[A. ID 26-0825 Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding the Regional Transportation Council's role as the policy-making body of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and relationship with the North Central Texas Council of Governments. [Estimated Presentation/Discussion Time: 1 hour]]

DISCUSSION. GIVE STAFF DIRECTION REGARDING THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL'S ROLE AS THE POLICY MAKING BODY OF THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JOHN POLSTER WITH INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS AND I SEE SOME NEW FACES. SO I'M GOING TO JUST UP FRONT APOLOGIZE IF I OFFEND BECAUSE I'M NOT USUALLY LET OUT IN PUBLIC VERY MUCH. JILL COUNCIL PERSON JUST ASKED ME TO COME AND GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION AND UPDATE ON THE STATUS BETWEEN THE LAWSUIT BETWEEN DENTON COUNTY RTC VERSUS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. IT'S ALL PUBLIC RECORD. SO THERE'S IT'S IT'S EASY TO DO IN AN OPEN FORUM. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A HISTORY LESSON REAL QUICK BECAUSE IT MATTERS. AND THEN THERE'LL BE A TEST AT THE END. AND YOU DO GET CONTINUING EDUCATION. 1974 GOVERNOR BRISCOE DESIGNATED THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS AS THE MPO FOR THE NORTH TEXAS REGION. AND WHEN YOU HEAR THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS ARGUE THAT THAT MAKES THEM THE MPO, THEY LEAVE OUT A CRITICAL PART OF THAT DESIGNATION. AND THAT DESIGNATION HAD A CAVEAT OR A SET CARVE OUT. THAT SAID, SUBJECT TO A STEERING COMMITTEE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS BEING SET UP TO. DIRECT POLICY BECAUSE THE CITIES THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO BE IN THE MPO AT THE TIME DID NOT TRUST THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE. SO THEY GOT A SPECIAL DESIGNATION IN NORTH TEXAS IS THE ONLY AREA THAT HAS AN MPO THAT HAS THIS SPECIAL CARVE OUT THAT THE STEERING COMMITTEE WOULD DIRECT ALL THE POLICY RELATED TO POLICY ISSUES AND THE FEDERAL FUNDING ALLOCATIONS. SO YOU'LL HEAR THE COG SAY WHERE THE MPO, BECAUSE WE WERE DESIGNATED THE COG IN 1974, BUT THEY LEAVE OFF THE STEERING COMMITTEE PART IN 1978, GOVERNOR CLEMENTS, AT THE REQUEST OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, REQUESTED THAT THE STEERING COMMITTEE BE RESTRUCTURED AS THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL. THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE JUST FORMALIZED IT AND ADOPTED A SET OF BYLAWS THAT FORMALIZED THE RTC AS THE POLICY COMMITTEE. IT'S CALLED THE MPO POLICY COMMITTEE FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, MPO. SO THEN IN 1988, YOU. THE STATE. BEFORE THEN, YOU HAD TO RENEW THIS AGREEMENT EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR. THEY GOT TIRED OF DOING THAT IN 88, THE STATE SAID UNTIL THE DESIGNATION CHANGES, YOU'RE THE MPO INDEFINITELY. SO YOU ALSO HEAR THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT SAY, IN 1988, THE GOVERNOR MADE CALLED THE MPO PERMANENTLY, BUT IT WAS THE MPO STRUCTURE BASED ON THE 74, WHICH MEANS THE RTC WAS STILL IN PLACE. AND THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THAT ROLE AS A COG BOARD THIS WHOLE TIME UP UNTIL 1998, UP UNTIL 2025, UNDERSTOOD THAT THE RTC WAS THE MPO. FAST FORWARD IN 2005, CONGRESS HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE CONFUSED ON WHAT MPO WAS NATIONWIDE, AND SO THEY DECIDED IN A NEW HIGHWAY BILL TO DEFINE TERMS. SO IN THAT 2005 CFR, I DON'T HAVE IT ON TOP OF MY HEAD. THEY SAID THAT THE MPO OF THE REGION WAS THE MPO POLICY COMMITTEE FOR THAT AREA. SO THEY, BY FEDERAL LAW, SAID THE RTC, BEING THE

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MPO POLICY COMMITTEE, IS NOW THE MPO AND IN 2006 TO CODIFY THAT THE TXDOT CHANGED THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE MPO IN NORTH TEXAS TO HAVE IT BE A FOUR PARTY AGREEMENT.

ALL THE OTHERS ARE TRI PARTY. YOU HAD TEX DOT, THE MPO AND THE FISCAL AGENT IN NORTH TEXAS.

THEY ADDED THE RTC AS A SIGNATORY. SO IN NORTH TEXAS WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE THAT SIGN IT TXDOT RTC AS THE MPO POLICY COMMITTEE, COG AS THE MPO AND COG AS THE FISCAL AGENT. AND 2 IN 2014, THERE WAS ANOTHER UPDATE OF THE FEDERAL LAW BECAUSE THE COGS WERE ALL THE.

ALL THE MPO POLICY COMMITTEES LOOK DIFFERENT AND THEY WERE STRUCTURED DIFFERENTLY. AND THE FEDS WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE ALL ENTITIES INVOLVED AROUND THE TABLE. SO IN 2014, THEY SAID, OKAY, THE POLICY COMMITTEE IS MPO AND THE MPO HAS TO LOOK LIKE THIS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS ON IT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE STATE DOT'S ON IT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES IN THE REGION AS BOARD MEMBERS.

SO THAT'S DART DCTAS THE METRO COG BOARD. I MEAN, THE NTTA DFW AIRPORT BOARD, ALL THOSE ARE REPRESENTED AROUND THE RTC TABLE. SO IT IT THEY SAID THE POLICY COMMITTEES, THE MPO AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK LIKE THIS. SO 2005 2014. BUT BETWEEN 2000 AND 6, WHEN THEY CODIFIED THE 2005 CHANGES, TEX DOT EVERYBODY WAS GETTING ALONG. SO THEY DIDN'T REALLY LOOK AT THE CONTRACT.

AND SO THEY RE-UPPED THAT CONTRACT IN 2018. THEY HAD THE FOUR PARTIES, BUT THEY DIDN'T COME IN AND SAY, WE'VE GOT TO UPDATE IT BECAUSE THE CFR SAID, YOU GOT TO LOOK LIKE THIS. SO IN 25, YOU GOT A NEW EXECUTIVE BOARD. THEY INTENTIONALLY RAN OFF. MIKE EASTLAND, THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COG, RIGHT BEFORE HE RETIRED. SO THEY PUT THEIR GUY IN AND THEY STARTED SAYING THAT WHERE THE MPO. AND SO IN FEBRUARY, DENTON COUNTY SAW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ROUGHSHOD OVER THE PROCESS. AND THIS CONTRACT DOESN'T EXPIRE UNTIL SEPTEMBER OF 2027.

AND THE REASON WE BROKE BY THEN. SO DENTON COUNTY FILED A LAWSUIT, INJUNCTION RESTRAINING THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FROM ACTING AS THE MPO, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER STRUCTURE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER MAKEUP, AND THEY WERE NOT THE POLICY COMMITTEE, NOR WERE THEY EVER THE POLICY COMMITTEE. SO WE JUST INJUNCTED WE ASKED FOR RELIEF ON EVERYTHING THE MPO DOES, AND WE WERE GRANTED THAT RELIEF. AND DENTON COUNTY FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD. WE KNEW WE FILED IN THE WRONG JURISDICTION, BUT WE NEEDED THE TRO. JUDGE JOHNSON SAID, I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR TRO, BUT YOU GOT TO GO TO TARRANT COUNTY TO HAVE THE CASE BECAUSE VENUE IS THERE. SO WE WENT TO TARRANT COUNTY. WE HAD A HEARING A WEEK BEFORE THE ACTUAL HEARING BECAUSE COG HAD ASKED FOR A HEARING AND THEY SAID, WE HAVE WE DON'T WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO A FEE FOR STUFF. AND THIS INJUNCTION THAT WE GOT FROM DENTON COUNTY, THIS IS A LOT OF STUFF. SO IT JUST FLOPS AROUND IN MY BRAIN. IT'S STOPPING US FROM DOING MPO STUFF, WHICH WAS INCORRECT BECAUSE THE ONLY THINGS COG WAS ASKED TO DO WERE THINGS THEY WOULD DO AS A FISCAL AGENT, NOT AS THE MPO, BUT DENTON COUNTY SAYS, WE'LL CHANGE THE TRO, REMOVE THOSE RESTRICTIONS. ALL WE WANT YOU TO DO IS NOT FIRE YOUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR AND NOT USURP RTC'S POLICY. THE JUDGE GRANTED IT THAT AFTERNOON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FIRED THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION ABOUT FOUR HOURS AFTER THE JUDGE SAID HEARD FROM THE DEFENDANTS, I.E. COG, THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION. SO WE ROLLED IN A WEEK LATER TO A REALLY. I WON'T USE THAT WORD. IRRITATED JUDGE AND THE JUDGE GAVE US A BLANKET INJUNCTION. TEMPORARY INJUNCTION FOR THE ENTIRE ENTIRETY OF THE CASE. SO THEY CAN'T USURP POLICY, THEY CAN'T FIRE MICHAEL AND. BUT THEY CAN NEGOTIATE. WE PUT THAT IN THE AGREEMENT. THEY CAN NEGOTIATE THE TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT. AND IRONICALLY, AS GOVERNMENT WORKS, AFTER WE GOT INTO THE LAWSUIT, WE FOUND BACK IN THE RECORDS WHERE TXDOT HAD SENT A TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT TO NORTH TEXAS THAT CHANGED IT COMPLETELY, SAYING TXDOT IS THE DEPARTMENT, RTC IS THE MPO COG

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IS THE FISCAL AGENT, AND WE'VE HAD IT SINCE MARCH OF 2025. SO MONTH AFTER WE STARTED OUR LAWSUIT. YEAH, NO, A YEAR IN A MONTH BEFORE WE STARTED LAWSUIT, WE HAD A DOCUMENT THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. WE JUST EXECUTED IT. AT THIS POINT, THE COG HAD ALREADY MADE THEIR CASE THAT THEIR MPO AND THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BACK DOWN. SO THEY APPEALED TO AN APPELLATE COURT JURISDICTION, SAYING YOU CAN'T SUE THEM BECAUSE OF IMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE SUING YOU INDIVIDUALLY. SO IT DIDN'T WORK. DIDN'T THE JUDGE DENIED IT. SO THEY APPEALED IT AND THEY WANTED A TEMPORARY INJUNCTION FROM THE APPELLATE COURT. THE APPELLATE COURT LOOKED AT THE REQUEST FOR A TRO FROM COG TO KEEP RTC FROM SIGNING THE TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT, AND THEY THEY DENIED IT WITH ONE WORD DENIED, AND IT WAS SOMETHING CURIUM, SOMETHING PART CURIUM OR WHATEVER THAT IS, MEANING WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO TELL YOU WHY BECAUSE IT WAS SO RIDICULOUS. IT'S JUST DENIED. SO WE'RE STILL GOT OUR T. MAKE SURE THAT THE MPO DOESN'T THE COG DOESN'T USURP THEIR AUTHORITY. LAST THURSDAY, THE COG BOARD HAD THEIR ANNUAL FINAL MEETING. THE PAST PRESIDENTS NOMINATED A NEW SLATE OF BOARD MEMBERS THAT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS, IS THEY DON'T KNOW WHO'S COG MEMBER BECAUSE FOR 44 YEARS THEY NEVER KEPT RECORDS BECAUSE THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONTROVERSY. SO THERE'S NO CLEAR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHO IS AND WHO ISN'T PART OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT WILL VOTE TO ELECT THE BOARD MEMBERS. SO. AS OF YESTERDAY, THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HAD NOT SENT OUT A NOTIFICATION TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, ALL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, WHICH IF YOU'RE AN ENTITY AND YOU PAY YOUR DUES, YOUR MEMBER ONE VOTE THAT THEY'RE CHANGING THE PROCESS. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE BYLAWS, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THEY'RE SENT OUT A FORM THAT YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT, DESIGNATING WHO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IS FOR THAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON JUNE 12TH. AND YOU HAVE TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT TO VOTE. NOW, AS OF WALKING IN HERE, I'VE ASKED SEVERAL COUNTIES, SEVERAL CITIES, IF THEY'VE RECEIVED ANY CORRESPONDENCE FROM COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS PROVIDING THAT LINK FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO FILL OUT THAT FORM. AND AS YET, I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYBODY THAT'S GOTTEN IT. SO MAYBE THEY CAN SEND IT OUT TOMORROW OR TODAY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EITHER FROM VICTORIA JOHNSON OR TODD LITTLE. SO. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I'VE GOT AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. I GOT THAT TO JILL YESTERDAY. IT'S A VERY SIMPLE FORM. IT JUST SAYS WHO YOU REPRESENT, YOUR NAME AND WHERE YOU LIVE. AND THEN YOU SIGN IN TITLE AND YOU SUBMIT. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT, WE NEED YOU NEED YOU ONLY GET ONE VOTE. SO YOU JUST NEED TO, I WOULD SUGGEST YOUR RTC MEMBER BECAUSE SHE KNOWS MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ALL OF THE POLITICS OF ALL THIS. MAKE SURE YOU DESIGNATE SOMEBODY AND GET THAT FORM IN BEFORE I'M SAYING BEFORE JUNE 10TH, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO AS FAR AS TOMFOOLERY. AND I'M SURE I LEFT SOMETHING OUT.

AND HERE'S WHERE I RELUCTANTLY ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

OR COMMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER JESTER OH, >> THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. IF I CAN, I'M GOING TO KIND OF SUM IT UP IN CITY COUNCIL LANGUAGE. THERE'S A FIGHT OVER WHO IS CITY COUNCIL AND WHO IS A PLANNING AND ZONING. AND THAT'S THE EXAMPLE THAT'S BEEN USED BEFORE. SO FOR 40 YEARS, THE MUNICIPAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME, I THINK, DISCREPANCY WITH THE DOCUMENT IN THE PAST. HOWEVER, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL, WHICH IS MADE UP OF 45 MOSTLY ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE TRANSIT AGENCIES, HAVE MADE DECISIONS REGARDING THE ENTIRE REGION. AND SO THERE'S A LEDGER.

