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OKAY.MAY ONE, MOM, I'LL TAKE THE TIME.
I'LL TAKE CARE OF GOOD EVENING.
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DO, I'LL DO THE PACKAGE.WELCOME TO THE FIRST MEETING IN AUGUST.
WE'VE GOT OUR FRIENDS FROM DOWN IN AUSTIN WITH US TONIGHT.
UM, BILL, YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE 'EM? BRANDON.
BRANDON, MS. SNAPPER, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT THE FOLKS WHO WORK FOR US DOWN IN AUSTIN AND DO SUCH A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT JOB, BRANDON AND SNAPPER.
AND VANNA, YOU CAN INTRODUCE 'EM FOR US.
WHILE SHE'S DOING THAT, BRANDON, JUST SPEAK FROM THERE.
TELL THIS COUNSEL YOUR HISTORY DOWN IN AUSTIN, AND THEN SNAPPER, I WANT YOU TO ALSO INCLUDE WHAT YOU DID DOWN AT OKAY, BRANDON.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE SLIDE ON THIS.
WE'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF, OF WORKING FOR THE CITY FOR A NUMBER, NUMBER OF YEARS NOW.
UM, GOING BACK, UH, TO 2007, I BELIEVE.
UM, AND OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HAD A, A NUMBER OF REALLY GREAT SUCCESSES, UH, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL AND STAFF AND THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, UH, SNAPPER.
AND I TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BLEND IN THE BACKGROUND AND MAKE SURE THAT THINGS GET DONE IN THE LEGISLATURE THE WAY THAT Y'ALL WANT THEM DONE.
BUT BETWEEN EPIC HOTEL AND THE, UM, UH, STATE, UH, FUNDING THAT'S COME ALONG WITH THAT OPEN, YOU CAN USE THE MIC NOW AFTER INTRODUCE HIM.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THE CITY'S, UM, DRAFT PRIORITIES FOR THE 90TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
BEFORE I INTRODUCE BRANDON AND, AND SNAPPER, UM, AT YOUR SEATS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, LET ME KNOW.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED FOR THE 89TH SESSION, AS WELL AS A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF WHAT WAS PASSED FROM THE 89TH AND OUR DRAFT FOR THE 90TH.
AND THE LAST THING IS A COPY OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.
UM, SO IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON, UM, REAL QUICK, WHAT I'VE DONE IS FOR THE EIGHT, FOR THE 89 SESSION, IF IT'S HIGHLIGHTED GREEN, IT WAS EITHER REMOVED OR THE LANGUAGE WAS MODIFIED.
AND SO FOR THE 90TH SESSION, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE NEW.
UM, AND SO BRANDON WILL GO OVER INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THIS, OUR DRAFT LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS, LEGISLATION THAT WE ANTICIPATE, UM, COMING UP DURING THE 90TH AND A LITTLE BIT ON THE MAKEUP OF OUR CURRENT LEGISLATURE, MAYOR COUNCIL, BRANDON ILIAN, WITH FOCUSED ADVOCACY.
SNAPPER CARR, MY BUSINESS PARTNER, LONGTIME BUSINESS PARTNER HERE WITH ME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MEET WITH YOU AND FOR A, A COUPLE OF YOU.
UM, THIS IS FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BRIEF IN FRONT OF HIM.
FOR SOME OF YOU, THIS IS, UH, MANY, MANY TIMES OVER NOW, UH, AND, AND FOR ONE OF YOU, IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL TO REUNI REUNITE WITH HAVING, UH, WORKED WITH YOU FOR SO MANY YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE ON GRAND PRAIRIE, UH, INITIATIVES.
WE ARE FOCUSED ADVOCACY, ME, SNAPPER, OUR BUSINESS PARTNER, KURT SEITZ, FORMER MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CHAIRMAN OF STATE AFFAIRS, AND CLINT MCGEE, UH, WHO'S, UH, A RESIDENT PROPERTY TAX EXPERT, UH, REPRESENTING YOU DOWN IN AUSTIN.
MAYOR, YOU WERE KIND TO, UH, TEE UP A LITTLE INTRODUCTION FOR US.
AND, AND WE HAVE HAD EIGHT SESSIONS NOW, UH, WITH CITI AND, AND THE FOCUSED ADVOCACY INCARNATION, SNAPPER.
AND I ACTUALLY WORKED FOR Y'ALL AT A PRIOR FIRM BEFORE THAT.
SO WE HAVE A VERY DEEP HISTORY HERE.
FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT, THAT DO NOT KNOW, I'M, I'M A, UM, NATIVE, UH, OF THIS AREA, GREW UP IN, IN SOUTH ARLINGTON, UH, JUST NEAR THE, THE GRAND PRAIRIE BORDER.
AND SO THIS IS HOME FOR ME, MOM AND SISTER, UH, STILL UP HERE.
AND MY DAD'S STILL UP HERE TOO.
UH, AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF REALLY, UH, WONDERFUL SUCCESSES, UH, LED BY, UH, YOUR, YOUR STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, UH,
[00:05:01]
FROM, UH, CHANGES TO YOUR STREET MAINTENANCE SALES TAX ELECTION, YOUR OPEN CARRY DESIGNATION AT EPIC.LAST SESSION, WE HAD A COUPLE OF REALLY, UH, NEAT, UH, SUCCESSES.
WE HAD SOME ETJ UH, CARVE OUTS FOR Y'ALL.
UM, AND, UH, WE HAD A, UM, A, UH, UH, PASSAGE OF A, A SPECIAL EVENT, UH, UM, SPECIAL EVENT FUNDING FOR YOUR, YOUR CRICUT ELIGIBILITY.
UH, AS VNA SAID, UH, WE'RE HERE TODAY REALLY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR LEGISLATIVE WORK, THE, THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, AND TO WORKSHOP THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU.
