[00:00:02] GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE DENTON CITY COUNCIL. IT IS 9 A.M.. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, SO I'LL CALL THE MEETING ORDER. WE HAVE ONLY ONE AGENDA ITEM TODAY, SO I WILL CALL THAT. I'M SORRY. I, SIR. I'M SORRY, TOO, BUT. BUT SO FIRST ITEM ID TWO, 2244, SEVEN. [A. Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton canvassing election returns and declaring results of the Special Elections held on November 8, 2022; and providing an effective date.] CONSIDER ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON CANVASING ELECTION RETURNS. DECLARING RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION HELD ON NOVEMBER EIGHT, 2022, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. SO THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ROSA RIOS AND I AM YOUR CITY SECRETARY. AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER EIGHT, 2022 SPECIAL ELECTIONS. SO THE ELECTION WAS ORDERED ON JUNE 28 FOR THE PROPOSITION OF DETERMINING WHETHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON MAGUIRE SHALL BE REMOVED FROM DISTRICT FOUR SEAT OF THE CITY COUNCIL BY RECALL. THAT WAS PROPOSITION A ON THE BALLOT AND THE RESULTS WERE THAT IT RECEIVED A FAVORABLE MAJORITY OF VOTE AND THEREFORE CARRIED THE ELECT. THERE WAS ANOTHER ELECTION ORDERED ON JULY 26 FOR THE PROPOSITION OF DETERMINING WHETHER AN INITIATIVE ORDINANCE WOULD BE APPROVED TO ELIMINATE LOW LEVEL MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT THAT WAS LISTED AS PROPOSITION B ON THE BALLOT. AND THE RESULTS WAS THAT IT RECEIVED A FAVORABLE MAJORITY VOTE AND THEREFORE CARRIED. PRESENTING TODAY WILL BE THE SOME TOTALS THAT ARE GOING TO BE TABULATED FOR PROPOSITION A PER DISTRICT, CUMULATIVE AND THEN BY PRECINCT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, FOR PROPOSITION B, THE CITYWIDE CUMULATIVE AND PRECINCT CITY COUNCIL DOES NEED TO ACCEPT THE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS IN ORDER TO OFFICIATE THE OUTCOME. THERE WERE UPDATED REPORTS PROVIDED BY DENTON COUNTY YESTERDAY. AS NOTED HERE. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, FOR PROPOSITION A, THE VOTES IN FAVOR WERE AT 8683 AND AGAINST WAS 4898. THIS IS THE CUMULATIVE BY PRECINCT. AND OF COURSE, THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION HAS IT BROKEN DOWN INDIVIDUAL BY PRECINCT FOR PROPOSITION B, THE CUMULATIVE WAS THAT THERE WERE 32,673 VOTES FOR THE ORDINANCE, WITH 13,128 VOTES AGAINST THE ORDINANCE. AND THIS HERE IS THE CUMULATIVE BY PRECINCT. AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND FLASH THROUGH THESE SNAPSHOTS. AGAIN, THE DETAIL REPORT BY PRECINCT ARE AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE BACKUP OF THE ORDINANCES. SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS SIMPLY TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, TO CONSIDER THE CANVASING THE ELECTION RETURNS, AND I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? AND I GUESS JUST GIVE A HAND INDICATION BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE REMOTE SEEING NONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE COLLARS AND A FEW CARDS. WE'LL GET TO THOSE AND WE'LL VOTE. IF WE COULD PULL UP THE CALLER FIRST TO JUST ADDRESS THAT. HARRISON MERRIMAN. SO. HELLO. IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, YOU'LL HAVE 4 MINUTES. HARRISON MERRIMAN 708. PACE DRIVE. OKAY. GO RIGHT AHEAD. YOU FOUND IT? YEAH. GO RIGHT AHEAD. YEAH, YOU'RE IN THE MEETING LIVE. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SPEAK. YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. [00:05:04] AWESOME. I WAS JUST CALLING IN BECAUSE SOME OF MY FRIENDS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO GOT PROPOSITION B ON THE BALLOT WERE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO THIS MEETING AND JUST EXPRESS THAT WE THINK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD RESPECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE AND PASS PROPOSITION B. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION GOING ON WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IF IT'S ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO PASS, AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. WITH OVER 70% OF THE VOTE WHY WE'RE EVEN HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. OKAY. YOU STILL HAVE 3 MINUTES OR IS THAT DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS? THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENT. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEN JUST TO CONFIRM, STAFF NICHOLAS NOR AUSTIN ARE ON THE LINE JUST TO. JUST NEITHER OF THEM ARE ON OK. THANK YOU. AND THEN TAKING THE BLUE CAR TO HAVE LEANNE. TODD, IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, YOU'LL HAVE 4 MINUTES. I'M LEANNE TODD. I LIVE AT 3316 ROSELAWN DRIVE. TAXPAYING CITIZEN OF DENTON, PROPOSITION B, 71% OF THE CITIZENS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSITION. AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF DENTON AND THEIR DESIRES, WHICH IS A CLEAR MAJORITY. I'M AGAINST USING TAX DOLLARS FOR ARREST OR TICKETS FOR A MISDEMEANOR FOR MARIJUANA. AND MY OPINION, THERE'S A LOT MORE SERIOUS CRIMES OUT THERE AND DRUG ABUSE AND USES AND NOT TO WASTE OUR TAX DOLLARS ON A MISDEMEANOR. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT MARIJUANA IS LEGAL, BUT THAT WE'RE NOT WASTING OUR TAX DOLLARS ON ARREST. AS AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, I HAVE TREATED KIDS FROM CAR WRECKS, FROM ALCOHOL ABUSE WHO HAVE BEEN WHEELCHAIR BOUND FOR LIFE. AND I SEE IT AS A MORE SERIOUS DRUG IN RELATION TO PROPOSITION A. ALISON MAGUIRE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE OF MY DISTRICT BEFORE JESSIE DAVIS. SHE WAS VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE. SHE WAS ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS, SHE WAS PEOPLE OVER DEVELOPMENT. AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN UNFAIR ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE POLITICAL BALANCE IN CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THEN EVA GRECO, YOU CAN COME DOWN, GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. EVA GRECO, 802 WEST OAK STREET. ON NOVEMBER EIGHT, 2022. DENTON VOTERS EXERCISED THEIR PRIVILEGE AND THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE, WHICH THEY DID. AND THEY MADE PROBABLY LAW PROBABLY WAS ENACTED BY THOSE SAME VOTERS VIA THE AUTHORITY PROVIDED BY THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION AND THE CITY'S HOME RULE CHARTER. UNDER THAT CHARTER, THERE ARE ONLY TWO POLICY MAKERS, THE CITY COUNCIL. AND THE PEOPLE. CITY STAFF DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DISREGARD ELECTION RESULTS AND ENCROACH UPON THE RIGHTS OF DENTON CITIZENS. THAT BEING SAID, YOU AND CITY MANAGER SARA HENSLEY ARE REFUSING TO ENFORCE LAW. YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO TAKE SUCH ACTION. YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION DOES NOT GIVE YOU THAT AUTHORITY AND AS SUCH YOU ARE OVERSTEPPING. AT THIS TIME MYSELF. AND THE OTHER RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF DENTON DEMAND THAT CITY MANAGER AND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COUNCIL FULLY ENFORCE PROPOSITION B. AS FOR PROPOSITION A. ALISON MCGUIRE YOU HAVE WON THE HEARTS OF MANY, MANY OF US. OK. WITH CERTAIN MEMBERS ON THIS COUNCIL HAVE DONE. TO THIS WOMAN IS DEPLORABLE, IS ATROCIOUS. THIS ALL STARTED WITH CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT GETTING THEIR WAY. AND REDISTRICTING NOT GOING THEIR WAY. AND ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER. JUST WANTS THINGS THEIR WAY. YOU ALL USED ALISON MCGUIRE AS YOUR SCAPEGOAT. EVERYTHING THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID I BACK 100%. AND JUST KNOW THAT YOUR DAYS OF RECKONING ARE COMING SOON. WHICH YOU HAVE DONE TO ALLISON MAGUIRE. IS ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE AND DISGUSTING. [00:10:01] THANK YOU. OKAY. JENNIFER LANE, YOU CAN COME NOW, YOU CAN GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU'LL HAVE 4 MINUTES. JENNIFER LANE DENTON, TEXAS 76205I LIVE IN THE DENNY AREA. ALLISON IS MY REPRESENTATIVE, SO I WANT TO SPEAK ON THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK ON THE PROP ORDINANCE AND IT URGE YOU TO CANVAS THAT AND MOVE FORWARD. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WAS VOTED ON BY THE PUBLIC, JUST AS WAS THE RECALL. HOWEVER, IN 2016 WHEN I WAS INVOLVED IN A RECALL CAMPAIGN. WHAT I NOW REALIZE WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE OUTCOME BEEN THE SAME AS THIS ONE, IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE NUKED IT ON THE BASIS OF THERE BEING A REQUIREMENT IN THE CHARTER THAT THERE BE SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS. NOW, THAT SHOULD BE CHANGED BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RECALL SOMEONE THAT THEY WISH TO, BUT IT IS NOT THE CASE NOW. AND SO I CALL UPON YOU TO OBSERVE THE CHARTER AND NUKE THIS RECALL BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE NO OTHER OPTION AND WOULD HAVE USED IT BACK THEN. THAT'S HOW THE EFFORTS THAT WERE MADE IN DISTRICT FOUR IN 2016 WOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY THIS BODY AND SHOULD BE HANDLED TODAY. AS FOR THE PROP B ORDINANCE, THIS IS A PUBLIC ORDINANCE THAT NEEDS TO BE IT NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED. IT'S A PLEBISCITE, NOT A REPRESENTATIVE. AND TO ALLOW THIS SORT OF RESPONSE TO IT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IS NOT REALLY THE BEST PRACTICE. WHAT OTHER CITIES AND OTHER AREAS HAVE DONE IS MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO WORK BETWEEN STATE LAW AND CITY LAW AND COUNTY LAW TO OBSERVE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. AND THAT'S WHAT DENTON NEEDS TO DO WITH THAT PLEBISCITE. BACK AGAIN TO THE RECALL PETITION HAD THE JOEY HUDSON JOEY HAWKINS RECALL PETITION PASSED, YOU ALL WOULD HAVE NUKED IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO, BECAUSE THE CHARTER SAYS YOU HAVE TO. SO YOU MUST DO THAT TODAY AND THEN YOU MUST CHANGE THE CHARTER SO THAT RECALL CAN BE ALLOWED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CARRIE, WAIT. YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. GOOD MORNING. SO I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON THE AGENDA ITEM REGARDING PROPOSITION