* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [CC Briefings 05162023] [00:00:06] UH, STAFF PRESENTATIONS. EPIC CENTRAL CONVENTION CENTER. NAME DISCUSSION? YES, SIR. SO, CHERYL'S GONNA INTRODUCE THE CONCORD TEAM IN JUST A MINUTE. AS YOU ALL REMEMBER, MAYOR COUNCIL, WE KIND OF DID AN, UH, INTERNAL VOTE ON SOME NAME POSSIBILITIES, DIDN'T REALLY RENDER ANY CONSENSUS. UM, OF THE ONES WE PRESENTED, EPICENTER WAS THE ONE YOU ALL LIKED MOST, BUT EVEN THE ONES THAT RANKED THAT NUMBER ONE, WEREN'T NECESSARILY WARM AND FUZZY. SO WHAT WE DECIDED WAS LET'S BRING IN THE EXPERTS ON THE BRANDING SIDE. WE GOT AN OUTSTANDING CONCORD TEAM. UH, THEY'LL INTRODUCE THEMSELVES IN A MINUTE. SO I THOUGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER TALKING TO CHERYL, MAYBE WE JUST KIND OF BRING THEM IN AND LET'S WALK. LET THEM WALK THROUGH WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE ON BRANDING. YOU. YOU GOT A COUPLE OF CHOICES. YOU CAN DECIDE TONIGHT IF YOU LIKE A NAME, UH, OR WE CAN KEEP LOOKING, BUT AT LEAST WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU MORE INFORMATION. SO, WITH THAT SAID, CHERYL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. TERRIFIC. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT EPIC CENTRAL IS THAT WHAT OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE IT ONE OF THE TOP FIVE DESTINATIONS IN DFW. AND, AND CENTRAL IS A GREAT WORD FOR US, BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF DOUBT, YOU KNOW, FORT WORTH AND DALLAS. AND THIS IS THE BRANDING OF THIS, OF THIS CONVENTION CENTER IS JUST ONE MORE TOOL. OUR TOOLBOX, MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO I'VE GOT THAT. THE TEAM HERE FROM , I'M GONNA LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND EACH ONE OF THEM, THE ROLE THEY HAVE, I ALSO HAVE FOLKS FROM OUR, UM, MARKETING FIRM THAT ARE ALSO IN ARI. THERE. WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IS THEY'RE GONNA JUST GO OVER WITH YOU THREE OPTIONS. YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE BEFORE, AND THE WHY THEY FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO NAME THOSE. AND WE THOUGHT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE A NAME, IT MEANS SOMETHING TO US, BUT TO THEM, THEY'RE HAVING TO SELL THIS TO OTHER PEOPLE. 'CAUSE WHAT WE WANT IS WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME BE HERE AND HAVE AN EXPERIENCE. AND NOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TO SELL THAT EXPERIENCE. SO YOU GUYS WANNA COME UP HERE, COME OUT, COME ON, Y'ALL COME UP HERE. YOU NEED TO MEET THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE TERRIFIC. THEY ARE GOING TO HELP US TRANSITION EPIC CENTRAL INTO THE TOP FIVE DESTINATION. SO THEY'RE WITH CONCORD, SOME PEOPLE WITH CONCORD. I'M, SO I'M JUST START HERE. LET'S GO DOWN AND LET'S INTRODUCE TO THE TEAM. OKAY. I'M CHRISTIE BURN. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES FOR CONCORD. I HANDLE THE WEST COAST. I, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING. I WAS HERE WHEN THIS PROJECT KIND OF GOT STARTED, UM, YEARS AGO. AND I SAT IN A ROOM AND WE SAW LIKE DRAWINGS AND TO SEE WHERE IT'S AT TODAY, YOU KNOW, COME EVERY TIME AND SEE, IT'S AMAZING. AND I'M PART OF A LOT OF PROJECTS, BUT THIS ONE, AND I DON'T SAY THIS ALL THIS TIME, IS HONESTLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES TO SEE WHERE IT'S AT TODAY IN THE WATERS. AND IT'S AMAZING. SO I'LL INTRODUCE MY STAFF WHO WILL ACTUALLY RUN THIS HOTEL. MM-HMM . DONNA, UH, DONNA REYNOLDS. I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE HOTELS. AND LIKE CHRISTIE SAID, WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED. AND LAUREN, AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS FROM AFAR. WE CAME FROM ARLINGTON. WE'VE BOTH BEEN WITH CONCORD FOR A WHILE, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS. YEAH, ALMOST 10 YEARS FOR ME TOTAL. AND, UH, IT'S A GREAT COMPANY. I THINK YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY THE WAY THAT WE DO EVERYTHING. WE ENJOY HAVING A LOT OF FUN. WE HAD LUNCH TODAY AT THE FINCH. YEAH. AND JUST BEING IN THE ATMOSPHERE, WE WERE ALL GETTING A LITTLE GIGGLY AND A LITTLE EXCITED. JUST WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO AND OFFER OUR GUESTS. HOW MANY DID YOU HAVE TO DRINK? ? FUNNY, FUNNY STORY ABOUT DONNA, WHEN SHE AND I HAD OUR FINAL INTERVIEW WITH HER, I ASKED HER, WHY WOULD YOU WANNA LEAVE ARLINGTON AND COME OVER HERE TO EPIC CENTRAL? AND SHE GOES, WHY WOULDN'T I? , I LOVE THAT ANSWER. IT'S THE, IT'S THE TRUTH. IT'S GONNA BE THE MOST EXCITING PLACE WE'VE GOTTEN TO WORK AND EVERYTHING THAT'S OFFERED TO OUR GUESTS. AND AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT. WE DO WANT IT TO BE BRANDED AND WE WANT EVERYBODY IN THE METROPLEX AND FROM EVERYWHERE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING WHEN THEY COME SEE US. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. LAUREN BROWN, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, AND I THINK DON COVERED IT, , WE'RE REALLY EXCITED. VERY, VERY EXCITED. SO, AND THIS IS ANOTHER TOOL AND PART, PART OF HER TOOLBOX TO BE ABLE TO SELL. YEAH. REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO THINK OF NAMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. REMEMBER, WE'RE SELLING TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO BRING THEM HERE. WE WANT THEM TO EXPERIENCE GRAND PRAIRIE AND WHO WE ARE. AND THAT'S WHAT THESE FOLKS ARE GONNA DO. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. MY NAME IS LENNON COURTNEY. I'M A CREATIVE DIRECTOR, UM, AT YOUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING FIRM, WHICH IS CALLED ANARI. IT USED TO BE CALLED PYRO. AND UH, I'VE BEEN DOING THE ADVERTISING GIG FOR LIKE 30 YEARS. UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO PRESENT IN FRONT OF A, A MUNICIPALITY, A CITY COUNCIL, A MAYOR. UM, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT NERVE WRACKING, BUT YOU GUYS JUST ? YEAH, I'M JOHN BIDDER, PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER OF AMARI. SO, AND WE'VE BEEN LIVING AND BREATHING EPIC CENTRAL FOR TWO YEARS, SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE AND EXCITED TO SUPPORT MEET POP HOT NATION. YES, GUYS. YES. [00:05:02] THANK Y'ALL. DO YOUR THING. YOU WANT ME TO DO THIS? OKAY. ALRIGHT, SO WE JUST WANNA WALK THROUGH THE NAMES, THE WHY, UM, AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE END AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU GUYS HAVE. YOU CAN STOP ME AT ANY TIME THOUGH, WHILE I'M DOING, SO WE'RE SOLVING THE EXPERIENCE, NOT A BUILDING. I THINK THIS IS CRITICAL. UM, YOU KNOW, ALLEN OFFERS A CONVENTION CENTER. THERE'S SEVERAL IN THIS AREA, THERE'S SEVERAL IN OTHER CITIES. WHY WOULD PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE? AND WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE DAY I SAT, UM, WITH THE CITY BACK YEARS AGO, AND THEY TOLD US EVERYTHING THEY WERE GONNA DO. IT'S, IT'S SO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF THOSE CONVENTION CENTERS IN THE AREA. BECAUSE OF THAT, THIS OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO NOT JUST MEET, BUT TO DO STUFF BEFORE MEETING, AFTER MEETING, DURING MEETINGS. IT'S, IT'S WAY MORE. SO IT'S AN EXPERIENCE. IT'S NOT A HOTEL, IT'S NOT A CONVENTION CENTER, IT'S NOT WALLS, IT'S NOT CARPET. IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. SO, CAN I, CAN I JUST YEAH. POP IN ON THAT? SO, UM, I'M ON THE CREATIVE SIDE. I'M A WRITER BY TRADE, AND SO I LIKE WROTE ALL THE COPY, THE HEADLINES AND THE, YOU KNOW, VIDEO SCRIPTS AND EVERYTHING, UM, FOR THE EPIC CENTRAL BRAND CAMPAIGN. AND SO I JUST WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU GUYS, WHEN WHEN IT'S OPEN, YOU'RE GONNA BE THE ONLY, UM, BASICALLY THE ONLY PLACE IN NORTH TEXAS THAT'S SURROUNDED BY 172 ACRES OF FORDHAM'S FASHION, FLOOD PUMP, BELLY FILL EXPERIENCES. SO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT BRAND, UM, VIBE GOING WITH, WITH THIS HOTEL COMPLEX AND CONVENTION CENTER. HE MAKES ME LOOK GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY WE BRANDED. UM, SO BACK IN THE DAY WE RAN CASCADES, WHICH IS IN THE COLONY. AND WE OPENED THIS HOTEL AND IT WAS A FAIRFIELD INN AND A CONVENTION CENTER ATTACHED. AND THAT CONVENTION CENTER WAS VERY LARGE FOR A FAIRFIELD INN. NO ONE KNOWS THAT A MARRIOTT, FAIRFIELD INN WOULD HAVE MEETING SPACE LIKE THAT. AND SO WE OPENED WITH NO NAME, IT WAS JUST THE FAIRFIELD INN CONVENTION CENTER. AND THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE WERE FULLY OPEN, FIRST 12 MONTHS AFTER RAMPING, WE DID $200,000 IN CATERING. SO WE THOUGHT WE GOTTA GO BACK TO DRAWING BOARD, NOT ENOUGH. AND WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENT? AND IT WAS THE CUSTOMER WAS CONFUSED ON A FAIRFIELD AND HAVING A CONVENTION CENTER THAT'S JUST, IT'S JUST NOT TYPICAL. SO WE SAID, WE'RE GONNA BRING THE CONVENTION CENTER, BRING 'EM TO THAT, AND THEN THAT WILL BRING 'EM TO THE HOTEL. SO WE DID JUST THAT AND WE NAMED IT CASCADES. WE WORKED WITH OWNERSHIP, LIKE WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU GUYS, UM, NAMED IT WHAT THEY THOUGHT. WE BRANDED THE WHOLE THING UP. WELL, THIS IS KIND OF THE BRANDING. IS IT AFTER THIS ONE? YES. SO THIS IS THE BREEDING WE DID. WE DID CASCADES YOU COULD DO OUTSIDE. WE DID A LOT OF PHOTO SHOOTS. THE NEXT YEAR WE DID $1.2 MILLION IN CATERING. IT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE. SO IT WAS HAVING A DESTINATION, PEOPLE WANTED TO COME A CONVENTION CENTER, AND THEN WE SOLD THE ROOMS KIND OF AS THE AFTERTHOUGHT VERSUS WHAT WE TRIED TO DO AT THE BEGINNING. IT'S CRITICAL YOU HAVE A NAME BECAUSE IT MAKES IT HIP COOL. