[CC Briefings 09012026]
[00:00:05]
HOW ARE Y'ALL? IT'S SEPTEMBER.I JUST FIST BUMPED YOU, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE HAROLD'S OH, HAROLD IS HERE.
UM, GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH TONIGHT.
READY? I AM THE AREA MANAGER FOR GRAND PRAIRIE.
HE'S THE OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR, UM, JOHNNY WALKER.
SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT, UM, UPON COUNCIL'S REQUEST TO TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
SO, UM, I'LL GO THROUGH THE SLIDES.
SO, UM, THE OAKDALE SUBSTATION, WHICH WILL BE COMING TO NORTH GRAND PRAIRIE, I KNOW SUBSTATIONS RIGHT NOW ARE A TOPIC WHERE WHEN YOU HEAR ONE, YOU AUTOMATICALLY THINK DATA CENTERS.
UM, TEXAS IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING STATES IN THE COUNTRY, AND FOR THAT GROWTH, YOU HAVE TO MEET THAT GROWTH.
AND YOU DO THAT BY HAVING DATA CENTERS.
UM, DATA CENTERS PRODUCE REDUNDANCY TO THE SYSTEM.
THEY ALSO SHORTEN OUTAGE TIME AND, AND INCREASE POWER QUALITY.
UM, DATA CENTERS DO, I'M NOT DATA CENTERS.
I'M, SO I WAS TO SAY THAT THAT'S A NEW THING THAT THEY NEED TO ADD TO THEIR COMMERCIALS.
YEAH, I'LL CALL 'EM RIGHT DOWN.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU MEANT.
SO DATA, DATA CENTERS DON'T HELP SUBSTATIONS AT ALL? NO, NO, THEY DON'T.
SO, UM, SO WE, WE PLACE THEM FOR GROWTH REDUNDANCY, AS YOU CAN SEE IN POWER QUALITY.
UM, WE HAVE, ENCORE IS A REGULATED COMPANY, SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW NOT ONLY OUR STANDARDS, BUT PUC AND OTHER REGULATORY ENTITY STANDARDS, WHICH IS NERC, NORTH AMERICAN RELIABILITY CORPORATION AND STATE STANDARDS AS WELL, WHEN COMPILING THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND I KNOW, UH, MS. CLEMSON ASKED ABOUT, UH, EMF FIELDS, UH, BEFORE, UM, SO EMF FIELDS ARE WITHIN THE SUBSTATION.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT ANY GRAFT, THEY FALL OFF FAIRLY QUICKLY.
SO INSIDE THE SUBSTATION, THAT'S ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A EMF FILTER ON ONE OF OUR BEZELS WE SELL THAT GOES ON THE BLACKHAWK.
AND IT KEEPS INTERFERENCE OUT OF THE HORIZONTAL SITUATION INDICATOR.
SO THAT'S WHAT AN E EM, EMI IS.
SO, SO INSIDE, INSIDE THE STATION, YOU KNOW, EMF FIELDS ARE IN THE, IN THE SUBSTATION, I'M SORRY, ARE HIGHER BECAUSE YOU'RE INSIDE THE SUB, OUTSIDE THE SUBSTATION.
THAT'S WHY THE FENCE AND EVERYTHING IS, THE DISTANCE IT IS, IS NOMINAL.
UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT'S SO NOMINAL THAT YOUR MICROWAVE OR YOUR CELL PHONE OUTSIDE OF THE, THE SUBSTATION WILL PRODUCE MORE EMF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS THAN THE SUBSTATION WOULD.
UM, ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE TOP CAUSES OF OUTAGES.
UM, SO HERE'S, UM, OUR TOP FIVE.
WE JUST, UM, HAVE THESE FIVES.
THERE'S A SIX, WHICH IS UNDETERMINED, BUT ONCE YOU DETERMINE IT, IT USUALLY FALLS WITHIN THESE FIVE CATEGORIES.
ALSO, THERE WAS, UM, TALKS ABOUT, UH, OUTAGES IN THE MERRI LAGOS AREA.
SO WHAT I DID, I DID, UM, A OUTAGE RUNBACK FOR THE YEAR OF 2025 VERSUS A YEAR TO DATE FOR 2026.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IN 2025, THERE WAS TWO OUTAGES, BUT BOTH OF THEM WERE ON THE SAME DAY.
THEY EXPERIENCE A, UM, ONE WAS AN HOUR, 10 MINUTES AN HOUR, 39 MINUTES.
UH, IN 2026, THERE WAS THE STORM.
EARLY WITHIN THE YEAR FOR THE, THE FIRST OUTAGE, THERE WAS A LIGHTNING STRIKE ON THE SECOND OUTAGE AND THE WILDLIFE ON, UM, ON THE THIRD ONE, UM, YEAR TO DATE.
[00:05:01]
TO INCREASE POWER QUALITY, UM, SO WE'VE TRIMMED SOME VEGETATION.MERRI LAGOS HAS VERY LONG FEEDERS, WHICH, UM, TO PUT IT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, LONG, LONG LINES BECAUSE OF THE LAKE.
UM, SO A LOT OF THAT, A LOT OF THOSE OUTAGES WERE DUE TO VEGETATION.
UM, WE DID SOME UNDERGROUND PATROLLING AND TESTING OF, UH, UNDERGROUND EQUIPMENT AND THEN WILDLIFE GUARDS ADDING TO MITIGATE WILDLIFE ISSUES IN THE WESTCHESTER NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS ONE THAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST CONTENTIOUS.
UM, SO I SPOKE WITH THE HOA WITH THE HELP OF MR. KURT JOHNSON AND MR. RANDY ANDERSON, UM, TO SPEAK TO THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT THEIR OUTAGES.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I DID THE SAME THING.
I DID, UH, A RUNBACK FROM, UH, 2025.
UM, AND THERE ARE ALL THE CAUSES FOR ALL OF THOSE OUTAGES VERSUS A YEAR TO DATE FOR 2026.
AND THERE ARE THE CAUSES FOR ALL OF THOSE OUTAGES, UM, IN THE WESTCHESTER NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WHEN, GO BACK, YES SIR, THAT'S A LOT.
UH, 20 YEAR TO DATE EQUIPMENT, UH, JUST TO TRANSFORMER BLOWS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO EQUIPMENT CAN BE ANYTHING, ANY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT CAN BE A TRANSFORMER, A FUSE, OR A SWITCHGEAR.
UM, ANY, I THINK, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS.
UH, YOU'RE NOT ON A PREVENTING MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE TO CHANGE OUT TRANSFORMERS EVERY 10 YEARS.
UH, YOU CHANGE 'EM WHEN THEY BLOW.
I MEAN, AND, UH, MOST OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE IN THE FIELD AREN'T ON A SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PLAN TO REPLACE EVERY SO OFTEN.
I'LL LET JOHNNY SPEAK TO THE OPERA.
SO THERE ARE SOME PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT, UM, DO HAVE, UH, RETIREMENT DATES.
UH, TRANSFORMERS ARE NOT ONE OF THEM.
AND I DON'T, I'M NOT SAYING SUGGESTING THEY SHOULD, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S BLOWN AT MY SHOP BEFORE.
THEY JUST, UH, THEY DON'T LAST AS LONG AS YOU THOUGHT THEY WOULD.
