[CC Briefings 02062024]
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GET THE MEETING CALLED TO ORDER.
FIRST THING ON THE AGENDA IS PRAIRIE LIFE.
UH, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER.
MY NAME IS RAY SERTA, PARTS ARTS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.
UH, WE'LL BE GIVING YOU AN UPDATE OF THE 2023 EVENT RECAP OF PRAIRIE LIGHTS.
UH, WOULD LIKE YOU TO INTRODUCE THE TEAM, UH, KELLY EDMOND, UH, EMILY EZ WILL BE MAKING THE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WITH A TEAM MEMBER IS, UH, CHRIS ALKI.
SO WE SPENT MANY, MANY HOURS ON THIS EVENT THIS YEAR.
IT WAS ACTUALLY MY FIRST EVENT TO EVER COME TO PRAIRIE LINE, SO IT WAS A QUITE AN EXPERIENCE.
UH, WE ARE EVALUATING THE EVENT, UH, TO SEE HOW WE COULD BETTER, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUST TURN IT OVER TO KELLY AND, UH, HE'LL GIVE US A RECAP OF THE 23 PRAIRIE LIGHTS UPDATE.
THANK YOU, RAY, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU.
WE HAD A GREAT YEAR, AND WE THINK YOU'LL BE PLEASED WITH WHAT WE, UH, HAVE TO SHOW YOU TODAY.
UH, JUST TO KIND OF RECAP, UH, NOT ONLY IS PRAIRIE LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THANKSGIVING THROUGH NEW YEAR'S EVE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL EVENTS.
UH, PRIOR TO THE, THE MAIN PART OF THE EVENT.
WE HAD A VIP MEDIA NIGHT ON, UH, THURSDAY THE 16TH.
WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT THIS YEAR WITH OVER 250 ATTENDEES, INCLUDING 32 FROM, UH, VARIOUS MEDIA, UH, AND INFLUENCERS.
AND WE, OF COURSE HAD OUR, UH, ANNUAL SNEAKER PEAK RUN AND WALK ON THE, UH, 18TH AND NINTH, 18TH AND 19TH, UH, WITH GREAT REGISTRATION THIS YEAR.
UM, UH, VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH, UH, THE REGISTRATION NUMBERS THAT WE SEE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAD OUR CYCLING WITH THE MAYOR OR MAYOR, CYCLING WITH THE MAYOR EVENT ON THE MONDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
IT WAS GREAT WEATHER WITH OVER, UH, WE WERE ESTIMATING OVER 300 ATTENDEES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE RUN OF THE EVENT, UH, TH UH, THANKSGIVING THROUGH NEW YEAR'S EVE.
IT WAS 39, UH, TOTAL NIGHTS THIS YEAR.
HAD GREAT MEDIA COVERAGE THIS YEAR, UM, WITH, UH, 90 PIECES OF MEDIA COVERAGE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, UH, CATALOG.
UH, AND THAT RANGES FROM ONLINE COVERAGE, UH, TV AND RADIO AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND WE WERE FORTUNATE, UH, THIS YEAR TO HAVE, UH, COVERAGE FROM ALL OF THE, UH, LOCAL STATIONS, 4, 5, 8, 11, AS WELL AS TELEMUNDO 39.
AND THEY, UH, THEY ALL HAD BROADCAST COVERAGE AS WELL AS STORIES, UH, THAT WERE POSTED ONLINE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THOSE ARE SOME EXAMPLES TO THE RIGHT.
AND THEN WE HAD A, UH, NEW THIS YEAR, WE HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH IHEART MEDIA.
THEY WERE OUR, UM, UH, UH, RADIO PARTNER FOR THE EVENT.
AND THROUGH THAT SPARK, UH, THAT SPONSORSHIP, UH, WE HAD IN KIND, UH, ADVERTISING.
AND FROM THAT WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 4 MILLION, UH, IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED.
SO GREAT, GREAT MEDIA COVERAGE FROM, OR ADVERTISING COVERAGE FROM THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IN THIS RECAP WAS THE, UH, GRAND PRIX RESIDENT, UH, DISCOUNT IN COUPON.
AND THAT CAME OUT OF, UH, THE PRESENTATION WE HAD WITH YOU ALL BACK IN SEPTEMBER WHERE, UH, Y'ALL WANTED US TO LOOK AT, UM, UH, A COUPON SPECIFICALLY FOR GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENTS.
WE WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR THAT.
WE THINK FOR THE, UH, FOR THE FIRST YEAR, WE HAD GREAT RESULTS.
UH, FROM THAT, UM, THAT $10 OFF COUPON WAS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH, UH, CITY FACILITIES, UH, AROUND TOWN, UH, LIBRARIES, REC CENTERS, UH, AND THEN THE DOWNTOWN TREE LIGHTING AND THE SKATING RINK AND, AND OTHER LOCATIONS.
UH, WE PROMOTED THAT THROUGH FACILITY SIGNAGE AND ADVERTISEMENTS AT THOSE FACILITIES, CITY WEBSITES, SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND WE'VE BEEN DEDICATED A PORTION OF OUR, UH, AD DOLLARS TO BOOST THAT SPECIFICALLY TO GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT WAS VALID, UH, THROUGHOUT THE RUN OF THE EVENT, UH, OF THOSE COUPONS, UH, THE $10 OFF, WE HAD 379 OF THOSE REDEEMED.
UH, WE ALSO HAD A $15 OFF, UM, SPECIAL THAT WAS VALID FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS.
AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THE CYBER MONDAY, UH, SPECIAL THAT WE RUN EVERY YEAR.
IT'S VALID FOR THE FIRST MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
UH, 165 OF THOSE WERE REDEEMED BY GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENTS.
UH, SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A, UH, A GOOD SUCCESS, ESPECIALLY FOR YEAR ONE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND PROMOTE THAT, UH, FURTHER THIS YEAR.
UH, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS WHAT WE CALL OUR DASHBOARD.
UH, OUR FINANCE TEAM, UM, WOULD PUT THE NUMBERS TOGETHER, UH, AFTER THE, UH, NIGHT BEFORE.
AND WE WOULD LOOK AT THIS DAILY TO TRACK, UH, OUR CAR COUNTS AND REVENUE AT THE
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GATE.JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TRACKING, UH, THE WAY THAT WE WANTED.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS THE FINAL REPORT.
OUR, UH, FINAL GATE REVENUE, UH, WAS 1.65 MILLION.
AND THE LITTLE CHART ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT SHOWS THAT WE WERE, UH, WE EXCEEDED OUR REVENUE BUDGET AT THE GATE BY 9%, UH, WHICH WAS 1.52 MILLION.
SO, UH, FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE FINANCES.
STEVE WAS GONNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UH, UH, EXPAND ON THAT HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
UH, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO EMILY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO, OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR WE WERE DRILLED WITH THE NUMBER OF CARS WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN THE PARK, BUT WE WANTED TO TAKE SOME EXTRA STEPS THIS YEAR TO EVALUATE USER EXPERIENCE WHILE THEY WERE THERE.
SO, UM, WE UTILIZED VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF MEMBERS TO CONDUCT ONSITE SURVEYS, AND OVERALL HAD A 96% MET OR EXCEED RATE, WHICH WE'RE REALLY THRILLED ABOUT.
SOME OF THE COMMENTS MENTIONED, FRIENDLY STAFF, EMPLOYEES, THE NEW FULL LIGHT DISPLAYS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND WE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS THAT TEND TO BE THE LONG WAIT TIMES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON WAYS TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS PROVIDE MORE EXPERIENCES DURING THE WAIT TIME TO MAKE IT FEEL A LITTLE BIT LESS LONG.
UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD, UH, WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2025, SO TAKING STEPS TO KIND OF BUILD UP TO A BIG CELEBRATION ANNIVERSARY YEAR.
SO, UM, ENHANCING TO THE LIGHT DISPLAYS, THE LAYOUT OF THE PARK, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS INCREASING ATTENDANCE ON THOSE EARLY WEEKS IN DECEMBER, WHERE WE TYPICALLY SEE LOWER NUMBERS.
SO BY INVOLVING PARTNER DAYS, LIKE WORKING WITH LARGE CORPORATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO BRING OUT FOLKS ON THOSE DAYS, WE'RE HOPING TO BOOST THAT ATTENDANCE EARLY ON SO FOLKS DON'T HAVE TO WAIT AS LONG AND WE CAN FILL OUT THOSE DAYS.
WE'LL ALSO BE ISSUING THE RFP FOR A NEW FOOD VENDOR HERE PRETTY SOON.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS AND BRING SOMETHING IN NEW TO THE TABLE.
UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO STEVEN TO TALK ABOUT FINANCES.
Y'ALL HEARD FROM, UH, KELLY AND EMILY.
IT WAS A VERY STRONG YEAR OF PRAIRIE LIGHTS.
UM, SOME OF Y'ALL REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A DOWN YEAR DUE TO SOME WEATHER EVENTS.
WE HAD TO CLOSE THE EVENT, UH, FOR A FEW DAYS.
AND THE, WE LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.
WE WERE BLESSED WITH FAIRLY GOOD WEATHER, THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE EVENT BEING TO TOTAL GROSS REVENUES OF OVER $1.8 MILLION SINCE, UH, KELLY SAID A MINUTE AGO, UH, TICKET REVENUES WERE OVER 1.65.
UM, SOME EXPENSES HAVE, UH, INCREASED A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THAT OF POSITIVE, UH, PLACEMENT BULBS AND WIRING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT NOT WITHIN, NOT WITH NOT, IT STAYED WITHIN A MANAGEABLE RANGE.
