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[1. Open Meeting ]
GOOD MORNING.TODAY IS SATURDAY, JULY 29TH, 2023, AND THE TIME IS 8:30 AM AND THIS IS A RETREAT TO ALLOW THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COMMUNICATE AND ASSESS THE CURRENT STATUS OF ISSUES, PROGRAMS, AND POLICIES THAT AFFECT THE CITY OF LEANDER, AND TO ENGAGE IN COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING REGARDING THE CITY'S ANTICIPATED FUTURE ISSUES AND NEEDS FOR ITS CITIZENS.
[2. Roll Call ]
ITEM TWO, SECRETARY CRABTREE.WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CATHERINE BATTALION.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID MCDONALD.
COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE THOMPSON.
OH, AND ME,
UH, HERE, UH, QUORUM IS PRESENT AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS ELIGIBLE TO DO BUSINESS.
[3. Closing of Low Water Crossing on CR 177 ]
NUMBER THREE.CLOSING OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS ON COUNTY ROAD 1 77 PUBLIC WORKS, DIRECTOR ELLISON.
UM, DO YOU REMEMBER EARLY JUNE? NOT JULY, UM, THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEARING THAT BROUGHT OUT SOME CITIZENS IN THAT AREA.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? A LITTLE BIT? MY MIC'S ON.
UM, SO FOLLOWING THAT MEETING AND, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITIZENS AFTER THE MEETING, UM, WE STAFF MET INTERNALLY ENGINEERING, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, FIRE PD, UH, TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL CLOSING OF THIS LOW WATER CROSSING.
SO TODAY I'M GONNA RECAP SOME HISTORY ON, ON 1 7 7, SOME OF THE ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE, SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE DONE.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ROBIN'S, UH, GROUP IS WORKING THROUGH THAT, THAT'S GONNA ADD TO THE, UH, THE AREA.
AND THEN, UM, SOME OF THE PROPOSED, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE, UH, WERE LOOKING AT DOING.
UM, WE CHECKED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THERE'S BEEN SINCE 2015, 24 TOTAL ACCIDENTS.
UM, MOST OF WHICH ARE AT, UH, COUNTY ROAD 1 77 AND RONALD REAGAN.
UM, THERE'S BEEN ONE AT COUNTY ROAD 1 77 IN VALLEY VIEW, AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR LISTED AS RELATED TO THE DITCH.
UM, AS YOU GET CLOSER TO KIND OF IN THIS AREA, OOPS, THIS IS NOT, THEY'RE NOT POINTING, I GUESS I CAN'T POINT.
BUT, UM, AS YOU APPROACH SILLA WATER CROSSING, UM, THE DITCH EXPANDS AND, AND PEOPLE HAVE COME OFF THE ROAD THERE ARROW.
THE SHADOW WON'T WORK WITH THE, THE ICON.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, IN 2018, WE HAD THE L I S D BUS THAT, UM, ACTUALLY WENT, UH, TRIED TO GO THROUGH THE LOW WATER CROSSING AND, AND DIDN'T MAKE IT.
UM, SO RIGHT AFTER THAT INCIDENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS PUT UP BECAUSE AT THAT TIME WE WERE JUST PUTTING, UM, TEMPORARY BARRICADES AT VALLEY VIEW.
AND SO PEOPLE WOULD DRIVE AROUND THEM, TRY TO CROSS THE, SO WE PUT UP PERMANENT, UM, PERMANENT GATES THAT YOU CAN WALK, UM, ON EACH SIDE OF THE LOW WATER CROSSING.
SO WE STILL PUT THAT BARRICADE AT, UH, VALLEY VIEW 1 77, BUT THEN ACTUALLY LOCK THE GATES AS YOU GET CLOSER TO, UM, TO THE LOW WATER CROSSING.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE VANDALISM.
UH, PEOPLE GET A LITTLE IMPATIENT.
THEY CUT THE LOCKS ON THE GATES AND OPEN THEM PREMATURELY.
UM, WHEN WE GET OUT THERE TO UNLOCK THEM, THEY'RE ALREADY OPEN.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT, WE'VE DONE SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY ROUGH NARROW CROSSING, BUT OUR GUYS HAVE GONE OUT THERE AND, AND, UM, IMPROVED SOME OF THE ASPHALT AND RELAYED IT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS GOING IN THAT AREA THAT'S GOING TO ADD TO TRAFFIC.
SO I JUST PUT 'EM UP HERE AND, AND WITH THEIR LOT COUNTS, JUST FOR REFERENCE, UM, WILD SPRINGS WILL BE AT 1 77 AND 1 75, WHICH IS TO THE EAST OF THE LOW WATER CROSSING.
AND THEN LONE STAR LENDING WILL BE TO WEST OF THE LOW WATER CROSSING RIGHT AT VALLEY VIEW AND 1 77.
SO, UM, WHEN WE MET INTERNALLY, STAFF KIND OF DEVISED THIS, UM, LAYOUT HERE.
SO WE WOULD CHANGE ALL OF THE KNOW THROUGH TRUCKS, UM, TO NO OUTLET SIGNS GOING DOWN 1 77 TO THE EAST.
WE WOULD PERMANENTLY MOUNT A, UM, ROAD CLOSED, LIKE A TYPE THREE BARRICADE, UM, WITH ENOUGH, EXCUSE ME, ENOUGH ROOM, UM, FOR SMALLER VEHICLES TO GET PAST BECAUSE THERE ARE CITIZENS THAT LIVE KIND OF CLOSER TO, UM, TO THE WATER CROSSING.
SO HE WOULD, THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO, TO PASS TO GET THROUGH, BUT WE WOULD PUT THAT AT VALLEY VIEW TO ALLOW ANY TRUCKS OR CARS THAT MAKE IT THAT FAR TO HAVE A SPOT TO TURN AROUND.
UM, WE'D WIDEN AS BEST WE COULD, AS CLOSER TO THE LOW WATER CROSSING SO THAT IF THERE IS CARS AND STUFF THAT GET DOWN THERE, THEY CAN HAVE A, AT LEAST SOME SPACE TO TURN AROUND.
UM, AND THEN SIMILARLY ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE, THE SAME THING.
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AT THE, UM, ROUTES THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED.SO THE RED LINE SHOWS IF YOU WERE TO GO DOWN 1 77, UM, AND THEN THOSE TOP TWO PICTURES, UM, KINDA SHOW THE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD.
SO IT'S A 30 MILE AN HOUR ROAD, FAIRLY NARROW.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S ABOUT 1.19 MILES.
IT TAKES ABOUT THREE OR SO MINUTES TO TRAVEL THAT WAY.
MAYBE IT'S TWO, I THINK IT'S TWO WHEN I DID THE MATH.
UM, IF YOU GO FROM THAT SAME POINT DOWN TO JOURNEY AND THEN THERE'S THE CROSS SECTION OF JOURNEY THERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
UM, THREE LANES, MUCH WIDER, UM, SAFER ROUTE, UH, 45 MILE AN HOUR, AND THEN 40 MILES AN HOUR UP COUNTY ROAD, 1 75 IS ABOUT 2.6 MILES.
SO IT'S REALLY NOT A BIG DIFFERENCE IN TRAVEL TIME OR DISTANCE.
UM, WE'VE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UM, WE'RE KINDA ON THAT, THAT SHORT LIST FOR WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION, WHICH IS THE EXTENSION OF CRYSTAL FALLS.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, OR WE'RE ESTIMATING 10 MILLION FOR RIDE OF WIND DESIGN AND THE COUNTY'S DOING A 75 25 SPLIT WITH THE CITY.
UM, SO THIS WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE THAT ONE MILE A ROAD, UH, FOUR LANES, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL EAST WEST CONNECTION.
UM, AND THEN SOME INITIAL OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE.
UH, I MENTIONED THAT INTERNALLY WE MET ENGINEERING, PUBLIC WORKS, FIRE POLICE, UM, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY LEAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND, UM, BILLY'S REACHED OUT TO WILCO, UH, E M S AND ALL HAVE NO ISSUES WITH US CLOSING THIS CROSSING.
SO JUST LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM, FROM COUNCIL AND TO BRING THIS POTENTIALLY BACK, UM, FOR A PERMANENT CLOSING OR SEMI-PERMANENT, I GUESS, COUNSEL? NO, MY ONLY, MY ONLY COMMENT WAS GONNA BE IF THE, THE LOCAL RESIDENTS THAT ARE KIND OF REALLY AFFECTED RIGHT THERE MM-HMM.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN THOUGHT AND WE'LL, AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BRING THIS BACK, UM, FOR A COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM, WE'LL DO SIMILAR TO WHAT ROBIN DOES AND, AND DO SOME OUTREACH IN THAT AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT OKAY.
ALL THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA ARE AWARE OF OUR PLANS.
I DID FORGET TO MENTION, WE WILL PUT, UM, KIND OF PERMANENT STONE BLOCKAGE DOWN BY THE CREEK, DOWN BY THE CREEK AND THE RIVER BECAUSE, UM, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE GATES GET THE LOCKS GET CUT.
SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD PUT LIKE SOME BOULDERS OR SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, THERE RESIDENCE DAMAGE.
WE HAVE A, THE, THE SAME CITIZEN THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THAT LIPS PRETTY CLOSE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HIS DRIVEWAY A LITTLE BIT IN THE DISTANCE THERE, BUT, UM, YEAH, WHEN PEOPLE GET DOWN THERE, THEY WERE USING HIS DRIVEWAY TO TURN AROUND AND THEY HIT HIS COLUMNS A COUPLE TIMES.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THAT.
WHY THERE ARE PEOPLE ASKING US TO CLOSE THIS ROAD? WOULD, THIS WAS THE SAME ROAD, RIGHT? THIS IS THE SAME ROAD.
SO IT'S, IT'S MOSTLY THE VALLEY VIEW RESIDENTS THAT LIVE ON THAT.
OR VALLEY VALLEY VISTA VALLEY VIEW.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN COME BACK OUT, BUT, UM, WE'RE VALLEY VIEW RIGHT THERE.
SO WE'RE VALLEY VIEW AND 1 77, UM, CAN CROSSINGS DOWN THERE.
SO THEY GET, THEY HAVE A LOT OF, AND THERE'S, RIGHT AS YOU PERSON COMING WESTBOUND ON 1 77 APPROACHING VALLEY VIEW, THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD CURVE THERE TOO.
SO IT'S KIND OF A BLIND SPOT TOO THAT THEY, THEY RUN INTO ISSUES.
SO I KNOW I'D MENTION THIS WHENEVER WE HAD THOSE DEVELOPMENTS COME BEFORE US, UM, TIME RUNS TOGETHER.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT MONTH THAT WAS
I THINK IT'S A, A GOOD IDEA, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, HAVE WE REACHED OUT? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE IS A CHURCH RIGHT THERE.
HAVE WE REACHED FEEDBACK FROM THEM AS WELL? WE HAVEN'T, UM, WE HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO ANYONE YET.
WE KINDA WANTED TO GET A FEED, KIND OF FEEL HOW, HOW COUNCIL FELT, FELT, AND THEN WE CAN, I DON'T THINK IT'LL NECESSARILY AFFECT THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO REAGAN.
AND SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
BUT YEAH, WE'LL DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO THE CITIZENS ON 1 77 AS WELL AS VALLEY VIEW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMEFRAME IS, BUT WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT COMING IN THERE, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
AND I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE GOING THIS DIRECTION.
UM, I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO THIS ACTUALLY, SO I DO DRIVE THROUGH IT SOMETIMES.
EMILY WAS THE ONE THAT, THAT REACHED OUT AND THEY WERE, THE INCIDENT.
THE INCIDENT, THEY CHANGED THEIR ROUTES AFTER THAT.
I, I'M GUESSING AFTER THE INCIDENT THEY CHANGED THEIR ROUTE.
I MEAN, THEY HAD NO OBJECTIONS TO US CLOSING IT AT ALL.
SO I'VE GOTTA BELIEVE THAT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE IT ON THEIR ROUTE NOW.
SO OFFICIALLY MY KIDS ARE GOING TO BE TAKING THE BUS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, SO I'M HOPING THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE DRIVING ON THAT ROAD.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO FLOAT AWAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD DEAL WITH THIS HERE, BUT, UM, IF WE CLOSE DOWN A ROAD,
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IS THERE A PROCESS TO UPDATE? LIKE WHOEVER MANAGES GOOGLE MAPS AND STUFF LIKE THAT TOO, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF THOSE THINGS, I THINK IT'S H O A IN THIS CASE DOESN'T, I THINK IT WOULD BE PERMANENT.I THINK WHEN WE NOTIFY THROUGH OUR ROAD STATUS AND, AND EVERYTHING AND THEN THEY WOULD UPDATE THAT IN, I THINK IT'S THEIR CAD SYSTEM, UM, THAT THEN MANAGEMENT, RIGHT.
THAT THEN LINKS TO ALL THE GOOGLE MAPS AND EVERYTHING.
WE SET UP, WE WOULD BE PUSHING THAT TO SEVERAL MAP SYSTEMS AND AGENCIES.
SO IT WOULD HAPPEN PRETTY QUICKLY.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT GOOGLE MAPS TELLING PEOPLE TO GO THAT WAY.
WHAT WOULD THE BARRIERS LOOK LIKE ON BOTH SIDES? UM, MIKE MIGHT ASK YOU TO, BUT IT'LL BE HIS GUYS PUTTING THEM IN
BASICALLY, WE PUT THE, WE COULD EITHER DO SOME BIG CONCRETE BOULDERS BEHIND THERE, OR WE COULD DUMP, UM, CEDAR THE PARK.
THEY DUMP A BULL ROCK LIKE THREE BY FOUR BULL ROCK BEHIND THE BARRIERS.
IT'S JUST SO PEOPLE, IF THEY DO CUT THE GATES, THEY CAN'T CONTINUE TO DRIVE AROUND THEM OR MOVE THEM BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS.
I THINK WE ACTUALLY PUT AFTER THE BUS INCIDENT, UM, SOME BOWLERS BEHIND THERE AND THEY ACTUALLY DID KIND OF MOVE THEM.
SO WE DID MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE SECURE.
PROBABLY THE LOOSE ROCK TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
'CAUSE THE BOWLERS, YOU CAN, WE COULD CHAIN AROUND AROUND 'EM.
AND IF YOU HAVE A HEAVY DUTY, THAT TRUCK YOU CAN STILL PULL BY AWAY.
SO PEOPLE GO TO, WE'LL PROBABLY DO THE
WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT BE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID, UM, ON REAGAN TO, TO INSTEAD OF THAT, UH, OH, THE, THE SIDING, THE ALUMINUM SIDING.
WE DID THE, THE U-TURN, THE BOULDER ROCKS.
IT'LL BE, YEAH, IT'LL BE, SO THE BULL ROCK COULD BE, YEAH.
THE BULL ROCK WOULD JUST BE LIKE SET UP.
UM, A 16 YARD DUMP TRUCK FULL OF THREE BY FOUR ROCK AND WE'LL JUST DUMP IT RIGHT THERE.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE PRETTY MUCH, MUCH, HAVE A MACHINE TO PUSH IT OUT OF THE WAY.
BUT I'M ALSO ASSUMING THERE'S GONNA BE SOME REFLECTIVE MATERIAL ON THAT, ON THAT MATERIAL.
SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW YOU'LL BE BEHIND THE GATES.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT WELL LIT EITHER.
WE BEHIND THE GATES, THE GATES ARE PAINTED YELLOW.
UM, AND I, AND WE WE'RE GONNA LOCK THEM.
HAVE REFLECTORS ON THE SIGNAGE TOO.
ARE THERE ANY SOLAR TYPE, UH, ARE THERE ANY SOLAR PRODUCTS THAT YOU COULD PUT ON THAT BARRIER TOO? 'CAUSE I'M JUST THINKING IF YOU UNFORTUNATELY GET SOMEONE WHO'S HAD A FEW AND IT'S TOO DARK.
WELL, I SAID, UM, ON THE LOW, SO WE HAVE SIGNAGE ON THE SAME ROW.
I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THERE.
BUT WE CAN, I MEAN, EVEN WHEN WE PAINTED THOSE YELLOW A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE THREW, UM, SOME GLASS BEADS ON THERE TO KIND OF MAKE IT REFLECTIVE.
BUT FOR THE SOLAR PANEL, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF, WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY, THE SIGNAGE HAS LIKE FOUR SIGNS OR FIVE SIGNS GOING IN AND LIKE THIS MIKE.
AND SO THAT'S, PEOPLE DON'T READ SIGNS.
AND THEY ACTUALLY, YOU TOOK A TRAIN AROUND IT AND PULL 'EM OUTTA THE WAY THEY REALLY DID THAT.
SO THEY HAVE TO HAVE LIKE A MACHINE, A SKI STEER, BACKHOE, SOMETHING TO ACTUALLY YEAH.
AND REMOVE SEVERAL BUCKETS OF IT.
SO NO, PEOPLE ACTUALLY WILL MOVE THOSE TO YOU.
SO YEAH, MIKE ACTUALLY, THAT'S ONE THING I TEXTED HIM RIGHT AFTER, AFTER THAT MEETING, AND HE WAS, HE WENT OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY AND THEY WERE ALL THERE.
SO I'M JUST THINKING THAT REFLECTED BECAUSE OF THE LOW VISIBILITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE THAT'S USED TO TAKING THAT ROUTE.
MAYBE THEY'VE HAD TOO MANY AND
UM, JUST TO GIVE SOME EXTRA HEADS UP AND LEAVE THEM OUT THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, UM, TO MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'VE CLOSED IT.
BUT YEAH, I THINK CLOSING IT IS THE, THE BEST OPTION.
AND I THINK TOO, REDUCING THE THROUGH TRAFFIC ON THAT ROAD, THAT'S A HORRIBLE ROAD FOR SPEEDERS.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'LL HELP WITH THAT TOO.
I KNOW WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT SPEEDERS OVER THERE.
I THINK I TALKED TO PD AFTER THAT MEETING AND HE SAID THE FASTEST HE EVER CLOCKED OUT THERE WAS LIKE 80 OR 90 MILES OUT.
ON MY RIDE ALONG A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THAT WAS WHERE WE SAT AND IT WAS JUST ONE PERSON AFTER ANOTHER.
UM, SO, AND, AND I LOVE THE, THE PLAN Y'ALL HAVE THOUGHT OF FOR ALL OF THE SIGNAGE AND HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM MOVING BARRIERS AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
ANYTHING ELSE? STAFF? ANYTHING ELSE? COUNSEL? ALL RIGHT.
[4. Water conservation ]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WATER CONSERVATION.MICHAEL, PULL UP THE PRESENT PRESENTATION REAL QUICK.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? IS COMING THROUGH.
WELL, I GOT OUR FIRST YEAR BEHIND US HERE AND, UH,
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IT'S BEEN PRETTY BUSY TIME.UH, BUT I THINK WE'VE DONE SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS AND MADE SOME PROGRESS.
UH, AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO GET, UH, CONNECTIONS GOING ON WITH DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT ASSETS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN HELP US MOVE FORWARD.
WE'VE GOTTEN GOOD CONNECTIONS WITH, UM, THE AGRI, UH, TEXAS A AND M AGRILIFE EXTENSION.
WE WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE A LITTLE BIT.
AND WE'RE STILL DOING THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE THAT.
UM, WE'VE DONE SOME WORK WITH THE L C R A, UM, BOTH IN PRESENTATIONS AND IN INFORMATION, AND THEN SOME, SOME RESOURCES, UM, SUCH AS SOME, SOME GIVEAWAY ITEMS AND STUFF.
THEY WERE ABLE TO DONATE NATE TO US.
UM, AND WE WILL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL CONTINUE OF COURSE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, WE, UH, WE'VE WORKED A LOT WITH HOAS ON THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH THEIR IRRIGATORS AND, AND AS FAR AS COMPLIANCE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE AND, UM, PUTTING A CHECK ON 'EM WHEN THEY'RE NOT RUNNING WITHIN OUR SCHEDULE.
WE DO IRRIGATION, UM, IRRIGATION, UH, METER LOCKOUTS.
AND THEN THE PROCESS THERE IS ONCE THEY GOT LOCKED OUT, THEY CONTACT ME AND I GO OUT AND LOOK OVER THEIR SHOULDER WHILE THEY RESET THE CONTROLLERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT TIME SETTING.
SO, UM, WE'VE HAD THAT GOING ON.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF VISITS ON THAT.
AND THEN WE'VE EMBARKED ON A PRETTY EXTENSIVE PUBLIC ED EDUCATION PROGRAM USING OUR, UM, OUR FACEBOOK PAGES.
UH, NEXT DOOR, UH, PUBLIC APPEARANCES.
WE WORKED WITH THE AGRILIFE EXTENSION ON A SERIES, UH, CALLED IRRIGATION STATION.
AND THAT WAS WHERE WE HAD, UM, IRRIGATION EDUCATION SESSIONS IN, UH, ROUND ROCK, GEORGETOWN AND LEANDER.
AND, UM, BASICALLY IT WAS AN ABOUT A 90 MINUTE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN THERE WAS, UM, HANDS-ON TRAINING AND, AND DEMONSTRATIONS AVAILABLE.
UM, WE HAD, WE HAD ONE OF THESE SESSIONS TOOK PLACE IN LEANDER.
OUR PEOPLE WERE INVITED TO ALL OF THEM, WHETHER, WHETHER THEY WERE IN LEANDER OR NOT.
BUT, BUT OUR SESSION IN JUNE AND LEANDER WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BEST, BEST ATTENDED, SO THAT WAS NICE.
UM, WE ALSO GAVE A SESSION, AN EDUCATION SESSION IN MARCH AT THE ACTIVITY CENTER AND, UH, PLAN ON DOING A LOT MORE OF THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO, THE AGRILIFE EXTENSION HAS THEIR GREEN GREEN THUMBS UP PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE APPEARED AT THOSE TWO AS WELL.
AND, UM, WE ALSO WORKED ON OUR, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE AND, UM, ADDED TO, ADDED TO OUR, WHAT WE HAVE ONLINE ON OUR, OUR CITY WEBPAGE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO DID OUR IRRIGATION ASSESSMENT PILOT PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD A, A IRRIGATION CONTRACTOR VISIT HOMES IN THE CITY TO GO OVER THEIR, OR TO EVALUATE THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND GIVE THEM SOME POINTERS ON SCHEDULING AND HOW THEY COULD RUN THEIR SYSTEM MORE EFFICIENTLY.
AND WE'RE CONTINUING THAT IN HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
AND I'M, I'VE PICKED THAT UP AND I'M DOING THAT NOW, BUT WE HAD ABOUT 93 PEOPLE DID IT.
UM, WE FOUND A POSS POTENTIAL SAVINGS OF, UH, AS MUCH AS 200,000 GALLONS, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, TWO.
UH, YEAH, 200,000, 200,000 A MONTH.
SO IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT BASICALLY THEY FOLLOWED OUR SCHEDULING FOR ONE MONTH.
THAT'S HOW MUCH THE SAVINGS WOULD BE AMONG THAT GROUP OF HOMES.
IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TWO THIRDS OF AN ACRE FOOT.
UM, WE ALSO WORKED A LOT WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT ON VIOLATIONS.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE GOT A DOOR TAG, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MY NUMBER'S ON THERE, THEY CAN CALL ME AND TALK TO ME FIRST, AND MAYBE, UM, I CAN, I CAN, IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM OR A QUESTION ABOUT IT, I, I COULD, COULD ANSWER IT AND MAYBE, MAYBE, UM, DEESCALATE IT THERE AT THAT POINT SO THAT WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE GOING ON WITH IT, LIKE GOING UP, GOING UP THE CHAIN AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET CODE ENFORCEMENT TO DROP OR SOMETHING.
UM, SO WE ALSO DID THE, UH, RAIN BARREL SALE, AND THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL.
WE'RE GONNA REPEAT THAT IN THIS FALL.
PROBABLY GONNA DO A PICKUP IN OCTOBER.
UM, AND, UM, ALSO THEN, UM, IN THE MAYOR'S MONARCH PLEDGE, WE STARTED INVOLVEMENT WITH THAT.
AND WE WILL BE DOING SOME THINGS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME, UH, AND SOME EVENTS ON THAT.
UH, THIS FALL I'M WORKING WITH AGRILIFE TO FIND A, UM, A POLLINATOR GARDEN EXPERT.
YOU CAN COME IN AND IF YOU GIVE A LITTLE SESSION ON THAT, THEY HAD, THEY HAD A PERSON, UNFORTUNATELY, HE PASSED AWAY, SO, SO, SO, UH, KATE
AND, UM, SO WE'LL BE DOING SOME THINGS
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WITH THAT.WE TOOK OVER THE CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL PROGRAM.
UM, A LOT OF, WE HAVE TO HAVE BACKFILL PREVENTION ASSEMBLIES ON A LOT OF, A LOT OF DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS HERE.
