Dec 09, 2024 City Council

AND JUST JUST A FEW MINUTES.

[00:00:02]

[CALL TO ORDER]

OKAY. I NOW DECLARE THE PLANO CITY COUNCIL IS RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION.

THAT ALL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER KAYCI PRINCE AND MAYOR PRO TEM MARIA TU AND COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SMITH.

WE'LL BEGIN TONIGHT'S REGULAR MEETING WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY REVEREND DOCTOR VICTOR KOLLMANN, SENIOR PASTOR OF MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH, AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND TEXAS PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY HOLIDAY MUSIC PROVIDED BY THE LEGACY OF HARMONY CHORUS.

WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE STAND IF YOU CAN? HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE WITH US HERE THIS EVENING.

WE THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL CITY OF PLANO IN WHICH WE LIVE.

WE THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE AND CARE YOU GIVE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND TO OUR CITY, AND TO ALL OF US HERE TONIGHT.

WE ASK YOUR BLESSINGS ON ALL OF THE DECISIONS THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAKE TONIGHT, TO SERVE YOU AND TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF PLANO.

GIVE THEM WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR PEOPLE HERE IN PLANO.

CONTINUE TO GIVE US ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE YOU AND TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YOU IN THIS SPECIAL CITY IN WHICH WE LIVE.

AS WE PRAY IN THE POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS.

AMEN. 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.

DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO.

SLEIGH BELLS RINGING.

CHOIR SINGING.

WONDER WHAT OLD SANTA'S BRINGING IT'S THE WARM AND FUZZY TIME OF YEAR.

DO DO DO DO.

SNOWFLAKES FALL.

THE TEMP IS DROPPING.

FAMILIES OUT TOGETHER SHOPPING.

IT'S THE WARM AND FUZZY TIME OF YEAR WITH THE DESIGNER HERE.

ELVES ARE WORKING OVERTIME, MAKING ALL OUR COINS FLOATING NEAR US ON ALL OF THE GOOD LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS.

THEY LOOK UP TO SEE ME.

I FALL ASLEEP BY A COZY FIRE.

IT'S A WARM AND FUZZY TIME OF TIME OF THE YEAR.

IT'S A WARM AND FUZZY TIME OF YEAR.

IT'S ABOUT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

[APPLAUSE] JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW.

IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.

O'ER THE FIELDS WE GO.

LAUGHING ALL THE WAY.

BELLS ON BOBTAIL RING.

MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT.

WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE AND SING A SLEIGHING SONG TONIGHT.

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

OH, WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.

OH. JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

OH, WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.

A DAY OR TWO AGO I THOUGHT I'D TAKE A RIDE TO MISS FANNY BRIGHT WAS SEATED BY MY SIDE.

THE HORSE WAS LEAN AND MADE MISFORTUNE SEEMED HIS LIFE.

HE GOT INTO A DRIFTED BANK.

AND WHEN WE GOT UPSOT.

[00:05:03]

JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

OH, WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

OH, WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.

A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.

HEY! [APPLAUSE] YOU GUYS, YOU WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE DOWN THERE? IT'S A LONGER WALK, SO I HAVE TO.

I HAVE TO COME DOWN THERE.

COME ON DOWN HERE. THANK YOU.

HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. GOOD.

GREAT JOB GUYS. GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HAVING US.

HAVE YOU TESTED THIS OUT YET? NO. OKAY, WELL, LET'S TRY IT.

COME ON IN. COME ON IN. YEAH.

YOU GUYS ARE THE FIRST.

OKAY. PERFECT.

YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

GREAT JOB. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE DART PRESENTATION, AND I'M GOING TO LET MY MAYOR PRO TEM, WHO'S ON ZOOM ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

MARIA? YES.

I'M HERE. NADINE, I'M GOING TO BE PRETTY BLUNT, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT AT THIS POINT, DART IS TALKING WITH CITY OF PLANO, BUT JUST LIKE WHAT ANTHONY IS TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT SHELBY IS TALKING ABOUT.

I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ALL VERY, VERY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE AT THIS POINT IN OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WE ARE PRETTY MUCH PUT AT A DISADVANTAGE DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE PART OF THE DART MEMBER TEAM, AND THAT, I'M SURE, WAS NOT THE INTENT IN THE BEGINNING WHEN THIS WAS DISCUSSED AND DART BECOMING A PARTNER WITH CITY OF PLANO.

SO IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND LET ME LOOK AT IT FROM A CRIMINAL PERSPECTIVE, AND I'LL LET THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ADDRESS OTHER PERSPECTIVE.

BUT I WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT THE CRIMINAL PERSPECTIVE.

NOW, FIRST OF ALL BECAUSE THE RECENT BECAUSE OF, I GUESS, AFTER COVID, THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE OF TRAIN RIDES IN WHICH, FIRST OF ALL, EMPTY TRAINS WITH A LOT OF ISSUES WITH REGARD TO SANITARY , WITH REGARD TO SAFETY, WITH REGARD TO TRANSIENT, IN, WHICH IS CAUSING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT USED TO TAKING THE DART TRAIN TO BE EVEN MORE CAUTIOUS IN TAKING THE DART TRAIN.

THERE ARE NO SUPERVISION AT PARKING LOTS.

THERE ARE NO GUARDRAIL AT THE PARKING LOTS IN, WHICH CREATES A PLACE AND VENUE IN WHICH CRIMES CAN OCCUR.

AND I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING OUT OF AIR.

I AM A CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER.

I SEE, AND I GET APPOINTED TO MULTIPLE TYPE OF OFFENSES IN WHICH THAT'S RELATED TO SPECIFICALLY TO TRAIN STATIONS. AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH CRIMINAL TRESPASS, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, INDIVIDUALS.

AND AS FOR OUR RESIDENTS REALLY MAKING COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHY WE'RE CONSTANTLY REPAIRING ROADS FROM EAST TO WEST.

WELL, THE REASON WHY WE'RE CONSTANTLY REPAIRING ROADS FROM EAST TO WEST IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRANSPORTATION THAT SATISFIES AND MEETS THE NEED OF OUR RESIDENTS FROM EAST TO WEST AND FROM WEST TO EAST.

[00:10:04]

AS A MATTER OF FACT, ABOUT 50% OF THAT.

AND YET WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING OUR RESIDENTS CONCERNS, IN WHICH IS ROAD ISSUES, POTHOLES DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE'S CONSTANT TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD FROM EAST TO WEST.

WE'RE NOT GIVING OUR RESIDENTS THE SOLUTION THAT THEY NEED IN MEETING THEIR DAY TO DAY NEEDS.

NOW AS FOR WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DRIVING THROUGH OUR CITY, ACTUALLY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE ISSUE.

I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF EAST TO WEST.

AND THE SHELTER FOR BUS STOP.

WE DON'T NEED MORE BUSSES.

THE BUSSES ARE RUNNING EMPTY.

WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE.

AND THE SHELTER THAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE SHELTER FOR BUS STOP, YOU KNOW THAT JUST THAT THAT IS A REALLY BAD TERM BECAUSE AS SOON AS THAT WORD IS SAID, I START SEEING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TRANSIENTS USING THAT EXACTLY AS HOMELESS SHELTERS.

SO WHAT I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO, NADINE, IS TO EXPLORE WHAT MARK ISRAELSON AND WHAT OUR MAYOR, JOHN MUNS, HAS ADDRESSED WITH YOU, THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN PLANO, NOT WHAT DART THINKS WE NEED IN PLANO, BUT WHAT WE AS PLANO RESIDENTS KNOW WE NEED FOR PLANO.

AND ONE OF THE ISSUES IS CRIMINAL CONCERNS, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU.