UM, SO AFTER, BACK IN OUR EXPENSES, WE'RE LOOKING TO NET, UH, A 3 880 5,000, WELL, $485,000 BEFORE WE LOOK AT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL LATER THIS YEAR BEFORE, UH, BEFORE THE NEXT SEASON TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AS FAR AS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK.
AS MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT RAMPING UP THE NEXT YEAR AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE YEAR AFTER.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE ANY COMMENTS OF QUESTIONS.
WE JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON, YOU BET THE COUPON FOR GP RESIDENTS.
UM, ARE WE PRINTING OUT, UH, ACTUAL COUPONS OR IS THIS JUST A KNOWN THING? THAT, AND, AND, AND I GUESS WHERE I WOULD GET TO ON THAT IS LIKE EXPENSE AND, AND, AND PRINTING OUT A $10 COUPON VERSUS, UH, JUST KNOWING THE EVERY GP RESIDENT, WE MADE 'EM HAVE THE COUPON.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY WE PLAYED IT.
WELL, IS THAT, SO THE COUPON IS AT THE GATE? NO, IT WAS AT THOSE PLACES.
THEY SAID, WELL, YOU PICK UP THAT COUPON.
YEAH, WE DISTRIBUTED STACKS OF COUPONS TO VARIOUS, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE DECIDED TO HANDLE IT THIS YEAR.
YOU COULDN'T DO IT AT THE GATE.
AND THEN HOW DO I GET THAT $10 OFF WHEN I BUY ONLINE? NO, YOU SHOW IT TO 'EM AT THE GATE.
AND THEN THEY GIVE YOU A $10 BILL.
NO, THEY GIVE YOU A $10 OFF OFF THE PURCHASE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S PRE-PURCHASE TICKETS AND THEN THERE'S AT THE GATE TICKETS WE'RE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT THAT CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT, BUT, BUT THAT, THAT'S THE WAY IT HELD HANDLED THIS YEAR.
THE, UH, 15, 15 OFF ONE WAS AVAILABLE.
THAT WAS A, UH, A CODE THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE.
BUT, BUT IF I JUST PULL UP AND SAY I'M AT GRAND PRAIRIE, RESIDENT DIDN'T WORK, YOU WON'T, THAT WON'T WORK.
UM, FOR NEXT YEAR, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE JUST TO PRINT IT A SMALL COUPON IN THE PIPELINE? THEY CUT IT OUT AND BRING IT TO YOU? YES.
IN FACT, THE, THE $15 OFF ONE WAS IN THE PIPELINE, BUT IT WAS A, IT WAS A, UH, CODE CODE WHERE YOU COULD BUY EITHER WAY.
I THINK YOU MIGHT BE GOING THE SAME WAY I'M GOING WITH THE PIPELINE.
IF WE, IF WE DECIDED A LITTLE LATE RENT THIS YEAR, RENT, IF, IF YOU RECALL, IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE WE SAID, EH, LET'S DO IT THIS WAY THIS
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YEAR.AND I THINK THE PIPELINE WOULD BE THE WAY TO DO IT.
BUT THE ISSUE IS, AS JOHN IS IN STATE AS WELL, THOSE THAT ARE RENTING FOR STAY IN APARTMENTS AND NOT RECEIVE
THEY LIVE HERE AND GIVE 'EM A $10 OFF.
WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK THE FEAR WAS IT WAS GONNA DELAY.
IT WAS GONNA CAUSE THAT'S, YEAH.
IF SO, FOR THEM TO THINK ABOUT IT.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE RFP PROCESS FOR A FOOD VENDOR.
ARE, ARE WE LOOKING AT MULTIPLE FOOD VENDORS OR ARE WE JUST LOOKING FOR ONE FOOD? I THINK IDEALLY, UM, FOR EFFICIENCY'S SAKE, IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE ONE FOOD VENDOR.
BUT AT THIS POINT, THE RRP IS GONNA ALLOW US TO ACCEPT ALL TYPES OF APPLICATIONS, UM, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
BECAUSE I, I CAN UNDERSTAND HAVING A FOOD VENDOR INSIDE 10, MAYBE HAVING ONE PERSON, BUT YOU GET LIKE A FOOD TRUCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND YOU ROTATE THAT.
MAYBE INSIDE AND OFFER IT TO OTHER SITES.
I MEAN, THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT OFFER A DIFFERENT RARITY, PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
BE LIMITED HOW MANY DAYS YOU CAN DO.
WE'LL DEFINITELY ACCEPT ALL THOSE APPLICATIONS AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST.
BUT WE'RE OPEN TO ALL THOSE AT THIS POINT.
I ALSO KIND OF WANTED TO THROW OUT TOO IS THAT THIS YEAR, I, I KNOW IN YEARS PAST STAFF HAS BEEN OUT THERE TILL ONE OR TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO TRY TO GET THE LAST CAR IN.
WELL, WE TRIED TO MAKE A POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE CUT OFF THE LINE AT A CERTAIN TIME SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND UH, WE DID THAT THIS YEAR.
HOW'D IT WORK? WORKED, WORKED OUT GREAT.
I KNEW YOU WOULD POST THAT AND SAY, THE LAST CAR IN LINE AS OF RIGHT NOW IS THE LAST ONE GETTING IN.
NOW, NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO KNOW THAT UNTIL THEY GET OUT THERE.
BUT I DID SEE Y'ALL POST THAT.
UM, I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE, Y'ALL FIGURE OUT THE TIME.
I'M NOT SAYING WHAT TIME, BUT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO FINALLY HAVE SOMEBODY AT THE END AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY MORE IN LINE.
RAY, WHAT WAS THE CUTOFF? NORMALLY WE, WE DO OUR BEST TO TIME IT TO WHERE THE LAST CAR CAME IN THE GATE AT 10 O'CLOCK.
THERE'S THREE WAYS WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH AND FROM FROM THE WEST, FROM 360.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE WATCH GOOGLE MAPS, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC FUNCTION ON GOOGLE MAPS.
IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT IT'S KIND OF A FIRST INDICATION.
AND THEN WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR POLICE THAT ARE OUT AT THE INTERSECTION TO TRY TO GAUGE BASED ON, UH, POINTS WHERE WE KNOW FROM HERE IT'S 90 MINUTES FROM HERE.
AND THEN IT'S, AND THEN WE TRY TO TIME THAT THE BEST WE CAN.
BUT YOU TRIED TO, IT'S NOT A PERFECT SIGN.
AND I WANT, I DO WANT TO THANK CHIEF NEY.
HE'S, HE'S NOT, HE'S, BUT, UH, GREAT JOB FOR HIS, THEY ALWAYS DO A GREAT JOB.
AND I CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHY Y'ALL WANT TO GET THE LAST ONE IN AT 10.
'CAUSE THAT MEANS THE LAST CAR COMING IN AT 10 IS NOT GONNA LEAVE UNTIL WHAT, 1130.
SEE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE PARK CLOSED AT 10.
THAT MEANS THAT LAST CAR ENTERS THE GATE AT 10 AND THEN WE STILL WANT 'EM TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AT THE TENT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND.
WE STILL GUARANTEE THE
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR HOW MANY YEARS? 18.
THE LIGHTS HAS, WE STARTED OFF WITH BLOWUPS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
Y'ALL DON'T RECALL? WELL, YOU WOULDN'T RECALL PROBABLY, BUT IT STARTED OFF WITH BLOW UPS.
AND THEN WE HAD THE FLOOD, RIGHT? THE DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAD TO GO IN THERE AND OUR STREETS HAD TO MAKE US A NEW ROUTE.
NEXT DIVERSITY PROGRAM UPDATE.
KATRINA WILL BE MAKING THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AS ALL OF YOU RECALL, BE BUDGETED FOR HER POSITION.
SHE'S OUR BUSINESS, OUR DIVERSITY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO SHE'S HERE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT SHE'S DOING AND WHAT SHE HAS COMING IN.
BEFORE I START THIS BRIEF PRESENTATION AND, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE ON A VERY TIGHT SCHEDULE, I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR ORGANIZATION THAT IS HERE IN THE ROOM.
OUR LEADERS, UH, HER NAME IS, UM, ANGELA ALEXANDER
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WITH NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL CERTIFYING AGENCY.SO THIS IS ONE OF OUR ORGANIZATION THAT WE ARE MEMBERS GOOD TO HAVE YOU OF, AND JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE HER PUBLICLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START THIS PRESENTATION.
THERE ARE 13, WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE ON DISPARITY STUDY.
AND SO THERE ARE 13 RESPECTIVE TASKS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 10 MILESTONE.
AND SO EACH OF THESE MILESTONE HAVE RESPECTIVE DATES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND SO IT STARTS AND IT WILL RUN ABR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR.
FROM THE DATE FROM JANUARY 16TH THROUGH JANUARY, UH, 2030, FIRST OF 2025.
SO THE DISPARITY STUDY WOULD CONCLUDE.
WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION AT THAT POINT.
SO JUST ON A HIGH LEVEL, WE WANT TO COVER EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE TASK.
SO WE'RE GOING, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE PROJECT INITIATIVE.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE ESTABLISHING BASICALLY A WORK PLAN, OUR PROJECT SCHEDULE AND SO FORTH TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING WEALTH WITH MGT.
OUR SECOND TASK IS TO CONDUCT A LEGAL REVIEW, WHICH WILL HELP US DETERMINE THE LEGAL GUIDANCE STANDARDS.
BASICALLY THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED WHEN DESIGNING A DISPARITY STUDY.
SO THEY WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ALIGNED WITH LAWS GOVERNING DISPARITY STUDIES.
