[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
TODAY IS TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2026, THE TIME IS 6 P.M.
AND WE'RE HERE FOR THE BUDGET WORK SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, SO I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER.
[2. Citizens’ Appearance]
IS CITIZENS' APPEARANCE.WE DID NOT HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO WE'LL SKIP OVER THAT.
(INAUDIBLE) BUT WE DO HAVE BROWNIES FOR DESSERT.
THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CITIZEN'S APPEARANCE AT THE END OF THIS NIGHT'S SESSION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS AN INTRODUCTION FROM MR.
[3. 2026-0310 Introduction]
LAMB.START WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE.
SO THIS EVENING, EVERYTHING WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE PAST FEW MONTHS AND FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS IS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING, BASICALLY, A COMMUNITY CAPACITY ACTION PLAN.
YOU'VE HEARD US REFER TO IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THIS IS JUST A REMINDER ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT JUST TO SPEND LESS.
IT IS TO PRESERVE THE COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO THRIVE WHILE ADAPTING TO LONG-TERM PHYSICAL REALITIES.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THIS YEAR, YOU GET TO SEE SOME OF THAT MORE IN MOTION THAN YOU HAVE IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, EVEN THOUGH IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS WE'VE MADE REDUCTIONS IN OUR EXPENDITURES.
TONIGHT IS FOCUSED ON CERTIFIED VALUES AS PROVIDED BY THE DALLAS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND THE RESULTING PROPOSED TAX RATE.
IT IS REQUIRED IN THE CITY OF COPPELL'S CHARTER THAT WE SUBMIT A BALANCE.
BUDGET FOR THE 2027 FISCAL YEAR AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT TOMORROW EVENING.
I LOOKED DOWN TO THAT ROW BECAUSE THAT'S THE ROW THAT ACTUALLY SUBMITS IT.
THE SUBMITTED BUDGET REFLECTS THE FINANCIAL STRATEGIES WE HAVE MADE AND RECEIVED YOUR INPUT AND DIRECTION ON THESE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND WEEKS.
SINCE 2017 I WOULD SAY OUR BUDGET STORY HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY POINTING TO A FUTURE THAT LEADS THE STATE LEGISLATURE WILL CONTINUE TO RATCHET DOWN PROPERTY TAX REVENUES AND SEVERELY RESTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENTS IN ITS OWN COMMUNITY.
WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, THE ORGANIZATION WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN PLANNING FOR AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES THAT HAVE SLOWED THE GROWTH OF EXPENDITURES AND SET ASIDE FUNDS SECURING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR DECISION-MAKING NOW AND GOING FORWARD.
OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH VARIOUS FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES HAS TOLD US THAT THEY CONTINUE THAT THEY CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND SHOULD BE REFLECTED AS SUCH IN BUILDING OUR BUDGET.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT A BUDGET TO SOME REFLECTIVE POINT IN TIME IN THE PRESENT DOCUMENT AND IMPORTANTLY FOR OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS THE CITY COUNCIL STAFF SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE USED THE BUDGET AS A PIECE OF, A PIECE OF A COMPLEX PUZZLE WHOSE FRAMEWORK IS BUILT AROUND OUR FIVE-YEAR FORECASTING EFFORTS. SO, OUR FIVE-YEAR FORECASTING EFFORTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO OUR SUCCESS AND HAVE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE THE 1990S. THESE EFFORTS AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS START WITH THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW LIMITATION ON REVENUES BY THE STATE FROM ALL SOURCES WON'T KEEP UP WITH INFLATION AND INFLUENCE WITH INFLUENCE INFLATION INFLUENCED EXPENDITURES NOW AND GOING FORWARD. SO, WHAT WERE THOSE ASSUMPTIONS? THE ASSUMPTIONS WERE THAT RULE 334 REGARDING SALES TAX SOURCING IS IN EFFECT USING THE THREE POINT FOUR NINE NINE INCREASE IN PREVIOUS YEARS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. STRATEGIC USE OF GENERAL FUNDS AND FUND BALANCE AND WE HAVE SOME OF THAT GOING ON THIS YEAR AS WELL FOR ONE-TIME EXPENSES. MAINTAINING THE COMMITMENT TO COPPELL'S WORKFORCE STATUS TO THE COUNCIL'S SELECTED BENCHMARK CITIES AND OUR EXPENDITURE STRATEGIES WHICH WE'VE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
REORGANIZING ROLES AS VACANCIES OCCUR, LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO HANDLE ROUTINE TASKS, REEVALUATING VENDOR SERVICES AND CONTRACTS, AND THOUGHTFULLY STOPPING ACTIVITIES THAT BRING LIMITED VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE HAVING CANDID CONVERSATIONS TODAY SO THAT THE DECISIONS MADE BY COUNCIL TODAY LESSEN THE POTENTIAL OF DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS IN THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE OF THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST AND CORRESPONDING DISCIPLINE IN THE BUDGETING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS CREATED TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY GOING FORWARD.
THE COUNCIL HAS SUCCESSFULLY FOLLOWED A PLAN THAT CLEARLY DELINEATES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FUNDING ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS AND ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
AND COUNCIL WILL HEAR TONIGHT FINAL CERTIFIED VALUES AND A SUMMARY OF PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL ON WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE FINAL RECOMMENDED BUDGET THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED TOMORROW.
I CLOSE WITH THIS QUESTION PRIOR TO TURNING IT OVER TO KIM FOR HER PRESENTATION.
WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS DO YOU WANT TO HAVE TODAY VERSUS BEING FORCED TO HAVE IN DEVELOPING THE 2030 BUDGET DURING THE SUMMER OF 2029.
[4. 2026-0311 Presentation and deliberation regarding the final budget review: A. Other Miscellaneous Funds B. Water/Sewer Fund C. General Fund D. Debt Service E. Assessed Valuation and Tax Rate Taxpayer Impact Statement: Fiscal Year (FY)- Median-Valued Tax Rate Per Estimated (Tax Year (TY)) Homestead $100 of Value Property Tax Bill FY 2025-2026 Adopted 2025 (TY 2025) $585,944 Tax Rate: $2,607.31 .444976 FY 2026-2027 2026 No New (TY 2026) $605,309 Revenue Tax Rate: $2,553.68 .421881 FY 2026-2027 Proposed 2026 tax (TY 2026) $605,309 rate based on the $2,670.42 proposed budget for FY 2026-27: .441166]
OVER TO COUNCIL.THANK YOU AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
[00:05:02]
TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME CHANGES IN THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO YOU PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.WE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS IN JULY, AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES.
AND SO THE INFORMATION I'LL GO OVER IS WHAT THOSE CHANGES WERE.
AFTER THAT, I WILL SHARE, AS MIKE SAID, THE CERTIFIED VALUE INFORMATION.
WE DID RECEIVE VALUES FROM DALLAS AND DENTON APPRAISAL DISTRICT ON JULY 24TH.
AND AFTER THE VALUES, I WILL SHARE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND THE TAX RATE THAT WE...
CALCULATED DOES AGREE WITH THE TAX RATE THAT DALLAS COUNTY WHO IS OUR CERTIFIED TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR CALCULATED.
AND THEN I'LL PROVIDE A COMPARISON OF THE 2025 TAX BILL TO THE 2026 TAX BILL FOR A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY THAT IS RECEIVING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND I'LL END BY SHOWING YOU A RECEIPT THAT OUTLINES HOW THE CITY'S PROPERTY TAXES COVER THE COST OF EACH SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THERE INVESTMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, TOWARD THE BACK OF YOUR BINDER YOU WILL FIND A SECTION THAT IS TITLED A426 FINAL AND IF YOU'RE USING IT WAS SENT OUT LAUREN I BELIEVE SENT IT OUT IN AN EMAIL, SO EACH SECTION IS A SEPARATE FILE. SO, BEHIND THE A426 FINAL TAB WILL BE FIVE ADDITIONAL TABS. AND I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THOSE TABS AS I PROVIDE YOU THE INFORMATION.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS THE CHANGES OF SPECIAL REVENUES.
AND THIS INFORMATION IS IN YOUR BINDER.
AND IT IS BEHIND THE TAB LABELED OTHER FUNDS. IT'S SECTION A AND I'M GOING TO START ON PAGE ONE. AND SO, THIS SHOWS YOU THE FIRST CHANGE THAT WE MADE AND IT IS WITH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND. THE DISCOVER COPPELL PROGRAM WAS ADDED TO THE FUND DESCRIPTION AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
WE ALSO ADDED, WE RECEIVED DIRECTION THAT THE SERVICE LINE SHOULD BE INCREASED $50,000 FOR ADVERTISING FOR THE RESIDENT COMPANIES.
ARE YOU ALL THERE? COME ON, NEXT TIME.
HAVE YOU ALL FOUND THE PAGES? I DON'T WANT TO KEEP GOING.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT PAGE IS PAGE FOUR, AND THAT IS THE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND.
EXPENDITURES WERE ADDED TO THE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND. THE EXPENDITURE AMOUNT IS $20,000 AND THAT IS GOING TO BE USED FOR PRINTED MAILERS TO EDUCATE ON TOPICS SUCH AS THE RECYCLE COACH, THE NEW CARTS, AND THE YARD CLIPPINGS.
THESE ARE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE IN LINE WITH THE USE OF THIS REVENUE SOURCE AND THIS REVENUE SOURCE IS THE 10 CENTS THAT'S SHOWN ON EACH WATER BILL.
EXPENDITURES WERE ADDED TO THE CHILD SAFETY FUND.
AND THE EXPENDITURE THAT WAS ADDED IS FOR THE CROSSING GUARD.
THAT IS TYPICALLY INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL FUND UNDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT UTILIZING THE CHILD SAFETY FUND TO PAY FOR THE CROSSING GUARD IS ALLOWED BY LEGISLATION.
NEXT IS ON PAGE 13, YOU'LL FIND THE RED-LIGHT FUND.
WE DID ADD A BUDGET FOR THE RED-LIGHT FUND.
POLICE ADDED, ASKED US TO ADD SOME E-BIKES FOR POLICE OFFICERS TO USE, AS WELL AS A RADAR SPEED TRAILER.
AND THESE EXPENDITURES ARE IN LINE WITH LEGISLATION FOR THAT FUND.
THEN ON PAGE 19, YOU WILL FIND THE RECREATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
WE DID ADD A TRANSFER IN TO THIS FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $6 MILLION.
THAT TRANSFER IS FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
GENERAL FUND DID HAVE AN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR FUTURE TRAIL PROJECTS AND THAT ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE WAS SIX MILLION SO WE WENT AHEAD AND INCLUDED IT AS A TRANSFER FROM THE JOURNAL FUND TO CRDC THIS YEAR. AND ALSO, ON PAGE, PAGE 21, YOU'LL FIND A WALK FORWARD FOR THE CRDC SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
WE HAVE ADDED SOME ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE CATEGORIES.
THESE CATEGORIES ARE BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES DEPARTMENT.
AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE SOME PROPOSED PROJECTS THAT BEEN...
HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE FUND BALANCE WALK FORWARD, BUT THESE ARE POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT A FUNDING SOURCE HAS NOT BEEN FORMALLY
[00:10:02]
IDENTIFIED.SO, NEXT IS THE WATER SEWER FUND AND SO WE, WE HEARD A REQUEST THE WATER SEWER FUND RETAINED EARNINGS WALK FORWARD SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE PRESENTATION PACKET AND THAT WALK FORWARD CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE FOUR BEHIND THE TAB B.
THERE WERE NO CHANGES MADE TO THE WATER SEWER FUND, NO CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES AT THE WATER SEWER FUND.
WE WILL EVALUATE RATES IN THE FALL ONCE THE CURRENT YEAR HAS BEEN CLOSED AND THEN WE BRING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING ANY RATE CHANGES TO COUNCIL IN THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER TIMEFRAME.
THE GENERAL FUND IS THE NEXT FUND WITH CHANGES AND IT IS BEHIND TAB C.
SO, THE CHANGES HERE, THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES CAN BE FOUND ON PAGES 1 AND 2.
AND THE FIRST CHANGE IS A DECREASE OF $53,000 TO COUNCIL'S BUDGET, WHICH IS BASED ON COUNCIL'S DIRECTION TO DECREASE...
THE AMOUNT REQUESTED BY A COUPLE OF THE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.
THE NEXT CHANGE IS TO CITY SECRETARY.
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS REMOVED FROM THIS BUDGET.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CITY WOULD NOT NEED A NOVEMBER ELECTION.
THERE WILL STILL BE A NOVEMBER ELECTION BUT BECAUSE THE CITY DOES NOT IS NOT NEEDING TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT ELECTION BY HAVING SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT THAT HUNDRED TO BE THE REMOVED.
THE NEXT CHANGE IS TO COMBINED SERVICES.
COMBINED SERVICES IS BEING INCREASED.
AGAIN, THE INCREASE IS THE $6 MILLION FOR THE ONE-TIME TRANSFER TO CRDC FOR THE TRAIL PROJECTS THAT I JUST MENTIONED.
IT'S ALSO BEING INCREASED FOR $150,000.
WE'RE USING SOME OF THE 2040 INITIATIVES FOR AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS PLAN CONSULTANT.
STAFF ALSO INCREASED THE TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL REPLACEMENT FUND.
WE, WE TRANSFER ONE YEAR OF USEFUL LIFE TO THAT FUND.
WE HAD IT ORIGINALLY INCLUDED SOME INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE CAPITAL REPLACEMENT FUND, BUT AFTER FURTHER ANALYSIS WE THINK IT'S MORE PRUDENT TO GO AHEAD AND DO THE TRANSFER AND SAVE THE INTEREST EARNINGS FOR ANY CHANGES, INFLATIONARY CHANGES ABOVE THE INFLATION FACTOR THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING.
AND THEN THAT LAST CHANGE IN EXPENDITURES IS TO POLICE ADMINISTRATION.
THAT IS AGAIN MOVING THE $167,000 FOR THE CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND POLICE BUDGET INTO THE CHILD SAFETY BUDGET.
REGARDING REVENUES OF THE GENERAL FUND, THAT CAN BE FOUND ON PAGES 4 AND 5 OF THIS SECTION.
AND THE ONLY CHANGE IS TO PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, AND THAT CHANGE IS BASED ON THE CERTIFIED VALUES AND THE PROPERTY TAX RATE CALCULATION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE CERTIFIED VALUES AND THE TAX RATE.
AND THAT IS WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE GENERAL FUNDS FUND BALANCE WALK FORWARD.
SO AT THE TOP OF THE WALK FORWARD, THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURE CHANGES THAT I JUST COVERED.
THE BOTTOM SECTION WAS ALSO UPDATED TO REFLECT...
THE IMPACT OF THE CHANGES ON FUND BALANCE POLICY AND CHARTER REQUIREMENT LINES, AS WELL AS REMOVING THE $6 MILLION TRANSFER FROM THE, FROM TRANSFER TO CRDC FROM THE ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
WE ALSO REDUCED THE 2040 INITIATIVE LINE BY THE $150,000 THAT WE ARE USING FOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS PLAN CONSULTANT.
THE NEXT FUND IS THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND THIS IS ON PAGE ONE AND IT'S BEHIND THE TAB D AND IT SHOWS THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES OF THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND AGAIN THE ONLY CHANGE IS THE REVENUE AND THAT IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE PROPERTY TAX RATE CALCULATION AND CERTIFIED VALUES WHICH WE'LL COVER SHORTLY.
SO, THAT'S THE LAST, THIS IS THE LAST BOND WITH A CHANGE.
SO THE NEXT ITEM TO COVER IS CERTIFIED PROPERTY VALUES AND THEN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AND I'M GOING TO START WITH THE CERTIFIED VALUE INFORMATION AND THAT CAN BE FOUND BEHIND TAB E LABELED ASSESSED VALUATIONS.
[00:15:02]
SO THIS PAGE, THIS FIRST PAGE IS AGAIN BEHIND THAT TAB AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS, IT'S THE FIRST PAGE BEHIND THAT TAB AND IT SHOWS THE FINAL CERTIFIED VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR 2026 COMPARED TO THE...THE CERTIFIED VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR 2025.
THE RESULT IS AN INCREASE OF 4.54% IN TOTAL ASSESSED VALUES OF THE CITY.
LAST YEAR, THE INCREASE WAS 6.61% COMPARED TO 11.31 PERCENT IN 2024, 9.25 PERCENT IN 2023, AND IN 2022 THE INCREASE, INCREASE IN VALUE WAS 10.14 PERCENT.
SO THIS IS THE LOWEST INCREASE IN CERTIFIED VALUES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO OUR CERTIFIED VALUES.
AND WE'RE STILL ON PAGE ONE BEHIND TAB E.
AND THIS INFORMATION IS THE INFORMATION IN THE CHART ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE IS FOUND AT THE TOP OF PAGE ONE.
AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE COMPARISON OF TAXABLE VALUE BY PROPERTY CATEGORY FOR ALL PROPERTY IN COPPELL IN 2025 COMPARED TO 2026.
SO, THIS YEAR-TO-YEAR COMPARISON BY CATEGORY IS ALSO REPRESENTED BY THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT.
