION LOOKS AT REDUCING REGULATORY BARRIERS. THE CUAP INCLUDED TWO POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.
THE FIRST SOLUTION CALLS FOR UPDATING DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE AS ONE SOLUTION.
HOWEVER, THE TEXAS HOUSE BILL 1750, PASSED DURING THE 88TH LEGISLATURE, AMENDED THE TEXAS AGRICULTURE CODE AND NOW PRESCRIBES WHAT MUNICIPALITIES MAY AND MAY NOT REGULATE REGARDING AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
[00:05:01]
A SECOND POTENTIAL SOLUTION INCLUDES IDENTIFYING AND ESTABLISHING INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPERS TO INCLUDE URBAN AGRICULTURE AND EVALUATING WITH OTHER CITY INITIATIVES FOR GREEN OR PERMEABLE SURFACES. ONE PROGRAM OEQS HAS IMPLEMENTED UNDER THIS RECOMMENDATION IS THE URBAN AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDING TO THE CITY OF DALLAS AGRICULTURAL OPERATORS FOR RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, INCLUDING UTILITY CONNECTIONS, WATER METERS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATED TO NAVIGATING CITY PROCEDURES AND PERMITTING, AS WELL AS STRUCTURES SUCH AS RAINWATER CAPTURE OR POLYCARBONATE GREENHOUSE TUNNELS.NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE FIRST ROUND WAS IMPLEMENTED AS A PILOT PROGRAM LAST YEAR WITH FUNDING FROM FY 24. THE MAXIMUM AWARD FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS $10,000, AND IT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
THE FIRST ROUND AWARDED 14 AGRICULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS FUNDING FOR A TOTAL OF 22 PROJECT SITES.
THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SHOWS WHERE THE 22 PROJECT SITES ARE LOCATED.
THIS YEAR, OEQS IS IMPLEMENTING THE SECOND ROUND WITH FY 25 DOLLARS AND DCHHS AS OUR PARTNER.
THE APPLICATION PERIOD WAS OPEN FOR FIVE WEEKS FROM NOVEMBER 24TH TO DECEMBER 29TH, 2025.
OEQS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 36 APPLICATIONS, 27 WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND 7 RETURN APPLICANTS.
THIS WAS 93% MORE APPLICANTS FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS AGRICULTURE STAKEHOLDERS ALONE.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO UNDER THE CUAP IS TO SUPPORT LAND ACCESS.
STAKEHOLDERS IN DALLAS HAVE CONSISTENTLY NAMED LACK OF ACCESS TO LAND AS ONE OF THE GREATEST BARRIERS TO INCREASING LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION, ESPECIALLY FOR URBAN RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE PRODUCTION OF THEIR FOOD.
THE CITY OF DALLAS URBAN AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH EXPLORER IS AN INTERACTIVE TOOL FOR EXPLORING URBAN AGRICULTURE IN DALLAS, HIGHLIGHTING CURRENT URBAN AGRICULTURE ACTIVITIES, LAND OPPORTUNITIES, AND COMMUNITY ASSETS TO SUPPORT THE URBAN AGRICULTURAL NETWORK.
BUILT INTO THE MAPPING LAYERS ARE FACTORS THAT MAY SUPPORT URBAN AGRICULTURE, INCLUDING PARCEL LEVEL LAND OPPORTUNITIES, COMMUNITY ASSETS SUCH AS FAITH FACILITIES, MEAL ASSISTANCE SITES AND PANTRIES WITH COLD STORAGE AND URBAN AGRICULTURAL SITES AND ACTIVITIES LIKE FARMER'S MARKETS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, URBAN FARMS, HYDROPONIC FACILITIES AND MORE.
THIS TOOL IS USED FOR BOTH METRICS AND AS A PUBLIC RESOURCE MAP.
NEXT SLIDE. SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CUAP IN 2023, WE HAVE SEEN A STEADY INCREASE IN NEW OR RECOVERED URBAN AGRICULTURE SITES BY 34%, WITH THE BASELINE THAT WAS CORRECTED TO 48 ACTIVE SITES AT 10.4 ACRES TO AN INCREASE TO 86 SITES, AN ESTIMATED OF 22.3 ACRES UNDER PRODUCTION AS OF NOVEMBER 2025. NEXT SLIDE. UNDER RECOMMENDATION 2, A SECOND POTENTIAL SOLUTION IS TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS TO MAKE HIGH POTENTIAL CITY OWNED VACANT LOTS AVAILABLE FOR URBAN AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GROWING, DISTRIBUTION, STORAGE, SELLING AND SOIL BUILDING.
THE DRIVERS OF OPPORTUNITY ARE REPLACING PRIOR ANALYSIS TO EXPAND URBAN AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS BASED ON THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX AND OTHER VARIABLES. OEQS'S NEXT STEPS. LOOK AT POTENTIALLY REANALYZING LAYERS WITH THE APPROVED DATASETS TO NARROW DOWN AVAILABLE LAND FOR AGRICULTURE AND CITY ACTIVATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS MOMENTUM PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION 3 UNDER THE CUAP IS TO PROVIDE URBAN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO DALLAS RESIDENTS.
[00:10:02]
PURSUANT TO THE RECOMMENDATION, THE CUAP INCLUDES THREE SOLUTIONS.ONE, DEVELOP AN URBAN AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE PAGE THAT CREATES CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE DOCUMENTS THAT EDUCATE CITY OF DALLAS RESIDENTS ABOUT RELEVANT REGULATIONS AND RESOURCES FOR STARTING AND OPERATING BOTH COMMERCIAL AND COMMUNITY URBAN AGRICULTURE.
TWO, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A COHESIVE URBAN AGRICULTURE EDUCATION STRATEGY.
AND 3, DEVELOP URBAN AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES BY INCREASING URBAN AGRICULTURAL INTERNSHIPS AND TRAINEESHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN DALLAS. NEXT SLIDE. THE PAGES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE ARE THE WEBSITE THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT BY OEQS FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE.
THIS SITE HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND TESTED AND UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS, RECENTLY REVIEWED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AS WELL. AND WE ARE EXPECTING IT TO GO LIVE JUST WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION 3, SOLUTION 2, LOOKS AT PROVIDING EDUCATION. UNDER THIS ITEM, OEQS LAUNCHED THE GROWING WELLNESS HEALTH THROUGH AGRICULTURE SERIES, WHICH PROVIDES HANDS ON WORKSHOPS ON GROWING AND UTILIZING HERBS THAT GROW IN NORTH TEXAS.
THIS SERIES HAS COVERED AN ARRAY OF HERBS IN THE GARDEN AND TAUGHT FOLKS HOW TO MAKE EVERYTHING FROM ELDERBERRY SIRUP TO NUTRIENT DENSE SEASONING SALT, ALONG WITH TEAS, TINCTURES AND SALVES. THE PROGRAM WAS PILOTED DURING THE END OF 2024.
BASED ON POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC, OEQS FUNDED ANOTHER TEN SESSIONS IN 2025.
DURING 2025, OEQS ENGAGED 510 INDIVIDUALS ON THESE STAND ALONE WORKSHOPS.
WE HAVE CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM IN 2026.
BETWEEN JANUARY 2025 AND JANUARY 2026, OEQS SAW A 26% INCREASE IN ENGAGEMENT.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO HOST THIS PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE. RECOMMENDATION 3, SOLUTION 3, LOOKS AT URBAN AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. BEGINNING IN 2024, OEQS PILOTED THE GROWERS' EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, REFERRED TO AS THE GEWD PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM WAS FUNDED WITH JUST SHY OF $50,000 AND IMPLEMENTED IN AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
WE HAD FOUR AGRICULTURE FACILITATORS AND EIGHT INTERNS ACROSS THOSE SITES.
THE AGRICULTURAL FACILITATOR RECEIVED A STIPEND FOR THEIR WORK, AND THE PROGRAM REIMBURSED THE APPRENTICES FOR 20 HOURS A WEEK OVER THE 12 WEEK INTERNSHIP. OEQS INTENDS TO ESTABLISH A SECOND PILOT ROUND IN FISCAL YEAR 2027.
NEXT SLIDE. AT THE TIME OF THIS PRESENTATION, NOT ALL OF THE EIGHT APPRENTICES HAD MET THEIR MIDPOINT OF THEIR INTERNSHIPS. SO THIS GRAPH LOOKS AT PRE-EVALUATION COMPARED TO MIDPOINT DATA ACROSS SEVEN CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE GEWD PROGRAM FOR SIX OF THE APPRENTICES. THE GRAY SCALE INDICATES PRE EVALUATION SCORING, AND THE COLOR REPRESENTS SCORES FROM THE MID-POINT EVALUATION. ACROSS ALL SEVEN CORE COMPETENCIES, THE DATA DEMONSTRATED A 22% AVERAGE INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE FOR THE SIX INTERNS. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT A WEIGHTED AVERAGE, SO THE MEAN AVERAGE OVERSHADOWS VARYING RATES OF IMPROVEMENT.
FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT HALF OF THE INTERNS SHOWED OVER 100% INCREASES ON MULTIPLE CORE COMPETENCIES, AND THIS WAS ONLY THE MIDPOINT OF THE PROGRAM.
GOING INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE GEWD PROGRAM, OEQS ANTICIPATES PARTNERING WITH AN ACADEMIC PARTNER TO ESTABLISH MORE GRANULAR EDUCATION AND EVALUATION. NEXT SLIDE. THE FOURTH RECOMMENDATION OF THE CUAP LOOKS AT FACILITATING PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION. THIS HAS BEEN FOUNDATIONAL TO ALL OF THE WORK OEQS HAS DONE UNDER THIS PLAN.
ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS HAVE MULTIPLE PARTNERS, COLLABORATORS, AND FACILITATORS.
OUR SINGLE LARGEST EVENT WHERE WE FACILITATE PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION IS THE DALLAS INNER CITY GROWERS SUMMIT, OR DIG. OEQS HAS HOSTED DIG FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITH UPWARDS OF 300 PARTICIPANTS.
[00:15:05]
FOR 2026, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH A NATIONAL 501 C4 AGRICULTURAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION CALLED FARM AND RANCH FREEDOM ALLIANCE, WHO IS BASED IN TEXAS TO HELP ORGANIZE AND FACILITATE THE EVENT.THIS YEAR, DIG WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, DALLAS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THAT INVITATION WITH ALL OF YOU.
A ROBUST AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEM RELIES ON THE COUPLING OF RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION PRACTICES WITH EQUITABLE ACCESS TO A WIDE RANGE OF FAIR PRICE MARKET CHANNELS. EXPANDING ACCESS TO MARKETS WILL HELP GROWERS SCALE UP PRODUCTION AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DEMAND FOR NEW FARMS AS THEY ESTABLISH THEMSELVES. TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT THIS RECOMMENDATION MEANS FOR THE OVERALL ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF DALLAS, THIS DATA WAS EXTRAPOLATED FROM THE CIVIC ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FOR 2021.
TO BE LOCAL, IT WOULD CREATE 3200 NEW JOBS AND HAVE 260 MILLION IN TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT WITHIN DALLAS. THIS RECOMMENDATION ENCAPSULATES THE PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH LARGELY RELATE TO INCREASING PRODUCTION, WHEREAS RECOMMENDATION FIVE LOOKS AT DEMAND AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO UNDER THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE CREATED A PROGRAM THAT DRIVES DEMAND THROUGH HANDS ON EDUCATION.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UNDER RECOMMENDATION FIVE, OEQS HAS CREATED A PROGRAM CALLED LOCAL KITCHEN, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THIRD COHORT.