B, WHICH WAS VOTED INTO EFFECT BY THE CITIZENS OF DENTON EARLIER THIS MONTH. SO I LIVE IN DENTON AND I HAVE FOUR YEARS AND THIS TIME I HAVE SEEN VOTERS PROPOSE AND VOTE FOR SEVERAL THINGS. OVERWHELMINGLY. AND ON OCCASION THOSE THINGS HAVE ENDED UP BEING FOUGHT WHERE WE BEACH BY OFFICIALS OR IN COURT. IN THAT CASE, WHAT IS THE POINT OF BEING THIS COUNTRY AND THIS CONSTITUTION WERE FOUNDED ON THE BASIS OF DEMOCRACY AND THE PEOPLE'S POISE AND MATURITY DECIDE THINGS. WE WE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE AND THINK AND VOTE IN LAW BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DECIDE FOR OURSELVES WHAT WE WANT TO BE GOVERNED BY. PROPOSITION B WAS VOTED ILLEGALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT THE CITIZENS OF DENTON WANTED, AND WE BECAME AN EMPLOYEE IN REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS CITY. YOU PROMISE AND AGREE THAT YOU UPHOLD THE WISHES AND LAWS OF THE CITY AND THE CITIZENS. PROPOSITION B WAS VOTED INTO LAW BY THE WISHES OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO UPHOLD OUR PROMISES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO OUR CITIZENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DEB OMETER. IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. HI, MY NAME IS DEB AUMENTAR AND MY ADDRESS IS 2003, MR. WOOD LANE. I'M SPEAKING AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND ALSO AS A BOARD MEMBER OF DECORUM DENTON. I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU APPEAR TO BELIEVE THAT PROPOSITION B IS IN CONTRADICTION WITH STATE LAW. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO THAT OPINION. OBVIOUSLY, I DISAGREE. OBVIOUSLY, THE LAWYERS WHO WROTE PROPOSITION B DISAGREE. AND IN FACT, YOU CAN I HOPE YOU CAN AT LEAST ADMIT THAT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR FROM THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN THAT STATE LAW WOULD FORM THE ENTIRE FRAMEWORK FOR THE LIMITS TO PROPOSITION B, WHICH, IF IT WAS WHAT THE PUBLIC REALLY WANTS, WOULD BE A LOT STRONGER THAN IT IS. SO YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION. THE PROBLEM IS YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO USE YOUR OPINION TO REPLACE EITHER THE WILL OF THE VOTERS OR A [00:15:06] DECISION OF A COURT OF LAW THAT HAS THE ACTUAL AUTHORITY TO SAY THAT PROP B CONTRADICTS STATE LAW. THAT IS NOT UP TO YOU. THAT IS UP TO A COURT OF LAW. FOR NOW, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. I WANT TO READ TWO TEXAS SUPREME COURT OPINIONS, ONE AND THEIR RULING ON THE CITY OF BROOKSIDE VILLAGE VERSUS COMO. THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS SAID A CITY MAY AS A VALID EXERCISE OF ITS POLICE POWER, ENFORCE REASONABLE REGULATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE OF ITS PEOPLE. THAT'S WHAT B AND 32,673 DENTON RESIDENTS VOTED ON. NUMBER TWO, TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS ALSO SAID THAT UNDER THE 2019 TEXAS STATE HEMP REFORMS, THE CANNABIS SATIVA PLANT AND ITS PARTS AND DERIVATIVES THAT HISTORICALLY WERE ILLEGAL, INCLUDING FLOWERS, BUD LEAVES AND STEMS, CAN NOW BE LEGALLY CULTIVATED IN TEXAS SO LONG AS THEY CONTAIN A THC CONCENTRATION OF NO MORE THAN 0.3%. UNDER THE NEW STATUTORY FRAMEWORK, ALL SUCH PARTS OF THE CANNABIS SATIVA PLANT NOW QUALIFY AS HEMP AND NO LONGER QUALIFY AS MARIJUANA. FARMERS CAN PRODUCE HEMP BY CONTROLLING A PLANT'S THC LEVEL IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. THE ONLY WAY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A LEGAL HEMP PLANT, PART OR PRODUCT AND AN ILLEGAL MARIJUANA PLANT PART A PRODUCT IS TO TEST ITS THC CONCENTRATION. FORENSICALLY, THEY ARE VIRTUALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE BY SIGHT OR SMELL ALONE. THIS MATTERS BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER RELIES ON TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 370.003. THAT SECTION SAYS THE CITY MUST FULLY ENFORCE CHAPTER 41 AND 43 OF TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE. BUT THE HEMP REFORM'S UPDATED CHAPTERS FOUR FOR 81 AND 43 TO TAKE HEMP OUT OF THE LIST OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. AND SO NOW POLICE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE SMELLING OR SEEING SOMETHING ILLEGAL OR ILLEGAL. SORRY, ILLEGAL OR LEGAL FULLY ENFORCED DOESN'T MEAN LOCK UP PEOPLE FOR LEGAL CONDUCT. SO CITIES LIKE DENTON ARE ENTIRELY REASONABLE TO STOP LOW LEVEL ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH OF A RISK OF CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROP B DOES NOT ONLY PROHIBIT ARREST FOR FOUR OUNCES AND UNDER, BUT ALSO CITATIONS. AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING IN THESE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR COMPLIANCE AND CITATIONS. I HOPE THE PLAN IS TO COMPLY. IT IS CERTAINLY YOUR DUTY TO COMPLY. IF, AGAIN, IF YOU FEEL IT CONTRADICTS STATE LAW, YOU CAN YOU CAN HELP SOMEONE SUE THE CITY. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT EXCEPT OVERRULE 32,673 VOTERS. OKAY, JARED. PAN. IKO MISPRONOUNCE IT. HELLO. I'M JARED PANICO. I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS WITH STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY. SO WE ALL KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN A TIME OF INCREASING DIVISION IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE CITY OF DENTON HAS SHOWN THAT ONE THING THAT WE DO AGREE UPON IS PROPOSITION B. SO I UNDERSTAND THIS CREATES CONFUSION BETWEEN DIFFERENT POLICE DEPARTMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN DENTON. IN MY OWN VIEW, THIS IS A GOOD THING. SINCE THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR IT, IT SHOULD BE ENACTED AND THE DUTY TO ENFORCE IT. AND IF IT CREATES CONFUSION, THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED FURTHER UP AT THE. AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND I YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THEN JEANETTE MCKENZIE. YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. HELLO. MY NAME IS JEANETTE MCKENZIE. MY ADDRESS IS 1721 WEST OAK STREET. AND I AM A UMD ALUMNI AND A MEMBER OF DECRIMINALIZE DENTON. DECRIMINALIZE DENTON WAS FOUNDED AS A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF PROPOSITION B, 70%. 71%, I BELIEVE, IS WHAT IT PASSED WITH. WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF PROP B, WHICH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS MORE THAN ANY SINGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR MAYOR HAVE EVER RECEIVED VOTES IN FAVOR IN THEIR ELECTION. RECORD BREAKING TURNOUT. WE HAD RECORD BREAKING TURNOUT AND. [00:20:04] WHEN IT WAS STILL AT THE PETITION LEVEL, THE LARGEST BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT THE CITY OF DENTON HAS EVER RECEIVED. THIS PROPOSITION WAS SOMETHING THAT DROVE VOTER TURNOUT AND THAT. SO MANY PEOPLE SUPPORTED. WHETHER THEY VOTED RED, BLUE OR AN INDEPENDENT LIBERTARIAN. THERE WAS ONE THING THAT EVERYBODY AGREED ON AND IT WAS PROPOSITION B AND JUST LIKE. DEB PARMENTER SAID IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH ILLEGAL HEMP. AND ILLEGAL HEMP FROM ILLEGAL MARIJUANA BY SMELL ALONE. AND THIS PUTS CITIZENS AT RISK FOR UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO DO. AND. AND WE SHOULD BE MINIMIZING THAT RISK. AND. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS THAT HAS ENACTED DECRIMINALIZATION ORDINANCES, INCLUDING OUR STATE CAPITAL, AUSTIN. I THINK IT'S THE STATE CAPITOL HAS ENACTED DECRIMINALIZATION MEASURES IN THE PAST THAT THAT SETS A PRETTY CLEAR PRECEDENCE THAT THE REST OF THE STATE, CITIES WITHIN THE STATE MAY FOLLOW SUIT. AND AND SO I. AND HERE AS A TAXPAYING CITIZEN AND AS. ARE YOU AN ALUMNI AND. ASKING ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND SUPPORT WHAT 71% OF THE VOTERS OF THIS ELECTION, 32,000 RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF DENTON. CLEARLY VOTED IN SUPPORT OF AND PASSED PROPOSITION B IN FULL. THANK YOU. I YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU, RICHARD. H A Y N E R HAYNER. ALL RIGHT. THIS. HI, MY NAME IS RICHARD HANER. I LIVE AT 2055 STOCKBRIDGE ROAD AND I JUST TURNED 70 YEARS OLD ABOUT A WEEK AGO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. BELATED BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. YES. I NEVER DYED MY HAIR IN MY LIFE. I ATTRIBUTE THAT TO MARIJUANA AT A YOUNG AGE. IT LOOKS FANTASTIC. THEN I SAW WILLIE NELSON, AND SO I KIND OF CHANGED THINGS, BUT I JUST. IF YOU CAN TELL SUPPORT THE PROPOSITION BE AND OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE DID AND I DON'T THINK YOUR JOB IS TO CONSIDER WHETHER TO BUT HOW TO ENFORCE THAT. SO LET'S GET ON WITH IT. I WAS A HIPPIE IN THE SIXTY'S AND IN TEXAS, SO I'M KIND OF HARD CORE ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS. I'M A LITTLE TOO OLD TO BE DOING THIS, AND YET HERE I AM STILL DOING IT. I'M SO OLD THAT I NO LONGER SUCKING MY GUT WHEN I SEE A PRETTY GIRL BECAUSE MY PANTS WILL FALL DOWN. BUT I JUST WANT TO TO SPEAK MY MIND ONE LAST TIME ABOUT THIS. I THINK IT'S ONE LAST TIME BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO GET CHANGED AND SAY THAT THAT OUR OUR RIGHTS ARE AT STAKE HERE. AND BY GOLLY, I'M STARTING TO FEEL LIKE I'M DYSLEXIC BECAUSE MY RIGHTS LEFT. SO DO THE THING AND GET IT OVER WITH. JUST FIND OUT HOW TO DO IT. IF IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE LAW, THEN WORK ON IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR. THAT'S YOUR JOB. SO TAKE CARE OF IT. TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS, TAKE CARE OF THE VOTERS. DO WHAT WE REQUESTED. WE WE ONCE VOTED NOT TO HAVE FRACKING HERE. AND OUR GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE IN TEXAS DECIDED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. WELL, WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE? WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. AND I EXPECT YOU GUYS TO DO BETTER THAN THEY DID. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, NICK STEVENS. YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS NICK STEVENS, 417 AMARILLO STREET, DENTON, TEXAS. [00:25:01] AND I'M COMING BEFORE YOU TODAY ON BEHALF OF DECRIMINALIZE DEBT AND AS WELL AS THE OTHER 32,672 VOTERS THAT SUPPORTED PROPOSITION B THAT NIGHTS DON'T AGREE ON MUCH. AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH AN ECLECTIC GROUP OF VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE UP HERE. BUT I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE WHAT A FEW OTHER PEOPLE SAID, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR HUDSPETH, MR. WATTS, YOU ALL RECEIVED A LOT OF VOTES THIS LAST TIME AND ARE VERY POPULAR. PROP B RECEIVED TWICE AS MANY VOTES AS YOU ALL. AND I HOPE YOU TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S UNIFYING. I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME DURING THE CAMPAIGN UP IN ROBESON RANCH TALKING TO THOSE VOTERS. THERE ARE VERY FEW TIMES THAT YOU CAN GET PEOPLE FROM ROBES AND RANCH AND UN TEA TO VOTE THE SAME EXACT WAY. AND SO I HOPE YOU DON'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY. I HOPE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT I'M A LITTLE PISSED OFF AND DISHEARTENED BY WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE 12 HOURS AFTER THAT NIGHT, 72% OF US WHO VOTED SPOKE OUR MIND. THE CITY RELEASED A PRESS RELEASE. ANTAGONIZING US, ANTAGONIZED US AS A BOARD MEMBERS. THEY ANTAGONIZED, DECRIMINALIZED DÉTENTE. THEY ANTAGONIZED 72% OF THE VOTING POPULACE BY SAYING, WELL, WE REALLY CAN'T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING. AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, AT THE END OF THAT STATEMENT, THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE WHO IS NOT FROM HERE, DECIDED TO SAY THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO NOT STOP AND FRISK PEOPLE, HE'S GOING TO DO IT ANYWAYS BECAUSE HE WANTS TO FIND MORE VIOLENT CRIME. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THINGS WORK IN COLORADO, BUT HERE IN DENTON, WE DON'T OVERTHROW AND SUBVERT ELECTIONS. WE ABIDE BY THEM, PERIOD. AND SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S SO UPSETTING THAT I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE THAT YOU HAVE THIS MANY PEOPLE HERE AT 830, 9:00 IN THE MORNING TO TALK ABOUT A CERTIFICATION, BECAUSE I DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING TO CHANGE TODAY. AND I'M NOT HERE TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS. I'M HERE FOR THE SAKE OF ASKING YOU ALL TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT. I MEAN, YOU ALL ARE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS AND YOU ALL ARE GOING TO VOTE TO CERTIFY IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO THAT. BUT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ALL THINK, BECAUSE THIS IS JUST MY PERCEPTION. I THINK THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THE CITY MANAGER BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE. I THINK THAT YOU'RE FORCING HER HANDS OF A BALANCING ACT TO PLEASE ALL OF YOU ALL SO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT WHEN YOU VOTE ON THIS. TELL HER WHAT YOU WANT HER TO DO. THAT'S MY ONLY ASK. AND I FEEL LIKE THROUGHOUT THE PAST SIX MONTHS, I'VE BEEN VERY RESPECTFUL AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL FEEL THAT. BUT THAT'S MY LAST ASK OF Y'ALL TODAY. AT LEAST GO ON THE RECORD SO THAT EVERYONE HERE AND EVERYONE IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN HEAR THAT YOU WANT HER TO ENFORCE THIS FULLY? I THINK THAT THAT'S ONLY RIGHT. THE THE THE LAST THING I'LL SAY JUST THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT ON THAT STOP AND FRISK IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ANY OF YOU ALL ARE WELCOME OVER TO MY HOUSE AT ANY TIME TO LET ME SMOKE A BLUNT IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISION AT THAT POINT. IF YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS MARIJUANA, WHAT IS DELTA EIGHT AND WHAT IS HEMP. IF YOU CANNOT DO THAT, THEN YOU CAN'T STOP AND FRISK PEOPLE. YOU JUST CAN'T. IT DOESN'T MAKE IT. YOU DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL. THAT'S NOT PROBABLE CAUSE IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS LEGAL OR ILLEGAL. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THAT'S NOT AN ANTI COP POLICY ON MY. AND I HAD COPS AT MY HOUSE JUST TWO WEEKS AGO FOR A BREAK IN. OUR COPS DON'T WANT TO BE DOING THESE TYPES OF THINGS. AND SO LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS BY ENFORCING PROPOSITION B AND HANDLING THE WILL OF THE PUBLIC. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS. I DO REALLY ENJOY IT AND I HOPE YOU'LL MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT TODAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. LAST CARD. ALEX STEIN. JUST. OK CAN GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. ALEX STEIN, 7509 INWOOD ROAD. AND NORMALLY, YOU KNOW, I COME UP HERE AND I MAKE A FUNNY STATEMENT, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DENTON IS ACTUALLY REALLY SERIOUS. AND I WAS JUST PROPOSITION B AND THEY CALL ME DELTA NINE ONE WAY. STEIN THAT'S KIND OF A NICKNAME BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEMP, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE THE PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECTS THEN THC MARIJUANA. BUT MY POINT IS THIS WEEKEND THERE WAS AN EVENT RIGHT HERE ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD, A PATCHOULI JOE'S BOOKSTORE, WHERE THERE WAS LITERALLY AND I JUST GAVE YOU THE HANDOUT ARMED ANTIFA. THEY'RE OUT, MR. MAYOR. POINT OF ORDER. AND THEY WERE GUARDING. GIVE ME GIVE ME JUST ONE. JUST. JUST ONE MINUTE. NO, NO, NO. YOU'LL CONTINUE. LET ME. LET ME CLEAR THIS UP. JESSE WE CAN PASS THE TIME. [00:30:06] MAYOR PRO TEM I THINK, MR. MAYOR, I BELIEVE IT'S OUR POLICY THAT THAT SPEAKING BEFORE SPECIAL CALL MEETINGS AND IT WORK SESSIONS, YOU HAVE TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA. IS THAT NOT THE CASE? THAT THAT IS AND THAT'S THAT'S BEEN VIOLATED TWICE OR THREE TIMES TODAY ALREADY. SO I'M GOING TO ALLOW THIS SPEAKER TO DO IT BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE SPOKE ON BOTH A AND B, I HAVE NOT CALLED B ITEM B AND PEOPLE SPOKE ON IT. YOU DID NOT RAISE THAT ISSUE THEN. I UNDERSTAND THE CONTENT NOW IS WHY YOU'RE RAISING THE ISSUE. BUT I DID NOT INTERRUPT THEM. I'M NOT GOING TO INTERRUPT HIM. SO IF WE CAN PUT THREE, I THINK WE'RE THREE 4320 OK GIVE ME JUST ONE MINUTE. READY? OK AND THIS IS WHY THIS ISSUE IS SO SERIOUS RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD. NOW, LISTEN, I AM PRO TRANS, I AM PRO GAY. I WANT TO SUPPORT THE LGBT COMMUNITY 100%. AND THAT IS HOW I FEEL. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ADVERTISING RULES THAT WE HAVE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, THERE ARE CERTAIN RULES THAT WE CANNOT EVEN ADVERTISE TO YOUNG CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY ARE SO IMPRESSIONABLE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GAY PERSON AND A STRAIGHT PERSON IS THEIR SEXUAL PREFERENCE. YET WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT EVEN HIGH SCHOOL AGE WHERE YOU COULD AT LEAST MAYBE JUSTIFY TEACHING THEM ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION. BUT INSTEAD, RIGHT HERE, LESS THAN A MILE AWAY, A CUTE SHIRLEY JONES. BRYANT YOU'RE HAVING TRANSGENDER STORY TIME WHERE YOU'RE READING SEXUAL NATURE ISSUES TO CHILDREN THAT AREN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO HAVE SEX. THESE ARE CHILDREN THAT CANNOT CONSENT TO IT. AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU HAVE AN ARMED PEOPLE WITH AR 15 OUT HERE PROTECTING THIS HAPPENING IN YOUR OWN CITY. THIS IS DISGUSTING. THIS IS INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN. YOU KNOW THAT. AND I KNOW THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TRANS PEOPLE IN 1980 TO 2022, IT IS UP 10,000%. WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE THERE IS AN INDOCTRINATION OF YOUNG KIDS THAT ARE IMPRESSIONABLE, BECAUSE EVEN PEOPLE AT BOSTON'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, THEY SAID ONCE A CHILD IDENTIFIES AS TRANS, THEY ARE A LIFELONG PATIENT. THERE IS A MEDICAL INCENTIVE FOR MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS TO DIAGNOSE CHILDREN WITH GENDER DYSPHORIA, CAUSING THEM TO BE TRANSGENDER. AND OFTENTIMES PEOPLE SAY THAT THESE TREATMENTS ARE REVERSIBLE. THEY ARE NOT NO, THEY ARE NOT REVERSIBLE GENDER IDEOLOGY. AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. GENDER HORMONE THERAPY IS NOT REVERSIBLE. SO LETTING CHILDREN THAT CAN'T DECIDE EVEN TO VOTE, THAT CAN'T DRIVE A CAR, YOU'RE GOING TO LET THEM CHOOSE THEIR SEX. THAT IS EVIL, THAT IS CHILD ABUSE. AND THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT DOWN THE STREET RIGHT HERE IN DENTON, TEXAS. AND IT'S DISGUSTING AND WE SHOULD STAND UP FOR IT AND MORE PEOPLE SHOULD STAND UP FOR IT, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND JUST LET KIDS GET SEXUALIZED. THAT IS ACTUAL CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. AND LISTEN, I TELL YOU THIS ALL DAY LONG, I LOVE TO JOKE, I LOVE TO CLOWN AROUND, BUT THIS IS NOT FUNNY WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL GUNS THAT WANT TO INTIMIDATE PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN CITY. THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. THESE AREN'T FAKE GUNS. THEY'RE NOT HOLDING THESE BECAUSE THIS IS JUST A LITTLE FUN EVENT. THEY'RE DOING THIS TO INTIMIDATE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE SEXUAL INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN. SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT THE STATS, THE AMOUNT OF KIDS THAT EVEN IDENTIFY AS GENDERFLUID OR TRANS IN 2022 COMPARED TO DECADES IN THE PAST. IT'S GONE UP AN ABSOLUTE ALARMING RATE. SO LET ME JUST SAY THIS. THESE MEDICAL PROCEDURES AT THESE HOSPITALS WERE CREATED BECAUSE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ARE BORN INTERSEX OR HAVE SOME SORT OF GENDER MUTILATION. AND SO OFTENTIMES THEY HAVE TO APPLY THESE TECHNIQUES LIKE GENDER HORMONE THERAPY OR GENDER REASSIGNMENT SURGERY TO YOUNG CHILDREN. SO THEY FIT IN. BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF A BIRTH DEFECT. NOW THEY'RE USING THIS TO LITERALLY CUT OFF CHILDREN'S GENITALS WITH WITH THE DOUBLE MASTECTOMY AND THE GENDER REASSIGNMENT SURGERY. AND RIGHT HERE IN DENTON, TEXAS, LESS THAN A MILE AWAY FROM WHERE I STAND TODAY, TRANSGENDER STORYTIME IS HAPPENING ON CHILDREN THAT CAN'T EVEN CONSENT TO SEX. AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GAY PERSON AND A STRAIGHT PERSONS ARE SEXUAL PREFERENCE. WHY ARE WE TEACHING KIDS ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL PREFERENCE BEFORE THEY CAN LEGALLY CONSENT TO SEX? THIS IS