[1. Call the meeting to order.]
[00:00:08]
THIS IS THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING OF BRIEFING SESSION.
WE DO HAVE A FULL QUORUM OF CITY COUNCIL PRESENT, AND, UH, I HAVE OFFICIALLY 6 0 2.
I WANT TO OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, AND WE WILL
[2. City Manager Reports: City Council Calendar/Upcoming Events City Operations Conduct a briefing to discuss items for the 7:00 p.m. regular meeting]
BEGIN WITH OUR CITY REPORTS.HOW YOU DOING WITH CITY MANAGER? HELLO, MAYOR.
OH, KEN, YOU CAN HEAR ME? AM I, AM I QUASI WAMPUS HERE? I'M LIKING THAT THAT GUY ON SATURDAY LIVE THE, YOU CAN BE AT A ANGLE TO SAW, BUT YOU CAN'T BE AT THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY THAT USED TO USE THEIR LIGHT TURN AS A WEAPON.
CAN I GOT A THING GOING HERE? YES.
CAN YOU PLEASE PULL THE MIC?
UH, I'D LIKE TO NOTE OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM BEN CREEK IS BACK IN THE HOUSE.
HE IS, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE PHYSICALLY SEEN HIM.
HE'S ASSURED ME HE'S BEEN WATCHING US ON, UH, UH, ON OUR LIVE STREAM, BUT IT'S, UH, GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK.
THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
UM, AS ALWAYS, WANNA BEGIN WITH, UM, A LOOKSIE AT OUR VERY BUSY LATE SPRING, UH, CALENDAR, UH, WHICH IS FULL OF MULTIPLE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND MEETINGS AND BUDGET PREPARATION ITEMS AND WORKSHOPS.
UM, BUT TO START OUT WITH JUST A REMINDER ON THE, UH, CURRENT CALENDAR RELATED TO, UM, THE MAY 6TH, UH, LOCAL ELECTION, UH, EARLY VOTING STARTED YESTERDAY, UH, APRIL 24TH.
IT RUNS THROUGH MAY THE SECOND.
THERE ARE TWO SITES IN CEDAR HILL THAT ONE CAN EARLY VOTE.
UH, ONE IS AT THE ALLEN SIMS RECREATION CENTER, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL, PEGGY WILSON STEM CENTER ON, UH, MANSFIELD ROAD.
UH, ALTHOUGH IT IS COUNTYWIDE VOTING, SO ANY DALLAS COUNTY POLLING PLACE IS, UH, WILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE IF YOU FIND YOURSELF AVAILABLE.
UH, I, I VOTED YESTERDAY IN ADDISON.
SO YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY ADDED TO THE CONVENIENCE OF BEING ABLE, UH, TO DO SO AND MATCH IT UP WITH YOUR, UH, WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR CALENDAR AND YOUR BUSY LIFE.
SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY SATURDAY MAY 6TH IS ELECTION DAY.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON, UH, THURSDAY, APRIL 27TH.
THIS WOULD BE THIS THURSDAY, UH, FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM WE WILL BE HOSTING THE NEXT PARTY IN THE PARK.
THIS IS THE CELEBRATION, UH, RECENTLY INSTALLED AND COMPLETED, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TO RAMSEY PARK UP THERE IN HIGH POINT.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, WE'VE HAD A VERY DELIBERATE PROCESS FOR DELIVERING THE 2017 BOND, INCLUDING LOADS OF PUBLIC INPUT IN THE DESIGN PROCESS, AND THEN LOADS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON, ON THE BACKSIDE OF IT TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE JOINT COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC WINDS, UH, THAT GO ALONG WITH, UH, FRESHENING UP THESE PARKS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE SHAPES OF THE PRIORITIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY SERVE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD THIS, THIS EVENT WAS RESCHEDULED TO THIS THURSDAY BECAUSE OF SPRING WEATHER LAST WEEK.
SO WE'RE KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED.
UM, AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, CELEBRATING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WITH OUR, UH, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN THE HIGH POINT SEVEN DIVISION.
UH, OUR NEXT BIG ENGAGEMENT, UH, AND NEIGHBORHOOD WALK WHERE WE GO DOOR TO DOOR TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS THIS SATURDAY, APRIL THE 29TH, UH, FROM 11 TO ONE.
THAT IS ALSO A BUSY MORNING, AS I BELIEVE PASTOR VIC JACKSON IS HAVING A, UH, A PRAYER EVENT IN FRONT OF CEDAR HILL HIGH SCHOOL, SOMEWHERE AROUND 10.
SO WE'LL HAVE A ITINERARY FOR YOU JUST, UH, LATER THIS WEEK JUST TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE ALL END UP WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
UM, ON THE, UH, ON THE 28TH AND 29TH, THEY'RE ALSO HOSTING SPECIAL OLYMPIC SPRING GAMES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM.
AND THAT'S FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT, I MEAN, FOR THE WHOLE REGION, RIGHT? THE WHOLE REGION, YES.
YEAH, IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HOST THEM.
UH, SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WALK IS 11, UH, TO ONE.
UH, WE WILL MEET AT THE GRADY LAMB, UH, POLICE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES BUILDING AT 6 0 1 EAST BELTLINE.
UM, AND THEN HIGHLANDS NORTH, UH, WILL BE THE, UH, WILL BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE WILL BE VISITING WITH, UH, FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE TWO HOURS ON, UH, SATURDAY, APRIL THE 29TH.
ON MAY, ON MONDAY, MAY 1ST, UH, OUR, UH, FRIENDS AT THE CEDAR HILL MUSEUM IS HOSTING A FUNDRAISER, UH, GOLF TOURNAMENT AT TINGLE RIDGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN, UH, PARTICIPATING THAT, JUST LET US KNOW.
UH, THEN ON TUESDAY, MAY 2ND, THIS IS THIS NEXT TUESDAY, UM, THE SECOND OF OUR SERIES OF WORKSHOPS TO DEVELOP THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING 24, UH, WILL BE HELD.
[00:05:01]
THE THIRD FLOOR TRAINING ROOM HERE AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM THIS IS OUR FIRST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WORKSHOP.SO THIS IS WHERE WE'LL BE DEALING WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGETS RELATED TO STREETS, FACILITIES, DRAINAGE, AND PARKS.
SO YOUR DECISIONS, UH, DURING THOSE WORKSHOPS ARE WHAT FEED THE, UM, UH, THE BUDGETS FOR 24, AND THEN WHAT WE GO OUT IN, UH, ISSUE BONDS FOR IN EARLY 24.
SO, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THEN.
UM, ALSO, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT ON, UH, TUESDAY, MAY 2ND OUR LIBRARY.
WE'LL BE HOSTING THEIR CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION.
IT'S GONNA BE AN OUTDOOR AFFAIR, AND THEY'RE HOSTING IT IN DOWNTOWN CEDAR HILL AT PIONEER PARK.
AND THAT PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE A BILINGUAL, UH, CONCERT AND A PINATA ACTIVITY AND FOOD, AND A LOT MORE STUFF.
SO, UH, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS PART OF THE COUNCIL'S, UH, LATINO, UH, ENGAGEMENT, UH, INITIATIVE THAT THEY KICKED OFF LAST, LAST YEAR.
AND ALSO ENJOY AND APPRECIATE OUR, UH, OUR DOWNTOWN AT THE SAME TIME ON THURSDAY, MAY 4TH, UH, FROM SEVEN TO 8:00 PM IS THE CEDAR HILLS NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
UH, THAT WILL BE HELD AT THE ALLEN SIMS RECREATION CENTER, I BELIEVE, ON THE BACK PATIO MAYOR IS THE PLAN.
AND, AND THEN, AS HAS BEEN CEDAR HILLS' TRADITION ON NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, THERE IS ALSO A NOON LUNCH HOUR EVENT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE EVENING EVENT.
AND THIS, THIS YEAR'S, UH, EVENT WILL BE, UH, HOSTED BY THE CEDAR HILL CHURCH OF CHRIST ON SOUTH CLARK ROAD.
AND THAT IS BETWEEN NOON AND 1:00 PM THERE AT THE, AT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
UM, ON FRIDAY, MAY THE FIFTH, FROM 1130 TO ONE, THE COUNCIL IS CORDIALLY INVITED TO OUR ANNUAL EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION LUNCHEONS.
WE GATHER ALL OUR FOLKS AND WE, UH, PROVIDE 'EM WITH SOME LUNCH AND JUST, UH, TELL 'EM WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THEIR HARD WORK THIS YEAR.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUFF KIND OF GOING ON.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY VERY HARD.
UM, ALSO ON FRIDAY, MAY 5TH IS THE FIRST WAIT, LUBY KARAOKE.
