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[00:00:02]

6:00. WE WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE BEDFORD CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS

[CALL TO ORDER/GENERAL COMMENTS]

TUESDAY, AUGUST NINE, 2022.

APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING UP THIS EVENING.

LET'S START WITH AN INVOCATION WE WANT TO WELCOME UP TO THE DAIS, JOSEPH CARTWRIGHT FROM RE-IMAGINE MEN, DFW.

WELCOME, SIR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HEY, SO IN THE SCRIPTURE, IT SAYS THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH.

AND SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS.

YOU'RE GOING TO BOW YOUR HEAD. WE'RE ALWAYS REVERENCE WHEN WE TALK TO OUR FATHER GOD.

BUT THERE'S JOY IN THE LORD.

SO TAKE A MOMENT, EVEN AS I'M PRAYING AND THINK ABOUT HIM, BECAUSE HE'S REALLY GOOD, IT'S A GOOD THOUGHT.

HOW ABOUT THAT? SO BE JOYFUL, COUNCIL.

SO, LORD, WE COME BOLDLY BEFORE YOUR THRONE BECAUSE YOU'VE MADE THAT WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, YOUR EARS ARE PERKED UP AND YOU'RE LISTENING.

YOU JUST LOVE TO HEAR US TALK TO YOU.

YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT JUST SITTING UP THERE WITH YOUR HANDS FOLDED WONDERING WHAT'S UP.

YOU ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING DOWN ON THIS GATHERING TONIGHT AND YOU'VE GOT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND YOU WANT TO SEE SOME STUFF HAPPEN HERE THAT IMPACTS THE CITY AND SEE A CITY THAT CAN IMPACT A NATION.

YOU HAVE GREAT PLANS FOR THIS PLACE AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE A PART OF IT.

LORD, I SEE THAT IN YOUR HEART AND I KNOW THAT'S HOW YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE.

SO WE TAKE JOY IN YOU TONIGHT, LORD.

I JUST THANK YOU THAT AS THIS COUNCIL DELIBERATES AND AS THEY SPEAK AND LISTEN, LORD, AS THE CITIZENS SPEAK AND SHARE TONIGHT.

AS THE BUSINESS OF THIS AMAZING CITY HAPPENS AND UNFOLDS, I THANK YOU THAT YOUR NAME IS GOING TO GET GLORIFIED.

LORD, I THANK YOU THAT THERE WILL BE A DIALOG THAT WILL BE KIND AND GOOD.

YOU ARE KIND AND GOOD.

SHOW US HOW TO BE KIND AND GOOD ONE TO ANOTHER.

AND LORD, I THANK YOU THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY BACKBITING OR FOOLISHNESS OR TALK BEHIND THE SCENES THAT IS UNBECOMING OF SOMEBODY THAT'S MADE IN YOUR IMAGE.

GOD, AND I THANK YOU, LORD, THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL GOVERN IN WISDOM, THAT EVERY CITY WORKER POLICE, FIRE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, GOD, OUR TEACHERS THAT ARE STARTING SCHOOL.

GOD THAT YOU'RE BLESSING WOULD REST HEAVY UPON THEM ALL THAT YOUR HAND AND ANOINTING AND POWER AND LOVE AND JOY WOULD REST HEAVY UPON THEM. SO LORD, THESE MOMENTS ARE YOURS.

AND WE JUST TAKE THE MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND THANK YOU THAT THERE'S JOY, THAT THERE IS STRENGTH IN THAT JOY.

AND WE ARE GRATEFUL, GRATEFUL PEOPLE FOR THE GOOD BLESSINGS WE HAVE BECAUSE OF YOU.

PRAY THESE THINGS IN JESUS NAME.

THAT NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES.

AMEN. AMEN.

COUNCIL MEMBER. COGAN. WILL YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGES? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.

WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR POLICE CHIEF JEFF WILLIAMS AND BIKE THE BLUE PRESIDENT, STEPHANIE CULVER.

[PRESENTATIONS]

LET'S TALK ABOUT BIKE THE BLUE.

OKAY. SO FOR YOU.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL AND MAYOR, FOR HAVING BIKE THE BLUE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT TO YOU.

SO LET'S GET ROLLING, NO PUN INTENDED THERE.

ALL RIGHT. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON BIKE.

THE BLUE BIKE, THE BLUE SUPPORTS PUBLIC SAFETY.

THAT'S FIRE, POLICE AND EMS BY PROVIDING NEW AND REFURBISHED BIKES SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER SERVE AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE DO THIS BY ONE BIKE AT A TIME.

JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON OUR STORY AND HOW WE BECAME IN 2019.

BACK IN EARLY 2019, ACTUALLY, I WAS DISCUSSING BIKE PATROLS WITH DIFFERENT OFFICERS.

I'M VERY CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, AND I HAVE A BACKGROUND OF POLICING IN MY FAMILY.

SO I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

SO IN TALKING WITH DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, I FOUND THAT A LOT OF THE SMALLER ONES WERE PURCHASING THE INDIVIDUALS FOR ACTUALLY PURCHASING THEIR OWN BIKES AND THEIR OWN UNIFORMS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES.

SO TO ME, I LOOKED AT IT LIKE, WELL, WHEN YOU GET HIRED AND YOU GET A NEW JOB, DOES YOUR BOSS SAY, BUY YOUR CHAIR BY YOUR DESK, BY YOUR COMPUTER?

[00:05:04]

NO. SO I MADE UP MY MIND RIGHT THEN THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND I WAS GOING TO HELP THESE GUYS OUT THAT HELP US EVERY DAY.

SO WHAT I DID IS I PARTNERED WITH TREK AND I ASKED TREK TO LOAN BIKES TO SOME JURISDICTIONS TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.

AND IT RAISED MORALE.

AND IT ALSO HELPED THE COMMUNITY WITH THEIR POLICING, COMMUNITY POLICING, AND HELPED APPREHEND A LOT OF SUSPECTS THAT WAY.

SO THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF GOT STARTED.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OR ALL OF MY BOARD MEMBERS.

WE WERE A 2 TEAM FOR A LONG TIME AND WE JUST RECENTLY ADDED FOUR MORE PEOPLE.

SO WE HAVE SIX.

WE DO HAVE ROOM FOR ONE MORE IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR TASK, OUR TEAM.

AND WE HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENCES THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE COMMUNITIES.

MAYOR BETSY PRICE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED US ON HELPING THEM WITH BIKES.

WE STARTED THE WEST DIVISION BIKE PATROL IN FORT WORTH.

THAT'S OVER IN YOUR CAMO AREA.

WE ALSO RAISED FUNDS FOR 11 BIKES FOR CENTRAL, WHICH IS DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH.

AND OUR NEXT PROJECT AFTER THIS PROJECT OF BEDFORD IS THE STOCKYARDS.

THEY WANT ABOUT 10 TO 12 BIKES IN THE STOCKYARDS TO POLICE THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE STOCKYARDS AND ALSO THROUGH THOSE NEW BUSINESSES THAT THEY HAVE DOWN THERE.

THEN THE OTHER RECOMMENDATION RIGHT THERE IN AKINLADE IS FROM CHIEF DRISCOLL AND OUR TARRANT COUNTY SHERIFF MAYOR CHIEF RAYBURN.

SO THEY ACTUALLY WERE ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE LOANED A BIKE TO.

AND THAT BIKE, THAT PARTICULAR BIKE ACTUALLY APPREHENDED SOMEBODY THAT HAD ESCAPED AND HAD THE ANKLE BRACELET ON.

AND THE WHOLE NINE YARDS IS A CRAZY STORY.

BUT IT BUT THAT BIKE IS WHAT HOW THEY FOUND THEM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON IF THEY HAD BEEN ON FOOT OR IN A CAR OR A VEHICLE.

SO THAT'S FROM THEM.

AND NOW I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO JOSEPH.

AND JOSEPH IS GOING TO ACTUALLY TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO OUTFIT AN OFFICER WITH A BIKE AND SOME OF THE ACCESSORIES THAT THEY NEED AND THEIR UNIFORMS. JOSEPH IS OUR BOARD MEMBER.

THANK YOU, STEPHANIE. MY NAME IS JOSEPH ROMERO AND I HAVE BEEN A SERVING BOARD MEMBER OF THE BLUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.

AND I'M JUST GOING TO KIND OF GO OVER A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE ARE RAISING FUNDS FOR.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, A BIKE IS 1800 DOLLARS.

WE HAVE A HELMET, WHICH IS ABOUT ROUGHLY ABOUT 100 A SADDLE BAG FOR THE POLICE, WHICH IS A NYLON POLICE BELT, ABOUT $125.

AND THEN THE POLICE LIGHTS $200.

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE THAT JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THOSE FUNDS THAT WE RAISE THAT GO TOWARDS SUPPORTING THESE OUR CAUSE.

AND ON AVERAGE, YOU'RE ABOUT 3000 TO $3500 TO TRAIN A POLICE OFFICER ON PATROL AND ALSO TO FOR THE ITEMS, THE BIKE AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE USING THAT THEY NEED.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IS JUST BY COMING, NOT ONLY JUST HELPING US RAISE FUNDS, BUT VOLUNTEERING, ALSO SERVING AS A BOARD MEMBER, SERVING AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER, ALSO DONATING MONTHLY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO LIKE TO SHOW IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PHOTO RIGHT HERE WITH OUR FOUNDER, STEPHANIE CULVER AND MANNY RAMIREZ BACK DURING THE PANDEMIC IN ABOUT 2019, RIGHT AROUND THERE, WE HAD LUNCH, BLUE BOX LUNCHES FOR A POLICE OFFICER, SO POLICE OFFICERS COULD COME THROUGH, GRAB THEIR LUNCHES, AND THEN GO BACK OFF TO THEIR SHIFTS AND WORK.

AND THE REASON WHY THEY DID THAT WAS TO RAISE THE FUNDS FOR SINCE WE COULDN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING BECAUSE OF COVID OR HAVE ANY FUNDRAISERS, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DEFINITELY WARRANTED DURING THAT CURRENT CLIMATE THAT WE WERE IN.

BUT AGAIN, KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE TO DO IS AGAIN IS SUPPORT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO GIVING, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT COMMUNITY AND WHY WE CALL IT COMMUNITY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS TOO, THAT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A BOARD MEMBER, BECAUSE AS STEPHANIE MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE AN OPEN SPOT OR ALSO JUST GETTING INVOLVED WITH THIS. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY CONTACT US AT CONTACT BY THE BLUE DOT ORG OR YOU CAN REACH US BY PHONE, TOO.

AND NOW I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, THE RICK MAXEY, AND HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT OVER HERE [INAUDIBLE].

BUT THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

AS JOSEPH SAID, I AM RICK MAXEY.

I AM THE NEWEST BOARD MEMBER.

I WAS ASKED TO TALK ABOUT WHY I JOINED THE BOARD AND I CAN LET YOU KNOW THAT IT WASN'T TO PUBLIC SPEAK.

SO JUST PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.

I TRULY JOINED THE BOARD BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS RESPECTED AND SUPPORTED OUR POLICE FORCE WHEREVER I'VE BEEN.

THE MEN AND WOMEN IN BLUE WHO ARE CALLED TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES AND PROTECT US, I HONESTLY BELIEVE WE ARE OBLIGATED TO SERVE AND PROTECT THEM AS WELL.

[00:10:02]

SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY KEY REASONS TO BE ON THE BOARD.

I HAVE SEEN THROUGH THE STUDIES AND THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT BIKE THE BLUE IS DOING THAT THESE BIKE PATROL UNITS DO ENHANCE COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THEY DO ENHANCE CRIME PREVENTION, LOWER CRIME RATES.

THEY'RE JUST AMAZING IN ALL THE ASPECTS THAT THEY DO.

SO I FEEL THAT WE ARE KIND OF OBLIGATED TO THE PATROL TO SUPPORT THEM AND THROUGH OUR CAUSES.

SO AND MY FINAL COMMENT ON THIS IS THAT AS A BUSINESS OWNER IN FORT WORTH, YOU KNOW, GETTING MORE AND MORE OF THESE BIKE PATROLS IN NORTH TEXAS IS IMPORTANT TO US ALL BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT WE CAN SEE THROUGH SAFER COMMUNITIES, BETTER COMMUNICATION AND BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THESE BIKE PATROLS ARE ONE OF THE KEYS TO THAT.

SO I DO NEED TO.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M PUT. THERE WE GO.

THESE ARE OUR KEY SUPPORTERS.

THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE DEPENDENT ON, OBVIOUSLY, AS A NONPROFIT, IS DONATIONS AND SUPPORT THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES.

AND WE ARE A NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS ALL OF NORTH TEXAS.

SO THESE ARE SOME OF OUR BIGGEST SUPPORTERS AND WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEM ITS MY PRIVILEGE.

I ONLY MET HIM ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, BUT MY PRIVILEGE IS TO INTRODUCE CHIEF WILLIAMS, WHO'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE BIKE PATROL UNIT THAT'S GOING TO BE HERE IN BEDFORD AND SUPPORT YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

SO THEY KIND OF PUT ME ON THE SPOT ABOUT AN HOUR AGO TO TALK TO YOU GUYS.

[LAUGHTER]. SO BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT THIS IS WHAT MAKES BEDFORD GREAT, BECAUSE ABOUT PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE STARTED HAVING A CONVERSATION INSIDE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT WANTING TO HAVE A BIKE PATROL SO WE CAN DO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A GROUP OF OUR CITIZENS, AND UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, THEY WERE CONNECTED AND THEY KNEW PEOPLE.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE MEETING WITH BIKE THE BLUE WITHIN WITHIN JUST A FEW WEEKS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A BIKE PROGRAM.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT BIKE BICYCLES ARE JUST FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WHICH THEY ARE.

THEY CUT DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN THE OFFICERS AND THE COMMUNITY.

THEY ALLOW US TO GET AREAS THAT WE TYPICALLY COULDN'T GET TO, TO TRAILS AND PARKS AND BEHIND BUSINESSES AND IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE WE COULDN'T DO.

THERE'S ALSO IS AN ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THIS.

IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN SEE AND WHAT YOU CAN HEAR ON A BICYCLE THAT YOU CAN'T INSIDE OF A POLICE CAR.

SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT THING FOR ACROSS THE BOARD, FOR OUR BUSINESSES, FOR OUR CITIZENS, SO WE CAN GET OUT AND GET IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF THE KIDS AND SOME OF THE CITIZENS THAT ARE OUT ON WALKING TRAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT ALSO TO CATCH SOME BAD GUYS.

SO TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE WERE THE DEPUTY CHIEFS AND I WERE DISCUSSING THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO ABOUT LOOKING ABOUT FULL IMPLEMENTATION.

AND IT WAS GOING TO TAKE US ABOUT 5 TO 7 YEARS TO FULLY GET A BICYCLE UNIT UP AND RUNNING IN BEDFORD WITH THE HELP OF OUR COMMUNITY AND BIKE THE BLUE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT PROBABLY HERE WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OF HAVING EVERYBODY TRAINED.

AND WE'VE GOT GOOD PARTNERSHIPS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE REACHING OUT AND DOING ARE GOING TO BE DOING OUR TRAINING FOR US, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE AN AMAZING THING.

SO I THINK I GOT SOMETHING FOR STEPHANIE.

SO BEDFORD IS PASSIONATE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS FOR PUTTING THIS BIKE, BIKING IT TOGETHER.

AND IF YOU ARE A DONOR, WOULD YOU STAND PLEASE? AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO BE RECOGNIZED.

[APPLAUSE] . SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE SURPRISE.

SO THE TEN BIKES ARE IN, WELL NINE OF THE BIKES ARE IN.

AND THIS MORNING TREK PUT THREE OF THEM TOGETHER.

AND WE ARE WANTING TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE THREE BIKES AT THIS MOMENT.

THEY WILL BE TAKEN BACK EVENTUALLY BECAUSE THE SADDLEBAGS ARE NOT IN.

THE POLICE LIGHTS ARE NOT IN YET.

ALSO TO THE PATCHES WHERE IT SAYS POLICE AND THE THINGS THAT THE CHIEF WOULD WANT.

WE NEED TO GET HIM AND TREK TOGETHER TO FIND OUT THE PLACE BECAUSE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS PUT THEIR PATCHES IN DIFFERENT PLACES.

SO THEY LOOK KIND OF IMPOSING.

THEY LOOK REAL SLEEK AND BLACK AND WELL.

THE GREAT THING IS EVERYTHING IS THROUGH HERE.

SO YOUR BAD GUYS ARE NOT GOING TO COME AND CLIP YOUR WIRES.

THEY'RE DOWN HERE.

THEY'RE LIGHTWEIGHT.

THEY'RE EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT. YOU CAN PICK THEM UP WITH YOUR.

BAD GUYS ARE NOT GOING TO COME AND CLIP THE WIRES.

ARE YOU SERIOUS? YES, THEY DO A LOT OF DAMAGE TO POLICE BIKES, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE COMING.

[00:15:04]

[LAUGHTER]. SO ANYWAY, THIS IS WHAT A POLICE BIKE LOOKS LIKE.

THEY HAVE THE THE RACK YOUR SADDLEBAGS HERE.

USUALLY I THINK YOU PUT YOUR LAPTOPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN HERE.

WE'LL PUT WATER BOTTLES HOLDERS ON HERE.

I'M SURE ROB CAN HELP YOU WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT A BIKE.

ROB WANTS ONE.

AND YOUR SIRENS AND YOUR LIGHTS ARE UP HERE.

THE LIGHTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS.

THEY CAN RUN ANYWHERE FROM 200 TO 600, DEPENDING ON THE LIGHTS THEY WANT.

SO THIS IS YOUR BIKES, BEDFORD, AND CONGRATULATIONS.

OH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AGAIN.

IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT US FOR ANYTHING, HERE'S OUR INFORMATION.

WHERE'S OUR OTHER SEVEN BIKES, WHAT? WHERE'S OUR OTHER SEVEN BIKES? OH, THEY'RE BEING PUT TOGETHER.

OH, OK. SO WITH SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET THESE BIKES IN.

AND THAT WAS BECAUSE TREK CAN PUT THE FRAMES TOGETHER.

BUT LIKE THE CHAINS AND SOME OTHER PARTS WHERE ON BACK ORDERED.

SO THERE'S ONE BIKE THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING TO GET IN, BUT THERE'S NINE HERE AND THEY'RE READY TO GO.

WE'RE READY TO FULLY EQUIP THEM.

WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SADDLEBAGS TO COME IN.

YOU CAN RIDE THEM WITHOUT SADDLEBAGS IF YOU WANT TO OR AND GET GOING.

BUT THEY'RE HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CHIEF? WOULD YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO USE THESE BIKES? WELL, HOPEFULLY BY THIS THIS FALL, WE'LL HAVE THE BICYCLE OFFICERS OUT ON THE STREET.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE DEPLOYED OUT IN THE NORMAL PATROL.

THEY'LL THEY'LL BE WHEN THE CALL LOAD ALLOWS, THE OFFICERS WILL BE RIDING THE BIKES, BUT ALSO WITH THE SPECIAL EVENTS, THE 4TH OF JULY EVENT THAT WE HAD HERE RECENTLY, WE HAD AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR THAT EVENT.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOUR WHEELERS THAT WE CAN USE.