THIS PROGRAM TEACHES PEOPLE HOW TO GROW, COOK AND EAT SEASONAL LOCAL PRODUCE.
OEQS HAS PARTNERED WITH A NUMBER OF EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE THE EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND CULINARY SKILLS. BASED ON THIS THREE PRONGED APPROACH, EACH CLASS STARTS OUT IN THE GARDEN AND TEACHES PEOPLE HOW TO IDENTIFY AND GROW THE FEATURED SEASONAL VEGETABLE FOR THE WEEK, WHICH IS PROCURED FROM A LOCAL FARM.
DURING THE CLASS, OEQS ADDRESSES SUSTAINABLE LAND STEWARDSHIP, NUTRITION, EDUCATION AND CULINARY SKILLS, TAKING PARTICIPANTS FROM GARDEN TO THE PLATE AND DISCUSSING HOW IT WORKS IN THE BODY.
AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, OEQS ENGAGED A TOTAL OF 331 INDIVIDUALS DURING PROGRAM ORIENTATION.
OUR LIMITING FACTOR IN BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM IS COORDINATOR CAPACITY.
WE'VE ENGAGED DOZENS OF LOCAL GROWERS IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING FOOD FOR THE IN-CLASS COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS, AS WELL AS THE TAKE HOME GROCERY BAGS THAT REPLICATE THE IN-CLASS RECIPES.
THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXAS A&M INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCING HEALTH THROUGH AGRICULTURE, OEQS CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OVER THE FIRST TWO COHORTS WHERE WE MEASURED PRE AND POST BIOMETRIC DATA OF PARTICIPANTS.
ACCORDING TO THE DATA, 95% OF THE PARTICIPANTS SHOWED AN INCREASE IN VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION.
LIKEWISE, THE EVALUATION LOOKED AT BEHAVIORS AND MENTAL MODELS AROUND GROWING, PURCHASING, AND CONSUMING LOCAL PRODUCE AND FOUND THAT 90% OF PARTICIPANTS INDICATED ADOPTION AND POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS GROWING AND EATING LOCAL FOODS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO TO CONCLUDE OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF OUR SHORT, MID-TERM IMPLEMENTATION AND LONG TERM IMPLEMENTATION GOALS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE EAGER TO COMPLETE RECEIVING FEEDBACK ON OUR URBAN AGRICULTURAL WEBSITE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING AND HOPING TO LAUNCH THAT IN JUST THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. WE ARE ALSO CONCENTRATING ON BUILDING MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING THE GOOD LOCAL MARKETS AND CITY OF DALLAS PARTNERSHIP WHICH INCLUDES PUBLIC NUTRITION COOKING SESSIONS WITH FARMERS IN THE DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
IN TERMS OF LONG TERM PLANS, OEQS HOPES TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE CITY OWNED LAND FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE TPW MOMENTUM.
[00:20:03]
IT ALSO LOOKS AT URBANIZING AN URBAN AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COUNCIL WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION AND DEVELOPMENT WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND HOPE TO LAUNCH THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS WELL.AND WITH THAT, RABEKHA AND I ARE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
OKAY. IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH THE COMMITTEE, I THINK WE MIGHT DO OUR NEXT BRIEFING WITH DR.
WHITNEY STRAUSS AND THEN JUST TAKE QUESTIONS AFTER THAT, BECAUSE I THINK YOUR.
OF COURSE. SO, DR. STRAUSS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND WE CAN QUEUE UP HER POWERPOINT AND SHE IS PRESENTING FROM THE DALLAS COUNTY'S PERSPECTIVE AND THE DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. AND WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR WORK TO DATE WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN. SO I'M DR. WHITNEY STRAUSS.
I OVERSEE THAT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, WHAT IS A FOOD PLAN? IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR, IT IS A CITY, COUNTY, ALSO PUBLIC PRIVATE ROADMAP THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS USE TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HEALTHY FOOD.
IT'S ALSO JUST A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STRATEGY FOR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.
SO IN THAT, STARTING IN 1991 IN TORONTO, AND THEN MORE RECENTLY WITH THE MILAN URBAN POLICY PACT, MORE THAN 330 CITIES HAVE ADOPTED THIS TYPE OF STRATEGY IN ORDER TO HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR FOOD SYSTEMS. IT MATTERS BECAUSE THERE'S A SCATTERING OF EFFORTS GOING ON ACROSS OUR CITY.
AND MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT AS WELL.
SO IT HELPS US STAY COORDINATED IN ALL COMPONENTS OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM, FROM PRODUCTION TO DISTRIBUTION TO FOOD WASTE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, HEALTH COMPONENTS. SO MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE A GROUP THAT'S OVERSEEING EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR FOOD SYSTEM, AND THEN WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPACTED BY THAT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WHAT IT DOES, IT MAPS OUR NEEDS AND ASSETS.
WE STARTED OUR EFFORT FORMALLY IN JANUARY OF 2025.
WE NOW HAVE OVER 450 ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN MAPPING OUT OUR PLAN.
SO THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THAT WAS MAPPING OUT WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
SO I SHOULD SAY THIS PLAN IS AN AND, NOT AN OR.
IT ALSO INCLUDES THE CITY'S EFFORTS, THE COUNTY'S EFFORTS, MORE THAN 35 STRATEGIC PLANS FROM OUR PARTNERS AND ALL OF THE DATA THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED ABOUT OUR FOOD SYSTEM TO DATE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS AS WE SET FORTH TO PRIORITIZE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR PLAN. ALSO ASSIGNING ROLES AND WHAT IS NEEDED WITH BUDGETS AND TIMELINES, AND ALSO A CENTRAL DASHBOARD TO MEASURE OUR PROGRESS.
SO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, OUR STEERING COMMITTEE, THIS IS OUR GOVERNING BODY WITH THE DALLAS COUNTY, CITY OF DALLAS. AND THEN WE HAVE MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS LISTED HERE, FROM NONPROFITS TO UNIVERSITIES, HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND URBAN AGRICULTURE AS WELL.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF OTHER CITIES WITH FOOD PLANS.
[00:25:01]
THEIR CITY WOULD RUN OUT OF FOOD. SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY, AS A CITY AND COUNTY, WRAPPED THEIR ARMS AROUND THEN TO SAY, WE NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM BECAUSE OF ALL THE CURRENT ISSUES WE'RE HAVING.AND IN ORDER TO BE MORE RESILIENT WHEN WE'RE HAVING THESE KINDS OF CLIMATE ISSUES GOING ON.
SO THAT INSPIRED THEM TO ADOPT THEIRS. SO HERE'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE FOOD PLANS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE BEING ACTIVATED, THAT THEY'RE SEEING RESULTS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ONE, IT REDUCES THE DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS. WE ALL HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHO'S DOING WHAT, IN ADDITION TO IT WAS ALLUDED TO THE ECONOMIC MULTIPLIER.
BECAUSE WE HAVE STARTED CREATING THIS PLAN, WE HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF INTEREST IN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT MULTIPLIER EFFECT HERE AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE DATA.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DATA COLLECTED ABOUT OUR FOOD SYSTEM, HEALTH, HEALTH RELATED FOOD INSECURITY RATES, GROCERY STORES. THERE'S THERE IS A LOT OF DATA.
SO THE HAVING A DALLAS DALLAS COUNTY FOOD PLAN COLLABORATIVE WILL BE AN IMPORTANT DATA COLLECTION POINT SO THAT WE HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF ALL OF THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE AND ALL OF THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IMPACTING OUR FOOD SYSTEM IN ONE PLACE, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE DON'T. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO PROOF OF CONCEPT. THERE'S MULTIPLE. I PICKED OUT ONE FROM COOK COUNTY WITH CHICAGO.
THE COUNTY LED PLAN INTEGRATED FOOD ACCESS STRATEGIES AND TYING PARTICULARLY TO PUBLIC HEALTH GOALS AND SEEING A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN HEALTHY FOOD RETAIL. BUT ALSO THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK FOR.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO OUR PROGRESS TO DATE WITH THE COLLABORATIVE.
AND AGAIN, WHICH IS NOW MORE THAN 450 ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED, INCLUDING OUR STEERING COMMITTEE.
SO THE COLLABORATIVE IS A 501 C3 WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY BEING PARTNERS.
IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FROM JUNE OF 25 THROUGH NOW SECURING FUNDING TO CREATE THE PLAN THAT IS PAYING FOR SMU SCOPE THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION AND LYDA HILL PHILANTHROPIES.
WE ALSO WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING THIS YEAR TO FINISH THE PLAN DESIGN.
SMU MADI LED DESIGNING OF THE STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM ANALYSIS THAT INCLUDED LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, RESEARCH STUDIES LOCALLY, AND ALSO A COLLECTION OF ALL THE CURRENT EFFORTS AND PLANS GOING ON FROM.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE WAS FORMED AND HAS BEEN MEETING, AND THEN WE HAVE LAUNCHED THIS YEAR THE FINAL PHASE OF BUILDING OUT THIS FOOD PLAN, WHICH AGAIN, IS A COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN FOR OUR FOOD SYSTEM, INCLUDING WORKING GROUPS, WHICH STARTED LAST WEEK. THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PORTION, WHICH WILL BE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND THEN FINISHING THE PLAN IN OCTOBER AND LAUNCHING EFFORTS FROM THAT. I CAN ALSO SAY THAT WHILE WE ARE CREATING THIS STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OUR FOOD SYSTEM, WE ARE NOT BLIND TO EARLY WINS. SO AS OPPORTUNITIES HAVE COME UP WITH JUST PEOPLE BEING IN THE SAME ROOM AND TALKING TO EACH OTHER, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO ONE GREAT EXAMPLE IS NOW UT SOUTHWESTERN IS SERVING LOCAL LETTUCE IN THEIR CAFETERIA.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION COME FROM PEOPLE MEETING.
NOW, UT SOUTHWESTERN PULLED LEVERS TO BE ABLE TO PROCURE LOCAL LETTUCE.
AND THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW THROUGHOUT UT SOUTHWESTERN, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
[00:30:03]
ANOTHER, WE WERE ABLE TO INTRODUCE HEALTH CARE TO ALL OF DALLAS FOOD ENTREPRENEURS, FOOD SYSTEM WORKERS THROUGH R8 HEALTH.SO WE ANNOUNCED THAT LAST WEEK THAT WE CAN HAVE A HEALTH CARE PACKAGE TO SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND FOOD SERVICE WORKERS THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.
NOW, THEY CAN GET THAT THROUGH THE FOOD PLAN COLLABORATIVE.
ANOTHER, WE RECENTLY ABLE TO SECURE A USDA GRANT TO TAKE LOCAL FOOD FROM FARMS TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO WE ARE ANNOUNCING THAT THIS WEEK. SO IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE SO FAR, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THE RESULTS OF WHAT THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WHEN IT'S FINISHED IN OCTOBER.
SO, NEXT SLIDE. SO THE PILLARS WHICH WE'RE WORKING FROM THROUGH THE RESEARCH, REALLY IDENTIFIED SOME FIVE KEY STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE NOW BUILDING INTO STRATEGIC PLANS.
SO FOOD IS MEDICINE, SUSTAINABLE DIETS AND NUTRITION AND REALLY ELEVATING CURRENT EFFORTS AND BEST PRACTICES, LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION AND OUR LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY, EMERGENCY FOOD PREPAREDNESS.