SO I HOPE THIS ISN'T A, A CRICKETS MOMENT.
UH, AT THE END OF THIS, WE, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU'ALL ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOU WANT YOUR AGENDA TO BE IN AUSTIN UPCOMING.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO GET TO THIS POINT, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE, UM, CALENDAR, UH, PERSPECTIVE, UH, 97 DAYS FROM NOW, WE HAVE ACTUAL BILL FILING.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THAT NOVEMBER 9TH DATE.
THAT, THAT IS THE FIRST MONDAY AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION.
SO WE, UH, THE FIRST MONDAY AFTER GENERAL ELECTION, THEY START FILING WHAT SNAPPER AND I LIKE TO CALL REAL LIVE BILLS.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T ACT ON 'EM BECAUSE THEY DON'T ACTUALLY MEET UNTIL JANUARY 12TH, UH, BUT THE, THE BILLS START GETTING FILED.
SO FOR US, NOVEMBER 9TH IS REALLY THE FIRST DAY OF SESSION.
AND, AND THAT'S NOW LESS THAN A HUNDRED DAYS AWAY.
YOU SEE THEIR MARCH 13TH BEING THE FILING DEADLINE, AND THEN MAY 31ST BEING THE LAST DAY OF THE REGULAR SESSION.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE HAD THE JOY OF A LOT OF OVERTIME, WHICH THEY CALL SPECIAL SESSION.
UH, SO THE WORK IS, IS DEFINITELY UPON US.
UM, YOUR DRAFT AGENDA THAT VNA HANDED OUT IS A, IS A PRODUCT OF SOME, UH, UH, WORKSHOPS AND SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH YOUR, UH, STAFF UP TO THIS POINT.
BUT YOU SEE THERE IN SOME VERY BROAD PARAMETERS, UH, WHAT'S BEING, UM, PROPOSED TO YOU AND, AND, UH, VNA, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT TODAY'S A WORKSHOP.
AND THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, EITHER AT THE NEXT MEETING OR SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD, YOU WILL ACTUALLY ADOPT A RESOLUTION THAT CONTAINS THE SPECIFIC, UH, LANGUAGE OF YOUR, OF YOUR LEGISLATIVE, UH, POSITIONS.
BUT THIS LAYS OUT WHAT WOULD BE YOUR QUOTE UNQUOTE SUPPORT CATEGORY.
UH, AND YOU SEE IT, UH, ORGANIZED AROUND THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOCAL CONTROL AROUND YOUR HOUSING AND LAND USE.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT LAND USE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND YOUR CITY OPERATIONS AND FINANCE, AND THEN SOME BROAD STROKES DOWN THERE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, WASTEWATER, PARK RECREATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I'LL WRAP ALL THAT UP BY SAYING YOUR CITY AGENDA GENERALLY, UH, AT THE, AT THE VERY HIGH LEVEL, AT THE VERY BROAD STROKE LEVEL, IS A VERY TRADITIONAL CITY AGENDA.
UH, AND THIS EXERCISE MATTERS BECAUSE WE AS A FIRM, DON'T FREELANCE FOR YOU DOWN IN, IN AUSTIN.
WE GET OUR DIRECTION ON LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY DOWN THERE FROM YOU, RIGHT? YOU GIVE US THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE POSITIONS AND TO, UH, WORK ON LEGISLATION FOR OR AGAINST BASED ON THIS AGENDA.
SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.
UH, AT THE STAFF WORKSHOP THAT I'VE ALLUDED TO A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UH, THERE WERE, UH, THREE VERY SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT CAME UP THAT STAFF WAS SENSITIVE TO AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOMMENDED AS A POSITION TO YOU FOR YOUR, UM, AGENDA.
AND YOU SEE THERE, THE, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, UH, PREEMPTION, UH, BEING SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, UH, FIGHT AND DEFEND AGAINST IF THAT LEGISLATION COMES UP.
AND, AND LET ME PAUSE THERE AND MAKE SURE I WANNA BE CLEAR.
EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE HERE.
THERE IS NO LIVE LEGISLATION RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT IN SESSION.
THERE ARE NO BILLS, RIGHT? SO THIS IS LEGISLATION TO COME OR COULD COME AND WE SUSPECT THAT IT WILL.
UH, AND SO GETTING BACK TO THE SCRIPT HERE, THEN THESE OTHER TWO ITEMS, AND THOSE BILL NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE THERE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE LAST SESSIONS.
THOSE ARE THE 89TH SESSIONS BILL NUMBERS.
SO HOUSE BILL 1227, WHICH WAS A BILL THAT WOULD'VE, UH, STATUTORILY REDUCED YOUR, YOUR SOLID WASTE FRANCHISE FEE.
AND THEN HOUSE BILL 29 98, WHICH WOULD'VE REQUIRED, UM, AN ELECTION, UH, FOR PESTICIDE APPLICATION, MOSQUITO PESTICIDE APPLICATION.
SO STAFF WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UM, MOVING THEN TO PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH OF COURSE IS GONNA BE A A A A, IT HAS BEEN A MAJOR DISCUSSION
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NOW FOR MANY, MANY, MANY SESSIONS.UH, GOING BACK TO SNAPPER, IS IT 2005, 2003, WHEN, WHEN THEN GOVERNOR RICK PERRY REALLY STARTED BE BANGING THIS DRUM OF A, OF A CAP, UH, AND WE'VE SPENT THE BETTER PART NOW OF 25 YEARS TALKING ABOUT VARIOUS FORMS OF CAPS.
THE GOVERNOR, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS, UH, ON, ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL RIGHT NOW, HAS PROPOSED ANOTHER VERSION OF A PROPERTY TAX PLAN.
AND IT IS CHOCKFULL OF, OF DETAIL.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS THERE IN THAT BOX, AS YOU CAN SEE.