BUT, UH, MY POINT IS THAT WOULD HELP PREVENT OUT OUT OF JUST, BUT THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO PUT 'EM ON A ROTATION BASIS.
AND TRANSFORMERS ACTUALLY HAVE A REALLY LONG LIFETIME.
UM, HOW LONG? IT JUST DEPENDS HOW LONG.
IT DEPENDS ON THE LOAD THAT'S PUT ON THEM, BECAUSE I MEAN, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK, WHEN YOU SAY REALLY LONG? TO ME, 30 YEARS.
IT IS REALLY BASED ON THE LOAD.
BECAUSE SAY FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU HAVE A TRANSFORMER THAT'S SERVING YOUR HOUSE AND FOUR THE HOMES AROUND YOU, IF THERE'S LOAD ADDED TO THAT TRANSFORMER, UM, OR IT'LL LAST A LONG TIME.
IF YOU PUT ONE, SAY FOR INSTANCE A TIME LIKE THIS IN THE SUMMER WHERE IT'S A HUNDRED DEGREES, THE LOAD IS UP, AIR CONDITIONS ARE RUNNING.
WELL, UH, TWENTIES, TOO MANY, BUT I IT'S TOUGH.
WE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE WEATHER.
AND WHAT ENCORE IS DOING, SO WE'VE, UH, A FEW YEARS BACK, THE REASON VEGETATION IS LOW IN THE AREA.
KEEPS, KEEPS THE POWER LINES GOING AND, AND A LOT OF TRIM.
AND THE TRIMMING IS 10 FEET AWAY FROM THE PRIMARY LINE IN EACH DIRECTION.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE AREA AND THE TRIMS LIKE THEY ARE.
UM, IT IS TO INCREASE POWER QUALITY.
AND THAT IS NORMALLY ON A SCHEDULE.
BUT THAT YOU CAN TELL THE LIST THE LAST TWO YEARS, THREE BECAUSE OF THAT.
SO THAT'S NOT, YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
BUT THE OTHER 18 AND 2026, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT Y'ALL DO ENOUGH STAS AROUND TO WHERE WHEN SOMETHING GOES OUT, YOU CAN FLIP IT ANOTHER WAY.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING TO INCREASE POWER QUALITY, SO YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT MAYOR DETOURS, UM, AND THAT IS THE THIRD BULLET, WHICH IS AN INTELERUPTOR.
SO AN INTE RUTER IS TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT TALK TO EACH OTHER AND THEY ISOLATE THE OUTAGE TO KEEP MORE PEOPLE ON WHILE WE SECTIONALIZE AND FIX THE OUTAGE.
SO IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A PROACTIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT SO THAT INSTEAD OF 300 PEOPLE ARE OUT, MAYBE FIVE OR 10 PEOPLE ARE OUT.
SO WE CAN SEGMENT THAT, THAT OUTAGE AND BACK FEED IT THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO ARE Y'ALL CONTINUALLY ADDING THOSE NOW THROUGH
[00:10:01]
FUNDING? OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 'CAUSE YOU PROBABLY USED TO NOT HAVE INTERRUPTERS AS MANY PLACES AS YOU DO NOW.SO THEY ARE NEWER PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, UM, ALONG WITH, UM, SOME OF OUR OTHER PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT ARE AUTOMATED.
AND THESE ARE AUTOMATED PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT AUTOMATICALLY OPERATE IN THE FIELD TO SECTIONALIZE THE OUTAGES.
UM, SO WHEN A TRUCK IS ROLLED OUT, THEY, THEY SOMEWHAT KNOW OR, OR SHOULD KNOW WHERE THE OUTAGE IS IN STAR FIXING THAT INSTEAD OF, LIKE I SAID, SO, SO MANY PEOPLE AREN'T OUT.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE THE NUMBERS TONIGHT, BUT THAT IS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRESENT IT TO US, BUT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEND IT TO OUR STAFF.
WHEN YOU SAY WE'RE DOING THAT, UM, I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY, HOW MANY INTERRUPTERS HAVE Y'ALL INSTALLED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND HOW MANY ARE YOU GONNA PUT IN THE NEXT FIVE? YES, SIR.
HOW MANY OF THAT OTHER AUTOMATIC WHIZZBANG THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED, IF YOU AREN'T PUTTING ANY MORE IN IT, DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME.
BUT SINCE YOU'VE MENTIONED IT, HOW MANY ARE Y'ALL PUTTING IN, IN THE FIELD? SO WE KIND OF KNOW THAT YES, Y'ALL, NOT ONLY ARE YOU TREE TRIMMING, YOU ALSO ARE DOING PROACTIVE THINGS.
AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT'S A GOOD NUMBER, BUT, UH, OUR FARMER BOSS THAT I LOVE ALWAYS SAY, WELL, THAT DATE, IT'S ONLY AN OPINION.
BUT IF YOU'RE ONLY DOING ONE A YEAR, HMM.
AND, AND THEY'RE IN CONJUNCTION WITH INTE INTERRUPTERS.
SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU, AND I'LL JUST RUN DOWN THE LIST REALLY QUICK.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, A SUBJECT SUBSTATION UPGRADES TO MAKE IT MORE AUTOMATED AS WELL.
UM, TRIP SAVERS, THESE ARE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, LIKE WHEN A FUSE BLOWS RIGHT.
IT USUALLY THE FUSE IS BLOWN AND, UH, THAT POWER, THAT SECTION OF LINE IS OUT.
WHAT A TRIP SAVER IS, IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT HAS THREE FUSES IN IT.
YOU TOLD ME THAT IT, IT HAS TO FLIP THREE TIMES.
SO SOMETIMES THAT SQUIRREL HOPS OFF BEFORE THE THIRD LEFT.
SO ONCE THE SQUIRREL DECIDES THAT I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS, YEAH, IT HAD ENOUGH OF, UH, LIFE, YOU KNOW, THAT TRIP SAVER WOULD, WHAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TO ROLL A TRUCK ON THE TRIP SAVER WOULD RE-ENGAGE AND THEN POWER RESTORED THERE AGAIN, I JUST LACK SOME DATA ON THAT.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOUND GOOD THINGS THAT Y'ALL COME UP WITH, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON AL? YOU GOT ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, SIR.
AND THIS IS, AND THIS IS CONTACT INFORMATION JUST IN CASE YOU'RE EXPERIENCING AN OUTAGE.
UM, DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE TRY TO, UM, GET OUTAGE INFORMATION OUT TO THE CUSTOMER, UH, THE, THE, THE RESIDENTS.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE, MY ENCORE ALERT THAT WILL TELL YOU, HEY, WE'RE WE SEE THAT YOU HAVE AN OUTAGE.
I DON'T LIKE 'EM BECAUSE I'M GETTING THEM, BUT AT LEAST I, I GET 'EM.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S A, A TOOL WHERE WE, WE TRY OUR BEST TO INFORM OF THE IMPACTED AREA OF OUTAGES OR WHAT WE CALL CLEARANCES ARE, UM, OUTAGES THAT WE NEED TO DO FOR MAINTENANCE.
SO WE WILL TARGET A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD AND SAY, HEY, FOR THIS TIME ON THIS DATE, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE AN OUTAGE FOR, YOU KNOW, SUCH AND SUCH TIME TO GET THEM IN THE KNOW.
