[00:00:03]
GOOD EVENING, FLOWER MOUND. THE TIME IS NOW 6:00 AND I CALL THIS WORK SESSION TO ORDER.
[A. CALL TO ORDER]
ON THIS DATE, FEBRUARY 20TH. AND AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT[B. PUBLIC COMMENT]
CARDS? THANK YOU.OKAY. SO, JESSICA TRENT, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS JESSICA TRENT. MY ADDRESS IS 1316 BIG CANYON DRIVE.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF FLOWER MOUND FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS.
I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF THE BREEZY BOOK CLUB, AND WE'RE A VERY INFORMAL GROUP OF BOOK LOVING MOMS. IN THIS GROUP WE HAVE 11 MEMBERS, OF WHICH WE HAVE 27 KIDS BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX AND 20.
THESE AGES ARE PRIME MICROMOBILITY AGES. SO THIS TOPIC IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS.
BOTH PARTIES ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING KIDS ON SCOOTERS, E-BIKES, ONE WHEELS, ETC.. ONE OF MY SON'S GOOD FRIENDS WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND WE WANT TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
THANKFULLY, HE WAS WEARING A HELMET THAT LIKELY SAVED HIS LIFE.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR KIDS DON'T HAVE THE SAME KNOWLEDGE BASE FROM A CLASSROOM PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS DRIVER HOURS BEHIND THE WHEEL LIKE WE DO AS A TOWN.
WE HAVE TO PROVIDE EDUCATION ON THIS TOPIC TO CHILDREN WHO WILL BE USING THESE INSTRUMENTS.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE IN OUR TOWN TO INCREASE SAFETY WITH THESE MOTORIZED VEHICLES.
SOME OF OUR SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.
EDUCATION IN OUR SCHOOLS. ALTHOUGH ALL OF OUR CHILDREN MIGHT NOT HAVE THEIR OWN MOTORIZED SCOOTERS OR E-BIKES, IT'S LIKELY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEM THROUGH A FRIEND, AND IF SO, HOPEFULLY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES WHEN THEY SHARE THE ROAD WITH OTHER DRIVERS. A MICROMOBILITY COURSE WOULD BE GREAT.
AND FINALLY, AT A MINIMUM, MICROMOBILITY REGULATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOU STILL HAVE 30 SECONDS.
OH, PERFECT. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT REGARDING THIS TOPIC.
THE TIME IS NOW TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT CAN TRULY SAVE LIVES IN OUR TOWN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
THANK YOU, JESSICA. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TONIGHT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO OUR WORK SESSION.
[C. WORK SESSION ITEM]
SESSION ITEM. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON MICROMOBILITY, THE SURVEY RESULTS.AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE MICROMOBILITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ANY LIGHTWEIGHT VEHICLE THAT GOES, OR A LIGHTWEIGHT MOBILE ITEM THAT GOES LESS THAN 28MPH.
RIGHT. THAT IS CORRECT. 28. OKAY. ALL RIGHT JP.
THANK YOU. MAYOR. TOWN COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JP WALTON.
I'M THE CHIEF STRATEGIC OFFICER HERE AT THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND.
BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO BLAKE, WHO'S GOING TO GO THROUGH A VERY POPULAR SURVEY THAT WE HAD OUT, WHICH WAS THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY. SO BEFORE I HAND IT OVER, I JUST WANT TO REMIND COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY WATCHING AT HOME THAT THIS ORIGINALLY CAME FORWARD AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AT THE AUGUST 19TH TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
WE BROUGHT THIS BACK AND DISCUSSED AT THE OCTOBER 17TH TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
IT WAS AT THAT WORK SESSION THAT CHIEF COULON WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REGULATIONS THAT YOU CAN PUT ON MICROMOBILITY MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR CHILDREN, AND ALSO GAVE US SOME EXAMPLES THAT WE HAVE IN OTHER CITIES.
SO MORE SPECIFICALLY, HIGHLAND VILLAGE ORDINANCE IS SOMETHING WE REVIEWED AT THAT TIME.
[00:05:02]
AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANTED TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON.WE ALSO HAVE THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND MICROMOBILITY SURVEY REPORT ON THE STAFF REPORT TONIGHT.
SO THAT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY TO VIEW AT HOME.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS. HELLO MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL. AS JP SAID, I WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE RESULTS OF OUR MICROMOBILITY SURVEY THAT WE PUT OUT.
AND THEN JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
AND FROM THERE WE CREATED THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY JUST SO WE CAN GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON HOW THEY PERCEIVE MICROMOBILITY AND SAFETY CONCERNS WITHIN THE TOWN. SO THE SURVEY RAN FROM IT ACTUALLY STARTED ABOUT IN DECEMBER, I MEAN, IN NOVEMBER.
BUT THE FIRST RESPONSE THAT WE RECEIVED WAS DECEMBER 1ST.
AND THEN IT RAN ALL THE WAY UNTIL JANUARY 3RD, 2025.
AS JP SAID, THE SURVEY WAS PRETTY POPULAR AS WELL.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 832 RESPONSES. AND IN THAT EVEN AFTER THE SURVEY CLOSED, WE WERE STILL GETTING CALLS AND EMAILS ABOUT RESIDENTS WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY. AND THE WAY THAT WE DISTRIBUTED THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY AT THIS TIME WAS A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE.
AND THEN WE ALSO POSTED IT ON SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE TOWN.
SO JUST STARTING OFF WITH THE ZONE OF RESPONDENTS.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MOST POPULAR RESPONDENTS THAT WE HAD WAS IN ZONE TWO, ZONE THREE AND ZONE FOUR, WHICH HAD OVER HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS IN THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE ALSO HAD THE AGE OF RESPONDENTS.
AND FROM THIS SURVEY, MORE THAN HALF OF OUR RESPONSES WERE BETWEEN THE AGE OF 35 AND 64, WHICH PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH PUTTING THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY IN THE UTILITY BILL THAT WAS SENT TO THE HOMES.
AND THEN ON A LITTLE BIT OF MORE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
SO SINCE THE MICROMOBILITY SURVEY WILL BE AFFECTING CHILDREN THE MOST, WE ALSO ASKED, DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? SO 37% SAID NO, THEY DID NOT HAVE CHILDREN IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.
HOWEVER, 63% SAID THEY DID HAVE CHILDREN IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.
SO, OF THE 63%, THEY WERE THEN ASKED THE SECONDARY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IF YES, WHAT ARE THE AGES OF YOUR CHILDREN? SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE WAS A WIDE RANGE OF AGES OF THE CHILDREN THAT WERE OF THE USERS THAT WERE ANSWERED.
DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, WITH THE MOST BEING AT 31% BETWEEN THE AGES OF TEN AND 13, WHICH IS AROUND THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE. AND THEN MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USAGE.
SO WE ASKED, DO YOU OR SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD USE MICROMOBILITY DEVICES? SO AS IT TURNS OUT, 62% SAID NO. THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD DID NOT USE MICROMOBILITY.
HOWEVER, 38% DID SAY THAT THEM OR THEIR CHILDREN USE MICROMOBILITY DEVICES IN THE TOWN.
AND THEN OF THOSE WHO DID USE MICROMOBILITY, THEY WERE ALSO ASKED THIS FOLLOW UP QUESTION HOW OFTEN DO MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD USE MICROMOBILITY DEVICES? SO, AS YOU CAN TELL, THERE'S OF THOSE THAT USE MICROMOBILITY DEVICES.
THEY DO USE IT PRETTY FREQUENTLY. WE HAD THE TOP RESPONSE AT FREQUENTLY, WHICH WE SAW AS 2 TO 3 TIMES PER WEEK DAILY, EVERY DAY, OCCASIONALLY, WHICH WAS 1 OR 2, TWO TIMES A WEEK, AND THEN RARELY, WHICH WAS ON AVERAGE UNDER ONE TIME A WEEK.
