Mar 05, 2024 City Council on 2024-03-05 2:00 PM

[00:00:04]

GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THIS MEETING OF THE DENTON CITY COUNCIL.

[WORK SESSION]

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, SO I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.

AND THE I THINK WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.

ANY I THINK WE DO.

THAT TAKES US TO OR WE DON'T HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS.

AND SO THAT TAKES US TO REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION AGENDA ITEMS LISTED ON THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

SO ANY QUESTIONS? ON AGENDA. I'VE SEEN NONE.

THAT TAKES US TO OUR FIRST WORK SESSION, WHICH IS THREE A ID

[A. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding Audit Project 035 - Staff Recruiting and Hiring. [Estimated Presentation/Discussion Time: 30 minutes]]

ALL RIGHT. HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'M MADISON RORSCHACH DENTON, CITY AUDITOR.

I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE FINDINGS FROM OUR AUDIT OF THE CITY STAFF, RECRUITING AND HIRING PROCESSES FOR CIVIL AND NON CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS.

SO TO BEGIN, OVER THE LAST THREE FISCAL YEARS, THE CITY HAS HIRED JUST OVER 1700 EMPLOYEES AND HAD AN AVERAGE TURNOVER RATE OF ABOUT 15%.

THE STAFF RECRUITING AND HIRING PROCESS OF ANY ORGANIZATION IS CRITICAL, AS HIRING UNQUALIFIED EMPLOYEES CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF TIME, MONEY, AND MORALE.

IN GENERAL, THE CITY'S RECRUITING AND HIRING PROCESSES ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH HIRING DEPARTMENT.

HOWEVER, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT FACILITATES THESE EFFORTS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS AND CITY POLICY.

THIS AUDIT EVALUATED THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RECRUITING AND HIRING PROCESS, THE CITY'S COMPLIANCE WITH RECRUITING AND HIRING REGULATIONS, AND THE ALIGNMENT OF THE PROCESSES OUTCOMES.

WITH THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION POLICY, WE'LL BEGIN BY DISCUSSING THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CITY'S RECRUITING AND HIRING PROCESS, BASED ON A COMPARISON OF CERTAIN PERFORMANCE METRICS.

THE CITY'S RECRUITING AND HIRING PROCESSES GENERALLY APPEAR TO BE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE, WITH SOME RECENT CHANGES MADE BY HR TO THEIR PROCESSES FURTHER IMPROVING THIS.

ON THE CANDIDATE ATTRACTION FRONT, THE CITY'S JOB POST CONVERSION RATE WAS IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY BENCHMARKS.

IN ADDITION, THE CITY COORDINATES A VARIETY OF HIRING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND NON CIVIL SERVICE JOB APPLICATIONS GENERALLY DO NOT REQUEST BACK INFORMATION THAT WOULD DISCOURAGE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM APPLYING, SUCH AS REQUESTING CRIMINAL HISTORY.

WHILE THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS APPEARS TO ATTRACT ENOUGH CANDIDATES, ISSUES WITH HOW HIRING MANAGERS ARE USING THE CITY'S CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MAKE IT UNCLEAR IF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES ARE QUALITY, CANDIDATES ARE GENERALLY BEING ATTRACTED SPECIFICALLY, BEST PRACTICES RECOMMEND USING THE INTERVIEW TO OFFER RATIO TO DETERMINE IF THE CANDIDATE POOL HAS QUALITY CANDIDATES, WITH THE GENERAL BENCHMARK OF THREE INTERVIEWS TO ONE OFFER.

WHILE THE CITY'S INTERVIEW TO OFFER RATIO IS LOWER THAN EXPECTED, WE FOUND THAT THIS DATA MAY NOT BE RELIABLE DUE TO HIRING MANAGERS NOT FULLY USING THE CITY'S CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ACCORDING TO THE SYSTEM, ABOUT 30% OF HIRED CANDIDATES DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN AN IN AN INTERVIEW BEFORE THEY WERE HIRED, INDICATING THAT THE DATA MAY NOT BE RELIABLE. STILL, THE CITY'S NEW HIRE TURNOVER RATE OR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO SEPARATE FROM THE CITY WITHIN THEIR FIRST YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT IS ABOUT 26%, WHICH IS ALMOST HALF OF THE INDUSTRY STANDARD OF 40%.

FURTHER, THE CITY'S OFFER TO HIRE RATE WAS 87% ON AVERAGE DURING 2023, AND THERE'S INDICATION THAT A MONTHLY OFFER TO HIRE RATES INCREASED AFTER THE CITY IMPLEMENTED A NEW COMPENSATION STUDY IN JULY OF 2023.

SIMILARLY, HR IMPLEMENTED A PROCESS CHANGE IN JUNE OF 2023 THAT SEEMS TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED THE TIME IT TOOK TO BACKFILL A VACANT POSITION BY OVER A MONTH.

IN ADDITION, THE AVERAGE TIME TO HIRE OR THE TIME BETWEEN A CANDIDATE APPLYING AND STARTING IN A IN A POSITION WAS ABOUT EIGHT DAYS LESS THAN THE BENCHMARK OF 22 DAYS.

FINALLY, THE CITY HAS GENERALLY IMPLEMENTED COMPENSATION, EQUITY, AND PAY TRANSPARENCY BEST PRACTICES, INCLUDING CONDUCTING COMPENSATION STUDIES USING MARKET DATA TO MAKE OFFERS AND POSTING PAY PAY GRADES FOR ALMOST ALL POSITIONS AND PAY RANGES FOR MOST JOB POSTINGS.

THE CITY ALSO RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A COMPENSATION OFFER REVIEW PROCESS, WHEREBY ALL COMPENSATION OFFERS MUST BE HOLISTICALLY REVIEWED BY HR TO HELP PROMOTE PAY EQUITY ACROSS THE CITY. BEFORE THIS, HIRING MANAGERS MADE COMPENSATION OFFERS UNILATERALLY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INEQUITY BASED ON THEIR MANAGEMENT RESPONSE.

HR IS WORKING TO DEVELOP RECRUITING AND HIRING PERFORMANCE METRIC GOALS AS PART OF THEIR FISCAL YEAR 2024 WORK PLAN.

IN ADDITION, THEY'RE HOPING TO ADDRESS CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DATA INTEGRITY ISSUES AS PART OF THE UPCOMING ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING, OR ERP PROJECT.

AS HR BELIEVES SYSTEM LIMITATIONS MAKE THE CURRENT CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INEFFECTIVE.

INEFFICIENT. SORRY.

NEXT, FEDERAL AND STATE LAW AND CITY POLICY LAY OUT CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING EMPLOYED IN THE US AND AND DOCUMENTING AND FOR DOCUMENTING THE CANDIDATE EVALUATION AND SCREENING PROCESS.

SPECIFICALLY, CANDIDATE EVALUATION RECORDS SUCH AS PHONE SCREEN AND INTERVIEW NOTES MUST BE RETAINED TO ENSURE CANDIDATES WERE TREATED FAIRLY.

[00:05:01]

ADDITIONAL SCREENING STEPS SUCH AS INTENSIVE BACKGROUND CHECKS, POLYGRAPH POLYGRAPHS, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS, AND FITNESS ASSESSMENTS TO ENSURE THEY MEET THE DEPARTMENT'S HIRING STANDARDS.

FINALLY, CITY POLICY REQUIRES ALL CANDIDATES TO PASS A BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG SCREEN AS WELL AS BE AUTHORIZED TO WORK IN THE US, AS EVIDENCED BY AN I-9 FORM.

BASED ON A REVIEW OF A SAMPLE OF NON-CIVIL SERVICE CANDIDATES, FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS AND DISPATCHERS, WE FOUND THAT CANDIDATE EVALUATION DOCUMENTATION WAS OFTEN NOT RETAINED AS REQUIRED AS OUTLINED ON THE ON THE TABLE, IN THE TABLE ON THE SLIDE, THOUGH, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ALMOST ALL NEEDED DOCUMENTATION WAS RETAINED FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND DISPATCHER CANDIDATES FOR NON-CIVIL SERVICE.

CANDIDATES. CANDIDATES INTERVIEWS AND PHONE SCREEN NOTES WERE GENERALLY NOT AVAILABLE, BECAUSE HR DID NOT HAVE A PROCESS TO CONSISTENTLY REQUEST AND RETAIN THIS INFORMATION FOR FIREFIGHTER CANDIDATES.

DOCUMENTATION WAS GENERALLY RETAINED PHYSICALLY, AND COPIES OF REQUIRED REPORTS WERE NOT OFTEN NOT SEPARATELY RETAINED IN THE CANDIDATES FILE, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO LOCATE.

AND THEN, WHILE MOST DISPATCHER CANDIDATE DOCUMENTATION WAS ULTIMATELY LOCATED, THESE RECORDS WERE GENERALLY NOT READILY AVAILABLE DUE TO REPORTS NOT BEING CENTRALLY RETAINED IN THE CANDIDATES FILE.

DESPITE THOSE BEING MAINTAINED ELECTRONICALLY.

SIMILARLY WHILE MOST MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENT VERIFICATION DOCUMENTATION FOR NON-CIVIL SERVICE CIVIL HIRES WAS LOCATED, IT WAS GENERALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND DUE TO STAFFS PRACTICE TO NOT RETAIN COPIES OF DRUG SCREEN AND PHYSICAL EXAM RESULTS, AND DRIVER LICENSE CHECK REPORTS AND THEIR EMPLOYEE FILE.

LASTLY, NINE OF THE I-9 FORMS SELECTED FOR REVIEW COULD NOT BE LOCATED AND FIVE WERE NOT COMPLETED PER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING USING EXPIRED DOCUMENTS OR NOT BEING COMPLETED TIMELY.

BASED ON THEIR MANAGEMENT RESPONSES, HR HAS BEGUN DEVELOPING PROCESSES TO HELP ENSURE CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT.

EVALUATION. DOCUMENTATION, SPECIFICALLY PHONE SCREEN AND INTERVIEW NOTES, IS CONSISTENTLY REQUESTED FROM HIRING MANAGERS AND RETAINED.

SIMILARLY, THEY ARE DEVELOPING A PROCESS TO ENSURE ALL MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENT VERIFICATION DOCUMENTATION, INCLUDING DRUG SCREENS, PHYSICAL EXAMS AND DRIVING RECORD CHECKS ARE SAVED IN AN EMPLOYEE'S PERSONNEL FILE.

IN ADDITION, HR BEGAN AN I-9 AUDIT IN JANUARY 2024 AND IS WORKING TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS DESPITE SOME SETBACKS.

EACH PUBLIC SAFETY, RECRUITMENT AND HIRING FUNCTION HAS ALSO AGREED TO IMPROVE RECRUITING AND HIRING DOCUMENTATION, AS APPLICABLE, AND FORMALIZE THESE PROCESSES IN AN SOP.

LASTLY, THE CITY RECENTLY ADOPTED A COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION POLICY TO FURTHER ACTUALIZE ITS CORE VALUE OF INCLUSION.

IN ADDITION, INDUSTRY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT A DIVERSE, EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE WORKSPACE PROMOTES INNOVATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND TEAMWORK IN GENERAL.

TO PROMOTE THIS GOAL, GOVERNMENTS TRY TO RECRUIT AND HIRE EMPLOYEES WHO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2023, CITY OF DENTON EMPLOYEES GENERALLY DID NOT REFLECT THE DENTON COMMUNITY, WITH WHITE EMPLOYEES AND MEN BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED.

BASED ON TREND ANALYSIS.

OVER THE LAST THREE FISCAL YEARS, THE SHARE OF EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WOMEN HAS INCREASED.

SORRY, WHITE WOMEN WHO HAS INCREASED AND THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE SHARE OF BLACK, HISPANIC AND LATINO AND ASIAN EMPLOYEES, THOUGH MUCH OF THIS INCREASES IN PART TIME POSITIONS. STILL, THE CITY GENERALLY ATTRACTS APPLICANTS WHOSE DIVERSITY REFLECTS THE DENTON AND DFW COMMUNITIES.

HOWEVER, BLACK MEN AND WOMEN ARE GENERALLY NOT BEING HIRED PROPORTIONALLY BASED ON THEIR SHARE OF APPLICATIONS.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS INFORMATION GENERALLY DOES NOT INCLUDE CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS, AND DATA TO COMPARE APPLICANT TO HIRE DIVERSITY WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE.

THOUGH I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS THERE SOMEWHERE.

WHILE THE CITY HAS CREATED A REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES ON DIVERSITY AND HIRING, FORMAL GUIDANCE ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT CANDIDATE EVALUATION STRATEGIES INTENDED TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF UNINTENDED BIASES HAVE NOT BEEN DEVELOPED.

FINALLY, PAY GAP ANALYZES GENERALLY INDICATE THAT GENDER AND RACIAL PAY EQUITY COULD BE FURTHER IMPROVED BASED ON A CITY WIDE COMPARISON OF PAY RATES.

FOR EVERY DOLLAR A WHITE MAN MAKES, MOST RACIAL AND GENDER DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS MAKE AT LEAST $0.03 LESS ON AVERAGE, AS SHOWN IN THE TABLE ON THE SLIDE.

IN ADDITION, WHEN ADJUSTING BASED ON PAY GRADE, WE FOUND THAT OVER HALF OF THE PAY GRADES WITH ENOUGH VARIABILITY FOR COMPARISON HAD A PAY GAP GREATER THAN $0.03 AS WELL.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT BOTH THESE ANALYZES INCLUDE MULTIPLE POSITIONS, AND SO THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN EMPLOYEES ARE RECEIVING UNEQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK, ONLY THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE AND SHOULD BE REVIEWED REGULARLY BY HR BASED ON THEIR MANAGEMENT RESPONSES.

HR IS PLANNING TO SUBMIT A BUDGET SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 TO HIRE AN INCLUSION CONSULTANT TO HELP DEVELOP RECRUITMENT AND HIRING INCLUSION GOALS, AS WELL AS GUIDANCE FOR HIRING MANAGERS ON HOW TO MINIMIZE UNINTENDED BIASES DURING THE RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESS.

IN ADDITION, IN ADDITION, HR HAS BEEN DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO PERIODICALLY CONDUCT REGULAR COMPENSATION STUDIES THAT WILL INCLUDE PAY EQUITY ANALYZES, INCLUDING SOME THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AS PART OF THE 2023 COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY.

SO IN SUMMARY, WE ISSUED 17 RECOMMENDATIONS, ALL OF WHICH THE DEPARTMENT AGREED OR PARTIALLY AGREED WITH.

[00:10:05]

NOW I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. QUESTIONS FOR STAFF.

ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILOR MELTZER.

THANK YOU FOR THIS IMPORTANT AUDIT.

I NOTED THAT ONE OF THE GAPS IDENTIFIED WAS, WAS WAS GUIDANCE.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS GUIDANCE GOING FORWARD.

HOW DO YOU AVOID UNINTENDED BIAS? AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S IMPORTANT.

EVEN SETTING ASIDE QUESTIONS OF FAIRNESS, I MEAN, IF JUST PURELY FOR THE GOAL OF GETTING THE BEST TALENT, YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE EVEN UNCONSCIOUS BIAS TOWARD TOWARD THOSE WHO TALK LIKE ME AND LOOK LIKE ME, YOU KNOW, TO GET IN THE WAY OF GETTING THE BEST TALENT.

AND I THINK IT WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.

I SPOKE WITH THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, AND I ASKED ABOUT THIS TOPIC, AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING DIVERSITY IN HIRING PANELS.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DATA IS NOT BEEN COLLECTED ON THAT, BUT BUT MY I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, DO WE ACTUALLY HIRE WITH HIRING PANELS? IS THAT HOW THAT'S MOSTLY DONE? YES. AND ACTUALLY THIS IS SOMETHING I'M VERY I'M VERY FOCUSED ON IS THAT NOT ONLY IS IT A PANEL THAT IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE IN THAT DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S MADE UP OF OTHER PEOPLE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND THAT THERE HAS TO BE DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT, DIVERSITY OF CULTURE.

AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S MIXED AS FAR AS THE IF SOMEONE'S INTERVIEWING THAT, THEY SEE SOMEONE LIKE THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE, MEANING THEY'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT A SAME PEOPLE. SO.

RIGHT, RIGHT. WE DO HAVE PANELS AND AND IF THERE'S PEOPLE HERE THAT AREN'T DOING THAT, THEY THEY NEED TO BECAUSE IT'S A MORE FAIR PROCESS.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM ACROSS THE BOARD FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT.

BUT YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT.

A DIVERSITY. SOME DIVERSITY FROM EMPLOYEES THAT THEY CAN FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THEM IN THAT SETTING.

SO THEY'RE NOT GOING, HEY, I'M NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL HERE.

YEAH THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. MAYOR PRO TEM.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I NOTED IN BOTH THE QUESTIONS THE STAFF AND I SEE IN THE THE REPORT THAT A LOT OF THE ISSUES WERE NOT NECESSARILY THAT THINGS WERE, WERE, WERE NOT BEING DONE, BUT DOCUMENTATION OF EVENTS.

AND I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST THAT'S IT'S BEEN THE CITY MANAGER HENSLEY YOU KNOW, GOAL TO TO INCREASE THE LEVELS OF DOCUMENTATION.

SO I'M, I'M ENCOURAGING THAT MORE.

AND I GUESS MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT IS THE FLIP SIDE OF THE DOCUMENTATION COIN IS EASE OF ACCESS OF FUTURE STAFF TO THAT DOCUMENTATION.

BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU RECORD IT, IF IT'S HIDDEN, IF IT'S PUT ON A SHELF, THEN IT'S JUST AS BAD AS IF YOU DIDN'T DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO I, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL.

AND IF THE CITY MANAGER WANTS TO COMMENT OR WHATEVER ON HER GOALS ON THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN HER PROGRESS ON THAT IN THE PAST.

SO I'M REALLY NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT.

BUT I'M MORE WITH THIS COMMENT ENCOURAGING BOTH SIDES OF THE DOCUMENTATION COIN TO BE ADDRESSED.

SO I WILL SAY THIS.

AND MEGAN'S HERE.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY HISTORY HERE, FIVE YEARS, ALMOST FIVE YEARS TO THE DAY THAT WE HAVE AN ACTUAL HR PROFESSIONAL IN THAT JOB.

SO YOU'RE AND THE REASON YOU'RE SEEING SOME THINGS THAT ARE UPTICKING MEANING YOU'RE SEEING THIS, YOU'RE SEEING THIS, THERE'S A FOCUS ON THIS, IS THAT YOU HAVE SOMEONE IN THE ROLE THAT HAS DONE THIS, NOT ONLY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

SO YES, DOCUMENTATION IS SHE WOULD TELL YOU.

SHE PROBABLY WILL IF YOU ASK HER DOCUMENTATION.

PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IN HR SO THAT NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, WHETHER IT'S INTERVIEWING, DOING IT ON TEAMS MEETINGS, THAT THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE GOING BACK INTO A FILE.

SO IF ANYONE EVER QUESTIONS AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY SEE THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO RAMP UP FROM STAFFING WHEN YOU START GROWING OUR NUMBERS AND WE START GETTING ABOVE 2000 AND OTHERS, AND YOU'VE GOT FIVE DEPARTMENTS INTERVIEWING IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD, SHE HAS TO ALLOCATE A STAFF MEMBER WHO WORKS WITH THAT PROCESS, AND THEY COLLECT ALL THE INFORMATION. THEY REVIEW THE QUESTIONS, ALL THE THINGS FOLLOW UP.

MANY TIMES THEY'RE SCHEDULING THE INTERVIEWS.

SO WHILE WE HAVEN'T BEEN VERY GOOD AT THAT PREVIOUSLY, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S ON HER RADAR.

IT'S ALSO ON HER RADAR THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE INTERNAL SERVICES, BECAUSE IT IS AN INTERNAL FUNCTION TO THE DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THEM, EVEN TO THE POINT OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, APPROPRIATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, DIVERSE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, MAKING SURE THE PANELS ARE IN PLACE AND THEY ARE DIVERSE PANEL, AND THEN HAVING A STAFF MEMBER THAT USUALLY SITS IN ON THOSE INTERVIEWS.

NOW I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU THAT I APPRECIATE THOSE WORDS.

THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, MR. MAYOR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF?

[00:15:01]

IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, PLEASE.

I BELIEVE THAT'S THIS ONE.

YES. THAT ONE. YEAH. SO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS ISN'T REFLECTIVE OF PAY FOR SIMILAR WORK BETWEEN IS.

IT WAS. DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT OR RIGHT.

SO THE PAY EQUITY ANALYSIS WE PERFORMED WAS GENERALLY WAS UNADJUSTED.

SO WE DID JUST THE WHOLE CITY, ALL FULL TIME EMPLOYEES LOOKED AT PAY EQUITY RACIALLY AND GENDER AND AND GENDER.

AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT PAY GRADES WHICH INCLUDE INCLUDE MULTIPLE POSITIONS AND ONLY THE ONES THAT HAD ENOUGH VARIABILITY TO ACTUALLY DO SOME SORT OF ANALYSIS.

SO SOME OF THEM HAVE JUST 1 OR 2 EMPLOYEES IN THEM.

SO WE DIDN'T INCLUDE THOSE IN THAT ANALYSIS.

RIGHT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS A MORE OF A CITYWIDE APPROACH.

AGGREGATE WAGES AGGREGATE GAPS.

CORRECT. NOT NECESSARILY. COMPARISON FOR X IS DOING THIS JOB AND Y IS DOING THIS JOB.

THEN THEY SHOULD BE IF THEY'RE SIMILARLY EXPERIENCED THEY SHOULD BE GETTING PAID.

OKAY. CORRECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN. MCGEE. I GUESS THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER.

SO WE SEE THAT BASED OFF OF THE QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MELTZER ASKED VIA EMAIL THAT OUR NUMBER IS OUR TURNOVER RATE IS LOWER THAN KIND OF THE A STANDARD AVERAGE.

WHAT WE SEE ACROSS OTHER GOVERNMENT BODIES TO WHAT WE ATTRIBUTE THAT.

WHAT IS DENTON DOING RIGHT IN THIS AREA? WELL, IF YOU'D ASKED ME THIS THREE MONTHS AGO, I'M WELL, I THINK, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS.

ONE IS OBVIOUSLY THE PAY THAT YOU ALL AND YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THAT.

THE COMP CLASS THAT YOU APPROVED, THAT WAS A LARGE NUMBER.

ANYTIME I TELL ANOTHER CITY MANAGER, THEY'RE LIKE, REALLY? YOUR COUNCIL APPROVED THAT MUCH MONEY.

BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND WE'LL NEVER LET IT GET OUT OF HAND LIKE THAT AGAIN.

BUT THAT THAT'S A FACTOR, THE FACT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO OUR BENEFITS AND WE TRY TO OFFER THE HOLIDAYS AND THE TWO EXTRA FLOATING DAYS AND THAT WE ARE COMPETITIVE WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORK FROM HOME, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME, SOME THAT CAN ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO STAY UP ON.

AGAIN, I GIVE CREDIT TO MEGAN AND THE PEOPLE SHE'S HIRING IN THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN THESE AREAS WHO ARE SAYING, WE NEED TO BE DOING THIS.

WE NEED TO BE DOING THAT.

IF I WERE IF I THINK THAT IS HAVING AN EXPERT IN THAT FIELD THAT'S HELPING US REALIZE THERE'S SOME THINGS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, BUT JUST HIRING GOOD PEOPLE, WHEN YOU HIRE GOOD PEOPLE AND THEY'RE THEY'RE GOOD AT THEIR JOB AND YOU TREAT THEM RIGHT MOST OF THE TIME, AND YOU PAY THEM WELL AND THEY GET RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR WORK.

THEY WANT TO STAY.

IT'S WHEN YOU DON'T PAY THEM.

WELL, YOU DON'T. THEY DON'T GET TO TRY OTHER THINGS.

AND WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO TRY OTHER AREAS TO WORK.

AND SOMETIMES THEY GO AND WORK IN OTHER AREAS AND WE TRY TO GROW OUR OWN.

CARLOTTA AND JESSE ARE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT.