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE WANT TO DO THEIR EVENTS IN SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TYPICAL. SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT JUST BECAUSE I THINK BRANDING IS SO CRITICAL. WE'VE DONE IT ACROSS OUR HOTELS WHEN WE HAVE ROOFTOP BARS, WHEN WE HAVE RESTAURANTS ATTACHED, WHEN WE HAVE CONVENTION CENTERS, WE HAVE, ANYTIME WE'VE BRANDED THEM SEPARATELY, THE MONEY IS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. SO I WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT WE, THAT'S WHY WE DON'T WANNA JUST NAME IT THE GRAND PRAIRIE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE WE WANNA STAND OUT AND WE WANNA BRAND IT AND HAVE PEOPLE COME AND REALLY JUST BEYOND JUST A CONVENTION CENTER. 'CAUSE IT IS BEYOND A CONVENTION CENTER. I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW THAT AND I KNOW, I KNOW THAT. SO THINK YOU'RE NEXT. YEAH. SO, UM, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, LIKE ONCE, ONCE A NAME IS SETTLED UPON, WE HAVE A TEAM OF REALLY CREATIVE THINKERS WHO ARE GOING TO PUT LIKE A VISUAL IDENTITY WITH THAT NAME. UM, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UNDOUBTEDLY, LIKE WHEN YOU SEE A NIKE SWOOSH OR, OR YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE APPLE ICON OR A MERCEDES THREE POINT STAR, LIKE, THEY, THEY ALL TELEGRAPH. THEY MEAN SOMETHING AND THEY, UH, IT'S SHORTHAND FOR WHAT YOUR BRAND IS PROMISING PEOPLE. AND SO WE JUST DON'T WANT TO BE GENERIC. WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING COOL THAT GETS PEOPLE EXCITED TO COME HERE. UM, AND BASICALLY YOU'RE LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE IF YOU DON'T PICK A STRONG NAME. UM, AND JUST DO SOMETHING BESIDES JUST CALLING IT THE CONVENTION CENTER. UM, BECAUSE WITH A NAME, YOU CAN BASICALLY INCREASE THE, YOU KNOW, THE RETENTION, MORE MEMORABLE, MORE PERCEIVED VALUE, SOMETHING THAT'S WORTHY OF A TOP FIVE DESTINATION IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND REFERRAL WORTHY, THAT'S SORT OF LIKE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT ROLLS OFF THE TONGUE, IT FEELS GOOD ROLLING OFF THE TONGUE, BUT IT ALSO FEELS, YOU FEEL COOL TELLING OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT IT. IT'S KINDA LIKE YOU'RE IN THIS, THE END CROWD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THE CLUB OF, UM, OF THAT BRAND. SO, UM, CAN I JUST WANNA ADD LIKE WHEN, WHEN LAUREN'S OUT THERE SELLING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WHEN THEY SAY, WELL WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT? WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM THE ALLEN CONVENTION CENTER OR THE COLONY? AND THEN SHE CAN SAY, WELL I'LL TELL YOU WHY. AND WE HAVE AN EXPERIENCE. THIS IS NOT JUST A HOTEL OR CONVENTION. THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE. AND I THINK THAT NAMING IT JUST A CONVENTION CENTER WOULD MAKE IT JUST THAT WALLS AND THEN CARPET NAMING IT, SOMETHING ELSE IS GONNA MAKE IT AN EXPERIENCE. SO I JUST WANNA BOARD OF SMASHING BELLY FILLING [00:10:01] THAT WHAT HE SAID. I, OKAY. SO WE WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS. WE LOOKED AT, UM, I THINK A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED NAMES. IT KIND OF KEPT BOILING IT DOWN AND THERE'S REASONS WHY WE LIKE THE THREE WE'RE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU. AND THESE THREE HAVE BEEN VETTED. SO THEY'RE AVAILABLE IF YOU KNOW YOU GUYS ARE FEELING IT. UM, WE CAN, WE CAN JUMP INTO ACTION QUICKLY. UM, THE FIRST NAME THAT WE HAVE IS THE GATHERING. AND BEFORE I GO INTO THE WHY OF THE GATHERING, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT RIGHT DOWN UNDER HERE. UM, WE, WE THOUGHT TO DO A, UH, LITTLE LINE UNDERNEATH LIKE A DESCRIPTOR AND, AND IT COULD JUST AS WELL HAVE BEEN CONVENTION CENTER, BUT WE, WE THOUGHT CONVENTION CENTRAL WAS A MORE CREATIVE WAY OF SAYING CONVENTION CENTER. AND BY HAVING CENTRAL IN THERE, IT TIES BACK TO THE MOTHER BRAND. EVERYTHING'S WORKING TOGETHER LIKE A SYSTEM. SO ALL THE NAMES WE WOULD SHOW, WHATEVER WE WOULD, WE WOULD LAND ON, WE COULD PUT CONVENTION CENTRAL UNDER IT. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD WHY THAT WAS WRITTEN THAT WAY. AND I WANNA ASK, SORRY, PLEASE. NO, THIS IS, AND I WANNA ADD, CONVENTION CENTRAL TO ME IS THIS CONVENTION CENTER AND HOTELS ARE KIND OF THE CENTER OF THIS BIG, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANTS, WATER FEATURES, WORKOUT WATER PARKS THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA SPEND MONEY ON WHEN THEY COME TO THIS CONVENTION CENTER. SO I DON'T WANT IT TO BE JUST A CONVENTION CENTER. IT NEEDS TO BE THE CONVENTION CENTRAL OF ALL OF THIS EXPERIENCE THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE. 'CAUSE REALLY WE'RE DRIVING THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE ENTIRE AREA, NOT JUST THIS HOTEL, THIS CONVENTION CENTER. IT'S THE NUCLEUS, IT'S THE HUB. YEAH, IT'S KIND OF WHAT'S BRINGING THEM IN. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GATHERING. SO YEAH, IF YOU JUST SAW THAT WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, DOWN BEFORE AND MAYBE, MAYBE YOU WERE ON THE FENCE ABOUT IT. LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE GOT THERE AND MAYBE WITH A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT, UM, IT'LL RESONATE BETTER. SO THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS WE LIKE ABOUT IT RIGHT OFF THE BAT. IT'S, IT'S GOT A SIMPLE ELEGANCE. IT SORT OF STRADDLES THE LINE BETWEEN KIND OF HIGH-END AMENITIES AND, BUT ALSO THAT SORT OF SMALL TOWN, UH, VALUES. UM, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY GOT STOPPING POWER 'CAUSE IT'S SORT OF A MADE UP WORD. IT'S NOT SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE SEEN BEFORE. SO YOU'RE LIKE THE GATHERING THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING. UM, WE, BUT WE DIDN'T, IT'S A MADE UP WORD, BUT WE DIDN'T JUST PULL THAT OUT OF THIN AIR. WE ACTUALLY, UM, BUILT IT BASED ON GRAND PRAIRIE'S, TRUE DNA, WHICH IS TO GATHER, UM, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, FUN TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY OR HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS OR JUST COMING TOGETHER TO DO, UH, TO, TO DO BUSINESS TOGETHER. IT'S ALL ABOUT GATHERING. THAT'S, THAT REALLY ENCAPSULATES, I THINK, THE SPIRIT OF YOUR CITY. SO, UM, BASICALLY BY PUTTING THAT LITTLE WHY ON THE END AND TURNING IT INTO A NOUN, TURNING A VERB TO GATHER INTO A NOUN, YOU'VE, YOU'VE BASICALLY, UH, CO-OPTED YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE MADE GATHERING A BRAND FOR YOUR CITY. AND IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING TO DO THAT. AND IT'S JUST, IT'S A SHORT PITHY ONE. UM, I COULD IMAGINE A, A LITTLE TAGLINE UNDER THAT, LIKE ON THE WEBSITE OR WHATEVER THAT, UM, GIVES A NOD TO GRAND PRAIRIE, UH, SUCH AS EPIC GATHERINGS IN AN EPIC COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE. THAT WAY YOU'RE TYING IN EPIC, TYING IN GATHER. UM, SO IT WOULD ALL WORK TOGETHER. AND THEN THESE LITTLE BITS RIGHT HERE IS, I WAS ALREADY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT A WEBSITE AND YOU CAN IMAGINE LIKE YOU COULD HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, VISUALS. LIKE YOU COULD SHOW, UM, UV THE, THE VEGAS STYLE MODERN LIGHT SHOW. AND IT COULD SAY GATHER FOR WOWS UNDER THAT. UM, YOU COULD SHOW A BUSINESS CONVENTION GATHER FOR BUSINESS OR SOME KIND OF OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATION COMING TOGETHER, GATHER FOR INSPIRATION, UM, GATHER FOR LOVE WEDDINGS. SO YOU COULD REALLY PLAY OFF OF GATHER. THIS IS THE CONCERTS. THESE ARE, THIS IS LIKE BOULDER AND EPIC CENTRAL BRAGGING RIGHTS, PICKLEBALL AND, AND AND WHATNOT. SO YOU COULD HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH THIS TERM GATHER AT, AT THE GATHERING. OKAY. I THINK IT'S, WE REALLY LIKED THIS ONE. IT'S SALES BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GATHER AT OUR CONVENTION CENTER TO DO BUSINESS OR WEDDING OR UM, ANY SOCIAL CHEER CON CONVENTIONS. AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA GATHER AT THE RESTAURANTS TO EAT TOGETHER. THEY'RE GONNA GATHER AT THE WATERPARK TO HAVE FUN TOGETHER. SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE THIS CAME IN. THEY CAN GATHER FOR YOGA IN THE MORNING. THEY CAN WALK TOGETHER. THIS IS WITH ALL THE ACRES THAT WE HAVE. I DON'T HAVE TO SELL YOU GUYS ON THE ACRES, BUT THEY REALLY ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO GATHER IN SO MANY SPOTS. AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE GATHERING CAME IN. AND IT'S NOTHING LIKE ANYONE'S TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. IT'S A VERY TEXAS THING TOO, IN MY OPINION. IT'S, WE GATHER A LOT. IT'S OUR CULTURE HERE. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY WHERE THIS ONE HIT HOME WITH THIS. WHEN I FIRST TURNED IT, I DIDN'T LIKE IT RIGHT AT FIRST AND THEN I SAT ON IT AND THOUGHT, THIS IS AMAZING AND IT'S ALL THE WAY WE'RE GONNA MARKET IT, WHICH WILL MAKE THIS AMAZING. SO IF I WAS, YOU KNOW, GETTING MARRIED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO HAVE A A, A PLACE THAT WAS UNIQUE AND SPECIAL, I THINK IT WOULD BE KIND OF COOL TO TELL MY, ALL MY FRIENDS AND STUFF. WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT AT THE GATHERING. OOH, GATHERING. THAT SOUNDS PRETTY COOL. SO OR THE CONVENTION CENTER. [00:15:01] WHICH ONE? NOT . WE'RE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION. HERE WE GO. UM, THE NEXT ONE THAT, UM, AGAIN, WE REALLY LIKE, WE LOVE ALL OF THESE. WE WANT MARRY THE FIRST ONE, BUT WE LOVE ALL OF 'EM. . UM, THIS ONE IS EPICA EPICA. SO, UM, THIS ONE I JUST, I, MY NOTES ARE FUNNY. I SAID, THIS IS THE WAY I THINK OF THIS. IT LOOKS NEAT, IT OOZES CLASS IT, BUT IT ALSO FEELS ADVENTUROUS AT THE SAME TIME. THERE'S LIKE A LITTLE AIR OF LIKE WONDER TO IT. UM, IT'S SORT OF A SHORTENED VERSION OF EPIC CENTRAL EPICA. SO THAT TIES, AGAIN, TIES TOGETHER WITH THE MOTHER BRAND. WE, WE LOVE THAT ASPECT. UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE SELLING THE WHOLE PACKAGE. IT'S NOT JUST A BUILDING. UM, AND MOST OF ALL, WE REALLY LIKE THE SORT OF LATIN FLAVOR THAT EPICA GIVES US BECAUSE, UM, EPICA IS IS SPANISH FOR EPIC. AND SO IT IS JUST A SIMPLE TRANSLATION, BUT THAT, THAT LEANS INTO THE DIVERSITY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HERE IN, IN THE GREAT CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE. SO IT HAS A LOT GOING FOR IT. UM, IF WE WERE TO EXTEND THAT OUT, YOU CAN IMAGINE ON THE WEBSITE FOR EPICA, IT WOULD, IT WOULD LEAN INTO A LOT OF THESE TYPES OF THINGS, EPIC ATTRACTIONS, MEETINGS, WEDDINGS. SO YOU COULD REPEAT THE WORD EPIC AND YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHY ALL THESE THINGS MAKE IT A BIGGER EXPERIENCE THAN JUST, IT'S JUST NOT ANOTHER BRICKS AND MORTAR BOX TO HAVE A MEETING IN. OKAY. ANYTHING ON THAT ONE? NO, I THINK THE EPICA GAVE EPICA FLARE. YEAH. AND SOMETHING THAT MADE IT STAND OUT. THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT EPIC CONTROL? IT'S, IT'S EPICA, IT'S EPIC TO HAVE A MEETING HERE. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY, THAT ONE CAME IN. AND THIS ONE SKYBOUND. OKAY. UM, THIS ONE FEELS BIG. IT FEELS BRILLIANT. LIKE THE NORTH TEXAS SKY. IT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, ORIGINALLY, UM, CONCEIVED WHILE WE WERE GETTING INSPIRED BY A LOT OF THE LOCAL, UH, FAUNA BIRDS, LIKE THE PRAIRIE FALCON OR THE SCISSOR TAIL FLY CATCHER, THESE BEAUTIFUL FREE, UM, BIRDS THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY OF HERE IN NORTH TEXAS. AND SO THAT GOT US THINKING ABOUT SKYBOUND, BUT IT'S REALLY BIGGER THAN THAT. IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A BIRD NAME. IT'S A, IT'S A METAPHOR FOR, UM, THE OUTCOME OF ANY KIND OF WONDERFUL EVENT. WHEN SOMETHING GOES RIGHT, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT. IT'S, YOU'RE UP, IT'S UP, UP AND AWAY. SO, UM, WHETHER IT'S A, UM, A, A WEDDING, YOU KNOW, THERE THAT'S, YOU, YOU WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU'RE, IT'S GONNA BE HAPPILY EVER AFTER YOU'RE, THE TRAJECTORY IS UP FOR YOUR BUSINESS. UM, IF YOU HAVE YOUR MEETINGS THERE, YOU'RE SKYBOUND. SO IT'S JUST FUN. YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO SOMETHING WITH THE BIRD ANGLE. YOU COULD DO THINGS WITH, UM, BALLOONS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS VISUALLY THAT WE COULD DO FOR A REALLY FUN CAMPAIGN. BUT THAT'S LIKE 6, 6, 6 STEPS LATER. WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE NAME NOW. WE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT LOGOS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT DOES GET MY CREATIVE JUICES BLOWN WHEN I THINK ABOUT SKY. AND ALL OF THAT, UM, ENTAILS, UM, IN ALL THREE OF THESE, WE SAID, YOU KNOW, YES, WE CAN DO GREAT LOGOS WITH THESE THREE, WE CAN DO GREAT STORIES. IT TELLS A STORY OF THE ENTIRE COMPLEX OF GRAND PRAIRIE, NOT JUST THESE HOTELS CENTER. SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE THESE THREE STOOD OUT. AND A CUSTOMER COMING IN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE ACREAGE AND STUFF, BUT A CUSTOMER COMING IN WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT NAME, WHERE THEY'LL UNDERSTAND THESE BECAUSE THE WAY WE'RE GONNA BRAND THEM. SO, AND WE'RE GONNA BRAND THEM TO, FOR THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE ENTIRE CONFLICT. SO, ABSOLUTELY. AND PART OF THAT BRANDING PROCESS COULD BE THOSE, THOSE LITTLE HEADLINES THAT I WAS SHOWING FOR, FOR ALL THREE OF THESE. AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST THINGS IN A BROCHURE OR MAYBE ON THE WEBSITE WHERE, UM, YOU'VE GOT THESE BEAUTIFUL BIG IMAGES AND A LITTLE LINE THAT KIND OF TIES BACK IN WITH THE NAME BOUND TO BE AMAZED WOULD BE SOMETHING APPROPRIATE FOR, UM, THE LIVE SHOW, FOR EXAMPLE, BOUND TO LAST. I COULD SEE JUST LIKE A WONDERFUL GATHERING OF PEOPLE FOR A WEDDING. UM, AND, AND JUST KIND OF GO DOWN THE LIST. THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF FUN THAT WE CAN HAVE BOUN TO GET YOUR GROOVE ON AND SHOW IN THE JAMBOX, UM, WITH A CONCERT AND WHATNOT. SO WHICHEVER ONE OF OF THESE WE WERE TO LAND ON, LIKE I SAID, WE WOULD, WE WOULD DO A THOROUGH DEEP EXPLORATION OF LOGOS AND WE WOULD MAKE, UM, THAT WORD SEEM RIGHT NOW. WE PURPOSELY ARE SHOWING TO YOU GUYS JUST ALL IN A VERY GENERIC FONT WITH NO PERSONALITY. SO WE'RE TRYING TO JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE PERSONALITY HERE TODAY, BUT IT'LL TAKE OFF AND BE REALLY COOL. UM, IT'LL BE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH IT. . YES. SO I THINK THAT NAMING IT, I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND WE WANNA DO THAT BECAUSE WE WANNA GO OUT AND START SELLING AND WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY SELLING, BUT WE WANNA SELL THIS BRAND RIGHT OFF THE BAT. SO WE WANT TO REALLY GET A NAME THAT ALL OF US ARE COMFORTABLE WITH AND THAT YOU GUYS REALLY LOVE SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR JOB NOW AND BRAND IT AND GET IT OUT THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE A STORY THEMSELVES. SO, [00:20:01] AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHY WE'RE HERE TO, AND WE DID GIVE YOU A LITTLE GIVE AWAY . SO DO YOU, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE? ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING? LET'S SEE. OH YEAH, THIS IS KIND OF JUST A, IF WE WENT WITH GATHER, WE COULD DO THIS WITH ANY OF 'EM. UM, YOU WANNA SHOW A MOOD BOARD? YEAH. KIND OF WHAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT GATHER FOR VENTURE GATHER AND WE, I WANT GO THERE. YEAH. RIGHT. SO YOU GOTTA MAKE IT COOLED IN JUST A, A CONVENTION STAND. COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON HAS A QUESTION OR A COMMENT. OKAY. UH, FOR THE WORDS THAT YOU, YOU SELECTED, DID YOU LOOK UP ANY DEFINITIONS FOR THE MEETINGS BEHIND THOSE WORDS? ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, UM, FOR, FOR THE GATHERING, IT'S, IT'S A MADE UP WORD THAT IS A, WE'VE CREATED A NOUN OUT OF A VERB TO GATHER. AND SO IT'S, IT, IT JUST MEANS A PLACE TO GATHER . UM, BUT SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT IN THE DICTIONARY PER SE. IT'S MORE OF A, LIKE YOU SAID FROM THE START, YOU MADE IT UP. RIGHT? YEAH. SO IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESSES IN TEXAS? OH, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT. 