[1. Call Meeting to Order and Announce that a Quorum is Present.]
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IT IS FIVE THIRTY FIVE AND WE'LL CALL TO ORDER THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ADDISON CITY COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2025.
WE DO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COUNCIL PRESENT WITH ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING.
AND AS ALWAYS, WE LIKE TO START OUR MEETINGS WITH THE PLEDGE TO BOTH OF OUR FLAGS.
IF YOU'LL PLEASE RISE AS YOU'RE ABLE, I PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD IS THE REASONABLE TO LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
A PLEASURE MEETING TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE IN INDIVISIBLE.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT TO, UH, GET THROUGH THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE, UH, ASKED TO, UH, SPEAK TO, TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
[3. Public Comment. The City Council invites citizens to address the City Council on any matter, including items on the agenda, except public hearings that are included on the agenda. Comments related to Public Hearings will be heard when the specific hearing starts. Citizen comments are limited to three (3) minutes, unless otherwise required by law. To address the Council, please fill out a City Council Appearance Card and submit it to a staff member prior to the Public Comment item on the agenda. The Council is not permitted to take any action or discuss any item not listed on the agenda. The Council may choose to place the item on a future agenda.]
SO WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THAT.THE, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE MEETING, AND I'LL READ THAT ITEM.
THE CITY COUNCIL INVITES CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY MATTER, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, EXCEPT, EXCEPT PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT ARE INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA.
COMMENTS RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HEARD WHEN THE SPECIFIC HEARING STARTS.
CITIZEN COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY LAW.
TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, PLEASE FILL OUT A CITY COUNCIL APPEARANCE CARD, AND IF YOU, IF YOU INTEND TO SPEAK AND YOU'VE NOT FILLED ONE OF THESE OUT, PLEASE GET ONE OF THOSE FROM OUT FRONT AND GET THAT HANDED OFF TO A STAFF MEMBER.
UH, THE COUNCIL'S NOT PERMITTED TO TAKE ANY ACTION OR DISCUSS ANY ITEM NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA, AND THE COUNCIL MAY CHOOSE TO PLACE THE ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND AS I SAID, WE DO HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT HAVE ASKED TO SPEAK TONIGHT AND FOR UP TO THREE MINUTES.
UM, AND WE WILL HOPE WE WILL HOLD FIRM ONTO THREE MINUTES TONIGHT.
AND, UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES.
UH, SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, MAKE, MAKE YOUR COMMENTS, STATE YOUR POSITION AND, AND HAVE A SEAT IF YOU, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT, UH, A LITTLE MORE SUCCINCTLY.
SO WITH THAT, WE, UH, BEFORE I START CALLING FOLKS UP, WE HAD A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT SENT THAT, UH, SENT IN WRITTEN COMMENTS VIA THE WEBSITE, THE WEBSITE FORM, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, RECEIVED.
AND I WANT TO JUST GO THROUGH THOSE.
I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE REMARKS THAT THEY MADE, UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THEM FOR THE RECORD.
UH, AND BASICALLY THE WAY WE DIVIDED THEM UP IS, IS BETWEEN STAY AND LEAVE.
I DIDN'T WANNA SAY FOUR AGAINST 'CAUSE.
FOUR AGAINST WHAT? SO STAY OR LEAVE IS WHAT WE, IS HOW WE DIVIDED THEM UP.
AND SO, UM, SO I'M GONNA READ THEM TO YOU.
I'M GONNA READ THE, I'M GONNA READ THE, UH, STAYS FIRST AND THEN I'LL READ THE LEAVES.
SO THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT, UH, SENT IN A COMMENT TO STAY IN DART.
WE HAVE KELLY HEINZERLING, CHUCK GREEN, RICHARD BADGET, MICHAEL MARTINEZ, JASON CLARK, CHEYENNE, SUNDAR RA, ANNIE TABOR, ABIGAIL HERBA, CHECK BRIA OR BRIA LUDWIG, JAMES POPPI, NATHAN NAAN, NAGER CHA, CHAD FULLMAN, MARY BETH FULLMAN, DANIEL SCOTT PARKER, AND SAM DRAGON.
AND FOR THOSE THAT SENT IN COMMENTS TO LEAVE, WE HAD MR. AND MRS. PATRICK BURKES, GERARD FAZIO, AND THAT WAS ALL.
SO WE WILL GO INTO, UH, WE'LL CALL THE FOLKS.
I'M GONNA CALL FIRST THE ONES THAT, UH, DID THE REQUEST ONLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE ONES THAT HAVE SUBMITTED CARDS THIS EVENING.
MR. MAYOR, A POINT OF POINT OF ORDER, IF I MAY, PLEASE, SIR, I'VE MADE THE REQUEST AND, AND WOULD REQUEST AGAIN HERE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF ADDISON WOULD BE GIVEN FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IF WE CAN GO THROUGH THE CARDS AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT OUR RESIDENTS AND UH, UH, RESIDENTS OF ADDISON HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE.
I WANT EVERYONE'S OP OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT I THINK IT WOULD ONLY BE FAIR IF OUR RESIDENTS WERE ABLE TO SPEAK FIRST.
AND, UH, I INTEND TO ALTERNATE, UH, BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ADDISON AND NON ADDISON SPEAKERS.
UM, FIRST UP WE HAVE ALEXANDER SCOTT, AND
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WHEN YOU COME UP TO THE LE TO THE PODIUM HERE, IF YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.FIRST UP IS ALEXANDER SCOTT, AND I'M NOT SEEING ALEXANDER SCOTT IN THE ROOM.
SO WE WILL GO ON TO CURTIS GREEN, AND AS YOU SPEAK, YOU CAN, UH, BE MINDFUL OF THE, UH, THE CLOCK ON THE WALL HERE TO SEE THE TIMER, AND YOU'LL HEAR THIS AN ALARM WHENEVER YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I LIVE AT 1 5 8 0 0 SPECTRUM DRY.
10 YEARS AGO, ADDISON DEMANDED THE SILVER LINE, OR WE WOULD LEAVE DART TWO MONTHS AGO.
THIS $2.1 BILLION SILVER LINE IS COMPLETE, BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEAVING.
ANYWAYS, THE MAIN JUSTIFICATION PUT ON THE TOWN SITE IS THAT DART DOESN'T SPEND ENOUGH MONEY IN ADDISON, BUT THE REPORT YOU CITE COMPLETELY EXCLUDES THE SILVER LINE, WHICH COSTS MORE THAN ADDISON'S LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS FIVE TIMES OVER.
JUST TO BUILD ON TOP OF THAT, AT OUR REQUEST IN SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, UH, WE'LL BE RECEIVING THE CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE IN THE ON-DEMAND GO LINK ZONE, WHICH BRINGS OUR TOTAL TO $23 MILLION OR 140% RETURN, THE EXACT INVERSE OF WHAT IS SHOWN ON THE WEBSITE.
SHOULD ADDISON NOW LOSE SERVICE NOW THAT WE RECEIVE MORE THAN WHAT WE PUT IN? I HOPE NOT.
AND YOU SAY THAT IT TAKES THREE YEARS OF DEBT PAYMENT IF WE LEAVE DARK, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE SILVER LINE? I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO CHECK.
I REACHED OUT TO LET YOU KNOW ONLY TO LEARN THAT YOU ALREADY KNEW.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE REPORT, BUT IF YOU KNEW IT WAS WRONG, WHY WOULD YOU CITE IT? ELECTIONS DEPEND ON EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME ACCURATE INFORMATION AND PURPOSEFULLY MISLEADING VOTERS VIOLATES THAT.
THE WEBPAGE ALSO SAYS YOU'RE VOTE WORRIED ABOUT OTHER CITIES PULLING OUT, BUT YOU CAN JUST WAIT AND SEE THEIR ELECTION RESULTS IN MAY AND THEN PUT IT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT IF DESIRED.
YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT TRANSFERS, INFLATING THE CONS, THE COST, UH, RELATED TO BOARDINGS FOR THE BUSES.
UH, BUT EVEN IF THAT WAS $0, IT WOULD BE A TINY FRACTION, ONE 20 OF PERCENT COMPARED TO THE SILVER LINE COST THAT ISN'T MENTIONED AT ALL, THE LARGEST LINE ITEM.
UM, AND SO I ASKED
UH, AND YOU'RE COMPARING THE OPERATING COST OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL COST OF DART.
DON, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO REMIND YOU THAT NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA HAVE A 50 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR BOND FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THEY NEED IT, BUT ARE, DO YOU WANT TO ADD THAT INTO THE CALCULATION AS WELL? IT'S APPLES AND ORANGES.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE IS RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIGHT ALL THE CITIES IN THE MUD IN THIS ZERO SUM GAME, IS WE NEED ALL THE CITIES IN DFW TO COME TOGETHER AND GO TO THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR AND DEMAND THAT TXDOT ACTUALLY PAY MONEY FOR TRANSIT RATHER THAN US PAYING IT ALL OURSELVES.
CURRENTLY, THEY PAY $0, UM, AND WE NEED TO EXEMPT TRANSIT FROM THE LOCAL SALES TAX CAP SO EVERYONE'S AT THE SAME LEVEL, AND THEN JOIN ALL THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES INTO ONE LARGER TRANSIT AGENCY FOR SEAMLESS CONNECTION.
SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO VOTE NO TONIGHT SO WE CAN BUILD THE FUTURE AND NOT DESTROY IT.
AND AS WE'RE STARTING OUT HERE, UH, THE MORE THAT WE APPLAUD AFTER SOMEBODY SPEAKS, THE LONGER THAT THE NIGHT WILL BE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM APPLAUDING, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY BE ENTHUSIASTIC.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT IN ADVANCE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE JACK EDWARDS, MS. JACK EDWARDS LIVE AT, UH, 5 6 6 5 ARAPAHOE ROAD.
UM, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, I MOVED TO THE ADDISON AREA ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO AFTER GRADUATING COLLEGE.
UM, HONESTLY, AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DART OR USE IT.
UM, OVER TIME THOUGH, THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE OF DRIVING AROUND THE METROPLEX FOR THESE YEARS, I'VE BEEN HERE ATTENDING EVENTS, UM, AND CONTRASTING MY EXPERIENCE IN TRAVEL AND DFW TO OTHER PLACES, UM, THIS WHOLE SUBJECT HAS BECOME A LOT MORE IMPORTANT TO ME AND I THINK TO MANY OTHERS AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN THIS GROWING REALIZATION, I THINK BY MANY DIFFERENT GENERATIONS AND COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH TEXAS AND AMERICA IN GENERAL, WHICH PRIORITIZES INDIVIDUAL CARS OR VEHICLES ABOVE ALL ELSE, UM, IS A MISTAKE.
NOT NECESSARILY THE IDEA ALTOGETHER, BUT HOW FAR WE'VE TAKEN IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, DO YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, OUR TOWN TO BE PLAGUED BY PERPETUAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION, ALWAYS ADDING MORE AND MORE LANE, MORE PARKING GARAGES, UM, YOU KNOW, RUNNING INTO MASSIVE BOTTLENECKS, LEAVING EVENTS
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LIKE KABOOM TOWN OR TASTE OF ADDISON, WHICH I'VE PERSONALLY RUN INTO AND ULTIMATELY MADE LESS WALKABLE AND ACCESSIBLE AT THE END OF THE DAY.UM, OR THERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE, I THINK, AND I HOPE THAT WE BOTH HAVE THE SAME ANSWER TO THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED TONIGHT.
UM, I'M NO FINANCIAL EXPERT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT INVESTING IN YOUR CITIZENS AND PEOPLE'S FUTURES OFTEN DOESN'T MAKE PERFECT FINANCIAL SENSE.
THE RETURNS ON THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE NOT ALL MONETARY OR EVEN MEASURABLE.
THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES AND THE FUTURE OF TRANSIT IN DFW CANNOT BE MEASURED BY THOSE STANDARDS.
UM, IT'S A TRANSFORMATIVE TIME FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT IN NORTH TEXAS.
I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW WITH THE REGION GROWING SO MUCH AND SO MUCH BUZZ ABOUT ALL THESE NEW PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS COMING DOWN, THE PIPE PULLING OUT NOW WILL SET ADDISON AND THE WHOLE REGION BACK, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'LL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS PUBLIC TRANSIT, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO RELY ON IT AND COUNT ON IT TO BE THERE BASED ON THE PUBLISHED REPORT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE TOWN OF ADDISON HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO COOPERATE WITH DART TO IMPROVE ITS GOVERNANCE, FINANCIAL MODEL AND SO ON.
UM, SO LET THIS COOPERATION, COMMUNICATION AND ALL OF THIS GOOD WORK CONTINUE GIVE THESE NEW PROJECTS LIKE THE SILVER LINE AND THE DART TRANSFORM INITIATIVE, SOME BREATHING ROOM AND SOME TIME TO BEAR FRUIT.
LET THIS GOOD WORK CONTINUE TOGETHER.
WE WILL OWE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR IT.
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE RANDALL BRYANT MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MISS CITY MANAGER.
MY ADDRESS IS 3 5 0 NORTH IRV IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD FOR DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT.
I AM HERE TONIGHT WITH TWO MINDS.
ON ONE HAND I PROCLAIM THAT DART WAS FORMED BY A POPULAR VOTE IN 1983 AND BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM'S GOVERNANCE OR CHECKS AND BALANCES LIKE THE ONES YOU ARE CONSIDERING TONIGHT, THE PEOPLE OF ADDISON HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON THEIR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN OUR REGION'S TRANSIT SYSTEM.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THOUGH, I'M STRUCK BY THE TIMING OF THIS COUNCIL'S VOTE.
JUST 35 DAYS AGO, DART AND THE CITY OF ADDISON CELEBRATED TOGETHER AT THE OPENING OF THE SILVER LINE, A $2 BILLION INVESTMENT TO CONNECT ADDISON WITH THE REST OF NORTH TEXAS IN THE 25 YEARS IN, IN, IN THOSE 25 YEARS AT THE ADDISON TRANSIT CENTER.
UH, SINCE IT'S BEEN OPENED, IT'S BALLOONED IN GROWTH TO 1.5 BILLION ADDED TO THE CITY'S TAX ROLLS IN SEPTEMBER, THIS TOWN WENT ALL IN ON DEVELOPING THE ADDISON JUNCTION TO THE TUNE OF 240 MILLION ON THE BASIS THAT WE WOULD OPEN THAT SILVER LINE DART HAS DELIVERED ON OUR PROMISES.
WILL YOU DELIVER TO YOUR RESIDENTS WHILE YOU HEAR FROM THESE RESIDENTS, PEOPLE WHO GO TO WORK, GO TO SCHOOL IN ADDISON AND OTHERS THAT ARE IMPACTED, TONIGHT'S BY THIS BOARD'S DECISIONS, YOU'LL HEAR QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT FOR THE ADDISON CITY AND TO ITS PUBLIC TRANSIT.
IT'S A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK AND ONE THAT I AS A DART BOARD MEMBER OR THE STAFF THAT'S PRESENT HERE TONIGHT CANNOT ANSWER.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THIS COUNCIL AND THOSE THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT IS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE IN THE GOOD FAITH AND THIS CITY AND ALL OF OUR CITIES THAT ARE WITHIN THE DART SYSTEM CURRENTLY HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS THAT BEST FIT THE NEEDS OF OUR RIDERS AND FIND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS LIKE OUR TOURS AND THE GMP PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE APPROVED THAT REDIRECTS FUNDS, CURRENT FUNDS AS WELL AS FUTURE FUNDS BACK TO THE CITY OF ADDISON.
UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE ACTUALLY OF ENJOYING A FINE MEAL BEFORE I CAME TO THIS COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, IT WAS ABOUT 18 BUCKS THAT I SPENT, AND THE TAXES WAS A DOLLAR AND 55 CENTS.
I HAVE NOW CONTRIBUTED TO THE TAX BASE OF THIS CITY.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT HOW ARE ONLY OUR RIDERS, UH, RESIDENTS OF, OF ADDISON BEING IMPACTED.
DART IS, IS, IS, IS, IS, IS FORMED BY SALES TAX, NOT BY PROPERTY TAXES THAT ONLY YOUR RESIDENTS POUR INTO.
I, MYSELF, AS A DALLAS RESIDENT POURED INTO YOUR TAXES.
UH, THIS IS A REGIONAL SYSTEM AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE DOMINIC.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DOMINIC JOSEPH.
I LIVE AT 1 8 7 2 7 GIBBONS DRIVE IN FAR NORTH DALLAS.
I'M ASKING YOU TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DART WITHDRAWAL ELECTION.
I OFTEN TAKE THE 2 39 AT ADDISON FROM
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FAR NORTH DALLAS, AND TO ME THAT'S JUST ONE REAL LIFE EXAMPLE OF THE SIMPLE POWER AND CONVENIENCE OF A REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.SOMETHING THAT'S MISSED BY THE EY REPORTS, FLAWED LOGIC IN MY OPINION, THAT DART DOESN'T INVEST ADDISON'S MONEY STRICTLY BACK INTO THE CITY AS IF ADDISON EXISTS IN A VACUUM, WHICH IT DOES NOT.
SOME OF THE OTHER MEMBER CITIES HAVE FALLEN FOR THAT FLAWED LOGIC, BUT FRANKLY, I THINK ADDISON CAN REPRESENT A COMMON SENSE FUTURE FOR THE DALLAS AREA.
WELL CONNECTED BUSES ONE AND MAYBE SOMEDAY MORE RAIL STOPS CONNECTED TO TWO OTHER DOWNTOWNS AND CONNECTIVITY FOR OUR UTD COLLEGE STUDENTS.
I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE TIME AND MONEY AND DREAMS I WOULD'VE SPENT HERE IF I HAD THIS SILVER LINE WHEN I WAS A UTD STUDENT TO BE ABLE TO GET HERE FOR ONLY $3 AND USE THAT SAME FARE TO GET AROUND ON ALL OF OUR BUSES.
THINK OF HOW AWESOME IT IS TO HAVE A PIPELINE FOR, FOR TECH STUDENTS WHO ARE ON A BUDGET TO COME IN, ENJOY THE NIGHT SCENE, SEE THAT COMPANIES LIKE GOOGLE ARE HERE IN ADDISON AND ENVISION THEIR OWN FUTURE IN ADDISON.
RIGHT NOW, I STILL BELIEVE THAT ADDISON REPRESENTS THE FUTURE THAT THE DALLAS AREA CAN FOLLOW AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO PLEASE DON'T MOVE BACKWARDS AND DON'T CALL FOR A WITHDRAWAL ELECTION.
ALRIGHT, AND, UH, TO, TO FURTHER TRY TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME, WHAT I WOULD DO NOW IS I'LL CALL THE, I'LL CALL THE NEXT SPEAKER AND THEY'LL CALL THE SPEAKER THAT'S COMING UP AFTER, SO AFTER THEM SO THEY CAN QUEUE UP BEHIND THEM.
AND SO NEXT WE HAVE A PHYLLIS SILVER, FOLLOWED BY KAY SHELTON.
HELLO, I'M PHYLLIS SILVER AND I LIVE AT 1 5 7 2 0 ARTIS WAY, RIGHT HERE IN ADDISON CIRCLE.
AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT ADDISON IS CONSIDERING WITHDRAWING FROM DART.
LEAVING DART WOULD BE DISASTROUS FOR ADDISON.
OUR ECONOMY IS BASED ON HOSPITALITY.
EMPLOYEES OF OUR RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS DEPEND ON DART TO GET THEM TO WORK.
ALSO, VISITORS USED TRANSIT TO OUR EVENTS.
IN 2014, ADDISON CONSIDERED HAVING A WITHDRAWAL ELECTION.
ADDISON'S CHIEF COMPLAINT WAS THE LACK OF A TRAIN.
WHILE MOST SERVICE AREA CITIES ALREADY HAVE RAIL.
AFTER BEING TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT AROUND 30 YEARS FOR RAIL, THE TOWN CHARTERED A BUS TO DART HEADQUARTERS AND PROVIDED US WITH THESE YELLOW SHIRTS.
BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH, YOU REMEMBER US, I THINK RICHARDSON HAD THEM TOO.
AND IT SAYS, UM, COTTON BELT SMART FOR DART.
LET'S BRING DART RAIL TO NORTH DALLAS NOW ONLY A MONTH AFTER SILVER LINE OPENS, ADDISON IS TELLING DART WE WANT TO LEAVE.
IS THIS ADDISON'S WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU FOR ACCELERATING THE, THE TIMELINE OF THE TRAIN'S COMPLETION? WE ARE SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE.
BESIDES WITHDRAWAL IS NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
IF WE WITHDRAW, WE WOULD GET, WE WOULD HAVE NO SERVICE WHILE REPAYING DEBT AND OTHER FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO DART FOR YEARS.
I KNOW THAT SOME ON COUNCIL DON'T USE TRANSIT AND ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF IT.
THINK OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU SERVE.
SOME DEPEND ON DART AND OTHERS CHOOSE TO TAKE IT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DRIVING TO WORK, SCHOOL, MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, AND GROCERY SHOPPING.
THE SAD PART IS MANY OF US MOVE TO ADDISON TO ENJOY EASY ACCESS TO DART'S TRANSIT, NETWORK AND OTHERS.
LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING HERE FOR THIS REASON, IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS, TALK THEM OVER WITH DART.
NEXT UP WE HAVE KAY SHELTON, FOLLOWED BY KENNEDY BAUER.
I'M CHIEF OF STAFF AT DART HERE REPRESENTING NADINE LEE, OUR PRESIDENT, CEO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
A FEW WEEKS AGO WE CELEBRATED THE OPENING OF THE SILVER LINE ADDISON STATION WITH YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
A LONG AWAITED INVESTMENT CHAMPIONED BY YOUR TOWN FOR THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS.
ADDISON IS AT THE CENTER OF THIS 26 MILE CORRIDOR CONNECTING YOUR RESIDENTS TO THE REST OF THE REGION.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, CONNECTING THE REST OF THE REGION TO ALL ADDISON HAS TO OFFER.
WITH EMPLOYMENT SIX TIMES YOUR RESIDENTIAL BASE AND SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ATTRACT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE REGION.
TRANSIT IS A KEY PART OF MEETING YOUR MOBILITY WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC NEEDS.
ADDISON HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO DART.
IN JULY, WE COMPLETED AN AREA PLAN IN COLLABORATION WITH YOUR STAFF OUTLINING PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
WE'VE WORKED IN GOOD FAITH OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, INCLUDING RELOCATING QUORUM ROAD, UH, QUORUM DRIVE, BUS OPERATIONS, APPROVING THE CITYWIDE GO LINK ZONE AND APPROVING A CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE TO BETA CONNECT YOUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO YOUR RESTAURANT AND RETAIL DESTINATIONS.
BOTH OF THESE TO START NEXT APRIL.
WE ALSO RECENTLY PROVIDED YOU WITH
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TWO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS TO BENEFIT YOUR TOWN, ONE FOR 2.93 MILLION IN THE GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM FUNDS AND ONE THAT CAN LEVERAGE OUR SALES TAX INCREMENT.AS PART OF YOUR PROPOSED TURS SURROUNDING THE ADDISON STATION, THE VISION VOTERS ENDORSED IN 1983 IS STILL UNFOLDING AND THE SILVER LINE REPRESENTS A NEW STARTING POINT FOR US.
OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM IS AN ECONOMIC ASSET THAT KEEPS ADDISON AND NORTH TEXAS COMPETITIVE, CONNECTED, AND THRIVING.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE LEADERS LIKE YOU AND STRONG REGIONAL COLLABORATION TO CRAFT SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT US ALL AND MOVE US FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
NEXT WE HAVE KENNEDY BAUER, FOLLOWED BY GARY SLAGEL.
HI, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US.
UM, FIRST I JUST WANNA SHARE MY SUPPORT FOR DART AS WELL AS THE SPECIFICALLY THE SILVER LINE.
UM, MY GOAL HERE IS TO HIGHLIGHT WHY OUR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THIS REGIONAL TRANSIT IS NOT ONLY BENEFICIAL FOR US, BUT ESSENTIAL TO OUR LONG-TERM ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES.
I'VE GROWN UP HERE, I MOVED HERE IN THE EARLY NINETIES WITH MY FATHER.
UM, I'VE WATCHED THIS TOWN AND THIS COMMUNITY EVOLVE FROM OLDER MOTELS SHOPPING CENTERS.
I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT.
RIP TO TY STAR, UM, AND LOW DENSITY RETAIL.
IT'S ALL NOW BECOME MIXED USE DISTRICTS, TOWN HOMES AND MAJOR DEVELOPMENT CORRIDORS.
ADDISON HAS EMBRACED A FORWARD-LOOKING DEVELOPMENT MODEL AND OUR TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY MUST EVOLVE WITH IT.
IT'S GROWING HERE AND AS A YOUNG PERSON THAT'S VERY EXCITING AND VERY ENERGIZING.
UM, BUT THE SILVER LINE ADVANCES MANY OF OUR KEY PRIORITIES THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE TOWN OF ADDISON'S.
PLANS AND GOALS AROUND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, WALKABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
IT PROVIDES A CRITICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ADDISON AND MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS LIKE LEGACY PLANO RICHARDSON, TELECOM CENTER, UH, THE UTD CAMPUS LAS COLINAS AND DFW AIRPORT, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER AND RELIABLE FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO WORK, RUN ERRANDS OR VISIT FAMILY WITHOUT SOLELY RELYING ON CARS.
I WILL SAY CITIES LIKE CHICAGO, DENVER, AND CHARLOTTE HAVE ALSO DOCUMENTED BILLIONS IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT THAT WERE CATALYZED SPECIFICALLY BY TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
IF YOU LOOK AT MOCKINGBIRD STATION, IF YOU LOOK AT RICHARDSON CITY LINE, IF YOU LOOK AT DOWNTOWN PLANO, ALL OF THESE DEMONSTRATE HOW RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE CAN ANCHOR LONG-TERM GROWTH, DIVERSIFY LAND USE PLANS, AS WELL AS STABILIZE LOCAL ECONOMIES.
DALLAS-FORT WORTH IS NOW HOME TO OVER 8.3 MILLION PEOPLE AND IT'S THE LARGEST METRO IN THE CITY OF OR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE NATION.
IN A REGION THAT'S RAPIDLY GROWING AND DOMINATED BY CAR DEPENDENT INFRASTRUCTURE, DFW AND DART ARE GOING TO FACE SOME CHALLENGES, BUT THE ONLY WAY TO FACE THOSE CHALLENGES IS TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
WITHDRAWING WOULD ONLY EXACERBATE THESE CHALLENGES POLICY-WISE.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BENEFIT MOST WHEN MOBILITY PLANNING IS APPROACHED REGIONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY BACKING OUT NOW WOULD ALSO UNDERMINE ALL OF ADDISON'S OWN LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRANSPORTATION, MOBILITY.
I MEAN, WHO LIKES SITTING IN TRAFFIC ON DNT AND 6 35 LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT.
ADDISON HAS INTENTIONALLY APPROVED HIGHER DENSITY HOUSING AND WALKABLE DEVELOPMENT AND OUR REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.
ADDISON HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF DART FOR DECADES, SO PULLING OUT NOW WOULD ONLY REVERSE FORCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR GUIDING US.
DIDN'T OH, COULD YOU PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS FOR US, KENNEDY? OH, SORRY.
MY ADDRESS IS 41 0 1 POCO LOTTE.
SORRY, SHE DIDN'T SAY WHAT THAT ADD ADDISON.
NEXT WE HAVE GARY SLAGEL, FOLLOWED BY ZACHARY GOON.
UH, GARY SLAGEL, 21 BUNKER HILL, RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
I'M A DART BOARD MEMBER AND, UH, THE DART BOARD REPRESENTATIVE FOR THIS BODY.
UM, WE'VE WORKED HARD WITH ADDISON OVER THE YEARS.
THE CITY MANAGERS, UH, THE MAYORS HAVE ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WITH DART, WHICH YOU FINALLY NOW ARE SEEING EVIDENCE OF AND IT'S ACTUALLY RUNNING THROUGH YOUR COMMUNITY.
