[00:00:02]
IT IS FIVE OH TWO AND WE'LL CALL TO ORDER THIS
[1. Call Meeting to Order and Announce that a Quorum is Present.]
MEETING OF THE ADDISON CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 27TH, 2026.THIS IS OUR WORK SESSION AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COUNCIL PRESENT THIS EVENING WITH ALL MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT FOR THIS AFTERNOON.
[2. 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.]
MOVE RIGHT INTO ITEM NUMBER TWO.CITY COUNCIL INVITES CITIZENS TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL ON ANY MATTER, INCLUDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA EXCEPT PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT ARE INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA.
COMMENTS THAT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HEARD WHEN THE SPECIFIC HEARING STARTS.
CITIZEN COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY LAW.
THE COUNCIL IS NOT PERMITTED TO TAKE ANY ACTION OR DISCUSSING THE ITEM NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
AND THE COUNCIL MAY CHOOSE TO PLACE THE ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND I HAVE TWO REQUESTS AT THIS POINT, UH, TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
SO FIRST, I WILL CALL ON ROSEANNE HOPWOOD.
AND IF YOU WOULD, WHEN YOU GET UP THERE, PLEASE IDENT, IDENTIFY YOURSELF WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
AND, UM, WELL, YOU CAN'T SEE THE CLOCK BEHIND YOU, SO I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GETTING CLOSE.
OH, YOU'VE GOT YOUR VERY GOOD, VERY PREPARED.
GO AHEAD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, MR. GAINES, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED IN ADDISON, UM, SINCE 2016 WITH OUR DAUGHTER WHO'S HERE FOR A CIVIC LESSON THIS MORNING OR THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, WE LIVE AT 41 11 LEADVILLE PLACE.
UM, TODAY MARKS OUR THIRD ATTEMPT, UM, TO REQUEST CLARITY ON A VERY IMPORTANT STATEMENT IN ADVANCE.
ADDISON, UH, WE, UH, COMMUNICATED WITH CPAC BACK IN APRIL AND, UM, WE GOT SOME FEEDBACK FROM JADE BROAD NEXT.
UM, AND THEN WE SENT A MEMO TO YOU GUYS FOR YOUR, AT YOUR LAST MEETING, AND WE JUST REPEATED IT 'CAUSE I KNOW THE LAST MEETING WAS, WAS REALLY FULL.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, REQUEST CLARITY ON THE STATEMENT THAT LOW DENSITY FAMILY MULTIFAMILY HOUSING TYPES ARE APPROPRIATE IN MORE INTENSE PARTS OF RESIDENTIAL LIVING PLACE TYPE.
UH, THIS SENTENCE IS, IS ILL-DEFINED AND IT CONTRADICTS, UH, ADJACENT MATERIAL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, ADVANCED ADDISON DOES NOT DEFINE WHAT LOW DENSITY MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IS.
UM, ADVANCED ADDISON ALSO, UM, UH, DOES NOT REALLY DEFINE WHAT MORE INTENSE PARTS OF RESIDENTIAL LIVING MEANS, OR, OR WHERE THOSE PARTS MIGHT BE, UM, ADJACENT TO THAT.
STUDENTS ARE, ARE, ARE SOME CHARTS THAT SAY THAT SMALL PLEXES ARE NOT APPROPRIATE IN MULTI, UH, EXCUSE ME, IN RESIDENTIAL LIVING, URBAN APARTMENTS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE IN RESIDENTIAL LIVING.
SO THE SENTENCE ITSELF SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THE TABLE.
AND, AND WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR CLARITY.
WHAT, WHAT IS ADDISON'S VISION FOR RESIDENTIAL LIVING? UM, WE LIVE IN MIDWAY MEADOWS IN A IN GARDEN HOME NEIGHBOR, UH, GARDEN HOME NEIGHBORHOOD.
IS THAT WHAT'S CONSIDERED MORE INTENSE? UM, YOU KNOW, WE WONDER, RIGHT? ARE, ARE, ARE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MORE INTENSE GOING TO BECOME PLACES WHERE WE CAN HAVE SPOT ZONING, PARCEL ASSEMBLAGE AND, AND MULTIFAMILY MOVING IN WITHOUT CLARITY? I, I THINK I, I'M CONCERNED THAT THOSE DECISIONS WILL APPEAR AT BEST ARBITRARY, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE CONFLICTING INFORMATION WITHIN OUR OWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THAT'S OUR REQUEST, UM, THAT WE SIMPLY EITHER DEFINE THE, THE TERMS IN THAT SENTENCE SO THAT WE ALL ARE ON THE SAME PAGE OR WE CORRECT THAT SENTENCE TO ALIGN WITH THE TABLES, UM, THAT ARE DIRECTLY BELOW IT.
ALRIGHT, NEXT I'LL CALL ON TRICIA STEWART.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, I KNOW WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE POLICE, UH, COMMISSION AND, UH, IT, IT WAS, UM, REALLY THE, AN EYEOPENER 'CAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER SERVED ON ANYTHING IN THE 20 YEARS I'VE LIVED HERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT MEANT A LOT TO ME TO REPRESENT, UM, CITIZENS BECAUSE THE POLICE HAVE BEEN AMAZING TO ME OVER THE 20 YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED HERE.
AND THEY'RE, THE MAIN REASON WHY I I STAY HERE IS BECAUSE I, I FEEL SAFE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM.
SO I THOUGHT I COULD GIVE MY TIME AS A CITIZEN TO HELP.
AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE OTHER CITIZENS TO PLEASE DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED ENOUGH BECAUSE YOU ARE QUALIFIED SIMPLY BY THE FACT THAT YOU LIVE IN ADDISON.
[00:05:01]
BECAUSE I HAD SOMEONE TELL ME, OH NO, I'M NOT QUALIFIED TO TO DO THAT.AND THEY JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PLEASE TAKE CITIZENS ACADEMY BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW OUR TOWN RUNS.
AND, UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M DOING ON TIME, SO, AND I'M OFF THE CUFF, SO I'LL JUST KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU TELL ME TO STOP.
BUT CITIZENS ACADEMY'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW THINGS WORK IN THE TOWN.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT COMPLETE CITIZENS ACADEMY.
I DID NOT GO TO THE POLICE AND FIRE DAY 'CAUSE MY KID HAD AN EVENT THAT I PREFERRED TO GO TO INSTEAD.
NOT THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE AREN'T IMPORTANT, SO IF I WOULD'VE GONE, I WOULD'VE SEEN THINGS THAT MAYBE AS A CITIZEN I COULD HAVE, UH, EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US AS CITIZENS TO BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WE GET SUCKED INTO LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN AFFECT THE MOST CHANGE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION.
EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, QUALIFIED IN REAL ESTATE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE A CITIZEN.
AND THANK YOU FOR CITIZENS ACADEMY.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ALSO A VERY VALUABLE THING AND I HOPE MORE CITIZENS GET INVOLVED.
AND, AND THANKS FOR SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE AND UH, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER CITIZEN ACADEMY COMING UP.
UH, ANY, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME? ALRIGHT, WE'RE SEEING NONE.
[3. Council Member Clarification Requests Regarding Consent Agenda Items. ]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.COUNCIL MEMBER CLARIFICATION REQUEST REGARDING CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS NEEDED ON CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT? AND JUST WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSENT, UH, COUNSEL, THE, UH, THERE'S ONE ITEM, ITEM FOUR C HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA, SO THAT WILL NOT BE A PART OF OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.
ALRIGHT, THREE A COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
UH, PRIOR TO COUNCIL MEETINGS, COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SEND QUESTIONS TO STAFF REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
THOSE QUESTIONS ARE, UH, RESPONDED TO AND COMPILED INTO A SINGLE DOCUMENT SENT TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, THE DAY OF COUNT OF THE COUNCIL MEETING, THAT SAME DOCUMENT IS UPLOADED TO OUR WEBSITE.
SO ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, FIND THE AGENDA, THERE'LL BE A LINK ON THERE TO DOWNLOAD THAT Q AND A DOCUMENT FOR YOUR OWN REFERENCE.
SO YOU'RE SEEING THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.
ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, ITEM
[4. Closed Meeting. The Addison City Council will enter a Closed Meeting pursuant to Texas Government Code Sections 551-071 through 090 to discuss the following item(s):]
FOUR CLOSED MEETING.THE, EXCUSE ME, THE ADDISON CITY COUNCIL WILL ENTER A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 5 51 DASH 0 7 1 THROUGH 0 9 0 TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. FOUR A IS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 1, SECTION TWO AND 5 5 1 0 7 2 TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE TOWN'S LEGAL COUNSEL RELATED TO THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF TOWN ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE ADDISON AIRPORT.
AND IN FOUR B IS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, 5 51 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE TOWN'S LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF STATE AND LOCAL ETHICS LAWS, UH, GOVERNING, CAMPAIGNING AND POLITICAL ADVERTISING RELATED TO BOND ELECTIONS AND OTHER LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES.
AND THOSE ARE OUR TWO CLOSED SESSION ITEMS AND IT IS FIVE 11 AND WE'LL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AT THIS TIME.
[5. Open Meeting. In accordance with Texas Government Code Chapter 551, the Addison City Council will reconvene in an Open Meeting to consider action, if any, on the matters discussed in the Closed Meeting.]
AND WE WILL, UH, COME OUT OF A CLOSED SESSION INTO OPEN SESSION FROM OUR, FOR THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, AT 7:00 PM THERE'S NO ACTION FOR US TO TAKE ON OUR CLO ON OUR CLOSED SESSION ITEMS. AND WE HAD TWO WORK SESSION ITEMS THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO YET.SO WE WILL DO THOSE AT THE END OF OUR REGULAR MEETING, UH, IN CONSIDERATION OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TO, UH, TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE, UH, SEVEN O'CLOCK REG REGULAR MEETING.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL CLOSE OUR WORK SESSION AND WE'LL
[ COUNCIL MEETING The Addison City Council will convene for a Council Meeting beginning at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Council Chambers.]
GO ONTO OUR REGULAR MEETING.SO WE'LL CALL THE REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
AND, UH, AS ALWAYS, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN PLEDGE BO OF OUR FLAGS.
I PUT ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE IN INDIVISIBLE.
[00:10:01]
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.[a. City Manager's Announcements.]
UH, RIGHT INTO ITEM NUMBER TWO, PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS.ITEM TWO A IS CITY MANAGER'S ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TWO B IS EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION.
A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TONIGHT.
UH, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE ATHLETIC CLUB, MUNICIPAL COURT, THE ADDISON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
WE'LL OPEN AT NOON TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH DUE TO THE ANTICIPATED ROAD CONDITIONS WHERE POSSIBLE STAFF WILL WORK REMOTELY IN THE MORNING TO CONTINUE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
CWD WILL RESUME TRASH COLLECTIONS IN ADDISON ON THURSDAY AND RECYCLING WILL RESUME ON MONDAY.
CWD HAS ASKED THAT RESIDENTS KNOCK OFF ANY SNOW OR ICE AND MAKE SURE LIDS AREN'T FROZEN SHUT AND KEEP CARTS AT THE CURB UNTIL THEY'RE COLLECTED.
IF YOUR SERVICE ISN'T COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE DAY, FRIDAY, PLEASE CONTACT CWD.
CREWS WILL BE WORKING THROUGH THE WEEKEND TO GET CAUGHT UP.
AND FINALLY, A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING STAFF WHO WORK 24 7 DURING THE WINTER STORM EVENT AND ARE CONTINUING TO WORK TIRELESS TIRELESSLY.
UH, THESE PAST FEW DAYS ARE THE ALWAYS EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE ALWAYS THE MOST REWARDING THAT I HAVE IN THIS POSITION TO SEE THE AMAZING STAFF THAT WE HAVE THAT SERVE THIS COMMUNITY FROM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS, TO OUR PARKS, TO OUR FACILITIES.
CREWS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE 24 7 HAVE NOT LEFT ADDISON SINCE FRIDAY.
WE HAVE SUCH GRATITUDE TO THEM AND IT COMING TO WORK AND SEEING 'EM EVERY DAY, UM, MAKES YOU PROUD TO BE HERE.
AND, UM, A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF THEM.
[b. Employee Recognition.]
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION.I'M GONNA ASK MARY TO COME UP TO INTRODUCE ONE OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA STARS TO EVERYBODY.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO INTRODUCE KAITLYN MCFARLAND, OUR MARKETING AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST IN THE MARKETING AND TOURISM DEPARTMENT.
KAITLYN JOINED THE TOWN ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2025, AND IS QUICKLY MADE AN IMPACT DUE TO HER SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS.
WE'VE SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN FOLLOWERS AND ENGAGEMENT ON ALL OF OUR CHANNELS.
IN FACT, SINCE THURSDAY WE'VE HAD ALMOST 300,000 VIEWS ON THE TOWN'S FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM CHANNELS.
YEAH, KAITLYN GREW UP IN SOUTH LOUISIANA.
SHE EARNED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES FROM LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND HER MASTER'S DEGREE IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS FROM LIBERTY UNIVERSITY.
OUTSIDE OF WORK, SHE STAYS BUSY WITH HER TWO PETS, BISHOP, HER 3-YEAR-OLD GOLDENDOODLE AND JUNIE, HER FOUR MONTH OLD KITTEN WHO ARE A BIG PART OF HER DAILY LIFE.
EVEN BISHOP IS STILL, EVEN THOUGH, EVEN IF BISHOP IS STILL ADJUSTING TO SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT, CAITLIN IS A PROUD LSU AND DALLAS COWBOY FAN AND ENJOYS KEEPING UP WITH SPORTS IN HER FREE TIME.
WHILE SHE LOVES NEW EXPERIENCES, SHE OPENLY EITS, SHE'S TERRIFIED OF ELEVATORS OR AIRPLANES, A FUN FACT THAT OFTEN SPARKS CONVERSATION PROFESSIONALLY.
KAITLYN IS PROUD TO BE DOING THE WORK.
SHE HAS ALWAYS ASPIRED TO SHARING IMPORTANT INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A FUN, CREATIVE, AND ENGAGING WAY.
SHE SHARED THAT IT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS TO REACH THIS POINT IN HER CAREER, AND THAT HER NEW ROLE WITH THE TOWN OF ADDISON HAS EXCEEDED HER EXPECTATIONS BY ALLOWING HER TO COMBINE CREATIVITY, COMMUNICATION, AND PUBLIC SERVICE EVERY DAY.
WHEN ASKED WHAT THE ADDISON WAY MEANS, CAITLYN SHARED THAT IT REPRESENTS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHILE STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING WE DO TO HER, IT MEANS SHOWING RESIDENTS THAT WE ARE PROUD TO SERVE THEM AND BUILD TRUST THROUGH TRANSPARENCY, CARE AND PARTNERSHIP.
THE ADDISON WAY IS MORE THAN A MOTTO.
IT SHOWS UP EVERY DAY AND HOW OUR STAFF GO THE EXTRA MILE TO BE APPROACHABLE, RELIABLE, AND HUMAN, NOT JUST ANOTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING CAITLIN.
ANYTHING ELSE, DAVID? NO, THAT'S IT.
CAITLYN HAS MADE A HUGE SPLASH IN THE FOUR MONTHS SHE'S BEEN HERE, SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF HER.
[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.]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, 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 THIS SPECIFIC HEARING STARTS.
CITIZEN COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY LAW.
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 OUR FUTURE AGENDA.
AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL THIS EVENING.
AND, UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, WE MADE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SOME FOLKS TO CALL IN VIA ZOOM.
[00:15:01]
TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.SO THE WAY I'VE, UH, LAID THIS OUT FOR, FOR MY PLAN HERE, FIRST OF ALL, I NEED TO, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE, UH, FOLKS THAT SENT IN SOME WRITTEN COMMENTS, WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THESE WILL BE ADDED TO THE RECORD AND THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY TO SEE THEM.
UH, BUT THE FOLKS THAT, UH, DID THOSE ONLINE WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS, THEY ARE MARY DOLAN, CYNTHIA RAMOS, RON WALLICK, LINDA MATU, DAVIS, EM, NIKKI Z ZAYA OR ZA ELLEN, AUSTRIA, NANCY WILLIAMS, ARMANDO GULLO, LORI SIMILAR, BROOKE DIAZ, ADAM GORDON, TOM BROWN, AND MARSHA PFEIFFER.
THOSE FOLKS DID THE WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA THE WEBSITE.
AND AGAIN, THOSE WILL BE ADDED TO THE RECORD FOR THIS EVENING'S MEETING.
AND THEN WE, FOR THE FOLKS THAT, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE IN A, UH, ROOM IN OUR, IN OUR, UH, ZOOM, UH, THAT ARE WAITING TO, UH, TO DO THEIR, UH, PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL THEIR, THEIR, THEIR COMMENTS.
AND SO WHAT I DECIDED TO DO TONIGHT, I'M GONNA ALTERNATE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE ONLINE FOLKS AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM.
THAT SEEMS PRETTY REASONABLY FAIR TO ME.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START, LET'S START, UH, ONLINE AND I'LL JUST GO IN THE ORDER THAT I'VE GOT 'EM ON MY LIST HERE AND ASK FOR PHYLLIS SILVER.
AND OH, JUST A REMINDER, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
AND IF YOU DON'T NEED ALL THREE MINUTES, AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN TAKE LESS THAN THREE MINUTES.
BUT WE, I WILL TRY TO HOLD YOU AS FIRM AS I CAN TO THE THREE MINUTES.
SO PLEASE, UH, KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CLOCK OVER HERE AND WHEN YOU GET TO THE MICROPHONE OR WHEN YOU GET CALLED UP ON THE PHONE, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS PHYLLIS SILVER AND I LIVE ON ON ARTIST WAY IN ADDISON.
I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TOWN'S PROPOSED TRANSIT ALTERNATIVE.
IF ADDISON LEAVES DART, THE RECOMMENDED MICRO TRANSIT IS SHORTSIGHTED AND WOULD INTERFERE WITH RIDER'S EVERYDAY LIVES.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE MY VIA ARLINGTON EXPERIENCE.
I HAD REGISTERED WITH VIA TO TRAVEL FROM A TRE STATION TO AN NCT COG MEETING IN ARLINGTON.
AS INSTRUCTED, I CALLED 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO MY TRAVEL TIME.
I WA IT WAS MID-MORNING, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES, UH, FOR VIA AVAILABLE.
I WAS ASKED TO CALL AGAIN AT MY VIA DEPARTURE POINT.
I CALLED AGAIN, NO AVAILABLE VEHICLES.
I HAD TO FIND AN ALTERNATE WAY OF TRAVELING.
WHAT IF IT WAS FOR WORK OR A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT? ADDISON'S PROPOSAL TO USE ON DEMAND SERVICE INSTEAD OF TRANSIT AGENCY IS SCARY.
SOME RIDERS RELY ON DAILY CASH ALLOTMENTS.
OTHER RIDERS DON'T HAVE FULL SERVICE CELL PHONES.
AND IF THEY DO, THEY CAN LOSE THEIR CELL CHARGE, LEAVING THEM UNABLE TO RESERVE OR PAY FOR THEIR TRIP.
FIXED ROUTES HAVE FIXED SCHEDULES AND ROUTES MAKING ARRIVAL TIMES PREDICTABLE.
MICRO TRANSIT, UH, CAN GO OFF COURSE TO PICK UP AND LEAVE OFF, UH, DRIVER, UH, RIDERS.
WHEN TRAVELING TO ANOTHER CITY, RIDERS WOULD HAVE TO TRANSFER.
THEY'D LOSE TIME WHILE WAITING IN THE WEATHER ELEMENTS.
FOR THE NEXT RIDE, ADDISON WOULD BE PAYING FOR A SERVICE THAT WOULD BE CAUSING HARDSHIP.
THE SMALLER VEHICLES WON'T ACCOMMODATE THE SHOPPING CARTS THAT RIDERS USE FOR GROCERY TRIPS.
FAMILIES WITH TODDLERS TRAVELING TO THE ZOO AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS WOULD BE ENCUMBERED BY CARRYING CAR SEATS NEEDED.
FOR SMALLER VEHICLES, A BUS DOESN'T REQUIRE A CAR SEAT.
SENIOR CITIZENS WOULD SUFFER THE TRANSFERS AND PAYMENT METHODS WOULD BE CONFUSING AND INACCESSIBLE.
PLEASE REMEMBER PARATRANSIT INDUSTRYWIDE IS FOR VERY DISABLED RIDERS.
MANY SENIORS WOULD NOT QUALIFY.
MICRO TRANSIT MIGHT BE OKAY FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE IN A HIGHLY POPULATED LARGE AREA AS OURS, FULL RELIANCE ON MICRO TRANSIT IS NOT REASONABLE.
IF ADDISON LEAVES START, YOU'LL LOSE CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS.
AND IT WOULD BE SAD TO SEE THE LONG AWAITED SILVER LINE PASS US BY WITHOUT STOPPING.
PLEASE NEGOTIATE WITH DART ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT.
DART IS WORKING WITH OTHER CITIES AND WOULD DO THE SAME WITH ADDISON.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT WE HAVE, AND I'M GOING TO, UH, HAVE THEM QUEUE UP THE, UH, NEXT PERSON ON THE PHONE ALSO.
BUT NEXT FIRST WE HAVE IN THE ROOM, UH, GREG THORNBERRY AND THEN DOUGLAS CONN WILL BE ONLINE.
[00:20:01]
I'M GREG THORNBERRY.I LIVE AT 14,885 OAKS NORTH DRIVE, UH, SINCE 2009 WITH NANCY, MY WIFE.
UH, WE'VE BOTH LIVED IN ADDISON SINCE 2007.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT DART FOR A MINUTE.
AND WHEN ADDISON JOINED DART, UM, BACK IN THE EIGHTIES, IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE A SMALL CITY THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME PART OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
OUR CONTRIBUTION OF THE 1 CENT SALES TAX WOULD GO TO BUILD THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE PART THAT WAS IN ADDISON.