UH, I WANNA MAKE YOU SEE SWEET CAROLINE.
UH, I'M SURE THERE WILL BE ACTIVITIES.
I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WILL BE KARAOKE COUNCILMAN MEMBER, UH, MCCARTY.
ALSO ON MAY 5TH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE BEGINNING A NEW INITIATIVE, A SERIES OF ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS DOWNTOWN CEDAR HILL.
SO EVERY FRIDAY IN, UM, IN MAY, WE WILL BE HOSTING A DIFFERENT LOCAL MUSICIAN OR ENTERTAINER WHO WILL BE PROVIDING, UH, A PROGRAM AT PIONEER PARK.
SO THAT'S THE, THE PLACE ACROSS FROM, UH, SAM'S PIZZA WITH THE SERIAL LETTERS ON IT, UH, EVERY, EVERY FRIDAY FOR THAT MONTH.
UH, THE FIRST ENTERTAINER IS A LOCAL GUITARIST, I BELIEVE.
SO THAT WILL BE, UM, HELD AT 6:00 PM INTO THE EVENING EVERY FRIDAY IN MAY.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
APPRECIATE, UH, ALISON, OUR COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE, LIBRARY FOLKS, EVERYONE INVOLVED IN, UH, MAKING THAT PROGRAM HAPPEN.
UM, ON, UH, TUESDAY, MAY THE NINTH.
THIS IS OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, WE WILL BE, UH, HONORING, UH, CLIFF SHAW AS OUR NEXT RECIPIENT OF THE VERY PRESTIGIOUS, UH, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
SO BE PREPARED FOR THAT VERY SPECIAL NIGHT.
UM, AND THEN ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 10TH IS THE FIRST OF A COUPLE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, THAT WILL BE HELD BY, UH, OUR PARTNERS WITH STAR TRANSIT, WHO THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING TONIGHT, BUT THIS WILL BE THEIR ENGAGEMENT OUT IN THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATING THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT WILL BE KICKED OFF HERE IN JUNE.
SO THE FIRST MEETING WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 10TH AT 6:00 PM HERE IN THE CANDY ROOM.
THAT IS FOR, UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND THEN THE SECOND, UH, PUBLIC MEETING ACTUALLY WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, MAY THE 12TH, AT THE SENIOR, AT THE SENIOR SETTING AT THE SENIOR CENTER ON MANSFIELD ROAD.
AND BOTH MEETINGS WILL COVER THE NEW SERVICES THAT WILL BE KICKED OFF AND HOW, UH, CITIZENS, UH, MAY BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM.
UH, ON THURSDAY, MAY THE 11TH, WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, PIONEER, UH, PARTY IN THE PARK CELEBRATING NEW IMPROVEMENTS, THIS ONE TO BE CREEK PARK AT SIX 20, MID LATE DRIVE.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO BE ABLE TO POINT OUT IN MAY, UH, MID-MAY WOULD BE, UH, MAY 13TH FROM 11 TO ONE, AGAIN, EXPANDING ON THE ACCOUNTANT, UH, THE, UH, COUNCIL'S, UH, LATINO ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE.
UH, WE'LL BE HOSTING OUR VERY FIRST, UH, BILINGUAL NEW RESIDENCE TOUR, AND THAT WILL BE FROM 11 TO 1:00 PM.
UH, YOU PEOPLE WILL MEET HERE AT THE CITY GOVERNMENT CENTER, AND THEN THEY WILL RECEIVE A TOUR OF THEIR NEWLY ADOPTED
[00:10:01]
CITY.UH, I'M TOLD WE ALREADY HAVE 14 OR 15 PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR THE EVENT.
SO WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO KICKING, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL INITIATIVE OFF CITY MANAGER.
IS THAT 11 TO ONE OR NINE TO 11? YEAH, I HAVE NOT, OH, WELL, LET ME, IT'S NINE TO 11.
I AM AMMI IN MY, MAYBE I CAN'T READ MY OWN HANDWRITING.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PROTO AND ALLISON.
THE LAST ITEM, I WILL, NO, WE GOT A FEW MORE.
UH, TUESDAY, MAY 16TH IS THE, UH, WATER AND SEWER CAPITAL, UH, IMPROVEMENT WORKSHOP.
THAT'S TUESDAY FROM SIX TO EIGHT.
IT'LL BE HELD IN THE, UH, COURT MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
UM, AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, WE HAVE THE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATION TAKING PLACE ON THURSDAY, MAY THE 25TH, AND THEN MAY 26TH AND MAY 27TH IS ALL ABOUT CELEBRATING ONE OF YOUR BIGGIES, UH, PROJECTS EVERY 2017 BOND.
AND THAT'S THE CELEBRATION OF THE OPENING OF THE LAGOON, UH, IN CEDAR HILL, YOUR NEW OUTDOOR AQUATIC CENTER.
SO THE GRAND OPENING WILL TAKE PLACE AT NOON ON SATURDAY, THE MAY 27TH, AND THEN ON FRIDAY, MAY 26TH WILL BE A SPECIAL RECEPTION, UM, HONORING THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN DELIVERING THAT PROJECT.
DO WE HAVE THE, DO WE STILL HAVE THE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATION ON THE 25TH? YES, SIR.
THE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATION IS THURSDAY, MAY THE 25TH.
ANY QUESTIONS ON CALENDAR? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, I SEE THAT WE HAVE EVERY FRIDAY IN MAY MUSIC AT MUSIC DOWNTOWN.
UH, ARE WE STILL HAVING THOSE, UM, OH, CONCERTS IN THE PARK? HUH? CONCERTS IN THE PARK? YEAH, WE ARE.
I JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS REPLACEMENT.
THOSE TYPICALLY TAKE PLACE IN JUNE, I BELIEVE.
WE'RE JUST ADDING FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET TO FIND MUSIC IN TOWN.
QUICK ORIENTATION TO THE AGENDA.
WE HAVE, UH, CHIEF, I, I DO HAVE, UH, ONE, ONE COMMENT AND, AND, UH, QUESTION SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO, UM, TO DISCUSS.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE REST OF THE COUNCIL FEELS ABOUT THIS, BUT I KNOW THAT WHAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE GETTING READY TO START PLANNING FOR COUNTRY DAY MM-HMM.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD OVER THE LA, YOU KNOW, THIS, ESPECIALLY THIS LAST YEAR, BUT BEFORE COVID, WAS WHY, WHY AREN'T WE INCLUDING SALVI AND WHY AREN'T WE INCLUDING ASH AND EMBER? MM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THERE, THERE, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE COMMITTEE THAT ARE, THAT MAY BE OPPOSED TO THAT, BUT I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT IT'S RIGHT THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING OUR CITY STREETS.
WE'RE BLOCKING OFF STREETS AND PROVIDING CITY RESOURCES, AND YET WE'RE SAYING THAT, THAT CERTAIN OF OUR BUSINESSES CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN COUNTRY DAY.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO FIND A WAY TO CORRECT THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO INCLUDE SANA AND, AND ASHTON EMBER WITHOUT LIKE, OPENING THE WHOLE THING UP TO ALCOHOL CELLS.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTAIN IT WITHIN, LIKE, THE AREA AROUND THE BARN OR SOMETHING, MAYBE, UM, WHERE WE CAN KEEP IT VERY SIMPLE AND VERY CONTROLLED, BUT, UH, ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE.
AND I WOULD JUST, I, I KNOW THAT, THAT WE PARTICIPATE WITH THE COUNTRY DAY COMMITTEE, UM, BUT IT'S LARGELY CITIZEN LED.
BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES BE ABLE TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN THAT EVENT AND NOT BE EXCLUDED.
WE'LL, UH, UH, DISCUSS THAT WITH THE STAFF AND COMMUNICATE IT ACCORDINGLY.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE, UH, UH, ORIENTATION TO THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
UH, TWO BRIEFING ITEMS TONIGHT.
BOTH OF THEM ARE, UH, SIGNIFICANT COUNSEL PRIORITIES THAT SET IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
FIRST ONE IS A BRIEFING ON, UH, THE SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PILOT PROGRAM WITH STAR TRANSIT.
THEY'RE HERE TONIGHT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, GEARING UP FOR THE INITIATION OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, UH, TO SENIORS AND OTHER FOLKS WITHIN OUR CITY.