I WOULD HATE TO SEE AN ELECTION THAT ALLOWED THE TRAIN TO GO THROUGH BUT NOT STOP.
THAT WOULD BE VERY SAD AND HAVE ALL THE SERVICES OF DART NOT HAPPEN AT ALL.
I KNOW THERE'S A SENSE OF IMPATIENCE SOMETIMES AND WE'VE ALL BEEN
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THROUGH THAT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE RTC AND THE NORTH TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HELP US CREATE A BROAD REGIONAL SYSTEM WHERE ALL CITIES ARE A PART OF IT OVER A FIVE A MONTH AREA OR, UM, WITHIN, UH, FIVE COUNTIES AND FIND FUNDING SUPPORTED NOT ONLY LOCALLY, BUT BY THE STATE AND OTHER MEANS TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THE CITIES.I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU NOT DO THIS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THAT WORK AND FIND A SOLUTION FOR TRANSIT THAT WORKS FOR THE FULL REGION AND NOT PENALIZE ANYONE FOR BEING IN OR BEING OUT.
WE'RE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE OF THE FOUR A FOUR B CITIES THAT IMPACT YOU TO THE NORTH.
WE AND RICHARDSON HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
WE ALSO HAVE A STATE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS LOCKED DOWN YOUR GROWTH CAPABILITY.
WE'VE GOT TO DO SOME THINGS TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES.
SO WE'VE GOTTA WORK AS A REGION TO TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST LET'S GET RID OF DART BECAUSE THAT'S A PRETTY EASY TARGET.
LET'S REALLY TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE WITH THE GROWTH WE HAVE COMING FORWARD IN THE REGION, WE NEED TRANSIT.
AND I THINK ALL THE MAYORS WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND THE CITY COUNCILS.
SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UH, DO WE HAVE ZACHARY GOON? OKAY.
SO THEN WE'LL GO TO CYNTHIA RAMOS, FOLLOWED BY ABRAM OLIVA.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CYNTHIA AND I LIVE ON 3,900 VITRUVIAN WAY.
I'VE LIVED IN ADDISON FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND FOR ALMOST AS LONG I HAVE WATCHED IT GROW AND TRANSFORM.
I, UH, AS I GREW INTO ADULTHOOD THOUGH, AND I LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE, I QUICKLY LEARNED.
I'M FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE, NO MONEY, AND I NEED A CAR.
EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TO DO IT ON CREDIT, I WOULD'VE MUCH PREFERRED TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT UNTIL I WAS FINANCIALLY READY.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WHEN THE SILVER LINE OPENED THIS YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, I WAS ELATED.
UM, I STARTED USING IT TO COMMUTE, TO WORK ALONG WITH MY BIKE.
IT'S BETTER FOR MY WALLET AND MY HEALTH.
OUR OPTIONS ONLY SEEM TO BE TO CONTINUE FUNDING DART OR PULLING OUT OF DART.
THIS BLACK AND WHITE THINKING IS NOT THE ADDISON WAY.
BEING SERVICE-MINDED MEANS THINKING ABOUT WHO DART SERVES.
EVERY DAY I SEE GROUPS OF PEOPLE WITH SUITCASES HEADED TO THE AIRPORT.
ONE EVEN ASKED ME TO TAKE HIS PHOTO.
I SEE FAMILIES, UTD STUDENTS, OTHER COMMUTERS.
THE ADDISON WAY ALSO INDICATES BEING SOLUTION DRIVEN.
HOWEVER, THE ADDISON WEBSITE INDICATES THAT YOU THINK DART IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN'T BE SOLVED.
I JUST WAS LOOKING AT THE, UM, ADDISON AIRPORT AND UM, I NOTICED WE'RE MAKING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS AMAZING.
IT DRAWS IN BUSINESS AND TOURISM.
AND SO OF COURSE WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS ACCORDING TO THE 25 26 BUDGET.
$46,745,556 IS GOING TOWARDS VITAL IMPROVEMENTS UNTIL 2029.
AND WHERE DID THAT MONEY COME FROM? WELL, UM, OTHERS MENTIONED THE TDOT GRANTS AND, UM, BOND MONEY.
UM, THESE ARE ALL CREATIVE WAYS TO FUND THINGS.
HOWEVER, THE COUNCIL SEEMS TO BE AFRAID OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF OTHER DART MEMBER CITIES PULL OUT OF THE AGREEMENT.
HAVE WE FORGOTTEN THE TOWN'S MOTTO? BE BRAVE.
UM, THE INDEPENDENT STUDY DOES, UM, INDICATE THAT 17.6 MILLION YEAR THAT THIS YEAR WAS CONTRIBUTED BY ADDISON, BUT WE HAVE VOTED YEAR AFTER YEAR TO CONTRIBUTE FOR 40 YEARS.
ARE WE GOING TO THROW AWAY WHAT WE'VE INVESTED THUS FAR JUST BECAUSE OF A TREND? ADDISON AIMS TO BE QUOTE, THE BENCHMARK OF ALL TEXAS CITIES END QUOTE.
SO WHY ARE WE JUST COPYING WHAT OTHER CITIES DO? THE BE BRAVE MOTTO IS ALSO AN ACRONYM THAT TELLS ADDISON INNOVATE AND WE'VE DONE IT WELL ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION FROM PAST YEAR'S BUDGET, THE TOWN IS A COSMOPOLITAN TOWN CENTER, WHICH SERVES WELL OVER 125,000 BUSINESS PERSON SHOPPERS AND VISITORS DAILY.
THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.
THE DART AND ADDISON AIRPORT CENTER WORK WITH ADDISON'S WONDERFUL RESTAURANTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS TO ATTRACT PEOPLE.
WE CAN LOOK NEW WAYS TO FUND DART, UM, BUT WE
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SHOULD NOT PULL OUT THE AGREEMENT WITHOUT MORE DATA.NEXT WE HAVE ABRAM OLIVA, FOLLOWED BY MARK ENOCH.
HI, MY NAME'S ABRAM OLIVAS, DALLAS RESIDENT 2140 MEDICAL DISTRICT DRIVE.
I FREQUENTLY WORK IN ABOUT THE ONE MILE RADIUS AROUND THE STATION, UM, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL RESTAURANTS, STEAK HOUSES AROUND, AND, UM, I FOR ONE HATE DRIVING DOWN THE TOLLWAY AND HAVING IT CLOGGED WITH TRAFFIC.
ANYTIME I'M NOT HAULING MY GEAR, UM, I'LL BRING THE SILVER LINE.
I HAVE FRIENDS THAT LIVE ALONG CORRUM DRIVE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF RESTAURANTS I REALLY LIKE ARE IN THE AREA.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA RE REITERATE THE POSITION THAT THIS IS A REGIONAL SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD YOU MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO SPEND MONEY IN YOUR TOWN? UM, AND OF COURSE, LOOKING, I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING THE WORD REGIONAL THROWN AROUND A LOT.
UM, AS A DFW REGION, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO INVEST IN TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, IF NOT NOW, WHEN WE CAN'T KICK IT DOWN THE ROAD ANOTHER 10 YEARS, I WOULD HATE TO LOOK BACK 20 YEARS AND SAY, OH, I REMEMBER THAT THOSE YEARS WHENEVER PLANO, UM, IRVING ADDISON PULLED OUT OF FUNDING DART, YOU KNOW, TWO DECADES OF CONSTANT INVESTMENT ENDED THIS YEAR.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE BUILDING ANOTHER FREEWAY.
THAT'S WHY THE ROADS ARE CLOGGED.
SO, UM, I URGE YOU TO JUST THINK, THINK LONG TERM.
UM, THINK ABOUT PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CITY OF ADDISON LIKE MYSELF, UM, WHO ENJOY SPENDING MONEY, UH, WHICH ARE PROBABLY GONNA GO EAT SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, IN TOWN AFTER, UM, THIS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU HOLDING OPEN FORUM SO PEOPLE FROM NON-RES, NON ADDISON RESIDENTS CAN COME AND SPEAK.
UM, YEAH, I URGE YOU NOT TO, UH, LEAVE DART.
UH, DO WE HAVE MARK ENOCH? NO, HE'S NOT HERE.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST GROUPING OF THE FOLKS THAT, UH, FILLED THE ONLINE FORM TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
SO NOW WE'LL GO TO THE, UH, CARDS THAT WE RECEIVED THIS EVENING.
FIRST UP WE HAVE JANE LIN, FOLLOWED BY JOSHUA MCNAIR.
I LIVE ON ASBURY LANE IN THE ASBURY TOWN HOMES OFF BELTLINE.
FIRST I WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT I SUPPORT DART SYSTEM EXACTLY AS IT STANDS TODAY.
I SAY THIS BECAUSE IN THE 15 YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED IN ADDISON, I HAVE ATTENDED DOZENS OF DART MEETINGS IN THE TOWN AND DOWNTOWN DART HEADQUARTERS AND ADDISON SUPPORTED DART EACH STEP OF THE WAY, AND SO DID IT.
HERE'S HOW I KNOW I WAS ON THE BELTLINE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
THERE WERE THREE MAIN GOALS IN THAT COMMITTEE.
ONE WAS BRANDING, ONE WAS WALKABILITY, AND THE OTHER, THE MAIN PART OF THE BEAUTIFICATION WAS THE UPGRADING OF THE BELT LINE.
I'M SORRY, THE DARK BUS STOPS ON BELT LINE TO INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE SEAT AND GARBAGE.
THE BELTLINE BUS STOP SHELTERS WERE DESIGNED BY ADDISON AND PAID FOR BY ADDISON.
I WORRY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THAT COMMITTEE ARE NO LONGER, UM, EMPLOYED BY ADDISON.
ALTHOUGH, UH, JANA IS, AND, AND I, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO DEAL, UM, YOU KNOW, TO WORK WITH JANA IN WHAT I'M GONNA SAY.
I SAW IN THE PAPER THAT DART SAID THAT THEY WOULD STOP THE BELT LINE.
THEY WOULD START THE DART, STOP THE DART SERVICE, AND THEY WILL START COLLECTING THEIR ASSETS.
WHAT ASSETS, WHAT IS, UM, WHAT IS DART GONNA BE TAKING FROM ADDISON? IT MAY NOT SEEM UNUSUAL TO SEE SOMEBODY IN A DART JACKET TAKING DART FURNITURE OFF OF A OFF OF BELTLINE.
IT WOULD BREAK MY HEART BECAUSE IT TOOK A LONG TIME AND A LOT OF MONEY ON ADDISON'S PART TO PUT THAT IN PLACE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AN EYE ON THAT AND THAT OUR FURNITURE IS LEFT IN PLACE
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AND IT CAN BE REPURPOSED TO BE TRAIL FURNITURE IF IT NEEDS BE.SO KEEP DART THE WAY IT IS I THE BUS SERVICE IN PLACE AS DESCRIBED.
NEXT UP WE HAVE JOSHUA MCNAIR, FOLLOWED BY LIZ OLIPHANT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS JOSHUA MCNAIR.
YOU WELCOME TO TIP THAT MICROPHONE UP IF YOU LIKE.
MY NAME IS, UH, JOSHUA MCNAIR.
I'M FROM, UH, 8 0 9 BERKSHIRE CIRCLE, GARLAND, TEXAS.
AND I'M REQUIRED, UH, REQUESTING THAT YOU DON'T PUT THIS TO WITHDRAWAL TO A PUBLIC VOTE AND TO PLEASE STAY AND WORK WITH DART.
TO THAT END, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT MY DEAR FRIEND AARON.
WE GREW UP IN GARLAND AND MET IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AARON WAS OUTGOING AND CHARISMATIC.
HE REALLY WAS THAT PROVERBIAL, YOU KNOW, LIFE OF THE PARTY, ALWAYS, UH, MAKING OUR GAME NIGHTS A BLAST.
AARON WAS THE KIND OF GUY WHO LET MY FAMILY AND I STAY WITH HIM DURING THE BIG FREEZE.
WHEN OUR POWER WENT OUT SINCE THE DAY I MET HIM, THERE WAS ALWAYS THAT SPARK OF LIFE IN HIS EYES.
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, HE HAD GOTTEN A GOOD JOB AT A CALL CENTER CENTER, EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY DART, WHICH HELPED HIM BETTER AFFORD RENT AND MEDICAL COPAYS.
IN HIS LATE TEENS, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME ILLNESS.
I HAVE MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE, A DEGENERATIVE GENETIC DISEASE, RESULTING IN ANY RANDOM ASSORTMENT OF ILLNESSES DUE TO LOW ENERGY PROJE PRODUCTION, SORRY, FROM OURSELVES.
I BELIEVE WE WERE FADED TO MEET.
WE BOTH COMMISERATED IN THE FACT THAT WE COULDN'T DRIVE MY EPILEPSY.
UH, HE SHORTSIGHTEDNESS BOTH OF US USING DART BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANNA PUT OTHERS AT RISK.
SAVING MONEY ON CAR PAYMENTS IS THE ONLY REASON WE COULD AFFORD WHAT WE COULD.
THEN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, HIS JOB MOVED TO ARLINGTON, A PLACE WITH NO PUBLIC TRANSIT AND AWFUL MICRO TRANSIT.
WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, HE HAD TO BEGIN FOREGOING MEDICAL CARE IN FAVOR OF BUYING A CAR AND PAYING RENT DURING AND JUST AFTER LOCKDOWN THE STRESS OF MISSING APPOINTMENTS, DEALING WITH SKYROCKETING RENT FROM UNDER STRAINED COMPANIES LIKE REALPAGE AND BLACKROCK, AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE BECAUSE AGAIN, NO TRANSIT CAUSED HIS HEALTH TO CRASH.
HIS BODY BEGAN BREAKING DOWN ALL DUE TO CITY NOT CARING ABOUT HIM.
BY THE END OF 2023, HE WAS IN HOSPICE.
I SAW AARON LAST SUMMER, OBVIOUSLY ARRIVING AT THE HOSPICE HOME BY DART.
HE WAS BEDBOUND WITH HALF A DOZEN TUBES HOOKED UP TO HIM, TPN IN HIS ARM, LITERALLY WASTING AWAY IN FRONT OF US.
HE COULDN'T TALK MUCH, BUT AARON, BEING AARON, HE DIDN'T WANT TO COMPLAIN OR GRIPE ABOUT HIMSELF.
HE JUST WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT ME.
I COMPLAINED A BIT ABOUT MY TROUBLES WITH ORGANIZING, HOW IT SEEMS LIKE POLITICIANS PRIORITIZE BUSINESSES OVER US.
MY ANGER THAT THEY'RE THE REASON AARON WAS DYING, THAT IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT JANKY WHITE CENTRA, HE GOT, HE'D BE FINE.
AND MY UNCERTAINTY OF CONTINUING THIS WORK, HE STOPPED ME AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO KEEP FIGHTING, TO KEEP ADVOCATING, TO KEEP SPEAKING BECAUSE IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE, THERE'LL BE MANY MORE LIKE HIM.
AARON DIED LAST SUMMER, HEART FAILURE.
THE ONE PART OF HIM I THOUGHT COULD NEVER BREAK.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT MY DEAR FRIEND AARON, PLEASE STAY IN DAR.
NEXT UP WE HAVE LIZ OLA, FOLLOWED BY, UH, BOB DUBY.
UM, DISLIKED NUMBERS AND CHARTS AND SO FORTH, BUT I SPENT TWO HOURS THIS AFTERNOON GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND I HAD HAD INTENDED TO GO CHART, UH, PAGE BY PAGE THROUGH IT TO FIND THE ERRORS, SHOW YOU THE ERRORS IN WHICH THERE WERE CONCERNS.
SOME OF THESE ARE COM UNFAIR COMPARISONS OF APPLES TO ORANGES, AS, AS THEY SAY, SOME OF THEM ARE, ARE, UH, JUST VERY CONFUSING AS WELL.
AND I'M REALLY WONDERING WHY THE COUNCIL IS PROCEEDING AS IT IS TONIGHT.
NORMALLY, A THE COUNCIL HAS A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF WITH ALL THE STATISTICS AND NUMBERS AND BACKGROUND IN IT, AT WHICH I COULD THEN WORK FROM THOSE CHARTS.
BUT THERE'S SOME REASON OR SOMEONE BEHIND SOME OF THIS THAT, THAT IS MAKING ME VERY CONCERNED.
UM, THE MAIN CONCERN ON, FROM AN HOMEOWNER'S STANDPOINT IS THEY WOULD HAVE A VAIN HOPE OF A 25% REDUCTION IN TAXES, WHICH I THINK IS WISHFUL THINKING ON EVERYONE'S PART, BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE THAT WOULD FIND OTHER WAYS TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON SOME OF THEIR SPECIAL PROJECTS.
THE AIR, THE THING THAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS THAT SERVICE WOULD
[00:40:01]
STOP THE DAY, THE AFTER THE VOTE.THAT GIVES NO ONE ANY TIME TO MAKE ANY PLANS.
AND, UH, THAT IS A VERY SCARY PROSPECT FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO USE DART.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY HURRIED PROCESS.
THE ELECTION CAN TAKE PLACE AT ANY TIME DURING 2026.
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN MAY.
THAT WOULD GIVE US ALL TIME TO STUDY THE ISSUE MORE THOROUGHLY, GET BETTER INFORMATION, GET PERHAPS MORE CURRENT INFORMATION.
WE WOULDN'T BE COMPARING, UH, EXPENSES IN 24 TO INCOME IN 23.
UH, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY INCOME YET FROM SILVER LINE, WHICH I THINK WILL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE.
UM, WE CAN WAIT AND SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES DO, AND IT DO.
WOULD NO REASON TO SKIRT, HURRY ON WITH THIS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFIT US ALL TO TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING.
WE, IT'S WE, OUR INFORMATION IS INCOMPLETE AT THE MOMENT, AND THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO BE ANSWERED RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.
AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO THE CITIZENS OF ADDISON AS WE TAKE OUR TIME WITH THIS PROCESS.
TAKE A LITTLE, GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AND, UM, VOTE LATER IN THE YEAR IF IT, IT APPEARS THE VOTE'S NECESSARY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE BOB DUBY, FOLLOWED BY SHARON HIRSCH.
I'M BOB DUBY, UH, 1507 FLINT WOOD DRIVE, RICHARDSON, TEXAS, FORMER MAYOR OF RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
AND I WANT TO THANK MAYOR FOR YOUR HOSTING THIS AND YOUR ESTEEMED, UH, COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DART PROPOSAL OR YOUR DART MOVEMENT.
UM, AND I PROMISE IN OUT OF RESPECT FOR YOUR TIME AND EACH ONE OF YOU, I'M GONNA DO MY BEST NOT TO BE REPETITIOUS.
DART IN RICHARDSON, TEXAS AND ADDISON, TEXAS BECAME A REAL THING IN 1983.
SO OVER 40 YEARS, WE HAVE PROMISED AND COMMITTED OUR FOREFATHERS WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA DO.
AND NOW THE SILVER LINE IS HERE.
IF THE VISION IS STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT ELSE DOES DART DO? WE ALL THINK ABOUT THE TRAINS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE COG, ERNST AND YOUNG TRANSIT 2.0 STUDY, WHICH I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE HAD A COPY OF THAT, AND I HOPE YOU'VE READ IT.
DART IS PROVIDING QUALITY AIR, ELIMINATING ISSUES WITH OUR AIR.
THEY'RE ELIMINATING, ELIMINATING, UH, CONGESTION ON OUR ROADWAYS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE LAND TO BUILD MORE HIGHWAYS.
DART IS THE SOLUTION AND IT'S HELPING OUR SAFETY.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HELP EVERY CITIZEN IN YOUR CITY AND MY CITY.
AND WE'VE BEEN GOOD NEIGHBORS, WE'VE WORKED HARD.
I'VE HAD THE HONOR TO WORK WITH YOUR MAYOR, BRUCE ON MANY PROJECTS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN DART.
OUR TAXING SYSTEM FOR A FOUR B IS THE PROBLEM.
AND I THINK IF ALL OF OUR CITIES AND ALL OF OUR COUNCILS WILL WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TO THE CONNECTIVITY OF NORTH TEXAS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR MOVE HERE.
WE'VE GOT TO GET INTO AUSTIN AND GET OUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED IN NORTH TEXAS.
AND THAT IS A FLUID TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT TAKES CARE OF ALL OF OUR CITIES.
I WILL SAY ONE, ADD ONE THING.
I SAW SEVERAL COMMENTS RELATED TO UT DALLAS, UT DALLAS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, DALLAS, AND RICHARDSON IS A REAL KEY TO THIS.
THE NUMBER ONE RAIL AND BUS UTILIZATION IS THROUGH THE HEART OF UTD.
THEY NOW HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, SILVER LINE STATION AT UTDI GUARANTEE YOU, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE WORKERS FROM HERE THAT WORK HERE IN ADDISON ARE FROM UTD STUDENTS, THE LARGEST TRANSPORTATION USAGE IN THE METROPLEX.
[00:45:01]
YOU.NEXT UP WE HAVE SHARON HIRSCH, FOLLOWED BY MARK SOLOMON.
I LIVE AT 50 55 ADDISON CIRCLE.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF ADDISON SINCE JANUARY OF 2021.
PRIOR TO THAT, MY FAMILY LIVED IN PLANO FOR 25 YEARS.
I'M HERE TONIGHT WITH A LITTLE EGG ON MY FACE.
JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, I LEARNED THAT THE PLANO CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO HOLD AN ELECTION REGARDING THE FATE OF DART IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO AS A RESULT, I SENT LISTINGS FROM MY CONDO BUILDING TO MY PLANO FRIENDS, INVITING THEM TO MOVE TO ADDISON, WHERE WE WERE JUST A COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM THE BRAND NEW SILVER LINE, ADDISON CIRCLE PARK, ALL THE FESTIVALS.
AND WHAT I ANTICIPATED WAS A PROMISING NEW TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA.
I WAS SO SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED WHEN I RECEIVED THE MEETING NOTIFICATION THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING DOING THE SAME.
WE DON'T RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT WE KNOW AND ARE AWARE OF PEOPLE WHO DO AND UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE COMMON GOOD.
I'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF TRANSIT, SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, CLEAN AIR AND WATER AS A ZERO SUM GAME.
PUBLIC GOODS ARE THINGS THAT BENEFIT SOCIETY CAN BE ASSESSED BY EVERYONE, MEANING THEY EXCLUDE NO ONE.
SOMEHOW WE'VE LOST OUR WAY WHEN IT COMES TO THE VALUE OF WHAT PUBLIC GOODS MEANS TO A THRIVING AND FUNCTIONAL SOCIETY.
I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE THAT TXDOT RECENTLY RELEASED A NEW STATE REPORT SHOWING THAT GREATER INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC TRANSIT IS ESSENTIAL TO ADDRESS THE REGION'S RAPID POPULATION GROWTH AND THE TRAFFIC WOES THAT COMES WITH IT.
THIS SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE.
WE ALL SAW THE PHOTOS OF THE LONG LINES OF CARS WAITING TO ENTER THE DFW AIRPORT FOR THE THANKSGIVING RUSH.
I'VE ATTENDED COUNTLESS PUBLIC MEETINGS SINCE I MOVED TO TEXAS WHERE CONGESTION AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AD NAUSEUM.
SADLY, THE SOLUTION HAS GENERALLY BEEN TO POUR MORE CONCRETE AND THE UBIQUITOUS ASSESSMENT OF TOLLS.
IF THIS COMES TO A VOTE, I'LL CAST A BALLOT IN FAVOR OF KEEPING AND IMPROVING DART.
BUT TONIGHT I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER WORKING THROUGH ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR CITY AND DART SO THAT WE ALL HAVE ACCESS TO A WELL RUN REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
NEXT, NEXT UP WE HAVE MARK SOLOMON, FOLLOWED BY EILEEN RESNICK.
UH, MARK SOLOMON, 1530 HINSDALE DRIVE, RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SITTING IN THOSE SAME CHAIRS OR SIMILAR CHAIRS IN RICHARDSON FOR SOME 12 YEARS.
AND SO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL AND YOUR MAYORS AND OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, AS WE ALL WORKED TO TRY TO BRING THE SILVER LINE TO, TO A TUITION.
AND, UM, THE ISSUE IS REGIONALISM.
WE ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE TRAFFIC.
UH, 75, THANK GOODNESS WE'RE FINALLY GETTING THE, THE MIDDLE LINE TAKEN OUT AND TRYING TO MOVE OUR PEOPLE FASTER THROUGH THE CITY.
UH, AND WE JUST NEED TO, I AGREE WITH YOU ON, ON SOME OF THE ISSUES IN DART, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FOUR A FOUR B MONEY IS IMPORTANT TO US.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE IT IN RICHARDSON.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM.
WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE ISSUES HAVE GOT TO BE SOLVED ON A STATE LEVEL AND HOW WE CAN GET FUNDING FOR MASS TRANSIT.
'CAUSE WE ALL NEED TO HAVE THIS, THIS ABILITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT, UH, HAVE SCHEDULE THIS VOTE, UH, NOT TO SCHEDULE THIS ELECTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE ARE A REGION AND THAT REGION IS IMPORTANT AND REGIONALISM IS WHAT WE HAVE.
WE DO IT IN WATER, WE DO IT IN OTHER AREAS, AND WE DON'T
I KNOW WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH WHAT NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT DOES, AND YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH WHAT DALLAS UTILITY DOES, BUT AS A RESULT, WE HAVE A GOOD WATER SYSTEM.
AND SO I THINK WE CAN WORK THIS OUT AND WE CAN COME TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE DART THE KIND OF SYSTEM THAT WE REALLY WANT AND THAT WE'LL PROVIDE THE REGIONALISM AND THE TRANSPORTATION THAT WE SO DESPERATELY NEED WITHIN OUR AREA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE EILEEN RESNICK, FOLLOWED BY MADISON MCNAIR.
EILEEN RESNICK, 3 8 3 6 PARK PLACE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I HAVE A GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THE CHALLENGES OF YOUR ROLE.
AS YOU KNOW, IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, I ASK YOU TO DO TWO THINGS.
HOW WOULD THIS DECISION IMPACT THE LIFE, HEALTH AND VIBRANCY
[00:50:01]
OF THIS TOWN? AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU REPRESENT THE ENTIRE TOWN, NOT JUST YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.SO I WOULD IMPLORE YOU TO MEET WITH THE HOTEL MANAGEMENT TO SEE THE IMPACT OF DART ON BUSINESS TRAVELERS AND VISITORS TO OUR TOWN WHO CAN NOW EASILY JUMP ON A TRAIN OR COME BY BUS.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO VISIT WITH RESTAURANT OWNERS WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM PEOPLE COMING VIA DART TO ENJOY OUR RESTAURANTS.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO MEET WITH EMPLOYEES OF OUR BUSINESSES WHO NOW HAVE AN INEXPENSIVE AND A CONVENIENT WAY TO GET TO ADDISON, TO STAFF OUR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND BUSINESSES.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO VISIT WITH THE RESIDENTS WHO LOOK FORWARD TO LIGHT RAIL TO THE AIRPORT RATHER THAN HAVING TO PAY FOR PARKING.
JUMPING INTO A DECISION WITHOUT GATHERING ALL THE FACTS ISN'T FAIR TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN.
WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR DARK FOR YEARS NOW.
WE FINALLY GET TO REAP THE BENEFITS.
WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS LIKE PUTTING MONEY INTO A RETIREMENT ACCOUNT FOR DECADES.
AND THEN WHEN YOU REACH RETIREMENT, YOU'RE BETTING ALL OF IT ON RED, 32 ON A ETTE WHEEL AND HOPE YOU GET A BETTER OUTCOME.
YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY, BUT MORE LIKELY YOU'RE GONNA LOSE EVERYTHING WE'VE WORKED FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
NEXT WE HAVE MADISON MCNAIR, FOLLOWED BY ZACH SCHMUTZER.
