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IS GOING TO START RIGHT NOW. IT'S 7:00. SO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF BENTON IS A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO ENCOURAGING INFORMED AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE FULFILL THIS IS BY HOSTING CANDIDATE FORUMS. THIS COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL ELECTION WILL BE HELD MAY 2ND WITH THE FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING ON APRIL 20TH AND THE LAST DAY ON APRIL 28TH. TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL FORUM INCLUDES PLACE FIVE AT LARGE, DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT TWO. PLACE SIX AT LARGE RACES UNOPPOSED.
THEREFORE, THE CANDIDATE IS NOT PARTICIPATING. THE FORMER IS RECORDED AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WEBSITE. L V DOT. IF YOU MISSED THE PLACE SEVEN MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM LAST WEEK, THAT RECORDING IS ON THE WEBSITE NOW. EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR OPENING STATEMENTS, 1.5 MINUTES TO RESPOND TO EACH QUESTION, AND 1.5 MINUTES FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS. THESE TIME LIMITS ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURE FAIRNESS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, AND THE FORUM WILL END AT 845. CITY COUNCIL FORUMS ARE ORGANIZED BY THE LEAGUE, PROVIDE A NEUTRAL SPACE WHERE CANDIDATES CAN PRESENT THEIR VIEWS, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC. QUESTIONS ARE SUBMITTED BY OUR AUDIENCE, SO PLEASE GET AN INDEX CARD, WRITE A QUESTION AND WE WILL GET IT TO THE MONITOR. THE MODERATOR ROBBIE.
AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION DURING THE FORUM, JUST RAISE YOUR CARD AND WE'LL PICK IT UP.
GOT IT. YOU CAN WAVE YOUR CARD. SO I THINK IT'LL START NOW. >> ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO START TWO MINUTES WITH OPENING STATEMENTS. START DIRECTLY TO MY LEFT JUST SO YOU KNOW. WE'LL START HERE. THE NEXT QUESTION WILL GO TO ERIKA THEN DOWN THE LINE. SO EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO ANSWER FIRST. SO MR. FIORI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN? TWO MINUTES.
>> I'M SORRY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, FRIEND. THANK YOU. HELLO. GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS GEORGE PERRY AND I'M RUNNING FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE PLACE FIVE. IT IS A CITYWIDE SEAT, SO EVERYBODY GETS A VOTE. I HAVE LIVED IN DENTON FOR ALMOST 21 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK FOR 18. I STARTED AS A DANCE PERFORMANCE MAJOR AT UNT, THEN STARTED A NONPROFIT THEATER COMPANY HERE IN DENTON THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY. IN ITS 18TH SEASON CALLED SUNDOWN, COLLABORATIVE THEATER PERFORMS AT THE BLACK BOX IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE MALL. I'VE WORKED ACROSS NUMEROUS BOARDS AND NONPROFITS, 12, TO BE EXACT, SERVE SIX YEARS ON THE PARKS BOARD FOR THE CITY. THREE AS THE CHAIR. I ALSO AM THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF DENTON AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE DENTON COUNTY HOMELESS COALITION, AND I'M THE APPOINTEE FOR DENTON COUNTY HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM. I TELL YOU ALL OF THAT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ALL OF THE WORK I'VE DONE, I DO FOR FREE BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT MY COMMUNITY. I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FEELING THE RISING COST OF EVERYTHING IN OUR CITY. I FEEL THE SQUEEZE, JUST LIKE ALL OTHER WORKING FAMILIES FEEL. AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ACTUAL LEVERS THAT CAN BE PULLED TO MAKE ACCESS TO HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE, REAL, AND ACTIONABLE. AND I KNOW THAT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING CAN BE A SOLUTION FOR OUR HOMELESSNESS CRISIS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN THE COUNTY. IN FACT, WE'RE BREAKING GROUND IN NOVEMBER ON AN 84 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT HAS WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES BUILT INTO THE BUILDING. SO THAT'S CASE MANAGEMENT, JOB SKILLS, SUBSTANCE USE MEETINGS.
ET CETERA. AND THAT WILL BE STARTING DECEMBER OF NEXT YEAR. I'M EXCITED TO BE RUNNING FOR THIS RACE. I'M EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY EVEN MORE THAN I ALREADY HAVE. AND I HOPE THAT I GET TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS TONIGHT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EARNING YOUR VOTE.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MISS GARLAND. >> TWO MINUTES.
>> HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ERICA GARLAND. I THINK IT'S LIKE MY OPPONENT SAID, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW WHO'S RUNNING AND WHO THEY ARE AS AN INDIVIDUAL. I'VE LIVED IN DENTON FOR ABOUT 16 YEARS. I RAISED MY FOUR BOYS HERE. I STARTED MY CAREER AT THE DENTON ENTERPRISE AIRPORT. I CURRENTLY WORK FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE. I COMMUTE BACK AND FORTH AND I HAVE A REALLY BUSY LIFE. BUT DESPITE THAT, I'VE CARVED OUT TIME TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY.
I'VE SERVED ON THE AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD. I CURRENTLY SERVE ON OUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, WHERE I'VE SEEN JUST HOW MUCH THE DECISIONS AT THE CITY LEVEL IMPACT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. AND SO I, I ALSO RAN FOR THE SEAT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. I LOST BY 83 VOTES. AND SO I'M BACK BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATION THAT IS A VOICE FOR ALL. DENTON. IT'S A VOICE FOR EVERYONE. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IF YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, WE'VE HAD A REALLY DIVISIVE, DYSFUNCTIONAL,
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DISJOINTED COUNCIL THAT HAS NOT BEEN REPRESENTING EVERYBODY. MANY TIMES. THEY LISTEN TO THE LOUDEST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GOING UNHEARD.AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE ARE SERVING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. I DON'T THINK THAT COUNCIL OR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SHOULD BE BUILDING YOUR BRAND OR YOUR CAREER IN POLITICS. I THINK IT GENUINELY NEEDS TO BE ROOTED IN SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND BE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. AND I THINK THAT COLLECTIVELY, WE'VE REALLY GOT TO TAKE A HOLISTIC LOOK AT THE FUNCTION OF COUNCIL, WHAT COUNCIL ACTUALLY DOES, AND GET BACK TO THE CORE ISSUES OF OUR CITY COUNCIL IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOCUSED ON THINGS LIKE ROAD AND MANAGING OUR UNPRECEDENTED DEVELOPMENT AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF RIPPING EACH OTHER APART WITH ALL OF THESE PARTIZAN INITIATIVES. SO I WANT TO BRING US BACK TO CENTER AND REPRESENT EVERYONE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VOTE. AGAIN, I'M ERICA GARLAND, PLACE
FIVE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. >> MR. COX, TWO MINUTES FOR YOU.
>> TESTING, TESTING. COOL. HI, MY NAME IS CHRIS COX. I AM RUNNING FOR DISTRICT ONE. I HAVE BEEN IN DENTON FOR AROUND, I GUESS A LITTLE BIT OVER A DECADE NOW. I HAVE WENT TO UNT, GOT A POLI SCI DEGREE UNDERGRAD, BUT AFTER I GRADUATED I STUCK AROUND. SO I HAVE MOSTLY WORKED IN CHILDCARE AND I MOSTLY WORKED IN THE CITY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT WAS AROUND HERE OVER YONDER, IN ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THAT GROUP OF CHAIRS. ME AND SOME OF MY, SOME OF MY FRIENDS WHO WE WERE TRYING TO ORGANIZE A UNION FOR THE AFTER SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL CHILDCARE.
WE CAME UP TO THIS EXACT DAIS AND ONE OF MY, ONE OF MY PEOPLE BEGGED THE COUNCIL NOT TO CUT IT, NOT TO MERGE IT WITH ESD, NOT TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE IT RELIED. A LOT OF PEOPLE RELIED ON IT, PEOPLE FROM 18 TO IN THEIR 60S, A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF FAMILIES RELIED ON THAT SERVICE. IT WAS THE CHEAPEST SERVICE FOR AFTER SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY, REALLY. I TRIED MY BEST TO ORGANIZE AND TRY AND SAVE THAT PROGRAM, BUT IT DID GET MERGED, AND I DID GO INTO THE ESD PROGRAM WHERE IT WAS MUCH LESS FUNDED AND THE HOURS WERE WORSE AND THE PAY WAS WORSE. I CURRENTLY WORK FOR ALPHABET, WHERE I CONTINUE TO DO CHILDCARE FOR AFTER SCHOOL, BUT I RAN BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORKERS OF THIS CITY AND THE RENTERS OF THE CITY ARE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR VOICE. I AM TIRED OF LANDLORDS AND EVEN SOME SOME BUSINESSES RUNNING ROUGHSHOD ALL OVER THE PEOPLE AROUND HERE. I WANT THERE TO BE A VOICE FOR THE
PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM. THANK YOU. >> MR. HERON. >> GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MICHAEL HERON AND I AM RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO START BY THANKING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR HOSTING THIS FORUM TONIGHT. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL SO MUCH. WHY AM I RUNNING? WE HAVE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION IN SO MANY FORMS, AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE HEARING SOME OF US SAY THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER. WELL, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S DO THAT. BUT LET'S ALSO ADD SOME FLAVOR TO IT AND ADD SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD. I AM A LONG TIME BENTONITE. I DON'T MIND SHARING SOME THINGS. ONE THING YOU'LL FIND OUT ABOUT ME IS MY TRANSPARENCY. WE CAME TO DENTON WHEN I WAS TWO. I'M 56. YOU DO THE MATH AND LET YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN IN DENTON. ALL MY SCHOOLING IS HAS BEEN HERE. I GRADUATED FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT DENTON HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS THE ONLY HIGH SCHOOL. I'M REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE, AND I'M PROUD OF REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE FOR MUCH OF MY LIFE. I GREW UP IN SOUTHEAST DENTON, AND NOW I STILL LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I WANT TO BE A VOICE FOR THOSE CITIZENS THAT ARE IN DISTRICT ONE AND REPRESENT THE CITIZENS. AND I ALSO WANT TO REPRESENT THIS CITY WHOLEHEARTEDLY. AND SO ONE OF THE NEWER IDEAS THAT I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF BRING UP IS AS A VETERAN, I AM A VETERAN OF OUR MILITARY. I HAVE FOUR BROTHERS THAT ARE VETERANS. WE HAVE BEEN SERVING. WE HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY WELL. AND I WANT TO OFFER A COUNCIL THAT ALLOWS FOR A FORUM FOR OUR VETERANS OR A COMMITTEE FOR OUR VETERANS TO HAVE TO HEAR THE VOICES OF OUR VETERANS SO THAT THEY WON'T BE THIS, THIS, THIS MIST. THERE'S MANY VETERANS IN THIS CITY, AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A VOICE. WE WANT THEM TO HAVE A PLACE. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IMPLEMENTING OR
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SUGGESTING A COMMITTEE THAT WILL HEAR THE VOICES OF THE VETERANS RAN BY A VETERAN, AND UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF OUR VETERANS, AMONGST OTHER THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO. I'MMICHAEL HERRING, RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. >> THANK YOU.
>> MISTER VILLARREAL. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. HOWDY. MY NAME IS JORDAN VILLARREAL. I'M HONORED TO BE ONE OF YOUR CANDIDATES FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. I'M RUNNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN EXPERIENCED AND FORWARD THINKING PERSON ON THE DAIS, FIGHTING FOR THOSE LOCAL BREAD AND BUTTER ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST TO DETONATES, ESPECIALLY HERE IN DISTRICT ONE. I'VE SERVED ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR FOUR YEARS, INCLUDING A TERM AS VICE CHAIR, WHERE I FOUGHT TO MAKE SURE OUR NEIGHBORS WERE INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, AND WE FOUGHT BACK AGAINST OVERDEVELOPMENT. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS BOTH LOCAL AND STATE EXPERIENCE. I'VE SERVED AS CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR ONE OF THE MOST BIPARTISAN MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WHERE WE FOCUSED ON AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS, PROTECTING PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING AND PUSHING BACK AGAINST GERRYMANDERING. NOW, I'M RUNNING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOMEONE FOCUSED ON THOSE LOCAL ISSUES, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING, WHICH IS WHY I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE DENTON FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. LIKE MY FRIEND CHRIS SAID, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE OUR WORKERS ARE HEARD, WHICH IS WHY EVERY MAJOR UNION IN THE STATE HAS ENDORSED MY CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING THE AFL-CIO, THE TEXAS STATE EMPLOYEES UNION AND THE TEAMSTERS. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY CONCERNS, PROTECTING OUR GREEN SPACES AND WILDLIFE CORRIDORS, AND ENSURING THAT ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES IN PROTECTS OUR OLD GROWTH TREES. THE TIME IS NOW FOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN EXPERIENCED PERSON ON THIS DAIS WHO CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A ONE YEAR TERM. IT'S A SPECIAL ELECTION. WE NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN HIT THE GROUND ON DAY ONE. NO TRAINING WAS NECESSARY AND GET TO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF DENTON. I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY FOLKS FROM LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, INCLUDING OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN VICKI BYRD, STATE REPRESENTATIVE JAMES TALARICO, AND FORMER UNITED STATES SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG. BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN THE WORK I'VE DONE, AND THEY KNOW THAT I CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CITY THAT FIGHTS FOR EVERYONE AND PUSHES FOR EQUALITY FOR ALL. AGAIN, MY NAME IS JORDAN VILLARREAL. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT MY CAMPAIGN AT JORDAN FOR DENTON.COM, AND I'D LOVE TO CHAT WITH YOU AFTER THIS. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. >> THANK YOU. MR. STEVENS.
>> HI THERE EVERYONE. >> MY NAME IS NICK STEVENS. I'M RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO. HI TO EVERYONE RUNNING FOR FIVE INTO ONE. I JUST WANT TO SAY ON THE RECORD, I DISAGREE WITH MY OPPONENT WITH EVERYTHING HE SAYS TONIGHT. FOR DISTRICT TWO, I KNOW WE'RE BEING LIVE STREAMED, SO I WANT TO SAY HI TO MY MOM AND TO SEE MY DAEMON. I HOPE YOU'RE WATCHING. BUT YEAH, I'M RUNNING FOR DISTRICT TWO AND I WANT TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN DENTON FOR 21 YEARS. I WAS RAISED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE. I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS. I LATER ON WENT TO SEMINARY TO GET MY MASTER'S IN CLASSICAL STUDIES TO BECOME A PRIEST. APPARENTLY YOU CANNOT BE MARRIED AND BE A PRIEST AT THE SAME TIME. SO INSTEAD I DECIDED TO START MY OWN SMALL BUSINESS RIGHT HERE IN THE HEART OF DENTON, FOCUSED ON MUNICIPAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, ENSURING THAT CONTRACTORS DO THEIR JOBS CORRECTLY AND ON TIME, SOMETHING I THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HERE IN THE CITY OF DENTON. OUTSIDE OF THAT, I AM THE CHAIR OF THE HEALTH AND BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF DENTON, FIGHTING FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS ALIKE. AND I'M THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE JBD COLLEGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS THE WEST DENTON NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, TO ENSURE THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE WHEN APPROACHING COUNCIL SO THAT EVERYONE IS REPRESENTED.
