[A. CALL TO ORDER ] [00:00:05] GOOD EVENING, FLOWER MOUND. THE TIME IS NOW 6 P.M. AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER. TONIGHT IS A WORK SESSION NIGHT, SO WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. [B. PUBLIC COMMENT ] AND WE'RE GOING TO START FIRST WITH PUBLIC COMMENT. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS TONIGHT? OKAY. DOES ANYBODY WISH TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE START? YEAH, COME FORWARD AND YOU HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. THE TIMER WILL SOUND AT 30 SECONDS LEFT. MARILYN LAWSON, 4808 SCHOONER COURT. IT'S MEMORIAL DAY ON MONDAY. SO THE MOUND FOUNDATION EVERY YEAR PUTS UP FLAGS ON FRIDAY, AND THEN ON MONDAY TAKE THEM DOWN AT SUNSET WITH STUDENTS THAT WILL BE PLAYING THE TRUMPETS. SO I JUST WANTED EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THAT'S IT. ON THE MOUND. OH, COME TO THAT, YEAH. NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU. AND IF YOU GO PAST, IF YOU DRIVE BY OR ANYTHING, THERE WILL BE AT EVERY POST THERE'S A FLAG, AND THERE'S A SHEET OF PAPER. AND IT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT VETERANS FOR MEMORIAL DAY. THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND [C. WORK SESSION ITEM(S) ] MOVE ON TO OUR WORK SESSION ITEMS. THANK YOU FOR OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WHO ARE WITH US THIS EVENING TO PRESENT ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE 14 BOARDS WITH JUST OVER 100 MEMBERS. HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS. WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO APPLY TO THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE CAN'T PLACE EVERYONE ON A BOARD AND COMMISSION. BUT YOU GIVE YOUR TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. YOU DON'T GET PAID TO DO THIS. YOU ARE JUST SERVANT LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING OUR TOWN A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. SO TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION FOR THE COUNCIL IS TO HEAR FROM ALL OF OUR SOME OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND SEE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS PAST YEAR AND UPDATE US BECAUSE WE CAN'T ALWAYS WATCH EVERY SINGLE MEETING FOR EVERY BOARD AND COMMISSION. WE TRY TO AND THIS IS YOUR TIME TO KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE AND WE CAN GIVE SOME FEEDBACK AS WELL. SO TONIGHT WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION. LIZ BRANNON IS GOING TO PRESENT. GOOD EVENING, AND LET ME SEE, OKAY, END OF SLIDESHOW. OKAY, I NEED SOMEONE TO GET US GOING. THANKS. MAYOR, TOWN COUNCIL, EMPLOYEES. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS TODAY, I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO... SPEAK TO THE MAYOR FIRST. I WAS THINKING THIS IS LIKE THE OLD DAYS OF FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN, RIGHT? THIS IS A MODERN VERSION. SO YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU'RE FRIENDS, ROMANS, OR COUNTRYMEN. ANYHOW, I'M LIZ BRANNON. I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW WHO I AM. I CURRENTLY AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION AND FIND IT AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF THAT AND TO BE SERVING THE TOWN IN THIS CAPACITY. SO I WANT TO THANK TRAVIS, WHO ACTUALLY PUT THE SLIDE DECK TOGETHER FOR US. HE HAS ACCESS TO SOME GREAT PHOTOS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS. SO IN TERMS OF THE ARTS COMMISSION, WE SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY TO YOU AS THE TOWN, AND WE TALK ABOUT POLICIES, SERVICES, AND PROGRAMS, AND THOSE INCLUDE CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAMS. ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, WHICH WE ARE GETTING MORE OF. LIBRARY PROGRAMS THAT ARE PRETTY ROBUST AT THIS POINT, AND THAT'S VERY EXCITING. PROVIDING PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND PROMOTING LOCAL ARTS AND CULTURAL EVENTS. AND FROM THE TIME I FIRST STARTED DOING THIS, WE HAVE SO [00:05:02] MANY MORE THINGS THAT WE'RE PROMOTING. AND IT'S... PRETTY WONDERFUL. SO THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS SIX REGULAR MEMBERS. WE HAVE TWO ALTERNATES. WE MEET THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF JANUARY, MARCH, MAY, JULY, SEPTEMBER, AND OCTOBER BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS IN NOVEMBER. ALL THE MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE A REAL INTEREST IN LIBRARY SERVICES BECAUSE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THINGS RELATED TO THE LIBRARY AS WELL AS TO THE ARTS. AND THE PROGRAMS CULTURAL ARTS, THE COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY ON OUR COMMISSION SHOULD REALLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THESE. THE WILLINGNESS AND THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE TIME TO DEVOTE TO THIS SERVICE. AND I HAVE TO SAY, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR A LONG TIME, AND I THINK THE COMMISSION THAT IS IN PLACE NOW IS THE BEST. WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION, AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY DEDICATED TO THE ARTS. THEY HAVE A COMMITMENT THAT THEY HAVE MADE TO THE COMMISSION. THEY SHOW UP FOR EVENTS. THEY VOLUNTEER. IT'S REALLY BEEN A PLEASURE TO BE WORKING WITH THEM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE AS WE GO THROUGH THE YEAR. ANNUALLY WORK WITH STAFF TO ADVISE ON THE SELECTION OF ARTISTS FOR ONGOING PROJECTS, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED AND BEFORE THEY BUILT THIS BUILDING, WE WERE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING AN ART WALL IN TOWN HALL, AND IT WAS SUCH AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND NOW YOU IT'S THE PREMIER ART WORLD, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY ONE. SO WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER THAT HOSTS A LOT OF ART. WE HAVE THE SENIOR CENTER, AND WE HAVE THE LIBRARY. AND WE DO HAVE THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOX ART THAT GOES UP. WE HAVE THREE BOXES THAT WE EITHER CHANGE OR ADD TO EVERY YEAR. AND WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE ANNUAL PROCLAMATION OF NOVEMBER IS ARTS MONTH, WHICH YOU GUYS DO. BUT THAT'S PART OF WHEN WE GET TO WORKING AT ART PARTY AT THE LIBRARY, WHICH IS ALWAYS PART OF THAT WHOLE ARTS EVENT. WE VOLUNTEER TO WORK AT SPECIAL EVENTS. WE JUST FINISHED WITH A SUCCESSFUL ARTS FESTIVAL AT HERITAGE PARK, AND THE WEATHER WAS EVEN REALLY NICE. WE HAVE THE ART PARTY AT THE LIBRARY IN THE FALL, AND WE HAVE THE CHALK THE WALK WHERE WE SERVE AS JUDGES. THE ART FESTIVAL THAT JUST HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO HAD, ACCORDING TO THE STATISTICS, THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 2,000 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED. SO PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN THE ARTS. WE SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE THE CULTURAL ARTS IN FLOWER MOUND, AND WE HAVE ARTISTS MEET AND GREETS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT TISH PUTS TOGETHER. EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH A NEW ARTIST, SHE HOLDS A MEET AND GREET SESSION. WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY MEET THE ARTIST, HEAR FROM HIM OR HER, LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR ART, AND MEET WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ART-MINDED IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THE KEY INITIATIVES FOR OUR AREA OF FOCUS FOR NEXT YEAR, WE CLEARLY WANT TO SUPPORT THE DESIGN PHASE FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MOST OF YOU KNOW WE'VE BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT FOR SO LONG, AND BECAUSE OF THIS COUNCIL, IT'S GOING TO BE REAL. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BELIEVE IN THE TOOTH FAIRY AND EASTER BUNNY. THE FACT THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS IS JUST VERY EXCITING. WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC ART PROGRAM THAT'S PERMANENT, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD DO IS HELP IDENTIFY PLACES THAT WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR PUBLIC ART, AND ART THAT WE FEEL IS GOING TO REALLY ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY. AND WE REVIEW AND WE RECOMMEND APPLICANTS. FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL. SO SOME OF THE KEY INITIATIVES OF FOCUS FOR NEXT YEAR. THE ART SELECTION SUBCOMMITTEES, THAT WOULD BE THE ART WALL DISPLAYS, WHICH I JUST TALKED ABOUT. THE SIGNAL BOX ART PROJECT, WHICH IS GETTING READY TO KICK OFF FOR THIS YEAR. THE APPLICATIONS AND ARTWORK WERE DUE AT THE END OF MARCH, AND NOW IS THE TIME TO REVIEW AND MAKE SELECTIONS. ENHANCED SUPPORT FOR CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAMMING, BECAUSE THERE IS MORE AND MORE OF IT. AND AGAIN, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF IT AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME INPUT. WE ALSO WANT TO HAVE INCREASED PRESENCE AND VOLUNTEERISM WITH THE LIBRARY AND THE COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY GREAT, THE LIBRARY HAS MOVED INTO A GREAT PLACE TO DISPLAY ART. AND WHAT RACHEL DID WITH GETTING THOSE HIGH SCHOOL. PEOPLE TO DO THOSE MURALS, IT'S [00:10:01] FABULOUS AND CHANGES THE WHOLE TONE OF THE LIBRARY AND IT BRINGS THE ART, I MEAN YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE MURALS THERE FROM ONE OF THE KIDS, IT JUST BRINGS ART INTO A PLACE OF REAL. AND IMPORTANT FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE. AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE DEDICATED TO ART THE WAY WE OLD-TIMERS ARE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DIDN'T MENTION HERE AND SHOULD HAVE IS WE HAVE ALSO SUPPORTED THE INDIAN FESTIVALS THAT GO ON IN THE TOWN. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE SLIDE DECK, BUT THE FACT THAT WE LEFT IT OUT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT HAPPENING, THEY'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING THEM. SO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE? WELL, I THINK THE PICTURE THAT YOU HAD OF THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOX IS ACTUALLY OVER BY MY HOUSE, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. OH, YEAH. I LOVE IT. IT JUST LOOKS REALLY NICE, AND I THINK THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, I'VE COME TO SOME OF THE ARTWALL EVENTS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU FEEL WOULD HELP TO GET MORE ENGAGEMENT? YOU MEAN IN TERMS OF DRIVING ATTENDANCE? YEAH. AT THESE? NO, BUT WE HAVE AN AGENDA COMING UP FOR OUR MEETING NEXT WEEK, AND THIS CERTAINLY COULD AND SHOULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ADDRESS. YEAH. IS GETTING, AND NOW THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THE BUILDING OF AN ART CENTER, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE IMPORTANT AND NEED TO BE A PART OF ALL THIS. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THAT, WHERE WE CAN DRIVE MORE ATTENDANCE? IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE CAN KIND OF PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND THINK ABOUT. OKAY. WE CAN TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENDANCE FROM OUR COMMUNITY ON THAT. AND THEN IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU ALL? YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IT. YOU'RE PROMOTING THE ARTS CENTER. I'M USED TO SEEING A LOT OF YOU AT THE ART EVENTS. AND THAT'S TERRIFIC. FUNDING. FUNDING THESE ART PROJECTS. THAT'S CRITICAL. BUT IF I THINK OF SOMETHING, I'LL SEND YOU ALL AN EMAIL. VERY GOOD. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AT THE LIBRARY AND GETTING ALL THE ART EXHIBITS THERE REALLY ADDS TO THE LIBRARY. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A VERY WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. YES, IT'S WONDERFUL. I AGREE. AND THAT WAS RACHEL'S BRAINCHILD. YEAH. SO I'M IN OUR FLOWER MOUND ROTARY AND THERE WERE A COUPLE MEN FROM OUR ROTARY FROM THE ROTARY THAT SAID HOW OUT THAT THEY HADN'T BEEN TO THE LIBRARY IN YEARS AND THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO DO A SHOUT OUT ON THAT LIBRARY BECAUSE IT THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW INCREDIBLE WHAT THE SERVICES HOW IT THE AESTHETICS OF IT EVERYTHING THEY JUST ABSOLUTELY ADORED THE LIBRARY. AND IF YOU HAVE WALKED AROUND AND LOOKED AT THOSE MURALS, IT KIND OF BLOWS YOUR MIND TO THINK THESE ARE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS. THESE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS, JUST TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL KIDS. IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO ENGAGE WITH THEM. THERE IS A PLAN TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE MARCUS KIDS IN THIS COMING YEAR, OR AT LEAST THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. AND IF THEY DON'T RESPOND, WE'LL GO BACK TO FLOWER MOUND HIGH SCHOOL AND FIND MORE ARTISTS. THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE. I THINK THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY CREATIVE IN BRINGING ART TO LIFE AND ALSO HELPING US CELEBRATE THE ARTISTS AND SHOWING OFF THEIR WORK. I'M JUST REALLY BLOWN AWAY BY ALL THE CREATIVE IDEAS. YEAH, IT'S GREAT. AND I ALSO HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TISH, WHO HAS PUT AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF WORK INTO GETTING TO KNOW ARTISTS AND BEING ABLE TO GET THEM TO DISPLAY. THEIR WORK I MEAN JUST LOTS OF GREAT DOORS THAT HAVE OPENED RECENTLY SO THANK YOU TISH OKAY JUST UH ONE OTHER THING ARGYLE HIGH SCHOOL IS ALSO IN FLOUR MOUNTAIN SO ANOTHER ONE TO REACH OUT TO GOT IT I DO KNOW THAT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL IS A PART OF FLOWER MAN THANK YOU I WILL TAKE THAT BACK OKAY ANYTHING ELSE YEAH WELL THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING A SUPPORTIVE COUNCIL THANK YOU, LIZ. SO WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMISSION NEXT AND PRESENTING ON THIS IS MARILYN LAWSON AND ALTON BOWMAN. ALTON, YOU'RE NOT PRESENTING. [00:15:01] WHAT? IT'S MARILYN COME ON I'M NOT HELPING Y'ALL I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS OH IT WAS DOWN THERE TOO, BUT YEAH. HI, I'M BACK UP. SO I'VE BEEN CHAIR FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMISSION FOR A WHILE AND HAVE SERVED ON IT FOR LONGER, AND I THINK THAT WE DO GREAT THINGS. SO LET ME GET THIS STARTED. SO OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS RECENTLY HAVE BEEN TO THE INITIATIVE, INITIATED A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE TREE ORDINANCE FOCUSED ON SPECIMEN TREES, TREE SIZES, MITIGATION, AND INCENTIVES. WE'VE REVIEWED OPTIONS AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK FOR GREEN WASTE DIVERSION. ECC HAS REVIEWED EIGHT DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION PROJECTS FOR TRPS AND OPEN SPACE MANAGEMENT PLANS, PROVIDED FEEDBACK ON THE TOWN'S PUBLIC TREE PLANTING OPTIONS, WILDFLOWER PLANTING INITIATIVES, AND TREE REBATE PROGRAM. WE'VE COMPLETED THE ANNUAL TREE RECOGNITION PROGRAM, AND WE STILL HAVE AND WORKING ON THE ACORNS TO POST OAKS. PROGRAM PROMOTION OOPS WRONG WAY SO OUR 2026 2027 ECC INITIATIVES ARE BIRD CITY CERTIFICATION CERTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT PROGRAM WILDFLOWER PLANTING CONTINUED RECYCLING INITIATIVES AND TREE PRESERVATION AND PLANTING. HOLD ON, I'M GOING TO INTERRUPT YOU A MINUTE. WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO GETTING THAT CERTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT PROGRAM, AREN'T WE? WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT. BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE, OKAY. WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO. OKAY, I THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING. SO FOR BIRD CITY, BIRD CITY IS GOING TO TAKE US A WHILE. IT'S NOT. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE HABITAT ONE. I HAVE A THING HERE. OH, NO, I DON'T. OKAY, SO WE EVALUATE THE BIRD CITY APPLICATION WE HAVE IN THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS. THE 2026-2027 WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ECC TO FORM A TEAM TO WORK WITH TOWN STAFF AND OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS TO BEGIN THE APPLICATION PROCESS. ACC ESTABLISHED AN AUDUBON SUBCOMMAND, I CAN'T EVEN TALK TONIGHT, SUBCOMMITTEE AND CONTACT HAS BEEN MADE WITH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE REPRESENTATIVE AND CITY OF DENTON STAFF. DENTON APPLIED FOR THIS AND GOT IT AFTER THREE TIMES, SO IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS. THE HABITAT PROGRAM CERTIFIED. SO WE WORK WITH STAFF TO CERTIFY ADDITIONAL HABITATS THROUGH PROMOTION OF THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION CERTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT PROGRAM. SO AS YOU SEE, WE'VE FILLED A NUMBER OF THEM, BUT WE STILL HAVE NEED OF MORE POINTS FOR THE CERTIFICATION, AND THAT WOULD HELP WITH MORE HABITATS BEING RECOGNIZED. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR BACKYARD CERTIFIED, YOU CAN DO THAT. IS THAT APPLICATION ONLINE? DO WE HAVE A LINK ON OUR TOWN WEBPAGE? YES. OKAY, I'LL LOOK FOR IT. THANK YOU. SO THE NUMBER OF HABITATS CERTIFIED IN FLOWER MOUND HAS INCREASED 40% OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE TOWN CONTINUES TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM AND SEEK ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS. THE CERTIFICATION LEVELS ARE HOMETOWN, HOME, APARTMENT IS EQUAL TO ONE POINT, PARK, HOA, CHURCHES, BUSINESS, TOWN BUILDINGS ARE THREE POINTS, AND SCHOOLS, [00:20:04] SCHOOLYARD HABITAT PRE-K TO 12 OR NATURE CENTER ARE FIVE POINTS. SO IF WE COULD GET MORE SCHOOLS IN THAT. AND WE HAVE A DEDICATED WEBSITE PAGE WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WEBSITE. THAT'S MY CHEAT NOTES. SO BASED ON THIS, WE'VE GOT 133 HABITATS. SO WE'RE GETTING MORE THAN ONE POINT ON AT LEAST LIKE 30 OF THEM OR SO. DO YOU KNOW IF THE TOWN IS DOING ITS PART WITH OUR OWN PROPERTIES? I DO NOT KNOW THAT ANSWER. WE HAD A GIRL SCOUT IN HERE JUST AT OUR LAST MEETING, AND SHE WANTED TO DO A PROJECT FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLIES. AND, I MEAN, THIS WOULD BE A SHE COULD EARN US A LOT OF POINTS IF SHE CAN GET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO COOPERATE. SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT PROJECT FOR HER, FOR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WANTED TO GET ONE OF THOSE BADGES. I'D LIKE TO SEE US GET THIS, MARILYN. I REALLY WOULD. I GOT MY OWN HOUSE DONE, SO I'M ON BOARD. OKAY. THAT'S GOOD. DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT THEY'RE PARTICIPATING, LOTS OF AREAS? OKAY. OKAY, WILDFLOWER PLANTING. THE ECC WORKED WITH PARKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, SO THIS HELPS WITH THAT, I THINK, TO EVALUATE WILDFLOWER PLANTING OPTIONS WITHIN PUBLIC SPACES. FOLLOWING THE MEETINGS WITH STAFF AND CITY OF LOUISVILLE STAFF, A PILOT LOCATION TO INSTALL A WILDFLOWER NATIVE PLANTING AREA WAS ESTABLISHED. THE BLUE BONNET PARK LOCATION WAS CHOSEN AS THE SITE TO PREPARE AND PLANT WILDFLOWERS AND NATIVE PLANTS. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ONE. I WANT IT TO BE LIKE GARDEN RIDGE. HOW DID LISTVILLE DO IT? IT'S ACTUALLY TAKEN A LOT LONGER THAN WE THINK IT DID. I MEAN, IT'S TAKEN YEARS FOR THEM TO DEVELOP AT THAT. YEAH, I TALKED TO MAYOR GILMORE OVER THERE AND HE SAID IT TAKES A GOOD THREE YEARS FOR THOSE PLANTINGS TO REALLY SHOW AND SEE AN EFFECT FROM THAT. YEAH. SO, A GOOD THREE YEARS. I NOTICED THE FIRST YEAR WAS JUST OVERGROWN GRASS, PRETTY MUCH. YEAH. AND MAYBE A COUPLE OF FLOWERS. YEAH, THEY GOT A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. THIS YEAR, IT'S AMAZING. YEAH, IT DOES LOOK AMAZING. WE DID GET AN EMAIL JUST RECENTLY FROM SOMEBODY WHO WAS INTERESTED IN SEEING US HAVE MORE OF THE NO-MOW ZONES. IN FLOWER MOUND, WE HAVE SOME. YES, WE DO. AND, LIKE, I DRIVE ALONG GARDEN RIDGE AND LAKESIDE, AND IT'S ALL THAT GREEN GRASS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE. BUT THEY ALSO SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIG MEDIAN. IT CAN'T BE A SKINNY MEDIAN. YEAH, THE WAY THEY PICTURE-FRAMED IT, ACTUALLY, IS, I THINK, REALLY SMART. BUT I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE SPENDING ON SEEDS EVERY YEAR. IS THIS AN ONGOING THING? DO THEY DO IT ONCE, AND THEN IT JUST KEEPS GOING ON ITS OWN? OR DO THEY HAVE TO COME AND... BUY $10,000 WORTH OF SEED EVERY YEAR. HOW DO THEY DO IT? SO THE MORE WE CAN GET ON THAT, THE MORE THAT WOULD HELP US DESIGN OUR OWN PROGRAM. THEY SAVE, I KNOW WHEN I TALK TO GILMORE, THEY SAVE A LOT OF MONEY ON MAINTENANCE. I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR SINCE I'VE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT. THEY'RE SAVING MONEY ON MOWING. THEY'RE SAVING MONEY ON IRRIGATION. THEY ARE ADDING SEED EVERY YEAR, BUT IT'S NOT, AND EVERYTHING STARTS TO RESEED AFTER YEAR THREE. IF IT'S LIKE THE MOUND, I SERVE ON THE MOUND, WE HAVEN'T PUT SEED ON THERE FOR A WHILE. WE WERE SEEDING IT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ESPECIALLY ON THE MEDIAN TO GET THE BLUE BONNETS IN THERE. BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD TO SEED IT FOR A LONG TIME. AND FIRES HELP. BURNS. THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF. WE'LL EVALUATE THE SUCCESS RATE AND ANY FEEDBACK RECEIVED. BUT I'LL BE SURE TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND OUT A SPECIFIC ANSWER ON WHAT'S IT COSTING. THAT WOULD BE GOOD. GREEN WASTE, MY FAVORITE SUBJECT. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE GETTING A NEW CONTRACT. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME GREEN WASTE PICKUP, AND I AM SO EXCITED. SO WE EVALUATE NON-RESIDENTIAL RECYCLING PROGRAM OPTIONS, EVALUATE THE 2026-2027 GREEN [00:25:01] WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND JUST FINGERS CROSSED, AND WE HAVE OTHER RECYCLING INITIATIVES. AND SO I PUT A LITTLE NOTE DOWN HERE SO I REMEMBER. BECAUSE, UM... THE RECYCLE, KEEP FLOWER MORE BEAUTIFUL DOES THE RECYCLE DROP-OFF TWICE A YEAR. AND THE TOWN HELPS A LOT WITH THAT. THEY HELP WITH THOSE EVENTS. AND THIS SPRING, IT WAS UGLY, RAINY, COLD, BUT WE STILL HAD 441 CARS DRIVE THROUGH TO DROP OFF. AND THE ITEMS ARE, THE MOST POPULAR ITEMS ARE PAPER SHREDDING, OF COURSE, AND ELECTRONIC WASTE. BUT WE ALSO COLLECT WIRE HANGERS, PENS, PENCILS, MARKERS, CLOTHING, HOUSEWARES, BOOKS, SHOES. AND WE WORK WITH SOME OF THE NON-PROFITS, LIKE THE BOOKS. THE BOOKS GO TO KIDS THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY BOOKS. AND THE SHOES GO TO KIDS. A LOT OF THE SHOES THAT WE CAN GET THAT LOOK GOOD. SO, UM... WE ARE DOING SOMETHING FOR RECYCLING, AND IT'S PART OF THE TALENT, TOO. AND YOU COLLECTED, I WANT TO SAY, 300 PAIRS OF EYEGLASSES THAT THE LIONS CLUB RECYCLES, AND THEY GO ON MISSION TRIPS, SO THEY ARE DEFINITELY USED. YES. I FORGOT TO LIST THAT ONE. YES. AND PLASTIC. AND THE PLASTIC BAGS. AND PLASTIC WRAP. AND THAT'S A FEW HUNDRED POUNDS OR SOMETHING. TWO HUNDRED AND SOMETHING POUNDS. YEAH. USUALLY. THAT WAS ON A REALLY UGLY DAY, REALLY COLD. AND WE DID APPROVE THE NEW CONTRACT. PARDON? WE DID APPROVE THE NEW CONTRACT, SO THAT IS DONE JUST RECENTLY. YAY. SO REGARDING THAT, THOUGH, FOR THAT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, PEOPLE NEED TO USE IT. SO I THINK WE HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE SURE THE AWARENESS IS THERE AND THAT PEOPLE USE THE RIGHT KIND OF BAGS AND ALL THAT, SO THAT'S A TASK. OH, FOR THE GREEN WASTE? YEAH. GET CLOSER TO NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WE'LL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORD IS OUT ON THAT. YEAH, WE NEED TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THAT. THE PAPER BAGS INSTEAD OF PLASTIC BAGS. YEAH, I WANT IT TO BE A BIG SUCCESS. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW AND USE IT. WE HAVE TO HIT IT AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN THE LEAVES ARE ALL FALLING AND EVERYBODY'S BAGGING. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. HAS THAT BEEN SOMETHING THE TOWN STAFF HAS THOUGHT OF? HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT OUT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO DO THE GREEN WASTE? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER GIROUX, I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL ON ON THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT. TO YOUR POINT, ONCE OCTOBER 1 HITS, WE NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THIS. I THINK IF YOU REMEMBER AS WELL, WE GET THE CHOICE AND FLEXIBILITY ON WHEN WE WANT TO DO THAT. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THOUGH, YOU ALL AND PROBABLY THE ECC AS WELL IS GOING TO NEED TO HAVE SOME INPUT ON THAT. OH, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO A COMPOST CLASS. SEPTEMBER, HOPEFULLY IT'S GOING TO BE SEPTEMBER 26TH, SO THAT PEOPLE IN ADVANCE KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO A COMPOST. THE 26TH, YOU SAID? SEPTEMBER 26TH AT THE LIBRARY. EXCUSE ME, BETWEEN 1 AND 4. OKAY, TREE INITIATIVES. OKAY, I HAVE TO SAY THIS. WE SPEAK FOR THE TREES, FOR THE TREES HAVE NO TONGUES. THE LORAX. SO WE'RE DOING A TREE ORDINANCE REVIEW, A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE, RECOMMENDATIONS BEING DISCUSSED, INCLUDING SPECIMEN TREE SIZES, MITIGATION, AND TREE PLANTING INITIATIVES AND OPTIONS. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TREE GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS. AND THE ACC HAS HAD MULTIPLE WORK SESSIONS. TO REVIEW SPECIMEN TREES, FOCUSING ON THE POST-OAK SIZE, ASSOCIATED MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS, AND PRESERVATION INITIATIVES FOR SPECIMEN TREES. RECENT ECC WORK SESSION, THAT WAS OUR LAST ONE, HAS SHIFTED FOCUS FROM REDUCING THE SPECIMEN SIZE THRESHOLDS TO FOCUSING MORE ON REPLANTING REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH MITIGATION. AND EVALUATING OPTIONS FOR INCREASED MITIGATION AND POTENTIAL REQUIREMENTS TO REQUIRE MITIGATION AND REPLANTING REQUIREMENTS FOR POST-OAKS. AND WE HAVE THE ACORNS TO [00:30:02] POST-OAKS PROGRAM THAT CONTINUES TO BE EVALUATED AND ENHANCED. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, ALTON CAN COME UP AND TALK. SO BEFORE ALTON COMES UP. ON THE TREE ORDINANCE REVIEW NOW. CLAIRE, I ASSUME YOU'VE GOT THIS, BUT DO WE NEED A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO BRING THIS FORWARD, OR WILL THIS JUST COME UP ORGANICALLY? IF I MAY JUMP IN, I DO THINK BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF UNIQUE OPTIONS THAT THEY'RE PRESENTING, I THINK THEY NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH IT. BUT I DO THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A FUTURE WORK SESSION. WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING IN THE FALL AT THIS POINT TO GET PAST BUDGET INTO SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, WHICH SHOULD GIVE ECC AND THEIR SUBCOMMITTEES AND STAFF TO KIND OF FLESH THAT OUT. BUT I DO THINK IT'S... IT'S UNIQUE ENOUGH THAT WE WOULD NEED DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL. CAN WE PROVIDE THAT DIRECTION RIGHT NOW, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COME FORWARD AS A WORK SESSION ITEM, OR WOULD YOU RATHER THAT GET BROUGHT UP AT A REGULAR MEETING AS PART OF A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? YOU CAN BRING IT UP NOW. OKAY. SO I WOULD SUPPORT BRINGING THIS UP AS A WORK SESSION ITEM ONCE THE ECC IS DONE DOING THEIR HOMEWORK. AND I ENCOURAGE ECC TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING, REDUCING THE CALIBER INCH SIZE OF THE POST OAK SPECIFICALLY, THE MITIGATION. THE PLANTING EFFORTS, ALL OF IT. BRING US ALL OF IT, PLEASE. AGREED. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. BE AGGRESSIVE, TOO. SHE WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. THAT'S GOOD. SO WOULD YOU LIKE ALTON TO COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ACORNS? YES. WE HAVE GONE OVER THE TIME, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE EXTRA TIME ON THIS. YEAH. ALTON BOWMAN, I'VE BEEN A 42-YEAR RESIDENT IN FLOWER MOUND AND ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. WE LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL TREASURE ACTUALLY. WE HAVE THE FLOWER MOUND, WHICH IS 12 ACRES OF THE NATIVE PRAIRIES ARE MAYBE ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT. OF THE ORIGINAL NATIVE PRAIRIE THAT WAS HERE IS REMAINER AND THAT'S PART OF IT AND NOT MANY TOWNS CAN SAY THAT THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE NATIVE PRAIRIE BUT WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER TREASURE IT'S OUR POST OAKS AND WE'RE I'M SORRY MY VISUAL DIDN'T WORK AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE IS IS A COPY OF IT TO TAKE HOME FORTUNATELY SO THE CROSS TIMBERS ARE FROM WACO TO KANSAS. IT'S NOT JUST HERE. BUT THE FLOWER MOUND IS A UNIQUE CITY THAT ITS ENTIRE CITY LIMITS IS IN THE EASTERN CROSS TIMBERS. AND SO THAT AFFECTS VERY GREATLY WHAT WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT HERE FROM THE EARLY SETTLERS. TO TODAY, BUT IT'S BEEN A GRADUAL DECLINE. WE'RE NO LONGER... THE CROSS TIMBERS IS THE LARGEST REMAINING OLD GROWTH FOREST IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. FROM WHERE WE ARE TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, THE CROSS TIMBERS IS THE LARGEST REMAINING OLD GROWTH. FOREST. MOST OF IT IS IN OKLAHOMA, BUT DOWN SOUTH OF US IN PALO PINTO COUNTY IS SOME REMAINDERS ON GOVERNMENT LAND THERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DAMAGED. BUT MOSTLY WHAT WE HAVE IS A REMNANT OF WHAT IT ONCE WAS. IT'S BEEN TURNED INTO FENCE POSTS. CABINS, RAILROAD TIES, FUEL, IT HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL FOR US. BUT WHAT WE'VE FOUND, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR TREES, AND WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT THE POST OAKS ARE... AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WILDLIFE AND HABITAT, AND THE POST OAKS ARE THE KEYSTONE SPECIES, THE MOST IMPORTANT PLANT IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. EVERYTHING IS DEPENDENT ON THAT. [00:35:01] THE BIRD LIFE, THE INSECTS, THE CYCLE IS DEPENDENT ON THE POST OAK, NOT ALL THE OTHER PLANTS. BUT THE POST-OP SPECIFICALLY AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'VE LOST AND OVER THE OVER THE YEARS SO WHEN WE STARTED ABOUT 1970, WE HAD A 38% TREE CANOPY. NOW WE HAVE, WITH OUR LATEST SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION, IS THAT WE'RE DOWN TO 25% IN FLOWER MOUND. SO THIS IS THE TREE THAT WE'VE LOST, THE TREE THAT WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO LOSE, BUT IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT'S NOT BEING REPLACED. AND SO... MY PROGRAM, IT'S MYSELF, ELAINE TAKAS, AND ALAN FULBRIGHT, WE'RE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE TREES. AND SO WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THEM NOW FOR THREE YEARS, AND WE FOUND THAT THEY'RE REALLY... WELL, LET'S START LOOKING AT THE WAY TO... SO WHAT WE NEED... WE HAVE, THEY'RE ON OUR TREE PLANTING LIST THAT BOB RUDISILL DESIGNED. I WAS THE FIRST CHAIR. THIS IS 32 YEARS AGO. BOB WAS ON THE, JODY INSISTED THAT BOB BE ON THE BOARD, AND HE HELPED US DRAW THE ORDINANCE AND THE TREES REPLACEMENT LIST. SO POST OAKS ARE ON THE TREE REPLACEMENT LIST, BUT THERE'S NO PLACE TO BUY THEM. AND SO NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN REPLANTED. SO WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. SO ANYWAY, THE FIRST YEAR, WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO GATHER THE ACORNS. WELL, THAT'S EASY. THE NICE THING ABOUT THE ACORNS ARE THAT THEY'RE FREE, AND THEY WORK BEST. THE BEST WAY TO REPLACE A POST OAK... IS TO PLANT AN ACORN AND THE FIRST YEAR IT PUTS A REALLY DEEP TAP ROOT DOWN. IT'S VERY STRONG AND THE CRITICISM I GUESS HAS BEEN, OH NO, YOU'RE GOING TO ASK US TO TAKE AN ACORN AND GO PLANT IT AND RESTORE OUR FOREST. BUT ACTUALLY YES, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO DO IT. SO IF YOU LOOK ON THE FIRST PAGE THERE, WE'RE GATHERING THE ACORNS. THAT'S 3,000 ACORNS. I HAVE 11 POST OAKS. WE HAVE 11 POST OAKS ON THE PROPERTY, AND EACH ONE OF THEM PRODUCES ABOUT 3,000 TO 5,000 ACORNS A YEAR. AND THEIR PURPOSE IS TO REPRODUCE, BUT WE'RE INTERFERING WITH IT. WE'RE KEEPING THEM FROM REPRODUCING BECAUSE WE'RE MOWING THEM DOWN. I HAD BEEN COUNTING. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 1,000 LITTLE SAPLINGS ON THE PROPERTY. 500 OF THEM ARE ONES THAT WE PLANTED DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THE REST OF THEM JUST CAME UP NATURALLY. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. BUT WE'VE BEEN INTERFERING WITH THAT, THE SUGGESTION OF A NON-MOW THING. I CALL THEM MOTHER TREES BECAUSE THEY'RE REPRODUCING SO HEAVILY. AND THEY WILL DROP THE ACORNS, AND NATURALLY THEY WILL COME BACK UP. AND IF THEY'RE NOT INTERFERED WITH, THEY'LL PRODUCE A TREE. WELL, SO I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE ACORNS AND POST OAKS. WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET THESE? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THE POST OAKS, THE SAPLINGS. YES, WHERE CAN THEY GET THOSE? YOU SAID IT'S DIFFICULT TO BUY THOSE. WHERE CAN SOMEBODY GET THOSE? WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM AWAY, THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUNT. THAT'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THEM. AND THEY'RE FREE. WHAT? SO IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY. LAST YEAR WE STARTED THE PROGRAM. WE GAVE AWAY 300 SAPLINGS AND A LOT OF ACORNS THAT WERE SPROUTED, READY TO GO. AND THERE THEY ARE ON THE NEXT PAGE. THAT'S WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. WE PUT THEM IN A PLASTIC BAG [00:40:01] IN WET SAWDUST, THROW THEM IN THE BACK OF A REFRIGERATOR. WE HAD A REFRIGERATOR DONATED TO US. AND ONE THAT I PROVIDED, WE FILLED THOSE REFRIGERATORS WITH ACORNS AND THEY ALL SPROUTED, JUST LIKE THIS. AND THEN YOU DROP THEM IN THE GROUND AND STAND BACK. THEY'RE COMPLETELY GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED TO LIVE IN THE CROSS-TIMBERS. BUYING THEM FROM EAST TEXAS IS NOT WHAT WE NEED. WE NEED THE POST-OAKS THAT WERE HERE TO REPRODUCE WHAT'S HERE FROM OUR OWN TREES. THEN YOU PUT A CAGE AROUND IT. WE FOUND THEY HAVE A LOT OF PREDATORS. EVERYBODY WANTS TO EAT THE ACORNS. TURKEYS, SQUIRRELS, RODENTS, DEER. A LOT OF WILDLIFE IS DEPENDENT ON THE POST OAKS, BUT WE'VE BEEN REDUCING THEM, AND SO THEN WE REDUCE OUR WILDLIFE, WE REDUCE OUR BIRD LIFE. 500 SPECIES OF INSECTS ARE PRODUCED BY THE POST OAKS, AND ALL OF THEM... THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT OUR SONGBIRDS USE TO FEED THEIR OFFSPRING, IS INSECTS AND WORMS. SO IF WE REDUCE OUR TREES BY 20%, WE REDUCE OUR BIRDS BY 20%. SO THE SECOND GROUP IS JUST WHAT COMES UP NATURALLY. THIS IS OUR YARD. I LOVE THIS, ALTON, HOW YOU ALL ARE DOING. SO MUCH FOR OUR ECOSYSTEM AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS THEY WANT TO ADD? BECAUSE I THINK YOU ALL ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB ON THIS. YOU KNOW WE DO WELL WHAT'S NEXT IS FINDING A PLACE TO PUT ALL THESE ACRES. EXACTLY. AND SOME STAFF TO PLANT THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GROW. WE DO 300 A YEAR LIKE WE JUST DID. IN 30 YEARS WE'LL HAVE 10,000. WILL THERE BE A SPECIFIC ASK FOR US TO FUND THIS? IS THAT WHERE THIS IS HEADED? IF YOU WANT NUMBERS, YES. BUT IT'S NOT AN EXPENSIVE PROGRAM. THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE DO THAT WOULDN'T PRODUCE AS MUCH GOOD AS RESTORING OUR POST-OAKS. SO IT CAN BE DONE. THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND OUT. WELL, PLEASE BRING THIS TO US. IT'S EASY. I'M ANXIOUS. WE WILL. IF WE CAN PARTICIPATE IN A WORKSHOP, THAT'S THE PLACE TO DO IT. AND ALSO, I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A TRIAL OUT AT GREEN ACRES. WE'VE PLANTED SOME ACORNS. THAT WAS FIVE. WE HAVE FIVE PLANTINGS THERE. SOME WERE VOLUNTEERS. SOME WE PLANTED WITH THE SAPLINGS THAT WE GOT. AND SOME THAT WE... PLANTED WITH ACORNS AND THEY'RE ALL GROWING AND SUCCESSFUL. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE ANSWER IS FINDING AREAS OF TOWN, WHETHER IT'S GREEN ACRES PARK, PUBLIC PROPERTY, THAT WE CAN PLANT THESE TREES. ALL RIGHT. PARDON ME. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. I HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT. THREE-YEAR PROJECT. I HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT. WITH OUR REPLANTING THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR, THERE WERE CERTAIN AREAS IN TOWN THAT DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO SPRINKLERS AND WATER. MAYBE THIS IS AN OPTION. I THINK COLLEGE. I PLANTED SOME IN OUR CORRAL. I DID NOT PUT ANY WATER ON THEM AND THEY DID NOT GET STRESSED. THEY ALL SURVIVED. I DIDN'T HAVE TO WATER THEM BECAUSE THE WEEDS HAD GOTTEN AWAY AND THEY COVERED THEM UP. THEY'RE VERY HARDY. THEY'RE MADE TO LIVE. SO I GUESS WITH THE NEXT REPLANTING, MAYBE WE COULD CONSIDER POST OAK REPLANTING AND SEE IF THAT'S A POTENTIAL OPTION. YEAH, LIKE WE SAID, WHEN WE BRING FORWARD THE TOPICS IN A WORK SESSION THIS FALL, WE CAN EXPLORE THAT OPTION AS WELL TO SEE WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. YEAH, AND COST, IF WE CAN GET SOME ROUGH COST ESTIMATES. THEY'RE SEASONAL. YOU GATHER THE ACORNS IN NOVEMBER, PLANT THEM THE NEXT YEAR, THEY'RE THERE FOR 100 YEARS. JUST TO MAKE THE TREE. ONE MORE QUICK COMMENT. I FEEL LIKE THE TOWN AND THIS COMMISSION'S FOCUS ON PRESERVING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, OUR TREES, AND OUR OPEN SPACES IS PROBABLY THE MAIN REASON THAT WE WERE VOTED NUMBER ONE MOST LIVABLE CITY IN TEXAS. [00:45:04] APPRECIATE IT. MY YEARS AND SEVEN WE CAN'T, YOU HAVE TO BE UP AT THE MICROPHONE, THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU. I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU ONE MORE MINUTE, WE DO NEED TO MOVE ON. WE WORKED FOR SEVEN YEARS TO GET A TREE ORDINANCE AND MR. PFEFFER RESPONDED, HE SAID YEAH WE SHOULD HAVE A TREE CITY USA. WELL THAT GOT US OUR TREE ORDINANCE AND THE TREE BOARD WERE TIED TO THE TREE CITY USA. SO IT WAS A LITTLE SNEAKY, BUT IT WORKED. AND NOW WE HAVE A 30-YEAR SIGN ON OUR... AND SO WE SHOULD BE REAL PROUD OF THAT. AND I THINK THAT HAS WORKED AND IS CREATING WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. AND IT'LL TAKE A LONG TIME. IT'S NOT A QUICK FIX, BUT... IT WILL WORK. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALTON. OKAY. AND THANK YOU, MARILYN, FOR THE PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION. JACKIE NORELL IS GOING TO PRESENT. WE'VE GOT 12 MINUTES. I ONLY HAVE 12 MINUTES. 12 MINUTES TODAY. I CAN'T DO IT IN 12. I SHOULD HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT AT THE BEGINNING. WELL, CAN I BORROW SOME MINUTES? YES, I'M GOOD. WE MIGHT NEED A SLEEPOVER FOR WHAT I'VE GOT. I HAVE A STORY TO TELL. FIRST OF ALL, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, MAYOR, AND ALL OF YOU BELOVED TOWN COUNCILMEN. I DO WANT TO REMIND ALTON BOWMAN THAT LARRY AND I HAVE 40 MORE BALES OF HAY FOR HIS BEDDING. WE LOVE TO TAKE ALL OF OUR BALES OF HAY OVER. MY GRANDCHILDREN DELIVER IT. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE WITHOUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY TOWN COUNCIL, YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU, MY DEAR FRIENDS, YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT, YOUR INTEREST, YOUR KINDNESS, YOUR PERSONAL, EVERYTHING. I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU YOUR AVAILABILITY. WHENEVER WE NEED SOMETHING, WHENEVER I NEED SOMETHING, YOU'RE THERE. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE CORE OF THE, AND I AM JACKIE NORELL, AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE FLOWER MOUND HISTORICAL COMMISSION, REPRESENTING ALL OF US TONIGHT. THE CORE OF THE FLOWER MOUND HISTORICAL COMMISSION ARE OUR SUBCOMMITTEES, AND WHEN WE FIRST PUT TOGETHER THE FLOWER MOUND HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WE WERE VERY CAREFUL AND DECISIVE TO PUT TOGETHER THE MOST WONDERFUL WAYS TO REALLY PRESS FORWARD. AND MY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THIS BUNCH IS THAT WE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY. AND WE WILL HAVE MADE WONDERFUL PROGRESS IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DID BECAUSE WE ARE THE FIRST EVER HISTORICAL COMMISSION IN FLOWER MOUND. WE HAVE THE GIBSON GRANT LOG HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE. I CHAIR THAT WITH KATHY BLAIR AND SWEETIE BOWMAN. THE CEMETERIES SUBCOMMITTEE, ALONG WITH OUR HISTORICAL RESOURCES, THE LOVELY BRIAN WILLIAMS AND ADAM SCHEER. OUR EDUCATIONAL SUBCOMMITTEE, TARA KLARICH AND I RUN THAT. AND SHE IS PUTTING TOGETHER, WE'RE SO PROUD OF OUR HISTORICAL TRUNK THAT IS OUR TRAVELING TRUNK. THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORICAL LANDSCAPE SUBCOMMITTEE, FROM THE GET-GO, HAS BEEN CHAIRED BY CINDY CLARK, MARCIA GAVITT, AND SHARON GENTRY. CINDY CLARK HAS RESIGNED, AND WE WILL MISS HER GREATLY, BUT SHE WILL ALWAYS BE A PART AND AVAILABLE AT THIS ENDEAVOR. AND OUR ORAL HISTORY SUBCOMMITTEE, WE'RE SO PROUD. PEGGY RIDDLE IS... CHAIR. I'M CO-CHAIR, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE AN ORAL HISTORY SECTION IN THE FLOWER MOUND LIBRARY. I MEAN, WE'RE JUST DELIGHTED. SO THAT'LL BE ANOTHER PART OF MY 13 MINUTE, WHATEVER I'M GOING TO CALL IT. BRIAN IS OUR CEMETERY'S CHAIR, AND HE REALLY WANTED ME TO READ EVERYTHING BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE THAT CONTINUES. WE HAVE A FLOWER MOUND. WE HAVE THE CURRENT BURIALS IN THE OLD SHILOH CEMETERY. THEY ARE CONTINUING THERE. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING FOR A STATE-DESIGNATED HISTORICAL CEMETERY STATUS AT THE OLD SHILOH CEMETERY. WE WILL BE SUBMITTING IT FOR A HISTORICAL MARKER PLAQUE [00:50:01] AFTER STATUS IS DESIGNATED ABOVE, WHICH WILL COST $2,000. THE CEMETERY, LONG-TERM, LONG-TIME HISTORIAN AND THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, RON HILLARD, IS A VERY KEY COMPONENT IN THIS BUNCH AND WE HAVE THE ANNUAL MEETING IN MAY. THE DUNHAM CEMETERY, A SMALL HIDDEN HISTORIC CEMETERY ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN. A BEAUTIFUL NEW TOWN SIGN WAS INSTALLED LAST YEAR, MAINTAINED BY THE CEMETERY SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE FLOWER MOUND HISTORICAL COMMISSION. THE FLOWER MOUND CEMETERY, MAXED OUT FOR NEW BURIALS, BUT WE ARE ALLOWING PREVIOUS PURCHASE PLOTS AVAILABLE. THE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT IS JIM HEBERGEN. HE IS A KEY COMPONENT. THE ANNUAL MEETING, APRIL 25TH. OF 2026 WAS HELD AT 10 A.M. HARRIS CEMETERY WAS A SMALL FAMILY CEMETERY ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY NEAR GRAPEVINE AND THE MCCOMB CEMETERY. SO PROUD TO SAY THAT BETH AND RANDY SODERBERG, THEY MAINTAINED THIS AND A NEW FENCE WAS INSTALLED BY THE VALLEY CREEK CHURCH MISSIONARY CHARITY PROGRAM JUST RECENTLY. TARA RUNS OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. WE ARE SO PROUD THAT SHE HAS PUT TOGETHER A FLOWER MOUND THEN AND NOW PRESENTATION AND AN HISTORICAL POWERPOINT ALONG WITH OUR BEAUTIFUL TRUNK, AND IT'S FULL OF EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE. EVEN THE ADORABLE FIRE CHIEF, CHIEF HENLEY, HE'S GOT A BOOK IN THERE. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE FLOWER MOUND LIBRARY HAS BEEN SO GENEROUS TO ME. CINDY JONES, WE NEVER REALLY GET TO TALK ABOUT HER. SHE'S A LOVELY FRIEND AND AN ALSO A FELLOW MEMBER OF THE LIONS CLUB WITH JEAN-B. AND I. NO MATTER WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR SALES OR WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING AVAILABLE, SHE'LL CALL ME AHEAD OF TIME, HEY, CAN YOU COME OVER? AND SHE'LL HAVE THINGS SET ASIDE, EVERYTHING FROM THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION TO THINGS THAT ARE VERY PREVALENT HERE IN FLOWER MOUND. AND WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF BOOKS AND THINGS. WE'VE CAPTURED ANYTHING IMAGINABLE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL TRUNK THAT WILL EVENTUALLY, WE WANT TO GO TO SCHOOLS, SCOUTS, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES. AND ON OUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN LOOK, AND TARA IS THERE, AND YOU CAN CALL HER. SHE IS ALSO ONE OF THE PRIME—WE'RE ALL DOCENTS, ALL OF US HISTORICAL COMMISSIONS, BUT TARA IS ONE OF THE PRIME DOCENTS AT THE GIBSON GRANT LOG HOUSE. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US REALLY—WE HONOR THAT BEAUTIFUL LOG HOUSE. CINDY CLARK, SHE, FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY ON GETTING CERTIFICATION ON AN INDIAN MARKER TREE. WE'VE HAD A LOVELY HOMEOWNER THAT WORKED TIRELESSLY WITH HER. NO MATTER WHEN WE WANTED TO GO IN THERE, HE LET US. WE ALSO HAVE WORKED VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH MR. STEVE HAUSER, AND HE IS A RENOWNED MARQUETRY SPECIALIST, AND ALSO THE JAKE SPECKLES, AND HE'S A VERY LOCAL FLARAMOUNT RESIDENT, AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL. THEY HAD A FIELD TRIP THERE, ACTUALLY, AND THEY WENT TO... HOUSE TO MR HOUSERS AND WILEY MR HAUSER HAS INFORMED US THAT THE SIZE OF THE TREE IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WOULD CONSIDER THE TREE TO HAVE MET THE AGE AND BE TURNED INTO A THE THREE RINGS WERE TURNED INTO THE AGE OF THE TREE THE THE SPECIFICATIONS ARE NOT ISSUED YET BUT THEY WILL BE THAT THE TREE IS 150 YEARS OLD HERE IN FLOWER MOUND AND CINDY WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. MARCIA HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON. PART OF THAT, SHE'S OUR ADVERTISEMENTS, OUR POSTERS, OUR LONGTIME CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ARTISAN, AND ALSO A HISTORICAL RESEARCHER. SHARON GENTRY, OH MY GOSH, OUR LOVELY HISTORIAN HERSELF. SHE IS WORKING ON FARMS NOW, AND SHE'S GOT THE MARILYN MAHONEY AND HER FAMILY FARM, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES INFORMATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOHN TODD'S BUFFALO FARM. WARREN CAMPBELL'S FARM OFF OF WICHITA TRAIL. AND THESE FAMILIES WERE CLOSE FRIENDS ALL THESE YEARS AGO. SUSAN MAYO'S CESAR FARM WAS WHERE THE PARKER SQUARE IS NOW. AND WE ARE DOING ALL THIS RESEARCH SO WE CAN COME BEFORE YOU WITH ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THE FARMS WERE AND WHAT'S THERE NOW. AND MITCH WATERS, HIS FARM IS CLOSE TO THE BORDER OF LOUISVILLE AND FLOWER MOUND. SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING. MOVING ON, OUR ORAL HISTORIES. WE'RE SO PROUD. WE'VE WORKED TIRELESSLY WITH THE LIBRARY, WITH THE DENTON COUNTY HISTORY OF CULTURE AND THE MUSEUM, AND THE DENTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION I'M A PART OF. WE HAVE ACTUALLY GOT A NEW ORAL HISTORY SECTION FOR THE FLOWER MOUND HISTORICAL COMMISSION IN THE LIBRARY. THIS IS SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO FROM THE GET-GO, AND I'VE WORKED WITH RACHEL HADID, SARAH LUXTON, ALL OF THEM, AND WE'VE GOT IT. IT'S JUST GOING TO BE LOVELY. YOU CAN GO IN THERE. WE ARE ALREADY... WE'RE ALREADY PUTTING TOGETHER OUR LOCAL RECORDINGS OF OUR HISTORIANS THAT WE'RE [00:55:01] DIGITIZING. SO IF YOU WANT TO LOOK UP SOMEONE, AND EACH ONE OF YOU, I WANT TO GET YOUR ORAL HISTORIES, BECAUSE YOU'RE HISTORIANS IN OUR TOWN. SO I'M GOING TO BE CONTACTING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND INTERVIEWING YOU AT THE GIBSON GRANT LOCKHOUSE WITH PEGGY AND RECORDING YOUR ORAL HISTORY. SO GET READY. I'M EXCITED FOR THAT. AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE VARGAS FAMILY. I HAD A TREAT VISITING WITH ALL OF THEM. THEIR DAUGHTER CHRISTINA, STEPHEN, ARTURO. THEY ARE A WONDERFUL, OF COURSE, WE ALL LOVE CHRISTINA'S. SO WE WENT AND WE DID THEIRS. AND, OF COURSE, ALTON BOWMAN, WE'VE GOT HIM ON RECORDING. HE IS AN ARCHIVIST. HE'S A RESTORATIONIST. HE'S AN HISTORIAN. AND HE'S A CONSERVATIONIST THAT WE ALL LOVE AND ADORE. AND SWEETIE IS HIS LOVELY WIFE AND OUR ELFSO COMMISSIONER. WE CALL HIM OUR HONORARY COMMISSIONER BECAUSE HE MAKES ALL OUR MEETINGS, AND HE HELPS, AND HE DEDICATES HIS LIFE AND ALL OF HIS INTERESTS, AND WE LOVE AND ADORE HIM AS WELL. AND WE'VE ALSO, WHEN WE'VE BEEN DOING ALL OF THESE RECORDINGS, WE LOVE THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AND IT WAS FOUNDED IN THE 1850S, AND THEN WHEN WE BECAME A CITY IN 1960, IT WAS AN OFFICIAL CHURCH OF THE CITY. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE ENJOYED SUE MURRAY. AND JEAN VIER AND SEVERAL OF US, ADAM, WE ALL WENT TO THE HOMECOMING OF THE 175 YEARS THAT THAT CHURCH WAS BUILT. AND WE WENT, AND WE LOVED IT, AND WE SAT THERE. AND THAT PIANIST, HE WAS WONDERFUL. HE LITERALLY HAS BEEN DOING IT 25 YEARS. HE JUST LOOKED LIKE JERRY LEE LEWIS UP THERE. HE WAS JUST ROCKING AND ROLLING IN THAT CHURCH. SO WE REALLY, REALLY HAD A GOOD, GOOD TIME. THE GIBSON GRANT LOG HOUSE, I AM THE CHAIR OF THAT, ALONG WITH SWEETIE AND KATHY. WE DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS EVERY YEAR. WE DECORATE IT FOR CHRISTMAS. WE HAVE OUR EVENTS. WE'RE GETTING READY ON MAY 30TH TO HAVE OUR REALLY BIG JUBILEE. AND PEGGY WILL BE DOING CANNING AND EVERYTHING IN THE KITCHEN. SHE'LL BE DOING BUTTER. ALTON AND SWEETIE WILL BE DOING THEIR WONDERFUL CORN HUSKING AND ALL. AND I ALSO WANTED TO ALWAYS REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE SO MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE HERE. YOU KNOW, THE NEIMAN MARCUS FAMILY. LET ME TELL YOU, THE NEIMANS AND THE MARCUS. BEST-STOPPED SHOPPING IN THE WORLD TO THIS DAY. THEY'RE FROM HERE, THE NEIMANS AND THE MARCUSES. WE HAVE THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FAIRS THAT ARE ALMOST WORLD-FAMOUS. EVERYBODY LOVES TO GO TO THOSE. WE JUST HAD ANOTHER QUAKER TOWN, WOODS HOUSE, WHICH WE ALL WENT TO. ADAM, JEAN-VIER, ME, MY HUSBAND, ALL OF US WENT TO THAT. WE WENT IN THE MARKER EVENT HERE AT THE GIBSON GRANT, AND THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION HERE IN THE FLOWER MOUND CHAPTER THAT I'M A MEMBER OF, WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO THE GREAT BIG JULY 20TH AT THE HISTORICAL DENTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER COURT, THE AMERICA 250. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL. AND I DID WANT TO TELL YOU THAT EVERY MONTH I STRUGGLE AND I FIND THE BEST SPEAKERS AROUND. WE HAVE 4,000 VIEWS, AND I HOPE THAT EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN EVENTUALLY COME TO OUR MEETINGS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD KAREN BLUCHER, WHO DID HER TERRA DANA PRESERVE, THE AI CEMETERIES, PATRICK MARTIN. PATRICK MARTIN IS OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME HIM. HE'LL KIND OF BE ORDAINED, IF YOU WILL, AT OUR NEXT MEETING. AND OUR MEETINGS ARE THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, AND THEY'RE PACKED, AND WE LOVE YOU. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT ON TV, BUT WE REALLY HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE. AND WE'VE JUST, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ME TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BOARDS, THE AMERICAN, OR THE SERVICE BOARD WITH BETH, THE ANIMAL SERVICE BOARD. WE LOVE AND ADORE THEM. WE WANT TO HELP THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM. AND WE'RE THERE, I'M THERE, AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME IF ANYONE WANTS TO KNOW ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP THEM. ONCE AGAIN, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU, ALL OF YOU. WE COULDN'T, AND I KNOW I HAVE TO QUIT TALKING. I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO SAY. SEE, WHY DON'T YOU ALL COME TO MY HOUSE AFTERWARDS, AND WE'LL HAVE A PARTY, A SOIREE, AND WE'LL FINISH WHAT I DON'T GET TO SAY HERE TONIGHT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW EXTRA MINUTES IF THERE'S SOME KEY POINTS THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT YOU WANT TO HIT ON. YES, I REALLY DO. THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST NOT THE COMMISSION. WE'RE REALLY A KEY PART OF THIS TOWN BECAUSE WE ARE MAKING HISTORY AND WE GO AROUND AND WE TALK TO THE HISTORIANS AND EVERYONE HAS A STORY AND WE TELL IT AND WE WANT TO TELL IT AND THEY COME TO OUR MEETINGS AND AND SOME OF MY WONDERFUL SPEAKERS I MEAN WE'VE HAD FAITH IN BUSINESS MY FAVORITE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER FOR 22 YEARS RICH MISSLER HE CAME WE'VE HAD UM YOU KNOW JOSHUA CHAIN AND HE'S PART OF MY UH DENTON [01:00:01] COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION HE CAME HE GAVE THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TEXANS IN THE WORLD WARS. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, EVEN FROM HERE, HOW MANY TEXANS WERE IN THE WORLD WARS? ALL OF US. I MEAN, THE A&M, ALL OF THEM, THEY WERE THERE. WE'VE HAD ALL OF THE DAR GIRLS, THEY'VE COME. AND THE ANIMAL SERVICES BOARD, BRUCE MONROE, THE OWL PROJECT, WE'VE GOT BETH DOING ALL OF THAT. AND WE'RE A PART OF THAT. THE QUAKER TOWN, AS I SAID. AND WE JUST CAN'T STOP. I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WE'VE DONE IN SEPTEMBER. THERE'S ALWAYS A WONDERFUL VICTORIAN HISTORICAL TEA AT THE BELA SELBY HOUSE. OH, MY GOSH, ADAM, YOUR WIFE, MY DOLL. WE ALL WENT. WE DRESSED IN PERIOD CLOTHING. WE REALLY TRULY BELIEVED WE WERE THERE. WE WERE IN THAT WHOLE ENVIRONMENT IN THOSE OUTFITS, AND WE REALLY FELT LIKE WE WERE VICTORIAN LADIES OF THE ERA. NOT OF THE NIGHT, OF THE ERA. WE HAD A BLAST. WELL, I MEAN, WE REALLY LOOKED PRETTY COOL, YOU KNOW. IN ALL OF OUR OUTFITS. AND WE HAD OUR LITTLE BOOTS ON AND OUR GLOVES. I MEAN, WE WERE PRETTY HOT. SO ANYWAY, WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE DID HAVE THE LAYING OF THE WREATHS THAT WAS A PART OF THE DAR. I GOT TO SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I WORE MY RED FURRY HAT. I HAD A BLAST. AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE. WE HAVE SO MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE VETERANS THAT WE RECOGNIZE. SO... I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO REALIZE THAT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION IS JUST MORE THAN A COMMISSION. WE ARE A TRUE ESTABLISHMENT. AND WHEN YOU GAVE US THIS OPPORTUNITY THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS, LET ME TELL YOU, WE HAVE RUN WITH IT. AND AGAIN, MY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO RUN WITH IT. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU ALL PROUD. AND THANK YOU, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. BECAUSE EVERY TIME I CALL ONE OF YOU, EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND YOU CALL ME, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. I MEAN, I ALMOST. CRY WHEN YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU CALL ME BACK. I LOVE YOUR HUGS. I LOVE IT. EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS SAT AT MY CHAIR AT MY HOUSE, AND I LOVE THAT. AND ALWAYS COME MY DOORS OPEN. LARRY AND I ALWAYS HAVE THAT GATE OPEN. HE SAID HE HAS TO GET NEW TARMAC. WE HAVE SO MANY VISITORS. BUT THANK YOU AGAIN. AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE'RE NOT DOING OR THAT I'M DOING TOO MUCH OF, TELL ME, AND WE'LL JUST DO MORE. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND I LOVE FLOWER MAN. THANK YOU, JACKIE. THANK YOU. DID YOU ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I JUST WANTED TO SAY... HE'S GOING SHOPPING AT OUR LOCAL NEIMAN MARKES. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'D WATCH YOUR MEETINGS AND THEY ARE SO ENTERTAINING. YOUR SPEAKERS ARE AMAZING. SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING KEEP HISTORY ALIVE. I LOVE IT. YOU ALL DO FABULOUS. OKAY THANK YOU ALL WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE PARKS BOARD THERESE THOMPSON I'M SORRY I'M JACKIE DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND READ THE SLIDES FOR ME BECAUSE YEAH IT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW AND I HAVE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR EXCEPT WELL AS LONG AS YOU YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT THE LADIES OF THE NIGHT ON YOUR BOARD I DON'T HAVE ANY LADIES OF THE NIGHT I CAN'T HELP YOU THERE BUT I'M GLAD JACKIE CLARIFIED THAT WELL I THINK I JUST DID. WELL I HAVE THE PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND REPRESENT THE PARKS BOARD AND TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND THINGS WE DO HERE FOR THE TOWN OF LARIMER. WE HAVE SEVEN REGULAR MEMBERS AND THREE ALTERNATES AND THEY'RE ALL FABULOUS PEOPLE AND I WILL GIVE THE ARTS COMMISSION AND RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. I WOULD SAY WE'RE THE BEST BOARD BECAUSE WE'RE THE MOST FUN. WE'RE CLOSE, THEY'RE CLOSE SECOND. WE MEET ON THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 630 AND ALL OUR MEMBERS REALLY DO HAVE AN INTEREST IN PARKS AND RECREATION. THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN, THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE BUILDINGS, THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN SERVING THE COMMUNITY. THEY'RE PRESENT AND... I CAN'T SAY I CAN'T WORK WITH A BETTER GROUP OF PEOPLE THAN WHAT WE HAVE THERE. WE ADVISE THE TOWN COUNCIL, YOU, ON OUR POLICY MATTERS. YOU SEE THE STANDARDS OF YOUTH PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAMS AND RECS, THE STANDARDS OF YOUTH CARE PROGRAM. WE UPDATE THE PARK REGULATIONS AND USE POLICIES. WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF SPORTS CONTRACTS. I THINK ONE MOST RECENTLY SAW WAS OUR FOOTBALL. APPROVE RENTALS THAT CHARGE FEES ON PARK PROPERTY. SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE RECENTLY FIDO FEST CAME AND GAVE A PRESENTATION AND YOU KNOW WE APPROVED THOSE EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO DO THINGS THAT THEY CHARGE FEES TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR REALLY REALLY GREAT CAUSES AND WE RECOMMEND PARK NAMES AND WE DO THAT IN TOGETHER RIGHT WE DO THAT WITH THE COUNT TOWN COUNCIL TAKE YOUR INPUT AND COME BACK WITH SOME GREAT NAMES LIKE LITTLE BLUESTEM PARK AND WYVERN FARMS, SO WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE PROVIDE A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS WE ASSIST [01:05:03] THE DEVELOPMENT OF OVERALL MASTER PLANS AND STUDIES. WE'LL TALK HERE IN A FEW MINUTES. WE'RE GETTING READY TO START THAT LATER THIS FISCAL YEAR, UPDATING OUR MASTER PLAN FOR THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT. ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PARK MASTER PLANS. WE JUST COMPLETED LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK MASTER PLAN. WE HAVE FEEDBACK ON THE DESIGN OF PARKS THAT COME UP. TROTTER PARK AND POST OAK ARE SOME THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DONE. AND WE PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE STAFF AND THE CONSULTANTS THAT ARE REGARDING MODIFICATIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE RECREATION FACILITIES AND PARKS, MOST RECENTLY THE CAC FEASIBILITY STUDY AND SOME PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS. AND OF COURSE WE SUPPORT OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HERE. WE'RE OUT THERE DOING SOME REALLY FUN THINGS. WE'RE GONNA CHAMPION THE EVENTS THAT THEY DO. MY FAVORITE ONE, SO CHUCK ALWAYS PUTS THIS UP. I HAVE TO THANK HIM FOR THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE HE DOES THIS, BUT HE PUTS THE CHRISTMAS ONE ON THERE BECAUSE THAT IS MY FAVORITE. SO I INVITE YOU TO COME OUT THIS YEAR IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN. WE DO HAVE OUR RIBBON CUTTING COMING UP ON JUNE 11TH. MAKE SURE YOU MARK YOUR CALENDARS. WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE AT PETERS COLONY MEMORIAL PARK. AND WE VOLUNTEER FOR ALL THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE PUT ON THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. AND FALL FESTIVAL WAS ONE NEW ONE THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR. IT WAS GREAT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GET OUT THERE, BUT IT WAS SO WELL DONE AND GREAT JOB TO THE TOWN STAFF. DOROTHY'S DASH, THE CHRISTMAS PARADE, I MEAN THE LIST GOES ON AND ON OF THE THINGS WE DO TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND HAVE FUN DURING THE DIFFERENT SEASONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE TALK ABOUT EXPANDING THE PARK SYSTEM. WE PROVIDE STAFF AND PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION AND TOWN COUNCIL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PARKLAND DEDICATION AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS. SO WE'LL CONSIDER POTENTIAL LAND DONATIONS OR PARK CREDIT OPTIONS. SOME RECENT ONES WERE MONARCH AND EDEN RANCH. AND THEN WE RECOMMEND FEES IN LIEU OF LAND WHEN DEVELOPMENT COULD REALLY BE BETTER SERVED, MAYBE IN A PARK IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION IN THE TOWN. AND CANYON FALLS VILLAGE 3 IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. PARK TRAIL PROJECTS, WE WORK WITH THEM TO DEVELOP THE CIP PROGRAM. AND RECOMMEND THE PROJECTS TO CDC AND TOWN COUNCIL FOR FUNDING. PROJECTS FROM THE PARKS, RECREATION, MASTER PLAN, TRAILS, AND BIKEWAY MASTER PLAN, TOWN COUNCIL INITIATIVES, STAFF BOARD, AND, OF COURSE, OUR RESIDENT RECOMMENDATIONS. AND THEY DO. THEY'RE GREAT ABOUT COMING AND TELLING US THINGS THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE TOWN, AND WE LOVE TO HEAR THEIR IDEAS. THE CIP PROJECTS IN THE WORKS THAT WE'VE RECENTLY COMPLETED, WE HAVE 2005 BOND PROJECTS, A SHADOW RIDGE TRAIL SECTION. CHINN CHAPEL SOCCER COMPLEX FIELD CONVERSION AND I'M GOING TO SAY THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF RICK BECAUSE IF HE WAS HERE THERE'S THINGS WE DREAM ABOUT WHEN WE SERVE ON THE BOARD AND I THINK THAT'S HIS DREAM IS OUR FIELDS AND OUR TURF THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN SO I WANT TO GIVE THAT RECOGNITION. CANYON FALLS TRAILHEAD, PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENT, NORTH SHORE PARK, CONSTRUCTION OF PETER'S COLONY MEMORIAL PARK AND THE PARK IMPROVEMENTS. SO LOOKING AHEAD YOU KNOW WE HAD A BOND LAST YEAR RICK AND I SERVED ON THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE WITH CLAIRE AND IT WAS GREAT AND THEN FORMED A PACT. TO BE ABLE TO HELP GET THE BOND PASSED. AND SO IT WAS A GREAT TIME TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE THINGS WE COULD DO IN OUR TOWN WITH THOSE FINANCIAL ABILITIES. SO WE PROVIDE INPUT ON VARIOUS PROJECTS FROM THE BOND PACKAGE, AND ONE IS THE CAC EXPANSION AND RENOVATION, WHICH THAT IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, AND THAT IS ONE THING I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR A LONG TIME. SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT. LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK DESIGN PHASE. ATTENDING VOLUNTEERING AT VARIOUS SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT. RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR PETERS COLONY AND THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY THAT'S COMING UP FOR TROTTER PARK YAY RIGHT THAT'S A LONG TIME COMING WE'RE EXCITED WE ALSO WANT TO ASSIST WITH UPDATING THE TOWN SYSTEM WIDE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION WE HELP WITH PROVIDING VISION AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION LEADING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REVIEWING THE DATA AND THE ASSET ASSESSMENTS ADVISING DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTING AS A PUBLIC VOICE AND A POLICY ADVOCATE WITH OUR RESIDENTS. AND THEN INTEGRATE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE UPCOMING PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN INTO THE TOWN'S FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. AND WITH THAT, I WILL STAND FOR ANY QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. YEAH. SO, BOY, THE FIRST FOUR BOARDS THAT HAVE COME UP HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT. IN