THIS IS WEATHER RELATED, BUT IT'S ALSO, AS WE SAW IN 2025, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SNAP BENEFITS ARE CUT SO DRASTICALLY, AND WHAT'S OUR PLAN TO SUPPORT OUR CITIZENS. FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REDISTRIBUTION AND ALSO FOOD ACCESS AND DISTRIBUTION.
NEXT SLIDE. SO CONCEPTUALLY, WHEN THE PLAN IS FINALIZED, THIS IS HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH HOW IT WILL BE DEVELOPED. THERE'LL BE THE OVERALL VISION AND MACRO OUTCOMES WHICH WANTING A MORE RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEM FOR DALLAS AND DALLAS COUNTY.
AND THEN THE PILLAR ACTION PLANS WITH AN IMPACT STATEMENT ACTIVITY OUTLINE ENGAGEMENT, HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING, FUNDING IF NEEDED, KEY STAKEHOLDERS. SO IT WILL BE A MASTER PLAN FOR OUR FOOD SYSTEM AT THE END.
NEXT SLIDE. SO WITH THAT, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO SAY AT THIS POINT, THE CITY HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT AND REALLY CRITICAL PARTNER IN STARTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
REALLY WANTING TO SEE THE URBAN AGRICULTURE EFFORTS CONTINUE.
THAT'S BEEN HAVING A. THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION IS CRITICAL.
SO THE CITY ADOPTING THAT PLAN AND CONTINUING TO SUPPORT IT IS IMPORTANT.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL OPEN IT UP. COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA. I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME URBAN FARMING GOING ON IN YOUR DISTRICT, I BELIEVE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL FOR Y'ALL'S PRESENTATIONS.
SO I GUESS I'LL START WITH DR. STRAUSS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I WAS WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT THE DALLAS COUNTY.
ON THE DALLAS COUNTY FOOD INITIATIVE AND HOW IT INTERACTS OR BUILDS ON THE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN. IF THERE ARE ANY REDUNDANCIES OR GAPS THAT YOU SEE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? SO WE ARE INCORPORATING CURRENT EFFORTS INTO THE OVERALL MASTER PLAN.
SO THIS IS NOT DUPLICATING. WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT NOT DUPLICATING CURRENT EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONVENING ALL OF THAT. SO AS FAR AS THE GAPS IN THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YES. OKAY. I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
I THINK WHERE WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THE SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN, WITH OUR EFFORT TO SUPPORT THAT CONTINUING, BUT ALSO BUILD UPON THAT.
OKAY. AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN ANY OF THE EQUITY METRICS FOR FOOD DESERTS, SOUTH DALLAS SPECIFICALLY AND HOW WE'RE PUSHING EFFORTS THERE? SO I CAN SPEAK MORE GENERALLY SINCE WE'RE BUILDING THE PLAN NOW, BUT THAT EQUITY LENS IS CRITICAL AND SOMETHING THAT IS TOP OF MIND AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THE PLAN. I SHOULD SAY THAT MY RESEARCH IN THIS AREA OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY IN THAT.
[00:35:08]
SO LOOKING AT WHAT MODELS ARE INTRODUCED IN OTHER CITIES TO LOOK AT OUR FOOD DESERTS, WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON HERE AND HOW TO BUILD UPON THAT. SO I KNOW IT'S A GENERAL ANSWER NOW, BUT WE'LL HAVE MORE THROUGH THE SUMMER.BUT DEFINITELY THAT'S TOP OF MIND. AND DO YOU BELIEVE WITH WHAT YOU'RE BUILDING AND HOW WE CAN PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES TO URBAN FARMS OR COMBATING THE FOOD DESERTS, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY STAFFED FOR THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES? NO. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? SO I THINK THIS TEAM IS OUTSTANDING. AND THIS IS THE TEAM.
YEAH. SO. I MEAN. AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. I KNOW THAT BUDGETING IS A CONCERN.
AND IT COULD BE STAFFED. THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL STAFF.
SO I MEANT MORE HOLISTIC. YEAH. NO, YOU'RE GOOD.
DO YOU MIND ELABORATING ON THAT AS WELL FROM Y'ALL'S PERSPECTIVE, ON THE STAFF SIDE? SURE. SO RABEKHA AND YARITZA TORRES ESPINOZA ARE THE SUM TOTAL OF OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE TEAM.
AND I THINK THEY HAVE DONE INCREDIBLE WORK IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE SLIDES. THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.
OUR DIG SUMMIT. AS THE NEW DIRECTOR, THAT WAS THE VERY FIRST EVENT THAT I ATTENDED.
IT WAS, I THINK EXACTLY A WEEK AFTER I STARTED.
AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THE LEVEL OF SPEAKERS AND INVOLVEMENT AND ATTENDANCE.
IT WAS SO WELL DONE. AND SUCH AN EXAMPLE OF AN EXISTING NEED TO BE FILLED.
SO, YES, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN.
AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? AND HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THAT TO BE QUANTIFIED ON THE RETURN OF INVESTMENT? SURE. DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EXPANSION? SURE. SO, AS WE DISCUSSED, OUR PLAN HAS FIVE TOTAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COVER 58 ACTION ITEMS. ALL THE PROGRAMS WE TALKED ABOUT REPRESENT BASICALLY ONE ACTION ITEM.
SO WE TALKED ROUGHLY ABOUT 5 TO 6 PROGRAMS. AND WE COULD DO SO MUCH MORE ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM FROM INCREASING PRODUCTION EDUCATION. NOT JUST EDUCATION TO AGRICULTURE STAKEHOLDERS, BUT ALSO EDUCATION TO RESIDENTS AS WELL AS BUILDING THOSE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES. AND SPECIFICALLY, WE TALKED ABOUT LOCAL KITCHEN AND THAT PROGRAM HAS JUST BEEN WILDLY WELL RECEIVED.
AND WE HAVE, I MEAN, LIKE TESTIMONY OVER TESTIMONY OF THE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE VERY LIKE LOVING IT AND JUST SAYING THIS HAS CHANGED THE WAY I OPERATE IN THE KITCHEN. LIKE, NEVER THOUGHT BEING IN THE GARDEN WOULD IMPACT ME WANTING TO COOK.
BUT ALSO WE SAW PEOPLE'S DIABETES REDUCED, WE SAW PREVENTABLE DISEASE CUT DOWN.
AND THAT WAS ALL DONE THROUGH BIOMETRIC DATA WITH PRACTITIONERS AT TEXAS A&M.
HOWEVER, AS MENTIONED, THE LIMITING FACTOR IS STAFF COORDINATION.
IT IS SUCH. IT'S A PRODUCTION. AND SO, I LEAD THAT.
AND I CAN BARELY MAKE IT THROUGH ONE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE.
EACH TIME WE DO AN ORIENTATION, WE ALWAYS HAVE OVER 100 PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR IT.
AND THEN I COORDINATE ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WITH FOOD AND GROCERY BAGS TO BE SENT HOME.
AND WE WOULD LOVE TO. I HAVE PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO ME ALL THE TIME LIKE, HEY, COULD WE EXPAND THIS? AND I'M LIKE, DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN? DO YOU TWO HAVE A GARDEN? AND DO YOU HAVE A STAFFER THAT'S WILLING TO PUT LIKE 30 HOURS A WEEK ONTO THIS? AND SO WHEN LOCAL KITCHEN IS IN SESSION, I'M OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN A LOT OF COMP TIME, LIKE MULTIPLE HOURS OVERHAND. SO WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT PROGRAM EXPAND THROUGHOUT MORE DISTRICTS IN THE CITY.
BUT BEYOND JUST THAT RESIDENTIAL AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS WITH THE AG STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE BUYING PRODUCE FROM WHICH IS CREATING THAT LOCAL ECONOMY, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM COULD USE A LOT MORE ATTENTION ON IT.
[00:40:03]
AND JUST SO MANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS COULD STILL STAND TO BE IMPLEMENTED.AND WE JUST WERE AT CAPACITY. CAN I JUST ADD ONE MORE THING? YES, MA'AM. SO IN TERMS OF RETURN ON INVESTMENT, I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO IDENTIFY AND QUANTIFY AND LIKE PARTNERSHIPS, AS DR. STRAUSS WAS SAYING, WITH UT SOUTHWESTERN CREATING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMERCIAL GROWERS TO HAVE MORE MARKET. WE'VE GOT A RECENT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GOOD LOCAL FOODS FOR THE FARMERS MARKET AT FAIR PARK, WHICH IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY UNTAPPED THINGS.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS FOR DALLAS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN UNEXPLORED OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DO SEE SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS IN TERMS OF LAND ACCESS. AND YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION.
YOU DIDN'T DIRECTLY MENTION IT, BUT THAT'S THE WAY THAT I TOOK IT.
I USED TO TEACH CULINARY ARTS WITH DISD. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL KITCHENS IN CAMPUSES UNIQUELY SITUATED IN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE DIABETES HEALTH AND WELLNESS INSTITUTE DOWN AT JUANITA CRAFT OR USED TO BE THE DIABETES HEALTH AND WELLNESS INSTITUTE. SO HOW DO WE SCALE THIS IN A WAY? AND ARE THERE PLANS TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS? ALSO THE DALLAS COLLEGES, THE HOSPITALITY SCHOOL AT EL CENTRO WOULD BE A GREAT PARTNER, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS SCALED IN A WAY THAT COULD KIND OF MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, AND ALSO TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THE YOUNGER TALENT THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF BE A PART OF THE EDUCATION COMPONENT.
MY STUDENTS WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE SOME OF THESE COOKING DEMOS FROM THE GARDEN THAT WAS AT THE RESTORATIVE FARMS GARDEN, THE PRODUCE FROM THERE, SO I'M CURIOUS WHERE WE HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, HOW WE CAN HELP.
AND I'M OPEN TO HELPING MAKE SOME CONNECTIONS AND SEE WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE.
BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK AT THOSE COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES INSTEAD OF JUST HOPING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND AND KNOWING WHEN WE'RE COMING INTO THIS BUDGET SEASON THAT WE PROBABLY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE MOST RESOURCES HERE, BUT WE COULD LEVERAGE SOME THAT ALREADY EXIST ELSEWHERE.
MAY I ADD TO THAT TOO? YES. CHAIR. THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE GREAT IDEAS REALLY FOR COLLABORATION.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE COLLABORATION IS KEY FUNDAMENTALLY.
AND IT'S DESIGNED IN THAT WAY. IT'S WHY WE SEE US SITTING AT THE TABLE WITH THE LEADER OF THE ENTITY THAT IS CREATING THE DALLAS DALLAS COUNTY PLAN, RIGHT? AND SO WE SEE OURSELVES AS A COLLABORATOR ON THIS.
NOT NECESSARILY THE OWNER OF THE PLANS FOR THE GREATER GOOD, BUT CERTAINLY A CRITICAL COLLABORATOR.
AND AS WE BUILD OUT THE DRIVERS OF OPPORTUNITY UNDER HEALTHY ACCESS TO ACCESS TO HEALTH, ETC.
WE SEE THAT, THE CUAP, AS SOME OF US CALL IT, THE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AG PLAN AS BEING KEY TO WHAT THE CITY'S ROLE IS IN THIS SPACE, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'RE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE COLLABORATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT'S EXCITING. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A COUPLE OF YEARS FROM NOW TO SEE HOW THIS REALLY MATERIALIZES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON.