[00:10:04]
SO, STARTING OFF WITH HELMET REQUIREMENTS, SO SHOULD HELMETS BE REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN WHEN USING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE? SO, 84% OF OUR RESPONDENTS ANSWERED YES. HELMETS SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN WHEN OPERATING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE.AND IT'S ALSO THIS NEXT QUESTION THE AGE OF WHICH HELMETS SHOULD BE REQUIRED.
SO, WE ASKED IN THIS PREVIOUS QUESTION SHOULD CHILDREN BE REQUIRED.
SO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DOES THE TOWN PERCEIVE AS CHILDREN.
SO, 52 OF OUR RESPONDENTS SAID THE AGE AT WHICH HELMETS SHOULD BE REQUIRED IS 18 AND UNDER, FOLLOWED BY 16 AND UNDER AT 17%, AND THEN 14 AND UNDER AT 18%.
AND THERE WAS A NO PREFERENCE OPTION AS WELL.
AND THAT ONE WAS SITTING AT THAT 12%. AND THEN WE ALSO ASKED, WHERE SHOULD THESE HELMETS BE REQUIRED TO BE WORN ON STREETS, SIDEWALKS OR AT ALL TIMES? SO, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAY, 80% OF THE RESPONDENTS ANSWERED HELMETS SHOULD BE WORN AT ALL TIMES WHEN OPERATING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE, REGARDLESS IF THAT'S A STREET, A SIDEWALK, A PARK.
THEY RESPONDED OVERWHELMINGLY AT 80%. IT SHOULD BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.
AND THEN WE ALSO DECIDED TO ASK ABOUT SHOULD HELMETS BE REQUIRED ON BICYCLES? WHILE IT'S NOT A BICYCLES ARE NOT TECHNICALLY MICROMOBILITY DEVICES.
SOMETIMES THEY ARE PUT IN THE SAME CONTAINER CATEGORY.
SO FROM THIS SLIDE, I CAN TELL THAT THERE IS SUPPORT FOR HELMET REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE USING MICROMOBILITY DEVICES AT ALL TIMES WITHIN THE TOWN. AND THEN FOLLOWING UP WITH SOME OF THE SAFETY CONCERN QUESTIONS.
SO SHOULD CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT BE PROHIBITED FROM USING MICROMOBILITY DEVICES WITHIN THE TOWN? SO 54% OF OUR RESPONSES ANSWERED YES. CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM USING MICROMOBILITY DEVICES. WELL, WHILE WE DID STILL HAVE 36% SAY NO, IT SHOULD NOT BE PROHIBITED FROM THOSE UNDER EIGHT. SO WHILE SMALL, IT IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
THE NEXT QUESTION WE ASKED IS SHOULD PARKING LOTS BE INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE? SO, WE HAD 67% OF OUR RESPONDENTS SAYING, YES, THE MICROMOBILITY ORDINANCE SHOULD APPLY TO PARKING LOTS AS WELL.
AND THEN THAT LASTLY, SHOULD RIDERS BE ALLOWED TO RIDE THROUGH THE CROSSWALKS, OR SHOULD THEY HAVE TO GET OFF AND DISMOUNT AND WALK THROUGH THE CROSSWALK? SO, WE HAD 53% OF OUR RESPONSES ANSWERED. THAT MICROMOBILITY DEVICE RIDERS SHOULD HAVE TO GET OFF OF THEIR MICROMOBILITY DEVICE AND WALK IT THROUGH THE CROSSWALK. BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE HAD 38% SAYING THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO RIDE THROUGH THAT CROSSWALK AS WELL.
AND THEN FOLLOWING UP FOR SOME MORE SAFETY CONCERNS.
SO SHOULD HELMETS BE ALLOWED? EXCUSE ME. SHOULD CHILDREN BE ALLOWED TO USE HEADPHONES OR CELL PHONES WHILE OPERATING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE? SO 81% OF RESPONDENTS ANSWERED NO, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE HEADPHONES OR CELL PHONES WHILE OPERATING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE, WHICH MATCHES THE ORDINANCE THAT WE BROUGHT UP AT OUR LAST MEETING.
AND THEN WE ALSO ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION WHEN IT CAME TO BICYCLES.
SO SHOULD CHILDREN BE ALLOWED TO USE HEADPHONES OR CELL PHONES WHILE OPERATING A BICYCLE? AND ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY SAYING NO 75% OF RESPONSES SAYING NO, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE HEADPHONES OR CELL PHONES WHILE OPERATING A BICYCLE. SO THERE IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR KIND OF RESTRICTING THE USE OF HEADPHONES AND CELL PHONES WHILE OPERATING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE.
AND THEN NEAR MISSES. SO, THERE WAS TALKS ABOUT ACCIDENTS OCCURRING BETWEEN MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USERS AND JUST REGULAR DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. SO, WE ASKED HOW MANY NEAR MISSES HAVE YOU BEEN? AND WITH A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USER WITHIN THE TOWN.
[00:15:05]
IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WITH MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USER.THEN WE ASKED, WHERE DO THESE NEAR MISSES OCCUR? SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY OCCUR ALL THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
SO WHAT WE CAN SEE IS THAT MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USERS AND NEAR MISSES IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE WHEN DEALING WITH MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USERS. AND THEN PENALTIES AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.
SO WHAT WOULD THE PENALTIES BE FOR VIOLATING THE MICROMOBILITY DEVICE ORDINANCE? SO, WE HAD AT THE LEAD AT 34% BEING FINES FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS, FOLLOWED UP WITH 33% AT WARNINGS. AND THEN THAT 24% SAID THEY THE MICROMOBILITY DEVICE SHOULD BE CONFISCATED FROM THE USER IF THERE'S A REPEAT OFFENSE. AND THEN WE ALSO ASKED HOW SHOULD THE TOWN EDUCATE CHILDREN AND PARENTS ON MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USAGE, THE ORDINANCE AND JUST OVERALL SAFETY WHEN IT COMES TO MICROMOBILITY DEVICES.
BUT THE ONE THAT LED WAS IN SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS.
SO THE THE RESPONDENTS OF THE SURVEY WERE MOST INTERESTED ABOUT COMING INTO THE SCHOOL AND THEN TEACHING THE CHILDREN DIRECTLY ABOUT MICROMOBILITY DEVICES AND THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR USAGE FOLLOWED BY ONLINE VIDEOS OR TUTORIALS AT 24%, AND THEN COMMUNITY EVENTS FOCUSED SOLELY ON SAFETY AT 22%.
84% OF THE RESPONDENTS SUGGESTED REQUIRING HELMETS FOR MICROMOBILITY DEVICE USERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, AND THEN 80% WERE IN FAVOR OF REQUIRING THEM AT ALL TIMES, BOTH STREETS, SIDEWALKS AT ALL LOCATIONS.
WHEN IT CAME TO RIDING LOCATIONS, 67% WERE IN SUPPORT OF INCLUDING PARKING LOTS AND THE MICROMOBILITY DEVICE REVISED ORDINANCE WHILE ALSO REQUIRING THEM TO DISMOUNT AND WALK ACROSS THE CROSSWALK, WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING ACROSS A CROSSWALK WHEN IT CAME TO HEADPHONE AND CELL PHONE USAGE, 81% SUPPORTED RESTRICTING THE USE OF HEADPHONES AND CELL PHONES WHILE OPERATING A MICROMOBILITY DEVICE, WHILE 75% WERE ALSO IN SUPPORT WHEN IT CAME TO BICYCLES AND THEN ENFORCEMENT PREFERENCES.
SO 34% OF THE RESPONSES PREFERRED FINES, 33 SUPPORTED WARNINGS, AND THEN IT LED BY 24% SUPPORTING THE CONFISCATION OF THE MICROMOBILITY DEVICE IF THERE'S REPEAT OFFENSES.
AND THEN LASTLY, EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS. SO, THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR GOING TO THE SCHOOLS AND GIVING PRESENTATION TO THE STUDENTS AT 34%, FOLLOWED BY 24% PREFERRING ONLINE VIDEOS AND PRESENTATIONS, FOLLOWED BY 22% FAVORING COMMUNITY EDUCATIONS THAT FOCUS SOLELY ON EDUCATING THE RESIDENTS AND THE RIDERS WHEN IT CAME TO MICROMOBILITY.