SO, COUNCIL MEMBER TWO, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO, I'D LIKE TO ASK CHIEF CHARLIE KATO TO COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CRIME ON THE SYSTEM AND SECURITY GENERALLY.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL.

I'M CHARLIE CATO, CHIEF OF POLICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO I'VE LOOKED AT THE CRIME FROM JANUARY 1ST TO DECEMBER THE 4TH, WHEN I HAD THE NUMBERS PULLED.

AND YOU HAD YOU HAD 28 CRIMINAL OFFENSES REPORTED AT THE DOWNTOWN PLANO STATION IN ALL THAT YEAR IN A WHOLE YEAR.

AND SO WE'VE HAD CALLS FOR SERVICE THERE.

BUT AS ACTUAL CRIMES REPORTED YOU HAD ONLY 28.

AND SO THE AS YOU MENTIONED, THE PARKER ROAD STATION, WE DO HAVE MORE ACTIVITY THERE.

IT'S IN THE LINE STATION.

AND SO BUT SO OUT OF THE ALL YEAR LONG, WE'VE HAD 115 POLICE REPORTS MADE THERE.

SO THAT'S LESS THAN ONE A DAY FOR THE YEAR, ONE TO ABOUT ONE EVERY TWO DAYS, AS WE'RE ALMOST 365 DAYS INTO THE YEAR, OVER 330 DAYS INTO THE YEAR. SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF REPORTED CRIME THERE.

WE HAVE OUR GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHIEF DRAIN AND HIS NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING OFFICERS THAT ARE AROUND OUR STATIONS THERE.

WE WORK WITH THEM CONSTANTLY.

WE ALSO HAVE OUR TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICERS OR TSOS WHO RIDE THE TRAINS.

WE HAVE OUR POLICE OFFICERS.

WE HAVE RESTARTED OUR RAIL OPERATIONS TEAM.

WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT RIDE THE TRAINS.

WE HAVE FARE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT RIDE THE TRAINS.

AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE CRIMINAL TRESPASS.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS IS OUR SECOND HIGHEST ARREST CATEGORY MOST OF THE YEAR.

SINCE WE STARTED LAST YEAR OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TEAM, WHICH IS TO ADDRESS THE UNHOUSED POPULATION AND THE MENTAL, THE ONES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, WE HAVE BEEN MAKING INROADS THERE.

SO NO LONGER IS CRIMINAL TRESPASS OUR NUMBER ONE.

IT'S OUR NUMBER THREE ARREST CATEGORY.

AND ALSO OUR THE OTHER TOP ARREST CATEGORY WAS OUR EMERGENCY DETENTION, WHICH IS SOMEBODY WHO'S IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS TO THE POINT WHERE WE DON'T TAKE THEM TO JAIL, WE TAKE THEM TO A MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTION, TO A HOSPITAL.

AND SO THAT'S OUR NUMBER TWO ARREST CATEGORY.

NOW, OUR NUMBER ONE ARREST CATEGORY IS ARREST FOR WARRANTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES.

BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE.

WE'RE CHECKING EVERYBODY WE COME IN CONTACT WITH.

IF THEY HAVE A WARRANT, WE ARREST THEM, WE TAKE THEM TO JAIL.

AND SO WE'VE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.

YES, TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS.

AND OUR CRIME NUMBERS COMPARE FAVORABLY TO ANY, ANY OF THE CITIES THAT WE SERVE.

IN FACT, HERE IN OUR NUMBERS, COMPARE QUITE WELL TO THE CITY OF PLANO'S CRIME NUMBERS.

SO I YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A PERCEPTION OF CRIME AND DISORDER ON THE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THE NUMBERS DO NOT BEAR THAT OUT, IS THAT THE PERCEPTION IS FAR WORSE THAN THE REALITY THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.

AND THEN JUST REAL QUICK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE TYPES OF SERVICES THAT YOUR RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING FOR.

MR. ISRAELSON AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME SHUTTLE SERVICES, CIRCULATOR SERVICES, NOT JUST GOLINK,

[00:15:01]

AND SO I THINK THERE'S THERE WILL BE SOME VALUE AS WE DEVELOP THOSE CONCEPTS TO GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TALKING TO THE RESIDENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK BEST FOR THEM. SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT.

OUR TEAM IS WORKING WITH THE CITY OF PLANO STAFF TO DEVELOP WHAT WE REFER TO AS OUR AREA PLANS, AND THAT IS REALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS THE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION NEED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF EACH OF OUR SERVICE AREA CITIES.

TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER TU ABOUT THE EAST WEST TRAVEL.

IN FACT, I THINK IT WAS JUST LAST WEEK OR SO THAT MR. ISRAELSON AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT VERY THING.

AND SO SO WE ARE WORKING ON THOSE CONCEPTS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES WOULD BEST SERVE THE CITY OF PLANO.

AND THEN WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME CLARITY AROUND THAT SO THAT AROUND BUDGET SEASON NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE ABLE TO START INTEGRATING THE COSTS OF CHANGING UP SOME OF THOSE SERVICES.

COUNCIL MEMBER HORNE.

THANK YOU, MS. LEE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

BACK IN 83, WHEN PLANO WAS STILL A COMMUTER CITY THE DART MADE SENSE IN THAT.

AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITIZENS VOTED ON IT, JUST TO HAVE THE RAIL TO GO FROM PLANO TO DOWNTOWN TO STAY OFF US 75.

THAT WAS A BIG POINT ON WHY THE VOTERS VOTED FOR THE $0.01.

OF COURSE WE'VE EXPANDED NOW.

WE'RE A HUGE EMPLOYMENT CENTER.

WE ARE HAVING ISSUES RIGHT NOW.

PART OF THIS IS, WE'RE COMPETING WITH OTHER CITIES.

WE'RE WANTING MORE BUSINESS TO COME INTO PLANO.

AND PART OF THAT IS THE CONVENIENCE FACTOR OF COMMUTERS.

IF THEY LIVE IN PLANO, CAN THEY GET TO LEGACY WEST? FAIRLY EASY TO WORK.

CAN THEY GET TO THE RESEARCH QUARTER TO WORK? THIS IS WHERE I'M SPRING BOARDING ON MAYOR PRO TEM TU'S COMMENTS.

I SEE A LOT OF EAST WEST BUSSES AND THEY ARE EMPTY.

THEY ARE EMPTY AND YOU MAY SEE 1 OR 2 PEOPLE STANDING WITH NO SHELTER IN THE SUMMER WAITING FOR A BUS, BUT IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MEET THE NEEDS, AND CERTAINLY NOT A CONVENIENCE OF USING DART TO GET ANYWHERE WITHIN PLANO.

AND AGAIN, I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TRAIN SYSTEM AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SILVER LINE COMING ON BOARD COMING ONLINE THAT COMMUTERS CERTAINLY LOVE GOING TO DOWNTOWN OR ALONG THAT CORRIDOR FROM PLANO AND VICE VERSA.

AND I SUSPECT THAT WHEN THE SILVER LINE OPENS, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE HOPPING ON THAT TRAIN TO GET TO DFW AND THE POINTS IN BETWEEN.

BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT A WAY TO MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR OUR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO GET EAST WEST AND GET INTO CIRCULAR ROUTES.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH, WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM WHAT WE PAID AND THE VALUE FROM THE FROM THE EY STUDY.

SO I KNOW YOU HAVE TO VALIDATE THAT THAT'S JUST WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE STEWARDS OF THE PEOPLE'S MONEY AND WE'RE JUST NOT PROVIDING THE CONVENIENCE.

NOW, I HAVE TO APPLAUD YOU ON THE PARATRANSIT.

THAT NUMBER LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN STUDYING.