YES. THANK YOU. SO MY QUESTION, THIS IS ALL GREAT, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE WATER, THEN IT REALLY DOESN'T ADD. AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS LIKE A BIG WHEN WE WERE DOING COMMUNITY GARDENS, ACCESS TO WATER.
HAVE WE COME OVER THAT? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T, LIKE ALL THE HOOKUPS AND ALL THE PERMITTING.
HAVE WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS? SO WE DO HAVE THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO CREATE THOSE HOOKUPS THAT WE COVERED EARLIER IN THE SLIDES. IS IT STILL AN EXISTING OBSTACLE? I WOULD SAY YES, IT'S A CONTINUING OBSTACLE, BUT THAT THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE PROGRAM TO CREATE THESE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, WHERE IT IS AN EXISTING OBSTACLE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH. JUST TO DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE DID NOT HAVE POLICY REFORM WITH WATER OR PERMITTING.
[00:45:01]
CORRECT. OR CEOS. THAT IS WHY WE CREATED THE URBAN AG INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM AS A BAND AID, IF YOU WILL, TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT OUR AG STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT SPACE.WE'VE DONE TWO ROUNDS OF FUNDING. WE'RE ABOUT TO AWARD THAT SECOND ROUND THAT ANGELA MENTIONED.
THAT WAS MY CONCERN, IS BECAUSE ALL THESE PLANS SOUND GREAT, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE WATER IN WHICH TO NOURISH THE PLANTS, THEN IT KIND OF. AND THAT WAS A BIG DEAL. AND A BAND AID DOESN'T GIVE YOU SUSTAINABILITY.
AND I KNOW THAT. SO I GUESS MY NEXT QUESTION IS, IF THOSE ARE BARRIERS, IS THERE ANYTHING AT THE STATE LEVEL? WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW.
AND SO ARE THERE ANY STATE BARRIERS THAT MAY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED? BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS SOME LIKE YOU CAN'T GIVE WATER FREE.
I DON'T KNOW, THERE WAS LIKE ALWAYS THESE LITTLE NUANCE THINGS REGARDING ACCESS TO WATER.
AND SO THAT'S MY STATEMENT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT NOW.
BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO START TALKING ABOUT IF THERE'S ANY STATE BARRIERS IN CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM THAT WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY AND VARIOUS OTHER ENTITIES TO MAYBE CHANGE THOSE. YEAH. JUST TO ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT TO THAT, UNDER THE HOUSE BILL 1750, WHICH IS STATE LEGISLATION ACTUALLY SAYS WE HAVE AS A MUNICIPALITY, NO REGULATORY POWERS RELATED TO URBAN AG.
HOWEVER, AND THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE FROM WHEN WE FIRST CREATED THE PLAN, ONE OF THE LARGEST BARRIERS ONCE GETTING THROUGH THE HULA HOOPS OF PERMITTING IS THE ACTUAL COST OF INSTALLING A WATER METER AT A MINIMUM IS $6,400 FOR WHICH THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED.
OKAY, GREAT. ALSO TO ADD. I MEAN, THE GROWING PROCESS IS THE GROWING PROCESS, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN THE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE I KNOW THAT GOOD MARKETS IS IN EAST DALLAS.
AND FOR A WHILE THERE, THEY WERE GETTING KIND OF PUSHED AROUND FROM VARIOUS PARKING LOTS TO PARKING LOTS. AND SO I NOTICED THAT YOU'VE GOT IT LIKE TARGETED AREAS AND STUFF LIKE THAT FROM MARKETING, YOU KNOW, TO ACTUALLY BUY IN AND BE ABLE TO SELL.
SO YOU CREATE THE MARKET. HOW'S THAT? I MEAN, LIKE, I GUESS, HOW CAN WE PUT THAT INTO CODE OR PUT THAT INTO POLICY? SO THAT WAY THEY'RE NOT BEING FORCED OUT FROM VARIOUS PLACES, AS YOU KNOW, THEY OUTGROW SOMETHING OR THE PARKING LOT WANTS TO CHANGE AND NOT BE USED ON A SATURDAY? BECAUSE I REMEMBER THEY. I MEAN, IT MORE HAVE MORE PERMANENT PAVILIONS, I GUESS IS THE QUESTION IS THE QUESTION IS, IS LIKE, WHAT DOES CREATING A MARKET OPPORTUNITY LOOK LIKE? YOU PUT IT IN YOUR. AND IT'S NOT JUST PUT IN A PARKING LOT, I HOPE.
NO, I DO THINK THAT'S TWOFOLD. IT'S CREATING LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS A RETAIL SPACE, IF YOU WILL.
AND ALSO CREATING MORE COMMERCIAL MARKETS AS WELL WITH PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESTAURANTS OR LARGE ENTITIES LIKE UT SOUTHWESTERN AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. BUT DOESN'T THAT GO AGAINST WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO? I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE ACCESS TO FOOD TO PEOPLE IN FOOD DESERTS, BUT YET WE'RE SELLING IT COMMERCIALLY IN IT.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS HOW DO WE BRING IT MORE LOCAL AND NOT JUST, OH, YOU KNOW, FARMERS. I MEAN, THE FARMERS MARKET IN FAIR PARK IS GREAT, BUT I MEAN, THE CITY IS BIG, RIGHT? AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK PEOPLE FROM FAR NORTH DALLAS ARE GOING TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY THERE.
SO HOW DO YOU CREATE OPPORTUNITIES CITYWIDE IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
SO I THINK IT'S BOTH. AND BECAUSE IF THERE AREN'T RELIABLE SOURCES FOR ENTITIES THAT ARE PURCHASING THE PRODUCE, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE STABILITY FOR GROWERS.
GOT IT. AND SO WE NEED TO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE GROWERS HAVE STABILITY.
THEY HAVE THAT LARGER ENTITY THAT THEY CAN RELY ON, WHETHER IT'S SINGLE SOURCE FOR SALAD GREENS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO BE ABLE TO ALSO SELL ON A RETAIL LEVEL, IF IT'S AT A FARMER'S MARKET OR A COMMUNITY SHARE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND ONE THING I'M. AND, LIZ, IF YOU'RE. I MEAN, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO IS THE ACM OVER PLANNING, BUT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THESE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING EXERCISES, IT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY,
[00:50:02]
HEY, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PERMANENT STRUCTURE THAT CAN BE USED ON A CITY FACILITY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE DOING THE GARLAND ROAD VISION, AND I HAVE SAID, LET'S TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A PLACE WHERE.BECAUSE GOOD MARKETS FROM EAST DALLAS IS ALWAYS FLOATING, IF WE CAN FIND A PERMANENT PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME AND MAKE IT MORE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEM ALL ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD WHERE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, BUY THINGS AND YOU CAN BUY, PRODUCE AND EAT LUNCH AND BUY, YOU KNOW, GIFTS AND MORE OF THOSE LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES VERSUS JUST HAVING IT LIKE AT FAIR PARK OR AT FARMERS MARKET OR, AND SO IT'S MORE PERMANENT. SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, ADD THAT TO THE PLANNING.
PEOPLE COULD ADD IT TO THE LIST OF, HEY, IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A MARKET FOR, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AROUND WHITE ROCK LAKE, THEY COULD RIDE THEIR BIKE AND GET COFFEE AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, BUY A SACHET OF SOME SORT AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GRAB SOME PRODUCE.
WE WILL DEFINITELY ADD PLANNING TO THAT LIST TO BE REALLY INVOLVED WITH, YOU KNOW, THEIR CURRENT ENGAGEMENT TO WRAP THIS INTO IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THESE RELATIONSHIPS NOT ONLY EXTERNALLY, BUT INTERNALLY.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. CHAIR RIDLEY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
IN GENERAL TERMS, WHAT ARE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS? FOR EXAMPLE, THE ENTITIES LISTED ON SLIDE 15.
SO IT IS WIDE AND VARIED. I'LL LET RABEKHA ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
SURE. SO JUST STARTING UP AT THE TOP, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH GOOD LOCAL, AS YOU GUYS MENTIONED ALREADY, GROCERY CONNECT PROVIDED ALL THE PANTRY ITEMS FOR OUR LOCAL KITCHEN.
SO THAT WAS. LET ME SEE. 60 DIFFERENT RECIPES OVER EIGHT WEEKS.
AND SO THEY PROVIDED ALL THE PANTRY ITEMS FOR THE LOCAL KITCHEN.
COME BACK CREEK WAS OUR FEATURED FARMER FOR LOCAL KITCHEN.
WE HELP THEM GET CSA SIGN UPS FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS. I MEAN, JOPPA MAMA'S FARM HAS BEEN A GRANT RECIPIENT OF THE URBAN AG INFRASTRUCTURE.
BON-TON HAS BEEN A GRANT RECIPIENT OF THE URBAN AG INFRASTRUCTURE.
NORTH HAVEN GARDENS SPONSORED THE DIG SUMMIT AND GAVE OUT SPEAKER GIFTS.
I MEAN, JUST EVERYWHERE. I WAS THINKING ABOUT VARIOUS PROGRAMS WE HAVE.
SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS OUT THERE ARE OUR ACTUAL EDUCATORS.
SO IT REALLY DOES COVER A FULL SPECTRUM OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. SO YOU MENTIONED GRANTS TO BON-TON AND OTHERS.
WHAT IS THE BUDGET FOR GRANTS FOR THESE PARTNERS? SO, THOSE ARE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS FOR BON-TON.
SO THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO $10,000 FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS FOR, LIKE WE SAID, THE THINGS LIKE CONNECTING WATER, WATER METERS, WHATEVER.
IF IT WAS SOME ASPECT FOR DISTRIBUTION THAT THEY WERE MISSING.
IT DEPENDS ON THE APPLICATION, BUT THE MAXIMUM WOULD BE $10,000.
SO WHAT'S YOUR TOTAL BUDGET FOR GIVING GRANTS? THE TOTAL BUDGET IN THE PAST FOR THOSE GRANTS WAS JUST UNDER $100,000.
AND WHAT ARE THE TOTAL COSTS FOR THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM? FOR THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR? WELL, YES, ON A FISCAL YEAR BASIS FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT.
OKAY. I'LL HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE TO YOU IN A FRIDAY MEMO.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
OKAY. AND WHAT ABOUT THE FOOD PLAN? WHAT COSTS DOES THE CITY INCUR IN RELATION TO THE FOOD PLAN? SO THIS HAS BEEN. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY ADDRESS THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOOD PLAN.
THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT TO THE FOOD PLAN.
AND WHAT ARE THE RESPECTIVE ROLES OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN THE FOOD PLAN?
[00:55:01]
SO THERE'S BEEN A SIGNING A LETTER OF COMMITMENT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.AND THEN THE CITY AND COUNTY HAVE DIFFERENT OFFICIALS THAT SIT ON THE GOVERNING STEERING COMMITTEE.
OKAY. SO DO THEY HAVE CO-EQUAL ROLES AND DO THEY DO THE SAME KINDS OF THINGS OR ARE THERE DIFFERENT TASKS THAT EACH ONE ASSUMES? RIGHT AS OF NOW, IT IS THE SAME ROLE.
IT IS OVERSEEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND AS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS ARE ROLLED OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE ROLES BEING ASSUMED? THAT WILL BE DETERMINED AS THE PLAN IS DEVELOPED.
OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. CHAIR WEST, YOU SAID NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER. BLAIR. YES. THANK YOU. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS THERE. I FOUND THEM VERY ENLIGHTENING.
BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. HAVE YOU COME DOWN.
WELL, SPECIFICALLY DOWN TO THE CITY'S BORDERS AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF LAND AND THEY ARE ALREADY DOING A LOT OF GROWING OF THEIR OWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES? I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? HAVE YOU GONE DOWN AND REACHED OUT TO THOSE IN THE SOUTHEAST WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF LAND AND THEY'RE ALREADY GROWING THEIR OWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO PUT THIS PROGRAM OR THIS PLAN INTO EFFECT? ARE YOU SPEAKING IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL GROWERS OR JUST RESIDENTS WHO ARE GROWING FOOD? EITHER ONE. THE OPPORTUNITY EXISTS IN SPECIFICALLY THE KLEBERG AREA THAT HAS LOTS OF FARMLAND.
THEY ALREADY GROW A LOT OF THEIR OWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BECAUSE THEY ARE A FRUIT.
I MEAN, A FOOD DESERT, AND THEY DO SOMETHING SIMILAR ON THEIR OWN, WITHIN THEIR OWN AREA.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT REACHING OUT TO THOSE GROWERS AND WORKING WITH THEM TO HELP PUT YOUR PROGRAM INTO PLACE? SO WE DID A FULL CITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN AND IDENTIFIED STAKEHOLDERS AND DID WORK WITH FOLKS IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE SPOKE OF HAS LARGELY BEEN THE ONLY PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE PUBLIC FACING, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR LOCAL KITCHEN AND GROWING WELLNESS.
AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THOSE SPACES IS WORKED WITH THE WEST DALLAS MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER BECAUSE IT'S A FREE VENUE THAT HAS A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, WHICH YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO SERVE PEOPLE FOOD THAT'S BEING COOKED OUT OF.
SO THAT'S BEEN ONE FACTOR FOR US IN THOSE TWO RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC FACING PROGRAMS. AND THEN THE OTHER ONES WITH THE URBAN AG INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT, THAT'S CITYWIDE.
ANYONE WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS. AND THEN LIKEWISE WITH THE GROWERS EDUCATION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THAT WAS A CITY WIDE CALL. IN FACT, YOU CAN BE AN AG STAKEHOLDER AND NOT BE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS TO BE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO IN TERMS OF ENGAGING SPECIFICALLY SOUTHEAST DALLAS, WE HAVE SENT OUT TO ALL THE NETWORKS THAT WE EVER OPERATED WITHIN. AND THEN LIKEWISE WE HAVE THAT URBAN AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH EXPLORER GIS WEB MAP, WHICH IS SUCH A MOUTHFUL. AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AG STAKEHOLDERS, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER THAT HAVE OPTED IN TO BE IDENTIFIED ON THAT MAP.
AND SO THAT CAN TELL US EXACTLY WHO WE KNOW OF IN THOSE SPACES THAT WE WORKED WITH.
AND WE SEND OUT A CALL TO EVERYBODY. SO IT'S NOT LIKE SPECIFICALLY FOLKS THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED, THAT'S NOT COMPREHENSIVE IN TERMS OF THE LOGOS.
THAT WAS JUST WHAT WE PUT ON THAT PAGE. AND THEN SPECIFIC FOLKS THAT WE'VE OPERATED WITH ON OUR PROGRAMING HAS BEEN EDUCATORS, LIKE SPECIFICALLY JUST A FEW AG EDUCATORS TO COME ALONGSIDE AND TEACH THROUGH SOME AGRICULTURE EDUCATION WITH LOCAL KITCHEN, WITH GROWING WELLNESS. AND THOSE PROGRAMS ARE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL KITCHEN IS THREE COHORTS IN.
SO WE DID TWO PILOTS. THAT'S WHERE WE EVALUATED WITH TEXAS A&M.
[01:00:08]
YEAR DUE TO THE BUDGET DEFICIT. BUT HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, IS LIKE WE'VE DONE A REACH OUT TO LIKE EVERYBODY WHO IDENTIFIES AS AN AG STAKEHOLDER AND IS WILLING TO COLLABORATE WITH US. OKAY. SO YOU'VE REACHED OUT AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.WHAT I'M. LET ME SEE IF I CAN SUCCINCTLY STATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO THAT PARTICULAR AREA. NUMBER ONE, THEY DON'T HAVE A.
YOU COULD NOT IDENTIFY A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN THAT COULD BE USED IN ORDER TO WORK INTO THIS PROGRAM IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. IS THAT NOT TRUE? I WOULDN'T SAY I REACHED OUT TO A PARTICULAR SITE IN THAT AREA, BUT WE WORKED SPECIFICALLY WITH WEST DALLAS BECAUSE, AGAIN, THEY'RE A CITY OWNED FACILITY.
AND THAT WAS A NATURAL PARTNERSHIP WHERE THEY ALSO ALREADY HAD A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND A KITCHEN.
SO FOR OUR FIRST TWO PILOTS OF THIS PROGRAM, IT WORKED REALLY WELL TO PILOT IT THERE.
IN ORDER TO TAKE THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM SOMEWHERE ELSE, WE WOULD NEED ANOTHER.
LIKE IF WE WANT TO EXPAND BEYOND THAT OR LEAVE THAT SITE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE ROI BECAUSE WE'VE SPENT MONEY FURTHER DEVELOPING OUT THAT SPACE TO FACILITATE THE AG EDUCATION IN THE GARDEN.
SO FOR US TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AFTER HAVING LAUNCHED THE PILOT THERE, WE'RE WILLING.
LIKE I KNOW ALSO ADAM BAZALDUA SAID, HEY, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS IN MY AREA WITH JUANITA AND WITH DISD AND WITH DALLAS COLLEGE AND I'D LOVE TO DO IT EVERYWHERE. I ALREADY HAVE A STUDENT AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE READ MY NEWSLETTER, THAT IS PART OF ONE OF HER 4 A PROGRAMS THAT SHE WORKS WITH TEXAS A&M IS THAT SHE HAS TO GROW HER OWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. SHE'S ALREADY DONE THAT.
IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE'VE GOT THE LAND. IT WOULDN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING AS FAR AS GROWING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN AN AREA THAT HAS A HIGH NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN NEED MEDICALLY WITH BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO EAT FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
THE LAND IS ALREADY THERE. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EGGS BECAUSE THEY.
IF THE OPPORTUNITY IS ALREADY THERE, IF YOU NEED HELP MAYBE LOOKING AT A WAY TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT, YOU ALREADY HAVE ON PAGE NINE WHERE. YOU'VE ALREADY ENGAGED THE KLEBERG RILEY LIBRARY. AND WHILE WE ARE REDOING THE LIBRARY BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING IN JANUARY, IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO RELOOK AT SPACING AND OPPORTUNITY, WHETHER IT BE.
BECAUSE THAT LIBRARY IS RIGHT NEXT TO A REC CENTER WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU CAN HAVE A FARMERS MARKET, WHERE EVERYBODY CAN BRING IN THEIR OWN FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND EGGS AND BRING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NATURAL GROCERY STORE, IF YOU WILL, FARMERS MARKET, IF YOU WILL, WHERE YOU CAN ALSO. BECAUSE THERE ARE SCHOOLS THERE THAT TEACH THIS TYPE OF THINGS OR EVEN PARTNER WITH UNTD OR PAUL QUINN, WHICH IS NOT THAT FAR FROM THIS AREA.
TO DO THIS, IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOMETHING ELSE TO WITHIN THE CITY WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE, JUST NEEDING SOME PROGRAMING, IF YOU WILL, TO PUT A PLAN TOGETHER IN A PROCESS TOGETHER SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE AREA CAN BENEFIT FROM THAT.
THANK YOU. THEN. I THINK I GOT IT.
THANK YOU. THAT WAS IT. I APPRECIATE YOU, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. CHAIR JOHNSON. THANK YOU, CHAIR STEWART.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS ASKED BECAUSE I STEPPED OUT.
HOW ARE WE FUNDING THIS? SO THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM OVERALL OR
[01:05:05]
THE SPECIFIC GRANTS THAT WE HAVE AS PART OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE? BOTH. OKAY. SO COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY DID ASK ABOUT THE.SO URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM IS PART OF THE OEQS BUDGET.
I DO NOT HAVE THE TOTAL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD FOR FY 26 ON WHAT THE TOTAL BUDGET WAS FOR THE URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE IN A FOLLOW UP MEMO LATER ON IN THE WEEK.
IN TERMS OF THE GRANTS THAT ARE AWARDED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, THE GRANTS THAT ARE AWARDED IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT APPRENTICESHIPS, BOTH OF THOSE COME UNDER THE OEQS BUDGET. AND SO THEY ARE A SUBSET OF THE URBAN AG PROGRAM UNDER THE OEQS BUDGET. OKAY. SO RIGHT NOW, DO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION AND YOU JUST DIDN'T BRING IT? THE FUNDING OR. THE COST. FISCAL. AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST IN THE FUTURE? I CAN JUST SHARE A BACK OF NAPKIN FROM OUR INTERNAL BUDGET DOCUMENT.
SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT COMES OUT OF GENERAL FUNDS.
EVERYTHING ELSE WE SPOKE ON COMES OUT OF CECAP DOLLARS, LIKE OEQS CECAP DOLLARS.
FOR EVERYTHING ELSE OUTSIDE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT, IT'S ROUGHLY $160,000.
SO BETWEEN THE GROWERS EDUCATION, LOCAL KITCHEN, GROWING WELLNESS, THE PROGRAM WE'RE DOING WITH GOOD LOCAL MARKET AND A FEW OTHER ITEMS WE HAVE ON HERE. SO DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH WE COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUNDS? FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT, IT'S $99,600. AND I THINK YOU ANSWERED THIS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. FUTURISTIC, HOW MUCH WILL IT COST IN OUR FUTURE? THE ENTIRE PROGRAM OF WHAT'S GOING ON? HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM? I WOULD SAY SHY OF A QUARTER OF $1 MILLION. $250,000.
AND THOSE FUNDS WOULD COME FROM WHERE? THAT'S THE ENTIRE URBAN AG PROGRAM.
SO APPROXIMATELY 150 COMES OUT OF CECAP, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ALSO A GENERAL FUND ITEM.
AND THEN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT IS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM THAT'S NOT UNDER CECAP.
THAT'S JUST THE INFRASTRUCTURE FROM GENERAL FUNDS.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND CHAIR, MAY I, MAY I EMPHASIZE ALSO THAT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THE DETAILS LINE ITEM CHAIR JOHNSON IN A IN A FOLLOW UP FRIDAY MEMO TO THIS MEETING. YEAH.
JEREMIAH. YEAH. OF COURSE. OKAY. I GUESS MY MY QUESTION IS A PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT THOSE AMOUNTS WOULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE PRESENTATION, BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE SOMEONE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO THOSE QUESTIONS WAS GOING TO BE ASKED. SO WHILE I WAS NOT A PART OF THE PRESENTATION, WE'RE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THE DETAILS.
WE DON'T WANT TO SPEAK WITHOUT ALL THE SPECIFICITY.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE THE FUNDING COST OF THIS.
IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT HOLISTICALLY. THIS WAS A YOU KNOW, THE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN AG PLAN WAS A A PRODUCT, IF YOU WILL, OF THE CECAP, OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
SO LET US GET YOU ALL THAT DETAIL AND NOTED ABOUT THE DETAILS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.
OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST WISH WE HAD THAT FUNDING INFORMATION, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO SEE GOING FORWARD, WE CAN BEGIN TO LOOK AT THAT.