BUT THE CROWD WAS SO BIG THAT WE COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE CROWD WITH THOSE FOUR WHEELERS.

SO THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT BETTER VANTAGE POINT SO WE CAN SET UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE CROWD AS WE'RE RIDING THROUGH.

SO IF WE HAVE MISSING KIDS COME OUT, WE CAN FIND THOSE KIDS A LITTLE QUICKER.

IF WE HAVE SOME NEFARIOUS ACTIVITY, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO PUT THESE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND CHASE DOWN SPEEDERS OR THERE'S NOT.

NOW THERE WILL BE SOME ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY THAT GOES ON IN THESE HIDDEN THE BUSINESS AREAS AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONDENSED.

YOU MAY SEE THEM RIGHT INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET TO THE TRAILS, TO KIND OF MONITOR THE TRAILS A LITTLE BIT MORE, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S KEEPING GETTING THROUGH THE TRAIL SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT SAFER. BUT WOW, FANTASTIC.

IF YOU DON'T MIND WE WOULD LIKE A PICTURE BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM BACK OUT WITH THE OFFICE.

YEAH, THAT'D BE FANTASTIC.

SO LET'S TAKE A FEW PICTURES. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I MEAN, CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME FAMILIAR FACES HERE.

YEAH, WE JUST WE LIVE IN A GREAT COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS KIND OF A HOMEGROWN EFFORT THAT OUR PD IS GETTING A BENEFIT FROM AND THE RESIDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM.

I JUST WANT TO SAY WE'LL JUST BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE FOR THIS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. WANT ALL OF US? SURE, EVERYBODY.

[LAUGHTER], [INAUDIBLE].

[APPLAUSE] . OH, YEAH I'M A CYCLIST.

[INAUDIBLE].

AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.

AND IN PARTICULAR, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE A PART OF THIS CONTRIBUTION TOO I MEAN, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT AS WELL.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE OPEN FORUM.

[OPEN FORUM]

WE DO HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO SIGNED UP FOR OPEN FORUM.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE TO THE DAIS MR. BOB COCHRAN. BOB, YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES.

[00:20:07]

THOUGHT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY 30 SECONDS.

AND I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO RUSH BOB COCHRAN.

2252 BEDFORD CIRCLE.

I WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT'S BEING CALLED, BUT THE COUNCILMAN STEVES IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING THIS EVENING HAVING TO DO WITH TREES.

OK AND I LOOKED UP COLLEYVILLE AND SOUTH LAKE.

I THINK MAYBE ONE OF THOSE IN GRAPEVINE, ONE OF THEM HAS A 30 PAGE ORDINANCE.

ONE OF THEM IS A 60 PAGE ORDINANCE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED OURS TO BE THAT BIG, BUT TO BE HONEST, I DIDN'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THEIRS.

ON NEXT DOOR, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE TREES WE LOST AT BOYS RANCH, WHICH YOU MAY KNOW AS GENERATIONS PARK.

YES. AND THE TREES MAY OR MAY LOSE THE BEDFORD COMMONS.

SO I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE CITY MANAGER EXPRESSING THE CONCERN, AND HE RESPONDED AND SAYS, WELL, SINCE WE OWE BEDFORD COMMONS, WE'LL HAVE MORE CONTROL.

I PUT THIS ON NEXT DOOR WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT, AND SOMEBODY IMMEDIATELY POINTED OUT, WELL, DIDN'T WE OWN BOYS RANCH? SO THE FACT THAT WE OWN THE PROPERTY IS NOT NECESSARILY REASSURING TO PEOPLE I'VE HEARD.

SO I SENT AN EMAIL TO ANDREA AND HER RESPONSE INCLUDED THE WORD GRADING.

I THINK SATURDAY MORNING, MAYOR, YOU INCLUDED THE WORD GRADING.

TALKING ABOUT IT.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I HAD FOR BREAKFAST THIS MORNING.

OH, OKAY. WELL, I TOOK NOTES, AND I THINK GRADING IS THE DEVELOPER'S COPOUT FOR WHY WE HAD TO KNOCK ALL THESE TREES DOWN.

AND I USED TO LIVE ON SAN MARCOS LANE, WHICH DEAD ENDS BEHIND SHADY BROOK ELEMENTARY AND PROBABLY HAS A TWO 300 FOOT ELEVATION FROM SHADY BROOK UP TO THE TOP OF THE HILL WHERE I WAS.

AND THERE'S HOUSES ON BOTH SIDES, LOTS OF TREES THAT I THINK PROBABLY ARE 100 PLUS YEARS OLD.

I'M PRETTY SURE THE TREES WERE THERE BEFORE THE HOUSES WERE BUILT.

AND SO IT'S OBVIOUS THAT BUILDING CAN BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING TO LEVEL EVERYTHING.

AND I KNOW THERE WERE SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS THAT MAY BE HERE, BUT THE SIGN UP SHEET DID NOT HAVE NUMBER 18 LISTED AS A THING WE COULD SIGN UP FOR. I WENT AHEAD AND USED MY PREROGATIVE AND PUT MY NAME, PUT 18.

THINKING ABOUT IT NOW, NOW THAT YOU BROUGHT UP BOB, I THINK WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT SATURDAY WAS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEDFORD COMMONS AND THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LANDSCAPE OUT THERE IS CONDUCIVE TO PRESERVING A LOT OF THAT IN THAT AREA, IN THAT LOWER BASIN THERE.

I THOUGHT THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH IT.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAYING THE TOPOGRAPHY MEANT GRADING.GRADING IS TOO TECHNICAL OF A TERM FOR ME TO USE I THINK TOPOGRAPHY.

OR FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND.

YEAH, OKAY. I JUST I WANT TO MAKE MY CONCERN.

NO APPRECIATE THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT RICH HAS, HE'S PRESENTING TONIGHT.

I KNOW WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT THE ORDINANCE IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

THERE WILL BE MORE THAN ME UP HERE DISCUSSING IT.

THANK YOU. YOU BET. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU, BOB. OKAY.

[PERSONS TO BE HEARD]

NEXT UP, WE DO HAVE PERSONS TO BE HEARD.

WE DO HAVE A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ASKED TO SPEAK TONIGHT.

SO FIRST, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME HAYLEY LYNN.

WELCOME, MS. LYNN.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE.

OKAY. SO MOST OF YOU KNOW ME ALREADY THROUGH EMAILS.

NICE TO SEE FACES TO PUT TO NAMES.

JIMMY, HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME, SIR? STATHATOS. STATHATOS.

YES, MA'AM. I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT.

JIMMY'S FINE. I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT CANT EVEN SAY IT.

WE BUTCHER HIS LAST NAME EVERY NIGHT.

[LAUGHTER] OKAY, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU. MOST OF YOU KNOW ME BY NOW.

OF COURSE. LET ME GO AHEAD AND REINTRODUCE MYSELF.

MY NAME IS HALEY LYNN.

I AM A SINGLE DISABLED MOTHER TO TWO KIDS AGES TEN AND SIX.

THEIR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS TOMORROW.

I REALLY WISH I WAS HOME WITH THEM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NEED IT HERE TONIGHT.

I AM THE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN BOTH PRIVATELY AND PUBLICLY ADVOCATING, PLEADING AND BEGGING FOR OFFICIALS HELP HERE IN BEDFORD, TEXAS, TO NO AVAIL.

THE ACTIONS OF THE BEDFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT CHIEF WILLIAMS, MAYOR BOYTER AND CITY MANAGER JIMMY STATHATOS.

JIMMY I'LL GO BY JIMMY NOW AND OTHERS IN THIS ROOM HAVE GREATLY IMPACTED MY LIFE AND IN TURN MY KIDS LIVES AS WELL.

TO GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT BRINGS ME HERE TONIGHT.

SO THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY PERSONAL FOR ME TO SHARE.

IT'S DIFFICULT. THAT'S WHY I'M A LITTLE ANXIOUS BEING UP HERE.

SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.

BUT IN AUGUST OF 2019, I CAME FORWARD TO BEDFORD PD AND REPORTED ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF MY FORMER SPOUSE, INCLUDING BEING SEXUALLY

[00:25:05]

ASSAULTED. MY KIDS AND I WERE HOMELESS FOR SIX WEEKS AFTER FLEEING, BUT WE EVENTUALLY FOUND A HOME HERE AGAIN AND STARTED OUR LIVES OVER.

WHILE THE WHEELS OF JUSTICE BEGAN TO TURN, THEY TURNED VERY SLOWLY.

FROM THE FIRST MOMENT WITH BEDFORD PD, I WAS MET WITH A RELUCTANCE TO HELP, DISREGARD AND EVEN HOSTILITY.

IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT BEDFORD PD WAS SUFFERING IMPROPER STAFFING WITH REGARDS TO THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION.

AND PERHAPS THIS WAS A REASON THE INVESTIGATION AND POLICE REPORTS WERE HANDLED THE WAY THEY WERE.

I STILL HAVE MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING IGNORED AND NEGLECTED.

AFTER BEING SUBJECTED TO BEING FORCED TO DEAL WITH DETECTIVE LEDVINKA FOR OVER TWO YEARS, I SAW A POST ON FACEBOOK THAT OUR CITY MADE CITY BEDFORD DURING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.

SO OUT OF ALL MONTHS, OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, 2021.

I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT POST, BUT IT WAS SAYING THAT YOU WERE RAISING THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS.

SO I USED MINE AND I REACHED OUT FOR HELP.

MAYOR BOYTER AND I SPOKE OVER THE PHONE FOR OVER 30 MINUTES.

WE EXCHANGED TEXT MESSAGES.

AND HE OFFERED ME HIS SUPPORT.

AT THE END OF IT, MAYOR BOYTER, CHIEF WILLIAMS, THE DEPUTY CHIEF, MY LEGAL ADVOCATE AND I HAD A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 1ST, 2021 THAT YOU. MAYOR BOYTER MIKE.

AS YOU SAID I COULD CALL YOU CANCELED ON AND WOULD NOT RESCHEDULE.

I CANCELED THE MEETING.

YES, SIR. VIA TEXT.

I SENT EVERYONE A COPY OF THE TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE.

OK.

SO, YES, YOU DID CANCEL.

YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE FEELING UNDERNEATH THE WEATHER.

AND I SAID, I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE FREE.

AND THEN I SAW YOU AT A PUBLIC EVENT A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER.

AND SO THEN I TOUCHED BASE AND I SAID, HEY, I SEE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER.

BUT THEN YOU BELIEVE YOU FIRST REACHED OUT TO ME BECAUSE THERE WAS CONCERNS ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

IS THAT CORRECT? COMMUNICATIONS WOULD BE PRETTY THING, YEAH.

I THINK SOMEONE HAD REFERRED YOU TO ME AND I APOLOGIZE.

I'M JUST TRYING. NO, IT'S. YOUR FACE WAS ON THE POST AND IT WAS ABOUT THE CITY OF BEDFORD.

AND SO I AND I SAID, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.

AND THAT'S WHEN CINDY, FORMER COUNCILWOMAN, COMMENTED AND ASKED FOR MY CONTACT INFO.

I REMEMBER THIS. OKAY. I APOLOGIZE.

I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU HERE, BUT IT KIND OF HELPS ME GET THE FRAME HERE.

OKAY. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.

NO, YOU'RE GOOD. SO WE HAD A MEETING CANCELED, WAS NOT RESCHEDULED, AND YOU DIDN'T RESPOND BACK TO ME TO MY TEXT MESSAGES.

SO JUST RHETORICAL QUESTION, BECAUSE I HAVE QUESTIONS AT THE END THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE ANSWERED.

SURE. BUT AND I DO WANT TO KNOW WHY IS THAT? WHY WHY DID YOU STOP RESPONDING TO ME? WHY DIDN'T YOU FOLLOW THROUGH AND HELP ME? I MEAN, IF YOU GENUINELY WANTED TO HELP, WHERE DID YOU GO? AND I CONNECTED YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT.

NO, YOU DID NOT. IF I HAVE A COMPLAINT TO.

I REACHED OUT TO CHIEF WILLIAMS AND THEN YOU BEGAN A COMMUNICATION WITH HIM, LET ME GO AHEAD AND FINISH WHAT I'M SAYING AND THEN BECAUSE THAT MIGHT ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS. SO THAT INTERACTION WHERE THE CITY OF BEDFORD POSTS SOMETHING PUBLICLY AND SAYS THAT THEY ARE RAISING THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS, AND YET, YOU KNOW, YOU GHOSTED US, THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY SO MANY VICTIMS DO NOT COME FORWARD.

IT'S INCREDIBLY SAD.

WE AREN'T TREATED LIKE WE MATTER, NOT BY SOCIETY, BUT BY THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP OR PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF POWER THAT OFFER THEIR HELP AND THEN BACK OUT. SO I'VE SAID IT BEFORE.

I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A MATTER OF PRIDE OR LARGE EGOS ON ANYBODY'S IN, BUT THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING COMING BETWEEN ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND HELPING A VICTIM OF A CRIME PERIOD PRIDE, LARGE EGOS AND SELF INTEREST.

NONE OF IT. NONE OF IT SHOULD GET IN THE WAY.

CERTAINLY NOT TO THE POINT WHERE SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM HAS TO STAND BEFORE YOU HERE IN A PUBLIC SETTING TO CONTINUE THEIR PLEASE OF ASKING YOU TO SIMPLY DO YOUR JOBS. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE COME TO THIS POINT.

WE ALL KNOW THAT. YET HERE WE ARE.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, ASIDE FROM MR. FARKOS, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT IN THE GROUP EMAIL EXCHANGE THAT WAS HAPPENING, I LATER VOTED FOR YOU, BUT YOU WERE NOT A PART OF THAT.

BUT EVERYONE ELSE, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND TIME TO HELP ME, YET HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO.

I HAVE VERY PERSONAL QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS REGARDING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION THAT TOOK PLACE INTO THE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

I HOPE NOW TO FINALLY SIT DOWN WITH MY LEGAL ADVOCATE AND I TO ADDRESS THEM.

SO SOME OF WHICH INCLUDES.

A DETECTIVE WITHHOLDING INFORMATION FROM THE DA'S OFFICE.

[00:30:01]

THAT SAME DETECTIVE AND I DID SUPPLY YOU ALL WITH A COPY OF THE FORMAL COMPLAINT.

CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU'LL RECEIVE THAT VIA EMAIL? SO YOU ARE AWARE OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

SO. I'LL BE HONEST I HAVE NO IDEA.

YOU DON'T KNOW? I HAVE NO IDEA.

I HAVE NO IDEA IF YOU'RE AWARE.

WELL, MR. COGAN.

MR. STEVES. YOU DON'T REMEMBER IN THE GROUP EMAIL? REMEMBER YOU SEND IN A REPORT.

I CAN'T CONFIRM. THAT WAS THE FULL REPORT.

THAT'S CONCERNING. OK.

MR. GAGLIARDI, DO YOU REMEMBER? I REMEMBER RECEIVING AN EMAIL.

YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

SO I HAVE A COPY IF YOU DO WANT IT.

BUT THIS IS THE FORMAL COMPLAINT THAT IT DID FILE WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS IN REGARDS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS.

I DO HAVE TO SAY TEXAS RANGERS.

YEAH, I DO REMEMBER NOT.

RIGHT. SO THIS I DID ACTUALLY POST ONLINE PUBLICLY FOR ANYBODY THAT IS CURIOUS ABOUT IT.

I HAVE COPIES, BUT.

PART OF IT WAS THE DETECTIVE WITHHOLDING INFORMATION FROM THE DA'S OFFICE.

AND WHENEVER THE MAN THAT RAPED ME WAS ARRESTED, I WAS DRIVING IN MY CAR WITH MY KIDS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR.

THEY WERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, SO THEY WERE A LOT YOUNGER, IT FEELS LIKE.

BUT I ASKED DETECTIVE LEVINE FOR JUST A MOMENT TO PULL OVER SO THAT I COULD HEAR WHAT HE HAD TO SAY BECAUSE IT WAS SO HARD TO GET HIM OVER THE PHONE.

AND HE HE DID NOT WANT TO WAIT.

BUT HE DID HAVE THE TIME TO TELL ME THAT THE MAN WHO RAPED ME WAS NICE AND POLITE DURING THE BOOKING, AMONG OTHER COMMENTS THAT HE MADE.

AND THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT FOR SOMEONE WHO JUST REPORTED A SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THEN GETTING A CALL LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF MY KIDS WAS REALLY, REALLY HARD.

AND LASTLY, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THE CHIEF OF POLICE KEEPING A FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM AND DETECTIVE LIVING OFF THE RECORD.

THAT IS THE FOCUS HERE TONIGHT, THE HANDWRITTEN, FORMAL, SIGNED COMPLAINT I FILED AGAINST CHIEF WILLIAMS, DETECTIVE LEDVINKA, AS WELL AS OTHERS.

EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY, HOW THAT COMPLAINT HAS BEEN KEPT OFF THE RECORD THROUGH AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST.

INQUIRING AS TO THE STATUS OF MY COMPLAINT IN THE PRECEDING INVESTIGATION, I RECEIVED SOME CONCERNING INTERNAL EMAILS EXCHANGED BETWEEN CHIEF WILLIAMS AND CITY MANAGER JIMMY STATHATOS.

APOLOGIZE FOR MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME, ONE OF WHICH I BROUGHT HERE TONIGHT.

WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE FORMAL COMPLAINT WAS KEPT OFF THE RECORD, I FORWARDED THAT INFORMATION TO ALL OF YOU IN A GROUP EMAIL EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS.

WHAT I AM PRESENTING HERE TONIGHT IS AN EMAIL FROM CITY MANAGER TO CHIEF WILLIAMS PRIVATELY.

SO OUTSIDE OF THAT GROUP, EMAIL THAT WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH, OR AT LEAST SOME OF US REMEMBER AND I HAVE COPIES HERE FOR YOU TONIGHT.

WOULD YOU LIKE COPIES? SURE.

THANK YOU. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS.

YOU ESSENTIALLY FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST CHIEF WILLIAMS AND THE OTHER OFFICERS, AND SO YOU DID A INFORMATION REQUEST AND YOU FOUND OUT THAT IT'S NOT ON THEIR RECORD BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ANYBODY TO RESPOND IN THE GROUP EMAIL THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE FORGETTING ABOUT.

I COULDN'T GET ANYBODY TO RESPOND.

SO THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITHIN THE COMPLAINT WAS TO FILE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST BECAUSE SIX WEEKS HAD PASSED, AND THE FIRST STEP AFTER FILING A FORMAL COMPLAINT IS YOU CONTACT THE COMPLAINANT.

SO WHENEVER I FOUND OUT THROUGH THE OPEN RECORDS REQUEST THAT THERE WAS INDEED NOT AN INVESTIGATION GOING ON AND CHIEF WILLIAMS KEPT IT OFF THE RECORD, I RESPONDED IN KIND TO EVERYONE IN THE GROUP AND I SAID, THIS IS JUST WHAT I SUSPECTED.