AND AS YOU SAID, AS OUR CITIZENS AGE IN PLACE, I CAN SEE THAT GROWING, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE GOLINK MAYBE AND SEEING I MEAN, I THOUGHT AT ONE TIME YOU HAD AN INITIATIVE TO WORK WITH UBER ON THAT OR RIDE SHARE, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVENIENT AND MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER TO GET FROM ZONE TO ZONE TO ZONE.

AND THE LAST REQUEST I HAVE IS IF YOU CAN PLEASE PROVIDE THE OTHER ZONE MAPS FOR YOUR GOLINK.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS IS APPLIED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

THANK YOU. YES, HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE OTHER ZONE MAPS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO COMMENT THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH UBER.

CURRENTLY UBER SERVES AS A BACKSTOP FOR GOLINK WHEN OUR, OUR OUR CONTRACTED SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO FULFILL THE TRIP THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED WITHIN THE TIME FRAME THAT WE PROMISE OUR RIDERS.

UBER IS THERE TO TO BACKFILL THAT SERVICE SO THAT THEY CAN GET A RESPONSE TIME QUICKER.

SO I THINK OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME IS LIKE EIGHT MINUTES RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.

I THINK OUR, OUR TARGET WAS LIKE 15 MINUTES.

SO WE'RE REALLY WE'RE RESPONDING A LOT FASTER.

AND THAT'S REALLY THE UBER SERVICE COMES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE OPTED IN TO THE UBER SERVICE.

SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE UBER AS A BACKSTOP, BUT THEY DO HAVE THAT CHOICE.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.

YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, GOLINK DOES SEEM TO WORK VERY WELL FOR A LOT OF, A LOT OF OUR MORE SUBURBAN CITIES.

AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION NEED IS THROUGHOUT YOUR CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE APPROPRIATE MODE AND SERVICE FOR THE NEED

[00:20:02]

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

I ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION, AND THEN I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME COMMENTS OF JUST FEEDBACK THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE IMPROVED WITH DART.

I'M HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE, ON MAKING THE RIDING EXPERIENCE MORE PLEASANT, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE EXPECTING, AS YOU SAID, 50% MORE PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS.

ONE THING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT I WAS NOT EVEN AWARE OF UNTIL THIS MORNING, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS KIND OF GIVING ME THEIR WISH LIST OF THESE ARE THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE.

AS SOMEONE WHO RIDES DART QUITE FREQUENTLY, BUT IT WAS ABOUT WI-FI ON THE TRAINS AND BUSSES, AND I LOOKED IT UP AND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THE BUS SERVICES DISCONTINUED WI-FI IN JULY, JUNE, OR JULY OF THIS YEAR.

AND I'M HERE.

WELL, THAT'S I FOUND AN ARTICLE THAT SAID THAT MAYBE THAT'S NOT TRUE, BUT I HEARD YOU REPORT TONIGHT THAT THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE BUS SERVICE.

SO IT WOULD SEEM REASONABLE TO EXPECT, IF ANYTHING, THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING MORE WI-FI TO OUR RIDERS.

LET ME CHECK INTO THAT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I WAS AWARE THAT WE WERE NOT PROVIDING WI-FI.

I THOUGHT WE WERE. AND SO LET ME DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE ROUTERS ON OUR BUSSES AND THEY'RE WORKING.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT, BUT LET ME DOUBLE CHECK.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

BUT YES, IT WASN'T SOMETHING I HAD REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT, BUT IT MADE PERFECT SENSE.

SOMEONE WHO MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE THE BUDGET FOR THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION MIGHT NOT ALSO HAVE WI-FI AT HOME.

AND SO THIS IS A GREAT TIME FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT SERVICE WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER CUSTOMER VALUE ADD THERE.

AND SO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY THIS INDIVIDUAL AND THEN OTHERS I'VE SPOKEN TO AND JUST MY OWN OBSERVATIONS.

OBVIOUSLY THE SECURITY I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE AT AND EVEN CONSIDERING CLOSING THE SYSTEM, I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD THAT SPOKEN ABOUT, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM OTHERS THAT THEY WOULD FEEL SAFER IF IT WAS A CLOSED SYSTEM.

OBVIOUSLY YOU'D BE ABLE TO COLLECT MORE FARES AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK TO THIS DISCUSSION WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD GET GREAT DATA.

WE WOULD REALLY KNOW, WHEN ARE PEOPLE GETTING ON? WHEN ARE PEOPLE GETTING OFF? I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GETTING ON A TOLL ROAD, GETTING OFF A TOLL ROAD, WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD DATA ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING TO AND FROM.

AND SO I THINK THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL.

THE PERSON WHO EMAILED ME THIS MORNING WAS ASKING FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION TO PASSENGERS IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A DELAY, THINGS THAT THEY CAN KIND OF COUNT ON.

I THINK THAT ALSO IS WHERE THE WI-FI SERVICE WOULD, SHE FELT WOULD BE HELPFUL HAVING BETTER SIGNAGE.

SHE REFERENCED A DISCOUNT CITIZEN APP.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE ALREADY HAVE AN APP, BUT MAYBE SHE WAS SUGGESTING YOU GET A DISCOUNT IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE APP.

AND THAT ALSO WOULD GIVE MORE DATA BECAUSE YOU COULD ACTUALLY TRACK PEOPLE ON WHERE THEY'RE GETTING ON WHERE THEY'RE GETTING OFF FROM THAT AS WELL.

AS SHE SAID, YOU COULD EVEN CHECK IN TO SHOW PEOPLE YOU'RE SAFE.

AND SO IT WAS ANOTHER SAFETY MECHANISM.

AND THEN I THINK THE ONLY OTHER ITEM THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, JUST BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE PUBLICLY, AND I WAS CALLED OUT FOR THIS, NOT BRINGING UP DOWNTOWN PLANO.

AND ASIDE FROM THE RAIL THAT WE AS COLLIN CREEK IS COMING ONLINE AS NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE ROBINSON FINE ARTS CENTER. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DINE DOWNTOWN AND TO HAVE EASY ACCESS AND MOBILITY TO SOME OF THOSE SURROUNDING PLACES.

SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT OFFICIALLY, I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER STATED THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO PLANO.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GO ON THE RECORD TO SAY THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO SEE AS WELL ON OUR WISH LIST.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF THINGS.

SO WE DO HAVE THE GO PASS APP, WHICH IS A PAYMENT MECHANISM, BUT ALSO SERVES FOR TRIP PLANNING, SERVES WELL FOR TRIP PLANNING AS WELL.

I DON'T KNOW.

I'M GOING TO LOOK TO MY CFO.

DO WE DO ANY? ARE WE ABLE TO TRACK ANY RIDERS BASED OFF OF.

YES WE ARE. OKAY.

OKAY. SO WE'LL GET YOU MORE INFORMATION ON THAT BECAUSE I AM LESS AWARE UNLESS YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT.

[LAUGHTER] SURE.

SO, JAMIE [INAUDIBLE], EVP AND CFO FOR DART, THE GO PASS MOBILE APPLICATION DOES ALLOW US TO KNOW KIND OF COORDINATES OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTIVATING PASSES, BUT IT'S NOT PERFECT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A MONTHLY PASS OR AN ANNUAL PASS, YOU ACTIVATE THAT ONE TIME AND THEN YOU CAN USE IT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHATEVER TYPE OF PASS IT WAS. I THINK YOU'RE ALSO REFERRING TO MAYBE A REWARDS PROGRAM FOR RIDING.

NO. I DON'T.

[00:25:01]

AND THEN REWARD BY GIVING SOME SORT OF DISCOUNT.

SO NO, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE, BUT MAYBE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

CORRECT. YEAH.

AND SO, SO IN TERMS OF LIKE REWARD SYSTEM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER GOTTEN IT OFF THE GROUND.

AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CONCEPT WOULD BE.

THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY, BECAUSE I THINK YOU REFERENCED, YOU KNOW, DISCOUNTS THROUGH THE APP AND THAT SORT OF THING, WE DO HAVE FARE CAPPING, WHICH IF YOU'RE USING ANY FORM OF DIGITAL MEDIA TO PAY FOR YOUR RIDE, YOU ARE CAPPED AT, I THINK IT'S LIKE $6 OR SOMETHING FOR THE DAY.

SO AND THEN THERE'S, I THINK A CAP FOR THE MONTH AS WELL.

SO ONCE YOU GET TO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS OF RIDES, YOU ARE NO LONGER CHARGED ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU'VE HIT THAT CAP.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PROVIDE FOR, OF COURSE, MORE FREQUENT RIDERS.

THERE'S STILL DISCOUNT PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LOW INCOME.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO REMAIN AS AFFORDABLE AS POSSIBLE.

WE DO HAVE A NEW FARE PROGRAM COMING ONLINE, I THINK.

IS IT MARCH? MARCH.

OKAY. SO MARCH. SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT CHANGES TO THE FARE POLICY.

AND SO THERE'S A NEW FARE STRUCTURE COMING ONLINE IN MARCH.

THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING.

OH, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE RIDERS AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ABOUT DELAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE DO PUBLISH OUR REAL TIME, OUR GTFS REAL TIME DATA YOU KNOW, TO ANY APP DEVELOPER WHO WANTS TO USE IT.

GOOGLE DOES USE IT.

WE USE IT ON GO PASS.

AND SO IF THERE ARE DELAYS IN REAL TIME, THEY SHOULD BE CURRENT ON ALL OF THOSE APPS.

WHEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GO TO A STOP OR GO TO A STATION, THEY LOOK UP THE TRAINS THAT ARE COMING.

THEY SHOULD GET THE MOST CURRENT DATA ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT THE ACTUAL TRAVEL TIME OR THE ARRIVAL TIME SHOULD BE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MS. LEE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF CHAIRMAN SLAGEL'S LETTER, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING SOME FEEDBACK REGARDING THE REQUEST THAT WE MADE.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

OF COURSE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM IS CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS.

IS THERE ANY? MR. MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PROVIDED.

NOPE. WE'RE STILL.

WE'RE STILL POM.

BUT THAT IT WAS CONFUSING, I REALIZE.

ANY ITEM A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE.

OKAY. ANY ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS?

[CONSENT AGENDA]

YEAH. HERE WE GO.

OKAY. WE'RE AT.

THERE YOU GO. MR. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION. WE APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

OKAY. SECOND.

THANK YOU. SO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

WE GET TO VOTE AGAIN.

THERE WE GO. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

PLEASE VOTE. WELL, I HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN ABOUT A YEAR.

MARIA SAYS YES.

ARE YOU. IS THAT A YES, MARIA? YES. MARIA TU SAYS YES.

THANK YOU. ARE WE ALL GOOD? OH, WELL, RICK, RICK'S NOT THERE.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

THIS IS OUR FIRST VOTE ON THE NEW DAIS, SO WE'RE OKAY.

WE'RE LEARNING.

AND THERE IT IS.

HEY. OKAY.

MOTION PASSES.

LOOK AT THAT. 6 TO 0.

OKAY. UP AND RUNNING.

TERRIFIC. OH, SURE.

NEXT ITEM.

ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. APPLICANTS ARE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.

PRESENTATION TIME WITH A FIVE MINUTE REBUTTAL IF NEEDED.

REMAINING SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO 30 TOTAL MINUTES OF TESTIMONY TIME, WITH THREE MINUTES ASSIGNED PER SPEAKER.

[00:30:01]

NON PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. PRESIDING OFFICER WILL PERMIT PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA NOT POSTED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL ESTABLISH TIME LIMITS BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKER REQUESTS, LENGTH OF THE AGENDA, AND TO ENSURE MEETING EFFICIENCY, AND MAY INCLUDE A CUMULATIVE TIME LIMIT.

SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER THE REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED UNTIL THE CUMULATIVE TIME IS EXHAUSTED.

[(1)  

Public Hearing and consideration of an Ordinance as requested in Zoning Case 2024-024 to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of the City, Ordinance No. 2015-5-2, as heretofore amended, granting Specific Use Permit No. 84 for Electrical Substation on 0.2 acre of land located 1,370 feet east of Jupiter Road and 1,065 feet south of Plano Parkway in the City of Plano, Collin County, Texas, presently zoned Research/Technology Center and located within the State Highway 190/Plano Parkway Overlay District, directing a change accordingly in the official zoning map of the City; and providing a penalty clause, a repealer clause, a savings clause, a severability clause, a publication clause, and an effective date.  Petitioner: ONCOR Electric Delivery Company

PRESENTLY ZONED RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY CENTER AND LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE HIGHWAY 190 PLANO PARKWAY OVERLAY DISTRICT, DIRECTING A CHANGE ACCORDINGLY IN THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY, PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE, A REPEALER CLAUSE, A SAVINGS CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A PUBLICATION CLAUSE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

I'M CHRISTINA DAY, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING HERE TO PRESENT THIS ZONING CASE FOR YOU TONIGHT.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT ON A PROPERTY THAT IS LOCATED NORTH OF THE PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH TURNPIKE AND NEAR SHILOH ROAD.

IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY CENTER AND IS SURROUNDED BY, LIKE, PROPERTY.

SO THE REASON WHY THIS IS BEING CONSIDERED TONIGHT IS THERE IS AN ASSOCIATED DATA CENTER IN THIS AREA IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH. SO A COUPLE OF BLOCKS THAT HAS BEEN BUILT.

IT HAS A PRIVATE SUBSTATION THAT IS SUP 75, BUT THIS IS TO ADD A SUBSTATION IN THE POWER LINES TO THE SOUTH THAT WOULD THEN SUPPLY POWER TO THE PRIVATE SUBSTATION.

THERE IS A TEMPORARY ROUTE CURRENTLY BEING UTILIZED, BUT THERE'S SOME CONFLICTS WITH EXISTING EASEMENTS THAT DON'T ALLOW THAT TO BE A PERMANENT LOCATION.

THERE IS ALSO A RESTRICTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SUP REQUEST THAT MAY ADDRESS THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE FROM AN INDIVIDUAL ADJACENT TO THE SITE, AND IT IS THAT A MASONRY SCREENING WALL, AT LEAST EIGHT FEET IN HEIGHT WILL BE PROVIDED TO SCREEN THE SUBSTATION AREA.

SO THIS IS IN AN EMPLOYMENT CENTER AREA.

IT MEETS THE DESCRIPTION AND PRIORITIES AS WELL AS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

WE HAD ONE RESPONSE.

IT IS IN OPPOSITION.

YOU CAN SEE IT JUST CLIPS THE CORNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT RESPONDED.

IT'S LESS THAN A 10TH OF AN ACRE AND0.2% OF THE TOTAL ACREAGE, SO DOES NOT REQUIRE A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS THIS ONE LETTER OF OPPOSITION.

SO ON THE LARGE SCALE MAP, YOU SEE, WE HAVE THE ONE RESPONSE FROM AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER.

THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF 8 TO 0.

AND WITH THAT, I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.

THE APPLICANT DOES NOT HAVE SLIDES.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU CHRISTINA. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? ALL RIGHT. I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

THE ONLY REGISTERED SPEAKERS WE HAVE WOULD BE THE APPLICANT.

YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS SETH SAMPSON, SIGHTING SPECIALIST FOR ONCOR.

I'M REALLY JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN REGARDS TO THIS PROJECT FOR US.

SO I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR AND.