UH, KEEP BACKFILL, PREVENT PREVENTION ASSEMBLY, DOES WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
IT KEEPS WATER FROM FLOWING THE WRONG DIRECTION.
WE WANT IT TO, FOR INSTANCE, OUT OF YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM, EVERY SPRINKLER SYSTEM HAS TO HAVE A BACKFLOW PREVENTER, AND YEAH, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE IN PLACE.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT HIRING SOMEBODY TO, TO HELP US WITH THAT.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A FULL-TIME JOB, OR IS A FULL-TIME JOB.
WE HAD A FULL-TIME PERSON ON WHO LEFT, SO I'VE, I'VE TAKEN IT OVER.
BUT WE NEED A, A SECOND PERSON AND THEY'LL BE WORKING ONCE WE GET THEM IN.
THEY'LL BE WORKING WITH ME AND THEY'LL BE DOING THE CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL PROGRAM AND ALSO HELPING ME SOME WITH SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE CONSERVATION STUFF.
UM, ALSO WORKED ON THE, UH, PHASE THREE AND FOUR, PHASE FOUR EVENTS.
TAKING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS, A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THEY CAN DO AND WHAT THEY CAN DO.
AND, UM, SO THOSE, THOSE GOT ME PRETTY BUSY WHEN THOSE WERE GOING ON.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS ONLY A YEAR THAT HE'S BEEN HERE, SO.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER RAIN BARREL SAIL WE'LL BE DOING, CONTINUING WITH THE IRRIGATION ASSESSMENTS.
UM, UH, REALLY WANT TO ADD MORE EDUCATION ABOUT RELATED TO DROUGHT TOLERANT LANDSCAPING, UH, MAKE SURE WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO KEEP GOING FORWARD WITH, UH, WITH REDUCING TURF IN THEIR PROPERTIES AND PUTTING THE RIGHT STUFF IN THAT DOESN'T USE SO MUCH WATER.
UM, AND, UM, ALSO WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, UH, APPEARING AT MORE, UH, MORE, UM, FESTIVALS.
SO, WE'LL, WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE SOME, SOME BOOTHS SET UP.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A CAR WASH REGISTRATION PROGRAM.
AND, UM, THIS WOULD BE WHERE WE'RE CERTIFYING CAR WASHES AS WATER EFFICIENT.
UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT RECYCLING, UM, EQUIPMENT IN PLACE AND, UM, UNDERGO AN INSPECTION.
AND, UM, THEY'D BE, THEY'D RECEIVE A CERTIFICATION THAT THEY ARE WATER, WATER EFFICIENT THAT'LL HELP US OUT.
LIKE WHEN WE GO INTO THESE ELEVATED, UH, OR THESE INCREASED, UM, CONSERVATION MOMENTS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY WHY THIS CAR WASH IS STILL OPERATING.
I SAY, WELL, WE'VE, WE'VE CHECKED THEM OUT AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WATER EFFICIENT.
AND IN FACT, IF YOU TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY, THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT IT TAKES LESS WATER TO DO A ROLL THROUGH CAR WASH THAN IT DOES TO WASH IN YOUR FRONT, IN YOUR, IN YOUR DRIVEWAY.
SO, UM, ALSO, WE'LL, WE'RE LOOKING AT, I GUESS WE'VE GOT IT APPROVED TO BRING IN SOME, SOME CONTRACTORS NEXT SUMMER TO, TO, TO DO, UM, UH, ENFORCEMENT ON OUR WATERING RULES.
UM, I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, UM, THE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN CONSERVATION.
YOU, UH, YOU EDUCATE AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME, SOME INCENTIVES SUCH AS EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, WELL THAT GOES ALONG WITH EDUCATION, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE ENFORCEMENT OF YOUR WATER REGULATIONS.
UM, THE, UM, WATERING SCHEDULES ARE KNOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN CUTTING DOWN, UH, WATER USE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY'RE ONLY, THEY ONLY REALLY WORK IF YOU, IF YOU DO THE ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UM, IT'LL BE GOOD TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE ON BOARD.
UH, AS I SAID, WE'LL BUILD, WE'LL TRY AND REALLY BUILD UP OUR CONSERVATION INFORMATION ON THE WEB, ON THE CITY WEBPAGE AND, UM, TRY AND FIND A WAY TO TARGET, UH, OR CONTACT SOME OF OUR HIGHER RESIDENTIAL USERS.
AND ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH AHEAD WITH, UM, CONTACTING LIKE NEW RESIDENTS.
AND IN SOME CASES, IF I CAN FIND A WAY TO DO IT, NEWTON, UH, FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS TOO.
UM, AND THEN, UH, INCREASE IN OUR MARKETING MATERIALS.
AND WE'VE BEEN PICKING UP SOME GIVEAWAY ITEMS AND STUFF, UM, LATELY, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE WITH OUR APPEARANCES.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I'VE GOT.
UH, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT CONTACTING NEW RESIDENTS AND HOMEOWNERS.
HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? IS IT JUST THEY SIGN UP FOR WATER SERVICE OR, AND YOU GET THE LIST? HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? AS FAR AS CONTACTING? WELL, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO WORK WITH, UH, I GUESS UTILITY BILLING.
I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T REALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THAT YET.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE PLANNING ON THAT FOR THIS YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY WORKED THROUGH THAT ONE YET.
SO I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO EITHER PROBABLY BE TALKING TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND MAYBE, UH, FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHO OUR RECENT COS ARE, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, UTILITY BILLINGS TO SET UP A NEW, AND THE CHAMBER ALREADY GIVES OUT,
[00:25:01]
UH, NEW HOMEOWNER PACKETS, GIFT BAGS.IN FACT, THEY ASKED FOR SOME MORE INFORMATION JUST THE OTHER DAY.
SO, UH, WE CAN ALREADY PROVIDE SOME PRINTED MATERIALS LIKE OUR WATER DROP, UH, CONSERVATION PHASES, UH, LEAFLET.
WE CAN ADD THAT TO THE BAGS AS WELL.
IT'S WHAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT WE CAN BUILD ON THOSE MATERIALS AND SUPPLY THEM WITH SOME EXTRA.
BUT NOT EVERY NEW HOMEOWNER GETS THAT.
AND SO MAYBE WHEN PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR WATER SERVICE, WE CAN JUST HAVE A LIST.
HERE'S THE SIGNUPS FOR THIS MONTH, AND WE COULD EVEN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR UTILITY BUILDING LOBBY.
WOULDN'T THEY SIGN UP? THAT'D BE GREAT.
EVEN IF IT'S JUST A POSTCARD OR SOMETHING THAT'D FOLLOW UP WITH.
UM, AND THEN ON THE RAIN BARREL, UM, PROGRAM, I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC.
I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE A RAIN BARREL
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT, I KNOW EVERYBODY IS STRAPPED FOR TIME, BUT IF WE CAN, WHEN THAT STARTS COMING UP, JUST ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WEBSITE JUST HAVE LINKS.
IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE OUR OWN VIDEOS.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING ON YOUTUBE THAT WE CAN LINK TO THAT SAYS LIKE, THIS IS HOW YOU CONNECT IT AND MAKE IT EFFICIENT, UM, I THINK MAYBE WE CAN REACH EVEN MORE PEOPLE.
UM, I WAS HOPING WE COULD GET A COPY OF THE DOOR TAG THAT YOU REFERENCED EARLIER THAT HAS YOUR CONSERVATION INFORMATION ON IT.
AND I GUESS Y'ALL PUT THOSE OUT WHEN SOMEBODY IS, IS USING A LOT OF WATER OR THEY'RE IN VIOLATION.
YEAH, THE, UH, CODE CODE ENFORCEMENT PUTS, PUTS THOSE OUT.
THEY DO THE, THEY'LL DO THE PATROL OVERNIGHT SOMETIMES WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A A, SOMETHING GOING ON AND RIGHT.
THEY'RE WORKING ON MONDAY, EARLY MONDAY MORNINGS RECENTLY.
AND, UM, THEY GO OUT, THEY SPOT THE VIOLATORS AND THEY GO BACK IN THE DAYTIME AND PUT THE DOOR TAGS ON.
I THINK COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO SEE A, A COPY OF THAT JUST TO HAVE REFERENCE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY, UM, GETS AN OUTREACH.
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE CAR WASH REGISTRATION AND I SKIPPED AHEAD IN THE PACKET HERE AND I SAW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT MAYBE, UH, A DISCOUNT ON THE SEWER BILL.
LIKE WHAT IS THE CARROT THAT YOU USE TO ENCOURAGE THE REGISTRATION? MM-HMM.
I MEAN, IF THEY CAN, THEY CAN POST SOMETHING SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WATER EFFICIENT.
I THINK THAT IN ITSELF IS SOMETHING THAT, TO DRAW THEM TO IT, SOMETHING THAT CAN, GIVES THEM AN ARGUING POINT, YOU KNOW, AND GIVES US AN ARGUING POINT AND THEM AN ARGUING POINT WHEN, WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THESE WATER STRAPPED TIMES.
AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WHY ARE THEY STILL OPERATING WELL? RIGHT.
CITY MANAGER AND MIKE, THIS IS PROB THIS MIGHT BE YOU TOO, BUT WHAT, SINCE YOU'RE COORDINATING WITH BILL ON EVERYTHING ON THE, WITH A NEW WEBSITE, HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT DOING LIKE MAYBE SITUATIONAL TYPE, UM, VIDEOS WHERE, YOU KNOW, MIKE'S AT HOME AND, UH, HE'S WATERING, HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO, AND BILL TEETER KNOCKS ON THE DOOR AND LEAVES A TAG AND THEN HE SHOWS HIM HOW TO, UH, ADJUST HIS, UH, IRRIGATION.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT YOU JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET.
BUT YEAH, IT'S SOMETHING WE DO WANT TO DO.
AND DON'T FORGET, WE, WE ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF IMPLEMENTING A M I AS FAR AS GIVING PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE GET FOLKS ON THE GROUND ON THEIR PROPERTY, INSTALLING NEW METERS, NEW TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF EDUCATION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, CERTAINLY WE CAN DO THE, THE WATER CONSERVATION, THE DOOR TAG NOTICES AND INCORPORATE PROBABLY SOME VIDEO CONTENT IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
BUT THERE'S GONNA BE EDUCATION ON ALL FRONTS WHEN IT COMES TO A M I TECHNOLOGY WHEN WE START RAMPING THAT UP TOO.
AND WE'RE EXPANDING YOUR DEPARTMENT.
YEAH, REMIND US, WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING BILL'S OBVIOUSLY, BILL, BUT THEN, UM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE BACK FILLING THE, UM, BACKFLOW POSITION AND THEN WE'RE GETTING SOME SUMMERTIME HELP AS WELL.
IS THE PLAN, THE CONTRACT LABOR MM-HMM.
AND THEN, UM, GOING BACK TO WHEN WE HAVE THESE NEW BUILDS, IS ANYBODY GOING OUT ON THE INSPECTIONS? ARE THEY CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM IS ALL SET AND GOOD? CAN WE ADJUST THE CODES TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE SOMEHOW OR, OR BE EFFICIENT OR JUST BE PROGRAMMED ONE DAY A WEEK, ARE THE RIGHT TYPE OF TASKS? LIKE JUST WHATEVER WE CAN DO SO THAT THOSE NEW HOMEOWNERS AND BUSINESSES ARE STARTING OFF WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIND THEM AFTER THE FACT TO ADJUST EVERYTHING.
SO WHEN THEY GET A, A IRRIGATION PERMIT, UM, THERE IS AN INSPECTION, UM, BEFORE IT'S APPROVED.
I DON'T THINK THEY ACTUALLY LOOK AT HOW THE SYSTEM IS SET, BUT I CAN TALK TO THE GROUP AND SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THEN FOR THE GRASS, WE DO REQUIRE A PLANT LIST AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE GROW GREEN GUIDE.
SO WE DO HAVE PROHIBITED TYPES OF GRASS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR LIMITS ON THE AMOUNT OF GRASS.
[00:30:01]
DO YOU, THEY THEY EVEN LOOK AT HOW MANY AND MAKE SURE IT MATCHES EXACTLY LIKE YOU COULD HAVE AN EXTRA PLANT AND ACTUALLY FAIL THE LANDSCAPE INSPECTION.SO THEY DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
YEAH,
I COULD SHARE THAT WITH THE GROUP, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE INSPECTORS CHECK TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
AND, UM, I'LL GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT BILL HAD MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING WHEN WE ESCALATE TO PHASE THREE AND, UH, PHASE FOUR WHERE, UM, OUR PUBLIC WORK STAFF AND, AND, AND WITH ASSISTANCE FROM UTILITY BILLING, THEY GO TO THE COMMERCIAL IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, THE IRRIGATION ONLY METERS, AND THEY LOCK THOSE OUT.
IF WE ESTABLISH A REGULAR INSPECTION PROGRAM, WHAT WE'VE KIND OF FIGURED OUT IN THE PROCESS OF, OF ENGAGING THIS SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS IS WE'RE SEEING THOSE, THOSE METERS AND THOSE SYSTEMS ARE NOT SET ACCORDING TO OUR CONSERVATION STANDARDS BECAUSE LANDSCAPERS OFTEN CONTROL THOSE AND THEY, THEY'LL CHANGE THOSE SETTINGS FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, WE DO THINK MAYBE A, A BIANNUAL, UM, INSPECTION OR A REGULAR TYPE OF INSPECTION, HAVING KEEPING THOSE LISTS CURRENT WILL ALLOW US TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, CERTAINLY WHEN WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND ENGAGE THOSE, THOSE HOAS AND THOSE COMMERCIAL, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT THEIR SYSTEMS AND, AND CONSERVING WATER.
NOW A M I TECHNOLOGY, ONCE THAT'S IN PLACE IS GONNA BE ALLOW US TO BE A LOT MORE TARGETED IN THAT EFFORT.
UM, FOR OUR TIER THREE USERS, ARE WE DOING ANY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT BEFORE THEY'RE IN VIOLATION? SO LIKE, LIKE THE CONSERVATION PHASE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT A HUGE DEAL, BUT LIKE WHEN B C I A IS SHUT DOWN, IT IS, ARE WE ENGAGING THEM WHEN IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL TO TRY AND KEEP THEM FROM BEING A BIG DEAL? UM, NO.
I'LL JUMP IN REAL QUICK AND JUST SAY WHEN WE IDENTIFY THEM, WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY A MONTH BEHIND BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT OLD DATA, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT REAL TIME DATA.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS AS WE APPROACHED THE END OF THIS SUMMER, IDENTIFYING THOSE TIER THREE USERS OVER THIS SUMMER AND POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN EDUCATE DIFFERENT SUBDIVISIONS.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE, ARE, HAVE A MAJORITY OF OUR TIER THREE USERS, UM, AND THEN PROVIDING SOME VERY SPECIFIC EDUCATION TO THOSE AREAS.
UM, SOMETHING THAT I HONED IN THAT, UM, DIRECTOR ELLISON SAID YESTERDAY IS THAT NEXT SUMMER IS GOING TO BE VERY TIGHT ON WATER.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE WE KNOW THAT THIS HUGE CONSERVATION IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT'S GONNA BE PROBLEMATIC.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE FOR THE NEXT, WHAT DO WE HAVE 10 MONTHS WE SHOULD BE RAMPING UP TO GET READY FOR THAT.
AND SO PERSONALLY AND COUNCIL CHIP IN HERE, I THINK WE SHOULD BE REACHING OUT TO THOSE TIER THREE USERS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH POSTCARDS OR DOOR KNOCKING OR BOTH.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOTTA START TRYING TO GET THAT USAGE DOWN BEFORE IT BECOMES MISSION CRITICAL.
UM, AND IT'LL JUST MAKE EVERYBODY'S LIVES EASIER NEXT YEAR AND, AND PROBABLY KEEP SOME OF THE ANGER AT BAY.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THAT TOO IS GONNA BE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UM, ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK IF WE CAN MAKE, MAKE IT JUST MORE OF A REGULAR CONVERSATION, WE COULD DO, WE COULD FEATURE YARDS OR HOAS OR BUSINESSES OR SOMETHING, PEOPLE THAT ARE CONSERVING WATER AND DOING IT RIGHT AND JUST NORMALIZE IT.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WHEN WE WERE IN THE HIGHER CONSERVATION PHASE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE DOING THIS STUFF YEAR ROUND UNTIL, UM, UNTIL EVERYTHING IS ONLINE AND, AND WE'RE SITTING PRETTY WITH WATER.
I'M GONNA, SINCE I'M USUALLY THE TIP OF THE SPEAR ON THINGS WITH Y'ALL BEFORE WE EVEN BRING IT TO, UH, BACK FOR AN ORDINANCE OR EVEN CONSIDERATION.
AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK IN A, A FUTURE MEETING SOON ON MODELING IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS AND THEN TAKING THIS KIND OF HEAT INTO ACCOUNT AND OUR WATER CONTRACTS AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS.
BUT WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT COMING BACK TO Y'ALL AND SAY, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IF WE DID A NO IRRIGATION, UH, ORDINANCE, LIKE NO NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS UNTIL DEEP WATER INTAKE IS COMPLETE? AND THEN WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE ON LANDSCAPING? AND SO THAT WOULD BE JUST A SCENARIO.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE NEXT SUMMER, I THINK WHERE OUR CONS, WHERE OUR CONCERN IS, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT DIFFERENT TIMES,
[00:35:01]
YOU HAVE X NUMBER OF, UH, CONNECTIONS AND LOTS AND TOWN HOMES AND APARTMENTS AND LARGE LOTS AND EVERYTHING.AND IF IT'S KIND OF LIKE, NO PUN INTENDED, YELLING, FIRE IN A, UM, IN A THEATER, IF EVERYBODY TRIES TO RUN THROUGH THE DOOR AT ONCE, THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND SO I JUST WANNA BE OPEN ABOUT THAT, THAT BEFORE WE WOULD HIT A PROBLEM OR A BIGGER PROBLEM THAT MIGHT MANIFEST ITSELF, LET'S SAY IN, NOT IN 24 OR 25, BUT WHAT IF EVERYBODY RUNS THROUGH THE DOOR DOOR 27 EVEN AFTER WE GET THE SLEDGE PROCESSING, UH, WITH SANDY CREEK DONE, IF EVERYBODY RUNS THROUGH, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER 21, THEN WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE? NO LANDSCAPING FOR RESIDENTIAL OR GOING TO A MORATORIUM, RIGHT? WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET A BUNCH OF COMMERCIAL THINGS ALL DOWN 180 3.
SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU OPTIONS AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE'RE AT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE UNDER DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
I CAN SEE THAT BEING A HUGE PROBLEM, UM, FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
UM, NO MATTER WHAT'S DECIDED THERE, WHAT CAN'T HAPPEN IS IT CAN'T JUST BE AN ALL OF A SUDDEN DECISION LIKE LAST SECOND AND IT JUST GOES INTO EFFECT RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT, AND I'M, I'M SPEAKING FROM JUST THE INDUSTRY THAT, THAT I WORK IN.
UM, YOU HAVE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION TO PRODUCE SOMETHING FOR, FOR YOUR CLIENT AND IN THEIR CONTRACT IT SAYS THEY'RE GETTING THIS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA RUN INTO A PROBLEM THERE, BUT AS, AS MUCH LEAD TIME IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
'CAUSE I DON'T DISAGREE THAT THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S COMMUNICATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE, EVERYBODY WHO'S PUTTING THOSE THINGS IN THERE, FIRST OFF, BUILDERS DIDN'T ALWAYS DO THAT HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, OUR ORDINANCES KIND OF MADE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENED, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT THAT IS PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WHAT IT DID, IT ACCELERATED THE, THE USAGE BIG TIME.
AND, AND HERE IS THE, HERE IS THE ISSUE.
IF WE, LET'S SAY OUR MODELING WAS, IT IS WHAT IT IS, BUT THEN BETWEEN OUR CONTRACTS WITH LET'S SAY LIBERTY HILL AND GEORGETOWN AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING MAXIMUM TAKE EVERY DAY.
AND THEN THE, THE DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, BAR W RONALD REAGAN ACCELERATES EVEN FASTER THEN YOU COULD HAVE IT FASTER THAN THE MODELING ANTICIPATED.
THEN YOU COULD HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE IF WE DID HIT A MORATORIUM OR HAD TO EVEN FOR SIX MONTHS, THEN THOSE CONTRACTS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE ARE ALSO GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY HAVE MADE A, MADE A COMMITMENT, BUT WHAT IF WE CAN'T? UM, WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT AT THE POINT WHERE, LET'S SAY THAT THEY'VE INITIATED THE PERMIT, THEY THINK THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO, AND THEN WE HIT A MORATORIUM, THEN THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T MOVE EITHER.
WE DON'T WANT EVERYTHING TO GO TO A STOP AT ANY POINT.
SO WHAT WE WOULD TRY TO DO IS LOOK AT A HOW WOULD WE PHASE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN AT WHAT POINT? AND I THINK ALSO, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU BETTER BE.
I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, WELL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT UP, UP NOW.
WE BETTER BE SO FAR AHEAD OF THE COMMUNICATION ON THIS WITH LET'S, IN THIS CASE, LET'S SAY THE H B A IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN THE CITY, AND I DON'T WHOEVER DOES THAT FOR THE APARTMENTS.
UM, I THINK IT'S LESS OF A CONCERN THERE.
UM, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, THAT THEY'RE NOT OWNING SOMETHING AND HAVING, HAVING THEIR PROPERTY, THIS IS LIKE ONE ENTITY THAT OWNS THE APARTMENT COMPLEX MIGHT BE IN ANOTHER STATE WHO'S GONNA BE, IT'S, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SITUATION THERE.
BUT WE BETTER BE WAY AHEAD OF THAT, THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND INVOLVING THEM IN THAT COMMUNICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE SO THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF STRATEGY GOING INTO THAT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING LIKE, THIS IS JUST WHAT'S HAPPENED.
WELL, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS TO REMEMBER IS ALL THE THINGS YOU SEE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW, ALL THOSE APARTMENTS, THEY'RE NOT TURNED ON RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT? SO IF THEY WERE TURNED ON RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE THAT SAME FINITE AMOUNT AND WE'RE IN THE SAME WEATHER SCENARIO AND OUR PARTNERS ARE MAXING OUT AS WELL, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO WHAT IF WE LOOK FOR A MIDDLE GROUND WHERE WE, UM, GO BACK TO HAVING IRRIGATION SYSTEMS BE VOLUNTARY, BUT THEN MAKE IT HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE TO ZERO ZEROSCAPE.
SO MAYBE IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO PUT IN A LAWN, UM, WITH PERMITS OR WHATEVER.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WAIVE IF YOU'RE ZEROSCAPING OR NOT PUTTING IN IRRIGATION.
CERTAINLY WHAT WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING IS MOVEMENT AWAY FROM THE MODEL THAT'S MULTIPLIED EVERYTHING.
SO WE DON'T REQUIRE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. I THOUGHT WE DID.
NO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T REQUIRE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN, UH, THE CITY MANDATED THAT EVERYTHING THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY ON MOST OF THESE MOST SIZED LOTS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE, IT'S SAYING THAT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE LANDSCAPED.
UM, MOST BUILDERS, THE EASIEST THING FOR THEM TO DO IS TO PUT DOWN TURF.
AND NO BUILDER IS GOING, SO LET'S SAY PRIOR TO 2015 ISH, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE, UM, ALMOST NOBODY PUT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN.
UH, WHAT YOU HAD WAS YOU HAD THE FRONT YARD GOT LANDSCAPED BECAUSE IT MET CITY
[00:40:01]
AND H O A GUIDELINES.AND SO YOU'D HAVE TWO TREES, SOD, SHRUBS, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THE BACKYARD, YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TOPSOIL IN ALMOST EVERY CASE.
BUT YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH PEOPLE NOT, UH, NOT GOING FORWARD IN LANDSCAPE AND, AND, AND INSTALLING THE LANDSCAPING.
UM, I THINK THERE WERE PROBABLY SOME ISSUES WITH POSSIBLE RUNOFF AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WHAT THE CITY DID AT SOME POINT AROUND THAT TIMEFRAME, AND ROBIN WOULD KNOW WAY BETTER THAN I WOULD, BUT I EXPERIENCED THIS 'CAUSE I HAD TO GO BACK IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE, UM, AND MY HOUSE WAS ONE OF THEM, UM, IN, IN 2015 WHERE UM, ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING HAD TO BE LIKE BASICALLY BE, BE COVERED.
YOU COULDN'T DO THAT AND YOU COULDN'T NOT LANDSCAPE THE BACKYARD ANYMORE.
SO WHEN EVERYTHING HAD TO BE DONE THEN, THEN BUILDERS SAID, WELL IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS TOO, THEN WE'RE JUST GONNA MAKE IT SOD BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE HERE AND NOBODY'S GONNA GO HIRE SOMEBODY.