THE BASIC REASON I'M RUNNING IS BECAUSE I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY, AND I LOVE WHAT WE DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER. I THINK IF WE'RE ALL HONEST, WE ASK OURSELVES THIS QUESTION A LOT. IS DENTON BETTER OFF NOW THAN IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO? BASED ON THE SCIENCE? I THINK WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. WE'VE SEEN THAT UTILITY RATES HAVE GONE UP, PROPERTY TAXES HAVE GONE UP, WHICH HAVE RAISED MORTGAGES. IT'S RAISED RENT. WE'VE SEEN THAT PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND JOBS HERE THAT ARE LIVABLE. WE'RE NOT IN A GOOD SPACE. WE'RE MORE DIVIDED NOW THAN WE EVER HAVE BEEN. AND I COMMIT TO YOU TO BEING THE KIND OF COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WORKS WITH EVERYONE, THAT DOESN'T LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANYTHING PARTIZAN, BUT REALLY FOCUSES ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, WHICH IS ALL OF US WANT TO HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT
WORKS BEST TOGETHER. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU ALL. NOW WE'RE GOING TO START WITH QUESTIONS.
MISS GARLAND WILL START WITH YOU. THE FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT DATA CENTERS. DATA CENTERS APPEAR TO BE A STRAIN ON THE ELECTRIC GRID AND CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER.
HOW WOULD YOU TACKLE THE ENERGY AND WATER NEED FOR ANY NEW POTENTIAL DATA CENTERS?
>> SO THAT IS DEFINITELY THE BIG QUESTION WITH DATA CENTERS. THAT IS, WE KNOW THAT DATA CENTERS ARE POPPING UP, NOT JUST IN DENTON. I THINK WE'VE GOT TWO THAT WE'RE KIND OF SET FOR, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY INCREASING CONCERN ACROSS TEXAS AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. AND SO THE BIG CONCERN, THERE'S MORE THAN JUST CONCERN WITH THE
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ENERGY AND THE WATER USAGE. YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS LIKE NOISE POLLUTION AND LIGHT POLLUTION AND THEN HEALTH CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MY UNDERSTANDING, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD IN THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE I'VE GOTTEN, IS THAT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE SET TO GET, PARTICULARLY THE ONE KIND OF OFF AIRPORT ROAD IS DIFFERENT AND THERE'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT SYSTEM. AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, LESS WATER USAGE.THAN THAN THEIR TYPICAL TO HAVE. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF PUMP THE BRAKES, SEE IF THE TWO THAT WE HAVE IN LINE ARE GOING TO PERFORM AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'VE BEEN PROMISED. WE HEAR AN OUTCRY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. WE DON'T WANT THEM. THEY DON'T WANT ANY MORE OF THEM. AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET CREATIVE ON OUR ENERGY. IT'S A SERIOUS, SERIOUS CONCERN. AND SO I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET CREATIVE AS FAR AS LIKE OUR GRID AND LIKE WHAT WE'RE USING AND TAP INTO DIFFERENT RESOURCES OF ENERGY AND THEN NOT TAKE ON ANY MORE
THAN WE CAN HANDLE. THANK YOU. >> THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I'M TRYING TO TOPICS. WHEN YOU
PUT IT ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN, IS IT OKAY? >> I'M SO SORRY, MR. COX.
>> SO WHEN IT COMES TO DATA CENTERS, I THINK THE PUBLIC OF DENTON HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT LIKE DATA CENTERS. THEY DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF THE DATA CENTERS. AND YOU CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT AI. AND THE FACT THAT IT'S KIND OF BEEN TRYING TO TAKE THE ECONOMY BY STORM. I WOULD SAY A LOT OF THE ARTISTS, AND THIS IS AN ARTIST TOWN, DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH AI. I THINK THAT THE DATA CENTERS ARE A STRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES, AND I WOULD BE WILLING TO SIGN A MORATORIUM ON ANY FURTHER DATA CENTERS. I THINK THE DATA CENTERS THEMSELVES ARE NOT REALLY WORTH A LOT OF THIS TROUBLE THAT HAVE BEEN ALL THIS, HEY, THAT'S KIND OF BEEN MADE OVER IT. WE NEED TO START LOOKING INTO WAYS TO EITHER GETTING RID OF THE CURRENT ONES OR JUST STOPPING ALL THESE NEW ONES ALTOGETHER. I THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR STRAIN ON RESOURCES THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN PURSUED. >> THANK YOU, MR. HERON. >> SO AS IT RELATES TO DATA CENTERS, WE'VE HEARD THIS QUESTION AND IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR YOU. I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW I HEAR YOU, WE HEAR YOU. IT'S A STRAIN. AND ANY IMPLEMENTING ANY NEW ONES IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. SO HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT DOING THAT ON THE COUNCIL? LET'S NOT IMPLEMENT ANY NEW ONES. LET'S LET'S GO BACK TO THE ONES THAT WE HAVE IN PLAY RIGHT NOW AND, AND THEN HAVE A CONVERSATION AGAIN AND SAY, OKAY, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROMISED. THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WERE EXPECTED. AND ARE WE LIVE ARE YOU LIVING UP TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT? ARE WE ARE WE MEETING THAT CRITERIA? BUT BEFORE WE START TAKING ON SOMETHING ELSE, LET'S DETERMINE IF THE ONES WE ALREADY HAVE ARE DOING WHAT THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO DO. YOU'RE TAKING A STRAIN FROM US. YOU'RE CAUSING MORE ENERGY, YOU'RE CAUSING MORE WATER. WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT NOW. SO IT WOULD IT WOULD BE NON-FEASIBLE TO JUST GO AND SAY, LET'S IMPLEMENT A NEW ONE. LIKE IT'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES WE ALREADY HAVE IN EXISTENCE. THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. THERE WERE SOME MORE WORDS I THOUGHT, BUT I WON'T SAY THOSE WORDS. BUT THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT TO DO THAT. SO LET'S JUST NOT KEEP IMPLEMENTING SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE ONE ON ONE END. THEY PROMISE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THEN ON THE BACK END, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T LIVE IT UP, YOU DON'T LIVE UP TO IT, AND
YOU CAUSE US MORE STRAIN. >> THANK YOU, MR. VILLARREAL. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. AGREEMENT WITH MOST OF THE FOLKS UP HERE, WE NEED TO HAVE A FULL MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS UNTIL WE HAVE TIME TO DO A FULL STUDY AND SEE, NUMBER ONE, ARE THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDING ANY ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE CITY? AND NUMBER TWO, THEY'RE NOT BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE TO OUR CITY. BUT AS OF NOW, I'M 100% OPPOSED TO ANY NEW DATA CENTER ON DAY ONE IN SUPPORT OF A MORATORIUM. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT SINCE DAY ONE. I'VE
BEEN RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> MR. STEVENS.
>> BEFORE WE START, IT'S 90S. >> YES. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I WANT TO ANSWER THIS TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. FIRST OFF, ADDRESSING SPECIFICALLY THE WATER. AND THEN SECOND OFF, MY VIEW, I WAS READING THE FRIDAY STAFF REPORT THAT COMES OUT EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY, AND THERE WAS A QUERY PUT OUT BY THE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT TWO, BRIAN BECK, ABOUT WATER USAGE AND WHAT THE CITY'S REPORTED IS THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, WITH SOME OF THESE AI DATA FACILITIES, THEY'RE NOT USING A LOT OF WATER. SOME OF THEM, IN FACT, ARE USING LESS WATER THAN A GROCERY STORE WOULD. SO LET'S, LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW THE COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT AI DATA FACILITIES.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET BOTH TOPICS CONFUSED THAT EVEN IF THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE, HOW
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DOES THE COMMUNITY FEEL AND HOW DO I FEEL? THIS GOES BACK TO THE CRYPTO MINING FACILITY THAT WE HAD. I WAS AGAINST THAT FULL STOP FOR ETHICAL REASONS. I JUST DON'T FIND CRYPTOCURRENCY PARTICULARLY ETHICAL. THE COMPANY WENT BANKRUPT. THE COMPANY THEN SAID, WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD IDEA. TRUST US. LET'S MAKE AN AI DATA FACILITY THAT DOUBLES THE ENERGY USAGE OF THE CITY. FROM MY TEN YEARS OF OWNING A BUSINESS, I TEND TO NOT TRUST COMPANIES THAT SAY THINGS LIKE THAT, AND PARTICULARLY PARTICULARLY WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON IS WHAT WE CAN DO MOVING FORWARD. THAT'S WHY I AGREE WITH EVERYONE UP HERE THAT I AM FOR A COMPLETE MORATORIUM ON AI DATA FACILITIES. WE DO NOT KNOW THEIR SUCCESS. WE SEE THE ETHICAL, PROBLEMATIC ISSUES WITH THESE AI DATA FACILITIES, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING I PARTICULARLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU.>> MR. FARAH. >> YES, I ECHO THE THOUGHTS ABOUT A MORATORIUM. I 100% ENFORCE A MORATORIUM ON AI DATA CENTERS. LIKE IT'S BEEN SAID. IT TAKES JOBS, MARKETING, ARTISTS, FIELDS, A LOT OF OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES TOO, ARE BEING ELIMINATED. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING LOTS OF I'M SEEING LOTS OF PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITIES LOSING THEIR JOBS LEFT AND RIGHT. TO THE POINT ABOUT BANKRUPTCY. IT'S BAD BUSINESS. AS SOMEONE WHO'S OWNED AND CURRENTLY OPERATES A BUSINESS I DON'T WANT TO SEE, I WANT TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION.
THE FIRST ONE THAT WAS APPROVED IS ABOUT IS CLAIMING $29 MILLION A YEAR FOR TEN YEARS.
SO 290 MILLION I WOULD LOVE OVER THE NEXT DECADE TO SEE THAT MONEY COME INTO THE POCKETS OF THE CITY AND LOWER ALL OF THE RATES FOR THE TAXPAYERS. AND I ALSO QUESTION WHY WE WENT AND APPROVED THE SECOND ONE THAT WENT THROUGH P AND Z IN DECEMBER OF THIS PAST YEAR, AND I WISH THAT WE WOULD. YEAH, PUT A FULL STOP AND A FULL MORATORIUM ON THEM. THE CURRENT ONE THAT'S GOING TO BE STARTING SOON HAS THE SAME CAPACITY AS 300,000 HOMES. THE NEXT ONE'S GOING TO HAVE THE CAPACITY OF ABOUT 4000 TO 5000 HOMES. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT COULD GENERATE TO POWER THIS MANY HOMES. AND WE'RE ALSO NOT ADDRESSING AIR POLLUTION WHILE IT'S USING LESS WATER. DO I HAVE 20S OR ZERO SECONDS? ZERO SECONDS? OKAY. HEARD I WAS LIKE, I SEE 20, BUT DO I HAVE ZERO? OKAY. AIR POLLUTION IS IMPORTANT. YES.
>> THANK YOU. WHEN YOU HEAR THE CHIME, YOUR TIME IS UP. >> OKAY. HEARD.
>> SOMETIMES WE GET ENGROSSED IN YOUR ANSWERS AND. SORRY. >> I APPRECIATE YOU. I'M SO
GLAD YOU'RE. >> HERE, Y'ALL. >> BLESS YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT, SO, MR. COX, YOU'LL ANSWER, START ANSWERING THE NEXT QUESTION, WHICH IS HOW WILL YOU ENSURE THE CITY WORKS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT THE INTERESTS OF
DEVELOPERS? >> SO THE THE FIRST THING, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WANTING TO PUT ON, I PUT IN MY CAMPAIGN IS A UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE ORGANIZED WORKING CLASS ARE THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM. THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE POWER IN THEIR WORKPLACE. AND I WANT TO ESTABLISH THOSE. SO THE COMMITTEE ITSELF CAN TELL CITY COUNCIL WHAT MATTERS TO THEM AND WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THEM. WHEN I AM TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE, WHEN I AM TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPERS. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT LANDLORDS. I AM TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT DO NOT HAVE THOSE SORT OF FINANCIAL POWERS THAT THE DEVELOPERS AND LANDLORDS HAVE. WE NEED TO HAVE AN ORGANIZED WORKING CLASS. WE NEED TO HAVE AN ORGANIZED RENTER ENTER ASSOCIATION TENANT UNIONS. WE NEED TO BRING THOSE TOGETHER, AND WE NEED TO BRING THOSE INTO THE UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL. I WANT TO HAVE TENANT UNIONS, REPRESENTATIVES OF DIFFERENT COMPLEXES ON THERE SAYING THE LANDLORDS AND THE DEVELOPERS, THEY'RE NOT IN OUR BEST INTERESTS. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. PLEASE STOP THEM FROM POLLUTING OUR WATER. PLEASE STOP THEM FROM GRINDING US DOWN WITH RENTS. PLEASE STOP THEM SOMEHOW. BECAUSE THE MOST MONEYED INTERESTS IN THIS CITY TEND TO BE THE LOUDEST WHEN IT GETS TO THE GOVERNMENT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORKING CLASS AND THE RENTERS ARE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SAME VOICE.
>> THANK YOU. MR. AARON. >> SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? I THINK WE DO IT BY WHAT WE ARE.
MANY OF US ARE SAYING WE ARE HERE TO DO LISTEN TO OUR CITIZENS. IF THAT'S MY JOB, IS TO LISTEN TO OUR CITIZENS, THEN I NEED TO LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE CITIZENS. ONE OF THE THINGS I SAY IN MY ONE OF MY FLIERS IS THAT I AM GOING TO BE A VOICE TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS AND HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, AND BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR NEEDS BACK. IT DOES.
NOW, CAN WE GET RID OF DEVELOPERS? I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET RID OF DEVELOPERS
[00:25:04]
COMPLETELY, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO BRING TO THE TABLE, TO THE PEOPLE AND EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT IS THIS MEAN FOR OUR CITY? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? IF YOU DEVELOP HERE, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE? HOW IS IT GOING TO CAUSE ISSUES AND BEGIN TO BE FORWARD THINKING AND LET THE PEOPLE KNOW SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION BASED ON WHAT THEY KNOW, NOT A DECISION AFTER THE FACT. SO LET'S JUST LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO, IS TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING. LOTS OF TIMES DEVELOPERS, THEY CAN LINE YOUR POCKETS. AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST.I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY, SO AIN'T NOBODY LYING MY POCKET. BUT SO. AND I SAY THAT IN JEST.
BUT WE'RE HERE FOR YOU ALL. WE'RE NOT HERE FOR THE DEVELOPERS. WE'RE HERE TO
REPRESENT YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. VILLARREAL. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. I THINK IT FIRST STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS WELL. AND THAT'S BEEN A, YOU KNOW, AN IDEA BEING PUSHED SINCE COUNCILMAN PAUL MELTZER SERVED ON THIS COUNCIL SINCE 2018. THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN A CONSENSUS TO BRING THAT FORWARD. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE INCLUDE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, ENSURE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR NECK OF THE WOODS AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENSURING THAT WE PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I THINK ALSO WE NEED TO ENSURE WE HAVE SOMEONE WITH THE TRACK RECORD OF PUSHING BACK AGAINST OVERDEVELOPMENT ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. I FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE WOODROW COMPLEX THAT CAME IN THAT SOUTHEAST DENTON CAME AND SPOKE OUT AGAINST IN FORCE. I VOTED AGAINST THE YARD APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT CAME IN, WHICH AGAIN, SEDNA CAME OUT AND SPOKE AGAINST IN FORCE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOMEONE ON THIS DAIS WILLING TO FIGHT BACK, WILLING TO BE THE SINGLE VOICE, IF NECESSARY, VOTING AGAINST SOMETHING. IF IT MEANS LISTENING TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND LISTENING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU.
