[The League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on April 9, 2026.]
[00:00:06]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CANDIDATES FORUM. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS GREATLY APPRECIATES YOUR PRESENCE AND PARTICIPATION IN THE CANDIDATES FORUM. CHOOSING LEADERS IS A FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY IN OUR DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT. IT'S YOUR RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO CHOOSE THOSE REPRESENTATIVES AND TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON THAT YOU CHOOSE. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PROVIDES THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP YOU MAKE THAT DECISION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SERVE YOURSELF, BUT THESE ARE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. YOU CHOOSE ONE OF THESE AND YOU WANT TO CHOOSE SOMEBODY THAT WHO'S DECISION MAKING YOU CAN RESPECT. I URGE YOU TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS. WHATEVER THEY ARE. OBVIOUSLY NO SLURS OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. PLEASE.
THESE ARE THE CANDIDATES WHO THIS YEAR ARE RUNNING FOR MAYOR. WE. BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES RESULTING FROM SOME RESIGNATIONS FROM OTHER POSITIONS AND ALL. WE HAD SO MANY THAT WE COULDN'T DO THEM ALL AT ONE TIME. THE CANDIDATES FORUM FOR THE DISTRICTS WILL BE NEXT WEEK AT THIS SAME LOCATION AT THIS SAME TIME. SO I INVITE YOU TO COME BACK AND GRILL WHOEVER IS RUNNING FOR WHERE YOU LIVE. YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT THEY THINK AND WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. FOR THE CANDIDATES, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A MINUTE AND A HALF FOR YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS. THIS IS OUR TIMEKEEPER. AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU AT THE OUTSET, ASSUMING WE ALL UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, WHEN SHE HOLDS UP THE RED CARD, PLEASE STOP TALKING. YOUR TIME IS UP. IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY, YOU WILL GET TWO MINUTES AT THE END FOR CLOSING REMARKS AND YOU CAN ADD WHATEVER THAT WAS THAT YOU WANTED SO BADLY TO SAY. THEN.
AND WE HAVE MORE CARDS AND PENS AND PENCILS SO THAT YOU CAN ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IF YOU LIKE. AND IF SOMETHING THE ANSWER TO ONE QUESTION LEADS YOU TO THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE.
GET. HOLD UP YOUR HAND AND WE'LL DELIVER A CARD AND A PEN TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN ANSWER THAT. SO YOU CAN ASK THAT QUESTION ALSO. AND, AND I ALSO INVITE YOU TO GO TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WEBSITE, WHERE WE'LL WHERE WE POSTED STATEMENTS FROM THE VARIOUS CANDIDATES. AND I EMPHASIZE THAT CANDIDATES ARE ASKED QUESTIONS. THEY ARE NOT EDITED.
IF YOU CAN'T SPELL, WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. WE PRINT IT JUST LIKE YOU WRITE IT. WE MAKE WE DON'T MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS. SO WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS ACTUAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT, NOT SOMETHING THAT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SLIPPED IN ON YOU. AND THEN I WOULD REMIND YOU THAT ELECTION DAY IS MAY THE 2ND EARLY VOTING BEGINS APRIL 20TH. THERE WILL BE NO VOTING ON TUESDAY, APRIL 21ST. AND I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL. BUT I WOULD ASK YOU, IF YOU HAVE TAKEN ONE OF OUR PENS OR PENCILS ON LEAVING, IF YOU WILL DEPOSIT IT ON THE TABLE IN THE. WE DON'T LIKE TO HAVE TO BUY ONE FOR EVERY OR SOME FOR EVERY FORUM, SO WHAT. I WOULD APPRECIATE RETURNING THOSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE WILL BEGIN OUR. OUR FORUM THIS TIME WITH THE OPENING STATEMENTS. AND JUST ARBITRARILY WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN ON THE LEFT AND MOVE TO THE RIGHT. SO YOU'RE UP FIRST. YES, THANKS.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M ANGELA BREWER. I AM A DENTON GIRL WHO IS RUNNING TO BE MAYOR OF MY HOMETOWN. I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY. IT'S REALLY INTEGRAL TO THE WHO I AM AS A PERSON NOW. I WAS REALLY BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY OF DENTON, AND I'M READY TO GIVE BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS A CITY GOVERNMENT AND A CITY COUNCIL THAT'S REALLY STOPPED ATTENDING TO THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE OF DENTON. AND I THINK THAT'S A HUGE MISTAKE, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF DENTON ARE INCREDIBLY TALENTED AND CREATIVE AND HAVE AWESOME IDEAS FOR HOW TO BUILD THE CITY WE WANT TO HAVE AS WE GROW AND GET NEW NEIGHBORS MOVING IN ALL
[00:05:06]
THE TIME. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY A FAILURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO STOP LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE OF DENTON. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BRING TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. THAT'S MY PRIMARY SKILL SET. I'M A COMMUNICATION PROFESSOR, ACADEMICALLY TRAINED IN COMMUNICATION, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF MY KNACK. I'M A GREAT LISTENER. I'M GREAT AT HOLDING SPACE, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, PEOPLE OF VERY DIVERSE OPINIONS AND BACKGROUNDS TO COME TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR IDEAS, SHARE THEIR VISION, AND FIND THE WAYS THAT WE OVERLAP THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON, THE VALUES THAT WE SHARE SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO PUT POLICY BEHIND THOSE SHARED VALUES AND BE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW WE CAN BE. SO I AM VERY PROUD TO BE RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF MY HOMETOWN AND EXCITED TO BRING GOVERNMENTBACK THAT REALLY LISTENS TO THE PEOPLE OF DENTON. >> AND MISS GILES, PLEASE.
>> HI, MY NAME IS SHANNON CHILDS AND I'M ALWAYS SAYING THAT YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOUT ME OVER ON FACEBOOK. BUT THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT TONIGHT IS BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO THAT PAGE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A QUOTE THAT SAYS, NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT SAID THAT IT'S WOMEN LIKE HER. DOLORES HUERTA, OPAL LEE, AND MY MOM, WHO'S SITTING OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT, THAT I'M UP HERE AND I AM SO GRATEFUL TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR ORGANIZING THIS FORUM TONIGHT. MISS LINDY MCADAMS IS EXACTLY RIGHT. YOU DESERVE TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE ELECTING.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I CARE ABOUT OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITIES, OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN DENTON EVERY DAY TO KEEP OUR CITY RUNNING. A VOTE FOR ME MEANS FINDING SHELTER FOR OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITIES. NOW. IT MEANS KEEPING THE THE ICE OUT OF THE CITY OF DENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT NOW. AND IT MEANS IF YOU COME TO CITY HALL BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT SOMETHING, IT MEANS YOUR VOICE IS GOING TO BE HEARD. AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S BEEN MISSING FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL.
AND I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU AN OPTION THAT MAKES SURE THAT YOU FEEL VALUED AND THAT DENTON
FEELS VALUED. THANK YOU. >> MR. WATTS. >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, FOR HOSTING THIS CANDIDATES FORUM. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR US SPEAK. MY NAME IS CHRIS WATTS. I'M RUNNING FOR MAYOR. I SERVED AS MAYOR HERE IN DENTON FROM 2014 TO 2020, GREW UP IN DENTON, GRADUATED IN 1979 FROM DENTON HIGH. BEEN HERE PRETTY MUCH ALL MY LIFE. BUILDING A BUSINESS AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY. A COUPLE OF THINGS. COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. CHRIS WATTS DOT DENTON CHRIS WATTS DENTON.COM IS MY WEBSITE. GO CHECK OUT THE TRACK RECORD THAT WE HAD DURING THOSE SIX YEARS AS I WAS MAYOR. AND ALSO ON MONDAY, APRIL THE 13TH AT THE MLK JUNIOR REC CENTER FROM 630 TO 830, I'LL HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING THERE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AS WELL, JUST AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME THAN A MINUTE AND A HALF OR TWO MINUTES. THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN DYSFUNCTIONAL FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT NOT LISTENING. IT'S ABOUT NOT DOING. I MEAN, THE INACTION ON SOME VERY MAJOR POLICIES HAVE HARMED THIS COMMUNITY. I'M RUNNING SO THAT I CAN BRING A SET OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL THAT IS UNMATCHED. IN ORDER TO BRING THE COUNCIL BACK, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOTALLY THREE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE NEXT COUNCIL OF THE SEVEN, FOUR WILL HAVE A YEAR OR LESS OF EXPERIENCE. TAKE A LOOK AT PEOPLE'S RECORD. NOT WHAT THEY SAY SO MUCH, BUT WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? WORDS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT ARE OUR ACTIONS. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE QUESTIONS TONIGHT. AND THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. WATTS. MR. BRIAN. >> WELL, MR. BRIAN IS IS ALSO EQUAL TO MR. BRIAN BECK. I AM THE DISTRICT TWO CITY COUNCIL PERSON. I'VE BEEN SERVING THERE FOR TWO TWO AND A HALF TERMS ABOUT FIVE YEARS. I'VE BEEN HERE IN DENTON ABOUT 20 YEARS.
RAISED MY FAMILY IN THE IDIOTS HILL AREA. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT HAS LED ME TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY IS I SAW THE COUNCIL'S BEFORE ME HAVE HAVE A PATTERN OF HAVING PEOPLE COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND, YOU KNOW, DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT HERE. AND I AND IT LED ME TO STEP UP AND FIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LISTEN TO NOT JUST POWERFUL INTERESTS, BUT THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY. I'VE BEEN A MY BACKGROUND IS A BIOLOGIST. I'VE BEEN ONE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS TEACHING CLASSES. I CAME HERE TO TEACH AT TWU. I PROBABLY TAUGHT A LOT OF EITHER YOU OR YOUR CHILDREN. I RETIRED RECENTLY OUT OF UT AUSTIN, AND I'VE SERVED AS MAYOR PRO TEM ON THE COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT
[00:10:03]
CODE REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND, AND I HAVE A PATTERN OF SHOWING UP FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOR WILDLIFE CORRIDORS, FOR WORKING FOR HARTLEY FIELD, FOR LIBRARIES AND CENSORSHIP AND, AND NEIGHBORHOODS. I'VE HAD MORE THAN A DOZEN NEIGHBORS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE ARCANA OF THE CITY. AND I PROMISE YOU, I'LL KEEP DOING THAT AS MAYOR.>> THANK YOU. AND THE NEXT, THE FIRST QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE THEN GOES TO YOU, MRS. GILES DENTON HAS EXPERIENCED RAPID GROWTH FOR MANY YEARS. WHAT ARE YOUR STRATEGIES FOR BALANCING GROWTH WITH KEEPING THE GREAT COMMUNITY SPIRIT ALIVE IN DENTON?
>> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. I THINK FOR ME, A PRIORITY IS LOOKING AT HOW WE CONNECT OUR NON-PROFITS, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND, YOU KNOW, OUR ARTISTS, OUR MUSICIANS, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE DENTON DENTON STRATEGICALLY WITH OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS RIGHT NOW, THE CITY OF DENTON, NO. ONE IN DENTON HAS A BOARD SEAT AT NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE INVESTIGATE AND LOOK INTO FURTHER AS A CITY COUNCIL IN ORDER TO START BUILDING THESE OR FILLING THE GAPS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT.
BECAUSE OF ALL OF THIS GROWTH AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN OUR CULTURE, I THINK OUR STUDENTS BRING A LOT OF THAT VIBE AND THEY MAINTAIN THAT VIBE, AND THEY'RE HERE FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE NEED TO SHOW THEM HOW MUCH OUR CITY WANTS TO INVEST IN THEM AND FIND OUT WAYS TO CREATE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS. AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO. AND ADDITIONALLY, WE REALLY NEED TO START LOOKING AT AFFORDABILITY TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WHO KEEP DENTON DENTON ARE ABLE TO STAY HERE AND LIVE HERE. DOING JOBS THAT THEY WANT TO DO, JOBS THAT THEY LOVE, NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO FIND A NEW JOB THAT PAYS MORE MONEY, BUT DOING THINGS LIKE I SAID, THAT KEEP DENTON DENTON, WHETHER THAT'S BEING A PERFORMER, A BARTENDER, A DRAG ARTIST. WE NEED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL IS SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT TO THEM TOO. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY IDEAS.
>> MR. WATTS. >> YEAH. COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? IS IT TWO MINUTES WE
HAVE OR A MINUTE AND A HALF? >> A MINUTE AND A HALF. DID WE SAY, OKAY, A MINUTE AND A HALF.
DENTON HAS EXPERIENCED RAPID GROWTH FOR MANY YEARS. WHAT ARE YOUR STRATEGIES FOR BALANCING GROWTH WITH KEEPING THE GREAT COMMUNITY SPIRIT ALIVE IN DENTON?
>> WELL, I THINK CLEARLY WE'VE GOT THE GROWTH SIDE FIGURED OUT OR WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. HOW DO WE HOW DO WE MANAGE THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING? THE PROBLEM THAT WE DON'T HAVE IS WE HAVE WE'VE NOT WE'VE NOT PUT ENOUGH EFFORT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS INTO THE ARTS AND THE CULTURE OF. DENTON WENT TO A CHAMBER BREAKFAST YESTERDAY WHERE THEY SAID THAT SINCE COVID, THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 9 TO 10 MUSIC VENUES DOWNTOWN THAT HAVE CLOSED AND NOT REOPENED. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE ANOTHER. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO COMMIT TO THE ARTS AND TO THE CULTURE, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT MAKES DENTON DENTON. I HAD SOMEONE ASK ME, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF ART AND CULTURE IN OUR CITY? AND IT'S THE SOUL OF OUR CITY. YES, YOU HAVE GROWTH, YOU HAVE HOUSES, YOU HAVE APARTMENTS, WHICH WE CAN DO SOMETHING WITH THAT. BUT WE'RE WE'RE MISSING THE BOAT ON REALLY BRINGING TOGETHER ALL THE EXPERTS IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO GIVE THIS COMMUNITY LIFE THROUGH THEIR ART, THROUGH THEIR MUSIC, AND JUST THEIR PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATING US. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS WE CREATE A, A DENTON COMMUNITY ARTS CULTURE COMMITTEE WHERE WE CAN GET THE EXPERTS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON IT, BUT I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE AND GET THEM TOGETHER TO TELL US WHAT IS IT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LIFT UP ARTS AND CULTURE SO THAT THAT SPIRIT OF DENTON THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A DECADE, 100 YEARS WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE BECAUSE IT'S SO EASY TO LOSE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THE OTHER OTHER
THINGS GOING ON AROUND YOU. THANK YOU. >> AND MR. BECK.