IT'D BE LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR YOURSELF TO DO YOUR JOB AND THEN GO CHECK ALL THE BACKFLOWS, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE CITY.
SO THE OTHER WAY TO DO THAT AND WHAT PEOPLE USED TO DO, 'CAUSE I USED TO DO IT ON THE WEEKENDS, IS ON HOT DAYS I WOULD BE, AS A SALESPERSON, BE OUT THERE HOSING DOWN THE FRONT YARD TO MAKE SURE IT DIDN'T DIE BEFORE THE CLOSING WAS THE NEXT WEEK.
AND THEY DON'T, YOU CAN'T HAVE SOMEBODY JUST DOING THAT.
SO YOU PUT IN THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM SO THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND YOU PUSH THE BUTTON AND IT'S, UH, AND SO THAT BECAME NORMAL.
AND SO I THINK JUST AS FORESIGHT'S MASONRY BECAME NORMAL IN THIS CITY VERSUS OTHER CITIES ALSO, YOU KNOW, IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, BEING IN A BRAND NEW HOME, HOME BECAME VERY NORMAL.
AND THAT'S BEEN SINCE THAT TIME IN MY, IN MY UNDERSTANDING.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING ANY SORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS LIKE ASTROTURF OR DECOMPOSED GRANITE OR, OR SOMETHING THAT IS IMPERVIOUS WILL WANT TO, FROM THE ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, START LOOKING AT THESE DEVELOPMENTS, UM, AT THE DESIGN PHASE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ADEQUATELY SIZING THEIR DETENTION AND WATER QUALITY FOR THAT AS WELL.
BECAUSE THAT WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT ON, ON, ON HOW THE, THE DRAINAGE IS WORKING.
SO SINCE, SINCE THAT TIME, UM, 2016 IS WHEN WE INSTITUTED THE UPDATES TO THE TURF STANDARDS AND THEN WE FOLLOWED UP LATER WITH ANOTHER ORDINANCE, BUT NOW WE DON'T ALLOW A HUNDRED PERCENT TURF IN THE BACKYARD.
WE RAN INTO A CASE WHERE I THINK IT'S THE MS FOUR PERMIT WITH T C E Q AND WE WEREN'T FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T APPLYING THE EROSION CONTROLS.
SO WE HAD TO REACT AND THAT'S WHEN THAT REQUIREMENT CAME INTO PLAY.
SO WHEN YOU BUILD A HOUSE, YOU HAVE A FIVE FOOT DISTURBANCE ZONE AROUND THE HOUSE.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT IN TURF AND RE-VEGETATE IN THE BACKYARD BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING IT.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THE LOT SIZES ARE SO SMALL, YOU HAVE A, UH, 10 TO 15 FOOT DEEP BACKYARD.
SO IT DOES GET DISTURBED WITH THE WORK AND THE TREE REMOVAL AND GRADING.
SO IT WAS AN ATTEMPT, UM, THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT AS WELL AS WE HAD HOPED.
SO BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT'S TOUCHED BY ANY, WHEN THEY'RE CLEARING THE LOT, THAT HAS TO BE.
NOW WE DO ALLOW NATIVE, UH, SEED.
SO IF THEY WANNA DO THE CLUMPING GRASSES, THE ONES PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THAT AREN'T THE BEAUTIFUL TURF, BUT THEY ALSO DON'T REQUIRE THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER.
UM, WE A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT IT.
IT'S JUST THE RESIDENTS DON'T LIKE IT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT THE PLUSH LAWN THAT THEIR DOG CAN RUN ON.
SO JUST, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOT A HILL COUNTRY AESTHETIC OF WHAT IT USED TO BE.
SO I, I THINK THAT WE, WE MAY NEED TO REEMPHASIZE THAT.
UM, YOU ADAPT TO YOUR TOPOGRAPHY THAT'S THERE NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE DOWN SOUTH THEY LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT BUILDING ON A SLAB VERSUS, YOU KNOW, MINIMIZING IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THEN BEING ELEVATED, YOU HAVE TO ADAPT TO THE TOPOGRAPHY, NOT HAVE THE TOPOGRAPHY ADAPT TO YOU.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANNA MENTION.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT COMMUNICATION AND UM, OUR MESSAGING, I THINK WE NEED TO INCLUDE SOMETHING ABOUT WHY WE'RE ALLOWING DEVELOPMENT, WHY WE STILL HAVE BUILDING GOING ON.
BECAUSE THERE'S THIS PERCEPTION THAT WE COULD OR SHOULD JUST STOP, UH, ISSUING PERMITS AND, AND THINGS.
AND THAT IS NOT UNIQUE TO LEANDER.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHERS KNOW IT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S MAKING EVERYBODY LOOK BAD.
SO IF WE LEAD THAT DIRECTION, MAYBE OTHERS WILL DO THAT.
I WAS GONNA SAY FOR, FOR THE RECORD, AND I, I WISH PAIGE WAS HERE, BUT FOR US TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN'T ISSUE PERMITS CANNOT, I KNOW IT'S, AND WE LITERALLY HAVE TO BE IN A DIRE SITUATION.
I KNOW THAT WE, WE'VE COVERED THAT, SO
[00:45:01]
WE IN THIS ROOM KNOW THAT, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC DOES NOT.AND THEY'RE BLAMING PEOPLE LIKE ROBIN
AND YEAH, I MEAN, AND SO I JUST WANT THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THE ONES THAT WILL READ AND FOLLOW AND UNDERSTAND.
UM, THE OTHER THING I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING OUT LOUD ABOUT THE, UM, LAWNS, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WILL INSTALL A LAWN IN JULY AND THEN THEY LOSE IT BECAUSE WE DON'T ALLOW 'EM TO WATER IN ANTICIPATION OF NEXT YEAR.
MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF ORDINANCE.
LIKE YOU CAN'T INSTALL A LAWN IN A CERTAIN, WE'RE CURRENTLY TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR THE NEXT SUMMER, HOW WE'RE GONNA REACT 'CAUSE WE KNOW THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND WE SEE A LOT OF, UM, BUILDING STARTS AND YOU CAN PREDICT WHEN THEY'LL STOP.
SO WE WANNA WORK WITH THE H B A AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN COME UP WITH WITH THE BUILDERS TO MAYBE TRY TO SLOW IT SO WE'RE NOT PUTTING IN LAWNS IN THE, THE SUMMER, BUT IT PROTECTS THEM FROM HAVING TO REPLACE A LAWN.
SO I, I THINK IT'S, UH, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL AND, AND AND ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE LEAD TIME.
YOU KNOW, NOT WANTING TO INITIATE THAT AT THE WRONG TIME WHERE BUILDERS HAVE ALREADY FRONTED THE COST TO, TO INSTALL THE NEW TURF OR REPLACE AND, AND AND REALLY SAVES THEM SOME, SOME EFFORT THERE.
WELL, AND, AND NOT JUST WITH THE NEW BUILDS.
YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE MESSAGING BEFORE WE GET TO THE POINT THAT IT'S CRITICAL, UM, WE HAD LOTS OF COMPLAINTS LAST YEAR OF PEOPLE WHO HAD JUST DONE FRESH LANDSCAPING, FLOWER BEDS, NEW TREES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE GETTING OUT THE MESSAGE OF DON'T DO THAT, DON'T DO THAT THIS SPRING.
DON'T DO THAT AT THE END OF WINTER.
UM, AND SO TO THAT END, I'M WONDERING, UM, BECAUSE MR. TEETER IS FUNDED OUT OF THE UTILITY FUND AND NOT GENERAL, IS IT POSSIBLE, IS THERE ROOM TO UM, TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO HELP WITH ALL OF THAT MARKETING TO TAKE THE BURDEN? BECAUSE TY AND LINDY ARE ALREADY SUPER BUSY.
CAN WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S JUST DEDICATED TO DOING WATER MESSAGING ALL THE TIME? AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR A, YOU KNOW, A COMPLETELY FULL-TIME GIG, MAYBE THEY CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THE ENFORCEMENT TOO, DOOR KNOCKING, WHATEVER.
I, I THINK WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A, A MARKETING PLAN TO SEE IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE COULDN'T HAVE A MAYBE A, A MARKETING COMPANY OR, OR A THIRD PARTY ASSIST US WITH GENERATING THOSE MATERIALS BECAUSE THE MESSAGING IS REALLY GONNA BE GENERATED, UH, FROM US.
FROM US AND, AND BILL AND, AND OUR UTILITY BILLING FOLKS.
BUT PUTTING TOGETHER THOSE MATERIALS CAN BE SUPPORTED THROUGH A THIRD PARTY.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT, BUT WE'LL, WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A MORE, UH, FINITE PLAN THAT I THINK WE COULD EVEN SHARE THAT WITH COUNSEL IF WE HAVE THE OPTION TO DO IT IN HOUSE WITHOUT HURTING THE GENERAL FUND.
THOUGH I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S HERE THAT CAN PIVOT WHEN WE HAVE A LAST MINUTE CHANGE FROM B C R U A OR WHATEVER.
WOULDN'T THAT MAKE MORE SENSE? UH, MAYBE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT EFFICIENCY AND, AND GETTING SOMEONE NEW ON BOARD AND GETTING THEM, UM, UP TO SPEED ON, ON HOW SOME OF THAT WORKS ON THE FRONT END.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY AIMING TO DO.
WHY DON'T THE CONTRACT, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT, THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, I THINK FOR BUDGET WE WERE LOOKING AT A PHASED APPROACH.
BUT WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WHY DON'T WE LOOK, KNOWING THAT THINGS ARE ALSO A LITTLE DIFFERENT NOW THAN PROBABLY WE WERE FIRST THINKING ABOUT IN THE BUDGET.
'CAUSE YOU REMEMBER THE BUDGET STARTED WHEN WE WERE GETTING RAIN AND IT WAS COLDER, BUT IT'S UTILITY FUND.
BUT EVEN THEN OUR UTILITY FUNDS ARE GETTING STRETCHED.
UM, OR DEEP WATER INTAKE AND ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
BUT LET'S LOOK, WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND IF WE WERE TO DO IT, I ALMOST THINK WE WOULD NEED TO EVEN LOOK AT, AT DOING IT.
MAYBE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST TO EVEN LOOK AT THAT SCENARIO BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE LIKE IN FULL.
THEY'D HAVE TO BE IN FULL STRIDE, IN MY OPINION, READY TO DROP EVERYTHING ON THE COMMUNITY OR ALREADY TRICKLING IT OUT BY JANUARY ANYWAY.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T, BY THE, YOU'RE GONNA WAKE UP AND YOU'RE GONNA BE SPRING BREAK.
AND NASA PUT OUT A THING LAST WEEK THAT NEXT YEAR AND ESPECIALLY THE SUMMER IS GOING TO BE HOTTER AND DRIER THAN THIS YEAR.
SO ON TOP OF OUR WATER ISSUES, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AS A CITY IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE WATER FOR EVERYBODY A YEAR FROM NOW.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LOOK AT WHAT THE COSTS WOULD BE.
WE'LL LOOK AT THE UTILITY FUND IF THERE'S NEGLIGIBLE IMPACT VERSUS IF IT, IT THROWS OFF ANYTHING.
AND THEN WHAT I WOULD WANT, BILL AND GINA, AND I KNOW DAN'S GOT A LOT OF HIS, HIS DAN'S PLATTER
[00:50:01]
IS, PARDON ME,AND MAYBE WE HAVE TO DO A, A, A LITTLE OF BOTH.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO A LITTLE OF BOTH DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS.
OR MAYBE JUST A PART-TIME PERSON JUST TO FILL, I DUNNO.
BUT YEAH, I THINK, WHAT DO YOU THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ZEREK, I HEARD YOU TALKING ABOUT MESSAGING TOO.
YEAH, THAT'S JUST MY BIGGEST POINT.
LIKE I, I THINK BUILDERS HONESTLY WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS AND NOT HAVE TO DO THIS STUFF AS, AS LONG AS THERE WAS A WAY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND PUT ALL THEM INTO, UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA BE WAY AHEAD OF IT.
AND AS FAR AS THE COMMUNICATION AND STARTING NOW, UM, THAT WAY IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S DONE LATER.
UM, I HAD ONE OTHER POINT AND I I HOPEFULLY IT COMES BACK BY BY THE TIME WE'RE, BY THE TIME THAT WE'RE DONE HERE.
NO, BUT I MEAN, EVEN, EVEN THERE'S, I I, I SEE ON A THIRD OF THE, THE THIRD OF THE HOMES THAT WE CLOSE, THERE'S EVEN PEOPLE SAYING, DO WE HAVE TO PUT THE IRRIGATION? DO WE HAVE TO PUT THIS STUFF IN? DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA DO THIS OR WE'D LIKE TO DO THIS AFTERWARDS? UM, SO I I THINK THAT THERE'S, THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE IF IT, IF IT WORKS WITHIN OUR, UM, OUR ABILITY TO NOT GET IN TROUBLE WITH LIKE, LET'S SAY T C Q OR WHATEVER THE, THE STUFF IS THAT, THAT CAUSED THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO THOSE THINGS, UM, I THINK IT COULD HAPPEN.
WE JUST NEED TO COMMUNICATE NOW.
AND, AND, AND THE, AND THE, THE, THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THERE IS ENOUGH WATER.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, THERE'S PLENTY OF WATER FOR THE ENTIRE CITY TO, FOR EVERYBODY TO LIVE HERE.
AND IT WOULD MAKE SENSE AND WE, AND WE WOULD BE WITHIN OUR, OUR TOLERANCE AND WE WOULD BE ON TRACK.
BUT THAT SINGLE-HANDEDLY TIP THE SCALES THE OTHER WAY.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO SAY WE, LET'S COMMUNICATE WELL, BUT I'M ALSO SAYING, MAN, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESERT AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING, PUTTING ALL THIS, THIS GREEN STUFF IN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE SPENDING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES ON THE PURPLE PIPE'S GONNA HELP, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING WATER THAT'S TREATED AND WE'RE GOING IN THROWING IT IN OUR YARDS WHEN THAT'S NEEDED FOR ALL OF US TO JUST DO OUR NORMAL LIVING.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A COMMON SENSE PART OF THIS TOO, THAT, THAT I WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO EVERYBODY AND THEIR INVESTMENTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A YARD TOO, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T PLANT ANYTHING NEW BECAUSE I KIND OF SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND I TRY TO TELL AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN, HEY, I WOULDN'T DO THAT
YOU KNOW? AND, AND, AND, AND THE STUDENT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE SUMMERS WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE SAME POSITION.
AND I'M NOT THE ONE THAT'S GONNA GO PREACHING OVER, I DON'T DO A LOT OF STUFF ON FACEBOOK, BUT JUST AS A CITY, WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS RIGHT NOW JUST TO GIVE EVERYBODY, EVEN IF IT'S, IF, IF IT'S A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, IT'S BETTER TO SET EXPECTATIONS MM-HMM.
I KNOW, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE ARE TIER THREE CUSTOMERS NOW, THEY'RE, WE KNOW THEY'RE NOT PRICE SENSITIVE.
THEY'RE GONNA PAY MORE MONEY REGARDLESS, WHICH MEANS OUR, OUR EDUCATION IS GONNA GO RIGHT OVER THEIR HEAD.
SO THE ENFORCEMENT, UH, PART OF THAT IS GONNA BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
AND HOW DO WE ENGAGE THEM ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE WITHOUT CREATING A, A LARGER ISSUE, UH, WITH THOSE PARTICULAR CUSTOMERS.
THE NEW, THE NEW CUSTOMERS, THE HOME BUILDERS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE.
AND THEN THE HOAS AND THE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS, UH, HOW WE ATTACK THAT IS DIFFERENT AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOOK AT SOME EFFICIENCIES THERE WHERE A THIRD PARTY, MAYBE A ONE TIME HELPING GENERATE MARKETING MATERIALS WOULD BE GOOD.
THERE MIGHT BE, UH, SOME OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE BRING IN ANOTHER WARM BODY TO, TO JUST EXECUTE SOME OF THE, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND KIND OF WORK.
UM, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE'RE HITTING SO MANY DIFFERENT AUDIENCES.
SO, BUT I THINK TOO, THAT THERE'S A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE TIER THREE USERS THAT ARE TIER THREE BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T REALIZE THAT THEIR USAGE IS OUTSIZED.
AND IF WE'RE, NO, SOME OF THEM DO KNOW, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM KNOW.
IF, IF YOU THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE USING IS NORMAL AND NOBODY EVER TELLS YOU THIS IS ABNORMAL AND YOU'RE USING MORE THAN YOUR NEIGHBORS, HOW DO YOU EVER FIGURE THAT OUT? UM, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM BEFORE THEY'RE IN SOME SORT OF VIOLATION IS VALUABLE BECAUSE I THINK THERE WILL BE A PERCENTAGE THAT WILL ATTEMPT TO BRING THAT DOWN, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA BE THE HIGH USERS.
THEY DON'T WANNA BE THE BAD GUY.
I THINK THE LAST TIME WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL, WHEN WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF PHASE FOUR, UM, WE, WE SHOWED SOME EXAMPLES OF THE, SOME OF THE DOOR TAGS YOU MENTIONED.
WE HAD SHOWN EXAMPLES OF THAT WE'RE USING THOSE SAME DOOR TAGS, JUST NOT WITH THE PHASE FOUR LABEL ON THEM.
AND WE'LL SEND THOSE OUT TO COUNCIL TOO, UM, NEXT WEEK.
BUT, UM, THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE, ARE CERTAINLY, UM, GOOD TOOLS THAT WILL HELP US.
WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY CONSISTENT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, REACHING OUT TO THE SAME GROUP, REMINDING THEM OF THOSE RULES, REMINDING
[00:55:01]
THEM OF OUR PHASES.AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CALLS YOU GET BILLED, BUT I KNOW, I KNOW TY LINY AND MYSELF EVERY OTHER DAY WE'RE GETTING CALLS.
WHAT PHASE ARE WE IN? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE CONSERVATION? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR WATER
WELL, I THINK PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S CONFUSION, RIGHT? SO I LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO GEORGETOWN.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEXT TO ME IS GEORGETOWN, AND THEY'RE NO OUTDOOR WATERING AT ALL.
RIGHT? SO WHEN I'M DRIVING, I DRIVE THROUGH ROUND ROCK, LEANDER, GEORGETOWN, AND THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT MESSAGES.
AND, AND THE OTHER THING I, AND I THINK WHERE THE PART OF THE EDUCATION NEEDS TO ALSO BE, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME GEOGRAPHY LESSONS IN HERE.
THIS IS ALMOST LIKE THE EDGE OF, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUT, A HIGH DESERT.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A GOOD TIME TO HAVE LIKE A SPAGHETTI WESTERN SOUNDTRACK IN THE BACKGROUND TO KIND OF DESCRIBE AND WHAT THE NATURAL, THE, THE CACTUS AND THE MESQUITE AND THE CEDAR AND THE, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT SOME OF OUR RELATIVES, WHEN THEY LIVED IN THE HILL COUNTRY THAT DIDN'T HAVE RUNNING WATER, WHERE YOU WERE DRAWING IT FROM CREEKS AND RIVERS TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN JUST COMPARED TO THE EAST SIDE OF OUR AUSTIN REGION, THE SOIL IS DIFFERENT.
AND THEN YOU GO, YOU KNOW, PAST BASTROP, GET CLOSER TO THE COLORADO RIVER.
AND I DO THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF SHOW WHAT WE ARE.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE, IN ALL HONESTY, IF THE LAWN LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE IN IRELAND, THAT IS NOT NATURAL, RIGHT? SO I, I DON'T WANNA BE THE PERSON THAT SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T FILL YOUR POOL EITHER.
UM, BUT WE MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT THAT FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE SAME, FOR THE SAME REASON.
LIKE, NOT NOW, BUT IN PREPARATION FOR LIKE, DON'T, DON'T BUILD A POOL AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO FILL IT.
UM, ONE LAST THING, JUST AS A, AN OBSERVATION.
UM, AND IT MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO, FOR US HERE, I WISH RANDALL WAS HERE.
I WAS IN NASHVILLE LAST WEEK, AND I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN CONVENTION CENTERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS, BUT THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW CONVENTION CENTER IN NASHVILLE.
AND, UH, THEY USE RAINWATER TO FLUSH THE TOILETS.
AND I JUST THOUGHT IF, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, I, AND WE MAY NOT GET ENOUGH RAINWATER HERE TO, TO DO THAT, BUT JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE, IT, EVERYBODY WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED.
THEY THOUGHT THAT THE PERSON BEFORE THEM JUST DIDN'T FLUSH THE TOILET, BUT
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A GARDEN IN A BOX.
OH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
OH, YOU JUST TURNED IT BACK OFF.
WELL, AND IS, UM, THERE'S A ORGANIZATION CALLED ROOTED IN, WHICH IS KIND OF SIMILAR TO THE RAIN BARREL COMPANY.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T MENTION THIS WHILE I WAS TALKING EARLIER.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY DO A SIMILAR THING WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, SOME, SHALL WE SAY CANNED GARDENS, THAT YOU GET IN A BOX WITH LITTLE PLANTS, ABOUT 24 PLANTS IN EACH BOX.
UM, AND THEY'RE, THEY OFFER DIFFERENT BOXES FOR LIKE A, A SHADE GARDEN, A POLLINATOR GARDEN.
UM, THEY'RE ALL DROUGHT TOLERANT TEXAS NATIVE PLANTS.
AND THEY COME WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PLANT THEM, TAKE CARE OF THEM, WATER THEM.
AND SO WHAT THEY WOULD DO OR PLANNING ON DOING THIS FOR THE SPRING, UM, UH, WHAT WHAT THEY DO IS THEY DO AN ONLINE SALE, JUST LIKE THE RAIN BARRELS.
AND THEN THEY, THEY COME AND DROP 'EM OFF, LIKE THE RAIN BARRELS WITH US, AND THEN WE JUST HAND THEM OUT, UH, EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE PAY THE COMPANY AND IT'S JUST REAL, REAL, IT SHOULD BE REAL EASY.
THE RAIN BARRELS WAS A REAL EASY.
UM, SO THIS SHOULD BE EASY TO DO TOO.
AND I THINK IT'D BE A REALLY GOOD PRODUCT.
IT GETS GOOD REVIEWS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES AROUND HERE THAT HAVE USED IT.
UM, SO IT'S A, IT WOULD BE A WAY OF PROMOTING, UM, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING THE, YOU KNOW, TURF REDUCTION.
IS IT SEEDS OR IS IT ALREADY GROWING? IT'S PLANTS.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S LIKE 24 OF 'EM IN A, I DON'T KNOW, TWO BY ONE BOX, I THINK A STACK.
SO I THINK IT'LL BE A COOL PROGRAM.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS, UM, IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE OUT A DROUGHT.
AND AFTER THE, AFTER THE, THE PROBLEM WE HAD, I DIDN'T REALLY WANNA MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I DO HAVE ONE OTHER THING TALKING ABOUT THE BO THE GARDEN IN A BOX.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, ARE BUILDING GARDENS, NOT
[01:00:01]
DECORATIVE PLANTS, BUT FOOD MM-HMM.UM, AND THAT CREATES AN ISSUE TOO.
YOU DON'T WANT THEM NOT TO BE ABLE TO WATER THAT.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE KEYHOLE GARDEN? YEAH, I'VE ROUGH ROUND, BUT YEAH, I'VE HEARD OF IT, BUT I'M NOT REAL CLEAR ON WHAT OKAY.
IT'S JUST SMALL SPACE, LITTLE WATER.
UM, AND IT, IT UTILIZES THE, THE WATER IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY AND CAN GROW A LOT OF FOOD IN A VERY SMALL SPACE.
SO I'VE ALWAYS WANTED ONE, EVEN THOUGH I'VE GOT SPACE.
BUT
AND YOU STAND THERE WITH THE WATER HOSE IN ONE SPOT TO WATER ALL YOUR PLANTS
I THINK, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA, GINA DO WE STILL HAVE THE, THE ORDINANCE? SO, UM, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS HERE IN A MINUTE.
I THINK MARRYING THE, I GUESS THE RAIN BARREL ON THE GARDEN OF THE BOX AND A RAISED A SMALL, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING INSTRUCTIONAL WOULD BE REALLY COOL.
AND TO GET, I THINK THAT'D BE A, A GREAT PROJECT ALSO, LIKE WITH A FAMILY, WITH KIDS WITH DO A SMALL WATER EFFICIENT GROW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE YOU CAN PLANT IT IN A WAY WHERE, LIKE YOU'VE MENTIONED, RETAIN THAT MOISTURE IN THERE AND, AND NOT PLANT THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GROWING BANANA PLANTS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THERE, I WOULD ASSUME.
AND, UM, THIS, THIS ORGANIZATION ALSO HAS SOME RESOURCES, SOME EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES SUCH AS ONLINE CLASSES THAT WE CAN GET OUR PEOPLE, GET OUR RESIDENTS ACCESS TO.