WE'D BE ONE OF THE 13 OWNERS OF AN AREA WIDE CITIZEN, UH, SYSTEM.
AND PEOPLE IN ADDISON DON'T JUST ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM HERE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
SO SAYING THAT WE CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN WE RECEIVE ISN'T ACCURATE BECAUSE OUR CITIZENS AND THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND OUTTA ADDISON EVERY SINGLE DAY HAVE ACCESS TO THE ENTIRE DART SYSTEM AND MANY OF THEM USE IT TO COME TO WORK.
AND OUR HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS DART ALSO SUPPORTS THE CREATION OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAX, HOTEL TAXES, AND GENERAL COMMERCE IN THE TOWN.
THE FACT THAT THERE'S AN ADDISON STOP ON THIS $2 BILLION SILVER LINE DEFINES US AS A SIGNIFICANT PLACE AND PROVIDES AN IDENTIFIER THAT IT'S HARD TO PUT A PRICE TAG ON.
ADDISON STATION IS A GREAT CHAMPION FOR THE OVERALL ADDISON BRAND AND IT SAYS THAT WE'RE IMPORTANT ENOUGH AND THAT THERE'S ENOUGH GOING ON HERE TO JUSTIFY A TRANSIT STATION AND A STOP IN OUR TOWN.
ARE WE REALLY GONNA VOTE DART OUT AND LOSE THE KEY PIECE OF THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE ADDISON CIRCLE AND SILVER LINE STATION? THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT THERE AND VERY DISHONEST TO THE DEVELOPERS THAT THE TOWN HAS ENGAGED ON THIS PROJECT.
I AGREE THAT DART GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO CHANGE AND WE'VE SEEN THE PROGRESS THAT DART HAS STARTED TO MAKE TOWARDS THAT CHANGE.
STAYING IN DART GIVES US LEVERAGE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE.
LEAVING DART REMOVES ALL THE LEVERAGE WE HAVE AND RETURNS IT TO DART IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
IF YOU MUST VOTE TO HAVE AN ELECTION ON THIS ISSUE, PLEASE PUT IT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND NOT THE MAY BALLOT.
DO NOT COMBINE THE DART DECISION WITH THE BOND ELECTION TO BUILD A NEW POLICE STATION AND CONFUSE THOSE TWO ISSUES AND DO NOT JEOPARDIZE THE RESTAURANT AND HOTEL REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH WORLD CUP RIGHT BEFORE IT STARTS.
THERE ARE NINE MATCHES IN DFW, WHICH IS MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, OR MEXICO, INCLUDING FOUR KNOCKOUT MATCHES AND ONE SEMI-FINAL AND IT STARTS IN JUNE.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE ONLINE DOUGLAS CONN.
AND IN THE ROOM NEXT, UH, AFTER DOUGLAS WILL BE GUILLERMO QUINTANILLA DOUGLAS, ARE YOU ON WITH US? ALRIGHT, WE'LL CHECK BACK AND MAYBE THERE'S A CONNECTION PROBLEM.
WE'LL CHECK BACK WITH HIM A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SO, UH, GUILLERMO QUINTANILLA.
MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, GUILLERMO QUINTANILLA 41 15 RUSH CIRCLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN.
I UNDERSTAND A MAJORITY OF THIS COUNCIL MAY BE PREPARED TO PLACE A DART WITHDRAWAL VOTE ON THE MAY BALLOT.
MY PURPOSE TONIGHT IS NOT TO RE ARGUE PAST POSITIONS, BUT TO ASK YOU BEFORE YOU VOTE TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DOING SO.
A MAY VOTE CREATES A VERY COMPRESSED TIMELINE.
THE ART'S OWN LEADERSHIP ISN'T NOW PUBLICLY STATED THAT IF ENOUGH MEMBER CITIES VOTE TO WITHDRAW, TRAIN, AND BUS SERVICE COULD STOP IMMEDIATELY.
ONCE ELECTION RESULTS ARE CERTIFIED TODAY, ADDISON HAS NO ALTERNATIVE MASS TRANSIT PROVIDER IN PLACE.
THAT MEANS RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES, VISITORS COULD FACE A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRANSIT SERVICE WITH NO TRANSITION PLAN.
THAT IS NOT POLITICAL, IT IS OPERATIONAL.
AT THE SAME TIME, NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN DART AND SEVERAL MEMBER CITIES ARE STILL ACTIVELY UNDERWAY WITH KEY DEADLINES.
LATER IN FEBRUARY, SEVERAL LARGER CITIES ARE HEADED TOWARD MAY VOTES WHILE NEGOTIATING NEW TERMS. ADDISON HAS NOT NEGOTIATED ANY NEGO, ANY INITIATED, ANY NEGOTIATIONS BY WAITING.
ADDISON WOULD BENEFIT FROM KNOWING WHICH CITIES ACTUALLY WITHDRAWAL, WHAT AGREEMENTS ARE REACHED, AND WHAT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES EMERGE.
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A MAY VOTE REQUIRES DECIDING THOSE FACTS, DECIDING BEFORE THOSE FACTS ARE AVAILABLE.ADDISON HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER $400 MILLION IN SALES TAX TO DART OVER THE PAST 35 YEARS AGAINST THAT HISTORY, THE ESTIMATED $8 MILLION COST OF WAITING SHOULD BE VIEWED AS INSURANCE, INSURANCE AGAINST SERVICE DISRUPTION, WEAK NEGOTIATION, LEVERAGE, AND PUBLIC CONFUSION DRIVEN BY INCOMPLETE INFORMATION.
I AGREE THAT VOTERS SHOULD DECIDE THIS ISSUE, BUT WHEN THEY DECIDE MATTERS, NOVEMBER ELECTIONS BRING HIGHER TURNOUT AND ALLOW MORE TIME FOR FACTUAL PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT IS NOT DENYING A VOTE.
IT IS EXPANDING TO MORE INFORMED PARTICIPATION, A RUSH VOTE, REWARDS, URGENCY AND MISINFORMATION, A NOVEMBER VOTE IF NEEDED, REWARDS, PREPARATION, AND TRANSPARENCY.
IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO PROCEED WITH THE MAY BALLOT, I ASK THAT IT DO.
SO ACKNOWLEDGING ON THE RECORD THAT SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS ARE POSSIBLE, ALTERNATIVES HAVE NOT YET BEEN IN PLACE AND NEGOTIATIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION ARE STILL UNFOLDING.
TONIGHT'S DECISION IS ABOUT TIMING NOT THE FINAL OUTCOME.
I URGE YOU NOT TO RUSH THIS VOTE ONTO THE MAY BALLOT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE.
GUILLERMO VALENCIA, DO WE HAVE, UH, DOUGLAS CONN OR NO? OKAY, SO WE'LL GO AND CALL ON DOUGLAS CON AGAIN.
DOUGLAS, ARE YOU ON WITH US? HELLO DOUGLAS? HELLO.
OKAY, UH, YOU'RE ON AND, UH, WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO, UH, UH, THREE MINUTES IF YOU'RE, I'LL GIVE YOU 15 SECOND NOTICE.
AND GIVE, UH, DOUGLAS CON 30, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
DOUGLAS CON, 37 81 MEADOW CREEK CIRCLE.
AND I'M IN A FULL AGREEMENT THAT THE RESIDENTS OF ADDISON SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THIS CRITICAL MATTER, BUT I AGREE WITH THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE ME THAT I AGREE THAT NOVEMBER WOULD BE A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME SINCE ADDISON, FOR SOME REASON, HAS NOT STARTED NEGOTIATING WITH, UH, DART FOR SERVICE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, UH, APPARENTLY THEY'RE MORE, UH, INTERESTED IN, UH, DEALING WITH MORE RENTALS, BUT I AGREE WITH THE NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER ELECTION.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE IN PERSON NANCY CRAIG, AND THEN ONLINE COMING UP WILL BE LIZ ROCCHIO SMITH.
I LIVE AT 4 1 1 2 RUSH CIRCLE HERE IN ADDISON.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND I PROMISE I WILL BE BRIEF.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS DART ISSUE HAS MANY LAYERS, FINANCIAL, OPERATIONAL, GOVERNANCE RELATED, AND IS ALSO A REGIONAL IN NATURE.
THERE ARE ALSO QUESTIONS ABOUT AVAILABLE OPTIONS TO MEET REAL AND UNDENIABLE NEEDS.
I UNDERSTAND AND EXPECT THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING OR HAVE ALREADY HEARD THOSE PERSPECTIVES FROM OTHERS OTHER CONCERNED CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS.
FOR THAT REASON, I WANT TO JUST FOCUS ON ONE ISSUE.
IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GENUINELY ABOUT PROTECTING VOTER RIGHTS, AND YOU ARE NOT USING THAT ARGUMENT SIMPLY AS A SHIELD, WHY WOULD YOU REFUSE TO WAIT UNTIL VOTERS YOU REPRESENT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF ADDITIONAL HIGHLY RELEVANT INFORMATION? THE RESULTS OF THE MAY ELECTIONS IN OTHER DARK MEMBER CITIES WOULD PROVIDE IMPORTANT CONTEXT AND INSIGHT THAT OUR VOTERS ACTUALLY DESERVE BEFORE ANY IRREVERSIBLE DECISION IS MADE.
I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION, AND THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN.
NEXT UP, UP ON THE LINE WE HAVE LIZ TRUO SMITH, AND THEN IN PERSON COMING UP WILL BE VALERIE COLLINS.
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GOOD EVENING.GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
HOW ARE YOU? LIZ ROCCHIO SMITH, I'M AT 1 4 9 3 3 HAVEN SHIRE PLACE.
I'D LIKE TO STATE FIRST THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL AND, AND YOU HAVE DONE, MR. MAYOR AND I, I I, I DO HEAR, I DO BELIEVE THAT ADDISON SHOULD BE A LEADER AND NOT A FOLLOWER.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN THE MAY DART WITHDRAWAL ELECTION.
WE'VE CERTAINLY BEEN GIVEN, I FEEL PLENTY OF INFORMATION TO AFFORD THIS VOTE AND IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THE RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO.
NEXT UP WE HAVE IN PERSON VALERIE COLLINS, AND NEXT ONLINE WILL BE CHUCK GREEN.
HI, VALERIE COLLINS, 1 4 6 6 8 WAYSIDE COURT.
I FIRST WANNA SAY EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES TO DART.
LOOK AT DENTON, LEWISVILLE, ARLINGTON, FRISCO, MCKINNEY, ALLEN, ET CETERA.
ADDISON CAN AND WILL FIND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS.
AND AS FAR AS THE SILVER LINE, YOU CAN SPIT, YOU CAN HOP RIGHT ACROSS THE TOLLWAY.
IF YOU NEED TO HOP THE SILVER LINE, WE NEED TO VOTE.
IT'S OUR RIGHT TO VOTE IN MAY.
AND THEN JUST FYI, THERE'S A REPORT THAT DART PUT OUT IN OCTOBER OF 2025.
THEIR OFFERING 37 SITES IN THEIR INVENTORY, 362 ACRES OF LAND, 16,463 PARKING SPACES.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S 75% OF THEIR PARKING.
IT'S A BROKEN SYSTEM AND I THINK ADDISON CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP ONLINE WE HAVE CHUCK GREEN, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED IN PERSON BY JIM DUFFY IS WITH CHUCK.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD PLEASE.
I LIVE AT 1 4 9 7 4 TO FOGGER COURT OAKS NORTH AND ADDISON.
IT SEEMS TO ME THERE ARE MANY VOICES SPEAKING ON ADDISON AND DART AND THAT APPARENTLY SOME ARE LISTENING MORE TO ONE SIDE THAN THE OTHER, WHICH IS WHY THIS QUESTION KEEPS COMING UP DESPITE THE VOTE BACK ON DECEMBER 2ND, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.
SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD TO HEAR THE OPINION OF A COMPLETELY UNBIASED SOURCE.
SO I ASKED COPILOT THE AI TOOL TO MICROSOFT EDGE.
THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADDISON LEAVING DARK FIVE POINTS RETURNED THE FIRST POINT, DEBT OBLIGATIONS CONTINUES EVEN AFTER LEAVING DARK.
CARRIES MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR DEBT FOR RAIL CONSTRUCTION, CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND LONG TERM BONDS.
MEMBER CITIES THAT WITHDRAW MUST CONTINUE PAYING THEIR SHARE OF THIS DEBT FOR YEARS, ADDISON WOULD LOSE ALL DARK SERVICE IMMEDIATELY, BUT STILL OWE IT ON ITS DEBT SHARE.
SO ADDISON KEEPS PAYING MILLIONS PER YEAR IN SALES TAX OBLIGATIONS, BUT GETS NOTHING IN RETURN.
NUMBER TWO, LOSS OF THE 1% SALES TAX FOR LOCAL USE.
ADDISON CURRENTLY SPENDS, UH, SENDS 1% OF ITS SALES TAX TO DART, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 17.6 MILLION.
IF ADDISON LEAVES STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THIS 1% CONTINUE FLOWING TO DART UNTIL ALL OBLIGATIONS ARE SETTLED, MEANING THAT ADDISON CANNOT REDIRECT THAT 1% TO ROADS, POLICE, PARKS, OR LOCAL TRANSIT UNTIL DEBT IS FULLY PAID.
NUMBER THREE, LOSS OF MAJOR SERVICES ALREADY FUNDED.
ADDISON IS JUST NOW RECEIVING THE LARGEST TRANSIT INVESTMENT IN ITS HISTORY, SPECIFICALLY THE SILVER LINE, THE GO LINK IN THE PROPOSED QUORUM CORRIDOR CIRCULATOR FOR WHICH
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DART IS FUNDING 50%.IF ADDISON LEAVES, ALL OF THIS DISAPPEARS IMMEDIATELY.
NUMBER FOUR, HIGHER COST TO REPLACE TRANSIT INDEPENDENTLY.
IF ADDISON WERE TO FIND ITS, UH, OWN, UH, IF ADDISON WERE TO REPLACE EVEN A FRACTION OF DART SERVICE, IT WOULD NEED TO FUND ITS OWN BUSES, SHUTTLES, AND ON DEMAND SERVICE.
WITHOUT DART A DART'S, ECONOMIES OF SCALE COST WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
ADDISON WOULD STILL BE PAYING DART WHILE DEBT IS ALSO, UH, OUR DART DEBT, WHILE ALSO PAYING FOR ITS OWN SYSTEM.
THIS IS A DOUBLE PAYMENT SCENARIO.
AND FINALLY, ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ADDISON'S HOSPITALITY AND WORKFORCE.
ADDISON'S ECONOMY RELIES HEAVILY ON RESTAURANT WORKERS, HOTEL STAFF, EVENTS, VISION, UH, VISITORS AND SERVICE INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES.
MANY WORKERS DEPEND ON DART TO REACH ADDISON AND LOSING TRANSIT WILL HARM LOCAL BUSINESS.
THE BOTTOM LINE, LEAVING DART WOULD COST ADDISON FAR MORE THAN STAYING BOTH FINANCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY.
THE TOWN WOULD PAY MILLIONS PER YEAR FOR DEBT WHILE RECEIVING ZERO TRANSIT SERVICE AND WOULD FACE HIGHER COSTS WHILE BUILDING A REPLACEMENT SYSTEM.
IT'S HARD TO ARGUE WITH LOGIC.
I BELIEVE THE CORRECT DECISION WAS MADE ON DECEMBER 2ND AND, AND THAT ADDISON SHOULD NOT HOLD A REFERENDUM ON DART UNTIL AFTER THE MAY ELECTION FROM THE OTHER DARTS.
THAT YOUR TIME WE HAVE FAR, WE HAVE FAR MORE TO LOSE THAN IS KNOWN.
NEXT UP WE HAVE JIM DUFFY IN PERSON, FOLLOWED, UH, BY, UH, FRAN POWELL ONLINE.
THANK YOU MAYOR JIM DUFFY, 38 87 RIDGE LAKE COURT IN ADDISON.
HERE WE GO AGAIN, TRYING TO RUSH A DECISION ON REMAINING PART OF DART.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK TO YOU TO SAY, I OPPOSE MY ELECTION.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RUSH? WHY ARE OTHER CITIES WHICH HAVE CALLED FOR ELECTION WORKING WITH DARK, TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS THEY HAVE? AND WHILE OUR APPROACH IS TO HAVE THE STAFF LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE METHODS, I GUESS ON THE PRESUMPTION THAT WE'LL PULL OUT OF THE DART, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A VALID PRESUMPTION.
OTHER CITIES ARE, ARE DOING THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AND DEALING WITH DART NOW SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING FOR MONTHS AGO, WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH THEM TO TRY TO SOLVE WHATEVER PROBLEMS WE PERCEIVE TO HAVE WITH THEM.
I DON'T THINK IT'S STRICTLY MONETARY.
ALICE IS CONSIDERING CHANGING THE GOVERNANCE MODEL SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
DART HAS ANNOUNCED THEIR DELAY IN TAKING ON ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING UNTIL NOVEMBER, WHICH ELIMINATES THE SPECIOUS ARGUMENT.
SOME OF YOU HAVE MADE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL DEBT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU WANT TO GET OUT IN MAY WHERE YOU WON'T HAVE TO.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO VALID REASON FOR ADDISON TO HAVE AN ELECTION IN MAY WAITING UNTIL NOVEMBER HAS NO DOWNSIDE, EXCEPT PERHAPS THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY WORRY THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ON THE COUNCIL AFTER MAY.
ADDISON NEEDS DART AND DART NEEDS ADDISON, DON'T CALL A MAY ELECTION FOR ADDISON TO GET OUT OF DART.
NEXT UP WE HAVE ONLINE FRAN POWELL, FOLLOWED BY RON WHITEHEAD IN PERSON.
GOOD AFTERNOON, THIS IS FRAN POWELL AT 1 4 7 9 6 LOCKEN BAR COURT.
I PRESUME YOU CAN HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK, UM, AND VOICE MY CONCERNS.
LAST TIME DART WAS DISCUSSED HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
ONE OF THE COUNCILMEN SEEMED SURPRISED WHEN THE ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER POINTED OUT THAT NO DOUBT IN ADDISON MEANS JUST THAT.
WHAT DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ONE DAY AFTER THE VOTE? IF THE VOTERS VOTE NO, THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO BUSES AT THE TRANSIT STATION.
NO BUSES STOPPING ANYWHERE WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS AND THE END OF THE SILVER LINE TRAIN STOPPING AT THE NEW RAILWAY STATION.
PUTTING THE DARK QUESTION TO THE VOTERS PUTS THE QUESTION IN FRONT OF RESIDENTS ONLY.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE BUSINESSES WHO DON'T LIVE IN ADDISON, BUT USE THE TRANSIT SERVICES? WHAT ABOUT THE RESTAURANT AND HOTEL EMPLOYEES, THE TOWN EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T LIVE IN THE TOWN BUT FOR WHICH THEY WORK? THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED WHO CAN'T DRIVE THE UTD STUDENTS WHO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY IN THE TOWN, THE THOUSANDS THAT ATTEND THE NUMEROUS EVENTS HOSTED BY THE TOWN.
MANY OF THESE ATTENDEES USE DART FOR EASE OF ACCESS, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE A VOTE IN THE FUTURE OF DART IN ADDISON.
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I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE LOSS OF DART WILL SEVERELY DAMAGE THE FUTURE OF ADDISON.THOUGH WE HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION FOR THE ACTIVITY SPONSORED BY THE TOWN AND FOR THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF RESTAURANTS, THE WHOLE NORTH TEXAS AREA IS GROWING.
OTHER CITIES, PLANO, MCKINNEY, GRAPEVINE, ALAN FRISCO, EVEN AS FAR NORTH AS SALINA NOW HOST MAJOR EVENTS.
ADDISON IS NO LONGER THE ONLY TOWN WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF DRINKS WITHOUT BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE CLUB.
THE ISSUE THAT ORIGINALLY MADE IT RENOWNED FOR ITS VARIETY AND QUANTITY OF EATING ESTABLISHMENT, IT NO LONGER HAS THAT EDGE.
THE DEMISE OF THE TASTE EVENT SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL THAT ADDISON HAS STRONG COMPETITION IN THE REGION.
WE ALL NO DART IS NOT PERFECT, BUT ABANDONING IT IS SHORTSIGHTED.
WORK WITH DART MAKE NECESSARY CHANGES.
KEEP ADDISON A MAJOR AND REGIONAL DESTINATION.
YOU HAVE HEARD THE OPINIONS OF THE ACTUAL USERS OF THE, OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM HEAVILY IN FAVOR OF KEEPING THE SERVICES RUNNING, PUTTING IT TO A TOWN RESIDENT VOTE EXCLUDES THE OPINIONS OF THOSE WHO DON'T LIVE IN THE TOWN.
AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CARE OF THE TOWN, NOT JUST FOR TODAY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOUR ROLE INCLUDES PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, PLANNING FOR THE LONG TERM.
THE FUTURE INCLUDES FULL PARTICIPATION IN THE REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
NEXT UP WE HAVE RON WHITEHEAD IN PERSON, FOLLOWED BY PATRICIA ANN SMITH WILLIAMS, ONLINE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
BOB AND LANE, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
I'M NOT SURE ANYTHING I CAN SAY TODAY WILL SWAY YOUR OPINIONS BECAUSE WE'VE SAID IT ALL BEFORE.
I GUESS I'D BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONFIDENT IN THIS, UH, THING THAT YOU KEEP SAYING ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE A RIGHT TO VOTE IF I DIDN'T HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU THAT SHOW THAT YOU DO HAVE, SOME OF YOU HAVE ANIMOSITY TOWARD DART AND SOME OF IT'S BECAUSE OF BRUISED EGOS, UH, OR SITUATIONS THAT DIDN'T COME OUT THE WAY YOU THOUGHT THEY SHOULD.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAPPENS IN POLITICS, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT NONE OF US, WELL NOT MANY OF US ARE CONVINCED THAT THIS IS JUST ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
WE IF IF THAT WERE TRUE, THEN I WOULD ASSUME FIVE OF YOU WOULD, UH, VOTE TO STAY IN DARK WHEN THIS ELECTION COMES AROUND.