APPRECIATE IT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

CONFINE THE COMMENTS TO THE COUNCIL.

OH, THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

WOW. ALL RIGHT.

TAKE YOUR PICK. GO, GUYS.

I'D MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND. THANK YOU.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE.

ALL IN. PLEASE VOTE.

MARIA TU SAYS YES.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

[(2)  

Public Hearing and consideration of a Resolution to approve the terms and conditions of an Interlocal Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding by and between the City of Plano, the City of McKinney, the City of Frisco, and the Collin County Sheriff’s Office for the disbursement of the 2024 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funds; authorizing its execution by the City Manager or his authorized designee; and providing an effective date.

THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM.

ITEM NUMBER TWO.

PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF

[00:35:09]

HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

AGAIN, THIS GRANT IS AN ANNUAL GRANT THAT WE GET.

IT'S NOT A COMPETITIVE GRANT.

IT'S WHAT'S CALLED A FORMULA GRANT, PRIMARILY BASED OFF OF OUR POPULATION AND OUR CRIME STATS.

WE DO SHARE THIS GRANT WITH THE CITY OF FRISCO, THE CITY OF MCKINNEY AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

TOTAL GRANT AMOUNT IS IN CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF CITIES RELATIVELY SMALL, ABOUT $64,000.

I BELIEVE OUR SHARE IS AROUND $23,000 OF THAT.

AND AGAIN, THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THIS HEARING IS BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED AS A PART OF THE GRANT.

ANY QUESTIONS? THANKS, CHIEF. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.

I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

CONFINE THE COMMENTS TO THE COUNCIL.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.

SECOND. OH, YOU.

MARIA REALLY MESSED IT UP.

ALL RIGHT. I DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

AND PUT MAYOR PRO TEM AS THE MOTION.

YEAH, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT, I KNOW I MESSED YOU UP.

OH, DID YOU GET THAT DOWN? OKAY, GOOD. ALL RIGHT.

PLEASE VOTE.

ALL RIGHT. MARIA TU SAYS YES.

OH, OKAY.

[(3)  

Public Hearing and Comment: Review of the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report describing the use of federal funds. This report details how the City used U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds during the 2023-24 grant year. The public will be given an opportunity to speak on the report during the public hearing.

SIX TO NOTHING.

ALL RIGHT.

NEXT ITEM.

ITEM NUMBER THREE.

PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENT.

REVIEW OF THE CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT DESCRIBING THE USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.

THIS REPORT DETAILS HOW THE CITY USED US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FUNDS DURING THE 2023-24 GRANT YEAR.

THE PUBLIC WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING.

MAYOR. COUNCIL. CURTIS HOWARD, DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.

AND MAKE SURE I GET TO THE RIGHT SLIDE HERE.

AND I AM HERE TO DISCUSS THE ANNUAL CONSOLIDATED PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT.

HUD REQUIRES US TO DO THIS ANNUALLY.

AND THIS IS GOING TO DETAIL EXPENDITURES IN YEAR FOUR OF OUR FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS PAST YEAR WHEN WE LOOK AT HUD FUNDING AND HUD OBJECTIVES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT, ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES HAS TO DO WITH DECENT HOUSING.

AND GENERALLY THIS IS GOING TO THIS IS RUN BY AN INTERNAL PROGRAM THROUGH STAFF.

WE HAVE OUR HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM AND OUR EMERGENCY REPAIR PROGRAM THAT, THAT WE HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY.

AND THIS PAST YEAR, WE HELPED 19 HOUSEHOLDS.

NOW THE CITY ITSELF HELPED 18 AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HELPED ONE HOUSEHOLD.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WHEN WE GET THESE EMERGENCY REPAIRS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE HOME OWNERSHIP PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF THE TOP THREE THAT WE REALLY SEE HAVE TO DO WITH HVAC REPLACEMENT, BATH TUB TO SHOWER CONVERSIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING IN PLACE. THAT'S A BIG ISSUE.

AND THEN ALSO SOME MINOR PLUMBING.

BUT WE'RE ALSO SEEING THINGS LIKE, OF COURSE, THE CAST IRON PROBLEMS, THAT WE HAVE, A LOT OF EXTERIOR ISSUES.

WE'RE SEEING FOUNDATION ISSUES.

SOMETIMES WE SEE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND SO WE PROVIDE EMERGENCY FUNDING AND REHAB FUNDING FOR THOSE PROBLEMS. THE AVERAGE AGE FOR THE PERSON WHO IS WHO WE ARE SERVICING IS 69 YEARS OLD.

SO WHAT WE'RE GETTING IS, IS WHEN WE OPEN THIS UP, IT'S BASICALLY FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.

IF THEY QUALIFY, THEN THEN THEY GET ON THAT ON THE LIST.

WE DO HAVE A CONTACT LIST RIGHT NOW OF ABOUT 70 PEOPLE THAT WILL SIGN UP.

AND THEY JUST WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THEM.

SO WE'LL WAIT CONTACTING THEM, THEM DURING THE NEXT ROUND ONCE WE GET FUNDING FOR THIS NEXT, NEXT YEAR.

AND SO I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT CAME UP THROUGH COUNCIL HAVING TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD DO IS BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN

[00:40:01]

SHOULD WE USE SOME OF THE FUNDING HERE FOR THESE REHABILITATION PROJECTS FOR HOMELESSNESS? AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, WE ARE GETTING READY.

WE'RE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT FOR OUR NEXT FIVE YEAR COMP PLAN.

AND SO WE TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE COMMUNITY WE TAKE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL.

SO BE THAT AS IT MAY, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

JUST REMEMBER THAT AS WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE GET, THERE IS LIMITATION.

BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CDBG FUNDING YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE 15% OF THAT, WHICH FOR, SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS, 65% OF THAT THEN IS AND I'M GOING TO USE KIND OF MY NOMENCLATURE WHICH IS NON SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S MORE BUILDING THAT SORT OF THING.

SO WE CAN USE THAT FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD REALLY IMPACT THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN HOMELESSNESS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL CERTAINLY TAKE INPUT FROM FROM COUNCIL ON THAT.

LET'S SEE. AND IN ADDITION HABITAT AGAIN, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF HOUSES THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON.

THEY DIDN'T FINISH IN THIS PROGRAM YEAR SO WE WILL BE COUNTING THEM TOWARDS OUR NEXT PROGRAM YEAR.

BUT THOSE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS.

OUR NEXT OBJECTIVE IS SUITABLE LIVING.

AND THESE ARE GOING TO BE THESE SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GOT TEXAS MUSLIM WOMEN'S FOUNDATION, WHO IS OF COURSE A BIG PARTNER FOR US.

SO 14 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION.

AND THIS IS THE COLLIN COUNTY COALITION.

THE ASSISTANCE CENTER OF COLLIN COUNTY.

I'M SORRY. AND THEY BASICALLY PROVIDED ASSISTANCE, RENT AND SOME UTILITY ASSISTANCE TO 71 PEOPLE.

CITY HOUSE HELPED 24 YOUNG ADULTS.

24 IS DEFINED AS BETWEEN 18 AND 21.

IN CASE MANAGEMENT AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.

SAMARITAN INN, OF COURSE, HELPED 23 PEOPLE IN THIS PROGRAM YEAR, AND THEN ALSO FAMILY PLACE ASSISTED 75 PEOPLE.

OTHER GRANT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.

SO WE ALSO HAVE HOME ARP, OUR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING.

SO HOMELESSNESS FUNDING IS GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, AT IN DANGER OF LOSING THEIR HOME.

AND SO BOTH TEXAS MUSLIM WOMEN'S FOUNDATION AND THE ASSISTANCE CENTER OF COLLIN COUNTY HAD PROGRAMS INCLUDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND THEN THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES NEEDED IN THAT IN THOSE IN THOSE AREAS.