>> THANK YOU. NO, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I LOVE THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE GROWTH AND THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU HOLD ON TO THE INTEGRITY OF WHO YOU ARE IN TERMS OF BALANCING THE GROWTH? I THINK AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IS, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO NEED TO FOLLOW THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND THERE'S BEEN TOO MUCH OF AN EMPHASIS ON SPRAWL AT THE EDGE OF TOWN, NOT ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON TRANSIT ORIENTED DESIGN. AND WHY DOES WHY DO THOSE TWO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE MAKING A DECISION THAT'S ABOUT AFFORDABILITY AND YOU'VE GOT TAXES, YOU'VE GOT BILLS, YOU'VE GOT CAR PAYMENT, YOU'VE GOT GAS, YOU'VE GOT MEDICAL BILLS, YOU HAVE ALL THESE STRESSORS TO GET BACK TO THE KINDS OF AFFORDABILITY THAT THAT REALLY ALLOW YOU TO SUSTAIN HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT
[00:15:01]
WE AVOID SPRAWL. WE FOCUS ON THE THE CENTER OF TOWN AND THE CENTER OF TOWN IS ALSO WHERE WE HAVE THE BULK OF OUR ARTS AND CULTURE IS EXPRESSED HERE IN DOWNTOWN. AND I WAS AT THAT SAME CHAMBER MEETING WITH WITH CHRIS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY TALKED ABOUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE WAS A FUNDING REVENUE AND HOW INTRINSIC THE ARTS AND CULTURE WAS AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE AND HOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE JUST WASN'T THERE FOR IT. SO MY BIG, BIG, BOLD IDEA FOR TONIGHT IS I THINK 50% OF THE CATALYST FUND SHOULD GO TO ARTS AND CULTURE PROJECTS. AND IF YOU ELECT ME, I'LL BE PUSHING FOR THAT BECAUSE THOSE ARE ECONOMIC DRIVERS THAT WILL RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND SUPPORT THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY OF DENTON.>> THANK YOU. MRS. BREWER. >> THANK YOU. I AM REALLY GLAD TO HAVE THIS QUESTION ON THE TOP TONIGHT, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS I DECIDED TO RUN FOR MAYOR, THAT WHAT I SEE IS THE COMMUNITY I GREW UP IN. I'M STARTING TO FADE AWAY AND STARTING TO BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE A COOKIE CUTTER SUBURB. AND I IT KILLS ME INSIDE TO SEE THAT HAPPENING AND WE HAVE TO STOP IT. AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN WHEN WE HAVE INTENTIONAL PLANNING AND REAL COLLABORATION AMONG ALL OF OUR, ALL THE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE KIND OF THE FOUR IDEAS THAT I WROTE DOWN THAT NEED TO TAKE PRECEDENCE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT AS WE GET NEW NEIGHBORS, THEY ARE BECOMING A PART OF THE DENTON CULTURE THAT EXISTS. FIRST IS BUILDING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS. WE HAVE LOTS OF REALLY SUCCESSFUL, STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT REALLY HELP HOLD CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP THOSE STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENS THEN IS THAT WHEN NEW NEIGHBORS MOVE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE ALMOST LIKE MENTORS THERE, PEOPLE WHO CAN KIND OF TAKE YOU UNDER THEIR WING AND BE LIKE, HEY, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN DENTON, TEXAS. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT. SO I REALLY WANT TO HAVE THE CITY INTERESTED IN AND PROMOTING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS. WOW.
THAT'S FAST. SECOND, REALLY THINKING ABOUT OUR DENTON FLAVORED ECONOMY. SO ON THE ARTS AND CREATIVITY FOR SURE, BUT ALSO KEEPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ALIVE, OUR LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES, BECAUSE THOSE REALLY BRING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER STARBUCKS OR ANOTHER DUTCH BROS. LIKE WE NEED MORE JUPITER HOUSE IN WEST OAK AND TRIPTYCH. LIKE THOSE ARE THE PLACES I WANT TO GO. AND I'M HOPING THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF WAY WE KEEP OUR SPIRIT
GOING. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL BEGIN THIS TIME WITH MR. WATTS. WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE FOR THE CITY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE RAISING
PROPERTY TAXES? >> WELL, ONE WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS BASICALLY THE REVENUE FROM THE CITY IS COMPRISED OF TWO MAJOR COMPONENTS PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAX. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU BRING INTO THE CITY, WHAT'S EVER COMING IN, HOW DO THEY MAXIMIZE THAT REVENUE, ALBEIT WHETHER IT'S THE VALUATION OF THE PROPERTY. NOVARTIS, WHICH IS A NEW BIOMEDICAL FACILITY OUT HERE IN DENTON THAT'S COMING INTO TOWN, $270 MILLION VALUATION. SO WHAT YOU CAN DO IS BRING IN EFFICIENT COMPANIES AND RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT FIT INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO THE VALUES OF OUR CITY TO HELP BEGIN TO INCREASE THAT.
SECONDLY, YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE COST PERSPECTIVE. YOU KNOW, THE ELECTRICAL COSTS, THE WATER COSTS AND THE SEWERAGE COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO GO UP 6% A YEAR TO 2030 ON EACH OF THOSE COMPONENTS, TO THE POINT THAT THAT FITCH, WHICH IS A CREDIT RATING AGENCY, JUST CHANGED THE OUTLOOK FOR DME TO NEGATIVE BECAUSE THEY SAID IF YOU IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE INCREASES, AT LEAST THEN YOUR FINANCES WILL BE CALLED INTO QUESTION. SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A WHOLESALE LOOK, BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN ALSO FIND THINGS IN THE BUDGET THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO RAISE MORE REVENUE AS YOU'RE DECREASING COSTS. YOU CAN ALSO KEEP TAXES LOWER. AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE VACANCIES, THE EMPLOYMENT VACANCIES, THE MANAGED VACANCIES, HOW MANY ARE THERE? HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN? BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE 200 VACANCIES IN A BUDGET, YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THOSE 200 VACANCIES. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S I MEAN, WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THAT. SO IT'S BOTH ON THE
REVENUE SIDE AND THE COST SIDE. THANK YOU. >> MR. BECK.
>> YEAH. NO, IT'S IT'S IT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION. AND I'M GLAD CHRIS BROUGHT UP THE IDEA THAT THE UTILITIES. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU'RE HAVING THESE, THESE STRUGGLES WITH INCREASING UTILITIES IS YOU CAN, YOU CAN APPORTION THOSE FAIRLY IN DIFFERENT WAYS SO THAT CONSUMPTION BASED USE COMES IN AND YOU CAN TEAR THOSE IN WAYS THAT WERE FOLKS WITH LOW CONSUMPTION HAVE THE LOWEST RATES AND FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY CONSUMING PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. AND YOU CAN GET A MORE BALANCED APPROACH TO THE UTILITY. SO I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT ONE UP. HE'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT THE THE BIG SOURCES OF FUNDING
[00:20:01]
ARE SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX. AND I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE CAN AUGMENT THAT.AND THE FACT IS IT WAS SOME OF THE ANSWERS ARE IN THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. ARTS AND CULTURE, ECONOMIC DRIVING ENGINES FOR THIS TOWN, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MUSIC, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTS, THE THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE KNOCK ON ANCILLARY EFFECTS WHERE OTHER ARTISTS, OTHER COFFEE SHOPS, OTHER AVENUES END UP AMPLIFYING THOSE SALES TAX DOLLARS. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE FOCUS ON HOT TAX. SO HALLOWEENTOWN IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
WE'RE BRINGING IN $20 MILLION LAST YEAR FROM HALLOWEENTOWN. I THINK ANOTHER EXAMPLE WE CAN FOCUS ON IS BETTER EFFICIENT USE OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE FINDING IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, NEARLY $15 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAXES WERE FRITTERED AWAY ON 80% AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THAT'S $15 MILLION IN THE IN
BETWEEN THE I S, D AND THE CITY THAT WE COULD GET BACK. >> THANK YOU, MISS BREWER.
>> I LOVE HOW THIS QUESTION JUST BUILT WHERE I ENDED EARLIER. SO AND RAN OUT OF TIME.
SO I'M THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A REALLY DENTON ECONOMY IS WHERE I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS AS FAR AS GENERATING MORE REVENUE, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO RAISE TAXES. SO HOW DO WE INCREASE OUR SALES TAX REVENUE AND BRINGING FOLKS INTO DENTON TO SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE TO GO EAT IN OUR RESTAURANTS? I AND SO THINKING ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF HALLOWEENTOWN AND BUILDING ON THAT. SO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER ASSETS OUR CITY HAS. SO I LOVE CLEAR CREEK NATURAL HERITAGE CENTER, AND I WAS TALKING WITH A FRIEND WHO DOES A LOT OF TRAIL MAINTENANCE OUT THERE THE OTHER DAY, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF WE REALLY FOCUSED ON ECO TOURISM AND MAKING DENTON A DESTINATION FOR ECO TOURISM. I WAS LIKE, THAT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA, UTILIZING A REALLY GREAT TREASURE THAT OUR CITY HAS AND AND CREATING ECONOMIC BASE OUT OF OUR ASSETS. I THINK WE CAN DO THE SAME IN OUR ARTS AND CULTURE THAT WE HAVE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DRAWING PEOPLE IN, BRINGING THE ARTS AND JAZZ FEST BACK TO QUAKERTOWN PARK AND MAKING IT THE FULL FESTIVAL THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS LOVED. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ECONOMIC GENERATOR IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE LOST THAT BECAUSE OF NEGLECT, PARTLY BECAUSE OF NEGLECT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT VOLUNTEER BASED FESTIVAL ISN'T ABLE TO CONTINUE UNDER THE PRICES THE CITY IS ASKING FOR, AND THAT'S A REAL LOSS TO OUR ECONOMY WHEN WE LOSE AMAZING PROGRAMS THAT REALLY REFLECT THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE, THAT BRINGS PEOPLE HERE TO SPEND THEIR MONEY AND INVEST THEIR TIME IN DENTON.
>> THANK YOU, MISS CHILES. PLEASE. >> SO I DO APPRECIATE THE INTENTION BEHIND THIS QUESTION, AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE TO BRING IN REVENUE FOR OUR CITY, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DO THAT WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
HOWEVER, I THINK THAT UNLIKE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS SAYING, I THINK THIS STARTS WITH CONSIDERING PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN DENTON EVERY DAY, WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP THEIR MORALE, WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP THEM HAPPY? HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE MAKING PEOPLE WANT TO STAY HERE AND SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE? AND THAT DOES REFLECT ON SOME OF THESE OTHER ANSWERS, RIGHT? IT IS OUR ARTS CULTURE MUSIC SCENE THAT KEEPS PEOPLE WANTING TO COME HERE AND COME BACK HERE TIME AND TIME AGAIN. I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW THAT I FULLY TRUST THAT HALLOWEENTOWN IS A HUGE REASON FOR THAT, BUT I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT OUR ARTS AND JAZZ FESTIVAL IS A HUGE REASON FOR THAT. I KNOW OUR MUSIC IS BECAUSE WE ARE IN A CITY WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST MUSIC SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT AND LOOK AT HOW WE GET THOSE STUDENTS ON STAGE AND PEOPLE WANTING TO GO AND SEE THEM, AND HOW DO WE AS A CITY COUNCIL PROMOTE THAT IN A WAY THAT THAT EMPHASIZES THOSE VALUES THAT MAKE DENTON, DENTON AND ANGELA IS EXACTLY RIGHT. THIS GOES ALONG RIGHT WITH THE LAST QUESTION, BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS HOW WE, WE, WE DO THIS, RIGHT. AND SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
>> THANK YOU. AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOU, MR. BECK, PLEASE ON THIS ONE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO WEIGH THE BENEFIT BENEFITS OF TAX CUTS TO NEW BUSINESSES VERSUS CITIZENS
HAVING TO MAKE UP THE LOST REVENUE TO MAKE ENDS MEET? >> I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO
REPEAT THAT, PLEASE. >> WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO WEIGH BENEFITS OF TAX CUTS TO NEW BUSINESSES VERSUS CITIZENS HAVING TO MAKE UP THE LOST REVENUE TO MAKE ENDS MEET?
>> NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. THE ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON IS WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THERE IS YOU YOU HAVE THIS SORT OF CONCEPT OF A OF A MULTI-LEGGED STOOL. SO YOU CAN'T HAVE SOME OF THESE, YOU CAN'T HAVE A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THAT MAKES YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE HAPPEN. YOU CAN'T, BUT,
[00:25:06]
BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU AS THE CITIZEN, WE ARE HERE IN A COMMUNITY. YOU'VE HEARD ALL ABOUT THE ARTS AND THE CULTURE AND WHAT'S TYING US TOGETHER AND WHY WE STAY HERE. AND THAT CLEARLY IS TOP OF MIND. THAT'S THAT'S THE THING THAT WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE NOT HERE NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE WANT A JOB AT XYZ COMPANY. WE, WE WANT WE LIVE HERE FOR THE CULTURE. SO I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE HAVE TO DO IS, IS MAKE SURE THAT THE PRIORITIES IN THE RIGHT ORDER. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE CITIZENS AND THEN COME NEXT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS. BUT THOSE ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT. THEY'RE INEXTRICABLE FROM EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU CAN BE AFFORDABLE, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. AND SO THE QUESTION OF TAX CUTS VERSUS THE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITIZENS, I THINK YOU DO NEED TO DO THINGS LIKE MAKE SURE THAT RENT IS, IS, IS NOT, IS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO NOT HAVE THINGS LIKE PRICE FIXING, WHICH PUSH VALUE AND OPPORTUNITY TO THE, TO THE BUSINESS CLASS FROM THE CITIZENS BECAUSE THAT THAT. INTERFERES WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE. SO I'M OUT OF TIME, BUT THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO SPEAK.>> ALL RIGHT, MISS BREWER, PLEASE. >> YES. SO WHEN WE DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY, WE SOMETIMES OFFER THESE INCENTIVES TO COMPANIES TO BRING THEM IN, RIGHT? THAT THEY'RE BIG EMPLOYERS. AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING BIG EMPLOYERS WHO ARE GOING TO DO THAT KIND OF ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT THEN LEAVES THE AVERAGE FOLKS IN DENTON ON THE HOOK TO MAKE UP FOR THAT MISSING TAX REVENUE THAT WE GAVE AWAY IN THOSE INCENTIVES. WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING SOME OF THIS RECRUITMENT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO GIVE AWAY THE STORE. I THINK WE NEED TO APPROACH THE RECRUITMENT OF COMPANIES TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY FROM A REALLY STRONG NEGOTIATING POSITION THAT WE'RE IN. DIDN'T THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN, DIDN'T A PLACE WHERE THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR COMPANIES THAT THEY'RE MOVING WITH THEM WOULD LIKE TO LIVE? WE OFFER GREAT SCHOOLS. WE OFFER A REALLY FUN COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT GREAT ANNUAL EVENTS AND THINGS GOING ON ALL THE TIME. AWESOME PARKS, GREAT LIBRARY LIBRARIES. WE'RE BRINGING A LOT TO THE TABLE, SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO LEAD WITH TAX INCENTIVES. WE NEED TO LEAD WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER ASSETS THAT WE HAVE. AND THEN IF SOME TAX INCENTIVES ARE NEEDED FOR A COMPANY THAT WE REALLY WANT TO SEE, AND THEN MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO GO. BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT US TO LEAN INTO IS THE FACT THAT MORE PEOPLE IN DENTON WORK IN A SMALL BUSINESS THAN WORK IN ANY SINGLE, LARGE ORGANIZATION IN OUR COMMUNITY. MOST PEOPLE WORK IN SMALL BUSINESSES, SO I WANT TO SEE OUR CITY REALLY PUSH IN AND LEAN INTO SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS, MAKING SURE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED, MAKING SURE THOSE MICRO BUSINESSES LIKE MINE, WHERE I'M THE ONLY EMPLOYEE, GET TO GROW AT A TIME.
>> THANK YOU, MISS GILES, PLEASE. >> RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A BALANCE THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HERE. RIGHT. AND PART OF THAT DOES COME FROM LOOKING AT THE KINDS OF BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE INCENTIVIZING. IN MY OPINION, WE DO NEED TO CENTER SMALL BUSINESS. AND IF WE ARE EXTENDING THESE THINGS TO CORPORATIONS, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THOSE CORPORATIONS ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR UNIVERSITIES AND OUR STUDENTS, YET AGAIN, ALLOWING THEM TO STAY HERE, INCREASING OUR TAX BASE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO RAISE TAXES. AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW THESE COMPANIES TREAT THEIR EMPLOYEES. WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WHO WE'RE GOING TO OFFER INCENTIVES TO, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE SHOWING THAT DENTON IS A PLACE WHERE WE PRIORITIZE PEOPLE. LIKE I KEEP SAYING WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES ALLOW THEIR EMPLOYEES TO UNIONIZE WHEN THEY CAN, THAT THEY'RE GIVEN HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THAT THEY OFFER ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE NEED IN ORDER TO AFFORD EVERYTHING AND WANT TO STAY AND GIVE BACK AND GO AND WATCH OUR MUSIC PERFORMANCES AND GO AND LOOK AT THE ARTISTS CREATE. AND IT'S A BALANCE. BUT AS LONG AS WE KEEP PEOPLE HERE, WE CAN KEEP OUR TAX BASE BECAUSE WE'RE
GROWING IT. SO THAT'S MY ANSWER FOR THAT. >> THANK YOU. AND. MR. WATTS.
