[CALL TO ORDER]
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          THE MEETING OF THE WACO CITY COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2026 TO ORDER AT 3:01 P.M. WELCOME TO THE WORK SESSION OF THE WACO CITY COUNCIL. WELCOME TO AGGREGATED A PRETTY NICE LITTLE CROWD HERE. ABOUT TEN MINUTES AGO, THERE WASN'T HARDLY ANYBODY HERE. I THOUGHT EVERYBODY WAS OUT VOTING TODAY, BUT I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT. THANKS FOR BEING HERE IN THE IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN WACO AT THE THEATER GALLERY. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANKS ALSO TO THE ALSO TO THE VIEWERS AT HOME ON THE WACO CITY CABLE CHANNEL FOR JOINING US. I'M MAYOR JIM HOLMES. I'M JOINED ON THE DAIS HERE TODAY BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDER FAIRFIELD FROM DISTRICT ONE, ISABEL LOZANO FROM DISTRICT TWO, JED COLE FROM DISTRICT THREE OVER THERE, DARIUS EWING FROM DISTRICT FOUR, AND MAYOR PRO TEM GEORGE CHASE NEXT TO ME FROM DISTRICT FIVE RIGHT HERE, ALSO JOINED ON THE ADJACENT DAIS OVER THERE BY OUR SENIOR CITY STAFF, CITY MANAGER RYAN HOLT, CITY ATTORNEY KRISTEN HAMILTON KARAM, AND OUR FAVORITE CITY SECRETARY, MICHELLE HICKS. ON THE END, WE'RE GOING TO START THE MEETING TODAY WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY. THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY IS THE 
          [WORK SESSION]
RECOGNITION OF WORK SESSION SPEAKERS. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY? SECRETARY HICKS WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS. NOBODY. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK ON A SESSION AGENDA ITEM. THERE'S NOBODY OUT THERE TODAY THAT WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT. WE WILL NOW SEEING NO REQUESTS TO SPEAK. 
          WE'LL CLOSE RECESS REGULAR SESSION AND CONVENE IN THE WORK SESSION WITH THE REPORT FROM OUR NEWEST GRANDFATHER IN THE ROOM, CITY MANAGER RYAN. LET'S HEAR IT FOR RYAN. CITY CITY MANAGER. CITY MANAGER. RYAN HAS HAD TWINS THIS LAST WEEKEND. SO I'M GOING TO TURN THE MEETING OVER TO YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GRANDFATHER, HOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOTH ARE HEALTHY AND HOME WITH THEIR PARENTS. SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND WELCOME TO THOSE JOINING US IN THE AUDIENCE AND ONLINE. WE HAVE NO CHANGES TO THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION. AS WE ENTER NOVEMBER. WE'RE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE OUR VETERANS. OUR VETERANS RECOGNITION BANNER PROGRAM CONTINUES THIS YEAR, WITH CLOSE TO 60 BANNERS GOING UP THIS WEEK ALONG AUSTIN AVENUE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER. THIS PROJECT WAS INITIATED BY THE CITIZENS VETERANS ADVISORY BOARD. ADDITIONALLY, THE BOARD ADVISES ON THE CREATION AND CONTENT OF THE CITY'S VETERANS RESOURCES WEB PAGE ON OUR CITY WEBSITE, WHICH IS ON THE SCREEN. THIS PAGE INCLUDES A COMPILATION OF ALL LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL VETERANS RESOURCES, AS WELL AS CALENDAR OF LOCAL VETERANS EVENTS. TODAY, WE RECOGNIZE OUR VETERAN CITY EMPLOYEES. I'M PROUD TO LEAD AN ORGANIZATION OF MORE THAN 1600 PEOPLE WILLING TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY. 10% OF OUR WORKFORCE FOR THE FOR THE CITY ARE ON THEIR SECOND CHAPTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE. WE HAVE 164 EMPLOYEES FROM AMONG 19 CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE VETERANS OF MILITARY SERVICE REPRESENTING THE U.S. ARMY, MARINE CORPS, NAVY, AIR FORCE AND COAST GUARD. WE HAVE A SHORT VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING OUR SERVICE MEMBERS NOW. 
          AND A HEARTY THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR NATION AND TO THE COMMUNITY HERE IN WACO. ARE ANY OF THEM HERE TODAY? I KNOW WE HAVE SOME 
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VETERANS IN THE ROOM WITH THE VETERANS IN THE ROOM. STAND UP. PLEASE STAND. I KNOW, I KNOW OF A FEW BLUE, BLUE, ONE BLUE AND CRYSTAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. BLUE KOSTERLITZ AND CHRIS DE LOS SANTOS. APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE GUYS. LITTLE KNOWN FACT BOTH CHRIS AND BLUE ATTENDED WEST POINT TOGETHER. WERE YOU ALL TOGETHER AT THE TIME? DID YOU ALL KNOW EACH OTHER? NO. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. THERE ARE TWO INFORMAL REPORTS ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT. 