THEY'RE IN A TWO SPOT ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, BUT THEIR WHOLE FOCUS IS THAT IN A YEAR TO YEAR AND A HALF, THEY'RE MOVED UP INTO A DEPARTMENT SOMEWHERE.

SO WE'RE GROWING OUR OWN PEOPLE AND KEEPING THEM AND TRAINING THEM, AND SOMETIMES WE LOSE THEM.

AND IT'S A LOSS TO THE ORGANIZATION.

BUT I LIKE TO BE COMPETITIVE WHEN IT COMES TO PAY AND BENEFITS, BECAUSE THAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE.

AND WHEN WE DID A SURVEY, WE DID A SURVEY ON THAT.

THOSE THINGS WERE WHAT ROSE TO THE TOP FEELING A PART OF A TEAM, FEELING THAT THEY WERE VALUED AND THAT WE PAID THEM AND RESPECTED THEM WHEN IT CAME TO BENEFITS.

THE PARENTAL LEAVE YOU APPROVED, THAT'S A BIG HIT, TOO.

NOT EVERY CITY DOES THAT.

SO THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT I THINK HELPS.

AND JUST HAVING GOOD LEADERSHIP AND THE ROLES THAT WE HAVE WITH FRANK AND CHRISTINE AND CASSIE AND NOW CHRISTY AND MEGAN AND SOME OF OUR OTHER DIRECTORS PEOPLE, PEOPLE USUALLY WANT TO WORK.

IT'S JUST IT'S SOMETIMES WHEN THEY'RE TREATED DIFFERENTLY OR THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING THEY'RE BEING VALUED.

IT'S WHEN THEY START TO LOOK.

THANK YOU MA'AM. COUNCILMAN BYRD.

THE CHER CHER OF BLACK, HISPANIC LATINO ASIAN EMPLOYEES SLIGHTLY INCREASED, MOSTLY SEEN IN PART TIME POSITIONS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE PART TIME POSITIONS I CAN'T THINK OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD OF WHAT WOULD BE A PART TIME POSITION, MAYBE OTHER THAN PARKS AND REC.

I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK TO GIVE YOU EXACT BREAKDOWNS.

I MEAN, SOME SOME A LOT OF THEM ARE IN PARKS AND REC AND THAT KIND OF THAT AREA RECREATION JOBS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER PART TIME POSITIONS, LIKE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I BELIEVE THERE'S A FEW PART TIME POSITIONS.

I THINK THERE'S ONE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.

SO THERE ARE SOME IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE KIND OF MORE IN THE FIELD.

IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

YEAH, I THINK THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION.

AND ALSO I'M LOOKING THERE THE DIDN'T RESIDENTS VERSUS CITY EMPLOYEES.

[00:20:04]

DID YOU ALL KIND OF GO IN THAT DIRECTION TO SEE? WE DID NOT LOOK AT THAT IN ANY WAY AS PART OF THIS.

IT'S NOT PART OF THIS.

OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAD.

THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME OTHER COMMENTS, BUT I'LL SAVE THOSE TWO FOR MYSELF.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MADISON, I DO WANT TO KIND OF HAVE A RECORD TO UNDERSTAND.

HOW DO YOU RECONCILE BIRACIAL EMPLOYEES? IS IT JUST WHAT THEY IDENTIFY? DO YOU CAPTURE THEM BOTH CATEGORIES? RIGHT. BECAUSE IF I SELECT A CATEGORY AND THAT'S THE ONLY ONE, YOU COUNT IT JUST SO.

SO I BELIEVE ALL THE DATA IS SELF-REPORTED.

THERE'S AN OPTION TO SELECT MULTIPLE RACES.

THAT'S THE OPTION.

NOT SO NOT BOTH MULTIPLE RACES AS THE OPTION.

THAT DATA THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF IT.

THERE'S NOT THAT'S NOT A.

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO SELECTED THAT OPTION WERE NOT ENOUGH OF A SHARE TO BE SIGNIFICANT TO THIS CHART, BUT THERE ARE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE SELECTED THAT OPTION.

SO. BUT IT WOULD AFFECT TO SOME DEGREE THE DEPENDENT ON THE RACES.

IT WOULD MOVE THESE NUMBERS.

IT IT COULD IF IT GOT TO SELECT BOTH IT COULD IMPACT IT.

BUT I BELIEVE THE PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES WHO SELECTED MULTIPLE RACES IS UNDER 1%.

OKAY. YEAH. OKAY.

IF THAT ANSWERS, IT DOES.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TRY TO MAYBE HONE IN ON THAT MORE, BECAUSE IF BECAUSE THE NARRATIVE RIGHT COULD BE.

BETTER SAY IT. I'D LIKE TO SEE US BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT ELICITING THAT INFORMATION AND NOT JUST SAY, CHECK THIS BOX AS A CATCH ALL, BUT BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT CHECK ALL THAT APPLY AND MAYBE BE GET A BETTER READ ON ON THOSE NUMBERS, TRUE NUMBERS OR TRUE UP WHAT WE'RE ALREADY SEEING.

IT MAY JUST, YOU KNOW, ECHO WHAT WE'RE SEEING, BUT JUST KIND OF TO HAVE A BETTER COLLECTION APPROACH TO THAT.

AND THEN I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF, IF YOU COULD COME UP, PLEASE.

CERTAINLY. SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OUT THERE OF WE'VE WALKED LEGALS STEPPED US THROUGH IN A DIFFERENT TOPIC.

DO'S AND DON'TS, WHICH YOU CAN AND CAN'T CONSIDER WHEN HIRING ALL THOSE THINGS.

RIGHT. BUT SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION ON HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU WALK THAT BALANCE AND JUST THAT, THAT MINDSET BEHIND, HEY, WE CAN'T CONSIDER RACE, BUT WE GOT TO CONSIDER RACE.

ABSOLUTELY. SO, MEGAN, YOU STEP ME THROUGH THAT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE WATCHING OR IT'S KIND OF ARCHIVED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REVISIT IT AS NEEDED.

SO MEGAN GALBREATH, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES THAT'S ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, A REALLY FINE LINE THAT YOU HAVE TO KIND OF JUGGLE THAT BALANCE BETWEEN BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO SORRY ABOUT THAT. YOU DON'T WANT TO CREATE THE UNINTENTIONAL DISCRIMINATION OR BIAS BY TELLING THEM YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON THESE KEY AREAS.

AND SO WE DO WHAT WE CAN, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL GUIDES THAT WE CAN GIVE TO OUR HIRING MANAGERS THAT ARTICULATE YOU KNOW, HOW TO CREATE THOSE INCLUSIVE PANELS AND BEING MORE INCLUSIVE.

BUT THAT ALSO GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, EDUCATING OUR EMPLOYEES ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INCLUSIVE AND IT BECOMING A PART OF OUR EVERYDAY CULTURE.

SO INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, DOING IT JUST FOR AN INTERVIEW PANEL OR DOING IT JUST FOR A HIRING PRACTICE, IF IT BECOMES A PART OF OUR EVERYDAY EFFORTS AND THE CULTURE OF HOW WE EXIST, PEOPLE NATURALLY DIVERT TO TO INCLUSIVITY.

OKAY. IS THERE A.

SO IN THE LEGAL WORLD, IT'S PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE.

IT'S LIKE JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN 50%.

RIGHT. SO HOW IN HR WORLD WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE CITY OF DENTON.

SO IF WE HAVE EQUALLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, DIFFERENT RACES, DOES THAT MATTER? NO IT SHOULDN'T. WHEN YOU'RE EVALUATING THEM, IT SHOULD BE BASED ON THEIR SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS.

BECAUSE THEN IN A SENSE, IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THEM AND YOU HAVE ONE THAT'S AFRICAN AMERICAN AND ONE THAT'S WHITE, BUT THEY HAVE EQUAL SKILL SETS, YOU CAN'T SELECT ONE BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE OVER RACE OVER THE OTHER.

OKAY. AND SO.

IS THAT MESSAGING IN YOUR MIND? WELL, THAT'S BETTER, SAID A STATEMENT.

I'D WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MESSAGING.

THAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR DIRECTION.

YEAH, IT COMES ACROSS IN THIS BECAUSE THE NATURAL MY NATURAL DEFAULT IS OH NO, WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT.

AND SO TO YOUR POINT, THAT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE.

THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS THE RIGHT THING.

EVERY DAY, EVERY INSTANCE, EVERY CHANCE YOU HAVE A CHOICE.

AND THEN BY THAT THESE TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.

BUT I, I FEAR WE RUN THE RISK OF.

[00:25:01]

IT'S ALMOST LIKE I FEEL THE REPORT SHOULD BE KIND OF FOCUSED AND IT'S NOT THE AUDIT.

IS THAT WHAT IT IS? RIGHT.

IT'S JUST NUMBERS, BUT MAYBE THE PRESENTATION OF IT.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE NEED THE OTHER SIDE OF KIND OF WHAT THE CITY MANAGER TOUCHED ON, WHAT YOU'VE KIND OF BEEN WORKING ON, IT'S KIND OF, HEY, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE, HERE'S THE SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION.

AND SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE KIND OF THIS KNEE JERK OF, HEY, WE GOT TO GET OUR NUMBERS UP.

WE GOT, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT REALLY IS ABSOLUTELY.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, RECEIVING THE RESULTS OF THE AUDIT, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT ONGOING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO TO GUIDE AND DEVELOP OUR MANAGERS.

BUT THEN IT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BRING IN THAT INCLUSIVITY CONSULTANT TO REALLY MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, TO TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND WHAT WE CAN CAN DO TO EDUCATE OUR STAFF TO TO APPROACH IT GOING FORWARD SO THAT THERE ISN'T THAT KNEE JERK REACTION AND A RESPONSE TO THE DATA THAT'S PROVIDED.

AND CAN I PROPOSE A DIFFERENT NAME FOR THAT? ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. I MEAN, IT SHOULD BE BEST PRACTICES.

IT SHOULD BE IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN NEUTRAL, RIGHT? YES. BECAUSE WE'RE NOT WE'RE AGAIN, IF WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TARGET, WE'RE TRYING TO BE THE BEST WE CAN BE EVERY DAY, EVERY DECISION.

LET'S FOCUS ON THIS.

YES. RIGHT. YES. SO IT'S A IT'S A BEST PRACTICES EXPERT WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING OR JUST WHATEVER THAT THAT REALLY DRILL DOWN INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND NOT GIVE AN INDICATION OF WE EXPECT AN OUTCOME.

AGREED. YEAH. OKAY.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT. CERTAINLY.

CITY MANAGER, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN A MUCH DIVERSE POOL OF CANDIDATES WHICH IS GREAT ATTRIBUTED TO THE OUR DIFFERENT WAYS OF RECRUITING.

AND I WILL SAY THAT I AM VERY LASER FOCUSED ON DIVERSITY IN OUR WORKFORCE, NOT JUST WORKFORCE, BUT IN OUR LEADERSHIP CAPACITY AND AT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

AND SO IT IS ON MY RADAR BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REFLECT OUR COMMUNITY.

THE ONE AREA THAT WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE IN RECRUITING IS THE ASIAN MEN AND WOMEN.

JUST JUST A FACT AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME HELP IN THAT AREA.

BUT OTHER AREAS WE ARE BEING MORE SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE PURPOSELY BEING MORE SUCCESSFUL.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THIS IS THINKING. COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

YOU KNOW, JUST SITTING HERE AND LOOKING IN THIS ROOM.

AND I'M FEELING VERY POSITIVE AND VERY, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF US SITTING IN HERE BEING QUALIFIED TO BE IN HERE.

AND I GIVE ALL THE RESPECT TO EVERYONE THAT'S SITTING AROUND IN THIS ROOM BEHIND ME AND IN FRONT OF ME.

MADISON, YOU, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IS JUST, JUST IS QUALIFIED TO BE HERE.

AND THAT IS WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT LIVING IN DENTON.

THIS IS WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT REPRESENTING FOLKS IN DENTON.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

OKAY. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE NOW? I MEAN, THAT'S SHE'S GOT TO SPEAK TWICE, SO I NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE EQUITABLE.

THAT'S. ANYONE ELSE? REAL SHORT STATEMENTS? QUESTIONS? NO.

GREAT. THANK YOU.

THAT TAKES US TO ITEM B, ID 232486.

[B. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding future options for City Hall West and other catalyst projects. [Estimated Presentation/Discussion Time: 2 hours]]

GIVE STAFF DIRECTION REGARDING FUTURE OPTIONS FOR CITY HALL WEST AND OTHER CATALYST PROJECTS.

OKAY. I DON'T WANT CLOTHES.

YEAH, WE DON'T WANT THAT.

WE ONLY GET TWO SLIDES.

YOU KNOW, THEY SHUT ME DOWN.

SARA HENSLEY, CITY MANAGER.

YEAH, I CAN AFFORD THAT.

SO THIS IS THE DAY YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.

ARE YOU DOING SOMETHING, TRISH? I'M TRYING TO GET IT. OKAY, OKAY.

SO WE SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS ON THIS AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING YOU SOME GOOD INFORMATION, GOOD OPPORTUNITIES, AND SO DO WHAT? OKAY, I'LL GET MORE CLOSE TO IT, MAN.

OKAY. SO SO HERE TODAY WITH YOU TO TALK ABOUT TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD TOOLS TO OUR TOOLBOX THAT COULD SUPPORT OUR CATALYST PROJECTS AND ADVANCE THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.

AS YOU ALL MAY BE AWARE, WE HAVE A MASTER PLAN THAT'S LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN.

ALSO A PARKING STUDY CITYWIDE, BUT ALSO A PARKING STUDY DOWNTOWN.

AND THEN THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPMENT OF VACANT LAND.

SO YOU HAVE TWO OPPORTUNITIES TODAY THAT WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU, ONE OF WHICH WILL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR A LITTLE TINY BIT OF DISCUSSION, AS WE ALWAYS DO.

WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO YOU TODAY TIES INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, KEY FOCUS AREA THREE THE FOSTER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY GROWTH DENTON ECONOMIC VITALITY.

AND THEN IT TIES DIRECTLY TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOWNTOWN INVESTMENT.

[00:30:01]

I GET THOSE WERE MY TWO SLIDES AND I'M TURNING IT OVER TO CHRISTINE, WHO'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL CHRISTINE TAYLOR, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

SO THE FIRST CATALYST PROJECT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON TODAY IS CITY HALL WEST.

BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THAT, THESE ARE THE RESULTS OF THE PRIORITY DISCUSSION THAT COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY HAD FOR THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.

SO WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING PRIORITY ONE AND FIVE AS THE TWO PROJECTS.

WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT FOCUS ON RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS.

SO WE'VE HAD A VERY LONG HISTORY WITH CITY HALL WEST.

WE'RE GOING TO QUICKLY RECAP THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE DISCUSSED IT EVERY SIX MONTHS.

AND WE ARE HERE TODAY.

WE'LL RUN THROUGH WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.

SO THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1931.

THE CITY HAS OCCUPIED IT IN A VARIETY OF SPACES SINCE IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 31.

IT WAS A CIVIC AUDITORIUM.

IT WAS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.

IN 2016, WHEN WE VACATED THE BUILDING, IT WAS THE PLANNING, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

SO IT'S APPROXIMATELY 24,000 GROSS SQUARE FEET, 24,600 A SPANISH RENAISSANCE REVIVAL STYLE.

AND WE HAVE TWO HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS, THE TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK AND THEN THE CITY OF DENTON HISTORIC LANDMARK.

AGAIN, RECAPPING ON THAT, WE OCCUPIED THE BUILDING UNTIL 2016.

THAT NEXT BIG STEP COUNCIL TOOK IN 2017, A STEERING COMMITTEE WAS DEVELOPED, DEVELOPED TO LOOK AT WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS VACANT BUILDING? A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.

THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO KIND OF SEE WHAT LEVEL OF INTEREST IS OUT THERE TO OCCUPY THAT BUILDING THAT DIDN'T RETURN MUCH RESULTS.

NOTHING MOVED FORWARD ON THAT PART.

OUT OF THAT 2017 COMMITTEE, ALSO, THERE WAS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDOWS TO TO RESTORE IT, AND THEN IT SAT VACANT A LITTLE WHILE LONGER.

AND 2021, WE DID THE RFI AGAIN TO GATHER A LEVEL OF INTEREST, AND ONE VIABLE OPTION CAME BACK AND THERE WAS NO DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD IN 2022. COUNCIL.

WE ENGAGED A CONTRACT TO MASTER, PLAN THE FACILITY AND LOOK AT PROGRAMING AND INTERIOR DEMOLITION AND PLANNING SERVICES IN BETWEEN THAT TWO, I THINK ONE IMPORTANT BULLET POINT I LEFT OUT IS WITH THE BUILDING BEING VACANT DURING WINTER STORM URI, THERE WAS A SPRINKLER THAT WENT OFF ON THE TOP FLOOR AND KIND OF FILLED DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, CAUSING SOME DAMAGE THAT WE HAD TO GO IN AND ABATE AND REMEDIATE SINCE IT WASN'T OCCUPIED.

SO THE BUILDING NOW IS ALMOST ALL OF THE SHEETROCK HAS GONE OUT OF IT, AND THE STUDS ARE DOWN TO THE STUDS AT THIS AT THE MOMENT.

SO IN 2022, AFTER WE ENGAGE THOSE SERVICES, WE BROUGHT BACK A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL AND TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE DIFFERENT REUSE OPTIONS.

SO THE ULTIMATE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE, RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC CIVIC THEATER, AND THEN ABOUT 15 TO 20 MUNICIPAL OFFICES. OUT OF THAT OUTCOME, COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO PUT IT FORWARD AS CONSIDERATION IN THE 2023 BOND PROGRAM.

THIS PROJECT WAS CONSIDERED BY THE SPECIAL CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THEY RECOMMENDED IT, AND COUNCIL ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED IT TO THE INCLUSION AND THE ELECTION.

IT DID GO IN A STANDALONE PROPOSITION AND ULTIMATELY FAILED AT THE BALLOT IN 2023.

WHICH BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

THE BUILDING STILL REMAINED VACANT SINCE 2016, AND GIVEN ITS PRIME LOCATION TO DOWNTOWN AND THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING, THERE'S A COUPLE OPPORTUNITIES WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT. IT POTENTIALLY COULD BE A GOOD USE OF A BOUTIQUE HOTEL, A RESTAURANT, BREWERY, A MARKET, FOOD HALL, APARTMENT AND LOFTS, CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE OR AN EVENT SPACE, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR.

A COUPLE OPTIONS THAT WE LOOKED AT NATIONALLY THAT FIT THE FOOTPRINT.

KIND OF SEEKING ENGAGEMENT FROM COUNCIL OF WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN PORTLAND, OREGON? THERE IS A HISTORIC BUILDING.

IT'S THE PINE STREET MARKET THAT'S A FOOD HALL ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR, AND THEN SOME CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE ON THAT SECOND FLOOR.

AND MCKINNEY, A HISTORIC BUILDING HAS BEEN TURNED INTO THE GRAND HOTEL.

SO IT HAS BOUTIQUE HOTEL ROOMS AND THEN INDOOR LIKE EVENT SPACE FOR WEDDINGS.

OTHER EVENTS LIKE THAT.

THE ROOSEVELT AND ATLANTA, GEORGIA, IS TOOK A HISTORIC BUILDING, CONVERTED IT TO APARTMENT HOMES.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE HOLLAND HOTEL AND ALPINE, TEXAS AS ANOTHER BOUTIQUE HOTEL HOTEL EXAMPLE.

AND RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

A REUSE OF AN OLD HISTORIC BUILDING WAS TURNED INTO A FIREHOUSE, BREWERY AND RESTAURANT.

AND THEN AN EXAMPLE IN QUINCY, ILLINOIS, IS A HISTORIC BUILDING WAS TURNED INTO CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE.

SO A COUPLE OF BENEFITS OR THINGS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WITH COUNCIL TO DISCUSS TODAY.

SO LIKE WE MENTIONED, AS THE BUILDING SITS VACANT TODAY, WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE SPENDING MONEY IN THE COMMUNITY DAILY, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT FOR LUNCH, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE'RE NOT RECEIVING ANY BY THE CITY OWNING THE BUILDING.

[00:35:03]

WE'RE NOT RECEIVING ANY INDIRECT BENEFIT FROM PEOPLE OCCUPYING THE BUILDING.

AND WE'RE SPENDING APPROXIMATELY $16,000 A YEAR JUST FOR THE UTILITIES AND THE FACILITIES CHECK IN ON THE BUILDING.

SO A COUPLE OPTIONS WE WANT TO DISCUSS WITH COUNCIL TODAY.

ARE IS COUNCIL INTERESTED IN CONDUCTING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO USE THE PROPERTY AS SOME TYPE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE? THE FIRST REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS POTENTIALLY LEASING IT.

SO AT THAT POINT THE CITY STILL OWNS THE FACILITY.

SO IT REMAINS OFF THE TAX ROLL.

WE WOULD LIKELY BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHAT IS OUT THERE MARKET WISE THAT COULD OCCUPY THE BUILDING AND GIVE IT GIVE IT LIFE AGAIN.

THE SECOND OPTION WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS REQUESTING DOING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, USING THE PROPERTY AS AN INCENTIVE, BUT SELLING IT A COUPLE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. IF WE SELL THE PROPERTY, IT DOES GET IT BACK ON THE TAX ROLL.

IT GIVES THE WHOEVER IS POTENTIALLY INTERESTED IN PURCHASING IT IS ABLE TO USE HISTORIC TAX CREDITS.

AND AGAIN, THE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT THEN OF ADDING IT ON THE TAX ROLL FOR THE CITY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY.

ONE REMINDER FOR OPTION THREE IS THAT WE COULD GO IN AND USE CITY FUNDS TO RESTORE THE BUILDING BACK TO THOSE PLANS, BUT WE ARE LIMITED SINCE THE PROPOSAL FAILED AND THE BOND PROGRAM THAT DEBT FUNDING CANNOT BE USED.

AND THEN THE FOURTH OPTION IS WE DON'T PROCEED AT THIS TIME AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT IN A FUTURE DATE.

BEFORE WE GO INTO THE VACANT LOT, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE SO YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT AND SEE IF ANYONE'S READY TO GIVE DIRECTION.

OKAY. YEAH. THAT'S GOOD.

SO DIRECTION ON CITY HALL WEST.

COUNCILMAN MELTZER.

COUNCILMAN. HOLLAND.

YEAH. THANK YOU. MAYOR. I HAVE A QUESTION FIRST.

WHILE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN EVALUATE WHICH OF THE POTENTIAL VERY COOL ALTERNATIVES YOU'VE IMAGINED, YOU KNOW, MIGHT SUIT THE SQUARE BEST, IT'S GOING TO ULTIMATELY REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, A MOTIVATED PARTNER WANTS TO DO THAT.

AND THEY MIGHT HAVE A THEY MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ABOUT WHICH WAY OF GOING IS MOST INCENTIVIZING TO THEM.

YOU KNOW, OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE LEASE AND THE VALUES THAT THAT PROVIDES THEM OR THE, YOU KNOW, OR THE USE OF THE BUILDING.

WE ARE OUR OPTION ONE AND TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.

OR COULD WE OR I FORGET IF IT'S 1 OR 2 OR A AND B, I FORGET HOW YOU DID IT.

ONE AND TWO YOU KNOW, WOULD IT WOULD A POSSIBLE WAY FORWARD BE TO SAY, LET'S DO AN RFP, LET'S GIVE THESE EXAMPLES OF OR, YOU KNOW, AFTER SOME DISCUSSION OF WHICH KINDS OF THINGS WE'RE INTERESTED IN AND THEN HAVE THAT BE PART OF HOPEFULLY A NEGOTIATION, YOU KNOW, TO SEE WHAT'S KIND OF MOST APPEALING TO THAT PARTICULAR PARTNER.

WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.

AND WE DO THINK IT WOULD NEED TO BE AN RFP FOR A LEASE OR AN RFP FOR SALE.

WE DIDN'T FEEL THERE WAS AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON, BECAUSE WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR WHAT TYPE OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT AS A TOOL TO EVALUATE, AND THAT MIGHT VARY IF YOU'RE LEASING THE BUILDING.