I KNOW WE'RE IN BUDGET SEASON SO WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THOSE ISSUES.
WHICH I THINK WE HAD TALKED ABOUT. SO I'M NOT AT ALL SURPRISED THAT THESE CAME UP.
BUT IT'S JUST NOT OUR TYPICAL. THIS ISN'T OUR TYPICAL BRIEFING PRESENTATION.
SO WE'LL WORK ON POTENTIALLY MAKING SOME CHANGES THERE.
THANK YOU, CHAIR STEWART. ABSOLUTELY. MAYOR PRO TEM, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? OKAY. WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS AND YOU ALL HAVE BEEN GREAT AT ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS.
WE UNDERSTAND THIS IS ALL NEW AND YOU ARE WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE HAVE TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN.
JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOUR BUDGET NUMBERS ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE.
[01:10:10]
HAPPEN IN THIS COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY.BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AND LIFE IS GOING TO BE FULL OF HARD DECISIONS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY AND SHOWING US WHAT, AND LETTING US KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT YOUR BUDGET IS. AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT MEMO.
I DO HAVE A SPOT FOR US IN ANGELIA WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME CHANGES.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER GOING IN THERE. IT WILL PROBABLY NOT HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, BUT I DO HAVE WILLOUGHBY JOHNSON REC CENTER THAT DOES HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN.
SO IF YOU AND THAT'S IN THE HAMILTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE AND YOU'RE DOING SOME EXPANSION, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO LOOK AT COMMUNITY GARDENS AND SOME OF THE CLASSES COMING OUT OF THAT REC CENTER.
THERE'S A LOT THERE. THE CITY OF DALLAS IS PRETTY LARGE AND THERE'S A LOT OF NEW WAYS OF LOOKING AT THINGS, RIGHT. LIKE I'M LITERALLY THINKING OF A PARKING LOT THAT WHERE I WANT TO TAKE UP THE CONCRETE HELP WITH THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND A LITTLE BIT AND PUT IN AN URBAN FARM AT FOREST AND AUDELIA BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ANY LAND WHERE YOU COULD DO THAT.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO TAKE UP CONCRETE. SO AGAIN, THAT'S, KIND OF OUR CREATIVITY UP HERE.
WE KNOW OUR DISTRICTS, WE KNOW WHAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
AND I ASK EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT THAT. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND FROM THERE WE WILL MOVE ON TO BRIEFING C, ITEM C.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THE BREAKAWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL AT FAIR PARK.
I BELIEVE DEPUTY DIRECTOR O'CONNOR AND BRETT WULKE, GENERAL MANAGER FOR FAIR PARK, ARE HERE TO ANSWER, TO MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND BE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I'M JOINED, AS YOU MENTIONED, WITH BRETT WULKE AND ALSO RAUL ROBLES, WHO IS OUR ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER AT FAIR PARK.
SO YOU ALL WILL RECALL THAT WE ISSUED A MEMO ON THIS.
MAYBE WEEK AND A HALF AGO, TWO WEEKS AGO. BUT CONSIDERING THAT THIS THIS EVENT DID KIND OF GET A LOT OF ATTENTION, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE WITH A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. AS RYAN MENTIONED, WE'LL JUST GO OVER THE QUICK BACKGROUND OF THE EVENT, WHAT HAPPENED AND SOME ACTION ITEMS THAT HAVE COME AS A RESULT OF THE EVENT.
NEXT SLIDE. SO WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE THE CITY COUNCIL AN UPDATE ON THE BREAKAWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT TOOK PLACE AT FAIR PARK ON APRIL 10TH AND 11. NEXT SLIDE. QUICK BACKGROUND.
AS I MENTIONED, APRIL 10 AND 11 MUSIC FESTIVAL AT FAIR PARK.
OVER THE TWO DAY EVENT, MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS EAST DALLAS WERE IMPACTED BY SOUND THAT CAME FROM THE MUSIC FESTIVAL AND THE ODDITY OF THE EVENT SOME OF THE AREAS IN THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF FAIR PARK DIDN'T REALLY EXPERIENCE ANY IMPACT OF THE MUSIC, WHILE OTHERS, SEVERAL MILES AWAY EXPERIENCED SOME DISRUPTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE. QUICK BACKGROUND ON HOW WE ACCEPT EVENTS AT FAIR PARK.
WE THEN MEET WITH THE CLIENT, DISCUSS THEIR EVENT SPECIFIC DETAILS, AND THEIR REQUIREMENTS.
THE BREAKAWAY FESTIVAL WAS ACTUALLY HELD AT FAIR PARK IN 2025.
IT WAS CONTRACTED THROUGH OVG TO BE HELD AT 2026.
IT WAS A CONTRACT WE ASSUMED TO KEEP THE FESTIVAL GOING.
NEXT SLIDE. CONDITIONS OF THE EVENT. THE STAGE WAS LOCATED IN LOT 12A THAT'S THE LOT THE MAIN LOT OUTSIDE THE COLISEUM AND THE STAGE WAS FACING NORTHWARD TOWARDS GAISFORD.
I'LL HAVE A MAP ON THE NEXT SLIDE. WHILE THE STAGE REMAINED CONSISTENT WITH WHERE IT WAS LOCATED IN 2025, THE FACT STILL REMAINS IT FACES SURFACE PARKING LOTS WITH NO STRUCTURES OR STRUCTURES ANYTHING TO MITIGATE THE SOUND FROM TRAVELING.
AND ADDITIONALLY, IT FACES SURFACE LOTS THAT CAN AMPLIFY THE SOUND.
NEXT SLIDE. FOR CONTEXT. UP IN YOUR RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE MAP, LOT 12A, 12B
[01:15:01]
UP BY THE COLISEUM THAT'S WHERE THE FESTIVAL TOOK PLACE.THE STAGE WAS BACKED UP TO THE MIDWAY, FACING OUTWARD TOWARDS GAISFORD.
NORTH. YEAH. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE SATURDAY MORNING OF ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS EXPERIENCING SOME DISRUPTION. SO WE WORKED WITH BREAKAWAY TO DETERMINE WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT, THE UNUSUAL NATURE OF THE IMPACTED NEIGHBORHOODS.
NEXT SLIDE. SO OUR ACTIONS WERE LIMITED DURING THE EVENT.
SO STEP ONE IS JUST POSITIONING OF THE STAGE IN GENERAL.
WE WON'T HAVE IT BACKED UP TO THE MIDWAY FACING NORTH AGAIN.
ADDITIONALLY, WE CAN INCLUDE DECIBEL LIMITS AS PRESCRIBED BY CITY CODE IN ALL MUSIC AGREEMENTS.
WHILE IT IS A CITY CODE ALREADY OUTSIDE OUR OUT OF STATE FESTIVALS, OUT OF STATE PROMOTERS THAT MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE DRAW THEIR ATTENTION TO WHAT THEIR LIMITS ARE. WE CAN REQUIRE READINGS DURING THE EVENTS NOTIFY CODE ENFORCEMENT OF EACH OF THESE FESTIVALS IN ADVANCE SO THEY'RE AWARE AND WE CAN UTILIZE THEIR NIGHT TIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM AT THESE EVENTS FOR MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE MEASUREMENTS BEING TAKEN.
NEXT SLIDE. A QUESTION WAS POSED HOW CAN PEOPLE CALL IN IN THE EVENT OF DISTURBANCES DURING EVENTS? THE FAIR PARK COMMAND CENTER IS ACTIVATED 24 OVER SEVEN.
EVENT NON EVENT DAY THERE ARE ALWAYS ACTIVATED.
BUT ADDITIONALLY WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ADDING MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL LINE SO WE CAN KEEP THE COMMAND CENTER FOR MAYBE LIVE SAFETY SECURITY ISSUES AND THEN A SEPARATE LINE FOR NOISE COMPLAINTS DURING EVENTS LIKE THIS. NEXT SLIDE.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS WOULD BE RETURN HERE TO PTE AND ADDRESS THIS COMMITTEE ON ANY SIMILAR UPCOMING EVENTS OF THIS NATURE AND TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN TALKS WITH SIMILAR EVENTS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BUILT INTO THESE AGREEMENTS, NOT BUILT INTO THE AGREEMENTS, BUT THINGS WE'VE DISCUSSED, THINGS THAT THESE OTHER GROUPS DO THAT WE CAN REQUIRE OF ALL EVENTS. SOME OF THESE GROUPS, THEY HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE TEAMS THAT GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TAKE READINGS.
THEY TAKE LOGS. THEY PROVIDE COPIES OF THEIR LOGS TO VALIDATE THEIR DECIBEL READINGS.
THEY HAVE SOUND STEERING TECHNOLOGIES. IT'S A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THERE ARE WAYS TO POSITION SPEAKERS AND SUBS THAT IT'S HOW THEY WORD IT, IT'S LOUD VERSUS NOISE. AND THEY CAN DIRECT THE SOUND DIRECTLY AT YOU WHERE IT'S LOUD AS OPPOSED TO WHAT HAPPENED, WHERE IT'S KIND OF A SHOTGUN EFFECT AND IT KIND OF SPREADS OUT.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ANY QUESTIONS.
AND JUST TO EXPAND ON THAT FINAL POINT REAL QUICK.
SO ON THIS POINT, WHAT WE INTEND TO DO FOR NEXT YEAR AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS IS WE WOULD LIKE TO DO A PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL OR THIS COMMITTEE IN JANUARY AND GIVE THE COUNCIL A HEADS UP. HEY, THERE'S GOING TO BE EIGHT EVENTS.
HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BUILT INTO THE CONTRACTS.
SO THAT NO ONE IS SURPRISED WHEN WE DO HAVE THESE TYPES OF EVENTS AT FAIR PARK.
THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M CURIOUS SINCE THERE WAS A SIMILAR EVENT IN 2025.
I DON'T REMEMBER ANY WIDESPREAD COMPLAINTS FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE NOISE LAST YEAR.
WHAT CONDITIONS CHANGED TO GENERATE THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE GOT THIS YEAR? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THE EXPERTS, INCLUDING BREAKAWAY THEMSELVES AND LIVE NATION UTILIZING OUR RESOURCES, I DON'T WANT TO DIVE DEEP INTO ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.
IT GIVES A BOUNCING EFFECT WHERE IT CAN BOUNCE UP OVER YOUR PROPERTY LINE AND INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I THINK THE COMBINATION BETWEEN THE STAGE ORIENTATION, AGAIN, IF YOU CAN VISUALIZE FAIR PARK,
[01:20:05]
THERE ISN'T A LOT OF BIG STRUCTURES MOVING NORTH.WHEREAS IF YOU POSITION IT IN OTHER WAYS, THE COTTON BOWL AND OTHER BUILDINGS CAN BLOCK IT.
SO THE FACT THAT THE WAY THE STAGE WAS ORIENTED, PLUS THE UNUSUAL WEATHER THAT WE HAD THAT WEEKEND, WHICH WAS IT DIDN'T RAIN, BUT IT WAS VERY LOW CLOUD COVER.
SO AGAIN, ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED IS THAT WHEN WE CAN SEE A FORECAST OF SIMILAR TYPES OF WEATHER PATTERNS, THAT CAN INFORM SOME DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING WITH THE EVENT ORGANIZERS ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE AS THE STAGE IS SET UP.
SO WAS THE STAGE MOVED OR RELOCATED FROM THE POSITION OCCUPIED LAST YEAR? IT WAS NOT. NO. THE SAME LOCATION. YES, SIR. OKAY.
