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          GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THIS MEETING OF THE DENTON CITY COUNCIL. TODAY IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2024. IT'S 3 P.M. WE HAVE A QUORUM, SO I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. 
          THERE'S A BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR THIS AFTERNOON, AND THEN RIGHT NOW. AND THEN ONE THIS EVENING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. THOSE ARE THE ONLY THINGS ON THE AGENDA. FIRST THING IS QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON THE AGENDA. SEEING NONE THAT TAKES US TO OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS. ITEM TWO A ID 241679. RECEIVE. REPORT. HOLD DISCUSSION AND GIVE STAFF DIRECTION 
          [A. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding the preliminary Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Budget, Tax Rate, Capital Improvement Program, and Five-Year Financial Forecast.
    [Estimated Presentation/Discussion Time: 1 hour]]
REGARDING THE PRELIMINARY FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025. PROPOSED BUDGET. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. 
          MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. GIVE ME JUST A SECOND TO GET THIS. NO, THAT DID NOT WORK. THERE WE GO. SO THIS IS ONE OF OUR FINAL FOLLOW UPS ON THE BUDGET FOR THE 2425 FISCAL YEAR. SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF UPDATES FOR YOU. THE FIRST IS ON OUR BALANCING ACT SOFTWARE. SO THIS IS THE SOFTWARE THAT WE USE TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC. WE PUT THIS OUT ON OUR WEBSITE FOLLOWING OUR AUGUST 20TH MEETING. AND IT HAS BEEN LIVE SINCE THAT TIME. IN TOTAL, WE'VE HAD 707 PAGE VIEWS WITH 36 BUDGET SUBMISSIONS. THAT WAS AS OF 9.5. AND WE ALSO CHECKED THIS MORNING AND WE ARE STILL AT 36 BUDGET SUBMISSIONS. IN REGARD TO THE TAX RATE FOR RESPONSES INDICATED TO INCREASE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE. 23 RESPONSES SAID TO KEEP THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND NINE RESPONSES SAID TO DECREASE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE. AND HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THOSE ANSWERS CHARTED OUT FOR YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BALANCING ACT SOFTWARE? ANY QUESTIONS? REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT TWO, JUST BECAUSE I CAN'T QUITE TELL ARE THE LAST INCREASE ONES. THAT'S LIKE, LOOKS LIKE ABOUT ONE AND THREE. I THINK IT'S ABOUT ONE AND THREE, TWO AND FOUR. SOMEWHERE IN THERE. OKAY. JUST JUST JUST FOR MY OLD EYES AND KEEPING TRACK OF NUMBERS IN FUTURE GRAPHS, COULD STAFF, LIKE, SOMEHOW LABEL THE BARS WITH WITH THE NUMBER VALUES? THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL. SURE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. IT GETS REALLY SMALL ON THE SCREEN TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON BALANCING ACT. I WILL JUST SAY CAN YOU CONFIRM IT DOESN'T IT CAN BE THIS EVENING. I THINK IT'S PRETTY QUICK. JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK MY MATH. IF YOU BACK OUT ALL THE OPTIONAL FUNCTIONS FROM THE APP. RIGHT. 
          IF YOU DO THE BALANCING ACT AND YOU TOGGLE OFF EVERYTHING, THAT'S KIND OF READILY, EASILY ABLE TO BE TOGGLED OFF, I THINK THE NUMBER BECOMES. 2.34 MILLION IS JUST IF YOU COULD DOUBLE CHECK THAT, IF YOU SURE WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO BE TOGGLED ON AND OFF. AND WHAT'S THAT TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT. OKAY, SO THE SUPPLEMENTALS IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. AND I THINK IT'S A IT'S A FEW OTHERS BECAUSE IT GETS INTO THE K-9 OFFICERS. ET CETERA. ET CETERA. SO BUT YEAH, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE ABLE TO BE TOGGLED OFF. IF YOU DO THAT. I THINK IT'S TWO POINT SOMETHING MILLION FROM MEMORY. OKAY. YEAH. WE CAN ABSOLUTELY RUN THAT BEFORE THIS EVENING. PLEASE ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. OKAY. SO WE'LL BE RATHER BRIEF. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THE GENERAL FUND FEES AND THE CHANGES TO THOSE FEES. AS A REMINDER WE DO REVIEW THE FEES ANNUALLY. AND MANY DEPARTMENTS HAVE COST OF SERVICE STUDIES THAT HAVE EITHER BEEN DONE OR ARE BEING DONE THAT HELP TO DETERMINE WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR COST RECOVERY AND SETTING FEES FOR THE CITY. WE ALSO LOOK AT COMPARABLE CITIES AROUND US. WE LOOK AT OUR CURRENT FEES, A COST RECOVERY PERCENTAGE, OUR TARGET COST RECOVERY PERCENTAGE, AND THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. 
          THE PROPOSED CHANGES ARE REVIEWED BY STAFF. ANY APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES AND THEN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. THE FEES YOU'LL SEE IN THIS PRESENTATION ARE FOCUSED ON THE GENERAL FUND. WE'LL START WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRST CHANGE THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE AT THE TOP IS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE BASIC PEACE OFFICER TRAINING ACADEMY, AND THAT IS A TCOLE CERTIFICATION THAT WE HAVE OPEN TO OTHER ENTITIES. AND THIS IS SIMPLY AN INCREASE TO RECOVER OUR COST RECOVERY AT 100%. AND THEN WE HAVE PRIVATE EVENT FEES. AND THE STRUCTURE HERE HAS CHANGED JUST A LITTLE BIT. SO YOU'LL SEE OUR COST RECOVERY PERCENTAGES. THERE ON THE FARTHEST CORNER. AND THEN WE ARE REMOVING THE REFERENCE TO OUTSIDE TRAFFIC OFFICER AND 
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OUTSIDE TRAFFIC SUPERVISOR. SO THAT'S JUST A CHANGE IN THE LANGUAGE IN THE FEE ORDINANCE. 
          QUESTIONS ON PD REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT THREE AND THEN TWO. YEAH JUST CURIOUS WHY YOU DIDN'T SEEK TO RECOVER SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ON THE ON THE DISPATCHER LINE WAS THAT'S CLEARLY CLEARLY WHAT YOU'RE AFTER ON THE OTHER LINE ITEMS. I DON'T SEE PD HERE, BUT GENERALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT COST RECOVERY, AS YOU'LL SEE WITH PARKS, THERE ARE CERTAIN ACTIVITIES THAT WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT RANGES FOR THE COLLECTION, FOR COST RECOVERY. 
          SO ON THIS PD HAS THEIR DISPATCH AT ABOUT 60% AND THEY ARE RUNNING HIGHER WITH THEIR OTHERS. I CAN ANSWER IT. SO WE WERE NOT DOING COST RECOVERY FOR EVENTS AND STUFF. SO THAT'S IN THERE. THE OTHER ONE IS YOU CAN'T CALL CHARGE EVERYTHING TO THE DISPATCHER BECAUSE THE DISPATCHER IS SHARING. AND REMEMBER WE'RE ALSO DOING THE ALARMS. SO WE HAVE TO BE REAL CAREFUL THERE. I'M SORRY I WAS RIDING AND I, I MISSED MY POINT. NO THAT'S GREAT. REPRESENTATIVE DIXON TWO. THANK YOU. SO, FOR THAT, I'LL ASK IT FOR THIS QUESTION, BUT THERE'LL BE A SIMILAR QUESTION FOR FIRE AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE HAVE SORT OF IN-KIND GRANTS THAT OFTEN COVER THESE KINDS OF SERVICES FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT HAVE EVENTS DURING THE YEAR TO HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF CITY FUNCTIONS AT DIFFERENT TIMES, YOU KNOW, AND IN THIS CASE, PUBLIC SAFETY AND FIRE. AND THEN PARKS HAS THEIR OWN. SO ARE WE ALSO I MEAN, FOR MOST OF THEM, THEY'RE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE LARGER BUMPS, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE ON THIS SCALE, SORT OF 50 GOING TO 65, KIND OF WITH A $15 CHANGE AT THAT SCALE. 
          ARE WE ALSO BUMPING UP OUR IN-KIND DONATIONS AND OUR AND OUR, OUR, OUR CHARITABLE FUNDS? BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING THESE GROUPS THAT HAD THESE KINDS OF EVENTS IN THE PAST, AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE PRICING THEM OUT OF HAVING THAT KIND OF EVENT IN THE FUTURE, EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THOSE EVENTS REALLY CONTRIBUTE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND SALES TAX. SO AS FAR AS CASH SPONSORSHIPS, THERE WAS AN INCREASE REQUESTED THIS YEAR, ABOUT $50,000. AND THEN EACH OF THOSE COMMITTEES THAT HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR APPROVING FOR THOSE EVENTS WOULD BE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL. WHEN WE COME BACK WITH IN-KIND, WE'LL HAVE WE'LL BE USING THESE TO CALCULATE THOSE NEW TOTALS. AND ALSO I'VE ASKED I THINK IT'S CASSIE THAT'S LEADING A TEAM OF LOOKING AT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THIS OTHER THAN TO BE QUITE FRANK. 