THE THIRD TASK IS PROCUREMENT AND PROGRAM POLICY.
AND THAT IS BASICALLY LOOKING OVER ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE WILL PROVIDE TO THEM PERTAINING TO OUR S UH, SMALL MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESSES AND LOCAL PARTICIPATION AS WELL AS TASK FOUR.
UH, AGAIN, THAT'S THE DATA ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION AND PREPARING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION TO GET BACK WITH US.
IT'S FOCUSED ON CALENDAR YEAR 20, UH, 2018 TO 2023.
UH, THEN WE'RE GOING, THEY'RE GOING TO DO UTILIZATION ANALYSIS.
THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT ALL OF OUR PAYMENTS MADE TO DATE, UH, TO THAT TIMEFRAME, CALCULATE OVERALL PERCENTAGE BASED UPON THE, ONCE AGAIN, THE CATEGORIES, SO MWPE CATEGORIES.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO TASK THIS SIX LOOKS AT RELEVANT GEOGRAPHIC MARKET AND, UM, PRODUCT.
SO THEY WERE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY CITY'S RELEVANT GEOGRAPHIC MARKETPLACE IN A 75% LOCATION.
SO THEY, THEY ASSESS ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
AND TASK SEVEN, CALCULATE AVAILABILITY ESTIMATING ALREADY.
SO THESE VENDORS MUST BE READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO ACTUALLY DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND SO THEY WILL BE UTILIZING A, UH, NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
ALSO OTHERWISE CALLED NAS CODES TO HELP US DRIVE THAT, UH, DATA COLLECTION AND, SORRY, AND THEN TASK A PUBLIC SECTOR DISPARITY STUDY.
AND THEY'RE ALSO GONNA CONDUCT A PRIVATE SECTOR DISPARITY STUDY.
SO THEY'RE GONNA ASSESS THE PUBLIC SIDE AND THE PRIVATE SIDE TO ENSURE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY DISPARITIES FOR OUR, UM, FOR THE MWBE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
TASK 10 WILL, UH, PROVIDE THE QUALITATIVE ANECDOTAL DATA COLLECTION.
THIS IS WHERE THEY SOLICIT INFORMATION.
SO THEY'LL BE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, GETTING ASSESSMENTS DURING THIS TIMEFRAME FROM AND, AND DOING SURVEYS WITH BUSINESS OWNERS IN CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, TASK 11, THEY WILL IDENTIFY ACTIONS THAT THE CITY WILL ACTUALLY NEED TO, UM, MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND A TASK 12 GOAL SETTING, THIS IS WHERE THEY WILL ACTUALLY ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL ASPIRATIONAL GOAL, UH, PER INDUSTRY FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, A PRESENTATION TO Y'ALL IN, UH, JANUARY OF 2020, UH, FIVE.
SO I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY ACTIVE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
UH, THIS IS APPROACHING MY FOURTH, FOURTH MONTH HERE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN, UM, ENSURING THAT WE ARE TOUCHING ALL OF THE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE ITSELF, AS WELL AS OUR SURROUNDING, UM, COMMUNITY.
AND SO ATTENDED VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS FROM PARTICIPATING WITH THINGS WITH THE GRAND PRAIRIE HISPANIC CHAMBER TO THE REGIONAL HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I MEAN, CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, THEIR PILLAR AWARDS.
THAT WAS A RECENT EVENT THAT WE ATTENDED, AND A COUPLE OF OUR ESTEEMED, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT EVENT.
BUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE'RE VISIBLE, WE'RE VISIBLE AND RELEVANT, AND
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REALLY TOUCHING THOSE BUSINESSES TO HELP DRIVE THEM TO DO BUSINESS WITH US.UPCOMING EVENTS, BASICALLY, UM, THAT'S JUST A THREE MONTH STINT OF WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.
I'VE GOT A CALENDAR FULL OF EVENTS.
I WOULD LOVE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO INVITE YOU TO SOME OF THESE EVENTS, BUT WE ARE ACTIVE, WE'RE A PART OF THE WOMEN'S BUSINESS COUNCIL SOUTHWEST.
WE'RE A PART OF, UM, AS I SAID, NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, REGIONAL CERTIFYING AGENCY, DALLAS FORT WORTH MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
WE'RE A PART OF REGIONAL HISPANIC CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
SO WE ARE EXTREMELY BUSY AND WE'RE EXTREMELY CONNECTED WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE SERVING THE CITY WELL.
OUR DIVERSITY PROCUREMENT REPORT.
SO AT THIS POINT, ON A HIGH LEVEL, WE ENDED WITH, UM, TOTAL GOODS AND SERVICES SPENT AT 44, 45 $0.9 MILLION FOR THE CITY.
AND THAT, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 13.38% TOTAL SPENT WITH DIVERSE MINORITY WOMEN SERVICE DISABLED VETERANS.
AND, UM, 7.66% OF THAT DOLLARS WENT STRAIGHT TO OUR CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE BACK INTO THE CITY.
AND AT THAT POINT, WE HAVE ABOUT 105 NON MWBE FIRMS AND 16 OF THOSE THAT ARE LOCALLY LOCATED HERE THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
SO WE ARE SHARING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION TO ALLOW FOR YOU TO SEE A, A, A MORE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO 2023 FISCAL YEAR, WE ENDED AT 13 POINT 14%.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE STARTED HIGH AND THEN WE ENDED, UM, AT ABOUT THE SAME.
BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE STARTING OFF STRONG AND WE, I ANTICIPATE US ACTUALLY DRIVING THOSE NUMBERS UP.
AND THIS IS A WONDERFUL PICTURE FROM THE EVENT THAT WE ATTENDED.
SO KATRINA HAS PRODUCED A REPORT, AND WHILE SHE'S GIVING IT TO YOU THIS QUARTER, SHE'S GOING BE EMAILING THIS OUT IN THE FUTURE.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IN COURT.
SO SHE'S, YOU A COPY OF PRESENTATION FOR TODAY.
YOU'RE ON ALL OF THIS CONDITION.
UM, SO LOCAL BUSINESS, THE DEFINITION IS THE BUSINESS ADDRESS HAS TO BE, IS THAT THAT'S CORRECT, YES, SIR.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE BREAKDOWN ON THE PERCENTAGES, IS THERE A WAY TO GET TOTAL NUMBER OF BUSINESSES LIKE, UM, ASIAN INDIAN, WAS IT ONE, ONE COMPANY? WAS IT TWO COMPANIES? WAS IT, OH, WE COULD DEFINITELY BREAK THAT DOWN.
UH, THE SCOPE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE CHOSEN FROM 2018 TO 2023? YES.
HOW IS THAT DETERMINED? WHO DETERMINED IT? YOU DETERMINE THAT OR THE CON THE CONSULTING DOES BASED UPON, THAT'S THE USUAL STANDARD FOR, UH, THESE DISPARITY STUDY, THE MOST RECENT ONES.
DO THEY CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, I KNOW DURING COVID STILL MOVED AROUND, DO THEY CONSIDER DOING THE COVID YEAR? THE NUMBERS MAY BE SLIGHTLY SKEW A LITTLE BIT, INSTEAD GOING TO TRY TO GET ACTUAL DATA BECAUSE THAT YEAR COVID IS GONNA SKEW THE NUMBERS SLIGHTLY.
AND I CAN ASK THEM THAT, UM, INFORMATION TO, TO POSSIBLY LOOK AT THAT.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS HERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO SHOW, UH, WE'RE WHO WE'RE DOING BUSINESS WITH WITHIN THE CITY, AND WE'RE FINALLY THERE.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, UH, WE, UH, PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD DON'T BELIEVE IN FAIRNESS AND PEOPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE.
AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A FAIR SHARE FOR EVERYONE TO MAKE IT FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD.
NOW WE CAN SEE WHERE THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT FAIRLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND I DID MAKE THIS COMMENT IN 2022 TO GO BACK AND ROLL THE TABLE.
90% OF THE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT WITH WHITE MEN AND WHITE WOMEN IN THE CITY.
I'M POURING OUT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY.
AND HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS.
WHETHER WE WANT TO TAKE THE NUMBERS AND SAY, HEY, THAT WAS NOT NICE THAT YOU SAID THAT, OR YOU'RE NOT BEING FAIR BY MAKING, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, IT'S UNFAIR.
AND I THINK THAT THIS BODY HERE WANTS TO TRY TO BE FAIR.
AND IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT NOW MOVING FORWARD TO SHOW, TO SHOW THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT EVERYONE IN A PIECE OF A PIE INSTEAD, JUST A FEW.
AND IT IS UNFORTUNATE WE HAVE TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY TO DO IT.
WE HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY JUST TO GET TO THIS POINT HERE.
YOU MEAN A LARGER PORTION OF THE
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PRODUCT? YOU SAID PEACE? WELL, A LARGER PORTION FOR SURE, BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE I AM DISAPPOINTED THE SERVE DISABLED VETERANS.I'M THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISABLED VETERANS IN THE, IN THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
WE HAVE BUSINESSES THEY WOULD LOVE TO GET TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO, UH, I LOOK AT, FOR EVERYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD, JUST WANNA MAKE IT FAIR FOR EVERYONE TO GET A LARGER SLICE.
THE SLITHERS THAT YOU SEE ON THE PIE CHART OVER THERE, AND I I I'M JUST GUESSING THE HISPANICS, THERE'S JUST 1, 1, 1 GUY WHO GOT THAT CONTRACT, I GUESSING.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE USED SPREAD CONCRETE SUPPLIER.