SO 478 PEOPLE WERE HELPED THERE.

AND THEN FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS, THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE STREET TEXAS MUSLIM WOMEN'S FOUNDATION PROVIDED THE FUNDING FOR THAT, INCLUDING THAT HOUSING ASSISTANCE.

AND WE HAVE TEN FAMILIES, TEN HOUSEHOLDS WITH 25 PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED ASSISTANCE.

AND THEN PUBLIC SERVICES, OTHER GRANT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE, OF COURSE, THE BUFFINGTON GRANT, WHICH WE WE GLADLY GET FROM CITY COUNCIL HERE.

WE GAVE GRANTS TO 18 ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDED SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF PLANO, HELPING OVER 9000 PEOPLE.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS PROVIDES FUNDING.

THEY HAD A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND CASE MANAGEMENT AND THOSE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AGAIN, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY HOUSED.

AND THEN OUR PLANO OVERNIGHT WARMING SHELTER AND THAT'S CDBG CORONAVIRUS.

THAT IS STILL SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FROM THE CORONAVIRUS.

AND WE YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT COUNCIL PROVIDED DIRECTION.

SOME OF THE MONEY WE HAVE THERE WILL BE GOING TOWARDS THOSE TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN PLANO TO HELP PROVIDE UPKEEP IN THOSE HOMES.

SO AND OVERALL THAT WILL HELP TO 198 PEOPLE.

SO AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING IS GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT FOR OUR NEXT CON PLAN, AND SO WE'LL SEE HOW WELL THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS HERE.

THAT QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO THAT, TO THAT SURVEY.

AND YOU CAN MAYBE GET GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY IF IT WORKS.

SO AFTER ALL THAT I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU CURTIS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU ANTHONY.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

AND THANK YOU, CURTIS FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION.

SO YOU ALLUDED TO THE QUESTION I EMAILED IN WHICH TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE CAME FROM FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER GRADY WHO EMAILED IN.

AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO READ A SMALL EXCERPT FROM WHAT HE SENT HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE MADE A GREAT POINT.

HOMELESSNESS AND PREVENTION HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY GROWING NEED.

ONE REASON GOALS MAY NOT BE ACHIEVED IN THIS AREA IS BECAUSE AGENCIES RUN OUT OF MONEY.

THE DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY.

[00:45:02]

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, GO TO OUR CITY MATERIALS AND LOOK AT FOR EXAMPLE, PAGE 117 OF THE PACKET SHOWS THAT THE FAMILY PLACE HELPED 75 PEOPLE FOR $3,306, WHEREAS 18 HOUSING REHABILITATION PROJECTS DONE BY THE CITY COST $858,000. SO OBVIOUSLY AND THAT'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HOUSING REHABILITATION IS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE FAMILY PLACE IS DOING FOR THOSE 75 INDIVIDUALS.

BUT IT MAKES THE POINT THAT HOUSING REHABILITATION HAS A REALLY KIND OF NARROW, FOCUSED BENEFIT FOR THOSE WHO ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NOT BE ON THE 70 PERSON WAITING LIST, BUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GET THE HOUSING REHABILITATION FUNDS, WHEREAS SOME OF THE HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION SERVICES HAVE A MORE DIFFUSE BENEFIT FOR A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

AND I THINK THAT ALSO HELPS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO TACKLE THE IMPORTANT ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS.

I UNDERSTAND THE POINT YOU WERE RAISING ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON PERCENTAGE ALLOCATIONS OF THE CDBG FUNDS AND THE KIND OF 65% FOR MORE BUILDING RELATED THINGS, 15% FOR WHAT I THINK WE CAN LOOSELY REFER TO AS YOU DID WITH SOCIAL SERVICES.

BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WHEN SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FAMILY PLACE OR CITY HOUSE OR THE TEXAS MUSLIM WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE EAST PLANO ISLAMIC CENTER'S EFFORTS ON THE OVERNIGHT WARMING STATION, ANYTHING THAT NEEDS PHYSICAL, STRUCTURAL WORK THAT'S ELIGIBLE IN THAT 65% BUCKET.

RIGHT. AND SO WE COULD I THINK IF WE ADVERTISE TO THOSE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CDBG FUNDS POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE TO TACKLE THEIR KIND OF PHYSICAL BUILDING ISSUES, YOU KNOW, REPAIRS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED, EXPANSIONS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED TO IMPROVE CAPACITY, THEN THAT MIGHT FREE UP FUNDS THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO USE FOR THAT, THEIR OWN FUNDS TO DELIVER THESE SOCIAL SERVICES THAT UNDER FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS, WERE CAPPED AT 15% UNDER THE CDBG.

SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.

AND I UNDERSTAND THE POINT ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN YEAR THREE GOING INTO YEAR FOUR OF OUR FIVE YEAR COMP PLAN, AND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE FEEDBACK ON FOR THE NEXT COMP PLAN. BUT I DID ALSO NOTICE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS OF YEAR FOUR HOUSING REHABILITATION IS SECOND FROM THE TOP.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, HOMELESS SHELTER AND SERVICES IS THE VERY TOP 321% COMPLETE, BUT HOUSING REHABILITATION IS ALMOST 113% COMPLETE, 112.94%. SO WHAT ARE OUR THOUGHTS ON SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF DONE THE HOUSING REHABILITATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO DURING THIS FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, AND MAYBE TRY TO SHIFT AS MUCH OF THOSE FUNDS AS POSSIBLE TO THE PHYSICAL BUILDING NEEDS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY.

YEAH. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO USE THAT FUNDING FOR OUR SOCIAL SERVICE PARTNERS HERE WHO HAVE THAT KIND OF TRANSITIONAL SHELTER THAT WOULD QUALIFY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THAT CV MONEY RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT IS NOW I THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING THAT TO 16 OR 18 OF THOSE TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS HERE.

SO YOU. I THINK PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS WE WOULD HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND SEE WHAT THEIR CAPACITY IS AND SEE HOW MUCH ACTUAL KIND OF BRICK AND MORTAR THINGS THAT THEY NEED.

BUT YEAH, THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO IS TRY AND GET A HANDLE ON IF THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE TO USE, YOU KNOW, THAT 65% THAT IS NON SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDING AND HELP THOSE HELP THOSE AGENCIES.

SO THEY CAN THEY CAN USE THE FUNDING THAT THEY GET FOR MORE SERVICES.

WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

AND IF THE REST OF THE COUNCIL FEELS THE SAME WAY, WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO DO, GIVEN THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AT 112.94% COMPLETE ON OUR HOUSING REHABILITATION OBJECTIVES UNDER THIS CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS TO, YOU KNOW, GET PROACTIVE AND DO A SURVEY OF THOSE REALLY IMPACTFUL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT WHAT PHYSICAL BUILDING NEEDS WE COULD HELP THAT WOULD QUALIFY UNDER THE 65% DURING THIS CURRENT FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN.

YES, SIR. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS, DIRECTOR HOWARD.

YES, SIR. YES.

THANK YOU, CURTIS, FOR THAT.

I JUST WANT TO ECHO MY VERY STRONG BELIEF, AS I'VE SAID FOR YEARS, AS DID FORMER COUNCILMAN GRADY, THAT AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.

AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MANY OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN OVER THE PRIOR SEVERAL YEARS ARE SUCH

[00:50:09]

BUT PULLING PEOPLE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS, REHABILITATING HOUSES, ETC.

IS A MUCH HEAVIER LIFT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US USE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US FROM HUD AS CREATIVELY AS POSSIBLE TO BE USED TOWARD HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THAT MONEY GOING TOWARD DOING THE MOST GOOD.