UM, AND THEY, THEY WILL DO IN-PERSON CLASSES TOO.
SO I WAS GONNA, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH AGRI AGRILIFE AND THEN I'VE DONE SOME, SOME TALKS.
UM, SO IT WAS GONNA ADD TO IT WITH, WITH SOME OF THAT.
SO, UM, ALSO I WANTED TO MENTION ONE THING.
I HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH H O A IRRIGATORS, UM, JUST LAST WEEK, UM, AS WE'RE COMING OUT OF THE, UM, THE, UM, THE, UM, PUMP PROBLEM.
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY'RE TELLING THEIR CUSTOMERS, THESE ARE THE, THE H O A PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TAKE CARE OF THE EYEBROWS AND THE COMMON AREAS.
THEY SAID THEY'RE TELLING THEIR CUSTOMERS, WE'RE NOT GONNA WATER ANY MORE TURF THIS SUMMER.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THE BEDS AND THE TREES.
AND I THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT GOING FORWARD.
AND THEY'RE, UH, BOTH OF 'EM SAID, IF THE CUSTOMER'S GOT A PROBLEM WITH IT, THEN WE WILL JUST FIND SOMEBODY ELSE TO WORK WITH.
'CAUSE THEY SAID, THAT'S JUST NUTS.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY POSITIVE.
BUT, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN OUR MESSAGING TOO, IS TO LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, SUMMER DORMANCY CAPABILITY.
YOU KNOW, WE REQUIRE THAT IN OUR, OUR TURF THAT WE PUT IN.
UM, AND WHAT THE IRRIGATORS ARE TELLING ME IS, YOU KNOW, THAT YEAH, IT'S GONNA GET BEAT UP, BUT IT'S GONNA COME BACK IN THE FALL.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THAT AND MY VISITS WITH THE CUSTOMERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, UH, LET'S WORRY ABOUT THE, THE, THE BEDS AND THE TREES AND THE, THE TURF WILL SHOULD BE OKAY.
WE'LL NEED SO MUCH WATER ON THAT.
COUNSEL, ANYTHING FURTHER? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THIS, WHEN I LOOK BACK TO LAST YEAR, AND WE WENT TO STAGE FOUR WITH THE WATERING BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE REPAIRS WITH OUR INTAKE LINE, COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER
AND SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US REALLY GEAR OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS JUST REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF WATER USED TO MAINTAIN OUR LANDSCAPING AND, AND OTHER THINGS BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
I MEAN, OUR POPULATION IS EXPECTED TO REACH, WHAT, A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE BY SOME POINT, 20 40, 20 50.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ADDING, BUT WHAT'S GONNA TAKE LESS WATER TO MAINTAIN THE RESIDENCE BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST USING WATER IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THAT POINT, WE WERE UNDER 6 MILLION GALLONS LAST YEAR.
WE CAN WHAT HAVE 25? SO IT'S NOT A, WHAT WE CAN PRODUCE, IT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE USING.
AND WE FINDING OUT THAT THAT'S JUST PART OF THE, UM, TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR LANDSCAPE.
SO IF WE CAN JUST REALLY GEAR OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS REDUCING THAT EFFORT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR, FOR REALLY LONG TERM.
ANYTHING ELSE? COUNSEL? ANYTHING ELSE? STAFF? UM, WELL, WE HAD SOME UPDATES ON THE ORDINANCE STUFF.
SO WE WERE GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM Y'ALL BEFORE WE ACTUALLY EDIT THE ORDINANCE AND GO THROUGH THAT EFFORT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE SOME UPDATES ON, YOU KNOW, DAYS AND TIMES, UM, SOME FINE STRUCTURE OPTIONS THAT, THAT WE WANTED TO THROW OUT THERE.
UM, BILL KIND OF ALREADY TOUCHED ON THE CAR WASH REGISTRATION.
THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ORDINANCE UPDATE, BUT, UM, JUST A PROGRAM TO GET GOING.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK WE ALSO MENTIONED THAT AUDIT OF THE LARGE IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
SO, UM, WE WANTED TO SUGGEST AND LOOK AT REMOVING THOSE NO WATER MONDAY.
SO CURRENTLY WA MONDAY IS A NO WATERING DAY.
SO, UM, USING THIS DAY FOR, FOR AN ADDITIONAL IRRIGATION DAY, SPREADS THAT, THAT LOAD OUT, UM, FOR US AS FAR AS THE SYSTEM DEMAND.
[01:05:01]
SO, UM, SOME OF OUR PARTNER CITIES HAVE GONE TO THAT AND, AND SEEN SOME, SOME SUCCESS WITH THAT.SO, UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO PUT RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ON THE SAME SCHEDULE.
CURRENTLY THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DAYS.
IF YOU'RE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL, THIS WILL HELP WITH OUR ENFORCEMENT FOLKS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IS THIS RESIDENTIAL? IS THIS COMMERCIAL? WHAT'S THEIR DAY, WHAT'S THEIR ADDRESS? SO IT KIND OF SMOOTHS THAT OUT.
UM, CURRENTLY DRIP IRRIGATION IS EXEMPT FROM, UH, ANY WATERING RULES.
SO WE WANTED TO TAKE THAT OUT AND, AND MAKE DRIP IRRIGATION FOLLOW, UM, THE SAME RULES AS, UM, NORMAL IRRIGATION.
AND THEN WE WANTED TO ADJUST THE HOURS TO INSTEAD.
UM, CURRENTLY IT ENDS AT 10:00 AM UM, EVERY MORNING YOUR WATERING DAY OR CUTS OFF THEN.
SO WE WANTED TO, TO BRING THAT BACK TO 7:00 AM THAT ALLOWS OUR SYSTEM TO CATCH UP A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
WE DON'T REALLY START CATCHING UP AND SEEING THAT KIND OF BOTTOM OUT UNTIL 9:00 AM SO, UM, THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP US THERE.
SO ANY FEEDBACK ON ANY OF THESE? IT'S, I THINK IT'S GREAT ALL OF THEM.
SO I WAS GONNA ADD ONE THING REAL QUICK, GINA.
WE STILL SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS WEDNESDAY AS A TRADITIONAL PEAK DAY, AND NOW MAYBE EVEN SATURDAY IS CREEPING UP TO A PEAK DAY.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO A M I TECHNOLOGY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE USERS ON THOSE PEAK DAYS AND BE ABLE TO ADJUST AT THAT POINT.
CURRENTLY, WE, WE DON'T HAVE EYES ON WHO'S USING ON THOSE PARTICULAR DAYS.
SO IT'S, UH, OTHER THAN JUST EDUCATION REMINDING PEOPLE OF, OF THEIR DESIGNATED DAYS AND THEN FOLLOWING UP WITH ENFORCEMENT, UM, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, TO, UM, CAPTURE THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
BUT CERTAINLY, UM, SPREADING THAT OUT AND AND GETTING COMPLIANCE WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND THIS IS JUST A DRAFT KIND OF, OF HOW I HAVE ENVISIONED THE, UM, PHASE TWO KIND OF ONE DAY A WEEK ADDRESSES.
WE HAVEN'T, UM, IRONED THAT OUT YET.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FINALIZED.
WE JUST WANTED TO GET SOME FEEDBACK, UM, ON THE FINE STRUCTURE.
UM, SOME OF OUR CITIES, WELL, I'LL START WITH, UH, YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR DURING THE PHASE FOUR EFFORTS, UM, WE UPDATED OUR ORDINANCE SO THAT WHEN WE ARE IN PHASE FOUR, THOSE SECOND, THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS, UM, THE FINE STRUCTURE WENT TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER FINE.
UM, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE VARIOUS PHASES.
UM, SO CURRENTLY OUR, OUR SCHEDULE'S ON THE LEFT, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT PHASE WE'RE IN, THE FINES ARE 50, A HUNDRED, 200.
SO WE WANTED TO LOOK AT AS THE PHASES ESCALATE AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF, OF THE CONDITIONS, UM, OR CONDITIONS GET MORE SERIOUS THAT WE, UM, LOOK AT POTENTIALLY INCREASING THOSE FINES, UM, FOR THE SECOND THIRD.
AND FOR, OBVIOUSLY FIRST OFFENSE WILL ALWAYS BE A WARNING, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, JUST ANY GENERAL FEEDBACK ON THAT.
WE HAVEN'T OBVIOUSLY RUN THIS BY LEGAL OR ANYTHING, SO, WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK.
BUT, UH, I WANTED TO GET SOME, SOME INPUT ON, ON ADJUSTING THESE FINE SCHEDULES.
WELL, OTHER THAN PHASE FOUR, HOW OFTEN ARE WE ISSUING SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH OFFENSES? I DON'T BELIEVE CODE HAS IN HAS ISSUED ANY.
UM, WE HAD A REPORT FROM THEM RIGHT BEFORE OUR LAST MEETING, I THINK, AND THEY ONLY HAD ONE SECOND, UM, VIOLATION.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS GONNA BECOME, LIKE WE MENTIONED WITH THE 24 SUMMER, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA GET SOME MORE STAFF OUT THERE.
I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE BECOME MORE OF A, SO THIS IS, UM, A CONSIDERATION FOR PREVENTATIVE MEASURE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING GOOD, UH, I WOULD SAY GOOD RESPONSE AND, AND CODE CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP ON THIS GOOD RESPONSE ON OUR WARNINGS.
SO YOU MENTIONED THE DOOR TAGS.
PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO THOSE WARNINGS.
WE'RE NOT HAVING TO CITE THEM OR, OR CHARGE THEM, THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO PAY FEES.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY RESPONDING THE FIRST TIME.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY DON'T KNOW
AND THEN REALIZE, OH YEAH, OKAY, I'M A VIOLATOR 'CAUSE I'M NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO MY IRRIGATION SCHEDULE.
THIS, UM, GIVES US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, THE, THE FINES HAVE GONE UP, SO PAY EXTRA ATTENTION.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS HOW MANY WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TO ISSUE IN, IN REQUIRING PEOPLE TO PAY, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY I DON'T THINK SO, NO.
IN FACT, WHEN WE DID PHASE FOUR, UM, I, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER IN MY HEAD.
I KNOW WE DID QUITE A BIT OF WARNINGS, UM, BUT NEVER ACTUALLY ESCALATED TO HAVING TO CITE THEM.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE WARNINGS.
IN FACT, MOST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE GET IS, IS SOMETHING TELLING US THAT WE'VE GOT THE WRONG ADDRESS OR IT WASN'T THEM, AND THEN WE SENT 'EM THE PHOTO AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, LET ME GO CHECK THE SCHEDULE.
THEN ON, ON THEIR SYSTEM WHEN THEY FIND THAT IT'S GOING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT.
AND SO THEY'VE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE TO IT.
SO I THINK SINCE WE HAVEN'T BEEN PUSHING THESE AND HANDING OUT A LOT OF 'EM PERSONALLY, I DON'T WANNA STICK
[01:10:01]
SOMEBODY WITH A $75 BILL BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T TIMELY RESPOND TO THE FIRST OFFENSE.UM, I THINK 50 IS MORE APPROPRIATE UNTIL WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO LIKE GOING INTO A STAGE FOUR.
BUT I THINK FOR THE LEVEL OF MESSAGING WE HAVE NOW, I DON'T WANNA STICK SOMEONE WITH SEVEN FIVE.
NO, I I THINK THAT THE, NOT I, REGARDLESS OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, I THINK IT NEEDS TO START NOW.
SO LIKE, EVEN WITH THE TIMELINE IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME OUT HERE TO, TO OVER, UM, UH, INSPECT OR TO, TO HAVE HELP IN YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH THE SEASONAL OR CONTRACT HELP TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WHENEVER, THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO START, PROBABLY NEEDS TO EVEN BE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO NOT GET INTO THE SITUATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE OR IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE, BUT I WOULD SAY THE SOONER THE BETTER NO MATTER WHAT THE AMOUNT IS.
AND, AND THAT, SORRY, WHAT IS THE GRACE PERIOD BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND OFFENSE? HOW LONG DO WE GIVE THEM BEFORE WE ISSUE THE SECOND? THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S PROBABLY MORE APPLICABLE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 15 AND 75 IS NOT CHIEF, IT'S ABOUT 10 DAYS TO CORRECT.
I THINK IN THE, UH, ORDINANCE IS FIVE DAYS IS THE, UH, UH, THE ASSUMED, UH, AWARENESS OR NOTIFICATION THAT ONCE WE'VE SENT THAT OUT, THAT THEY'VE, THAT AFTER FIVE DAYS, WE'VE ASSUMED THEY'VE RECEIVED THAT NOTICE, UH, IF IT WASN'T ISSUED IN PERSON.
SO, UH, BUT JUST DUE TO THE LIMITED STAFFING AND THE TARGET, UH, AREAS THAT WE HIT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING BACK THE NEXT DAY AND THE FOLLOWING DAYS.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO COVER THE ENTIRE CITY WITH VERY MINIMAL PEOPLE.
I THINK THE FIVE DAYS IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE IN PHASE FOUR, MAYBE PHASE THREE, BUT LIKE AT PHASE TWO, I WOULD SAY 10 TO 14, I'D BE MORE COMFORTABLE BEFORE WE FIND PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK OF SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE HECK THAT BOX IN THEIR GARAGE WORKS AND THEY'VE GOTTA READ THE NOTICE, FIND TIME TO CALL SOMEBODY, GET SOMEBODY TO COME HELP THEM.
LIKE I THINK FIVE DAYS IS A SHORT TIME PERIOD FOR SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE WITH THE IDEA THAT WE, UM, WERE ABLE TO SECURE SOME CONTRACT LABOR TO SUPPORT IN THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE.
WE'RE GONNA START WHEN WE'RE IN PHASE TWO.
LIKE RIGHT WHEN THE IRRIGATING SEASON STARTS, EARLY SPRING, WE'RE OUT THERE, WE'RE CHECKING SYSTEMS, WE'RE WATCHING FOR VIOLATIONS SO THAT WE'RE NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF PHASE THREE AND GOD FORBID PHASE FOUR WHEN WE'RE JUST STARTING TO DO THAT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT.
IS THERE ANY REFERENCE TO ON, ON WHATEVER THE WARNING THAT'S LEFT WITH THEM, IS THERE ANY REFERENCE TO OUR DEPARTMENT THAT COULD ACTUALLY HELP THEM WITH WHAT MAYOR JUST MENTIONED? UH, THERE IS, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ONLY, UH, AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL SHARE THIS WITH COUNCIL.
THERE'S A LINK TO THE WATER PAGE WHERE WE HAVE THE CURRENT INFORMATION.
SOMETIMES WE EVEN ATTACH, UM, ADDITIONAL MATERIALS TO THAT DOOR TAG.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE DOOR TAG BY ITSELF.
'CAUSE YOU CAN ONLY PUT SO MUCH INFORMATION ON THERE.
AND THEN WE'RE, WE'RE SORT OF CIRCLING AND REMINDING FOLKS, HEY, THIS IS YOUR DAY.
THIS IS WHEN WE FOUND YOU WATERING.
TRYING TO BE VERY, UH, VERY CLEAR WITH, WITH THE REASON FOR APPLYING THAT DOOR TAG.
SO ARE WE USING DATA FROM THE UTILITIES OR ARE WE JUST RANDOMLY DRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS? ARE WE TARGETING OUR HIGHEST USERS? I MEAN, HOW ARE WE GOING ABOUT THIS? BECAUSE SOMEBODY JUST ACCIDENTALLY MAYBE OVERLOOKED IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T CARE.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ENDED UP DOING, UH, LAST SUMMER, WE'LL PROBABLY DO AT, AT THE END OF THIS SUMMER, WE'LL ASSESS THE, THE INFORMATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE SUMMER, LOOK FOR THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF, UM, TIER THREE USERS, AND THEN WORK OUR WAY DOWN POTENTIALLY TIER TWO AND FOCUS ON THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS AS SORT OF THE GROUPS, UH, WHERE WE TARGET PARTICULAR ENFORCEMENT ZONES.
AND THEN, UM, I KNOW WHAT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS SORT OF DOING NOW WITH, WITH THEIR LIMITED STAFF.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING THAT SAME APPROACH IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THEY'RE DOING IT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, NOT, NOT OVERNIGHT IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.
AND THEN APPLYING THAT, UM, SORT OF ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE.
SO THEY MAY HIT ANYWHERE FROM, UH, FOUR TO SIX NEIGHBORHOODS A WEEK, AND THEN THEY'RE COMING BACK TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD EITHER BY THE END OF THE MONTH OR GOING INTO THE NEXT MONTH.
SO VERY SIMILAR TO OUR, OUR UTILITY BILLING CYCLES.
THE OTHER IS WE DO GET, UH, COMPLAINTS THAT ARE SENT IN, UH, ON PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE SEEN THEIR NEIGHBOR IN VIOLATION.
AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL GET SOME OF THOSE COMPLAINTS THAT WE DO ADDRESS AS WELL.
IS THAT WHAT YOU NEEDED FROM US ON THIS PART? I DID, YES.
UM, BILL TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE WANTED TO LOOK INTO DOING THE CAR WASH REGISTRATION.
LIKE I SAID, THIS, UM, ASSISTS KINDA WITH THE PUBLIC IMAGE.
WHEN WE DO GO INTO THOSE HIGHER PHASES, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SAY THAT THE CAR WASH ARE ON WELL WATER OR, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE MET THIS CRITERIA STANDARDS, UM, POTENTIALLY LOOK AT ADDING SOME SIGNAGE THAT THEY CAN PUT OUT FRONT, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT THEY'RE A, YOU KNOW, SMART WATER USER OR HOWEVER THAT WORKS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING, WE'LL, IT'S NOT REALLY AN ORDINANCE UPDATE,
[01:15:01]
BUT WE, WE WANTED TO, UM, TOUCH BASE ON, WHICH I THINK WE ALREADY DID.SO WE'LL PROBABLY BRING THAT BACK HERE, UM, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND THEN WE ALSO TOUCHED ON THIS ONE A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND I WANTED TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON ADDING THIS ANNUAL OR BIANNUAL IRRIGATION, UH, INSPECTION, UH, FOR THESE LARGE USERS AND, AND SEE IF THIS IS AN UPDATE WE ALSO WANNA MAKE IN THE ORDINANCE.
I HOPE
UM, I KNOW THAT I, I CALLED UP MR. TEETER A COUPLE OF TIMES ON A CERTAIN H O A THAT IT HAS ALL THE TIME.
SO YEAH, IF WE WANNA INSPECT THOSE, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NO, IT'S MINE.
NO, I THINK, AND, AND MIKE MENTIONED, UM, IT'S OKAY.
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR LOCKING OF THESE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, UM, WHEN WE DO GO IN THOSE HIGHER PHASES HAS REALLY, HONESTLY SAVED US THE LAST COUPLE TIMES THAT WE'VE BEEN IN THESE, THESE DIRE DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO I THINK TARGETING THESE HOAS AND, AND LARGER SYSTEMS IS A GREAT, UM, GREAT TOOL THAT WE CAN USE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT MAINTAIN THOSE, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY PAYING ATTENTION OR CARE NO.
AND AND THEIR CONTRACT TOO, LIKE BILL WAS MENTIONING, SO EXACTLY.
AND HE'S GOT A LOT OF GOOD CONTACTS WITH THOSE FOLKS.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GETTING THERE, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ADDING THIS WILL WILL BE A BIG BURDEN ON THEM.
NOW, I'LL ADD TO THAT TOO BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW BILL AND LINDY ARE PROBABLY EXPERIENCING THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE THEY'RE COMMUNICATING WITH HOAS, THE COMMUNITY MANAGERS THAT SECURE THE IRRIGATION COMPANIES AND, AND CONTRACT FOR SOME OF THAT WORK.
A LOT OF THOSE MANAGERS DON'T LIVE IN LEAN.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REGIONAL.
THEY'RE AWESOME BASED, THEY HAVE NO CONNECTION TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, OTHER THAN JUST MANAGING A PARTICULAR SUBDIVISION.
SO THEIR CONNECTION TO OUR CONSERVATION PHASES OR UNDERSTANDING IS EVEN MORE REMOTE AND IT'S EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO THEM, BUT MAYBE EVEN OUTTA STATE IN SOME CASES.
SO, UM, LINDY'S UH, TARGETED MESSAGING TO THOSE COMMUNITY MEASURES ON A WEEKLY BASIS NOW, UM, HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND IT HELPS ENGAGE THEM TO RE-ENGAGE BILL OR RE-ENGAGE OTHER FOLKS, UH, WITHIN OUR STAFF TO, TO ACTUALLY FOLLOW OUR RULES.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM STAFF? YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE FROM US? ALRIGHT, THE TIME IS 9 47.
WE'LL BE IN RECESS UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK.
[5. Partnerships with parks and recreation department ]
ALL RIGHT.WE ARE RESUMING INTO REGULAR SESSION AT 10:07 AM MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PARTNERSHIP WITH PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE, UH, PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR, CUMMINS.
UM, JUST A FEW OPENING COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO SOME DISCUSSION AND LOOKING FOR YOUR INTERACTION.
AND AS WE, UH, NAVIGATE FUTURE YEARS, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH VARIOUS GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES ARE CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY AS YOU, YOUR POPULATION BEGINS TO, UH, CONTINUE TO EXPAND.
OURS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE, MORE OF YOUR LARGER CITIES, LARGER DEPARTMENTS, THEY, THEY HAVE TO RELY ON PARTNERSHIPS TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS, THE GOALS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY WORK WITH.
UM, AND SO WE ARE REALLY IN THAT SORT OF FORMATIVE STAGE OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS, WHETHER IT BE INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL.
UM, WE'VE CARRIED ON A LOT OF, UH, SOME OF OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS.
SOME OF THOSE ARE, ARE VERY FEW, BUT THEY, AS YOU GROW AND YOU, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS BECOME BIGGER.
UH, OUR POPULATION GROWS, THE NEEDS GROW, THE DEMANDS GROW.
UM, THEN YOU BEGIN LOOKING FOR OTHER TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S A VARIETY.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS FROM MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS, UM, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EVEN A PARTNERSHIP WITH PERHAPS SCOUTS, EAGLE SCOUTS, GETTING THINGS DONE, CHURCHES.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE LOOKING ALWAYS TO TRY TO IMPROVE, TRY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR, OUR CITIZENS AND THE PATRONS THAT ARE IN OUR, IN OUR PARTS.
AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH WE LOOK FOR SUCCESS FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS, UH, OR ANY PARTNER THAT WE'RE INVOLVED WITH AND IN OURSELVES AS WELL.
UM, WE, WE ONLY PROVIDED A COUPLE OF DOCUMENTS, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AT LEAST TWO OF OUR MAIN PARTNERS, AND
[01:20:01]
THEN WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THE FLOOR AND LET YOU, UM, SHARE AND, AND TALK AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, CONTINUE TO, UH, IMPROVE THOSE, UH, NOT ONLY THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, BUT ANY OTHERS THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES TO US AS WELL.UH, BUT WE DID PRESENT THE LEANDER FC, THE, UH, FORMER LEANDER YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT.
AND, UH, OUR NEW, UH, FAIRLY NEW AGREEMENT WITH OUR HILL COUNTRY, HE DISC GOLF, UH, GROUP AS WELL.
AND THEN WE PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET SOME SPONSORSHIP, UH, AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH SPONSORS AND HOW THOSE MORPH AND IT'S JUST NOT SPONSORS, IT'S VENDORS AS WELL.
UH, BUT WE JUST PROVIDED SOME, SOME BACKUP DOCUMENTATION FOR YOU AND THEN OVER OVERALL SPONSOR LIST AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THIS, BUT WE REALLY WANTED YOUR, YOUR INPUT, YOUR THOUGHTS, AND THEN, UH, ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AS WELL.
DID YOU WANNA WALK US THROUGH THIS OR DO YOU JUST WANT US TO DISCUSS? NO, I, I, I'M OPEN.
I PUT YOU IN A BAD SPOT BECAUSE I OPEN, I OPEN WHATEVER DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO.
THE FIRST ONE IS OUR, OUR OUR SURE.
UH, THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU SEE IS OUR, OUR, OUR CONTRACT WITH LEAN OR YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION.
UH, LEAN OR FC I THINK IS PROBABLY THE, THE CURRENT TERM, WHICH IS, THIS IS GREAT.
IT SORT OF KEEPS UP WITH WHERE WE'RE AT WITH AUSTIN, A FFC AND OTHER, OTHER FOOTBALL CLUBS THAT ARE IN THE STATE AND AROUND THE NATION.
M L SS IS EXPLODING, SOCCER'S EXPLODING.
WE'VE GOT THE WOMEN'S, UM, WORLD CUP GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
I STAYED UP LATE AND WATCHED A LITTLE BIT OF, WATCHED ALMOST ALL OF ENGLAND AND, UH, DENMARK LAST NIGHT.