UM, AMONGST OTHER THINGS THAT WE ALSO TRY TO DO TO ALERT, UM, RESIDENTS ABOUT A PENDING OUTAGE THAT WE KNOW, UM, WE HAVE TO TAKE FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE NEED SOME UPDATES ON WHAT I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU AGAIN.
Y'ALL, Y'ALL GOT 'EM IN MEMORY.
COUNSEL, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I, I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER SHOTWELL AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. THANK YOU MAYOR.
UM, ONE THING ABOUT THE TRANSFORMER THING, DO YOU GUYS, UH, DO ROUTINE, UH, TESTING LIKE DGA TESTING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO, UH, JUST GET AN IDEA RATHER THAN TRYING TO USE LONGEVITY FOR SO YEAH, WE, WE DO.
WE DO LOAD TESTING ON TRANSFORMERS.
UH, WE DON'T DGA OVERHEAD TRANSFORMERS, UNDERGROUND TRANSFORMERS.
WE DO DO DISSOLVE GAS ANALYSIS ON THOSE TO SEE IF IT'S, IF THE GAS IS ARISING AND IT NEEDS TO BE UP FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT NOT FOR OVERHEAD TRANSFORMERS.
IF YOU USE 'EM FOR GROUND, THEN UNDERGROUND.
SO YOU DON'T JUST FORGET, PUT 'EM UP, FORGET ABOUT 'EM UNTIL THEY BLOW.
[00:15:01]
THE MAYOR SAID HE'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT HOW MANY OF THE WHIZ BANGS AND ALL THIS.UH, I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THAT QUESTION WOULD BE, AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, WESTCHESTER AND MI LAGOS AREN'T THE ONLY PARTS OF TOWN THAT HAVE OUTAGE PROBLEMS. REMEMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME, NOWHERE ELSE.
AND THERE, THERE, AND, AND THEN WE GOTTA REMEMBER THERE A LOT OF SQUIRRELS IN GRAND PRAIRIE AND THERE'S A LOT OF CRAZY DRIVERS THAT HIT POLES TOO.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD HAVE IS, UH, YOUR ENCORE.COM WEBSITE IS, UH, GREAT, IT'S EASY TO USE.
YOU CAN REPORT OUTAGES REAL EASY AND YOU CAN, ONE THING I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND TOO IS YOU CAN REPORT STREETLIGHTS BEING OUT AT, ON THAT WEBSITE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE EXACT LIGHT.
SO USE IT AND USE IT TO REPORT THINGS.
WE DON'T DO THE STREET LIGHTS.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT.
AND, AND I, I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT, THEY WILL GO OUT AND FIX THEM.
'CAUSE I REPORTED SOME AND THEY'D GO OUT AND FIX THEM AND THEY DON'T KNOW ME FROM ADAM ON THAT WEBSITE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. THEN DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE.
I'VE HEARD YOUR NAME MANY TIMES.
SO I'M HERE SITTING WITH DEFINITELY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT KNOW WHAT WHIZ BANGERS AND TRANSFORMERS AND ALL OF THAT, UM, WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO.
SO SPEAK TO ME ON JUST A LAYMAN'S TURN.
UM, AS FAR AS LOOKING AT THE DATA THERE, I THINK IT WAS SEVEN OR NINE, WE CAN GO BACK.
EXPLAIN TO ME AGAIN, LAYMAN'S TERMS. WHAT IS THE REASON WE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT OR WHEN WILL WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL REDUCE THE OUTAGES? AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, TO A FELLOW COLLEAGUE THAT CAME MISSING EQUIPMENT OR IMPROVED EQUIPMENT, THAT GOES BAD.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT.
AND THEY DON'T EVEN TEST THEM.
SO THERE'S NO REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU JUST NEVER KNOW HOW LONG A TRANSFORMER WILL LAST.
THAT WAS ONE OF MY WHAT TYPE OF QUESTION.
'CAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T REPLACE 'EM.
SO, SO WHAT TYPE OF PROACTIVE OR PERFORMANCE MEASURES OR TESTING EVALUATION PROCESS YOU HAVE OTHER THAN DISCOVER THAT YOU HAVE BAD EQUIPMENT WHEN THE, WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT.
SO, AND AS I MENTIONED TO ANOTHER COLLEAGUE THAT WAS UP HERE, PRIOR TO YOU ALL, YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE ON THIS DIOCESE THAT LIVE IN THE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY, AND WE KNOW HOW MANY TIMES AND WE, WE NOT ONLY HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT WE OURSELVES ARE EXPERIENCING IT.
SO GIVE ME SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, BECAUSE I DON'T QUITE, I CAN'T QUITE ABSORB WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND AND JUST TO CLARIFY, TRANSFORMERS DO GET CHANGED OUT.
NOT ALL WAIT UNTIL IT'S A TRANSFORMER FAILURE, TILL IT'S AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE.
UH, WE HAVE, WE GET A MS EXCEPTIONS THAT IS ACTUALLY DATA FED, FED BACK TO US THROUGH THE METERS.
UH, IF WE HAVE TRANSFORMERS THAT ARE SHOWING OVER VOLTAGE OR UNDER VOLTAGE, THOSE ARE UP FOR PRO PROACTIVE REPLACEMENT BEFORE FAILURE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE THESE OUTAGE CAUSES HERE THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, THOSE SEVEN THAT ARE RELATED TO EQUIPMENT THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE TRANSFORMERS.
IT COULD BE A SWITCHGEAR AND IT COULD BE FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
IT COULD BE BECAUSE OF VANDALISM, BECAUSE, UH, COPPER THEFT, IT COULD BE BECAUSE OF A VEHICLE HIT A SWITCHGEAR.
IT COULD ALSO BE BECAUSE OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE, HIT A TRANSFORMER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THE EQUIPMENT IS FAILING WITHOUT, CAUSE THIS WAS JUST THE, WHEN WE CAUSE CODE, OUR OUTAGES.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD RESPONSE AND I THINK WE'D ALL BE INTERESTED IN WHAT, WHAT THOSE SEVEN WERE.
AND I, AND I CAN TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT.
YOU CAN, IT'LL TELL YOU AND, AND COUNCILMAN ADAMS TO THAT POINT, IF THEY'RE ALL SEVEN TRANSFORMERS, THAT MEANS THEY KNEW NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER JOB OF CHECKING IT BEFORE THEY GO OUT.
BUT IF IT'S TWO TRANS FARMERS, TWO GEARS I'D LIKE TO SEE OF THOSE SEVEN, WHAT THE EQUIPMENT WAS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOES.
AND AND TO ADD TO THAT, THE, THE, THE WEATHER.
SO WHEN IT'S BAD WEATHER, WE SHOULD EXPECT OUTAGES OR WHAT, WHEN YOU SAY WEATHER, WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE OUTAGE? WELL, WHAT WE CONSIDER INCLEMENT WEATHER IS WHEN, SAY FOR INSTANCE, IF WE HAVE A STORM CELL ROLL IN WHERE WE DO START TO SEE AN ESCALATED ACTIVITY IN OUTAGES, NOT JUST IN GRAND PRAIRIE, BUT ACROSS OUR SYSTEM AS A WHOLE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, KIND OF WHAT SEAN WAS ALLUDING TO WITH THE, UH, POWER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, IT'S REALLY TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THOSE STORM SITUATIONS FOR OUTAGES AS WELL AS LIKE HE MENTIONED.