YEAH. YES, SIR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTION.

BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, CURTIS, THE REPORT THAT WE'RE GOING ON TONIGHT IS HISTORIC.

YES, SIR. THAT'S REPORTING ON THE ACTION.

SO I UNDERSTAND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING.

BUT WHAT WE HAD TONIGHT WAS REALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED VERSUS THE ACTION PLAN MOVING FORWARD.

SO I THINK WE HAVE THAT INPUT ON GOING FORWARD.

BUT JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANKS, CURTIS. ALL RIGHT.

APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

[(4)  

Second Public Hearing on the proposed General Obligation Bond Referendum scheduled for May 3, 2025.  Additional third public hearing is planned for January 13, 2025.  (First public hearing held November 25, 2024.)

I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND REFERENDUM SCHEDULED FOR MAY 3RD, 2025.

AN ADDITIONAL THIRD PUBLIC HEARING IS PLANNED FOR JANUARY 13TH, 2025.

GOOD EVENING.

ALL THIS IS A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE HAVE FOR THE BOND REFERENDUM, AS LISA JUST MENTIONED.

WE WILL HAVE A THIRD ONE JANUARY 13TH.

ALSO ON JANUARY 13TH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL START DELIBERATING ON WHICH PROJECTS WILL MAKE THE FINAL CUT.

THE FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY OR THE SECOND WEEK IN FEBRUARY, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE DECIDING WHICH PROPOSITIONS WILL GO FORWARD.

THANK YOU, KAREN.

I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS? WE DO HAVE SPEAKERS.

WE HAVE FIVE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM THIS EVENING.

THE FIRST ONE IS RITA COSGROVE.

THERE SHE IS.

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY.

I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING ON THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF PLANO FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.

DURING THAT TIME, I HAVE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND THE VIBRANT AND ENCOMPASSING ARTS COMMUNITY ACROSS THE CITY.

PLANO IS HOME TO A DIVERSE NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS SERVING CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND ADULTS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS ACROSS PERFORMING, VISUAL AND MUSICAL ARTS.

INCREASINGLY, THESE IMPACTFUL GROUPS STRUGGLE TO FIND ADEQUATE AND RELIABLE SPACE FOR PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCES.

THEY RELY ON A TENUOUS PATCHWORK OF CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER PRIVATE FACILITIES TO SHARE THEIR ART WITH US, THE COMMUNITY.

THE CITY HAS EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR PLANO TO BE A TRUE ARTS DESTINATION.

THE TALENT IS HERE.

THE DESIRE IS HERE.

THE VENUE SPACE IS NOT.

OUR TALENTED ARTISTS ARE STRUGGLING TO HAVE AMPLE AND APPROPRIATE SPACE TO PERFORM AND DISPLAY THEIR WORK FOR THE ENJOYMENT AND BETTERMENT OF ALL OF US. IT'S TIME FOR THE CITY TO PRIORITIZE AND INVEST A TRUE IN A TRUE ARTS CENTER WITH APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED SPACES FOR ALL OF OUR ART GROUPS.

AS YOU CONSIDER THIS BOND PACKAGE, PLEASE CONSIDER FINDING FUNDS TO INVEST IN A NEW SPACE OR IN THOUGHTFUL REPURPOSING OF EXISTING SPACE. INVESTING IN OUR ARTS COMMUNITY IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.

AS A REMINDER, OUR ART GROUPS WHO DO APPLY FOR ART GRANTS FROM THE CITY MUST PERFORM TWO THIRDS OF ALL OF THEIR PERFORMANCES WITHIN THE CITY, WHICH MAKES HAVING THE PROPER VENUES VITAL FOR THEIR CONTINUED GRANT OF FUNDS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU.

THE NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVE LEVINE.

[00:55:10]

WELL, THAT WAS A GOOD LEAD IN TO WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT.

MY NAME IS STEVE LEVINE, 40 YEAR RESIDENT OF PLANO.

YESTERDAY, I SENT TO EACH OF YOU A LETTER AND PROPOSAL OUTLINING THE NEED FOR A PLACE FOR PLANO'S PRACTITIONERS AND PATRONS OF THE VISUAL ARTS. I LOVE ALLITERATION.

I CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WILL RECOMMEND TO YOU THE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BOND ELECTION.

I ALSO SERVE ON THE.

EXCUSE ME. I ALSO SERVE ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE CONSULTANTS WHO WILL BE PROPOSING THE CULTURAL ARTS PLAN.

I'M NOT INVOLVED AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY ARTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, BUT I HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE ARTS POPULATION IN PLANO AND THEIR CRITICAL NEEDS IF THEY ARE TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND POPULATE THE DOWNTOWN PLANO ARTS DISTRICT.

WHILE WE'RE AWAITING THE COMPLETED CULTURAL ARTS PLAN, SOME NECESSARY EFFORTS WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE DELAYED BEYOND AN OPPORTUNE TIME FRAME. AS WITH THE ART CENTER OF PLANO AND THE COURTYARD THEATER ADAPTIVE REUSE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS WILL BE A VIABLE AND PRUDENT PATH TO CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN THIS DESIGNATED DISTRICT.

THERE ARE OTHER FOLKS TODAY THAT WILL HELP DESCRIBE THE NEED AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO INCLUDE AUTHORITY IN THE BOND PROGRAM OF NOT LESS THAN $5 MILLION FOR THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF ONE OF THESE OLDER, VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED BUILDINGS FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES, PRIMARILY IN SUPPORT OF THE VISUAL ARTS.

THEY'RE REQUESTING THIS AS SEED MONEY TO SECURE A BUILDING AND FURTHER DEVELOP ARCHITECTURAL PLANNING.

WHILE OTHER EFFORTS MAY CONTINUE IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMMITMENTS AND PROOF THAT THE PROJECT CAN BE SELF-SUPPORTING THROUGH RENTS, GRANTS AND FEES GENERATED BY THE SUGGESTED USES.

WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT A PROGRAM LIKE THIS COULD BE FUNDED.

THERE ARE CERTAINLY TIF FUNDS.

THERE ARE CERTAINLY HOTEL TAXES.

REGARDLESS OF WHICH WAY THIS ULTIMATELY GOES, WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

SO THAT SHOULD THE PARTICULAR BUILDING, THE CHADDICK CENTER, WHICH IS PART OF THIS CONCEPT THAT I'VE PLACED UP HERE FOR STUDIO 15, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN KIND OF LAID OUT BY ARCHITECTS MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE COMPLETED.

20 SECONDS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THE NEXT SPEAKER IS I'M MIKE CORMAN.

I'M A 30 YEAR PLANO RESIDENT, AND I'M CURRENTLY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR A NONPROFIT MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ART THAT IS LOCATED IN THE CHADDICK CENTER RIGHT NOW.

AND WE'RE THRILLED THAT IT MAY BECOME A CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS.

AFTER CONSIDERING FIVE OTHER LOCATIONS OUR MUSEUM, WE DECIDED TO ON THE CHADDICK CENTER BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN, THE DOWNTOWN PLANO ARTS DISTRICT.

AND WE HAVE CREATED THE FIRST VISUAL ART MUSEUM IN THE NORTHERN DFW METROPLEX.

OTHER SPEAKERS ARE GOING TO ADDRESS ABOUT THE WANTING TO PROCURE AVAILABLE AFFORDABLE STUDIO SPACE FOR THE ARTIST.

I'M GOING TO ADDRESS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHADDICK CENTER.

BECAUSE THAT TRANSFORMATION IS SO BEAUTIFULLY DEPICTED BY THE JHP ARCHITECTS.