SO, UH, I, I, I AM, YEAH, I'M A, I'M A, I I LOVE WATCHING IT.
UH, PREMIER LEAGUE IS INCREDIBLE.
UM, SO I THAT'S A LITTLE OFF BASE.
Y'ALL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT OVER THERE.
UH, MY GOSH, I COULD WATCH, I COULD WATCH THAT ALL THE TIME.
SO WITH THAT, THE ALL THE WAY GOING DOWN, NOT JUST FROM M L S OR PREMIER LEAGUE OR WORLD CUP, IT, IT BEGINS IN THE LOCAL, LOCAL, UM, ORGANIZATIONS.
THE LOCAL PARKS, AND I MEAN, AT THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE YEAR OLD.
AND THESE FOLKS BACK HERE CAN TESTIFY TO THAT.
MOST OF THESE FOLKS STARTED WHEN THEY WERE VERY YOUNG, UM, AND THEY LEARNED THE SPORT, THEY LEARNED THE GAME.
BUT IT'S CRITICAL FOR COMMUNITIES TO HAVE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS LEANER U SOCCER ASSOCIATION.
UM, UH, YES, THERE'S NUMBERS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE SERVING A VARIETY OF, BUT I'VE, IN MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS WITH THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND DO NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD CERTAINLY BRING IN SOME LARGER ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU MAY BE BRING IN SOME ORGANIZATIONS WITH DEEPER POCKETS, BUT I THINK THE, THE LOCAL FLAIR, THE LOCAL FLAVOR, THE LOCAL FLAIR OF THOSE LEADERS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY ARE THE BEST ONES TO, TO REALLY WORK WITH AND, AND BE ESTABLISHED.
AND THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE, UH, UH, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, LEAN OR FC AND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CONTINUE FOR DECADES TO COME.
I, I, I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE IT STOPPING.
I THINK IT ONLY CAN IMPROVE AND, AND EXPAND.
UM, SO I'LL SAY THAT I, I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE, UM, LEAN ANDREW AK STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN WE COULDN'T PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDE TO, UM, CHILDREN IN THE AREA.
AND, UM, WE HAVE GROWN AND THEY HAVE GROWN, AND I REALIZED THAT WE HAVE PUT YOU MR. TOMINS IN THE IMPOSSIBLE SPOT OF DOING COUNCIL'S WILL WITH WORKING WITH THE SOCCER CLUB WITHOUT EVER HAVING AN ACTUAL DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT AS WE'RE MORPHING INTO A BIG CITY, WE SHOULD JUST HAVE A WORK SESSION AND TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE, WORK THROUGH ANY PAIN POINTS AND, AND SORT OF OUTLINE WHAT THE FUTURE IS OF THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND THEN WHEN I BROUGHT THAT UP, IT WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE HILL COUNTRY.
HE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE JUST ONE CONTRACT ANYMORE.
WE HAVE LOTS OF CONTRACTS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE USING THE FIELDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND SO IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE GO AHEAD AND JUST THROW IT ALL ON THERE SO THAT WE CAN TALK THROUGH ANY PAIN POINTS YOU MIGHT HAVE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, UM, INSIDE THIS ROOM AND OUTSIDE.
AND SO, UM, I GUESS WE'LL START WITH L Y S A, UM, AND KNOW THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS FOR DOING A MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT.
I THINK THAT TAKES A LOT OF PRESSURE OFF OF YOUR OFFICE TO COME UP WITH A CONTRACT EVERY SEASON OR EVERY YEAR.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH DOING THAT? ANYTHING? NO, NOT AT ALL.
I DON'T, I, I THINK THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HEADING IN.
UM, AND, AND MR. ER'S HERE, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AS WELL, AND HE AND BLAKE REYNOLDS, YOU KNOW, BLAKE,
[01:25:01]
HE'S BEEN WITH US FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS.UH, GREG'S BEEN THIS ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
SO, UM, BUT BOTH DOING A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS JOB.
AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, LEANDER FC, UH, THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT, UM, THAT WE, WE WE DESIRE AND I KNOW THEY DESIRE TO GO IN AS WELL.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE SOME, UM, TIMING ISSUES ON GETTING THAT IMPLEMENTED.
SO WE'VE, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF SEASONAL AGREEMENTS STILL LEFT, BUT BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WE SHOULD BE IN A MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT.
UM, I WAS THINKING ON THAT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO BUILD IN DEADLINES FOR WHEN TO HAVE THE NEXT AGREEMENT IN PLACE SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SCRAMBLING AT THE END TO COME UP WITH ANU ANOTHER YEAR OR ANOTHER MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT.
UM, AND I THINK JUST SOME THINGS TO GIVE SORT OF SOME CERTAINTY TO BOTH SIDES THAT WE COULD BUILD INTO THAT CONTRACT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNTS OR PERCENTAGES FOR YEAR OVER YEAR, UM, SO THAT THERE'S NEVER A TIME WHERE THERE'S A HUGE INCREASE IN WHAT THE FIELDS COST.
AND, UM, DETAILS ABOUT, UM, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, SOME ISSUES WITH, UM, WITH LIKE THE GOALS, I GUESS WE DON'T OWN THE GOALS, THEY OWN THE GOALS.
AND SO JUST OUTLINING WHO OWNS WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE, THAT SORT OF THING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE PROTECTING OURSELVES AND OUR PARTNERSHIP.
I, I, I WORKED, I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN THE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING SOCCER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PAST.
AND WE HAVE IT IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT.
IT'S BEEN IN THE CONTRACT FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, I, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN HERE.
UH, IT'S UNDER NUMBER ONE, UNDER GENERAL AGREEMENTS IN THAT THE ORGANIZ UNDERSTANDS THAT THE CITY IS THE SOLE OWNER OF THE FACILITIES.
AND ANY CONTRIBUTION OF SERVICES, AMENITIES, CASH OR DONATIONS ON THE PART OF THE ORGANIZATION DOES NOT IMPLY OWNERSHIP ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION.
SO I, I DO WANT TO EXPLORE THAT MORE, UM, AND HOW WE USE THOSE, THOSE GOALS.
UM, YES, THEY, UH, LEANDER FC HAS, UM, UH, PURCHASED THE GOALS.
THEY'VE, THE, THE WHEELS, WE PUT THOSE TOGETHER FOR THEM.
UM, AND THAT THEY'VE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN A, A SOURCE OF CONTENTION ON, ON OUR PART OR MAYBE EVEN THEIR PART.
THERE USED TO BE A TIME WHERE THE GOALS WERE LEFT, LEFT OUT, UM, UNLOCKED.
AND WE SAW A LOT OF USE FROM THE PUBLIC, IF YOU WILL, JUST GOING OUT THERE AND THERE BECAME A LOT OF, UM, DAMAGE.
UM, THEY WERE MOVING THEM AROUND.
SO IT WAS SOME TURF DAMAGE, NOT IRRE, IRREPLACEABLE, YOU KNOW, I'M SAYING IT'S, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS, IT TOOK EXTRA LABOR.
SO WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GOALS WERE IN, IN PRISTINE ORDER.
AND THEY DO PROVIDE THOSE GOALS FOR US, AND THEY DO REPLACE THOSE GOALS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, TYPICAL OF MOST SOCCER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS.
WHEN YOU COME IN AND YOU LEASE FACILITIES FROM A CITY OR ANY ORGANIZATION, IT COULD BE A, A BASEBALL, UM, OR A SELECT LEAGUE OF, OF SOFTBALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT THEY MAY PROVIDE, AND, BUT IT DOES NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEARER.
AND, AND TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT SENSING CONTENTION.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE IF THERE'S VANDALISM, AND I DON'T WANT US TO GET TO A POINT WITH ANYBODY THAT WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH, WHETHER IT'S LEANDER FC OR ONE OF THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ISN'T IN THE PACKET.
BUT WE HAVE SIMILAR AGREEMENTS WITH WHERE WE ARE IN A LEGAL BATTLE OVER SOME KIND OF EQUIPMENT, AND EACH OF US THINKS IT'S THE OTHER ONE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANY OF US.
SO I JUST WANNA OH, ABSOLUTELY.
HAVE CLEAR BOUNDARIES ON ALL OF THAT.
AND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE FROM EACH SIDE, AND THEN EVEN ON THE, ON THE, ON THE PRICE AND THE COSTS AND LIMITING INCREASES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE C P I, SO WHAT'S THAT MEAN? UH, CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.
OR INFLATION OR SOMETHING WHERE IF YOU ARE HAVING TO USE LABOR AND X, Y, AND Z, YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK AND SAYING, OH, WE'RE JUST WENT UP $10,000 IN THIS, IN THIS YEAR, IN THIS MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT.
IT WOULDN'T EXCEED C P I OR SOMETHING.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOUR ACTUAL, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT YOUR ACTUAL, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE COST COMPARISONS.
UM, WE, WE'VE KIND OF STUCK TO THE SAME PRICING SCHEME FOR THE LAST FEW AGREEMENTS LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, LOOKING AT THAT IN A MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT, WE WOULD PROBABLY REASSESS, OKAY, ARE THE FEES WE CHARGING ARE, ARE THEY COMPETITIVE? ARE THEY COMPARABLE TO OTHER FEES? LIGHTING WAS ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT WE SAW, OKAY, THIS IS REALLY NOT COVERING COST.
HOW WOULD WE, HOW WOULD WE DO THIS IN, UM, MAYBE IN A PHASED APPROACH WITH A LONG TIME, UH, CLIENT LIKE, UM, LEANER
[01:30:01]
U SOCCER, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IN A MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT? SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DIDN'T WANNA RUSH INTO THAT FOR THIS SEASON.UM, AND ALSO LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING, UM, DEADLINES FOR RECEIVING SOME OF THE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE SEASON SCHEDULES.
WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO IS BECAUSE OF THE DEMANDS FOR ALL THESE OTHER ACTIVITIES ON THOSE FIELDS, IF WE CAN'T SET A SCHEDULE EARLY ENOUGH, WE CAN'T ACTUALLY PLAN FOR THE FALL.
WE CAN'T PLAN FOR THE FALL SEASON AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE DAYS LOCKED DOWN, UM, WITH LEANDER FC.
SO, UM, OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO GET AHEAD OF THOSE THINGS AND HAVE THE CONTRACT REALLY OUTLINE THOSE TERMS. I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE DEADLINES FOR EVERYTHING ON BOTH SIDES, UM, AND WHAT THE, THE EXPECTATIONS WOULD BE.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, I HAVE A CONCERN THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING ALL OF THESE, UM, FIELD RENTALS FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE THERE, THAT IF WE HAVE A DELAY OR WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT LOCKED IN PLACE, THAT THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET A REQUEST FOR FIELD USE.
AND AT SOME POINT THERE'S GONNA BE AN OVERLAP.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GO ABOUT PRIORITIZING THAT.
AND THAT'S NOT A SITUATION THAT I WANT OUR STAFF TO BE IN, WHERE, WHERE IT GETS STICKY.
WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO OUTLINE EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE WITH DROP DEAD DATES, I THINK IS GREAT.
UM, COUNSEL, DID Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING? I DON'T, JUST, DO YOU NEED ANY FEEDBACK FROM US IN ORDER TO, UM, TO COME UP WITH THAT AGREEMENT OR WITH TIMELINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YOU GUYS JUST LET US KNOW.
UM, I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT, THAT, THAT, I DON'T KNOW, THIS SHOULDN'T BE SOME CRAZY LONG CONTRACT BECAUSE THINGS DO CHANGE OVER TIME TOO, BUT, BUT SOME KIND OF A CONSISTENCY FOR X AMOUNT OF TIME IS, WOULD HELP, SOUNDS LIKE VERY MUCH WOULD HELP THEM TO KNOW, HEY, WE KNOW WE HAVE ASSURANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THIS IS OUR PLACE FOR THIS LONG.
AND IT WOULD HELP US BECAUSE WE WOULD KNOW, HEY, FOR THE NECK FOR THIS, THIS PART OF THE SEASON AND THIS PART OF THE SEASON, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THESE, KIND OF, THESE TIMEFRAMES IN, IN THERE.
AND WE WOULD BETTER KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT CAN BE SCHEDULED AND WHAT CAN'T BE SCHEDULED.
SO I DO THINK THE, THE FEEDBACK MAYBE WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, ONE, I I, I BELIEVE EVERYONE IN DISCUSSION NOW WANTS TO CONTINUE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LEAN FC.
IT'S DO YOU WANT, UM, THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR, UM, OTHER GROUPS TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND HAVE ACTIVITIES ON THOSE FIELDS, INCLUDING CITY STAFF ORGANIZING, UH, CITY ACTIVITIES ON THOSE FIELDS.
UH, AND IF SO, THAT'S GOING TO SORT OF DRIVE HOW WE BUILD THE MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT TO ALLOW FOR THOSE GAP TIMES TO BE FILLED.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN INTEREST ARE GOING OUT AND LOOKING FOR MORE GROUPS, OR IS IT JUST AS THEY COME TO US, IT BOTH, AS SOON AS SOMEBODY FINDS OUT WE HAVE TURF ANYWHERE, WE'D BE ORGANIZING SOME OF THOSE OURSELVES.
I KNOW, UH, BLAKE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT SOME OTHER PARTICULAR SPORT ACTIVITIES TO TRY AND BUILD UP, UH, PARTICIPATION WITH OR, UM, ENGAGING SOME OTHER GROUPS THAT MIGHT COME TO US, UH, REQUESTING TIME.
I THINK IF THEY COME TO US, WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO ACCOMMODATE MM-HMM.
UM, THE LOCAL WOULD BE PRIORITY THERE TOO.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, WHAT ARE YOUR PAIN POINTS, LIKE, NOT JUST WITH, WITH THIS CONTRACT, BUT WITH, WITH GOING THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS, HILL COUNTRY, HEIZER, THE OTHER FIELD USE, WHAT ARE THOSE PAIN POINTS THAT WE COULD HELP WITH? I, I'LL ALSO HAVE GREG JUMP IN AS WELL.
I, I THINK SOME OF THE PAIN POINTS LITERALLY ARE, WE HAVE A, UM, AND MS. SERNA HAS SHARED THAT THERE ARE OVER 500 YOUTH RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE REGISTERED FOR THE FALL LEAGUE.
WE HAVE OVER 600, ALMOST 700 YOUTH JUST IN, IN BASEBALL.
OUR PAIN POINTS ARE FACILITIES.
UM, AND, AND BEING ABLE TO SERVE THE, THE, THE YOUTH PRIMARILY, BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED ON SOME OF THE ADULTS.
SO YOU'RE WORKING WITH US AND WE'RE HELPING ON TRYING TO DO SOME, SOME WORK ON, ON PARKLAND DEDICATION AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE AND THE NUMBER OF AVAILABILITY.
UM, I WAS DOING SOME QUICK MATH YESTERDAY JUST ON THE NUMBER OF APARTMENTS THAT MS. UM, GRIFFIN HAD REFERRED TO THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT WAS AROUND 2,800 OR SO.
UM, THAT'S OVER 11,000 NEW RESIDENTS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA ALL BE OCCUPIED IN, IN A HEARTBEAT, BUT MANY APARTMENTS ALSO ARE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, HUSBAND, WIFE, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF YOUTH THAT ARE IN THOSE APARTMENTS AND IT'S A STARTER FOR MANY OF 'EM TO JUMP INTO THEIR NEXT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR STARTER HOME OR OR SINGLE FAMILY LIVING PAIN POINT IS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH ALL THESE, THESE YOUTH COMING INTO THIS COMMUNITY AND WE STILL ONLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE ACRES AND EIGHT SOCCER FIELDS AND FIVE, FOUR BASEBALL FIELDS WE COULD USE DOUBLE THE AMOUNT.
THOSE ARE THE PAIN POINTS RIGHT NOW IS WHAT, AND I'M, WE'RE SEEING IT.
WE'RE SEEING IT MORE AND MORE.
AND THE OTHER PAIN POINT IS ZEPICK VANDALISM
[01:35:01]
THAT WE'RE ALSO SEEING, UM, IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE CONSISTENT, UM, WITH ITS WITH EITHER SPRAY PAINTING, UH, IN RESTROOMS, UH, DAMAGING TO BENCHES, SIGNAGE, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.SO WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE OUTLET FOR OUR YOUTH IN A LOT OF WAYS, UM, AND THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO FOR 'EM, THOSE ARE GONNA BE ISSUES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TACKLE AND FACE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND, AND THE OTHER ISSUE, NOT JUST IN BUILDING AS WE SEE WITH SAN GABRIEL, BUT WHEN RANDALL KIND OF GAVE BACKGROUND ON A COMMERCIAL SITE THAT THE DELTA US VERSUS SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES TO THE OTHER PART OF THIS REGION WAS, WHAT WAS IT, EIGHT TO 10 TO $10 MILLION DIFFERENTIAL ON JUST THE DIRT, LET ALONE COMING UP WITH JUST EIGHT TO 10 MILLION IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT EIGHT TO 10 MILLION MORE.
SO THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO OUR TOPOGRAPHY TOO.
HOW MANY PLACES DO YOU HAVE A FLAT, EASY TO DEVELOP SURFACE? AND IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU IMMEDIATELY HAVE OTHER USES LOOKING AT IT AND TRYING TO BID THAT UP.
SO IT'S NOT A PERFECT SITUATION TO BE ADDING THAT MANY PEOPLE AND THOSE TYPE OF CONSTRICTIONS ON YOU IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET AND HOW FAST YOU CAN BUY THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S AT A PREMIUM.
SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A AGREEMENT WITH, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR BASEBALL PRACTICES AND EVERYBODY ELSE CAN DO THOSE THINGS, BUT, AND THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING MAYBE OUTSIDE FOR, FOR SOCCER AS WELL TOO AND FOR US, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS I'VE NEVER SEEN, EVERY PLACE I'VE EVER BEEN, THERE'S ALWAYS SCHOOL FACILITIES THAT ARE BEING USED FOR STUFF LIKE THIS EVERYWHERE I'VE EVER BEEN.
AND SO I DON'T L A S D TO YOU GUYS AND TO WHOEVER ELSE HAS GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM TOO.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THOSE ARE TAXPAYER FUNDED FACILITIES.
AND SO ARE THE CITY FACILITIES TOO.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY WE DON'T HAVE A BETTER PARTNERSHIP THERE AS FAR AS USING THOSE FACILITIES AND ACCESS TO THOSE FACILITIES.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE THAT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF COMMUNICATING THAT IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THE REASONS FOR, FOR WHY IT ISN'T HERE VERSUS ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT MAYBE I'M SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE THERE.
IF YOU COULD SHED SOME LIGHT PART OF GREEN, THERE'S, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT DO YOU NEED? DO YOU NEED FLAT SURFACES WITH GRASS AREAS, OPEN FIELDS AND PARKING EVERY ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
AND PART OF THE, I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE THOUGH TOO IS, AND I'M SURE THEIR, THEIR GROWTH RATE, WHICH IS ALSO REFLECTIVE OF THE STUDENT POPULATION GROWTH AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEIR OWN STUDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING.
BUT I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE CONCERNS, MY GUESS IS AGAIN, LOOK AT OUR, LOOK AT OUR ISSUES ON TURF ON GRASS, AND THEN IF YOU HAD SOMEBODY OUT THERE, LET'S SAY SIX DAYS A WEEK, THEY'RE BEING USED, PLUS YOU HAVE THE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES THERE AND, AND THEIR, UH, SPORTS TEAMS, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT JUNIOR HIGHS, EVEN DOWN TO ELEMENTARIES IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT FIELD IMPACT MIGHT BE.
AND I DO THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY, AND MARK, Y'ALL PROBABLY HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS EVEN BEFORE I ARRIVED, THAT IT'S THAT CYCLE OF, OF OF, BASICALLY YES, EVERY PATCH OF DIRT BECOME OR GRASP BECOMING DIRT.
AND YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE, WE, MIKE MADE A MENTION OF ABOUT OUR CURRENT ENGAGEMENT WITH L I S D.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH L I S D OVERALL, UM, BUT WE'RE PAYING BASICALLY THE SAME RATES AS ANYBODY ELSE.
WE DO HAVE NINE 10 SCHOOL SITES THAT WE USE FOR BASEBALL PRACTICES.
UM, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN, IN COMPARED TO THE, THE, THE BLOOD.
SO COMPLEX BLOOD, SO COMPLEX IN ONE OF MY OPINIONS, THE BEST, THE BEST MONEY EVER SPENT, UM, UH, WAS THE $2 MILLION SPENT ON BLOOD.
SO PARKS, SYNTHETIC TURF, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST.
AND SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY AT THE TIME PROBABLY WAS.
BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, BECAUSE OF OUR WATER SITUATION AND JUST OVERALL REDU REDUCTION OF MAINTENANCE AND THE AMOUNT OF STAFF, THE AMOUNT OF WATER, THE AMOUNT OF SEA, THE AMOUNT OF FIR, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT GOES INTO JUST SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND EVEN GETTING READY TO TALK ABOUT IN THE MAINTENANCE SECTION AS WELL.
UM, SO WE UTILIZE, UM, A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR PRACTICES THROUGHOUT.
WE CANNOT BECAUSE OF NATURAL TURF FIELDS AT, AT BENBROOK, WE CANNOT, YOU KNOW, ACCOMP REALLY ACCOMPLISH PUTTING, UH, 750, 800 KIDS IN PRACTICES AND GAME SITUATIONS.
YOU JUST WOULD NOT HAVE ANY TURF AT ALL.
UH, FORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT THE CASE, UH, AT BLOOD.
SO, UM, BUT AS L Y S A, OR EXCUSE ME, LEAN OR FC CONTINUES TO GROW, SO THEY GO FROM 500 TO 600 TO SEVEN 50 TO NINE, 900 KIDS IN IT WILL HAPPEN.
THEY'LL BE AT A THOUSAND PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
I HAVE NO DOUBT IT MAY BE QUICKER.
UM, UH, WELL, AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PUT INTO THE CONTRACT AS A CAP? IT, IT WILL, IT, IT COULD BE BECAUSE, OR THEIR, OR AS WE'VE HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, WITH THEIR,
[01:40:01]
THEIR, THEIR ADMINISTRATION OR ORGANIZATION AND, AND THEY MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER, AND THEY MAY ALREADY BE DOING THAT.UM, SOME, SOME OF THEIR, UH, SOCCER TEAMS MAY BE ALREADY DOING EXTRA PRACTICES OFFSITE, BUT IT MAY BE WHERE THEY HAVE TO, UH, AS WE DO, UM, NOT ONLY PLAY ON SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS, BUT MONDAY NIGHT GAMES, FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES, THEY'RE ARGUING DOING FRIDAY AND SATURDAY GAMES, SUN, SOME SUNDAY GAMES, UM, BUT TUESDAY OR THURSDAY NIGHTS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN WORK WITH L S D TO SECURE SOME OF THOSE SITES.
BUT L S D IS ALSO VERY CONSCIOUS ALSO OF THEIR TURF.
UM, AND WE'VE APPROACHED THEM ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS ABOUT TALKING, UH, ABOUT IMPROVING OR JUST MINOR IMPROVEMENTS TO SOME AREAS TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME.
UM, ONE OF THOSE WAS WHEN WE WERE BEGINNING OUR GIRLS SOFTBALL.
UM, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND, UH, MARK FIELDS, UM, MOW AND WE COULDN'T, WE COULDN'T DO THAT.
WE COULD USE IT FOR PRACTICE, BUT THAT WAS IT.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO, I MY HANDS IN THE AIR WASN'T TOWARDS YOU.
AND THEN WE USE IT FOR OUR YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUES AS WELL.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE USE A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS TO DO, AND I'LL ADD INDOOR FACILITIES WOULD BE ONE WHERE WE, THAT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD POINT OF DISCUSSION WITH L I D TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO BECAUSE, UM, WE REALLY CAN'T MEET THAT PARTICULAR DEMAND RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE THOSE FACILITIES.
WHAT ABOUT SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS? NOT THE H O A ONES, BUT THE ONES THAT WE OWN, LIKE NORTH CREEK AND I THINK MASON, THE OLD MASON ONE.
UM, DON'T THOSE HAVE, I KNOW NORTH CREEK DOES, HAS LARGE OPEN FIELDS.
WOULD THOSE BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR PRACTICES? WE STUDIED NORTH CREEK FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF PUTTING A BACK, A BACKSTOP IN OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
IT, IT WOULD NOT, IT ONLY FOR PRACTICE.
THERE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE ANY, ANY GAMEPLAY THERE.
AND, AND OF COURSE THE LIGHTING, ELECTRICITY, IT'S, IT'S STILL SMALL.
THEY'RE BASICALLY A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, UH, WHERE THE DEVELOPERS DIDN'T WANT TO, THEY, THEY HAD TO MEET PARKLAND DEDICATION PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL AND BASICALLY GAVE IT TO THE CITY.