          AND THAT IS WE HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH COST OF SERVICES WHEN IT COMES TO EVENT MANAGEMENT. AND SO WE WERE UNDER UNDER CHARGING FOR OFFICERS WHO WERE STAYING THERE ALL DAY AND EATING THE COST IN OUR BUDGETS, PARTICULARLY POLICE AND FIRE. BUT ALSO I FOUND OUT PARKS WAS EATING COST AS WELL. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS WE'RE GOING TO GET WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE FACTS, LAY OUT ALL THE FACTS OF WHAT IT'S COSTING US TO HOST THESE EVENTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH THE DOLLARS THAT YOU ALLOCATE. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE DELTA OF WHAT THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE EATING. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SHOW THE ATTENDANCE. SO YOU CAN SEE, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ARE THESE EVENTS THE ONES THAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR? ARE WE GIVING OUR MONEY TO EVENTS THAT AREN'T REALLY WELL ATTENDED? SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL THESE FACTS SO YOU CAN MAKE A BETTER DECISION WHEN YOU'RE ALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS. AND IF I MIGHT, WHEN, WHEN WHAT'S OUR ETA ON THIS SORT OF THING. BECAUSE WE'RE SORT OF BEING ASKED TO APPROVE THE FEE SCHEDULE NOW, WHICH OKAY, I'M SORT OF WANT TO GO ALONG WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE KINDS OF OR COST RECOVERY THAT WE'RE SORT OF MORE ALIGNED WITH. BUT AT THE SAME TOKEN, THERE'S MANY MOVING PIECES. IT'S GOING TO BE A WHILE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST TRYING TO CATCH US UP. THIS IS MORE OF A CATCH UP. NOT I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN CHARGING THIS $50 AN HOUR FOR A WHILE, AND IT JUST WAS NOT COVERING THE COST. AND SO THIS IS REALLY A NECESSARY, NEED HERE. THE OTHER IS JUST REALLY TO LAY OUT THE FACTS FOR YOU SO YOU CAN MAKE BETTER INFORMED DECISIONS IN YOUR GROUPS. WELL, IF YOU'RE ON THE, THE COMMITTEE THAT ALLOCATES THE FUNDS, BUT ALSO AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ON EVENTS AND OVERTIME, OKAY, ANYTHING ELSE? NO I'M GOOD REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT ONE. I'M RECOGNIZING SOMETHING THERE CALLED MARKED POLICE VEHICLE IN MY LAYMAN'S MIND, I WOULD THINK THAT AN OFFICER THAT WOULD BE ATTENDING SOMETHING IS IN THEIR OWN VEHICLE. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE HERE? WELL, I'M. I'M NOT FRANK, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BETTER EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA OF POLICE THAN I DO. I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES OUR OFFICERS COME THERE WITHOUT A 
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VEHICLE AND WE DO HAVE UNMARKED VEHICLES. BUT HE WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER BECAUSE JESS IS NOT QUITE HERE YET. YEAH. 20, $20 AN HOUR FOR AN A, $23 AN HOUR FOR IN MARKED POLICE VEHICLE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? FRANK DIXON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. SO THAT MEANS WHENEVER THEY'RE GOING OUT TO IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE BLOCKING OFF TRAFFIC, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE USING THEM FOR BARRICADES AND THEY'RE USING A MARKED POLICE VEHICLE, WE WANT TO RECOUP THE COST FOR THOSE BECAUSE IT TAKES OPERATING COSTS. YOU HAVE MAINTENANCE, YOU HAVE GAS, YOU HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY'RE USING. SO WE JUST WANT TO BETTER RECOVER THOSE EXPENSES. SO THE OFFICER WOULD COME TO WORK IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL VEHICLE AND THEN HOP IN A VEHICLE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THESE PARTICULAR EVENTS. ALL OF THAT STUFF IS OUT UNLESS THEY HAVE A TAKE HOME VEHICLE THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE. THIS ONE IN MY HEAD, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING. SO EVERY OFFICER DOES NOT HAVE A TAKE HOME VEHICLE? NO, MA'AM. THEY DON'T. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME OKAY OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? PARDON ME FRANK. SO FOLLOW UP ON THAT FROM DISTRICT FOUR. I BEG YOUR PARDON. WOULD THAT COST ME THE POLICE OFFICER PLUS THE MARKED VEHICLE? SO THAT WOULD BE THE 65 PLUS 23. CORRECT $88. YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO HAVE WE MISS CITY MANAGER? HAVE WE? I KNOW I CONNECTED YOU WITH. AND YOU TALKED TO THOSE ONE FOLKS THAT THAT PROVIDE PRIVATE SECURITY. HAVE WE BEGUN TO EXPLORE THAT ROLL OUT THOSE RATES AS AN OPTION SO THAT, PEOPLE PUTTING ON FESTIVALS CAN CONTRACT WITH SOMEONE FROM BASICALLY FROM A LIST OF REPUTABLE SOURCES HAVE WE HAVE WE HAD THE MEETING INTERNALLY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY LOVED THAT IDEA. AND I NEED TO DOUBLE BACK BECAUSE YES, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ENCOURAGING THOSE GROUPS TO USE THOSE PRIVATE SECURITY GROUPS. OKAY ALL RIGHT. GREAT YEAH. IF WE COULD MAYBE ADD THAT AS AN OPTION. THAT'S SOME SAVINGS. AND THEN I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW I DON'T THINK WE GET MUCH SALES TAX INFORMATION FROM FESTIVALS. IT'S MOSTLY FOOD TRUCKS. ET CETERA. ET CETERA. AND I WOULD HAZARD TO GUESS THAT'S SOME OTHER TYPE OF REPORTING. CAN YOU FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THAT? JUST GIVE US SOME ANSWER ON IF THAT'S EVEN REPORTED IN IT. SO, YES. AT WHAT RATE. AND THEN, JUST A WORD OF SUPPORT FOR THE COST OF SERVICE MODEL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE EXAMPLE, BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY GOTTEN AN EMAIL OR TWO ABOUT THE GOTTEN A LOT OF EMAILS, PLUS A FEW NEGATIVE ON THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN. RIGHT? THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT AREN'T SUPPORTIVE AND THAT'S FAIR. BUT THE COST OF SERVICE MODEL SAYS YOUR TAX DOLLARS AREN'T GOING TO THIS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IT WOULD FOR ANYTHING ELSE. WE GOT TO RUN THE CITY, RIGHT? SO THAT I THINK THAT THEN HELPS BECAUSE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EVENTS OR OCCASIONS THAT AREN'T SUPPORTED BY ALL, WHICH WE WERE RIGHTLY HOSTING. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE POSITION THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING YOUR YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND PUTTING THEM TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE'S GOING TO THE REC CENTER, NOT EVERYONE'S GOING TO THERE'S JUST THERE'S ALSO THAT'S A BASELINE COST OF SERVICE. BUT THEN ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, WE'RE NOT CREATING NEW WAYS TO ALLOCATE TAX DOLLARS TO SOMETHING. SO FROM AN EVENT STANDPOINT, FROM A PUBLIC SERVICE STANDPOINT AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON WHERE IS THE WHERE ARE THE DOLLARS GOING, THAT FULL COST OF COST RECOVERY MODEL. AND WE'VE GONE I THINK IT'D BE AWESOME IF YOU COULD REPORT BAC, WE'VE GONE THAT COST OF SERVICE MODEL ON MOST OF OUR, SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. I WOULD THINK SO IF WE COULD JUST LOOK BACK AND SAY, KIND OF GIVE US A LIST OF THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED TO A COST OF SERVICE MODEL. I THINK THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE IN THAT LIST OF THINGS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THERE. SO I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHERE WE'VE MADE THAT ADJUSTMENT AND THEN SEE IF IT MAKES SENSE TO DO IT HERE. SO MAYOR, THE THING THAT I'VE ROLLED OUT TO THE DIRECTORS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RETREAT INVOLVED IS PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY. 
          FIRST AND LOOKING AT WHAT THAT COST AND GIVING YOU AS A COUNCIL SORT OF HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DO THAT ARE A BASIC LEVEL OF SERVICES. HERE'S WHAT IT COSTS. HERE'S THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE CONSIDERED PRIORITIES, AND HERE'S WHAT IT'S COST. AND THEN THAT WAY THEN IN TWO WAYS. ONE IS WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DIRECTORS PROVIDING TEN, 12 SUPPLEMENTALS THAT WE CAN'T FUND, AND WE DON'T HAVE THEM GO THROUGH A LOT OF EXERCISES IN FUTILITY. BUT THE OTHER SIDE IS 
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TO REALLY BREAK IT DOWN, TO SHOW THE COUNCIL. HERE'S BASIC LEVEL OF SERVICES AND WHAT IT COSTS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT. HERE'S WHAT THEY PROVIDE AS A BASIC SERVICE. HERE'S THE ABOVE COSTS, WHICH IS WHAT I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT IN MY EVALUATION. WHAT ARE WE DOING THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE DOING? WHAT ARE WE DOING THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO AND IMPROVE? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING AT ALL, THAT SOMEONE ELSE COULD BE DOING BETTER? AND SO IT KIND OF TIES ALL THAT TOGETHER. AND THEN WE'LL COME TO YOU WHILE YOU SHOW BASIC. HERE'S WHAT IT COSTS, ADVANCED, WHICH IS THINGS THAT ARE LISTED AS PRIORITIES THAT YOU'VE STRESSED. THIS IS WHAT IT COSTS. HERE'S WHAT'S LEFT FOR, OTHER THINGS. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ON THIS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT. REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT ONE, I DID WANT TO JUST KIND OF STEP BACK TO THE FESTIVALS AND VENDORS, CAN YOU ALL PLEASE, VERIFY WHETHER OR NOT THE VENDORS, CONTRIBUTE BACK TO A PERCENTAGE BACK TO, THE CITY FOR I KNOW THEY HAVE TO PAY TO BE THERE, BUT THEN IF THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL, SUPPORT BACK TO THE CITY AT A RATE OF 10%, I HEARD, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN ONE OF THE VENDORS SELLS BARBECUE AND THEY MAKE X NUMBER OF DOLLARS, THEN THEY CONTRIBUTE BACK A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE CAN YOU FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S TRUE OR NOT? SURE. WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT. OKAY ON THIS FOLLOW UP TO THE CITY MANAGER REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT TWO, CITY MANAGER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, WHERE WHEN YOU'RE DOING THOSE THOSE NUMBERS AND THOSE LINE ITEMS, I'M, I'M LESS ENAMORED OF THE COST RECOVERY MODEL THAN THAN THAN MANY, I THINK THE SWEET SPOT MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR ME THAN FROM OTHERS, BECAUSE I, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO GET TO MY POINT. I WOULD, I WOULD BE CURIOUS IN THE SORT OF PER PERSON OR PER EVENT OR PER ITEM LEVEL, WHAT IS THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GENERAL FUND VERSUS THE COST RECOVERY NUMBER? AND HOW DO WE GET TO, YOU KNOW, WHOLE AND THAT THAT ALSO I THINK IS GERMANE NOT JUST THE COST RECOVERY COMPONENT. SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD IS WHEN YOU GET US THOSE NUMBERS, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN NOT JUST THAT THIS EVENT COST $12 MILLION, BUT THAT $12 MILLION WAS INTO 10,000 ITEMS, OR 12,000 PEOPLE OR WHATEVER IS A REASONABLE METRIC. THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT THREE. YEAH, I'M JUST GOING TO, SHARE SOMETHING I REMEMBER FOR THE BENEFIT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOINED COUNCIL. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT BEING REVIEWED. BUT WHEN WE REVIEWED THE IDEA OF A COST OF SERVICE MODEL, IT WASN'T THAT EVERY SINGLE THING IS INTENDED TO RECOVER UNDER PERCENT OF ITS COST. THE AS I RECALL, THE IDEA WAS YOU KIND OF GOT TO MAKE A REALLY A POLITICAL JUDGMENT ITEM BY ITEM, BY AS TO WHETHER IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT OR COMMUNITY BENEFIT. SOME THINGS ARE 90% INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT, 10% COMMUNITY BENEFIT. AND THAT'S A JUDGMENT. AND SOME THINGS ARE THE REVERSE. YOU KNOW, 90%, I DON'T KNOW WHATEVER'S THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I JUST SAID, AND, AND THAT IS THE PERCENTAGE THAT THAT THAT IS THEN APPLIED TO THE COST TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF THE COST ARE WE LOOKING TO RECOVER? SO IT'S NOT. SO WHEN YOU SAY COST RECOVERY, IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYTHING IS TRYING TO BE 100%. 
          MAYBE SOME THINGS. YES, SOME THINGS ANYWHERE ALONG THE SCALE. YES REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT FIVE. SARAH, PERHAPS YOU SAID IT. I MISSED IT IN A COST RECOVERY MODEL. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? TO PUT THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES. SO? SO REALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT PRIORITY BASED. I MEAN IT'S A PHENOMENON THAT FORT WORTH IS WORKING ON. AND A DEPARTMENT IN, UP NORTH, IT REALLY IS STARTING WITH, THE, THE BASIC LEVEL OF SERVICES FIRST SAYING, OKAY, EVERYBODY NEEDS WATER, ELECTRICITY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. WHAT DOES IT COST US? WHAT FUNDS DOES IT COME OUT OF? SORT OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK HERE. SO IT SHOWS THESE ARE THINGS WE CANNOT NOT DO. AND THEN IT'S HERE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE DOING THAT ARE VALUED BY THE COMMUNITY. JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM MOSER WAS SAYING, MAY NOT BE COST RECOVERY, BUT IT'S VALUED AND WE NEED TO OFFER IT. AND THEN HERE ARE THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT EVEN A DEPARTMENT MIGHT, MIGHT SAY, WE DON'T NEED TO BE DOING THIS ANYMORE. IT'S EXTRA WORK. IT'S OVER TAXING WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S STARTING THAT THAT DISCUSSION AND THEN IT'S LAYING OUT WHAT ARE THE WHAT ARE THE COSTS TO ALL OF THIS? AND THEN WHAT'S LEFT OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO THAT HAVE VERY THEIR INDIVIDUAL. BUT VERY FEW COMMUNITY BASED, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO YOU HAVE THAT TO LOOK AT AND MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. NOT NOT ME, BUT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION. SO COST RECOVERY IS WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE COST RECOVERING FROM. I 
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MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOUR UTILITIES AND ALL ARE COVERING COSTS, BUT THEY HAVE TO PUT IN THE WHOLE ISSUE OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL, SO NOT ALWAYS DOES IT DO THAT. NOT ALL UTILITIES DO THAT. THEN YOU LOOK AT THE PARKS AND RECREATION MODEL WHICH WENT THROUGH COST RECOVERY. AND THAT SHOWS YOU IS THIS SOMETHING GOING INTO A REC CENTER THAT IS EVERYONE CAN DO. YES. SO WHAT DOES THAT COST? AND IT'S A VERY MINIMAL COST. IS IT A SPECIFIC CLASS. AND ON EVERYONE'S INTERESTED IN THAT'S MORE OF A PERSONAL THING. AND IT'S GOING TO COST MORE. THAT'S WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT FOR EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE CITY. WE'RE JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU, HERE'S THE PRIORITY BASED, HERE'S THE COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AND WHAT THAT'S BASED, AND THEN LAY IT ALL OUT FOR YOU TO HAVE SO THAT WHEN YOU ARE MAKING YOUR DECISIONS, WHETHER IT'S FUNDING THESE EVENTS, WHETHER IT'S FUNDING SOMETHING ELSE, WHETHER IT'S USING YOUR OWN FUNDS THAT YOU HAVE FOR CONTINGENCY, YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE PRIORITY BASED IS AND WHAT'S A MUST HAVE. 