MY NAME IS MADISON OLA MCNAIR AND I LIVE AT 8 0 9 BROOKS FRESH CIRCLE IN GARLAND.
I'M A PARATRANSIT ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY GROUP MEMBER, AND ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN GARLAND, I SPEND MUCH OF MY TIME HERE IN ADDISON WITH MY SISTER AT HER HOME NEARBY.
I'M ALSO A PERSON LIVING WITH A DISABILITY.
AND FOR ME, DART ISN'T JUST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S HOW I GET TO THE, TO WORK, TO THE DOCTOR, TO SEE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THE IDEA OF ADDISON LEAVING DARK DOESN'T JUST CONCERN ME.
IT SCARES ME BECAUSE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE LIKE ME, THAT DECISION WOULDN'T JUST CHANGE A TRANSPORTATION MAP OR BECOME A POLICY CHANGE.
IT WOULD TAKE AWAY FREEDOM, OPPORTUNITY, AND CONNECTION.
THE VERY THINGS THAT MAKE ADDISON A COMMUNITY.
IT'S A STEP BACKWARD, ONE THAT THREATENS OUR INDEPENDENCE, OUR ACCESS, AND OUR DIGNITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND US ALL WHERE OUR RIGHTS TO ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COME FROM.
BACK IN 1977, A GROUP OF BRAVE DISABLED ACTIVISTS STAGED WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS A SECTION 5 0 4 SIT-IN.
THEY OCCUPIED A FEDERAL BUILDING IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR 26 DAYS, THE LONGEST NONVIOLENT OCCUPATION OF A GOVERNMENT FEDERAL BUILDING IN US HISTORY.
THEY REFUSED TO LEAVE UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT AGREED TO SIGN THE REGULATIONS TO ENFORCE SECTION 5 0 4, THE FIRST FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW TO PROTECT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THOSE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN FOUGHT FOR ME, FOR ALL OF US WITH DISABILITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT PUBLIC SPACES, SCHOOLS, AND YES, TRANSPORTATION WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE.
THEY FOUGHT FOR SECTION 5 0 4, WHICH SAYS THAT NO ONE WITH THE DISABILITY CAN BE EXCLUDED FROM OR DENIED THE BENEFITS OF ANY PROGRAM THAT RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDS.
DART IS ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS, AND IT REPRESENTS THE PROMISE THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
EVEN DALLAS RESIDENTS HAVE FOUGHT TIRELESSLY FOR ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OUR VERY OWN.
AND THOMAS JONES FOUGHT FOR ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SHE CHAINED HERSELF TO A GREYHOUND BUS TO GET THEIR BUSES TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND EVEN HELPED START THE DART PARA TRANSIT SERVICES THAT SERVE US TODAY.
IF ADDISON LEAVES DART THE ACCESSIBLE BUSES, TRAINS, AND PARATRANSIT SERVICES THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES RELY ON EVERY DAY WOULD DISAPPEAR.
WITHOUT DART, MANY OF US WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK, TO SCHOOL, OR EVEN TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT.
I CAN'T JUST GET IN A CAR AND DRIVE SOMEWHERE.
WE DEPEND ON DART, BUT WE'RE NOT ALONE.
THERE ARE SENIORS, VETERANS, AND WORKING FAMILIES WHO ALSO RELY ON IT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
REMOVING DART WOULD ISOLATE ALL OF US AND UNDO DECADES OF PROGRESS.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE.
IT'S OUR TURN TO CARRY THAT TORCH.
LET'S NOT UNDO WHAT THESE ACTIVISTS FOUGHT SO HARD TO ACHIEVE.
KEEP TO ACHIEVE, KEEP DART AND ADDISON, KEEP OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTED.
KEEP THE SPIRIT OF ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSIT ALIVE WITH DART RIGHT HERE WHERE IT BELONGS FOR EVERY DISABLED PERSON, FOR EVERY WORKING CLASS PERSON, FOR EVERY VETERAN, FOR EVERY SENIOR, FOR EVERY FAMILY, FOR EVERY DAR RIDER.
NEXT UP WE HAVE ZACH SCHMUTZER, FOLLOWED BY BILL EFFLER.
I LIVE AT 4 9 2 5 MARCUS AVENUE, RIGHT HERE AT ADDISON.
I LIVE AND WORK IN ADDISON, TEXAS.
I WANNA SPEAK TODAY BECAUSE I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED TO SEE A WITHDRAWAL ELECTION FROM DART ON THE AGENDA.
I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS DECISION.
IT IS NOT IN MY BEST INTEREST, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S IN THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST EITHER.
DART IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF MY LIFE, GIVES ME AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN AND UPTOWN DALLAS, WHICH I NEED FOR WORK.
[00:55:01]
AND THIS NEW SILVER LINE IS GOING TO SAVE ME AND THE SMALL BUSINESS.I WORK FOR SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL EXPENSES THROUGHOUT 2026.
IT'S PART OF THE REASON I ORIGINALLY MOVED TO DALLAS WAS THE PROMISE OF THIS LINE.
THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE SERVICE THAT WILL PROVIDE THIS SERVICE FOR ME.
WE NEED REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION.
WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE, AND WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS ALONE.
I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT WHAT I BELIEVE IS A SIGNIFICANT MISTAKE IN THE PRESENTATION FOR THIS MEETING.
PRESIDENT STATION STATES THAT THERE'S A DEFICIT IN THE AMOUNT THAT ADDISON CONTRIBUTES VERSUS THE SERVICES THAT IT RECEIVES.
BUT ON THE SAME PAGE OF THAT REPORT THAT YOU ARE QUOTING, THERE IS A BULLET POINT THAT STATES THAT THE SILVER LINE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THOSE NUMBERS.
I I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THE SILVER LINE THAT ADDISON HAS BEEN ASKING FOR FOR SO MANY YEARS WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT FACTOR HERE.
IT GIVES ADDISON RESIDENTS THEIR FIRST ACCESS INTO THE RAIL NETWORK, AND
SILVER LINE IS A $2.1 BILLION PROJECT WITH 30 MILLION IN ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS.
AND WE ARE EXCLUDING IT FROM THE NUMBERS USING TO MAKE OUR DECISION HERE.
NOW, MY ASSUMPTION HERE WAS THAT THIS WAS JUST A MISS MISTAKE.
NO ONE WOULD REASONABLY CHOOSE TO NOT CONSIDER THE SILVER LINE IN A LONG-TERM FINANCIAL DECISION ON THE FUTURE OF ADDISON.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU OVER A CUP OF COFFEE AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF DART IN MY LIFE AND WHY I REALLY THINK IMPORTANT AND ACCURATE DATA IS IMPORTANT HERE TO MAKING A LONG-TERM FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE DECISION.
ALL THAT I ASK OF YOU COUNSEL IS PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT, TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
REALLY JUST STOP FOR A MINUTE AND ASK YOURSELF, ARE YOU ACTUALLY LOOKING TO SEE IF THIS DATA IS UNBIASED OR ARE YOU JUST USING IT TO JUSTIFY YOUR ALREADY PREDETERMINED BELIEF? IT'S OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR MIND.
THAT IS THE STRONGEST THING THAT ANYONE CAN DO, IS ADMIT THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT AN IDEA AND DECIDE TO CHANGE THEIR MIND WHEN THEY HAVE MORE DATA.
AND I IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE JUST STOP.
DON'T LET ANY SORT OF EGO OR ANYTHING GET INTO IT.
TAKE A BREATH AND LOOK THROUGH THE DATA WITH CLEAR EYES.
I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE AND TALK WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.
I I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO HERE IN MADISON.
I HOPE Y'ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON.
NEXT UP WE HAVE BILL KEFFER, FOLLOWED BY JIM DUFFY, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
UM, I, UH, WAS A, CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR ADDRESS THERE, BILL, PLEASE? OH, BILL KEFLER, UH, 2 3 0 5 SPRINGWOOD LANE IN RICHARDSON.
UM, I SERVED, UH, FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, UH, FROM 1977 TO 2012, UH, AND, UH, AND THE LAST 18 YEARS AS CITY MANAGER AND I HAD THE GOOD OPPORTUNITY, THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH INCREDIBLE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS IN ADDISON.
AND MY PARTNER AT THAT TIME FOR NEARLY ALL THE PARTNERSHIP JOBS THAT WE, UH, HAD TOGETHER WAS WITH, UH, UH, RON WHITEHEAD.
AND HE WAS A, A PARTNER WHO I COULD DEPEND ON, UH, IN AND OUT GIVEN THE, UH, THE, UH, THE OBLIGATIONS, UH, THAT WE HAVE AS, AS CITY OFFICIALS, UH, AND REPRESENTING OUR, OUR CITIES.
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH ADDISON WAS ALWAYS SPECIAL, UH, IN RICHARDSON, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME GREAT THINGS, UH, ACCOMPLISH SOME GOALS.
UH, AND NOWHERE WAS IT MORE NOTICEABLE IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPORTATION AND DART.
UM, I STARTED ON THE DART PROJECT, UH, AS A, A YOUNG ASSISTANT, UH, BEFORE THE VOTE IN 1983.
AND I ALWAYS ADMIRED, AS DID A LOT OF CITY OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, THE PATIENTS OF ADDISON, THE PATIENTS OF WAITING FOR RAIL SERVICE.
AND IT, IT WAS AN ADMIRABLE, UH, UH, THING THAT, UH, ADDISON CONTINUED TO DO.
AND IT REPRESENTED, UH, A REGIONAL LEADERSHIP, WHICH WAS ON BEYOND COMPARE 35 DAYS AGO.
UH, WE OPENED THE SILVER LINE, THE COTTON BELT, UH, AND WITH A $2 BILLION EXPENDITURE, ADDISON HAS ACHIEVED WHAT IT WORKED FOR FOR 40 YEARS.
AND TO BE SERVED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THAT RAIL LINE NOW IS AN INCREDIBLE, UH, UH, UH, EFFORT.
UH, AND I INVITE YOU, UH, UH, TO NOT PURSUE THE WITHDRAWAL ELECTION, UH, FOR THE GOOD OF THE REGION.
[01:00:01]
CONTINUE TO BE THE REGIONAL LEADER THAT ADDISON IS AND CONTINUE TO BE THE STATESMAN THAT, UH, YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, HAVE REPRESENTED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.NEXT UP WE HAVE JIM DUFFY, FOLLOWED BY JACK EDWARDS.
I LIVE AT 38 87 RIDGE LAKE COURT IN ADDISON.
MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'VE COME TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY COMPLETE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE SUBJECT OF TONIGHT'S MEETING AND MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE THREE MEMBERS WHO CALLED THIS MEETING.
I'VE LIVED IN ADDISON FOR OVER 40 YEARS, LONGER THAN ANY OF YOU, AND PROBABLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
I WAS IN ADDISON RETICENT BEFORE WE HAD DART AND WAS ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING THE FORMATION OF DART AND ADDISON'S PARTICIPATION.
I'VE SERVED THIS COMMUNITY IN A VARIETY OF WAYS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING TWICE AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE SUPPORTED DART AT THE URGING OF MANY OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEIR EMPLOYEES NEEDED TRANSPORTATION TO THEIR JOBS, PARTICULARLY IN THE FOOD SERVICE AND HEALTH, EXCUSE ME, HOTEL INDUSTRIES.
DART PLEDGED BUS SERVICE FOLLOWED BY RAIL SERVICE, BUS SERVICE CAME PRETTY QUICK.
THE FIRST DAY THE BUSES ARRIVED, IT WAS A RED LETTER DAY FOR ADDISON RAIL, TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
WE PUT, UH, 40 YEARS OF EFFORT INTO GETTING THE RAIL SERVICE.
AND IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT NOW IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF ABANDONING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO CALLED THIS MEETING SEEMED TO BE USING SIMPLE MATH TO EXPLAIN THE DESIRE TO LEAVE DART THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN.
WE PUT $16.3 MILLION OF SALES TAXES INTO DART IN FY 2023 AND 9.5 MILLION WAS SPENT IN ADDISON, ACCORDING TO DART EXTRAPOLATE THAT 16.3 MILLION WITH THE 6.25% THAT WE PAID TO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO AT THE SAME TIMEFRAME WE GET SENT THE STATE A HUNDRED, 1.9 MILLION.
THAT MONEY'S MONEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T COME BACK TO ADDISON, BUT ONCE YOU LEAVE ADDISON, YOU'LL SEE WHERE ALL THAT MONEY WENT ON.
A WIDE, WIDE VARIETY OF SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE, THE MONEY JUST, IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THE MONEY WE PAY IN THE DART IS A SERVICE FOR THE REGION AND ANYTHING THAT, THAT, ANY MONEY THAT'S SPENT IN THE REGION FOR DART HELPS US THE 17,000 RESIDENTS OF ADDISON DON'T PAY THESE TAXES.
IT'S PAID BY THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE, WHO COME HERE TO EAT, WHO COME HERE TO ENJOY THEMSELVES.
THEY PAY THOSE TAXES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED DART MORE THAN EVER TO KEEP THIS TOWN VIBRANT AND THRIVING.
THE COUNCIL RECENTLY, THIS COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED A $240 MILLION TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ADJACENT TO THE SILVER LINE WITHOUT TRANSIT.
THERE WILL BE NO TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'M SURE THE DEVELOPERS AND THEIR LENDERS ARE ALREADY QUESTIONING THE VIABILITY OF MOVING FORWARD.
PARTICULARLY IF YOU VOTE TO HOLD A WITHDRAWAL ELECTION RIGHT AWAY, YOU WILL LOSE $300 MILLION OF ECONOMIC OUTPUT AND 1600 PERMANENT JOBS ACCORDING TO EDISON'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I URGE YOU TO REJECT THE CALLING ON WITHDRAWAL ELECTION AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DART TO ADDRESS ANY LEGITIMATE ISSUES.
NEXT UP WE HAVE J JACK EDWARDS, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL.
MOTTOLA, DO WE HAVE JACK EDWARDS? APPEARS NOT.
HOW ABOUT MICHAEL? MICHAEL MOTTOLA, IS THAT CORRECT? IS THEIR LAST NAME VERY GOOD.
AND THEN HE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DALLAS PUBLIC TRANSIT SOCIETY.
I DON'T HAVE A PERSON'S NAME WITH THAT.
SO YOU'LL TELL US WHO YOU ARE WHEN YOU GET THERE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A COUPLE POINTS THOUGH.
I THINK YOU WOULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
MY I ADDRESS IS 1 5 8 0 1 ARTIS WHITE, RIGHT HERE IN ASON.
UH, I'M FROM NEW YORK ORIGINALLY.
UH, MY PARENTS LIVE IN THE AREA, SO I'VE LIVED IN THE AREA FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND I MOVED HERE TO ADDISON WHEN I GOT A JOB BECAUSE I WAS VERY EXCITED THAT THIS WAS A WALKABLE AREA, THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF DENSITY HERE AND THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT OPTIONS HERE.
THAT'S HOW I'M GONNA GET TO THE AIRPORT AT THE SILVER LINE IS OPEN.
[01:05:01]
AND THE, THE TIMING OF THIS DECISION IS, IS VERY BIZARRE GIVEN THAT THE SILVER LINE JUST OPENED.IF WE THINK WE'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH VALUE OUT OF DART, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO REEVALUATE THIS DECISION.
NOW THE SILVER LINE IS OPEN AND NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME TIME TO DEVELOP RIDERSHIP THERE.
AND, AND FINALLY, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS DECISION, IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THIS DECISION SHOULD BE MADE THINKING ABOUT HOW WILL WE LOOK BACK ON IT 5, 10, 15, 20 YEARS FROM NOW? BECAUSE THIS IS THE FASTEST GROWING METRO AREA IN THE UNITED STATES, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND CAR-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT SCALABLE, AT LEAST NOT ON THE SCALE THAT WE WILL NEED IT HERE WHEN THIS AREA IS GROWING.
AND WE CANNOT JUST ADD ONE MORE LANE.
HOUSING PRICES ARE GOING UP IN THIS AREA, AND THE TRAFFIC IS GETTING WORSE IN THIS AREA.
AND THE ONLY LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AT SCALE ARE DENSITY AND PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO 20 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN WE REALLY, REALLY NEED REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSIT, AND IF WE DECIDE NOW TO GET RID OF IT, WE ARE GOING TO WONDER 20 YEARS FROM NOW WHY WE MADE THAT DECISION.
IT WILL SEEM VERY SHORTSIGHTED.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE DALLAS PUBLIC TRANSIT SOCIETY, FOLLOWED BY RON WHITEHEAD.
HI, MY NAME IS MASON MERRIT AND, UH, I'M, I'M, UH, PRESENTING A SMALL ORGANIZATION LOCAL TO DALLAS CALLED THE DALLAS PUBLIC TRANSIT SOCIETY.
AND WE'RE MADE UP OF, UH, STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
DALLAS, SORRY, COULD YOU SAY AGAIN YOUR NAME SO WE COULD GET THAT FOR THE RECORD.
YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE? 8 0 4 CANAL STREET IN MCKINNEY.
LIKE MOST SPEAKERS TONIGHT, I'M PLEADING YOU NOT TO PULL OUT OF THE DART LEAVING, UM, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL GROWTH POTENTIAL BEHIND.
BUT I WANNA BRING ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE TO THIS ISSUE.
MY ORGANIZATION IS MADE UP OF STUDENTS FROM THE DALLAS SCHOOL SYSTEM AND IN DALLAS, OUR ECONOMY IS MADE UP NOT ONLY OF DINING AND RETAIL, BUT ALSO FROM OUR CULTURE AND OUR CO OUR CONSTANT GROWTH IN THE ART SCENE.
THIS IS A CONTAGIOUS FORM OF GROWTH.
WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC, WE HAVE LOCAL ART INSTALLATIONS, THEATER PERFORMANCES, ET CETERA.
WE HAVE A CONSTANTLY GROWING CULTURAL SCENE IN DALLAS, AND THAT IS DRIVING OUR ECONOMY.
SOMETHING I WANT TO SUGGEST IS THAT THE GROWTH OF A CITY IS NOT ONLY DEPENDENT ON ITS ECONOMY, BUT BUT ALSO THE CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF A CITY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN IN DALLAS AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE GROW.
AND THE REST OF THE DFW METROPLEX DRIVING UP TO THIS MEETING TODAY, UH, MY FRIEND WAS TELLING ME ABOUT HOW HE'S PERFORMED IN SO MANY, UH, THEATER PERFORMANCES RIGHT HERE IN THE ADDISON PERFORMANCE HALL.
UM, BUT THE ONLY REASON HE WOULD'VE EVER COME TO ADDISON FOR ANY REASON WAS BECAUSE HE WAS A PART OF A CULTURAL CONNECTION, AN INTERCONNECTION, UM, THAT I THINK IS DEVELOPING THROUGHOUT DFW, WHICH IS THE ARTS SCENE.
IT IS, UH, THE PEOPLE, THE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY, UH, I THINK IT'S FLOURISHING IN DART, UH, THE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF IDEAS AND EXPRESSION.
AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET SOMEONE YOU WOULD'VE NEVER MET ON THE DART TRAIN.
AND I, I DO FEEL THAT THERE IS TRUE CULTURAL GROWTH, UM, IN THE DART SYSTEM, AND ADDISON SHOULD BE A PART OF THAT.
I WANT ADDISON TO BE A PART OF THAT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE RON WHITEHEAD.
RON WHITEHEAD, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL BURDETT MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
I WAS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, JOINING THE DART AND I WOULD SAY PROBABLY HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT LONGER THAN MOST PEOPLE.
I REQUEST THE CITY COUNCIL NOT TAKE ACTION TO CALL A DART WITHDRAWAL ELECTION.
THIS ACTION IS PREMATURE AND ILL INFORMED BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN THE PUBLIC BASICALLY 10 DAYS NOTICE OF THIS PROPOSED ACTION.
AND OVER A HOLIDAY PERIOD UNTIL TONIGHT, YOU HAVE NOT PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WHICH I HAVEN'T SEEN VERY MANY OF THEM HERE TONIGHT.
'CAUSE THEY PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT OR CITIZENS TO WEIGH IN ON THIS ISSUE AND WHETHER THEY EVEN WON AN ELECTION.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS IS ON THE AGENDA.
I WAS SHOCKED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE PRESENTATION ATTACHMENT FOR THIS ITEM.
IT IS A VERY PAROCHIAL VIEW OF DARK SERVICE.
IT FAILS TO MENTION THAT 56 MILLION TRIPS WERE GENERATED BY DART ACROSS ALL SERVICES IN 2024.
THERE WERE 22 MILLION TRIPS ON RAIL LAST YEAR ALONE, AND THAT IS
[01:10:01]
BEFORE THE SILVER LINE WAS IN PLACE.THE ATTACHMENT ALSO FAILED TO FACTOR IN THE VALUE OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AROUND DARK RAIL STATIONS.
ADDISON CIRCLE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR REGIONAL RAIL.
IT'S THE ONLY REASON THIS IS HERE.
IT'S THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE SITTING HERE.
THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THE VALUE OF ALL THAT DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR CONTRIBUTION TO DE TO DART IN THAT PRESENTATION, THERE'S A COST TO BELONGING TO A REGIONAL SYSTEM AND IS NOT ALWAYS EQUITABLE OR IN, ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS NOT TIED TO JUST SERVICE LEVELS THAT MANY OF THE YOUNGER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THIS EVENING.
PRESENTING THE VIEW THAT DART IS INEFFECTIVE IS MYOPIC EVEN IF YOU DON'T RIDE THE SYSTEM YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULTY CREATED BY FORCING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF DART RIDERS INTO VEHICLES THAT HAVE TO TRAVERSE AND ALREADY CLOGGED HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
WHAT IS THE RUSH? WHY NOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE OTHER CITIES WILL DO IN MAY AND AFTER? IF YOU LISTENED TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND LISTENED TO THE CITIZENS, YOU COULD CALL AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2026 IF YOU STILL FELT THAT THE NECESSITY.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS IS FOLLOWING THE SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A COMPLEX ISSUE MODEL.
IN MY OPINION, CALLING AN ELECTION TO WITHDRAW IS NOT THE BEST OPTION AT THIS TIME.
AND YOU REALLY HAVE NOT PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT UNTIL TONIGHT.
UH, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF YOUR TIME, RON, AND I HOPE I CONTINUE TO BE PROUD.
NEXT UP WE HAVE DANIEL BURETT, FOLLOWED BY REBECCA COVILLE OR COVE.
I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCE THAT.
I LIVE AT 5 0 2 SHADY WOOD LANE JUST ON THE WEST SIDE OF RICHARDSON.
UM, MY WIFE AND I HAVE, WHEN WE FIRST MET, I LIVED IN EAST RICHARDSON.
SHE LIVED IN NORTH DALLAS, AND OUR FIRST DATE WAS HERE IN ADDISON AT AT BLUE MESA WHEN IT WAS ON THE WEST SIDE OF MONTFORD.
WE RETIRED OVER TO VERNON'S FOR DRINKS AND SOME COLLEGE FOOTBALL AFTER THAT.
SO IT NEEDS TO SAY SHE WAS A KEEPER.
UH, BUT, BUT WE'VE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF, OF SPENDING TIME AND MONEY IN ADDISON AND LOVE HOW, HOW CLOSE IT IS.
AND, UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, TONIGHT, I THINK SHE'S WITH SOME GIRLFRIENDS AT ACTUALLY AT MASSARO, WHICH I HAD TO LOOK AT THE MAP AND REALIZE, OH, THAT'S PROBABLY ON THE DALLAS SIDE OF BELTLINE.
SO, BUT IT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS A POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ENJOY LIVING IN THE DALLAS AREA AND WE'RE NOT SILOED CITIES.
AND ALTHOUGH WE RESIDE IN RICHARDSON, WE, WE LOVE SPENDING TIME IN, IN, UH, IN ADDISON.
I'VE RAISED A, A STEIN OR TWO OF BEER IN THIS VERY ROOM, UH, THE, UH, PART OF OCTOBER FEST AND TASTE ADDISON AND, UH, KABOOM TOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WITH SILVER LINE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT A DARK STOP NOW AT, UH, AT UTD, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST ONE TIRE HOUSE FOR THE, FOR THE SILVER LINE.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT RIDING THE SILVER LINE OVER TO THE ADDISON STATION, UH, FOR COMING UP NEXT YEAR FOR, FOR, UH, KABOOM TOWN AND OR, UH, OCTOBER FEST.
AGAIN, SURE WOULD BE A SHAME IF IF, UH, IT WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS GOES TO A BALLOT THEN VOTERS SAY NO TO IT IN MAY, AND THAT STATION NOW GOES UNUSED.
UM, WE'VE, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A LONG, LONG HISTORY WITH THAT AND WE HAD WATER TOWER THEATER SEASON TICKETS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND, UM, I WAS VERY PROUD WHEN, WHEN RICHARDSON CITY COUNCIL, UM, TOOK A POSITION ON THIS AND, AND OPTED TO SUPPORT DART AND CONTINUE TO SORT, UM, SUPPORT BEING A PART OF THIS REGIONAL SOLUTION THAT, YOU KNOW, RIDERS COMING IN AND OUT OF ADDISON, I THINK BENEFIT FROM, FROM THE SERVICES THAT DAR PROVIDES.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO FOLLOW SUIT AND, AND, UH, NOT PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE REBECCA COVELL FOLLOWED BY TAS TASMINE AL MICHAEL, AND I'M PROBABLY MISPRONOUNCED THAT REBECCA.
THANK YOU, REBECCA COVELL LIVE AT 1 4 6 2 0 VINTAGE LANE IN ADDISON.
AND AFTER ALL OF THE HARD WORK YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE DONE AND THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE YOU, THANK YOU RON, FOR YOUR SERVICE AMONG OTHERS.
HERE WE ARE AT THE PRECIPICE OF A POINT WHEN WE ARE ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF YOUR HARD LABOR.
THE SILVER LINE IS OPEN, WE GOT TO RIDE IT THE FIRST WEEK IT WAS THERE AND WENT CLEAR TO THE AIRPORT.
WE WENT TO GRAPEVINE AND HAD LUNCH AND TURNED AROUND AND CAME BACK.
BUT THE POINT IS, IT SEEMS BACKWARD TO TRY TO UNDO ALL OF THIS HARD WORK THAT'S BEEN ON THE TABLE AND NOW COME TO FRUITION
[01:15:01]
BECAUSE SOME, ONE OR TWO PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED WE NEED TO HAVE A SNAP ELECTION.I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE THE TIME AND MAKE THE GOOD DECISION THAT YOUR FOR BEARERS DID WHEN THEY RAN THIS CITY.
NOW WE HAVE SINE L MICHAEL, AND I'LL LET YOU PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY, FOLLOWED BY KATHY MOORE.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF.
UH, MY NAME IS THE AL KYLE TAZ.
UH, I LIVE AT 47 55 GRAMERCY OAKS DRIVE IN FAR NORTH DALLAS.
I'M A RECENT TRANSPLANT HERE TO THE AREA.
UH, WHERE, WHERE I COME FROM, THERE IS NO TRAIN OF ANY SORT AND I LOVED HAVING, AND I STILL LOVE HAVING ONE HERE IN DFW.
WHAT I WOULD LOVE MORE IS TO USE MY CAR A LITTLE BIT LESS.
ACCORDING TO A-W-F-A-A ARTICLE WHICH CITES A TEXAS A AND M TRANSPORTATION STUDY, DFW DRIVERS SPENT NEARLY 69 HOURS IN TRAFFIC THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR, DFW WILL ADD SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 170,000 TO 200,000 PEOPLE PER YEAR.
THAT'S A LITTLE OVER 2.6% PER YEAR OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
AND I GET IT, ADDISON COULD BE GETTING A BETTER DEAL IN TERMS OF SERVICE, BUT HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MUNICIPALITIES PULL OUT OF DART AS THE MAYOR OF RICHARDSON.
AND SUE SAID EARLIER, THE REALITY IS THAT EACH YEAR TRAFFIC GETS WORSE.
