[00:00:05] GOOD EVENING, FLOWER MOUND. HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GOOD [A. CALL TO ORDER] NIGHT. I'M CALLING THIS TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER. IT IS 6 P.M. RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL START OUT WITH THE INVOCATION. CHAPLAIN PLUNK, IF YOU WILL COME FORWARD, AND IF EVERYONE WILL RISE FOR THE INVOCATION, AND THEN REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGES. SHALL WE PRAY? GRACIOUS LORD, WE COME TO YOU TONIGHT GIVING THANKS FOR SO MANY BLESSINGS. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE VERY FACT THAT WE GET TO LIVE IN FLOWER MOUND AND ARE SERVED BY SOME OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE AND GREATEST LEADERS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. BUT TONIGHT WE GIVE THANKS FOR YOUNG MEN LIKE ADAM WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY. WE GIVE THANKS FOR THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND MANY TIMES HERITAGE AND LENGTH OF SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT. AND FOR ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF BEING IN FLOWER MOUND. BUT TONIGHT WE INVOKE YOUR PRESENCE IN THIS HOUSE. WE PRAY YOUR BLESSINGS ON OUR LEADERS, GIVE THEM WISDOM, GIVE THEM DIRECTION, AND I SPEAK PEACE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ON THIS MEETING. I ASK IT IN YOUR NAME. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG; I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. [D. PRESENTATION(S)] WE'RE GOING TO START WITH SOME PRESENTATIONS. I'LL COME ON DOWN THERE. OKAY, TONIGHT WE HAVE A HOMETOWN HERO WE WANT TO CELEBRATE, AND THIS IS ADAM PALACIOS, AND ACCEPTING THIS HONOR IS HIS MOTHER, ROSE PALACIOS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD? YEAH, COME ON. OKAY, SO WHEREAS ADAM... PALACIOS GRADUATED FROM FLOWER MOUND HIGH SCHOOL IN 2021. HE ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN 2024 AFTER ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS. ADAM COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING IN THE A SCHOOL BEFORE BEING SELECTED TO SERVE ABOARD THE USS NIMITZ AIRCRAFT CARRIER. HE IS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED ABOARD THE USS NIMITZ IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA, WHERE HE CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE HIS COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO OUR COUNTRY. SO NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHERYL MOORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS, AND ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR TOWN COUNCIL AND ALL OF OUR CITIZENS, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR OUR OWN HOMETOWN HERO, ADAM PALACIOS. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WE ARE DOING A PROCLAMATION TONIGHT WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE COMING FORWARD TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION. WE HAVE SAMANTHA BURNS, AND CHAIR JUDY BUCKINGHAM. [00:05:04] AND I BELIEVE JACKIE, ARE YOU COMING FORWARD TOO? JACKIE NORELL? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS HERE. YES, MA'AM. SO JUST SAYING NOW WE HAVE THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND OUR CITIZEN OF THE YEAR, JACKIE NORELL IS UP HERE. SO ON JULY 4TH, 2026, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, MARKING THE SEMI-QUINTESSENTIAL, QUINTENNIAL OF OUR NATION. THIS HISTORIC MILESTONE OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AMERICANS TO REFLECT UPON THE COURAGE, THE SACRIFICE, AND ENDURING IDEALS OF LIBERTY, REPRESENTATIVE, GOVERNMENT, AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS ESTABLISHED BY OUR NATION'S FOUNDERS. THE NATIONAL SOCIETY DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, FOUNDED IN 1890, IS A NON-POLITICAL WOMEN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EDUCATION, AND PATRIOTISM, WHOSE MEMBERS ARE LINEAL DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHO ACHIEVED AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. THE FLOWER MOUND CHAPTER IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE, JULY 27TH THROUGH AUGUST 12TH, 2026, AT THE DENTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE ON THE SQUARE, WHICH PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THROUGH IMMERSIVE DISPLAYS AND RARE STORIES. THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING AND SHARING AMERICAN HISTORY. WITH FUTURE GENERATIONS, SO THAT THE PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH OUR NATION WAS FOUNDED MAY CONTINUE TO INSPIRE CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, UNITY, AND APPRECIATION FOR LIBERTY. SO I, CHERYL MOORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND THE WORKS AND EFFORTS OF THE FLOWER MOUND CHAPTER, NATIONAL SOCIETY, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND DO PROCLAIM SUPPORT FOR THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE. IN COMMEMORATION OF AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY. 250 YEARS. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A FEW WORDS. JUST QUICKLY, ON BEHALF OF THE FLOWER MOUND CHAPTER, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, I AM IN PROFOUND HONOR TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND FOR STANDING WITH US AS WE... CELEBRATE THIS EXTRAORDINARY MILESTONE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 250 YEARS AGO, A GROUP OF REMARKABLE MEN AND WOMEN PLEDGED THEIR LIVES, THEIR FORTUNES, AND THEIR SACRED HONOR, AND MANY PAID THAT PRICE IN FULL. THEY ENDURED BITTER WINTERS, LOST FARMS AND LIVELIHOODS, AND BURIED HUSBANDS AND SONS TO KEEP THE FLAME OF FREEDOM ALIVE. THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXISTS BECAUSE OF THOSE SACRIFICES AND WE CARRY THAT LEGACY WITH PRIDE. THAT LEGACY LIVES ON TODAY THROUGH OUR SERVICE. THE DAR IS A NONPROFIT, NONPOLITICAL WOMEN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATION, AND OUR MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT PROMOTE EDUCATION, PRESERVE HISTORY, AND HONOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR NATION, OUR VETERANS, OUR MILITARY, AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. IT'S HOW WE SAY THANK YOU TO THE GENERATIONS BEFORE US AND HOW WE PASS THAT GRATITUDE FORWARD. THIS SUMMER, WE'RE BRINGING THIS STORY TO DENTON COUNTY. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE, CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST, WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE DENTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE ON THE SQUARE FROM JULY 27TH TO AUGUST 12TH. WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US FOR THE OPENING RECEPTION ON MONDAY, JULY 27TH AT 5 P.M. ADMISSION IS FREE, AND WE'LL BE IN OUR PERIOD COSTUMES. MAYOR MOORE AND COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU FOR HELPING US ILLUMINATE OUR LEGACY. OKAY, WE HAVE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR, JACKIE NORELL. WE CAN DO LIKE WE DID AT TARGET. YOU CAN HOLD IT. SHE WANTS US TO DO KARAOKE. WE DO KARAOKE TOGETHER FOR THE KETTLEBELL CHALLENGE. YOU DON'T WANT KARAOKE. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO KARAOKE THIS. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, TOWN [00:10:01] COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND TOWN STAFF, AND ALL OF YOU FELLOW CITIZENS. ON BEHALF OF THE FLOWER MOUND CHAPTER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS IMPORTANT COMMEMORATION. AS WE BEGIN THE CELEBRATION OF AMERICA 250, WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE COURAGE, THE SACRIFICE, AND THE VISION OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HELPED ESTABLISH OUR VERY OWN NATION. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WAS MORE THAN A CONFLICT FOR INDEPENDENCE. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF AN ENDURING COMMITMENT TO LIBERTY, SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, LIKE ALL OF YOU ARE DOING RIGHT HERE TODAY. THESE IDEALS CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY. WE ARE HONORED, VERY HONORED, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMMEMORATION AND TO HELP SHARE THESE STORIES OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR VERY OWN NATION. WE ARE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND COUNCIL FOR ISSUING THIS PROCLAMATION AND THE MAYOR AND FOR SUPPORTING THE EXHIBIT THAT HELPS BRING THIS REMARKABLE CHAPTER OF HISTORY TO LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE DENTON COUNTY OFFICE OF HISTORY AND CULTURE AND THE SUPPORT AND THE COLLABORATION OF JUDGE ANDY EADS, COMMISSIONER BOBBY MITCHELL, AND OF COURSE THE DENTON COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WHICH I PROUDLY REPRESENT, AND THE FOUNDING CHAIR. THE FLOWER MOUND HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WE'RE RIGHT IN THERE TOO, WORKING AWAY. SO, WE ALSO BRING THE COMMITMENT, EDUCATION, PRESERVATION, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT PLAYS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR ENSURING THAT THESE STORIES REMAIN ACCESSIBLE AND MEANINGFUL AND HISTORICAL FOR ALL OF OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AS WE COMMEMORATE 250 YEARS OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, LET US HONOR THE LEGACY OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US BY REMAINING ENGAGED AND WONDERFULLY HISTORICAL CITIZENS AND STEWARDS OF OUR NATION'S HISTORY. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WE'RE ALMOST, WELL, GETTING CLOSE TO JULY, AND JULY IS GOING TO BE PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH. OF COURSE YOU CAN'T. I KNOW. WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HELP. GROUP AND SO MANY MORE MAKE THIS TOWN SO SPECIAL. OKAY, SO THIS PROCLAMATION IS FOR YOU ALL. PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND. PARKS AND RECREATION PROMOTES HEALTH AND WELLNESS, IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR PARKS AND ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. BY PROVIDING SPACE FOR SPORTS, HIKING, SWIMMING, AND SO MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE ACTIVE LIFESTYLES. PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS INCREASE THE COMMUNITY'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THROUGH INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, EXPANSION OF THE LOCAL TAX BASE, INCREASED TOURISM, THE ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF BUSINESSES, AND CRIME REDUCTION. OUR PARKS AND NATURAL RECREATION AREAS ENSURE THE ECOLOGICAL... BEAUTY OF OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE A PLACE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE AND RECREATE OUTDOORS. THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS DESIGNATED JULY AS PARKS AND PARK AND RECREATION MONTH. THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND RECOGNIZES THE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM PARKS AND RECREATION RESOURCES. SO NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHERYL MOORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, ALONG WITH OUR MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JULY 2026 AS PARK AND RECREATION MONTH. [00:15:03] SO ALONG WITH NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION, WE ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO CELEBRATE BY PARTICIPATING IN THEIR CHOICE OF RECREATION, PARK, AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS. AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT IS TO COME TO INDEPENDENCE FEST COMING UP, RIGHT? YEAH. WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S AN HONOR THAT YOU HAVE. PROCLAIMED JULY AS PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH HERE IN FLOWER MOUND. I KNOW YOU HAD A LOT TO READ THERE, BUT AS EVERYONE HEARD, THE BENEFITS OF A ROBUST PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM CERTAINLY ARE ENDLESS. I HOPE EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM, THERE'S BUNDT CAKES OUT THERE AND SOME JUICE, SO GO CHECK OUT. WE'VE GOT SOME PAMPHLETS AND FLYERS OF ALL THE STUFF THAT WE DO. THANK YOU, NOTHING BUNDT CAKE, FOR DONATING THOSE TONIGHT, BUT MAKE SURE YOU GRAB ONE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THEM HOME. BUT THIS YEAR'S THEME IS THE POWER OF PARKS AND RECREATION AND THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE. PARKS AND RECREATION, AS YOU HEARD, BRINGS US TOGETHER, STRENGTHENS OUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND WELL-BEING, AND IT BUILDS MORE RESILIENT, CONNECTED COMMUNITIES. THROUGHOUT THE MONTH, WE'LL BE CELEBRATING THE MANY WAYS PARKS AND RECREATION REVEALS THE POWER OF WHAT CONNECTS. BUT BEFORE I TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE EVENTS, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR TEAM HERE, THIS AMAZING GROUP AND DEDICATED GROUP OF EMPLOYEES IN OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. THEY REALLY DO TAKE OWNERSHIP IN WHAT THEY DO AND PRIDE, AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY FACILITIES, PARKS, PROGRAMS, EVENTS THAT WE CAN OFFER. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS FOR WHAT YOU DO. YOU'RE A STELLAR TEAM AND FOR ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. SO THIS YEAR, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH COMMITTEE, AND THIS YEAR IT WAS SHARON, THEY'RE ALL HERE I THINK, SHARON, MIKE, JILL, BROOKE, ELSA, AND RACHEL. AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE JULY IS GOING TO BE A FUN MONTH FOR OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL AS OUR EMPLOYEES. SO BE SURE TO VISIT THE TOWN'S WEBSITE, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES. AS WE GET CLOSER TO JULY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE POPULATING THOSE WITH ALL KINDS OF COOL THINGS FOR YOU GUYS TO DO. AND SOME OF MY FAVORITES THIS YEAR, I ALWAYS LIKE THE ANNUAL DIGITAL PHOTO CONTEST THAT WE DO. AND THEN ONE I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE CALENDAR THIS YEAR IS TO VISIT OUR NEWEST PARK THAT WE JUST DID THE RIBBON CUTTING ON LAST WEEK ON THURSDAY. AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU GUYS WERE THERE. I APPRECIATE YOU FOR COMING. WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT. BUT PETERS COLONY MEMORIAL PARK, MAKE SURE YOU GO STOP BY THAT AND VISIT THAT PARK. AND THEN WE DO HAVE A NEW EVENT THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR, AND IT'S CALLED THE COMMUNITY FIELD DAY AND SUMMER SOCIAL. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH AT HERITAGE PARK ON JULY 25TH. SO EVERYTHING WILL KIND OF ACCUMULATE, OR WE'LL GET ALL THESE EVENTS IN, AND WE'LL FINISH IT OFF WITH THAT EVENT AT THE END ON JULY 25TH. SO MAKE SURE YOU GET ADVENTUROUS THIS JULY, AND GO CHECK OUT ALL THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, BECAUSE WE HAVE 58 PARKS. WE HAVE 66 MILES OF TRAIL. AND OVER A THOUSAND ACRES OF PARKLAND. SO THERE'S A LOT TO SEE AND DO OVER THE MONTH. BUT AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S ONE MORE. WE'RE GOING TO KICK OFF THE MONTH WITH A BIG EVENT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO START OFF THE MONTH WITH, AS WE CELEBRATE AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE WITH OUR BIGGEST CELEBRATION TO DATE. SO I WANT TO INVITE ALL RESIDENTS TO COME TOGETHER THIS 4TH OF JULY AND CELEBRATE WITH US AT THE 2026 INDEPENDENCE FEST. THE EVENT'S GOING TO KICK OFF IN THE MORNING AT LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK. 10-15, WE HAVE A CHILDREN'S PATRIOTIC PARADE. SO YOU WANT TO DECORATE YOUR BIKES, YOUR TRIKES, YOUR WAGONS. MAKE SURE YOU COME OUT AND GET IN LINE. WE'RE GOING TO START THAT PARADE AT 10-15. AT THE END, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HOT DOGS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ENTERTAINMENT, FUN, WATERMELON EATING CONTESTS, ALL KINDS OF COOL STUFF, A FREE KID'S ZONE. SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO MISS THAT. IF YOU'VE GOT LITTLE ONES, MAKE SURE YOU COME OUT. WE JUST WANNA... ENJOY AND WATCH THEM HAVING A GREAT TIME AND SEE HOW PATRIOTIC THEY ARE. COME TO THAT EVENT. AND THEN AT 5 O'CLOCK, THE GATES AT BAKERSFIELD PARK WILL OPEN UP. WE HAVE SHUTTLES, SO MAKE SURE YOU GET ON THE WEBSITE AND LEARN ABOUT ALL THESE. AND SOCIAL MEDIA, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WILL BE MAKING SURE YOU GUYS KNOW. YOU WON'T MISS A BEAT WITH THAT. BUT BAKERSFIELD OPENS UP AT 05, AND OUR MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT THIS YEAR, WE'VE GOT A GREAT LINEUP. WE HAVE EMERALD CITY, LE FREAK, AND THEN OUR HEADLINER IS GOING TO BE GABBY BARRETT. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SHE'LL BE STARTING AT 8.30. AND ACTIVITIES THERE INCLUDE FREE KIDS ZONE, OUR JIM ENGLE CAR SHOW, FOOD VENDORS, A BUSINESS EXPO, AND AN AMAZING FIREWORKS SHOW. IT'S GOING [00:20:01] TO BE OUR BEST ONE. DON'T WANT TO MISS THAT. BUT PLEASE COME. LIKE I SAID, GO TO THE WEBPAGE FOR DETAILS. AND THEN LASTLY, OF COURSE, WE COULDN'T OFFER ALL THIS THAT WE DO EACH YEAR WITHOUT OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT AND VISION OF OUR MAYOR, OUR COUNCIL, OUR TOWN MANAGEMENT, OUR PARKS BOARD, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. SO IT TAKES A BIG TEAM TO MAKE ALL THIS HAPPEN, AS WELL AS ALL THESE AWESOME GUYS AND THE ONES THAT COULDN'T MAKE IT HERE TODAY. SO THANK YOU GUYS. VERY HONORED. JAMES, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE YOU GO AHEAD AND DO YOUR TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME RECOGNITIONS. DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT FIRST? DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT? I WAS THINKING. SO, YEAH, UNLESS THERE'S. NO, CERTAINLY IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. I HAVE TWO ITEMS, SO DO YOU WANT ME TO DO BOTH OF THOSE? YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, SO FOR THE FIRST ONE, MAYOR, IF YOU CAN JOIN ME ON THE FLOOR. YEAH. [G. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT] ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT WE DO ONCE A MONTH IS THAT WE RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE HIT SERVICE MILESTONES OF 15 YEARS OR GREATER. AND THIS EVENING, WE HAVE A VERY PUBLIC SAFETY INTENSIVE GROUP OF 20 AND 25 YEAR OF EMPLOYEES. AND WHAT WE DO IS WE JUST PROVIDE BACKGROUND ON EACH OF THESE EMPLOYEES. BUT WE ALSO HAVE A FUN FACT, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS PRETTY INTERESTING TO KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE SECRET TALENTS AND BACKGROUNDS OF SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF SEVEN FOLKS THAT HAVE HIT MILESTONES THIS MONTH. WE HAVE FIVE HERE THIS EVENING. I'M GOING TO START OFF BY ASKING OFFICER JUSTIN BUCK TO JOIN ME UP FRONT. AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FORGIVE ME DURING THE PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO REFER TO HIM AS OFFICER BUCK, NOT JUSTIN, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY HERE TOWARDS THE END. YOU'RE NOT IN TROUBLE. ALL RIGHT, SO OFFICER BUCK WAS HIRED AS A POLICE OFFICER RECRUIT IN JUNE OF 2006. HE WAS PROMOTED TO POLICE OFFICER IN DECEMBER OF 2006. SO, OFFICER BUCK'S FUN FACT IS THAT WHEN HE'S NOT AT WORK, YOU'LL FIND HIM SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY ON A LITTLE HOBBY FARM, TAKING CARE OF MINIATURE ANIMALS. WHAT TYPE OF MINIATURE? AND HE'S ALSO AN AVID GOLFER AND LOVES COLLECTING SPORTS CARDS WITH HIS SON, AND IT'S BECOME ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE SHARED HOBBIES. THE REASON I REFER TO HIM AS OFFICER BUCK, MY DAUGHTER WENT TO DOWNING WHERE HE SERVES AS AN SRO. AND SO JUST LIKE ALL OUR SROS, OFFICER BUCK IS WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OUT THERE. HE'S AN INTEGRAL PART. ANYTIME YOU'RE UP THERE AT ANY EVENT, YOU SEE HIM UP THERE. AND SO WE JUST HAVE A GREAT SRO TEAM. SO I HAD A CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH HIM QUITE A BIT DURING MY DAUGHTER'S JUNIOR HIGH YEARS. AND SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING OFFICER BUCK FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE. NEXT UP, LET'S CALL POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL ANDERSON UP FRONT. SO, MICHAEL ANDERSON WAS HIRED AS A POLICE OFFICER IN JUNE OF 2001. AND MICHAEL'S FUN FACT, AND THIS IS AN INTERESTING ONE, I MIGHT HAVE TO ASK YOU FOR SOME POINTERS HERE AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY, IS THAT MICHAEL'S ENTIRE FAMILY HAS BEEN LIFELONG [00:25:01] LONGHORNS FANS. BUT IN A PLOT TWIST, HIS OLDEST DAUGHTER IS NOW A SOPHOMORE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. LET'S JUST SAY THAT THE LAST RED RIVER RIVALRY CAME WITH A VERY UNIQUE ENERGY IN THEIR HOUSE, EQUAL PARTS TEAM SPIRIT, FRIENDLY BANTER, AND A WHOLE LOT OF DIVIDED LOYALTIES. AND SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GET SOME POINTS FROM YOU. I'M A LONGHORN FAN, BUT MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER REALLY JUST TALKED ABOUT GOING THERE. SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL DO. AND IT'S BEEN GOOD TO BE A LONGHORN FAN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, HASN'T IT? SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING OFFICER ANDERSON FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. ALL RIGHT, SO NEXT UP WE HAVE FIRE CAPTAIN MATTHEW BRENNER. OH, I FORGOT THAT. OOH, WOW. OKAY, I DIDN'T TURN AROUND. OKAY. SO MATTHEW WAS HIRED AS A FIREFIGHTER IN JUNE OF 2001. HE WAS PROMOTED TO A FIRE APPARATUS OPERATOR IN FEBRUARY OF 2010. HE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRE CAPTAIN IN AUGUST OF 2012. SO SEE, HE'S BEEN IN THAT POSITION FOR THE LAST, I GUESS, 14 YEARS, IF I CAN DO MATH CORRECTLY. SO MATTHEW'S FUN FACT IS HE SPENT THE AGES TWO THROUGH SIX LIVING IN SWITZERLAND, WHERE HE SPOKE FLUENT GERMAN, AND YOU FAST FORWARD TO THE DAY, AND HE'S HELD HOME MAYBE 30 WORDS, ACCORDING TO HIM. TURNS OUT THAT THE TODDLER HYMN WAS FAR MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN THE ADULT HYMN WHEN IT COMES TO LANGUAGES. I MEAN, YOU KNOW 30 MORE THAN I DO, BUT THAT'S COOL. SO JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, PARENT'S STATION OVER THERE? COOL. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE APPRECIATE 25 YEARS OF SERVICE FOR THE TOWN OF FARMER. ALL RIGHT. JODY BRUCE, CAPTAIN JODY BRUCE. SO JODY BRUCE WAS HIRED AS A FIREFIGHTER IN JUNE OF 2001, AND HE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRE CAPTAIN IN FEBRUARY 2010, WHERE HE SERVES TO THIS DAY. AND A FUN FACT FOR JODY, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY COOL ONE, IS THAT JODY WAS THE ONLY PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONAL SELECTED FOR THE MEN OF INFLUENCE ARTICLE IN THE CITY LIFESTYLE WEBSITE. HIS JOURNEY STARTED EARLY BY VOLUNTEERING AT AGE 15 AND CONTINUED TO VOLUNTEER FOR 36 YEARS, A LONG TIME, HIS PAID SERVICE, ALTOGETHER COMPLETING 42 YEARS OF FIRE SERVICE AND 25 YEARS PROUDLY SERVING IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. FLOWER MOUND COMMUNITY. JODY, WE APPRECIATE NOT ONLY YOUR FIRE SERVICE, BUT YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES, TOO. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS YOU VOLUNTEERED WITH? FIRE DEPARTMENT DOWN IN JOHNSON COUNTY. SHERIFF DEPARTMENT DOWN 15 YEARS. SO WE'RE DOING THE POLICE FIRE PERMIT. IT'S NOT ONLY SERVING AT FLOWER MOUND, BUT ELSEWHERE AROUND THE STATE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF JODY. THANK YOU. LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I'M GOING TO ASK ASSISTANT CHIEF JASON HAWLEY TO JOIN US UP FRONT. ALL RIGHT, JASON HAWLEY WAS HIRED AS A POLICE OFFICER RECRUIT IN JUNE OF 2001. HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN MAY OF 2009, PROMOTED AGAIN TO LIEUTENANT IN JULY OF 2020, AND PROMOTED TO POLICE CAPTAIN IN DECEMBER OF 2022. HE HAD A TITLE CHANGE IN SEPTEMBER OF 24 TO DEPUTY CHIEF, BUT THREE MONTHS LATER, HE WAS PROMOTED TO HIS CURRENT POSITION OF ASSISTANT CHIEF IN NOVEMBER OF 2024. NOW, HIS FUN FACT IS THAT WE HAD A TRUE TEXAS BARBECUE CONSULAR HERE. STRICTLY OLD SCHOOL, HE RUNS A FULL WOOD SMOKER USING A BLEND OF MESQUITE AND OAK AND DOESN'T TOUCH PELLETS OR ELECTRICITY. IF IT'S NOT REAL WOOD, IT'S NOT REAL SMOKE. IT'S JUST NOT BARBECUING HIM. SO HE'S A BARBECUE SNOB, SO DON'T COME TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE I GOT AN ELECTRIC SMOKER IN THE BACKYARD, MAN. I CAN'T MESS WITH THAT WOOD. BUT, SO, WHY DON'T YOU ENTER YOUR STUFF? YEAH, YOU NEED TO SEND TO PUBLIC WORKS. I WANT YOU TO ENTER YOUR STUFF NEXT YEAR. EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT IN [00:30:03] PUBLIC WORKS. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. BECAUSE EVERY MAY AROUND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, THEY DO A BRISKET COOK-OFF, AND THOSE GUYS CAN BURN, MAN. WE NEED TO START PULLING PD INTO THAT. BUT PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING 25 YEARS FOR CHIEF HOP. THANK YOU. TURN OFF MY MIC FOR SOME REASON, BUT ONE THING I WANT TO DO RECOGNIZE IS THAT WE HAVE TWO OTHER OF OUR FIRE EMPLOYEES WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING, A COUPLE OF OUR CAPTAINS, BUT WE DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM FOR 25 YEARS, AND THAT'S CHANCE NELMS AND STEPHEN BEAGLE. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE YEAR 2001, ESPECIALLY JUNE OF 2001, WAS VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND. YOU CAN SEE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SERVED OVER THAT TIME FRAME AND CONTINUE TO SERVE FOR THE TOWN. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND RECOGNIZING THEM, MAYOR, AND I HAVE ONE MORE ITEM TO SEE YOU. SO AT OUR JUNE 1ST MEETING, WE HAD A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUEST THAT CAME FROM COUNCILMEMBER DREW TALKING ABOUT A PROGRAM THAT SOME MEMBERS OF OUR ACC, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMISSION, HAVE BROUGHT UP FOR THE ACORNS TO POST OAK PROGRAM. AND I SAID THAT WE'LL BRING AN UPDATE HERE TODAY, AND I WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT. AND SO REALLY AT THIS POINT, WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS, AND I THINK THE DIRECTION THAT YOU PROVIDE, COUNCILMEMBER DREW, IS JUST THE IDEA OF CAN WE START EARMARKING AND LOOKING AT POTENTIAL FUNDS TO DO A PROGRAM NEXT YEAR? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, AND I'LL JUST PROVIDE A BROAD OVERVIEW AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND Y'ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, IS THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND BEFORE I GET INTO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT OUR TREATY MITIGATION FUND HAS ABOUT $3 MILLION. AND ANNUALLY WE SPEND ABOUT $130,000 TOWARDS TREATY. TREE PLANTS AND GIVING OUT TREES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO WE USE THAT PRETTY ROBUSTLY. SO SUFFICE TO SAY, THOSE ARE SPECIFIC DOLLARS THAT ARE EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY FOR TREE PLANTING. IT COMES FROM FEES THAT DEVELOPERS PAY WHEN THEY DEVELOP AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO IT'S TRULY NOT AN ISSUE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE TO DO SOMETHING. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS PROPOSING A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE CAN KICK OFF NEXT YEAR. AND WHAT I'VE ASKED THE STAFF TO DO IS TO PUT TOGETHER A DECISION PACKAGE IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET THAT SCOPES OUT A KICKOFF OF THIS PROGRAM. AND I BROUGHT SOMETHING HERE, AND SOME OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THIS. THIS IS ALTON BOWMAN. HE IS ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF OUR ECC, AND HE'S PUT TOGETHER WHAT HE'S PROPOSED AS STEPS IS TAKING ACORNS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT APPROACHES WE CAN TAKE. TAKING THOSE SEEDLINGS AND GETTING THEM GERMINATED AND READY TO PLANT, SOME THINGS WHERE WE CAN POT SOME THINGS. AND SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WORKING OFF THAT BLUEPRINT, PUT TOGETHER AN INITIAL PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, AND THEN FROM THERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE IT UP. ONCE WE HAVE SOME DATA, WE CAN. GROW IT, WE CAN ADJUST IT, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD. AND I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, THERE WAS TALKS ABOUT POTENTIALLY RECONVENING, MAYBE EVEN HAVING A JOINT MEETING OF THE ECC AND THE TOWN COUNCIL TOGETHER TO GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER AND HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH IT. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I THINK OUR POINT IS THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE THIS THING CAN GROW, BUT WE LIKE THE IDEA OF JUST PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET THAT EVERYBODY CAN REFER TO. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND BUDGET, THIS ISN'T GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, THIS ISN'T ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THIS IS A SPECIFIC GROUP OF MONEY THAT'S EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY FOR TREES, AND WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THAT FUND RIGHT NOW. SO WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GROW THE PROGRAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS PUTTING TOGETHER A DECISION PACKAGE THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE BUDGET. YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THAT ONCE WE PUT OUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET. YOU FROM THERE, WE CAN TAKE THIS PILOT PROGRAM AND GROW IT AND MONITOR IT DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR AND SEE HOW WE CAN SCOPE IT. WHAT ALLISON PUT TOGETHER IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THAT WE CAN GO WITH IT FOR SURE. BUT JUST REALLY THE MAIN THING IS THAT WE JUST WANTED TO PUT A FLAG IN THE GROUND, SO TO SPEAK, AND START ALLOCATING DOLLARS TOWARDS THAT. SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL. WE'LL OBVIOUSLY HAVE MORE DETAILS WHEN WE PUT THE BUDGET TOGETHER. AND THEN IN THE FALL, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND DEEPER INTO THE SUBJECT MATTER. YOU THAT'S MY OVERVIEW OF IT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR ADDITIONAL INPUT ON THAT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO. LET'S GET SOMETHING GOING THIS YEAR RATHER THAN PUSHING IT OUT YEAR OVER YEAR. EVERY YEAR WE DON'T HAVE TREES [00:35:01] IN THE GROUND. THIS YEAR THEY'RE NOT GROWING. YEAH, BUT APPRECIATE THE QUICK RESPONSE AND GETTING THAT KIND OF EARMARKED. OKAY, AWESOME. IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK FROM THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AS WE PROCEED? OKAY, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT IN ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF. AND LIKE WE SAID FROM THERE, IT'S A GOOD SCALABLE PROJECT WHERE WE CAN START OFF AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. AND, AGAIN, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE DOLLARS EARMARKED THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THIS PROGRAM AND GROW IT. AND I JUST LIKE THE IDEA OF JUST STARTING AND BUILDING. YOU KNOW RATHER THAN WE CAN GO A MILLION DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS BUT WE JUST LIKE THE IDEA OF CREATING SOMETHING THAT'S SCALABLE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO THANK YOU MAYOR THAT IS THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THE TIME OKAY GREAT THANK YOU I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING PATIENT WHILE WE UH TURN THIS UH AGENDA UPSIDE DOWN A LITTLE BIT ALLOWED OUR UH EMERGENCY SERVICES TO UH TO LEAVE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER SO WE'LL GO WE'LL BACKTRACK AND WE WILL GO [E. PUBLIC COMMENT] TO AN UH PUBLIC COMMENT THIS THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD TO ADDRESS THE TOWN COUNCIL REGARDING ANY ITEM THAT IS NOT ON A PUBLIC HEARING. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. MAKE SURE YOU SAY YOUR NAME AND THE MUNICIPALITY THAT YOU'RE FROM. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STATE YOUR ADDRESS ANYMORE. AND ONCE YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU WILL HEAR THE TIMER, BUT YOU STILL HAVE 30 SECONDS. SO THE FIRST SPEAKER IS MISSY GRAU. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MY NAME IS MISSY GRAU AND I LIVE IN FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS. I AM HERE TONIGHT TO PUT TWO CONCERNS ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. FIRST CONCERN ON MAY 1ST, I DID AN ETHICS REQUEST. IT WAS WRITTEN TO THE TOWN SECRETARY, THE MAYOR, AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY. I ASKED FOR A FORMAL REVIEW ON MAY 1ST OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF SECTION 2.414 OF THE TOWN'S CODE OF ETHICS. THIS ISSUE IS THAT THE SITTING TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS ENDORSED A CANDIDATE ON THEIR PERSONAL. AND PUBLIC FACEBOOK PAGES THAT IDENTIFIED THEM AS THEIR OFFICIAL ELECTED POSITIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE WAS FLOWER MOUND TOWN COUNCIL PLACE 2, AND THE OTHER WAS FLOWER MOUND TOWN COUNCIL PLACE 1, ALONG WITH THEIR NAMES ON THOSE PAGES IN THAT CAPACITY. THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM A PRIVATE CITIZEN ENDORSING SOMEONE ON A PERSONAL PAGE. WHEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL USES A PAGE TIED TO THEIR COUNCIL TITLE TO ADVOCATE FOR A CANDIDATE, IT CREATES THE APPEARANCE. THAT THE OFFICIAL TOWN POSITION OR PLATFORM IS BEING USED IN A LOCAL ELECTION. I DID NOT RECEIVE CONFIRMATION OF MY LETTER FROM MAY 1ST UNTIL MAY 12TH WHEN I ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF THAT. TODAY IS JUNE 15TH, AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE, A STATUS UPDATE, OR ANY INDICATION OF THE NEXT STEPS. AS A CITIZEN, I BELIEVE I DESERVE A CLEAR ANSWER ON THAT. SECOND CONCERN, POSSIBLE TAX INCREASES. WE NOW HAVE HAD IT BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE TOWN MANAGER HAS TOLD THE COUNCIL THERE MAY BE A POSSIBILITY OF A NEEDED TAX INCREASE. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING BECAUSE DURING THE CAMPAIGN, CHRIS DREW ARGUED WITH CITIZENS ONLINE AND NOTED THAT THE TOWN WAS IN GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION TO SEVERAL PEOPLE. HE AND OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER ALSO CAMPAIGNED ON NO TAX INCREASES OR KEEPING TAXES LOW. CITIZENS DESERVE HONESTY BEFORE AN ELECTION, NO SURPRISES TWO WEEKS AFTER. MY QUESTION IS SIMPLE. DID THE COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT REVIEW THE BUDGET BEFORE MAKING CAMPAIGN STATEMENTS ABOUT NO NEW TAXES AND THE TOWN BEING IN A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION? WERE THOSE STATEMENTS MADE TO GET ELECTED, KNOWING THE FINANCIAL PICTURE WAS NOT AS STRONG AS THEY HAD REPRESENTED? EITHER WAY, REPRESENTATIVES AND THE RESIDENTS DESERVE AN EXPLANATION IN THIS TOWN. I'M RESPECTFULLY ASKING FOR TWO THINGS TONIGHT, A WRITTEN DIRECT RESPONSE. TO MY MAY 1ST ETHICS REQUEST AND A FULL TRANSPARENCY ON WHY THIS POSSIBLE BUDGET ISSUE OR NEEDED TAX INCREASE WAS NOT CLEARLY DISCLOSED TO US BEFORE ELECTION DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THIS IS NOT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. TOWN COUNCIL IS NOT RESPONDING TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THAT IS NOT THE YOU MAKE UH CY SIMONSON 3104 NATIVE OAK FLOWER MOUNTAIN MADAM MAYOR TOWN COUNCIL I'M HERE TO UH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE PETERS COLONY PARK AT THE VETERANS PLAZA. IT WAS WELL DONE. IT LOOKS GREAT. I KNOW I WRESTLED WITH CHUCK AND TRAVIS AND DAVID AND JILL OVER SOME, [00:40:01] MAKING SURE WE GOT IT IN RIGHT MILITARY ORDER, BUT IT ALL WORKED OUT REAL WELL. IT LOOKED GREAT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE CEREMONY LAST WEEK. IT WAS WELL DONE. SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF DOUG BROWN'S FAMILY TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS REAL WELL DONE. AND THEY'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE RECOGNITION FOR THE VETERANS AND IN DOUG IN PARTICULAR. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THEM. THEY COULDN'T SHOW UP TODAY, BUT I'M SPEAKING ON THEIR BEHALF. GINGER AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR PUTTING TOGETHER VARIOUS VETERANS EVENTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHOWING UP TO THE VETERANS EVENTS. WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SHOWING UP TO THEM AND THE TOWN COUNCIL AS WELL. IT'S BEEN VERY GOOD WITH THE RECENT TOWN COUNCILS ON DOING ALL THAT. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY, SO I'LL FOLLOW THE THREE B'S OF PUBLIC SPEAKING. BE GOOD, BE SHORT, AND BE GONE. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE SARAH HARPER, AND SHE HAS DONATED TIME FROM SAM PAN. IS THAT RIGHT? YEP. OKAY. SO YOU HAVE ACTUALLY SIX MINUTES TO SPEAK. AND THEN I SHOULD HAVE A PRESENTATION AS WELL. YEAH. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT UP WHILE WE'RE WAITING. MISSY, OUR STAFF WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY ILLEGAL ACTIONS TAKEN BY ANY OF OUR COUNCIL. BUT THEY WILL GET BACK TO YOU. NO PROBLEM. YEAH, SARAH HARPER, AND I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN DALLAS. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND TOWN STAFF. MY NAME IS SARAH HARPER, AND I RECENTLY RELOCATED FROM DES MOINES, IOWA TO DFW TO HELP LEAD AND DEVELOP AN OPERATIONS OF A LUXURY WEDDING AND EVENT VENUE IN LAKESIDE VILLAGE. I WANTED TO COME TONIGHT NOT ONLY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, BUT TO JUST BRING SOME EXCITING NEWS AND REFRESHING NEWS ABOUT THIS PROJECT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON. BEFORE I DIVE TOO MUCH INTO THE PROJECT, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW SPECIAL I BELIEVE FLOWER MOUND IS, ESPECIALLY THE DEVELOPING AREA IN LAKESIDE. TO PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE, IN IOWA, I HELPED GROW MULTIPLE WEDDING VENUES TO THE TOP OF THE STATE'S INDUSTRY. WHEN I WAS READY FOR WHAT WAS NEXT, I LOOKED ALL OVER. NASHVILLE, TAMPA, ASPEN, AND ALL THROUGHOUT TEXAS, TRYING TO FIND THE KIND OF VENUE AND DESTINATION I WANTED TO DEDICATE MY NEXT CAREER MOVE TO. I TOURED HUNDREDS OF BEAUTIFUL VENUES, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, BUT SOMETHING WAS ALWAYS MISSING. THEN I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO MEET JIMMY ARCHIE, WHO SHARED HIS VISION FOR LAKESIDE VILLAGE. WHAT MAKES THIS AREA SPECIAL IS IT'S UNREPLICABLE. WHEN I WAS VENUE SEARCHING, I NOTICED TEXAS. HAD DIFFERENT AREAS AND WHAT THEY WERE KNOWN FOR. FOR EXAMPLE, IN DFW, WE HAVE FORT WORTH. SOMETHING THAT MAKES FORT WORTH SO SPECIAL IS THE STOCKYARDS. PEOPLE GO THERE FOR A SPECIFIC FEELING, THE COWBOY RODEO SOUTHERN EXPERIENCE. DFW OBVIOUSLY ALSO HAS DALLAS WITH ITS OPULENT SKYLINE, DESIGNER STORES, HISTORIC HOTELS. WHAT I SAW IN FLOWER MOUND IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A NEW TEXAS STAPLE IN DFW. ITS OWN VERSION OF A DESTINATION. NOT THE COUNTRY LIFE, NOT THE GLAMOROUS CITY LIFE, BUT SOMETHING ONLY A BODY OF WATER CAN INSPIRE. A SCENIC RETREAT THAT OFFERS A TRUE SENSE OF ESCAPE. WHEN I THINK OF THE LAKE, THE TRAILS, THE CURRENT ARCHITECTURE, MATCHED WITH THE WALKABILITY SURROUNDING RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS AND FUTURE HOTEL DEVELOPMENT, IT REINFORCES I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE IN CHOOSING FLOWER MOUND. NOW FOR THE EXCITING NEWS FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL. WITH THIS VENUE, WE WILL BE BRINGING THOUSANDS OF GUESTS INTO FLOWER MOUND EVERY MONTH, MANY OF THEM EXPERIENCING LAKESIDE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. FOR NUMBERS SAKE, LET'S JUST DO THE MATH. LET'S SAY I HAVE 200 EVENTS PER YEAR, AND LET'S SAY THERE'S 200 PEOPLE AT EACH EVENT. THAT'S 40,000 PEOPLE PER YEAR TO COME TO FLOWER MOUND, EAT AT THE RESTAURANTS, STAY AT THE HOTELS, GO SHOPPING, GET THEIR NAILS DONE, EXPLORE THE CITY. THAT MEANS REAL SALES TAX, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY STAYING HERE IN FLOWER MOUND. ALONG WITH BRINGING YOU THIS EXCITING NEWS, I ALSO WANTED TO BRIEFLY THANK THE TOWN STAFF INVOLVED FOR HELPING PROJECTS LIKE THIS MOVE FORWARD. I'VE BEEN LEARNING A LOT ABOUT DEVELOPMENT IN MY NEW ROLE HERE IN TEXAS, AND IT'S INCREDIBLE HOW MUCH SYNERGY IT TAKES FROM EVERYONE TO ACHIEVE THE COMMON GOAL [00:45:02] OF MAKING FLOWER MOUND A SPECIAL, THRIVING PLACE. BETWEEN THE DEVELOPERS, THE TOWN COUNCIL, THE TOWN STAFF, LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT REALLY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A REALLY IMPORTANT MEETING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOMORROW, AND I'M HOPING THAT GOES WELL. TO WRAP IT UP, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO BE HERE IN FLOWER MOUND, AND I'M SO APPRECIATIVE OF THE TOWN'S SUPPORT. FEEL FREE TO START SPREADING THE WORD ON THE NEW VENUE. THANK YOU. EXCITING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT, DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY. I'M GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM F, ANNOUNCEMENTS. DOES ANYBODY ON COUNCIL HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS THEY WANT TO MAKE? ALL RIGHT. WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE TOWN [H. FUTURE AGENDA ITEM(S)] MANAGER'S REPORT, SO WE WILL GO TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DOES ANY COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THEY WANT TO ADD? YEAH. SO WITH THE RIBBON-CUTTING LAST WEEK OF PETERS COLONY MEMORIAL PARK, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS AT THE RIVERWALK FLATS, THE FAMILY OF MR. DENNIS TOVE, WHO SERVED ON PLANNING AND ZONING AND SOME OF OUR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND I KNOW THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL PLAQUES. AT THE PARK BUT I WONDERED IF WE MIGHT TALK ABOUT THE TOWN DOING SOMETHING FOR UH WITH THE NAMES OF MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS ON A PLAQUE THAT HAVE SERVED THE TOWN THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT THAT SO WOULD THIS BE VETERANS ARE YOU THINKING OF VETERANS FOR PETER'S MEMORIAL PARK THAT HAVE SERVED ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THEY WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE VETERANS BUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR TOWN THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING AT THAT LOCATION AS WELL, OR ANOTHER LOCATION IN TEXAS. SUPPORT TALKING ABOUT THAT. SOME WAY TO MEMORIALIZE PAST SERVICE. SO I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS THAT, I THINK CHUCK HAS ALREADY LEFT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR STANDING POLICY IS. OH. HE'S HIDING. I'M SORRY. TRAVIS IS BLOCKING US. CHUCK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT, IF YOU CAN SHARE WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AS FAR AS THE POLICIES. DO YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD? YES. RIGHT NOW, OUR CURRENT POLICY IS THAT WE HAVE THE REMEMBRANCE WALL THERE, SO YOU CAN PURCHASE A PLACARD. IT'S $1,000 PER PLACARD. YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN A FLOWER MOUND RESIDENT FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT ON WHETHER YOU HAVE TO HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDER, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE IN FLOWER MOUND TO REMEMBER A LOVED ONE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE CHILDREN'S MEMORIAL AREA, WHICH IS THE SAME PRICE FOR THAT AS WELL, SAME REQUIREMENTS. OTHER THAN THAT, THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE ARE MEMORIAL TREES AND MEMORIAL BENCHES. AND THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE AS WELL. SOMETHING DIFFERENT? YEAH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE A PLAQUE. OF MULTIPLE NAMES POTENTIALLY. I MEAN, I KNOW MR. TOTH, BUT I DON'T KNOW. THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER PEOPLE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT POTENTIALLY HAVE PASSED AWAY THAT HAVE SERVED ON MULTIPLE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PLUS THE SENIOR CENTER, THE SIMS BOARD. YEAH. I'M SURE THERE IS OVER THE YEARS HERE IN FLOWER MOUND. THERE'S PROBABLY LOTS OF FOLKS. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND MAYBE WHERE YOU'D WANT TO PUT IT. WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S MAYBE A BRONZE PLAQUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'D HAVE TO FIND A LOCATION. PLACE THAT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, OR IS IT SOMETHING YOU WANT WHERE YOU CAN ADD PEOPLE ON, YOU KNOW, LATER? ESSENTIALLY, AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. SO HEARING THAT, WHAT WE CAN DO IS I CAN SIT DOWN WITH STAFF AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE. AND I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS HAVE A CONSISTENT POLICY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME FOLKS THAT RECOMMEND SOMEBODY AND HAVE THEY HIT THAT THRESHOLD AND JUST TRY TO GET SOME CONSISTENCY OF HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH IT. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR, WE'RE NOT TALKING NECESSARILY SPECIFICALLY FOR WHAT'S BEEN SET UP AT PETER'S COLONY OR JUST IN GENERAL HOW WE CAN MEMORIALIZE FOLKS THAT HAVE SERVED THE TOWN. AND SO IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HUDDLE INTERNALLY, TRY TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, AND WE CAN FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT BACK HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN BRING BACK VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I DID FOR COUNCILMAN DREW'S REQUEST AT A FUTURE TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS FOR BIGGER ITEMS BECAUSE THAT. JULY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT, AUGUST, THE BUDGET RETREAT, YOU KNOW, OUR, A LOT OF OUR WORK SESSIONS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, ALL THE WAY TILL OCTOBER, WE'RE GOING TO BE FILLED UP. I DON'T THINK WE NEED THAT MUCH TIME. SO WHAT I COULD LOOK POTENTIALLY IS TO COME BACK ON JULY 6TH, [00:50:01] JUST WHAT OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND IF THAT CHANGES, I CAN GIVE YOU A HEADS UP AND LET YOU KNOW. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY. [I. COORDINATION OF CALENDARS] ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM I, COORDINATION OF CALENDARS. IT'S NOT LISTED ON HERE, BUT OUR NEXT MEETING AFTERNOON IS. JULY 6TH. CAN EVERYONE MAKE THAT MEETING? OKAY. [J. CONSENT ITEM(S)] ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO CONSENT ITEMS. WE HAVE CONSENT ITEMS J1 THROUGH 4. DOES ANYONE WISH TO PULL ANY ITEMS IN THIS LIST OR MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. WE'LL TAKE THE ROLL. COUNCILMEMBER CHU? AYE. MAYOR? COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM TAYLOR? AYE. COUNCILMEMBER WARNER? AYE. OKAY. CONSENT ITEMS PASSED [K.1. Chinn Chapel Field Conversion Construction Agreement - Consider approval of a Construction Agreement with Paragon Sports Constructors, inc. for the Chinn Chapel Soccer Complex Multipurpose Field Turf Conversion project, in the amount of $1,521,207.43; and authorization for the Mayor to execute same on behalf of the Town.] BY UNANIMOUS VOTE. WE WILL MOVE ON TO REGULAR ITEMS. K-1 CHINCHAPEL FIELD CONVERSION CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT. THIS IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT WITH PARAGON SPORTS CONSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CHINCHAPEL SOCCER COMPLEX. ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, TOWN COUNCIL, JOHN HABURN. I'M THE PARK DEVELOPMENT MANAGER HERE AT THE TOWN, AND WE GOT THE CHINCHAPEL FIELD TURF CONVERSION. EXCITED TO GET THIS ONE GOING. SO WE'RE BASICALLY DOING WHAT IT SAYS. WE'RE GOING TO RIP OUT THE EXISTING TURF GRASS AND REPLACE IT WITH A SYNTHETIC ARTIFICIAL TURF SURFACE FOR MULTI-PURPOSE SPORTS PLAY, INCLUDING SOCCER AND FOOTBALL AND LACROSSE, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S. THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY THE 25 BOND ELECTION AND NOT ONLY WILL WE BE DOING THE SYNTHETIC TURF WILL ALSO BE DOING SOME FENCING SOME NEW GOAL POSTS AND SCOREBOARD THAT FENCING WILL HAVE A CONCRETE CURVE AROUND IT WHERE THE TURF COMES RIGHT UP TO IT AND SOME LANDSCAPE ALONG CHIN CHAPEL FOR THE LANDSCAPE BUFFER THEY'RE JUST KIND OF AN AERIAL VIEW THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON. THIS IS THAT FIELD THAT IS ADJACENT TO CHIN CHAPEL AND JUSTIN ROAD RIGHT OFF THE MAIN PARKING THERE SO THAT WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION SOME UPDATED PICTURES AS OF TODAY AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE WANT TO PUT THIS THING IN WE GOT THAT RAIN THIS MORNING WE CAN GET RIGHT BACK OUT THERE AND CONTINUE THE PROGRAMMING SO SHOULD BE A REAL BENEFIT TO THE TOWN SO PARAGON SPORTS CONSTRUCTORS WITH THEIR BASE BID AND THE ALTERNATES THAT WE ARE WANTING CAME IN AS THE LOW BIDDER. THOSE ALTERNATES BEING UPGRADING OF THE TURF FROM THAT BASE TO KIND OF A MORE ENHANCED, MORE DURABLE, AND HOPEFULLY WILL PROLONG THE LIFE. AND THAT BID ALTERNATE THREE IS FOR SOME TENSION NETTING AND THE GOALPOSTS. TENSION NETTING PROTECTING KIDS AND PEDESTRIANS FOR FIELD GOALS THAT ARE KICKED THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL STOP THEM AND NOT BE. BONKING PEOPLE IN THE HEAD SO AND ALSO BALLS INTO THE STREET. SO A PROJECT SCHEDULE WE BID THIS IN APRIL OF 20 APRIL 21ST AND WE'RE HERE TONIGHT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AWARD. WE WANT TO PROCEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WE WERE TRYING TO GET THIS THING CONSTRUCTED AND COMPLETE BY SEPTEMBER SO MID-SEPTEMBER LATE SEPTEMBER WOULD BE FINAL COMPLETION. AND WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TONIGHT. IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I DON'T HAVE ANY. AND WE VERIFIED PAST RECORDS WITH OTHER TOWNS. HAVE WE USED THIS CONTRACT BEFORE? WE HAVE NOT USED PARAGON. PARAGON JUST DID ALL OF THE LISD FIELDS HERE IN TOWN. AND SO THEY'RE STILL KIND OF FINISHING THEM UP, AND IT WORKS GOOD FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE. AND WE DID GO THROUGH REFERENCE CHECKS ON ALL OF THE BIDDERS. THIS IS THE ONE WE FELT MOST COMFORTABLE WITH AND LUCKILY THEY CAME IN AT THE LOWEST BID AND EXCITED TO WORK WITH THEM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. DO YOU ALL WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS THIS OR DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I'M READY WITH A MOTION. YOU READY? MOVE TO APPROVE K-1 AS PRESENTED. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER WARNER? AYE. [00:55:01] DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM TAYLOR? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER TRUE? AYE. OKAY. THE CHINCHAPEL FIELD CONVERGING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT PASSES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE. AND THEN LEXAN IS GOING TO PRESENT ON OUR NEXT ITEM. YOU ALL TUNED INTO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING. [K.2. ZPD26-0002 - Lowe's Outdoor Storage - Public Hearing to consider a request for rezoning (ZPD26-0002 - Lowe's Outdoor Storage) to amend Planned Development District-27 (PD-27) with Retail District-2 (R-2) uses and Commercial District-2 (C-2) uses that is subject to Specific Use Permit 281 (SUP-281) for a Home Improvement Center to amend Specific Use Permit 281 (SUP-281) to allow for outdoor sales, display and storage; both temporary and permanent. The property is generally located east of Long Prairie Road and south of Justin Road. (PZ recommended approval by a vote of 4 to 2 at its June 8, 2026, meeting.)] WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AND IT PASSED BY A VOTE OF 4 TO 2 ON JUNE 8TH. SO THIS IS THE LOWE'S OUTDOOR STORAGE SPACE. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING SO IF ANYONE WISHES TO SPEAK IT DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING WE WILL HAVE THAT AFTER THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU MAYOR. AS MENTIONED THIS IS A REQUEST FROM LOWE'S FOR OUTDOOR STORAGE. IT'S A ZONING PLAN DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION. THERE IS AN EXISTING PD FOR THIS PROPERTY SO THEY'RE LOOKING TO MODIFY THOSE STANDARDS. HERE'S THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY YOU CAN SEE IT'S EAST OF LONG PRAIRIE AND SOUTH OF JUSTIN ROAD. HERE IS A MORE DETAILED VIEW. THE LAND USE IS RETAIL AND THE ZONING IS PD 27 WITH RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL USES. HERE IS THE PD AMENDMENT PLAN THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE COUNCIL'S OR REFERENCE IN THE COUNCIL'S PACKET. IT'S WHAT WENT TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. THE APPLICANT HAS MADE SOME CHANGES TO THIS PLAN SINCE IT WENT TO P&Z AND SO HE CAN TALK TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT THOSE. FOR ONE THING, THEY'RE WANTING TO EXPAND THIS AREA TO THE EAST OR IN THE REAR OF THE LOWE'S TO HAVE MORE STORAGE. I THINK THERE WERE KIND OF SOME QUESTIONS AT P&Z, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE REALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT BEHIND THE STORE TO JUST THOSE YELLOW BOXES. AND I THINK THEY REALIZED THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE CONTINUED COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE BETTER OFF. REQUESTING TO EXPAND THAT TO RUN ALONG THE WHOLE BACK SIDE OF THE STORE. SO THEY HAVE A VERSION THAT THEY'LL SHOW YOU OF THAT. THEY ARE ALSO SHOWING NOW SOME SCREENING BUSHES THAT ARE NORTH OF THESE YELLOW PARKING SPACES THERE. SO YOU'LL SEE THOSE. IF THE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN POTENTIALLY MOVING FORWARD WITH A VERSION OF THE PLAN THAT THE APPLICANT HAS, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE MOTION REFERENCE THAT... THE AMENDED PLAN BE SUBMITTED AND REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY STAFF BEFORE BEING FINALIZED. SO I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CHANGES. I'M SURE YOU'D ALREADY LOOKED AT THIS BUT JUST TO KIND OF TALK IT THROUGH A LITTLE BIT. THIS IS WHERE THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO HAVE OUTDOOR BOTH OUTDOOR SALES DISPLAY AND THEN STORAGE AND SO THE WAY THAT THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS PROPERTY WAS WRITTEN ORIGINALLY THE STORAGE WAS VERY LIMITED TO JUST BEING WITHIN THE GARDEN CENTER AND THEN ALSO THERE WAS THIS STORAGE AREA YOU CAN SEE HERE WHERE MY CURSOR IS TO THE EAST OR REAR OF THE STORE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR STORAGE. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN ADEQUATE FOR ALL THE MATERIALS THAT THEY HAVE AT THE LOWE'S. AND SO THEY WERE REQUESTING TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL DISPLAY OF ITEMS, SALES AND DISPLAY AROUND. BASICALLY ALL AROUND THE STORE. AND SO THAT IS THE YELLOW. AND THEN THEY ARE ALSO WANTING TO STORE OR HAVE FOR DISPLAY OUT SOME STORAGE SHEDS AND TRAILERS. AND THAT'S IN THESE YELLOW SPOTS THAT ARE JUST SOUTH OF THE ROAD. THE BLUE AREA IS WHERE THEY WANT TO HAVE SEASONAL SALES. NORMALLY THE TOWN'S SEASONAL SALES IS RESTRICTED TO KIND OF OCTOBER. THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR FOR PUMPKINS AND CHRISTMAS TREES. THE APPLICANT IS WANTING TO EXPAND THAT SO AS TO ALLOW FOR MULCH SALES IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER AS WELL. AND SO IT WOULD BASICALLY BE LIKE ONE MONTH OR TWO WHERE THERE WASN'T SOMETHING OUT THERE. SO THE STANDARD HAS JUST BEEN WRITTEN TO SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO HAVE SEASONAL SALES OUT THERE YEAR ROUND, JUST WITH ROTATING WHAT THEY WERE. WHAT THEY WERE LOCATING WITHIN THAT BLUE AREA. THEY HAVE MADE THIS NOTE ON THEIR PLAN THAT SHOWS THE ROUGH SPLIT SEAR RAILS WITH SPLIT FACE CMU POSTS WOULD BE THE FENCE ELEVATION. THEY'VE SAID THIS IS A MOVABLE FENCING THAT THEY WILL USE TO ENCLOSE THE SEASONAL SALES AREA. SORRY, THAT WHOLE BLUE AREA? THE WHOLE BLUE AREA IS WHAT IS PROPOSED. SO THE CHANGES ARE THE FENCING, THE ADDED STORAGE ON THE EAST SIDE. CORRECT. AND THEN BASICALLY EVERYTHING [01:00:03] THAT IS COLORED ON THE MAP IS A CHANGE. IT'S NEW. SO ALL THE YELLOW AND BLUE IS NEW. LIKE I SAID, I KNOW THAT THERE PROBABLY HAVE SEEN THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF KIND OF ON DISPLAY, LIKE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND ON THE SIDE. IT'S BEEN KIND OF AN ONGOING ISSUE BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS MORE OF LOWE'S TYPICAL MODEL. AND SO... IT SOMEWHAT HAPPENED JUST WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A CHANGE IN STORE MANAGER, AND SO CODE ENFORCEMENT WORKS WITH THE CURRENT STORE MANAGER AND HELPS THEM UNDERSTAND WHERE THE LIMITATIONS ARE. BUT THEN IF THAT STORE MANAGER MOVES ON, WE KIND OF START THE PROCESS OVER. SO IT'S GONE ON FOR A WHILE. I THINK IT IS LOWE'S INTENTION TO NOW BE IN COMPLIANCE. THAT'S WHY WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO SUBMIT A PD TO PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL AND SEE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD BE OPEN TO. THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO. THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A ZOOMED-IN VIEW TO SHOW YOU THAT AREA. AGAIN, YOU CAN READ THE TEXT A LITTLE BETTER HERE NOW. SEASONAL SALES AREA IN THE BLUE, UTILITY TRAILERS AND UTILITY SHEDS IN THE YELLOW, BAG MULCH, SOIL, GRAVEL IN THESE YELLOWS AS BAGGED GOODS HERE BEHIND THE STORE IN THE FRONT THAT HAVE PLANT TABLES. THEY ALSO HAVE THIS THREE-DAY EVENT TRAILER, AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU KIND OF DO A PROJECT. IT GOES OVER THREE DAYS, AND PEOPLE CAN COME AND KIND OF VIEW THE PROGRESS AND, I GUESS, GET TIPS, THAT SORT OF THING. MOWERS AND LIVE GOODS, GRILLS, LAWN CHAIRS, PROPANE CAGE, WHEELBARROWS, PICNIC TABLES, AND THEN BACK TOWARD THE SOUTH SIDE HERE IS THEIR LUMBER AREA. SO EVERYTHING IN YELLOW THAT'S AROUND THE BUILDING, RIGHT? WHAT WE'RE DOING IS OUT OF CODE COMPLIANCE? YES. THERE IS, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN, THERE WAS SOME ALLOWED PLANT TABLE AREAS, BUT THE REST OF IT WAS NOT WRITTEN TO ALLOW THAT ORIGINAL. SO THEY JUST IGNORED THE CODE ISSUES FOR YEARS? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? SO HAVE WE HAD CODE ISSUES JUST FOR YEARS OVER AND OVER AGAIN? YES. I DO THINK THAT THE, I DID TALK TO THE MANAGER A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. SO I DO THINK HE'S BEING A REALLY GOOD STEWARD ABOUT COMING FORWARD AND GETTING THIS SO THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE TO KEEP COMING BACK AND GETTING PERMISSION TO DO EXTRA STUFF. SO, I MEAN, I REALLY DO THINK HE'S TRYING TO BE COMPLIANT, DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE GOOD ADVOCATES FOR HIM, TOO. ALLOW HIS BUSINESS TO THRIVE OVER THERE. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANYWAY. BUT I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT AND BE DISCERNING ON WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND THE SAFETY ISSUES. NOW, IF THEY'RE ADDING MORE, YOU SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE STORAGE THAN WHAT'S ON HERE ON THE EAST SIDE? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. RIGHT. BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE SAFETY ISSUES, RIGHT? THEY WOULD STILL NOT BE WITHIN THE FIRE LANE. THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO STAY OUTSIDE OF THAT AND THEY'RE AWARE AND AND COMPLYING WITH THAT. OKAY. ALEXA WHILE YOU'RE ALREADY INTERRUPTED PRESENTATION AND IT'S ON THIS PAGE. MM-HMM I GO TO THIS LOWE'S A LOT AND I KNOW THAT THE THE AREA IS SOUTH IT'S SOUTHWEST WHERE YOU HAVE THE THE LUMBER THERE'S USUALLY A SECTION OVER HERE AND IT'S I THINK IT'S LIKE A HOLDING PLACE FOR OTHER MATERIALS MAYBE FOR PEOPLE TO PICK UP BUT I'M NOT SEEING THIS MARKED SO I'M WONDERING IS THAT AND IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S ON THE THE WEST SIDE SORRY RIGHT YES RIGHT THERE TO THE RIGHT THE BOX IT SAYS YES RIGHT IN THERE THAT THAT AREA IT ACTUALLY IS A BIGGER AREA THAN WHAT'S SHOWN HERE HMM SO THAT HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED AT ALL, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES WITH THIS ONE AREA IS MY QUESTION. I THINK I WOULD INVITE THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT THEY PROPOSED TO US, WHERE THEY HAD INITIALLY IDENTIFIED WHERE THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE OUTDOOR SALES AND STORAGE OF MATERIALS. IF THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED IN ORDER TO BE IN COMPLIANCE, THERE LIKELY IS ROOM TO EXPAND IT IN THAT AREA, AND IT MAY JUST THEY MAY JUST NEED TO DO THAT IF THEY DID NOT CORRECTLY ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THEY NEED RIGHT THERE. [01:05:01] OKAY, COOL. ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THE APPLIANCES AND OR USED APPLIANCES AND PALLET TRAILERS ALSO THERE KIND OF BEHIND THAT STORAGE AREA. THEY HAVE AGREED TO KEEP THOSE WITHIN KIND OF AN ENCLOSED TRAILER. SO AS THEY COLLECT THOSE, THEY'LL JUST PUT THEM IN THERE UNTIL IT'S FULL AND THEN TAKE THEM TO BE RECYCLED. SO THAT IS WITHIN THE PD STANDARDS, BUT THAT'S AN AREA THAT'S IDENTIFIED AS WELL. I KNOW I WAS WATCHING THE P&Z MEETING. I FORGET WHERE THE VENDING MACHINES AND THE HOT TUBS WERE GOING TO BE. THERE IS NO PLACE IDENTIFIED FOR THE VENDING MACHINES AND HOT TUBS. I THINK THE CONVERSATION THAT CAME OUT WITH P&Z WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY NEEDING TO HAVE THOSE MATERIALS ON THE OUTSIDE. I THINK THERE WAS INITIALLY A LIST. OF ITEMS THAT WERE NOT PERMITTED TO BE STORED OUTSIDE. AND SO THEY HAD BASICALLY JUST TAKEN THAT WHOLE LIST AND JUST SAID THIS IS NOW ALLOWED. BUT AS WE KIND OF TALKED THROUGH MORE OF IT, THEY SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY WANTING TO STORE THOSE OUTSIDE. SO THEY DID REQUEST TO STRIKE THOSE FROM THE LIST. SO WHEN WE GET TO THE LIST, I'LL SHOW YOU THAT THOSE ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED. THIS IS JUST FOR REFERENCE THE SECTION OF THE TOWN CODE THAT SPEAKS TO OUTDOOR STORAGE AND TALKS ABOUT NORMALLY IT WOULD REQUIRE TO BE FOR SMALLER ITEMS LESS THAN FOUR FEET IN HEIGHT COULD BE SCREENED BY PLANT MATERIAL. FOR LARGER OR TALLER ITEMS IT TYPICALLY IS USES MASONRY SCREENING SO WHAT WOOD FENCING IS NOT PERMITTED. SO FOR THE STORAGE THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE REQUESTING TO MODIFY AND THEN KIND OF JUST IN GENERAL THE TOWN DOES NOT NORMALLY REQUIRE A LOT OF TOWN DOES NOT NORMALLY ALLOW, NOT REQUIRE, DOES NOT ALLOW OUTDOOR SALES UNLESS IT IS A USE THAT IS AN OUTDOOR SALES USE, SUCH AS A CAR DEALERSHIP OR THAT SORT OF THING. SO THOSE ARE THE TWO SECTIONS THAT ARE GETTING MODIFIED. HERE IS THAT LIST OF USES THAT THE MAYOR WAS SPEAKING TO. AND SO ORIGINALLY HOT TUBS AND SPAS WERE ON THERE, AND THEY'VE STRUCK THROUGH THAT. AND THEN ALSO IT ORIGINALLY HAD VENDING MACHINES OR FOOD VENDORS. SO VENDING MACHINES HAS BEEN STRUCK THROUGH. WE'VE ADDED TEXT TO SAY FOOD VENDORS SUBJECT TO ANY APPLICABLE PERMITS APPROVALS AND HEALTH FIRE BUILDING AND SAFETY CODES. SO THE TOWN DOES HAVE EXISTING IN OUR CODE AND ALLOWANCE TO HAVE A FOOD TRUCK OCCASIONALLY ON A SITE. YOU JUST HAVE TO SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR SITE PLAN NOTING WHERE THE FOOD TRUCK WOULD BE LOCATED AND YOU KNOW HOW IT WOULD GET POWER THAT SORT OF THING JUST ENSURING THAT YOU'RE MEETING ALL THE TOWN'S CODES SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ADDITION TO YOU COULD GET A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT IF YOU'RE HAVING LIKE A BIG EVENT BUT IF YOU JUST WANTED TO HAVE AN OCCASIONAL FOOD TRUCK ON-SITE AT A RETAIL TYPE BUSINESS THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS PERMITTED AND THE APPLICANT HAD INDICATED THAT THAT WOULD MEET THEIR NEEDS WOULD JUST BE TO USE THAT FOOD TRUCK ALLOWANCE WITHIN OUR EXISTING CODE SO WE UPDATED IT TO TO REFLECT THAT THE ONLY WAY I HIGHLIGHTED THIS IN YELLOW FOR THE ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES AND UTILITY TASK VEHICLES JUST BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED WHERE THEY WOULD BE ON THIS CONCEPT PLAN SO THEY COULD BE ANYWHERE THAT'S IDENTIFIED IN YELLOW. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THAT YOU CAN ASK THE APPLICANT IF THEY KNOW WHERE SPECIFICALLY THEY WOULD WANT THEM TO BE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT IT THAT'S FINE ALSO. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED WHERE THOSE WOULD BE ON THE SITE. WITH TRAILERS I DON'T THAT'S NOT IDENTIFIED HERE, RIGHT? WELL, IT SAYS THESE UTILITY TRAILERS. THAT'S FOR UTILITY TRAILERS. OKAY, I SAW UTILITY SHEDS. OKAY. GOTCHA. THESE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF THE SITE. SO THIS IS LOOKING DIRECTLY EAST AT THE EXISTING GARDEN CENTER. HERE WE'RE LOOKING KIND OF SOUTHEAST AT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. THIS IS EAST. TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AT THE GRILLS AND KIND OF PATIO FURNITURE THAT'S OUT THERE. THIS IS LOOKING EAST FURTHER DOWN TOWARD THE LUMBER SECTION, AND SO THIS IS WHERE THEY CURRENTLY HAVE THOSE SHEDS, UTILITY SHEDS. HEY, LEXAN, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE? YEP. AND THIS MIGHT BE A BETTER APPLICANT QUESTION, BUT THIS TEMPORARY FENCE I HAVE THERE, IS THIS WHAT WOULD MATCH WHAT'S GOING IN THE PARKING LOT AROUND THE BLUE AREAS? IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE WE'RE THINKING OF, BUT I WILL LET THE APPLICANT SPEAK TO THAT. THANKS. THIS IS SHOWING SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE STORED BEHIND THE BUILDING, AND THIS IS THE TRAILER THAT'S BEING USED TO COLLECT THE USED APPLIANCES. SO THAT'S LOOKING NORTH. THIS IS LOOKING DIRECTLY WEST. THIS IS THAT EXISTING AREA THAT [01:10:01] WAS BUILT FOR STORAGE ORIGINALLY. THIS IS LOOKING NORTHWEST AS WELL AT SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE STACKED. AND THIS IS LOOKING WEST, BUT FROM THE BACK, AGAIN, AT SOME OF THE BAGGED MATERIALS THAT ARE THERE AROUND THE SIDE OF THE GARDEN CENTER. SO JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED FROM THE COUNCIL. ALLOW OUTDOOR SALES, DISPLAY, AND STORAGE OF MATERIALS WITHOUT SCREENING. SO RIGHT NOW WHAT IT SAYS IN THE ORDINANCE IS UP TO A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF SIX FEET AND THREE INCHES. THE APPLICANT WILL SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL. I THINK THEY WENT BACK AND DID SOME MEASURING ON THEIR SITE. I THINK THEY ARE ACTUALLY WANTING TO GO UP TO NINE FEET. SO AGAIN, HE TOOK SOME PHOTOS OF THOSE MEASUREMENTS, AND SO I'LL LET HIM TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT. THIS IS JUST WHAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE CODE. AND THEN ALLOW DISPLAY AND SALES OF SEASONAL GOODS YEAR-ROUND INSTEAD OF TEMPORARILY IN DESIGNATED AREAS. AND THIS IS A MORE CLOSE-UP VIEW, AGAIN, OF THE FENCING THAT THEY ARE WANTING TO USE WITHIN THE SEASONAL SALES AREA. I WILL SAY, AGAIN, RIGHT NOW THIS IS ONLY DESIGNATED FOR THAT SEASONAL SALES AREA, WHICH IS THE BLUE AREA. IF THERE IS AN INTEREST IN REQUIRING DISPENSING AROUND THE DISPENSER. DISPLAY THAT'S OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE SITE, IN FRONT OF THE STORE, THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE MODIFIED THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO THE APPLICANT ABOUT. IF THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT TO YOU, THEN NOTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE. AND LEXI, GOING BACK TO THAT SIX FOOT THREE HEIGHT RESTRICTION IN THE FIRST BULLET POINT, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THAT WAS PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT ORIGINALLY, AND SO THAT'S HOW WE WROTE THAT IN. THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO NOW, IF I UNDERSTAND, THEY SAID, NO, WE ACTUALLY NEED NINE FEET. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THAT WASN'T THE TOWN DRIVING SIX FOOT THREE. THAT'S CORRECT. STAFF DID NOT SAY WE WANT IT TO BE SIX FEET, AND THEY WERE ARGUING WITH THEM ABOUT IT. WE HAD JUST ASKED THEM, WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT YOU WANT MATERIALS TO? AND SO INITIALLY THEY HAD SAID SIX FEET, BUT WHEN THEY WENT BACK, I THINK THAT WAS ONLY FOR A SPECIFIC TYPE OF MATERIAL. LIKE THEY HAD SAID THE LUMBER WOULD BE SIX FEET TALL, AND SO THAT'S HOW IT WAS WRITTEN IN. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE DIFFERENT HEIGHTS FOR DIFFERENT MATERIALS, YOU KNOW, SO CODE ENFORCEMENT'S OUT THERE WITH A MEASURING TAPE ALL OVER THE BUILDING. JUST PICK A HEIGHT THAT YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO BE ABOVE THAT. SO THAT'S WHEN THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, EMAILED ME AND SAID NINE FEET WOULD WORK. BUT SO LIKE I SAID, WE'D HAVE TO, WE NEED TO MODIFY THE ORDINANCE TO REFLECT THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL IS SUPPORTIVE OF. OKAY, THANKS. YOU SAID THIS IS MOVABLE FENCING. SO HOW ARE THEY FIXING THIS SO IT'S STABLE? I BELIEVE THEY'RE USING THE CMU BLOCKS AND JUST RUNNING THE BOARDS BETWEEN THEM. OKAY. NINE FEET AND THAT'S NOT I DON'T KNOW SAFETY ISSUES WITH THAT HOW STABLE IS THAT I DON'T I DON'T KNOW DOES ANYBODY KNOW LOOKS LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE OR IN FRONT OF THE GARDEN AREA SO WE CAN ASK THE APPLICANT WHEN THEY CAN THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT CAME UP AT P&D COMMISSIONER ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS ANY CONCERN FROM THE TOWN'S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT YOU KNOW IF WE COULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY SAFETY ISSUES SINCE WE APPROVE IT AND THE ATTORNEY AT THE P&D MEETING SAID NO, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THIS IS ON THE APPLICANT TO ADDRESS THEIR OWN SAFETY ISSUES. WE'RE MORE JUST APPROVING FROM AN AESTHETIC PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE. YEAH, I MEAN, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT LIABLE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. NO, I UNDERSTAND. THE OTHER THING THAT DISCUSSED WITH THE APPLICANT, AND SO AGAIN, I THINK HE HAS PHOTOS OF AND HE'S GOING TO BRING UP, IS WITHIN THIS MULCH AREA, THEY LIKE TO... TO SET IT UP SO PEOPLE CAN DRIVE THROUGH TO LOAD UP ON MULCH. AND SO THEY HAVE LIKE AN ENTRANCE SIGN AND AN EXIT SIGN SO THAT THERE'S NOT CONFUSION ABOUT WHICH WAY YOU SHOULD BE GOING IN. AND SO KK EMAILED ME THIS AFTERNOON AND SAID THE SIGNS THEY TYPICALLY USE ARE FOUR FEET BY EIGHT FEET. SO THAT'S 32 SQUARE FEET THAT WOULD SAY EITHER ENTRANCE OR EXIT. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE TOWN'S NORMAL STANDARD FOR DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE IS FIVE SQUARE FEET. SO... IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO ALLOW, I THINK YOU WOULD NEED TO, OR I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE MODIFIED THE MAXIMUM ALLOW SIZE FOR DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE AS WELL. THERE'S ALREADY A STANDARD THAT HAS TO DO WITH SIGNAGE WITHIN THE ORDINANCE AND THAT WE JUST WROTE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED SIGNAGE FOR SALES OF THESE OUTSIDE MATERIALS WOULD BE ALLOWED. SO I THINK WE COULD JUST ADD ON TO THAT TO ALSO ADDRESS WHATEVER. WHATEVER SIZE SIGNAGE THAT YOU WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH FOR DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO APPROVE. YOU SAID THAT WOULD GO UP THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, RIGHT? NOT IN THE BLUE AREA. IT'S THE BLUE AREA. IT IS? OKAY. WELL, I THOUGHT THE MULCH IS UP THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, AND [01:15:02] THAT'S THE LOADING AREA. I BELIEVE THEY WANT TO CREATE AN ADDITIONAL LOADING AREA FOR MULCH WITHIN THE BLUE AREA. I WOULD LET THE APPLICANT ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD HIM EXPLAIN. I JUST WORRY ABOUT A LOADING ZONE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT. THE SAFETY ISSUES WITH LOADING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE INSTEAD OF UP TO THE SIDE RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE DOING IT CORNER. YEAH OFF TO THE SIDE. WELL, IT'S NOT EVEN OFF TO THE SIDE. IT'S OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE UP THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE IT'S ON THE NORTH SIDE YEAH, YES WHERE YEAH, SO THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY WHEREAS IF YOU PUT IT IN THE BLUE AREA THEN YOU'RE GONNA BE STOPPING AND LOADING AND I DON'T KNOW SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT, BUT I DO WHEN WE DISCUSS IT YEAH, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON IT, AND WHY I THINK IT'S PROBABLY OKAY BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT BEFORE I GET INTO THAT SO THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL ONE MORE SINCE THEY'RE TAKING AWAY THOSE PARKING SPOTS FOR STORAGE DID WE DO A PARKING SILENCE? WE DID DO A PARKING ANALYSIS. THEY WILL STILL HAVE ADEQUATE PARKING OKAY. THANK YOU, LEXAN. AND WE'LL HAVE THE APPLICANT COME FORWARD. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER. MY NAME IS KK YAO, AND I'M THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR LOWE'S HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTER. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, THE TOWN STAFF. MS. MURPHY, MR. RUSSELL, TOMMY, BEEN WORKING WITH US AND ALSO THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S MEMBERS WORKING WITH US ON THESE PROJECTS. AND WE RECEIVE A LOT OF THEIR FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE ARE CONSTANTLY MAKING THE IMPROVEMENT TO MAKE IT BETTER. AND TONIGHT I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT 27, PD 27. FOR THE LOWE'S STORE LOCATED IN FLOWER MOUND. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT UPDATES THE EXISTING PD 27 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS TO ALLOW CLEAR, DEFINED OUTDOOR STAIRS, DISPLAYS AND STORAGE AREAS THAT SUPPORT LOWE'S OPERATIONS NEEDS WHILE MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS. OUR GOAL IS SIMPLE. WE JUST WANT TO ESTABLISH CLEAR STANDARDS AND DESIGNATED AREA FOR OUTDOOR MERCHANDISING ACTIVITIES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS, SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITIES AND OPERATING AS A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL BUSINESS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHED BY THE TOWN. SO IN SHORT, THE REQUEST IS ALL ABOUT COMPLIANCE, IT'S ALL ABOUT CLEARTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES. SO I'D LIKE TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE EXHIBIT WHICH IS ON THE SCREEN. ADDITIONAL PICTURES, DO WE HAVE THAT? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER EXHIBIT, KAY? SO BASICALLY I THINK THAT THIS IS THE EXHIBIT K AND ALL THE LANGUAGE IN THE PD STANDARDS IS REFERRING ON THESE EXHIBITS. AND AS MENTIONED BY MS. MURPHY, SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE ON THESE PD DEVELOPMENTS IS ALL HIGHLIGHTED PERMANENTLY IN THE YELLOW AND THEN TEMPORARILY IN THE BLUE AREA. AND SO WHAT YOU DO TODAY IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND DRIVE AROUND THE STORE, YOU WOULD SEE ALL THE YELLOW AROUND THE BUILDING AS SHOWN ON THE EXHIBIT PLAN HERE, EXCEPT THE ONE THAT INDICATED AS THE TRAILER AND THE SHED STRUCTURE. SO THIS AREA AND THIS BLUE AREA IS THE ONLY TWO ITEMS THAT YOU DO NOT SEE TODAY WHEN YOU DRIVE OUT THERE AND THE REST IS ALL SHOWN ON THE PLANES AROUND THE BUILDING. [01:20:04] SO ITEM NUMBER ONE IS WE AGREE BASED ON THE GUIDANCE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSIONS, WE AGREE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SCREENING FROM JUSTIN ROAD, ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPINGS AROUND THIS AREA AS RECOMMENDED BY MS. CLAIRE HARRIS AS WELL. YOU KNOW WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON THIS AREA THE ONLY CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IS THE OVERHEAD POWER LINES BUT THAT FINALLY WILL DO SOME RESEARCH AND TO SEE ANY RESTRICTIONS IN ORDER TO PUT THE ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING ALONG THERE FOR SCREENING OF THE TRAILERS AS WELL AS THE SET STRUCTURE AND THEN NUMBER TWO SHOWING ALL THESE AREAS IS THE ADDITIONAL SALES AREA HIGHLIGHTED NEXT TO THE GARDEN CENTER, THE BACK GOODS BEHIND THE BUILDING ALL AROUND AND THEN THE FRONT SIDEWALKS IS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE MERCHANDISING FOR THE LAWN AND GARDEN ITEMS, THE LIVE PLANTS DURING SPRING SALES AS WELL AS THE WHEELBARROWS AND THE LUMBERS IN FRONT OF THE LUMBERYARD. I HAVE TAKEN ADDITIONAL PICTURES JUST TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT'S SHOWING TODAY. OH, OKAY. ATTENTION TO THE LANDSCAPE AREA HERE, THE ADDITIONAL. AND TODAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO OUT THERE, YOU PROBABLY SEE THIS ELECTRICAL BOX THERE, AND THEY GO AROUND HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WILLING TO DO, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING. HOWEVER, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO CHECK OUT, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE NOT IN CONFLICT WITH ANY UTILITIES OUT THERE. THAT'S FOR THE SCREENING. AND YOU SEE THE EXISTING POWER POLES AND THE OVERHEAD LINES. AND AS WE GO AROUND THE BUILDING, YOU WOULD SEE TODAY, THIS IS AT THE TRUCK TURNAROUND, WE CALL IT THE BIG RADIUS BEHIND THE BUILDINGS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE RIGHT BEHIND THE FIRE LINE, THE FIRE LANE AS MARKED ON THE SITE. AND AGAIN, YOU SEE NEXT TO THE GARDEN CENTER, THOSE ARE THE BAGGED GOODS CURRENTLY OUT THERE. AND I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS REGARDING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE NEED ADDITIONAL? AREA. IN FACT, THAT IS NOT AN ADDITIONAL AREA BECAUSE THIS AREA IS PRETTY MUCH OPEN ALL YEAR. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE PICKING UP THE HEAVIER MERCHANDISING, SUCH AS LIKE A PAVER STONE FROM THE GARDEN CENTER, BECAUSE THERE'S A GATE NEARBY THERE. SO CUSTOMERS WILL TYPICALLY COME IN HERE AND PICK UP, WORK WITH THE EMPLOYEE. AND PICK UP THE MATERIAL FROM THERE AND SO THAT THEY CAN LOAD IT UP INTO THEIR VEHICLE AROUND THIS AREA. SO THE AREA THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR HERE IS PRETTY MUCH IS THE, WE CALL THAT AS A QUICK LOAD WHERE IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT MS MURPHY MENTIONED, THERE'S A SIGN AND I CAN SHOW YOU FOR THE, SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT WE'VE SHOWN HERE. SO THESE SIGNS ARE PRETTY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, GUIDING THE CUSTOMER COMING IN AND THEN EXIT. SO THESE SIGNS ARE VERY CLEAR, AND THAT WAY THERE'S NO CONFUSING, NO CONFLICTS. SAFETY IS ALWAYS OUR TOP PRIORITY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WORKING AROUND THIS AREA ARE SAFELY. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE HERE IS TO MAKING SURE THAT THE CUSTOMER IS ABLE TO GET THEIR PRODUCTS QUICKLY, LESS WAITING TIMES. AND ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR PRODUCTS AND RETURN HOMES AND DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO. EXCUSE ME. SO THIS PICTURE HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM A JASON STORE AND THEY ARE QUITE A FEW STORE RUNNING THE SAME OPERATIONS AROUND HERE. PLACES LIKE PLANO, FRISCO, LOUISVILLE, THOSE PLACES TYPICALLY YEAH YOU WILL SEE THESE SIGNS IT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT. AND SOME OF THOSE IN OTHER STATES AS WELL. AS WE MET WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MR. [01:25:01] TAYLOR CONCERNING ABOUT THE SCREENING BEHIND THE STORE, WE ARE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL BAGGED GOODS STORAGE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT CURRENTLY IS NOT SHOWING BEHIND AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE ADDED SOME YELLOW BOXES BEHIND HERE TO CONTINUE THE STORAGE AREA. THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE OUT THERE AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE OPERATION IS VERY CLEAN. VERY NEAT. WE ARE NOT INTERFERING WITH ANY FIRE VEHICLE, EMERGENCY VEHICLE. IT'S CLEAR, BIG STREET AND WITH THE FIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE AND WITH SOME FIRE HYDRANT ON THAT TOO. AND ONE UNIQUE ABOUT THIS SITE IS THAT YOU CAN SEE CURRENTLY THERE'S AN EXISTING STONE RETAINING WALL. THEY ARE PRETTY TALL AND ON TOP OF IT THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES, MATURE TREES AND VERY DENSE. AND AS I CLIMB UP CAREFULLY I'M NOT ABLE TO SEE BEYOND THAT PROPERTIES. SO YOU KNOW SCREENINGS I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE SCREENINGS YOU KNOW IS VERY EFFECTIVE AT THIS LOCATION. SO I'M JUST HERE TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU MAY HAVE AND HERE'S THE TAPE MEASUREMENT THAT I DID FOR THE SIDE CRATE. ONE OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY OF STACKING, AND WE ARE ASKING FOR MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 9 FEET. THE REASON IS THAT THIS IS THE MASONRY BLOCK. THE HEIGHT OF THE MASONRY BLOCK IS ABOUT 4.5 FEET, ABOUT 4.33 FEET, TIME TWO STACK. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WE WILL DO, IS PUTTING THOSE TWO TOGETHER ON ONE STACK. NOT LIKE WHAT IS SHOWN HERE. AND THEY GAVE US 8.6 FEET. AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LEGAL AND JUST ASK FOR THE 9 FEET. AND THAT IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND THAT. BUT FOR SOME OF THE INSULATION... BOARDS SUCH AS LIKE THIS, LIKE 3 STACK THAT GO UP TO SEVEN AND A HALF FEET. FOR THE SET CREEK, IF YOU PUT TWO STACK TOGETHER, IT GO UP TO SEVEN AND A HALF FEET. SO REALLY IT'S BETWEEN SIX FEET, SLIGHTLY BELOW SIX FEET ON SOME OF THE ITEMS AND IT RANGE FROM SEVEN AND A HALF FEET TO EIGHT POINT SIX FEET AND THAT'S REASON WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR NINE FEET FOR EASIER COMPLIANCE INSPECTION. ACCOUNTABILITY ON OUR EMPLOYEES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO, AND SO THAT WE CAN STAY IN COMPLIANCE. THESE ARE THE PICTURES THAT ARE SHOWN HERE THAT I HAVE TAKEN IN THE PAST WHEN I WENT OUT TO THE STORE. THESE ARE THE UTILITY TRAILERS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. THESE ARE THE SHARED STRUCTURE STORAGE. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE LUMBER, TYPICAL STORE. IF YOU COULD SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I WERE THE STORE MANAGER, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT PUT THAT TALL BUT MAYBE LIKE, YOU KNOW, AROUND THAT HEIGHT LIKE MAX 9 FEET. YEAH, PRETTY STABLE BECAUSE THEY'RE SPREAD. YEAH, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THAT. SO AND AGAIN HERE IS THE ENTRANCE FOR SOME OF THE STORE THAT WE HAVE DONE THE SIMILAR OPERATIONS. AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, WE ARE NOT INTENDED TO USE ANY SCREENING HERE, LIKE SEE THE DETAIL, BECAUSE THE MASONRY BLOCK WITH THE CITY WOOD, THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE MORE PROBLEM, SAFETY TO THE EMPLOYEE AND THE CUSTOMER. WHEN YOU HAVE SITUATION WHERE FALL AND CAUSING INJURY, AS YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE, ALL THE PRODUCTS, IT'S PROPERLY WRAPPED ALL AROUND, SECURITY, AND SIT ON TOP OF THE PALLET. IT'S VERY STABLE, NOTHING GO ON TOP, AND IN MY OPINION, THIS IS PRETTY SAFE. SO TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT THE TEMPORARY FENCING AROUND THAT AREA, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THAT WASN'T INTENDED FOR THE QUICK LOAD AREA. THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH INTENDED FOR THE... FOR THE WHEELBARROW AREA WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR GRILL THINGS LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF THE STORE BECAUSE AS YOU THINK ABOUT THAT THE THE MASONRY BLOCKS IS NOT STABLE YOU JUST STACK THEM AND YOU PUT A WOOD IN TOGETHER THAT'S PRETTY MUCH A DELINEATE THE BOUNDARIES SO CUSTOMERS BE ABLE TO SEE AND AND NOT ENCROACHING [01:30:01] OUT BECAUSE WHEN YOU STACK THEM AROUND THIS OPERATION WHERE YOU HAVE FOG LIFT WHERE YOU HAVE TRUCK THAT'S A LOT HASSLE IN MY OPINION. YEAH THAT'S WHAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT. YEAH THE ISSUES WITH THAT. THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK. I KNOW SOME SOME LOCATION THEY ACTUALLY PUT UH THERE ARE SOME STORAGE AREA BEHIND THE BUILDING WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR SCREEN WALL. THOSE ARE NOT GONNA LAST BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A FORKLIFT YOU'RE CAUSING MORE HEARTBURN FOR THE DRIVER. THE FORKLIFT DRIVER HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY AND PUT PUT THE PRODUCTS. IN THAT LITTLE BOUNDARY AREA. SO FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE MY MAJOR CONCERN IF THEY ARE RESTRICTED TO THAT LITTLE BOUNDARIES. BUT ON THIS, IT'S OPEN AND IT'S CLEAN, IT'S CLEAR. CUSTOMERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. THEY WALK INTO THE STORE, MAKING THE PAYMENT, GET THE RECEIPT. OUT HERE, THERE ARE EMPLOYEES READY WORKING AND READY TO PUT... THE LOAD INTO THE VEHICLE LESS TIME EFFICIENT LESS HEADACHE I I'M WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE SO CURRENTLY YOU'VE GOT A KIND OF A SMALLER STORAGE SHED AREA YES SIR AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IS IT EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW NO ADDITIONAL NO SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DO NOT SEE THAT CURRENTLY AT THIS STORE IS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO SALES. BUT I THINK ON ONE OF THE PICTURES, WE DO PUT THOSE LITTLE STRUCTURES NEXT TO THE BUILDING. YEAH. YEAH, THAT'S WHERE WE PUT IT CURRENTLY. AT OTHER STORES? NO, IN FRONT OF THE STORE HERE. I'M NOT SURE. I DON'T REMEMBER. YEAH, RIGHT HERE. YEAH. SO WILL YOU KEEP THOSE THERE AS WELL? IF WE GET THE APPROVAL, WE WILL PUT IT RIGHT HERE AT THIS LOCATION. TAKING A FEW OF THESE, PUT THAT RIGHT HERE. AND THEN THE TRAILER IS GOING TO SIT NEXT TO IT. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO SCREENING BEHIND, NEXT TO THE DETENTION PARK. I THINK ONE OF THE PICTURES MAY SHOW... YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE DO ELSEWHERE. IT'S KIND OF HOW THEY DO IT AT TRACTOR SUPPLY. I MEAN MY CONCERN IS WHENEVER I GO TO THE LOWE'S OR THE HOME DEPOT IN FLOWER MOUND, IT'S MUCH CLEANER. WE DON'T HAVE ALL THIS STORAGE BUILT UP IN FRONT OF THE STORE. WHEN I GO TO LOUISVILLE'S, IT JUST SEEMS MESSY. WITH ALL THE BUILDUP THAT THEY PUT IN FRONT, SAME WITH THE LOWS. THE STORAGE SHEDS ARE KIND OF SPREAD ABOUT THE PARKING LOT. IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK CLEAN. I UNDERSTAND THE AREAS AROUND THE BUILDING YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO GET BACK INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE. I MEAN, ARE THERE ANY OPTIONS TO ADD? I MEAN, YOU'RE ALREADY ADDING THE ADDITIONAL SCREEN FOR THE BUSHES, WHICH WON'T BLOCK A FULL SHED. IT'LL JUST KIND OF BLOCK HALF THE SHED, BUT THOSE WILL BE RIGHT ALONG 407. AND AGAIN, IT'S REALLY DEPENDING ON THE MARKET. SOME AREAS SALES MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE CURRENTLY WHAT YOU SEE HERE, I ONLY SEE TWOS. MAYBE THAT'S THE ONLY AVAILABLE SPACE, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THE CUSTOMERS WANT. BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT LIKE OTHER AREA. BUT THEY COME WITH DIFFERENT SIZES. DIFFERENT TYPES. ONE GOOD THING ABOUT IS FOR THESE BENEFIT TO THE CUSTOMERS, THEY ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT CLOSELY AND SEE, COMPARING THE PRICING WITH THE COMPETITOR, MAKING BETTER CHOICES, BETTER OPTIONS PROVIDED TO THEM. SO, YEAH, I KNOW LOWE'S HAS THEIR SHEDS OFF TO THE SIDE, LIKE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING. SO, DO YOU KNOW? THEIR SALES ON SHEDS ARE HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY SELLING AT HOME DEPOT? NO, LOWE'S HAS IT TOO. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LOWE'S IN LOUISVILLE OR THIS LOWE'S? YEAH, LOWE'S AT LOUISVILLE. YEAH. LOWE'S AT LOUISVILLE HAS A DESIGNATED SPOT FOR THEIR SHEDS, JUST LIKE YOU'RE PROPOSING IN FLOWER MOUND. SO DO YOU KNOW IF THEIR SALES [01:35:01] ON SHEDS ARE HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU ARE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? ACTUALLY, I DON'T. I DO NOT KNOW, BUT I CAN DEFER TO SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT KNOW. YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO IT? MR. KEVIN IS THE STORE MANAGER FOR THE STORE. HE'S MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN ME ON THAT. GO AHEAD AND SAY YOUR NAME. CALVIN STARWORTH, GM AT LOWE'S IN FLOWER MOUND. SO I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. IT'S MORE AROUND THE SHED. SO WE'RE ONLY LIMITED TO TWO SHEDS IN OUR LOCATION. IF YOU GO TO LOUISVILLE, THEY HAVE MORE OPTIONS, SO THEY'RE SELLING MORE. AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO GET MORE SHEDS AT THEIR STORE VERSUS OUR STORE. SO DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE GETTING MORE SALES OVER THERE BECAUSE OF THAT DESIGNATED SPOT? BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DESIGNATED SPOT OUTSIDE AND THEN THERE ARE OPTIONS TO GET MORE SHEDS. SO THE MORE SHEDS YOU SELL, THE MORE OPTIONS YOU GET MORE. YEAH, YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH, AND THAT'S A BIG ITEM. I HAD A QUESTION. IF YOU COULD BRING UP THE DIAGRAM AGAIN, KIND OF THE OVERVIEW, AND IT WAS THE QUESTION THAT I POSED TO LEXAN EARLIER. I THINK IT'S THIS DIAGRAM, THE OVERVIEW DIAGRAM. MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER. WHICH PICTURES? THAT ONE RIGHT THERE. I THINK THERE'S A SEPARATE PDF. NO, THIS ONE'S FINE. YEAH, JUST MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER. SO IN THAT SOUTH CORNER WHERE YOU KIND OF HAD IT HIGHLIGHTED, THE SOUTH, AND IT'S GOING TO BE SOUTH OF THE SQUARE, THAT YELLOW SQUARE RIGHT THERE. OFTENTIMES I'LL SEE, AND IN FACT ON SUNDAY I SAW THAT THERE WERE SOME ITEMS, AND I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ITEMS AT ALL THERE. THEY WERE EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE SOUTH BECAUSE THEY WERE ALONG THAT FENCE LINE THERE. AND I'M WONDERING IF YOUR AREA IS LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT YOU CURRENTLY ARE USING. AND IF YOU NEED TO... DESIGNATE A SLIGHTLY LARGER SPACE SO THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT ARE OUT OF THIS YELLOW BOX RIGHT SO UM WHERE THE BOX IS AT RIGHT NOW YEAH WE HAVE MORE ROOM TO EXPAND THAT IF NEEDED WHICH WOULD BE PROBABLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE THAT AREA RIGHT THERE IS FOR LIKE WHAT WE CALL COAL LUMBER LIKE THIS KIND OF LUMBER FOR CUSTOMERS TO COME IN AND SAY HEY I WANT TO BUY THAT YES. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT AREA RIGHT THERE IS FOR. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT AT. SO RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE DRIVING, YOU SAY YOU DROVE BY THERE ON SUNDAY, THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT THREE TO FOUR OF THOSE THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT BUT HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO COME PICK IT UP YET. RIGHT. WE VISIT THAT AREA BECAUSE IT'S USUALLY 70% OFF. GOOD DEAL. BUT IT'S LARGER THAN WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING HERE, RIGHT? CORRECT. YEAH. SO DO WE WANT TO EXPAND THAT, I GUESS? YES. OKAY. AND THEN ON THE NORTH SIDE WHERE YOU CURRENTLY HAVE THE BAGGED MULCH AND THINGS, AND I PICK UP THERE FREQUENTLY, SO WILL YOU STILL HAVE THAT AREA OF MULCH, OR WILL IT ONLY PICK UP IN THE BLUE AREA? SO TYPICALLY, THIS BLUE AREA DOESN'T RUN ALL YEAR LONG. LIKE SAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME IN... AUGUST OCTOBER AND YOU LIKE TO DO SOME THINGS AND THIS IS THE GATE CLOSEST TO THE GARDEN CENTER THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD COME IN AND AND GET ALL THE PRODUCTS FROM THAT AREA WHERE THIS BLUE AREA IS NOT THERE DURING THAT TIME? SO I GUESS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS REGARDING THAT DRIVE-THRU AREA THE BLUE AREA YOU KNOW I WAS UNDER THE PERCEPTION THAT WAS GOING TO BE SCREENED AND FENCED AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AND SO I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH THAT, TO BE HONEST. THE SIGNS, I DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE SIGNS. AND THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THE PICTURES. AND WHEN WE SPOKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY GOAL IS TO HELP YOU GUYS GET IN COMPLIANCE, FIND A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR THE TOWN, WORKS FOR LOWE'S, AND WE CAN ALL MOVE FORWARD. AND SO TO THE POINT OF ENLARGING SOME OF THESE AREAS AROUND THE BUILDING, IT'S A GREAT IDEA. LET'S TAKE CARE OF IT NOW WHILE WE'RE HERE. BUT GOING BACK TO THIS DRIVE-THRU AREA, HOW MUCH OF A BENEFIT IS IT TO YOU? TO YOU TO HAVE THAT DEDICATED AREA AS OPPOSED TO SETTING UP A LOADING AREA ON THAT NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE IT CURRENTLY IS IN THE OFF SEASON. BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IT'S JUST SHOVED IN A PARKING LOT. AND I THINK THAT WAS A MENTION EARLIER ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THIS LOWE'S COMPARED TO ONE IN LEWISVILLE IS IT LOOKS CLEANER. AND SO WHEN WE TALKED THAT WAS THE THING I SAID I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS INTENTIONAL, LIKE IT BELONGED. AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT SCREENING, I'M NOT SURE WE'RE ACHIEVING THAT GOAL. AND SO IF WE DID NOT HAVE THIS [01:40:01] BLUE AREA IN THE PARKING LOT, COULD YOU USE THAT AREA ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING TO DO THE MULCH LOADING AND UNLOADING AND THEN MAYBE RESERVE THIS AREA FOR CHRISTMAS TREES OR SOMETHING ELSE? SO LET ME TAKE A TRY ON THIS ONE, IF YOU DO NOT MIND. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS A UNIQUE SITE, IN FACT, SOME OTHER LOCATIONS WE LIKE. SOME OF THOSE IN FRISCO OR PLANO, YOU WOULD SEE SOMETIMES THEY USE THE SIDE LANE FOR THE QUICK LOAD. HOWEVER, ON THESE PARTICULAR LOCATIONS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING, SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS LONG BUILDING HERE, AND AS CUSTOMERS COMING IN HERE, THEY MAY RUN INTO A CONFLICT WITH THE TRUCK AND SOME OF THE DELIVERY VEHICLE, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO CONTINUE DRIVING, YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE OTHER END OF THE SHOPPING CENTRE TO GET OUT. SO THAT'S CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR CONFLICTS WITH THAT. ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRINGS, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMERS ARE A LOT HEAVY, MANY COMING IN, DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. VERY HAPPY, VERY EXCITED. AND WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING ON A PARKING LOT... AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I THINK THE OPERATION REALLY MAKES SENSE TO ME AS A CUSTOMER BECAUSE I USE THAT QUITE A BIT. AND SUDDENLY I CAN SEE THE BENEFIT OF IT SIMPLY BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN GET IN AND GET OUT FOR ANYBODY. THAT'S JUST A CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE. SO I DID LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER LOWS IN THE AREA, AND YOU DO HAVE SOME OF THE ENTRY AND END. EXIT AREAS, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN FRONT OF THE STORE IN THE PARKING LOT LIKE THIS. THE ONE IN LOUISVILLE IS IN THE PARKING LOT, BUT IT'S ON THE SIDE OF THE STORE. SOUTHLAKE IS SIMILAR, CARROLLTON. SO NOWHERE THAT I LOOKED HAS IT IN THE FRONT LIKE THIS WHERE YOU'RE MIXING YOUR PARKING, GOING IN AND OUT OF THE STORE, AND THAT. LOADING AREA. SO THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN. YEAH, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I THINK IT'S A SAFETY CONCERN WITH EVERYBODY LOADING UP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT. I HAVE DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. YEAH, AND AGAIN, WE WILL LISTEN TO YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S SAFER. BECAUSE IF I WERE THE CUSTOMER, IF I HAVE TO WALK LONGER BACK TO THE STORE AND COMING BACK OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IT'S IMPOSED A HAZARD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE... I HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK BEHIND THE VEHICLE TO GO TO THE LOADING AREA. SO IT'S A PROS AND CONS. IT'S THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS. IN TERMS OF CUSTOMER, I LIKE MY SHOPPING CART. I CAN PICK IT UP FROM NEXT DOOR. BUT AS YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES THE SHOPPING CART IS NOT NEXT TO YOUR VEHICLE ALL THE TIME. EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TO WALK A FEW SPACES DOWN, IT'S TOO FAR. THAT'S A CUSTOMER SPEAKING. SO I LIKE IT NEXT TO ME. SO MY THOUGHT IS I DON'T REALLY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY THAT LOWE'S IS CURRENTLY LOADING. I THINK OFF THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS LIMITED IMPACT TO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. IT'S KIND OF TUCKED AWAY. WE'RE NOT STORING A BUNCH OF MATERIALS OUT IN FRONT OF LOWE'S, WHICH WE DON'T REALLY ENCOURAGE IN ANY OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS THROUGHOUT TOWN. I MEAN, I DON'T REALLY THINK I'D LIKE TO MAKE IT A PRECEDENT TO ALLOW IT. IT DOESN'T LOOK CLEAN. I THINK THE STORAGE SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING. LOWE'S DIDN'T INCORPORATE INTO THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING FROM THE START. I THINK THE LOADING AREA OVER IN LOUISVILLE IS A MUCH LARGER, WIDER AREA, SO TRUCKS CAN GET AROUND, WHEREAS THIS ONE YOU CAN'T. YEAH, THERE'S A BIG PARKING AREA TO THE EAST SIDE. YEAH, IT'S MORE NARROW. HOME DEPOT IN LOUISVILLE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS IT KIND OF IN THE FRONT, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK CLEAN. IT'S GOT THE FENCING AROUND IT. LOOKS LIKE THIS. SO YOUR CONCERN IS REGARDING ABOUT THE CLEANING AROUND THE AREA? YEAH, AESTHETICS AND STORING A BUNCH OF MATERIALS OUT FRONT. RIGHT. WE DON'T TYPICALLY ALLOW THAT. YEAH, YOU KNOW, THESE PICTURES I TOOK LAST NIGHT, NOT LAST NIGHT, ON THE MAYBE MONDAY EVENING, YOU CAN SEE THAT LOWE'S IS MAKING A BIG EFFORT TO MAKING SURE THE AREA. IT'S CLEAN, IT'S SAFE, IT'S NEAT, AND TO PREVENT ANY... NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE CANNOT HELP WITH THE PARKING BECAUSE THIS IS NOT DIRTY. THIS IS POT HOSES AND SOME OF THE MATERIAL. YEAH, AND I'M NOT CONCERNED. I MEAN, [01:45:01] IT'S JUST THE STORAGE MATERIAL. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR INTENT IS ALWAYS A GOOD INTENTION, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, TO MAKING SURE THAT IT'S KEPT CLEAN. BECAUSE TO A RETAILER, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE APPEARANCE. IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE IF THE YOU KNOW IF THE CUSTOMER FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW, THIS IS TERRIBLE THEN I'M GONNA COME BACK THEY'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT DOOR AND WE DO NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN WE ALWAYS WANT THEM TO COME BACK TO US FOR A GOOD REASON FOR GOOD PRICING. YEAH THERE'S GOOD OPTION. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE ABOUT THE LOWE'S HERE IS THAT IT HAS THE NON-CLUTTERED PARKING LOT, AND THAT'S WHY WE COME TO THIS LOWE'S, IN ADDITION TO BEING CLOSE AND IN OUR HOMETOWN. YES, SIR. BUT MY CONCERN IS WITH IT JUST BEING STUCK IN THE OPEN WITHOUT ANY PERIMETER TO SHOW THAT THIS IS AN INTENTIONAL AREA, AND IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT, PRIME PARKING CLOSE TO THE BUILDING. AS YOU MENTIONED, DO YOU WANT TO BE CONVENIENT? WHEN YOU GO AND PARK A CAR, YOU WANT THE CART NEXT TO YOU. AND YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WALK RIGHT IN. THIS IS CLOSE TO THE BUILDING, SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PARK FURTHER AWAY. SO GIVEN ALL OF THIS AND SEEING ADDITIONAL PICTURES, I THINK HAVING A LOADING AREA ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING IT MIGHT MAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE THAN TRYING TO DO THIS LOADING LANE. I'M NOT AS WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. I THINK THAT COULD BE DONE CORRECTLY, BUT I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE AESTHETICS AND JUST JUMBLES AND CROWDS THE PARKING LOT AND THE AESTHETIC ISN'T GREAT. DOES THAT AREA ALSO GET REALLY BUSY TOO DURING THAT SEASON? BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO BUY GARDEN MATERIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS ALWAYS PACKED. RIGHT. I THINK ALL THE YELLOW AREAS ARE FINE. I'M SORRY, CLAIRE? THE YELLOW AREAS ARE FINE AROUND THE BUILDING. AND THE TRUCK AND SHED AND TRAILER AREA IS FINE. IT'S OVER ON THE NORTH. SO I'M NOT SPEAKING ABOUT OPERATIONS AND THE CONVENIENCE OF THE CUSTOMER. IF YOU CONSIDER US MOVING THE BLUE AREA FURTHER DOWN TO THE PARKING LOT, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE? AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I DEFER THAT TO THE SOLE MANAGERS FOR OPERATION SUGGESTION. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE REASON WE STUCK BEHIND THIS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A 30-FOOT EASEMENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID, THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO STACK OUR PRODUCTS ON TOP OF THAT EASEMENT. THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT IN THIS CORNER. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION IS TO SKIP THE AREA HERE, ESCAPE THE EASEMENT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF OPERATION, YOU WOULD PUT IT NEXT TO THE ISLANDS AROUND THIS AREA? WOULD THAT BE BETTER? I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WOULD HELP. YEAH, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING. OKAY. I THINK MAYBE IT WOULD BE A LITTLE LESS, IF IT WERE SMALLER, IN MY OPINION ONLY. THE AREA ON THE NORTH, JUST THAT ONE STRIP TO THE NORTH, NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, ON BOTH SIDES, BUT JUST THAT ONE STRIP MAYBE WOULD LOOK A LITTLE NEATER. IT WOULD STILL SERVE THE SAME FUNCTION, BUT MAYBE NOT BE QUITE AS BIG IN YOUR FACE. WHY COULDN'T YOU PUT THE SHEDS TOWARDS THE BUILDING INSTEAD OF THAT ZONE, THAT YELLOW ZONE UP AT THE TOP ON THE LEFT? WHY NOT PUT THE SHEDS ALONG THE BUILDING AND PUT YOUR... A LOADING AREA THERE WITH MULCH WHERE IT'S OFF TO THE SIDE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS UM OR IF THAT'S TOO MUCH TRAFFIC COMING FROM CHASE BANK AND YOU KNOW COMING ACROSS THERE I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THE BUILDINGS IN THOSE TRAILERS IN YOUR FACE YEAH YEAH AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WE WANT WE WANT TO WORK THIS OUT AS BEST WE CAN FOR YOU UM IN THE SAFETY I THOUGHT ABOUT THE UH THE QUESTION COUNCILMAN TAYLOR BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, REGARDING ABOUT THESE LOCATIONS, IN MY HUMBLE OPINIONS, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS LOCATION IS SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE, SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EXISTING SCREENING FROM THE SCREEN WALL, THE BRICK WALL AROUND HERE. SO YOU WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT MORE ABSTRACTED FROM THE PUBLIC VIEW WHEN YOU HAVE IT IN LOCATION. BUT I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. SO TO ANSWER EVERYBODY'S QUESTION AND CURIOSITY, COULD WE OPERATE WITHOUT THE BLUE? COULD YOU WHAT? COULD WE OPERATE WITHOUT THE BLUE? SO APPROVE EVERYTHING OUTSIDE? YES, WE COULD OPERATE WITHOUT THE BLUE. OH. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS AROUND THE BUILDING FOR STORAGE. YEAH. OUR STORE IS UNIQUE FROM THE COMPANY AS WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE SELLING SPRINGTIME STORE [01:50:04] IN THE COMPANY. SO WHEN SPRING HITS IN FEBRUARY, TRUCKS COME SEVEN A DAY BACK TO BACK TO BACK. SO THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING STORAGE AROUND THE BUILDING WITHOUT HAVING CONSTRAINT ELSEWHERE IS GOING TO HELP US OUT A LOT FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT. SO WHEN YOU SEE THE STORAGE LIKE THE LEWISVILLE'S AND THE STORES THAT HAVE THEIR LOADING ZONE ON THE OUTSIDE UP THERE, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT. IT'S PROBABLY A PLAY THAT LOWE'S DOES TO SAY, HEY, YOU PUT THIS IN THE PARKING LOT. AND RUN. BUT THIS STORE HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE SO LONG PRIOR TO ME DOING IT ON THE EDGE IN THAT CORNER. THEY'VE BEEN EFFICIENT AT DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME. I THINK THE CONCERN WAS COMING HERE OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS WAS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT. WE DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT. I DON'T SPEAK FOR ANYBODY THAT DOING ENHANCING THE YELLOW AROUND THE BUILDING, I THINK IS A NO BRAINER. I THINK WE ALL WANT TO WORK WITH YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE BUILDING A NEW STORE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE CONSTRAINTS THAT YOU HAVE NOW, YOU COULD DO THE LOADING ZONE AND MAKE THAT MORE EFFICIENT ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT. THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE SOME HEADWINDS ON THE BLUE PART. AND IF YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT THAT, BUT YOU CAN WITH THE ENHANCED YELLOW AROUND THE BUILDING, I THINK THAT COULD BE A GOOD SOLUTION FOR US. GO AHEAD, CHRIS. YES, SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BRIAN. SO THE BLUE, AND I'M ALSO AGAINST THE YELLOW WITH THE UTILITY TRAILERS. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT ALONG 407. WELL, CURRENTLY WE DON'T SELL UTILITY TRAILERS. YEAH. BECAUSE OF THIS REASON. THEY DON'T PUT IT IN OUR STORE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THERE WAS A COMPLIANCE ISSUE IN THE PAST, SO THEY DON'T SEND IT TO US. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE PROBABLY SEEING AS THE PICTURES THAT ARE JUST SHOWN. YOU'LL SEE IT IN OTHER LOADS. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IT DOES POP UP, ARE WE ABLE TO. PUT THIS OUT FOR SALE TO PEOPLE CUTTING YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T RIGHT OH, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GET RID OF THE BLUE, I'D ALMOST ARGUE WE DON'T EXPAND THAT YELLOW ON THE NORTH SIDE, CHRIS, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING. NO, I'M NOT SAYING EXPAND IT. I'M JUST, MY CONCERN IS THE VISUAL ASPECT OF IT. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS YELLOW ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT? YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. WE DON'T ADD THAT. I SAID EXPAND. I MEANT ADD THAT YELLOW ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT JUST BECAUSE IN LIGHT OF KEEPING THE PARKING LOT WITH A CLEAN LOOK. IF WE DON'T DO THAT YELLOW AT THE TOP THAT'S IN THE PARKING LOT, IS THERE AN AREA AROUND THE BUILDING THAT YOU COULD USE TO ENHANCE YOUR STORAGE SHED DISPLAY AREA? WE'LL LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY. BUT WITH THE, OKAY. YOU CAN'T PUT IT ON THE LUMBER SIDE? I CAN'T PUT IT ON BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE WIDER. SO THAT AREA WHERE YOU'RE PROPOSING FOR THE TRAILERS, I THINK WITH THE ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPE AND SHRUBBERY BEHIND WOULD HELP WITH THAT FROM 407, AND IT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO SELL SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY SELLING IN OUR MARKET. YEAH, I MEAN, I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'D HAVE THOSE SHEDS TO SELL, HONESTLY. I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC COMING THROUGH THERE BECAUSE HOME DEPOT AND LOWE'S, YOU DON'T HAVE BUSINESSES THAT ARE... CUTTING THROUGH WHERE PEOPLE ARE STANDING AND LOOKING AT SHEDS. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? GOT YOU. THAT SECTION OF THE PARKING LOT, YOU KNOW THAT PARKING LOT. NOBODY PARKS OVER THERE. NO, NO, THEY DON'T PARK THERE, BUT THERE'S THAT BANK THAT COMES THROUGH THERE AND SOME PEOPLE DRIVE THROUGH THERE. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WORRY ABOUT. I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE OVERALL FINE. I GUESS MY OPINION ON THE... I DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE THE LOOK OF THE UTILITY TRAILERS THERE. I THINK I'M OKAY WITH THE STORAGE SHEDS, AS COMMISSIONER HARRIS POINTED OUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SCREENING FROM 407. I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE KIND OF CUTE, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT, SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY LOOK MESSY, BUT THE UTILITY TRAILERS DO. SO I THINK I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SOME BUILDINGS THERE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY UTILITY TRAILERS. ARE THEY REALLY THAT UGLY? WHAT'S THAT? ARE THEY THAT UGLY? NO, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT UGLY, JUST MESSY. I DON'T KNOW. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A COUPLE THAT ARE AGAINST THE UTILITY TRAILERS. IF WE ALLOWED STORAGE BUILDINGS ALONG THAT AREA AND NOT UTILITY TRAILERS, WOULD THAT BE PALATABLE TO THE APPLICANT? I MEAN, WE DON'T CARRY IT RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WOULD BE A BIG THING. BUT WOULD YOU BE OKAY DOING JUST THE SHED WITHOUT THE UTILITY TRAILER? YES. [01:55:01] CONTINUE NOT SELLING THE UTILITY AND YOU'D BE ABLE TO SELL MORE YOU TOOK MORE MORE SHEDS EVERYONE OKAY WITH EXTENDING THAT AREA WITH THE 70% OFF LUMBER THAT I WAS ON THAT SOUTHWEST YEAH, THEY NEED TO EXTEND THAT BECAUSE THERE IS MATERIALS THERE RIGHT SO HOW WOULD WE DEFINE THAT PART WOULD THAT BE LITERALLY? RESTRICTING USES I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT IT. IT'S ALREADY AN ALLOWED USE LUMBER IN THAT AREA. I THINK WE COULD JUST SAY THAT WE'RE EXPANDING THAT AREA TO THE NORTH. I WAS KIND OF THINKING MAYBE I COULD DO SOME BULLET POINTS. OH, I CAN'T GET IT. ALL RIGHT, NEVER MIND. TO CREATE A... OKAY, SO THIS IS WHAT I'VE HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT, SO I'M GOING TO JUST JOT STUFF DOWN, AND THEN IF YOU WANT ME TO ADD ANYTHING, EXPAND. WHILE YOU'RE PULLING THAT UP, ADAM WANTED TO CHIME IN ON THIS, SO HE EMAILED ME. HIS TAKE ON THIS IS OVERALL, SAYING, OVERALL, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS REQUEST. IT MOSTLY REFLECTS THE STATUS QUO. WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RETAIL SPACE IN THE PARKING LOT. I RECOMMEND TO THE APPLICANT THAT THEY REMOVE VENDING MACHINES AND HOT TUBS BASED ON P&Z FEEDBACK. YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. TIGHTEN UP THE LANGUAGE ON THE FOOD VENDORS. YOU ALREADY DID THAT. HOME DEPOT ON 2499 HAD A COMPARABLE REQUEST IN 2019 FOR STORING RENTAL EQUIPMENT IN THE PARKING LOT. SO THERE IS A PRECEDENCE FOR THIS. AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO PUT HIS. DOES THE HOME DEPOT DO A TEMPORARY STORAGE, SEASONAL STORAGE UP FRONT? THEY HAVE SEASONAL STORAGE. IT IS LIMITED TO THE CHRISTMAS TREES AND PUMPKINS AT THIS TIME. BUT THAT WOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE TO LOWE'S AS WELL. I THINK WE SHOULD CLARIFY THAT JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS VERY RESTRICTIVE BEFORE. SO I THINK THEY WERE JUST PUTTING THE CHRISTMAS TREES LIKE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING. SO, AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING I WANTED TO ASK THE COUNCIL WHAT YOU WERE THINKING, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS BLUE AREA WAS GOING TO BE THE TEMPORARY SALES. SO SEASONAL SALES. SO IT WAS GOING TO INCLUDE. THE CHRISTMAS TREES, PUMPKINS, AND MULCH SALES, DO YOU STILL WANT TO ALLOW CHRISTMAS TREES AND PUMPKINS THERE? OR DO YOU WANT TO, I MEAN, THEY CAN STILL SELL THEM, BUT DO YOU WANT TO HAVE THEM IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION? OR I DON'T KNOW. I'M OKAY. SORRY. MY THOUGHT IS A DIFFERENT LOCATION. JUST REMOVE THAT AREA COMPLETELY. THEY'RE CURRENTLY PUTTING THEM IN FRONT OF THE STORE FOR THE MOST PART. AND THEN CONTINUE TO DO THE SEASONAL. ALONG THE SIGN. YEAH, AS LONG AS THEY CAN HAVE IT OUT THERE. YEAH. BUT IN A SAFE SPOT. I DON'T WANT TO RESTRICT YOU GUYS. YEAH, IN A SAFE SPOT. LEX, IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING, BULLET ONE. YEAH. OH, I SAID SOUTHWEST, SORRY. AND ARE YOU ALL OKAY WITH THE SIGNAGE THAT'S OUT OF COMPLIANCE ON THE SIGNAGE? WE WOULDN'T. THAT'LL GO AWAY. IT'S GONE. DID THAT GO AWAY? OKAY. SO I'LL JUST SAY WITHIN IDENTIFIED AREAS, SO WITHIN ALL THE YELLOW AREAS. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN ALLOW STORAGE SHEDS BUT NOT TRAILERS ALONG THE THAT'S MY OPINION. I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY WAS THERE. WHETHER OR NOT TO DISALLOW THE TRAILERS. I'M OKAY WITH THE TRAILERS. I'M OKAY. IF WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THAT AREA, I'M OKAY WITH THE TRAILERS. YEAH. OKAY. IT'S A BIG SALE. ESPECIALLY THE TRAILERS TEND TO BE LOWER. IF THERE IS LANDSCAPE SCREENING, WHICH THEY'RE ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPE SCREENING, IT SHOULD HIDE THE TRAILERS. THEY ALREADY PARK TRUCKS OVER THERE TOO. IF YOU'RE BUYING BULK, PEOPLE NEED TRAILERS. THEY JUST DO. PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO DON'T HAVE TRAILERS NEED TRAILERS. SO ARE THESE TRAILERS FOR SALE OR FOR RENT? I DON'T THINK LOWE'S RENTS TRAILERS. THEY GENERALLY NEED IT. IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL IT FOR ME. I KNOW. SO KK, IS THIS ACCEPTABLE TO LOWE'S? WHAT LEXAN HAS OUTLINED? [02:00:01] ADD ANY LANGUAGE ABOUT THE BACK STORAGE AND EXTENDING THAT SUBJECT TO TOWN STAFF APPROVAL OR IS THAT I PUT EXPAND STORAGE AROUND THE REAR OF THE BUILDING AND UM LIKE I SAID THAT I WILL WE'LL REVIEW IT WHEN THEY SUBMIT JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S OUT OF FIRE LANES OR ANY EASEMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BUT UM ASSUMING IT IS THAT IT WOULD JUST MATCH WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING ON THEIR CONCEPT PLAN OKAY SO THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. SO ARE YOU ALL DONE? OPEN PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT. CALVIN, KK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. DOES ANYONE WISH TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? OKAY. WELL, THAT WAS SHORT AND SWEET. WE ARE CLOSING PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL WISH TO DELIBERATE FURTHER OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION BASED ON THESE CHANGES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT? I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT AND THEN I'LL BE READY WITH THE MOTION IF EVERYONE'S ACCEPTABLE TO THAT OR AFTER THEY HAVE THEIR COMMENTS. BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK LOWE'S FOR WORKING WITH US TO GET IN COMPLIANCE. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED WITH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT STORE MANAGEMENT TURNOVER AND STRUGGLING WITH THIS FOR A WHILE AND REALIZING THAT, HEY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO THIS RIGHT. BE GOOD STORES OF THE TOWN. AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR BOTH THE COMPANY AND THE TOWN STAFF, TOWN COUNCIL, AND THE RESIDENTS. SO THANK YOU FOR, A, TAKING THAT FIRST STEP, WORKING WITH STAFF, WORKING WITH US, THE BACK AND FORTH IN A COLLABORATIVE MANNER. THAT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED, AND I DO THINK WE'VE FOUND A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY TONIGHT. AND I'LL OPEN IT UP TO OUR OTHER MEMBERS. ECHOING BRIAN'S COMPLIMENTS, YES. I'M A REGULAR LOWE'S SHOPPER. I'M ALSO A REGULAR HOME DEPOT SHOPPER. I REALLY APPRECIATE. THE WAY YOU LAY THE STORE OUT, YOUR SALES AT THE GARDEN CENTER ARE PHENOMENAL. I HAVE SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING TREES. BECAUSE OF THE SALES THAT I GOT FOR $3. SO THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND BEING COMPLIANT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL? PARDON? BRYN, IF I MAKE A MOTION THAT REFERENCES LEXEN'S NOTES, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE? YES. AND TRACY AND I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS. OKAY. WE HAVE A COPY. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO TRY THIS. I MOVE TO APPROVE REGULAR ITEM K-2. SUBJECT TO THE INCORPORATION OF THE NOTE PROVIDED IN THE MEETING TONIGHT. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER DREW? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM TAYLOR? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER WERNER? AYE. OKAY. THE LOWE'S OUTDOOR STORAGE PASSES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE. CALVIN AND KK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD. IT WAS GREAT TO WORK WITH YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING GOOD [L. WORK SESSION ITEM] STEWARDS TO OUR TOWN. ALL RIGHT, JOHN ZAGURSKI IS GOING TO PRESENT OUR WORK SESSION ITEM TONIGHT ON OUR BUDGET. MAYOR, BEFORE JOHN GETS STARTED, HE SETS UP THE PRESENTATION. IT'S KIND OF BEEN A COMMON THEME TO ME, SHARING SOME OPEN REMARKS BEFORE WE GET FORWARD. THIS IS THE THIRD OF THE SERIES OF WORK SESSIONS THAT WE HAD ON THIS UPCOMING BUDGET. THE FIRST THAT WE HAD ON JUNE 1ST WAS REALLY ROOTED AROUND THE OVERALL PAIN, THE PICTURE OF THE FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'RE IN. SECOND, WHICH WAS FOCUSED ON SERVICE LEVEL, AND THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON OUR PRIMARY REVENUE SOURCES IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS OUR PROPERTY TAX AS WELL AS THE SALES TAX. AND THE ONE THING THAT I'LL SAY IS JUST WE'VE BEEN VERY COMMUNICATIVE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE KIND OF MISS THE GIST OF WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON HERE. AND THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS I JUST WANT TO SHARE JUST TO SET IT UP. ONE, THIS IS NOT A FINANCIAL PROBLEM IN THE TRUEST SENSE. THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A STRUCTURAL PROCESS OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT, MEANING OUR REVENUES ARE ARTIFICIALLY DEPRESSED BELOW THE LEVEL OF INFLATION. SO IN ESSENCE, WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO BRING ENOUGH REVENUE FOR THE INFLATION THAT WE'RE SEEING AND SALARIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE ACROSS THE BOARD. IT'S NOT A... YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL AAA RATED. WE STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY FUNDS. OUR FINANCIAL STAND IS IN GOOD SHAPE. ONE THING I DO WANT TO SAY IS THAT WE DID HAVE A SPEAKER DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY JUST TO KIND OF EXPLAIN HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT WAS SAID OR NOT SAID DURING CAMPAIGNS OR WHATEVER CASE. THAT'S NOT MY PLACE. BUT OVERALL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE [02:05:01] UNDERSTAND THAT AS A COUNCIL, YOU DON'T MAKE A DECISION UNTIL WE ADOPT A BUDGET. WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION IS THAT I'M, AS A TOWN MANAGER, PUTTING TOGETHER A BUDGET WRITING, PROPOSED BUDGET THAT GOES OUT AT THE END OF JULY. ONCE THAT GOES OUT TO THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT. YOU GET IT AS A COUNCIL. WE HAVE A BUDGET HEARING. YOU ASK QUESTIONS OF US. ONCE IT'S ADOPTED, IT'S YOUR BUDGET. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AT THIS POINT THAT THE COUNCIL CAN PROVIDE INPUT, BUT I'M THE ONE PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER AT THIS TIME. AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS. IT'S NOT YOUR BUDGET UNTIL YOU ADOPT IT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO. SHARE THAT THE PEOPLE KIND OF UNDERSTAND HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS WORKS BECAUSE TYPICALLY IT'S NOT UNTIL THIS POINT THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHERE OUR REVENUES ARE AT. IN PARTICULAR, WE DO NOT GET OUR CERTIFIED PROPERTY TAX APPRAISAL ROLLS UNTIL THE END OF JULY. SO WHEN THAT PROPOSED BUDGET GOES OUT IS WHEN WE GET THE ACTUAL NUMBERS. WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE BUDGET BASED ON PROJECTIONS THAT WE GET FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SALES TAX, SALES TAX LAGS A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT WHEN THE RECEIPTS ARE MADE, MEANING THAT WE'RE A COUPLE MONTHS LAG. SO WE'RE JUST NOT AT A POINT NOW IN JUNE THAT WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE MID YEAR. SO JOHN'S GOING TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO SALES TAX, BECAUSE WE'RE JUST NOT AT THE POINT WHERE WE KNOW WHERE SALES TAX IS GOING TO PROJECT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR. SO I THINK IT'S JUST AN EDUCATION PIECE TO JUST UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. IS THAT IN A SENSE THAT THIS IS A... STAFF-OWNED BUDGET PROCESS ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL WE GET TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET. AND SO, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I SAY EVERY YEAR THIS IS MY BUDGET BASED UPON CONVERSATIONS THAT I'M HAVING WITH STAFF, THE GENERAL DIRECTION THAT YOU PROVIDE ME, BUT YOU MAKE IT YOUR BUDGET AND ULTIMATELY THE COMMUNITY'S BUDGET ONCE IT'S ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER. SO I WANT TO KIND OF CLEAR THAT UP. IT'S JUST THAT'S HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. AT NO POINT IS ANYBODY GIVING ANY DIRECTION ON ANYTHING WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. I THINK WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT I SAID, THESE FACTORS THAT ARE IN PLACE, WE'VE SEEN THIS COMING FOR A WHILE. WE STARTED HAVING THIS CONVERSATION LAST OCTOBER. AND REALLY WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS SERVICE LEVEL, NOT THE TAX RATE SERVICE LEVEL. THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. WE CAN SAY TO ANY TAX RATE THAT Y'ALL WANT TO SET. BUT WE HAVE TO BE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE SERVICE LEVEL THAT COMES WITH IT. AND JOHN'S GOING TO ALLUDE TO THAT SOMEWHAT IN HIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE I THINK THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE IS GOOD. I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. HOWEVER, IT'S JUST THE KEY THING IS THAT WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO DO WITHOUT? AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS THAT AS A STAFF, THAT'S NOT MY CALL. THAT'S NOT THE DIRECTOR'S CALL. IT'S GOING TO BE ULTIMATELY YOUR CALL AS A COUNCIL. AND WHAT I HAVE TO DO IS PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT REFLECTS WHAT I THINK WE CAN DO, HOW WE CAN PUSH THIS THING. BECAUSE ULTIMATELY... WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE STRUCTURE THAT'S PUT INTO PLACE. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO UP TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT. THAT'S IT. WHAT I'M ALLUDING TO IS THAT IT'S JUST WE CAN SEE WE EXPLAIN THE TURNAROUNDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IS THAT OUR EXPENSES ARE STILL GOING UP. OUR ABILITY TO GENERATE REVENUE ARE COMING DOWN. SO AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FUNDAMENTALLY CUT SERVICES. OR DO WE EXPLORE GOING TO THE VOTERS AND SAY, ARE YOU WILLING TO GO OVER THAT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT? THAT'S THE MECHANISM. REALLY TRYING TO REAUTHOR THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I'M SORRY, I'M A BIT ON THE SOAPBOX HERE, IS THAT 38.7 CENTS PER 100 VALUATION IS HOW WE CALCULATE A TAX RATE. BUT WE HAVE TO TRANSLATE THAT INTO SERVICE LEVELS THAT YOU RECEIVE BECAUSE WE CAN HIT ANY TAX RATE YOU WANT TO HIT, BUT IT'S MY JOB TO COMMUNICATE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ON THE OTHER END? WHAT DOES IT DO TO OUR PARK SERVICES? WHAT DOES IT DO TO OUR POLICE RESPONSE TIMES? WHAT DOES IT DO TO OUR ABILITY TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT? RECRUIT QUALITY EMPLOYEES. THERE'S A CORRELATION IN THAT DIRECTLY. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SAYING, HEY, WE CAN HIT WHATEVER TAX RATE YOU WANT TO HIT, BUT ARE WE WILLING TO DEAL WITH WHAT COMES WITH IT? AND THAT IS THE VERY PUBLIC AND TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE. AND SO JOHN IS GOING TO WRAP THAT UP, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO AND START PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER, SETTING EVERYTHING UP FOR JULY. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, ONE, JUST KIND OF HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. Y'ALL DON'T... Y'ALL AREN'T INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET TO THIS POINT AS A ONLY AT THE LEVEL OF PROVIDING OVERARCHING DIRECTION AND QUESTION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. LIKE IN THE LAST SESSION, WE'RE GOING TO PULL MEASURABLES FOR OUR COMPARISON CITIES. WE'RE GOING TO SHOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IF WE WERE TO DISSOLVE TURS NUMBER ONE. WE'RE GOING TO BRING ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ALLOW Y'ALL TO MAKE A DECISION ULTIMATELY. BUT UNTIL Y'ALL GET THAT BUDGET ON JULY, PROBABLY 31ST, I BELIEVE, IS WHEN YOU GET IT. THAT'S MY BUDGET. IT BECOMES Y'ALL'S WHEN YOU'RE ADOPTED. JUST WANTED TO SET THAT UP AND SHARE THAT FOR THE RECORD. SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. JAMES DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF WRAPPING THAT UP. THIS IS KIND OF OUR WRAP-UP MEETING. THIS IS ABNORMAL FOR US BECAUSE NORMALLY WE AREN'T USUALLY HAVING SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS UNTIL WE GET INTO AUGUST. BUT ONE OF THE BIG REASONS WE'RE DOING THAT NOW IS BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR REVENUES AND EXPENSES, WE CAN TELL YOU THAT AS OF NEXT YEAR, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE EVERY ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC GOALS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS. FUNDING THAT WE ARE GOING TO RECEIVE AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE MOST BUDGETS WE PUT TOGETHER ARE WE [02:10:01] CAN ACHIEVE THE COUNCIL'S GOALS AS LAID OUT AND WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO DO SO OH AND SO THAT THIS YEAR SO DIFFERENT THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF YOU TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE CONSTRAINTS WERE THAT WE ARE FACING WITH THIS BUDGETS THERE'S BEEN IN A LOT OF ON CHATTER IN PRESENCE ABOUT SPECIFICALLY PROPERTY TAXES AND SO I WANT TO INCLUDE A LITTLE BIT OF PROPERTY TAX HISTORY THROUGH THE TOWN JUST TO GIVES SOME CONTEXT TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF EFFORTS OF THIS COUNCIL AND THE PRIOR COUNCILS. SO PROPERTY TAX RATE EXEMPTIONS IN HISTORY. OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE TAX RATE HAS DECREASED BY OVER HALF A PENNY, OR SORRY, FIVE PENNIES, OR 12%. PRIOR TO THIS, THE TAX RATE HAS DECREASED BY LESS THAN ONE PENNY AND A QUARTER OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT, YOU'VE LOWERED THE TAX RATE FIVE TIMES MORE THAN THEY DID IN THE PAST 20 YEARS. THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WAS INCREASED FROM 2.5% TO 20%. THIS WAS A 2.5% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WAS ADOPTED IN 2018. THE SENIOR EXEMPTION IS INCREASED FROM $100,000 TO $150,000. PRIOR TO THIS, THIS EXEMPTION DID NOT INCREASE IN 10 PLUS YEARS. WHEN COMPARING AN AVERAGE OR MEDIAN HOMESTEAD RESIDENCE PROPERTY TAX BILL FROM THE TOWN FROM SIX YEARS AGO TO NOW, IT'S $35 LESS THAN 2020. IF YOU FACTOR IN THE SENIOR EXEMPTION, IT'S $229 LESS. THIS IS THE TOP PART OF THIS, SPECIFICALLY THE TAX RATE DROPPING, MEANING IT'S DUE TO SB19. THAT'S THE BIGGEST REASON. YEAH, THE SENATE BILL THAT WAS PASSED IN 2019, SB2 IN 2019 WAS THE REASON THAT YOU'RE SEEING THIS DECREASE. THAT'S HOW PRIOR TO THIS, WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ROUGHLY THE SAME TAX RATE FOR 20 YEARS. WITHOUT IT EVER CHANGING WAS BECAUSE WE HAD LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWED MUNICIPALITIES TO MAINTAIN A TAX RATE WITH REGARDS TO HOW INFLATION HAD CHANGED. THE LAST TIME THE TAX RATE HAD REALLY NEEDED TO INCREASE WAS 1990, AND THEY WERE FACING SIMILAR SITUATIONS AS WE WERE TODAY. HIGH INFLATION AND STAGNANT PROPERTY GROWTH AND THEY HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES AND SO BUT THE THINGS THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN CONTROL THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THE SENIOR EXEMPTION THESE ARE TWO THINGS THAT WERE PUT INTO PLACE THESE EXEMPTIONS COME OFF COME OFF OUR REVENUE THIS IS IF WE HAD YOU KNOW NO HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WE'D HAVE 20 PERCENT OF 80 PERCENT SO ROUGHLY WE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER 16 MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR GENERAL FUND THAT'S IT IF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION DIDN'T EXIST. THE SENIOR EXEMPTION, IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE. SO JUST TO GIVE SOME IDEA, THIS COUNCIL AND PAST COUNCILS OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS HAVE DONE MORE FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THAN HAS PROBABLY EVER BEEN DONE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS TOWN. NOW, WITH THAT SAID, IT CAUSES SOME FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE ONCE HAD TO ABSORB INFLATIONARY COSTS IS NOT THERE. THAT'S NOT COUNCIL'S PROBLEM. THAT IS A PROBLEM FACED AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS WITH SB 82. IT MAKES THIS JOB HARDER TO DO. IT MAKES YOUR JOB HARDER TO DO BECAUSE IF WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A TAX RATE AT THE SAME RATE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, NO MATTER WHAT THE INFLATIONARY WAS, OR IF IT WAS JUST 8% INSTEAD OF 3.5%, AND WE'D BE ABLE TO, ON GOOD YEARS, HERE'S PROBABLY AN ABSORBED COST. IN OTHER BAD YEARS, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THE SAME OR INVERSE. AND SO THAT'S HOW YOU'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT TAX RATE OVER A LONG DURATION OF TIME IS YOU HAVE GOOD AND BAD YEARS. DURING THOSE TIMES, DURING THE BAD YEARS, YOU'RE ABLE TO PULL FROM BALANCES. IN THE GOOD YEARS, YOU STOCK AWAY FOR A FUTURE. AND SO FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT CHANGED ALL OF THIS WAS SB2 IN 2019. BUT WE ALSO DID A LOT BECAUSE HOME APPRAISALS WERE GOING UP RAPIDLY. AND SO MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAW TAX APPRAISAL INCREASES. BECAUSE OF LOW INTEREST RATES ON HOME LOANS, WE SAW HOMES STARTING TO DOUBLE IN VALUE IN A YEAR AND DO THINGS LIKE THAT NOW. APPRAISAL CAPS, THERE'S HOMESTEAD CAPS, THERE'S NUMEROUS OTHER THINGS THERE TO PROTECT RESIDENTS AND INCREMENT INCREASING SO QUICKLY, BUT PEOPLE SAW EVALUATIONS INCREASING IN RESIDENT AND THE COUNCIL PULLED WHAT LEVERS THEY HAD TO BASICALLY PROVIDE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF SPECIFICALLY TO PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOME AND ALSO TO OUR OTHER HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS. AND I WOULD SAY JUST BY THAT LAST FIGURE ON THERE, YOU DID A GOOD JOB. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD POINT TO ANYTHING ELSE IN THE FREE MARKET RIGHT NOW THAT IS THE SAME PRICE IT WAS SIX YEARS AGO. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR. THE PROPERTY TAX PRELIMINARY VALUES CAME IN RIGHT UP FRONT ABOUT 11% HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR. SO RIGHT UP FRONT IT WAS GOING TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE 11% MORE THAN WE DID LAST YEAR. BUT THEN THERE'S PROTESTS. THERE'S PEOPLE GOING OUT FIGHTING THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILLS AND THEIR APPRAISED VALUES. AND SO WITH THAT PROTEST, IT IS NOW DOWN TO 2.65%. [02:15:04] ROUGHLY NEW PROPERTIES ACCOUNT FOR LESS THAN 1% AND THEN 1.85% IS EXISTING VALUE GROWTH. SO ON AVERAGE, YOU CAN SAY THAT EXISTING PROPERTY VALUES INCREASED 1.85% AS OF TODAY. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THE EXPERIENCE OF EVERYONE. SOME PEOPLE'S PROPERTY TAX BILLS ARE GOING TO INCREASE MORE THAN THIS. SOME PEOPLE'S ARE GOING TO DECREASE. THIS IS JUST THE AVERAGE OF OUR APPRAISAL ROLL WHEN COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. SO PROPERTY TAX BILL IMPACTS. IF WE GO TO THE 3.5% RATE, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE... ADDITIONAL 3.5% MORE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WHICH AGAIN IS ONLY 40% OF OUR REVENUE, WHICH WOULD BE ROUGHLY $1.9 MILLION IN FUNDING, THIS TAX RATE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE BECAUSE VALUES ARE NOT BEYOND 3.5%. AND SINCE THEY'RE LOWER THAN THAT 3.5%, YOUR TAX RATE WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE TO ACCOMMODATE TO MEET THAT. AGAIN, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TAX RATE INCREASE. THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TAX RATE INCREASE IN A VERY LONG TIME. LIKELY THE INCREASE WOULD GO SLIGHTLY TO $0.40, SO OUR TAX RATE WOULD GO BACK TO WHERE IT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO. THIS WOULD LIKELY, YOU KNOW, THE $0.13 AND INCREASE WOULD LIKELY AFFECT RESIDENTS. 