[1. Call the meeting to order.]
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GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.TODAY IS JANUARY 23RD, 2024, TESTIFYING A LITTLE BIT.
UM, TODAY IS JANUARY 23 TO 24.
I WANNA OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING, UH, TO ORDER.
WE DO HAVE A FULL FORUM OF CITY COUNCILS PRESENT.
UH, YOU MAY NOTICE OUR CITY MANAGER IS NOT HERE WITH US TODAY.
HE IS TAKING SOME PERSONAL TIME OFF, SO WE DO PRAY FOR HIS TRAVEL AND GRACE, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE HIM SOON.
AND, UH, I ALSO WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT OPEN CARRY IS NOT PERMITTED WITHIN THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
[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]
SO, WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.AND THAT IS THE CITY MANAGER REPORTS FROM OUR OWN DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
IT IS MY TRUE PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
UH, OUR AMAZING CITY MANAGER IS TRAVELING, UH, BACK FROM AUSTRALIA ON A DOUBLE DECKER AIRPLANE THAT I WILL PROBABLY NEVER, EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY ON.
SO, UH, HE IS HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD A WORD FROM HIM, WHICH USUALLY MEANS HE'S DOING REALLY GOOD.
SO, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ON OUR AGENDA, UH, I'LL GO OVER THE COUNCIL CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND THEN REVIEW THE AGENDA AND, UH, THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE BRIEFING SESSION.
UM, THE, THE FIRST THING I WANNA KIND OF GO THROUGH THE CALENDAR OF THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET, UH, I WANT TO KIND OF EX THIS FRIDAY WE SAY GOODBYE TO ONE OF OUR LONGEST TERM EMPLOYEES, LIEUTENANT AARON LTT WEILER, WHO HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED THE CITY OF CEDAR HILL SINCE MAY OF 1985.
LTT WEILER WAS PROMOTED TO CORPORAL IN 1990.
IT WAS NAMED SUPERVISOR THE YEAR IN 1991.
HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN 1992 AND LIEUTENANT IN 2003.
THROUGHOUT HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, HE HAS ASSISTED MULTIPLE AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE FBI, ARMED ROBBERY, UH, MIDLOTHIAN POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN SEARCH AND RESCUE, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE DENTON COUNTY CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.
WE INVITE THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE TO JOIN US.
FROM 10 30 TO 11, UH, A 10:30 AM AT THE CEDAR HILL GOVERNMENT CENTER COURT, MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM RIGHT DOWN THE HALLWAY TO HONOR LIEUTENANT AARON TWEER FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF CEDAR HILL.
THAT'S THIS FRIDAY AT 10:30 AM ALSO ON SATURDAY WE HAVE OUR SOUTH CLARK ROAD TRAIL DEDICATION AND PASTOR STRICKLAND HONORING CEREMONY.
UH, BREAKFAST AND COFFEE WILL BE PROVIDED, UH, IN, IN, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GRACELAND COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND FROM 12 TO TWO IS OUR FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD WALK FOR THE YEAR AT MEADOW VISTA STATES.
NEXT TUESDAY, WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED CITY COUNCIL, EDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND HISTORIC DOWNTOWN ADVISORY BOARD MEETING.
THE OBJECTIVE IS TO, UH, TALK ABOUT PRIORITIES FOR DOWNTOWN AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON PHASE TWO FOR DOWNTOWN STREETS AND BUSINESS RETENTION EFFORTS FOR DOWNTOWN ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31ST.
WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE ANOTHER RETIREMENT CEREMONY FOR OUR REALLY AMAZING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TOM JOHNSON.
SERVED THE CITY FOR SEVEN YEARS AT THE ALLEN E SIMS RECREATION CENTER.
WE'RE SAD TO SEE HIM GO, AND AS MUCH AS WE BEGGED HIM, HE, UH, HAS DECIDED HE'S GOING TO RETIRE.
THAT'S AT ONE 30 NEXT WEDNESDAY.
UH, NEXT THURSDAY IS THE NEW YEAR'S FIRST MAYOR'S PRAYER BREAKFAST AT 7:30 AM AT THE CEDAR HILL RECREATION CENTER.
AND THEN NEXT TU THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH IS AT 9:00 AM THE C-H-C-H-I-S-D STATE OF THE DISTRICT.
THAT EVENT IS ACTUALLY SPONSORED BY THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
THE CITY HAS BOUGHT EIGHT TICKETS.
AND JENNIFER PARISH SENT OUT AN EMAIL THIS MORNING ASKING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN A SEAT.
AND IF YOU ARE, LET US KNOW AND WE'LL GET YOU RSVP SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH.
UM, WE HAVE A RECEPTION FOR NEW FIRE CHIEF DAVIS.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR NEW FIRE CHIEF WILL BE SWORN IN TODAY.
UH, UM, BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, THE, OUR CHIEF DAVIS WAS A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHERE HE STARTED HIS CAREER IN 1992.
AFTER 16 YEARS WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, DAVIS WAS APPOINTED IN 2009 TO THE RANK OF ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF.
AND DURING HIS 31 YEARS WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, HE HAS MANAGED SEVERAL DIVISIONS, INCLUDING MEDICAL OPERATIONS, FIRE OPERATIONS, WELLNESS, FIRE PREVENTION, INVESTIGATIONS, WILDFIRE, RECRUITING HUMAN RESOURCES.
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WE HOPE YOU JOIN US ON, UH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH.IT'S AN OPEN HOUSE HERE AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER FOR OUR NEW FIRE CHIEF FROM 11 TO 1:00 PM AT THE AY SIMS RECREATION CENTER.
THAT, UH, RSVP LINK IS LIVE AND ON FACEBOOK.
AND IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY INTERESTED ATTENDING THAT, IT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS YOU RECALL, LAST YEAR, WE RAN OUT OF TICKETS.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED IN THE STATE OF CITY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO R-S-V-P-A-S-A-P FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD, UH, SERIAL SHARES FOOD PANTRY HAS A NIGHT IN MONTE CARLO AT BLAINE STONE LODGE FROM SIX TO 11:00 PM UH, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT AND GOING TO THAT, PLEASE LET US KNOW, UH, CITY SECRETARY OR MYSELF, AND WE'LL GET YOU AN RSS VP ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH AT 7:30 AM THE CEDAR LIONS CLUB HAS THEIR ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST.
OUR CHAIRMAN IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH FROM 7 30, 10 30 AM AND THEN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, WE HAVE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND OUR, UH, 2024 NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 2ND FROM NINE TO 1:00 PM AT THE ALLEN E SIM RECREATION CENTER.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CALENDAR? THE, THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST, I THINK STARTS AT, IS STARTING AT EIGHT.
IS IT 10 30? UH, EIGHT TO 10 30.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE QUESTION? I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I NOTICED ON THIS CALENDAR, IT SAYS, PRIOR TO THE RECEPTION FOR THE NEW FIRE CHIEF, IT SAYS, UM, UH, FROM FEBRUARY THE 10TH FROM 10 TO NOON, THE LAGOON FEBRUARY FREEZE.
SO WHAT IS THE FEBRUARY FREEZE? YES, IT'S, UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU GO DOWN THE SLIDE OR JUMP INTO THE POOL IN THE MINUS 32 DEGREE WEATHER
SO CAN I PUT YOU DOWN ON THE RS VP LIST FOR THAT
UM, WE HAVE, WE THAT, THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHO, EVEN IF YOU JUST WANNA WITNESS IT.
IS IT, UH, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR LIKE SEVERAL HOURS OR ALL DAY OR JUST A FEW MINUTES? PROBABLY.
UNLESS IT'S SEASON UNSEASONABLY WARM.
BUT YEAH, WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO JUST JUMP IN AND TAKE PICTURES AND GO HOME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE CALENDAR? ALRIGHT, IF NOT, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE AGENDA REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, DURING THE BRIEFING SESSION, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY REQUESTED, UH, PRESENTATION ON OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP.
UH, THE COUNCIL ALSO ASKED FOR AN UPDATE AT THE COUNCIL RETREAT IN NOVEMBER ON AN UPDATE ON THE SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM.
AND OUR, UH, DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, STACEY GRAVES, IS GONNA GIVE THAT UPDATE TO YOU.
I SENT OUT THAT PRESENTATION IN ADVANCE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IN CASE YOU WANTED TO PREPARE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE CEDAR HILL MUSEUM OF HISTORY AS WE GET READY TO MOVE INTO OUR NEW LIBRARY HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, PATTY BUS HART AND CAREER AND ARRUDA, UH, HAVE PREPARED A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION FOR YOU, UH, AND YOU CAN PREPARE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THEM IN TERMS OF, THAT'S IT FOR THE BRIEFING SESSION.
AS FAR AS A REGULAR MEETING, WE HAVE PASTOR VICTOR JACKSON DOING THE INVOCATION FROM BUILDING THE KINGDOM COMMUNITY CHURCH.
AND WE HAVE A DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER PRESENTATION TO FRANCESCA ALVARADO FOR THE GREAT IMPACT SERVANT LEADER AWARD.
IN THE EVENT THAT YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER GREAT IMPACT SERVANT LEADERS OR UM, SER LEADERSHIP AWARDS, PLEASE SEND THOSE TO US.
'CAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THEM
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ON YOUR COUNCIL.AND I THINK WE GOT ONE FROM COUNCILMAN MCCURDY THE OTHER DAY.
UH, DURING, IN TERMS OF PRESENTATIONS DURING THE REGULAR MEETING, WE OR WE, OUR CITY SECRETARY, ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY, WILL ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE TO OUR NEW CEDAR HILL FIRE CHIEF RICHARD DAVIS, JR.
AND WE WILL ALSO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2024 AS NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH IN CEDAR HILL.
ALSO, PRESENTATION DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND AN UPDATE FROM OUR STAR TRANSIT, UH, TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.
IT'S GOING REALLY WELL, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY WILL BE HERE TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.
IN TERMS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE HAVE CASE NUMBER COP 6 0 2 20 23, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR, UH, LOCAL RETAIL, UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD FOR A ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AT THE RESTAURANT ROYAL, UH, SEAFOOD.
AND THEN, UH, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION FOR AN ORDINANCE FOR PLANNING AND ZONING FEES.