SO SOMETIMES ALL OF THE TRANSPORTATION OR A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS MIGHT GO TO THE NORTHEAST FOR A FEW YEARS. BUT THEN THERE'S THIS LEDGER. AND WE ALL MAKE SURE THAT THEN THE SOUTHWEST GETS THEIR DUE, AND WE ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE REGION. I THINK LATELY THERE'S BEEN A PUSH FOR THE NORTH TEXAS CENTRAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS EXECUTIVE GROUP, TO PERHAPS WANT TO DO AWAY WITH THIS DECISION MAKING, AND THEY WANT THE MONIES THEMSELVES. SO GOING STRAIGHT TO THE COUNTIES, THEY DECIDE WHICH PROJECTS THEY WANT AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT IT REGIONALLY WITH THIS 45 MEMBER BODY THAT ACTUALLY RECEIVES ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND DELIBERATES WHERE THESE MONIES

SHOULD GO. SO. >> SO JUST TO ADD A POINT ON THAT, TEX-DOT RECOGNIZES THE

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RTC AS THE MPO. AND HERE'S HOW YOU KNOW, THE RTC FUNNELS, FUNNELS, MOVES MONEY AROUND ABOUT ALMOST $1 BILLION A YEAR IN TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS. NONE OF THAT MONEY GOES BEFORE THE EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR APPROVAL. THE ONLY THING THE EXECUTIVE BOARD GETS TO CHIME IN ON IS WHEN THE MPO, I.E. THE RTC, WANTS TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO A TRANSIT STUDY. THEY GO TO THEIR FISCAL AGENT, WHO'S THE COG, AND SAID, HEY, WE NEED A CONSULTANT TO DO X. THEY COME BACK AND SAY, WE ARE THE POLICY COMMITTEE, WE DON'T WANT TO DO X, AND THE RTC SAYS, YOU'RE NOT THE POLICY COMMITTEE. WE ARE, AND WE'RE TELLING YOU TO DO X. AND THAT'S WHAT WE TOOK TO THE JUDGE AND SAID, HERE ARE THESE EXAMPLES WHERE THEY HAVE USURPED OUR AUTHORITY AS THE MPO CLEARLY DEFINED IN THE FEDERAL STATUTES. AND SO THE JUDGE GRANTED US A TEMPORARY INJUNCTION TO STOP THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FROM DOING JUST THAT. SO EVEN THE FACT THAT FOR 40 YEARS, 50 YEARS, HOWEVER LONG, 74 YEARS TO NOW, NONE OF THE MONEY THAT MATTERS IN THIS REGION EVER EVEN WENT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR DECISION MAKING PROCESS. IT WAS ALWAYS DONE BETWEEN RTC, TXDOT, AND THE CITY PARTNERS. DART, THE T METRO. THAT IS THE T, THAT WAS THE T, THAT WAS THE METRO AND THE AIRPORT BOARD, AN ENTITY. SO THEY'VE NEVER HAD TO ACT ON ANY OF THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO WIN ON MERIT. WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY GOTTEN BEFORE A JUDGE TO TALK ABOUT THE MERIT OF THE LAW, BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS THROW UP JURISDICTION, STANDING VENUE, ALL THESE PROCEDURAL THINGS. AND WE'RE NOT SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOW THEY'RE APPEALING THE JUDGE'S RULING ON JURISDICTION AND STANDING TO THE APPELLATE COURT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A TRIAL IN THE TRIAL COURT, PROBABLY TILL NOVEMBER IF THIS ISSUE RESOLVES.

SO WHY IS IT MATTER WHO YOU GO, WHO GETS YOU, WHO YOU SEND AND WHO GETS THERE ON JUNE 12TH? THOSE FOLKS THAT BELIEVE THAT THEY WANT TO KEEP CONTROL HAVE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD. THEY WERE ROUNDLY THRASHED AT THE THE PAST PRESIDENTS NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE. THERE WERE 22 MEMBERS THAT SHOWED UP THAT DAY. THERE'S TYPICALLY 5 TO 7. AND THEY THEY THEY PICKED THE SLATE THAT THE GLEN WHITLEY WAS LEADING THE CHARGE FOR THE NORMAL PEOPLE, I'LL CALL YOU THAT, CALL IT THAT. AND OUR SLATE THAT WE PUT UP WAS GOTTEN WE GOT EVERY PERSON WE WANTED ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND WE MOVED EVERY PERSON WE WANTED ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD. THEY KNOW THAT THEIR LAST STAND, THEIR ALAMO, IS THAT JUNE 12TH MEETING. IF THEY DON'T GET THAT SLATE OF NOMINEES REMOVED, THEY'RE DEAD IN THE WATER.

BECAUSE COME JUNE 28TH AND 29TH, WHEN THE BOARD MEETS CLAY JENKINS AND. BOBBY MITCHELL BOTH SAID THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO SIGN THE TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT, WHICH ENDS THE WHOLE THING. IT'S DONE AND DONE. AND SO IT'S VERY CRITICAL THAT DIDN'T BE THERE. AND THEN. PAY

ATTENTION TO WHATEVER HAPPENS. >> SO THEY'RE TRYING TO TURN THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL INTO JUST AN ADVISORY GROUP. AND IN THAT INSTANCE, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE COUNTY JUDGES AND ALL THE MAYORS. ET CETERA AROUND THE TABLE AND THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED TO BE THERE TO REPRESENT OUR CITIZENS AND SAY WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE REGION. SO THERE'S THIS ALSO BEEN A LAWSUIT. BECAUSE OF THIS, DENTON COUNTY INITIATED IT. HOWEVER, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL VOTED TO ENTER INTO THAT SUIT. SO THE RTC IS CURRENTLY A PARTY, AS IS DENTON COUNTY, AS IS THE EXECUTIVE BOARD. AND I THINK THEIR MEMBERS POTENTIALLY INDIVIDUALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF

THEY'VE BEEN DISMISSED. >> SO HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW. WE'RE WINNING THE CASE BECAUSE AS WE KEEP PUSHING FORWARD WITH OUR INFORMATION, VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, WE HAD TO SUE THEM INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE YOU AND I'VE LEARNED MORE LAW IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS THAN I EVER WANT TO, BUT IT'S VARIOUS SOMETHING WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT OUTSIDE THEIR

JURISDICTION. >> ULTRA VIRES. >> THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAGUE TO ME. THAT. AND SO THAT ALLOWS US TO SUE THEM INDIVIDUALLY. AND WE SUED EVERYBODY EXCEPT BOBBY, EVEN TJ GILMORE. WE JUST SAID, SORRY, TJ, AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THESE, WE'VE WON EVERY HEARING, EVERY INJUNCTION, EVERY WHATEVER YOU CALL THAT APPEAL PLEA. AND SO WE HAVE PEOPLE START PEELING OFF. SO TJ, JENNIFER JUSTICE, BOWIE HOGG FROM ARLINGTON, ALL THESE PEOPLE, THEY SAID, WE'RE NOT SUING TO STOP YOU FROM SIGNING THE AGREEMENT. WE'RE NOT SUING YOU BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE STANDING. WE'RE JUST GOING TO SUE YOU THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SUE US JURISDICTION. THEN TWO OR MORE PEOPLE CAME IN AND SAID, VICTORIA AND CLAY

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LAST WEEK SAID, HEY, WE DON'T WANT TO BE A PARTY TO THIS ANYMORE. SO WE AGREED TO LET THEM COME OFF. SO WE'RE PEELING OFF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS SLOWLY, BECAUSE WHEN YOU READ, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY READ THE DOCUMENTS AND NOT JUST LISTEN TO WHAT THEY TELL YOU IN A MEETING, THE DOCUMENTS ARE EMPIRICALLY, ABSOLUTELY, UNEQUIVOCALLY CLEAR ON WHO THE MPO IS AND THAT WHEN WHEN WE SHOWED IT TO SOME OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, THEY WEREN'T GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM THEIR STAFF. THEY THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND. SO WE'RE JUST FIGHTING A GOOD FIGHT TO KEEP IT GOING. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY SHOW UP ON THE

12TH. >> AND THIS HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS. SO I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR ALL OF COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE OF COURSE, I'M REPRESENTING THE CITY AS WELL AS A FEW OTHER CITIES AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. AND WITH OPEN MEETINGS ACT ISSUES, I DIDN'T WANT TO

APPROACH EVERYONE INDIVIDUALLY. >> EVERYTHING I'VE SAID HERE HAS BEEN SAID IN OPEN COURT AND PLED AND YELLED AT EACH OTHER IN RTC AND CARDBOARD. SO IT'S YEAH, IT'S IT'S DRAINING, BUT

IT'S NOT. IN THE BACKROOM STUFF. >> BUT IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR NORTH TEXAS. I TRULY BELIEVE I DO PLAN ON BEING AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND VOTING. IF ANYONE ELSE IS ALSO PLANNING TO ATTEND, I WOULD URGE ANYONE INTERESTED TO ATTEND. IT'S IN HURST, TEXAS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME IF YOU'RE GOING AND IT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT DAY. AND IN JULY, IF THIS COUNCIL REPS ME TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE RTC, I DO MOVE INTO THE VICE CHAIR POSITION AS AN OFFICER OF THAT 45 MEMBER BOARD, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL. SO ANY QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS THAT ANYONE HAS? OKAY.

>> WELL, I APPRECIATE THE UPDATES. I APPRECIATE YOU INITIATING KEEPING US UPDATED

[B. ID 26-0777 Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding homelessness initiatives. [Estimated Presentation/Discussion Time: 1 hour]]

ON THIS AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR. POSTER. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM B. I'D 26-0777, RECEIVE A REPORT, HOLD A DISCUSSION AND GIVE STAFF DIRECTION REGARDING HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL, TODAY WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH YOU THE CITY'S HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES. I'M SORRY, I'M JESSE AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. I GOT THROWN OFF BECAUSE WE DID MAYOR PRO TEM INSTEAD OF MAYOR.

EXCUSE ME. SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE CITY'S HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES. WE'RE GOING TO COVER AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING SEVERAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT INDICATORS. AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO LOOK TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE COUNCIL DIRECTION GIVEN LAST APRIL TO IMPROVE HOMELESS SERVICES IN THE CITY FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, SERVICE AGENCIES IN DENTON COUNTY HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. IT'S A COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF MANY DIFFERENT AGENCIES SUPPORTING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, THE CITY SUPPORT SERVICES ACROSS THE HOUSING CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM, WITH THE LARGEST ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS BEING THE $125,000 FOR STREET OUTREACH SERVICES, $400,000 TO SUPPORT THE OPERATION OF THE DENTON COMMUNITY SHELTER, $98,000 FOR BACKBONE SUPPORT AND SYSTEM LICENSES, AND $80,000 FOR THE BARRIERS FUND, WHICH IS A FUND OF LAST RESORT USED TO HELP COVER THOSE EXPENSES THAT CAN HELP SOMEONE PREVENT THEM FROM BECOMING HOMELESS OR TO GET THEM OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. WITH COVID FUNDING DISAPPEARING THIS YEAR, COUNCIL APPROVED THE COMBINATION OF ARP FUNDS THAT WE HAD REMAINING FROM ARP HOME AND EXISTING HOME UNDERSPEND TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION OF TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE TO QUANTIFY, THERE ARE VARIOUS DIRECT AND INDIRECT INDICATORS THAT CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND THE PICTURE OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. DIRECT INDICATORS INCLUDE ANY NUMBERS THAT ARE INTENDED TO QUANTIFY AS COMPREHENSIVE. A PICTURE OF POSSIBLE AS ACTUAL HOMELESSNESS INCLUDES THINGS LIKE THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHICH IS THE MOST UBIQUITOUS AND FEDERALLY MANDATED COUNT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST, WHICH IS A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN ASSESSED BY THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM FROM A FRONT DOOR AGENCY. AND THEN WE ALSO TRACK ENCAMPMENTS. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL INDIRECT INDICATORS, WHICH INCLUDE PUBLIC SERVICES AND PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF HOMELESSNESS. EACH YEAR, COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY PARTICIPATE IN A POINT IN TIME COUNT OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. THE

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COUNT IS ORGANIZED BY OUR LOCAL HOMELESS COALITION, NOW KNOWN AS THE PATH HOME. THEY SUPPORT, WITH THE SUPPORT OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT STAFFS FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE CITY OF DENTON. IT'S CONDUCTED EVERY YEAR IN LATE JANUARY. IT'S MEANT TO BE ONE OF THE COLDEST TIMES OF THE YEAR. AND THAT IS BECAUSE IF IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AT THAT TIME, IT'S BELIEVED THAT YOU TRULY HAVE NO OTHER PLACE TO GO. IT'S IT OCCURS ALL DAY ON THE DAY OF THE COUNT, AND IT'S CONDUCTED BY VOLUNTEERS AND AGENCY STAFF. OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, HOMELESSNESS IN DENTON HAS CONTINUED TO RISE, HITTING A PEAK IN 2025 AT 607 INDIVIDUALS COUNTED IN THE CITY OF DENTON. IN 2026, THE COUNT RECORDED A 41% DECREASE FROM THE 2025 COUNT WITHIN THE CITY. THIS NUMBER WAS A SURPRISING RESULT FOR MANY MEMBERS OF THE SYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY, AS THE IMPACTS OF HOMELESSNESS AND THE NEEDS PRESENT DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'VE JUST DECLINED THAT MUCH, MANY AGENCIES STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE AMOUNT OF NEED THAT THEY HAVE TO SUPPORT. THE CITY OF DENTON IS NO EXCEPTION TO THAT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE POINT IN TIME COUNT IMMINENCE IN THE HOMELESSNESS CONVERSATION IS LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT IT IS EVERYWHERE. SO EVERY COMMUNITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT RECEIVES HUD FUNDING DOES A POINT IN TIME COUNT? IT'S COVERED IN NEWSPAPERS EVERYWHERE. IT'S ROLLED UP NATIONALLY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST VERY, VERY VISIBLE. BUT THE PREVALENCE OF IT IS NOT A REFLECTION OF THE QUALITY OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO MEASURING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE COUNT IS A FLAWED MEASURE.