SO GIVE US WHAT USUALLY IS THE CAUSE DURING WEATHER? IS IT BROKEN LIMBS? LIGHTNING WHAT? DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER? THE MAIN FACTORS IN A STORM SITUATION
[00:20:01]
IS GONNA BE WIND, WIND, VEGETATION, AND LIGHTNING STRIKES.THAT'S WHAT I WOULD THINK AS FAR AS THE WIND.
WIND CAN CAUSE A, A MYRIAD OF DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. SWAIN CONDUCTORS.
SO YOU GET PHASE ON PHASE FAULTS, YOU GOT, UM, TREE LIMBS FALLING ON LINES CAUSING AND FAULTS.
UM, SO WEATHER, WEATHER PLAYS A HUGE PART IN SOME OF THOSE OUTAGES.
THEY'RE NOT, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT ALL THE OUTAGES, BUT WHEN A SALE ROSE IN, IT IS NOT THAT, UH, THE EQUIPMENT IS FAILING WHEN CERTAIN THINGS HAPPEN ELECTRICALLY, IT CAUSES FAULT.
UM, SO, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PROTECTIVE DEVICES BLOW LIKE FUSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WHICH ALSO STOPS THE, THE CURRENT RUSH FROM GOING FURTHER AGAIN, JUST TO EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO WHEN A CELL COME THROUGH, IT'S NOT JUST HITTING WESTCHESTER, IT'S HITTING POSSIBLY A LARGER PORTION OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
WHY IS IT THAT WESTCHESTER IS STILL EXPERIENCING MORE OUTAGES THAN MAYBE SOME, SOME A NEIGHBORHOOD NORTH OF 20? WELL, IT'S NOT THAT WESTCHESTER EXPERIE IS EXPERIENCING MORE OUTAGES.
THESE ARE JUST THE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THIS, UM, UH, PRESENTATION HAS FOCUSED ON BECAUSE OF THE COUNCIL'S REQUEST TO FOCUS ON, UM, THERE, WHEN A STORM CELL HITS, THERE ARE, THAT CAN BE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OUTAGES.
NOT ONLY ACROSS IN GRAND PRAIRIE, BUT ACROSS OUR SYSTEMS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, THE WORST I'VE SEEN IT WAS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OUTAGES.
SO THE POINT BEING, YES, UH, NORTHEAST GRAND PRAIRIE MAY HAVE HAD SIX OUTAGES DUE TO WEATHER ALSO.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA WITH US TONIGHT.
BUT YOU CAN PROVIDE THAT DATA.
I CAN PROVIDE, I CAN PROVIDE DATA FOR QUADRANT.
UH, LET'S JUST WAIT FOR YOU TO PROVIDE THE DATA.
SO I SECTION I'M TRYING TO ASK WHAT, WHAT DATA DO YOU WANT FOR A SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ME? MY QUESTION OR MY ASK WOULD BE IF YOU CAN JUST DIVIDE THE CITY IN QUADRANTS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT AREAS THAT, WHAT AREAS HAVE THE LARGEST OR MORE OUTAGES THAN SOME AT THE, THAT, THAT MAYBE, MAYBE THAT CAN BE SOME TYPE OF, SO WHAT I CAN DO TREND OR FOR YOU IS JOHNNY AND I CAN DIVIDE THE DATA INTO ZIP CODE.
WOULD, WOULD THAT WORK? THAT'S TOO BIG.
WELL, THAT WOULD GIVE US FOUR OR THREE.
SO IF I CAN, UH, 4 5 0 5 1 5 2 AND FIVE FOUR THAT GIVE US FOUR THAT WOULD BE EASIER ON YOUR OWN.
THAT GIVE US KIND PRETTY MUCH NORTH TO SOUTH COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. OKAY, DO THAT.
AND I, I STILL DON'T HEAR A PLAN THOUGH.
I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE A PLAN.
SO A PLAN FOR
SO THE, THE PLAN IS, UM, SYSTEM REDUNDANCY, NEW SUBSTATIONS SYSTEM REDUNDANCY MEANS WHAT? UH, SYSTEM REDUNDANCY BY ADDING, UH, SUBSTATIONS.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING OUR PROACTIVE PLANS IS WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING, YES.
SO LET ME, I'LL SPEAK ON THOSE MM-HMM
SO ALL THE PROACTIVE MEASURES THAT WE DO TO PREVENT OUTAGES IS TO SECTIONALIZE THE LINES AND TO MAKE THESE SEGMENTS MORE SMALLER AND TO LESSEN THE OUTAGES ACROSS THE BOARD WITHIN A CERTAIN, AND THIS GETS BACK TO WHAT YOU ALREADY SAID.
WHEN YOU WANT THE DATA ON THAT COULD BE PART OF THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, HOW MANY OF THE REDUNDANT UH, SWITCH DEVICES ARE YOU PUTTING IN? YEAH.
INTEL, WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING IN THAT Y'ALL SAID WERE TO HELP RELIABILITY.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN ANSWER TO ALL OF US.
HOW MANY WILL YOU BE DOING IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS? YES SIR.
AND WHEN'S YOUR NEXT PLANNED SUBSTATION? 'CAUSE YOU KEEP SAYING THE SUBSTATIONS HELPING.
SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PLANNED COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. SO IT'S TWO SUBSTATIONS THAT ARE COMING IN ONE NORTH AND ONE IN THE, THE GOODLAND AREA.
SO IF WESTCHESTER IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BOTH.
HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT US? SO A SUBSTATION WILL HELP REDUCE LOAD ON A SPECIFIC FEEDER.
SO IF YOU ARE MOVING LOAD AROUND TO KEEP PEOPLE UP, UM, YOU HAVE MORE, MORE RESERVE LOAD TO MOVE TO LOAD MEANING ELECTRICITY.
[00:25:01]
ELECTRICITY.SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF CAPACITY AT THAT CERTAIN SUBSTATION, YOU CAN'T SWITCH THE LOAD TO IT.
I CAN'T SWITCH THE LOAD TO IT.
SO YOU, YOU'RE DIVIDING IT UP GIVING US EXCESS LOAD ON DIFFERENT SUBSTATIONS.
AND THAT LOAD WILL CARRY, THAT LOAD CAN BE BACK FEED, BACK FED TO CARRY AN OUTAGE, UH, OR BACK FEED, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN PEOPLE TO STAY ON WHILE WE REPAIR WHAT WE NEED TO REPAIR.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE, LIKE YOU SAID MAYOR JENSEN, THAT SPECIFIC LOAD, EVERYBODY'S OFF.
BUT BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. VERY GOOD POINT.
WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IS OKAY, THE PROACTIVE PLAN, WHICH YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT Y'ALL ARE INSTALLING, WHICH IS GREAT.
WHAT'S THE PLAN, UM, GOING FORWARD? OKAY, SO FOR THE WESTCHESTER AREA TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, UM, THE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT STARTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
UH, THE SUBSTATION THAT SERVES THAT AREA, UM, WE DID DO TRANSFORM UPGRADES IN THE STATION.