AND IT'S BECAUSE THAT HIS PLAN IS VERY DETAILED, I THINK, UM, THE EVERY WORD OF THAT MATTERS TO Y'ALL.
THE POPULATION PLUS INFLATION, OR THREE, 3.5%, WHICHEVER IS LESSER RIGHT, COULD POTENTIALLY REDUCE YOU BELOW THE 3.5% THAT YOU'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
THE TWO THIRDS VOTER APPROVAL FOR TAX INCREASES WOULD BE A PRETTY, UM, SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO CURRENT LAW, UH, THE ROLLBACK.
AND THEN YOU SEE THERE IN THAT FOURTH BULLET POINT THAT, THAT STATE DEBT LIMIT AND DEFICIT SPENDING BAN, UH, AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, UM, BEING SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY NEW, AND THEN SOME APPRAISAL TREATMENT AS, AS WELL.
AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY ATTUNED TO WHAT THE TARRANT COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT DID HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND SO THIS IS SORT OF FOLLOWING ALONG THAT CONVERSATION OF LIMITING HOW MANY TIMES THERE WOULD BE AN APPRAISAL SIGNIFICANTLY.
THAT BOTTOM BOX SHOWS YOU THAT ALREADY 88 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE, GOP, HAVE SIGNED UP FOR, UH, SUPPORTING THIS PLAN.
UH, SOME OF THIS WOULD REQUIRE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE MORE THAN 88 VOTES.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A 100 VOTES, UM, AS, AS REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON KNOWS, UH, AND, UH, SOME OF IT WOULD NOT.
SO THERE, THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME NEED TO GO GET SOME VOTES, AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS, UM, SOMEWHAT, UM, UH, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, NOT NECESSARILY GONE LOCKSTEP WITH THIS PLAN AND HAS GONE MORE WITH THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION APPROACH AND THIS, UH, DOUBLE NICKEL PLAN AS IT'S BEEN NOW, UM, COINED, UH, TO FREEZE TAXES, UH, SCHOOL TAXES, UH, FOR, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS AT THE AGE OF 55 OR ABOVE.
UM, HIS, HIS PRICE TAG WOULD BE ABOUT A $4 BILLION PLAN.
AND WE, WE'LL KIND OF TALK A LITTLE MORE HERE IN A MINUTE ABOUT HOW THAT FITS INTO THINGS.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I THINK A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE THE SESSION IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SMALLER SURPLUS THIS TIME, A SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER SURPLUS.
UH, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN OFFICIAL.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU SEE THAT NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.
THAT'S IN OCTOBER 14TH, UH, WHICH WAS UNDER THEN COMPTROLLER APPOINTED, APPOINTED COMPTROLLER KELLY HANCOCK.
AS Y'ALL HAVE PROBABLY FOLLOWED ALONG, WE NOW HAVE YET ANOTHER COMPTROLLER, UH, IN THE FORM OF, OF DON HUFFINES.
AND, AND MR. HUFFINES HAS NOT RELEASED ANY KIND OF OFFICIAL REVENUE ESTIMATE, BUT I THINK IT'S AN, IT'S A, IT IS A, UH, FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THE STATE IS NOT GONNA WALK INTO THE KIND OF SURPLUSES THAT WE'VE SEEN.
THIS IS THE KIND OF SURPLUS WE USED TO SEE, BY THE WAY.
AND THIS USED TO BE REAL GOOD NEWS TO COME IN AND HAVE THREE OR FOUR OR $5 BILLION, UH, BUT WE'VE JUST HAD THESE RECORD SETTING SURPLUSES THE LAST FEW SESSIONS, AND THAT ENABLED THAT FIRST BOX.
SO, I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, THAT $51 BILLION IN TAX RELIEF SINCE 2019 HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF THE, UH, INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO THE STATE TO BUY DOWN PROPERTY TAXES, AND THEY'RE JUST NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT THIS TIME.
UM, GOING BACK TO SOME STAFF, UM, UH, WORKSHOP, UM, UH, ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, YOU SEE HERE, FOUR DIFFERENT ISSUES.
UM, UH, AN ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST SESSION BY REPRESENTATIVE DAVID COOK, UM, REGARDING, UM, THE, THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO, IN ESSENCE, YOU KNOW, REFUSE TO RUN YOUR CITY ELECTIONS IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.
THAT WOULD BE A, A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH YOUR THREE OR FOUR COUNTY, UM, PRESENCE THAT Y'ALL HAVE GEOGRAPHICALLY.
UH, AND SO, UH, REPRESENTATIVE COOK WAS TRYING TO, UH, ADDRESS THAT LAST SESSION THAT BILL DID NOT PASS.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER GOING AFTER VNA SHARED WITH ME A RESOLUTION FROM THE CITY OF JOSHUA, I BELIEVE, UH, THAT THAT CAME FORWARD
[00:15:01]
RECENTLY.SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REGIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ISSUE THAT, THAT WILL PA, YOU KNOW, PLAY OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, THERE'S ALSO THIS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE HOWARD BILL FROM LAST SESSION ABOUT ALLOWING, UM, PARAMEDICS TO TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES.
AND COMPARED TO THE CURRENT REQUIREMENT THAT ONLY PATROL OFFICERS CAN DO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER, UH, THE ELECTRONIC PUBLIC NOTICE ON DIGITAL BULLETIN BOARDS AS A REPRESENTATIVE JESSICA GONZALEZ, BILL HERE LOCALLY THAT WE'VE PURSUED A FEW TIMES, UH, THAT THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY HAS, HAS FOUGHT US ON.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, THE WELLNESS CHECK, UH, GAP THAT WE HAVE IN LAW, UH, THAT, THAT, UM, HAS BEEN OF CONCERN TO YOUR STAFF, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT ANY OF THOSE IN DETAIL.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANNA BRING SOMETHING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT, THAT WE DEFINITELY WANT YOUR GUIDANCE ON IT.