>> MR. STEVENS. >> I THINK THAT THE THE BASIC ANSWER, FOR ME AT LEAST, COMES FROM MR. ROGERS. HE SAYS THAT THERE'S THREE WAYS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE. THE FIRST IS TO BE KIND. THE SECOND WAY IS TO BE KIND, AND THE THIRD WAY IS TO BE KIND, I THINK. I THINK THAT'S THE BASIC ANSWER. I'D ALSO ASK YOU TO LOOK AT MY WORK AS ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF THE JBD COLLEGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WE DON'T REALLY COZY UP WITH WITH DEVELOPERS.
WE GIVE INCENTIVES TO HOMEOWNERS TO TO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ALSO, WHILE WE REPRESENT HOMEOWNERS, WE ALSO REPRESENT TENANTS BY TELLING THEM ABOUT TENANT RIGHTS. THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION, THOUGH, IS ABOUT HOW YOU REPRESENT EVERYONE INSTEAD OF DEVELOPERS. AND I WOULD JUST SAY, LOOK AT MY WORK AND MY CAMPAIGN. I'LL TALK TO EVERYONE.
I'LL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYONE. I'LL BE KIND WITH EVERYONE. IT'S NOT A SCHTICK. I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE A COUNCIL MEMBER TO DO THAT. AND I SEE A BUNCH OF DISTRICT TWO VOTERS HERE. I SEE BRIAN BECK HERE WHO I'M GOING TO BE KIND TO ONE, BECAUSE IT'S HIS SEAT RIGHT NOW. BUT ALSO HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. I SEE PHYLLIS HERE.
SHE'S MASTER GARDENER. SHE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY. I SEE BARBARA RUSSELL HERE WHO I MEAN, PERSONALLY, I HAVE A CLOSE FRIEND WHOSE LIFE WAS SAVED BECAUSE OF THE WORK BARBARA DID IN PROVIDING HER A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. I SEE SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN DISTRICT TWO THAT CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO GET BACK ON TRACK
IN THIS COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU. >> MISTER, VERY.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SOME PEOPLE KEEP CALLING IT A BUZZWORD AND THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. SO I'LL TELL YOU, IT MEANS THAT WE'RE SPENDING 30% OF OUR INCOME ON OUR RENT OR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS AND OUR UTILITIES. THAT'S WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AT AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORP, WE WORK AND PARTNER WITH THE CITY AS A NONPROFIT DEVELOPER TO PROVIDE JUST THAT. WE HAVE 96 SCATTERED SITE UNITS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT WE MANAGE FOR A LOT OF FAMILIES WHO ARE LOW OR EXTREMELY LOW INCOME AND FOLKS ON FIXED INCOMES OR FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES WHO CANNOT WORK. WE'RE BUILDING NINE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WITH NINE ADUS RIGHT NOW ON HINCKLE AND THREE HOMES IN SOUTHEAST DENTON ON ROBERTSON, WHICH GOES BACK TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. WE HAVE INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD AND BRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO. I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IS THE CITY HAS CONTINUOUSLY GAVE GIVEN MONEY AWAY TO DEVELOPMENTS THAT CLAIM TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT IT'S REALLY THAT 80% AMI, WHICH IS EXTREMELY NOT 30% NOT AFFORDABLE. AND WE LOST ABOUT $8 MILLION LAST YEAR ON THOSE DEALS. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT
[00:30:02]
WE WERE APPROVING. AND THAT'S A PROBLEM. AND PART OF THAT IS STREAMLINING THAT PROCESS.ACTUALLY, ON TUESDAY, COMMUNITY SERVICES. DO I HAVE 20S? OKAY. I WAS LIKE, YOU OKAY. THANK YOU.
SORRY. COMMUNITY SERVICES JUST HAD COUNCIL PASS AMENDMENTS TO THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY AND THEIR MATRIX TO MAKE IT MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR FOLKS TO ACTUALLY HIT THESE MARKERS, TO BE INCENTIVIZED WHEN THEY BUILD THEM. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT DAC DOES.
AND I WANT TO SEE A STREAMLINED PROCESS TO GET US THROUGH PRE-DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S RIGHT.
NOW THE BIGGEST HURDLE IS HOW DO WE GET THROUGH PRE-DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT
SPENDING 600 GRAND BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY SELL THE HOME? >> THANK YOU.
>> MISS GARLAND. >> DO YOU MIND RESTATING THE QUESTION?
>> FOR SURE. HOW WILL YOU ENSURE THE CITY WORKS IN THE BEST FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF
THE PEOPLE AND NOT THE INTERESTS OF DEVELOPERS? >> OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION. THROUGHOUT THIS CAMPAIGN AND MANY OF THE CAMPAIGNS BEFORE THIS ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT ABOUT SIGNS AND DEVELOPERS AND BEING IN THE POCKETS OF DEVELOPERS. AND WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? I HAVE SERVED ON PLANNING AND ZONING FOR A YEAR NOW. I LOVE IT, I'VE LEARNED A TON. I THINK THAT IT IS IT HAS REALLY ENABLED ME TO KIND OF GET A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF FINDING THAT BALANCE AND FINDING THAT MIDDLE GROUND OF LISTENING TO OUR COMMUNITY. YOU LOOK AT MY VOTING RECORD, I HAVE VOTED AGAINST MULTIPLE PROJECTS, SOME THAT GOT ME QUITE A BIT OF BACKLASH BECAUSE I LISTENED TO MY COMMUNITY, I LISTENED TO PEOPLE, I LISTENED TO THE NEIGHBORS, I LISTENED TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE GOING TO BE IMPACTED. THE SECOND PART OF THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IS THERE ARE TWO.
DURING MY TIME ON PLANNING ZONING, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPERS. YOU HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT GREW UP HERE, LIVE HERE, HAVE INVESTED HERE, BROUGHT MONEY HERE, HAVE REDESIGNED OUR SQUARE, MADE THOSE FUNCTIONAL ECONOMIC DRIVERS, MADE THOSE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. THERE'S SO MANY BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE TO THINK THAT ARE GREAT SPACES BECAUSE WE HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT GREW UP HERE AND CARE ABOUT DENTON AND WANT TO SEE DENTON WIN. THEN YOU HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE OUT OF STATE THAT HAVE NEVER SEEN DENTON. THEY DON'T KNOW DENTON. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT DENTON. THEY'RE LOOKING AT LISTS OF PROPERTIES AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FLIP THEM AND MAKE THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY POSSIBLE. THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO BE INFORMED AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE THINGS MEAN. BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT WANT TO FLIP PROPERTY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND JUST WANT TO PLUG IN AN APARTMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND DON'T CARE ABOUT EVERYBODY AROUND IT, THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T DO THAT. AND SO WHEN YOU HEAR ALL THIS RHETORIC ABOUT DEVELOPERS AND SIGNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT'S KIND OF A DISTRACTION FROM THE ISSUE. WE NEED DEVELOPERS THAT CARE ABOUT DENTON. SO THAT'S IT.
>> THANK YOU. >> WE'LL START WITH MR. HERON. IN 2021, DENTON PASSED THE NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE PROTECTING DITHIONITES REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, ETC. IN WORKPLACES, HOUSING AND OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS. IF THIS ORDINANCE WAS PROPOSED TODAY, WOULD YOU SUPPORT IT? AND IN WHAT WAYS CAN DENTON BETTER
SUPPORT THESE COMMUNITIES? >> SO YOU SAID DIDN'T PASS THE ORDINANCE IN 2020, 2021? YEAH.
TO ME THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLER. I MEAN, I GUESS I'M SUPPOSED TO RAMBLE ON FOR A MINUTE AND A HALF, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANYBODY. WE ARE ALL WE, WE ALL ARE PEOPLE. AND WE BRING DIFFERENCES TO THE TABLE EVERY. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US WHO WE ARE.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US DIVERSE. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US THE CITY THAT WE ARE. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US THE CULTURE THAT WE ARE. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US WHO WE ARE. I REPRESENT ONE OF THE PROTECTED CLASSES THAT HAS BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. IT'S NOT A GOOD FEELING AT ANY COST.
IT'S NOT A GOOD FEELING. SO WHO AM I TO BE IN A POSITION, IN A PLACE TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE, JUST FOR SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE IN, OR THAT'S A PROTECTED CLASS THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT ALL THE WAY AROUND. SO I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING TO DISCRIMINATE. WHAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF THAT? YOU SAID, WHY WOULD I DO TO PROTECT IT, TO GO AND DISCRIMINATE AT WILL? WHAT'S
THE OPPOSITE? I KNOW DISCRIMINATION FOR ME. >> THANK YOU. MR. VILLARREAL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AT WHERE THIS ISSUE STARTED. WE WERE PUSHING FOR A NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE BACK IN 2019, STARTING IN 2019, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PROTECTIONS FOR EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER, CREED, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, ETC. VETERAN STATUS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAD EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW BECAUSE AT THAT POINT THERE WAS NOT EQUAL PROTECTIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR FOLKS IN THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. AND WE SPOKE OUT, WE PUSHED AND WE FOUGHT TO MAKE SURE WE HAD AN NGO PASSED IN 2021, AFTER WE
[00:35:03]
ELECTED A PROGRESSIVE CITY COUNCIL. I SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THAT AT THAT COUNCIL MEETING ALONGSIDE GEORGE FERRY AND A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS FROM THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE AN NGO IN PLACE TO PROTECT EVERYBODY AND PROVIDE EQUAL STATUS TO EVERYONE HERE IN THE CITY OF DENTON. AND OF COURSE, I WOULD VOTE FOR IT 100% AGAIN IF I HADA CHANCE. >> THANK YOU. >> MR. STEVENS.
>> JORDAN, YOU FORGOT TO MENTION I WAS THERE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF IT TOO. I AM GOING TO MAKE SOME PEOPLE MAD. TO ANSWER THE QUESTION FIRST. OF COURSE I'D UPHOLD IT. I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE PERSON THAT WOULD EVER WANT TO REPEAL THAT. I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE PERSON HERE THAT WANTS TO REPEAL THAT. I ALSO WANT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THOUGH, THAT ORDINANCE AS GREAT OF AN INTENTION AS IT HAS, LET'S ALSO LOOK AT THE FACTS. UNLESS SOMETHING'S CHANGED IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, I DON'T THINK THERE HAS BEEN A SINGLE SUCCESSFUL COMPLAINT LODGED AGAINST IT. AND I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS THAT'S BECAUSE LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE ARE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THE CITY OF DENTON. I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU THAT'S NOT THE REASON THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A SUCCESSFUL COMPLAINT LODGED THROUGH THAT ORDINANCE. I WANT TO FOCUS OUR COUNCIL ON ACTUALLY GETTING WORK DONE AND ACTUALLY DELIVERING ORDINANCES THAT CAN DELIVER RESULTS, WHETHER THEY'RE FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES OR NOT. AND SO I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT KIND OF TEETH WE CAN HAVE TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF THAT. LIKE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE PASSING. I DON'T WANT TO DO ANY MORE VIRTUE SIGNALING. I WANT TO REALLY DELIVER RESULTS AND PROTECT PEOPLE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. >> MR. FERRY. >> YEAH. THANK YOU JORDAN. AS JORDAN STATED, I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED CREATE THAT. I WORKED WITH EQUALITY TEXAS. I WORKED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DEB ARMENTOR AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS OF DENTON AND OUTREACH DENTON TO HELP GET THAT DRAFTED, GET THAT PASSED, AND TO CELEBRATE IT. IT WAS THE ONLY IT WAS THE ONLY. IT WAS ONLY THE SIXTH N D O IN THE STATE AT THE TIME, THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE BECAUSE IT INCLUDED PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. AND IT WAS BEFORE FEDERALLY THEY PASSED PROTECTIONS INCLUDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY IN THE WORKPLACE. WE ALSO HAVE HAD SOME PUSHBACK FROM THE STATE, RIGHT, WITH BATHROOM BILLS AND OTHER THINGS THAT COME IN TO SUPERSEDE WHAT THE CITY WANTS. AND I THINK THEREIN LIES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A CITY COUNCIL TO STAND FIRM TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES, EVEN WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE TRYING TO OPPRESS AND TRYING TO ENFORCE THINGS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO OUR COMMUNITIES, WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN ENGAGE ACTIVELY, PURPOSEFULLY, INTENTIONALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL UPLIFTED, CELEBRATED AND NURTURED, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE PRIDE PROCLAMATION IN JUNE LAST YEAR, IT WAS NOT READ DURING JUNE CHOICE OF THE MAYOR. SO THAT PERSON GETS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO READ IT. THANKFULLY, COUNCIL MEMBER BECK AT THE TIME GOT THAT THROUGH. I THINK IT TOOK TILL SEPTEMBER THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A COUNCIL THAT, AGAIN IS NOT DIVISIVE, IS ROOTED IN WANTING TO WORK TOGETHER TO REACH ACROSS EVERY AISLE TO EVERYONE ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY.
THANKS. >> THANK YOU, MISS GARLAND. >> DO YOU MIND REPEATING THE
QUESTION. >> FOR SURE IN 2021? DIDN'T PASSED THE NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE PROTECTING DENTON HEIGHTS REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, ETC. IN WORKPLACES, HOUSING, AND OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS. IF THIS ORDINANCE WAS PROPOSED TODAY, WOULD YOU SUPPORT IT AND HOW CAN DENTON BETTER SUPPORT THESE COMMUNITIES?
>> OKAY. THANK YOU. I KNEW IT WAS LONG. I HAD A COUPLE PARTS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I FULLY UNDERSTOOD IT. ABSOLUTELY UNDISPUTED. TO ME, THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE RULE OF LAW. I WORK IN HR, I'M GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF. I WORK IN A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE MALE INDUSTRY. AND SO AND I'VE DONE THAT FOR THE LAST 15, 16 YEARS. FOR YEARS, I WAS A MEMBER OF WOMEN IN AVIATION TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG WOMEN TO GET IN THE FIELD OF AVIATION, BECOME PILOTS. I BUILT, I STARTED SCHOLARSHIPS, MANAGE THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDED THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS. I WAS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL GAY PILOTS ASSOCIATION. I WAS A MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATION OF BLACK AEROSPACE PROFESSIONALS, LATINO PILOTS ASSOCIATION. THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST PART OF MY EVERYDAY WORLD, MY EVERYDAY WORLD. AND SO IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING TO ME, I THINK IT'S SAD THAT WE WE HAVE TO HAVE PROCLAMATIONS BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE ARE STILL ISSUES THAT THAT PEOPLE FACE.
AND SO ABSOLUTELY, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I PRACTICE IN MY EVERYDAY PROFESSIONAL LIFE, MY EVERYDAY REAL LIFE. AND IT'S JUST, IT'S UNDISPUTED. SO YES.