MANY PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS OF IT. SO IT IS JUST ONE THING THAT WE LOOK AT.

IT IS NOT THE MAIN THING THAT WE LOOK AT. ONE OF THE THINGS COUNCILMEMBER STEVENS, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT WAS THE THE VOLUNTEER COUNT. ACCORDING TO THE PATH HOME THAT CONDUCTED THE COUNT, THERE WERE 137 VOLUNTEERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE 2026 COUNT, WHICH WAS A 34% INCREASE OVER THE 102 THAT THEY ESTIMATED PARTICIPATED IN THE 2025 COUNT. IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY EXACTLY WHY THE COUNT WAS SO MUCH LOWER IN 2026 THAN IN 2025. SOME POSSIBLE DRIVERS INCLUDE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION ON SHELTER STAYS AT THE DENTON COMMUNITY SHELTER. INCREASES IN PERMANENT HOUSING THROUGH THE HOUSING CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND COOLING RENTAL MARKET. BUT WE WANT TO LOOK AT SOME OTHER MEASURES AS WELL TO HELP PROVIDE A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE.

WHEN INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS SEEK OUT HOUSING SUPPORT, THEY CAN GO TO ONE OF THE FRONT DOOR AGENCIES ACROSS DENTON COUNTY. THESE AGENCIES WILL ATTEMPT TO DIVERT THE INDIVIDUAL AND IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS THAT DON'T REQUIRE PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTION. BUT WHEN THAT'S NOT READILY AVAILABLE, THE AGENCIES CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS CALLED A COORDINATED ENTRY ASSESSMENT, AND THAT'S TO DETERMINE THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND THEIR VULNERABILITY FOR DYING ON THE STREET. THE SCORE CATEGORIZES ELIGIBILITY AND PRIORITIZES INDIVIDUALS FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY ONE OF OUR FUNDED AGENCIES IN DENTON COUNTY. THE UNITED WAY OF DENTON COUNTY PROVIDES THE BACKBONE SUPPORT FOR MANAGING THAT PROCESS AND TRACKING THE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE MEASURES WHICH ARE ON THEIR, EXCUSE ME, THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM'S DATA DASHBOARD. I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO LOOK AT THAT DATA DASHBOARD AS THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ON IT. AT THE TIME OF PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PRESENTATION, THERE WERE 298 INDIVIDUALS ON THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST. THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST IS A HELPFUL TOOL BECAUSE IT'S A MORE UP TO DATE TOOL. IT PROVIDES A BETTER SENSE OF THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGING WITH SERVICES IN DENTON OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD, FROM JANUARY 2025 TO JANUARY 2026, THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST WENT FROM 580 INDIVIDUALS TO 347, A DECLINE OF 40%, WHICH WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW IN THE PIT COUNT. AT THE TIME OF THIS PRESENTATION. THERE WERE 155 INDIVIDUALS WHO SCORED HIGHER OR, EXCUSE ME, SCORED FOR RAPID REHOUSING, WHICH IS A LOWER LEVEL OF INTERVENTION, AND 139 WHO SCORED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF INTERVENTION. IF WE WERE TO PROVIDE EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH HOUSING SUPPORT SCALED TO THEIR NEEDS, THE DENTON COUNTY COMMUNITY WOULD NEED AN ANNUAL INVESTMENT OF AROUND $4 MILLION A YEAR TO BE ABLE TO HOUSE EACH OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS. FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S DIRECTION TO BETTER TRACK ENCAMPMENTS AND COORDINATE THE CITYWIDE RESPONSE. THE NUMBER OF ENCAMPMENTS SEEN IN THE CITY HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, WITH 109 ENCAMPMENTS CONFIRMED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. ENCAMPMENTS PRIMARILY OCCUR ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH CONCENTRATIONS ALONG THE 380 CORRIDOR WEST OF 77 AND AROUND THE DOWNTOWN CORE AND ALONG THE EASTERN LOOP. ALTHOUGH WE'RE STILL IMPROVING THE MATURITY OF THE DATA COLLECTED OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED AT ENCAMPMENTS, 78% HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED ONCE 15% HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED TWICE IN THE REMAINING 7% THREE OR MORE TIMES. I KNOW ONE OF THE

[00:30:04]

CONCERNS THAT COUNCIL HAD VOICED WHEN WE WERE IMPLEMENTING THE THE ENCAMPMENT POLICY, OR WE WERE GETTING DIRECTION ON THE POLICY LAST YEAR, WAS THAT WE WOULD BE KIND OF JUST SHUFFLING PEOPLE AROUND. AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'VE WE'VE SEEN WITHIN OUR ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE. AN INDIRECT INDICATOR OF HOMELESSNESS IS JUST THE COMMUNITY SENTIMENT. WE SAW IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT A STRONG MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS VIEW HOMELESSNESS AS A MODERATE OR MAJOR PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE PUBLIC'S VIEW OF HOMELESSNESS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.

DID DECLINE SLIGHTLY FROM A MAJORITY SURVEYED IN 2024 TO THE 44% IN 2026. THAT COULD INDICATE THAT THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IS PERCEIVED AS SLOWER OR SLIGHTLY LOWER BY OUR COMMUNITY. THE COMMENTS WERE INDICATIVE OF A VERY DIVIDED COMMUNITY IN THE CITY'S APPROACH TO HOMELESSNESS. THAT'S NOT SURPRISING. EVERY ONE OF US. WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG THERE. THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE. EVERYONE FEELS STRONGLY THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS IT, AND WORK IS BEING DONE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND LAWS ARE BEING ENFORCED AS THEY ARE APPLICABLE. ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS OF COUNCIL LAST YEAR WAS RELATED TO THE IMPACTS OF HOMELESSNESS ON OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESOURCES. SINCE THE CHANGES TO THE SHELTER, FIRE AND EMS CALLS RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS HAVE SEEN A LARGE DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR CITYWIDE, BUT ESPECIALLY AT THE DENTON COMMUNITY SHELTER, THEY WERE AVERAGING ABOUT 1.8 TRIPS TO THE SHELTER A DAY, THE FIRE AND EMS. NOW THEY GO ALMOST EVERY

THIRD DAY. >> I BEG YOUR PARDON? HOW MANY A DAY?

>> ABOUT 1.8 TIMES A DAY ON AVERAGE. ALTHOUGH FIRE AND EMS RELATED CALLS TO CALLS RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS HAVE DECLINED, CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE REMAINED STEADY OR INCREASED IN RECENT MONTHS. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ATTRIBUTED THIS INCREASE IN CALLS TO SERVICE RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS TO A CHANGE IN THE WAY THEY TRACK DATA. SO PREVIOUSLY. PRIOR TO JANUARY, THE CALLS WERE TRACKED AS HOMELESS RELATED. THEY'VE GONE THROUGH AND SINCE CHANGED IT TO WHERE. THERE IS A FLAG ON IT. SO BEFORE AN OFFICER CLEARS A CALL, THEY HAVE TO IDENTIFY IF IT IS HOMELESS RELATED OR NOT. AND ALSO THEY HAVE TO SPECIFY WHAT THE CALL TYPE WAS. SO IT'S NOT A THE INDIVIDUAL DOESN'T GO TO A HOMELESS CALL. THE OFFICER GOES TO A CRIMINAL TRESPASS CALL, AND THEN THEY IDENTIFY IT AS HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE CALL, DEALING WITH SOMEONE RELATED, SOMEONE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. EXCUSE ME.

THEY'VE ALSO ATTRIBUTED THE INCREASE IN OFFICER INITIATED CALLS TO WORKING MORE CLOSELY WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND HELPING HELPING THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS MANAGE HOMELESSNESS ON THEIR PROPERTIES. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS TOGETHER, THE 2026 PICK COUNT SHOWED A 41% DECREASE FROM 2025. CONCURRENTLY, THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST DECLINED BY 40%.

[00:35:03]

OF THIS IS CORRECT OR NOT, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE AUDITOR ON THE FOLLOW UP.

STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO BETTER COORDINATE THE RESPONSE TO ENCAMPMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AN ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE WAS ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER DESIGNATING COMMUNITY SERVICES AS THE DEPARTMENT LEADING THE CITY'S ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE. IN LINE WITH COUNCIL DIRECTION AND MINIMIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT ENGAGEMENT. TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE DIRECTIVE SEEKS TO CODIFY THE PHILOSOPHY AND APPROACH TO ADDRESSING ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY AND ADDRESSES THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF ALIGNING THE RESPONSE WITH STATE LAW. WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK THE LIFE CYCLE OF ENCAMPMENT, FROM REPORT ASSESSMENT TO STREET OUTREACH TO CLEANUP IN A WAY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS, AND ARE MEETING REGULARLY WITH THOSE GROUPS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. WE'RE WORKING TO SUPPORT PROPERTY OWNERS WITH A PROPERTY OWNER GUIDE AND CONSULTATION ON HOW THEY CAN BEST ADDRESS ISSUES OF ENCAMPMENTS ON THEIR PROPERTY AND ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. WE'VE ENSURED THAT NOTICE OF ENCAMPMENT CLOSURE IS POSTED IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH, AND HAVE DIFFERENTIATED BETWEEN ACTIVE CITY PROPERTY AND VACANT PROPERTY TO ENSURE WE'RE BALANCING THE SELF, THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE NEEDS OF THE UNHOUSED. TO RIGHT SIZE OPERATIONS, THE DENTON COMMUNITY SHELTER AND HOUSING. THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM CREATED AN AD HOC SHELTER WORKGROUP TO SUPPORT OUR DAILY BREAD AND DESIGNING A PROGRAM THAT MET COUNCIL'S DIRECTION FOR HOUSING FOCUSED PROGRAM. THIS WORKGROUP WAS COMPOSED OF STAFF FROM OUR DAILY BREAD, THE CITY, THE HOMELESS COALITION PROVIDERS OF SHELTER AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. THIS GROUP CREATED A SHELTER STAY POLICY THAT OUTLINED EXPECTATIONS FOR SHELTER CLIENTS, AS WELL AS WHAT CLIENTS SHOULD EXPECT FROM THE THE DENTON COMMUNITY SHELTER. THE PROGRAM CREATED A SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES WEEKLY CASE MANAGEMENT, VOLUNTEER HOURS, AND CONTINUAL PROGRESS ON AN INDIVIDUALIZED HOUSING PLAN. THE CAPACITY OF THE SHELTER WAS TIED TO THE NUMBER OF CASE MANAGERS ON STAFF, WITH A RATIO OF 1 TO 20 ESTABLISHED. THE. THE OVERNIGHT CAPACITY SHELTER WENT FROM 192 TO 120. IT WASN'T AN ARBITRARILY CHOSEN NUMBER. IT WAS TIED TO THE. THE LEVEL OF THE ABILITY OF THE OPERATOR TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THE SHELTER. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY HAS DROPPED TO 107 DAYS, AND THE MEDIAN STAY FOR CLIENTS IN THE SHELTER AT THE TIME OF THIS PRESENTATION IS NOW 59 DAYS. IN ADDITION TO THE 120 PROGRAM BEDS AT THE SHELTER, THERE ARE ALSO 12 DIVERSION BEDS, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A PLAN BUT NEED A SAFE PLACE TO STAY FOR A SHORT PERIOD. SO THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM. BUT WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. THEY'RE IN A SAFE PLACE, AND WE CAN HELP THEM GET TO THEIR NEXT STEP. MOVING FORWARD, STAFF HAVE SEVERAL FOCUS AREAS RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS. WE'LL CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR OUR FOLLOW UP AUDIT IN 2027. THE SHELTER CONTRACT IS CURRENTLY WITH OUR DAILY BREAD FOR COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, WITH AN ANTICIPATED BRING BACK DATE LATER THIS SUMMER. AND WE'RE PREPARING FOR DISCUSSIONS ON THE BUDGET WITH CITY COUNCIL. WE RECENTLY SIGNED A DATA SHARING AGREEMENT WITH CHILD POVERTY ACTION LAB IN DALLAS TO BE ABLE TO VIEW CLIENT LEVEL EVICTION DATA ACROSS DENTON COUNTY. THIS IS A VERY EXCITING FIRST STEP IN THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO BUILD AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, TO PREVENT IT WHEN POSSIBLE, AND WHEN NOT TO HELP THEM QUICKLY GET BACK OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO BETTER ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, WHICH INCLUDES CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS, AS WELL AS CREATING AND SUPPORTING SPACES WHERE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS CAN MEET TO SOLVE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS ALWAYS, WE'RE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF DATA THAT INFORMS OUR WORK AND HELPS COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. AND WITH

THAT, I'LL STAND FOR QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. JESSE. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER

HOLLAND. >> EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AS ALWAYS. THE ON SLIDE 14, THE ENCAMPMENTS AND STREET OUTREACH. I'M IMPRESSED WITH THAT. IS, IS IS THIS AN IDEA THAT THAT THAT WAS CREATED LOCALLY OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S BEING DONE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES? AND WELL,

ANSWER THAT, PLEASE. >> THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS CREATED LOCALLY HERE IN COLLABORATION WITH BOTH OUR NONPROFIT STREET OUTREACH VENDOR, AS WELL AS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT'S A IT'S A DIFFICULT BALANCE BETWEEN.