          AND THEN WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE'RE DOING THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY VALUED? OKAY THANK YOU MA'AM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT JUST SO THAT SO THAT IT'S GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE, ARTS AND JAZZ IS COMING UP. FEBRUARY OF OCTOBER 4TH FRIDAY, THE FOURTH THROUGH THE SIXTH. AND IT'S NOTEWORTHY TO SAY THIS VERY CONVERSATION, THEY'RE HAVING HARD CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY AND THAT AND SHOUT OUT TO ANDERSON'S EATERY AND TO THE MUSIC PERFORMANCE TRUST FUND, WHO STEPPED UP TO DONATE MORE SO THAT THEY CAN THEN HAVE THEIR FESTIVAL AS THEY THEY NORMALLY HAVE HAD IT. PRIVATE ENTITIES STEPPING UP DOING THAT VERSUS A CITY FILLING A GAP. WE KIND OF SAID, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO. THEN THEY WENT TO WORK. THEN THE COMMUNITY WENT UP, WENT TO WORK. AND THAT'S HOW I ENVISION IT WORKING. WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN DO. IT'S EVEN AND EVEN ACROSS ALL ENTITIES AND THEN OTHER, OTHER INSTITUTIONS FIND A WAY TO GET CREATIVE AND SO YEAH, NOW ANDERSON'S HOSTING A STAGE ACROSS THERE. THAT'S FANTASTIC. THAT'S WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. THEY'LL BENEFIT FROM THAT. AND IT'S ALL WORKING AS IT SHOULD. AND THAT'S NOT TAXPAYER SUBSIDIZED. SO I THINK THAT REALLY IS A FANTASTIC RESULT. AND THAT JUST HAPPENED. AND I THINK IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AS WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND FILL THOSE GAPS. SO THANK YOU, NEXT OKAY. SO CONTINUING ALONG THE SAME VEIN OF THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN HAVING. SO THIS IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THEIR PROPOSED, PROPOSED 2425. THIS IS FOR THEIR SPECIAL EVENTS AS WELL. AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE CURRENT YEAR AND IN PRIOR YEARS, FIRE WAS NOT RECEIVING ANY RECOVERY FOR THEIR TIME AT THESE EVENTS. SO THIS IS THEIR PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE GOING INTO FOR THESE CHANGES. 
          GOING INTO 2425. AND THEN THIS IS A LOOK AT THE PARKS COST OF SERVICE. SO AND THESE ARE THE ALLOCATION PERCENTAGES BY THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS THAT PARKS OFFERS AS TO WHERE THEIR TARGETS ARE FOR THEIR COST OF SERVICE RECOVERY. SO THIS WAS A MODEL THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER FOLLOWING A COST OF SERVICE STUDY IN 2021. IT IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY BY STAFF. AND THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE PROPOSED HERE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THIS SCHEDULE. SO THESE ARE THE SERVICE CATEGORIES. AND THEN THE COST RECOVERY GOAL HERE, IT'S JUST A KIND OF EASIER WAY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND IT DOES TALK ABOUT HERE THAT PUBLIC BENEFIT TO THE INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT THAT Y'ALL WERE JUST DISCUSSING. SO THIS IS HOW THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR SET UP. THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING. SO HERE I'LL I'LL BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT TOP PIECE THAT SAYS COST RECOVERY GOALS. SO WE ADDED THE GOALS HERE SO THAT WE COULD SEE THEM WITH THE PERCENT OF COST RECOVERY THERE ON THE FAR COLUMN. THESE ARE FOR THEIR APPLICATION FEES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. YOU CAN SEE THAT THEIR COST RECOVERY RECOMMENDATIONS HERE FALL FOR THE MOST PART WITHIN THEIR RECOVERY GOAL. 
          WHOOPS THESE ARE FOR THEIR RENTALS. THESE ARE THE PROPOSED CHANGES GOING INTO 2425. THEIR COST RECOVERY GOAL HERE IS 80 TO 100%. AND SO THEY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL OR NOT ADDITIONAL SOME NEW FEES HERE TO ALLOW FOR THE RENTAL OF THEIR LED TRAILER. AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A DECREASE IN THE MEMORIAL BENCH FEE. IF YOU ALL RECALL, WE INCREASED THAT LAST YEAR BECAUSE THE VENDOR INCREASED THE COST. PARKS WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH A DIFFERENT VENDOR TO GET THAT COST BROUGHT BACK DOWN. THAT'S AT 100% COST RECOVERY. AND THEN WE HAVE FEES HERE IN THE 
          [00:25:06]
CEMETERY. FEES ARE JUST ALIGNING THE TWO CEMETERIES SO THAT THE FEES AT BOTH LOCATIONS ARE THE SAME. THIS CONTINUES RENTALS FOR PARKS. AGAIN COST RECOVERY GOAL IS 80 TO 100%. AND THESE ARE JUST CHANGES THAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING BASED ON INCREASED COSTS. IT'S ABOUT $5 ACROSS THE BOARD. THEY HAVE THE INCREASED COST FOR THEIR MEETING ROOMS, PRACTICE FIELDS, THEIR SERVICE FEES AND THEN THE PAVILION RENTALS. CONTINUING THEIR RENTAL FEE CHANGES AGAIN, 80 TO 100% COST RECOVERY. THEY HAVE THAT HERE WITH THE CHANGES THAT THEY'VE MADE. AND THEN THEY DO HAVE SOME CHANGES HERE TO THE TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL COURTS. AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH CHANGING FROM RENTING THE COURTS FOR 1.5 HOUR TO ONE HOUR BLOCKS. AND THESE ARE THE RENTAL FEES FOR THE AQUATIC CENTERS. SO THESE ARE CHANGING BASED ON TIERS. THE TIERS HAVE TO DO WITH HOW MANY GUESTS ATTEND FOR EACH PERIOD OF TIME THAT IT'S RESERVED FOR. SO MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, THE CURRENT RATE STARTS AT 275. AND THAT'S COLLECTING THE ANTICIPATE ABOUT 92% OF THEIR TOTAL COST. 
          AND THEY'RE PROPOSING 325 CURRENTLY ON THE WEEKENDS THEY'RE THEY'RE CHARGING ABOUT 325. THEY'RE NOW PROPOSING 375. IN THE CURRENT YEAR THEY WERE COLLECTING AT ABOUT 100%, BUT HAD SOME CHANGES TO HOW THEY ARE STRUCTURING PAY ON WEEKENDS. SO THEY'VE GOT SOME CHANGES THAT THEY'VE PROPOSED THERE. THEY ARE REMOVING THE BELOW LISTED FEES, HUNTING PERMITS FOR NONRESIDENT NONRESIDENT FEE FOR AQUATICS AND TENNIS, NONRESIDENT FEE HUNTING, CIVIC CENTER MARQUEE FEE, AND THE LUXURY LOUNGERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. QUESTIONS ON PARKS AND GARY IS HERE AS WELL. 
          ALL RIGHT. REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT TWO FOR THE VARIOUS, REMOVED FEES IS OR NOT IS THERE NO USE OF THAT? WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THAT? THE HUNTING PERMITS WE HAVE IN OUR FEES ALREADY A $10 INCREASE. THAT WAS A HIGHER NONRESIDENT FEE WHEN WE FIRST INTRODUCED THAT, WHEN WE TOOK OVER THE HUNTING PERMITS. SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF LINING THAT UP WITH THE SAME COST FOR NONRESIDENTS ACROSS THE BOARD. SO THAT'S MORE OF A CLEANUP IF I MIGHT. IT'S THE SAME AS RESIDENT. IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? WE HAVE A MARKUP FOR NONRESIDENTS FOR EVERY PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT. YEP. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF A CLEANUP I'M FOLLOWING. THANK YOU. YEP. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. I APPRECIATE THAT. IT WAS IT WAS JUST A LITTLE UNCLEAR I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION. SO ESSENTIALLY THE RESIDENTS FEE PLUS A MARKUP IS WHAT THE NEW FEE STRUCTURE IS OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ANIMAL SERVICES. PROPOSED FEE CHANGES. SO AS A REMINDER, THE CURRENT SCHEDULE FOR ANIMAL SERVICES WAS ADOPTED IN 2013. THESE CHANGES REFLECT THE RECENT CHAPTER SIX ANIMAL ORDINANCE CHANGES. THE CURRENT PROCESS IS IN PLACE AND OFFSET INCREASED COSTS. CONTINUING ANIMAL SERVICES FEES. 
          YOU'LL SEE SOME CHANGES TO DAILY HANDLING FEES, QUARANTINE FEES, AND THEN A SERIES OF FEES THAT ARE BEING REMOVED. AND NIKKI IS HERE FOR QUESTIONS ON ANIMAL SERVICES. ANY ANY QUESTIONS ON ANIMAL SERVICES? REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT TWO. THANK YOU, SO I ASKED GARY THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND THIS IS ABOUT ANIMAL SERVICES, BUT AT THE TIME IT IS WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE FEE STRUCTURES THAT INHIBIT THE USE OF THE PARKS FACILITIES. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT EXACT SAME QUESTION FOR ANIMAL SERVICES. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE FEE STRUCTURES. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT COSTS A CERTAIN AMOUNT TO MAINTAIN AN ANIMAL, TO HANDLE IT, TO PROVIDE MEDICATION TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, RUN ADS ONLINE. ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE LONGER THAT ANIMAL IS, IS IN OUR CARE, THE MORE IT COSTS. AND WE DON'T WANT TO INHIBIT ADOPTION AND OTHER THINGS. SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY THESE PARTICULAR FEE INCREASES ARE ARE NEEDED? I MEAN, I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE NOMINAL, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WAY OF ESPECIALLY ON THE, THE FIRST PAGE. I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, ADOPTIONS GOING UP ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THE SMALL FURRIES GOING UP 50 BUCKS KIND OF THING THAT I'M TRYING TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH YOU. ABSOLUTELY. SO ACTUALLY IN PRACTICE RIGHT NOW, WE CURRENTLY DO CHARGE $60 FOR THE RABBITS AND FOR THE FERRETS, AND EXOTICS ARE THE SAME THAT WE CHARGE FOR 
          [00:30:06]
THE DOGS AND CATS. WE HAD BEEN DOING THAT IN PRACTICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT OUR ORDINANCE WAS NOT MATCHING THAT. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY JUST UPDATING OUR FEES IN THE ORDINANCE TO ACTUALLY MATCH OUR PRACTICE FOR THE SMALL AND FURRIES. WE DON'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE AMOUNT RIGHT NOW. WE ARE STILL WE ARE GOING TO CHARGE $10 FOR THEM AND THEN FELL. WE DID NOT HAVE IN THE ORDINANCE EITHER. HOWEVER, WE DO OCCASIONALLY HAVE PEOPLE COME IN AND THEN WE ADOPT THEM BACK OUT. 