>> COULD YOU REPEAT THAT ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE? >> WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO WEIGH BENEFITS OF TAX CUTS TO NEW BUSINESSES VERSUS CITIZENS HAVING TO MAKE UP THE
LOST REVENUE TO MAKE ENDS MEET? >> WELL, I THINK THE QUESTION HAS BUILT INTO IT SOMETHING THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY OPERABLE. WHAT ANGELA SAID ABOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY, WHAT BRIAN SAID, THAT'S PARAMOUNT. THAT'S THE FIRST STEP. IT'S SIMPLY A BUSINESS TRANSACTION AS WELL. ONCE YOU GET PAST THAT, YOU WANT BUSINESSES THAT COME
[00:30:04]
IN WILL GIVE YOU JOBS THAT YOUR PEOPLE NEED NOT JUST TO SURVIVE, BUT TO THRIVE. EXAMPLE, NOVARTIS. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 50% PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION, I THINK IS WHAT THEY GAVE, GAVE TO THEM. IT'S BRINGING IN $270 MILLION, $270 MILLION VALUATION. THE TAXES ON THAT CITY TAXES WOULD BE SIX, ABOUT 120. SO ABOUT 60 TO $70,000 A YEAR. AN INCENTIVE THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT WE'VE COLLECTED NO TAXES ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN RADIOACTIVE. NOBODY WANTS TO TRY TO COLLECT IT. NOBODY'S GOING TO SUE. SO THERE'S BEEN NOTHING COLLECTED ON IT. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A NET INCREASE OF THE TAXES. SECONDLY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE $125,000 A YEAR HERE. HOUSES. IT TAKES A HOUSE THAT'S 700 AND $800,000 VALUATION TO PAY FOR ITSELF ON THE TAX ROLLS. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS ALSO A BUSINESS TRANSACTION NEGOTIATION. AS ANGELA SAID, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BEST VALUE. AND THAT'S THOSE ARE MEASURABLE NUMBERS. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BUSINESS TERMS, YOU CAN CRUNCH THEM OUT AND YOU WILL COME UP WITH AN ANSWER. AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK, YOU SIMPLY USE THE MOST POWERFUL TWO LETTERSIN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. AND THAT'S THE WORD NO. >> NEW QUESTION. AND WE'LL BEGIN THIS TIME WITH MRS. BREWER. WHAT SPECIFIC STRUCTURED AVENUES WOULD YOU
DEVELOP TO GET CITIZEN INPUT? >> YEAH. SO THIS IS MY JAM, Y'ALL. I LOVE THIS QUESTION BECAUSE COMMUNICATION IS MY THING. I'M FIRST. WE'LL TAKE THE EASY ONE. I'M GOING TO HAVE SIX TOWN HALL MEETINGS PER YEAR OR LISTENING SESSIONS PER YEAR, BECAUSE I REALLY WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE OF DENTON. IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN THE BEST THING I'VE HAD RUNNING FOR MAYOR. THE BEST EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD RUNNING FOR MAYOR IS HEARING FROM ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS AND THE IDEAS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE. I'VE HEARD SOME REALLY AMAZING, EXCITING IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, AND I HOPE THAT WE GET TO DO THOSE THINGS. AND I'VE ONLY TALKED TO A SMALL FRACTION OF PEOPLE AT THIS POINT. SO THE MORE PEOPLE WE INCLUDE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, THE MORE IDEAS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, THE MORE EXCITING IT IS FOR A REALLY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR CITY WHERE WE GET TO BE MORE DENTON. SO TOWN HALL MEETINGS ARE LISTENING SESSIONS IS ONE WAY TO DO THAT. I ALSO THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO GET CREATIVE IN HOW WE INCLUDE PEOPLE HAVING MEETINGS ON 7:00 ON A ON A THURSDAY NIGHT.
THAT'S GREAT. YOU SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COME TO THAT? I HAVE TO SAY, MY KIDS WITH MY FATHER RIGHT NOW, I HAD CHILDCARE FOR TONIGHT SO THAT I COULD BE HERE. THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN DENTON WHO CAN'T COME TO EVENTS LIKE THIS, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T TAKE THE EVENING OFF FROM TAKING CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN OR PREPARING FOR THEIR WORK DAY, OR THEY WORK SECOND SHIFT AND THEY CAN'T MAKE IT TO A MEETING. SO WE NEED TO GET CREATIVE IN THE WAYS THAT WE USE TECHNOLOGY TO GET INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS
INCLUDED. >> THANK YOU, MISS CHILES. >> YEAH. SO THIS COMES DOWN TO ISSUES OF ACCESSIBILITY, RIGHT? AND I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING I'VE REALLY TRIED TO PROMOTE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF MY CAMPAIGN IS THAT I'M AN OPEN BOOK AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOU AND I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND I WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I CARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HEARD IT SUGGESTED THAT WE START SOME SORT OF ART COMMITTEE, AND YET THE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES WE ALREADY HAVE HAVE BEEN FAILING TO MAKE QUORUMS AND UNABLE TO REALLY PASS THROUGH ANY CHANGES OR IDEAS. AND SO I THINK THERE'S A REALLY EASY STEP TO HERE WHERE WE LOOK AT HOW WE'RE ALLOWING THESE MEETINGS TO FUNCTION AND CREATING MORE ACCESSIBILITY, NOT JUST CHANGING THE TIMES, BUT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO MEET VIRTUALLY, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT WORK FOR THEM SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THINGS DONE AND HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO, WHO HAVE CHANGES THAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE CITY AND EXPERTISE UNDER THEIR BELT TO GET THEIR JOB DONE. I THINK ANOTHER THING I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS SORT OF THESE COMMUNITY LIAISON NETWORKS. THIS IS AN IDEA I'VE HAD SINCE STARTING, AND THAT'S MAKING IT TO WHERE MEMBERS OF OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITIES, MEMBERS OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND MEMBERS WHO OF OUR CITY WHO ARE WORKING HERE ARE ABLE TO COLLABORATE AND COME TOGETHER WHEN THEY HAVE IDEAS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE CHANGE AND GET THOSE IDEAS STRAIGHT TO COUNCIL AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT MONTHS AND MONTHS
TO HAVE THEIR VOICES BE HEARD. THANK YOU. >> MR. WATTS.
>> THANK YOU. I WOULD DO WHAT I'M DOING NOW. I MEAN, ON MONDAY THE 13TH, WE'LL HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING THAT THAT WILL BE MY THIRD ONE. I'VE HAD ABOUT 10 TO 12. HOME IN HOMES WAS WHAT I CALL THEM, WHERE YOU GO INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES AND YOU LISTEN TO THEM AS MAYOR BEFORE.
MY PERSONAL CELL PHONE IS THE CELL PHONE THAT PEOPLE CAN REACH ME. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO US, IT'S ABOUT GOING TO THEM. IT'S ABOUT ATTENDING THE
[00:35:06]
MEETINGS, THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN. IT'S ABOUT WHEN I SAW TWO LADIES WHO HOUSES GOT FLOODED BY APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION, LITERALLY FLOODED A RIVER OF WATER RUNNING DOWN THEIR BACKYARD. I CALLED THEM IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT DAY AND HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH THEM EVER SINCE THEN TO TRY TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION WHERE IT'S SORT OF A DAVID AND GOLIATH KIND OF SITUATION WHERE YOU'VE GOT A BIG APARTMENT DEVELOPER THAT NOW HAS DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO OUTSIDE OF NOW.JUST SUE US. IF YOU WANT MONEY, JUST SUE US. SO IT'S ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE. IT'S ABOUT ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND TO TALK. IT'S ABOUT GOING OUT TO GROUPS AND SHARING IN THE CIVIC GROUPS, THE CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE. I'M VERY ACCESSIBLE. ANYBODY CAN I MEAN, I'VE HAD PEOPLE CALL ME AT 930 AT NIGHT. NOW I'VE ASKED THEM TO TRY TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE APPRECIATIVE OF THE TIME. BUT IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY, IT'S AN EMERGENCY. I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. I HAVE THE TIME TO PUT IN IT TO GO OUT AND REALLY RESEARCH ISSUES TO MAKE SURE
THAT I FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. >> MR. BECK.
>> THANK YOU. I THINK YOU'RE HEARING A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT, A LOT OF THE SAME SORT OF IDEAS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT. SO I MIGHT PUT SOME SOME IDEAS TO TO SOME OF THESE. I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING REMARKS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PARTICULARLY PRIDED MYSELF ON WAS THE SHEER NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE GROUPS AND MEETING WITH. I MET WITH SOME OF THE, THE FOLKS THAT THAT CHRIS WAS TALKING ABOUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT ME IN EARLY AND OFTEN TO TRY TO HELP WITH THAT SITUATION. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW, THE POWER OF SEDNA, I SAW THE POWER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I SAW THE POWER OF THE NORTH LAKES PRESERVATION GROUP. AS THESE GROUPS HAVE COME ONLINE, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS ON JBD. I SEE NICK SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE.
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS THE ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATE THE INTEREST OF A NUMBER OF FOLKS. SO WE ALREADY HAVE A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT ON THE BOOKS. BUT THEY KIND OF LANGUISHED. SO I THINK SOMETHING THAT STAFF CAN DO AND THE COUNCIL CAN DO IS REALLY PUSH THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. AND SPEAKING OF PUSHING, I THINK ONE OF THE PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY WE NEED TO WORK ON IS BETTER PUSH NOTIFICATION. SO WE HEAR A LOT OF SEND THE CITIZENS OUT TO FIND INFORMATION, AND THAT'S GREAT. BUT IN THE AGE OF THESE THINGS, WE NEED TO BE HAVING THINGS PUSHED TO US SO THAT WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS ON THE FLY. SO AT DISCOVER DENTON AND OTHER PLACES, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS GO TO YOU RATHER THAN YOU GO HUNT THEM DOWN.
>> THANK YOU. AND MISS BREWER. >> I ALREADY DID THIS ONE. I THINK I STARTED.
>> SHE STARTED THAT ONE. >> OH I'M SORRY. >> THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I CAN SAY
MORE IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO. >> YES. >> WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
>> SUPPOSED TO BE MISS CHARLES THIS TIME. >> YES.
>> THIS SAYS YOUR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. I'M. I'M NOT. THIS IS NOT REFERRING TO A PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT ANY OF YOU. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S NO ACCUSATION HERE BASED ON YOUR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM REAL ESTATE INVESTORS, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO KEEP THE COST OF LIVING AND THE PRICE OF RENT DOWN IN DENTON?
>> SO IN RUNNING FOR MAYOR, I HAVE NOT ACCEPTED ANY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. IT WAS A DEAL I MADE WITH MY JOB IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY APPEARANCES OF IMPROPRIETY, AND IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY OF DENTON KNOWS I'M NOT BEHOLDEN TO LANDLORDS OR DEVELOPERS OR POLITICAL PARTIES, I'M HERE TO REPRESENT WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT AND THE ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES THAT I THINK ARE RIGHT. I'VE SPENT MAYBE $300 OF MY OWN MONEY SINCE NOVEMBER, GET PRINTING FLIERS AND POSTING FACEBOOK ADS. AND MAYBE YOU THINK THAT MEANS I'M NOT SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, BUT IN FACT, I THINK IT MEANS I'M MORE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK ON FACEBOOK RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE DENTON SPIDER-MAN IS IN THE HOSPITAL AND HE NEEDS MONEY TO GET BETTER. AND YOU SHOULD ALL BE THINKING ABOUT GIVING YOUR MONEY TO HIM INSTEAD OF ANY ONE OF US. AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT HIM, MAYBE IT'S FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY. MAYBE IT'S THE CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER, IF THAT'S YOUR THING. OR MAYBE IT'S A SMALLER NONPROFIT LIKE THE DENTON WATER PROJECT OR MAMA T'S BUTTERFLIES. BUT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOU, I HOPE YOU FACTOR THAT IN WHEN YOU VOTE. THIS MAY.
>> THANK YOU. AND MR. WATTS. >> ODDLY ENOUGH, RIGHT NOW RENTS ARE PROBABLY LESS THAN THEY'VE BEEN IN THE LAST THREE YEARS BECAUSE CURRENTLY THERE'S 5000 APARTMENT UNITS BEING
[00:40:05]
CONSTRUCTED. SO THE WAY YOU GET RENTS DOWN IS YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE APARTMENTS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE ARE NOT BEING PARTNERED WITH NONPROFIT AGENCIES THAT TAKE THEM OFF THE TAX ROLLS TO THE TUNE OF THE $15 MILLION THAT BRIAN HAD TALKED ABOUT. AND THEY DON'T DO EXACTLY WHAT THAT MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO DO, AND THAT IS PROVIDE AFFORDABLE RENTS FOR THE CITIZENS OF DENTON, NOT BASED UPON DALLAS NUMBERS. AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE EXCEPTION WITH BRIAN. THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE YEARS SINCE I WAS BACK ON COUNCIL IN 2022. WE HAVE NOT BEEN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE LOWEST INCOME FAMILIES IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THE STAFF FINALLY PROVIDED THE DATA THAT I KNEW THREE YEARS AGO. WE ARE LITERALLY PARTNERING. PEOPLE ARE COMING IN, BUILDING APARTMENTS, PARTNERING WITH NON-PROFITS TO RECEIVE UP TO A $2 MILLION A YEAR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION.NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK $2 MILLION A YEAR APPLIED TO THE VARIOUS APARTMENTS WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY OF THE 50%? WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT COULD DO FOR A RENT REDUCTION? IT WOULD BE PHENOMENAL. THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAJOR PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW THAT'S REALLY JUST COME TO THE SURFACE IN THE SENSE OF REALLY GOTTEN THE NOTORIETY IT NEEDED. IT DIDN'T GET IT THREE YEARS AGO, BUT NOW PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO LISTEN BECAUSE IT'S GOTTEN SO DIRE. THERE IS A GOLD RUSH ON DENTON RIGHT NOW IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THESE HUGE TAX EXEMPTIONS AND NOBODY'S REALLY GETTING ANYTHING BUT MARKET RATES. THE DATA SHOWS THAT YOU CAN RELY UPON THE DATA ON THAT. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN DRIVE RENTS DOWN IS YOU
JUST GET PEOPLE TO DO THEIR JOB. THANK YOU. YOU BET. >> MR. BECK.