THE COST OF MAINTENANCE TO ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND HIGHWAYS GOES UP AND CONGESTION ONLY SUFFERS AND CONTINUES TO BE EXACERBATED.
THE BEST WAY TO ALLEVIATE THIS IS WITH SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THE AREAS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT, SUCH AS BUS, UH, SUCH AS BUS, RAPID TRANSIT, AND HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
CITIES LIKE AUSTIN, DENVER, PHOENIX, ATLANTA, HOUSTON AND CHARLOTTE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY INVESTING IN PUBLIC TRANSIT.
DFW IS ALSO BECOMING A GLOBAL CENTER FOR BUSINESS.
AND AS GLOBAL CENTERS FOR BUSINESS LIKE NEW YORK, TORONTO, SEO AND SINGAPORE HAVE DONE WITH PUBLIC TRANSIT, THEY SEEM TO DO IT REALLY WELL.
YOU SEE TRANSIT WHEN DONE RIGHT, BRINGS IN A LOT OF MONEY AND SENDS IT AROUND.
IN FACT, IT BECOMES ATTRACTIVE TO TOURISTS, VISITORS, CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESSES, CITIZENS AND COMPANIES ALIKE.
DESIRE, MOBILITY, WALKABILITY, HIGH INCOME PROFESSIONALS DECIDE TO LIVE IN THOSE PARTS OF THE CITY.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS WHEN THERE IS AN ADEQUATE TRANSIT, HOUSING BECOMES MORE EXPENSIVE AND FORCES NEW DEVELOPMENTS ALONGSIDE HIGHWAYS.
AND RIGHT NOW AMERICANS ARE FACING AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.
CARS, THEY DON'T KEEP PEOPLE SPENDING MONEY MEANINGFULLY BETWEEN THE CAR PAYMENT, THE RISING INSURANCE RATES, GAS REPAIRS AND TOLLS.
NOT TO MENTION THAT DFW HAS SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE WORLD, WHICH COMES FROM CARS, FUTURE FEDERAL FUNDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRENDS AND GRANTS DISAPPEARS.
TO WRAP THIS UP, IF OUR CITIES DON'T INVEST, WE GET LEFT BEHIND.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ELDERLY, THE DISABLED, THE WORKFORCE, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO CAME HERE TO DFW TO BUILD A BETTER LIFE.
LET'S INVEST IN QUALITY TRANSIT.
THE ENTIRE METRO IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS DECISION AND WE ALL DESERVE A BETTER DEAL AND A BETTER TRANSIT SYSTEM AND A BETTER DART.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
NEXT WE HAVE KATHY MOORE, FOLLOWED BY BENEDICT BEUS.
DO WE HAVE KATHY MOORE? ALRIGHT, BENEDICT BERN ENACTUS AND FOLLOWED BY BECKY THOMPSON.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US HERE TODAY.
UH, MY NAME IS BENEDICT BERNAS.
I LIVE AT 50 25 ADDISON CIRCLE.
UM, AFTER GROWING UP IN PLANO, TEXAS FOR MOST OF MY LIFE, I HAVE MOVED HERE TO ADDISON ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO AND I STILL AM CURRENTLY A, UH, RESIDENT HERE AND I HOPE TO, UH, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
ONE THING THAT DID BRING ME HERE TO ADDISON WAS THE FACT THAT ONE OF YOUR MARKETING, UH, SLOGANS IS THE CENTER OF ALL, UM, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT ME TO A LOT OF THE EVENTS HERE, LIKE OCTOBERFEST, CABON TOWN, TASTE OF ADDISON, AND AS A STUDENT OF UT DALLAS, THAT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS TO KEEP BRINGING ME HERE, UH, TO ADDISON.
AND I STILL DO, UH, GO TO A LOT OF THOSE EVENTS TODAY.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE MANY OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE DFW AREA COME HERE FOR THAT TOO.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HAVING PUBLIC TRANSIT, GOOD PUBLIC TRANSIT HERE IN ADDISON'S, BECAUSE WE ARE A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY.
IT'S FOUR SQUARE MILES ROUGHLY UP TO THE TOP OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
[01:20:01]
THAT ABILITY FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE TO COME, ESPECIALLY DURING TIME WHEN WE HAVE, UH, THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION PEOPLE HERE AT ONE NIGHT.THAT'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC, BUT THAT'S ALSO A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S GOING IN HERE.
THEY'RE SPENDING MONEY ON THE RESTAURANTS OR SPENDING MONEY ON THE BARS.
THEY'RE COMING AND HANGING OUT AT THE PARK.
THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME HERE WITH US HERE WITH THE NEW SILVER LINE THAT JUST GOT BROUGHT IN HERE.
THAT ALSO OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE COMING IN, ESPECIALLY FROM DFW AIRPORT, ALL THOSE VISITORS COMING TO DALLAS, FROM EUROPE ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, UH, FROM ABROAD, THEY COME HERE TO DALLAS, LET'S SAY THEY HAVE A LAYOVER AND THEY CAN COME HERE TO ADDISON, EASILY SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE, BRING THAT TAX DOLLARS HERE AS WELL AS FAR AS, UH, THE, LIKE THE RESTAURANTS, ANY OF THE SHOPPING, ALL OF THAT AS WELL.
TAKING THAT AWAY IS JUST A STEP BACK.
SO I URGE YOU TO AT LEAST DO RECONSIDER, DO NOT, UH, VOTE TO LEAVE DART.
IT APPEARS NOT SO WE'LL CALL ON FRAN POWELL, FOLLOWED BY CORSON CORSON WEST.
I'M GONNA LET YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU GET THERE.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
I LIVE AT 1 4 7 9 6 LOCKIN BAR COURT IN THE OAKS NORTH SUBDIVISION.
I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT ADDISON IS EVEN CONSIDERING WITHDRAWING THEIR SUPPORT OF DART.
WHEN I READ THAT PLANO FARMER'S BRANCH AND IRVING WERE CONSIDERING SUCH A MO MOVE, I THOUGHT IT WAS ABSURD.
ALL THE GREAT CITIES AND REGIONS OF THE WORLD HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEMS. WHAT WOULD NEW YORK, LONDON PARISH, CHICAGO, MOSCOW, TORONTO BE AND MANY MORE OF THEM.
THOSE BE WITHOUT THEIR SYSTEMS OF MOVING HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DAILY INTO, OUT OF AND AROUND THEIR CITIES.
ADDISON HAS MADE A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN DART FOR OVER 40 YEARS, INCLUDING MAKING THE SILVER LINE POSSIBLE.
WE EVEN FOUGHT TO SUPPORT DART AND THE ADDISON TRANSIT STOCK.
REMEMBER THE YELLOW T-SHIRTS? I HAVE ONE.
THE MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENT IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE SILVER LINE ADDISON JUNCTION IS RELIANT ON THE TRANSIT SYSTEM TO SUPPORT IT.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT DEVELOPMENT AND ITS TAX REVENUE TO THE TOWN? IF DART PULLS OUT OF ADDISON, DART IS VITAL TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE NUMEROUS RESTAURANTS THAT THE TOWN IS KNOWN FOR.
HOW WILL THEY AND THE HOTEL STAFF GET TO WORK? WELL, THEY ALL NEED TO DRIVE REDUCING AVAILABLE PARKING FOR CUSTOMERS.
MANY OTHER ADDISON BUSINESSES TOGETHER EMPLOY HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO RELY ON DART TO GET TO AND FROM WORK.
WHY ELSE WOULD DA ADDISON HAVE SPENT ALL THE TIME AND DOLLARS TO BUILD BUS STOP SHELTERS ALONG THE BELTLINE AND AROUND TOWN? WHAT WILL BECOME OF THOSE ASSETS? RESIDENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA RELY ON THE CLOSE PROXIMITY AND AVAILABILITY OF BUS AND TRAIN.
WILL THE CURRENT ADDISON APARTMENT DWELLERS MOVE TO CARROLLTON AND ITS DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THE RAIL LINES FOR EASES EASE OF ACCESS TO THEIR JOBS? THE SILVER LINE WILL IMPROVE ACCESS FOR NON-RESIDENTS ATTENDING ADDISON.
MAJOR PUBLIC EVENTS SUCH AS KABOOM TOWN TASTE, OCTOBERFEST PLUS DINING AT OUR ADDISON RESTAURANTS.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE EASIER ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN DALLAS FOR ARTS AND SPORTS EVENTS AND TRIPS TO THE STATE FAIR? WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU AND THE ADDISON RESIDENTS VOTE TO PULL OUT AND PLANO AND FARMERS BRANCH DON'T? WELL THE SILVER LINE SPEED THROUGH THE TOWN WITHOUT STOPPING, IS THAT A, A RISK YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE? I MOVED TO ADDISON IN 1991 WITH A BELIEF THAT A TRAIN WOULD BE A LINK TO DFW.
I'VE WAITED 34 YEARS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE RAIL TO THE AIRPORT AND WAS HAPPY TO DO SO RECENTLY.
EVEN ANGRY THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING PULLING OUT OF DART TO DO SO WILL DAMAGE THE TOWN OF ADDISON AND THE DALLAS METROPLEX AS THE AREA CHOKES TO DEATH WITH THE NUMBER OF CARS AND TRUCKS ON THE ROADS, AT SOME POINT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WILL BE STYMIED.
IF THE ALTERNATIVE OF DART BUSES AND TRAINS IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE AREA, ADDISON MUST CONTINUE ITS VESTED INTEREST AND SUPPORT OF DART.
AND THE SUPPORT SHOULD INCLUDE REQUIRING EVEN DEMANDING THAT THE TRAINS AND BUSES BE BETTER MAINTAINED.
THAT SECURITY OF IS BE ASSIGNED TO EVERY TRAIN THAT TICKET MACHINES ARE IN WORKING ORDER AT ALL TIMES THAT CROSSLINE RAILS BE BUILT.
SMALLER BUSES ON THE LOW RIDE ROUTES MAY BE GOOD FRIEND, THAT'S YOUR TIME.
STAY THE COURSE ADDISON, DO THE RIGHT THING AND KEEP DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT, A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO THE FUTURE OF THE TOWN.
ITS RESIDENTS AND ITS NEIGHBORS.
NEXT WE HAVE AND I'M MS. REDDIT'S CORBIN, RIGHT? YES.
UH, MY NAME IS CORBIN WEST CAMPER.
I'M A RESIDENT OF ADDISON LIVE.
JUST A COUPLE BLOCKS FROM HERE.
UH, I THINK THE OTHER SPEAKERS TONIGHT HAVE PRETTY WELL LAID OUT THE CRITICISMS OF THE DART FINANCIAL REPORT AND I THINK THEY'VE PRETTY WELL LAID OUT THE SHORTSIGHTEDNESS OF MAKING A U-TURN ON TRANSIT AFTER SPENDING SO MUCH TIME AND TREASURE INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT BENEFITS HEAVILY FROM TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO INSTEAD IS LEVY
[01:25:01]
CRITICISM AGAINST THE PROPOSED REFERENDUM.IF YOU ACCEPT THAT HIGHLY DUBIOUS PROPOSITION THAT DART IS A BAD VALUE FOR THE CITY, I THINK A BOILING IT DOWN TO A SIMPLE CHOICE BETWEEN DO NOTHING OR COMPLETELY PULL OUT AND DOING IT IN SUCH A HASTY MANNER AS IT'S BEEN PROPOSED HERE IS NOT PARTICULARLY LIKELY TO REFLECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DART AND ADDISON IS COMPLEX AND MERITS FURTHER DISCUSSION, DELIBERATION AND IDEALLY IF POSSIBLE, PROVIDING THE RESIDENTS OF ADDISON WITH A WIDER ARRAY OF CHOICES ON WHAT THEY WANT THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO DART TO BE.
IT'S SMACKS OF, AND IF YOU'LL, PARDON THE PUN, AN ATTEMPT TO RAILROAD THE CITY INTO A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME.
ANY ATTEMPT TO ACTUALLY CHANGE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH DART MERIT'S.
FURTHER DISCUSSION, THERE'S A MUCH WIDER SPECTRUM OF POSSIBILITIES THAN DO NOTHING OR PULL OUT COMPLETELY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT DOING SO, ESPECIALLY ON A SHORT TIMETABLE, IS NOT LIKELY TO ACTIVELY IS REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE THANK YOU.
NEXT WE TRICIA STEWART, FOLLOWED BY JOE CHOW.
HELLO, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER TRICIA STEWART, 1 5 7 5 5 SEA BOLT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING US.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF OPINIONS OUT THERE, UH, BUT I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
I'M CONFUSED THAT INSTEAD OF SEEING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO LET THEIR VOICES BE HEARD REGARDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT MEANS THAT WE'RE LEAVING DARK.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT LEAVING DART OR REMOVING DIRT.
IT MEANS THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWING US TO LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD AND REGARDING THE DIRECTION OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND THAT AFFECT ALL OF OUR SERVICES.
AND I'M CONFUSED THAT CALLING AN ELECTION MEANS WE DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR ELDERLY OR DISABLED OR THOSE WHO DEPEND ON IT FOR SCHOOL OR WORK.
MY GRANDFATHER WAS A RESTAURANT WORKER WHO NEEDED AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION.
AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY.
IT'S NEVER BEEN SAID THAT WE WOULD TAKE AWAY TRANSPORTATION AND LEAVE OUR CITIZENS WITHOUT SERVICE OR AN OPTION.
AND I'M CONFUSED THAT OUR COUNCILS VILLAINIZED FOR ALLOWING OUR CITIZENS TO HAVE A VOICE ON MILLIONS WHILE OUR POLICE AND FIRE PEOPLE WHO SERVICE VERY WELL STAND BY WAITING FOR VOTER APPROVALS FOR THE MILLIONS THAT THEY NEED TO FUNCTION.
SO WITH ALL RESPECT, IF EVERYONE IN THIS AUDIENCE WHO LIVES IN ADDISON AND SUPPORTS DART WAS REGISTERED TO VOTE, THERE WOULD BE NO WORRIES ABOUT ANYTHING BECAUSE OUR ELECTION TURNOUTS PRETTY SAD.
HONESTLY, MY, THIS IS HOW MY CHURCH MUST FEEL WHEN I SHOW UP FOR A CHRISTMAS MORNING BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, OH, HI.
THERE WOULD BE NO WORRIES ABOUT IT.
SO INSTEAD OF VILLAINIZING OUR LOCAL COUNCILS FOR GIVING THEIR CITIZENS A CHANCE TO LET THEIR VOICES BE HEARD, THAT'S THE AMERICAN WAY.
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE A PART OF THE DECISION PROCESS AND THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT OUR REPRESENTATION DICTATING WHAT HAPPENS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO BEG YOU GUYS, WE'RE VOTERS.
WE GET TO VOTE AND LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY FOR TONIGHT, BUT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO POSSIBLY VOTE TO DECIDE HOW MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE SPENT IN OUR TOWN.
NEXT WE HAVE JOE CHAO, FOLLOWED BY BRIAN SHINGLETON, MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.
YOU ARE FORMER MAYOR AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.
SO WILL YOU GIVE US AN ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? OH, 48.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FRIENDS FROM RICHARDSON AND THE DART AND ALSO EDISON CITIZENS.
SO I HAVE WRITTEN A FEW POINTS.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A VISION FROM THE FORMER CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR TO JOIN IN THE ART AND, UH, WATCH THE SILVER LINES COMPLETED.
SO I HAVE TO THANK ALL OF THEM.
GIVE THEM A ROUND APPLAUSE PLEASE.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A REGIONAL ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, IT WILL HELP GROW THE ECONOMY, IMPROVE THE ACCESS TO THE EDUCATION LIKE UDD.
IT IS A COMMITMENT, NOT JUST SAY YOU WANNA DROP OUT, YOU DROP OUT.
ESPECIALLY WE HAVE 8 MILLION PEOPLE IN NORTH TEXAS REGION AND IT WILL HELP OUR ENVIRONMENT WITH LESS POLLUTION.
REMEMBER WORLD EXPO OLYMPICS GAME AND MANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL EVENTS WILL PREFER TO PICK THOSE CITIES WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
JUST LAST MONTH I TRAVELED TO LAS VEGAS, UH, TRAVEL TO, UH, DETROIT, AND I JUST CAME BACK FROM SAN JOSE
[01:30:01]
VISITING MY IN-LAWS IN SAN FOR THANKSGIVING.YOU KNOW, I HAVE WRITTEN THE SILVER LINE 30 MINUTES FROM DOOR STATION.
YOU PARK THERE FOR FREE 30 MINUTES TO TERMINAL B.
SO I FIGURED OUT HOW TO BE ACCESS THE TERMINAL FAST AND EASY.
SO I REALLY ENJOY RIDING WITH THE DART, WITH THE SILVER LINE.
SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE MAYOR AND THE OTHER COUNCIL TO SUPPORT DART.
AND ALSO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL THE AUDIENCE TAKE THE ADVANTAGE OF THE DART.
YOU KNOW, WHY YOU CAN, YOU DON'T HAVE A PARKING FEES, YOU DON'T HAVE A UBER, YOU DON'T TAKE A TAXI.
IT IS COMFORT RIDE, SMOOTH, FRIENDLY, AND NICE, EASY ACCESS.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I WAS, I GREW UP IN, IN TAIWAN WE HAVE THE BEST METRO SYSTEM, SO THE RIDERSHIP IS SO HIGH, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO WRITE MORE OFTEN SO THEY CAN REDUCE FUNDS ONE HOUR, 30 MINUTES TO EVERY 10 MINUTES SO EVERYBODY CAN SAVE A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME.
I WOULD SUPPORT CONTINUE TO BE DARK MEMBER CITIES AND UH, I WANT EVERYBODY CLAPPING HANDS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT UP WE HAVE BRIAN SHINGLETON.
DO WE HAVE BRIAN? IT APPEARS NOT.
WELL, THAT IS THE LAST COUNCIL APPEARANCE, APPEARANCE CARD THAT I HAVE.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT DID NOT TURN THE CARD THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL? I SEE ONE.
AND IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO JUST, UH, IF YOU WOULD JUST QUEUE UP BEHIND HIM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO WE CAN GET EVERYBODY LINED UP THERE.
AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
DAVID REYES, 1250 STATE STREET, RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
I WORK IN ADDISON AS THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO COME AND ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
AND I USE THE DART VERY OFTEN TO EITHER GET TO THE AIRPORT, WHICH I USE FOR WORK VERY OFTEN, OR I COME TO ADDISON TO SEE FRIENDS SPEND MY MONEY HERE, EAT DINNER.
AND I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO PLEASE VOTE TO STAY IN DART.
WE WORK TOGETHER AS A REGION TO BECOME A WORLD CLASS CITY AND I DO NOT THINK DALLAS FORT WORTH WILL EVER BECOME A WORLD CLASS CITY WITHOUT A FUNCTIONING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, WITHOUT THE THREAT OF CITIES PULLING OUT.
STEVE BALLARD, 4 0 4 4 OLD TOWN ROAD, ADDISON, TEXAS.
I LIVED IN PLANO FOR ABOUT 30 PLUS YEARS BEFORE THAT, AND IN 83 LIVED IN DALLAS, UH, HAD PROPERTY THERE AND DID VOTE FOR THE, UH, INITIATIVE TO, UH, PUT DART INTO OPERATION.
IT'S NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT IT IS THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S IS THIS SYSTEM WITH THE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN ALL OF THE RAMIFICATIONS THAT EVERYBODY'S BROUGHT ABOUT HERE.
AND I WOULD URGE THE COUNCIL NOT TO HAVE THE VOTE, BUT TO PUT MORE THOUGHTFUL TIME INTO IT.
THERE'S ALWAYS THE LAW OF UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES.
UH, EVERYBODY'S MADE ALL THE POINTS THAT ARE PRETTY OBVIOUS.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, UH, JUST THE, UH, HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HERE IN EDISON THAT DRIVES ADDISON EARLY.
A MAJORITY OF THOSE DO NOT LIVE HERE, AND MANY OF 'EM DO USE DARK.
YOU CAN EXTRAPOLATE WAY BEYOND THAT.
SO, UH, I URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER, UH, THERE'S THE BABY IN THE BATH WATER.
LET'S KEEP THE BABY AND SEND THE BATH WATER OUT TO BODARK.
I LIVE AT 14 5 0 1 MONTFORD DRIVE DALLAS, WHICH IS ABOUT 300 FEET OUTSIDE THE CITY.
BOUNDARIES OF ADDISON
SO I AM IN FACT AN ADDISON TAXPAYER D OR DART'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEMBER.
CITIES IS CHANGING RAPIDLY AT THIS MOMENT.
THERE ARE LOTS OF NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON, UH, MEDIATED BY THE NORTH TEXAS, TEXAS COMMISSION AND THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
UH, THERE'S A LETTER FROM ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHERE THERE WAS BROAD AGREEMENT ON MANY DIFFERENT POLICY AREAS, INCLUDING GOVERNANCE THAT WOULD CHANGE DRASTICALLY THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS.
AND I, I DON'T THINK NOW IS THE TIME FOR ADDISON TO CALL AN ELECTION.
I THINK ADDISON SHOULD WAIT AND SEE THE RESULT OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH SHOULD COME OUT IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
UH, AND ALSO WAIT TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THE PLANO IRVING FARMER'S BRANCH AND HIGHLAND PARK ELECTIONS.
[01:35:01]
SHOULD THOSE ELECTIONS ACTUALLY GO FORWARD.THE CITY HAS UNTIL NOVEMBER CAN WAIT UNTIL TO CALL A NOVEMBER ELECTION.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, SEEING NO OTHERS.
SO WE'LL GO AND CLOSE THIS ITEM, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION AND, UH, BEFORE WE DO A STAFF PRESENTATION, SEEMS LIKE IT'S A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK.
UH, MAYBE 10 MINUTES AND WE'LL COME BACK AND, UH, GET READY FOR THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
IT IS, UH, UH, SEVEN 11 RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, IT IS 7 26 AND WE'LL RECONVENE THE COUNCIL BACK INTO OUR SPECIAL, SPECIAL MEETING THIS EVENING.
[a. Present, discuss, and consider action on an Ordinance ordering an election to be held in and throughout the Town of Addison, Texas, on May 2, 2026, to dissolve the Dallas Area Rapid Transit System (DART) in the Town of Addison, Texas, subject to the continued collection of sales taxes for the period required by law; providing for location of polling places to be designated at a later date; providing for early voting; and providing an effective date.]
INTO ITEM NUMBER FOUR IN JUST A MOMENT.UH, JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
UH, TO THOSE THAT ARE HERE, THE COUNCIL, UH, SENDS QUESTIONS INTO STAFF REGARDING, UH, ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
AND THOSE ARE, UH, PUT INTO A DOCUMENT I I'LL COMPILED INTO ONE DOCUMENT AND WHICH LOOKS LIKE THIS.
THIS IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.
IF YOU WANNA SEE THAT Q AND A DOCUMENT, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, GO TO ADDISON TX.GOV, FIND THE AGENDA FOR THIS, FOR THIS MEETING, AND THERE'LL BE A LINK TO DOWNLOAD THIS DOCUMENT FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE, JUST SO YOU CAN HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.
ALRIGHT, WELL THAT WAS A, UH, A LIVELY COMMENT SECTION.
WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
A, UH, PRESENT, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE ORDERING AN ELECTION TO BE HELD IN AND THROUGHOUT THE TOWN OF ADDISON, TEXAS ON MAY 2ND, 2026 TO DISSOLVE THE DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM, DART IN THE TOWN OF ADDISON, TEXAS, SUBJECT TO THE CONTINUED COLLECTION OF SALES TAXES FOR THE PERIOD REQUIRED BY LAW, PROVIDING FOR LOCATION AND POLLING PLACES TO BE DESIGNATED AT A LATER DATE, PROVIDING FOR EARLY VOTING AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
ASHLEY, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ASHLEY SCHROER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
UH, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT DART FOLLOWING THE RECENT DECISION BY FOUR OTHER CITIES TO HOLD AN ELECTION TO WITHDRAW FROM DART THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS REQUESTED THE SPECIAL MEETING TO EVALUATE OUR OPTIONS AND DISCUSS OUR BEST PATH, BEST PATH FORWARD.
UM, AS STATE LAW PROVIDES, WE ONLY HAVE EVERY SIX YEARS TO EVALUATE THIS.
SO ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BOTH ELECTION DATES, WE WANT TO START THE CONVERSATION NOW.
TONIGHT'S MEETING ALLOWS US TO BEGIN A TRANSPARENT DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WITHDRAWAL COULD MEAN, WHAT STAYING COULD MEAN, AND WHAT OUR PATH FORWARD IS GOING TO BE BE.
SO OUR OUTLINE FOR TONIGHT IS, UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT DART SERVICES IN ADDISON.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SALES TAX AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE WITHDRAWAL ELECTION PROCESS.
SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE OUR ADDISON TRANSIT CENTER.
IT IS SERVED BY 12 BUS ROUTES IN A GO LINK ZONE THAT ONLY COVERS A SMALL PORTION OF THE TOWN.
WE HAVE ABOUT 1800 BOARDINGS EACH WEEKDAY, 50,000 BOARDINGS A MONTH, AND WE HAVE A BUS, UH, TRANSFER CENTER.
SO AT OUR TRANSIT CENTER, WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST TRANS TRANSFERS, EXCUSE ME.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE COME HERE, THEY TRANSFER AND GO ON TO ANOTHER LINE.
SO THESE NUMBERS AREN'T REALLY INDICATIVE OF EVERYBODY WHO'S COMING INTO ADDISON OR LEAVING ADDISON AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, COMING IN AND STAYING OR LEAVING.
SO THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO JUST TRANSFERRING TO ANOTHER BUS LINE.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE OUR RAIL, WE HAVE THE SILVER LINE THAT OPENED UP IN OCTOBER OF 2025.
WE HAVE A GO LINK, BUT AGAIN, IT ONLY SERVES A SMALL PORTION OF ADDISON DART DID IN THEIR 26 BUDGET APPROVED TO HAVE A GO LINK THAT SHOULD GO LIVE WITH ADDISON IN APRIL.
BUT THE PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE CIRCULATOR WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM BOTH ADDISON AND DART.
SO IF WE CHOSE TO DO A CIRCULATOR, WE WOULD PAY 50% OF THAT COST AND DART WOULD PAY 50% OF THAT COST.
SO OUR SERVICE VALUE IN ADDISON MEMBER CITIES BACK IN 2223 TIMEFRAME, REQUESTED INFORMATION FROM DART AS FAR AS THEIR ANNUAL EXPENDITURES WITHIN EACH CITY.
DART PROVIDED THAT ANALYSIS AND THE MEMBER CITIES DECIDED THEY WANTED TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY ANALYSIS AND INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS COME IN.
DART THEN ENGAGED EY TO PERFORM THAT COST ALLOCATION ANALYSIS, WHICH DID ACCOUNT FOR REGIONAL BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM WHILE IDENTIFYING EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES THAT WERE ALLOCATED TO EACH
[01:40:01]
CITY BASED ON THE 20 23 24 FISCAL YEAR.WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE, UH, OPERATION OF THE SILVER LINE.
THE SILVER LINE WAS NOT DONE THEN AT THAT POINT WE STILL DIDN'T HAVE A FIRM DATE FOR THE SILVER LINE.
SO WE WENT INTO THIS KNOWING IT WAS NOT GONNA HAVE SILVER LINE NUMBERS ALLOCATED.
UM, ACCORDING TO THAT REPORT, ADDISON WAS LISTED AS A DONOR CITY, MEANING, MEANING THAT WE CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN THE TOWN'S INVESTMENT.
SO ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, WHICH AGAIN IS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT THEY HAD, UH, SHOW THAT WE CONTRIBUTED $16.3 MILLION IN FY 23 WHILE ONLY GETTING $9.5 MILLION BACK INTO ADDISON.