IT IS, UH, I DON'T WANT TO SAY, BUT NO, IT, WE'RE SPREADING THE MONEY AROUND THE DATA'S THE DATA AND WE WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE ALL PITCHED IN AND SAID WE WANT TO DO BETTER.
AND IT'S ONE OF OUR TOP 10 PRIORITIES ACTUALLY.
AND, AND I GUESS I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
I KNOW WE FIRST GOT UP EACH ONE OF THOSE GUIDANCE CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK ALL, A LOT OF US HERE THAT THIS IS WHAT THE NUMBERS, SO, UM, I'M JUST GLAD THAT WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THE DATA.
SO THAT WOULD TELL CITIZENS, OKAY, WE'RE DOING A STUDY.
THIS, THIS IS WHERE WE, WHERE WE'RE AT.
I REMEMBER WE, WE DID TOUCH ON HOW, LIKE, I'M GONNA SAY MANHATTAN, THAT'S JUST THE NAME THAT COMES UP IS A WHITE BUSINESS OWNER, WHITE CONTRACTOR, BUT YET HE TAKES, YOU KNOW, A 10TH OR A PERCENT AND THEN HIRES SUBCONTRACTORS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE, UH, WHATEVER.
AND SO IS THAT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MONEY PRIME? SO CURRENTLY WE ARE ONLY TRACKING ON THE PRIME LEVEL.
WE'RE NOT TRACKING THE SUBCONTRACTORS.
BUT AS YOU SAID, BECAUSE THAT'S A GRASSLY DIFFERENT NUMBER.
IF ONE OF THOSE CONTRACTORS GETS, IT'S A HISPANIC WOMAN, ASIAN, ASIAN PACIFIC GALLERY, NATIVE AMERICAN BLACK DISABLED VETERAN.
AND NOTE, ONE MORE THING IS THAT, UM, THAT SOME OF THE VENDORS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM, THEY MAY NOT HAVE CHECKED THAT BOX THAT SAID THEY ARE CERTIFIED, UM, MINORITY WOMEN, BUSINESS SERVICE, DISABLED VETERANS.
SO WE WE'RE CHASING THEM DOWN AS WELL TO ENSURE THAT THAT IS TAKING PLACE.
UH, JUST LIKE
THE PRIME MAY HAVE THE CONTRACT, BUT THE SUB MAY BE THAT 10% MINORITY, THAT COUNCIL, UH, LOPEZ
THEY GET THEM OFF THE CONTRACT WITHIN 60 TO 90 DAYS BY WHAT THEY PAY THEM.
I BROUGHT THAT TO THE STAFF'S ATTENTION.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE DEAL WITH THE CRIME WHEN THEY'RE THEM TO GET THEM OFF SO THEY CAN GET THE PEOPLE THEY WANT TO GET THE MONEY.
SO IT'S ONLY A FACADE UNTIL WE PUT SOME TEETH BEHIND IT.
WE HAVE TO LOOK OUT, NOT, WE JUST CAN BE USING FOLKS JUST TO GET A CONTRACT.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER TRICK THAT THE GAME IS PLAYED.
ALL FIVE WILL APPLY 1 MILLION, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8.
THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WAY WE GOING, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GO WITH THE BEST VALUE FOR THE DOLLAR.
THEN WE CAN GO AWAY FROM WHO'S GOING WITH THE LOWEST BIDDER BECAUSE THEY WANNA GO WITH THE LOWEST THING WITH THE LOWEST BIDDER ALL THE TIME.
SO THOSE, IF THE LOWEST BIDDER GET THE CONTRACT, THOSE FOUR BECOMES WHAT THE SUBS.
SO THOSE ARE THE GAMES THAT ARE BEING PLAYED MORE OFTEN THAN PEOPLE REALIZE IT.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE I BROUGHT TO THE, THE STAFF KNEW THIS, BUT SOMEONE DIDN'T, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, WHITE WOMEN CONSIDERED MINORITY IN THE, UH, BUSINESS AND THEY HAVE, WHITE MEN HAVE THE BUSINESS IN THEIR NAMES SO THEY CAN GET THE CONTRACT.
HOW IS THAT FAIR TO OTHER FOLKS? BUT THEY CONSIDER WHITE MEN IN THE WORKPLACE A MINORITY, SO THEY GET THE BUSINESS.
AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE COMMENT, 90%, WE LOOKED AT 90% DID GO TO WHITE MEN AND WHITE WOMEN.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WOMEN BUSINESS, YOU GOTTA GET THE MONEY.
YOU NEED TO BREAK THAT DOWN SO YOU CAN SEE WHO'S ACTUALLY BENEFITING FROM BEING A, UH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, I, I WONDER BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF RECORD, LET'S PRETEND THAT, UH, ANY OF THE, UM, NON-GREEN, UH, CATEGORIES TOP IS GREEN GETS THAT MANHATTAN PROJECT.
SO NOW THAT DISCREPANCY IS UNDER FILL IN THE BLANK.
AND IS THAT, IS THAT THE SAME PROBLEM AS IT IS NOW? SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHICH I AGREE WITH, IS MAKING SURE THAT A PRIME CONTRACTOR IS PROPERLY DISTRIBUTING DOING, IF THEY, IF THEY WERE A WARRANT CONTRACT, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE HOLD THEM LEGALLY.
I'VE ASKED THE STAFF TO LOOK INTO IT BECAUSE
[00:30:01]
YOU, YOU REWARD BASED ON YOUR ALSO THE MINORITY CONTRACTORS THAT YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE GONNA WORK WITH.I USED TO BE A CONTRACTING OFFICER.
SO WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY'RE NOT UTILIZING THEM, WE ASKED THEM.
SO NEXT TIME THEY CAME AROUND, WE LOOKED, HEY, ARE YOU SOMEONE YOU WERE GONNA DO BUSINESS WITH? MM-HMM
BECAUSE YOU TRICK YOU GAINED THE SYSTEM TO GET WHAT YOU WANTED AND THEN YOU WENT BACK.
SO YOU PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND, AND STOP LOOKING AT IT.
IT'S A BLACK AND WHITE THING, IT'S JUST AMERICA.
NO, AND THAT'S WHY I, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SINCE YOU GOT ON COUNCIL AND F AND G, SO I, YEAH, I'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THAT REGARD.
SO, UM, ALONG THE LINES OF THE PREVIOUS QUESTION, I'M WONDERING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE INDUSTRY OR AT OUR CITY LEVEL, UM, BUT MAYBE MORE BROADLY IN THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IT IS HAPPENING THAT SOMETIMES MID HAVE THEIR WIVES FILL OUT CERTAIN PAPERWORK TO GET CERTAIN THINGS, AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY'RE NOT REALLY INVOLVED, BUT THEY ARE ABLE TO ENTER INTO THESE OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE GUISE OF WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS.
AND IS THIS SOMETHING YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF THAT MAYBE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY ADDRESSING? SO I AM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION AND I'M SO GLAD THAT ANGELA IS IN THE AUDIENCE FROM THE CERTIFYING AGENCY WHO CAN SPEAK TO THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND, BECAUSE SHE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ONE OF THOSE SAID, CERTIFYING AGENCIES.
AND SO THIS IS WHY THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE AND OTHER CITIES IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR REGION HAVE ELECTED TO GO TO THIRD PARTY CERTIFYING AGENCIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ONUS TO VET THOSE RESPECTIVE BUSINESSES TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE TRULY NOW WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
BUT ANGELA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR ME? SURE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, IT, IT HAS BEEN A COMMON PRACTICE.
ONE OF THE BENEFITS TO GONNA A CERTIFICATION AGENCY IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A VERY STRINGENT PROCESS.
UM, ESSENTIALLY ARE CERTIFIED.
YOU'RE NOT JUST CERTIFIED THE BUSINESS, YOU'RE CERTIFIED THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO WE DO SCREENINGS, WE DO INTERVIEWS TO SHOW THAT THAT WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS ACTUALLY HAS 51% OWNERSHIP, NOT JUST ON PAPER, BUT THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY LETTING THE BUSINESS, THEY HAVE ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES WHERE WE CATCH THAT AHEAD OF TIME.
BUT AGAIN, IF OTHER, WE DO HAVE SOME BAD ACTORS THAT YOU'LL SAY, TO BE REALLY HONEST, UM, THAT MAY UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS.
BUT WE HAVE A VARIOUS,
WE HAVE TO BOTH ANGLE THROUGH THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND AS THE BENEFIT IS WHEN WE HAVE OUR MEMBER ENTITIES PLACE GOALS AROUND, UM, AWARDS, MY QUESTION WOULD'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN A PUBLIC, UH, PUBLICLY, WHAT PERCENTAGES DO YOU HAVE GOALS AROUND THE PERCENTAGE OF MINORITY BUSINESSES OR OR M THAT YOU ARE GOING BE ENGAGING WITH FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR? AND IF THEY'RE AWARDED THAT CONTRACT, IF FOR SOME REASON THEY'RE NOT, UH, SOMEONE ELSE HAD THEY CHANGE VENDORS, THEN MAKE THAT, UM, MANDATORY THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER MINORITY BUSINESS.
SO THERE ARE WAYS TO CURTAIL AND REALLY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, UM, VARIOUS, YOU KNOW.
ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET, UM, A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT ON THE BUSINESSES THAT REPRESENT EACH ONE OF THE ETHNIC GROUPS? LIKE TOP TOP THREE, WHAT KIND OF INSIGHT? I CAN DEFINITELY WHO THEY ARE.
WHO, WHO ARE, WHO THEY ARE, YES.
WE HAVE THAT IN ALL LAWSUIT SYSTEM.