          SO WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE ORDINANCE ALSO, SO THAT WE'RE CHARGING. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME SORT OF NOMINAL FEE IS GOOD BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE CONCEPT OF REHOMING FEE. 
          OTHERWISE YOU YOU GET UNSERIOUS PEOPLE ENGAGED. AND WE THAT JUST CREATES ITS OWN PROBLEMS DOWN THE LINE. BUT I GUESS, AND I KNOW THAT THE SHELTER HAS NUMEROUS, YOU KNOW, REDUCED ADOPTION DAYS AND FEE DAYS AND CLEAR THE SHELTER EVENTS AND THINGS WHERE WE REDUCE THE STRUCTURES. I MEAN, I GUESS THE ANSWER IN ANTICIPATION WILL BE YES. WE THINK THESE FEES ARE REASONABLE. I GUESS I'M JUST NOTING A LITTLE BIT OF CAUTION HERE THAT THAT WE DON'T WANT BARRIERS TO. SURE GETTING THESE CREATURES OUT OF OUR SYSTEM. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND WE AS YOU MENTIONED, WE DO OFFER A NUMBER OF, REDUCED FEES OR FEE WAIVERS. THERE IS A PART IN THE ORDINANCE ALSO THAT ALLOWS THE ANIMAL SERVICES MANAGER OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO WAIVE OR ALTER FEES AS NEEDED, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION. SO, WE CURRENTLY OFFER REDUCED FEES IF AN ANIMAL HAS BEEN IN THE SHELTER LONGER THAN 30 DAYS, IF IT'S A SENIOR ANIMAL, IF IT'S HEARTWORM POSITIVE, IF IT'S SOMETIMES IF IT'S AN ANIMAL OVER 30 POUNDS, IF WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF LARGE DOGS. SO WE DO OUR BEST TO GET THEM OUT AND TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. ALL RIGHT, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. NIKKI ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT THREE. 
          YEAH, THANKS. I'M JUST SORT OF TRACKING ALONG COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS SLIDES. SO AND YOU KNOW, I NOTICED I MEAN THERE ARE PRETTY BIG ADJUSTMENTS DOWN IN THE IMPOUND FEES AREA FROM NOTHING AND DOUBLE AND TRIPLE ON SOME. SO IS THERE A COST PERCENT COST RECOVERY TARGET THAT YOU'RE GOING FOR THAT THESE REFLECT AND OR ARE THESE OTHERS ALSO REFLECTING ACTUAL PRACTICE THAT YOU KNOW IT'S JUST A BIG CHANGE. SO SURE WHAT WHAT DROVE IT. SO WE HAVE FIRST I GUESS I'LL ADDRESS THE REMOVAL. WE HAVE REMOVED QUITE A FEW IMPOUND FEES FOR ANIMALS THAT WE DON'T IMPOUND. SO THERE'S REALLY NO NEED FOR THEM TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE, THE UPPING OF THE IMPOUND FEES FOR THE FIRST IMPOUND AND SECOND IMPOUND WITH THE CHAPTER SIX REVISION, WE ARE REQUIRING STERILIZATION FOR THE SECOND IMPOUND PER LAW. NOW, IN ORDER TO RECLAIM THE ANIMAL. SO $75 IS GOING TO BE THE IMPOUND FEE IF FOR AN UNALTERED ANIMAL, IF THEY WERE JUST TO RECLAIM IT, $150. IF WE DO THE STERILIZATION IN HOUSE, AND THEN IT ALSO INCLUDES THE CITATION FEE, IT COST US ROUGHLY DEPENDING ON THE ANIMAL, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND $80 FOR STERILIZATION SERVICES. THAT'S INCLUDED THE VET TIME, THE MEDICATION, THE SUTURES, ALL OF THE VET TECHS, ALL OF THAT THAT IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, AND I APOLOGIZE, WE DIDN'T PUT THE COST RECOVERY PERCENTAGE ON HERE, BUT IN PUTTING THE NEW FEES FORWARD, WE DID LOOK AT WHAT DOES IT COST US, THE TAXPAYERS, TO RENDER THESE SERVICES. AND SO THEN WE LOOKED AT WHAT IS OUR ANNUAL INTAKE AND WHAT DOES IT REALLY ROUGHLY COST PER ANIMAL. SO THAT'S THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE NEW PROPOSED FEES. MAKES PERFECT SENSE. THANKS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION. REPRESENTATIVE. DISTRICT ONE. GO BACK TO THE OTHER. SLIDE SOMETHING GOING ON. 
          ON THE OTHER SLIDE, SO I'M RECOGNIZING THAT THE DANGEROUS DOG SIGN FROM 0 TO $50. WHAT IS THIS DANGEROUS DOG SIGN. SO IN OUR ORDINANCE, PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO RETAIN A DOG THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED DANGEROUS BY THE COURTS AS LONG AS THEY MEET CERTAIN PROVISIONS WITHIN THE ORDINANCE. ONE OF THOSE PROVISIONS IS HAVING A SIGN THAT MEETS CERTAIN CRITERIA. THAT IS, ON ANY DOOR, INTO THE DWELLING AND THE DOOR. THE SIGN HAS TO BE A CERTAIN SIZE. IT HAS A CERTAIN IT'S RED LETTERING. IT HAS OUTLINED THE LETTERS ARE A CERTAIN SIZE. WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE AVAILABLE, AND THEN SO CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHARGE FOR THAT, BUT WE INCUR A COST TO, TO GET THOSE. SO WE'RE JUST PASSING THE COST ALONG. SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT IF I HAD AN ANIMAL THAT WAS DEEMED A DANGEROUS ANIMAL, THAT I'M REQUIRED AS A RESIDENT TO NOTIFY 
          [00:35:01]
MY COMMUNITY THAT I HAVE A DANGEROUS DOG OR A DOG, AND, AND IT NEEDS TO BE LOCATED IN AT MY HOME SOMEWHERE WHERE IT'S VISIBLE AND IT'S REQUIRED. YES, MA'AM. AND MY NEIGHBORS ARE GOING TO DO ENGAGED IN AN APP TO LET THE CITY KNOW THAT THERE'S POSSIBLY A DANGEROUS DOG, HOW OFTEN DO WE ENCOUNTER SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN OUR CITY? DO WE KNOW I CAN PULL NUMBERS FOR YOU, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A GUESS, BECAUSE I DON'T. I DON'T. OKAY, SO HAVE A GOOD NUMBER. WELL, GREAT. WELL, I'M GLAD THAT THIS PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN CALL OR, YOU KNOW, ENGAGED IN OR WHATEVER APP TO LET THE CITY KNOW THAT THERE'S A DANGEROUS DOG. AND FOR YOU ALL NOW YOU ALL WILL GO, OR WILL THAT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CONNECT BACK TO YOU ALL? I MEAN, HOW DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORK? SO WE RESPOND. BUT TYPICALLY WHEN A DOG HAS BEEN DEEMED DANGEROUS, THERE IS AN INCIDENT OR SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED AND THEN WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE PROCEEDINGS. 
          AND SO THE SIGN IS JUST, PART OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS FOR RETAINING THE DOG AS THE OWNER. SO WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE DOG THEN. AND IT'LL BE ON OUR RADAR, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NO. EVERYTHING ANSWERS, BUT I JUST DID NOT KNOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY DID THAT TYPE OF THING TO, YOU KNOW, NOTIFY OUR COMMUNITIES THAT THERE IS A DANGEROUS DOG PRESENT. YEP THANK YOU. YEP. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT FIVE, WITH RESPECT TO IS THAT SOME OF THE FEES CAN BE ALTERED BASED ON DIRECTOR DISCRETION. 
          DOES THAT INCLUDE EVERYTHING OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WILL SAY THIS. IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP WITH I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE FROM A DROP OFF PERSPECTIVE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY WE HAVE. OBVIOUSLY IT WON'T. NOT BEFORE. IT'S NOT PENDING ON THIS DISCUSSION. BUT I DO WANT TO KNOW THE DROP OFFS BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE US IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT. I'D LIKE TO SEE US KIND OF LOOK AT A MODEL THAT REQUIRES OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS TO GO OUT AND PICK UP AND TO REGULATE DROP OFFS DIFFERENTLY. I THINK IF SOMEONE'S DROPPING OFF, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT CAME FROM THAT ANIMAL, CAME FROM THE CITY. THE BEST WAY TO KNOW THAT IS IF ONE OF OUR OFFICERS PICKS UP THE, THE ANIMAL VERSUS SOMEONE DROPPING OFF AND JUST SAYING, HEY, I'M FROM CONGRESS AVENUE, RIGHT? WE JUST DON'T HAVE A WAY TO VALIDATE THAT. AND SO, I THINK FROM A CONTROLLING, COST CONTROLLING POPULATION STANDPOINT, I JUST WANT TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS BEGIN TO PROCESS THROUGH THAT, UNDERSTAND THE COST OF MORE ROUTES, MORE CALLS FOR SERVICE, AND KIND OF JUST UNDERSTAND, DO WE HAVE THE VEHICLES FOR THAT, THAT SORT OF THING. SO I JUST WANT TO BEGIN TO EXPLORE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE, BUT MAKING SURE WE SERVE THE CITIZENS OF DENTON. WELL, TO THE CITY MANAGER'S POINT, THAT'S OUR PRIMARY FOCUS. SO LET'S FOCUS THERE AND THEN EXPAND OUT AS NEEDED. SURE. WE CAN GET THAT BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO A BRIEF UPDATE FROM DME. SO AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, IN THEIR, RATE ORDINANCE THIS YEAR, THEY WILL HAVE A 1.5% INCREASE IN BASE RATE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT FOR MONTHS NOW, BUT THERE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL FEES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THEIR RATE ORDINANCE. THE POLE ATTACHMENT FEES, WHICH ARE FCC DRIVEN. AND THEN THEIR WHOLESALE TRANSMISSION SERVICE. SO THIS IS A FEE THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING CHARGED. HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THE RATE BOOKS. SO THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IT INTO THE ORDINANCE. AND THAT REALLY HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY THE INTERIM FILING. SO TONY IS HERE. 
          IF YOU HAVE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT POLE ATTACHMENT FEES OR WHOLESALE TRANSMISSION SERVICE. 
          OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR DME, I, I DO HAVE IT'S ADMITTEDLY LOOSE BUDGET RELATED, BUT TONY CAN I CAN I BORROW YOU SEE. SORRY YEAH. RIGHTFULLY SO. I DON'T BLAME YOU. SO THE NEW SUBSTATION THERE IS IT I JUST I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT BEFORE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WHICH 
          [00:40:03]
LEDGER IT FALLS ON TRANSMISSION THAT SIDE OF THINGS. BUT IT'S RIGHT THERE IN CEMENT CITY ON THE CORNER. AND IT HAS LIKE THREE PRONGS. I MEAN, IT IS THE BIGGEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN. 