50% OF RESIDENTS WOULD SEE LESS THAN A $65 INCREASE IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL. ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THIS IS $5.42. YEAH, LET ME HIT THAT THERE. 50% OF RESIDENTS, UNLESS WE'LL SEE LESS THAN THIS. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACT AND INCREASE, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MITIGATE THAT. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO GO TO IT. IT'S JUST QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT. SO OVERALL IMPACT OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, GOING TO THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE AT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF HOW WE BUILD THIS BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO SLOWLY DECREASE THE SERVICE LEVEL. BECAUSE INFLATION HAS FAR EXCEEDED OUR ABILITY TO BASICALLY BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR SERVICE LEVEL. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT US SAYING WE ARE IN FINANCIAL CRISIS. THIS IS NOT SAYING WE ARE GOING TO CUT STAFF. THIS IS NOT SAYING THAT POLICE OFFICERS WON'T BE PATROLLING STREETS OR FIREFIGHTERS WON'T BE PROTECTING YOU. THIS IS JUST SAYING THAT SERVICE LEVELS AND OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE THEM IS GOING TO DECREASE. AND THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE A DECREASE IN COMMUNITY EVENTS. NICE TO HAVES. SLOWING SOME CAPITAL SPENDING, AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO RESULT IN A SOFT HIRING FREEZE, WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR MANY CITIES. THE CITY OF FORT WORTH HAS BEEN DOING A SOFT HIRING FREEZE FOR ALMOST A DECADE. SOME OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND US HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS, AND ALL YOU'RE DOING IS REVIEWING POSITIONS WHEN THEY COME AVAILABLE AND EVALUATING WHETHER YOU NEED THEM OR NOT, AND HOLDING THE ONES THAT ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO FILL. WE'RE LIKELY GOING TO EXPERIENCE A 5% MARKET LOSS. RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 65% OF THE MARKET WHEN IT COMES TO COMPENSATION. WE'RE LIKELY MOVING PROBABLY 60% ADJUSTMENT. AS FAR AS PAY INCREASES OR PAYING ADDITIONAL PAY TO ANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, WE WOULD CONSIDER ONE-TIME PAYMENTS. AND SO THAT WAY THAT THERE'S NOT THE SNOWBALL EFFECT WHERE NEXT YEAR, IF WE HAVE DECREASED REVENUES, WE AUTOMATICALLY HAVE AN INVERTED BUDGET OR AN UNBALANCED BUDGET BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR. AGAIN, THIS IS JUST US BEING FINANCIALLY PRUDENT TO SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ON ANY NEW EXPENSES THAT WOULD PUT US IN A BAD FINANCIAL POSITION WHERE OPERATING EXPENSES EXCEED OPERATING REVENUES. AND, JOHN, BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I DON'T KNOW IF I DID THIS PUBLICLY, BUT WHAT A SOFT HIRING FREEZE LOOKS LIKE IS THAT, IN ESSENCE, ANY VACANT POSITION I HAVE TO APPROVE. THAT MEANS THAT JOHN AND THE HR DIRECTOR SIT DOWN WITH ME. I GO THROUGH VACANT POSITIONS ONE BY ONE, AND I MAKE A DECISION WHETHER THEY'RE GOOD TO POST. IN A LOT OF CASES, THEY ARE. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, THINGS THAT WE NEED. BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THERE'S A POSITION THAT COMES UP WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT DO WE REALLY NEED THIS RIGHT NOW. AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE SINCE WE INSTITUTED THIS BACK IN THE SPRING. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT IS A HARD HIRING FREEZE, IT JUST MEANS WE'RE NOT GOING TO FUND POSITIONS, PERIOD. BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THERE'S JUST A HIGHER LEVEL OF SCRUTINY BEFORE WE POST A POSITION AND FILL IT. AGAIN. WE'RE ALREADY REVIEWING ALL POSITIONS AS OF RIGHT NOW. WE'VE BEEN USING A SOFT HIRING FREEZE TO KIND OF MAKE UP FOR OUR SALES TAX SLUMP. AGAIN, WE'RE ALREADY TIDYING OUR BELTS TO BASICALLY TAKE ON THE IMPACT OF WHAT SALES TAX IS GOING TO. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. SO WHAT IF WE KEEP THE TAX RATE THE SAME? SO IF WE MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT TAX RATE, WE WOULD DECREASE SERVICE LEVELS AT A MORE ACCELERATED RATE. WE WOULD DRAW FROM FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR ONE-TIME ITEMS, WHICH IS STRUCTURALLY STILL A BALANCED BUDGET. IT'S TYPICAL OF WHAT YOU DO DURING HARDER FINANCIAL TIMES. WE'D MOVE TO ONE-TIME STIPENDS OR BASICALLY ONE-TIME LUMP SUM PAYMENTS WITH NO MARKET ADJUSTMENT. WE'D IMPLEMENT A HARD HIRING FREEZE WHERE WE'D BASICALLY HOLD VACANT POSITIONS UNTIL WE CAN SAY THERE'S ENOUGH FUNDING SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE POSITIONS. AND THAT'S JUST A DECISION THAT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SAVING ENOUGH IN OTHER PLACES BEFORE YOU GO INTO ADDING MORE COSTS. SO WE'D ALSO STILL DECREASE [02:20:01] COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE IS, WHAT IS A NECESSARY PUBLIC SERVICE AND WHAT'S A NICE TO HAVE. AND WE ARE LOOKING AT NICE TO HAVES AND LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT FRONTLINE SERVICES ARE STILL PRIORITIZED OVER THIS. SO LET ME PROVIDE YOU WITH A BIT OF A SALES TAX UPDATE. SO WE NOW JUST, JUST NOW, LITERALLY FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AGO, WE HAVE SIX MONTHS WORTH OF SALES TAX DATA. SO CURRENTLY SALES TAX IS BUDGETED $40 MILLION ACROSS ALL FUNDS. WE'RE 10% DOWN FOR THE YEAR CURRENTLY. WE ANTICIPATE TO END CLOSER TO 7.5% DOWN. THIS IS GOING TO ROUGHLY REPRESENT A $3 MILLION DECREASE IN FUNDING ACROSS ALL FUNDS, ALL OF OUR OPERATING FUNDS IN PARTICULAR. WE ARE MITIGATING THIS SHORTFALL BY SLOWING SPENDING, MEANING AS TO NOT IMPACT OUR FUND BALANCE OR OUR OPERATING FUNDS. WE'RE ALREADY CUTTING OUR BUDGET AND TIGHTENING THINGS AS A MEANS SO THAT THIS DOES NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT FUND BALANCE AND THAT WE'RE BETTER PREPARED FOR NEXT YEAR. SO WE'RE ALREADY IN PLACE. WE'RE ALREADY BEING LEANED JUST TO DO THIS. WE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SAY WE NEED MORE TAXES BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE HAVING A REVENUE FALL. WE'RE MITIGATING WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW FOR THIS YEAR AND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. WE'RE LIVING WITHIN OUR MEANS. NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO ROUGHLY FORECAST $37 MILLION ACROSS ALL FUNDS. THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A BUDGET AROUND $3 MILLION LESS IN REVENUE AND NOT TO EXCEED IT. SO, JOHN, REAL QUICK, WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST WORKSHOP A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO KIND OF REDUCE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE, AND IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO ON WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT? WHAT YOU MENTIONED IN THAT FIRST MEETING. SO, THIS, THE TIMING IN OUR BELT RIGHT NOW IS, LIKE, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED A SOFT HIRING FREEZE. FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, SINCE I STARTED GETTING THE SEMBRS, SALES TAX NUMBERS IN, IN MARCH, I REALLY STARTED SAYING, HEY, WE'RE KIND OF, WE NEED BASICALLY A PULLBACK. WE NEED A SLOW SPENDING IN WAYS THAT WE CAN. WE NEED TO LOOK AT A SOFT HIRING FREEZE. WE NEED TO DO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE IDENTIFIED SOME SAVINGS AND SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AND WAYS THAT WE COULD BASICALLY ABSORB. THIS SHORTFALL ALL INTO OUR BUDGET WITHOUT HAVING TO TOUCH OUR FUND BALANCE. SO WE IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A MODE OF HERE'S THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR TO BASICALLY SLOW THIS. NOW SERVICE LEVELS AS A WHOLE HAVE NOT BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS. SO THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE FIRST MEETING ARE REALLY ABOUT THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT YEAR. AND ONE THING I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT, IT GOES BACK TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE WORK SESSION LAST WEEK, IS THAT MY EXPECTATION OF DIRECTORS IS TO HAVE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR BUDGETS, AND OFTENTIMES OUR DIRECTORS ASSESS THE SITUATION, AND THEY MAKE A CHOICE ABOUT HOW THEY DEPLOY SERVICES, FILL POSITIONS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND WE PROVIDED EXAMPLES OF, YOU KNOW, BOTH OUR CHIEFS HAVE MADE DECISIONS TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO FOREGO THIS IN ORDER TO FUND THIS TO KEEP OUR BUDGETS NEUTRAL OR TO FIND COST SAVINGS. AND EVERYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD IS DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR. IT GOES BACK TO WHAT I SAY. EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE EXERCISE. THEY KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE EXERCISING THAT DISCRETION WITHIN THEIR BUDGETS. AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT THAT POINT WHERE WE'RE TIPPING THE SCALES ON WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH A SERVICE LEVEL BECAUSE IT'S TRULY A POLICY DECISION. WE'RE PRETTY DARN CLOSE. AND THAT'S THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO Y'ALL NEED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IF WE'RE GOING TO PULL THINGS BACK AT THAT LEVEL. BUT AT THIS POINT, THEY'RE USING THE DISCRETION THAT THEY HAVE WITHIN THEIR OPERATIONAL BUDGET TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OFF ON THIS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUY THE SOFTWARE. WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OFF ON THIS. AND SO, AGAIN, THAT IS HOW WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT VERY ISSUE WITH SALES TAX THAT JOHN TALKED ABOUT IS THAT. WE GO TO OUR DIRECTORS, WE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THEM, WE GIVE THEM A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND THEY STEP UP. AND I MEAN, THAT'S HOW THIS THING WORKS, IS THAT YOU HAVE A LEADERSHIP TEAM HERE THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GOING ON, AND THEY STEP UP. THEY'RE CREATIVE. THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY CAN DO WITHOUT, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'VE BEEN OPERATING. JUST TO GIVE SOME IDEA, AND THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING NEXT YEAR WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SERVICE LEVELS IS... WE ALWAYS HAVE A BASE BUDGET, RIGHT? THIS IS HEAVILY TALKED ABOUT WITH LINE ITEM BUDGETING. IT'S DISCUSSED ON SOCIAL MEDIA QUITE A BIT IS THE FLAWS IN HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BUDGET, SPECIFICALLY IN USE OF BASE BUDGET. ANYTHING ABOVE OUR BASE BUDGET THAT WE FUND THAT WOULD JUST BE INFLATIONARY COSTS, WE ASK OUR DEPARTMENTS TO ABSORB THOSE, AND MOST OF THEM DID. AND SO WE'RE ALREADY TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO CUT TO ABSORB SPENDING TO DRIVE CHANGES SO THAT WE DO NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT US IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT WAYS WE CAN DO THAT. I WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT LIKE 30 PLUS PERCENT OF OUR NDPS BASICALLY WERE PULLED OFF THE TABLE BY DEPARTMENTS SAYING, NO, WE CAN COVER IT. WE WILL DO THIS OR WE'LL CHANGE THIS OR WE'LL EVALUATE THIS. THIS IS SOFTWARE DECISIONS AND NUMEROUS OTHER LITTLE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DID. THIS WAS CANNIBALIZING TWO POSITIONS AND TAKING SAVINGS FROM IT OR REMOVING A MANAGEMENT POSITION AND MOVING TO A FRONTLINE POSITION. DEPARTMENTS AS A WHOLE HAVE BEEN VERY PROACTIVE IN TRYING TO LOWER THEIR BASE BUDGET GOING INTO THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR. TO GET BACK TO A NORMAL PLACE. IT'S GONNA TAKE US TWO YEARS OF NORMAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR SALES TAX TO COME BACK TO THE LEVEL IT WAS THIS IS AGAIN NO FAULT OF THE TOWN OVERALL THE ECONOMY IS EXPERIENCING A RECESSION WHEN I CALL IT THAT OR NOT AND THAT'S [02:25:02] IT THE STOCK MARKET'S DOING REALLY WELL, BUT NOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT BASICALLY HOW THE RENT GOODS. I'D LIKE TO SEE SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR PROPERTY TAXES OR THEIR OVERALL BUDGETS, WE ARE REALLY, REALLY STRONG FINANCIAL STEWARDS HERE. WE DON'T WASTE TAX DOLLARS. I HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT SIT MOST DAYS AND REVIEW EVERYONE'S SPENDING DECISIONS, INVOICES, P-CARDS. WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING. WE JUST DEDICATED ANOTHER PERSON TO PAYROLL TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL EYES LOOKING AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S REDUNDANCIES. AND WE ENSURE THAT NO ONE'S BEING OVERPAID OR UNDERPAID OR ANY WHICH WAY. WE. HAVE A VERY GOOD FINANCIAL TEAM THAT ENSURES THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS. WE HAVE CHECKS AND BALANCES, SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TRUST, BUT WE VALIDATE. AND SO WE ALWAYS HAVE VERY CLEAN AUDITS. WE RECEIVE THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF TRANSPARENCY THAT ARE GIVEN OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES. AND WE JUST PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP HERE THAT IS NOT SEEN IN A LOT OF PLACES. AND SO I JUST I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT PEOPLE WASTEFULLY SPENDING PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS. MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE LIVE HERE. MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN LONGTIME RESIDENTS HERE 20 PLUS YEARS. AND SO THE IDEA THAT THEY'RE JUST ASKING SOMEBODY ELSE TO PICK UP THE COST OF SOMETHING IS A LITTLE ABSURD TO THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO. AND SO. BEFORE I GET INTO THIS NEXT PART, I WILL SAY THAT I'D LIKE ANYBODY TO LOOK AT ANY BILL THAT THEY PAY ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND COMPARE IT TO WHAT IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO AND SEE THAT IT'S LESS. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING PROPERTY TAX BILLS HAVE DONE, IS IT'S EITHER LESS OR THE SAME. IF YOU LOOK AT NETFLIX, DOUBLED IN THAT SAME FIVE, SIX YEARS. GROCERIES WENT UP 30% IN THAT SAME TIME PERIOD. THINGS AND COSTS HAVE INFLATED AND COUNCIL HAS MADE AS MANY... THEY CAN'T TO GET US TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO OUR RESIDENTS AND THAT HAS SHOWN UP IN THE PROPERTY TAX BILLS ALSO AND SO THE IDEA THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN GOOD STEWARDS WITH FUNDS FUNDS OR THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN WATCHING OUT FOR THE TAXPAYERS IS JUST NOT A TRUE STATEMENT SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN WARNER ASKED US WAS TO GO OVER THE APPRAISAL NOTICES THAT WE'RE GOING INTO RESIDENCE THEY'VE BEEN VERY VERY CONFUSING AND SO I WANTED TO PROVIDE KIND OF AN UPDATE AND KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT TWO OF THESE APPRAISAL NOTICES LOOK LIKE SINCE THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS NOT ABLE TO COME OUT. SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A TYPICAL HOMESTEADED RESIDENCE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO LOOK AT A SENIOR RESIDENCE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE BUT I'M GOING TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT THEY ARE. SO THIS WAS A RESIDENT WHO RECEIVES A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM 2025 TO 26 OVERALL WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THAT THEIR VALUES THE NET APPRAISED VALUE DID INCREASE. SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IS A TREND IS IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FIRST ROW IN HERE HERE IS THAT THE MARKET OR BUILDING VALUE DECREASED. SO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS YOUR HOME, THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR HOME IS WORTH LESS THAN IT WAS THE PRIOR YEAR. SO THAT SEEMS A LITTLE STRANGE BECAUSE MOST YEARS YOU SEE HOME VALUES INCREASE AND INCREASE. HOME SALES, IF YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO SELL A HOME RIGHT NOW, ARE NOT DOING WELL. IT'S NOT GREAT. I'M TRYING TO SELL A HOME RIGHT NOW AND I CAN TELL YOU IT'S NOT FUN. BUT AS A RESULT, THE OTHER THING WE ARE SEEING SELLING PROPERTY, JUST UNIMPROVED PROPERTY. ANY UNIMPROVED PROPERTY IS VASTLY INCREASING IN VALUE. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SAME NEXT LINE, LAND, LAND IS INCREASING IN VALUE. SO THE NET IMPACT OVERALL TO THIS RESIDENT WAS AN INCREASE IN APPRAISED VALUE. SO OVERALL, THAT LOOKS LIKE A $25,000 INCREASE, WHICH IS ROUGHLY A 5% INCREASE IN THEIR NET APPRAISED VALUE. SO LET'S GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I THINK A A LOT OF THE CONFUSION HAS COME IN. SO THERE'S THE 2025 EXEMPTIONS. SO THIS WAS YOUR EXEMPTIONS AS OF LAST YEAR. THEN THERE'S THE 2026 EXEMPTION AMOUNT. AND THEN THERE'S THIS EXEMPTION AMOUNT CHANGE. SO THIS IS GOING TO SHOW YOU, IT'S GOING TO SHOW YOU POSITIVE CHANGE HERE. IF IT'S NEGATIVE, IT WOULD SHOW YOU A NEGATIVE NUMBER HERE. SO FOR SPECIFICALLY THIS ONE, I'M MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUNDS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUNDS, THEIR EXEMPTION INCREASED $5,000. WELL, IF YOU DO THE MATH OF $25,000, OURS IN 20%, THIS IS ROUGHLY WHAT YOU'RE FINDING. SO THEY HAD AN APPRAISAL INCREASE, BUT THEIR EXEMPTION INCREASED ALONG WITH THEIR APPRAISED VALUE. SO OF THAT $25,000 INCREASE THEY SAW IN AN APPRAISED VALUE, $5,000 OF THAT CAME OFF BECAUSE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. SO OVERALL, IT SHOWS THEIR 2025 TAXABLE VALUES, AND THEN IT ALSO SHOWS THEIR 2026 TAXABLE VALUES. AND SO THESE BILLS HAVE BEEN CONFUSING BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED LETTERS OF JUST THIS BOTTOM PART, WHICH SHOWS THE EXEMPTION AMOUNT. SO IF YOUR EXEMPTIONS WENT DOWN, YOU RECEIVED A SEPARATE LETTER THAT BASICALLY SAID YOUR EXEMPTIONS WENT DOWN. IF YOUR EXEMPTIONS WENT DOWN, THAT WAS BECAUSE YOUR VALUES WENT DOWN. SO THIS WAS REALLY CONFUSING [02:30:01] WHEN I RECEIVED IT. BUT I HAD A HOUSE THAT WAS WAY OVERPRAISED IN VALUE AND ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY, AND FINALLY THEY CAUGHT BACK UP, AND IT WENT DOWN IN VALUE. AND WHAT IT DID, I GOT A BIG NOTICE THAT ALL MY EXEMPTIONS WERE GOING DOWN, AND IT WAS NOT VERY CLEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON. SO THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING. IT SHOWS THAT EXEMPTION DECREASE. THE TOWN HAS NOT DECREASED THEIR EXEMPTIONS AT ALL. WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IS THEIR VALUES ARE DECREASING. DIDN'T THEY USED TO HAVE AN EXPLANATION OF THE PERCENTAGES ON IT? SO THEY HAVE A BROCHURE ONLINE THAT WALKS PEOPLE THROUGH THIS A LITTLE BIT. BUT THEY DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF EXPLAINING YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL. THEY DON'T DO AS GOOD A JOB EXPLAINING YOUR PROPERTY TAX NOTICE. AND SO THIS IS YOUR NOTICE OF APPRAISED VALUE, AND THEY DO HAVE A WALKTHROUGH GUIDE ONLINE. THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNICATION BESIDES IF YOU GO LOOK AND FIND THE HOW-TO VIDEO THAT SHOWS HOW TO DO AND LOOK AT ALL OF THIS AND THEY'RE ALSO PUTTING AN ESTIMATED TAXABLE TO WRITE SO YES, THERE'S SOME OF THEM THAT ARE PRETTY NICELY TAXABLE. WELL, IF YOU GO ONLINE, I KNOW IT SHOWS IT BUT I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER ON MY NOTICE IT MAY IT'S GOT YOUR TAXABLE VALUE HERE HERE BUT I DON'T THINK IT HAD ESTIMATED TAX RATES ONLINE IT DOES IT ASSUMES IF YOU HAVE THE SAME TAX RATE AS LAST YEAR. YEAH, WHAT'S THAT KIND OF TAX BILL WOULD BE? YEAH, WHICH IS FLAWED BECAUSE WE CAN SET THE BUDGET OR THE RATES. OR THE TAX RATE OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER THINGS. AND SO, YES, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MISLEADING. THAT'S WHY I THINK THEY'RE KIND OF DRIFTING AWAY FROM PUTTING IT ON THE BILLS BECAUSE THEY USED TO HAVE VERY, VERY STRONG COMPARISONS THERE. IT WOULD BE GOOD IF THEY PUT THE PROCESS, TOO, OF WHAT ARE THE STEPS. YES. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE STEPS, THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN SET THE BUDGET, SO THE RATE AND THE TAX BILL ISN'T DECIDED YET. YES, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY EXPLAINED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THIS. OR IF THEY WENT THROUGH AND SAID, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO PROTEST, WHAT VALUES YOU CAN PROTEST AND WHAT VALUES ARE ONES THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT. OR WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING, SHOULD YOU USE HOMES THAT ARE OF SIMILAR AGE OR PROPERTIES OF SIMILAR SIZE OR NOT. BECAUSE YOUR COMPS MIGHT GET THROWN OUT. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY COULD EXPLAIN BETTER, AND THE RULES FOR THIS ARE ALL CHANGING EVERY TIME. AND THE BOARD THAT YOU MIGHT GET MIGHT ACCEPT SOME EVIDENCE AND NOT OTHER EVIDENCE. IT'S VERY SUBJECTIVE. YES, YES. BECAUSE OF HOW THEY GET THOSE BOARD MEMBERS, YES, IT IS VERY SUBJECTIVE. AGAIN, MOST OF THOSE ARE TEACHERS AND PEOPLE WHO JUST DO NOT HAVE STUDY EMPLOYMENT DURING THE SUMMER, AND SO THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THEY RECRUIT OR RETIREES. THOSE ARE THE ONES THEY RECRUIT TO GO ON THERE BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T SIGNING UP FOR IT. IT'S NOT AN APPOINTED POSITION. IT'S NOT ONE WHERE YOU GET ELECTED TO. IT'S ONES WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND ANYONE THEY CAN TO COME IN AND PAY THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THEY CAN TO BASICALLY DO THIS PROCESS. AND ALSO THEY'RE INCREASING GENERALLY THE PROPERTY EVEN IF IT'S NOT DEVELOPABLE. SO IT'S HARD TO FIND COMPS THAT YOU CAN EVEN ARGUE. YES. THEY ALSO DON'T FACTOR IN THE AGE OF A HOME. WHEN CONSIDERING BUILDING A STRUCTURE. SO I WILL 100% TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, A HOME THAT WAS BUILT 20 PLUS OR 30 PLUS YEARS AGO NOW, HOW THEY SOMEHOW APPRAISED IT THE SAME HOME THAT HAS BEEN BUILT A YEAR AGO IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO THAT, AGAIN, YOU DON'T GET TO SEE ALL THOSE DETAILS. THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THEM. IT'S NOT THAT IT'S A FLAWED PROCESS. THIS PROCESS IS COMPLETELY SET UP BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT. AND IT CHANGES AGAIN EVERY TWO YEARS. ALL THE RULES CHANGE. THEY SHORTEN THE TIME PERIOD FOR THIS SO THAT THERE'S LESS TIME TO PROTEST. AND THERE'S LESS TIME FOR THEM TO PROCESS ALL OF THESE THINGS SO THE INFORMATION THEY CAN PROVIDE IS VERY LIMITED THEY ALSO HAVE NOT RECEIVED FUNDING INCREASES FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW AND SO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THEY HAVE TO GO OUT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE BECAUSE SPECIFICALLY HE IS HAVING TROUBLE MEETING THE GROSS STANDARD THAT IT NEEDS THEY'RE ALSO THEY NEED A NEW FACILITY BECAUSE THE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO EVEN GO AND THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT IS RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE DOING THE BEST JOB THEY CAN BUT WE WERE IN A... ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SHOW YOU IS THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR A HOMESTEAD. THIS INDIVIDUAL I DID LOOK AT THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS AND THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL IN 2025 WAS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY PAID IN 2019. SO THIS IS A SENIOR EXEMPTION. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE IS THIS IS VERY SIMILAR. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE A LOT OF CHANGES OR DIFFERENCES FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE. THE REASON FOR THIS IS IS THAT THE SENIOR EXEMPTION IS A FLAT AMOUNT. SO YOUR EXEMPTION AMOUNT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE BASED ON THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME. IT'S $150,000 OFF YOUR VALUE. SO THE ONLY THING YOU'RE GOING TO SEE CHANGE IS THAT HOMESTEAD AMOUNT BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED THE OVER 65 AND A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. SO AGAIN YOU SEE A VERY SIMILAR CHANGE IN VALUE DOWN HERE AN EXEMPTION AMOUNT. AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED APPRAISED VALUE. THIS INDIVIDUAL'S PROPERTY TAX, [02:35:02] THE SENIOR EXEMPTION OR OVER 65 EXEMPTION HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN MAINTAINING LOWER BILLS FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES. OVERALL, COUNSEL, WE BUILD THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE BALL AND GIVE YOU GUYS SO IT DIDN'T TAKE YOU BY SURPRISE SINCE THESE ARE NOT NORMAL BUDGET CONDITIONS. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. WE HAVE A STRATEGIC RETREAT COMING UP OVER THE SUMMER AND WE'LL HAVE YOUR BUDGET TO YOU IN AUGUST. AGAIN, I WANT TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR. WE ARE NOT ADVOCATING FOR A TAX INCREASE. WE ARE JUST SAYING WHAT WILL NEED TO HAPPEN IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT. IF WE WANT TO STAY AT THE TAX RATE THE SAME, WE WILL FIND A WAY TO OPERATE AND DO THOSE THINGS. WE ARE NOT SAYING WE ARE IN CRISIS. WE ARE NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO SOLVE OUR BUDGET PROBLEMS BY INCREASING TAXES. WE WERE MERELY SAYING THAT WE CANNOT ATTAIN THE SAME SERVICE LEVELS THAT WE HAD BEFORE AT THE SAME RATE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. AND, COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK OR ANY QUESTIONS? AND I THINK THE AUDIENCE MEMBER CAME AND ACTUALLY HAD BUDGET QUESTIONS. HE'S BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS, AND THIS IS THE ONLY SECOND RESIDENT I'VE EVER HAD COME IN AND DIALOGUE AT A PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT THE BUDGET. WELL, NO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, JOHN. YOU DID A LOT OF WORK. THE STAFF DID A GREAT JOB PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I KNOW THIS IS JUST STILL THE BEGINNINGS OF IT. EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH WITH BUDGET SEASON. YOU KNOW, WE WENT TO ECAD TOGETHER, AND THERE'S A LOT. CHALLENGES THAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT IS HAVING THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR BUDGET BUT WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DECREASED THE TAX RATE YOU KNOW OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS THE MAX THAT YOU CAN GET IN TEXAS SENIOR EXEMPTIONS ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH WE'VE INCREASED OUR SERVICE LEVELS SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE THE HIGHEST IOS RATING INSURANCE SERVICE OFFICE ISO SORRY INSURANCE SERVICE OFFICE RATING THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY GET, WHICH ALSO DECREASES YOUR INSURANCE RATES ON YOUR HOUSE. SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN POSSIBLY DO TO DECREASE THE LOAD ON OUR RESIDENTS. SO I WANT TO STILL KEEP DOING THAT. AND AS JAMES WOULD PROBABLY SAY, I WANT TO JUST SUCK EVERYTHING WE CAN OUT OF IT. I DON'T KNOW, YOU'D MAKE SOME ANALOGY LIKE THAT, WHERE WE CAN JUST TRY TO... NOT GO TO THE VOTERS FOR INCREASING OUR TAX RATE. I WOULD HATE TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING ON OUR SERVICE LEVELS, BUT NOT THOSE THAT IMPACT OUR SAFETY, OF COURSE. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I KNOW THIS IS JUST A WORK SESSION. WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR... FOR BREAKING DOWN THE APPRAISAL STATEMENT AND MAKING IT MORE CLEAR. I APPRECIATE THAT. I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE COMMENT BY ADAM LAST TIME ABOUT JUST BRINGING THE OPTION OF TURS, UTILIZING AND PHASING OUT TURS TO TRY AND ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW THROUGH THIS BUDGET SEASON. BUT OVERALL, THANKS FOR ORGANIZING THIS. AS WE GET TO LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, JUST THE CAD PROCESS AND MAYBE THAT. SOMETHING WE CAN TRY AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO TO GUIDE OUR LEGISLATURE ON HOW TO SIMPLIFY IT AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING OTHER LEVERS THAT WE AS A TOWN CAN USE TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE WE'RE RIGHT NOW WE'VE USED ALL OF THEM THEY GAVE US THEM WE USED THEM SO IT'S A GREAT THING FOR US AS A COUNCIL THANK YOU AND JUST ADD ONE MORE THING AGAIN APPRECIATE YOU COMING UP HERE AND THE EFFORTS OF STAFF ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED FOR KEEPING US WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW WE SOLVE THE CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US BASED ON THE CONSTRAINTS PUT UPON US BY THE LEGISLATURE. AND JUST TO READ FROM WHAT CHRIS SAID, IF THERE'S ANY LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES WE CAN, IF THERE'S ANY WILL AT THE STATE LEVEL, I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE IS, BUT TO IMPROVE THE CADS AND IMPROVE THEIR FUNDING OR IMPROVE THEIR EFFICIENCY, ADD TO THEIR TRANSPARENCY. OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN'T CONTROL, BUT IF WE CAN INFLUENCE THAT IN AUSTIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT THING THAT WE CAN PUT OUR EFFORTS TOWARD. I THINK I SAW BEN TRYING TO DO THIS FOR A TWO-YEAR REVIEW BECAUSE THAT REDUCES THE NUMBER OF APPRAISALS THEY HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR AND BURDEN ON THE RESIDENTS AND THE COST. SO I WILL SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE, YES, THE APPRAISING EVERY SO MANY YEARS. THE ONE PROBLEM THAT THERE IS SPECIFICALLY IN FORT WORTH IS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T REVIEWED IN SO MANY YEARS. AS VALUES HAVE DECREASED, PEOPLE ARE STILL PAYING THE SAME OF PROPERTY TAX BILLS. [02:40:01] SO WHAT THE PROCESS IS MISSING IS THAT WHEN VALUES GO DOWN, THEY DON'T GO DOWN FOR THREE YEARS. HERE'S UNLESS THE RESIDENT CONSTANTLY COMES IN AND BRINGS IT IN AND PROTESTS, EVEN THOUGH THE VALUE IS GOING TO BE LOCKED FOR THREE YEARS. AND SO THAT CAN CAUSE A BIT OF AN ISSUE AS WELL. AND SO WHENEVER THEY PASS THAT, I ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT TO THE LEGISLATURE'S ATTENTION. THIS IS WHAT IF VALUES GO DOWN? AND THE ANSWER WAS VALUES DON'T GO DOWN. SO I SAID, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO OVERTAX SOME PEOPLE AS A RESULT. UM, THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN FORT WORTH, IN TARRANT COUNTY SPECIFICALLY. SO JUST A COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO ADD AS WE CONCLUDE IS THAT, ONE, WE ARE WORKING ON SETTING UP OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 27TH SESSION. AND PLEASE TRUST THAT PART OF THAT DELIVERABLE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE AND THIS VERY TOPIC WHERE WE BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS AND DEMONSTRATE SOME OF THOSE COMPONENTS. CHALLENGE IS THAT THE RHETORIC IS MORE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION OF SAYING LET'S LOWER TO ONE PERCENT AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS AND ULTIMATELY YOU KNOW IT IS WHAT IT IS WE WE ARE CREATURES OF THE STATE RIGHT UM BUT WE WE MADE THESE SAME ARGUMENTS SEVEN YEARS AGO UM SO IT'S JUST AT A CERTAIN POINT IT'S HOPEFULLY THEY THEY LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND BECAUSE ULTIMATELY UM I'M FIGHTING HARD NOT TO GET ON MY SOAPBOX IT'S GOING TO 20 MINUTE RANT BUT YOU I THINK JUST ULTIMATELY WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT RIGHT NOW THIS IS GOING TO START HITTING THE COMPONENTS THAT PEOPLE SAY THEY CARE ABOUT THE MOST, PUBLIC SAFETY IN PARTICULAR. IT'S JUST THE MATH JUST MASKS OUT THAT WAY. AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE HAVE LEGISLATION THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T DEFUND THE POLICE. WELL, GUESS WHERE THIS IS SENDING US IF WE DON'T MAKE AN INTERVENTION? YOU'RE GOING TO DEFUND THE POLICE. NOBODY WANTS TO DO THAT. BUT ULTIMATELY, IT'S AGAIN, WE ARE A SLAVE TO AN EQUATION. THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS COME UP. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO DO, AND I WILL SHOUT OUT OUR DELEGATION, REALLY APPRECIATE THEM FOR ENGAGING US THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. HEARING US OUT, GETTING OUR DATA, TAKING A LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE AS YOU RECALL, IN THE SPECIAL CALL SESSION, THERE WAS A MOVE TO TAKE IT DOWN TO 1%. AND WHAT WE ARGUED WAS, HERE'S OUR SITUATION, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS, YOU'RE GOING TO ADVERSELY IMPACT PUBLIC SAFETY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ADVOCATED FOR, QUITE FRANKLY, IS JUST LIKE, LOOK, TAKE IT DOWN TO 1%. JUST PUT A CARVE OUT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. IF YOU WANT TO PUT A 1% ON EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE PUBLIC SAFETY CONSTITUTE NEARLY 60% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AND YOU DO THE MATH. I CAN CLOSE A LIBRARY. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON VERY MUCH. I'M CERTAINLY NOT ADVOCATING FOR THAT. YOU CAN GO AND START CHERRY PICKING. AND IF YOU START LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT WE REGULATORILY HAVE TO HAVE AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, NOT A LOT OF BLOOD YOU'RE GOING TO GET FROM THIS TURNIP BEFORE YOU TURN INTO PUBLIC SAFETY. EVERYBODY'S SAYING WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. WELL, WE HAVE TO GO AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. IF YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THIS, HOW DO WE DO IT WHILE PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND THINGS OF THOSE NATURES? AND WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR LEGISLATORS. BUT... IT'S JUST A UNIQUE CHALLENGE. AND THIS IS THE ONE THING I WILL SAY ON MY SOAPBOX. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH OUR LEGISLATURES. IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF THEY SAT DOWN WITH CITY MANAGERS, CFO, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CAME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE. THE PROBLEM IS THEY JUST DO IT. SO Y'ALL FIGURE IT OUT. THERE'S NO COLLABORATIVE COMPONENT OF THIS WHATSOEVER. I COULD DELIVER A BUDGET EVERY YEAR TO LOWER THE TAX RATE. WHY WOULDN'T I DO THAT? I WOULD LOVE TO LOWER THE TAX RATES AND INCREASE SERVICES EVERY YEAR. I ABSOLUTELY WOULD LOVE IT. BUILD A STATUE OF ME OUT FRONT. BUT THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. AND WE'RE NOW AT A POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE THE REAL-LIFE CONSEQUENCES OF SOME OF THESE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE. AND I WOULD JUST LOVE MORE COLLABORATIVE POSTURE WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SAY, LET'S SEE HOW THIS IS REALLY IMPACTING US AND HOW WE CAN THREAD THE NEEDLE. HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE? THE LAST THING I'LL SAY SINCE I'M ALREADY ON MY SOAPBOX IS THAT. THE EXEMPTIONS ARE THE THING THAT MOVE THE NEEDLE ON WHAT WE CONTROL ON OUR TAX BILL. ONE THING I'LL SAY, WHEN DID EVERYBODY'S TAX BILL GO DOWN? WHEN THEY STARTED THE COMPRESSION OF SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES. THAT'S WHAT MOVED THE NEEDLE. AND THAT IS NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF MUNICIPALITIES. IT'S IN CONTROL OF THE STATE. AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. THE ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS AND WE GET A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. HERE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THE BUDGET AND THESE OTHER TOPICS. WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER OF HAVING FOMO CONVOS WHERE WE GO OUT THERE. WE HAVE THEM EVERY YEAR. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IS TO SHOW UP TO THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR PERSPECTIVE. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION. YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO QUESTION WHAT'S A PRIORITY AND NOT A PRIORITY. [02:45:01] THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE. BUT I WANT PEOPLE TO BE PROPERLY EQUIPPED BECAUSE IN A LOT OF CASES, THEY EXPLAIN THINGS THAT WE CAN'T DO. THEY EXPLAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DO. REALLY WHAT I WANT IS JUST AN INFORMED RESIDENCE GROUP. AND SO, AGAIN, WHEN THESE OPPORTUNITIES COME UP, PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM WHEN THEY COME UP IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, WHEN WE TAKE THE SHOW ON THE ROAD AND WE CREATE THESE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE YOU CAN BE EDUCATED ON WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE BUDGET. THE OTHER THING I'LL JUST SAY, TOO, IF YOU'RE CURIOUS, SEND AN EMAIL AND ASK A QUESTION. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST IN HERE IS THAT AS A RESIDENT, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS. YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO SHARE YOUR OPINION, YOUR PERSPECTIVES. YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. BUT IT GETS CHALLENGING SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A COMMAND OF WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT YET HAVE STRONG OPINIONS. AND THAT'S CALLED LIFE. RIGHT. EVERYBODY KIND OF HAS THOSE THINGS. BUT WHAT I WANT MORE SO THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS PEOPLE TO BE INFORMED OF THE SITUATION WHERE WE LAND IS WHERE WE LAND. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO ME. I WANT US TO KEEP I WANT TO KEEP US A TOP RATED PLACE TO LIVE. I WANT TO KEEP THAT SUPERIOR QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WHY PEOPLE ARE HERE IN FLOWER MOUND. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF THERE'S A COLLECTIVE DECISION TO SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION, THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE GO. THAT'S NOT MY JOB TO FORCE THIS IN ANY ONE PARTICULAR DIRECTION. BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO DO IS BE VERY OPEN ABOUT THE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'RE FACING. AND THIS IS WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT. IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU RECALL, AND I THINK THAT OUT OF EVERYBODY CURRENTLY SEATED ON COUNCIL, I THINK BRIAN AND ADAM GO THE FURTHEST BACK. IN MY FIRST YEAR HERE, I WAS ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE IT COMING. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THE CLIFF WAS, BUT GUESS WHAT? CLIFF IS ESSENTIALLY HERE. THEN FUNDAMENTALLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION OF WHAT WE PULL BACK OR WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO INVEST MORE. WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE MORE DEVOTION TO THOSE THINGS. AND WE HAVEN'T MADE THAT DECISION YET. WE'LL ULTIMATELY MAKE THAT DECISION. BUT WHETHER WE LAND, WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTE IT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND TRY OUR LEVEL BEST TO PROVIDE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE THAT OUR RESIDENTS COME TO EXPECT. AND IT'S JUST IT'S JUST A YOU KNOW, I WISH WE HAD I WISH THIS WAS MORE LIKE FISCAL YEAR 23, WHERE WE LOWERED THE TAX RATE AND INCREASED THE SERVICE LEVELS. IT'S JUST NOT LIKE THAT EVERY YEAR. AND SO I'LL END IT WITH THAT. JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON THIS. AND MORE THAN LIKELY, WE'RE TARGETING THE SPR AT THE END OF JULY WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE DATA POINTS THAT WERE REQUESTED ABOUT WHAT OUR COMPARISON CITIES ARE DOING AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT'S OUT THERE AND OUR OTHER CITIES LOOKING POTENTIALLY AT A VADER AND WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THEY HAVE THERE. AND TRY TO SET UP SOMETHING WHERE WE KIND OF COMPARE AND CONTRAST, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE JUST SET UP AND STRUCTURED IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO WHERE THEY CAN WITHSTAND SOME OF THE. PRESSURES OUT THERE. WE SIMPLY AREN'T. WE'RE MORE OF A BEDROOM COMMUNITY. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF COMMERCIAL. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THINGS. AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST NOT EXPERIENCING THE GROWTH. THE THING I'LL JUST SAY HERE, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON MANY RANT HERE, AND I'LL END MY THOUGHTS WITH THIS, IS THAT JUST THE REALITY OF IT. REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO, JOHN EXPLAINED HOW SB2 WORKS. IT'S A SEESAW. WHEN YOU'RE GROWING EXPONENTIALLY, THE TAX RATE CAN GO DOWN AND THE SERVICE LEVELS CAN GO UP. IF YOU'RE IN A POSITION LIKE US, IT AUTOMATICALLY FORCES THE TAX RATE TO GO UP. TAX RATE UP. IT'S CREATED THAT WAY. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. THAT'S THE INTENT OF IT. AND SO, AGAIN, WE'LL TRY OUR BEST TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY TO THAT AND GET TO A SOUND DECISION. BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME AND INPUT. I THINK WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO START PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER AND FURTHER ENGAGE ON THIS TOPIC. THANK [M. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS] YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN. THANK YOU, JAMES. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM N, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. THIS IS THE... DISCUSS AND CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS AND TO OUR BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM TRACY, RIGHT? AND SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT ON THE DENCO 911 BOARD OF MANAGERS. SO WE HAVE TO VOTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST AS A QUICK RECAP, ON MAY 18TH, THE TOWN COUNCIL NOMINATED ANN MARTIN TO SERVE AS YOUR NOMINEE ON DENCO AREA 911 BOARD OF MANAGERS. THE SUBSEQUENT NOMINATION LETTER WAS SUBMITTED AND RECEIVED BY DENCO 911 AS REQUIRED WITHIN THE DEADLINE AND PARTICIPATING MUNICIPAL JURISDICTIONS HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR NOMINATIONS AND NOMINEES AS WELL. AND SO TONIGHT YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO CAST YOUR VOTE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION TO APPOINT ONE OF THE SUBMITTED NOMINEES TO SERVE ON THE DENCO AREA 911 DISTRICT BOARD OF MANAGERS. THIS IS A TWO-YEAR TERM BEGINNING OCTOBER 1 OF 2020. 2026 AND THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. OKAY SO THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE FOR THIS POSITION JIM CARTER WHO WAS CHOSEN FROM DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES AND THEN ANN MARTIN SO IF ANYONE WOULD WISH TO WE CAN DISCUSS IT MORE OR YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION I'M READY WITH A MOTION I MOVE TO CAST A VOTE FOR ANN MARTIN TO SERVE ON THE DINKO AREA 911 DISTRICT BOARD OF MANAGERS. [02:50:04] SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. OKAY, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER WARNER? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM TAYLOR? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER DREW? AYE. OKAY, OUR VOTE FOR ANN MARTIN TO REPRESENT DINKO AREA [N. CLOSED MEETING] 911 DISTRICT BOARD OF MANAGERS. DISTRICT BOARD OF MANAGERS IS PASSED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE. OKAY, AT THIS TIME, IT IS 8.50, AND THE TOWN COUNCIL IS CONVENING INTO A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 551, SECTIONS 071, 072, 074, AND 087. WE'LL BE BACK IN A FEW MINUTES. OKAY, WE [O. RECONVENE] ARE BACK FROM CLOSED SESSION. THE TIME IS NOW 921. THERE'S NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSED SESSION THIS EVENING. SO AT THIS TIME, THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING IS ADJOURNED. GOOD NIGHT. FLOWER MOUND. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.