♪ >> I NOW THE PLANO CITY COUNCIL PRELIMINARY OPEN MEETING IS RECONVENED INTO OPEN SESSION, THAT ALL COUNCILMEMBERS ARE PRESENT. COUNCILMEMBER SMITH WILL BE ON ZOOM. OUR FIRST ITEM TON PRELIMINARY AGENDA I CONSIDERATION AND ACTION RESULTING FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION PETER? >> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WAS HERE IN OCTOBER AND WE KIND OF SKIMMED OVER THIS, BEFORE YOU GOT IN YOUR PACKAGE SORT OF A FULL BLOWN WRITTEN POLICY, IT'S VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVOPMEOLICY, I THINK THE FIRST PAGE IS EXACTLY THE SAME, SO I WANTED TO GO OVER QUICKLY SOME OF THE THINGS WE COVERED IN OCTOBER JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS A FLOPHILOSOPHY FOR RETAIL RIVET OVATION FOR SOME OF THE OLDER SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WE HAVE. AND IT REALLY IS ABOUT NOT PAYING FOR EVERYTHING, BUT SORT OF HELPING ENHANCE, AND I HAVE AN EXAMPLE LATER ON TO SHOW YOU HOW WE DID IT, BUT IT REALLY IS ABOUT UPPING THE ANTE AND GETTING SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHERWISE, AND SO THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF GRAS I'D LIKE TO JUST QUICKLY GO THROUGH THEM. THIS IS REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A TOOLBOX, IF YOU WILL, AND THAT TOOLBOX IS I'M GOING TO BE IN AGREEMENT FORM WHEN YOU SEE IT, AND LINE TEM PER THE GRANT. JUST LIKE YOU'RE SEEING THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WHERE THERE'S SORT OF LINED OUT BY TYPE, AND SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND AS WE BRING ANY PROJECTS FORWARD, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT YOU GET TO CHOOSE TO DO THOSE OR NOT, IT'S UP TO YOU. BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WEL MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. SO WE HAVE THE LOCATION GRANT. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL, SOMETHING THAT WILL REALLY CHANGE THE GAME FOR THE CENTER. REMEMBER THAT THESE WOULDN'T BE USED FOR JUST ANYTHING. THIS IS REALLY SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR REALLY JUST HOLDING THE CENTER BACK FROM REDEVELOPMENT AT ALL. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION. THIS IS -- THIS GRANT ISN'T MEANT TO PAY FOR ALL OF THAT, IT'S JUST TO HELP THEM OVER THE HUMP, IF YOU WILL. THE IMPROVEMENT, VERY TYPICAL, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFO, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THAT EXAMPLE, DEMOLITION QUITE SELF-EXPLANATORY, IF YOU WANT TO REDEVELOP THE CENTER, SOME OF THESE BIG BOXES WILL HAVE TO COME DOWN, THEY ARE BUILT IN A FORM THAT ARE NOT EASILY CONVERTED. SOME CAN BE SPLIT, RECEIVE SEEN THAT AT PARK AND PRESTON, BUT SOME CAN'T. THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. LANDSCAPING, SOME OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS PRE-DATE OUR LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE, YOU DON'T SEE LANDSCAPING IN THE CENTERS, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE I BELIEVE ON CUSTER. LIGHTING, AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT SAFETY AND MAKING THE SHOPPING CENTER BETTER AS WE MOVE ALONG, SIGNAGE, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE HERE IN PLANO, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CENTER IN A MINUTE. BUT THIS CENTER, YOU CAN SEE JUST A WHOLE PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT STYLES OF SIGNAGE, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE COLOR, IT'S REALLY ABOUT SOME OF THE PRE-DATES SIGNAGE ORDINANCES AS WELL. THAT IS HOW OLDER SOME OF THESE CENTERS ARE. PAVING, IT'S VERY SELF-EXPLANATORY, THIS WOULD ALSO INCLUDE SOME UTILITY WORK. AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS. THIS IS A LITTLERICKY, BUT IF WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE THEM WALKABLE TO THE NEIGHBOR, OPEN UP TO THE SURROUNDING AREAS, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER. ALTHOUGH MAYBE NOT FOR EVERY CASE. CERTAINLY THE NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD HAVE TO BE ON PART OF IT. THE PROGRAM WOULD WORK, OF COURSE THE FIRST THING WE NEED IS A WILLING PARTNER. WE CAN'T JUST GO AND WAVE OUR MAGIC WAND ON THESE THINGS, BUT THERE IS SOME SORT OF POLICY ITSELF GIVES YOU SOME DATA ON WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS, THE GRANT PROCESS IS PROPERTY TYPICAL WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THROUGH THE ED DEPARTMENT WHICH IS INTERNAL REVIEW, IMPACT DATA ANALYSIS, THE WHOLE PLETHORA OF THINGS WE DO TO DO THAT. NOTHING WILL BE DIFFERENT. BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT I THINK WE CAN DO. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS IS MARKET RIGHT HERE, BY CITY HALL, THIS WAS A TIRZ PROJECT, SO NOT UNDER THIS POLICY, BUT SOME THINGS VERY SIMILAR, WE GAVE THE TIRZ AND YOU GRANTED THIS PROJECT $500,000, TO IMPROVE ITS FACADE, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS, SOME LANDSCAPING, BUT YOU CAN SEE IN 2019 WHAT LOOKED LIKE, THE PICTURE UNDERNEATH IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY. I THINK I TOOK THAT PICTURE ON FRIDAY. THE DIFFERENCE IS QUITE STRIKING ON ITS VALUE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS HOW DO WE USE OUR MONEY TO MAKE THIS BETTER? IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, A LOT OF THAT MONEY WENT INTO THIS SOUTH-FACING FACADE, WHICH WAS REALLY JUST GOING TO BE PAINTED. AND SO NOW WITH OUR MONEY, THE FRONT FACADE GOT A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNE AND THEY COULD THIS WHOLE SOUTH FACADE TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT FACES 18th.NIT. AND SO A REALLY IMPORTANT STREET HERE IN DOWNTOWN, AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR MONEY AND WHY THE PROJECT IS AS GOOD LOOKING AS IT IS. COMPLETE. SO USING THESE TOOLS, HOW CAN WE IMAGINE -- HOW CAN WE IMAGINE USING THESE TOOLS? I JUST PICKED ONE OF OUR OLDER SHOPPING CENTERS, THIS HAPPENS TO BE AT 14th AND JUPITER, THE OUTLINE YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS THE PARTIAL ITSELF, THAT IS THE RETAIL STRIP CENTER, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, FROM -- THIS IS2023CAD VALUES OR CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW MUCH VALUE THE COUNTY PUTS ON THIS THING, WHICH ISN'T -- I DON'T KNOW OF ANY PLACE ELSE -- FOR BUILDING. I JUST DON'T GET IT. BUT THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THE NEXT DOOR IS THE IF YOU KNOW THE SIGHT IS THE BINGO PARLOR, AND THAT BUILDING IS AT $91 A SQUARE FOOT, SO THEY'RE ABOUT ROUGHLY THE SAME SIZE AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN VALUE AND HOW OLDER AND JUST NOT UP TO MODERN STANDARDS. THE SHAPE OF THE LOT IS ALSO KIND OF CRAZY, BUT THAT IS JUST LEFT OVER FROM DEVELOPED. THESE ARE PICTURES AGAIN. THE SIGNAGE YOU SEE, THE FRONT FACADE WHICH IS REALLY AGING AND NOT ATTRACTIVE ANY LONGER, AND THEN YOU SEE THE PAVING AND LANDSCAPING IN THIS AREA WHICH IS REALLY NEAR FAILURE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD -- IT REALLY NEEDS HELP FROM FRONT TO BACK ON THIS THING. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE A WILLING PARTNER, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU SORT OF THE PROTO TYPICAL THINGS WE WOULD LOOK FOR TO SEE -- YOU SEE ALL THIS, BUT CAN WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT GETTING NEW PAVEMENT IN THERE. SO THAT IS REALLY WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS -- THE IDEA WOULD BE TO -- TAKE IT FROM THE MINIMAL TO MAKE IT SOMETHING BETTER. SO WITH THAT, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION. I KNOW I WENT RATHER QUICKLY, BUT -- >> AND PETER FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS IS JUST TO ADD THE TOOLS TO THE TOOLBOX, EVERY AGREEMENT WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AND FOR THEIR EVALUATION WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE IMPACT DATA TO SHOW WHAT THE VALUE AND THE RETURN BAG TO THE CITY WOULD BE. >> THAT'S RIGHT. THE AGREEMENTS WOULD HAVE BE SO MUCH FOR THIS, AND SO MUCH FOR THAT, NOT JUST ONE SORT OF POT -- >> Mayor Muns: GOT IT. >> Tu: I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE REVITALIZATION, I LIKE THE IDEA, BUT WHAT -- HOW ARE WE APPROACHING THOSE RETAILERS WHO WE BELIEVE NEED TO UPDATE? I MEAN, DO WE APPROACH THE LANDLORD OR DO WE APPROACH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, OPERATING INSIDE THOSE RETAIL OUTLETS? >> SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS BOTH. AND TODAY THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN -- ONLINE, WHICH -- IT TALKED ABOUT THE -- THE CHRISTMAS WAREHOUSE ON 15th, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE THAT IS, INDEPENDENT, THEY ARE DOING A LIQUIDATION SALE. THEY'RE NOT EXITING THE PLACE AT ALL. BUT IT IS AN IMPETUS FOR ME TO REACH OUT, WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO REACH OUT TO THE LANDLORD, THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY TO SAY, HEY, IF THEY ARE LEAVING, ARE THEY NOT LEAVING, ARE YOU -- IS IT TIME TO DO A REFRESH? I NOTICE THAT IT WAS A LITTLE SORT OF BEHIND THE TIME, THEY CALLED ME BAC WITHIN MINUTES OF MY E-MAIL AND SAYING WE EACH CHATTED LONGER ABOUT THIS PROGRAM COMING UP, AND, YES, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THE PARKING LOT NEEDS TO BE REDONE, THE FACADE NEEDS TO BE REFRESHED, AND BECAUSE THE WAREHOUSE IS KIND OF GOING THROUGH A PHASE IN ITSELF, IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME, SO IT'S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY AND SEIZING THESE OPPORTUNITIES, A LOT OF TIME THE USES COME EITHER THROUGH THE PERMIT DEPARTMENT OR PLANNING, SO IT'S JUST COORDINATING WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO BUBBLE UP THOSE KIND OF OPPORTUNITY. >> Smith : MY QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, WHO GETS THE MONEY? I THINK THAT'S -- THAT'S -- >> >> OH, I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN. GENERALLY IT WOULD BE THE LANDLORD WHO GETS THE MONEY. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THERE'S OPERATING AGREEMENTS WHERE THERE'S A LEASING AGENT THAT HAS CONTROL OR PIECES OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES. A (INDISCERNIBLE) IS FAMOUS FOR THAT, THEY DON'T OWN IT OUTRIGHT, BUT THEY OWN A STAKE IN SOME OF THEM, BUT WE WOULD WORK WITH WHOMEVER, BUT THE GRANTS WOULD HOPEFULLY GO TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, IF NOT THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY WHO OWNS IT WHO IS DOING THE WORK. IT WOULDN'T BE CASH UP FRON I WOULD DEFINITELY BE A REIMBURSEMENT. >> PETER, BACK ON THE LANDSCAPING AND THE PAVING, OKAY, ONE OF THE ITEMS WE DISCUSSED I THINK WAS EVEN -- OR A MEETING AGO WAS PARKING. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GRAY DESERTS OUT THERE, LACK OF A BETTER TERM HERE. YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS KIND OF LIKE WE HAVE TOO MANY PARKING SPACES, SO WHEN -- WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND HELP THEM WITH PAVING AND/OR LANDSCAPING, TRYING TO BREAK THISP, I -- I SOMEWHAT HAVE A TOUGH TIME WITH THAT WHEN I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS A BETTER UTILIZATION OF THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY THERE. IS THAT SOMETHING WE LOOK AT WHEN WE START GOING THROUGH THIS. >> I DO. I THINK THE NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT RETAIL IS A MUCH MORE OPEN SPACE, FROM THIS EXAMPLE, IF THERE WAS A STRIP OF PARKING OUT FRONT, THE PEOPLE REMOVED THAT PARKING AND MADE PATIO SPACE, YOU COULD BUY FOOD THERE AND EAT IT, PREPARED FOOD. THEY HAD PLENTY OF PARKING. THEY DID SOME LANDSCAPING AROUND THE EDGES, NOT WITHIN THE INTERIOR, BECAUSE THE PROPERTY OWNER DIDN'T WANT THEM TO CARVE UP THE PAVEMENT, BUT EVEN ON HERE, THIS ONE, SAME THING, IS THERE -- DO YOU REALLY NEED PARKING SPACES OUT FRONT, CAN YOU EXTEND THE FACADE, MAKE THE BUILDING BIGGER, WHATEVER, I THINK WE WOULD CHALLENGE THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITH ALL OF THAT TO MAKE IT BETTER. IT'S REALLY ABOUT PARTNERING WITH THEM TO GET A BETTER PROJECT. >> Ricciardelli: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU, PETER, FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL OF THE THOUGHT THAT'S GONE INTO THIS. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE FINANCIAL ROI TO THE CITY ON SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS LIKE THE GREEN VINE FACADE, I LOVE THE GUARDRAIL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MENTIONED THAT EACH PROJECT WILL HAVE A NET FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO THE CITY. I THINK -- I THINK THAT IS A REALLY GOOD GUARDRAIL, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I MEAN, THAT IS EXCITING STUFF, AND ALSO EXCITING TO SEE THE REVITALIZATION. ONE QUESTION I HAD WAS I WAS ALSO VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE MENTION OF LOANS IN THE PURPOSE STATEMENT, MOST OF THE DOCUMENT I THINK TALKS OUT GRANTS, AND I DIDN'T SEE REALLY ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF LOANS. I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE EMPHASIS ON LOANS BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE PUBLIC FINANCE INVESTMENT ACT, YOU KNOW, IS, YOU KNOW, NOT EARNING AS MUCH AS SAY, YOU KNOW, AND S&P 500 INDEX FUND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO INVEST THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING NO OR LOW INTEREST LOANS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE FAIRLY LOW IMPACT TO THE CITY FINANCIALLY, BUT COULD REALLY ENABLE A PROPERTY OWNER TO DO SOMETHING THAT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO DO AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE GET THAT MONEY BACK IN THE END, INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING A GRANT. I'D LOVE TO SEE MAYBE MORE FOCUS ON THAT. >> I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE STAFF AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. >> Ricciardelli: YEAH. >> THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. I THINK WE HAVE THE TALENT TO DO THAT BUT NOT THE CAPACITY. >> Ricciardelli: GOT YA'. >> SOMETHING WE CERTAINLY COULD BUILD TOWARD. >> Ricciardelli: I GUESS WHAT I WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, IN PLACE SOME OF THESE GRANTS, SOME OF THESE THAT ARE KIND O ENVISIONED AS GRANTS HERE -- >> Mayor Muns: I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK LEGALLY ABOUT -- >> Ricciardelli: -- OH. >> Mayor Muns: US BEING A LIEN DOOR, BUT THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS. >> Ricciardelli: OKAY, GOT YA', ANYWAY, I'D LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT, SO THANK YOU. AND THEN I DID ONE JUST QUICK LAST QUESTION, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT STRIKES ME THAT THIS IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A MINIATURE VERSION ALL OVER THE CITY OF WHAT WE DID WITH COLLIN CREEK MALL, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY, RIGHT? [ LAUGHTER ] WELL, NO, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE HELPING TO SPUR REVITALIZATION THROUGH, YOU KNOW, PUBC FANCE INVOLVEMENT, AND ONE THING THAT AS YOU MAY REMEMBER WAS IMPORTANT TO ME ON THAT PROJECT WAS, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT WAS RIGHT SIZED TO THE FINANCIAL NEED OF THE DEVELOPER, TO MAKE THE PROJECT MAKE SENSE FOR THEM, TO MAKE IT PENCIL. I'D LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING IN THE POLICY WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF EVALUATE WHAT LEVEL, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE DEVELOPER AND THE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE, WHAT LEVEL OF CITY FINANCIAL PARTICIPY TO MAK THE REVITALIZATION HAPPEN. >> SURE. SO IN THIS CASE, THEY -- THE OWNER OF THE GROCERY STORE, NOT THE PROPERTY, WAS PUTTING ABOUT $4.5 MILLION INTO IT, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THERE, YOU COULD TELL HE SPENT EVERY PENNY OF IT. WE PUT IN 500, IT'S NOT -- IT'S ROUGHLY 10%. THE RULE OF THUMB WE TRY TO GO BY IS ROUGHLY 10%, IT SEEMS TO BE A GOOD SWEET SPOT, SO THAT IS WHAT WE COULD GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO DO. AGAIN, IT'S NOT TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING, IT'S SORT OF TO AUGMENT AND PUSH IT EVEN HIGHER. THIS IS GRE EXAMPLE OF OUR PHILOSOPHY AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, SO IT'S NOT LIKE COLLIN CREEK, IT'S MUCH MORE LIKE WE WERE DOING IN THE TIRZ. >> Ricciardelli: GOT YA'. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. THANKS FOR ALL THE THOUGHT THAT'S GONE INTO THIS. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU, PETER. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> Mayor Muns: APPRECIATE IT. ITEM 3, SHORT-TERM RENTAL UPDATE CHRISTINA? >> DAY: COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVES, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE WHERE WE ARE WITH SHORT-TERM RENTAL. JUST TO REMIND YOU, WE DO HAVE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL TASK FORCE, WE ARE STILL DOING THINGS. SO -- AND WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. SO WHAT I'VE GOT FOR YOU THIS EVENING, JUST HISTORY FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING, AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT, IN OCTOBER OF 22, YOU DIRECTED STAFF TO PREPARE SOME ITEMS TO BRING FORWARD BASED ON ARLINGTON'SODEL, THAT LED TO MAY, SOME ACTIONS RE-ADD DOPTED IN INTERIM BAND, AND COUNCIL APPOINTED A TASK FORCE. THE REGISTRATION ORDINANCE HAS BEEN TABLED SINCE THAT TIME, BUT WE'VE GOT THIS MODEL THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD AND WE'RE STILL IN THE OUTREACH AND DATA COLLECTION PHASE, WORKING WITH THE TASK FORCE MOVING FAIRLY QUICKLY TOWARD PERMANENT MEASURES. SO OUTREACH AND DATA COLLECTION PHASE I IS COMPLETE. PRESENTATION FROM THE TASK RCE D CONSULTANTS ON THAT. IT WAS THREE FINDINGS, 8 ISSUES, 7 CONSIDERATION, SO THE CHAIR WAS HERE, AND TALKED ABOUT THAT IN OCTOBER. STRATEGIES HAS DONE PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THROUGH OUR THIRD PARTY PROVIDER. SO IN PHASE II, WHAT ARE WE DOING? CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT'S BEING PROVIDED BY DECKARD TECHNOLOGIES. WE'VE HAD TWO TASK FORCE MEETINGS, ONE IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN ONE AGAIN LAST WEEK IN JANUARY, AND AT THAT MEETING, REALLY THROUGH THOSE TWO MEETIN, WE HAVE BASED ON THE PHASE I REPORT, THEY'VE GOT 30 ITEMS THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD FOR PUBLIC CONSIDERATION AT AN OPEN HOUSE, SO WE'RE GOING TO THROUGH THE PUBLIC. THOSE ARE THIS IN PERSON OPEN HOUSE IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7th, FROM 6 TO 8 P.M. IT WILL BE A COME AND GO EVENT, SIMILAR TO THE OPEN HOUSE WE HAD IN THE FIRST PHASE. ALSO AT EVENT 1013 HERE IN DOWNTOWN PLANO, SO WE HOPE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND JOIN US IF YOU'RE INTERESTED THIS THIS ISSUE. WE ALSO HAVE THAT ONLINE, SO MAYBE WHO MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE THAT NIGHT, THE SAME CONTENT WILL BE AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 5 THROUGH FEBRUARY 11, AND THAT IS AT PLANO STR.COM . SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US FEEDBACK ON KIND OF WHERE THEY THINK -- THEY THINK WE'RE HEADED THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO AFTER THAT, WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT ALL THAT FEEDBACK THROUGH THE OPENOUSE PROCESS, HE ATHER MEIN WITH THE TASK FORCE ON FEBRUARY 28th THAT IS PLANNED TO BE THE LAST MEETING, AND FEBRUARY WE WILL BE GIN WORKING WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ON. [ LAPSE IN AUDIO ] AND WHAT THOSE ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE. WE THINK THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME, SO START THROUGH THE WORK SESSION, START INTRODUCING THAT INFORMATION TO P&Z, CALL A PUBLIC HEARING SO WE CAN GET THAT RECOMMENDATION BACK TO CITY COUNCILIN A TIMELY MANNER. AND ON THE OPEN HOUSE, WE HAVE -- WE ARE PROMOTING THAT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. WE HAVE A PRESS RELEASE BEING DRAFTED AS WELL AS POST CARDS THAT ARE BEING SENT OUT TO RESIDENTIAL OWNERS AND ADDRESSES CITYWIDE. I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THIS ACTIVITY. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHRISTINA REGARDING THE UPDATE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> MayoT ITEM IS ITEM 4, QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT. MARK? WELCOME. >> GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL AND MAYOR. MY NAME IS MARK WHITNEY, I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT FOR THE YEAR-END SEPTEMBER 30th, 2023. GOING TO START WITH A QUICK ECONOMIC UPDATE AND MARKET UPDATE, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY NEWER. THOSE REPORTS ARE GOING TO COME FROM OCTOBER THRGH DECEMBER. START WITH INFLATION. THERE WAS N NOVEMBER, NO CHANGE IN OCTOBER. IT HAS REMAINED STEADY AT 3.1%, WHICH IS WHAT THE FEDERAL FUNDS IS TRYING TO MINIMIZE, BUT STEADY IS BETTER THAN INCREASING. THE GDP ROSE 2.1% IN THE SECOND QUARTER FOR A 4.9% TOTAL ANNUAL INCREASE. SO WE'RE STILL SEEING STEADY GROWTH, AND THEY WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE A SOFT LANDING WITH ALL OFHEIRARKET CHANGES, ALL THOSE RATE INCREASES. MOVING ONTO THE LABOR, THAT ALSO WAS UNCHANGED IN DECEMBER. AND THAT REMAINS AT 3.7%. SO UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS STILL IN AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL. GOING ONTO THE MARKET UPDATE, THE TWO-YEAR TREASURY BENCHMARK THAT INCREASED EACH MONTH OF THE QUARTER FROM 4.6 OF 2.53%. OUR YIELD FOR THE PORTFOLIO WAS 2.84% TOTAL RETURN. AND YOU WILL SEE AT THE BOTTOM, THEY MADE NO CHANGES TO THE INTEREST RATES THE ENTIRE QUARTER. AND MOVING FORWARD FOR SEPTEMBER, NOVEMBER, AND DECEMBER, THAT WAS A CHANGE BECAUSE THERE WAS AN EXPECTED INCREASE IN DECEMBER, BUT DUE TO THE MARKET DATA, THEY DECIDED NOT TO MEET INCREASED RATES IN DECEMBER AND INSTEAD TO HOLD IT FLAT. THAT CHANGE DID DROP INTEREST RATES IN DECEMBER, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MOVING FORWARD. THIS WAS A COPY OF THEIR RELEASE. JUST MENTIONING THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT MARKET CONDITIONS AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON WHAT THEY SEE. WITH INFLATION STAYING STILL, UNEMPLOYMENT STAYING STILL, THEY'RE HOLDING THAT MARKET RATE OF 5.5% CURRENTLY. AFTER THE SIX-MONTH, TWO-YEAR, AND TEN-YEAR TREASURY, YOU'LL SEE THE CONSTANT INCREASES WITH THE HISTORIC INCREASED RATES THAT WE'VE EN, BUT THEY ARE STARTING TO FLTEN F. THE TREASURY YIELD CURVE REMAINS INVERTED THROUGH THESE TIMES. NOW THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN CUTTING RATES IN 2024, YOU WILL SEE THAT YIELD CURVE START TO CHANGE TO A MORE TRADITIONAL YIELD CURVE WHERE SHORT-TERM RATES ARE LOWER THAN LONG-TERM, BUT WE STILL REMAIN IN AN INVERTED YIELD CURVE ENVIRONMENT AT THIS MOMENT. S&P 500, BECAUSE THE FEDERAL RESERVE WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT SOFT LANDING WITH THE ECONOMY, THE MARKET HAS ACTUALLY CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN AND HAS ACTUALLY RALLIED SINCE THAT DECEMBER 13th MEETING AND HAS INCREASED TO ABOUT 4700 VALUE FOR THE S&P 500 INDEX. MOVING ON TO PARTS OF OUR INVESTMENTS. DURING THE QUARTER, WE HAD ROUGHLY 80 -- JUST OVER $80 MILLION MATURE AND/OR GET CALLED. AND THEN WE REINVESTED ALMOST $18 MILLION OF THAT. THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT IS MAINLY BECAUSE OF OUR 91 IN DEBT SERVICE OF $43 MILLION TAKES UP A LARGE PORTION OF WHAT WAS TIED TO THOSE MATURITIES, BUT WE DID REINVEST WHAT WE COULD. THIS SHOWS OUR MATURITY LADDER. WE OPERATE ON A NONCALLABLE INVESTMENT BASIS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT LADDER THAT GIVES US A HIGHER AVERAGE RETURN OVER TIMES, NO MATTER WHAT THE MARKET CONDITIONS ARE, WHETHER THAT'S RAISING RATES OR DECREASING RATES. AND YOU'LL SEE THE 48% IN THAT SHORT-TERM THAT INCLUDES 20% OF INCLUDE LIQUIDITY AND ANOTHER 20%, 28% OF LONG-TERM MATURITIES THAT ARE ABOUT TO MATURE THAT CAN BE REINVESTED. WE WILL BE TARGETING THE FIVE-YEAR AREA TO TRY TO LOCK IN ANY OF THE RATES THAT WE CAN BEFORE THEY DECLINE ANY FURTHER. MOVING ONTO THE PERFORMANCE, YOU WILL SEE PLANO PORTFOLIO YIELD, LIKE I MENTIONED, WAS 2.84%, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 16 BASIS POINTS OF LAST QUARTER, 2.71%, AND IT WAS ABOUT 1.84% AT YEAR END LAST YEAR. SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE INCREASES, GRADUAL INCREASES, BUT THAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE PORTFOLIO, AND THAT DOES, LIKE I MENTIONED, GIVE US THE BEST YIELD OVER TIME. AND YOU'LL SEE WE EARNED 5 MILLION, ALMOST 5.1 MILLION IN INTEREST THIS QUARTER OF A TOTAL OF 17.5 MILLION TOTAL INTEREST REVENUE OF THE YEAR. THIS IS GRAPHIC FORM. THE BLUE IS THE PORTFOLIO YIELD. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GRADUAL INCREASES WHILE RATES ARE GOING UP OF THE PORTFOLIO, AND YOU CAN EXPECT FOR OUR PORTFOLIO YIELD TO INCREASE WHILE WE REINVEST THOSE MATURING NUMBERS THAT ARE JUMPING OFF THE PORTFOLIO THAT HAVE LOWER INTEREST. HERE'S A MAKEUP OF THE PORTFOLIO. WE ARE HEAVY IN THE MUNI MARKET BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE HIGHEST YIELDS HAVE BEEN RECENTLY OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. THE PORTFOLIO ALLOWS US TO GO UP 50% MAXIMUM. WE'VE REMAINED CLOSE TO THE 40 TO 45 TO MAXIMIZE THAT AREA WHILE U.S. AGENCIES IS AROUND %. CDs AND U.S. TREASURIES ARE VERY LOW SPREAD, SO WE ARE LIGHTLY INVESTED IN THOSE AREAS. THIS SHOWS OUR BOOK VALUES AT & THE END OF EVERY QUARTER. IT'S VERY CYCLICAL. YOU WILL SEE A DROPOFF THERE IN SEPTEMBER, AS WE HAVE A DRAWDOWN, BUT THAT IS ANTICIPATED AND GOES ALONG -- YOU STILL SEE THE TREND OF AN UPWARD LINE EVERY YEAR, AND WE ARE VERY CONSISTENT IN HOWHE TY MANAGES ITS FUNDS. JUST A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING AND HOW IT'S BROKEN OUT BETWEEN QUARTERS. AND HERE YOU WILL SEE THAT DROP IN BOOK VALUE. BUT AGAIN, IT'S CYCLICAL AND EXPECTED. IT STILL HAS AN INCREASE OVER YEAR END LAST YEAR AND SO WE'RE HAPPY WITH THOSE RESULTS. AND THIS CHART GRAPHICAL FORM OF THE EQUITY IN THE TREASURY POOL, AGAIN, CONSISTENCY IS KEY, AND THE CITY HAS DONE THAT VERY WELL. THERE'S NO CHANGES TO OUR INVESTMENT POLICY AS OF THIS MOMENT. WE DO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT JUST IN CASE THERE ARE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE. AT THIS TIME, THERE'S NO CHANGES TO THE POLICY. OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. >> Mayor Muns: THANKS, MARK. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARK ON THE REPORT? WELL DONE. >> APPRECIATE IT, THANK YOU. >> Mayor Muns: ALL RIGHT. NEXT IM IS CONSENT AND REGULAR AGENDAS. ANY ITEMS A COUNCILMEMBER WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE? >> Ricciardelli: MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO REMOVE ITEM I, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT. >> Mayor Muns: ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM, COUNCIL ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION ON FUTURE AGENDAS. YEAH. >> Williams: FITTINGLY, ON A FUTURE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ITEM WE RECENTLY PASSED ABOUT GETTING NEW ITEMS ON THE FUTURE AGENDA. [ LAUGHTER ] JUST A COUPLE OBSERVATIONS I HAD AFTER THE FACT THAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH COUNCIL. >> I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING. >> Williams: WE RECENTLY PASSED AN UPDATE, A RESOLUTION ABOUT HOW WE PUT FUTURE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. >> (INDISCERNIBLE). >> Williams: THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S ALWAY BEEN TWO PEOPLE. IF A REQUEST HAD SIGNIFICANT STAFF TIME, WHICH WAS KIND OF ILL DEFINED IN THE RESOLUTION, I'D LIKE TO PUT SOME GUIDELINES TO THAT. AND ALSO AS IT PERTAINED TO BOAR AND COMMISSIONS, THERE WAS THE FURTHER STEP, AND I OVERLOOKED THIS ONE RATING THE RESOLUTION, THERE WAS A THIRD STEP IF A BOARD AND COMMISSION WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BOARD AND COMMISSION AGENDA, COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT TO GO ON THE BOARD AND COMMISSION AGENDA, AND I THINK THERE SHOULD PROBABLY BE A THRESHOLD FOR WHICH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS CAN GET SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN AGENDA WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL, ESPECIALLY IF IT REQUIRES A TIMELY TURN-AROUND. >> SO COUNCILMAN, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE BOARD AND COMMISSION SIDE OF THINGS IS TWO-HOUR SORT OF INVESTMENT VERSUS THE MORE SIGNIFICANT SIDE OF THINGS. THE CHALLENGE BECOMES EXTENSIVE AGENDAS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT NECESSARILY ALIGN WITH THE COU COUNCIL AGENDA. SO THE ISSUE WE'RE FACING IS RESOURCE CONSTRAINT. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE REQUESTS THAT DON'T ALIGN NECESSARILY WITH THE COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC VISION, THEN WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO A CHALLENGE THAT SAYS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS CITY COUNCIL. THE STAFF, HOWEVER, WORK THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER. AND THE STAFF ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO TAKE RESOURCES AND APPLY THEM AS THEY WISH OUTSIDE OF THE COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC GOALS, YOUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND YOUR BUDGET BOTH ADOPTED OUTLINE THE STRATEGIC PATH FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. AND I'M ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH CLARIFYING AND GETTING CLARITY TO THIS. BUT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WORK WITHIN THAT BUDGET THAT YOU PASSED. THEY WORK WITHIN THAT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK THAT YOU PASSED. AND THAT'S A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO THIS BECAUSE IF WE END UP WITH A POLICY THAT GOES BEYOND THAT, I THINK WE NEED TO REVISIT RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO END UP BEING A CHALLENGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE COUNCIL GOALS. >> Williams: AGREED. AND WHAT I HAD IN MIND WAS CREATING -- DEFINING A THRESHOLD BY WHICH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS COULD PUT SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN AGENDA WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL. OBVIOUSLY, IF IT'S GOING TO ENTAIL SIGNIFICANT RESOURCESR THT CONTRARY TO COUNCIL'S GOALS, THEN THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT MATTER. >> SO IF COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS TO SEE IF WE COULD WORK ON SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL TO LOOK AT, IF THAT'S COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK THROUGH SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT. >> I THOUGHT THE RESOLUTION SAID WE WEREN'T BRINGING THINGS BACK AFTE WE HAD -- ISN'T THAT WHAT IT SAYS WE'RE NOT BRINGING IT BACK AFTER SIX MONTHS? >> IT DOES SAY FOR SIX MONTHS. I'M FINE WITH WAITING FOR SIX MONTHS IF YOU WANTED TO. >> YEAH, SHELBY. [ LAUGHTER ]. >> Williams: FOR RECONSIDERATION, THAT'S WHAT IT SPECIFIED, I THOUGHT. IF WE DISCUSSED SOMETHING AND IT WAS DECIDED, THEN WE WOULDN'T BRING IT BACK FOR REKORGS. >> Prince: BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT SO WE DON'T KEEP COMING BACK. WE MAKE A DECISION AND WE DON'T KEEP COMING BACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN. >> Williams: THE MAIN THING I'M LOOKING AT THIS RESOLUTION FOR IS CLARIFICATION. A LITTLE BIT BETTER DEFINITION. >> Mayor Muns: I MEAN, I'M NOT LOOKING AT IT, SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED? >> Tu: CAN WE JUST MAKE IT INTO A POLICY STATEMENT RATHER THAN CHANGING THE ENTIRE RESOLUTION? >> Williams: HOW ABOUT I WORK WITH MARK ON THIS AND THEN -- >> Mayor Muns: THAT'S FINE. >> Williams: I'M NOT LOOKING AT CHANGING THE ENTIRE RESOLUTION. >> Mayor Muns: OKAY. WE'LL LET YOU TWO WORK ON THAT, AND THEN WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM YOU. >> SO IT'S SEEKING CLARIFICATION ONLY. >> Mayor Muns: ONLY, CORRECT. >> GOT IT, THANK U. >> Mayor Muns:S EVERYDY OY WITH THAT? OKAY, ALL RIGHT. WE'LL TAKE A RECESS AND RETURN AT 7:00. (RECESS) . >> Mayor Muns: I NOW DECLARE THAT THE PLANO CITY COUNCIL IS RECONVENED INTO OPEN SESSION, THAT ALL MEMBERS APRENT. COUNCILMEMBER SMITH WILL BE ON ZOOM. WE'LL BEGIN TONIGHT'S REGULAR MEETING WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR ASHISH MATHEW WITH COMMISSION CHURCH. AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND TEXAS PLEDGE LED BY GIRL SCOUT TROOP 4583 WITH SHEPARD ELEMENTARY AND WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOLS. WOULD YOU PLEASE RISE? >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INVITE MY WIFE SONYA AND I ON DAY 15 OF OUR 21-DAY FAST AS WE PRAY FOR THE CITY OF PLANO. BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU WITH HEARTS FILLED WITH GRATITUDE. WE THANK YOU FOR BEING A GOD OF LOVE WHO IS WITH US NOW IN THIS VERY ROOM. WE THANK YOU FOR MAKING EACH OF US IN THIS ROOM AND EVERY CITIZEN OF THIS CITY IN YOUR OWN IMAGE WITH DIGNITY AND WITH INFINITE WORTH. THANK YOU THAT YOUR SON JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND NOW REIGNS AS KING ON HEAVEN AND EARTH AND THE CITY OF PLANO. I PRAY OUR CITY WOULD BE KNOWN AS A RIGHTEOUS CITY, A CITY OF PEACE AND A CITY OF HOPE, A CITY WITH HAPPY HOMES, A CITY THAT WELCOMES THE STRANGER, A CITY THAT CARES FOR THE ORPHAN, THE WIDOW, THE NEEDY, THAT DEFENDS THE INNOCENT FROM EVIL DOERS AND A CITY THAT CONFESSES JESUS AS LORD. I THANK YOU TONIGHT FOR YOUR SERVANTS, OUR MAYOR, CITY STAFF AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS. I GIVE THANKS FOR THE WAY OF SERVICE THEY'VE CHOSEN TO TAKE UP ON BALF OFLL OF U HERE. WE ALL COME TO THIS ROOM TONIGHT AS COMPLEX HUMAN BEINGS, SOME OF US BROKEN, SOME OF CARRYING BURDENS. MANY CARRYING JOY AND HOPE, TRUSTING YOU ALONE CAN HOLD US TOGETHER IN A SEASON LIKE THIS. THERE ARE MANY HERE LOOKING TO VOICE THEIR PAINS AND CONCERNS TO THESE ELECTED SERVANTS. MORE THAN OUR FEARS AND OUR WOUNDS AND EVEN OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, MAY WE LEAN IN ON YOUR EVERLASTING ARMS TONIGHT. THE APOSTLE PAUL WRITING TO THE CHRISTIANS IN ROME THAT TELLS US THAT THOSE IN AUTHORITY ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST SERVANTS, LORD, OF YOU. AND THAT HONORING YOU AND DOING YOUR WILL IS THEIR HIGHEST PURPOSE. ANY PORTION OF POWER THEY ENJOY IS GIVEN BY YOU AND YOU ALONE, AND IT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY AT ANY TIME. AND SO WE PRAY TODAY THAT YOU WOULD BE GLORIFIED TONIGHT THROUGH THE DECISIONS OF THIS CITY COUNCIL. WE PRAY THAT YOUR KINGDOM WOULD COME IN PLANO. WE PRAY FOR WISDOM, FOR STRENGTH, FOR COURAGE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD FOR ALL CITIZENS. IT'S MY PRAYER TODAY THAT OUR CITY WOULD BE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY THAT LOVES ONE ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE HATE AND DIVISIVNESS THAT RUNS RAMPANT IN OUR TIME, I PRAY FOR PEACE, UNITY, AND REVIVAL IN OUR CITY, STATE, AND NATION. HELP US, LORD, TO TURN FROM OUR EVIL WAYS AND EXPERIENCE HEALING. ONCE AGAIN, WE THANK YOU TONIGHT FOR OUR COUNCILMEMBERS, OUR MAYOR, OUR CITY STAFF, AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND ALL THOSE WHO WORK TO MAKE THIS PLACE WE I PRAY THI PRAR IN TH RFUL CITY. POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. (TEXAS PLEDGE) . >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. BE SEATED. OKAY. WE HAVE FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE BEING RECERTIFIED AS THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD. PLANO'S BEST NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGNATION WAS DEVELOPED TO RECOGNIZE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE CREATED A COMMUNITY THAT IS BEAUTIFUL, ENGAGED, SAFE, AND THRIVING. SO I'D LIKE TO CALL FORWARD CURTIS HOWARD, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, KSHA SYRIANO, NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT MANAGER. STEPHANIE PEACOCK, NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH COORDINATOR FROM SHULL CREEK, PHILIP SMITH, BOARD VICE CHAIR. FROM GLEN HOLLOW ESTATES, JUSTIN REINHART, TREASURER, LISA MARIE REZNICK WILLIAMS AND LOUIS HOLTZ PRESIDENT. AND THEN FROM FOREST CREEK NORTH, BILL BURLY, TREASURER, STEVE SHAW, PRESIDENT, AND DYLAN SHANKER, BOARD MEMBER. FINALLY, FROM FOREST CREEK ESTATES, TOM, AND JENNIFER. KEISHA, I'M GOING TO HAND THE MICROPHONE OVER TO YOU. LET YOU SAY A FEW WORDS. >> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M KEISHA, NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT MANAGER. FIRST JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. WE HAVE FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS THIS YEAR. THEY'RE ALL BEING CERTIFIE MO OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS RECEIVED THEIR INITIAL DESIGNATION IN 2017 OR 2018, SO THEY'RE JUST BEING RECERTIFIED. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THEY'VE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AS BEAUTIFUL, ENGAGED, SAFE, AND THRIVING. THEY DO SOME AWESOME PROJECTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY TO KEEP THEIR RESIDENTS ENGAGED AND CONNECTED. THERE ARE SOME THAT DO VOLUNTEER WORK. THEY'RE KEEPING THEIR FRONT AREAS BEAUTIFUL. THEY JUST DO A LOT. WE WERE AMAZED WITH THE PRESENTATIONS THIS YEAR FROM THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THEY DO TO WHERE NEXT YEAR WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH OUR APPLICATION A BIT AND GO TO THEM AND HAVE THEM SHOW US THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BEST NEIGHBORHOOD, CONTACT OUR OFFICE. OUR BEST NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT. YOU CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO ALL O OF THEM HAVE AGREED TO MENTOR OR COACH A NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP YOU GET UP TO WHERE THEY ARE. OUR APPLICATION FOR THIS PROGRAM COMES OUT IN AUGUST, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, BY ALL MEANS, REACH OUT TO US. BUT AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE COLLABORATING WITH YOU ON YOUR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. >> SO WE NEED TO TAKE A PICTURE. HOW IS THAT GOING TO LOOK? [ LAUGHTER ] WE NEED TO GET CLOSER, DON'T WE? WELL, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING PLANO A CITY OF EXCELLENCE AND A CITY OF GREAT COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ] [ LAUGHTER ] >> (OFF MIC) >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> Mayor Muns: OKAY. MOVING ON TO CONSENT AGENDA. >> City Clerk: THE CONSENT AGENDA. THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE ACTED UPON IN ONE MOTION AND CONTAINS ITEMS WHICH ARE ROUTINE AND TYPICALLY NONCONTROVERSIAL. ITEMS MAY BE REMOVED FROM THIS AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE CITY MANAGER ORNY CITIZENTHE PRESIDIH TIME LIMITS BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKER REQUESTS. >> Mayor Muns: GO AHEAD. >> Ricciardelli: MR. MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA EXCEPT FOR ITEM I. >> SECOND. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM I. PLEASE VOTE. HOW DO YOU VOTE, RICK? THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES 8-0. ITEM I. >> City Clerk: ITEM I. TO APPROVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PLANO, TEXAS, AND ASSA ABLOY GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, INC., A TEXAS CORPORATION PROVIDING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT TO THE COMPANY; AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS. >> Mayor Muns: ANTHON >> Mayor Muns:. >>iccidelli: THANK YOU, MAYOR, I PULLED THIS ITEM FOR REASONS WE DISCUSSED MORE IN DEPTH WHEN WE HAD THIS PRESENTED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. FROM EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED ABOUT IT, I THINK IT'S A GREAT COMPANY, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO WELCOME THEM TO THE CITY OF PLANO, BUT FOR THE REASONS I DISCUSSED DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION, I THINK THE FINANCIAL RETURN TO THE CITY ON THIS PARTICULAR INCENTIVE AGREEMENT IS NOT THERE, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF THE INCENTIVE. I WOULD VOTE FOR A LOWER INCENTIVE, BUT I DON'T THINK THE FINANCIAL ROI IS THERE ON THIS ONE. SO I WILL TAKE A SMART BREVITY APPROACH AND STOP THERE. I'M GSSING IT'S GOING TO PASS, AND I WILL CONGRATULATE THEM AND WELCOME THEM TO THE COMMUNITY. >> I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. >> SECOND. >> Mayor Muns: I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM I IN THE CONSENT AGENDA. PLEASE VOTE. RICK? >> Smith: YES. >> Mayor Muns: MOTION PASSES 7-1. NEXT ITEM. >> City Clerk: PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. APPLICANTS ARE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES PRESENTATION TIME WITH A FIVE-MINUTE REBUTTAL, IF NEEDED. REMAINING SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO 30 TOTAL MINUTES OF TESTIMONY TIME, WITH THREE MINUTES ASSIGNED PER SPEAKER. THE PRESIDING OFFICER MAY AMEND THESE TIMES AS DEEMED NECESSARY. NONPUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL PERMIT PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA NOT POSTED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL ESTABLISH TIME LIMITS BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKER REQUESTS, LENGTH OF THE AGENDA, AND TO ENSURE MEETING EFFICIENCY, AND MAY INCLUDE A CUMULATI TIME LIMIT. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED UNTIL THE CUMULATIVE TIME IS EXHAUSTED. ITEM NUMBER ONE. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2022-2023 HOME-AMERICAN RESCUE PROGRAM ALLOCATION PLAN FOR THE USE OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PROGRAM FUNDS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. OR EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I AM HERE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU THIS PROPOSAL TO AMEND OR SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT ON OUR ALLOCATION PLAN. WE'RERYINO CLEAN UP LANGUAGE AFTER WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM A CONSULTANT TO TRY AND MAKE SURE IF WE WE WERE EVER LOOKED AT IN THE FUTURE, THAT WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING CORRECTLY. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. FIRST OF ALL, IN APRIL OF 2021, HUD PROVIDED NOTICE THAT WE WER ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS FUNDING. WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TALKING WITH COUNCIL, KIND OF GIVING YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WERE GOING TO USE THIS MONEY FOR AND GETTING YOUR INPUT BEFORE COMING UP WITH THE FINAL PLAN. WE HED A CONSULTANT TO COME UP WITH THE PLAN. THEY HELPED DRAFT THE PLAN. WE THEN PROVIDED THAT TO YOU AND THEN COUNCIL APPROVED THE PLAN IN JANUARY OF 2023. WE SUBMITTED THAT TO HUD THE NEXT MONTH, AND HUD APPROVED THAT PLAN. SO WHAT HAPPENED IS, DURING THE SUMMERTIME, WE HAD STAFF, THEY WENT AND THEY WERE TALKING TO HUD OFFICIALS, AND SOME QUESTIONS CAME UP BASED UPON SOME OF THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF THIS PLAN THAT CAUSED SOME QUESTIONS WITH OUR STAFF. D SO AFTER A BACK AND FORTH WITH HUD OFFICIALS, THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE GET A CONSULTANT, A HUD CONSULTANT TO HELP US LOOK AT IT. WE DID SO. AND THE HUD CONSULTANT CAME UP WITH THIS PROPOSED LANGUAGE THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET THE CRITERIA SET OUT BY THE HUD PROGRAM. SO JUST SOME RECOMMENDED CHANGES. FIRST IS TO ENSURE THAT THE STATED QUALIFYING POPULATIONS THAT WERE RECEIVING ASSISTANCE FROM THIS HOME ARE PLANNED. THEY MEET THE HUD REQUIREMENTS. THE LANGUAGE WE USED IS WE UD TARGETED AND WORDS MATTER IN THESE SORTS OF THINGS. QUALIFIED POPULATIONS IS THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE WE DID. SO WE'RE CLEANING THAT UP. ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO DID NOT DO IS CLARIFY OUR PREFERENCES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE SHOW HOW WE WANT TO ALLOCATE THIS MONEY. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'LL RESTRICT OTHERS WHO QUALIFY. OUR PREFERENCES WILL BE TALKED ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT. ALSO BECAUSE OF THE TIME WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SORT OF THING, WE WERE GOING TO CHANGE THE ALLOCATION TO SHOW HOW WE HAVE BN USING THAT, JUS TO BETTER EXPLAIN TO COUNCIL HOW WE'RE USING THOSE FUNDS. THE QUALIFYING POPULATIONS, HUD HAS FOUR QUALIFYING POPULATIONS, HOMELESSNESS OR HOMELESS AS DEFINED IN THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. BASICALLY PEOPLE WHO EITHER DO NOT HAVE A HOME OR ARE AT SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOME IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. ALSO AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS NOT QUITE AS IMMINENT AS THE FIRST DEFINITION. FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO FLEE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DEALING WITH VICTIMS OF VARIOUS CRIMINAL P OFFENSES WOULD BE THE THIRD CRITERIA. THE CATCH-ALL CRITERIA IS NUMBER FOUR THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT FIT IN THE FIRST THREE MIGHT FALL INTO THAT CATCH-ALL CRITERIA THERE. AND SO THE PREFERENCES THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN IN THIS CASE ARE GOING TO BE DEFINITION NUMBER ONE HOMELESS. ALSO THE CATCH-ALL PROVISION THAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO YOU RIGHT THERE. THAT ALSO HAS SOME INCOME LIMITATIONS TO IT THAT ARE PART OF THAT PROCESS. AS FARS THE ALLOCATION WE HAVE, WE BASICALLY TOOK $45,000 AWAY FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, FROM THE CITY OF PLANO. WE DID NOT NEED THAT MONEY, AND SO 25,000 OF IT WENT BACK TO ADMINISTRATION FOR THOSE AGENCIES, THOSE NONPROFITS THAT ARE HELPING US ALLOCATE THAT MONEY. THEN ABOUT 20,000 WENT TO ACTUALLY DIRECT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED. AND FINALLY, THE FINAL STEPS HERE, SUBMIT IT TOUD FOR REAPPROVAL AFTER WE'VE MADE CHANGES AND HUD HAS A PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH TO APPROVE IT IF THEY WANT OR LET US KNOW WHAT THEY WANT US TO CHANGE. SO WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD. >> Tu: CURTIS, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE VERY LAST SLIDE FROM THE AMOUNT OF MONEY? HOW DID YOU GET FROM $50,000 TO $5,000 IN ADMINISTRATION FEE? >> WHEN WE INITIALLY DID THIS, WE WERE LOOKING AT ADMINISTRATIVE FEES FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS. THIS HOME ARPA MONEY, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER GRANT MONEY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO USE THAT TO PAY FOR THOSE STAFF MEMBERS. SO WHEN THEY DID THIS, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE. BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER FUNDS THAT WE'RE USING FOR THAT, WE DON'T NEED NEARLY THAT MUCH. SO WE DROPPED IT DOWN $45,000. >> Tu: SO FOR THE CITY OF PLANO, IT CAME DOWN BY $45,000, BUT THE RECIPIENT, WHO ARE THEY THAT THEY'RE GETTING AN INCREASE? >> TEXAS MUSLIM WOMEN'S FOUNDATION AND COLON COUNTY -- >> BUT IT'S NOT RELATED TO CITY OF PLANO. IT'S PEOPLE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? >> YES, COUNCILWOMAN, THAT'S CORRECT. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? RICK, I SEE YOU. GO AHEAD. >> Smith: THANK YOU. CURTIS, I THINK THIS IS GREAT. ONE QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK OF YOU, WHAT HAVE WE DONE, IF ANYTHING, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN GET THIS FUNDING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE QUALIFYING POPULATIONS THAT REALLY NEED IT IN THE SIMPLEST, LESS-RED-TAPE MANNER POSSIBLE? >> SO OUR CONTRACTS, OUR AGREEMENTS WITH THOSE NONPROFITS AND PROVIDING THEM FUNDING. I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THIS FUNDING OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME. SO WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE AS FAR AS THAT GOES. SO I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY CONCERN WE HAVE AS FAR AS THE RED TAPE THAT MIGHT BE GOING FORWARD, THAT MIGHT BE PART OF THIS PROCESS. THAT DOES NOT SEE TBE AN IMPAIRMENT IN GETTING THIS FUNDING TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. >> Smith: OKAY. THAT'S COME UP BEFORE THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE TENDS TO BE LONGER LISTS THAN WE CAN TAKE CARE OF. AND TO BE SURE THAT THE FUNDS DO GET IMPLEMENTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMEONE BEING SORT OF IN NEED OF BEING OR POSSIBLY HOMELESS AND ACTUALLY ENDED UP I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN SITUATIONS. >> AND COUNCILMAN SMITH, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER BUCKETS OF MONEY WE CAN USE TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY. >> Smith: RIGHT. CURTIS, THANK YOU AGAIN. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. THANKS CURTIS. APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> Mayor Muns: I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. >> City Clerk: WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. THE FIRST ONE IS ALEX STEIN. ALEX STEIN. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ONTO THE SECOND SPEAKER, WHICH IS RICHARD GRADY. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, CITY STAFF. I AM RICK GRADY, 8413 BUXTON COURT, PRESIDENT OF THE COLLIN COUNTY HOMELESS COALITION. I URGE YOU TO PASS AND APPROVE THIS MEASURE TONIGHT. THE FUNDS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY TO HELP THE HOMELESS AND THOSE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID ARE NEAR EXHAUSTED OR TOTALLY EXHAUSTED AT THIS POINT. I HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TALKING WITH AGENCIES AROUND THE CITY, AND THEY ARE IN DESPERATE NEED. THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU AND THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH IS NEARLY TWO YEARS OLD. MANY OF THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE PROVIDED INFORMATION TO YOU FROM THE SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT AND AMENDMENT WERE TALKED TO IN JANUARY OF 2022. SOME OF THEM IN MAY OF 2022. THE COUNT YOU HAVE DATA WITH IS IN 2022. LOTS OF CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE THEN. SO THE NEED IS ABSOLUTELY GREAT. RENTS HAVE GONE UP APPROXIMATELY 13% BY REAL WEALTH, WHICH IS AN INVESTMENT ADVISOR TO THOSE THAT INVEST IN REAL ESTATE. THE ST. LOUIS FED SAYS MORTGAGE RATES IN 2022 WITH 2.65%. TODAY THEY'RE 6.8. HOUSING IS SHORT. HUD GIVES US A COUNT EVERY YEAR. IN 2022, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, WE HAD 582,000 PEOPLE THAT WERE HOMELESS EVERY SINGLE DAY. LAST YEAR, 653,000 PEOPLE WERE HOMELESS EVERY SINGLE DAY. THIS COMING THURSDAY, WE'LL BEGIN IN THIS CHAMBER, THE PIT COUNT, TO FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS THIS YEAR. AND HUD IS ESTIMATING THAT THAT POSSIBILITY WILL GROW 13%. UTILITIES HAVE GONE UP. I ENCOURAGE OUR COUNCILMEMBERS TO ALS -- AND OUR CITY STAFF TO ALSO LOOK AT NOT ONLY DISTRIBUTING MONEY TO TXU BUT ALSO TO COSERV. THAT IS A COSERV AREA AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDING FOR COSERV. SO AGAIN, THE DATA YOU'RE SEEING IS OLD, BUT IT IS OKAY TO HAVE THIS HISTORICAL DATA, KNOWING THAT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. I URGE YOU, AGAIN, AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLIN COUNTY HOMELESS COALITION, TO APPROVE THIS MEASURE TONIGHT AND GET TH QUICKLY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. I COMMEND YOU FOR TAKING DOWN THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FROM $50,000 TO $5,000 TO PUT THE EXTRA $45,000 TO WORK WITH CASE MANAGEMENT AND ON THE STREET. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU, RICK. ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, CONFINE THE COMMENTS TO THE COUNCIL >> CURTIS, CAN I ASK ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION? SO AS FAR AS PUTTING THE MONEY ON THE STREET, THIS MONEY HAS BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE -- TO SUBRECIPIENTS. SO THE TWO SUBRECIPIENTS OF THE ASSISTANCE CENTER AND THE MUSLIM WOMEN'S FOUNDATION HAVE HAD ACCESS TO THESE FUNDS SINCE, I THINK, 2022 WHEN WE ALLOCATED THOSE FUNDS OUT, CORRECT? >> (OFF MIC). >> I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCESS TO THIS, THAT THE SUBRECIPIENTS HAVE HAD ACCESS TO IT. WHILE IT MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO THE FINAL FOLKS, I DIDN'T WANT FOLKS TO THINK WE HAD ACCESS TO IT. THEY HAD ACCESS THE ENTIRE TIME. >> Ricciardelli: A QUICK QUESTION FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT FORMER COUNCILMEMBER GRADY SAID ABOUT COSERV. I GUESS I WAS WONDERING, IS IT CORRECT ONLY CERTAIN UTILITY PROVIDERS WITHIN THE CITY HAVE ACCESS TO ASSISTNCE FUNDS AND RESIDENTS SERVED BY COSERV ARE NOT CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR THAT OR IS THERE A WAY FOR THEM TO RECEIVE IF MERITED? >> COSERV IS A CO-OP, SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A FOR-PROFIT UTILITY. SO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WITHIN THAT. I'D HAVE TO GET CURTIS TO REFRESH ON WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE. AS A CO-OP, THEY HAVE ALMOST A CERTAIN PHILANTHROPIC PROGRAM TO THAT. CURTIS, IF YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION, THAT'S GREAT. OTHERWISE, WE'LL DO THE HOMEWORK. >> I'LL HAVE TO DO THE HOMEWORK, BUT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $100,000 WE'LL USE FOR UTILITY SSISTANCE. THOSE CONTRACTS HAVE GONE THROUGH LEGAL. WE'VE GIVEN THOSE TO THE NONPROFITS WHO ARE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE THAT FUNDING. AS SOON AS WE GET THOSE BACK, WE ARE HOPING TO START THAT PROGRAM HERE THE FIRST PART OF FEBRUARY. >> Ricciardelli: FANTASTIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CURTIS. THAT'S VERY EXCITING. I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON FORMER COUNCILMEMBER GRADY'S COMMENTS. SOUNDS LIKE BASED ON THE CO-OP NATURE OF COSERV, THEY MAY BE DOING THOSE ACTIVITIES. >> WE WILL DOUBLE-CHECK THAT. >> Ricciardelli: WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. >> YES, SIR. >> Mayor Muns: DO I HAVE A MOTION? >> Ricciardelli: MOTION TO APPROVE. >> SECOND. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE. PLEASE VOTE. HOW DO YOU VOTE, RICK? >> Smith: YES. >> Mayor Muns: OKAY. MOTION PASSES 8-0. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM, COMMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST. >> City Clerk: COMMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST. THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS TO ALLOW UP TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER WITH 30 TOTAL MINUTES ON ITEMS OF INTEREST OR CONCERN AND NOT ON ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE pC NOT DISCUSS THESE ITEMS, BUT MAY RESPOND WITH FACTUAL OR POCY INFORMATION. THE COUNCIL MAY CHOOSE TO PLACE THE ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH OR YELL INTO THE MICROPHONE AT THE PODIUM. >> Mayor Muns: HOLD ON. >> City Clerk: WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. >> Mayor Muns: WITH THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS WE HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO TURN THAT DOWN TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER, SO EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. PLEASE RESPECT THAT TWO-MINUTE PERIOD, PLEASE, WHEN MS. HENDERSON TELLS YOU YOUR TE IS UP, PLEASE FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH IMMEDIATELY. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. >> City Clerk: FIRST SPEAKER IS SANA ABUSAD. >> JUST A QUICK QUESTION. DO I HAVE TO STATE MY ADDRESS? NO? OKAY. MY NAME IS SANA ABUSAD. I WANT YOU TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THE IMAGE I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU. YESTERDAY AS I WAS PUTTING MY THOUGHTS TOGETHER ON WHAT I'LL BE SPEAKING TO YOU, A VIDEO SHOWED UP OF A PALESTINIAN YOUNG GIRL CARRIED INTO A HOSPITAL, PERHAPS 4 YEARS OLD, ALREADY DEAD. HERE IS HER PICTURE. I REALLY HOPE YOU CAN SEE IT. IF A CEASEFIRE HAD BEEN CALLED THE DAY BEFORE, THIS GIRL WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY. IF A CEASEFIRE WAS CALLED YESTERDAY, ALL THE PEOPLE MURDERED TODAY WOULD BE ALIVE, BUT OUR GOVERNMENT, THE UNITED STATES, THE DEMOCRACY, THE ONE WHO WE SAY HAS LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL IN OUR HYPOTHESIS CRITICAL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, IS VETOING THE VOTE FOR A CEASEFIRE. AS I SPEAK TO YOU, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE PICTURE OF THIS YOUNG, INNOCENT GIRL WHO WAS KILLED BY THE MONEY YOU SEND TO HER MURDERER. IS THIS SELF-DEFENSE? WHAT CRIME DID SHE COMMIT? WHAT CRIME DID THE 10,000 CHILDREN DEAD COMMIT? HEAR WHAT WE'RE SAYING AND PROCESS IT, PLEASE. 