NOT WANTING TO PUT AS MUCH OF A CAPITAL COST INTO IT, POTENTIALLY NOTING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO OWN IT AT THE END OF THE DAY.

SO OUR FEEDBACK, TALKING THROUGH WITH PROCUREMENT AND LEGAL IS THAT THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE TWO SEPARATE IT'S RFP FOR LEASE OR AN RFP FOR SALE.

I MEAN, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, REFERENCING OUR PRE-COUNCIL DIALOG, WE CAN'T REALLY KNOW WHICH WOULD DELIVER THE MOST VALUE TO THE CITY UNTIL WE SEE THE PROPOSALS.

RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU'RE ON THE ONE HAND, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A STREAM OF RENTAL INCOME OF AN UNKNOWN, YOU KNOW, ESTIMATE OF, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN UNKNOWN UN ESTIMATED UNTIL YOU HAVE A PROPOSAL VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TAX REVENUE.

BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S APPLES AND ORANGES, LIKE, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY FINANCIALLY.

RIGHT? I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE EVALUATION WE CONDUCT THROUGH THE RFP.

I CAN SAY WE HAVE SOME ECONOMIC IMPACT MODELS THAT WE LOOKED AT.

AND JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM A HOTEL PERSPECTIVE, THERE IS A NET BENEFIT TO THE CITY OF BETWEEN 500 AND 7000 $700,000 A YEAR FROM THE SALES TAX, POTENTIAL SALES TAX, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX UTILITY REVENUE.

ALL THOSE FEEDS. IT WOULD BE AN IMPACT TO THE CITY OF AT LEAST 500 TO 700,000 THAT WAS ON A HOTEL MODEL.

THAT'S A SALE WITH A HOTEL.

WAS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE THAT FOR THE OTHER KINDS OF OPTIONS, TOO, FOR MARKETPLACE.

AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE EXISTING.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE QUITE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT YOU'VE SHOWN US, IF WE DO THE RFP FOR SALE OR FOR LEASE, WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY WE'RE ONLY LOOKING FOR A BOUTIQUE HOTEL.

SO I WOULD IMAGINE WE'D GET THE RESPONSES BACK OR SAY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THESE CATEGORIES.

IF COUNCIL LIKES ALL OF THOSE CATEGORIES, WE'D BE DRAFTING UP WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD USE THE BUILDING FOR, AND THEN WE'D BE ABLE TO RUN MODELS ON EACH OF THOSE AS A

[00:40:08]

RIGHT. I'M GOING TO LISTEN MORE JUST TO MY, YOU KNOW, INPUT AT THE MOMENT IS THAT OF THESE ALL, YOU KNOW, REALLY INTRIGUING IDEAS.

I THINK THE MARKETPLACE FITS MOST WITH WHAT THE SQUARE IS, ALTHOUGH I, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE ROLE FOR THE OTHERS AS WELL.

BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT ADDS A STEP BETWEEN YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY MARKET AND BRICK AND MORTAR, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENT PLACES.

IT'S SORT OF A FACILITATING STEP.

I THINK IT ADDS TO THE SOMETHING TO DO IN WITHIN THE WALKABILITY KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THAT, THAT THE SQUARE IS ABOUT.

SO THAT, THAT APPEALS TO ME.

BUT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO ADDING OTHERS TO THE LIST.

AND NOW I'M GOING TO LISTEN.

COUNCILOR HOLLAND. THANK YOU.

I THINK EVERYBODY COULD AGREE ABOUT THIS BUILDING.

THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

WE'VE WE'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND NOTHING SEEMS TO STICK.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL.

AND I, IN FACT, HAVE HAVE CONTACTED THREE SEPARATE PEOPLE IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT.

I'VE TAKEN A TOUR, TAKEN A HOTELIER THROUGH THE BUILDING ON ON ONE PERSON AND EVERYBODY'S EVERYBODY'S INTRIGUED WITH IT.

IT'S IT'S AN ODD BUILDING.

PARKING IS HORRIBLE.

IT'S IT'S IT'S JUST IT'S NOT CONFIGURED.

IT WASN'T BUILT TO BE A HOTEL, BUT EVERYBODY SEEMS TO THINK THAT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY IF THEY CAN GET IT RIGHT.

I WOULD LIKE TO.

AND THE AND THE RESISTANCE TO WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS PEOPLE SAY IT'S A PUBLIC BUILDING.

WELL, IT IS A PUBLIC BUILDING AND THE PUBLIC CAN'T GET IN IT.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IT SOLD TO A TO A PRO WHO INTENDS TO MAKE A PROFIT OF IT.

THAT'S THE INCENTIVE THERE.

CAPITALISM AND AND AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT THAT WOULD ATTRACT THE PUBLIC TO GET BACK AND AND INSIDE THAT BUILDING.

YOU YOU FAIL TO MENTION POLICE DEPARTMENT.

IT WAS A POLICE DEPARTMENT.

YEAH. I'VE BEEN IT'S BEEN A BASEMENT WHERE THE JAIL WAS.

IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN EVERYTHING.

AND I THINK IT CAN BE SOMETHING ELSE WE HAVE.

IF YOU HAVE BUSINESS IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE FROM OUT OF TOWN, YOU HAVE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DOWNTOWN.

THERE'S NO PLACE TO STAY.

YOU'RE YOU'RE WAY, WAY AWAY FROM YOUR HOTEL.

I'D LIKE TO SEE IT SOLD AND START PAYING TAXES.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? MAYOR PRO TEM. TRYING.

THERE WE GO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO OF OF THE THE MANY, WE HAD ABOUT SIX EXEMPLARS.

HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE RETAINED AS PUBLIC FACILITY AND HOW MANY WERE SOLD? I THINK ALL OF THEM WERE SOLD.

I NEED TO CHECK ON THE GRAND.

BUT THE PINE MARKET WAS SOLD.

THE APARTMENTS WERE SOLD, I BELIEVE ALL OF THEM.

BUT THE GRAND. BUT I'LL FOLLOW UP AND TELL YOU WHICH ONES WERE RETAINED.

I MEAN, THERE IS THAT TO US.

IT'S IF YOU RETAIN IT, THEN WE'RE RETAINING THAT CONTROL OF KIND OF WHAT GOES IN THERE AND CAN LEASE IT, BUT THAT WILL COME WITH US MAKING, I THINK, THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO IMPROVE IT, WHICH WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE TIMES.

WE WEREN'T READY TO DO THAT.

BUT IF WE SELL IT, THEN YES, IT GOES TO WHAT THE MARKET DETERMINES AND THE COUPLE OF FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.

SO WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN THERE IS, THERE'S GENERALLY SERVICES THAT.

ARE OFTEN.

OF ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE ENGAGED IN, THAT WE MAYBE HAVE A GAP IN THAT SECTOR.

SO I GUESS WHERE I'M GOING IS HOW DID WE GET TO THESE SIX EXEMPLARS? AND HOW DOES HOW DO THESE IDEAS RELATE TO WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR IN OUR MASTER PLAN? WELL, WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE MASTER PLAN GROUP.

ALL OF THESE TYPES OF EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN MENTIONED, AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE SAME TYPE OF SQUARE FOOTAGE FOOTPRINT.

SO WHEN THEY COME BACK TO YOU, WE HAVE HEARD OVER AND OVER THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN HOTEL WE HAVE DEFINITELY HEARD WE NEED MORE HOUSING DOWNTOWN.

SO THE APARTMENTS ONE AND WE'VE HEARD THE MARKET THE BREWERY IS PROBABLY THE LEAST, BUT THAT SEEMS TO FIT OUR CULTURE AND WHAT WE BUILD ON.

BUT CERTAINLY THE APARTMENT HOUSING HAS COME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

AND THE HOTEL AND THEN THE MARKET BEHIND THAT.

NO, I.

[00:45:03]

OKAY. THANK YOU.

SIR. IF YOU IF YOU DON'T MIND, MR. MAYOR, CAN CAN WOULD YOU ALLOW COUNCILOR HOLLAND TO SAY THAT TO THE COUNCIL? THE GRAND HOTEL APPARENTLY IS IS OWNED BY DON DAY IN MCKINNEY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT, PRIVATE, GO AHEAD.

IF MY INTERNET IS CORRECT.

THANK. THANK YOU.

OKAY. SO THEN ONE OF THE THINGS I'M WE WE'RE UP IN THE I WOULD SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS DID GENERATE SOME DIRECTION.

THAT WAS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN OFFSET BY THE, THE VOTING PATTERNS OF THE MOST RECENT BOND ELECTION A LITTLE BIT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN COMPLETELY DISCOUNT THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS GIVEN SOME DIRECTION ALREADY FROM 2017, FROM 2017, WHICH WAS THE SORT OF REDO THAT WE HAD A LITTLE BIT LATER. SO I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO COMPLETELY REBOOT THE I THINK WE CAN REBOOT BASED ON THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN THE BOND ITEM THAT THAT SPECIFICITY.

WE CAN SAY, WELL, NO, WE'RE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

THE VOTERS SAID NO.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE TOTALITY OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IS WIPED AWAY.

THE THE OTHER THING IS BECAUSE WE DON'T QUITE HAVE A FEEL FOR EXACTLY WHERE WE WANT TO TAKE THIS, WE'RE IN MID PLAN ON A LOT OF THINGS. IF WE.

IF WE DISCONNECT FROM IT NOW, THEN WE ARE DEDICATING OURSELVES TO A PARTICULAR PATH IN THE FUTURE.

WHEREAS IF WE SAY WE WANT TO LEASE IT, THEN WE CAN ALWAYS DISCONNECT IN THE FUTURE.

BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT BACK ONCE YOU SELL IT.

THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY MUCH GOING TO BE A DONE DEAL.

SO FOR THOSE PREVIOUS COMMUNITY REASONS AND TRYING TO OVERLAP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND THE IDEA OF GIVING US THE MOST FLEXIBILITY, MY, MY GENERAL DIRECTION WOULD BE A TO LEASE IT BECAUSE WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE OUR MIND LATER AND SELL IT AND, AND B IT SEEMS LIKE THE THING TO ME THAT THAT MOST OVERLAPS WHAT I'VE HEARD BEFORE IN THE PREVIOUS 17 AND 21 OR 22 DISCUSSIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS SOMETHING MORE ALONG THE PINE STREET FOOD CART, THE CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE, DIRECTION.

SO THOSE THAT THAT WOULD BE WHERE I WOULD LEND MY DIRECTION IS LEASE.

AND THEN SOMETHING IN THE FIRST PINE STREET TYPE ROLE.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER. MY FIRST THOUGHT IS TO GO WITH TWO TO SELL THE PROPERTY AND BECOME A PARTNER FOR CULTURAL SAKE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THEY ARE GETTING READY TO, YOU KNOW, START UPGRADING IT AND UPGRADING IT TO HAVE THEM TO, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO US AS TO WHAT WE THINK WE MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE THERE.

WE DO NEED A DOWNTOWN HOTEL.

WE DO NEED A IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO HAVE A REALLY NICE FOOD HALL.

AND WE DO NEED MAYBE SOME MORE APARTMENTS THERE.

SO IT ALL GOES TOGETHER.

BUT I THINK JUST LEASING IT AGAIN, I THINK THAT JUST IS GOING TO GIVE US A BURDEN.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD WORD TO USE, BUT A BURDEN.

YOU KNOW, FOR US TO THAT WE'RE MET WOULD BE MANIFESTING IF WE GO WITH OPTION ONE.

SO PUT ME DOWN FOR OPTION TWO.

AND THE ONLY OTHER PIECE I WANTED TO JUST ADD TO THAT IS WE ARE SAYING DO IT AS AN RFP.

SO NOT JUST PUT IT ON THE MARKET AND SELL IT.

AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT GOES IN THERE.

WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR WHAT IS YOUR IDEA.

SO YOU'RE SELECTING WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT CAPITAL INVESTMENT DO THEY WANT.

WHAT IS THE IDEA.

AND SO YOU ARE GETTING TO HAVE SOME CONTROL INITIALLY ON WHAT GOES IN THERE.

AND CAN WE HAVE JUST MAYBE A COUPLE OF THREE OPTIONS FOR THEM OR, OR IS THIS JUST STILL OPEN TO 15 DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, ASK OF THEM? YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THEY'RE GETTING READY TO, TO UPGRADE IT OR ARE WE GOING TO LIMIT THEM TO MAYBE THOSE THREE OPTIONS? I WOULD IMAGINE WE'D BE FROM STAFF PERSPECTIVE, WE'D BE WANTING TO SAY, THESE ARE WHAT THE CATEGORIES WE WANT TO SEE, BECAUSE THAT ALIGNS WITH WHAT WE'RE HEARING OUT OF OUR DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN OF WHAT FITS OUR DOWNTOWN.

SO THOSE WERE THE EXAMPLES WE PRESENTED.

SO IF THERE'S ANY EXAMPLES ON THERE YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, WE WOULD BE WRITING THE RFP FROM THOSE TYPE OF EXAMPLES.

[00:50:07]

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN. WHAT'S. I'M PROBABLY THE ONE HERE THAT HAS THE MOST EXPERIENCE IN HISTORY WITH THIS.

THIS IS A DISMAL FAILURE, AND I'LL TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITY IN THAT.

THIS BUILDING SAT VACANT.

WE HAD A COMMITTEE MEET ON IT.

I READ AN ARTICLE THAT I FOUND IN ONE OF MY FILES.

I WAS CLEANING OUT SOME FILES BACK IN PROBABLY 2017, WHERE I SIT, AND I PRETTY MUCH INITIATED THE DISCUSSION TO CREATE THE COMMITTEE OR TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS, BECAUSE IT WAS SITTING THERE WASTING AWAY THE AMOUNT BACK THEN TO JUST DO WHAT PEOPLE WERE WANTING TO DO WAS $8 MILLION.

WE FAILED.

WE FAILED WITH ONE OF THE THE MOST, ONE OF THE OLDEST BUILDINGS THAT WE'VE HAD.

AND I HEARD A JUSTIFICATION THAT IF PEOPLE CAN'T GO INTO IT, THEREFORE WE NEED TO SELL IT.

HOWEVER, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON PARKLAND THAT A LOT OF THE PARKLAND THAT WE'RE BUYING PEOPLE CAN'T GO INTO BECAUSE IT'S NOT READY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S PUBLIC LAND. SO I THAT THAT JUST SEEMS TO BE SET ACROSS ON THE SIDE.

THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGS TO THIS CITY.

AND IF THIS COUNCIL, ALONG WITH COUNCIL, PRIOR COUNCILS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO JUST SORT OF LET THIS GO BY THE WAYSIDE BY ATTRITION WITHOUT REALLY TAKING A STAND, SO BE IT.

I WILL NEVER VOTE TO SELL IT, NEVER VOTE TO SELL IT.

THAT IS A HUGE MISTAKE.

NUMBER ONE, HAS THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION WEIGHED IN ON THIS, THESE THIS THIS TYPE OF JUST IDEA.

WE CHARGE THEM AND WE APPOINT THEM TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE IN THE HISTORIC.

IT'S GOT A HISTORICAL MARKER ON IT.

I THINK THIS IS THIS CONVERSATION NEEDS TO HAPPEN, BUT I THINK IT'S PREMATURE.

I THINK WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A COMMITTEE THAT HAVE THE EXPERTISE.

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WE WANT ON OUR COMMITTEES TO AT LEAST WEIGH IN ON THIS.

AND THEY MAY SAY, SELL IT.

I DON'T KNOW, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS RIPE.

BUT ALSO, I THINK WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE FAILED.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO WAY THAT THIS BUILDING CAN BE TORN DOWN OR THE FACADE CHANGED, NO MATTER WHAT THE OPTION.

THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.

AND THERE'S GOT TO I MEAN, WHEN WE TALK, I WILL NOT AGREE TO SELL IT.

AND THANK GOODNESS I'M NOT GOING TO BE ON COUNCIL WHEN THIS COMES FORWARD TO MAKE THAT DECISION, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE PUSHBACK THAN WHAT YOU'RE ANTICIPATING BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION.

SO I THINK THIS ISN'T RIPE.

I THINK WE'RE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

WE'VE GOT A MASTER PLAN STUDY THAT'S COMING TO COUNCIL, I GUESS, SOON.

AND IF THEY WANT TO ADDRESS THIS AT THAT TIME, THAT'S FINE.

BUT I THINK IN THE FIRST PAGE OF THE FIRST SLIDE, IT SAID, THIS IS A WHAT'S THE FIRST SLIDE? SARA SLIDE, I THINK LET ME SEE.

IT SAYS, OH NO, GO BACK TO IT.

SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THIS IS LIKE A CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT POTENTIAL CATALYST PROJECTS IN ADVANCE OF THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.

THAT SEEMS BACKWARDS TO ME.

WE HAVE A DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN THAT'S COMING, AND THIS IS A VERY APPROPRIATE DISCUSSION FOR THAT, BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO COME IN HERE AND RANT AND RAVE AND ALL THIS.

YOU KNOW WHAT? NO. IF THIS IS WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO, BUT I DO NOT INTERPRET THE BOND ELECTION.

AS SOME KIND OF MESSAGE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS BUILDING IS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.

IT LOST BY 351 VOTES OR SOMETHING.

IT WAS VERY CLOSE AND IT WAS FOR $18 MILLION.

WE DON'T HAVE TO RESTORE IT TO THE $18 MILLION.

I JUST IT'S THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IF SOMEBODY ASKED ME, WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT'S HAPPENED WHEN SINCE YOU'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION AS MAYOR, I WOULD SAY WE DIDN'T FIND A SOLUTION FOR CITY HALL WEST AND WE POSSIBLY IN THE FUTURE, DIVESTED THE CITY OF ONE OF THE MOST HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THE SQUARE.

AND THAT'S I'M NOT GOING TO BE A PART OF THAT.

AS FAR AS LEASING.

OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT THAT.

I THINK WE COULD. I MEAN, ALL I HEAR IS WE'RE OUT OF SPACE.

WE'RE OUT OF OFFICE SPACE.

A NEW CITY HALL, IF THAT COMES TO MATERIALIZE, IS 2 OR 3 YEARS OUT.

REPURPOSING CITY.

THE SOUTH BRANCH LIBRARY, BASED UPON THE PROGRAM BOND PROGRAM, IS 2 OR 3 YEARS OUT.

WE HAD A CLAIM ON THIS BUILDING WHEN IT WAS WHEN IT WAS DAMAGED, CORRECT?

[00:55:01]

I MEAN, IF ALL THE SHEETROCK WAS TORN OUT, THE CLAIM PROBABLY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO PAY YOU TO PUT THE SHEETROCK BACK IN WHATEVER WAS DAMAGED.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE RESTORE IT TO THAT SAME POSITION.

DID WE DO THAT? THE CLAIM WAS TO ABATE AND REMEDIATE IT.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WAS TO RESTORE IT BACK WITH THE INSURANCE CLAIM.

SO IT WASN'T A TYPICAL INSURANCE CLAIM OF IT WAS OUR YEAH, OUR SELF-INSURANCE RISK POLICY ON THE BUILDING.

DID THAT DID THAT COME BEFORE COUNCIL? IT DID. THERE HAD TO BE IT WENT THROUGH AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT ACTION AND IT CAME BACK AFTER THE FACT TO APPROVE AS A RATIFICATION, AS A RATIFICATION.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

I MEAN, THE COUNCIL CAN DO WHAT THEY WHATEVER THEY FEEL IS BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.

BUT I JUST HOPE WE RECOGNIZE THAT NO MATTER WHAT THIS BECOMES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE CHANGED ITS CHARACTER FOREVER.

AND THAT'S OKAY.

IT JUST STARTS A NEW ERA.

BUT THIS WAS TOO IMPORTANT TO ME BACK IN 2017.

AND THAT WHOLE COMMITTEE, THAT WHOLE PROCESS, IT FAILED BECAUSE WE JUST DID NOTHING.

WE JUST AND LOOK AT THE COST.

IT WAS 8 MILLION BACK THEN AND NOW IT'S 16 OR 18 OR WHATEVER.

WE DECIDED ON THAT.

SO NO, I'M A DEFINITE NO TO SELL THE BUILDING.

AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO GO BACK AND HAVE AT LEAST SOME KIND OF INPUT FROM THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.

AND NUMBER THREE, THAT THIS CONVERSATION AND THIS DIRECTION WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE IN, IN CONNECTION AND IN CONCERT WITH THE MASTER PLAN, THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN STUDY AND DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.

LET'S I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, BUT AGAIN, I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE HERE.

AND THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN.

MCGEE. NORMALLY AND AND DOING MY HOMEWORK OVER THE WEEKEND, I'M PRETTY WELL SET ON WHICH DIRECTION I'M GOING TO GO.

I WAS COMING INTO TODAY, I WAS IN THE SALE CAMP.

BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE A PATHWAY FOR LEASE FOR, FOR ANY OF THE, THE PROPOSED ITEMS. SO. IF IF THERE WAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF HOTEL, SOME TYPE OF OF MARKET WITH LEASING EVEN STILL BE AN OPTION.

YES. YEAH.

WE COULD DO THE RFP FOR LEASE TO SAY THESE ARE THE IDEAS WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR THE OCCUPANCY WE'RE INTERESTED IN.

I MEAN, WE'D HAVE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMEONE OUT IN THE MARKET WHO RESPONDS TO IT, BUT WE COULD PUT THAT CATEGORY AND LEASE FOR SURE.

IT'S STILL AN OPTION.

YEAH. IN MY MIND, I WAS THINKING THAT THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE AN OPTION BECAUSE MOST FOLKS ARE GOING TO WANT TO PURCHASE.

I'M GOING TO SAY I'D LIKE TO GO WITH OPTION ONE FIRST, BUT I FEAR WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO DEFAULT TO TO OPTION TWO FOR FOR NEAR ANYTHING WE GET TO.

AND LAST QUESTION I WANT TO ASK IS HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY LUXURY OFFICE SPACE? WE KNOW THAT'S A, THAT'S A HOLE IN THE CITY.

THERE'S A BIT OF A BIT OF A GAP IN THAT.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN, KIND OF PRE-COVID, THAT WE NEEDED THAT CLASS A OFFICE SPACE.

BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT.

AND SO THAT IS AN AREA WE NEED TO REVISIT.

CERTAINLY THERE IS A NEED FOR MIXED USE IN THE DOWNTOWN.

SO A MIX OF THAT, BUT NOT THAT CLASS A OFFICE SPACE.

YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT SEEING IT COMING OUT OF COVID? CORRECT. GIVEN THAT A LOT MORE FOLKS ARE WORKING FROM HOME AND FLEX OFFICES AND WHATNOT.

CORRECT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S EVERYONE. YEAH.

COUNCILWOMAN. MELTZER, IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS.

YEAH. YES. THANK YOU.

REALLY GOOD.

ROBUST DISCUSSION. MANY, MANY GOOD POINTS MADE.

I AM PERSUADED OF THE OF THE LEAST DIRECTION, BUT I'M VERY PERSUADED OF THE SEQUENCE OF GO, YOU KNOW, HAVING IT AS INPUT INTO THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN FOR INPUT TO COME OUT OF IT.

I MEAN, THAT THAT JUST MAKES SENSE THAT YOU KNOW, WHY YOU'RE GOING INTO A PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT THAT MAKES ALL KINDS OF SENSE.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OPTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF WENT WITHOUT SAYING, BUT MAYBE IT NEEDED TO BE SAID.

I DON'T THINK THERE'D BE ANY OPTION THAT WE'D CONSIDER.

I HOPE THAT WOULD ALTER THE APPEARANCE OF IT, YOU KNOW.

BUT BUT IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WAS SAID.

YOU KNOW, ONE SHOULD MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.

I WOULD ALSO SAY UNDER DESPITE THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF SAY, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS IT LIKELY TO BE CALLED THE HOLLAND HOTEL.

OKAY. I'M SORRY, IS IT LIKELY TO BE CALLED THE HOLLAND HOTEL? OKAY. AS A PRECEDENT? OKAY. SO MY THOUGHTS ARE THESE I, I DON'T SEE THIS AS A FINANCIAL EQUATION.

