[CALL TO ORDER]
[Update on City Council Strategic Goals]
[01:31:57]
HOW DO YOU GET THAT MESSAGING OUT IN THE MULTIMODAL FORMS THAT YOU USE TO MEDIUM FORMS TO BE
[01:32:02]
ABLE TO DO THAT? AND THAT'S RECOGNITION I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT YOU'VE GOT YOUR DOWNTOWN[01:32:08]
REDEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE WITH YOUR FORMER CITY PROPERTIES. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE[01:32:12]
GOING TO HAVE SOME OWNERSHIP OR WANT TO HAVE OWNERSHIP OF THAT, THAT DECISION MAKING. AND HOW DO[01:32:17]
YOU ENGAGE THEM IN SOME MEANINGFUL WAY, IN SOME MULTI-MEDIUM FASHION? AND SO[01:32:21]
THIS COMMUNICATION OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS IMPORTANT. AND THEN THIS CONCEPT[01:32:27]
OF GETTING EVERYBODY BEHIND AND SUPPORTING THE INITIATIVES, EITHER EITHER ON THE[01:32:31]
ADMINISTRATION OR ON THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, TO FINDING COMPROMISE AND ALLOW YOU TO MOVE[01:32:35]
THOSE ITEMS FORWARD. AND THEN THIS CONCERN ABOUT WHAT MY TERM HIGH PROFILE CRIMES, I[01:32:41]
APPRECIATE IN THE CONTEXT THAT YOU'VE RAISED IT, CHARLIE, BUT THIS EFFORT OF THIS PERCEPTION[01:32:46]
OF AS CRIME INCREASING IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM HERE, AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE[01:32:51]
STILL FEEL SAFE AND THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF[01:32:55]
YOUR COMMUNITY AND ITS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AS WELL? SO A COUPLE OF OTHER HIGH LEVEL[01:33:03]
QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO DO BEFORE WE GET INTO THE ACTUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING ISSUE, BUT[01:33:07]
THEY KIND OF SET THE TONE FOR WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO. I ASK YOU TWO QUESTIONS IN PARTICULAR,[01:33:12]
THAT IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND IN YOUR HAND AND YOU COULD MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEPT EVERYTHING[01:33:18]
THE WAY IT IS TODAY, WHAT IS IT IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T LOSE IN[01:33:23]
MCKINNEY? WITH CHANGES AND DYNAMICS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SO FAR.[01:33:27]
ONE, THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT. THAT ALTHOUGH YOU'RE GROWING AS A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY, THERE ARE STILL A SENSE THAT YOU'RE A MCKINNEY AND THAT THERE'S A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND THAT DYNAMIC, AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T LOSE THAT AS WELL. YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MOMENTUM, THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CARE FOR EACH OTHER. AND A COUPLE OF YOU SAID ABOUT THE ABILITY TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN COME BACK TO MCKINNEY AND LIVE AND RAISE THEIR FAMILIES HERE. I JOKED I HAD BOTH MY KIDS SAID THEY WERE NEVER GOING TO COME BACK TO LAKELAND. THEY BOTH HAVE COME BACK TO LAKELAND, ARE RAISING FAMILIES NOW. AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT BAD. IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT REINVESTMENT OF FOLKS THAT THAT THEY REALIZE THAT THEY HAD SOMEPLACE SPECIAL. AND YOU'VE GOT THAT HERE AS WELL. AND THERE'S A SENSE THAT YOU IN, IN CONCEPT WITH CARING FOR YOUR PEOPLE AND CARING FOR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR RESIDENTS, THAT YOU'VE GOT A KIND OF A PERSONAL TOUCH THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU BECOME A BIG CITY, THAT THERE STILL IS A SENSE THAT YOU CAN COME IN AND MAKE CONTACT AND GET REACTIONS AND GET TREATMENT TO APPRECIATE THE CHALLENGES THAT HAD GIVEN RESIDENT OR AN INDIVIDUAL MAY FACE, AND THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT, THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT THAT YOU'RE GROWING IN TERMS OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AND YOUR CULTURAL EVENTS. AND, CHARLIE, TO YOUR POINT, PARKS AND TRAIL SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THOSE BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE THAT APPRECIATE THAT INTERCONNECTIVITY AS WELL. DOUG, I HAVE I WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.WHENEVER I GET THE OPPORTUNITY. I LECTURE AT PROSPER HIGH SCHOOL TWO DAYS EVERY YEAR ABOUT HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE, NOT NECESSARILY HOW TO PRACTICE LAW OR BE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT,
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BUT THINGS LIKE YES SIR AND YES, MA'AM IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE STARTED TELLING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IS SUCCESS IS AN EVIL THING TO WISH FOR, BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE IT, YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH IT TO KEEP YOUR REPUTATION AS SUCCESSFUL. AND I THINK WE HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN THESE LAST EIGHT YEARS, AND NOW SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO KEEP UP WITH IT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE DID THEM A FAVOR OR A CURSE MOVING FORWARD, BUT ONE OF THOSE ISSUES IS WE HAVE LITERALLY BEEN IN GROWTH MODE SINCE I CAME HERE IN 1994. AND WE'VE BEEN BUILDING, BUILDING, BUILDING. WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH BUILDING ENOUGH AND TREATS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WATER, OUR SEWER. WELL, SOMEONE SAID IT EARLIER, THE STREETS GENERALLY HAVE A 20 YEAR LIFE, AND WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START SPENDING AS MUCH MONEY AS WE BUILT THEM WITH TO MAINTAIN THEM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAINTAIN THE REPUTATION THAT MCKINNEY IS A GREAT PLACE TO PUT YOUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. IF THE CEO IS GETTING BEAT TO DEATH, DRIVING FROM HIS OFFICE BACK TO HIS HOUSE. AND SO I THINK IT HAS TO BE A PRIORITY GOING INTO THE FUTURE. HOW WE FUND STREET MAINTENANCE, BECAUSE WE DID REACH OUT AND TAKE SOME MONEY FROM THE EDC AND CDC, AND WE NEED TO MANAGE THAT BETTER. BUT I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT ALL THE MONEY WE'RE SAVING WHEN THE IT DEPARTMENT GOES BACK TO LETTERS AND STAMPS, WE CAN USE THAT MONEY TO FIX OUR ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. I DON'T KNOW, I LOST TRACK OF WHAT THE PRICE OF A STAMP IS ANYMORE. I KNOW IT'S GONE UP CONSIDERABLY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO FULLY FUND A NEW STREET, CHARLIE, BUT I KNOW, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GETTING AT THERE IN TERMS OF HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT THE NUMBERS? YEAH, EXACTLY. I ALWAYS BOUGHT THE FOREVER STAMP. SO I, YOU KNOW, I BOUGHT THEM ONCE AND I KNOW THEY'RE COVERED THERE AS WELL. BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S CLEARLY AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT INTO YOUR INTO YOUR PLAN.BECAUSE I KNOW I'M NOT SAYING I HAVE AN ANSWER FOR IT. I'M JUST SAYING THAT THEY NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON GETTING ONE. YEP, YEP. GOTCHA. THOSE PRICES HAVE NOT GONE DOWN EITHER, ESPECIALLY THE PRICE OF ASPHALT. YEAH. AND IT'S SO MUCH MORE FUN TO SIT HERE IN THE IN MY POSITION IN GEORGIA'S POSITION TO POINT OUT EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO DO. EXACTLY. YOU KNOW. YEAH, HE HAD TO PASS THE TORCH AS THEY SAY. RIGHT. SO THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN, WHEN I ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THE WAY IT IS? I ALSO ASK THAT IF YOU HAD THAT MAGIC WAND AND YOU COULD CHANGE SOME THINGS. A COUPLE OF YOU SAID SOME THINGS, BUT YOU SAID, I DON'T WANT YOU TO REPEAT THEM. SO I DIDN'T PUT THEM ON YOUR BOARDS THERE. SO I'LL RESPECT THOSE THOSE COMMENTS. BUT THIS EFFORT ABOUT SUPPORTING YOUR FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS IN DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY, THAT WAS CERTAINLY ONE THAT THAT HAS COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF YOU. CERTAINLY THIS CONCEPT OF HOW DO YOU CONTINUE AS YOU'VE GROWN AND ALL THE SERVICES THAT COME, HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO LOOK DIFFERENT AND BE DIFFERENT THAN YOUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES? AND AS YOU SAY, TO BE UNIQUE BY NATURE HERE, AND BECAUSE AT SOME POINT ALL THOSE DEVELOPMENTS START TO LOOK VERY SIMILAR. I NOTICED THIS A LOT WHEN I'M LIKE IN CERTAIN METRO AREAS, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN ONE CITY VERSUS THE OTHER IS THE STREET SIGNS LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT THE DEVELOPMENTS ALL LOOK THE SAME. AND SO THIS CONCEPT OF, HEY, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE UNIQUE, HOW DO WE KEEP THAT? SO THAT THAT CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO RESPECT DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS. BUT IN THE SAME TOKEN, MAYBE YOUR STANDARDS LOOK DIFFERENT HERE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS TO MAKE IT LOOK UNIQUE TO YOU. AND THIS THIS EFFORT. AND THIS IS AN INTRIGUING CONCEPT AS WELL AS CONCEPT OF PUBLIC GOOD, THAT YOU DO A LOT OF THINGS FOR A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORT EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF INCOME, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC STATUS, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT YOU ALSO IN THE MIX, AS YOU BECOME A BIGGER CITY, YOU PROVIDE A LOT OF OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE DEPENDENT UPON INCOME AND DESIRES, AND YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FILL THE FILL THE, THE, THE BOAT, IF YOU WILL, FOR ALL THOSE THINGS. AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK AND FEEL LIKE DIFFERENTLY? AND THAT'S PART OF COMING AS A GROWTH. BECAUSE AS YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND WANTING CERTAIN SERVICES, HOW MUCH IS THAT AS PUBLIC SUPPORTED VERSUS PRIVATELY SUPPORTED? WHAT'S THAT FLOW OF DOLLARS AND THE PUBLIC GOOD COME BACK AND FORTH. SO THAT'S, THAT'S A THAT'S A GOOD PUBLIC
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POLICY QUESTION TO DEAL WITH. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A ONE RIGHT ANSWER, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY SOME STRUGGLES ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT FEEL DIFFERENT AND HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU ADVANCE YOUR PUBLIC POLICY AND YOUR PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES GOING FORWARD? THERE SOME OTHER ITEMS ABOUT CHANGING. I DON'T KNOW. THE SKYPE PIECE COULD PROBABLY OH, WE LOST OUR CLERK OR SECRETARY, SO I'LL APOLOGIZE. SOMEBODY CAN MOVE THAT THAT BOX OFF TO THE SIDE. BUT STARTING TO RECOGNIZING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN TO START THERE, THERE'S A RECOGNITION THAT YOU STILL NEED TO HELP ADVANCE THAT MISSING MIDDLE, THAT 80% MEDIAN INCOME TO GO FORWARD. AND PART OF THAT MAY BE A CHALLENGE OF YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON AND HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY DO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THAT ITEM? BUT I SUSPECT COMING OUT OF THIS SESSION TODAY, THAT THERE'LL BE SOME DESIRES TO DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY WITH REGARDS TO YOUR COMMUNITY, LAND TRUST AND THEN THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUE.HOW DO YOU HELP THOSE FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS? THERE WAS A SENSE THAT YOU'VE ADDED A LOT OF RENTAL PROPERTY, WHICH IS CERTAINLY BEEN AN IMPRESSION. MANY OF YOU SAID THAT IN COLLIN COUNTY THAT YOU PROBABLY ARE LEADING IN THAT FRONT. AND THAT'S THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENT FROM WHERE YOU WERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. BUT NOW THERE'S A SENSE OF, ALL RIGHT, WE NEED TO MOVE FROM RENTAL PROPERTIES TO, TO FOR SALE PROPERTIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY START TO BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND ACTUALLY BECOME HOMEOWNERS AND INVESTING THAT. AND NOBODY, AS I SAID, NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE YET. BUT WE'LL KIND OF TALK THROUGH SOME, MAYBE SOME STRATEGIES OF THAT TODAY AS WELL. IT'S ALWAYS JUST A BUTTON'S JUST A LITTLE SLOW. SORRY. OKAY. SO ALSO ON HOUSING, SOME CRITICISM. HOW DO YOU REDUCE THE CRITICISM OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAT ARE BEEN APPROVED? ONCE AGAIN, THIS CONCEPT OF MESSAGING, WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT THAT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE FOR YOU TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. AND THERE'S ALSO A SENSE OF WHERE THAT HOUSING IS LOCATED, THAT WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT IF WE'VE GOT EMPLOYERS AND FOLKS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE CARS, DO WE HAVE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN RESIDE, WHERE THEY CAN EASILY EITHER WALK OR HAVE AN EASY ACCESS TO THEIR THEIR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT VERSUS BEING AT THE OTHER END OF THE TOWN AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B. SO AS I SAY, THESE ARE HIGH LEVEL THINGS THAT WE'LL UNPACK AS WE GO INTO THE ACTUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING PIECE OF THE OF THE DISCUSSION. BUT HOUSING WAS CERTAINLY A COMPONENT THERE. AND AS YOU'VE GROWN THIS CONCEPT, HAVE YOU HAVE YOU CONTINUED TO KEEP YOUR NEIGHBORLY FOCUS? HAVE YOU CONTINUED TO BE SPECIAL ALONG THAT? AND THEN THIS CONCEPT OF SOME OF THE CRIMES AND THE HOMELESSNESS AND THE IMPACTS OF THAT, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE HERE. AND THEN IN PARTICULAR, A QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT THE 121 CORRIDOR TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, OFFICE AND CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT. AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT PIECES THAT ARE BRAND NEW, YOU'VE GOT PIECES THAT ARE OLDER AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MANAGE IT ALL TOGETHER, COLLECTIVELY. SO THOSE WERE HIGH LEVEL PIECES. ANY ANY REACTIONS THAT WE HAD TO SAY ANYBODY WANTED TO EXPAND ON ANYTHING BEFORE WE KIND OF TAKE THE PIECES AND START TO WORK INTO YOUR ACTUAL PLANS BEFORE WE DO THAT. YEAH. COMMENT, I THINK THAT GREAT. I'LL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD, MAYOR. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT. YEAH, YEAH. UNDERSTANDABLE. SO ANY ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE TAKE A BREAK ON TERMS OF THE KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL TO KIND OF SET THE TONE FOR DELVING INTO THE ACTUAL PLAN? OKAY, I CAPTURE YOUR THOUGHTS APPROPRIATELY. ALL RIGHT. I'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES. OKAY. WE'LL TAKE A BREAK. HOW LONG, MAYOR? WELL, SEVEN MINUTES. I'M GONNA START WITH A BLUE. BLUE. LET'S JUMP IN. YOU GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. GREAT. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE FIRST PART OF THIS WAS REALLY JUST SO THAT YOU COULD HEAR EACH OTHER, WHAT YOU'VE KIND OF SAID AT THE HIGH LEVEL AS WE TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT PHASE, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK AND REACTION AND COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHANGE OR ADJUST WITH REGARDS TO YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES, AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING NEW PRIORITIES SO AS FROM YEAR TO YEAR, YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN MORPHS AND CHANGES. YOU HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD SIX GOAL AREAS AND AS MENTIONED, ALL OF YOU WHEN I ASK ABOUT ARE THOSE AREAS STILL MAKE SENSE? ARE THERE ANY TWEAKS OR ADJUSTMENTS? EVERYBODY SAID THEY WERE GOOD TO GO WITH THAT, BUT YOU HAVE MADE ADJUSTMENTS FROM LAST YEAR INTO YOUR FY 24 STRATEGIC PLAN. YOU ORIGINALLY HAD 31 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT CHANGED TO 24. AND THEN, NOT SURPRISINGLY, ALL YOUR PRIORITIES HAVE KEY SUCCESS INDICATORS AND OBJECTIVES AND MARKETING AND STRATEGIES THAT YOUR STAFF HAVE DEVELOPED. SO THAT HAS ALSO SIMILARLY DROPPED FROM 205 TO 102. SO WE'RE USING
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THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN AS THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT IN TERMS OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT WERE ADOPTED BY YOU. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE SIX AREAS AND REVIEW WHAT THOSE GOALS ARE AND THOSE PRIORITIES. AND THEN I'M GOING TO REACT TO WHAT YOU'VE TOLD ME YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, PERHAPS CHANGING IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS.SO THIS IS MEANT TO BE PRETTY ENGAGING AND GET YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT THINGS MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENTLY GOING FORWARD. SO. PARTICULAR FIRST ONE AREA IS DIRECTION FOR STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. I'M NOT GOING TO READ EACH OF THESE GOALS. YOU CAN LOOK AT THEM. BUT WE TALKED ABOUT GLOBAL HOUSING. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RETAIL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR THIS LIVE WORK AND PLAY CONCEPT THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED EARLIER TODAY, TALKED ABOUT YOUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH YOUR MEDC AND YOUR SEDC, AND THEN ALSO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT AND ACCESS TO YOUR PROGRAM. SO HIGH LEVEL GOALS AND PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. WHEN I ASK EACH OF YOU ABOUT WHAT THINGS AND I'VE CATEGORIZED YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WAS PROGRESS THAT ACHIEVED LAST YEAR VERSUS THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN STALLED. AS FAR AS THE THINGS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED AS PROGRESS FESTIVALS, YOUR DOWNTOWN EAST OF HIGHWAY FIVE EXPANSION, DISCUSSION ABOUT YOUR FLOUR MILL POTENTIALLY BECOMING A HOTEL.