AS YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT THIS TO BE A LEGISLATIVE ITEM, BUT YOUR HOTEL TAX REBATE THAT HAS, UH, BEEN A PART OF YOUR FUNDING MIX, UH, FOR, UM, FUELING THE, THE FINANCING BEHIND THE EPIC HOTEL.
UM, IF THERE'S EVER TO BE A SUBSEQUENT HOTEL AT THAT SAME SITE, UH, YOU WOULD NOT GET THE SAME, UH, 1000 FOOT ZONE, UM, REBATE THAT YOU GET.
SO THINK ALL, ALL OF YOUR RESTAURANTS OUT THERE, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THE FINANCING OF THAT PROJECT BECAUSE YOU GET TO CAPTURE THE STATE DOLLARS.
UH, THAT 1000 FOOT ZONE IS, IS SET TO EXPIRE, UH, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2027.
SO THIS IS THE LAST SESSION THAT WE HAVE TO EXTEND THAT.
UM, AND, AND IF IT DOESN'T, THEN THAT PIECE OF THE TOOL, NOT THE ENTIRE TOOL, YOU WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO GET THE HOTEL TAX REBATE, BUT YOU WOULD NOT GET THE SALES TAX REBATE, AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO GET IT FOR THE ONES WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT CLARITY, MAYOR, OBJECT, ANY THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
SO, UH, MOVING ON AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE A HUGE EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT.
YOU SEE EVERY SESSION, THESE BILL NUMBERS CLIMBING IN TERMS OF THE FILED NUMBER OF BILLS LAST SESSION, A A PRETTY RECORD SHATTERING, 9,000 BILLS, A NUMBER I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE SAYING.
AND YOU SEE THERE ARE REALLY CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, CALL IT THOUSAND TO 1200 BILLS PASS THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES NOW.
SO YOU CAN ALMOST JUST SET A CLOCK TO IT.
THE LEGISLATURE'S GONNA PASS ABOUT A THOUSAND TO 1200 BILLS, BUT THE MORE THEY FILE THE, YOU KNOW, IF THAT FILING CONTINUES TO INCREASE, THEN OF COURSE YOU HAVE MORE OF A, OF A, WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY BILLS AS A PERCENTAGE DON'T PASS, RIGHT? SO INCREASINGLY IT GETS, PERCENTAGE WISE, IT GETS VERY HARD TO PASS A BILL.
UH, MOVING ON THEN, JUST TO, TO OUR, OUR POLITICAL PICTURE HERE.
UH, THIS IS OUR, OUR CURRENT, UM, STATEWIDE, UH, POSITIONS AND SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE ROLES, UM, WITH THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, AND, UH, NOW COMP, UH, APPOINTED COMPTROLLER.
DON HUFFIN IS ALL ON THE BALLOT.
UH, DUSTIN BURR IS, OF COURSE, IS ON THE BALLOT, BUT HE IS NOT ON THE BALLOT AS SPEAKER.
HE IS ON THE BALLOT AS A WELL, AND I WANNA GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE.
UM, THE BOTTOM PIECE OF THAT IS, IS SOMEWHAT SIGNIFICANT.
THERE'S, THERE'S GUARANTEED TO BE A NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL, A NEW AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER, AND ONE OF OUR RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS ARE ALL GUARANTEED TO BE NEW STATEWIDE OFFICIALS, WHICH IS PRETTY UNIQUE TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF, OF THREE AT, AT THAT LEVEL OF OFFICE.
OF COURSE, YOUR DELEGATION IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF OUR EFFORTS AND REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, YOUR LEADERSHIP DOWN THERE.
UM, SENATOR WEST REPRESENTING 80% OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE IS RETURNING, UH, NATHAN JOHNSON.
UH, SENATOR JOHNSON, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, IS RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL.
SO SHOULD HE WIN, YOU WOULD THEN POTENTIALLY LOSE THAT.
YOU WOULD LOSE THAT, UM, SITTING THERE WOULD BE A A, AN OPEN SENATE SEAT.
HE REPRESENTS ABOUT 14% OF THE CITY.
AND SENATOR BIRDWELL, WHO REPRESENTS ABOUT 6% OF THE CITY, UH, ELECTED NOT TO SEEK REELECTION.
HE WAS APPOINTED ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR RECENTLY.
AND SO THAT SEAT IS OPEN, UH, AND DAVID COOK IS RUNNING FOR THAT.
UM, AND ON THE HOUSE SIDE, YOU SEE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE GONZALEZ REPRESENTING THE MAJORITY OF, OF THE CITY, UH, YOUR, YOUR FORMER COLLEAGUE, UH, JUNIOR IS, UM, UH, NOW WHAT I THINK WE CAN SAFELY CALL REPRESENTATIVE ELECT, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT HAVE AN OPPONENT IN NOVEMBER.
[00:20:01]
UH, YOU SEE THE, THE REST OF YOUR DELEGATION, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE TO YOU, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, MANY TIMES Y'ALL ARE VERY UNIQUE, VERY, VERY UNIQUE IN THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE DELEGATION, UM, FOR A CITY YOUR SIZE.UH, AND, AND IT, I THINK IS TO OUR, OUR BENEFIT.
UM, AND YOU, I NOTE THERE AT THE BOTTOM, REPRESENTATIVE TINDER HOLT, WHO HAS A VERY SMALL, VERY, VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE CITY.
SO HE'S NOT SHOWN HERE, BUT HE'S ALSO NOT SEEKING REELECTION.
UH, SO IF YOU TAKE ALL THAT, UH, IN TOTAL, YOU HAVE TWO OF YOUR SENATORS, UH, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TURN OVER.