AND NOW I WILL HAND IT OVER TO JP FOR A DISCUSSION OVER NEXT STEPS.
SO, ANYBODY LOOKING AT HOME CAN GO INTO THE STAFF REPORT TONIGHT.
THEY CAN LOOK AT THE JOTFORM REPORT THAT IS STRAIGHT FROM THE SURVEY.
IN ORDER TO RELEASE THAT, WE DID HAVE AN OPEN KIND OF AN OPEN RESPONSE SECTION.
WE TRIED TO PUT ALL OF IT INTO AI TO SUMMARIZE, BUT IT REALLY CAME OUT PRETTY JUMBLED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TOO. SO, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE FLOOR UP FOR DISCUSSION.
REALLY, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MAYOR.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, STAFF IS HERE AND REALLY, WE'RE WORKING UP TO NEXT STEPS.
WE HAD DISCUSSED AN ORDINANCE PREVIOUSLY, SO FOR Y'ALL TONIGHT, IT'S.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN BRINGING FORWARD? IF SO WE MAY JUST CHECK ON JUST A FEW THINGS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO BRING THAT FORWARD,
[00:20:01]
IT'S WHAT YOU WANT. BUT I'LL THROW IT OVER TO YOU, MAYOR, AND WE CAN DISCUSS.ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO AN ORDINANCE, WE NEED TO MAKE IT FAIRLY SIMPLE, NOT TOO COMPLEX.
WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE ANY CONFUSION IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS DOES IMPACT BICYCLISTS AS WELL.
WE HAVE BICYCLISTS OUT THERE ON THE ROAD ALL THE TIME, SO LET'S KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I HAVE SOME COMMENTS.
I THINK THIS IS THE BEST SURVEY RESPONSE WE'VE EVER HAD.
IS THAT RIGHT? I'M SURE I GUESS IT WAS A QUESTION.
I WILL STAY UP HERE. BUT YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
MOST PEOPLE ENGAGING WITH IT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT MORE? I'M SORRY. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT MORE RESPONSES FROM PUTTING IT IN THE UTILITY BILL OR ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA SITES? WHERE WAS MOST OF THE FEEDBACK GIVEN? SO, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WITH THIS SURVEY, IT IS NOT SCIENTIFIC, RIGHT? SO, WE DID PUT IT IN THE UTILITY BILL.
I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE YOU JUST HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHO'S GOING TO FILL IT OUT.
AND SO, WITH A SURVEY LIKE THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO PULL IN PEOPLE WHO REALLY, REALLY WANT MAYBE THESE MICROMOBILITY REGULATIONS AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE WHO REALLY, REALLY DON'T WANT. BUT WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS IT DID SEEM LIKE THE SUBJECT OF MICROMOBILITY WAS A VERY POPULAR SUBJECT, IS WHAT I WOULD SAY. I THINK IT IS REALLY POPULAR.
IT'S CONSTANTLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I WOULD SAY HEARING THAT 698 RESIDENTS, WELL, PEOPLE RESPONDENTS, BECAUSE A COUPLE WERE NOT RIGHT, RESIDENTS OF FLOWER MOUND 3%, BUT 698, THAT'S ALMOST 700 YESES, WHICH TO ME IS THE MOST OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK I'VE EVER HAD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ON ANY TOPIC IN FLOWER MOUND.
SO I WOULD SAY THIS IS A CLEAR MANDATE FROM CITIZENS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, 665 PEOPLE SAID THAT THE HELMET SHOULD BE WORN AT ALL TIMES, AND 624 PEOPLE SAID, YES, BICYCLES TOO.
AND I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THE TURNOUT, BY THE RESOUNDING DIRECTIVE.
AND I KNOW THIS IS A COUNCIL WHO DOES PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN LISTENING TO RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK THIS IS A VERY COMPELLING ARGUMENT FOR ALL OF US TO SEEK MOVING FORWARD.
I HAVE A ARE YOU DONE? YES. GO AHEAD. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE THERE WERE SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT THAT CHIEF COULON HAD GIVEN.
REMIND ME ABOUT DISMOUNTING IN THE CROSSWALK.
WHAT WAS YOUR SUGGESTION ON THAT? AS CHIEF IS COMING UP HERE TO? BECAUSE I CHECKED TO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, I JUST WANT TO COMPARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO AN ORDINANCE THAT WE DO HAVE KIND OF CLOSE TO US. AND FOR THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT, THIS IS ONE THAT IS IN THAT ORDINANCE.
SO, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO CHIEF COULON. OKAY, PERFECT.
SOME TOWNS MAY PUT THAT IN THEIR ORDINANCE WHEN THEY PASS A MICROMOBILITY ORDINANCE.
IT'S NOT IN ALL OF THEM. IT'S KIND OF UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL TOWN WHETHER THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT.
BUT THAT WAS YOUR SUGGESTION IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHICH WAY WOULD BE SAFER, FOR SURE.
AND SO THERE'S NOT A STUDY THAT I FOUND THAT ACTUALLY STUDIED.
WHICH WAY IS SAFER? SOMETIMES WE MAKE KIDS GET OFF THEIR BIKES AND DO THAT IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU COULD JUST HURRY UP AND GET OUT OF THE CROSSWALK, THAT WOULD BE THE MOST USEFUL THING YOU COULD DO.
AND SO, I WOULD PREFER YOU JUST TO GET OUT OF THE CROSSWALK AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. RIGHT.
BECAUSE AS WE DO SEE THE ACCIDENTS IN CROSSWALKS A LOT OF THE TIMES.
WELL, I WANT TO ADD AS A BICYCLIST, WE CLIP IN A LOT.
IN YOUR FUNNY LITTLE SHOES? IN MY FUNNY LITTLE SHOES.
YEAH. YEAH, EXACTLY. AND THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS WERE ONLY 53% IN FAVOR.
SO THAT ONE WAS KIND OF SO-SO. SO YEAH, I CAN SEE IT EITHER WAY.
[00:25:01]
SO. RIGHT. AND WOULD BE SAFER BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT QUICKER.I THINK. SO I THINK THAT'S. CAN I DOVETAIL IN FOR A MINUTE.
DO THEY SAY DISMOUNT? I THINK THEY EACH HAVE INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES.
SO, THERE'S NO SET STANDARD. NOT AWARE THAT WE'VE GIVEN THEM ANY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE'VE GIVEN THEM.
OKAY. AND ONCE AGAIN, I MEAN, MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE IS YOU HURRY UP AND GET ACROSS.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION. SORRY TO JUST ALONG THAT SAME LINE, IS THERE A CONCERN THAT IF A KID IS APPROACHING ON A SCOOTER, HE DOESN'T SLOW DOWN? HE DOESN'T SLOW DOWN INSTEAD OF DISMOUNTING IF THEY STAY ON IT TO GET ACROSS QUICKER.
AT MY LAST JOB, WE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE A KID WAS ON A ON A SCOOTER AND HE TRIED TO BEAT THE CROSSWALK BY GOING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, AND HE GOT KILLED. AND SO IT'S KIND OF I MEAN, YOU'RE DEALING WITH KIDS, SO THEY'RE GOING TO DO KID STUFF.
SO THERE'S SO THAT'S MORE OF A JUDGMENT CALL RATHER THAN WHETHER HE WAS ON IT OR NOT.
YEAH. I MEAN, IF YOU WANTED TO LEAVE IT THAT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL PARENTS NEED TO TELL THEIR KIDS NOT TO RUSH, YOU KNOW, WHICH WAY THEY WANT THEM TO GO. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT APPROACH ALSO.
I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU THAT ONE WAY WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN THE OTHER.
OKAY, SO I'M MORE SKEPTICAL OF A STRICT ORDINANCE THAT HAS A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS.
LET ME LET ME ASK JP A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, CHIEF, I DO I DO HAVE A COUPLE FOR YOU, THOUGH.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IN SCOPE? MICROMOBILITY, I TEND TO THINK OF THE MOTOR SCOOTERS, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BICYCLES.