SO I KIND OF CAST THAT ASIDE JUST KIND OF IN MY MIND LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS NOT A WHAT MAKES THE MOST MONEY OR RECOUPS ETC.

[01:00:03]

I LIKE THE EVALUATION OF THE JACK MA, JACK MATTHEWS, IF HE HAS A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND HE BUILT ALL OF KIND OF THE SOUTH SIDE NEAR THE DOWNTOWN POLICE OR THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN DALLAS, HE WAS STRATEGIC IN THAT HE GAVE THE CITY THE PROPERTY.

BUT HE SAID, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE THE PROPERTY FOR CORPORATE OFFICES SENIOR STAFF, ETC.

NO JAIL. RIGHT. SO YOU HAVE THE TRAFFIC OF PEOPLE COMING THERE TO DO BUSINESS, TO WORK AND THE NOT THE DOWNSIDE OF SECURING THE NEIGHBORING RESIDENCES FOR A JAIL.

AND THEN YOU HAVE THE BUSINESS THAT THEN NEEDS TO GO EAT LUNCH.

AND SO OUT OF THAT, YOU HAVE THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE KIND OF THRIVED IN THAT AREA.

AND SO JUST THAT INTENTIONAL PURPOSE, AND THAT'S WHERE IT TIES INTO THAT DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN COMPONENT.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

BUT JUST THE INTENTIONALITY OF WHAT ARE WE MISSING DOWNTOWN AND HOW DO WE ACTIVATE IT IN THIS SPACE AND WITH THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY? YOU KNOW, I CANNOT.

MY HARD LINE IS THIS.

AND WHILE I'M HERE, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS.

WE HAD A COUNCIL APPOINTED COMMITTEE VERSUS A VOTE OF THE CITIZENS.

THE EVERYONE IN THE CITY COULD VOTE.

THE VOTE OF THE CITIZENS HAS TO TAKE PRIORITY OVER A SUBSET OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WHERE EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A MEETING, CERTAINLY ALL THOSE THINGS.

BUT WE HAD A ABSOLUTE UNEQUIVOCAL VOTE OF THE CITIZENS THAT SAID, DO NOT SPEND MY TAX MONEY, AT LEAST TO THAT NUMBER, TO THAT, AND TO THEN TRY TO DO AN END AROUND TO SAY, WELL, THEY TECHNICALLY SAID NO, BUT I'M GOING TO READ INTO THAT WHAT I WANT TO READ INTO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A DESIRED OUTCOME, I CAN'T GO THERE.

SO I'M GOING TO PROTECT THAT PROCESS BECAUSE I CAN'T THINK OF A WORSE MESSAGE TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE CITIZENS VOTE ON SOMETHING AND THEN DO AN END AROUND AROUND IT BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE THE OUTCOME.

SO I'M GOING TO BE FIRM ON THE VOTE OF THE CITIZENS BECAUSE EVERYONE ADVOCATED THAT MATTER OF FACT, DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT THAT OPPOSED THE BOND, LIKE ANYONE THAT ADVERTISED, BOUGHT SIGNS AT, YOU KNOW, SIGNS AT POLLING LOCATIONS, ANY OPPOSITION PUSH AGAINST THE BOND? WE WERE NOT AWARE OF AN ANTI PAC.

NO. THAT'S RIGHT. YES.

YES. SO THEY HAD THE FREE RUN AT IT.

AND SO I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT THE VOTE OF THE CITIZENS TO A DEGREE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE'S NO OPPOSITION.

AND THAT WAS MY RECOLLECTION AS WELL.

THEN. I BELIEVE THOUGH IN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN GO TO THAT COMMITTEE WITH A BLANK SLATE. SO ERGO, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS PROCESS IN MY MIND IS SO THAT STAFF CAN HAVE SOME DIRECTION, A FEEL FOR WHAT WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THIS BODY SO THAT THEY CAN SHAPE WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED TO TALK ABOUT, ETC., FOR THAT, THAT PLAN.

SO WITH THAT, COULD I DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A WEBSITE BY CHANCE? CAN YOU PULL UP? CAN TRY.

MAYBE. LET'S TRY A DIFFERENT BROWSER OKAY.

AND SO YOU CAN SEARCH. IT'S MCCALL CENTER.

SO IT'S MR C O L L CENTER, AND IT'S IN NORTH CAROLINA.

MR C O L L.

NO. YES.

YES. OKAY. FINGERS CROSSED.

YEAH. SO.

SO THERE WAS A CONFERENCE IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, AND AND THIS IS, THIS IS THERE AND IT'S A RESIDENCY FOR FOR ARTISTS AS WELL AS A GALLERY.

AND SO WHAT I, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW, THE FOOTPRINTS ALIGNED, BUT THE, THE THOUGHT IS TO HAVE A ART GALLERY SPACE WITH A RESIDENCE COMPONENT FILL IN THE GAP.

WHAT DO WE NEED DOWNTOWN.

RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT I ENVISION, I ENVISION I LIKE THE AUDITORIUM, THE THE CITY HALL WEST OFFERS.

YOU SEE THAT EVEN IN CALHOUN, WHERE DENTON ISD SAYS, WE DON'T KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO DO BUT WE'RE GOING TO PRESERVE THIS AUDITORIUM AND THIS HISTORIC BUILDING.

RIGHT. AND SO I JUST DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK AT KIND OF THIS USE CASE AND TO ADD INTO YOUR CONSIDERATION.

BUT I, I CONSIDER A DUAL USE, A ART KIND OF GALLERY SPACE, BUT IN CONJUNCTION WITH RESIDENCIES OF SOME SORT, BE IT INTERNS, BE

[01:05:03]

I BELIEVE WHATEVER THAT ANALYSIS LEADS US TO.

RIGHT. AND SO I BECAUSE I JUST LIKE WHEN I WAS AND I WOULD ALWAYS ADVOCATE THAT WE GO BACK AND REVISIT THE, THE TEXAS VETERANS. AND BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE MALL IS PHENOMENAL.

THE TRAFFIC IS PHENOMENAL.

THE ATTENTION IS PHENOMENAL.

AND SO I THAT'S ANOTHER DRAW JUST LOOKING FOR WHAT'S GOING TO ACTIVATE IT DAY IN, DAY OUT, IN ADDITION TO BRING TRAFFIC DOWN THERE. I'M TRYING TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE LACK THAT THERE IS NO PARKING AROUND THERE.

AS MUCH AS PEOPLE SAY NO PARKING IS A GOOD THING.

SURE. OKAY. BUT IT'S A PROBLEM.

WHETHER IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM, BAD PROBLEM, YOU DECIDE.

BUT IT'S A PROBLEM ALL THE SAME.

SO JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.

OKAY. GALLERY. YOU CAN PARK SOMEPLACE ELSE, YOU CAN WALK UP, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT.

CORPORATE OFFICES, YOUR CARS THERE.

IT LIMITS THE NUMBER OF IN AND OUT.

I DON'T THINK A HOTEL WORKS THERE BECAUSE JUST THE CHANGES YOU'D HAVE TO DO TO THE BUILDING, THE ADA ISSUES, ALL THOSE THINGS.

SO I JUST CAN'T GET THERE.

I THINK WE CAN STILL PIVOT OFF THE WHOEVER WOULD TAKE ON THIS PROJECT COULD PIVOT OFF OF IT AND UTILIZE THE OUTDOOR SPACES, THAT SORT OF THING.

SO I THINK IT IT GIVES IT THE FLEXIBILITY IT NEEDS TO FIT WELL WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ALSO MEET A NEED AND MEET A NUMBER OF NEEDS.

BETTER SAID. SO WITH THAT.

SO TECHNICALLY, OF THE OPTIONS I HAVE, THAT'S OPTION ONE.

I TOO WOULDN'T GET COMFORTABLE.

I CAN'T GET COMFORTABLE SELLING IT.

THAT'S NOT AN OPTION FOR ME.

BUT PUTTING OUT AN RFP THAT THAT HAS A DESIRE.

HEY, WE NEED TO FILL SOME GAPS AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN BACK OF MIND, TOP OF MIND COMPONENT.

BUT I THINK THE ART GALLERY SIDE OF THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE THE PATTERSON APPLETON ON ONE SIDE, MAYBE THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE, OR MAYBE THERE'S A CONJUNCTION OF THE TWO.

BUT ANYWAY, SO THAT THAT'S MY READ OF IT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S CITY HALL WEST.

YES. SO WE'VE GOT DIRECTION CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OPTION ONE FOR A LEASE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'LL PAUSE, ALIGN IT WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE MASTER PLAN TO VERIFY THOSE USES.

BRING THAT BACK, INCLUDING THE ART GALLERY.

ALL THE USES IN THE WILL FINALIZE IT WITH THE MASTER PLAN.

WE'RE HEARING THIS IS WHAT WE WANT DOWNTOWN.

THEN WE'LL CONDUCT THE RFP AFTER THE MASTER PLAN IS FINALIZED.

YES. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT.

YEAH. WELL, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW, IS THAT GROUP SET OR IS THAT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE JUST GOING AROUND THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT REALLY. THEY HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE IS SET.

SO YEAH I THINK YOU CAN GO TO THEM AT ANY POINT AND GET SOME DIRECTION OR MAYBE MOVE.

IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO MOVE FASTER, THEN I THINK THAT'S YOUR IT'S A SPECIAL CALL MEETING THAT SAYS HERE'S A FEEDBACK WE GOT.

WE NEED TO WE NEED SOME SPECIFICITY, SPECIFICITY FROM THIS GROUP.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? AND THEN GO FROM THERE. OKAY.

THANK YOU. IT'S.

NO. OPTION ONE.

PLEASE, MAYOR PRO TEM.

THANK. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED IT OR NOT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO LEND SUPPORT TO THE IDEA OF INCLUDING ART INTO THAT CONCEPT.

NO, WE DON'T NEED IT, BUT THANK YOU.

OKAY. AND WE'LL.

NO, WE DON'T I MEAN, IT'S IT'S YOU.

I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S JUST I JUST TRY.

I'M NOT BEING CURT.

I'M JUST SAYING. I'M JUST SAYING WE EVERY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I OPEN THE DOOR FOR EVERYONE TO COMMENT ON WHAT EVERYONE SAID, THEN THAT'S FOUR ROUNDS VERSUS JUST EVERYONE SPOKE AND THEY TOOK NOTES AND WE WE MOVED.

SO. WHAT? COUNCIL MEMBER. I JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW THE DIRECTION PLAYED OUT.

I MEAN, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR FOR AN OPTION FOR OPTION ONE.

AND THOSE FOUR WOULD BE COUNCILMAN MCGEE MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBER MELTZER AND MYSELF.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MAYOR, COUNCIL.

CASSIE OGDEN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HERE TO PROVIDE SOME OPTIONS FOR THE VACANT LOT ACROSS THE STREET AT 312 MCKINNEY STREET.

SO THIS IS ANOTHER WHAT WE ARE DEEMING A CATALYST PROJECT THAT COULD HELP STIR SOME DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR DOWNTOWN MASTER PLANNING EFFORTS. THE LOT ACROSS THE STREET WAS PURCHASED FROM DENTON COUNTY IN 2013.

THE BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2014 AND HAS SINCE THEN BEEN USED AS A FREE PARKING LOT.

IT'S UNIMPROVED.

I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE DRIVEN OVER THERE, BUT THERE'S THERE'S SOME ATTENTION NEEDED.

WE FEEL LIKE THE STAFF FEELS LIKE IT'S A PRIME LOCATION, GIVEN ITS CONNECTION TO QUAKER TOWN PARK.

[01:10:07]

SO WE SEE THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL USES FOR THIS.

THIS LOT, SINCE THE CITY DOES ALREADY OWN IT.

WE ARE PROPOSING TO INCORPORATE MULTIPLE VIBRANT PUBLIC SPACES.

AND I'LL PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES IN JUST A MOMENT FOR YOU, BUT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT MIXED USE RETAIL, RESTAURANT HOUSING, GREEN SPACE.

ALONG WITH THAT USE OF PUBLIC SPACE.

SO JUST SOME EXAMPLES.

SALINA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THEIR NEW CITY HALL.

THIS IS ONE OF THE RENDERINGS.

SO THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A ROOF DECK THAT WILL BE OPEN TO FOR PUBLIC ACCESS FOR USE ON THEIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR CITY HALL.

PFLUGERVILLE IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING THEIR PLANNING FOR THEIR NEW CITY HALL.

IT'S CALLED DOWNTOWN EAST PROJECT THEY'VE BUILT IN.

I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE SCREEN, BUT THE GREEN RECTANGLE IS A PUBLIC USE PLAZA, SO THEY HAVE SOME GREEN SPACE BUILT IN RIGHT NEXT TO THEIR REC CENTER AND THEN CONJUNCTION WITH CITY HALL, AND THEY'RE BUILDING TRAILS AROUND AROUND IT.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT WE FOUND IS CEDAR PARK.

THEY'VE REDEVELOPED WHAT THEY CALL A BELL DISTRICT.

THEIR LIBRARY SITS ON THIS PROPERTY.

BUT THEY ALSO HAVE MIXED USE ALL AROUND IT.

OBVIOUSLY, THIS PROPERTY IS MUCH LARGER THAN WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

THE VACANT LOT ACROSS THE STREET IS ABOUT TWO ACRES.

THIS IS A 50 ACRE IN TOTAL DISTRICT.

SO MUCH DIFFERENT.

BUT WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY'RE INCORPORATING GREEN SPACE PUBLIC SPACE ALONG WITH CITY FACILITIES.

SO ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THE BOARDWALK IN PLANO.

THIS IS SOME PUBLIC ACCESS PUBLIC SPACE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME RETAIL MIXED USE RESTAURANTS, BARS.

IT'S ALSO WHERE THE UNION BEAR LOCATION IS THAT WE'RE.

THAT IS SOON COMING TO DENTON.

SO JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MIXED USE SPACE.

SO WITH OUR DOWNTOWN MASTER PLANNING, WE ARE LOOKING AT CONNECTIVITY, ADDING TREES AND LANDSCAPING TO PROVIDE MORE SHADE AND IMPROVE JUST THE GENERAL ESTHETICS.

SO WITH THAT, WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT TO QUAKER TOWN PARK BECAUSE WE DO FEEL LIKE THERE'S A THERE'S A GOOD CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS SIDE OF MCKINNEY AND THE OTHER SIDE OF MCKINNEY WHERE OUR VACANT LOT AND THEN LOOKING AT POSSIBLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.

I KNOW YOU HEARD FROM MEND, OUR DOWNTOWN CONSULTANT THAT ALREADY SAID THAT IS ONE OF OUR NEEDS IN DOWNTOWN.

SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.

AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

OKAY. AND DO YOU HAVE YOU'RE SEEKING DIRECTION, GUIDANCE OR JUST NOT? NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY.

GOT IT. MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD EARLIER INCLUDING MOST MOSTLY FROM COUNCILOR WATTS.

AND, AND I'LL ADD IN THAT I LIKE HIM.

IT SEEMS LIKE I THINK WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF FINALIZING A PLAN.

AND I'M GOING TO ADD ON TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS YOU SAW IN MY RESPONSES TO STAFF.

IT SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS REGION COULD STILL BE PARKING IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS, BUT WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED OUR DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY OR CITYWIDE PARKING STUDY AS WELL.

AND SO I'M I'M LOATHE TO GET IN FRONT OF TWO STUDIES THAT ARE TO ADDRESS PARKING TO ADDRESS THE THINGS.

AND I THINK WE CAN MAYBE AGREE THAT WE LIKE SOME OF THESE THINGS TO THROW INTO THAT MIX.

AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR DIRECTION, SO I GUESS I WON'T PROVIDE IT, BUT I WOULD.

I REALLY DO THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO FINISH SOME OF THESE REPORTING STUDIES AND THEN PROVIDE DIRECTIONS BEFORE WE, WE, WE GET SUPER INTO THE DESIGN PHASE.

AND I TAKE THAT AS A QUESTION OR DIRECTION, OR HOWEVER THE MAYOR WANTS TO, WANTS ME TO TREAT IT JUST AS A FOLLOW UP.

I THINK WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT PARKING WON'T BE CAN'T BE INCLUDED.

I MEAN, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT THAT LOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CITY HALL CONCEPT PLANNING, WHICH WILL INCLUDE PARKING.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING IS TO INCLUDE SOME PUBLIC SPACES.

AS YOU SAW IN SOME OF THE OPTIONS PRESENTED.

BUT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY LOOKING AT PARKING.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S A NEED.

THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN DID CALL FOR REDEVELOPMENT IS CALLING FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT THAT LOT.

THEY RECOGNIZE THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN QUAKERTOWN.

IT FEELS VERY FAR AWAY, BUT IT'S VERY CLOSE.

SO HOW DO WE HOW DO WE MAKE THAT CONNECTION FOR PEOPLE? HOW DO WE INCREASE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC? HOW DO WE MAKE IT SAFE FOR THEM TO WALK ACROSS THE STREET TO QUAKERTOWN? ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE BEING LOOKED AT IN THE IN THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, BUT THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY CALLING FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT PARTICULAR LOT.

[01:15:08]

THAT'S A TORN DOWN BUILDING.

THAT'S A SHELL LOT NOW.

SO I THINK IT'S YOU'LL PROBABLY IF I'LL BE REAL SURPRISED IF YOU DON'T HEAR SEVEN DESIRES TO REDEVELOP THAT PARCEL.

BUT BUT I JUST I.

IT FEELS. IT FEELS LIKE THE OTHER ONE A LITTLE, LITTLE EARLY.

I THINK FOR STAFF ALSO KEEP IN MIND WE ARE GOING UNDERGOING OUR BUDGET PLANNING.

SO WHILE WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE BUILDING OUR NEXT FIVE YEAR CIP COMING UP AND OUR, YOU KNOW, OPERATING BUDGETS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

AND SO WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF WE'RE HERE.

WHILE IT MAY SEEM A LITTLE EARLY, WE'RE WANTING TO GET STAFF OR GET COUNCIL DIRECTION AND FEEDBACK ON HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THESE PROJECTS? ARE YOU WILLING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING? IS THIS ARE WE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? IF THIS IS JUST COMPLETELY WE'RE OFF, THEN WE WON'T BUILD IT IN TO BRING IT BACK TO A PROPOSAL FOR BUDGET.

SO THERE IS A REASON WE'RE COMING FORWARD.

IT MAY SEEM PREMATURE, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO KIND OF GAUGE YOUR INTEREST BEFORE WE PUT TOGETHER FULL BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

SO LAST THING THEN, ARE YOU ARE YOU WANTING DIRECTION OR NOT? YOU SAID NOT ON THE VACANT LOT, NOT ON THE VACANT DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW.

YES. OKAY. DISCUSSION.

I THINK I'LL JUST LEAVE MY DISCUSSION THERE THEN FOR THE MOMENT.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MELTZER YEAH, I REALIZE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T ALWAYS BE, LIKE, PERFECTLY SEQUENTIAL.

YOU KNOW, OR ELSE THINGS TAKE 20 YEARS.

I WOULD JUST GIVE THE FEEDBACK THAT ON THIS AND SO MANY RECENT THINGS.

I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED BY THE THE VISION THAT STAFF IS REFLECTING TO US IN TERMS OF BUILDING ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WORKING IN DOWNTOWN AND TAKING IT INTO MORE KIND OF LIVELINESS, BUILDING ON OUR STRENGTHS YOU KNOW, MAKING IT EVERYTHING KIND OF ACCESSIBLE AND VIBRANT AND PART, BUT JUST BUILDING ON THE EXPERIENCE OF DOWNTOWN, I THINK THE OVERALL VIBE, WHICH IS ALL YOU CAN REALLY SAY AT THIS POINT ABOUT THAT, IS VERY EXCITING.

COUNCILMAN, BYRD AND COUNCIL MEMBER.

WHAT'S. I DON'T WANT US TO BE IN A POSITION THAT WE'RE LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD SEVEN YEARS LATER AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE MOMENT.

SO I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT US MOVING FORWARD WITH SOMETHING.

AND I CAN IMAGINE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT PARKING LOT GETS PRETTY FULL ON THE WEEKENDS, JUST AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.

SO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PROPER PARKING ISSUE THERE.

SO I CAN EVEN ENVISION, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF PARKING DECK TYPE SITUATION, ALONG WITH OFFICES, ALONG WITH MAYBE A ROOFTOP, SOMETHING THAT CAN INVITE PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD IS.

SO, YEAH, I'M I'M ON THE SIDE OF DOING SOMETHING NOW RATHER THAN LATER AND YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME REGRETS.

I PROBABLY WON'T BE ON THE CITY COUNCIL WHENEVER SOMETHING COMES UP, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD WHILE WE CAN. WHILE IT'S $32 MILLION INSTEAD OF $98 MILLION IN TEN YEARS FROM NOW.

SO THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU.

YOU HAD MENTIONED, CASSIE, THAT THIS PARCEL OF LAND, AT LEAST AS WE DISCUSSED THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX BEFORE WE STARTED MOVING FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN CONCEPT THAT IT WAS PRETTY INTEGRAL TO THIS.

DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE, THE COUNCIL WILL SEE SOME PRELIMINARY DESIGN PLANS FOR THAT SPACE AND THEN HOW THIS IS INCORPORATED INTO THAT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S GOING TO THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BIG LINCHPIN.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY GOING TO AFFECT, I THINK, HOW EITHER ONE OF THESE MOVES FORWARD, WE ARE EXPECTING TO HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION THIS SUMMER.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, I'LL JUST SAY THIS.

I. I SUPPORT MOVING THIS CONVERSATION, MOVING FORWARD, ETC.

WHATEVER SHAPE THAT TAKES.

JUST BECAUSE OF, I MEAN, EVERYONE, A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TOUCHED ON IT JUST, YOU KNOW, COSTS CONTINUE TO GO UP.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WE AND THIS COULD BE ACTIONED ON NOW, I BELIEVE, IF YOU ASK ME THE SIDEWALKS, WE MADE THOSE

[01:20:07]

YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH AND SETH AT DCBC HAD MENTIONED THAT AND WE WORKED ON THAT A FEW YEARS BACK.

BUT LIGHTING IS ANOTHER THING.

I WAS DISHEARTENED WHEN I WAS TALKING TO BEN OVER AT BEARDED MONK AND HE SAYS, HEY, NO ONE'S EVER GOING TO WALK UP THIS WAY BECAUSE IT'S DARK.

AND I WAS LIKE, MAN, THAT THAT THAT HURT MY HEART.

HE'S TRUE, IT'S TRUE.

IT'S A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? WE HAVE LIGHTING THERE, PER SE, BUT IT STOPS.

AND SO GETTING IT FURTHER UP SO THAT PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO NOW FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT.

BUT WE'VE GOT TO GENERATE TRAFFIC ON THIS SIDE OF DOWNTOWN ON ON THE WEST SIDE AS WELL, BUT EAST SIDE AS WELL.

SO AND SO.

THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I THROW OUT IS EITHER IN THAT CONSIDERATION IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF IN IN INDOOR FAMILY CAPACITY THING, I JUST WANT IT TO BE INTENTIONAL, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S FAMILIES THAT ARE GO TO EXPLORIUM TO BEAT THE HEAT.

I MEAN, IT'S IT'S 90 IN FEBRUARY TO GIVE YOU A FEEL FOR SUMMER.

RIGHT. SO, SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE HOW WE WANT IT TO BE ACTIVATED.

A DAY IN THE LIFE IS REALLY WHAT I WANT TO SEE.

AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE, ANOTHER CITY.

SO GRAPEVINE CORNER AND I COULDN'T FIND THE CROSS SHEET FAST ENOUGH.

SO THE MAIN STREET, THE HOTEL VAN RIGHT IS ON ON THE SET OFF BACK.

BUT SO WHEN YOU'RE WALKING THERE RIGHT BY TRANSIT STATION ONE, BUT TWO FROM THE FROM THE SIDEWALK, YOU HAVE THE TEN BRONZE NATIVE AMERICAN STATUES.

SO ONCE YOU GO LOOK AT THOSE, NOW YOU'RE TO THE WATER FEATURE.

WELL, YOU WANT TO GO LOOK AT THE WATER FEATURE.

OKAY. NOW YOU'RE TO THE MIRROR ON THE BUILDING.