HELPING INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHILE ALSO REPRESENTING PROPERTY

[00:40:03]

OWNERS AND ENFORCING THE LAWS REQUIRED BY THE STATE. >> IT'S ESSENTIALLY A WARNING

TICKET. >> NOT A WARNING TICKET. IT'S A. IT DEPENDS ON THE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. IF IT'S ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, WE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN CAMP. WE TRY AND REFER TO THE SHELTER OR CONNECT THEM TO OTHER RESOURCES, AND THEN ONLY IF WE GET TO THE END WHEN IT'S TIME TO CLEAN UP AND PEOPLE STILL HAVEN'T LEFT, DO WE ENGAGE LAW ENFORCEMENT? THE GOAL IS TO ENGAGE LAW ENFORCEMENT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE IN THE PROCESS. FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY. THAT IS REALLY THE WISHES OF THE PROPERTY OWNER. IF THEY SAY WE IN THE PROPERTY OWNER GUIDE, WE SAY WE DO THIS THING. IT'S CALLED STREET OUTREACH. THIS IS HOW WE DO IT ON ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. IF YOU'D LIKE US TO DO IT THIS WAY, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT. BUT IF THEY SAY, NO, I DON'T WANT THAT. I WANT THESE PEOPLE TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, THEN WE HAVE TO HONOR THOSE WISHES AS WELL. OKAY, OKAY.

>> TWO SLIDE NUMBER SIX. I'M I'M, I'M SAD TO SEE THAT. WHEN THE SHELTER OPENS IN ROUGHLY NOVEMBER OF 22, THERE'S A DECREASE IN HOMELESSNESS ACCORDING TO THIS. AND THEN IT JUST GOES GOES STRAIGHT UP TO NEAR NOT RECORD BUT NEAR RECORD LEVELS. AND ONLY NOW IS IT COMING BACK DOWN ABOUT TO WHERE IT WAS WHEN THE SHELTER OPENS. HOW'S THAT?

>> YEAH, THE THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST IS THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON, ON THE LIST TO RECEIVE HOUSING SERVICES. IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT ALL THE DRIVERS WERE IN THAT. CERTAINLY THE RISING COST OF RENT CONTRIBUTED THE THOSE HOUSEHOLDS, THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE, ARE CLOSE TO BECOMING HOMELESS. EVERY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS SOME NUMBER OF STEPS AWAY FROM HOMELESSNESS CONTRIBUTED TO IT. AND THEN ALSO THE DENTON COMMUNITY SHELTER LIKELY DID CONTRIBUTE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE SAW IN OUR COMMUNITY.

>> IT'S AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. YES, SIR.

>> THAT'S IT. I'M GOING TO GO NOW. OKAY. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL

MEMBER JESSE. >> THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING THANK YOU.

A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, AS FAR AS GATHERING INFORMATION, LIKE YOU SAID, THE DATA VERSUS ANECDOTAL IS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. AND I HAVE TO SAY, SINCE YOU'VE COME ON BOARD, MR. KENT, THIS HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE AND IT IS JUST INCREDIBLY HELPFUL FROM THE MAPPING, FROM THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED TO GATHER ACTUAL NUMBERS. IT REALLY HELPS US AS AS COUNCIL AND NOT EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON. SECONDLY, I WOULD SAY FOR. A ONE YEAR TIME PERIOD, I THINK IT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE WHERE THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF CALLS FOR FIRE AND EMS TO THE SHELTER, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING HOMED OUT OF THE SHELTER BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY ALL HAVE CASEWORKERS AND SOME OF THE OTHER IMPLEMENTATIONS. I, I THINK THAT IT HAS EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS AS FAR AS WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A YEAR. AND WITH THAT, I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL OF THOSE AT OUR DAILY BREAD AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS THAT HAVE MADE THESE CHANGES, HAVE LISTENED TO NOT ONLY THEIR HEARTS, THEIR HEADS, THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE CITY'S DIRECTION AS WELL, AND, AND WORK TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE REAL. AND THAT'S, THAT'S AMAZING. AND AGAIN, IT CERTAINLY HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY AS FAR AS THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. BUT AS FAR AS WHAT OUR CITY, MEANING EVERYONE INCLUDED, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY, I'M JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE AT ZERO. WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE AT ZERO. BUT I THINK THESE ARE INCREDIBLY INDICATIVE OF THE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE.

AND NOW WE'RE GETTING TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF THOSE IN ACTUAL LIVES AND PEOPLE GETTING EMPLOYED AND PEOPLE BEING HOUSED. I WANTED TO ASK YOU, AND THEN I ALSO KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES HERE. WHAT HAS BEEN THE FEEDBACK FROM EITHER THIS PRESENTATION OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE RECEIVED RECENTLY? OR DO WE WANT A COUPLE OF MINUTES? IF

[00:45:05]

ANY OF THE PARTNERS WANT TO EXPRESS WHAT THEY THINK IS WORKING OR NOT WORKING OR WHAT WE'RE DOING THAT'S MOVING US FORWARD, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? AND THEN, OF COURSE, IT'S UP TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND UP TO OUR PARTNERS IF THEY WANT TO GIVE ANY FEEDBACK OR NOT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S WELCOME TO DO THAT. GO AHEAD.

SORRY. YEAH. >> WELL THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER. I THINK YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD THAT WE HAVE TO THANK THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND THOSE AGENCIES ACROSS DENTON COUNTY WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO TO SUPPORT PEOPLE. IT ALMOST NOTHING IN HOMELESSNESS RELATED WORK HAS A THIS ONE THING, THEN THIS RESPONSE TO IT RELATED TO INCREASES, DECREASES. HOW TO HELP PEOPLE. THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET TO ANY OF THIS, BUT I THINK THE WORK THAT THE. THESE AGENCIES HAVE DONE TO GET BETTER AT HOUSING PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE HOUSED MORE PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS, THE MATURITY OF THE SYSTEM HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO BETTER SUPPORTING PEOPLE

EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. >> AND I'M HAPPY TO INVITE UP IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SPEAK FOR ABOUT MAYBE FOUR MINUTES, MR. HENDERSON, IF YOU'LL SAY YOUR

NAME AS WELL WHEN YOU GET UP TO THE MIC. YEAH. >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

>> YEAH. GARY HENDERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF UNITED WAY OF DENTON COUNTY. I JUST WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE LARGER SYSTEM. WHEN COUNCIL GIVES CLEAR POLICY DIRECTION, THERE'S COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT AMONG THE AGENCIES, THE STAFF TO WHERE WE KNOW HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT POLICY INTO ACTION. SO IT REALLY DID START WITH YOU GIVING CLEAR DIRECTION.

AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER JESTER, FOR DESCRIBING THOSE ACTIONS THAT FOLLOWED YOUR POLICY AS TOUGH DECISIONS. THOSE WERE NOT EASY ACTIONS, BUT AS A CITY, YOU ALSO PUT DOLLARS INTO THE SYSTEM FOR DIVERSION THAT ENABLED FOLKS WHO NEEDED TO EXIT THE SHELTER, GIVE US, AS A SYSTEM TIME AND FUNDING TO DIVERT THEM TO PLACES, LOCATIONS, FAMILY MEMBERS, RESOURCES WHERE THEIR PROBABILITY OF SUCCEEDING IS MUCH GREATER THAN IT IS HERE.

DENTON IS A LOVELY PLACE. PAM AND I LOVE BEING A RESIDENT OF DENTON, BUT FOR SOME FOLKS, THE COST OF HOUSING, THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION, THE JOB THEY CAN SECURE HERE DOESN'T ALIGN EARNING WITH WHAT IT COSTS TO BE A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, KEEPING THEM HERE IN THAT UPSIDE DOWN SITUATION IS INCREDIBLY CRUEL AND INHUMANE, DIVERTING THEM TO A COMMUNITY WHERE THEY HAVE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS IS A VERY POSITIVE OUTCOME. SO POLICY AND FUNDING ENABLING US TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO MOVE LIVES INTO PLACES WHERE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO SUCCEED. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND WE HEAR FROM OUR FRONTLINE PARTNERS WHO DAY IN AND DAY OUT, INTERACT WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS. BUT ON BEHALF OF UNITED WAY OF DENTON COUNTY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CLEAR DIRECTION AND YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT

ACTIONS BEHIND THAT DIRECTION. >> THANK YOU, MR. HENDERSON. THIS IS PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT, SO IT'S OKAY IF NOW'S NOT A GOOD TIME FOR ANYBODY, BUT WOULD YOU LIKE TO. YES. ALL

RIGHT. THANK YOU. YES. YEAH. >> YES. GREAT. >> IF YOU'LL SAY YOUR NAME,

WE'LL TRY TO DO ABOUT FOUR MINUTES. >> I'M WENDY MCGEE, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT OUR DAILY BREAD. SO CITY STAFF, CITY COUNCIL PERSONS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT AND KIND OF EXPAND ON JESSIE'S REPORT HERE. I WILL SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF POSITIVES THAT WE HAVE NOTICED FROM THESE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE AT THE SHELTER. IT WAS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO BECAUSE WE DID REMOVE THE EMERGENCY OVERNIGHT SHELTER PIECE, AND THAT IS ONLY KICKS IN DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.

AND THAT WAS THAT WAS DIFFICULT. BUT WE FELT LIKE PROVIDING THE INCLEMENT WEATHER OPTION WAS STILL PROVIDING SOME EMERGENCY SHELTER, STILL PROVIDING NINE HOURS WORTH OF DAY SHELTER WAS A BETTER OPTION. AND THEN REALLY DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DEDICATED CASE MANAGER, HAVE A LONGER TERM STAY, AND REALLY WORK ON WHAT GOT THEM TO THE SHELTER IN THE FIRST PLACE. TRY TO OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS AND HAVE THEM EXIT OUT THE OTHER SIDE INTO INDEPENDENT HOUSING, AND TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND NOT RETURN TO HOMELESSNESS. THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DOUBLE THAT, ESSENTIALLY WITH THE NEW PROGRAM WAS VERY EXCITING, BUT STILL IT IS. IT IS HARD TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY IN THE EVENING. WE HAVE SEEN SOME BENEFITS. WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. IF I COMPARE JANUARY TO MAY OF LAST YEAR AND JANUARY TO MAY OF THIS YEAR, THERE'S BEEN A 33% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF

[00:50:07]

PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TRANSITIONED OUT OF THE SHELTER. THEY'VE MOVED THROUGH THE PROGRAM, THEY'VE WORKED WITH A CASE MANAGER, AND THEN THEY'VE MOVED INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. AND WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

>> THAT 33%, 33%. >> YEAH. SO THAT'S A 33% INCREASE. THE DIVERSION BEDS AND GARY SPOKE ABOUT THIS DIVERSION IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE TRY TO DO WITH ANYONE WHO WALKS THROUGH OUR DOOR. AND IF WE CAN GET THEM BACK TO A SUPPORT SYSTEM, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO THAT. AND THAT IS OPEN TO JUST ABOUT ANYONE WHO COMES IN. AND SO THAT IS ALSO A NICE COMPROMISE FROM WHERE WE WERE BEFORE OUR CASE MANAGERS. OUR SHELTER STAFF WAS JUST SO OVERBURDENED. WE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDING TO MANAGE WHAT WE HAD GOING BEFORE. AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE GETTING LEFT BEHIND. ALL THEY HAD WAS THE EMERGENCY SHELTER OPTION. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CASE MANAGEMENT PIECE, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE WEREN'T EVEN GETTING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE SHELTER TO DO AN ASSESSMENT, TO SEE IF DIVERSION WAS EVEN AN OPTION. AND SO IT IS NICE THAT WE HAVE WE'VE CARVED OUT THESE 12 DIVERSION BEDS IN ADDITION TO THE 120 BEDS. AND ANYTIME WE CAN GET SOMEONE BACK TO THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM, WE WANT TO DO THAT. A LOT OF THAT IS DONE THROUGH THE BARRIERS FUND, AND I THINK THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT GARY WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO WE DO APPRECIATE THAT FUNDING AND THAT SUPPORT FROM THE BARRIERS FUND. WE ALSO HAVE SOME INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PROVIDED SOME DIVERSION FUNDING AS WELL. NOW, LAST YEAR WE DID HAVE MORE DIVERSION THAN WE HAVE HAD DURING THAT FIVE MONTH PERIOD THAN WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR. SO THERE WAS ABOUT A 43% DECREASE IN DIVERSION EFFORTS SINCE WE'VE GOT SINCE WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE NEW PROGRAM, OR AT LEAST OVER THOSE FIVE MONTHS. BUT WE STILL HAVE DIVERTED 13 PEOPLE THIS YEAR FROM JANUARY TO MAY BACK TO A SUPPORT SYSTEM. AND THEN TEMPORARY HOUSING HAS INCREASED UNDER THIS PROGRAM AS WELL. AND WHAT WE CONSIDER TEMPORARY HOUSING ARE MAYBE SOMEONE IS A SURVIVOR OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEY ARE FLEEING, AND WE ARE ABLE TO GET THEM TO A DV SHELTER THAT CAN HELP THEM WITH THEIR SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AND HELP THEM OVERCOME WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH. ALSO, RECOVERY PROGRAMS, WE SEND PEOPLE OUT TO SHORT TERM RECOVERY PROGRAMS THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION ISSUES. WE CONSIDER THOSE TO BE TEMPORARY HOUSING.

SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK TO US, SOMETIMES THEY GO ON INTO SOBER LIVING, AND THEN THEY GO ON INTO INDEPENDENT LIVING. THAT'S THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME. BUT WE STILL CONSIDER THAT TEMPORARY BECAUSE THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE COMING BACK TO US. THERE HAS BEEN A 13% INCREASE IN TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR THOSE FOLKS SINCE THE FROM JANUARY TO MAY OF THIS YEAR, COMPARED YEAR OVER YEAR, JANUARY, MAY OF LAST YEAR. SO THE THE BENEFITS OF THIS PROGRAM IS THAT THERE IS MORE INDIVIDUALIZED CASE MANAGEMENT FOR MORE PEOPLE. BEFORE WE HAD INCREASED OUR TRANSITIONAL SIDE OF THE SHELTER TO SERVE 60 PEOPLE, 64 PEOPLE. NOW WE'RE AT 120 PLUS THE 12 DIVERSION BEDS. SO THAT'S THAT'S ABOUT A 100% INCREASE. WE ARE SEEING IMPROVED HOUSING OUTCOMES. THAT'S ALL GOOD STUFF. IT'S A QUIETER ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN BE.