SO ON PAGE ONE IN YOUR PACKET, THE FAR RIGHT HAND SECTION SHOWS THE 2026 TAX YEAR CERTIFIED VALUE IS JUST OVER 13 BILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS AN INCREASE IN VALUE OF ALMOST 566 MILLION OVER THE 2025 CERTIFIED VALUES.
THE TABLE SHOWS THAT THE COMBINED VALUE OF ALL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN COPPELL IS 9.7% MORE THAN THE VALUE OF 2025.
LOOKING BACK AT PAGE 1 YOU CAN SEE THAT THE GROWTH IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY VALUES FROM 24 TO 25 WAS ONLY ABOUT 4.5... 4.3%.
SO, MOVING ON TO RESIDENTIAL, THIS SLIDE AND AGAIN ON PAGE ONE SHOWS THE CHANGE IN THE COMBINED VALUE OF ALL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN COPPELL IS JUST UNDER THREE PERCENT.
IN 2025 AND IN 2024, THE INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY VALUES FOR BOTH OF THOSE YEARS WAS IN THE EIGHT PERCENT RANGE.
SO THIS IS THE LOWEST GROWTH IN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY VALUES THAT WE HAVE HAD SINCE 2021.
THE LAST CHANGE BETWEEN YEARS ON HERE IS THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY AND IT ACTUALLY DECREASED ABOUT 0.3%.
THIS CATEGORY BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TYPICALLY GROWS ABOUT TWO TO THREE PERCENT.
YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT THERE WAS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON THE NOVEMBER OF 2025 BALLOT THAT ASKED VOTERS TO AMEND THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY EXEMPTION FROM $2,500 TO $125,000.
THAT INCREASE IN EXEMPTION IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DECREASE IN THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY VALUES.
SO FOR 2026, THE BREAKOUT OF THE TOTAL PROPERTY VALUE BETWEEN COMMERCIAL WITH BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY VERSUS RESIDENTIAL IS A 47% VERSUS 53% SPLIT.
SO, COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY MAKE UP 47% OF OUR TOTAL VALUE, AND RESIDENTIAL MAKES UP 53%.
THIS DOES REPRESENT A SLIGHT CHANGE FROM 2025 WHEN IT WAS A SPLIT OF 46-54. THEN IN 2024 IT WAS ABOUT A 47-53 SPLIT AND THEN BACK TO 21, 22, AND 23 WE'RE AT THE 45-55.
SO WE'RE REALLY KIND OF STAYING IN THAT AREA AND THAT REALLY IS THE BUILD-UP OF THE WEST SIDE.
BECAUSE BACK IN THE 90S THAT SPLIT WAS AN 80-20 SPLIT WITH RESIDENTIAL VALUES BEING 80% OF THE TOTAL VALUE AND COMMERCIAL ONLY BEING 20%.
SO, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SLIDE SO FAR, THE CERTIFIED VALUES? I'VE GOT A QUESTION GOING BACK MANY PAGES IF YOU DON'T MIND.
IN THE WATER SEWER PRESENTATION, YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO IT.
HOW CONSISTENT HAS OUR WINTER AVERAGING BEEN FROM YEAR TO YEAR? JERRY DO YOU NOW? I CAN'T SAY THAT.
WHAT THE AVERAGE, THE WINTER AVERAGE IS? WELL, JUST HOW CONSISTENT.
DO WE SEE MUCH OF CHANGE IN THAT NUMBER FROM YEAR TO YEAR? I DON'T THINK WE SEE MUCH CHANGE.
[00:20:02]
WE'RE NOT SEEING...SO, I MEAN, WE LOOK AT THE REVENUE, MAYOR.
WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE VOLUME.
REVENUE IS BETWEEN 6.3 AND 6.9, IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.
RAMESH, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
KIM, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU SHARED SO FAR.
VALUES BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL OR SORRY THE TREND OF DECREASING APPRECIATION OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL VALUES WHILE IT DOES NOT AFFECT AS MUCH ON THE REVENUE THAT WE ARE GOING TO COLLECT IN OUR EXPENSES, I'M ASSUMING IT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR TAX RATE BECAUSE WE TAKE THIS APPRAISED VALUE AND USE THAT FOR CALCULATION, RIGHT? SO, I KNOW NONE OF US HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT IF THIS TREND CONTINUES, WILL THAT LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO...
WELL, WE CAN STILL CALCULATE THE TAX RATE, BUT IF PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING...
THE TAX RATE TO GO DOWN IT MIGHT IMPACT THAT, CORRECT? SO, IT'S THE SEESAW EFFECT SO AS LONG AS VALUES ARE GOING UP THE TAX RATE WILL COME DOWN. IF WE EVER HAVE A YEAR WHERE VALUES DECLINE THE TAX RATE WILL INCREASE. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES, I MEAN WHAT I'M GETTING OUT OF THAT IS THE APPRECIATION SEEMS TO BE GOING DOWN AND IF THAT CONTINUES THEN OUR, WE WOULD BE MORE LIKE A FLAT C, SO A CHANGE IN TAX RATE MIGHT BE DIFFICULT.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE IN THE TAX RATE WILL NOT BE AS DRASTIC.
I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN SOME LARGER, LARGER CHANGES.
YOU'RE GOING TO SAY IT TONIGHT.
THE MAYOR OF FARMERS BANK WAS TELLING ME THAT THEIR COMMERCIAL VALUE WENT DOWN ALMOST 20%.
SO, FOR US TO SEE A 9.7 POINTS INCREASE THAT'S IT THAT'S A GOOD NEWS STORY FOR US.
WELL THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE CONTENT OF THE BUSINESSES, WHERE THE EXEMPTIONS HOPE FOR THEIR, THEY'RE NOT NEARLY AS WORKHOUSE ORIENTED AS WE ARE. THEY'RE MORE OFFICE, THEY HAVE MORE OFFICE THAN WE DO. OFFICES IS WHAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED.
MAYOR PRO TEM? THANK YOU MAYOR.
HEY KIM, REMIND ME, SO ON NEW CONSTRUCTION WE SAW THE RESIDENTIAL INCREASE QUITE A BIT.
REMIND ME OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT FOR THE TAX RATE.
THE NEW CONSTRUCTION ISN'T INCLUDED, RIGHT? RIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT NEXT.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DIVE DEEPER INTO THE VALUES.
IF I DON'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THEN.
SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON, AND THIS SLIDE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, AND IT SHOWS THE BREAKOUT BETWEEN NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REAPPRAISALS.
THE LAST COLUMN ON PAGE ONE PROVIDES THE GROWTH RATE DOWN FOR THE 2026 TAX YEAR.
THE FIRST SECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE AND ON THIS SLIDE IS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO NEW CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION MAKES UP A LITTLE OVER $83 MILLION, OR ABOUT 15% OF THE INCREASE IN VALUE.
IN 2025, NEW CONSTRUCTION MADE UP ALMOST $74 MILLION, OR ALMOST 10% OF THIS INCREASE.
SO PAGE ONE OF THIS SLIDE SHOWS A BREAKOUT OF THE VALUE FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY.
COMMERCIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION MAKES UP ABOUT $71 MILLION OF THE TOTAL, OR ABOUT 12% AND OF THE TOTAL INCREASE IN VALUE AND THEN THE GROWTH FROM RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION IS ALMOST 10.6 MILLION OR ABOUT 2% OF THE TOTAL GROWTH IN VALUE.
AND SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT LATER TOO, BUT THE $83 MILLION EQUATES TO ABOUT $366,000 IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE.
SO THE NEXT SECTION IS THE REAPPRAISALS AND REAPPRAISALS ARE INITIATED BY THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
[00:25:03]
ABOUT 85% OF THE INCREASE IN VALUE.THE COMMERCIAL REAPPRAISALS MAKE UP ABOUT $299 MILLION OR ABOUT 53% OF THE INCREASE IN GROWTH IN VALUE AND RESIDENTIAL MAKES UP ABOUT $190 MILLION OR ABOUT 34% OF THE GROWTH.
AND THEN THE VALUE FROM BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY DID DECREASE ALMOST SIX MILLION AND AGAIN THE DECREASE IS IN... IS THE... IN THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY IS RELATED TO THE INCREASE IN THAT TAX EXEMPTION THAT WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS LAST NOVEMBER.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING VALUATIONS BECAUSE THE NEXT THING WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS A TAX RATE.
REAL QUICK, AND THIS DOESN'T MATTER AT ALL, BUT JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE MATH.
THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY ON THE BOTTOM IS 5.9, AND ON THE TOP OF THIS CHART IS 4.9.
IS THE MILLION-DOLLAR DELTA NEW BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY THAT WASN'T IN LAST YEAR'S? IS THAT WHERE THE DIFFERENCE IS? YES, THE TOP IS NOT IN NEW.
SO, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS.
AND THIS IS JUST STRICTLY WHAT WAS ON THE ROLL LAST YEAR.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AMOUNT OF OUR TOTAL VALUATION THAT'S OFF THE BOOKS WITH RESPECT TO THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE? BECAUSE WE HAVE A HIGHER NEW CONSTRUCTION REVENUE? YES.
IT'S... YEAH. WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE...
... WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TAX RATE, THE IMPACT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION.
OKAY, SO THIS SLIDE IS NOT IN YOUR PACKET.
HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION SHOWN IN THE BRIGHT BLUE COLUMNS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 2 OF YOUR PACKET, RIGHT BEHIND THE VALUES.
THE BRIGHT BLUE COLUMN ON THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE TAX RATE AND THE REVENUE GENERATED BY THE TAX RATE.
AND SO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS .441166 WHICH IS THIS RATE, COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR, 444976.
THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, TO COUNCILMEMBER PREMKUMAR'S POINT, IS 0.9% LESS THAN THE CURRENT TAX RATE.
AND THE PROPOSED M&O TAX REVENUE IS ABOUT 4% GREATER THAN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 ADOPTED M&O PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
SO IF YOU RECALL, ON THE 21ST, WE TALKED ABOUT...
THE PROJECTIONS I WAS SHOWING WAS A $1.6 MILLION INCREASE, AND THAT'S SIMPLY 3.499% MORE THAN THE PRIOR YEAR, RIGHT? WELL, AS COUNCIL MEMBER... UM.
SORRY. AS YOU POINTED OUT, COUNCIL MEMBER WALKER POINTED OUT, THE THERE'S AN IMPACT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE TAX LEVY.
AND SO, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING INSTEAD OF IT ONLY GROWING 1.6%, THE PROPOSED...
LEVY IS GROWING 1.9 AND THAT DELTA THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 1.6 AND THE 1.8 IS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT'S BEEN ADDED. SO, THE VALUE ON THE M&O RATE IS ABOUT 312,000 AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 388 AND THE 312 THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE M&O COURT, THAT OTHER DIFFERENCE WOULD SHOW UP IN YOUR DEBT SERVICE.
OKAY, BUT IS THAT ALSO AFFECTED BY THE INCREASE IN THE INS BECAUSE OF THE MOST RECENT TRANCHE OF BONDS THAT WE FLOATED OR THE 4 TO 5% RATE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RATES THAT WE HAVE? IS THAT STARTING TO INCREMENTALLY KIND OF CREEP IN AND INCREASE THAT AS WELL? THE LAST TIME WE ISSUED BONDS WAS 2024.
WELL, ON THIS ONE CHART IT SHOWS.
SO, WE ISSUED BONDS IN 24 AND YOU ARE SEEING UM SO THE 2027 IT'S UM 8.5 MILLION ALMOST 8.6 AND LAST YEAR RIGHT IT'S THE WAY THAT THE BONDS WERE SET UP SO LAST YEAR WE NEEDED THIS FOR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THIS YEAR WE NEEDED THIS AND IT'S THE WAY THAT WE STRUCTURED THOSE 24 BONDS.
YEAH, AND I MEAN YOU KNOW WE CAN'T PICK THE YIELDS I'D LOVE TO WE'D ALL BE AT 0.5 BUT UM, BUT THEY ARE THE HIGHER RATES OF ANY OTHER BOND THAT WE'VE FLOATED.
SO, DO YOU, I MEAN THIS IS TOTALLY OFF TOPIC AND I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT SO IT'S NO BIG DEAL, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHEN THOSE BONDS AT THE 45% RATE ON AVERAGE ARE CALLABLE? I DO NOT KNOW. SO, THOSE...
[00:30:04]
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN WE CAN START LOOKING AT REFINANCING THOSE......TO GET THEM TO A LOWER RATE.
THOSE ARE IN THE 3% TO 5% RANGE, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU JUST DID THE PARAMETER SALE? YES, YES.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONES, THE MOST RECENT ONES THAT ARE CALLABLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN THE ONES, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THAT OTHER MOST RECENT TRENCH AT THE HIGHEST.
THE OTHER ONE IS THE 2018 BONDS ARE AT THAT 5%.
YEAH. OKAY, I MISSED THAT ONE.
YEAH, AND THEN THE 24, THOSE WON'T BE CALLABLE FOR A WHILE.
OKAY, BUT THAT THOSE HIGHER RATES ARE INCREMENTALLY STARTING TO KIND OF CREEP IN AND PUT SOME UPWARD PRESSURE ON THIS TOO, RIGHT? BUT WHEN WE WHEN WE DID THE ANALYSIS FOR, WE WORKED WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR JASON AND WE SET THE REPAYMENT BECAUSE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION WAS THE INS RATE NEEDED TO STAY AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.
AND SO, THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE KEEPING. THE INS RATE AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.
OKAY, SO WE'RE JUST DOING THAT BY NOT ISSUING BONDS ON CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES? RIGHT, WE'RE LETTING, WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING UNTIL THERE'S SOME REDUCTION IN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST.
RIGHT, THAT WE WON'T ISSUE UNTIL WE HAVE THAT REDUCTION THAT THEN WE CAN FILL THAT UP TO KIND OF MAINTAIN THAT SAME PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST LEVEL.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS SLIDE? YES, KIM. RAMESH? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
KIM, THIS IS WHAT IS PROPOSED RIGHT NOW, AND IT WON'T BE FINAL, FINAL, UNTIL LATE AUGUST? OH, SO WE HAVE, THIS IS THE, WE HAVE CERTIFIED VALUES AND WE HAVE A CERTIFIED TAX RATE CALCULATION FROM THE COUNTY AND WE'VE DONE OUR OWN.
AND SO, THESE TAX RATES WILL BE WHAT WE WILL BRING FORWARD TO YOU TO VOTE ON THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE THAT WE CAN THEN PUBLISH IN THE NEWSPAPER.
YOU WON'T FORMALLY VOTE ON THE TAX RATE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 8TH.
OKAY. SO, THIS IS THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE THAT WE WILL PROPOSE TO RESIDENTS? THIS IS THE TAX RATE WE ARE PROPOSING.
RIGHT, SO THIS NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES A COMPARISON OF THE FISCAL YEAR 26 TAX BILL VERSUS THE FISCAL YEAR 27 TAX BILL.
AND IT IS, PLEASE NOTICE IT SAYS MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUE EVERYWHERE INSTEAD OF AVERAGE.
AND THAT IS A CHANGE THAT THE LEGISLATION PUT INTO PLACE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE AGENDA HAS A TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT, AND WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE MEDIAN VALUE OF A HOME, RESIDENTIAL HOME.
AND SO JUST TO BE CONSISTENT AND NOT CAUSE CONFUSION, WE ARE SWITCHING TO MEDIAN SINCE THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATION HAS SAID.
AND SO, THIS CALCULATION IS BASED ON, AND THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS PROVIDE IT TO US, THE 26 MEDIAN VALUE AND THE 27 MEDIAN VALUE.
AND SO IT'S NOT IN YOUR PACKET, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH THIS.
SO USING THE MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUE FOR A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FOR BOTH FISCAL YEAR 26 AND 27, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE AMOUNT SOMEONE WITH A MEDIAN VALUED HOME WOULD PAY IN PROPERTY, PAY IN PROPERTY TAXES FOR BOTH OF THOSE YEARS.
SO USING THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, A PROPERTY TAXPAYER WILL PAY ABOUT $63 MORE THAN LAST YEAR.
AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT'S CIRCLED IN RED, AND THAT'S ABOUT $5 MORE PER MONTH, AND IT REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 2.4%.
SO ALTHOUGH THE MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUE INCREASED 3.3 PERCENT THE DECREASE OF 0.9 PERCENT IN THE TAX RATE REDUCES THE IMPACT OF THE TAX BILL TO 2.4 PERCENT INCREASE.
AND THEN THIS NEXT SLIDE, CAN YOU HAND THESE OUT, JERRY? WE HAVE A COPY OF THIS FOR ALL OF YOU.
SO THIS NEXT SLIDE IS A TAX BILL RECEIPT.
JERRY'S HANDING THEM OUT TO YOU, JERRY AND MICHAEL.
AND THE RECEIPT TAKES THE AMOUNT OF THE TAX BILL FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE AND SHOWS WHAT A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXPAYER IS PAYING FOR EACH TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE CITY.
SO I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THIS.