ONE IS TURNING OVER, FOR SURE YOU HAVE, AND REPRESENTATIVE TINDER HOLT, SOMEBODY TURNING OVER.
SO YOU HAVE SORT OF A GOOD MIX OF, OF STABILITY AND, AND CHANGE.
UH, ALL OF THIS IS AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A, OF A, OF STILL A VERY REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE TO BE SURE.
UH, LAST SESSION, 88 REPUBLICANS, 62 DEMOCRATS.
YOU SEE THAT I SAID WE'D REVISIT THIS LATER, AND WE ARE HERE, TAKES A HUNDRED VOTES TO PASS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RIGHT.
SO SOME ELEMENTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN, ESPECIALLY THE APPRAISAL ELEMENTS, WOULD REQUIRE SOME DEMOCRATS TO VOTE FOR THAT PLAN.
AND THEN THE SENATE, AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING THING GOING ON RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY, AND THAT, THAT'S WHY I HAVE THAT 20.
AND THEN IN PARENTHESES, 19 REPUBLICANS, BECAUSE LAST SESSION IT WAS 20 REPUBLICANS.
UH, BUT WE HAD A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE VACANT HANCOCK SEAT.
AND A DEMOCRAT WON THAT, UH, SOMEWHAT SURPRISINGLY TO SOME PEOPLE.
AND SO TECHNICALLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 19 REPUBLICANS AND, AND 12 DEMOCRATS.
AND YOU SEE THERE THAT 19 NEEDED FOR THREE FIFTHS.
THAT'S THE, UH, THRESHOLD FOR BRINGING A BILL UP TO A VOTE.
AND SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT NUMBER.
AND THEN YOU SEE 21 FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
SO SAME PROBLEM WITH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IN THE SENATE.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO GET, UH, SOME VOTES.
WE HAVE A, A PRETTY NORMAL AMOUNT OF TURNOVER IN THE HOUSE ISH, UH, 25 OUT OF A HUNDRED SEATS.
UM, AS I SAID, DAVID COOK IS LEAVING THE HOUSE TO SEEK THAT BIRDWELL SEAT.
UM, AND IN THE SENATE, THAT'S A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER.
FIVE OUTTA 31 NOT RETURNING IS, IS, IS SOMEWHAT SIGNIFICANT.
BUT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, SENATOR WEST RETURNING BEING WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, WHO'S ON THE STATEWIDE BALLOT.
I WON'T SPEND ANY TIME ON THIS AND JUST KIND OF BLOW THROUGH IT.
AND THEN KIND OF WRAP UP HERE AND MOVE TOWARDS THE HOME STRETCH MAYOR, BY TALKING ABOUT THE INTERIM CHARGES THAT ARE GOING ON.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE 10 OF THESE TO GO THROUGH VERY QUICKLY.
THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE THE CHARGES THAT THE SPEAKER AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR GIVE THEIR COMMITTEES RIGHT, TO LOOK AT DURING THE INTERIM.
SO THIS IS VERY, UH, INDICATIVE OF THE LEGISLATION THAT WILL BE COMING BEFORE YOU, UH, AND COMING UP NEXT SESSION THAT WE'LL BE DEALING WITH.
UM, THEY CREATED THIS SPECIAL COMMITTEE, UH, ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT TO TAKE UP, UH, WHAT SOME WOULD CALL DEATH STAR 2.0, WHICH IS THE BIG PREEMPTION BILL, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATION HAPPENING, UH, IN THAT COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW ABOUT EXPANDING THE DEATH STAR BILL, UH, AND THEN SOME OTHER, UH, TOPICS THAT ALSO MATTER TO US, THE TEXAS TORT CLAIMS ACT, WHICH IS, UM, AND, AND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THAT COMMITTEE THAT AFFECTS US.
THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, UH, COMMITTEE THAT, UH, SNAPPER USED TO BE THE COMMITTEE DIRECTOR OF BACK WHEN HE AND I WERE, WERE STAFFERS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
UM, AND THAT IS THE COMMITTEE THAT IT, THAT THE SENATE BILL EIGHT 40 WENT THROUGH THIS LAST SESSION, SENATE BILL EIGHT 40 BEING THE, UH, KIND OF MULTIFAMILY BY RIGHT.
UM, BILL THAT HAS, UM, THAT WAS BRACKETED BY THE WAY TO, TO ONLY APPLY TO 15 CITIES, Y'ALL BEING ONE OF 'EM, AND SEVERAL OTHER, UH, PIECES OF LEGISLATION.
UH, THERE WAS A HEARING ON THIS SNAPPER, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UM, UH, THAT, UH, Y Y'ALL HAD SOME WITNESSES DOWN TO, TO TESTIFY, AND SNAPPER WA WAS THERE.
WE JUST HAD A MEETING WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT, AND STAFF ABOUT SOME NEXT STEPS REGARDING THAT.
BUT THAT IS A VERY ACTIVE DISCUSSION.
AND THEN LASTLY, OVER IN THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, YOU SEE, UM, A CONTINUED DISCUSSION FROM CONTINUING FROM LAST SESSION FOR SOME LEGISLATION THAT DID NOT PASS HOUSE BILL 19 BEING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ABOVE THEM, ABOUT LIMITING YOUR ABILITY TO USE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION
[00:25:01]
AND OTHER FORMS OF DEBT.UM, AND IN GENERAL, UH, SPENDING CAPS ON ON CITIES, UM, AT THE, UH, ELECTIONS LEVEL.
UH, WHERE, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE SOME, SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, UH, REGARDING, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO, TO NOT ADMINISTER YOUR ELECTIONS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOME STUFF WHERE WE COULD WEAVE INTO THE CONVERSATION.