THIS WHOLE CORRIDOR, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE REINVESTMENT OF YOUR OF YOUR CITY ASSETS HERE, YOUR CONVERSION OF YOUR CITY OWNED FACILITIES DOWNTOWN, THE VENUE, SUNSET AMPHITHEATER, THE NEW CITY HALL, CANYON BEACH, SURF ASSISTANCE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND FINANCING. ALL OF THOSE WERE VIEWED AS ALL POSITIVES THAT CAME OUT OF YOUR PREVIOUS YEAR. AS WELL. THE PROGRESS, ROAD DEVELOPMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS, A VARIETY OF IMPROVEMENTS ON RENTAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXPANSIONS, THE HUB 121, THE AIRPORT, ALL THOSE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE LED TO MCKINNEY CONTINUING TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE AND THAT THERE STILL IS A LOT OF WORK ON PROJECTS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING. YET IN TERMS OF ANYTHING THAT WAS STALLED COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, HOW DO WE HOW DO WE MOVE THAT FROM SIMPLY ESTABLISHING IT TO ACTUALLY LEVERAGING THOSE RESOURCES AND RECOGNITION OF MAYBE A MILLION ISN'T THE RIGHT NUMBER, BUT HOW DO WE HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE FIRST TIME? HOME BUYER OPPORTUNITIES HERE? AND ALSO THIS CONCEPT OF IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE ANNEXATION IN THE ETJ TO ALLOW PROPERTY TO COME INTO THE CITY? AND I KNOW THAT'S THAT'S A BIT OF A DYNAMIC WITH REGARDS TO WHAT THAT THOSE POTENTIAL DEALS LOOK LIKE, BUT ALSO THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE TO LIMIT DIRECT ANNEXATION ISSUES AND MAKING THAT A BIT MORE, A BIT MORE OF A HURDLE FOR CITIES TO OVERCOME HERE IN TEXAS. WELL, THERE ARE AREAS INSTALLED CONCEPT. AS ALTHOUGH THE BYPASS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, THE ROUTES, THE POSSIBILITY THAT POTENTIALLY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AN OVERPASS TO ALLOW LIMITED ACCESS CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND POST COVID IMPACT. AND THIS CONCEPT THAT ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF YOUR PROJECTS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY, THAT THERE'S STILL SOME ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH PRIVATE FINANCING AND ISSUES TO HELP THEM TO GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, TO ACTUALLY GETTING INTO GROUNDBREAKING AND GETTING THEM ACTUALLY INTO A COMPLETION. FOES, OR AT LEAST UNDER CONSTRUCTION VERSUS THE ANNOUNCEMENT WINDOW THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO PLAY. SO THEN WITHIN THIS CATEGORY, I ASK A NUMBER OF FOLKS ABOUT OR ASK YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO DIFFERENTLY AND WHAT YOU WANTED TO ADVANCE FOR CONVERSATIONS. SO THESE ARE PIECES THAT WE I HAD HEARD FROM YOU, AND THIS IS THE POINT WHERE I NEED TO HAVE YOU KIND OF AMPLIFY THOSE ISSUES SO THAT THE STAFF AND US UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. BUT LET'S START WITH THE FIRST ONE. THIS EXPANDED COMMUNITY LAND TRUST UTILIZATION TO ASSIST FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS. AS I SAID, A NUMBER OF YOU RAISED THIS AS A CONCERN THAT YOU WANTED TO KIND OF MOVE IT FROM THIS SIMPLE ESTABLISHMENT TO ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN THAT REGARD. OH GO AHEAD YOU GO MICHAEL. YEAH. NO I YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, USING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO ASSIST, YOU KNOW, FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER. YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING WITH DOCTOR FELTUS ABOUT IT, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE RETAIN AND RECRUIT, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, POLICE AND FIRE, YOU KNOW, ONE THOUGHT AND THIS IS COMING FROM A, YOU KNOW, A BANKING MIND IS THAT YOU COULD UTILIZE THIS LAND TRUST TO, YOU KNOW, TO HELP ASSIST WITH, WITH KEEPING POLICE AND FIRE, YOU KNOW, MEN AND WOMEN TO WORK, LIVE AND PLAY HERE IN MCKINNEY SO YOU CAN BUILD THESE HOMES SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES. AND WHAT YOU DO IS YOU YOU BUY YOU BUILD THE HOME ON THE TRUST. YOU KNOW, THEY OBVIOUSLY GET A BANK LOAN TO, TO FINANCE THE
[01:50:05]
HOME. AND THEN THE CITY COULD DO A SECOND LIEN BEHIND IT FOR WHATEVER THAT AMOUNT IS, CALL IT, YOU KNOW, $20,000, IT COULD BE MORE OR HIGHER. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT LOAN IS FORGIVEN IF THE, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICER STAYS A NUMBER OF YEARS, MAYBE CALL IT TEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU GIVE TEN YEARS OF SERVICE AND WE TAKE OFF THAT SECOND LIEN. BUT IF THEY LEAVE THE CITY WITHIN THAT TIME AND THEY SELL, OBVIOUSLY THAT LIEN GETS PAID WITH THE SALE OF THE HOME AND WE CAN PROVIDE IT FOR THE NEXT PERSON. BUT IT'S JUST AN IDEA TO, YOU KNOW, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, RECRUIT MORE PEOPLE INTO THE CITY TO WORK HERE. IT'S NOW YOU COULD HAVE YOU KNOW, THAT'S USUALLY THE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POLICE AND FIRE AND EVEN TEACHERS FOR THAT ASPECT IS LIKE, WE WORK HERE, BUT WE DON'T WE CAN'T LIVE HERE. RIGHT. AND SO IT GIVES A GREAT BENEFIT OF, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I KNOW A LOT OF OTHER CITIES ARE NOT DOING THAT WE COULD OFFER TO KIND OF RETAIN AND HIRE NEW POLICE AND FIRE, YOU KNOW. IF I MAY, AT LEAST WITH THE POLICE. AND I'VE SEEN THIS GENERALLY ACROSS NORTH TEXAS AND ALL THE COUNTIES I'VE WORKED IN ACROSS TEXAS, IS THAT THE POLICE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THEY PROTECT BECAUSE THEY HAVE FAMILIES, AND THEY WANT TO GO OUT AND SIT DOWN WITH THEIR WIFE AND HAVE A BEER AT NIGHT. AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED BY EVERYBODY IN THE RESTAURANT AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THE PUBLIC THAT THEY'RE CHARGED WITH PROTECTING. AS FAR AS FIRE AND OTHER AREAS TO GET YOUNG PROFESSIONALS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT THAT WOULD BE ONE THING WORKING AGAINST YOU WITH POLICE, BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY PREFER TO LIVE IN ANOTHER TOWN. THE CHALLENGE I'M SEEING THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE SEEDED IT WITH THE MILLION DOLLARS IS WHERE DO WE GET THE EXTRA FUNDING? AND I THINK THAT ANSWER IS NOW BEFORE US. THE MHA TOOK ON A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS IN THE LAST NUMBER OF MONTHS WITH THE MCKINNEY GREEN THAT I CALL IT BY THE, YOU KNOW, ON EL DORADO, NEAR STICKS ICE HOUSE WITH THE CANARD APARTMENTS WITH THE TWO UP ON 380. AND I THINK THE MHA IS COMING INTO MONEY. AND WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS THE MHA GUIDE, THAT MONEY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THAT WOULD OTHERWISE, IN MANY CASES, GO TO PROPERTY TAXES INTO THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO HELP FUND IT. I AM AGNOSTIC AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE TRY TO GET SOME PARCEL OF LAND, OR TRY TO PICK UP OPPORTUNITIES OF INFILL VACANT LOTS THAT CAN BE BUILT ON. MY DRUTHERS, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE THE LATTER BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE MEANINGFUL MHA MONEY GOING INTO IT. AND I ALSO GET THE SENSE THAT WITH THE CLT, THE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE 80% OR BELOW, AM I? AND MAYBE I'M WRONG ON THAT. I'D LOVE STAFF TO CORRECT ME IF I AM, BUT BUT THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD BE HELPING TO BECOME FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS. I'M JUST I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE SUSTAINING SUSTAINABLE FUNDING. ANY ANY PROGRAM WE DECIDE UPON IS GOING TO BE DEPENDENT UPON FUNDING, OR WE'RE LOOKING AT A AN EFFORT THAT WILL LAST A YEAR AND THAT'S IT. BUT DON'T YOU GET THE SENSE THAT WITH THE PARTNERSHIPS, THE MHA SCOTT, THAT IS AN ANNUITY.AND I GUESS I DIDN'T ARTICULATE THAT. THANK YOU. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS UNDERSTOOD. I DON'T WANT THAT MHA FUNDING GOING INTO A BUNCH OF FOUR STORY 80% 50, YOU KNOW, OF THESE APARTMENT BUILDINGS. I WANT IT TO BE HAVE A BIAS TOWARD THE LAND TRUST UNLESS THE FACTS ON THE GROUND SHOW US THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED SOMETHING LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING. BUT I'D LIKE TO AVOID WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING. BUILDING? IN THE FUTURE, I'M GOING TO THROW ANOTHER WORD OF CAUTION OUT THERE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S A LAWSUIT PENDING BETWEEN THE PLANO HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY OF PLANO, BECAUSE YOU GET A LOT OF MONEY INVOLVED IN THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS. ON THE DEVELOPER SIDE, THERE'S TAX INCENTIVES FOR THEM. THERE ARE HUGE TAX INCENTIVES FOR THE FINANCIERS AND FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF THE MONEY. AND SO BE CAREFUL.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN PLANO AND DON'T GET OURSELVES INTO THAT POSITION WHERE YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE SUING YOUR LEFT ARM, SUING YOUR RIGHT ARM. JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS. ONE, THE PLANO AND LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS TO DO WITH WITH THE REASON MHA KEPT COMING TO US FOR APPROVAL OF THOSE THINGS. PLANO HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS NOT DOING THAT. AND SO THEY WEREN'T ON THE SAME PAGE ON TRANSFERRING THAT. I DO THINK THAT LOOKING TO THE MHA WITH A
[01:55:02]
SET OF GOALS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR RECEIPTS, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO START RECEIVING, WHETHER THAT BE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A HOUSING FIRST VOUCHER TYPE THING TO HELP WITH HOMELESSNESS OR IF IT IS AN ALLOCATION TO THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. I THINK THAT EITHER WOULD BE VALUABLE. BUT WE NEED TO LINE OUT HOUSING GOALS THAT WE ALL AGREE ON AND THEN DIVVY UP WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPMENT IS A LOT EASIER WITH FUNDING. THE THING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS YOU YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED AN ONGOING SUBSIDY. YOU NEED A SUBSIDY OF A PROJECT BECAUSE IT IS JUST THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND, NOT NECESSARILY SUBSIDIZING ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AND SO IT IS THE FACT WHERE IF YOU DO FIND INFILL PROPERTIES, LIKE THE CITY OWNS SEVERAL PROPERTIES, THAT MAY NOT BE NECESSARY TO HAVE ANYMORE. I'VE POINTED OUT TO PAUL, ONE NEXT TO FITZHUGH PARK THAT WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING OUR PUBLIC WORKS, AND THAT 1ST MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED IN OUR OUR THING THAT YOU COULD GET SOME VALUE OUT OF BY USING IN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST WITHOUT ANY ALLOCATION OF FUNDING OR WITHOUT ANY, ANY SUBSIDY BEYOND JUST THE LAND THAT EXISTS.BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ULTIMATELY PROVIDES SAVINGS ON IS THE LAND THAT THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST COULD AFFORD US OF THE ABILITY TO, TO BRING ABOUT PROJECTS THAT THE MARKET'S NOT BRINGING ABOUT. SO IF WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT SOME DENSITY OR IF THE MARKET IS WILLING TO ACCEPT SOME DENSITY IN WHAT THEY WANT TO PURCHASE OR SIZE THAT THE MARKET ISN'T PRODUCING. SO IF THERE ARE 1500 SQUARE FOOT TOWNHOMES, IF WE CONTRIBUTE LAND AND A MARKET DEVELOPER COMES OR A DEVELOPER COMES AND IS ABLE TO BUILD THAT PRODUCT, THEN ULTIMATELY WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPLY A MARKET WITH PRODUCT THAT THE PRIVATE MARKET ISN'T PRODUCING. AND SO YOU GET THAT AFFORDABILITY THROUGH DENSITY, THROUGH LAND CONTRIBUTIONS, THROUGH A SMALLER SIZE. AND IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT ON ON THE INFILL TYPE PROJECTS OR THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT WE'VE GOT AVAILABILITY OF LAND FOR, I THINK THAT DOES PRODUCE A DIFFERENT AVAILABILITY FOR A YOUNG FAMILY, AVAILABILITY FOR, FOR TEACHERS OR OTHER. I MEAN, ANYBODY AT THAT POINT, ANYBODY WHO'S WORKING IN OUR ECONOMY.