BUT FOR SOME OF US, OUR STAFF THAT THRIVE ON THE CHAOS, SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADJUSTMENT. HOWEVER, FOR A LOT OF OUR GUESTS, IT CAN JUST BE A LOT TO BE IN A SHELTER ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON AROUND THEM. AND SO I THINK THE, THE MOOD OF THE SHELTER, THERE'S FEWER PEOPLE COMING IN THAT CAN BE A BENEFIT TO SOME OF OUR FOLKS WHO STRUGGLE WITH THAT TOO MUCH SENSORY OR THEY'RE GOING THROUGH TRAUMA OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, THAT THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO BE IN A REALLY CROWDED AREA, IN A CROWDED ROOM. I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD IS. WHILE WE'RE WORKING WITH PEOPLE, WE'VE GOT SOME POSITIVE HOUSING OUTCOMES. THERE ARE STILL THE THOUGHT THAT WE WILL HAVE A HOUSING PLAN IN TWO, 1 TO 2 WEEKS IS JUST A LITTLE TRANSACTIONAL TO ME. OUR RELATIONSHIP, WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOLKS. WE WANT TO GET TO THE UNDERLYING ISSUES OF WHY THEY ARE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, HOW WE OVERCOME THEM SO THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE US AND THEY MOVE INTO INDEPENDENT HOUSING, THEY'RE SUSTAINING THAT. SO WE'RE PUTTING SOMETHING DOWN ON PAPER THAT WE WANT TO OBTAIN PERMANENT HOUSING. AND WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN INCOME SOURCE. BUT TO REALLY GET TO THE ROOT OF WHY WHY THEY'RE THERE, THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME. AND SO WHILE OUR NUMBERS ARE PRETTY GOOD AS FAR AS LENGTH OF

[00:55:02]

STAY, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THAT 120 DAYS THAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR IS STRICTLY AN AVERAGE, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE MAY NEED TO BE THERE FOR A YEAR OR MORE BECAUSE THEIR BARRIERS ARE SO SIGNIFICANT. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO BALANCE HAVING A GOAL OF HAVING PEOPLE OUT WITH 100 WITHIN 120 DAYS, MAKING SURE THEY HAVE A HOUSING PLAN WITHIN THIS TIME, BUT INDIVIDUALIZED CARE AS WELL. AND SOMETIMES THOSE TWO KIND OF CONFLICT A LITTLE BIT. SO THAT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A CHALLENGE FOR US.

PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT READY TO JUMP RIGHT INTO A PROGRAM AND START WORKING WITH THE CASE MANAGER. THAT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A BARRIER. SO NOW YOU COME INTO THE PROGRAM AND IMMEDIATELY YOU'RE MEETING WITH THE CASE MANAGER. WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU HOUSED. WE WANT YOU TO SIT DOWN WITH US, EXPLAIN ALL OF YOUR CHALLENGES AND ALL YOUR BARRIERS AND WHAT YOUR HISTORY IS AND HOW YOU GOT HERE. AGAIN, THAT IS STUFF THAT CAN BE A LOT COMING AT SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE STILL VERY MUCH IN THEIR TRAUMA.

THEY'RE NOT READY TO TO MOVE FORWARD AND ACCEPT PEOPLE. SO THE PROGRAM REALLY REQUIRES THAT YOU COME IN PREPARED AND READY TO, TO BE A PART OF YOUR JOURNEY TO EXIT HOMELESSNESS.

AND THAT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE BEFORE YOU HAD THE EMERGENCY SHELTER. AND WE CAN MOVE PEOPLE OVER AS THEY WERE READY. I KNOW THAT WAS NOT A POPULAR THING THAT WAS IN THE AUDIT, BUT IT WAS AS THEY WERE READY, WE COULD MOVE THEM INTO THE TRANSITIONAL SHELTER. NOW YOU GOT TO BE READY DAY ONE WHEN YOU COME IN AND YOU GOT TO BE READY TO GO. AND IF YOU DON'T, YOU MAY BE EXITED. AND SO THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING WITH THE NEW PROGRAM. WE'VE HAD A WAITING LIST. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A CHALLENGE BECAUSE MAYBE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE READY TO COME IN, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO WAIT. WE ALSO HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY IN LOCATING PEOPLE. SO YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO CALL YOU OR SEND YOU AN EMAIL OR WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS.

SO WE HAVE STREET OUTREACH PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH. WE HAVE CITY FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH TO HELP US LOCATE PEOPLE, BUT WE KNOW THAT CELL PHONES DON'T ALWAYS WORK. THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER. SO THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT HAVE THEIR NAMES HAVE COME UP FOR THE PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CONTACT THEM. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE AND A REAL BARRIER AROUND THIS PROGRAM. AND I THINK WHILE WE REALLY TRIED TO PUT INFORMATION OUT, AND I KNOW THE CITY DID AS WELL ABOUT WHAT THE PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE NOW AND THAT THE SHELTER IS STILL OPEN AND WE STILL HAVE A SHELTER, AND EVERYBODY CAN APPLY TO BE A PART OF THIS NEW PROGRAM. WE'RE STILL RUNNING INCLEMENT WEATHER.

THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE. WE HEAR FROM A LOT OF FOLKS THAT PEOPLE THINK THE SHELTER IS CLOSED, OR YOU CAN'T COME IN FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER. YOU CAN'T COME IN AND EAT. YOU CAN'T COME IN AND SHOWER, YOU CAN'T COME IN AND GET CLOTHING. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE STILL TRUE.

WE'RE STILL MEETING THOSE BASIC NEEDS DURING THE DAY, AND EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY TO BE ON THE IN THE PROGRAM. BUT I THINK THAT HAS BEEN DETRIMENTAL TO I THINK IT'S CAUSED A LITTLE BIT OF REPUTATION HARM TO OUR DAILY BREAD, BUT MORE SO IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED WHO MAY NOT BE COMING IN BECAUSE THEY'RE HEARING THAT THESE SERVICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM. SO TO SUM ALL THAT UP, ALL IN ALL, WE ARE HAPPY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HELP MORE PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS AND INTO INDEPENDENT LIVING. BUT IT HAS BEEN A IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY FOR US. AND IT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN PEAKS AND VALLEYS AND IT'S BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING, I THINK.

>> SO I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK, WENDY. AND Y'ALL ARE STILL GIVING TOURS. IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVEN'T DONE IT YET OR HAVEN'T BEEN THERE IN A WHILE, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER STEVENS JUST DID A TOUR WITH Y'ALL, SO I RECOMMEND IT IF ANYBODY HASN'T DONE IT. I DID

IT LAST YEAR. >> AND WE'RE STILL SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE. SO I THINK NOW WE'RE WE THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD 860 PEOPLE COME IN. IT WAS 840 LAST WEEK. WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD A WEEK NOW COME IN TO THE SHELTER SEEKING SERVICES. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER MORE THAN WHAT IS IN THE COUNT. SO THERE ARE STILL FOLKS OUT THERE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ALTHOUGH OUR NUMBER IS SLIGHTLY REDUCED FROM WHERE IT WAS YEAR OVER YEAR.

ANY QUESTIONS? >> ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER HOLLAND. THANK

YOU. >> THIS IS A NOBLE CALLING AND I APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING THE CALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PERHAPS A YEAR AGO, WE THE COUNCIL HEARD THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE SHELTER THAT HAD BEEN IN THE SHELTER SINCE DAY ONE, AND THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO, TO, TO GET THEM ON TO PERMANENT HOUSING. HAS THAT. HOW'S THAT GOING?

>> WE HAVE WE HAVE MOVED LIKE I THIN MONTH, WE HAD FOUR PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN IN

[01:00:04]

SHELTER FOR MORE THAN ALMOST 270 DAYS. SO THEY HAVE BEEN IN AT THE START OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN THERE LONG BEFORE THAT. SO WE WERE COUNTING FROM SEPTEMBER 1ST, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THEM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. SO THE CASE MANAGEMENT WORKS AND IT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN JUST THROWING SOMEONE INTO HOUSING AND THEN TRYING TO WRAP SERVICES AROUND THEM. SO HAVING THE TIME TO WORK WITH FOLKS AND TO, I THINK, ADDRESS WHATEVER ISSUES BROUGHT THEM THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND TO TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES TO TRY TO OVERCOME THOSE. I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT PEOPLE WILL MAINTAIN MORE SO THAN THEY WOULD HAVE IF WE WERE JUST IF IT WAS JUST TRANSACTIONAL, GETTING THEM INTO A HOME AND THEN HOPING THAT WE COULD WRAP SERVICES AROUND THEM. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT TIME WITH THEM IN THE SHELTER. AND SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVE A LOT OF LONG TERM PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAM NOW WHO ARE GETTING CASE MANAGEMENT AND THEY HAVE EXITED. AND I MEAN, SOME OF THESE FOLKS, WE WERE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND HOUSING SOLUTION, BUT WORKING AND WORKING, WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WORKING WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES, GIVING THEM THAT DEDICATED TIME

AND SUPPORT HAS REALLY IT HAS WORKED. >> EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT. THANKS

TO YOU AND TO ALL OF YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. >> COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHENS.

>> THANK YOU. I DO HAVE QUESTIONS LATER FOR FOR JESSIE AS WELL, BUT I WANT TO ASK A FEW OF THESE TO YOU BECAUSE AND I'LL ECHO DEFINITELY GO VISIT OUR DAILY BREAD. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FOR TWO HOURS LAST WEEK AND IT IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. YOU KNOW, WOODY WAS A GREAT TOUR GUIDE, ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS, AND THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING TO ME WAS THE KITCHEN OPERATION. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST WILD. NICER THAN ANY COMMERCIAL KITCHEN I'VE EVER

BEEN. IT'S BEAUTIFUL, SPOTLESS. >> AND IT'S ALMOST ALL VOLUNTEERS IN THERE.

>> JUST SO HIGHLY RECOMMEND VISITING BECAUSE I JUST FOR MYSELF, IT'S HARD TO WANT TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON PLACES. AND SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THERE. I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, I GUESS LIKE THE MISS COUNT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY. SO I HAD HEARD IT WAS 840 WHEN I WAS SPEAKING WITH SOMEONE AT ODB. RIGHT? THAT'S 840 FOR THIS YEAR. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. AND SO IT

WAS. >> ROUNDED DOWN. IT WAS ACTUALLY.

>> 842842 AND, AND THAT'S THAT'S. 842 UNIQUE. INDICATED UNDUPLICATED AND SO LAST YEAR,

THE TOTAL AT JUST ODB WAS 1879. >> THAT'S THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT. WE TYPICALLY RUN AROUND

1900 2000 PEOPLE A YEAR, UNCOMPLICATED INDIVIDUALS. >> AND YOU HAD YOU HAD

MENTIONED IT WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? >> I DID THAT BASED ON A PROJECTION OF WHERE WE WOULD BE WITH. IF YOU JUST TOOK THAT OUT OVER THE THE NEXT SEVEN MONTHS.

OKAY. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ACTUALLY, I THINK. JESSIE 1789 MAYBE OR RIGHT AROUND 1800, SO

SLIGHTLY REDUCED FROM WHAT WE LOOKED AT LAST YEAR. >> AWESOME.

>> IF IT TRENDS THE WAY IT HAS. >> SURE. AND I WOULD IMAGINE COLDER MONTHS ARE A LITTLE

BUSIER. IS THAT OR IS THAT AN UNFAIR ASSUMPTION? >> I THINK THE HIGH THAT WE HAD FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER BEDS IN JANUARY WAS 88. WE PUT OUT AN ADDITIONAL 88 MATS OR PUT PEOPLE IN OPEN BEDS. OKAY. BUT THE SUMMER SOMETIMES CAN BE BECAUSE IT'S LONGER. IT SEEMS LIKE WE ONLY GET USUALLY A LITTLE BIT OF A COLD SNAP, AND THEN PEOPLE ARE COMING IN FOR

THAT. SO IT JUST DEPENDS. >> OKAY. THE OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE AVERAGE DAY AND I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF I HEARD JESSE CORRECTLY OR NOT. IS THE AVERAGE DAY NOW IS 59 DAYS.

>> I DON'T I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU CAN THAT MAY BE ACROSS THE BOARD WITH EVERYONE.

>> THAT WAS THE MEDIAN LENGTH OF STAY FOR CURRENT CLIENTS. >> OKAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER

QUESTIONS THEN. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. >> THANKS SO MUCH.

>> ALL RIGHT. THANKS AGAIN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR WAS THERE ANY OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT WANTED TO SPEAK? OKAY. SEEING NO MOVEMENTS. ANY FINAL QUESTIONS FOR JIM?

>> STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? >> PARDON? YOU DO? YES. OH GO AHEAD. I WASN'T FINISHED.