COMMON SENSE STUFF. AND THAT'S YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER THAT. I MISSED JAVIER WEEMS. FORGIVE ME FOR MISSING THAT. ALL RIGHTY. MY NAME IS JAVIER WILLIAMS. I LIVE AT 500 INMAN STREET. I AM A FOURTH YEAR STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AND A MEMBER OF STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY. GIVEN WHAT JUST HAPPENED, I'D LIKE TO OPEN MY STATEMENT BY TAKING A SMALL MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE FIVE AMERICANS KILLED AT CLUB CU IN COLORADO SPRINGS. NOW, WHAT I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT HERE TODAY IS PROPOSITION B. ON NOVEMBER 8TH, OVER 32,000 DEAD NIGHTS VOTED IN FAVOR OF PROP B. IT'S ABOUT FOUR TIMES AS MANY AS VOTED FOR MAYOR GERARD HUDSPETH LAST YEAR. [00:35:05] AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS PAST YEAR, WORKING WITHIN DENTON POLITICS AS A CANVASSER FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND A PETITION GATHERER FOR PROPOSITION B HAS BEEN A DELIGHTFUL EXERCISE IN CIVIL SERVICE AND THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN DENTON. I HAVE A MUCH GREATER APPRECIATION FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. AS CITY COUNCILORS, I SAID HERE LAST TIME I WAS GIVING PUBLIC COMMENT THAT YOU ALL HAVE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK POSSIBLE IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY MAKE AND ENACT THE LAWS THAT AFFECT PEOPLE'S DAY TO DAY LIVES. AND I MEAN IT WHEN I SAY THAT PROP B WAS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR BALLOT MEASURES IN THE CITY OF DENTON'S HISTORY, WE GOT MORE VOTES BY PRECINCT THAN EITHER CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR IN A YEAR WITH RECORD TURNOUT. AND I THINK THAT SHOULD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE POPULARITY OF THIS PROPOSITION, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT STUDENTS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED FOR IT. I REMEMBER MR. HUDSPETH LAMENTING LAST JULY ABOUT HOW FEW PEOPLE GOT INVOLVED WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE PROCESS. HOW FEW PEOPLE EVEN KNEW WHERE CITY HALL WAS. AND I CAN SAY FOR A FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED BECAUSE OF THIS PROPOSITION. THIS HAS GOTTEN STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER VOTED, AND THEY'RE ON CAMPUS BEFORE TO VOTE ON CAMPUS, STUDENTS WHO DON'T VOTE AT ALL TO REGISTER TO VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES. AND IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME. I WANT TO SHARE A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO I TALKED TO TO GATHER PETITIONS FROM BACK IN FEBRUARY. I WAS SITTING IN THE GATEWAY CENTER AT UNT. IT WAS PRETTY COLD OUT. IT WAS FEBRUARY. AND LUCKILY, THEY LET ME SIT INSIDE, STILL A HUNDRED FEET AWAY FROM THE EARLY VOTING BOOTHS FOR THE PRIMARIES. AND I ASKED THIS WOMAN LIKE, HEY, WOULD YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THIS PETITION, MAYBE SIGN IT? AND SHE WAS A BIT OVERWHELMED AT FIRST. SHE WENT AND VOTED FIRST AND CAME BACK AND TALKED TO ME, LET ME KNOW THAT SHE WAS AN IMMIGRANT. SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN HER CITIZENSHIP AND HER ABILITY TO VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME. SHE CAME FROM THE PHILIPPINES. AND AFTER READING THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROPOSITION, SHE SAID, NOW, IF I WRITE MY NAME DOWN ON HERE, AM I GOING TO BE ON A LIST? IN THE PHILIPPINES, DRUG POLICIES ARE FAR MORE HARSH THAN THEY ARE IN AMERICA, AND ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS. IF YOU ARE SEEN AS A DRUG USER, YOU ARE SEEN AS HAVING A LIFE THAT IS FORFEIT OF HAVING A BRAIN THAT HAS SUCCUMBED TO IRREPARABLE DAMAGE AND YOU ARE WORTH NOTHING MORE THAN DEAD. FILIPINOS HAVE BEEN MURDERED FOR THEIR DRUG USE. AND THIS WOMAN LEFT THAT COUNTRY TO BE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FREEDOM FROM THAT VIOLENT AND OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM. AND SHE TOLD ME WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS, NOT EVEN ON THE TOPIC OF DRUG POLICY, BUT ON THE ABILITY TO SIGN A PETITION AND SAY THAT YOU WANT TO VOTE ON SOMETHING. AND SHE TOLD ME IT WAS LIBERATING. SO I'M ASKING ALL OF YOU TODAY TO PLEASE CERTIFY PROPOSITION B SO THAT WOMAN, A DENTON RESIDENT, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME, CAN STILL HAVE THAT FEELING OF LIBERATION. OR IF YOU DO NOT CERTIFY IT, YOU CAN BE IN HER EYES, I GUESS, THE SAME AS THOSE DICTATORS IN THE PHILIPPINES. SO THANK YOU. AND I YIELD MY TIME. THANKS. THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS. THEN I WILL MOVE APPROVAL. COUNCILWOMAN DAVIS. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND DISCUSSION. COUNCILMEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THIS ELECTION CYCLE, WE WERE PRESENTED WITH AN ALMOST A FAIRY TALE STORY, STARKLY CONTRASTING TWO CITIZEN LED INITIATIVES. ONE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. IT WAS STARTED BY A CITIZEN LED GROUP THAT NOTICED POLICY GAPS THAT WERE HURTING DEAD KNIGHTS. THEY DEVELOPED A SOLUTION, INCLUDING PRESENTING SCIENCE AND LEGAL BASE PRINCIPLES. THEY PRESENTED IT CITYWIDE. THEY FOLLOWED A METICULOUS PROCESS, AND IT ACTUALLY EVEN WON PRAISE AS ONE OF THE BEST PETITIONS THE STAFF HAD EVER SEEN. IT PERFORMED RIDICULOUSLY WELL, AS THE SPEAKERS HAVE SAID. IT CARRIED NEARLY 72% OF THE CITY, 43 TO 45 PRECINCTS, ALMOST 33,000 VOTERS. IT CARRIED ALL PARTIES, ALL GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS ACROSS ALL DEMOGRAPHIC AND INCOME LEVELS. AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT DENTON OVERWHELMINGLY WANTS THIS POLICY. YET THIS CLEAR AND OVERWHELMING DEMOCRATIC MANDATE BY THE PEOPLE HAS BEEN MET WITH RESISTANCE. THE OTHER PETITION DID NEARLY EVERYTHING WRONG. IT WAS FAULTY FROM THE OUTSET. IT WAS BASED ON THE WRONG CONSTITUENCY USING THE WRONG MEDICATION THRESHOLD POINT OF ORDER. AND IT'S REALLY A QUESTION. AND MAYOR PRO TEM, IF I DON'T INTERRUPT YOU TO TO NOT LET YOU HAVE YOUR OPINION, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, JUST SO THAT WE MIGHT GO INTO CLOSED SESSION BECAUSE [00:40:01] WE'RE CURRENTLY IN LITIGATION REGARDING THIS WHOLE ISSUE, AND SO HAS MAYOR PRO TEM, HAVE YOU BEEN ADVISED AS TO WHAT ANY TYPE OF COMMENTS YOU MAKE HERE TODAY COULD AFFECT THE CITY'S POSITION IN THAT LAWSUIT BY ANYONE? OH, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, IF YOU CAN SPEAK FIRST AND THEN I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT JUST TO CLARIFY THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF, HE'S NOT SPEAKING FOR THE CITY. THE CITY'S POSITION IS NOT IN SYNC WITH WHAT HE'S SAYING CURRENTLY RELATED TO THE LITIGATION, BUT HE'S ENTITLED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER TO SPEAK HOW HE WANTS TO IS RELATED TO THIS ITEM. I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE IN LITIGATION. HIS HIS COMMENTS HERE DO NOT REPRESENT THE CITY'S POSITION IN THE LITIGATION, AND THAT'S FINE. AND THE NEXT CLOSED SESSION ON THIS ISSUE, I WILL ASK THAT MAYOR PRO TEM BE CONSIDERED POTENTIALLY ADVERSARIAL TO THE CITY POSITION, DEPENDING ON WHAT HE SAYS, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND HE'S HERE IN HIS HE'S HERE IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, WHICH IS ALSO A PARTY TO THE LAWSUIT THAT HAS BEEN FILED. AND HE IS A PARTY ON THE DEFENSE SIDE OR THE RESPONDENT SIDE, NOT THE PLAINTIFF SIDE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR ON THE RECORD DOES HAVE TO DO WITH THE POINT OF ORDER. IT'S IT'S ALL IN THE LEGAL QUESTION. UNLESS I'M WRONG. YES, I HAVE THE FLOOR. THE POINT OF ORDER SHOULD BE ABOUT MY ABILITY TO HAVE THE FLOOR. MR. CITY ATTORNEY. POINT OF ORDER RELATE TO A RULE BEING VIOLATED. I THINK THE CONCERN OF THE QUESTION WAS, IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH THE COMMENTS BEING MADE AND DOES THAT PUT US IN A POSITION IN OUR LITIGATION THAT'S ADVERSARIAL TO WHAT OUR POSITION IS IN LITIGATION? SO I'VE GIVEN THE OPINION ON THAT. I THINK AT THIS POINT THE POINT OF ORDER HAS BEEN RESOLVED UNLESS THERE'S FURTHER ADDRESSING IT. GREAT. ALL RIGHT, MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. IT AROSE FROM IMPROPER ELECTIONEERING AND VIOLATIONS OF WHO GUIDELINES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THESE PETITION SIGNATURES WERE GATHERED. IT WAS IMPROPERLY NOTARIZED. IT HAD COMPLETELY SPECIOUS RATIONALE BASED ON POLITICAL IDEOLOGY AND GAMESMANSHIP. AND BECAUSE A SMALL, UNREPRESENTATIVE GROUP DECIDED THEY WOULD PLAY SHENANIGANS WITH OUR POLITICAL AND LEGAL PROCESS JUST BECAUSE THEY COULD. THIS RECALL, AS WAS JUST SAID, IS IS UNDER COURT CHALLENGE IS UNDER APPEAL. AND THIS IF IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS RECALL LEAVES DISTRICT FOUR WITHOUT REPRESENTATION FOR SIX MONTHS BECAUSE ELECTIONS CANNOT BE HELD UNTIL MAY OF 2023. YET THIS WEAPONIZED RECALL PETITION WAS PROCEDURALLY SUPPORTED AND WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS AND ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY. SO. SO WHAT DO WE DO TODAY? HOW DO WE KEEP PLAYING THE GAME WHEN DEFLATED FOOTBALLS ARE BEING USED? WELL, WE HAVE NO CHANCE BUT OUR CHOICE BUT TO TRY TO UNTANGLE THE BUREAUCRATIC KNOTS AND INCREASINGLY, AS WE JUST ALLUDED TO THROUGH COURT ACTION, THAT SEEMS AND WHILE THAT PLAYS OUT, WHAT IS IT THAT COUNCIL IS SUPPOSED TO DO TODAY? WELL, WE'RE FORCED TO FALL BACK ON ONE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT THAT WE STILL SEEM TO SHARE. I HOPE WE STILL SHARE IT, AND THAT IS THAT THE VOTERS ARE IN CHARGE, NOT THE POLITICIANS, NOT THE STAFF, THE VOTERS. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LEADERSHIP FEELS ABOUT THESE ISSUES. AT OUR CORE, WHAT MATTERS IS THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS FOLLOWED AND THAT WE FOLLOW THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF DENTON. SO. YOU KNOW, FOR THE RECORD, I THINK THAT THE THE THE THE PARAMETERS AND PROCESS BY WHICH THE RECALL TOOK PLACE WERE FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED. AND AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE BASICALLY REJECTING SENTENCE TO SECTION THREE IN THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. HOWEVER, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A COURT CAN RECTIFY THIS UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE, I WILL VOTE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN US THESE NUMBERS. ALL RIGHT. I'M DISAPPOINTED BY THE WAY THAT WE'VE PLAYED THE PROCESS FOR BOTH PROP EIGHT AND PROP B, BUT I RECOGNIZE THE NUMBERS THAT THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN US. AND SINCE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THANKSGIVING WEEK, I GIVE THANKS FOR THE SERVICE THAT ALISON MCGUIRE HAS GIVEN TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND FURTHER, I'M THANKFUL THAT I CAN NOT ONLY COUNT ON HER AS MY FRIEND, BUT ON HER CONTINUING ADVICE TO ME PERSONALLY. AND HER VOICE WILL NOT BE LOST TO THIS COMMUNITY FOR. SHENANIGANS AND GAMESMANSHIP. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM I HAVE TO SAY, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY DURING A PURELY MINISTERIAL MEETING. TRADITIONALLY, THESE MEETINGS, THEY HAPPEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER AN ELECTION. THEY USUALLY HAPPEN IN MAY. WE DON'T USUALLY HAVE CITY ISSUES ON A ON A NOVEMBER BALLOT, BUT WE DID A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND WE DID THIS YEAR AND TRADITIONALLY VERY SHORT. WE HAVE A NICE LITTLE RECEPTION FOR OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE COME IN AND WE VOTE EYE ON THE MOTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO UNDER OUR CITY CHARTER AND UNDER STATE LAW. THEY'RE NOT OFTEN VERY POLITICIZED. [00:45:03] WE HAD MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COME AND SPEAK TODAY ON MOSTLY ON ONE PROPOSITION. SOME SPOKE ON ANOTHER PROPOSITION. AND I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH WITH MUCH OF WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THEIR EFFORTS ON PROPOSITION B, THAT THEY ORGANIZED THEY DID EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE IN DENTON DO BEST, WHICH IS TO GET TO GET SUPPORT BUILT AROUND THEIR ISSUE AND BUILD A COALITION. IT'S SOMETIMES VERY SCHIZOPHRENIC TOWN. WE LIVE IN A VERY ECLECTIC PLACE WE LIVE IN, AND YET YOU'RE UP HERE USING WORDS LIKE FAIRY TALE AND GAMESMANSHIP. FOR THE OTHER PROPOSITION. THERE WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR A DECEMBER 14TH. IMMEDIATE ENACTMENT OF YOUR REDISTRICTING MAP. IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT GAMESMANSHIP, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT FAIRY TALES, THE FAIRY TALES THAT WE'RE SITTING UP HERE VOTING TO CERTIFY THE RESULTS OF A RECALL. THROUGH. THROUGH NO ONE'S FAULT, THROUGH SOME DIRTY POOL, THROUGH SOME VOTERS WHO DIDN'T FOLLOW THE RULES. WE'RE HERE BECAUSE YOU PUT FORWARD A MAP THAT TOOK AWAY ALLISON'S CORE CONSTITUENCY AND ADDED FOLKS TO HER DISTRICT WHO DIDN'T WANT TO BE THERE. AND HERE WE ARE. THAT IS THE TRUTH. THE NARRATIVE YOU'RE ADVANCING THIS MORNING IS THE FAIRY TALE. THE GAMESMANSHIP WAS THE WAY THAT THAT MAP WAS ADOPTED. THE GAMESMANSHIP WAS THE WAY THAT THAT MAP WAS STUFFED DOWN THE THROATS OF 250 PEOPLE WHO EMAILED, CALLED OR CAME UP HERE AND SAID EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT IF THAT MAP PASSED. AND HERE WE ARE. AND I SAID VERY MANY TIMES PUBLICLY TO OTHER FOLKS OUTSIDE OF ROPES AND RANCH WHO WANTED TO RECALL ALISON, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS THE WAY TO DO THINGS. WE HAVE TWO YEAR TERMS. THERE'S NO POINT IN A RECALL. I SET IT TO THE FOLKS WHO ORGANIZED THIS RECALL. I DIDN'T THINK THEY'D GET ENOUGH SIGNATURES, BUT THEY DID. AND THEN EVERY SINGLE PRECINCT AND DISTRICT FOR THE DISTRICT FOR YOU, DREW VOTED TO RECALL. THAT IS NO FAIRY TALE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. WE TAKE OUR LUMPS, WHATEVER SIDE OF THE BALLOT WE'RE ON. WE TAKE OUR LUMPS. AND I DO NOT EXPECT TO SEE YOU AS PART OF ANY FUTURE CONVERSATION ABOUT LITIGATION. YOU JUST MADE YOUR POSITION VERY CLEAR. IT'S ADVERSE TO THE CITY AND IT'S ADVERSE TO THE VOTERS IN DISTRICT FOUR. CATHERINE. WHAT? YEAH. FIRST OF ALL, I TRUST THE PROCESS, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SOME PEOPLE UP HERE DO NOT. WHAT I HEARD FROM MANY OF THE SPEAKERS AND PROPOSITION B WAS PERSONAL OPINION NEEDS TO BE SET ASIDE. YOU BASE IT UPON THE FACTS, YOU BASE IT UPON THE VOTERS. YOU BASE IT UPON THE PROCESS. WELL, MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. NOW, YOUR PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH IT. OK I RESPECT THAT, BUT I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH YOUR CHARACTERIZATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE FACTS. IT'S NOT THE TRUTH. NUMBER ONE, I TRUST THE PROCESS THAT YOU PUT FORTH A MAP. YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AT THAT TIME, BUT NOW YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE VOTERS. YOU DIDN'T LISTEN. YOU PUT IT FORWARD. THERE WAS NO COMPROMISE. ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM 12 YEARS OF SERVICE ON COUNCIL, WHEN YOU HAVE THE PUBLIC COME OUT TO TALK ABOUT THINGS, YOU REALLY TRY TO FIND A WAY TO MEET AS MANY INTERESTS AS YOU CAN. THAT DID NOT OCCUR. NUMBER TWO, SO IT WAS PASSED. NUMBER THREE, SOMEONE WORKED HARD TO GET BASED UPON THE CHARTER. THE PRESIDENT'S OF THE CHARTER. PETITION SIGNATURES IN ORDER TO SUBMIT. THEY DID IT. IT WAS CERTIFIED. NOW, SOME PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH HOW THAT HAPPENED. I TRUST THAT PROCESS, TOO. EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO GO SEEK REDRESS IN THE COURT SYSTEM IF THEY THINK THAT SOMETHING HAS OCCURRED THAT THEY DON'T AGREE WITH OR THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW, I SUPPORT THAT. ONE COURT, THE DISTRICT COURT SAID DISMISSED IT. IT WAS APPEALED. I SUPPORT THAT PROCESS. THERE WAS ANOTHER APPEAL AT THE COURTS, AT THE APPEALS COURT, A NEW LAWSUIT CLAIMING SORT OF AN EMERGENCY KIND OF INJUNCTIVE RELIEF THAT WAS DENIED. AND SO HERE WE ARE. IT WAS ON THE BALLOT. THE VOTERS VOTED. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY. SO YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION ON IT. I TOTALLY GET THAT. BUT WHEN YOU REALLY STRIP ASIDE YOUR OPINION, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS, THE FACTS ARE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. THE PROCESS WORKED AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, EVEN IF DURING THE COURT PROCEEDINGS, SOMEHOW SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT THINGS ARE DIFFERENT, I'LL TRUST THAT PROCESS, TOO, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT HERE. WE DON'T DO IT BY MAKING FALSE ACCUSATIONS, BY CREATING THESE NARRATIVES THAT ARE TRULY THE FAIRY TALE. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINIONS, SIR, BUT YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO YOUR FACTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS VERY PERSONAL TO YOU. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THIS ALL STARTED BACK DURING THE REDISTRICTING CAMPAIGN WHERE NO ONE WAS LISTENED TO. [00:50:06] NO ONE. AND HERE WE ARE. AND I TRUST THAT PROCESS, TOO. THAT'S ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUT THE VOTERS, THAT THEY DON'T LIKE SOMETHING OR THEY DO LIKE SOMETHING. THEN THEY GET OUT AND THEY EXPRESS THEIR SENTIMENT. SO I'M WITH COUNCILMEMBER DAVIS. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS. WE'D HAVE VERY MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROBABLY IN THE FUTURE. BUT MY MY INTENT WAS NOT TO INTERRUPT YOUR VOICE WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING. MY INTENT WAS TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS CLARITY ON WHAT WAS GOING ON, NOT ONLY FOR US ON COUNCIL, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL. BASED UPON YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN BURT. THE INTERESTING THING BEING OUTSIDE. IT'S OFF. OFF. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT SITTING ON THIS DAIS IS THAT IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THE BIG PICTURE I'M A BIG PICTURE THINKER AND DON'T DO VERY, VERY WELL WITH SMALL DETAILS OF THINGS, I GUESS BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF IN A LEADERSHIP TYPE ROLE. SO THAT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE. AND OF COURSE, WITH THE VOTES THAT CAME IN FOR THESE TWO PARTICULAR PROPOSITIONS HERE, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. AND SO IN SUCH A FASHION THAT THEY'RE LITERALLY TELLING US WHAT WE NEED TO DO, AND I'M GOING TO DO THAT. BUT FROM PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES, I DO NOT I'M NOT FOND OF EITHER ONE OF THESE PROPOSITIONS. THE PROPOSITION A THAT CAME IN I HAD ALREADY NOTED BEFORE WE SENT IT TO THE VOTERS THAT I WAS NOT IN SUPPORT OF WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH MY LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND. I JUST COULD NOT HELP BUT TO SAY NO IN MY HEART AND SPIRIT FOR THAT, BECAUSE I PROMISED EVERYONE HERE THAT I WOULD TAKE. I WOULD BE MINDFUL OF POLICE OFFICERS. IT'S A VERY HARD JOB. IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL JOB. THEY HAVE FAMILIES. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SOMETHING THAT'S SPECIAL TO YOU TO MAKE YOU EVEN WANT TO DO THAT. WHO WANTS TO BE A POLICE OFFICER? IT'S NOT. IT'S REALLY BAD AND IT'S REALLY GOOD. EXCUSE ME. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT KNOW THAT I'M STANDING BEHIND THEM. WE DO HAVE SOME BAD SEEDS, BUT THEY'RE IN EVERY PROFESSION. THEY'RE JUST IT'S JUST PART OF WHO WE ARE. SO I'M PERSONALLY I'M NOT FOND OF A AND. A WAS. I'M SORRY. I THINK I'M GETTING THEM TURNED AROUND. BUT B. BUT THEN, A, I AM JUST SO DISAPPOINTED IN WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH MS.. MAGUIRE. I THINK VERY MRS. MAGUIRE. I THINK VERY HIGHLY OF HER. SHE'S A VERY INTELLIGENT WOMAN, AND SHE'S BROUGHT MANY THINGS TO THE TABLE. THAT'S JUST GOOD FOR DENTON. SO PERSONALLY I AM JUST OVERWHELMED. I'M VERY EMOTIONALLY OVERWHELMED WITH SEEING HOW WE AS A SOCIETY, AS A CITY, AS A CITY, AND CITIZENS HERE COULD LET HER GO LIKE THAT. SHE'S ONLY BROUGHT TO US THINGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR US. SO ALISON PERSONALLY, I. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU. YOU ARE MY SUPER GIRL. YOU ARE MY SUPER GIRL. YOU'RE MY LITTLE SISTER. I CAN. I'M GOING TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU, I PROMISE YOU THAT. BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST FELT THE NEED TO SAY THAT. AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GROWING UP HERE TO DO. THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE VERY CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT WE ARE NOT A BIG, BIG TIMERS. SO WE'RE HAVING TO WORK THROUGH SOME THINGS THAT OTHER LARGE CITIES AND CITIES THAT HAVE SETTLED THEMSELVES INTO WHO THEY ARE, THEIR THEIR, THEIR REPUTATION, HOW WE'RE GOING TO GROW. WE'VE JUST GOT TO WORK THROUGH THAT. AND IT HURTS SOMETIMES. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU. AND THEN, CITY MANAGER, YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SHARE. JUST REAL QUICK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION AS A CITY MANAGER, AS A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL CITY COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, I TAKE AN OATH I TAKE AN OATH TO BE TRANSPARENT AND TO BE HONEST AND TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY LAW. [00:55:02] THE STAFF HERE RECOGNIZES AND RESPECTS THAT PROPOSITION B PASSED BY A SIGNIFICANT MARGIN OF VOTERS SHOWING STRONG SUPPORT IN A COMMUNITY REGARDING THIS ISSUE. AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY OF DENTON WILL CONTINUE TO TREAT MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT AS A LOW PRIORITY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CITATIONS, NOT ARREST, AS I HAVE PREVIOUSLY STATED IN MY MEMO. MARIJUANA IS STILL ILLEGAL IN THE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, WHICH SUPERSEDES ANY CITY ORDINANCE TO THE EXTENT THAT CONFLICT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE. POLICE OFFICERS CANNOT BE COMPELLED TO DISREGARD STATE PENAL LAW AND IMPLEMENT A CITY ORDINANCE, EVEN IF IT'S ADOPTED BY A PETITION AND AN ELECTION. MY HOPE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS PEOPLE WILL BE VERY CAREFUL SINCE MARIJUANA LAWS CAN STILL BE ENFORCED BY PEACE OFFICERS FROM VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENTS ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN DENTON, NOT NECESSARILY THE CITY OF DENTON POLICE OFFICERS, BUT BY ANY OTHER POLICE OFFICER IN THE CITY OF DENTON CAN ENFORCE THESE LAWS. IN KEEPING WITH PROPOSITION B, I WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE TO COUNCIL ON OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IN THE COMING MONTHS. THANK YOU. AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN MCGEE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. HE WAS THERE. DID WE? DO WE LOSE THEM? YES. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO GET COUNCIL MEMBER MCGEE BACK, COULD COULD I ASK THAT IF WE HAVE IT AVAILABLE, THE PROPOSITION BE BALLOT LANGUAGE, NOT THE WHOLE ORDINANCE, BUT THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS ON PEOPLE'S BALLOT. I GOT IT. IF AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AFTER. LET ME LET ME LET ME. THIS IS LET ME GET THIS OUT. GET THIS GOING WHILE HE'S THERE. COUNCILMAN MCGEE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GO RIGHT AHEAD. RIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL. I'M VERY SORRY THAT I COULD NOT BE THERE. BUT AS YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WORKING PEOPLE GO TO WORK. AND IN PARTICULAR, I'M I SHARE THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES BECAUSE. TODAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE DID MINISTERIAL, BUT APPARENTLY WE'VE COME TO DO POLITICS TODAY. AND YOU ALL KNOW I LOVE POLITICS. I'M VERY SORRY I CAN'T BE THERE TO DO THIS IN PERSON. AT THE OUTSET, I WANTED TO SAY IN PARTICULAR THAT, MR. MAYOR, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR LEADERSHIP IN RUNNING THIS MEETING TODAY BECAUSE YOU DID NOT HEAR MAYOR PRO TEM POINT. I BELIEVE THAT WE ALLOWED THIS MEETING TO GET OFF TRACK. AND IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. I RESPECT THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO SAY SOME THINGS, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, SOMETIMES FOLKS ARE OUT OF ORDER. THAT GENTLEMAN WAS OUT OF ORDER, AND I EXPECTED YOU TO RUN THE MEETING BETTER THAN THIS AND RULE HIM AS SUCH. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THAT. TO THE SUBJECT OF WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. I RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS. I AM VERY SORRY TO SEE MISS MCGUIRE TO GO. WE ALL KNOW. THAT THIS WAS A POLITICAL HIT JOB. THIS WAS AN EFFORT TO FLIP THE COUNCIL AND A CONSERVATIVE TILT. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. WE ALL KNOW THAT. WE'VE HEARD REDISTRICTING. COMING BACK UP. SO I WANT EVERYONE IN PAYING ATTENTION OUT THERE AND EVERYONE SITTING IN TO MAKE SURE YOU TUNE IN IN THE COMING MONTHS BECAUSE REDISTRICTING WILL BE REVISITED, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME FOLKS IN TOWN WHO ALREADY RULE. AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. THIS IS NOT APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA. THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. I'M VERY SORRY TO SEE THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING TO GO. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I GUESS WE'RE GOING THERE. SO IT IS WHAT IT IS. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK OF DECRIMINALIZED DEBT. IT'S VERY PROUD TO SIGN THE PETITION AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF DECRIMINALIZE DENTON. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND THANK EACH AND EVERY BOARD MEMBER, EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER WHO CANVASS FOR SIGNATURES. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO SIGNED. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR THIS. Y'ALL KNOW MY POSITION ON THIS HAS BEEN CLEAR FROM JUMP. MARIJUANA PERSONALLY AFFECTS BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, AND IF THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE, WE WOULD BE ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS. WE ARE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION. I HAVE NOT SEEN OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE DONE THIS ENGAGE IN THE TYPE OF LITIGATION WHERE THE WILL OF THE VOTERS HAS BEEN OVERTURNED. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE LITIGATION PROCESS PLAY OUT. I'M GOING TO STOP RIGHT THERE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TO TO TO ACCUSE ME OF HAVING AN ADVERSE POSITION TO THE CITY'S POSITION. NOW I'M SPEAKING IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY. DO THAT AS WELL. I HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS AND HAVE A BIT OF A HOLIDAY BREAK THAT WE ALL CAN COME BACK READY TO DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE AND TURN DOWN THE POLITICAL RHETORIC. [01:00:02] I HAVE MET WITH MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO ENCOURAGE US TO OPERATE IN A NON PARTIZAN WAY AND LAST TIME I CHECKED, THERE ARE NO D'S OR R'S OR I'S NEXT TO OUR NAMES ON THE BALLOT. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE. SO I'M GOING TO ENCOURAGE MY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TURN DOWN THE POLITICAL RHETORIC. IT'S NOT NECESSARY. IT'S NOT NEEDED. IT'S THE CITY COUNCIL, Y'ALL. LET'S JUST DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. BOTTLE RIGHT THE PEOPLE AND THEN GO HOME. WE'RE ALL NEIGHBORS. WE GOT TO LIVE HERE. I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO REMEMBER THAT FIRST, LAST, AND EVERY TIME WE DO AND SAY SOMETHING. WITH THAT, I YIELD BACK. COUNCILMEMBER DAVIS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WAS JUST ASKING IF THAT LANGUAGE IS AVAILABLE, THAT SHORT SINGLE SENTENCE OR EVEN IF SOMEBODY HAS IT, THEY COULD READ IT OFF. I CAN READ IT. MACK THE LANGUAGE ON THE THE BALLOT SAID SHALL AN INITIATIVE ORDINANCE BE APPROVED TO ELIMINATE LOW LEVEL MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT? THANK YOU. SO MR. STEVENS ASKED FOR OUR PUBLIC STATEMENT ON PROPOSITION B. I THINK I'VE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR IN THE PAST, BUT I'LL. I'LL BE EVEN MORE CRYSTAL CLEAR TODAY. I SUPPORT THAT STATEMENT. THE VOTERS SUPPORT THAT STATEMENT. IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT WHEREVER YOU FALL POLITICALLY IN DENTON, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN DENTON SUPPORT THAT STATEMENT. MY ISSUE IS THAT THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE BALLOT, PEOPLE HAD TO DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH TO FIND THAT CRIME DENTON DID MAKE VERY AVAILABLE. BUT THE ORDINANCE ITSELF IS PROBLEMATIC, AND I THINK IT'S PROBLEMATIC IN THE WAYS THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S MEMO HAS SET FORTH. AND I THINK HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE TO INVOLVE OURSELVES IN A PROTRACTED LEGAL BATTLE TO SORT THAT OUT, BECAUSE I THINK THE LAW IS REALLY CLEAR IN THAT AREA. BUT I DO AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I DO AS A DAY JOB. THERE ARE A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS I WOULD LIKE POLICE TO BE FOCUSED ON, BUT WE DON'T GET TO REWRITE STATE LAW FROM WHERE WE SIT UP HERE. AND THE VERY LAST THING I'LL SAY IS WHEN WE'RE UP THERE IN THESE SEATS, COUNCILMEMBER MCGEE, WE DON'T HAVE A PERSONAL CAPACITY WHEN WE'RE IN THESE SEATS. WE ARE SPEAKING IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY. WE CAN SPEAK AS INDIVIDUALS, ONE OF SEVEN INDIVIDUAL OPINIONS, BUT WE HAVE NO INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY WHEN WE SIT IN THESE SEATS. ANYONE ELSE I'M GOING TO SUM UP AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO VOTE. WHAT? YEAH, AND I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING, BUT I NEED TO RESPOND TO COUNCILMEMBER MCGEE'S COMMENT ABOUT. TURN DOWN THE POLITICAL RHETORIC WHEN THE REFERENCE IS MADE THAT THE RECALL PETITION WAS A POLITICAL HIT JOB. SO IN ONE SENTENCE, WE'VE TURNED UP THE POLITICAL RHETORIC, AND IN THE NEXT THEY'VE ASKED FOR IT TO BE REDUCED. SO I COULD STATE MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT THAT. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO. BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MUCH CONSISTENCY TO THOSE TWO COMMENTS. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? I'LL JUST SAY THIS BRIEFLY TO MY MY PEER THAT TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO. GIVE ME MY REPORT CARD TODAY. I ACCEPT THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WISH YOU WOULD HAVE HANDLED IT BETTER AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT, JUST LIKE I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I THAT YOU DO LESS THAN GREAT THAT I WOULD. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT TODAY. SO I AGAIN, IT'S WE IT'S YOU RECEIVE FEEDBACK, YOU PROCESS THROUGH THAT. YOU DO BETTER EACH AND EVERY OTHER TIME. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I'M COMMITTED TO DOING. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE FEEDBACK. I JUST THINK YOU DELIVERED IT POORLY AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SHARE THAT. I THINK ALSO TO TO NICK, I THINK YOU DID A MASTERFUL JOB. I THINK YOU DID. AND I WANT THAT TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. I WANT YOU TO ALSO WORK WITH ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT NEW FOR ME. IF ANYONE'S BEEN VOCAL, I'VE BEEN VOCAL EARLY ON. SO THE FIRST MEETING I SAID IT WAS SEVEN 1922. IT'S NOT NEW. THE SECOND TIME I SAID IT WAS SEVEN 2622. SO I'VE SAID IT REGULARLY AND I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN TODAY JUST SO WE CAN BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. THINK AGAIN. MASTERFUL JOB VERY WELL, COMMUNICATING VERY WELL, REACHING OUT. BUT THE SAME DOCUMENT THAT GIVES YOU THAT AUTHORITY IS THE SAME DOCUMENT THAT LIMITS OUR THIRD AUTHORITY. AND I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK IT'S RIGHT THAT YOU SEPARATE THESE THIS BODY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GO AND DO THEIR JOB. I SUPPORT THAT. WE MAKE ORDINANCES. WE DON'T GET OVER THEIR INVESTIGATIONS OR POLICE WORK. ALL THAT THING HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW SO THAT WE DON'T CORRUPT THAT PROCESS. IT IS PRISTINE. IT IS CLOSED OFF FROM US, AND THAT'S RIGHTFULLY SO. SO THE CHARTER GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO COLLECT THE SIGNATURES. THAT DICTATES HOW MANY SIGNATURES WHEN YOU GOT TO HAVE THEM. ALL THOSE THINGS, CHARTER SUPREME THERE, IT'S LOCAL. WE'RE TALKING LOCAL ORDINANCES, LOCAL LAWS, LOCAL CONTROL. THAT SAME THING SAYS WHEN YOU HAVE TO TURN EVERYTHING IN, SAYS HOW THE CITY SECRETARY IS TO GO ABOUT OUR JOB ALL IN THE CHARTER. ALSO IN THAT SAME DOCUMENT, THOUGH, IT SAYS AND I SAID THIS ON 719, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, THE CHARTER SAYS THAT WE CANNOT AS A [01:05:08] COUNCIL AND THEN AS A COMMITTEE OR AS A AS A PETITION, YOU TAKE THE PLACE OF COUNCIL. SO YOU AS COUNCIL, THE PEOPLE AS COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE CANNOT INFLUENCE INTERFERE WITH DIRECT REPORTS TO THE CITY MANAGER BEING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S A CHARTER PROVISION, THE SAME CHARTER THAT GIVES YOU THE AUTHORITY, LIMITS THE AUTHORITY OF THIS BODY. AND I STAND BY THAT. AND THEN I ALSO JUST STAND BY BECAUSE I WANT TO QUOTE NICK AGAIN. I WAS VERY PURPOSEFUL ABOUT GOING BACK AND SAYING NOT NOT PEOPLE IN OTHER ORGANIZATION, NOT OTHER PEOPLE, BUT SPECIFICALLY NICK. AND HE ASKED US ON 719, 20, 22 AND PUT UP THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. I THINK THE COMMENT ENDS AT 4 HOURS, 43 MINUTES AND 24 SECONDS. THAT'S THE TIMESTAMP. FOUR 4324 HE SAYS GET OUT OF THE WAY. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. I'M GOING TO VOTE TODAY TO SUPPORT THIS. AND THEN I'M GOING TO FOLLOW NICK'S DIRECT REQUEST TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AND THEN THE POLICE, THE CITY MANAGER CAN DO THEIR JOB. UNDER STATE LAW, UNDER CITY CHARTER AND EXECUTE. AND I'M NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO INFLUENCE HOW THEY INTERPRET WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR JOB. I'M GOING TO EXPECT THEM TO EXECUTE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE CHARTER SAYS WE HAVE TO DO. SO THAT'S THE LOCAL COMPONENT. AND THEN I'LL JUST TELL YOU, YOU CAN GO ANYONE? PULL UP THE APPLICATION. THEY'LL RUN FOR THIS SEAT FOR ANY OF THESE SEATS. AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT APPLICATION BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN APPLY TO RUN, IT SAYS YOU ARE UPHOLDING THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE CHARTER PROVISIONS THAT'S THAT'S REQUIRED TO TO RUN. THAT'S. SO EITHER YOU DO THAT IN EARNEST OR YOU DON'T, OR YOU HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART MIDSTREAM, WHATEVER THAT IS. BUT THE APPLICATION AT THE VERY BEGINNING MAKES IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR WHAT WE'RE TASKED TO DO. AND I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUS. SO, NO, NO, I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE CITIZENS, SUPPORT THE VOTE OF THE CITIZENS, SUPPORT THE RESULTS, SUPPORT THE NEXT STEPS. BUT THE NEXT STEP IS A REPORT IN THREE MONTHS ON WHAT WE CAN DO. AND SO THAT CONVERSATION WILL BE HAD. I TRUST THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO TO DO THEIR JOB. I JUST TRUST THE CITY MANAGER TO DO HER JOB. SHE CERTIFIED, SHE'S TRAINED, HE'S GONE TO SCHOOL FOR THIS. AND WE'VE HAD A WE'VE HAD A REALLY GOOD RECORD AND RUN AND NOW AGAIN UNTIL THE TAXPAYER PAY ATTENTION. ABSOLUTELY PAY ATTENTION. WHERE? ONE POINT. ROUND NUMBERS, $1.4 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES AND RUNNING AND THAT'S THAT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO LOWER THE TAX RATE ANOTHER CENT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. BUT THAT'S WE'RE WE'RE SPENDING THAT ON LEGAL FEES ON VARIOUS ITEMS. AND SO JUST PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE YOUR TAX MONEY IS GOING. $1.4 MILLION. EVERYONE COULD HAVE $0.01 OFF THEIR TAX RATE ABSENT LAWSUITS. SO JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING. I'M A YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HOW SAY YOU? I COUNCILWOMAN BIRD. HOW SAY YOU COUNCIL MEMBER WHAT'S. MAYOR PRO TEM. MCGEE. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT AND THEN WE HAVE ONE ONE RECUSAL THAT PASSES SIX ZERO TAKES US TO OUR NEXT ITEM. [B. Proclamation in appreciation of service to the City of Denton as a City Council Member to Alison Maguire.] ITEM B, ID 222452456. PROCLAMATION APPRECIATION OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF DENTON AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO ALLISON MAGUIRE. IS THAT DOES DOES THAT JUST ME? IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING. WE HAVEN'T. THAT'S OKAY, THEN. IF YOU COULD JOIN ME, I HAVE A PROCLAMATION. PLEASE AND THANK. OH, YEAH. LET ME DO THAT. LET ME. WELL. CAN WE OK? YEAH. SO I'LL GIVE YOU THE. SO WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SPEAK, AND I WAS GOING TO READ THIS FIRST AND THEN HEAR THOSE TWO. BUT I WANT TO IF YOU'D PREFER TO DO IT THE OTHER WAY, THEN. HAPPY TO DO IT. NO PREFERENCE. OKAY. WELL, IF WE CAN READ THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HERE YOU GO. I HAVE A PROCLAMATION TO RECOGNIZE THE SERVICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER. ALISON MAGUIRE. AND IT READS A PROCLAMATION AND APPRECIATION OF ALISON MAGUIRE TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENT SHALL COME. GREETINGS. WHEREAS ALISON MAGUIRE HAS SERVED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT FOUR OF THE CITY OF DENTON FROM 2021 TO [01:10:05] 2022. AND. WHEREAS, THE CITY OF DENTON HAS ENJOYED THE DEDICATED AND OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALISON MAGUIRE AND HER EFFORTS TO MAKE DENTON A BETTER, BETTER CITY. AND. WHEREAS, ALISON MAGUIRE AMONG HER MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY HAS ALSO SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE DENTON COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP TEAM DENTON COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY DENTON TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, DISCOVER DENTON ADVISORY BOARD AND THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL. AND. WHEREAS, ALISON MAGUIRE HAS ALWAYS SERVED DUTIFULLY AND BEYOND THE EFFICIENT DISCHARGE OF HER DUTIES IN PROMOTING THE WELFARE AND PROSPERITY OF THE CITY, AND HAS EARNED THE RESPECT OF THE CITY OF HER FELLOW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COLLEAGUES, CITIZENS OF DENTON, AND THE LOSS OF HER PRESENCE WILL BE KEENLY FELT. NOW, THEREFORE, THE NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON HEREBY RESOLVED THAT THE SINCERE WARM APPRECIATION OF ALISON MAGUIRE FELT BY THE CITIZENS AND STAFF OF THE CITY OF DENTON BE FORMALLY CONVEYED TO HER IN A PERMANENT MANNER BY READING THIS PROCLAMATION INTO THE OFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE CITY OF DENTON AND FOREVER FOR FORWARD TO HER. A TRUE COPY, THEREFORE THEREOF, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF DENTON DOES HEREBY, OFFICIALLY AND SINCERELY EXTEND ITS THANKS TO ALISON MAGUIRE FOR HER SUCCESSFUL CAREER AND COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE CITY OF DENTON PASSED AND APPROVED ON THIS DAY, NOVEMBER 22ND, 2022. WE GIVE HER A HAND. YOU KNOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR FOR THE SUPPORT. I COULDN'T BE MORE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I'VE HAD THIS LAST YEAR AND A HALF TO SERVE THE CITY. AND WHILE IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT MY MY TERM HAS ENDED IN THIS WAY, I. I AM READY FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. AND I PROMISE THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME. I'M GOING TO STILL BE STICKING AROUND AND SPEAKING AT MEETINGS, AND I WANT TO MAKE IT KNOWN RIGHT NOW THAT I'M GOING TO APPLY TO BE ON THE BOARD OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. IF ANYBODY WANTS TO APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OVERSIGHT BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, THAT'S THAT'S THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR ME. THERE YOU GO. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. WE LOVE YOU HAVE. OK. THERE ARE THREE SPEAKERS I CALL THEM AND THEN WILL BE DONE FOR THE DAY. JENNIFER. JENNIFER LANE YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR ADDRESS, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU'LL HAVE 4 MINUTES. JENNIFER LANGE DENTON 76205. I HAD TO STEP OUT BECAUSE THIS IS A WORKDAY, SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT OCCURRED. ASIDE FROM CANVASING THE VOTE, IN OTHER WORDS, ACCEPTING THE ELECTION, IT WOULD BE MY IMPRESSION THAT AT THIS POINT NOW ON YOUR PLATE IS TO DETERMINE HOW TO ENFORCE THE PROP B AND HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO WITH THAT ELECTION. REGARDING OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, ALISON MAGUIRE. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE GOING TO REMOVE HER. I THINK THE YOU DON'T HAVE TO AND YOU SHOULDN'T BECAUSE THE CHARTER NUKES THAT AND I THINK YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE CHARTER AFTER YOU MAKE A DECISION ON THAT TOPIC. [01:15:07] THANK YOU. OK COUNCILMAN ARMATURE. RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO ADDRESS MY REMARKS TO ALLISON, AND I'M GOING TO TRY REAL HARD NOT TO CRY. SO IF I TURN AWAY FROM YOU, IT'S BECAUSE SO I CAN TRY TO STOP CRYING. ANYWAY, SO IT WAS REALLY AN HONOR TO SERVE UP THERE. OKAY. TURN AWAY AND LOOK AT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HI, ALLISON. NOW DRAGGING ALLISON. IT WAS AN HONOR TO SIT UP THERE WITH YOU AND SERVE. I ADMIRE MANY THINGS ABOUT YOU. MOST OF ALL, YOUR BRAIN. I THINK YOU'RE THE SMARTEST PERSON UP THERE. AND THAT WAS TRUE WHEN I WAS UP THERE, TOO. AND I DON'T THINK I'M STUPID. SO JUST HAVING THAT DEGREE OF INTELLIGENCE, AND BY THAT, I DON'T MEAN HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH EDUCATION AND DEGREES, BUT JUST. JUST NATURAL INTELLIGENCE. EVERY TIME YOU SPOKE, EACH WORD WAS CAREFULLY CHOSEN. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE IN THE FORM OF A REALLY BRILLIANTLY WITTY JOKE THAT SOME OF WHICH I STILL CHUCKLE ABOUT AND AND SOME, I THINK, WERE DELIVERED IN SUCH A STRAIGHT, DEADPAN KIND OF MANNER. I THINK IT WENT OVER A LOT OF PEOPLE'S HEADS, INCLUDING SOMETIMES MY OWN. SOMETIMES I DIDN'T GET THE JOKE UNTIL LIKE A MINUTE AFTER. ANYWAY, SO THESE PAST FEW A COUPLE OF DAYS, JUST SINCE THIS HAS BEEN ON THE AGENDA, LOOKING AT THIS ON THE AGENDA, I'VE HAD THAT STUCK IN MY HEAD. THAT OLD ELVIS COSTELLO SONG THAT I'M SURE PEOPLE ANNOY YOU WITH, BUT. AND I CAN'T REALLY A TERRIBLE SINGER. BUT YOU KNOW, ALISON, I KNOW THIS WORLD ANYWAY. I CAN'T SING EVEN WHEN I'M NOT CRYING. BUT I'VE JUST BEEN EVEN AS I WAS GETTING READY THIS MORNING, IT JUST STUCK IN MY HEAD AND, YOU KNOW, NOT SO MUCH THE WORDS OF THIS SONG, BUT JUST THE NAME AND THAT THAT JUST WISTFULNESS, THAT SENSE OF BITTERSWEET, OF SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, MUCH BIGGER AND LONGER GETTING NIPPED IN THE BUD. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, LIKE YOU SAID, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. AND SO I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT YOU GO ON TO DO. I WAS THERE WITH YOU WHEN WE VOTED ON THE REDISTRICTING, AND I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO AND WATCH THAT MEETING AND TO SEE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY HOW DIPLOMATIC ALISON WAS, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAID SHE WAS BEING ATTACKED UP THERE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WERE AGAINST THE THE REDISTRICTING. I NEVER FELT SHE WAS ATTACKED. I FELT THAT WAS PEOPLE SPEAKING HER MIND AND SHE WAS LISTENING AND DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB OF IT. AND ALISON AND NEVER AND NONE OF US, I DIDN'T ANYWAY THINK THAT I WAS VOTING TO ALLOW PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T VOTE FOR YOU TO TO VOTE ON YOUR RECALL. NONE OF US THOUGHT THAT. SO I SUPPORT THE LAWSUIT AND I HOPE THIS IS FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL. AND I ALSO THINK THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE OPENLY SAID THAT YOU THINK THAT BE IS IS ILLEGAL AND IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW SHOULD RECUSE YOURSELVES FROM ANY CLOSE MEETING IF THERE IS EVER A LAWSUIT OVER PROP B, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PUBLICLY SAID IT'S AGAINST STATE LAW SHOULD NOT BE IN A POSITION THAT'S DEFENDING SOMETHING THAT YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN NEXT UP WOULD BE CHRISTIAN BRAY. KRISTEN PERMIT. HELLO, CHRISTINE BRAY. I LIVE IN 76201. I CAME TO TOWN LAST AUGUST, AND WHEN I DID SO, I SPOKE WITH DEV ARMENTROUT, WHO IS CURRENTLY ON CITY COUNCIL. AND THEN A LITTLE WHILE LATER, I SPOKE WITH ALLISON, AND ALISON WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY KIND OF INFORMED ME ON A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT I FIND VERY IMPORTANT [01:20:08] TO AND HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND IN THIS CITY AND MOBILITY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A VERY FUNDAMENTAL PART OF PARTICIPATING IN SOCIETY. AND ALLISON HAD A DEEP KNOWLEDGE ON THAT AND A WILLINGNESS TO SHARE IT WITH SOME RANDOM PERSON WHO JUST HAPPENED TO STUMBLE INTO GETTING HER PHONE NUMBER. AND I THINK THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE CHARACTER AND THE DEDICATION OF ALLISON IN HER SERVICE TO THIS CITY. AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TIME GIVEN HERE DEEPLY. WITH THAT SAID, I WAS HOPING THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON THE PREVIOUS ITEM. I'M USED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS BEING ENDING WITH A CALL FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS. SO, MR. MAYOR, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE ME THE LEEWAY TO ADDRESS A TOPIC OFF OF THIS. YEAH. NO. BY ALL MEANS. AND WE'LL SEE WHAT CRITICISM I GET AFTER IT. BUT GO RIGHT AHEAD. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO ADDRESS WHAT THE SPEAKER WHO CLOSED OUT THE SESSION SPOKE ON, AND THAT IS THE STORY TIME AT PETULA JOE'S THIS SATURDAY. I ASSUME THAT THE PICTURE THAT HE GAVE YOU HAS ME IN IT. IT MIGHT NOT, BUT I WAS OUT THERE IN FRONT FOR THE WHOLE 2 HOURS AND SKIPPING PAST ALL OF THE MISSTATEMENT OF MEDICAL FACTS, MOST OF WHICH WERE NOT TRUE OR WERE CONTEXTUALIZED. I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING THERE. THERE WERE PROUD BOYS THERE. THERE WERE PEOPLE CARRYING GUNS ON THE SIDE OF FASCISTS. AND I USE THE WORD FASCIST. NOT AS MANY PEOPLE DO WHERE THEY LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T LIKE AND THEY CALL IT FASCIST. I'M SPEAKING OF PEOPLE WHO OPENLY IDENTIFY AS FASCISTS. THERE WAS A FORMER UNC STUDENT WHO OPENLY IDENTIFIES AS A CHRISTIAN FASCIST AND BROUGHT CHRISTIAN FASCISTS WHO SAID, WHAT'S WRONG WITH CHRISTIAN FASCISM ONTO UNT CAMPUS? THERE WAS A AN INTERNET STREAMER THERE WHO HAS SAID THAT HIS ORGANIZATION DOES NOT HAVE JEW MONEY. THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION THERE THAT WAS FLYING ADAPTED SWASTIKAS. AND TO SAY THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE WHO WERE CARRYING GUNS, AND THAT'S A THREAT TO OUR COMMUNITY. IT WAS THE PEOPLE WHO WERE CARRYING GUNS WHO WERE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I AM NOT SOMEBODY WHO LIKES GUNS. I AM NOT SOMEBODY I, I CAN READ STATISTICS. I KNOW WHAT THE PROPAGATION OF ASSAULT RIFLES DID TO MASS SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA. I AM NOT A FAN OF GUNS PROPAGATING THROUGH OUR SOCIETY. HOWEVER, THERE WERE GUNS THAT ARE BEING CARRIED BY FASCISTS AND TO POINT AT PEOPLE WHO ARE MASKING UP AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ARE FLYING ADOPTED SWASTIKA FLAGS AGAINST PROUD BOYS AND WHO ARE CARRYING WEAPONS TO A CHILDREN'S EVENT CALLING EVERYONE THEY'RE PEDOPHILES AND CHILD ABUSERS AND TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE EVENT, TO FILM CHILDREN, SNEAKING INTO THE EVENT, FILMING CHILDREN AGAIN, CARRYING ADAPTED SWASTIKAS. I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. THERE WAS AN OPEN FASCIST MOVEMENT. THEY WERE CARRYING ADAPTIVE SWASTIKAS. AND I WANT TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON WHAT HAPPENED THERE. I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT WE HAVE A NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE AS A CITY. IT IS TIME TO HONESTLY EXAMINE THE THREATS TO THE QUEER COMMUNITY IN THE FACE OF A SHOOTING IN COLORADO SPRINGS WHERE FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED, TWO OF WHOM WERE TRANSGENDER, AND TO BE HONEST AND NOT BE MISLED BY RHETORIC LIKE THAT SPEAKER BROUGHT INTO THIS ROOM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONCLUDING. YOU KNOW. [2. CONCLUDING ITEMS] SEE NONE. I'LL JUST SAY ACROSS THE BOARD IT IS IMPORTANT. AND I DON'T THINK THIS CITY SHOULD STAND WITH OR SUPPORT ANY TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION AT ANY LEVEL FOR OR AGAINST ANYONE. AND I THINK THAT I THINK THOSE THAT ARE CHARGED WITH KEEPING US SAFE UNDERSTAND THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE DOING THEIR LEVEL BEST. WE'RE HIRING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STAFF, TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE JUST HAVE TO AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET BETTER ABOUT CHOOSING WORDS ACROSS THE BOARD. I'LL I'M GOING TO BE COMMITTED TO THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MAYBE BE MORE ACTIVE IN POINTING OUT WORDS THAT CAN BE MISCONSTRUED. AND I THINK I BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THAT, HOPEFULLY. AND SO BECAUSE JUST. JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, YOU KNOW, AND IT DIDN'T RECORD CHRONICLE FIRST COMMENT. MAYOR HUDSPETH IS AN UNCLE TOM. YOU KNOW, SO IF I GET IT EVERY DAY AND SO I DON'T BRING IT UP OFTEN, I BRING IT UP NOW TO SAY I, I GET IT. I DON'T NEED YOU TO EXPLAIN TO ME. AND I'M NOT. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT. I'M JUST SAYING I'M WORKING HARD TO ADDRESS THINGS THE WAY I ADDRESS THEM, WHICH IS IN PRIVATE AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE AND EDUCATING SLOWLY BUT SURELY [01:25:10] AND MAKING OUR COMMUNITY BETTER AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE HERE. THAT'S THAT'S MY APPROACH. AND AGAIN, IF YOU THINK THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO DO IT, LET ME KNOW. BUT THAT'S THE WAY I KNOW IN THE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH. THAT'S WHAT MY DAD TAUGHT ME. HIS 21 YEARS OF PROTEST IN THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT. HE WAS ALWAYS CIVIL. HE HAD PEOPLE COME UP WITH LONG RIFLES. IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. THAT'S JUST HOW I WAS TAUGHT. SO THAT'S MY APPROACH TO TO PROBLEM SOLVING AND ALWAYS LOOKING TO GET BETTER. BUT AS A COMMUNITY, AS A COUNCIL, WILL BE MORE MINDFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE EVERYONE FEEL SAFE, MAKE SURE WE KEEP GETTING DENTON. AND AT 1026, WE'LL IN TODAY'S MEETING. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.