WHILE I'M LOOKING AT THE MIRROR ON THE BUILDING, I MIGHT AS WELL GO IN, RIGHT? AND I MIGHT AS WELL WALK DOWNTOWN.

SO I THINK WE CAN HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF PHASED APPROACH.

AND ANOTHER THING I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THERE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE PICTURES I SEE WHEN I'M, WHEN I'M DURING CHRISTMAS TIME, SPECIFICALLY IN GRAPEVINE, THEY HAVE A PARK BENCH WITH SOME TREES THAT THE BACK OF IT IS RIGHT TO CITY HALL.

RIGHT. AND SO I THINK JUST THAT INTENTIONALITY OF WHAT DO WE WANT CUSTOMIZED FOR DENTON, AND HOW DO WE SEE IT BEING ACTIVATED DAY IN, DAY OUT IS REALLY WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING AND DISCUSSION, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE KEY.

IT'S JUST KIND OF BEING PURPOSEFUL, NOT JUST PUTTING IT THERE BECAUSE WE NEED ONE, BUT WE HAVE A PHASED AND SYSTEMATIC APPROACH AND HOW IT FEEDS OUR BUSINESSES.

DOWNTOWN FEEDS PEOPLE INTO DOWNTOWN AND MAKES SURE WE NOT NOT JUST DIRECT EVERYONE TO WHAT WOULD THAT BE? HICKORY STREET? ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, BUT FEED EVERYONE THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.

SO THAT'S MY THOUGHTS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

WITH THAT, THAT'S EVERYTHING FOR ME BEFORE WE GO TO CLOSED.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

OKAY, GREAT.

SO WE'LL GET READY TO GO INTO CLOSED.

[1. Closed Meeting:]

THIS CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW AT 805P.

NO, IT'S NOT PM 805.

YEAH. THIS THIS THIS CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW AT 3:23 P.M., CONVENE IN CLOSED MEETING TO DELIBERATE THE CLOSED MEETING ITEMS SET FORTH ON THE AGENDA, WHICH INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEM A ID 24410.

DELIBERATIONS REGARDING REAL PROPERTY UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.072 AND ITEM B, ID 24517.

CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEYS UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071.

SO WE'LL SET THE ROOM.

WELCOME TO THIS MEETING, THE DENTON CITY COUNCIL.

[AFTER DETERMINING THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT, THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL WILL CONVENE AT 6:30 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT CITY HALL, 215 E. MCKINNEY STREET, DENTON, TEXAS AT WHICH THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED:]

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM CALL.

IT'S PORTION OF OUR MEETING TO ORDER.

THE FIRST THING ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.

PLEDGES TO THE UNITED STATES AND TEXAS FLAG.

PLEASE STAND WITH ME IF YOU'RE ABLE.

ACCORDING TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE.

TEXAS. ONE STATE, ONE GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.

ALL RIGHT. THE AMERICAN RED CROSS WILL THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT DATE FOR THE PROCLAMATION.

SO THAT TAKES US TO PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

[3. PRESENTATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC]

THE DENTON CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED RULES OF PROCEDURE, INCLUDING A CODE OF CONDUCT THAT APPLIES TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THESE RULES WERE ENACTED TO PROMOTE AN ORDERLY PROCESS AND TO PRESERVE DECORUM.

[01:25:02]

A BELL WILL RING WHEN TIME IS EXPIRED.

IF THE REMARKS ARE NOT CONCLUDED BY THAT TIME, THE SPEAKER WILL BE ASKED TO STOP SPEAKING.

IF THE SPEAKER DOES NOT CEASE AND THE SECOND REQUEST IS MADE, THE MAYOR MAY REQUEST TO HAVE THE SPEAKER REMOVED FROM THE CHAMBER.

SPEAKERS SHOULD NOT APPROACH THE DAIS.

IF A SPEAKER HAS MATERIALS FOR THE COUNCIL, PLEASE NOTIFY THE CITY SECRETARY IN ADVANCE.

FOR SCHEDULED REPORTS, THE COUNCIL MAY INITIATE DISCUSSION OR ASK QUESTIONS.

FOR NONSCHEDULED OPEN MIC REPORTS, THE COUNCIL MAY LISTEN, HOWEVER, BECAUSE NO NOTICE OF THE SUBJECT OF THE OPEN MIC REPORT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC IN ADVANCE.

THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT PROHIBITS DISCUSSION OR DECISION BY THE COUNCIL ON NONSCHEDULED ITEMS. AS A RESULT, THE COUNCIL MAY ONLY PROCEED AS FOLLOWS ON NONSCHEDULED ITEMS PROPOSED TO PLACE THE ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA.

MAKE A STATEMENT OF FACTUAL POLICY OR A RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY.

SPEAKERS ARE ASKED TO DIRECT ALL REMARKS AND QUESTIONS TO THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, AND NOT TO ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MAKING ABUSIVE, PERSONAL, IMPERTINENT, PROFANE, OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS.

ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE MAY BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM THE CHAMBER.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

COPIES OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE CITY SECRETARY.

OKAY. THE FIRST SPEAKER IS DANA ZOLLNER.

IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

MY NAME IS DANA ZELTNER.

DO I NEED TO GIVE MY ADDRESS? NO. THAT'S FINE. THE ADVANTAGE OF REQUESTING PLACEMENT ON THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC REMARKS IS THAT MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL ARE ALLOWED TO INTERACT WITH THE SPEAKER.

THAT'S MY REASON FOR DOING SO THIS EVENING.

OFTEN THERE NEVER IS EVEN A THANK YOU FROM THE COUNCIL.

JUST DEAD SILENCE.

I'M OLD FASHIONED ENOUGH TO CRINGE WHEN THIS HAPPENS.

IT TAKES COURAGE TO COME UP HERE AND ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.

AND WHILE YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT IS COMMON COURTESY TO DO SO.

THE SPEAKERS FEBRUARY 6TH AND 20TH, ASKING FOR A RESOLUTION FROM THE CITY OF DENTON TO ADD OUR SUPPORT TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF CITIES ASKING FOR A CEASE FIRE AND HUMANITARIAN AID FOR PALESTINE WERE ELOQUENT, SUCCINCT, AND POIGNANT.

WHILE YOU REMAIN MUTE DURING THESE SPEECHES, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER HAD STATED IT WASN'T CITY BUSINESS.

I WOULD BEG TO DIFFER, SINCE TODAY CITIES 70 CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES HAVE DONE WHAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED OF YOU.

THESE CITIES ARE FAR BIGGER THAN DENTON AND STILL HAD THE COURAGE TO STAND UP TO DEFEND THE DEFENSELESS.

IT IS A CITY'S BUSINESS NOT ONLY TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT, BUT ALSO TO CARE ABOUT OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD.

THE GENOCIDE CONVENTION, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED IN 1948 BY THE UNITED NATIONS, IS AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY OUTLAWING ACTS COMMITTED WITH INTENT TO DESTROY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, A NATIONAL, RACIAL OR RELIGIOUS GROUP.

THE IRONY IS THAT THIS CONCEPTION WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE HOLOCAUST.

ISRAEL RATIFIED IT IN 1950, THE UNITED STATES NOT UNTIL 1986.

PERHAPS IT'S TIME TO REMIND OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THAT INTERNATIONAL TREATY.

WHILE A CEASE FIRE WAS BROKERED EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE US'S INTERFERENCE IN THE UN'S PROCEEDINGS INDICATES THAT THEY ARE STILL WILLING TO SHOW THEIR UNSWERVING FIDELITY TO A COUNTRY THAT NO LONGER DESERVES THEIR ALLEGIANCE.

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR OUR COUNTRY AND BE WILLING TO STAND UP AGAINST THE CEASELESS SLAUGHTER AND SUBJUGATION OF INNOCENT PALESTINIANS.

MANY OF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, LIKE SOUTH AFRICA, PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY SUBJECTED TO THIS TREATMENT BY ISRAEL SINCE WORLD WAR TWO.

IT'S TIME TO PUBLICLY PROTEST THE TREATMENT OF ORDINARY CITIZENS WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HAMAS, BUT ARE DEPENDENT ON AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM FOR THEIR VERY LIVES.

I'M SURE THAT SOME OF YOU REALIZE THAT NO TEXAS CITY IS PUBLICLY WRITTEN, A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A CESSATION OF THE ONGOING DISCRIMINATION OF PALESTINE BY ISRAEL.

PERHAPS THAT'S A STICKING POINT WITH YOU PERSONALLY.

IT WOULD MAKE ME PROUD OF THIS CITY THAT WE WERE THE FIRST.

WITH THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION AND IT WOULD ONLY BE COURTEOUS OF YOU TO ANSWER.

A YES WILL NOT COST YOU THE CITY OR TAXPAYERS MONEY, AND IT WILL HELP THE PEOPLE IN DENTON TO FEEL AS IF COLLECTIVELY WE HAVE STOOD UP AGAINST

[01:30:10]

A NO WILL NOT COST YOU MONEY OR TIME, BUT IT WILL COST YOU YOUR HUMANITY, COURAGE AND OUR RESPECT.

WILL YOU PUT ON THE AGENDA A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR SUPPORT OF HUMANITARIAN AID, INDEPENDENCE AND PALESTINE AND TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ISRAEL? ISRAEL DOES NOT DESERVE OUR SUPPORT.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

MALAKMALAK. ABU ES H E H IS NEXT.

YEAH. IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MALAK.

I AM A DENTON RESIDENT.

ON FEBRUARY 25TH, AARON BUSHNELL, A 25 YEAR OLD ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IN FRONT OF THE ISRAELI EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, DC. HIS EXACT WORDS WERE, I WILL NO LONGER BE COMPLICIT IN THIS GENOCIDE.

I AM ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN AN EXTREME ACT OF PROTEST.

BUT COMPARED TO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN PALESTINE AT THE HANDS OF THEIR COLONIZERS, IT'S NOT EXTREME AT ALL.

THIS IS WHAT OUR RULING CLASS HAS DECIDED WILL BE NORMAL.

HE THEN PLACED HIS PHONE ON THE GROUND, WALKED CLOSER TO THE GATE OF THE EMBASSY, AND DOUSED HIMSELF IN A LIQUID.

AARON THEN SAID FREE PALESTINE AND LIT HIMSELF ON FIRE.

BUSHNELL CONTINUED TO SCREAM FREE PALESTINE WHILE HE WAS BURNING AND IN PAIN.

A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER PULLED A GUN ON HIM AND YELLED, GET ON THE GROUND! WHILE ANOTHER OFFICER SAID TO THE FIRST, I DON'T NEED GUNS, I NEED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER! AND THREW ALL OF THIS IN HIS BRAVE AND HEROIC ACT OF PROTEST.

AARON BUSHNELL CONTINUED TO STAND AND YELL FREE PALESTINE UNTIL HE COLLAPSED.

HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL DUE TO THE BURNS HE SUSTAINED, AND HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT 10:06 P.M., HOURS BEFORE LIGHTING HIMSELF ON FIRE.

HE POSTED A TWITCH LINK ON HIS FACEBOOK AND IT WAS CAPTIONED WITH, MANY OF US LIKE TO ASK OURSELVES, WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WAS ALIVE DURING SLAVERY OR THE JIM CROW SOUTH OR APARTHEID? WHAT WOULD I DO IF MY COUNTRY WAS COMMITTING GENOCIDE? THE ANSWER IS YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.

BUSHNELL'S ACT OF EXTREME PROTEST AGAINST ISRAEL'S ACTIONS WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THE US.

IN DECEMBER, A WOMAN LIT HERSELF ON FIRE IN FRONT OF THE ISRAELI CONSULATE IN ATLANTA.

SHE SURVIVED WITH THIRD DEGREE BURNS OVER HER ENTIRE BODY AND WAS HOSPITALIZED IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

HER IDENTITY HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED BY THE POLICE.

HAVE WE LOST SO MUCH OF OUR HUMANITY THAT WE HAVE BECOME SO DESENSITIZED TO SEEING KIDS MISSING LIMBS FROM THE BOMBING, OR KIDS THAT ARE JUST SKIN AND BONES, FROM BEING STARVED TO DEATH, OR MOTHERS HOLDING THEIR DEAD CHILDREN BEGGING TO HEAR THEIR VOICE JUST ONE MORE TIME? HOW ABOUT CHILDREN THAT ARE CALLING OUT FOR THEIR PARENTS ONLY TO FIND THEM DEAD AND LIFELESS? 38,066 DEAD OR PRESUMED DEAD UNDER THE RUBBLE, 133 JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN TARGETED AND KILLED, 14,350 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN MURDERED, 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, 71,377 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED.

WHEN WE SAY WOUNDED, WE DON'T MEAN THEY HAVE A SCRAPE OR A BROKEN BONE THAT WILL HEAL.

WE MEAN MISSING LIMBS, THIRD DEGREE BURNS, DISABILITIES THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE DUE TO THE DISGUSTING CRIMES ISRAEL HAS COMMITTED, OF WHICH THE US HAS AIDED AND SUPPORTED THEM IN.

THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS.

EACH ONE IS A HUMAN BEING WITH A FAMILY, SIBLINGS, PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS.

I AM A PROUD PALESTINIAN AMERICAN.

I KNOW WHERE MY HUMANITY IS.

BUT WHERE'S YOURS? OKAY. THANK YOU.

AMARA ROSSO AM I R A R A S U O L? YOU CAN GIVE YOUR NAME. YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.

COUNCIL. MY NAME IS AMIR RASOOL.

I AM SURE THAT YOU'RE TIRED OF SEEING ME.

I'M SURE AS HELL TIRED OF SEEING YOU ALL.

BUT WE'LL KEEP COMING BACK EVERY TWO WEEKS, ALL OF US, UNTIL THIS IS ON THE AGENDA.

AND EVEN AFTER THAT, IF IT'S A VOTE AGAINST IT, YOU.

I'M GOING TO BE SAYING A TOPIC SIMILAR TO THE ONE MALIK JUST WENT OVER.

BUT AS YOU ALL ONLY SEEM TO BE HALF LISTENING, MAYBE YOU NEED TO HEAR IT TWICE.

I'M A PROUD PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN, AND AGAIN TODAY I URGE DENTON CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION AND ADOPT A CEASE FIRE RESOLUTION AND DEMAND AN END

[01:35:07]

I BELIEVE IT IS ALL OF OUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO UTILIZE OUR INFLUENCE, TO ADVOCATE FOR AN END TO THE 150 DAY BOMBARDMENT, AND TO PUT PRESSURE ON OUR ELECTED LEADERSHIP TO CALL FOR AN END TO THIS GENOCIDE.

IF YOU HAVE KEPT UP WITH THE NEWS, THEN YOU HAVE HEARD THE NAME AARON BUSHNELL.

THE MEDIA, HOWEVER, HAS NOT TAKEN AN HONEST APPROACH TO HIS STORY.

SO TONIGHT I WILL BE SHARING WITH YOU THE TRAGIC EVENTS SURROUNDING AARON'S SELF-IMMOLATION.

SINCE OCTOBER, TWO AMERICAN CITIZENS HAVE ENGAGED IN THIS ACT, THIS FORM OF PROTEST.

SETTING ONESELF ON FIRE IS A STARK SIGN TO SOCIETY THAT SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG.

MANY NEWS ARTICLES HAVE FALSELY STATED AARON'S MENTAL HEALTH AS A REASON FOR HIS SACRIFICE.

BUT YOU MUST KNOW THE TRUTH.

YOU MUST KNOW THAT AARON KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING AND THE IMPACT HIS ACTION WOULD HAVE.

I WANT TO BE UNEQUIVOCAL.

HE DID NOT MAKE THIS SACRIFICE TO CONVINCE THOSE IN POWER.

HE DID NOT DO IT FOR YOU ALL.

HIS SELFLESS AND POWERFUL ACT WAS DONE TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE OPPRESSED AND THE VOICELESS IN PALESTINE.

AARON'S ACT WAS A REMINDER TO ALL OF US THAT POWER LIES NOT IN THE HANDS OF POLITICIANS AND BUREAUCRATS, BUT IN THE COLLECTIVE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

WE ARE A SLEEPING DRAGON, CAPABLE OF STANDING UP AND DEMANDING CHANGE.

AND THIS WAS HIS CALL TO ACTION TO ALL OF US.

DURING HIS FINAL PROTEST, AARON DECLARED, I AM AN ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, AND I WILL NO LONGER BE COMPLICIT IN GENOCIDE.

I'M ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN AN EXTREME ACT OF PROTEST, BUT COMPARED TO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING AND EXPERIENCING IN PALESTINE AT THE HANDS OF THEIR COLONIZERS, IT'S NOT EXTREME AT ALL.

THIS IS WHAT OUR RULING CLASS HAS DECIDED WILL BE NORMAL.

I WILL NO LONGER BE COMPLICIT TO GENOCIDE.

HIS FINAL WORDS SPOKEN WITH HIS LAST BREATH WERE FREE PALESTINE.

HE CHOSE TO USE HIS LIFE FOR PALESTINIAN LIBERATION.

HIS TESTAMENT UNDERSCORES THE SYSTEMATIC INJUSTICES THAT DROVE HIM TO TAKE SUCH DRASTIC MEASURES, AND WE CANNOT IGNORE THE HARSH REALITY THAT LED AARON TO MAKE THIS SACRIFICE.

WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE STAGGERING DEATH TOLL OVER 30,000 PALESTINIANS.

MIND YOU, THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS.

THESE ARE FAMILIES TORN APART, DREAMS SHATTERED, AND FUTURES STOLEN.

WE MUST HONOR AARON'S MEMORY BY STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AND BY DEMANDING IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO CALL FOR A PERMANENT CEASE FIRE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW UP, DEMAND ACTION FROM ALL OF YOU, AND WORK TO BUILD A WORLD WHERE SUCH SACRIFICES ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY. HIS SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE IN VAIN.

PALESTINE WILL BE FREE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

AND THEN G A E L L E A N T O I N E G AGAIN G A E L L E.

THANK YOU.

IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR NAME AND YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

THANK YOU. MY NAME IS GAIL ANTOINE.

DEAR MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

I LIVE IN DENTON.

AND TODAY I BRING BEFORE YOU A MATTER OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE A CALL FOR OUR CITY TO ADOPT AND ALSO PLACE ON THE AGENDA AND ADOPT A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE.

THIS RESOLUTION HAS BEEN SIGNED BY ALMOST A THOUSAND OF DENTON RESIDENTS.

AND THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT MERELY SYMBOLIC.

IT HOLDS THE POWER TO SEND A RESOUNDING MESSAGE TO OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, URGING THEM TO TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION TOWARDS THE END OF THE GENOCIDE COMMITTED BY ISRAEL AND SUPPORTED BY THE US.

AS AARON BUSHNELL SAID IN HIS LAST WORDS, WE REFUSE TO BE COMPLICIT IN GENOCIDE AND YOU SHOULD STAY THE SAME.

YOU MIGHT BE SHOCKED BY THE WORD GENOCIDE, BUT THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN GAZA.

VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES HAVE STATED THAT ISRAEL IS AT RISK OF DOING, OR IS ACTIVELY PERPETRATING A GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS IN GAZA.

IN JANUARY, THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE CALLED THE WORD TO EYESIGHT, NOT PROVIDE AID OR ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL.

BUT IN THE SAME TIME, THE US STILL PROVIDES ALMOST ALL THE MILITARY EQUIPMENT ISRAEL USES AND IS THEREFORE DIRECTLY COMPLICIT OF GENOCIDE.

DID YOU KNOW THAT BETWEEN 2017 AND 2021, 92% OF THE WEAPONS PURCHASED BY ISRAEL WERE SUPPLIED BY THE US? FURTHERMORE, OUR TAX DOLLARS CONTINUE TO FUND THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, WITH $3.3 BILLION IN MILITARY AID

[01:40:06]

LESS THAN TWO YEARS OF THIS MONEY COULD MAKE COLLEGE FREE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE US.

THERE IS BETTER PRIORITY FOR OUR COUNTRY AND HUMANITY THAN FINANCING THE MURDER OF INNOCENT CHILDREN.

SOME MAY ARGUE, ARGUE THAT THIS ISSUE IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF OUR CITY'S CONCERNS.

HOWEVER, AS LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OF A NATION THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS, YOU CANNOT TURN A BLIND EYE TO THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF OUR COUNTRY'S MILITARY SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF DENTON, TURN TO YOU, OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES, IN SEARCH OF SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT IN ADVOCATING FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE TO OUR STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES.

AS ELECTED OFFICIALS OF OUR CITY, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONVEY OUR VOICE AS MANDATED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES OF THIS COUNTRY.

I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT TWO THIRDS OF US VOTERS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM SUPPORT A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA, REFUSING TO ADOPT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION BY CLAIMING IT IS NOT DIRECTLY A CITY ISSUE, IMPLIES THAT DEMOCRACY AND REPRESENTATIVITY ARE MEANINGLESS AND THAT YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

ADDITIONALLY, IT SUGGESTS THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO EFFECT ANY CHANGE FROM YOUR POSITION.

BUT THEN I WANT TO ASK YOU A BIG QUESTION.

IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AND WHAT SHOULD WE VOTE FOR YOU? BY PUTTING ON THE AGENDA AND ADOPTING A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION, YOU WILL NOT ONLY AFFIRM YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMANITY AND DIGNITY, BUT ALSO SIGNAL, THROUGH STATE AND FEDERAL LEADERS THAT WE DEMAND A CHANGE IN POLICY.

MANY CITIES ALREADY ADOPTED THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.

JOIN THEM AND BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ON THE SIDE OF HUMANITY AND PEACE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

THANK YOU. STEPHEN.

DILLENBURG. STEPHEN STEPHEN.

DILLENBURG.

I'M GOING TO NEED THE DOCUMENT CAMERA.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH. YOU CAN PLACE IT THERE AND THEY'LL THEY'LL GET IT DIALED IN.

WELL, LET ME GO ONE AT A TIME HERE.

IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

GIVE ME JUST A SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS STEPHEN.

DILLENBURG 1004, ABBOTS LANE.

I'VE BEEN COMING BEFORE THIS BODY SINCE NOVEMBER 16TH, 2021.

I'M ALSO NOW A CANDIDATE IN THE MAYORAL CONTEST HERE.

THIS MAY. SO I THINK WE NEED NOT ONLY.

I THINK YOU'RE VERY WELL ABREAST OF ALL THE LAWS.

MR. HUDSPETH AND I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU AND A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL WAYS.

I DON'T THINK THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU HAVE APPLIED YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN TOWARD THE BENEFIT OF THE AVERAGE PERSON IN THIS CITY.

AND FOR THAT REASON, THAT'S THAT'S WHY I'M RUNNING AGAINST YOU.

I BROUGHT HERE A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT DOES SHOW KIND OF HOW I GOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS AT ALL.

ALL RIGHT. SO I WAS A SECONDARY EDUCATOR AFTER COLLEGE.

I HAVE A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY, DOUBLE MINOR IN CHEMISTRY IN SPANISH.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID TO ME THE FIRST TIME WE MET, SIR? IT'S A NICE SHIRT.

REMEMBER THE SHIRT SAID I CAN'T BREATHE.

I HAD JUST GOTTEN BACK FROM D.C..

WE'VE GOT SOME ISSUES GOING ON AT ALL LEVELS OF OUR LEADERSHIP.

AT SOME POINT, WE WENT DOWN THIS WRONG PATH THAT ENDED UP BEING BECOMING ROUTINE.

AND JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS BECOME A HABIT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE IT OR WE SHOULDN'T.

SO THIS FIRST ONE, IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE IS THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT HAVE SHOWN EFFICACY FOR CURING CANCER.

[01:45:09]

I LOST MY SISTER IN LAW TO IT AND MY BEST FRIEND'S DAD, AND SUBSEQUENTLY MY BEST FRIEND WHO WAS GRIEVING HIS DAD AND MADE A MISTAKE AND DIED FROM FENTANYL, SOMETHING OR OTHER.

AND THAT WAS THE SIXTH FRIEND I HAD BURIED UNDER 33.

SO ALL OF US YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE FACED THIS IN OUR GENERATION, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING HELP FROM YOU ALL ON IT.

