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>> GOOD EVENING, FLOWER MOUND.
[A. CALL TO ORDER]
IT IS NOW SIX O'CLOCK ON JANUARY 16TH AND WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.THIS IS A WORK SESSION TONIGHT.
WE ARE GOING TO START OUT WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WANTS TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENT CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. WELL, THAT'S EASY.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST START THIS WORK SESSION.
[C. WORK SESSION ITEM]
IT'S A PRETTY INFORMAL WORK SESSION.WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE AN ELECTION COMING UP MAY 2025.
THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR ASSEMBLED THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE A 12-PERSON COMMITTEE THAT WE APPOINTED.
THEY STARTED MEETING IN AUGUST, AND THIS WAS FOR THIS POSSIBLE BOND ELECTION THAT WE MAY HAVE IN MAY AND THIS WAS TO FUND PROJECTS.
PREVIOUSLY, WE'VE FUNDED CAPITAL PROJECTS USING CASH, COUNTY BOND MONEY, GRANTS, IMPACT FEES, UTILITY FUNDS, AND OTHER SOURCES.
NOW WE HAVE A DRASTICALLY AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE HAVE AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE TO IMPROVE UPON.
THIS PLACES A STRAIN ON THE TOWN ON OUR RESERVE FUNDS.
IN 2019, LEGISLATURE PASSED A BILL, AND IT LIMITED TOWNS AND CITIES TO A 3.5% ANNUAL RESERVE CAP TO OUR OPERATION SIDE OF THE TAX RATE.
I HOPE I'M GETTING THAT RIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, EXPENSES HAVE INCREASED MORE THAN 3.5% ANNUALLY.
OUR STRATEGY RIGHT NOW IS TO SHIFT OUR DEDICATED SALES TAX FUNDS TO PAY FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS WHILE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WILL BE FINANCED THROUGH DEBT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THIS BOND ELECTION AND DOING IT IN A WAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE DEBT TO SERVICE OUR TOWN FOR THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE TO IMPROVE UPON TO HELP THE WELL-BEING OF OUR TOWN.
WE ALSO WANT TO DO THAT WITH RESPECT TO THE TAX RATE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THIS TO IMPACT OUR RESIDENTS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT THIS IN THIS WORK SESSION TONIGHT.
I THINK, JAMES, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT?
>> THANK YOU, I TRIED.[OVERLAPPING]
>> THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD IS JUST THIS HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD PROCESS.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL GOING THROUGH THIS JOURNEY WITH US AS WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AND THE MAYOR DID A GREAT JOB OF LAYING OUT THE DATA POINTS OR THE FACTORS THAT LED US DOWN THIS PATH, AND YOU DID A GREAT JOB PUTTING THE BOND COMMITTEE TOGETHER.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOND COMMITTEE HERE WITH US TONIGHT. THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT OUR BOND COUNSEL IS HERE TODAY WE HAVE BOB AND KRISTEN FROM NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT, OUR BOND COUNSEL.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING YOU HERE TODAY.
IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK, AND WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS EVENING IS TO LAY EVERYTHING OUT FOR YOU, GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND WHAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY LOOKING TOWARDS IS, IF WE'RE GOING TO CALL ELECTION, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO IT AT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IN FEBRUARY 3RD.
IN THEORY, WE COULD CALL A SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
I THINK THE DEADLINE IS ON THE 14TH, I BELIEVE, OF FEBRUARY, VALENTINE'S DAY BUT REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO TODAY IS LAY EVERYTHING OUT FOR YOU, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND IF WE DO NEED TO COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENTS DOWN THE POINT TO ANSWER ANY OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU MAKE ULTIMATE DECISION, WE'LL TRY TO PREPARE TO DO THAT, EVEN INCLUDING OUR UPCOMING MEETING ON THE 21ST.
BUT WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JOHN AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A MULTI-PRONG APPROACH, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SEVERAL FOLKS PRESENTING TO YOU THIS EVENING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LAY IT ALL OUT FOR YOU, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN.
>> THANK YOU, MARY, AND THANK YOU, JAMES.
MARY STOLE A LITTLE BIT OF MY THUNDER.
THE GOOD PART OR THE FRONT PART OF THIS IS THAT ARGUMENT THAT YOU ACTUALLY JUST LAID OUT.
I'VE GOT SOME GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION THAT WILL HELP WITH THAT.
THIS IS FOR A BLUE RIBBON BOND PROGRAM IN 22 YEARS, WE HAVE NOT DONE THIS.
WE ESTABLISHED THE COMMITTEE IN EARLY AUGUST, BUT IN SEPTEMBER 16TH, WE FORMALIZED IT BY RESOLUTION.
WE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN QUALITY-OF-LIFE AMENITIES AND PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WITHIN THE TOWN THAT THIS IS NOT A PRACTICE THAT WE'VE DONE FOR 22 YEARS TO BASICALLY DO A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE, OR GO PROGRAM.
[00:05:01]
THIS IS ALSO HELPING US ACHIEVE OUR LONG-RUN FINANCIAL GOALS AND OPERATIONAL SOUNDNESS.THIS ALSO HELPS US ACHIEVE OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND OUR LONG-TERM SUCCESS FOR THE TOWN.
TOWN COUNCIL IS ALREADY CONTEMPLATING A BOND ELECTION IN MAY 2025, AND THEN COUNCIL DESIRED FOR A COMMITTEE OF CITIZENS TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THIS AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT WERE FITTING IN PROPER.
AS THE MAYOR ACTUALLY COVERED IN THIS OVERVIEW, LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING, THE STRATEGIC SHIFT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING IS THIS CIRCLE OF HOW YOU CREATE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN THE LONG TERM, BUT DECREASE PROPERTY TAX DEPENDENCY ON OPERATIONS, SHIFTING IT TO SALES TAX, AND THEN EVENTUALLY BALANCING IT WITH DEBTS.
THIS IS THE NORMAL MODEL WHICH MOST PEOPLE FUNCTION UNDER BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THAT THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF SOURCES HERE WHICH WE CAN PAY FOR THINGS.
TYPICALLY WE PAID FOR THEM WITH CASH, WHICH CAME OUT OF OUR M&O OR OUR SALES TAX FUNDS, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO SHIFT OVER TO OUR INTEREST IN SINKING FUND, WHICH IS OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND, MAINLY DUE TO LIMITATIONS PLACED BY SP2.
BUT WHAT THIS ALSO CAN SHOW YOU IS THAT AS SALES TAX GROWS, AS YOUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX BASE GROWS, YOU CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO RESIDENTS THAT WILL DECREASE THE NEED FOR ACTUAL BURDEN TO ACTUALLY FALL ONTO YOUR INS RATE AND SO FAR, YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT.
THIS IS A LONG-TERM PLAN THAT'S JUST PIGGYBACKS ON WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THUS FAR.
AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD FLOW THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS A DANCE BETWEEN MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, MOVING AWAY FROM THE GENERAL FUND OVER INTO OUR DEDICATED SALES TAX FUNDS, AND THAT PUSHING CAPITAL COSTS AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT COST OVER INTO OUR INS, WHICH ALSO SPREADS OUT THE COST FOR THOSE WHO USE IT.
THOSE WHO ARE USING THE RESOURCE ARE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR IT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG IDEAS IS GENERATIONAL EQUITY IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.
THAT MEANS THAT EACH GENERATION IS ACTUALLY PAYING FOR ASSETS AS THEY USE THEM IN A ROAD.
IF YOU PAY CASH FOR A ROAD TODAY, THEN YOU GOT THAT CASH FROM YOUR CURRENT RESIDENTS.
WELL, EACH FUTURE RESIDENT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT ROAD BUT WOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR IT.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT ACTUALLY LEADS INTO THIS STRATEGIC SHIFT THAT WE'RE DOING.
ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS IS, COULD WE AFFORD THIS? THIS IS A CHART THAT I'VE SHOWN YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES.
THIS SHOWS US LEVERAGING $200 MILLION AND BOND PROGRAM FUNDS OVER A 10-YEAR PERIOD IN OUR CURRENT CAPACITY.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MOVES THAT WERE MADE.
I ACTUALLY DRAFTED THIS WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE BASED ON ANTICIPATED CAPACITY AND WHAT THE INS RATE COULD SUPPORT.
BY FACTORING IN HOW THE M&O RATE DECREASED, I COULD ACTUALLY SHOW THAT WE COULD INCREASE OUR INS RATES WHILE STILL PROVIDING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND A PROPERTY TAX RATE DECREASE AND STILL FUND AT LEAST $200 MILLION IN PROJECTS.
THAT CAME OUT AND THIS BASICALLY SHOWS THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS ON WITHOUT INCREASING THE TOTAL TAX RATE.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER VISUAL TO SHOW YOU AS THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION RATE GOES DOWN BECAUSE OF SP2, THE INS RATE WILL GO UP.
THIS DOESN'T MEAN YOUR TAX RATE WON'T GO DOWN IT JUST MEANS THAT WE'RE SHIFTING SOME OF THIS FROM OPERATIONS OVER TO THE INTEREST AND SINKING FUND SO MOVING IT FROM THE MAINTENANCE OPERATION RATE TO YOUR INS FUND.
WHENEVER WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, AS WE SAID, WE STARTED JULY REALLY TALKING ABOUT THIS AND WE'RE ALREADY INTO JANUARY INTO THE RECOMMENDATION AND COUNCIL ACTION PHASE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BASICALLY BRINGING YOU TONIGHT.
WE COVERED SOME OF THE MEETINGS AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE, BUT THIS IS COMING TO A HEAD.
THAT'S WHAT THIS CHART SHOULD SHOW YOU IS THAT WE START VERY BROAD AND WE MOVE DOWN.
YOUR COMMITTEE WAS GIVEN A WIDE LIST OF PROJECTS AND PRESENTED, AND THEY AIMED AND THEY WENT FOR THE MIDDLE.
THEY DIDN'T DO THE CHEAPEST, BUT THEY ALSO DIDN'T DO THE MOST EXPENSIVE.
WHERE THEY ENDED UP WAS ROUGHLY $112 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS.
THAT INCLUDES THE CAC, STREETS, WEST SIDE PROJECTS, TURF FIELDS, THREE PARKS, AND FIVE TRAILS.
ALSO, WHAT EVENTUALLY DROPPED OFF OF THIS WAS THREE PARKS PROJECTS, AND THAT LOWERED SOME OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS.
THAT'S WHERE IT PUTS THE APPROPRIATE BOND PACKAGE, AND ALSO LEAVES CAPACITY FOR FUTURE PROJECTS LIKE YOUR FIRE STATIONS AND ALSO YOUR POLICE FACILITY THAT'S COMING UP.
THIS LEAVES US PLENTY OF ROOM UNDER THE $200 MILLION FOR FUTURE ISSUANCES IF WE NEED THEM AND WITHOUT STRETCHING OUR CAPACITY TO THE MAX.
COUNSEL, AS COVERING THE OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SHIFT IT OVER TO YOU AND TALK ABOUT SOMEHOW THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO SARAH.
I'M GOING TO START OFF BY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR IN-PERSON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE HOSTED FOUR EVENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ONE AT THE CAC, AND THE SENIOR CENTER WAS THE MOST WELL-ATTENDED.
DURING THOSE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, WE TRIED TO FACILITATE THREE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES TO HELP ENGAGE OUR HOPEFUL VOTERS AND TRY AND UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
THE FIRST ONE WAS A STICKER CHART ACTIVITY WHERE WE ESSENTIALLY GAVE THEM SIX STICKERS AND
[00:10:02]
ASKED THEM TO SPEND THOSE STICKERS ON ALL OF THE POTENTIAL PROJECTS.YOU COULD PUT THEM ON YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT, ALL ON ONE PROJECT, OR YOU COULD PUT THEM ON SIX DIFFERENT ONES, BUT YOU ONLY GOT SIX.
THE NEXT ONE WAS A BALLOT VOTING ACTIVITY WHERE WE ASKED PARTICIPANTS TO VOTE IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, HOW WOULD YOU VOTE FOR THIS POTENTIAL BOND ITEM? THEY WERE ALSO GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK WITH THEIR VOTE AND THAT VOTE WAS EITHER YES OR NO.
THEN WE ALSO PROVIDED THEM WITH AN EXIT SURVEY THAT ENGAGED WITH THEM HOW THEY LIKE THE ACTIVITY AND LET THEM GIVE SOME LAST-MINUTE FEEDBACK ON ANY POTENTIAL FEEDBACK THAT THEY HAD GIVEN THE ACTIVITIES AND THE POTENTIAL BOND PROJECTS.
THE FIRST ACTIVITY, THE STICKER CHART, YOU CAN SEE THE CLEAR PARTICIPANTS REALLY WERE IN FAVOR OF THE STREETS PROJECT AND THE CAC RENOVATION.
THE REST OF THEM WERE PRETTY WELL-DISTRIBUTED THE STICKERS.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE BALLOT BOX PROJECT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT OVERWHELMINGLY THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME IN PERSON WERE VERY POSITIVE AND IN FAVOR OF THE POTENTIAL BOND PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN GROUPED TOGETHER AS A WHOLE.
THEN WE ONLY HAD NINE RESPONSES FOR OUR EXIT SURVEY.
ALL THOSE PARTICIPANTS RANKED THE EVENT SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED.
THEY WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THE EVENT.
THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATED HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE AND FRIENDLY STAFF WAS.
THEY LIKED HOW INTERACTIVE IT WAS, THEY WOULD LOVE EVEN MORE INTERACTIVITIES AND THEY ALSO ADDED SOME CONCERN ABOUT ROADS AND THEY WOULD LIKE MORE DATA, AND THAT THEY ALSO EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN ABOUT TREES.
FOR THE ONLINE SURVEY, WE ALSO CREATED AN ONLINE SURVEY THAT HAD 131 PARTICIPANTS.
REGARDING THIS SURVEY, I DID WANT TO START OUT BY NOTING THAT 36% OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT TOOK THAT SURVEY FALL INTO ONE OF TWO CATEGORIES.
THEY EITHER UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED OF ALL THE BOND ITEMS THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE SURVEY, OR THEY DISAPPROVED OF JUST ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
OUR HOPE IS THAT THIS WILL BE REFLECTIVE OF THE VOTERS THAT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE COMMUNITY IS FOR THE MOST PART POSITIVE ABOUT THIS BOND ELECTION, THAT WE HAVE TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS AS OPPOSED TO INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T WANT TO SPEND ANY MONEY ON ANYTHING.
>> YOU SAID 36%. THESE TWO NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP TO 36%, WAS IT?
>> WHAT WAS THE SPLIT BETWEEN THOSE TWO POPULATIONS?
>> WELL, IT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS 131 PARTICIPANTS SO THERE'S I BELIEVE THIS IS 46 PEOPLE AND THAT'S WHY?
>> ROUGHLY 2:1 APPROVE VERSUS DISAPPROVE?
>> HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DISTRIBUTION OF INDIVIDUALS THAT PARTICIPATED.
WE GOT A PRETTY DIVERSE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST PARTICIPATION FROM EACH ONE OF THE ZONES.
THEN HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN SEE HOW INDIVIDUALS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF ITEMS. AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE RECONSTRUCTION IS VERY FAVORABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT AGAIN, THERE WERE 16 INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE JUST BLATANTLY AGAINST PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING, WHICH INCLUDES STREETS.
THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SURVEY DATA, VOTERS WERE REALLY VOTING FOR THINGS THAT THEY UTILIZED THAT WERE RESOURCES THAT APPEALED TO THEM AND THAT'S WHY I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ENCOURAGING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THIS BOND PACKAGE REALLY DOES HAVE ELEMENTS THAT ARE FOR EVERY RESIDENT NO MATTER WHICH ZONE THEY LIVE IN.
WE TRIED TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE USEFUL TO EACH RESIDENT.
NOW, WE DID TAKE THE COMMENTS AND THERE WERE SEVERAL COMMENTS AND WE'RE TRYING TO UTILIZE AI TO HELP SUMMARIZE THAT COMMENT.
THIS IS AN AI-GENERATED SUMMARY OF ALL OF THE COMMENTS FROM BOTH IN-PERSON AND THE ONLINE SURVEY THAT WE GOT.
WITH THIS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COMMUNITY LARGELY SUPPORTS THE BOND PROPOSAL, ESPECIALLY WITH A FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, RECREATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND HAVE ENTHUSIASM FOR PARKS,
[00:15:01]
TRAILS, AND ROAD MAINTENANCE.HOWEVER, RESIDENTS ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BENEFITS AND ENSURING TRANSPARENCY AND ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS SO BALANCING THESE PRIORITIES AND ADDRESSING CONCERNS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR THE BOND.
HERE YOU CAN JUST SEE THAT PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT TOTAL.
WITH THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT?
>> MAYBE AS WE'RE JUMPING THE GUN A LITTLE BIT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE RULED OUT BASED ON THESE RESPONSES?
>> THERE IS. I THINK THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
>> NO. THERE WAS NO PROJECTS THAT WE CUT AS A RESULT OF THIS.
THOSE WERE ACTUALLY DONE PRIOR.
THE COMMITTEE AFTER THEY LEARNED ABOUT THE PROJECTS AND WAS SCOPING THIS BEFORE THEY BROUGHT IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC HAD ALREADY REMOVED THOSE THREE PARKS SO WE DIDN'T GAIN PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THOSE THREE PARKS, BUT BASED ON THE SIZE AND THE SCOPE, THEY WANTED TO TRIM IT DOWN BEFORE WE PRESENTED IT TO THE PUBLIC AND HONE THE FOCUS.
>> WE USE THIS TO SEE MORE OF A GENERAL SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION, BUT NOT NECESSARILY TO TAILOR THE PROJECTS.
>> IF WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A FULL NEGATIVE PUSHBACK ON ANY ONE OF THESE PROJECTS, IT WOULD HAVE MADE US RECONSIDER WHETHER IT NEEDED TO BE IN HERE BUT AS YOU SAW FROM SOME OF THE RESULTS, THERE WAS REALLY NO BIG PUSHBACK ON ANY ONE PROJECT.
>> LIKE THE 24-HOUR LIBRARY KIOS SEEMED TO HAVE OPPOSITION, BUT THEN AGAIN, IT PROBABLY MATTERS WHERE IT WAS FROM.
>> YES. ONLY TWO PEOPLE FROM THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN ACTUALLY VOTED IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT ONLINE VOTING BUT WHEN YOU GO IN PERSON, IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST.
WHEN WE CAN EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT IT, WE SAW A COMPLETE TURNAROUND IN INFORMATION.
IT COMPLETELY FLIPPED RIGHT THERE AREA IN PERSON.
WHAT WE SEE IS THAT ONCE WE CAN FULLY EDUCATE SOMEONE ON THIS, IT REALLY DOES TURN THEIR HEAD ON WHETHER THE PROJECTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
>> ONE THING THAT I'LL ADD IS THAT THE NAME OF IT IS A BIT OF A MISNOMER AND I THINK WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THAT WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD KIOS YOU THINK OF THIS LITTLE BITTY THING LIKE A RED BOX IF YOU WILL AND THEN I THINK ONCE PEOPLE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND I WAS JOKING WITH RACHEL, EVERYBODY JUST LOVES RACHEL BUT ONCE THE TIME THEY HAD AT THE SESSIONS GOT TO SIT DOWN WITH OR SEE EVERYTHING, IT SHOT UP THE LIST.
FOR US, THAT GAVE US A GOOD INDICATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WATCH THE NOMENCLATURE OF HOW WE ARTICULATE THIS TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'LL GET TO IT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
WE'RE CALLING A 24-HOUR SELF-SERVICE CENTER TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF IT.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CHUCK JENNINGS, PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.
HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT TALK ABOUT GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECTS.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT 20 SOMETHING SLIDES HERE.
BUT THE FIRST SLIDE IS, YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE, I THINK YOU SAW IT IN DECEMBER.
BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE TOTAL PACKAGE FOR ALL THE PARKS TRAILS AND RECREATION ITEMS IN THIS IS $82 MILLION, AND YOU CAN SEE THE THINGS THAT WILL COVER HERE.
IS THAT WHAT IT WAS OF THE ACTUAL BE ON THE BALLOT.
THESE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT I HAVE SLIDES FOR THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE.
>> CHUCK, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE [INAUDIBLE], SIR? IS THIS [OVERLAPPING] WE HAVE SOME SLIDES AT THE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE.
>> THESE ARE ALL THE ONES I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON TONIGHT, AND WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE BIGGEST ONE, THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER RENOVATION EXPANSION.
THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER WAS BUILT IN 2008, AND IT WAS AMAZING.