THINGS HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
COUNCIL PRIORITIZED IT, UH, AND IT'S BECOME A MAJOR PILLAR IN THE COUNCILORS OF THE COUNCIL'S SENIOR LIVABILITY INITIATIVE STARTED THREE YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, THE, THE ABILITY TO DELIVER THIS PROGRAM IN THIS SUMMER IS A VERY EXCITING MILESTONE, REALLY, FOR ALL OF US.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
SECOND ITEM IS JUST A BRIEFING NOTE TO, UH, REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT WE DO HAVE A MAJOR BRANDING INITIATIVE THAT CONTRACTS ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
AND THAT IS ALSO TO FULFILL SOME COUNCIL PRIORITIZATION AROUND EXPANDING UPON THE, UH, CITY'S BRAND AND OUR ABILITY TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
SO WE HAVE BRIEFINGS ON BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS, UH, TO THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS, UM, AND THEN ALSO A SERIES OF, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS RELATED
[00:15:01]
TO CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS AND THE CREATION OF A, UM, AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING CODE REQUIRING CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF USES IN INDUSTRIAL.UH, THE COUNCIL ASKED THE STAFF TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH SOME OF THE, UH, FOLKS BUILDING THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES IN THE CITY.
NOW, UH, TOM JOHNSON, LASHONDA STRING FELLOW, OUR PLANNING, OUR, OUR TRANSPORTATION TEAMS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THEIR CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED AND THE CITY'S OBJECTIVES WERE ALSO MET.
SO TONIGHT WE HAVE A SERIES OF EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE ITEMS. THE FIRST ONE IS TO TAKE UP, TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, FINISH THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE, WHICH CREATES THOSE CHANGES AND REQUIRES THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS.
AND THEN THERE ARE A SERIES OF CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS ALONG WITH THE AGREED TO TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
UM, ALSO FOR EACH OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THESE ITEMS WENT TO THE PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION, UH, LAST WEEK, AND ALL WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
UM, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT, I THINK WE'VE GOT LIKE TWO ITEMS, LIKE MINUTES, AND THEN THE, UH, THE BRANDING, UH, PROGRAM.
YOU HAVE ONE ITEM TONIGHT ON YOUR REGULAR AGENDA, AND THAT'S TO OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT WITH SAR TRANSIT, UH, FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM.
THEN YOU HAVE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSIONS TO CONSIDER THE CITY MANAGER REVIEW.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT? NO.
ANY, UH, ITEMS ON CONSENT COUNSEL? ALL RIGHT, MISS, SEE THE MATCH.
[3. Briefing on senior transportation pilot program with STAR Transit.]
ITEM ON THE, UH, BRIEFING, UH, AGENDA IS BRIEFING ON SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PILOT PROGRAM WITH STAR TRANSIT.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR MASON AND EVENING CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AS MR. PORTER MENTIONED TONIGHT, THERE'S AN ITEM ON YOUR REGULAR AGENDA TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH A TRANSPORTATION PILOT PROGRAM FOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, WE'LL START OUT, AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH THE CITY'S VISION, UM, AS A PREMIER CITY THAT RETAINS ITS DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER WHERE FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES FLOURISH IN A SAFE AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO MUCH OF FAMILIES FLOURISHING IS ABOUT TAKING CARE OF FOLKS OF ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES IN OUR FAMILIES.
AND THAT IS WHAT THIS ITEM IS FOR TONIGHT.
UM, AND THEN OUR EIGHT PREMIER STATEMENTS THAT MAKE UP, UM, OUR PREMIER CITY.
SO FIRST, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE PROGRAM.
YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT, UH, IN 2020, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, UH, WE STARTED A SENIOR LIVABILITY STUDY AND THE MAYOR APPOINTED A CITIZEN FOCUS GROUP TO HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THAT.
AND THEY LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF SENIOR LIVABILITY, AND THEY MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL.
WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING THOSE SINCE THEY MADE THAT REPORT IN 2020.
UM, THESE ARE SOME THAT EITHER ARE COMPLETED OR WE'RE STILL WORKING ON HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SOCIAL PROGRAMMING.
UM, PARTNERING MORE WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE OUR SENIORS, BECOMING A ONE-STOP RESOURCE HUB, SO THAT IF A SENIOR IS LOOKING FOR OUR RESOURCE, UM, IN CEDAR HILL, THEY CAN COME TO THE CITY AND WE CAN DIRECT THEM.
UM, YOU ALL KNOW WE HAVE A PROGRAM, AN OUTREACH PROGRAM DIRECTLY TO THOSE SENIORS WHERE WE CALL THEM AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO USE MORE INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE.
SO WE KNOW THAT ANYBODY OVER 55 IS WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS. AND THEN WE HAVE TWO PRETTY BIG ITEMS ON THE LIST THAT WE'RE, UM, STILL IN PROGRESS ON.
AND TONIGHT WE'LL TAKE A BIG STEP FORWARD WITH ONE OF THOSE TONIGHT, WHICH IS TRANSPORTATION.
WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE SENIOR LIVABILITY STUDY, UH, WE DID A SURVEY OF OUR SENIORS IN CEDAR HILL, AND 87% OF THOSE RESPONDENTS RATED TRANSPORTATION AS A TOP PRIORITY.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY REALIZE THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CEDAR HILL, BUT THEY DON'T MEAN A LOT IF YOU CAN'T GET TO THEM.
AND A LOT OF OUR SENIORS RELY ON OTHERS FOR TRANSPORTATIONS OR ARE STUCK AT HOME AND CAN'T ACCESS THOSE FACILITIES.
AND THEN IN 2021, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS DID A TRANSIT STUDY, AND THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED, UM, TRANSPORTATION SERVICE IN CEDAR HILL ON A MICROT TRANSITS OR DEMAND RESPONSE BASIS.
NOT A FIXED ROUTE, BUT YOU A SERVICE THAT YOU CAN CALL UP AND REQUEST A RIDE.
SO AFTER THOSE TWO STUDIES, WE STARTED LOOKING AT OPTIONS FOR A PROGRAM.
AND THESE ARE OUR GOALS FOR THE PROGRAM.
WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN CEDAR HILL TO THOSE LIFELINE SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, UM, AND VISIT WITH THE FOLKS THAT THEY NEED TO.
WE NEEDED THE, THE, UM, VEHICLES TO BE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE A POPULATION THAT MIGHT HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES.
AND WE WANTED THAT ON DEMAND SERVICE, UM, SO THAT FOLKS DIDN'T HAVE TO GO WAIT AT A BUS STOP.
IT'S A, IT'S A DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE THAT THEY CAN CALL UP WHEN THEY NEED IT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS DO IN CEDAR HILL, WHICH IS TRY TO LEVERAGE FUNDING WITH OUR PARTNERS.
[00:20:01]
PROPOSED PILOT PROGRAM.UM, WE ARE PROPOSING, AND THERE'S AN ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT TO PARTNER WITH STAR TRANSIT TO PROVIDE THAT ON, ON DEMAND SERVICE, SAME DAY THROUGH STAR NOW, AND AN ADVANCED SCHEDULE SERVICE TO OTHER DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE OF CEDAR HILL.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS DEDICATED BUSING, UM, SERVICING CEDAR HILL.
IT WOULD BE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM SIX TO SIX.
AND THAT CAN BE SCHEDULED THROUGH A MOBILE APP OR A CALL CENTER.
IT HAS A REDUCED FAR FOR SENIORS, VETERANS, AND DISABLED PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEIR BUSES ARE ALL ADA ACCESSIBLE.
THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED, UM, PARTIALLY THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDING ON AN 80 20 BASIS.
AND SO THE WAY THAT WORKS IS THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS DIRECTLY WITH STAR TRANSIT FOR THAT FEDERAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.
SO STAR TRANSIT HANDLES ALL OF THE, UM, PAPERWORK AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND THEN THE CITY WOULD HAVE AN ANNUAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH STAR TRANSIT FOR OUR, UM, OPERATIONAL COST, WHICH WOULD BE AROUND $60,000 PER YEAR.
AND THE TOTAL PROGRAM VALUE AROUND $300,000 PER YEAR.
THIS IS A TWO YEAR PROGRAM WITH THE 80 20 FUNDING.
AND IF WE, UM, DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER THE TWO YEARS, WE STILL HAVE THAT OPTION, JUST A REDUCED FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION.
AND WE DO HAVE, UM, OUR PARTNERS WITH STAR TRANSIT HERE THIS EVENING, KIM BRITTON AND TOMMY HENDRICKS.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO KIM TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM SPECIFICS.
WHAT ABOUT, JUST PUSHED THE GREEN BUTTON.
UM, I GOT TO THE PLEASURE, THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH YOU GUYS BEFORE, BUT I THINK WE'RE FURTHER ALONG AND HAVE A LAUNCH DATE, AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
SO, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
UM, WE ARE CONSIDERED A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE PROVIDE OVER 155,000 RIDES A YEAR WITH ABOUT A STAFF OF A HUNDRED WITH 55 VEHICLES.