>> I'M SORRY. EVEN BEFORE THE SHELTER OPENED IT, IT WAS CURIOUS TO ME TO SEE IN THE INFORMATION PROVIDED THAT LEWISVILLE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO OUR POPULATION, HAD SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT VERSUS DENTON. ANY THOUGHTS OR INSIGHT INTO WHY IS IT THAT IN OUR REGION OR AREA,

[01:05:03]

OR EVEN IN OUR COUNTY THAT DENTON IS WHERE THEY COME? I MEAN, LEWISVILLE IS CLOSER TO THE METRO AREAS. IT JUST SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE. YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD HAVE AT LEAST

COMPARABLE. BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO. ANY IDEA? >> YEAH. SO WE ARE THE COUNTY SEAT AND MOST OF THE SERVICES THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS ARE LOCATED HERE. SO THE THE EXISTENCE OF THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HEALTH INDIGENT CARE PROGRAM BEING HERE PREVIOUSLY, THE TWO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, NOW THE ONE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL BEING HERE WHERE ANYONE WHO IS. WHO'S INVOLUNTARILY DETAINED GETS BROUGHT TO DENTON. AND THEN THEY'RE HERE WE ARE WHERE THE SERVICES ARE LOCATED. WE DO HAVE THE THE TWO SHELTERS, BOTH OUR DAILY BREAD AND THE SALVATION ARMY. SO THERE THERE IS A LOT OF A LOT OF THE NONPROFIT KIND OF I'D SAY THE NONPROFIT CENTER OF GRAVITY IS HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF DENTON, AND THOSE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. ONE THING THAT IS INTERESTING IS WHAT THE. THE, THE CHRISTINE JUST TEXTED ME. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE JAIL BEING HERE. YES, THE JAIL IS A GOOD IS ANOTHER POINT OF OF WHY WE HAVE THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT GETTING THAT CLIENT LEVEL OF EVICTION DATA IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO START TO PIECE TOGETHER THE PATHWAY WHERE WE SEE SOMEONE IN OUR HOUSING CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM. AND THEN A FEW MONTHS PRIOR, WE SEE AN EVICTION. AND IT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THAT DATA, TO SHOW THAT WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM LEWISVILLE, FLOWER MOUND, ROANOKE WHO ARE HERE IN OUR SYSTEM THAT WERE EVICTED IN ANOTHER CITY, IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES TO HELP STRENGTHEN EVICTION PREVENTION. BECAUSE DENTON HAS A PROPORTIONALLY LOWER SHARE OF

EVICTIONS THAN THE REST OF DENTON COUNTY. >> THIS IS ALL FASCINATING, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW IT COMES OUT INTO OPINIONS AS WE CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE. AND I'M

DONE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. >> COUNCILMEMBER STEVENS.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HEARD FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

I THINK YOU HAD A MEETING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LAST WEEK ON, ON, ON INCLEMENT

WEATHER. >> YES, SIR. >> AND IT WAS JUST REALLY ENCOURAGING TO HEAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE. THE ECLECTIC GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE THERE AND COLLABORATING WITH EACH OTHER. I THINK THAT'S A BIG TESTAMENT TO THE CITY'S WORK OF, OF, OF DOING THAT. AND SO I JUST HONESTLY WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IN THE PRESENTATION. AND ONES, OUT OF CURIOSITY, BECAUSE YOU HAD MENTIONED THE PIT COUNT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S FLAWED AS A, AS A, AS A WAY TO COUNT. ARE THERE. OTHER MODELS THAT ARE USED THAT ARE MORE ACCURATE.

>> AS FAR AS THE THE PIT COUNT OR WAYS OF CONDUCTING THE PIT COUNT OR YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WAYS OF, OF TRYING TO BETTER TRACK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. YEAH.

I THINK THAT THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST IS ONE OF OUR BEST, OUR BEST MEASURES. IF WE ARE ENGAGING WITH INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IF WE ARE TRYING TO GET THEM INTO HOUSING SUPPORTS, THEY WILL BE ON THIS LIST. AND THIS IS A A MONTHLY UPDATED LIST. IT'S BETTER TRACKING. AND ACTUALLY, OVER TIME, WE'VE SEEN THE THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE PIT COUNT AND THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST NARROW, WHICH IS KIND OF A GOOD WAY THEY CAN CHECK EACH OTHER TO SEE, TO SEE HOW ACCURATE IT IS. YEAH. THOSE. OKAY, THAT'S PROBABLY OUR BEST.

THE DATA DATA DASHBOARD THAT UNITED WAY MAINTAINS. >> I HAD JUST A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS. ONE WAS JUST ABOUT YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT ENCAMPMENTS AND THAT OBVIOUSLY THE GOAL IS NOT TO SHUFFLE SOMEONE INTO A NEW ENCAMPMENT. DO WE HAVE DATA THAT SHOWS WHERE THEY ARE GOING? I KNOW THAT ONE OF OUR GOALS IS TO MOVE THEM FROM AN ENCAMPMENT INTO SHELTER. WHAT MEASUREMENTS DO WE HAVE TO TO LOOK AT HOW THAT'S BEEN WORKING?

>> SO WE DO HAVE SOME PERFORMANCE DATA FROM OUR STREET OUTREACH VENDOR ON HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY'VE PERMANENTLY HOUSED MONTH OVER MONTH AND THEIR GOALS WITHIN THAT CONTRACT. WE COULD ALSO, THERE ARE PROBABLY WAYS TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'VE MADE THE

[01:10:03]

TRANSITION, LET'S SAY WE IDENTIFIED SOMEONE IN ENCAMPMENT AND THEN WE HELPED THEM ENROLL IN OUR DAILY PROGRAM WHERE WE COULD GO BACK AND KIND OF LOOK THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND TRACK IT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY DIFFICULT ABOUT HOMELESSNESS DATA IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY AGENCIES WORKING ON IT AND SO MANY DIFFERENT DATA REPOSITORIES BETWEEN, I GUESS, BETWEEN ATHENA WHERE THE POLICE RECORDS DATA, THE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S DATA, OUR DATA ON ENCAMPMENTS SOMETIMES CAN BE DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING TO TRY AND

STITCH EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO TELL A COMPLETE STORY. >> OKAY. ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ABOUT THE POLICE CALLS. SURE. AND AND I REALLY THINK IT'S JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY. SO. YOU HAD SAID THAT. WELL, I HAD ASKED AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT THE INCREASE AND JUST REALLY ASKING FOR A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT TYPE OF CALLS WERE RECEIVED AND THAT I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE OF A CODING PROCESS. IT SAYS THAT A SINGLE CALL TYPE THAT PREVENTED CALLS FROM BEING IDENTIFIED BASED ON TYPES. AND SO THAT IS

WHAT IT WAS IN THE PAST. BUT THEY'VE CHANGED THAT NOW. >> YES, SIR. AND I'M THE CHIEF

OF POLICE HERE AS WELL. I CAN SPEAK TO THAT IF. >> THANK YOU.

>> THE ANSWER TO THOSE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL TONY SALAS, INTERIM CHIEF OF POLICE.

SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE'VE CHANGED THE WAY WE WE'RE COLLECTING DATA. IT WAS BEFORE IT WAS THE MODEL WAS THE CALL FOR SERVICE HAD TO BE CODED AS A HOMELESS INITIATIVE OR HOMELESS PROBLEM. AND THEN THAT WE WOULD RECORD THE CALL FOR SERVICE THAT WAY. THAT WAS INCONSISTENT WITH WHAT FIRE WAS REPORTING. AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS WERE REPORTING. SO ANY NOW, ANY CALL THAT HAS RELATED TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL IS WE'RE CODING IT THAT WAY THROUGH A CALL TYPE. SO THERE'S A, THERE'S CALL FOR SERVICE TYPES AND THERE'S A CALL TYPE THAT

WE'RE RECORDING UNDER NOW. >> OKAY. SO, SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL SHOW NOW THAT IT'S AN UNHOUSED RESIDENT, BUT THEN ALSO SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE CALL WAS ABOUT.

>> CORRECT. IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM A SHOPLIFTING TO A CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO A DOMESTIC. SO BEFORE WE WERE ACTUALLY, WE WERE TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE ACTUAL CALL FOR SERVICE IN ITSELF, BUT WE WERE MISSING ALL THE DATA RELATED TO ANY OTHER CALLS THAT WERE

APPRECIATE THAT CHANGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> YOU MIGHT SEE AN INCREASE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE CAPTURING ALL THE CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT ARE COMING IN THAT ARE RELATED.

OKAY, THIS COMMUNITY. >> AND HAVE YOU AND SO HAS THERE BEEN I DON'T REMEMBER,

HAS THERE BEEN AN INCREASE IN CALLS FROM RESIDENTS? SURE. >> SO WE'RE CAPTURING THOSE AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE DISPATCH CALLS THAT OFFICERS RESPOND TO. FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT THEY THEY WANT TRESPASSED OR THERE'S THEY'RE CAUSING A DISTURBANCE AT A LOCATION, THEN WE'RE CAPTURING THAT DATA AS WELL.

>> OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. I'M SORRY, MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU'RE

GOOD. >> OH, SORRY. >> RELATED TO POLICE OR JUST.

>> YEAH. >> FOR ME? YES. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE MISS NUMBERS. JUST SURE, SURE TO MAKE TO CORRECT MY PROBABLY BAD ASSUMPTIONS. AND SO IF. THE NUMBERS LAST YEAR WERE 1879 AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST OADBY, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE COME FOR SERVICING. BUT IF THAT NUMBER WAS OVER 1800 AND AND THIS YEAR FOR 2026 WERE EXPECTING ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT, MAYBE 80 LESS. I THINK HOW THAT COMPUTES IN MY HEAD IS THERE'S STILL THE SAME AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMING FOR SERVICES. AND THAT MAYBE THE UNHOUSED POPULATION IS QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN THE PIT COUNT IS ACCOUNTING FOR. DOES THAT IS THAT LIKE A FAIR ASSUMPTION

THAT I'M MAKING? >> YEAH, I THINK THAT THE PIT COUNT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN UNDERCOUNT TO SOME DEGREE. WE WE TRY AND DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO COUNT EVERY INDIVIDUAL.

JUST LIKE WITH THE HOUSING PRIORITY LIST, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ENGAGE EVERY INDIVIDUAL, BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN EITHER OF THOSE COUNTS THAT THAT ARE THERE AND THAT NEED SUPPORT. I THINK THAT THE BEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS JUST TO KEEP IN MIND HOW TRANSIENT THIS POPULATION IS. AND SO ALTHOUGH WE MAY SEE 1700 OR I THINK 1764 IS THE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE IT STRAIGHT LINES ACROSS FOR THIS YEAR, UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS AT THE AT THE SHELTER. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE MIGHT BE HERE FOR A FEW DAYS. THEY MIGHT BE HERE FOR MONTHS, OR SOMETIMES THEY'RE HERE FOR

[01:15:01]

YEARS. AND SO IT'S IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY WHAT ON THE GIVEN DAY. AND THAT'S WHAT THE THE PIT COUNT TRIES TO CAPTURE IS ON THIS GIVEN DAY, THIS WAS THE NUMBER. BUT THE INFLOWS AND OUTFLOWS OF THAT ARE MUCH HARDER TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THE POPULATION IS SO TRANSIENT.

OKAY, THANKS. >> THOSE ARE REALLY MY ONLY QUESTIONS. JUST A STATEMENT, WHICH IS THAT I THINK AS I CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS, I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC BUT SLIGHTLY CONCERNED AT THE SAME TIME. AND I THINK LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT NEXT YEAR'S NUMBERS WILL BE, BECAUSE IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE A TREND OR MAYBE NOT. AND SO A LITTLE CONCERN JUST BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE OF CALLS, A LITTLE CONCERN BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS SEEM TO BE SIMILAR, BUT IT DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING PEOPLE IN HOMES WITH A WIDER VARIETY OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP THE UNHOUSED. AND SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE

THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> ANY LAST QUESTIONS FROM OVER THERE? THANK YOU. JESSE. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT AS COUNCIL MEMBER STEVENS WAS SAYING IT. YOU KNOW, WE NEED EVERYBODY INVOLVED. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE OF THE ROOM, AS WELL AS FOLKS THAT AREN'T HERE.

THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE MORE WORK TO DO. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS DOING ON THIS. AS JUST AS A REMINDER, YOU SAID THAT THE

AUDIT WE EXPECT NEXT YEAR, THE FOLLOW UP. >> YES.

>> OKAY. AT SOME POINT. >> I DON'T KNOW WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES THE AUDITORS PLAN, BUT

THAT'S THAT'S MY EXPECTATION. >> THE EXPECTATION IS NEXT YEAR. WE'LL SEE THE FOLLOW UP. ALL

[C. ID 26-0624 Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction on pending City Council requests for: 1) AI Data Facility Application Process 2) Denton Firemen’s Relief and Retirement Fund [Estimated Presentation/Discussion Time: 30 minutes]]

RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >> NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM C, ID 26-0624. RECEIVE A REPORT, HOLD A DISCUSSION AND GIVE STAFF DIRECTION ON PENDING CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR ONE AN AI DATA FACILITY APPLICATION PROCESS AND TWO FIREMENS RELIEF

AND RETIREMENT FUND. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL. I'M BILL PRETZEL. I'M THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND I'LL BE GETTING YOU STARTED ON THE TWO MINUTE PITCH PROCESS. AS A REMINDER, THE REQUESTING COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE UP TO TWO MINUTES TO DESCRIBE AND JUSTIFY THEIR REQUESTS. REMAINING COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL THEN HAVE A MAXIMUM OF ONE MINUTE EACH TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND INDICATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE USE OF CITY STAFF. TIME TO RESPOND TO THE REQUEST. STAFF WILL RESPOND TO ALL REQUESTS FOR A CONSENSUS OF AT LEAST FOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AS ESTABLISHED, THE AGENDA COMMITTEE WILL ASSIST IN SCHEDULING ITEMS RECEIVING CONSENSUS BASED ON PRIORITY OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

PRIORITY CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS HIGH, MODERATE OR LOW. TODAY WE HAVE TWO TWO MINUTE PITCH SESSIONS. THE FIRST ONE WILL BE THE AI DATA FACILITY APPLICATION PROCESS. AND THEN

I'LL TURN THAT BACK TO YOU. EMPTY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHENS, YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO GIVE US YOUR PITCH. WHEN YOU START TALKING,

I WILL START THE TIMER. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THE PITCH IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND IT'S ABOUT AI DATA CENTERS AND THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE ALSO SEEN IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME TO A HEAD THIS WEEKEND. WHEN I TOLD MAYOR PRO TEM BEFORE THE MEETING, I WAS SITTING THERE DRINKING A GLASS OF WINE AND WATCHING PARKS AND REC, AND I SAW THIS EMAIL THAT WAS VERY COLORFUL FROM SOMEONE THAT THAT WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAME THING TOO. I'M GOING TO READ IT TO YOU AND THEN JUST EXPLAIN OR REITERATE WHAT IT IS THAT I'M ASKING FOR. I'M PROPOSING A WORK SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF HAVING A DISCUSSION AND PROVIDING DIRECTION, ON CREATING A POSSIBILITY ON HOW WE, AS A CITY APPROACH DATA CENTER APPLICATIONS MOVING FORWARD. THIS WOULD INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, A DISCUSSION ON A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON FUTURE APPLICATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVALUATING WHETHER THE PROJECTED INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND FINANCIAL RETURN ASSOCIATED WITH THE TWO CURRENTLY APPROVED DATA CENTERS ALIGN WITH THEIR PROJECTIONS. ONCE OPERATIONAL. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A BIG TOPIC OF CONCERN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.