WE HAD NOTHING AND WE GOT THAT WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL BUILDING A 61,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT WAS REALLY A GREAT HUB FOR OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND REALLY EXPANDED EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD OFFER.
NOW, SINCE THAT TIME, THE TOWN HAS GROWN, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS GROWN, TRENDS HAVE CHANGED.
STANDARDS HAVE CHANGED, AND WE'VE REALIZED THAT WE'RE MAXED OUT IN A LOT OF SPACES.
OUR 2017 PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN.
WE DID AN INITIAL STUDY BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS IN SOME OF THE AREAS IN THIS BUILDING.
THERE WERE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS IN THAT PLAN.
WE REFINED THAT LAST YEAR WITH OUR FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WE DID WITH BRS.
MANY OF YOU GUYS WERE ON HERE, YOU HEARD THEIR FULL REPORT.
IF YOU WEREN'T, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE SEEN THAT OR YOU LOOKED AT THAT.
BUT A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE BASING THIS OFF OF AND WHICH I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT
[00:20:01]
SOME RENDERINGS AND TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS ARE FROM THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE GOT IN THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH INVOLVED LOTS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.THANK YOU ANN, FOR BEING ON OUR EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS MADE UP OF CAC MEMBERS, PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, LSD, STAFF AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT WAS ON THAT.
BUT WE DID LOTS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD ONLINE SURVEYS THAT WE ALSO DID WITH THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS PUBLIC OPPORTUNITIES AT DIFFERENT PARKS BOARD AND TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO JUMP INTO THIS.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE WITH THIS PLAN IS THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY IS TO RENOVATE THE INDOOR SPACES THAT WE HAVE AS WELL AS EXPANDING AND ADDING ONTO THE BUILDING.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT DOING IS ADDING SOME AN INDOOR LEISURE POOL.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND FITNESS AREAS, AS WELL AS THE GYMNASIUMS, CONCESSION.
WE'RE GOING TO ADD AN INDOOR PLAYGROUND AND EXPAND OUR TOT DROP, BUT I'LL GO MORE IN DEPTH AND ALL THAT.
MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET FOR THIS WILL HELP WITH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE FACILITY.
THIS IS A FRONT VIEW OF IT COMPLETELY BUILT OUT, WHICH SHOWS WHERE WE COULD PUT THE CHRISTMAS TREE IF WE WANTED TO.
THEN THIS IS LOOKING AT IT FROM THE BACKSIDE.
WHY DO WE WANT TO DO THIS PROJECT? WELL, FROM WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE RESIDENTS, FROM WHERE WE SEE THAT WE'RE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND AND EXPAND ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF AMENITIES THAT WE HEARD FROM THEM AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WITH PROGRAMMING.
YOU'LL SEE WHEN I SHOW YOU, WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE DOLL HOUSE VIEW.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO REALLY EXPAND THE FITNESS FLOOR AS WELL AS OUR GROUP EXERCISE ROOMS. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WERE REALLY TIGHT RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE HEARING FROM FOLKS, WISH WE HAD MORE, WISH WE HAD MORE.
OR THEY'RE NOT JOINING BECAUSE THEY WANT THE FREE WEIGHTS, AND ALL WE HAVE IS A LOT OF SELECTORS AND CARDIO MACHINES UP THERE RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT'S GOING TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE LEVELS LIKE I MENTIONED BY EXPANDING THOSE AREAS.
THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO ADD THE NEW AMENITIES THAT I TALKED ABOUT INDOORS.
THIS IS TO HELP US KEEP UP WITH THE TRENDS THAT WE SAW WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
BUT THIS IS REALLY THE MEAT OF IT RIGHT HERE.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN USE A LITTLE POINTER HERE.
THIS IS ALL GOING TO BE NEW HERE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INDOOR LEISURE POOL, WHICH WILL BE WARMER WATER THAN WHAT WE HAVE IN THE COMPETITION POOL.
YOU'LL HAVE THE ASSOCIATED MECHANICAL.
WE'LL LOOK TO EXPAND THE OFFICES A LITTLE BIT, AS WELL AS MOVE THE TOP DROP TO THE FRONT PART OF THE BUILDING.
RIGHT NOW IT'S LOCATED IN THE VERY BACK.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPACE THAT'S UNDER THAT OVERHANG RIGHT NOW TO EXPAND OUT, WHICH WILL GIVE US MORE OFFICE SPACE AS WELL AS ALLOW US TO PUT THE TOP DROP AND SOME ADDITIONAL SPACE IN HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE FRONT COURTESY DESK TO THIS AREA, SO WE'LL CATCH PEOPLE AS SOON AS THEY COME IN.
THE INDOOR PLAYGROUND WILL FALL IN THIS SPACE HERE.
WE'RE LOOKING TO RENOVATE THE FAMILY LOCKER ROOMS HERE.
RIGHT NOW, OUR CONCESSION BUILDINGS HERE, WHICH WILL MOVE TO OUTSIDE.
WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO SERVE FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, WHICH WILL BE JUST AS CONVENIENT.
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVENIENT FOR SOME OF THE GUESTS IF WE HAVE INDOOR ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THE GYM.
WE'LL ALSO ADD ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR SEATING, WHICH WILL BE SHADED SEATING AS WELL.
THE BUILDINGS WILL HELP WITH A LOT OF THAT SHADE AND WE'LL HAVE RESTROOM FACILITIES OUT HERE AS OPPOSED TO FOLKS HAVING TO GO BACK INTO THE BUILDING TO USE THE RESTROOMS. WELL, WE'LL STILL HAVE THE UPSTAIRS FITNESS AREA, BUT WE'LL ALSO HAVE THE GYM SPACE AS IT IS NOW AND IT'LL BE OUR NEW FITNESS FLOOR.
WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM BASICALLY 3,000 FEET TO OVER 12,000 FEET OF SPACE, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE'D EVEN LOVE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BUT IT'S AMAZING AMOUNT OF SPACE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR OFFERINGS, LIKE I MENTIONED ABOUT OFFERING A LOT MORE FREE WEIGHT ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS WE'LL HAVE RAMPS IN STAIRS THAT PEOPLE CAN UTILIZE TO WORK OUT.
I KNOW WHEN TOURED A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACILITIES, THAT'S A NEW TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT FOLKS LIKE TO UTILIZE RUNNING UP RAMPS OR DOING STAIRS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND NOT HAVING TO DO IT ON A CARDIO MACHINE.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO ADD ADDITIONAL STUDIOS, GROUP EXERCISE STUDIOS.
RIGHT NOW, WE JUST HAVE THE ONE OVER HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THAT SO WE COULD DO SPINNING CLASSES.
[00:25:02]
A LOT OF FOLKS LIKE TO DO DIFFERENT CLASSES, BUT THEY ALL WANT TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THEY GET DONE WITH WORK.IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ROOM, THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF CLASSES YOU CAN OFFER.
WE'LL ALSO ADD THE INDOOR GYM SPACE.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND FROM BASICALLY TWO OF THESE TO THREE GYMS OR BASKETBALL COURTS WITH AN INDOOR TURF FIELD.
THESE COURTS, WE CAN ALSO LINE THEM TO ACCOMMODATE WHETHER IT'S INDOOR VOLLEYBALL OR PICKLEBALL OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
YOU'LL SEE A BIG STORAGE HERE. LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE.
WE'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL OFFICES HERE, AND WE'LL STILL HAVE THE MEETING ROOM SPACE IN THE CHILL ZONE AS WE HAVE IT NOW.
THOSE ARE A LOT OF THE BIG IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
THEN ON THE SECOND FLOOR, BASICALLY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE IS WE'LL HAVE THIS SHADED ROOFTOP FITNESS TURF.
WE CAN DO SOME OUTDOOR STUFF JUST TO EXPAND OUT AND OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FITNESS AND PERSONAL TRAINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN THE WEATHER IS NICER.
I'M TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE IN THE SECOND. I THINK THAT WAS IT.
THIS GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN HERE ON THE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF THE FACILITY.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE RIGHT AROUND 61,000 RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE LOOKING TO RENOVATE ABOUT 34,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE.
YOU CAN SEE THEY BREAK IT DOWN BASED ON WHAT'S DRY AND WET FOR THE RENOVATIONS, AND THEN THE NEW SPACES, WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD 55,000 SQUARE FEET, 14,000 OF THAT BEING THE INDOOR POOL AND PARTY ROOM, AND THEN THE REST, ALL THE DRY SPACES.
WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM 61,000 TO ABOUT 115,000 SQUARE FEET.
THEN WITH THE OUTDOOR PATIO REST ROOM CONCESSION AREAS, THAT IS ABOUT ANOTHER 7,500 SQUARE FEET THAT WE'RE RENOVATING OR ADDING.
MY LAST SLIDE ON THE CAC, THE CAC, WE'RE PROPOSING 85% COST RECOVERY FOR THIS BUILDING ONCE IT'S BUILT.
BASICALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES THAT WE'RE PROJECTING WE'LL BRING IN, THE TOWN WILL BE SUBSIDIZING ABOUT $900,000, WHICH IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY, WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN CERTAINLY MEET 85% OR DO BETTER.
>> IS THERE GOING TO BE A RATE INCREASE?
>> THERE WILL BE A RATE INCREASE.
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD TO REALLY DO THAT WE'VE INCREASED OUR PROGRAMMING RATES AS NEEDED, BUT OUR MEMBERSHIP RATES PRETTY STAYED CONSTANT SINCE WE'VE OPENED.
>> I GUESS IF I WERE A RESIDENT WHO DIDN'T USE THE CAC, I MIGHT WANT TO KNOW IF THE CAC CAN PAY OFF SOME OF ITS OWN DEBT THROUGH ITS MEMBERSHIP DUES, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AT ABOUT 90% OF ITS OPERATIONAL COST THROUGH DUES.
>> 100-90%. HOPEFULLY, WE WILL, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW, BUT WHAT WE WORKED WITH THE CONSULTANT ON WAS TO AN 85% COST RECOVERY.
>> WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPERATIONAL COST PLUS THE DEBT SERVICE OR NOT INCLUDING THE DEBT SERVICE.
>> NO, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE DEBT SERVICE.
>> JUST THE OPERATIONAL COSTS.
DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THAT FEE IS TO ACHIEVE THAT?
>> THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL REVISIT AS WE GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE INLINE.
THEY DID INDICATE THAT, I BELIEVE IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH I ALSO HAVE ONLINE IF THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SEE THAT ON THE PARK'S PAGE.
>> I THINK WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT AN ANTICIPATED INCREASE IN MEMBERS.
AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPANSION, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
>> REFRESH MY MEMORY ON WHAT THAT ANTICIPATED GROWTH IS IN MEMBERSHIP?
>> I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER OFFHAND. I'M SORRY, I DON'T.
BUT I KNOW OBVIOUSLY WITH ADDING THE DIFFERENT AMENITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WILL DO, A LOT, THE LEISURE POOL WILL HELP CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR MEMBERSHIP YEAR ROUND.
RIGHT NOW A LOT OF IT IS JUST SEASONAL, WHERE WE JUST SEE A BIG INCREASE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN THE OUTDOOR POOLS OPEN.
BUT HAVING THAT YEAR ROUND WILL INCREASE THAT NUMBER.
THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE EXPANDED GROUP X AND ALL THE GYMNASIUM SPACE AS WELL AS WE HEAR FROM A LOT OF FOLKS THAT THEY WOULD LOVE TO COME TO THE CAC, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE WEIGHT EQUIPMENT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE SO BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THAT, WE'LL OPEN UP MORE FOLKS TO OUR MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
>> WAS WAS ANYTHING REMOVED FROM THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FOR MCAC EXPANSION?
[00:30:03]
>> THERE WERE NO RECOMMENDATIONS TO REMOVE ANYTHING.
>> WE ACCEPTED EVERYTHING. THEN FOR THE NON FLOWER MOUND RESIDENTS, WE CHARGE A HIGHER RATE?
>> COULD WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S MAYBE PROPORTIONAL WHEN WE START? BECAUSE IF THEY'RE CONSIDERING THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE PAYING TAXES TO OFFSET THE COST.
>> YEAH. I THINK TYPICALLY IT'S 40% HIGHER.
>> WOULD THAT BE 100% RECOVERY?
>> NO, THAT'S STILL BASED ON THE 85%.
>> I FELT LIKE A LOT OF THE PROJECTIONS WE COULD MEET ESPECIALLY WHEN I LOOK AT THE AQUATIC PROGRAMMING REVENUE AS WELL AS THE PERSONAL TRAINING REVENUE.
I THINK THOSE NUMBERS WERE VERY CONSERVATIVE.
IF WE DO WELL AND THE RESIDENTS SUPPORT THIS AND COME OUT AND JOIN AND PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE THINGS WE'RE OFFERING, THIS SHOULD DO REALLY WELL.
I'M GOING TO JUMP INTO THE PARKS, AND THEN WE'LL COVER THE TRAIL STUFF.
THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, IT'S OFF TIMBER CREEK ROAD.
IT USED TO BE WHERE THE OLD LIST ADMIN BUILDING WAS.
THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THE ACTIVE STUFF TAKES PLACE IN THAT PICTURE.
LOTS OF GREAT TRAIL RUNNING THROUGH THAT PARK CURRENTLY.
IF YOU REMEMBER IN 2021, WE PURCHASED THE LAND FOR ADDITIONAL SEVEN-ISH ACRES FROM LISD, HAD THE OLD NATORI, THEIR ADMIN BUILDING AND A COMMUNICATION BUILDING ON IT.
ALL THREE OF THOSE HAVE SINCE BEEN DEMOLISHED, WHICH REALLY OPENED UP SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE MASTER PLAN PHASE OF THAT PARK.
WE'VE HAD COMMUNITY MEETINGS ALREADY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO GO TO THE PARKS BOARD WITH A WORK SESSION ITEM EITHER IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH, AND THEN HOPEFULLY BE IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS MARCH, APRIL, SOMETIME IN THERE.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HOPEFULLY BRING A COOL CONCEPT PLAN TO YOU GUYS TO APPROVE, WHICH WE WOULD THEN UTILIZE THESE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THAT CONCEPTUAL PLAN THAT YOU GUYS APPROVE.
SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE IN THAT PLAN, OBVIOUSLY, ADDING RESTROOM, TENNIS COURTS, PAVILIONS, MAYBE SOME PLAY STRUCTURE, AND IMPROVING THE PARKING, ENHANCING LANDSCAPING, ADDING SOME TREES, NEW SIDE AMENITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC AND AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
BUT THIS WILL ALSO HELP IMPROVE OUR LEVEL OF STANDARDS FOR TENNIS COURTS.
IT WAS ALSO IN OUR MASTER PLAN TO LOOK AT TO IMPROVE AND WILL PROVIDE A REFRESHER TO ONE OF OUR OLDER PARKS IN TOWN, WHICH THIS ONE WAS ACQUIRED, I THINK BACK IN THE MID 80S.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE?
>> JUST A QUICK QUESTION AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT TIME TO ASK IT, BUT YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DESIGN STUDY IS UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.
HELPS TO COME TO US IN MARCH-ISH.
BUT THEN THE FUNDING COULD COME FROM THE BOND, WHICH WE VOTED ON IN MAY.
ARE WE GETTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE WITH THAT OR DO WE HAVE AN ALTERNATE FUNDING MECHANISM? THEN SECONDLY, IS THAT TYPICAL FOR ALL THESE PROJECTS OR IS THIS AN OUTLIER WITH THAT APPROACH?
>> NO, A LOT OF THAT COULD BE THE SAME CASE.
IF IT DOESN'T GET APPROVED, WE DO HAVE THE 4B FUNDS AS WELL AS PARK DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, WHICH COULD HELP FUND THIS PROJECT.
>> PROBABLY ONE THING I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IS IN TOTAL, IF WE NEED TO USE THE 4B FUNDS IF THE BOND IS NOT SUCCESSFUL, WHAT'S THAT LOOK LIKE OR THE TRADE OFFS? WHAT THAT GOING TO COST US FROM OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD DO?
>> I WOULD SAY IT WOULD CERTAINLY DELAY SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE HERE.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THEM OUT IN FUTURE YEARS, BUT THIS WOULD HELP SPEED UP SOME OF THAT IF IT DID GET APPROVED.
THE NEXT ONE IS PRAIRIE TRAIL PARK.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THAT'S LOCATED, YOU'VE GOT VALLEY RIDGE HERE.
MARCUS HIGH SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE OVER HERE IN MORSE ROAD.
YOU TAKE A RIGHT ON VALLEY RIDGE, GO DOWN AND COME DOWN THE PARK.
MARCH BIRCH BROOK DRIVE THERE IN FOX GLEN LANE, AND YOU GOT PRAIRIE TRAIL ELEMENTARY RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHICH RIGHT NOW IT'S PRETTY MUCH OPEN SPACE WITH A BACKSTOP.
THIS IS AN OLDER AREA WE PLANTED A BUNCH OF TREES ALONG THE ROAD HERE AND DOWN HERE.
BUT IT'S GOT SOME PARKING AS WELL AND A LITTLE BIT OF TRAIL THAT RUNS THROUGH IT.
[00:35:02]
THIS WAS A RECOMMENDATION IN OUR MASTER PLAN.WE FEEL IT'S A VERY UNDER UTILIZED PARK.
THE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION DOESN'T EVEN USE THAT ANYMORE FOR PRACTICES.
>> WE'D LOVE TO PROVIDE A REFRESH TO THIS OLDER PARK AS WELL.
THIS WAS ACQUIRED BACK IN 1998.
SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE COULD DO WOULD BE TO ADD SOME LOOPED TRAIL, MAYBE SOME PLACE STRUCTURES, SOME ENHANCED LANDSCAPING, A PICNIC PAVILION, EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, LEAVE OPEN SPACE AREAS FOR PRACTICES AS WELL BECAUSE A LOT OF TEAMS DO LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, WHETHER IT'S SOCCER, FOOTBALL, THOSE TYPE OF SPORTS, THEY'LL COME OUT SET UP CONES AND MAKE SOME AREAS.
YOU'LL SEE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TEAMS ON THERE PRACTICING.
THE FUNDING FOR THIS WILL HELP PAY FOR A MASTER PLAN, A DESIGN IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
>> CHECK, DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY ADDITIONAL PARKING TO BE ADDED?
>> I THINK WE'D HAVE TO SEE WHAT AMENITIES ARE GOING TO BE ADDED AND THEN WE'LL EVALUATE IF WHAT WE HAVE THERE IS ENOUGH.
THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS IS YOU CAN PARK ALONG THE ROAD AS WELL, WHICH ADDS RISSOLE, YOU SEE PEOPLE PARKING ALL ALONG THE ROAD.
>> IT'S A POPULAR PICKUP AND DROP OFF ALTERNATE SCHOOL PICK UP, IT OFF?
>> FOX THERE WHERE THE PARKING IS.
I COULD SEE THAT IF WE AMENITIZED THIS, WE COULD GET A LOT OF PARENTS OUT THERE, MAYBE SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME.
SOME EXTRA PARKING MIGHT BE SOME TO CONSIDER.
SOMEBODY GOES OUT THERE ON A SCHOOL DAY AT ABOUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LET'S OUT.
>> WELL, IT'S INTERESTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT START TO THINK.
>> APPRECIATE YOU SHARON THAT.
I WAS TELLING COUNCIL MEMBER SHIS EARLIER, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS AROUND HERE TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS PARK.
IT'S NOT UNDER UTILIZER, THEY APPRECIATE IT AND THEY WANT TO COME OUT TO IT AND ENJOY THEIR TIME THERE.
THAT'LL BE PART OF THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS AND WE'D CERTAINLY INVITE ALL THE FOLKS THAT LIVE AROUND THERE TO COME OUT AND LET US HEAR FROM THEM.
THE THIRD PROJECT THAT THE COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING IS THE TWIN COST PARK.
THIS IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY PHASE 2, OBVIOUSLY PHASE 1, RN.
IT'S DOING GREAT. PEOPLE LOVE THE PARK.
IT'S OUR LITTLE HIDDEN GEM DOWN THERE.
THIS WILL HELP FINISH OUT THE APPROVED MASTER PLAN THAT WE HAVE FOR THE PARK.
THE BIG THINGS THAT WE WILL BE DOING IN PHASE 2 WILL BE ADDING ADDITIONAL RV SITES, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THAT TOP LEFT PICTURE THERE, RIGHT HERE.
THEN WE'LL ALSO BE DOING A LOT OF SOME ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS, ADDING ADDITIONAL PARKING AND PUTTING IN A CAMP HEADQUARTERS, WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT.