          ITEM 746 DETAILS THE PLAN COMMISSION ACTIONS ON PLATS RE REVIEWED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, AS WELL AS AN ACTIVE SUBDIVISION REPORT REFLECTING NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS ISSUED FOR SINGLE FAMILY AND TWO FAMILY DWELLINGS. YEAH, I'LL JUST COMMENT. WAS THAT IT ON THAT I'LL JUST COMMENT THAT. THAT'S GREAT. CLINT. YEAH. CLINT THANKS FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND JUST THE DIALOG ON IT AND THE, THE TOTALS, IT GIVES US A PRETTY GOOD FEEL. 
          AND I FOLLOWED UP WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON JUST WHERE WE'RE AT ON, ON PLATTING. DO WE HAVE A LOT OF LOTS. ARE THEY BEING DEVELOPED AND WHAT'S GOING STALE? WHAT KIND OF INVENTORY IS MOVING? BUT IT REALLY HELPS GIVE US AN IDEA OF, OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE CITY ON PLATTING. THANKS. ABSOLUTELY. AND ON 747 IS YOUR MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE ON CHINA SPRING PARK AND ALICE MARTINEZ RODRIGUEZ PARK. CHINA SPRING PARK IS IN THE FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION WITH VEGETATION SIGNAGE AND FINAL INSPECTIONS AND WALKTHROUGHS TAKING PLACE THIS MONTH, WE'RE ON TRACK FOR A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY SCHEDULED IN LATE NOVEMBER. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH. THE. THERE WE GO. GOT SOME PHOTOS. 
          THE ALICE MARTINEZ RODRIGUEZ PARK, THE ALICE, AS SOME ARE CALLING IT OR AMR CONTINUES TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS. SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER SAW THE INSTALLATION OF THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, CONCRETE SURFACES, RESTROOM BUILDINGS AND PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT. OVER THE NEXT MONTH, THE PARK WILL SEE THE NEW TRACK SURFACE INSTALLED, COMPLETION OF THE PARKING LOT AND INSTALLATION OF RUBBER SAFETY SURFACE THROUGHOUT THE PLAYGROUND. THE FINAL OPENING IS TRENDING A BIT LATER THAN ORIGINALLY COMMUNICATED. WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A FEBRUARY OPENING. I WAS OUT THERE RECENTLY AND THE SCOPE OF IT IS IS UNBELIEVABLE. IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE A DRAMATIC ADDITION TO OUR PARK CITY MANAGER HOLD, IF I MAY, THE THE ALL WHEELS PARK SKATE PARK AREA YOU HAVE HERE LOOKS, I BELIEVE EVEN JUST YESTERDAY THE PHOTO I SAW OF IT WAS NOT COMPLETED WITH THE CONCRETE ENCASEMENT. SO THEY'RE DEFINITELY MAKING QUICK PROGRESS WITH WHAT THEY HAVE IN FRONT OF THEM. YEAH. THE CONTRACTORS WHO ARE BUILDING THAT PART OF THE PARK ARE ACTUALLY SKATERS THEMSELVES. AND SO THEY AS SOON AS THEY POUR IT, THEY TEST IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT THAT IT WORKS WELL. THEY HAVE ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT WITH THEM. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING TO WATCH. THEY HAVE SOME SKATER DOGS THAT ARE OUT THERE WITH THEM TOO. SO WHERE'S THE COMMS TEAM? CAN WE GET SOME, SOME PROMO OF THE SKATER DOGS OR DOGS LINED UP? THAT'D BE GREAT. THERE ARE 14 RESOLUTIONS ON TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA. I WON'T HIGHLIGHT ANY SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS, BUT WOULD TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE RESOLUTIONS OR COMMENTS? THERE ARE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS EVENING. THERE ARE FIVE ORDINANCES ON THE AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, ALL OF WHICH COME TO YOU ON SECOND READING. AND IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS THAT WILL IN THE MANAGER'S REPORT, I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THE RESOLUTIONS. I'VE PROVIDED A COUPLE OF FIRE TRUCKS THERE, TWO SPARTAN FIRE TRUCKS, WHICH IS GREAT. IT AGAIN, I THINK IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL AND TO HAVE A WELL STAFFED, WELL TRAINED AND WELL EQUIPPED FIRE DEPARTMENT. CHIEF FERGUSON, I SEE YOU OUT HERE TODAY. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GETTING TWO MORE FIRE TRUCKS AND KEEPING THOSE ISO RATINGS AS HIGH AS WE CAN GET IT, WHICH HELPS OUR OUR RESIDENTS WITH THEIR HOME INSURANCE, WHICH IS OUT OF ALL INSURANCE IS OUT OF CONTROL, BUT SO IS HOME INSURANCE. THAT ISO ONE RATING HELPS KEEP THAT INSURANCE DOWN. AND TO GET THAT ISO ONE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HAVE TO MEET STANDARDS OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE DO. THE ONE THAT DOESN'T GET A LOT OF ATTENTION IS THAT NUMBER. 