WE UPGRADED OUR FEEDER EXITS COMING OUT AND THE INTE INTERRUPTERS THAT SEAN WAS TALKING ABOUT, THOSE WORKING TEAMS. SO NOT ONLY THE ONES THAT SERVE THE FEEDERS FOR WESTCHESTER OTHER SUBSTATIONS AROUND, SAY FOR INSTANCE IF WESTCHESTER WENT OUT DOING A BIG STORM OR A TORNADO WITH THE INTEL ERUPTIVE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PICK THAT COMMUNITY UP OFF ANOTHER FEED OR FED FROM ANOTHER SUB STATION.
SO LET US KNOW HOW MANY YOU PUT IN THERE AND HOW MANY MORE YOU'RE PUTTING.
I DO KNOW THAT WE DID COMPLETE ONE PLAN ITEM LAST YEAR, WHICH IS FOR SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT OUT OF TRAIL WOOD.
I WANT TO SAY THERE WERE FIVE INTE INTERRUPTERS INSTALLED ON THE FEEDERS FOR THAT ONE.
UH, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE COMING AT THE BEGINNING OF 2027 AS WELL.
AND UH, THAT GOES SPECIFICALLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS QUESTION.
WHAT'S BEING PROACTIVELY DONE OTHER THAN TRIMMING TREES? CORRECT.
GIVE MY REGARDS TO KENNETH GO AS WELL.
YOUR KEEP, KEEP THOSE SWIRLS UP.
UM, MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION SO FAR.
YOU MENTIONED, UH, COPPER THEFT AS FAR AS THE EQUIPMENT FAILURES, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT KIND OF, UM, ON A REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS BECOMING AN ISSUE IN GRAND PRAIRIE? IT IS.
I DO KNOW, JUST TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, THERE WAS A LOCATION HERE OFF OF 1 61, UM, NEAR THE PLASTIC PLANT.
THEY EXPERIENCED TWO VANDALISMS TWO WEEKS BACK, BACK TO BACK, UH, COPPER THEFT AND TRANSFORMING AND SWITCH GEARS.
AND THOSE WERE EXTENDED OUTAGES YEARS AGO.
THEY, THEY PULL UP THE STREET LIGHTS DOWN.
I 30 OPEN THAT DEAL UP AND YANK IT OUT.
I HAVEN'T HEARD OF THAT VERY MUCH.
'CAUSE THEY DID PROACTIVE THINGS TO PREVENT IT TIED 'EM OFF TO WHERE THEY CAN'T RIP THEM OUT.
BUT IT DOESN'T, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE NEWS, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AS MUCH NOW AS IT DID A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHEN COPPER HIT REAL HIGH, THEY WERE TAKING 'EM OUT OF EVERYWHERE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S NOT A MAJOR CAUSE THAT'S SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S A ANOMALY.
IT'S NOT A MAJOR CAUSE BUT IT CAN BE A CAUSE FOR, CAUSE FOR MORE EXTENDED OUTAGES.
'CAUSE NORMALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO REPLACE OUR SIDE, THE CUSTOMER HAS TO GET THEIR REPAIRS DONE AS WELL.
AND THEN, UH, WITH THE UPGRADES, PREVENTATIVE UPGRADES, UH, THAT ARE COMING.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE US MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE THOSE WILL BE IN THE, IN THE SCHEDULE AS FAR AS DEVISING A PLAN.
BUT WILL THERE BE ANY SCHEDULED OUTAGES THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THESE TECHNICAL THINGS? TELE, INTERRUPTERS, TRIP SAVERS, TYPICALLY? IN MOST CASES, NO.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY SCHEDULED OUTAGES, WE SEND OUT WHAT WE CALL A PONDS NOTIFICATION.
WE TRY TO SEND THAT OUT AHEAD OF TIME OR IF IT'S GOING TO AFFECT LIKE ONE SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'LL DO DOOR HANGERS.
TRY TO GIVE CUSTOMERS AS MUCH TIME TO KNOW WHEN THIS OUTAGE IS GONNA COME AND THEN ALSO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM ON THE DURATION OF IT AS WELL.
BUT FOR MOST OF OUR SYSTEM UPGRADES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DONE ON NORMAL BLUE SKY DAYS AND CUSTOMERS REALLY DON'T EXPERIENCE THIS OUTAGES DUE TO OUR UPGRADES.
UM, SO WE'RE AT 20, WE STILL HAVE FOUR MONTHS LEFT, SO HOPEFULLY WE DON'T GET MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT BECAUSE I KNOW AN OUTAGE IS AN OUTAGE EVEN IF SCHEDULED.
UM, SO I GUESS JANUARY ONE WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALLY UP THE, WE'LL CLOSE THE BOOK COMPLETE NUMBERS YEAH.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THINGS ARE A LITTLE ROUGH RIGHT NOW.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE, THE QUADRANT INFORMATION AND THE SCHEDULE AND THE PLAN AND KIND OF THE MORE DETAILED, UH, NEXT STEPS.
[00:30:01]
YES.UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
DO YOU MIND JUST BRIEFLY DISCUSSING THE DIFFERENCE, THE PROS AND CONS OF THE POWER LINES ABOVE AND BELOW THE GROUND? GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE, UH, YOU WANT ME TO, WELL, AGAIN, WITHOUT DATA, FEEL LIKE THE UNDERGROUND HAS NOT BEEN AS GOOD AS WHAT THEY WERE TOLD AND THERE'S BEEN MORE OUTAGES FROM UNDERGROUND THAN ABOVE.
WELL, I WILL GIVE YOU MY ELEVATOR SPEECH AND I TRY TO BE SO, UM, UNDERGROUND IS AESTHETICALLY MORE PLEASING, BUT IT TAKES MUCH LONGER TO REPAIR ONCE THERE IS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM.
UM, HOURS MORE, UM, ON, ON ON AVERAGE.
WHEREAS OVERHEAD IS NOT AS AESTHETICALLY AS PLEASING, BUT IT IS A MUCH SHORTER DURATION TO REPAIR ANY OUTAGE THAT IS OVERHEAD.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD THAT, YES.
HOW ABOUT FREQUENCY OF A TRANSFORMER UNDERGROUND GOING OUT VERSUS A ABOVE GROUND? IS THERE ANY DATA THAT Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THAT LEANS YOU ONE WAY OR THE OTHER? I DON'T THINK FROM A WHICH ONE IS BETTER FROM A TRANSFORMER PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ENOUGH DATA TO SAY OVERHEAD OR UNDERGROUND IS OKAY.
IS A HUGE PEARL CON I WILL SAY.
UH, WHAT I WILL SAY IS UNDERGROUND TRANSFORMERS ARE, THEY DON'T SEEM TO GET AFFECTED AS MUCH IN STORM SITUATIONS.
YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S OUR SQUIRRELS.
WELL WE GET, WE GET PEST ENVIRONMENTS AND SNAKES.
WELL, THEY DIG DOWN THERE TOO.
YOU'LL ACTUALLY SEE MORE MENT, YOU'LL SEE MORE VOMIT ALLERGIES PROBLEMS UNDERGROUND ON UNDERGROUND.