THIS FEE IS ONLY IMPACTS THE ADVERTISEMENT FEE FOR FUTURE ZONING CASES, AND IT'S GOING FROM $50 TO $75.
ALL THE OTHER FEES STAND AND WERE ADOPTED IN OCTOBER, 2023.
IN TERMS OF CONSENT AGENDA, YOU HAVE THE MINUTES AND OUR MULTIPLE FLOCK SAFETY GROUP, UH, UH, FIVE YEAR AGREEMENTS, BOTH WITH THE CITY AND TWO PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, SOME EXTRA FUNDS FROM THE LAGOON PROJECT FOR THE 2017 BOND.
WE HAVE ABOUT $200,000 IN EXCESS FUNDS, AND WE'D LIKE TO SPEND, UH, 80,000 OF THE THOSE FUNDS AND WITH SUNBELT POOLS AND $70,000 WITH WARWICK'S DESIGNED FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, SHADE CANOPY AND ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP ENSURE THAT IN THE EVENT A MOTOR GOES OUT, WE HAVE SOME, UH, CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR THE NEXT SEASON.
ALSO, WE, WE WILL HAVE THE ORDINANCE 20 24 8 0 2, WE'LL READ THAT AND, UH, CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THAT ORDINANCE.
UM, EMS MEDICAL SUPPLIES FROM BOUNDARY MEDICAL IN THE AMOUNT OF $105,000.
UH, THIS WAS BUDGETED AND GOING FORWARD, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UM, IN THE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE WILL PUT THE ACTUAL BUDGETED AMOUNT ANNUALLY SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UH, THE ITEM G IS FOR THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT OF FLOCK SAFETY.
THE FLOCK SAFETY, UH, CAMERAS ARE A REALLY POPULAR ITEM AND WATERFORD OAKS HAS SEVERAL OF THEM.
THEY WANT, UH, TO GET AN APPROVAL FROM THE CITY COUNCIL FOR MOUNTAIN NOT TO EXCEED $75,000.
AND THEN IN THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM ON J ITEM H FOR HIGH POINT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, THEY HAVE SEVERAL AS WELL, AND NOT TO EXCEED 87,500.
AND THAT IS FOR TWO FIVE YEAR AGREEMENTS FOR BOTH PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.
AND THEN ITEM I, THE PLANNING AND ZONING FOR AN APPLICATION FOR A FINAL PLATT.
UH, AND, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THAT, OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
OUR REGULAR AGENDA ITEM, WE HAVE CONSIDER ADOPTION OF, UH, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 24 8 0 3 FOR UPDATED DEFINITIONS IN AMBULANCE SERVICE CHARGES.
OUR E OUR ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF MIKE HARRISON, IS HERE TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION TO YOU.
I ALSO SENT THAT TO YOU IN ADVANCE IN THE EMAIL, AND, UH, HE'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
AND THEN WE GO INTO CLOSED SESSION, AND THAT IS YOUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT? I WOULD LIKE TO PULL, UM, ITEM B FROM CONSENT AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THE, UH, RENTAL.
IS MS. GRAVES GIVING THAT TONIGHT OR? YES, MA'AM.
'CAUSE I HAVE SOMETHING TO IMPLEMENT, UH, SUGGESTIONS ON THAT.
OKAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THOSE SUGGESTIONS.
[3. Presentation on Operation Clean Sweep and update on Single Family Rentals.]
ALL RIGHT.NEXT, UH, ITEM ON THE BRIEFING SESSION AGENDA IS PRESENTATION ON OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP AND UPDATE ON SINGLE FAMILY RENTALS.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT AN UPDATE OF TWO CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS. THE FIRST ONE BEING OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP, AND THEN
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SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM.UM, THESE PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL'S, CAN'T REALLY LEAN ON THIS VISION AND MISSION AND VALUES IN MIND.
IN ADDITION, AS WE IMPLEMENT ANY PROGRAMS, WE ARE ALWAYS PURSUING PREMIER IN THIS.
AND IN THIS CASE, WE ARE PURSUING CLEAN, SAFE, DISREGARD AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY.
SO TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THE OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP RECAP OF 2023 LAST YEAR, AND THEN THE CONSIDERATION OF THE 2024 NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE OF THE SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM.
THE OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2010, MAINLY TO ALLOW FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTION PROGRAM OF PROPERTIES IN A SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
OFFICERS CHECK EVERY PROPERTY FOR CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES, BUT ULTIMATELY, THIS PROGRAM HAS REALLY EVOLVED INTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITIZENS AND PROPERTY OWNERS.
THE OPERATION CLEAN SUITE PROGRAM ALSO ALLOWS CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO CONSIDER CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES THROUGH PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS WHILE CONNECTING WITH RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ENGAGING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND RESIDENTS, AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION WITH AESTHETICS AND NEIGHBORHOOD PRIDE.
THIS SLIDE'S KIND OF BUSY, BUT IT GIVES A HISTORY OF THE OPERATION CLEAN SUITE PROGRAM, UM, WITH THE FIRST ONE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, STARTING IN 2010 WITH THE HIGHLAND SOUTH NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN THE MOST RECENT ONE AT THE TOP WITH THE 2023 STONE WOOD HEIGHTS NORTH.
UM, WE INSPECTED 555 PROPERTIES.
THERE WERE 210 PROPERTIES WITH VIOLATIONS, WHICH IS 38% OF THE PROPERTIES INSPECTED.
I KNOW LAST YEAR WHEN I GAVE AN UPDATE OF OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP, MAYOR PRAM BROUGHT UP, UM, HOPING TO SEE A REDUCTION IN VIOLATIONS.
AND IN 2014, STONE WOOD HEIGHTS, WE DID THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE DIDN'T JUST DO A PORTION OF IT, BUT WE DID THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 873 AND THEY HAD A 62% VIOLATION RATE.
WHERE THIS YEAR WE DID, OR THIS PAST YEAR, WE DID 555 PROPERTIES, JUST THE NORTH SIDE OF STONE WOOD HEIGHTS, AND THEY ONLY HAD A 38% VIOLATION RATE.
SO I THINK WE CAN SEE THAT THERE IS SOME REDUCTION IN VIOLATIONS IF WE DO REPEAT NEIGHBORHOODS OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
HERE'S ANOTHER, UH, SNAPSHOT OF, UH, THE HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT, THERE'S A MAP OF MOST OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
BEING ON THE EAST SIDE OF 67, AGAIN, WE INSPECTED FIF 555 PROPERTIES.
WE NOTED 210 PROPERTIES WITH AT LEAST ONE VIOLATION.
WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE 15 CASES OPEN.
THESE CASES, UH, COULD BE AWAITING ASSISTANCE THROUGH MISSION CEDAR HILL.
THEY COULD BE WAITING ON A CONTRACTOR.
THEY COULD HAVE RECEIVED CITATIONS ARE WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS, BUT THEY ARE STILL ACTIVE AND WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GAIN COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN FINALLY, AS A RECAP OF THE PROGRAM, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, THE VIOLATIONS DISCOVERED WERE 121 EXTERIOR SURFACE AND STRUCTURE ISSUES.
THIS TENDS TO BE THE MOST, UM, VIOLATIONS OCCURRED IN THIS CATEGORY.
UH, USUALLY IT REQUIRE, UH, HOMES REQUIRE PAINT, OR THEY HAVE ROTTED WOOD, OR THEY HAVE A SUBSTANDARD STRUCTURE, WHICH COULD BE A STORAGE BUILDING.
SO WE HAD A HUNDRED, 121 OF THOSE.
WE DISCOVERED 18 PROPERTIES THAT DID NOT HAVE THEIR SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATION.
UM, CURRENT 27 FENCE 10, TRASH AND DEBRIS, DEBRIS, 24 ADDRESS NUMBERS 20 OUTSIDE STORAGE.
AND THEN WE HAD OVERHANGING LIMBS, TALL GRASS, JUNK VEHICLES, AND THEN OTHER VIOLATIONS FOR A TOTAL OF 271.
SO THE 2024 NEIGHBORHOOD FOR, UH, CONSIDERATION IS KINGSWOOD KINGSWOOD WAS DEVELOPED IN 1968 WITH THREE, THEY HAVE 390 PARCELS, AND THEY ARE ORGANIZED AS A VOLUNTARY.
HOA KINGSWOOD IS A UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH REALLY THE NORTH SIDE OF KINGSWOOD DRIVE, WHICH WOULD BE, I GUESS WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE OLDER PART OF THE KINGSWOOD.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CURB AND GUTTER IN THEIR, UH, POWER LINES ARE OVERHEAD WHERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF KINGSWOOD DRIVE, UM, THE NEWER HOMES, THE NEWER DEVELOPMENT, UM, THEY DO HAVE CURB AND GUTTER AND THEIR POWER LINES ARE UNDERGROUND.
AND, UH, ALSO I NOTED UP THERE AT THE TOP THAT THEY ARE ON THE WEST SIDE OF 67.
SO CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL RECORD ALL INSPECTION RESULTS.
UH, VIOLATIONS WILL BE INSPECT
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REINSPECTED FOR COMPLIANCE THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM.AND ANY REMAINING AREAS OF NON-COMPLIANCE WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRACKED WITH THE AREA CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
SO ALL THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS PRETTY MUCH TEAM UP TO START OFF THIS PROGRAM.
ONCE THOSE INITIAL INSPECTIONS ARE DONE, THEN THEY ARE ALL THEN ASSIGNED OVER TO THE AREA CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, AND THEY WILL FOLLOW THESE CASES TO COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN CITY COUNCIL WILL RECEIVE AN UPDATE AT COMPLETION.
I WILL GO OVER THE PROCESS OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, ONCE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES A NEIGHBORHOOD FOR CONSIDERATION, SIGNS ARE PLACED AT THE ENTRANCES OF SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, REALLY JUST ADVISING THE NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
UH, POSTCARDS ARE ALSO MAILED TO EVERY RESIDENT WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PRIOR TO THE SWEEP.
UM, THERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF IT THERE ON THE SCREEN.
UH, THE POSTCARD WILL GIVE COMMON CODE VIOLATIONS THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
WE ALSO USE THIS AS AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM OR REALLY ANY PROGRAM AS IT RELATES TO CODE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
UM, A TEAM OF TWO CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS INSPECT EACH PROPERTY IN THE SELECTED AREA.