SO ACCORDING TO THE REPORT IN FY 23 DART'S, OPERATING COSTS WERE 638 MILLION OF WHICH EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION WAS SPENT IN ADDISON.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT 7.3 MILLION FOR BUS SERVICE, AND THIS IS ONLY BUS SERVICE BECAUSE AGAIN, THE SILVER LINE WAS NOT HERE YET.
AND AT THAT TIME WE DID NOT HAVE A GO LINK.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE GO LINK COMMUTER RAIL OR LIGHT RAIL.
SO THIS IS JUST ON BUS SERVICE.
WE FEEL THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY COMING INTO ADDISON AND STAYING OR LEAVING ADDISON.
SO ON THE SERVICE VALUE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS CHART, WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERY DOLLAR DART RECEIVED, ADDISON RECEIVED 58 CENTS, BASICALLY OF EACH DOLLAR ON A RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT.
AND IF YOU SEE, WE ARE ALSO THE FOURTH LOWEST ON OF ALL THE MEMBER CITIES WITH UNIVERSITY PARK BEING THE LOWEST OF ALL.
SO THIS CHART SHOWS THAT THE NET FINANCIAL VALUE OF DART SERVICES FOR EACH MEMBER CITY ADDISON WAS AT A NEGATIVE OF 6.8 MILLION, MEANING OUR CONTRIBUTIONS EXCEEDED THE VALUE THAT WE RECEIVED.
IN CONTRAST, DALLAS SHOWS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NET BENEFIT FAR ABOVE ALL THE OTHER CITIES INDICATING THAT MOST OF DART SERVICE VALUE IS CONCENTRATED THERE.
SO TO KIND OF TELL YOU HOW WE GOT HERE, THIS HAS BEEN A, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS.
SO GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, MEMBER CITIES HAVE HAD, UM, DISCUSSIONS WITH DART REGARDING GOVERNANCE AND ALTERNATIVES FOR CONTRIBUTION MODELS.
IN JANUARY, SOME CITIES BANDED TOGETHER AND INTRODUCED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE AN ANNUAL REBATE OF UP TO 25% OF THE SALES TAX TO EACH JURISDICTION.
AND ANOTHER, UM, BILL WAS INTRODUCED THAT WOULD MODIFY DART'S BOARD MAKEUP TO CHANGE AND HAVE EACH CITY HAVE A VOTE.
WITH DALLAS HAVING THREE VOTES RIGHT NOW, CITIES, CERTAIN CITIES ARE CLUMPED TOGETHER.
AND SO THIS WOULD GIVE EACH CITY AN INDIVIDUAL VOTE WITH DART HAVING THREE VOTES INSTEAD OF JUST THE ONE.
SO IN FEBRUARY, DART ASKED THAT WE ENGAGE AND WORK TO FIND A MODEL THAT WOULD PROVIDE FUNDING BACK TO THE DONOR CITIES.
AT THAT TIME, WE PASSED A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE CONTINUED FULL FUNDING AND TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH DART AND OUR PARTNERS, UM, TO ADVOCATE FOR SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TRANSIT SOLUTIONS.
SO IN MARCH, DART CAME BACK WITH A, THE CREATION OF A GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM AND BASICALLY THAT WAS WE DON'T CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD THE LEGISLATION AND WE'RE GONNA FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK.
THE PROGRAM WOULD REALLOCATE 5% OF DART'S ANNUAL SALES TAX REVENUE TO THE SEVEN DONOR CITIES.
UM, EY WHO DID OUR COST ALLOCATION LABELED ADDISON CARROLLTON, FARMER'S BRANCH, HIGHLAND PARK, RICHARDSON, PLANO, AND UNIVERSITY PARK AS DONOR CITIES.
SO IN THE SUMMER OF 25, DART NOTIFIED THE DONOR CITIES THAT TO RECEIVE THESE GMP FUNDS, THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO PASS A RESOLUTION AND AN AGREEMENT THAT WOULD COMMIT NOT TO SEEK FURTHER EFFORTS OR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REDUCE OR DIVERT ANY OF THE 1 CENT SALES TAX AWAY FROM DART.
THAT AGREEMENT ALSO SAID THAT IF YOU DID THAT REIMBURSEMENT OF ANY FUNDS WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID BACK TO DART IF THE LEGISLATION PASSES.
THAT EFFECTIVELY BINDS ANY FUTURE COUNSEL FOR MAKING ANY POLICY OR ADVOCACY CHANGES WHEN IT COMES TO DART STAFF AND LEGAL DID NOT ADVISE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE GMP AND WE ALSO MADE OUR CONCERNS TO DART KNOWN.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SALES TAX IN ADDISON,
[01:45:02]
WE HAVE 6.25% OF THAT SALES TAX GOES TO THE STATE.1% STAYS HERE IN ADDISON AND 1% GOES TO DART.
SO IN FY 25, THAT 17.6 MILLION THAT WENT TO DART FROM 1984 WHEN WE FIRST JOINED DART OVER 400 MILLION HAS GONE INTO DART.
IF YOU LOOK BY OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENSES, WE CONTRIBUTE MORE TO DART THAN ANY ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, EVEN INCLUDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO US PROVIDING TO DART IS A LOCAL OPTION.
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT ARE ANYTHING FROM, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS, POLICE AND FIRE CRIME DISTRICTS THAT ALL ESSENTIALLY BOIL DOWN TO IT IS IT TAKES THE STRAIN OFF THE GENERAL FUND SO THEY CAN, THIS MONEY COULD GO TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WOULD OFFSET WHAT WE SPEND IN OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND JUST TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE, 17 MILLION IS APPROXIMATELY 25 CENTS ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
NOW I DO WANNA MENTION THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE CHOSE, WE WOULD STILL FUND TRANSPORTATION, WE WOULD WORK ON MOBILITY, WE WOULD HAVE OTHER TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES IN PLACE.
IT'S NOT THAT ALL OF THIS MONEY COULD GO TO SOMETHING ELSE, WE WOULD STILL HAVE MONEY THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED TO TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
SO CALLING AN ELECTION TO WITHDRAW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, STATE LAW ALLOWS MEMBER CITIES TO WITHDRAW EVERY SIX YEAR WITH 2026 BEING OUR ELIGIBLE OUT YEAR.
UM, IF WE WERE TO PASS THE ORDINANCE TO CALL THE ELECTION, IT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE FEBRUARY 13TH TO BE ON THE MAY 20TH, 2026 ELECTION DATE.
ONCE THAT ORDINANCE IS PASSED, WE HAVE TO NOTIFY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, THE COMPTROLLER AND DART IMMEDIATELY, AND THEN THE CITY HAS WITHIN 45 DAYS OF THE ELECTION TO CANCEL THAT ELECTION.
AND SO IF BETWEEN NOW AND WHENEVER THAT 45 DAY TIMELINE IS, WE COULD GO BACK AND CANCEL THE ELECTION SHOULD WE SO CHOOSE.
AFTER THE ELECTION, DART SERVICE STOPS THE DAY AFTER THE DART BOARD WILL CALCULATE THE AMOUNT OWED TO THE CITY, UH, BY THE CITY BASED ON UM, WHAT THE OUTSTANDING DEBT IS.
IT'S A CALCULATION THAT, AGAIN, IS FOUND IN CHAPTER 4 52 OF THE TRANSPORTATION CODE.
AND AT THIS POINT, WHAT WE RECEIVED IN 2024, ESTIMATED ABOUT A THREE YEAR, UM, REPAYMENT SCHEDULE, THE CITY SELLS TAX IS COMMITTED TO DART UNTIL THAT DEBT IS REPAID.
AND ONCE THAT OBLIGATION IS PAID REPAID, THE CITY CAN TAKE THE FULL 1 CENT TO THEN PUT IT TOWARDS EITHER ANOTHER LOCAL OPTION.
ELECTION GENERAL FUND OFFSETS TRANSPORTATION, HOWEVER, UH, COUNCIL CHOOSES TO USE THAT, WHICH ROLE DOES NOT AFFECT DART'S RIGHT TO TRAVEL THROUGH A WITHDRAWING CITY.
SO BASED ON THE FY 2024 INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM DART, THEY ARE SHOWING OUR OBLIGATION AT 0.66% WITH A REPAYMENT OF THREE YEARS.
TOWN STAFF USED THE LA LATEST FINANCIAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DART.
THAT WAS AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2025 AND CALCULATED IT AT 2.88 YEARS TO REPAY.
SO GOALS FOR DART STAFF HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME GOALS THAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN WITH DART TO STRIVE FOR WITHIN THE TOWN AND WITH THE MEMBER CITIES, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DART TO MODERNIZE THEIR FINANCIALS GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND TO BUILD A SCALABLE, FLEXIBLE, UH, FUNDING MODEL THAT MAKES MEMBERSHIP MORE FINANCIALLY ATTRACTIVE, ALLOW CITIES TO SELECT AND PAY FOR SERVICE BY MODE AND LOWERS COST BURDEN ON CURRENT MEMBER CITIES.
THERE ARE OVER 60 CITIES IN DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTY 13 ARE MEMBERS OF DART.
SINCE ITS INCEPTION NOBODY HAS ADDED TO THE DART SYSTEM.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGE AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE THROUGH MAKING CHANGES AGAIN TO THE GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING MODEL.
DART SHOULD EMBRACE INNOVATIVE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS, LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND, UM, IMPROVED PERFORMANCE DATA TO ENSURE RESPONSIVE AND EFFICIENT SERVICE DELIVERY.
[01:50:03]
SO WITH THE WITHDRAWAL ELECTION, IF THE CITY PASSES THE ORDINANCE, IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD NEED, AGAIN, NEED TO DO SO BY FEBRUARY 13TH.THE TOWN WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DART ON POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS THAT ADVANCE THE GOALS.
AND SHOULD IT BE SUCCESSFUL, THE TOWN IS PREPARED TO HAVE ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT SOLUTIONS IN PLACE.
STAFF HAS ALREADY BEGUN THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND COULD EXPLORE OPTIONS FURTHER AND WOULD HAVE FURTHER, UH, INFORMATION TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL TO BE READY FOR ANY CHANGES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, ASHLEY.
I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT THOUGH, I WANT TO, UH, JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING TO FOLKS BECAUSE I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ASK, WELL, HOW DID WE GET HERE? WHY, WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS SPECIAL MEETING? AND, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW, WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
WELL, ACCORDING TO THE TOWN CHARTER, A SPECIAL MEETING CAN BE CALLED, UH, OF THE CITY COUNCIL BY THE MAYOR, THE CITY MANAGER OR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THIS PARTICULAR MEETING WAS CALLED BY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT WAS NOT CALLED BY THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER.
AND, UH, IN A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, THE PLAN WAS ORIGINALLY FOR US TO HAVE A WORK SESSION TONIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE NOT HAD A PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC SO FAR.
THE THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE A WORK SESSION THIS EVENING FROM THAT WORK SESSION, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE DO WE WANNA MOVE THAT FORWARD INTO A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT BECAUSE THE THE, BECAUSE THE, UH, SPECIAL MEETING WAS CALLED BY THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT FORWENT IN ANY OF THAT, UH, POSSIBILITY TO HAVE PUBLIC DISCUSSION PRIOR TO AND IT SPED UP THE PROCESS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS HOW WE GOT HERE TONIGHT AND WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
SO WHO HAS QUESTIONS? I SAW A LIGHT OVER HERE.
WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S GOT WHO, WHO, WHO WAS FIRST UP HOWARD? I I HAD A QUESTION.
UM, THERE'S FOUR, FOUR OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY CALLED ELECTIONS.
AND IF THOSE CITIES, ELECTIONS GO FORWARD AND PASS AND THEN THERE ARE ONLY NINE MEMBERS LEFT ON, ON AS DART MEMBER CITIES, COULD THE, UM, PAYBACK THAT ADDISON OWES COULD THAT INCREASE IF WE WAITED TILL A NOVEMBER ELECTION? THAT IS SOMETHING, OH, THE NUMBERS GUY IS COMING UP.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, STEVEN GLICKMAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, I WAS TRYING TO HIDE IN THE BACK THERE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE, WE DO ESTIMATE THAT IF OTHER CITIES DID LEAVE BEFORE THE TOWN, THAT THAT OBLIGATION WOULD INCREASE IN OUR ESTIMATE, UH, IS BY ABOUT 13 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH WOULD TAKE US AROUND THREE QUARTERS OF A YEAR TO REPAY.
MARLON, I'VE GOT A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT.
SO WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY 1% OF OUR SALES TAX TO DART, RIGHT? THAT WAS SET BY THE LEGISLATURE? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO HOW CAN OUR COST EVER GO UP? I FEEL LIKE THE ONLY THING WE'RE OBLIGATED TO PAY IS THE 1%.
WE WOULD ONLY PAY THE 1%, BUT THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO GO TOO DART UNTIL THAT OBLIGATION IS MET.
SO WE'RE NOT PAYING ANYTHING MORE, BUT, BUT WE'RE NOT PAYING ANYTHING MORE.
WE'RE NOT PAYING ANYTHING MORE.
BUT IF, BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON POPULATION, THE CALCULATION THAT'S ALSO SET BY STATE STATUTE, UM, IF THERE'S LESS POPULATION IN DART, BUT THERE STILL REMAINS LIABILITIES THAT EXCEED THE ASSETS THAT ARE IN, IN THAT CALCULATION ON WHAT, WHAT EACH CITY, UH, ULTIMATELY REPAYS TO WITHDRAW THAT OUR PORTION OF THOSE LIABILITIES IS HIGHER ONLY IF WE ELECT TO LEAVE.
UM, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO READ THE CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE TOWN OF ADDISON STAFF AND ALSO THE DART STAFF FOR PRODUCING ALL THOSE, THOSE ANSWERS.
IT WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS, IT WAS A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION.
AND, AND I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO ANYBODY THAT THAT REVIEWED IT.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, HAS DART MADE ANY PROGRESS IN RECRUITMENT WITH CITIES SUCH AS FRISCO, MCKINNEY, AND ALLEN? AND, UH, BASICALLY WHAT SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS DOES THE AGENCY HAVE, UH, WITH OTHER CITIES IN NORTH TEXAS? SO PART OF THE ANSWER THAT CAME BACK, UH, WAS DESCRIBING THE ARRANGEMENT THAT DART HAS WITH MCKINNEY.
AND CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE ON HOW, HOW MCKINNEY HAS, HAS THIS, UH, MICRO TRANSIT
[01:55:01]
OFFERING FROM DART AND NOT, NOT THE SAME SITUATION AGREEMENT WE HAVE.SO MCKINNEY ACTUALLY HAS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION THAT CONTRACTS WITH DART FOR THEIR MCKINNEY URBAN TRANSIT.
AND SO THEY HAVE A ELIGIBILITY BASED PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS OF MCKINNEY, SALINA, LOWRY CROSSING, MELISSA, PRINCETON, AND PROSPER.
UM, AND THEN IT LOOK, IT, IT APPEARS THAT IT IS FOR THEIR 65 AND OVERRIDES WITH DISABILITY.
AND THEN, UM, THEY HAVE A REDUCED FAIR.
UM, SO THEIR, THEIR FARES ARE DISTANCE BASED, BUT BASICALLY IT'S ON A, IT'S ON A INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT.
SO THEY CONTRACT DIRECTLY WITH, UH, THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
SO THEY, THEY GET A SERVICE THAT'S BASED ON A FEE AND DON'T PAY IN AS A MEMBER.
AND I, I, I JUST FOUND OUT THAT MCKINNEY WAS A CUSTOMER OF DART AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT UNTIL TODAY.
UM, UM, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL OF THE, THE MEMBER CITIES HAD THE SAME AGREEMENT, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER CITY.
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN, UH, BASICALLY LIKE AN A LA CARTE, UH, TYPE AGREEMENT MEMBER CITIES HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO HAVE AN A, AN A LA CARTE AGREEMENT.
UH, THEY HAVE ALLOWED, LIKE I SAID, UH, MCKINNEY, I BELIEVE AT SOME POINT ALAN HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
UM, BUT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE HAD AGREEMENTS WITH THEM, BUT THE MEMBER CITIES DO NOT GET TO CHOOSE THEIR, THEIR SERVICES.
AND I NOTICED, UH, FRISCO HAD, HAS SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR, ALMOST IDENTICAL WITH, UH, DALLAS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER QUESTION I WAS DRIVING AT IS, UM, WE'VE GOT THESE, ALL THESE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE NOT, THAT ARE NOT MEMBERS AND, AND DART HAS THEIR, UH, PROJECTED 20 YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN.
AND SO WE ASKED, OR I ASKED, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE THOUGHT ABOUT RECRUITMENT OF OTHER CITIES? AND, AND WE RECEIVED THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT, BUT IT, UM, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANY, ANY PLAN TO ADD ANY OTHER CITIES.
SO, UH, UM, AT SOME POINT I'D LOVE TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW, WHAT CAN BE DONE, HOW CAN WE HELP DARK, HOW CAN WE HELP REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION BY, BY MAYBE SOME RECRUITMENT OF, OF DRISCOLL HUGE, HUGE GROWING CITY.
THERE'S A LOT MORE, BUT, BUT THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT THAT COME TO MIND.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, YEAH, TOP OF MY MIND.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE HELP DAR MARLON? I CAN COMMENT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT IF YOU LIKE.
AS YOU KNOW, I SERVE ON THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A REGULAR CONVERSATION THAT THAT GOES ON AT THOSE, AT THE RTC MEETINGS IS HOW DO, HOW DO WE, HOW DOES DART GROW THE MEMBERSHIP? UH, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU HAVE CITIES THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE, THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THE, UH, THE, THE ONE PENNY OR EVEN A PORTION OF A PENNY TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.
BUT I ALSO LOOK BACK, EVEN DURING THE, WHEN YEARS, PREVIOUS YEARS WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, PROBABLY A DOZEN OR SO YEARS AGO, UH, WE WERE STILL HAVING THAT SAME CONVERSATION BACK THEN.
AND, UM, THE POSITION THAT EVERY, FROM, FROM THE MEMBER CITIES THAT I HEARD, UH, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, THEIR POSITION WAS, UNLESS, UNLESS ANOTHER CITY WANTS TO CATCH UP BY PAYING ALL THAT MONEY THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST X NUMBER OF YEARS TO BE PART OF DART, THEN THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO BE PART OF IT.
SO IT REALLY WASN'T LIKE THERE WAS A WELCOME WAGON WAITING FOR NEW MEMBERS TO COME IN WITHOUT PAYING A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY THAT REALLY NOBODY COULD, COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT.
SO IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T WELL, UM, UH, WELL RECEIVED TO, TO BRING IN NEW MEMBERS WITHOUT THAT, UH, WITHOUT THAT FINANCIAL, UH, COMMITMENT.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, UH, THE, THE MEMBERSHIP, SINCE WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HAD THESE CHALLENGING TIMES FOR SURE.
UM, WE, WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF AS A MEMBER, AS MEMBER CITIES IS SELLING THIS PRODUCT THAT WE, THAT WE'VE BEEN A PART OF FOR 40 PLUS YEARS.
UH, AND I'VE MADE THE COMMENT, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ONCE AT THE RTC MEETING, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE WANT TO GET NEW MEMBER CITIES AND WE'RE TRYING TO SELL THEM ON THE IDEA OF BECOMING A MEMBER OF DART, WE'RE TERRIBLE SALESPEOPLE BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE BAD THINGS WITH DART.
WELL, WHO'S GONNA SIGN UP FOR THAT? YEAH.
AND IT'S DIFFICULT WITH A, AS AN EX SALESPERSON, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT TO SELL, IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL MODEL, UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE STUCK WITH THAT, IT'S GONNA BE A TOUGH SELL.
AND THE, AND THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL THAT IS REALLY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
AND, AND EVERY, EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
[02:00:01]
TOUCHED ON THIS AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, THE CURRENT BOARD OF DART IS MADE UP OF 15 MEMBERS, IS THAT RIGHT? EIGHT OF THE MEMBERS ARE FROM DALLAS, IS THAT RIGHT? I BELIEVE YES.EIGHT REPRESENT DALLAS, WHICH LEADS SEVEN MEMBERS TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE SUBURBS.
IT SEVEN, I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY 15 MEMBERS, CORRECT.
ADDISON SHARES GARY SLAGEL WITH RICHARDSON, HIGHLAND PARK, AND UNIVERSITY PARK.
SO WE HAVE A FOURTH OF ONE VOICE, BUT IF DALLAS CHOOSES TO VOTE TOGETHER, THEY HAVE A MAJORITY JUST WITH THEIR MEMBERS.
AND CURRENTLY WHAT YOU SHOWED ON THE CHART OR WHAT HE, UH, THE ERNST AND YOUNG REPORT SAID DALLAS PAYS IN 400 AND SOMETHING MILLION AND RECEIVES 600 AND SOMETHING MILLION IN SERVICES.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S A YELLOW CHART.
NO, KEEP GOING BACK TO THE ERNST AND YOUNG CHART THERE.
UH, NO, ONE MORE, ONE MORE THERE.
IF YOU LOOK, I I CAN'T SEE IT.
UM, WHAT DOES IT SAY FOR DALLAS? DON'T THEY PAY IN 400 AND RECEIVE 604 SOMETHING? UH, SO IT'S, THEIR OPERATING EXPENSE IS 412 MILLION.
UM, THEIR SALES TAX CONTRIBUTION IS 407 MILLION, JUST OVER ALMOST 408 MILLION.
WHAT'S THE 690 MILLION? THE, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES ARE SIX 90.
AND THEIR SALES TRACK TRACK CONTRIBUTIONS 4 0 7.
SO, OKAY, SO, SO THE REST OF US ARE SUBSIDIZING THAT DEFICIT.
AND THAT, AND, AND THE BOARD APPROVES THAT, I GUESS I I MEAN THE BOARD IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 50% DALLAS BOARD MEMBERS.
SO THAT SUGGESTION TO CHANGE THAT TO ONE REPRESENTATIVE FOR EVERY CITY AND DALLAS ONLY HAVE THREE, WOULD MEAN THAT FOR DALLAS TO GET SOMETHING PASSED, THEY WOULD NEED SUPPORT FROM THE SUBURBS.
KIND OF LIKE GETTING HELP ACROSS THE AISLE IN WASHINGTON DC A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE RIGHT NOW FOR 40 YEARS, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THAT DART HAS HAD A BURGEON NEST ON THE GROUND.
NOT THAT DART'S BAD AND NOT THAT I DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING ANYONE SAID TODAY.
'CAUSE I AGREE WITH ALL OF IT.
I'M ANTI THE, THE SITUATION AS IT EXISTS AND I THINK IT COULD BE FIXED.
UM, SO, SO WE ARE BEING, ADDISON BEING PART OF IT, WE'RE PAYING IN MORE THAN WE'RE GETTING AND IT'S GOING TO, TO DALLAS.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE CHANGED.
AND I, I HAD A SUGGESTION, AND MAYBE BRUCE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS.
UM, IF THE LEGISLATURE WERE TO SAY, AS, AS Y'ALL SAID TODAY, THIS IS A PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS A REGIONAL ISSUE AND ADDISON'S PART OF THE REGION AND WE'VE BEEN A TEAM PLAYER FOR 40 SOMETHING YEARS AND WE JUST GOT THE SILVER LINE AND WE ALL WANT THAT, BUT WHY IS THE REGION, THE WHOLE REGION BEING SUPPORTED BY 13 MEMBERS, WHY ARE WE CARRYING THE WEIGHT ON OUR BACKS AND DOZENS OF OTHER CITIES AREN'T PARTICIPATING? SO A SUGGESTION, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT, I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT DART A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT WHY CAN'T WE PAY IN EIGHT AND A QUARTER THAT EVERYBODY PAYS IN AND LET THE STATE TAKE SIX AND A HALF INSTEAD OF SIX AND A QUARTER FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION AND GIVE ALL OF US BACK 1.75.
SO IT'S A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
WHY CAN'T EVERYBODY PAY IN? WHY IS IT JUST 13 CITIES THAT HAVE TO PAY IN AND WHY FOR 40 YEARS THAT WE WAITED FOR THE SILVER LINE, DID DART NOT GET ONE OTHER CITY TO EVEN JOIN? THESE ARE THE REASONS THAT I'M ONE THAT CALLED THIS MEETING.
SO I'M NOT EMBARRASSED OR ASHAMED.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T WANNA SIT THROUGH TWO OF THESE MEETINGS IF WE COULD SOLVE IT IN ONE.
BUT IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE STATE TO DO SOMETHING, COULD DART NEGOTIATE WITH THE STATE AND COME TO THE TABLE AND GET A SOLUTION TO THIS? THE, THESE OTHER CITIES ARE P****D OFF.
IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T WANT THEIR CITIZENS TO HAVE TRANSPORT.
WE ALL WANT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT DART'S NOT THE ONLY ANSWER.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY IS DART NOT DOING SOMETHING WITH, OH, YOUR LIGHTS ON.
SO, YEAH, I, I'LL COMMENT ON THAT, HOWARD, SO THAT IT, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO, HOW DO WE DO THIS? THE GOVERNANCE SIDE OF IT, FOR ONE
[02:05:01]
THING, AND THE GOVERNANCE SIDE OF, OF THE DART BOARD IS VERY MUCH A, A PART OF THE CONVERSATION TOO.AND, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PROPOSALS PUT OUT THERE TO HAVE WHERE EVERY, EVERY MEMBER CITY HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
AND DART WOULDN'T, I MEAN, DALLAS WOULDN'T HAVE THAT, THAT MAJORITY THAT, THAT THEY HAVE NOW.
SO THAT DISCUSSION IS ONGOING, THAT EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, UH, AND THAT, THAT'S PART OF A SOLUTION.
UM, TO, TO TRY TO, TO TRY TO GET THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO FORCE SOMETHING ON EVERYBODY ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT THEY CAN GET THERE.
UM, BUT IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALL VERY COMPLEX BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO GIVE UP THE MONEY THAT'S GONNA FUND ANY OF IT.
'CAUSE THEY'RE USING IT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER THINGS IN THEIR, IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S A VERY, VERY COMPLICATED, VERY COMPLEX.
AND, UH, BUT IT'S ALL GOTTA BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD TO, TO FIND A BETTER SOLUTION.
AND THEN THAT'S THE QUESTION IS, IS DO WE, DO WE MAKE PROGRESS WITH THAT BY, UH, WORKING TOGETHER GOING FORWARD? OR DO WE DISMANTLE WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN TRY TO FIGURE OUT WITH, WITH THE, WITH ALL THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE THAT COMES FROM IT.
SO WHO HAD A LIGHT ON OVER? DID SOMEBODY HAVE A LIGHT ON OVER HERE OR IS THAT DARREN? DARREN.
SO JUST WANNA, UH, CLARIFY, UH, WHAT STEVEN HAD SAID ABOUT THE, UH, 13.5 MILLION.
IT WAS ONE OF OUR COUNCIL QUESTIONS.
UM, I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THAT IS A $13.5 MILLION DECISION TO POSTPONE TILL THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
IT, IT COULD BE IF THE OTHER CITIES WERE IN THE WORST CASE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ELECTION.
AND IN THE WORST CASE, ASSUMING THAT ESSENTIALLY, UH, 29 POINT, I THINK IT WAS 29.2% OF THE, THE SALES TAX BASE WAS, WAS LEAVING.
THIS IS POPULATION BASED, BUT IT IS A BIG PORTION OF THE POPULATION.
UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IRVING PLANO, OUR TWO, UH, OF VERY LARGE SUBURBS, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGHLAND PARK DOESN'T HAVE A LARGE POPULATION AND FARMERS BRANCHES AROUND 40,000.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TWO THAT ARE OVER 250,000 PULLING OUT THAT, THAT, UH, INFLATES EVERY OTHER EXISTING MEMBER CITIES, UH, PORTION OF THAT PIE.
SO IF, IF I COULD ADD, I THINK WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY IN THAT, IN THAT QUESTION OF MAY VERSE NOVEMBER IS NOVEMBER IS AN OPTION FOR COUNCIL, BUT WE DON'T KNOW.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE UNKNOWNS OUT THERE.