>> YEAH. NO, I APPRECIATE THE AGREEMENT ON THE 80%. THANKS, CHRIS. THE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL POINT OUT SIMILAR TO TO SHANNON IS I HAVE IN ALL MY TIME IN OFFICE, NEVER TAKEN A DROP A PENNY OF, OF DEVELOPER MONEY. I HAVE NEVER TAKEN ANY FOSSIL FUEL MONEY. I THOSE, THOSE. THAT'S PARTLY BECAUSE THOSE ISSUES ARE NOT ONLY FRAUGHT, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH DEVELOPERS AND LAND MANAGEMENT GROUPS. THOSE ARE THE MORE THAN HALF THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD BE INFLUENCED BY $35 OR $100 DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THE PUBLIC TRUST YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS IN IN THAT. SO I HAVE NEVER TAKEN ANY DEVELOPER MONEY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN NOTHING REVOLVING AROUND ANY PROJECT THAT THAT HAS EVER FUNDED ME IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE CAN DO, AND I STARTED TO ADDRESS THIS IN AN EARLIER QUESTION. SO I'M GOING TO I LOVE THIS QUESTION BECAUSE IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO THIS IDEA OF IN, IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE FOLKS THAT ENGAGE IN USE SOFTWARE THAT HELPS BALANCE THE VACANCY RATE AND THE RENTS SO THAT THEY CAN MAXIMIZE THE RENT AND THE PROFIT COMING BACK. AND SO AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE LIKE REALPAGE. SO I WOULD PROPOSE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE NO CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY GOVERNMENT. IF YOU'RE USING PRICE FIXING SOFTWARE TO SET RENTS LIKE THAT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, I'M OUT OF TIME.
>> MISS BREWER. >> OKAY, SO I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE MISSING MIDDLE OF HOUSING IN DENTON, THAT WE ARE DOING SOME WORK. AND I'M WITH CHRIS THAT WE NEED TO DO A LOT MORE WORK ON THE AFFORDABLE, THE LOW INCOME, AFFORDABLE HOUSING END OF THINGS. BUT WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD MODEL IN PLACE WITH THE WORK THAT THE DENTON AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION HAS BEEN DOING WITH THE NEW HAVEN DEVELOPMENT THAT'S COMING ONLINE. THEY'RE DOING REALLY GREAT WORK THERE. WE NEED MORE OF THAT, BUT WE'VE GOT A REALLY SOLID MODEL IN PLACE FOR HOW TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I THINK WE ALSO HAVE REALLY MET A LOT OF OUR NEEDS RIGHT NOW. ON THE OTHER END OF HOUSING FOR UPPER UPPER MIDDLE INCOME EARNERS AND PEOPLE WHO MAKE PRETTY GOOD MONEY IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU CAN FIND A HOUSE IN DENTON, IF THAT'S IF THAT'S YOUR ECONOMIC POSITION. WHAT WE'RE REALLY MISSING IS ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE SITTING IN THE MIDDLE WHO ARE NOT ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LOW INCOME END OF THINGS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT READY TO PUT 350,000 $400,000 DOWN ON A HOUSE. SO THAT'S THE HOUSING WE HAVE TO WORK ON. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE, AS WE ARE RECRUITING DEVELOPERS INTO OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE'RE ATTRACTING DEVELOPERS WHO FIT OUR SPIRIT, FIT WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY AND WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BUILDING THAT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN STARTER HOME NEIGHBORHOODS, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MEDIUM DENSITY HOUSING, LIKE PUTTING IN VERY SMALL APARTMENT COMPLEXES, DUPLEXES, TOWNHOMES, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS NEED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE, NOT JUST FOR RENT. A LOT OF THAT MEDIUM DENSITY HOUSING WE'VE BEEN GETTING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS ALL RENTAL PROPERTY, AND WE NEED IT FOR SALE TO MAKE PEOPLE HOME. BUYERS IN DENTON
FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES. >> THANK YOU. BEGINNING THIS TIME WITH YOU, MR. WATTS. WOULD
[00:45:08]
YOU SUPPORT A DENTON WITHOUT LANDLORDS AND WHERE HOUSING IS AN INALIENABLE RIGHT?>> I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE MEANING OF THAT QUESTION. I MEAN, I'M A LANDLORD. HOW CAN YOU HAVE. I MEAN, ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE GIVE PEOPLE PROPERTY? I MEAN, SURELY HOUSING IS A BASIC RIGHT? THAT'S WHY I WAS ARGUING FOR. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN THAT THE TAX MONEY THAT YOU ALL ARE SPENDING. SO I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW TO ANSWER THAT. TO SAY THAT THERE'S NO LANDLORDS. I WILL SAY THAT I AM FOR ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT WE ENFORCE FAIR HOUSING LAWS. I'M IN SUPPORT OF MAKING SURE THAT THE MONEY WE SPEND GOES TO THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST IN HOUSING, IN AFFORDABILITY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT IS NOT. AND SO THE LANDLORDS WHO ARE COMING IN AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS LOOPHOLE ARE GETTING $2 MILLION IN TAX EXEMPTIONS WHILE OTHER PEOPLE ARE PAYING TAXES.
LANDLORDS PAY TAXES, THEY PAY TAXES ON THEIR PROPERTY. SO OF COURSE, HOUSING IS A NEED. BUT TO SAY A COMMUNITY WITHOUT LANDLORDS, I'M NOT EVEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE IN IN THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BECK. >> YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE CONSTITUTION IS STRUCTURED, THE WAY THE LAWS OF OF THE LAND ARE STRUCTURED.
WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN HAVE THE LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS AND OWNERSHIP AND THAT. AND, AND WHILE WE'LL, YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR EVERYONE AGREE THAT THAT HOUSING NEEDS ARE CRITICAL. I MEAN, IT'S WHY WE FOCUS ON THEM. YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF HAVING HOUSING AS, AS A FUNDAMENTAL TENANT OF SOMETHING THAT YOU DO IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS AS FUNDAMENTAL AS UTILITIES OR ANYTHING ELSE. SO THAT'S CLEAR. I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ANY TOOLS OF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO US IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO BE ABLE TO EVEN APPROACH THIS QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE LANDLORDS. SO AND IT REALLY DOESN'T GET TO THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION, AS CHRIS WAS SAYING A SECOND AGO, OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS? WHERE CAN WE WHERE CAN WE MAKE IT EASIER, BETTER, FASTER NOW? AND, AND, AND I THINK SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT, THAT WE HADN'T TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED THE DENTON AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION, ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT EASIER, FASTER NOW IS BE INTENTIONAL ON OUR, OUR IMPACT FEES. WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN THEM ROADWAY IMPACT FEE REDUCTIONS AND, AND ADDITIONAL REDUCTIONS IN THEIR WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITIES THAT WE ALSO CONTROL WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THEM DO GAP FUNDING. AND THE OTHER THING I THINK WE CAN DO FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROUPS IS, IS DO FAST TRACK, PREAPPROVED PERMITTING WITH THOSE KINDS OF FAST TRACKS, DEVELOPERS ALREADY KNOW THEY CAN GRAB WHAT ALREADY MAKES DENTON HAPPY AND PUT THAT ON
THE GROUND. >> THANK YOU, MISS BREWER. >> YEAH.
>> SO MY VISION FOR DENTON ISN'T SO MUCH A DENTON WITHOUT LANDLORDS, BUT IT IS A DENTON WITHOUT TOXIC LANDLORDS. AND WE DEFINITELY HAVE A PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW. WE'RE NOT. EVERY LANDLORD IS LIVING UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OR THEIR SIDE OF THE BARGAIN WHEN IT COMES TO RENTAL PROPERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO MY POSITION IS WE NEED TO CREATE A RENTERS ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT IS MADE UP OF RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A LOT OF RENTERS IN DENTON, TEXAS, AND THEY ARE NOT ALL STUDENTS. I THINK OFTEN THE ASSUMPTION IS MADE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE UNIVERSITIES IN TOWN, THAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING IN APARTMENTS ARE LIVING IN RENTAL HOUSES, ARE ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND THEY ARE NOT. MOST FAMILIES IN DENTON ARE LIVING IN RENTAL PROPERTY. MOST WORKING FOLKS IN DENTON ARE LIVING IN RENTAL PROPERTY. SO WE REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS COMMUNITY OF FOLKS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING AND IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY. AND WE NEED TO HAVE A MUCH BETTER EYE ON HOW LANDLORDS ARE OPERATING IN OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE. I THINK MOST LANDLORDS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, BUT I THINK THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE WHO ARE REALLY, REALLY PROBLEMATIC AND WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD WAY FOR THE CITY TO INTERACT WITH THEM. AND WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE FEEDBACK ABOUT EXACTLY WHO THOSE LANDLORDS ARE. SO IF WE CAN CREATE AN ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT'S COMPLETELY POPULATED BY RENTERS FROM VARIOUS KINDS OF PROPERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE'VE KIND OF GOT, I DON'T WANT TO SAY SPIES, BUT LIKE EYES AND EARS OUT ON THE GROUND AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN RENTAL PROPERTIES AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE VARIOUS LANDLORDS IN TOWN, AND GET REAL HONEST FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT INTO OUR
CITY THAN WE HAVE A BETTER VISION. >> MISS. MISS GILES, PLEASE.
[00:50:01]
>> SO I THINK MORE DIRECTLY, THE IDEA ANGELA IS TALKING ABOUT IS CREATING TENANTS UNIONS. AND I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL TO STEER LEADERSHIP TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION. DO I THINK DENTON CAN EXIST IN TWO YEARS WITHOUT LANDLORDS? UNFORTUNATELY NOT. BUT AS THE RENTER UP HERE, HAVING TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO OWN HOMES TELL ME HOW THEY THINK IT SHOULD BE, I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER, LIKE, WELL, THERE'S ALL THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WITHOUT LANDLORDS. HOW ARE THEY DOING IT? HOW DO WE ORGANIZE TENANTS TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THESE SAME KINDS OF ASSOCIATIONS THAT PUSH BACK AGAINST LANDLORDS? I THINK THIS ALSO INVOLVES THINKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT THAT MEANS TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, TO PUSH BACK. IT MEANS LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY. IT MEANS FIGURING OUT THESE WAYS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE MADE AWARE OF THE SKETCHY LANDLORDS, WHICH I'M SORRY, THERE ARE MORE THAN THERE ARE GOOD ONES. AND I MEAN, I'M SORRY. I'M FAILING TO THINK OF A GOOD LANDLORD. FOR A LONG TIME I LIVED OVER ON BELL AVENUE AND IT WAS FINE, RIGHT? BUT MY LANDLORD THERE WAS FROM GAINESVILLE. HE DIDN'T LIVE IN TEXAS. SO HOW MANY LANDLORDS EVEN ACTUALLY LIVE IN DENTON, AND HOW IS THAT EVEN BENEFITING US? THOSE ARE SOME QUESTIONS
THAT I WOULD PUSH BACK ON AND ASK AS WELL. >> THANK YOU. WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOU, MR. BECK. THIS TIME, WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON DATA CENTERS, INCLUDING THEIR POSSIBLE IMPACT
ON WATER AND ELECTRICITY? >> YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS.
AND WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL IN THE 2019 2020, ONE OF THE STRATEGIC PLANS THAT I INHERITED WHEN WE GOT ON COUNCIL WAS HIGH TECH APPROACH THAT THE, THE, THE CITIZEN AND COUNCIL APPROVED STRATEGIC PLAN WAS TO, TO BRING IN APPLE, HP, MICROSOFT, ONE OF THOSE AS AN EMPLOYER, IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN SOMETHING LIKE NOVARTIS. SO.
BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BEING THE LIAISON FOR FOR UTI, AUSTIN'S TEXAS ADVANCED COMPUTING CENTER, I LEARNED WHAT YOU, WHAT GOOD PRACTICES THAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE AT SOMETHING LIKE UT AUSTIN, WHERE WE HAD SOLAR POWERED SUPERCOMPUTERS AND BAD PRACTICES. AND SO YOU'VE SEEN PLACES LIKE NORTH DAKOTA, NEW MEXICO, WHERE VIRGINIA, WHERE THE CITIES ARE REALLY BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IN TERMS OF POWER, WATER NOISE, LAND USE.
AND I THINK GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE, IF THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO TOWN, IF THAT'S ONE OF OUR KEY STRATEGIC PLANS, THEN THEY HAVE TO DO IT THE DENTON WAY. THEY HAVE TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND. THEY HAVE TO NOT USE COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL REALTY. WE HAVE TO PUT IN PLACE RULES TO PREVENT SOUND NOISE ORDINANCES. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY USE RECIRCULATING COOLANT. AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY. AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SAYS IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, THEN DENTON IS LEADING THE NATION ON THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. ONE OF THE FEW THAT ARE ADVOCATING VERY, VERY STRONGLY
FOR OURSELVES. >> THANK YOU, MISS BREWER. >> SO I JUST HEARD.
>> BRIAN SAY THAT IF THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO TOWN, THEY HAVE TO DO IT THE DENTON WAY. I THINK WHAT I HAVE HEARD OVERWHELMINGLY FROM THE FOLKS IN DENTON IS THAT WE DON'T WANT THEM TO COME TO TOWN, THAT WE WEREN'T INTERESTED IN THE TWO THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, AND WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT ANY MORE COMING. SO IT ALWAYS, EVERY TIME I TALK WITH FOLKS ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS, I'M TAKEN BACK TO THE TIME WITH THE FRACKING BAN AND HOW WE SAW AN INDUSTRY IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WAS CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL HARM TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE GOT TOGETHER AND WE TRIED TO. WELL, WE STOPPED THAT UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE DECIDED TO OVERRULE US, WHICH IS A WHOLE OTHER PROBLEM WE NEED TO DEAL WITH. BUT BUT THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT WE DON'T WANT AN INDUSTRY IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS THAT HARMFUL TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, THAT THAT CREATES THAT KIND OF AIR PROBLEM, OR AIR POLLUTION OR NOISE POLLUTION, OR SUCKS UP OUR ELECTRICITY THE WAY THAT THE DATA CENTERS SUCK UP OUR ELECTRICITY. DENTON DOESN'T WANT DATA CENTERS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DATA CENTERS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY MORE IN, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, UNTIL THERE'S A PRETTY DRAMATIC CHANGE IN PROOF THAT THEY AREN'T HARMING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THAT THEY ACTUALLY BRING BENEFIT TO OUR COMMUNITY. NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS ARE PROVEN RIGHT NOW. I'M 100% AGAINST DATA CENTERS.
>> MISS GILES, PLEASE. >> YEAH. I THINK AS A CITY COUNCIL, WE NEED TO EXPLORE HOW WE PUT A MORATORIUM OR IN OTHER WORDS, HALT THE EXPANSION OF DATA CENTERS, THE ADDITION OF DATA CENTERS. IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE CITY OF DENTON DOES DOES NOT WANT DATA CENTERS HERE.