WE WILL HAVE TWO TEAMS OF TWO.
UM, A COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTIONS USUALLY TAKE ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
AND THEN ONCE THEY GO BACK AND DO RE-INSPECTIONS, IT'S USUALLY ANOTHER TWO TO THREE WEEKS.
THIS ACTUALLY MIGHT GO QUICKER.
THERE'S NOT ANY ALLEYS IN, UH, KINGSWOOD, SO THEY WILL JUST BE INSPECTING FROM THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY IN THE FRONT.
THESE ARE SOME COMMON CODE VIOLATIONS DISCOVERED.
IF WE SEE THESE, I'M PRETTY SURE THESE ARE ALREADY OPEN.
UM, BUT THEY ARE, UH, A PICTURE OF A VIOLATION.
SO WE LOOK FOR JUNK AND INOPERABLE VEHICLES, DAMAGED FENCES, TRASH AND DEBRIS OUTSIDE STORAGE, AND OF COURSE EXTERIOR STRUCTURE, MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO LOOK FOR MISSING ADDRESS NUMBERS.
IF A VIOLATION IS DISCOVERED, UM, OCCUPANTS WILL RECEIVE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION, WHICH IS A DOOR HANGER, UH, SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, ONCE THEY GO BACK FOR A REINSPECTION, USUALLY WITHIN SEVEN TO 10 DAYS, IF THE VIOLATION IS STILL, UH, EXISTS, A NOTICE OF VIOLATION WILL BE MAILED THEN TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND THEN THIS WILL BE TURNED OVER FOR ENFORCEMENT TO THE AREA CODE OFFICER.
ALSO AS CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, UH, SEE A PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR OR MAINTAINED, THEY MAY LEAVE A THANK YOU CARD LIKE THIS SHOWS, UM, FOR TAKING PRIDE IN THEIR PROPERTY AND MAKING CEDAR HILL A NICER PLACE TO LIVE.
RESIDENTS REALLY LIKE TO GET THESE, UH, RATHER THAN AN ORANGE DOOR HANGER ON THEIR DOOR.
AND THAT'S MY UPDATE ON OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP.
I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS BEFORE I MOVE ON TO SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I PRO TIM SIMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, SO I REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR SENDING THEM OUT IN ADVANCE AND TO GIMME A CHANCE TO LOOK IT OVER.
AND STATISTICS ARE INTERESTING AND I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE TELLING ME.
CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WHERE YOU HAD THE LIST OF ALL OF THE MM-HMM,
UH, NO, GET, KEEP GOING BACK THERE.
SO OUTSIDE OF 2023, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST FIVE YEARS, 18, 19, 20, 22, UH, AT THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THERE'S A TREND WHERE EVEN WITH YOU SENDING OUT THE NOTIFICATIONS IN ADVANCE AND LETTING THEM KNOW OF THE COMMON VIOLATIONS, WE HAVE ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THESE, UH, PROPERTIES HAVE, UH, SOME KIND OF, UH, UH, UH, VIOLATIONS.
AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT, WHAT IS THAT TELLING US? I MEAN, THAT'S A, WHEN I GLANCED AT THAT, I WAS LIKE, THAT SEEMS LIKE A WHOLE LOT, EVEN KNOWING IN ADVANCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
BUT WE STILL HAD ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THEM THAT HAD SOME KIND OF VIOLATIONS.
AND I, I, I ASKED, WHAT IS IT SAYING TO US? AND IS THERE SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY? SO, SO THANK YOU.
I AGREE THAT THESE STATISTICS, UM, IT'S REALLY NOT COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES, MAINLY BECAUSE SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, IF THEY HAVE ALLEY ENTRANCES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE VIOLATIONS.
SO WE'RE INSPECTING HOUSES FRONT AND BACK, AND WE TEND TO FIND MORE VIOLATIONS IN AN ALLEY.
WE USUALLY FIND, YOU KNOW, INOP, OPERABLE VEHICLES, FENCES THAT MAY HAVE ISSUES.
WE CAN SEE THE ENTIRE FENCE FROM THE ALLEY, WHERE FROM THE FRONT WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO INSPECT FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE AN ALLEY, WE CAN ONLY SEE THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BACK.
SO SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ALLEYS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A HIGHER VIOLATION RATE.
[00:25:01]
UM, COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN DANIELS, MS. GRAY.UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
WE, AS THE COMMUNITY CITIZENS HAVE SORT OF ORGANIZED WITHIN OURSELVES BECAUSE WE ARE FINDING OUT THAT MOST OF THESE CITATIONS ARE GIVEN TO NON, UH, PAYING OWNERS THAT HAVE NOT REGISTERED.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ASKING THE CITIZENS TO CALL YOUR OFFICE WHEN THEY SEE A VIOLATION CONTINUALLY IN THAT, UH, IN THEIR AREA.
SO I FEEL WITH US, EACH CITIZEN DOING THIS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN THOSE WHO ARE NOT REGISTERED AND PUT THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE.
SO THEY'LL STOP HAVING ALL OF THESE VIOLATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE, WE, WE STARTED THAT TALKING TO, UH, CITIZENS ABOUT THIS.
IF YOU'VE GOT A VIOLATION, CONSTANTLY GRASS GROWING UP TO THE FENCE AND CALL IN, BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT RICH, THE OWNERS.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU GIVING A BREAKDOWN ON THIS.
SO IN EACH AREA WE WILL BE PUTTING THAT WORD OUT.
HEY, DON'T JUST SIT AND LET THIS CONTINUE BEING A VIOLATION.
CALL IN SO THEY CAN FIND THE OWNER AND FIND HIM.
BECAUSE THE ONE THAT ME AND YOU HAD, HE GOT ON IT RIGHT AWAY WHEN Y'ALL TOLD HIM Y'ALL WAS GONNA FIND HIM.
WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN CITIZENS GIVE US A CALL.
THE CITIZENS NEED TO HELP OUT AND WE ARE GETTING THE WORD OUT TO THEM.
I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THAT I ALWAYS HEARD WHEN, WHEN I WAS, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE LAKERIDGE POA WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY WOULD GET A LETTER FOR THEIR GRASS IS TOO TALL, OR SOMEBODY WOULD GET A LETTER BECAUSE THEY'RE, BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT TRASH OUT IN THEIR YARD OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND, AND IT'S ALWAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON DOWN THE STREET IS, YOU KNOW, HAD THEIR GRASS IS TOO TALL AND YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING.
AND, AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF DO, DO YOU ALL GET THAT FEEDBACK? YES.
AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT IS, SO WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS WHEN YOU KNOW, SO YOU, YOU PUT, YOU'RE GIVING THE NOTICE TO THE, YOU KNOW, TO THE HOMEOWNER OF, OF THE VIOLATION.
AND THEN WHAT'S THE FOLLOW UP AF AFTER THAT WHERE YOU, YOU KNOW, AND HOW LONG, HOW LONG DO YOU GIVE IT? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE IT GETS TO THE LEVEL OF A FINE? SO THAT VARIES OBVIOUSLY ON THE SITUATION, BUT ONCE A NOTICE IS ISSUED, UM, SAY FOR ITS TALL GRASS, SO WE GOT TWO RESIDENTS ACROSS THE STREET.
THEY BOTH GET NOTICES, A VIOLATION.
THEY MAY GET DOOR HANGERS THAT SEVEN DAYS TO COMPLY.
THE OFFICER GOES BACK, UM, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBOR A COMPLIES, AND THEY, UM, MOW.
AND THEN THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET DOESN'T.
SO THEN WE SEND A NOTICE OF VIOLATION, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE, BY MAIL, GIVEN THEM SEVEN DAYS TO COMPLY.
NOW THEY MAY CALL US AND SAY, WE'RE OUT OF TOWN, WE'RE GONNA MOW IT ON THE NINTH DAY.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND PROBABLY EXTEND THAT A NINTH DAY.
OR THEY MAY NOT, UH, CALL US AT ALL.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, WE'RE GONNA ISSUE A CITATION.
SO THEN THAT GOES THROUGH COURT.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE FIRST NEIGHBOR THAT COMPLIED THINKS THAT NOTHING IS OCCURRING WITH THE NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET 'CAUSE THEY HAVE IT MOWED.
BUT IN REALITY, WE ARE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS FAR AS ENFORCEMENT WITHIN THE OFFICE.
ULTIMATELY, WE WILL HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO MOW THE PROPERTY OR TO REMOVE THE DEBRIS, WHATEVER THE, THE VIOLATION IS.
BUT THEN WE WOULD HIRE A CONTRACTOR, A LIEN WOULD BE PLACED ON THE PROPERTY.
NOW, AND I JUST HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
SO I, I KNOW LIKE IN, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN IN DESOTO, IF ONCE YOU GET A NOTICE FOR YOUR GRASS IS TOO TALL, UM, THEY GIVE YOU, I, I THINK IT'S LIKE SEVEN OR 14 DAYS TO, TO MOW IT.
AND THEN IF IT'S NOT MOWED, THEN THEY WILL SEND A CONTRACTOR OUT TO MOW IT.
BUT THEN EVEN AFTER THAT, FOR THE NEXT YEAR, IF YOUR GRASS KIT'S TOO TALL, THEY JUST SEND A CONTRACTOR TO MOW IT.
THEY JUST MOW IT AND THEY FIND YOU.
NOW WE DO THE SAME, WE DO SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR.
WE TYPICALLY ONLY SEND ONE NOTICE A YEAR.
WE PROBABLY AREN'T AS QUICK TO MOW IF WE KNOW THAT, IF WE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM, LET THEM KNOW, LIKE,
[00:30:01]
YOU NEED TO MOW, WE TRY TO USE OUR RESOURCES.I MEAN, WE DO HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT MOWING UP FRONT.
WE DO FILE LIENS, BUT THOSE USUALLY AREN'T COLLECTED FOR YEARS WHEN THE PROPERTY SELLS.
SO WE DO TRY TO GET COMPLIANCE WITHIN SEVEN TO 14 DAYS, WHETHER WE HAVE TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR OR WE CALL THEM AND SAY, YOU BETTER MOW, WE'RE GONNA HIRE A CONTRACTOR.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN
AND I'M NOT SURE IF COUNCILMAN MCCURDY, UM, ASKED THIS.