IT REALLY, WE FEEL LIKE IT CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS. AND, AND JUST TO SPEAK ON UNDERGROUND TRANSFORMERS, YOU, YOU'LL GET, YOU'LL GET A LOT OF WILDLIFE, ESPECIALLY SOME COLD BLOODED ANIMALS THAT ARE SEEKING FOR THE HEAT UHHUH.
SO YOU MIGHT GET SOME SNAKES WHEN YOU OPEN UP THE TRANSFORMERS OR, OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE HAD AN AREA, IT'S, UH, NORTHWEST GRAND PRIX, SUNNYVALE INGLESIDE THAT WENT ON FOR YEARS WHERE THEY WOULD LOSE POWER AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHY.
FINALLY THEY GOT ONLINE AND REPORTED IT.
AND, UH, I THINK WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO GET OUT AND YOU COMMUNICATED WITH THE HOMEOWNER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS WILDLIFE AND GAVE THEM AN APPROXIMATE TIME THAT IT WOULD BE REPAIRED, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS GREAT THAT YOU WERE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM.
I'M JUST WONDERING IS WHEN THAT'S COMPLETED, IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THE HOMEOWNERS THAT IT'S COMPLETED? OR DO THEY JUST HAVE TO, UH, TRUST THAT THEIR LIGHTS ARE GONNA STAY ON? I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
UM, WHAT I CAN DO, UM, I SPOKE AT WESTCHESTER'S HOA MEETING AND I DO KNOW THE HOA AND THE BLOCK CAPTAINS THERE.
SO WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETED, I CAN UM, LET THEM KNOW THAT IT HAS COMPLETED SO THEY CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO ALL THE RESIDENTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
OKAY, WELL WE'RE NORTHWESTERN AND WE DON'T HAVE A HOMEOWNERS FOR THAT AREA.
UM, SO THE LIGHTS ARE BACK ON.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHEN THEY KNOW
THAT'S THE, THEY CLEARED THAT SQUIRREL.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO CALL ME TO LET ME KNOW MY LIGHTS ARE BACK ON EXCEPT WHEN I'M AWAY.
THEN I CAN TELL YOU, HEY, MY, THE AIR CONDITIONING ON, LET'S GO BACK HOME.
I WASN'T INDICATING I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT I JUST KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE PEACE OF MIND IF THEY KNOW THAT WHAT THEY HAVE REQUESTED HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
YOU, BETH, SEAN, SOMEBODY THIS, UH, MAYBE I NEED A SMALL SHORT EXPLANATION.
I, I CAN TELL YOU REAL WELL THAT MY AREA, I WE'RE, WE, WE ARE VERY COGNIZANT AFTER ALL THIS TIME OF WHO'S ON WHAT BLOCK HOUSES ARE ON THIS CIRCUIT.
YOU KNOW, THE GUY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, HE IS ON A DIFFERENT CIRCUIT.
MY LIGHTS GO OUT AND HIS, MY, YOU KNOW, HIS, WE RUN EXTENSION CORD ACROSS THE STREET SOMETIMES.
UM, SO WOULD THAT, WHAT THE TELE DIRECTOR THING, DOES THAT JUST SHRINK THE CIRCUIT TO MAKE IT SMALLER SO LESS PEOPLE WOULD BE OUT? IS THAT KIND OF THE,
[00:35:01]
DON'T, DON'T GIMME A, AN ENGINEER'S EXPLANATION, BUT NO.IS THAT KIND OF THE EXPLANATION? NO SIR.
IT DOESN'T SHRINK THE CIRCUIT.
WHAT IT DOES, INTE INTERRUPTERS ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR, WHAT WE CONSIDER OUR FEEDERS.
THOSE ARE THE LINES THAT COME OUT OF THE SUBSTATIONS.
THEY'RE GONNA CARRY THE HIGHER VOLTAGES, UH, CARRY THE MOST AMOUNT OF CUSTOMERS AND NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BRANCHED OFF OF THAT INTO WHAT WE CALL RADIO RUNS.
SO WHAT AN INTE INTERRUPTER CAN DO IF, UH, ONE RADIO RUN IS OUT DUE TO WHATEVER REASON, WE DON'T WANT 2000 CUSTOMERS BEHIND THAT, THAT OUTAGE THERE TO BE OUT FOR AFFECTED OUTAGE.
SO THE INTE INTERRUPTERS ARE AUTOMATION.
THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE CONTROLLED REMOTELY FROM OUR DOCK.
SO THE GOAL WITH THOSE ARE TO, ONE, BE ABLE TO SECTIONALIZE THAT OUTAGE AND ALSO REDUCE OUTAGE TIME FOR THE OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED AN OUTAGE DUE TO WHAT HAPPENED DOWN LINE.
SO YOU JUST CIRCLED AROUND IT AND CORRECT.
UM, LET'S ALL KEEP OUR LIGHTS ON.
THANK YOU FOR BOTH FOR COMING.
AREN'T YOU HAPPY AL WASN'T YOU? LET'S GET THROUGH THE WINTER WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE YOU COME GIVE A REPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
RAY SERTA, COUNCIL PARKS DIRECTOR, AND THIS IS OF COURSE NOREEN PUBLIC, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE DIRECTOR.
TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOU AND SHOW YOU IMPROVEMENTS AND OPENINGS OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST NATURE PARK AND THE RECOGNITION OF, UH, NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AND SCOUT FAMILY TROOP 1 95.
THE GREAT SOUTHWEST NATURE PARK IS LOCATED ON THE FORMER GREAT SOUTHWEST GOLF CLUB PROPERTY.
THE DEVELOPER ACQUIRED THE LAND AND GENEROUSLY DONATED 68 ACRES TO THE CITY FOR THE CREATION OF THE PARK.
IN 2017, THE PARK PLANNING STAFF SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A 500,000 NON-URBAN OUTDOOR GRANT FROM THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HELPED FUND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMENITIES SUCH AS A 1.4 MILE WALKING TRAIL, PLAYGROUND, A FISHING DOCK, AN AMPHITHEATER, A FITNESS STATION, A PICNIC, SHE SHELTER AND CREEK OBSERVATION AREA, AND VARIOUS PARK FURNISHINGS.
BRINGING THE PROJECT COST TO ABOUT $1.5 MILLION.
IN 2025, THE PARK SAW FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE ADDITION OF A PARKING LOT AND EXTRA TRAILS THANKS TO A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE ENGINEERING AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THIS, THIS PHASE INCLUDED A PARKING LOT DECORATIVE FENCE, VEHICULAR SECURITY GATE, A PARK SIGN, AND A NEW 0.4 MILE WALKING TRAIL TOTALING A A PROJECT COST OF $930,000.
AND NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO NOREEN.
UM, THIS PAST SPRING AND SUMMER, WE MADE SOME EXCITING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREAT SOUTHWEST NATURE PARK.
WE ADDED INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE ALONG THE WALKWAY TRAIL AND INCLUDED 21 EDUCATIONAL SIGNS AND 10 GAMES AND ACTIVITY SIGNS.
THE PROJECT, UM, REPRESENTED AN INVESTMENT ABOUT $98,000.
THE PARK ALSO BENEFITED FROM AN INCREDIBLE BOY SCOUT PROJECT LED BY NATHANIEL LAUREN.