AND WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN KAUFMAN COUNTY FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
AND YOU CAN SEE OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
WE ARE, UM, HOW OUR, OUR HOME BASE IS IN KAUFMAN COUNTY.
AND THERE WE ARE CONSIDERED THE DESIGNATED RURAL TRANSIT DIS TRANSIT DISTRICT.
WE ARE THE FOURTH LARGEST TRANSIT AGENCY IN THIS AREA WITH NO DEDICATED SALES TAX.
SO WE DON'T GO TO OUR PARTNERS AND ASK THEM TO CONTRIBUTE A, A PORTION OF YOUR SALES TAX.
UM, WE DO THIS THROUGH OUR FUNDING WITH, WITH COG, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE AWARDS THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF, UM, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
OUR SERVICE AREA, AND THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE OPERATE IN OLIVE OF KAUFMAN COUNTY, ROCKWALL COUNTY, SEVILLE, BOX SPRINGS, MESQUITE, HUTCHINS, DESOTO.
AND THEN WE WILL HOPEFULLY AFTER TONIGHT, WE'LL BE ADDING YOU GUYS THIS YEAR.
UM, AND ALSO WE ARE IN THE WORKS WITH WORKING WITH DUNCANVILLE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO, TO LAUNCH THEM LATER THIS SUMMER.
WE DO PROVIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN THAT TOP LIST.
WE HAVE SOME BUSES THAT OPERATE IN LSA, NERO COUNTY, BUT IT'S GRANT FUNDED.
WE ARE NOT THE DESIGNATED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER IN THOSE AREAS.
OUR VEHICLES, AS ALLISON SAID, ARE ALL ADA COMPLIANT.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT VEHICLE WE PUT ON THE ROAD, IF SOMEONE HAPPENS TO CALL AND RESERVE A TRIP AND THEY FAIL TO TELL US THAT THEY UTILIZE A MOBILITY DEVICE, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
CUZ ALL OF OUR VEHICLES CAN ACCOMMODATE MOST MOBIL MOBILITY DEVICES.
WE, UM, WILL BE GETTING NEW VEHICLES FOR THIS AREA.
SO THEY'LL BE BRAND NEW VEHICLES THAT'LL BE OPERATING IN, IN CEDAR HILL.
UM, YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE ONE OF THE TOP VEHICLES, THE, UM, THE ONE ON THE LEFT.
UM, YOU'LL SEE ONE OF THOSE AND THEN YOU'LL SEE ONE OF THE, THE VANS, UM, OPERATING AS WELL.
SO THE TYPES OF SERVICES THAT WE PLAN ON LAUNCHING HERE, ONE IS THE DEMAND RESPONSE.
THIS IS WHAT WE CONSIDER OUR PRE-BOOKING SERVICE.
THIS IS WHERE THEY CALL OUR EIGHT SEVENTY SEVEN NUMBER IS A TOLL FREE.
THEY TALK TO A SCHEDULING AGENT, THEY BOOK THEIR TRIPS.
THEY CAN BOOK ONE BUSINESS DAY UP TO TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
THIS IS TYPICALLY USED FOR, UM, MEDICAL TRIPS, IS WHAT WE SEE.
UM, ALSO WE SEE, UH, LIKE DIALYSIS OR IF IT'S THE SENIOR CENTERS WILL SEE THEM PRE-BOOK THEIR TRIPS.
OUR STAFF IS AVAILABLE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT TO FOUR.
UH, AND THEN, UH, OUR VEHICLES WILL OPERATE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY IS SIX TO SIX.
WE DO OPERATE IN MESQUITE UNTIL 8:00 PM BUT THAT'S THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS AVAILABLE, UM, ONCE WE GET LAUNCHED, ONCE THE PILOT'S OVER.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO CONSIDER, THEN WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
THE DEMAND RESPONSE IS FOR ANYONE LIVING, WORKING, UH, IN, IN OUR SERVICE AREA.
SO THAT'S, UM, ANYONE THAT'S, UH, WOULD, WOULD LIVE OR WORK IN CEDAR HILL WOULD, WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
YOU CAN RIDE AS LONG AS YOU'RE 13, YOU COULD RIDE BY YOURSELF.
YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IS SOMEONE IN CEDAR HILL COULD GO TO DESOTO OR VICE VERSA BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, UM, CITIZENS ACTUALLY THAT
[00:25:01]
ARE ALREADY COMING INTO CEDAR HILL FOR MEDICAL.CUZ WE DO LEAVE THE SERVICE AREA FOR MEDICAL.
SO IF SOMEONE LIVES IN CEDAR HILL BUT NEEDS TO GET TO THE VA OR NEEDS TO GET TO PARK PARKLAND, WE CAN DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S CONSIDERED A MEDICAL TRIP.
IF THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED SOMEONE, UM, WAS INTO SOTO AND WANTED AND WORKS IN CEDAR HILL, THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE CONSIDERED OUR SERVICE AREA OR WILL BE, UM, OUR FAIRS FOR THIS SERVICE ARE BASED ON DISTANCE.
AND SO THE, THE MOST SOMEONE WOULD PAY WOULD BE $12 EACH WAY, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE FOR A TRIP TRIP 25 MILES PLUS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT HALF FAR, THAT DISCOUNTED FAIR FOR 60 PLUS VETERANS IN DISABLED, THE MOST THAT SOMEONE WOULD PAY THAT FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY WOULD BE $6 EACH WAY.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S FOR A TRIP THAT'S GONNA BE 25 MILES PLUS.
SO YOU'RE TALKING TRIPS THAT ARE GONNA BE FURTHER ENDED, ALICE FOR MEDICAL, AND THEN CHILDREN DO RIDE, UM, FREE ON THIS SERVICE WITH A PAID FAIR.
SO AS LONG AS THEY HAVE AN ADULT WITH THEM, THEN THEY WOULD RIDE THAT SERVICE FOR FREE.
UM, DURING COVID, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVED THAT CHANGE BECAUSE WE SAW SEVERAL FAMILIES THAT WERE TRAVELING WITH US WITH MULTIPLE KIDS, AND IT STARTED TO GET, UM, EXPENSIVE.
AND SO OUR BOARD MADE THAT CHANGE.
SO WE'RE, SO WHERE CAN YOU GO? LIKE I SAID, ANYWHERE WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA, THIS IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
SO THEY, AS YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE IN, UM, CEDAR HILL, THEN GO ANYWHERE THEY WANT TO.
THEY NEED TO GO, WANNA 'EM, GO PLAY CARDS WITH FRIENDS.
THEY CAN, THE SENIOR CENTER, DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, SHOPPING CENTERS, WHATEVER THEY NEED.
UM, THIS IS WOULD BE WHAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE.
AND AGAIN, THIS SERVICE WOULD THEN GO OUTSIDE OF THE SERVICE AREA FOR, FOR MEDICAL.
THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF AFFAIRS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO IT JUST GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, OF AN IDEA OF HOW THAT, HOW THAT, HOW THAT WORKS OUT.
CLIENT ADVOCATE PROGRAM, WHICH IS SOMETHING I'M REALLY PROUD OF.
THIS IS A, A PROGRAM THAT IS, UM, REALLY, WE DON'T SEE THIS WITH OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES.
THIS IS, UM, REALLY JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR YEARS, UM, IS WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE.
THEY ARE PAID STAFF WHO ARE TRAINED TO TRAVEL WITH OUR RIDER THAT ARE UNABLE TO, TO TRAVEL ALONE AND SPECIFICALLY TO GO TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS OR TO GO ON SHOPPING TRIPS.
IF SOMEONE IS VISUALLY IMPAIRED, THEN THEY CAN SAY TO OUR, WHEN THEY'RE MAKING THEIR RESERVATION, THEY CAN TELL OUR RESERVATION AS, HEY, I NEED SOMEONE TO GO WITH ME.
WE'LL HAVE PAID STAFF THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO WHAT TYPICALLY WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS HIRE PEOPLE WITHIN.
WE WOULD HIRE SOMEONE WITHIN CEDAR HILL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD GO PICK THEM UP FIRST AND THEN GO PICK UP THE CLIENT.
SO THEN THAT WAY THEY'RE ALREADY ON THE VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM FROM THEIR DOOR TO, UM, THE BUS.
THIS IS NO ADDITIONAL COST TO OUR PARTNERS AND IT'S NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE RIDER.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR BUS ROUTES.
THIS IS JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA.
WE DO HAVE TWO BUS ROUTES THAT ARE OPERATING.
ONE IN HUTCHINS AND ONE IN BOX SPRINGS.