[00:40:05]
>> THANK YOU, MR. COX. >> ABSOLUTELY. I WOULD UPHOLD IT. BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ECHO NICK OVER THERE. WE DO NEED TO STRENGTHEN IT TOO. MY ORGANIZATION, DENTON LUFT, HAS BEEN HEARING A LOT OF RUMORS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT BUSINESSES UP ON THE SQUARE THAT HAVE BEEN HARASSING THEIR WOMEN EMPLOYEES OF MANIPULATION BY MALE BOSSES. WE NEED TO CRACK DOWN ON THOSE THINGS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THERE IS THAT SORT OF POWER IMBALANCE, THAT THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO RESPOND TO IT, TO SQUASH THAT SORT OF THAT SORT OF ABUSE. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. IT'S ABUSE. AND WE NEED TO HAVE STRONG VOICES FROM OUR WORKERS THAT SAY, HEY, THIS IS HAPPENING. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THESE ORDINANCES THAT PROTECT OUR WORKERS. AND I THINK THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT PROTECTIONS, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE PROTECTIONS OF ALSO WORKERS THAT ARE TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR HIGHER WAGES AS WELL. THERE HAVE BEEN BUSINESSES THAT HAVE COMPLETELY DECIMATED THEIR OWN WORKFORCES SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY CAME TOGETHER AND ASKED FOR A RAISE. WE DO NEED PROTECTIONS FOR ANY PERSON THAT DOES NOT HAVE THAT SORT OF POWER, AS YOUR BOSS DOES IN YOUR WORKPLACE, AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR WOMEN, OUR LGBTQ CITIZENS, ANYONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE SORT OF POWER
THAT THE RICH AND POWERFUL DO. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NEXT QUESTION WILL START WITH MR. VILLARREAL DIDN'T HAS A PUBLIC TRANSIT PROBLEM WITH BUS ROUTES REDUCED IN 2020 FROM 8 TO 3 TO CONNECT WITH GHOSN, WHAT WOULD YOU SPECIFICALLY ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF DENTON'S PUBLIC TRANSIT
SYSTEM? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. SO BACK IN 2022, WHEN WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT REDUCING BUS LINES, I ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE NO BUS CUTS, CANVASING ON THE BUSSES THEMSELVES, SO WENT OUT AND ADVOCATED ON THE BUSSES, TALKED TO FOLKS WHO WERE REGULAR PATRONS ON THOSE BUSSES, AND MADE SURE THAT THE THEY KNEW THAT DCTA AND THEIR CITIES WERE PUSHING TO REDUCE THE BUS LANES AND BUS LINES HERE IN THE CITY AND IN LEWISVILLE AS WELL. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PUSHING TO MAKE SURE OUR DCTA BOARD MEMBER IS FIGHTING TO INCREASE OUR BUS LANES LINES. RATHER. I LIKE THE IDEA OF MICRO TRANSIT IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF BUS LINES, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR BUS LINES AS WELL.
MICRO TRANSIT SHOULD NOT REPLACE, IT SHOULD BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR BUS SYSTEM.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> MR. STEVENS.
>> THANK YOU. I JUST ACTUALLY ANSWERED THIS QUESTION A FEW DAYS AGO WITH ABUNDANCE DENTON, AND I REALLY LOVE THE QUESTION. SO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT GHOSN WAS CREATED WAS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES. RIGHT. AND I SAY THAT TO SAY IT GIVES US A LOT OF DATA. WHAT GHOSN DID FOR ALL OF IT'S, SHALL WE SAY, IMPERFECTIONS DOES IS IT TELLS US WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING. AND, AND THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION, RIGHT? BECAUSE BEFORE GHOSN, HERE'S WHAT THE STATS WERE. FOUR PEOPLE PER BUS PER HOUR. IS THAT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT'S WORKING? YEAH. IT'S NOT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT'S WORKING NOW BECAUSE OF, OF, OF, OF WHAT GOES ON. DID WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE NOW USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THAN, THAN BEFORE IN THE CITY OF DENTON? AND SO THAT GIVES US A LOT OF DATA. LIKE JORDAN SAID, WE HAVE A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE AS WELL AS A SECOND IN COMMAND THAT THAT REPRESENT US AT DCTA THAT BOTH UNDERSTAND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION REALLY WELL. WELL, AND BOTH OF THEM CAN HELP ADVOCATE ON OUR BEHALF TO INCREASE BUS SERVICES WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN
ALL USE IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. MR. FERRY. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. YEAH. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, HALF, HALF A PERCENT OF OUR SALES TAX GOES TO DC TO IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE ALSO HAD WITH ABUNDANCE DENTON WHO'S WHO IS IN THE ROOM TODAY, I THINK THAT THE SWITCH TO MICRO TRANSIT WAS MISHANDLED. I THINK IT'S IT DOES IT'S NOT AS EFFICIENT. WE'RE NOW SEEING. AND THIS IS DATA THAT ABUNDANCE DENTON HAS PUT OUT. WE'RE NOW SEEING THAT RIDERSHIP IS BACK UP. AND WE'RE ONLY AT THREE LINES WHEN WE USED TO BE AT EIGHT. SO WE HAVE THE SAME RIDERSHIP NEED WHEN WE HAD EIGHT LINES WITH JUST THREE. I THINK THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE EV BUS GRANTS THAT EXIST. WHY DON'T WE
[00:45:03]
HAVE ENERGY EFFICIENT BUSSES? WE COULD THEN RETIRE THE ONES THAT REQUIRE FUEL. THEY'RE MORE COST EFFECTIVE. THEY REQUIRE LESS REPAIR OVER TIME AND THE CITIZENS NEED IT. AND AGAIN, IT'S A MORE COST EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR THE CITY OF DENTON, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE SEEING TWO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS GOING UP ONE FAR NORTH AND ONE WEST HUNTER RANCH AND CRAVER. WHEN WE'RE GIVING MORE SPRAWL, HOW ARE WE EXPECTING PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE AND WORK IN THE SAME PLACE WHEN THEY'RE SO FAR AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF OUR TOWN? WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO ALSO HELP BICYCLE RIDERS WITH MORE BIKE LANES THAT ARE PROTECTED. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SIDEWALKS. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GETS YOU TO BUS STOPS AND DOESN'T JUST STOP, AND THEN YOU'RE FORCED TO WALK. OR IF YOU USE A MOBILITY DEVICE, GET INTO THE ROAD TO GET TO SAID BUS STOP. ALL OF THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.THANKS. >> THANK YOU. >> MISS GARLAND.
>> I HATE TO DO THIS. WILL YOU ASK IT ONE MORE TIME? BY THE TIME IT GETS TO ME, I JUST WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET IT ALL. SO. I'M SO SORRY. >> DENTON HAS A PUBLIC TRANSIT PROBLEM WITH BUS ROUTES REDUCED IN 2022 FROM 8 TO 3. TO CONNECT WITH GHOSN, WHAT WOULD YOU SPECIFICALLY ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, RELIABILITY, AND AFFORDABILITY
OF DENTON'S PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM? >> OKAY. GOT YOU. SO AGAIN, I SHOUT OUT TO DENTON. I ALSO HAD A GREAT CHAT WITH HER. I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, AS WE GROW IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS CHANGE AND JUST THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF WHO'S USING WHAT, I THINK THAT WE'VE REALLY GOT TO KIND OF STAY LOCKED IN AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND LOOK AT THE DATA AND LOOK AT THE USAGE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE.
IT'S A MOVING TARGET. AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, HERE'S THE SILVER BULLET, THIS WILL FIX IT. AND THEN WE KIND OF LET IT GO FOR TWO OR 3 OR 5 YEARS. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO STAY ENGAGED IN AND WE HAVE TO MONITOR. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M REALLY BIG ON DATA. I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA, WHO'S USING IT, WHERE ARE THEY GOING AND WHAT MAKES SENSE, AND THEN BE READY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES WITH GO ZONE. WE DEFINITELY HEAR THAT. I HAVE AN ADULT CHILD. HE'S 28.
HE HAS A DISABILITY. HE WORKS FULL TIME. HE LIVES WITH ME BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? HE CAN'T AFFORD TO NOT LIVE WITH ME. AND HE USES WE TRY TO GET HIM TO USE GO ZONE, BUT IT'S NOT RELIABLE. AND SO HE ENDS UP USING UBER AND HE ENDS UP SPENDING MORE MONEY ON UBER.
AND THEN ALSO DOORDASH INSTEAD OF KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WORKING AROUND THE PERIMETERS OF GO ZONE. AND SO WE, I KNOW PERSONALLY IT'S A PROBLEM. I ALSO MENTIONED I COMMUTE AN HOUR EACH DAY TO WORK. I WOULD LOVE, LOVE, LOVE TO TAKE THE TRAIN, BUT IT'S TOO SLOW. IT'S LIKE ALMOST TWO HOURS BY THE TIME I GET THERE. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE SOMEONE LIKE ME, THAT'S BALANCING TAKING A CHILD TO SCHOOL AND GETTING TO WORK, THIS STUFF HAS TO MAKE SENSE. AND SO WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF MAKE THESE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO FIX IT AND MAKE IT WORK FOR
>> I'M GOING TO BE THE GUY. NOW. CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION, PLEASE?
>> SURE. >> I'M GLAD I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.
>> DENTON HAS A PUBLIC TRANSIT PROBLEM WITH BUS ROUTES REDUCED IN 2022 FROM 8 TO 3. TO CONNECT WITH GO ZONE, WHAT WOULD YOU SPECIFICALLY ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF DENTON'S PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM?
>> OBLIGATORY ABUNDANCE. DENTON SHOUT OUT. BUT ALSO I WANT I WANT TO KIND OF ECHO WHAT JORGE SAID, THAT A LOT OF THESE A LOT OF DENTON'S INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY CAR CENTRIC. THAT NEEDS TO BE COUNTERED. WE DO NEED SIDEWALKS. WE DO NEED MORE BUSSES, OBVIOUSLY, BUT ALSO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHERE THESE BUS STOPS ARE GOING TO BE. WE DO NEED MORE THAT BRING PEOPLE TO THE HOMELESS SHELTERS, SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WALK THROUGH ALL THESE PLACES THAT DO NOT HAVE SIDEWALKS ON ROADS WHERE THEY CAN GET HIT WITH ANY SORT OF PASSERBY. WE ALSO NEED TO START LOOKING INTO HOW WE HAVE MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOODS. I WOULD LIKE TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN HAVE THESE APARTMENTS THAT ALSO DOUBLE WITH SHOPS AT THE BOTTOM. THAT WAY, PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE DON'T NEED TO WALK ACROSS THE WALK OR DRIVE ACROSS THE CITY.
WE GET LESS TRAFFIC, WE GET MORE JOBS THERE AS WELL. I ALSO, I ALSO THINK THAT GO ZONE WAS AN EXPERIMENT THAT DOES NOT DO WHAT DOES NOT DO WHAT IT SHOULD. I BUT ERICA ALSO BRINGS UP SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT THAT IS VERY USEFUL FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES. I THINK THAT IF WE CAN USE MAYBE SOME OF THE OLD VANS THAT THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT HAS LAYING AROUND AS A WAY TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE ON DEMAND, THAT CAN BE A LOT BETTER THAN GO ZONE.
[00:50:06]
>> THANK YOU. MR. HERON. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION. I MAY COME WITH A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT RESPONSE. I DO THINK WE SHOULD INCREASE SOME OF OUR BUS LANES BACK SO THAT WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR. THERE'S A POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO WORK OUT IN THE AIRPORT ROAD AREA THAT WE DON'T. WE CAN'T EVEN SERVICE THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT GOES OUT THERE. NEITHER GOES ON NOR DATA GOES OUT THERE.
WHAT ABOUT THAT POPULATION THAT'S WORKING OUT THERE? WE NEED TO HAVE THEM TAKEN CARE OF TOO, BECAUSE THEY BRING THEY ARE WORKING HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF DENTON. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE INCREASED BUS ROUTES THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE THE LARGER SIZE OF OUR CITY AND HOW WE'VE GROWN. I THINK THAT WILL INCREASE OUR RIDERSHIP, IF YOU WILL. I AM A FORMER DRIVER OF GOES ON. SO I COME FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WITH BEING A FORMER DRIVER OF GO ZONE AND MAY NOT BE POPULAR, BUT THE WAY I LOOKED AT IT AND TO TELL YOU ALL IS IT'S $1.50.
THAT'S WHAT IT COSTS, $1.50 A YEAR FOR $1.50. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GET FOR $1.50. AND SO IT'S CURB TO CURB INSTEAD OF DOOR TO DOOR. UBER IS DOOR TO DOOR. YOU WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE. YOU'RE GOING TO DO UBER. SO NOW YOU GOT A PLAN FOR GOES ON BECAUSE YOU'LL BE ON GOES ON FOR 45 MINUTES TRYING TO GET TO YOUR RIDE. THAT WILL HAPPEN. BUT IT'S $1.50. SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. WE'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT $1.50. AND SO I LIKE GOES ON TO MAYBE BECAUSE I WORK FOR HIM BEFORE. AND SO THEY PROVIDED FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED IT AT THE TIME AND STILL DO IN SOME INSTANCES BECAUSE MY WIFE WORKS FOR THEM. SO THAT'S
WHERE I AM WITH IT. >> THANK YOU. WITH THIS QUESTION, WE'LL START WITH MR. STEVENS. WITH THE BUDGET AS A CONCERN, HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND
WHAT WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE? >> YEAH, VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND VERY FAMILIAR WITH RUNNING A BUDGET. I RUN A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COMPANY EVERY SINGLE YEAR DURING COVID, FOR EXAMPLE, I DID NOT BORROW MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT. I JUST STOPPED SPENDING MONEY, MADE SURE THAT MY EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES WERE PAID AND BARELY PAID MYSELF ANYTHING, SAVED MY BUSINESS. WE'RE MORE SUCCESSFUL NOW THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN. OUTSIDE OF THAT, I'D ALSO ADD THAT FOR ME, A BUDGET IS NOT JUST A BUDGET, IT'S A MORAL DOCUMENT. IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE. IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT WHO'S IMPORTANT IN ANY GIVEN COMMUNITY. I'D ALSO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, I SAID THIS BEFORE, I WORK IN SURETY BONDING, WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS TO MAKE SURE THEY DO THEIR JOBS EVERY DAY. THIS IS THE WORST TIME OF YEAR FOR ME BECAUSE I GET EVERYONE'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OR PROFIT LOSSES AND BALANCE SHEETS, AND I LOOK AT ROUGHLY $10 BILLION WORTH OF INCOME THROUGH ALL OF THESE COMPANIES EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND IT'S MY JOB TO TELL THEM WHERE YOU'RE SCREWING UP, WHERE YOU NEED TO DO BETTER, WHERE YOU NEED TO IMPROVE, WHERE THINGS AREN'T TRACKING FROM YEAR TO YEAR. WHEN IT COMES TO OUR BUDGET SPECIFICALLY, I WOULD NOT WISH ON MY WORST ENEMY TO EVER WATCH A BUDGET SESSION IN OUR IN OUR CITY COUNCIL. AND I PROMISE THAT IF YOU DON'T WATCH IT, I WILL PAY EXTRA CLOSE ATTENTION TO IT. I HAVE EVERY YEAR. I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE HAVEN'T ASKED HARDER QUESTIONS, THAT. IT WAS ALMOST SEEMINGLY A SURPRISE THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A $14 MILLION DEFICIT LAST YEAR. I COMMIT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT THIS YEAR. WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK ON TRACK. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. FERRY. >> YES. THANK YOU. ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS. AGAIN, RUN SEVERAL NONPROFIT BOARDS, ONE OF WHICH IS A DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. SO MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, THEY ARE ARGUABLY THE LEAST FUN MEETINGS EVER. BUT I ALSO LIKE MATH, SO MAYBE I ACTUALLY REALLY DO ENJOY THEM IN TERMS OF A PRIORITY FOR ME, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING BETTER AUDITORS AND BETTER STEWARDS OF THE RESOURCES. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I'M TIRED OF GIVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AWAY TO THINGS THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AS AN ACTUAL PERMANENT SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS, THAT WOULD SAVE US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR. I'VE SAID THIS IN EVERY SINGLE FORUM, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, WE SPEND AROUND 30 TO $35,000 A YEAR PER HOUSE PERSON PER YEAR ON CRIMINAL TRESPASS, DAYS IN JAIL, EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDER SERVICES AND ER VISITS. AND FOR ABOUT 10 TO $12,000, WE COULD BE HOUSING THEM PERMANENTLY. THAT'S AROUND 2 MILLION A YEAR BACK ON OUR GENERAL FUND. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO HAVING MORE STRICT POLICIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUNDS THAT WE GIVE OUT THAT ARE GRANTS, OUR CDBG AND HOME FUNDS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAMS THAT PEOPLE ARE RUNNING, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. I WANT TO AUDIT THEM. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY MEETING THE METRICS. THEY SAY THAT THEY'RE MEETING, RATHER THAN JUST GIVING ME A TALLY SHEET AND SAYING, WE DID IT BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE BETTER STEWARDS OF YOUR RESOURCES, OUR RESOURCES. THAT'S MY PRIORITY. THANK YOU.