THE PROJECT WAS INCLUDED INSTALLING EMERGENCY 9 1 1 LOCATION, SIGNS ALONG THE TRAIL BUILDING AND PLACE IN 14 BIRD AND BAT HOUSES, ADD IN ANIMAL CUTOUTS AND PAINT PAVEMENT, GAMES AND ACTIVITIES TO COMPLIMENT THE INTERPRETIVE SIGNS.
ALL OF THAT WAS COMPLETED FOR $3,500.
LOOKING AHEAD, WE HAVE ALSO BEGUN THE DESIGN OF A PRO PROTECTIVE CANOPY OVER THE WALKIN TRAIL WHERE IT PASSES UNDERNEATH THE UNION PACIFIC, UH, TRAIN TRELLIS.
THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INCLUDE REMOVING THE LOW WATER CROSSING AND STABILIZING THE BANK CREEK.
AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT CONSTRUCTION TO START NEXT SUMMER.
WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR MARKETING TEAM, PARKS, PLANNING DIVISION, AND BOY SCOUTS, YOU GET TO SEE FIRSTHAND THE GREAT WORK AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE PARK.
GREAT SOUTHWEST NATURE PARK IS OPEN, ACCESSIBLE, AND READY FOR VISITORS.
AND WITH THAT, LET'S LOOK AT THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
SOUTHWEST NATURE PARK IS QUICKLY BECOMING DFWS PERFECT ESCAPE INTO NATURE.
68 ACRES OF TREES, WATER AND WILDLIFE WITH WALKING TRAILS OF PLAYGROUND AND THREE FISHING PONDS.
WHEN YOU'RE HERE, YOU CAN PRACTICALLY FORGET YOU'RE IN THE HEART OF THE METROPLEX RIGHT NEXT TO 360 AND INTERSTATE 30.
NOW THIS GRAND GETAWAY IS MORE IMMERSIVE THAN EVER.
[00:40:01]
INSTALLATIONS HELP VISITORS LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS THEY CAN SEE AND HEAR AROUND THEM.INTERACTIVE GAMESTOPS OFFER A QUICK BREAK FOR SOME FAMILY FUN AND ATHLETIC CHALLENGES THAT ARE FUN FOR EVERYONE.
WAY FINDING SIGNS ENSURE YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND HOW CLOSE YOU ARE TO THE PARKING LOT AND NEW 9 1 1.
EMERGENCY SIGNS, FEATURE LOCATION TAGS THAT CAN HELP FIRST RESPONDERS PINPOINT YOUR EXACT LOCATION IF YOU NEED THEM.
THE UPGRADES TOOK A LOT OF PLANNING AND HARD WORK, BUT WE DIDN'T DO IT ALONE.
14-YEAR-OLD BOY SCOUT AND GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENT, NATHANIEL LAUREN SPENT SEVERAL DAYS INSTALLING SOME OF THE PARK'S MOST UNIQUE NEW FEATURES.
HIS HARD WORK HELPS MAKE OUR NATURE PARK MORE ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE, BUT ALSO HELPS HIM ALONG HIS PATH TO BECOMING AN EAGLE SCOUT.
WE THANK NATHANIEL LAURENT FOR HIS IMPACT ON OUR PARK AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND EXPECT GREAT THINGS IN HIS FUTURE.
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN NEED OF A GREEN GETAWAY, STOP BY GREAT SOUTHWEST NATURE PARK AND SEE WHAT'S NEW.
UM, WE HAD OUR WALK OUT AT LARSON ELEMENTARY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM THIS PARK THE OTHER DAY.
AND A GENTLEMAN CAME UP TO ME, HE SAYS, MAYOR, I HAD NO CLUE THAT THAT PARK WAS THERE.
HE HAD JUST WALKED IT THAT WEEK BEFORE.
UM, IT'S A SOURCE SUBJECT WITH ME, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE SITE FOR THOSE OF WHO DON'T REMEMBER.
UH, WHEN I FIRST BECAME MAYOR, IT WAS THE SITE OF GO GREAT SOUTHWEST GOLF CLUB, WHICH I WAS A MEMBER OF AT ONE TIME.
AND MAYOR ENGLAND LIVED ON THE GOLF COURSE AND THE CORPORATION THAT OWNED IT AND ABOUT 20 OTHER GOLF COURSES DECIDED TO SELL THEIR GOLF COURSES.
THEY SOLD ALL OF 'EM AS GOLF COURSES EXCEPT FOR THREE LOCATIONS, THIS BEING ONE OF 'EM, BECAUSE IT WAS ZONED COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.
AND THEY KNEW THEY COULD GET MORE MONEY FOR IT AS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL THAN THEY COULD EVER MAKE OFF IT AS A GOLF COURSE.
SO THIS WAS A CONCESSION THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE US A CONCESSION BECAUSE THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO BUILD IT THERE, UH, THAT THEY PITCHED IN SOME MONEY.
OUR PARTS DEPARTMENT WENT OUT AND GOT SOME GRANTS.
UM, HOW LONG IS THE, HOW LONG IS THE LONGEST TRAIL NOW? IS IT STILL, IS IT JUST 1.4 OR WHAT IS IT? NO, IT'S ABOUT TWO MILES.
WELL, UH, I'LL GET WITH CINDY, MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A WALK THERE NEXT YEAR.
I HEAR IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, UH, BARRY, YOU'LL JOIN ME FOR IT.
UH, I I HEAR IT'S A BEAUTIFUL TRAIL.
UH, NATHANIEL JOIN ME UP FRONT PLEASE, SIR.
AND I TOLD NATHANIEL THAT ONCE HE GETS HIS EAGLE SCOUT, I DIDN'T SAY YES.
YOU COME BACK AND WE WILL PRESENT YOU WITH SOMETHING ELSE AS AN EAGLE SCOUT.
SO LET'S GET SOME PICTURES HERE.
PHIL, HOW'D YOU PARTICIPATE IN THIS? WELL, I, I, I WAS BOBBY HERE IS THE TROOP LEADER DIRECTED NATHANIEL TO US.
AND IT WAS JUST A SO YOU WERE THE PARK LIAISON? I WAS THE PARK LIAISON.
ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE, BIG SMILE.
INVESTIGATOR AROUND OF APPLAUSE.
ALL THEY'RE COMING TO THE MEETING TONIGHT.
WELL, I'M NOT, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS AN EAGLE SCOUT COURSE.
I JUST WANNA SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THIS PARK IS JUST A HIDDEN JEWEL.
AND THE PARK'S DEPARTMENT HAS JUST MADE IT EVEN BETTER.
I HAPPEN TO BE JUST WANDERING AROUND THE CITY AND TO FIND THE PARK AND RAN INTO NATHANIEL AND HIS TROOP.
AND I ACTUALLY SAW THE HARD WORK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.
EVERYBODY'S SWEATING AND WORKING HARD.
SO I JUST WANNA, UM, SHOUT YOU OUT AGAIN, NATHANIEL ALONG WITH OUR PARKS, THE TEAM, BUT ESPECIALLY TO SEE A YOUNG MAN COMMITTED TO AN EAGLE SCOUT, UH, PROJECT AND TO SEE THE REST OF THE TROOP AS WELL AS THE TROOP LEADER AND THE MOM AND GRANDMA ALL THERE.