THE SLIDE SHOWS THAT THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXPAYER IS PAYING ABOUT $608 ANNUALLY FOR FIRE PROTECTION AND PARAMEDIC SERVICES.
[00:35:02]
FOR POLICE SERVICE.PUBLIC SAFETY TOTALS ABOUT $958 ANNUALLY, AND IT MAKES UP ABOUT 42% OF THE TOTAL TAX BILL.
TOGETHER, PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORKS, WHO ARE CONSIDERED FIRST RESPONDERS, MAKE UP 56% OF THE PROPERTY TAX BILL.
AND THEN WE HAVE SERVICES THAT ARE COVERED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND THOSE SERVICES TOTAL ABOUT $103 FOR THE YEAR AND MAKES UP ABOUT 5% OF THE TOTAL TAX BILL.
A COMMUNITY CULTURE AND RECREATION, WHICH IS OUR COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT, MAKES UP ABOUT $392 ANNUALLY, WHICH COVERS SERVICES OFFERED BY THE LIBRARY, THE CORPS, YOUR SENIOR CENTER, TENNIS CENTER, AND THOSE SERVICES MAKE UP ABOUT 18% OF THE TAX BILL.
AND THEN THE LAST AREA IS THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH TOTALS ABOUT $502 PER YEAR, AND IT MAKES UP ABOUT 22% OF THE TOTAL BILL.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT IS WHERE HR, IT, FINANCE, PROCUREMENT, COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, CITY SECRETARY, LEGAL, COMBINED SERVICES, THOSE ARE ALL LOCATED.
THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE ALL LOCATED IN THAT AREA, AND THOSE ARE THE DEPARTMENTS THAT REALLY SERVE ALL FUNDS OF THE CITY AND ALL DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY.
ONE NOTE FOR THIS EXAMPLE IS THAT WE DO BACK OUT THOSE ONE-TIME USES OF FUND BALANCE SINCE THAT'S NOT USING PROPERTY TAXES WE'RE USING FUND BALANCE INSTEAD.
SO, WE DO... ANYTHING ALL OF THOSE TRANSFERS FOR SETTING UP THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE SIX MILLION TO FOR THE TRAILS, THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CALCULATION.
THIS RECEIPT ALSO SHOWS THE AMOUNT PAID BY RESIDENTS, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXPAYERS FOR THE OUTSTANDING BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED TO FUND THE ITEMS LIKE BELTLINE ROAD, ROYAL, AND FIRE STATIONS 4 AND 5.
SO THE OVERALL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER IS PAYING ABOUT $223 PER MONTH FOR BOTH THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY AND THAT INVESTMENT IN THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN THIS FINAL SLIDE, I KNOW YOU LIKE TO SEE THE OVER 65, AND SO THIS IS SHOWING THAT SOMEBODY WHO RECEIVES HOMESTEAD PLUS OVER 65 WILL PAY ABOUT $2,229 OR ABOUT $441 LESS THAN SOMEONE WHO'S ONLY RECEIVING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
AND THAT REALLY CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
KEVIN? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING US THROUGH, LIKE, STEP-BY-STEP, FUND-BY-FUND, OF ALL THE, KIND OF RECAPPING ALL OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
JUST REALLY HELPFUL TO KIND OF KEEP EVERYTHING VERY ORGANIZED.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
JUST MAKES EVERYTHING VERY EASY AND CLEAR TO UNDERSTAND.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE THOUGHTFULNESS IN THAT.
CAN I OFFER A COMMENT? CERTAINLY.
YOU KNOW YOU TALK ABOUT THE SEESAW, WE TALK ABOUT THAT EVERY YEAR AS THE VALUATIONS GO UP, THE RATE COMES DOWN.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE OF A LOT OF CITIES.
I THINK BECAUSE OF YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR TEAM, MIKE'S LEADERSHIP, I THINK WE'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF CREATING THIS SEESAW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU LISTEN TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, HIS BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THAT THE VALUATION...
ARE GOING UP AND THE TAX RATES ARE GOING UP AND THE CITIES ARE SPENDING A LOT MORE AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT INCREASE IN MANY INSTANCES.
WE'VE NEVER YIELDED TO THAT TEMPTATION.
WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO ADJUST IN A WAY THAT FAVORS THE TAXPAYER.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT COPPELL HAS BEEN AN AMAZING STEWARD OF OUR TAX DOLLARS AND REALLY HAS TRIED TO KEEP THAT SEESAW IN PLACE WHEN SO MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE FORFEITED THAT OPPORTUNITY AND TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HIGHER VALUATIONS TO INCREASE SPENDING THAT REFLECT MORE OF THE HIGHER VALUATIONS THAN THEY DO ANYTHING ELSE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE DISCIPLINE THAT YOU'VE SHOWED IN TRYING TO FOLLOW OUR GUIDANCE TO MITIGATE THE TAXES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
I THINK YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AT THAT.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I TOOK ALL THE CREDIT AND OUR TEAM TOOK ALL THE CREDIT.
WE ARE THE FACILITATORS OF A...
WONDERFUL PROCESS WHERE THE WHOLE CITY COMES TOGETHER AND CREATES THIS BUDGET AND THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB REALLY OF BEING GOOD STEWARDS AS YOU SAID SO UNFORTUNATE
[00:40:01]
TO HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH.I'VE BEEN REALLY EXPECTING TO SEE THE NEW CONSTRUCTION NUMBER DROP SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND IT'S STILL, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE IT USED TO BE, BUT IT'S STILL DECENT.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR COMMUNITY, BUT I'M, I'M VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE NUMBER THAT WAS REASSURING TODAY.
LET'S JUST HOPE IT KEEPS GOING THAT WAY.
I NOTICED THAT 80% OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WAS COMMERCIAL, AND IT'S PROBABLY THE NEW WAREHOUSES THAT GOT BUILT.
I'M SURE THAT'S A LOT OF IT, YEAH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR KIM? IT'S BETTER WHEN IT COMES OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION COLUMN.
DO YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE ON? SURE.
I, I HAVE, I HAVE JUST ONE MORE SLIDE FOR YOU.
[6. Deliberation of the Budget, Timeline, and Adoption Process]
SO THIS REALLY IS THE REMAINING BUDGET TIMELINE AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I PUT THIS IN FRONT OF YOU.THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, TOMORROW AS MIKE SAID BY END OF DAY WE WILL FILE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, ON AUGUST 11TH WE WILL BRING THE CRIME CONTROL AND PREVENTION DISTRICT BUDGET TO YOU FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE AUGUST 11TH MEETING AND THEN ON AUGUST 25TH YOU WILL VOTE ON THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE.
AGAIN THAT IS NOT ADOPTING A TAX RATE IT'S SIMPLY VOTING ON THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE THAT WE WILL PUBLISH AND THAT MAXIMUM TAX RATE IS THE POINT FOUR FOUR ONE ONE SIX SIX THAT I SHOWED YOU.
OKAY. THEN THE NEXT THING YOU'LL VOTE ON THAT WE WILL PUT A FULL PAGE AD IN THE NEWSPAPER AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER 8TH IS WHEN WE WILL HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE AND THEN YOU WILL VOTE ON ADOPTING A BUDGET AND THEN ADOPTING A TAX RATE AND IF THE TAX RATE RAISES ONE DOLLAR MORE IN REVENUE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR YOU HAVE TO RATIFY THAT TAX RATE AND THAT SEPTEMBER 8TH WILL CONCLUDE OUR BUDGET SEASON FOR THIS YEAR AND WE WILL KICK OFF AS STAFF THE NEW BUDGET ON OCTOBER 1ST. SO, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD THE CALENDAR AND KNEW WHAT TO WHAT WAS GOING TO BE COMING UP. SO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALRIGHT.
THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN WHO DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK BUT HE HAS JUST STEPPED ON IT.
I'M SORRY? THERE'S A GENTLEMAN WHO DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK BUT HE STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE MR. LAND UP NEXT, I BELIEVE.
WAS THAT THE SAME THING I HAD TO REPORT? OH, OKAY.
I'M GOING TO BE THE BEST ONE YOU GET? NO.
SO, DID HE SIGN UP? HE ASKED ME DOWNSTAIRS WERE TO GO TO SIGN UP FOR CITIZENS APPEARANCE.
AND SO I PUT HIM UP HERE, I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO DO IT BEFORE OR AFTER, AND HE SAID AT THE END.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S STILL HERE.
(INAUDIBLE) WHAT NUMBER ARE WE ON? WHAT AGENDA NUMBER ARE WE ON? WELL, WE SKIPPED OVER FIVE, WE WENT TO SIX, THEN I WENT BACK TO FIVE, SO WE'RE UP TO SEVEN.
WHY? I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY DELIBERATION ON EVERYTHING ON FIVE.
I MISSED THAT ONE, I MUST HAVE DOZED OFF.
WELL, THAT WAS WHEN I ASKED MIKE IF HE HAD ANYTHING TO SAY AND HE SAID, WE'RE DONE, FOLKS.
[5. 2026-0312 Deliberation regarding the final budget review.]
TO FIVE? YES, WE CAN.I DO WANT TO BRING UP ON FIVE, AND THIS IS MINUTE FOR US.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S MINUTE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IT HAS TO GO BACK TO THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
I THINK WE REDUCED THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION REQUEST BY ABOUT $53,000.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT... WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE RELATIVELY SMALL DOLLARS GIVE US, LARGELY BECAUSE THEY LEVERAGE VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS, THEY DON'T HAVE PAID STAFF THAT ARE DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK.
I THINK THERE IS A REAL BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY FROM THESE SERVICE ORGS, AND IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER FOR US.
[00:45:01]
IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND, IF YOU TAKE THE REVENUES PROPOSED AND REVENUE PROPOSED EXPENSES, THERE'S STILL ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR CUSHION IN THIS YEAR'S GENERAL FUND PROPOSED BUDGET.SO, THE $53,000 THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THE SERVICE ORGS, IT DOESN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE, IT DOESN'T EVEN MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THE TAX RATE OR PROPOSED REVENUES OR ANYTHING.
SO, I'M GONNA I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE RECONSIDERING THOSE FIFTY-THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THE SERVICE ORGS, BECAUSE I REALLY DO THINK THERE IS A TRUE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY TO THAT.
AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR MATH ON THIS BUDGET REALLY AT ALL.
SO, I THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR THOUGHTS OR DELIBERATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT BACK.
I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE ADD BACK TO $53,000, WHICH IS, IT'S JUST TWO.
IT'S $2,000 TO LOVE THAT NEIGHBOR AND I THINK A $51,000 FOR THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
THOSE WERE REALLY THE ONLY TWO THAT WE REDUCED.
AND, AND LET ME SPEAK TO THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
WHILE THAT SEEMS LIKE A BIG NUMBER, WE TALK ABOUT SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE DO IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
THAT IS ONE WAY WE CAN SUPPORT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTLY TO THE CLASSROOM.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTLY TO THE CLASSROOMS. IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH CISD ADMINISTRATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
CLASSROOMS WITH THESE PROJECTS AND SO, I THINK THAT IS A WAY WE CAN ADD TO WHAT THE TEACHERS ARE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM IN A VERY SMALL WAY AT THE END OF THE DAY IN $61,000 TOTAL. SO, I WOULD BE A PROPONENT OF ACTUALLY ADDING THEIR ENTIRE REQUEST IN THERE SO I'LL LEAVE THAT FOR OTHER THOUGHTS OR DELIBERATION.
KEVIN? I WOULD BE COMPLETELY IN FAVOR OF ADDING THE $2,000 IN TO LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY PUBLICLY I'M GONNA RECUSE MYSELF FROM THE DISCUSSION WITH THE ED FOUNDATION AS MY WIFE SERVES ON THE BOARD, SO.
JIM? YEAH, YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKE THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
IT'S THE ONE THING WE HAVE THAT PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE ARE TRYING TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OTHERS THAT LIVE HERE THAT EITHER BENEFIT FROM WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR ENJOY WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHETHER IT'S THE CHORALE OR THE THEATER, THE ORCHESTRA, THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, THE LOVE THY NEIGHBOR PRESENTATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF INFANTS THAT THEY HELP IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE, I THINK, HIDDEN NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH MORE METROCREST IS HELPING PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
THE RECAPTURE IS TAKING, WHAT, I THINK ABOUT $30 MILLION A YEAR OUT.
IT'S LESS THAN IN THE PAST, BUT IT'S STILL A SUSTAINABLE.
YEAH, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP GET GRANT MONEY, BECAUSE THE MONEY GOES THROUGH THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION THROUGH THEIR GRANT PROGRAM DIRECTLY INTO THE CLASSROOMS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY USING THE FUNDS TO BENEFIT REALLY A GREAT NUMBER, A MUCH MORE EXPONENTIALLY GREAT NUMBER OF PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND CHILDREN IN THOSE CLASSES.
SO I JUST, TO ME, OF ALL THE THINGS UP THERE, I MEAN, YEAH, POLICE AND FIRE ARE CRITICAL, PUBLIC WORKS IS CRITICAL, BUT I THINK ENCOURAGING VOLUNTEERISM IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPING TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERING AND THEN HELPING TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE BENEFITING.
TO ME, IT'S SUCH A WORTHY USE OF THE FUNDS.
I WAS HERE FOR THE PRESENTATIONS, BUT I WASN'T HERE FOR THE DELIBERATIONS, SO APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
BUT MAYBE WE TAKE ONE AT A TIME SO THAT KEVIN CAN BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
BUT FOR LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD WE DECIDED $2,000 LESS.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE YOU CAN RECAP WHY THE $2,000 LESS, THE REASON FOR THAT ONE? I DON'T.
I WASN'T TAKING NOTES ON THE ACTUAL...
SOMEBODY? I THINK IT WAS A NEW APPLICATION.
WAS IT RECURRING? BUT IT WAS AN INCREASED PERCENTAGE.
YEAH, IT WENT FROM 3,000 TO 05,000 IN ONE YEAR.
SO, IT WAS A BIG JUMP RELATIVE TO WHAT THEY HAD ASKED FOR IN THE PAST.
SO, THEY HIT THE CRITERIA I THINK...
THAT'S THAT, WAS WHY THEY HAD TO COME PRESENT TO US.
OKAY AND I DIDN'T KNOW. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE
[00:50:01]
OUT WHY WE, THE REASON FOR THE DECISION TO LAND AT 2000 LESS.CUZ I REMEMBER THE ASK BEING NOT A LOT.
I MEAN, WHEN I SAY NOT A LOT, WE LOOK AT WHAT WE GIVE, LIKE THE REQUEST FOR METROCREST VERSUS LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, RIGHT? I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE REASON FOR NOT GIVING THEM THE FULL AMOUNT, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE FOR COPPELL.
BUT I DON'T, I MISSED THAT CONVERSATION.
YEAH. I MEAN, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER BRIANNA, IT WAS JUST THE 67% INCREASE FROM 3,000 TO 5,000.
WE WERE LOOKING TO SEE, I HELD THE POSITION THAT THE INCREASE FOR EVERY APPLICANT WAS 3.499.
I THINK THE MAJORITY FELT LIKE WE SHOULD STICK WITH THE 03,000 THAT WE GAVE THEM LAST YEAR.
I WOULD SAY BASED ON WHAT I KNOW ABOUT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, AND I'M ONLY SPEAKING FOR LOVE THY NEIGHBOR RIGHT NOW, AND FOR WHAT WE GIVE TO OUR COMMUNITIES, HAVING SAT AROUND THIS TABLE FOR THIS CONVERSATION MANY TIMES, ORGANIZATIONS HAVE...
COME AND GONE, RIGHT, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
AND THEY ALL SERVE, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY SERVE DIFFERENT POCKETS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, I GUESS TO YOUR POINT IS...
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY, IS THERE, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT, IF ANY, TO OUR BUDGET, THEN WHY WOULD WE NOT GIVE, SEE HOW THE FUNDS ARE USED SINCE THEY ASKED FOR AN INCREASE, AND THEN REVISIT IF THEY CAME BACK NEXT YEAR AND ASKED FOR $10,000 AS OPPOSED TO $5,000, RIGHT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE TRYING TO REACH A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OR A NUMBER, IF THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIDN'T GET FULLY FUNDED, AND IF IT WAS FROM A BUDGET IMPACT PERSPECTIVE.
AND IF IT WASN'T, THEN I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THE INCREASE FOR LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
IT WAS, THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ON THE IMPACT TO THE BUDGET.
THERE WERE CERTAINLY MUCH LARGER COMPONENTS TO IT THAN, THAN THESE TWO.
OKAY, I'VE GOT A, I'VE GOT THREE AND A HALF ASKING TO ADD THOSE BACK IN.
I THINK THAT COUNTS AS A FULL FOUR ON THE LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
WELL, THAT'S WHY IT WAS THREE AND A HALF.
YOU OKAY WITH THAT? YEAH, FOUR.
OKAY, I WAS GOING TO ASK KIM TO LET KIM HAVE THE FLOOR AGAIN, BUT MIKE IS GOING TO TELL US.