ONE OF THE UNKNOWNS IS IF THEY LEAVE, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE OUR ULTIMATE CONTRIBUTION OR, AND WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR US TO LEAVE IN THOSE MONTHS? THERE'S A LOT THAT COULD CHANGE.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN THIS SITUATION BEFORE, SO THAT IS COUNSEL'S DECISION.
BUT WE NEED TO LET YOU KNOW, THERE ARE UNCERTAINTIES OUT THERE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE WOULD HOLD EVEN WITHIN THOSE NUMBER OF MONTHS, BETWEEN MAY AND NOVEMBER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CLARIFICATIONS.
UM, SO SEVERAL QUESTIONS HERE.
I ASK MYSELF, WHY HAVEN'T THE OTHER CITIES JOINED? AND THIS IS MAYBE CONVERSATION, WHY HAVEN'T THE OTHER CITIES JOINED DART IN THE LAST 40 YEARS? USUALLY WHEN YOU DON'T BUY A PRODUCT, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE VALUE PROPOSITION.
AND YOU KNOW, FROM A BUSINESS, UH, STANDPOINT, THAT'S A LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE NOT TO, TO BUY WHEN THEY CAN JUST DRIVE OVER TO PLANO AND GET ON THE BUS OR THE TRAIN OR OVER TO ADDISON AND THEY DON'T PAY ANY DIFFERENT PRICE.
SO WHAT, WHAT'S OUR APPROXIMATE COST OF, OF DOING ADDISON TRANSIT OURSELVES? SO WITHOUT THE RAIL LINE NECESSARILY.
WE HAVE MET WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROVIDERS TO SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ARE, WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE FOR IT.
UM, I THINK THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE AND NOT HAVE TO PAY MORE ON THE PERSONAL END.
BUT AT THIS POINT WE, WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE WERE PLANNING ON COMING BACK.
IF, IF YOU MOVE FORWARD, WE WOULD COME BACK TO YOU WITH AN ANSWER.
DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE THAT WE NO, WE DO NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATE.
SO, WE'LL, BUT WE'LL, IT'S DEPENDING ON THE SERVICE LEVEL TOO.
SO IF, IF, IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ELECTION, WHAT WE WILL COMMIT TO IS IN FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME, WE WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH OPTIONS, WITH COST, WITH DIFFERENT SERVICE LEVELS.
WHEN, WHEN WOULD WE, DO WE WANNA START AFTER THE ELECTION? DO WE WANNA START BEFORE? DO YOU WANNA HAVE A PILOT PERIOD? THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR THAT, BUT WE NEED TO HEAR COUNCIL'S DIRECTION FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL START WORKING ON, ON ALL THOSE NEXT STEPS.
IF THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO SEND THIS TO A DEMOCRATIC POPULAR VOTE, WHICH IS, UM, IN, UM, MAY OR OR NOVEMBER, THEN WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO FULFILL, TO FILL THE GAP, TO PAY FOR THE GAP OF TRANSPORTATION.
YOU CAN'T JUST STOP THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
I'M IN FAVOR OF IT, OF HAVING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
IT MAY, MAYBE NOT THIS AGENCY, MAYBE SOME OTHER AGENCY.
[02:10:01]
ARE THE, WHAT'S THE OPTIONS OUT THERE? WE SAW THREE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES ON OUR COUNCIL QUESTIONS OF DCTA.UM, DALLAS AREA, RAPID TRANSIT AGENCY.
DART, WHO'S THE OTHER ONES? WELL, WHAT ARE THE OTHER OPTIONS AS FAR AS PUBLIC AGENCIES? THAT'S PROBABLY THE TWO.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF AGENCIES OR COMPANIES THAT DO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSIT, BE IT PARATRANSIT, JUST REGULAR MICRO TRANSIT.
UH, WE HAVE TALKED TO RIDE CO AND VIA, BUT THERE, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT THERE, THERE'S OPTIONS THERE.
AND IN CASE STUDIES FROM OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE USED THE SIMILAR PRIVATE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS FOR MICRO TRANSIT, THAT, THAT HAVE WORKED WELL.
BUT THOSE ARE PRIVATE COMPANIES, RIGHT? UH, CORRECT.
AND THEN THERE IS THE, I MEAN, WE COULD REACH OUT TO PARTNERING AGENCIES, UH, DCTA IF THEY, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEIR, I KNOW THEY PARTNER WITH OTHER CITIES.
I THINK THEY'RE MOSTLY WITHIN DENTON COUNTY.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY COULDN'T, WE COULDN'T HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
BUT YES, THERE ARE PRIVATE AGENCIES ALSO.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, AND AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSION, THAT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO GET THE PEOPLE HERE IN ADDISON WHERE THEY NEED TO GO AND BE IT TO ANOTHER RAIL LINE, ANOTHER BUS STATION THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO GET TO, UM, TO WORK.
HOW, HOW IS THAT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO STILL GET EVERYBODY WHERE THEY NEED TO GO? AND SO, ALTHOUGH WE'RE CALLING IT MICRO TRANSIT, IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING ON OUR AREA, IT WILL STILL GET THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO GO WITHIN WHATEVER SYSTEM IT IS.
SO SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS TO COME INTO ADDISON FROM GARLAND OR ETTE OR, OR PLANO, WE'D HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND THEN THEY GOT TO MAKE A CONNECTION SOMEWHERE HERE.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE ADDISON AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER CITIES, WE WOULD, WE'VE ALREADY, AS WE TALKED, HAD PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS AT A HIGH LEVEL AS WE TALKED TO THE GROUPS, IS TO SAY, WE WANNA BRING OPTIONS TO COUNCIL THAT DOESN'T, THAT DON'T ONLY FOCUS ON OUR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO FOCUS ON OUR WORKERS.
SO CAN WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS THAT PROVIDE FOR OUR WORKERS TO MAKE IT INTO ADDISON, NOT JUST RESIDENTS MAKING IT OUT.
SO WE TOTALLY UNDER UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND IF THAT WAS COUNCIL'S DIRECTION, WE WOULD COME BACK WITH OPTIONS THAT COULD LOOK AT WHATEVER WE COULD DO.
I WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT AS, AS A COUNCIL, WE KNOW THAT WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO, I, I THINK WE'D HAVE TO REPLACE THE, THE TRANSPORTATION FUNCTIONALITY.
AND IT WOULD REALLY JUST BE, TO ME AN INTERIM.
I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A LONG TERM REGIONAL, UH, APPROACH BECAUSE IT'S, THE CURRENT APPROACH IS, IS JUST NOT GOING TO EXTEND.
AND, AND BRUCE AND, AND TRANSIT 2.0 AND RTC ALL, ALL YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON THAT.
THAT MOVES AT THE, AT THE PACE OF A GLACIER IT SEEMS. AND UM, THESE SORT OF ACTIONS THAT THE TOWNS ARE TAKING MOVES THAT GLACIER A LOT FASTER BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES PUT PRESSURE ON TO MAKE A CHANGE INSTEAD OF IT BEING JUST COMFORTABLE AND EASY.
ESPECIALLY SINCE, UH, DALLAS HAS, UH, ALL THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTES.
AND THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.
UM, I'D ASK YOU TO, TO SEE WHAT THE VOTE IS ON EACH OF THOSE MEETINGS WHENEVER IT'S, UH, A NON DALLAS CENTRIC DECISION, ESPECIALLY ON FUNDING.
UM, SO IT'S INTERIM, IF WE DO FUND IT, I MEAN, IF WE DO, IF IT DOES GO TO, TO VOTE, UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT VOTING TO LEAVE THE ART.
THE COUNCIL'S NOT VOTING TO LEAVE THE ART.
WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE VOTING TO PUT IT ON THE ELECTION SO THAT YOU CAN GO MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUD AND CLEAR AND HEARD.
AND IF, IF, UH, THERE'S ONE PERSON THAT THAT SAID TAKE IT TO A VOTE AND ALL THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT, AND, AND IF ALL THOSE OTHER 104 PEOPLE THAT SPOKE HOWEVER MANY THERE WERE GO VOTE, THEN IT'S, IT'S A DONE DEAL.
IF, UM, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH WERE WE PAYING FOR THE CIRCULATOR IF WE HAVE TO, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE WERE GRUNTING 50% OF THE CIRCULATOR NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T GOT THAT NUMBER FROM DART YET.
UM, THEY ESTIMATED THE TOTAL COST FOR THE CIRCULATOR AND GOLINK TO BE 1.8 MILLION.
UH, WE THINK THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS A CIRCULATOR, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT FIGURE YET.
SO IT'S, IT IS, WE WE ARE, IT'S NOT LIKE DART'S FUNDING THE CIRCULATOR AND, AND THE GO LINK.
WE'RE, WE'RE PAYING FOR HALF OF IT.
SO LOOKING AT YOU TO CLARIFY, HALF OF THE CIRCULATOR, HALF CIRCULATOR, RIGHT? DART FUNDING
[02:15:01]
THE GOAL LINK.UM, SO LOOKING AT WHAT, UH, PLANOS, UM, TALKING ABOUT, 'CAUSE THEY'RE FURTHER ALONG ON THESE CONVERSATIONS, SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT, THAT THE FORECAST OF WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT LOOKS LIKE THEIR TRANSIT REPLACEMENTS IS IN LIKE THE, THE $4 MILLION RANGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I, I WAS THINKING THAT OURS WOULD BE AROUND THE $2 MILLION, UH, PRICE RANGE FOR A SMALL TOWN.
IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES A BETTER SERVICE IN OTHERS NOT, MAYBE IT WOULDN'T BE FIXED ROUTE.
UH, SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE TRANSIT STATION IF, OKAY, SO IF THE VOTE WENT TONIGHT TO THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE AND THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE IS TO PULL OUT A DART, UM, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN TRANSIT STATION? WELL, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
SO THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO I GUESS TO CLARIFY MY QUESTION, WOULD THE TRANSIT STATION BE SHUT DOWN? WOULD THEY PUT PLYWOOD ON THE WINDOWS? I THINK THOSE ARE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
UM, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE BUS STOP? WHAT BUS STOP.
THE BUS STOPS THROUGHOUT TOWN.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THAT IS THAT SAME ANSWER.
SO THAT WOULD CEASE AND THE TRAIN WOULD GO THROUGH THE STOP.
WHAT WOULD STOP US FROM, UH, USING ADDISON TRANSIT IF IT WENT THAT DIRECTION TO CARRY PEOPLE OVER TO NO WOOD STATION AND LET THEM GET ON THE TRAIN THERE? THAT COULD BE AN OPTION.
IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE NOT ALLOWED BY DART? IF, I MEAN, 'CAUSE PLANO OR FRISCO CAN DO IT.
WE WERE LOOKING AT MICRO TRANSIT OPTIONS.
WE WOULD LOOK AT TAKING THEM TO WHATEVER HUBS AND WHATEVER INTERESTS THERE WERE FOR THE FOLKS.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW.
A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND THEN, UH, SOME COMMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE, UH, THE GMP, THAT WAS WHERE PLANO, I'M SORRY, DART WOULD GIVE US 5% BACK OF OUR ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION, IS THAT RIGHT? THE SALES TAX CONTRIBUTION, HOW MUCH WAS THAT GONNA BE? IT WAS GONNA BE 2.9 MILLION, I BELIEVE.
AND WHY DID WE SAY NO TO THAT? BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAD A STIPULATION THAT IF IT BASICALLY BIND TO ANY FUTURE COUNCIL FOR ANY LEGISLATION, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE FUNDING OF DART.
SO WE COULDN'T, FUTURE COUNCILS COULD NOT GO AND TRY TO CHANGE ANY LEGISLATION REGARDING THE FUNDING OF DART.
AND, AND I'M SORRY, REFRESH MY MEMORY, WAS THAT A COUNCIL VOTE THAT SAID NO TO THAT? NO, THERE WAS NO COUNCIL VOTE.
UM, WHEN WE GOT THE INITIAL LETTER IN JULY, I SENT THAT TO COUNCIL ALONG WITH OUR ANALYSIS.
WHEN WE GOT THE FORMAL INFORMATION FROM DART IN OCTOBER, I SENT THAT TO COUNCIL AND WE DISCUSSED IT WITH COUNCIL LAST MONTH.
WELL, MY ONE COMMENT TO THE CIRCULATOR WOULD BE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE US $2.9 MILLION BACK, THEY, WE SHOULD AT LEAST NEGOTIATE SOMETHING THAT PAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CIRCULATOR.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE MISLEADING.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T INCLUDE SILVER LINE EXPENSES.
I KNOW THIS IS 23 AND THESE NUMBERS CAME FROM DART, BUT IT'S MISLEADING.
AND THEN, UH, POLICE, FIRE PARKS, YOU KNOW, DO THOSE NUMBERS INCLUDE EVERYTHING? TAKE POLICE FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, I'M ASSUMING SALARIES ARE IN THERE, BUT DOES INCLUDE VEHICLES, WEAPONS, DEPRECIATION? IS THAT THE ALL IN NUMBER? UH, SO, SO ONE, THE, THE DART NUMBER HERE IS NOT THEIR EXPENSES, IT'S THE SALES TAX THAT'S GOING RIGHT FROM ADDISON TO YARD.
UM, ON THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LISTED THERE, IT'S ALL OF THEIR OPERATING EXPENSES.
UH, WHICH FOR POLICE AND FIRE IS MOSTLY GONNA BE PERSONNEL MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, UH, UTILITIES AT THEIR FACILITIES, UH, THEIR SUPPLIES, THEIR AMMO, THEIR WEAPONS.
SO NOT CAPITAL, NOT CAPITAL PURCHASES.
WELL, WELL DEPRECIATION IS NOT AN APPROPRIATED EXPENSE.
SO THESE ARE THE BUDGET THAT YOU JUST ADOPTED.
THESE ARE THE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BUDGET.
SO IT DOES NOT HAVE DEPRECIATION.
BECAUSE THE REASON I ASK IS IN THAT NUMBER THERE IS DEPRECIATION, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
AND THIS IS JUST, UH, THE $17 MILLION FOR I GET IT NOW.
IN, IN THE EY STUDY, THEY USED DEPRECIATION, UM, OF, OF THEIR CAPITAL, UH, AS AN EXPENDITURE THAT THEY ALLOCATED TO EACH OF THE CITIES.
[02:20:01]
MAKES SENSE.UM, TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS OR RESTAURANTS.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WE HAVEN'T HAD OUTREACH YET.
WE WANTED TO GO GET DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL, SEE WHICH WAY COUNCIL WANTED TO GO BEFORE WE STARTED THAT OUTREACH.
ONE OF THE MANY REASONS NOT HAD OUTREACH YET.
ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY THIS MEETING IS PREMATURE.
UM, SO I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, I KNOW DARREN ASKED, BUT MORE ABOUT THE OPTIONS IF WE GET OUT OF DART, I KNOW I HEARD RIDE CO VIA OR VIA MM-HMM.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE HOW MUCH WORK HAVE YOU DONE? 'CAUSE I CERTAINLY HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD VOTE UNTIL WE HAVE INFORMATION LIKE THAT.
I'D LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST.
YOU MENTIONED GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF ADDISON TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, BUT I WANNA KNOW HOW WE GET PEOPLE INTO OUR TOWN, UM, AND THE EXPENSES AND YOU KNOW, THE FINANCIAL WORTH OF SOME OF THESE COMPANIES THAT, THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS.
AND I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE THIS MEETING.
YEAH, WE'VE HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS.
IS ALL COUNCIL HASN'T THOUGH, HAVE THEY? WELL, NO, NO, NO.
WE'VE HAD JUST PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, ON SLIDE 22, THE GOALS.
SO WHERE DID THOSE COME FROM? THESE ARE GOALS THAT STAFF ALONG WITH, THEY ALSO WITH TALKING TO OTHER MEMBER CITIES.
SO I THOUGHT THAT'S STAFF THAT'S NOT COUNCIL.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WERE GONNA PUT GOALS ON THIS THAT YOU WOULD TALK TO THE COUNCIL.
THAT'S TO ME, THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE.
WHEN ACTUALLY MADE THE PRESENTATION, SHE SAID THESE WERE STAFF'S GOALS THAT WE'VE LAID OUT.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
AND THEN, UM, HAVEN'T WE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED TO HAVE OUR OWN SEAT ON THE DART BOARD? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF, NO.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY DISCUSSIONS.
WE HAVE HEARD SUPPORT FROM SOME DART MEMBERS, UH, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO APPROVAL.
NOTHING HAS GONE TO THE STATE TO CHANGE THAT.
I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT WE WERE APPROVED AND THAT IT NEEDED TO GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATION.
DART HAS HAS, HAS HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS.
NOTHING HAS GONE TO THE STATE AT THIS POINT.
THAT'S ALL I GOT, BUT I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE BEING HERE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMENTS AND CARING SO DEEPLY ABOUT OUR TOWN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
NOW, UM, THE TUESDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING WITH A WEEK'S NOTICE, I'VE ALREADY SAID THIS.
IT'S PREMATURE AND IRRESPONSIBLE.
I WANT TO HEAR HOW THIS WILL AFFECT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR DART STATION.
AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY EVEN TALKED ABOUT ALTERNATIVES.
I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS THAT I WANNA SHARE NOT ONLY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, BUT ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUR REGIONAL INFLUENCE AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
DART PROVIDES TRANSPORTATION FOR 163,000 DAILY WEEKDAY RIDERS.
LAST YEAR, DART RECORDED 55 MILLION TRIPS.
IT'S A 4.4% YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE.
AND I'M NOT READY TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ANYONE.
LET ME SAY THIS AS PLENTY AS I CAN.
LEAVING DART TODAY WOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST DAMAGING, SHORTSIGHTED DECISIONS ADDISON COULD MAKE.
AND PUTTING ON THE BALLOT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY.
WE'RE OUT OF TOWN THAT A ABANDONS DECADES OF PLANNING.
AND WE'RE NOT A TOWN THAT WALKS AWAY FROM MAJOR REGIONAL INVESTMENTS JUST WHEN IT'S FINALLY STARTING TO PAY OFF FOR US.
ADDISON JOINED DART 40 YEARS AGO BECAUSE WE UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF A PART OF BEING PART OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, A REGIONAL SYSTEM.
I DON'T THINK WE EVER THOUGHT THAT WE'D GET A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT BECAUSE WE SAW THE VALUE OF BEING PART OF SOMETHING MUCH LARGER THAN OURSELVES.
WE SAW THE VALUE THAT MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY CAN MEAN TO OUR BUSINESSES, OUR RESTAURANTS, AND TO PEOPLE'S LIVES.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING A SMALL CITY CAN DO ON ITS OWN.
DARK IS NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT WE RECEIVE TODAY, BUT IT IT'S ALSO ABOUT OUR FUTURE.
AND IT TAKES A LOT TO LOOK OUT 30, 40, 50 YEARS AND REALLY SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY BENEFITS US MORE THAN WE CAN OFTEN SEE.
EMPLOYERS LOOK AT DART WHEN DECIDING WHERE TO LOCATE JOBS AND DART HELPS EMPLOYEES DECIDE WHERE TO LIVE.
WHY WOULD WE CUT OURSELVES OFF FROM THE SILVER LINE COMING RIGHT THROUGH ADDISON IN A REGIONAL WIDE NETWORK OF MOBILITY.
NO SERIOUS RELOCATION TEAM WOULD EVER LOOK AT A CITY THAT VOLUNTARILY CUT ITSELF OFF FROM A 13 CITY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
LEAVING DART CREATES COST AND UNCERTAINTY.
WE DON'T JUST STOP PAYING THE 1% AND PUT THE MONEY IN OUR POCKET.
WE HAVE YEARS OF COSTS THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE
[02:25:01]
FOR MILLIONS IN LIABILITIES.AND WE STILL ARE GONNA HAVE TO FIND SOME TYPE OF MOBILITY SOLUTION, WHICH LIKELY WILL BE AT A HIGHER COST PER RESIDENT WITHOUT ANY KIND OF REGIONAL ECONOMIES TO SCALE.
STAYING IN DART STRENGTHENS OUR FUTURE.
WE'VE PAID OUR SHARE, WE'VE STAYED THE COURSE.
AND LEAVING NOW WOULD JUST BE IRRESPONSIBLE.
NOW'S THE TIME FOR EDISON TO BE A LEADER AND HELP FIX THE PROBLEM AND NOT RUN AWAY FROM IT.
DOES DART NEED TO IMPROVE AND FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES? YES.
MAYBE EVEN AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT WE NEED, WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE THAT.
SHOULD WE MAKE SURE THAT AS OTHER CITIES, CITIES NEGOTIATE ADDISON AS A SEAT AT THE TABLE? ABSOLUTELY.
AND STAYING IN DART TODAY MAY GIVE US EVEN A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE, BUT ABANDONING DART NOW, IT'S JUST GIVING UP.
I DON'T SUPPORT A VOTE TO LEAVE DART AT THIS TIME AND I DON'T SUPPORT PUTTING IT ON THE MAY BALLOT.
I THINK THE PRUDENT THING TO DO WOULD BE JUST WAIT, FOUR CITIES HAVE THEIR DART WITHDRAWALS ON A MAY BALLOT.
LET'S WAIT AND SEE THE RESULTS OF THOSE ELECTIONS, THEN MAYBE WE CAN MAKE A MORE EDUCATED DECISION.
I MAY GO OUTTA ORDER WITH MY QUESTIONS HERE, BUT, UH, JUST TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP ON THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
I I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE A GOOD ANSWER TONIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A FAIR QUESTION.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO.
UH, I THINK THIS IS THE IDEAL TIME TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER CITIES THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THAT HAVE BEEN BULLIED BY DART FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
WE CAN, IF WE WERE NO CITY COULD DO THIS ON THEIR OWN.
AND I AGREE WITH CHRIS, WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IN THIS ALONE.
AND THERE WILL BE OTHER CITIES THAT WE CAN BANDWIDTH TO MAKE A BETTER SYSTEM THAN WHAT WE'VE GOT NOW.
WE HAD A SPEAKER EARLIER COMMENT THAT DART'S NOT THE PROBLEM.
THEY'VE BEEN A BULLY FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
ABSOLUTELY, THEY'VE BEEN A BULLY FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
NOT LISTEN TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
DART IS A VENDOR THAT HAS DONE A POOR JOB SUPPORTING THEIR CUSTOMERS, WHICH WE ARE CUSTOMERS IN THIS, IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
WE HAVE PAID IN OVER $400 MILLION AND WE'VE ONLY HAD BUS SERVICE.
IF YOU GO TO SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, THE WAY I SEE IT IS DART BASICALLY SUPPLIES FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
IT'S THE SAME BUSINESS MODEL ACROSS THE ENTIRE MODEL OF THE DART.
IF YOU HAVE ALL FIVE SERVICES, WHICH MANY OF THE TOWNS DO, THEY PAY A PENNY.
ADDISON, FOR 43 YEARS, WE HAD ONE OF THESE SERVICES, THE BUS, WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF, OF PARA TRANSIT.
BUT WE PAID THE EXACT SAME FREIGHT FOR ONE SERVICE THAT MANY TOWNS WERE PAYING IN OTHERS.
MANY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT WHY WOULD, WHY HAVE THEY NOT EXPANDED? WELL, THEY HAVEN'T EXPANDED BECAUSE IT'S NOT A GOOD DEAL.
IF IT WAS A GOOD DEAL, TOWNS WOULD BE FALLING OVER THEMSELVES TO GET IN.
THE DEVELOPMENTS ARE GOING TO THE CITIES THAT ARE NOT IN DART.
THEY HAVE THE REVENUE, THE TAX REVENUE COMING INTO THEIR TOWN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
WE ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ANTIQUATED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
I STAND HERE WITH YOU AS EVERYONE ON THIS DIOCESE DOES.
I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT A 1983 BUSINESS MODEL THAT HAS BEEN BROKE.
CELL PHONES HAVE BEEN INVENTED, THE INTERNET HAS BEEN INVENTED.
IT IS AN ANTIQUATED SERVICE THAT WE CAN DO FAR BETTER.
ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA GET PLACES WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU THERE FAR BETTER, MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MORE FINANCIALLY FI FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
THERE'S THREE THINGS AND I HAVE, UH, I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING, UH, MAYOR ON A, AN AGENDA ITEM AS TO WHY IT WAS PUT ON AN AGENDA.
BUT I, I WILL PROUDLY RAISE MY HAND AS BEING ONE OF THE THREE THAT PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA.
I, I RAN FOR OFFICE FOR THREE THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, TO GIVE THE PEOPLE A VOICE.
I FELT LIKE THEY WERE NOT BEING, HAVING A VOICE IN GOVERNMENT BY LETTING THEM VOTE ON THIS.
[02:30:01]
IT IS THE ULTIMATE VOICE.THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON, ON THE ELECTION.
NUMBER TWO, PROPERTY TAXES ARE OUT ASTRONOMICAL IN THE TOWN OF ADDISON.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST PROPERTY TAX ROUND.
BY DOING THIS, WE CAN LOWER OUR PROPERTY TAXES AND BE BETTER FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO DO WAS GET A SEAT ON THIS DARK BOARD.
AND THEY ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO DO THAT.
THE SUBURBS PAY MORE TO THIS DARK SYSTEM NOW THAN DALLAS DOES.
WE SHOULD HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD AND THEY REFUSE TO DO THAT.
AND ABSOLUTELY THUMB THEIR NOSE AT US.
NOW IS THE PROPER TIME TO DO IT.
SO WE HAVE A LONG, WE HAVE MONTHS TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS, TO DO ALL OF THE, LET YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH.
WE HAVE UP UNTIL 45 DAYS TO PULL THIS ELECTION SHOULD DART COME TO THE TABLE AND BE REASONABLE.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF TIME TO DO IT.
IF WE WAIT, WE ARE DOING NOTHING BUT COSTING THIS TOWN MONEY.
AND THEN WE LOOK LIKE FOLLOWERS RATHER THAN THE LEADERS THAT WE ARE IN THE TOWN OF.
IT WAS FOLKS, PLEASE, I'LL ASK YOU TO, I'LL BE QUIET IN THE, IN THE GALLERY.
SO I ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT THE TRAIN STA UH, TRANSIT STATION AND THE TRAIN STOP.
I THINK THE TRAIN WOULD RUN RIGHT THROUGH ADDISON TO NOT STOP.
IF, IF IT DID GO ALL THE WAY TO, TO PULL OUT, I THINK THE TRANSIT STATION WOULD STILL STAY THERE WHERE IT IS.
IT'S ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND, AND MOST STRATEGIC AND ADD IN, UH, DARK SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT'S NOT PERFECT AND, UH, I KNOW A LOT HOW ADDISON WORKS.
IT'S A VERY EFFICIENT MACHINE.
WE HAVE NICER THINGS IN ADDISON THAN SOME OTHER TOWNS.
SO OTHER TOWNS ARE A LITTLE LEANER THAN WE ARE.
IF DART RAN LIKE ADDISON, I'D BE VERY PLEASED.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT THEY DO 'CAUSE I I DON'T HAVE, UH, ALL THE INFORMATION I WOULD BE SPEAKING OUTTA LINE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU HEAR.
UM, IF, IF, IF THIS DOES GO WELL, I, I'D LIKE TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE, WHEN THE TIME WOULD BE TO DO THAT.
PROBABLY AFTER A VOTE OR, UH, OR OF THAT NATURE.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO AS, AS WE LEAVE THIS MEETING.
AND I'LL ALSO SAY, UH, BEFORE THAT, UH, THIS, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WORK SESSION.
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WORK SESSION.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'VE ONLY HAD 10 DAYS NOTICE BECAUSE A WORK SESSION ALLOWS A LOT OF THIS, UM, SAUSAGE TO BE TALKED ABOUT.
UH, I'M IN FAVOR OF, UH, POSTPONING THIS VOTE.