I SAY IF YOU COULD DO TOP THREE FOR EACH, EACH, EACH GENDER OR THIS WHOLE COLUMN.
THE COLUMN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW THAT.
AND ALSO WHEN YOU GO BACK TO YOUR STEPS YES.
I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE RUNNING CONCURRENTLY.
SO DO WE HAVE PEOPLE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS MOVING FORWARD AND NOT STAGNANT BECAUSE WE'RE JUDGMENT BALLS? DEFINITELY.
UM, WE HAVE A, A COMMITTEE INTERNALLY THAT'S WORKING WITH MGT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ALL, WE CAN MEET ALL OF THOSE RESPECTIVE, UM, UH, GOALS THAT ARE PUT OUT THERE FROM MGT ITSELF.
SO IT IS SYSTEMATIC, BIWEEKLY WE MEET TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, WE'RE ANSWERING ALL OF THEIR DUE DILIGENCE QUESTIONS.
UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA ATTEND NEXT MONTH'S, UM, SMALL BUSINESS, UH, EXPO TO ACTUALLY CONNECT WITH SOME OF THE VENDORS TO START THEIR SURVEYS THERE.
SO WE ARE DEFINITELY HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE AND WE CONTINUE TO SHIFT.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO SAY, UM, I THINK ALL OF US AGREED TO OUR, OUR GOALS AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
WE SEE THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING,
[00:35:01]
SHOCKING, BUT FOR SOME, BUT I APPRECIATE MOVING FORWARD AND SAYING ON TOP OF THIS STUDY SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.AND AND TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, AND MAYBE I'M SEEING IT FROM A DIFFERENT SEAT, BUT YES SIR, THE INCREASE IN EACH ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS, BECAUSE LET'S SAY THAT MANHATTAN GUY, AND I'M JUST ASSUMING HE'S A WHITE GUY, BUT YOU STUCK ON HIM, MAYBE A CORPORATION THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST THE BIG ENTITY THAT GETS THE BIG CONTRACT IS WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF 'EM THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, I STILL WANT TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS.
AND THAT'S A, IT'S A UGLY STAT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S THE BEST PICTURE OF IT, BUT IT'S THE, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN SHOW YOU WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING.
AND SO WITH, IF IT STILL GOES TO MANHATTAN, WE, I STILL WANNA SEE INCREASES.
WELL, I HOPE THAT WE CAN SEE INCREASES IN THESE OTHER CATEGORIES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS MEGAN HAS EXPLAINED TO US WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
WE'RE ALMOST, IN MY OPINION, FOLLOWING WHAT ARLINGTON DID.
THAT'S ARLINGTON'S AHEAD OF US AND THEIR PROCESS, AFTER THEY DID THIS WHOLE STUDY, THEN THEY COULD SET GOALS AND PUT, AND SO THEN THEY OFTEN OPEN UP, IF YOU WANT TO CASE STUDY, YOU CAN LOOK AT ARLINGTON'S WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND THEY, THEY HAVE A, THEIR OWN SEPARATE ROUTE NOW THAT THIS MAY BECOME AFTER NEXT JANUARY TO REALLY TRY TO MEET THE GOALS.
I MEAN WE, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY I'M SHOCKED OR NOT SHOCKED.
I'M, I'M, I'M A WHITE MALE THAT OWNS THE COMPANY.
I DON'T THINK IT SHOCKS ANY OF US.
THAT'S THE WAY THE BUSINESS WORLD HAS BEEN FOR YEARS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS STEP IN AND TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR EVERYONE.
JUST LIKE KURT JOHNSON IS SAYING, UH, THE GOVERNMENT, UH, I DEAL WITH GOVERNMENT BIDS AND THEY WORK REAL HARD FOR SMALL BUSINESS SET ASIDES, BUT THEY ACTUALLY WORK LESS ON MINORITY OWNED.
AND IT'S A SMALLER PIECE OF THE PIE.
IT'S TOUGH FOR A MINORITY TO DO BUSINESS IN AMERICA.
THEY'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL TO START WITH.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY DID, THEY HADN'T BEEN IN BUSINESSES LONG ENOUGH.
AND SO WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO IMPROVE THE NUMBERS HERE IN OUR TOWN.
AND SO, UM, AND KURT SAYS VERY WELL, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE THE NUMBERS AND I HATE IT THAT PEOPLE PLAY GAMES WITH IT, BUT I KNOW THEY DO.
SOMETIMES THEY, THEY PUT A, UH, I'VE GOT A COUSIN THAT'S HAS SOME, UM, AMERICAN INDIAN BLOOD IN HIM.
SO THEY GAVE HIM SOME SHARES ONLY SO THEY COULD, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UH, SO THEY ALL PLAY GAMES AND, BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING, THIS IS A SEVEN YEAR PROJECT HERE.
WELL, WE HAD, WE STARTED THIS IN 2017, HAD ROADBLOCKS.
YEAH, WE WE'RE ON OUR PATH RIGHT NOW MOVING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR LET'S KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCIL BUSINESS REIMBURSEMENT EXPENSE PAY RAISE.
MAYOR COUNCIL, THIS IS A REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE DELBOSQUE TO BE BROUGHT TO THE, TO BE BROUGHT TO BRIEFING.
WE BROUGHT IT UP SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST AND BASICALLY THERE IS A MAJORITY OF US HERE ON THE COUNCIL THAT DO A LOT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
WE GET OUT THERE, WE MEET WITH PEOPLE, LOOK FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRAND PRAIRIE, HOW TO TRADE NEW MONEY FOR GRAND PRAIRIE, WHAT TO BRING IN, HOW TO BRING IT IN.
AND COMING OUT OF COVID, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE INCREASED GAS WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR CAR, YOUR TIME EXPENSES.
SO I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY FOR WHAT WE PUT INTO OF BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, REPRESENTING GRAND PRAIRIE, WHAT WE PUT ON OUR CARS AND THE TIME THAT WE GIVE, YOU KNOW, THIS, WHAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING PAID HAS BEEN SET IN STONE FOR MANY YEARS AND IT'S JUST TIME TO INCREASE.
JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, PARKS DID, THEY HAD THEIR OWN EXPENSE INCREASE.
EVERYTHING HAS AN, UH, INCREASES.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE JUST UPDATE THIS AND GET IT AS CLOSE TO WHAT FAIR MARKET VALUE IS TODAY FOR WHAT WE DO, UH, IN, IN TRYING TO, TO GET A BEST, THE BEST PRODUCT FOR GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY OPINION IS AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE'RE ALL HERE AND WE ALL VOTE, OUR VOTE IS EQUIVALENT REGARDLESS WHETHER YOU'RE THE DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TEMP MAYOR, OUR VOTE IS VALUABLE JUST ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO I PROPOSE THAT WE INCREASE IT FROM WHAT WE'RE GETTING NOW TO 2000 A MONTH ACROSS THE BOARD.
I'D SAY WE HAVE TO VOTE ON ANY, ALL AGREE ON IT.
BUT I OPENED THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION.
[00:40:01]
HAD, IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION TO HAVE.AND I LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT BEFORE, IT WAS ACTUALLY TWO YEARS AGO.
I HAVE THE SPREADSHEET FROM TWO YEARS AGO, MARCH, 2022, WHEN STAFF DID THIS.
SO, UM, MY PREFERENCE IS, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE SOME NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WEREN'T HERE IN 2022, I PRE, I'M NOT SAYING I'M FAR AGAINST WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
I PROPOSED TABLING THIS TONIGHT AND HAVE STAFF REDO THAT 2-YEAR-OLD SUMMARY SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
IF Y'ALL RECALL, IT WAS IN TWO COLUMNS.
WELL, IT WAS SEPARATED MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT IS, BUT IT WAS IN TWO COLUMNS.
WHAT THE PAY WAS BY CHARTER, THERE'S A PAY BY CHARTER AND THEN WHAT THE BUSINESS EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT WAS PER CITY.
AND THEY GAVE US ABOUT 10 TO 12 COMPARABLE CITIES.
SO WE COULD KIND OF COMPARE IT TO, AND THAT WOULD GIVE THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THAT SPREADSHEET AND IT'S TWO YEARS OLD.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE WOULD HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON WHEN WE VOTED UP AND DOWN, WHENEVER THEY BRING IT BACK AND THEY BRING IT BACK TO US IN A BRIEFING.
AND THAT WAY WE CAN OPEN IT UP, UM, FOR DISCUSSION.
THAT'S JUST MY RECOMMENDATION.
'CAUSE UM, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A 2-YEAR-OLD.
SO I THOUGHT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR STAFF TO PULL SOME NUMBERS TOGETHER AND SOME DATA.
DO WE NOT HAVE THAT AVAILABLE FOR TODAY? ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO? WE DO HAVE THAT.
YOU HAVE AN EIGHT MONTHS OLD? WE HAVE AN EIGHT.
CAN WE SEE THAT CONNECT DATA BE SHARED? YES.
THE ONLY ONE I HAD KEPT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, SO I JUST ACCURATE.
THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTED.
THERE'S A FAIR, I FIND FAIR MARKET VALUE OF WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE.
THE MAYORS ON ONE SIDE OF THE COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S, THIS ONE'S EIGHT MONTHS OLD.
AND, AND CAN I JUST ALSO SAY I'M A DATA PERSON, SO I JUST WANT TO SEE THE DATA.
I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO TABLE SO I CAN AFFORD IT AND I'M JUST ONE PERSON SPEAKING SO I CAN SEE WHAT, WELL, AT LEAST TABLING.
NOW IT GIVES US TIME TO CHEW ON IT.