BOTH OF THESE ROUTES, ONE CONNECTS TO, UH, THE HUTCHINS ROUTE, CONNECTS TO THE U N T STATION, AND THEN OUR BOX SPRINGS ROUTE CONNECTS TO THE LONGVIEW STATION, SAME DAY SERVICE.
UH, THIS IS ANOTHER, UH, OPTION THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO YOU, TO YOU ALL.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE CONSIDER SAME DAY.
SO THAT IS, UH, RESTRICTED TO A ZONE.
AND THAT ZONE IS THE CITY LIMITS OF CEDAR HILL.
YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND YOU REALIZE YOU'VE GOT A FLAT TIRE AND YOU NEED TO GET, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO GET TO WORK.
THIS IS A SERVICE THAT YOU WOULD CALL, OR YOU WOULD USE THE APP TO GET ON BOOK.
THE GOAL IS TO HAVE YOU BOOK THE TRIP AND US BE AVAILABLE WITHIN 15 OR 20 MINUTES.
THIS SERVICE, EXCUSE ME, THIS SERVICE AGAIN, WOULD BE AVAILABLE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, SIX TO SIX.
AND THEN WE DO OPERATE THIS SERVICE IN MESQUITE AND BOX SPRINGS ON SATURDAYS.
THE FAIR STRUCTURE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS, UM, IN A ZONE.
SO FIF 13 TO 59, IT WOULD BE $2 EACH WAY.
AND THEN THAT DISCOUNTED CATEGORY WOULD BE A DOLLAR EACH WAY.
SO IF YOU GOT UP AND YOU KNEW WANTED, DECIDED YOU WANTED, MAYBE YOU DIDN'T SCHEDULE A TRIP TO THE SENIOR CENTER, BUT YOU DECIDED YOU WANT TO, YOU COULD EITHER CALL US IF YOU DON'T USE YOUR, IF YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH USING THE MOBILE APP THEN, OR YOU COULD GET ON THE APP, BOOK THE TRIP, AND THEN WE WOULD COME PICK YOU UP IF YOU, UH, FOLLOW UP WITHIN THAT DISCOUNTED CATEGORY, IT'D BE A DOLLAR EACH WAY.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT DIFFERS WITH YOUR TNCS, WHICH ARE LIKE YOUR UBERS AND YOUR LYFT.
IF SOMEONE ELSE HAS BOOKED A TRIP AND THEY'RE GOING IN MAYBE NOT AT THE SAME LOCATION, BUT THEY'RE GOING IN THAT GENERAL DIRECTION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AND PICK SOMEBODY ELSE UP.
SO THERE WOULD POTENTIALLY BE MORE PEOPLE ON THAT VEHICLE.
WE ARE, IT IS OPERATED BY A STAR TRANSIT, UM, DRIVER WITH A SMALLER VEHICLE.
AND AGAIN, THAT 13 AND ABOVE, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE 13 AND ABOVE TO RIDE BY YOURSELF.
SO THE BENEFITS OF HAVING AN APP, IT'S WRITER CONTROL.
YOU CAN GET ON AND BOOK YOUR OWN TRIP.
IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, YOU CAN GO ON AND CANCEL YOUR TRIP.
THERE ARE NOTIFICATIONS THAT COME WITH THIS.
UH, WE ARE, UH, OUR DEMAND RESPONSE ALSO HAS NOTIFICATIONS.
SO, UH, WITH THE DEMAND RESPONSE, THEY'RE GONNA GET A CALL OR A TEXT THE NIGHT BEFORE REMINDING THEM THAT THEY HAVE A TRIP THE NEXT DAY.
[00:30:01]
AND THEN FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE VAN IS SCHEDULED TO BE THERE, THE BUS IS SCHEDULED TO BE THERE.THEY WOULD GET A PHONE CALL OR A TEXT SAYING YOUR VEHICLE'S ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO THE SAME THING WITH STAR NOW, EXCEPT IT'S SAME DAY.
SO THEN YOU WOULD GET A TEXT MESSAGE THAT WOULD SAY, HEY, YOUR VEHICLE'S CLOSER FIVE MINUTES OUT.
AND IT WOULD SEND THOSE REMINDERS TO YOU, WHICH WE FOUND IS, IS VERY BENEFICIAL BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE PRE-BOOKING A TRIP AND YOU BOOKED IT TWO WEEKS AGO, WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU REMEMBER THAT YOU BOOKED IT? SO AT LEAST THEY WOULD GET THAT REMINDER AND THEN THEY COULD CANCEL IF THEY NEEDED TO.
YOU CAN ALSO ADD PAYMENT ON THE APP SO YOU CAN HAVE A CREDIT CARD ON FILE.
SO THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PAYING CASH, UH, FOR THOSE TRIPS.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO GET ON TWO THINGS.
AND WHEN I SAY REVIEW PAST TRIPS, NUMBER ONE, YOU CAN REVIEW YOUR TRIP.
YOU CAN SAY, YEAH, OUR DRIVER WAS GOOD, OR YOU HAD AN INCIDENT, OR SOMETHING HAPPENED.
WHICH RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT ABOUT A 99% APPROVAL RATE WITH OUR, WITH THAT SERVICE.
OR YOU CAN REVIEW PAST TRIPS, MEANING YOU CAN LOOK ON AND SEE WHERE YOU'VE GONE BEFORE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT HAS TWO DIFFERENT MEANINGS.
WE DO HAVE REGIONAL CONNECTIONS.
SO THIS IS JUST A LIST OF ALL OF THE DART STATIONS, UH, AND THE PARK AND RIDES THAT WE, UH, CONNECT TO.
SO CEDAR HILL WOULD HAVE THAT CONNECTION TO U N T.
SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE SOMEONE TO U N T.
WE, UH, RIGHT NOW WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR STAR NOW SERVICE.
SO IF SOMEONE USES THAT LOCATION TO COMMUTE, THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS SERVICE TO DO SO.
AND THEN ALSO REGIONAL CONNECTIONS.
WE ALSO OPERATE, UM, THERE IS THE INLAND PORT, UH, AREA WHERE WE ACTUALLY OPERATE FOR DART BECAUSE DART HAS ITS MEMBER CITIES AND THEY DON'T OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THOSE MEMBER CITIES, BUT THEY'VE CONTRACTED WITH US.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY OPERATE SERVICE IN THE INLAND PORT.
THEY CALL IT THE DALLAS COUNTY INLAND PORT TMA.
AND WE OPERATE THAT SERVICE FOR THEM.
AND SO BASICALLY IT'S THE SAME THING.
WE ARE ABLE TO OPERATE, THEY HAVE AN APP AVAILABLE, THEY USE THE GO PASS APP, IT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT'S DART FARES, IT'S A DART SERVICE.
AND SO, BUT WE, OUR VEHICLE AND OUR DRIVER ACTUALLY OPERATES THAT.
SO JUST KIND OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL, UH, THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE, WE CHARGE, UM, BY THE HOUR.
SO DEPENDENT ON, UM, HOW MANY HOURS OF SERVICE YOU CONTRACT WITH US.
AND IT'S BASED OFF OF, OF 250 DAYS A YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS WILL, WILL TALK ABOUT THIS EVENING.
UH, TYPICALLY IT'S A 60 40 SPLIT.
WE'RE ABLE TO GO GET 60% OF THE FUNDS FROM THE FED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN THE, THE CITIES WHERE WE OPERATE PROVIDE THAT 40%.
BUT BECAUSE OF THIS PILOT, YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE 80 20 SPLIT FOR THOSE FIRST TWO YEARS.
AND THEN WE DO 12 MONTH, UH, RENEWABLE AGREEMENTS.
SO EACH YEAR THAT'S A ROLLING AGREEMENT.
SO AS LONG AS WE JUST CONTINUE THE SERVICE AND THOSE JUST ROLL OVER EVERY YEAR.
ALSO, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN MAY, JUNE, THEY DETERMINE THAT COST OF SERVICE EVERY YEAR.
AND SO THEN THAT'S WHEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE CITIES IF THERE IS, UM, A DECREASE INCREASE OR IF IT'S GONNA STAY THE SAME.
SO AS FAR AS THE PROPOSED SERVICE PLAN, WE'VE KIND OF GONE OVER A LITTLE BIT.
WE'RE GONNA DO THE DEMAND RESPONSE IN THE STAR NOW, WHICH IS THE PRE-BOOKING SERVICE AND THEN ALSO THE STAR NOW SERVICE.