AND I PERSONALLY DON'T BELIEVE THAT WILL HAPPEN.
SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SERVICES THAT'S PROVIDED IN OTHER CITIES, IT'S FAR INFERIOR.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
I WOULD SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME THING.
I WOULD REALLY ASK YOU TO NOT CALL AN ELECTION IN MAY.
LIKE I SAID, IT IS NOT PROVIDING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF INFORMATION, INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC OR THE BUSINESSES THAT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE THIS KIND OF HUGE DECISION.
UH, THE SURVEY DATA THAT I SAW, YOU HAVE 70 PEOPLE THAT HAVE RESPONDED OUT OF 1200 PLUS BUSINESSES, THAT'S REALLY NOT A STATISTICALLY RELEVANT SURVEY.
AND, UH, OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WE USED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE.
UH, NOT ONLY YOU, YOU PROBABLY MAY NOT REALIZE THIS, BUT WE USED TO NOT HAVE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT.
THE COUNCIL USED TO ALL ACTUALLY TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE TOWN IN MEETINGS, AND SOMETIMES THEY WENT TILL TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
I I AM SORRY THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN MUCH ANY ANYMORE.
UM, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER THIS TO NOT HAVE CALL ELECTION IN MAY.
AND IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE, HAVE ONE, NOVEMBER IS A MUCH BETTER CHOICE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE PATRICIA ANN SMITH WILLIAMS ONLINE, FOLLOWED BY EILEEN RESNICK IN PERSON.
HELLO? HELLO PATRICIA, THIS IS PATRICIA ANN SMITH WILLIAMS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
I LIVE AT 1 6 3 0 0 LEDGE MOUNT LANE, APARTMENT 3 0 9 ADDISON 7 5 0 0 1.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT YOU TABLE THE VOTE
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FOR THE ADDISON PARTICIPATION IN DART TILL THIS SUMMER FOR THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.THIS WILL GIVE US TIME TO SURVEY THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO CONTINUE GATHERING CURRENT INFORMATION.
IT WILL GIVE US TIME TO TALK TO MORE WITH THE PEOPLE IN DART AND HAVE THE INTERACTION AND NEGOTIATIONS TO IMPROVE THE SERVICES.
IT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU TIME TO NEGOTIATE THE NECESSARY ALTERNATIVE MASS TRANSPORTATION TRANSIT IF IN FACT THE VOTE COMES TO A FAILURE.
ADDISON ALSO DESERVES THE RIGHT TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ABOUT.
AND THIS ADDITIONAL TIME AND THROUGH THIS NEXT SUMMER FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION WILL GIVE US THAT ADEQUATE TIME.
I DO REQUEST THAT AT YOUR CURRENT ATTENTION BE ON THE PASSAGE OF THE POLICE BOND STUDY AND THAT YOU DEVOTE YOUR TIME AND EDU ENERGY TO EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THE POLICY THE POLICE BUILDING STUDY IS ABOUT FOR OUR ELECTION SO THAT WE ARE ALL INFORMED ABOUT THE POLICE BOND ISSUE FOR MAY OF 2026.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO BOTH OF THESE MATTERS.
THE DART BEING POSTPONED TABLED UNTIL THE SUMMER AND THE POLICE BOND STUDY BEING EDUCATED AND HAVING THE, THE ELECTION IN MAY.
NEXT WE HAVE EILEEN RESNICK IN PERSON, FOLLOWED BY ALEX SCOTT ONLINE.
EILEEN RESNICK, UM, 38 36 PARK PLACE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THAT DART HAS COME UP IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
THE REALITY IS THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED EXCEPT, AND I EMPHASIZE EXCEPT THAT DART HAS EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS AND NEGOTIATE WITH CITIES.
AND I'M FRANKLY VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU WANNA CALL FOR A VOTE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE COMPLETE INFORMATION AND IF A VOTE IS WARRANTED, HAVING IT IN THE FALL WHEN WE KNOW WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IS A MUCH WISER COURSE OF ACTION.
ADDISON HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN DAR YOU ALL KNOW THAT MORE THAN $400 MILLION BECAUSE WE WERE FORWARD THINKING, PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BOTH CITIZENS AND TO THE BUSINESSES IN ADDISON TO HELP THEM GROW AND TO FUNCTION PROFITABLY WITH CONTINUED CONGESTION.
DART IS THE ONLY REAL ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE AND THE IDEA OF SOLELY USING A CITY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS QUITE FRANKLY LAUGHABLE.
WHERE FOUR AND A HALF SQUARE MILES, THREE AND A HALF, IF YOU TAKE OUT THE AIRPORT WHEN SOMEONE GETS TO THE CITY LIMIT, ARE THEY JUST GOING TO HAVE TO GET OUT AND CALL UBER OR WALK TO ANOTHER TOWN? DART STATION.
YOU MAY STILL VOTE PAGE TWO, OR MAYBE TO PUT THIS TO VOTERS.
PLEASE DO IT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE A WISE AND INFORMED DECISION RATHER THAN A KNEE JERK ONE.
IF WE DO IT, PLEASE MOVE IT TO MAY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE ALEX SCOTT ONLINE, FOLLOWED BY BENEDICT, UH, RNA BERNAS, UH, IN PERSON.
I LIVE AT 9 1 6 GREENBRIER LANE IN RICHARDSON.
UH, THE SILVER LINE'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN ESPECIALLY EXCITED FOR, UH, BECAUSE I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT IT WHEN I WENT TO OCTOBERFEST AT ADDISON CIRCLE, AND
[00:50:01]
I'VE BEEN BADLY WAITING TO TAKE IT THERE.UH, THIS COMING WELL, UH, THIS COMING SEPTEMBER FOR THE NEXT FESTIVAL.
UM, BECAUSE DRIVING, DOING ALCOHOL FESTIVALS PROBABLY EXACTLY THE BEST THING I WANNA DO.
UH, BUT THE BIG THING FOR ME IS ADDISON'S STATION IS MY GO-TO RECOMMENDATION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING TO DALLAS SOLELY BECAUSE OF HOW CLOSE A LOT OF THE HOTELS ARE TO WHAT IT GIVES YOU ACCESS TO.
LIKE ADDISON CIRCLE JUST HAS A LOT OF PLACES AROUND TO EAT TO LIKE VISIT.
AND JUST THIS WEEK, TOMORROW I WAS COMING BACK FROM SEATTLE.
UH, A PERSON AT THE AIRPORT WAS DEALING WITH A FLIGHT DELAY DUE OR A FLIGHT CANCELLATION FOR THE WEATHER.
AND I RECOMMENDED ADDISON'S LOOKING AROUND AT THE HOTELS AT ADDISON STATION TO FIND A PLACE TO STAY.
LEAVING, LEAVING DART BASICALLY MAKES ADDISON STATION USELESS.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE SHUTTLE BUSES RUNNING FROM THE OTHER STATIONS DOWN THE LINE, THE FREQUENCY IS MOST LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE EATING THE TRAIN AND IT'S JUST GOING TO ADD ANOTHER TRANSFER THAT PEOPLE, THAT IS GONNA DETER PEOPLE FROM TAKING, UH, TAKING THAT ROUTE AND GETTING TO ADDISON.
SO, UH, I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD BE PUT, UH, I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD BE, UH, PUT TO THE VOTE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE IN PERSON BENEDICT BERNA, UH, FOLLOWED ONLINE BY LIZ EFAN.
UM, I AM BENEDICT BERNAS, FIVE ZERO T FIVE ADDISON CIRCLE.
UH, BEEN A RESIDENT OF ADDISON FOR, UH, ABOUT 12 YEARS NOW.
UH, SO HOLDING ELECTIONS ON COMMUNITY DECISIONS LIKE THIS ARE PART OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
UH, ALSO PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS HOLDING THESE VERY PUBLIC FORUMS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
IT GIVES YOU THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE OPINIONS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REPRESENT.
NOT ONLY THAT YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD LAST MONTH, UM, TO HEAR FROM THOSE OUTSIDE OF ADDISON THAT WILL BE DIRECTLY INFECTED.
UH, SHOULD ADDISON VOTE TO LEAVE DART NETWORK, UH, FEEL LIKE I'M HAVING DEJA VU HERE.
UH, SOME OF MY, UH, FELLOW CITIZENS OR FELLOW, UH, ADDISON RESIDENTS, UH, ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW THAT WE JUST HAD THIS MEETING, UH, BACK IN DECEMBER, AND IT'S ALMOST AS IF YOU JUST DIDN'T LISTEN TO US THAT LAST TIME AND HOLDING THAT VOTE AND TO LEAVE DART, UM, WE WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF THOSE THAT WE'RE SPEAKING AGAINST TO, UH, HOLDING THAT VOTE WOULD'VE SWAYED YOU TO MAKE THAT A SOLID, UH, DECISION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT WASN'T THE CASE.
HOLDING THE DART ELECTIONS, UH, HOLDING THE ELECTIONS TO LEAVE DART IS AN UNNEEDED WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES FOR US RESIDENTS AND AGAINST OUR BEST INTERESTS.
UM, IS THE CURRENT DART SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, PERFECT.
IT'S NOT, UH, ARE WE GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE FROM THE DART UH, SYSTEM? YOU MADE YOUR CASE, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE CASE AS WELL, BUT THE ALTERNATIVE WILL STILL BE A HEAVY BURDEN AND A POTENTIALLY BIGGER GAMBLE FOR YOUR CITIZEN'S AT YOUR CITIZEN'S EXPENSE.
NOT JUST THE ADDRESS AND RESIDENCE AS WELL, BUT FOR EVERYONE THAT DOES NOW AND CAN POTENTIALLY DART SERVICES NOT ACCOUNTING FOR THE AIRPORT.
ADDISON SITE, UH, SITS AT LESS THAN FOUR SQUARE MILES WITH LESS THAN 20,000 RESIDENTS A SMALL ISLAND TUCKED BETWEEN THREE OTHER CITIES, CARROLLTON, FARMERS BRANCH, AND DALLAS.
WHEN THERE'S A DAYTIME POPULATION OF OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, THAT'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL BUTS IN SEATS.
UH, ADDISON'S LOCATIONS PUTS IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF DALLAS'S METROPOLITAN AREA.
THE INTERMEDIAL AMALGAMATION OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ULTIMATELY ONE AND THE SAME.
BY MOVING TO LEAD DART, IT WILL CREATE A SEPARATION FROM OUR NEIGHBORS DOWN THE STREET AND OUR NEIGHBORS COME ACROSS THE, UH, UH, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLOCK.
AND IT'LL ALSO CREATE A VOID IN WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A FAST GROWING HUB IN THE MIDDLE OF A STILL GROWING METROPLEX.
DARK'S PURPOSE IN ADDISON ISN'T JUST TO HELP MOVE ADDISON'S RESIDENTS AROUND.
IT HELPS BRING THOSE THAT WORK HERE, BRING THOSE THAT PLAY HERE, AND AS WELL AS BRING ADDISON'S RESIDENTS HOME.
JUST A QUICK ASIDE, THE PROPOSED TOD UH, TRANS ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, UH, FROM A FEW YEARS AGO, I'M STILL VERY EXCITED FOR THAT AS IT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PRACTICAL AND FORWARD-LOOKING PROJECT THAT WILL BENEFIT BOTH DART THOSE WHO UTILIZES IT AND US AS A TOWN, DO NOT LET IT DEVOLVE INTO JUST ANOTHER DEAD STRIP MALL.
MANY OF US WERE PARTICULARLY UNDERWHELMED WITH SOME OF THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP AT THE LAST MEETING.
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IT KIND OF ALMOST SOUNDED LIKE A GLORIFIED UBER SERVICE THAT'S LESS EFFICIENT.DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL WITH A SLIM HOPE THAT IT MIGHT WORK FOR NOW.
ALL WHILE THE TOWN IS STILL PAYING OFF.
IF YOU DO NEED, WANT TO PUSH IT THROUGH VOTE, PUSH IT BACK, GET SOME MORE INFORMATION, AND AT LEAST SEE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING AND NEGOTIATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE ONLINE LIZ OLIPHANT, FOLLOWED BY AMY MCGREGOR IN PERSON DO WE HAVE LIZ? THIS IS LIZ ELEPHANT.
I LIVE AT ONE SIX AT 1 6 0 0 0 EDGEMONT LANE.
I'VE BEEN RESIDENT OF ADDISON FOR AT LEAST 25 YEARS OR MORE.
THIS COUNCIL SEEMS TO BE DETERMINED TO CALL AN ELECTION, EVEN THOUGH THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS WHO ATTENDED THE LAST MEETING MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY SUPPORTED DD AND THEN AN ELECTION WAS NOT NEEDED.
I'M NOT SURE WHY OUR COUNCIL HAS CHOSEN TO PURSUE AN ELECTION BECAUSE IT, IT WILL NOT GIVE THEM THE RESULTS THAT THEY ARE EXPECTING.
ADDISON WOULD LOSE MORE BY WITHDRAWING FROM DART THAN, THAN THEY WILL GAIN BY, UH, PARTICIPATING.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT THE WANTING TO HAVE THE VOTERS DECIDE, BUT BOTH OF THOSE, UH, ACTUALLY MISS THE POINT OF, OF THE ISSUE.
WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE AN ELECTION THAT WAS DONE 40 YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO ME HAVING BEEN RESIDENT OF ALL THESE YEARS THAT THE TWO PEOPLE ON COUNCIL WHO SUPPORTED, UH, THE RESIDENTS ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE LIVED HERE THE LONGEST.
WHICH TELLS ME THAT SOME OF OUR NEWER COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T HAVE A PERSPECTIVE OF OF WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE TOWN.
ADDISON IS THE GLUE THAT IT KEEPS DARK TOGETHER.
OUR CRITICAL POSITION LINKS THE FAST GROWING NORTHERN SUBURBS TO EACH OTHER, INTO DOWNTOWN DALLAS AND BEYOND.
WITH SOME THINKING ON OUR PART, WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT POSITION BY WAITING UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR TO CALL AN ELECTION IF ONE IS EVEN NEEDED BY THEN HAVING OTHER CITIES LEAVE.
UH, IF WE VOTED TO LEAVE ADDISON AND THE REST OF THOSE CITIES VOTED TO STAY IN, THEN WE ARE REALLY CUT OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE AND HAVE DEPRIVED OUR RESIDENTS OF BADLY NEEDED TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S HUMAN NATURE FOR CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SALIVATE OVER THE PROSPECT OF HAVING THE 1 CENT SALES TAX TO SPEND ON COMMUNITY NEEDS.
BUT IN THAT WAY, ADDISON IS ALSO DIFFERENT THAN OUR NEIGHBORS.
WE DON'T HAVE HUGE TRACKS OF LAND WAITING FOR DEVELOPMENT AND WITH LOTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAINTAIN AS, AS SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES DO, THAT THEY MAY, THERE ARE SOME OTHER REASONS WHY THEY ARE SUPPORTING WITHDRAWING.
PART OF THIS IS WHY OUR TAXES ARE LOWER THAN OTHER CITIES AND WE HAVE A TWO MINUTES, TWO MINUTE RESPONSE TIME FROM OUR POLICE AND FIRE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE AWAY TAX INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES.
IS THAT YOUR TIME? LET'S TAKE OUR, LET'S TAKE OUR TIME TO EXAMINE THIS ISSUE OF DART MORE CAREFULLY AND SEE IF THERE ARE A VIABLE OPTIONS.
IF ALEXA IS NECESSARY, YOU'LL HAVE MORE AND BETTER INFORMATION BY NOVEMBER.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE ONLINE, UH, NOPE, SORRY, IN PERSON AMY MCGREGOR, FOLLOWED BY MICAH NKI ONLINE.
AMY MC, AMY MCGREGOR, 1 7 1 0 6 FINLAND DRIVE HERE IN ADDISON COUNCIL.
AND MAYOR, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE TOWN.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR US.
UM, BUT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE FLIP FLOP OF THE COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU DID VOTE ON DECEMBER 2ND.
THIS ROOM WAS PACKED THAT NIGHT WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT IN SUPPORT OF DART.
AND UM, THEN ON JANUARY 16TH, APPARENTLY A FEW OF YOU GOT SOME CALLS THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT
[01:00:01]
THE MEETINGS.EVEN THOUGH I WOULD CALL MYSELF A MODERATELY INFORMED PERSON, I DID KNOW ABOUT THAT MEETING AND SHOWED UP THAT NIGHT.
AND SO NOW YOU CALL THE SPECIAL MEETING 'CAUSE THAT WAS TOO FAST.
AND SO, UM, ONCE AT MY JOB ANYWAY, WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION, WE ALIGN TO THAT DECISION AND WE MOVE FORWARD KNOWING THAT'S OUR COURSE.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY I DO SUPPORT TAKING THIS TO THE VOTERS.
I DO SUPPORT TAKING THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.
I WILL SHOW YOU RIGHT HERE MY DART PASS.
I ARRIVED AT DART TO WORK DOWNTOWN, UM, FROM ADDISON.
IT WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME AFTER IF, IF DART WOULD LEAVE, HOW I WOULD GET TO WORK.
AND AGAIN, IF WE ONLY SERVE ADDISON, WHO'S VOLUNTEERING TO TAKE ME.
'CAUSE THE TOLLWAY IS NOT THAT FUN IN THE MORNING.
UM, I I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE MADE OTHER GREAT POINTS ABOUT THAT.
I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF ADDISON SINCE 2004 AND I'VE USED DART THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE LIVED HERE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE DART AND THE SERVICES IT ALLOWS ME, UM, TO GET TO THE PLACES IT ALLOWS ME TO GO AS WELL AS IT ALLOWS ME TO GO DOWNTOWN AND NOT HAVE TO DRIVE EVERY DAY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND APPRECIATE IT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE ONLINE MICAH NKI, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MCGREGOR IN PERSON.
DO WE HAVE MICAH? MICAH, ARE YOU ON WITH US? ALRIGHT, WE'LL CHECK BACK WITH HIM IN A MINUTE.
UH, WE'LL GO TO WILLIAM MCGREGOR IN PERSON.
UM, MY NAME IS WILLIAM MCGREGOR, 1 7 1 0 6 FINLAND HERE IN ADDISON.
UM, WHEN I CAME TONIGHT, I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING, BUT, UH, I I I'M GONNA DEVIATE JUST SLIGHTLY FROM THE CONCERNS THAT EVERYONE HAS ON THE BUSES AND I'M GONNA TELL ANOTHER LITTLE STORY AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
THERE WAS A CHANGE MADE RIGHT OUT HERE, UM, ON ADDISON ROAD THAT, UH, CHANGED THE DIRECTIONS, THE WAY THAT THE, THE TURNING AND THE LANES WERE GOING TO BE ADJUSTED.
I DON'T RECALL THAT EVER BEING DISCUSSED.
I DON'T RECALL ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION, ANYTHING THAT WAS DONE BEFORE THIS CHANGE WAS MADE.
A CHANGE WAS MADE TO AFFECT ONE SMALL AREA, THE SCHOOL FOR MAYBE ONE TO TWO HOURS A DAY, BUT IT'S INCONVENIENCED EVERYONE ELSE FOR THE 20 TO 22 HOURS A DAY.
NOW, I KNOW THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT IT BRINGS ME TO THE BUSES.
IT JUST FEELS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO RUSH AHEAD WITH A VOTE AT A TIME THAT'S BEEN CALLED A SPECIAL TIME OR, OR OUTSIDE OF WHEN WE HAVE A MIDTERM ELECTION COMING IN NOVEMBER THAT I THINK EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL AGREE IS GONNA HAVE A TREMENDOUSLY HIGH TURNOUT.
SO WHY DO WE WANNA RUSH? WHEN WHEN ELECTIONS ARE HELD DURING THE NON-TRADITIONAL NOVEMBER TIME, THERE'S LOWER TURNOUT, THERE'S LOWER PARTICIPATION IN EVERYTHING.
I DON'T SEE THE ADVANTAGE AND IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS COUNCIL IS TRYING TO RUSH SOMETHING THROUGH TO BENEFIT A FEW AND NOT CONSIDERING EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GONNA BE AFFECTED.
UH, WE WANNA CHECK BACK WITH MICAH.
UH, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? MICAH? GO RIGHT AHEAD.
I'M A FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDISON PULLING OUT OF DART.
I HAVE SEEN HOW TRANSPORTATION CAN INFLUENCE SOMEONE'S HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION IS CONSIDERED, UH, WHAT WE SAY IN MEDICINE.
ONE OF THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOR PEOPLE.
I'VE WORKED WITH PATIENTS WHO HEAVILY DEPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET THEIR CLINIC APPOINTMENTS, JOBS, GETTING THEIR GROCERIES OR FINDING SAFE PLACES, UH, TO EXERCISE OR TAKE A WALK AT A PARK BECAUSE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AREN'T SAFE.
NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO A CAR.
AND SO PUBLIC TRANSIT IS SO CRITICAL TO MANY PEOPLE.
ESSENTIALLY, PUBLIC TRANSIT IS A NECESSITY FOR MANY PEOPLE TO PURSUE HEALTHY LIVES.
AND ARGUABLY PUBLIC TRANSIT IS A FORM OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE SHOULD SUPPORT SEQUESTERING SUBURBS WITH THEIR MICROT TRANSITS SYSTEMS AND NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO MOVE FREELY BETWEEN SUBURBS CAN HINDER THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND HEALTHCARE, WHICH IS CONSIDERING FOR ME AS A PHYSICIAN
[01:05:01]
WHO CARES ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT EVERYONE DESERVES THE RIGHT TO HAVE MOBILITY FREEDOM.THIS ALL GOES BEYOND ECONOMICS AND POLITICS BECAUSE HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT FOR EVERYONE.