BUT YES, PRACTICES CAN TAKE PLACE.
WOULD DIVINE HAVE ANY SPACE? DIVINE IS THEY HAVE THAT ONE LITTLE, YOU CAN DO LIKE A T-BALL PRACTICE THERE BASICALLY, OR MAYBE TWO T-BALL PRACTICES IS ALL, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SOCCER AS FAR AS SOME OF THE SIZES, DEPENDING ON THE AGE, UM, OF THE KIDS IS A, A SMALLER OR BIGGER PLACE.
BUT THAT'S ABOUT THE ONLY AREA WHERE I KNOW WHERE THERE'S A SQUARE ISH OR RECTANGLE ISH PLACE THAT'S FAIRLY FLAT.
IT SLOPES, IT'S GOT THE BERM AND, AND REALLY THE, THE I, WHICH IS GOOD FOR RUNNING KIDS UP THE HILL.
THE BIGGEST HINDRANCE THERE AGAIN, IS LIGHTING.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE DOING THESE THINGS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON, IT'S REALLY OPEN-ENDED AT BLEDSO BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LIGHTS TO, TO KIND OF COVER AND COMPENSATE FOR SOME OF THOSE LATE NIGHT, UH, ACTIVITIES, BUT NOT REALLY AT ANY OTHER PARK.
UM, FOR ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE DO THESE, THESE FIELD RENTAL CONTRACTS WITH, IS THERE A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT THAT THEY HAVE WHEN THEY HAVE ISSUES? OR DOES IT DEPEND ON WHAT THE ISSUE IS OR? YES, THERE IS.
UM, RIGHT NOW MR. MR O IS WORKING PRIMARILY WITH THE HEISS, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY NICE.
BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER STAFF INVOLVED AS WELL.
UM, BUT FOR LIKE LEANDER FC, MR. REYNOLDS WAS THE PRIMARY CONTACT.
NOW THEY'VE ALSO WORKING WITH MS. DICKENS, CHERYL DICKENS, OUR ATHLETIC COORDINATOR, AND THEN SOME WITH MR. UH, AS WELL.
SHE'S DOING, SHE'S DOING LITTLE LEAGUE.
SO WHAT DETERMINES WHO, WHO GETS WHAT CONTRACT OR LIKE WHO'S THE, THE POINT PERSON? BLAKE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, AND Y'ALL HAVE HAD MORE DISCUSSIONS THAN I HAVE, BUT BLAKE HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY CONTACT WITH LEAN OR FC FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WHAT IS CHERYL'S ROLE? CHERYL'S OUR ATHLETIC COORDINATOR.
THAT WHAT I MEAN WITH FC, NOT ANYTHING MORE THAN SCHEDULING AND FACILITY MANAGERS TO BE OUT THERE.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT COULD MAKE THINGS EASIER TOO, IF THERE'S LIKE A, A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED DURING THE WEEK.
AND THEN ONE, IF THERE'S EMERGENCY ON WEEKENDS OR EVENINGS, IT, IT IS, AND I'LL CONFIRM IT IS TYPICALLY BLAKE.
SO EVEN, EVEN IN RESOLVING ISSUES, BLAKE IS THAT PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS RELATIONSHIP AND SCHEDULING, EVEN IF WE'RE SCHEDULING STAFF, UH, HE'S OFTEN THE ONE CONTACTED, EVEN IF WE HAVE ON-CALL STAFF, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL LOOK AT DOING AS FAR AS ONSITE, UM, I GUESS IMPROVEMENT OR ENGAGEMENT
[01:45:01]
IS HAVING THOSE, UH, THE PARK STAFF, UH, I DON'T WANNA CALL 'EM RANGERS, BUT, BUT BASICALLY FACILITY MANAGERS PRESENT WHEN WE HAVE THESE RENTAL ACTIVITIES GOING ON, ON, ON SITE.SO IF THERE'S NOT A PHYSICAL PRESENCE, THERE'S A DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER.
AND EVEN IF IT GOES TO THAT ON-CALL PHONE, BLAKE STILL IS THE PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT.
THAT INCREASES COST THOUGH, RIGHT? THAT INCREASES OUR COSTS AND THEN THEIR COSTS, I ASSUME, RIGHT? HAVING SOMEBODY ON SITE ALL THE TIME.
IT CAN, BUT IT'S ALSO A, IT'S KIND OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE GOAL.
UM, TO, TO BE PRESENT, UH, BE AVAILABLE IF, IF THINGS ARE NEEDED OR MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF THOSE THINGS ARE NEEDED.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAD ON THIS? ANYTHING ELSE Y'ALL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT? NOPE.
WHEN YOU RUN INTO HICCUPS? I DID, UM, JUST REAL QUICK, I KNOW WE DIDN'T TOUCH TOO MUCH ON THE HES, BUT, UM, REALLY, REALLY STRONG AND GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH A DISC GOLF CLUB, NON-PROFIT DISC GOLF CLUB.
THEY'VE TAKEN INTEREST IN IN BENBROOK, UM, DISC GOLF, THE DISC GOLF COURSE THAT WE HAVE THERE.
THEY REALLY PARTICIPATED HEAVILY IN, IN REDESIGNING THAT TO SOMETHING THAT THEY FEEL LIKE WILL INCREASE, UH, THE USAGE OF THE COURSE.
IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY POSITIVE AND THEY'VE, THEY REALLY PUT A LOT OF, UM, LITERAL BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS INTO, UM, REALLY MAKING THAT COURSE SOMETHING THAT IS VERY ATTRACTIVE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THIS NOW, IS, IS WORKING ON A NEW MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.
WE'RE GONNA BRING THAT TO COUNCIL AND LET COUNCIL SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING WITH US.
WE REALLY THINK THAT'S A GROWING PARTNERSHIP AND THEY'RE GONNA BE, UM, SOME SUPPORT AND EYES ON THE GROUND AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST USERS OF A DISC GOLF COURSE, WHICH WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD BEFORE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE DONE REHABBING THAT COURSE? GREG, YOU WANNA JUMP IN? MORNING MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, GREG OMON, DIRECTOR.
UM, WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM FOR MANY OCCASIONS ON KIND OF ONGOING MAINTENANCE.
UM, IT'S KIND OF A MUTUAL, MUTUAL BENEFIT FOR THEM TO DO SOME WORKDAYS, UM, ON THEIR OWN.
SO CURRENTLY THEY'RE OUT THERE ACTUALLY TODAY ON ONE OF THEIR SCHEDULED WORKDAYS.
SO THEY GET VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY CITIZENS TO COME OUT AND KIND OF HELP, UH, CLEAN UP THE COURSE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE, THE IMPACT OF THE NEW AMENITIES THAT WE PUT IN, WE PUT IN TEE BOXES, UM, 18 OF THEM.
UM, AND REALLY AS MENTIONED BEFORE, RESTRUCTURED THE DESIGN OF THE COURSE.
UM, MOST OF THAT'S WITH SAFETY IN MIND.
UM, A LOT OF THE OLD COURSE LAYOUT HAD US, UH, THROWING A DISC OVER AN EXISTING, UH, TRAIL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY NOT, NOT SAFE, SO, AND BACKYARD, UM, AND, AND BAGHDAD, YEAH.
AND CLOSE TO BACKYARDS, WHICH WAS KINDA MIND BOGGLING TO US.
BUT SINCE THEN, WE'VE KIND OF IMPLEMENTED A, A NEW COURSE LAYOUT.
UM, A LOT OF THE, UH, THINGS TO STILL BE DONE ARE SIGNAGE, UM, THAT'S CURRENTLY ON ORDER RIGHT NOW.
UM, A LOT OF THE BACKFILLING OF THE T PADS AROUND THE OUTSIDE, UM, REDIRECTION OF SOME OF THE TRAILS AS WELL.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE HAD, UH, THE GREAT BENEFIT OF THEM COMING OUT AND DOING SOME WORKDAYS IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR STAFF.
UM, BUT STAFF WISE, WE DO KIND OF FOCUS ON THAT STILL WEEKLY ON OUR CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO DO.
UM, THERE STILL IS PLENTY, PLENTY TO BE DONE, UM, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO BE READY TO GO FOR NOVEMBER.
THEY HAVE A, A BIG TOURNAMENT THAT THEY'RE SCHEDULING.
SO PART OF THE, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW M O U IS TO REALLY IDENTIFY ALL THESE TOURNAMENTS, UM, GIVE US KIND OF, UH, TIMELINES ON GETTING A LOT OF THESE THINGS DONE.
AND SO OUR NEXT FOCUS IS GONNA BE FOR NOVEMBER.
UM, AND, AND TO ADD TO THE TO PARTNERSHIP ASPECT, YOU KNOW, OAK CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, THE BENBROOK NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT THERE, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY SENSITIVE TO ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY.
THIS IS LITERALLY IN THEIR BACKYARD.
WE'VE SPENT THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UM, PARTICULARLY OAK CREEK BECAUSE, BECAUSE SOME OF THE DESIGN CHANGES OF THE COURSE, UM, KIND OF EXPOSES THAT COURSE A LITTLE BIT BEYOND WHERE IT WAS BEFORE.
YOU'VE GOT RESIDENTS NOW THAT ARE SEEING A, A, A, A FRISBEE POLE, UH, BASKET RIGHT BEHIND, UH, THEIR BACKYARD.
WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME GREAT DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM.
OBVIOUSLY WORKED THROUGH SOME ISSUES TOO.
BUT, UH, GREAT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE H O A KIND OF WALKING THEM ALONG AS WE'VE EVOLVED THIS COURSE AND IMPROVED IT AND NOTIFYING THEM.
NOW WE'RE, WE'RE IN A CADENCE OF, OF GIVING THEM, UH, UPDATES ON WHEN WE EXPECT HEIGHTENED ACTIVITY WHEN THESE TOURNAMENTS WOULD COME IN.
'CAUSE WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A MAJOR TOURNAMENT GROUP COME IN WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY BACK THERE, BUT THEY'RE MORE AWARE THAN EVER OF WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THAT COURSE, AND IT'S REALLY HELPED.
UM, I'D LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEIR TOURNAMENT.
I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER PLAYED THIS GOLF.
I'VE KIND OF WALKED THROUGH THE COURSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THOSE BASKETS ARE.
SO YEAH, IF COUNCIL COULD BE KEPT AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
[6. Maintenance of parks, medians and city facilities ]
[01:50:01]
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO I'M NUMBER SIX.MAINTENANCE OF PARKS, MEDIANS AND CITY FACILITIES.
CUMMINS, DO YOU WANNA START THIS OR DO YOU WANT ME TO START THIS? SURE, I'D BE GLAD TO.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE, UM, A LOT OF AREAS THAT WE, WE, WE MAINTAIN, UM, AS YOU'RE AWARE OF OUR OVERALL GOALS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT ONLY AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, BUT THAT THEY, UH, ARE ALSO CLEAN, THEY'RE SAFE, THEY'RE OPERATIONAL.
UH, WE TAKE EXTREME PRIDE IN MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ARE THE CASES.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, ISSUES THROUGHOUT, UM, ON A DAILY OR WEEKLY BASIS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TACKLING.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A LOT OF, A LOT OF THOSE.
UM, AS AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO, TO DO THOSE.
UM, UM, WE, AS A CITY, AS I'M PUTTING IN OUR, OUR BACKGROUND, UH, WE USE CITY STAFF.
WE DO USE THIRD PARTY OPERATORS, UH, AND WE UTILIZE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US AS WELL WITH SOME OF OUR, OUR MAINTENANCE WORK.
AND WE, UM, WE DO A LOT OF, UM, UH, NOT ONLY JUST, YOU KNOW, RESTROOMS IN THE MORNINGS AND CLEANING ALL OF THOSE ALL THE WAY THROUGH TRASH, UH, BUT, UH, WE DO A LOT OF LANDSCAPING, FACILITY REPAIRS, UM, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THROUGHOUT.
AND, UH, AND MARK, DID YOU WANT TO, DID YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON IN THIS YEAR, UH, WHERE WE DID DO THE 12 PLUS FREEZES, UH, INCLUDING, I THINK AT ONE POINT YOU WERE DOWN FIVE AND, AND THIS IS RELATIVE TO THE, THE DOWNTURN AND REVENUES AND WHERE WE HAD TO PAUSE ON NEW HIRES, BUT YOU HAD A FEW DEPART AND YOU HAD, I THINK, THREE APPROVED THAT WE HAD TO PUSH AND WE'VE JUST OPENED THOSE BACK UP.
AND, AND IT, IT'S ALSO IN YOUR LIST, LIST HERE, UH, TALKING ABOUT OUR STAFF.
WE HAVE, WE, WE HAVE 20 POSITIONS IN OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY DOWN SEVEN, SO ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR STAFF.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAN TYPICAL, BUT ALMOST AT ANY ONE TIME SINCE MY TIME BEING HERE, WE'VE BEEN ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO TO FIVE.
UM, IN, IN FACT, UH, WE, WE MET WITH OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF OFTEN.
WE JUST MET WITH 'EM AGAIN THIS EARLIER THIS WEEK, UM, AT LEAST OUR CREW LEADS.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE, UH, ONE MAINTENANCE STAFF THAT IS STILL IN OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF FROM 2016.
UH, JOHN LOWE, WHO DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB OUT AT, UH, UH, AT OUR, OUR BEN BROOK BALL FIELDS.
AND SO, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE LISTING AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE INTERVIEWED THIS WEEK, AND I THINK THERE'S TWO OR THREE THAT ARE ACCEPTING.
UM, CITY MANAGER ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO SAW THE NEED AND INCREASED, UM, SALARY ALONG WITH YOU, UH, TO HELP BOOST THAT.
BUT WE CONTINUALLY ARE BATTLING, UM, THE $20 AN HOUR JOBS IN OTHER PLACES.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A, A GIVE AND TAKE.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF PASSIONATE STAFF NOW WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, BUT SOME OF OUR FACILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, BLOOD SOAP, WE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON THAT'S ACTUALLY SCHEDULED AT BLOOD SOAP TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE BLOOD.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THREE AT LAKEWOOD, WE HAVE THREE AT BENBROOK.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, THEN WE HAVE OUR, OUR MO CREW.
UH, AND ANOTHER AREA THAT WE TEND TO, TO TRY TO FOCUS ON, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE OBVIOUSLY, UM, THE, THE PERSONNEL, THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR ELECTRICIANS OR PLUMBERS OR LICENSED IRRIGATORS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO WE DO A LOT OF IN-HOUSE TRAINING TO HELP THOSE STAFF, UM, GET BETTER AT SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT WE, WE DON'T HAVE ELECTRICIANS, WE DON'T HAVE PLUMBERS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO I WANNA JUMP IN, UM, BECAUSE I'M DEFINITELY SENSITIVE TO HOW SHORT THAT DEPARTMENT IS.
UM, I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, AND IT WAS MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE CRYSTAL FALLS MEDIANS, WHICH HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THEY WERE INSTALLED FROM 180 3 A OUT TO REAGAN.
ALL OF THAT GRASS IS JUST THE, THE NATIVE GRASSES IS JUST CONSTANTLY GROWING FURTHER THAN IT SHOULD.
AND IT CREATES, UH, A VISION IMPEDIMENT.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S DONE BY A CONTRACTOR.
AND FOR YEARS, I KNOW I SEND THESE EMAILS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS OVER THERE SEND THESE EMAILS AND THEY'RE LIKE, PLEASE GO CUT IT DOWN.
UM, AND SO I'M LOOKING AT WHAT YOU SUBMITTED ON BACKGROUND FOR THIS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, WHAT I NOTICED
[01:55:01]
THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS IS SIMILAR OVERGROWTH ISSUES HAPPENING AT SOME OF OUR FACILITIES, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL HANDLED BY THE SAME CONTRACTOR.AND SO I, I WANT TO, I WANT TO EXPLORE THAT BECAUSE THOSE MEDIAN ARE AWFUL.
RIGHT? AND, UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE I'M, I'M NOT GONNA PARSE WORDS ON IT.
AND, UM, AND, AND I'M, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS OPENLY, BUT I'M, I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS CONTRACT AND WHAT'S GOING ON, BECAUSE I HIGHLIGHTED ON HERE WHERE I'VE SEEN WHERE IT'S JUST EXCESSIVE BECAUSE THINGS HAPPEN.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET OUT TO MOW, IT RAINS, WHATEVER.
UM, FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE, UM, VETERANS PARK AND THE POLICE ADMIN BUILDING, UM, IN ADDITION TO THOSE MEDIUMS IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS HAVE ALL BEEN REALLY OVERGROWN.
SO IT'S WHAT'S, AND, AND I WAS READING THROUGH THE CONTRACT THAT YOU SUBMITTED, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE VERY REGULAR MAINTENANCE FROM THE CONTRACTOR OUT THERE.
SO ARE WE GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH? IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG? THOSE ARE ALL PHENOMENAL QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA LET GREG, GREG HAS BEEN
GREG IS, HAS REALLY, UH, HE TOOK THIS BULL BY THE HORNS, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
AND, UH, HE'S DONE A YEOMAN'S JOB AT WORKING WITH OUR CURRENT THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR, UH, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY.
WE'VE MET ON SITE, UM, WITH THEM.
AND SO THERE'S BEEN SOME REALLY DEEP DISCUSSIONS, SO WE'LL PUT IT THAT WAY.
UM, AND, BUT GREG, GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN ON SOME OF THE, THE HISTORY AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
SO THE ESTABLISHED CONTRACT RIGHT NOW, UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THE OBLIGATIONS WITH, UH, MID-MANAGEMENT, THE PRESIDENT.
UM, AS MARK MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN ON MANY PHONE CALLS.
WE'VE BEEN IN PERSON WITH THEM AT CRYSTAL FALLS MEETINGS, JUST TO SHOW THEM IN PERSON TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS THEY'RE TURNING THE SIGN IMPEDIMENTS, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, JUST SO THEY COULD REALLY SEE IT IN REAL TIME, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PHONE IS ONE THING.
BUT WE'VE KIND OF GONE THROUGH THAT PROGRESSION, UH, PER THE CONTRACT FROM SENDING THEM PHOTOS THAT ARE FORWARDED TO US FROM PUBLIC, UH, ARE FROM PRIVATE SIDE, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE, THE CITIZENS, BUT ALSO PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, POLICE.
UM, IT'S GETTING TO A REGULAR BASIS WHERE WE NEED TO TAKE ONE STEP FURTHER.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'VE KIND OF GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS AT THIS POINT, BUT, UM, WE'RE AT THE POINT OF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO WITH THEM OTHER THAN LOOKING BACK AT THE CONTRACT AND TAKING THE NE NEXT STEP AS AS WE NEED TO.
UM, WE'VE HAVE A ESTABLISHED CONTRACT THAT GIVES A 30 DAY NOTICE.
UM, IF WE REACH THAT POINT, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH PUBLIC WORKS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CONTRACTS AS WELL WITH A, A THIRD PARTY TO COME IN AND, AND MOW CERTAIN SITES.
DO WE COMBINE EFFORTS, UH, TO MAKE IT POSSIBLY A LARGER CONTRACT.
UM, SO IT'S MORE LUCRATIVE AS WE GO OUT, UM, AND KIND OF BUILD OUR COMPONENTS INTO IT, WHICH IS 19 SITES.
AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE IS, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE CURRENT CREW THAT WE HAVE ON CONTRACT MAYBE ISN'T SPECIALIZED ENOUGH TO HANDLE A LOT OF THESE AREAS.
UM, WE'VE COME TO FIND OUT THROUGH SOME DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, BUT THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE LIKE THE, THE BEST EQUIPMENT THAT'S OUT THERE TO HANDLE THE MEDIANS, UM, MORE THEIR ESTABLISHED WITH RIGHT OF WAYS OR OPEN FIELD AREAS.
IT'S KINDA MORE OF THEIR SPECIALTY IS WHAT WE'VE COME TO LEARN HERE AS OF LATE.
UM, SO IT REALLY KIND OF BEGS THE QUESTION ON THE NEXT STEP, UH, WITH THIS GROUP SPECIFICALLY, UM, BUT ALSO IN A LARGER CONTEXT.
UM, WE TYPICALLY ONLY GET THREE OR FOUR BIDS THAT COME IN.
UH, WE GO WITH THE LOWEST BIDDER.
TYPICALLY, WE NEED TO REESTABLISH WHAT'S OUR, OUR PROCESS GOING FORWARD TO REALLY GET THESE DONE CORRECTLY.
SO, UM, I'LL SAY, I WAS DRIVING IN CRYSTAL FALLS ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME EVER.
IT, IT GETS OVERGROWN, THAT HAPPENS.
BUT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME EVER I WAS ACTUALLY EMBARRASSED THAT THIS IS HOW OUR CITY LOOKS.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO GO.
I'VE GOT VIDEO AND PHOTOS, AND I WAS THE SAME WAY.
I, I MEAN, I LIVE RIGHT OUT THAT WAY.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT ALL THE TIME, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
LIKE IT WAS BEYOND OVERGROWTH.
THERE WERE WEEDS COMING OUT THERE EVERYWHERE.
IT LOOKED LIKE WE JUST ABANDONED IT.
SO, UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO, I MEAN, YOU CAN GO BACK AND TELL THEIR MANAGEMENT THAT, THAT THE MAYOR SAID THAT THEY'RE EMBARRASSED ABOUT WORK.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ESTABLISHED.
WE JUST GOTTA FIND OUT WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP.
SO, SO I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WANT TO CUT TIES, IF THEY'RE CAPABLE AT ALL.
DO WE NEED TO GO OUT AND JUST PULL OUT THOSE BUSHES? UM, SOMETHING, SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN? I THINK IT'S JUST, WELL, I THINK THAT'S WHERE, AND THAT'S ONE REASON MIKE'S HERE TODAY TOO, IS WE'VE, WE, WE HAVE TWO, TWO CONTRACTS.
[02:00:01]
GOT A LOT OF AREAS, UH, DETENTION PONDS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE WITH, AND I'LL LET MIKE SPEAK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO HIS, BUT WE'VE BEEN ON OPPOSITE YEARS OF WHEN THESE CONTRACTS ARE LEASED USUALLY, OR LET, THEY'RE USUALLY ABOUT A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH USUALLY ONE YEAR RENEWABLES FOR LIKE TWO YEARS.AND THEN YOU RE REBID THE PROCESS.
WE HAD A COMPANY CALLED APE SCAPES, AND IT WAS, UM, THEY WEREN'T THE FIRST COMPANY WHEN I ARRIVED, BUT THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH THE MIDDLE FOR, FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.
WE'VE USED THIS COMPANY FOR TWO YEARS NOW OR IN THE SECOND YEAR.
UM, BUT WHEN MIKE AND I HAVE HAD DISCUSSION, EVEN BEF PRIOR TO THIS IS MAYBE ONE DAY WE NEED TO LOOK AT COMBINING AND GETTING ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AND HAVING ONE CONTRACTOR OR NOT.
AND SO THIS YEAR, MIKE, HIS, HIS CONTRACT IS UP WITH OUR GROUP.
THEY DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN THAN WE DO.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DON'T TAKE THE LOW BID LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
UM, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT AS GREG SAID, WE'VE, THE, THE LOW BID'S NOT ALWAYS WORKING.
AND SO IF WE COMBINE OUR RESOURCES, OUR FUNDING RESOURCES WITH THE TWO DEPARTMENTS, WE GET ONE CONTRACTOR AND WE MOVE FORWARD, WE CAN PROBABLY GET A BETTER, I WOULD SAY.
UM, HE, HE'S TOLD ME HE CAN JUMP IN, UH, HE CAN, FEELS LIKE WE CAN GET A BETTER, UH, SERVICE CONTRACTOR.
WHEN CAN WE DO THAT? WELL, UM, IF YOU'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THE VOLUME OF, OF WHAT PUBLIC WORKS MANAGES, A LOT OF IT'S MOW AND TRIM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD BEEN DISCUSSING INTERNALLY IS THAT MANAGING THE CITY FACILITY SITES AND LANDSCAPING MULCHING IS, IS A LITTLE BIT MORE REFINED.
AND I WOULD SAY THE WAY THAT CRYSTAL FALLS MEDIAN IS LAID OUT IS MORE REFINED.
IT'S NOT A SIMPLE MOW AND TRIM JOB.
SO YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY WHAT I CALL MOW AND GO WITH SOME OF THESE AREAS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TAKE MORE TIME.
AND WHEN YOU MIX THOSE WITH SOME OF THE MOW AND GO, UM, JOBS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND DETENTION PONDS, IT CAN BE, UH, COMPLICATED.
IT, IT DOES, UH, CONFUSE THE SCHEDULING OF, BUT MIKE, IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE VOLUME OF WHAT, UH, YOUR CONTRACTORS DO.
SO, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS SITE, OUR MOWING CONTRACTOR RIGHT NOW, ROUGHLY ABOUT 362 ACRES OF RIGHT OF WAY, THEY, UM, MOW FOR US.