THE SURVEY MENTIONED SKATEBOARDS. WHAT EXACTLY WOULD BE INCLUDED IN A POTENTIAL ORDINANCE? YES. SO I'M GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE DEFINITION ON IT.
FASTER THAN 28MPH. SO THESE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ELECTRIC BICYCLES, BICYCLES, ELECTRIC MOTORIZED SCOOTERS, ELECTRIC SKATEBOARDS, ELECTRIC METAL PEDAL ASSISTED BICYCLES THREE FOUR WHEELS SEGWAYS, HOVERBOARDS, UNICYCLES AND SKATEBOARDS WITH ONE OR MORE WHEELS.
OKAY, SO THAT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SO LET'S TOGGLE BACK TO SLIDE SEVEN.
YEAH. WE ALSO PUT IN THE DEFINITION OF MICROMOBILITY DEVICES, AND I WANT TO MAKE ONE CORRECTION TO, APOLOGIZE. BICYCLES ARE NOT A PART OF THAT, BUT SKATEBOARDS WERE, RAZOR SCOOTER, LIKE A NON-MOTORIZED SCOOTER WOULD BE PART OF THIS DEFINITION.
THAT IS TRUE. SO THAT 54% OF OUR POPULATION DOES NOT WANT US TO BAN SKATEBOARDS FOR SEVEN YEAR OLDS, SO THAT IT JUST I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SURVEY.
YOU SAID IT WASN'T SCIENTIFIC. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY AND WHAT WE DID IN THIS CASE? IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAMPLE SIZE WHERE YOU CAN BASICALLY TO A 98% LEVEL OF YOU CAN VERIFY THAT THIS IS A REALLY GOOD DISTRIBUTION OF, OF, OF YOUR GROUP.
AND SO IS IT. DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RANDOMNESS OF WHO COMPLETES THE SURVEY? BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE WORRIED THAT WITH THE SURVEY BEING ONLINE, THAT SOMEONE COULD TAKE IT TO A FACEBOOK GROUP THAT HAS A LOT OF MOTIVATED PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE MINDED, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE GOT A LARGE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS THAT REALLY ARE OF A LIKE MIND.
WE'RE NOT GETTING A SAMPLE OF VARIOUS RANDOM MEMBERS OF OUR POPULATION, SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS SAYS AT ALL. WELL, IT DOES SAY I MEAN IT LITERALLY WHAT IT SAYS. WELL, NO, IT'S REALLY NOT. YOU CAN'T IMPLY OR INFER THAT IT SAID SKATEBOARD SPECIFICALLY.
IT DID BECAUSE SKATEBOARD SPECIFICALLY IN THE. WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT? IT'S IN THE DEFINITION ON THE SURVEY IN THIS QUESTION? NO, NOT IN THE SURVEY. THERE'S A DISCONNECT SOMETIMES IN A SURVEY, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN VETTED AND SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS, THE QUESTIONS THEMSELVES HAVE TO EVEN BE VETTED BEFORE THE ACTUAL SURVEY IS GIVEN.
SO, I WOULDN'T EXPECT THAT LEVEL OF RIGOR IN A SURVEY LIKE THIS.
RIGHT. BUT WHAT YOU CAN SAY, WELL, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, I APPRECIATE IT, BUT WHAT YOU CAN TRY TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE DEFINITION IS GIVEN IN THE BEGINNING. SO PEOPLE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT WHEN THEY EACH COMPLETE THIS AND THIS WILL BE A DISCONNECT, THEY'RE GOING TO PRIMARILY THINK OF THE THING THAT WORRIES THEM THE MOST.
[00:30:03]
SO, YOU CAN'T REALLY SAY THEY WANT TO BAN SKATEBOARDS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS THEM THE MOST.SO I DON'T THINK THAT THAT CONCLUSION IS ACTUALLY ON POINT IN THIS CASE.
I DO FEEL LIKE I WANT SOME OTHER ELEMENTS OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL COVER THE PRIMARY CONCERNS, BUT I ACTUALLY THINK PARENTS THEMSELVES SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT THEIR SEVEN YEAR OLD OR THEIR SEVEN AND A HALF YEAR OLD TO RIDE A SKATEBOARD OR A SCOOTER.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE PUSHING IT A LITTLE BIT TOO FAR MYSELF.
SO LET ME ALL RIGHT. LET ME CHIEF, LET ME ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SURE. OKAY, SO ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS MAYBE WAS ON SLIDE EIGHT.
HAD PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE WITH HOW MANY? MAYBE ONE MORE.
SLIDE NINE. SO NEAR MISSES. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THEY'VE HAD NEAR MISSES.
ALMOST EVERYBODY. MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO HASN'T SEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS. I CERTAINLY SEE KIDS ON THEIR SCOOTERS, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD REALLY A SAFETY INCIDENT PERSONALLY.
BUT TAKING AWAY JUST ANECDOTAL, WHAT KIND OF NUMBERS OF INCIDENTS ARE WE DEALING WITH AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT MATTER? IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE AVERAGED ONE A YEAR.
SO SOMEONE GETS HURT AND THEY NEED AN AMBULANCE TYPE OF STUFF, THEN WE KNOW ABOUT IT.
NOTHING IN THE MICROMOBILITY ORDINANCE WOULD HAVE HELPED THAT SITUATION.
SO, THAT'S JUST A NORMAL TYPE OF THING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH NO MATTER WHAT.
OKAY. OKAY, GOOD. IT'S GOOD TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
BUT. SO IF KIDS ARE BEING UNSAFE, THEY'RE RIDING OUT IN FRONT OF CARS WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T BE, AND WE TELL THEM, HEY, PUT ON A HELMET AND THEY DON'T DO IT, BECAUSE I KIND OF ASSUME THAT THERE WOULD BE QUITE A BIT OF NONCOMPLIANCE IF WE TELL THEM TO GET OFF THEIR SCOOTER AND WALK IT ACROSS THE STREET, OR WEAR A HELMET OR WHATEVER WE TELL THEM TO DO, WHAT WOULD BE THE ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY? REALLY, WE'RE GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON THE EDUCATION.
IF WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THE WAY WE DON'T WANT TO WRITE A BUNCH OF 12 YEAR OLDS TICKETS RIGHT.
AND THE POLICE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. YOU DON'T WANT ME TO DO THAT? THE PARENTS DON'T WANT ME TO DO THAT. BUT IF WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE AND WE SEE A BUNCH OF KIDS AND WE SAY, HEY, Y'ALL KNOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE YOUR HELMET, WE HAVE A LEGAL REASON TO STOP AND TELL THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN EVEN HOLD THEM UP LEGALLY FOR A SECOND JUST TO TELL THEM.
AND SO WE HAVE A MECHANISM, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO GAIN COMPLIANCE THAT WAY.
OUR NEAREST RELATIVE TOWN AROUND HERE THAT HAS A SIMILAR ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW ON THE BOOKS IS HIGHLAND VILLAGE, AND THEY WRITE ABOUT TWO TICKETS A YEAR. AND WHEN THEY WRITE THE TICKET, IT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A VEHICLE AND IT WAS THE SCOOTER'S FAULT. AND SO IF THEY WEREN'T, IF THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH IS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ORDINANCE, THEN THEY'LL WRITE THEM A TICKET. OTHER THAN THAT, WE JUST CONCENTRATE ON THE EDUCATION.
WE TRY TO GET THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO GIVE US TIME IN THE SCHOOLS TO HAVE OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'LL YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY WILL DO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SEVEN YEAR OLDS AREN'T WEARING SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, AT THE 4TH OF JULY EVENT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A BOOTH, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SCOOTER SAFETY.
WE DID SOME OF THAT. I THINK WE DID SOME OF THAT.
WAS IT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT? YOU KNOW, WHERE WE JUST HAVE A BOOTH AND YOU CAN COME TALK TO US ABOUT SCOOTER SAFETY. SO THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM IS NOT SO MUCH LIKE THIS OVERHANDED POLICE ENFORCEMENT. IT'S JUST THE FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE OFFICER TELLING YOU TO WEAR YOUR HELMET TYPE THING.