'CAUSE I, I KIND OF SKIRTED PAST IT. UH, WE DID DO A LEGAL, UM, OR CONCORD, UM, GOT THE LAWYERS ON IT. THEY DID A LEGAL BETTING AND, AND SAW THAT, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I GUESS THERE'S NO NOTHING ELSE OF OUR SIZE OR IN OUR CATEGORY THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT ALL THREE OF THESE? YEAH, THEY'RE ALL THREE. GOOD TO GO. UM, BUT YEAH. AND THE, AND THE SECOND, UH, THE SECOND ONE, UM, WHAT, WHERE ARE WE? UH, YOU HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE. OH, HERE WE GO. I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE GATHERING THERE A BUSINESS IN TEXAS. YES. SO THERE IS ONE BUSINESS, IT'S A VERY SMALL, UM, COMPANY THAT IS LIKE, NOT EVEN IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, CATEGORY AS US. SO, UH, WE, WE THINK THAT THEY WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY NOT EVEN BE AN ISSUE. SO THE WAY YOU DO IS IF WE DO THE GATHERING AT EPIC CENTRAL, THAT STANDS US OUT AND ALSO WILL COME UP DIFFERENT ON THE WEBSITE. AND SO WHEN WE DID THE LEGAL, THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID, IF YOU DO GATHERING AT EPIC CENTRAL, IT'S A CONVENTION CENTER VERSUS THE NAT WOULD STAND US OUT FROM THAT. SO YES, THERE IS ONE. SO YOU'RE PLANNING ON CALLING THE GALLERY AT EPIC CENTRAL? YES. OR THE GATHERING? ACTUALLY THE GATHERING CONVENTION CENTRAL. SORRY. CONVENTION CENTRAL. SORRY. CONVENTION CENTRAL CONVENTION CENTER. SIR. UH, WE VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT. CAN WE, I DON'T THINK, UH, I'M NOT WILLING VOTE ON THIS. YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE TO TONIGHT. YEAH, YEAH. GIVE US THIS INFORMATION. YEAH, SURE. UH, PERSONALLY FOR ME, I'LL SPEAK OUT THE GALLERY. SOUNDS LIKE I'M GOING TO AN OLD TOWN. OLD TOWN WAS VIABLE UP ON THE 10TH BACK IN THE DAY, SO I DON'T, I'M NOT FILLING THAT ONE HAS THE DEFINITION. HAS AS WELL. SO, UH, I'M, IT'S JUST MY OPINION. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE. MIGHT ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK? YES, JOE, I, GO AHEAD. A QUESTION AND A COMMENT. SURE. SO FOR THE GATHERING THE GATHERINGS, EXCUSE ME, THE EXISTING BUSINESS, WHAT'S THE NATURE OF THAT COMPANY? IT'S A CAFE. IT'S A CAFE? YEAH. OH, IT'S A CAFE. OKAY. UM, SECONDLY, WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS IN THE EMAIL THAT CAME OUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I, I WASN'T LIKING THE GATHERING, BUT NOW THAT I SEE THE STORY, I, I LIKE IT. ACTUALLY, THE ONLY, UH, CONCERN I HAD WAS THE NATURE OF THE TYPE OF GATHERINGS WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT. AND WHETHER THE MORE SERIOUS BUSINESS CONFERENCES WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF THAT BRANDING KIND OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY ELIMINATES, BUT MAYBE DOESN'T CAPTURE THEM, BUT FOR ALL THE FUN STUFF, IT FEELS LIKE IT WOULD. SO I DEFINITELY WOULDN'T WANT TO LIMIT THE TYPE. AND WE HAVE GATHERED FOR BUSINESS. I SEE WE PUT IT IN THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME, UM, SOPHISTICATION. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I'M THINKING ABOUT. BUT I LIKE IT BETTER NOW THAT YOU EXPLAIN THE STORY. AND I THOUGHT THE SAME. IT SOUNDS FUN. I WONDERED IT'S GREAT FOR SOCIAL EVENTS. IS IT GREAT FOR BUSINESS? SO WE TALKED TO LIKE THE OWNER OF MY COMPANY AND I SAID, IF YOU WERE GOING TO CONVENTIONS TOGETHER LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, AND HE SAID, IF YOU MARKET IT CORRECTLY, IT HAS TO SAY GATHER FOR BUSINESS, GATHER FOR INSPIRATION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO DO WHEN WE GO TO CONVENTIONS TOGETHER. AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT. WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO MARKET SEPARATE TO BUSINESS. WE WOULD, WHICH WE DO ANYWAY. UM, BUT YES, THAT WAS, AND THAT'S WHY I HAD TO SIT ON IT FOR A WHILE. BUT THEN AFTER I SAT ON IT, I THOUGHT, WELL THAT IS WHAT BUSINESSES DO THEY GATHER IN CONVENTION CENTERS TO EITHER COMMUNICATE OR TO LEARN OR TO, AND THAT'S HOW WE WOULD TAKE THE MARKETING WITH THAT, THAT DEPUTY MAYOR PRO. TIM HAS A QUESTION COMING. YEAH. I MEAN, YEAH, DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO, BUT I MEAN, JUST YOUR TAGLINE ON THE VERY TOP. I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CALLING OUT EPIC MANY TIMES. MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT REACH OUT TO ME, THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, IS IT EPIC WEST? EPIC? IS IT EPIC? EXISTENTIAL EPIC. EPIC IS THE MAIN WORD HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE. THAT, THAT [00:25:01] WE KNOW TOO. WE'VE BEEN BRANDING THAT ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE. SO DOES THAT MEAN YOU KIND OF LEAN TOWARDS THAT? HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT EPIC? THAT'S THE ONLY REASON. BECAUSE I MEAN, A, I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF LEAN. 'CAUSE I MEAN WE'RE MARKETING EPIC ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE, ALL OVER THE NATION. NOW WE'RE GOING AWAY FROM IT AND SAYING OKAY. THEY GATHER LIKE YEAH, GOOD POINT. YEAH. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS AND WE'LL, WE'LL FEED THE, WE'LL WE NEED TO DECIDE NEXT MONTH, I MEAN, NEXT MEETING, BUT WE'LL CHEW ON THIS LITTLE BIT AND COME BACK. YES, MA'AM. WELL, I LIKE THE WARM FUZZINESS OF THIS. THE CONCERN I HAVE ABOUT THIS IS NUMBER ONE, THAT IS NOT A WORD. YEAH. THAT IF PEOPLE ASK THE NAME AND I HAVE TO SPELL IT FOR SAY IT TWICE OR SPELL IT FOR 'EM. MARKETING. I, I THINK THAT'S A RED FLAG, RIGHT? THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. YEAH. AND I'M, I THINK I MAY HAVE TO SPELL THAT BECAUSE FOR EVERYBODY. WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I CERTAINLY HAVE TO SPELL GEORGIA FOR EVERYBODY. . I'M JUST SAYING. THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT. AWARE. THAT'S WHY THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU. YES. UM, LOOK, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ANY OF 'EM. I DID LEAN TOWARDS GATHERING 'CAUSE I KIND OF LIKED THE SOUND OF IT, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE MY DADDY USED TO PREACH TENT, REVIVALS, CURTAIN . ANYBODY ELSE WE'D GATHER ON THE HILL, . BUT, UH, LET US, LET US KICK THIS AROUND AND WE'LL, WE'LL DECIDE, UH, NEXT, NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE EMAILS WE CAN ANSWER ANY OF GUYS QUESTIONS. ALL THANKS GUYS. THANK YOU. WHO'S GOT THIS NEXT ONE? ALRIGHT, SO YOU ALL HAVE IN FRONT OF ME. I EMAILED IT TO YOU, BUT I BROUGHT, WE BROUGHT HARD COPIES FOR YOU THIS EVENING. SO THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. SO, UM, WE DID SOME RESEARCH ON CITY SPONSORSHIPS FOR NON-PROFITS, ALL OF OUR COMPARISON CITIES, WHICH ARE THE LARGER SUBURBS THAT ARE TYPICALLY IN OUR COMPARISON GROUPS. THEY ALSO COMPARE WITH US. UM, WE DID NOT FIND A CITY POLICY. THEY PRETTY MUCH HAVE BEEN HANDLING LIKE WE HAVE CASE BY CASE BASIS. THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEXITIES. YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS APPRECIATE WITH THESE ON HOW THIS IS DETERMINED. SO HERE'S, HERE'S MY RECOMMENDATION. UM, YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED THIS BY VIA EMAIL. YOU NOW HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU. WHAT I RECOMMEND THAT WE DO IS ON JUNE 6TH, YOU GUYS STUDY THIS. YOU ALL CAN MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS LIST AS IS OR WITH ANY REVISIONS THAT YOU ALL VOTE ON, RIGHT? AND THEN NOW YOU ALL HAVE JUST NOW GIVEN US A FORMAL MASTER LIST. AND THEN IN THE FUTURE ANY REQUESTS FOR INCREASES OR ANY NEW NONPROFITS THAT COME FORWARD, WE'LL JUST BRING THOSE FORWARD AT THAT TIME ON YOUR AGENDA. SO YOU COULD BASICALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPROVE THE MASTER LIST AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, APPROVE ANY CHANGES. UM, WHAT WE DO, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT WE DO NOW, THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, WHEN A REQUEST COMES TO US AND THE CMO, WE WILL DO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR TYPICALLY, UNLESS THEY HAVE A REQUEST FOR MORE MONEY, UH, OR IT'S A NEW REQUEST. AND THEN ME, BILL, CHERYL AND MEGAN WILL SIT DOWN AND WE'LL TRY TO, AS BEST WE CAN, TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S FAIR, WHAT'S EQUITABLE, RIGHT, BASED ON COMMUNITY BENEFIT AND REACH. UH, I THINK WE'RE JUST AT THE POINT NOW BEING ANOTHER KIND OF GROWING PAIN OF A LARGER CITY THAT WE NEED TO FORMALIZE THIS. AND I REALLY NEED YOU ALL TO GIVE US GUIDANCE ON HOW THIS LIST IS GONNA LOOK MOVING FORWARD. AND THEN ON ANY CHANGES. UM, I THINK IT'S JUST A A, A BETTER PRACTICE TO BRING IT BEFORE YOU ALL. SO THAT'S WHAT WE GOT AND JUST GIVES US ANOTHER THREE WEEKS. LOOK AT IT. YEAH. SO YOU GUYS FOR THREE WEEKS, BECAUSE WE, THIS IS A FIVE TUESDAY NIGHT MONTH, SO YES SIR. AND LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'VE GOT. THE SUMMARY PAGE IS REALLY JUST WHAT IS THE MONETARY AMOUNT. SOME OF THESE LIKE PARADES