          WHAT IS THAT? SO TONY APPOINTED THE GENERAL MANAGER, THIS WAS CALLED AN AUTO TRANSFORMER, A PRETTY CUSTOMARY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN ALL OUR SUBSTATIONS. AND SO BASICALLY, THAT'S THE TRANSFORMER THAT TAKES IN TRANSMISSION LEVEL, POWER. AND THEN STEPS IT DOWN TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS OUT TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. SO IT'S PRETTY COMMON ACROSS ALL OUR SUBSTATIONS. BUT THIS ONE IS IN RIGHT IN FRONT OF AN APARTMENT RIGHT ON THE CORNER. ARE YOU TRACKING WITH ME? IT'S ABOUT A BLOCK EAST. SO IT'S NOT INSIDE OF THE SUBSTATION. OKAY, MAYOR, YOU'D HAVE TO SEND ME A PICTURE AND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND GET BACK WITH YOU, OKAY? YEAH, I JUST I WAS JUST CURIOUS. WHAT WITH THAT HOW IT FUNCTIONS IN THE SYSTEM, SO. YEAH. THANK YOU. 
          YES, SIR. ANY OTHER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WOULD LIKE TO JUST DOUBLE DOWN AND SAY IF WE COULD MESSAGE OR BUILD A INFORMATION SHEET, BECAUSE THE NARRATIVE IS GOING TO BE RAISING RATES AGAIN. 
          RIGHT. BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT EVERY QUARTER. AND SO JUST THERE NEEDS TO BE INFORMATION OUT THAT, HEY, THIS IS A QUARTERLY ADJUSTMENT. AND HERE'S WHEN THAT WAS DECIDED. AND IT'S NOT EVERY MONTH BECAUSE IF IT'S DELAY IN REPORTING OR YOU'RE DELAYED IN READING IT, YOU MAY NOT BECAUSE EVEN I THOUGHT IT WAS IT WAS MORE FREQUENT THAN THAT. SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMMUNICATING. IT'S A QUARTERLY ADJUSTMENT. HERE'S WHERE YOU KNOW AS WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND SO IT HAS NOT BEEN EVERY MONTH EVEN IF YOU IF YOU YEAH IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. 
          YEAH. SO MAYOR JUST TO BE CLEAR SO THIS 1.5% IS ACTUALLY THE BASE RATES. AND WE NORMALLY ONLY DO THAT ONCE A YEAR AS PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS. THIS GOES TO COVER THINGS LIKE PERSONNEL POLES AND WIRES THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS THE ADJUSTMENT. ON THE ECA, THE ENERGY COST ADJUSTMENT. AND WE DO LOOK AT THAT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, THE OTHER THE OTHER FEE THAT WE ALSO LOOK ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, ALTHOUGH WE'VE NOT MADE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO IT SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED BACK IN FEBRUARY, IS A TRANSMISSION COST RECOVERY FACTOR. SO THOSE ARE TWO PASS THROUGH FEES, THAT THAT WE LOOK AT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, HOW MUCH HAVE WE PAID AND HOW MUCH DO WE NEED TO RECOVER FROM, FROM OUR CUSTOMERS TO, TO, TO BE MADE WHOLE. SO THOSE ARE PURELY PASS THROUGH FEES. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. YES. AND I JUST THINK WE NEED THE MESSAGE THAT OUT BETTER. RIGHT. BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE THAT THAT THANK YOU FOR THE SPECIFICITY. IT'S JUST NOT COMMUNICATED RIGHT. WHAT'S COMMUNICATED IS THE RATES ARE GOING UP AGAIN. THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT THE PARAGRAPH IS GOING TO READ. IF I'M IF MY SPIDEY SENSES ARE WORKING AND SO I'M SAYING WE NEED TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THAT. AND HERE'S HERE'S WHY. YES, SIR. MAYOR. AND SO WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR AT THE LAST MEETING. AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. AND JUST YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A KEY ACCOUNT PERSON THAT DEALS WITH OUR TOP 20 LARGEST CUSTOMERS, AND SHE'S ACTIVELY TALKING TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AND WE'VE BEEN FIELDING A NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS AS WELL, AND MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO EXPLAIN ALL THESE RATE INCREASES THAT WE'RE DOING. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. YES, SIR. IT'S VERY HELPFUL. MR. MAYOR SAYS, OKAY, OKAY. SO NEXT STEPS WILL BE BUDGET ADOPTION ON SEPTEMBER 17TH. BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT, THIS EVENING WILL BE HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE. WHEN WE GET TO THE 17TH, WE WILL BE ADOPTING THE TAX RATE. THEN ADOPTING THE BUDGET AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND THEN THE RATE ORDINANCES. OKAY, SO I WILL BE BACK A COUPLE MORE TIMES TODAY BEFORE WE ARE DONE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET. GREAT. SO ANY ANY QUESTIONS OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND SO THAT COMPLETES ITEM A TAKES US TO OUR. CLOSED MEETING. SO WE'LL SET THE ROOM 
          [1. Closed Meeting:]
          [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:]
          [A. Hold a public hearing and receive citizen input on the FY 2024-25 Proposed Budget.]
          [01:15:56]
SO THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE COULD PROBABLY TAKE STEPS IN FUTURE YEARS TO 
          [01:16:03]
AGGREGATE THAT INFORMATION IN A MORE COHERENT FASHION. BUT THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU SEE US 
          [01:16:08]
DOING HERE OVER THE MONTHS. IS HEARING THAT INFORMATION. AND WE DO NEED YOUR FEEDBACK SO THAT I 
          [01:16:15]
DON'T I DON'T WANT TO BELITTLE OR DISMISS THE CITIZENS FEEDBACK COMPONENT, BUT IT DOES HOPEFULLY 
          [01:16:25]
HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SEEN THIS INFORMATION. IT IS JUST MAYBE IN MULTIPLE PIECES 
          [01:16:31]
AND HARDER TO GET AT IF YOU'RE COMING TO IT AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, RATHER THAN HAVING BEEN 
          [01:16:37]
WITH US THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. SO WE COULD PROBABLY DO A BETTER JOB OF AGGREGATING THAT. AND I'M GOING TO ENCOURAGE STAFF TO COME UP WITH A MECHANISM TO BETTER AGGREGATE THAT. SO IT'S CLEARER. 
          BUT WE HAVE SEEN ALL THE PIECES AS WE'VE GONE INTO THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, NO PROBLEM. OKAY SO I WANT TO POINT OUT I WANT TO BE AS WELL THERE'S ANOTHER SPEAKER. SO LET ME DO THIS. JENNIFER. JENNIFER LANG, IF YOU COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME, YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. OKAY STAFF, COULD COULD YOU COULD YOU REMIND ME BEFORE I SAY WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY? COULD YOU REMIND ME ONE IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, ONE $0.01 EQUALS 1.7 MILLION, 1.7 MILLION. GOT IT. OKAY. ANY OTHER SPEAKERS FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING? YOU CAN COME ON DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME. YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES, AND THEN YOU CAN FILL OUT A CARD AFTERWARDS. 
          HELLO. MY NAME IS ERICA GARLAND. I'M SITTING HERE TONIGHT. I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY'S MAKING VALID POINTS. AND I'M LISTENING TO THE AUDIENCE, AND I'M LISTENING TO WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE DAIS. AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S EXTREMELY PRESUMPTUOUS TO SAY THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE MORE INFORMED THAN THE PUBLIC. I ALSO THINK THAT IT'S ENTIRELY PRESUMPTUOUS TO SAY THAT WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT, BECAUSE THE FACT IS, WE'RE SIMPLY NOT TO GET TO COMPARE GETTING A MANICURE AND A PEDICURE TO A SINGLE MOM BUYING GROCERIES OR BUYING GAS IS NOT THE SAME THING. NOT ALL OF US HAVE MULTIPLE PROPERTIES THAT WE OWN. NOT ALL OF US HAVE INHERITED WEALTH. NOT ALL OF US ARE DO HAVE THE LUXURY OF BEING RETIRED. THERE'S MANY PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65 THAT ARE WORKING STILL FULL TIME. AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, WHILE WE ALL WANT TO HAVE THIS CAMARADERIE OF WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT TOGETHER, WE ARE NOT. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY STRUGGLING IN THIS TOWN, AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS AND HAVING TO MAKE TOUGH CHOICES, LIKE, DO I BUY MY PRESCRIPTION OR DO I FEED MY FAMILY? AND SO I THINK THAT WHEN WE ARE COMPARING OUR PROBLEMS, CERTAINLY WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS. BUT TO COMPARE A MANICURE AND A PEDICURE AND ACT LIKE THAT'S REALLY STRUGGLING AND GOING WITHOUT, PARDON ME, THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING AS A YOUNG SINGLE MOTHER THAT CAN'T AFFORD CHILD CARE OR CAN'T AFFORD A TANK OF GAS TO GET TO WORK AND THOSE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT PEOPLE IN DENTON ARE TRULY FACING RIGHT NOW. AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT GROWTH, THE GROWTH SHOULD BE BALANCING OUT THE GROWTH. AND IF WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE IN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT, OKAY, THESE ARE TAXPAYERS. THESE ARE CONSUMERS. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALSO SHOULD BE PAYING INTO THE CITY AND PAYING INTO, YOU KNOW, CONSUMING, I DON'T KNOW, I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT A FINANCIAL ADVISOR, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY HERE TONIGHT TO SAY, 
          [01:20:07]
LOOK, WE ARE BARELY GETTING BY, WE ARE BARELY MAKING ENDS MEET. WE ARE PICKING UP SECOND SHIFTS. 