SO THE ONLY CHANGE WAS THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.
NOW, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IN THAT WEEKEND, CODE DID GO OUT AND THEY REPORTED NO VIOLATIONS OF OUR NOISE ORDINANCE CLOSE TO THE EVENT. BUT IT WAS A TREMENDOUS DISRUPTION IN FURTHER NORTH SUBDIVISIONS, NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW EFFECTIVE THAT DECIBEL READING BY CODE IS GOING TO BE IF THEY CONDUCT IT NEAR THE EVENT, WILL THEY BE, WHERE WILL THEY BE TAKING THOSE READINGS? THAT'S A GOOD POINT. GOOD QUESTION. WHERE THEY TAKE THE READING IS THE CLOSEST ADJACENT PROPERTY LINE.
SO TO YOUR POINT, YOU COULD BE WITHIN THE DECIBEL READING AT THAT POINT, BUT IF IT BOUNCES OVER YOU INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU COULD BE OVER. BUT THE VIOLATION DOES NOT OCCUR UNLESS IT OCCURS AT THE BOUNDARY LINE.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU ARE LOOKING AT LOWERING YOUR DECIBEL LEVELS AT THE STAGE.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY IF ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ARE CONDUCIVE TO THIS SKIPPING OVER THE PROPERTY LINE AND MANIFESTING A DISTANCE AWAY, EVEN IF THAT MAY NOT CONSTITUTE A NOISE ORDINANCE VIOLATION BECAUSE IT'S CONDUCTED SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO I THINK YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THAT, PARTICULARLY IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE THE WEATHER FORECAST OF SIMILAR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT WE EXPERIENCED THIS YEAR. THANK YOU.
YES, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON.
THANK YOU. AND I WAS ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WAS REALLY AFFECTED.
MAYBE DO 311. I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WAS TELLING, LIKE ON FACEBOOK.
BUT IT WAS THAT THUMPING MUSIC AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION.
SO I'M NOT I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT TO REVITALIZE, WE HAVE TO ENGAGE FAIR PARK.
BUT I THINK BEING MINDFUL OF HOW IT DOES TRAVEL AND HOW IT DOES.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT AT 11:00 IT WAS DONE. AND SO, BUT I DO THINK JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW THE ATMOSPHERE CAN DO WEIRD THINGS WITH NOISE AND SITES AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. AND JUST TO BE MINDFUL AND I THINK JUST STREAMLINING ANY TYPE OF BECAUSE THEY WERE TAGGING ON FACEBOOK, EMAILING, NEXT DOORING. AND IT WAS IT. SO IT WAS LIKE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE.
BUT IF WE HAVE A WAY FOR THEM TO GIVE US THEIR ISSUE, I THINK IT WOULD ALLEVIATE A LOT OF PAIN.
BUT I DO THINK SO WITH THE IS 11:00 CUT OFF, IS THAT THE NORM AT FAIR PARK, OR WAS THAT JUST SPECIAL FOR THIS? NO. THAT'S THE CURFEW FOR FAIR PARK. DOS EQUIS HAS AN EXCEPTION TO 11:30, EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS.
BUT 11:00 IS THE CURFEW. OKAY, SO THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT WE CAN TELL RESIDENTS THAT.
HEY, JUST HANG ON. IT IS TILL 11. IF IT GETS THAT BAD.
[01:25:02]
BUT EVEN BUT 11 IS. AND RYAN, THANKS FOR TAKING THE CALL ON SATURDAY WHEN I WAS LIKE, HEY, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? AND YOU'RE LIKE, NO.I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY, SO IT DIDN'T GET TO ME.
SO I WAS, AND THAT'S NOT REALLY I'M NOT THAT DEMO.
SO THAT WASN'T THAT EVENT WASN'T REALLY ON MY RADAR SCREEN.
SO IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR ALL THE FEEDBACK ON SATURDAY MORNING.
BECAUSE I, I MEAN, AND IT WAS TRULY A PHYSICS LESSON.
AND I MEAN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT TO HAVE KIDS UNDERSTAND, LIKE KIND OF DO A PROJECT ON IT BECAUSE IT IS AT A VERY INTERESTING KIND OF IT'S INTERESTING OF HOW IT HAPPENED. SO I DO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING RESPONSIVE.
I KNOW THAT YOU COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE CONTRACT AWAY AND SAY, WE'RE SHUTTING IT DOWN AND MOVE IN, BUT YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA. THANK YOU.
BUT THERE IS SOME TECHNICALITY THERE, RIGHT. I PHYSICALLY, AFTER BEING INUNDATED ON FRIDAY NIGHT WITH CALLS, PHYSICALLY WENT AND WAS PRESENT ON SATURDAY NIGHT IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS OF NOT ONLY FAIR PARK, BUT OTHER PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LET ME KNOW THAT THEY HEARD IT AND HEARING THE DIFFERENCE WAS INSANE.
I HAVE A VIDEO OF STANDING ACROSS FROM GATE 12 AND COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING LITERALLY.
WHEN I WAS, THE REASON I WENT AND TOOK THAT VIDEO BECAUSE IT WAS A REALLY GOOD SOMETHING TO HAVE TO RESPOND WHEN I WAS GETTING MORE, YOU KNOW, HEY, I THOUGHT YOUR STATEMENT SAID Y'ALL WERE GOING TO DO SOMETHING.
LOOK AT THIS VIDEO I JUST TOOK FROM RIGHT ACROSS.
THAT'S CRAZY, YOU KNOW, AND IT SPARKED BIG CONVERSATION.
BUT PEOPLE REALLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT I HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT REACHED OUT WHERE THEY DID WAS, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE SAYING. AND I'M LIKE, THEY'RE TELLING ME THEY DON'T HEAR NOTHING ACTUALLY. SO IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, THE WHOLE DYNAMIC. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BRINGING THIS.
I WILL ASK SPECIFIC TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MR. RIDLEY MENTIONED. IF WE DO SEE LOW CLOUDS IN THE FORECAST, DO WE HAVE SOME SORT OF CONTINGENCY TO BE PROACTIVE SPECIFIC TO THAT. I MEAN, I WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOMETHING PUT IN PLACE ON A POLICY SIMILAR TO HAVING TRIGGER POINTS WITH INCLEMENT WEATHER, FOR INSTANCE.
RIGHT. AND HAVING A STANDARD ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW IT COULD BE REORIENTED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT STAGE SET UP WAS $100,000 ORDEAL.
HOWEVER I THINK LEADING UP TO THE SETUP AND WHAT'S EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
DO YOU ALL HAVE? I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.
AND WE CAN WORK WITH YOU KNOW, WITH THE PROMOTERS AND THE EVENT ORGANIZERS TO HAVE SOME LANGUAGE THAT WE PUT IN THE CONTRACTS THAT SO MANY DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL EVENT SET UP, WE CAN HAVE A MEETING WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EVENT ORGANIZERS.
[LAUGHTER] WE'VE MET WITH A LOT OF EXPERTS IN THE FIELD TO LEARN AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AND JUST DISCOVERING THERE ARE REAL MITIGATION PLANS OUT THERE AND REQUIRING THE EVENT TO PROVIDE A MITIGATION PLAN TO US THAT MATCHES UP WHAT WE DETERMINE THAT PLAN SHOULD LOOK LIKE IS SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO.
[01:30:02]
MAYBE IF THERE ARE PHYSICAL BUFFERS THAT WE CAN REQUIRE CONTRACTUALLY FOR THE OTHER LIKE THAT.BUT LET'S LOOK AT WHAT SPECIFICS COULD BE ADDED TO FUTURE CONTRACTS AND PUT THE ONUS ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT WE HAVE CONTRACTING THESE EVENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WILL JUST TELL YOU, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T.
YOU KNOW, WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES IN SOUTH DALLAS AROUND FAIR PARK.
THIS IS FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS. I WAS REMINDED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO EMAILED IN THE COST OF THEIR HOME AND WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE TAX BASE, AND IT WAS REALLY DISHEARTENING TO SEE SOME OF THE BACK AND FORTH THAT I HEARD FROM RESIDENTS, QUITE FRANKLY. BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT WE DEAL WITH SOME ISSUES IN SOUTH DALLAS ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT I'VE BEEN SCREAMING AND SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE AND I CAN'T GET THE CITY TO LOOK AT PRIORITIZING IT.
DO I NEED TO GET LAKEWOOD TO START COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS STUFF IN SOUTH DALLAS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY? BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT EVEN SIMPLE LOGISTICS AT PROGRAMING THE FAIRGROUNDS, RIGHT? INGRESS EGRESS, SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR ABOUT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S HUGE.
IS IT DIFFERENT IF I GET PEOPLE FROM THE M STREETS AND NORTHWEST HIGHWAY TO COMPLAIN, BECAUSE I SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN A DIFFERENT RESPONSE HERE FROM SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR. I DON'T THINK THAT IT SAYS VERY MUCH.
I KNOW YOU ALL ARE RESPONDING TO A MEMO THAT WAS GIVEN, BUT I THINK THAT I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T PUT ON RECORD THAT WE HAVE THIS FIRST WORLD PROBLEM, AND WE RATTLED A BUNCH OF MILLION DOLLAR HOUSES WINDOWS, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE GROUNDBREAKING THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.
BUT WE HAVE RANDOM GUNFIRE AND NEFARIOUS ACTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THINGS THAT ARE PLAGUING SOUTH DALLAS, AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANYONE'S ATTENTION. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING THAT UP.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. CHAIR JOHNSON. YES, I WANT TO JUST THANK COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA FOR SPEAKING BOLDLY, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE RANDOM GUNFIRE, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON.
AND I JUST DID A FEW SEGMENTS TALKING ABOUT THIS NOT JUST IN DISTRICT FOUR, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A CITYWIDE SITUATION. I EVEN SPOKE WITH CHAIR BLAIR THIS MORNING.
AND DEALING WITH THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE RANDOM GUNFIRE AND NOT TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT MATTER, BUT THIS IS A SITUATION THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH AND WE NEED REAL RESULTS REAL FAST.
THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU CHAIR. CHAIR RIDLEY, THANK YOU FOR SENDING THE MEMO AND ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED.
LOUD MUSIC IS NO STRANGE FEAT FOR MY NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ENDURE DURING DOS EQUIS.
SO I'M EXCITED THAT WE'VE STARTED THE MITIGATION PROCESS THERE WITH THE CONCERTS.
FIRST QUESTION IS ON THE COMMAND CENTER. WHAT ARE THE HOURS? AND ARE THOSE HELD THROUGHOUT THE CONCERT FROM BEGINNING TO END OR WHAT'S THE HOURS THERE FOR OUR OPERATION? THE COMMAND CENTER IS 24 OVER SEVEN. OKAY. OKAY.
YES, SIR. THERE ARE TWO PARAMETERS. BY AND LARGE, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPLIANCE OPERATES FROM WITHIN THAT IS CHAPTER 30 THAT THAT DEALS WITH NOISE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE DALLAS DEVELOPMENT CODE, CHAPTER 51, A ONE IS AT RIGHT AT THE PROPERTY LINE AND THE OTHER IS JUST A NUISANCE. THAT IS CORRECT. CHAPTER 30 IS GENERALLY DEALING WITH NUISANCE COMPLAINTS.
AND THEN THE OTHER, BY AND LARGE, IS AN ORDINANCE THAT WE DEAL WITH NOISE POLLUTION.