BUT I SO I DON'T AGREE WITH I MEAN, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, PATRICK, THAT THE MHA CAN CAN BE A CONTRIBUTOR OF FUNDS TO THAT. BUT I ULTIMATELY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS IS PROOF OF CONCEPT WITH SOME OF THE LAND THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH SOME OF THE PROCESSES, SO THAT WE SHOW THIS IS DONE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT NECESSARILY TAKES AN ALLOCATION OF A LOT OF MONEY. I THINK IT JUST TAKES A DEDICATION OF EFFORT. AND. THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE SO. WELL, BUT I'LL JUST PUSH. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT I'LL JUST PUSH BACK ON THIS REGARD. THE MHA IS COMING INTO AN ANNUITY OF MONEY NOW. YEAH.
AND SO WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE IS A UNCONSCIOUS BIAS MOMENTUM OF CONTINUING TO BUILD THE TYPE OF PRODUCTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I'D LIKE TO SEE A SHIFT IN THAT TO FUNDING TO COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. I HAVE NO OBJECTION AT ALL TO WHAT YOU SAID. TALKING ABOUT SOME KIND OF VOUCHER PROGRAM TO IF THAT WOULD HELP MITIGATE SOME HOMELESSNESS. I THINK THE I THINK THE BRINGING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS MORE ABOUT PERSONNEL TO DO THAT, WHICH THE MHA COULD CERTAINLY HIRE SOMEONE TO DO IT, AND THAT NOT LAY ON THE CITY STAFF AND RESOURCES. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY I MEAN, I THINK THAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES EXIST IN LAND RESOURCES WE HAVE TODAY, AND NOT NECESSARILY GOING OUT AND USING MONEY TO GO BUY MORE LAND RESOURCES. IT'S MORE ABOUT THE PERSONNEL ALLOCATION THAT WE NEED. AND IF THAT COMES FROM MHA OR COMES FROM THE CITY, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WHERE THERE'S VALUE. I'D LOVE FOR THAT TO COME FROM. YEARS. SO SORRY. ALL GREAT POINTS. TOTALLY AGREE. IF WE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD SOME TRANSPARENCY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS AS WELL WHAT WE'RE DOING. BUT WHAT ARE THE ALLOCATIONS TO MHA? WHAT HOW MUCH ARE WE EARMARKING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CLT? AND I DO AGREE WITH JUSTIN. IF WE HAVE LAND THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, WHAT ARE THE PARCELS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING IN TERMS OF DEDICATING THAT TO THE CLT? DO WE HAVE A STRUCTURE WHERE WE ALSO LOOK AT PURCHASING OTHER PROPERTIES? WE HAVE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DO THAT. THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES THAT, MDC DOES THAT. SO ARE WE LOOKING AT
[02:00:01]
AVAILABLE PROPERTIES AND WHAT ARE THOSE GOING FOR. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER THEY'RE ON THE MARKET, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THEY ARE GOING TO BE TO PURCHASE LATER. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO REALLY HAVE A GOOD STRATEGY TO CONSIDER BOTH WHAT WE OWN ALREADY AND THEN WHAT IS AVAILABLE, AND WOULD BE A GREAT, YOU KNOW, SOURCE TO, TO USE FOR THIS PROJECT. SO WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, THIS IS ALL GREAT, CERTAINLY GREAT DISCUSSION, BUT I THINK THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO STAY MORE AT 10,000FT, AS WE KIND OF TALKED IN THE BEGINNING AND REALLY SETTING STRATEGIC GOALS. SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE I WON'T BE HERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, JUSTIN, YOU ARE TREMENDOUSLY, YOU KNOW, POISED TO AND JUST WITH THE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE AND HISTORICAL INVOLVEMENT TO, YOU KNOW, TO LEAD A COMMITTEE, I WOULD SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, IF ON A MORE STRATEGIC LEVEL, 10,000FT THIS COUNCIL CONSIDERS A COMMITTEE OF A COUPLE MEMBERS TO REALLY, REALLY DIVE IN. AND TO YOUR POINT, BEFORE YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED IS WHAT WE NEED IS DIVING IN DUE DILIGENCE AND THE EXECUTION OF SOMETHING. AND SO I WOULD THINK FROM A MORE 10,000 FOOT VIEW VERSUS KIND OF DEBATING THE SPECIFICS TODAY, FORM A FORM A COMMITTEE, AND I WOULD SUGGEST YOU BE THE ONE THAT TAKES THE LEAD ON THAT. AND, AND MAYBE, MAYBE DRE AND MICHAEL OR WHOEVER YOU ALL DECIDE, BUT FORM A COMMITTEE AND START REALLY DIVING INTO THE DETAIL AND, AND COME UP WITH THAT PLAN TO PRESENT. I THINK TODAY WE SHOULD PROBABLY STAY AT 10,000FT AND KIND OF IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE GOALS ARE AND, AND HAVE THAT THIS, THIS MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, AT A DEEPER DATE. WHAT I, WHAT I THINK I HEARING YOU ALL SAY IS THERE'S A RECOGNITION THAT YOU'VE STARTED, YOU'VE DONE SOME WORK, YOU'RE NOT SURE YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT YOU WANT TO TAKE A HIGH LEVEL FOCUS OF, ALL RIGHT, WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO FROM HERE? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE PICK UP THE PIECES AND THEN THEY CAN BREAK OFF INTO THE VARIOUS PIECES AND POTENTIAL SUB PROGRAMS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. YOU SAY THAT A FAIR, FAIR STATEMENT. YOU DON'T WANT TO VIOLATE GEORGIA'S NEWLY MADE RULE AT 10,000FT. BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT TO JUSTIN'S COMMENT ABOUT WHAT PLANO HOUSING IS DOING, WHAT AN IMAGE IS NOT DOING. JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN THEY WERE MAKING THE PRESENTATION TO US, THEY SAID, WE CAN DO THIS WITH OR WITHOUT YOU. AND SO DON'T THINK IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE. BUT JUST A WORD OF WARNING, I'LL SAY. I DIDN'T SAY THAT. OUR STAFF SAID THAT THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT WITH OR WITHOUT US. BUT BUT THEY THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT WITHOUT US. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A VERY COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. AND ULTIMATELY WE APPOINT THE BOARD TO MSA SO WE CAN GIVE SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT THOSE COLLABORATIVE GOALS CAN BE IN GEORGIA. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. WE HAVE HAD A WE CALL IT THE FRONT PORCH COMMITTEE THAT HAS A BUNCH OF HOUSING ADVOCATES IN IT THAT THAT IS KIND OF CDC AND SOME OF THE FUNDING SOURCES.AND I DO THINK THAT THAT THERE ARE SOME PROPOSALS IN THERE THAT WE CAN BRING ABOUT, BUT IT IS ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO GET, I THINK, IN TERMS OF GOALS IN THE 10,000FT ON THIS, WE WANT TO GET UNITS ON THE GROUND AND WE WANT TO GET THOSE. AND SO THIS COUNCIL SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SEE TEN UNITS OR SOMETHING DEVELOPED IN A YEAR OR, OR, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST PUSHING IN THAT DIRECTION. THEN WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO EXECUTE ON THAT, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH STAFF COMMITTEE OR, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. SO, MR. MAYOR, I'LL LAYER ONE THING IN THERE THAT COMES FROM A FORTUITOUS TIMING PERSPECTIVE. EVERY FIVE YEARS, THE CITY HAS TO UPDATE OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN. THAT IS THE PLAN THAT GOES TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IT'S KIND OF HOW WE GET ALL OF OUR MONEY THIS YEAR. MARGARET, OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND THE BEST THERE WILL BE WORKING ON AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY AS PART OF THAT. AND YOU ALL MENTIONED THAT WE'VE MADE PROGRESS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE HAVE ONE OF THE MISSING PIECES RIGHT NOW IS KIND OF LIKE A WRITTEN STRATEGY, A WRITTEN STRATEGY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING GOING INTO IT. HOW MANY UNITS ON THE GROUND WHERE OUR PRIORITIES ARE. AND WE REALLY WANT TO USE THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN PROCESS TO END THE ALL OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AND THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO LAY THAT OUT THIS YEAR. THAT'S ONE OF THEIR NUMBER ONE GOALS. SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF A COMMITTEE THAT CAN HELP DRIVE THAT, NOT JUST FOR THE CLT, BUT OUR WHOLE HOUSING STRATEGY. I THINK YOU SHOULD DELAY YOUR DEPARTURE. YOU SHOULD. SO YOU WOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS WOULD BE FANTASTIC. SECOND, YES. LET'S ALL AGREE ON THAT. YES. OKAY, MARK, I GUESS YOU'RE STICKING AROUND, RIGHT? HAS YOUR FIRM DEVELOPED DOCUMENTATION ON SIMILAR PROJECTS AND SIMILAR GOALS FOR OTHER CITIES? SO I
[02:05:06]
DON'T BELIEVE SO. CHARLIE, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THESE ISSUES IN OUR OTHER CITIES, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, BORROW FROM SOME OF THOSE AND SEE. SO. WHAT I HEAR YOU SAY AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, IS THAT THIS IS PROBABLY A NEW PRIORITY THEN TO ESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE WORDSMITHING. I DON'T WANT TO WASTE EVERYBODY'S TIME WITH WORDSMITHING, BUT THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE COMMITTEE FOCUS AND STRUCTURE TO OUTLINE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, OUTCOMES THAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF THROWING A LOT OF STUFF AGAINST THE WALL AND LET THAT COMMITTEE WORK IN CONCERT WITH YOUR STAFF AND EVERYONE ELSE. KIND OF PULL PULL IT TOGETHER. MAKE SENSE? OH, YEAH. YEAH. YEP, YEP. OKAY, GOOD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S TALK ABOUT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS IN DOWNTOWN. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN IN EFFECT.IT'S NOT VERY WELL ACCESSED OR UTILIZED AT THIS POINT. BUT I KNOW A NUMBER OF YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT DOWNTOWN. SO LET'S FIGURE OUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALK AS A PRIORITY. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NOT. ACCESSED OR EASILY ACCESS TO UTILIZE, I THINK AT LEAST IN MY PERCEPTION, WE WANT TO JUST TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE STEP IN, NOT INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR A BUILDING OWNER TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE THEY ARE CHANGING THE USE OR HAVING TO BRING SOMETHING UP TO CODE, JUST TAKING A MORE PROACTIVE USE AND US GOING OUT TO THAT COMMUNITY AND GENERATE A PLAN THAT THAT PUTS IN PLACE SUPPRESSION THAT PROTECTS OUR DOWNTOWN. OKAY. I CAN CHIME IN A LITTLE BIT ON WHERE WE STAND ON THIS. WE'VE HAD A WORK SESSION ITEM IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY, AND WE'VE HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING NOW TO TALK TO OUR DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS AND SHOP OWNERS. SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH SOME FIRE SUPPRESSION CONSULTANTS TO DRAFT A SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR THEM. AND THE PLAN WAS TO GO AND IDENTIFY, I THINK WE HAVE NINE BLOCKS, TEN BLOCKS THAT WE WANT TO IDENTIFY AS KIND OF OUR FIRST PRIORITY FOR THIS. AND THEY WERE GOING ONCE WE HAVE A FIRM ON, ON BOARD TO CONDUCT THIS STUDY, WE WANT THEM TO LOOK AT EACH BLOCK AND THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES ABOUT THE CURRENT FIRE SUPPRESSION AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROVIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION FOR THE ENTIRE BLOCK. WE'LL HAVE THEM COME UP WITH SOME OPTIONS FOR EACH OF THE BLOCKS, AND THEN WE WOULD FIND A FIRST BLOCK THAT WE WOULD USE AS OUR. BETA TEST, AND IT WOULD BE A BLOCK THAT HAS PROPERTY OWNERSHIP THAT'S FRIENDLY TO THE PROGRAM AND EXCITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR MAIN CHALLENGES, IS GETTING AN ENTIRE BLOCK TO SAY, YES, WE'RE IN, LET'S DO THIS. AND THEN WE WOULD USE TERS DOLLARS TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRE SUPPRESSION FOR THAT ONE BLOCK.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE ONE, HOPEFULLY THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS ON OTHER BLOCKS WOULD CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL. BUT AT THAT TIME WE WOULD ALREADY HAVE THE PLANS IN PLACE.
AND THEN WE COULD SYSTEMATICALLY GO BLOCK BY BLOCK USING TERS DOLLARS TO HELP FUND THE IMPROVEMENTS. SOME OF THE ISSUES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS JOINT USE. RISER ROOMS AND EASEMENTS ACROSS THE BUILDING TO GET THE STANDPIPES THROUGH, AND THEN WORKING WITH EACH OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS INITIALLY. THE OTHER THING WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON ARE THE SHOP OWNERS AND OFFICE OWNERS, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE DISRUPTING THEIR SALES AND THEIR OFFICES TO DO THIS. SO WE HAVE SOME GOOD PARTNERS DOWNTOWN THAT ARE GOING TO WORK WITH US, AND WE JUST HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT BLOCK TO GET IT DONE ONE TIME. AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT WILL SHOW THAT WE CAN DO THAT ON A REPEATED BASIS, AND THAT AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS AND A NUMBER OF DOLLARS, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO FULLY COVER. DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY. IF YOU RECALL, DURING THE WORK SESSION, YOU GAVE US BROAD PARAMETERS TO SORT OF PURSUE SORT OF THE FRAMEWORK TERS PAY AND BASICALLY ALL OF THE COSTS OF THE WATER FIRE FLOW TO GO TO THE BUILDING RISERS, WE CALL IT, AND THEN A SUBSTANTIAL SUBSIDY GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR THE ACTUAL SPRINKLER SYSTEMS WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL SPACES. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT STILL HAS TO BE DONE AT VERY ALLUDED TO GET IT PULLED TOGETHER. BUT YOU GAVE US THAT BROAD FRAMEWORK OF HERE'S WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO GO AS A COMMUNITY, AND HERE'S A GENERAL FUNDING SOURCE WE CAN USE. SO YOU JUST GOT TO MOVE IT INTO.