I WOULD, UM, LIKE TO EXPLAIN HOW FOR THE NEW MEMBERS, HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
20 YEARS AGO, COUNSEL WERE REIMBURSED FURTHER THEIR EXPENSES BY RECEIPTS.
KATHY DIMAGGIO, THE CITY SECRETARY AT THAT TIME, GOT TIRED OF HANDLING IT, WENT TO TOM HART AND THEN MAYOR ENGLAND AND SAID, CAN WE NOT JUST ME, COME UP WITH WHAT I THINK IS A, SHE DID IT BASED ON THE RECEIPTS.
THAT'S EXACTLY HOW SHE DID IT.
AND SHE CAME UP WITH PLUS SOME, SO EVERYBODY'D BE HAPPY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, AND SO SHE CAME UP WITH THE ORIGINAL NUMBERS FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE INCREASED IT PROBABLY FOUR TIMES OVER THE YEARS.
SO THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, BASED ON WHAT I FOUND TWO YEARS AGO, WE'RE THE ONLY CITY THAT HAS SUCH A BIG REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES.
OTHERS MAY GET MORE, BUT THEY DON'T GET ANYTHING EVERY MONTH EXCEPT WHAT THEY TURN IN.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THIS HIGH NUMBER THAT GETS AUTOMATIC.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS JUST REIMBURSED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
MARY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY COUNCIL PAY COMPARISON, YOU'LL SEE UNDER OTHER THAT THE GENERAL BUSINESS EXPENSE PAYMENT IS, IS THERE, AND IT'S ONLY THERE FOR GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND UNDER ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCE AND REIMBURSEMENTS, THAT'S WHERE THE OTHER CITIES HAVE TYPICALLY DONE IT.
BUT IF YOU'LL ALSO SEE UNDER MONTHLY SALARY BY CITY CHARTER, IT'S $5 A MEETING AND $10 A MONTH HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE AND BY OTHER, OTHER CITIES HAVE $50 A MEETING, $10 A MEETING, UH, 2 88, A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MEETING.
PLANO IS THE BIGGEST ONE ON THIS.
AND THEY ARE, AND EVEN IN DENTON AND IN FRISCO, THEY HAVE NO REIMBURSEMENT.
IT'S 700 AND $750 RESPECTIVELY.
SO THEY GET THE $750 PAY AND NOTHING ABOVE.
NOW I'M ASSUMING ALL OF THEM GET IT WHEN THEY GO TO TRIPS, NLCS, THAT IT IS JUST, YOU DON'T GET
[00:45:01]
IT FROM COMING TO CITY HALL AND BACK AND FORTH.SO THIS WAS, AGAIN, THIS WAS EIGHT MONTHS AGO.
IT COULD HAVE CHANGED, BUT WE DON'T KNOW.
I LOST FOR, I'M SORRY FOR CLARITY.
CAN YOU JUST GO FIRST? COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, YOU GO FIRST.
JUST FOR CLARITY, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SALARIES, EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT, OPENING, CHARTER VOTES, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, WHEN IT COMES TO SALARY, THAT'S A CHARTER ISSUE.
DO WE MAKE THE DECISION OR DOES THAT GO TO THE VOTERS? WE MAKE THE DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT IT GOES TO THE VOTERS.
DID THEY DECIDE WHETHER THEY APPROVE IT OR NOT? OKAY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO THE, SO WE MAKE THE DECISION, OKAY, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO TAKE THIS TO THE VOTERS AND THEN THEY DECIDE.
I THINK THAT WAS MY QUESTION FOR SALARY.
IF WE CHANGE SALARY THAT WE HAVE TO, THAT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHANGE.
IF WE WANT TO CHANGE FROM A HUNDRED DOLLARS AND $5 A MEETING TO WHATEVER, TO $2,000 A MONTH, THAT WOULD BE A CHARTER AMENDMENT.
AND THAT MAY BE THE EASY WAY TO DO THIS.
I'M NOT SAYING YES OR NO RIGHT NOW.
I'M JUST THROWING OUT AND THEN LET THE CITIZENS DECIDE.
SO SECONDARILY, UM, GENERAL BUSINESS EXPENSE, IS THERE ANY RULES AROUND THAT? CAN WE JUST VOTE RIGHT HERE AND SAY LET'S MAKE $10,000 A MONTH? WELL, WE COULD, BUT BOY THAT WOULDN'T.
I I, BUT THE POINT IS, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOTHING, UH, LEGAL, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING Y'ALL, Y'ALL THAT Y'ALL, IT'S AT OUR DISCRETION.
I MEAN THAT I I THINK WE ALL HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO COME UP WITH THE MATH, HOW WE CAME UP WITH WHATEVER WE DECIDE ON.
UH, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
THANK COUNCIL MEMBER S I'M SORRY, I'M JUST JUMPING.
I CAN RECOMMEND 1200, RECOMMEND 2,500.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST THAT'S RIGHT.
I THINK WE ALL PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING.
SO WHAT WAS IT BASED ON BEFORE YOU SAID SOMEONE TOOK A A TOTAL.
IT WAS BASED ON WHAT WE WERE TURNING IN FOR EXPENSES BACK THEN.
BACK THEN, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, UH, WE WERE PAYING FOR OUR OWN CELL PHONE, WHICH WE ARE NOW, UNLESS YOU WANT A CITY.
SO YOU WOULD TURN IN YOUR RECEIPT FOR YOUR PORTION OF YOUR PHONE BILL.
WE ALL HAD TO TURN INTO HER THE LINE.
I MEAN IT REALLY, IT REALLY ENDED UP BEING ABOUT 200 SOMETHING DOLLARS A MONTH.
AND SO THAT HAS GROWN TO WHAT IT IS NOW.
UH, IT WAS TO TAKE CARE OF INCIDENTAL DRIVING AROUND TOWNS TO GO TO THINGS.
UH, WE ARE REIMBURSED IN ADDITION WHEN WE GO TO AUSTIN AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT, THAT STIPEND THAT SHE CAME UP WITH WAS BASED ON THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE KIND OF HAVE TO, UH, SINCE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET PAID FOR HAVING THAT BREAKFAST WITH SOMEBODY, WHAT WE GOTTA THINK ABOUT, WELL, WHAT DID IT COST ME TO GO TO THEIR BREAKFAST 55 CENTS A MILE TIMES 50 MILES? YOU KNOW, OR WHATEVER.
YOU HAVE TO KIND OF DO YOUR OWN MATH.
I I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYER, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE COST OF LIVING.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT, WE NEED TO BE FAIR TO US TOO.
WHAT'S THE PROCESS? FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
WE NEED TO BE FAIR TO US, LIKE MIKE SAID, WE NEED TO BE FAIR.
UH, WHAT IS MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF I COULD MAKE A SUGGESTION JUST TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT APPLES AND APPLES.
CAN WE TAKE THIS BACK AND UPDATE IT TO CURRENT, WHAT ALL THE CURRENT CITIES ARE HAVING AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO YOU ON THE 20TH? YEAH, IF YOU CAN DO, UM, ESPECIALLY LIKE IRVING, EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES GRAND PRAIRIE, ARLINGTON.
WELL, IRVS, YOU DO LIKE ARLINGTON.
WHY ISN'T THIS PHOTO? BECAUSE IF WE'RE COMPARING OUR BEST TO ARLINGTON, THEY, WE CAN ADD, THEY JUST HAD NOT BEEN ONE OF OUR COMPAR CITIES BEFORE.
THESE ARE, THESE WERE OUR COMPARISON CITIES, WHAT WE CALL CO COMPAR CITIES.
SOMEBODY WE USE CITIES OF LIGHT SIZE UNLESS IT'S A RIGHT NEXT TO US OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
WE PITCHED IN ARLINGTON BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T MATCH DALLAS AND WE COULDN'T MATCH WHAT WORTH ANY ANYWAY, BUT I DO THAT, WE BRING IT BACK.
IF Y'ALL READ THE NEWSPAPER, MANSFIELD GOT SOME HEAT FOR WHAT THEY DID IN MANSFIELD RECENTLY.
THEY GAVE THEM ALL SALES A RAISES, BUT IT WASN'T VOTED.
ALL THE STAFF DID IT PART GOOGLE IT.
[00:50:02]
IT MADE THE NEWSPAPER.AND WHEN YOU TALK TO MANSFIELD, ASK THEM HOW THEY DID IT.
THEY DID NOT GO TO THE VOTERS.
CALL AND BRING IT BACK ON THE 20TH.
REFRESH THE NUMBERS, UH, SINCE IT'S ON THE AGENDA, PROBABLY BEST TO GO AHEAD AND PUT A MOTION ON THE TABLE OUT THERE TO TABLE UNTIL THE 20TH.
THAT WAY IT'S ON A MATTER OF RECORD.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT GOING FORWARD? I LIKE ADDING THOSE OTHER CITIES.
I DO LIKE ADDING MANSFIELD BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBOR AND THAT DID MAKE THE NEWSPAPER.
DESOTO, MANSFIELD, DUNCANVILLE AND CEDAR HILL IN MIDDLE AS WELL.
OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THE EXEC SESSION AND WE'RE GONNA HERE, MAYOR.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON ITEMS PRIOR THROUGH 19 THAT WE PROBABLY ANSWER? WE HAVE A ITEMS THAT, BUT WE HAD SUCH GREAT DISCUSSION.
WE RAN OUT OF TIME AND SO WE DID A VERY HIGH LEVEL BRIEFING ON ITEM SEVEN AND 12.