NOW, INSTEAD OF RESPONDING IN THAT GROUP EMAIL, JIMMY SENT AN EMAIL TO CHIEF WILLIAMS PRIVATELY AND SAID, CHIEF, IN CASE I'M ASKED WHAT A COMPLAINT SUCH AS THIS TYPICALLY TRIGGER A FORMAL INVESTIGATION THINGS.

SO ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE, I FOLLOW THE FORMAL COMPLAINT PROCESS, AND IT SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.

CHIEF WILLIAMS RESPONSE.

SO KEEP IN MIND, I DID FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM.

HIS RESPONSE IS SHORT ANSWER IS NO.

WITH ANY COMPLAINT THAT COMES IN, WE FIRST TAKE A LOOK, A CURSORY LOOK AT IT, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY MAJOR POLICY VIOLATIONS THAT WOULD JUSTIFY A FORMAL COMPLAINT WHEN THERE ARE NO MAJOR INFRACTIONS DISCOVERED IN THE CURSORY REVIEW, IT IS HANDLED THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.

WITH HER NAMING ME AND THE INVESTIGATION.

THERE WAS NO ONE HIGHER AT THE P.D.

TO LOOK INTO THE CASE.

AND THEN YOUR RESPONSE BACK TO ME WAS PERFECT.

THANKS. SO, OF COURSE I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

[00:35:05]

AND WHAT ABOUT THAT IS PERFECT.

I'M NOT GOING TO I'LL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND AT THE END.

CANDIDLY, I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN A BACK AND FORTH DIALOG WITH YOU BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF THIS PART OF THE AGENDA.

I'M HAPPY TO RESPOND TO ANYTHING.

HAPPY TO POINT OUT A LOT OF STUFF.

I'LL JUST STOP THERE.

BUT I THANK YOU AND I'LL JUST BE HONEST AND I'M JUST BEING HONEST HERE.

I DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD ENVIRONMENT TO TRY AND LITIGATE ANY CONCERNS, ALTHOUGH I RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE SENSITIVITY OF EVERYTHING.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S.

NOW THAT YOU REMEMBER. I DON'T KNOW.

I'M SORRY. NOW THAT YOU REMEMBER WHO I AM.

I HAVE REMEMBERED WHEN YOU FIRST GOT HERE, WHO YOU WERE.

I THINK IF YOU'RE MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO HELP US LITIGATE THIS ISSUE, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO DO IT.

OKAY. SO I'M AT THE END OF WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, THESE QUESTIONS I HAVE.

WHO HOLDS THE CHIEF OF POLICE ACCOUNTABLE? WHO HOLDS THE CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE? HOW CAN ONE INVESTIGATE ONESELF? WHERE ARE THE CHECKS AND BALANCES HERE? WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE EACH OF YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? SILENCE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION AND ACTION IS NO LONGER AN OPTION.

YEAH. DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, I LEAVE YOU HERE WITH THIS, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO AN ACTUAL PRODUCTIVE MEETING IN THE FUTURE.

THAT IS NOT CANCELED FOR NOW.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE MORE TO DISCUSS HERE.

I DON'T KNOW THE TIME AND SETTING FOR US TO DO THIS, BUT AS A COUNCIL, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR EVERYONE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS TRANSPARENT AND THAT WE'RE FULLY COMPLYING WITH OUR STANDARDS.

SO. I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED FROM HERE.

RIGHT. WE CERTAINLY CAN. AND OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LOT SHARED TONIGHT.

AND THE TOPIC THAT'S ON THE AGENDA IS COMMUNITY RELATIONS.

SO IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION TO ACTUALLY POST SOMETHING WITH SOME SPECIFICITY IF WE WANT SOME FEEDBACK AND WE CAN I CAN ALSO PROVIDE SOME LEGAL ADVICE AS WELL.

VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, COUNCIL? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY.

NEXT UP, WE WELCOME TO THE DAIS, MS. DOROTHY MCWHORTER.

WELCOME BACK, DOROTHY.

I AM DOROTHY MCWHORTER.

I LIVE AT 1600 MACARTHUR DRIVE BEDFORD.

GOOD EVENING.

I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU NOT INTERRUPT UNTIL I HAVE CONCLUDED MY AGENDA.

IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT ONLY A COUPLE OF YOU ATTENDED THE AUGUST 1ST CANDIDATE FORUM HELD IN THE BEDFORD LIBRARY, I FEEL I MUST REPEAT WHAT TRANSPIRED IN ORDER FOR YOU TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF MY PRESENCE HERE THIS EVENING.

COUNCILMAN STEVES WAS IN THE AUDIENCE AND MAYOR PRO TEM.

SABOL WAS STATIONED ON THE FRONT ROW AS TIMEKEEPER FOR THE EVENT.

THEY WERE THE ONLY TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS I RECOGNIZED.

THESE ARE THE FACTS.

UPON ARRIVING AT THE LIBRARY.

I WAS MET BY MISS MARGARET HALL, WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY QUESTION, WHICH WAS WRITTEN ON YELLOW LEGAL PAPER, MUST BE SUBMITTED ON A CARD.

I INFORMED MISS HALL THAT I WOULD PREFER TO WAIT UNTIL BOTH CANDIDATES WERE SEATED AT THE TABLE BEFORE SUBMITTING MY QUESTION TO HER.

I INFORMED HER THAT MISS LESLIE GREEN HAD REQUESTED THAT I GIVE HER MY QUESTION BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED.

I DID NOT TELL HER THAT MISS GREEN, IN THREE PREVIOUS TELEPHONE CALLS, HAD ASKED ME TO GIVE HER MY QUESTION BEFORE THE MEETING COMMENCED.

MISS GREEN'S JUSTIFICATION TO ASSURE ME THAT MY QUESTION DID NOT GET LOST.

[00:40:10]

PRIOR TO THE CANDIDATES BEING SEATED, MS. GREEN STARTED TOWARD ME, BUT I WAVED HER OFF.

WHEN THE CANDIDATES TOOK THEIR PLACE AT THE TABLE, I GAVE MS. HALL MY QUESTION ON THE CARD AS DIRECTED.

THE GENTLEMAN MODERATOR PRESENTED THE QUESTIONS TO THE CANDIDATES FOR THE NEXT HOUR.

MY QUESTION WAS NEVER ASKED.

AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING, I ASKED THE MODERATOR TO SEE THE QUESTIONS WHICH HAD BEEN HANDED TO HIM.

I WENT THROUGH THE STACK TWICE AND MY CARD WAS NOT IN THE STACK.

I TURN TO MISS LESLIE GREEN, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE EVENT.

AND ASK WHERE WAS MY QUESTION? BUT MISS GREEN SAID, QUOTE, I DO NOT HAVE YOUR CARD END OF QUOTE.

I THEN TURN TO MS. HALL, TO WHOM I HAD GIVEN MY CARD AND ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.

MS. HALL WENT DIRECTLY TO MS. GREEN WITH A POINTED FINGER AND SAID, QUOTE, LESLIE, I GAVE YOU THAT CARD END OF QUOTE . AGAIN. MS. GREENE REPLIED, QUOTE, I DON'T HAVE IT END OF QUOTE.

AS I LEFT THE BUILDING, I WAS MET BY A LADY AT THE DOOR.

SHE APOLOGIZED FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TOLD ME THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

THESE ARE THE FACTS OF WHAT TRANSPIRED AT THE AUGUST 1ST CANDIDATE FORUM, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE CITY OF BEDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, MR. JAREN LIBERMAN, CANDIDATE FOR PLACE ONE ON THE BEDFORD CITY COUNCIL, WHOSE VOTING RECORD SHOWS HE VOTES REPUBLICAN.

CALL ME. MR. LIEBERMAN REQUESTED THAT I READ HIM MY QUESTION THAT DISAPPEARED BEFORE IT COULD BE PRESENTED TO THE CANDIDATES.

MY QUESTION, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO BOTH CANDIDATES, WAS, QUOTE, I CONSIDER ESSENTIAL SPENDING TO BE FOR FIRE, POLICE WATER, SEWAGE DRAINAGE STREETS AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

I FURTHER CONSIDER ALL OTHER SPENDING TO BE NON-ESSENTIAL OR NICE TO HAVE.

MY QUESTIONS ONE.

DO YOU CONCUR? TWO WOULD YOU ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT A CUT IN NON-ESSENTIAL SPENDING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A REDUCTION IN PROPERTY TAXES? MR. LIEBERMAN.

CANDIDATE FOR BEDFORD CITY COUNCIL PLACE, ONE WHOSE VOTING RECORD SHOWS HE VOTES REPUBLICAN, ANSWERED BOTH QUESTIONS.

I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM MISS DAWKINS, THE OTHER CANDIDATE WHOSE VOTING RECORDS SHOW SHE VOTED IN THE DEMOCRAT 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION.

DUE TO THE VANISHING OF MY CARD CANDIDATES, LIBERMAN AND DAWKINS WERE ROBBED OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN THEIR POSITION ON MY QUESTION.

I ASK YOU TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL.

MY QUESTION IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE.

THE HEART OF THE ISSUE.

VANISHING CARDS DID NOT JUST HAPPEN TO ME.

OTHER CARDS WITH GOOD QUESTIONS DISAPPEARED.

OTHERS THOUGHT IT JUST HAPPENED TO THEM UNTIL THEY OVERHEARD ME AT THE FORUM.

I RECEIVED A CALL TODAY AND THE CALLER USED THE WORD RIGGED AS THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THEM.

AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN BACK FOR A SECOND HELPING.

I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO READ TO YOU SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THIS CITY.

YOU THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT WAS ALLOWING THE USE OF THE BUILDING AND NOT CHARGING FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE THE

[00:45:01]

OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM CANDIDATES.

MY RESPONSE? I ASK YOU, WHERE WAS MY OPPORTUNITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY OF OTHERS TO HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES WHEN OUR CARDS JUST DISAPPEARED? THIS IS YOU.

WE SHOULD BE NEUTRAL.

AND WE HAVE BEEN.

OUR ROLE WAS ON AUGUST THE FIRST, THE SAME THAT IT HAS BEEN FOR YEARS.

MY RESPONSE REALLY? THEN WHY WAS MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL A PART OF THE FORUM BY SITTING ON THE FRONT ROW, ENGAGED AS A TIMEKEEPER FOR THE EVENT.

IN 2018 DURING THE DAN COOGAN DEMOCRAT VOTING RECORD.

EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY, COGAN I'M SORRY.

DAN COGAN, DEMOCRAT VOTING RECORD AND CANDIDATE DE GEPHARDT, REPUBLICAN VOTING RECORD CAMPAIGN MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL WAS A PART OF THE GROUP WHO ESTABLISHED A BEDFORD VOTERS FORUM, IN FACT, ON MARCH THE 30TH, 2018.

SHE CONTACTED THE ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN FOR THE FOLLOWING QUOTE PLEASE RESERVE THE ROOMS FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL THE 18TH, BETWEEN 6:30 AND 8:30 P.M.

APPROXIMATELY. END QUOTE.

MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL RECEIVED CONFIRMATION FROM THE ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN ON APRIL THE SECOND THAT A ROOM HAD BEEN RESERVED FOR WEDNESDAY.

FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL THE 18TH FOR THE COGAN GEPHARDT CAMPAIGN VOTERS FORUM.

ON APRIL THE 15TH, MRS. LESLIE GREEN ENTERED THE DIALOG WITH MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL RELATIVE TO DETAILS OF THE ROOM RESERVATION.

MS. GREEN WAS ASSURED BY MS. SABOL QUOTE, WE HAVE ACHIEVED MUCH GREATER THINGS.

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE END OF QUOTE.

HOW DOES THE FOREGOING MATCH YOUR STATEMENT? QUOTE, WE SHOULD BE NEUTRAL AND WE HAVE BEEN IN THE QUOTE.

YOUR STATEMENT SHE LESLIE ASKED YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION EARLY TO KEEP IT SAFE, BUT YOU DECLINED MY RESPONSE.

KEEP IT SAFE. FROM WHOM? IT WAS NOT THE SECRET TO THE ATOMIC BOMB.

YOUR COMMENT.

IT WAS ONLY A QUESTION, ONE YOU COULD HAVE ASKED THE CANDIDATES AFTER THE EVENT OR CALLED AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.

MY RESPONSE.

IF I HAD DONE THIS, WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE CANDIDATE FORUM? YOU UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE EVENT WAS ADMINISTERED MODERATED, BUT THE CITY WAS NOT INVOLVED.

MY RESPONSE THIS STATEMENT BEGS FOR TWO REBUTTALS.

FIRST, THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING DOROTHY MCWHORTER WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH PROBLEMS WITH THE FORUM AND THE SECOND PART OF YOUR STATEMENT BUT THE CITY WAS NOT INVOLVED IS MORE LAUGHABLE WHEN MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL WAS SEATED ON THE FRONT ROW, ENGAGED AS A TIMEKEEPER FOR THE FORUM.

IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, ALL WE HAVE HEARD FROM THIS COUNCIL IS PLACING BLAME ON PREVIOUS COUNCILS FOR THINGS IN THIS CITY.

WELL, THIS HAPPENED ON YOUR WATCH.

AND ALL YOU CAN SAY, YOU PLEAD THE FIFTH.

THERE ARE THREE THINGS I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS EVENING.

ONE. I WOULD NOT HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON THIS EVENING IF MY QUESTION HAD BEEN DENIED ON THE BASIS OF ITS LENGTH OR ANY SUBJECTIVITY AND LEFT ON THE TABLE IN LIEU OF DISAPPEARING . TWO. IT IS THE VOTERS WHO COME TO THE CANDIDATE FORUMS WHO ARE GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK DUE TO THE DEVELOPED PATTERN WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE TAXPAYERS BUILDING.

IT IS MY HOPE THEY TOO WILL TAKE NOTE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEIR BUILDING.

[00:50:07]

I HOPE THEY WILL REACT WHEN HEARING YOUR TEFLON WORDS.

NOT OUR PROBLEM.

THREE. YOU HAVE JUST HAD A LESSON IN HOW TO TURN A MINUS INTO A PLUS.

HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

DOROTHY. DO YOU MIND, I ASK JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

I'M JUST CURIOUS. SO WHEN YOU SIT HERE AND SAY YOU AND ME, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE ANY OF US INDIVIDUALLY OR THE CITY MANAGER WAS RESPONDING TO THAT.

I DON'T LIKE TO USE NAMES.

I DIDN'T USE THE NAME OF.

YOU DON'T LIKE TO USE NAMES.

OKAY.THE LADY THAT GUARANTEED ME THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

I APPRECIATE IT. SO IN THE PAST, THIS TYPE OF EVENT WAS DONE BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, RIGHT? YEARS AGO. WAS IT, FOR WHATEVER REASON? AND WHEN THEY STOPPED THEN THIS BUNCH STARTED 2018.

THEY DID. 2018 WAS LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.

WHY DID THEY STOP DOING IT? I'M SORRY. I'M JUST CURIOUS.

I JUST NEED TO GET EDUCATED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT.

SO, FOR WHATEVER REASON, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS STOPPED DOING THIS.

AND THEN SO WE HAD OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED HAVE STEPPED UP TO TRY AND HELP PUT THIS TOGETHER.

HOW DO WE, HOW DOES IT GET DONE GOING FORWARD? YOU'RE NOT A PROPONENT OF THE CITY SPONSORING THIS, OBVIOUSLY.

NO. SO HOW DOES IT GET DONE GOING FORWARD? IT IS A GOOD CONCEPT.

I WORK CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO GET VOTERS TO THE POLLS.

BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, WHEN THE HUMAN ELEMENT IS INVOLVED AND YOU SET UP A SYSTEM, YOU HAVE TO PUT CHECKS AND BALANCES ON IT.

I DON'T BELIEVE IN MY HEART OF HEART THAT MOST OF YOU CONDONE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. BUT I PUT IT IN YOUR SHOES TO FIND A SOLUTION TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND KNOW THERE IS A LEVEL PLAYING GROUND.

NOW. I UNDERSTAND.

THERE ARE DUMB QUESTIONS.

SOMETIMES THEY GET INTO PEOPLE'S PERSONAL LIVES, AND THAT'S NONE OF ANYBODY'S BUSINESS.

BUT WHEN GOOD QUESTIONS AND MINE WAS A GOOD QUESTION.

AND A GENTLEMAN STANDING NEXT TO ME, HE HAD A GOOD QUESTION.

THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED.

THEY WERE LEGIT QUESTIONS AND AND THEY DESERVE TO BE ANSWERED.

AND SO WHAT YOU FOUND? I APOLOGIZE. TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS.

YOUR CARD ESSENTIALLY DISAPPEARED.

IT DISAPPEARED WITHIN A PERIOD OF THREE FEET.

WITHIN THREE FEET.

AND I WAS WATCHING THE MONITOR AS HE READ THEM.

AND TIME WENT ON BECAUSE HE DID EXACTLY AN HOUR AND I KNEW.

I DIDN'T COME IN ON THAT LAST LOAD OF TURNIPS.

I KNEW BEFORE I WENT INTO THAT COMMENT.

I KNEW WHEN I WENT IN TO THAT MEETING.

YEAH, MY QUESTION MAY NOT EVER BE READ.

ALL RIGHT. I DIDN'T KNOW IT, BUT I HAD A GUT FEELING.

COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES. YOU JUST MENTIONED YOU WEREN'T GOING TO NAME WHO WAS BEHIND THE FORUM.

WHY CAN'T WE NAME WHO BEHIND THE FORUM OR WHO IS BEHIND THE FORUM? I'LL TELL YOU, I'M JUST SAYING I DON'T.

IT'S NOT A SECRET, ISN'T IT? I DON'T KNOW WHO'S IN CHARGE.

THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. NO, NO, NO.

I DID. UNDER THE OPEN RECORDS ACT.

I GOT A COPY OF THE PERSON WHO REQUESTED WHO REQUESTED? I ASSUME YOU WERE SOMEWHAT BEING POLITE AND NOT NAMING.

YEAH, SHE'S BEING POLITE.

IT WAS OF GARCIA THAT ASKED FOR THE ROOM.

AND MY DEAL WAS WHEN WE DID THIS IN 2018 WAS BECAUSE THE WOMEN LEAGUE OF VOTERS DROPPED THE ISSUE.

SO THERE WAS A BUNCH OF US AT THE TIME, AND IT DWINDLED DOWN TO HARDLY ANYBODY THIS YEAR.

WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED TO HEAR GEBHART AND COGAN TALK.

ALL LEGITIMATE, BY THE WAY.

ALL LEGITIMATE.

AND THEN THIS YEAR WE DID THE EXACT SAME THING BECAUSE JARON LIBERMAN IS NOT EVEN KNOWN.

MICHELLE IS KNOWN A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT NEITHER CANDIDATE IS VERY WELL KNOWN.

MR. FARKO RAN NOT TOO LONG AGO, BUT PEOPLE KNOW MR. FARKO. MR. BATES HAD RUN.

I MEAN, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT RACE.

[00:55:02]

YOUR PREMISE IS GOOD, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT IT DIDN'T COME OFF THAT WAY.

THERE WAS NO CHEATING, DOROTHY.

MRS. GREEN HAS CALLED YOU AND TOLD YOU THAT IT JUST SIMPLY GOT LOST.