AND WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT BETTER PUBLIC HEALTH FOR EVERYONE, WHICH MEANS SUPPORTING PUBLIC TRANSIT OR IN THIS CASE, DAR.
I ALSO FEAR THAT MICRO TRANSIT WON'T FIX A, UH, TRAFFIC CONGESTION ISSUE.
I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE I'VE HAD MORE TIME THAN I CAN COUNT.
HAVING PEOPLE COMING INTO CLINIC FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, WHICH REQUIRES X-RAYS OR PAIN MEDICATION, OR PATIENTS JUST BEING IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS FROM BEING IN AN ACCIDENT AND THAT SENSE OF SAFETY BEING SHATTERED MICRO TRANSIT WON'T FIX THE CONGESTION ISSUE.
AND GIVEN HOW D FSW IS EXPECTED TO GROW IN RECENT AND, YOU KNOW, COMING YEARS, WE SHOULD BE UTILIZING SYSTEMS THAT KEEP PEOPLE OFF THE ROAD, DECREASING ACCIDENTS AND THEREFORE HEALTHCARE COSTS AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS FROM BEING IN AN ACCIDENT.
IT'S ALSO PULLING VEHICLES OFF THE ROADS ALSO MEANS DECREASED AIR POLLUTION, WHICH ALSO HAS THEIR OWN HEALTH FORMS, INCLUDING ASTHMA, HEART AND BRAIN DISEASES.
AND, UH, IF ANYTHING, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, UH, RANKED DALLAS, I THINK IT WAS LIKE IN THE TOP 10 OF THE, UM, MOST, UH, SMOG AST PLACES IN THE NATION.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, MOBILITY, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM, WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON KEEPING AND SUPPORTING DART AND NOT PUTTING THIS UP ON THE BALLOT.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A BOON FOR ALL OF US, EVEN FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T UTILIZE DART.
MICAH, BEFORE YOU SIGN OFF, UH, WOULD YOU MIND GIVING US THE CITY THAT YOU LIVE IN? I DON'T THINK WE CAUGHT THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
ALRIGHT, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, MI UM, MICHAEL DEVEREAUX IN PERSON, FOLLOWED BY DON WEBB ONLINE.
1 5 0 3 2 WYNWOOD ROAD, 28 YEARS.
NICE TO SEE MOST OF YOU AGAIN, SORRY I'M NOT DRESSED.
I CAME LATE FROM A WORKOUT AND UH, I WAS CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC BEHIND A BROKEN DOWN DART BUS.
AND, UM, THE TRAIN AS WELL CAME BY.
SO I LAID A LITTLE BIT, HAD HAD SOME PEOPLE.
FIRST OF ALL, I CAME IN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WASN'T GONNA BE A VOTE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE A VOTE.
MAYBE YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON THERE.
THE QUESTION REALLY COMES DOWN TO, IS IT GONNA BE IN MAY OR NOVEMBER? SO, YEAH, I, I HEARD, BY THE WAY, I'VE HEARD MORE IN MY 28 YEARS HERE FROM PEOPLE THAN I'VE EVER HEARD.
I LEARNED MORE ABOUT ADDISON IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES THAN I PROBABLY HAVE IN MY 28 YEARS PRIOR.
I'M BEING A LITTLE BIT FACETIOUS, BUT THERE WAS SOME GREAT COMMENTS AND, UM, EVERYBODY'S GOT INTERESTS PROFESSIONALLY, PERSONALLY, AND IT, IT, UH, TO ME, THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU'D WANT TO DELAY IS HE HAS TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
BUT THE FLIP SIDE IS, I UNDERSTAND IT IS THERE'S AN $8 MILLION DISPARITY BETWEEN VOTING NOW IN MAY, WHICH IS GOING TO, WHAT'S GONNA COST THE CITY OR ADDISON TO DELAY IT TO NOVEMBER.
AND IF THAT NUMBER IS CORRECT, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S SERIOUS MONEY.
OKAY? AND IF THAT'S NOT CORRECT, THEN THAT'S FINE, BUT THAT'S WHY I UNDERSTAND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
ME BEING A TAXPAYER, SOMEONE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT DOESN'T PAY.
EVERYBODY'S GOT DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
'CAUSE I HOPE DOWN THE ROAD WE'LL SPEND IT WISELY, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT TOPIC FOR A DIFFERENT DAY.
SO, UM, I DID HEAR THE NUMBER 70 BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY THAT.
THAT'S NOT THAT MANY OUT OF THE THOUSAND, BUT I HAVE EATEN AT SIX DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WITH THIS WEATHER AND THE LAST 10 DAYS.
AND I'VE ASKED ALL OF 'EM ABOUT THIS, AND NOT ONE OF 'EM SAID IT WOULD IMPACT THEM.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR 1100 BUSINESSES, BUT I DO CARE ABOUT THOSE BUSINESSES AND HOW THEY'RE AFFECTED AND THE PERSON WHO IS AFFECTED.
I, I GUESS I, I WOULD CERTAINLY PUSH MORE FOR GETTING A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT BETWEEN NOW AND MAY AND DOING IT IN MAY, BECAUSE $8 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER WAITING.
BUT I ALSO, UM, THERE'S GOTTA BE A HYBRID SOLUTION.
AND I WORKED IN GOVERNMENT FOR 10 YEARS IN THE ARMY, SPECIFICALLY AS AN OFFICER.
AND, UM, THERE'S GOTTA BE A SOLUTION RATHER THAN ALL OR NOTHING TO ME.
DART, THERE'S A BUS STOP RIGHT NEAR MY HOME.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY ON THE BUS EVER, EVER, 28 YEARS EVER ON THAT BUS, ON THAT STOP.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE STOP EVERYTHING, BUT I GUESS I WANT US, IF THERE WAS POSS A POSSIBILITY TO COME UP WITH, NOT AN ALL OR NOTHING, CERTAINLY MAY VICE NOVEMBER, CERTAINLY HAVING A VOTE, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN ALL THAT MONEY AND ONLY HAVING ONE SOLUTION, YES OR NO.
SO, I'M LEAVING YOU WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A QUESTION MARK, BUT I SUPPORT MAY, IF THAT NUMBER IS CORRECT.
CERTAINLY WE SHOULD GET A LOT MORE INFORMATION OUT THERE IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, AND THAT I WOULD HOPE THERE'D BE A HYBRID SOLUTION BEYOND THAT.
NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, ONLINE DAWN WEBB, FOLLOWED
[01:10:01]
BY YVETTE.I'M NOT, I COULD NOT QUITE SURE THE LAST NAME, BUT YVETTE, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
I LIVE AT 38 20 CANOE LANE, ADDISON.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, SERVING OUR TOWN AND, UM, DOING THE BEST THAT YOU CAN FOR THE RESIDENTS HERE.
UM, I'M BASICALLY HERE TO ALSO ADVOCATE FOR THE MAY POSITION OF VOTING.
I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE AMOUNT OF DEBT THAT'S BEING PASSED ON TO ADDISON, AND I FEEL IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR WHAT WE ARE GETTING FROM DART IN RETURN.
I'M FIRMLY OPPOSED TO CONTINUING THIS CURRENT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH DART, UM, BECAUSE WE JUST KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE DEBT AND THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR TAXES THAT GO TOWARDS IT ARE NOT ENOUGH TO PAY FOR WHAT WE'RE PAYING IN TO DART.
RATHER THAN PAYING FOR THIS POOR QUALITY SERVICE, WHICH IS SO EXPENSIVE TO US AS A CITY, WE COULD USE THAT MONEY TO INVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT WHAT WE ARE GETTING FOR THE AMOUNT BEING PAID IN IS NOT A GOOD VALUE.
I REALIZE THAT ADDISON HAS ALLOWED DART TO DEVELOP AND EMBED THEMSELVES IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR DELIVERING A SERVICE THAT MOST PEOPLE FEEL SAFE USING.
THE USER EXPERIENCE IS NOT THERE FOR US TO CONTINUE PAYING IN AT ASTONISHING LEVELS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DART FUNDING GO TO THE ADDISON VOTERS TO SEE IF OTHERS, HOW OTHERS FEEL ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
TO ME, IT'S RIDICULOUS THE AMOUNT OF EMPTY BUSES AND NEAR EMPTY TRADES THAT RUN.
IF DART WAS OFFERING A TRULY VALUABLE SERVICE, IN MY MIND, RIDERSHIP WOULD BE UP AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO EARN MORE MONEY AND RELY LESS ON CITIES TO SUBSIDIZE THE BUSINESS MODEL.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND PARTNERSHIP IS BROKEN.
I, I DON'T AGREE WITH HOW IT'S BEEN AND HOW IT CONTINUES TO JUST DRAW ON, UM, ON US DEBT WISE.
PLEASE LET THE CITIZENS VOTE ON THIS IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL ISSUE.
UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS WITH ADDISON DEVELOPMENT AND DART.
I WANNA BRING BUSINESSES AND ENT RESIDENTS INTO ADDISON JUST LIKE WE ALL DO.
I WANT THIS TO BE A FLOURISHING TOWN.
HOWEVER, DART HAS NOT SHOWN ITSELF TO BE A RELIABLE PARTNER IN THIS REGARD.
WHAT MOTIVATION DO THEY HAVE TO IMPROVE SERVICES WITH THESE SUBSIDIES FROM TAXPAYERS? AND ONCE OTHER CITIES PULL OUT WHAT KIND OF BILLS WILL FALL ON OUR SHOULDERS? I KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS WHO, UH, COULD SPEAK MORE TO, UH, FRAUD AND OTHER THINGS WITHIN THE DART ORGANIZATION, BUT TO ME, WHAT THEY ARE PRODUCING IS NOT COMMISERATE WITH WHAT WE ARE PAYING.
WE HAVE GIVEN DART MONEY FOR DECADES, AND THE SAFETY METRICS ARE WORSE NOW BY A SIZABLE AMOUNT.
WHERE IS THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT WE'VE MADE SO FAR? THIS ALONE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SEVER OUR TIES.
THEY HAVE BUILT UP AN ENTERPRISE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE OPT TO USE.
OKAY, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR, UM, LETTING, FOR AT LEAST CONSIDERING LETTING THE ADDISON CITIZENS VOTE ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE IN MAY.
ALRIGHT, AND THAT'S THE LAST OF WHAT THE, UH, FOLKS THAT I HAD THAT ARE, THAT ARE ONLINE TO, UH, TO SPEAK.
AND SO THE REST WILL BE IN PERSON.
WE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY HANNAH JONES.
AND IF YOU WANT TO QUEUE UP BEHIND, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
THAT'LL BE A LITTLE TIME SAVER FOR US.
YVETTE PELKE, 4 0 2 1 RIDE LANE, ADDISON.
UH, I WANNA THANK THE GENTLEMAN THAT BROUGHT THIS UP TO LIGHT.
I'VE BEEN IN ADDISON ALMOST 30 YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH DART FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS AND I'M FED UP WITH IT.
I KNOW AT ONE POINT TODD MEYER TOLD HIM, WE GET OUT OR YOU GUYS START BUILDING THE SILVER LINE, OR IT WOULD NEVER BE HERE, I DON'T THINK AT THIS POINT.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD VERSUS ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO AS COUNCIL PEOPLE, YOU GUYS NEED TO ACT THAT WAY TOO.
UH, ONE OF THE MEETINGS I SAW ONLINE FOR HOURS WHERE MOST OF THE RESIDENTS WEREN'T EVEN FROM ADDISON ABOUT DART.
UH, YOU GUYS WERE LIKE, OH, THIS WAS NOT CALL FOR, THIS WAS LAST MINUTE.
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES ONLINE THAT ARE WATCHING THIS.
OKAY? OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT EVEN RICHARDSON PEOPLE CALLING IN, CALLING IN AND DALLAS PEOPLE.
OKAY, WE NEED TO ACT AS PROFESSIONALS.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS I'M VERY MUTUAL.
I, I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY SMART.
I HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEGREE, I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE.
[01:15:01]
THESE MEETINGS, SO PEOPLE SAYING THE ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THIS AND THAT I'VE EDUCATED MYSELF, OKAY, WE NEED TO HAVE MAY ELECTION.I DON'T WANNA INCUR ANY MORE DEBT.
I'M A SENIOR HERE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $55 MILLION BOND THAT WE WANNA PAY FOR.
I MEAN, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS REALLY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR RESIDENTS.
THERE'S OTHER TOWNS RIGHT NOW HAVE DART AND, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE DART AND IT'S WORKING FOR 'EM.
I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T HAVE THE SAME SOLUTION.
NEXT UP WE HAVE HANNAH JONES, FOLLOWED BY JUSTIN LAU.
I LIVE AT 31 21 CROSS TIMBERS LANE IN GARLAND.
I AM THE MANAGER AT PAPPY'S PET LODGE, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE PARK, ONE OF THE MANY SMALL BUSINESSES RIGHT HERE IN ADDISON CIRCLE, WHERE I HAVE WORKED SINCE IT OPENED IN 2014.
I'M ALSO A DAILY DART USER AND I HAVE BEEN COMMUTING TO ADDISON VIA THE SILVER LINE SINCE IT OPENED, INCLUDING WRITING IT HERE TODAY.
I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SPEAK ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DART AND THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES TO SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE THE ONE I WORK AT OF MY PRESENT STAFF.
ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THEM DO NOT DRIVE AND REGULARLY COMMUTE TO WORK BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
HISTORICALLY, IN THE 12 YEARS THAT I HAVE WORKED HERE, ABOUT 50% OF MY STAFF AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME HAVE RELIED ON DART FOR TRANSPORTATION.
IF ADDISON WITHDRAWS FROM PARTICIPATION IN DART, IT WOULD SEVERELY HARM THE MAJORITY OF MY EMPLOYEES AND MYSELF.
SOME OF MY EMPLOYEES WERE UNABLE TO DRIVE AND THE OTHERS ARE NOT IN POSITION TO TAKE ON CAR PAYMENTS OR TO AFFORD DAILY UBER BILLS.
REALISTICALLY, MOST WOULD BE FORCED TO SEEK ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE WHERE THERE IS, WHERE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THE BUSINESS WILL BE HARMED.
AND I'M SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
I KNOW FROM CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH OTHER COMMUTERS ON THE TRAIN, THAT MANY OF THEM ARE ALSO WRITING IT TO THEIR JOBS HERE.
ADDISON IS KNOWN FOR ITS VARIETY OF SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN FIELDS LIKE FOOD SERVICE.
I THINK THERE'S THE JOKE THAT ADDISON HAS MORE RESTAURANTS THAN RESIDENTS, BUT JUST LIKE MANY OF THEM, JUST LIKE OUR OWN WORKPLACE EMPLOYEE, PEOPLE WHO RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO BRING THEM TO ADDISON, WHO WOULD STRUGGLE WITH STAFFING WITHOUT THE SERVICE TO RELY ON BUSINESSES, COULD BE FORCED TO CLOSE OR REDUCE SERVICES FOR LACK OF RELIABLE STAFFING, OR SEE COSTS RISE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE CHANGE IN WAGES THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO ATTRACT EMPLOYEES WITH THEIR OWN RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION.
SO PLEASE, WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF DART IN THE COMMUNITY, DON'T OVERLOOK THE BENEFITS AND VALUES IT BRINGS TO THE TOWN'S ECONOMY.
ADDISON IS KNOWN FOR ITS VIBRANT SMALL BUSINESS CULTURE AND GIVING UP ACCESS TO A PUBLIC SERVICE LIKE THE ONE DART PROVIDES, BUT HAMSTRING MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES.
AND I THINK IT WOULD DIMINISH THAT CULTURE OF ADDISON OVERALL.
LIKE ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS, THE SALONS, THE STORES, THE DOG DAYCARES LIKE US, ALL THE REST WHO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS WHO WITHDRAWAL FROM DART WOULD HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THESE SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS WOULDN'T TURN SUFFER.
THE DOWNHILL EFFECTS OF THAT DART IS GOOD FOR ADDISON'S ECONOMY AND FOR THE RESIDENTS THESE BUSINESSES SERVE.
I'M NOT A RESIDENT OF ADDISON.
I'VE WORKED HERE FOR OVER A DECADE.
I FEEL LIKE I HAVE STRONG TIES TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT BE IT IN MAY OR IN NOVEMBER, I WILL NOT HAVE A VOTE.
SO RIGHT NOW IS THE ONLY VOICE I HAVE ON THIS TOPIC.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE JUSTIN LAU, FOLLOWED BY TRICIA STEWART.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I A I LIVE AT 7 1 6 MEADOW LANE IN WILEY, TEXAS.
UM, I AM NOT AS AN ADDISON RESIDENT, BUT UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE METROPLEX FOR ALMOST 21 YEARS NOW, UM, ADDISON WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES I WENT TO EXPLORE WHEN NOTHING TO DO ON A SATURDAY.
SO LET'S GO TO ADDISON WHERE THERE'S SOME VERY FUN THINGS HAPPENING LIKE OCTOBER FEST OR THE MANY CONCERTS THAT HAPPEN OR JUST, UM, EXPLORING AND GOING TO THE LION AND CROWN OR ALL THE OTHER RESTAURANTS HERE.
AND, UM, WHEN THE SILVER LINE WAS ANNOUNCED, I WAS EXCITED BECAUSE IT MEANT THAT ADDISON WAS GOING TO GET A RAIL STOP.
YES, ADDISON WAS CONNECTED TO THE DART SYSTEM FOR MANY YEARS, AND YES, THERE ARE BUSES AND RAIL MAKES IT EASIER TO GET THERE AND IT MAKES IT EVEN MORE OF A DESTINATION THAN IT ALREADY WAS.
UM, THE SILVER LINE'S EXISTENCE, WHICH ADDISON HAS HELPED TO INVEST IN, HELPS ME NOW TO BE ABLE TO COMMUTE AND TAKE, HAVE THE CHOICE OF COMMUTING ON THE SILVER LINE VERSUS DRIVING ON THE TOLL ROADS.
AND ALSO IT WAS VERY EASY TO GET BACK HERE AFTER WORK.
I JUST HOPPED ON THE LINE, GET BACK HERE, HAVE SOMETHING AT THE LION AND CROWN, AND THEN COME HERE TO TALK.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT ABILITY.
AND, UM, WHILE I'M NOT A RESIDENT, UM, I STILL THINK THAT ADDISON IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF
[01:20:01]
THE LARGER DFW COMMUNITY OF WHICH I'M A PART OF.AND WHILE I WON'T BE ABLE TO VOTE, IF THERE IS A VOTE IN THIS TOWN'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM DART, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO ME THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THAT THE INVESTMENT YOU'VE MADE, WHICH HAS NOW RETURNED ITSELF INTO THE SILVER LINE.
UM, IT SEEMS ODD TO ME TO TAKE TWO VOTE, TO TAKE THAT AWAY RIGHT AWAY.
JUST AS SOON AS THE SERVICE IS AVAILABLE, IT'S GONNA BE USABLE FOR KABOOM TOWN.
I WENT TO KABOOM TOWN MANY YEARS AGO, HAD GREAT MEMORIES, BUT GETTING OUTTA TOWN, GETTING OUTTA THE PARKING WAS, IT WAS A LOT.
BEING ABLE TO RIDE THE TRAIN BACK AND FORTH AND HAVE TO PARK ELSEWHERE IS, I THINK WOULD BE A GREAT ATTRACTION.
UH, OCTOBERFEST LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
ALL THE OTHER EVENTS LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH THE SILVER LINE AS AN ADDITION, GETTING ME TO YOUR CITY I THINK IS A GOOD THING.
SO I WOULD SAY IF YOU'VE ALREADY MADE THAT DECISION, YOU'VE MADE THAT DECISION, BUT CONSIDER IT THAT YOU NOW HAVE A GREAT SOLUTION TO GET MORE PEOPLE ATTRACTED TO YOUR CITY AND MORE REVENUE AND MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW ADDISON IS GREAT FOR EVENTS.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST SAY PLEASE CONSIDER THAT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND WE, NEXT UP WE HAVE TRISHA STEWART, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS WYATT.
TRICIA STEWART, 1 5 7 5 5 SIEBEL IN ADDISON.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY I AM SO TIRED OF THE FEAR AND DIVISION IN OUR WORLD AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M REALLY CONFUSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT OUR TOWN WAS WORKING WITH DART ALL OF THESE YEARS, AND THAT IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD MANY TIMES BY MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING STAFF.
SO I'M ALSO CONFUSED BY THIS FEAR THAT SERVICE STOPS RIGHT AWAY.
ADDISON HAS NEVER SAID THAT DART HAS THOUGH, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE STILL PAYING FOR THREE MORE YEARS AND THEY OWN THE BUSES, THE TRAINS, THE STATIONS, IF THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR RIDERS, WHY DON'T THEY CARE ABOUT THE CONTINUATION OF CARE? IT'S JUST SCARING PEOPLE WITH THREATS.
ADDISON HAS ALWAYS SAID THAT THEY WOULDN'T LEAVE RIDERS WITHOUT AN OPTION BECAUSE WE DO CARE.
AND THERE IS A CONFUSION ABOUT COUNCIL'S OPINION AFFECTING DART.
IT'S NOT ABOUT COUNCIL'S OPINION, IT'S ABOUT VOTER CONSENT.
AND CONSENT IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
THIS IS MY GOVERNING BODY SALES TAX, SO MY CONSENT IS NEEDED.
SALES TAX IS NOT JUST A LINE ITEM ON A RECEIPT, IT IS AN IMPORTANT FUNDING OPTION REMOVED FROM FROM OUR VOTERS.
AND SO WE OFTEN HAVE TO GO TO PROPERTY BACKED BONDS TO PAY FOR LARGE PROJECTS LIKE IN 20 12, 19 AND SOON 26.