THAT JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF KIND OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I WOULD THIS, WE PUT THIS TOGETHER A LITTLE WHILE AGO, SO I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THIS, SOME OF THIS DATA HAS CHANGED, BUT YOU CAN SEE ON HERE, UM, RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AND ONCE WE PUT YOU GUYS IN THE SYSTEM WITH THE WAY WE'VE GOT IT SET UP, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A 16 MINUTE AVERAGE TIME WA WAIT TIME.
AND THAT'S REALLY GOOD AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE MONITORING THROUGHOUT THIS PILOT IS WE'LL BE LOOKING AT MEDIAN WAIT TIME ON STAR NOW BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA TELL US, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICE.
AND WE'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN IN SOME OF OUR, UM, SERVICE AREAS WHERE WE MONITOR THE DENIALS, UM, ON THE DEMAND RESPONSE.
WE MONITOR THE, THE WAIT TIMES ON STAR NOW, AND WE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL GET EVERY MONTH.
YOU WILL GET RIDERSHIP REPORTS EVERY SINGLE MONTH FROM US.
AND SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN SEE KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH RIDERSHIP AND DENIALS SO THAT WE CAN START, IF WE NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL SERVICE, THEN WE CAN DO THAT.
SO HOW IT WORKS, DEMAND RESPONSE, WE TALKED ABOUT, THEY CALL BOOK THE TRIP AND THEN WE SEND A VEHICLE, UH, WE, THIS IS THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PROPOSING IT WOULD BE THE STAR NOW SERVICE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, SIX TO SIX.
AND THEN THE DOMAIN RESPONSE SERVICE WOULD BE THE SAME MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, SIX TO SIX.
I WILL THROW IN JUST A LITTLE OF A BIT OF A CAVEAT.
WE SAY 6:00 AM BUT IF WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT HAS DIALYSIS AT FIVE 30, WE TYPICALLY WILL HAVE SOME VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE, WE, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME PARAMETERS AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE SIX TO SIX.
AND THEN FOR THE SAME DAY SERVICE, THEY CAN ACTUALLY START BOOKING 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO SIX.
SO WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE THAT CAN TAKE SAME DAY TRIP REQUEST STARTING AT FIVE 30 IN THE MORNING, BUT WE DO ADVERTISE AT SIX TO SIX.
SO IT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 20 HOURS A DAY OF SERVICE WITHIN THAT SIX TO SIX TIMEFRAME.
[00:35:01]
SO NEXT STEPS, AND THIS IS WHAT, UM, WAS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.WE'RE HERE TONIGHT, SO HOPEFULLY THIS GETS APPROVED IN YOUR, UM, IN YOUR MEETING.
AND THEN WE'LL PLAN ON, WE ALREADY HAVE ON THE SCHEDULE, WE'RE THINKING AHEAD, UM, MAY 10TH, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC MEETING AS WELL AS MAY 12TH.
ALONG WITH THESE TWO MEETINGS, WE'LL HAVE STAFF THAT WILL BE VISITING THE SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES IN THIS AREA.
I BELIEVE THERE'S MAYBE SOME VETERANS GROUPS IN THIS AREA THAT WILL, DURING THAT PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PERIOD, WHICH IS TWO WEEKS AFTER THOSE TWO MEETINGS, WE'RE GONNA BE IN, IN CEDAR HILL TALKING TO THESE GROUPS, GETTING THEIR OPINION.
WE'RE GONNA TELL 'EM WHAT THE SERVICE IS AND WHAT WE'RE PLANNING.
BUT LIKE WITH STAR NOW, ARE THERE ANY AREAS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WHEN WE WENT INTO DESOTO, WE WENT TO SOME OF THE SIT THE, WE WERE AT THE SENIOR CENTER AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY SAID IS THEY LIKE TO GO TO, THERE WAS A MOVIE THEATER THAT WAS LITERALLY JUST RIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FROM, IT WAS JUST OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS.
SO WE ADDED THAT TO THE ZONE SO THAT THEY COULD USE THAT FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA FIND OUT.
ARE THERE, ARE THERE MEDICAL FACILITIES THAT ARE, UM, JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY THAT WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE ACCOMMODATE.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL BE ASKING WHEN WE HAVE THOSE MEETINGS AND WHEN WE START VISITING SOME OF THOSE SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES.
PLUS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START REGISTERING PEOPLE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET 'EM IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO THEN THAT WAY WHEN THEY CALL IN, THEY'LL ALREADY BE READY TO READY TO ROCK AND ROLL WHEN WE LAUNCH JUNE 1ST.
AND THIS IS JUST SOME INFORMATION ABOUT, WE DO HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE AND A, UM, AND A UH, INSTAGRAM AND THEN ALSO OUR WEBSITE.
A COUPLE OF THINGS I DID WANNA MENTION, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT VOTING TODAY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO OFFER IS FREE TR FREE TRAVEL TO VOTING.
SO, UM, WE, WHILE WE WON'T BE AVAILABLE FOR THE MAY, WE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR NOVEMBER.
SO THERE WOULD BE, IF THEY CALL IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE, THEN THEY WOULD NOT BE CHARGED FOR THOSE TRIPS.
AND THEN ALSO ON OUR APP, YOU GUYS TALKED A LOT ABOUT SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
WE CAN PUT NOTIFICATIONS IN OUR STAR NOW APP.
SO WHEN THEY OPEN THE APP AND THEY GO TO BOOK A TRIP, THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE NOTIFICATION AT THE TOP THAT WOULD SAY, HEY, THERE'S AN EVENT GOING ON.
AND THEN, THEN WE GIVE THEM SOME INFORMATION.
WE USED IT RECENTLY IN BOX SPRINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THEY WANTED TO SEND OUT THE LINK TO THE SURVEY.
SO WE USED THAT IN BOX SPRINGS.
WE WERE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, ONLY SHOW THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN BOX SPRINGS.
AND SO WHEN THEY CLICKED ON THE APP THAT POPPED UP AND THEY COULD GO TO THE LINK TO DO THE SURVEY.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE THAT AVAILABLE.
SHOULD THERE BE SOME, SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT GOT SOME, UH, PUBLICITY WE CAN, WE HAVE SOME, SOME WAYS OF DOING THAT.
SO ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I DON'T WANNA TALK FAST
WE COULD BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MCCURDY.
YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU SAID YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE SEVEN DAY TRIPS.
IS THERE A LIMITATION TO THE NUMBER OF SEVEN DAY TRIPS? IT THERE WOULD BE JUST BASED ON WHERE THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOING.
SO THE SYSTEM WILL, UH, GET AS MANY IN THERE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT THAT NUMBER IS CUZ IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW FAR THOSE TRIPS ARE BEING TAKEN.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO ALLOCATE 'EM ACCORDING TO TIME AND DISTANCE, NOT NUMBER OF TRIPS? CORRECT.
AND THEN IF, IF SOMEBODY NEEDS HELP EVEN GETTING OUT OF THEIR HOUSE, SO THEY NEED HELP ACTUALLY GETTING TO THE, TO THE BUS OR THE VAN, UM, WILL YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO HELP THEM? SO THAT'S WHAT OUR CLIENT ADVOCATES ARE FOR.
SO OUR UM, SERVICE IS CURB TO CURB, BUT IF THEY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD ASSIGN THOSE CLIENT ADVOCATES THAT WOULD THEN GO TO THE DOOR THAT CANNOT GO IN THE HOUSE.
WE DO NOT ALLOW OUR EMPLOYEES TO GO IN THE HOUSE AT ALL.
THEY HAVE TO GET THEMSELVES TO THE, TO THE DOOR.
AND THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP THEM OUT IF LET'S JUST SAY SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE REALIZE WE SHOW UP AND THEY HAVEN'T PLANNED ON THAT OUR DRIVER'S NOTE OF RADIO IN AND THEN WE WOULD ALLOW THEM TO GO AND, AND HELP THEM TO THE VEHICLE.
BUT WE TRY TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS WHEN WE START MAKING RESERVATIONS SO WE CAN MAKE THOSE PLANS AHEAD OF TIME.
UH, CAUSE I'M HAYDEN, THANK YOU MAYOR.
I THINK, UH, THE CITIZENS ARE GONNA BE REALLY EXCITED.
UH, THIS THING PASSES TONIGHT AND I'M SURE IT WILL
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ON DEMAND AND SCHEDULED, UM, HOW MANY BUSES ARE YOU GONNA OPERATE IN THIS ZONE? SO WITH THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE, THERE WOULD BE TWO OPERATING AT A TIME.
SO YOU'D HAVE ONE DEMAND RESPONSE AND WE WOULD BREAK THAT UP INTO TWO SHIFTS.
SO YOU'D HAVE TWO VEHICLES, BUT IT WOULD BE, THEY WOULDN'T, THEY'D ONLY OVERLAP KIND OF IN THAT LUNCH PERIOD AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR STAR NOW VEHICLE.