          WE ARE TAKING ON EXTRA JOBS. WE ARE GOING WITHOUT THAT. YOU SHOULDN'T JUST DISMISS IT AND ACT LIKE EVERYBODY'S THE SAME, BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS NOT. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS FOR A COMMUNITY THAT WE PLAN TO STAY HERE, I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT ON THE LINE WITH DENTON RIGHT NOW, AND WE ARE AT THIS PIVOTAL MOMENT OF WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME REALLY, REALLY LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE TELLING YOU WHAT THEY NEED AND THEY'RE TELLING YOU WHAT THEY WANT. AND I THINK THAT THAT HAS MERIT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE ELSE CARE TO SPEAK? BEFORE I CLOSE IT? YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES. SEEING? NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND I WANT TO SPEAK TO, EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID, REGARDING THE TAX ABATEMENT THING THAT THAT'S COMING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE OTHER THING IS CERTAINLY IS THERE A WAY TO ATTACH SOMETHING TO NEXT WEEK'S OR THE 17TH AGENDA, MAYBE RETROACTIVE, THIS AGENDA THAT HAS MORE OF THE BREADTH OF THE BUDGET? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE AS FAR AS A PDF, RIGHT, OR SOMETHING THAT IN THE, IN THE ON THE AGENDA, THERE'S SOME THINGS THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE EYES, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PRESENTATION, THE ATTACHED OR THE PROPOSED BUDGET. YOU CAN ATTACH TO AN AGENDA. IT'S ALSO ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, ON THE FINANCE PAGE. AND IT HAS BEEN ONLINE SINCE AUGUST. RIGHT. BUT YES, BUT IF WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT, A PDF VERSION ON THERE, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND BECAUSE I'M GOING RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE GOING. SO TO THOSE TRACKING ALONG, I CAN'T ANSWER BECAUSE WE'RE NOT POSTED FOR IT. BUT I CAN MAKE MY OWN STATEMENTS AND MY STATEMENT IS THIS ON ON GOOGLE, I SEARCH CITY OF DENTON BUDGET. I GO THERE'S A NUMBER OF HITS, BUT I'LL DIRECT YOU TO AND WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOOGLE. AND SO, ONE TWO, THREE, FOUR JUST UNDER THE COUNTY FIVE CITY OF DENTON SHARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE DENTON PROPOSED BUDGET. THAT'S THE BUDGET CALCULATOR. SO IT'S FIVE. IT'S ON THE FIRST PAGE, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. AND IT'S THE FIFTH HYPERLINK. IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE AUGUST 27TH. AND ON THERE YOU HAVE, LET ME GET THER. IT LISTS NOT ONLY WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED. THIS IS WHERE YOU SUBMIT YOUR YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR REVENUE. IT HAS EVERYTHING. PROPERTY TAXES, 68 POINT, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE ONE SPEAKER TALKS ABOUT E-BIKES THAT'S UNDER COUNCIL PRIORITIES. ENHANCEMENTS IS WHAT IT'S CALLED TECHNICALLY. AND THAT'S EVERYTHING THE COUNCIL'S LAYING OUT LAYERING OVER THAT YOU CAN. THAT'S THE EASIEST. IT'S THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT THAT NO ONE SPOKE TO. ONE PERSON SPOKE TO IT, AND IT WAS WRONG. SO E-BIKES ARE NOT $60,000. IT'S 3000 $32,500. YOU CAN CLICK THE INFORMATION BUTTON AND IT TALKS. YOU CAN GET MORE DETAILS. YOU CAN SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, ALL THOSE THINGS. SO NO ONE'S HIDING THE FOOTBALL. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO TRACK ALONG. AND BUT I'M JUST SPEAKING TO CONCERNS. RIGHT. AND SO THEN LET'S GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT THING THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME AGAIN SPEAKING TO CONCERNS NOW LOOKING AT THE BUDGET CALCULATOR, UNDERSTAND WHAT STAFF JUST SAID. YOU GOT TO REMOVE ONE. IF YOU REMOVE. $1.7 MILLION FROM THIS BUDGET, IT SAVES YOU A PENNY. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. I THINK WE'RE $0.09 OFF OF THAT. IS THAT RIGHT? IT'S 40. NO, IT'S $0.53 IS A NO NEW REVENUE RATE. NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS $0.53. AND THE PROPOSED RATE IS $0.58. AND AS A REMINDER THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE INS PORTION OF THE TAX RATE, WHICH INCLUDES THE 2023 VOTER APPROVED BOND PACKAGE, AS WELL AS THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE, WHICH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD DECREASE BY $0.02. RIGHT. AND SO, THAT'S A LOT MORE MATH THAN I CAN DO ON MY PHONE ON THE FLY. BUT I'LL SAY THIS. YOU HAVE TO BIFURCATE THE TWO, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT THE BUDGET RATE, WHICH WHICH SIDE IS THAT? WHAT'S WHAT'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. IF YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT THAT, THEN THAT WENT TO THE VOTERS FOR A VOTE. AND THEY WERE RIGHT THAT THE BOND, THE DEBT SERVICE, THE DEBT SERVICE WOULD BE THE BOND RIGHT WITH THE BOND. YES. RIGHT. SO WE HAD A BOND ELECTION THAT 
          [01:25:01]
WENT BEFORE THE CITIZENS AND THEY AND THEY WERE SURGICAL ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY THEY OPTED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CITY HALL WEST. SO THEY WERE PAYING ATTENTION. I PRESUME, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T VOTE JUST YES FOR EVERYTHING. AND SO ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUDGET, IF YOU'RE COMING TO ME AND SAYING, IGNORE WHAT THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR, CAN'T DO IT, NOT GOING TO DO IT, THAT NOR SHOULD WE. RIGHT? SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUDGET WHERE WE REDUCED IT TO CENTS. NOW, IF YOU WANT TO REDUCE IT MORE, YOU REDUCE $1.7 MILLION EVERY $1.7 MILLION. YOU, YOU YOU DO AWAY WITH, THEN THAT WILL SAVE YOU $0.01 TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT RATE. BUT UNDERSTAND THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES ARE $183,000. THAT'S WHAT. AND I WOULD TELL YOU. 
          SURE. LET'S DO AWAY WITH ALL THOSE 100%. I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, THAT'S $183 MILLION. 
          THAT'S THAT'S NOT THAT'S FAR FROM THE 1.7. WE NEED TO MOVE AT A PENNY. NOW THE OTHER STUFF YOU GET INTO POLICE ENHANCEMENTS LET'S SAY. SO DO YOU NOT WANT A K-9 POLICE K-9? WE DON'T HAVE THAT NOW. WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT. WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE FIVE OFFICERS. WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE A QUARTERMASTER THAT HELPS WITH THE UNIFORMS, THAT HELPS PEOPLE MAINTAIN, MAKE GET MORE. SO YOU'RE GETTING INTO THE MEAT OF THE BUDGET WHEN YOU AFTER 183,000. SO I'M HAPPY TO HAVE YOUR FEEDBACK. I JUST WANT IT TO BE EDUCATED AND ON YOU KNOW, TO WHAT TELL ME WHAT WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU WANT? BUT THEN ALSO I HEARD THIS AND I THINK IT'S A VALID DISCUSSION, AND STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, WE'RE FINE WITH THE FILL IN THE BLANK DEVELOPMENT. WE JUST WANT THE, THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THE IMPROVEMENTS. FIRST THE INFRASTRUCTURE. SO PUT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST, AND THEN WE'RE FINE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT. WELL, IF I TAKE THAT AT FACE VALUE, THEN HOW DO WE LET THE DEVELOPMENT PAY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS? YOU SEE. SO IF WE BUILD A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF WITH NO SIDEWALK, WE'RE IN TROUBLE. IF WE BUILD A WHOLE IF WE BUILD ALL THE SIDEWALKS BEFORE THEY IMPROVE THE IMPROVEMENTS, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. SO THAT'S THE CHALLENGE. THAT'S THAT'S THE CHALLENGE BEFORE US IS CERTAINLY THERE'S GROWTH. AND CERTAINLY THAT SHOULD PAY FOR THINGS. BUT AT SOME POINT WE GET ONE YEAR, ONE OPPORTUNITY IN THE YEAR TO DO THAT. AND THEN THERE'S ALL THIS OTHER GROWTH. AND THEN WE NEED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO SUPPORT THAT, TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE SAFE ROUTES, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE WALKABILITY, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE PARKS, MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RESOURCES. 
          THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN SAYS, HEY, WE DON'T HAVE A RECREATION CENTER. THE LIBRARY IS TOO SMALL. WE NEED A BIGGER NATATORIUM. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO BALANCE. BUT MY POINT JUST ON THE GROWTH, JUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A VALID DISCUSSION TO HAVE. THE QUESTION IS IF WE ALLOW FOR GROWTH TO PAY FOR IT AND PEOPLE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE THE GROWTH, WHERE DOES THAT INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE THE GROWTH MONEY COME FROM? IT COMES FROM A BUDGET LIKE THIS AND THE SAFETY COMPONENT OF IT. IF YOU WANT MORE SAFETY, IF YOU'RE AT ALL NOT FEELING SAFE IN DENTON OR NEED US TO TAKE MORE ACTIONS, THESE ARE TOOLS WE NEED AND WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE UP FRONT. AND SO WE'RE HOPING, CONTINUED GROWTH. WE CAN CONTINUE TO LOWER THAT OTHER SIDE OF THE DEBT RATE MORE. I MEAN, THE OTHER RATE MORE. WE TAKE OUT LESS DEBT. 
          THAT'S GREAT. AND I'M WELL, I'M WELL ESTABLISHED. JUST WATCH ANY COUNCIL MEMBER MEETING AND I'LL AND I'LL I'M FIRST TO TELL YOU, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE WHERE THE FAT IS, WHERE WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY, LEGAL FEES. WE'RE $100,000 INTO. SO LET THAT SOAK IN. WE'RE ALL THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES. $183,000 LITIGATION TO PRETEND THAT MARIJUANA IS NOT ILLEGAL, $100,000 AND GROWING. 
          THIS IS STATIC. THIS WON'T GO ANY FURTHER. SO IF YOU'RE AND I'M WELL DOCUMENTED, IT'S SAYING YOU WANT YOU DON'T WANT. WASTEFUL SPENDING IS TO. ONE OF THE SPEAKERS WAS WONDERING WHERE IT IS. IT'S IN LEGAL FEES. NO NO NO OFFENSE TO YOUR DEPARTMENT. THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK AND I APPRECIATE THEM. IT'D BE A LOT WORSE WITHOUT YOU, BUT THAT'S WHERE IT IS IN MY ESTIMATION. 
          AND YOU, EVERYONE CAN FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE WITH ME. THAT'S GREAT. BUT I THINK I TOUCHED ON EVERYTHING THERE. THERE'S SOME NUMBERS THAT WERE THROWN OUT THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT ARE ACCURATE, AND THAT'S FINE. I JUST DO DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT ONE IS SPECIFICALLY NOT WAS INFLATED SOMEHOW, AND THAT'S E-BIKES. WE'RE LOOKING TO BUY FIVE OF THEM. AND THAT'S AT, 3000 $32,500. AND, AND THAT IS MY ASK. AND I'M WILLING TO SET THAT ASIDE UNTIL MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT. BUT HERE'S HERE'S WHAT I'LL TELL YOU, I WILL SAY THIS, MY THOUGHT BEHIND THAT, BECAUSE I THINK YOU DESERVE IT. IF I HAVE AN OFFICER, WE STOP YOUR HAND. IF YOU'VE BEEN IN TRAFFIC IN DENTON. RIGHT. AND ALL THE CONSTRUCTION. SO IF YOU'RE IN A POLICE CAR, IT'S HARD TO GET AROUND, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW. BUT ANYWAY, BIKES DO. I WANT A POLICE OFFICER EXERTING THEIR ENERGY, PEDALING UP HICKORY STREET OR OAK STREET, OR DO I WANT THEM TO 
          [01:30:02]
HAVE AN E-BIKE SO THEY CAN EASILY GLIDE UP OAK STREET AND THEN GO FASTER WHEN SOMEONE'S RUNNING FROM THEM, CATCH UP WITH THEM AND KEEP US SAFE? I'D RATHER THEM CONSERVE THEIR ENERGY ON AN E-BIKE AND SAVE THEIR ENERGY FOR WHEN WE WHEN THEY NEED TO ACT. AND THAT'S MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE. WE HAVE BIKES. THANKS TO THE CITY MANAGER, WE PURCHASED SOME LAST YEAR AND THEY'VE THEY'VE GONE OVER WELL OUR INTEREST. I THINK IN THE IN SERVING OR SERVING IN THAT CAPACITY ON THE BIKE PATROL IS INCREASED. THERE'S JUST AN INCREASED ENERGY AROUND IT, AND NOT SAYING IT'S ALL THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A PORTION. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I PUT FORWARD. AND I'M GOING TO FULL DISCLOSURE, I'M GOING TO MOVE ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT. I DON'T THINK WE NEED IT RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE MID-YEAR INCREASES OTHER DIRECTION. I'LL TELL YOU TO LOOK AT LOOK AT AGAIN IT'S ALL ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT. AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU HOW TO EVALUATE IT. I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR $1.7 MILLION CHUNKS, ALSO LOOK AT SUSTAINABILITY. THERE'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THERE. ARE WE USING IT? ARE WE ARCHIVING IT? I MEAN, ARE WE BANKING IT? THAT'S GREAT. WHATEVER THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO DO. BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE LARGE AREAS, NOT THE ONESIE TWOSIES TO GET TO SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS TO, TO THEN LOWER THE RATE. AND SO GIVE YOUR OPINION AGAIN. THE CITY OF DENTON DOT A BALANCING ACT DOT COM. THAT'S THE WEBSITE. IT LISTS WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR THOUGHTS. YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR OPINIONS, AND BY ALL MEANS LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING IT. 