AND VOTERS HAVE TO GIVE THEIR CONSENT FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S A DEBT LIEN ON PROPERTIES.
SO WE KNOW THAT OUR SALES TAX WON'T BE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED, BUT OUR CONSENT SHOULD BE GIVEN.
BEING ON THE POLICE BOND COMMITTEE OPENED MY EYES AS TO THE NEEDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS.
55 MILLION DOESN'T MEET THE NEEDS THAT OUR EXPERTS SAID, AND OUR POLICE STATION SAID THAT THEY NEED, THEY SAID 68 MILLION WAS THE NUMBER, AND I FELT LIKE WE NEEDED MORE TIME TO DISCUSS IT, BUT I WAS TOLD NO THAT IT NEEDED TO GO TO COUNCIL.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO THINK IF, IF WE'RE RUSHING THE DART DECISION, THEN, THEN WE SHOULDN'T BE RUSHING THE POLICE STATION EITHER MOVE THEM BOTH TO NOVEMBER THEN IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT.
BUT HONESTLY, I USED TO BE A TEACHER AND IF MY STUDENTS COULDN'T UNDERSTAND A CONCEPT IN THREE MONTHS, THERE IS A PROBLEM.
AND I BELIEVE IN OUR VOTERS, I BELIEVE IN OUR STAFF FINDING SOLUTIONS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT MAY WILL BE THREE MONTHS IS ENOUGH TIME FOR PEOPLE TO BE EDUCATED AND TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE'VE HAD 40 YEARS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT WAS THIS PAST YEAR.
WHENEVER I HEARD THAT ROANOKE FUNDED THEIR POLICE STATION WITH SALES TAX, I WAS SO EXCITED.
I WAS LIKE, HEY, MR. GLICKMAN, WE COULD DO THIS.
AND I, I NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON MY SALES TAX.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING FOR.
IF EVERYBODY LOVES DART, THERE SHOULDN'T BE A LOVES HOW THINGS ARE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE CHRIS WYATT, FOLLOWED BY ZACHARY SMETZER.
I LIVE AT 42 14 BRETTON BAY CIRCLE IN FAR NORTH DALLAS.
I LIVE ABOUT TWO BLOCKS NORTH OF THE ADDISON BORDER.
AND ALTHOUGH I'M TECHNICALLY A DALLAS RESIDENT, I FEEL MUCH MORE CONNECTED TO ADDISON
[01:25:01]
'CAUSE I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME HERE IN ADDISON CIRCLE AND GOING TO ALL THE RESTAURANTS.I SPEND PROBABLY MOST OF MY MONEY HERE IN ADDISON GOING TO RESTAURANTS, ME AND MY WIFE, UH, TAKE THE DOG HERE TO ADDISON CIRCLE AND WALK HIM AROUND.
I USED TO TAKE FLIGHT LESSONS AT, UH, ADDISON AIRPORT.
SO I FEEL VERY CONNECTED HERE AND NOW.
I WANTED TO BE IN ADDISON, BUT WE FOUND A HOUSE, UH, JUST NORTH OF THE BORDER IN DALLAS.
UM, BUT MY POINT IS I MOVED TO WHERE I MOVED BECAUSE OF THE SILVER LINE.
I'M NOW, UH, FLY FOR A LARGE AIRLINE.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THEM AT DFW AND NOW THE SILVER LINE IS FINALLY OPEN.
I'M USING IT WEEKLY TO GO TO WORK.
AND THE IDEA THAT YOU WANT TO PULL OUT OF DART IS JUST BIZARRE TO ME.
UM, ADDISON CIRCLE IS A GREAT, UH, URBANIZED AREA.
IT'S ONE OF THE BEST WALKABLE AREAS OF THE METROPLEX, I THINK.
AND GOOD, UH, UH, GOOD TRANSIT, UH, NEEDS GOOD URBANISM.
AND THIS IS A PERFECT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THAT.
UM, THIS, UH, DART BUS, UH, TRANSIT CENTER IS THE BUSIEST BUS TRANSIT CENTER OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
AND THEY JUST GAVE YOU THE SILVER LINE, $2 BILLION WORTH.
YOU ALSO HAVE LOTS OF FESTIVALS HERE.
AND THE, UH, OCTOBER FEST, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER COMING UP IN A COUPLE MONTHS OR A FEW MORE MONTHS LATER THIS YEAR.
WOULDN'T IT BE A LITTLE BIT BIZARRE WITH BIG CROWDS OUT IN THE FIELD HERE AND THE TRAIN JUST WHIZZES BY 'CAUSE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
DART HAS SAID SERVICE WILL END THE DAY AFTER THE VOTES ARE COUNTED IF THE VOTE, UH, PASSES.
SO JUST FIND THAT REALLY BIZARRE THAT Y'ALL WANNA LEAVE, UH, OR WHAT THE IDEA OF LEAVING DART.
UM, SO I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DO NOT HAVE A MAIL ELECTION NOR A NOVEMBER ELECTION.
NEXT WE HAVE ZACHARY SCHMUTZER, FOLLOWED BY TYLER WRIGHT.
I LIVE AT 4 9 2 5 MARCUS AVENUE, UNIT 3, 4 0 9, RIGHT HERE IN ADDISON, TEXAS.
FIRST OFF, I WANNA START THIS BY THANKING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, PIPE BURST ABOVE MY APARTMENT THIS MORNING AT 2:30 AM THE ADDISON FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS THERE IN, UM, QUICKER THAN I COULD GET MY WINTER CLOTHES ON TO GO WALK OUTSIDE THERE, SAW 'EM ON THE FOURTH FLOOR OF MY APARTMENT BUILDING.
UM, NOW I, I CAN BE HERE AND I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT MY STORY, ABOUT WHY I PERSONALLY SUPPORT DART, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS TIMING, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS ELECTION IN MAY, OR WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE THIS ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
AND I, I JUST COME HERE TO ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS IN MAY INSTEAD OF NOVEMBER? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT DOING THIS IN MAY IS GIVING US AN UNNECESSARY RISK THAT WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE.
DOING IT IN NOVEMBER GIVES US A LOT MORE TIME TO FIGURE OUT PLANS TO TALK WITH DART, TO GIVE US MORE DATA ON THE SILVER LINE TO GIVE US ONE KABOOM TOWN WITH THE SILVER LINE.
THE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU HERE IN ADDISON HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY TO TRY AND GET US THE SILVER LINE QUICKLY.
PHYLLIS WHO Y'ALL KNOW WHO HAS BEEN HERE, WENT DOWN AND ADVOCATED WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE TO GET THE SILVER LINE SET UP.
I ASK YOU TO PLEASE RESPECT THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU TO GET THAT SET UP.
ALLOW US TO HAVE ONE KABOOM TOWN HERE IN ADDISON TO EXPERIENCE THAT, TO SEE WHAT THAT MIGHT BE LIKE.
THE SILVER LINING HAS NOT BEEN OPEN VERY LONG.
WE COULD WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
BUT ALL OF THAT I THINK, PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE REAL REASON THAT WE SHOULD WAIT.
I, AT THIS POINT, I, I CAN TOTALLY GET SUPPORTING HAVING AN ELECTION ON THIS.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE SUPPORT DEMOCRACY, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND IF WE DO, NOVEMBER IS A MIDTERM ELECTION.
NOVEMBER IS GOING TO HAVE CRAZY TURNOUT IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE.
I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THIS.
AND I WANT ALL OF ADDISON RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THIS.
LET US GET HIGH VOTER TURNOUT.
LET US GET LOTS OF VOICES HEARD.
LET US GET THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T GOING TO COME TO A RANDOM MAY ELECTION.
THEY'RE ONLY VOTING IN THE STATE ONE, AND THEN GOING TO SEE THE DART WITHDRAWAL AND REALIZE THAT THEIR WAY OF GETTING TO WORK IS GONE.
PLEASE LET THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE POSSIBLE VOTE ON THIS.
NOVEMBER IS A MIDTERM ELECTION.
THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT IN NOVEMBER.
THE PERSONAL REASON HERE THAT I, I SUPPORT DART 'CAUSE I HAVE A SECOND, IS THAT, UH, I WORK FOR A SMALL BUSINESS HERE IN ADDISON AND I, WHILE I, I WORK HERE IN ADDISON, I GO TO MICHIGAN A LOT FOR WORK.
AND EVERY TIME THAT I TAKE THE SILVER LINE DOWN TO DFW TO TAKE A PLANE OUT TO MICHIGAN, DART HAS SAVED MY SMALL BUSINESS
[01:30:01]
$90.IT HAS SAVED ME $90 EVERY SINGLE TIME I DO THAT.
AND THAT WAS A LOT OF THE REASON THAT I MOVED TO ADDISON IN THE FIRST PLACE, WAS KNOWING THE CAREER TRAJECTORY THAT I'M ON, KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO NEED TO TRAVEL AND KNOWING THAT I NEED A GOOD ACCESS TO THE AIRPORT.
PLEASE LET US HAVE HIGH VOTER TURNOUT.
NOVEMBER IS A MIDTERM ELECTION, PLEASE.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE TYLER WRIGHT, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE WALSH.
I'M A RESIDENT OF ADDISON HERE AT 15 7 2 5 ARTIST WAY.
UM, I MADE THE LONG TREK ACROSS THE STREET TO MAKE IT IN TONIGHT, AND I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DID.
UM, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE CLEAR ON MY POSITION.
I'VE SHARED THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION I'VE HAD TO, TO AS MANY OF YOU AS I COULD FOR AS LONG AS I'VE COULD.
I'VE TALKED WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND, UH, TAKEN MY ORGANIZATION, DALLAS AREA TRANSIT ALLIANCE TO ELEVATE IT AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE COULD SAY, RIGHT? THAT, THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID.
WE CAN SEE THE BATTLE LINES DRAWN.
WE COULD SEE US VERSUS THEM STARTING TO DEVELOP.
UM, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A STEP BACK FOR A SECOND, RIGHT? UM, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY IN HERE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW DOESN'T WANT ADDISON TO WIN.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A WIN, UM, IT'S WHAT, WHAT'S GOOD LONG TERM, RIGHT? UM, SO LET'S, LET'S, LET'S WALK THROUGH THE CONSEQUE THE CONSEQUENCES OF MAY, RIGHT? WE GO THROUGH MAY, OKAY? WE, EVERYBODY VOTES TO LEAVE DART.
NOW, DIRECTOR SCHROER IS VERY GOOD AT HER JOB AND SHE HAS MY UTMOST UH, RESPECT, BUT SHE ALREADY MANAGES HALF A DOZEN APARTMENTS AT DEPARTMENTS.
YOU'RE ASKING HER AND HER STAFF TO REPLACE DART IN SIX WEEKS.
I MEAN, THE UDC TOOK SIX YEARS.
WE STARTED C CPAC TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, UH, THE BO THE BOND IS GETTING A, UM, NOT ONLY A PACKET OF NEUTRAL INFORMATION, IT'S GOT IT GOT AN ADVISORY BOARD, BUT I DIDN'T TH GET AN ADVISORY BOARD.
OH WAIT, IN NOVEMBER, WE COULD, WE COULD ACTUALLY PUT ONE OF THOSE TOGETHER, UM, AND ACTUALLY WALK THROUGH IT LIKE PLANO DID, LIKE CARLTON'S DOING RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE, THE, THE, THE UPS AND DOWNS OF, OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
AND GOING BACK TO, TO, UH, THE IDEA OF BUILDING A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN SIX WEEKS.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVEN'T EVEN COMMITTED FUNDING TO IT YET IN A RESOLUTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S SEE, UH, THE, THE RUBBER HIT THE ROAD, BUT WAITING TILL NOVEMBER, LET'S US SEE HOW THE VOTE IN MAY GOES.
AND THE ABOUT 80% OF PEOPLE HERE WHO SUPPORT THE, UH, NOVEMBER ELECTION OR NO ELECTION WILL SEE WHO VOTED FOR THAT AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY IN MAY, RIGHT? SO YOU GUYS WILL BE HERE, UM, TO CALL THAT NOVEMBER ELECTION IF YOU NEED TO.
AND IF ALL THESE CITIES LEAVE, YOU GUYS HAVE A CASE, YOU GUYS LEAVE DART AND WE'RE GOOD IF THEY ALL STAY IN MAY.
AND WE GO, WE LOOK LIKE IDIOTS.
PEOPLE WILL FORGET ABOUT US AND WE'LL RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET.
UM, BUT IF WE WAIT TILL NOVEMBER AND EVERYBODY STAYED, WE'LL BE GLAD WE DID.
WE'LL BE GLAD WE CAN CONTINUE HAVING THE LEVERAGE TO NEGOTIATE WITH DART, WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB ABOUT.
YOU GUYS HAVE GOTTEN US 3 MILLION IN G-P-G-M-P FUNDS.
YOU'VE GOTTEN US A GOLING ZONE, YOU'VE GOTTEN US A SILVER LINE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE CATHERINE WALSH, FOLLOWED BY JACOB MEADOWS.
UM, CATHERINE WALSH ADDRESS IS NINE 30 EAST 15TH STREET IN PLANO.
UM, I, UH, DON'T LIVE IN ADDISON, SO I'D LIKE TO OFFER PERSPECTIVE FROM AN OUTSIDER.
UM, I WORKED DOWN THE STREET FROM HERE IN THE EARLY 2000 TEENS.
OUR OFFICE RELOCATED TO RICHARDSON DUE TO PROXIMITY DERAIL.
AND SINCE THEN I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK THAT MUCH BECAUSE DRIVING ON BELTLINE REALLY STRESSES ME OUT SINCE THE SILVER LINE OPENED.
I'VE BEEN BACK HERE TO GO TO RESTAURANTS WITH FRIENDS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING THE DIFFERENT FESTIVALS LIKE KABOOM TOWN OR OCTOBER FEST.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK I'M THAT UNIQUE.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD SPEND MORE TIME AND MONEY IN THE CITY 'CAUSE IT'S A LOVELY PLACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS STAY IN DART, YOU'VE INVESTED A LOT IN THE CITY LINE, IN THE SILVER LINE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT PERSPECTIVE OUT THERE.
NEXT WE HAVE JACOB METS, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL SMITH.
JACOB METS 39 20 ASBURY LANE DEMOCRACY, WHICH PLEASE, HOW WAS THAT? WHICH CITY? UH, ADDISON.
DEMOCRACY WITHOUT LISTENING IS A CRUELTY.
I DON'T BELIEVE MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS, MYSELF INCLUDED, KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE POPULATION SERVICED BY DART IN OUR CITY.
WE KNOW THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN ADDISON DON'T USE DART.
AND THAT AS A SERVICE, MAYBE IT'S OF UTILITY TO A MINORITY OF PEOPLE.
[01:35:02]
BUT IS THE PUBLIC INFORMED REGARDING THIS MINORITY COUNCIL? YOU DID A SURVEY ON LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THAT GAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO USED IT.BUT THE PUBLIC NEEDS ACCOUNTS TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO TAKE AWAY SERVICE, TO POTENTIALLY TAKE AWAY SERVICE FROM THIS MINORITY OF PEOPLE.
AND THAT MEANS LISTENING BEYOND THE WALLS OF THIS CHAMBER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PUBLIC IS.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S NEWS TO SAY THAT MOST OF THE PUBLIC DOESN'T HAVE THEIR EARS TO THIS CHAMBER.
MOST ARE JUST WORKING THEIR LIVES.
SO THERE'S AN ONUS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC BEFORE IT IS PUT TO THEIR HANDS BEFORE THE DECISION IS ABDICATED.
OTHERS HAVE BROACHED THIS, BUT A VOTE IN ADDISON ALSO WOULD NOT CONSIDER THE NEAR A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO COME IN AND OUT OF OUR CITY EVERY DAY WHO DON'T LIVE HERE, BUT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR LIVELIHOOD.
AND I WROTE, CONTRIBUTE ON THIS NOTE CARD HERE, BUT I DID THE CITIZENS ACADEMY.
AND SO I KNOW IT'S MORE THAN CONTRIBUTE THAT OUR WAY OF LIFE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF OUR CITY.
AND SO IF EVEN SOME OF THEM GET UTILITY OUT OF DARK, IT IS NOT RIGHT THAT OUR RESIDENTS WOULD CONSIDER TAKING AWAY SERVICE WITHOUT SOME SERIOUS EFFORTS MADE TO HEAR AND LISTEN TO THOSE WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED.
IF THE COUNCIL CANNOT SAY THIS HAS BEEN DONE, IT'LL BE NEGLECT TO PUT THIS AS A BALLOT ITEM IN THE MAY ELECTIONS.
AND I LIKED WHAT, I THINK IT WAS A RON OVER HERE, UM, WHAT HE HAD TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ON THE OVERT NEED TO LISTEN THAT THESE, I THINK THESE OTHER CITIES HAVE APPROACHED THIS PUBLIC VOTE FAR TOO LIGHTLY, BUT WE'RE NOT THEM.
MY IMPRESSION OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS THAT WE'RE A FORWARD THINKING BODY.
SO LET US CONTINUE TO THINK IN THAT DIRECTION AND NOT WHERE ALL THESE OTHER CITIES HAVE GONE AND KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING BEFORE WE DO IT.
JACOB, NEXT DO WE HAVE, UH, DANIEL SMITH? IS DANIEL HERE? IT APPEARS NOT.
WELL, THAT WAS THE LAST ONE I HAD ON MY LIST.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT HASN'T SPOKEN THAT DID NOT FILL OUT A CARD THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL? SURE, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
I LIVE HERE IN ADDISON, 1, 4, 7, 8, 6, UH, TOWN LAKE CIRCLE.
UM, I, I CAME HERE THINKING THAT I HAD A HEAD FULL OF INSIGHTFUL KNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS GOOD, THAT I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THIS.
'CAUSE I REALLY HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THIS UNTIL RECENTLY.
BUT TO MY DELIGHT, I SEE THAT MY FELLOW CITIZENS AND THOSE OF, UH, THOSE OTHERS THAT WORK HERE IN ADDISON HAVE EXPRESSED THOSE RATHER ELOQUENTLY.
SO I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER THEM.
I BE, I BELIEVE THAT, I DON'T BELIEVE A PUBLIC ELECTION IS TRULY NECESSARY.
UH, I BELIEVE I I SUPPORT WAITING UNTIL NOVEMBER.
THE TURNOUT WILL BE HIGHER FOR ALL THE REASONS AS YOU'VE HEARD THAT.
I DO WANNA MAKE A COUPLE OF POINTS THOUGH.
DATA, AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT BY THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, IS A DESTINATION CITY.
AND ANYTHING THAT WE DO THAT TAKES AWAY THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO BE, FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS DESTINATION, WHETHER THAT IS FOR WORK OR FOR PLAY, IS SHORTSIGHTED AND IS NOT, AND, AND PROJECT FORWARD.
I HAPPEN TO SERVE ON THE ADDISON 2050 COMMITTEE.
WE, YOU PROJECT FORWARD 25 YEARS AND YOU GO, POPULATIONS ARE GONNA GROW, ROADS ARE GONNA GET CLOGGED.
HOW DO YOU PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES FOR THIS DESTINATION CITY TO THRIVE AND TO PROSPER IN THE FUTURE? AND TRANSIT IS AN IMPORTANT OPTION.
SOMEONE ALSO MADE THE POINT ABOUT RETURN ON INVESTMENT ON TRANSIT.
I'VE HAD IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OF MY CAREER, THE ABILITY TO INTERFACE WITH A NUMBER OF TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FOR THEIR BUSES.
I HAVE COME TO LEARN THAT NOT A SINGLE TRANSIT AGENCY IN THE COUNTRY, IN FACT THE WORLD IS, HAS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT ANYBODY WOULD PLOW THEIR MONEY INTO.
IT IS A PUBLIC SERVICE THAT COMES AT A COST.
YOU CAN ARGUE WHETHER YOU'RE GETTING ENOUGH BENEFIT OUT OF THAT.
IN FACT, THE 2050 PLAN HAS IN THERE THE THE NEED FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION TRANSIT TO COMPLIMENT THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS THAT WE HAVE WITH OTHER CITIES THAT MAKE THAT AND THEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT DESTINATION QUALITY THAT ADDISON HAS.
THAT IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING, OKAY, THIS IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT.
IT IS OUTSIZED BENEFIT TO THOSE WHO, WHO NEED IT.
AND IT IS VERY LITTLE BENEFIT TO THOSE WHO DO NOT.
BUT IT IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT NONETHELESS, AND IT IS INCUMBENT ON EVERY ONE OF US TO LOOK AT IT IN THAT WAY.
I LIVE JUST DOWN THE STREET AT 15 575 SPECTRUM DRIVE, APARTMENT 4, 7 0 4.
[01:40:02]
UM, JUST TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA CONTEXT, I DO HAVE A CIVIL ENGINEERING DEGREE AND A TRAFFIC ENGINEER IN THE AREA.SO I DO UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS' CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC, LIKE HE SAID, AND, AND IT'S TRUE, UH, TRANSIT IS AS WE GROW POTENTIAL TO BE, YOU KNOW, A VERY IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE TO JUST DRIVING EVERYWHERE.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, DART HAS PAID INTO THIS SYSTEM FOR, UH, WHAT, 40.
40 AND CHANGED YEARS SINCE 1983, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND, UM, HAS JUST RECENTLY GOT ITS TRAIN LINE STOP.
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO LEAVE THAT AFTER SIX MONTHS, AFTER 40 YEARS OF PUTTING INTO THE SYSTEM? DOES DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO ANYBODY ELSE HERE? UM, NOT TO MENTION, UH, AS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, LEAVING BEFORE KABOOM TOWN GIVES US NO CHANCE FOR NEW PEOPLE TO BE EXPOSED TO THIS NEW SERVICE AND FOR US TO SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC RESPONDS TO THAT AVAILABILITY.