I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANYONE RIGHT HERE TO HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS. I'M ASKING FOR US TO HAVE A DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN ALL FORM AN OPINION. I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THIS MOVING FORWARD, IS HAVE ALL OF THE DATA, ALL OF THE DETAILS PROVIDED TO US TO SEE WHAT, IF ANYTHING, THERE IS WE CAN DO. IT'S CLEARLY VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP, BECAUSE I THINK DISCUSSIONS ARE GOOD. AND, AND I HOPE YOU AGREE

WITH ME ON THAT. BUT THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR TODAY. >> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

[01:20:04]

>> THANK YOU. >> COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER VILLARREAL. YOU'LL HAVE ONE

MINUTE. >> ABSOLUTELY. WELL, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING THIS RATED AS A MEDIUM PRIORITY. LIKE COUNCILMEMBER STEPHENS SAID, YOU KNOW, FROM THE VILLAGES OF CARMEL UP TO SOUTHEAST DENTON, FOLKS IN DISTRICT ONE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR MACK. IF THE CITY DOES PASS A MORATORIUM, A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM, THAT WOULD NOT PRECLUDE THE CITIZEN RELATED INITIATED ORDINANCE FROM TAKING PLACE IF THEY WANT TO HAVE A FULL ON BAN, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A DISCUSSION BY SOME OF THE CITIZENS HERE IN TOWN ABOUT PUSHING FOR SOME TYPE OF CITIZEN INITIATED REFERENDUM.

>> WELL, WE USUALLY DON'T ASK QUESTIONS IN THIS FORMAT, BUT I THINK IT'S A QUICK ONE, RIGHT? YEAH. JUST FOR NEXT TIME. FOR NEXT TIME. OKAY. BUT NO, THOSE TWO ARE INDEPENDENT PROCESSES.

THEY WERE NOT IMPACT EACH OTHER. IF THEY DO GO FORWARD ON BOTH. YEAH.

>> SO MEETING PRIORITY. >> ALL RIGHT. >> APPRECIATE IT.

>> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLAND. >> I THINK IT'S A TOPIC THAT'S CERTAINLY BEARS DISCUSSION. I

DON'T SEE THE RUSH. I'D GIVE IT A LOW PRIORITY. OKAY. >> COUNCILMEMBER JESTER.

>> THANK YOU. I THINK I I'M SURE WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD HAS READ DIFFERENT ARTICLES, BOTH SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE SKY IS FALLING AND OTHERS SAYING IT'S REALLY NOT AS WORRISOME AS YOU THINK AS FAR AS THE WATER USAGE, ETC. BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO NOT LOOK INTO. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT IT'S AN IMPARTIAL. HERE ARE THE FACTS. HERE'S HOW MUCH ENERGY IT TAKES. HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE. HERE'S WHAT IT COSTS US. HERE'S WHAT WE MAKE. IF IT IS A DANGER TO OUR WATER SUPPLIES, ETC. SO IN THAT VEIN, I'M I'M IN AGREEMENT. AND I WOULD SAY MEDIUM TO LOW AS IN IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW. AS FAR AS ANYONE KNEW, KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR. SO THAT'S WHERE I AM. AND

THANK YOU. >> FOR ME, I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING THE DISCUSSION ON PRIORITY. THIS IS BASED ONLY ON TIME. SO AS COUNCIL MEMBER, JESTER WAS SORT OF ALLUDING, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA CENTERS IN THE QUEUE. WE'RE HEARING THAT ERCOT IS SORT OF THROTTLING THINGS A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW AS THEY SORT OF WORK ON SOME NEW. I MEAN, THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF REQUESTS ALL AT ONCE. AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY AT LEAST TWO YEARS BEFORE THEY'LL EVEN START ACCEPTING NEW THINGS. SO FROM THE TIME STANDPOINT, I WOULD GO LOW PRIORITY ON THIS, BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S EVERYBODY IN SUPPORT. I THINK WE'RE KIND OF TIED ON MEDIUM LOW. SO JUST I GUESS WHERE IT MAKES SENSE TO, TO PUT THAT MEDIUM. YEAH. OR MEDIUM.

YEAH. MEDIUM RARE, MEDIUM RARE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER VILLARREAL, WHENEVER YOU ARE

READY YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES WHEN YOU START TALKING. >> FANTASTIC. BEFORE I GET INTO THE PITCH, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS ORIGINATED OUT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND I AM ASKING FOR HIGH PRIORITY AS IT IS CRITICAL TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS TWO RELATED ITEMS CONCERNING THE DENTON FIREMENS RELIEF AND RETIREMENT FUND. A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT COLA FOR RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS, AND THE TRANSFER OF OUR 911 DISPATCHERS FROM THE FIRE PENSION SYSTEM INTO TMRS. ON THE FIRST ITEM, OUR RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS GAVE DECADES OF THEIR SERVICE SERVICE PROTECTING THIS COMMUNITY. THE CITY OF DENTON'S GENERAL FUND BALANCE CURRENTLY SITS AT NEARLY 42.8 MILLION 23.6% OF EXPENDITURES, WELL ABOVE THE GFOA RECOMMENDED 16.67% FLOOR, AND OUR TOTAL GOVERNMENTAL FUND BALANCE HAS INCREASED OVER 47% SINCE FY 23. THE CITY IS AT A STRONG FISCAL POSITION. MEANWHILE, OUR RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SEEN INFLATION STEADILY ERODE THEIR FIXED PENSION BENEFITS. A COLA IS NOT JUST A FINANCIAL QUESTION, IT IS A MORAL ONE. THESE RETIREES MAKE CAREER LONG COMMITMENTS TO THE CITY, AND WE SHOULD HONOR THAT COMMITMENT WITH THE WORK SESSION TO EXPLORE WHAT A COLA WOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE CITY CAN RESPONSIBLY SUPPORT. ON THE SECOND ITEM. RIGHT NOW, DISPATCHERS UNDER THE AGE OF 36 ARE REQUIRED TO ENROLL IN THE FIREMENS RELIEF AND RETIREMENT FUND AND CONTRIBUTE 12% OF THEIR GROSS PAY. EVERY OTHER CITY EMPLOYEE PAYS 7% THROUGH TMRS. THERE'S A FIVE POINT PENALTY ON EVERY PAYCHECK FOR DISPATCHERS AT THE START OF THEIR CAREER. AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED 911 STAFF, MOVING DISPATCHERS TO TMRS ALIGNS THEM WITH THE REST OF OUR WORKFORCE, REDUCES THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON NEW HIRES, AND STRENGTHENS OUR ABILITY TO STAFF THE COMMUNICATION CENTER. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES DIRECTLY AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO KEEP PROMISES TO THOSE WHO'VE SERVED, AND TO RECRUIT THE NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS. I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT SCHEDULING A WORK SESSION SO STAFF CAN BRING US FULL ACTUARIAL AND FISCAL ANALYSIS ON BOTH ITEMS. AGAIN,

[01:25:05]

THIS IS SUPPORTED BY BOTH THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND AFTER CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND I AM ASKING FOR HIGH PRIORITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

>> COUNCILMEMBER STEPHENS. >> YEAH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS. I, I AGREE WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE. I'M VERY FASCINATED IN PARTICULAR WITH WITH THE SECOND ITEM ON THERE AND REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN. BUT, BUT YEAH, I DO THINK THIS IS A HIGH PRIORITY. I KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY HAS JUST BEEN MAKING SURE I THINK, WELL, I'M GOING TO SAY MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET AND EVERYTHING ELSE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALL WANT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RESPECTING STAFF, RESPECTING EMPLOYEES. AND, AND SO I, I, I THINK WOULD BE GREAT TO JUST LOOK AT THE DATA AND SEE WHAT

WE CAN DO. THANK YOU. >> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLAND. >> THANK YOU. SINCE IT'S SUPPORTED, I UNDERSTAND, BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR SOME SOMETHING FROM THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS. AND AND I'M AND I'M FASCINATED BY THE THE SENTENCE THE CITY IS IN A STRONG FISCAL POSITION. THAT HAS NOT BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING. SO I'D LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION

ON THAT, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE. >> IS THAT THAT'S NOT TYPICAL? NO. OKAY.

>> OKAY. >> BASED ON NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION, KIND OF WHERE DO

YOU. >> I'M, I'M A, I'M A POLICE AND FIRE GUY. I GIVE IT I SUPPORT,

OKAY. >> COUNCILMEMBER JESTER. >> I KNOW THAT IT'S HIGHLY TECHNICAL, JUST A LITTLE BIT. I DO KNOW ABOUT AS FAR AS I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE MEET AND CONFER THIS YEAR. SO A LOT OF THAT IS TIED UP IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGREEMENTS. I KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT, OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, AS FAR AS THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNIONS VERSUS THE EXECUTIVE STAFF, ETC. SO, YOU KNOW, SAYING IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY. IT STILL MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE WHILE BECAUSE I THINK IT IS VERY TECHNICAL, BUT I THINK SEEING COMPARABLES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST FOR OUR FIRE AND POLICE, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN FAVOR OF. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. THANK YOU.

>> AND THEN I'M GOING TO ADD MY VOICE TO THAT AS WELL. ALWAYS HAPPY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. AND IF IT MAKES SENSE, IF WE'RE ABLE TO PUT THAT IN THIS CYCLE, LET'S DO THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT QUITE FEASIBLE AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD LIKE. SO I THINK WE GOT HIGH PRIORITY ACROSS THE BOARD ON THIS ONE. ALL RIGHT. OH WAIT. OH WAIT. WE HAVE A THING.

>> OH OH. >> FIRST PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU, THANK.

>> YOU. >> THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. YAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. BEFORE WE GO INTO CLOSED SESSION, THERE WAS ONE THING I FORGOT TO SAY EARLIER ABOUT OUR CONSENT AGENDA. ON CONSENT AGENDA, WE ARE PULLING F AND G AS WELL. THOSE ITEMS ARE JUST NOT MOVING FORWARD AT ALL. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE

[1. Closed Meeting:]

VOTING ON THOSE. SO THAT IS ITEMS F AND G. AND WITH THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW AT 3:28 P.M. CONVENE IN CLOSED MEETING TO DELIBERATE THE CLOSED MEETING ITEMS SET FORTH ON THE AGENDA, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEM A I'D 26-0839 CONSULTATIONS WITH ATTORNEYS UNDER THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.071 REGARDING RESOLUTION OF A CASE FILED. JESUS. MANUEL RODRIGUEZ RIVERA VERSUS CITY OF DENTON AND ALSO CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEYS UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE. SECTION 551.071 REGARDING LITIGATION STYLE. BRIANA, LEE AND NIX, AS WELL AS ITEM C, I'D 26-0081 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEYS UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551071 REGARDING RESOLUTION OF LITIGATION STYLED STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY OF SEVERAL G

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

[01:30:04]

WF THE DENTON CITY COUNCIL. THE TIME IS 630. WE HAVE A QUORUM, SO I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND

THE PLEDGE TO THE TEXAS FLAG. STAND WITH ME IF YOU'RE ABLE. >> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.

>> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. >> TO THEE. TEXAS, ONE STATE. >> UNDER GOD, ONE IN INDIVISIBLE. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PRESENTATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. I THINK

[3. CONSENT AGENDA]

WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TODAY, SO THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO CONSENT AGENDA. ITEMS F AND G HAVE BEEN PULLED. WE WILL NOT BE VOTING ON THOSE. THAT'S NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR CONSENT AGENDA ACCEPTING ITEMS F AND G COUNCIL MEMBER VILLARREAL.

>> MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA EXCEPT ITEMS F AND G. >> COUNCILMEMBER STEVENS.

>> SECOND. >> HEARING A MOTION AND A SECOND. DO WE HAVE ANY

QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN. >> I'M SORRY. WHAT'S HAPPENING?

SORRY. OKAY. >> THAT MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA

[A. S25-0008a Hold a public hearing and consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, Texas regarding a request for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) to allow for a Monopole Tower over 85 feet use on approximately 0.048 acres of land, approximately located on the western corner of North Elm Street and Riney Road and legally described as Lot 3, Block 2 North Elm Street Addition in the City of Denton, Denton County, Texas; providing for a penalty in the maximum amount of $2,000.00 for violations thereof; providing for a severability clause and an effective date. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted (5-0) to recommend approval. Motion for approval by Commissioner Ketchersid and second by Commissioner McDuff. (S25-0008a, APC Towers - Bonnie Brae, Matt Bodine)]

IS FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS. ITEM A S25-008A, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS REGARDING A REQUEST FOR A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT TO ALLOW A MONOPOLE TOWER OVER 85FT USE ON APPROXIMATELY 0.04 ACRES OF LAND APPROXIMATELY. LOCATED ON

THE WESTERN CORNER OF NORTH ELM STREET AND RAINEY ROAD. >> GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MATT BODINE, ASSISTANT PLANNER. I'M HERE PRESENTING CASE S258A. SO THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A MONOPOLE TELECOMMUNICATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER OVER 85FT IN HEIGHT ON. IN THE MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOOD ZONING DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY 0.04 ACRES OF LAND AT THE WESTERN CORNER OF NORTH ELM STREET AND RAINEY ROAD. THE SURROUNDING AREA CONSISTS OF MULTIFAMILY TO THE WEST AND THEN PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONAL USES TO THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO CONSTRUCT A 105 FOOT TALL CELL TOWER AT THE LOCATION, ALONG WITH A SMALL BUILDING FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AND THEN PLANTING SHRUBS AND OTHER LANDSCAPE AROUND THE FACILITY. SO THIS REQUEST WAS REVIEWED AGAINST THE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL AND THE DEVELOPMENT CODE, BOTH FOR GENERAL APPLICATIONS AND FOR THE SPECIFIC USE PERMIT. STAFF FOUND THAT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE CRITERIA, TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THEM, IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE DENTON 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMMUNICATION SERVICES PROVIDERS IN THE AREA, AND HAS THE GOAL TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE PROACTIVELY INSTALLED AS THE CITY GROWS. AND SO THIS REQUEST IS IN ALLIANCE WITH THAT GOAL.