AND THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS FOR THAT. I THINK ALMOST LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING
[00:55:01]
A CITY WITHOUT LANDLORDS, IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO HAVE A DATA CENTER THAT DOESN'T IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE'RE SIMPLY NOT THERE YET. I THINK THAT THAT PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE, THERE COULD BE A TIME WHERE ENGINEERING STUDENTS ARE INCENTIVIZED TO STUDY THAT AND TO TO THEN EXPLORE THAT OPTION. WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO HARM COMING TO DENTON FROM THESE THINGS. BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET. AND UNFORTUNATELY, I MEAN, I WISH WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE STUDENTS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT INSTEAD OF LIKE THE MANY OTHER THINGS WE COULD BE EXPLORING. BUT I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER BECAUSE I THINK THERE THERE'S A SELFISHNESS TO USING AI TO CREATE ART AND TO TAKE OVER ARTISTS JOBS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH MUSIC OR VIDEO OR, OR EVEN JUST LIKE POSTERS. AND I THINK THE CITY AS A WHOLE NEEDS TO LOOK AT UTILIZING ARTISTS TO COME IN AND CREATE OUR ADVERTISING INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY NEVER DEFAULTING TO USING AI. SOTHAT'S WHAT I THINK ABOUT THAT. >> THANK YOU. MR. WATTS. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. I'VE BEEN ON RECORD TO SAY THAT I WOULD PROPOSE ASK THE COUNCIL FOR A MORATORIUM ON ANY FUTURE DATA CENTERS UNTIL, IF AND UNTIL THE TWO THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THEY DON'T SHOW ANY HARM TO OUR ENVIRONMENT. THEY'RE HERE. I MEAN, THEY'RE BEING CONSTRUCTED. YOU GO OUT THERE AND SEE IT. THERE'S CRANES EVERYWHERE. MY BIG CONCERN ABOUT THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY THE BIG ONE, IS IT SEEMS LIKE THE CART WAS PUT BEFORE THE HORSE, AND THAT IS THAT DATA CENTER WILL REQUIRE AS MUCH. AND THIS IS BROKEN RECORD. SOME OF YOU PROBABLY HEARD IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN. THAT DATA CENTER IS GOING TO REQUIRE AS MUCH ELECTRICITY AS THE ENTIRE CITY OF DENTON CONSUMESACILITY. THINK ABOUT THAT. ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE CREATED FOR THIS WHOLE CITY, THAT SAME AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED BY THAT ONE FACILITY. AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO IF IT'S GOING TO WORK, IF IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THE BENEFITS. NUMBER ONE, IT SAID, WHICH IS ABOUT 16 TO $17 MILLION A YEAR, SOME JOBS. THE FIRST ONE, THAT ONE IS AN ITERATION. IT EVOLVED FROM THE CRYPTO DATA CENTER THAT WAS ORIGINALLY VOTED FOR IN 2021 THAT WENT BANKRUPT. AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST BE MADE SOMEWHAT WHOLE FROM THE ELECTRIC BILL THAT WAS CAUGHT UP IN BANKRUPTCY AT THE TIME. SO MY PROBLEM WITH THE CURRENT DATA CENTER IS THE WAY THAT IT WAS APPROACHED, THE WAY THAT IT WAS VOTED ON. IT SEEMED LIKE THE MAJOR QUESTIONS HAVE COME AFTER THE FACT. THAT SHOULD NEVER BE THE SITUATION ON ANYTHING. YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT YOUR DATA BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE SAYING WE MIGHT HAVE TO BUY OR BUILD OR SOMETHING, SOME TYPE OF OTHER ENERGY CENTER IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT ENERGY.
THANK YOU. SORRY. >> THANK YOU. >> YOU THINK THIS PLAN. THAT'S
P C A W. A N. NEXT. >> SOMETIMES I JUST CAN'T QUITE MAKE OUT THE WRITING. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHEN I'M GOING TO GUESS AT WHAT THIS WORD WAS. I UNDERSTAND THE CITY MANAGER HAS MORE POWER IN DENTON THAN MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. WE WILL HAVE A NEW CITY MANAGER, CHIEF OF POLICE, PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR SOON. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO HAVE THE
MOST IMPACT AS MAYOR GIVEN THOSE CHALLENGES? >> I THINK I'M GOING TO
DISAGREE. >> A LITTLE BIT WITH THE PREMISE HERE THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS MORE POWER THAN THE MAYOR. I, I BELIEVE THAT WE STILL HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT FUNCTIONS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO, THAT THE POWER RESTS WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF DENTON. THE CITY COUNCIL IS HERE AS THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THOSE PEOPLE, AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE THE ACTIONS THAT THE PEOPLE WANT. THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK, AND THAT'S HOW I WILL FUNCTION AS MAYOR.
THAT'S THE WAY I WANT IT TO WORK. THAT'S HOW I THINK IT SHOULD WORK. I THINK IT OFTEN DOES RIGHT NOW OR IN OUR RECENT HISTORY, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE DATA CENTER ISSUE WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T PUT THE PEOPLE FIRST, RIGHT? THEY WEREN'T LISTENING TO THE ACTUAL BOSSES OF THE SITUATION AND WHERE THE POWER LIES ON DATA CENTERS AND PUSH SOMETHING THROUGH THAT WASN'T POPULAR. RIGHT. AND SO. AND NOW I'VE LOST THE SECOND PIECE OF THE QUESTION.
>> HOW DO. >> YOU PLAN TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT AS MAYOR GIVEN THESE
CHALLENGES? >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. >> SO AS MAYOR, I WANT TO MAKE
[01:00:04]
SURE THAT WE ARE LEANING INTO TRANSPARENCY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE WORK THAT THE CITY STAFF IS DOING, THE WORK THAT OUR OUR DIRECTORS OF ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, OUR CITY MANAGER, OUR NEW POLICE CHIEF, WHEN WE GET ONE, OUR NEW PARKS DEPARTMENT, THAT EVERYTHING IS VERY TRANSPARENT AND OPEN TO THE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY SHOWING THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE DIRECTED US TO DO. SO IT REALLY IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, ABOUT KEEPING LOTS OF OPEN COMMUNICATION, MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLECOME FIRST. IN ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS. >> MISS CHILES, PLEASE.
>> RIGHT. SO THE PEOPLE OF DENTON ARE WHO NEED TO BE PUSHING WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT TO CITY COUNCIL. AND THEN CITY COUNCIL GOES TO THE CITY MANAGER AND SETS THE TONE AND POLICIES. BUT I GET I GET WHERE THE HEART OF THIS QUESTION IS COMING FROM, BECAUSE DENTON HAS A CITY COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CITY MANAGER DOES RUN THE DAY TO DAY. THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SELECTS A MANAGER WHO CARES ABOUT DENTON AND IS IDEALLY TO ME FROM DENTON AND IS INVESTED IN DENTON. A LOT OF PEOPLE KEEP SAYING LIKE, EXPERIENCE THIS EXPERIENCE THAT IF YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION AND YOU CARE, THAT'S WHAT SHOULD MATTER. AND THAT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S WHO CITY STAFF ARE GOING TO WANT TO LISTEN TO AND WHO THEY ARE GOING TO WANT TO FOLLOW. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT STARTS FROM. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE A CITY COUNCIL THAT IS ALSO PART OF THE WORKING CLASS. AND IF WE OVERRIDE THAT, WE LOSE THAT AND WE BECOME MADE UP OF A COUNCIL OF ELITIST HOMEOWNERS, APPARENTLY. AND I JUST THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE DENTON'S CULTURE. THANK YOU. >> MR. WATTS.
>> COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? I GOT LOST IN THE SECOND PART. WHAT'S THE FIRST PART?
>> I. >> I UNDERSTAND THE CITY MANAGER HAS MORE POWER IN DENTON THAN MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. WE WILL HAVE A NEW CITY MANAGER, CHIEF OF POLICE, PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR SOON. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT AS MAYOR GIVEN
THESE CHALLENGES? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE CITY MANAGER DOES NOT HAVE MORE POWER THAN THE CITY COUNCIL. THE CITY COUNCIL HIRES THE CITY MANAGER. THE CITY COUNCIL CAN FIRE THE CITY MANAGER. THE CITY COUNCIL SETS POLICY, AND IT'S UP TO THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT THAT POLICY. HOW WILL I IMPACT THAT AS BEING MAYOR? I WILL DO IT THE SAME WAY I DID IT SIX YEARS AGO. FOR SIX YEARS, TEN, 12 YEARS AGO, FOR SIX YEARS. YOU FIRST OF ALL HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU TREAT EACH OTHER ON THE DAIS WITH RESPECT. DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T DISAGREE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A DYSFUNCTION AT THE TOP, IT ALWAYS FILTERS DOWN.
YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN OPEN COMMUNICATION AND THE MAYOR LEADS THE TEAM. THE MAYOR IS PART OF THE TEAM. THAT'S WHAT'S SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THE MAYOR DOESN'T HAVE ANY MORE INFLUENCE OVER THE CITY MANAGER THAN ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL, BUT THE MAYOR CAN HELP PROVIDE THE DISCUSSION, CAN LEAD BY EXAMPLE OF TRUSTING, TREATING PEOPLE WITH RESPECT. AND I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU, I'VE SEEN SITUATIONS WITH MY OWN EYES AND HEARD IT WITH MY OWN EARS. WHERE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NOT TREATED THE CITY MANAGER WITH RESPECT AND DISRESPECTED HER IN FRONT OF HER SUBORDINATES. AND THAT'S THE ONE BIG NO NO IN MANAGEMENT 101. YOU DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE YOU UNDERMINE THEIR AUTHORITY. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. YOU HAVE TO HAVE OPEN COMMUNICATION. YOU HAVE TO BE FRANK AND YOU HAVE TO BE CANDID ABOUT WHAT YOUR EXPECTATIONS ARE. BUT IT'S ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
IT'S ABOUT BUILDING PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. AND I'VE DONE THAT. I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. I CAN DO THAT FROM DAY ONE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE'VE GOT AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER OR WE'RE HIRING A NEW CITY MANAGER. I'VE WORKED UNDER TWO CITY MANAGERS, THREE CITY MANAGERS FIRED ONE AND HIRED ANOTHER. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO TRULY BUILD THE TEAM, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT THE COUNCIL. THAT'S A TEAM. IT'S THE COUNCIL, IT'S THE PEOPLE, AND IT'S CITY STAFF ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAXIMIZE THE SOLUTIONS. THANK
YOU. >> MR. BECK, PLEASE. >> YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE ALL HEARING US ALL, ALL PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT THAT THAT ISN'T THE CASE. I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S IT'S HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU KNOW, ON PAPER THE CASE THAT THE CITIZENS ARE THE ARE THE BOSS. WE ABSOLUTELY ARE THE BOSS. IT DOESN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT THAT STAFF, BY IMPLEMENTING THE DAY TO DAY BUSINESS OF THE CITY, HAVE, YOU KNOW, A STRONG INPUT AS THEY SHOULD, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE EXPERTS ON THE STREET. THE COUNCIL IS SETTING POLICY AND ESTABLISHING THAT. AND THEN, AS YOU'VE HEARD OTHERS SAY, THAT IS THE JOB OF SOMEONE WHO'S COMING BEFORE COUNCIL, WHO WHO IS ON COUNCIL, RATHER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU PICK A CITY MANAGER WHO'S GOING TO IMPLEMENT YOUR POLICY IN IN WAYS THAT FOLLOW COMMUNITY OR
[01:05:01]
COMMUNITY ORIENTED STANDARDS. SO I THINK YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE WHEN WE'RE INTERVIEWING A NEW CITY MANAGER, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THAT NEW CITY MANAGER WILL OR WILL NOT WHAT THEIR PHILOSOPHY WILL BE ON THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE, WHAT THEIR PHILOSOPHY WILL BE ON ON THE PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR, WHAT THEIR PHILOSOPHY WILL BE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, WHICH WHICH IS ALSO OPEN. SO I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE WANT TO BE THIS ARTS AND CULTURE CENTERED, INNOVATIVE, COMMUNITY, QUALITY OF LIFE CENTERED PERSON, WE HIRE A CITY MANAGER AND WE HELP THEM GET AWAY FROM INCREMENTALISM, WHERE THEY TAKE MICRO STEPS AND WE GIVE THEM THE SAFETY AND SECURITY TO BE ABLE TO SWING FOR THE FENCES, TO DO BOLD AND INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL ASKEDTHEM TO DO. >> MISS BREWER. >> DID I START.
>> THIS ONE? >> I. >> DID, I STARTED THIS ONE, YEAH, BECAUSE I GOT CONFUSED IN THE MIDDLE. I'VE ALREADY ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. I THINK
WE'RE READY FOR THE NEXT. >> ALL RIGHT. >> THEN WE'LL START. BEGIN WITH MISS CHILES. ARE THE SERVICES WE OFFER TO HOMELESS PEOPLE ATTRACTING MORE OF THEM TO
DENTON? IF SO, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? >> I. HOPE THAT.
>> IF OUR SERVICES ARE ATTRACTING MORE HOMELESS PEOPLE TO DENTON, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S GIVING THEM HOPE. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS A CITY, BECAUSE WE HAVE A COUNT OF NEARING 700 HOMELESS PEOPLE. YOU CAN TELL THIS BY LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE OUR DAILY BREAD HAS SERVED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. UP UNTIL THIS, THE END OF THIS LAST YEAR WHEN THEY HAD TO REDUCE SERVICES, WHICH IS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON WRAPAROUND SERVICES. RIGHT? BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME ALONG TO TRY AND SUPPLEMENT THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE YEARS TO BUILD, RIGHT? LIKE SO THE MACK ADAMS HAVEN, IT'S GREAT, RIGHT? IT'S SPECIAL BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HAVE WRAPAROUND SERVICES BUILT IN. BUT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN BROKEN GROUND ON BUILDING IT YET. AND SO HOW LONG, HOW LONG? YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS NOW. AND SURE, MAYBE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE HOMELESS TWO YEARS FROM NOW, BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN START DOING NOW. AND I THINK FOR ME, THAT LOOKS AT HOW WE'RE ZONING LAND AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LIVE ON LAND. YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT HAVE TRIED TO CAMP OUT NEAR NORTH LAKES PARK AND THEY GET TOLD NO, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT, AND WE NEED TO START ALLOWING THAT SO THAT WE CAN START BUILDING THAT UP INTO WHETHER IT'S TINY HOME COMMUNITIES THAT INCLUDE WRAPAROUND SERVICES OR OTHER KINDS OF SERVICES. BUT REGARDLESS, I THINK WE NEED TO BE HUMANS FIRST. AND IF PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE BECAUSE OF OUR SERVICES, WE NEED TO TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT AND HELP THEM BECOME DETONATES, INCREASE OUR TAX BASE, RIGHT? ISN'T THAT
WHAT YOU WANT? >> THAT'S WHAT. >> YEAH. I THINK THAT THAT QUESTION, I SORT OF REJECT THE DIRECTION OF THE QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S SAYING.
>> IS THAT A PHONE? >> I DON'T KNOW, COULD I COULD YOU REPEAT, COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? I'M GOING TO NEED MY TIME TO START OVER, BUT COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION?
>> ARE THE SERVICES WE OFFER TO HOMELESS PEOPLE ATTRACTING MORE OF THEM TO DENTON? IF SO, WHAT
CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? >> I THINK THAT'S THE WRONG QUESTION. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IS WE HAVE TO FIND WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY, WITHIN OUR VALUES AND WITH OUR CAPACITY. FINANCIAL VOLUNTEER, ANY ABILITY WITHIN THE CITY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING. WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS WE'VE HAD THIS SHELTER FOR NOW, 4 OR 5 YEARS, AND IT WAS REACHING A POINT WHERE NOBODY WAS REALLY GETTING HELP.
SO THEY HAD TO IMPLEMENT SOME RULES TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE MONEY THAT WAS BEING SPENT TO TRULY HELP YOU. I THINK THEY HOUSED ABOUT 150 TO 200 PEOPLE LAST YEAR. AND SO THE QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT WHO'S COMING AND WHY THEY'RE COMING. THE QUESTION REALLY IS, WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO DO AS A COMMUNITY? AND IF THE CHANGES AT THE SHELTER HAD NOT CHANGED, IF THE RULES HAD NOT CHANGED, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SAID WE WOULD RUN OUT OF MONEY. SHE DIDN'T SAY IT. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IF THAT HAPPENED, IT WOULD EITHER CLOSE, WE LOCK THE DOORS AND OR THE CITY TAKES IT OVER FOR $3 MILLION. SO WE DON'T LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHO WE'RE ATTRACTING OR WHO WE'RE NOT. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHO ARE WE HELPING? HOW CAN WE HELP THEM BETTER WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES AND WHAT THIS COMMUNITY WANTS TO DO. AND IT'S NOT ABOUT IF THEY'RE COMING BECAUSE WE BUILT IT. IT'S ABOUT THE DECISIONS WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR. AND TO ME THAT I STARTED THIS CONVERSATION REALLY BACK IN 2015 WHEN WE HAD THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON HOMELESSNESS THAT CULMINATED IN THIS SHELTER.