          NO ONE HAS MADE THEIR MIND, NO ONES. NOTHING IS SET IN STONE. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS TO HEAR PEOPLE. SO AGAIN, EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD TODAY, I THINK I SPOKE TO AND BUT I DO WANT TO I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU THIS TEST. THIS IS HOMEWORK. IF, IF, IF WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE CITY OF DENTON, THEN YOU WON'T FIND OTHER CITIES STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME THING. IT WOULD JUST BE DENTON IN THIS BOAT. ALL BY ITSELF. A QUOTE AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THIS IS A GOOGLE SEARCH. QUOTE FROM HOUSTON. WE ARE BROK, FROM FROM NORTH TEXAS CITIES. 
          THEY SAY THIS IS AN ARTICLE ABOUT DART, DART. SO IT'S REGARDING THE DART NORTH TEXAS CITIES TRY TO CUT FUNDING. PLANO GOING TO WAR WITH DART. ANOTHER ANOTHER NEWS STORY DALLAS WORKING TO ELIMINATE 38 MILLION. AND THEN SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST YOU'LL FIND OTHER CITIES AND OTHER CITIES THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN DEPARTMENTS. SOME OF OUR SMALLER CITIES. SO EVERYONE'S STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME THING. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SAYING WE'RE UNIQUELY SITUATED. WE'RE UNIQUELY SITUATED IN OUR GROWTH AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS. BUT IF, IF, IF WE WEREN'T, IF IT'S JUST DENTON SAYING, HEY, THERE'S COST ISSUES, THERE'S SERVICE ISSUES, THAT'S ONE THING. BUT IF ALL CITIES ARE IN THE BOAT TOGETHER TRYING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, THEN I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TEST FOR IF WE'RE SHOOTING YOU STRAIGHT. SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. I TRIED TO TOUCH ON EVERYTHING I HEARD TODAY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO COME OUT ON THE 17TH AGAIN. NOTHING'S DONE UNTIL WE VOTE ON IT. SO BETWEEN NOW THE 17TH, THE 17TH PROPER, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE THINGS. GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK, GIVE US YOUR INSIGHTS AGAIN, JUST NOTE IT HAS TO BE IN $1.7 MILLION CHUNKS TO GET A PENNY OFF. SO AND HEAR ME, I. WOULD. I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH ANYONE. THE 183,000 FROM COUNCIL ABSOLUTELY CAN'T SUPPORT IT. SO IF YOU. SO LET ME GET IN FRONT OF THAT. IF YOU Y'ALL WERE MY WITNESSES, IF WHEN THE BUDGET COMES AND I VOTE NO AND IT'S IN THE. BUDGET, IT'S I LIKE THE BUDGET OFFICERS. I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S PRUDENT TO LEAD THAT WAY. AND SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE DOLLARS AT LEAST DOING DOING THE LITTLE I CAN. THE OTHER STUFF AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT AT ANOTHER DATE, BUT THAT IS A PRETTY EASY ONE FOR ME TO START TO SHOW THAT I DO HEAR THE COMMUNITY AND I DO UNDERSTAND THOSE CONCERNS. SO WE HAVE TO SOMETIMES TAKE A BACK SEAT TO BECAUSE I THINK MID-YEAR WE'LL HAVE ADJUSTMENTS. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THAT WILL REALLY TAKE CARE OF THAT. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW. AND SO I'M ENCOURAGED BY THAT. SO THAT'S MY THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. THAT'S MY RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS CONCERNS I'VE HEARD TODAY. REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT THREE. MAYOR I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED YOUR POINTING OUT THE TOOL WHERE YOU CAN ON THE WEBSITE, PLAY AT A LINE ITEM LEVEL WITH WHAT TO TAKE IN, WHAT TO TAKE OUT, AND AT. AS PART OF THAT YOU GET TO SAY OKAY BASED ON YOUR OWN LOOK AT IT. DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE BUDGET OR 
          [01:35:05]
INCREASE THE TAX RATE? KEEP IT THE SAME. CUT IT. NOW WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT IT, I WOULD SAY, WELL, WHY DO YOU EVEN NEED TO ASK THAT? YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S JUST GOING TO SAY REDUCE. AND NOW WE DON'T HAVE A ZILLION RESPONSES YET. I HOPE WE DO. BY THE TIME WE HAVE TO VOTE ON IT. 
          BUT THE RESPONSES THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR FROM PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY TRIED TO MAKE IT WORK. 
          THE LARGEST RESPONSE SET WAS LEAVE IT THE SAME WHEN YOU KNOW PEOPLE WANT TO CUT IT. I MEAN, I WANT TO CUT IT. I WANT MY OWN TAXES CUT. SO, YOU KNOW, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUST ENGAGE WITH THAT AND SEE HOW YOU COME OUT. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF COMMENTS BEFORE WE GO ON TO ITEM B BECAUSE THERE'S NO ACTION, RIGHT? CORRECT. JUST THE HEARIN. 
          [B. Hold a public hearing on proposed property tax increase that will not exceed $0.595420 per $100 valuation. The proposed rate will exceed the no new revenue tax rate ($0.531785 per $100) but will not exceed the voter-approval tax rate ($0.604748 per $100).]
YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE OKAY. THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM B WHICH IS. ID 24230. HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. THAT WILL NOT EXCEED THE POINT FIVE $0.59. 
          WELL, LET ME DO IT THIS WAY. 0.595420 PER 100 EVALUATION. THE PROPOSED RATE WILL EXCEED THE NO. THE PROPOSED RATE WILL EXCEED THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.531785 PER 100, BUT WILL NOT EXCEED THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE OF 0.604748 PER 100. SO LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT'S PRETTY CONFUSING. SO THE, WE WON'T GO HIGHER THAN 0.595420 PER 100. 
          WHAT WE'VE PROPOSED IS 0.531785 PER 100. AND WHAT IF WE WENT TO THAT WOULD TRIGGER A ELECTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE LAW. IF YOU GO ABOVE A RATE, THAT RATE IS 0.604748 PER 100. OKAY. AND I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL JESSICA WILLIAMS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER THIS SLIDE WILL LOOK FAMILIAR. WE JUST TALKED THIS OVER. SO THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE THAT IS BEING PROPOSED, THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE IS THE RATE THAT IS USED TO FUND GENERAL SERVICES IN THE GENERAL FUND IS 0.334780 PER 100. AND THE DEBT SERVICE OR INTEREST AND SINKING RATE, AS IT IS KNOWN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IS USED TO COVER DEBT SERVICE ISSUED BY THE CITY AND THAT RATE IS 0.250640 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE. IN THIS BUDGET. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL PROPOSED TAX RATE TO 0.585420 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE RATE THAT WOULD COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE FOR PROPERTIES ON THE TAX ROLL IN BOTH YEARS IS 0.531785 PER 100. THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, THE RATE AT WHICH WE WOULD TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC ELECTION IF WE WERE TO EXCEED, IS 0.604748 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE, AND THE PUBLISHED MAX TAX RATE THAT THIS COUNCIL AGREED UPON IS 0.595420 PER $100. AGAIN, THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 0.585420 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION. SO NOW WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE DECREASED BY $0.02. AND THE DEBT RATE INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY 4.5. 
          SO WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL BILL? THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER WILL SEE A $24.25 INCREASE PER MONTH, OR $291 PER YEAR. THAT INCLUDES THE INCREASE IN THE TAXABLE VALUATION. SO IF YOU RECALL, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT ASSESSED VALUATION INCREASING AND THAT INCREASED OVER 10%. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS WE'RE TAKING THIS INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN THE VALUE OF THE HOME INCREASES, THE COST GENERATED OFF OF THE RATE CAN INCREASE AS WELL. SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR 23, 24 AND 25? SO LOOKING AT 2023, WITH A TAX RATE OF 5.60682 AND AN AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE OF 307,000 FOR A HOME IN THE CITY OF DENTON, THE AVERAGE TAX BILL WAS 1723 PER YEAR. THAT'S $1,723 PER YEAR IN 
          [01:40:03]
2025. THOSE NUMBERS CHANGE TO 0.585420 PER 100 WOULD ALSO INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME. IS THAT THE AVERAGE VALUE OF A HOME IN THE CITY IS NOW $379,836. THAT GENERATES AN INCREASE IN TOTAL TO THE AVERAGE TAX BILL OF $291. AGAIN, THAT'S THAT $24 A MONTH. 
          THEN LOOKING AT THE IMPACT FROM THE INCREASES IN THE UTILITY FEES, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 3% INCREASE, THE 11%, THE ONE AND A HALF AND THE ONE AND A HALF, WE SEE A TOTAL INCREASE ANNUALLY OF $84. THAT'S A MONTHLY INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY $7. SO IN TOTAL, WITH THE INCREASE OF 2425 PER MONTH ON THE TAX RATE AND THE INCREASE OF THE UTILITIES COMBINED AT $7, WE ARE LOOKING AT A TOTAL INCREASE OF $31.25. AGAIN, WE WILL BE BACK ON THE 17TH WHERE WE WILL ADOPT THE BUDGET, THE TAX RATE, THE FEES AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLA. AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL STAND FOR QUESTIONS. GREAT THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. I HAVE ONE CARD SO FAR. SO JODY. JODY, YOU CAN COME DOWN AND GIVE YOUR NAME. YOU'LL HAVE. FOUR MINUTES. JODY ISMERT, 819 ANNA STREET. SO I WASN'T PREPARED TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET, I'LL ADMIT THAT. BUT I DID HAVE THAT QUESTION. AND THEN WHEN I SAW THE INCREASES WHILE I WAS HERE, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ON THAT. BUT I AM PREPARED TO SPEAK ON THE TAX INCREASES, SO I KNOW THAT WE VOTED ON THIS AND THERE'S PROBABLY NO HOPE IN CONVINCING COUNCIL TO MAYBE LOWER IT, MORE TO A FLAT RATE OR CLOSER. I ALREADY KNOW THIS, SO I'M COMING UP HERE AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S PRETTY FRUITLESS, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, COUNT. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS ALREADY. WE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING. AND I GO IN AND I, I TRY TO BRING THE COUNTY DOWN TO WHAT I KNOW MY HOUSE CAN SELL FOR, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO SELL FOR WHAT THEY CLAIM IT'S GOING TO SELL FOR, BECAUSE THEY'RE MATCHING IT UP AGAINST HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY GUTTED AND REDONE. 
          AND MY HOME HAS NOT. AND I TOLD THE MAN, I SAID MY REFRIGERATOR IS FROM 1980. IT IS OLDER THAN YOU. SO YOU KNOW, MY KITCHEN HAS NOT BEEN REDONE. IF I PUT IT ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO SELL FOR WHAT PEOPLE THINK IT'S GOING TO SELL FOR, ON WHAT THE COUNTY IS TRYING TO APPRAISE MY HOME AT. SO THEY BRING IT DOWN. BUT TAXES ARE JUST, I MEAN, IT'S JUST OUTRAGEOUS. AND THEN YOU HAVE INSURANCE COSTS AND NOW WE'RE SEEING RAISES IN ELECTRICITY AND IT'S JUST IT'S A LOT, ALSO I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THIS AND I KNOW THAT I'VE ALREADY EMAILED COUNCIL. SO SOME OF YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY HEARD, BUT MY QUESTIONS ARE SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE MY NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFICALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARILY FAIR BECAUSE A LOT OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT OUR TAXES PAY FOR ARE GOING TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER AREAS. 