IF YOU SIT THERE IN THAT POSITION AND I'LL TELL YOU, THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THIS ROOM THAT HAVE SAT IN THAT POSITION.

STEVE GRUBBS DID IT ONCE.

MICHELLE DID IT THE YEAR BEFORE.

IT'S VERY FRANTIC TO GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS THAT COME FORWARD, AND YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHICH ONES ARE A VALUE LIKE YOU ARE SAYING.

AND THE SECOND THING IS NOT TO READ THE SAME QUESTION OVER AND OVER AND AGAIN.

AND I THINK IT JUST GOT SHOVED OFF INTO THE SIDE BECAUSE WHAT SHE WAS DOING WAS SHE WAS TAKING AND SHE EXPLAINED THIS TO YOU.

SHE STUFFED IT IN HER PURSE.

IF THE QUESTION WAS NOT GOING TO BE ASKED, SHE STUFFED IT IN HER PURSE.

NOW, HOW THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY? I HAVE NO EARTHLY CLUE.

THIS WAS A SANCTIONED THING BY THE CITY.

THE LIBRARY DID IT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TO DO.

THEY'RE TO EDUCATE.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE PUBLIC SERVICE.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE FORUM DOES.

NOW, I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A TIMER DURING THAT MEETING, BUT THE PERSON THAT WAS GOT COVID.

SO INSTEAD OF CANCELING THE WHOLE THING, GUESS WHAT? WHO GOT TO BE TIMER? SO, YOU KNOW, THIS COMPLAINT OF US, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE ILLEGITIMATE AND AT LEAST WE'RE DOING SOMETHING TO BRING THE CANDIDATES FORWARD FOR THE PEOPLE TO COME SEE. AND I WOULD BET YOU MONEY THAT ROOM WAS FULL AND THEY WERE ALL HAPPY TO HAVE THAT FORUM PRESENTED TO THEM THE WAY WE DID IT.

THEY DID NOT COMPLAIN.

THEY LIKE THE QUESTIONS.

IT WAS NOT A DEBATE.

SO THERE WAS NO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES.

IT WAS A VERY DECENT EVENT, EXCEPT FOR YOUR COMPLAINTS AND NOT EXCUSE ME.

IF IT'S ABOUT THE CITY RENTING THE ROOM AND WE DIDN'T PAY ANY RENT, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

YOU MENTIONED THAT IN ONE OF THE EMAILS TO US THAT YOU WONDERED HOW MUCH THE CITY MADE ON THE REVENUE ON THIS.

AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL.

IT'S A PUBLIC SERVICE, MADAM.

A PUBLIC SERVICE THAT WE GET THOSE CANDIDATES OUT IN FRONT.

SO I WILL HELP WITH THAT BEDFORD FORUM JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT YOU REALIZE HOW HARD IT IS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET THEIR NAMES OUT AND LET THE PEOPLE KNOW WHO THEY ARE. THIS IS ONE WAY THEY CAN DO IT.

THEY CAN GET THEIR PIECE SAID.

THEY CAN SAY WHAT THEY BELIEVE.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FORUM, NOTHING WHATSOEVER EXCEPT YOUR QUESTION GOT LOST AND YOU GOT DISGUSTED ABOUT IT.

SO THAT'S ALL THIS AMOUNTS TO, MADAM? NO, IT DOESN'T.

MA'AM, I DISAGREE WITH YOU.

I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE.

THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IT WAS AN HOUR LONG.

IT WAS AN HOUR LONG.

OF NOT IN THE STACK EITHER.

MA'AM, I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH YOU.

WELL, I WAS YOU COUNTED ME IN THE GROUP THAT WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS.

THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T GET THEIR QUESTIONS READ.

DEBORAH CHENEY WAS ONE SHE SAID I DIDN'T GET.

BUT SHE SAID SHE GOT A LOT OUT OF THE FORUM BECAUSE SHE GOT TO ASK THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED WITH THIS FORUM ALL VOLUNTEER.

THEY ALL VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME.

AND TO BE CRITICAL OF VOLUNTEERS JUST ASTOUNDS ME.

BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT IF YOU'VE EVER DONE LIKE THAT.

IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.

MA'AM, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU'RE FILIBUSTERING AND TRYING TO MUDDY THE WATER.

YOU HAVE NOT COME UP WITH WHY? MORE THAN ME.

IF IT HAD JUST BEEN ME, I COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS PARANOID.

IT ONLY HAPPENED TO ME.

IT HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE.

I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY. THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. DO YOU JUST SO YOUR ASK IS FOR US TO.

SIR, I'M ASKING YOU TO MAKE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

SO IS THAT PARTIALLY A CONTRADICTION THAT YOU DON'T WANT US INVOLVED IN THIS, BUT YOU'RE ASKING US TO HELP BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION? NO. YOU SET THE SYSTEM UP.

BUT YOU DID THE SYSTEM FOR THE FORUM? YEAH, FOR THE FORUM. BECAUSE YOU AGREE.

NO. YOU AGREED THAT THIS COULD TAKE PLACE.

AT LIBRARY? YEAH. YEAH. WHEN YOU SAY YOU, YOU'RE JUST SAYING THE CITY AS A LARGER ENTITY, AS A LARGE.

YEAH, AGREED.

AGREED. THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA.

IT'S JUST KIND OF A NORMAL POLICY OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO RENT THOSE ROOMS. OR BORROW THOSE ROOMS. THAT IS, SIR.

YOU HIT ON IT.

IF THEY HAD COME IN AND PAID A FEE OR WHATEVER.

YEAH, THEY COULD SET UP THERE AND SELL LIQUOR.

AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE COULD DO ABOUT IT.

NOT IN THE BEDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY, MA'AM.

WELL, I'M SAYING YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL.

THIS IS CITY SPONSORED, BASICALLY SPONSORED BECAUSE SOME COUNCIL, SOME PLACE GAVE THEIR OK FOR THIS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT GROUP JUST DIDN'T GO IN AND DO THIS, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE COUNCIL APPROVAL TO DO THIS.

[01:00:03]

WHY WOULD THEY HAVE HAD COUNCIL APPROVAL? WE ADVERTISED IT. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS DID IT FREE TO IT.

IT WASN'T JUST THE BEDFORD.

I MEAN, YOU COME TO EVERY MEETING.

WE'VE NEVER. YOU MEAN THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON IN THE COUNCIL, DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

SO THE LIBRARY HAS ITS OWN POLICIES ABOUT WHO CAN RENT THE ROOMS THERE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME TO THE COUNCIL.

BUT YOU'RE IN CONTROL OF THE LIBRARY, SIR.

YOU WANT THE COUNCIL INVOLVED IN EVERY MINDING DECISION OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT THE LIBRARY.

THAT'S JUST NOT PRODUCTIVE.

SIR. I'M NOT BUYING WHAT YOUR SELLING.

NOW, IF WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, RESPONSIBILITY, LIES.

ONE PLACE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT TO THINK THAT WE'RE INVOLVED.

JUST WANT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD TO WHERE PEOPLE WITH GOOD QUESTIONS CAN GO TO A CITY FUNCTION AND HAVE THEIR QUESTION ANSWERED.

THEY TOOK THE TIME TO COME AND I FEEL THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THAT.

YES, MA'AM. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.

YES, MA'AM. AND I'M JUST REPORTED.

THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.

OKAY. I GOT IT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT.

DON'T FORGET YOUR PURSE.

ALL RIGHT. APPRECIATE IT. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE FOR COMING UP TO THE DAIS.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE SOME ITEMS TO CONSIDER BY CONSENT.

[CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ITEMS BY CONSENT]

SO I GIVE YOU CITY MANAGER JIMMY STATHATOS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL.

WE'VE GOT SEVERAL ITEMS TONIGHT.

THE FIRST ONE INVOLVES THE MINUTES FOR THE JULY 12TH COUNCIL MEETING AND THE PARDON ME.

THE SECOND ITEM INVOLVES SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE URSULA'S BEDFORD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE THREE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS OFFICERS FOR THE 2022 2023 SCHOOL YEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF $255,970.74 PAID FOR BY THE DISTRICT.

THIS ITEM WILL ENABLE THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH HEB ISD TO PROVIDE THREE SWORN OFFICERS FOR ON SITE SECURITY FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR AT THE CAMPUSES OF HARWOOD AND BEDFORD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS AND JEAN BUDINGER CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACADEMY.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT FOR PURCHASE OF OFFICE SUPPLIES, FURNITURE AND OTHER AS NEEDED OFFICE RELATED GOODS FROM AMAZON BUSINESS LLC AND AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF $175,000 WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASING COOPERATIVE THAT DOES BUSINESS AS OMNIA PUBLIC SECTOR.

THIS IS A REQUEST TO ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT TO PURCHASE OFFICE SUPPLIES, FURNITURE AND OTHER AS NEEDED GOODS THAT WILL BE PURCHASED FROM AMAZON BUSINESS THROUGH THIS COOPERATIVE BASED.

THE LAW THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO DO THAT IS TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 791, AND IT BASICALLY ALLOWS FOR VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO CONTRACT WITH ONE ANOTHER OR AGENCIES OF THE STATE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE OR CREATE EFFICIENCIES AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF DENTON FOR COOPERATIVE PURCHASING OF GOODS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW US TO BASICALLY TAP INTO THEIR PURCHASING POWER BASED ON THE PRIOR TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODES 791 THAT ARE REFERENCED.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM FOR GOODS AND SERVICES.

A LOT OF THESE, AS WE GET TO THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, A LOT OF THESE ARE ANNUAL HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS. THAT'S WHY THERE'S A LOT OF PURCHASING STUFF BECAUSE THE NEW FISCAL YEAR STARTS TEN ONE.

THE TDIR WHICH STANDS FOR TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES.

IT PROVIDES BEDFORD WITH AN ASSET WITH ACCESS TO A NUMBER OF CONTRACTS AND VENDORS THAT WE CAN USE TO PURCHASE TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

AND BECAUSE THERE IS A ECONOMIES OF SCALE, IF YOU WILL, IT SAVES THE TAXPAYERS MONEY.

THE NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING ALLIANCE IN NCPA.

IT'S I WON'T READ ALL THE DETAILS, BUT IT'S THE SAME EXACT MODEL OR VEHICLE.

IT JUST ENABLES THE CITY.

THAT'S OK.[LAUGHTER] AND JUST NOW WE NEED AN AD ANYWAY.

SO IT ENABLES US TO AGAIN HAVE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE CAN PURCHASE AT A LOWER RATE TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE TAXPAYERS.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH TEXAS HEALTH PHYSICIANS GROUP, WHICH STANDS FOR THPG FOR EMPLOYEE CLINIC SERVICES, EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2022.

[01:05:05]

THIS ITEM IS TO ALLOW US TO RENEW OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE TEXAS HEALTH PHYSICIANS GROUP FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.

CURRENTLY, THERE ARE FOUR CLINIC LOCATIONS TWO IN BEDFORD, ONE IN KELLER, AND ONE IN SAGINAW.

THE NEXT ITEM IS THE TARRANT COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTION RATE.

THIS ITEM ALLOWS US TO FORMALLY RECEIVE THE CERTIFIED ANTICIPATED COLLECTION RATE FROM THE TARRANT TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR FOR THE CITY OF BEDFORD, PER SECTION 26.04 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE.

THE TEXAS. IT'S ALL RUN TOGETHER.

THE TAX COLLECTOR SHALL CERTIFY AN ESTIMATE OF THE COLLECTION RATE OF TAXES FOR THE CURRENT YEAR TO THE GOVERNING BODY.

EXCUSE ME. THEREFORE, THE CITY OF BEDFORD IS CERTIFYING A COLLECTION RATE OF NOT LESS THAN 100%.

OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S NOT ANY ACTION NECESSARY FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO RECEIVE THE 2022 AD VALOREM TAX ROLE FROM THE TARRANT APPRAISAL DISTRICT AS CERTIFIED BY CHIEF APPRAISER JEFF LAW PER SECTION 26.4. THE APPRAISER SHALL SUBMIT THE APPRAISAL ROLE FOR THE CITY OF BEDFORD, SHOWING THE TOTAL APPRAISED, ASSESSED AND TAXABLE VALUES OF ALL BEDFORD PROPERTY TO THE GOVERNING BODY BY AUGUST 1ST OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

OTHER THAN THIS, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL ACTION THAT'S NECESSARY FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.

THE NEXT ITEM I'VE ONLY GOT A FEW MORE.

THE NEXT ITEM IS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH WENDY BURGESS, WHO IS THE COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR, COLLECTOR AND TARRANT COUNTY FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION SERVICES OF AD VALOREM TAXES LEVIED BY THE CITY OF BEDFORD AND PROVIDING AN ELECTED I'M SORRY, AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

JIMMY, DO YOU NEED SOME MORE WATER? I MIGHT. THANK YOU.

I KNOW, THANK YOU. GOOD IDEA.

HE ACTUALLY TOOK A DRINK. [LAUGHTER]. WAS THAT A JOKE.

I'M SORRY. THANK YOU FOR THE SETUP.

YEAH. I TRY NOT TO GULP TOO MUCH IN THE MICROPHONE, BUT I DIGRESS.

I NEED YOU TO GET THIS BUDGET LOWER.

I KNOW. THANK YOU.

THIS ITEM IS TO ENTER INTO A THREE YEAR.

[LAUGHTER]. AGREEMENT WITH WENDY BURGESS, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS ASSESSOR, COLLECTOR AND TARRANT COUNTY FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION SERVICES OF AD VALOREM TAXES LEVIED BY THE CITY OF BEDFORD. THIS IS A RECORDING.

THE NEXT ITEM WAS TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE TARRANT COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR AS A DESIGNATED OFFICER TO CALCULATE THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF BEDFORD PER SECTION 26.4, WHICH I BET EVERYONE CAN RECITE NOW.

THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE TAXING UNIT CAN DESIGNATE AN OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE TO CALCULATE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE FOR THE CITY OF BEDFORD.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF BEDFORD, TEXAS, AWARDING THE SUCCESSFUL BID AND APPROVING THE SALE OF A 0.55197 ACRE PARCEL OF VACANT REAL PROPERTY KNOWN AS LOT 17 R BLOCK EIGHT BELMONT PARK ADDITION IN ADDITION TO THE CITY OF BEDFORD, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS, AND KNOWN LOCALLY AS 1412 DONALD LANE.

FURTHER, IT AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED AND ANY NECESSARY INSTRUMENTS TO CONVEY TITLE TO THE PROPERTY, TO THE BIDDER AND PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THIS SUBJECT REQUEST RELATES TO A PROPOSED SALE OF AN UNDEVELOPED, ABLE, VACANT CITY OWNED PROPERTY OF THE SAME.

IT'S THE SAME TRACK. SO THE 0.55197 ACRES AT 1412 DONALD LANE TO THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER WHICH WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTY RESIDING AT 1416.

DONALD LANE. THAT CONCLUDES MY DISSERTATION.

I'M SORRY I WASN'T LISTENING. WHAT DID YOU SAY? CAN YOU ROLL TAPE ON THAT? HEY, COUNCIL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

WHAT IS Y'ALL'S PLEASURE? MOTION APPROVED. COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI, SECOND FOR MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL.

LET'S VOTE.

I VOTE TO VOTE YES.

MICHAEL WELLS. YOU HAD ONE JOB.

THANK YOU.

EVERYONE IN FAVOR. SAY AYE.

OKAY. VERY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL. THANK YOU STAFF.

THANK YOU, JIMMY. THAT WAS LIKE THE LONGEST BREATH I'VE EVER HEARD YOU TAKE.

[INAUDIBLE]. BOBBY MOORE. [LAUGHTER] ALRIGHT LET'S DO ITEM 13.

[13. Consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with AETNA for the City’s employee medical and dental benefits effective October 1, 2022.]

NEW BUSINESS. WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION.

ALL RIGHT, FOLKS. WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION, AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH AETNA FOR THE CITY'S EMPLOYEE MEDICAL AND DENTAL BENEFITS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 4TH, OCTOBER 1ST, 2022.

AND WE HAVE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR STEPHANIE AYERS.

WELCOME, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT TO YOU INFORMATION ON OUR RENEWAL FOR OUR HEALTH AND DENTAL BENEFITS.

[01:10:05]

THE CITY IS CURRENTLY CONTRACTED WITH AETNA AND AETNA, TEXAS HEALTH.

FOR OUR CURRENT MEDICAL PLANS.

WE CURRENTLY OFFER FOUR MEDICAL PLANS AND THEY ARE UP FOR RENEWAL ON OCTOBER 1ST.

THE CITY'S CURRENT LOSS RATIO, SORRY, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM TAKING THE AMOUNT WE THAT THE AMOUNT AETNA PAYS AND CLAIMS DIVIDED BY THE AMOUNT WE PAY IN PREMIUMS IS CURRENTLY 214% AS OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WHICH IS NOT GOOD.

A GOOD TARGET RATIO FOR A FULLY INSURED PLAN IS AROUND 85%.

AND THE REASON THE CITY'S LOSS RATIO IS SO HIGH IS DUE TO ONE HIGH COST CLAIMANT WHOSE CLAIMS INCURRED OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS WORTH $4.1 MILLION.

THIS MEMBER IS NO LONGER ON THE CITY PLAN.

SO EXCLUDING THIS MEMBER'S CLAIMS, THE CITY'S LOSS RATIO IS AROUND 76%.

SO BASICALLY, IF YOU TOOK OUT ALL THE CLAIMS THAT WENT TO THAT ONE PARTICIPANT, WE'RE RUNNING AT 76%, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.

WHAT'S YOUR TARGET? YOU'RE SAYING 85, 85, 85 IS A GOOD TARGET.

SO OF COURSE AETNA'S INITIAL RENEWAL TO US WAS REALLY HIGH.

IT WAS 46.6% OR $1.5 MILLION INCREASE.

SO OUR BROKER SUGGESTED THAT WE GO OUT TO BID TO SEE IF WE COULD GET BIDS FROM ANY OTHER CARRIERS THAT WERE REASONABLE.

SO WE DID GO OUT TO BID, IF YOU NEED.

SORRY. I'M NOT DOING THE SLIDES.

WHOOPS. OKAY.

SO THIS SLIDE AND YOU ALL HAVE THE PRESENTATION PRINTED OUT FOR YOU SO YOU CAN SEE IT BETTER.

THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU CURRENTLY THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE.

THE FIRST FOUR COLUMNS ARE OUR CURRENT FOUR PLANS.

WITH AETNA AND AETNA THA, WE HAVE TWO CO PAY PLANS AND WE HAVE TWO HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS.

ALL OF THE BENEFITS IN THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS ARE THE SAME.

THE DIFFERENCE IS, ONE IS AN EPO AND IT IS A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN, MEANING YOU HAVE TO REACH THE DEDUCTIBLE BEFORE ANY BENEFITS ARE PAID. THE OTHER IS A CO PAY PLAN AND THAT IS ON A NETWORK THROUGH THA.

SO MOST OF THE PROVIDERS THEY CAN GO TO ARE IN THA OR TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES.

SO IT'S MORE OF A LOCAL NETWORK.