THAT'S THE ONE I'M IN FAVOR OF TILL LIKE, UH, JANUARY 13TH, WHICH IS THE SECOND MEETING.
AND, UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION WHEN THE TIME'S, UH, RIPE TO DO THAT.
SOMEBODY DON'T BEAT ME TO IT WITH SOME DIFFERENT MOTION.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT ABOUT LEAVING DART, THIS IS ABOUT SENDING THE VOTE TO THE PEOPLE, RIGHT? UM, I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY A SPEAKER SAY THERE WAS, THERE WAS 35 SPEAKERS TONIGHT AND THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS IN FAVOR OF A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
AND THERE WAS 34 THAT WERE NOT, THEY WERE JUST WANTING US TO REPRESENTATIVE VOTE FOR YOU AND DECLINE.
UM, ONE OF THE PEOPLE SAID, FOR THE GOOD OF THE REGION, ADDISON, STAY IN FOR THE GOOD OF THE REGION.
WHAT ABOUT FRISCO? WHAT ABOUT ALAN? WHAT ABOUT COPPEL? THEY'RE NOT IN DART.
WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD OF THE REGION FOR FOR THEIR, THEIR ASPECT? HOW ARE THEY DOING IT? SO THERE, THERE'S A, I THINK THE, THE DART BUSINESS MODEL IS, IS BROKEN.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT IS, IT IS OUTDATED.
UM, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I DON'T WANT THE STATE TO HAVE TO TELL US HOW TO DO THINGS.
I'D LIKE NEGOTIATIONS TO HAPPEN.
AND, AND THIS KIND OF VISIBILITY PUTS, PUTS IT ON THE RADAR OF DART HEAVIER.
JUST LIKE I SAID, IT, IT FORCES MORE CONVERSATION.
AND I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR, OUR, UM, STRUCTURE WITH DART CHANGE DRAMATICALLY INSTEAD OF THE, UM, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FULL MEAL DEAL.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED THE FULL MEAL DEAL.
I THINK WE NEED SOMETHING THAT FITS ADDISON BETTER AND PAY MORE OF OUR SHARE FOR US TO SUBSIDIZE.
BACK 40 YEARS AGO, DALLAS WAS THE CENTER OF ALL THE, A LOT OF IT 90%, RIGHT? 40 YEARS LATER WE PAY 430 MILLION AND DART PAYS 420 MILLION.
MY NUMBERS PAY ME OFF, BUT WE PAY MORE.
SO THE GOVERNANCE PART IS, IS BROKEN ALSO.
UM, I, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THIS
[02:35:01]
DOESN'T GO TO THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE, UH, THAT THERE'S GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATION FROM DART.I EXPECT DART TO COME TO THE TABLE AND REALLY WORK HARD FOR, YOU KNOW, AN INTERIM DEAL THAT'S BETTER FOR US.
AND THEN A LONG TERM DEAL THAT'S BETTER FOR THE, THE WHOLE REGION.
UM, IT'S NOT FAIR OF THE OTHER CITIES.
WHAT RANDY ALLUDED TO IS, IS THAT 1 CENT SALES TAX THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GIVING BACK TO DARK 17 MILLION FOR FRISCO.
IT'S A MUCH LARGER FOR PLANO FISCAL LARGER CITIES.
THEY'RE USING THAT AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO STEAL OUR BUSINESSES.
MEANWHILE, WE GIVE IT TO DART.
IT'S BEEN MADE ME VERY SORE FOR A VERY LONG TIME KNOWING THAT.
AND EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, IS, IS AWARE, UH, THAT'S AWARE OF THAT AS AS WELL.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION.
AGAIN, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WORK SESSION.
SO A QUESTION, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF, OF THE PROPOSAL THAT, THAT PLANO PUT OUT? THE SUMMARY OF A PROPOSED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PLANO AND DART.
THAT ESSENTIALLY IS A, UM, A FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO, UH, U TO KEEP, TO GO A LA CARTE, BASICALLY TO KEEP THEIR RAIL, WHICH PLANO HAS LIGHT RAIL AND THEY HAVE SILVER LINE, THEY HAVE TWO SILVER LINE STATIONS, RIGHT? AND DART IS THAT RIGHT? PLANO.
UH, AND THEN THE EXPRESS ROUTES, THE BUS, THE BUS EXPRESS ROUTES.
SO THEY, THEY SAID, HERE'S, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE.
AND IT'S A STAGED, UH, DOWN OVER FIVE YEARS FUNDING FROM THE FULL CENT DOWN TO THE HALF A CENT.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT? WHERE'S THAT GOING? AS AN EXAMPLE OF, OF GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATION FROM DART.
SO, UH, THIS MORNING DART ACTUALLY PROVIDED US A RESPONSE TO THAT AND SAID THAT THE LETTER TO PLANO ON NOVEMBER 21ST AT DART'S RESPONSE FOCUSED ON RECENT ACTIONS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO THE CITY'S ORIGINAL DECEMBER, 2024 REQUEST FOR WHICH DART TOOK SEVERAL ACTIONS DURING 25, INCLUDING THE GMP IN WHICH DART HAS AN ILA PENDING THEIR EXECUTE EXECUTION, UM, THE LEGACY SHUTTLE AND A HUNDRED PERCENT CITYWIDE GOLINK COVERAGE WITH NEW EXPANDED ZONES.
SO THE FUNDING DIDN'T CHANGE? NO.
UM, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, GMP IS GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM? YES.
IT'S A, IT IS AN ACRONYM AND THE GMT THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A, UM, A A A, UH, IS A OFFER FROM DART TO GIVE US A PERCENTAGE OF THAT 5% TOTAL FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES BACK TO THE SUPPORTING CITIES OR DEFICIT CITIES, UM, IF THEY DON'T PURSUE ANY OTHER LEGISLATION.
SO IT KIND OF TIES OUR HANDS TO, TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, TO GO TO THE STATE TO ASK FOR ANY CHANGES ON FUNDING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE PRETTY MUCH LOSE ALL OF THAT, THAT ABILITY.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE GEN GMP IS USED FOR THIS GMP STRUCTURE OR THAT G-M-P-G-M-P STRUCTURE.
AND THEN, UM, SO IF THIS COUNCIL VOTES TO SEND IT TO A POPULAR VOTE AND THEN YOU VOTE TO LEAVE DART, UM, WHAT HAPPENS TO ADDISON JUNCTION? UH, WE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER AND WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE PROJECT WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND HE'S EXCITED FOR IT.
WITH, WITH DART WOULD BE GREAT WITH THE STATION, BUT HE'S EXCITED FOR THE PROJECT TO GO FORWARD REGARDLESS.
IF WE, UH, PULL OUT OF DART, IF, IF WE CALL FOR AN ELECTION AND THE VOTERS VOTE TO PULL OUT OF DART.
'CAUSE THIS BOARD IS NOT, AS WE'VE TOLD YOU, WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THAT TONIGHT.
WE WANT THE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VOICE.
BUT WE, IT WAS SAID TONIGHT OR ASKED, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS NOW? WE JUST GOT THE SILVER LINE.
WELL, THE ANSWER TO THAT ONE IS YOU CAN ONLY DO THIS ONCE EVERY SIX YEARS.
AND SO IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW, IT'S SIX MORE YEARS.
AND DID WE PAID IN 17.6 MILLION? IS THAT RIGHT? FOR 25? FOR ONE YEAR, CORRECT.
AND, AND THE COST, I MEAN, OUR TAX REVENUES CONTINUED INCREASE, BUT IF, IF THEY DIDN'T, AM I RIGHT THAT SIX YEARS OF ONE POINT, I MEAN 17 MILLION, WE'LL SPEND $104 MILLION MORE TO STAY IN DART AND THEN IF WE DECIDE TO PULL OUT THEN BECAUSE NOTHING GOT FIXED OR FOUR CITIES PULLED OUT AND WE DIDN'T AND IT MADE IT WORSE, WE'RE STUCK FOR SIX YEARS.
[02:40:01]
THE REASON IT'S HAPPENING NOW.AND THE REASON IT'S TONIGHT INSTEAD OF A WORK SESSION IS BECAUSE WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED IN PLANO.
I WAS AT THAT MEETING PERSONALLY.
I'VE WATCHED THE MEETING IN IRVING.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE, HAPPENED THERE, WHICH IS FINE.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT CAME TONIGHT.
DOESN'T MATTER IF WE AGREE OR WE DISAGREE, WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK.
YOU NEED TO HEAR WHAT WE THINK AND WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE IN, IN GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THIS IS SUCH A BIG DECISION THAT IT NEEDS TO GO TO THE VOTERS.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT FOUR OF US SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE.
EVERYBODY WANTS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
SO NO ONE'S ANTI-PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK THAT DART HAS NOT NEGOTIATED WITH THESE CITIES WHEN THEY HAVE MADE THEIR FEELINGS KNOWN AND EXPRESSED WHY THEY'RE, THEY'RE SO UNHAPPY.
AND FOR CITIES TO COUNCIL, COUNCIL AFTER COUNCIL AFTER COUNCIL TO CALL A, CALL A MEETING LIKE THIS AND THEN VOTE IN FAVOR AN ELECTION, THEY AGAIN, ARE NOT PULLING OUT A DART.
THEY'RE GIVING IT TO THEIR CITIZENS TO MAKE THAT CALL.
THIS IS THE CITIZENS OF ADDISON'S TAX DOLLARS, NOT JUST THE PROPERTY OWNERS, ALL THE CITIZENS OF ADDISON.
AND WHERE THE TAX COMES FROM ISN'T THE ISSUE.
IT'S HOW WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY, ADDISON AND THE OTHER 12 CITIES THAT ARE MEMBERS.
IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GIVING UP ONE PENNY OR 1%.
WE'RE GIVING UP 50%, 50% OF OUR SALES TAX REVENUE.
WE KEEP ONE DART GETS ONE, WE'RE LOSING 50%.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DISADVANTAGED COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHER TOWNS.
SO I AM NOT HAPPY THAT, THAT, THAT ADDISON IS SPENDING 50% OF OUR SALES TAX REVENUE AND PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO ADDISON AND RIDING ON DART AT OUR EXPENSE WHEN THEIR CITIES AREN'T PAYING.
PLANO BROUGHT THAT UP IN THEIR MEETING, THAT FRISCO, MCKINNEY, ALLEN, THOSE PEOPLE DRIVE TO TO PLANO AND THEN THEY GET ON THE, THE BUS AND THE DAR AND THE RAIL LINES AND TAKE THAT DOWN TO DOWNTOWN DALLAS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA DRIVE, THEY DON'T WANNA BE STUCK ON CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY AND ALL THAT TRAFFIC.
WELL, PLANOS PAYING $131 MILLION, THAT'S THEIR 50% THIS YEAR.
AND, AND FRISCO AND MCKINNEY, THEY'RE NOT PAY WELL, MCKINNEY MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING, BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING TO, TO PLANO AND SOMEBODY BROUGHT UP, WE COULD DRIVE TO THE, THE NO NO ROAD STATION, WHICH I SUPPOSE WE COULD.
AND I HEARD A LOT OF RUMBLING.
BUT, BUT REALLY, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THOSE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING TO PLANO AND THEY'RE DOING IT TO US TOO.
WE HEARD PEOPLE SPEAK UP THAT THEY COME TO HEAR FROM OTHER CITIES.
THEY DEPEND ON US PAYING FOR DART FOR THEIR BENEFIT.
I I AM IN FAVOR OF THE COMMON GOOD, BUT I'M ALSO ELECTED TO REPRESENT ADDISON.
AND WE NEED THESE DOLLARS FOR OUR BENEFIT TOO.
THAT'S WHY I WANT THAT COST LOWERED FROM ONE PENNY DOWN TO A FOURTH OF A PENNY.
SO WE GET THOSE EXTRA DOLLARS TO SPEND ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUR POLICE, OUR FIRE, OUR ROADS.
IF WE DON'T DO THIS NOW, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT A FEW MILLION DOLLARS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 104 MILLION.
AND THEN WHEN WE TRY TO GET OUT, IT COULD COST US WAY MORE THAN THREE YEARS IF FOUR CITIES HAVE PULLED OUT.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
BUT MY ATTITUDE IS, IS THIS SHOULD GO TO THE RESIDENTS.
AND IF, IF EVERYBODY IN HERE IS SO A HUNDRED PERCENT IN FAVOR OF DART, IF THAT'S THE WAY THE RESIDENTS FEEL, THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FEAR IS ABOUT CALLING AN ELECTION.
AND, AND ALL WE'RE DOING IS CALLING THE ELECTION, LETTING EVERYONE SPEAK TO ME TONIGHT.
HEARING EVERYBODY ASK US NOT TO CALL THE ELECTION IS SAYING TO ME, YOU WANT US TO REPRESENT YOUR VOICE AND NOT REPRESENT ANYBODY ELSE'S VOICE.
I HAVE TO OPEN IT UP TO EVERYBODY.
SO I'M, I'M SORRY IF WE DON'T AGREE ON THAT, BUT I'M, I'M SITTING AT THIS TABLE.
I HAVE TO DO WHAT I THINK IS BEST AND I THINK IT'S BEST TO LET EVERYBODY SPEAK.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR ON THAT.
IF WE DON'T DO IT, WE'RE STUCK FOR SIX YEARS.
I'M GONNA GO TO DAN SINCE HE HASN'T HAD THE CHANCE YET.
I APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO, TO SIT AND LISTEN TO SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS GOING ON AGAIN FOR THE, FOR THE CONSTITUENTS OF ADDISON AND THE IN THE AUDIENCE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR AGAIN, ATTENDING AND SHARING YOUR PASSION ABOUT DART AND SHARING YOUR CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHY WE SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE UP HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK HOWARD JUST HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, UM, SITTING BACK FOR MYSELF, YOU KNOW, BEING A RESIDENT OF SIX YEARS AND THEN WATCHING THE PROGRESSION OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE, THE OTHER NEIGHBORING CITIES,
[02:45:01]
THE OTHER PARTNERING CITIES WITH PLANO, UM, CERTAINLY PUT A LITTLE FEAR AND I GUESS, UH, ASHLEY PROBABLY CAN SPEAK ON THIS, BRUCE CAN SPEAK ON THIS BETTER.IF WE WERE TO NOT TAKE THIS TO A VOTE, IRVING, PLANO, HIGHLAND PARK AND FARMERS BRANCH PULL OUT, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE TOWN OF ADDISON'S CONSTITUENTS? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FINANCIALLY AS A, AS A BURDEN TO US? OR IS THERE A BURDEN TO US? I'LL PUT IT, I'LL POSE IT THAT WAY.
IS THERE A BURDEN TO ADDISON TAXPAYERS IF THOSE FOUR HYPOTHETICALLY FAST FORWARD, THEY'RE OUT IN MAY? YEAH, SO BECAUSE THE, THE, THE EXIT, UM, OBLIGATION IS BASED ON POPULATION, RIGHT? YOU'RE REMOVING A LARGE PORTION OF THE POPULATION.
SO OUR PORTION OF THAT OBLIGATION GOES UP, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL THE LIABILITY THERE.
SO, UH, WE, WE DID, UH, INCLUDE THAT I THINK INTO, UH, THE, THE QUESTIONS, UM, UH, THAT COUNCIL ASKED.
BUT IT'S ABOUT, UH, 13 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IS WHAT OUR ESTIMATE WOULD BE RIGHT NOW.
UH, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT, UM, THREE QUARTERS OF A YEAR OF, OF SALES TAX, WHICH WOULD CONTINUE TO GO TO DART.
SO THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE 17 MILLION, NOT IN ADDITION TO THE 17 MILLION.
SO, SO WHEN ASHLEY WAS GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, UH, SHE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT THREE YEARS OF OUR SALES TAX THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO GO TO DART IF AN ELECTION WAS APPROVED.
UM, THIS WOULD EXTEND THAT TO ABOUT THREE, UH, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF AN ADDITIONAL YEAR.
THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT STEVEN.
SO BRUCE, YOU CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE ON THE RTC AND AS A PER, AS A PERSONAL BUSINESSMAN AS AT A, AS A PROPERTY OWNER, BACK TO THE CONVERSATIONS THE RTC HAS BEEN HAVING FOR WHAT YOU CONSIDERED, YOU TALKED ABOUT BACK ON YOUR, WHEN YOU'RE ON COUNCIL, SO TWOFOLD, CAN YOU SHED ANY MORE LIGHT? WHY IS IT THAT THE HAMSTER WHEEL KEEPS GOING ROUND AND ROUND AND YET NO RESULTS FROM DART AND THEIR BOARD SEEM TO BE COMING OUT OF THIS WHEN THEY HOLD THE LEVERAGE, IF THEY'RE THE CONTROLLING FACTOR WITH EIGHT VOTES, HOW IS IT GENERATION AFTER GENERATION THAT NOTHING GOOD HAS REALLY TRULY COME OUT OF IT IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT OF OTHER CITIES KNOWING YOU'VE SERVED FOR SO MANY YEARS? WELL, WELL, AND I, I'M, I'M SHARING MY RECOLLEC RECOLLECTIONS WITH YOU FROM WHEN I WAS ON RTC BEFORE, UH, AND PROBABLY EVEN SINCE THEN.
UH, IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S NOT THAT DART DOESN'T WANT MORE MEMBER CITIES 'CAUSE THEY CERTAINLY WOULD.
UM, BUT IT'S THE FACT THAT MEMBER CITIES SAID, ALRIGHT, FRISCO, MESQUITE, WHOEVER, IF YOU WANT TO COME INTO DART, WELL WE'VE BEEN PAYING ALL THIS MONEY FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA PONY UP TO CATCH UP BEFORE YOU CAN GET IN AND NOBODY CAN DO THAT.
SO THEY MADE IT VERY UNATTRACTIVE FINANCIALLY FOR ANYBODY TO BECOME A NEW MEMBER CITY.
SO IS IT, IS IT FAIR TO SAY PUBLICLY THAT DALLAS DALLAS'S VOTES HAVE A SORT OF QUELLED OR SQUASHED THE HOPES OF THOSE WANTING TO GET INTO THE, INTO THE SYSTEM? I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T LAY IT ALL ON DALLAS.
I MEAN, DALLAS CERTAINLY HAS A, UH, HAS THE, THE, UH, CALL IT THE POWER BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MAJORITY, MAJORITY VOTES, BUT THAT SEEMED TO BE PRETTY, UH, CONSISTENT ACROSS THE LINE FROM THE, FROM THE MEMBER CITIES, SO INCLUDING ADDISON.
SO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT'S UP RIGHT NOW.
I BELIEVE IT'S THAT SLIDE BACK TO THE PERCENTAGES OF WHAT ADD, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT SLIDE, BUT BACK TO THE PERCENTAGE ASHLEY, THAT DALLAS HAS BEEN RECEIVING AS A BENEFIT VERSUS ADDISON.
IT IS, IS IT LOPSIDED OR IS IT IS EQUAL OR FAIR, IF I CAN USE THOSE WORDS IN TERMS OF THE, THE BENEFITS, THE, THE RE YEAH, I'M GONNA, I'M SAYING THAT CORRECTLY.
WELL, SO THERE, THERE WERE TWO SLIDES.
SO ONE OF THEM WAS BASICALLY DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS EACH DOLLAR OF INVESTMENT GENERATE AS FAR AS A RETURN? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, A ADDISON WAS, WAS CLOSER TO ONE THAT WAS GETTING, YOU KNOW, THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RETURN DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.
UH, DALLAS WAS GETTING MORE OF A RETURN DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.
BUT WHEN YOU PUT IT IN RAW DOLLAR AMOUNTS, WHICH IS WHAT'S ON THIS SLIDE, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE BENEFIT DOES GO TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AND I MEAN YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE, I MEAN, THEY ARE BY FAR THE BIGGEST, BUT MOST OF THAT.
BUT IF I PAUSE, IF I THINK, IF I PAUSE YOU RIGHT THERE ON THAT POINT, SO BACK TO HOW I GOT TO THIS SITUATION, RIGHT? WE'RE BEING TOLD CLEARLY WE'RE THE, WE'RE RECEIVING WE'RE, I THINK WE WERE THE FOURTH LEAST BENEFICIARY OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT JUST DOESN'T SIT RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I'M NEW TO ADDISON.
THERE'S, THERE'S GREAT HISTORY IN THIS ROOM AND GREAT RESPECT FOR THOSE THAT BUILT THIS TOWN.
WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO BRING TO LIGHT BEING A NEWER COUNCIL MEMBER IS IT HASN'T BEEN FAIR IN MY OPINION.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS SHOULD SIT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME AND NOT BE, YOU KNOW, IF
[02:50:01]
WE LOOK AT FINGERS, IF, IF HIGHLAND PARK HAS A FINGER AND, AND, AND THESE OTHER CITIES ARE, ARE FINGERS, YOU CAN SLOWLY CLOSE A FIST AND MAKE AN IMPACT.AND WE'VE SAT UP HERE, LISTEN, AND I, I'VE ALL, ALL I WILL AGREE WITH CHRIS, I'LL AGREE WITH EVERYONE ON THIS PANEL THAT YES, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WORK SESSION ITEM.
I CAN'T HELP THE FACT THAT THE DART VOTE COMES EVERY SIX YEARS.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN CHANGE AS A COUNCIL.
IT'S WHY DID I WANT TO GET US INTO THIS SITUATION IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, FOR CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE TO OPEN IT UP AND BE TRUTHFUL AND TRANSPARENT.
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE, UNLESS I HEAR DIFFERENTLY TONIGHT, IT HAS NOT BEEN A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD EVEN REMOTELY A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR THE TOWN OF ADDISON.
I JUST DON'T MAYBE CLARIFY ON THAT.
WELL, I, I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT CHARTS LIKE THIS AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, THIS IS A COST ALLOCATION THAT WAS DONE AT, IN A POINT IN TIME WHEN THERE'S COST ALLOCATIONS, THERE ARE ASSUMPTIONS MADE.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HOW THERE ARE SOME ASSUMPTIONS WE DON'T AGREE WITH IN THE WAY THAT THEY ALLOCATED THE COSTS, OR WE THINK OUR COSTS ARE ACTUALLY LOWER.
THIS WAS DONE BEFORE THE SILVER LINE, THE SILVER LINE WOULD CHANGE THESE NUMBERS.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY THIS IS INFORMATION AND AS FAR AS WHAT IS THE VALUE, AND YOU SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AND TAKE ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN YOU COME UP WITH HOW YOU VALUE IT AND, AND WHAT IT MAKES YOU THINK.
BACK TO ANOTHER POINT I WANTED TO GET AT.
IF WE WERE TO REWIND THE CLOCK AND, AND THIS WAS LIKE THE MOVIE MEN IN BLACK AND I HAD A LITTLE DEVICE AND ZAPPED EVERYONE AND YOU DID NOT KNOW WE WERE HERE TONIGHT AND SAID THE SILVER LINE WASN'T OPEN, WE WERE A YEAR AGO OR 18 MONTHS AGO AND HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION FINANCIALLY WITH THE SAME OBLIGATIONS, WOULD, WOULD THE AUDIENCE FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME WAY IF THERE WAS NO SILVER LINE IN THE CONVERSATION OF THE COST BENEFIT? 'CAUSE I'M ALL FOR THE SILVER LINE AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S OTHER COMPONENTS OF TRANSPORTATION BACK TO POINTS THAT WERE MADE HERE.
THE SYSTEM IS ANTIQUATED AND YET WE HAVE NO DOG IN THE FIGHT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT A BIG BROTHER.
WE DON'T HAVE A SEAT ON THE BOARD.
WE LITERALLY ARE OUTNUMBERED BY DALLAS.
SO EVEN IF WE HAD OUR ONE SAY IT WOULD BE QUICKLY SWELL, IT WOULD BE QUICKLY SQUASHED.
SO I AM JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE DIALOGUE.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE CHRIS IS COMING FROM AND I AGREE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LEARNING THE LESSONS OF BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT THE EASIEST, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT MY FULL-TIME JOB.
UM, I WILL, I WILL SUPPORT THE CONVERSATION OF BRINGING THIS TO THE PUBLIC FOR SURE, BUT I ALSO WILL BRING THIS TO CHRIS'S POINT OF MAKING THIS A FURTHER CONVERSATION TO DARREN'S POINT TO A FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH BUSINESS OWNERS WITH HOSPITALITY.
'CAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING TO RUSH THIS.
I'M NOT LOOKING TO RUN TO THE FINISH LINE.
THIS IS A MARATHON, BUT THE MARATHON'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 40 YEARS AND I'M, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR IT TO GO ON FOR ANOTHER 40.
TO CHRIS'S POINT, WE HAVE TO THINK 10, 20, 30, 40 MORE YEARS IN THE FUTURE.
IT WOULD BE REALLY SAD IF WE WERE TO FAST FORWARD AND NO MORE CITIES GOT IN TO THE, TO THE PARTNERING CITIES.
YOU, YOU CAN'T, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
AND IF IT MEANS THAT WE'RE GONNA STAND UP WITH PLANO, FARMER'S BRANCH, HIGHLAND PARK, AND IRVING, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
BUT I WILL TAKE THE TIME TO GET THERE WITH TOWN'S INPUT, RESIDENTS INPUT, AND THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T HERE TONIGHT.
AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND THOU THERE ARE TH EXCUSE ME, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT HERE REPRESENTED TONIGHT THAT ARE EQUALLY TAX PAYING AND THEY SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN THIS.
SO I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
IF I LEFT ANYTHING ON THE TABLE, I'LL, I'LL COME BACK ON THE MIC, BUT THANK YOU CHRIS.
WELL, THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS I FEEL LIKE THE ENY STUDY IS FLAWED, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THESE CITIES AND WE'RE ONE OF 'EM, AND ALL WE'RE DOING IS TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WE'RE GIVING IN THIS MUCH MONEY, BUT D IS ONLY SPENDING THIS MUCH, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO IT THAN JUST THE EXPENSES.
HOW DO YOU PUT A VALUE ON SOMEONE THAT COMES TO WORK IN ADDISON AT ONE OF OUR RESTAURANTS THAT DOES $4 MILLION A YEAR AND THAT SALES TAX IS PART OF THE $18 MILLION IN SALES TAX.
SO WE DEPEND ON EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
HOW DO YOU PUT A VALUE ON THAT? YOU CAN'T, HOW DO YOU PUT A VALUE ON A BUSINESS THAT MOVED TO ONE OF OUR TOWERS THAT ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW WITH OCCUPANCIES GOING DOWN AND THOSE VALUES ARE GOING DOWN TO ZERO? HOW DO YOU PUT A VALUE ON SOMEONE WHO TAKES DART AND THEIR COMPANY DECIDES TO STAY IN THAT OFFICE TOWER BECAUSE OF DART? YOU CAN'T.
THAT'S WHY THE E AND Y STUDY IS FLAWED AND IT'S SILLY FOR US TO TRY TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT.
AND JUST A COUPLE OTHER COMMENTS.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WAIT.
WE HAVE FOUR CITIES THAT HAVE CALLED AN ELECTION.
WE CAN JUST SIT BACK AND LET'S SEE THE RESULTS OF THOSE ELECTIONS.
THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENS THAT COULD HAPPEN IS THOSE ELECTIONS FAIL AND THE ELECTION IN ADDISON PASSES AND WE'RE THE ONLY SITTING THE REGION,
[02:55:01]
WE HAVE A TRAIN STATION, WE HAVE A BUS STATION, AND WE'RE THE ONLY SEAT IN THE REGION THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE EXCESS OF DART.SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD SUGGEST WE JUST WAIT.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE AND IF THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE US $2.9 MILLION, LET'S TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT TWO, $2.9 MILLION WITHOUT ANY KIND OF STRINGS ATTACHED.
LET'S GET THAT DART SEAT, LET'S GET THE CIRCULAR, UM, AND NEGOTIATE.
I THINK WE'D HAVE SO MUCH MORE LEVERAGE IF WE SAID, HEY, THAT THAT ELECTION DECISION IS COMING UP FOR US.