ARE GONNA HAVE A TRAFFIC CONTROL THAT WE, THAT WE EXPEND IN ADDITION TO THAT. AND THEN BEHIND IT IS YOUR DETAILED SPREADSHEET. THIS WOULD, THESE DOCUMENTS WERE NOT IN EXISTENCE. WHAT WE DID IS WE COMPILED ALL OF THIS. YEAH, WE HAD A LIST OF WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN GIVEN TO THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BUT WE COMPILED A COMPREHENSIVE LIST. SO THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M SUGGESTING WE APPROVE THIS AS THE LIVING DOCUMENT TO BE AMENDED AND APPROVED WITH ANY NEW REQUEST OR ANY CHANGE ORDER REQUEST IN THE FUTURE. SO WANT TO GIVE YOU GUYS PLENTY OF TIME AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THIS ON YOUR AGENDA JUNE 6TH, UH, TO VOTE ON. AND THEN IN THE INTERIM, AS ALWAYS, YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS, LET US KNOW. WE JUST SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME TRYING TO GO THROUGH AND, AND COMPILE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY. UM, AND I GUESS WITH THAT, MAYOR, ANY QUESTIONS NOW OR BETWEEN NOW AND THE SIX LET ME KNOW SO THE NEXT TIME WE SEE [00:30:01] IT AS A GROUP, WE'LL BE VOTING ON IT. YES SIR. YOU WOULD BE VOTING ON THIS, THIS, THIS. WHEN WOULD THE DISCUSSION BE FOR ANY CHANGES? IT WOULD BE, WELL YOU CAN, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT OBVIOUSLY NOW AS A STAFF PRESENTATION AND WHEN YOU VOTE ON IT AT THE DOCK THAT NIGHT, YOUR HONOR, THE, UH, MOST CHARITIES IN TOWN, UH, I, I'M ON A BOARD THAT DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS LONE STAR CHARITABLE SPORTS FOUNDATION. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE AWARE, BUT IF SOMETHING, COREY STARTED YEARS AGO AND THEY RAISED ABOUT $70,000 A YEAR, BUT THEY DON'T SPEND ANY OF IT ON THEMSELVES. ALL THE MONEY THAT GOES INTO THAT IS DOLED OUT BY THE BOARD TO OTHER CHARITIES AND TRYING TO DECIDE WHO TO GIVE THAT MONEY TO EVERY YEAR IS NOT EASY. BUT OVER TIME, WE HAVE GONE BY PAST HISTORY AND MOVED IT UP OR DOWN A LITTLE BIT BASED ON PAST HISTORY AND WHAT THAT CHARITY'S DOING IN THE COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME. SOME OF 'EM HAVE GONE AND DROPPED OFF, BUT, UH, UH, THAT'S WHEN I'M ON A BOARD WHERE WE SIT AROUND AND DISCUSS, WELL HOW MUCH DO YOU GIVE TO THIS? HOW MUCH DO YOU GIVE TO THAT? THIS HAS BEEN TRULY SOMETHING THAT TOM HART AND STEVE I HAVE COME UP WITH OVER THE YEARS. 'CAUSE IT NEVER CAME TO US FOR APPROVAL. IT'S JUST, UM, AND, AND WHY DID THEY GIVE MORE MONEY TO ONE THAN THE OTHER? I CAN NEVER FORGET WHEN, UM, ABOUT TOO LONG AGO, WHY ARE WE GIVING THIS TO, UH, ASIA TIMES SQUARE? AND HE SAID BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT THAT'S A THREE DAY FESTIVAL AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY FOR WHO THEY'RE BRINGING IN, I FELT LIKE IT DESERVED. NOW THAT WAS JUST HIM. HAD I BEEN MAKING THE DECISION, I MAY HAVE GIVEN ONE MORE OR MAY HAVE GIVEN HIM LESS. BUT THAT'S WHAT, WHERE WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, HOW IT'S BEEN HAPPENING AND GOING ON. AND, AND I AGREE WITH STEVE. WE KIND OF NEED TO GIVE THEM DIRECTION AND UH, I DON'T, WE KNOW WE CAN'T GIVE EVERYBODY $10,000, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO GIVE EVERYBODY JUST ONE. MAYBE. UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THE FAIR THING TO DO. I REALLY DON'T. REBECCA, MIKE'S MOM, GEORGIA, COLE ALL SERVE ON THESE. REBECCA GOES AND VOLUNTEERS EVERY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY TO GET, GIVE FOOD OUT TO THAT. SHE'LL TELL ME WE SERVE 30 BOXES OF FOOD. WELL, I WOULD BE PARTIAL TO THEM GRAND FOR UNITED CHARITIES. 'CAUSE I SEE THE IMPACT THEY'RE HAVING IN THE COMMUNITY. MIKE AND GEORGIA SEE THE IMPACT THAT LIFELINE SHELTER HAS. COLE SEES THE IMPACT THAT CHILDREN'S FIRST HAS. SO WE ALL HAVE OUR, AND OF COURSE JOHN, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING SINKHOLE TO MILE FOR 35 YEARS AND YOU'VE SEEN WHAT IT'S DONE. IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST. DON'T KNOW IF ANY OTHER SINGLE TO MILE PARADE IN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA CAN BEAT IT. DO YOU? THEY THEY GO CLOSE BUT THEY DON'T. SO TOO CLOSE. UM, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF IT. YES. YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, LOOKING AT THE SHEET, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT MAKING THE SUGGESTIONS YET, UH, BUT I CURRENTLY, I'M SERVING ON THE JUNETEENTH COMMITTEE GETTING READY FOR THE PARADE NEXT MONTH. THAT'S ANOTHER ONE COMING UP. AND UM, SO THE BIG ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE IS FUNDRAISING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. LIEUTENANT AND MYSELF HELPED OUT. UM, SOME OF THAT FUNDRAISING GAVE 'EM SOME MONEY. SO SCHOLARSHIPS CAN BE ADEQUATE FOR THE STUDENTS THAT ARE APPLYING. BUT AS I LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER EVENTS, I THINK'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE CONSIDER THIS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT WE'RE GIVING TO JUNETEENTH CITY, MLK PARADES, JUST HELP OUT WITH SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING AS CHILDREN. LEMME ASK YOU, DO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN 5 0 1? I DON'T THINK THEY DO. THAT'S PROVIDE ON THIS LIST. SOME OF THEM DON'T. ALL THE FIVE OH ONES AND THEIR LEGAL NAME, BECAUSE I FEEL SOME OF THE NAMES ARE BEING CATEGORIZED IN GROUP. MAYBE THAT'S NOT, IT SHOULDN'T BE GROUPED THERE BY CULTURE. MEANING THAT NAACP MAY NOT BE THE OWNERSHIP OF ALL OF THESE HERE, BUT IT GIVES THE, THE IMPRESSION WE ARE GIVING THEM A QUITE A AMOUNT OF MONEY. I DON'T, UH, HOLD ON. SORRY. GIVING THEM A QUITE AMOUNT OF MONEY. SO I ALSO ASKED FOR FIVE YEAR HISTORY. SO WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN GOING UP AND DOWN SO WE CAN SEE IF WE'RE BEING CONSISTENT. WE GIVE TO JUNETEENTH PARADE A THOUSAND DOLLARS OR 5,000 OR, AND THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE A BETTER INFORMED DECISION ON WHO SHOULD BE INCREASED, WHO MAY NEED TO BE DECREASED. BECAUSE I SEE A $80 A DONATION HERE [00:35:01] AND THAT'S EVERY YEAR. WE'RE GIVING 'EM $80. WHY WE $80 80 EVERY YEAR? WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? I THINK THAT WAS FOR THE DINNER OR WHATEVER. I JUST WANTED COMMENT. I WANT MORE MONEY FOR MY CHARITY TOO. WELL, LET ME COUNCIL MEMBER, I DON'T HAVE A CHARITY COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, SO WE JUST DID GET ALL THAT RESEARCH DONE THIS AFTERNOON. IT'S IN YOUR INBOX. WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON'S TALKING ABOUT. IT'LL BE THE SAME SPREADSHEET. I'LL EMAIL IT TO THE REST OF YOU GUYS. UH, I JUST, I JUST PROBABLY HIT SIM LIKE AT 3 34 O'CLOCK IT'LL HAVE THE E-I-E-I-N NUMBER AND THEN IT'LL HAVE THE FIVE YEAR. YOU'LL GET THAT TOO. LET ME MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND SOMETHING. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT THIS WAY FOR YEARS. YEARS. SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IF WE WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. THIS IS, I MEAN, MY GOODNESS. COME ON. UH, IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S GOING NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TOMORROW. UM, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE SOME TIME AND DISCUSS THE POINTS OF WHY SOME NEED TO GO UP, SOME NEED TO GO DOWN AND, AND KEEP SOME THE SAME. NO, AND THAT COULD BE IN THE BRIEFING. I'D RATHER DO THAT IN THE BRIEFING THAN OUT THERE. BUT IT CAN BE DONE BOTH PLACES. NO, I MEAN THERE ARE QUESTIONS AND, AND, AND ROLES WE PLAY IN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND WHAT WE CAN DO AND CAN'T DO. I MEAN, ETHICS COVERS THAT QUITE WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS FEEL FREE YOU TO CALL, I WOULD CALL TEXAS TOO AND ASK QUESTIONS TO THEIR ATTORNEYS ALL THE TIME TO SEE WHAT ROLE YOU COULD BE DOING ON THIS BOARD. AND NOT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDS. I THINK BY NOT HAVING IT HEAD ON AGENDA ITEM AND JUST HAVING ONE PERSON DECIDE, OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE DECIDE, KIND OF COVERS YOU INDIRECTLY. BUT WHEN ITEMS GO BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, YOU'RE VOTING ON IT. IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT MATTER. CBG MONEY EVERY YEAR. YEAH. SO IT'S WITH THAT. BUT I KNOW THAT D IT IS UNDER . I I'M NOT SURE IF AS IS REALLY. I KNOW THAT WE WORKED WITH THE CITY AND ASEN WAS APPROACHED, BUT IT'S A GROUP OF THE CHAMBERS. CHAMBERS AND DIFFERENT GRAND PRAIRIE ID SO IT'S A GROUP OF US, I'M NOT SURE, DOESN'T HAVE A FIVE OH C 5 0 1. SO WE PROBABLY JUST TIE IT IN WITHOUT, SO I JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE IF THIS GOES OUT AND THEN ALL THE OTHER GROUPS THAT PLAY A ROLE AND BE ABLE TO LIKE WHY IS US AGAIN CREDIT WHEN MY GROUP OR MY WHATEVER, IT HELPS WITH THE PROCESS. I MEAN, CAN I RESPOND TO THAT MAYOR? YEAH, YOU'RE MAKING A GREAT POINT. THIS IS WHY THIS IS SO DIFFICULT. I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS HARD, BUT HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS IN MY OFFICE. SOMETIMES I GET QUESTIONED ABOUT THIS. SO WHAT I NEED, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO KEEP MAKING THESE DECISIONS. I JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU ALL WILL SUPPORT THOSE DECISIONS AND I'M GONNA TAKE YOUR INPUT AS ALWAYS. BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE THE, THE SOLE GATEKEEPER. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? 'CAUSE THAT'S PUTTING ME IN. WE NEED TO GIVE 'EM SOME DIRECTION. TOUGH. WELL, DO WE NEED TO RECUSE OURSELVES WHEN WE'RE VOTING BECAUSE LIKE FOR INSTANCE, MY MOTHER'S PART LIFELINE. YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE CALLED TO THE ETHICS LEGAL, HEY, YOU'RE . WE'LL HAVE THEM CHECK OUT. OR MAYBE WE, MAYBE WE GIVE DIRECTION AND NOT A VOTE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SEE. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A MATTER OF VOTE ON THE RECORD. WE CAN DECIDE A LOT OF THINGS IN HERE THAT DON'T GO TO THE VOTE. UH, THIS IS UNDER THE THRESHOLD THAT REQUIRES A VOTE. AND SO I SUGGEST NEED JOHN JUNIOR AND MIKE WOULD'VE TO RECUSE OURSELVES FROM ANY TYPE OF VOTE. WELL, IF REBECCA'S ON THE BOARD OF THAT'S YOUR WIFE, I'M BOARD, YOU'RE ON THE BOARD OF LIFELINE. MY GOODNESS. WE, IN OTHER WORDS, IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK WE'RE HELPING MAKE OUR DECISION RIGHT NOW BY WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, KICKING IT AROUND. UM, AND I, I THINK, UM, WHAT JOHN BROUGHT UP ABOUT I SAY IS THE SAME THING WITH JUNETEENTH AND NAACP BECAUSE MAYBE JUNETEENTH DOESN'T HAVE THE 5 0 1 C3 AND IT'S GOTTA COMBINED. YEAH, BUT WE GIVE THE MONEY DIRECT TO JUNETEENTH. I NEVER SAW IT. I I NEVER SAW IT AS THE FREEDOM DEAL THAT SHE ASKED OR MLK FREIGHT. THOSE WERE ALL THREE SEPARATE ENTITIES TO ME. WELL, I I MEAN THOSE ARE ALL THREE SEPARATE JORDAN. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. THOSE WERE ALL THREE SEPARATE POTS OF MONEY IN THEIR LEGAL NAMES. SO WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WE MAY BE CLOSE TO HAVING AN AGREEMENT. LET'S, LET'S NOT PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO VOTE ON. LET'S GIVE THEM SOME FEEDBACK, SOME RATIONALE ON, LOOK, I LIKE THE LIST, BUT NO, I'D RATHER GIVE JUNETEENTH LET, I MEAN WE MAY COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS THAT FIVE GRAND WOULD FIX IT. YEAH, I AGREE . SO LET'S DON CREATE A PROBLEM IF WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM LIKE MAYOR, LIKE STEVE WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME DIRECTION. WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THE SPECIFICS, BUT TELL HIM WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE. WE KIND LIKE THIS LIST. WE HAVE TO GIVE SOME DOLLAR DIRECTIONS. I AGREE WITH THAT. SOME GET CCB BG FUNDING 50,000 THIS YEAR. SOME ONE OF THE ORGANIZATION. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SHOULD WE PENALIZE 'EM? 'CAUSE THEY GET CBBG? I NEVER HAVE. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN [00:40:01] SEPARATE. ME PERSONALLY. IS BUT THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN ONE ORGANIZATION IS 77,000, ANOTHER 20,000 FROM THE CITY. THAT'S 97,000. I UNDERSTAND. SO IN ONE, DON'T I HAVE A, I HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT. WELL, YOU HAVE, YEAH, ANYBODY, UM, ON THE CDBG MONEY, THEY VET THEM TO THE T ESTHER'S HERE. SHE VETS THOSE PEOPLE. AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE JUST GIVING 'EM $50,000. THEY HAVE TO SHOW EXACTLY HOW MANY KIDS THEY'VE HOUSED, HOW MANY FAMILIES THEY'VE HELD. WELL TO A GOOD PURPOSE, HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY HAVE HELD. SO IT'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES AS FAR AS THE MONEY AND THE MONEY. THE UH, I'LL GO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL STATEMENT. I DON'T THINK WE'RE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO THROW THE LIST AWAY AND START OVER. I THINK THERE'S SOME TWEETING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I THINK KURT HAS BROUGHT UP SOME GOOD POINTS AND HE CAN GIVE US THOSE SUGGESTIONS. WE MAY AGREE WITH EVERY ONE OF YOUR SUGGESTION TO GIVE JUNETEENTH A LITTLE MORE MONEY. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN JUNETEENTH WASN'T EVEN DOING A PARADE. THEY WOULD HAVE A GET TOGETHER AND THEN IT STARTED AND NOW WE GET TOGETHER ON THAT FRIDAY NIGHT FOR DINNER BEFORE IT, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S NOBODY THERE EXCEPT US. BUT IT'S GROWING. SO, UH, AND JUNETEENTH HAS GOTTEN NATIONAL, SO YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA GROW BIGGER. SO DO THAT. AND SO IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY? NOT PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO VOTE ON NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, BUT PUT IT ON THE BRIEFING AGENDA AGAIN TO KICK AROUND. BUT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, LET'S GET STAFF SOME FEEDBACK AND LET THEM COME BACK WITH US WITH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE, THEY'VE RECEIVED. HERE'S WHAT I DON'T WANT. I DON'T WANT YOU SITTING ON FEEDBACK IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS AND I'LL SAY, WELL HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL US THAT BEFOREHAND. SO WE GET ON THE SHEET OF PAPER. YES MA'AM. UM, AS FAR AS GUIDANCE, UH, AND FUTURE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WILL FUND, DO WE HAVE ANY INSTRUCTIONS IN PLACE? SO LET'S SAY THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION WHO WANTS TO BE ADDED. WHAT DO THEY DO? I'LL TELL YOU THREE RIGHT NOW. REALLY GOOD ONES. ISAIAH HOUSE. MM-HMM . WONDERFUL. OUR SUITE OFFICER, UH, DIE. TD FOUNDATION. TD FOUNDATION. AND THEN STAR HAS MOVED BACK TO GRAND PRAIRIE FROM DALLAS AND OPEN AN OFFICE. SO SHE CAN TRY THAT. I MEAN, SO YES. YES, THERE WILL BE. AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS GIVE THEM SOME DIRECTIONS ON NEW ONES. HERE'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO. START OUT WITH THIS. MM-HMM . Y'ALL. PERFECT EXAMINER. YES MA'AM. AND WE'LL BRING YOU ALL FUTURE REQUESTS. WE'LL BRING YOU ALL. I LOVE THE STAFF PRESENTATION FORM BETTER, BUT Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE, WE HAD TO BRING THIS FORWARD TO GET SOME DIRECTION BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLEX SITUATION AND AS I SAID, I JUST NEED THE COLLABORATIVE DIRECTION, DIRECTION. YOU NEED SOME DIRECTION. I CAN BE THE WE WANT INPUT, WE NEED THEM TO WHO DO WE SEND THE INPUT TO YOU? YES. YES PLEASE. AND THEN, UH, MAYOR, I'LL JUST BRING IT BACK ON ANOTHER STAFF PRESENTATION. YEAH. OKAY. IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY? YEAH. I WANT, I WANNA CLARIFY. YES SIR. SHOULD THERE BE A REQUEST FOR FUNDS PRIOR TO US MAKING A FINAL DECISION? I THINK CMO SHOULD STILL BE ALLOWED TO DO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING. OF COURSE. BASED ON THEIR, THEY'RE NOT GOING GIVE SOMEBODY $10,000 THE FIRST TIME. BUT IF THEY HOLD AN EVENT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE GAVE. I'M ONE OF THESE EVENTS NEEDS THEIR CHECK TOMORROW. SEEING O STILL HAS PERMISSION TO YES. WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. WE'RE NOT GONNA ALL OF A SUDDEN CALL SOMEBODY SAY, YOU AIN'T GETTING A CHECK. 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T MISS OUT. I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. ONE QUICK, UH, COMMENT REGARDING REQUEST. IF WE COULD HAVE A FORM THAT THEY COULD FILL OUT, THEY COULD FILL I WOULD LOVE THAT. 5 0 1. THAT'S THEY, THAT'S WHAT WE REQUIRE AT THE, UH, UH, CHARITABLE FOUNDATION. LONE STAR CHARITABLE FOUNDATION. YES, SIR. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET. BUT JEFF BRINGS UP A POINT WHEN A ORGANIZATION, UH, REQUEST FUNDS AND WE APPROVE IT, CAN WE HAVE, CAN WE ENSURE THEY THE MONEY IS TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENT? NOT THE DAY OF THE EVENT? WELL IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE, WE WE SHOULD, WE'LL TRY MENTIONED ABOUT G COME OVER WITH A POLICY. LOOK, IF THEY SEND US AN INVOICE, WE ALL GET, SOMETIMES WE DON'T. I LET ME JUST TELL YOU HOW PRACTICALLY IT WORKS. SOME OF 'EM GIVE US A LOT OF ADVANCED NOTICE. SOME OF US DON'T. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE STARTED ASKING SINCE I'VE BEEN CITY MANAGER IS TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY BENEFIT AND REACH, BECAUSE THESE ARE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, RIGHT? SO I LOVE THE FORM IDEA. I THINK WE KICKED THAT AROUND. WE'LL, WE'LL WE WILL BRING BACK ON JUNE 6TH THE FORM. NOW THE OTHER DIRECTION I'M GONNA NEED FROM YOU ALL, AND I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, YOU KNOW SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE NEW ONES. YOU, YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO FILL OUT THE FORM. DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE EXISTING ONES AND HAVE THEM FILL THAT OUT? RIGHT. I IT MIGHT BE A GOOD'S BE DONE ANNUALLY EVERY COUPLE YEARS BECAUSE WELL THAT DOES KEEP, THAT DOES HELP PROTECT US. YES. LET'S DO THAT. I AGREE. [00:45:01] Y'ALL CHANGE. MAYBE WE DO THAT ONCE WE DO IT TO WHERE YOU GOTTA SIGN UP EVERY YEAR. IT'S ALMOST LIKE APPLYING FOR THE GRANT. WHY DON'T WE DO IT PER REQUEST? I MEAN UNLESS WE'RE GONNA SET ASIDE A BUDGET AND THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY. WELL THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING. IF THEY DON'T WANT MONEY FOR THE PARADE, DON'T ASK FOR IT. RIGHT. BUT IF THEY WANT MONEY, SEND IT IN EVERY YEAR WITH WITH THE REQUEST. YES. ARE WE ON THE SAME PAGE THERE? I THINK SO. AND THEY DON'T GET THE $5,000 EVERY YEAR AUTOMATICALLY. WE'RE JUST NOT AUTOMATICALLY SENDING OUT. 'CAUSE YOU FILL A FORM OUT. RIGHT. YOU HAVE TO AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S GONNA AFFECT YOUR TIMELINE. 'CAUSE WE'LL WE WILL HAVE SOME THAT WON. WE NEED TIMELY. I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW A POLICY AND SAY IT MUST, THE REQUEST MUST BE IN BY THIS DATE. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO TRY WITH CHARITIES. I DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT THAT PICK A NAME, DIDN'T GET THEIR A THOUSAND DOLLARS 'CAUSE THEY WERE A DAY LATE GETTING OH NO, IT JUST, THEY WON'T, THEY WON'T BE THERE BEFORE I UNDERSTAND THE EVENT. IT'LL COME AFTERWARDS. I THINK WE'VE GOT GOOD DIRECTION TO GO FOR OUR NEXT MEETING. Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANT TO DO? FEEDBACK AND ALL THAT. LOOK AT THIS LIST. UH, NEXT SYNTHETIC ICE RINK. ONE MORE TIME Y'ALL. WELL MAYBE, MAYBE ONE MORE TIME. DON'T EVER SAY THAT. WE MAY HAVE YOU BACK NEXT. WE'LL, IN THREE WEEKS I'LL BE BACK. JUST KEEP ASKING YOU. WERE GOING TO TELL US IF IT WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE WHOLE TIME. IT IS, IT IS. OUR, OUR CURRENT UH, OPERATOR THAT, THAT OPERATED OUR ICE CREAM LAST YEAR IS AVAILABLE. UH, THERE'S A COUPLE LITTLE CAVEATS IN THAT BUT WE'RE GONNA GET TO IT. SO REAL QUICK, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A REFRESHER. THIS IS WHAT WE SPENT LAST YEAR ON THE REAL ICE RINK THAT WE DID FOR 26 DAYS OUT IN FRONT OF CITY. ALSO $171,000 ROUGHLY. UM, THIS NEXT IS THE COST FOR WHAT A THREE DAY RUN FOR THE ICE RINK SYNTHETIC WOULD COST US. AND THIS YEAR, AND THAT WOULD BE, IF WE DID IT FOR THAT OPENING WEEKEND, IT WOULD BE THE FRIDAY OF THE UM, TREE LIGHTING THE FOLLOWING DAY AND THEN THE SUNDAY. SO ROUGHLY $40,000, WHICH IS THE NUMBER WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME WE WERE HERE. VOILA. BEG PARDON? VOILA. I'LL DO THAT. THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE COST TO RUN SYNTHETIC ICE FOR THE 26 SPACE. THREE TIMES AS MUCH FOR 10 MORE. 10 TIMES AS MANY DAYS. YES SIR. ROUGHLY YES. BACK TO YOUR POINT. YEP. SO ABOUT $101,000 IF WE CHOOSE, IF YOU CHOOSE FOR US TO GO WITH THE 26 DAY RUN, WE HAVE TO PUT THIS OUT TO A FORMAL BID. WE ARE PREPARED TO DO THAT. UH, TO GO OUT THIS WEEK TO BE, TO BE PUBLISHED THIS WEEK IT HAS TO BE PUBLISHED. AND ANGIE, I'M LOOKING AT YOU FOR CONFIRMATION THAT'S BE PUBLISHED FOR TWO WEEKS. THEN WE CAN RECEIVE THE BIDS AND WE WILL NOW THIS IS, THIS IS A PRICE FROM OUR EXISTING OPERATOR SO WE KNOW IT'LL BE NO MORE THAN THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS PRICE ALREADY OFFERED TO US. RIGHT. BUT WE HAVE TO PUT THIS OUT FOR A FORMAL BID. IF WE DID THE THREE DAY VERSION, WE CAN GO TO AN INFORMAL BID BECAUSE IT'S UNDER $50,000. UH, AND WE WOULD SEND THAT OUT TO H TO HUB VENDORS AS WELL AS OTHER VENDORS THAT ARE OUT, OUT IN THE UH, IN THE AREA. THAT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF RULES. YES SIR. SO THOSE ARE WHAT'S THE PLEASURE? I KIND OF LIKE DOING THE WHOLE THING FOR A HUNDRED GRAND. SO DO I GO? WE'LL GO, GO. ALRIGHT, YOU GOT IT. THANKS. BYE. NUMBER FOUR. . I TOLD YOU JUST ONE MORE TIME. I GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE LIBRARY SERVICES. UH, DIANA HERNANDEZ, OUR MARKETING PERSON IS PASSING OUT THE GOODIE BAGS. SUMMER IS AROUND THE CORNER AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AS WELL AS SHOW YOU OUR NEW SRC VIDEO. ONE OF OUR GOALS WITH YOUR LIBRARIES IS WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO EXPAND SERVICES TO REACH THE COMMUNITY BETTER. WE'RE NEVER STAGNANT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS ABOUT WHAT'S NEW BUT FIRST, OH SORRY I MISSED ONE OF MY SLIDES. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF THINGS. THIS IS OUR NEWEST SERVICE. WE STARTED THIS AT THE END OF APRIL. YOU DON'T JUST CHECK OUT BOOKS AND DVDS FROM LIBRARY ANYMORE. WE ALSO HAVE APPLIANCES AND ITEMS YOU CAN CHECK OUT LIKE A TELESCOPE OR SEWING MACHINE AND INSTAPOT IF YOU NEED IT. BUT WE ALSO HAVE LIKE A FILLING SCANNER WHERE YOU CAN PUT YOUR SLIDES AND MAKE DIGITAL FILES FROM YOUR SLIDES. WE ALSO HAVE A PICTURE PRINTER THAT PEOPLE [00:50:01] CAN USE THEIR CELL PHONE BLUETOOTH INTO THE PICTURE PRINTER AND PRINT THEIR PICTURES AT HOME WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO SAY WALGREENS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HONESTLY, THE MOST POPULAR ITEMS HAVE BEEN THE TELESCOPE AND THE SEWING MACHINE. IN THE FILM SCANNER. WE PUT THESE OUT ON APRIL 26TH. WE HAVE 19 ITEMS IN THIS COLLECTION. HALF OF THEM ARE GONE IN THE FIRST DAY. VERY POPULAR. AND A COUPLE OF OTHER PROGRAMS I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BECAUSE I ALWAYS LIKE OUR ADULT PROGRAMS. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT KIDS PROGRAMS, BUT THESE ARE TWO THAT I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. THE ONE WE HAD BACK IN MARCH IS JUST THE FIRST AND A SERIES OF LEGAL AID CLINICS AND PROGRAMS WE WANT TO HAVE AT THE LIBRARY. THIS ONE IS ABOUT RENTING BUT WE ALSO ARE GONNA BE OFFERING THOSE IN DIFFERENT AREAS. WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT OUR PUBLIC SERVICE DESK ABOUT WILLS AND ABOUT SETTING UP POLICE AGREEMENTS. WE WANT TO GET THESE ON A REGULAR BASIS SO PEOPLE KNOW THEY CAN COME GET FREE LEGAL, FREE LEGAL ADVICE FROM LEGAL AID NORTHWEST TEXAS TO COME OUT AND SEE THAT AT THE LIBRARY. WE ALSO HAVE THE ONLY SOCIAL WORKER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WHO WORKS AT A LIBRARY. ANNE-MARIE HOLSTED IS A LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER AND A LICENSED COUNSELOR AND ONE OF HER PROGRAMS IS A MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP. NOT ONLY CAN PEOPLE COME TO THIS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S STRESSING THEM IN THEIR ANXIETY, BUT WHAT IF THEY NEED COUNSELING SERVICES? A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WHERE DO I GO AND HOW DO I GET HELP? SHE CAN GET THEM DIRECTION ON HOW TO DO THAT SIR. YES SIR. Y'ALL START THESE PROGRAMS AGAIN. CAN Y'ALL SHOOT 'EM OUT TO US EMAIL? SURE, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IS AN ONGOING WORKSHOP SO I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION RIGHT AWAY. I'D LOVE TO DO THAT. HOW IS IT ATTENDED? SHE VARIES FROM MONTH TO MONTH TO BE HONEST. SHE GETS FIVE TO 10 FOLKS, SOMETIMES SHE GETS 10 FOLKS, SHE GETS FIVE. THAT'S FIVE TO NEEDS. IT'S, IT IS JUST WHAT WE ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS YOU FEEL LIKE WE REACHING. THANK YOU. A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, THAT'S STILL REALLY IMPORTANT. THAT'S SOMEBODY WHO IS TROUBLED AND COULD COME TO US SOME HELP. JUST, YEAH, CURIOUS. SO NOW THE PROGRAM IS GREAT AND THE LIBRARY OF THINGS IS GREAT, BUT UNLESS WE GET OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE, IT DOESN'T DO US ANY GOOD. WE CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA, WE CAN USE OUR WEBSITE, BUT I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT NOTHING BEATS US GOING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE. WHAT'S THE EXPRESSION? PRESS THE FLESH. UH, BUT HANDING OUT GUIDES AND TALKING TO PEOPLE IN PERSON, YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC. OUR OUTREACH EVENTS GOT A LITTLE CRIPPLED BY THAT. BUT IN 2022 WE HIRED A NEW OUTREACH COORDINATOR, TRINITY VASQUEZ. SHE SET UP 83 EVENTS. WE REACHED 9,864 CITIZENS AND WE HANDED OUT 351 CARDS. THIS IS NOT JUST US GOING TO MAIN STREET FEST, BUT IT'S ALSO DAYCARE CENTERS AFTER SCHOOL EVENTS. ONE OF OUR CHARGES TO THE STAFF IS GO SOMEWHERE WHERE NOBODY