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE ANOTHER COMMUNITY WIDE CONVERSATION. WHERE DO WE GO? BUT THE THE
[01:10:02]
QUESTION CAN'T BE TO PUSH PEOPLE AWAY. THAT CAN'T BE THE REASON.>> MR. BECK. >> THANK YOU. >> YEAH. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR UNANIMITY PROBABLY IN SOME FORM OR FASHION ON THIS ONE AS WELL. ONE OF THE REASONS INCLUSION IS OUR NUMBER ONE KEY DESCRIPTOR FOR THE CITY IN OUR IN OUR DOCUMENTATION, THAT IS JUST WHO WE ARE. WE ARE A WARM, COMPASSIONATE, EMBRACING, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY AND INCLUSION IN ALL FORMS OF THAT WORD. AND, AND SO WE'RE SIMPLY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN CHRIS IS RIGHT, WHEN IN HIS PREVIOUS COUNCIL, WE BOUGHT THE SHELTER. ALL RIGHT. SO WHEN I HAPPENED TO BE ON P AND Z AT THE TIME, AND I WAS, I WAS HAPPY TO, TO, YOU KNOW, CONCUR WITH THAT, THAT BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE DOING IT PIECEMEAL WITH THE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, I THINK IS OUR REAL PROBLEM. THERE WAS A LOT OF DESIRE, A LOT OF INTEREST IN HELPING PEOPLE. AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS GET A BETTER AND MORE POWERFUL AND MORE POWERFUL SYNERGIES WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES. AND NOW THE QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH OF THAT CAN WE EXTEND TO IN A REGIONAL APPROACH? AND I THINK IF YOU TAKE SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR FOR A NUMBER OF THESE FORUMS, A SORT OF HUB AND SPOKE MODEL, BUILDING ON SOMETHING THAT UNITED WAY HAS DONE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOOP IN CRUMB AND LITTLE ELM AND LEWISVILLE, AND YOU CAN HAVE RESOURCES THAT ARE SHARED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN DENTON SO THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS REGIONAL AND GETS ADDITIONAL MONIES ON THE TABLE. AND JUST REMEMBER, FOR EVERY TIME THAT YOU DON'T DO DIVERSIONARY SERVICES OR WRAPAROUND SERVICES, EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE 3 OR 4 TIMES MORE COSTLY TO DO IT IN THE FIELD.
>> YEAH. >> THANK YOU, MISS BREWER. >> THIS IS ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS. I WISH WE HAD AN HOUR TO DISCUSS, AT LEAST BECAUSE THE COMPLEXITY OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN SERVING OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION IS INCREDIBLE, AND IT DESERVES OUR TIME AND OUR FOCUS. I, I DO NOT THINK WE ARE ATTRACTING PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLEX REASONS WHY OUR HOMELESS POPULATION IS GROWING. SOME OF IT IS BECAUSE WE'RE THE COUNTY SEAT. WE HAVE THE DENTON COUNTY JAIL HERE. AND SO OFTEN PEOPLE MAYBE WHO HAVE COME FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY WHO ARE SERVING TIME IN JAIL WHEN THEY'RE RELEASED, THE RELEASED INTO THE CITY OF DENTON. I THINK THAT THE COUNTY REALLY NEEDS TO STEP IN AND HELP US OUT IN THE CITY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN INCREASE IN OUR HOMELESS POPULATION BECAUSE WE'RE THE COUNTY SEAT. AND TO ME, THAT SHOULD BE THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT US.
DENTON TAXPAYERS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BEAR THAT BURDEN OF THE HELP WE NEED TO PROVIDE BECAUSE WE'RE THE COUNTY SEAT. AND I ALSO REALLY WANT TO THINK A LOT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE SEE LIKE IN THE PIT COUNT AND AND WE HAD ABOUT 700 FOLKS, WE THINK, WHO ARE LIVING ON OUR STREETS RIGHT NOW, THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN THAT OF FOLKS WHO ARE UNHOUSED, WHO AREN'T ON THE STREET. THEY ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO ARE COUCH SURFING OR STAYING IN A FRIEND'S BEDROOM OR STAYING WITH FAMILY. AND WE'RE REALLY NOT, THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT ATTRACTED TO COME HERE BECAUSE OF SERVICES, RIGHT? THEY'RE HERE BECAUSE THEY LIVE HERE AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEIR HOUSE ANYMORE. THE ANSWER TO THAT PROBLEM IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NOT LOW INCOME, NECESSARILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT MIDDLE INCOME EARNERS CAN GET INTO. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEXITY HERE, BUT MOSTLY I WOULD AGREE WITH ALL OF MY FRIENDS ON THE ON THE DAIS HERE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS COMPASSION AND HEART AND WANTS TO SERVE ALL OF THE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM THRIVE AND BE INTEGRATED INTO
OUR COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU. >> BEGINNING WITH MR. WATTS.
THIS TIME. >> YES. >> MANY CITIZENS ARE UNHAPPY WITH AN ADU ORDINANCE, WHICH CONTINUES TO BE A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT EFFECTIVELY DOUBLED EACH RESIDENTIAL ZONING CATEGORY THAT GOVERNS LOT SIZES LARGE ENOUGH TO ADD. OR ACCOMMODATE AN ADU. RESIDENTS WHO BOUGHT IN R3, FOR INSTANCE, MAY FIND THEMSELVES EFFECTIVELY LIVING IN R6. NOT LONG AGO, THE ADU ORDINANCE, EXCUSE ME, PROHIBITED INCLUSION OF A KITCHEN, BUT WHAT'S A KITCHEN TO FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, A FRIDGE, MICROWAVE AND TOASTER OVEN, NONE OF WHICH REQUIRES A PERMIT. THE SIZE, PROPORTION AND EXTERIOR OF ADUS AND THE LOSS OF NEIGHBORS. PROPERTY OF NEIGHBORS PRIVACY ARE ALL PROBLEMS. ALSO, FOUNDATION PREPARATION FOR ADUS OFTEN DAMAGES NEIGHBORS TREES NEAR FENCE LINES. ADUS GENERATE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES PARKED ON THE STREET, WHICH LOWERS NEARBY HOME VALUES. WOULD YOU BE
[01:15:05]
RECEPTIVE TO A COUNCIL DISCUSSION ABOUT MODIFYING THE ADU ORDINANCE TO NUMBER ONE, ROLL BACK THE LATEST AMENDMENT THAT ALLOWS FOR TWO ADUS PER HOUSE BY RIGHT IN THE CITY CENTER, TWO REQUIRE AN S, U, P FOR EVERY ADU BUILT. AND NUMBER THREE, REDUCE THE SIZE OF ADUS BY MAKING THEM PROPORTIONAL TO EITHER THE SIZE OF THE PRIMARY HOUSE OR THE LOT SIZE.>> THAT'S IT. CAN I HAVE AS MUCH TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AS IT TOOK TO ASK THE
QUESTION? IS THAT OKAY? NO. ALL RIGHT. >> I'LL GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES.
>> NO, NO, NO, I DON'T NEED TWO MINUTES. I'M JUST I'M JUST PLAYING. I'M JUST PLAYING WITH YOU. WELL, I DON'T WANT TO BE GUILTY OF WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT UP HERE, AND THAT IS MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT THE INPUT OF THE COMMUNITY. SO THESE THREE SUGGESTIONS OF AN AMENDMENT FOR REGIONAL S, U, P, ADUS, PROPORTIONAL AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. CLEARLY THERE EITHER WAS A LACK OF COMMUNICATION DURING THIS ADU PROCESS OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE SINCE IT'S PASSED, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S REALLY FLOATED TO THE SURFACE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO COMMIT TO ANYTHING UNTIL I REALLY ACTUALLY HEAR WHAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO SAY ABOUT IT, BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE WASN'T THAT MUCH INPUT IN THE PROCESS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE NOW IT'S REALLY FILTERED TO THE TOP. SO I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO LOOKING AT HAVING THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WE NEED, THE COUNCIL MEETING, PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND THE MARK OF GOOD LEADERSHIP IS IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU FIX IT. AND SO WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO TELL US, I KNOW YOU SAID IT ANECDOTALLY IN THE QUESTION, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I HEAR PEOPLE COME AND PARTICIPATE, AND I'VE HEARD IT IN FORUMS, BUT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO AMENDING ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE. IF THE COMMUNITY COMES AND THEY PRESENT THEIR CONCERNS AND WE, WE LOOK AT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND WE DO IT. SO OF COURSE I AM. AND I'VE I'VE DONE THAT THE WHOLE TIME. I'VE SERVED ON COUNCIL FOR AS MAYOR AND BEFORE THE COMMUNITY HAS TO GIVE US DIRECTION. WE DON'T ALWAYS MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, BUT THE MARK OF GOOD LEADERSHIP IS CAN YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU MAKE IT RIGHT? SO CERTAINLY COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BECK. >> YEAH, NO, I'LL OPEN UP WITH THE THING WHERE CHRIS ENDED ON.
EVERYONE RUNNING FOR OFFICE SHOULD ALWAYS BE OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE. AND, AND IT MAY NOT RESULT IN ANY CHANGE OR IT MIGHT. I MEAN, THIS IS THE CONSTANT TWO WAY FEEDBACK. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT. SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE SHOULD BE SAYING, YES, THEY'RE OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION. AND SOMETIMES THAT THAT ISSUE IS ONE OF COMMUNICATION. I'M THE CHAIR OF THE DEVELOPMENT CODE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND WE'RE WE SPENT I KNOW CHRIS WAS MAKING A JOKE AND I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY SPENT FIVE MONTHS GOING BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH ON THIS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING, WITH MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. WE, I, WE HAD AT LEAST TWO AND I THINK WE HAD THREE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS. I KNOW WE INVOLVED HIBISCO IN SOME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND. BUT WHAT THAT TELLS YOU IS WHEN THERE'S STILL ANGST AND CONCERNS, YOU NEED TO HAVE MORE. IT'S OKAY TO HAVE MORE. IT'S OKAY TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THE PROCESS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ONE AND DONE IT. COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE 20% OF EVERY STAFF MEMBER AND EVERY POLITICIAN'S JOB. AND IF THAT MEANS THAT FOR EVERY FOUR, WE GOT TO HIRE ANOTHER PERSON. OKAY. AND ONE LAST LITTLE TIDBIT. IN MY LAST 10S, THE CRC PUT INTO THE BRAND NEW LANDSCAPING CODE THAT WILL SOON COME BEFORE COUNCIL. NEW RULES FOR EXACTLY GOVERNING TREE
ROOTS TO PROTECT THEM AT ADUS. >> THANK YOU, MISS BREWER. >> YEAH. SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF ADUS. AS FAR AS ANSWERING THAT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE'RE FACING, ADUS ARE A REALLY GREAT OPTION IN A LOT OF WAYS TO MAKE AFFORDABLE PROPERTY THAT IS NEIGHBORHOOD BASED. THAT ISN'T A BIG SORT OF FACELESS APARTMENT COMPLEX OUT ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, BUT IT INTEGRATES PEOPLE INTO NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHERE THEY CAN REALLY FULLY BECOME PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. LIVING IN ADUS, I KNOW IN THE QUESTION, IT WAS SORT OF SOMEWHAT ASSUMED THAT THIS IS COLLEGE STUDENT HOUSING, BUT I THINK A LOT OF ADUS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOT COLLEGE STUDENT HOUSING. THEY'RE OFTEN YOUNG, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, SINGLE PEOPLE WHO DON'T NEED A LOT OF SPACE, BUT ALSO DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A FACELESS APARTMENT COMPLEX. THEY'RE INTERESTED IN BEING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN A PLACE IN THEIR LIVES WHERE THEY CAN HAVE A WHOLE HOUSE, RIGHT? AND SO IT MAKES SENSE TO
[01:20:02]
ALLOW HOMEOWNERS TO HAVE THESE ADUS AVAILABLE. ALSO IN, IN MY HOUSE, WE SHARE A HOUSE WITH MY PARENTS, AND I THINK MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIVING IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE PREVALENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND ADUS OFFER A REALLY GREAT OPTION FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NEEDING TO DO MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIVING, WHO NEED ELDERLY PARENTS TO MOVE CLOSER TO THEM. AN ADU IS A GREAT SOLUTION, HOWEVER, WITH ALL OF THE GOOD WITH, IT DEFINITELY COMES BAD AND WE NEED TO WORK ON THESE ISSUES WHERE PUTTING AN ADU IN IS MAYBE MAKING YOU NOT A GREAT NEIGHBOR. AND SO SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT THE QUESTION ADDRESSED AROUND MAYBE THE NUMBER OF ADUS, THE DISCUSSION POINTS THAT WE COULD HAVE, AND REDUCING THE SIZE AND MAKING IT MORE PROPORTIONAL TO THE LOT, THOSE ARE DEFINITELYDISCUSSIONS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. >> MISS JILL. MISS.
>> AND MISS MCADAMS. I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT AS MUCH AS I SEE YOU LISTENING TO US, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU AS WELL, AND I HEARD A VERSION OF THIS QUESTION ASKED BY YOU AT THE FORUM, AND AT THE END OF IT YOU TOLD US, AND I LISTENED BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAID MADE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE. AND THAT IS THAT, YES, WE NEED TO LOOK AT MODIFYING THIS BECAUSE IF THERE IS ROOM FOR US TO PUT RENT CAPS ON ADUS, THAT IS SOMETHING WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BE LOOKING INTO BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO TARGET COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY ARE ARE CLOSE TO YOU AND T AND CLOSE TO T W U. THAT IS WHO'S GOING TO BE MOST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE THINGS AND WHO'S GOING TO BENEFIT MOST FROM THESE THINGS. AND WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT PRICED OUT AND THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO STAY NEAR HOMES THAT REMIND THEM OF DENTON AND WHY THEY CHOSE TO COME TO DENTON AND LIVE IN DENTON. AND THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS, TOO, THAT MISS MCADAMS POINTED OUT IS WE DO NEED TO BE SURE THAT IF THESE STUDENTS ARE COMING AND THEY'RE COMING WITH THEIR CARS, THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THEM. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT NECESSARILY NEEDS TO BE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSES.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS, WHETHER IT'S UTILIZING PARKING GARAGES, PARTNERING AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE DO THAT, HOW WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT SHE WAS RIGHT AT THE FORUM AND, AND I HAVE LOOKED INTO THIS AND I THINK SHE'S STILL RIGHT NOW. THANK
YOU. >> MR. WATTS. YES. OH, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. WE'RE FINISHED WITH THAT ONE. I WAS STILL TRYING TO NEGOTIATE HOW TO DO THIS.
SECOND ONE. DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT ON YOUR PHONE? YES. MAYBE I SHOULD READ IT. WE HAVE A QUESTION THAT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT CONFUSING TO SOME OF THE AUDIENCE. IT SAYS, SHOULD THE CITY SIGN 287 AGREEMENTS? AND SOME OF YOU WONDER WHAT THAT IS? SO A 287 G AGREEMENT IS A VOLUNTARY PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AND STATE OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT AUTHORIZES DESIGNATED OFFICERS TO PERFORM LIMITED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM AND IMMIGRANT RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1996. THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO IDENTIFY AND PROCESS REMOVABLE AGENT REMOVABLE ALIENS WITHIN LOCAL JAILS ARE DOING ROUTINE. POLICING NOW, AND THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD THE CITY SIGN SUCH AGREEMENTS? LET'S SEE WHO WE'RE STARTING WITH THIS TIME, MR.