AND THEN ABOUT 52, UH, DETENTION PONDS AND CHANNELS THAT IS UNDER PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH IS ABOUT 139 ACRES.
AND THEN BETWEEN, UH, SOME LIFT STATIONS AND SEW PLANTS, ABOUT 15 OF THOSE.
UM, SO ALTOGETHER THEY OVERSEE OR MOW ABOUT 517, UH, ACRES, UH, 400 PUBLIC'S CONTRACT, UM, WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 300, UH, 30,000 CONTRACT, WHICH IS NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
WE, OR 'CAUSE WE WE'RE GOING, UM, FOR REBID IN DECEMBER, AND SO WE UPPED THE PRICE TO THREE 80.
SO ALSO WE CAN, UM, KEEP A GOOD CONTRACTOR AND ALSO PRICES ARE GOING UP.
UM, SO, AND, AND THE, THE THING THAT THE MAYOR HAD ALSO WITH THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED, I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, HAVING BEEN IN A COUPLE PLACES WHERE YOU HAD DIFFERENT TYPE OF PLANTINGS OR DIFFERENT TYPE OF MEDIANS AND LANDSCAPING, THAT'S TOUGH IN A TIGHT LABOR MARKET WHEN YOU'RE, IT'S ONE THING TO MOW, IT'S ANOTHER THING JUST LIKE ON OUR CREWS TO, SO WHEN YOU'RE COMPETING WITH CHICK-FIL-A AT 20 AN HOUR, MAYBE BEING IN AIR CONDITIONING, UM, GETTING THOSE DETAILED, THAT TYPE OF LABOR CONSISTENTLY, AND I'M, I I WOULD ASSUME THAT PART OF THE STRUGGLE WITH THEM IS PROBABLY THAT YOUR CURRENT CONTRACTOR IS KEEPING THEIR LABOR AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH SKILLED LABOR WITHIN THAT LABOR POOL TO DO THOSE TYPE OF MEDIANS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S A SIMPLER ONE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE KIND OF IN FRONT OF RANDALL'S, AND I REALIZE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ARID LOOKING, BUT IT, IT KIND OF ALSO FITS WITH SOME OF OUR WATER, UH, ISSUES.
AND I, I'VE LONG THOUGHT THAT PART OF THE SOLUTION IS TO HAVE THE MOST SIMPLE TO MAINTAIN LANDSCAPING IN EACH OF THE MEDIANS AND KEEP IT CONSISTENT KIND OF AS A THEME.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS KIND OF WONDERING HERE TOO, IS IF WE WERE TO GO RIP OUT THE GRASS AND PUT IN SOMETHING EASIER TO MAINTAIN, DOES THE COST OF DOING THAT PAY FOR ITSELF BY LESSENING THE MAINTENANCE? WELL, IT, WE CAN RUN THE COST, BUT I WOULD ASSUME IT'S PROBABLY, IT'S NOT JUST, NOT JUST LOW COST, IT'S COST AND HEADACHE.
AND THEN IF YOU ADD IN THE, UH, PEOPLE HOURS, LET'S SAY THAT MARK AND GREG AND, AND MIKE WOULD HAVE TO CHASE AROUND A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CONTRACTOR TO DO IT, RIGHT.
IF YOU WERE TO ADD THOSE HOURS TO IT, I WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY SAY IT WOULD.
CHANGING, CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE WOULD BE A JOB IN AND OF ITSELF.
BUT, UM, MIKE, REMIND ME, WE, WE DID GET AN INITIAL QUOTE.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT STILL GOOD, WE STILL HAVE TO GET A NEW ONE, BUT WHAT WAS THE QUOTE WE GOT INITIALLY ON DOING THAT? SO
[02:05:01]
JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE CONTRACTOR THAT WE HAVE NOW, I ASKED HIM, GIMME A, A QUOTE JUST TO GET THE MEDIAN BACK IN ALMOST ORIGINAL STATE.IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN THIS WAS PUT IN AND THERE'S 27 MEDIANS AND IT WAS $93,000 JUST TO GET IT BACK TO KIND OF HOW IT WAS.
AND THAT'S NOT REPLANTING ANYTHING THAT'S REMOVING SOME OF THE TREES THAT WEREN'T GROWN, THAT WEREN'T, UH, ORIGINALLY PLANTED THERE.
THEY JUST STARTED GROWING THERE.
SOME OF THE BUSHES AND SOME OF THE PLANTING THAT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE, UH, PLANTED WAS, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS JUST BECAUSE THEY EVENTUALLY WILL OUTGROW ITS AREA.
AND THAT'S ALSO, UM, PRETTY MUCH DE WEEDING, YOU KNOW, THE GRANITE, THE ROCKS AND EVERYTHING.
$93,000 A FEW WEEKS AGO FOR NOW.
MAYBE OVER SEVERAL YEARS OF, OF MAINTENANCE AND, AND CONTRACT WORK THAT THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF, BUT IT IS HIGH COST UPFRONT TO GET THAT DONE.
BUT THE VISIBILITY PIECE TOO, IF YOU'VE GOT, IF YOU'VE GOT PLANTINGS THAT ARE NOT GONNA BE CONSISTENT, YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE DEALING WITH IT, THEN THAT'S TIME TO REASSESS EVEN WHAT YOU'VE PLANTED AND, AND GO BACK THE OTHER DIRECTION.
THOUGHTS COUNSEL
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK IN SUMMARY, REALLY WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE POINT OF, UM, LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT YEAH.
AND MOVING AWAY FROM THAT AT SOME POINT.
AND THEN WORKING WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS TO MOVE FORWARD AND, UM, WITH A NEW ENTITY.
SO, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF, OR THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAINTENANCE.
ONE FOR, UH, RIGHTS OF WAY, WHICH INCLUDES MEDIANS AND OUR POND AREAS.
UM, ANOTHER WHICH INCLUDES OUR TRAILS AND, AND PARK STAFF IS REALLY HANDLING THAT ON THEIR OWN.
ALTHOUGH I, I DO THINK THE CONTRACTOR HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE TRAILS.
BUT SO TRYING TO REALLY SILO THESE JOBS INTO VERY DISTINCT CATEGORIES, UM, BECAUSE THIS SAME CONTRACTOR IS COVERING CITY FACILITIES AND WE KNOW THAT'S BEEN AN EYESORE RECENTLY AS WELL.
THAT MAY BE ONE WHERE WE SEGREGATE INTO ENTIRELY SEPARATE CONTRACT BECAUSE THERE IS THE MULCHING AND THE LANDSCAPING AND SOME OF THE MORE REFINED, UH, WORK TO BE DONE IF THEY'RE DOING IT ACROSS ALL THOSE FACILITIES.
AND THEY CAN SORT OF ESTABLISH THE EQUIPMENT AND PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THAT CONSISTENTLY.
SO THOSE ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS I THINK FROM A CONSTRUCTIONAL STANDPOINT.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THIS EASIER ON THE CONTRACTOR AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER REASON WHY I PUT THIS ON HERE IS WE GET FROM TIME TO TIME OUTREACH FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN AN ISSUE IN THE PARK.
AND, AND YOU ALLUDED TO THIS EARLIER, MR. THOMAS, THERE'S AN UPTICK IN VANDALISM AND, AND JUST PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH MORE PEOPLE USING THINGS.
AND BASICALLY THEY REACH OUT TO US AND WE SAY, WELL, YOU HAVE TO GO CALL PARKS.
UM, I'M THINKING IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE JUST A WEB FORM ON OUR SITE THE SAME WAY WE DO FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT THE SAME WAY WE DO FOR TRAFFIC ISSUES.
THAT CAN JUST LOAD INTO LIKE A SPREADSHEET ON YOUR END WHERE PEOPLE, WE CAN JUST DIRECT PEOPLE AND HAVE A LINK ON THE WEBSITE, JUST INPUT IT HERE AND IT GOES TO YOU.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ANSWERING THE PHONE ANSWER DIFFERENT PEOPLE ANSWERING EMAILS, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION.
I DID MENTION YESTERDAY, TYLER 3 1 1, THIS, THIS APP THAT WE PURCHASED.
OUR GOAL IS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH WHICH GROUP WE START WITH NECESSARILY, BUT, AND MAYBE IT'S CODE ENFORCEMENT.
OUR GOAL IS TO EVENTUALLY HAVE THAT BE A ONE STOP FOR THESE, UM, EITHER CODE ISSUES OR, OR MAINTENANCE ISSUES ACROSS THE BOARD THAT MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS DEAL WITH.
UM, SO THAT'D BE KIND OF A LONG TERM GOAL.
I THINK A SIMPLE WEB FORM IS, IS ABSOLUTELY DOABLE IF, UM, AND, AND, AND TONY WOULD, WOULD KIND OF GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE TOO ON WHAT, WHAT WORKS BEST FOR HIM.
UM, IF, IF WE FEEL LIKE THE PHONE CALLS JUST AREN'T, AREN'T WORKING.
SO SHORT TERM, YOU'RE SAYING LIKE A GOOGLE FORM ON THE WEBSITE, UM, SIMILAR TO THE, THE REPORT IT FORM THAT CODE USES FOR WATER VIOLATIONS.
UM, THAT'S WORKED, THAT'S WORKED WELL FOR THEM.
UM, BUT EVENTUALLY WE'LL KIND OF WRAP THAT INTO ONE PROGRAM AND IT COULD BE AN APP INTERFACE AS WELL WHERE PEOPLE CAN REPORT THOSE THINGS AND THEN TRACK THE PROGRESS.
WHEN DO YOU THINK WE WOULD EXPECT THAT? I DON'T KNOW.
DO YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF PARKS TAKES CARE OF THAT OR IF P I O TAKES CARE OF THE FORM.
OH, THE WEB FORM, THE SHORT TERM FORM, INSTANT THE WEB FORM, YES.
IT'S, IT'S THEN COMMUNICATING THAT THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE AVENUE TO, TO ADDRESS, UH, MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
AND HONESTLY, WITH, WITH VANDALISM, SOMETIMES THEY'LL CALL THE NON-EMERGENCY POLICE LINE TO REPORT THOSE THINGS.
SO MAY NOT BE, UM, COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING.
AND DEPENDING ON THE ISSUE, WHO TO CALL.
LIKE IF THERE'S BROKEN SPRINKLER HEADS AT THE PARK, THEY'LL CALL PUBLIC WORKS OR A HURT DUCK AT THE POND, WHICH HAS COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES.
DO YOU CALL PARKS? DO YOU CALL PD
[02:10:01]
OR THEY'LL CALL ANIMAL SERVICES.UM, AND THAT, SO HAVING SOMEPLACE WHERE IT ALL GOES, THAT IT CAN DIRECT US.
A LOT OF TIMES, EVEN IF WE HAVE THE, THE BEST WEB FORM IN THE WORLD, WE'RE GONNA BE REDIRECTING FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
BUT THE, THE OTHER THING THAT, AND I KNOW IT'S COME UP AT DIFFERENT TIMES WITH THE POPULATION, WITH THE AMOUNT OF FACILITIES.
SO LET'S JUST LOOK AT OAK CREEK.
LET'S LOOK AT ALL THE DEVELOPMENT AROUND IT.
YOU'VE GOT APARTMENTS, TOWN HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU'VE GOT NEW APARTMENTS ON EITHER END.
YOU'VE GOT THE DISC GOLF, YOU'VE GOT THE TRAIL.
I THINK AT SOME POINT, EVEN LOOKING AT THE PD PARADIGM, NOT TO GET INTO THE MICRO, BUT AT SOME POINT, SHOULD SOME OF THOSE FTES, EVEN OF THE ONES THAT ARE UNFILLED, SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF ROTATION OF KIND OF A PARKS DEDICATED BICYCLE OFFICER? MAYBE THAT WOULD BE OUT THERE PART OF THE DAYS AND KIND OF ROTATE.
I MEAN, THAT IS, I MEAN, WHEN YOU GO TO OTHER CITIES THAT THAT IS A, SOMETHING THAT DOES, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE A PUNITIVE THING.
IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE, HEY, YOU NEED TO GET ON THAT BIKE.
IT SHOULD BE THAT WE'RE VERY PROACTIVE AND THAT WE HAVE A PRESENCE.
AND THAT MIGHT HELP MITIGATE SOME THINGS TOO.
WELL, AND, AND LET ME GIVE YOU A REAL SPECIFIC EXAMPLE 'CAUSE WE, WE'VE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT THIS WEEK.
UM, SARITA VALLEY, THEY'RE VERY ENGAGED WITH PARK STAFF BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GREEN BELT THAT SORT OF WRAPS AROUND THEIR SUBDIVISION.
UM, THAT'S EAST OF, UH, RONALD REAGAN, UH, KIND OF ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE TOWN OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY, UM, OFTEN REACH OUT TO US BECAUSE WE OWN AND AND MANAGE PART OF THAT GREEN BELT.
AND THE H O A OWNS AND MANAGES PART OF THAT GREEN BELT.
THE RESIDENTS DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHO, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT, BUT WE'VE DEALT WITH THEM TO JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
UM, THERE'S CERTAIN BRUSH PILES THAT ARE RIGHT NEXT TO THE WALKING PATH.
WE'VE GOT SOME CRACKED CONCRETE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE'RE EDUCATING THEM ON, UM, HOW TO MANAGE A GREEN BELT BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM WANT TO CLEAN UP SOME OF THE AREA THAT WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO DISTURB.
SO IT'S, SOME OF THAT'S EDUCATION TOO ABOUT LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT, HOW, HOW WE MANAGE OUR, OUR PARK AREAS AND OUR GREENBELT AREAS, BUT CERTAINLY EDUCATING RESIDENTS AND SUBDIVISIONS THAT, THAT REALLY HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING ACCESS TO, TO OUR PARK AREAS AND TRAILS.
AND, AND CITIZENS ARE REALLY, UM, A KEY FOR US IN, IN A LOT OF MAINTENANCE.
WE DEVELOP REALLY NICE RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF CITIZENS AROUND PARKS.
UM, SO THEY TEND TO INFORM US WHEN SOMETHING MIGHT BE OUTTA LINE.
TRASH CANS ARE FULL, SOMETHING WE MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONE, YOU KNOW, RESTROOMS, SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED.
UM, AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF DEV THE RELATIONSHIP YOU WANT TO DEVELOP WITH YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORS AROUND YOUR PARKS, UM, IS IT'S VERY PROACTIVE.
THEY HAVE ABILITY JUST TO CALL DIRECTLY AND SAY HEY.
UM, AND THERE WAS, UH, ACTUALLY, UM, MIKE, UM, POINTED OUT SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY AT LAKEWOOD AND HE SAID, DO YOU REALIZE THERE'S A BIG WASH NEST UP THERE? AND I'M LIKE, NO, I'M LOOKING AT EVERYTHING ELSE.
I'M OUT THERE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
AND I, UM, I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT WAS NEST.
IT WAS, WE GOT IT OUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS ENTERTAINMENT FOR MY SIX YEAR OLD.
BUT THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE MISS, BUT WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT ANYONE BEING STUNG, UH, OBVIOUSLY.
AND SO WE WANT TO JUMP ON THAT REALLY QUICK, BUT THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF CITIZENS WILL COME IN.
I THINK IF THEY HAD A, A METHOD IN THAT WAY TO, UH, ALSO INFORM US WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, AND I SAW THE, UH, THE SIGNS OUT AT, UM, OUT AT DIVINE AT 4TH OF JULY ABOUT LEANO.
UM, AND I WAS THINKING SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL TOO, IN SOME OF THOSE HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS THAT WE KNOW ARE KIND OF PRONE TO VANDALISM OR SOMETHING WHERE IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, HERE'S WHERE YOU GO TO REPORT IT.
EITHER A QR CODE OR JUST A WEBSITE ADDRESS OR SOMETHING JUST TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED.
WE, WE'VE GOT EVEN CRYSTAL SPRINGS, UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, NOT CRYSTAL SPRINGS, BUT COLD SPRINGS HAS, HAS MENTIONED ABOUT USING LEANO IN SOME OF THEIR ADVERTISING.
CARRYING IT ON FROM LAKEWOOD PARK OR DIVINE LAKE AND SOME OF THESE OTHERS AND USING THE, THE NAME OF THE DOG.
LEANO STARTED LEANO, HE STARTED AT LAKEWOOD PARK AND HE'S, HE'S BECOMING MORE POPULAR.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING HIM AS A MASCOT
I, I'M ALMOST THINKING EVEN WE COULD GO THROUGH THIS EXERCISE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, SAN GABRIEL, BUT I ALMOST THINK AS PART OF OUR O AND M THAT WE NEED TO BUILD IN A CERTAIN PERCENT OF, OF LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT AS PART OF THAT O AND M ON THE FRONT END AND NOT ON THE BACK END WHERE IT BECOMES REACTIVE.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN BUDGET AROUND IT AND THEN OVER TIME BUILD THAT COMPONENT UP.
SO IF YOU HAD, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.
YOU'VE GOTTA RUN, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE THREE OFFICERS TO COVER MM-HMM.
[02:15:01]
AT SOME POINT, I THINK THAT THE O AND M NEEDS TO BE IN THERE WITH THAT POPULATION.PLUS HOW SPREAD OUT ALL THE FACILITIES ARE.
I THINK CAMERAS CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH.
AND THEN, THEN YOU GET INTO THIS INTRUSION COMPONENT.
UH, PARKING AREAS ARE EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE, I KNOW DOWN IN AUSTIN THEY, THEY'VE HAD MORE OF THE KINDA SMASH AND GRAB AT SOME OF THE PARKING AREAS WHERE THERE'S TRAILS.
AND I DO THINK OVER TIME WE REALLY NEED TO GET OUT AHEAD OF THAT.
UH, THE SAFETY COMMITTEE THAT WE'VE CONVENED, WE ARE USING LEANDER SPRINGS AS A, HOW DO WE PLAN AROUND THIS AND WHAT WOULD THE RESPONSE BE FOR CERTAIN INCIDENTS? AND THEN EVEN NORTHLINE, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AS IT'S PHASED BECAUSE THE RESIDENTIAL IS COMING FIRST.
WHAT'S THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? SO I THINK SAN GABRIEL PARK COULD BE ANOTHER ONE THAT WE KIND OF DO THE PLANNING FOR, BUT ALSO BUILD THAT O AND M AND JUST BE UPFRONT.
AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, I KNOW YOUR PARKS FEES ARE LIKE ONE TIME, BUT I THINK WE DO NEED TO BUILD IN THE, THAT BUDGET.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE, AGAIN, IT'S NOT GETTING ADDRESSED.
AND THEN IT, IT'S THE APPROACH THAT, OH, YOU'LL SEND PATROL BY IF SOMETHING HAPPENS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE, GET TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S BUILT INTO THE BUDGET.
I KNOW THAT IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S JUST MORE CONTINGENT COSTS, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE COSTS ACKNOWLEDGED ON THE FRONT END.
THAT WAY WE CAN PLAN AROUND IN THE BUDGET AROUND THEM.
WOULD THAT BE UNDER POLICE OR UNDER PARKS? I WOULD SEE IT AS MAYBE PART OF THE, OUR, OUR SAFETY COMMITTEE COLLABORATING AND TRYING TO NOT JUST LOOK AT ONE TIME COSTS ON THE FRONT END, BUT THE CONTINGENT COSTS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE THERE.
OTHERWISE, AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT PLANNING FOR IT.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE ADDING IT TO IT, THEN IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S AN UNFUNDED COST THAT YOU'RE EATING ON THE OTHER END.
AND, AND, AND EVEN GOING OUT TO THOSE FACILITIES BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING TO RUN CALLS.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ON THE PROACTIVE SIDE TO MINIMIZE, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU COULD MINIMIZE THE VANDALISM AND ANY OTHER INCIDENTS, WHAT COST SAVINGS IS THAT AND WHAT COST SAVINGS THAT TO THE COMMUNITY? OR GOD FORBID IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO A, AN INDIVIDUAL TO AVOID THAT? I THINK KNOWING THAT THERE COULD BE A PRESENCE OUT THERE AT DIFFERENT TIMES OR CONSISTENTLY WOULD PROBABLY KEEP SOME BAD ACTORS FROM MAYBE CASING A PARK CERTAIN TYPES OF DAY.
NOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YOUTH LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO, BUT AS OUR POPULATION GROWS, YOU GET PAST A HUNDRED THOUSAND, YOU'RE ALSO GONNA GET, OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOOK FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND WE NEED TO MITIGATE THAT.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING I JUST WANNA ASK, DO WE HAVE A PART CURFEW? I KNOW THEY CLOSE, BUT IS THERE A CURFEW WHERE YOU'RE NOT, WHERE YOU'RE PROHIBITED FROM BEING THERE AND THERE'S SOME, SOME TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION THAT CAN BE TAKEN? OR DO WE JUST TELL 'EM TO LEAVE? WE, WE DO NOT HAVE A PARK CURFEW.
WE HAVE A TIME CLOSING, BUT, UM, WE DON'T CLOSE ANYTHING DOWN.
SOME OF THOSE TRAILS THOUGH, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LOCKED.
THERE, THERE ARE TRAILS THOUGH, THAT GO FROM NEIGHBORHOODS MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE.
SO EVEN WHEN THEY'RE CLOSED, THEY'RE OPEN.
SO THAT'S NOT REALLY THE POINT.
ARE THEY, IS THERE SOMETHING PROHIBITING PEOPLE FROM GETTING THERE? BUT IF WE ADDED LIKE AN ORDINANCE FOR A PART CURFEW, THEN THAT GOES A LITTLE BIT MORE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STOP AND DETAIN AND ASK QUESTIONS AND SEE IF THEY'RE UP TO, OR JUST CREATE IT OR, OR DONE SOME TYPE OF VANDALISM.
I, I DON'T KNOW, MARK, IF YOU, IF YOU THINK WE'RE THERE YET WITH, SAY IF YOU'RE HAVING SOME YOUTH ISSUES IN ANY SPECIFIC PARK WITH VANDALISM, IF THAT'S, THAT WAS, EVEN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WOULD BE EASIER IF, SAY YOU SAW SOMEBODY IN THERE AT 10 FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S JUST, LET'S FACE IT, YOU KNOW, JUNIOR HIGH KIDS ON A B M X BIKE AT, AT THAT AGE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN THAT WAY SINCE THE FIFTIES, SIXTIES, SEVENTIES.
BUT IS THAT, DOES THAT AT LEAST GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SAYING, LOOK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY.
YOU LIVE IN IT, YOU DON'T NEED TO TAG THAT, OR YOU DON'T NEED TO TO BE IN HERE AT THIS TIME.
WE'RE CLOSED AND, AND LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I THINK, UM, SOMETHING THE SAFETY COMMITTEE CAN CERTAINLY HELP US, UH, IDENTIFY IS, UM, ESPECIALLY PD IS WHAT, WHAT ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE WILL GIVE THEM THE CAPABILITY TO, TO IMPROVE THEIR ENFORCEMENT OR TO IMPROVE THEIR PRESENCE.
SO POSTING THE PARK HOURS, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF SOMEBODY'S THERE AFTER PARK HOURS, THAT TO, TO ME, TO MARK THAT, THAT MIGHT BE ENOUGH.
BUT HAVING THAT SIGNAGE CLEARLY VISIBLE AT EVERY ENTRANCE POINT, EVEN THE TRAILS CONNECTING FROM
[02:20:01]
NEIGHBORHOODS, MAKING THAT VERY CLEARLY VISIBLE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN IMPROVE.SO WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH OUR SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND WE DO WORK WITH PD REALLY WELL.
UM, WE ENCOURAGE THEM IF WE NOTICE AN UPTICK IN SOME, SOME, SOME THINGS IN SOME AREAS, UM, WE'LL NOTIFY WHETHER EVEN ANIMAL CONTROL, IF THERE'S OFF LEASH DOGS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
OR WE'LL CERTAINLY GO, UM, TO PD AND SAY, WE'VE GOT THESE ISSUES GOING ON.
WE'RE TRACKING ALL OF OUR, OUR VANDALISM.
SO WE CAN START SEEING THOSE THAT HARD, THOSE HARD NUMBERS AND DATA.
UM, SO IF WE CAN GET THAT PRODUCED, BRING THAT BACK TO YOU IF WE NEED TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD OF, OF PARK PATROL.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED, UH, IS THAT UNDER PARKS OR UNDER PD? UH, JUST DEPENDS ON THE COMMUNITY AND HOW, HOW IT WORKS BEST.
IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE IN YOUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, I WORKED WITH IT.
WE WITH, WE HAD FIVE CERTIFIED OFFICERS IN OUR, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT WORKED DIRECTLY FOR PARKS.
THEY DIDN'T WORK FOR POLICE, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO ANY OF THE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND TRAFFIC STOPS SPEEDING AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, IF THEY WERE GOING FROM, AS, FROM PARKS TO PARK.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO SCHEDULE 'EM, FLEXI, FLEXIBLE ON WEEKENDS, NIGHTS, VENTS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, WHICH MADE IT REALLY NICE.