BUT THAT CAMP HEADQUARTERS HELPS US PROVIDE INDOOR PROGRAMMING AND MEETING AND RENTAL SPACE FOR CAMPGROUND USERS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY.
A COUNTRY FEEL IS WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR HERE WITH SOME STONE AND METAL ROOF AND THAT COUNTRY FEEL RANCH FEEL THING.
IT WILL ALSO HELP EXPAND OUR CAMP STORE AS WELL AS ADD MUCH NEEDED OFFICE SPACE FOR THE STAFF THAT WORKS OUT THERE.
THE RV SITES ARE CONSTANTLY FULL.
OCCUPANCY RATE IS REALLY HIGH FOR THE RV SITES AND BE GREAT TO ADD MORE.
THESE WILL BE IN A GREAT SPOT. LET ME SHOW YOU THAT.
ON THIS PICTURE HERE, THIS IS WHERE THE NEW RV SITES WOULD GO.
PEOPLE WOULD GET LOTS OF GREAT LAKE VIEWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, MOST OF THAT IN THE CAMP STORES ARE GOING TO BE IN THIS AREA AND WITH ADDITIONAL PARKING.
THERE'S A BIG DIP IN THE ROAD RIGHT HERE.
WHEN THE LAKE DOES START TO FILL UP, THIS STARTS TO FLOOD THE ROAD AND WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE WHOLE PARK DOWN EARLIER THAN IF WE RAISED IT, WE COULD KEEP AREAS OF THE PARK OPEN LONGER AND CONTINUE TO HAVE GUESTS IN THERE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT WITH THAT ROAD FLOODING, WE GOT TO GET THEM OUT OF THERE QUICKER.
LET'S SEE IF I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD ON THIS ONE.
I DON'T THINK. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE?
>> YOU'RE NOT ADDING MORE CABINS, JUST OVER THERE?
>> NO. WE STILL HAVE CABINS, THE OCCUPANCY RATE IS OKAY, BUT THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF ROOM FOR GROWTH THERE, AND I THINK THE 19 IS PLENTY FOR WHAT WE HAVE.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEVELOPMENTS MOSTLY GOING TO BE IN AREAS WHERE THERE AREN'T ANY TREES.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME RESIDENTS TALKING ABOUT THE TREES THAT WERE LOST TO PUT SOME OF THIS IN,
[00:40:01]
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE PROBABLY AREN'T GOING TO HAVE TO LOSE ANY FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS.>> NO. MA'AM, MAYBE A FEW OVER HERE WHERE WE PUT THE CAMP STORE, BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY TRY TO MITIGATE WHERE WE CAN AND WE'LL ADD TREES.
WE TRY TO ALWAYS PLANT SOME TREES BY THE RV SITES AS WELL TO PROVIDE NATURAL SHADE.
PART OF THAT IS WHEN WE DO THE DESIGN, WE'LL LOOK TO ADD ADDITIONAL TREES TO THE PARK AS WELL.
THEN WE HAVE THE SPORTS FIELD CONVERSION THAT'S AT CHINN CHAPEL PARK.
THAT'S UP THERE OFF 407 IN CHINN CHAPEL ROAD.
BASICALLY HAVE FIVE SOCCER FULL SIZED SOCCER FIELDS THERE RIGHT NOW.
THE PLAN IS TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING FIELD NUMBER 5, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD.
THIS IS JUST A BLOWN UP VERSION OF FIELD NUMBER 5.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR YOUTH SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS.
THEY'D LOVE TO HAVE A SYNTHETIC MULTIPURPOSE FIELD.
WE PUT THE ONE IN FIELD IN AT BAKERSFIELD PARK AND WE'VE HEARD LOTS OF COMPLIMENTS FROM THE MIRACLE LEAGUE AS WELL AS FMYA. THEY LOVE IT.
IT'S ON OUR FIVE YEAR CIP TO EXPAND THAT AND DO ALL THE INFIELDS OVER THERE.
THIS WOULD HELP WITH MULTIPURPOSE FIELDS AND OTHER SPORTS LIKE LACROSSE, FOOTBALL.
WE HEAR FROM THEM, THEY'D LOVE TO HAVE IT.
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES, THERE'S LOTS OF ADVANTAGES TO SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS.
YOU CAN PLAY ON THEM A LOT LONGER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR REST PERIODS LIKE WE DO RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE REST PERIODS BUILT IN WHERE WE KICK EVERYONE OFF THE FIELDS, WE GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO RECOVER AND REST.
WE DO MAINTENANCE AND FERTILIZING AND THINGS LIKE THAT DURING THESE DOWN PERIODS AS WELL.
IT ALSO WILL ALLOW THEM TO GET BACK ON THE FIELD A LOT QUICKER WHEN WE HAVE RAIN EVENTS.
LESS RAIN OUTS, WILL ELIMINATE THAT AND ALSO WE CAN BE ON THEM LONGER, LIKE I MENTIONED, HAVE THE REST PERIODS, BUT WE ALSO MONITOR HOW MUCH PLAY IS ON THOSE.
SOMETIMES WE'LL CLOSE THEM DOWN JUST FOR A DAY OF THE WEEK.
WE WON'T ALLOW ANY USE ON IT BECAUSE YOU JUST GOT TO MONITOR HOW MUCH IS ON YOUR NATURAL GRASS BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT IT TO WEAR DOWN BEFORE THE SEASON IS OVER.
WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON HOW OUR FIELDS LOOK AND THE QUALITY OF THEM.
THIS WILL HELP TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF WORRY AWAY BECAUSE THE SYNTHETIC TURF HOLD UP TO A LOT MORE CONTINUOUS PLAY WITHOUT THOSE REST PERIODS.
>> CHUCK, THERE'S A NASCENT TACKLE FOOTBALL LEAGUE THAT IS GETTING GOING IN FLOWER MOUND YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL, AND THEY HAD ME OUT TO ONE OF THEIR MEETS OUT AND THEY WERE USING MARCUS FACILITIES.
I THINK PAYING QUITE A BIT, WOULD THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS FIELD? WHY THEY BE ABLE TO USE IT, IF THEY ARE DIFFICULT TIMES?
>> OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO CATER TO THE YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH THAT WOULD GET PRIORITY TIME.
THEN IF THERE WAS ADDITIONAL TIME LEFT AFTERWARDS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RENT THAT OUT TO GROUP.
>> IT DEPENDS ON FUTURE AGREEMENTS.
BUT IF THEY HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THIS?
>> IS IT PRIMARILY FOR FOOTBALL OR IS IT?
>> IN LACROSSE WOULD LOVE THEY'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT EVERY YEAR SINCE THEY STARTED MANY YEARS AGO.
LACROSSE AND FOOTBALL WOULD BE THE BIG ONES.
WE WOULD HAVE TO PROBABLY WATCH HOW MANY SPORTS WE'D WANT TO PUT ON HERE BECAUSE THAT IS A LOT OF LINES THAT HAVE TO GO INTO THE FIELD.
THE LINES ARE PERMANENT ON THESE SYNTHETIC ONES.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU COULD PAINT SOME ON THERE IF YOU NEEDED TO, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE IDEAL.
>> IF IT WAS LIMITED TO FOOTBALL AND LACROSSE, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE ACCEPTABLE, LINE MARK?
>> IF THIS SOLVES OUR LACK OF TACKLE FOOTBALL FACILITIES, DOES IT GIVE OUR TACKLE FOOTBALL AND LACROSSE FOLKS ENOUGH PRACTICE AREA? DO THEY HAVE PRACTICE AREAS WHERE THEY CAN?
>> WE'D HAVE TO GAUGE THAT BASED ON HOW MUCH USE THEY WANT FOR GAMES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT LEAGUES, HOW WE WOULD DIVIDE THAT UP.
WITH THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE, LACROSSE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND THAT SPORT YOU CAN'T JUST GO PUT THEM IN A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK AND PRACTICE WHEN THEY'RE THROWING THE LACROSSE BALLS, IT'S DANGEROUS.
WE TRY TO KEEP THEM ON THE FIELDS DESIGNED FOR THAT.
OTHER SPORTS LIKE SOCCER, LIKE FOOTBALL, PREVIOUSLY, WE'VE KEPT THEM OFF GAME FIELDS BECAUSE THEY CAN REALLY WEAR OUT THE GRASS, THEY UTILIZE JUST PARKS, OPEN SPACE WE HAVE IN PARKS.
WE HAVE SOME PRACTICE SOCCER LOCATIONS THAT CAN BE RESERVED AS WELL.
WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THEM OFF THE GAME FIELDS.
[00:45:01]
>> IS THE PUBLIC ALLOWED TO ACCESS THIS IF IT'S NOT BEING USED?
>> OUR POLICIES ARE, THEY CAN BE RENTED BY OUTSIDE GROUPS.
THEY WOULD JUST HAVE TO DO A RENTAL PERMIT WITH THOSE.
THEY'D HAVE TO PROVIDE INSURANCE AND PAY THE APPROPRIATE FEES.
>> IF A COUPLE OF KIDS FROM THE HOUSES UP HERE WANT TO COME OVER AND KICK A SOCCER BALL AROUND OR THROW TO KICK THEM OUT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO COME ON?
>> WELL, WE WON'T. IF IT'S A ORGANIZED GROUP AND THEY'RE NOT COMMUNICATING WITH US, WE'LL DEFINITELY.
>> I'VE DRIVEN BY CHIN CHAPEL AND THERE'S A COUPLE KIDS KICKING A BALL.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO BOTHER THEM AND KICK.
>>WHAT'S THE DURABILITY OF THAT TURF AS FAR?
>> YOU MEAN, HOW LONG WILL LAST PLACE IT?
>> I WOULD SAY MAYBE 15 YEARS.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF USE ON IT AND HOW IT'S BEING MAINTAINED.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK? JAMES, 15 YEARS ON THOSE?
>> TEN TO 15 YEARS IS ABOUT RIGHT.
THE KEY THING IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE TO REPLACE IT.
IT'S ROUGHLY AROUND HALF THE COST OF THE INSTALLATION BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN.
TYPICALLY WHAT MUNICIPALITY WILL DO IS YOU KNOW AS IT'S COMING UP, YOU START SAVING THE MONEY NECESSARY IN ORDER TO DO THAT REPLACEMENT.
BUT IN A LOT OF CASES, JUST THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT AT THE RATE DID YOU DO AT GRASS.
THERE'S THE SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
BUT 10,15 YEARS AND PROBABLY ABOUT HALF THE COST TO REPLACE THE SURFACE.
>> I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AROUND 1.3 ROUGHLY AS AN ESTIMATE TO DO THIS RENOVATION.
>> AS WE'RE ADVERTISING THESE DIFFERENT IMPROVEMENTS, IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO PUT AN ROI ON IT TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE SAVING IF THERE IS ANY.
>> THE ONE THING I DON'T REALLY KNOW, I'D HAVE TO VISIT WITH SOME COLLEAGUES IN OTHER CITIES TO SEE HOW MUCH IT COSTS FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN A FIELD LIKE THIS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ZERO MAINTENANCE.
THERE'S INFILL MATERIAL IN THERE THAT YOU'VE GOT TO LEVEL AND THERE'S THINGS YOU WANT TO PICK UP THAT YOU DON'T WANT IN THERE.
>> BUT THE HIGHER USE CAPACITY IS CERTAINLY AN ADVANTAGE.
>> I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME DISADVANTAGES AS WELL.
THESE FIELDS GET PRETTY HOT IN THE SUMMERTIME.
LOT HOTTER THAN NATURAL GRASS.
BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE FIELD 11 AT BAKERSFIELD, I WAS ENCOURAGED TO TALK TO FMYA AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH HEAT, AND THEY RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD WITH CONVERTING ALL THE OTHER ONES TO SYNTHETIC AS WELL.
>> DO THEY NEED SPECIAL CLEATS OR SHOES FOR THAT VERSUS THE ONES THAT THEY ALREADY USE?
CHUCK BEFORE WE MAKE SELECTIONS.
COULD WE ALSO DO SOME RESEARCH ON ALTERNATIVE SUBSTRATES? I HAVE JUST READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GROUND TIRE RECYCLED TIRE SITUATION AND CHEMICAL CONCERNS.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ONES LIKE THE ONE THAT BAKERSFIELD IS MORE OF A SAND TYPE INFILL.
THERE'S ALSO A CORK INFILL, WHICH HELPS WITH THE HEAT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO WET IT DOWN AND THE EVAPORATION HELPS WITH COOLING.
IT JUST COST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
>> WELL, IT MIGHT BE NICE TO HAVE THAT.
>> WE WOULDN'T PUT THE BLACK CRUMB RUBBER IN HERE.
>> THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW ALSO FOR THE BOND WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT WOULD WE BE PAYING FOR. THANKS.
>> AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WERE THREE PARK PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THOSE WERE THE FUTURE PARK THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE WEYBURN DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED CONSTRUCTION ON THAT DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THE FUTURE PARK AND THE OAKBRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AND THEN TROTTER PARK.
>>. WE'RE THINKING 4B, WE'LL PAY FOR THAT DOWN THE ROAD? BECAUSE TROTTER PARK WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO NOT DO THAT.
>> IT'S IN THE CIP TO USE, AS I MENTIONED, 4B OR PARK DEVELOPMENT FUNDS MAYBE A SPLIT.
I THINK A LOT OF THE WORRY THERE WAS WITH THE TENNIS CENTER ALREADY BEING VOTED DOWN THERE THEN IF IT WENT AGAIN TO A BOND ELECTION, IS THAT GOING TO DELAY THINGS AND UPSET FOLKS.
WE'LL JUMP INTO THE TRAIL PROJECTS.
WE'VE GOT I BELIEVE SIX ONES TO TALK ABOUT.
THE FIRST ONE IS GASTON PARK, LONG PRAIRIE ROAD SEGMENT.
OVER HERE ON THE PICTURE, I SHOW IT ALL IN YELLOW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GOING TO TEAR ALL THAT OUT AND PUT TRAIL IN BECAUSE THERE IS SOME TRAIL IN THESE AREAS.
IT'S JUST SHOWING YOU THE SEGMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AND IMPROVING.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WITH EVERYONE, AND THAT'S THE CASE WITH ALL OF THEM.
SOME OF THEM ALREADY HAVE TRAIL IN AND WE DON'T NEED TO REPLACE.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE IN YELLOW.
THIS ONE WILL BASICALLY TAKE YOU FROM FOUR OH SEVEN ALL THE WAY TO RUSTIC TIMERS PARK.
[00:50:07]
IT'S PART OF IT'S IN THE PINK PRIMROSE TRAIL.THE MONEY WILL HELP PAY FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SHOPPING IN HIGHLANDS RANCH, ROBSON CREEK, SHOPS IN HIGHLAND VILLAGE.
I'LL GET YOU DOWN INTO THE RIVER WALK, AND EVENTUALLY ALL THE WAY DOWN, YOU COULD TAKE THIS TRAIL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PARKER SQUARE, AND EVEN FURTHER, IT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE VICTORY ELEMENTARY IF WE GET THAT OTHER SEGMENT THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HERE IN A LITTLE BIT APPROVED AS WELL.
THAT ONE, THAT WOULD BE A SEVEN MILE STRAIGHT SEGMENT OF CONTINUOUS TRAIL WITH NO GAPS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE TO IMPROVE TRAIL SAFETY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE IT'S ALL PROPER TRAIL WIDTH THAT WE DON'T HAVE SMALLER SIDEWALK IN HERE.
WE HAVE SOME AGING SIDEWALK, IT'S GOT SLOPES AND CRACKS THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.
WE DO HAVE SOME GAPS WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALK OR TRAIL AT ALL.
WE'LL LOOK TO FILL THAT IN HERE.
THIS IS ALSO GOING TO BE PART OF THE V WEB, WHICH IS BASICALLY A REGIONAL TRAIL NETWORK IN THE DFW METROPLEX.
ONCE THAT'S COMPLETELY BUILT OUT, THAT COULD CONNECT OVER 105 CITIES IN THE METROPLEX.
THIS IS ALSO A RECOMMENDATION IN OUR TRAILS AND BIKEWAYS MASTER PLAN.
THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE SEGMENTS YOU GUYS APPROVED A RESOLUTION RECENTLY FOR A GRANT APPLICATION SUBMITTAL THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COG, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY DUE TOMORROW, AND JUST SIGNED IT TODAY.
THEY'LL BE SUBMITTING THAT IN TIME AND WE'RE EXCITED AND FINGERS CROSSED TO HELP PAY FOR THIS.
THE NEXT SEGMENT IS ALONG FLOWER MOUND ROAD, AND WE'RE BASICALLY LOOKING FROM THE LEWISVILLE CITY LIMITS TO ALL THE WAY TO LONG PRAIRIE TO IMPROVE THAT TRAIL SYSTEM.
ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION WITH MOST OF THESE WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT THEM, IF WE IMPROVE THESE, I WAS FINDING WAYS TO DO ALL DIFFERENT LOOPS WITH OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
A LOT OF WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE FOLKS, SPECIALLY WHEN DID THE TRAILS AND BIKEWAYS MASTER PLAN IS THEY'D LOVE TO HAVE THESE MAYBE A TWO MILE LOOP OR FIVE MILE LOOP, AND A LOT OF THESE WILL HELP CREATE ADDITIONAL LOOPS IN TOWN.
SOME OF THEM WE'LL GET SOME REALLY NICE MILEAGE FOR THE LOOPS.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
BUT THIS ONE'S ALONG FLOWER MOUND ROAD.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S THE SAME THING, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO IMPROVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE CONTINUOUS TRAIL WITHOUT SMALLER LITTLE SIDEWALK, WE'LL FILL IN ANY GAPS THAT MIGHT BE THERE AS WELL.
I THINK MOST OF THIS ALREADY HAS SIDEWALK.
IT WOULD JUST BE INCREASING THE WIDTH AND REPLACING AGING SIDEWALKS THAT MIGHT NOT BE ADA COMPLIANT ANYMORE AS WELL.
>> THIS WILL HELP IMPROVE OVERALL TRAIL SAFETY.
IT WILL HELP WITH ACCESS TO OUR PARKS TO CITY OF LEWISVILLE IF YOU WANT TO GO THERE FOR SOME REASON, OR YOU CAN GET RETAIL AROUND 3040 AND 2499.
IT ALSO GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY IF YOU GO DOWN AND YOU WENT DOWN GARDEN RIDGE AND YOU'RE DOWN IN BAKERSFIELD, HERITAGE, AND ALL THAT, YOU CAN TAKE TRAIL THE WHOLE WAY DOWN.
IT WAS A HIGH PRIORITY PROJECT IN OUR MASTER PLAN.
IT'S PART OF THE PURPLE CONEFLOWER AND PINK EVENING PRIMROSE TRAIL SYSTEMS.
>> THIS ONE ALREADY HAS SIDEWALK ON IT, RIGHT?
>> WE'RE JUST EXPANDING IT TO A 12 FOOT TRAIL?
>> IT WOULD BE EXPANDED TO TRAIL WIDTH.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD GET THAT WIDE WITH IT ON THIS ONE.
PROBABLY NO WIDER THAN 8-10 FEET.
>> DO WE HAVE AN OVERARCHING PICTURE, DO WE HAVE A LIST OF WHAT COST IS FOR EACH OF THE PROJECTS?
>> THERE ARE ESTIMATES AT BEST.
I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE ESTIMATED FOR THE DIFFERENT ONES.
FOR THE GASTON LONG PRAIRIE ONE, THAT WAS ROUGHLY AROUND 3 MILLION.
THEN FLOWER MOUND ROAD, WE HAD 5.2.
THE JUSTIN ROAD WAS 2.8 AND THEN THE KIRKPATRICK ONE, WE HAD 2 MILLION.
THEN THE LAST ONE I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IS SHADOW RIDGE SWEETWATER IS 1.5 MILLION.
[00:55:05]
>> ON FLOWER MOUND ROAD, WE JUST ADDED A SIDEWALK OVER THERE.
>> LIKE I MENTIONED, THIS WHOLE YELLOW JUST SHOWS THE CORRIDOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPROVING.
THERE IS AREAS IN HERE WHERE WE DID ALREADY PUT IN SOME TRAIL, SO THAT WOULD HELP SAVE SOME MONEY AS WELL.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO AS MUCH.
>> I THINK I'D WANT MORE CLARITY ON THAT AS WELL.
>> WHY ARE WE DOING SUCH A WIDE TRAIL ON THAT? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S HIGHLY TRAVELED.
>> WELL, OTHER REASON WHY PEOPLE DON'T TRAVEL ON THIS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE DISJOINTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN, WE HEARD FROM FOLKS WAS DISCONNECTED GAPS, SIDEWALKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
PART OF THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE HERE IS TO IMPROVE OUR TRAIL SYSTEM, FINISH OUT THESE SEGMENTS WITH NICE WIDE TRAIL, WHICH ALSO IMPROVES SAFETY.