BECK. >> YES, THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO, AND I WON'T EVER SIGN ONE WHILE I'M ON COUNCIL. I WAS LEADING THE CHARGE ON THE CURRENT COUNCIL WHEN 287 REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR AND SAID, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN TALKING? I WAS LEADING A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON ON THAT ONE, AT LEAST AT THE. FOR FOLKS IN THE COUNCIL, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE WAY THAT THEY DISRUPT A COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING AND MAKE IT HARDER TO DO POLICING.
AND, AND REGARDLESS OF SORT OF THE MORAL AND ETHICAL QUALMS OF THE WAY YOU SEE ICE BEHAVING RIGHT NOW IN THE COUNTRY, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU JUST WANT A PRAGMATIC REASON, WE SHOULD NOT BECAUSE IT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE. THE CITIZENS, THE TAXES THAT WE CHARGE, YOU ARE NOT WE DON'T HAVE A SCOPE OF WORK FOR DOING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION POLICY. SO YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU WANT IT FOR MORAL REASONS OR WHETHER YOU WANT IT FOR PRAGMATIC, PRAGMATIC FINANCIAL REASONS. I WILL NOT SIGN ANY 287 AGREEMENT, AND I WILL ENCOURAGE AND HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH AS MUCH AS TOMA WILL ALLOW ME TO DO SO WITH MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS
ABOUT NOT PROCEEDING FORWARD TO THAT. SO I'LL JUST END IT THERE. >> MISS BREWER.
>> I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS QUESTION WAS BROUGHT UP. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST TIME
[01:25:03]
WE'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT THIS IN A FORUM, AND I AM ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE DENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF DENTON PARTNERING WITH ICE IN ANY WAY, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT BRIAN JUST SAID. AND THEN ONE OTHER THAT I GET CONCERNED ABOUT OUR POLICE OFFICERS IN THIS SITUATION, THAT BEING AN ICE AGENT IS NOT THE JOB THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS SIGNED ON FOR OUR POLICE FORCE. IT'S A VOLUNTEER FORCE. THESE ARE FOLKS WHO WILLINGLY HAVE TAKEN ON A JOB TO POLICE OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY DID NOT SIGN ON TO BE ICE AGENTS. AND I WOULD SUSPECT MANY OF THEM HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN DOING THAT KIND OF WORK. IT REALLY DOES CUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT OFF AT THE KNEES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO DO COMMUNITY POLICING AND BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND TO BE SEEN AS A POLICE FORCE THAT CAN BE TRUSTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF WE PARTNER WITH ICE, WE'RE BLOWING UP ALL OF THOSE GOOD FEELINGS THAT MAYBE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO BUILD IN LOTS OF PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO FOR ALL THE REASONS BRIAN SAID, PLUS, I THINK IT IS A REALLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR POLICE FORCE TO DO THESE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS. SO I'M A HARD NO ON ANY 287AGREEMENT WITH ICE. >> MISS GILES, PLEASE. >> YES, I AM ALSO A HARD NO ON ANY 287 G AGREEMENTS WITH ICE. AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE DENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHO MAKE UP OUR TOWN AND WHO ARE FEARFUL AND WHO ARE SCARED BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE WITH PAPERS STILL BEING SYSTEMATICALLY TARGETED BY ICE. AND WE NEED TO SHOW THOSE PEOPLE THAT DENTON CARES ABOUT THEM AND DIDN'T STAND UP FOR THEM, AND THAT DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ECONOMY EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, THEY SHOW UP AND THEY CARE. THESE ARE OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THESE ARE PEOPLE'S PEOPLE'S LIVES. PEOPLE'S FAMILIES, FAMILIES ARE BEING TORN APART. AND THAT IS WHY WE SHOULD SAY NO TO THIS. I DON'T
OH YEAH, NO, NO. >> THAT'S IT. >> THANK YOU, MR. WATTS.
>> OH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA LET ME OUT OF THIS ONE. >> NO, SIR. NO, SIR.
>> NO, THIS IS AN EASY ONE. THIS IS AN EASY ONE. NO, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT THAT. NUMBER ONE, IT'S RARELY BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED. I MEAN, THE MEETING WAS HAD. THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD EVER GET TO COUNCIL IS IF SOME COUNCIL MEMBER BROUGHT IT FORWARD. WELL, I'M NOT BRINGING IT FORWARD, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE IS GOING TO BRING IT FORWARD. AND IF IT IS BROUGHT FORWARD, WE DON'T NEED IT. IT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE. IT'S NOT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY STANDS FOR. IT'S ALSO NOT WHAT OUR POLICE FORCE DOES. THEY'RE NOT TRAINED TO DO THAT, AS ANGELA HAD SAID. SO I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID EXCEPT THOSE SENTIMENTS I SHARE. AND SO, NO, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS NO.
>> EXCUSE ME. STARTING WITH YOU, MRS. BREWER, PLEASE. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO EMPOWER AND CENTER THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITIES, MARGINALIZED PEOPLE SUCH AS LATINAS, WOMEN, L, G, B, T, Q
PLUS, ETC. IN DENTON'S CIVIC LIFE AND LEADERSHIP. >> YEAH, AND THIS IS MY JAM, Y'ALL, I LOVE THIS. I THE, THE IDEA THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS STRONGEST WHEN EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO THE TABLE, RIGHT? THAT WE GET TO BE THE MOST.
DENTON WHEN EVERY DENTON KNIGHT IS INCLUDED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT AS FAR AS INCREASING ACCESS AND FINDING NEW WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE INPUT, BUT ALSO BEING NOT JUST WELCOMING OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, BUT INVITATIONAL TO THOSE COMMUNITIES. SO NOT JUST SAYING, HEY, EVERYBODY'S WELCOME, COME ON IN, BUT GOING AND SEEKING THEM OUT, GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO MEETINGS, INTO CHURCHES, INTO CIVIC GROUPS TO FIND ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE MAYBE BEEN IGNORED IN THE PAST, WHOSE VOICES HAVEN'T COUNTED IN THE PAST AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE A CITY THAT APPRECIATES, VALUES THEM, AND WANTS THEM TO BE A PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY. SO REALLY GOING TO WHERE THESE COMMUNITIES ARE MEETING AND ORGANIZING AND ADVOCATING FOR THEMSELVES AND BEING INVOLVED IN THAT ADVOCACY WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. I DON'T HAVE A TON OF TIME LEFT. I HAVE A PROJECT THAT I STARTED COOKING UP. IT'S CALLED DENTON RISING, AND IT'S THE IDEA OF KIND OF WORKING AGAINST THE SORT OF CLOSED DOOR BACKROOM DEALINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN CITY GOVERNMENT IN THE PAST, AND REALLY INCREASING TRANSPARENCY AND INVITING EVERYONE TOGETHER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CITY GOVERNMENT TO DO THAT CIVICS EDUCATION, TO TAKE TOURS OF ALL OF OUR CITY FACILITIES, TO LEARN HOW TO BE ADVOCATES TO THE CITY FOR THE CAUSES THEY CARE ABOUT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY TRAIN UP LEADERS
TO COME INTO ELECTIONS TO RUN FOR OFFICE. >> I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS QUESTION. I THINK IT STARTS WITH BUILDING TRUST. I KNOW FOR ME PERSONALLY, FOR ALMOST A
[01:30:04]
YEAR NOW, EVERY WEEKEND I'VE TRIED TO SEEK OUT DRAG SHOWS, MUSIC PERFORMANCES, AND FOR THE PAST OVER SIX MONTHS, EVERY WEEKEND OR SO, I'VE BEEN CANVASING, HELPING PEOPLE LEARN MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES. IF THEY SEE ICE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO CALL, WHERE TO GO. AND I THINK THAT THAT THAT'S THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THIS, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE IN THE MOMENT THAT THEY'RE IN. AND YOU CAN'T JUST FORCE MEETINGS ON PEOPLE UNLESS YOU'RE MAKING THEM ACCESSIBLE. AND AGAIN, THAT COMES DOWN TO, TO ONE, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS TO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, MAKING THOSE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES ACCESSIBLE THROUGH VIRTUAL OPTIONS, FIGURING OUT HOW TO INCORPORATE VOICES WHO MAYBE DON'T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE AS US SOMETIMES, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE DIFFERENT IDEAS AND NEEDS THAT THESE COMMUNITIES ARE NEEDING.AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF HOW THAT STARTS. I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, A REALLY BASIC THING TO DO IS JUST HONOR PROCLAMATIONS, PRIDE PROCLAMATIONS, BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. WHY AREN'T I SEEING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, SOME SORT OF BANNER THAT A BUNCH OF KIDS MAKE IN THE FRONT OF CITY HALL? ANYTIME IT'S A SPECIAL MONTH, THIS, THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DEEP. AND I THINK WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND DO THIS AND SHOW PEOPLE THEY BELONG IN DENTON, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY'RE FROM OR WHO THEY ARE.
>> MR. WATTS. >> YEAH, WELL, I THINK DENTON, I MEAN, I THINK WE DO A GOOD JOB OF BEING INCLUSIVE, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER. I MEAN, WHEN I WAS MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE FUNDING IS IN PLACE TO HELP THESE COMMUNITIES AS THEY CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THEIR COMMUNITY, THAT WE DON'T BECOME AN OBSTACLE TO THEM. WE HAVE TO BE OPEN, INVITING, AND PROVIDE A WAY IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THEIR PLACE HERE IN TOWN IN DENTON. WE CAN CERTAINLY ANYTIME PEOPLE CAN MAKE APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THAT. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THIS CAME TO BE WITH SOME OF THIS KIND OF INFIGHTING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO READ, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, BECAUSE I THINK IT JUST REALLY IS MORE DIVISIVE THAN IT IS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO ALSO BE OPEN TO LISTENING. WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND SOLICIT, WHAT ARE WE DOING RIGHT? WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG? BECAUSE REALLY THE COMMUNITY IS THE EYES AND EARS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT. WE CAN'T KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO IF WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. SO OF COURSE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND EXPLORE NEW WAYS AND AVENUES THAT THE COMMUNITIES BRING TO US, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM AND LIFT THEM UP AND ENSURE THAT THEY FEEL INCLUDED AND WELCOME
HERE IN DENTON. >> THANK YOU, MR. BRYANT. >> YES.
>> NO, I, I, AS I SAID IN SOME OF MY EARLIER REMARKS, OUR VERY FIRST TENANT FOR THE CITY IS TO BE INCLUSIVE. AND AT THAT TIME I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE UNHOUSED, BUT I REFERENCED THE FACT THAT INCLUSIVE IN EVERY FORM OF WHAT THAT MEANS, BECAUSE IT TAKES ALL THESE DIFFERENT THREADS TO WEAVE THIS TAPESTRY THAT WE CALL DENTON TOGETHER. AND, AND SO I'VE BEEN REALLY PROUD THAT WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL HAD STARTED THE THE PAPERWORK AND TO HAVE A NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. AND IT WAS THE COUNCIL THAT I GOT TO BE ON THAT REALLY FINALIZED THAT AND PUT IT IN PLACE. AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE ME PROUD IS IT LED TO RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. I. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU GOT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ON IS TO NOT CENTER YOURSELF WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO CENTER ON THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BE INCLUSIVE OF. AND, AND YES, BRING THEM ON BOARD WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO TO WHERE THEY ARE. YOU HAVE TO JOIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. YOU HAVE TO BE AN ALLY FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND BUILDING THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP. FOR EXAMPLE, WITH LIKE PRIDE DENTON IS WHEN WHEN WE HAD A MOMENT WHERE THERE WAS A HICCUP, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO STEP UP AND WORK WITH THOSE FOLKS AND COME UP WITH A PERMANENT RESOLUTION FOR FOR RUDY RODRIGUEZ IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AND HIM, FOR HE AND I, TO GO DOWN TO THE DAY LABOR CENTER IN PLANO AND COME UP WITH PLANS FOR HOW THAT MIGHT BE HERE. AND I WASN'T
LEADING IT. IT WAS HIM, BUT I WAS LEARNING. >> THANK YOU. WE'RE STARTING WITH MRS. CHILES THIS TIME. WHAT CAN THE CITY DO ABOUT THE DEVELOPER THAT WANTS TO PUT SOME SORT OF WATER TREATMENT FACILITY BETWEEN SANGER AND DENTON?
>> I THINK THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THIS TREATMENT CENTER. WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS? WHAT WHAT WHY WAS IT GOING INTO
[01:35:01]
EFFECT TO BEGIN WITH? WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS AND WHAT DOES THE CITY WANT TO SEE AS FAR AS THIS GOES? I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE UTILIZE ALL OUR RESOURCES AND OPTIONS IN ORDER TO JUST ENSURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING IN THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE WOULD LIKE TO SEE US RESPOND. AND I DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS TOTHIS ONE, SO I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT. >> MR. WATTS.
>> SURE, I'M LIMITED IN MY FACTS, BUT I KNOW ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME TYPE OF ANSWER. THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S WANTING TO DO THEIR OWN WATER TREATMENT PLANT, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, AND IT'S NOT IN THE CITY LIMITS. IT'S OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, SORT OF IN SANGER'S ETJ OR IN THEIR CITY LIMITS. I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT'S IN THEIR CITY LIMITS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY HAS BEEN THEY THEY DON'T SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE SORT OF A REGIONAL PROVIDER. WELL, OKAY. MY ONLY QUESTION ABOUT THAT IS WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT AND WE'RE EXTENDING WATER AND SEWER LINES BEYOND OUR CITY LIMITS. AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT THAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.
SO I WOULD HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. I WOULD HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND UNDERSTAND CLEARLY WHAT THE POLICY IS FOR US TO TAKE ON SOMETHING REGIONALLY THAT OUR TAXPAYERS COULD EVENTUALLY BE ON THE HOOK FOR. I MEAN, YOU CAN SAY ALL YOU WANT. DEVELOPERS ARE BUILDING IT. THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. WE'VE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHERE IF THINGS DON'T WORK OUT THE WAY THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, THEN WHO GETS LEFT HOLDING THE BAG? THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF DENTON DO. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL THAT NEEDS TO BE FERRETED OUT, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M COMMITTED TO AS MAYOR, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE DATA NECESSARY TO MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE TO BE THE BEST CHOICE FOR OUR CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY LIMITS.