[00:55:04]
>> MISS GARLAND. >> COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION.
>> WITH THE BUDGET AS A CONCERN? HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WHAT WOULD
YOU PRIORITIZE? >> SO I, I HAVE A BUDGET, I MANAGE MY BUDGET. I WAS A SINGLE MOM FOR YEARS. I DEFINITELY KNOW HOW TO KIND OF SQUEEZE A PENNY AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN A NEED AND A WANT. I'VE LOOKED OVER OUR BUDGET THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE SEE A LOT OF WASTE, AND WE SEE A LOT OF THINGS THAT MAYBE SHOULD BE MOVED INTO OTHER SPACES. YOU KNOW, THE CITY BUDGET IS KIND OF UNIQUE. THEY'RE NOT LIKE THE NATIONAL BUDGET WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO GO INTO, YOU KNOW, INTO LIKE A NEGATIVE STATUS.
YOU HAVE TO BALANCE IT. AND SO THE WAY THE CITY DOES THAT IS THEY PULL FUNDS FROM THINGS THAT ARE EXPENDABLE. AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE LOST THINGS LIKE OUR FESTIVALS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S WHY MANY OF OUR CITY STAFF HAVE NOT HAD A RAISE, A COST OF LIVING RAISE.
THEY'VE REMAINED FLAT. IT'S WHY SOME OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE TOOLS AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS THAT THEY NEED. AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS WE GOT TO PEEL THIS BACK FIRST AND FOREMOST, DAY ONE, WE NEED A COUNCIL THAT RESPECTS EACH OTHER, COMMUNICATES AND IS FOCUSED ON THE CORE ISSUES OF THE CITY. THERE ARE A LOT OF DISTRACTORS RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP SEEING THEM. AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP WRAPPING IT UP. BUT WE NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE LOCKED IN FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
OUR BUDGET IS SO IMPORTANT. DIDN'T IS STRUGGLING. WE'RE NOT IN A GOOD PLACE. OUR BUDGET AND FOCUSING ON THAT AND THE CORE ISSUES OF WHAT WE NEED IS PARAMOUNT TO HAVE PEOPLE MAKING
THOSE DECISIONS WITH EVERYONE IN MIND. >> THANK YOU, MR. COX.
>> SO I HAVE A TECHNICALLY TWO ANSWERS FOR THIS. IN THE IN THE DENTON LEFT, I WORKING WITH A BF ANARCHISTS, THEY KNOW HOW TO STRETCH A DOLLAR. BUT A LOT, A LOT OF DUMPSTER DIVING FROM THEM. BUT SECOND ANSWER IS, YEAH, THE BUDGET, THE THE BUDGET PROCESS IS WHAT KILLED MY JOB. I LOOKED OVER THAT. THOSE DOCUMENTS OF WHAT THE THE BUDGET WAS. OUR DEPARTMENT OF THE AFTER SCHOOL WAS ESTIMATED, I THINK $220,000. ONE INTERESTING THING, A COUPLE INTERESTING THINGS. ONE, IT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A LINE ACTION FOR US AND ALSO DIDN'T SEEM TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE WERE SOME PARENTS WHO SIMPLY JUST WEREN'T PAYING, AND THERE WAS NO CRACKING DOWN ON ANYONE WHO WAS NOT PAYING FOR THE SERVICE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT 400, AND I THINK $30,000 WAS SIMPLY PAUSED. THAT WAS GOING TO GO TO A K-9 K-9 UNIT FOR THE POLICE, AS WELL AS 20,000 CUT FROM THE CLEAR CREEK. I. I THINK THAT WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE AFFECTING THE MOST. WHEN IT IS SOMEONE WHO IS RELYING ON A JOB, WE SHOULD NOT BE CUTTING THAT BECAUSE THOSE JOBS ARE IMPORTANT. HAVING A GOOD PAYING JOB IS IMPORTANT FOR A NIGHT HERE, AND IF WE ARE GOING TO BE CUTTING THOSE SORTS OF SERVICES, NOT ONLY ARE WE MAKING LIVES WORSE FOR THE PARENTS, WE'RE
ALSO MAKING THINGS WORSE FOR THE WORKERS TIME. >> MR. HERON.
>> BUDGET CONVERSATIONS ARE ALWAYS VERY DIFFICULT. I'VE MANAGED BUDGETS BEFORE ALSO IN MY JOBS THAT I'VE HAD IN THE PAST, AND SOME YOU HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS AND AS A BUSINESS OWNER ALSO YOU HAVE TO MAKE BUDGET DECISIONS. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT A FUN DECISION BECAUSE IT WHEN YOU MAKE HARD DECISIONS, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH REVENUE YOU HAVE COMING IN, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION THAT MAY AFFECT SOME THINGS. BUT I THINK WITH OUR BUDGET, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING. I THINK SOME DECISIONS WERE MADE THAT JUST WASN'T WEREN'T NOT CLEARLY THOUGHT THROUGH. AND WE WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF OTHERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IT. I KEEP HEARING THAT WE'RE PEOPLE HERE SAYING, WELL, LET'S, LET'S GO WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF EVERYTHING. WELL, WE HAVE AN EXPERIENCE COUNCIL. SO WE THOUGHT THAT'S MADE THOSE DECISIONS. SO DO WE WANT TO KEEP GOING WITH THAT SAME THOUGHT PATTERN, GETTING PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE SAME DECISIONS AS WHAT'S BEEN IN THE PLACE THAT GOT US INTO THE $14 MILLION DEFICIT THAT WE'RE IN, OR DO WE WANT SOMETHING FRESH, SOMEBODY WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE, WHO'S MANAGED A BUSINESS, WHO HAS A BUSINESS, BUT WHO ALSO HAS MANAGED BUDGETS FOR OTHERS? I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT DIFFERENTLY. HARD DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE, BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD AND SEE WHAT WHO IT'S
GOING TO AFFECT IF WE MAKE THESE CUTS. >> THANK YOU, MR. VILLARREAL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY BUDGETARY PROCESS.
HAVE WATCHED SEVERAL BUDGET WORK SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AS A CITIZEN. WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETS, IN MY CAPACITY AS CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE TEXAS
[01:00:01]
LEGISLATURE, WE OF COURSE, PARTICIPATED IN THE BUDGETARY PROCESS AT THAT POINT, FOUGHT TO BRING MORE RESOURCES HOME FOR OUR PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING UNT, AND THAT'S A $338 BILLION BUDGET BUDGET FOR THE BIENNIUM. AND OF COURSE, IT IS ALSO BALANCED BUDGET AS WELL.WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL CONCERNS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS, OUR KITCHEN TABLE BREAD AND BUTTER ISSUES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FULLY FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS AND PERSONNEL. THAT INCLUDES A COLA, A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR FIREFIGHTER RETIREES, WHICH I'VE COMMITTED TO DOING MY FIRST WORK SESSION, WORK SESSION ITEM ON A COLA FOR OUR RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS THAT INCLUDES INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR, VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR, FIXING OUR ROADS AND STREETS, PUSHING FOR MORE SIDEWALK CONNECTIVITY, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT ONE. AND OF COURSE, THAT MEANS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, TALKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, PROVIDING A NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIRECTOR AS WELL, WHO CAN REACH OUT AND TALK WITH OUR FOLKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY'RE AT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE'RE COMING. BACK TO START WITH SAFARI, TRYING. TO PICK OUR NEXT ONE. WOULD YOU SUPPORT DENTON PD TO WORK WITH ICE
AGENTS? WHY OR WHY NOT? >> THIS CAME UP LAST NIGHT AT THE ROBSON RANCH CONSERVATIVES CLUB FORUM. NO, I WILL NOT OPT IN TO THE 287 G AGREEMENT. I DO NOT THINK THAT OUR ALREADY VERY STRAPPED RESOURCES THAT YOU KEEP HEARING ABOUT, AND THE WASTE OF MONEY THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT, SHOULD CONTINUE BY TRYING TO PAY POLICE OFFICERS WHO, FRANKLY, DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO HAVE ADDED DUTIES GIVEN TO THEM, NOR SHOULD WE WASTE THE MONEY TO HAVE TRAINING FOR FOLKS THAT ALREADY EXIST IN A JOB THAT'S FEDERALLY FUNDED. NO, I DON'T WANT TO TERRORIZE OUR COMMUNITIES. I WANT TO SUPPORT THEM. I WANT TO BE I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO WORK WITHOUT FEARING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROFILED, WHICH THEN LEADS US TO POTENTIAL LAWSUITS AS A CITY WHO'S ENFORCING THIS WITH OUR CITY PAID STAFF, THIS IS ALL AROUND A BAD IDEA. SO NO, I WOULD NOT. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU. >> WOULD YOU SUPPORT DENTON PD WORKING WITH ICE AGENTS? WHY OR
WHY NOT? >> SO YOU. >> SO YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD A LOT TODAY ABOUT THE ROBESON FORUM. AND ONE THING YOU DIDN'T HEAR WAS THIS QUESTION CAME UP AND HOW I ANSWERED IT. I SAID, NO, THAT'S THE PART THAT WAS KIND OF LEFT OUT OF THE PRESS RELEASE THAT WENT OUT TODAY. I WOULD NOT SUPPORT ICE. I MET WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND I ASKED THEM THAT QUESTION. WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY OF THIS HAPPENING? A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THIS IS A HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING? AND THEY THEY SAID IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY. I SAID, WHEN WOULD THIS LIKE, HOW WOULD THIS WORK? LIKE HELP ME UNDERSTAND IT? AND THEY SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A FEDERAL ENTITY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES IN AND KIND OF FORCES THINGS, THEN THEY HAVE TO KIND OF PROVIDE WHAT THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE. BUT IN THE PAST, THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD COME IN AND ASK FOR THINGS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SAY, NO, WE'RE OUT. THAT'S KIND OF ON YOU. AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT, NO, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT THAT. I STATED THAT LAST NIGHT AND I GOT BOOED FROM THE ROBESON CROWD FOR IT. ANOTHER THING THAT MANY OF YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T HEAR, BILLIE POLIER WAS THERE. HE CAN TELL YOU I GOT BOOED PRETTY LOUD FOR IT. SO ABSOLUTELY NOT. I WOULD NOT
SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION AND I'LL PASS. >> MR. COX.
>> SO. >> I WOULD LOVE TO ADDRESS THAT TOO, IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
I DIDN'T SAY THAT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO ADDRESS IT. WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
>> MR. COX. >> OKAY, SO AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, I AM AGAINST WORKING WITH ICE AT ALL. ICE HAS BEEN TERRORIZING COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THEY HAVE BEEN TERRORIZING WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY. AND IT IS AN ABSOLUTELY AWFUL, AWFUL THING TO EVEN SUGGEST THAT IT SHOULD BE IN DENTON AT ALL. I DO NOT SUPPORT ICE. I WILL NOT SUPPORT ICE. ICE WILL NOT WORK WITH ANY SECTION OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
IF I AM ON COUNCIL, I'LL NEED THE REST OF THE TIME FOR THAT. >> HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU SAY NO? AND THE TIME LIMIT, RIGHT? IT'S JUST WE'RE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING. WOULD WE SUPPORT IT IF WE WANT TO BUILD A TRUST WITH OUR CITY POLICE STAFF? YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T I WOULDN'T SUPPORT ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT ALSO, ARE WE ARE WE BRINGING A NATIONAL ISSUE INTO A CITY AREA
[01:05:01]
THAT DOESN'T EXIST? I MEAN, DOES THAT REALLY EXIST IN THAT REGARD? IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S OUT THERE? BUT NO, I WOULDN'T SUPPORT IT. I WOULDN'T WANT TO BUILD UP OUR POLICE FORCE THAT WE HAVE AND THE ONE AND LET THEM BUILD THE TRUST AMONGST THE CITIZENS THAT ARE HERE WITHOUT ENFORCING SOMETHING ELSE ON TOP OF IT THAT COULD CAUSE THEM TO START LOSING TRUST. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG, DEPENDING ON THE COMMUNITY YOU ARE PART OF, FOR YOU TO LOSE TRUST WITH THE POLICE FORCE. SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE COMMUNITY. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, BEING A PART OF A PROTECTED CLASS, I'VE BEEN A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY WHERE THAT CAN HAPPEN VERY EASILY BECAUSE OF NO FAULT OF MY OWN. SO NO, I WOULDN'T WANT TO ADDDISTRUST TO THAT. >> IT'S REALLY REAL. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. 100% OPPOSED TO ENTERING ANY 287 G AGREEMENT WITH ICE, THE LAST THING WE NEED TO DO IS BRING THEM INTO OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE TRAGEDY WE SAW IN MINNEAPOLIS AND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. AS A MEMBER OF LULAC, WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THE FEAR IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE AFRAID TO GO TO WORK, WHO ARE AFRAID TO GO TO SCHOOL, WHO ARE AFRAID TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'RE SEEING FROM OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO 100% OPPOSED TO ICE, 100% OPPOSED TO ANY AGREEMENT WITH THEM. AND AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I WILL MAKE SURE WE WILL VOTE AGAINST ANY 287 G AGREEMENT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. MR. STEVENS. >> THANK YOU. I'M THE LAST PERSON TO SPEAK, AND THE NEWSPAPERS HERE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE FRONT PAGE. HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS. YOU JUST HEARD ALL OF US. THE ANSWER IS WHAT? NO. AND I'M GOING TO VOUCH FOR ROBERT. THE ANSWER IS NO. I'M GOING TO VOUCH FOR CALEB. WHO'S HERE, NOT HERE. THE ANSWER IS NO. I SEE SHANNON'S HERE WHO'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR. I SEE BRIAN, WHO'S HERE IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
THEY BOTH SAID NO. CHRIS WATTS SAID NO. ANGELA BREWER SAID NO. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALL GOOD
TO GO. EVERYONE SAID NO. >> THANK YOU. THE CITY IS STILL IN A LAWSUIT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OVER THE MARIJUANA ORDINANCE. DO YOU SUPPORT STAYING IN OR GETTING OUT OF THE LAWSUIT? AND WE START WITH MISS GARLAND ON THIS ONE.