THE CDC ASKED THAT WE COME AND, UM, BRING YOU BACK THE, UM, PRESENTATION SO THAT Y'ALL CAN, WE CAN GO INTO A BIT, UH, HIGH, DEEPER, DEEPER DIVE INTO IT AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT AS A FULL COUNCIL.
SO I'LL HANDLE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
RASHAD WILL HANDLE ITEM NUMBER 12.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS AN ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR CONCRETE PAVING.
UM, WHAT ANNUAL CONTRACTS? THEY ARE A ONCALL AS NEEDED CONTRACT.
SO THEY GIVE US A FIXED COST ON A PER UNIT BASIS SO THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THEM OVER MULTIPLE PROJECTS OVER A YEAR ON, UM, AN AS PROJECTS NEW, UH, POP UP, NEW PROJECTS POP UP.
NOTICE OF BID WAS ON DECEMBER 17TH AND DECEMBER 24TH BID.
AND FOR STAR IT WAS SENT TO 197 VENDORS, 90 OF CHER HUBS AND FIVE ARE LOCAL.
MANDATORY PRE-BID WAS HELD JANUARY 2ND.
AND THE PURPOSE OF MANDATORY PRE-BID IS TO EXPLAIN THE BIDDING PROCESS AND GIVES THE VENDORS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMETHING SHOULD BE GONE.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL THE BIDDERS TO HEAR THE SAME INFORMATION.
UM, WE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT NO SECONDARY CONTRACTS, THE CITY OF PERIPHERY RESIDENTS ARE ALLOWED.
UM, SIX BIDS WERE RECEIVED AND THE WAY THE SCORING WORKS AND UM, WE JUST HANDED YOU THE, THE FLOORING HERE IS WE GIVE ON THE LEFT SIDE THAT COLUMN, WE GIVE A QUANTITY OR A, LIKE BASICALLY A MINI SCOPE OF WORK.
SO IT'S EITHER, UM, A SERVICE OR A GOOD AND WE SAY HOW MANY QUANTITIES WE THINK WE WOULD NEED.
THEY GIVE US A PRICE AND THEN THAT GENERATES THE COST AND THEN WE TOTAL UP ALL THE COSTS.
UM, YOU'LL SEE ON THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE IT'S HIGHLIGHTED.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE TOTAL IS AND THAT'S WHAT WE TAKE AND WE APPLY THAT TO THE BEST VALUE CALCULATION.
SO THEN THE LAST PAGE IS THE BEST VALUE CALCULATION.
YOU CAN SEE THE PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY, WHICH IS WHEN THEY WE'RE GONNA ENTER INTO, UM, ALL THREE CONTRACTS WITH THE PRIMARY BEING UTILIZED FIRST AND THE SECOND, THIRD BEING UTILIZED ON A ROTATING, UM, AS NEEDED BASED ON COST AND AVAILABILITY FOR THOSE SECOND AND THIRD.
WE DO HAVE ABOUT $22 MILLION WORTH OF BUDGETED PROJECTS THROUGH THIS YEAR WITH ANOTHER 6 MILLION PLANNED.
THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO, UM, THE 28 MILLION PER THE REASON WE GAVE IT ON ALL THREE CONTRACTS.
WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE SPENDING $28 MILLION WITH EACH, WITH EACH, BUT IN THE EVENT TO BACK OUT OR GO OUT OF BUSINESS OR WHATEVER.
THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO HANDLE ALL OF OUR PROJECTS, UM, AS NEEDED THAT ARE PLANNED AND IT GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY.
ANY QUESTIONS? WHEN WE GET THESE, UM, EVALUATIONS, CAN WE START IN LIGHT OF OUR NEW RESEARCH TO HAVE MAYBE AT THE TOP IN FRONT TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY OF THESE CERTIFICATIONS THAT WERE EVALUATED? JUST SO WHEN WE LOOK AT IT AT A GLANCE, IT'S CLEAR WHICH OF THESE, IF ANY, UH, MET ANY OF THOSE CERTIFICATIONS? YES MA'AM.
UM, SANTOS CONSTRUCTION, YOU GUYS GIVE THEM A FIVE FOR PAST EXPERIENCE WITH CITY OR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND THEY'VE DONE WORK WITH THE CITY.
SO WHY WOULD YOU GIVE THEM A FIVE? WHY WOULD YOU GIVE THEM A FIVE AND NOT A 10? WAS FIVE A TOTAL OR WHY DID WE ONLY GIVE THEM A FIVE INSTEAD OF A 10? FIVE SIZE AND THEN CALCULATED CRITERIA NUMBER.
[00:55:01]
SO THEY SAID FIVE IS THE HIGHEST.THEY SAID MAXIMUM SCORE IS 10, BUT THEY ONLY RECEIVE A FIVE.
WELL I GUESS THEY GAVE, THAT'S WHAT THE SCORING WAS.
THEY GAVE THEM FIVE SO THEY NOT WORK WITH THE CITY AND WE FIVE, WHY ARE WE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE CITY? THEY WANT, WE GIVE A FIVE OUT 10 ON EXACTLY.
I THINK THAT WAS IS THAT, IS THAT TOTAL UP? NO, UNTIL FIVE.
IF YOU TAKE THAT FIVE AWAY, THE SECOND HIGHEST WOULD GET THE CONTRACT.
AND THEY'RE FROM GRAND PRAIRIE.
THIS, I DON'T, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AND I I'M JUST COMMENTING FROM EXPERIENCES.
NOT SO, SO SEEING A FIVE COMPLAINTS, I'M SURPRISED.
I HAD TO, MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY GAVE HIM A FIVE.
YEAH, THAT'S CONTRACT PERFORMANCE.
SO I'M THINKING, SO PERFORMANCE IS NOT GOOD.
WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOMEONE ELSE INSTEAD OF, BECAUSE I HAD SERIOUS COMPLAINTS, KURT, THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD WANT TO INCREASED CONTRACT FOR FARMERS TO A GREATER WEIGHT.
SEE, SEE THAT'S THE WHOLE SCHEME.
IT'S LIKE WATCHING, UH, BLOCK, UH, CHOPPED, YOU KNOW, PUT THE WEIGHT WHERE YOU WANT IT.
I RECEIVE THOSE COMMENTS SIX YEARS AGO.
SO I HAVE NOT IN THE PAST YEAR COMPLAINTS.
I'VE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS AND THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT UP TO BILL THAT I WANTED TO TABLE THIS BECAUSE THIS YEAR I GOT A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
UM, AND I THINK WE JUST NEED, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY PRICING.
AND, AND WITH THE RESIDENTS, THEY WERE BASICALLY JUST DOUBLE DIPPING THE SYSTEM.
AND SIR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN RESPONSE TO THOSE COMPLAINTS IS WE DID PUT IN THE BID LANGUAGE THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE ANY SECONDARY CONTRACTS.
SO THEY CAN'T GO TO THE RESIDENCE AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE OUT HERE.
DO YOU WANT US TO DO THIS EXTRA SERVICE SO THAT THAT'S OFF THE TABLE? UM, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKING MONEY ON TOP OF US USING OUR CONTRACT TO MAKE LITTLE SIDE HUSTLE OF MONEY.
I, WHO'S THE SELECT DO YOU WANT US TO APPROVE BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE PRESENTING TONIGHT? SANTOS.
AND THERE'S THE SECONDARY TERTIARY ONE.
SEE, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE HAVE FOUR RENEWALS ON THIS CONTRACT.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS IF WE CAN APPROVE THIS TONIGHT FOR ONE YEAR TO SEE HOW SANTOS PERFORMS ON THIS NEXT YEAR AND NOT DO THE OTHER APPROVALS, AND NOT DO THE OTHER APPROVALS AND SEE HOW IT PERFORMS OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE $23 MILLION WORTH OF STREET REPAIR AND STUFF OUT THERE THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE, THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE.
SO WE DO NEED TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR AND WE CAN HAVE OUR SECONDARY AND THIRD CONTRACTOR, WE CAN ALSO TO HELP US WITH THAT.
I, I'D LIKE TO REVISIT YOUR COMMENT ON ADDITIONAL AND, AND, AND MIKE, I THINK I, I HOPE THAT YOU AGREE ON THIS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I'VE SEEN GET IMPROVED.
LIKE A DRIVEWAYS GET ADDED BECAUSE THEY DO IT FOR A PORTION OF THE PROCESS.
SO, SO THE BIGGEST COMPLAIN I HAD IN, AND PERHAPS THEY'RE GETTING, THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT I HAD WAS WHY IS IT FOR INSTANCE, OUR, BASICALLY OUR BID TO THEM WAS THEY'RE DOING IT FOR $12 A SQUARE FOOT.
RESIDENTIALS ONLY SHOULD BE BETWEEN 7 75 AND EIGHT BUCKS.
THEY SAID A DRIVEWAY STICK BECAUSE, BUT THEY WERE STILL CHARGES.
WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO TONIGHT? I THINK WE, WELL WE ALREADY HAVE THINGS OH, SORRY, GO AHEAD, AHEAD.
WE HAVE PROJECTS ALREADY GOING.
SO Y'ALL WANT TO GO BILL'S RECOMMENDATION.
WELL, THE PROJECTS GOING ON, THEY'RE NOT, THAT ARE IN THE WORKS.
THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE WHOLE YEAR WORTH.
THE PROJECTS THAT'RE GOING ON HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS FOLK TONIGHT.
DO THEY? WELL, IN ORDER, IF Y'ALL WERE DETERMINATE THIS, UM, OR TO REJECT THESE BID, IT WOULD TAKE US THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO GO BACK OUT
BUT IT WOULDN'T AFFECT THE CONTRACTS THEY HAVE NOW.