AT MINIMUM, I THINK WE SHOULD DELAY THIS AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT IT, HOPEFULLY BY THIS COUNCIL.
I WAS TALKING WITH A GENTLEMAN OVER THERE EARLIER.
UM, HE WAS MENTIONING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, THERE'S SEEMINGLY NO PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT OF PROS, CONS, WHATEVER.
UM, SO I FEEL LIKE MORE TIME TO GET THE PUBLIC INFORMED AND FOR THE CITY TO SEE AT LEAST HOW AN ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR WITH THIS NEW SERVICE OPERATES BEFORE WE JUST CANCEL IT.
AND LIKE ANOTHER MAN SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL THERE HAVING FUN AT KABOOM TOWN AND OCTOBER FEST.
THERE GOES THE TRAIN NOT STOPPING AT OUR STOP.
SAME THING WITH ALL THE BUSES.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME? ALRIGHT, SAYING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE THIS ITEM OUT ON THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT AND MOVE TO OUR CONSENT
[4. Consent Agenda. All items listed under the Consent Agenda are considered routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion with no individual consideration. If individual consideration of an item is requested, it will be pulled from the Consent Agenda and discussed separately.]
AGENDA.AND SO TONIGHT CONSENT INCLUDES ITEMS FOUR A, FOUR B, AND THEN FOUR C HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA.
AND WE HAVE FOUR D THROUGH FOUR I, UH, IS ON CONSENT.
IS THERE A MOTION? MAYOR I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE FOUR A, B, AND D THROUGH I.
I'LL SECOND THANK YOU MARLON, AND UH, I'LL GIVE THAT ONE TO CHRIS ON THE SECOND.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED MINUS ITEM C, WHICH WAS REMOVED.
OKAY, SO, UH, WE JUST HAVE ONE ITEM ON OUR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION TONIGHT, AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN GOING AT THIS ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF.
UH, WOULD ANYBODY BE OPPOSED TO A SHORT BREAK BEFORE WE, UH, GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION? OKAY, TAKE ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES AT 8 34.
IT IS 8 44 AND WE WILL, UH, RETURN TO OUR, UH, REGULAR SESSION HERE FROM OUR BREAK.
AND WE DO HAVE EVERYBODY BACK IN PLACE HERE.
[a. Present, discuss, and consider action on an Ordinance calling and ordering a special election 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.]
WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO ITEM NUMBER FIVE A.BUT BEFORE, BEFORE WE DO THAT, IN CASE THERE WAS ANYBODY HERE WAITING FOR THE, UH, WE HAVE TWO WORK SESSION ITEMS THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO EARLIER DURING OUR WORK SESSION, AND WE WERE PLANNING TO DO THOSE AT THE END OF THE MEETING, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO GET US GOING PRETTY LATE.
SO WE WERE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO RESCHEDULE THOSE FOR THE FEBRUARY 3RD WORK SESSION MEETING.
SO ITEM SIX A, SIX B ON THE WORK SESSION, WE'LL BE RESCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 3RD.
SO THIS WILL BE OUR ITEM FOR THIS EVENING.
SO FIVE A PRESENT, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE.
CALLING AND ORDERING A SPECIAL ELECTION 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 OF 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.
UM, JUST TO GIVE ANOTHER BRIEF BACKGROUND, WE'VE BEEN A PART OF DART SINCE 1984 WITH CONTRIBUTING OVER 400 MILLION.
AND IN THE LAST YEAR OF FY 2025, WE CONTRIBUTED 17.6 MILLION TO DART FIVE CITIES.
PLANO, HIGHLAND PARK, UNIVERSITY PARK, FARMERS BRANCH, AND IRVING HAVE ALL CALLED ELECTIONS IN MAY TO CONSIDER LEAVING DART.
COUNCIL CALLED A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TO DISCUSS WITHDRAWING.
AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL VOTED AGAINST CALLING THE ELECTION ON JANUARY 13TH, A CITY COUNCIL HAD ANOTHER WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS WITHDRAWING AND DIRECTED STAFF TO BRING BACK
[01:45:01]
AN ORDINANCE AT THIS MEETING TO CALL THE ELECTION.UM, TO GO OVER OUR ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH DART.
UM, SOME OF THESE THINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAVE TALKED THE GENERAL MOBILITY PLAN, WHICH WOULD ALL REALLOCATE ALMOST $3 MILLION TO ADDISON DART IS STILL TALKING ABOUT THE REVISIONS TO THE ILA THAT WOULD TAKE OUT ANY LANGUAGE THAT WOULD BIND FUTURE COUNCILS FROM ANY POLICY OR ADVOCACY.
UM, THE ADDISON GOLINK ZONE WILL BE, UH, OPERATIONAL IN APRIL OF 2026, WHICH IS NOT AT A COST TO ADD OR TO US, UM, THAT WAS FUNDED IN DART'S 2026 BUDGET.
WE ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FIXED RATE CIRCULATOR.
UM, ALTHOUGH THE TOWN HAS NOT MADE A DECISION IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT YET, THAT'S FUNDED 50 50 BETWEEN DART AND THE TOWN.
THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS OF GOVERNANCE CHANGES AT THE JANUARY 20TH, CITY OF DALLAS TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING.
THERE WAS A VOTE FOUR TO THREE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROPOSAL, BUT SETTING SOME PARAMETERS WHERE DALLAS'S WEIGHT WOULD NOT, UH, WOULD BE BETWEEN 40 AND 50%.
AGAIN, ANY CHANGES THAT ARE MADE WOULD NEED STATE LAW, UH, ACTION.
AND SO IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE SECTION.
UM, OTHER CITIES YOU HAVE HEARD HAVE, UH, BEEN WORKING WITH DART CITY OF CARROLLTON HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT'S SUPPORTING THE PROPOSED GOVERNANCE CHANGES.
THEY ALSO, UH, SUBMITTED SOME PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE TS ILA AND THE G-M-P-I-L-A.
UH, AGAIN, THAT WOULD TAKE OUT THAT CLAWBACK ON IF ANY FUTURE COUNCILS WENT TO TRY TO LEAVE DART FARMERS BRANCH SUBMITTED A LETTER THAT BASICALLY, UH, REAFFIRMS THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO TRANSIT, BUT WANT TO SEE THINGS LIKE ENHANCED SECURITY, FULL-TIME OFFICERS, HIGHER CLEANLINESS AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
THEY ALSO WANT A PHASED RETURN OF SALES TAX REVENUE.
UM, AND THEN PROPOSED ELIMINATING SOME GOAL LENGTH AND FIXED ROUTE, AND THEN ALSO SUPPORT ANY GOVERNANCE CHANGES.
UH, THE CITY OF IRVING, AGAIN, THEY SUBMITTED A LETTER SUPPORTING ANY GOVERNANCE CHANGES WITH A 5% ANNUAL RETURN OF SALES TAX, UH, THAT THEY WOULD DEDICATE TO MICRO TRANSIT AND LOCAL MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THEN ANY CHANGES TO GOVERNANCE AND THEN SOME CHANGES TO THEIR FIXED ROUTE CIRCULATOR AND, UH, MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM.
THE CITY OF PLANO ALSO SUBMITTED.
THEY SUBMITTED, UM, CONTINUED PARTICIPATION, BUT THEY WANNA SEE CHANGES IN RAIL AND EXPRESS BUS WITH A FOCUS SERVICE MODEL, DISCONTINUING STANDARD BUS AND OTHER NON RAIL SERVICES BY 2029.
THEY ALSO WANT A PHASED RETURN OF ITS 1 CENT SALES TAX THROUGH THE GENERAL MOBILITY PLAN, UH, 25% IN 2026, INCREASING TO 50% THROUGH 2029 TO 2031.
UH, THEY ALSO SUPPORT ANY GOVERNANCE CHANGES THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, HAVING MORE OF A WEIGHTED VOTE AND A ONE CITY VOTE.
UH, WE ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE DART CHAIRMAN THAT SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT ISSUE ANY NEW DEBT BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER.
THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT, UM, WAS RAISED AT OUR LAST MEETING.
AND SO THE PAUSE IS INTENDED TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS WHILE CITIES ARE CONSIDERING, UM, LEAVING DART OR HAVING AN ELECTION TO LEAVE DART.
SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? IF WE DON'T CALL AN ELECTION, DART CONTINUES SERVICE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.
ADDISON WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DART ON GOVERNANCE FUNDING AND SERVICE DELIVERY, AND WILL COLLABORATE WITH OTHER REGIONAL PARTNERS TO ADVANCE A BETTER TRANSIT SOLUTION.
IF AN ELECTION IS IN CALL, IF AN ELECTION IS CALLED, UM, THE ELECTION WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR MAY.
IF WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT, STAFF WILL RETURN TO COUNCIL WITH PRO UH, POTENTIAL TRANSIT OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATIONS.
WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DART ON GOVERNANCE FUNDING AND SERVICE DELIVERY, AND THAT ELECTION CAN BE CANCELED UP TO 45 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION DATE.
UM, I WILL NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH WE CAN CANCEL UP TO 45 DAYS, DALLAS COUNTY HAS LET US KNOW THAT IF WE DO NOT CANCEL BY FEBRUARY 27TH, THE INFORMATION IS STILL ON THE BALLOT.
WE HAVE CALLS IN TO, TO DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND
[01:50:01]
BETTER WHAT THAT MEANS THAT IT'S STILL ON THE BALLOT.CAN SOMEBODY STILL GO VOTE FOR IT? IS IT JUST A BLACKED OUT THING THAT ENDS UP ON THE BALLOT? SO WE'RE FINDING OUT, BUT THEY ARE TELLING US THAT THE LANGUAGE WILL STILL BE ON THE BALLOT IF NOT CANCELED BY FEBRUARY 27TH.
SO OUR, UM, OUTCOME POSSIBILITIES, IF THE ELECTION FAILS, DART SERVICE CONTINUES WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTION.
WE WILL STILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DART GOVERNANCE FUNDING AND SERVICE DELIVERY AND WE'LL STILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS.
IF THE WITHDRAWAL ELECTION PASSES, DART SERVICE WILL STOP AND ADDISON WILL IMPLEMENT A MOBILITY BASED, UH, MOBILITY PLAN BASED ON COUNCIL DIRECTION.
SO AGAIN, WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT TRANSIT PROVIDERS, R COAST CIRCUIT VIA TRANSDEV.
BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE.
UH, WE NEED TO HAVE COUNCIL CONVERSATIONS ON CONTINUITY OF SERVICE.
WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF COVERAGE AROUND ADDISON? WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW IN ADDISON IS A AREA, BUT WHAT DO WE WANNA DO AROUND ADDISON? UH, DO WE WANNA PROVIDE SERVICES TO EMPLOYEES IN ADDISON AS LONG AS WELL AS RESIDENTS? DO WE WANNA HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM PRIOR TO THE ELECTION? SO STAFF IS PROPOSING THAT IF THIS ORDINANCE IS PASSED TONIGHT, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU ON FEBRUARY 10TH TO DISCUSS TRANSIT OPTIONS AND SCOPE.
AND THEN WE'LL SPEND FEBRUARY AND MARCH GETTING VENDORS, UH, TO PRESENT PROPOSALS BASED ON THAT COUNCIL DIRECTION AND BRINGING BACK POSSIBLE PILOT PROGRAMS AND WHAT THOSE OPTIONS WOULD BE WITH THE HOPE OF BY THE END OF MARCH, ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH A MOBILITY SERVICE THAT'S CONTINGENT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME THAT WE STARTED A SURVEY TO BUSINESSES, UH, SENT IT OUT ASKING FOR SOME BASIC QUESTIONS AS FAR AS WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES YOU HAVE.
WE ALSO WENT OUT AND DID SOME BEATING ON DOORS, TAKING QR CODES, DOING AS MUCH AS WE COULD TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, WE GOT 74 OUT OF OVER 300 SURVEYS THAT WERE SENT CAME BACK.
UM, THESE ARE THE RESULTS OF THOSE SURVEYS.
AGAIN, MOSTLY IT'S FROM BUSINESSES WITH 25, UH, TO 99 EMPLOYEES, MOSTLY COMING FROM OUR RESTAURANT AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN AGAIN, KIND OF SEE WHAT THE SURVEYS ARE COMING BACK.
WE DID CLOSE THOSE SURVEYS AS OF TODAY.
AND SO THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD AT A AS OF 11 O'CLOCK TODAY.
SO COUNSEL GOALS AND COMMUNICATION.
WE, IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, HOW WE COMMUNICATE.
IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY WITH DART, WE CAN DO THAT.
WE CAN ALSO BRING THAT BACK AS A SEPARATE ITEM.
UH, WITH JUST A REMINDER THAT A LOT, MANY OF THE CHANGES WOULD LIKELY NEED STATE LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
AND THIS IS A REMINDER OF OUR DEBT OBLIGATION.
SO ADDISON WOULD HAVE ABOUT A TWO, JUST UNDER THREE YEAR REPAYMENT, UM, WITH JUST OVER $50 MILLION.
SO OUR DEBT OBLIGATION WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PAID UNTIL THAT IS PAID OFF.
AND THEN AGAIN, CALLING THE ELECTION 2026 IS OUR OUT YEAR.
SO WE HAVE THE OPTION OF MAY OR NOVEMBER, AND THEN WE HAVE UNTIL FEBRUARY 27TH TO ACTUALLY TAKE IT OFF THE BALLOT.
BUT THE ELECTION ITSELF CAN BE CANCELED UP TO 45 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
UM, IF THE WITHDRAWAL ELECTION IS SUCCESSFUL, UH, DART SERVICE WILL STOP AFTER THE ELECTION.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND BEFORE WE, UH, GET INTO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION, I JUST, UH, CLARIFY WITH YOU ON YOUR, ON YOUR SLIDE, UH, TO CALL AN DO NOT CALL.
UM, YOU, YOU SAID THAT AN ELECTION WOULD BE CALLED IN MAY, SHOULD THAT ALSO INCLUDE AN OPTION FOR, COULD BE MAY OR NOVEMBER, RIGHT? THIS WAS JUST BASED ON THIS ORDINANCE, BUT YES, IT COULD BE CALLED IN NOVEMBER.
AND THAT, THAT MIGHT ALSO CHANGE THOSE NEXT STEPS, DATES AS WELL, IF IT WAS IN NOVEMBER? YES.
ALRIGHT, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SEEMS LIKE WE'VE JUST DONE THIS.
UM, AS FAR AS SLIDE FOUR, WHERE WE'VE GOT, WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE ABOUT, UH, CITY OF DALLAS TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRU INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE VOTED, UH,
[01:55:01]
FOUR TO THREE TO EX ACCEPT THE GOVERNANCE PROPOSAL.UM, DO THEY, DOES THE CITY, UH, THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL ALSO NEED TO VOTE OR ARE THEY MAKING THAT VOTE FOR DALLAS? I BELIEVE THE RECOMMENDATION IS GOING BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, THE COMMITTEE, THE NORTH TEXAS COALITION, I, I BELIEVE IS THE NAME.
UM, SO IT GOES BACK TO THAT COMMITTEE OF CITY MANAGERS AND MAYORS.
UM, IT IS, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S SCHEDULED TO GO BACK TO THE FULL DALLAS CITY COUNCIL.
I, UM, I'M SORRY, MY FOCUS IS ON THE CITY OF DALLAS, WHAT THEY'VE AGREED TO OR WHAT THEY HAVEN'T.
UM, DOES THE CITY OF DALLAS CITY COUNCIL NEED TO FURTHER VOTE? I MEAN IS THIS THIS THING WE'RE SEEING? IS THAT A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL? IS THAT IT'S A RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION RIGHT BACK TO THE, BACK TO THE, THE WORKING GROUP.
SO THEY, THEY GAVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE WORKING GROUP, BUT TO, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THIS PROPOSAL, BUT TO INCREASE THEIR PERCENTAGE, ABOUT 40%.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO, WHO IS MAKING THE FINAL DECISION.
ULTIMATELY, WE'LL HAVE TO GO TO THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR THEIR ENTIRE COUNCIL TO APPROVE.
BUT THAT WOULD BE AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AMONGST THE CITIES IN DART.
I JUST WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT WAS IN, IN THEIR PROCESS.
UM, THEY'VE GOTTA BE ON BOARD, OTHERWISE, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE CONTINUED GOVERNANCE ISSUES.
OTHER THE QUESTIONS, CHRIS? UH, ASHLEY SLIDE, UH, WELL, IT'S PAGE 17, WITHDRAWAL OBLIGATION.
SO I JUST WANNA BRING THIS TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION WAS 64 MILLION, RIGHT? 64,715,000.
AND NOW WITH THE NEW TERMS AND THE NO NEW DEBT, THAT GENERAL OBLIGATION HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 58,645,000 MAYOR AND COUNCIL, STEVEN GLICKMAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
SO WHAT IS SHOWN THERE AT THE TOP THERE IS WHAT DART HAD CALCULATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
UM, AND WHAT IS BELOW THAT IS WHAT WE HAD INTERNALLY CALCULATED, UH, AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2025.
SO IT'S GOT DIFFERENT FINANCIAL DATA.
SO THOSE NUMBERS HAVE NOT CHANGED AS FAR AS THAT OBLIGATION AMOUNT FROM, FROM WHAT WE'VE PRESENTED IN PREVIOUS, UH, ITERATIONS OF THIS.
WELL, IT LOOK AT YOUR TOP SLIDE AND IT SAYS GENERAL OBLIGATION 64 MILLION.
BASED ON THE CALCULATION FROM DART AND THE LATEST FINANCIAL INFORMATION, THE GENERAL OBLIGATION WILL BE 58 MILLION IF WE EXIT, EXIT.
SO THAT, SO 64 IS LESS THAN 58, RIGHT? YEAH.
THE 64 WAS TWO DIFFERENT DATES.
ONE IS FROM SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024, AND THEN THE BOTTOM ONE IS NINE MONTHS LATER.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE IDEA OF THE LOCK-IN.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO EVERYONE? YOU KNOW, HOW, IF CITIES EXIT, HOW THAT WORKS AND HOW THAT REDUCES OUR OBLIGATION? SO DART HAS, IF WE WAITED UNTIL NOVEMBER.
SO DART HAS SAID THAT THE, THE CITIES THAT MAY EXIT AND WITH APP, YOU KNOW, GET APPROVAL FROM VOTERS THAT DO, UH, POTENTIALLY EXIT THAT IF THEY DO EXIT THAT THAT OBLIGATION THAT THOSE CITIES WOULD HAVE, IN OUR INSTANCE, 50 MILLION IS SHOWN IN, IN THIS, UM, UH, EXAMPLE THAT THAT WOULD BE REDUCED OR LOCKED IN FROM THE OVERALL GENERAL OBLIGATION AMOUNT.
SO BASICALLY CITIES THAT MAY WAIT WOULD NOT BE PENALIZED FOR THOSE CITIES THAT MAY WITHDRAW, UH, AT AN EARLIER DATE.
SO ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT IS IF THERE IS AN ELECTION IN MAY AND FIVE CITIES DROP OUT, THEY STILL PAY.
AND WHAT THEY'RE PAYING REDUCES OUR OBLIGATION, WHICH MAKES IT MORE FAVORABLE IN NOVEMBER.
IT GENERALLY WOULD MAKE IT MORE FAVORABLE.
GENERAL OBLIGATION, IT POTENTIALLY WOULD MAKE IT MORE FAVORABLE.
SO ONE, OUR OVERALL POPULATION PERCENTAGE WOULD GO UP.
UH, BUT THEY ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GONNA LOCK IN THOSE REDUCTIONS IN THAT GENERAL OBLIGATION.
SO IT PROBABLY WOULD BE SOMEWHERE SIMILAR, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WOULD GO UP LIKE WE HAD SHOWN IF, UM, RIGHT.
SO WE KNOW NOW THAT IT WILL NOT GO UP TO THOSE LEVELS.
AND THEN I DO HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FOR ASHLEY.
SO THE OUTREACH WHO EARLIER SAID THAT 300 SURVEYS WENT OUT, DON'T WE HAVE LIKE 3000 BUSINESSES? WHY DID WE LIMIT IT TO 300?
[02:00:03]
UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL, WAYNE EMERSON, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.UM, SO WHAT WE DID IS WE DID A STRATEGY.
SO THE BEST WAY TO SAY IS WE DID AT LEAST, AT LEAST 300.
SO THOSE WERE DIRECT EMAIL CONTACTS.
WE ALSO DID A STRATEGY WHERE WE WENT TO OUR MAJOR MULTI-TENANT OFFICE BUILDINGS AND HAD THE PROPERTY MANAGERS SEND THAT OUT.
SO IN ALL REALITY, IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN 300.
UM, BUT WE JUST CHOSE A STRATEGY IN WHICH WE COULD GET MAXIMUM LEVERAGE TO GET THOSE OUT.
WE ALSO TARGETED OUR TOP 50, UH, BUSINESSES BY, UH, TAXABLE VALUE AND BY EMPLOYEES.
SO REALLY WENT FOR A MORE TARGETED APPROACH TO, TO, TO KIND OF DRIVE THE RESPONSE RATE.
SO BANK OF AMERICA'S OUR LARGEST EMPLOYER.
HAVE WE HEARD BACK FROM THEM? WE HAVE NOT.
WE, WELL, MARY KAY, I THINK THAT'S NUMBER TWO.
I KNOW, AND I KNOW, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE HOSPITAL? WE HAVE NOT.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOT IN ADDISON, BUT HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO, UH, BROOKHAVEN COLLEGE OR ANY OF OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS? WE DID NOT HAVE.
AND THEN, UH, I, I APPRECIATE IT.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP A POINT THAT I REALLY DO THINK THAT WE AS A COUNCIL NEED TO FOCUS ON YOU.
IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU TALK ABOUT CARROLLTON, FARMER'S BRANCH, IRVING, PLANO, ALL GOING INTO DART SAYING, HEY, HERE'S OUR GOALS AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEGISLATURE CONTROLS SOME OF THAT, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THIS COUNCIL, WE NEED TO DO THAT AS WELL.