>> SO THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S VERY A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE OPINIONS ON IT. WE KNOW THAT. WHERE IS THAT NUMBER? I KNOW I WROTE IT DOWN, 72% OF DENTON VOTED IN FAVOR OF THIS.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THIS QUESTION. ONE, A LOT OF DENTON WAS IN FAVOR OF IT. SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PROPS TO OUR OUR COMMUNITY FOR MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD. AND. HAVING THIS HAPPEN. THE SECOND PART IS THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE INCURRED, MAYBE UNEXPECTEDLY, WHEN WE KIND OF STEPPED OUT OF OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S PURVIEW. AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THESE ISSUES ARE VALID AND MAYBE THESE FIGHTS NEED TO BE FOUGHT. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT CAN BE FOUGHT HERE AT THE CITY LEVEL. SO THIS IS A THIS IS A STATE ISSUE. THIS IS A NATIONAL ISSUE. AND DENTON CANNOT AFFORD TO GET INVOLVED IN FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS. WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF TIGHTEN THE BUDGET, TIGHTEN OUR BELT A LITTLE BIT, AND REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO PROPEL DENTON FORWARD. BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR OVER AND OVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEBT. KNIGHTS ARE SUFFERING ALICE HOUSEHOLDS. WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS RIGHT. AND WE'VE GOT TO FOCUS. AND THERE ARE KIND OF A LOT OF DISTRACTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO KIND OF WHAT IS A NEED AND WHAT IS A WANT IN DENTON. AND SO AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE FIGHTING IT. MY STANCE WOULD BE TO GET OUT OF IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO KEEP PAYING FOR IT. BUT I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE THAT FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT
NEED TO CONTINUE THAT FIGHT AND TAKE IT, TO TAKE IT TO AUSTIN. >> THANK YOU, MR. COX.
>> DANIEL WANTS ITS LEAD, IN MY OPINION, DENTON CAN GET ITS LEAD, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT I WANT TO ECHO 72% OF Y'ALL VOTED FOR IT. I VOTED FOR IT. I THINK THAT IT IS A FIGHT WORTH FIGHTING. AND IF THE CITY DECIDES THAT TO SPEND EVERY BIT OF NOT CITY, THE STATE DECIDES TO SPEND EVERY BIT OF ITS FORCE IN ORDER TO CRUSH IT, THEN WE SHOULD ALSO BE WORKING WITH THE WORKING CLASS HERE THAT ALSO WANT THAT WE NEED TO START FIGHTING FOR IT IF THAT MEANS STRIKES, IF THAT MEANS PROTEST, IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING TO WHERE WE SAY, HEY, WE WANTED THIS, YOU'RE TRYING TO CRUSH OUR DEMOCRACY. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO FIGHT FOR
THAT FIGHT FOR THAT. WE. >> THANK YOU. MISTER. >> WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THE
QUESTION. >> FOR. >> ME, PLEASE? FOR SURE. THE CITY IS STILL IN A LAWSUIT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OVER THE MARIJUANA ORDINANCE.
[01:10:04]
DO YOU SUPPORT STAYING IN OR GETTING OUT OF THE LAWSUIT? >> SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET EARLIER, AND WE'RE IN A LAWSUIT THAT IS STATE, STATE MANDATED OR IT'S PART OF THE STATE. AND SO WE'RE SPENDING MONEY THAT OUT OF THIS $14 MILLION DEFICIT, CONTINUING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO FIGHT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT EVEN AT OUR LEVEL, IT'S AT THE STATE LEVEL. SO DO DO WE NEED TO KEEP SPENDING THAT MONEY AND IN AN AREA JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE WON'T WANT TO SMOKE THEIR WEED? I LIKE THE WAY YOU PUT IT. BUT WITH THAT SAID, YOU ALSO TALKING TO A PASTOR. NO, I AIN'T SUPPORTING WEED SMOKING. AND SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I'M GOING TO DO. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS OF CBD, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO THAT MORALITY SIDE OF ME FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, AND SO IN AGREEMENT WITH A LOT OF THINGS WITH WHAT ERICA WAS STATING, NOW I DON'T WANT TO USE THAT MONEY FOR FOR THAT. THAT'S JUST THAT'S JUST PUTTING MORE MONEY IN A LAWSUIT THAT WE COULD USE SOMEWHERE ELSE. WHY KEEP FIGHTING IT?
>> THANK YOU. MR. VILLARREAL. >> IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO BALANCE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND. BUT WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR OUR VALUES, THE VALUES OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. OVER AGAIN, OVER 70% OF THE CITY OF DENTON VOTED TO DECRIMINALIZE CANNABIS HERE IN TOWN. OVER 68% IN DISTRICT ONE VOTED TO DECRIMINALIZE CANNABIS IN OUR DISTRICT. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND IF THEY WANT US TO FIGHT FOR THIS, WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR THIS. AND WE CAN SAY, GO ADVOCATE TO YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS, BUT IT'S OUR JOB TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF. I'M WILLING TO GO DOWN DURING THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND FIGHT FOR CANNABIS DECRIMINALIZATION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE ASKED US TO DO. I'M WILLING TO GO TALK WITH REPRESENTATIVES HOPPER AND AND HAZE AND TALK TO THE STATE SENATORS AS WELL, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HEAR THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS, THEIR CONSTITUENTS, WANT THIS DONE AND WANT CANNABIS DECRIMINALIZATION ACROSS THE
STATE, AND ESPECIALLY HERE IN DENTON. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. STEVENS.
>> I MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE VERY WELL. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, MY NAME IS NICK STEVENS, AND I CAN'T STAND SOMETIMES THAT THE NEWSPAPER SAYS THAT I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DECRIM DENTON, THE ORGANIZATION THAT PUT THIS UP. I WOULD LIKE TO BE KNOWN AS THE BUSINESS OWNER AND THE CHAIR OF THE HEALTH AND BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION.
BUT WHAT NO ONE HAS MENTIONED TONIGHT IS THAT WE'RE NOT IN A LAWSUIT ANYMORE. THE THE LAWSUITS OVER THE CITY COUNCIL OVERTURNED THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. AND SO THERE IS NO LAWSUIT, RIGHT? THE SUPREME COURT ALSO DECIDED THIS ISSUE, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND IT SEEMS LIKE NO ONE WANTS TO REPRESENT DENTON ON THIS ISSUE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
I WANT TO WITH THE BRIEF TIME I HAVE LEFT, JUST TELL YOU WHY I FOUGHT FOR THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M SOME SORT OF POTHEAD. FROM THE AGE OF 5 TO 10, I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. I WAS CLINICALLY DEPRESSED. SUICIDAL PRAYER DIDN'T WORK. ANTIDEPRESSANTS DIDN'T WORK.
THERAPY DIDN'T WORK. I GOT A MEDICAL CARD TO HELP ME, AND MARIJUANA DID WORK. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I FELT ANY KIND OF RELIEF. THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT IN TEXAS, IT COST ME $10,000 A YEAR TO AFFORD THAT MEDICATION. AND WE'RE ARRESTING PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THAT. THAT IS WRONG. IT'S IMMORAL. I DON'T CARE WHAT PARTY YOU ARE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH US, THAT WE ARE PUTTING PEOPLE IN JAIL WHEN THEY COULD BE GETTING HELP. AND
THAT IS WHAT THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON. >> THANK YOU, MR. PERRY.
>> THAT FELT LIKE A MIC DROP MOMENT, FRIEND. I'LL TRY TO FOLLOW UP. AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, LIKE, IT IS OUR JOB TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, 72%. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET 72% ON THE SAME PAGE IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. I WANT TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S ALSO OUR JOB TO EDUCATE AND TO ADVOCATE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TO A LEAD SESSION AND HAVE ACTUALLY TESTIFIED AGAINST A BILL. RIGHT. I DID IT IN THE LAST SESSION, RIGHT. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENTER'S RIGHTS AND EVICTIONS BEING SHORTENED TO 72 HOURS, WE SHOULD WE OR CITY COUNCIL HAVE TO BE THOSE VOICES. IT'S OUR JOB. IT'S THE LITERAL JOB WE'RE ASKING FOR IS TO BE THE VOICE THAT YOU ARE THE LEADER OF. IT'S YOU THAN US AND THE CITY MANAGER. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS IN TERMS OF, OKAY, SO WE CAN'T DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA AT THIS TIME, RIGHT? THE STATE HAS COME BACK AND SAID IT'S A NONSTARTER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. ONE THING THAT DENTON COUNTY HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM JUST LITERALLY APPROVED THIS PAST MEETING THIS WEEK, LAST WEEK ON THURSDAY WAS MOVING FORWARD TO THE COUNTY ADVOCATING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL FOR A DIVERSION JAIL CENTER THAT HELPS DIVERT PEOPLE FROM GOING TO JAIL, NOT GIVING THEM SENTENCES, DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF CRIMINAL TRESPASS,
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SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA AND KEEPING THEM OUT OF JAIL AND GETTING THEM THOSE EXACT RESOURCES THAT NICK JUST MENTIONED. WILL IT TAKE A COUPLE YEARS TO GET BUILT? ABSOLUTELY. IS IT JUST ONE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A COUNTY HOSPITAL, SOMETHING WE ALSO NEED. ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE THAT'S BEST PRACTICE. THOSE TWO ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TOGETHER. I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, THERE ARE LEVERS TO PULL. THERE ARE FUNDS THAT WE SHOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR AT THE COUNTY AND STATE LEVEL, AND POLICY IS A PART OFTHAT AND THINGS. >> THANK YOU. >> WITH THE NEXT QUESTION, WE'LL START WITH MR. COX. THE DESIGN DIDN'T PLAN APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN 2024 IDENTIFIES A KEY PRIORITY TO PRESERVE AND DEVELOP QUAKERTOWN PARK AND ITS HISTORY. WHAT COULD DENTON DO BETTER TO DEVELOP QUAKERTOWN PARK INTO A DESTINATION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM?
>> I WANT TO POINT OUT BACK BACK WHEN IT WAS AN ACTUAL TOWN, IT WAS A CULTURAL CENTER. IT WAS DENTON THAT DESTROYED THAT CULTURAL CENTER, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. BACK IN THE 1920S. IT SHOULD ALSO BE ADDRESSED OF WHAT THE HISTORY WAS AND WHAT CAME AFTER THAT SORT OF DESTRUCTION. WE NEED TO WE NEED TO REALLY GRAPPLE WITH THE HISTORY OF DENTON AND WHAT THAT HISTORY HAS, HOW THAT HISTORY HAS AFFECTED A LOT OF DENTON NIGHTS. I AFTER AFTER QUAKERTOWN WAS TORN DOWN, THE KU KLUX KLAN HAD A PARADE THROUGH THE SQUARE. NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, BUT THIS CITY HAS ITS PROBLEMS WITH WHITE SUPREMACY AND WE NEED TO GRAPPLE AND EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE ON THAT. I WORKED IN THE CIVIC CENTER. I'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF AROUND QUAKERTOWN. THERE ARE PLAQUES, THERE'S A MURAL, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY HAVE A MAYBE A DAY OR TWO OF JUST EDUCATING PEOPLE ON WHAT HAPPENED. AND WE CAN START THERE. WE CAN START WITH EDUCATION.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HERON. >> YEAH. CAN YOU CAN YOU ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN JUST SO I
CAN MAKE SURE I GOT THE GIST OF IT. >> BUT THE DESIGN DIDN'T PLAN.
APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN 2024 IDENTIFIES A KEY PRIORITY TO PRESERVE AND DEVELOP QUAKERTOWN PARK AND ITS HISTORY. WHAT COULD DENTON DO BETTER? TO DEVELOP THE PARK INTO A
DESTINATION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM? >> YEAH, THERE'S A LOT THAT CAN BE DONE. I AGREE WITH MY OPPONENT CHRIS ON SOME THINGS THAT HE SAID. WE HAVE TO TELL THE HISTORY. IF ANY OF YOU NEVER. IF YOU DID NOT SEE THE QUAKERTOWN DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS PRESENTED DURING THE DEN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, IT WAS DEEP AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF HISTORY SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE TO BE TOLD WHAT HAPPENED THAT WASN'T GREAT. WELL, ALL OF US AREN'T PERFECT. AND WE AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LIVE A PERFECT LIFE. AND IT HAPPENED. IT WAS DURING THE TIME. SO RUNNING AWAY FROM THE HISTORY DOESN'T IT DOESN'T HOLD YOU TO IT. IT JUST MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO BACK TO IT. AND SO HOW DO YOU NOT DO THAT? YOU HAVE TO BE EDUCATED ON IT. SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE IN TOWN PARK. I'M OPEN TO WHAT ALL FULLNESS OF THOSE THINGS WOULD MEAN, OTHER THAN THE PLAQUES THAT RUN THROUGH THE PARK, BUT MAYBE SOME REMEMBRANCES OF SOME FAMILIES THAT WERE A PART OF THAT. THAT DOCUMENTARY WAS VERY DETAILED, AND I WAS A PRODUCT OF BEING HERE, BEING LIVING IN SOUTHEAST DENTON, WHICH IS WHERE WE WERE MOVED TO, AND REALIZING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE CITY SERVICES THAT WERE AFFORDED US BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO US IN QUAKERTOWN PARK, WHERE WE HAD ALL OF THAT.
MY FAMILY WAS A PART OF ALL A LOT OF THAT. SO I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO SHARE THE HISTORY WITHOUT, WITHOUT, WITHOUT TELLING PEOPLE IT'S YOUR FAULT STILL TODAY, BUT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY SO THAT WE CAN GROW AND HEAL FROM IT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. VILLARREAL. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND A LOT OF COMMONALITY UP HERE WITH THE THREE OF US. AT LEAST WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY DECISION THAT AFFECTS QUAKERTOWN INCLUDES THE HISTORIC DESCENDANTS WHO NOW LIVE IN SOUTHEAST DENTON AND ACROSS OUR CITY. WE NEED TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE PROCESS.
NUMBER ONE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CHANGING THE NAME OF THE DENTON WOMAN'S CLUB BUILDING, WHICH THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT CHANGING BECAUSE THEY WERE PARTICIPATORY IN THE EXPELLING OF THE QUAKERTOWN COMMUNITY FROM THAT AREA INTO WHAT IS NOW SOUTHEAST DENTON. SO THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. NUMBER ONE, WHEN I GET ELECTED. NUMBER TWO, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS, HOW DO WE ATTRACT MORE FOLKS TO VIEW QUAKERTOWN AND ACTUALLY READ THOSE PLAQUES AND SEE THE MURALS AND SEE PARTS OF THE
[01:20:04]
HISTORY THERE? WE'RE KIND OF MESSING IT UP RIGHT NOW BY NOT HAVING ARTS AND JAZZ FEST IN QUAKERTOWN. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE SEEN PARTS OF OUR HISTORY ARE NO LONGER GOING TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS THAT PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN VISITING DISTRICT ONE ARE NO LONGER GOING TO BE VISITING DISTRICT ONE. THEY'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING THEIR TAX DOLLARS AT THE NORTH TEXAS FAIRGROUNDS INSTEAD. I THINK IT'S A TRAVESTY. I THINK IT'S A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP AT OUR COUNCIL AND CITY LEVEL. AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR ARTS AND JAZZ FOUNDATION TO BRING IT BACK TO QUAKERTOWN ASAP, THENEXT CHANCE WE GET. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. MR. STEVENS. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. I'LL BE, I THINK, FAIRLY BRIEF ON THIS. AND THAT'S TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I THIS IS PREDOMINANTLY A DISTRICT ONE QUESTION. I'VE ONLY IN THE 21 YEARS I'VE LIVED IN DENTON, I'VE ONLY LIVED IN DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT TWO. SO WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER RODAN WAS MY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEN IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER. HUDSPETH WAS MY COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THEN I LEFT FOR DISTRICT TWO. BUT I'VE KNOWN I'VE KNOWN VICKI AS WELL. AND I'M JUST GOING TO BE HONEST.
MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT DISTRICT ONE HAS CHRONICALLY BEEN DISRESPECTED, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT. I DON'T THINK IT'S MY JOB AS A DISTRICT TWO REPRESENTATIVE TO TELL YOU WHAT I WANT TO DO TO MAKE QUAKERTOWN BETTER. I WOULD LIKE US TO, IN A VERY HARDCORE, AGGRESSIVE SENSE, GO TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WITHIN DISTRICT ONE TO TALK ABOUT THIS SPECIFICALLY.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IN LOOKING AT THE PLAN, AND IT'S BEEN QUITE A WHILE SINCE I LOOKED AT IT, THAT THERE WAS MAYBE A PERMANENT STAGE THAT WANTED TO BE PUT UP THERE, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER THINGS I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
AND I KNOW THE CITY IS CAPABLE OF DOING THAT. WE JUST HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN THE JBD LAST WEEK, AND WE HAD THE PARKS DEPARTMENT COME AND THEY SAID, HEY, WE'RE BUILDING A NEW PARK, WHAT DO YOU WANT? AND THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL QR CODE FOR ALL OF US TO INPUT OUR INFORMATION OF WHAT WE WANT. BUT I WANT THAT KIND OF THING SENT OUT TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THAT AREA TO SPECIFICALLY SAY WHAT'S BEST, BECAUSE IS IT HOW DO WE DRAW MORE PEOPLE TO QUAKERTOWN OR MORE BROADLY SPEAKING, WHICH I THINK IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT DO THEY WANT? AND IT'S MY JOB AS A AS A DISTRICT TWO COUNCIL MEMBER TO RESPECT THE THE
WISHES OF THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> MR. FERRY.
>> YEAH. I WANT TO ECHO A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID. I LIVED IN D ONE MORE THAN HALF OF MY TIME HERE IN DENTON. I NOW LIVE IN D TWO. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ABLE TO BUY OUR FIRST HOUSE. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD YET THAT I WANT TO ALSO BRING UP IS I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF POLICIES OR EDUCATION CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY ON THE BEHALF OF CITY. ONE EXAMPLE IS WHEN WE WHEN I SERVED ON THE PARKS BOARD WITH THEN CHAIR FRANCIS PUNCH, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A POLICY CHANGE WHERE WE CHANGED OUR NAME CHANGING CRITERIA TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CENTERED COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY IN SOUTHEAST DENTON, WHO ARE A RICH PART OF THE HISTORY OF DENTON, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SEEING A LOT OF NAMING APPLICATIONS FOR THINGS COMING IN THAT DIDN'T DE-CENTER JUST WHITE FOLK WHO HAD MONEY. AND WITH THAT CHANGE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THINGS LIKE QUAKERTOWN CIVIC CENTER, RIGHT? THE RENAMING OF THAT. WE'VE SEEN INTENTIONALITY WITH THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE WOMEN'S BUILDING, WHICH I ALSO WANT TO BRING UP, WAS IN A CLOSED SESSION LAST SESSION, WHICH DOES BRING IN FOR ME SOME CONCERN BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, THAT INTENTIONALITY IS ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS AND CENTERING THE DESCENDANTS, CENTERING FOLKS IN THAT COMMUNITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WOMEN'S BUILDING CAN REPRESENT WHAT IT NEEDS TO FOR THE PEOPLE. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE DOCUMENTARY, PLEASE DO. AND THERE'S A BOOK.
>> THANK YOU. MISS GARLAND. >> SO SORRY. YOU ASK IT ONE MORE TIME. SO SORRY.
>> SURE. THE DENTON DESIGN PLAN, APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN 2024 IDENTIFIES A KEY PRIORITY TO PRESERVE AND DEVELOP QUAKERTOWN PARK AND ITS HISTORY. WHAT COULD DIDN'T DO BETTER TO DEVELOP QUICKER TOWN PARK INTO A DESTINATION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM?
>> OKAY. >> SO I WOULD I WOULD DEFINITELY ECHO WHAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID UP HERE TODAY. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY. THERE'S A LOT OF FRACTURED TRUST IN THAT RELATIONSHIP. THIS PAST WAS IT LAST WEEK? I DON'T KNOW, IT'S STARTING TO BE A BLUR, BUT RECENTLY ON PLANNING AND ZONING, WE WERE DISCUSSING THE SOUTHEAST DENTON AREA PLAN, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP TO US AND WE HAD A HUGE SHOWING.
MY PASTOR, MICHAEL HERON, WAS THERE AND THERE WAS QUITE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE. AND SO. YOU COULD SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL HESITANT TO TRUST THE CITY AND TRUST THAT INTENTION. AND SO I DID VOTE IN FAVOR, LIKE A COUPLE OF MY COMMISSIONERS, TO KIND OF DELAY THAT AND GO BACK
[01:25:07]
AND KIND OF FURTHER PULL THAT COMMUNITY AND REALLY ASK WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY NEED, AND TRY TO HEAL THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE ALL KNOW IS VERY FRACTURED. AFTERWARDS, I WAS SPEAKING TO SOMEONE, I WON'T SAY HIS NAME, BUT I WAS KIND OF ASKING HIM IF HE WAS HAPPY WITH US, KIND OF DELAYING IT AND GIVING IT MORE TIME. AND HE SAID, YOU HAVE TO ASK US. YOU KEEP THE CITY KEEPS ASKING US TO TRUST YOU. BUT WE REMEMBER. AND I JUST FELT LIKE THAT WAS VERY PROFOUND. AND IT'S LIKE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US THAT MAYBE DIDN'T GROW UP HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY THERE. AND SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO BRIDGE AND KIND OF HEAL THAT. I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S THINGS THAT IF IT'S OKAY WITH THAT COMMUNITY, THAT WE COULD MAYBE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, THE TRAIN KIND OF JUMPS OUT AND IT'S SORT OF A DEAD ZONE RIGHT THERE. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE LUMBER AND JUST PILES OF STUFF. AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SORT OF BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THECONNECTIVITY AND JUST MAKING IT MAKE SENSE. >> THANK YOU.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR LAST QUESTION NOW. >> OKAY.
>> SO AND WE START WITH MR. HERON. RIGHT. OKAY. DID I LOSE TRACK? OKAY. THANK YOU. HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE IF ELECTED? HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE YOUR FIRST YEAR? HOW WOULD YOU
MEASURE SUCCESS AFTER YOUR FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL? >> THAT I WIN?
>> WELL IT'S GREAT. >> THAT'S IMPLIED. >> THAT'S SUCCESSFUL IN ITSELF.
BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO THE CITIZENS OF D1 AND BE ABLE TO SAY TO THEM, HOW AM I DOING? BE ABLE TO HAVE REGULAR SESSIONS WITH THEM TO SEE IF I AM MEETING THE NEEDS THAT THEY ARE PUTTING FORTH BEFORE ME. YOU'RE ENTRUSTING ME TO LEAD YOU AND TO BE YOUR VOICE. AM I DOING THAT? SO IT WOULD BE BASED ON WHAT MY FEEDBACK WOULD BE FROM THE CITIZENS THAT I'M REPRESENTING, AND ALSO TO HAVE A COUNCIL THAT WE ARE NOT FIGHTING ALL THE TIME, OR WE GET TO MAKE DECISIONS, WE CAN DISAGREE. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WAS SAID HERE THAT I, I MIGHT DISAGREE WITH OR HAD DISAGREE WITH, BUT THEN I HEAR THE POINT OF VIEW AND I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T THINK OF IT THAT WAY. I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT WITH THOSE EYES. AND THEN MY, MY, MY THOUGHTS CAN BE FLEXIBLE IN SOME OF THOSE WAYS. BUT SUCCESS TO ME WOULD BE BASED ON WHAT THE CITIZENS THINK. AND IF WE ARE OPERATING AS A COUNCIL
IN THE BEST INTEREST OF YOU ALL AND NOT JUST US. >> THANK YOU. MR. VILLARREAL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THIS IS A ONE YEAR TERM AND WE HAVE A LOT TO DO IN ONE YEAR, RIGHT? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING BACK TANGIBLE RESULTS TO THE FOLKS HERE IN DISTRICT ONE. OUR CAMPAIGN HAS KNOCKED ON EVERY SINGLE DOOR OF EVERY SINGLE VOTER WHO HAS VOTED IN THE LAST THREE CITY ELECTIONS, EVERY SINGLE ONE APARTMENT OR SINGLE FAMILY HOME. AND WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF ISSUES RELATED TO SIDEWALK CONNECTIVITY, INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR, THE NEED FOR MORE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO THOSE CONCERNS. WE'VE TAKEN DOWN NOTES FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE'VE SPOKEN TO, AND I WANT TO COME BACK TO THEM AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT ON THIS ISSUE, THIS ISSUE AND THAT ISSUE, AND BRING THEM TANGIBLE RESULTS AFTER MY YEAR IN OFFICE. AND OF COURSE, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH HERE IS MAKING SURE WE ARE TAKING CARE OF OUR RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS WITH THAT COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT THAT THEY'VE BEEN SO DESPERATELY ASKING FOR OVER THE LAST DECADE. THANK YOU.
>> MR. STEVENS. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. I'M, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY WORST QUALITY TRAITS IS THAT I DON'T BRAG ON MYSELF ENOUGH, BUT I'M GOING TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW. SO JUST KNOW IF IT SOUNDS ARROGANT. IT'S VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME. I'VE ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AND I'M NOT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT TWO YET. I RAN LAST YEAR. I CONSTANTLY PUSHED FOR FIXING THE DAMN ROADS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND I GAVE SPECIFIC PLANS OF WHAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE IT BY INCREASING OUR OUR STRUCTURE ON STRONGER IMPLEMENTATION FOR SURETY BONDS, PAYMENT BONDS, PERFORMANCE BONDS, MAINTENANCE BONDS, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S AN INCREASE IN LIQUIDATED DAMAGES TO PUNISH CONTRACTORS WHO ARE NOT FULFILLING THEIR DUTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE ADEQUATE TIME OF COMPLETION SCHEDULES. AND JUST THIS LAST WEEK IN THE FRIDAY STAFF REPORT, ALL OF A SUDDEN, RANDOMLY WHILE I'M RUNNING. AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY JUST A COINCIDENCE, WINK, WINK. THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING A LOT OF THOSE PUSHES TO COME TO A WORK SESSION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO STRENGTHEN THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. AND I'LL BE HONEST, I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR THAT FOR A YEAR AND WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO SEE A CHANGE. I'M PROUD OF THAT. OUTSIDE OF THAT, MY FIRST MEETING WHERE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A TWO MINUTE PITCH, I'M GOING TO PITCH THAT IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE THAT WE HIRE TWO MORE EMS LIEUTENANTS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN BEGGING FOR FOR TWO YEARS, AND THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT. THAT WILL BE A
[01:30:02]
MARK OF SUCCESS. SECOND MARK OF SUCCESS IS A SECOND PITCH, WHICH IS REQUIRING THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS DISCLOSE ANY TIME THEY PRIVATELY MEET WITH A DEVELOPER. IF YOU WANT TO MEET WITH A DEVELOPER, THAT'S FINE. DISCLOSE IT TO THE COMMUNITY. THEY NEED TO KNOW. SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS YOU CAN LOOK AT AND SAY, NICK DID HIS JOB. HE KEPT HIS WORD AND HE CAREDABOUT THE COMMUNITY TIME. >> THANK YOU. >> MISTER.
>> VERY. >> YES. THANK YOU. AND I ECHO WHAT NICK HAS JUST SAID. RIGHT.
I THINK I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT AS I'VE CONTINUED TO PUSH FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING POLICY CHANGE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY CHANGE IN THE LAST 6 TO 8 MONTHS, BOTH MATRICES HAVE BEEN REWORKED. BOTH HAVE BEEN REWORKED SESSIONS, BOTH HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND PASSED BY COUNCIL, WHICH AGAIN STREAMLINES THESE PROCESSES TO MAKE THEM MORE AFFORDABLE FOR THE DEVELOPER WHO'S TRYING TO MAKE THEM COME TO FRUITION, TO THEN BE ABLE TO SELL A HOME THAT HALF A MARKET RATE TO A FAMILY THAT'S PROBABLY NEVER BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME ANYWHERE NEAR THAT, THAT DEEP AFFORDABILITY, I THINK THAT IS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS. I'VE ALSO PASSED AN N D O THROUGH THIS CITY. THAT IS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS. I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SERVED ON 12 DIFFERENT BOARDS. THAT IS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS. I'VE OWNED AND OPERATED TWO BUSINESSES. I'VE WON TWO AWARDS FOR THIS YEAR, 40 UNDER 40 YEAR'S PROFESSIONAL FROM DRC, MEN IN BUSINESS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER BOTH COUNTY WIDE. I'M ALSO WAS NOMINATED AND WAS GIVEN THE AWARD FOR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR THIS MARCH. DURING SOCIAL WORK MONTH. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT. I HOPE I HEAR OTHER CANDIDATES STATE THIS. IF NOT TONIGHT, THEN ELSEWHERE I WILL BE HAVING BI MONTHLY TOWNHALLS EVERY OTHER MONTH. I WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL IN THIS CITY. COME MEET, BRING COFFEE, BRING MATCHA, MATCHA TEA. GIRLY MYSELF, I'LL BE AT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. I'M ALREADY AT ALL A LOT OF THEM ALREADY FOR DEBT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORP. I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO COURSE CORRECT THE MONEY THAT WE LEAVE ON THE TABLE. NICK ALSO TALKS ABOUT THIS A LOT.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ROADS, THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY WE LEAVE ON THE TABLE, AND WE NEED COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO UNDERSTAND THESE FUNDING TYPES TO GET US BACK ON TRACK. THAT'S SUCCESS.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MISS GARLAND. >> SO I LOVE THIS QUESTION. I INTERVIEW PEOPLE EVERY DAY AS A RECRUITER, AND THIS IS A QUESTION THAT MANY TIMES I ASK CANDIDATES, HOW WOULD THEY MEASURE SUCCESS? WHAT IS THEIR 3060 DAY 90 PLAN? THAT IS WHAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ARE DOING. YOU ARE INTERVIEWING PEOPLE FOR A JOB. THESE POSITIONS ARE TO SERVE YOU AND TO REPRESENT YOU IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A POPULARITY CONTEST. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT PEOPLE THAT ARE STEPPING OUTSIDE OF SILOS THAT KNOW HOW TO WORK CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL, THAT WORK WELL WITH OTHERS THAT ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. YOU HEAR ABOUT THE DYSFUNCTION AND DISJOINTEDNESS ABOUT COUNCIL. YOU NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE. THAT GIVES OUR CITY STAFF A BREAK AND QUITS WASTING THEIR TIME. I THINK THAT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, A MEASURE OF SUCCESS. I ALSO THINK INCREASING TRANSPARENCY.