NOW, WHAT WE'LL DO IS ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, RIGHT, IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE IT HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGH THE BUDGET AND IT'S FINE THAT YOU'RE GETTING THAT DIRECTION, BUT WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL BRING THE ACTUAL AMENDMENT TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET, TO THE SUBMITTED BUDGET, TO THE COUNCIL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 8TH SO THAT THEN YOU TAKE THAT VOTE TO AMEND THE BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THE BUDGET AS PROPOSED AND THEN THAT NIGHT WE'LL ALSO HAVE YOU DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET THAT YOU JUST ADOPTED.
IT'LL JUST BE, OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO GO IN AND CHANGE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PAGES THAT WILL NEED TO BE CHANGED BEFORE TOMORROW SO.
SO, I'VE GOT A, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT DECISION. BEFORE WE WENT INTO THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION DISCUSSION THIS YEAR I WENT BACK AND CREATE THE GUIDELINES BECAUSE THERE WAS A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS I WAS SITTING IN MY MIND THINKING, I'M NOT SURE THAT THESE QUALIFY.
AND I WENT BACK THROUGH AND READ THE GUIDELINES, AND ABSOLUTELY EVERY ONE OF THEM DID.
SO, AND THOSE ARE GUIDELINES, AND THIS GROUP IS, IS, IS IN YOUR CHARTER TO CHANGE THOSE GUIDELINES AT ANY TIME.
SO, WE'VE BEEN INTO THIS REVIEW PROCESS OF CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS NOW FOR TWO YEARS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE ORIGINAL GROUP THAT PUT THOSE TOGETHER, AND I THINK THAT WAS DON, JIM, AND BIJU TO RECONVENE CASUALLY AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY TWEAKS OR CHANGES TO THE PROCESS.
WE'VE GOT TWO YEARS UNDER OUR BELTS WITH IT, AND I'D LIKE YOU GUYS TO KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S COME AND GONE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO.
[00:55:02]
BIJU, YOU OKAY WITH THAT? WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING? I MEAN, WE ARE APPROVING EVERYTHING THAT IS COMING BEFORE US.I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. I'M, I'M...
BASED ON THE CRITERIA WE PUT TOGETHER.
SO WHAT ARE YOU ASKING? WHAT IS THE TASK? THE ASK IS TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE COULD DO BETTER.
BETTER TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM APPLYING? THAT'S NOT MY CALL.
I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TO COME IN AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, IF YOU HAVE ANY.
WE ALREADY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHAT DO YOU SEE A GAP? I SAW A LOT OF DISCUSSION DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS THIS YEAR ON WHAT WE WERE GOING TO FUND AND WHAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO FUND, THE AMOUNT THAT WE WERE GOING TO FUND, THE AMOUNT THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO FUND, WHAT WE WERE GOING TO FUND, THE FACT THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND CHANGED THAT NUMBER TONIGHT, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO, TO SEE FIXED.
I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE IT DONE IN A SEAMLESS FASHION.
BUT ALL YOU'RE REALLY ASKING US TO DO IS JUST LOOK AT THE CRITERIA THAT WE DEVELOPED AND RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL AND JUST SEE BASED ON A COUPLE YEARS' EXPERIENCE IS THERE ANYTHING WE WOULD ADJUST.
THAT'S EXACTLY MY QUESTION IS IN TWO YEARS WHAT DID WE FIND THERE IS A GAP THERE FOR US TO REVISIT.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A GAP JUST BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE...
WE ARE BRINGING BACK EVEN THOUGH WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME WHAT ARE THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION WE NEED TO FUND, WE ARE BRINGING IT BACK AGAIN FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, SO I...
THAT WAS JUST EVALUATING THE POLICY.
WHAT IS IT? NOT THAT THE- JUST BE EVALUATING THE POLICY, NOT THE DECISIONS.
I'M GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO REEVALUATE THE POLICY.
BRIANNA? I'D LOVE THE GROUP TO ALSO RE-LOOK AT WHO COMES AND SPEAKS BEFORE US.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAD COME UP WITH...
A THRESHOLD AND WE DIDN'T WANT EVERYONE TO COME BUT MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT OF, HEY THIS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THE INCREASE IS INCREMENTAL THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE THRESHOLD IS, DO THEY COME BACK AT SOME POINT? BECAUSE SOME ORGANIZATIONS ARE ASKING FOR REALLY BIG DOLLARS.
I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO JUST HEAR FROM THEM, RIGHT? I KNOW WE CAN READ THE INFORMATION, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO COME AND JUST HAVE VISIBILITY AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.
IF THEY HAVEN'T OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS.
AND SO MAYBE IT'S NOT ON THE THRESHOLD.
BUT MAYBE IT'S, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS, WHATEVER Y'ALL DECIDE, I'D LOVE TO SEE THEM AGAIN.
WE ALLOWED THEM TO SPEAK FOR FIVE MINUTES, AND WE PUT A LIMITATION ON ASKING QUESTIONS FOR FIVE MINUTES.
OKAY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ASKING.
SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE A CERTAIN INCREMENTAL AMOUNT, THEY DON'T COME BEFORE US.
SO I MAY NOT SEE AN ORGANIZATION EVER, IF THEY CONTINUE TO INCREASE, WHATEVER THE THRESHOLD IS.
SO THEY COME AND THEY CONSTANTLY, EVERY YEAR, GO UP A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT IF WE'RE GIVING MONEY TO ORGANIZATIONS.
BRIANNA, IF I REMEMBER, THE PROCESS THAT THEY DEVELOPED AUTOMATICALLY FLAGGED THIS ORGANIZATION THAT MET A CRITERIA.
IT ALSO, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE CAN LOOK AT THE EXISTING ONES THAT DON'T MEET THE CRITERIA, BUT IF WE DECIDE, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT, ANY ONE OF US COULD SAY ...
I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT WE CAN ASK AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER THING IS MAYBE WE PUT A THRESHOLD IN A SENSE OF MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YEARS DOES IT MAKE SOME SENSE FOR THEM TO COME BACK.
LIKE THAT NIGHT METROCREST WAS HERE RIGHT, THEY WEREN'T SCHEDULED TO SPEAK BUT MAYBE THEY WANTED TO BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT NEW LEADERSHIP AND THEY WANT TO BE BEFORE US AND THEY WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND MAYBE NONE OF US WANTED TO HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE WE THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT, PHENOMENAL JOB.
BUT MAYBE THEY, MAYBE THEY DO DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK.
YEAH, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I WANT TO RECUSE FROM THAT.
DO I HAVE A VOLUNTEER? I'LL DO IT.
MARK, DO YOU WANT TO OR RAMESH? I NOMINATE BRIANNA.
YOU HAVE WON, YOU TOO QUICKLY.
WE'VE ALREADY ELECTED YOU TO CHAIR.
NO, PLEASE, IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO DO IT.
OKAY, I HAD KEVIN AND THEN DON.
OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, WAS IT JUST TO YOUR, YOUR COMMENT. I DON'T THINK IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK FOUR OF US HAVE TO AGREE TO, TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT
[01:00:01]
WE WERE, WE WERE JUST ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THAT PIECE. SO JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.DON? I DON'T THINK I HAVE MY HAND RAISED.
I'LL RAISE MINE AGAIN, THOUGH.
NOW THAT WE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE, I DON'T FORGET THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT TWO ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST ONE, SO I DO WANT TO ADDRESS EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
WE ONLY TALKED ABOUT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
SHE MAY HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SAY.
YEAH, SHE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS.
OH, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK YOU WERE ASKING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG...
YOU WERE ASKING FOR BOTH OF THEM TO BE RECONSIDERED, AND WE SPOKE ABOUT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR SO THAT KEVIN COULD BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
I THINK SOME PEOPLE ASSUMED WE WERE REINSTATING BOTH OF THEM.
BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY...
OKAY, NO. OH! YOU SHOULD SAY IT ON THE ED FOUNDATION.
YEAH, BECAUSE I GUESS I WAS, THAT'S WHERE I WAS, THAT'S WHY YOU WERE DOING THE HALF.
AND I WAS SPEAKING ONLY TO LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
I WILL ADMIT I STRUGGLED WITH, THAT EVENING I STRUGGLED WITH THE NUMBERS FROM EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
AND MAYBE IT WAS MY LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, BUT I DID STRUGGLE WITH THE NUMBERS BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT ADDED UP.
AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH, I WANT TO...
WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A GREAT AND UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SCHOOLS.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS KNOW THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT LOOKS DIFFERENT ACROSS THE BOARD, WHETHER IT'S SROS OR WHETHER IT'S USE OF FIELDS OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, RIGHT? AND SO, I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT EDUCATION FOUNDATION IS IN THE CLASSROOM AND DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO GRANTS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, RIGHT? UM, SO I DO LIKE THAT.
THEY HAD ASKED FOR 61. OKAY, AND SO, WE AGREED TO 10.
SO I GUESS HERE'S MY QUESTION.
EVERYBODY WHO SAID YES, A MINUTE AGO, WERE YOU WANTING TO REINSTATE ALL OF IT, OR WERE YOU ONLY SPEAKING TO LOVE THY NEIGHBOR? I WAS REINSTATING ALL OF THE FOUNDATION.
OKAY, WERE YOU MARK? NO, I WAS ONLY SPEAKING TO...
OKAY, SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK THERE WAS A MIX.
OKAY. I'M SORRY, THAT'S MY MISTAKE.
YES, BECAUSE I HAD SAID LET'S JUST DO LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AND THEN WE'LL DO EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, IT WAS ADDRESSED.
SO, I THINK WE NOW NEED TO SPEAK ABOUT EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
SO THERE WAS SOMEONE THAT SPOKE ABOUT PUTTING MONEY BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.
YES. OKAY. YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF IT.
WHAT'S THAT? WHERE'S EVERYBODY ELSE? WHO'S IN FAVOR OF IT? YES, OKAY.
I JUST WANTED TO DO THAT TO KNOW THAT I, AND BECAUSE RAMESH, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS TOO, LIKE I STRUGGLED WITH THAT.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN FROM OUR SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS IS SOMETIMES IT'S A ONE-TIME ASK.
SOMETIMES IT'S MULTIPLE YEARS, BUT LIKE OUR BAND CAME LAST YEAR RIGHT? OUR BAND DIDN'T COME THIS YEAR AND SO WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY SEEING MULTIPLE SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS AND SO I WANT TO, IF WE CAN GIVE BACK TO THE SCHOOLS AND IT'S THROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION I'M IN FAVOR OF THAT.
DON? I DO JUST A CLARIFICATION ON THE EDGE FOUNDATION.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO, LIKE WE DO WITH OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THE SCHOOL, IN THE CONTRACT OR WHATEVER, WE NEED TO ISOLATE IT.
DESIGNATE TO THE COPPELL SCHOOLS, TO THE SCHOOLS IN COPPELL AND, AND I THINK THEY HAD ALREADY PROPOSED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE USED STRICTLY FOR THAT GRANT PROGRAM WHICH THAT'S WHAT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF IS THAT THE FUNDS BE DESIGNATED ONLY FOR THAT GRANT FOUNDATION. I MEAN OR THAT GREAT GRANT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF COPPELL. JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY.
SO NOT SEE IN CISD BUT IN THE CITY OF...
FROM THE CITY OF COPPELL SO I THINK...
MARK, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? SURE.
I RESPECT THE MAJORITY DECISION OF MY PEERS.
I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE DECISION, BUT LIKE I SAID, I RESPECT IT.
FROM THE BEGINNING WAS THAT WE ARE CUTTING STAFF AT COUNT AND WE ARE CUTTING SERVICES SO WE ARE HAVING TO MAKE TRADE-OFFS SO FOR ME TO SPEND MORE ON ONE WHILE CUTTING SERVICES DID NOT SEEM THE RIGHT DECISION FOR ME.
[01:05:02]
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST IS MAYBE MOVING FORWARD NEXT YEAR, LET'S BE MORE ANALYTICAL OR DIG INTO THE FACTS AND ANY TIME WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE INCREASE IN SPENDING, UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR ABILITY TO RAISE REVENUE IS ONLY AT 3.499, OUR CPI IS AT 4.3, WHICH MEANS EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO DO LAST YEAR WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT AND ON TOP OF THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO INCREASE SPENDING THAT'S GOING TO MEAN MORE SERVICES BEING CUT.SO, WHAT WE DID TALK A LOT ABOUT THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION THE LAST SESSION WE TALKED ABOUT THE CUT IN CORE HOURS, THE DAYCARE IN CORE DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN REINSTATED SO, SO WE ARE SEEING MIKE'S HEAD SHAKE WHICH MEANS WE ARE CUTTING SERVICES. SO, I WANT TO BE MORE DELIBERATE ABOUT DISCUSSING THOSE AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.
SO, THAT IS WHY I WANT THAT GROUP TO RECONVENE TO TAKE ALL OF YOUR POINTS INTO ACCOUNT AND THE OTHER ONES THAT BRIANNA BOUGHT UP ABOUT WE USED TO HAVE A POLICY THAT IF AN ORGANIZATION HADN'T PRESENTED IT I THINK IT WAS THREE OR I THINK IT WAS FOUR YEARS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE ON.
I MEAN WE GOT RID OF THAT AND IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE WE DID THAT.
SO, A COUPLE THINGS THAT THIS IS KIND OF RELATED TO ALL THIS DISCUSSION BUT IT'S NOT DIRECTLY RELATED.
SO, RAMESH, I THINK I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BUT OUR ROLE AS A COUNCIL IS NOT TO LOOK AT EVERY LINE ITEM THAT STAFF HAS SPENT YOU KNOW EIGHT MONTHS DEVISING.
I THINK THE TIME TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION IS AT THE JANUARY RETREAT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE DECIDE WE WANT TO SEE EXPENSES CUT 2.5% ACROSS THE BOARD, THEY WILL PRESENT A BUDGET, I PROMISE YOU, THAT HAS EXPENSES CUT 2.5% ACROSS THE BOARD.
NOW WE MAY LOOK AT IT AND THINK, OH, YOU KNOW, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR.
WE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT WE SEE, BUT THE, WE'RE, IN MY VIEW, WE ACT IN AN ANALOGOUS WAY TO A BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
WE SET THE POLICY GUIDELINES AND THEN MIKE IS THE CEO AND HIS TEAM TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY AND WE'RE NOT REALLY RESPONSIBLE AND WE SHOULDN'T ENGAGE IN LOOKING AT EVERY LINE ITEM.
I THINK THAT RISKS WHAT'S CALLED ADMINISTRATIVE INTERFERENCE AND WE'RE GETTING OUTSIDE OF OUR GUARDRAILS.
BUT I THINK THE TIME, AND I LEARNED THIS QUITE FRANKLY, THE MISTAKE I MADE WAS WHEN I SAID, WELL LET'S TAKE SOME SALES TAX EXCESS AND APPLY IT TO REDUCE THE TAX RATE.
WELL, I LEARNED THE INCREDIBLE DIFFICULTY OF, OF EVEN TRYING TO DO THAT THAT LATE IN THE GAME, BASICALLY IN THE 11TH HOUR BEFORE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO APPROVE A BUDGET AT A TAX RATE UNDER STATE LAW.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE REAL TIME I THINK FOR US AS A GROUP TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF POLICY DO WE WANT TO SET, WHAT KIND OF GUIDELINES DO WE WANT, YOU KNOW, TO ASK STAFF TO IMPLEMENT IS AT OUR JANUARY RETREAT.
AND THAT'S THE BEST TIME FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
NOT SO MUCH ABOUT $2,000 ON LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
WHICH IS LIKE ONE TEN THOUSANDTH OF A CENT OF A PERCENT OF THE TAX RATE BUT, BUT REALLY MORE THE BROADER GUIDELINES OF YOU KNOW, WHAT, BECAUSE YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT WITH INFLATION BEING WHAT IT IS YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CERTAIN EROSION IN THE VALUE OF EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND. SO THAT BY ITSELF IS DETERIORATIVE.
SO I, I THINK I WANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BUT I WANT IT TO BE EFFECTIVE AND, AND WHATEVER THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THIS COUNCIL WOULD BECOME AS A RESULT OF THAT DISCUSSION I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT THEN SO THE STAFF THEN KNOWS WHAT GUIDELINES THEY'RE EXPECTED TO IMPLEMENT.
SO, THAT'S THE FIRST THING. THE SECOND THING IS AND THIS IS, I DON'T MEAN THIS IN ANY WAY THAT, THAT IS GETTING INTO EVERYBODY'S SUIT BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN APPLYING THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISIONS IN THE CITY CHARTER CORRECTLY.
IF YOU LOOK AT 3.11 IN THE CHARTER, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT KEVIN HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST THE WAY THAT IT'S SPELLED OUT BECAUSE THERE'S NO PECUNIARY INTEREST.
AMANDA, YES, SHE'S IN THE ORGANIZATION, BUT SHE'S A VOLUNTEER.
NOW, I MAY BE READING THAT DIFFERENTLY FROM HOW OTHERS MAY READ IT.
I MAY BE READING IT DIFFERENTLY FROM HOW BOB HAGER WOULD READ IT.
BUT I THINK EVERYONE NEEDS TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE...