UM, WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE HOAS? UM, I KNOW THAT MINE IS VERY ACTIVE IN HANDING OUT, YOU KNOW, FINES AND VIOLATIONS.
UM, DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THEM? DO THEY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU? UM, IS THERE OVERLAP OR IS THAT JUST A SEPARATE ENTITY THAT'S DOING IT? YEAH, THEY ARE DEFINITELY SEPARATE ENTITIES.
SOMETIMES IF HOAS CAN'T GAIN COMPLIANCE, THEY MAY CALL US.
I MEAN, WE CAN ULTIMATELY FIND THEM.
I MEAN, I, I GUESS HOAS CAN TOO.
HISTORICALLY, I DON'T THINK, ANYWAY, ANY OF THE HOAS WE'VE REALLY WORKED WITH DO A LOT OF FINES.
UM, USUALLY IF HOAS CAN'T GET COMPLIANCE, THEY CALL US AND SEE IF WE CAN GET COMPLIANCE.
BUT, UM, SOMETIMES WE'RE WORKING ON THE SAME PROPERTIES, BUT WE MAY NOT KNOW IT.
UH, SO YEAH, OUR, WE PROBABLY COULD DO BETTER WITH OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH HOAS.
MANAGEMENT COMPANIES CHANGE A LOT THROUGH, UH, HOAS.
AND THEN, UM, IS THERE JUST A, A METHOD OR, OR PROCESS IN DECIDING WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE WILL FOCUS, UM, FOR THE YEAR OR, UM, WE KIND OF GO BACK ON, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND THEN WHAT WE SEE IN THE FIELD.
UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, WE WILL MEET AND DISCUSS DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE TRY TO DO EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE.
UM, WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING WITHIN, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR WORKLOAD 500 PROPERTIES IS ABOUT, UH, THE MAX THAT WE CAN DO.
UM, WE'VE NOT EVER DONE, FOR EXAMPLE, LAKE RIDGE OR HIGH POINT.
UH, THERE WOULD REALLY PROBABLY ONLY BE CERTAIN AREAS OF HIGH POINT THAT WOULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM THIS.
BUT, UH, REALLY JUST THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED A LITTLE TLC.
UM, THANK YOU STACY, FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO ON THIS.
UH, IT'S BEEN INTERESTING, UH, OVER THE LAST, WELL, SINCE 2010, WAS IT? MM-HMM.
SO, UM, I THINK THE CITIZENS APPRECIATE IT.
I KNOW ON OUR VERY FIRST ONES WE DID, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ALL THE ONES THAT, ONES THAT WERE HAVING THE VIOLATION WEREN'T REALLY EXCITED, BUT THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CLEANED UP.
AND I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT STARTED THIS, THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND TO CONTINUE TO DO IT, I THINK IS, IS VERY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US.
WHAT KIND OF, UH, TIMEFRAME, I GUESS MAYBE IF YOU SAID IT IN THIS, I MIGHT MISSED IT.
WHEN ARE WE GONNA START THIS AND HOW MANY WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME DO YOU NOTIFY? WE WILL PROBABLY START, UH, MID-FEBRUARY.
IN FEBRUARY, USUALLY 30 DAYS ONCE WE RECEIVED, UM, APPROVAL FROM CITY COUNCIL.
SO THAT WAY YOU'LL, UH, GIVE THEM SEVERAL WEEKS NOTICE.
THEY GET TIME TO ADJUST AND SO FORTH.
IT'S ALSO BENEFICIAL FOR US TO GIVE THEM PLENTY OF NOTICE.
AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS AND WRITING UP, THESE ARE REALLY JUST A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.
SO WE'RE SEEING VIOLATIONS ON THE DAY THAT WE WERE THERE.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS A FENCE DOWN AND THEY'VE ALREADY HIRED A CONTRACTOR, THEY'RE JUST AWAITING THEIR CONTRACTOR TO COME, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
WE WRITE IT UP AS A FENCE VIOLATION.
SO IT'S, WE JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER IT'S A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.
SO I'LL GO OVER OUR SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM.
THIS IS ALSO KIND OF A BUSY SLIDE, BUT VERY IMPORTANT DATES TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO GET FROM WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE'RE TODAY.
SO EVEN STARTING BACK IN 2017, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY BOARD STARTED REVIEWING AND DISCUSSING NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS AND INTEGRITY.
IN OCTOBER OF 2017, CODE ENFORCEMENT PROVIDED AN UPDATE TO CITY COUNCIL TO INCLUDE FUTURE GOALS OF A SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL PROGRAM.
IN JUNE OF 2018, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES PROVIDED AN UPDATE TO CITY COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY BOARD WORK, MENTIONING A POTENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL PROGRAM.
UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT ALSO PROVIDED AN UPDATE TO CITY COUNCIL, INCLUDING, UH, A PROGRAM THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRITY PROGRAM.
AND THEN IN OCTOBER OF 2019, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL REGISTRATION
[00:35:01]
PROGRAM THROUGH THE BUDGET, UH, PROCESS THAT YEAR.AND THEN IN MAY OF 2020, A BRIEFING WAS CONDUCTED TO CITY COUNCIL REVIEWING A PROPOSED SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL PROGRAM.
AND DURING THAT UPDATE IN MAY, UH, CITY COUNCIL'S DESIRE WAS TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO ASSIST IN THE DESIGN OF THE PROGRAM.
SO, ON MAY 26TH OF THAT YEAR, THE COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED BY CITY COUNCIL CONSISTING OF LANDLORDS, TENANTS, PROPERTY OWNERS, NEIGHBORHOODS, NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORS, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, AND ALSO REALTORS AND OTHER CITIZENS.
UH, SO DURING AUGUST OF 2020, THE WORKSHOPS WERE HELD ONCE A WEEK FOR FOUR WEEKS, UH, TO DISCUSS PROGRAM DETAILS, IDEAS, AND ULTIMATELY GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO DURING, UH, BRIEFING IN SEPTEMBER, UH, 22ND, 2020, UH, CITY COUNCIL DID RECEIVE THAT UPDATE OF COMMITTEE WORK ON THE SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL PROGRAM.
OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR, UH, CITY COUNCIL WAS PRESENTED A DRAFT ORDINANCE.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED WITH THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 1ST, 2021.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE WERE FIVE YEARS OF WORK LEADING UP TO THIS ORDINANCE AND VERY THOUGHT, THOUGHTFUL.
UH, THE COMMITTEE DID ESTABLISH GOALS.
THEY WANTED THIS PROGRAM TO BE COST NEUTRAL.
UM, THEY WANTED STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS CONSISTENT WITH THOSE OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES.
THEY DIDN'T WANT, UH, TENANT OCCUPIED HOMES TO HAVE DIFFERENT RULES THAN OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES.
UM, THEY WANTED THE PROCESS TO BE EXTREMELY STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT, LITTLE BURDEN ON LANDLORDS ADMINISTRATIVELY.
AND THEY WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN ACCURATE DATA ON OWNERS AND TENANTS.
IN DECEMBER OF 2019, WE HIRED CINDY GUZMAN AS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST TO ASSIST IN IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM.
AND SHE STILL CURRENTLY MANAGES THIS PROGRAM.
UM, SHE IS ALSO LICENSED AS A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATIONS.
SO SHE KNOWS ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THIS AND ALSO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE.
SHE WAS AWARDED EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER IN JANUARY OF 2022.
AND JUST LAST MONTH, SHE WAS AWARDED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE LEADER OF THE YEAR FOR 2023.
IF YOU'VE EVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET CINDY OR TALK TO CINDY, UM, SHE'S GREAT.
PROPERTY REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED ANNUALLY, UM, OR WHEN THE PROPERTY OWNER CHANGES FOR ALL TENANT OCCUPIED PROPERTIES.
THIS PROCESS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
THE APPLICATION INCLUDES OWNER INFORMATION, CORPORATE INFORMATION, PROPERTY MANAGER INFORMATION.
THIS PROPERTY MANAGER INFORMATION IS SO HELPFUL FOR US.
IF YOU HAVE A CORPORATION OR AN LLC THAT OWNS THESE PROPERTIES, WE REQUIRE THEM TO GIVE US A LOCAL PROPERTY MANAGER THAT WE CAN, UH, DISCUSS, UM, VIOLATIONS WITH.
AND THE, UH, SNAPSHOT OF THE WEBSITE IS THERE ON THE RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN FOR, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS, FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO REGISTER THEIR PROPERTIES.
WHEN A REGISTERED PROPERTY IS LEASED, THE PROPERTY OWNER THEN COMPLETES AN RRCO APPLICATION.
THIS APPLICATION REQUESTS TENANT INFORMATION SUCH AS THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER.
UM, THE RRCR IS ONLY REQUIRED WHEN A TENANT CHANGES.
SO IF A LANDLORD HAS A TENANT THAT CHANGES EVERY THREE MONTHS, THEY'RE GOING TO COMPLETE A NEW APPLICATION EACH TIME.
IF A TENANT LIVES THERE 5, 6, 7 YEARS, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA DO THAT WHEN THEIR TENANT CHANGES.
BUT THEY STILL WILL HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEIR ANNUAL REGISTRATION FOR THE PROPERTY.
EXTERIOR INSPECTIONS ARE DONE ONLY WHEN, UH, THERE IS A CHANGE IN OCCUPANCY.
SO WHEN A NEW RRCO IS ISSUED, AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION IS CONDUCTED ON THE PROPERTY WITHIN 30 DAYS BY THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
IF A VIOLATION EXISTS, NOTICE WILL BE SENT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AND WILL BE WORKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT A SEPARATE CODE THAN OWNER OCCUPIED, UH, PROPERTIES AND AGAIN, START THAT PROCESS OF SEVEN DAYS TO COMPLY.
TYPICALLY, UM, THESE TYPES OF INSPECTIONS FOR OUR COS, THE VIOLATIONS ARE VERY MINOR.
UM, WE HAVE FOUND, ESPECIALLY AS THE PROGRAM GOES ON, PROPERTY OWNERS AND LANDLORDS ARE TAKEN BETTER CARE OF THEIR PROPERTIES.