I LOVE WHAT NICK SAID ABOUT MEETING WITH DEVELOPERS. I THINK THAT WE'VE JUST KIND OF HAD TOO MANY SHENANIGANS ON OUR COUNCIL THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE'VE GOT TO GET BACK TO PEOPLE THAT ARE REPRESENTING US FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. TOO MANY. WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABILITY.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL. WE'VE GOT TO BRING BETTER PAYING JOBS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TO DENTON. AND SO THAT'S HOW I WOULD MEASURE MY SUCCESS IS REPRESENTING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO BE IN A SILO. I'M NOT GOING TO BE IN AN ECHO CHAMBER.
I WANT TO TALK TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. I WANT TO REPRESENT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND I FEEL LIKE BRIDGING THE GAPS AND HEALING SOME OF THE WOUNDS IS, IS WOULD BE
EXCESSIVE SUCCESS ON COUNCIL. >> TIME, MR. COX. >> WHAT LOOKS LIKE SUCCESS TO ME IS ARE THERE ADVANCES IN WORKING CLASS POWER THAT WILL OUTLIVE ME, OUTLIVE MY TENURE ON COUNCIL? ARE THERE INSTITUTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO JOIN, LIKE A UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OR HAVE MUTUAL AID DAYS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO NEED TO BE ON COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET STUFF THAT THEY NEED. I WANT TO KNOW PEOPLE CAN AFFORD RENT. I WANT TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD ESSENTIALS. I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO ON VACATION AND HAVE ENOUGH LEFTOVER MONEY FOR THEM. I WANT PEOPLE TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THEIR NEXT PAYCHECK GOING TO COME OR THEY CAN'T MISS ANOTHER SICK DAY OR ELSE, YOU KNOW, THEY IT'S THE END. IT'S THE DEBT'S COMING FOR THEM. IT'S
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THE CREDIT CARDS COMING FOR THEM. IT'S THE FORECLOSURES. IT'S THE, THE RENT, THE LANDLORD THAT'S GOING TO KICK THEM OUT. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HAVE A COMFORTABLE EXISTENCE IN DENTON, TEXAS, I'D DONE MY JOB. THAT'S ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO LIVE HERE WITHOUT FEAR OF DEBT, 20S ARE OKAY. YEAH, WE'LL END IT THERE.>> THANK YOU. NOW WE'RE GOING TO GIVE EVERYBODY A MINUTE AND A HALF FOR CLOSING STATEMENT.
AND I THINK LENNY ALWAYS STARTS AT THE OPPOSITE END. RIGHT. OKAY. SO, MR. STEVENS, WE'LL
START WITH YOU FOR YOUR CLOSING, PLEASE. >> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE. JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL, MONDAYS WHEN EARLY VOTING STARTS, SECOND TIME IS A CHARM FOR ME. AND, AND SO I'D ASK THAT IF YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT TWO, YOU SUPPORT ME.
YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY SINGLE FORUM. I TRY TO REMIND FOLKS OF THIS, WHICH IS THAT 65% OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. FOR ME, THAT'S NOT A NUMBER. IT'S REAL PEOPLE. AND IT'S HOW I GREW UP. MY PARENTS SPLIT UP. I WAS RAISED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH TWO OTHER SIBLINGS AND TWO BEDROOMS. I WAS ON FREE LUNCHES AND WE STRUGGLED. WHAT MY MOM WANTED FOR ME WAS A BETTER LIFE THAN SHE HAD. I THINK THAT WAS REALLY HER DREAM GROWING UP, AND I THINK THAT SHE SUCCEEDED AT THAT DREAM. I WENT TO COLLEGE, I WENT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL, I STARTED MY OWN SMALL BUSINESS. AND I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT THE CITY.
IF I'VE COME OFF AS ANGRY OR TOO EXCLAMATORY, IT'S BECAUSE I CARE. I CARE. WE'RE HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT, AND WE'VE GOT TO GET BACK ON TRACK. I COMMIT TO YOU AS A DISTRICT TWO COUNCIL MEMBER. I'LL WORK WITH EVERYONE. I'M NOT GOING TO BELITTLE PEOPLE. I'M NOT GOING TO BULLY PEOPLE. I'M NOT GOING TO TALK DOWN TO ANYONE. I'M GOING TO WORK WITH EVERYONE. I'M COMMITTED TO DOING THAT. I'M COMMITTED TO MORE M'S LIEUTENANTS. I'M COMMITTED TO BETTER PAYING JOBS. I'M COMMITTED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WORKS FOR PEOPLE, NOT JUST BIG CORPORATIONS. I'M COMMITTED TO OUR CITY. AND SO IT HAS BEEN A GENUINE HONOR TO RUN IN THIS CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR, AND I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO EARNING YOUR VOTE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. VILLARREAL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR HOSTING THIS FORUM. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH FOLKS BOTH HERE AND ONLINE. AGAIN, MY NAME IS JORDAN VILLARREAL. I'M GOING TO BE THIRD ON YOUR BALLOT FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. I'D BE HONORED TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS ENDEAVOR. I'M A SEVENTH GENERATION TEXAN.
I'VE LIVED IN DENTON FOR TEN YEARS. I'M A UNT GRADUATE. I'M A TSU UNION MEMBER. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE REFLECTING WORKING CLASS VALUES ON OUR CITY COUNCIL, FIGHTING FOR THE NEEDS OF THE REGULAR FOLKS HERE IN DISTRICT ONE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALSO HAVE SOMEONE WITH THE EXPERIENCE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON DAY ONE AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE PRIORITIES THAT NEED THAT DISTRICT ONE IS ASKING FOR. I'VE AGAIN, I'VE SERVED ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR FOUR YEARS, INCLUDING AS VICE CHAIR. I'VE SERVED AS A CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE FOR A VICE CHAIR OF THE PENSIONS COMMITTEE. I KNOW HOW TO MAKE SURE WE NEED TO. I KNOW THE PRIORITIES WE NEED AS A CITY INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE OVERDEVELOPMENT AND THE GENTRIFICATION THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS DENTON, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE PUSHING FOR MORE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES, WORKING TOWARDS BETTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY STARTING AN EDC AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, LIKE OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS, HAVE DONE ALL ACROSS OUR REGION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING AND ENSURING THAT OUR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE TAKEN CARE OF. I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY REPRESENTATIVE JAMES TALARICO. I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY EVERY SINGLE MAJOR UNION IN OUR STATE. I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE DENTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOMEONE PUSHING FOR PROGRESSIVE, FORWARD THINKING VALUES. AGAIN, MY NAME IS JORDAN VILLARREAL.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY CAMPAIGN@JORDAN.COM. I'D BE HONORED TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.
>> MR. HERON. >> I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR HOSTING THIS FORUM TONIGHT. I AM BEGINNING TO GET EVEN MORE COMFORTABLE IN THESE TYPES OF FORUMS. WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I WAS NERVOUS AS ALL GET OUT BECAUSE I'M NEW TO THIS. I'M NOT NEW TO DENTON, BUT I'M NEW TO THIS. AND SO FRESH PERSPECTIVE IS WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE. AND SO WE'RE EXPECTED TO GIVE YOU ALL, ALL KINDS OF STUFF IN 1 TO 2 MINUTES. AND THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME TO TELL YOU WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT WE'RE ALL CAPABLE OF DOING. I CAN'T GIVE YOU IF WE HAVE A CONVERSATION, THERE'S MORE WE CAN FILTER OUT.
THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO SURFACE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS. FOR THAT, I WANT TO JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE TO US THAN WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE ONE AND TWO MINUTE SEGMENTS. I'VE BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE, BUT I'VE ALSO PASTORED HERE IN THE CITY SINCE 2013. SO AND BECAUSE OF THAT TYPE OF WORK, REGARDLESS, I AM
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STILL GOING TO BE SERVING THIS CITY EVEN AFTER THIS IS OVER. BUT I WILL STILL BE HERE SERVING THE CITIZENS THAT I AM HERE REPRESENTING IN. IN ANY KIND OF CAPACITY, THERE IS A THERE IS A LINE FROM A, A RAP GROUP THAT I LOVE THAT WHEN I WAS COMING UP CALLED THE GOSPEL GANGSTERS, AND IT'S ONE WHERE HE SAYS, YOU WON'T LEAVE YOUR PEW, BUT YOU'LL CRITICIZE WHAT I DO. IF NOT, YOU CAN CATCH ME IN THE HOOD BECAUSE I'M GOING ON. SO EITHER WAY, I'M GOING TO BE GOING ON SERVING THESE CITIZENS, SERVING YOU ALL IN THE CAPACITY THAT I CAN SERVE YOU ALL IN. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT CITY OF DENTON. MICHAEL HERON FOR DENTON. YOU CAN REACH ME THERE AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU. I LIKE THEY SAID EARLY VOTING STARTS MONDAY.>> THANK YOU, MR. COX. >> FOLKS, WE LOVE WOMEN, DON'T WE? I I'LL THANK THE LV AS WELL, BUT CHRIS COX AND DENTON DISTRICT ONE, I WANT TO REALLY HAMMER ON THAT. I'M SOMEONE WHO REALLY WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT A LOT OF THE WORKING CLASS AND THE RENTERS HERE ARE ABLE TO LIVE A COMFORTABLE LIFE HERE IN DENTON, I, I KNOW I KIND OF LOOK LIKE THE LONG HAIRED COMMIE WITH THE NICE LITTLE LONG EARRING, BUT I HAVE LIVED IN THIS CITY. I HAVE ORGANIZED IN THIS CITY. I'VE BEEN WITH THE DENTON LEFT FOR A WHILE AND IF. THIS ELECTION DOESN'T GO THE WAY I WANT IT TO, I'LL JUST BE BACK TO DOING MUTUAL AID, MUTUAL AID, FREE STORES IN QUAKERTOWN AND FRED MOORE. I'LL BE PASSING OUT FOOD AND I'LL BE PASSING OUT CLOTHING. I'LL BE DOING THE SAME THING I'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, I WANT THIS CITY TO BE FOR YOU, AND NOT JUST IN A POLITICAL SENSE OF WHERE YOU CAN VOTE FOR ANYONE. I MEAN, IN AN ECONOMIC SENSE, TO WHERE YOU HAVE A SAY IN YOUR WORKPLACE, WHERE YOU HAVE A SAY IN ALL THESE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTING YOU. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE HAVE NOT HAD A SAY IN THEM. I
WANT THIS TO BE A DENTON FOR YOU. YEAH. CHRIS COX, D1. >> THANK YOU, MISS GARLAND.
>> SO I WANT TO START OUT BY JUST THANKING YOU ALL FOR COMING HERE TONIGHT. I KNOW THAT THERE'S MANY WAYS THAT WE COULD BE SPENDING OUR EVENING, BUT BEING HERE AND BEING AN INFORMED VOTER IS SO IMPORTANT. LOCAL POLITICS IN DENTON HAS FELT STRAINED FOR A WHILE NOW.
MANY RESIDENTS ARE ECHOING THE SENTIMENT THAT THEY DON'T, THE SENTIMENT THAT THEY DON'T FEEL HEARD, THEY DON'T FEEL REPRESENTED. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE COUNCIL LISTENS TO THEM.
WHEN WE RUN FOR OFFICE, WE RUN FOR EVERYONE. WE REPRESENT EVERYBODY. AND SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE CLICKS. I'M NOT RUNNING ON A SLATE. I'M NOT PASSING OUT PEOPLE'S LITERATURE. I REALLY NEED YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I AM A. FOR YEARS I WAS A SINGLE MOM.
I STRUGGLED IN DENTON TO TO NOT GET PRICED OUT MYSELF. I UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF DENTON AND I UNDERSTAND HOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO STRUGGLE IN DENTON. AND I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO KIND OF OVERCOME THAT STRUGGLE IN DENTON. AND SO TODAY WAS A HARD DAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS. IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO REPRESENT US ON COUNCIL, TO GET QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO REPRESENT US. AND IT'S HARD BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SURELY BE ATTACKED. AND SO MANY TIMES I'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT LIKE PARTIZAN, LIKE THE POLITICAL OPERATIVES AND OPPORTUNISTS. I THINK THAT WE'VE REALLY COLLECTIVELY AND YOU GUYS ALL BEING HERE RIGHT NOW AND EDUCATING YOURSELF ON WHO WE ARE, IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO IT'S THEIR FULL TIME JOB TO RUN THESE CAMPAIGNS. THEY'RE RECRUITED HERE. AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR HESITATION ABOUT ME, I WOULD LOVE TO CHAT WITH
YOU. I'D LOVE TO MEET YOU. THANK YOU. ERICA GARLAND. >> MR. FERRY, SORRY. WE'LL
WE'LL LET EVA'S. >> THANK YOU. >> I KNOW.
>> THEY ALL DO. AND THEY'RE LISTENING TO EVERYTHING. >> ARE YOU READY, FRIEND?
>> MR. FERRY, PLEASE. >> I'LL BE GOOD TO GO. IS THIS ON? YES. OKAY. YES. THANK YOU.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF DENTON. I REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK. I FEEL LIKE WE GOT MORE QUESTIONS THAN I THINK WE EVER HAVE IN ONE FORUM. AND MORE TIME, IT FEELS LIKE TO ANSWER THEM, AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT FEELS REAL BRIEF, LIKE YOU HAVE FOR QUESTIONS. YOU HAVE A MINUTE AND A HALF. AGAIN, I LIVED HERE 21 YEARS. I WAS A RENTER FOR 16 UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME. WHEN I GOT MARRIED TO MY HUSBAND, WHO IS A 17 YEAR LONG PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER TEACHING
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SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE CHOIR. I'M A SOCIAL WORKER. I RECENTLY MOVED FROM BEING A PUBLIC SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER OVER EIGHT CAMPUSES AND ABOUT 18,000 STUDENTS, ABOUT 100, ABOUT 1000 ON MY CASELOAD AT ONE TIME, WORKING WITH FAMILIES WHO WERE CODED UNDER MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT.AND NOW I'M A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER WHO OWNS AND OPERATES MY OWN PRIVATE PRACTICE. VERY LINEAR JOURNEY, RIGHT? CAME HERE AS A DANCE MAJOR, WORKED IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY, THEN BOUGHT A WINE BAR, THEN PANDEMIC HAPPENED, THEN BECAME A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT ME? IT TELLS YOU THAT I'VE BEEN IN DIFFERENT POCKETS OF THIS COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT MY 21 YEARS HERE, AND I'VE WORKED IN DIFFERENT NONPROFIT SPACES ACROSS ALL OF THOSE MODALITIES, RIGHT? IT MEANS THAT I AM COMMITTED TO DOING THE WORK, AND I HAVE MADE THOSE CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY. I WORK WITH JUDGES. I SERVE ON THE DENTON COUNTY HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM. I WORK WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS ACROSS OUR COUNTY. I WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE DIRECT HAND TO HAND SERVICES. I GET TO SEE THE INS AND OUTS OF WHAT OUR COUNTY IS AND IS NOT DOING. I'M ALSO VERY COMMITTED TO TAKING ZERO PAC MONEY, NO SPECIAL INTEREST DOLLARS. I ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE, LOOK AT OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS AND DETERMINE FOR YOURSELF WHICH CANDIDATES TAKING THE KIND OF MONEY THAT YOU SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. IT'S THURSDAY. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES FOR BEING
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.