UH, AND I ACTUALLY RAN INTO A, I CALL, UM, PEOPLE THAT RUN INTO EACH OTHER THAT HAVE, UH, REBECCA'S BRACELETS.
I RAN INTO A LADY THAT HAD HER BRACELET.
SO I FOUND THE BRACELET, SISTER
[00:45:01]
WORK, WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THIS PART FOR NIE.COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDERSON, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT YOU WERE THE MOTHER OF A, OF AN EAGLE SCOUT.
AND AS THE FATHER OF THANK YOU ANDERSON, AS THE FATHER OF THREE EAGLE SCOUTS, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU.
AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THAT VIDEO BECAUSE I'M GOING TO, I I'M GOING TO SHARE MY I DID NOT KNOW THAT PARK WAS THERE.
IT'S, IT'S, I AM A, I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT HERE AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THAT PARK IS THERE.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET THAT OUT TO THE 5,000 OR SO PEOPLE THAT, UH, I HAVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT IT'S THERE AS WELL, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT DON'T KNOW IT'S THERE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS COUNCIL MEMBER CLEMSON.
AND IT IS IN DISTRICT ONE AND WE LOVE IT.
I REMEMBER WHEN THE MAYOR, UH, WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE NIGHTMARE THAT WAS OH, WHEN THAT FIRST CAME ABOUT.
AND HOW THAT, THAT HAS TURNED INTO A DREAM COME TRUE FROM THE NIGHTMARE AS A BLESSING.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK, EVERYONE.
AND WILL WE BE HAVING A GRAND OPENING ANYTIME WHERE WE CAN ALL VISIT OR A RIBBON CUTTING? OR IS THAT TO BE DETERMINED? IT'S BEEN OPEN A LONG TIME.
IT, WE, WE WERE WANTING TO USE THIS VIDEO AS KIND OF LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW BECAUSE THE PARKING IS PRETTY TIGHT.
BUT IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FORMAL RIBBON CUTTING, WE ALWAYS LOVE A GOOD PARTY.
AND THEN I, I DO THINK THE NOTTINGHAM AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO COME DOWN AND SEE IT AND CELEBRATE.
HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS THEY CAN WALK? FIVE OR SIX.
UH, THERE'S A OFF THE RECORD STORY, I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT A TRIP.
TOM HART AND MARY ENGLAND AND I MADE DOWN WHEN HE WAS NOT MARRIED TO SEE HIS DEAR FRIEND FRANK ROBERTSON.
DURING THAT TIME, UH, WHERE THE SHORT STORY IS, I PULLED OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER AND I LOOKED AT CHARLIE AND SAID, DON'T MENTION WHAT'S GOING ON AT GREAT SOUTHWEST AGAIN, OR I'M GONNA TAKE YOU BACK AND I'LL MEET YOU THERE.
AND HE SAID, OKAY, I'LL STAY QUIET THE REST OF THE TRIP.
BUT HE WAS PASSIONATE AND IT TOOK HIS BACKYARD AND I UNDERSTOOD WHY IT WAS SO UPSETTING TO HIM.
LET'S GO TO THE AGENDA REVIEW, MAYOR PRO TEM.
UM, COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHOTWELL? UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, PULL 14 AND MAYBE, YEAH, 15 ALSO.
'CAUSE IT'S KIND OF A QUARTERLY AND IT'S JUST TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE, JUST FOR TO EVERYBODY.
PULL FOR, BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THE RATE INCREASE IS COMING.
JUST 'CAUSE IT'S KIND OF A COROLLARY TO IT.
DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, I ALSO WANTED TO REQUEST, WE PULL 13 SO FOLKS CAN HEAR ABOUT THE, THE MOBILE FOOD VENDORS, UH, CHANGES TO HOW THE CITY WILL BE HANDLING THAT, WHICH WAS PRESENTED AT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY YES.
AND PEOPLE WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT.
BECAUSE IT'S SURPRISED ME ACTUALLY WHEN IT WENT INTO LAW.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA OPEN FOOD TRUCKS, SO GOOD FOR THEM.
OKAY, MAYOR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ITEMS 5, 13, 14, AND 15.
PULL IT OFF FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS.
OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
WE'RE PULLING 5, 13, 14 AND 15 FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION FIVES BECAUSE WE PROBABLY NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE CALENDAR.
WE HAVE SOME CORRECTIONS TO ITEM 22 AND ITEM 23 ON THE FORM OF THE RATE SHEET.
AND I HAVE, I HAVE THOSE WITH ME.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO DURING THE MEETING? I HAVE MOTION.
[00:50:01]
WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION TODAY.MAYOR PRO TE'S GONNA HANDLE THE MOTION.
TELL US WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS RIGHT NOW FOR 21.
MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM 21 HAS BEEN DERIVED FROM, UH, SEVERAL MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HELD BY CITY MANAGERS IN THE JOHNSON COUNTY AREA.
THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THAT EACH CITY IS PUTTING BEFORE AND MAKING RECOMMENDATION TO THEIR COUNCIL TO VOTE NO, BECAUSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN FULLY FLESHED OUT YET AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY IT WILL BE, UH, HOW MUCH OF THE CHARGE BACK TO THE CITIES WILL BE FOR THAT.
SO UNTIL THAT IS DONE, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY, VARIOUS CITY MANAGERS WHO HAVE MET OVER THIS IS THAT WE VOTE NO, THAT'S HIS RECOMMENDATION.
WE'LL TAKE IT UP, UP AND SEE IF WE FOLLOW YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
YOU CAN'T MAKE THE MOTION RULE.
UH, THE REASON I WAS PAUSING, UH, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION WHEN WE GET TO ITEM 47.
AND I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE DISCUSSION'S GONNA CENTER AROUND COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PROTON JOHNSON.
I FEEL LIKE, UH, THIS IS A GOOD CARVE OUT.
I WANT, I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS IN A CERTAIN AREA IN OUR CITY, BUT THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, IN MY OPINION, IN KURT'S OPINION AND FROM OTHER, LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES, IT WOULD PREVENT ANYBODY FROM OPENING A WINE BECAUSE THE, UH, RATIO, UH, IS SO LOW, 25%, AND THE CITIES AROUND US, NONE OF 'EM ARE DOING THAT LOW.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME, KURT HAS GOT SOME DATA THAT WE'VE LOOKED UP AND, UH, YOU JUST, THAT WOULD BE ONE CIGAR AND ONE DRINK.
IT, IT WOULD BE, UH, WE WOULD BE PASSING THE ORDINANCE BUT PREVENTING ANYBODY FROM USING BECAUSE OF THE LOW PERCENTAGE.
SO, WE'LL WE, UH, DISCUSS THAT IN OPEN SESSION.
I MEAN, WE'RE IN OPEN SESSION NOW, BUT WE'LL GET MORE DEEP INTO IT WHEN WE BRING IT UP.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY CONDUCT A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1, SUB CHAPTER D OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE VTCA TO DISCUSS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TONIGHT, ONLY ITEM THREE, SECTION 5 5, 1 0.074.
PERSONNEL MATTERS, CITY MANAGERS CONTRACT.
LET'S GO GET OUR MEAL AND MEET IN THE UH, EXEC ROOM.