YEAH, VERY SHORTLY WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL WITH THAT SCOPE OF WORK AND ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR THE STUDY, WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE DESIGN OF THE FIRE SYSTEMS, NOT JUST A
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NEBULOUS, HEY, WE'RE DOING A STUDY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE MIGHT DO. THIS WOULD BE A DESIGN BLOCK BY BLOCK, THAT THEN WE COULD WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND GO FORWARD AND, AND FUND THE HEAVY LIFT OF THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES AND THE RISER ROOF AND THEN GET THAT BUILT SO WE COULD START WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT. THIS IS ONE OF MINE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MY SIDE OF THE TABLE UNDERSTANDS, AND YOU ALL SIDE OF THE TABLE HELPS COMMUNICATE THIS TO US, THAT WHEN AS A BOARD, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, ON FRENCH DRAINS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT OUGHT NOT BE OUR PRIORITY IF WE VALUE THIS FIRE SUPPRESSION. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME HEAVY LIFTS COMING WITH TOURS, ONE WITH THE VENUE, WITH M2 AND WITH PROBABLY THE FLOUR MILL, AT LEAST ON AN ASK. BUT THIS REALLY OUGHT TO BE A PRIORITY OVER SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT PERHAPS WE CURRENTLY DO. SO THE TOURS PRIORITY OUGHT TO BE REEVALUATED TO REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE PEOPLE PUT ON THIS. I PUT HUGE IMPORTANCE ON THIS. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO CHIME IN ON THAT. AND, MARY, I THINK WE ALSO LOOKED AT A DOWNTOWN PIT AS A POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCE AS WELL, WHICH OF COURSE TAKES SOME PARTICIPATION FROM THE OWNERS. IT DOES AND I, I, I'M RELUCTANT TO WAIT ON THAT, AT LEAST AS WE DO. WHAT BARRY SAID IS THE ONE BLOCK BETA TEST IN MY OPTIMISTIC, PERFECT WORLD IS THAT'S THE BLOCK JUST NORTH OF THE COURTHOUSE, WHICH HAS NO FIRE SUPPRESSION, BASICALLY. SO YEAH. AND FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, ARE WE ARE WE JUST TALKING ABOUT EXISTING STRUCTURES AS IT IS RIGHT NOW AND THAT THERE IS THERE A POLICY FOR FUTURE, LIKE, WHAT IF ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS COMES DOWN AND THEY RECONSTRUCT A NEW ONE, AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING THE MOST UPDATED AND NEWEST TECHNOLOGY IN THERE. BUT IS THAT NEW DEVELOPER ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT AT THAT POINT, OR ARE WE JUST SAYING THIS IS FOR THE OLD STRUCTURES OF DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY? AND IF A NEW STRUCTURE IS THERE, THE FIRE SUPPRESSION IS JUST REGULAR DEVELOPMENT CODE. AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO INCENTIVE FOR YOU TO DO THAT. SO I WOULD NEW DEVELOPMENT ANYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY, IF IT'S GREATER THAN, I BELIEVE, 6000FTā !S, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PUT IN THEIR FIRE SUPPRESSION. AND THAT'S EVERY BUILDING CITYWIDE. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS CATCH UP ON THOSE BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT PRE FIRE CODE THAT THAT DON'T HAVE THE PROTECTION. SO THAT. YEAH. AND THEY'RE GRANDFATHERED.AND UNLESS THE EXISTING BUILDING GETS RENOVATED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. SO MAYBE YOU TOOK AN OFFICE AND TURNED IT INTO A RESTAURANT OR A MASONIC LODGE AND TURN IT INTO A RESTAURANT.
THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRE CODE AND THE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM. SO WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING WITH THIS ISSUE IS THE EXISTING UNPROTECTED BUILDINGS, RATHER THAN A CATASTROPHIC EVENT. THEY'D STILL BE IN. THE TOURS COULD STILL REQUEST FUNDING FOR A NEW BUILDING, WHICH YOU'D HAVE TO CONSIDER YOUR BOARD. ARE YOU SAYING IF ONE OF OUR DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS IS TOTALLY DEMOLISHED BY HURRICANE TORNADO WHEN THEY REBUILT IT, THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO REBUILD IT TO OUR CURRENT FIRE CODE? THEY WOULD. YEAH. I BELIEVE IF THEY'RE DAMAGED BEYOND 50% OF THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING, THE NEW CODES KICK IN. YEAH. MY QUESTION WAS WASN'T ABOUT THE WE KNEW IT HAD TO BE IN THE CODE. BUT IS THAT GRANT STILL ELIGIBLE FOR THAT NEW BUILD. YOU KNOW THAT'S YEAH. THIS PROGRAM IS NOT SPECIFIC TO DOWNTOWN. YES. THIS IS SPECIFIC TO DOWNTOWN WITHIN THE TOURS. AND IT'S SPECIFIC TO THOSE BLOCKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY IN THE SCOPE. AND BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP SOMEONE WHO'S BUILDING A PROJECT OUTSIDE OF THAT AREA TO REQUEST THE FUNDING FROM THE TOURS. THAT WOULD BE THE TOURS BOARD DISCRETION AT THAT POINT. YEAH, IT THIS KIND OF. GERMANE TO WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING NOW, BUT I THINK IT LAPS OVER TO A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT. I THINK A LARGE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE AS A COUNCIL IS EDUCATING THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. I MADE REFERENCE TO US NOT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT BEFORE WE PUT THE AIRPORT FUNDING ON THE BALLOT AND GETTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC EDUCATED AS TO THE BENEFITS OF THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE ME, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I THOUGHT EVERYBODY IN WEST MCKINNEY IS GOING TO APPROVE THIS BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. AND IT TURNS OUT THAT SOMEONE ELSE DID A BETTER CAMPAIGN THAN WE DID AND WINDS
[02:15:05]
UP WE LOST IT. BUT IT GOES BACK TO COMMUNICATING WHAT WE DID OR ARE DOING TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT IS OUT THERE, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. BUT I'VE YET TO SEE, EXCEPT ON TWO OCCASIONS. OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HERE AT OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND WE HAVE TO HOPE THAT SHE'LL SITTING OVER THERE IS WRITING THINGS THE WAY WE WOULD LIKE THEM PRESENTED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BECAUSE SHE DOES MORE OF OUR PR WORK THAN ANYBODY WITHIN THE STAFF. AND I THINK WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT AND FIND A METHOD OF GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. I HAVE TO PUSH BACK A LITTLE ON THAT. WE HAVE AN AWARD WINNING COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK THEY DO A GOOD JOB ON A NUMBER OF THINGS. I DO AGREE WITH YOU. WE NEED MORE VISIBILITY. COVID REALLY CHANGED A LOT OF HOW WE COMMUNICATE, BECAUSE SUDDENLY PEOPLE WERE TAKEN OUT OF ONE ON ONE SITUATIONS OR TOWN HALLS OR WHATEVER, AND EVERYTHING NOW IS ONLINE. AND I THINK PEOPLE SEEK THEIR NEWS FROM ONLINE. AND SO JUST HAVING THE VISIBILITY, ADAPTING TO DIFFERENT STYLES OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE A PRIORITY. THE AIRPORT BOND WAS VERY SPECIFICALLY AN EYE OPENER FOR US. I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WAS MAYBE A LACK OF ADEQUATE ENGAGEMENT, OR THE TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE FELT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THAT THING OVER THE HURDLE. IT WASN'T. SO WE WENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, AND WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITHIN COUNCIL, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WAYS TO ENGAGE IN BETTER, A BETTER PR STRATEGY JUST TO GET INFORMATION OUT IN A WAY THAT IS EFFECTIVE. SO THAT THAT STILL KIND OF TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT BEFORE. BUT COMMUNICATION IS ALWAYS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADAPT, ADAPT TO OVER TIME TO TRY TO FIND THE BEST WAYS TO REACH THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. OKAY. YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH YOU GARY. BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY ON THE AIRPORT BOND, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO ALSO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT PEOPLE DID UNDERSTAND AND THEY JUST DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO DEBT, MILLION DOLLARS FOR WHICH THE CITY WAS GOING TO IMPOSE A TAX. AND SO WE RESPONDED TO THAT ANSWER FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND OF COURSE, EVERY ACTION WE'VE TAKEN SINCE THEN DOES NOT REQUIRE ISSUANCE OF PROPERTY TAX BACK, GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT. SO BUT I AGREE, WE HAVE A GREAT COMMUNICATION STAFF AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT BETTER. AND I THINK IF WE KEPT DOING THINGS LIKE WE DID IN THE PAST, WE'D STILL BE MAKING WHEELS OUT OF STONE AND WE CAN LOOK AT DOING IT BETTER. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE AN ASSET TO THE FUTURE COUNCILS TO HAVE BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD. THE SAME WAY YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO HAVE LIFE BETTER THAN YOU HAD IT. I'M SURE THE AIRPORT MIGHT COME BACK UP TODAY, BUT WE WERE ON FIRE SUPPRESSION. WE HAD. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT THERE. WE WENT FROM THERE TO COMMUNICATION. SO I THINK I THINK WHAT I WAS HEARING YOU SAY, MICHAEL, IS THE COMMUNICATE HOW TO COMMUNICATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING ON FIRE SUPPRESSION. YEAH. AND I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE 10,000 FOOT, AND I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY WANT TO RAISE IT TO 30,000FT BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE OUR DULY NOTED. YEAH. OKAY. BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS THE PROJECTS. OKAY. I THINK I'VE GOT CLARITY ON ON PROGRAM. WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL LOOK AT YOUR GOALS. BUT I THINK I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PRIORITIES THAT I'M HEARING. YOU SAY YOU WANT TO ADVANCE ON THIS ONE AS WELL. THE NEXT SEVERAL BULLETS ARE REALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS. YOU DO HAVE SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN YOUR CURRENT GOALS, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THERE THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT MIGHT LOOK OR CHANGE ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES? DIVERSIFICATION OF TAX BASE, YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK, ANNEXATION ISSUES AND OBVIOUSLY SOME SPECIFIC PROJECTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ALL KIND OF RAISED AS PRIORITIES IN YOUR MIND. SO I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE ATTENTION YOU WANTED ON THEM. YEAH. NO, I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS MYSELF, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WOULD, YOU KNOW, EXPAND ON THE MARRIOTT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, AS IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED TODAY, YOU KNOW, ALLEN IS BUILDING A CONVENTION CENTER RIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FROM US. THAT WAS, IN MY OPINION, THAT WAS MUCH NEEDED.SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT YEARS AGO. I WAS ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD. BUT IN KEEPING WITH THAT THEME, WE DO HAVE A HOTEL THAT'S THAT'S SLATED THAT THAT COULD THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE ONE. SO JUST IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, JUST MAKE SURE WE KNOW OUR SURROUNDINGS. AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU DON'T NEED A, A MARKET STUDY TO GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, COMMON SENSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN NORTH TEXAS WITH GROWTH AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING. I'M
[02:20:12]
TRYING TO GET IT. THERE WE GO. OKAY. GOOD NIGHT. THE PRIORITIES DEVELOPING YOUR RELATIONSHIP INTER-GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIPS COG RTC. PARKWAY EXPANSION SUITES AND CORPORATE CENTER. SO SOME OF THESE ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THAT. BUT ANYTHING THERE. YEAH. SO YEAH I'VE GOT TO SPELL WRONG I'M SORRY. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT I HAD THAT ON THE OTHER ONE. I HAD IT RIGHT. I MUST HAVE DONE THAT. BUT THE WORD DEVELOP WAS NOT MY WORD. OKAY, CONTINUE SUCCESSFUL FUNDING THE GROUNDBREAKING RENOVATIONS RIGHT NOW. EXCELLENT. THANKS. WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT NOW WITH TEX-DOT AND RTC. WE'VE GOT TREMENDOUS ASSISTANCE AND HELP FROM THEM ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS. AND SO THAT WAS FOR ME WHEN BEING ASKED, WHAT DID I HOPE WOULD CONTINUE A REAL, REAL EMPHASIS ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY CRITICAL AND IT'S THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS PROVE TO SAVE OUR TAXPAYERS. MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. SO I JUST HOPE THAT APOLOGIES IF I CAPTURED THE DEVELOPERS. YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES AWAY THE FACT THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THEM AND WORKED HARD TO DO IT. SO WE'VE GOT TO KEEP THEM UP. ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS LIST THAT WE'D CHAT ABOUT? SO JUST KIND OF TALKED ABOUT I'VE KIND OF MERGED SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES COMING BACK. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOUSING. I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD DIRECTION ON THAT. SOME OTHER AREAS, EAST WEST ROADWAY CONNECTORS AND FINANCING OF YOUR ROADS AND THE CONDITION OF YOUR ROADS AND SIDEWALKS. ANYTHING THERE THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, CLARIFY OR POTENTIALLY ADVANCE AS A PRIORITY? OKAY. RELATIONSHIP, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU FINANCE THINGS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SO ALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY FOR STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. AND THIS CONCEPT OF YOU'VE GOT A I BELIEVE IT WAS A TEN YEAR PROGRAM WITH YOUR DOWNTOWN TOURS. AND THAT'S COMING UP THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR. IS THAT THE TEN YEAR, THE TEN YEAR COMMITMENT FOR FINANCE CDC? NO OKAY. I'M NOT THE OKAY OKAY.JUST. THE TOURS ONE EXTENDS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO VENUE. SO IT KIND OF FOLLOWS MCDONALD STREET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OKAY GATEWAY OR NORTH SOUTH GATE I'M SORRY. SOUTH AS IT'S KNOWN AS SOUTH GATE. SO LET ME THESE ARE YOUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. I THINK PROBABLY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES WILL PLAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS WITH CDC AND CDC INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION. SO THE QUESTION IS THEN, BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD AND I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS POTENTIALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT. A NEW PRIORITY AS IT RELATES OR EXPANDING. LET ME GO BACK TO YOUR OTHER ONE ON YOUR THE GLOBAL HOUSING STRATEGY, MAYBE TWEAKING YOUR FIRST GOAL TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE OF ADDITIONAL FOCUS WITH SPECIFIC GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS ON HOUSING POTENTIALLY WAS THAT WAS THAT ANTICIPATED TO BE A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR A COMMITTEE THAT COUNCIL WOULD SHARE WITH A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON KIND OF YOUR DIRECTION THERE, MY HOPE. BECAUSE OF COURSE I WON'T BE HERE TO HELP DIRECT, BUT MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT WE HAVE SOME REAL KNOWLEDGE ON THIS COUNCIL WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE NEEDS WELL VERSED IN, IN ALL OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT THERE IS A WHEN I TALKED ABOUT A COUNCIL COMMITTEE, IT'S JUST TO HELP MOVE THE BALL FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY EASY TO, AS LIFE HAPPENS TO, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND EVEN A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION, BUT THEN TO GET ACTION OUT OF THAT SOMETIMES IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OTHER THINGS ARE ALWAYS COMING. BUT A COMMITTEE THAT THAT HAD A REAL FOCUS ON THAT AND WOULD TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PUSHING THAT, CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT FORWARD IN FRONT OF COUNCIL TO WHERE WE CAN DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY REAL TANGIBLES AND
[02:25:01]
ACTION ITEMS. AND THEN TO JUSTIN'S USE OF ONE OF HIS COMMENTS BEFORE A, A PILOT, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM, GET SOMETHING DONE, SOMETHING ON THE GROUND THAT THAT WE CAN THEN LOOK AT AND, AND MOVE FORWARD FROM. OKAY. SO WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING THE GROUP SAY IS WE'LL TWEAK ONE A TO INCORPORATE SOMETHING OF A MORE OF A FOCUS WITH A, WITH A COUNCIL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE HOUSING STUDY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL INCORPORATE THE FACT OF PROVIDING GOALS, DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP FROM THE COUNCIL SPECIFICALLY WITH ACTIONABLE ITEMS FOR YOUR HOUSING STRATEGIES. RIGHT. ANYBODY ON BOARD WITH THAT LITTLE TWEAK? ONE A AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE. IS THERE A IS THERE ANOTHER PRIORITY THAT REALLY IS ON SPECIFICALLY IN DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY AS IT RELATES TO FIRE SAFETY AND RISERS? I'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONVERSATION THAT MAYBE THAT NEEDS SOME FOCUS AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW, THAT SHOWS UP IN AND OF ITSELF BY ITS GOAL THERE. SO I THINK OUR STAFF HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON THAT, AND THEY ARE PRODUCING VERY TANGIBLE RESULTS.I WOULD JUST OBSERVE THAT IT MAY NOT BE UNDER ECONOMIC GROWTH, IT MAY BE UNDER ONE OF THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY OR ONE OF THE OTHER KIND OF PARK IT FOR NOW AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. I THINK WE'LL PARK IT AND THEN IT'LL FIT IN FOR SURE. LET'S DO IT. AND THE OTHER TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS IT MAY BE SPLITTING HAIRS, BUT THAT IS A TERSE ONE ISSUE AS OPPOSED TO A COUNCIL. I KNOW WE'RE ALL ON BOTH BOARDS, BUT IT IS A TOURIST ISSUE IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THE COUNCIL WANTS TO PLACE IT. IF THAT'S WHERE YOU THINK THE BEST FUNDING SOURCE IS OCCURS, ONE MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, BUT IT'S REALLY UP TO THE COUNCIL TO DETERMINE WHERE YOU THINK. THAT'S CERTAINLY EXPLORING. MAYBE SOME OTHERS AS WELL. YEAH. JUST UNTIL WE HAVE A HANDLE ON WHAT THAT COST IS, IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT THE FUNDING SOURCE WILL BE. TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE GOAL WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY. AND SO IT MAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GOALS YOU GOT TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST BUCKET THERE. SO BUT I HEARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. BUT ALSO I THINK THEY COULD SEE IN THE BUCKET. SO THAT'S THE STRATEGY.