50% OF CHEMO PATIENTS DIE FROM THE CHEMO AND NOT THE CANCER, SO THAT'S VERY ALARMING, KNOWING THAT WHAT I'VE PRESENTED TO THIS BODY AS A BIOLOGIST, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS UNIVERSITY LEVEL TRAINING HERE THAT PRESENTED THAT AT A PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE AS AN UNDERGRADUATE, IT'S NOT AN HONOR MANY UNDERGRADUATES GET.

Y'ALL DIDN'T EVEN FOLLOW UP WITH ME ON THAT AT ALL.

THIS IS WHAT GOT ME INTO UNDERSTANDING THE LAW WORKING INSURANCE CLAIMS. SO IF YOU'VE GOT HAIL DAMAGE COMING UP IN OUR CITY PAY ATTENTION TO THIS AT THE 60 DAYS FROM THE DATE THAT WE SATISFIED OUR POST LOSS OBLIGATIONS. AND SO THAT IS YOU'VE GOT TO FILE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF CLAIM, AND YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO FILE A SWORN PROOF OF LOSS STATEMENT.

THIS ONE DOCUMENT IS BEING ESSENTIALLY USED AS A SECRET HANDSHAKE AMONG THE ATTORNEYS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS.

AND THEY'RE NOT TELLING ANYBODY ABOUT IT.

THEY SENT PEOPLE INTO THE INDUSTRY TO TRAIN CONTRACTORS INCORRECTLY 25 YEARS AGO.

AND SO NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THIS.

I WAS TOLD THAT IT'S A CRIME TO HELP MY CLIENTS FILL OUT A FORM.

AND YOU CAN SEE HERE WHERE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE HOUSE ROOF AT ALL.

AND AT THE 60 DAY MARK, THE DAY BEFORE THAT CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUED AGAINST THEM, THEY DOUBLED THEIR ESTIMATE.

THEY STARTED AT 18,000.

THEY'RE AT 90,000. AND WE'RE GOING TO SUE THEM TOMORROW, JUST FYI.

SO WE'LL GET THE FIRST BAD FAITH DAMAGES AWARDED IN TEXAS IN 78 YEARS, BECAUSE THE ATTORNEYS WON'T DO IT IN THAT SAD THAT A NON ATTORNEY HAS TO DO THIS FOR US.

SO AS YOUR MAYOR DENTON, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO FOR YOU.

WE WILL CURE CANCER BY THE TIME THE KIDS ARE BACK HERE IN AUGUST, OR I WILL RESIGN BECAUSE I WAS WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT.

YOUR COLLEGE WILL BE FREE BY THE TIME I'M OUT OF HERE.

AND THAT'S YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S. THAT'S YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THAT'S YOUR TIME. BE FREE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THAT THE NEXT SPEAKER IS.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY THIS WRONG T A W N E I E HARRIS.

IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR NAME.

YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES. HI.

MY NAME IS TONY HARRIS, AND I'VE LIVED IN DENTON FOR OVER 15 YEARS.

I'M A NURSE IN THE COMMUNITY AND A MEMBER OF THE PARTY OF SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION.

I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH RECENT RELEVANT NEWS TO DEMONSTRATE THE URGENCY OF THIS MATTER.

THAT'S HAPPENED SINCE OUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND UNICEF, AT LEAST 15 CHILDREN HAVE NOW DIED FROM STARVATION IN GAZA.

THE ISRAELI REGIME HAS SYSTEMATICALLY BLOCKED AID INTO GAZA, ASSISTING IN THESE EFFORTS TO STARVE THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, OUR ISRAELI CIVILIANS WHO HAVE SET UP AT THE BORDER CROSSING, CREATING A FAMILY FRIENDLY AFFAIR WITH TENTS AND BOUNCE HOUSES, SERVING POPCORN AND SLUSHIES WHILE BLOCKING AID TRUCKS.

LAST THURSDAY, IN AN EVENT NOW KNOWN AS THE FLOUR MASSACRE, ISRAELI FORCES OPENED FIRE ON STARVING CIVILIANS AS THEY ATTEMPTED TO GET FOOD FROM AN AID TRUCK, KILLING 118 CIVILIANS AND INJURING OVER 700.

AND THE NUMBER OF WOUNDED CHILDREN WITH NO SURVIVING FAMILY CONTINUES TO GROW.

AND THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL A CEASE FIRE.

WE'RE HERE BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT LISTENING.

WE NEED YOU, OUR LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO AMPLIFY OUR MESSAGE.

WE ARE WORKING HARD.

WE HAVE ATTENDED DEMONSTRATIONS, MARCHED WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN DALLAS AND EVEN AUSTIN.

WE'VE DISRUPTED POLITICIANS, CAMPAIGNS AND SPEAKING EVENTS.

WE MAKE THE CALLS AND WRITE LETTERS TO OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

WE COME HERE EVERY OTHER TUESDAY.

SOME HAVE TAKEN MORE EXTREME ACTS IN PROTEST, LIKE 25 YEAR OLD AARON BUSHNELL, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IS BEING THWARTED BY LOBBYING GROUPS.

WHY ELSE WOULD THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT PRIORITIZE ISRAEL OVER ITS OWN CITIZENS, EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF LOSING FUTURE ELECTIONS? AIPAC, THE ISRAELI LOBBYING GROUP, SPENDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EACH ELECTION CYCLE TO INFLUENCE OUR POLITICIANS.

[01:50:01]

SINCE THIS IS A FEDERAL ISSUE AND NOT IN THE CITY'S LANE.

WELL, OUR FEDERAL DELEGATES HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY AIPAC.

JOHN CORNYN HAS RECEIVED $489,000, TED CRUZ $1.4 MILLION.

PRESIDENT BIDEN $5.2 MILLION.

DO YOU THINK THEY CAN HEAR US WITH THOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS CLOGGING UP THEIR HEARING? ISRAEL IS A WAR CRIMINAL AND THE US IS AIDING AND ABETTING.

SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, THEY HAVE PURPOSELY KILLED JOURNALISTS, BOMBED HOSPITALS, REFUGEE CAMPS.

THEY'VE USED WHITE PHOSPHORUS BOMBS.

THEY'VE DROPPED MORE BOMBS THAN THE POWER OF THREE NUCLEAR BOMBS LIKE THOSE DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA.

BUT THE GAZA STRIP IS HALF THE SIZE OF HIROSHIMA AND MUCH MORE DENSELY POPULATED.

THE MAJORITY OF THE BOMBS AND MISSILES ARE UNGUIDED.

ALL THIS ADDS UP TO INDISCRIMINATE DEATHS, A CLEAR VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.

BEFORE MAKING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, AARON BUSHNELL WROTE, MANY OF US LIKE TO ASK OURSELVES, WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WAS ALIVE DURING SLAVERY? WHAT WOULD I DO IF MY COUNTRY WAS COMMITTING GENOCIDE? THE ANSWER IS YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.

SO I WOULD LIKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TO STOP AND REFLECT.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET YOU TO STAND UP FOR YOUR IDEALS? IF YOU CLAIM TO PERSONALLY SUPPORT A CEASE FIRE, THEN DO NOT SIT IDLY BY AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER DOING NOTHING.

USE YOUR PLATFORM TO AMPLIFY OUR VOICES AS WE DEMAND AN END TO THIS MASSACRE.

YOUR WORDS ARE MEANINGLESS UNLESS YOU ACT.

JOIN US IN DEMANDING THE BARE MINIMUM, WHICH IS A CEASE FIRE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. RICKY.

RICKY. BARNETT.

RICK RICKY BARNETT, IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT.

HOWDY. I'M.

I'M RICKY BARNETT.

SOME OF YOU KNOW ME PERSONALLY, SOME BY REPUTATION, YOU KNOW, BUT I CAN BE A LITTLE ABRASIVE, PURPOSEFULLY.

BUT IT'S MY DEDICATION TO MY PASSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT BRING ME TO YOU TODAY.

I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I HAD SOMETHING MEANINGFUL OR MOVING THAT I COULD SAY TO MAKE MY POINT HERE, BUT I THINK EVERYONE ELSE KIND OF DID THAT FOR ME, AND I THANK YOU.

WHAT I AM GOING TO DO ABLE, YOU KNOW.

FORGET JUST A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA.

I EXPECT THAT TO BE A GIVEN.

WHAT I'M ASKING IS EASY, AND IT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY THING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO AS GOOD COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AS AMERICANS.

AND ESPECIALLY AS HUMANS.

TO SAY THE INDISCRIMINATE MURDER OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. SO THAT IS OUR SEVEN SPEAKERS.

SO IF YOU FILLED OUT A CARD THEN WE WE JUST DIDN'T REACH YOU.

BUT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THAT'S THE POLICY THAT WE ALLOW FOR SEVEN SPEAKERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

SO MY APOLOGIES.

THAT TAKES US TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[4. CONSENT AGENDA]

WE DON'T. NOTHING WAS PULLED.

I'LL TAKE A MOTION.

I MOVE APPROVAL. IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. GOT IT.

COUNCILMAN. MCGEE SECOND.

SO MAIER HUDSPETH MOTION SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCGEE.

DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE SCREEN? IS THAT THAT? THERE WE GO. SO HERE YOU GO.

I'LL DO THAT. OKAY.

ANY DISCUSSION? LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN.

YEAH, I THINK SHE'S.

THERE WE GO. AND THAT PASSES SEVEN ZERO TAKES US TO OUR.

[A. Hold a public hearing and consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, Texas, regarding a change in the zoning district and use classification from Suburban Corridor (SC) District, Mixed-Use Neighborhood (MN) District, and Residential 3 (R3) District to a Planned Development (PD) District with SC and MN base zones on approximately 18.235 acres of land generally located at the northwest corner of East University Drive (US 380) and Old North Road in the City of Denton, Denton County, Texas; adopting an amendment to the City’s official zoning map; providing for a penalty in the maximum amount of $2,000.00 for violations thereof; providing a severability clause and an effective date. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend approval of the request. Motion for approval by Commission Smith and second by Commissioner Villarreal. (PD23-0003a, 380 Multifamily and Commercial, Mia Hines)]

IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

AND SO THAT'S ITEM A, FIVE A, WHICH IS PD 23003A IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH. LET ME GET THERE.

[01:55:01]

CHOO CHOO CHOO. BEAR WITH ME.

YEAH. YEAH.

OKAY. HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, REGARDING A CHANGE IN THE ZONING DISTRICT AND USE CLASSIFICATION FROM SUBURBAN CORRIDOR SC DISTRICT, MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT AND RESIDENTIAL THREE R-3 DISTRICT TO A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT.

PD DISTRICT WITH SC AND MN BASED ZONES ON APPROXIMATELY 18.235 ACRES OF LAND, GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF EAST UNIVERSITY DRIVE AND OLD DENTON ROAD IN THE CITY OF DENTON, AND I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TURN IT OVER TO STAFF.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MIA HINES, SENIOR PLANNER.

THIS ITEM IS STATED IN THE CAPTION IS A PD FOR APPROXIMATELY 18.3 ACRES OF LAND.

THE PD IS SUBDIVIDED OR THE APPLICANT PROPOSES TO SUBDIVIDE THE PD INTO TWO SUBDISTRICTS.

SUBDISTRICT A HAS AN ADMIN BASE AND SUBDISTRICT B HAS AN SC BASE.

THE PRIMARY USE IS OR.

THE DEVELOPMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HORIZONTAL MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL.

AGAIN, THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF US 380 AND OLD NORTH ROAD.

THE FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION FOR THIS SITE IS MODERATE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY MIXED USE.

THE SURROUNDING LAND USES TO THE NORTH ARE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED RESIDENCES.

MULTIFAMILY. TO THE SORT OF NORTHEAST ACROSS FROM OLD NORTH ARE SOME EXISTING OFFICE SPACES.

TO THE SOUTH, ACROSS UNIVERSITY IS A RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY AS WELL AS TO THE EAST, AND THERE IS A A DRIVE THROUGH RESTAURANTS TO THE SOUTH, I'M SORRY, TO THE WEST, AS WELL AS TO THE SOUTHEAST. SOUTHWEST.

US 380 IN THIS AREA IS A SIX LANE DIVIDED PRIMARY ARTERIAL, AND OLD NORTH ROAD IS A TWO LANE COLLECTOR WITH ON STREET BIKE FACILITIES.

SO THE FULL STAFF ANALYSIS IS PROVIDED FOR YOU IN YOUR BACKUP.

AGAIN, THE PROJECT IS PROPOSING SUBDISTRICT A WITH AN ADMIN BASE CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 279 RESIDENCES AND SUBDISTRICT B WITH AN SE BASE CONTAINING RESTAURANT, RETAIL, AND BANK SPACE TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 33,000FT².

THE FULL DETAILS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN ARE PROVIDED FOR YOU IN YOUR BACK UP.

JUST COVERING SOME OF THE SITE DETAILS THAT ARE WERE AGREED UPON BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS AS WELL AS PUT INTO THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

SO IN THIS CASE, THEY ARE IMPOSING UPON THEMSELVES AN ADDITIONAL 80 FOOT BUILDING SETBACK, WHEREAS THE DISTRICT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SETBACK DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THOSE THOSE PROPERTIES, THERE ARE SOME LANDSCAPE BUFFERS THAT WERE WOULD COME INTO PLACE.

BUT THAT IS A ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT THAT THE APPLICANT HAS HAS PROPOSED TO PUT ONTO THIS SITE.

THE MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT FOR THIS THE MULTIFAMILY USES IS 40FT.

AND THEN THE COMPATIBILITY BUFFERS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AGAIN BETWEEN THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER AND THE NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY THAT TREES ARE PLANTED STRATEGICALLY TO MINIMIZE THE VIEW FROM THOSE STRUCTURES INTO THE BACKYARDS OF THOSE RESIDENCES, AS WELL AS THE SPACE AND THE LANDSCAPE BUFFERING PROVIDED, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED UNDER THE STRAIGHT ZONING.

AS FAR AS THE COMMERCIAL PIECE.

OH, I DID WANT TO ALSO MENTION I'M SORRY.

THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS OF PEDESTRIAN ACCESS THROUGH THIS SITE.

ONE OF THEM AND AGAIN, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE REQUIRED IS INTERNAL TO THE SITE, THIS AREA HERE TO THE NORTH IS TO BE A PROVIDE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS THROUGH THE MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT INTO THE COMMERCIAL PIECE FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH SUBDISTRICT.

BE JUST A BROAD OVERVIEW AGAIN, 33 APPROXIMATELY 33,000FT² OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.

THE PUT INTO THE PD SPECIFICALLY IS THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED IN THIS SUBDISTRICT MUST BE OF MODERN FARMHOUSE DESIGN, AND THERE ARE PICTURES INCLUDED IN THE PD STANDARDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT THAT IS, ESSENTIALLY MAKING SURE THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND THE AREA SURROUNDING IT.

SO WE DID AWAY THIS REQUEST UP AGAINST OUR CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL IN THE DDC CHAPTER TWO, AS WELL AS OUR ZONING COMPLIANCE PLAN APPROVAL CRITERIA TO ENSURE THAT IT MET THE THOSE REQUIREMENTS.

JUST NOTING THAT CONTEXT SENSITIVITY, AGAIN, IS ONE OF THOSE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.

AGAIN, WHAT YOU SEE HERE TO THE TO THE LEFT IS WHAT IS SURROUNDING IN THE EXISTING COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THIS PROPERTY.

TO THE RIGHT IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.

SO AGAIN, SIMILAR TO WHAT WHAT EXISTS AS FAR AS THE FUTURE LAND USE.

ALIGNMENT THE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT IS HAS A FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION OF MODERATE RESIDENTIAL IS WHAT IS PLANNED TO BE MULTIFAMILY.

[02:00:01]

PER OUR CODE. WE DID RECEIVE ONE RESPONSE IN OPPOSITION THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU IN YOUR BACKUP, AS WELL AS TWO IN FAVOR SUPPORTING THE PROJECT.

THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DID REVIEW THIS ON FEBRUARY 14TH WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL FOR ONE.

AND STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST AS WELL.

THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

THE APPLICANT IS HERE ALSO THIS EVENING WITH THE PRESENTATION AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF BEFORE WE GO TO THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.

SO THIS IS FOR STAFF.

MAYOR PRO TEM THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND MIA THERE WHEN THIS CAME BEFORE US, THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF BEFORE THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.

BUT THEN SINCE THE LAST TIME IT CAME BEFORE US, THERE HAS BEEN.

AND FULL DISCLOSURE, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MOST OF THESE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS.

BUT DO YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR THE NUMBER OF EVENTS? IT FOR ME, IT IS AN UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER.

SO IF YOU COULD DETAIL THAT FOR COUNCIL.

YEAH. SO I THINK THE APPLICANT CAN SPEAK TO THEIR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE THEY WERE INVOLVED IN FACILITATING THOSE.

BUT YES, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE HOA TO WITH THE RESIDENTS OR THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL JUST GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS WHERE GENERAL POSTINGS AND SIGNS WERE SENT OUT TO THE SAME ADDRESSES THAT STAFF AND THE CITY SENDS OUT OUR PUBLIC NOTICES TO AND THERE, THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH, I BELIEVE, FORMED A STEERING COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS THIS PROJECT ALSO.

SO THERE'S BEEN TIGHT COMMUNICATION THERE, BUT THE APPLICANT HAS A BIT OF MORE DETAIL ABOUT THEIR THEIR EFFORTS AND THEIR PRESENTATION.

ALSO, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I'LL WAIT FOR THE APPLICANT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COUNCILMAN. WHAT'S.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. IS THIS THE ONE THAT WE SAW A WHILE BACK WHERE PART OF THE ISSUE WAS THEY WERE TRYING TO GAIN ACCESS THROUGH ONE ZONING DISTRICT TO THE MULTIFAMILY, AND THEREFORE IT WAS OUR CODE PREVENTED IT.

I BELIEVE IF THAT SAME ZONING CLASSIFICATION WAS NOT ALLOWED IN THAT PARCEL THAT THEY WERE GAINING ACCESS TO.

IS THIS THE SAME ONE? YES. YES, SIR.

AND SO IS THIS ALL UNDER ONE OWNERSHIP NOW? I BELIEVE IT WAS.

IT'S THE SAME OWNER, I THINK THAT THE THE APPLICANT OR THE DEVELOPERS FOR THE MULTIFAMILY PIECE IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE COMMERCIAL PIECE WILL BE, BUT I THINK IT'S THE SAME LENDER. OKAY. SO DOES CONVERTING THIS TO PD RESOLVE THAT ISSUE OF ACCESS OR BECAUSE THEY ARE GAINING ACCESS FROM THEIR PIECE? THE SUBDISTRICT A IS ONE LOOKS LIKE ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY, AND THEY'RE GAINING ACCESS TO THE MULTIFAMILY FROM 380 VIA THAT.

THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO CROSS OVER SOMETHING ELSE.

A DIFFERENT ZONING CLASSIFICATION.

IS THAT RIGHT ON THAT? IS THAT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT? CORRECT. YEAH. IT WOULD ALL BE A PART OF THE PD.

AND YES, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE SUBDISTRICT A HAS THAT BASE ZONING OF MEN.

SO THAT USE IT SERVES IT SERVES ADEQUATELY.

OKAY. SO THIS MAP THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS IS HOW THEY WANT IT TO BE CONFIGURED.

THIS ISN'T THE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS CURRENTLY EXISTING ON THE GROUND WITH.

CORRECT OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THEN ON THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN I'M THINKING IS THE NEXT SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.

YES. THERE'S THAT ARROW UP INTO THE I GUESS THAT'S THE THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT.

IT SO THAT LOOKS LIKE A BREAK IN THE APPARENTLY A BUFFER WALL OR A BUFFER FENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IS THAT. YEAH. SO THERE, THAT IS AN EXISTING.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THE DASHED LINE HERE.

THERE'S AN EXISTING GAS PIPELINE EASEMENT THERE WHICH ACTUALLY LIMITS THE WHAT TYPE OF FENCE MATERIAL THEY CAN PUT ACROSS THERE.

OKAY. BUT THAT IS AN HOA LOT ON THE OTHER SIDE.

SO IT'S GOING TO BECAUSE OF THAT PIPELINE AND BECAUSE IT'S AN HOA A LOT, IT'S GOING TO REMAIN THAT THAT WAY.

AND THAT IS ESSENTIALLY A PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALK STUB THAT THEY ARE CONNECTING TO THAT, THAT DEVELOPMENT.

ALL RIGHT. SO THAT THAT'S A LOT.

BUT IT'S AN HOA LOT THAT WILL NEVER GET BUILT ON BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL GAS EASEMENT OR GAS LINE.

AND I GOT AN EMAIL FROM I BELIEVE ONE OF THE RESIDENTS OUT THERE ABOUT AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND THE DEVELOPERS, SOME TYPE OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

NOW, THE COPY THAT I GOT WAS NOT SIGNED BY THE HOA.

SO I GUESS THE APPLICANTS CAN GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ON WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT AND SO FORTH.

ALL RIGHT. LET ME SEE IF I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.

AND THIS IS JUST AN OBSERVATION THAT I MADE BACK WHEN RAZOR RANCH WAS BEING DEVELOPED, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TWO PARCELS HERE, MULTIFAMILY, WHICH EVERYBODY'S BUILDING

[02:05:03]

AND THEN A COMMERCIAL PIECE.

DO WE HAVE THIS WILL BE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT.

SO I'LL GIVE THE APPLICANT A PREVIEW.

DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THE PHASING.

BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE THE MULTIFAMILY SITE TOTALLY DEVELOPED AND THE COMMERCIAL SIDE JUST SORT OF SIT THERE.

AND SO I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT TO THEM TO, TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT.

YEAH. I WILL LET THEM SPEAK TO THAT FOR SURE.

THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT THE MULTIFAMILY IS, WILL BE DEVELOPED IN ONE PHASE AND THE COMMERCIAL WILL BE DEVELOPED IN ANOTHER.

BUT AS FAR AS THE TIMING, I'LL LET THEM SPEAK.

OKAY. SPEAK TO THAT MAYOR.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THE STAFF.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I SEE NONE, THEN I'LL CALL AMY BISSETT.

BISSETT. YOU.

AND SO IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU'LL HAVE.

TEN, 2010 120 I WILL HAVE THE DEVELOPER COME BEHIND ME SO IT WOULD BE A COMBINED PRESENTATION 20 MINUTES.

THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, GLAD TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.

I AM GOING TO WALK THROUGH MY PRESENTATION AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT I ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED DURING THE STAFF PRESENTATION AS WELL.

SO YOU ARE CORRECT, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY BROUGHT TO CITY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 22, AND AFTER WE HAD BEEN THROUGH AN INITIAL ZONING SUBMITTAL AND A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND ONGOING HOA BOARD DISCUSSIONS WITH A PLANNING AND ZONING RECOMMENDATION, RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL YOU ALL, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, ASKED US TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE ASKED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO COMMIT TO CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T COMMIT TO IN A BASE ZONING DISTRICT.

AND THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE THE PD LIGHT OPTION, WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN ADOPTED, WHERE WE COULD PUT SOME TEXT AMENDMENTS TO A ZONING CHANGE THAT WOULD HAVE SIMPLIFIED THIS.

BUT BY THE TIME THAT WENT INTO PLACE, WE WERE WELL INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH TO COMMIT TO THE, THE, THE AVENUES THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED WITH THEM.

SO YOU SAW US IN OCTOBER OF 2022? ORIGINALLY THE ZONING CASE WAS JUST TO REZONE WHAT YOU SEE IN YELLOW HERE TO M IN EVERYTHING THAT IS ALREADY SHOWN ON THIS SITE PLAN WAS ALREADY IN MIN, AND THEN THE COMMERCIAL PIECE WAS ZONED SUBURBAN CORRIDOR.

SO THAT WAS THE PRIOR CONCEPT PLAN.

AND THE ZONING CHANGE ORIGINALLY.