NOT THAT, NOT WHEN THEY WERE, UH, WHEN THEY, THEY LEFT AND WENT TO, UH, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE, WE ALSO HAD INPUT, BUT THEY, THEY DIDN'T ANSWER DIRECTLY TO US.
SO IT JUST REALLY DEPENDS ON THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, THE NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND HOW THAT'S A APPROACHED.
UM, YOU REFERENCED IN THE PACKET AND YOU REFERENCED HERE TODAY, VOLUNTEERS THAT, THAT HELP WITH SOME OF THE, THE CLEANUP AND PROJECTS.
HOW DO YOU FIND THEM AND WHAT CAN THEY HELP WITH? WHO DO THEY CONTACT? ALL THE THINGS.
UM, USUALLY THEY'LL, THEY'LL CONTACT TONY SAVAGE, OUR, OUR MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR.
UH, HE WILL WORK WITH THEM ON SCHEDULING WHEN, AND DATES AND TIMES AND ANY TYPES OF EQUIPMENT HE'LL SHARE WITH THEM ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEY NEED TO BRING, WHETHER IT BE GLOVES OR WHAT HE WILL PROVIDE, WHETHER IT BE TRASH BAGS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, OR DUMPSTERS EVEN.
UM, SO, UH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL SET UP AND, AND WORK WITH.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CHURCHES THAT HAVE HELPED US IN THE PAST, UM, OR, OR JUST DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.
WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, UTILIZE THEM.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ONE? I MISSED IT.
IT, IT WAS STARTED AS A, WE HAVE, WE HAVE B SIGNS WITHIN THE LAKEWOOD PARK AREA, ALONG THE PATHS INSIDE THE PARK, LEANO IS JUST A, A GRAPHIC CARTOON DOG IMAGE, BUT THE LEANO DOG PROVIDES THE MESSAGE THAT GUIDES PEOPLE TO THROW AWAY THEIR, UH, PET WASTE TO, TO BE SAFE ON THE PLAYGROUND, TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO COMMUNICATE TO THEM IN A, IN A FRIENDLY WAY.
UH, ALL THIS YEAR, OR MOSTLY, I THINK ALMOST TWO YEARS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
YEAH, WE STARTED, WE NEED TO GET SOME MORE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING A LITTLE, A LITTLE ROUGH, SOME OF THEM.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS? BUT THEY'VE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE.
UH, DOGS GET ATTENTION, TALK PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, SO IT'S, IT REALLY HAS HELPED.
UM, YEAH, ESPECIALLY WITH LEACH LAWS.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANYBODY? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[7. Invocation and proclamation procedures ]
LAST ONE, ITEM SEVEN, INVOCATION AND PROCLAMATION.COUNCIL MEMBER ILIAN PARKER, THIS IS YOUR ITEM.
SO THIS WAS ONE THAT I FELT LIKE WE JUST NEEDED A BRIEF CONVERSATION.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR PERCEPTIONS THAT, UH, AS I LIKE TO SAY, MY, MY, MY HUSBAND DRESSES THE WAY HE WANTS.
AND, UM, I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT OR BLAME FOR THAT, UH,
UM, SO I'VE NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE, THE PROCESS FOR WHO COMES IN AND DOES OUR PRAYERS AND THE, UH, THE HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THE PROCLAMATIONS.
AND WE WITNESSED THAT, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY WITH HAVING, YOU KNOW, ALMOST AN HOUR OF PEOPLE SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T VOTE ON.
AND, AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE SUCH A, I I DON'T WANNA SAY A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE HEARD, BUT WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO AFFECT SOMEONE'S OPINION ABOUT SOMETHING, AND IT, IT REALLY ISN'T.
SO HAVING TO EXPLAIN THAT TO ENOUGH PEOPLE, I REALIZED THAT THIS IS NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT WE DON'T VOTE ON PROCLAMATIONS.
AND, AND THAT SAME PERCEPTION WAS WITH IN OTHER CITIES AS WELL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS, UM, JUST PART OF OUR CHARTER IF OTHER CITIES ACTUALLY VOTE ON THINGS LIKE THAT.
[02:25:01]
SOMEBODY COULD SHARE WHAT THAT PROCEDURE IS, HOW WE, UH, GO ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE TO DO THE PRAYERS.AND, UM, AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE'VE NEVER HAD A PROCLAMATION THAT WAS TURNED DOWN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S CAN'T IF YOU WANNA YEAH.
IF YOU WANNA HAVE A PROCLAMATION ON SOMETHING, THERE'S, IT'S JUST A, AN AUTOMATIC.
WELL THEN IT GOES ON THE AGENDA, UH, WHERE IT FITS IN.
MEANING IF THERE'S, IF TIME ALLOWS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE 20 ON ONE NIGHT.
UM, SO IF WE COULD JUST UNDERSTAND THAT, WELL, NOT ALL PROCLAMATIONS ARE PRESENTED AT COUNCIL EITHER.
UM, IT'S RARE THAT THEY'RE NOT, BUT I THINK, I THINK WE'VE HAD ONE IN THE LAST YEAR, UM, FOR A ONE'S BIRTHDAY, AND IT IS, WE ARE IN LINE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER CITIES AROUND IT'S, UH, MEETH THE AGENDA.
THE MAYOR APPROVES PROCLAMATIONS INVITES IN THE, THE, UM, THE INDICATIONS, ALL OF THAT.
UM, WHERE WAS I GOING WITH THAT? BUT THAT IS A, JUST AN AUTOMATIC NOT, IT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC, THERE'S BEEN REJECTED BEEN LIKE ANYTHING.
NO, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REJECTED.
I DON'T YEAH, NO, IT'S, BUT UH, THERE WAS ONE THAT CAME IN THAT, UM, DAR AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS THIS? A LOT OF NON-PROFITS REQUIRE SO MANY PROCLAMATIONS, UM, TO GET GRANT, REMEMBER THAT? GRANT FUNDING AND STUFF.
SO, BUT THERE WAS ONE WHERE WE KIND OF HAD TO DO SOME GOOGLING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS MM-HMM.
UM, BUT TYPICALLY IT'S, IT'S SUPER BASIC AND A LOT OF 'EM ARE, INCLUDING THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ARE ONES THAT EVERY OTHER CITY AROUND US ARE DOING.
UM, AND SO WE JUST, WE JUST FOLLOW THE BEST PRACTICES THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
MAYOR APPROVES THE AGENDA AND THAT'S IT.
SO AS FAR AS THE, THE CONVERSATION, NOT CONVERSATION, THE COMMENTS THAT TOOK PLACE, UM, I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SEE OUR CITY DIVIDED OVER ANYTHING MM-HMM.
I'M GONNA DISAGREE HOW WE, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, YOU DISAGREE THAT HAVING MANY, I'M GONNA DISAGREE THAT IT WAS DIVISIVE BECAUSE EVERY OTHER PEER CITY OF OURS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, HURO, UM, ROUND ROCK, TAYLOR, CEDAR PARK, GEORGETOWN, ALL THE CITIES THAT SEE, WE SAY THAT WE WANNA EMULATE WITH, UM, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THEY ALL DID THE EXACT SAME PROCLAMATION.
IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS UNTIL LIBERTY HILL HAD A POOP SHOW AT THEIRS, AND IT HIT TEXAS SCORECARD.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD OUR RESIDENTS HOSTAGE BECAUSE TEXAS SCORECARD HAS DECIDED TO YEAH, NO, I AGREE.
UM, WELL, I THINK HAVING, HAVING THE COMMENTS THAT WERE WERE SAID, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME DIVISIVENESS AT, AT SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES, NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT WE HAD.
UH, SO ANYWAY, I, IT'S MORE OF A, I'M NOT MAKING A SUGGESTION THAT WE DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT, BUT UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS, UH, SO WE KNOW, SO THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS THE PROCESS.
AND, UM, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, THEN IT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AND I'M, AGAIN, I'M NOT MAKING A SUGGESTION THAT SOMETHING CHANGED BECAUSE I'VE NEVER JUST WANTED IT ON THE RECORD WHAT IT WAS.
UH, BUT KNOWING WHEN SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY ASKED ME, I SAID, WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE MAYOR JUST APPROVES IT, YOU KNOW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HOW WOULD WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT APPROVED SOMETHING? WE ARE NOT IN THE ROOM.
WE'RE NOT PART OF THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT, OH, NO, SHE DIDN'T PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND I'VE ONLY HAD ONE THING THAT I'VE REQUESTED BE ON THE AGENDA.
THIS WAS BEFORE YOU, AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY GONNA BE THERE ON ANOTHER, UM, ANOTHER FORMAT.
SO TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE'VE NEVER HAD SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR DID NOT APPROVE.
UM, ONE CA CAVEAT, UH, DARA FREQUENTLY PUTS ME IN CHECK AND SAYS, THIS IS NOT A PROCLAMATION ITEM, THIS IS A CERTIFICATE.
I GET THEM CONFUSED ALL THE TIME.
I GUESS TECHNICALLY WE'VE REJECTED SOME PROCLAMATIONS BECAUSE WE'VE GIVEN CERTIFICATES.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO YEAH, DARA WILL FREQUENTLY TELL ME NOT TO DO THAT
SO IT'S NOT LIKE JUST ANYBODY COULD COME UP AND SAY, I WANT A PROCLAMATION FOR THIS.
LIKE, WHEN WE HAD THE EAGLE SCOUTS, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PROCLAMATION THING.
SHE'S LIKE, NO, THAT'S A CERTIFICATE.
SO AS FAR AS THE, THE PASTORS THAT COME TO SPEAK, DO WE HAVE, I MEAN, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A, A LIST HERE OF ARE YOU TAKING THIS IN TWO SEPARATE PARTS OR NO? WELL, IT, IT'S KIND OF ALL OKAY.
DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ON THAT? NO, JUST IN THAT LIKE, LIKE I UNDERSTAND THE WAY IT'S BEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE TOO, BUT I, BUT I DID VOICE MY OPINION PRIVATELY IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHEN A PROCLAMATION WAS COMING IN FOR THE REASONS.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY, IF WE ARE GOING TO EVER CONSIDER SOMETHING,
[02:30:01]
AND IT'S YOUR DISCRETION, BUT IF YOU EVER WANTED TO HAVE A CHECK-IN WITH, UM, AND YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE MAJORITY OF COUNSEL ALSO AGREES THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE PROCLAIMING REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS AND WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS.I KNOW THAT, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A, THIS IS ADVICE, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES THAT.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, IT WOULD BE WISE FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THE, WE ARE AN ELECTED GROUP OF PEOPLE FROM THE CITY AND THERE'S SEVEN OF US, WHICH IS AN ODD NUMBER ON PURPOSE.
AND THAT WAY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE A, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT OUR PRO PRO PROCLAMATION IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A CERTIFICATE OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
A PROCLAMATION IS PROCLAIMING SOMETHING.
AND WE CAN GO INTO DEFINITIONS OF THESE THINGS TOO.
BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, UM, I'LL STOP AFTER THIS ONE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD ACT WI WISELY UPON, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND EVEN THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE PRAYING ABOUT WITH SHOULD YOUR NEXT PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
AND SO I JUST THINK THAT, UM, WE SHOULD BE, UM, MAKING THAT DECISION TOGETHER AND ALSO NOT, SO IT'S ALL ON YOUR SQUARELY ON YOUR SHOULDERS AS WELL TOO.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND YOU DO IT VERY WELL.
UM, BUT JUST AS A SUGGESTION, IF WE EVER DID GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION WITH THAT AND YOU WANTED CONSENSUS, I WOULD WANT SOME KIND OF ABILITY TO, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS A COUNSELOR.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT.
YOU CAN MAKE IT PART OF A PRIOR MEETING OR SOMETHING IF THERE WERE, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE THAT KIND OF, THE, THE RIGHT TO NOT STAND FOR SOMETHING, BUT TO DISCUSS IT BEFORE THAT MEETING.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT YOU CAN MAKE A PROCLAMATION AND I CAN GO DO THE SAME THING ABOUT WHATEVER I WANT TO GO BRING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.
ONE, ONE OR 10 OR A HUNDRED OR 10,000 PEOPLE TELL ME IS IMPORTANT TO THEM, AND THEN EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TO DO IT BECAUSE I THINK, SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE OF.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S FAIR EITHER.
I I WOULDN'T PUT YOU GUYS IN THAT POSITION.
AND SO I'M JUST SAYING THIS AS A, IT IS A REAL THING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT, AND IT'S NOT ANYTHING FOR US TO DECIDE OR ANYTHING, BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST MY OPINION TO BE HEARD WHILE IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY SOMEBODY ELSE EVEN.
AND IT'S ON HERE THAT I DO HAVE AN OPINION ON IT AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT TO, TO GO BACK TO THIS ONE, WE DID IT LAST YEAR AND IT WAS NO BIG DEAL.
AND SO YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE AND IT JUST HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T LIKE A LONGSTANDING, LIKE OUR CITY HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS FOR THE LAST A HUNDRED YEARS.
IT'S CAUSED SOME STUFF SPECIFICALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S TAKEN STUFF AWAY FROM ACTUALLY RUNNING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY FORWARD.
IT COULD BE, UM, IT COULD BE SEVERAL THINGS HERE.
IT COULD BE, UM, UH, IT COULD BE GENUINE CARING PEOPLE AND FEELINGS, AND IT COULD ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR INFLUENCE HAVE USED FOR A POLITICAL THING TOO.
AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT THAT PARTICULAR, UM, THE, THE SPIRIT BEHIND THAT PROCLAMATION WASN'T NECESSARILY, DIDN'T BEGIN WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT HAS BECOME.
AND SO I JUST WANT US TO BE AWARE OF THAT, THAT I'M INTERESTED IN THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY AND MOVING IT FORWARD.
SO THE REST OF MY SENTENCE WAS GOING TO BE, IT'S ALL RIGHT.
YOU'RE PASSIONATE, UM, WAS THAT THERE WAS NO BIG DEAL ABOUT IT THE YEAR BEFORE AND WHEN IT WENT ON THE AGENDA.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A BIG DEAL UNTIL, I THINK IT WAS THAT MORNING WHEN YOU CALLED ME.
UM, AND I THINK EVEN WHEN WE GOT ON THE PHONE, I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING TOTALLY ELSE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS, YOU CAN COME TO ME AND SAY I HAVE A PROBLEM.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT IF WE ARE HOPING TO, UH, CATCH A BIG FISH LIKE, LIKE SAMSUNG, LIKE APPLE, LIKE A CAMPUS EMPLOYER, THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO HAVE UGLINESS COME UP AROUND THIS SORT OF THING BECAUSE THOSE COMPANIES DON'T WANT TO MOVE SOMEWHERE THAT IS NOT INCLUSIVE.
SO THE UGLINESS NOBODY AGREES WITH.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE, I MEAN, I'LL JUST, I'M JUST GONNA BE FRANK ABOUT IT.
IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY, I, IT IS, IT HAS TO DO WITH MY FAITH AND THERE, THERE, AND IT'S GENUINE AND IT'S HEARTFELT AND IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH OTHER COMMENTS THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAKE.
UM, AND UM, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, TRULY, TRULY HONORING GOD WITH OUR DECISIONS AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT AND, UH, DISPLAYED IN THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE DISPLAY THEM, WHICH I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH AT ALL.
AND PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ME AND SAID, WELL, WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE THIS BECAUSE OF YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T SUPPORT THIS AND YOU ARE THIS KIND OF PERSON BECAUSE OF THIS AND THIS.
I SAID, IF THIS WAS A, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DISCRIMINATION OF PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN AND SAFETY, ALL THESE THINGS, THEN CALL IT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, RIGHT? LET'S CELEBRATE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND LET'S PROCLAIM THOSE THINGS, BUT NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT WHAT WAS NOT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
[02:35:01]
AND SO I DID COME PRIVATELY TO YOU AND I THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT.UM, I WILL ALWAYS DO THOSE THINGS AND I'LL ALWAYS DO IT IN THE RIGHT WAY.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING RIGHT NOW WHERE THIS IS PUT ON THE AGENDA, SO THIS IS THE PLACE FOR ME TO SAY IT.
SO IT'S EVERYBODY ELSE IS HEARING IT.
AND I CAN'T GO TO INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SAY, I THINK THIS AND I THINK THIS AND I THINK THIS, BUT I CAN DO IT HERE.
AND I HAVE TO BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN THAT I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
UM, IT'S, I, I JUST, IT WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT PLACE.
AND UM, AND I HAVE TO SAY, IF I DON'T SAY IT HERE, THEN I NEVER SAY ANYTHING, WHICH GOES TO YOUR POINT OF IT'S NEVER COME UP BEFORE IT'S COMING UP NOW.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, I AM ALSO A PERSON OF FAITH, AND, AND YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT BRIEFLY.
LIKE, I SEE THE ISSUE COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU DO.
AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S JUST A DIFFERENCE OF INTERPRETATION, BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT FAITH.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA TURN THIS INTO A BIBLE LESSON, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S, IT'S BLACK AND WHITE.
AND SO IF WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE.
AND, AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, BUT THAT, THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS, IN THIS CONVERSATION TOO.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO WATERING DOWN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
IT'S NEVER BEEN THAT WAY, AND IT NEVER SHOULD BE THAT WAY.
AND IT ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE DONE NO MATTER WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS IN THE, IN, IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT AND WITH THE RIGHT SPIRIT.
AND SO, UM, I, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO ANYWHERE ON THIS.
I'M NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING OF IT.
AGAIN, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP, BUT SINCE IT IS HERE, LIKE I HAVE TO DO MY PART IN COMMUNICATING JUST LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT.
AND JUST LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HAS NEVER COME UP BEFORE.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S COMING UP AND, AND, UM, I WOULD JUST WANT US TO BE THINKING AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE THINGS.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS IN TEXAS SCORECARD.
SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT CAUSED IT.
IF I DIDN'T READ IT, CHANCES ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T READ IT.
I, I DON'T, I SAID, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AT, UH, LIBERTY HILL AND HERE'S SO-AND-SO WHO LED THE CHARGE.
AND TONIGHT EVERYBODY GOES TO LEANDER.
WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OTHER SIDE DID THE SAME THING.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT ANYTHING THAT WE'RE, AGAIN, WE HAVE, WE SIT FOR 57 MINUTES OR HOWEVER MANY MINUTES IT WAS, UM, TO LISTEN TO COMMENTS.
AND WE SAT THERE AND WE LISTENED TO EVERY COMMENT BECAUSE THAT IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
UM, THE REST OF IT WE DIDN'T NEED TO BE A PART OF.
AND, UH, TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT DIVISIVE, UM, IT, IT IS POLITICAL.
IT'S VERY POLITICAL BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU, THE GAY REPUBLICANS THAT WERE IN THE AUDIENCE WERE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND LEFT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE FEELINGS THAT THEY WERE GETTING FROM THOSE THAT WERE SUPPORTING IT.
AND SO, SO IF THERE'S THAT, UM, IT WAS VERY POLITICAL AND, AND IT'S POLITICAL IN ANY CITY.
UM, AND I DON'T, I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
I DON'T, THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL, I KNOW YOU DO.
UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE IT WHEN YOU'VE GOT BLUE SHIRTS AND RED SHIRTS.
YOU CAN'T SAY IT'S NOT POLITICAL.
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE SEE, YOU KNOW, SHIRTS THAT SAY DEMOCRAT AND SHIRTS THAT SAY REPUBLICAN IN THE AUDIENCE FOR A PROCLAMATION? AND THEN YOU SAY IT'S NOT POLITICAL.
THAT IS NOT BECAUSE IT IS A BIPARTISAN, UNIFYING MESSAGE.
IT IS BECAUSE IT IS A DIVISIVE MESSAGE AND PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO, YOU KNOW, REPRESENT THEIR SIDE.
AND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH, UM, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THERE'S THIS PERCEPTION OF WHAT IT HAS TO DO WITH, BUT IT, IT IS POLITICAL.
SO THAT'S, I, YOU, YOU CAN TRY AND CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THE PROCLAMATION.
BUT UNDERSTANDING HOW IT, HOW, HOW IT TAKES PLACE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
SO YOU TO SAY SOMETHING, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY IT'S AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION, BUT I MEAN, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THINGS ARE GONNA COME UP THAT REFLECT ON HER AND IN LIBERTY HILL THAT HAPPENED.
UM, SO THE MAYOR BROUGHT THAT PROCLAMATION IN LIBERTY HILL, AND SHE KIND OF HAD TO ANSWER FOR THAT.
SO MY OPINION IS THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION ON WHAT TO BRING.
YOU MEAN WHAT TO ACCEPT, WHAT TO ACCEPT AND WE WERE NOT IN THAT ROOM.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S REJECTED ANYTHING.
WE JUST HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
BUT I DUNNO, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THE ONE TIME THAT I BRING SOMETHING THAT'S MAYBE CONTROVERSIAL AND I'M THIS A HYPOTHETICAL BY THE WAY, UM, THAT I BRING SOMETHING THAT SHE DEEMS AS WELL, THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, BUT THAT ONE IS.
AND THEN SHE'S IN THAT POSITION NOW TOO.
I KNOW THAT THE, THE DEFAULT'S GONNA BE, HEY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
[02:40:01]
ISN'T LIKE THIS KNOW SOMETHING OUT OF MALICE.IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND SO I'M, I'M GONNA ALLOW IT.
AND IT, AND, AND IT IS, I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR CURRENT MAYOR, RIGHT CHRISTINE, I'M TALKING ABOUT PAST MAYORS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT FUTURE MAYORS IS UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS GONNA JUST GO AWAY.
SO WE DIDN'T, UH, WE DIDN'T TURN DOWN GIVING CERTIFICATES TO YOUTH THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH TURNING POINT U S A THAT WAS POLITICAL.
WE HAVE NEVER TURNED DOWN PROCLAMATIONS FOR NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, EVEN WHEN THOSE PROCLAMATIONS INCLUDED, QUOTE, STRAIGHT OUT OF ONE RELIGION AND NOT OTHERS.
EVEN THOUGH PRAYER IS UNIVERSAL.
UM, WELL THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA YEAH, THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE WEEDS ON IT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IS I THINK I'M BEING PRETTY FAIR AND EVEN HANDED.
AND I THINK THAT IF, IF WE JUST CALM DOWN AND GO WITH THE PROCESS, IT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE.
THAT'S WHERE THE PROCESS WAS NOT KNOWN.
I THINK WE'RE GIVING YOU THAT, THAT YOU'VE NEVER REJECTED ANY.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M MADE THAT VERY CLEAR TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN REJECTED.
THAT IT'S ALL BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IS PRESENTED, YOU'VE, I MEAN, IT'S JUST THERE BECAUSE SOMEBODY WANTS IT.
AND SO, I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME AS WHAT EVERY OTHER CITY DOES.
WAS THAT ALL WE HAD ON PROCLAMATIONS? SO THAT'S GOOD THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE PROCESS, RIGHT? I THINK SO.
AND YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT INVOCATIONS.
SO THAT, ANOTHER THING ABOUT THE PROCESS, HOW, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT SELECTING, UM, I MEAN IS IT, I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST LEANDER CHURCHES BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, BUT HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THAT? LIKE IF I WANTED TO, IF I HAD PASTORS OR IF, YOU KNOW, ESMI HAD PASTORS THAT WANTED TO COME AND SAY THEIR PRAYER, WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THOSE? SO MOST OF THE ONES THAT COME HERE ARE ONES THAT HAVE, UH, EXPRESSED INTEREST EITHER.
UM, SO NICOLE FINDS SOME OF THEM BECAUSE SHE'S VERY INVOLVED.
HE'S COME IN A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UM, A LOT OF 'EM, THEY ARE KIND OF ON A CIRCUIT WITH OTHER CITIES AROUND US AND THEY, THEY COME TO US AS WELL.
UM, SOME OF THEM WE JUST MEET AT EVENTS.
I KNOW AT NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER I MET A COUPLE OF PEOPLE AND I WAS LIKE, GIMME YOUR BUSINESS CARD.
AND THEN WHAT I DO IS I SEND OUT A SIGNUP GENIUS IN ADVANCE AND BOOK THEM THROUGH THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED, WHAT DO WE DO? HAVE THEM CONTACT ME.
OR IF THEY CONTACT US, WE JUST FORWARD YOU THE INFORMATION.
ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK TO TALK.
UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE ADD SOMETHING? THAT'S THE END OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN BEFORE WE SAY THE BIG PART.
UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR HANGING WITH US THE LAST TWO DAYS.
I KNOW THAT IT'S SOMETIMES EXHAUSTING AND I'M SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE UNDERSTAFFED AND WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE PUTTING UP WITH A LOT AND THAT WE ONLY EVER SEE THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR WEEKEND.