THERE ARE OTHER FACILITIES LIKE UT, SOUTHWESTERN CHILDREN'S MEDICAL THAT THEY CAN GO TO AS WELL IN THAT NETWORK. THEN WE HAVE THE NATIONAL NETWORK WITH AETNA AND WE HAVE A CO PAY PLAN UNDER THAT AND WE HAVE A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN UNDER THAT.

HOWEVER, THAT PLAN IS A EPO PLAN OR BOTH OF THOSE PLANS ARE EPO PLANS, MEANING THERE'S NO OUT-OF-NETWORK BENEFITS.

SO YOU HAVE TO GO IN NETWORK TO HAVE THE COVERAGE OR THE NETWORK DISCOUNT THE LOCAL NETWORK, WHICH IS THE SMALLER NETWORK.

THOSE TWO PLANS DO HAVE OUT NETWORK BENEFITS AND THAT'S THE NETWORK THE MAJORITY OF OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE IN.

SO PLANS OR COLUMNS FIVE AND SIX ON THIS CHART.

AH, WHAT SIGNA IS COMING BACK AND OFFERING TO US.

SO WE WENT OUT TO BID.

WE GOT BIDS BACK FROM ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT CARRIERS AND IT WAS NARROWED DOWN TO CIGNA AND AETNA.

AND THE REASON WAS BECAUSE THE OTHERS ALL QUOTED HMOS AND WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE AN HMO WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT USED TO GETTING REFERRALS AND THAT WOULD JUST BE A BIG CHANGE FOR THEM.

SO CIGNA CAME BACK AND THEY CAME BACK WITH TWO PLANS THAT COMPLETELY MIRRORED OUR PLANS.

THEY CAME BACK WITH A CO-PAY AND A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN IN THEIR NATIONAL NETWORK, BUT NEITHER OF THEM WOULD HAVE OUT-OF-NETWORK BENEFITS, SO THERE WOULD BE NO CHOICE FOR EMPLOYEES. TO HAVE A PLAN WHERE THEY COULD HAVE OUT A NETWORK BENEFITS.

SO THIS NEXT SLIDE GOES OVER THE RENEWAL THAT AETNA CAME BACK WITH.

SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE FIRST SECTION, THAT SECTION PROVIDES YOU WITH WHAT OUR CURRENT COST IS.

AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE MIDDLE SECTION, THAT WAS THE INITIAL RENEWAL FROM CIGNA, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S A 46.6% INCREASE FROM OUR CURRENT RATES AND THAT'S AROUND $1.5 MILLION INCREASE.

SO WHEN AETNA FOUND OUT THAT THIS CLAIMANT WAS NO LONGER ON THE PLAN, THEY CAME BACK WITH ANOTHER RENEWAL

[01:15:04]

AT 2.1% INCREASE, WHICH WE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT, BY THE WAY.

WAIT, WOULD YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID WHEN AETNA FOUND OUT? WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHEN AETNA FOUND OUT THAT THE CLAIMANT THAT HAD THE 4.1 MILLION IS NO LONGER ON OR IS NO LONGER ON THE PLAN, THEY CAME BACK WITH A 2.1% INCREASE, WHICH IS ABOUT 67,000. IS THERE A CAP? ANYMORE? ON WHAT THEY CAN COME BACK WITH? NO, NO. IS THERE A CAP ON HOW MUCH? I MEAN, HOW MUCH? WELL, THE PROVIDER NOW IS THE RACE TO LIKE 67% OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I'M CONFUSED ON WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

TWO QUESTIONS, ACTUALLY. LET ME ASK ANOTHER ONE.

SO IS THERE IS THERE A LIFETIME CAP ON MEDICAL BENEFITS TO AN EMPLOYEE? NO, BUT THERE ARE.

YOU DO? WE'RE FULLY INSURED, FIRST OF ALL.

SO IF WE WERE SELF INSURED, WE WOULD HAVE STOP LOSS BENEFITS.

SO WE DON'T TECHNICALLY HAVE THAT, BUT THE INSURANCE CARRIER SHOULD HAVE THAT.

AND THEY TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO CAP IT AT A CERTAIN AMOUNT.

BUT WHEN THEY GO BACK AND DO THE RENEWAL AND THEY LOOK AT ALL THE MONEY THEY'VE LOST, IT'S HARD FOR THEM NOT TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND FACTOR THAT IN.

SO. BUT WE'RE HAPPY THAT THEY CAME BACK WITH 2.1%.

THAT'S 67,000.

SO THAT'S MUCH BETTER THAN THE 1.5.

AND SO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

CIGNA'S RENEWAL COST CAME BACK AT A DECREASE OF.

78,000 OR A -2.4% SAVINGS.

BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT CIGNA'S PLANS DON'T HAVE ANY OUT-OF-NETWORK BENEFITS, AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ON PLANS THAT HAVE OUT-OF-NETWORK BENEFITS.

SO THEY'RE USED TO HAVING THAT WAS THE RENEWALS WE RECEIVED FROM MEDICAL.

WE ALSO WENT OUT FOR DENTAL.

AND THIS NEXT SLIDE IS A CHART THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT OUR CURRENT DENTAL PLANS ARE THAT WE OFFER.

THE FIRST TWO COLUMNS ARE ACTUALLY THE FIRST TWO COLUMNS ARE WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH AETNA.

THE SECOND TWO COLUMNS IS WHAT THEY BID ON.

AND THEN THE LAST COLUMNS ARE CIGNA'S, WHAT THEY BID ON AND THEY'RE ALL EXACTLY THE SAME.

SO BASICALLY EVERYBODY CAME BACK WITH THE SAME BENEFITS THAT THEY BID ON.

SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THESE ARE THE RATES THAT THEY CAME BACK WITH.

SO AETNA CAME BACK WITH A 0% INCREASE.

AND HOW THEY CAME BACK WITH THAT WAS THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US A ONE TIME PREMIUM HOLIDAY CREDIT, WHICH BASICALLY GETS US DOWN TO A ZERO, A RATE PASS, BASICALLY.

AND THEN CIGNA CAME BACK WITH A -12.2% INCREASE, AND THAT'S BY THEM.

NO, THEY WEREN'T. THEY JUST CAME BACK WITH A 12.2.

BUT IN ORDER TO GET THAT, YOU HAVE TO BUNDLE THE MEDICAL, BOTH OF THEM.

THESE RATES THAT THEY'RE QUOTING US, IF YOU DON'T BUNDLE THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL TOGETHER, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE RATES.

SO THEY KIND OF GET YOU ON THAT.

SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE CITY ARE THAT WE RENEW WITH AETNA AT THE 2.1% INCREASE.

WE KEEP STATUS QUO WITH OUR PLANS.

WE DON'T MAKE ANY PLAN DESIGN CHANGES.

AND THE REASON WE'RE SUGGESTING THAT IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU MOVE CARRIERS, IT DISRUPTS PEOPLE'S PRESCRIPTIONS.

IT CAN DISRUPT THEIR DOCTORS, THEIR NETWORK.

SO FOR A 2.1% INCREASE ITS JUST I MEAN, IT'S JUST BETTER TO STAY WITH THE CURRENT PLANS THAT YOU HAVE.

AND SINCE WE HAVE TO BUNDLE THE DENTAL WITH THAT, WE RECOMMEND WE STAY WITH THE DENTAL WITH AETNA AS WELL.

AETNA HAS OFFERED TO PROVIDE US A $25,000 WELLNESS CREDIT FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH WE USE THAT TO HELP PAY FOR WELLNESS INITIATIVES.

ON A ONE YEAR, WE HAD A OUTRAGEOUS GAMES WHERE WE HAD ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN GAMES.

IT WAS LIKE A THEY WERE COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

IT WAS A REALLY FUN THING AND AND THE WELLNESS DOLLARS PAID FOR ALL OF THAT.

SO JUST DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE COULD COME UP WITH CONTESTS AND, YOU KNOW, USE THE MONEY TO TO BUY APPLE WATCHES OR FITBITS FOR PRIZES.

SO IT'S A NICE CHUNK TO HAVE TO USE FOR THAT.

AND THEN SOMEBODY GOT HURT.

NO, NOBODY GOT HURT.

OH, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL FOR THAT.

OKAY. THAT'S A DIFFERENT INSURANCE POLICY.

AND SO FOR DENTAL, AGAIN, WE RECOMMEND THAT WE STAY WITH THAT.

AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE BUNDLING AND WE WILL RECEIVE THAT THAT ALMOST $5,000 CREDIT TO KEEP OUR PREMIUMS THE SAME WE DO RECOMMENDING

[01:20:08]

PUTTING IN A FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT IF YOU RECALL.

LAST YEAR WE PUT IN TWO CO PAY PLANS.

BEFORE ALL WE HAD WERE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS AND WE DO HAVE HSA THAT'S THE CITY PROVIDES FOR THOSE AND THAT EMPLOYEES CAN PARTICIPATE IN.

BUT ON A CO PAY PLAN YOU CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN AN HSA PLAN.

SO WE'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE PUT IN A FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON THE CO PAY PLAN SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE MONEY FOR THEIR PRETAX FOR THEIR DENTAL BENEFIT AND OR DENTAL, MEDICAL AND VISION PREMIUMS OR COST.

AND THEN IT'S A BUNDLED PRODUCT.

SO IT WOULD BE FLEXIBLE, A HEALTH FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT, A DEPENDENT FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT, WHICH YOU CAN PAY FOR DEPENDENT CARE AND ELDERLY CARE, AND THEN A LIMITED FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT WHICH IF PEOPLE ON THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN CHOSE TO SAVE FOR DENTAL AND VISION, THEY COULD DO THAT THROUGH THE LIMITED.

THE ADMINISTRATION COST OF THIS IS 395 PER PARTICIPANT PER MONTH AND WILL BE PAID THROUGH CITY FEES OR CITY.

THE CITY WILL PAY FOR THAT AND IT'S GUARANTEED FOR FIVE YEARS.

THEN OTHER PLANS THAT ARE RENEWING AS OUR VSP VISION CAME UP FOR RENEWAL THIS YEAR.

THAT PLAN IS 100% PAID FOR THROUGH EMPLOYEE PREMIUMS. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE OFFERING THE PLAN THAT WE CURRENTLY OFFER NOW, BUT WE ARE ALSO GOING TO OFFER A BUY UP PLAN BECAUSE OUR PLAN, THE CURRENT PLAN THAT WE HAVE NOW, THE ALLOWANCE IS A LITTLE LOW.

SO WE'RE GOING TO OFFER A PLAN WITH A HIGHER ALLOWANCE AND A SHORTER TIME PERIOD FOR WHEN YOU CAN GET CONTACTS AND FRAMES AND AND LENSES. AND THEN IF EMPLOYEES WANT TO BUY UP INTO THAT PLAN, THEY CAN.

SO THEY'LL HAVE TWO OPTIONS.

THEY CAN STAY WITH THE PLAN THAT THEY'RE ON NOW AT THE SAME COST, OR THEY CAN CHOOSE TO BUY UP INTO THE GREATER BENEFIT PLAN.

AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR YOU.

ANOTHER EXCITING PRESENTATION, STEPHANIE.

I KNOW I'M SORRY. [INAUDIBLE].

QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER FARKO?.

ALL RIGHT, STEPHANIE, GREAT JOB.

AND I'M WITH YOU.

IT TENDS TO IF YOU CHANGE PLANS AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE DOCTORS ON, YOUR EMPLOYEES TEND TO NOT USE THEM.

SO YOU WIND UP PAYING FOR NOTHING AND YOU HAVE SICK EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THEY DON'T KNOW WHICH DOCTORS HAVE.

SO I AGREE WITH THAT.

WE SAW FOR A SMALL COMPANY, WE SAW A 16.8% INCREASE.

SO ALMOST $20,000 FOR JUST MY COMPANY TO SEE THAT.

SO HATS OFF TO THAT.

OUR EMPLOYEES ARE AWARE, THOUGH, ON FLEX SPENDING THAT IT'S USE IT OR LOSE IT.

THEY WILL BE. YES, WE WILL DO.

ARE WE MANAGING THAT OR IS AETNA MANAGING THAT? NO, WE WOULD WE WOULD SEND THAT OUT TO FLORES.

THEY CURRENTLY HANDLE OUR COBRA ADMINISTRATION AND SO THEY ALSO DO FLEXIBLE SPENDING.

WILL THEY GIVE YOU A REPORT EVERY YEAR OF HOW MUCH IS NOT SPENT OUT OF THAT? OH, YEAH, WE'LL GET REPORTS FROM THEM.

WE HAVE AN ONLINE PORTAL WITH THEM WHERE WE CAN SEE ALL THAT.

THANK YOU, MR. FARKO. ANYONE ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI? OK. YEAH, I COMPLETELY AGREE.

ONCE YOU START SWITCHING, FORMULARIES CHANGE.

AND LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISRUPTION AND CHANGE AND OUTCOMES AND WHATNOT.

SO YEAH, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH STICKING WITH WHAT WE HAVE.

BUT YOU DO RECOMMEND CHANGING PHARMACIST.

YOU SHOULD. I DO NOT.

COUNCIL MEMBER. [INUDIBLE]. I JUST.

OVERALL, OF THE EMPLOYEES SATISFIED WITH AETNA? HAVE THEY BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS? WE HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF COMPLAINTS.

NOW, WHEN WE MOVED TO AETNA, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF COMPLAINTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT DISRUPTS PEOPLE'S PRESCRIPTIONS AND THERE'S DIFFERENT FORMULARIES.

AND YOUR YOUR PRESCRIPTION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN GENERIC IS NOW NOT GENERIC.

AND SO IT CAN COST THEM MORE.

BUT WE HAVEN'T IN THE PAST YEAR WE HAVEN'T HAD VERY MANY COMPLAINTS.

THANK YOU. SO YOU SAID MOST OF OUR MEMBERS ARE USING THEIR UTILIZING THE OUT OF NETWORK.

MOST OF THEM ARE UTILIZING THE THA PLAN.

THEY'RE EITHER IN THE THA COPAY OR HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.

DURING THE TERM THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE.

IS THAT REMAIN CONSISTENT OR IS THAT GROWING OR DECREASING? I MEAN, AS A PERCENT? WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN JIMMY CAME LAST YEAR, HE THAT WAS ONE OF HIS GOALS TO MAKE BENEFITS BETTER.

SO WE PUT IN THE CO PAY PLANS FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE USED TO A CO PAY PLAN AND WANTED THAT.

AND HONESTLY, WHEN THE NUMBERS CAME OUT, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE STAYED IN THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.

THE THA PLANS.

SO INTERESTING.

YEAH. I THINK THAT'S POSSIBLY BECAUSE WHEN YOU ENTER INTO A CO PAY PLAN, YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE TO AN HSA.

AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE HAD BEEN DOING THAT AND THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE TO PUT THEIR MONEY, THERE.

[01:25:06]

OK COUNCIL. WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? MOTION TO APPROVE FROM, FIRST MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI.

WE HAVE A SECOND FOR MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL.

LET'S VOTE.

I DO HIS.

I'M GOING TO HIT. ABSTAIN.

OKAY. THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL. THANK YOU STAFF.

THANK YOU, STEPHANIE. I APPRECIATE IT.

I KNOW YOU'VE PROBABLY BEEN WORKING A LOT ON THIS.

YES. SO WE'VE GOT ITEM 14.

[14. Consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract with UKG, Nephele, and Schoox to provide an improved integrated Human Resources Information System/Payroll Processing System in the amount of $132,000 for the first year and $89,500 for subsequent years.]

DONT GO FAR AWAY.

WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH UKG.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE SECOND NAME AND SCHOOX TO PROVIDE AN IMPROVED, INTEGRATED HUMAN RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEM SLASH PAYROLL PROCESSING SYSTEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $132,000 FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND $89,500 FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS.

AND ONCE AGAIN, IT'S STEPHANIE.

SO I COME HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO APPROVE US IMPLEMENTING A NEW HR PAYROLL SYSTEM.

THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW SYSTEM IS TO STREAMLINE PROCESSES AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES FOR THE FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS ENHANCE AND SIMPLIFY THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THEIR EMPLOYMENT LIFECYCLE.

SO THE HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM STARTED IN AUGUST 2021, LOOKING AT NEW HR SYSTEMS AND DEMOING NEW HR SYSTEMS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE WERE COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.

AND THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS TERRIBLE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S AS BAD ON THE FINANCE SIDE AS IT IS ON THE HR SIDE, BUT WHEN WE CALL, THEY NEVER HAVE A SOLUTION.

FOR US, IT'S ALWAYS, WELL, IT'S JUST A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM AND THEY CAN'T TELL US HOW THE ERROR OCCURRED.

AND IN MY OPINION, IF YOU CAN'T TELL HOW AN ERROR HAPPENED, THEN HOW DO YOU FIX IT? SO WE GOT FRUSTRATED AND WE STARTED LOOKING AT NEW SYSTEMS. SO WE DEMOED ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO TWO BECAUSE WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAS A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM THAT INCLUDED EVERYTHING LEARNING MANAGEMENT, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, LEAVE MANAGEMENT, THE HR SIDE WHERE WE COULD HOUSE EMPLOYEE FILES ONLINE INSTEAD OF IN FILE FOLDERS IN CABINETS, PAYROLL PROCESSING.

WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE WHOLE GAMUT IN ONE SYSTEM WHERE EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE ONE LOG IN INSTEAD OF WHAT WE HAVE NOW, WHERE THEY HAVE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT LOG INS THAT THEY CAN'T EVER REMEMBER AND ALWAYS NEED PASSWORD RESETS.

SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR THAT ONE STOP SHOP WHERE THEY COULD HAVE IT ON THEIR PHONE OR ON THEIR COMPUTER, EVERYTHING THEY NEED RIGHT THERE WHEN THEY LOG IN AND WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO TWO AND IN THE END WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO UKG.

UKG IS FORMERLY KRONOS OR KRONOS AND UKG MERGED, WHICH I'M GOING TO HAVE JASON COME UP HERE AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT HERE SHORTLY, BUT THIS SYSTEM HAS ALL OF THAT THAT WE DON'T HAVE NOW.

SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE A LOT OF DISJOINTED SYSTEMS. WE HAVE YOGA FOR OUR RECRUITING AND OUR LEARNING MANAGEMENT.

WE HAVE TYLER FOR OUR HR AND PAYROLL SYSTEM, BUT THE SELF SERVICE THROUGH TYLER IS A DIFFERENT LOG IN CALLED E SUITE, AND A LOT OF OUR OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING ARE BASICALLY ON SPREADSHEET.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE HOW ERRORS CAN HAPPEN IN THAT.

WHEN YOU ENTER IN ONE SYSTEM, IT DOESN'T TALK TO THE OTHER SYSTEM.

SO YOU'VE GOT TO ENTER ALL THAT STUFF IN THE OTHER SYSTEM AND OUR BENEFITS, WE DON'T HAVE FILE FEEDS.

SO INSTEAD OF WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN NEW AND WE HAVE TO ENTER ALL THEIR BENEFITS, YOU HAVE TO GO TO AETNA AND YOU HAVE TO GO TO VSP AND YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE COBRA AND YOU HAVE TO GO TO EVERY SINGLE ONE AND ENTER THAT SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE'S INFORMATION.

AND IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND IT TAKES A LOT OF.

MY STAFF'S TIME TO GET THAT DONE.