WE'RE, WE'RE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A VOTE, BUT IF I'M DART, I, I'D AT LEAST WANNA KNOW WHY ADDISON WANTS TO EXIT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US AS A COUNCIL TO PUT THOSE TOGETHER ON PAPER.
AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF JUST COMMENTS.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIDE YOU ARE ON WITH THIS ISSUE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS ARE REALLY APPRECIATED.
UH, I'LL START OFF BY SAYING THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS IS COMING BACK AROUND AGAIN.
UM, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
I FEEL LIKE A CONNECTED DART, UH, A CONNECTED ADDISON IS A BETTER ADDISON.
UM, AND OF ALL THE CITIES THAT HAVE EXIT VOTES ON THE BALLOT, I THINK WE'VE GOT, UH, THE MOST TO LOSE.
UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S CHANGED.
UH, DART'S COMMITTED FORMALLY PUBLICLY TO NO NEW DEBT UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 2026.
IT MEANS NO, NO NEW SURPRISES WITH BORROWINGS, NO NEW FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.
WHILE MEMBER CITIES EVALUATE THE SYSTEM'S FUTURE, IT GIVES CITIES LIKE ADDISON TIME TO MAKE A BETTER INFORMED DECISION.
UH, IT DIRECTLY ADDRESSES ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS I'VE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS, AND IT MAKES A NOVEMBER EXIT IF WE FEEL WE NEED TO EXIT LESS EXPENSIVE.
SECOND DART IS BEGINNING THIS IDEA OF GOVERNANCE REFORM.
UH, THAT MEANS ADDISON HAS A VOICE, UH, AND OUR VOICE IS NO LONGER DILUTED.
UH, I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE, THE, THE FRUSTRATION WITH DART.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE, THE WAY IT'S FUNDED, AND I AGREE AND UNDERSTAND DART IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
BUT GIVEN THESE CHANGES, IS IT REALLY SMART TO RUSH TO A MAY ELECTION? UH, I DON'T THINK IT IS.
DART CONNECTS ADDISON TO THE REGION.
IT CONNECTS OUR WORKFORCE, SUPPORTS OUR EMPLOYERS, OUR 200 RESTAURANTS AND SUPPORTS ADDISON ROLE AS A BUSINESS FRIENDLY, ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY.
LEAVING DART DOESN'T MAGICALLY RETURN THIS MONEY TO OUR POCKETS.
IT COMES WITH REAL COSTS, REAL UNCERTAINTY, AND REAL RISK, ESPECIALLY FOR A TOWN THAT'S CONNECTED AND EMPLOYMENT HEAVY AS WE ARE NOW, I WANNA ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF TIMING.
IF COUNSEL ULTIMATELY DECIDES THAT A VOTE TO BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT, UH, I STRONGLY BELIEVE NOVEMBER IS THE RESPONSIBLE CHOICE AND NOT MAY A DECISION OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
A DECISION THAT COULD RESHAPE ADDISON'S ECONOMY IN REGIONAL STANDING SHOULD NOT BE MADE PREMATURELY.
A NOVEMBER ELECTION GIVES US MORE TIME TO NEGOTIATE WITH DART SHARE ADDISON SPECIFIC GOALS.
MOST CITIES, AS WE HEARD, HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT MORE TIME TO EXPLORE OPTIONS TO REPLACE START.
WE'VE BARELY STARTED TO LOOK INTO OPTIONS, AND I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF THEM ARE VIABLE OR EVEN COST EFFECTIVE.
MORE TIME FOR RESIDENTS TO LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT DAR AND WHAT IT MEANS IF WE EXIT.
AND ALSO WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IF WE STAYED.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND EDUCATED VOTERS TO THE POLLS MORE TIME FOR OUTREACH FOR OUR BUSINESSES COMMUNITY.
WE, WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THAT WE'VE BARELY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE.
AND FINALLY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S MORE STRATEGIC AND ALLOWS US TO SEE THE ELECTION RESULTS OF OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE IT ON THEIR MAY BALLOT.
[02:05:01]
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I THINK THAT WE COULD MAKE IS TO EXIT, START AND THE REST OF THE CITIES AROUND US STAY IN.WE'D BE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF NORTH TEXAS, BUT ALMOST AS BAD FOR ADDISON WOULD BE IF WE DECIDE TO STAY IN DART.
AND THIS CITY'S AROUND US LEAVE.
IF PLANO FARMER'S BRANCH IRVING, IF THEY EXIT, THAT'S 30% OF DART'S REVENUE.
AND AT THAT POINT, I WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WILL BE LIKE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, UH, WITH A NOVEMBER VOTE, WE CAN AVOID BOTH THOSE RISKS.
SIMPLY PUT, IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK VOTERS TO DECIDE SOMETHING THIS IMPORTANT, WE OWE THEM TIME, CLARITY, AND A FULL PICTURE, NOT A RUST DECISION.
HOWARD, THIS QUESTION WOULD BE FOR STEVE GLICKMAN.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAY VERSUS NOVEMBER, THOSE SIX MONTHS, ARE WE NOT STILL PAYING 1% OF OUR SALES TAX TO DART? WELL, DART WOULD CONTINUE TO COLLECT THAT LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX BETWEEN MAY AND NOVEMBER.
UH, THAT WOULD NOT GO TOWARDS AN EXIT OBLIGATION.
UH, IF THERE WAS A MAY ELECTION, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO START TO GO TO THAT EXIT OBLIGATION AT THAT POINT.
UM, IF IT WAS THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, THEN YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE SERVICE.
THEY CONTINUE TO COLLECT THAT 1% LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX.
SO WE HAVE A $50 MILLION OBLIGATION NOW OR IN MAY.
AND IF WE HAVE AN ELECTION, IF WE CALL IT FOR MAY, AND IT PASSES, I MEAN, THERE'S TWO, TWO HURDLES, THEN THOSE SIX MONTHS THAT, UH, ROUGHLY EIGHT OR $9 MILLION WOULD REDUCE THE 50 DOWN TO CLOSER TO 40 MILLION.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT WOULD BEGIN PAYING THAT OFF, UH, THAT OBLIGATION OFF IMMEDIATELY.
AND IF WE WAIT FOR MAY, WE'RE NOT PAYING IT OFF.
SO WE WILL PAY THAT MONEY IN, OR DART WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT 1%, OR, YOU KNOW, OUR HALF OF OUR, UH, SALES TAX REVENUE FOR SIX MONTHS, AND THEN WE'LL STILL OWE THE 50.
SO THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF EIGHT OR $9 MILLION.
AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT RIGHT? THERE IS, BUT YOU'RE ALSO CON CONTINUING TO GET SERVICE FOR THOSE SIX MONTHS FROM DART AS WELL.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, UH, AND, AND ALONG WITH CHRIS, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE INPUT.
ONE IS FINANCIAL, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE PEOPLE WHO NEED PUBLIC TRANSIT.
AND I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IN PUBLIC TRANSIT.
I JUST DON'T THINK DART'S THE ONLY ANSWER.
AND THESE CITIES THAT HAVE CALLED FOR THESE ELECTIONS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH DART FOR GARY'S HERE, HE COULD PROBABLY TELL US.
I KNOW LAST YEAR IN AUSTIN, THEY WERE DOWN FIGHTING, TRYING TO GET THE, UH, THE SALES TAX REDUCED BY A QUARTER.
WE WERE OFFERED A 5% REBATE, THEN IT HAD A POISON PILL WITH IT.
I KNOW WE'RE DISCUSSING NOW TAKING THAT AWAY, BUT THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH DART FROM THE OTHER CITIES HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT AT BEST.
AND IF I'M IN DART'S SHOES, I'M LOOKING AT DART HAS RECEIVED, I'M THINKING IT'S 15 OR $16 BILLION SINCE ITS INCEPTION FROM THAT ONE PENNY.
AND YET THEY ALSO TOOK ON $9.7 BILLION WORTH OF DEBT.
SO THIS DEBT THAT CAME ON WAS VOTED ON BY THAT BOARD, AND THAT BOARD WAS, UH, 15 MEMBERS, EIGHT OF THEM FROM DALLAS, SEVEN, REPRESENTING THIS, UH, SUBURBS.
AND ALL THAT DEBT WAS PILED ON BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T MAKE ENDS MEET WITH THE 1%.
SO TO CUT BACK ON DART'S FUNDING, THEY ALREADY CAN'T MAKE ENDS MEET.
AND I DON'T LIKE SOMEBODY PUTTING DEBT ON THIS TOWN WHEN WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A SAY IN IT.
GARY SLAGEL IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE, BUT HE HAS FOUR CITIES.
SO WE'RE ONLY FOURTH OF ONE PERSON.
AND EVEN IF WE GET ONE PERSON THAT'S ONLY ONE OUT OF, WELL, WITH THE NEW GOVERNANCE MODEL, IT WOULD'VE BEEN 5%.
BUT IF THEY WAIT DALLAS, THEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT OUR PERCENTAGE IS.
SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT OUR, OUR, UM, REPRESENTATION IN DART GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A BOND C COMMITTEE.
WE HAD A COMMITTEE, AN ELECTION, LET THE PEOPLE VOTE TO PUT THIS DEBT ON ADDISON.
AND YET I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GIVEN A BLANK CHECK TO DART TO WRITE WHATEVER DEBT THEY WANT AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
SO FROM THE FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, I ABSOLUTELY THINK WE SHOULD PULL
[02:10:01]
OUT A DART PERSONAL OPINION.ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE USERS THAT USE DART AND, AND NEED DART.
AND I'VE RIDDEN DART, I RODE DART THE OTHER DAY JUST TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE ON THE BUS TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS, HOW YOU KNOW WHAT'S AFFECTING THEM.
WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT KEEPS DART IN THE MIX, BUT IT MAY NOT BE PAYING $18 MILLION A YEAR TO DART.
MAYBE WE HAVE OUR OWN SYSTEM AND WE SOMEHOW GET PEOPLE TO AND FROM WHERE THEY CAN CONNECT TO DART IF THEY STILL NEED DART OR WE HAVE SOME OTHER SOLUTION.
DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CITIES DON'T HAVE DART AND THEY'RE DOING GREAT.
FRISCO, MCKINNEY, THE COLONY, THE COLONY AT ATTRACTED NEBRASKA FURNITURE MART, I KNOW FIRSTHAND ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT HAS BEEN BOOMING FOR THEIR TOWN.
AND AT THIS POINT, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS ADDISON HAS GOTTEN $400 MILLION AND, AND DART HAS GOTTEN 400 MILLION FROM THE SALES TAX THAT WE'RE COLLECTED IN ADDISON.
BUT IF WE GET OUT, WE HAVE TO PAY $50 MILLION.
SO NOW DART'S GOT 400 PLUS 50, ADDISON'S GOT 400 MINUS 50.
SO IT'S NOT ONE PENNY FOR EACH.
ADDISON'S GONNA GET 0.87% OF A PENNY AND DART'S GONNA GET 1.125 OF A PENNY.
AND WHEN I TALKED TO RICHARDS, I MEAN, UH, SORRY, UM, FARMER'S BRANCH ABOUT IT, THEY, THEY'VE PAID IN 500.
SO THERE'S A MILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN THE TWO.
THEY HAVE TO PAY 180 MILLION TO GET OUT.
DART ENDS UP WITH SIX 80, UH, FARMER'S BRANCH ENDS UP WITH THREE 20.
IT'S NOT, IT'S JUST NOT A GOOD MODEL.
AND, AND FINANCIALLY IT'S A DISASTER.
SO WE CAN'T GET SOME ANSWERS TILL AFTER 27.
I MEAN, 26 WHEN, WHEN, UH, LEGISLATURES GOES, GOES BACK INTO SESSION.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN GET ANY BETTER ANSWERS BY NOVEMBER THAN BY MAY.
AND I DON'T WANNA PAY ANOTHER $9 MILLION.
SO PERSONALLY, I'D RATHER SEE OUR, OUR, UH, DEBT GET REDUCED AND FIND ANOTHER SOLUTION FOR OUR TRANSIT FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO ONE OF THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AND THAT WE HAVE AS A CIRCULATOR AROUND ADDISON, DIFFERENT PARTS OF ADDISON.
UH, SO WE LOOKED AT THE ONE, UM, STARTED TALKING TO DART, UH, AS A VENDOR, UH, PROVIDER FOR THAT.
AND THAT WAS LIKE 800,000 R CO, UH, OUR SIDE AND, AND 800,000, UM, DART SIDE.
UH, HAVE WE DONE ANY OTHER COMPARATIVE SHOPPING FOR THAT? THERE'S A LOT OF SERVICES THAT PROVIDE THAT KIND OF SERVICE.
WE HAVE TALKED TO IN THE PAST.
WE HAD TALKED TO, UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER VENDORS.
AND SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE ARE, ARE OLD, I WOULD SAY.
BUT, UM, THEY DID, THEY WERE LESS THAN WHAT DART WAS PROVIDING.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT, BUT I DID SOME BACK AT THE NAPKIN MATH.
AND IT COMES UP TO ABOUT A QUARTER OF WHAT, UH, 1.6 TO $1.8 MILLION IS IF YOU REALLY DO, UH, TRACK IT OUT TO 365 DAYS A YEAR, 19 HOURS OF SERVICE, 30 MINUTES, UH, EVERY, EVERY 30 MINUTES AND SO ON, UH, COMES UP TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS.
AND I, I LOOK AT THAT AS A THOUGHT IS, UM, SO, UH, THE GO, THE GO LINK, WHICH IS AN UBER, UH, UBER TYPE SERVICE IS A POINT-TO-POINT.
SERVICE IS COMING IN MARCH AND IT'S BEING PAID, PAID FOR BY DART.
IT'S REALLY OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT COME BACK THROUGH DART TO PAY FOR THAT.
AND I WONDER IF WE WERE TO GET A, A, UM, A-I-I-L-A BACK FROM DART FOR THAT AMOUNT, COULD WE DO THAT AT A MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND MAYBE EVEN BETTER SERVICE AS WELL? SO I APPLY THAT LENS TO ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE GETTING, THE SILVER LINE, THE BUS STATION, UH, THE BUSES THAT GO THROUGH ADDISON.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LAST MEETING, UH, I WANTED THREE THINGS.
I WANTED US TO CONSIDER, UH, THIS VOTE THROUGH A PROPER PROCESS, A WORK SESSION WITH NOTICE, AND THEN A COUNCIL MEETING WITH NOTICE.
AND THE SECOND THING WAS, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE, COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE FULL VISIBILITY INTO THE CONVERSATIONS WITH DART AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE, WE CAN BE AWARE OF WHAT, WHAT, HOW THIS IS PROGRESSING AND, AND GIVE SOME DIRECTION.
I ALSO SUGGESTED MAYBE A COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, THAT WAS JUST ONE MECHANISM.
AND THIRD, UM, I THINK WE, LIKE IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, WE, WE NEED TO SAY WHAT WE WANT.
WHAT DOES ADDISON NEED? AND I, I KIND OF BRAINSTORMED A LIST.
IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WE NEED, UH, TRANSPORTATION FOR WORKERS, VISITORS AND RESIDENTS COMING IN AND OUT OF ADDISON.
WE NEED CON CONNECTIVITY TO OTHER TRANSIT IN AND OUT OF ADDISON,
[02:15:01]
LIKE ANOTHER RIDER CONNECTING TO A DIFFERENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY.MAYBE IF THE VOTERS VOTED TO LEAVE DART, THEN WE WOULD HAVE, WE'D HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CONNECT TO DART IN DALLAS OR OTHER TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, CIRCULATOR ROUTES CIRCULATING AROUND ADDISON.
IF YOU HAVE THREE ROUTES, THEY CAN BE FIXED, BUST, FIXED BUS TYPE OF, OF, UH, CONCEPT ALSO.
SO YOU KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE CIRCULATOR BUS, FIXED ROUTES, RIGHT? AND FIXED TIMES.
UH, WE WOULD PROBABLY LIKE A SILVER, SILVER LINE ADDISON, STOP, MAYBE A EXPRESS BUS DOWNTOWN.
BUT IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE WON FEDERALLY REQUIRED PARATRANSIT.
THAT'S ANO THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED AND HAVE TO HAVE POINT TO POINT SERVICE, THE GO LINK OR OTHER OPTIONS VIA RIDE CO.
UM, ENHANCED SECURITY AT THE DART BUS STATION IN ADDISON, THEY CALL IT ADDISON TRANSIT CENTER, BUT IT'S REALLY A BUS STATION.
IT'S A DART BUS STATION THAT LIVES IN ADDISON.
UM, ENHANCED SECURITY, FULL-TIME SWORN OFFICERS AND HIGHER CLEANLINESS AND SAFETY STANDARDS FULLY FUNDED BY DART.
I STOLE THAT FROM FARMER'S BRANCHES LETTER.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU SAW IT ON THERE, UH, SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A COST THAT WE WILL NOT DIRECTLY REALIZE, UM, IN OUR TOWN ECONOMY.
UH, AND THAT'S A GREATER GOOD ASPECT, RIGHT? OF REGIONAL TRANSIT.
BUT REGIONAL TRANSIT'S GOTTA DELIVER EQUITY, SAFETY AND FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A MEASURABLE REGIONAL IMPACT OR VALUE.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S I THINK A STARTING LIST OF WHAT WE WANT TO GO BACK AND SAY FROM OUR HOME MOBILITY NEEDS.
UH, WHAT, WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED? UM, SO I, UM, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY THOUGHTS TO, TO START WITH.
SO I'M, I THINK WE NEED TRANSIT.
UM, THAT EY COST ALLOCATION STUDY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY SKEWED, UH, AS A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY.
AND IT'S, IT'S HOW MUCH MONEY SPENT IN ADDISON.
THE QUESTION IS, IS DO WE NEED IT SPENT THAT WAY? AND DO WE NEED A BUNCH OF BUSES THAT ARE JUST WAY OVER CAPACITY, MEANING UNDERUTILIZED AND LESS RIDERS? 'CAUSE NINE 99% OF THAT $9 MILLION WAS BUS SERVICE IN ADDISON, AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SILVER LINE.
SO THE RIDE SERVICE IS WHAT WE LIKE TO PAY FOR AND FROM THE RIGHT VENDOR, AND I THINK IT IS RIGHT TO HAVE OUR CITIZENS, UH, VOTE ON THIS.
WE COULD WAIT TILL NOVEMBER, BUT IT WOULD BE AT LEAST AN EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR COST.
AND AT MOST, MAYBE A $22 MILLION COST.
THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO IN.
DART IS NOW STARTING TO MOVE AND HAVE CONVERSATION.
WHY? BECAUSE CARROLLTON, FARMER'S BRANCH, PLANO, IRVING, HIGHLAND PARK, AND UNIVERSITY PARK, NOT CARROLLTON, SORRY, TAKE THEM BACK OUT.
THEY HAVE ALL PUT IT TO THE VOTE.
SO IT'S, IT'S CALLED, IT'S CALLED PRESSURE, RIGHT? UM, DART HAS TO, HAS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AND HAS TO LISTEN.
THAT'S WHY THERE'RE ALREADY TALKING TO THE OTHER CITIES.
SO THIS VOTE ON THE MAY BALLOT CAUSES THE CONVERSATION TO, TO REALLY GET SOME TRACTION.
UM, I'M SORT OF THE ONE WHO LIKES TO SIT BACK AND LISTEN AND OBSERVE AND HAVING GONE THROUGH THE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, A HUNDRED PLUS EMAILS, UM, FROM FOLKS THAT HAVE OPPOSING VIEWS AND ADVOCATING VIEWS FOR DART AND THE PRODUCT AND SERVICES THAT IT PROVIDES, UM, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK.
UM, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, UM, TO NOT JUST TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED.
SO I, I ACTUALLY CALLED MEETINGS WITH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY MAYORS AND HAD HOUR LONG MEETINGS, MULTIPLE HOUR LONG MEETINGS WITH MULTIPLE CITIES THAT HAVE OPTED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE VOTE TO DART IN MAY.
IN, IN SITTING DOWN IN THOSE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL THEME ABOUT THEIR COUNCILS, THEIR CITY STAFFS, THEIR CONSTITUENTS WAS SO OVERWHELMING, UM, THAT I WAS ONE OF THE VOTES IN THE DECEMBER MEETING AND CERTAINLY HAVE COME TO COME TO DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS FROM LEARNING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES.
SO I DON'T LOOK AT ADDISON AS A FOLLOWER.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT I CAN'T SEE TIME HEALING THIS WOUND.
I THINK WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION THAT THIS IS 40 PLUS YEARS IN THE MAKING WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
IT'S INEXCUSABLE TO ME TO SAY, LET'S WAIT LONGER.
BECAUSE EVENTUALLY SOMETHING WILL GIVE WITH DART AND DART'S BOARD AND LEADERSHIP.
[02:20:01]
IN THAT.THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WE HAD WHERE I HAD NADIE AND LEE, THE CEO HERE ASKING A FEW POINTED QUESTIONS AND NOT GETTING POINTED ANSWERS, UM, IN FAIRNESS TO MYSELF OR IN FAIRNESS TO THE FOLKS THAT WERE HERE FOR THAT MEETING, UM, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT DART, I SAT HERE LISTENING TONIGHT THAT DART IS NEGOTIATING.
UM, WE HAD SAT DOWN WITH GARY SCHLAGEL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND RANDY AND RANDALL BRYANT.
UM, BUT I JUST, AT THIS POINT, I DON'T SEE WAITING AS AN OPTION THAT'S GONNA BENEFIT IN MY OPINION, CHRIS, I JUST DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULD HAVE, UM, A MAY ELECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE $8 MILLION IN SALES TAX.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN, BETWEEN MAY AND NOVEMBER, YES, IT'S GONNA COST $8 MILLION, BUT WE'VE GOTTA FIND A REPLACEMENT.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT COST IS GONNA BE.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION COMES DOWN IF WE WAIT TILL NOVEMBER.