SO IF CHILDREN ARE BEING UNSAFE TODAY, ZIG ZAGGING IN FRONT OF CARS, DO WE NEED A NEW ORDINANCE IN ORDER FOR THE POLICE TO GET INVOLVED? NOT EVERYTHING THEY DO CURRENTLY THAT'S DANGEROUS WOULD BE EVEN INCLUDED IN THIS ORDINANCE.
IF YOU'RE ON YOUR MICROMOBILITY DEVICE AND YOU'RE GOING DOWN CROSS TIMBERS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF TRAFFIC, WE'RE GOING TO PULL YOU OFF THE STREET. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE ON THE, ON THE SIDEWALK AND TELL YOU NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN.
AND SO WE STILL HAVE ALL THAT AVAILABLE TO US NOW? IF YOU WANT TO FURTHER LIMIT LIKE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE LIMITING, LIKE WHERE THEY CAN RIDE,
[00:35:05]
LIKE MAYBE YOU CAN'T RIDE ON A STREET THAT THE SPEED LIMIT IS 45 MILES AN HOUR.WE WOULD BE ABLE TO STOP AND SAY, YOU HAVE TO GET OFF THE ROAD NOW.
I'M ORDERING YOU AS A POLICE OFFICER, AND IF YOU DON'T, I CAN.
I MEAN, I COULD PUT YOU IN THE BACK AND TAKE YOU HOME OR WHATEVER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OTHER WAYS TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THEY'RE CAUSING.
SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO POLICE UNSAFE BEHAVIOR WITHOUT NECESSARILY HAVING TO PASS A NEW ORDINANCE.
IT JUST GIVES YOU ONE MORE TOOL. YEAH, ONE MORE TOOL.
AND A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS NOT NECESSARILY WE LIKE THE HELMET.
IF YOU TAKE THE HELMET FOR AN EXAMPLE, WE'RE NOT STOPPING KIDS RIGHT NOW.
TELLING THEM THEY SHOULD WEAR A HELMET. BECAUSE THERE'S NO LAW THAT SAYS THAT HERE THERE'S NOT THERE'S NOT AN OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT. AND WE HAVE OTHER STUFF TO DO.
BUT IF THEY HAD THE HELMET ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD.
SO IF WE DID PASS THE HELMET ORDINANCE DOES THAT WITH THE EDUCATION PIECE.
DOES THAT HELP YOU? WOULD WE ALREADY EDUCATE KIDS TO WEAR HELMETS OR.
WE ALREADY HAVE THE MECHANISMS IN PLACE. WE HAVE THE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF WAITING TO SEE HOW THIS TURNS OUT.
AND I KNOW MAYBE THERE'S, LIKE, 28 MILES AN HOUR IS PRETTY FAST TO BE GOING DOWN THE SIDEWALK, BUT I DON'T THINK I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE FOR A LOT OF THOSE MOTORIZED SCOOTERS THAT AREN'T AS FAST TO BE ON THE SIDEWALK.
IS THERE A CERTAIN SPEED OR SOMETHING WHERE WE SHOULD START TO STEER PEOPLE TO THE STREET VERSUS ON THE SIDEWALK? YOU MEAN A SPEED OF THE. YEAH, LIKE, I MEAN, IT'S I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING.
I WAS THINKING 20 MILES AN HOUR IN MY MIND. SOME OF THE RESPONDENTS IN THE SURVEYS WERE SAYING, WELL, YOU KNOW, SHARING THE SIDEWALK CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
AND SOME PEOPLE, 1 OR 2 OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE IN THE STREET.
WELL, I CAN SAY WHEN I RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK, IT IS ACTUALLY AND, YOU KNOW, I GO VERY FAST, LIKE 30 MILES AN HOUR. NO, I DON'T I DON'T GO THAT FAST.
I LIKE TO THINK I GO THAT FAST. BUT WHEN I'M ON THE SIDEWALK, THERE ARE A LOT OF CREVICES.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNEVEN PANELS ON THE, THE SIDEWALK.
SO, IT IS ACTUALLY MORE DANGEROUS TO BE ON THE SIDEWALK THAN IT IS THE STREET.
AT SOME TIMES, SOMETIMES, AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AS BICYCLISTS ARE THE ROAD RULES.
SO MAYBE IT'S LOOKING AT THESE MICROMOBILITY DEVICES HAVING TO FOLLOW THE ROAD RULES INSTEAD OF WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC OR, YOU KNOW, JUST CUTTING ACROSS THE STREET YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE SAME KIND OF ROAD RULES THAT ANY VEHICLE HAS TO FOLLOW.
I'VE ALSO FALLEN OFF MY BIKE AND SMACKED MY HEAD, BUT I HAD A HELMET ON, SO I WAS SAFE.
SO I DO BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD BE WEARING HELMETS.
DO WE NEED TO MAKE AN ORDINANCE? THAT'S A THAT'S A LOT TO PUT ON THE TOWN TO, TO MAKE PEOPLE WEAR A HELMET. I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE THE ADULTS CARING FOR THESE KIDS.
IF THEY'RE UNDER 18, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S SO KIND OF.
YOU WANT ME TO TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? AND AGAIN, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THE MAYOR JUST SAID. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE TO BE ON THE SIDEWALK. I DON'T THINK I'D EVER RIDE MY BIKE IN THE STREET. A LOT OF BUSY STREET. AND IF A SCOOTER I SEE A KID ON THE SIDEWALK, I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'D WANT THEM. UNLESS THEY'RE ON SOME KIND OF HIGH SPEED.
SO, IF THE CARS CAN GO, I THINK WE PRETTY MUCH LANDED ON 30 MILES AN HOUR BACK IN NOVEMBER.
IF THE CARS CAN GO 30 MILES AN HOUR, YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE SIDEWALK.
IF THEY CAN GO MORE THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR, THAT MEANS ON THE RESIDENTIAL STREETS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THE KIDS. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
YOU PLAY IN THE STREET. I MEAN, RIGHT. BUT THEN ON CROSS TIMBERS AND LONG PRAIRIE, YOU'RE NOT.
AND SO, I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO PASS SOMETHING IN AN ORDINANCE ALONG THOSE LINES,
[00:40:06]
YOU JUST SAY YOU DO THE SPEED LIMIT ONE AND YOU ALLOW THEM TO USE THE ROAD AND SIDEWALK BOTH, AS LONG AS THEY'RE ON ONE OF THOSE KIND OF STREETS.AND THEN THE REGULAR, REALLY HIGH, HIGH SPEED STREETS, JUST TELL THEM SIDEWALKS ONLY.
OKAY, LAST QUESTION. IF A KID, A CHILD UNDER 18 WAS ON A MOPED ON THE STREET LEGALLY, WHAT KIND OF SAFETY REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE IN PLACE IN THAT CASE? THERE'S A WHOLE CHAPTER OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT'S REQUIRED.
TEXAS, YOU KNOW, GOT RID OF THE HELMET LAW FOR MOTORCYCLISTS, MOPEDS, IT'S A LITTLE SEPARATE SECTION, YOU KNOW. SO, THEY'RE REGULATED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
SO IF A CHILD HAD A MOPED OR A SCOOTER THAT WAS FAST ENOUGH TO MAYBE AND DID GET ONTO A 30 MILE AN HOUR STREET, COULD WE JUST APPLY THE MOPED STANDARDS IN THAT? NO. A MOPED IS VERY SPECIFICALLY DEFINED IN TEXAS.
IN THE TRAFFIC CODE. IT'S LIKE A IT TALKS ABOUT THE CC'S OF THE ENGINE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO, IS IT UNDER 21? OKAY. UNDER 21. OKAY. OKAY.
OKAY. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT TOO.
ADAM, YOU HAD ASKED EARLIER ABOUT THE EFFICACY, REALLY OF AN ORDINANCE AND WOULD THAT REALLY CREATE A CHANGE? AND THE CONCLUSION OF THIS TECHNICAL REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS SAID HELMET USE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN 45% AND 84% AFTER INTRODUCTION OF HELMET LAWS OR HELMET LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE ELEMENTS OF WHAT WE MIGHT PROPOSE AS AN ORDINANCE.