SAME THING ON THE INTERGOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
WE COULD WEAVE INTO THAT DISCUSSION YOU SEE THERE REGARDING, UH, ALLOWING PARAMEDICS, UH, TO SERVICE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH, UH, PEOPLE SUFFERING IN MENTAL HEALTH, UM, INSTANCES AND, AND, UH, GET THEM TO A FACILITY SO YOUR OFFICERS DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, IN THE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF, UM, UH, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY WEAVE IN OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, THAT GAP WITH ENCORE ABOUT WELLNESS CHECKS.
WE WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T, UH, EMPHASIZE DATA CENTERS THAT IT, IT, IT IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE CONVERSATION GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW.
UH, NO LESS THAN SIX COMMITTEES ACROSS THE HOUSE AND SENATE ARE LOOKING AT VARIOUS THINGS DEALING WITH DATA CENTERS, WHETHER IT BE WATER OR ELECTRICITY OR THE, IN, UH, KIND OF INCENTIVES THAT THEY RECEIVE.
SO THAT IS A VERY, VERY ALL ENCOMPASSING CONVERSATION GOING ON QUICKLY MOVING TO THE SENATE.
AND THEN WE WILL WRAP UP, UM, IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE.
YOU SEE, UM, A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, FEES THAT YOU'RE CHARGING THAT CITIES CHARGE, UH, IN ADDITION TO, YOU SEE THERE, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S PLAN AND THAT SECOND POINT, THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
UH, SO, AND THEN, UH, YOU SEE SENATE BILL EIGHT 40 BEING DISCUSSED OVER IN THE SENATE AS WELL.
UH, SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE BOTH CHAMBERS TAKING A HARD LOOK AT, AT SENATE.
UH, AND THEN I'M GONNA SKIP OVER TO THAT, UH, UTILITY AND REVENUE TRANSFER COLUMN.
THE WATER AND AG COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE ALREADY HAD A HEARING ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND THERE'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PUSH COMING OUT OF THAT COMMITTEE FOR SOME KIND OF LIMIT ON YOUR ABILITY TO TRANSFER MONEY, UH, FROM YOUR WATER UTILITY TO YOUR GENERAL REVENUE FUND.
YOUR CITY MANAGER INFORMED US A LITTLE WHILE AGO THAT Y'ALL DON'T HAVE A SIGNIFICANT TRANSFER, SO MAYBE THAT ONE'S NOT AS IMPORTANT TO YOU.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, AN OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS WHY IT'S IN BLUE AND NOT RED.
UH, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE'S GONNA BE LOOKING AT, UH, RAILROAD CROSSING SEPARATION FUNDING.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY AND TO THIS COUNCIL AND AND TO YOUR STAFF.
SO, UH, TAKING ALL OF THAT IN WHOLE, UM, IT IS, IT IS, UM, GOING TO BE ANOTHER CHALLENGING SESSION.
UM, AND YOUR AGENDA IS WHAT'S GONNA DRIVE US IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, GUIDANCE DOWN THERE AND, AND, UH, ANA'S GUIDANCE.
UH, SO WE APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, TO TO HEAR FROM YOU AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SESSION.
MAYOR, WITH THAT, I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE ONE BULLET POINT, TWO WORDS.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY ARE LOCAL CONTROL.
I THINK EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN THE PAST, NO MATTER WHAT BILL IT IS, HAS BEEN, WHETHER WE GO DOWN THERE OR NOT, IS BASED ON LOCAL CONTROL.
I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY HARD RIGHT NOW AND HAS BEEN HARD EVERY TIME I'M HERE AT THIS EARLY STAGE.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT BILLS ARE GONNA HIT THE FLOOR.
SO WHILE I LOVE YOU BEING HERE AND TELLING US FOOTPRINT, WE KNOW ALL THIS IS COMING AND I THINK WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME INPUT, BUT UNTIL THEY START FILING BILLS AND WE SEE WHAT'S GOT TRACTION, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL REALLY BE GETTING WITH YOU.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO SEE IS IT GOING TO HIT THE FLOOR.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE NOTE THAT IT LOOKED LIKE ALL WE, ALL THAT HAS TO HAPPEN DOWN THERE IS ONE SENTENCE SEAT SWAP TO 18 TO 13, AND THEN THEY CAN'T GET THINGS ON THE FLOOR IF ALL 13 STICK TOGETHER.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S KEY.
NOW I'M NOT TRYING TO LET ANYBODY KNOW WHICH SIDE
[00:30:01]
I'M ON, BUT I LIKE IT BEING THAT CLOSE TO WHERE SOMEBODY CAN STOP SOMETHINGYOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UM, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO YOU, UH, WELL, AND IT EVEN MEANS THAT WITHIN THE, IF IT STAYS, THE NUMBER OF IS, IF SOMEBODY CHECKS TO ONE BILL, IT, IT, IT KILLS IT, SORT LIKE I SAW WITH SENATOR CORN IF, IF RECENTLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
IT, UH, IT'S JUST SO CRITICAL TO HAVE IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHERE SOMEBODY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO WE HAVE SOMEBODY WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH NO MATTER WHAT THE DEAL IS.
SO YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB COUNCIL MEMBER SHOTWELL MAYOR, I, I HATE THE RAIN ON THAT PARADE, BUT JUST A FEW SESSIONS AGO, THE SENATE CHANGED THEIR OWN RULES.
IT USED TO, IT USED TO BE HIGHER THAN THREE-FIFTHS, AND THEY MOVED IT DOWN TO THREE-FIFTHS.
THEY MOVED IT TO THE EXACT NUMBER THAT THEY HAD.
SO I JUST HATE TO RAIN ON THAT.
THANK YOU, TONY MAYOR, UM, SNAPPER CARR WITH FOLKS TO ADVOCACY AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR HAVING US.
AND, AND, UH, AND I HOPE IT'S MOVING.