>> FORGIVE ME BECAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WE ADDED THAT SIDEWALK.
>> THE ONE THAT'S LEADING FROM.
>> I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A LONG FOREST ROAD.
>> OVER BY GARDENERS GROWLERS.
>> THAT'S ALL THE TRAIL THAT WAS PAID FOR WITH THE SIDEWALK.
>> SORRY, LET'S SEE. THERE WE GO.
IT WAS OVER IN THIS AREA AND A LITTLE BIT TOWARDS GARDEN RIDGE.
>> I THINK WE DID THAT ONE THAT LED FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE SHOPS OVER THERE BY 3040 AND 2499.
I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE DONE TWO.
>> I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANY ADDITIONAL ONES THAT YOU BROUGHT.
>> MAYBE THAT'S JUST THE ONE THERE.
BUT DO WE FIND THAT THAT'S WELL UTILIZED?
>> WE DID THE RIGHT AT THE CORNER HERE.
>> THERE WAS TWO GAP PROJECTS IN THIS GENERAL AREA.
ONE WAS BY TEAL WOOD AND THE OTHER ONE WAS EASTERN GARDEN RIDGE.
>> IT WAS JUST THE TRAIL ONES.
>> IT WAS JUST TRAIL. IT WAS A SIDEWALK GAP PROJECT THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THAT WE FILL IN THOSE GAPS.
IT WAS ON THE TRAILS MASTER PLAN, SO THAT'S WHY THAT 10 FOOT TRAIL WAS INSTALLED THERE DURING THAT TIME.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING IN THOSE AREAS.
WE WOULD JUST LOOK TO CONTINUE ON WITH TRAIL AND NOT GO DOWN TO A 4 FOOT SIDEWALK.
THAT'S A LOT OF REASON WHY FOLKS DON'T WANT TO USE OUR TRAIL SYSTEM IS BECAUSE THEY ENCOUNTER ISSUES LIKE THAT, ON THE FEEDBACK I HEARD.
>> I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TAKING ON DEBT TO TEAR OUT SIDEWALK AND REPLACE IT WITH BIGGER SIDEWALK.
I THINK I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT SECTIONS OF THIS WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO AND WHAT IT IS TODAY AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE WHOLE THING LIKE THE MAYOR JUST SAID.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC.
>> THE MAJORITY OF THIS WILL NEED TO BE REDONE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THESE SIDEWALK OR THIS TRAIL THAT WE JUST RECENTLY PUT IN ALONG HERE AND IN ALONG HERE.
>> WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WHAT THE CONSULTANT HAD IDENTIFIED AS THE HIGHER PRIORITY WERE AREAS WHERE THERE WAS ALREADY SIDEWALK.
WE SAID, I'M NOT SO SURE IF THAT'S WHAT I CONSIDER HIGH PRIORITY IS WHERE WE HAVE EXISTING SIDEWALK, MAYBE IT'S NOT QUITE UP TO OUR STANDARD, BUT THERE ARE AREAS THAT WE DON'T LIKE THE LAST ONE, THE 2499 ONE, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THERE'S NOT SIDEWALK IN A LOT OF THAT, LIKE IN FRONT OF THE APARTMENT.
>> THAT MADE MORE SENSE TO ME.
THIS ONE TO ME IS A LITTLE BIT BELOW THE LINE, JUST BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A SERVICEABLE SIDEWALK THERE AND THERE MIGHT BE A HIGHER PRIORITY ITEM THAT WE COULD DO INSTEAD.
I JUST NEED MORE INFORMATION BEFORE I CAN -
>> I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS FROM WHAT WE HEARD FROM FOLKS ON WHAT THEY'D LOVE TO SEE WITH THEIR TRAIL SYSTEM.
THESE FUNDS WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THIS AND HAVE THAT WHOLE SECTION COMPLETED AND DONE, IT'LL BE A PROPER WIDTH, IT'LL BE SAFE FOR THEM TO USE.
THEY WON'T HAVE TO ENCOUNTER JOGGING ON IT OR RIDING THEIR BIKE ON IT, AND THEN ALL COMING UP WITH SOMEONE ON A 4 FOOT SIDEWALK WITH A BABY STROLLER AND THEN SOMEONE'S GOT TO GO OFF INTO THE GRASS AND JUST MAKES IT UNSAFE AND IT'S NOT COMPLETE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD DURING THE MASTER PLAN.
CERTAINLY UP TO YOU GUYS, WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO.
>> I MEAN, THAT DEFINITELY MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I GUESS IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE TRAIL SYSTEM THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, I MIGHT WANT TO JUST SEE IF THAT MAKES MORE SENSE THAN REPLACING A SIDEWALK.
>> I AGREE. AND WE DID DISCUSS THIS WHEN THE MASTER PLANS, THE TRAIL CAME UP.
I BELIEVE WE ALL SAID WE DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY FOR 12 FOOT TRAIL, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS BASICALLY A SIDEWALK ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE.
[01:00:02]
SO FOR ME, THE REASON I WOULDN'T BE PUSHING A BABY STROLLER THERE IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE DOING THAT NEAR A 50 MILE AN HOUR SPEED ZONE.THERE'S SO MANY BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOODS AND PARKS AND TRAILS THAT ARE MORE RURAL AND QUIET AND PEACEFUL.
I'D PREFER TO PUT MONEY ON THOSE.
>> I WILL SAY A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR HERE NEED TO GET ON A TRAIL TO GET TO THOSE BEAUTIFUL TRAILS TO BE ABLE TO ARRIVE TO THOSE.
THIS WILL GIVE THEM A SAFER OPPORTUNITY THAN GOING ON A 4 OR 5 FOOT SIDEWALK.
I THINK I'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION TOO ABOUT WHICH AREAS WOULD TRULY CREATE THAT CONNECTIVITY WITHOUT GOING OVERBOARD TO CREATE A BIGGER SIDEWALK ON A 50 MILE AN HOUR ROAD.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL PUT OUT THIS AND I'LL JUST POINT OUT THIS IS THE CHALLENGING PART OF IT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTOOD THE DIRECTIVE AND THE FEEDBACK REGARDING OFF STREET TRAILS, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THOSE SECTIONS HERE IN A MINUTE.
BUT THERE'S THIS CONNECTIVITY PIECE THAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO ADDRESS HERE TOO.
THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M HEARING SO FAR IS WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR CHUCK IS THAT, IF I WERE TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT FOR TUESDAY'S MEETING, COULD WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION READY TO BETTER INFORM THE COUNCIL ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE SECTIONS ON THESE THREE AREAS? DO YOU THINK WE COULD HAVE THAT READY BY THEN?
>> YOU WANT TO SEE WHERE IT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD BE IMPROVING, YEAH, I CAN.
>> BECAUSE THE FEEDBACK I'M HEARING IS THAT THE COMFORT LEVEL ISN'T ALL THE WAY THERE AND THEY WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICITY ABOUT HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO LAY OUT THERE.
I THINK IN THE INTEREST AND TIME AND WE GOT MORE SLIDES TO GET THROUGH, I THINK WHAT I'M TAKING AWAY IS YOU'RE NOT QUITE SOLD ON THESE COMPONENTS, AND YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION AND MAYBE THE BENEFIT OF THE WEEKEND GOING INTO THAT TUESDAY MEETING, WE CAN GET YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION.
IF THE COMFORT LEVEL IS NOT THERE, IT'S NOT THERE, BUT MAYBE WE CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION TO BE COMFORTABLE.
>> JAMES SPECIFICALLY USING DEBT TO UPGRADE SIDEWALK TO WIDER SIDEWALK, THAT I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT THAT'S ABOVE THE LINE FOR ME.
>> YOU NEED INFORMATION ON WHAT THE WIDTH IS AND THE LENGTHS ALONG THESE SECTIONS THEN ON THIS SPECIFIC WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL?
>> WHICH SECTIONS ARE WE GOING TO TEAR OUT AND REPLACE?
>> WHAT'S THERE TODAY AND WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THE PROJECT.
>> WHICH WOULD ALSO SHOW THE MAYOR'S REQUEST ABOUT WHICH ONES WERE DONE WITH THE SIDEWALK GAP PROJECT TOO.
>> I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE EXTENDING TO CONNECT DISCONNECTED SEGMENTS BECAUSE I KNOW ON 407 AND 2499, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCONNECTED SEGMENTS.
I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT, WE SHOULD BE TRYING.
>> 2499, YOU CAN'T GET ALL THE WAY TO 407 BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SECTIONS WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALK AT ALL.
>> SPECIFIC FLOWER MOUND ROAD THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, THE 407, THERE'S A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT DOES IN THE 2499 SECTION.
IT WOULD BE THE FLOWER MOUND ROAD SECTION THAT YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION.
>> I WOULD THINK IF THIS DOES MAKE IT ONTO THE BOND, THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE REALLY COMPELLING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING HOW THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE.
WHY ARE YOU VOTING? WHY ARE WE SPENDING THIS MONEY? THIS IS WHY.
>> AS WE MENTIONED, THERE'S CONNECTIVITY ISSUES, AND THEN THERE'S THE OFF ROAD TRAILS.
THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE BUCKETS.
WE LOOK AT OUR MASTER PLAN FOR THE TRAILS AND WE CAN'T DO ALL OF IT AT ONCE.
ONE THING I THINK WOULD HELP ME AND IT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH TO ADD TO YOUR PLATE BEFORE MONDAY IS A MACRO VIEW OF OUR TRAILS AND HOW THESE ON ROAD REFURBISHMENTS OR ADDITIONS WILL HELP THE OVERALL INTERCONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
THEN ALSO WE CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THE OFF ROAD TRAILS.
I THINK WE CAN PRESENT A PICTURE THAT, HEY, WE'RE IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY, WE'RE PROVIDING MORE OFF ROAD TRAILS.
I THINK WE'RE HITTING SOME OF BOTH ASPECTS, BUT THAT WAY WE GET A FULL PICTURE OF WE CAN'T DO IT ALL ONCE, HERE WE'RE HITTING THIS, THAT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THIS BENEFIT.
LOOKING AT THIS PICTURE YOU HAVE RIGHT HERE, IT CERTAINLY IS APPARENT TO WHAT IT DOES RIGHT HERE.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO ZOOM OUT, LOOK AT ALL OVER TOWN, WHERE ARE THE HOLES, WHICH ONES ARE THESE FIXING AND WHICH ONES WILL STILL REMAIN? I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE USEFUL PIECE TO HAVE.
>> I CAN CERTAINLY TRY TO PUT TOGETHER SOME STUFF FOR YOU BY TUESDAY.
I WILL POINT OUT TOO, THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER AMAZING LOOP IF WE DID GET IT COMPLETED BECAUSE YOU'D BE ABLE TO GO DOWN GARDEN RIDGE, LIKE I SAID, GET INTO DRILL HERITAGE AND ALL THAT AND THEN COME UP THE BLUE BONNET TRAIL.
IF WE GET THIS OTHER SEGMENT, I'M GETTING READY TO SHOW YOU, IT WOULD BRING YOU THROUGH HERE AND THEN YOU GO UP THROUGH HERE ALL THE WAY TO HERE.
>> BECAUSE THIS ROAD IS ISOLATED RIGHT NOW.
>> VERY SIMILAR. JUSTIN ROAD ALONG 407,
[01:05:03]
WE DO HAVE SOME AREAS THAT ALREADY HAVE TRAIL IN, BUT THEN IT GOES DOWN TO JUST SIDEWALK.SOME OF THAT SIDEWALK IS VERY OLD.
IT'S NOT ADA COMPLIANT EITHER.
WE WOULD LOOK AT REPLACING THAT.
THERE IS SOME MISSING SIDEWALK AND THERE'S NO SIDEWALK OR TRAIL ON SOME AREAS OVER HERE.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS SEGMENT HERE AND MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TO BASICALLY HAVE CONTINUOUS TRAIL FOR THE REASONS I STATED WITH THE OTHER ONES AS WELL WITH ACCESS TO HIGHLAND VILLAGE, TO SHOPPING, THIS WOULD ALSO CREATE SOME GREAT NICE LOOPS AS WELL, UTILIZING DIXON.
THEN IF WE GET TO 2499 PART DONE AS WELL, AND YOU CAN EVEN GO FURTHER DOWN AND COME UP THIS WAY AND COME AROUND.
>> BUT WE'RE NOT REPLACING ANYTHING THAT WAS INSTALLED IN THE SIDEWALK LINKS.
>> THERE WAS SOME STUFF TRAIL INSTALLED WITH THE SIDEWALK LINKS OVER, I THINK IT WAS BY TOM THUMB[OVERLAPPING].
>> CORRECT. BY TOM THUMB. THAT WOULDN'T BE REPLACED.
IT WOULD BE THE REST OF THE CONNECTIVITY TO MAKE THAT WHOLE YELLOW LINE BE TRAIL WIDTH.
>> THIS ONE IS THE OFF STREET TRAIL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
I WILL SAY WE WENT THROUGH AND WE LOOKED AT EVERY SEGMENT THAT WAS LABELED OFF A STREET BECAUSE WE WANTED TO DO AS MANY OF THOSE AS WE COULD.
HOWEVER, BASICALLY THIS ONE AND THIS NEXT ONE WHERE HERE IN A UTILITY CORRIDOR, WE'RE REALLY THE ONLY TWO OFF STREET ONES THAT WE COULD DO, THE REST OF THE ONES ARE WAITING ON DEVELOPMENT.
MAINLY THE SMITH TRACK IN FIRST RANCH OUT WEST IS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE MAJORITY OF THE NEW OFF STREET TRAIL THAT COMES IN.
UNLESS WE WERE TO PURCHASE LARGE SWATH OF LAND, LINEAR TYPE PARKS WHERE WE COULD RUN THIS THROUGH BECAUSE MOST OF THE OFF STREET STUFF THAT WE HAVE RUNS THROUGH PARKS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND THAT'S ALREADY BUILT.
BUT THIS ONE IS BASICALLY GOING TO TAKE YOU FROM RUSTIC TIMBERS TO VICKERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF OUR PINK EVENING PRIMROSE TRAIL.
WE'RE DOING A STUDY RIGHT NOW TO COME UP WITH THE BEST ALIGNMENT AND PROVIDE US WITH A MORE ACCURATE COST ESTIMATE.
THIS IS ALSO PART OF THAT GRANT THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN FOR TOMORROW.
WE'RE MAKING IT ONE SEGMENT WITH THE NORTHERN PIECE AND THE SOUTHERN PIECE BECAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED, THIS IS SEVEN MILE, IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT PIECE UP NORTH AND THIS PIECE ON THE SOUTH WILL BE SEVEN MILES A STRAIGHT TRAIL.
>> STARTING AT 407 OR STARTING AT?
>> YEAH. STARTING AT 407 AND COMING DOWN ALL THE WAY TO HERE.
>> THEN FROM HERE, DO YOU CONTINUE TO GARDEN RIDGE? CAN YOU TAKE THAT THEN DOWN TO
>> WE WILL LOOK AT THAT AS WE'RE IN DESIGN TO SEE IF WE CAN GET IT ALL THE WAY TO GARDEN RIDGE.
>> I MEAN, THERE'S A SIDEWALK THERE NOW? YOU COULD JUST KEEP GOING WITH WHAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE ONCE YOU'VE MADE THIS CONNECTION?
>> YOU COULD CONTINUE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BAKERSFIELD PARK.
>> ONCE WE GO SOUTH, UNLESS YOU WENT TO GARDEN RIDGE.
>> I GO TO GARDEN RIDGE AND CARRY DOWN.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE BETWEEN KIRKPATRICK AND GARDEN RIDGE AND FLOWER MOUND ROAD IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THAT?
>> I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK THERE'S EXISTING SIDEWALK DOWN GARDEN RIDGE.
>> THEN MAYBE THAT SEVEN MILES COULD BECOME MORE THAN THAT. GREAT. THANK YOU.
>> WITH THIS ONE, JUST LOOKING AT THE PICTURE, BUT THERE'S THAT COOL SAC OF CONNECTING TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, IF THOSE ARE EASY CONNECTIONS TO ADD IN.
>> THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE ALIGNMENT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING A CONNECTION RIGHT HERE FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> THEN THERE'S ALSO CONNECTIONS INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT JUST HAS A TRAIL THAT ENDS RIGHT HERE.
WE WOULD CONNECT INTO THE EXISTING TRAIL. IT'S ALREADY THERE.
>> I'M SURE THEY'D BE HAPPY TO GET SOMETHING.
>> BUT THIS WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL TRAIL. IT'S HEAVILY TREED.
YOU HAVE THE TIMBER CREEK THROUGH THERE.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THIS ONE IN AND HOPEFULLY WITH GRANT MONEY AS WELL TOO TO HELP.
>> WILL THIS ONE REQUIRE A BRIDGE?
>> THE ONE THING WHEN YOU DO OFF STREET TRAILS, THERE'S A LOT MORE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, WHICH MAKES IT TOUGHER.
IT DOES ADD TO THE EXPENSE BECAUSE OF THE BRIDGES AND THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT IN WITH FLOODPLAIN AND CREEKS AND CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO CAUSE A BACKUP DOWNSTREAM, WHERE IT MIGHT GO INTO FOLKS YARDS.
THIS ONE IS THE SHADOW RIDGE SWEET WATER SEGMENT,
[01:10:02]
AND BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE IS IMPROVE THE TRAIL IN THE PARK AND TO MAKE A NICE LOOP TRAIL WITHIN THE PARK.THIS TRAIL CURRENTLY IF YOU STAYED ON IT, IF ANYONE'S RUN THAT OR WALKED IT, BIKED IT, IT ENDS RIGHT HERE.
I CALL IT THE TRAIL TO NOWHERE.
BASICALLY, THERE'S A HUGE RAVINE THERE AND THEN PRIVATE RESIDENTS BEYOND THAT.
I DON'T SEE IT EVER GOING THE DIRECTION WE ORIGINALLY HAD FOR THAT TRAIL.
WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS PICK IT UP HERE.
WE'LL PROBABLY COME THROUGH THIS X LOT IF WE CAN WORK THAT OUT WITH THEM, NOT BE NEXT TO SOMEONE'S HOUSE, AND THEN COME DOWN THE UTILITY CORRIDOR INTO THE SHADOW RIDGE BLUEBONNET LSD PROPERTY THERE AND CONNECT IN WITH THE TRAIL THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE HERE, WHICH THEN WILL TAKE YOU LIKE I SHOWED YOU GUYS ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH BLUEBONNET PARK ALL THE WAY UP TO 3040 AND 2499.
>> THIS ALSO WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FOLKS THAT LIVE HERE WHERE THEY COULD TAKE THE TRAIL STRAIGHT IN.
THERE'S A SMALLER SIDEWALK THERE RIGHT NOW ALONG THE ROAD, BUT THIS WOULD BE A TRAIL AND WILL CONNECT WITH OUR TRAIL HERE.
LET'S SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT ONE. I THINK THAT WAS IT.
THEN ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN ON THE FIRE STATION 6 LOT, WE'RE LOOKING TO PUT IN A TRAILHEAD AS WELL AS CONNECT THE TRAIL THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE.
IF YOU LOOK IN THIS PICTURE, THERE'S A TRAIL THAT RUNS DOWN HERE.
THIS IS WHERE FIRE STATION 6 WOULD GO.
WE'D LOOK TO PUT THE TRAILHEAD SOMEWHERE IN THIS AREA, WHATEVER WORKS BEST WHEN GETTING IN THE DESIGN ON THAT. WE'LL HAVE THE TRAILHEAD.
WE'LL CONNECT THIS TRAIL WITH THE TRAIL THAT WOULD COME FROM THE FUTURE LA ESTANCIA DEVELOPMENT.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT SOMEWHERE IN HERE, I THINK IT IS WHERE IT WOULD COME OUT.
WE WOULD NEED TO GET AN EASEMENT WITH THE CANE FALLS IN THEIR X LOT HERE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION AND THEN PUT THE TRAILHEAD IN HERE.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM OUR MASTER PLAN OF THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF AMENITIES AND THINGS THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY SEE IN A TRAILHEAD.
WEST SIDE PROJECT, WE HEARD SOME GOOD COMMENTS ABOUT IT WHEN WE WERE VISITING WITH FOLKS AND ALSO, I'LL CALL UP RACHEL TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE NEXT PROJECT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE RIGHT HERE ON THE SAME LOT, THE SELF-SERVICE LIBRARY.
>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M RACHEL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE LIBRARY.