THE CHARTER REQUIRES THAT ONCE THE AGENDA IS PUBLISHED, IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH RESPECT TO ANY ITEM ON THE POSTED AGENDA, YOU HAVE TO FILE A SWORN DECLARATION WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
[01:10:01]
AND THEN YOU'RE RECUSED FROM VOTING, RIGHT? NOW, IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S FINE.EACH OF US HAVE THAT DETERMINATION TO MAKE INDIVIDUALLY.
BUT IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, THEN THE ONLY OTHER ALLOWANCE UNDER THE CITY CHARTER IS FOR YOU TO...
EVERY ONE OF US HAS THAT CHOICE.
BUT IF YOU ABSTAIN, THE CITY CHARTER SAYS, YOU'RE STILL COUNTED AS AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE ON THE ITEM.
SO, AND TO ME IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING INTO THESE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE'S EFFECTIVELY WHAT SHOULD BE DECREED OR VIEWED AS AN ABSTENTION.
BUT WE'RE SPLIT, OR WE'RE DIVIDED AND WE FAIL TO ACT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COGNIZANT OF STAYING WITHIN THE RAILS OF BASICALLY OUR FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT, THE CITY CHARTER.
AND, I MEAN, I REMEMBER ONE TIME THERE WAS A CONTRACT WITH TDI.
GARY RODDEN WAS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THAT CONTRACT.
HE FILED A SWORN DECLARATION WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
HE RECUSED HIMSELF FROM THE VOTE.
ALL DONE PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE CITY CHARTER.
AND THAT WAS, IN MY VIEW, A VERY LEGITIMATE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, RIGHT? I MEAN, HE'S PAID IN PART BY THE REVENUE THAT COMPANY COLLECTS, AND WE WERE GOING TO PAY THEM A BUNCH OF MONEY UNDER THAT CONTRACT.
BUT I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
I WILL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT, I MEAN, I READ THE CITY CHARTER A LONG TIME AGO.
I WENT BACK THROUGH IT, AND I SAW THAT, AND I THOUGHT, OKAY.
IN JUST TWO VERY SHORT PARAGRAPHS, IT ADDRESSES EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND I JUST THINK EVERYONE SHOULD LOOK AT IT AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONDUCTING OURSELVES APPROPRIATELY.
BECAUSE AN ABSTENTION IS FINE, BUT IT'S GOING TO COUNT AS AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE ON THE MEASURE BEFORE US.
AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT THAT.
AS A SIDE NOTE, I HAD QUESTIONED THAT, BUT YOU HAD GONE TO BOB, SO.
WE DIDN'T MAKE THAT DECISION, AND I WOULD AGREE.
I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE ABSTAINED FROM THE CONVERSATION.
YEAH, WELL, BUT TO BE FAIR, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU FEEL THAT THE WAY YOU DEFINE PECUNIARY INTEREST OR YOU KNOW CONSANGUINITY OR ANY OTHER PHRASE USED IN THERE AND YOU WANT TO YOU KNOW, FILE A DECLARATION THAT YOU'RE CONFLICTED, NOW THAT'S YOUR CALL AND I RESPECT THAT OF ANY ONE OF US TO MAKE THAT CALL INDIVIDUALLY.
THAT'S NOT FOR ME TO SECOND GUESS.
BUT WHERE IT'S REALLY COME UP, I THINK MORE THAN THAT, IS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LEGITIMATE TDI TYPE PECUNIARY CONFLICT.
WHERE IT'S REALLY COME UP MORE IS WHERE SOMEONE, I THINK, TECHNICALLY IS ABSTAINING, BUT THEN WE HAVEN'T COUNTED THAT AS AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE.
AND SO, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT KIND OF MECHANISM WITHIN OUR CHARTER THAT, THAT YOU KNOW WE SHOULD BE FOLLOWING.
DON, ARE YOU NEXT? YEAH, I THINK SO.
I WAS JUST GOING TO OFFER IT, SO I APPRECIATE WE ARE LOOKING THROUGH DIFFERENT LENSES AT SOME OF THESE. I DON'T, I'LL OFFER A LITTLE BIT THE WAY I LOOK AT IT. I DON'T LOOK AT IT PROBABLY QUITE AS BINARY LIKE WE'RE YOU KNOW, QUOTE CUTTING SERVICES IN THIS AREA AND BUT AT THE SAME TIME SLIGHTLY INCREASING OVER HERE. WHAT I REALLY SEE IS OVERALL WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY IF WE'RE REALLY, IF WE DECIDE TO STOP MOWING THE GRASS OUT HERE IN THE VETERANS PLAZA AND CUT A PERSON OUT WHICH BY THE WAY THAT'S NOT BEING PROPOSED I'M JUST IN THE SCENARIO HERE, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN FUNNELING SOME MONEY INTO SOME OF THESE SERVICE ORGS THAT ARE USING VOLUNTEER LABOR AND ARE WAY MORE EFFICIENT THAN CITY STAFF WOULD EVER BE AT DELIVERING SOME OF THOSE SERVICES.
SOME OF THOSE SERVICES THAT PROBABLY NEVER WOULD BE OFFERED BY CITY STAFF TO BEGIN WITH.
THEY ARE POCKETS OF THE CITY OR POCKETS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE PROBABLY VASTLY UNSEEN EXCEPT BY THE PEOPLE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO, I PROBABLY JUST SEE THAT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
IT'S NOT A ONE-FOR-ONE, I CUT $100,000 HERE AND RAISE $100,000 THERE, IT'S A WASH, WHEN THE EFFECT COULD BE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT.
YOU'RE REALLOCATING RESOURCES TO A MORE EFFICIENT OR MORE PRODUCTIVE PLACE.
SO I PROBABLY LOOK AT IT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
SO I JUST OFFER THAT UP AS AN ALTERNATIVE LENS TO LOOK TROUGH.
JIM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.
DON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.
I HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR EVERYONE HERE, SO I VALUE YOUR OPINION.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, DURING OUR JAN RETREAT, WE DID GIVE THE STAFF THE GUIDANCE THAT WE ARE
[01:15:02]
LETTING THEM GO UP IN THE REVENUE BY 3.499.AND IN MY, FOR FUTURE YEARS, STARTING MAYBE NEXT YEAR, MAYBE WE HAVE TO ALSO GIVE THEM A GUIDELINE IF SERVICE ORGS ARE THE LARGEST DISCRETIONARY SPEND NEXT TO THE MAYOR COUNCIL BUDGET.
MAYBE WE SHOULD SET SOME TARGETS THERE.
THAT WAY THEY HAVE BETTER INFORMATION ON THE TOTAL COST BECAUSE AS AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU TAKE THE SERVICE ORG REMOVING THE FARMERS BRANCH AND THE SORRY, FARMERS MARKET AND THE...
THE GARDEN, WE WENT UP APPROXIMATELY 26-27%. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS, THAT ONLY ADDS UP TO MAYBE LESS THAN A DOLLAR IN TOTAL PROPERTY TAX.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A PROBLEM IF WE WERE NOT CUTTING SERVICES.
BECAUSE WE ARE IN A SITUATION, I THINK, MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE OUR COSTS ARE GOING TO GROW FASTER THAN OUR REVENUE, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
SO MAYBE AS PART OF GIVING THE GUIDANCE TO THEM, WE SHOULD ALSO GIVE THEM GUIDANCE OF MAYBE WE'LL GO UP BY 20% OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.
SO, RAMESH, YOU STARTED OUT BY SAYING AT THE RETREAT WE CAN GIVE CITY STAFF THAT DIRECTION.
THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS STRICTLY FALL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE COUNCIL.
AND SO THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT.
SO THAT'S THE REASON I WANTED TO RECONVENE THAT GROUP.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? JIM? YEAH, I DO WANT TO ADDRESS ONE POINT.
THE SERVICES CUT, THE ELIMINATION OF THE TWO HOURS AT THE CORE BETWEEN 8 AND 10 P.M.
AND THE ELIMINATION OF THE SUNSHINE ROOM, THE SMALL DAYCARE, WAS A CUT THAT I UNDERSTOOD STAFF RECOMMENDED BASED UPON LACK OF UTILIZATION.
THAT NO ONE WAS USING THE CORE DURING THOSE TWO HOURS THAT WOULD JUSTIFY AT LEAST THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME WHEN YOU COUNT THOSE TWO HOURS TIMES SIX DAYS OR WHATEVER TIMES 50 WEEKS.
AND THEN SAME THING WITH THE DAYCARE OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN IT WAS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT A LOT OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS THAT THE CORPS IS COMPETING WITH HAVE ALREADY DROPPED THAT KIND OF DAYCARE THING, LIKELY BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T MAKING ANY MONEY ON IT BECAUSE OF THE UTILIZATION RATE.
THE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, HOWEVER, ARE EXPONENTIALLY INCREASING THE VALUE OF THAT GRANT MONEY THROUGH DIRECT UTILIZATION.
I MEAN, IT'S INVOLVING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S ENTERTAINING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHETHER IT'S WOVEN OR METROCREST ON THE LARGER END OR WHETHER IT'S LOVE THY NEIGHBOR ON THE SMALL END.
SO TO ME, THERE'S NO UTILIZATION ISSUE.
THE GRANT MONEY BEING USED BY AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF COPPELL CITIZENS IS, I THINK, RELATIVELY CLEAR.
WHEN WE FIND OUT, HOWEVER, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I MEANT ABOUT THE GUIDELINES IN TERMS OF THE GUARDRAILS FOR OUR ROLE VERSUS STAFF ROLE.
WHEN, YOU KNOW, STAFF, I THINK, IS WELL AWARE THAT WE WANT THEM TO LOOK FOR GREATER EFFICIENCIES.
I MEAN, FOR, GOSH, YEARS NOW, THEY'VE BEEN ELIMINATING POSITIONS THROUGH ATTRITION.
THEY'VE BEEN ADDING, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WERE PART OF ONE PERSON'S JOB TO ANOTHER PERSON THAT'S STILL HERE WHEN THAT PERSON LEAVES.
SO THERE'S BEEN, I THINK, A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, BUT ALSO A VERY CLEAR EFFORT MADE BY STAFF TO FOLLOW OUR GUIDANCE TO INCREASE EFFICIENCIES AND, AS A RESULT, TO SAVE MONEY.
AND TO ME, THAT'S ALL THAT THE CORPS WAS.
THEY HAD SPOTTED A COUPLE OF AREAS WHERE THERE WAS A DEFINITIVE LACK OF UTILIZATION, AND THEREFORE A DEFINITIVE LACK OF VALUE GAINED FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF THE TAX DOLLARS.
AND SO, THEY RECOMMENDED THOSE MARGINAL CUTS.
I JUST THINK THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT AND THE USE AND THE REASON FOR BOTH SPENDING IT ON THE GRANT SIDE AND THEN ACCEPTING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HIGHER EFFICIENCY ON THE CUT SIDE.
JIM, APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, YOUR COMMENTS THAT YOU JUST MADE ABOUT THE GRANT RECOMMENDATION VERSUS THE STAFF.
I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.
I STILL WANTED TO SAY PUBLICLY
[01:20:02]
THAT I DO NOT AGREE WITH CUTTING THE CORE HOURS.I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT IS A GATHERING PLACE FOR FOR MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE NUMBER REPORTED TO US WAS THE NUMBER OF CHECK-INS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, BETWEEN 8 AND 10.
THERE WASN'T ANYTHING REPORTED TO US ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WERE ALREADY CHECKED IN THAT MAY STILL BE CONTINUING TO USE THE CORE IN THOSE HOURS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF GO BACK TO IS THAT WHILE WE CAN LOOK AT DATA TO MAKE THOSE ASSESSMENTS, DO WE EVEN HAVE A REAL NUMBER OF WHO'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED, MEANING THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY CHECKED IN AT 6.30 OR 7, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE A COUPLE HOURS EARLIER THAN THEY WOULD HAVE TO PLAY BASKETBALL IN A SAFE PLACE OR GET THEIR WORKOUT IN OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHILE I, I UNDERSTAND SPIRIT OF, YOU KNOW, OF, OF OUR ROLE IN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ON THE GOVERNANCE SIDE IN THE SENSE THAT WE ARE GONNA GIVE DIRECTION AND STAFF IS GONNA GO IMPLEMENT.
WE STILL HAVE A CHARGE TO THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED US TO BE TO HAVE OUR EARS TO THE GROUND AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE.
AND NO ONE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO SINCE THIS WAS PROPOSED IS EXCITED ABOUT THE CORE HOURS BEING CUT.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE SUNSHINE ROOM.
I MADE SOME COMMENTS EVEN ABOUT, I KNOW FORMER TEXAS FAMILY FITNESS SLASH THEY GOT RID OF THEIRS, KIDDING AROUND JUST RECENTLY.
BUT WE ARE LOSING PLACES TO WATCH KIDS AND MAYBE THE DEMANDS OUT THERE, KIND OF TRYING TO REFLECT AND RATIONALIZE WHAT WE HEAR IN THE REPORT.
AND I ALSO, YOU KNOW, HEARD THAT THERE MIGHT BE PLANS FOR THAT ROOM TO BE ABLE TO DO, TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMMING OR OPTIONS.
SO I'LL BE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
BUT JUST CUTTING UTILIZATION OF THAT FACILITY JUST DOES NOT SIT WELL WITH ME.
SO I MEAN, IN THE BREAKDOWN, IT'S $24,000.
I MEAN, IS THAT FAIR? I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, ACTUALLY, IT'S CUMULATIVE.
YOU HAVE THE RECREATION COORDINATOR POSITION, WHICH IS TIED TO EVERYTHING.
SO THE RECREATION COORDINATOR GOING AWAY.
PART OF THAT IS THE SUNSHINE ROOM, THE ADULT ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH THE CORE HOURS.
YEAH, IT WAS $168,000 JUST TO TRANSLATE THAT.
GRANTED, FROM A STANDPOINT OF FUTURE VALUE OF MONEY, THAT TRANSLATES...
TO ABOUT $190,000 IN THREE YEARS.
SO, IT MAY BE MINOR TO THAT ONE PARTICULAR POINT FOR THOSE PARTICULAR TWO HOURS, BUT THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT AND WHAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADDRESSING IS THAT CUMULATIVE IMPACT.
SO, SO IN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT 168,000, SO THAT'S TIED TO LIKE TO ONE, IS IT ONE STAFF POSITION OR MULTIPLE POSITIONS THAT ARE? RECALL THAT THEY GOT RID OF POSITIONS LAST YEAR.
AND SO, THEY'VE ALREADY, THEY REDUCED LAST YEAR AND THEN THEY ADDED ANOTHER REDUCTION THIS YEAR.
AND SO, THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF ALL OF THAT IS THEY ARE NOW AT, AT THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING AT SERVICES.
I TALKED TO SHERRY AND IT'S, IT'S UTILIZATION OF THAT SPACE AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES, SHE SHARED THAT THAT ROOM COULD REALLY BE AN ACTIVE MULTI, MULTI-USE SPACE THAT ADDRESSES THEIR SPATIAL LIMITS WHILE DRIVING REVENUES.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SUNSHINE ROOM.
OH! I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SUNSHINE ROOM BUT I UNDERSTAND.
... TO HOURS? I AM, I AM SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE TWO HOURS THAT AND AGAIN I DON'T KNOW OPERATIONS, RIGHT.
SO, LAST YEAR THEY ELIMINATED THE AQUATIC TECHNICIAN AND THE HEAD LIFEGUARD POSITION, AND SO NOW THIS YEAR THEY'VE INCLUDED THE RECREATION COORDINATOR.
SO SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS, THEY ARE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE THE HOURS NEED TO BE ADJUSTED ALSO FOR STAFF.
I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW GETTING RID OF A RECREATION COORDINATOR TRANSLATES TO CLOSING THE CORE TWO HOURS.
I JUST, AGAIN, I'M NOT IN OPERATIONS.
AND, I, I'M JUST... I'M, I'M STRUGGLING AND I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THE NUMBERS I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT JUST FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL STANDPOINT I'M THINKING ABOUT THE AMENITIES THAT WE PROVIDE THAT HONESTLY KEEP KIDS OFF OF STREETS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THERE PLAYING BASKETBALL, WORKING OUT, DOING THEIR STUFF LIKE JUST TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS IT THIS WAY.
IT IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF IT IS IN THE BUDGET THIS COUNCIL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND THE BUDGET AS KIM DESCRIBED.
JUST UNDERSTAND IT ISN'T ABOUT THE TWO HOURS.
[01:25:02]
IF THAT'S ALL YOU FOCUS ON, THAT DOESN'T HELP US AT ALL.YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
AND IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT THE WHOLE PACKAGE, THEN WHAT I SAID EARLIER WHEN I FIRST OPENED THE CONVERSATION, THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HAVE TODAY WILL GET THAT MUCH HARDER IN TWO TO THREE YEARS.