AND SO, AND SO WHEN I WAS SEEING THE ZONE MM-HMM.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE A PART OF OUR SYSTEM, WE HAVE VEHICLES THAT ARE CONSIDERED DALLAS VEHICLES.
IF THEY ARE, IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN THIS AREA AND PICKING UP SOMEBODY, THEN THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE YEAH.
WHAT THE, WHAT WE'RE OUT THE 20 HOURS.
SO IT'S A BENEFIT OF BEING A PART OF OUR SERVICE AS YOU GET ACCESS TO THOSE, TO
[00:40:01]
THAT AS WELL.COUNT, UH, MAYOR PAUL, TIM SIMMONS.
UH, CAN YOU GO BACK, I THINK A COUPLE OF SLIDES, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HOURS.
SO MONDAY, FRIDAY SAYS SIX TO SIX, THAT'S 12 HOURS.
AND THEN THE DEMAND SERVICE IS SIX TO SIX.
SO THERE'LL BE A BREAK, LIKE THERE WOULD BE BREAKS IN THERE.
SO IT'S A TOTAL OF 20 HOURS WITHIN THAT THAT, SO THERE WILL BE LIKE LUNCH, THERE IS A PERIOD OF TIME MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHY THEY O THEY'LL OVERLAP.
THERE'LL BE CONTINUOUS SERVICE FROM SIX.
SO PEOPLE WOULD BE AWARE OF WHEN YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SCHEDULE SOMETHING DURING THOSE BREAK PERIODS.
THE, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE TO HAVE IT CONTINUOUS WHERE THERE WOULDN'T, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A BREAK IN SERVICE.
SO WE WOULD HAVE VEHICLES AVAILABLE DURING THAT ENTIRE TIME.
I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO IS THIS ONE QUICK QUESTION.
THE OPERATION HOURS ARE, ARE FROM SIX TO SIX, BUT THE OFFICE HOURS END AT FOUR.
SO THE, UM, SO WE, WE, WE PUT THOSE PARAMETERS IN PLACE BECAUSE WE NEED TO, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, UM, STAFF AVAILABLE ANSWERING PHONES UNTIL SEVEN 30.
SO WE DO HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S IN THE OFFICE THAT'S ABLE TO, BECAUSE OF THE, THE GOAL IS REALLY FOR STAR NOW FOR THEM TO USE THE APP TO BE VERY SELF-SUFFICIENT.
SOME LOCATIONS IT'S ABOUT A 60 40 SPLIT.
WE STILL HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CALL IN.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, CUZ THEY CAN BOOK 60 MINUTES OR 30 MINUTES BEFORE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THEM THERE.
PLUS WE HAVE SERVICE IN MESQUITE UNTIL EIGHT O'CLOCK.
SO WE HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE OFFICE.
AND SHE SAID, NOT YET, JUST HOLD ON.
YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT BECAUSE THIS GUY REALLY NEEDED THIS SERVICE.
UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DO, UH, UH, THE BLOOD WORK AND THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE DRIVING MM-HMM.
SO ARE PARKING, HOW MUCH THESE PARKING COSTS FOR THEM? YES.
WELL, I DO KNOW WE ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE, THEY MOVED FROM ONE OF OUR SERVICE AREAS INTO CEDAR HILL.
AND SO THEY WERE ASKING, CAN'T I JUST BE GRANDFATHERED IN? CAN'T YOU GO AHEAD AND COME AND GET ME? AND WE'RE LIKE, SOON, BUT NO.
SO THE, WE KNOW WE HAVE ONE, SO.
SO THIS COMPANY REALLY BE GREAT.
SO APPRECIATE YOU ALL AND WE'LL DO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO EDUCATE, UM, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO, BEFORE WE LAUNCH, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET PEOPLE REGISTERED, WE CAN GET THEM INFORMATION.
UM, OUR CALL CENTER IS FABULOUS IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN GET THAT INFORMATION, UM, OR IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.
PRO SIMS. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET TO, MAYBE THIS IS FOR ALISON MOORE.
WHAT IS THE COMMUNICATION PLAN TO GET THIS OUT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY? I MEAN, THIS IS EXCITING, BUT I'M JUST, I WANT TO KNOW HOW, I MEAN, I WANT US TO BE REALLY AGGRESSIVE IN SHARING THIS INFORMATION.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH KIM.
THEY'RE GETTING MATERIALS READY.
SO STARTING TOMORROW, IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS TONIGHT, WE'LL START PUBLICIZING, UM, THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THAT'S WHERE THEY FOLKS CAN GET THE INFORMATION AND GET SIGNED UP.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO REALLY BLESSED, BLESSED BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE A NETWORK OF COMMUNICATION WITH OUR SENIORS.
SO WE'LL WORK WITH CLARA AND WE'LL WORK WITH OUR SENIOR CENTER TEAM TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE ALREADY KNOW ARE LOOKING FOR THE SERVICE.
UM, WE MENTIONED VETERANS, SO WE'LL WORK WITH THE DAV CHAPTER TO HELP SPREAD THAT OUT.
AND THEN ALSO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE, UM, FOR FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES WHO MIGHT NEED THE SERVICE AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE OUR OWN ADVERTISING PLAN AS WELL.
AND SO, LIKE SHE SAID, WE'LL ALREADY START PUSHING OUT VIA OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
WE'LL DO ADVERTISING ON OUR FACE, UM, FACEBOOK PAGE, PLUS WE WILL.
AND, UH, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON LIKE A MAIL PIECE THAT WE WOULD THEN TARGET TOWARDS THOSE GROUP, THE SENIORS IN THE, IN THE VETERANS.
SO WE'LL HAVE OUR OWN ADVERTISING ON TOP OF WHAT AND, AND WE'LL WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH ALISON AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE WELL, UM, I WANT TO TELL YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOT NOT JUST YOUR DELIVERY, BUT LITERALLY YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WAS, I WAS WRITING DOWN SOME QUESTIONS AND YOUR PRESENTATION ALMOST ANSWERED EVERY QUESTION I HAD.
UM, I, I MIGHT HAVE APPEARED TO BE PREOCCUPIED WHILE YOU WAS PRESENTING, UH, BUT I WASN'T, YOU KNOW, TEXTING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I WAS TRYING TO REGISTER ON YOUR APP.
UM, BUT UM, I, I DID IT HOPEFULLY WORKED SUCCESSFULLY.
IT APPEARS TO BE WORKING JUST FINE.
[00:45:01]
SO, SO THANK YOU.I I REALLY AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, THIS, THIS WAS THE DIVISION, UH, FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO COME AND, AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE TARGETING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SENIOR CITIZENS, THAT'S WHO IT'S THERE FOR.
UH, THIS IS OPEN FOR ANY CITIZEN IN CEDAR HILL TO BE ABLE TO USE.
SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO ATTENDING AT LEAST ONE OF THE PUBLIC, UH, MEETINGS.
SO, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING YOU THEN, UM, CONTINGENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
[4. Briefing on City branding initiative.]
SO, UH, FINAL ITEM ON THE BRIEFING AGENDA IS BRIEFING ON CITY BRANDING INITIATIVES.UM, THIS ITEM IS ALSO ON THE CITY COUNCIL'S AGENDA TONIGHT, WHICH IS TO OUR CONTRACT, UM, WITH A FIRM TO START AND KICK OFF OUR BRANDING INITIATIVE.
SO, UM, FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS NOW, COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN ONE OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S TOP, UM, PRIORITIES OR BIG ROCKS.
AND LAST YEAR IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S RETREAT, YOU ALL CHALLENGE US TO, UM, NOT JUST WORK ON COMMUNICATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS, BUT TO REALLY RAISE THE PROFILE OF CEDAR HILL OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS.
AND SO THIS WEEK ACTUALLY, MAYOR MASON CHALLENGED US FURTHER, UH, TO BECOME THE DESTINATION FOR NATURE-BASED RECREATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE METROPLEX.
AND THAT'S RIGHT, WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS, UM, PROCESS.
SO, UM, THE COUNCIL FUNDED, UH, BRANDING INITIATIVE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND WE ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, UM, FOR FIRMS TO HELP US WITH THIS, WITH THIS PROJECT.
AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS COMBINED INTO ONE.
THE FIRST IS WHAT I MENTIONED.