IT WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL IN DOWNTOWN PLANO ARTS DISTRICT BECOMING A DESTINATION FOR LOVERS OF THE ARTS FROM

[01:00:02]

THERE ARE GREAT ARTISTS IN PLANO COMMUNITY, AND OUR FIRST FOUR EXHIBITIONS AT OUR MUSEUM HAVE BEEN FOR LOCAL ARTISTS B UT WE'RE PLANNING ON INTERLEAVING LOCAL ARTISTS WITH EXHIBITIONS FROM REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND EVEN FROM INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS.

THESE VISITING ARTISTS WILL BE CONDUCTING WORKSHOPS, DEMOS AND MASTERCLASSES WHICH WILL SERVE TO ENHANCE THE SKILLS OF OUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND TO ATTRACT PARTICIPATION AND VISITS FROM ARTISTS AND OTHERS FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

INCREASING TOURISM AND REVENUE HOTEL MOTEL.

WE ENVISION THAT ANCHORED BY THIS TRANSFORMED HOME THE PLANO OR DOWNTOWN PLANO ARTS DISTRICT WILL BE LESS LIKE THE BISHOP'S ARTS DISTRICT AND MORE LIKE A SMALL BUT GROWING VERSION OF ARTS DISTRICTS IN DALLAS, WITH THE DMA AND PEROT AND FORT WORTH, THE KIMBALL MODERN AND AMON CARTER.

WE JUST SEE THAT AS AS WHERE WE'RE HEADING.

20 SECONDS.

20. OKAY. WELL, THE ONLY OTHER THING I SAID IS THERE ARE THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT I HAVE REGARDING LIKE THE STUDIO SPACE, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH PROGRAMS THAT WE WANT TO DO AS PART OF OUR AS PART OF OUR MUSEUM.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS GENE DILLARD.

GENE, WE HAVE A MIC FOR YOU RIGHT HERE, IF YOU'D LIKE IT.

YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'M GENE DILLARD, AND I'VE BEEN A LONG TERM PLANO RESIDENT.

AND I'M THE MANAGER AND OPERATOR OF RAIL STATION STUDIOS IN THE ARTS DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN PLANO.

SOME OF US HAVE MET WHEN I TORTURED YOU TO PAINT YOUR PORTRAITS SOME TIME AGO.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I AM PLEASED TO PROVIDE PORTRAIT SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS OF PLANO.

AND ALSO I REALLY ENJOY TEACHING PORTRAIT PAINTING TO THOSE WHO WANT TO WISH TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS.

AND OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, I'VE HAD A CONSTANT STREAM OF ARTISTS APPROACH ME FOR STUDIO SPACE, WORK SPACE, WORKSHOP SPACE, EXHIBITION SPACE, AND MUCH MORE THAN MY SMALL VENUE COULD ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE.

AND RAIL STATION STUDIO WAS ONCE DESCRIBED BY PLANO MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE SANCTUARIES OF OUR CITY'S ARTISTIC SPIRIT.

IT'S A NICE THING I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO WRITE THAT.

NOT ONLY DOES IT SERVE AS A STUDIO FOR SOME RESIDENT ARTISTS, BUT IT ALSO IS A STOREFRONT GALLERY FOR OTHERS TO EXHIBIT THEIR FINE ART.

OUR ARTISTS ENGAGE WITH BOTH COMMUNITY AND WITH ONE ANOTHER, FORMING A COLLABORATIVE FRIENDSHIPS THAT COME FROM SHARING SPACE.

BUT IT'S REALLY A LOT MORE THAN SPACE.

THE ARTISTS SHARE INSIGHTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, PERSPECTIVES, AND THEIR PASSION FOR FINE ART.

IT'S ONE OF THE RESIDENT ARTISTS SAID THERE IS A NEED FOR ARTISTS TO CREATE PATHWAYS OF CONVERSATIONS, AND THAT'S SORT OF WHAT WE PROVIDE.

SO WE DO THIS ON A SORT OF A MINIATURE BASIS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ENLARGE DRAMATICALLY.

CREATING VISUAL ARTS IS OFTEN A SOLITARY THING, BUT THERE'S A NEED FOR A LARGER VENUE TO FOSTER THE BENEFITS OF ARTISTIC CAMARADERIE.

WHAT WE DO IN OUR LOCATION IS JUST A FRACTION OF WHAT PLANO NEEDS.

IT WOULD. I WOULD REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH AND JOINING FORCES WITH OTHERS IN THIS PROPOSED FACILITY.

PLANO NEEDS A PERMANENT CITY FACILITY TO CONTINUE THE MISSION OF CREATING COLLABORATION AMONG LOCAL VISUAL ARTISTS FOR THEIR BENEFIT AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU GENE. THE LAST SPEAKER IS MELANIE BRIGANTE.

[01:05:12]

MY NAME IS MELANIE BRIGANTE, AND I'M THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION.

I PRESENTLY SERVE.

WE, THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION, REPRESENTS OVER 200 PRACTICING VISUAL ARTISTS IN PLANO.

OUR ASSOCIATION CURRENTLY OPERATES A TEMPORARY GALLERY SPACE IN THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND AT 6121 WEST PARK BOULEVARD.

WE'RE PUTTING IN OVER 4500 VOLUNTEER HOURS EVERY YEAR TO KEEP THAT THING GOING AND TO TO STAY OPEN, ACCORDING TO THE MALL OPERATING HOURS.

FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION HAS WORKED TOWARD ENHANCING THE VISUAL ART CULTURE OF PLANO.

IN PARTICIPATION WITH THE CITY OF PLANO AND DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES.

WE BRING OUR ARTISTS TO MCCALL PLAZA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST SATURDAY ART AND CULTURE QUEST AND THE THIRD THURSDAY SIP AND SHOP EVENTS.

THE OUTDOOR LOCATION CREATES TEMPERATURE, WIND, RAIN AND LIGHTING CHALLENGES WITH THE CHANGING SEASONS, AND WE REALLY NEED A CLIMATE CONTROLLED DOWNTOWN FACILITY TO HAVE A RELIABLE ART PRESENCE IN DOWNTOWN PLANO.

PLANO MEMBER ARTISTS CAN POPULATE STUDIOS, HOST WORKSHOPS, AND STAGE EXHIBITIONS.

HOWEVER, WE DO NEED A PERMANENT VENUE TO DO SO.

WHAT WE HEAR REPEATEDLY FROM OUR MEMBERS, THEIR PATRONS, CUSTOMERS AND STUDENTS IS THAT THERE IS A NEED IN PLANO FOR STUDIO AND MAKER SPACE, WHERE OUR MEMBERS CAN CREATE, AS WELL AS SHARE WHAT THEY DO WITH PLANO RESIDENTS AND TO DISPLAY THEIR ART.

WITHOUT SUCH A FACILITY, WE CANNOT HAVE THE VIBRANT ART COMMUNITY THAT THE DOWNTOWN PLANO ART DISTRICT WAS ENVISIONED TO BE.

WHILE GALLERY SPACE IS ENVISIONED IN SUCH A FACILITY, WE DO NEED STUDIO AND CLASSROOM SPACE.

WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET THAT OUR PLANO RESIDENTS SEEK ART CLASSES.

WE GET ASKED EVERY TIME WE DO A PUBLIC EVENT.

ALL THE PARENTS SAY, DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN WORKSHOPS? THERE'S A HUGE NEED FOR THAT.

CHILDREN WANT TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND THEY DO THAT BEST THROUGH ART, I THINK.

SO WE NEED A FACILITY WHERE OUR RESIDENTS CAN CREATE ART AND WE NEED HELP WITH THE PLANO, THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION STANDS READY TO HELP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH A FACILITY.

AND WE REALLY THINK THAT OUR EXPERIENCE WORKING FROM THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ASSET TOWARDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.

I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS.

THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.