I'LL, UH, NOW SHOW YOU SOME STATS AS IT RELATES TO INSPECTIONS.
WHILE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE WORKING CASES IN THE FIELD, AND IF IT'S TENANT OCCUPIED, THEY ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF THE PROPERTY IS REGISTERED.
SO IF THEY'RE OUT WORKING, UH, CASES, THEY COME BACK INTO, UH, THE OFFICE, THEY'LL CHECK ALL THE ONES THAT THEY HAVE WROTE UP FOR THE DAY TO SEE IF THEY'RE OWNER OR TENANT OCCUPIED.
AND THEN IF THEY FIND THEIR TENANT OCCUPIED, THEY WILL CHECK TO SEE IF THEY ARE REGISTERED.
UM, SINCE THE START OF THE PROGRAM,
[00:40:01]
THEY HAVE FOUND 872 VIOLATIONS DISCOVERED THAT THEY WERE NOT REGISTERED WHILE WORKING OTHER CODE VIOLATIONS.AND SINCE THE START OF THE PROGRAM, WE HAVE ISSUED 24 CITATIONS FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER PROPERTIES.
WHEN A NEW RRCO IS ISSUED, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, LIKE I SAID, IN INSPECT THE PROPERTY FOR VIOLATIONS IN 30 DAYS.
UM, SO TO DATE, THEY'VE DONE APPROXIMATELY, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT, 1600 RRCO INSPECTIONS.
AND OF THOSE INSPECTIONS THEY'VE NOTED 304 PROPERTIES WITH CODE VIOLATIONS ABOUT 18%.
WHEN I PROVIDED THIS UPDATE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I THINK WE WERE AT 20%.
AND USUALLY THOSE TYPES OF VIOLATIONS REALLY ARE JUST EXTERIOR SURFACE, MAYBE MINOR FENCE ISSUES, TRASH AND DEBRIS AND ADDRESS NUMBERS IS A COMMON VIOLATION THAT WE FIND ON THESE INSPECTIONS.
SOME MORE STATISTICS AS IT RELATES TO REGISTRATION.
IN 2021, WE HAD 1,875 PROPERTIES REGISTER.
THAT WAS WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTED.
IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, FROM JANUARY ONE TO JUNE, WE GAVE A REDUCED FEE, UM, IF PROPERTY OWNERS REDUCED OR, UH, REGISTERED THE PROPERTIES.
UM, BY JUNE 1ST, 2022, WE HAD 2,484.
DECEMBER AND JANUARY ARE OUR BUSIEST MONTHS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, LANDLORDS TO SEND IN THE REGISTRATIONS BECAUSE WE STARTED THE PROGRAM IN DECEMBER, JANUARY OF THAT YEAR.
AND SO, UM, WE GET A LOT OF THEM IN DURING THOSE MONTHS.
SO THAT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKLOG WHEN I RAN THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THOSE AND THEY COULD ALSO BE IN ENFORCEMENT WHERE THEY DIDN'T REGISTER.
SO WE'RE NOW WE'RE OPENING CASES.
OUR RCOS ISSUED IN 2021, 1,250.
AGAIN, THAT WAS THE START OF THE PROGRAM, TRYING TO GET ALL THE, UH, TENANTS, UH, REGISTERED.
AND THEN 20 22 5 40 20 23, 5 96.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE TELLING US DURING 2022 THERE WERE 540 TENANT CHANGE OUTS.
WITH ALL THE REGISTRATIONS THAT WE HAVE, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE GOALS THAT THE, UH, COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED, WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE CHECKED THESE BOXES.
WE DO FEEL LIKE THE CO THE PROGRAM IS COST NEUTRAL.
UH, THE STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES.
UH, IT IS STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT.
WE HOPE IT'S LIMITED BURDEN ON LANDLORDS, ADMINISTRATIVELY.
THANK YOU TO CINDY AND OBTAIN ACCURATE DATA ON WE ARE ABLE TO OBTAIN ACCURATE DATA ON OWNER AND TENANTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANNA SAY A THANK YOU TO THE UTILITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN GREAT TO BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION TO THEM.
IT'S ALSO ANOTHER VERIFICATION LEVEL TO ENSURE THAT LEASES ARE AUTHENTIC AND ACCURATE.
UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS, LANDLORDS, MANAGEMENT COMPANIES.
I MEAN THE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET CELL PHONE NUMBERS FROM MANAGEMENT, UM, COMPANIES AND IT'S JUST BEEN ABLE, WE'VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET QUICK COMPLIANCE AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SET OUTS, BUT WHEN WE DO, I FEEL LIKE WE DO HAVE A QUICKER RESPONSE TIME.
'CAUSE WE HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
WE'VE EVEN HAD MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND SAY A SET OUT'S GOING TO OCCUR, THE CONSTABLE'S GONNA BE OUT THERE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THAT COMMUNICATION BEFORE THE SET OUT EVEN OCCURS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT PROGRAM, SIR, WE'LL BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MCCURDY.
SO I WAS INSTRUCTED, FIRST OF ALL, THAT I SHOULD TELL YOU HOW WONDERFUL CINDY GUZMAN IS TO WORK WITH, ISN'T SHE? SHE'S GREAT, BUT BY, BY MY WIFE.
SO, UM, WANTED TO BE SURE THAT, UH, THAT I SHARED THAT INFORMATION.
UM, THANK YOU THAT, UH, THAT CINDY IS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH AND THAT, UH, WELL DESERVING OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD OF THE YEAR.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT COMPARED TO I, I HAVEN'T, AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE A NUMBER OF RENTAL PROPERTIES IN, IN CEDAR HILL AS WELL AS OTHER CITIES.
AND MOST OF THOSE CITIES NOW HAVE RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAMS, UM, COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES.
UM, AND SEEMS TO FUNCTION MUCH, MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN OTHER CITIES.
I SENT YOU, I HAD SENT YOU AN EMAIL WITH A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THOUGHT THAT WE COULD DO TO, UH, TO, TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS.
BUT, UM, ON YOUR, ON THE ONE SLIDE, YOU SAID THAT WE HAD 2,337 PROPERTIES REGISTERED.
BUT I WAS THINKING THAT THE, THE NUMBERS THAT I HAD SEEN SHOWED THAT WE HAD SOMEWHERE AROUND 4,000 RENTAL PROPERTIES IN THE CITY.
[00:45:01]
MEAN, DO WE STILL HAVE A, A, A PRETTY LARGE DISPARITY OF, OF PROPERTIES THAT WE SUSPECT ARE RENTAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOT REGISTERING? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER OF HOW MANY PROPERTIES ARE IN THE CITY.I THINK IT WAS ALWAYS AN ESTIMATE.
I THINK IT WAS ALWAYS BETWEEN 20 TO 25%.
UM, AND WE KIND OF BASE THAT ON WHO'S FILING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THROUGH DCA.
SO YOU MIGHT ASSUME THAT IF A PROPERTY OWNER DOESN'T HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, IT COULD BE A RENTAL PROPERTY.
I MEAN, THE ONLY REAL WAY TO TELL IS THROUGH A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
SO IF WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 15,000 HOMES RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY, UM, AT 30, UM, 30 PER 20% COULD BE ABOUT 3000 HOMES.
SO WE COULD BE GETTING CLOSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 4,000.
UM, IT, I KNOW THAT WAS A NUMBER THAT WAS MENTIONED A WHILE BACK, BUT WE'VE ALSO FOUND, UM, PROPERTIES ARE SELLING.
SO THE PROPERTIES ARE SELLING TO OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES AS WELL.
SO WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL HOMES EVEN DROP OFF OUR REGISTRATION PROCESS.
WELL, I, I KNOW, I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME I SPENT WORKING WITH YOU GUYS ON THIS.
SO I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME AND, AND I KNOW Y'ALL, Y'ALL WOULD, WOULD GO BACK AND WORK ON STUFF AND THEN COME BACK SO I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU SPENT ON IT.
AND, UM, I, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THAT, UH, I I THINK IT'S WORKING PHENOMENALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE SIZE OF THE PROGRAM AND, AND THE STAFF THAT YOU'VE GOT IN PLACE.
YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
COUNCILWOMAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER.
UH, STACY, UH, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF THE SINGLE FAMILY, REG RETRO REGISTRATION IS SOMETHING THAT CITY WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS.
AND BEING PART OF WATCHING THIS MATURE HAS JUST BEEN AMAZING.
UH, LOOKING AT WHERE WE STARTED AND THEN WITH THE RECOMMENDATION FROM COUNCIL TO GO BACK AND FORM THE COMMITTEE.
AND THAT COMMITTEE A ALSO GAVE US VALUABLE INFORMATION.
I JUST WANNA SAY GREAT JOB TO YOU AND THE STAFF AND TO OUR CITIZENS WHO HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH ADAPTING TO THIS BECAUSE IT WAS VERY NEW.
UM, YOU DID MENTION ONE THING THAT YOU SAW AS AN OBSERVATION.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO ELABORATE MORE ON THAT.
YOU SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THIS, UM, IT APPEARS THAT HOMEOWNER RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS ARE TAKING BETTER CARE OF THEIR PROPERTIES.
SO ANYTIME A TENANT CHANGES, WE, THAT TRIGGERS AN INSPECTION.
SO IF THEY CHANGE EVERY YEAR, THEY KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THEY WILL MAKE SURE THEIR PROPERTY IS IN COMPLIANCE BEFORE WE COME OUT.
SO YES, I DO FEEL LIKE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE'VE BUILT WITH THE LANDLORDS AND IF THEY HAVE OFTEN TENANT CHANGE OUTS, YES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD COMPLIANCE RATE.
SO, UM, THERE WAS A, YOU, YOU MENTIONED A SLIDE THAT WHEN YOU GO OUT, YOU FOUND 872 VIOLATIONS AND YOU WROTE 24 CITATIONS.
AND TELL ME THE, THE REASON FOR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS, BUT A SMALL NUMBER OF CITATIONS.
WHY, HOW DO THEY GET FROM THAT LARGE NUMBER DOWN TO A SMALL NUMBER OF CITATIONS? SO WHILE WE ARE WORKING CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, VIOLATIONS, THEY DISCOVERED 872, WE TELL THEM WE HAVE THIS NEW PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO BE REGISTERED.