RIGHT? WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT BY DART THAT OBLIGATION COMES DOWN.
IF YOU KNIT IT ALL OUT, IT'S ABOUT THE SAME BETWEEN MAY AND NOVEMBER.
WE CAN BE MORE STRATEGIC, WE CAN SEE WHAT OTHER TOWNS DO, UM, AND WE GET TO EDUCATE OUR VOTERS.
SO I THINK A NOVEMBER ELECTION IS MUCH SMARTER.
RANDY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO, SIR.
WELL, I'VE JUST GOT A FEW COMMENTS.
I DON'T HAVE A LONG SPEECH OR ANYTHING I'VE SAID.
I'VE SAID WHAT I WANNA SAY BEFORE MULTIPLE TIMES.
BUT, UH, JUST WANT TO, UH, GO BACK TO JUST A FEW THINGS.
THIS IS SUCH, IT'S AN IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T THINK ABOUT ROADS AND HIGHWAYS AND, AND THE ROI THAT WE'RE GETTING ON, ON THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND, UH, EVERY, EVERY OTHER PART OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR WATER AND SEW AND ALL THE THINGS THAT, THAT MAKE US FUNCTION AS A, AS A, AS A COMMUNITY.
UNITY, THIS IS A PART OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE, A VERY IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A LOT OF FOLKS THAT REALLY DEPEND ON DART.
AND SO PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT IT THE THE WAY THEY WANT TO, BUT THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS, IS VALUE TO SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE THE SERVICE.
UM, FOR SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SAY HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ THE SIX PAGE LETTER THAT CAME FROM DART TODAY FROM, UH, NADINE LEE ANSWERED A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
IT'S A REALLY INFORMATIVE LETTER THAT, THAT I'M SURE THAT WE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I APPRECIATE NADINE SENDING THAT OVER.
UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SHOW UP HERE OR CALL IN OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTIVE OF EITHER STAYING IN DART OR IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ELECTION TO DO IT IN, IN, UH, NOVEMBER AND NOT MAY.
I MEAN, IN DECEMBER, I VOTED TO NOT DO AN ELECTION BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN DART.
I BELIEVE IN THE NECESSITY OF HAVING SOLID PUBLIC TRANSIT AND YOU DON'T IMPROVE IT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE TALK ABOUT IMPROVING THE SERVICE, YOU DON'T DO IT BY TRYING TO COBBLE IT TOGETHER WITH OTHER CITIES AND CONNECT TO HERE, WHETHER WE'RE GONNA TAKE 'EM OVER HERE, THEN THEY GOTTA GET ON ANOTHER TRANSIT SERVICE THAT MAKES IT LESS DESIRABLE.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BACKWARDS MOVE.
IT DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU THINK IT MIGHT ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DEPEND ON JUST BEING ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE WITHIN ADDISON OR WITHIN TWO MILES, FIVE MILES OF, OF THE ADDISON BORDERS.
UM, THAT JUST DOESN'T, DOESN'T WORK IN MY MIND.
UH, IT'S JUST NOT, NOT EFFICIENT.
IT'S, AND THE LAST THING I'LL JUST SAY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THEY JUST DON'T LIKE DART.
AND WE'VE HEARD SOME OF THAT FROM THE PUBLIC.
EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, IMPORTANT PART OF THE REGION, AND FOR US TO BE A REGIONAL PLAYER AND NOT JUST A LITTLE, LITTLE SMALL ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A REGION.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE PART OF THAT.
AND YOU TALK, PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE, WELL, IF WE, IF WE GET OUT IN MAY OR WE GET OUT IN NOVEMBER, IT'S GONNA COST US $8 MILLION MORE OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, BUT WE STILL GET SERVICE DURING THAT TIME.
BUT YOU'RE OKAY WITH PAYING $50 MILLION FOR NOTHING.
THAT'S, THAT JUST BLOWS MY MIND.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS FOR RIGHT NOW.
UM, DARREN, SO ON THE, UH, THE THINGS THAT DART, UM, SO THERE, THERE, DART IS TALKING DART, THE DART ORGANIZATION IS TALKING ABOUT NEGOTIATION, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST TALK.
AND, UM, THE REASON IT'S TALK IS BECAUSE SOME PRESSURE'S BEEN APPLIED AND, UM, I I WANT, I WANT DART TO WIN, RIGHT? BUT, UM, THE, THE WHOLE REGION HAS TO WIN AND IT HAS TO WIN, RIGHT? UM, SO THE,
[02:25:01]
THE DART TALKED ABOUT, UH, DART BOARD TALKED ABOUT THE REDUCTIONS IN OBLIGATION, UH, HOW THAT WOULD LOOK AND THE, THE CODE THAT DEFINES THAT UNWINDING OF OBLIGATION IS, IS NOT REAL CLEAR.IS THAT RIGHT, STEVEN? AS FAR AS THERE, IT'S, IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, HOW IT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
SO IT COULD BE QUITE A RANGE FROM A LOWER END UP TO THE, THE 14 MILLION ISH RANGE.
DART HAS A LOT OF DISCRETION IN HOW ULTIMATELY, UH, THAT OBLIGATION IS CALCULATED.
AND DART'S PUBLICLY SAID THEY WON'T ISSUE ANY MORE DEBT UNTIL THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
SO THAT TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF OF THAT.
UM, THAT IS PUBLICLY SAID, BUT IT'S NOT, UH, OFFICIAL OR SOMETHING THAT'S BINDING.
UM, I'M NOT SAYING THEY WOULD GO BACK.
UM, AND THEN ON THE ILA FOR US, UH, THE, UH, GMP, UH, UH, 5% OR $3 MILLION OR SO, THAT'S NOT, UH, FINALIZED EITHER, RIGHT? THAT HAS NOT BEEN FINALIZED YET.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS.
AND I SPOKE, I'VE SPOKE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, A LOT OF YOU HERE, UH, WERE MY SUPPORTERS AND YOUR, YOUR, ALL OF YOUR MY FRIENDS, MAYBE NOT NOW, BUT YOU WERE, UM, NOT NOT FOR ME.
UM, AND, UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT.
AND I, I VALUE YOUR OPINION AND YOUR INPUT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T SHOW UP TONIGHT THAT, THAT WOULD SAY, WELL, UM, I KNOW A LOT ABOUT DART AND, AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE WE WANT TO BE IN IT.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE GET FOR, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO, TO EDUCATE PEOPLE.
AND THREE MONTHS SHOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME, AND WE STILL HAVE A MONTH BEFORE AND WE CAN PULL OUT TOO.
SO THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION.
THIS IS REALLY JUST A VOTE TO LET, UM, THE PEOPLE VOTE IN MAY.
I, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS FOR DAVID CITY MANAGER, DO YOU THINK WE CAN, WE CAN FULFILL THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS IF DART IS NOT THE VENDOR? IF WE, IF THE THE POPULAR VOTE IS TO EXIT, PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
I MEAN, I THINK PART OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAVE TO HAVE WITH COUNCIL, OR WHAT SCOPE OF SERVICES DO WE WANT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A FIXED ROUTE BUS SYSTEM, OBVIOUSLY A REGIONAL BUS SYSTEM.
SO IF THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GONNA HAVE THAT? OBVIOUSLY NOT, WE COULD HAVE CIRCULATORS THAT WE'RE, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL IF THIS PASSES ABOUT WHAT SERVICE DO YOU WANT? AND THEN WE'LL LAY OUT THE OPTIONS.
SO I CAN'T, I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD BE UNDER AN ILLUSION.
IT'S GONNA BE THE EXACT SAME AS WHAT IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE EXACT SAME, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOING TO FULFILL THE NEEDS AND IT MAY NOT BE PRETTY, BUT MAKING A CHANGE IS HARD.
AND I THINK WE CAN, I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT ORDER, UM, UH, UM, ESTIMATES OF WHAT IT WOULD COST, AND IT IS A FRACTION OF THE 9 MILLION.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE KEY HERE.
BETTER SERVICE, BETTER SERVICE, WHAT WE NEED THE RIGHT SIZE AND THEN DARK BETTER GOVERNING AND, AND BEING REPRESENTING US.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS THE NEGOTIATION'S HAPPENING.
UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD TO TRY TO MAKE THIS A BETTER, UH, A BETTER OPTION FOR ALL OF US INVOLVED.
SO DARREN, IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE YOU JUST CONTRADICTED YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT.
YOU SAID THAT DOING WITH WHAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO WOULDN'T BE ABLE AS GOOD OF SERVICE, BUT THEN YOU JUST SAID BETTER SERVICE AT THE END.
IT'S NOT BETTER SERVICE, IT'S LESS SERVICE, UH, THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH DART OR OTHER VENDORS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE IN THE END, THE INTERIM MAY NOT BE 100%, AND THERE'S, THERE'S DRAWBACKS TO WHAT WE HAVE NOW TO BEGIN WITH.
SO, AND, AND, AND, AND I, AND I'M, I'M ALL FOR HAVING, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO VOTE THE VOTERS TO VOTE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RUSH TO THE MAY 'CAUSE THAT IS THREE MONTHS FROM NOW.
AND YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE BEFORE THAT, SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE TESTED AND TRIED AND YOU CAN'T DO.
YOU CAN'T JUST THROW SOMETHING TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS GONNA WORK.
AND WOULDN'T WE WANT THE MOST INFORMED ELECTORATE POSSIBLE WHENEVER WE, THEY GO TO THE, TO THE, TO THE POLLS? DO YOU WANT THEM GOING INTO AND SEMI UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE? BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE, RIGHT NOW, WE JUST SEMI UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE.
AND YOU WANNA ASK YOUR VOTERS TO GO AND VOTE ON SOMETHING THAT WE, WE JUST HAVE PARTIAL INFORMATION.
IT, IT, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AT ALL TO USE RANDY'S EXPRESSION.
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME AT ALL WHY WE WOULD DO THAT AND NOT LET PEOPLE GET MOST INFORMED KNOW WHAT THE WHOLE TABLE LOOKS LIKE, WHAT THE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, AND WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT OUTCOME LOOKS LIKE DOES.
SO WAITING UNTIL NOVEMBER, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THE ELECTION, THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO ME AT ALL.
[02:30:01]
SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND PUT US IN A POSITION TO BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL.AND I REALLY DON'T SEE US REPLACING DART, UM, ANY WAY THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING MORE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AT A TIME WHEN, I MEAN, CONGESTION IS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE.
AND I, AND I THINK AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT WORK FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S GONNA COST.
UM, I, I HATE TO THROW MY 21-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER UNDER THE BUS, BUT I PAY FOR UBERS.
I HAPPILY PAY FOR UBERS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.
UM, I KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE THOSE RIDES GET AT PEAK TIMES.
AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET PEOPLE IN TOWN TO WORK A RESTAURANT SHIFT AT PEAK TIME.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S GONNA COST AND IF THAT'S GONNA WORK.
AND I'M NOT REALLY CONVINCED IT WILL.
HOWARD, I JUST WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING.
UH, I HAD SENT IN A COUNCIL QUESTION, UM, WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW FLEET OF BUSES THAT DART PURCHASED.
SO, UM, IT WAS, I BELIEVE IN 20 24, 300 OR 476 BUSES.
THE PRICE TAG, WHAT I'M BEING TOLD IS 370 SOMETHING MILLION WITH, UM, FEDERAL GRANT MONEY OF, I'VE HEARD 103, I'VE HEARD 130, WHICH LEAVES ABOUT A 240 OR $250 MILLION DIFFERENCE.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW, HOW'S THAT BEING PAID FOR? HAS IT BEEN PAID FOR? WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE BUSES? THE RESPONSE WE GOT, AND DAVID CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THAT, UH, THE, THE, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PAID FOR YET, BUT THE DEBT OF THE 370 SOMETHING MILLION IS BEING ADDED INTO THIS DEBT THAT ADDISON'S RESPONSIBLE FOR.
SOME OF THE BUSES ARE DELIVERED, THESE ARE BUSES THAT'LL BE COMING IN THE FUTURE.
MAYBE THEY WERE ORDERED THINKING THAT ADDISON WAS PART OF DART, WHICH IT CURRENTLY IS.
BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S CREDIT BEING GIVEN AGAINST THAT COST FOR THE FEDERAL GRANT.
AND SO THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT DART HAS ENTERED INTO THAT'S BEING, UM, COUNTED AGAINST EXITING CITIES.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, ARE THERE MORE CONTRACTS IF THEY'RE NOT ISSUING DEBT, ARE THEY ISSUING CONTRACTS? IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LANGUAGE? I, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WAS NOT HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, THAT THE, THE CREDIT FOR THE FEDERAL GRANT IS NOT COMING OUTTA THAT MONEY.
AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT, DAVID, OR DID I MISUNDERSTAND? YEAH, SO THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION IN THE COUNCIL Q AND A DOCUMENT.
AND WE RECEIVED THE ANSWER AT A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THREE O'CLOCK I WANNA SAY.
UM, THE DART THE RESPONSE FROM DART RAISED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS FOR US.
WE, IN THE Q AND A, YOU SEE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE HAVE FOLLOWED UP WITH, WITH DART AND FAIRNESS TO THEM.
IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW HOURS, BUT THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
THEY'VE SAID THEY'RE ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT FOR OVER $3 MILLION, THROUGH $300 MILLION, BUT A THIRD OF IT IS PAID THROUGH GRANT MONEY, YET THE ENTIRETY OF IT IS IN THE OBLIGATION.
SO THAT IS A CONCERN THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE DAUGHTER A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
AND PART OF OUR QUESTION TWO IS, ARE THERE OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS? UM, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD THE DISCUSSION.
I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION, MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE AND, AND WAIT TILL AFTER THE MAY ELECTION.
IS, IS TABLE THE CORRECT PROCESS ON THIS, DAVID? IF WE WANTED TO? SORRY, WHAT? UH, THE INTENT IS THE INTENT TO TABLE IT TO A DATE OR IS IT TO TABLE INDEFINITELY? IS IT POSTPONING FOR A DATE AND, AND RECONSIDERING AT A DIFFERENT TIME? OR IS IT TABLING INDEFINITELY? I THINK I'D LIKE TO TABLE IT INDEFINITELY, THEN THAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
OKAY, THAT, UH, DOES NOT PASS.
IS THERE I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEFORE US TONIGHT.
COULD YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC WITH YOUR MOTION? FIVE A I MOVE TO APPROVE FIVE A THAT WE CALL FOR AN ELECTION ON MAY 2ND FOR, UM, LETTING THE RESIDENTS VOTE WHETHER THEY WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN IN DART OR EXIT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
DISCUSSION? WHAT'S THAT? I HAVE DISCUSSION.
SO BACK IN DECEMBER, UH, I WAS VOTING GOING TO VOTE
[02:35:01]
THIS WAY I DIDN'T BECAUSE IT WAS RUSHED AND THAT'S WHY IT CAME BACK.AND THAT'S WHAT I SAID LAST MEETING, UH, MY MONOLOGUE THEN, UM, THIS, THIS IS, LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE END.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, UH, PART OF THE PROCESS.
PART OF THE PROCESS IS VOTING AND IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE LEAVING DART.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T GET BACK IN.
IT'S JUST IF WE DON'T MAKE A MOVE, NOTHING CHANGES.
AND $400 MILLION LATER, NONE OF THAT'S APPLIED TO THE SILVER LINE.
AND MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THOSE ARE ALL THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT I ASK OF THE DISCUSSION.
JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY, PLEASE.
THE MOTION WAS MADE FOR A DART WITHDRAWAL IN MAY.
NO, TO CALL THE ELECTION TO CALL AN ELECTION ON MAY 2ND.
THAT'S WHAT THE CLARITY TO CALL A ELECTION, WITHDRAWAL ELECTION FOR MAY.
SO AN I VOTE WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF A VOTE FOR THAT'S CORRECT.
IT IS APPROVED FIVE TO TWO FOR THE MAY 2ND ELECTION.
[6. Items of Community Interest. The City Council will have this opportunity to address items of community interest, including: expressions of thanks, congratulations, or condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; an honorary or salutary recognition; a reminder about an upcoming event organized or sponsored by the Town of Addison; information regarding a social, ceremonial, or community event that was or will be attended by an Addison City Council member or an official; and, announcements involving an eminent threat to public health and safety in Addison that has arisen since posting this agenda.]
UM, THAT'S OUR FINAL ITEM EXCEPT FOR ITEM SIX, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, UH, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS.CONGRATULATIONS ON CONDOLENCES.
UH, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE? I WOULD, I'LL LET MARLON GO FIRST THOUGH.
UH, DAVID BEAT ME TO IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, BUT, BUT THE FIRST HALF OF MY CONGRATULATIONS IS FOR OUR STAFF.
UH, WE'VE, WE HAVE MANY PE STAFF MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE FRIDAY.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE MY APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND JUST SAY THANK YOU.
THE SECOND PART OF IT IS FOR OUR AIRPORT BEING A PILOT AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH, WITH ALL THE AIRPORTS AROUND.
ADDISON AIRPORT WAS THE ONLY AIRPORT IN THE AREA THAT NEVER HAD ONE MINUTE OF CLOSURE DURING THIS ICE STORM THAT WE'VE HAD.
DFW LOVE FIELD, EVERY SURROUNDING AIRPORT HAD CLOSURES.
I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE AND THANK YOU FOR OUR AIRCRAFT STAFF FOR WORKING DILIGENTLY TO KEEP THIS AIRPORT OPEN.
UH, WE, UH, ROUGHLY A WEEK AGO WE HAD THE, UH, ANNUAL POINT IN TIME COUNT AND, UH, THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY, UH, METRO CREST SERVICES.
AND SO, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH AND I, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THAT WITH THE HELP OF OFFICER RYAN CLOSTER.
UM, SO, UM, UH, WE DID PERFORM THAT.
UH, WE'RE NOT, NOTHING IS PERFECT, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE MAKING GREAT STRIDES.
UM, WE DID ENGAGE WITH, WITH A FEW, UH, UNFORTUNATELY HOMELESSNESS PEOPLE.
THEY, THEY WERE CONNECTED WITH METROCREST SERVICES.
UM, SO THAT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THAT.
UM, AND SO I WAS, I WAS, UM, I WAS, I WAS PLEASED WE GOT TO PERFORM THAT AND I THOUGHT THE RESULTS WERE PRETTY, WERE PRETTY GREAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SHARE IS I WENT OUT TO DINNER, UM, I GUESS IT WAS MAYBE SUNDAY NIGHT, UM, AND, UH, UH, RAN INTO BILL HOLLY AND HIS TEAM.
AND SO THEY HAD BEEN, UH, THEY HAD BEEN CLEARING ICE AND, AND ON, ON STREET OR ON, UH, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR FACILITIES IN TOWN.
THEY'VE BEEN ON THE ROOF OF THE FINANCE BUILDING.
THEY'VE BEEN CLEARING OUT, UH, PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS, ATHLETIC CLUB, ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT FACILITIES.
AND SO I, I RAN INTO BILL AND, AND TWO, TWO MEMBERS OF HIS TEAM.
AND, UM, UH, THEY, THEY WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING, BUT IT, IT, AT SOME POINT, MIDWAY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE DINNER, I WAS ABLE TO JOIN THEM AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, HAVE DINNER WITH 'EM.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THEY WEREN'T DONE.
SO IT'S, IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK AND I'M GOING HOME AND THEY'RE GOING BACK OUT TO, TO DO MORE WORK.
THEY WERE JUST TAKING A PIT STOP.
SO, UM, JUST TO SEE THAT FIRSTHAND, UM, AND, AND HAVE THOSE GENTLEMEN SHARE, SHARE THE PICTURES OF THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY WERE DOING.
AND THEN, AND THEN WHEN I ASKED, UH, BILL, I SAID, UM, BILL, HAVE YOU BEEN SHARING THESE PICTURES WITH MARY? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE SHE NEEDS TO SHARE THESE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND, AND SHE, HE SAID, WELL, I'VE SHARED A COUPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT PUBLIC WORKS IS OUT THERE DOING MORE STUFF THAN WE ARE.
WE'VE GOT THE AIRPORT, UM, WE'VE GOT ALL THESE, UH, PARKES OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST DOING A SMALL PART.
[02:40:01]
TO, JUST TO HEAR THAT HUMILITY AND HARD WORK, IT, IT JUST WAS, IT COULDN'T BE MORE IMPRESSIVE.SO, UM, I'M VERY THANKFUL OF ALL THAT WORK AND, UM, AND, UH, JUST MAKES, MAKES ME APPRECIATE OUR TOWN EVEN MORE.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL ECHO THOSE REMARKS AND FROM RANDY AND, UH, UM, AND, AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, DAVID GAINES.
HE WAS, HE WAS AROUND ALL WEEKEND.
HE, HE WAS RUNNING, UH, TOWN HALL ALL BY HIMSELF YESTERDAY, APPARENTLY DOING, DOING THE SOLO ACT OVER HERE WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS OUT DOING EVERYTHING ON THE STREETS.
HE WAS HERE MINDING THE STORE, AND I, I KNOW BECKY AND HER CREW.
THEY WERE, SHE WAS, SHE'D BEEN HERE FOR DAYS NOW, I THINK.
I DON'T THINK SHE'D BEEN HOME FOR A WHILE.
BUT, UH, BUT BUT APPRECIATE ALL THAT.
AND, UM, UH, AND, AND, AND I WAS REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE, UH, THE SIT REPS THAT WE GOT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND WITH GI GIVING US THE UPDATE ON EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL AND I THOUGHT THE STAFF DID A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.
SO APPRECIATE DAVID, UH, LEADING THAT, LEADING THAT CREW.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYBODY? ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, IT IS 9 42.
WE'RE ADJOURNED FOR THE NIGHT.