AT THE WEST SIDE, AT FIRE STATION 6, WE'RE PROPOSING ADDING A 24-HOUR LIBRARY, NOT KIOSK, SELF-SERVICE AREA.
THIS IS A BOOK VENDING MACHINE AND SO PEOPLE CAN RETURN ITEMS THERE.
THEY CAN WALK UP AND THEY CAN BROWSE IT.
BASED ON THE POPULATION OUT THERE, WE WOULD PROBABLY HEAVILY PUT IN CHILDREN'S MATERIALS AND THEN A LOT OF BESTSELLERS.
THE KIOSK WE'RE PRESENTING HOLDS UP TO 340 MATERIALS.
PEOPLE CAN ALSO RETURN THINGS THERE.
WITH ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, IT'S ALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK NOT NORMAL SHIFTS AND CAN'T GET TO THE LIBRARY DURING OUR OPEN HOURS.
THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP MATERIALS THERE.
>> I HAVE QUESTIONS. I LIKE THIS IDEA.
YOU JUST GET WHAT'S IN IT OR CAN YOU REQUEST A BOOK AS A HOLD AND THEN IT SHOWS UP HERE AND THEN YOU GO PICK IT UP?
>> YES, THEY CAN REQUEST ANYTHING IN OUR COLLECTION AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DELIVER OUT THERE. BUT IT HAS TO BE DELIVERED.
>> WHY DON'T WE HAVE ONE AT OUR MAIN LIBRARY AS WELL?
>> THE SELF-SERVICE, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF YOUR CAR TO USE IT?
>> THERE IS NOT A DRIVE-THROUGH.
>> A LIBRARY HAS A DRIVE-THROUGH. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WELL, YES, BUT IT'S NOT 24/7, AND YOU HAVE TO CALL AHEAD AND IT'S CUMBERSOME.
FROM WHAT I'M TOLD, [LAUGHTER] IT'S CUMBERSOME, WHEREAS LEWISVILLE WHERE YOU CAN JUST RING THE BELL.
>> WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET ANOTHER ONE OF THESE AT OUR MAIN LIBRARY? IS THAT AN OPTION?
>> PROBABLY WHAT I WOULD DO AT OUR MAIN LIBRARY IS A HOLDS LOCKER SO PEOPLE COULD REQUEST MATERIALS OR WE COULD PUT THEMED MATERIALS IN THERE AND THEY COULD WALK UP AND CHECK OUT BASED ON WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY IN THAT LOCKER.
YOU CAN GET THEM FOR AS MUCH AS 20,000 VERSUS THIS IS ABOUT 350,000 WOULD ALL INSTALL AND [OVERLAPPING]
>> BUT 24/7, AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME?
>> YEAH, THE HOLDS LOCKER ALSO WOULD BE.
IT'S JUST BECAUSE THIS IS BROWSABLE WHEREAS THAT IS A LITTLE MORE STAGNANT. THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT.
>> BUT MORE LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE AT LOWE'S OR LIKE AN AMAZON [OVERLAPPING]
>> IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE BOND OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO JUST AS A NORMAL DECISION PACKAGE?
[01:15:02]
>> WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT AS A NORMAL DECISION PACKAGE.
>> I LOVE THIS IDEA AND IT SEEMS LIKE HAVING 24/7 PICKUP FOR YOUR HOLD ITEMS WOULD BE PRETTY AWESOME.
THE WEST SIDE GETS IT AND WE'RE OVER HERE, CHOPPED LIVER ON THE EAST SIDE FOR A CHANGE.
[LAUGHTER] NO, I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT HAVING THIS AT BOTH LOCATIONS.
>> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THEN MY LAST SLIDE IS JUST TO REITERATE THAT WE WILL BE APPLYING FOR DIFFERENT GRANTS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
LIKE I MENTIONED, WE JUST APPLIED FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, ONES FOR THEIR TRAILS.
YOU SEE THEIR LIMITS ARE BASICALLY THREE MILLION AND 10 MILLION, WITH THE 80/20 MATCH.
TXDOT ALSO DOES A TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SET-ASIDE PROGRAM.
WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL LAST TIME.
WE TRIED FOR THAT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THAT IN THIS 80/20, AND THEY GIVE 5-$25 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDS.
THEN TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, THEY HAVE THE OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANT, WHICH WE APPLIED FOR TROTTER, AND I JUST GOT AN EMAIL TODAY THAT WE WERE THE SECOND HIGHEST SCORING PARK PROJECT AND WE'RE RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING SO HOPEFULLY, I THINK IT'S LIKE JANUARY 24, 5TH, THE COMMISSION WILL OFFICIALLY APPROVE IT AND WE'LL BE FUNDED, 750,000 FOR TROTTER.
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE ALSO DOES SOME TRAIL GRANTS.
THEY ONLY GIVE YOU UP TO 300,000 NOW, BUT IT'S 80/20 MATCH.
IF THESE PROJECTS GET APPROVED, WE'LL CERTAINLY PUT THEM IN TO SEE IF WE CAN ALSO LEVERAGE SOME GRANT FUNDS FOR THOSE.
>> CHECK, DID WE HAVE ANY PROJECTS IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN?
WHAT ARE THE BORDERS OF THE MIDDLE OF TOWN? WHAT DO YOU THINK? [LAUGHTER]
>> NOT OTHER THAN TROTTER PARK.
>> THAT'S NOT PART OF THE BOND?
>> IF FM ROAD DOESN'T MAKE THE CUT, IS THERE A PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN? NOT TROTTER. I'VE HEARD SOME MEMBERS OF THE PARKS COMMISSION COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE ON [OVERLAPPING]
>> THAT'S A LITTLE TRIANGLE PIECE WITH BAR DITCHES AND IT'S PRETTY HEAVILY [OVERLAPPING]
>> DOESN'T HAVE A LOT GOING ON.
>> HAS GOT A PICNIC TABLE AND A TRASH CAN.
>> I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT SHOULD BE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS PART OF THIS.
>> GREEN ACRES IS MORE IN THAT AREA OF TOWN.
>> YEAH, THE ONE WE VISITED ON THAT TOUR THAT WE DID AND HONESTLY, I THINK THAT IS A GEM.
EVEN IF WE COULD JUST PUT SOME RESTROOMS OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER AND WORK THERE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT AMENITY.
>> I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING BECAUSE WE VISITED OUT THERE AT THE SAME TIME WE VISITED AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
>> IF WHATEVER CONVERSATION WE HAVE ON TUESDAY, WE FEEL LIKE FM ROAD DOESN'T MAKE THE CUT, IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE USE FOR THOSE FUNDS THAT MIGHT BE A PARK THAT WE COULD PULL IN OR SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN THAT WE COULD PULL IN TO HELP GET MORE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED AND INTERESTED IN THIS BOND? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION NOW.
>> I KNOW THE SMITH TRACKS COMING ON BOARD.
I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME THINGS THAT WE'LL NEED TO FUND THERE EVENTUALLY, BUT THAT'S STILL IN THE WORKS.
>> MIGHT BE ON SLIDE NUMBER 34.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARKS, WE NAMED THOSE PARKS THAT WERE CONSIDERED BUT DIDN'T ULTIMATELY MAKE THE CUP WITH THE COMMITTEE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WITH TROTTER, BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE OF THE FUTURE PARK AT WEYBURN AND OAKBRIDGE BEING A COUPLE OF POTENTIAL [OVERLAPPING]
>> I'M NOT SURE WHERE OAKBRIDGE IS TOO.
>> THAT'S THE TALL BROTHERS, ONE ON SPINKS IN 2499.
>> DIDN'T WE ALSO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SCENIC DRIVE AND THE BIKE TRAIL AND THE BIKE TRAFFIC AND MAKING SURE LANES WERE WIDE ENOUGH?
>> SAFETY SIGNAGE AND THINGS [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AN EXTRA BIKE LANE THERE?
>> I THINK UNTIL THE ROAD WAS REDONE, THEN YOU COULD ADD IT IN, BUT WITH THAT, IT IS RIGHT NOW, WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT PUTTING SOME SAFETY SIGNAGE.
>> THAT WAS PART OF THAT TXDOT GRANT WE DIDN'T GET.
NO MORE QUESTIONS, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO BRIAN.
>> GOOD EVENING. BRIAN WALTENBURG. LET'S SEE.
STREET RECONSTRUCTION. STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROPOSITION B, HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION.
I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT WORD FOR WORD.
WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO ALL THE DETAILS IN A BIT, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S FOR $30 MILLION.
[01:20:05]
THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS TALK ABOUT THE GROWTH THE TOWN HAS SEEN IN THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES.THESE CHARTS, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE '70S-'80S, 161% GROWTH, THERE'S 200% GROWTH THE NEXT TWO DECADES, AND THEN THE GROWTH SLOWS DOWN AFTER THE 2000S.
YOU CAN SEE THE POPULATION THERE PRETTY MUCH EXPLODES AFTER THE '80S AND '90S THAT THE GROWTH HAS JUST BEEN TREMENDOUS.
WITH THAT GROWTH, SO DOES WE SEE A GROWTH IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR ROAD NETWORK, WATER NETWORK, BUT SAY WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ROAD NETWORKS.
THE DEFINITION OF A LANE MILE IS JUST A LANE FOR ONE MILE.
A ROAD THAT'S THREE LANES WIDE WOULD BE THREE-LANE MILES.
YOU CAN SEE THE GROWTH FROM THE '90S AND THE 2000S.
WE'RE ADDING 300 LANE MILES IN THAT DECADE, 120 ON DECADES BEFORE AND AFTER.
THE MAJORITY OF THE ROAD NETWORK IN TOWN WAS INSTALLED BETWEEN THE LATE '90S AND 2000S.
RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE '80S.
AS WE THINK ABOUT GOING FORWARD OVER THIS NEXT DECADE OR TWO, WE'RE GOING TO START DOING STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND THE ROADS THAT WERE DONE IN THE '90S AND IN THE 2000S.
WE NEED TO REALLY START LOOKING AHEAD AND WHAT OUR STRATEGIES ARE TO MINIMIZE THAT IMPACT TO THE TOWN.
OUR CURRENT ROADWAY NETWORK RIGHT NOW IS 790 LANE MILES.
HAS 358 CENTERLINE MILES, 91% CONCRETE, 9% ASPHALT.
THIS IS A MAP JUST OF OUR EXISTING NETWORK.
HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT ROADS WE DO MAINTENANCE ON OR WHAT ROADS WE IDENTIFY FOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION? IT'S A PRETTY CHALLENGING JOB.
I'D IMAGINE IF WE DROVE IT AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT IT, IT'D BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE ONE ROAD AGAINST THE OTHER.
WHAT WE DO IS EVERY FIVE YEARS OR SO, WE'LL CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN IDENTIFYING THE ROADS.
THEY'LL DRIVE EVERY SINGLE LANE MILE OF EVERY ROAD AND THEN THEY'LL PROVIDE A PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX SCORE ON ALL THOSE ROADWAYS.
THE PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX IS DETERMINED FROM THE SURFACE DISTRESS INDEX AND A ROUGHNESS INDEX; SO HOW MANY BUMPS ARE ON THE ROAD, IF THE GAPS ARE BROKEN, OR IF THERE'S CRACKS IN THE ROAD THAT TAKES PHOTOS.
WE HAVE IMAGES OF EVERY BASICALLY SQUARE FOOT OF ROADWAY.
WE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE PCI SCORES, WE COMPARE THEM AGAINST ALL THE OTHER PCI SCORES, AND THEN THAT DATA IS DRIVING OUR MAINTENANCE AND RECONSTRUCTION DECISIONS.
HERE IS THE CONDITION SURVEY FROM 2023.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TOWN IS A MAJORITY GREEN.
THERE ARE SOME HOT SPOTS IN AREAS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON.
THIS IS JUST TO SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2017 AND THE 2023 PCI SCORING.
IN 2017, THE CONDITION NETWORK AVERAGE WAS A SCORE OF 81.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THE VERY POOR TO EXCELLENT, AND WE TALK ABOUT 81, THAT'S A VERY GOOD SCORE.
IT'S A GREAT NETWORK. WE WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
WE WANT TO KEEP THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THE SAME.
THE BACKLOG AT 1.5%, THAT'S THE VERY POOR TO POOR RATING.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING OUR STREET MAINTENANCE DOLLARS ON RECONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE UTILIZING THE QUARTER-CENT SALES TAX SPECIFICALLY FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF THOSE PROJECTS.
IN 2023, WE SCORED THE NETWORK, AND YOU CAN SEE THE SCORE OVERALL DROPPED A LITTLE BIT TO 77.
IS STILL IN A VERY GOOD RANGE, BUT THE BACKLOG REDUCED, NOW IT'S ONLY 0.8%.
YOU SEE THAT THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING ON RECONSTRUCTION HAS HELPED US REMOVE SOME OF THE VERY BAD ROADS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THE '70S AND '80S.
AS THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS GET OLDER, THOSE ARE GOING TO GET MORE, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE PCI SCORES OF TYPICAL CITIES IS AROUND 60, 65.
LIKE I MENTIONED, WE NEED TO HAVE MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES TO KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE.
I DID SAY THAT PCI SCORES LESS THAN 40, WE ARE GENERALLY GOOD CANDIDATES FOR RECONSTRUCTION.
BUT AS WE GET INTO THE BETTER PCI SCORES, THERE ARE CERTAIN MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES WE CAN USE ON THEM TO DELAY THE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
[01:25:05]
YOU CAN SEE, FOR INSTANCE, PCI SCORES FROM 40-60, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A FULL RECONSTRUCTION ON IT, BUT WE'LL DO EXTENSIVE PANEL REPLACEMENTS OR WE'LL DO IT FOR CONCRETE OR MILL AND OVERLAY FOR ASPHALT.THEN AS WE GET TO BETTER PCI SCORES FOR ROADS THEY'RE STILL IN GREAT CONDITION WE WANT TO KEEP THEM THAT WAY.
IT MAY JUST BE SOME JOINT SEALING TO PREVENT WATER FROM INFILTRATING INTO THE SUBGRADE.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE ON THE EXISTING ROADS THAT ARE GOOD SO WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THE RECONSTRUCTION LATER.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A STREET THAT WE HAVE RECENTLY RECONSTRUCTED.
YOU CAN SEE THERE HAD BEEN SOME PREVIOUS PANEL REPLACEMENTS, THERE ARE SOME LOCALIZED REPLACEMENTS, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT CRACKING, THERE'S SOME PONDING OF THE WATER.
SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE SCORED A PCI SCORE OF BELOW 40 AND WAS IDENTIFIED FOR THAT RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT NEED RECONSTRUCTION, AND WE COULD EXTEND THE LIFE USING OTHER MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES, THAT LEFT ONE, THE PAVEMENT DETERIORATION, IT LOOKS PRETTY BAD, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THE ROAD, IT'S NOT IN HORRIBLE SHAPE.
WE COULD DO SOME PANEL REPLACEMENT ON THAT PIECE AND THEN THE ROAD WOULD BE GOOD FOR SO LONG.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO RECONSTRUCT IT.
WE'D PREVENT THE FURTHER DETERIORATION.
THE TOP LEFT ONE OR TOP RIGHT ONE, WE HAVE PANELS SETTLING.
YOU COULD JACK IT OR SLAB JACKING, LEVELING OF THOSE AND THEN RESEALING THE GAP SO THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
THEN ON THE BOTTOM, THERE'S SOME CRACKING, BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY DIFFERENTIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE PAVEMENT, SO SOME CRACK SEALING ON THAT WOULD DEFINITELY EXTEND THE LIFE AND PREVENT THE WATER FROM MAKING IT TO THE SUBGRADE AND DETERIORATE FURTHER.
THERE ARE SIMILAR STRATEGIES FOR ASPHALT.
THERE'S A LOT MORE STRATEGIES, BUT THE IDEA IS THE SAME.
WE WANT TO SPEND MAINTENANCE DOLLARS ON OUR NETWORK NOW SO WE DON'T HAVE TO RECONSTRUCT THINGS LATER.
CURRENTLY, THE WAY THAT WE FUND OUR STREET MAINTENANCE AND RECONSTRUCTION IS WE HAVE A QUARTER-CENT SALES TAX THAT'S DEDICATED TO STREET MAINTENANCE.
WE'VE UTILIZED THAT STREET MAINTENANCE DOLLARS FOR RECONSTRUCTION PURPOSES, AND FOR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, WE'VE HISTORICALLY USED OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
THERE'S A LOT MORE MAINTENANCE THAT WE COULD DO ON OUR ROADWAY NETWORK IF WE HAD THE FUNDING TO DO IT AND IT WOULD DEFINITELY HELP DELAY THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SOME OF THE OLDER ROADS THAT ARE COMING, THEY ARE APPROACHING US AS WE MOVE THROUGH TIME.
WE NEED SOME NEW STRATEGIES TO MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
THE GOAL HERE, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS TO UTILIZE THE BOND DOLLARS TO FUND THE MAJOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND UTILIZE THE DEDICATED SALES TAX FOR OUR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES.
SO UTILIZING THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR CRACK SEALING PANEL REPLACEMENTS, THOSE TYPE OF MAINTENANCE SCORES.
WITH THOSE MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES, WE'D FOCUS ON THE SCORES OF 60-85.
>> SEEM TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> I DO, BRIAN. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A BALANCE.
YOU WANT TO SPEND MONEY NOW TO REPAIR THE ROAD TO EXTEND THIS LIFE BEFORE YOU HAVE TO DO A REPLACEMENT.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR $30 MILLION TO FUND THE REPLACEMENTS, SO YOU CAN USE EXISTING QUARTER PERCENT TO DO THE MAINTENANCE.
I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, IS 30 MILLION, IF YOU HAD MORE MONEY, WOULD THAT FREE UP MORE FOR MORE MAINTENANCE THAT COULD EXTEND THE LIFE OF MORE ROADS? ADJUSTING THAT STRATEGY JUST A LITTLE BIT TO USE SOME OF THE BOND MONEY FOR SOME REPAIRS, WOULD THAT ACTUALLY SAVE US MONEY IN THE LONG RUN, OR ARE YOU HITTING THE SWEET SPOT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT HERE?
>> I THINK WE'RE HITTING A SWEET SPOT.
WE COULD ALWAYS DO SOME MORE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT GET THAT RETURN.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THE LEVEL OF RECONSTRUCTION, I THINK, THAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF FROM A STAFFING CAPABILITY IS RIGHT THERE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, THAT $30 MILLION FOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION.
BUT AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE GOES, WE COULD ALWAYS USE MORE MAINTENANCE DOLLARS.
THAT DOESN'T HURT ANYTHING, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD COMPROMISE, 30 MILLION.
IF I HEAR YOU RIGHT, LET ME PARAPHRASE.
THE $30 MILLION YOU HAVE FOR REPLACEMENT, THAT'S SUFFICIENT, OR WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
IF WE WANTED TO LOOK ON ANOTHER SCOPE OUTSIDE THIS BOND TO LOOK AT POTENTIALLY ADDING MORE MAINTENANCE DOLLARS TO HELP MAINTAIN THE ROADS, PUT MORE MONEY, MORE STAFF TO THAT, WE COULD LOOK AT A STUDY TO SEE IF THAT COULD EXTEND THE LIFE OF THESE ROADS, DO THAT ROY STUDY TO SEE IF WE GET MORE VALUE FOR THAT.
>> THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DEFINITELY PRESENT THROUGH BUDGET.
WE COULD LOOK AT THAT, WE COULD UTILIZE THAT QUARTER CENT SALES TAX AND THEN ANYTHING ADDITIONAL WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD USE OR WE COULD JUSTIFY,
[01:30:03]
WE COULD DEFINITELY ASK FOR THAT AND BUDGET TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS WANTED TO FUND.>> IF WE HAD THAT STUDY FOR THE NEXT BUDGET SESSION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING USEFUL TO LOOK AT.
>> I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT IS THAT $30 MILLION WOULD NOT BE SPENT IN YEAR 1.
THE BOND PACKAGE COVERS A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THAT THOSE JOBS WOULD BE STAGED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CIP AND THEN OTHER THINGS AS THEY AROSE. IT'S FIVE-YEAR.
>> IT WOULD BE 30 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS.
>> FIVE YEARS. SO IF WE HAD MORE MONEY, WOULD WE THEN EXTEND THE NUMBER OF YEARS SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO COME AND DO ANOTHER BOND ELECTION?
>> THAT IS MY THOUGHT, BECAUSE $30 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 80S RIGHT NOW, THE 90S ARE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR AS WELL.