WE WORK A TIMEFRAME OUT FOR THEM TO GET REGISTERED.
USUALLY IT'S WITHIN, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 30 DAYS.
WE HAVE ONE LANDLORD THAT REFUSED.
UH, THEY HAVE SINCE REGISTERED, BUT THEY RECEIVED SEVERAL CITATIONS.
LEADING UP TO THAT, WE GET PROBABLY MORE COMPLIANCE OBVIOUSLY BY LOOKING AT THESE STATS BEFORE WE GET TO, SO IF THEY MOVE TO OUR COMPLIANCE, THEY'RE OKAY.
BUT IF THEY'VE REFUSED, THEN THAT'S WHERE THE CITATIONS GOOD.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, SO I, I HAD HEARD THAT WE HAD IN THE CITY APPROXIMATELY 15,000, UM, PROPERTIES.
AND WHEN I AM LOOKING AT 2300 RENTAL UNITS, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO TRACK WITH WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE'RE GOING OUT WALKING NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WHEN WE DO NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS, IT, YOU SEE A, YOU CAN WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S ALMOST STARES YOU IN THE FACE.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A OWNER OCCUPIED, THAT'S OWNER, THAT'S A RENTAL.
AND SO I'M, I GET THE IMPRESSION AND I'M, I JUST WANTED TO GET KNOW YOUR, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM, SEEMS LIKE 2300 SEEMS LOW.
[00:50:01]
HAVE NOT DONE, OBVIOUSLY A COMPREHENSIVE, UM, INVESTIGATION INTO EVERY PROPERTY IN CEDAR HILL.LIKE I SAID, AS THEY WORK CODE VIOLATIONS IN THE FIELD, WE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE OWNER OCCUPIED OR TENANT OCCUPIED.
AND, AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING FOR STAFF.
HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN AUDIT, UM, EVER BEEN CONSIDERED, I MEAN, WHERE YOU JUST TRY TO COME OUT AND MAKE A FULL ASSESSMENT OF OWNER OCCUPIED RENTAL? I MEAN THIS SOMETHING FOR A STAFF TO CONSIDER AN AUDIT BECAUSE THAT BASED ON 15,000 PROPERTIES IN THE CITY ONLY HAVING 2300 RENT, IT JUST SEEMS LOW.
NOW, THEY'VE ALREADY ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
THAT WAS THE THING I WAS FOCUSING ON IS SUCH A LOW AMOUNT AND WASN'T SURE WHAT THE RATIO WAS OF TOTAL, BUT I THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED IT AND, AND, UH, I'M OKAY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO YOU CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT.
AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DANIELS, UH, ONE QUESTION.
IF A CITIZEN WERE TO CALL YOUR OFFICE, IS THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO GIVE TO ANYBODY IF A PROPERTY IS A RENTAL PROPERTY? UM, YES.
THROUGH AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMPLETE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST.
THEY WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OF OPEN RECORD RECORDS REQUEST? YES.
IT WAS, THEY, THEY COULDN'T GET IT OVER THE PHONE.
ALRIGHT, THAT SEEMS TO BE ALL THE QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANYTHING? NO, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
UM, COUNSEL, I'M GOING TO DO A, UM, A, A, UM, A KIND OF A DETOUR.
SO IF YOU WOULD, UH, PLEASE OBLIGE ME.
I'M GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
SO IT'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
MM-HMM,
[4. Update on Cedar Hill Museum of History. ]
BRIEFING SESSION.THE MAYOR HAD AN EMERGENCY, AND SO FROM HERE ON OUT, I'LL, UH, TRY TO CONDUCT THE MEETING IN HIS ABSENCE.
UH, I BELIEVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION UPDATE ON CEDAR HILL MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
CITY COUNCIL, UH, MELISSA, UH, ROSIE.
ALLISON, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK HERE FOR A CHANGE AND WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ON THE CEDAR HILL MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
I WANNA START OUT THIS PRES, UH, PRESENTATION IN A FAMILIAR WAY, AT LEAST FAMILIAR FOR ME, UH, SINCE WE'RE BE SO CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE LIBRARY AND BY EXTENSION, THE CITY, UM, MISCONCEPTIONS ARE BOUND TO ARISE ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE MUSEUM, MUCH LIKE THEY DO WITH THE CITY AND THE, UH, CEDAR HILL, ISD.
UM, SO, SO WE'RE MAKING AN EFFORT TO MODEL OUR CONDUCT AND MANAGEMENT AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO THEREFORE, WE'LL BE LEADING OFF THIS PRESENTATION WITH OUR VISION AND MISSION, VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS.
UM, I CAN JUST LET YOU READ 'EM JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
WE'LL LET YOU READ THEM, UH, YOURSELVES AT ANOTHER TIME.
HOWEVER, UM, I WILL SAY THAT THIS PRESENTATION, THE, THESE HAVE BEEN CRAFTED, UH, AND REVISITED AND RIGHT OVER TIME WITH INPUT FOR MORE THAN A FEW FORMER CITY, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND OTHER HIGHLY, UH, ENGAGED CITIZENS.
UH, SO I'LL LET YOU, UH, LIKE I SAID, LOOK THOSE AT ANOTHER TIME.
AND THEN A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, AGAIN, FOLLOWING THE, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL'S LEAD, WE CREATED OUR VALUES.
AND I THINK THESE ARE LIKE, AS IMPORTANT TO US AS OUR MISSION AND VISION.
AND I'D LIKE TO RUN THROUGH 'EM REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, WE VALUE MAINTAINING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE.
WE VALUE POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE EXPERIENCES.
WE WANT A DESTINATION THAT PROMOTES AUTHENTICITY.
WE WANT IMPACTFUL AND INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE, UH, TRANSPARENT AND RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION.
AND WE WANNA BE STEWARDS OF OUR HISTORY THAT EMBRACES DIVERSITY AND PROMOTES ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR HISTORY.
SO, UH, JUST A BRIEF BACKGROUND ABOUT OUR MUSEUM.
UH, OUR FOUNDING ORGANIZATION DATES BACK TO, UH, 1978.
THEN IN 2006, OUR 5 0 1 C3 WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE CEDAR HU MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
WE'RE GOVERNED BY 13 MEMBER BOARD OF TRUSTEES, INCLUDING THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL HONORARY TRUSTEES AMONG THEM, UM, JR HICKMAN, GEORGIA KWAY AND JERRY WEST.
AND, UH, WE HAVE SEVEN COMMITTEES THAT WORKED REALLY HARD OVER THE PAST 18 TO 24
[00:55:01]
MONTHS.UH, IN PREPARATION FOR THIS PROJECT, UH, AS A TEAM, AS THIS 20 YEAR PLUS DREAM OF, UH, PERMANENT MUSEUM COMES TO FRUITION, THE BOARD BEGAN TO RESEARCH MUSEUMS, UH, MAINLY AROUND THE NORTH TEXAS AREA.
AND, UH, DESIGNERS FOR THOSE VENUES.
OUR ORIGINAL CHOICE WAS A DESIGNER OUT A DESIGN FIRM OUT OF AUSTIN, WOMEN OWNED, UH, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DELIVER ON OUR TIMELINE.
SO WE ULTIMATELY CHOSE THE DALLAS FIRM OF MUSEUM ARTS.
UH, THEY WERE FOUNDED IN 1981 BY THE LATE CHARLES PARAMORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECOGNIZE THE NAME, UH, NOTICE THE LAST NAME.
BUT WE TOOK THAT AS A SIGN THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT FIRM FOR US.
AND IT'S LED BY, UH, TODAY BY SUN PHIL.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED, ALBEIT QUIRKY TEAM WITH EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND INSTALLATION SKILLS.
AND THEY HAVE AN IN, IN-HOUSE, UM, FABRICATION FACILITY IN DALLAS.
SO THAT MAKES IT MUCH MORE CONVENIENT FOR US.
UM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THEIR, UM, MUSEUM SPECIFIC PROJECTS AS WELL AS SOME OF THEIR CORPORATE, UH, CLIENTS.
NOW, THEIR PROCESS IS RIGOROUS, BUT IT WAS WELL WORTH THE TIME THAT WE PUT INTO IT.
WE STARTED WITH A STORYTELLER, A PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLER, UM, TO DEVELOP OUR MESS MESSAGE.
WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO, UH, THE THEMES OF NATURE SETTLERS COMMERCE.
UH, AND SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, MATTER OF FACT, NATURE WAS WEIGHTED AS THE HIGHEST AMONG OUR STORIES TO TELL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS'LL COME FIRST C FULL CIRCLE FOR US.
ULTIMATELY, OUR STORYLINE WAS DEVELOPED AND WE BEGAN, UM, POPULATING THEIR, UM, WEBSITE, OR PARDON ME, THEIR, UH, TEAM WITH DOCUMENTS, IMAGERY, ARTIFACTS THAT, UM, PERTAIN TO OUR STORY.
AND THEN OUR CONCEPT WAS DEVELOPED WITH, UH, EXHIBIT LAYOUTS, WORKFLOWS, AND TIMELINES.
UM, AND HERE'S, OKAY, AND HERE'S HOW A VISITOR MIGHT MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE MUSEUM.
YOU CAN SEE THE ENTRANCE ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS IMAGE.
IT'LL GO THROUGH THE PREHISTORIC AREA ONTO THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
YOU'LL MAKE A WAY TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE MUSEUM IN THE BECOMING CEDAR HILL, WHICH IS THE PERIOD FROM, UH, SAY EIGHT TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE.
1846 TO, UH, 1869 WOULD BE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
UH, 1870 TO 99 WOULD BE COMING CEDAR HILL.
AND THEN THIS LAST SEGMENT IS, UH, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND, UM, PARDON ME, COMMUNITY
AND IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE EXHIBIT SPACE DESIGN, UM, UH, AND THAT, THAT'S THE NEW FLOOR.
THE, THE ONE, THE SLIDE YOU JUST SAW WILL BE THE, UH, FLOOR PLAN AT THE ULTIMATE BUILD OUT.
AND WE HAVE A LITTLE, UM, ANIMATION HERE THAT'LL SHOW YOU HOW THEY'LL MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH.
GO THROUGH THE FIRST DOOR, THE FIRST PHASE THAT, UH, PREHISTORIC WILL BE ON YOUR LEFT AND ALSO ON YOUR RIGHT.