SO AFTER YOU ALL REQUESTED THAT WE GO BACK AND NEGOTIATE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND COME UP WITH A PLAN DEVELOPMENT THE HOA FORMED A STEERING COMMITTEE. THEY DESIGNATED THEIR BOARD, DESIGNATED A HANDFUL OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE DEVELOPER, ESSENTIALLY.

AND WE MET IN DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR.

AND IN FEBRUARY OF 23 A YEAR AGO AND SOME CHANGE, WE AGREED ON A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

AND IT IS IT IS SIGNED AND COUNTERSIGNED THERE ON TWO SEPARATE PAGES.

I THINK MR. BECK SENT YOU THE PAGE THAT HE SIGNED, BUT IT IS SIGNED AND COUNTERSIGNED, AND IT WAS PROVIDED TO THE CITY DURING OUR OUR REVIEW PROCESS.

SO WE REACHED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CITY, AND I'M SORRY, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN FEBRUARY.

AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

THE DEVELOPER NEEDED SOME SORT OF ASSURANCE THAT WE COULD REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE THEY WENT INTO A FULL PD DESIGN.

THERE'S A LOT OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

SO WE MADE OUR SUBMITTAL IN MAY OF 2023.

BETWEEN JUNE OF 23 AND JANUARY OF 24, WE WENT THROUGH MULTIPLE STAFF REVIEWS.

WE HELD A SIXTH NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING IN JUNE OF 23 TO SHOW THEM WHAT WE HAD SUBMITTED AND WHERE WE WERE IN THE PROCESS, AND THEN WE REMAINED IN CONTACT WITH THEM.

OVER THE COURSE OF STAFF REVIEW.

WE HELD A SEVENTH NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING IN FEBRUARY OF 24.

AND WHEN I SAY NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, I MEAN WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE, ESSENTIALLY WHO HAD BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE HOA.

AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IN FEBRUARY.

AND WE'RE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

YEAH. THE.

SO INITIALLY WE WERE ONLY CONTEMPLATING THE THE MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT AS A PART OF THE ZONING CHANGE, AND WE HAVE NOW PULLED IN THE COMMERCIAL COMPONENT AS A PART OF THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT. AND I WAS REMISS IN SAYING FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WE HAVE BOTH THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER AS WELL AS THE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPER HERE AND OUR ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER, IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR THEM.

SO THIS NEW CONCEPT PLAN IS ESSENTIALLY LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAW IN OCTOBER OF 2022, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE MADE SOME VERY SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS TO THE

[02:10:08]

THE MOU THAT WAS SIGNED A YEAR AGO INCLUDES BUILDING SETBACKS SOME ARCHITECTURAL TREATMENTS THAT HELP WITH VISUAL BUFFERING AND SCREENING, BUILDING ORIENTATION A COMPATIBILITY BUFFER THAT ENHANCED COMPATIBILITY BUFFER ON A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS LESS EXISTING TREES TO PROVIDE A VISUAL BUFFER FENCE REPLACEMENT AND REIMBURSEMENT, PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER WATTS YOU ASKED ABOUT.

AND THAT WAS A PART OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED WITH THEM, WAS THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO WALK FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO THE COMMERCIAL COMPONENT.

AND SO WE HAVE PROVIDED THEM A CONNECT, A CONNECTION POINT TO DO THAT, THAT THEY HAVE BASICALLY GATED ACCESS OUT OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT, OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND INTO THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IF THEY WISH.

BUT IT DOESN'T GO THE OTHER WAY.

ARCHITECTURAL COMPATIBILITY, BOTH ON THE MULTIFAMILY SIDE AND THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.

IF YOU'VE NEVER DRIVEN THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE REALLY QUAINT NEIGHBORHOODS I'VE EVER SEEN IN DENTON.

IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL. AND SO WE'VE WORKED HARD TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THEM, AND WE COMMITTED TO ONGOING NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT AND ONLINE ACCESS TO INFORMATION. SO JUST A I'LL GO THROUGH THESE VERY QUICKLY, BUT A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WE CREATED A MINIMUM SETBACK UNDER THE ORIGINAL ZONING DESIGNATION.

WE WE HAD NO REQUIRED SETBACK, BUT WE WERE PROPOSING A 20 FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER.

WE ARE NOW COMMITTED TO AN 80 FOOT SETBACK ON BUILDING THREE, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT GETS CLOSEST TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND 90FT ON BUILDING TWO AND BUILDING FOUR, WHICH ARE A LITTLE FURTHER PULLED BACK.

WE ALSO COMMITTED TO SOME SCREENING ON FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT ON BUILDINGS THREE AND FOUR, SPECIFICALLY SOME JULIET BALCONIES ON BUILDING THREE, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT YOU CAN LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY STEP OUT ON YOUR BALCONY AND SIT DOWN AND LOOK IN YOUR NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARD.

AND THEN SECOND AND THIRD PATIO SCREENING ON BUILDING FOUR, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT HAD THE MOST CONCERN IN TERMS OF NEIGHBORS BEING PARTICULARLY CLOSE AND NOT HAVING AS MUCH EXISTING TREE COVERAGE TO PROVIDE SOME BUFFERING.

WE HAVE ALSO COMMITTED TO BUILDING FOUR, HAVING A BUILDING ORIENTATION THAT BASICALLY ROTATES IT TO WHERE THE MAIN FACE OF THE BUILDING THAT WOULD HAVE THE MOST WINDOWS IS NOT FACING TO THE NORTH, AND COMMITTED TO A MAX NUMBER OF UNITS IN THAT BUILDING AS WELL.

AND WE HAVE COMMITTED TO AN ENHANCED COMPATIBILITY BUFFER, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE, AND A SINGLE ROW OF PARKING BETWEEN BUILDING THREE AND THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE BUILDING THREE IS THE ONE THAT'S GETTING CLOSEST TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THAT IS BASICALLY BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS, THERE'S AN EXISTING SEWER LINE AND EASEMENT THAT BIFURCATES THE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK AROUND.

AND THAT CREATES SOME SOME SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

HERE'S THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY THAT I TALKED ABOUT.

SO THEY'LL HAVE SINGLE CARD ACCESS TO GET INTO THE DEVELOPMENT AND WALK INTO THE COMMERCIAL AND DINE IN THE RESTAURANTS AND, AND SHOP IF THEY WISH TO DO SO. ARCHITECTURAL COMPATIBILITY.

AS YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T REALLY COMMIT TO CERTAIN BUILDING MATERIALS UNDER THIS CURRENT STATE LAW.

SO BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS CREATE AN EXHIBIT THAT IS REFERENCED AND DESCRIBES THE TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT THE COMMERCIAL WILL HAVE. AND SO THESE ARE SOME RENDERINGS FROM THAT EXHIBIT THAT WILL BE CODIFIED WITH THE ZONING CHANGE IF APPROVED.

AND IT IS A MODERN FARMHOUSE DESIGN.

HERE ARE SOME PROJECT RENDERINGS JUST SO YOU CAN SEE THE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE COMMERCIAL, THE MULTIFAMILY AND THE SINGLE FAMILY.

HERE'S. I'M JUST GOING TO SCROLL THROUGH THOSE REAL QUICKLY.

AND THEN JUST THE COMPARISON BETWEEN WHAT YOU SAW IN OCTOBER OF 22 AND TODAY.

ORIGINALLY WE WERE JUST HERE TO REZONE FOR MULTIFAMILY.

NOW WE'RE HERE TO INCORPORATE BOTH THE COMMERCIAL AND THE MULTIFAMILY, AND WE HAVE SUBDISTRICTS THAT GOVERN EACH OF THOSE.

AND WE HAVE A MINIMUM 80 FOOT REAR YARD SETBACK, THE BALCONY TREATMENTS FOR PRIVACY AND THEN A COHESIVE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE WITH SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS.

AND I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE MATT SWEDENBURG WITH STONEHATCH, STONE HAWK CAPITAL PARTNERS.

AND HE'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MULTIFAMILY SIDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THE THE PIECE THAT'S IN PHASE ONE.

TO THE QUESTION ABOUT TIMING AND PHASING, IT'S GOING TO BE MARKET DRIVEN.

WE ALL WE ALL KNOW THAT HAVING THE MULTIFAMILY END FIRST ACTUALLY CREATES THE SHOPPERS AND THE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY TO DRIVE THE MARKET FOR THE COMMERCIAL

[02:15:10]

SO. MATT SWEDENBURG, I WORK FOR STONEWALL CAPITAL PARTNERS.

WE'RE THE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPER ON THIS SITE.

WE DEVELOP CLASS A APARTMENTS ACROSS TEXAS.

WE'RE IN AUSTIN, DFW.

MIDLAND, SAN ANTONIO.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF BEING HERE IN DENTON AS WELL.

WE'VE WORKED A LONG TIME WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.

IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD WITH THEM, BUT HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'VE GOT SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT AND EXCITED THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN ABLE TO COME TO A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL SOLUTION TO KIND OF THE THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP LAST TIME WE CAME THROUGH CITY COUNCIL.

TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROJECTS.

WE'RE CLASS A DEVELOPER.

USUALLY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 250 AND 350 UNITS.

THIS PARTICULAR SITE IS 279 UNITS.

IT WILL INCLUDE A CLUBHOUSE.

YOU KNOW, MODERN GYM POOL, COURTYARD.

AND MORE AMENITIES TO GO ALONG WITH THAT.

AGAIN, CLASS A, WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO ANYTHING YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

OKAY. LET ME SEE HERE.

MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO FIRST I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT.

BUT. BUT, AMY, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THE THE THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS ON THAT ONE SLIDE, I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND AND JUST JUST TO BE CLEAR JUST BECAUSE WE SHARE A LAST NAME, THE MR. BECK REFERENCED IN THE IN THE LETTER IS NOT ME.

IT'S A DIFFERENT MR. BECK.

LARRY, I BELIEVE SO.

BUT WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT? AND AGAIN, I'LL REMIND PEOPLE, FULL DISCLOSURE, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MOST OF THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT STONE HAWK AND, AND THE, THE COMMERCIAL SIDE HAVE HAVE HAD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION.

WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU STARTED THOSE INTERACTIONS, YOU WERE EXTREMELY FAR APART, AND NOW THE HOA IS SUPPORTING YOU.

YES. SO WE WENT FROM I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY, BUT THAT COUNCIL MEETING, WE HAD PROBABLY 20 TO 30 NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS THAT WERE OUT HERE AND YOU KNOW, VOTING FOR FULL DENIAL.

IT WAS VERY FAR APART.

AND WHEN WE FIRST STARTED MEETING, IT WAS VERY FAR APART.

AND THROUGH MEETING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS, WE WERE WE WERE ABLE TO MEET THOSE WITHIN OUR SITE PLAN AND GIVE REALLY EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.

AND I THINK WE WOULD SAY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT TO WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WERE OFFERING, ESPECIALLY IN THE LETTER.

BUT YES, I WOULD AGREE.

AND MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU IS JUST JUST TO BE CLEAR TO THE AUDIENCE AND ANYBODY WATCHING THIS DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PD IS IN TWO PHASES, BUT IT IS ALL ONE PD.

IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

ALL ONE PD WITH TWO PHASES MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL.

YES. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL, MR. MAYOR.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M GONNA JUMP IN.

LET ME THINK. MIA, CAN YOU HELP ME? CAN YOU PULL UP THE THE THE MAP? JUST GOOGLE MAPS OF THAT AREA, PLEASE.

AND THANK YOU. I CAN GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS IF YOU NEED ONE.

JUST AN AERIAL.

YES. SO LIKE SONIC IS 2131 EAST UNIVERSITY, IF THAT HELPS.

I GOT IT. YEAH, I GOT IT.

OKAY. AND IF YOU COULD TOGGLE ON THE SATELLITE.

YES. PERFECT.

OKAY. QUESTION FOR AMY.

I JUST WANT THE THE RESIDENTS TO BE SUPREMELY CLEAR.

AND I HAVE CONCERNS.

SO YOU WHAT'S CONCERNING TO ME IS YOU TALK ABOUT.

THIS 18 ACRES DEVELOPING IN THE MULTIFAMILY AND THAT TRIGGERING THE COMMERCIAL.

IF YOU PAN THAT OUT.

THERE'S NOT MUCH UNDEVELOPED IN THIS AREA, SO.

I JUST NEED YOU TO SPEAK TO THE FACT YOU GOT THE DENTON BIBLE CHURCH THERE.

[02:20:03]

I MEAN, ACROSS THE TRACK. THAT'S BRAND NEW.

HELP ME UNDERSTAND, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU EXPECTING TO BE DEVELOPED THAT'S GOING TO TRIGGER SOME EVENT THAT YOU CAN'T COMMIT TO THE COMMERCIAL? OKAY. FAIR ENOUGH.

SO WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE OWNERS HERE.

THE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPER IS MATT SWEDENBURG, WHO YOU JUST HEARD FROM.

THEY ARE THE BUYER OF THE PIECE THAT'S ON THE NORTH END.

THE DEVELOPER OF THE COMMERCIAL IS HERE AS WELL, AND THEY HAVE COOPERATED WITH US AND WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE THIS PD.

THAT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE MULTIFAMILY IS THAT THEY ARE READY TO ENTER INTO CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS AND START CONSTRUCTION ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, IT WILL BE EACH INDIVIDUAL RESTAURANT AND BANK AND RETAIL AS THEY COME IN AND NEGOTIATE A BUY OR A LEASE THAT CAUSES THEM TO DEVELOP.

AND SO JUST THE PREDICTABILITY OF, YOU KNOW, BUILDING IT ALL WHEN IT'S VACANT IS THE CHALLENGE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.

BUT I'M GOING TO IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'D LIKE TO ASK STEVE SHATNER TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK TO THE COMMERCIAL SIDE A LITTLE BIT, REPRESENTING THE, THE, THE OWNERSHIP OF THAT PIECE.

YEAH. AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT MY SUPPORT.

IS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ON THIS.

I JUST I'M NOT BUYING WHAT YOU'RE SELLING THAT BECAUSE THERE'S THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.

THERE'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT GREEN SPACE AREA TO BE DEVELOPED THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED.

RIGHT. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PHRASE IT DIFFERENT OR AT LEAST HAVE LAYMAN'S TERMS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

IF, IF IT'S, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO WAIT AND SEE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE COMMITTED TO BUILDING THAT.

I'M NOT PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.

I'M JUST SAYING WHAT WHAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IS WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME GREEN SPACE TO DEVELOP WHERE THERE IS NONE.

RIGHT? THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE.

FAIR ENOUGH. SO FOR ME TO PROCESS, REPHRASE.

SO. SO I JUST NEED TO KNOW.

AND I NEED THE NEIGHBORS TO HEAR AND AND LET ME GO A LITTLE BIT BEYOND.

I'M NOT OKAY WITH SOME MASSIVE PARKING LOT SITTING THERE WHILE WE'RE WAITING, RIGHT? I MEAN, JUST THE GREEN SPACE.

SO I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PHASING OF HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO JUST CEMENT IT ALL IN AND THEN WAIT, THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE HEARTBURN.

AND THEN ALSO OFFENSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ONE WAY I JUST I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S NECESSARY.

IF THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE FENCE IS FOR THEM TO GET TO THE RESTAURANTS THAT AREN'T THERE, THAT MAY COME AT SOME FUTURE DATE.

WHY ARE WE PUTTING IN THE FENCE? AND IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD OKAY WITH THAT? AND IF THEY'RE OKAY WITH A FENCE TO NOWHERE OUT OF THE GATE, THEN, OKAY, I DON'T KNOW.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN COVER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.

SO IN TERMS OF ORDER, IT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON WHEN CONTRACTS ARE WRITTEN AND WE HAVE A CONTRACT ON THE MULTIFAMILY.

MR. SHATNER CAN SPEAK TO WHETHER OR NOT HE'S GOT ANY CONTRACTS ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE YET, BUT THOSE WILL COME ONE AT A TIME, BASICALLY, AS YOU HAVE RESTAURANTS AND END USERS.

YOU ARE CORRECT. THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAST LONE PLACE IN ON 380 THAT IS NOT DEVELOPED, AND SO WE WOULD EXPECT IT TO DEVELOP VERY QUICKLY.

WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THE MULTIFAMILY HAS A COMMITMENT AND THEY'RE READY TO FUND AND START CONSTRUCTION.

SO WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE PHASE ONE.

THE REST IS GOING TO BE BASED ON THE DEMAND FOR CONSTRUCTION AS IT COMMENCES AS IT RELATES TO THE FENCE ALONG THE GAS LINE EASEMENT.

IT'S THERE TODAY.

THEY INSTALLED IT MAYBE A YEAR AGO, AND IT'S GOT EITHER IT HAS A GATE OR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING A GATE ON IT.

IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT THEY BE ABLE TO COME DIRECTLY FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL WHEN THEY DO DEVELOP. AND SO WE MADE SURE TO PROVIDE THAT CONNECTIVITY FOR THEM.

I DID I MISS ONE, DID I MISS? NO. I GUESS I JUST NEED TO HEAR FROM THE.

BECAUSE THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT'S MISSING IS JUST THE PARKING LOT, RIGHT.

IF WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE GIANT PARKING LOTS.

SO THE ONLY THINGS THAT WILL BE BUILT ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE DURING PHASE ONE, ARE THOSE THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR FIRE SAFETY.

AND SO THERE'S A PORTION OF A FIRE LANE THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF FIRE COVERAGE FOR BUILDINGS THREE AND FOUR ON THE MULTIFAMILY SIDE, BUT WE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO CONSTRUCT ANYTHING ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE THAT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE MULTIFAMILY SIDE.

SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IF THE IF THE MULTIFAMILY SIDE IS PLATTED FIRST AND WE RECEIVE BUILDING PERMITS, THE COMMERCIAL SIDE CAN'T BE RELEASED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR PEACE.

AND UNTIL THEY HAVE THEIR FINAL PLAT AND FULL BUILDING PERMITS.

SO IT'LL BE PHASED BASED ON PERMITS.

[02:25:01]

AGREED. LOCATIONS.

WE WE HAVE TALKED TO TXDOT EXTENSIVELY, AND THESE ARE THE LOCATIONS THAT THEY HAVE RECOMMENDED AS WELL AS THE CITY BASED ON DISTANCES, SEPARATION DISTANCES AND TURN LANES TO GET IN AND OUT OF THERE.

AND WE HAVE AN APPROVED TRAFFIC STUDY.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. MIA, ONE MORE TIME JUST FOR MY.

AND THIS IS JUST FOR, FOR A RECORD FOR ME SO THAT I CAN HAVE IT ARCHIVED ON IF YOU CAN PAN OUT A LITTLE BIT.

A LITTLE MORE. AND A LITTLE MORE.

AND OKAY, I THINK THAT DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM.

NO, LET ME SEE WHAT THAT IS.

HERE'S MCKINNEY. OKAY.

YEAH. SO? LET ME GET THERE. OKAY? NO, YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAN OUT A LITTLE MORE.

OKAY, THAT ABOUT GETS IT WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE CLOSEST GROCERY STORE, WHICH WOULD BE ALDI.

THAT ONE OF THOSE SPECS WAY DOWN BY THE ORANGE DOT RIGHT THERE.

SO THE CLEAREST GROCERY, THE CLOSEST GROCERY STORE OR ANY MAJOR COMMERCIAL IS YOU HAVE TO PAN OUT THAT FAR TO SEE IT. SO.

FOR PERSPECTIVE OF INTEREST IN IN THE MARKET DRIVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, I GET IT, BUT I JUST WANT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I'M COMMUNICATING THAT THAT I DON'T AGAIN, DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT AND SUPPORT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HESITANCY TO COMMIT TO SAY.

THERE'S GOT TO BE PEOPLE READY WITHIN THAT DISTANCE BECAUSE, I MEAN, DRIVING IN DENTON NOW TO DRIVE THAT FAR, THAT'S I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S 20 MINUTES TO TO GET ANYWHERE.

AND HEAVEN FORBID IF YOU GO TO RAISE A RANCH.

SO. OKAY.

GOT IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT OR STAFF? SEEING NONE. I'LL.

COUNCIL MEMBER. I GUESS IT'S FOR THE THE GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE FOR THE APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT.

GOT A QUESTION? AND MAYBE AMY TOO IS AS A BACKUP TO THIS, JUST SO THAT I CAN BE CLEAR.

SO THE LAST TIME WE MET, THE MAIN ISSUE WAS THE CROSSING CERTAIN ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS THAT DON'T INCLUDE THE USE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO.

SO OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THAT POINT WAS, OKAY, LOOK AT A PD.

SO DID WERE THE PROPERTY BOUNDARIES.

DID THEY HAVE TO CHANGE AT ALL FROM THE ORIGINAL? I MEAN, BECAUSE THESE PARCELS APPARENTLY ARE UNDER CONTRACT, SO THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SOLD.

SO WHEN THEY CAME TO US BEFORE, IT'S THE SAME BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION FOR THE TWO PARCELS AS PRIOR TO.

IS THAT CORRECT? I WOULD SAY IT'S VERY CLOSE.

THERE WERE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE WITHIN THE PD, BUT THE GENERAL SHAPE WAS THE SAME, AND I THINK THE ACREAGE WAS MAYBE A QUARTER ACRE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD.

OKAY. AND OKAY.

SO BEFORE WE HAD TWO SEPARATE PIECES OF PROPERTY, THE MULTIFAMILY TO THE NORTH AND THE COMMERCIAL WHATEVER ALONG 380.

AND THE BIG PROBLEM WAS THE COMMERCIAL PART ISN'T ZONED FOR MIN OR WHATEVER IT WAS.

SO YOU CAN'T USE THAT. YOU CAN'T CROSS IT TO ACCESS MULTIFAMILY.

SO THE CROSSING THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED ON THE MAP IS THAT PART OF THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY BOUNDARIES THAT WERE BROUGHT TO US BACK IN THE ZONING BACK IN? IN OTHER WORDS, DID SOMEBODY SELL OFF A LITTLE PART TO TO GAIN THAT ACCESS? AND SO THAT'S I'M JUST CURIOUS.

IT DOESN'T MEAN EITHER SUPPORT OR NO SUPPORT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'VE HOW WE'VE RESOLVED THAT ISSUE WITHOUT IF IT WAS EITHER SOME KIND OF ADJUSTMENT IN THE PROPERTY LINES OR WHAT.

SO WE DID NOT ADJUST THE PROPERTY LINES IN THAT REGARD.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PHASING PLAN IN YOUR BACKUP, IT DOES SHOW THAT THE CONNECTION FROM OLD NORTH ROAD IS INCLUDED IN PHASE ONE IN ORDER TO SERVICE THE MULTIFAMILY PIECE.

WE ARE, BECAUSE WE'RE COMING IN UNDER ONE PD, ONE PLAN DEVELOPMENT.

WE HAVE CROSS ACCESS ACROSS THE TWO LOTS ALL OVER THE PLACE, INCLUDING SHARED PARKING.

AND SO WHILE THEY MAY HAVE TWO BASE ZONING DISTRICTS, THEY'RE A PART OF ONE PD.

AND OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT SATISFIES THAT CONCERN ABOUT CROSSING A ZONING DISTRICT THAT WOULDN'T ALLOW ONE THING AND THE OTHER, BECAUSE WE'VE NOW CREATED A PD THAT ALLOWS ALL OF THESE USES.

AND SO CROSSING BETWEEN THEM WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.

OKAY, SO WE SOLVED THAT ISSUE BY JUST NOW CALLING IT A PD INSTEAD OF TWO SEPARATE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS.

WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT.

I THINK THAT WE WHAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO, FROM MY RECOLLECTION WHEN WE WERE HERE BEFORE, WAS NOT JUST ONLY DEAL WITH THAT ACCESS POINT, BUT TO ALSO FIND WAYS TO ADDRESS THE

[02:30:08]

BUT COMBINED ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ONE PD WHERE CROSS ACCESS IS HAPPENING BETWEEN THE TWO SUBDISTRICTS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.

OKAY. YES.

GO AHEAD. I THINK AT THE TIME, THROUGH STRAIGHT ZONING, THERE WAS NO WAY TO, LIKE, PUT ALL OF THIS INTO STONE.

THE THINGS THAT WE WERE PROMISING THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S CORRECT.

ANOTHER REASON WE WENT TO PD.

THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. MAYOR I THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

IF I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION OF ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION JUST TO, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE ON THE RECORD THAT WE DID RECEIVE THIS LETTER AND THAT THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT LETTER AND THOSE THOSE PARTICULAR SITUATIONS, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, I THINK THEY MAY BE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

YEAH. OKAY. I HAVE TWO SPEAKERS.

ALL RIGHT. NO, I'LL WE'LL WAIT THAT UNTIL THEY SPEAK.

YEAH. OKAY.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

SO DIANA SIMS. YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME.

YOU'LL HAVE.

IS IT THREE FOUR MINUTES? TAKE THAT ONE. I'M DIANA SIMMS AND I LIVE ON RUGBY LANE HERE IN DENTON.

I WAS HERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

I WENT TO THE P AND Z MEETING WHEN STONE HAWK FIRST PRESENTED THEIR PLAN, AND I THINK THEN I WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE, AND IT WAS JUST SHOCKING TO ME BECAUSE THIS LOOMING BUILDING WAS LOOKING DOWN ACTUALLY INTO OUR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, INTO OUR HOMES.

AND SO WE GOT SOME NEIGHBORS TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE WE ARE A CLOSE KNIT NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUR HOMES ARE CLOSE TOGETHER.

AND WE'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT WAS GOING ON IN, IN THE LAND TO THE SOUTH OF US.

AND WHEN WE CAME TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THERE WERE 20 OR 30 OF US, AND A LOT OF US CAME TO SPEAK.

AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME IS WHEN YOU ALL DECIDED TO MAKE IT A PD.

AND I REALLY WANT TO SAY I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL.

ALL OF US ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY BY MAKING THIS AND CALLING IT, CALLING FOR THIS TO BE A PD.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS AND AT FIRST IT WAS A LITTLE IFFY.

WE WEREN'T REALLY SURE WHERE WE STOOD AND IF THIS WAS EVEN GOING TO BE POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU TO BRIAN BECK FOR SITTING IN ON A LOT OF OUR MEETINGS AND KIND OF GUIDING US.

AND SO WHERE IT STANDS NOW, WE HAVE COME TO A LOT OF AGREEMENTS.

THEY HAVE REALLY GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY.

MR. SHATNER OF THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, GOT INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF THE MEETINGS, AND THAT WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO KIND OF SEE OVERALL WHAT THE WHOLE PD WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

AND WE KEPT COMING BACK AND FORTH.

THERE WERE PARTICULAR ISSUES WE HAD TROUBLE CONNECTING ON, AND THEY REALLY DID WORK VERY, VERY HARD TO ADDRESS OUR MAIN CONCERNS, WHICH IS SAFETY AND PRIVACY AND ESTHETICS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH.

AND SO I'M HERE IN FULL SUPPORT.

I'M ALSO ON THE HOA BOARD OF OLD NORTH PARK IS THE TREASURER, AND OUR BOARD PRESIDENT IS HERE, CLARK PERKINS.

AND WE WERE ALSO ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE REPRESENTING THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO WE ARE HERE TO JUST FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.

YES, WE DO WISH THERE WERE GROCERY STORES CLOSER TO US.

BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL COME AT SOME POINT.

AND BUT WE'RE HERE JUST TO SUPPORT STONE HAWK AND 97 LAND FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE.

AND AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL.

THAT WAS I REMEMBER YOU, BRANDON, GIVING ME GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT WHEN WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THINGS THERE WAS.

THERE WAS KIND OF A LOT OF FEAR OVER WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT I'M JUST I'M REALLY THANKFUL TO BE PART OF THIS AND THAT.

IT'S TURNED OUT THE WAY THAT IT HAS.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND THEN DEB PARMENTER, IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.

HI, MY NAME IS DEB ARMENTOR.

I'M AT 2003 MISTY WOOD LANE.

I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'M ALSO SPEAKING OUT IN SUPPORT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.

[02:35:01]

I DIDN'T GO TO A SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.

I SOMEHOW WASN'T EVEN AWARE UNTIL I JUST RECENTLY TOOK MY DOG TO THE VET, WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET ON OLD NORTH.

AND I SAW THE SIGN THERE THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR, YOU KNOW, AGES, AND I JUST NEVER HAD NOTICED IT.

AND SO I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT THIS EMPTY, BIG, EMPTY LOT RIGHT NEAR ME THAT'S BEEN EMPTY FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.

WAS GOING TO GET SOME HOMES.

I LIVE JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF KIND OF HOW CLOSE I LIVE.

IN THE SUMMER.

WE JUST WALK OVER TO THE SONIC TO GET AN ICE CREAM, AND IT'S JUST CROSSING ONE STREET, WHICH MEANS JUST JUST CROSSING ONE STREET TO GET TO THIS DEVELOPMENT.

AND I LIKE LIVING NEAR A SONIC.

IT MIGHT NOT SOUND VERY GLAMOROUS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE.

ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR MORE HOUSING DIVERSITY TO COME TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

I LIVE IN A QUOTE UNQUOTE SINGLE FAMILY HOME, AND IT'S JUST NOT IMPORTANT TO ME AT ALL THAT THAT THIS BE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME NEIGHBORHOOD.

I WANT HOUSING, DIVERSITY.

AND TO ME, THIS ADDS HOUSING DIVERSITY.

AND. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M REALLY EXCITED.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THANKS TO PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THIS.

SORRY I'M SO LATE TO THE PARTY, BUT IT JUST SEEMS REALLY GREAT, AND I'M EXCITED.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS. NEW FAMILIES MOVING IN.

THAT'S ALL. THANKS.

ALL RIGHT. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO IF ANYONE ELSE CARES TO SPEAK, YOU CAN COME UP AND THEN FILL OUT A BLUE CARD AFTERWARDS.

ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? SEEING. NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS.

I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND. COUNCILWOMAN.

MCGEE. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. MAYOR.

CAN YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ONE DISSENTING VOTE FROM PNC, PLEASE? YES. ONE OF THE COMMISSION'S STATED THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT BEING A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT, AS OPPOSED TO A STRAIGHT ZONING CASE.

HE WAS NOT OPPOSED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROPOSAL ITSELF, BUT MORE THAT IT CAME BACK AS A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.

I THINK I CAPTURED THAT, OKAY.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN METZLER. THIS IS A RARE OPPORTUNITY.

I WANT TO COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS EXACTLY THE SAME SITE AS THE DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT I, YOU KNOW, GREAT PROCESS.

VERY EASY FOR ME TO MOVE.

APPROVAL. COUNCILWOMAN BYRD.

I'LL SECOND DISCUSSION.

COUNCILMAN MCGEE. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, MAYOR.

I WANT TO THANK YOU, AMY, FOR THE GREAT JOB THAT YOU DID ON THIS.

THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW DEVELOPMENT CAN BE DONE AND THEN AND DONE THE RIGHT WAY.

AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK MAYOR PRO TEM FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT FROM THE BEGINNING.

VERY WELL DONE, REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT.

SO THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.

OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN.

THAT PASSES SEVEN ZERO TAKES US TO ITEM FIVE B, WHICH IS SD 230002A.

[B. Hold a public hearing and consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, Texas, providing a Special Sign District zoning overlay on an approximately 54 acre property generally located on the southeast corner of State School Road and Interstate 35E in the City of Denton, Denton County, Texas; adopting an amendment to the City’s official zoning map; providing for a penalty in the maximum amount of $500.00 for violations thereof; providing a severability clause and an effective date. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted [5-0] to recommend approval of the request. Motion for approval by Commissioner Villarreal and second by Commissioner Cole. (SD23-0002a, James Wood Autopark Special Sign District, Ashley Ekstedt)]

GOOD EVENING, ASHLEY ECKSTEIN, ASSISTANT PLANNER.

THIS IS SD 20 32A.

THIS IS THE SPECIAL SIGN DISTRICT FOR JAMES WOOD AUTO PARK.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST IS THAT SOME OF THE PROPOSED SIGN DESIGNS AND LOCATIONS DON'T MEET THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, SPECIFICALLY THE HEIGHT, THE NUMBER, AND THE SETBACKS.

THE DENTON SIGN CODE DOES ALLOW FOR THE CREATION OF SPECIAL SIGN DISTRICTS TO DEVIATE FROM THE REGULATIONS WITH AN ALTERNATIVE COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PLAN.

JAMES WOOD AUTO PARK IS A 54 ACRE AUTO DEALERSHIP WITH FRONTAGE ON TWO ROADWAYS.

THERE'S ALSO EIGHT DRIVEWAY CONNECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ON THE SITE.

THEY'RE ON THOSE 54 ACRES.

THERE ARE EIGHT STRUCTURES PARKING AND COVERED AND UNCOVERED AUTOMOTIVE SALES DISPLAY AREAS.

[02:40:01]

THESE SIGNS WERE PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED ON THE SITE, AND THEY WERE REMOVED BY TXDOT FOR THE 35 WIDENING PROJECT.

THIS PHOTO SHOWS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY ARE INSTALLED, AND THE APPLICANT IS NOT REQUESTING TO REINSTALL THE LARGE DISCO BALL SHOWN IN THESE PHOTOS.

THIS COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PLAN SHOWS THE GENERAL LOCATION OF EACH OF THE SIGNS.

THE GROUND SIGNS ARE PROPOSED TO BE 47FT TALL, AND THE SMALLER TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGN IS PROPOSED TO BE EIGHT FEET TALL.

ALL THE SIGNS ARE SMALLER IN EFFECTIVE AREA THAN WOULD BE ALLOWED BY THE SIGN CODE.

THERE ARE ALSO TWO EXISTING SIGNS THAT WILL REMAIN.

WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PACKAGE AND COMPATIBILITY, NO OTHER GROUND SIGNS WOULD BE PERMITTED WITHOUT A PUBLIC HEARING.

THE SCALE OF THE PROPERTY IS LARGE AND COMPLEX.

SO GIVEN THE LARGE SCALE AND THE MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES, NUMEROUS SIGNS ARE NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE SITE.

THE SIGNS AS SHOWN IN THESE PHOTOS WITH THE EXISTING BUILDINGS AND THE PROPOSED SIGNS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE BUILDING ARCHITECTURE, AND THEY PROVIDE CLEAR DIRECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SITE. WE DID PERFORM PUBLIC OUTREACH AND AD WAS POSTED IN THE NEWSPAPER.

SIGNS WERE POSTED ON THE PROPERTY AND WE MAILED OUT NOTICES TO EVERYONE WITHIN 500FT.

WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RESPONSES IN OPPOSITION OR IN FAVOR.

STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST, AS IT COMPLIES WITH THE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.

ALSO VOTED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL FIVE ZERO.

AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO IF YOU I DON'T HAVE ANY CARDS, BUT IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK YOU CAN COME DOWN AND SPEAK.

JUST NEED TO FILL OUT A CARD AFTERWARDS.

OKAY, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

JUST THE THE NEED FOR THIS IS BECAUSE I-35 IS EXPANDING.

CORRECT TEXT THAT REMOVED THEIR SIGNS FOR THE WIDENING PROJECT.

SO THEY ARE JUST REQUESTING TO REPLACE THOSE SIGNS.

RIGHT? OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WATTS, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

MAYOR. COUNCILMEMBER HOLLAND, SECOND MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER WATTS.

SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER HOLLAND.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN.

AND THAT PASSES SEVEN ZERO.

THAT TAKES US TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION.

[A. Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, a Texas home-rule municipal corporation, authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Stuart C. Irby Company, for the supply of distribution manual and automatic equipment with remote controllers for Denton Municipal Electric; providing for the expenditure of funds therefor; and providing an effective date (RFP 8374 - awarded to Stuart C. Irby Company, for three (3) years, with the option for two (2) additional one (1) year extensions, in the total five (5) year not-to-exceed amount of $30,000,000.00). The Public Utilities Board recommends approval (5 - 0).]

CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS HOME RULE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH STUART C IRBY COMPANY FOR THE SUPPLY, DISTRIBUTION, MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT.

AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT WITH REMOTE CONTROLLERS FOR DENTON MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

RANDY KEANE, MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC ELECTRIC ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR.

THIS RFP IS FOR THE SUPPLY OF DISTRIBUTION VOLTAGE, MANUAL AND AUTOMATED PAD MOUNTED SWITCHGEARS VISTA GEARS, RECLOSERS PME GEARS, JUST ALL DISTRIBUTION, AUTOMATED AND MANUAL GEARS.

THESE ITEMS ARE CRITICAL TO THE DAILY OPERATION AND SYSTEM RELIABILITY OF DME.

THIS EQUIPMENT ALLOWS FOR DME TO SWITCH DISTRIBUTION, LOAD AND ISOLATE FAULTS.

DME SYSTEM IS GROWING, WHICH LEADS FOR THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SWITCHING COMPONENTS AND FACILITATES AUTOMATION.

MAINLY DME HAS SEEN INCREASES TO THESE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN.

WE'VE GONE FROM THREE MONTHS TO ONE YEAR ALL THE WAY TO FIVE YEARS, AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN A 50% INCREASE TO THESE ITEMS. THESE ITEMS WILL BE FUNDED FROM THE WAREHOUSE CAPITAL BUDGET.

AND WE HAVE ESTIMATED SPEND OF 5.4 MILLION A YEAR.

WE DID PUT A $3 MILLION CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL OF $30 MILLION, AND DME RECOMMENDS APPROVING THIS CONTRACT WITH STUART KIRBY.

AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN.

MELTZER. YEAH.

YOU'VE ALREADY PROVIDED ME THIS ANSWER, BUT ORDINARILY, I THINK I CAN'T THINK I CAN THINK OF FEW EXCEPTIONS WHEN WE HAVE A PURCHASING ITEM.

WE DISPLAY THE COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS.

SO JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, COULD YOU JUST GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW MANY BIDS? YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLIED? HOW MANY? YOU KNOW, THAT BASICALLY THE MATH THAT WENT INTO THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND THAT IT WAS COMPETITIVELY BID.

THANK YOU. HI.

LORI HULL, PURCHASING MANAGER.

YEAH, WE SENT IT TO.

I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER. IT WAS LIKE 300 AND SOMETHING RECIPIENTS, AND WE PLACED IT ON OUR WEBSITE.

FROM THAT, FOUR PEOPLE RESPONDED.

THEN IT WAS INDIVIDUALLY EVALUATED BY THE EVALUATION TEAM MEMBERS IN THE PROPOSED CRITERIA IN THE SOLICITATION.

AND MAYBE YOU COULD JUST TAKE IT ONE LEVEL DEEPER.

JUST WHAT WERE THE ATTRIBUTES THAT THE WINNING BIDDER PARTICULARLY EXCELLED AT, OR WAS IT A KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD?

[02:45:01]

OKAY. AND YOU CITED THE LEAD TIME SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

I UNDERSTAND, SO WE'RE PROBABLY PAYING A LITTLE MORE IN ORDER TO GET FAVORABLE LEAD TIMES.

NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE, REALLY.

OKAY, GREAT.

THANKS FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE.

YES, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER MCGEE. I MOVE APPROVAL.

IS THERE A SECOND? MAYOR PRO TEM SECOND.

OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN.

NET PASSES SEVEN ZERO.

TAKES US TO OUR LAST ITEM FOR THIS EVENING, WHICH IS ITEM SIX B OP A240001.

[B. Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, a Texas Home-Rule Municipal Corporation, authorizing the City Manager or designee to execute an Oversized Cost Participation Agreement with Allied Development, LLC, for the design and construction of a 30” wastewater main, 1.9 MGD lift station, wastewater force main, gravity wastewater main, and 12” potable water main for the Utilities Department; providing for the expenditure of funds therefore; and providing an effective date (Allied Development, LLC, an amount not-to-exceed $7,553,327.43).]

NO WORRIES. MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN GARCIA.

I'M WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

I PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING THE OVERSIZE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT.

AS YOU STATED ALREADY FOR THE STELLA HILLS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

THIS IS ABOUT 307 LOTS.

IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE EAST SIDE OF DENTON, CLOSE TO THE CITY LIMITS, BUT JUST IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF MCKINNEY STREET.

FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE, AN OVERSIZE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME UTILITY CONSTRUCTIONS AND UPSIZING THAT IS ALREADY DEEMED REQUIRED AS FACILITIES FOR A DEVELOPMENT.

HOWEVER, ON OUR FUTURE MASTER PLAN FOR UTILITIES, WE THINK THAT IT'S BEST TO GO AHEAD AND UPSIZE THOSE AREAS IF THE DEVELOPERS ARE INTERESTED IN DOING SO WITH US, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.

A COUPLE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE UPSIZED FOR THE UTILITIES IS THE LAKE VIEW INTERCEPTOR SEWER LINE, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, AS WELL AS SOME LIFT STATION IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WATER MAIN EXTENSION THAT GOES UP TRINITY ROAD TO THE NORTH.

THE ENTIRE UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A LITTLE OVER $8.7 MILLION.

HOWEVER, THE CITY'S PORTION IS 7.5 MILLION.

THE FUNDING IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE UTILITY CIP PROJECT.

AND THEN THESE IMPROVEMENTS AGAIN WILL ALIGN WITH THE FUTURE WATER AND WASTEWATER MASTER PLAN.

STAFF DOES SUPPORT THIS AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR THE OVERSIZE PARTICIPATION.

AND THEN I'LL OPEN THAT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE FOR US.

AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW AS WELL, THE DEVELOPER IS IN THE ROOM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

OKAY. QUESTIONS FOR STAFF.

ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE.

COUNCIL MEMBER. MCGEE A MOTION APPROVAL.

MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. SO WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR A SECOND AND COME DOWN.

SO.

THANK YOU AND EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T MAKE ME BREAK OUT THE STRESS BALL.

SO YOU DID GOOD. I WAS I HAD IT JUST IN CASE THEY TOLD ME WAS YOUR FIRST TIME.

I WAS LIKE, MAN, I BETTER BRING THIS.

NO. JUST KIDDING. NO.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE HAVE A TOKEN ELEPHANT THERE FOR YOU TO REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME YOU PRESENTED TO US.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELCOME ABOARD.

APPRECIATE YOU. WELL DONE.

OKAY, SO.

YEAH, HERE WE GO. THAT'S HIS FIRST TIME.

HE'S AWESOME. HE DOES A GOOD JOB.

SO LET'S SEE.

LET'S SEE HOW THIS FOLK GOES. GOOD JOB.

GOOD JOB. OH YEAH I GOT TO HANG IN FOR THE VOTE.

WE GOT TWO GARCIAS HERE.

HIS BROTHER SETH. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION.

WE HAVE A SECOND. LET'S. LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN.

AND THAT PASSES SEVEN ZERO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THAT TAKES US TO CONCLUDING ITEMS.

[7. CONCLUDING ITEMS]

MARCH 14TH IS PI DAY AND THE NEXT DAY IS THE IDES OF MARCH.

SO? SO BEWARE OF BOTH.

AND THEN I'LL REMIND THE PUBLIC OF OF THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP ON THE 23RD.

SIGN UP IS NOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN TEAM FOR YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, OR YOU CAN JOIN SOME OF THE EXISTING TEAMS. COUNCIL HAS A TEAM, SO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE COUNCIL TEAM AND HELP US CLEAN UP OUR AREA.

[02:50:04]

SO THAT'S ALL, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THE CITY MANAGER MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'LL BE OUT ON FRIDAY SPEAKING AT A WORKSHOP, SO I'LL PROBABLY LEAVE A LITTLE EARLY ON THURSDAY TO GET THERE.

I'LL HAVE SOMEONE THAT AND I'LL SEND IT OUT.

WHO'S IN CHARGE? OKAY.

ANYTHING. ANYTHING ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER.

MCGEE. AND HOW MANY DIGITS CAN YOU TAKE PI OUT TO? OH, LORD, DON'T DON'T ANSWER THAT.

YOU PROBABLY DO IT. I WANT TO I WANT TO LIFT UP SOMEONE WHO WAS ALWAYS VERY SWEET AND ENCOURAGING TO ME EVERY TIME HE SAW ME. SOMEONE WHO ALWAYS TOOK A MOMENT TO WISH ME CONGRATULATIONS.

THOSE OF YOU WHO WATCHED THE NEWS KNOW THAT THE FIRST BLACK ELECTED JUDGE, THE FIRST BLACK ELECTED STATEWIDE OFFICIAL, JUST MADE TRANSITION YESTERDAY MORNING.

I'M TALKING ABOUT JUDGE MORRIS OVERSTREET.

HE OFFERED A LOT OF OPINIONS.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE COMES FROM THE PROUD TRADITION OF BLACK LAWYERS FROM TSU.

AND EVERY BLACK ELECTED OFFICIAL OWES WE ALL OWE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN OUR SEATS BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT MORRIS OVERSTREET DID.

THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW HIM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TO LOOK HIM UP.

JUST ONE OF THE SWEETEST AND KINDEST MEN YOU WILL EVER MEET.

HE DID A TWO TERMS ON THE TEXAS CRIMINAL COURT OF APPEALS.

SO REALLY, REALLY GREAT MAN.

I'M THINKING ABOUT HIS FAMILY TONIGHT AND ALSO LIFTING UP MY MAMA'S 70TH BIRTHDAY TOMORROW, SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMA.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.

SO IF I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT WHAT QUARTERS IN, I'LL HAVE TO GET UP TO SPEED.

BUT UNT WOMEN ARE PLAYING TO TRY TO WIN THEIR CONFERENCE TONIGHT.

THEY WERE IN THE THIRD AND WINNING, SO I THINK THEY'RE STILL WINNING, I HOPE.

THEN I WANT TO SAY I WENT TO TO CALVARY ACADEMY TO PRIDE AND GLORY WRESTLING FUNDRAISER AND IT WAS FANTASTIC.

SO IF EVER THE CITY NEEDS TO RAISE MONEY OR ASSOCIATE IT, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

IT'S VERY ENTERTAINING.

BUMPED INTO TWO UNT ALUMNI'S.

AND SO IT'S REALLY FUN TO WATCH, BUT IT'S A GREAT FUNDRAISER.

AND THEN I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE BLACK CHAMBER, THEIR BANQUET IS THIS SATURDAY.

PLEASE PURCHASE TICKETS AND LET'S MAKE SURE WE SUPPORT THEM.

IT'LL BE A GREAT EVENT.

AND AND IT'S AT UNT GATEWAY.

SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE, THE THE THE UNIVERSITY AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THEN DENTON FREEDOM HOUSE HAD A BANQUET THIS PAST WEEK.

AND I JUST APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND SERVED IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I WANT TO THANK THEM.

AND THEY'RE JUST DOING GREAT WORK IN AND AROUND THE NORTH TEXAS AREA.

WENT TO TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK TO THEY OPENED A NEW CENTER THERE IN FORT WORTH.

SO I WAS ABLE TO BE PART OF THAT RIBBON CUTTING WITH THE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, SID MILLER.

AND SO THAT WAS GREAT TO BE THERE TO TO SEE THEIR GROWTH AS THEY THEY ALSO PROVIDE A LOT OF SUPPORT HERE.

AND THEN THANKS TO CITY MANAGEMENT, THE TO SALON THERE AT THE MLK CENTER, THEY HOSTED BOTH THE MLK DAY CELEBRATION AND BLACK HISTORY PROGRAM, AND THAT WENT OFF VERY WELL.

AND THAT WAS A REALLY NEAT PROGRAM AND A LOT OF GREAT SPEAKERS.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THERE WAS ALSO ONE AT THE LEGION HALL.

SO GREAT TO BE THERE.

AND THEN LASTLY I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ A PROCLAMATION TO PAT GULLEY, WHO IS A MEMBER OF A CHURCH HERE IN TOWN, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT SHE CELEBRATED HER 90TH BIRTHDAY.

SO THAT WAS REALLY NEAT TO BE THERE.

AND SHE'S SHE'S JUST AS ENERGIZED.

I HOPE I HAVE THAT LEVEL OF ENERGY AT 90.

SHE'S AMAZING. BUT IT WAS GOOD TO MEET EVERYONE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH THEM ON THAT SPECIAL OCCASION.

SO WITH THAT AT 801 WILL CONCLUDE TONIGHT'S MEETING.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.