AND SO INITIALLY I HAD ANOTHER I HAD REQUESTED ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER IN THE BUDGET, BUT.

IF THIS SYSTEM WAS IMPLEMENTED, I WOULDN'T NEED THAT OTHER STAFF MEMBER BECAUSE IT WOULD OPEN UP SO MUCH TIME OF MY STAFF AND THE MANUAL WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. SO THIS THE FEATURES THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE THAT ARE CURRENTLY MANUALLY DONE ARE, LIKE I SAID, DOCUMENT STORAGE EMPLOYEE FILES WOULD BE ONLINE, NOT IN A FILE CABINET.

WE WOULD HAVE AUTOMATED ONBOARDING AND OFFBOARDING.

RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ALL MANUAL FEEDS.

THOSE WOULD BE AUTOMATIC.

RIGHT NOW THOSE ARE MANUALLY ENTERED INTO EACH SYSTEM.

LEAVE MANAGEMENT RIGHT NOW IS DONE THROUGH A SPREADSHEET AND ORGANIZATION.

[01:30:01]

CHARTS ARE JUST DONE MANUALLY.

RIGHT NOW, THE REPORTING IS A NIGHTMARE IN THIS SYSTEM.

WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR ON BOARD RIGHT NOW THAT PULLS SEQUEL REPORTS FROM IT FOR US BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET THE DATA OUT OF IT.

WE HAVE THE DATA IN IT, BUT WE CAN'T GET THE DATA OUT OF IT.

AND IT WILL HAVE A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH THAT'S ALL DONE BY PAPER RIGHT NOW.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION TRACKING, E-VERIFY, WHICH IS VERIFYING THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THE US ON THAT WOULD BE AUTOMATED.

IT WOULD HAVE EMPLOYEE SURVEY CAPABILITY.

SO IF WE WANTED TO SURVEY ALL OUR EMPLOYEES, WE COULD DO IT RIGHT THERE IN THAT SYSTEM.

AND THEN LASTLY, WE WOULD HAVE A DEDICATED SUPPORT TEAM WHICH THE SUPPORT TEAM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS.

NOT GOOD. AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, WE CALL THEM AND WE DON'T GET ANSWERS.

WE JUST GET MORE QUESTIONS.

SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE JASON COPPI TO YOU.

HE'S WITH UKG AND HE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF OVERVIEW ABOUT UKG AS A COMPANY AND THE SYSTEM.

JASON, APPRECIATE YOU COMING.

ABSOLUTELY. SORRY WE KEPT YOU TO THE END.

NO, THIS IS. I'M ACTUALLY EXCITED.

THIS IS THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING.

I'VE BEEN TO PRE-COVID, SO I'M EXCITED.

PRE-COVID? SINCE POST COVID.

YEAH. WAIT, POST-COVID.

[INAUDIBLE] THERE'S ANOTHER COVID COMING.

[LAUGHTER]. OH, MY GOD. POST COVID.

OH, MY CLICKER.

AND IF YOU CAN TALK INTO THE MIC, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.

ABSOLUTELY. YEAH.

MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY.

I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF.

THAT WAS A GREAT EXPLANATION THAT STEPHANIE WENT THROUGH.

SO MY NAME IS JASON COPPI, I AM YOUR UKG ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE THAT SUPPORTS THE CITY OF BEDFORD.

I LIVE DOWN IN GEORGETOWN AND I WORK IN OUR PUBLIC SECTOR GROUP, SO I SUPPORT CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND A FEW STATES AROUND.

BUT TEXAS, WHERE I LIVE SO THAT'S WHERE I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME.

SO STEPHANIE MENTIONED UKG.

SO WE USED TO BE NAMED CALLED KRONOS.

THAT NAME MIGHT BE MORE FAMILIAR.

SO A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO, KRONOS AND A COMPANY CALLED ULTIMATE SOFTWARE MERGED TO FORM UKG.

SO UKG STANDS FOR ULTIMATE KRONOS GROUP.

WE PAID A LOT OF MARKETING FUNDS TO COME UP WITH THAT NAME.

YEAH. SO IT'S UKG.

IT'S GOT A NICE, HAPPY FACE THERE.

IT DOES. WE CALL THAT THE SMILE.

WE CALL IT THE SMILE. THAT'S A SMILE.[INAUDIBLE].

SO THE MERGER BROUGHT TOGETHER EXPERTS ON THE WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SIDE, TIME AND ATTENDANCE, WHICH IS KRONOS AND EXPERTS ON THE HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SIDE, HR PAYROLL, WHICH IS ULTIMATE SOFTWARE.

SO OUR TAGLINE NOW IS OUR PURPOSE IS PEOPLE.

AND SO WE FOCUS ON WE CALL PEOPLE SYSTEMS, EVERYTHING THAT STEPHANIE MENTIONED, YOUR TIME AND ATTENDANCE, YOUR SCHEDULING ACCRUALS, YOUR HR SYSTEM, AUTOMATING ALL OF THAT, EVERYTHING FROM HIRE OR PRE HIRE TO RETIRE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY INTERACTS WITH AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT. WE HAVE A PUBLIC SECTOR VERTICAL, AS I MENTIONED.

SO WE UNDERSTAND THIS ENVIRONMENT VERY WELL.

WE HAVE OVER 1600 CITY AND COUNTY CUSTOMERS ACROSS THE US, ACROSS ALL 50 STATES.

OVER 3 MILLION GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES USE OUR SYSTEMS EVERY DAY.

SO THIS IS A VERTICAL THAT WE KNOW WELL.

LIKE I SAID, THAT'S ALL I DEAL WITH, ALL MY TECHNICAL PEOPLE, MY SUPPORT FOLKS, ALL WE DO IS TALK TO CITIES AND COUNTIES AND PARISHES AND LOUISIANA.

SO THAT'S THE SYSTEM.

WE KNOW THE CITY BASICALLY IS LIKE MULTIPLE COMPANIES WITHIN ONE.

YOU'VE GOT A VERY COMPLEX WORKFORCE AND YOU'RE MOST EXPENSIVE AND MOST VITAL ASSET ARE YOUR PEOPLE.

SO THE SOLUTION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS CALLED UKG READY.

IT IS A FULL AS STEPHANIE MENTIONED, IT'S A FULL SINGLE PLATFORM WITH ALL THESE ALL OF THESE FUNCTIONALITIES ALL BUILT INTO ONE.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

SO YOU'LL SEE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM IN BLUE.

SO TODAY, THE CITY IS CURRENTLY USING THIS MODULE.

SO YOU'VE BEEN USING IT FOR.

FIVE, SIX, SEVEN EIGHT YEARS OR SO FOR TIME AND ATTENDANCE ACCRUAL MANAGEMENT.

SO IT'S AN APPLICATION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN USED BY THE CITY BUT IT IS THIS APPLICATION IS MODULE BASED.

SO TODAY ONLY THING BEING USED IS THE TIME AND ATTENDANCE.

YOU'LL SEE TIME CLOCKS AROUND THE CITY.

THOSE ARE KRONOS NOW, UKG TIME CLOCKS.

SO WITH THIS SOLUTION, BASICALLY WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL MODULES FOR ALL THESE FUNCTIONALITIES TO THE PLATFORM.

SO THE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES ARE ALREADY USED TO THE INTERFACE.

THEY KNOW WHAT THE SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE WHEN THEY'RE DEALING WITH TIME AND ASKING FOR TIME OFF AND SO FORTH.

SO IT'S BASICALLY ADDING ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY SO THEY WON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKS.

SO YOU'LL SEE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE SCHEDULE.

AND WE DO HAVE SOME PUBLIC SAFETY SCHEDULING SOFTWARE SPECIFICALLY, WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN WITH CHIEF WILLIAMS ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.

SO EVERYTHING ELSE IS INCLUDED IN THIS SOLUTION.

[01:35:01]

SO YOU'LL SEE YOUR LEAVE POLICIES, THE BENEFIT ADMINISTRATION, PAYROLL COMPENSATION.

I WON'T KEEP READING, BUT YOU SEE ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO IT IS A FULL UNIFIED SOLUTION.

ONE EMPLOYEE RECORD, ONE PLACE TO GET REPORTING VERSUS GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES AND TRYING TO MAKE THOSE THINGS TALK, WHICH IS SOME OF THE MORE COMPLEX PART ABOUT HAVING SOFTWARE DEAL WITH EACH OTHER.

SO JUST A REALLY HIGH LEVEL ON THE PIECES, INCLUDING YOU'LL SEE THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE INTERFACE.

IT'S A MODERN APPLICATION WITH DASHBOARDS AND SUCH.

SO THE HUMAN RESOURCE PIECE, AGAIN, ALL IN A SINGLE PLACE, AUTOMATE ALL THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES, WHICH A LOT OF THEM ARE MANUAL TODAY, OR IT TAKES MANUAL MANIPULATION. I DEAL WITH THIS ALL THE TIME TALKING TO CITIES AND COUNTIES.

IT'S A VERY COMMON PROBLEM.

SO AUTOMATING ALL THESE PROCESSES AGAIN FROM HIGHER TO RETIRE.

SO THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, THE RECRUITING, THE ONBOARDING AND BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, LEARNING MANAGEMENT, TRAINING, YOUR YOUR CITY STAFF, ALL OF THESE THINGS. SO THIS IS ALL ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THE HR.

SORT OF MODULE, SAME THING ON PAYROLL.

SO AGAIN, HAVING THAT ALL IN ONE PLACE VERSUS HAVING TO TAKE DATE DETAIL HERE, CREATE A REPORT, SEND IT TO SOMEWHERE ELSE IN BETWEEN.

SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO MANIPULATE.

SO SIMPLIFY THAT PAYROLL PROCESS, ELIMINATE ERRORS, HAVING IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.

AND THEN THIS IS THE PIECE THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE TODAY, THE TIME AND ATTENDANCE PIECE TO AUTOMATE, THE SCHEDULING, THE ACCRUALS MANAGEMENT, MAKING SURE EVERYBODY'S PAY RATE IS ACCURATE, CAPTURING TIME.

YOU GOT THE TIME CLOCKS FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT PUNCH IN AND PUNCH OUT.

SO BASICALLY THOSE OTHER MODULES WILL BE ADDED INTO THE PIECE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE TODAY.

AND IN TERMS OF SUPPORT MODEL, STEPHANIE MENTIONED THAT SOMETHING WITH THIS PART OF OUR MERGER, WE'VE BEEFED UP OUR SUPPORT MODEL, WHICH SOMETHING I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. WE CALL IT PARTNER FOR LIFE, SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T PREVIOUSLY HAVE.

BUT WE'VE INVESTED OVER $2 BILLION IN THE LAST THREE YEARS INTO THIS MODEL.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AS A COMPANY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS.

SO YOU'LL SEE PICTURE ME ON THE LEFT.

THAT'S I'M YOUR CURRENT REP.

SO STEPHANIE HAS AN ISSUE WITH SOMETHING ON THE TIME KEEPING SHE CAN SUPPORT TICKET OR SHE CAN CALL ME I'M ENGAGED TO HELP WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING TWO NEW PIECES.

IF YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, YOU'LL HAVE AN EXECUTIVE RELATIONSHIP MANAGER, BASICALLY A TEAM OF FOLKS THAT ARE KIND OF STRATEGIC TO TALK ABOUT HAVING BUSINESS REVIEWS.

HOW HAVE THINGS BEEN GOING? WHAT ARE OUR ROADMAP PLANS? BASICALLY HOW OUR SOFTWARE CAN HELP YOU MEET YOUR NEEDS AS THE CITY NEEDS.

A HR DEPARTMENT GROWS AND EVOLVES AND THEN ALSO WHAT WE CALL A CSC CUSTOMER SUCCESS CONSULTANT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THREE LETTER, THREE LETTER WORDS HERE.

SO THEY'RE BASICALLY FOR PROACTIVE SUPPORT TO HELP OPTIMIZE THE UTILIZATION, MAKE SURE THERE'S THINGS THAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY USING THAT AND GETTING THE VALUE OUT OF THOSE MODULES.

OPTIMIZING THE SOLUTION KEY MILESTONE OR READINESS MEANS BEFORE OPEN ENROLLMENT, THEY'LL REACH OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE READY.

STEPHANIE AND HER TEAM ARE READY FOR OPEN ENROLLMENT WITH ALL THE THINGS THE CHECKLIST NEED TO BE READY FOR THAT END OF YEAR TAX FILING, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN THE COST SUMMARY.

I'LL LET STEPHANIE PICK UP HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE COSTS.

BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS? I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP.

YOU BET. APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S TALK COST.

SO FIRST OFF, BY IMPLEMENTING THE UKG SYSTEM, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE SOME OTHER SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE.

SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE NEO GLOVE LEARNING MANAGEMENT, SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE THAT WHICH IS 23,000 ANNUALLY.

WE USED YOGA FOR RECRUITING, WHICH IS 11,500 ANNUALLY, AND THEN OUR CURRENT HR SYSTEM, WHICH IS 26 THREE ANNUALLY.

SO. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE THOSE.

AND THEN THE ANNUAL COST OF THE UKG SYSTEM IS 57,800.

PLUS, WE WOULD PAY SCHOOX THAT YOU SAW IN THERE THAT'S A SEPARATE COMPANY, BUT THEY PROVIDE ALL THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT CONTENT FOR THE U.K.

SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE 30317 FOR LEARNING MANAGEMENT CONTENT.

AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A ONE TIME IMPLEMENTATION CHARGE OF 42500, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE IMPLEMENTATION FEES AND VIRTUAL TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS, WHICH THE VIRTUAL TRAINING AND THE IMPLEMENTATION FEES ARE WOULD BE SCHEDULED TO BE PAID OUT OF ARPA FUNDS SO THAT 42500 WOULD BE SCHEDULED TO BE PAID OUT OF THAT.

SO THE TOTAL ANNUAL COST IS 132,000 ANNUALLY AND THE COST FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS WOULD BE 89500.

SO IF YOU TAKE THAT 89500 AND SUBTRACT OUT THE 60,800 THAT WE WOULD GAIN BY ELIMINATING SYSTEMS, IT'S A $29,000

[01:40:05]

INCREASE PER YEAR TO IMPLEMENT THE SYSTEM.

AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, THAT'S HOW YOU'RE COVERING THE 130.

WELL, THE IMPLEMENTATION FEES WOULD BE PAID WHEN WE START, WHICH IT COULD TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS TO START.

BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JASON, BUT WE WOULDN'T ACTUALLY PAY FOR THE SYSTEM UNTIL WE GO LIVE.

AND WHEN WOULD YOU DO THAT? ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT A GO. [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT OR EXECUTION AND PROJECTS.

PROBABLY A SIX.

JUST WATCHING YOUR FACE FOR A REACTION.

THAT PROBABLY WASN'T WHAT YOU WERE THINKING. THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO.

[LAUGHTER] I GOT IT.

I WISH IT WAS FASTER. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. BUT IT'S A TEDIOUS PROCESS.

IT SURE IS. IT ABSOLUTELY IS.

OK COUNCIL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO KNOW? MAYOR PRO TEM? SO, STEPHANIE, WHAT'S NEPHELE OR NEPHELE? NEPHELE THERE.

THEY ARE, THE COMPANY THAT WE WERE GOING TO BRING IN TO DO THE TRAINING.

BUT ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU SAID SCHOOX WAS? NO SCHOOX IS THE CONTENT, THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT CONTENT.

SO THEY WOULD BE ALL THE TRAINING CLASSES THAT WERE WITHIN THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT, THE UKG LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

BE NICE IF THEY JUST HAD NICE AVERAGE NAMES.

I KNOW. OKAY.

SO I CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE ON THE TRAINING.

THEY GENERALLY HAVE A TRAIN, THE TRAINER.

SO BASICALLY THEY WOULD COME IN AND TRAIN US AND THEN EXPECT US TO GO OUT AND TRAIN THE EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS.

AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION.

I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BRING PEOPLE IN WHO KNEW THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE LAST TIME WE OR THE LAST TIME A SYSTEM WAS IMPLEMENTED, IT WASN'T DONE VERY WELL.

AND SO THEREFORE IT WASN'T RECEIVED VERY WELL BY EMPLOYEES.

SO WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT.

COUNCIL MEMBER STEVE.

SO YOU'RE COMING IN OR IS IT ALL VIRTUAL? IT IS VIRTUAL THAT WE'RE HAVING THEM DO THE TRAINING.

PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW THE SYSTEM, NOT US, JUST LEARNING THE SYSTEM AND THEN TEACHING IT TO OUR EMPLOYEES.

BUT YES, IT IS VIRTUAL.

IT'S ALL VIRTUAL. IT IS.

OTHERWISE WE'D HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM TO COME IN AND WORK.

WELL, WE'RE PAYING FOR THEM TO DO VIRTUAL, BUT IF WE HAD HIM ACTUALLY COME ONSITE, WE'D HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL THE TRAVEL AND ALL THAT, SO.

OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. WHAT'S YOUR DESIRE? WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES.

A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI.

LET'S VOTE.

OKAY. ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL.

THANK YOU, TIFFANY. THANK YOU STAFF.

WELCOME, UKG APPRECIATE YOU.

ITEM 15, WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PURCHASE OF

[15. Consider a resolution authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a contract and all necessary documents related to the purchase of various types of furniture including office furniture, banquet furniture, and activity furniture for the new Center building from GL Seaman & Company through purchasing cooperatives or interlocal agreements in an amount not to exceed $371,000.]

VARIOUS TYPES OF FURNITURE, INCLUDING OFFICE FURNITURE, BANQUET FURNITURE AND ACTIVITY FURNITURE FOR THE NEW CENTER BUILDING FROM GL SEAMAN AND COMPANY THROUGH PURCHASING COOPERATIVES OR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $371,000.

SO WITH ALL THIS, WE GIVE YOU PROJECT MANAGER GARY JOHNSON.

WELCOME, SIR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

IT WAS IN YOUR PACKET.

YOU COULD GONE THROUGH THAT THAT POWERPOINT, IF YOU WILL, OR PDF AND YOU COULD SEE THE DIFFERENT FURNITURE FOR THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE BUILDING.

GL SEAMAN IS THE COMPANY THAT THE CHIEF WILLIAMS USED WHEN HE DID THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND HE WAS VERY SATISFIED WITH THEM, I HAVE TO SAY.

I'VE BEEN VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR SERVICE AND THE OPTIONS THEY'VE GIVEN US.

AND WE HAD TO DO SOME LITTLE DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE SOME ITEMS, THE LEAD TIMES WERE TOO LONG, SO WE HAD TO CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT EVERYTHING WE HAVE NOW, ACCORDING TO THE LEAD TIMES WE HAVE, SHOULD BE IN THE BUILDING IN TIME.

OF COURSE, THAT'S ALL WE ARE. WE ALWAYS KNOW THATS SUBJECT TO CHANGE GIVEN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT'S NICE QUALITY FURNITURE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN THE BANQUET ROOM, A LOT OF TIMES, IF YOU'RE IN THE IF YOU GO TO A HOTEL BANQUET ROOM AND YOU PULL THE LINEN UP, YOU'LL SEE IT'S JUST AN UGLY WOOD TOP. WELL, WE DIDN'T DO THAT.