AND THEN THEY'LL MAKE THEIR WAY AROUND ULTIMATELY, UH, AT, AT BUILD OUT WITH THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
IT'LL BE A PART OF THAT CENTER SECTION WILL BE TWO-SIDED.
UH, THEN THEY'LL MAKE THEIR WAY AROUND THE BACK AND BECOMING CEDAR HILL.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT AS THINGS PROGRESS, THEY BECOME A LITTLE MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY, UH, UH, ADVANCED.
AND SO BY THE TIME WE WERE TO WORK AROUND TO THAT LAST SECTION, THERE WILL BE QUITE A BIT OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY EMBEDDED IN WHAT, UH, HOW THAT EXHIBIT APPEARS.
SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE EXHIBIT SPACE, UH, OUR MASTER PLAN INCLUDES A STYLE GUIDE, BRAND NEW KELLER FONTS DISPLAY THAT LOOKS, UH, KIND OF DESCRIBES THE TONE, AND THIS IS MORE OR LESS HOW IT'S GONNA LOOK.
UH, WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT OUR EXHIBITS CHRONOLOGICALLY, AND THE PREHISTORIC BEING THE FIRST PHASE.
THE VISITORS WILL LEARN ABOUT, UM, CEDAR HILL'S PREHISTORIC, UH, BEGINNINGS WHEN THIS AREA WAS PART OF THE WESTERN INTERIOR SEAWAY.
UM, AND, UM, INHABITED BY AGENT MARINE ANIMALS LIKE OUR EARLIEST KNOWN RESIDENTS, UM, DISCOVERED HERE IN 1938 BY MR. TIDWELL.
OUR POSA, OUR PLESSY, AS THE SCHOOLCHILDREN NAMED IT A WHILE BACK, WILL BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DISPLAY.
AND, UM, ALTHOUGH HE WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR THE, UH, TO BE A LIFE-SIZED REPLICA, HANGING FROM THE CEILING, GOT A LITTLE, UM, ENGINEERING GOT IN THE WAY, BUT HE WILL BE NONETHELESS, UH, AN EXCITING EXHIBIT, UH, ADDITION TO THIS EXHIBIT.
AND THE SECOND MAJOR FEATURE WILL BE TO THE RIGHT AS YOU GO INTO THE, UH, BUILDING.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A WALL THAT ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF ROCK HERE IN CEDAR HILL.
AND THERE'LL BE INTERACTIVE PIECES, ONE OF WHICH WILL,
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UM, SLIDE BACK AND FORTH.UH, THE ONE THERE ON THE LEFT, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SLIDES BACK AND FORTH.
IT CAN MOVE AND IT SHOWS HOW THE BALCON F FELT LINE WAS, UH, CREATED.
AND ALSO THERE'LL BE SLIDERS ON THE SIDE WITH THE FOSSILS THAT WERE LOCATED RIGHT HERE IN CEDAR HILL.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, WE, UH, WENT OUT OF THE CONCEPT PHASE AND INTO SPECIFICATIONS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, AND THEIR FABRICATIONS.
AND, UM, ACTUALLY, THIS RIGHT HERE WILL BE THE ENTIRETY OF OUR, UM, UM, EXHIBIT FOR THE TIME BEING.
AND THE OTHER REMAINING PHASES WILL BE, UM, THE REMAINDER OF THE EXHIBITS WILL COME OUT IN PHASES, UH, HOPEFULLY ONE PER YEAR, UH, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
AND THEN IN THE MEANTIME, THE BALANCE OF THE, THE SPACE WILL INCLUDE, UM, OUR DISPLAYS FROM A PREVIOUS INSTALLATION AT THE OLD RED COURTHOUSE AND TRAVELING EXHIBITS SUCH AS MOMENTOUS.
IT'S, UM, UH, BY AN AUTHOR, BY THE, IT'S A, AN EXHIBIT FROM THE TEXAS LAKES TRAIL, THE VACCARO TECH, UM, THE VACCARO, UH, TEXAS COWBOY MUSEUM IN, UH, ANDRE IAN'S, UH, TEXAS FOOD TIME EXHIBIT, UH, ABOUT, UH, FOSSILS.
HE, BY THE WAY, IS A, IS A LOCAL KID.
HE HAS BEEN COLLECT, HE'S A PALEONTOLOGIST, WELL-RESPECTED.
HE HAS A PLACE DOWN IN HILLSBOROUGH, AND HE AS ALSO EMPLOYS A FORMER CEDAR HILL, UH, UM, EMPLOYEE FROM THE HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAD, IT WAS LIKE OLD HOME WEEK.
YOU KNEW TOBY SNOWDEN AND THE WHOLE GROUP USED TO ATTEND THEIR CHURCH.
SO IT WAS, IT'S BEEN NICE GETTING TO KNOW HIM.
UM, I, I'LL RUN THROUGH THIS REAL QUICKLY.
UH, AS FAR AS ADMINISTRATION, UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR MASTER PLAN.
WE'VE COMPLETED OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
THE MARKETING PLAN, UH, INCLUDES A NEW, UH, DOT ORG WEBSITE.
AND WE'RE HAVE BEEN, UH, COORDINATING WITH THE LIBRARY.
WE HAVE AFFILIATIONS WITH THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, AND THE TEXAS LAKES TRAIL, WHICH IS A MORE REGIONAL AS FAR AS FUNDING GOES.
OUR ONGOING FUNDING INCLUDES, UM, MEMBERSHIPS, UH, IN THE FORM OF DUES OR, OR MEMBERSHIP IN THE FORM OF DUES AND IN KIND DONATIONS AND OTHER MEANS.
AND WE CONTINUE OUR FUNDRAISING EVENTS, UH, AT OUR ANNUAL, LIKE THE TOWER CITY GOLF CLASSIC, WHICH WE ARE ALL INVITED TO COME AND ATTEND ON MAY IN MAY.
AND, UM, OF COURSE, COUNTRY DAY.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO MEMBERSHIP, WE HAVE, UM, BEEN RECIPIENTS OF FUNDS THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS, UH, THE NOR TEXAS DAY OF GIVING, AND THE SUMMER LEE FOUNDATION, THE SUMMER LEE FOUND, UH, FOUNDATION GRANT WAS SUBMITTED BY PHYLLIS STEWART, AND IT'LL BE A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP, WHICH WILL FEATURE OVERLAYS OF DIFFERENT, UM, FROM DIFFERENT YEARS AND EVENTS AND STRUCTURES OR ACTIVITIES THAT MADE THEM SIGNIFICANT.
AND MUCH OF THE RESEARCH AND PREPARATION FOR THE EXHIBIT WAS PROVIDED BY FORMER, UM, CITY PLANNER, ROD TYLER.
SO WE'VE MANAGED TO PULL HIM BACK INTO THE, THE FOLD HERE AND, AND, UM, HELP US OUT.
WE'RE SEEKING FUNDING OP, OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND ARE, UM, LOOKING IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE, UM, LOOKING FOR THE DALLAS FOUNDATION GRANT AS A HISTORY ORGANIZATION.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE HOW WOEFULLY, UM, UNDERREPRESENTED OUR, UH, MINORITY COMMUNITY IS.
AND THIS GRANT WOULD HELP US FUND A RESEARCHER AND AN ADMINISTRATOR TO CONNECT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, UM, TO CEDAR HILL'S EARLY HISTORY.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, TO IGNORE THIS PERIOD OF OUR CITY'S HISTORY WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, UH, OUR OPERATIONS RIGHT NOW, WE, UH, ARE LOOKING TO, WE'LL INCLUDE AN ADMINISTRATOR, OUR HOURS OF OPERATION.
UH, WE CURRENTLY PLAN TO BE OPEN ON THUR THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
UH, WE HAVE OUR MONTHLY BOARD MEETINGS, AND WE'LL BE, DO QUAR.
WE'LL BE DOING QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS ALONG WITH THOSE, UH, OUR, WITH OUR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP, AND THEY'LL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT, AND I RIGHT DOWN HERE, THE LAST ONE, THE, THE CITY, UH, BOARD APPOINTMENT, WE WOULD LIKE, UH, REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAYBE CONSIDER, UH, APPOINTING A MEMBER OF THE MUSEUM, POSSIBLY IN AN EX OFFICIO CAPACITY TO THE LIBRARY BOARD, BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THERE, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CONNECTIVITY THERE.
AND LIKEWISE, WE WOULD WELCOME A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE LIBRARY TO LIAISON TO OUR BOARD AS WELL.
UM, OUR NEXT STEPS WILL BE, OF COURSE, TO HIRE THE ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, WE WANNA LAUNCH OUR NEW, COMPLETE, THE LAUNCHING OF OUR NEW WEBSITE, UH, IMPLEMENT OUR MARKETING PLAN COORDINATE.
WE WANNA CONTINUE TO COORDINATE OUR ACTIVITIES WITH THE CITY, AND WE WANNA RECRUIT AND ORGANIZE VOLUNTEERS AND DOCENTS.
[01:05:01]
AND THAT'LL INCLUDE TRAINING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND ALSO BACKGROUND CHECKS.AND, UM, WITH THAT, THE MUSEUM WANTS TO, UM, AND PLESSY, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
AND WE WANNA EXTEND A SPECIAL THANKS TO CITY MANAGER MELISSA, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, MELISSA VALDEZ, CUMMINGS, AND LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
UH, RAN BELL, UH, MR. PORTER AND ALL THE CITY STAFF WHO STEPPED UP TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, COORDINATE SITE VISITS AND MAKE INTRODUCTIONS FOR US, UH, MEETINGS AND MEETING SPACES, AND JUST GUIDANCE IN GENERAL.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AND, UH, YOU SHOULD BE REAL PROUD OF YOUR STAFF, AND SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL THIS OUT WITHOUT 'EM.
SO THAT IS MY PRESENTATION, NOON, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UH, UM, FIRST, UH, UH, MS. BUSBAR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE QUESTION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER DANIELS, UH, ON YOUR PICTURES I SEE WHERE YOU DO HAVE A SECTION FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, UH, CONNECTIONS.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY PICTURES OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
WELL, UH, OUR FIRST, THE FIRST PART OF OUR EXHIBIT IS, UM, PREHISTORIC.