THIS REQUEST WAS NOTIFIED TO THE PUBLIC. THE PUBLIC WAS NOTIFIED ACCORDING TO CITY AND STATE LAW. ADDITIONALLY, THE APPLICANT HELD A MEETING, BUT NO RESIDENTS ATTENDED AND STAFF HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE PUBLIC. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE SEP AS IT MEETS THE CRITERIA WITH THE CONDITIONS THAT IT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THE ATTACHED SITE PLAN LANDSCAPE PLAN. ADDITIONALLY, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AT THE APRIL 29TH MEETING. I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALSO, THE

APPLICANT IS HERE. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS I CAN'T ANSWER. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NONE, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK CAN COME DOWN AND FILL OUT A CARD AFTER. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR CAN I TAKE A MOTION? COUNCIL MEMBER

VILLARREAL. >> MOVE APPROVAL. >> COUNCIL MEMBER JESTER.

>> I'LL SECOND. >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FINAL QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, LET'S VOTE ON THE SCREEN. THAT PASSES SEVEN OH SORRY. SIX ZERO. NEXT

[A. ID 26-0533 Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, a Texas home-rule municipal corporation, authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Alderink Enterprises, Inc. dba CI Pavement, Diamond M Construction & Land Services LLC, and Solid Foundations Concrete LLC, for construction services for parking lot repair, reconstruction, and maintenance at City facilities for the Facilities Management Department; providing for the expenditure of funds therefor; and providing an effective date (RFQ 8983 - awarded to Alderink Enterprises, Inc. dba CI Pavement, Diamond M Construction & Land Services LLC, and Solid Foundations Concrete LLC, for one (1) year, with the option for four (4) additional one (1) year extensions, in the total five (5) year not-to-exceed amount of $17,808,000.00). The Public Utilities Board recommends approval (6 - 0).]

[01:35:07]

ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. ITEM A ID 26-0533. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON, A TEXAS HOME RULE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH ALTER INC. ENTERPRISES, INC. DBA SCI, PAVEMENT, DIAMOND M CONSTRUCTION AND LAND SERVICES, LLC AND SOLID FOUNDATIONS CONCRETE, LLC FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR PARKING LOT REPAIR, RECONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF CITY FACILITIES FOR THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. THIS IS FOR A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE OPTION FOR FOUR ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE YEARS, NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF 17,000,800 AND 808,000. AND THE

PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AT SIX ZERO. >> GOOD EVENING. TOM KRAMER, DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND FLEET SERVICES. WE'RE HERE TO REQUEST A PRE QUALIFIED VENDOR LIST FOR MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE FOR THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS AND REPAIRS MUNICIPAL PARKING LOTS WITH PARKS, STREETS AND UTILITIES ALSO ABLE TO USE THIS CONTRACT FOR ADA UPGRADES AND OTHER FLATWORK NEEDS. THE AUGUST 2023 PARKING LOT ASSESSMENT AND ADA TRANSITION PLAN ADOPTED ON JANUARY 11TH, 2022, IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE MUNICIPAL PARKING AREAS REQUIRING REPAIR, MAINTENANCE OR REHABILITATION TO ENSURE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE FACILITIES ACCESS. THE PROPOSED PREQUALIFIED LIST ENABLES JOB SPECIFIC CONTRACTOR SELECTION TO COMPLETE REQUIRED REPAIRS, MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ACCESSIBILITIES FOR STAFF AND VISITORS, AND SUPPORT ADA UPGRADES IDENTIFIED IN THE TRANSITION PLAN STAFF. THE CITY WILL ONLY PAY FOR SERVICES RENDERED AND IS NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY FOR THE FULL CONTRACT UNLESS NEEDED. HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TWO TWO CHARTS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRACT ESTIMATE. THE FIRST CONTRACT ESTIMATE BY YEAR IS THE WORK PLAN WE DERIVED FROM THE PARKING LOT ASSESSMENT AND THE ADA TRANSITION PLAN. THE FY 2526 COUNCIL ADOPTED CIP BUDGET IS WHAT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BUDGET THAT COULD BE UTILIZED TO FUND THIS CONTRACT THROUGHOUT THE FIVE YEARS. ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL NOTICE AN EXAMPLE PROJECT WHERE WE UPGRADED THE CIVIC CENTER ADA APPROACH STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF A ONE YEAR WITH FOUR ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS. THE TOTAL OF FIVE YEARS NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT WITH C I PAVEMENT, DIAMOND CONSTRUCTION AND SOLID FOUNDATIONS FOR $17,808,000.

ANY QUESTIONS? >> QUESTIONS FOR STAFF. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER HOLLAND.

>> I MAY BE HAVING A DÉJA VU MOMENT. DID WE. DID WE HAVE A SIMILAR ITEM LIKE THIS COME UP

JUST RECENTLY? >> I DON'T BELIEVE RECENTLY, SIR. THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO DID BRING A PRE QUALIFIED VENDOR LIST FOR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION WITH INSIDE THE FACILITIES. AND THAT'S FOR RENOVATING OFFICES AS WE NEED

MORE SPACE. >> OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. >> YES, SIR.

>> ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT I'LL TAKE A MOTION. COUNCIL

MEMBER MCGEE. >> I APPRECIATE THE STAFF WORK THAT WAS DONE TO TO BRING THIS FORWARD. I WILL SAY FOR THE PUBLIC, I DON'T LOVE THE OPTICS OF THIS. I'M GOING TO MOVE APPROVAL. BUT THE OPTICS OF THIS ARE, ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE TAKING CARE OF CITY FACILITIES WHEN THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF STREETS IN TOWN THAT COULD USE SOME ATTENTION. $17 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT COULD GO TOWARD FIXING POTHOLES AND TAKING CARE OF RESIDENTIAL STREETS THAT THOSE OF US WHO ARE WALKING, THIS TIME, WALKING UP AND DOWN THESE ROADS SO DESPERATELY KNOW THAT THOSE STREETS NEED TO BE DONE, PARTICULARLY IN SOUTHEAST DENTON. SO AGAIN, I'M GOING TO MOVE APPROVAL. DON'T LOVE THE OPTICS. I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE

HAVE TO DO. THANKS TO STAFF FOR YOUR WORK, SIR. >> MAY I ADDRESS THAT CONCERN YOU HAVE? OF COURSE. SO FROM HERE, IF YOU NOTICE THAT THE DEPARTMENTS THAT CAN UTILIZE THIS CONTRACT, IT ALSO INCLUDES THE STREETS RIGHT OF WAY. SO WHILE THIS IS FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND THE MUNICIPAL PARKING AREAS, SAY IF WE'RE IN THE MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT AND THE RIGHT OF WAY, THE SIDEWALK THAT'S PART OF THE STREETS IMPROVEMENT AREA NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE CAN UTILIZE THIS CONTRACT TO DO THAT WORK AS WELL. AND THEN WE ALSO SAVE ON MOBILIZATION COSTS. SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT JUST THE PARKING LOT. WE ARE LOOKING AT ADJACENT AREAS THAT WE COULD FULFILL THAT NEED AS WELL AT THIS TIME. SO THIS ALSO DOES SOLVE SOME OF

THAT PROBLEM. >> COUNCIL MEMBER VILLAREAL. >> SECOND.

>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, WE'LL VOTE ON THE

SCREEN. >> THANK YOU. >> THAT PASSES SIX ZERO. NEXT

[B. S26-0002 Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton extending the approval period for a Specific Use Permit for a multifamily use originally approved via Ordinance S23-0001a for approximately 2.4 acres of land, generally located on the south side of North Elm Street, approximately 560 feet east of Riney Road in the City of Denton, Denton County, Texas; adopting an amendment to the City’s official zoning map; providing for a penalty in the maximum amount of $2,000.00 for violations thereof; providing for severability and an effective date. (S26-0002, 3301 N Elm Multifamily, Ashley Ekstedt)]

ITEM ON THE AGENDA. ITEM BS26-002. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON. EXTENDING THE APPROVAL PERIOD FOR A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR MULTIFAMILY USE.

ORIGINALLY APPROVED VIA ORDINANCE S23-001A FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.4 ACRES OF LAND GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF NORTH ELM STREET, APPROXIMATELY 560FT EAST OF

[01:40:05]

VARIETY ROAD IN THE CITY OF DENTON. >> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR PRO TEM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. ASHLEY ECKSTEIN, ASSOCIATE PLANNER. THIS IS S 262. THE SUP EXTENSION REQUEST FOR 3301 NORTH ELM MULTIFAMILY. THE REQUEST IS TO EXTEND THE APPROVAL PERIOD FOR ONE YEAR FOR A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR MULTIFAMILY USE ON 2.4 ACRES OF LAND. THIS PROPERTY IS ZONED R SEVEN AND THE FUTURE LAND USE IS NEIGHBORHOOD MIXED USE. IT IS CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED. THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2024, AND THIS IS NOT A RECONSIDERATION OF ANY OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE INITIAL PROJECT. IT IS ONLY THE EXTENSION REQUEST. THIS SITE IS LOCATED NEAR NORTH ELM STREET, WHICH IS A PRIMARY ARTERIAL WITH FOUR DIVIDED TRAVEL. LANES AND SURROUNDING USES ARE UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY, RESIDENTIAL, AUTOMOTIVE, FUEL SALES, CHURCH AND SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS. THE SITE PLAN CONTAINS TWO BUILDINGS WITH 67 DWELLING UNITS. THERE ARE THREE STORIES TALL OR APPROXIMATELY 40FT THERE. THERE ARE A LOT OF EASEMENTS ON THIS SITE THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP.

THOSE EASEMENTS ARE OUTLINED HERE IN YELLOW. THE BUILDINGS ARE SHOWN HERE IN PURPLE, AND THEY HAVE PLANNED THEM AROUND THE EASEMENTS. THEY'LL ALSO BE PROVIDING A LEFT TURN LANE, WHICH IS SHOWN HERE WITH THIS BLUE RECTANGLE AND ONE FULL ACCESS POINT, WHICH IS CIRCLED HERE IN BLUE, AND ONE EMERGENCY ONLY ACCESS POINT, WHICH IS CIRCLED HERE IN GREEN. SOUPS DO EXPIRE 12 MONTHS AFTER APPROVAL UNLESS THE CONSTRUCTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERWAY. SO THIS PROJECT WOULD EXPIRE IN SEPTEMBER 17TH OF THIS YEAR. THE APPLICANT HAS APPROVED CIVIL ENGINEERING PLANS AND A FINAL PLAT, AND THEY'VE ALSO SUBMITTED A BUILDING PERMIT.

THEY ARE REQUESTING ADDITIONAL TIME DUE TO THE CURRENT COST, ENVIRONMENT AND THE NEED TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FINANCING, THE ORIGINAL APPROVING BODY MAY GRANT AN EXTENSION OF THE APPROVAL PERIOD FOR UP TO ONE YEAR FOR GOOD CAUSE. THE DDC DOES NOT DEFINE GOOD CAUSE, BUT JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF RECENTLY APPROVED SUP EXTENSIONS. GOOD CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE FINANCIAL IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, AND THEN ADDITIONAL TIME FOR EASEMENT ENCROACHMENT AGREEMENTS LAST MONTH. STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL AND IF APPROVED, THE EXTENSION WOULD BE VALID THROUGH SEPTEMBER 17TH OF 2027. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND THE APPLICANT

IS ALSO HERE FOR QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FOR STAFF. WE'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER

VILLARREAL. >> THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO TEM QUICK QUESTION. SO WE KNOW THAT OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS THEY'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SECURE THE FINANCING OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE REDUCED COSTS ON THE BUILDING MATERIALS. WE BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE OVER THE NEXT

12 MONTHS SUBSTANTIALLY. >> I'M PROBABLY NOT THE BEST PERSON TO ANSWER THAT, BUT

MAYBE THE APPLICANT WOULD BE BETTER TO ANSWER. >> I CAN WAIT.

>> YEAH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND COME UP. >> TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

YES. WELL, WHAT HAPPENED IS WE HAVE TO FUND AND BUDGET, BUT BECAUSE THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND THE ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER DESIGN TOOK LONGER THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED. AND INFLATION, THAT'S WHY THE BUDGET BE ESTIMATED FOR LUMBER AND CONSTRUCTION HAS CHANGED TREMENDOUSLY, AS WE ALL KNOW. AND THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE WE TRYING TO GATHER SO WE CAN START THE CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, EVEN TODAY. BUT THEN WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE STARTED, WE HAVE ENOUGH BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THE PROJECT AS WE PROMISED IN A WAY THAT WE WANTED. SO THIS IS THE ONLY REASON WE WANT THE EXTENSION TO BE ABLE TO GATHER. AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WITHIN A MONTH WE HAVE OTHER ASSETS AND PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO EXCHANGE AND JUST PUT THAT BUDGET INTO THAT LAND OR GET AN INVESTOR. THIS