GOOD OKAY. ALL RIGHT OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE UNDER ECONOMIC STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT ANY OF YOU WANT TO CHAT ABOUT THAT WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY TALK ABOUT? JUSTIN I HAD ON MINE THE CONCEPT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. AND JUST AND THAT MAY FALL UNDER THE EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EDC. BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE WE'VE KIND OF SAY THAT A LOT, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A MECHANISM TO BRING THAT ABOUT. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH WHERE WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY, WHERE, WHERE OUR, YOU KNOW. OUR CONSTITUENCIES LIE, I THINK, I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COLLEGE, THE JOB CORPS, ALL OF THOSE, THOSE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO REALLY FIGURE OUT. GOOD AND DEFINED PATHWAYS FOR THE WORKFORCE THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING LOCALLY AND NOT NECESSARILY CHASING THE NEXT LARGE CORPORATION. THAT'S GOING TO BRING IN A LOT OF RELOCATIONS. BUT HOW DO WE HOW DO WE HELP THE WORKFORCE THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING LOCALLY? IT'S NOT GOING TO THE COLLEGE AND NOT GOING TO. AND THAT INCLUDES US AS AN EMPLOYER FOR US. AND THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE LARGE EMPLOYERS OF COLLEGE GRADUATES. SO. I THINK I'M HEARING YOU SAY MAYBE SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT ONE C CATEGORY. YES.
PROBABLY MAKES SOME SENSE. AND ALL OF THAT. OKAY. AND NOTED THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO BEFORE WE MOVE ANY OTHER ANY OTHER CATEGORIES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR GROWTH THAT WE NEED TO COVER PRETTY MUCH PRIORITY AREAS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
BALANCING RESOURCES, HIGH LEVEL CUSTOMER SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY, HIGH PERFORMANCE CULTURE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. IMPROVEMENT WITH PRACTICES WITH YOUR BOARDS AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE, THE SAME HYMN SHEET WE SPOKE OF EARLIER. SMART CITIES APPROACH THAT YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES. THE PRIORITIES THAT CAME UP THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS. WE'RE DOING A LOT IN THIS CONCEPT OF BLOCKING AND TACKLING AND STAYING FOCUSED ON WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR BIG INITIATIVES THAT ARE ON THE PLAY. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT WERE IN THIS
[02:30:03]
CATEGORY FROM THE BEGINNING. CATEGORY QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE STRATEGIC QUESTIONS, THE DYNAMICS CHANGE AND THE BLOCKING AND TACKLING TRANSITIONS AND CITY ADMINISTRATION AND THE ONGOING GROWTH OF THE CITY AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT. SO WITH THAT, GOING BACK TO YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAME UP THROUGH YOUR CONVERSATIONS? IF YOU WANT TO ADVANCE THAT MIGHT CHANGE ANY OF THESE PRIORITIES? AMPLIFY OR MODIFY. NO, I THINK IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT I LIKE TO WHERE WE SAY, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT SMART CITIES APPROACH AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THE CITY'S OPERATION IN SUPPORT OF ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT WE HAVE THE INNOVATION FUND AT THE MEDICI, AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH PLUG AND PLAY. WE WORK WITH A LOT OF SMALL INNOVATORS ON THE TECH SIDE AND THE COMMUNITY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK MORE AS A CITY, TO BE MORE OF A TEST KITCHEN FOR, FOR SOME OF THEIR IDEAS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WOULD THAT WOULD MAKE THE CITY BETTER, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE THE WE BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THAT VERSUS, YOU KNOW, LETTING IT, YOU KNOW, LET IT DEVELOP AND BE ON THE, YOU KNOW, LET THEM SELL IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A MARKETING TOOL. NOT ONLY THESE, THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED, BUT LOOK, THEY'RE BEING TESTED IN MCKINNEY. AND IT, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE WORKING. SO I WOULD RESPOND BY SAYING, THAT'S GREAT. WE AGREE 100%. WE ACTUALLY HAVE $100,000 IN THE BUDGET THAT IS USED. IT'S INTERNAL MONEY FOR AN INNOVATION FUND FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS. IF THEY CAN BRING A CASE, BRING A PROJECT SPECIFICALLY AROUND TECHNOLOGY AND SMART CITIES, THEN THEY CAN GET FUNDING FROM THAT FUND TO HELP. SO LET'S JUST SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, A DEPARTMENT POLICE HAS AN INTERESTING PROJECT THAT THEY WANT TO PURSUE. THEY CAN USE THAT AS A FUNDING SOURCE TO HELP. THEY MAY NOT PAY FOR ALL OF IT, BUT TO HELP FUND SOME SORT OF A NEW EXPERIMENT OR PROJECT OR INNOVATION, AND IDEALLY WITH PLUG AND PLAY, IT'S A GREAT FORM FOR US TO GO. WE SEND PEOPLE TO THOSE TO HEAR THE PITCH SESSIONS, TO HEAR WHAT THEIR TECHNOLOGY IS, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME REALLY FABULOUS TECHNOLOGIES WE MIGHT HAVE APPLICABILITY TO CITY OF MCKINNEY. AND OFTENTIMES CITIES THAT ADOPT THESE THINGS ARE ALSO SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE, TECH FRIENDLY CITIES THERE ARE THERE. SO THERE'S ABSOLUTELY SYNERGY. GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT. I THINK THE COUNCIL BEING BEHIND THAT AND BEING SUPPORTIVE OF THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE BRANDON DOING WHAT HE'S DOING, BY THE WAY, IS TO HELP WITH THIS, GET A LITTLE BIT MORE HORSEPOWER, IF YOU WILL, BEHIND THIS AND EXPLORING THESE TYPES OF THINGS. I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY, MICHAEL, IS TAPPING INTO PLUG AND PLAY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL STARTUP MENTALITY BUSINESSES. AND WHAT CAN YOU DO PHYSICALLY HERE? YEAH, EXACTLY. SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT OKAY OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE IN OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. AIRPORT. YOU KNEW YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET THROUGH A CONVERSATION WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT TODAY IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM ALONG THE LINE. THIS IS CERTAINLY BEEN FRONT AND CENTER OF YOUR DISCUSSIONS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THOSE ARE YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES. AND TERMS OF PROGRESS, MOVEMENT OVERCOMING RESISTANCE. PRIORITIES THAT CAME FORWARD, TRYING TO GET ALL THOSE THINGS DONE IN PLACE SO THAT YOU COULD COMMENCE YOUR SERVICE OF PASSENGER SERVICE IN 2026. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THE QUESTIONS OF SUPPORTING THE AIRPORT, YOU'VE GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATE ON THIS ONE. BUT BACK TO THOSE THOSE EXISTING PRIORITIES ALL STILL MAKE SENSE. YEAH. SO WE JUST MADE JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE JUST MADE, I THINK WE TOOK A BIG STEP FORWARD AND HELPING US ON THAT MESSAGE JUST BY ENGAGING A AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO WORK WITH OUR STAFF. AND ALL THEY, ALL THEY DO IS BASICALLY PR WORK IN THE AIRLINE AND AIRPORT INDUSTRY. SO I THINK WE HAVE WE HAVE HELPED BOLSTER OUR OWN RESOURCES WITH, WITH OUTSIDE INDUSTRY LEADERS TO JUST GET THAT MESSAGE OUT. SO I THINK WE'VE MADE A TAKEN A SIGNIFICANT STEP THERE. THAT FIRM WILL DO A GREAT JOB OF SUPPLYING INFORMATION ONLINE, BUT ALSO STILL USES A PERSONAL TOUCH BY[02:35:02]
ENGAGING WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN PERSON AS WELL. SO I THINK THAT STRATEGY OF KNOCKING OUT BOTH MODES OF COMMUNICATION WOULD BE VERY MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND THEY'VE DONE THIS VERY, VERY THING IN SEVERAL OTHER MARKETS. YEAH. SO VERY SPECIALIZED. YEAH, YEAH. THAT'S AWESOME. MAYOR PRO TEM AND I WERE ABLE TO WE WERE IN THAT MEETING. I THINK WE WERE BOTH EXTREMELY IMPRESSED. EXCELLENT. AS WAS ALL THE STAFF. OKAY. ANY OTHER CHANGES IN PRIORITIES HERE IN YOUR PLAN? YEP. OKAY. FINANCIALLY SOUND CITY OR GOVERNMENT? EXCUSE ME? BOND RATINGS FRAMEWORK FOR CONTINUED ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENTS. BALANCING RESOURCES, PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAX, ALL THE REVENUE SOURCES YOU'VE GOT AND FINANCIAL PLANS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW YOU FUND YOUR FUTURE STUFF THAT'S KIND OF UNDER THAT CATEGORY. SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT KIND OF FELL UNDER THIS CATEGORY AND SOME OF YOUR PRIORITIES WERE CHANGES GOING ON AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE AS WE SPEAK, THE IMPACTS OF INFLATION? I DON'T KNOW WHAT I KNOW IN FLORIDA, WE'RE THE HIGHEST COST OF INSURANCE IN ANY GIVING THESE THINGS. ANYTHING ELSE? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE THAT FAR BEHIND WITH ALL THESE THINGS. YEAH, ALL THESE GROWTH STATES FACING THOSE COMPONENTS AUTOMATICALLY. SO WHAT WE HAVE HAIL, VERY NASTY HAIL IN TEXAS OFTENTIMES. AND IT'S A PRETTY BIG IMPACT ON ROOFS WREAKS HAVOC ON ROOFS. THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN IN OUR IN FLORIDA PEOPLE THAT NOW AT LEAST DON'T HAVE A MORTGAGE ARE NOW LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT SELF INSURANCE IN PLACE FOR THEM WHEN THEY CAN'T GET INSURANCE, OR THE COST IS PHENOMENALLY EXPENSIVE, IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT FOR THEM TO GO FORWARD. SO AS I SAID, I SUSPECT FLORIDA AND TEXAS HAVE A LOT OF SIMILAR ISSUES. I SUSPECT THAT'S A FACTOR OF CONCERN. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE IMPACT ON ON ALL YOUR COSTS GOING UP WITH POTENTIAL TARIFFS AND ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENING TO THAT. SOME QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'VE GROWN, IS THE ROI REALLY COME BACK? ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN INCENTIVIZING THOSE DEALS? AND THIS CONCERN ABOUT RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE BEEN HAVING THE ABILITY TO REDUCE YOUR PROPERTY TAX BECAUSE OF GROWTH. BUT IF ALL THOSE CHANGES ARE GOING TO OCCUR, THAT MIGHT TIE YOUR HANDS IN THE FUTURE. DOES THAT STRATEGY CONTINUE TO MAKE SENSE GOING FORWARD? SO WITH THOSE AS KIND OF A BACKGROUND, THOSE ARE YOUR GOALS, YOUR PRIORITIES AS IT STANDS TODAY. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT CHANGING ADDING, MODIFYING? ARE YOU ARE YOU COMFORTABLE A NUMBER OF YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW DO WE FINANCE LONG TERM? I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS, BUT THE QUESTION OF HOW DO YOU FINANCE LONG TERM, ONGOING MAINTENANCE NEEDS? MY ONLY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY IT'S WORDED THAT THAT I THINK STAFF UNDERSTANDS IT? MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE FROM A PRIORITY STANDPOINT THAT YOU SAID WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY WITH REGARDS TO THAT? AND DO YOU SAY.I'LL ONLY ADD THIS, THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE DID MAKE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CDC AND EDC TO, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE TO ECONOMIC NEW NEW ROADS THAT WOULD BOLSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT ALLOWED US TO GUIDE MORE MONEY INTO MAINTENANCE. AND I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO REVISITING THAT, TO SEE ABOUT A HIGHER CONTRIBUTION TO THAT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THESE COSTS ARE RISING SO MUCH IN THE SO IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR TAXPAYERS. SO I'D BE WILLING I'D BE ANXIOUS TO REVISIT THAT. AND FORGIVE ME IF I'M PREMATURE ON THIS REMARK, BUT IT WAS BROUGHT UP THAT THE CDC TEN YEAR AGREEMENT ON THE PARKS IS EXPIRING. TWO, MY SENSE IS THAT THE 5.5 MILLION WAS ABOUT HALF THEIR BUDGET WHEN IT WAS IMPLEMENTED, AND IT'S MUCH LESS THAN HALF THEIR BUDGET RIGHT NOW. SO I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE ROADS, BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THAT UP A LOT. BUT I DO THINK THAT OUR I GUESS A VALUATION OF THAT WILL NEED TO ADAPT AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION. I THINK WE'RE DOING A NEW PCI THIS YEAR RATING. WE CAN KIND OF SEE HOW OUR EFFORTS, BOTH FROM A INCREASE IN IN MAINTENANCE DOLLARS, BUT ALSO LIKE THE TRUCKS THAT THAT DO POTHOLES AND STUFF, BUT ALSO OUR BOND, OUR BOND FUNDING. AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN THE BENEFITS OF THE EDC, CDC YET, BUT TO KIND OF PROJECT OUT ONE, HOW WELL IS IT WORKING? AND TWO, WHERE DO WE NEED IT TO BE? SO IF WE IF WE WANT TO SEE THAT PCI SCORE GO BACK UP INTO THE LEVELS THAT IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF COMMITMENT DOES
[02:40:05]
THAT TAKE FROM US. AND REALLY START TO FIGURE THAT OUT? I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC WORKS GROUP SENT A MAP OF KIND OF WHAT WHAT THE BOND DOLLARS AND WHAT WE HAVE PROJECTED IN THE CIP, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE ON, ON THE PCI MAP. BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR PCI SCORES AND WHERE DO WE WANT IT TO BE. BUT WE'VE WE'VE GOT SOME EVALUATION AND TWEAKING TO DO WITH IT. BUT I LIKE THE PATH WE'RE ON. SO JUST MAYBE FIGURING OUT SOME BETTER WAYS TO CHECK IN ON THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. I THINK WE DID IT LAST YEAR, BUT DOING THAT CONTINUOUSLY, THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS GREAT OBSERVATION. WE ARE WELL, WELL SERVED BY THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND RYAN GILLINGHAM AND HIS PUBLIC WORKS TEAM. THEY'RE EXTREMELY ANALYTICAL. THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS, AND KNOWING RYAN AND GARY LIKE I DO, THEY'RE GOING TO THIS IS THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON THIS. THIS IS THESE ARE THINGS THAT THEY REALLY DO HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING THE CONDITION OF OUR ROADS. THEY PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO IT. IT'S A BIG IT'S A HUGE ITEM, OBVIOUSLY, FOR US AND EXPENSE WISE. IS THE ARRANGEMENT, THE ARRANGEMENT YOU HAVE WITH YOUR MEDC. AND I THINK IT'S BOTH MDC AND CDC FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. IS THAT IS THAT A IS THAT A TIE BAR PERCENTAGE? I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING TO GET THAT IT'S WE SET A BASE FOR REVENUES THAT THEY GET AND EVERYTHING ABOVE $20 MILLION IS BASICALLY HALF OF THAT REVENUE AS IT GROWS OVER THE YEARS, WILL BE DEDICATED BY THOSE ENTITIES FOR NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION. THEY CAN'T USE THAT MONEY FOR MAINTENANCE. WHAT THAT DOES, HOWEVER, IS IT FREES UP MONEY ON THE BACK END FOR MAINTENANCE. IT'S FUNGIBLE AT YOUR END, RIGHT? AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO A QUARTER CENT, I BELIEVE IT IS A QUARTER CENT, THEN THAT DEDICATED FUND, THAT 5050 SPLIT OF THE EVERYTHING ABOVE $20 MILLION WILL TAPER OFF. OKAY, RIGHT. ONCE YOU GET TO THAT QUARTER CENT AND THAT'S INTENDED TO BE THERE AS AN AUGMENTATION OF EXISTING ROAD MAINTENANCE FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES. SO IT WILL GROW AS THEIR BASE GROWS UP TO A CAP. THAT'S CORRECT. AND AT THAT POINT THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. AND YOU'RE TWO YEARS INTO THAT PROGRAM NOW, TWO YEARS INTO IT.AND, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO A QUARTER CENT, IT'S GOING TO MAYBE BE 20 YEARS. OKAY. SO IT'S GOT IT'S GOT SOME LEGS BEHIND IT YET. SO TO YOUR POINT THEN JUST BASICALLY THERE IS YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S A SMALL PIECE I FORGET HOW MANY MILLION COME INTO THAT. BUT IT'S A SMALL PIECE OF YOUR TOTAL REVENUE. BUT IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO IT WILL GROW OVER TIME. BUT YES, RIGHT NOW IT'S PRETTY MODEST. RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY. SO YOU'RE COMFORTABLE THE WAY 4D IS PUT INTO PLAY. THAT WHAT YOU'VE GOT IN PLAY IS THAT THAT THAT PRIORITY STILL MAKES SENSE THE WAY IT'S WORDED. THAT OKAY OKAY OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. QUALITY OF LIFE IN MCKINNEY. RECREATIONAL CULTURAL ARTS FOR EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS WHERE YOUR DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY.