EXPECTS YOU TO BE. CHICKEN AND PICKLE EVENT. GO OUT TO EPIC CENTRAL. OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THE LIBRARY WOULD BE OUT HERE. AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY DON'T KNOW ALL THE THINGS THAT WE OFFER IN 23. SHE'S REALLY HIT THE ACCELERATOR IN THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME. OCTOBER TO APRIL WAS IN 2022. WE'VE GONE TO 198 EVENTS. WE'VE REACHED 24,536 CITIZENS AND WE'VE ISSUED 2,215 LIBRARY CARDS. IT'S A GIGANTIC GROWTH. BUT THE MAIN THING I WANTED TO STRESS TO ALL OF Y'ALL IS THIS IS JUST A STARTING POINT. THE WHOLE GOAL OF OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM IS TO REACH EVERY DISTRICT AND GET AS FAR OUT TO ALL THE EDGES OF THE CITY AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING TO EVERYBODY, WHETHER IT BE FAR EAST, GRAND PRAIRIE, SOUTH OF THE LAKE. ALL THESE ARE GOALS OF THE OUTREACH GROUP TO GET ANYWHERE WE CAN EITHER BY INVITE OR FRANKLY BY INVITING OURSELVES TO SOME EVENTS. THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. A COUPLE OF BIG THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS WE DID A HUGE LIBRARY CAR DRIVE WITH G-P-I-S-D THIS FALL. LAST FALL. WE OFFER PARENTING CLASSES AT SOME OF THE G-P-I-S-D ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. MOST RECENTLY, CROCKETT AND BONUM PARENTS COME TO THE SCHOOL BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. THEY'RE THERE WITH THEIR CHILDREN. AND JENNIFER LUSK, OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT LIBRARIAN, CONDUCTS A PARENTING CLASS TO GIVE THEM TIPS ON HOW TO BE THEIR CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER. AND ANNE-MARIE HOLSTEAD GOES TO THE RISE ACADEMY WITH G-P-I-S-D, WHICH IS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. WILL THEY GIVE THEM ENHANCED LIFE SKILLS TRAINING, HOW TO COOK THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS, AND ANN MARIE TAYLOR, HER PROGRAM, DEPENDING ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THOSE PARTICIPANTS, OUTREACH IS JUST A HUGE THING. HOW DOES IT REACT TO THE LI HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE LIBRARIES IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, OCTOBER TO APRIL, WE HAVE HAD 58,800 MORE PEOPLE COME INTO THE BUILDINGS. ON AVERAGE, IT IS 320 PEOPLE A DAY AT ALL THREE BUILDINGS MORE COMING IN FROM OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS. WE'VE GIVEN OUT 2,577 MORE LIBRARY CARDS THAN WE DID IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD LAST YEAR. AND I ONLY EXPECT THESE NUMBERS [00:55:01] TO GO UP BECAUSE LIKE I TOLD YOU, WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE STAGNANT. WHILE I'M THE DIRECTOR, WE'RE ALWAYS THINKING OF NEW THINGS TO DO AND ALWAYS THINKING OF NEW PLACES TO GO TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT ALL. THAT'S GREAT. BUT NONE OF THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT ALL OF YOU. SO ONE THING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND MY STAFF, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO EXPRESS IN WORDS HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF OUR COUNCIL. AND YOU MAYOR, THAT'S HOW THOSE THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE WE CAN GO DO THOSE THINGS AND WE'RE ENCOURAGED TO GO DO THOSE THINGS. SO IN HONOR OF THAT, I'M GOING TO PRESENT YOU WITH WHAT I LIKE TO CALL MY LIBRARY MOMENT OF ZEN . THIS IS OUR CURRENT SUMMER READING CLUB. LET'S SEE. GET THIS TO PLAY HERE. HANG ON. AH, SORRY. ONE OF THE MOST FUN THINGS I RAN INTO, REBECCA AND I WERE ROLLING ON THE WAY HOME ONE NIGHT AND THEY WERE DOING THE, A BIG EVENT OUT IN THE GRASS OUTSIDE OF BETTY MACK, BUBBLE MACHINE, EVERYTHING. IT WAS SO FUN. UH, I ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT DAY BECAUSE YOU CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED ME WHAT WAS GOING ON. YEAH. AND I THOUGHT THIS IS EITHER GONNA BE A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION OR REALLY BAD AND OFF YOU WENT FACEBOOK LIVE AND THE WHOLE THING AND PLAY ALL DAY. YEAH. KINDNESS, FRIENDSHIP, YOU THE THE PLACE TO ALL TOGETHER. ALL TOGETHER. NOW IT IS ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL. THERE'S NO GOOD TOO SMALL . LIBRARIES ARE FOR EVERYONE. COME JUST AS YOU WANT. KINDNESS, FRIENDSHIP, UNITY, THE THE PLACE TO BE TOGETHER, TOGETHER. TOGETHER. NOW WHERE YOU, THE STORMS YOU MIGHT WEATHER YOU WANNA BE WHEN WE GROW TOGETHER. MUCH BETTER. THE ALL TOGETHER. ALL. ALL TOGETHER. ALL. GREAT. SO MY ONE LAST POINT IS ALL THE JOY AND HAPPINESS YOU SEE IN THAT VIDEO IS BECAUSE OF YOU. SO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE REST OF THE EVENING. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU PETER, JOB PETER. EXCELLENT. AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE LIBRARY FUN. YOU'RE, I MEAN, IT USED TO NOT BE YOU'RE WELCOME HERE. CAN I ASK QUESTION? OH, YOU BE PETER. PETER, GO TO THE OTHER ISDS AND GET SOME PROGRAMS. SCHOOLS, ANIME, DALTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE OTHER SCHOOLS IN OUR CITY. ONE OF OUR GOALS THEY PARTICIPATED IN LIKE THE LIBRARY CAR DRIVE. MM-HMM . SO THAT WAS A PRETTY BIG OPERATION. WE WORKED WITH ALL THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS IN EACH OF THE SCHOOLS. BUT PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO EACH OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE CITY. 'CAUSE THAT'S JUST ONE OF OUR, WE WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND GET OUT LIBRARY CARDS, HAVE PROGRAMS, PARTICIPATE IN LITERACY NIGHTS. SO IN SHORT, THAT'S A LONG ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT YES, WE WILL BE DOING THAT. OKAY. YES SIR. AND I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU GUYS HAD THREE, UH, ONLINE HOMEWORK HELP. YES. HOW DOES THAT WORK? THERE'S A, WE HAVE A HELP NOW AND JOB [01:00:01] NOW THAT ARE BOTH PART OF OUR BRAVE USE ONLINE PROGRAM. THEY OFFER ONLINE TUTORING. STUDENTS CAN WRITE PAPERS AND TURN THEM IN AND GET HELP IN CORRECTING THOSE. AND THAT'S A BIG DRIVE. IS IT ZOOM OR WHAT SCHOOLS? HMM. IS IT ZOOM OR WHAT? THEY DO ZOOM AND SOME OF IT'S JUST EMAILS BACK AND FORTH. OH, OKAY. THEY SEND IT IN, THEN THEY SEND IT BACK AND CORRECT IT FOR THEM. UM, THEY DO BOTH THINGS. SO IT'S NOT LIVE ONLINE. THE PERSON, IT IS LIKE A CHAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY CAN DESCRIBE CHAT. WHEN I SEE IT IN ACTION, THEY DO IT LIKE A CHAT. OKAY. THEY'LL MARK UP THE PAPER AND HERE'S, THEY KIND OF SHARE THE ITEM. AND THAT'S ONE REASON WE WANT TO GET OUT TO THE SCHOOLS AND ALSO TALK TO THE PARENTS. YOU STRUGGLING AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR TUTORING. WE'VE GOT THAT RESOURCE FOR YOU. IT ALSO WORKS FOR PEOPLE LOOKING FOR JOBS. PEOPLE JOBS CAN COMMUNICATE ABOUT RESUMES, DO TEST INTERVIEWS. THAT SAME PROGRAM DOES BOTH THINGS AND ONLINE WE USE IT. GREAT. GREAT. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU PETER. UM, MAYOR PRO TIMM. AGENDA REVIEW PLEASE, SIR. THANKS, MAYOR. COUNCIL, GOOD TIME TO ASK ANY QUESTION. CLARIFICATION ITEMS, ITEMS. IF YOU HEARING NONE BACK TO YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. YES, MAYOR. YES. UM, I DO HAVE FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE RESOLUTION CANVASING AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE MAY 6TH ELECTION. I PUT BEFORE YOU A REVISED SPREADSHEET RECEIPT, UH, COUPLE OF UPDATED NUMBERS LATE YESTERDAY. SO YOUR EXHIBIT TO THAT RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU, A MORE DETAILED PACKET AS THE, WHERE YOU CAN SEE HOW ALL UH, NUMBERS CAME INTO A PRECINCT. BUT BASICALLY WE JUST HAD, UH, IN TARRANT COUNTY, WE HAD ONE ADDITIONAL MAIL VOTE FOR, UH, CANDIDATE BESSIE ADAMS AND ONE ADDITIONAL OR ELECTION DAY VOTE FOR HER AS WELL. AND THE OTHER CHANGE WAS ONE ADDITIONAL MAIL VOTE FOR CHI WILLIAMS. UM, BUT PRETTY MUCH THE RESULTS STAYED THE SAME PERCENTAGE LINE. DOES HE NEED TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR HIS MOTION? YES, SIR. SO IT WOULD JUST BE, UH, REVISED NUMBER FIVE'S NOT A VOTING. IT'S, YES, IT'S FORWARD PRESENTATIONS. WE'LL TAKE ACTION. SO WE'LL, AND WE'RE DOING THAT. OH, BUT SO THAT, OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE. SO WE SWEAR IN. YEAH, SO IT WOULD JUST BE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS REVISED AND DISCUSSED. THANK YOU. THANKS. MOTION. THE CITY COUNCIL MAY CONDUCT A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO CHAPTER FIVE. I HAVE ONE SUB CHAPTER D OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE VTCA TO DISCUSS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TONIGHT. ITEM TWO, SECTION 5 5, 1 0.07. TWO DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY ITEM FOUR, SECTION 5 5 1 0 8 7. DELIBERATIONS REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.