>> SURE. FIVE YEARS IS HOW WE'RE ABLE TO ESTIMATE PROBABLY ACTUAL COSTS DURING THAT TIME.
$30 MILLION, WE THINK WILL LAST US FIVE YEARS IN OUR ABILITY TO DO IT.
IF YOU STRETCH PAST THAT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START USING INFLATIONARY FACTORS.
ALSO, YOUR AUTHORITY TO ISSUE IS USUALLY FOR GEO OBLIGATIONS ABOUT 10 YEARS.
NOW YOU CAN DO IT FOR MUCH LONGER, BUT REALISTICALLY IF YOU STRETCH IT OUT, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO START BALLOONING THAT NUMBER OR IN THE BACK END BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO START HITTING INFLATIONARY FACTORS, WHICH WE CAN'T PREDICT.
AT THAT POINT, MORE RECONSTRUCTION MAY NEED TO BE HAPPENING AT THAT TIME.
MAYBE YEAR 6, INSTEAD OF $6 MILLION A YEAR, THEN IT'S 7-8.
IF YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, YOU'D PROBABLY EXTEND THAT CYCLE, BUT WE'D ALSO HAVE TO PROBABLY GET IT EIGHT THAT NUMBER.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO ADD, IF WE GROW THE SALES TAX REVENUE, THEN WE AUTOMATICALLY ADD MORE EARMARKED MONEY TO THIS PROJECT.
IF WE STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE'RE DOING OUT WEST TO GET RETAIL GOING, WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT, BUT WE WON'T HAVE TO TAKE ON MORE DEBT IN THIS BOND.
THAT'S WHERE MY THOUGHTS ON HOW WE DO THAT.
WE JUST STAY THE COURSE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
>> I THINK THAT'S TRUE, BUT IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE FIVE YEARS IS NOT A LONG TIME TO GET ALL OF THAT RETAIL UP AND RUNNING.
>> BUT WE ALSO MIGHT NOT HAVE A GOOD ESTIMATE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN FIVE YEARS.
>> WELL, DON'T WE HAVE A 10-YEAR SIP?
>> WE DO, AND WE RE-EVALUATE IT EVERY FIVE YEARS OF THIS NEW PCI SCORE.
SOMETIMES THE PROJECTS THAT WE THOUGHT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN THAT 5-10-YEAR WINDOW CHANGED SLIGHTLY.
BUT THE GOAL IS TO OBVIOUSLY LOOK AT THAT OVERALL ROAD NETWORK AND KEEP THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE THE SAME AND TRY TO KEEP THAT AVERAGE PCI SCORE UP.
>> YOU GO BACK TO SLIDE 54? I THINK THAT WAS THE EXAMPLE.
BLUE RIDGE TRAIL, I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS, AND I WATCHED THAT PROJECT AND IT TOOK FOREVER.
I FELT SORRY FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT LIVED ON THAT ROAD.
SPEAKING OF HOW MUCH WORK WE CAN GET DONE IN A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME, WHAT HAPPENED? IS THAT WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT AS WE'RE DOING THESE RECONSTRUCTIONS?
>> NOW, THIS ONE, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DELAYS ON THIS PROJECT.
WHEN YOU OPEN THE ROAD UP AND THEN YOU GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WEATHER, SOMETIMES THAT DELAYS THE PROJECT SIGNIFICANTLY.
THAT WAS ONE WHERE THE WEATHER JUST KEPT COMING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND WE COULDN'T ACTUALLY DRY OUT THAT SUBGRADE TO GET THE PAVEMENT POURED BACK.
THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT PROJECT.
THERE WAS SOME DELAYS AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY WORKED TOWARD WITH OUR FUTURE PROJECTS, SO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> WE HAD A WET SPRING THIS YEAR.
WOULDN'T THAT HAVE HAPPENED AGAIN IF WE HAD DONE IT IN '24?
>> WELL, WE HAD A VERY WET SPRING THIS YEAR.
IS THAT NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD EXPECT?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS WHEN WE DO IN SPRING OR IN A SEASON IS WE HAVE THEM OPEN UP LESS AND DO SMALLER SECTIONS.
THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT THAT SUBGRADE TO STAY WET AND THEN YOU START PUTTING YOUR CONCRETE OR YOU WORK, YOUR SUBGRADE, AND LEAVE THAT MOISTURE BENEATH THAT.
IT DOES NEED TO DRY OUT. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO IS HAVE THEM OPEN UP SMALLER SECTIONS AND BE ABLE TO WATCH THE WEATHER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE LESSONS WE LEARNED ON BLUE RIDGE, IS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAREFUL IN SPRING IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SIMILAR WET SEASONS LIKE WE HAVE HAD, AND OPEN UP SMALLER SECTIONS.
>> AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, WE FEEL LIKE THE ESTIMATES WE GET ON COMPLETION ARE PROBABLY BE PRETTY ACCURATE THEN.
I KNOW THIS WAS AFFECTED BY COVID AND I THINK VALLEY RIDGE AND MORRIS WAS DONE AROUND THE SAME TIME.
THAT WAS A CHALLENGE AS WELL, BUT THAT'S BEHIND US NOW?
>> GREAT. I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT DID WE SAY WHAT SECTIONS OF THE TOWN WE HAD IDENTIFIED FOR RECONSTRUCTION? WAS IT JUST ON THE MAP, THE RED PARTS OF THE MAP, OR DID WE HAVE THOSE NAMED?
>> GENERALLY, WE DON'T HAVE THEM NAMED.
GENERALLY ON THIS ONE, OVERALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE YELLOW, THERE'S SOME RED IN HERE, LIKE THIS GENERAL AREA.
THERE'S SOME YELLOW AREAS HERE, THE OLDER LIKE LAKE FOREST AREA, SOME SOUTH OF WELLINGTON.
THERE'S GENERAL AREAS ALL AROUND THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT DATA IS DRIVING THESE PROJECTS.
>> THE MIDDLE OF TOWN SEEMS LIKE THERE'S LOTS OF RED AND YELLOW.
NOT A LOT OF STREETS, BUT ARE THESE HIGH PRIORITY FOR THIS BOND?
[01:35:04]
>> NO. THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE BOND.
THIS IS HIGH ROAD, WE'RE GOING TO FINISH UP A WATERLINE PROJECT.
WE DON'T WANT TO REDO THE ROADS UNTIL A WATERLINE PROJECT IS DONE.
THIS WILL BE DONE WITH OPERATING BUDGET THAT IS PLANNED FOR OUR ASPHALT OVERLAYS, ASPHALT MAINTENANCE PROJECT.
THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE DONE FOLLOWING THE WATERLINE PROJECT.
>> THAT'S ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR.
BUT FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWN WHO ARE MAYBE SAYING CSC IS TOO FAR AWAY, ALL THESE PARKS, EAST AND WEST OR NOT, I DON'T GO TO ANY OF THEM.
IS THIS PROPOSITION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S SEPARATE, HAVE MORE BENEFICIAL IMPACT TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS AREA BECAUSE OF ALL THE ROADS THAT SEEM TO BE IN WORSE CONDITION?
>> IT CAN. LIKE I SAID, THOSE PCI SCORES DRIVE THE DATA.
WHEN THOSE PCI SCORES START TO FALL FOR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, WITH ASPHALT, LIKE I MENTIONED, THERE'S ADDITIONAL WAYS WE CAN EXTEND THE LIFE OF ASPHALT PAVEMENTS WITH SLURRY SILL OR THIN OVERLAYS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WITH THE MIDDLE PART OF TOWN, THERE'S A LOT OF ASPHALT OUT THERE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE MAINTENANCE DOLLARS TO GO FURTHER AND BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THIS MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES ON THESE AREAS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DONE AS WELL IN THE PAST.
AS FAR AS FULL RECONSTRUCTION, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY IN THIS AREA, THE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES WOULD SOLVE.
THE FULL RECONSTRUCTION, I WOULD SAY, IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE IN THIS AREA.
BUT OVERALL, THE BOND PACKAGE WOULD HELP US SERVE THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
>> BUT WE'RE NOT COMMITTING OURSELVES TO ANY SPECIFIC ROAD.
NO ONE CAN SAY, I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE MY ROAD IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE IS GOING TO GET DONE, WE DON'T KNOW YET.
>> WELL, IF THIS GOES BEFORE THE VOTERS, I THINK ONE OF THE EDUCATION PIECES WOULD BE, EVEN IF THIS ROAD DOESN'T GET REPLACED, THIS DOES FREE UP TAX DOLLARS FOR REFURBISHMENT AND REPAIR.
SO IF YOUR ROAD DOESN'T GET REPLACED, IT MIGHT GET THE BENEFIT OF A REPAIR, SO IT HELPS ALL ROADS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
>> THIS IS A SPECIFIC QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT IN GENERAL, COULD WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE COSTS FOR DIFFERENT PARKS, DIFFERENT TRAIL EXTENSIONS, HOW MUCH WE'RE PUTTING TOWARDS MAINTENANCE, JUST SUMMARY TABLES JUST TO HELP WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND EVERYTHING?
>> I CAN ACTUALLY BRING THAT BACK.
WE TALK THAT JUST TO SAY WITH INDIVIDUAL PRICES ON EACH OF THESE PROJECTS.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING OVER AND WE'RE TOUCHING, THAT I REALLY STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS MORE, AND HOW DID WE GET HERE? TYPICALLY BEFORE THIS, HOW DID WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN 22 YEARS? WE TALK ABOUT THE CASH AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
BUT ANOTHER BIG PIECE OF THIS IS THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
THE STATE LEGISLATURE, MANY CITIES FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN DOING THINGS CALLED CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
YOU GUYS UTILIZE THEM ON UTILITY FUNDS.
BUT THEY HAVE BASICALLY STARTED SAYING THAT DEBT THAT'S NOT APPROVED BY VOTERS REALISTICALLY SHOULD NOT FALL ON YOUR [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT THEY FEEL, IS VOTED DEBTS SHOULD NOT FALL WITHIN THAT ON THE TAX RATE CALCULATION.
THAT'S BEEN THEIR OPINION OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEY'VE MADE LEGISLATION LIKE THAT.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S PUSHING US IN THIS DIRECTION IS THE INTENTION OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO ASK OUR PUBLIC THESE THINGS.
WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO SOME LANGUAGE AND WE'RE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT HOW SPECIFIC CAN WE BE? HOW DO WE TELL THE STORY? HOW DO WE DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY? WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IS THERE'S GOING TO BE A BALANCE ON THIS.
PRIOR TO EXERCISES LIKE THIS, YOU COULD BE A LOT MORE SPECIFIC BECAUSE THERE WASN'T REPERCUSSIONS FOR THINGS FAILING.
BECAUSE IF YOU DID A CO, YOUR CO COULD BE CALLED, BUT IT RARELY EVER HAPPENS.
BUT NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE GO GAME, AND THIS IS A GAME THAT I THINK A LOT OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE GOING TO START MOVING TOWARDS, THERE IS THE POINT THAT THINGS CAN FAIL.
YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND ELECTIONS COME YEAR AFTER YEAR.
THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN THINGS FAIL, THEY BASICALLY SAY, YOU CAN'T GO ISSUE CS FOR THAT.
YOU CAN'T GO ISSUE OTHER TYPES OF DEBTS.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IS ASK YOUR VOTER AGAIN AND AGAIN, DIFFERENTLY, HOW TO APPROVE THINGS.
WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO SOME THINGS THAT THIS WILL MAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE, BUT I WANTED TO PUT IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD IS, WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE FEEL IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS THE MOST TRANSPARENT.
ASKING OUR VOTERS FOR TO APPROVE THINGS.
SOME OF THIS IS THAT'S BECAUSE OF TRUST ISSUES, THAT'S BECAUSE OF ISSUES IN TRANSPARENCY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WHEN WE'RE BUILDING THIS AND WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE, THAT HEAVILY IMPACTS HOW WE SAY THINGS.
I'M GOING TO GO INTO SOME OF THESE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO LANGUAGE.
PULL THIS FROM OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, AND I'M GOING TO GO INTO SOMETHING CALLED BROAD VERSUS NARROW LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES TO BOND LANGUAGE.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SETS WHAT WE CAN DO IN SO PLAIN LANGUAGE THAT PROVIDES
[01:40:05]
THE DESCRIPTION OF A SINGLE SPECIFIC PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE DEBT OBLIGATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED, THE TOTAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THE DEBT OBLIGATION THAT'S AUTHORIZED, THAT YOU HAVE TAXES SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR THE PRINCIPAL OF THE DEBT THAT'S AUTHORIZED, AND IT CAN INCLUDE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE FOR ONE OR MORE STRUCTURES OR IMPROVEMENTS SERVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PURPOSE.WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY PACKAGING THESE THINGS, YOU GUYS ASK, HOW DO WE HAVE PARKS, RECREATION, AND TRAILS ALL IN ONE PROPOSITION? IT'S BECAUSE UNDER THIS, WE FEEL THAT IT FALLS UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PURPOSE, AND THAT'S IMPROVING THE AESTHETIC LIFESTYLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S TYPICAL ON BOND PROGRAMS. WE'RE NOT PULLING ANY GAMES BY DOING THAT.
I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW FROM THIS LANGUAGE WHY IT IS THE WAY IT IS.
BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO THIS AND GO, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST UNTRANSPARENT THING I'VE EVER SEEN.
THAT'S BECAUSE THIS IS THE BALANCE THAT YOU GUYS ARE WALKING.
YOU'RE WALKING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRECISION VERSUS FLEXIBILITY.
IF YOU WANT TO TELL YOUR VOTERS EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR, YOU'RE GIVING UP YOUR FLEXIBILITY.
WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, YOU HAVE OPTIONS FOR GRANTS.
YOU HAVE OPTIONS FOR INCREASED SALES TAX, WHICH MIGHT PROVIDE OTHER REVENUE SOURCES, WHICH MIGHT FREE UP ADDITIONAL BOND FUNDS IN HERE SO THAT YOU COULD TAKE $14 MILLION WORTH OF TRAILS WITH A $10 MILLION GRANT, YOU COULD TURN THAT INTO $24 MILLION OF FUNDING.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE OTHER TRAIL PROJECTS, YOU COULDN'T UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS, THE GO FUNDS, IN THAT WAY.
YOU'RE ASKING YOUR VOTERS FOR TRUST A LITTLE BIT.
THE LESS PRECISE YOU ARE, YOU'RE ASKING THEM FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE TRUST ON, DO YOU TRUST ME TO VIEW THESE PROJECTS TO BE FOR GOOD FINANCIAL STEWARDS? BECAUSE EVEN IF THIS PASSES, IT WILL STILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO SAY, DO YOU APPROVE THIS PROJECT, AND ARE YOU READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS DEBT? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BALANCING WITH LANGUAGE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO THIS.
YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO SAY, THAT DOES NOT SAY WHAT I THINK IT DOES.
HOW AM I GOING TO TALK ABOUT FLOWER MOUND ROAD? HOW AM I GOING TO TALK ABOUT 407 WHEN REALLY I'M JUST SAYING TRAILS? I JUST WANT TO SET EXPECTATIONS.
>> JOHN, REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL GIVE YOU A REAL-LIFE SCENARIO THAT I EXPERIENCED AT ONE OF MY PREVIOUS STOPS, IS BECAUSE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE WAS WRITTEN SO SPECIFICALLY.
THERE'S $10 MILLION IN ISSUANCE, BUT THE LANGUAGE WAS WRITTEN THAT YOU HAD TO BUILD BASICALLY AN EXACT REPLICA OF A BUILDING THAT EXISTS ELSEWHERE.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THAT AUTHORIZATION WASN'T ABLE TO LEVERAGE TO DO OTHER PROJECTS.
THIS WAS IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION REALM.
THAT WAS LIKE PRIME EXAMPLE NUMBER 1 OF WHY YOU WANT TO JUST DO SOMETHING BROADLY TO BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE WHAT JOHN TALKED ABOUT.
NOW, THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY HAS $10 MILLION OF AUTHORIZATION THAT THEY BASICALLY CAN NEVER TOUCH.
UNLESS THEY DO SOMETHING THAT'S DETRIMENTAL, BASICALLY BUILDING AN ANTIQUATED FACILITY.
THAT'S AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, BUT THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT JOHN IS TALKING ABOUT, THAT IF YOU GET TOO SPECIFIC, YOU'RE PIGEON HILL THEN YOU'VE ASKED THE VOTERS FOR AUTHORIZATION THAT YOU CAN'T ACT UPON FOR WHATEVER REASON.
>> TRAILS IS THE BEST ONE I CAN LEAN ON BECAUSE THESE MAY NOT BE IN FAVOR FOR DIGGING UP THAT MUCH DEBT FOR THIS ONE TRAIL, BUT MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN IN FAVOR OF PAYING 20% OF THAT AND GRAY AT PAYING FOR THE OTHER 80%.
THAT'S WHAT THIS OPENS UP, IS YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEND THAT MUCH ON THIS PROJECT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A GRANT COVERING 80%, ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND THE 20% IN DEBT FUNDING TO BASICALLY GO PAY FOR THAT PROJECT TO EXTEND THAT FUNDING AND GET MORE BASICALLY TO MAKE LEMONS OUT OF LEMONADE.
THAT'S WHAT FLOWER MOUND HAS BEEN DOING FOR YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN FINDING OTHER WAYS TO PAY FOR THINGS AND STRETCHING OUR DOLLARS IN UNIQUE WAYS.
THIS IS WHY I'M GOING TO LEAN INTO SOME LANGUAGE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE BROAD AND LESS PRECISE BECAUSE WE MIGHT NEED THAT FLEXIBILITY IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH HIGH INFLATIONARY TIMES.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH CRAZY DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THINGS CHANGE.
IF PROPERTY COMES AVAILABLE AND YOU GUYS WANT TO ACQUIRE IT TO PUT A NEW PARK IN, AND DO YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDING TO DO THAT? WOULD THIS GIVE IT TO YOU?
>> JOHN, I HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION ABOUT WHY WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS SITUATION IN A LONG TIME.
BECAUSE DURING THE 20 TEENS, WE HAD A VERY IRRESPONSIBLE COUNCIL THAT RAISED TAXES 8.5% A YEAR, THE LEGAL MAXIMUM DURING A PERIOD OF INFLATION THAT WAS BELOW 2%.
THEY PROBABLY HAD A LOT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR THEIR CIP AND VANITY PROJECTS.
BUT THIS COUNCIL IS TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB FOR THE TAXPAYERS. WE'VE BEEN PAYING DOWN DEBT.
I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW OUR DEBT HAS DECLINED IN THE LAST 10 OR 15 YEARS, IF YOU COULD SHOW US THAT AT SOME POINT.
I THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE THIS MAKES SENSE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND DO RIGHT BY OUR RESIDENTS, AND I DON'T THINK THE PREVIOUS COUNCILS ARE DOING THAT AND THEY HAD A LOT OF MONEY TO SHOW FOR IT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE IS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE PROJECTS, WE'RE NOT COMMITTING OURSELVES TO SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
[01:45:02]
WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?>> I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU READ ALL OF THIS.
THIS IS WHAT THE PROPOSITION LANGUAGE IS.
THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE BALLOT, I'LL GO OVER ABOUT LANGUAGE NEXT.
PROPOSITION A, AS IT'S WRITTEN FOR OUR CAC AND ALL OF THESE THINGS.
THE FIRST THING WE WERE TO CALL OUT IS YOU'RE NOT SEEING THE WORD CAC IN HERE.
YOU'RE NOT SEEING A TRAIL LISTED.
YOU'RE NOT SEEING THINGS ABOUT THAT.
THOSE THINGS CAN GO INTO THIS.
BUT BY DOING SO, BY TYING YOURSELF SO SPECIFICALLY TO SOMETHING, YOU'RE GOING TO HURT YOUR ABILITY TO BASICALLY IF WE HAVE PROJECT SAVINGS ON ONE FROM BEING ABLE TO MOVE AND BE FLEXIBLE BETWEEN THE OTHERS.
THIS IS TYPICAL BOND LANGUAGE.
THIS IS NOT US TRYING TO BE JUST OVER ARBITRARILY VAGUE.
THIS ACTUALLY MATCHES THE LAST COUPLE CO ISSUANCES AND OTHER ISSUANCES THAT YOU'VE DONE.
THIS IS TYPICAL LANGUAGE, BUT IT'S LACKING THAT SPECIFICITY THAT YOU GUYS I THINK ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU CAN POINT TO THIS AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.
THAT'S THE HARD PART SOMETIMES WITH THIS IS BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE IN THIS DOES NOT DO IT.
IF WE GO IN AND GO ADD EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT FOR ALL THOSE SPECIFICS, IT CAN REALLY PIGEONHOLE US IN A WAY.