THE BALANCE AND PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORIC NATURE. SO WE MAY BE TALKING ABOUT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS IN THIS CATEGORY. SUSTAINABLE QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE CITY, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, PARKS AND RECREATION, AND CONNECTIVITY. THIS IS WHERE A PIECE OF OUR TRAILS AND CONNECTIVITY. I KNOW JUSTIN AND CHARLIE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT EARLIER AS WELL, AND THOSE ARE YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR AREA.
FEEDBACK WE HAD RECEIVED. AMPHITHEATER PROGRESS, SPECIAL EVENTS. THINGS ARE HAPPENING THERE. LOWER FIVE PLAZA. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S REALLY A SENSE OF TIMING. YOU'VE GOT THE FINANCING IN PLAY THROUGH THE STATE AND TEX-DOT AND OTHERS, SO I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT COMPLETED.
BUT THAT'S OUTLINING. AND WHEN IS FIVE SCHEDULED FOR RECONSTRUCTION? IS THAT THE RECONSTRUCTION OR REHABILITATION PERIOD? JUST CURIOUS. THE ONE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED ON THAT THEY'VE STARTED SOUTH OF INDUSTRIAL. SO THREE THREE YEARS AFTER THAT IS WHEN THEY'LL START. THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S IN PLAY. YOU JUST GOT TO PLAY ITSELF OVER TIME. THIS GETS BACK TO PARKS, TRAILS, CONNECTIVITY. AND CHARLIE, I KNEW THAT YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS. I KNEW I'D CAPTURED THIS WAS COMING UP UNDER THIS CATEGORY BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE CONNECTIVITY GOAL KIND OF FALLS INTO PLAY. AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TRAIL SYSTEMS NORTH OF 380 AND THEN ALSO YOUR TOWN LAKE PARK PROJECT UPGRADE. THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD
[02:45:03]
THERE AS WELL. SO OTHER PRIORITIES IN THIS CATEGORY, THE ARTS, THE CULTURE, THE MUSIC, ALL THOSE SORT OF THINGS. CONTINUING, NEEDING MORE RECREATIONAL ASSETS AND THINGS FOR YOUR FOLKS AND YOUTH TO DO IN PARTICULAR. AND THEN THIS FOCUS ON BECOMING LESS AUTO CENTRIC AND TRAILS AND CONNECTIVITY. AND THEN THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, BIG, BIG PROJECT, HOW TO GET PEOPLE ACROSS DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR COMMUNITY, MAYBE WITH SOMETHING NEW OR SOME SORT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I THINK THE GONDOLAS MAY HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE ME. IS THAT KIND OF A PRIORITY FOR YOU GUYS AND GONDOLAS? I WANT TO TALK TO THE. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU RIGHT NOW. I THINK CHARLIE'S RAISED THIS IN THE PAST, SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL CALL HIM OUT ON THIS ONE. SO IF HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT. I CAN.ALL THE OTHER ONES. THE FIRE SUPPRESSION, WHICH WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT. WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHETHER YOU WANT TO PUT IT IN THIS BUCKET OR THE OTHER BUCKET. YOU KNOW. THAT'S HOW THAT'S HOW IT STARTED OFF WITH THE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 50, 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. RIGHT? SABRINA CARPENTER SAID I WASN'T BORN, NOR WERE MY PARENTS BORN WHEN PAUL SIMON STARTED OFF ON IT.
OKAY. AND THEN PARK CONNECTIVITY, AS I SAID, SOME GENERAL THEMES HERE TO GO FORWARD. SO. SO LET ME GO BACK. THERE'S YOUR GOALS OR YOUR PRIORITIES WITHIN QUALITY OF LIFE. SO DO YOU DO YOU PREFER TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THIS FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM IN THIS BUCKET, OR DO YOU WANT TO PUT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? I THINK THERE WAS A DESIRE TO DO IT. THE QUESTION IS, WHERE DOES IT FEEL BETTER IN ONE SPOT THAN THE OTHER? I FEEL IT COULD BE IN A SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY ASPECT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. IT COULD. IT COULD FALL INTO THAT TOO. YEAH, I STILL MAINTAIN THAT, I THINK, AND I AGREE THAT I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT I THINK WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING AN ASSESSMENT. AND ONCE WE HAVE THAT ASSESSMENT, IT WOULD BE A MUCH MORE FRUITFUL CONVERSATION AS TO WHERE FUNDS AND WHERE WE PLACE IT. BUT CERTAINLY I THAT WAS MY COMMENT BEFORE THAT. WE NEED TO LOOK OUTSIDE, EVEN POTENTIALLY. THIS IS I WOULD JUST ADD, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE A GOAL UNDER MULTIPLE, I SHOULD SAY AN OBJECTIVE ONE OF THESE UNDER YOUR ANY ONE OF YOUR PILLARS, BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES TOUCH ON SEVERAL OF THEM, YOU KNOW, QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. YES, IT'S QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. IT'S ALSO A SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY ISSUE. AND THERE WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE PARTIES PULLING TO TRY TO GET IT DONE. OKAY. A COUPLE OF YOU SPOKE ABOUT CONNECTIVITY. SO THIS IS SPECIFICALLY AN ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY PARK CIVIC FACILITY, SCHOOLS RECREATION CENTERS. ET CETERA. ET CETERA.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT OR IS THERE ANY EMPHASIS OR CHANGING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADVANCE AS PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD? I MEAN, I THINK EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FITS INTO THE GOALS WE ALREADY HAVE. THERE'S SOME SPECIFICS ABOUT HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE CDC ALLOCATION. I'M OF THE MINDSET. WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FROM FROM OUR PARK STANDPOINT, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS IN FRONT OF US ON THE PARKS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE FUNDING SOURCES FOR. SO. GETTING AS MUCH FUNDING FROM FROM THE CDC ON PARKS, I THINK IS IMPORTANT. AND I GUESS THAT EXPIRES THIS YEAR. SO IF IT IS, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A POLICY RESOLUTION TO THE MATTER OF CDC FUNDING FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, YOU COULD PLACE THAT AS SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE DONE WITH THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WITH THE NEXT BUDGET, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, WHATEVER IT IS. ARE YOU ASKING FOR RECOMMENDATION? I THINK THAT WAS A BOUNCE BACK TO THE TO THE COUNCIL. THAT'S A PRIORITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ESTABLISH. USUALLY THAT'S DONE IN THE SAUSAGE MAKING. BUT YES, I MEAN, THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO HAVE A VOICE IN THIS. OBVIOUSLY TO ME
[02:50:05]
THIS IS THE, THE KIND OF EASIEST ONE THAT'S IN FRONT OF US IN TERMS OF, OF IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CITIZENS. IS MAKING THE TRAIL AND PARK CONNECTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME, BUT ALSO ACTIVATING A LOT OF SPACE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR IN OUR INVENTORY. SO TO ME, THIS IS THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGER ONES THAT I THINK WE NEED TO PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON IN OUR BUDGET AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO I'M ALL FOR WHATEVER WE CAN GET. WOULD IT NOT BEHOOVE COUNCIL TO HAVE A JOINT WORK SESSION WITH CDC AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND REALLY, REALLY UNDERSTAND FROM ALL FROM BOTH OF THOSE ENTITIES WHAT THEIR WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND, AND REALLY UNDERSTAND FUNDING SOURCES. BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THIS IS CHANGING, I'M NOT, BY THE WAY, ARGUING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT ALTHOUGH THIS IS WE CAN MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT 5 MILLION REPRESENT HALF THE BUDGET THEN AND PERCENTAGE NOW. TRUE. BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE DIFFERENT TODAY THAN THEY WERE THEN. AND PARKLAND DEDICATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK HAVING A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING AND, AND REVIEW OF WHAT IS FUNDING THE PARKS AND WITH ALL THE CHANGES, BOTH DECREASE IN CDC BUT INCREASE IN THE DEVELOPMENT WORLD, YOU KNOW, MAKE DECISIONS WITH THAT INFORMATION. JUST KEEP IN MIND IS I THINK PRESIDENT SCHNABEL WOULD REMINDS ME IS THERE'S THE ANNUAL COMMITMENT, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO PROJECTS SPECIFIC. ISSUES THAT COME UP AND THEY FUND THOSE OFTENTIMES. AND IF YOU WERE TO SUM IT UP, IT MIGHT BE CLOSER TO 50% THAN WHAT 5.5 MILLION REPRESENTS TODAY. SO IN FAIRNESS TO THEM, AND WE COULD CERTAINLY I THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, A GREAT FORUM FOR US TO SORT OF REVIEW AND, YOU KNOW, PUT THE FACTS OUT THERE AND SAY, HERE'S THE TRAVEL OF THIS, HERE'S WHERE THE REVENUE SOURCES HAVE BEEN AND HERE'S HOW WE FUNDED IT IN THE PAST AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WHAT SAY YOU GOING FORWARD? I'M ALL FOR A JOINT MEETING ON, I THINK THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, THE PARK DEVELOPMENT FEES, SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF OUR NEGOTIATING TACTICS WITH BRINGING ETJ PROPERTIES IN. AND SO I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW MUCH THAT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE WHEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO ELIMINATE.A LOT OF TIMES IN THOSE ETJ NEGOTIATIONS, I DO THINK WE HAVE ADDED IT UP THE OTHER NIGHT. WE HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES IN PARKLAND THAT IS NOT ACTIVATED OR ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO START PLANNING FOR WAYS TO BRING THAT ABOUT. THAT INCLUDES THE PAINTED TREE PROPERTY, INCLUDES THE DOUGLAS PROPERTY OUT HERE AND INCLUDES THE DOW PROPERTY, AND BY THE HERD CENTER. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE FROM A CONNECTION STANDPOINT, BOTH THE PAINTED TREE PROPERTY AND THE DOW PROPERTY ARE ONES THAT WE CAN CONNECT THROUGH TRAILS AND, AND DIFFERENT WAYS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THROUGH SOME EFFORTS WITH TEXDOT AND WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT IN FRONT OF US ON PARKS THAT WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES AND BRINGING THAT ABOUT BECAUSE. WE GET A LOT IN FRONT OF US. I AGREE, I THINK JERRY AND I, WE ATTENDED THE LAST PARKS DEVELOPMENT MEETING AND THE PIPELINE IS, IS EXTENSIVE AND I THINK THE IT GIVEN THAT JUSTIN THAT THERE'S THAT THERE'S THE COST ISSUE AND THERE'S THE STAFFING ISSUE OF HOW TO EVEN GET TO THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE THERE. RIGHT? SO WE'RE I MEAN, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WE ARE YEARS IN BACKLOG FROM EVEN TOUCHING THESE PROJECTS. BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE NEEDS TO BE A DEFINED FUNDING MECHANISM WHEN THEY COME UP. BUT WITH THE BACKLOG THAT THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR FELTS AND I SEEN I MEAN, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE NOT GETTING THEY'RE NOT GETTING TO A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, STAFFING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND JUST THE LIST IS LONG AND THE PRIORITIES ARE LONG. SO MAYBE, PAUL, TO YOUR POINT, IF WE HAVE A JOINT MEETING, MAYBE THERE'S A REPRIORITIZATION OF THE PROJECT THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON. AND IF THAT COMES ABOUT NEEDING MONEY NOW VERSUS MONEY LATER, I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT THEN. BUT FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE SEEN THERE IS A LOT OF PROJECTS IN IN THE WORK FOR PARKS, BUT THERE IS ALSO A BACKLOG AND A LOT OF THE RESOURCES ARE ARE NOT EVEN FINANCIALLY RELATED. THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, JUST CAN THEY GET TO THEM. SO I'M ASSUMING I THINK YOU ARE YOU YOU'RE REDOING THE COMP PLAN THIS YEAR. DID I REMEMBER IT BECAUSE BECAUSE TYPICALLY PARKS AND REC IS A, YOU KNOW, A COMPONENT OF YOUR PLAN, NOT THE COMPREHENSIVE. IT'S NOT OURS. IT'S NOT THE COMP PLAN. OKAY. SO IS THAT IS THAT TRAIL SYSTEM. HOW DOES HOW DOES THAT WORK IN THE DOCUMENT THAT
[02:55:01]
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT YOU TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING PART OF THAT. BUT WOULD THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS REALLY THE PLAN THAT CONNECTS TO OUR CDBG FUNDING OKAY. ALL RIGHT.SPECIFICALLY. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS SOME FOCUS IN REVIEW. AND THIS IS MORE NOT NECESSARILY CHANGING YOUR PRIORITY, BUT AN OBJECTIVE OF CONVENING THE MEETING, HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS, FIGURING OUT THE FUNDING SOURCES, CONNECTING ALL THE DOTS TO FIGURE OUT BOTH IMMEDIATE AND POTENTIALLY REPRIORITIZING SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE PARKS AND TRAIL SYSTEM. SO I THINK I'M HEARING THAT RIGHT. OKAY, WELL, I KNOW YOU ARE. YOU CHIMED IN AS WELL ABOUT THE EXTENSION OF THE SYSTEMS AND THE RIGHT OF WAYS AND EASEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IS THAT THAT ALL MAKES SENSE TO YOU AS WELL AS PART OF THOSE? ARE SOME OF YOUR YOUR PRIORITIES THAT YOU VOICED EARLIER THIS MORNING? OKAY, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M NOT SAYING CHANGES IN PRIORITIES BUT MAYBE SOME STRATEGIES BEING ADDED IN THIS CATEGORY. ANYTHING ELSE UNDER QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE DIDN'T TOUCH ABOUT OR THAT YOU WANT TO CHAT ABOUT? OKAY, SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY NUMBER SIX MAINTAINING CRIME RATES, LOW CRIME RATES, MEANINGFUL PUBLIC SAFETY PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, ISO RATINGS, PROACTIVE AND FORMAL COMMUNITY DIVERSITY OUTREACH, STRATEGIC DIVERSITY OUTREACH TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL. ALL THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN OUR CONVERSATIONS. THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEED ARE WE ARE WE THERE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ADDRESSING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CHALLENGES? WE SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TODAY. THAT'S A TOUGH, TOUGH CATEGORY ALTOGETHER. WE CERTAINLY TALKED ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A STRATEGY ON THAT OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT WAS A GROWING ISSUE. AND THIS CONCERN ABOUT THE VISIBILITY OF SOME OF THE CRIMES. AND ARE WE PUTTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO HELP ADDRESS WHAT THOSE ARE, DESPITE BEING ALSO RELATIVELY VERY SAFE COMMUNITY? I THINK, PAUL, YOU SAID IT EARLIER, NO MATTER IF YOU START LOW, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, YOU'RE GOING TO GO UPWARD. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS RELATIVE TO YOUR OTHER COMMUNITIES, CONTINUE TO BE VERY SAFE. SO.