AND, UM, SO THE NEXT PHASE WILL BE THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
AND, UH, WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR, UH, SECTION, THERE WILL BE AFRICAN AMERICAN REPRESENTATION.
UH, IT'LL START, UM, PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE BEST THING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY PRIOR TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN 1846 AND UP TO MAYBE THE 1970S, UH, IS THAT THERE WAS, UM, AN ENSLAVED, UM, VICTIM OF THE 1846 TORNADO.
AND THAT'S, THAT ONE IS RECORDED AND THERE ARE RECORDED HISTORIES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ALONG THE WAY, BUT WE'RE JUST NOT REALLY, UM, IT'S NOT WELL DOCUMENTED.
BUT YES, THE, THE EARLY SETTLEMENT WILL INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN APPEARANCE.
RIGHT NOW, ALL THESE CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS ARE SIMPLY LINE DRAWINGS JUST TO GIVE US A, UH, AN IDEA OF HOW IT WILL LOOK.
NONE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COLORATION OR THE, UH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS HAVE BEEN FILLED IN YET.
BUT MOST DEFINITELY, THEY WILL BE A PART OF THAT NEXT, THAT NEXT PHASE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER HAYDEN.
PATTY, I GOTTA TELL YOU, LOOKING AT THIS AND SEEING, SEEING WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE, IT'S JUST TOTALLY AMAZES ME.
YOU KNOW, I WON'T SAY YOU TOOK A STEP FORWARD.
I'LL SAY YOU TOOK A GIANT LEAP AS FAR AS HOW TO PRESENT THIS, UH, THIS MUSEUM, YOU KNOW, AND I'D GO THROUGH AND VISIT SOME OF THE STUFF THERE WHEN IT WAS OVER BY SAM'S AND EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, WHEN Y'ALL WERE STRUGGLING TO HAVE A PLACE TO PUT ALL OF THE STUFF THAT YOU HAD ACCUMULATED FOR THIS.
SO I WOULD JUST SEE IN BITS AND PIECES AND, AND SO FORTH, BUT TO COME DOWN AND SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE HERE AND HOW THE BOARD'S GOT TOGETHER AND, AND THE PLANS THAT YOU PUT INTO PLACE, THIS IS GONNA BE DEFINITELY A PREMIER LIBRARY, I MEAN A MUSEUM.
AND SO MY HAT'S OFF TO THE, TO THE, THE GROUP AND YOURSELF FOR, FOR MAKING THIS THING SOMETHING REALLY AWESOME THAT THE CITIZENS CAN BE PROUD OF FOR CEDAR HILL AND PROMOTE AND KNOW ABOUT OUR HISTORY.
AND WE HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LIVE UP TO THE BAR, THE STANDARD OF, OF THE MUSEUM, BECAUSE OUR VISIBILITY IS GONNA BE RAISED 10000%.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I LOVE THIS PRESENTATION.
I HAVE CONSULTED WITH NONPROFITS ACROSS COUNTRY, AND TO SEE A VESTED PLAN IS JUST AMAZING.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A TRACK RECORD FOR, WELL, YOU'RE ABLE TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.
SO HAVING A PLAN THAT'S EXCELLENT.
AND LOOKING AT THIS, I HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
I HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS BEFORE, BUT I HAVE EVEN HIGHER EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE THIS IS AN AMAZING PRESENTATION SHOWING WHAT WE CAN EXPECT GOING FORWARD, AND THAT THERE'S A PLAN, AND THAT I AM POSITIVE THAT THIS WILL COME TO FRUITION, AND THIS WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL GEM TO THE CITY OF CEDAR HILL, REFLECTING HOW OUR HISTORY AND WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO COME TO CEDAR HILL TO SEE THE PROGRESS OF DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE STARTED FROM A SMALL COMMUNITY INTO A CITY OF 50,000 WHERE PEOPLE GET ALONG.
SO JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ZEEN, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I, I THINK MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR, UH, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE WORD OUT? HAS THAT ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED?
[01:10:01]
IT'S LIKE, NOT NECESSARILY.IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
NOT NECESSARILY IF THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S THERE, RIGHT.
IT'S, IT IS MOST DEFINITELY PART OF OUR MARKETING PLAN.
UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, MELISSA, AND, UH, I THINK YOU HAVE A, A PLANNER.
AND, UM, AT LEAST FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE GRAND OPENING AND BEYOND THAT, UM, MOST OF OUR MARKETING WILL, UM, REVOLVE AROUND THE LIBRARY, UH, ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, UP TO THIS POINT WE'VE BEEN OPERATING, UH, I SUPPOSE SINCE MAYBE THREE, THREE YEARS FROM NOW, WE'VE BEEN IN A, A SMALL HOUSE JUST OPERATING OUT OF AN OFFICE.
AND SO JUST THE SHEER FACT THAT WE HAVE A LOCATION WHERE AS MANY AS A HUNDRED OR 200 PEOPLE MIGHT PASS IN A SINGLE DAY, GIVES US THE VI THE VISIBILITY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA NEED.
I, I FEEL LIKE, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, I THINK ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT OF THE MUSEUM AS MORE OPPORTUNISTIC.
THAT IS PEOPLE WERE COMING TO THE LIBRARY AND THEY'RE JUST GONNA HAPPEN TO SEE THE MUSEUM.
AND I DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY ANYMORE AFTER THIS PRESENTATION.
I SEE IT BEING ALSO A DRAW, UM, THAT PEOPLE COME SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT.
SO, UM, JUST TO, TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
WELL, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD NOTICED ON THE, THE PRESENTATION AT THE BEGINNING, IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH TO THE LEFT OF THE DOORS, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THERE'S A PANEL, BUT IT'S A PERFORATED MATERIAL, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH IT.
THERE'LL BE A MAP, OF COURSE, SOMETHING THAT GOES ON THE BACKSIDE OF IT.
BUT WHAT YOU WILL SEE FROM THAT IS THE DINOSAUR HEAD HANGING DOWN OVER THE TOP OF IT.
THAT ALONE, I THINK WILL PROBABLY AT LEAST, UH, MERIT A SECOND LOOK.
SO, UM, ALSO, THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, IT'S OBVIOUS, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE LIBRARY BOARD, UM, HAS PUT A, OR THE MUSEUM BOARD, UM, HAS PUT A LOT OF, OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO, INTO WHAT IS ALREADY HERE.
WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR KIND OF TIMELINE AND EXPECTATIONS FOR WHEN THE MUSEUM DISPLAYS ARE GONNA BE READY? OR DO, DO YOU EXPECT THEM TO BE READY WHEN THE, WHEN THE LIBRARY OPENS? OH, YES.
I, I, I GET THREE, FOUR EMAILS A DAY FROM THE MUSEUM OF ARTS PEOPLE.
UH, AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF FABRICATING THE, UH, ORIGINAL, THE, UH, INITIAL EXHIBIT.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE A DEADLINE OF MARCH THE 15TH.
IF THEY, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S GONNA DROP DEAD ON MARCH 15TH.
EITHER OUR, OUR PROJECT IS GOING TO BE IN PLACE AND WE'RE GONNA MEET THAT DEADLINE.
OR, UH, THERE'S, SOMEONE'S GONNA HURT
THAT'S JUST ALL THERE IS TO IT.
WE'LL BE PUTTING PLASTER UP ON THE EXHIBIT OURSELVES IF WE HAVE TO.
BUT YEAH, UH, THIS ONE, AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THEM, WE HOPE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO ONE A YEAR, UM, DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING.
AND, AND THEN YOU, YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE RESEARCHING THE EARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY FOR, YOU KNOW, OF CEDAR HILL AND, AND, AND HOW THAT'S GONNA BE DISPLAYED IN THE MUSEUM.
DO YOU EXPECT TO HAVE THAT? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE DOING SOME RESEARCH.
DO YOU EXPECT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF WRAPPED UP BY, IN TIME TO, TO HAVE THAT INCLUDED, OR DO YOU THINK THAT, IS THIS GONNA BE AN ONGOING PROCESS OR NO? UM, WE ARE SEEKING A GRANT THAT WOULD FUND THIS PARTICULAR RESEARCH.
UM, A AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE VERY LITTLE DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY HERE, UH, IN CEDAR HILL ON UP TO THE 1970S MM-HMM.
UM, I WAS IN CONVERSATION WITH, UM, A, UM, THE, A FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADER THAT I KNEW WHEN I WAS EMPLOYED IN DOING THAT WORK.
AND HIS WIFE IS A FORMER ADMINISTRATOR AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THEY, UH, I SPOKE WITH HIM THIS MORNING JUST TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY, IF SHE MIGHT HAVE ANY INTEREST IN HELPING WITH THE RESEARCH IN THE ABSENCE OF A GRANT FUNDED, UH, PROGRAM TO DO THE RESEARCH.
AND SO I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UH, MS. MARTHA WILL HELP US WITH THAT PROJECT AS WELL.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO ENGAGE AS MANY COMMUNITY, UH, MEMBERS AS POSSIBLE TO ASSIST US WITH THAT.
ANY KIND OF HISTORY THAT'S COMPILED.
I, I, I KNOW WE HAD A TORNADO THAT, THAT WIPED OUT EARLY MM-HMM.
DID, WAS THERE A LOT OF LOSS OF RECORDS FROM THAT PERIOD? OR WERE THERE JUST NOT RECORDS KEPT OR THERE WERE JUST NOT VERY MANY WE SUSPECT, UM, UN UNFORTUNATELY, BUT THE,
[01:15:01]
IT IS THE FACT, UH, THESE ARE THE FACTS.WE SUSPECT THAT THE, UM, MOST OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS WILL BE INVOLVED, ENSLAVED, ENSLAVED INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, NOT A PRETTY PART OF OUR HISTORY, BUT IT'S THERE.
MS. BEHAR, THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU, SIR.
YOUR PRESENTATION TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE MUSEUM, UH, BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT.
UH, THE OPENING OF THE MUSEUM, I BELIEVE THIS, UH, CONCLUDES THE BRIEFING SESSION.
I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT OF THE BRIEFING SESSION.
IS THERE A SECOND? IT'S NON DEBATABLE.
ALL THOSE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
COUNSEL, IF WE CAN, WE COULD JUST MOVE RIGHT.