>> ASSUME WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THIS.
WE ARE ALLOWED TO PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION IN BACKUP.
ALONGSIDE THIS PROPOSITION LANGUAGE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, WOULD WE SAY FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEN LIST THE THINGS YOUR BLUE RIBBON BOND COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED AND YOUR COUNSEL HAD AGREED, THESE ARE OF MERIT AND VERY LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS AMOUNT?
IT'S JUST WHEN YOU START TRYING TO FORCE THOSE DESCRIPTIONS INTO THIS LANGUAGE, THAT'S WHEN IT GETS HARDER.
>> I UNDERSTAND. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE HELD TO THOSE STANDARDS THAT VERY WELL COULD CHANGE AND THEN THIS WOULD BE FOR NOTHING.
BUT I DO THINK WE, IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, NEED TO PUT SOMETHING ELSE OUT THERE OTHER THAN, HEY, WE CAN USE IT FOR ALL THIS STUFF.
>> NO, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
WHEN WE GET TO ACTUAL BALLOT LANGUAGE, WHAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO VOTE ON? THIS GETS TO IT.
THIS ONE, WE ACTUALLY DID GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC.
YOU SEE IN THERE INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER TRAIL SYSTEMS AND PARKS AND SPORTS FIELDS AND IMPOSITION OF TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR THOSE BONDS.
THAT LIST OUT THOSE LARGE BROAD CATEGORIES, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'LL BE VOTED ON.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'LL SEE IN THE BALLOT BOX.
>> THIS IS MORE SPECIFIC THAN THE LAST ONE.
>> LAST ONE TALKED ABOUT ACQUIRING LAND, AND THIS WOULD SAY THAT YOU CAN ONLY ACQUIRE THAT LAND IF YOU'RE USING IT FOR ONE OF THESE PURPOSES, PRESUME? THIS IS OBVIOUSLY WHAT PEOPLE WOULD SEE ON THEIR PRINTED BALLOT? CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE FOR THE PROPOSITION LANGUAGE? WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPOSITION A LANGUAGE? WHERE DOES THAT APPEAR?
>> THIS GOES IN THE ORDINANCE.
THIS ONE GOES INTO OUR ORDINANCE.
WHEN WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND I BELIEVE IN OUR ADVERTISEMENTS AS WELL.
WHEN WE ADVERTISE TO THE PUBLIC AND WE HAVE TO PUT OUT THE PUBLIC NOTICES, THIS IS THE LANGUAGE THAT IS UTILIZED.
>> WOULD THEY SEE THIS AS WELL AS THE BALLOT LANGUAGE AS WELL?
>> THE BALLOT LANGUAGE OF THE LITTLE PARAGRAPH IS GOING TO BE THE ACTUAL PART OF THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS.
THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE ORDINANCE CALLED IN THE ELECTION.
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THE ACTUAL VOTERS ARE ONLY GOING TO SEE WHAT'S IN THE BALLOT FORM AS OPPOSED TO THE PROPOSITION FORM.
THE SHORT READER'S DIGEST VERSION IS WHAT MOST VOTERS SEE, THIS INFORMATION THOUGH GETS PUBLISHED AND POSTED.
IT'S AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN DIFFERENT VARIETIES, BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE PEOPLE ARE ONLY GOING TO SEE THAT WHEN THEY GO IN TO LOOK TO THE BALLOT BOX AND SEE WHAT THE BALLOT LANGUAGE SAYS.
>> WELL TO ADAMS POINT, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE SEEMS A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC THAN THIS PROPOSITION LANGUAGE.
WE'RE TRYING TO RECONCILE THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEEPING IT VAGUE, AS YOU MENTIONED FOR THE REASONS WHY YOU MENTIONED, I SHOULD SAY FOR THE PROPOSITION, BUT THEN WE PROVIDE MORE SPECIFICITY IN THE BALLOT LANGUAGE. I SAY THAT THREE TIMES.
>> WE WOULD PROBABLY TYPICALLY RECOMMEND THAT THEY BE MIRRORING EACH OTHER, BALLOT LANGUAGE AND THE LEGAL PROPOSITION.
THEN AS YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT AGO, YOU ALL WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO VOTER INFORMATION MATERIAL TO SAY, LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS FOR THIS PURPOSE AND INCLUDING X AND OUR EXPECTATION IS TO DO X. I'M GOING TO ALWAYS ENCOURAGE TO BE FLEXIBLE.
BUT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST YOU THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY THE ANTICIPATED COSTS OR THE EXPECTED USE, THESE THINGS.
YOU GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM IN THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOTERS HAVE SOME GOOD IDEA WHAT IT IS THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON.
WE'RE GOING TO TYPICALLY SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE LEGAL PROPOSITION AND THE BALLOT LANGUAGE MIRROR EACH OTHER.
[01:50:02]
YOU NEVER WANT TO BE A FACT MAKER IN THIS DISCUSSION.YOU WANT TO SAY THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
ANYBODY IS CONCERNING THEMSELVES ABOUT THOSE DISCUSSIONS, I WOULD SAY, WELL, THERE'S SOME INCONSISTENCY HERE, THERE'S SOME X Y AND Z.
THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS ALWAYS GOOD TO BE FLEXIBLE.
AS JAMES INDICATES, IF YOU'RE BEING MORE SPECIFIC, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO BE CAREFUL, THERE'S THE ISSUE.
I GET THIS QUESTION FROM TIME TO TIME.
WHY I WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC? THEN I GET A CALL TWO YEARS LATER AND THEY SAID, WELL I GOT SOME MONEY LEFT OVER.
CAN WE USE IT FOR THAT? THE ANSWER IS NO, BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO SPECIFIC AT THE TIME.
JUST TO GIVE YOURSELF THAT OPTION OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME.
AGAIN, YOU ALL AS THE COUNCIL WILL DETERMINE THE VOTER SAY, YES, YOU'RE AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE UP TO $82 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS.
OVER TIME, THEY'LL COME BACK TO YOU FOR THE PARTICULAR ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SPECIFIC ISSUANCE OF THAT PARTICULAR SERIES OF BONDS AND IT'LL BE UP TO YOU TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO DO IT AND ISSUE AT THAT POINT IN TIME OR NOT.
THERE'S NO OBLIGATION ON YOU TO ISSUE ANY OF THAT $82 MILLION IN THIS EXAMPLE, OR YOU CAN ISSUE IT OVER TIME, AS YOU SUGGEST, MAYBE CONSISTENT WITH THE CIP CONCEPT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT WOULD BE OUR SUGGESTION TO YOU THAT WELL, I ALWAYS GOING TO THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
I ALSO THINK BETWEEN THE PROPOSITION AND THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, THEY OUGHT TO PRETTY MUCH MIRROR EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL OF THAT.
YOU'RE CLEARLY NOT GOING TO SEE IN THE PROPOSITION STUFF LIKE NOT TO EXCEED 30 YEARS.
YOU WILL SEE STUFF ABOUT LEVYING A TAX BECAUSE THAT'S STATUTORILY REQUIRED NOW, BUT THIS IS THE REAL CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, THAT LEGAL PROPOSITION.
>> CAN WE LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, PLEASE, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
TO JOHN'S EARLIER POINT ABOUT WE WANT TO BE FLEXIBLE BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME, WOULD ADDING THE WORDS THE ISSUANCE OF UP TO $82 MILLION? BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, ALSO, BOB, WE'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO SPEND THAT MONEY, BUT WE MAY HAVE UP TO THAT AMOUNT.
>> TYPICALLY, THEY WANT YOU TO PUT IN THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT.
>> EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE?
>> YOU ALL WILL EXERCISE YOUR DISCRETION UP TO THAT $82 MILLION IN THIS EXAMPLE.
I WOULD NOT SUGGEST TO YOU THAT YOU PUT THAT IN THE PROPOSITION ITSELF, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE OR OTHERWISE.
I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO FOLLOW THAT AND THEN JUST SAY, YOU HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO DO UP TO THAT.
YOU CANNOT EXCEED $82 MILLION IN THIS EXAMPLE, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE EXPLANATION THAT YOU ALL CAN MAKE TO THE PUBLIC, IF YOU WILL.
>> WE CAN'T PUT THOSE WORDS ON THE BALLOT, BUT WE CAN SAY THOSE WORDS IN REALITY BECAUSE THEY REFLECT WHAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO DO?
>> EXACTLY. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER ON TONIGHT AS TO WHAT YOU ALL CAN SAY AND NOT SAY TYPE OF THING.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AND ALL THESE ELECTIONS HAVE THIS STUFF, A GOOD VOTER INFORMATION MATERIAL, WHETHER IT'S COMING THROUGH YOU ALL AS THE COUNCIL, WHETHER IT'S COMING THROUGH SOME POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OR OTHERWISE, AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES BETWEEN THE TWO OF THOSE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE AND HOW YOU WANT TO PRESENT IT TO YOUR VOTERS AN THEN WE'LL HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE I'S DOTTED AND THE T'S CROSSED FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.
>> WHY DO WE HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS LISTED ON THIS?
>> I HAVE THIS. BOB SENT ME TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS THAT I COULD USE.
I CHOSE THE ONE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY FIT ON THE PAGE.
THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT LONGER ONE.
IT MIRRORED THE LANGUAGE OF THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER, SO IT MATCHED THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
>> [OVERLAPPING] WELL, DROP THE INCLUDING PART AND JUST SAY, ISSUANCE OF BONDS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES IN THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT.
>> A LOT OF THIS LANGUAGE IS DRAFTED BECAUSE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THIS IS WHY THAT PROPOSITION LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN THE WAY IT IS IS BECAUSE WHEN THEY REVIEW IT, WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, BASICALLY WHEN WE GO SELL THOSE BONDS, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION, THEN, DID YOU ACTUALLY ASK THE VOTERS FOR THE RIGHT TO USE IT? IF WE'RE BUYING PROPERTY OR IF WE'RE DOING THIS, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO USE THE BOND FUNDS FOR AND THAT'S A PART OF IT BECAUSE RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION IS A PART OF ROADS AND SIDEWALKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE INCLUDE THAT IN THE LANGUAGE BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT ONE OF THOSE USES, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE IT WITHIN THAT PROPOSITION LANGUAGE, THEN IT WOULDN'T BE ALLOWABLE USE FOR US TO ISSUE DEBT AGAINST.
>> IS THE ORDER IMPORTANT? DOES THE LARGEST PROJECT HAVE TO BE FIRST?
>> NO. THE ORDER IS NOT RELEVANT AT ALL.
THE ONLY THING I JUST WOULD SAY IS, IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THE LEGAL PROPOSITION AND THE BALLOT BE CONSISTENT, AND YOU CAN MAKE THIS INCLUDING LANGUAGE IN THE LEGAL PROPOSITION OR NOT.
BUT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WE TRY TO KEEP THOSE MIRRORED TOGETHER AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
BUT HOW YOU SPEND THE MONEY, HOW YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE THINGS IS ABSOLUTELY UP TO YOU.
>> I ASKED ABOUT THE ORDER BECAUSE IF VOTERS LOOK AT THIS AS A REFERENDUM ON THE CAC, I'M NOT SURE THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY USE THE CAC TO HAVE IT PASS, AND IF THAT'S FIRST THING ON THERE AND THEY SEE CAC, I DON'T KNOW MAYBE IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO PUT CAC LAST SO THAT THEY SEE THE TRAILS, THE PARKS,
[01:55:01]
THE SPORTS FIELDS, THEN THE CAC, AND IT BECOMES LESS OF A REFERENDUM ON THAT ONE FACILITY.I DON'T KNOW THAT IT MATTERS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
>> HOPEFULLY, VOTERS BEFORE THEY GO INTO THE BALLOT BOX OF RESEARCH AND KNOW, HEY, A IS YES, B IS NO, OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR.
ONE THING I DO LIKE ABOUT THIS AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE FLEXIBILITY, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FULLY TRANSPARENT WITH THE VOTERS.
I DON'T WANT TO BE A TRUST ISSUE OR FEEL LIKE WE JUST HAVE THIS SLUSH FUND SETTING OUT HERE THAT WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT, SO I WANT TO HAVE GUARDRAILS.
READING THIS, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS DOES SOMEWHAT PUT GUARDRAILS ON HOW WE CAN SPEND THE MONEY.
IT MIGHT NOT BE A SPECIFIC PROJECT WE ENVISIONED BECAUSE WE GOT GRANT MONEY FOR THAT.
WE FIND ANOTHER TRAIL THAT IS IN NEED.
WE CAN JUST SHIFT THAT MONEY TO THAT.
STILL A THE INTENDED PURPOSE IT'S NOT JUST THIS BIG SLUSH FUND THAT WE CAN USE FOR WHATEVER.
IS THAT A CORRECT ASSESSMENT OF THIS?
>> YES. YOU'RE CREATING BUCKETS SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
>> THE STATEMENT OF THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF THE INTEREST ON THE BONDS, MOST VOTERS ARE GOING TO GO IN THERE AND SAY, YOU'RE GOING TO INCREASE OUR TAXES.
>> WELL, THAT'S PART OF THE VOTER INFORMATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS.
PERIOD OF THE YEAR-END, YOU USED TO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT NOWADAYS YOU SHOULD DO.
IF YOU'RE A SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT LANGUAGE HAS TO SAY AND THIS IS A TAX INCREASE, EVEN THOUGH THE TAX LEVY MAY NOT BE INCREASED, ANYTHING ABOVE ZERO IS A TAX INCREASE.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE, BUT THE WAY YOU DEAL WITH THAT AS BEST YOU CAN IS THIS VOTER INFORMATION STUFF.
THAT'S AGAIN PART OF THIS FACTUAL DETERMINATION THAT YOU ALL CAN PUT OUT AS A COUNCIL TO SAY, HERE'S THE IMPACT THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE.
VERY OFTEN, WHAT YOU'LL END UP WITH IS WITH YOUR STAFF AND YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND WHATEVER ASSISTANCE WE CAN PROVIDE, WHEN YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER, YOU CAN SAY, HERE'S THIS FOR AN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD OF X, BLAH, BLAH.
YOU WANT TO GIVE THE RIGHT PICTURE AS TO WHAT THE IMPACT OF THIS IS IF YOU ISSUE THIS DEBT OVER TIME OR WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BE.
>> THE ONE THING THAT I'LL ADD IS THAT I'LL LET US CONTINUE, BUT WHEN WE WRAP UP, I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT DOES THAT ENGAGEMENT PIECE LOOK LIKE BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE PIVOTAL IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO TAKE IT TO THE VOTERS.
I GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATE OUR RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT TO EDUCATE THE VOTERS.
>> THAT WAS MY BAD ON THOSE TWO NOT MATCHING BECAUSE BY GIVING A AND B CHOICE AND I CHOSE B FOR ONE AND A FOR THE OTHER.
THAT'S WHY THOSE TWO WEREN'T PERFECTLY LIGHTING UP.
AGAIN, I LOVE THINGS FITTING ON A PAGE.
HONESTLY, THOSE WERE TOO MANY WORDS.
WHEN WE GO TO PROP B FOR STREETS, AGAIN, FOR STREETS IMPROVEMENTS AND THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY.
THIS IS ALMOST EXACTLY AS LONG IT'S BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY WALK THROUGH ALL OF THOSE SAME THINGS, REPAIRING, RECONSTRUCTING, IMPROVING, EXTENDING, EXPANDING, ENHANCING STREETS, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST IF YOU DIDN'T ASK YOUR VOTERS AND ASKED THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT'S WHY THAT LANGUAGE IS SO BROAD IS BECAUSE LIKE ENGINEERING, LIKE, WELL, IF WE WERE GOING TO PAY FOR ENGINEERING FEES FOR THAT PROJECT OUT OF THERE, DID YOU ACTUALLY ASK THE VOTERS TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THOSE ENGINEERING COSTS? THAT'S WHY THE FOCUS IS MORE ON THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS BEING SO ALL ENCOMPASSING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO BE SPECIFIC ON THIS STREET AND THIS.
SORRY, I FEEL LIKE I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE HERE ON THIS ONE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF A SHIFT ON THIS, WHEREAS BEFORE COUNCILS IN THEIR PRIORITY WOULD JUST GO ISSUE COS.
I KNOW THAT'S NEVER BEEN A FLOWER BOUND THING FOR MOST THINGS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU OTHER TYPICAL CITIES, THEY WOULD JUST GO ISSUE COS AND THEY WERE IN IT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO GO OUT FOR ELECTION TO ASK THEIR VOTERS.
NOW WE'RE AT A TIME WHERE THE LEGISLATURE IS SAYING, YOU NEED TO GO ASK YOUR VOTERS AND EVENTUALLY THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, IF YOU DIDN'T ASK YOUR VOTERS, YOU CAN'T PUT IT ON YOUR IDS TAX RATE.
GUARANTEE AND THE PROBABLY THE NEXT FOUR LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS THAT WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THE SAME LEGISLATION COME UP SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THIS PROFESSION.
>> FOR BOTH A AND B, AND I DON'T THINK FOR C IT MIGHT BE AS APPLICABLE, BUT THERE ARE SOME REHABILITATION FUNDS FOR THIS.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE IN THE PROPOSITION LANGUAGE TO TIE IT TO OUR CIP TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, OR IS THAT TYING OUR HANDS AND NOT BE TAKEN AWAY THAT FLEXIBILITY?
>> I ACTUALLY DELETED THE WORD SPECIFICITY BECAUSE I COULDN'T SAY IT.
THAT'S NOT A FUN WORD TO SAY, ESPECIALLY AFTER 6:00.
AGAIN, ANYTHING YOU ADD INTO HERE THAT YOU BELIEVE IS ADDING TO TRANSPARENCY IN REALITY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY ADDING A RESTRICTION TO YOURSELF.
[02:00:01]
IF THE PROJECT WASN'T ON YOUR CIP LIST IN THAT FIVE-YEAR TIME, SAY ONE OF THESE THINGS WASN'T ON THE CIP LIST AND WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS, BUT THE WATER LINE UNDER A BUS FAILS CAUSES A MASSIVE STREET FAILURE, THEN YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE IT.THAT'S THE FLEXIBILITY WE WANT WITH THIS IS WHATEVER FAILS FIRST, THE WATER LINE, THE SEWER LINE, THE STORM DRAINAGE EDGE, WE GO AND REPLACE ALL OF THOSE THINGS AT ONCE.
THERE'S ANY NUMBER OF THINGS, NOT JUST THE STREET ASSESSMENTS, AND OUR WHOLE PCI LIST IS BUILT OFF OF THAT CONDITION.
>> WE'RE IN COUNCIL. WE'RE IN THE DEBATE POINTS AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, WE CAN MOVE THROUGH.
THE ONLY LAST THING THAT I HAVE AFTER THIS IS ACTUALLY PULL ENVELOP UP AND HAVING HIM WALK THROUGH THE DOS AND DON'TS.
THAT'S REALITY BECAUSE SINCE WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN 22 YEARS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE EVER HAD SOMEONE TELL YOU, THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN SAY.
THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN SAY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN SAY AS A CITIZEN AND BE CAREFUL OF THESE THINGS AND WATCH THESE THINGS.
EVERYTHING WE PUT OUT AFTER THIS LOT ELECTION TO PROVE IF IT IS, OR AFTER THIS GOES, YOU SAY THIS, YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND MOVE THIS TO THE VOTERS, EVERYTHING WE PUT, WE WILL BE RUNNING THROUGH OUR ATTORNEYS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T CROSS THE LINE INTO ADVOCACY.
WE ARE ONLY HERE TO PROVIDE FACTS.
WE WILL BE HEAVILY UTILIZING OUR BOND COUNCIL MOVING FORWARD IF WE CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD THIS BOND ELECTION.
HE CAN DESCRIBE WHAT THE RULES AND PRIORITIES OF THOSE THINGS ARE, AND HE ACTUALLY HAS A HANDOUT FOR YOU AFTERWARDS TOO THAT YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU TO HELP GUIDE YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
>> THE FRONT PARK WAS A GO BOND THAT HAD THE SAME [OVERLAPPING]
>> YEAH, THE TENNIS. YES IT WAS.
>> GOOD. NOT TOTALLY UNCHARTED TERRITORY?
>> NO. HAVING A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE AND I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME STUFF WITH PARK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN POST A LINE VERSUS WHAT WE CAN'T AND SO THIS IS JUST ADDING CLARITY.
>> COOL. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DISCUSS THIS OR MAYBE THIS NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER MEETING, BUT I KNOW FOR MYSELF AND MAYBE ADAM, IF THERE'S A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND A CANDIDATE, IF THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE COULD SAY AND WHEN AND WHERE THAT MIGHT BE GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE TOO.