LET'S COME TO THE TABLE AND NEGOTIATE RATHER THAN JUST PULL THE ELECTION RIGHT NOW, DARREN.
SO, UM, HOW DID WE GET INTO DART WASN AN ELECTION? AN ELECTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL? NO, IT WAS A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE THE SAME WAY WE GET IN THE SAME WAY WE GET OUT.
UM, SO IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, AGAIN, I'M A PROPONENT OF WAITING.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE'S A TRANSPARENCY THAT'S BEEN HAD FOR THIS MEETING TONIGHT.
NOT THAT ANYBODY'S HIT ANYTHING, THEY JUST THINK IT'S RUSHED.
THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS TO POSTPONE THIS TO JANUARY, LIKE I MENTIONED.
BUT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND, AND ADDISON LEE, UH, NO ONE WORST CASE SCENARIO, WE STAY IN AND THE FOUR CITIES GETS OUT, GET OUT, RIGHT? WELL NOW WE'RE PAYING FOR A SYSTEM THAT HAS EVEN LESS VALUE.
WE'RE CONNECTED TO EVEN LESS PLACES.
WE'LL SAY THEY HAVE THE COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE THE TRANSPORTATION, PLANO TRANSIT AND HIGHLAND PARK TRANSIT AND, UM, FARMERS BRANCH TRANSIT AND THEY FULFILL THAT AND THEY, AND THEY ALLOW ADDISON PEOPLE TO GET OVER TO THOSE PLACES AND THROUGH THOSE PLACES.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE HAVE A DIMINISHED SERVICE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG DRIVERS FOR THIS CONVERSATION IS THESE FOUR CITIES ARE LE ARE, ARE TALKING ABOUT LEAVING, PUTTING IT TO THE VOTE.
AND MEANWHILE ADDISON'S HANGING AROUND AND JUST WAITING IT OUT BECAUSE WE'RE THE GOOD GUYS, RIGHT? AND BECAUSE WE HAVE THE VISION.
WELL, EVERYBODY ELSE LEFT AND WE'RE THE LAST MAN STANDING.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE, UH, THE OTHER 12, 13 MINUS US IS, IS 12 MINUS FOUR IS EIGHT.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER EIGHT MEMBER CITIES? SEVEN, I GUESS NOT INCLUDING DALLAS 'CAUSE THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T VOTE THEMSELVES OUT, BUT OTHER MEMBER CITIES GOING TO THEIR CITY COUNCIL FOR, UH, TO TAKE THIS TO A POPULAR VOTE.
AT THIS POINT, WE HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY OTHERS.
I FEEL STRONGLY THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM WILL COME TO THIS SAME, UH, CONVERSATION FARMERS BRANCH DID.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, I HEAR, NOT THAT GRAPEVINE, BUT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, UH, I HEAR THAT, UH, OTHER CITIES ARE HAVING THE CONVERSATION SERIOUSLY THAT IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, OTHER, I WON'T NAME 'EM, BUT, UH, THERE'S OTHER, THOSE OTHER SEVEN CITIES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU TAKE THE 17 MILLION, UH, 17 MILLION DIVIDED BY 17,000, WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? A THOUSAND.
AND WHO ALL IS ADDISON RESIDENCE IN HERE? YOU'RE ALL PAYING $1,000 PER YEAR.
EVERYBODY $1,000 PER PERSON IN ADDISON.
YOU KNOW, AND YOU SAY, OKAY, WELL IT'S SALES TAX.
WELL, IF WE GET THE SALES TAX BACK AND THEORETICALLY YOU APPLIED ALL OF IT TOWARDS THE GENERAL FUND, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE 25 CENTS LESS ON YOUR PROPERTY TAX.
PEOPLE SHAKE THEIR HEAD, BUT YOU, IT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY THE WAY IT CAN BE APPLIED.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THOSE POINTS.
I'M IN FAVOR OF A, UH, OF A DELAY OF THIS, THIS VOTE FORWARD.
OKAY? I DON'T SEE A REASON TO DELAY.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD SEND A MESSAGE AND, AND WE SHOULD DO IT TONIGHT.
UM, I WAS GONNA SAY WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE'S, UH, I THINK IT WAS RANDY MENTIONED THAT WE'VE ONLY HAD BUS SERVICE.
I'VE BEEN IN ADDISON 26 YEARS.
I SEE BUSES EVERY DAY UP AND DOWN ALL THE STREETS.
I'VE MAYBE SEEN THREE PEOPLE AT THE MOST.
I'VE SEEN ONE AND TWO A LOT OF TIMES AND I'VE SEEN EMPTY BUSES.
UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET TWO BUS ROUTES MOVE FROM ADDISON ROAD, I MEAN FROM QUORUM DRIVE TO ADDISON ROAD.
UH, WE HAD A PETITION WITH 200 SIGNATURES AND DART SAID THEY HAD 800 TRIPS GOING UP AND DOWN QUORUM DRIVE.
AND THEY HAD 33 BOARDINGS A DAY, WHICH IS 231 BOARDINGS A WEEK, WHICH MEANS 569 TRIPS.
NO ONE WAS ON THE BUS, NO ONE BOARDED THE BUS.
THE BUS MAY HAVE COME FROM PLANO AND GOING TO DALLAS THROUGH ADDISON OR VICE VERSA.
BUT NO ONE IN ADDISON BOARDED 569 TRIPS NOT PICKING UP ANYONE.
AND THE OTHER 231 TRIPS ONLY PICKING UP ONE PERSON.
[03:00:01]
I THINK WE NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE ARE NOT NEW YORK CITY.
WE ARE NOT ONE OF THESE MAJORLY DENSE CITIES THAT HAS TO HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
UH, I WAS WITH SOMEONE FROM NEW YORK OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND 16 MILLION PEOPLE, OR 8 MILLION IN THE CITY IN A VERY SMALL AREA, KIND OF LIKE WE HAVE 17,000 IN FOUR SQUARE MILES.
THERE'S NO COMPARISON TO OUR POPULATION VERSUS A POPULATION IN A CITY LIKE THAT.
DO WE NEED PUBLIC TRANSIT? YES.
DO WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, EITHER TOO YOUNG TO DRIVE, TOO OLD TO DRIVE, UH, THEY'RE DISABLED OR THEY, UH, CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE OR THEY JUST DON'T WANNA DRIVE? PEOPLE DO CHOOSE TO RIDE DART AND, AND COULD DRIVE, BUT WE NEED TO PROVIDE SERVICE FOR THEM.
AND YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
IF, IF WE DECIDE TO, TO PULL OUT OF THIS OR CALL THE ELECTION, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ALTERNATIVES READY TO GO DAY ONE IF WE NEED TO.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE PEOPLE IN ADDISON WILL VOTE ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN THE PEOPLE IN THE OTHER CITIES.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A CONTINGENCY SITTING IN THIS ROOM THAT IS PRO DART.
I'VE SEEN IT IN THE OTHER TWO MEETINGS.
IF THE CITIZENS VOTE AND THEY DECIDE THEY WANT THOSE DOLLARS TO BE SPENT DISTRIBUTED DIFFERENTLY IN THEIR CITY AND NOT ALL GOING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN EACH OF THE CITIES.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
FOUR GO ONE WAY, ONE GOES THE OTHER.
I DON'T WANNA WAIT TILL NOVEMBER.
I THINK WE NEED TO SEND A MESSAGE.
THE MESSAGE IS EITHER TO DART OR TO OUR LEGISLATURE.
THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND IT NEEDS TO BE HANDLED, SETTLED, NOT JUST PUSHED ON DOWN THE ROAD.
I FOUGHT FOR THREE AND A HALF MONTHS TO GET TWO BUS ROUTES MOVED AND I WAS FIGHTING REALLY HARD AND I SAID THINGS AND DID THINGS THAT I FELT COMPELLED TO DO IN ORDER TO GET MY POINT ACROSS AND TO GET THE NEEDLE TO MOVE.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT HARD IF DART'S A PARTNER AND WE GOT 200 PEOPLE UNHAPPY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GETTING WOKEN UP EVERY SINGLE NIGHT BY NOISY BUSES.
HOWARD, I DON'T SEE THAT, THAT THAT PART'S REALLY RELEVANT TO THE WELL, I'M THE, THE REASON IT'S RELEVANT IS BECAUSE ALL OF THESE 40 YEARS, THESE CITIES HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING.
THERE HAVE BEEN ELECTIONS BEFORE WHEN, WHEN CITIES WENT TO PULL OUT AND NOTHING'S BEEN FIXED.
AND SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE DART COMES TO THE TABLE SERIOUSLY TO NEGOTIATE WHEN WE HAVE AN ISSUE AND WE HAD AN ISSUE AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY DID.
AND PLANOS HAD AN ISSUE AND IRVING'S HAD ISSUES.
SO THAT'S THE REASON THE MEETING WAS CALLED FOR TONIGHT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE JUST DIDN'T WANNA SIT THROUGH TWO OF THESE MEETINGS.
THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T DO A WORK SESSION AND THEN A MEETING.
WE THOUGHT WE COULD COVER IT IN ONE MEETING.
SO, UM, I GUESS THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
SO THAT WAS MY CONCERN ABOUT HAVING IT LIKE THIS BECAUSE WE HAD PEOPLE THAT ADDRESSED THE COUNCIL TONIGHT, HAVING NEVER HEARD US DISCUSS THIS PUBLICLY.
HAVING NEVER SEEN A PRESENTATION THEY HAD TO, THEY, THEY HAD TO MAKE PREMATURE COMMENTS.
NOT HAVING SEEN US DISCUSS IT BEFORE.
THAT WAS MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH, WITH RUSHING IT.
AND YOU GUYS GIVE US A HARD TIME WITH, YOU SAY WE'RE RUSHING THINGS SOMETIMES Y'ALL RUSH THIS, TRYING TO GET THIS ON HERE, LIKE THIS MARLON MAYOR.
UH, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK.
YOU'VE BEEN PATIENT LETTING US, LETTING US TALK.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
I'M NOT SURE HOW PATIENT I'VE BEEN, BUT HERE I AM.
UM, BUT THANK YOU MARLON, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
SO, UH, YEAH, WELL I, A LOT OF WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS SAID BY THE FOLKS THAT SPOKE EARLIER, SO I WON'T, UH, REPEAT A LOT OF THAT.
A LOT OF WHAT WE HEAR ABOUT THIS, THE, THE WHOLE SITUATION, IT'S ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
IT'S ABOUT THE DOLLARS AND, AND THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMPELLING.
AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT'S BEING SAID ABOUT THE, THE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, THE UNFAIRNESS OF PLANO AND EVERYBODY, THE DONOR CITIES NOT, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THAT.
THAT'S JUST PART OF THE STORY THOUGH.
THE OTHER PART OF THE STORY IS THAT HUMAN FACTOR THAT I ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE HUMAN FACTOR OF THIS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE DOLLARS.
PEOPLE THAT NEED DART TO GET TO WORK, TO GET TO SCHOOL, TO GET TO THE DOCTOR TO GO BUY GROCERIES.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN, IN PARTS OF DALLAS AND PEOPLE ARE BA BASHING DALLAS TONIGHT WHEN A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS IN DALLAS, THEY COME TO ADDISON TO WORK, THEY GO TO PLANO, THEY GO TO RICHARDSON TO WORK.
WHEN I WALK MY DOG IN THE MORNING DOWN ADDISON ROAD NEXT TO TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, I SEE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK AT METHODIST HOSPITAL FOR SURGERY, GETTING OFF THE BUS WITH, IN THEIR SCRUBS, GOING INTO WORK TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS.
I, THERE'S, THERE'S A, A JANITOR THAT I, THAT I KNOW THAT, UH, HE, HE GETS OFF THE BUS JUST A BLOCK SOUTH OF THAT.
[03:05:01]
DALLAS FROM I THINK OLD CLIFF IF I RECALL.UM, HE, HE, HE, HE GOES TO WORK AT TCA.
HE'S WORKED THERE FOR YEARS AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS PROMOTION THIS YEAR, AND HE GONNA MOVE FROM JANITOR TO CLEANING UP THE KITCHEN.
IT, IF THIS GETS CUT OFF, WELL, HOW DOES HE GET TO WORK? HE'S PROBABLY ALREADY SPENDING AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF ON THE BUS.
AND THEN NOW WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WELL YOU GET TO THERE AND THEN WE'LL BRING YOU THE REST OF THE WAY.
I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THAT WORKS.
THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PHRASE THAT'S STUCK IN MY HEAD SO MUCH TONIGHT CAME FROM MADISON MCNAIR.
IT'S NOT JUST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND THAT MEANT, GOD, I MEAN, THAT STRUCK ME SO MUCH.
AND IT IS, AND WE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.
HOWARD GAVE US A HARD TIME LAST TIME, BUT WHO WALKED TO THE MEETING WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WALKABILITY, WHAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT.
AND, AND YEAH, DART NEEDS TO DO A LOT OF WORK.
ABSOLUTELY, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND THEY, THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO DO A LOT OF WORK.
THEY, THEY'VE, THEY'VE NOT BEEN GREAT LISTENERS OVER THE YEARS.
AND, AND I THINK THEY'LL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TOO.
THEY HAVE NEWER LEADERSHIP AT AT DART AND I THINK THAT THEY CAN GET TO A PLACE, BUT WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT THE HUMAN FACTOR OF IT.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS.
WE'VE GOT SOME MICRO TRANSIT THAT'S WE'VE GOT COMING UP THAT THEY'VE GOT BUDGETED FOR 2026.
UH, IT'S NOT, AND IT'S NOT ALL WE NEED OR ALL WE WANT, BUT IT'S A START.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE POPULATION GROWTH THAT THAT'S PROJECTED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT TO EIGHT AND A HALF ISH, A MILLION PEOPLE IN THE NORTH TEXAS REGION NOW, IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS, THEY'RE PROJECTING AROUND 12 AND A HALF MILLION, 50% INCREASE.
YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP BRINGING IN PEOPLE AND PUTTING 'EM IN CARS AND PUTTING 'EM ON THE ROADS.
YOU'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CONGESTION NOW, COULD YOU IMAGINE WHAT THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE? WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HAVE A REALLY SOLID REGIONAL, UH, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
MAY AND PROBABLY LEGISLATURE GOTTA BE INVOLVED IN SOME KIND OF WAY, BUT MAYBE WE HAVE TO HAVE ONE BIG REGIONAL SYSTEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT TO ME, DISMANTLING WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND TRYING TO START OVER AND HAVE ALL THESE FRAGMENTED SYSTEMS OUT THERE THAT ARE NOT REALLY SYSTEMS. THEY'RE JUST THINGS THAT IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A WAY BACKWARDS MOVE.
THAT IS NOT A PRODUCTIVE WAY TO DO IT.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE, THE GROWTH OF THE POPULATION FOR YEARS, WHEN I WAS ON THE RTC BEFORE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT IS AIR QUALITY.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO, AS A REGION, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, TO, TO, UH, MAIN, UH, TO REACH THE AIR QUALITY STANDARDS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ON US.
WE WEREN'T DOING IT A DOZEN YEARS AGO.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT KEEPS MOVING THE, MOVING THE, THE GOALPOST.
AND I DON'T, I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN EVER GET THERE, BUT WE CAN'T GET THERE BY CONTINUING TO PILE MORE CARS ON THE ROADS.
AND THIS IS A WAY TO GET SOME OF THE CARS OFF THE ROADS.
AND THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO THAT, THE BETTER OFF WE ARE.
YOU HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING THAT WE ALSO RECEIVED A LOT OF EMAILS TODAY THAT WENT THROUGH, UH, SOME, SOME PORTAL THAT THAT WAS SET UP FOR FOLKS TO, UH, THAT THAT ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT SENDS AN EMAIL TO ALL THE CON UH, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, AND, AND WE HAD A LOT OF EMAILS FROM, UH, FOLKS THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF ADDISON.
A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WERE INSIDE OF ADDISON AND THERE WERE THAT WERE, THEY WE'RE ALL SUPPORTIVE OF KEEPING DART IN ADDISON.
AND, AND SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY, WELL, THEY DON'T LIVE IN ADDISON, SO THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE A SAY.
BUT THAT GOES TO THE REGIONAL ASPECT OF, OF TRANSIT.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT OUR FOUR AND A HALF SQUARE MILES.
YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT RIDE DART THAT LIVE IN ADDISON, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME AND SOME THAT REALLY NEED IT.
UH, BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO BE, BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT PEOPLE AROUND US, IT IS MORE ABOUT JUST ADDISON.
IT IS, IT IS ABOUT THE, THE BIGGER PICTURE, THE REGIONAL, THE REGIONAL PICTURE.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR COUNCIL, I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, I GOT INTO OFFICE, SO, SO, SO I COULD, UH, LET THE PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE.
SO I WANNA, I WANNA LISTEN TO MY CONSTITUENTS, LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS.
I'VE HEARD THAT SO MANY TIMES.
THE PEOPLE HAD A VOICE TONIGHT.
IF Y'ALL DIDN'T HEAR THIS VOICE, THEN YOU WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A, A SAMPLING OF THE, OF THE, OF THE TOWN.
IT'S REALLY CLEAR TO ME WHERE, WHERE THE RESIDENTS ARE AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BEYOND ADDISON.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR Y'ALL IS, ARE YOU REALLY WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS OR ARE YOU GONNA FORCE THIS TO GO TO AN ELECTION? THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE THAT IS LISTENING TO THE CITIZENS MAYOR.
I, I WASN'T, I WOULDN'T EXACTLY FINISH TALKING THERE.
THEN YOU ASK A QUESTION OF US.
[03:10:01]
NOW.UH, YOU, YOU TOUCHED ON MY COMMENT, UH, BUT I WANNA SAY IT AGAIN.
I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 480 PEOPLE A DAY MOVING INTO THE METROPLEX.
AND HOWARD, I KNOW WE'RE NOT IN NEW YORK, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, IT'S HARD TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT ARE 50 AND A HUNDRED YEARS OUT.
BUT TODAY'S THE DAY WE NEED TO DO THAT.
MAYOR, THANK THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I THINK THEY'RE HIGHLY INSIGHTFUL AND I DIDN'T MAKE IT CLEAR EARLIER.
SO BACK TO ONE OF THE POINTS I WANNA MAKE SINCE DART IS STILL HERE.
UM, I THINK THE, THE COMMON THREAD IS, AND I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE AND NONE OF US ARE, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF, NOT OPPOSED TO DART NOT AT ALL FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
BUT WHAT I AM HEARING RESOUNDINGLY IS THAT, AND, AND I'LL PRETTY POINTEDLY SAY IT, DART NEEDS TO BE A BETTER LISTENER IF WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS HERE AND THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, I HOPE YOU HEARD OUR RESIDENTS THAT CAME TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE.
AND WE'RE ASKING ON THE BEHALF OF THE, UH, ON BEHALF OF OTHER NEIGHBORING CITIES AS MUCH AS OURS TO DO A BETTER JOB AT LISTENING AND DON'T DO IT IN A GENERATION FROM NOW.
UH, DID YOU STILL HAVE SOMETHING, RANDY? YES, SIR.
I DO APPRECIATE THE 14 ADDISON RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND TAKING YOUR TIME.
TO, TO CHRIS'S POINT ABOUT NEGOTIATING WITH DAR AND HAVING TIME BY, BY CALLING THIS ELECTION, THE, ONE OF THE REASONS TO CALL IT TONIGHT IS TO GIVE US TIME TO NEGOTIATE AND HEAR WHAT DART COMES BACK TO IN THE COMING MONTHS.
IF THEY, IF THEY START LISTENING LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEN WE RESCIND THIS ELECTION WITHIN 45 DAYS.
BUT BY DOING IT TONIGHT, THAT GIVES US A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO, TO HONESTLY TALK TO DART AND HAVE DART POSSIBLY TALK TO US.
UH, I, I CAN LIST MANY, MANY GOOD FAITH EFFORTS THAT OUR TOWN AND OTHER TOWNS HAVE MADE OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE FALLEN ON DEATH EARS.
DART HAS, THEY FORGOT THE SECOND LETTER IN THEIR NAME AREA.
IT HAS BASICALLY BECOME A DALLAS CENTRIC ORGANIZATION.
NUMBER TWO THAT I WANNA MIGHT, AND THIS WILL BE THE LAST POINT I MAKE, NUMBER TWO, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF ATTACKING OF THE EARNEST AND YOUNG REPORT.
LET ME REMIND EVERYONE THAT WAS COMMISSIONED.
ASHLEY, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WHO COMMISSIONED THE EARNEST AND YOUNG REPORT? DART? THAT WAS A DART COMMISSIONED REPORT WITH DART'S OWN NUMBERS.
IT WAS NOT ONE OF THE SUBURBS THAT'S TRYING TO PULL OUT THAT COMMISSIONED THAT REPORT AND GAVE THE NUMBERS.
THEY JUST DIDN'T LIKE THE RESULTS WHEN THEY LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND SAID, MY GOD, WHAT HAVE WE DONE? I WILL REST ON THAT.
SO I JUST WANT RESPOND TO THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TIME TO NEGOTIATE, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
LET'S JUST PUSH IT TILL NOVEMBER.
THAT GIVES US A FANTASTIC AMOUNT OF TIME TO NEGOTIATE AND, AND WE'D BE ABLE TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THE MAY ELECTIONS.
THAT SEEMS LIKE THE SMART MOVE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
CAN YOU GUYS BRIEFLY, I'LL BE BRIEF.
I, I THINK WHERE MAYBE THE POINT'S BEING MISSED HERE, AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
CALLING AN ELECTION IS, IS ALLOWING THE CITIZENS TO SPEAK.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO.
I WANT TO CALL THE ELECTION BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE A VOICE TONIGHT.
WE HEARD FROM, I DON'T KNOW, A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
I RESPONDED TO EVERY SINGLE EMAIL, EVERY SINGLE ONE.
AND I THANKED EVERYONE FOR WRITING THEM.
BUT IF YOU'RE TELLING ME NOT TO CALL AN ELECTION, YOU'RE TELLING ME NOT TO LET THE OTHER PEOPLE VOICE THEIR OPINION.
AND THAT'S, I JUST WANNA MAKE THE DISTINCTION BECAUSE I THINK CALLING THE ELECTION AT THIS POINT IS ESSENTIAL THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO.
I WOULD PREFER TO JUST GO AHEAD AND GET IT OVER WITH.
BUT I DEFINITELY THINK WE NEED TO CALL AN ELECTION, OTHERWISE WE'RE IN THIS FOR SIX MORE YEARS FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS AND COULD BE IN IT, UH, WITH A LOT LESS PLAYERS.
UH, MAYOR, WE'VE GOT DAN, UH, RAN TO THE RESTROOM REAL QUICK.
[03:15:01]
THEN THIS WAS FORCED UPON US TO MAKE THIS A DISCUSSION, A VERY LONG MEETING.THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WORK SESSION.
I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS TO RUN AN EFFICIENT MEETING, BUT I DON'T FEEL RUSHED WITH MAKING MY DISCUSSION POINTS.
AND FOR US THAT WANNA KNOW WHAT THE CITIZENS THINK ABOUT THIS, THEY'VE ONLY HAD 10 DAYS.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO DELAY THIS, GIVE IT SOME DUE PROCESS.
UM, AND EVEN IN, IN JANUARY, WE CAN SAY NO.
LET'S, LET'S, LET'S WAIT AGAIN.
IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
WE CAN WAIT AND LOOK AT THIS AGAIN IN, IN NOVEMBER INSTEAD OF MAY.
WHAT'S THE CUTOFF DATE? FEBRUARY 3RD.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE CAN CALL AN ELECTION FOR, UH, MAY AND THEN AUG, UH, JULY FOR AUGUST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WAY OUT THERE AUGUST FOR NOVEMBER.
UM, THE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP HERE, THE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP ARE, THEY'RE VERY UNHAPPY AND THEY'RE VERY HAPPY.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HEAR ON SURVEYS, RIGHT? THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY VOCAL ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER SIDE.
YOU KNOW WHAT WASN'T HERE TONIGHT? YOU KNOW WHAT WASN'T HERE? WHAT WASN'T HERE WAS THE PEOPLE THAT SAID, UM, WE WANTED TO GO TO AN ELECTION.
SO IF THEY WERE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT, THEY WOULD'VE BEEN HERE.
AND I SAW, UH, A LETTER FROM A, AN ADVOCATE, UM, PERSON THAT ACTUALLY GAVE YOU, UH, KUDOS FOR STARTING THE DART MOVEMENT, WHICH I THINK IS NOT RIGHT.
BUT EITHER WAY, THAT'S AN ADVOCATE THAT WOULD BE A VOCAL VOICE TO TRY TO, TO CALL.
NOT AN, TO TO CALL THE ELECTION AND TO EXIT DARK.
DO I HAVE TO WAIT? I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO WAKE IT.
OH, DAN, I WAS WAITING FOR DAN.
SO I, I MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS VOTE UNTIL THE, UH, SECOND WEEK IN JANUARY, WHICH WOULD BE OUR, OUR FIRST REGULAR MEETING, WHICH I THINK IS, UH, THE 13TH OF JANUARY.
SO THAT REQUIRES A SECOND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SECOND IT.
MAYOR, CAN I MAKE A MOTION? WELL, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE ALREADY.
I DON'T, I DIDN'T HEAR A SECOND.
I SAID WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE THIS DISCUSSION TILL AFTER THE MAY ELECTION FROM THE FOUR CITIES HAVE ALREADY CALLED FOR ONE.
IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY'LL GET MORE PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
IS TABLING THE CORRECT WAY TO GO ON THIS WAY WITH WHAT HE IS TRYING TO DO? THAT, THAT'S A PROPER MOTION.
YOU WANT TABLE UNTIL AFTER THE MAY ELECTION TABLE.
THIS TILL AFTER THE MAY ELECTION.
GIVES US OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE OUTREACH, MAYBE EVEN SOME NEGOTIATIONS.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION? I THINK WAITING THAT LONG IS, UH, IS NOT NECESSARY.
WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION IN JANUARY.
WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE INFORMATION AFTER THE MAY ELECTION.
WE KNOW WHAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING A FOLLOWER OR BEING A LEADER, IT'S JUST HAVING MORE INFORMATION.
THAT'S THE MOST INFORMATION YOU CAN HAVE, IS AFTER THE MAY ELECTION.
I, I LIKE THE, UH, THE EXTRA STEP OF TRANSPARENCY AND, UM, PROCESS.
I LIKE THE EXTRA STEP OR PROCESS OF, UM, THE MO THE, UH, DELAY FOR JANUARY, BUT OBVIOUSLY NOBODY ELSE DOES.
SO THAT DOESN'T HINDER US FROM PUTTING THIS ON THE BALLOT FOR NOVEMBER.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION TO DELAY THIS TO THE, UH, THE SECOND, UH, MEETING IN JANUARY.
THAT'S A MOTION YOU ALREADY MADE.
YOU ALREADY MADE THE, THE SECOND MEETING.
IS THERE A SECOND? MOTION'S DEAD HERE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO CALL A VOTE TO LET THE VOTERS DECIDE WHETHER TO RE FOR US TO REMAIN A DART MEMBER CITY OR NOT.
I SECOND THAT WE HAVE MOTION TO SECOND.
AND FOR CLARIFICATION, WOULD THIS MOTION BE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS, AS IT'S INCLUDED IN THE PACKET? YES, SIR.
[03:20:02]
ALRIGHT.ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
COULD YOU PLEASE KEEP YOUR HANDS UP PLEASE? 1, 2, 3 OPPOSED? NAY.
WE JUST, WE JUST, WE, WE JUST DENIED THIS ONE.
I'M, NOW WE'RE DONE WITH THAT VOTE.
I KNOW I'M MAKING A NEW MOTION.
CAN I? NO, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T PASS DONE.
YOU DON'T GET TO KEEP DOING THEM.
I KIND OF WOULD DO THE SAME THING SOMETIMES TOO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH US TONIGHT.