25,000 PEOPLE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR MONEY. WHEN YOU SORT BY AGE THE DOCUNT THE PALESTINIANS KILLED IN THE LAT FEW WEEKS, IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE FIRST SIX PAGES ARE JUST INFANTS BEFORE THEY REACH TO THE 1-YEAR-OLDS. THEY'RE BABIES. TO GIVE THAT SOME PERSPECTIVE, THE DEADLIEST SCHOOL SHOOTING IN AMERICA KILLED 32 KIDS. ISRAEL IS DOING IT ALL. NOT JUST WITH THE BLESSING OF THE UNITED STATES BUT WITH MAIN SENT BY OUR TAXPAYERS AND BOMBS SENT THERE BY OUR MILITARY. >> 20 SECONDS. >> WE'RE NOW WATCHING LIVE AS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION THAT YOU HAVE MADE US FUND THROUGH TAXATION WIPE OUT THE CIVILIANS. THE FACT THAT OUR WAR-HUNGRY GOVERNMENT AND GENOCIDAL ISRAEL HAD THE AUDACITY TO LIE AND SAY CIVILIANS THEY CARE ABOUT IS DISGUSTING. THE FACT THAT THEY CARE ABOUT THE HOSTAGES AND BOMB THE PLACES ON OUR GOVERNMENT, SHAME ON YOUR SILENCE, AND I REQUEST A IMMEDIATE SPONSORSHIP AND AFFIRMATION TO A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TASOM MASABIM. >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN TEXAS FOR 17 YEARS AND IN PLANO FOR 8 YEARS. FROM PLANO ISD. I HAVE ATTENDED COLLIN COUNTY FAMILY VIOLENCE MEETINGS IN THE PAST. MY HUSBAND WORKED FOR CITYF PLANO FOR WER QLITY STUDY. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY. THE UNITED STATES IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND UPRIGHT JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT HAS THAT SUPERPOWER IN ITS PEOPLE I'M AN AMERICAN, PROUD AMERICAN FOR ITS CORE VALUE. HOWEVER, OUR COUNTRY STANDS ON PALESTINE AND ISRAEL CONFLICT HAS CHANGED. WE ARE DESTROYING THE VERY FOUNDATION (AUDIO TROUBLES) PEOPLE IN GAZA ARE NOT ONLY DYING FROM BOMBS AND BULLETS BUT FROM LACK OF FOOD, CLEAN WATER, HOSPITALS WITHOUT MEDICINES AND POWER. LET US PROPOSE THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION ON THE TABLE. WHEN THE CEASEFIRE IS IN EFFECT, WHAT PARTIES CAN BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE. LAST, WE CAN BUILD A LONGLASTING PEACE. LET'S, ERICA, DO THE RIGHT THING AND RETAIN ITS RESPECT AND RETAIN ITS ECONOMIC ALLIANCES TOWARD THE WORLD. >> 20 SECONDS. >> THIS CAN ■BRING THE PROSPERIG TIMES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME IN THE U.S., INCLUDING PLANO. THANK YOU. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS HAMAD AL SAFADI. >> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS HAMAD. 89% OF AMERICANS CHECK THEIR PHONES WITHIN TEN MINUTES OF WAKING UP, YET THE NUMBERS FAIL TO TALK ABOUT THE UNIQUE REALITY FOR THOSE WHO REACH FOR THEIR PHONES TO MAKE SURE THEIR FAMILY SURVIVED THE NIGHT. JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, AN ISRAELI MISSILE CLAIMED THE LIVES OF THREE MORE MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY. A DEVOTED FATHER AND DOCTOR. HIS 20-YEAR-OLD SON AND A FATHER WHO FINALLY WELCOMED A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER AFTER 16 YEARS OF TRYING. THEIR DAUGHTER WILL GROW UP WITHOUT THEIR FATHER AND MUHAMED WILL NEVER HEAR HIS DAUGHTER CALL HIM BABA. MY FAMILY FACES CONTINUOUS pBOM MY UNCLE ON NEW YEAR'S DAY. WHAT A TRAGIC WAY TO START THE YEAR. CHILDREN SHOULD BE ENJOYING THE INNOCENCE OF CHILDHOOD. INSTEAD, THEY LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF DYING. MY AUNT WAS SEEKING REFUGE IN HER HOME WHEN IT WAS BOMBED, LEAVING HER WITH A HEAD INJURY, YET THEY REMAIN UNITED, EXTENDING COMPASSION TO PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. IMAGINE 41 MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY BEING KILLED IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES WHILE FEELING UTTERLY HELPLESS. THAT WAS NOT JUST AN EXAMPLE. IT IS MY LIFE. EACH ONE OF THEMLEFT, WENT TO SCHOOL, WORKED, AND FELT PAIN JUST LIKE YOU AND ME, EXCEPT THEIR DEATH IS CELEBRATED BY MANY. I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE LARGE IMPACT OF YOUR DECISIONS ON THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY. I ASK THIS COUNCIL TO QUICKLY CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE, SUPPORT PALESTINIAN RIGHTS, AND BE A SOURCE OF HOPE FOR THE VOICELESS. CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY AND CREATE A FUTURE WHERE EVERYONE'S RIGHTS AND DIGNITY ARE HONORED. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TARA RICE, WHO WILL BE JOINING US VIA ZOOM. MS. RICE? MS. RICE? >> ONE SECOND, SOR. >> WE'LL NEED YOU TO TURN. GO AHEAD. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. >> MY SON RIGHT NOW, MY SON W WAS -- DO YOU AGREE THAT A POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE T TELL THE TRUTH. IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY. SO DUE TO PLANO CITY ALLOWING THE OFFICERS TO LIE ON A POLICE REPORT, MY SON WAS CAUSED WITH (INDISCERNIBLE) STEMMING FROM HARASSMENT GOING ON WITH THE CITY OF FORT WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO WE MOVED TO PLANO TO GET AWAY FROM IT. MEANWHILE, MARCH 25th, MY SON WAS HELD 96 DAYSN A TARRANT COUNTY JUVENILE FACILITY. NEVER ARRESTED PRIOR TO THAT. BUT HE WAS HELD THERE BECAUSE ME SPEAKING OUT PUBLICLY AGAINST THE INJUSTICE AND HE WAS HELD THERE BECAUSE (INDISCERNIBLE) ABUSE BY CITY, STATE, AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES. ALL BECAUSE THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH ME SPEAKING UP, STANDING UP FOR HIS RIGHTS AND MANY OTHE. SO THEN FAST FORWARD TO JULY 6th, WHAT I'M REALLY HERE FOR IS THAT MY SON -- I GUESS THERE WAS A WAR PATH FOR MY SON, JULY 6th, BASED OUT OF TARRANT COUNTY. PLANO. HE WAS TOLD HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO COURT THAT MORNING. I HAVE IT VIA E-MAIL. YOU GUYS SENT A -- I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS OFFICER IS. >> 20 SECONDS. >> EAST TEXAS TASK FORCE. AND THEN THERE'S NO MARKED CARS IN SIGHT. HOW WOULD HE KNOW TO STOP FOR AN OFFICER. THEN YOU HAVE OFFICER (INDISCERNIBLE), WHO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY REWARDED A FEW MONTHS AGO. HE WASN'T THERE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, SO HOW WOULD HE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? YOU CAN'T TELL A NARRATIVE UNLESS P YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, RIGHT? >> Mayor Muns: MS. RICE, YOUR -- >> SO -- CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> Mayor Muns: YES, YOUR TIME IS UP. >> OKAY, NO PROBLEM. I'M DEMANDING THE RELEASE OF JAVIER. >> Mayor Muns: OKAY, THANK YOU. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS YARA ISHMAEL. >> THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THERE IS SMALL HOPE IN MY SON GETTING BETTER. I LEFT THE HOSPITAL AND CAME BACK, AND I DIDN'T FIND THE HOSPITAL, THE DOCTOR, OR MY SON. THIS IS A QUOTE FROM MY FATHER IN GAZA. WHERE THE NUMBER OF THOSE KILLED HAS SURPASSED 25,000 PEOPLE. WHERE AT LEAST TEN CHILDREN PER DAY LOSE A LIMB AND WHERE FAMILIES TIGHTLY GATHER, HOPING THAT IF THEY AREBOMBED, THEY DIE TOGETHER SO THAT ONE DOES NOT GRIEVE THE OTHERS. TODAY I AM HERE TO ASK HOW MUCH LONGER? HOW MUCH LONGER WILL YOU REMAIN SILENT AND COMPLICIT TO AN ONGOING GENOCIDE WITH MANY FAMILIES OF THOSE KILLED SITTING HERE AMONGST US TODAY, WARY OF WHAT TO DO. I TRY TO DISTRACT MYSELF AT SCHOOL, ONLY TO TALK TO FRIENDS WHO HAVE LOST 15, 20, OR 30 OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN GAZA. FRIENDS WHO FEEL LIKE LIFE IS NO LONGER WORTH LIVING WHEN YOUR PEOPLE'S BLOODSHED IS MET BY COMPLICIT PRESIDENTS, SILENT SENATORS AND QUIET CITY COUNCILMEMBERS. WE CANNOT CLAIM TO BE A CITY OF EXCELLENCE WHEN EVEN HUMAN LIFE IS SEEN AS A TOPIC TOO FAR AWAY FROM US TO DISCUSS. WE CANNOT CLAIM TO BE A CITY THAT CARES FOR ALL WHEN THOSE WHO REPRESENT US FAIL TO RECOGNIZE OUR ANGUISH AND GRIEF OVER OUR FAMILIES IN PALESTINE. SO PLEASE, REPRESENT THE CITY OF PLANO, REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: DANA ISHMAEL. >> IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN OVER 100 DAYS OF THE PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN OVER 100 DAYS, AND WE STILL HAVE TO STAND IN FRONT OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO ASK FOR A CEASEFIRE. WE ARE ASKING OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO STOP THE BOMBING AND KILLING OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN. THE BARE MINIMUM, AS CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, YOU CANNOT BRUSH THE PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE AS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING OVERSEAS AND PASS ON EMPTY CONDOLENCES OR STAY SILENT. THE TRUTH IS, AS A CITY OF THIS COUNTRY, A RESIDENT OF THE STATE, THE PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE HAS MORE TO DO WITH US THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD BECAUSE OUR GOVERNMENT FUNDS THIS GENOCIDE, OUR GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THIS GENOCIDE, AND OUR GOVERNMENT ENABLES THIS GENOCIDE. SPECIFICALLY, THE GOVERNMENT OF TH STATE HAS PURCHASED ISRAELI BOMBS IN THE MILLIONS. THE GOVERNOR OF THIS STATE HAS MADE STATEMENTS CONFIRMING HIS UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE ATTACKS ISRAEL IS COMMITTING AGAINST CIVILIANS, COMPLETELY UNDERMINING WHO HE REPRESENTS. THIS IS A VERY MUCH PLANO, TEXAS ISSUE. YOU KNOW, AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, I CAME TO REALIZE THAT MY GOVERNMENT CARES MORE ABOUT FUNDING A GENOCIDE THAN FIXING THE CURRENTLY GLITCHING FEDERAL STUDENT AID WEBSITE. AS A REMINDER, THE CITY COUNCIL'S ROLE IS TO FULFILL THE NEED OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND A CEASEFIRE IS WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. A REPRESENTATIVE IS SOMEONE WHO LISTENS TO HIS OR HER CONSTITUENTS' CONCERNS WHILE PUTTING THEIR OWN INTERESTS ASIDE. OUR VOICE OF HUMANITY WILL ONLY FEEL HEARD ONCE A RESOLUTION FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE HAS PASSED BECAUSE REALLY, I HOPE YOU CAN AGREE AS WELL THAT DROPPING BOMBS, HUNDREDS OF BOMBS A DAY ON CIVILIAN, ON A CIVILIAN POPULATION IS NEVER A SOLUTION. THANK YOU. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ANISA CHUMERON. >> AS REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY, YOUR VOICES WIELD SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE. THIS POWER, HOWEVER, ENTAILS A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE WE IMPLORE YOU TO UPLIFT NOT JUST YOUR OWN VOICES BUT OURS AS WELL. THE VOICES OF THOSE WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY. OUR VOICES MATTER. WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR FRIENDS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS, AND THE SILENCE OF OUR LEADERS DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. THROUGHOUT OUR LIFETIME, WE HAVE WITNESSED THE DEHUMANIZATION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AS WELL AS ALL ARABS AND MUSLIMS. IT IS OUR SACRED DUTY NOT TO ALLOW THE LIVES OF OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS TO BE RENDERED MEANINGLESS. INSTEAD, WE MUST UNITE OUR VOICES. TIRELESSLY CALLING FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE. OU CHERISHED KUFIA, A SYMBOL OF PRIDE, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS MADE US TARGETS. AND OUR IDENTITY HAS LED US TO TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES WITH OUR COUNTRY. IN OUR HEARTS, WE OFTEN ENVISION OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST HISTORIC ATROCITIES SUCH AS SLAVERY OR FASCISM IN EUROPE BEFORE WORLD WAR II. TODAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO STAND UP AND SPEAK UP. IT IS OUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO SEIZE THIS MOMENT AND ADVOCATE FERVENTLYOR THE RIGHT AND DIGNI PEOPLE. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, URGING YOUR SUPPORT FOR A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. THE ONGOING CONFLICT HAS CAUSED IMMENSE SUFFERING AND WORSENING AN ALREADY FRAGILE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION. THE TIME TO STAND UP IS NOW. FREE PALESTINE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AYON AHMED. >> HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEONE BARGED INTO YOUR HOUSE, GRABBED YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AT GUNPOINT? SURELY NO ONE HERE WOULD WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO THEM, NOR DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS CARDS FOR THIS ITEM? -- FOUND IT MORALLY ACCEPTABLE TO BE DOING AN ACT AND EVERYONE SUPPORTED HIM. THE SCENARIO I GAVE WAS THE SUFFERING AND DISCRIMINATION PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN FACING FOR 70-PLUS YEARS. THEIR SITUATION IS ON A MUCH LARGER, GRUESOME, AND VIOLENT SCALE. JUSTICE SHOULD BE DONE TO PALESTINE. ON DECEMBER 29, SOMEONE WANTED TO PLAY SOCCER WITH HIS FRIENDS. THE 15-YEAR-OLD FROM THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK WAS DESCRIBED BY HIS UNCLE BY A SIMPLE CHILD WHO DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SCHOOLWORK AND HIS FRIENDS. ALSO PLAYING IN THE STREETS WAS AN 8-AR-O BOY NAMED ADAM. DURING A SEVEN-DAY PAUSE IN FIGHTING, ISRAELI FORCES STORMED A REFUGEE CAMP, SHOOTING AND KILLING BOTH CHILDREN. ONE WAS SHOT IN THE CHEST AND DIED SHORTLY IN THE HOSPITAL WHILE ADAM WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD AND DIED ON THE SPOT. THEIR VIDEOS HAVE BEEN RECORDED. THEY ARE AMONG THE 2,400 CONFIRMED NUMBER OF KILLED CHILDREN SINCE OCTOBER 7th. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE NUMBER OF CHIREN INJURED HAS TOTALLED OVER 24,800. LET ME REPEAT THAT. 24,800. >> City Clerk: 20 SECONDS. >> 4700 LOST WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHOSE BODIES PASSED AWAY UNDER THE RUBBLE. KIDS ARE CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAYS WITHOUT FRIENDS AND FAMILY. WHEN CAN PEOPLE AND CHILDREN HAVE AMBITIONS AND GOALS LIKE US? WHEN? THANK YOU. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS KHALID ISHEK. >> THANK YOU, KHALID ISHEK. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY DEAR FRIENDS ACTUALLY. LET ME START BY WISHING YOU ALL A YEAR FILLED WITH NEW HOPES, NEW JOYS, AND NEW BEGINNINGS. FOR THE LOT OF THIS WORLD, THIS YEAR IS STARTING OFF AS SADNESS AS THEY WATCH IN DISMAY IN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS FAR-OFF LITTLE LAND CALLED GAZA. WE LOOK TOWARDS YOU NOT JUST AS LEADERS BUT AS OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES THAT HAVE STOOD TOGETHER TO KEEP THE CITY EXCELLENT BUT ALSO TO PROTECT OUR VALUES AND BUILD AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT GREAT CITIES SHOULD BE. WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO USE OUR CENTERS AS WARMING CENTERS. WE STILL USE THEM. BACKING THOUSANDS, IF NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FOOD PACKS FOR THE HOMELESS. WHEN THIS CITY COUNCIL CONDEMNED THE ACT OF TERRORISM ON OCTOBER 7th, AND RIGHTLY SO, WE EXPECT THE SAME FOR ALL LIVES. IN THE CRUCIBLE OF CONFLICT WHERE SORROW AND STRIFE ENTWINE, A CALL ECHOES URGENTLY, A PLEA FOR HEARTS TO ALIGN. GAZA, A TAPESTRY WOVEN WITH THREADS OF DESPAIR IN THE INACTION HUMANITIES CONSCIOUSLY DARE. SHAME ON US, AMERICANS, AS WE TURN OUR GAZE FOR THE PLIGHT OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEIR CRIES ECHO, POIGNANT REMINDER OF THE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER. SHAME ON US FOR FORGETTING. FOR EVERY TEAR SHED IN GAZA, A STAIN ON OUR COLLECTIVE SOUL, WE PLAY A ROLE WE CAN'T CONTROL. LET US TRANSFORM THESE VOICES. LET US TRANSFORM THEM INTO VOICES THAT -- SORRY. NOW AS ECHOES OF SHAME REVERBERATE FORTH INTO OUR EARS, LET US TRANSFORM THEM INTO VOICES THAT CALM OUR FEARS. IN THE SPIRIT OF UNITY, LET COMPASSION PREVAIL AS WE CHARTER TOWARDS COMMON HUMAN TRAIL. SHAME ON US IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING. WE SHOULD CALL FOR PEACE. >> Mayor Muns: THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEX STEIN. ALEX STEIN. THE NEXT ONE IS DIGGAR BARNES. DIGGARR BARNES. WE WILL MOVE ON TO LINA ASHWA. >> I WAS BORN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS TO A PALESTINIAN FATHER AND AMERICAN MOTHER. I WENT TO MURPHY MIDDLE SCHOOL, WILLIAMS, AND PLANO EAST HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS PROUD TO BE FROM TEXAS, A STATE THAT IS UNAPOLOGETIC, HOLDS FIRM IN THEIR BELIEFS. I WAS PROUD UNTIL 10,000 PALESTINIANS WERE MURDERED AND YOU DID NOTHING. I WAS PROUD UNTIL PREMATURE BABIES COMPED IN HOSPITALS AND YOU SAID NOTHING. I WAS PROUD UNTIL CHILDREN BEGAN DYING OF STARVATION AND YOU DID NOTHING. IMAGINE FOR A SECOND IT IS YOUR CHILD, YOU MUST WATCH HAVE THEIR LEG AMPUTATED WITHOUT ANESTHESIA. YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY ALL WIPED OUT IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. IMAGINE IT IS YOUR WIFE WHO DIES BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT BEAR THE PAIN OF SEVEN LAYERS OF SKIN BEING CUT DURING A C-SECTION WITHOUT ANESTHESIA. 35,000 OF US HAVE BEEN KILLE SINCE OCTOBER 7th. HOW MANY MORE OF US NEED TO DIE IN ORDER FOR YOU TO ACT, TO DO WHAT IS YOUR MORAL DUTY? I AM HERE AGAIN REQUESTING THAT THIS COUNCIL PASS AN IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION THAT YOU CLS THE FOLLOWING: AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE, AN IMMEDIATE END TO GAZA, END TO THE $3.8 BILLION THE FOREIGN AID. THE RELEASE OF THE 200 CHILDREN CURRENTLY IMPRISONED IN ISRAEL. AN END TO ISRAEL'S BRUTAL OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> City Clerk: THE LAST SPEAKER IS DOLCE FLORES. >> GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK EXCEPT FOR PALESTINE BY MARK LAMONT HILL. IN THE UNITED STATES, WE ARE STRUGGLING TO RECKON WITH THE LEGACY OF STRUCTURAL INJUSTICE THAT HAS DEFINED OUR HISTORY. AMERICAN POLICY IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN HOPELESSLY INTERTWINED WITH OUR OWN STRUGGLES WITH WHITE SUPREMACY ISLAMOPHOBIA ANTI-SEMITISM AND ET THOUGH CENTRISM. ANTILGBTQ HATE AND OTHER PREJUDICES ARE INTERSECTIONAL. WE MUST ALSO RECOGNIZE HOW THESE SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION INFORM OUR FOREIGN POLICY. CNOT TRULY GRAPPLE WITH OUR HISTORY IF WE IGNORE HOW IT HAS ALSO AFFECTED THE REST OF THE WORLD. IF WE ARE TO ADOPT A PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL OUTLOOK, ONE ROOTED IN ANTIRACISM, ANTI-IMPERIALIST AND HUMANISTIC INTERSECTIONAL VALUES, WE MUST BRING TO PRIORITIZE THE FREEDOM, DIGNITY, AND SELF-DETERMINATION OF PALESTINIANS. THE IMBALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINIANS, A CIRCUMSTANCE REINFORCED BY THE OVERWHELMING POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND MILITARY INFLUENCE OF THE UNITED STATES CAN NEVER BE IGNORED OR UNDERSTATED AS WE DEVELOP WORKABLE ANALYSIS AND PRINCIPLE SOLUTIONS. THIS MEANS THAT ANY HOPE FOR A FUTURE IN WHICH ALL PEOPLE OF THE REGION CAN LEAVE IN PEACE, SECURITY, FREEDOM, AND HOPE REQUIRES AND BASED ON HUMANISTIC VALUES APPLIED IN A CONSISTENT MANNER. SUCH APPROACH HAS NOT HISTORICALLY BEEN A PART OF THE U.S. POLICY. WE MUST CHANGE DIRECTIONS. WE MUST NO LONGER RENDER PALESTINE EXCEPTIONAL. AS IT WAS ONCE PUT IN YASSER ARAFAT I MEXICO. (SPEAKING NONENGLISH LANGUAGE) WHICH TRANSLATES TO A PALESTINIAN STATE IS A GUARANTEE OF PEACE AND STABILITY. I DEMAND THAT YOU CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE ON PALESTINE. [ APPLAUSE ]. >> Mayor Muns: OKAY. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.