>> I THINK THAT'S A PERFECT SEGUE FOR BOB.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO THAT ON SOME LEVEL.
LET'S GIVE THE FLOOR TO BOB, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
>> YOU WILL GET A HANDOUT THAT JUST HIGHLIGHTS A COUPLE OF STATUTORY THINGS.
THERE IS A DISTINCTION AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
YOU ALL AS A TOWN, AND AS A COUNCIL AND AS A STAFF, ARE CLEARLY AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION, AND ALL THIS CENTERS AROUND THE CONCEPT OF WHAT IS POLITICAL ADVERTISING.
THAT'S JUST UNDER THE ELECTION CODE STUFF.
IT'S THE SAME THING YOU DEAL WITH IF YOU'RE A CANDIDATE.
GOT SOME OF THE SAME THINGS YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH A CANDIDATE, YOU'VE GOT A FEW OTHER EXCEPTIONS, LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR TREASURER IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AND SOME OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
HERE, YOU'VE GOT TO BE THINKING OF, WHAT CAN WE DO FACTUALLY.
MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT FROM YOU ALL MORE THAN THE ELECTION IS ON MAY 3RD, THE POLLS ARE OPEN 24/7, AND SEE AROUND CAMPUS.
YOU SAY, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION.
THAT'S WHERE THE REAL TRICKY PART COMES IN FOR YOU.
YOU CAN SAY, LOOK, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THAT'S WHY THIS VOTER INFORMATION MATERIAL IS OFTENTIMES SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN DO THAT.
BUT IT'S THE CONCEPT OF BEING CAREFUL NOT TO SAY VOTE FOR THIS OR GO, WE THINK THIS IS THE BEST THING FOR THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND PERIOD THE END EVER BECAUSE THAT THERE'S AN ADVOCACY APPROACH THAT DISCUSSION.
THAT'S THE THING THAT THE ETHICS COMMISSION GETS ALL EXERCISED ABOUT OR PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS DISCUSSION SAY, WELL, LOOK WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, THEY'RE TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION.
THEN THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TURN THAT INTO THE ETHICS COMMISSION.
YET THIS COMMISSION SAYS, WELL, YOU'RE VIOLENT AND SAY WRITE UP A LITTLE EXPLANATION AND SOMETIMES IT'S AGAINST INDIVIDUAL, SOMETIMES IT'S AGAINST BODIES LIKE YOU ALL IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THERE.
JUST BECAUSE YOU AND ALL THINK IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FAIRWAY, DOESN'T MEAN THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DISCUSSION, THINKS IT'S OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS OF THE FAIRWAY.
THAT'S THE REAL CAUTION FOR DOING THAT IS TO MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT IT IS YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU CAN SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE MATERIALS, THERE'S SOME STATUTORY PRESCRIPTIONS THAT SAY, IF YOU DO THIS, YOU'RE RUNNING A FOUL OF X, Y, AND Z, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES IN HERE THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU JUST TO BY REFERENCE, A LOT OF THESE ARE IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE WHERE SOME OF THE ISSUES POP UP WITH THE ETHICS COMMISSION THESE DAYS.
BUT THINK OF YOURSELF, PUT YOURSELF AS THE TOWN COUNCIL INSTEAD OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
PUT YOURSELF AS THE SUPERINTENDENT VERSUS THE TOWN MANAGER, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THE TRICKY PART FOR THAT IS REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT IS.
IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH CITY FACILITIES, THEN SOMEBODY'S PAYING FOR THE LIGHTS, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING IN HERE, AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL THAT SOME AN AID TO SAY YES DISCUSSION BECAUSE YOU'RE USING A TOWN RESOURCE IN THIS CASE.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF DISCUSSION YOU REALLY WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF.
IF YOU SAID, LOOK, I'M GOING TO SIT HERE, I'VE GOT MY TOWN-ISSUED COMPUTER, AND I'M GOING TO TYPE OUT AN E-MAIL TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND SAY,
[02:05:02]
YOU REALLY NEED TO GO VOTE FOR THIS DEAL.YOU CAN'T USE CITY-TOWN RESOURCES FOR THAT PURPOSE.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE MINDFUL OF THIS STUFF IF YOU SAY, LET'S JUST PUT AN E-MAIL AROUND, WE'LL CIRCULATE IT WITHIN THE TOWN COUNCIL HERE AND WITHIN THE TOWN STAFF.
THAT'S USING THE CITY FACILITIES, IF YOU WILL, TO DISTRIBUTE THAT MATERIAL.
UNLESS IT IS GOING TO SAY, AGAIN, THE ELECTION IS MADE THE 3RD, 2025, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THAT'S THE STUFF WE WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF WHEN THEY'RE HAVING THIS TYPE OF A DISCUSSION IS WHAT YOU THINK OF A IS PRETTY INNOCUOUS IS JUST MAYBE NOT.
IF ANYTHING DEALING WITH A TOWN RESOURCE OR A TOWN ASSET, IT'S GOING TO CAUSE THAT QUESTION TO RISE UP.
AS I SAID EARLIER, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO HOPE THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING A FACT-MAKER.
I WANT THESE THINGS TO BE AS BORING AND AS BLAZE AS THEY CAN BE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, ALTHOUGH I CERTAINLY WANT THAT TO PASS AS YOU DO AS WELL.
THAT'S PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF WHO'S SAYING WHAT TO WHOM.
ANOTHER QUESTION COMES UP AS WELL, YOU ALL ARE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
CAN YOU SAY VOTE YES? CAN YOU PUT A SIGN IN YOUR YARD? CAN YOU DO X, Y, AND Z? YOU DON'T LOSE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN ELECTED TO OFFICE.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT TO BE A CAUTION AGAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE OF THE FEW COUNSELS THAT I KNOW OF WHERE YOU ACTUALLY GET UNDER YOUR CHARTER PROVISIONS, SOME PAYMENT.
ARE YOU A 24/7,365 PERSON LIKE THE TOWN MANAGER IS? HE PROBABLY IS GOING TO BE HELD TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD FOR WHAT HE CAN SAY IN TERMS OF BE AN ADVOCACY BECAUSE HE MAY NOT EVER BE VIEWED AS BEING OFF THE CLOCK.
YOU ALL ARE TYPICALLY GOING TO BE VIEWED AS OFF THE CLOCK.
I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT AS LONG AS YOU'RE CLEAR THAT YOU'RE SAYING, LOOK, WHATEVER THE EXPLANATION IS, THERE'S A DEAL WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THIS IS A TOWN COUNCIL PERSON, AND THERE'S A DEAL WHERE YOU'RE JUST DOING AS INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN YOU'RE ON THE INDIVIDUAL SIDE, VERY CLEARLY, YOU DON'T LOSE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY, YES, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING, I THINK THIS IS A BAD THING, AND YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT BE CAREFUL OF HOW YOU COMMUNICATE THAT.
IF YOU'RE COMMUNICATING THAT IF THE TOWN WERE TO ISSUE PHONES TO YOU AND YOU'RE DOING THAT ON A TEXT ON YOUR PHONE THAT WAS GIVEN TO YOU BY THE TOWN, THAT WOULD BE VIEWED AS USING A TOWN RESOURCE TO ADVOCATE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER FOR A MEASURE.
IF YOU'RE SAYING I'VE GOT A LAPTOP THAT I'M GOING TO TYPE THIS MESSAGE OUT AND THE TOWN ISSUE DO THAT LAPTOP, THE SAME THING COMES UP.
JUST BE MINDFUL OF THAT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF ABILITY TO SAY THIS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, PEOPLE COME TO YOU BECAUSE THEY SAY, YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT WHY WE'RE NEEDING TO DO THIS THAN ANY OF US.
WHY CAN'T YOU TELL US THIS? THAT'S THE REAL FRUSTRATION THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME, THE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING, YOU CAN'T REALLY SAY VERY MUCH ABOUT THAT.
IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THIS DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS NOW FOR A WHILE AND IT'S GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE YEARS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS IS PROBABLY MORE DIFFICULT.
BUT THAT'S THE CAUTION I WOULD HAVE FOR YOU.
JUST BE MINDFUL OF WHERE YOU ARE, WHAT RESOURCES YOU'RE USING, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THE PAC, WHICH I MET WITH THEM THE OTHER DAY, AND THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DEAL.
IF THEY DO CREATE A PAC, THEY'RE CREATED WITH THE PURPOSE OF BEING ADVOCATES FOR THE DEAL.
THEY HAVE TO DO SOME APPLICATION WHEN THEY PUT SIGNS TOGETHER THAT SAY PAID FOR BY SO AND SO AND HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF RECORDS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT YOU ALL CAN CLEARLY HAVE A SIGN IN YOUR YARD.
YOU CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH YOUR OWN DOLLARS AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT BEING GENERATED BY TOWN RESOURCES, IF YOU WILL.
THAT'S JUST THE CAUTION TO YOU AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS STUFF, YOU'LL SEE IT'S STRAIGHTFORWARD.
BUT WHEN I TELL PEOPLE THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS IF YOU GET TO THE RIGHT FRAMEWORK, IT CAN BE A HIGH LEVEL OF MISDEMEANOR OR EVEN A LOW LEVEL OF A FELONY.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO ARE NOT REALLY PARTICULAR KEEN ABOUT THESE ORANGE JUMPSUITS THAT SOMETIMES YOU SEE AROUND.
WE JUST SUGGEST YOU AVOID THAT THOUGHT PROCESS.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, AND I'M CERTAINLY AVAILABLE.
KRISTIN SAVAN WHO'S WITH ME AND HAS BEEN WORKING ON A LOT OF THE TOWN STUFF WITH ME A MATTER OF FACT, SHE WAS THE FIRST TOWN COUNCIL MEET SHE CAME TO A THE DAY SHE JOINED THE LAW FIRM, AND I DRAGGED HER OUT HERE TO COME JOIN THE TOWN COUNCIL.
BUT IN ANY EVENT, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO HELP THE TOWN STAFF TO HELP YOU ALL ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT JUST BE MINDFUL JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK, THAT'S GOING TO BE EASY.
I'LL JUST TYPE THAT OUT AND SAY, GO VOTE, AND WE WANT YOU TO VOTE YES.
THAT'S GREAT. JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT USING SOME TOWN RESOURCE TO DO THAT.
EVEN FUNNY THINGS CAN HAPPEN LIKE SAYS COMMITTEE COMES IN AND RUNS THE STUFF TO YOUR POSTAGE METER, AND THEY PAY YOU FOR IT.
WELL, THAT'S USING A TOWN RESOURCE, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE GETTING PAID FOR IT.
THOSE THINGS YOU JUST TO TRY TO KEEP APPLES AND ORANGES SEPARATE AND GO FROM THERE.
I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE OR JAMES IF YOU'VE GOT THINGS YOU WANT ME TO MAKE SURE I COVER FOR THIS DISCUSSION OR JOHN, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT ON IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.
>> IS THERE ANY ISSUE WITH USING OUR TITLES AS TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS?
[02:10:02]
>> WELL, NO, BUT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS NOT A BAD IDEA.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, SOMETIMES I PUT A LITTLE DISCLAIMER AND SAY, LOOK, I'M A TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT THE OPINIONS I'M GIVING YOU RIGHT NOW, I'M GIVING YOU NOT REALLY IN THE CAPACITY AS A TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT IN MY OWN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING, YOU'RE GOING TO X, Y, AND Z, AND YOU'RE THERE IN PART BECAUSE YOU'RE A COUNCIL MEMBER.
PEOPLE KNOW THAT AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT I WOULD NOT IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT OUT RIGHT WRITTEN MATERIALS.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN BAILEWK, THAT'S OKAY.
BUT THAT BECOMES YOU START TO GET THAT FACT-MAKING DISCUSSION.
I WOULD PROBABLY STEER AWAY MYSELF FROM SUGGESTING TO YOU PUT OUT THOSE THINGS.
I'M MR. DREW, TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER, PLACE 2, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO X, Y, AND Z. I DID THIS ON MY OWN PERSONAL STATIONERY, AND SO ON.
YOU'VE JUST GOT SOME OTHER IF SOMEBODY'S FUSSING ABOUT THAT, YOU'VE JUST RAISED AN ISSUE FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT.
YEAH. I WOULD TEND TO STEER AWAY FROM THAT.
I PUT YOU ALL TO SLEEP BY NOW.
>> AFFIRMATIVE. IT WAS VERY GOOD.
>> I'LL USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TAG ALONG THAT AND JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR US.
I THINK BOB SET UP THE BACKDROP IN WHICH IT'S THE NEEDLE THAT AS INFORMING THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THREAD WITH THIS BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO CONTEMPLATE IS THAT OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU MOVE FORWARD, THIS IS GOING TO BE NORTH OF $100 MILLION.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. PEOPLE WANT TO BE INFORMED ON IT.
NOT EVERYBODY HAD THE LUXURY OF BEING ABLE TO GO TO SOME OF THESE EVENTS AND GET TO SEE SOME OF THE NUANCE AND SOME OF THE THINGS BEHIND IT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING CLOSE WITH OUR BOND COUNSEL AS WE DEVELOP MATERIALS TO GO IN AND BE ABLE TO FACTUALLY EXPLAIN I CALL IT JOE FRIDAY JUST A FAX, MA'AM. WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU.
BUT IT CAN BE CHALLENGING FROM TIME TO TIME BECAUSE YOU CAN'T EVEN HINT THAT KIDS WILL ENJOY IT. THAT'S ADVOCACY.
IT'S A FINE LINE AT THE [INAUDIBLE] AND I'LL WORK VERY HARD TO STAY IN THERE BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO VERY MUCH WANT TO BE INFORMED BY THIS, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE GROUPS AND THERE ARE SOME GROUPS THAT I'VE REACHED OUT TO THAT HAVE EXPRESSED THAT ONCE IT GETS GOING, CAN YOU EDUCATE US AND I TOLD THEM THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK VERY HARD WITH THAT.
AGAIN, THERE ARE RESOURCE FOR US THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
PLEASE, IF YOU'RE EVER IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE NOT SURE, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
I'LL GET YOU CONNECTED WITH [INAUDIBLE] WE CAN VET THESE THINGS TO MAKE SURE ALL ARE IN THE BEST POSITION POSSIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN POSTCARDS THAT ARE GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND I'VE WORKED ON BOND PROGRAMS IN PREVIOUS OTHER CITIES.
IT CAN BE DONE, BUT IT'S JUST VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, HERE'S THE PROJECT, HERE'S THE COST, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I KNOW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE EVEN WITH SOME OF THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TO TRAIN UP AND SEE WHAT THAT PRESENTATION LOOKS LIKE.
BUT THAT PACK BEING FORM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CAN WAIVE THE PIN AND SAY, YEAH, GO BOND. WE CAN'T.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GOING TO GO TOWARDS THAT, BUT WE DO CONTEMPLATE CREATING ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHAT IS ON THE BOND AND WHAT'S IN THE PROPOSITIONS.
THERE'S A FINE LINE THERE, BUT WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT.
TYPICALLY, WHAT WE'RE EYEING IS A PERIOD OF AROUND MARCH, APRIL.
WE DON'T WANT TO GET TOO EARLY, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T WANT TO GO TOO LATE, BUT REALLY THE KEY IS IT GETS IN THERE, OUR JOB, AND I'LL SAY IT EVEN IN THE PRESENTATION, I DON'T CARE WHETHER YOU VOTE YES OR NO.
MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE FULLY INFORMED WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION, NOT TRYING TO SELL ANYTHING.
BUT I DO CERTAINLY HOPE THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE SELLING THOUGH.
AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO BE ENGAGED WITH IT, THEY SEE THE BENEFITS OF IT AND THEY CAN CARRY THAT WATER.
>> SOMEONE MENTIONED A HANDOUT? ARE WE GETTING THIS TONIGHT?
>> OKAY. BUT NOW, LET'S SAY AT THE ELECTION THIS YEAR IN MAY, IF WE WANTED TO LET'S SAY I WANTED TO GO OUT THERE AT THE VOTING SITES AND TALK ABOUT THIS AND EDUCATE THE VOTERS AS THEY COME TO VOTE.
HOW PROBLEMATIC COULD THAT BE?
>> DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU SAY. WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT IF YOU JUST EDUCATE THEM, YOU DON'T TELL THEM HOW TO VOTE, BUT YOU JUST EDUCATE THEM, WHAT IT IS.
>> YOU GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU ALMOST DON'T WANT TO PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE SOMEBODY CAN PERCEIVE IT, AND THEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH IT RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
I THINK IN A LOT OF CASES IS THAT IF ANYTHING ELSE,
[02:15:03]
WE'LL CREATE SOURCES THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO IF THEY'RE TRUE OWNER BE EDUCATED ON OUR WEBSITE, DIFFERENT PLACES REALLY, WE JUST WANT TO POINT PEOPLE TO THAT INFORMATION.AGAIN, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, BUT I WAS STRONGLY ADVISED THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER BEING AT A POLLING PLACE, TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT FACTUAL INFORMATION BECAUSE LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU COULD SLIP UP AND JUST SAY, SOME TO THE EFFECT, KIDS WILL ENJOY THE POOL THAT'S WHEN THE BELLS START GOING OFF, THAT'S ADVOCACY.
YOU'RE TELLING WHAT THE KIDS ARE GOING TO ENJOY.
I WOULDN'T WANT ALL TO BE EXPOSED LIKE THAT TO WHERE EVERYBODY'S HANGING ON EVERY WORD THAT YOU'RE SAYING AND INTERPRETING HOW IT'S BEING IMPLIED.
WHAT I WOULD VERY STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU IS THAT WE COULD DO QR CODES OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT AND JUST SAY, HERE'S FACTUAL INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSITIONS AND ALLOW THEM TO GO TO IT IF THEY SEE FIT.
BUT EVEN THERE, I'M TRYING TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M WALKING A TYPO I'M LOOKING AT BOB AND CHRIS MIGHT SAY MINDS OUT THERE.
>> ADAM'S GOING TO BE OUT THERE TO RUNNING THAT LANGUAGE IS PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASK.
>> YEAH. BUT WITH THAT IN MIND, THERE MAY BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO POINT PEOPLE TO FACTUAL INFORMATION AND NOT PUT ANYBODY IN THE SPOT WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO ARTICULATE IT VERBALLY TO WHERE IT COULD BE MISCONSTRUED OR MISINTERPRETED.
>> THERE IS A PRINTED PUBLICATION THAT I THINK IS PLANNED IN THE WORKS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE HOUSEHOLDS BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR BUDGET FOR THAT ALLOCATION.
>> UTILIZING THE UTILITY BILL, UTILITY MILLER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE CAN'T DO THOSE THINGS, BUT A PAC CAN.
I IF THERE'S A PAC FORM THAT'S IN FAVOR OF THIS, THEY HAVE EVERY ABILITY TO GO TO ANY OF THOSE THINGS AND DO THOSE THINGS, BUT WE AS STAFF MEMBERS CANNOT DO THAT.
I WANTED TO WRAP UP AND SAY, I WANT TO THANK THE BLUE RIBBON BOND COMMITTEE.
WE MET A BUNCH. THEY WENT THROUGH A RIGOROUS BOOT CAMP OF LEARNING ABOUT THINGS LIKE FINANCE, STREET CONDITIONS.
THEY WERE VERY WELL EDUCATED BEFORE THEN PARK TREKS AND TRAILS.
THESE ARE WELL-EDUCATED MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED ACROSS THE TOWN AND THEY SHOWED UP, THEY GAVE THEIR OWN TIME AND THEY SHOWED UP FOR EVENTS, THEY GOT PEOPLE TO COME OUT.
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NEARLY SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THEIR HELP.
WE HAVE A COUPLE MEMBERS OUT HERE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WERE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
WE DO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TOGETHER AND DOING THAT.
IT WAS A LOT. IT WAS A BIG COMMITMENT. THANK YOU.
>> COUNSEL, IF YOU GUYS HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
>> REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE PART JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS.
I APPRECIATE OUR TOWN SECRETARY.
WE HAVE ADDED AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR TUESDAY.
SO WE CAN REVISIT AND BE ABLE TO BRING BACK SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAD FROM THIS EVENING, SO WE'LL BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THAT AND HOPEFULLY, WE'LL SUFFICIENTLY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL ENDEAVORING TOWARDS THAT FEBRUARY 3RD MEETING FOR YOU ALL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PACKAGE THAT YOU DEEM SUFFICIENT FOR THE BOND PROGRAM.
>> DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE ADJOURN? THE TIME IS NOW 8:18, AND WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.