WE PUT THE LAMINATE TOP ON THOSE TABLES SO THEY COULD BE USED WITHOUT LINEN IF THAT WAS THE DESIRE.

SO IF YOU'RE HAVING SOME EVENT, THAT'S NOT ALL THAT FORMAL, BECAUSE LAUNDERING, ALL THAT LINEN GETS EXPENSIVE, THEN YOU COULD DO IT WITHOUT LINEN.

AND WHEN THE BUILDING IS BEING RENDERED OR SOMEBODY WANTED TO DO IT MORE FANCY, THERE WOULD BE AN UPCHARGE.

IF YOU WANT LINEN ON THE TABLE, OF COURSE IT WILL UPCHARGE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LINEN AND THEN PAY TO HAVE IT LAUNDERED.

SO WITH THAT, IT'S HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE GOT ABOUT IT.

[01:45:02]

IT WAS KIND OF BROKEN DOWN BY SPACE.

THE BANQUET ROOM, THAT'S 200 TABLES, 200 CHAIRS AND 25 TABLES.

I GOT THAT BACKWARDS, 25 TABLES, EIGHT FOOT TABLES AND 200 CHAIRS.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW THAT FITS, HOW THAT LAYS OUT.

WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE IN A LITTLE ANOTHER FEW MORE TABLES, BUT TRYING TO REDUCE THAT JUST BASED ON DRAWINGS, MY EXPERIENCE IS BID.

LET'S START WITH THE 25 TABLES AND 200 SHARES.

LAY IT OUT AND THEN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, SEE HOW CROWDED IS, HOW HARD IT IS TO GET AROUND THE TABLES.

AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE TABLES AND SOME MORE CHAIRS AND GET THAT NUMBER CLOSER TO THE 250 MARK.

BUT WE'LL FIND OUT ONCE WE GET EVERYTHING IN IN THERE.

SO MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IF YOU GO STRICTLY BY THE DIMENSIONS AND WHAT SHOULD FIT, YOU GET IT IN THERE AND GO, WELL, IT FITS, BUT IT'S REALLY TIGHT AND IT'S HARD TO YOU'RE BACKING INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR WHEN YOU'RE GETTING OUT OF A CHAIR, AND SO YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME OF THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE THAN THAT.

BUT THAT THE MAIN ONE OF THE BIG BIGGER COSTS IS OBVIOUSLY THAT BANQUET ROOM.

SO WHAT KIND OF LIFE EXPECTANCY WITH THIS? AS YOU'LL SEE IN THERE, IT HAD SOME WARRANTIES WITH ON DIFFERENT PIECES.

A LOT OF IT WAS 12 YEARS.

SOME OF IT HAD LIMITED LIFETIME, BUT A LOT OF IT WAS TEN YEARS AND 12 YEARS.

AND THAT'S BASED ON VERY, VERY HEAVY USAGE.

BUT WE BOUGHT STUFF THAT'S WELL MADE.

WE'LL LOOK NICE AGAIN, WANTING TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO RENT THE FACILITY AND GENERATE REVENUE FROM THAT.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT NICER FURNITURE.

CORPORATIONS COME IN, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT SOMETHING THAT LOOKS NICE AND LOOKS STURDY.

VERY GOOD. COUNCIL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? YEAH.

QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES.

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO GET DELIVERED ONCE WE APPROVE IT? THE DELIVERY TIME IS ON.

THE LONGEST ITEMS IS 12 WEEKS.

THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT ARE EIGHT WEEKS AND SIX WEEKS AND TEN WEEKS.

NINE WEEKS. IT VARIES, BUT THE LONGEST LEAD TIME IS 12 WEEKS.

TIME FOR THE OPENING? YES.

YES. COUNCILMEMBER FARRAKHAN.

YES. ARE WE HANDLING ALL THE ROUNDS ON THIS THING OR IS THAT YMCA HANDLING RENTALS? AND WE'RE JUST. OH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO.

I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU. THE YMCA WOULD BE HANDLING IT.

NOW WE'LL COORDINATE BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE ROOMS. BUT THEY'LL BE.

I MEAN, BUT IT COULD GO EITHER WAY BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT UNDOUBTEDLY CALL THE CITY, BUT ALL THE REVENUE AND EVERYTHING IS GOING TO GO BACK INTO THE POT THAT THE CITY BENEFITS FROM.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? PEOPLE ARE SCROLLING.

WHAT IS WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE FOLKS? MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI? A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER COGAN LET'S VOTE.

OKAY. ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU.

STAFF THANK YOU. MR. JOHNSON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT UP, ITEM 16.

WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY BEDFORD TEXAS APPROVING THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT APPROPRIATION PLAN AND RECOGNIZING AND APPROPRIATING EXPENDITURES WITHIN

[16. Consider a resolution of the City of Bedford, Texas approving the American Rescue Plan Act Appropriation Plan; and recognizing and appropriating expenditures within the Fiscal Year 2022 Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Budget.]

THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 CORONAVIRUS LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUND BUDGET.

AND WE HAVE CITY MANAGER JIMMY STATHATOS.

THANK YOU. MAYOR THANK YOU, COUNCIL.

WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM FOR ONE REQUEST FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.

IT IS A COST OF $39,222.

AND IT WILL HELP IT WILL PURCHASE HELP US PURCHASE SIX SOLAR LIGHTS AND THE LOCATION IS IN THE LIBRARY GREEN SPACE.

AND AS SOME OF Y'ALL MAY RECALL, IF YOU'VE GONE TO WHERE THE PUMPKIN PATCH, BEER AND BRATS, IT'S VERY, VERY DARK IN THAT AREA, ESPECIALLY FOR EVENTS OBVIOUSLY THERE AT NIGHT.

SO THIS WILL ENABLE US TO HAVE THOSE SIX SOLAR LIGHTS TO REALLY OBVIOUSLY LIGHT THINGS UP.

BUT IT ALSO MAKES IT TO WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY TRENCHING.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, THERE ARE GEOTHERMAL WELLS THAT ARE BELOW THAT LIBRARY GREEN SPACE.

AND SO THESE LIGHTS CAN BE OBVIOUSLY THEY CAN BE INSTALLED BY THE PARK STAFF.

WE CAN MOVE THEM AROUND JUST, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO WITHOUT KNOWING ANY TYPE OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLANS, THIS ALSO ISN'T AS PERMANENT, IF YOU WILL.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS.

THE COMPANY IS CALLED SALES, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR A WHILE AND WE WERE KIND OF LOOKING AT HOW MANY TO GET AND WE ARRIVED AT SIX.

BIGGER PICTURE, THIS IS FOR ARPA AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TRANCHE COMING.

THAT IS WE'RE EXPECTING, I THINK LATE AUGUST.

AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL WITH A RESOLUTION ON HOW THOSE EXPENSES ARE HANDLED IN THE FUTURE.

BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL OBVIOUSLY APPROVES EVERY SINGLE EXPENDITURE FROM THESE FUNDS.

[01:50:02]

AND SO BUT THAT'S THE ONLY ONE FOR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.

AND MARIA IS IN THE BEHIND THE GLASS.

SHE'S IN THE GREEN ROOM.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.

ALRIGHT VERY GOOD. THANK YOU.

SO OF THE FIRST $6.2 MILLION TRANCHE, WE'VE SPENT ABOUT 5.3 MILLION THUS FAR.

YES, SIR. OKAY.

COUNCIL QUESTIONS.

A LOT OF POSITIVES.

ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER COGAN, A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI.

HE'S REALLY ACTIVE THIS EVENING.

OK LET'S VOTE. THANK YOU FOR THAT, SIR.

ROB. I THOUGHT I DID.

OKAY, THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU, COUNSEL. THANK YOU, STAFF.

THANK YOU, JIMMY. SO, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, Y'ALL.

ANYTHING. SEE YOU.

MANAGER REPORTS. JIMMY STATHATOS.

[18. City Manager/Staff Reports]

THANK YOU, MARY. THANK YOU, COUNSEL.

AS NOTED ON THE AGENDA, COUNCILMEMBER STEVES HAD REQUESTED THAT WE PLACE THIS ITEM ON AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION AND TO GIVE STAFF AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF UPDATE HOW WE HANDLE THIS ISSUE NOW IN TERMS OF WHAT REGULATIONS ARE IN PLACE. AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES.

BEFORE WE JUMP IN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY, SIR? NO OTHER THAN THE FACT I WAS GETTING A LOT OF CORRESPONDENCE AND SPEAKING TO QUITE A FEW RESIDENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS DEVELOPERS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE TREE SURVEY AND THE SITE PLANS.

AS YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENED OFF A HOSPITAL PARKWAY.

YES. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING TO TO GO OVERSEE FOR OUR ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.

OK. YES, SIR.

THANK YOU. I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO JUMP IN AND NEGLECT.

AND I'LL SAY JUST TO MR. COCHRAN, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I SAID IF THE CITY OWNS IT, WE HAVE A LOT MORE AUTHORITY IS BECAUSE, AGAIN, I WORKED FOR THE TOWN OF FLOURTOWN FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS.

THEY HAVE ONE OF THE STRONGEST TREE ORDINANCES PROBABLY IN THE COUNTRY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE SOME LEGAL ISSUES THAT PROHIBIT A CITY'S ABILITY TO COMPLETELY REGULATE TREES.

AND SO BY HAVING BEING THE OWNER AND I WASN'T HERE WHEN WE YOU KNOW, WHEN ALL THE PLANS FOR GENERATIONS PARK OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

SO I KNOW THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE OWN THE PROPERTY.

BUT I WAS TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS.

IF THE CITY DOESN'T OWN THE PROPERTY, THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME STRENGTH THAT WE DO IF WE DO OWN THE PROPERTY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT THAT POINT.

BUT WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL INTRODUCE ANDREA ROY, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE IT NOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY SOME WEAKNESSES WITH THE BILL.

I MEAN, WITH THE CODE ONE OF THE AND I'LL JUST JUMP IN REAL QUICK.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, I THINK, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A FIRM TO OVERHAUL THE CODE OF ORDINANCES IS THAT BEDFORD'S CODE OF ORDINANCES IS IT WAS REALLY WRITTEN MORE ON NEW DEVELOPMENT WAY BACK AND SO IT'S JUST BEEN TWEAKED ALONG THE WAY.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF THE GROWING CITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED TREE MITIGATION ORDINANCES AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS DEALING WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT, BY THAT TIME, 95, 98% OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN BEDFORD HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.

SO NOW WE HAVE THESE INFILL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE FINDING THAT ARE KIND OF SLIPPING THROUGH BECAUSE THERE AREN'T CODES THAT ARE APPLICABLE.

AND SO ANYWAY, SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE COME TO YOU ALL WITH SOME BAND-AIDS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, WE WANT TO GET THIS FIXED NOW.

BUT ANYWAY, SO ADMITTEDLY WE ALL AGREE WE NEED TO FIX IT.

AND SO ANDREA IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE HANDLING IT, WHAT WE CAN KIND OF DO.

AND THEN BREN IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE LEGAL ISSUES BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME PRETTY RECENT LEGISLATION IN SOME PAST SESSIONS.

SO I'LL QUIT RAMBLING.

THANKS. THANK YOU.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT OUR TREE ORDINANCE.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS KIND OF BEEN ON OUR TO DO LIST.

WE HAVE A LENGTHY TO DO LIST, SO WE REALLY HAVE NOT QUITE TACKLED IT YET.

BUT AS WE LOOK AT THINGS AND AS THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WE ARE HAPPY TO MOVE THIS TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE.

CAN WE JUST ELABORATE ON THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS? YES. YES. SO AND AGAIN, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD MORE THAN I HAVE DIRECTLY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A CONCERN WITH DEVELOPERS COMING IN AND ESSENTIALLY CLEAR CUTTING THE SITE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE LOSING YOUR MATURE TREES AND THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA, ETC..

ADDITIONALLY, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONCERNS HISTORICALLY WITH WHAT HAPPENED AT GENERATIONS PARK.

[01:55:05]

WE LOST A LOT OF TREES THROUGH THAT.

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT WHAT WAS REPLANTED AND HOW IT IS MAINTAINED AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE STAY ALIVE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL PROPERTY NEXT DOOR THAT WE'RE MOVING ON THE BEDFORD COMMONS PROJECT.

AND THAT DOES HAVE A LOT OF MATURE, REALLY UNIQUE, BEAUTIFUL TREES.

AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO PRESERVE THOSE TREES.

SO I THINK THAT HITS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY JUST IN GENERAL, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE WE TIGHTEN THINGS UP KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD.

AM I MISSING ANYTHING? COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES? OKAY. SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE THIS IS KIND OF COMING FROM.

BUT WE DO HAVE BEDFORD DOES HAVE A TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.

IT LIVES IN OUR SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE.

IT WAS DONE IN 1996.

AND FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL, IT REALLY IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE THAT ORIGINAL DATE.

SO WE ALL KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD SINCE 1996.

SO A LOT OF CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT AS WELL.

SO WE DO HAVE, I WOULD CALL IT REALLY ALMOST A SKELETON ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT IS VERY SLIM ON KIND OF THE TEETH AND IT REALLY DOESN'T DO WHAT WE CAN BE DOING TO KIND OF ASK DEVELOPERS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE AND THINK TWICE ABOUT TRYING TO PRESERVE SOMETHING BEFORE YOU WOULD TAKE SOMETHING DOWN.

SO IT'S A VERY BASIC ORDINANCE, BUT WE DO HAVE A PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.

ANYONE TAKING A TREE DOWN MUST GET A PERMIT.

WE HAVE A FEE FOR THAT.

WE'VE GOT TO SEE THE PLAN.

AND WE REALLY LIVE UNDER A SIMPLE THING WHERE WE'VE GOT A GROUP OF IDENTIFIED WHAT PEOPLE WOULD CALL PROTECTED TREES OR QUALITY TREES.

SO THEY'RE LISTED OFF WHAT WE ALL KNOW IS KIND OF THE NICER TREES, NOT YOUR KIND OF TEXAS TRASH TREES, AS PEOPLE MIGHT SAY.

IT'S A TERM.

BUT ESSENTIALLY WE LOOK AT THOSE TREES, CONSIDER THEM TREES WE WANT TO KEEP.

AND IF A DEVELOPER DOES HAVE TO REMOVE THEM, THERE IS KIND OF A 1 TO 1 RATIO.

SO TREE WORLD, YOU KIND OF LIVE BY CALIBER INCHES.

SO IF YOU HAVE A TEN INCH TREE THAT YOU CUT DOWN, YOU NEED TO PUT TEN INCHES BACK IN THAT PLACE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR ORDINANCE DOES AND THIS IS VERY COMMON THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD.

THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD.

YEAH. BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY A WAYS TO BE CREATIVE AND I'LL KIND OF JUMP INTO THAT IN A SECOND.

BUT ESSENTIALLY THAT ONLY APPLIES TO TREES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF WHAT'S CALLED AND DEFINED AS A BUILDABLE AREA.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS WE HAVE A VERY BROAD DEFINITION FOR A BUILDABLE AREA.

SO BY THE TIME YOU TAKE A SUBDIVISION WITH 20 LOTS AND YOU PUT DOWN A ROAD WHICH ANY PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY IS EXEMPT, YOU LOOK AT YOUR DRIVEWAYS, YOUR SIDEWALKS, YOUR PATIOS, YOUR FOOTPRINT, YOUR PROXIMITY TO THE HOME AS TO WHAT CAN AND CAN'T LIVE.

YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT A VERY BIG AREA.

AND SO AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE REALLY ALMOST YOU'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO TAKE DOWN QUITE A FEW TREES.

AND SO YOU REALLY ELIMINATE THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF A DEVELOPER, WHICH IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO TO HAVE THEM PRESERVE THE TREES.

SO DEFINITELY THAT'S AN OPTION.

WE CAN LOOK AT MODIFYING THAT DEFINITION OF WHAT A BUILDABLE AREA IS, BUT THERE'S A MYRIAD OF OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO.

EVERY SECTION WITHIN THAT ORDINANCE CAN GET A LITTLE STRONGER.

WE NEED TO LOOK AT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, A 40 INCH TREE TO ME IS VISUALLY, I THINK, A MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN AN EIGHT INCH TREE.

SO WE NEED TO REWARD THEM FOR KEEPING SOMETHING OF THAT SIGNIFICANT SIZE AND THEN ALSO LOOK AT WHAT THEY CAN DO TO MITIGATE THAT AT PROBABLY A HIGHER RATIO THAN THAT KIND OF 1 TO 1 INCH.

SO VARIOUS COMMUNITIES DO IT AS A PERCENTAGE.

BASICALLY, IF YOU DO THIS AND YOU TAKE THIS TREE DOWN, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY AN AMOUNT VERSUS WHAT THAT TREE WOULD BE AT 120% INSTEAD OF A 1 TO 1 RATIO, OR YOU REPLACE A TEN INCH TREE WITH 30 INCHES OF TREES.

SO THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN GO ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE LOOKED JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA, BECAUSE WE WE KNEW THIS WAS OUT THERE AGAIN.

WE JUST HADN'T GOT IT TO THE TOP OF THE TO DO LIST.

WE HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, SOUTH LAKE LEAGUE CITY, KELLER, COPPELL, FLOWER MOUND, DESOTO, GRAPEVINE AND BEDFORD.

AND SO ALL OF THOSE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCES HAVE GOOD THINGS, HAVE BAD THINGS.

SOME OF THEM ARE, I WILL TELL YOU, ENTIRELY TOO EXCESSIVE.

WE DO NOT WANT TO RUN PEOPLE OFF BY LOOKING AT A 60 PAGE DOCUMENT.

I FEEL LIKE WE CAN GET TO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF REQUIREMENTS, BUT WE NEED TO FURTHER DEFINE WHAT WE WANT TO BE AS REPLACEMENT.

WE NEED TO FURTHER DEFINE WHAT WE EXPECT SOMEONE TO PROTECT A TREE AND THE MANNER THEY PROTECT IT.

THAT AREA IS VERY VAGUE RIGHT NOW.

WE NEED TO BE TIGHTER ON WHAT WE ALLOW TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE PERIMETER OF THAT TREE.

SO IF SOMEONE'S CONSTRUCTING, THERE IS ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT WE CAN ADD TO THE ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING TO SAY, YOU CAN'T DO THIS NEAR THAT.

[02:00:05]

YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO GIVE IT EVERY CHANCE IT HAS.

IF WE'RE CALLING IT THAT, WE'RE GOING TO PRESERVE IT.

SO THERE'S AGAIN, A MYRIAD OF AREAS WHERE WE CAN TIGHTEN THINGS UP.

IT'S JUST KIND OF GOING TO BE A MATTER OF WHERE WE STRIKE THAT BALANCE OF MOVING FORWARD TO PROTECT THE TREES AND THEN ALSO NOT MAKE A SITE AND DEVELOPABLE AT THE SAME TIME.

SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY KIND OF MY HIGH POINTS.

SOME ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY HAVE PORTIONS THAT INCENTIVIZE A DEVELOPER WHERE IF THEY ARE DOING THAT AGAIN, THEY LET THEM TAKE DOWN CERTAIN OTHER TYPES OF TREES.