BUT FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WOULD BE THE USE OF HELMETS.
YOU KNOW, FURTHER, THEY TALK ABOUT HELMETS, REDUCE THE RISK OF HEAD INJURY BY 85%, BRAIN INJURY BY 88%, AND SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY BY 75%. HELMETED PATIENTS HAD DECREASED ODDS OF SEVERE TBI.
THAT'S TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, FACIAL FRACTURES AND MORTALITY.
SO I MEAN, THE EXPERTS HAVE WEIGHED IN. I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THIS REPORT.
AND TO YOUR POINT, CHIEF, THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH NEEDED TO ADVANCE THE USAGE OF HELMET, AND IT'S A SAFETY THING FOR OUR CHILDREN. I MEAN, WE SIT UP HERE EVERY OTHER WEEK AND WE MAKE ALL KINDS OF DECISIONS FOR THE TOWN THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE'S LIVES. A LOT OF IT IS WITH ZONING AND BUILDING AND LAND USE AND WHATNOT.
BUT THIS PERTAINS TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY MORE PRECIOUS A THING WE HAVE IN OUR TOWN THAN OUR YOUTH AND OUR CHILDREN, WHO CAN'T REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE THE JUDGMENT NECESSARY TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS.
AND I THINK IF WE GIVE A TOOL THAT HELPS PARENTS HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND REINFORCE THE RULES THAT THEY'RE SETTING DOWN FOR THEIR CHILDREN, WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF PREVENTING SOME OF THESE TBIS AND SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.
SO FOR ME, I'M WILLING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT AND NOT MAKE IT OVERLY OBTRUSIVE.
LIKE I PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANT TO SAY SIDEWALK VERSUS ROAD.
I LEAVE THAT UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL USER DISMOUNTING DURING THE CROSSWALK.
I'M OPEN TO THAT. CHILDREN UNDER SEVEN LET THE PARENTS DECIDE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING THAT GIVES STRUCTURE AND THE ABILITY FOR OUR POLICE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, FIRE AND OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN.
SO I PRETTY MUCH AGREE WITH EVERYTHING ANN JUST SAID.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE FREE CHOICE AWAY, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AWAY.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW HELMETS SAVE LIVES.
AND IF I THINK 18 OR UNDER IS GOOD, IF WE WANT TO DO 17 OR 16 OR A DIFFERENT AGE, I'M OPEN TO THAT.
BUT I THINK HAVING A HELMET LAW FOR CHILDREN IS THE RIGHT THING.
IT GIVES YOU THE TOOLS TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A LOT OF OPPOSITION TO A HELMET ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY THAT WE COULD GET YOU, THE POLICE, INTO SCHOOLS TO DO AN EDUCATION. MAYBE GET EMS IN SCHOOLS WITH THEM TO EDUCATE THE KIDS ON USING A HELMET.
BUT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF A HELMET ORDINANCE.
BUT SOME OTHER STUFF OUT OF IT, LIKE ANN SAID, AND LET THE PARENTS DECIDE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN WE START DOING THIS, THEN WE START TALKING ABOUT.
[00:45:03]
I AGREE, YOU KNOW, I LIKE I SAID, I WORK WITH PATIENTS WITH HEAD INJURIES.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO WEAR HELMETS. VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT THEN WHEN DO WHEN DOES IT STOP? DO WE START TELLING PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO WEAR GUARDS LEG GUARDS, KNEE PADS TO PREVENT DEGLOVING IF THEY SLIDE ON THE SIDEWALKS.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO THEN? BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE INJURIES.
I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD WEAR HELMETS. I'M ABSOLUTELY AN ADVOCATE FOR WEARING HELMETS.
WE ARE STOPPING IT WITH VERY SUCCINCT, OBSERVABLE, MEASURABLE ORDINANCE THAT IS VERY DEFINED.
IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE. IS THAT IN AGREEMENT TO WEARING HELMETS OR FOR THE FOR THE TOWN TO ENFORCE THAT? ON SLIDE SIX 84% OF RESPONDENTS SAID YES. TO WEARING HELMETS.
TO WEARING HELMETS FOR CHILDREN. OR IS IT FOR THE TOWN TO ENFORCE WEARING HELMETS? THERE'S A DISCREPANCY BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GOING TO RIDE.
I MEAN, YEAH, NOT NECESSARILY IMPLY IT IS. I MAY JUMP IN BECAUSE I KNOW WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT BETWEEN SCIENTIFIC AND NONSCIENTIFIC, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF THROW A FEW THINGS OUT.
SCIENTIFIC SURVEY FOR US. WE GO THROUGH POLCO, WE DO ONE A YEAR AND WE FLIP FLOP IT BETWEEN A RESIDENT SURVEY AND AN EMPLOYEE SURVEY, AND WE KIND OF PAY FOR THAT. WHY WE CALL IT UNSCIENTIFIC IS BECAUSE THIS IS A SURVEY THAT YOU SEE MOST OF THE TIME, REALLY IS THIS SURVEY AND WE'RE NOT DOING THAT SAMPLE SIZE.
SO I WILL TELL YOU, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE THESE THINGS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT IS 873 PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED.
SO JUST IN THE FUTURE AS WE GO FORWARD, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT WITH THE SCIENTIFIC SURVEY YOU CAN, WITH A 98% CERTAIN LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE, SAY THAT THIS IS A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE ENTIRE TOWN.
WHEN WE DO THESE UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEYS, WE ALL JUST HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE PUTTING THIS SURVEY OUT THERE AND THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S TAKING IT, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE WILL ASK CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR SAMPLE SIZE IS, BUT JUST FOR SURVEYS IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL PROBABLY DO MORE OF THESE.
IT DOES GIVE US GOOD INFORMATION, BUT IT IS NOT EVERYTHING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS ON THAT.
A COMPREHENSIVE HELMET ORDINANCE THAT ISN'T REALLY GOING TO BE ENFORCED IS PROBABLY NOT.
IT'S NOT, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HAVE WORDS ON PAPER UNLESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO DO. SO I THINK HAVING HELMETS FOR STREETS NON-RESIDENT NON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND I AGREE I THINK 100% OF PEOPLE THINK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD WEAR HELMETS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY 100% OF THE PEOPLE THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE A ORDINANCE REQUIRING THAT WITH THE POLICE COMING AROUND AND ENFORCING IT.
SO, I THINK THE MAYOR HAS KIND OF HIT THE SWEET SPOT THERE.
AND I AGREE WITH HER. SO I HAVE SOME DATA ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TRAINING ONLY PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS AGAIN FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS.
AND THEN I'LL MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY AFTER THAT.
BUT OVERALL, THE STUDY SAYS THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT IN KNOWLEDGE REGARDING SAFETY.
HOWEVER, NEARLY 45% OF CHILDREN HAD NO IMPROVEMENT OR DECREASED SCORES AFTER THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. SO, AS WE KNOW FROM BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY, IF THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES, THE BEHAVIORS WILL NOT BE SIGNIFICANTLY MOVED.
SO THERE IS AN ANTECEDENT IN BEHAVIOR THAT'S THE CLUE OR THE CUE TO BEHAVE A CERTAIN WAY.
SOMETIMES THE CONSEQUENCES ARE GOOD, SOMETIMES THEY'RE BAD.
BUT AS FAR AS MEASURABLE OUTCOMES, IT WILL NOT MOVE THE BAR.
IT WILL NOT PREVENT SIGNIFICANT INJURIES AND HEAD INJURIES TO CHILDREN FROM NOT WEARING HELMETS.
IT JUST WON'T. BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HELMETS WHEN THEY'RE IN THE STREET, RIGHT? I THINK HELMETS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALK, THEY JUST AS EASILY COULD GO OVER TO MAYOR'S POINT,
[00:50:02]
A BUMP IN THE SIDEWALK FALL AND HIT THEIR HEAD.IF THEY ARE GOING FAST ENOUGH, IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THEY WOULD SUSTAIN A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO PREVENT HERE, AND I'M TRYING TO DO IT ON THE PREVENTION SIDE BEFORE A VERY SERIOUS, TERRIBLE TRAGEDY HAPPENS. SO THEN WE SHOULD HAVE THEM WEAR HELMETS WHEN THEY'RE CROSSING THE STREET ANYTIME THEY'RE RUNNING TOO, BECAUSE. THAT'S SLIPPERY SLOPE LOGIC. NO, NOT ANY TIME.