MAYOR, IF I, I WILL BE VERY BRIEF, REALLY AT THE HEART OF ALL OF THESE DEBATES.
WHETHER IT'S YOUR REVENUE, WHETHER IT'S DEALING WITH YOUR LAND USE ITEMS, AND THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIMM FOR COMING DOWN.
SENATOR MAYOR PRO TEM DID A GREAT JOB A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
MAYOR, IN ALL OF THESE, THAT'S REALLY THE, THE, AT THE HEART OF THE DEBATE IN OUR CHALLENGE, UH, WITH BRINGING YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
UH, AND WE'RE GONNA FACE AS THE PRESENTATION, AND AS YOU NOTED, A LOT OF THE SAME BATTLES.
SOME OF THEM WILL BE A LITTLE ELEVATED, BUT, UM, BOTH IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE SENATE, THOUGH, THE ELECTION OUTCOMES WILL MATTER TO HOW SESSION UNFOLDS.
SO YOU'RE VERY CORRECT TO SAY WE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BRANDON NOTED, WE, WE ARE NOT FAR AWAY FROM BILLS BEING FILED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS STILL AS WE PREPARE HEADING INTO SESSION.
BUT, BUT APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME AND LETTING US GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THOSE, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDERSON, I'M NOT, I I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS, BUT I'M JUST GONNA DO JUST A COUPLE.
UM, SO THERE, AND ANY, ANY ONES THAT COULD GET, THAT GOT REAL TRACTION? 'CAUSE I WASN'T FOLLOWING THAT LAST YEAR.
THERE, THERE, AND THERE WILL BE AGAIN, THAT GETS TIED INTO THE A DU DEBATE AS WELL, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW, JUST FROM THE, FROM, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GETTING AT.
NOT MEMORY X UH, ANY OF Y'ALL OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT COMMERCIAL? THE, UH, VNA, ARE YOU GONNA BRING US BACK SOMETHING TO VOTE ON? YES.
UM, IT'LL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, SO ON THE SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON FOR 90TH SESSION, OUR FIRST BULLET POINT IS MAINTAINS LOCAL CONTROL.
COUNSEL, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO.
I WANTED TO GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THE WELLNESS CHECKS, KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AND KIND OF WHERE WE COULD GO JUST SO WE CAN THINK ABOUT MORE ABOUT FUTURE DIRECTION.
SO DURING THE WORKSHOP, STAFF BROUGHT UP THAT, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS DURING THE WATER CRISIS, WE HAD SOME DIFFICULTY DOING THOSE WELLNESS CHECKS BECAUSE ENCORE WAS NOT SHARING INFORMATION.
AND SO WE WANT TO TRY TO PURSUE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE THEM MORE AMENABLE TOWARDS ACTUALLY TELLING US WHO NEEDS TO GET CHECKED ON.
AND THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT WHEN IT HAPPENED.
AND THERE, THIS KIND OF BLENDS INTO SOME OTHER AREAS THAT THE UTILITIES HAVE SOME INTEREST TO IN TERMS OF HAVING NOTIFICATION WHEN BACKUP GENERATION IS AT A FACILITY.
AND SO THE NOTIFICATION IN TWO WAY SHARING OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE ELECTRIC UTILITIES AND, AND OTHERS ARE IT'S, AND WE HAVE AN INTERIM HEARING ACTUALLY THAT'S GONNA COME UP THAT KIND OF GIVES US A STRUCTURED VENUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TOO.
THAT'LL BE IN SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME.
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT IT.
I, I THINK OUR COUNSEL, OUR MAIN THING IS IN THE PAST WE HAVE TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE AND READY TO GO DOWN THERE WHEN CALLED UPON, UH, EVERY SESSION AT THIS TIME, WE'VE NEVER KNOWN EXACTLY WHEN WE NEEDED TO GO DOWN, BUT WE DO SEND PEOPLE DOWN WHEN WE'RE NEEDED AND WE JUST NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE AND READY TO GO.
AND, UM, SOMETIMES, UH, MANY TIMES IT'S MEETING WITH THOSE
[00:35:01]
CHAIRS.UM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KEEP IT FROM GETTING TO THE FLOOR.
AND SO, UH, Y'ALL ARE GOOD AT GETTING US AUDIENCES WITH THE CHAIRS CHAIR HUNTER, THAT ONE YEAR, YOU KNOW, AND IT, UH, UH, SO COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. YES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED UNDER THE PRIMARY THREATS, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PREEMPTION MM-HMM
DO WE HAVE DATA THAT VALIDATE THAT AS A THREAT? I KNOW THERE MAY BE SOME TRACTION FROM PRIOR SESSION LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT FOR THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, I'D LIKE TO SEE DATA THAT SUBSTANTIATE SHORT TERM RENTALS AS A THREAT SEPARATE FROM WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF, UH, THAT THINK ABOUT WITH, UM, THE ADUS.
CAN WE, CAN WE GET THAT? THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO COME UP WITH STAFF.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHOTWELL, LAST BAT MAYOR, UM, KIND OF PARLAYING ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. UM, I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THREATS IS THE STR AND THE ADUS AND, UH, CITIZENS, RESIDENTS THAT OWN HOUSES NEED TO KNOW THAT UNLESS YOU'VE GOT DEED RESTRICTIONS, IF THE STATE SAYS YOU CAN DO THAT, THEN YOU CAN DO IT.
AND THAT'S, I I KIND OF GOT TO LOOKING AT MY LOT, MY PERSONAL, PERSONAL LOT AT MY HOUSE, AND I'M THINKING I CAN PROBABLY SNEAK THREE ADUS ON IT AND HAVE 6,000 SQUARE FEET FOR EACH ONE, BECAUSE I GOT A HUGE LOT.