AND SO IF WE DON'T CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH OF TAKING A LOOK AT SERVICES TO THE POINT OF THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, WHAT ELSE ARE WE LOOKING AT, WE WILL BE PREPARED TO TALK TO YOU IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ABOUT MORE OF THIS IS WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE, RIGHT? AND SO, LET'S SAY YOU CHOOSE TO AMEND THE BUDGET.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
AND SO, AT SOME POINT, AND WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS FOR NOW TWO YEARS, AT SOME POINT SOME SERVICES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE GIVE YOU THE LIST, THAT'S OUR OPERATIONAL REPRESENTATION.
IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, I'M TELLING YOU THERE WILL BE A PRICE TO PAY IN 2029.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WITH THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE SO FAR IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE REDUCED THAT GAP BY ABOUT THREE MILLION OR SO AND WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT ANOTHER SIX MILLION TO TRY TO REDUCE.
SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE TWO HOURS BY ITSELF, IT'S THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.
AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SERVICE IS BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY TELLS US.
SO, WE DON'T MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION LIGHTLY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, LISTEN, AS SOMEONE SAID, NO, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT THAT WAY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU FINALLY DO ADOPT A BUDGET THAT WE PRESENT, AND YOU DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND THE BUDGET AS YOU SEE FIT WHEN YOU HAVE FOUR PEOPLE SAY, LET'S GO DO THIS.
WE DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY.
BUT WE DO TAKE SERIOUSLY THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND, AGAIN, I'LL GO BACK TO APPRECIATE THOSE WORDS AND DEFINITELY RESONATED WITH ME AS I WAS CONTEMPLATING THESE, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT I'M SHARING.
SO DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT.
I WOULD GO TO SAY, LIKE, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT TWO HOURS IS A PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE, BUT MY ISSUE IS THE TWO HOURS.
AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SAY I DON'T, I MEAN LISTEN IF THREE OTHER PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME THEN THAT'S COMPLETELY FINE IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED OR TO BE IN OR HOWEVER WE PHRASE IT.
IF YOU HAVE THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO AGREE WITH YOU AND YOU PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT IN THE THERE'S A VOTE...
IS THIS THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT TO THE...
YOU'RE GOING TO DO YOUR SOCIAL SERVICES.
SO, I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CORE STAY OPEN.
I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE THAT IT IS PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE.
BUT I THINK THAT THINGS LIKE LOOKING AT WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVEN AS SIMPLE AS CAN WE ADJUST WHAT WE CHARGE AT THE CORE A SMALL AMOUNT TO COVER WHAT WAS BROKEN OUT, THE $24,000 FOR THOSE TWO HOURS.
AGAIN, AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED.
THEN WHY WAS IT BROKEN OUT LIKE THESE COSTS $24,000? THAT'S MY POINT.
BUT NO, YOU LOOKED AT THE WHOLE $168,000.
THERE'S THE ADULT LEAGUE THAT'S NO LONGER PART OF IT.
THERE WAS THE OPERATIONS OF THE SUNSHINE ROOM, THERE WAS THE TWO HOURS, AND THEN THERE WAS THE COST OF THE PERSONNEL THAT WAS AROUND $72,000, BUT THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE BENEFITS, IS THAT RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO THAT'S HOW IT CAME UP TO THE 168.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT MAYBE WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING THE SAME WAY.
IF YOU JUST ISOLATE TO THE $24,000, THAT DOESN'T CUT IT.
WHEN YOU MAKE THE AMENDMENT, A $24,000 AMENDMENT DOESN'T HELP.
THEN I- I THINK THAT THE WAY THAT THE INFORMATION IS PRESENTED TO US, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CHART, IT LOOKS LIKE TO KEEP THE CORE OPEN TWO MORE HOURS, IT'S $24,000 A YEAR.
CUMULATIVELY, THOUGH, IT HAS THAT PERSONNEL COST ON THERE, TOO.
YOU CANNOT, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS IN THE PRESENTATION, HOW...
AM I SUPPOSED TO PRESENT IT? I'M PRESENTING IT AS A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS.
ONCE YOU START WITH THAT PERSONNEL REDUCTION, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUR REAL COST SAVINGS, IT TAKES, IT TAKES PEOPLE TO DO THOSE TWO HOURS.
IT TAKES PEOPLE TO DO, RIGHT, THE SUNSHINE ROOM.
IT TAKES PEOPLE TO DO THE ADULT LEAGUE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
IS THAT ONE POSITION? IS THAT THIS PART OF THIS POSITION HERE, THIS POSITION HERE, OR THESE ROLES THAT ARE BEING CONDEMNED?
[01:30:01]
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.AS SHE SAID, LAST YEAR WE CUT TWO POSITIONS IN THE REC CENTER FOR LIFEGUARD AND AQUA.
SO HERE'S THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT IT TAKES TO RUN THE REC CENTER.
WE ARE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO REDUCE OUR COSTS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PLACES FOR EFFICIENCY.
YOU KNOW, I'LL PUT OUT ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT REDUCED HOURS AT THE LIBRARY.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THAT CONVERSATION AT ALL EITHER.
DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO LIKE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS THAT GET HARDER AS WE GO ALONG.
SO CUMULATIVELY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE CONVERSATION THIS YEAR AND YOU SAY OKAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, YOU PUSH THIS AMOUNT DOWN TO NOW NEXT YEAR NOT ONLY ARE WE FINDING THIS, WE'RE ALSO HAVING TO FIND THIS AND THIS.
SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY CONSISTENT.
WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THAT THE SERVICES ARE GOING TO NEED TO CHANGE.
SO WE'RE NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING.
IT'S FINALLY STARTING TO SHOW UP BECAUSE, I GUESS, WHAT, SINCE 2024, WE'VE REDUCED 24 POSITIONS? IS THAT RIGHT? I MAY BE OFF ON THAT.
HERE'S WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL YIELD THE FLOOR IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO PICK THAT UP WHERE I'M SETTING IT DOWN FEEL FREE TO.
I HAVE VOICED MY CONCERNS, I HAVE VOICED MY OPINIONS AND I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE ALL OF STAFF'S HARD WORK TO GET US THIS POINT.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE LOST IN THE COMMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT TAKING IT PERSONALLY AT ALL.
WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTIONS.
IF WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING YOUR DIRECTIONS THE RIGHT WAY THEN YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA TELL US THAT AS WELL.
SO IN, IN MY SIMPLE SMALL BUSINESS BRAIN IS, WELL, JUST HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PART-TIME PERSON THAT'S WORKING THE DESK WORK AN EXTRA HOUR OR TWO A NIGHT, AND THEN YOU COVER THAT.
AND THAT'S HOW MY BRAIN WORKS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S THE WORLD I LIVE IN, BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN PAY AN HOURLY PERSON OR TWO TO COVER THOSE EXTRA HOURS.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THIS IS COMING FROM CONSOLIDATING THIS POSITION AND REDUCING THIS POSITION AND DOING THAT, I DEFINITELY, I UNDERSTAND THAT PIECE BETTER NOW.
BUT IT STILL DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT I DON'T LIKE CORE HOURS BEING CUT.
JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AGAIN.
ANYONE ELSE PICK IT UP IF THEY WANT IT.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE SIGNED BIJU AND THEN BRIANNA.
NONE OF US LIKE TO HEAR HOURS CUT AND YOU KNOW IT'S NOT JUST THE LIBRARY AFTER THIS.
IT'S GOING TO BE THE BIODIVERSITY CENTER OR THE LIFE SAFETY PARK OR YOU KNOW WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE ARTS CENTER.
IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE THIS.
THIS GROUP IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE OPTIONAL YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE TO HAVE TO MAKE AND MIKE IS TRYING TO HELP YOU EASE INTO THAT WITH AS LITTLE OF PAIN AS POSSIBLE.
MIKE, WHAT WAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING FROM THE LAST MEETING DISCUSSION ABOUT WHEN WE DISCUSSED REDUCING THE HOURS FROM 10 TO 8? THE JOBLESS HAD A DISCUSSION.
THERE WAS NO DECISION, NO DIRECTION GIVEN.
THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. SO, THAT NONE OF THIS AFFECTED IN THIS EVENT.
THAT, THAT'S RIGHT. TOMORROW THE BUDGET THAT WE PRESENT...
SO THAT I APPRECIATING WITH THANK YOU THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THERE. THE TWO HOURS, THE SUNSHINE ROOM, THAT ADULT...
IT WON'T CONTINUE. SO, I'M IN OPPOSITION OF THAT.
RIGHT. SO, I MADE IT VERY, VERY CLEAR LAST TIME. I ALSO HAD A DISCUSSION WITH YOU AND THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE COMING UP IN STAFF YOU MADE IT LIKE THE LAST TIME SAY YOU WANT TO REDUCE HALF A PERSON HALF A FTE FROM THE CORE, RIGHT? YEAH. IT WAS THE PERSON, THE REC COORDINATOR POSITION.
WHEN WE ADDED 10 STAFF TO ART CENTER A FEW YEARS AGO I SAID WILL HAVE ISSUES COMING UP WHEN WE HAD START ADDING COLUMN AND ALL THE COUNCIL WAS OKAY TO ADD TEN COLUMNS JUST LIKE THAT WE ARE...
THAT'S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED THERE WAS DISCUSSION SO DON'T, I, I A COMMENT LIKE THAT ISN'T RIGHT BECAUSE THERE WAS CONVERSATION AROUND THAT SO IT WASN'T LIKE WE JUST SAID YES.
I'M JUST SAYING, YOU CAN KEEP GOING, BUT DON'T JUST SAY COUNCIL JUST AGREED TO TEN PEOPLE.
THERE WAS CONVERSATION AROUND THAT IN A LOT OF CONTEXT.
SO WHAT DID I SAY WRONG? YOU JUST SAID, WELL, I SAID THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM IF WE ADDED MORE PEOPLE.
AND ALL THE COUNCIL WAS OKAY WITH JUST ADDING 10 PEOPLE.
IT WASN'T, THAT'S A VERY, THAT'S A COMMENT THAT DOESN'T HAVE CONTEXT.
THERE WAS CONVERSATION AROUND THAT AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE WERE ADDING, WHY WE WERE ADDING, AND UNDERSTANDING THE ASK FROM STAFF.
SO WE DIDN'T MAKE A FLIPPANT DECISION.
WE MADE A DECISION, WHOEVER AGREED ON IT, MADE IT AS AN EDUCATED DECISION BASED
[01:35:02]
ON THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME.SO I, I'M TAKING THAT AS A, WE JUST AGREED TO ADD 10 PEOPLE, AND THAT'S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED.
SO, LIKE I WAS SAYING IN OPPOSITION TO THAT, I DON'T THINK IT'S BEST USE CUTTING THE CORE HOURS FROM 10 TO 8.
AND YOU ARE SAYING THAT THE BUDGET PROPOSED IS WHAT YOU HAVE IS REDUCING FROM 10 TO 8 RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
I MAY NOT BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING TO KEVIN YOU ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
BY AMENDING THE BUDGET. RIGHT.
IT'S THE FORMAL PROCESS OF ADOPTING THE BUDGET AND AMENDING IT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE SOCIAL SERVICES BASED ON THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GET TONIGHT.
AND IF YOU BRING THAT UP AND PEOPLE SAY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
BRIANNA, YOU WERE ACTUALLY NEXT.
I WAS NOT HERE FOR THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE TWO HOURS LAST TIME.
SO I JUST, FROM WHAT I HEARD GOING BACK AND LISTENING, CUTTING SERVICES IS NEVER EASY.
I DO NOT ENVY THE DECISIONS OR THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME FROM STAFF BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT PERSONAL.
USE THIS WORD. WE HAVE BEEN A VERY BLESSED COMMUNITY WITH A LOT OF AMENITIES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE SO MUCH THAT SO MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE.
AND WE HAVE HAD TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS ALONG THE WAY.
SOMETIMES WE'VE HAD TO CUT HOURS IN THE SUMMER, OR WE'VE HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AT THE SENIOR CENTER, OR WE'VE HAD TO NOT EXPAND A CERTAIN BUILDING BECAUSE WE JUST COULDN'T DO IT AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME AND A LOT OF TIMES OUR HANDS ARE TIED BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL. THAT IS NOT OR LEGISLATURE WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ALWAYS IN, WE'RE NOT IN CONTROL, RIGHT? AND SO, I JUST FEEL LIKE WELL I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT CUTTING IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM, SO I'LL GO ON RECORD TO SAY THAT. I JUST, I SEE MIKE AND HIS STAFF AS A PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE WEEDS.
I CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE PROCESS WAS TO GET THERE.
BUT I'M NOT HERE TO DO THEIR JOB.
AND SO, IF THE RECOMMENDATION, AND BASED ON HOW I KNOW HOW YOU RUN YOUR RETREATS FROM TALKING TO YOUR STAFF ON...
YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS OF, HEY IF WE HAD TO CUT WERE CAN WE CUT? OKAY GO BACK AND LOOK AGAIN AND SEE WHERE WE CAN CUT, RIGHT? AND IT MAY BE THAT WE SAID YES IN THE PAST TO ADDING PEOPLE BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THINGS AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE AND I THINK THAT'S THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND WHILE I HATE NOT HAVING THE COURT OPEN UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK I ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE A COMMUNITY THAT HAS, WE HAVE PLANET FITNESS, WE HAVE THE YMCA, WE HAVE OTHER PLACES THAT SOMETIMES FILLS SOME OF THOSE GAPS AND THOSE HAVE BEEN OUR PARTNERS AND WE MAY NOT JUST BE ABLE TO BE THE SOLE SOURCE OF ALL THESE AMENITIES AND SO I TRUST STAFF IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAKING THESE AND COMING FORWARD TO US AS MIKE SAID WE CAN SAY NO RIGHT, BUT WE WILL END UP HAVING TO MAKE SOME MORE DIFFICULT DECISIONS AT SOME LATER TIME THAT MAY NOT BE POPULAR AND I THINK I, I WOULD RATHER ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAYING, LET'S GO WITH THE RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE SEEING THE DECREASE IN NUMBERS. NOW IF WE END UP HAVING EVERYONE LEAVE THE CORE AND GO TO THE YMCA AND NOW OUR MEMBERSHIPS ARE DOWN AND WE CAN'T EVEN STAY OPEN.
THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION OR IF PEOPLE START TO COME TO OUR CITIZENS APPEARANCE AND SAY, HEY YOU'RE REALLY EFFECT, LIKE I GET OUT OF WORK AT 7 O'CLOCK AND I WORK OUT FROM 8 TO 9, RIGHT AND I CAN'T AFFORD ONE OF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE YMCA AND THE CORE WAS THE ONLY PLACE I COULD GO OR THAT'S WHERE MY KIDS ENJOY PLAYING BASKETBALL.
WE WILL HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AT THAT POINT, I THINK THEN WE COME BACK AND WE SAY, HEY, IS THERE SOMEWHERE ELSE WE COULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? SO I DON'T WANNA GET IN THE BUSINESS OF THE WEEDS OF WHAT YOU GUYS KNOW, BECAUSE I'M NOT AT THE CORE ON A DAILY BASIS.
I'M NOT, ONCE IN A WHILE I'M THERE FROM EIGHT TO 10.
WHEN IVAN COMES HOME, HE PLAYS BASKETBALL AT THAT TIME, RIGHT, AND HE WILL BE SAD ABOUT IT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH, WHAT'S...
WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
[01:40:01]
THE LARGER COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE IN SOME CAPACITY OTHER AMENITIES AND WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE CLOSING THE CORE, WE'RE JUST MAKING ADJUSTMENTS.SO I'M OKAY WITH THE PROPOSAL.
I'M REALLY PASSIONATE TONIGHT.
MARK? SO, MIKE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE WHERE ALL THOSE ITEMS WERE TIED TOGETHER.
YOU'RE SAYING IF YOU ADD BACK THE $24,000, YOU'VE GOT TO ADD BACK THE REST OF THAT BALANCE.
WAS THAT $168,000 TOTAL? YEAH, IT WAS $168,000 TOTAL.
THE MANPOWER FEEDS INTO THE REST OF THAT.
SO, ONCE YOU ADD THAT, LET'S JUST SAY YOU WANT TO DO THE TWO HOURS THAT POINT YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, FROM A, YOU'RE SAYING TO US, OKAY, IT'S NOT REALLY THE $24,000.
YOU'RE GONNA, IT'S A MANPOWER ISSUE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE.
WHAT JESSICA SAID, IT'S, I'M NOT GONNA FILL THAT RECREATION COORDINATOR POSITION.
IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT THIS BACK, THEN I'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
I'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING FROM A PERSONNEL STANDPOINT TO KEVIN'S PART.