WE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING OR AND OR RETAINING POLICE OFFICERS. AND WE'RE IN A MARKET WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE VERY COMPETITIVE AS WELL. I THINK IN JUST A FEW CONVERSATIONS THAT REALLY NEED TO GO MUCH DEEPER. I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO LOOK AT YOUR BENEFITS PACKAGE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN OFFER. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PAY IS NOT ALWAYS THAT FACTOR THAT BRINGS SOMEONE IN OR KEEPS THEM IN. BUT, YOU KNOW, UNDER 65 RETIREES, WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR? YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THEM TO RETIRE HERE, BUT IF THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE WHEN THEY'RE UNDER 65, ARE WE OFFERING SOME BENEFITS THAT ARE ENTICING TO THEM AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO STAY LONG TERM? SO SOME SOME JUST MINOR TWEAKS IN OUR BENEFITS PACKAGES AND JUST REVIEW OF WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THAT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE TO APPLICANTS. IT'S ALWAYS WORTH A LOOK. IT'S ALWAYS WORTH A LOOK. SO. I HEARD AS PART OF YOUR HOUSING STRATEGY, YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT THAT AS AN OPTION. THAT MAY BE A I'VE SEEN SOME COMMUNITIES, CHARLIE, YOU ASKED ABOUT WHAT WE SEE IN SOME OTHER, OTHER AREAS. WE'VE SEEN SOME COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE WHERE THEY HAVE WORKED WITH APARTMENT COMPLEXES, WHERE THEY PROVIDE EITHER A DISCOUNTED OR A FREE RENT PROGRAM, OR A COLLEGES WHERE THEY'VE GOT ON CAMPUS HOUSING OR OFF CAMPUS HOUSING THAT'S OWNED BY THE COLLEGE, WHERE THEY DESIRE TO HAVE A PRESENCE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSON, AND THEY INCENTIVIZE THEM BY BEING ABLE TO RESIDE IN THAT WAY THAT SAFEGUARDS OUT THERE. AND THEY MAY NOT BE ON DUTY ALL THE TIME. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER KIND OF SET OF EYES AND EARS AND AT LEAST A VISIBILITY.
SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS MAY VERY WELL FALL INTO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER INCENTIVES THAT MIGHT COME INTO PLAY THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY DOLLARS AND CENTS DIRECTLY, BUT HAVE AN IMPACT ON SOME OF THE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. AND I DON'T KNOW, JOE, TO YOUR EXTENT, I
[03:00:04]
KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF EMPLOYEE SURVEYING AND PROGRAMS AND DEVELOPMENT. I ASSUME THERE'S CAREER TRACKS AND PATHS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, BUT BOTH POLICE AND FIRE AS WELL. SO YEAH, I WOULD JUST HAVE TO SAY OUR POLICE AND FIRE ARE WELL COMPENSATED. WE DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF COMPENSATING THEM. WE OUR STARTING SALARY FOR A NEW POLICE OFFICER ROOKIE ABOUT 70,000 A YEAR, MAYBE MORE. SAME WITH FIRE. WE ALSO DO A MARK TO MARKET, WHICH IS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE SEEN ANYWHERE I'VE EVER WORKED. WE DON'T NEGOTIATE A PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN A LABOR OR AN ASSOCIATION MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT. WHAT WE'VE NEGOTIATED IS A TWICE A YEAR MARK TO MARKET COMPARED TO SOME OF THE MORE AFFLUENT AND LARGER COMMUNITIES IN THE DFW REGION. SO WE DO A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH COMPENSATION WITH POLICE AND FIRE. THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS WE CAN DO, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOUNGER POLICE OFFICERS LIKE TO HAVE TIME OFF, AND THEN YOU GET TO A CERTAIN POINT IN YOUR CAREER, YOU WANT TO WORK OVERTIME, YOU LIKE THE TIME OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN WHEN YOU GET LATER IN YOUR CAREER, YOU WANT TIME OFF AGAIN OR VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS TO DO OTHER ASSIGNMENTS. MAYBE IT'S NOT BEING A POLICE OFFICER ON PATROL. IT MIGHT BE BEING AN SRO BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU'RE GETTING OLDER AND, YOU KNOW, YOU MELLOWED OVER THE YEARS AND YOU ACTUALLY CAN BRING SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN BEING A PEACE OFFICER THAN WHAT YOU WOULD BE DRIVING AROUND IN A PATROL VEHICLE. SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS COME UP WITH A VARIETY OF THINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR OFFICERS TO HAVE A FULFILLING CAREER. AND I THINK CHIEF ELLENBERG AND OUR HR DEPARTMENT HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB AT TRYING TO EXPLORE THOSE THINGS, TO KEEP IT REALLY INTERESTING AND ATTRACTIVE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY LIKE COMING TO COMMUNITIES WHERE IT'S A REALLY A GOOD PLACE TO BE, RIGHT, A GOOD ORGANIZATION, FUN THINGS TO DO. I SEE OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT DOWNTOWN THAT'S THEY LOVE THEM. THEY LOVE WORKING THOSE EVENTS BECAUSE IT'S JUST A GREAT ENVIRONMENT. AND THEY USUALLY WHEN I TALK TO THEM, THEY SAY, LISTEN, IT'S OUR PLEASURE. WE LOVE WORKING THESE EVENTS. AND SO IT HELPS BREAK UP MAYBE THE MONOTONY SOMETIMES THAT YOU HAVE. AND SO ANYWAY, I THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN THAT REGARD. DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T LOOK FOR WAYS TO TWEAK IT AND WE LISTEN TO THEM. WE HAVE OUR NEGOTIATIONS. THEY'RE HAPPY. I THINK THEY WE HAVE OUR IN FACT, OUR MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENTS EXPIRE THIS YEAR. BUT THERE'S A TWO YEAR EXTENSION BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT. AND I MY SENSE IS THEY WANT TO JUST EXTEND IT ANOTHER TWO YEARS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT UNHAPPY WITH IT.THANK YOU. SO IT'S A CHALLENGING BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY ON THE FAR SIDE POST COVID A LOT OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE STRUGGLING, REALLY GOT BURNED OUT. AND DURING COVID WE'VE SEEN THAT AS WELL. SO IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE REASONABLY CLOSE TO STAFFING IN BOTH OF THOSE CATEGORIES, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD BAROMETER TO DOING SOME GOOD THINGS. WELL, I THINK WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY IN THE FOREFRONT AND GOING FORWARD. AND I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE ENJOY HEARING IT FROM THE COUNCIL DAIS, HOW PROUD WE ARE OF THEM. AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CITIES OUT THERE THAT THEY NEVER HEAR. I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE THE SCAPEGOATS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T DIRECT WHAT ANYBODY DOES IN THE FUTURE. BUT CERTAINLY IF THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, LET THEM KNOW ABOUT IT AND DO IT PUBLICLY. OKAY. I WOULD YOU KNOW, BASED ON THIS SLIDE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE HOMELESSNESS, I THINK WE NEED AS A, AS A COUNCIL JUST TO DO A, A MORE STRATEGIC DIVE INTO WHERE THE HOMELESSNESS IS, IS COMING FROM. AND WE ARE A VERY AFFLUENT CITY. SO I DON'T HAVE THE DATA.
SO THIS IS JUST MY SPECULATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS AND GOING HOMELESS THAT LIVE IN MCKINNEY. THEY'RE COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. I MEAN, WE ARE THE COUNTY SEAT. SO WE DO HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, COUNTY FACILITIES, AS YOU KNOW, COUNTY JAIL. AND I MEAN, WE HAVE IT. SO WE ARE A DROP OFF POINT AND, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALS HERE TOO. AND SO WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THOSE FACILITIES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF ON THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW.