SOME INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS FOR TAKING DOWN.

WHAT'S CONSIDERED TRASH TREES.

SO AGAIN, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT MOVING FORWARD.

WE ALREADY KNOW, AGAIN, THESE AREAS WE NEED TO TO TWEAK.

WE NEED MORE TEETH.

I THINK THAT IT IS VERY MOST OF THE ORDINANCES HAVE OPTIONS FOR REPLACEMENT.

SO LET'S SAY YOU MUST TAKE DOWN 20 INCHES.

YOU DON'T HAVE 20 INCHES OF SPACE ON YOUR SITE PAST WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A MECHANISM TO SAY YOU CAN PAY US A CERTAIN AMOUNT PER INCH AND WE CAN PUT IT INTO A TREE REFORESTATION FUND OF SOME KIND THAT THEN GOES BACK TO PUT TREES WITHIN THE CITY.

THAT'S A VERY COMMON PIECE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE SITES ARE TIGHT AND IF WE WANT TO GET MORE BACK IN THERE, THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT. SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK AT AND PROBABLY COME BACK AND PROPOSE TO YOU HITTING THOSE HIGH POINTS.

AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF NEGOTIATE AND TALK ABOUT IF WE'RE MISSING ANYTHING.

BUT WE WILL.

WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO BRING BACK TO YOU A WIN WIN FOR ALL OF US THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US AGAIN.

IT'S A BALANCE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO STRIKE.

WE CAN'T MAKE THAT PROPERTY AND DEVELOPABLE.

WE DON'T WANT TO CHASE PEOPLE OFF.

BUT I DO THINK THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE MISSED FOR SOME CREATIVE DESIGN TO KEEP SOME THINGS, AND WE JUST DIDN'T PROVIDE THE INCENTIVE FOR ANYBODY TO DO IT BEFORE. SO WITH REGARDS TO THIS, THE CURRENT LANGUAGE GOES BACK TO 96 HOW WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS BEFORE NOW.

THE QUESTION IS, HOW WOULD WE HAVE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY? WOULD IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PART OF US LOOKING AT THE MASTER PLAN.

YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT.

I MEAN, YOU TYPICALLY YOU TRY TO TYPICALLY YOU TRY TO LOOK AND AGAIN, AS YOU NOTICE, I MEAN, WE HAVE A RUNNING TAB OF THINGS THAT WE NOTICE THAT TRENDS ARE HAPPENING AND WE NEED TO MAKE THESE MODIFICATIONS.

SO FROM TIME TO TIME, YOU COULD COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BRING THE TREE ORDINANCE UP TO DATE, WHICH IS WHAT KIND OF WHERE WE ARE NOW.

JUST A LITTLE ACCELERATED.

I'M KIND OF AFRAID OF THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK IT ANYWAY.

THE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE WITH REGARDS TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WITH THE REPLACEMENT AND ALL THAT.

DOES THAT APPLY TO CITY OF BEDFORD OWN PROPERTY AS WELL? IT DOESN'T SPECIFY THAT RIGHT NOW.

IT DOESN'T INDICATE THAT.

SO WE DO OUR BEST TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.

A LOT OF CITIES HAVE SEPARATE STANDARDS FOR THEMSELVES IN AN EFFORT TO SHOW THAT THEY WANT TO COMPLY.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT POSITION THAN A DEVELOPER.

WE'RE NOT.

WE'RE TRYING TO DO A PARK AND WE'VE GOT TO DO CERTAIN THINGS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

SO THERE'LL BE A MIX OF OPTIONS FOR US ON THAT FRONT.

TREES BEING REMOVED AT GENERATIONS PARK OF THE BOYS RANCH.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THE DETAILS OF THOSE NUMBERS? NOT THAT. NOT THE DETAILS, NO.

I WOULD LITERALLY HAVE TO HAVE A BEFORE AND AFTER PLAN TO TO LOOK AT THAT, NOT TO DO A DEEP DIVE ON THIS.

BUT I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.

YES, SIR. ACTUALLY, BECAUSE IT'S COME UP THE THERE WERE 189 TREES THAT WERE REMOVED.

AND THERE ARE 370 TREES THAT WILL BE PLANTED WHEN THE PARK IS COMPLETE.

AND IN ADDITION, THERE WILL ALSO BE 152 ORNAMENTAL TREES IN 30 GALLON CONTAINERS THAT WILL BE PLANTED AS WELL.

SO 189 WERE REMOVED.

AND I KNOW THOSE ARE VERY MATURE.

I KNOW IT'S HARD TO REPLACE THOSE, BUT 552 I MEAN, I'M SORRY, 522 OR ARE BEING REPLACED OR BEING PLANTED.

SO NOW WE I KNOW WHEN OLD TOWN THE DEVELOPER FOR BEDFORD COMMENTS WHEN THEY CAME TO COUNCIL SOME TIME BACK WE DID DISCUSS OUR DESIRE TO PRESERVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OUT THERE AND THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD BEHIND THE SCENES.

EVERY TIME WE TALK IS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THOSE TREES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE THAT AN ASSET WITHIN THAT PROJECT, AN OPTION THAT WE WILL PROBABLY THROW OUT TO YOU.

NOT EVERY CITY HAS THIS, SOME OF THEM DO.

AND AGAIN, I THINK IT MIGHT HELP.

JUST AGAIN, IT'S JUST IT LAYS OUT THE REQUIREMENTS AND THE INTENTION AND VISION OF WHAT THE CITY WOULD DO ON OUR OWN PROPERTY.

BUT THERE ARE SOME CITIES THAT HAVE, AGAIN, SPELLED OUT SPECIFIC MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.

IF ANYBODY'S UNSURE WHAT THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PARKS GETS OUTSOURCED, THINGS LIKE THAT.

[02:05:01]

BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD A MAINTENANCE SECTION THAT WOULD APPLY TO HOW WE ARE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN OUR OWN TREES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY SURVIVE ONCE THEY'RE REPLANTED ACROSS THE BOARD. YES.

OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT WE ARE.

YES ON GO IS COUNCIL'S FLAVOR ON THAT WITHOUT TAKING A VOTE, I GUESS MAYOR PRO TEM SABOL.

ANDREA, HOW DO YOU HANDLE CAN YOU DO AN ORDINANCE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN'T PLANT TREES UNDERNEATH HIGH LINE WIRES? WE CAN. YES.

THAT'S JUST THAT'S ATROCIOUS THE WAY IT LOOKS.

AND THEN WHAT ABOUT A DEAD TREE ORDINANCE? THERE'S TONS OF THOSE, TOO.

YES. YOU'RE KIND OF TOUCHING ON THAT.

YES. AND THOSE REALLY? THAT'S A SIMPLE SOLUTION.

IT EXISTS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OUT THERE.

BUT YES, YOU ARE MOST DEFINITELY ABLE TO TAKE A DEAD TREE DOWN.

BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD TO THAT.

WE'VE GOT IT. IT EXISTS, I KNOW, WITHIN OUR CODE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME OF THAT ON PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY THAT WE'RE HAVING THEM TAKE THAT DOWN BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD.

UH COUNCIL MEMBER.

STEVES. THE TREES AT GENERATION PARK.

NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIALIST.

WE JUST HAVE SOMEONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN IRRIGATION.

IS THAT CORRECT? WE DON'T HAVE TREE SPECIALIST, ARBORIST OR ANYTHING ON STAFF RIGHT NOW.

WE CONTRACT WITH AN ARBORIST WHENEVER WE NEED.

LIKE WE HAD SOME DISEASE TREES.

GET MY BEARINGS THAT WERE OUT.

I'M SORRY, OUT HERE.

SO WE'LL HAVE AN ARBORIST COME OUT AND ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE ONE ON STAFF.

NO, IT'S BEEN PLENTY HOT IN THOSE.

SOME OF THE TREES OUT THERE ALREADY LOOKING PRETTY BAD.

BUT WE PROMISED THE CITIZENS, THE RESIDENTS ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE, THAT WE PLANT TREES TO BE A BARRIER ALONG THAT WALL OR THE WALL.

NOW, WE THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE YET.

WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT TO BE ALL CLEARED OUT.

CORRECT. I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TREES ARE.

YES, SIR. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS LIKE THIS ISN'T RELATED TO TREES, BUT IF YOU GO BY THE BALL FIELDS, THEY LOOK REALLY BAD BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THE CONTRACTORS AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT, BUT I JUST IT'S PART OF THE OVERALL THE CONTRACTOR.

LONG STORY SHORT, THERE'S BEEN SOME IRRIGATION ISSUES WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SO THAT'S STILL ON THEIR DIME.

AND SO WE GET CALLS.

THE CALLS ARE ALWAYS, WHY ARE YOU WATERING SO MUCH AND WHY IS IT DYING? BUT THAT'S WHY. BUT I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHY THEY'RE WAITING TO PLANT SOME OF THE TREES.

BUT SORRY FOR THE LONG ANSWER, BUT IT'S BEEN KIND OF CONTEMPORARY.

SO. COUNCILMEMBER FARKO.

IT'S JUST A QUESTION ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO ANY DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT'S A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OR SOMETHING.

WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT ON TREES OR SHRUBS AND EVERYTHING.

IT'S GREAT. WE HAVE IT WHEN IT GOES IN, BUT IT'S NOT MAINTAINED.

ARE WE GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR MAINTAINING THAT? BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN SABOL TALKING ABOUT DEAD TREES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

WE'VE GOT DEVELOPERS THAT ARE BUILDING THESE OR SHOPPING CENTER OWNERS THAT ARE NOT REPLACING THEM, LEAVING THE DEAD SHRUBS OUT THERE.

AND IT JUST IT'S IT'S REALLY A BLIGHT ON THE CITY, SO IT'S A BLIGHT ON THEM.

AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BUT ARE WE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IF YOU'RE REQUIRED TO PUT IT IN OR YOU'RE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN IT OR REPLACE IT IF IT'S REMOVED, IS THAT RELATED TO THE MAINTENANCE FUNCTION THAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT? WELL, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS AND WE'VE GOT TREE PRESERVATION.

SO SOME CITIES KIND OF CO-MINGLE THEM A LITTLE BIT.

I THINK FOR OUR PURPOSES, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THEM A LITTLE SEPARATE.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S ACTUALLY IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.

SO IF YOU HAVE AN APPROVED SITE PLAN WITH THE CITY AND IT SHOWS LANDSCAPING AND IT SHOWS 28 INDIAN HAWTHORNS, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THAT.

SO I WILL SAY THAT WHEN WE HAD THE ICE STORM, YOU KNOW, FEBRUARY BEFORE LAST, WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS A MASSIVE DEATH OF THE INDIAN HAWTHORNE. SO THAT WAS THE BIGGEST SHRUB THAT WAS LOST.

SO IT WAS KIND OF A KNOWN THING IN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT WORLD THAT WE LET PEOPLE HAVE THE TIME TO SLOWLY WORK THROUGH THINGS.

I KNOW IT WAS A FINANCIAL HIT, BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY KIND OF THE BREAK TIME IS OVER ON THOSE.

AND SO AS OUR CODE OFFICES ARE OUT IN THE FIELD, THEY ARE STARTING TO MAKE COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE GROUPS THAT HAVE THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF DEAD LANDSCAPING.

THOSE ARE REQUIRED TO BE THERE EVEN UNDER TODAY'S CODE.

YEAH. SO HOW DO WE.

GRANTED, THAT WAS A UNIQUE EVENT THAT WE HAD THIS WINTER.

BUT UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THAT PEOPLE HAVE NOT MAINTAINED THEIR TREES AND THEY'RE NO LONGER IN COMPLIANCE? WE HAVE THAT APPROVED SITE PLAN AND THERE'S ALWAYS AN APPROVED LANDSCAPE PLAN THAT GOES WITH THAT AS PART OF THAT APPROVAL.

SO WE CAN LITERALLY TAKE THAT PLAN OUT, SEE WHAT'S MISSING, AND WORK WITH THAT OWNER TO REPLACE IT.

INCORPORATE THAT INTO CODE ENFORCEMENT.

[02:10:03]

I MEAN, HOW DO YOU IT LIVES BEST WITH THAT GROUP, I WOULD SAY, BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT AND ABOUT AND THEY'VE GOT THAT PROCESS DOWN AS FAR AS REACHING OUT. IT'S JUST SOMETHING IT'S A TIME CONSUMING EFFORT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO GET TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, GET TO THE OWNER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE TO GET THOSE THINGS REPLACED WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IT MAY TAKE SOME PHASING.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. AND TRUST ME, THERE ARE SOME CERTAIN PROPERTIES THAT I HAVE MY EYE ON THAT WE WILL WE'RE GETTING WITH THOSE GUYS.

OKAY, GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED FROM US? DIRECTIONALLY, WHAT TIMELINE? HERE, GIVE US A COUPLE MONTHS TO GET THINGS UNDER OUR BELT AND BRING BACK SOME KIND OF KEY POINTS JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

I WOULD LOVE FOR BRANT TO KIND OF ADD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON THE LEGAL SIDE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF STATE AS MUCH AS WE WANT THIS TO HAPPEN, THERE ARE SOME LEGAL REQUIREMENTS THAT TIE OUR HANDS ON CERTAIN THINGS.

SURE, I CAN HONESTLY BE VERY BRIEF.

I MEAN, CITIES HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST AUTHORITY TO REGULATE AND MANDATE TREE PRESERVATION.

REQUIREMENTS. THE MAIN THING THAT I NOTICED THAT WAS MISSING FROM YOUR ORDINANCE IS A THE ASSESSMENT OF A TREE MITIGATION FEE, BECAUSE, AS ANDREA SAID, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE FOR THE OWNER TO TRY TO SHOEHORN TREES IN.

AND OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HAVE A TREE PRESERVATION FUND, THE CITY CAN OFTEN PURCHASE LARGER CALIBER TREES TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF REFORESTATION.

SO JUST A COUPLE OF LEGAL LIMITATIONS.

ANDREW MENTIONED ONE ALREADY.

WE CAN'T HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE WE, THROUGH REGULATIONS, RENDER A PROPERTY DEVELOPABLE BECAUSE WE WANT TO SAVE ALL THE TREES ON THE PROPERTY.

THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A REGULATORY TAKING AND THE PUNISHMENT FOR THAT, THE FEE FOR THAT IS THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.

AND YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY BUY YOU'RE CREATING A DE FACTO PARK OR NATURE PRESERVE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

THE OTHER ISSUE, AGAIN, NOT A SIGNIFICANT ONE.

IN 2017, THE LEGISLATURE ADOPTED SOME REGULATIONS THAT ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE THAT IF YOU ASSESS A TREE MITIGATION FEE, YOU HAVE TO ALLOW THE PROPERTY OWNER TO OFFSET THE FEE SOMEWHAT UP TO 50% FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND 40% FOR NON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, OFFSET IT WITH REPLANTING OF TREES ON THEIR OWN.

AND IT BASICALLY SAYS YOU HAVE TO ALLOW THEM TO EITHER PLANT THE TREES ON THEIR PROPERTY OR AT A MUTUALLY AGREED UPON LOCATION ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY.

AND SO YOU HAVE TO AFFORD THEM SOME AMOUNT OF CREDIT THAT WASN'T IN PLACE PRIOR TO 2017.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT A TOTAL OFFSET.

IT'S A REDUCE OFFSET.

AND AGAIN, OFTEN IN MY EXPERIENCE, MOST DEVELOPERS JUST WANT TO PAY THE FEE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO BOTHER WITH TRYING TO PLANT THE TREES ON THEIR PROPERTY.

SO AND THEN IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT, THE ONLY STRUGGLES THAT I'VE SEEN ARE ON UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY.

THE PROPERTY OWNER MAY HIRE A TREE CUTTING CREW OVER THE WEEKEND.

YOU DON'T HAVE A TREE SURVEY.

IT'S REPORTED ON MONDAY.

AND YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU REALLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TREES HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS WITH ENFORCEMENT.

BUT WE HAVE A COURT CITATION PROCESS AND WE CAN ALSO ADOPT A CIVIL PENALTY PROCESS.

AGAIN, THAT'S ONLY AS GOOD AS SOMEONE'S WILLINGNESS TO PAY THE FEE.

OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO FILE SUIT.

BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TOOLS THAT WE CAN ADD TO THIS AND AUGMENT THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE AS ANDREA SAID, THIS, WHAT YOU HAVE IS GOOD.

I HAVE SOME CITIES THAT I REPRESENT THAT HAVE NO TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.

SO YOU'RE ALREADY AHEAD IN THAT REGARD, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

OKAY. VERY GOOD.

COUNCILMEMBER PARK, WHAT ABOUT NATURAL? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE HAWTHORNS, BUT NATURAL DISASTERS ON TREES.

WE HAD A MICROBURST ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO ON FATHER'S DAY.

THEY CAME DOWN AND WIPED OUT 6 TO 10 INCH DIAMETER TREES OVER ON BEDFORD ROAD.

IS THAT ARE THEY REQUIRED TO REPLACE THOSE OR IS THAT JUST MY UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE IS IF THEY'RE REQUIRED TREES THAT ARE PART OF THE PROJECT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED.

WE DON'T I MEAN, BREN, I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW THE ORDINANCE MIGHT BE WRITTEN.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE A WRITTEN EXEMPTION IN OURS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S PRESENT. THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THOSE ARE REALLY TWO DIFFERENT ORDINANCES.

AND ANDREA MENTIONED SOMETIMES THEY'RE CO-MINGLED, BUT, YOU KNOW, TREES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE PLANTED AS PART OF A DEVELOPMENT, AS A PART OF A LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE THAT LIVES SEPARATELY, THAN A TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, WHICH REALLY TALKS ABOUT PROTECTING EXISTING TREES AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE TREES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE PLANTED IN THE

[02:15:01]

FIRST PLACE. AND CAN I MAKE JUST ONE LAST QUALIFYING STATEMENT? BECAUSE I KNOW THE SENSITIVITY WITH BEDFORD COMMONS.

I JUST WANT TO REITERATE, WE ARE GOING TO GET TO WORK ON THIS.

WHAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE WITH BEDFORD COMMONS AND WHAT ANYONE HAS SEEN HAS BEEN ALL CONCEPTUAL PLANS.

SO THERE IS NO THERE'S NO VESTED RIGHT TO WHAT PLAN HAS BEEN APPROVED.

THIS WILL GET PUT INTO PLACE PRIOR TO THAT PROJECT COMING THROUGH.

SO WE WILL WORK TO ABIDE OBVIOUSLY BY OUR OWN ORDINANCES.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.

OK YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE FROM US? I DO NOT KNOW.

NO, SIR. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

VERY GOOD. SO THANK YOU, JAMIE.

THANK YOU, ANDREA. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES.

WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM IN EXECUTIVE THAT WE NEED TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION AND THAT'S RELATED TO SECTION 55.107, ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

SO WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

IT IS 8:16.

OKAY, EVERYONE, IT'S 8:29 8:30 NOW.

THERE IS NO ACTION TO TAKE OUT OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER FARKO? OK. DO WE HAVE A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER GAGLIARDI EVERYONE IN FAVOR.

AYE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE.

HAVE A GREAT EVENING. IT'S 8:30 AND WE ADJOURN.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.