TO BE QUITE HONEST. OKAY. AND SO FOR READING FOLLOWING THE ORDINANCE ON THE PROPERTY
[01:35:07]
LINE. FAIR PARK IS PRETTY BIG AND SO THERE'S MULTIPLE ADDRESSES WITHIN FAIR PARK.AND SO WHERE ARE YOUR OFFICERS CURRENTLY TAKING THE DECIBEL READING.
ARE THEY TAKING IT AT THE PARK LINE OR AT THE LINE? YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY A COMPLAINT CAME FROM DOS EQUIS.
ARE THEY TAKING IT FROM THE PERIMETER THERE? WHERE EXACTLY WOULD THEY BE TAKING THE READING? I'M GOING TO ALLOW MY COLLEAGUE, HE HAS THOSE SPECIFIC MEASURING LOCATIONS.
YOU'RE RIGHT IN THAT IF IT IS A NOISE VIOLATION, DOS EQUIS IS UNDER PD 288.
AND SO WITHIN THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT, IT HAS EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE TO TAKE THOSE MEASUREMENTS.
AND I'M GOING TO ALLOW MR. JOSE RUIZ TO SPEAK TO THAT.
HEY GOOD MORNING, JOSE RUIZ MANAGER OF THE NIGHTTIME ENTERTAINMENT TEAM FOR CODE COMPLIANCE.
DOS EQUIS PAVILION IS ACTUALLY UNDER PD 288. THE PD SPECIFICALLY LISTS FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FROM WHERE THE NOISE READING HAS TO BE TAKEN FOR DECIBELS. IT USUALLY IS ALONG THE SIDE OF FITZHUGH AVENUE, ALONG THE DART RAILROAD TRACKS, AND ALSO THE RAILROAD TRACKS ON THE WASHINGTON STREET SIDE.
SO IT'S VERY FAR AWAY FROM THE PAVILION. OKAY.
THANK YOU. AND SO I KNOW THAT WE SAID MUSIC CUTS OFF AT 11 P.M..
WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE SHOW? THERE'S SOMETIMES FIREWORKS THAT GO OFF.
DO THE FIREWORKS CONCLUDE AT 11. OR DOES THAT THE SOUND TURNS OFF AT 11.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
OKAY. YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE GOING AS HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THIS IS NOT BY ANY MENTION OF TRYING TO SHUT DOWN WHAT'S HAPPENING AT FAIR PARK. THIS IS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE. WE WANT FAIR PARK TO THRIVE.
WE WANT CONCERTS TO HAPPEN AT THE PARK. AND THAT'S PART OF THE FABRIC OF HAVING SOMETHING SO SPECIAL, SO CLOSE TO THE URBAN CENTER. BUT THIS IS ALSO ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE AND MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT IMPACTING THE DIRECT NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE AROUND THE PARK, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH TRAFFIC, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH LIGHT POLLUTION AND THEN SOUND TRAVELING TO OUTSIDE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I HOPE THAT WE TAKE THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY.
I WAS TRYING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ON A MITIGATION PLAN.
A LOT OF IT SEEMS TO BE VOLUNTARY AT THIS POINT.
AND A LOT OF THE ONUS SEEMS TO BE ON CODE ON THE CITY AND, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HOLD THE PRODUCERS ACTUALLY ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE BEFORE THERE'S EVEN A VIOLATION THAT HAPPENS? SURE. SO THE LANGUAGE HASN'T GONE INTO ANY FORMAL AGREEMENT YET BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT EXECUTED ONE SINCE THIS EVENT.
I KNOW IT SITS WITH CODE, BUT THEY CAN'T FIND CIVILLY.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS DID NOT TAKE PLACE BEFORE BREAKAWAY.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE NOW AND AGAIN IT'S EDUCATING BECAUSE I KNOW CODES ARE DIFFERENT EVERY CITY AND A LOT OF THESE PROMOTERS ARE TRAVELING THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND WE NEED TO EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT DALLAS REQUIRES.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE TEAM FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
CHAIR RIDLEY, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARDING TO THE CHAIR.
AND AGAIN REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT KILLING EVENTS.
THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THE EVENTS ARE, AN ASSET THAT THE EVENTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE VISITING THE PARK, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT. I WANT TO SEE MORE EVENTS HAPPEN AT FAIR PARK AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN RIDLEY FOLLOW UP.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. HOW OFTEN A YEAR DO WE HAVE LARGE MUSIC EVENTS ON SET UP SOUND STAGES LIKE THIS BREAKAWAY CONCERT? ASIDE FROM THE STATE FAIR, THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER ONE THIS YEAR.
IT'S NOT A LOT YET, BUT IT'S MY JOB TO CHANGE THAT.
WELL, GIVEN THAT, I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT YOU LOOK AT PROVISIONS IN THE BOOKING CONTRACT THAT WOULD SET DECIBEL LIMITS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS LIKE YOU HAVE WITH DOS EQUIS PD.
I THINK WE NEED BETTER COVERAGE THAN OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE WHAT ORDINANCES PROVIDE US.
[01:40:05]
AND YOU CAN SIMPLY WRITE THOSE RULES INTO THE CONTRACT.I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CONTROL THIS. ALSO IS THIS ARE THEY CONCERTS GENERALLY HELD IN THE CERTAIN PARTS OF THE YEAR WHEN WE MAY HAVE THESE KINDS OF ADVERSE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET INTO THE JUNE, JULY, AUGUST MONTHS, IT IS IT'S STIFLING HOT.
A LOT OF THE ARTISTS DON'T ENJOY THAT. SO YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT SPRING AND LATE FALL FOR THESE.
YEAH. OKAY. WELL I, REALLY THINK THAT PROPOSING SOME CHANGES TO THE CONTRACTS AND CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO POLICE THIS.
AND THAT WILL ALSO ALLOW THE PROMOTERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTED TO DO.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST ASK AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE DON'T TRY TO OVER POLICE IT.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS LIKE, WE DON'T NEED TO BE LEGISLATING OFF OF AN ANOMALY.
WE, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST MUSIC FESTIVAL I HOPE IS NOT THE LAST.
WE'VE HAD THE EXACT SAME MUSIC FESTIVAL THE YEAR PRIOR DID NOT HAVE ISSUES.
WE'VE HAD A RAP R&B MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT HAD JUST AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE BASS, AND IT WAS IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PART OF THE PARK. DID NOT HEAR FROM ANY RESIDENTS AT ALL FOR THAT ENTIRE THREE DAY WEEKEND MUSIC FESTIVAL.
SO, I MEAN, I DO BELIEVE I THINK EDUCATION IS HUGE.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IN AN ANOMALY SITUATION THAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING OTHER THAN APPEASING A FEW TO MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES TO POLICY. NOW IF WE CAN LOOK AT AGAIN, THERE BEING LANGUAGE PUT IN, I DO THINK THAT THERE, IT SHOULD BE SPECIFIC TO THE ATMOSPHERIC CONTRIBUTIONS.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SPECIFIC CONTINGENCY PLANS PUT IN PLACE TO THESE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS TO MAKE THE AGAIN, THE ONUS BE PUT ON WHO WE ARE CONTRACTING. BUT FOR US TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THINGS NEED TO CHANGE.
BUT THE LAST THING THAT YOU WANT TO DO, IN MY OPINION, IS START MESSING WITH THE DECIBEL READING NUMBERS, ETC. THE REALITY IS, IS WE COULD LOWER THAT DECIBEL READING PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ONE, IT WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED US.
IT WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED US AT ALL. IN FACT, IT WOULD BE CRAZY FOR ANYONE WHO'S HOSTING AN EVENT AT FAIR PARK TO BE HELD LIABLE IF THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR POLICIES TO GO READ DECIBELS MILES AWAY AND THEN ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THEM AND THEN AND THEN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO IT.
THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY THAT OUR POLICY EVEN READS.
BUT I WOULD SAY STRONG ARMING FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S STANDPOINT AND JUST PUTTING IN MORE REGULATIONS TO APPEASE SOME OF THE LOUD VOICES, IS NOT THE ROUTE TO GO HERE. IN FACT, I THINK IT COULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
DO WE HAVE, LIKE A SOUND ENGINEER WHO IS WORKING FOR THE CITY OR FOR PARKS FROM OUR TO HELP US FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE? WE DO NOT. WOULD IT BE IN THE BUDGET TO HAVE ONE ON RETAINER? BUDGET KEEPS COMING UP TODAY. BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE HAVING SOMEBODY PROACTIVELY THAT WE COULD PULL IN ON A, YOU KNOW, JUST ON RETAINER, NOT, NOT A FULL TIME STAFF PERSON, BUT JUST AS A RESOURCE.
OKAY. OKAY. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS? NOPE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO I WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FORECAST TODAY WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OEQS PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE LINED UP, ONE ON HEAT INTERVENTION, ONE ON SOLAR PERMITTING.
AND DIRECTOR O'CONNOR IF YOU COULD STAY FOR JUST A SECOND.
[01:45:01]
SO CADILLAC HEIGHTS WAS GOING TO BE BRIEFED TODAY.AND I BELIEVE WE'RE MOVING THAT TO OUR JUNE MEETING.
WOULD THAT BE CORRECT? THAT WOULD BE FINE. OKAY.
HOWEVER, WE ARE ALSO INTENDING TO PUT OUT A MEMO THIS WEEK THAT WILL DETAIL STATUS OF THE PROJECT THAT WILL ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT COUNCILMAN JOHNSON AND I AND DIRECTOR JENKINS HAVE DISCUSSED.
WE'LL BE DOING THAT AS WELL. OKAY. I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE CHAIR JOHNSON HERE FOR A QUICK MINUTE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE HE HAS SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IT WAS GOING TO BE THERE AND WE WAS GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THAT.
SO TO GET AN EMAIL OR AS I WAS LOOKING OVER THE AGENDA AND I SEE THAT, I WAS REALLY SURPRISED.
SO I'M ACTUALLY EMAILING NOW GETTING RECEIVING EMAILS FROM MY COMMUNITY CONCERNING THIS MATTER.
AND I WOULD BE RESPONDED WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
BUT THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS AND SO WE WILL BE GOING FORWARD.
BUT THANK YOU, CHAIR STEWART. I WOULD LIKE TO BE INFORMED AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT ON YOU.
I'VE SAID THAT SEVERAL TIMES. I DON'T THINK I'M ASKING FOR ANYTHING THAT'S UNREASONABLE. IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT TO EMAIL, PICK UP THE PHONE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION. SO I APPRECIATE IT.
NO PROBLEM CHAIR. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND I APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL PUT IT FIRST IN TOP OF THE LIST FOR THE BRIEFING IN JUNE, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. AND NOT TO MAKE AN EXCUSE NECESSARILY, BUT DIRECTOR JENKINS INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A CONVERSATION THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE LAST WEEK, WHICH LED TO THIS PLACE.
AND SO JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY, THAT'S, THE REASON.
NOT AT ALL. I THINK WE HAD JUST A MISCOMMUNICATION THERE.
AND I WASN'T A PART OF THAT PHONE CALL, SO I CAN'T.
AND PERHAPS IF I HAD MENTIONED IT TO YOU, THEN WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO THE BOTTOM OF IT BEFORE 10:00 LAST NIGHT, WHICH WE DID. ABSOLUTELY. SO WE'LL DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU. CHAIR STEWART. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU.
THEN IF THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS, WE WILL ADJOURN AT 10:56.
THANK YOU CHAIR.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.