>> MR. BECK. >> KNOW I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION SO MUCH. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS CALLED LUNA AND AND AS WAS ALLUDED TO, COUNCIL WAS, I BELIEVE, UNANIMOUS. I BELIEVE DON'T HOLD ME TO IT IF IT'S NOT REALLY HIGH NUMBER COUNCIL. AND WE DIRECTED STEVEN GAY AND HIS FOLKS IN WATER AND WASTEWATER TO PROTEST THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL. THEY'VE BEEN DRIVING TO AUSTIN, THEY'VE BEEN DRIVING TO DALLAS. WHY? WHY ARE WE PROTESTING THIS? BECAUSE, AS CHRIS SAID, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT IN IS WHAT'S CALLED A PACKAGE PLAN. AND IT'S A IT'S A SMALL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, AND IT ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE A HONESTLY, A TERRIBLE STANDARD. IT IS IT IS A IT IS A IT IS A GOD AWFUL STANDARD. AND AND DENTON STANDARD IS SO HIGH, YOU COULD ALMOST. THEY USED TO GIVE DEMONSTRATIONS ABOUT BEING DOWNSTREAM FROM THE EFFLUENT AND GRABBING A CUP AND DRINKING IT. THAT'S HOW PROUD THEY WERE OF THE WATER. I WAS A LITTLE BRAVER THAN THAN I WANTED TO BE, BUT BUT THE PACKAGE PLANTS DEFINITELY CAN'T DO THAT. WE'RE FLOODING A MUCH LOWER STANDARD QUANTITY OF WATER FROM THIS DEVELOPMENT IF WE DON'T PROTEST IT DOWN INTO CLEAR CREEK, WHY IS IT CLEAR CREEK? WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT. WE'RE GIVING TOURS THIS, THIS ECO TOURISM AND THIS SENSITIVE ECOLOGICAL AREA CANNOT HANDLE THIS. AND SO WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO IT. WHY? BECAUSE THAT AREA, YES, IT'S OUTSIDE OUR CITY, BUT IT'S FLOWING INTO OUR CITY AFFECTING OUR RESIDENTS, OUR PEOPLE, OUR WAY OF LIFE, OUR CULTURE, AND OUR OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE NEED TO FIGHT THIS OFF AS BEST WE CAN AND TAKE A REGIONAL APPROACH AND HAVE THEM HELD TO A HIGH STANDARD, AND THEY PAY OUTSIDE
RATES FOR THAT STANDARD. >> MISS BREW. >> YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID. I THINK, I THINK BRIAN'S RIGHT ON THIS ONE THAT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED IT TO BE A LARGE REGIONAL PROVIDER, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LAND THAT IS FLOWING TOWARD US, THAT IS DEFINITELY IN OUR INTEREST TO BE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE PROVIDE SERVICES FOR WATER TREATMENT IN THAT AREA THAT ARE GOING TO BE REALLY HIGH QUALITY SERVICES AND THAT AREN'T GOING TO POTENTIALLY FACE FAILURE IN THE FUTURE? I GET REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE IDEA THAT DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS ARE GOING TO PUT SOMETHING IN THAT THEN REQUIRES KIND OF A LIFETIME MAINTENANCE BECAUSE DEVELOPERS COME AND GO, RIGHT? AND WE'VE, WE'VE WATCHED DEVELOPERS GO BANKRUPT AND WALK AWAY FROM PROJECTS AND, AND SO WHAT HAPPENS TO A WATER TREATMENT PLANT IF, IF YOU HAVE SEWAGE FLOWING INTO THAT PLANT AND THE DEVELOPER GOES BELLY UP, THAT IT IS GOING TO BECOME OUR PROBLEM ANYWAY. SO IT SEEMS TO ME WE'RE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION TO GO AHEAD AND START WITH A BETTER PROJECT IN THE BEGINNING, WHERE SOMETHING THAT
MIGHT END UP BEING OUR PROBLEM IN THE LONG RUN. ANYWAY. >> THANK YOU. I HAVE AN INFORMATIONAL QUESTION HERE IS, DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIRE STATION ON THE CORNER
OF BONNIE BRAE AND WINDSOR? >> YEAH, YEAH, IT'S BEING REBUILT. RIGHT. SO THEY BUILT A TEMPORARY FACILITY THERE. IT LOOKS LIKE A BIG BARN. YEAH. OH, SORRY.
[01:40:08]
>> IS THAT IS THAT A QUESTION FOR THE PANEL. >> I THINK.
>> DO WE ALL NEED TO ANSWER THIS? >> NO.
>> YES. I MEAN IT'S BEING REBUILT. YEAH. SO THEY'RE TEARING IT DOWN AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEY'VE GOT THEM IN TEMPORARY SHELTERS ON SITE AND THEY'RE REBUILDING THE FIRE
STATION. >> BIGGER. RIGHT. IT'S A SOUPED UP FIRE STATION.
>> OH NO, IT'S IT'S NEEDED. >> YEAH. VERY NEAT. >> OKAY.
>> MISS MCADAMS, DO YOU WANT THE REST OF US TO ANSWER? CHRIS WAS 100% CORRECT. I DON'T KNOW
THAT THERE'S A. >> OH, LET'S LET THEM ANSWER BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF
TIME. AND THAT MEANS WE GET LESS QUESTIONS. >> NO.
>> WE NEED A DISCUSSION OF IT. >> I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE AHEAD, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
>> YES, YES, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE AHEAD NOW TO CLOSING STATEMENTS.
>> CLOSING STATEMENTS? >> YES, SIR. YOU GET TWO MINUTES EACH TO TO ANSWER THOSE.
AND WE WILL SHOW THAT WE START NEXT. YOU ACTUALLY, IF WE'RE IN PERFECT ORDER WITH LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, WE'LL START WITH MR. WATTS FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS.
>> OH, HOLD ON NOW. I GOT A QUESTION ALREADY. I'M KIDDING YOU. I'M KIDDING YOU, LENNY. SO MY CLOSING. I'M RUNNING AND I'M GOING TO BRING TO THE MAYOR'S SEAT WHAT I BROUGHT MANY YEARS AS MAYOR AND ALSO, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT MY LIFE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN THIS CITY. AND AS A YOUNG PERSON, IT WASN'T THAT GREAT. SO WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOUSING INSECURITY, WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, WHEN I HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS A CHILD AND A TEENAGER, I UNDERSTAND THAT PERSONALLY, NOT SECOND HAND. AND THAT'S WHAT SHAPED ME OVER MY LIFE. THE STRUGGLES THAT MY MOM HAD, PUTTING MYSELF THROUGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, MASTER'S DEGREE, AND THEN GOING TO LAW SCHOOL. THAT'S WHAT I'M BRINGING TO THE COUNCIL. I'M BRINGING THE THE HUMANNESS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE SHARED EXPERIENCE THAT MANY OF US AND ALL OF US HAVE. NOBODY'S STORIES NECESSARILY. I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE OUR STORIES.
WE ALL BRING TO THE TABLE THE THINGS THAT HAVE MOLDED AND SHAPED OUR LIVES. AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN VERY APPARENT IN THE YEARS THAT I'VE SERVED. AS I STARTED THE DISCUSSION ON HOMELESSNESS, AS I'VE REALLY ADVOCATED AND HAVE FOUGHT VERY PASSIONATELY FOR AND AS MAYOR, YOU JUST HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO SEE THE FIGHT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE IT'S TERRIBLE WHAT'S HAPPENING, BECAUSE 60% OF OUR PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK WITH HOUSING BURDENS OF 40 TO 50%. SO I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF ELOQUENT STATEMENTS. I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO CONVINCE YOU MY RECORD STANDS FOR ITSELF. YOU CAN GO TO CHRIS WATTS DENTON.COM. LOOK AT WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. AND I DIDN'T SAY LOOK AT WHAT I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. IT'S LOOK WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT A TEAM. IT'S ABOUT A TEAM THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES. IT'S ABOUT A TEAM THAT YOU HAVE WITH STAFF.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S ABOUT THE TEAM AND THE COMMITMENT YOU HAVE TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TO GET THE POLITICS OUT OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE
IT'S HURT PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> MR. BECK.
>> THANK YOU. I THINK CHRIS SAID THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO BUILD ON A LITTLE BIT ONE OF THE MAGIC PIECES OF LIVING IN DENTON. WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE COMING HERE FOR COLLEGE OR, OR THEIR, THEIR, THEIR FAMILY MEMBER CAME AND THEY THEY GREW UP HERE. WHAT KEEPS THEM RETURNING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TO OTHER PLACES. IS, IS THE REAL, ALMOST MAGICAL WAY THAT DENTON HAS SHAPED LIVES. AND, AND I'VE LIVED IN MANY COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND WHEN I MOVED HERE 20 YEARS AGO, IT IMMEDIATELY BECAME APPARENT HOW THE THE THREE COLLEGES IN THE COMMUNITY WORK TOGETHER, HOW THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND, AND HOW IT, IT SORT OF COALESCED IN, IN THIS ONE VIBE. AND WE KIND OF THROW IT OUT. WHAT MAKES DENTON DENTON. BUT I MEAN, HONESTLY, I'LL GIVE EVERYBODY HERE.
EVERYBODY BELIEVES IN THAT MISSION STATEMENT TO KEEP WHAT MAKES DENTON DENTON SPECIAL BECAUSE WE'VE EXPERIENCED IT VISCERALLY. WE. YOU KNOW, IT CHANGED. I'M FOND OF SAYING THAT MY WIFE AND I ARE SCIENTISTS, AND THERE'S NOT A DROP OF SCIENTIST COMING OUT OF MY CHILDREN. THEY'RE ALL ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS. WHY? BECAUSE DENTON IS AN ARTS AND CULTURE TOWN. AND SO I HAVE A HISTORY OF COMING TO THE COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO BUILD
[01:45:03]
ON THAT, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT AND TRYING TO HELP GET NEW IDEAS FROM THE UNIVERSITY ON THE GROUND FASTER, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING WILDLIFE CORRIDORS OR PUSHING FOR SOLAR OR TRYING TO GET A STATE PARK IN HARTLEY FIELD, I HAVE A HISTORY OF HELPING THE ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND AND I ASK THAT YOU LET ME TRY TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT FOR THOSE FOLKS. I HAVE A HISTORY OF DOING THAT, AND I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE. PLEASE GO TO DENTON.COM. GIVE IT A LOOK SEE AND SEE AND FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT AND ASK ME ANYQUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU, MISS BREWER. >> THANK YOU. LENNY. I LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I GREW UP IN DENTON, TEXAS, BUT WE DIDN'T MOVE HERE UNTIL I WAS 11, ACTUALLY LIVED IN EIGHT OTHER CITIES BEFORE THAT. AND I FEEL SO FORTUNATE EVERY DAY THAT THIS WAS THE PLACE THAT MY FAMILY FINALLY PUT DOWN ITS ROOTS, AND THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE BUILDING THOSE ROOTS DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THIS COMMUNITY WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY CHILD LIVING HERE. IT'S BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY OF DENTON IS A PART OF WHO I AM. I GREW UP WATCHING THIS COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. MY MOM DID PRENATAL CARE AND CHILDBIRTH FOR WOMEN WITHOUT INSURANCE OVER AT FLOW HOSPITAL WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE, AND NOT LONG AFTER, THEY ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN THE HOSPITAL. BUT WHAT I SAW IN RETURN RESULT OF THAT WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN AND FAMILIES STILL HAD ACCESS TO PRENATAL CARE AND CHILDBIRTH. IT REALLY SHAPED MY VIEW OF THE WORLD AND WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ONE ANOTHER. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT LOVES ITS NEIGHBORS AND IS GOING TO STAND TOGETHER, AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO LEAD FORWARD. I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY EXCITING FUTURE AND A REALLY FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY IN 2026 THAT WE DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN. AND OFTEN WE GET INCREMENTAL CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? YOU GET TO ELECT 1 OR 2 PEOPLE HERE OR THERE. AND BUT NOT A LOT OF CHANGE HAPPENS AT THE SAME TIME. 2026 IS DIFFERENT FOR DENTON, TEXAS. WE'RE NEEDING TO REPLACE SEVERAL LEADERS IN OUR CITY STAFF, AND WE'RE REPLACING LOTS OF LEADERS WHO SIT ON THIS DAIS.
I FIND THAT INCREDIBLY EXCITING THAT WE HAVE AN OPTION NOW TO REALLY CHANGE DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO WITH THE OLD WAYS OF DOING THINGS, THAT WE CAN REALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH BRIGHT NEW IDEAS AND BRIGHT NEW LEADERSHIP. SO THAT'S WHY I'M SEEKING YOUR VOTE FOR MAYOR OF DENTON. I'M READY TO GET THIS FRESH START GOING. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE AT ANGELA FOR ANGELA BREWER FOR DENTON.COM, OR I'M DEFINITELY ON FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE. I LIKE MAKING LOTS OF VIDEOS, SO CHECK ME OUT. I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT.
>> THANK YOU, MISS GILES. >> HI AGAIN. SO MY NAME IS SHANNON CHILDS AND YOU CAN FIND ME OVER ON FACEBOOK. I, YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED IN DENTON FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, EVEN LONGER IF YOU COUNT ALL MY YEARS AT HODGE ELEMENTARY. AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER GRADUATING FROM UNT, I WORKED FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND I WORKED IN HIGHER EDUCATION, ALWAYS IN FRONTLINE FACING ROLES, NEVER LOCKED UP IN AN IVORY TOWER, BUT ON THE GROUND LEVEL, WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO NEEDED CHANGE THE MOST. AND TO ME, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IN THE PERSON WHO LEADS OUR CITY, SOMEONE WHO'S WILLING TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE, WHO WANTS TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST, AND WHO HAS TIME AND TIME AGAIN SHOWN
>> THAT I'M WILLING TO DO THAT. I WAS THINKING THROUGH AND I REALIZED IN ALL MY PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, I OBVIOUSLY HAD SEVERAL WOMEN TEACHERS AND MY TIME AT HODGE, THEY WERE ALL WOMEN THERE, THERE. MY WHOLE PUBLIC EDUCATION, I ONLY EVER HAD ONE BLACK TEACHER WHO WAS A WOMAN WHO TAUGHT ME. AND I'M SO THANKFUL TO HAVE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE IN DENTON, BECAUSE IT TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION WHEN I MOVED TO A SMALL TOWN, AND I REALIZED THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MISSING. THERE WAS A LACK OF DIVERSITY, IT WAS A LACK OF EQUITY, AND IT WAS A LACK OF INCLUSION. AND I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T THINK WILL BRING TAXES OR MONEY OR REVENUE TO THE CITY. BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WILL BRING A LOT OF HEART.
AND WHEN A CITY HAS A LOT OF HEART, PEOPLE WANT TO BE THERE AND THEY WANT TO STAY THERE.
AND SO WHEN YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO US UP HERE TONIGHT AND YOU'VE HEARD THE KINDS OF DONATIONS AND MONEY THAT PEOPLE HAVE SPENT ON THIS, AND THEN YOU HEAR THE AMOUNT OF HEART AND LOVE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE PUT INTO THIS. I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT THE VOTE THAT YOU MAKE ON MAY 2ND IS REFLECTIVE OF WHO YOU HOPE TO SEE REPRESENT. DENTON. THANK YOU.
>> CANDIDATES. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. FIRST, I THINK THESE PEOPLE HAVE OFFERED THEMSELVES UP TO DO A JOB FOR US. WE SHOULD APPRECIATE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHICH ONES YOU
[01:50:03]
CHOOSE TO VOTE FOR, JUST APPRECIATE THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME AND DO THE JOB. I WOULD JUST CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FORUM THAT TAKES PLACE NEXT WEEK. AT THIS SAME TIME, SAME PLACE FOR THE CANDIDATES THAT ARE RUNNING FOR THE SPECIFIC PLACES, NOT FOR MAYOR. REMIND YOU THAT ELECTION DAY IS MAY. THE SECOND EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON APRIL 20TH AND.AND THE LEAGUE IS PROUD TO HAVE BROUGHT YOU THIS DISCUSSION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING YOU MORE. AND WE INVITE ANY BODY WHO IS VAGUELY INTERESTED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE. I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. I HAVE MY PEN RIGHT HERE. SO I'VE BEEN DOING THESE KIND OF THINGS QUITE A WHILE, AND I'M. I THINK I'M BETTER INFORMED THAN MOST PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN GOVERNMENT. AND PEOPLE LIKE BRIAN WOULD SAY SO BECAUSE I STOP HIM IN GROCERY STORES OR WHEREVER I MEET HIM. BUT WE ARE STILL SMALL ENOUGH THAT WE CAN DO THAT. WE CAN GET TO KNOW WHO OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE AND HAVE EXPRESS OUR OPINIONS TO THEM WITHOUT FEAR. WITH THAT, I WILL CONCLUDE AND ASK THAT YOU CLEAR THE ROOM.
>> CAN CAN WE HAVE A MOMENT FOR THE MODERATOR? CAN WE HAVE A MOMENT OF APPLAUSE FOR THE MODERATOR? THANK YOU LANEY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.