I'M NOT EVEN IN THE WEEDS OF SAYING A PART-TIME PERSON STAYING AN EXTRA HOUR OR TWO IS THIS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION. THAT'S NOT WHAT JESSICA PRESENTED TO US AND SHERRY. SO, THAT'S, IT'S A CUMULATIVE EFFECT MARK, THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME, THAT'S HOW WHEN WE ASK THE QUESTIONS IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED BECAUSE OF OTHER REDUCTIONS THAT WE'VE DONE AND OTHER CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE AND IT IN IT AND IT DIRECTLY, DIRECTLY RELATES TO AND KEVIN, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION THAT DIRECTLY RELATES TO WHAT, WHAT'S THE UTILIZATION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND I'LL SAY THIS, I REMEMBER VIVIDLY THAT WE HAD REDUCED THE HOURS FROM 10 TO 9 AND WE HAD ONE PERSON SHOW UP AND THE COUNCIL TURNED AND LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, OPEN THAT THING BACK UP ANOTHER HOUR FOR ONE PERSON THAT SHOWED UP. SO, WHEN WE MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION WE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHO'S GOING TO GET TO HEAR ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT JUST Y'ALL, WE'LL GET TO HEAR ABOUT IT TOO BUT THAT'S, WE CAN'T LET THAT INFLUENCE GIVEN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE LONG HAUL.
SHORT TERM, IT'S AN EASY DECISION.
YOU JUST KEEP THE THING OPEN AND YOU KNOW YOU SPEND $168,000 AND NOBODY GETS UPSET? SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE UPSET.
THAT'S GOT TO BE $168,000 OR NOTHING.
IT'S CAN'T, THERE'S NO PORTION THAT CAN BE SEPARATED.
THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS WHAT HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED TO ME.
KENT, TRACY, KIM, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.
IF WE BROUGHT PARTS AND PIECES BACK, WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T.
UNDERSTANDING THEN WHERE THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL WOULD BE ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE BROUGHT BACK WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THEN HOW WE COULD ACHIEVE THAT.
CUZ I THINK WHAT KEVIN SAID WAS VERY VALID.
WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN THERE? DO WE TAKE A HEAD COUNT AT NINE O'CLOCK AND SEE IF THERE WERE 20 PEOPLE STILL? KEVIN MENTIONED CHECK-IN, I HADN'T HEARD THE WORD CHECK-IN I HEARD UTILIZATION. THAT, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM THE TEAM.
I GUESS THAT HOW THAT'S DEFINE.
RIGHT. YEAH, AND AND SO, ARE WE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE.
AND, AND I JUST WAS THAT'S INCREDIBLY FAIR BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT SOMEBODY INTENDS AND WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT IS THAT, THAT COULD BE SO UNDERSTANDING WHO'S IN THE BUILDING THEY WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO THAT SO I DON'T WANT TO BE THE, THE CLAIM THAT I KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE BUILDING AT ANY TIME.
RIGHT, WELL THAT, THAT WAS THE REASON AS SOON AS YOU SAID IT IS LIKE I JUST MY DEFERRAL WAS TO REALIZATION.
WE DO HAVE, SO, IT'S 1300 UNIQUE NUMBERS USED BETWEEN 8 AND 10 COURSE OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN YOU JUST DIVIDE THAT ROUGHLY BY 340 DAYS THAT'S HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE 22.
AND I KNOW ON THE SIX FOR SURE THEY SAID THAT WAS ACTUALLY THAT WOULD BE THAT'S ALMOST LIKE A PEAK USE TO HAVE SIX KIDS IN THERE ON ANY ONE DAY.
BUT SO THEN I WOULD ASK THEN TO DEFINE, SORRY MARK, BUT TO DEFINE UTILIZATION, DOES THAT MEAN WHILE THEY'RE UNIQUE USERS IN THAT TIME, WHAT ABOUT THOSE UNIQUE USERS THAT WERE THERE THAT CHECKED IN AT 6 OR 07, DO WE KNOW HOW LONG THAT
[01:45:01]
THEY WERE STAYING DURING THAT? BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHECK OUT.AND THAT'S KIND OF MY POINT IS LIKE HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THEY STAY AND HOW LONG ARE THEY UTILIZING? THAT'S JUST MY POINT, MARK.
SO, KEVIN, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BEING A LATE RISER, I GO TO BED LATE.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAVE A 168,000 PROBLEM, $168,000 TO SOLVE. RIGHT. SO, IF WE ARE SAYING NO TO THE STAFF ON THIS, THEN THEY'LL HAVE TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WE COULD BE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT IT, AND THEN THE POINT OF IF WE ARE SAYING THE STAFF KNOWS BEST.
AND I HEAR YOUR POINT. WE GET TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ASK FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO I'M WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO BE CUT, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO MAKE A DECISION ON LET'S NOT CUT THE ARTS, RIGHT? THAT'S ONE THING AND THEN YOU KNOW, FOR FUTURE YEARS I THINK WE NEED TO CONTROL WHAT WE APPROVE TO SPEND MORE BECAUSE WE KNOW LOTS OF CUTS ARE GOING TO COME.
SO, OUR COMMITMENT TO Y'ALL IS IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, WE'RE GOING TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, HERE IS, I'LL CALL IT A MENU.
BUT HERE IS, HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR SERVICE CHANGES.
BECAUSE IF WE CAN GET YOU TO FOCUS ON THOSE KIND OF THINGS, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T START OFF KNOWING WE NEEDED TO REDUCE 168 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE STARTED OFF SAYING WHERE'S UTILIZATION THE LEAST AND THAT'S HOW IT, IT CAME ABOUT.
SO IT WASN'T DRIVEN BY THE DOLLAR, IT WAS DRIVEN BY WHERE'S OUR UTILIZATION.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY I CAN SAY, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SCARE THE FOLKS AT THE LIBRARY, BUT THAT'S THE REASON I CAN SAY THERE'S TIMES AT THE LIBRARY THAT THE LIBRARY IS OPEN THAT'S VERY, USED VERY, VERY LITTLE.
AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO'S IN THERE.
AND IT'S GOING TO THAT'S SAME WAY FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE TO THIS COMMUNITY AND, AND I AGAIN, I USE AN ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS AT THE CORE, A CLASS AT THE CORE IF THE CLASS, A DOESN'T MAKE OKAY, FINE, IF THE CLASS MAKES IT, IT ONLY HAS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE PARTICIPANTS, NOT GOOD, IT PROBABLY DOESN'T GET REPEATED.
IF A CLASS MAKES AND IT DOESN'T GET GOOD REVIEWS BECAUSE IT'S, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T GET REPEATED AGAIN.
SO, SO WE DO USE DATA TO HELP DETERMINE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS PROVIDE YOU THE CONFIDENCE THAT THE DATA WE HAVE IS VALID AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE, YOU STILL MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE INFORMATION, BUT IT'S NOT, THAT'S FOR YOU, FOR US IT'S HERE'S THE INFORMATION.
THIS IS WHY WE'RE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE DOING.
I'VE HEARD THE NUMBER 168 AND 190, AND THEN I'VE HEARD THREE YEARS.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT FOR ME? YEAH, SO ANYWAY, IT'S JUST TAKING FUTURE VALUE MONEY.
JUST SAYING TODAY'S DOLLARS ARE $168,000.
SALARY? THERE WAS 72 000 IN THERE THAT WASN'T BUT THAT INCLUDES BENEFITS.
OKAY BECAUSE I THINK THE OTHER PIECE THAT I WANT TO BE OR THAT I'M THE WAY I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS TOO ISN'T JUST, OKAY, OH THAT'S RIGHT.
OKAY, UM, THANK YOU. I THINK, THE OTHER THING I WAS LOOKING AT IT WAS NOT JUST LIKE THEIR CURRENT NUMBER SALARY BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT WE DO AN INCREASE OF...
WHATEVER TWO AND A HALF PERCENT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
ON THE FUTURE VALUE OF MONEY JUST RUNNING THE EQUATION...
BASICALLY ABOUT A FOUR PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TWELVE PERCENT I MEAN JUST THE SYSTEM.
SO HERE'S MY QUESTION MAYBE TO YOUR POINT RAMESH BUT, UM, HERE'S MY QUESTION IS YOU MENTIONED A MENU RIGHT AND WERE WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BRING FORWARD.
OKAY SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS I USE THE WORD MENU, PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT WORD HERE ...
BUT HERE ARE THE SERVICES AND THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING EVALUATED...
FOR HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THEY, HOW WHAT'S THEIR UTILIZATION, HOW ARE THEY BEING RECEIVED IN THE COMMUNITY, WHERE ARE THEY IN THE COMMUNITY OF, RIGHT? AND SO FROM THOSE THINGS...
YOU'RE GOING TO START HAVING TO PRIORITIZE.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU START PRIORITIZING THAT, THAT ALLOWS US THEN TO BE ABLE THEN TO START APPLYING DOLLARS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
[01:50:02]
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CLEARLY BE COMING TO YOU WITH A MENU...OR THE LIST THAT HELPS US GET THERE.
SO THEN HERE'S MY QUESTION IS, I WOULD LOVE TO UNDERSTAND MAYBE THE IMPACT OF MAKING THE DECISION NOW TO ADD IN THE FOUR HOURS BEING REDUCED.
VERSUS HAVING IT AS PART OF THE MENU THAT WE LOOK AT AND PRIORITIZE IN JANUARY TIME FRAME.
I CAN TELL YOU THE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP THERE IS THAT INSTEAD OF TAKING 168 AND IT BEING AN XYZ NEXT YEAR AND XYZ PLUS ONE AND XYZ PLUS TWO THAT'S WHERE YOU GET TO THE RIGHT, BUT IT'S CUMULATIVE ALONG THE WAY.
IT, IT AND IT WON'T UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES ON THE UTILIZATION YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO FACE THAT ISSUE.
AND, AND I THINK UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS AND I GUESS I'M WONDERING...
WELL, BUT, BUT YOU MAY TELL US, THAT GOES BACK TO THE LIST, YOU MAY TELL US ON UTILIZATION MIKE, UTILIZATION IF IT'S SIX PEOPLE OR IF IT'S 20 PEOPLE WE'RE HAPPY TO KEEP SUPPORTING THAT THEREFORE, THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR US AND THEN THEREFORE, THAT MEANS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO DO THESE THINGS AND I SAY YOU IS IN THIS PRIORITY LIST WHAT ARE THOSE PARAMETERS THAT YOU WANT US TO USE BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO, WE CAN'T GUESS WHAT THOSE PARAMETERS ARE GOING TO BE.
AND I GUESS I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE IF IT MADE SENSE.
RESPECTFULLY, I UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION ON DIFFERENT SIDES.
IS, SHOULD WE DELAY THAT DECISION BY LOOKING AT THINGS HOLISTICALLY VERSUS TAKING THIS ONE PIECE NOW AND THEN LOOKING AT A LIST LATER OR IS IT THAT BIG OF AN IMPACT, I DON'T KNOW BIG IMPACT.
THE ANIMAL WILL SPEAK OUT OF TURN.
IF YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO DO DELAY THAT...
BASICALLY, IF YOU'RE TAKING A ONE-YEAR DELAY.
THEN WHY WOULD WE NOT TAKE A ONE-YEAR DELAY IN INCREASING THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION INCREASE? GOOD POINT.
AND I GUESS I SEE THE MONEY COMING OUT OF DIFFERENT POCKETS.
IT'S ALL COMING FROM GENERAL FUND AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO, THE OTHER THING IS, THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE IT, IT'S NOT JUST GONNA...
IT'S GOING TO BE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO ACT ON.
AND THAT'S GOING TO GET BIGGER EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT.
AND EVERY TIME YOU DON'T TAKE ACTION, IT'S EVEN GOING TO COMPOUND.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK OF...
OF THE ALTERNATIVE. RIGHT, I MEAN I THINK I'M STILL...
GOOD DISCUSSION, POINTS HEARD. I HAVE JIM AND THEN BIJU.
I GUESS THE ONLY POINT I WANT TO MAKE AT THIS POINT IS THAT YOU KNOW, I, I TRUST THAT WHEN STAFF IS LOOKING AT THE ENTIRETY OF THE BUDGET AND EVERY AMENITY, ALL THE STAFF TIME, ALL THE BENEFIT COSTS, ALL THE UTILITY DATA OR UTILIZATION DATA THAT THIS IS IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO MAKE THIS INCREMENTAL SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BASICALLY A FINANCIAL OR FISCAL CLIP, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE COULD TELL THEM, DON'T CUT ANYTHING FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO REACH A POINT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE TO HAVE A 20% CUT ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE'RE GOING TO HIT SOME KIND OF FISCAL CLIFF THAT'S GOING TO BE DIRE AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE EXPLAINING TO DO AS A RESULT OF THAT.
SO TO ME, STAFF HAS LOOKED AT ALL THAT DATA OVER THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS AND THEY'VE SAID, OKAY, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE CAN MAKE A VERY SMALL MODIFICATION AND CONTINUE TO INCREMENTALLY REDUCE THE FISCAL LOAD, RIGHT? IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY'VE DONE IT THROUGH ATTRITION OF POSITIONS AND ASSIGNING RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONSOLIDATING RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN EXISTING POSITIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND SO, THERE, THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE TO THAT COIN, WHICH IS FOR EVERY ONE OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE CUTTING IN THIS BUDGET FOR THE CORPS, IT REPRESENTS A WIDE VARIETY OF OTHER EXPENDITURES THAT THEY...
DECIDED NOT YET TO RECOMMEND A REDUCTION.
WE HAVE THE ENTIRETY OF THE REST OF THE BUDGET THAT, THAT THEY'VE LOOKED AT AND SAID, OKAY, WELL, THE UTILIZATION HERE IS MORE COMPELLING WITH RESPECT TO THIS MINOR CUT THAN THE UTILIZATION OVER HERE
[01:55:02]
AT THE LIBRARY OR THE UTILIZATION AT THE SENIOR CENTER OR SOME OTHER FACILITY WE OFFER.NOW THE NEXT TIME IT MAY BE A LITTLE SOMETHING AT THE LIBRARY OR A LITTLE SOMETHING AT THE BIODIVERSITY CENTER, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO GIVE US THIS INCREMENTAL KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTION SO THAT WE AVOID THIS FISCAL CLIFF AND SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SEVERE SET OF DECISIONS THAT WERE WE'RE COMPELLED TO MAKE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE TO MAKE, BETWEEN INFLATION AND THE AUSTIN GAP AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO DOWN THERE.
AND I JUST, I ABSOLUTELY HAVE FAITH, I'VE SEEN THEIR COMPETENCE, THEIR HIGH LEVEL OF COMPETENCE, I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, ALL THE INCREDIBLE DECISIONS THEY'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS.
AND I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN THEIR EXPERTISE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT DECISION BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, THAT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO WHEN THEY COME TO ME AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO...
TO INCREMENTALLY REDUCE THIS, I'M PRESUMING THEY'VE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE, AND THEY'VE DETERMINED THAT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THIS IS THE ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO THAT WILL BE THE LEAST PAINFUL, BECAUSE IT'S THE LEAST UTILIZED, AND WILL GIVE US SOME FINANCIAL BENEFITS THAT WILL HELP TO AVOID THAT KIND OF SEVERE DECISION IN THE FUTURE. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TOLD BY MIKE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THE CHART WITH THE INCREASING AUSTIN GAP.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS A GROUP, THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN FAIRLY STALWART IN NOT INCREASING THE TAX RATE SIMPLY BECAUSE VALUATIONS HAVE SHOT THROUGH THE ROOF.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A STAFF TRYING TO HELP TO EASE US AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE INTO AN INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FISCAL SITUATION OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS THROUGH INCREDIBLE PLANNING, THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN, EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO TO GO INTO THIS WITH OUR EYES WIDE OPEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY HOUR OF THE TWO HOURS EVERY WEEK THAT WE'RE CUTTING AT THE CORE, THERE ARE OTHER...
OTHER HOURS AT THESE OTHER FACILITIES THAT ARE NOT GETTING CUT.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, BECAUSE EACH OF THESE AMENITIES HAVE THEIR OWN CONSTITUENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M TRUSTING THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL THAT AND SAYING, WE CAN DO THIS RIGHT NOW AND IMPACT THE LEAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND GET THE GREATEST FINANCIAL GAIN ON AN INCREMENTAL BASIS THAT HELPS TO AVOID SOME KIND OF FISCAL APOCALYPSE.
AND SO I, I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR THAT REASON RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS NOT THE LAST OF THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NOT BEEN ANYTHING ANYONE'S WANTED TO DO, WE COULD SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CUT ANYTHING, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO, TO THE, TO THE TOWN, TO THE VOTERS, AND ASK FOR A 5% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE.
AND WE COULD TELL THEM, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CUT, THAT WE DON'T WANT TO CUT.
STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED THEY BE CUT BECAUSE OF THE UTILIZATION, NO ONE'S USING IT, IT'S NOT WORTH THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
BUT WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND SPEND IT ANYWAY, SO WE'RE GONNA JACK YOUR TAXES 5%, OR YELL IN FAVOR, YAY OR NAY.
WE HAVE, I MEAN, THAT'S THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS COIN.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHAT STAFF, I THINK, IS TRYING TO DO, MY PERCEPTION OF THIS, IS THEY'RE TRYING TO INCREMENTALLY GET US TO A PLACE THAT MAY NOT BE PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE, BUT THAT IS FAR LESS PAINFUL THAN SOME OF THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
AND I'M CONTENT TO TAKE THE LEAST PAINFUL, MOST INCREMENTAL ROUTE UNTIL WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE CERTAINTY FROM AUSTIN AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH RESPECT TO MUNICIPAL FINANCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEVEL OF DILIGENCE AND WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GO TO THE CORE.