EVERY ONE OF THESE AREAS AND YOU ARE ALL DOING A LOT SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO THINK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY PRODUCTIVE AS A GROUP AND THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE SO THE AND WE GOT THE FOOTBALL THING RESOLVED WHERE BOTH FOOTBALL LEAGUES CAN NOW COEXIST AND USE OUR FACILITIES I THINK THAT'S THE THING I WAS NOT HERE AT THE LAST ONE SO YEAH OKAY I'M REALLY YEAH THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF REGARDING PARK NAMES SO ALTON CAME UP AND HE MENTIONED A GUY BOB HEFFER WHO IS THIS PERSON WHO BASICALLY SAVED ALL OF OUR POST OAKS, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK BACK AT THAT. AND THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION IS DOING ALL THIS WORK. AND AS WE'RE NAMING PARKS, I JUST WONDER IF THERE ARE SOME OF THESE GIANTS OF THE PAST THAT WE'RE ALL STANDING ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND THEY'VE DONE THESE GREAT THINGS AND WE REALLY KIND OF FORGOT WHO THEY ARE. SOMEONE LIKE ALTON REMEMBERS THIS GUY WHO, SHOULD WE NAME A PARK AFTER THIS GUY? YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF... SURE, IF YOU GUYS HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND THOUGHTS, WE CAN BRING THOSE TO THE BOARD. ABSOLUTELY. WE KIND OF ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON IT, BUT I [01:10:01] JUST WONDER IF THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE TO... RECOGNIZE SOME OF THESE GIANTS OF THE PAST THAT WE'RE ALL YOU KNOW ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF WHAT THEY'VE PROVIDED FOR US SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE PARKS BOARD WORK ON THAT AND MAYBE COLLABORATE A LITTLE BIT WITH THESE OTHER BOARDS TO FIND SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE ABSOLUTELY WE CAN DO THAT THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION ANYTHING ELSE I CAN ANSWER ALL RIGHT WELL MAYBE I GOT YOU A LITTLE BIT BACK ON TRACK THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THANK YOU THANK YOU OKAY, WE HAVE A TRANSPORTATION, I'M SORRY, I SKIPPED THE SCHOOL LIAISON BOARD COMMITTEE. SORRY, WE HAVE A SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE. KERRY TURNER IS GOING TO PRESENT ON THAT. HI, COUNCIL. THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BRIEF. OUR VICE, OUR CHAIR GOT CALLED OUT OF TOWN THIS MORNING, SO I GOT A CALL THIS MORNING TO PREP UP AND GET HERE. WALKED IN A LITTLE LATE BECAUSE I GOT OUT OF WORK AS FAST AS I COULD, BUT YEAH, WE'RE HERE. SO THE SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE, AS YOU KNOW, IS KIND OF A FLUID COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIND OUR, CUT OUR TEETH AND WHERE WE BELONG AND WHAT WE DO. SO I THINK WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW. WE ARE FOCUSING IN PRIMARILY ON WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE FOCUSING, WE JUST HAD A BIG TOUR. THE LISD TECH WEST FACILITY WE PARTICIPATED WITH THE MORE YOU KNOW WE DID A WHAT WE JUST CALL THAT YEAH WE JUST SAID YEAH WE DID THAT TOUR FOR TECH WEST WE DID A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR COMMITTEE OUR TOWN COUNCILS STAFF IN THE SCHOOL BOARD JUST JUST TO TIE IN EVERYTHING THAT WAS A VIDEO WE DID. YEAH, WE DID THAT MAINLY BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET THE AWARENESS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY OF THIS BOARD. BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE GET A HOLD OF SOMEBODY, THEY ALWAYS ASK, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AND SOMEBODY ELSE IS ALREADY DOING IT. SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE OVERLAPPING A LOT. SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET AND TEMPER THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET INTO PEOPLE'S NORMAL. PATH OF GAINING INFORMATION AND REALLY INTERACTING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN. SO WE'VE DONE SOME, I THINK, SOME PRETTY GOOD INROADS THIS YEAR WITH SOME OF THE TOURS WE'VE DONE WITH THE VIDEO. WE HAD SOME VISITATION WITH SOME OF THE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WERE PRESIDENTS OF PRESIDENTS OF THE PTAS. SO LIKE THERE'S ONE REPRESENTATIVE THAT'S ABOVE ALL THE PTAS AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT. SHE CAME AND TALKED TO US, SO THAT WAS PRETTY COOL. WE HAVE SENT OUT SOME EMAILS TO NCTC AND MSU. I THINK IT'S MSU. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN RESPONSES TOO MUCH FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE US OUT TOO. I'VE HAD A COUPLE BACK AND FORTH. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE FACED WITH RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO GET A FOOTHOLD SO THAT PEOPLE ACCEPT US AND UNDERSTAND. SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, FOCUSING ON HEAVILY RIGHT NOW, IS AWARENESS. AND COMMUNICATION AND POTENTIALLY SOME SOCIAL MEDIA JUST TO GET AWARENESS OUT. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE HELPED THE MOST RIGHT NOW. SO I DID TURN IN A THREE-PAGE REPORT. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO READ IT, SO Y'ALL ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO READ IT. BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST YEAR. DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER? SO ONE OF THE THINGS, I DID TALK TO LORI RAPP. OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND THEN A FEW OF THE THE LISD BOARD MEMBERS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AS YOU SAID IS THAT THEY'RE YOUR NEW COMMITTEE I WAS JUST TRYING TO TIE IN, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT COMMITTEE CAN BE KIND OF A LIAISON OR SOUNDING BOARD FOR, I THINK, THE LISD BOARD. AND SO WHAT WE DID TALK ABOUT IS MAYBE HAVING YOUR COMMITTEE, ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS, GO INTO ONE OF THE BOARD MEETINGS SO THAT THERE CAN BE MAYBE A WORK SESSION WITH THEM OR DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM AS FAR AS WHAT. WHAT THE GOALS ARE BECAUSE I THINK REALLY ESTABLISHING SOME SPECIFIC MEASURABLE GOALS WILL HELP SO THAT THERE'S THERE'S A DRIVER THERE SO AND WE DO THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON BUT I THINK JUST BRINGING THEM IN INSTEAD OF BECAUSE I THINK THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES AND JUST COMING MAYBE TO THEIR BOARD MEETINGS RIGHT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND I THINK THEY WERE OPEN [01:15:02] TO THAT SO I KNOW IT'S GREAT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT DIRECTION. WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE AN EMBEDDED COMMITTEE MEMBER THAT IS VERY TIGHTLY CONNECTED WITH DR. RAPP. YEAH. SO WE ARE TRYING OR THAT IS ONE OF THE OTHER KIND OF ENDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DEVELOP AND NURTURE TO GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE LISD SCHOOL BOARD. BUT MAKE IT KIND OF OUT IN THE OPEN MORE TRANSPARENT. COMING TO THOSE MEETINGS, MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. RIGHT. AND WE ALSO, ON OUR LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST MONTH, WE'RE TRYING TO SET UP MAYBE A ROTATION TO WHERE EACH OF US GOES TO EACH OF THE MEETINGS. AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT OR THE CITY, THEN WE CAN USE THE SOCIAL MEDIA TO BROADCAST IT MAYBE AND GET THAT WORD OUT A LITTLE FASTER THAN MAYBE SOMEBODY GETTING THE PAPER IN THE MAILBOX, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH, IT'S GOOD POINTS. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO GET SOME TRACTION AND WORK WITH LISD. HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY YET TO REACH OUT TO ARGYLE ISD? HAVE NOT. BECAUSE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL AND ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IS ACTUALLY IN FLOWER MOUND. YEAH, WE HAVE NOT. WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE THAT ON. OKAY, YEAH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO THAT. BECAUSE I KNOW WE GOT GRAPEVINE COLLIE BUILDING. WE GOT FLOWER MOUND. OR, I'M SORRY, LISD. WE GOT ARGYLE. ALL KINDS OF HOMESCHOOLERS. YOU KNOW, SO WE KNOW. SINCE WE'RE SO FAR EAST-WEST, WE'RE HITTING A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. SO, YEAH, WE DO DEFINITELY NEED TO REACH OUT TO ARGO. THANK YOU. ANY OTHERS? THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. OKAY, THEN WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IS NEXT. CHRIS REED IS GOING TO PRESENT. I'VE MISSED SEEING YOU, CHRIS. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS ME. MATT AND I WERE JOKING ABOUT IT. I WAS GOING TO HAVE HIM COME UP HERE AND START MY PRESENTATION FOR ME, BUT HE SAID NO. HE ALSO JUST CHALLENGED ME TO DO A 45-MINUTE PRESENTATION OVER TWO SLIDES. OH, WAIT A MINUTE. MAYBE HE SAID 4.5-MINUTE PRESENTATION. I GOT NOTES HERE. OKAY. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL, MAYOR, STAFF, FOR LETTING US COME UP AND DO THIS PRESENTATION EACH YEAR. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE. IT'S WEIRD BEING ON THIS SIDE TO DO A PRESENTATION. I'M CHRIS REED. I'M THE CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. I WANT TO THANK THE REST OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. Y'ALL ALWAYS GIVE US A GREAT COMMISSION. OUR COMMISSIONERS TO BE ON THE COMMISSION WITH US AND THE THE BATCH THAT WE HAVE ON THIS ROUND HAS BEEN TOP-NOTCH SO UM WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD DEBATES AND CONVERSATIONS OVER THE TOPICS AND UH THE I FEEL LIKE THE PRESENTATION MIGHT BE A TAD SHORT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE OUR TOPICS WENT A LOT LONGER WHERE WE HAD DISCUSSIONS THAT I DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE WHICH IS GOOD, RIGHT? IRON SOME THINGS OUT, WENT PRETTY WELL. SO THIS YEAR WE WORKED ON THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN. FIRST RANCH AND THE MONARCH WERE THE TWO BIG ONES THAT WE HAD TO TOUCH. AND THEN THE SIDEWALK LINKS IS ANOTHER THING THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT EACH YEAR. WE HAVE THE NEW SCORING MATRIX THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE THAT HELPS US NOW. WE HAD BEEN USING THE OLD SCORING METRICS AND IT... WASN'T ACCOUNTING FOR SOME OF THE NEW THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE WE HAD DONE ALL THE EASY THINGS. AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A NEW REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. I THINK WE GENERALLY WERE $150,000, AND WE'RE RUNNING INTO SOME THINGS NOW WHERE THE SIDEWALKS THAT ARE REMAINING, THE PROJECTS ARE GETTING BIGGER, AND THEY'RE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO, CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE UP. SO WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE THE NEW CROSSWALK POLICY THAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED, AND NOW WE HAVE THAT POLICY THAT ALLOWS US TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MARKINGS WE WANT ON THE ROAD BASED UPON THE CRITERIA. WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BEFORE, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA. WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR THE STREETLIGHTS, SAME TYPE OF THING. [01:20:03] WE NOW HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE FOR THAT, OR A PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR THAT. WHICH HELPS FOR THE RESIDENTS TO, IF THEY WANT A STREET LIGHT TO BE PUT IN. IT ALSO GAVE, PUT SOME PRIORITY TO OR CRITERIA TO HOW WE DO THE STREET LIGHTS. WE FOUND SOME GAPS IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE POLICY WAS BEING INTERPRETED, AND THEN WE TRIED TO OPEN THAT UP A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN MAYBE ALLOW FOR A LITTLE BIT BETTER EXEMPTIONS. WE'VE BEEN ASSISTING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE CROSSING GUARDS SINCE IT'S BEEN BACK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR A COUPLE YEARS. IT'S GOOD TO HEAR WHERE THE NEEDS ARE AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE TOWN CAN DO TO HELP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HELP THE CROSSING GUARDS. THAT'S A BIG PRIORITY FOR EVERYBODY IS TO KEEP THE KIDS SAFE DURING THOSE TIMES. STREETLIGHT PRIORITY ITSELF NOW, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THE... RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS AND THAT'S IF SOMEBODY'S ASKED FOR ONE. WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT THE CRASH DATA TO SEE IF THERE'S AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO MAYBE LIGHT UP BETTER. WE HAVE THE STREET LIGHT SERVICES SURVEY POLICY WHICH IS WHAT WAS TALKING ABOUT SECOND GO AND THEN WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT COLOR OR THE KELVIN NEEDS TO BE FOR THE STREET LIGHTS WHETHER IT SHOULD BE THE FOUR OR 3000 THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DEBATE ON THAT I GUESS UM I KNOW THAT THE THE TOWN IS THE DARK SKY POLICY IS IN PLACE AND THIS COULD AFFECT HOW WE INTERPRET THAT IS WHAT LIGHTS WE LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES RIGHT THE ROADS WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN SOME AND IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO PROACTIVELY TO MAKE THE ROAD SURFACES LAST LONGER, YES, IT'S SPENDING MONEY NOW, BUT THE END RESULT IS WE DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE ROAD AS SOON, WHICH IS A MAJOR EXPENSE. AND THEN WE HAVE THE CIP INPUTS, LIKE TRAFFIC SIGNALS, AND THEN THE STREET RECONSTRUCTION STUFF. THIS UPCOMING YEAR, THE PAVEMENT ANALYSIS PRESENTATION WILL COME IN, AND WE'LL DISCUSS MORE ABOUT THAT. WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN A FEW YEARS. THAT'S WHERE WE LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF THE ROADS AND WHAT ROADS NEED TO BE REBUILT OR MAINTENANCED. AND THEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET UP TO SEE THE DCTA OPERATIONS CENTER TO DO THE TOUR THERE. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE DID ANOTHER TOUR. IT'S GOOD TO SEE HOW TRANSIT IS BEING SEEN IN OTHER CITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS? I GUESS I HAD THE QUESTION AS SOON AS YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE STREETLIGHTS, THE DARK SKY THING IS THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND. WILL THAT COME BEFORE US AFTER YOU'VE WORKED ON? I ASSUME THAT YOU'RE COMING UP WITH A STRATEGY FOR WHICH LIGHTS AND THEN WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOING WITH THE 03,000 OR THE 4,000? THE LOCATIONS IS THE ONE THAT COMES UP THAT WE RECOMMEND ON. FOR THE STREETLIGHTS THEMSELVES, WE HAVE NO, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN NO DIRECTION WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO PROMOTE MORE STREETLIGHTS, EXCEPT KIND OF GIVEN THE SMALL CRITERIA THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO PUT THEM IN, OR WE REQUEST THEM BASED UPON SOME PUBLIC NEEDS LIKE CRASH LOCATIONS THAT IT HELPS LIGHTING UP, OR SOME OF THE MAJOR CROSSWALKS THAT ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET OR MID-BLOCK. I'LL SAY IN FRONT OF MARCUS OR SOMEWHERE LIKE THAT, WHERE WE'VE ADDED IN SOME LIGHTS FOR PUBLIC PROTECTION. THE COLOR THING WE HAVEN'T. THERE'S BEEN NO JUST... NO CONVERSATION ABOUT NEEDING TO PUSH IT UP UNLESS Y'ALL ARE ASKING US TO LOOK INTO IT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. WE PUSHED IT TO THE MORE AMBER COLOR, WHICH IS PART OF THAT DARK SKIES. BUT WHAT I WANT YOU GUYS TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS, ODDLY ENOUGH, ONE OF THE POINTS OF CONTENTION THAT WE HAVE WITH THE PUBLIC IS LIGHT POLLUTION. PEOPLE DON'T LIKE LIGHT POLLUTION, AND THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST IN A MEETING AT VALLEY CREEK OVER SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS, AND PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE LIGHTS LIGHTING UP THE COURT. YOU KNOW, LIGHTEN UP THEIR HOUSE AT THE SAME TIME. SO WE'RE DOING ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THAT. OUR NEW MODERN STREETLIGHTS DO SEEM TO PUT THE LIGHT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE AND NOT WHERE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE. BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING YOU GUYS SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT. LIGHTING UP BRIGHT LIGHTS AT NIGHTTIME DO TEND TO CREATE DARK SPOTS AND BRIGHT SPOTS, WHEREAS YOU TRANSITION FROM ONE TO THE NEXT, IT CAN KIND OF BLIND YOU FOR A MINUTE. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING. SO I LIKE THAT YOU GUYS ARE DIGGING INTO THAT, AND I WOULD [01:25:01] LIKE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE. AND TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE PUTTING THESE STREETLIGHTS. WE DON'T NEED TO TURN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY ALL OVER TOWN. I'M REALLY NOT A BIG FAN OF THAT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND IT AFFECTS OUR ECOSYSTEM, TOO. OH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. AND I HAVE ONE OTHER THING. ARE YOU DONE, JEAN-B.A.? YEAH. OKAY. SO WE MADE SOME INVESTMENTS A FEW YEARS AGO IN THE ADAPTIVE. WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. WHAT ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS BEING MADE? OR ARE WE LOOKING AT ANOTHER CORRIDOR TO... MAKE THAT MOVE ON OR IS THERE ANY NEW ADVANCEMENTS IN THE INDUSTRY THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? I THINK WE WERE KIND OF HOLDING OFF BECAUSE THERE'S SOME ADVANCEMENTS ARE COMING AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT WITH THE ADAPTIVE. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I DO THINK THAT WHERE WE HAD IT WAS, WELL, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD MOVE. THE ADAPTIVE TO ANOTHER CORRIDOR. INSTEAD OF BUYING MORE EQUIPMENT OR RENTING MORE, I GUESS WE BUY IT, PLUS THE LICENSING OF IT, IS TO TAKE THE EXISTING EQUIPMENT AND MOVE IT TO MAYBE $24.99 OR SOMETHING. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, MOST OF IT'S ON MORRIS. MORRIS IS A GREAT CANDIDATE, AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT SO OVERLY SUPER CONGESTED THAT IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT THE CONCERN AT $4.07 AND $24.99 JUST DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE THERE'S JUST TOO MANY DANG CARS DRIVING THROUGH THERE. BUT MAYBE $11.71, MAYBE YOU SOME OF THE OTHER CORRIDORS THAT ARE NOT QUITE AS HEAVILY TRAVELED, WHERE IT COULD HAVE BENEFIT, OR MAYBE IT COULD BENEFIT IF YOU ELIMINATE, YOU KNOW, FOUR TO SIX WHEN THERE'S NO POINT. BUT THE REST OF THE DAY, DO YOU NEED TO HIT EVERY LIGHT RED AS YOU'RE GOING DOWN 2499 AT SEVEN? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DO. SO I STILL THINK THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE. BUT IF THE TECHNOLOGY WITH AI IS ADVANCING RAPIDLY, THEN IT MIGHT BE SMART TO HOLD OFF. BUT I'M HOPING YOU GUYS ARE DOING THAT RESEARCH. I THINK THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS WITH THE BOXES. I THINK SOME OF THE PLACES WE CAN'T PUT THEM IN BECAUSE OUR EQUIPMENT'S ON THE OLDER SIDE IN THOSE AREAS. AND WE NEED TO BUT I THINK THERE WAS A PACKAGE COMING SOON TO START TALKING ABOUT UPGRADING THE OLDER CABINETS TO THE NEWER CABINETS. AND IT'S JUST I THINK WE'VE BEEN INVESTING IN THAT. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW. IT'S SLOW. IT'S LIKE SENSORS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. YEAH, IT'S SLOW BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE. RIGHT. BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST TO MAKE INVESTMENTS TO MAKE TRAFFIC FLOW BETTER IN THIS TOWN, SO WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF KNOW WHERE THE BEST PLACE IS TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS. SO I APPRECIATE THE HELP FIGURING THAT OUT. IT'S NOT EASY. THE SIDEWALK LINKS, WITH THE BOND PACKAGE THAT WE DID A FEW YEARS AGO, WASN'T SOME OF THAT FUNDING TO TRY AND LINK SOME OF THESE BIG SECTIONS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN? I DON'T THINK WE GOT ANY OF THAT MONEY. YEAH, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR US. ALL OF THAT WAS FOR TRAILS. YEAH, WELL, TRAILS, BUT SOME OF THOSE TRAILS WERE LIKE 30, 40. YEAH, SO ANY PLACE THERE WAS A TRAIL SYSTEM THAT WAS ALREADY DESIGNATED THAT WAS GOING TO BE TRAILS, WE, TRANSPORTATION, LIKE, KICKED BACK AND SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, WE'LL LET THE TRAIL SYSTEM TAKE CARE OF IT. GOTCHA. WE'RE ONLY COVERING BASICALLY WHAT IS NOT THE TRAIL SYSTEM. OKAY. RIGHT? YEAH. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKS CHRIS MAYOR MAY I MAKE A JUST A CLARIFICATION IN THE DARK SKY IF YOU REMEMBER WE HAD BROUGHT AN ITEM FORWARD AND WE'RE DOING A BETA TEST ESSENTIALLY IN A LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ESTATES OF CREEKWOOD AND THAT'S THAT BUT THAT'S JUST THE STREET LIGHTING WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD I THINK UH THE CHAIR WAS TALKING MORE ABOUT LIGHTING ALONG OUR THOROUGHFARES BUT WE ARE BETA TASTING RIGHT NOW WITH ENCORE AT THE STATES OF CREEKWOOD OH GREAT OKAY THAT'S GOOD WHAT WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD? THE ESTATES OF CREEKWOOD. OKAY. OKAY, SO THE VETERANS LIAISON BOARD IS NEXT. SO PRESENT. OH, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PRESENTERS. Y'ALL CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. OH, DON'T WORRY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN 45, 50 MINUTES. HEY, GOOD EVENING. MICHAEL SADLER, RETIRED MARINE VET, NEWEST MEMBER OF THE BOARD, SO THAT'S WHY I'M BRIEFING TONIGHT, I THINK. START OUT WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THE BOARD BRIEFED LAST YEAR. I'LL BACK UP FOR THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THE VETERANS LIAISON BOARD IS AN ADVISORY. AND COORDINATION BOARD FOR ALL ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE IMPACT TO VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES. SO IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE WHAT WE DO. WE'RE HERE TO HELP AND KIND OF BE THAT CONDUIT BETWEEN THE CITY OF FLOWER MOUND AND OUR VETERAN AND MILITARY COMMUNITIES. SO SINCE LAST YEAR, THE BOARD, OBVIOUSLY VETERANS DAY WAS A BIG EVENT. MAYOR, YOU WERE THERE. A LITTLE COLD, A LITTLE WINDY, BUT WE HAD A REALLY GOOD [01:30:02] TURNOUT AT FLOWER MOUND HIGH SCHOOL. WITH THE COLOR GUARDS AND THEN WE HAD A MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT COME DOWN FROM OKLAHOMA AND SPEAK. THAT WAS ON THE 9TH OF LAST YEAR AND THE 11TH WE OBVIOUSLY HAD THE RELAY RUN, WHICH HAS GROWN AND WE ANTICIPATE IT GROWING THIS YEAR AS WELL. WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT, WEATHER WAS GREAT, SO HOPEFULLY THIS NOVEMBER IT'LL TURN OUT. ONE OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE STARTED WAS PRESENTING CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION TO OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN ASSISTED LIVING AND RETIREMENT HOMES. IN FLOWER MOUND. AND CHARLENE, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, SHE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. SO WHAT'S COMING UP IN THIS NEXT YEAR? MONDAY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT PAYING ATTENTION, BUT IT'S MEMORIAL DAY. SO EVERYONE'S INVITED OUT AT 9 A.M. ON MONDAY, AND WE'LL BE HAVING A RETIRED SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT, GARY STEELE, WHO WILL BE OUR GUEST SPEAKER, RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE. AND THEN AS USUAL, WE'LL HAVE SOME TABLES OUT THERE WITH POINTS OF CONTACT FROM VETERANS POINT IN DENTON AND THE VETERANS HEALTH CARE ALLIANCE. NEXT EVENT AFTER THAT WILL BE JUNE 11TH, WHERE WE'LL BE DOING A DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR DOUG BROWN AT VETERANS PLAZA. AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET CONGRESSMAN GILL TO GET US AN AMERICAN FLAG THAT WAS FLOWN OVER THE U.S. CAPITOL. AND THEN STATE REPRESENTATIVE MOM GARDNER WAS ABLE TO GET US A TEXAS FLAG THAT FLEW OVER. THE CAPITAL IN AUSTIN, AND I BELIEVE STATE REP. BUMGARNER WILL BE THERE TO PRESENT THAT FLAG. WE'RE KIND OF IN THE INFANCY PREPARING FOR OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER FOR THE FALL FESTIVAL AND THEN THIS UPCOMING VETERANS DAY. I AM REMISS, AS THE NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, FOR NOT PUSHING HARD ENOUGH FOR NOVEMBER 10TH OF LAST YEAR. IT WAS THE MARINE CORPS' 250TH BIRTHDAY. WE DIDN'T CELEBRATE IT AS A TOWN, BUT I CELEBRATED IT MYSELF. BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THIS YEAR WE CELEBRATE, AS I THINK THE ONLY MARINE ON THE BOARD, I NEED TO PUSH THAT A LITTLE BIT HARDER. BESIDES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. BARGAINING QUESTIONS, WE CAN YIELD THE REST OF OUR TIME BACK TO THE COUNCIL. COULD YOU REPEAT THE DATE FOR THE PRESENTATION TO DOUG BROWN? THAT IS JUNE 11TH AT PETER COLONY PARK. OKAY, THE MEMORIAL PARK OPENING. YES, YES. THANK YOU. COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE CERTIFICATES TO THE PEOPLE AT THE SENIOR LIVING FACILITY? I WILL LET CHARLENE TALK. WITH THE HELP OF DAVID, WE DESIGNED SOME CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION FROM THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND TO PRESENT TO SOME OF OUR VETERANS THAT MAYBE CANNOT ATTEND SOME OF OUR EVENTS DUE TO MOBILITY ISSUES OR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. SO WE TOOK ABOUT A DOZEN CERTIFICATES TO EVERY ASSISTED LIVING, INDEPENDENT LIVING, AND SKILLED NURSING FACILITY IN FLOWER MOUND. AND THEY WOULD HAVE LIKE A LITTLE CEREMONY AROUND VETERANS DAY, AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT FACILITIES, MEET THE VETERANS, AND PRESENT THEIR CERTIFICATES, AND TAKE PICTURES, AND MEET THEIR FAMILIES, AND IT WAS A REALLY LOVELY TIME, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR, I THINK. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I CAN, YOU KNOW, LET YOU, THE TOWN SECRETARY, KNOW THE SCHEDULE, AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND. IT WOULD BE GREAT, THANK YOU. I DID LIKE THE VETERANS DAY EVENT AT THE FLOWER MOUND HIGH SCHOOL. THAT WAS GREAT. LOCATION AND INVOLVING THE KIDS IN THAT AS WELL, THE BAND. IT WAS FABULOUS. I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN IF WE CAN AND JUST MAYBE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE TURNOUT AND JUST GET THAT ENGAGEMENT BEFOREHAND. YEAH, I THINK IT WAS PRETTY BRISK THAT DAY. IT WAS COLD, SO I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE LIMITED IT, BUT I AGREE IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT. WE HAVE LINED UP A SPEAKER FOR THIS SHARE TOO. YES, WE DO. SO THIS YEAR, LET'S SEE, CHAPLAIN BOB EVANS, WHO'S A... RETIRED OR A U.S. NAVY RETIRED CHAPLAIN WILL BE OUR GUEST SPEAKER FOR THAT. AND THEN RICH TOLD ME BECAUSE I FORGOT MONDAY'S CEREMONY. WHERE'S THAT, RICHARD? OKAY, IT'S AT THE SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER AT 9 O'CLOCK ON MONDAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. HEY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, THOUGH, I DO A SUPPORT GROUP UP IN DENTON, SELECT MEDICAL CENTER, IF ANY OF YOUR VETERANS NEED A SUPPORT GROUP. WE HAVE THAT THERE. WE HAVE ANIMAL SERVICES BOARD. BETH SODERBERG IS GOING TO PRESENT. OH, YOU'RE THE GRAND FINALE. WE ARE THE GRAND FINALE. I KNOW, WE START WITH THE A. WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE FIRST. SO, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, [01:35:02] COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND STAFF. I'M BETH SODERBERG AND I'M CHAIR OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES BOARD. IT'S AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES BOARD TO REFLECT ON WHAT'S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF GROWTH, COLLABORATION, AND PURPOSE. THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE KELLY FURNESS, MY VICE CHAIR. WE HAVE BRUCE MONROE. WE HAVE LORI APPLEBAUM, SEAN LEE, KARINA VAN LOTT, CHRISTINE HASTINGS, DR. ROBIN REED, AND JOHN B.A. WARNER ON OUR TEAM. SO I WANT TO GIVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION, HOWEVER, TO MY VICE CHAIR. KELLY FURNESS HAS BEEN A GUIDING LIGHT, AND WITH HER EXPERIENCE IN THE C-SUITE AT OPERATION KINDNESS, HAS BROUGHT INSIGHT AND SENSITIVITY TO WHAT GOES ON IN A SHELTER. SHE ALSO TAKES ALL OF MY IDEAS AND HELPS CONSOLIDATE THEM INTO SEEABLE ACTIONS. SHE SAYS SHE'S MY DREAM CRUSHER, BUT IN REALITY, SHE IS A REALITY MAKER. SO I WANT TO THANK HER BECAUSE I REALLY DO DRIVE HER CRAZY SOMETIMES. SO THANK YOU, KELLY. THANK YOU ALSO TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND THAT'S LORI AS CHAIR OF THE CHRISTMAS PARADE THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING, AND WE HAVE KARINA AS CHAIR OF THE OWL PROJECT THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING ABOUT SOON WITH SEAN LEE AND BRUCE MONROE. THESE SAME PEOPLE ATTENDED SHELTER FUNCTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BRINGING ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER RESOURCES. I WANT TO THANK JOHN V.A. WARNER FOR BEING OUR LIAISON, AND THANK YOU FOR THE ADDITIONAL TIME YOU GIVE US AND TO THE TOWN. YOUR SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THIS YEAR WAS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT MEETINGS HELD OR AGENDA ITEMS COMPLETED. IT WAS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION. IT WAS ABOUT BECOMING MORE ENGAGED, MORE CONNECTED, AND MORE COMMITTED TO SERVING BOTH OUR SHELTER TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY WE REPRESENT. OUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR WAS THE SUCCESSFUL CHANGE TO THE TOWN'S ORDINANCE GOVERNING OUR BOARD. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO KELLY FURNESS AND LORI ALPERBAUM THAT LED THAT CHARGE, AND TO THE MEMBERS UP HERE THAT SUPPORTED US WHEN WE BROUGHT IT FORTH TO YOU. THAT CHANGE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED, MORE INFORMED, MORE EFFECTIVE AS A WORKING BOARD AND A TRUE TEAM. IT ALLOWED US TO MOVE BEYOND SIMPLY OBSERVING AND INSTEAD BECOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS. SUPPORTING ANIMAL SERVICES AND THE SHELTER STAFF THE ORDINANCE CHANGE MATTERED WE'RE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT CHANGE AND ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW INTO A MORE MEANINGFUL ROLE IN BOARD ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT MIGHT SEEM SMALL TO SOME WAS THE ADDITION OF NAME TAGS I KNOW YOU GOT SICK OF ME ASKING FOR NAME TAGS BUT IN THE NAME TAGS FOR NOT ONLY OUR COMMISSIONERS BUT ACROSS ALL THE BOARDS RECOGNITION DOES MATTER AND VISIBILITY MATTERS. PROFESSIONALISM MATTERS AND THE SMALLEST CHANGE CAN HELP PEOPLE FEEL SEEN, VALUED AND CONNECTED TO THE WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY. THIS YEAR WE ALSO FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS. THIS YEAR ONCE AGAIN WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE COUPONS THROUGH THE LIBRARY SO THAT THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM COULD RECEIVE A FREE BOOK AFTER COMPLETING THE READING TO THE CATS. THIS IS A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP THAT CREATES A LASTING IMPACT. IT CREATES A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE THAT CONNECTS YOUNG PEOPLE TO BOTH READING, ANIMAL WELFARE, AND A MEANINGFUL WAY. AND I KIND OF HEARD THAT CHRIS DREW ALMOST LEFT WITH A CAT. YEAH. ANYWAY, I THINK YOU LUCKED OUT A LITTLE BIT ON THAT ONE. THEY GOT THE BOOK, NOT THE CAT. YOU DID WHAT? THEY GOT THE BOOK, NOT THE CAT. THE BOOK, NOT THE CAT. THERE YOU GO. SEE YOU AT WIN-WIN. THERE YOU GO. WE ALSO MADE IT A PRIORITY TO SUPPORT THE INCREDIBLE STAFF AND TEAM MEMBERS WHO WORK AT THE SHELTER EVERY DAY. THIS YEAR OUR BOARD CAME TOGETHER TO PROVIDE LUNCH AND DESSERTS FOR THE SHELTER TEAM AS A SMALL GESTURE OF APPRECIATION. THOSE WHO WORK IN ANIMAL SERVICES CARRY A LOT OF EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL BURDENS THAT PEOPLE NEVER SEE. THEY CARE FOR ABANDONED ANIMALS AND INJURED ANIMALS AND FRIGHTENED ANIMALS AND SOMETIMES ANIMALS IN HEARTBREAKING SITUATIONS. WE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THAT THEIR WORK MATTERS. OUR BOARD'S GOAL IS SIMPLE. WE WANT TO BECOME A TRUE ASSET TO THE SHELTER AND NOT JUST AN ADVISORY GROUP, BUT A PARTNER AND SUPPORT SYSTEM AS WELL AS A RESOURCE. WE WANT TO BE SEEN AS A BOARD THAT CARES. ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT THIS YEAR WAS THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING WE BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH GUEST SPEAKERS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. WE BEGAN THE YEAR WITH HORRORS FOR THE HOLIDAYS, FEATURING DR. ANTHONY RUSH, WHICH BROUGHT IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS AND EDUCATION TO OUR COMMUNITY IN AN ENGAGING WAY. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKIE NORELL OF THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND CITIZEN OF THE YEAR, FOR YOUR ADVICE ON THIS. WE HOSTED THEN LORI ANN CASH FROM CANINE COMPANIONS WITH STRUDEL HER DOG. LATER, WE HOSTED DAVID MCCARTY FOR A PRESENTATION ON OWLS, WHICH RESULTED IN A HISTORICAL ATTENDANCE. WE FILLED THIS ENTIRE ROOM, AND WE WERE SO PROUD OF THAT. THAT DEMONSTRATED SOMETHING POWERFUL THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS TO LEARN. PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO GET INVOLVED. THESE EVENTS HELP BUILD AWARENESS, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO CONNECT NOT ONLY WITH ANIMAL SERVICES, BUT WITH BROADER CONVERSATIONS SURROUNDING WILDLIFE CARE AND CONSERVATION AND BRINGING [01:40:01] VISIBILITY TO THE SHELTER. WE ARE NOT STOPPING THERE. WE ARE EXCITED THAT OUR PROPOSED NEW PROGRAM WILL HAVE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL TO FURTHER CONNECT THE COMMUNITY WITH THE WORK AND MISSION OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES BOARD. WE ARE EAGER TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER BOARDS. THESE PARTNERSHIPS REPRESENT EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE PROGRAMS THAT UNITE EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, AND ANIMAL WELFARE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT SOMETHING INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH AND SUCCESS OF ANY BOARD, AND THAT IS RETENTION. THIS YEAR, WE'VE RETAINED BOARD MEMBERS. IT MEANS WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN THE MISSION, THEY FEEL INVESTED, AND IT MEANS THAT WE'RE BUILDING A BOARD THAT IS FINDING THEIR VOICE AND DISCOVERING HOW IT CAN BE BEST SERVED IN THIS TOWN. WILL SOME EVENTUALLY MOVE ON? OF COURSE. BUT WE ARE CHANGING THE REPUTATION OF THIS BOARD AND MAKING IT ONE TO BE SOUGHT AFTER. THIS BOARD IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE SHELTER. WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING BUILD PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU, MAYOR, COUNCIL, FOR YOUR SUPPORT, YOUR TRUST. AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP THIS BOARD GROW INTO WHAT IT CAN BECOME. THANK YOU, CHRISTINE HASTINGS AND HER SHELTER STAFF, FOR THE WORK SHE DOES EVERY DAY AND THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY. THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR DEDICATION, THE NEW FRIENDSHIPS, YOUR PASSION, AND YOUR BELIEF IN THE MISSION. WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR, BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT. ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. NO QUESTIONS. YOU'VE TAKEN, FOR ME ANYWAY, YOU'VE TAKEN A BOARD. FROM A BOARD MEETING THAT LASTS FIVE MINUTES TO AN HOUR IN A PACKED HOUSE. IT'S JUST THE SPEAKERS ARE FUN. THEY'RE ON TOPIC, CREATIVE PROJECTS, PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF TAME AND WILDLIFE IN TOWN, AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. SO WELL DONE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, JOHN B., I HAVE TO GIVE THIS GIRL CREDIT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, AGAIN, WE'RE A GREAT TEAM, BECAUSE I HAVE THESE IDEAS THAT ARE OFF THE WALL, I'LL JUST TELL YOU THAT, AND SHE KNOWS HOW TO KIND OF TAME IT DOWN AND THEN MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO, I MEAN, WE JUST, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH, AND I TOLD HER SHE CAN'T LEAVE. SO THANKS HER TO THE ENTIRE BOARD. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, I AGREE WITH JEAN-PIERRE. THE EDUCATIONAL ASPECT THAT YOU'VE ADDED AND MORE VISIBILITY FOR THE SHELTER, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING IS BRINGING VISIBILITY TO THEM, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO, BETH, YOU MENTIONED THE ORDINANCE CHANGE. STRENGTHEN THE BOARD A LITTLE BIT AND THERE WAS A DANGEROUS DOG ORDINANCE THAT WAS REFINED AS WELL THIS LAST YEAR AFTER THAT INCIDENT DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANYTHING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS THAT YOU NEED COUNSEL TO SUPPORT YOU ON SO ON THAT THE DANGEROUS DOG THING? WE'D REALLY TRY AS A BOARD TO KEEP OURSELVES SEPARATE FROM THE SHELTERS THAT THE SHELTER OPERATIONS SO WE DON'T ENTER INTO THAT ARENA. THAT'S CHRISTINE'S ARENA SO WE ARE JUST ON THE OUTSIDE JUST BRINGING VISIBILITY WHICH THAT'S WHAT OUR ORDINANCE SAYS AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM GET PEOPLE IN THE DOOR SO THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE ADOPTIONS OUT THE DOOR. SO WE WON'T HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WITH THE SHELTER. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT, GUYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING FORWARD TONIGHT AND PRESENTING ON THE BOARD, YOUR BOARDS THAT YOU'RE ON. I DO WANT TO SAY THIS TONIGHT. APPLICATIONS FOR A BOARD OR COMMISSION IS STARTING ON AUGUST 1ST AND IT GOES THROUGH THE MONTH OF AUGUST SO ANYONE 18 OR OVER CAN APPLY FOR A BOARD OR COMMISSION AND KEEP IN MIND NOT EVERY PERSON CAN BE APPOINTED TO A BOARD OR COMMISSION BUT WE TRY OUR BEST TO APPOINT THE BEST PEOPLE APPROPRIATE FOR THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND YOU CAN PUT YOUR TOP THREE CHOICES DOWN I DO HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK INTO YOUR COMMUNITY AND TRY TO APPLY TO ONE OF THEM BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS. THE TIME IS NOW 7:43 AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. GOODNIGHT, FLOWER MOUNTAIN. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.