IT IS WHEN THEY'RE RUNNING. NO, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RUNNING.
CAN YOU RUN AT 30 MILES AN HOUR OR 20 MILES AN HOUR OR 18 MILES AN HOUR? NO, BUT I'VE SEEN A CHILD RUN ACROSS THE STREET AND GET HIT BY A CAR WITHOUT A HELMET ON.
I THINK THAT IS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF OUR CONVERSATION, JUST FOR COMPARISON OF EXTREMES.
ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A KID WEAR? NO. AT ALL TIMES? CLEARLY NOT. NO, NO. SO I MEAN, EVEN IF YOU DO THIS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY WEAR A HELMET.
I THINK THAT HAS TO BE ENFORCED BY THE PARENTS.
I AGREE IT SHOULD BE ENFORCED BY THE PARENTS.
BUT I THINK IF WE DID A HELMET LAW AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS IN THIS SUPPORT SOME SORT OF HELMET ENFORCEMENT, WHICH GIVES THE POLICE A TOOL AND HELPS THE PARENTS HELP THEIR KID OR HELP THEIR KIDS WEAR HELMETS.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS WANT THAT.
SO LAST TIME I WAS A LITTLE BIT ON THE BORDER I'M LEANING TOWARDS WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING.
FOR KIDS. FOR KIDS ON THE STREETS? YEAH, ON THE STREET.
WELL, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SPECIFY ON THE STREET OR ON THE SIDEWALKS.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ON BOTH IF THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALK.
I MEAN, THE KIDS ON MY STREET ARE ON THE SIDEWALK, ON THE STREETS.
THEY'RE GOING OFF AND ON. I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO COMPLICATE THE LOCATION.
WE COULD MAYBE ADD SOMETHING ABOUT PARKING LOTS I DON'T HAVE FOR THE CROSSWALKS.
I WOULD LEAVE THAT OUT. I THINK THAT THAT ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF COMPLEXITY.
AND I KIND OF LEAN TOWARDS THAT. THEY SHOULD RIDE ACROSS THE CROSSWALK INSTEAD OF WALKING.
YEAH. WELL, THE POINT OF THAT IS THAT IF YOU PUT TOO MANY RULES IN PLACE, THEY'LL JUST NOT DO IT. THEY WON'T RIDE. THEY'LL JUST STAY HOME, SIT ON THEIR COMPUTER.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET KIDS OFF SCREENS. I AGREE.
GET OUTSIDE. GO PLAY. BUT, HEY, DON'T GO PLAY UNLESS YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS SAFETY PROGRAM.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS SAFETY PROGRAM, THEN THEY WON'T FOLLOW THAT UNLESS WE ENFORCE IT.
BECAUSE THE DATA SAYS THAT IF YOU DON'T ENFORCE IT WITH PENALTIES, THEN THEY WON'T DO IT.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY JUST, I'M JUST GOING TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES.
SO THAT'S THE INCENTIVE THAT I WOULD WANT TO DISCOURAGE.
I WANT KIDS OUTSIDE. WELL, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE SHOULD WEAR A HELMET, BUT IS IT OUR JOB TO PUT A PROGRAM IN PLACE TO DO THE JOB OF THE PARENT? MAYBE IF THEY'RE ON THE STREET, THAT'S OUR PROPERTY.
MAYBE IF WE HAVE A SKATE PARK SOMEDAY OR A PUMP TRACK.
YES, ABSOLUTELY. BUT IF THEY'RE IN THE CUL DE SAC IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF UP TO THE PARENTS AND THE KID TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT LEVEL OF SAFETY IS THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH. IT'S NOT UP TO OUR POLICE TO GO AROUND AND ENFORCE THAT.
AND IF WE'RE NOT ENFORCING IT, THEN WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE IT? WELL, AS FAR AS IT BEING A DETERRENT TO PUT YOUR SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON, IF THAT WAS GOING TO BE A DETERRENT FOR THE KIDS AND WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE KIDS PLAYING RUGBY INSTEAD OF FOOTBALL.
WELL, THERE'S NO RUGBY LEAGUE THAT I KNOW OF.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S TOO MANY ROADBLOCKS IN PLACE, IT'S A, IT'S STATISTICALLY PROVEN THAT IN CITIES, NOT TOWNS, BUT CITIES WHERE THEY HAVE HELMET ENFORCE HELMET LAWS THAT FEWER PEOPLE RIDE THOSE BIKES.
RENTAL BIKES USE THEIR OWN BIKES, AND WHEN THEY TAKE THOSE RULES AWAY, MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE.
BECAUSE OF EXACTLY WHAT CHRIS JUST SAID. IT SEEMS SILLY, BUT IT'S TRUE.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN COMPARE THOSE BECAUSE THE RENTAL BIKES ARE FOR ANYONE ON THE STREET, AND IF YOU'RE JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH, I WANT TO RIDE THIS. OH, BUT I DIDN'T BRING A HELMET. THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN HAVING A CHILD WITH A SCOOTER OR A BICYCLE THAT TAKES IT TO AND FROM THEIR HOME, WHERE THEY EASILY CAN HAVE THEIR OWN HELMET. WELL, THOSE ARE APPLES AND ORANGES.
IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT IF YOU. WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
NO ONE THEY CAN RIDE WITHOUT A HELMET. THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL JUST NOT DO IT. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEHAVIOR THAT I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT IS WITH TOO STRICT OF A SAFETY PROGRAM,
[00:55:02]
WE'RE JUST DISCOURAGING. WE'RE ENCOURAGING KIDS TO JUST STAY HOME AND BE ON THEIR SCREENS.AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I AGREE WITH THAT CONCLUSION COMPLETELY.
THAT IS LIKE A HUGE WEIGHT JUMP. I DON'T THINK SO.
I HAD REALLY THOUGHT THAT WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WAS ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET OUT OF THE STREET AND, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO WEAR A HELMET WHEN THEY'RE RIDING THE SIDEWALK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING THEM OUT OF THE STREET. BUT WE REQUIRE THEM TO WEAR A HELMET IN THE STREET.
14, 14 AND UNDER. I DEFINITELY GET ON BOARD WITH THAT.
OH, THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALK, AND THEY CROSS THE STREET TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE.
DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THEY ARE. I THINK THAT IS ALSO OVERCOMPLICATING IT.
IF POLICE SHOULD BE IN A POSITION WHERE THEY MAKE AN OBSERVATION, I'M CERTAINLY NOT SUGGESTING WE SEND THEM OUT ON A MISSION TO CATCH EVERY KID WITHOUT A HELMET THAT IS NOT THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTION, BUT IF THEY'RE IN A POSITION TO MAKE THAT OBSERVATION AND THEY SEE UNSAFE BEHAVIOR, THEN IT IS WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW LEGALLY TO SAY SOMETHING.
SO, I THINK IF WE CONSTRUCTED AN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWED THE POLICE TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY IN OFFERING A WARNING, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY OBSERVE, THAT WOULD BE ALSO APPROPRIATE.
BUT I REALLY FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT HELMET USE, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN.
AND ALSO, I THINK TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, IF YOU ARE ON YOUR BIKE RIDING, IF YOU ARE ON YOUR SCOOTER OR YOUR MICROMOBILITY DEVICE, YOU'RE ON THE DEVICE, THE HELMET IS ON YOUR HEAD THAT YOU CANNOT GET ANY MORE SIMPLE THAN THAT.
AND I WOULD EVEN BE WILLING TO COMPROMISE THAT THERE'S A DISMOUNT AT CROSSWALKS.
SO, ONE AREA THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT WAS PARKING LOTS.