          AND I, WE WERE LEFT OUT ENTIRELY. WE WERE IN THE DOWNTOWN. MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS AND WE WERE COMPLETELY LEFT OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. SO WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY IMPROVEMENTS, BUT I'M GOING TO BE PAYING FOR IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE HEAVILY AND OBVIOUSLY IN THE DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. JUST NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN HEAVILY. AND I CAME TO COUNCIL OR PNC, ACTUALLY, AND I SPOKE AND I ASKED WHY, AND IT WAS PUBLIC. IT WAS A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          SO THEN I HAD TO GO SIT DOWN AND CITY STAFF CAME UP. AND THE MAN WAS VERY NICE. BUT HE SAID, IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT THE PRIORITY. TWU IS. AND THAT REALLY DIDN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PAYING, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ASKING I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR 20 YEARS, LIKE LIGHTS, PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS, MORE CROSSWALKS, BETTER SIDEWALKS. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEDESTRIANS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, A LOT ON ANNA STREET AND BOLIVAR. IT'S THERE ARE SO MANY, BUT WE HAVE STREET LIGHTS THAT BELONG ON CARROLL, SO IT'S VERY DARK. YOU KNOW, WHERE THE STREET LIGHTS AREN'T. 
          SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE PEDESTRIAN STREET LIGHTS. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENTS. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING MORE FOR, YOU KNOW, IN TAXES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, WHERE I LIVE TOO, AND MAKE IT MORE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD, I GUESS THAT IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'RE 
          [01:45:06]
PROBABLY GOING TO INCREASE TAXES BECAUSE IT WAS VOTED ON BY THE PEOPLE, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAYBE LOWER THE RATE OR MAKE IT MORE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHARLES LEE. IF YOU CAN COME DOWN, GIVE YOUR NAME. YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES. 
          YEAH. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHARLES LEE. I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS, LIKE. YES, I AGREE WITH YOU, THE $183,000 FOR LEGAL FEES IS RIDICULOUS. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE THAT ELECTIONS, THEY DO HAVE CONSEQUENCES. AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BOND AND THE PEOPLE WHO APPROVED THE BOND, WELL, I VOTED NO ON EVERYTHING RIGHT DOWN THE LIST BECAUSE I KNOW ALL THE BONDS. AND THIS GOES TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WHEN YOU SEE THESE BOND PROPOSALS, VOTE NO ON ALL OF THEM. I DO, AND I DO EVERYTHING AND I COME HERE EVERY WEEK AND I'M HERE EVERY WEEK, AND I'M AT THE AGENDA EVERY WEEK. AND YOU GO THROUGH THE CARDS. I'M KNOWING EVERYTHING. ALL RIGHT. AND I WANT TO SAY THAT WHAT IT IS DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS. I GO TO ALL THE, THE MEETINGS AND THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. I'M KNOWING ALL THAT STUFF, TOO. AND EVERYBODY KEEPS VOTING. YES. AND THERE'S A DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS. YOU'RE ALWAYS VOTING YES. EVERY EVERY EVERY HEARING. YES YES YES, YES. 
          AND IT STARTS ADDING UP. IT STARTS ADDING UP. IT STARTS ADDING UP. AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THIS POINT, YOU ALREADY SOLD OUT AND SAID, YES, YOU GOT TO SAY NO. SOMETIMES THAT'S THE POWERS. AND NO, IT'S NOT JUST SAYING EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU COME HERE AND ALL THESE HEARINGS VOTING YES. AND THEN THIS IS WHEN YOU START RUNNING UP THE TAB AND YOU CAN'T SAY NO AT THIS POINT. AND THAT'S THE POWER IS YOU'VE GOT TO SAY NO SOMETIMES, THANKS, BUT NO THANKS. LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT TALK ABOUT YOU HAVE TO PAY SIDEWALKS FOR A LOT OF THESE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. WELL, IN MY HOUSE, WELL, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, THE WHOLE TIME WE, I LIVED IN A DEAD END STREET AND IT WAS A DIRT ROAD. MY FATHER WENT TO THE TOWN, TO THE TOWN TO TRY TO GET HIM TO PAY, TO PAVE THE ROAD. THEY WOULDN'T DO IT. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHY, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PAY THE TOWN DIDN'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT. THAT'S HOW STINGY PEOPLE WERE BACK THEN. AND THEN IT ONLY TOOK UNTIL THERE WAS A GARBAGE TRUCK THAT GOT STUCK OUT THERE, AND IT GOT IN THE PAPER. 
          DID THEY ACTUALLY BUILD THE PUT A STREET IN THE STREET IN THE DRIVEWAY? AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY STILL MADE US PAY FOR THAT ROAD BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS THEY WERE REALLY STINGY ABOUT THE MONEY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PAY ALL THE MONEY TO GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE THE MORE MONEY YOU GIVE THE GOVERNMENT, THE MORE IT GROWS AND YOUR FREEDOM DISAPPEARS. YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SAY NO SOMETIMES AND THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE ELSE CARE TO SPEAK? YOU. CAN YOU JUST FILL OUT A CARD AFTERWARDS? IS THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NONE. SO I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND I DO HAVE A QUESTION. CAN WE GO TO THE YOUR SECOND SLIDE ON THIS PRESENTATION? SURE WHAT ONE. THIS ONE. OH I'M SORRY I DON'T KNOW HOW TO. CAN Y'ALL GIVE ME THE SCREEN I DON'T KNOW. THERE WE GO. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. THAT ONE OKAY. AND JUST SO PEOPLE BECAUSE I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE QUESTION THAT WAS AGAIN TRYING TO BE ON POINT TO THE QUESTIONS ASKED. THE DISCUSSION POINT. BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOMEONE HERE ASKING THAT I'M SURE THERE'S OTHERS THAT HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION. AND HOPEFULLY THIS MESSAGE GETS OUT AND THEY CAN PROVIDE THEIR INSIGHT OR SHARE THAT INFORMATION. SO THE DEBT SERVICE THAT 0.25, THAT IS A FIXED NUMBER THAT JUST OUR TOTAL DEBT. AND THEN WE HAVE TO DIVIDE THAT OUT BY PER 100. AND I'M SURE I'M OVERSIMPLIFYING BUT WE CAN'T WE CAN'T SHORTCUT THAT NUMBER. CORRECT. THAT IS THE TAX SUPPORTED PORTION OF THE DEBT THAT WE WILL BE PAYING IN THE NEXT YEAR. YEAH. AND SO AND THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THROUGH OUR COUNTY, THROUGH DENTON COUNTY, WE WORK WITH THEM AND PUT, YOU KNOW, OUR PAYMENTS ARE WHAT THEY ARE. THE PORTION THAT IS TAX SUPPORTED, WE LIST HERE, WE LIST IT ON THE WEBSITE THROUGH THE SEC. IT'S PART OF OUR AUDIT. IT'S. YEAH SO, SO THE KEY THERE IS AND WE'VE DONE SOME OF THIS LIKE WE IN THE PAST, WE'VE, SHIFTED AROUND MONEY PAID STUFF OFF EARLY TO LOWER THAT DEBT RATE. BUT WE JUST TO AFFECT THAT NUMBER, WE NEED TO LOWER THE DEBT RATE SIMPLY SAID THEN THE OTHER NUMBER, THE MAINTENANCE OPERATION, THAT'S ONE WE CAN DECIDE AND MOVE ON. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE ISSUE WITH THE BOND ELECTION AND THE RESULTS OF THA. 
          WE THE DEBT IS THE DEBT AND WE CAN'T MOVE THAT WHAT OUR COST IS DIVIDED BY. THAT'S WHAT WE END UP WITH. SO WE HAVE TO BE BETTER ABOUT, AND WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD BUT BUT BETTER ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR DEBT. THE AMOUNT OF DEBT WE HAVE IMPROVES THAT NUMBER. AND THEN THE TOP 
          [01:50:02]
LINE NUMBER WE CAN ADJUST, OUR, YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY. SO I JUST SAY THAT TO SAY, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT AND SUBMITTING YOUR THOUGHTS, THE MAINTENANCE OPERATION, THAT'S THE STAFFING THAT'S THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THAT ARE WHAT WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT. MOVING AROUND THE DEBT IS JUST TOTAL NUMBER. AND THAT'S HOW WE GET THAT, THAT THAT BOTTOM LINE NUMBER. SO, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE WE'RE PROCESSING THROUGH. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT THREE. YEAH. MAYOR PRO TEM MOSER, THANK YOU. I ALWAYS FIND THAT A LITTLE CHALLENGING IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAX RATE, BECAUSE IT FORCES YOU TO DO SOME ARITHMETIC AND MORE THAN I CAN DO IN MY HEAD. QUICK AND I THINK IT MIGHT HELP DIMENSIONALIZE THIS A LITTLE BETTER IF YOU HAVE A NUMBER THAT I KNOW YOU HAVE. 
          BUT IF YOU HAVE IT READY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, WHICH IS THE DOLLAR INCREASE ON THE ON THE AVERAGE PROPERTY WITH THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, THE MONTHLY, YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT, THAT THAT GO BY QUICK. WE ALREADY HAD IT DID I. OKAY. WE CAN ZERO IN ON IT. THE 2425 A MONTH A MONTH AND SO AND A YEAR IT'S LIKE SO IT'S LIKE $300 291 A YEAR. YEAH OKAY. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $300 A YEAR, LESS THAN $300 A YEAR. I DON'T MEAN TO SAY THAT'S SMALL, BUT IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS. BUT IT JUST MIGHT BE A LITTLE EASIER TO DIMENSIONALIZE YOU MAY HAVE THE AVERAGE PROPERTY YOU MAY HAVE HALF THE AVERAGE PROPERTY OR DOUBLE THE AVERAGE PROPERTY, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME KIND OF BALLPARK OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO CONCLUDING ITEMS. SEEING NONE. ALL RIGHT. WHAT YES. YEAH. THAT'S IT. YEAH 
          [2. CONCLUDING ITEMS]
I CLOSED THAT OKAY. AND THEN, SO THAT TAKES US TO CONCLUDING ITEMS. ANY CONCLUDING ITEMS. SEEING NONE I WILL JUST SAY I WANT TO THANK THE, POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND THEIR REMEMBRANCE OF 911. THAT WAS SUNDAY, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER EVENTS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I THINK COMMISSIONER EDMONDSON HAS SOMETHING TOMORROW AT NOON. SO JUST LOOK FOR THOSE EVENTS TO, TO, SO THAT WE CAN ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT TRAGEDY. THOSE BRAVE PEOPLE, AND THOSE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES AND THEN I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE, LIEUTENANT KIRK. I THINK HE'S A LIEUTENANT, CURTIS STEVENS WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AT HIS CHURCH SUNDAY. THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT. AND, WHAT A WHAT A FITTING OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE HIM AND HIS FAMILY. FOR ALL HIS SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER STUFF. BUT IN ESSENCE, A TIME THAT THAT'S THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON IT. YOU GOOD JUDGE. IF YOU DON'T MIND, GO AHEAD, A SHOUT OUT TO THE DENTON HIGH SCHOOL KEY CLUB TODAY, MEMBERS OF THE DENTON HIGH SCHOOL KEY CLUB PLACED U.S. FLAGS IN FRONT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL. 3000 FLAGS EACH ONE WITH THE NAME OF A VICTIM OF NINE OVER 11. THEY'VE DONE THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT. THESE ARE KIDS THAT THAT SIMPLY WEREN'T. I MEAN, THEY WEREN'T BORN AT NINE, 11 AND WE'RE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO KEEP THAT ALIVE. I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM. THANK YOU. MAYOR. 
          YES. NO THAT IS GREAT. AND IT IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD. SOPHIA, WHERE IS IT LOCATED? AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S RIGHT IN THE. IT'S BETWEEN THE STUDENT PARKING AREA AND THE TEACHER PARKING AREA, VISIBLE FROM 3001 BRONCO WAY. THERE YOU GO. GREAT, GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. 
          OKAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.