AND BOY, MY NEIGHBORS WOULD BURN ME ALIVE IF I TRIED TO PULL A STUNT LIKE THAT.
AND WE NEED TO, WE'RE, WE'RE THE CONDUIT TO THE RESIDENTS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT THIS IS GOING ON IN AUSTIN, THAT INFORMATION GETS OUT TO THE RESIDENTS.
THAT THAT ONLY IS ON US A A AMEN.
AND, AND I'LL JUST QUICKLY ADD THAT IN THE PAST, UM, THAT ISSUE, THAT DEBATE IN AUSTIN HAS LARGELY BEEN A CITIZEN FACE, RIGHT? UH, MEANING IT'S, IT, IT IS HOMEOWNERS DOWN THERE.
IT IS, IT IS, YOU KNOW, REGULAR CITIZENS SHOWING UP IN AUSTIN ON THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC AND SAYING, WE DON'T WANT THESE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHETHER IT BE ST AND, AND NOW A D AND THAT IS CARRIED A LOT OF WEIGHT WITH THE LEGISLATURE MM-HMM
UH, AS OPPOSED TO, LET'S SAY A, A MAYOR OR CITY MANAGER OR COUNCIL MEMBER SHOWING UP.
AND SO THAT, THAT KIND OF NETWORK THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THERE AND THAT STRATEGY THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THERE HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU SAID, UM, THAT PLAYS TO, THAT SEEMS TO BE TRUE HERE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, CITIZENS OPPOSING SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, SO WE JUST, I JUST WANT, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SEE THE DATA.
LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY FART UNLESS THEY OWN THE HOME THAT THEY'RE USING AS A SHORT TERM STILL GETS THE, YOU KNOW, THE OIL.
BUT I JUST WANNA SEE THE DATA BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING HERE.
WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, DISTRICT ONE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DATA IS, BUT I KNOW WHERE WE HAVE PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYBODY AS FAR AS IN THE CITY, AND I HAVE PLENTY OF EMAILS FROM CITIZENS.
YOU HAVE DATA TO SHOW THAT YOU'RE TIRED OF THEM.
AND IF WE COULD GET SOME OF THOSE INVOLVED IN COMING DOWN TO TESTIFY OR WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO, WHO THEY NEED TO VISIT WITH, IF YOU'LL GIVE US SOME INFORMATION ON THAT AND WHEN THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, MAYBE WE COULD GET A, POSSIBLY THERE'LL BE A BUS FROM DISTRICT ONE GO DOWN.
I'LL PLUG A, A, A, AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION, UH, THAT IS AN EX THAT IS A VERY ACTIVE GROUP, UH, THAT'S A DFW BASED, UM, BUT IS KIND OF GROWN A LITTLE MORE STATEWIDE.
AND THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE IN AUSTIN.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE SORT OF PART OF THAT CITIZEN FACE AS I DESCRIBED IT.
UH, SO ANY, ANY RESIDENTS THAT WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION, THAT'S A, IT'S A GOOD ORGANIZATION TO, TO, UM, TO BE PLUGGED INTO.
SO BACK STAFF, BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS POINT.
UH, WE JUST NEED TO RUN SOME NUMBERS ON HOW MANY CALLS WE GET AT THOSE VERSUS A REGULAR HOUSE THAT THAT'S EASY TO FIGURE OUT.
I KNOW WHAT WE'VE DONE HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY, BUT TO SHOW HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE TO GO
[00:40:01]
DO WHAT WE DO VERSUS A HOUSE NEXT DOOR, THAT'S NOT A SHORT TERM RENTAL.I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE'S LOOKING AT IS SOME DATA.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT.
UH, WE KNOW IT REALLY MARCH, APRIL IS WHEN IT REALLY STARTS HEATING UP.
AND I SAID THIS BEFORE, COUNSEL, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
I LOVE US BEING PART, PARTICIPATING IN DC BUT AUSTIN'S THE ONE IS WHERE IT REALLY BO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE GOTTA GET, GET TO AUSTIN.
UH, AGENDA REVIEW, MAYOR PRO, TIM KURT JOHNSON.
UH, EVERYONE'S HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO REVIEW THE, UH, AGENDA.
TONY, ARE YOU, IT'S NOT ON, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT TONIGHT? NO, IT'S TONIGHT, BUT IT'S NOT ON THAT.
SO YOU'LL RECUSE YOURSELF WHEN YOU GET TO IT, RIGHT? WHICH ONE IS THAT, TONY? UH, WELL, 14.
UH, MR. MAYOR, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE AGENDA ITEM FOUR AND PUT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION OR NOT A MOTION, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE YOU JUST TELL US.
REMOVE, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE IT TO INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
UH, AND I, WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO KNOW WHY.
YOU JUST SAY, I WANNA MOVE IT TO INDIVIDUAL.
UH, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE ON THE, UH, NOT HEARING NONE? UH, MAYOR, BACK TO YOU.
AND AGAIN, MAYOR PROTE AND DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE IN YOUR NEW POSITIONS, CONGRATULATIONS.
THE CITY COUNCIL MAY CONDUCT A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO CHAPTER FIVE OF ONE SUB CHAPTER D OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE VTCA TO DISCUSS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING.
ITEM ONE TONIGHT WE WILL BE DISCUSS DISCUSSING ITEM ONE UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY DAVID NICHOLAS, OREGON DONATION AWARENESS FOUNDATION, INC.
AND RODNEY DEBON VERSUS CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE ET ALL.
CASE NUMBER DC 25 21 696, AND THE 95TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS.
ITEM TWO, SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY ITEM FIVE, SECTION 5 5 1 0.087 DELIBERATIONS REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS.
GO GET DINNER AND MEET US IN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION ROOM AND WE WILL GET STARTED PROMPTLY ONCE EVERYBODY GETS IN THERE.