NO, BUT IT WOULD, UH, NO, BUT IT WOULD DELAY.
I DIDN'T, I I KNOW IT DELAY THINGS.
IT WOULD NOT AFFECT THE CONTRACTS WE HAVE NOW.
YES, THEY'RE UNDER CONTRACT FOR THOSE IT WILL RUN OUT MONEY.
YEAH, THEY WOULD BE DONE WHEN IT'S DONE.
WE'RE NOT REJECT WHAT WE NEED.
WE HAVEN'T SAID WE'RE WE GO TO THE SECOND ONE.
WHY CAN WE GO TO THE SECOND? WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT.
WHO THEY MAY NOT EVEN BE ANY BETTER GOING BACK TO BID SINCE WE HAVEN'T.
WORKED WITH A WHAT WE, IT MAY BE BEST TO DO A SIX MONTH EXTENSION.
THAT WOULD BE LONG ENOUGH TO, IF YOU DID NEED TO GO BACK, ALL THE PROJECTS WOULD BE COMPLETED.
LISTEN, WE'VE GOT BILLION, MILLIONS TO DO.
THIS WHOLE CONTRACT WILL NOT COMPLETE ALL THE PROJECTS WE WANT.
[01:00:01]
ABOUT IS THERE'S GONNA BE A GAP IF WE DELAY.SO IF WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO, IF WE, UH, SO WE KNOCK THEM OFF AND MOVE EVERYBODY UP.
IF WE GIVE HYPOTHETICALLY WHAT WE COULD DO IS DO A SIX MONTH EXTENSION TO THE, TO THE CONTRACT AND THEN REBID THE CONTRACT.
THAT WOULD KEEP US DOING CONCRETE.
AND WE CAN DO THAT IN A MOTION TONIGHT.
SO ON ON THE WORDING, LET'S JUST WORK ON THE WORDING.
YOU GET HIM THE WORDING FOR SIX MONTHS? YES SIR.
LET'S GO WITH THAT AND REBID IT.
WHY NOT JUST GO FOR THE SECOND, THIRD OPTION? WELL, I THINK WE'VE GOT THINGS ON THE PIPE THAT MIGHT, AND YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE, WE WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE TO GET RIGHT NOW TO DO IT RIGHT.
YOU GET SOME OTHER PEOPLE IN THERE TO MEET SOME OF THESE CERTIFICATIONS.
SO THE SANTOS DOES MEET THE CERTIFICATIONS EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T LIKE WORKING WITH THEM.
I I THINK THIS IS THE BEST OPTION.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE COULD DO.
WE COULD AUTOMATICALLY GIVE IT TO NUMBER TWO.
SANTOS IS ON THE GROUND WORKING.
I, I'M UP TO WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO.
BILL'S JUST TRYING, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO GIVE US SOME, I THINK SIX MONTHS KEEPS US BUILDING ROADS AND LETS US REBID.
WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO ADD MORE WORK FOR THE STAFF.
THE BEST VALUE FOR THE DOLLAR BECAUSE THEY, IF THEY WORKING IN THE CITY AND HAVEN'T GOTTEN A 10, THEY'VE BEEN IN THE CITY FOR A WHILE WORKING.
I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY BEING GENEROUS.
IF ANY OF 'EM WE LOOKED AT, DID THEY GIVE A 10 TO THEY ALL HAVE FIVE.
I THINK THAT IS A HOE ON THAT CHART.
USUALLY THE SCALE SYSTEM IS ONE TO FIVE WHEN YOU'RE RANKING.
SO Y'ALL ARE THINKING EVERYBODY GOT, EVERYBODY GOT A FIVE, WHICH MEANS EVERYBODY'S THE SAME.
I Y'ALL NEED TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IT SAYS LOOK AT IT.
JOHN, JOHN MAKE MOTION TO SEE THERE'S A CURVE ON THIS.
WHAT'S RASHAD? YOU HAVE ONE MORE TO GO? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, WE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM PROVIDE, UH, DEVELOPMENTS FROM PRAIRIE RIDGE TO DO A SLIGHT AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING ELLIS COUNTY FRESHWATER SUPPLY DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
AS Y'ALL KNOW OF PRAIRIE RIDGE IS ALREADY DEVELOPED CONSTRUCTION ON THIS PHASE EIGHT AND NINE, BEEN APPROACHED BY A COUPLE OF HIGHER ED DEVELOPERS.
UM, THIS WAS APPROVED TO UH, IN 2007.
UH, I SAY 2 0 7 JUST TO GIVE YOU A JUST OF HOW THINGS HAVE TRANSITIONED.
NOW THERE'S DIFFERENT HOUSING TYPES, DIFFERENT BUILDING TYPES.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO ADJUST TO THE MARKET FOR THIS SPECIFIC SECTION.
UH, THAT WAS APPROVED FOR 53 FOOT WIDE LOTS.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO FORTIES WITH THE BUILDERS HIGH, HIGH HIGHLAND AND DAVID WOOD.
NOW ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE YELLOW PORTION ONLY? YES SIR.
IT'S VERY MINOR IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE SCOPE COUNSEL.
WHAT I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES GOING WITH THE SMALLER LOTS.
NOW IS THAT THE REAR ENTRANCE? GARAGES? IT'S REAR ENTRANCE, RIGHT? YES.
ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS WE REQUIRE FOR THIS TO CHANGE IS THAT THEY ALL BE REAR ENTRY GARAGES.
DON'T WANT THE WHOLE FACADE TO BE A GARAGE.
SO, UH, AND KEEPING IN MIND, THIS IS THE ELVIS COUNTY SIDE.
WE GOT JOHNSON COUNTY AS WE'RE GOING TO JOHNSON COUNTY, THERE IS GOING TO BE THE TOWN CENTER AREA WITH SMALLER LOTS FACING THE STREET AS WELL.
SO IT'LL BE A NICE TRANSITION LEAVING THIS AREA GOING ACROSS.
SO WHERE'S THE STREET AT? THAT'S IN THE NO, WELL THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST TURN, THIS IS ONE INTO JOHNSON COUNTY.
SO AS YOU SEE THESE HOMES ARE GONNA BE FACING THAT MAIN BOULEVARD.
THERE'S GONNA BE A LARGER CENTER POND IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, I THINK IS APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED.
UM, AND THE CHANGES THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO ALLOW FOR THOSE SUPPORT, THAT MINOR DESIGNED CHANGES.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK AND CHANGE ALL OTHER LOTS? WE THROUGH THE, THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AND WE WOULDN'T, WE WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT.
[01:05:01]
THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THIS AREA.THE OTHER LOTS ARE 53, THE OTHER LOTS ARE 53 60 UP TO 80.
NINE SPECIFIC HIGHLIGHT GONNA INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOTS.
I I JUST COMMENT THAT IT SEEMS LIKE SMALLER THE LOTS MORE HOUSES, BUT WHERE THE PROBLEM IS MORE CARS SO YOU CAN ADD MORE GARAGES.
WE ALL HAVE, WE ALL HAVE THREE OR FOUR CARS IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SKINNIER, THE LOTS, THE LESS PLACE TO PUT YOUR CAR, WHICH MEANS YOU GOT A BRAND NEW STREET WITH CARS ON BOTH SIDES AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BRAND NEW NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S LIKE UNDERSTAND MY OLD DISTRICT.
SO JUST MY COMMENT, I I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOOD OR BAD OR IF IT'S WORTH STOPPING IT, BUT THIS HAS SOME TYPE OF TO FOCUS IN ON THOSE WHO ARE DOWNSIZING.
UM, IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF THE WAY OF THE FUTURE, KURT.
HE SAID HE DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO GO WITH IT, BUT YOU KNOW IT DOWN IN HIS DISTRICT.
UH, I I'M NOT PASSIONATE ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO, I JUST, YEAH.
SO DO WE LEAVE IT ON? DO Y'ALL WANT IT? LEAVE IT.
WELL WE APPROVED IN CC DID YOU? NO, WE PUSHED RIGHT.
WHAT DID Y'ALL DO? WE JUST PUSHED IT TO THE COUNSEL SO WE CAN OKAY, WE'LL LEAVE IT ON THE CONSENT.
SIX MONTHS WE'VE BEEN, WE'RE GONNA STAY IN HERE FOR EXEC SESSION.
UM, STAFF HAS BEEN REALLY TRYING TO GET US TO WHERE WE CAN EAT SUPPER TOGETHER.
BUT LOOK AT THE TIME, I DON'T LIKE TO BE PUSHED, I DON'T LIKE TO FEEL LIKE I'M RUSHING Y'ALL 'CAUSE I WANT TO EAT.
I I LIKE EATING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BEING RELAXED.
SO, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO FIX OUR PLATE AND GO INTO THE OTHER ROOM.
IT IS NOT IN THE, IT'S NOT IN WE PLATE.
I LIKE THE IDEA STAFF, BUT WE'RE A BUSY CITY.
SOME OF OUR NEIGHBOR CITIES STARTED NOON.
TODAY THE CITY COUNCIL MAY CONDUCT A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5 1 SUB CHAPTER DEAL.
GOVERNOR CO BTCA DISCUSSING FOLLOWING ITEM TWO, SECTION 5 5 1 7 2 DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY ITEM FOUR, SECTION 5 5 1 0.076 DELIBERATIONS REGARDING SECURITY DEVICES ARE SECURITY AUDIT CLOSED NEED ITEM FIVE, SECTION 5 5 1 0.087 DELIBERATIONS REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT IN THE EXECUTIVE SECTION, BUT WE'LL TAKE TIME TO FIX OUR PLATE.
NO, WE WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE OTHER ROOM.