AND SO THEY'RE JUST NOW THEY'RE WALKING THE STREETS OF MCKINNEY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME STRATEGIC PLAN. WE CAN WE CAN PLAN AROUND THAT KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, GET A, YOU KNOW, A BUS TOGETHER AND SAY, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? AND BUS THEM BACK, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A RESOLUTION ON, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BE THE COUNTY'S DROP OFF POINT FOR, FOR HOMELESSNESS. AND I JUST THINK AS A COUNCIL, IF WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER AND JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST STRATEGICALLY PLAN ON HOW DO WE DEFEAT THAT. BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, FOR ONE, THERE MAY BE A ONESIE OR TWOSIES OF PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR JOB IN MCKINNEY AND THEY BECOME
[03:05:01]
HOMELESS. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S OUR HOMELESS PROBLEM. WELL, AND YOU'RE CORRECT BECAUSE ALL ANOTHER POLICE AGENCY AND ANY OTHER COMMUNITY WITHIN COLLIN COUNTY, IF THEY'RE CHARGED WITH A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR OR HIGHER, IT'S FREE TRIP TO THE JAIL. THE COUNTY JAIL, WHICH IS HERE IN NORTH MCKINNEY, AND THE JAIL DOESN'T WANT TO FEED THEM EITHER. THEY DON'T WANT THE COST ON THEIR BOOKS, AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO CUT THEM LOOSE ON A PR BOND, AND THEY'RE GOING TO WALK OUT IN THE PARKING LOT. AND THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO RE-OFFEND IS HERE IN MCKINNEY, TEXAS. AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE COUNTY SEAT, ALWAYS WILL BE IN THE HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT'S GOING TO BE HERE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF DEALING WITH IT. I'M CONTINUING IN EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS. AND ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE PERFECTLY CLEAR IS THAT I'M NOT ENCOURAGING HOMELESS PEOPLE TO COME TO MCKINNEY, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYBODY WHO IS HERE WHEN THERE'S BAD WEATHER TO WIND UP DEAD AND BECOMING ANOTHER DEATH IN MCKINNEY, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF THEM WHILE THEY WERE HERE. IS THERE? SO? THERE'S NOTHING REALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT LOW CRIME RATES, TALK ABOUT SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY, THINGS LIKE THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR TO PLACE AS A PRIORITY? AND I REALIZE THIS IS A THIS IS A TOUGH ISSUE. NOBODY'S GOT A SIMPLE SOLUTION ON THIS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE YET, BUT A NUMBER OF YOU REALLY RAISED THE SPECTER OF THE IMPACT ON HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY. DOES IT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF BEING A PRIORITY THAT STAFF CAN HELP GET THEIR ARMS AROUND IN SOME FASHION AND IN THE WAY, SHAPE OR FORM BEYOND WHAT'S PRESENTLY BEING DONE? SO IT'S REALLY BACK TO YOU. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD TO A LIST, OR IS IT OKAY TO LEAVE IT AS A POTENTIAL STRATEGY UNDER THE STAFF'S REVIEW UP? TIME TO ASK THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE WE JUST DID OUR ANNUAL HOMELESS COUNT ON JANUARY THE 16TH. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE NUMBERS BACK, BUT PART OF THAT COUNT IS TO TALK TO AS MANY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, FIND OUT WHERE THEY'RE SPENDING THE NIGHT THAT NIGHT, AND GET AS MUCH INFORMATION ON THEIR BACKGROUND AND HOW THEY GOT TO THAT POSITION, SO THAT WE CAN TRY AND HELP WITH IT IN THE FUTURE. BUT FOR YOUR INFORMATION, DOUG, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF HOMELESSNESS OR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN SLEEPING IN THE CAR WITH THEIR GRANDMOTHER, AND THAT'S THE LARGER PERCENTAGE. BUT MOST OF THEM CAN BE SOLVED JUST BY GETTING THEM ENOUGH FUNDS TO AFFORD A DEPOSIT. AND FIRST MONTH'S RENT WILL SOLVE A LOT OF THEM. AND THEN THERE'S 39% FROM PRIOR SURVEYS THAT ARE DUE TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH. AND LOTS OF TIMES THE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE GO HAND IN HAND BECAUSE THEY'RE SELF-MEDICATING. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIX THAT. GOOD NEWS FOR MCKINNEY IS THAT LIFE PAST SYSTEMS IS BUILDING A BRAND NEW FACILITY ACROSS FROM THE COURTHOUSE, AND I'VE WORKED WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH JUDGES OUT THERE TO SEE IF WE CAN'T GET SOME KIND OF AUTHORITY TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHO CAN MAKE AN IN THE FIELD CALL AS TO WHETHER THIS IS ACTUALLY A MENTAL HEALTH CASE OR IF IT'S A CRIMINAL CASE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY THING THE OFFICERS CAN DO IS ARREST THEM ON A CRIMINAL STATUTE AND PUT THEM IN OUR JAIL. AND YOU ALREADY KNOW OUR JAIL DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. SO IF WE'VE GOT A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY AND WE GET THE AUTHORITY TO DROP THEM AT THE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY, IT'S GOING TO FREE UP OUR OFFICERS TIME. IT'S GOING TO GIVE THEM MORE TIME TO GO OUT WHERE THEY'RE REALLY NEEDED AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT AND ALSO GIVE US ANOTHER VENUE TO FIGHT THE HOMELESS PROBLEM HERE IN MCKINNEY. BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, THEY CAN'T KEEP THEM FOREVER. AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE RELEASED ON THE STREETS OF MCKINNEY. SO IS PART OF THIS. AND I REALIZE WHAT YOU JUST SAID, CHARLIE TALKS ABOUT SOME FOLKS NOT HAVING TRANSIENT HOUSING ISSUES. SOME OF THEM ARE BEYOND HOUSING, AND THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT PROBABLY IN A POSITION OF AFFORDABLE OR BUYING A NEW HOUSE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. DOES THE HOMELESSNESS PIECE MAYBE FALL UNDER THE HOUSING PIECE TO SOME EXTENT, OR DOES IT FALL UNDER THIS OR BOTH? TO SOME DEGREE IT DOES. BUT AND[03:10:06]
PAUL CAN TALK TO IT BETTER THAN I CAN. WE HAVE SEVERAL PROGRAMS OUT THERE WHERE WE CAN GET A PERSON INTO A TEMPORARY FACILITY UNTIL THEY CAN GET THEIR NEXT PAYCHECK, AND WE CAN HELP PEOPLE ALONG. BUT AGAIN, THE PROBLEM IS EDUCATING THEM, RIGHT? AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BECAUSE ONE OF THE WRONGS OF MCKINNEY IS WE'RE BIG TIPPERS AND PEOPLE DON'T MIND HANDING OUT FIVE BUCKS TO THE GUY AT THE CORNER, AND THEY DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TOWARDS A HOTEL FOR HIM TO SPEND THE NIGHT, OR A PACK OF CIGARETTES AND A BEER. I KNOW IT'S NOT A SIX PACK BECAUSE I THINK THEY COST MORE THAN $2 THESE DAYS, SO. BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE, PAUL I WOULD JUST WE HAVE OUR HOUSING, WE HAVE A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM. WE HAVE SOME OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE CERTAINLY AND WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ARE REALLY ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE IS PROBABLY MORE OF A HOUSING ISSUE. THERE IS A PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT. THE MAYOR'S HOMELESS COALITION INCLUDES PEOPLE FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS. AND THERE AS AS MUCH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AS ANYONE. IT IS A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU FIND IN JUST ONE DEPARTMENT. I THINK I6E PROBABLY ADDRESSES IT BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY WITH THE VARIOUS ISSUES, THE DIALOG THAT WE GET EITHER FROM FOLKS DOWNTOWN, FOLKS OF BY THE COUNTY JAIL, AND THE CORRIDOR TRANSIT CORRIDOR FOLKS WHO ARE RELEASED FROM THE JAIL. INSOFAR AS THAT'S AN ISSUE, WE DON'T SEE HIGHER CRIME BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LOW CRIME RATES. SO WE DON'T SEE A HIGHER CRIME RATE AS A RESULT OF PEOPLE BEING RELEASED FROM THE JAIL, AS IT WERE. SO IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE SPILLING OVER INTO THAT REGARD, COULD BE CONTRIBUTING TO HOMELESSNESS, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I KNOW THAT MY COUNTERPARTS AND OTHER CITIES WILL TELL US THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE VERY SAME ISSUES, AND THERE'S ALWAYS THEIR FINGER POINTING THAT OCCURS BETWEEN CITIES. IT'S PROBABLY MOSTLY URBAN LEGEND ABOUT SOME CITIES SENDING THE HOMELESS OVER THERE, AND THEN THEY'RE SENDING THEIRS BACK HERE. IT I'VE NEVER SEEN THE EVIDENCE OF THAT. SO THESE ARE JUST SOCIETAL PROBLEMS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY FROM IT BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE WE'RE AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL OF THE HUMAN EXISTENCE. WE ARE. THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENS. AND WE HAVE TO KEEP DEALING WITH IT AND ADAPTING TO IT, AND COMING UP WITH PROGRAMS TO TRY TO MITIGATE THE SUFFERING AND PAIN AND OTHER ISSUES THAT GO ALONG WITH IT. SO I'LL JUST CLOSE THE QUESTION. THERE'S NOTHING AND IT'S YOUR CALL. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE ARE YOUR PRIORITIES. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOMELESSNESS OR ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE BUCKETS WE HAVE, EITHER UNDER HOUSING OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CATEGORY AND OR THIS IN TERMS OF OUTREACH AND UNDERSTANDING AND HOMELESS COALITION TYPE WORK, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY IT'S WORDED NOW? OBVIOUSLY WE'LL CAPTURE THESE FOR PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES OF STAFF TO DEAL WITH. AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ADOPT YOUR PRIORITIES. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE YOU WANT TO SAY ON THAT? SHOULD IT BE INCORPORATED IN SOME FASHION AND THESE OR SOME OTHER STATEMENT OTHER THAN IT'S AN ONGOING CONCERN? THAT YOU JUST SAY, OKAY, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. SO AS IT RELATED TO YOUR LAST GOAL, SAFE, SECURE COMMUNITY, WERE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES, ANY OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TODAY? IT GOES BACK TO YOUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES. A COUPLE THINGS I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY. SURE, I COULD VERY HELPFULLY SHOWED ME. I TALKED ABOUT STARTING SALARY FOR POLICE AND FIRE MORE THAN I THOUGHT. EVEN I AM LOST TOUCH IN SOME SENSE BECAUSE THEY POLICE STARTING OFF THE STARTING SALARY FOR A ROOKIE OFFICER, NOT INCLUDING THE RECRUIT 5000. SO JUST UNDER 86,000 A YEAR AND THE STARTING SALARY FOR A NEW FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT IS 83,000 AND CHANGE. SO THE COMPENSATE WELL, WE BRING IN GOOD FOLKS. IF YOU WALK THROUGH THE FIREHOUSES, YOU WALK THROUGH THE POLICE STATION. YOU EVER HAD DEALINGS WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS? THEY ARE TOP NOTCH. THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY, VERY, VERY GOOD. I HAD THE PLEASURE TO GET A TOUR OF OUR TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM RIGHT HERE AT THE DOWNTOWN STATION, THE MAIN STATION HERE, AND THEY ARE IMPRESSIVE GROUP, THE SKILL SETS, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS VARIOUS DIFFERENT ISSUES, WHETHER IT'S A TECHNICAL[03:15:05]
RESCUE OF A CAR AND AN ACCIDENT CAR BURIED, YOU KNOW, STUCK UNDERNEATH A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER. THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT FOR THAT, AMAZING JACKS AND EQUIPMENT. THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT FOR WATER RESCUES AND RAPID RAPID WATER RESCUES, ETC. AND SO THEY'RE REALLY GOOD. WE GET WHAT WE PAY FOR SURE. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD WAS I MENTIONED WAY, WAY EARLY ABOUT THE WATER LOSS 2023. THE NUMBER WAS 7% 2024. I MENTIONED IT'S UNDER 10%, BUT IT'S NOT SET YET. SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S UNDER 10%. BUT THAT NUMBER HASN'T BEEN SPECIFIED ON A MORE PRECISE PERCENTAGE, SO THAT NUMBER WILL YET COME. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE I SAID IT'S UNDER 10%. IT MAY YET BE UNDER 7%. WE JUST GOT TO GET THAT FROM OUR STAFF.SO THANK BEFORE YOU GOT HERE, PAUL HAD GOTTEN UP TO 28%. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. THAT'S A PRETTY LEAKY SYSTEM AT 28%. RIGHT. WELL, WE HAD ACQUIRED A COUPLE OF RURAL WATER SYSTEMS AND THE RURAL WATER SYSTEMS WERE WILD. I MEAN, THEY THEY COULD TAP INTO THEM AND NOBODY KNEW WAS PAYING ATTENTION. AND, AND THEN WE HAD A LOT OF LEAKAGE IN THE SORT OF THE MID CITY AREA OF MCKINNEY, WHERE IT WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THE WATER SERVICE LINES WERE POORLY MANUFACTURED.
IT WAS POORLY SOURCED. THE SOURCE OF THOSE WERE THEY WERE SUBJECT TO CORROSION. AND WE'VE REPLACED MOST OF THOSE, AND THAT'S MADE A BIG IMPACT. YEAH. THE OTHER PIECE, JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNCIL, YOU'RE A BIG ENOUGH CITY THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT YOUR SPECIALIZED, YOUR SRT, YOUR YOU KNOW, YOUR THE CRITICAL OR THE NOW LOST THE ACRONYM. BUT BASICALLY YOU'VE GOT TEAMS AND PROGRAMS WITHIN POLICE AND FIRE. MANY TIMES WE'LL FIND IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES THOSE ARE ASPIRATIONAL THINGS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE IN THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT. AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL THEY'LL JUMP SHIP TO A DIFFERENT EMPLOYER BECAUSE THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S CANINES OR SWAT OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE PROGRAM MAY BE. AND SO YOU'RE OF THAT SIZE WHERE YOU CAN PROBABLY OFFER ALMOST ANYTHING THAT THEY WANTED TO BE INVOLVED WITH, WHICH MAKES YOU ATTRACTIVE FOR SOME OF THOSE FOLKS, AS OPPOSED TO POTENTIALLY BEING POACHED BY BIGGER CITIES OR COUNTIES THAT CAN OFFER THOSE PATHS OF INTEREST TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. SO. SO THOSE ARE GOOD. I KNOW THEY'RE COSTLY TO DO, BUT THEY ENHANCE THEIR SERVICE. BUT IT ALSO IS A RETENTION COMPONENT. AND YOU SEE IN SOME SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY JUST CAN'T SEE THEMSELVES IN GOOD SHAPE.
THEY'LL SAY OKAY, OKAY, LOOK AT THAT NOON. I'M PRETTY CLOSE, RIGHT? I WAS TOLD AROUND NOON WAS THE WINDOW ON THE NUMBERS. SO I WANTED TO I ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION, IS THERE ANYTHING WE DIDN'T COVER TODAY IN YOUR GOALS OR PRIORITIES? SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE RAISED, HOPEFULLY THAT'S ADDED SOME COLOR AND CONVERSATION FOR STAFF TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND AND UNPACK KIND OF YOUR INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES. BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO ASK ALL OF YOU OR ANYTHING WE DIDN'T COVER OR ANYTHING. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CLOSE. AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK THE STAFF, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED FROM THEM THAT WE DIDN'T GET THROUGH TODAY? SO FIRST, FIRST WITH THE COUNCIL, ANY COMMENTS, CONCERNS, PRIORITIES THAT NEEDED MORE ATTENTION OR OTHER QUESTIONS? IF SOMEBODY FEELS THERE'S WEREN'T YEAH. THANK YOU DOUG I THINK WE COVERED EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON MY MIND. THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD STAFF GO BACK HALF. HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANYTHING WE DIDN'T UNPACK OR THEY DIDN'T EXPLAIN THAT. YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION OR CLARITY ON. WE'RE GOOD. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. SO DOUG THANK YOU. IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL. PLEASURE.
LOVE THE CONTINUITY TO THAT. YOU'VE BEEN OUR GUY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. IT HELPS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GO. AND THEN IT'S HELPS. AS A FACILITATOR, I'M SURE, TO HAVE ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE. WHEN YOU STEP IN THE ROOM AND IT SHOWS AND, AND YOUR EFFICIENCY OF GETTING THROUGH THE ISSUES AND WHATNOT. SO I WON'T BE HERE FOR ANY OTHERS. MR. GEORGE, I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. APPRECIATE YOU AND APPRECIATE THE JOB YOU'VE DONE AND FOCUS THAT YOU'VE HELPED BRING. THANK YOU FOR COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GEORGE I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND TRIPLE THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL'S RETIREMENT FUND THIS YEAR IF THAT'S OKAY. BECAUSE ZERO TIMES THREE IS STILL ZERO. WELL INFLATION HAS AN IMPACT ON IT TOO, RIGHT? EVEN IF IT'S ZERO.
RIGHT. SO. WELL THANK YOU GEORGE I APPRECIATE IT. I REALLY AS I SAID THIS IS REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU ORGANIZATION AND CERTAINLY WITH YOUR STAFF AND WITH ALL OF YOU AS WELL.
YOUR I ALWAYS I ALWAYS TOUT YOU GUYS AS SOME OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST THAT I'VE SEEN OUT THERE, AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY. I WORK WITH A LOT OF PLACES AND LOTS OF TIMES I'M OFTEN SAYING, HEY, THEY'RE DOING IT UP HERE IN MCKINNEY. MIGHT WANT TO REACH OUT TO TALK TO
[03:20:02]
THEIR COUNTERPARTS TO GET A FEEL FOR SOME OF THOSE ISSUES. SO WE CONTINUE TO REALLY IMPRESS ME.AND AS I SAID, WORKING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU ARE CLEARLY A VERY, VERY HIGHLY EFFICIENT, HIGHLY OPERATING ORGANIZATION. PART OF THAT IS THE STAFF YOU'VE GOT. BUT PART OF THAT IS THE COMPOSITION AND HOW YOU WORK WITH EACH OTHER. IT'S MOSTLY US. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHAT'S THAT. YEAH. SO MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE.
THANK YOU AGAIN DOUG. GREAT. MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.