IF WE WERE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT PARKING, BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF THE INCIDENTS HAPPEN, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'VE READ, IS IN PARKING LOTS, RIGHT? KIDS GO IN BETWEEN SPACES NOT FOLLOWING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, NOT THE BIG ACCIDENTS WE WORK.
AND SO WE DID HAVE TO CHECK WITH LEGAL. AND YOU HAVE THE RESPONSE? YES. THAT IS SOMETHING WE ASKED OF LEGAL BEFORE WE PUT THE SURVEY OUT.
SO, IF YOU'RE ON YOUR DEVICE, THE HELMETS ON YOUR HEAD, IT'S CLEAR CUT.
NO MISTAKING IT. EASY AND EFFECTIVE. YEAH. SO IF KIND OF TRYING TO SUMMARIZE A LOT OF THIS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WE'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THAT WE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THIS, WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE COMING BACK. WE'VE ALSO HEARD SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID THEY MAY NOT BE INTERESTED IN THIS.
BUT I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE SOME CONSENSUS TO HEAR THIS AGAIN, IF THAT'S CORRECT.
WHAT I'LL DO IS WE'LL OBVIOUSLY GO BACK AND RELISTEN TO A LOT OF YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT, BUT THE WAY WE'LL BRING IT BACK ON AGE. WE CAN WRITE IT A CERTAIN WAY AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE CAN DISCUSS ALL THESE DIFFERENT POINTS AGAIN THAT NIGHT.
SO, IF YOU'D LIKE, THOUGH, WE COULD WRITE AGE SIMILAR TO WHAT THE SURVEY RESPONSE AND WHAT THE HIGHLAND VILLAGE OUR EXAMPLE KIND OF SURVEY HAS AND THEY SAID 18 WE CAN DO WE CAN JUST WRITE IT THAT WAY, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT THAT NIGHT.
OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK TONIGHT.
AND THE ONE THING I'LL ADD IS THAT JUST GIVEN THE CONVERSATION, I THINK IT'S BEST THAT IF WE DO BRING THAT BACK AND START LOOKING AT OUR ORDINANCE, IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE AT A WORK SESSION, NOT NECESSARILY QUITE READY TO TAKE ACTION BECAUSE THERE'S STILL SOME COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLIDIFY.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY OUR PREFERENCES FOR AGE RIGHT NOW? AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE DIRECTION FROM THAT IN CREATING AN ORDINANCE? IF YOU WANT ME TO USE MY NONEXISTENT LAW DEGREE, I CAN OPINE.
WELL, WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT MAKING. WELL, NO, I THINK I WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT YOU IN THAT POSITION,
[01:00:03]
JAMES, BUT WE'RE NOT MAKING WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION.BUT WE ARE EACH EXPRESSING OPINIONS ON WHERE WE THINK IT COULD GO.
I WAS BEING FACETIOUS, BUT I MEAN, YOU GUYS DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR CONVERSATION, I MEAN, THAT'S DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE GIVING US AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE DOWN. SO I DON'T I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH IT.
YEAH. ON SLIDE SIX HAD THE AGES ON THERE AND THE SURVEY RESULTS.
SO, IT'S WE'RE JUST DISCUSSING WHAT PART OF THE AGENDA.
SO, I'D PREFER 18 BUT I COULD GET ON BOARD WITH 14 OR 16.
EITHER ONE. ANYBODY ELSE? I AGREE I KIND OF PREFER 16.
BUT IF IT MEANS IT COMING TO FRUITION OR VERSUS NOT AT ALL, THEN I'M OPEN TO 14, BUT I PREFER 16.
16 WORKS. I KIND OF PREFER 14. I MEAN, HIGH SCHOOL AGE, I FEEL LIKE THE KIDS.
I MEAN, 14 IS HIGH SCHOOL, NINTH GRADE, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S NINTH GRADE. RIGHT. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE ANY PREFERENCE, ADAM? NO.
ALL RIGHT, BRING IT. WE WILL BRING IT FORWARD.
14 AND WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, TOO, AS WELL, IS WHEN WE BRING THIS FORWARD FOR DISCUSSION HELMETS AND THEN HEADPHONES AND CELL PHONES, ALL OF THOSE TO BE PROHIBITED. PARKING LOTS, I THINK I HEARD SOME CONSENSUS ON INCLUDING THESE REGULATIONS IN.
SO, I THINK IF WE DID SOMETHING WITH HELMETS, IT KIND OF.
LEAVE OUT PARKING LOTS. YEAH. ADDS THAT SAFETY.
SO, IT'S IMPLIED THAT YOU HAVE A HELMET ON YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU'RE RIDING YOUR DEVICE ANYWHERE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? YEAH, I THINK THE I HAVEN'T DECIDED ON HELMETS OR NON HELMETS.
WE'RE NOT. YEAH. SO CHRIS, ARE YOU SAYING SIDEWALK OR PARKING LOTS SHOULD BE IN SCOPE FOR THE ORDINANCE OR NOT IN SCOPE? I'M KIND OF THINKING IT LEADS MORE TO COMPLEXITY.
I MEAN, LET'S MAKE IT SIMPLE. BUT WHAT'S SIMPLER TO SAY, WHAT ANN'S SAYING OR TO SAY STREETS AND SIDEWALKS? STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, OR JUST IN GENERAL REQUIRE HELMETS.
LEAVE OUT PARKING LOTS. YEAH, LEAVE OUT PARKING? DISAGREE VEHEMENTLY.
THAT IS WHERE WE JUST HEARD THAT MOST OF THE INCIDENTS ARE TAKING PLACE IN PARKING LOTS.
YEAH. YEAH. WELL, BUT WE'RE NOT SPECIFYING IF IT'S A PARKING LOT OR A STREET OR A SIDEWALK.
SO, TO NOT MENTION IT AT ALL MEANS IT APPLIES ALL THE TIME.
WHEN YOU'RE RIDING YOUR DEVICE, YOU HAVE YOUR HELMET ON.
THAT'S NOT WHAT ADAM SAID TO YOU. THAT'S THE CLARIFICATION. YEAH. NO, YOU GOT TO TAKE IT.
YOU DON'T SAY WHERE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE ON THE STREET, THE SIDEWALK, ANYWHERE, PARKING LOT.
AND SO, YOU DON'T MENTION IT SO THAT IT'S ALL INCLUDED.
YEAH. OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU MEANT.
I THINK THE REAL QUESTION FOR YOU ALL IS, WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO COME BACK IN, PERHAPS A WORK SESSION IN THE FUTURE SO WE CAN DISCUSS SOME MORE OF THESE ITEMS? OR DO YOU WANT IT TO COME BACK IN THE FORM OF AN ORDINANCE TO BE DISCUSSED AND CONSIDERED AT A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING? I'D LIKE IT TO COME FORWARD WHERE WE CAN MAKE A DECISION, BECAUSE WE HAVE DANCED AROUND THIS AND DELAYED SINCE AUGUST.
THAT'S A VERY LONG TIME AND WE'RE COMING RIGHT AROUND.
IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SPRING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE SPRING REALLY SOON, AND MORE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED TO GET OUT THERE AND AWAY FROM THEIR SCREENS AND ON THEIR SCOOTERS AND ON THEIR BIKES. WE CAN'T WAIT.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? YEAH, I. THE SURVEY IS COMPELLING, I AGREE.
YEAH. I YOU KNOW, I WAS. BUT DO YOU WANT TO DO IT IN A WORK SESSION OR JUST A REGULAR SESSION? I THINK A REGULAR SESSION. I CAN'T IMAGINE SPENDING ANOTHER WORK SESSION ON IT.
NO, I THINK WE CAN. WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER WORK SESSION.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I DO THINK I HAVE A FORM OF WHAT? WHAT WE NEED. WE WILL GET TOGETHER. I DON'T WANT TO COMMIT TO A TIMING ON IT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET WITH TOAST.
SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JP.
THANK YOU, CHIEF COULON. THANK YOU, BLAKE, AS WELL.
OKAY. THE TIME IS NOW 7:05, AND THIS WORK SESSION IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU, FLOWER MOUND.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.