ONE COULD LOOK AT ME AND THINK MAYBE A FEW LESS CHOCOLATE CAKES WOULD SUGGEST I SHOULD.
BUT I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF PEOPLE VALUE THAT TREMENDOUSLY.
DAD, WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU HAVE TO CUT TWO HOURS OFF THE CORE? BUT, AND THERE WILL ALWAYS, WHETHER IT'S THE LIBRARY OR ANY AMENITY THAT WE REDUCE, IS GOING TO HAVE A CONSTITUENCY THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE PLEASED.
BUT IF AS A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT BY DOING THESE LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS HERE AND THERE, WE'RE PRESERVING A LARGER...
[02:00:02]
FOR A LARGER GROUP OF CONSTITUENCIES ON A COMBINED BASIS ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF THE COMMUNITY, THEN I THINK THAT'S THE PICTURE THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT ON THIS.
I'M GOING TO READ FROM A CITY DOCUMENT.
IN 2023, WE AMENDED THE BUDGET AND AMENDED THE COUNT FROM ORIGINAL BUDGETED COUNT AS THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED INCREASING THE EMPLOYEE COUNT FOR THE ARTS CENTER FROM 9.5 FTE FEES TO 18.8 FTES ON NOVEMBER 8, 2022 DURING THE WORK SESSION.
THAT WAS A WORK SESSION INCREASE.
WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESS IN THE BUDGET.
WORK SESSIONS, WE THINK ABOUT INCREASING THE COUNT.
THAT DECISION WAS MADE ON A WORK SESSION.
AND THAT YEAR WAS 436.39 EMPLOYEE COUNT, INCREASE TO 2024 WAS 446.39 SO IT'S 10 FTE INCREASE AND 2025 IS INCREASED BY 2 THAT'S 448.39 AND 2026 THE EMPLOYEE COUNT IS 440.89 THAT'S THE DOCUMENT I'M REFERRING TO.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WE GOT THE DIRECTION IN THE WORK SESSION, THEN WE AMENDED THE BUDGET TO CORRECTLY REFLECT THAT AMOUNT.
SO THAT'S HOW THE PROCESS WORKS, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS, IS IT MY TURN? WELL, NO, DON, DON IS AFTER ME.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S ANOTHER WAY FROM A PERSPECTIVE STANDPOINT.
THIS IS ALL GOING TO BE VERY FLUID, VERY DYNAMIC, THROUGH ALL THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
SO RIGHTLY SO, WHILE WE EXPECT CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN IN THE LEGISLATURE BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SUMMER OF 25, AS FAR AS THE EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS, THE REVENUE CAPS BEING LOWERED EVEN LOWER AND EVERYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
THERE IS A KIND OF A NON-PHONE CALL, EMAIL KIND OF THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER WAYS FOR US TO ADDRESS.
THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO WEIGH IN ON THIS, LIKE I SAID, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND FUTURE.
THAT SAME $168,000, WE COULD REDUCE OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN OUR STREETS OR IN OUR ALLEYS.
THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY PRIORITIZATION.
BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS TOLD US, AND YOU'VE TOLD US, US FOR LONG-TERM INVESTMENT, THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE PUTTING OUR DOLLARS.
THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IF YOU CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION, WE DON'T LOOK TO THE STREETS DEPARTMENT OR THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE INVESTING IN STREETS OR IN THE ALLEYS OR IN THE SIDEWALKS TO REDUCE OUR INVESTMENT IN THAT AREA.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW WE VIEW FROM A PRIORITIZATION STANDPOINT WHAT YOU TELL US.
SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE ABOUT WHY THAT DIRECTION IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US.
AND SO, IF YOU TELL US DIFFERENTLY, EVEN WITH WHAT WE COME TO YOU IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, IS GOING TO BE ON THE PROGRAM AND SERVICE SIDE.
IT IS NOT GOING TO BE ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE KNOW INFRASTRUCTURE IS GETTING WAY MORE EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? AND INFLATION AND ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF.
AND JUST AS A GENERAL COMMENT FOR Y'ALL, ONE OF THE THINGS TO BE AWARE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO ON OUR EXPENDITURE SIDE, ON THE M&O SIDE, WE HAVE SLOWED THE GROWTH.
BUT WE HAVE SLOWED THE GROWTH OF OUR EXPENDITURES SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
WE ARE GROWING OUR EXPENDITURES AT A LESS RATE THAN WHAT INFLATION IS AND HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR, WHAT, KIM, FIVE YEARS IN 2020, I GUESS.
AND SO Y'ALL HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.
SO DON'T, IT'S JUST THE DOLLARS START ADDING UP REALLY FAST.
AND FROM A DIRECTION STANDPOINT, THAT'S WHY THIS DISCUSSION IS SO VALUABLE AND WHY THE DISCUSSION THAT YOU HAVE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY IS SO VALUABLE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE PRIORITIZATIONS THAT WE GO BACK TO THE REST OF THE TEAM AND SAY THIS IS WHAT THE THEY TOLD US.
THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR FROM US.
LET'S GO TO WORK, RIGHT? YOU'RE THE WHAT, WE'RE THE HOW.
SO I'M GOING TO ADD IN BEFORE DON TALKS.
GOING BACK, I WAS THINKING SB2, WHICH WAS PUT IN PLACE IN 2018, I BELIEVE, WAS THE LIKE THE LANDMARK DECISION THAT SET OUR FUTURE BUDGET.
I REMEMBER MIKE, AFTER SB2 WAS PASSED, HE SAID, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT YOUR REVENUE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR THE INDEFINITE FUTURE WITH SB2.
[02:05:02]
FIXED AND HE SAID IT'S NOT GOING TO BE, IT DOESN'T FLOAT ACCORDING TO INFLATION. IT IS FIXED AND WHAT HE BEGAN DOING AND WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT IT, THE CONSOLIDATION OF STAFF HAS BEEN DONE UNDER THE TABLE. WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.I MEAN IT'S BEEN DONE TO REDUCE OUR STAFFING, TO REDUCE OUR COSTING BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HASN'T COME OUT TO IMPACT US.
MY INTERPRETATION OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS WE'VE GONE JUST ABOUT AS FAR AS WE CAN GO KEEPING OUR SERVICES WHERE THEY ARE SO NOW IT'S COMING UP TO THE, TO THE, TO THE FRONT OF THE TABLE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING SOME SERVICE IMPACT AND BY THE WAY HE STARTED SAYING THAT BACK IN 2018, BY THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME SERVICE IMPACTS EVENTUALLY.
FOR ONCE, I'LL NOT TALK IN FINANCIAL TERMS BECAUSE WHAT I AM CONFIDENT IS HAPPENING WITH STAFF IS THERE HAS TO BE A MASTER PLAN FOR...
WHATEVER WE'RE TRYING TO DO, TRYING TO LAND THIS PLANE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FLY THIS PLANE IN THE FUTURE, THERE HAS TO BE A MASTER PLAN.
AND I WOULD, I GUESS, CAUTION ALL OF US TO BE VERY, THEY WORK UNDER OUR GUIDANCE AND OUR DIRECTION, BUT THE MORE WE ADJUST THEIR MASTER PLAN, EITHER SUSPENDS THE EXECUTION OF THE PLAN OR IT COMPLETELY CHANGES THE PLAN IN THE FUTURE, WHICH JUST DELAYS THINGS.
AND I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO BEFORE I MET MY BEAUTIFUL BRIDE THAT THAT BAD RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU'RE IN, THAT YOU WON'T MAKE THE DECISION TO GET OUT OF, IT ONLY DEFERS THE PAIN.
IT DOES NOT GET RID OF THE PAIN.
YOU, YOU WILL STILL HAVE THE PAIN. IN FACT, IT WILL USUALLY BE A BIGGER PAIN.
SO I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE PHRASE, AND YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER IT NOW, PAIN DEFERRAL.
WHEN YOU WON'T MAKE A DECISION THAT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE OR IT ONLY GETS WORSE.
AND SO, WHILE THEY DO WORK UNDER OUR DIRECTION, WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HAVE INPUT INTO THE OPERATIONS.
OUR JOB IS NOT THE OPERATIONS AND WE HAVE TO TRUST THAT THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THE RIGHT OPERATIONAL EXECUTION DECISIONS TO FLY THE PLANE.
AND THIS IS NOT ANY DIFFERENT TO MAYOR'S POINT A LITTLE TO A GREAT EXTENT.
THIS IS NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HAVING TO GO THROUGH OR WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE GOING THROUGH.
AND YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME LARGE EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT HAVE GOT ALL INTO THE EXECUTION AND OPERATION PART OF IT.
COUNCIL HAS, COUNCILS HAVE, AND THEY HAVE TO FLOAT BONDS TO DO STREET MAINTENANCE BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THE MASTER PLAN HAS BEEN BLOWN UP OVER TIME, OR THERE ISN'T A MASTER PLAN POTENTIALLY.
AND SO IF THESE LITTLE DECISIONS, WE CAN'T...
WHILE WE LOVE TO QUANTIFY ALL THESE LITTLE DECISIONS AND THE MENU OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADJUST, IT'S ALL PART OF A LARGE, LARGE PLAN TO SERVICE THIS COMMUNITY.
AND EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A LITTLE TWEAK TO IT OR TELL THEM TO CHANGE THE PLAN, IT EITHER STOPS IT OR DELAYS IT OR MAKES THEM GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND REDO THE PLAN.
SO I JUST CAUTION THAT WE BE VERY, VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHILE WE GIVE THEM GUIDANCE, LET THEM BE THE OPERATION, OPERATIONS PEOPLE.
AS MUCH AS WE THINK WE'RE CLOSER TO CITIZENS, AND WE ARE IN A LOT OF WAYS, THEY DEAL WITH THE CITIZENS EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE SHOULD TRUST THAT THEY WILL PRESENT US THE BEST OPTIONS FROM A VERY, VERY GLOBAL MASTER PLAN STANDPOINT.
I'LL JUST KIND OF LEAVE THIS FINAL THOUGHT.
MIKE, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PRIORITY AND DIRECTION THAT THE COUNCIL'S GIVEN ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, STREET MAINTENANCE.
YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN COPPELL WHEN YOU DRIVE ON THE ROADS. RIGHT? THEY'RE NICE ROADS, RIGHT? WHAT I WOULD SAY, KIND OF SPEAKING TO WHAT BIJU WAS TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THE CONTEXT I THINK IS MISSING IN THAT CONVERSATION IS THAT THE DIRECTION THAT WE GAVE FROM COUNCIL IN THE ART.
WITH THE ART CENTER WAS TO TRY TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE. THAT WAS THE CONTEXT. SO, TO DO THAT THEY NEEDED TO, THEY NEEDED TO INCREASE MANPOWER TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY STAFF SHOWS OR THINGS LIKE THAT BUT FACILITATE THE RENTALS AND THEY'VE INCREASED REVENUE AT THAT FACILITY THROUGH THAT.
WHEREAS WE DON'T HAVE TOLLS IN TOWN TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR STREETS WE HAVE PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX THAT GENERATES
[02:10:01]
MONEY FOR STREETS BUT WE ALSO HAVE A CORE THAT GENERATES MONEY THROUGH MEMBERSHIP AND SO, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF WE, I WOULD JUST ASK, ARE WE UTILIZING OUR CORE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY? ARE WE, NOT I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT WE MAXIMIZE THE PRICE OF A MEMBERSHIP THERE BUT IS AN INTER INCREMENTAL INCREASE IN THAT MEMBERSHIP TO COVER THINGS LIKE AN EXTRA TWO HOURS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IS THAT WARRANTED AT THIS TIME? AND THAT'S ALL I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THE ART CENTER AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.AND WE CAME TO A, WE VOTED ON THAT, WE CAME TO CONSENSUS AS A COUNCIL, THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME WE'VE DONE THAT WITH THE CORE? AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF WE ARE, THE PEOPLE WHO UTILIZE THE CORE THE MOST, WHICH ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MEMBERS, IF THEY'RE OKAY PAYING AN EXTRA FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE UTILIZATION, THEY WOULD REFLECT THAT IN MEMBERSHIP.
I DON'T KNOW IF FIVE DOLLARS IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT.
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, BUT I WAS THROWING SOMETHING OUT THERE. SO.
BUT THAT IS A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE TO COVER SOME OF THESE COSTS.
SO. I JUST LEAVE EVERYONE WITH THAT, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
OUR LIBRARY IS AN ASSET THAT WE, OR A SERVICE THAT WE COVER COMPLETELY.
OUR PARKS, THOSE ARE GENERATED, REVENUE IS GENERATED SIMILAR TO OUR STREETS.
BUT WE HAVE OTHER TOOLS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
AGAIN, NOT TRYING TO SAY I WANT TO PRICE ANYBODY OUT OF THE CORE, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE, IS THAT A WAY TO OVERCOME THAT? AND I'M SURE OUR STAFF HAS ALREADY TAKEN A LOOK AT THAT BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
ANYBODY ELSE? WE ARE AT 8.15, SO IT'S BEEN A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION.
[7. Citizens’ Appearance]
WHICH IS OUR CITIZEN'S APPEARANCE.WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
PERSON'S WISHING TO SPEAK MUST SIGN THE REGISTER AND LIST THEIR ADDRESS, WHICH HE HAS.
PRESENTATIONS BY INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES EACH DURING WHICH TIME THE SPEAKERS MUST REMAIN AT THE PODIUM AND ADDRESS ONLY THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL. PERSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER THAT THEY SIGNED UP IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AN ORDERLY AND RESPECTFUL MEETING ENVIRONMENT AND TO CONDUCT THE PUBLIC MEETING IN A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT SPEAKERS WILL ADHERE TO THE STANDARDS OUTLINED IN ORDINANCE 2025-1633. THERE WILL BE NO COMMENTS OR DELIBERATIONS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL DUE TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS RECORD ACT. OUR REQUESTER FOR THE EVENING IS MR. VIKRAM MOHAN. VIKRAM.
GOOD EVENING. I HAVE SOME COMMENTS TO MAKE ABOUT DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS IN THE CITY OF COPPELL, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVING LODGE ROAD. THE PROBLEM WITH THESE INTERSECTIONS IS THAT THEY... ONE HAS TO TURN ON TO HIGH-SPEED ROADS, 40 MILES AN HOUR IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WITHOUT ANY SORT OF LIGHT. AND THAT IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE HOW DOES ONE JUDGE, HOW DOES ONE JUDGE WHETHER IT IS SAFE TO CROSS? AND IT'S, AND IT'S BAD FOR DRIVERS. ONE CAN'T IMAGINE HOW, HOW BAD IT IS FOR PEDESTRIANS. AND LIKE, THESE INTERSECTIONS WERE BUILT FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
FOR EXAMPLE, RIDGECREST ESTATES. 15 YEARS AGO, IT WAS JUST ONE HOUSEHOLD'S LAND.
NOWADAYS, IT IS, IT HAS DOZENS OF RESIDENTS. AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS MORE CONFLICT IN THESE INTERSECTIONS THAN IS, THAT IS, THAN WAS ANTICIPATED. AND, THE TWO SOLUTIONS THAT I PROPOSE ARE TO, ONE SOLUTION IS TO ADD A TRAFFIC LIGHT TO THESE INTERSECTIONS. AND THIS IS THE SIMPLE SOLUTION.
IT WOULD BE EASY TO DO COMPARATIVELY. THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS THAT IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO FIT NEATLY ONTO SOME OF THESE AND IT COULD DISRUPT THE FLOW. CARS MAY NOT KNOW THAT
[02:15:04]
THERE IS A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND IT MIGHT ALSO PENALIZE DRIVERS ON THE MAIN ROAD WHO WOULD HAVE TO SLOW DOWN FREQUENTLY. THE OTHER OPTION IS A ROUNDABOUT.WHICH SOUNDS DIFFICULT, BUT VISUALIZING IT, IT COULD DEFINITELY BE DONE.
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PERFECT CIRCLE. IT COULD BE AN ELLIPSE, AN OVAL.
AND THE BENEFIT OF A ROUNDABOUT IS THAT TRAFFIC... KEEPS FLOWING. CRASHES, IF THEY DO HAPPEN, ARE MORE MINOR DUE TO SLOWING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE CURVES.
LIKE CARS WILL INHERENTLY SLOW DOWN DUE TO THE CURVES AND THE CURVES PRODUCE LESS HARSH ANGLES. AND NO ONE HAS TO SLOW DOWN USUALLY ON A ROUNDABOUT.
PLUS, THE CENTER OF THE ROUNDABOUT CAN BE USED FOR NATIVE PLANTS, A STATUE, WHATEVER GIVES THE CITY OF COPPELL A UNIQUE MILIEU.
OF COURSE, A ROUNDABOUT WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE AND...
I'M SORRY, SIR, YOUR TIME IS UP.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONCLUDE IN FIVE OR TEN SECONDS? YES.
IN SHORT, BOTH OPTIONS FOR THESE INTERSECTIONS ARE VALID, BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE EXACT LOCATION AND SITUATION. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT, THAT IS THE END OF OUR MEETING. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 8.17 P.M.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.