UM, WE HAVE PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES AND EFFORT INTO COMMUNICATING WITH OUR RESIDENTS, BUT WE REALLY WANNA TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER AND UNIFY THAT, UH, MESSAGING WITH OUR TOURISM AND WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORT SO THAT WE'RE RAISING THE PROFILE OF CEDAR HILL OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THAT PROJECT A AND THAT TOOLBOX THAT COMES WITH THAT.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF THE PROJECT IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE COUNCIL'S, UM, TOP PRIORITIES, WHICH IS, UM, ADVANCING OUR NATURAL ASSETS IN THE NATURE CORRIDOR.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A BIT IN THEIR RETREAT TOO, ABOUT CREATING A BRAND IDENTITY FOR THE NATURE CORRIDOR TO REALLY LEVERAGE IT AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM ASSET THAT IT IS.
WE PUT OUT THE RFP AND WE GOT 32 RESPONSES, WHICH WAS REALLY GREAT.
WE HAD THE, I THINK I, WE HAVE THE RECORD NOW FOR THE MOST, UM, NUMBER OF QUESTIONS FROM CONSULTANTS CUZ WE HAD SO MUCH INTEREST IN WORKING WITH THE CITY ON THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO WE HAD A TEAM OF, UM, OUR CITY COMMUNICATIONS FOLKS, UM, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOURISM AND OUR PARKS AND RECREATION TEAM LOOK AT CONSULTANTS, UM, AND SCORE THEM IN SELECTED NORTH STAR, UM, BRANDING AND MARKETING, UH, FOR THE PROJECT.
NORTH STAR IS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY BASED OUTTA JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, AND THEY ARE A FIRM THAT JUST DOES THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF WORK.
SO THEY DON'T DO GENERAL MARKETING WORK.
WHAT THEY DO IS PLACEMAKING AND BRANDING FOR CITIES.
UM, SO THERE, THAT WAS PROVEN MUNICIPAL BRAND BUILDERS, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A REAL UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE IN INTEGRATING THOSE NATURAL ASSETS INTO BRAND STORIES.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE PLACES THAT THEY'VE WORKED WITH, UM, ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN TEXAS AND WITH WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, AND THESE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT THEY WORK WITH THAT REALLY TIE IN THE PLACE AND THE NATURAL ASSETS OF THOSE CITIES INTO ALL OF THEIR MARKETING EFFORTS, INCLUDING TO THEIR RESIDENTS, TO TOURISTS AND TO THEIR, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS.
SO NORTH STAR BRINGS, YOU KNOW, THOSE 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF WORK IN A NATIONWIDE OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE.
THEY'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL FIRM, UH, E J P MARKETING FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS, UH, AN M W B E AND ALSO THEIR, UM, PRINCIPAL AYANA IS REALLY CLOSE TO CEDAR HILL.
SHE'S LIVED HERE FOR SEVEN YEARS, UM, JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE STATE PARK.
AND SO BRINGS REALLY THAT LOCAL FLAVOR AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVE AND SHE WILL BE, UM, REALLY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE APPROACH TO THE PROJECT, UM, WHICH IS ABOUT ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY DISTILL WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES CEDAR HILLS SPECIAL, UM, THROUGH THEIR PROCESS.
UM, SO IT STARTS WITH THEM COMING AND DOING SITE VISITS.
THEY'LL WORK, UH, WITH EACH OF YOU, WITH OUR BOARDING COMMISSION MEMBERS, WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WITH THE PUBLIC, UM, REALLY LISTENING TO WHAT MAKES CEDAR HILL SPECIAL.
UH, THEN THEY WILL TAKE THAT AND ADDITIONAL MARKET RESEARCH THEY DO ABOUT, UM, WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK OF CEDAR HILL FROM THE OUTSIDE.
AND THEY WILL DISTILL THAT DOWN INTO A DNA STATEMENT THAT SAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE ME THIS IS WHO CEDAR HILL IS AND THIS IS THE, UM, IMAGE THAT WE WANT TO PROJECT.
[00:50:02]
THEN FROM THERE, THEY'LL START TO WORK ON THEIR DELIVERABLES.SO, UM, THEY'LL SET THOSE VISUAL STANDARDS AND, AND START TO BUILD UP THAT TOOLBOX THAT WE CAN USE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS WHEN WE'RE DOING MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION.
AND I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ALL A FEW EXAMPLES OF OTHER CITIES THAT THEY'VE WORKED WITH THAT TIES THAT NATURE ASPECT.
IN THE FIRST IS, UH, SANTEE CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS A SUBURB OF SAN DIEGO, UM, BUT ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO I'VE NEVER BEEN TO SAN DIEGO, BUT I'VE SEEN PICTURES OF THE BEACH AND IT'S, UM, REALLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T THINK OF A SUBURB FOR FURTHER INLAND.
AND SO THEY WORKED, UM, WITH SANTEE ON HIGHLIGHTING THEIR NATURAL BEAUTY THAT'S DISTINCT FOR THE REGION.
THESE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THIS IS THAT DNA STATEMENT FOR, UH, THE CITY OF SANTI.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF, UM, MESSAGING THAT THEY REALLY DISTILL IT DOWN TO.
WHO'S YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, UM, WHAT'S THE FRAME OF REFERENCE THAT YOU WANNA PROVIDE? WHAT'S, WHAT MAKES YOUR COMMUNITY DIFFERENT AND WHAT'S THE BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE, UM, TO VISIT OR TO LIVE THERE.
UH, AND SO THEN FROM THAT THEY COME UP WITH THIS BRAND FOR SANTEE, DO MORE, DO EAST, UM, TO, TO MOVE PEOPLE EAST OF SAN DIEGO TO THE COMMUNITY OF SANTEE.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE INCORPORATING THOSE NATURAL ASSETS INTO EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO AND IT BEING REALLY CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT ALL OF THEIR MARKETING PIECES.
AND THEN THE SECOND EXAMPLE IS JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE.
UM, SO JOHNSON CITY IS LOCATED IN A, A REALLY PRETTY AREA, BUT NOT NECESSARILY KNOWN FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE A LOT TO DO.
THIS IS THEIR OLD LOGO, WHICH, UM, IS REALLY INTERESTING LOOKING.
UH, AND THIS IS THE NEW BRANDING MATERIALS THAT, UH, NORTH STAR CREATED.
THEY, THEY, UM, DEVELOP THIS TAGLINE GO ALL OUT, UM, THAT THE CITY WAS REALLY ABLE TO USE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THOSE THERE.
SO LIKE GO ALL OUT MOUNTAIN BIKING, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, GO ALL OUT IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO IT, IT APPLIES IN ALL OF THE AREAS THAT THEY WORK IN.
AND THESE ARE JUST SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF THAT.
SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
UM, IT'S ABOUT A 10 MONTH PROCESS THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH WITH NORTH STAR TO DO BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS.
UM, SO THEIR CONTRACT IS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT AND IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES THAT, THEN WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON THE FIRST STEP, WHICH IS THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE.
UM, SO THEY'LL COME OUT AND THEN WE'LL DEVELOP A PROCESS.
THEY'RE VERY EXCITED TO WORK WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY BUILT.
SO THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TAP INTO A REALLY STRONG NETWORK TO GET REALLY GOOD RESULTS OUT OF THAT.
AND THAT IS IT FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SHARE, UM, SHARE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ALSO.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT MORE OF OUR IDENTITY, UM, AS YOU WEAR WHEN YOU COME UP, YOU LEAVING DALLAS OR I 20 COMING UP TOWARDS CEDAR HILL.
UH, WE KIND OF HAVE THAT GREEN BELT, UH, AS YOU COME ON YOUR WAY IN.
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT THE OPEN SPACE, THE NATURAL BEAUTY.
UH, I JUST THOUGHT THAT SINCE WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING OUR BRANDING, HOW CAN WE HAVE OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, CORPORATION, THEIR, THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, RECOGNIZE THESE AREAS AND MAKE THEM ACTIVE AREAS.
SO I THOUGHT IF WE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO BRANDING, UH, IT'LL BE GOOD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO GET A BRIEFING ON THE COUNCIL.
UH, SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BRAND IT.
UH, AND I WANTED TO JUST NOT, YOU KNOW, HAVE A TITLE, HAVE A NAME, UH, BUT I WANTED TO ALSO HAVE A TAGLINE WHERE WE CAN BE THE DESTINATION.
UH, WHEN YOU HEAR CENTRAL PARK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NEW YORK.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HEAR, UM, CLYDE WARREN PARK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UPTOWN DALLAS.
I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A NAME TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE DESTINATION FOR CEDAR HILL.
UH, SO THAT WAS THE CHARGE THAT I GAVE TO THE CONSULTANT.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT, COOL.
THANK YOU ALLISON, FOR THAT BRIEFING.
AND, UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR BRIEFING SESSION.
SO COUNCIL, WITH THAT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
UH, THAT IS A HONORABLE MOTION.
RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.