758 JUST I LIKE THE DILIGENCE THAT WE'RE DOING. I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THIS TO KIND OF TIE IN OUR OLD CIP PROJECTS FROM PRIOR YEARS AND HELPING RECONCILE, MAKING IT EASIER FOR THE COUNCIL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WHAT'S OUT THERE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO FINISH UP, WHAT PROJECTS ARE OUT THERE ON THE ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS? SO I LIKE SEEING THAT RECONCILIATION. THEN THE LAST ONE I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT 763 RIVERWALK DEVELOPMENT. AND JUST ACCOMMODATING THAT. I KNOW THAT WE DECIDED TO VALUE ENGINEER AND NOT BUILD THE, THE, THE WEBSTER OVERLOOK, BUT THIS IS A LITTLE ADD ON THAT HELPS US IF WE, IF FUTURE COUNCILS WANT TO WANT TO PUT THAT IN, WE'LL, 
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THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, TO DO THAT. SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD PLANNING AHEAD AND ALSO VALUE ENGINEERING. WHAT WE'VE GOT. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON TODAY'S AGENDA. 
          OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES 2026 752 AND RESOLUTION 2026 753 THROUGH 765. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO MOVE OR REMOVE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? TODAY? THERE WERE NO AFFIDAVITS OF SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST, SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE VOTING ON ALL OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME, SO THAT ALL OF THEM IS THE 752 AND THEN 753 THROUGH 765. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS WORK SESSION ITEMS 2026, 758 THROUGH SEVEN, 48 THROUGH 750. CITY MANAGER HOLT, CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE FIRST WORK SESSION? GREAT. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. OUR FIRST PRESENTATION IS OUR ANNUAL UPDATE ON THE COLLECTION OF DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS INCLUDING TAXES, LIENS, FINES AND FEES. THE LAW FIRMS OF MCCREARY, VESELKA, BRAGG AND ALLEN AND THEN BEARD, COLGAN, BROPHY, BOSTWICK AND DIXON PROVIDE THESE COLLECTION SERVICES. CONNOR BUCHANAN AND RICK BOSTWICK WILL PRESENT THE REPORT TODAY, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU, MR. HOLT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M CONNOR BUCHANAN. I AM ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS AND SHAREHOLDERS WITH ELK, BRAGG AND ALLEN, JOINED THIS AFTERNOON BY RICK BOSTWICK, ONE OF THE PARTNERS OVER AT BEARD CULTURE, AND BROPHY, BOSTWICK AND DIXON. AND AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THIS IS GOING TO BE ON DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS. BUT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE THAT WE COLLECT FOR THE CITY. WE HAVE KIND OF A STANDARD TEMPLATE ON HOW WE DO THIS, ACTUALLY WITH TWO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND SINCE WE ONLY DO THIS ONCE EVERY YEAR, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GO A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER. SO I THINK I HAVE CONTROL OVER THIS. SO I WANT TO KIND OF START WITH HOW ALL THE PROPERTY TAXES WORK AS FAR AS TURNED OVER TO US AND THEN WHAT WE DO WITH THOSE. SO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, YOU PROBABLY ALL RECEIVED YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF MAIL THAT YOU GET EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL. THOSE GO OUT IN OCTOBER. BUT AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY TAX CALENDAR IS CONCERNED, IF THOSE TAXES ARE NOT PAID BY THE FOLLOWING FEBRUARY, THEY BECOME DELINQUENT. AND THEN IF THEY REMAIN OUTSTANDING FOR NINE MONTHS AFTER THEY'RE ISSUED OVER IN JULY 1ST, THAT'S WHEN THEY GET ASSIGNED TO OUR LAW FIRMS TO COLLECT. YOU MAY ALSO SEE THE WORD, AND I'LL USE THE WORD TURN OVER SO THEY GET TURNED OVER TO US AT THAT POINT IN TIME. AS FAR AS GETTING THOSE COLLECTED, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF METHODS THAT WE USE. THE BIGGEST ONE OF THOSE IS GOING TO BE TAXPAYER COMMUNICATION IN ALL OF ITS FORMS. YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST OF THOSE NOTICES ARE THE FIRST OF THOSE DENOTATIONS ON THIS SLIDE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE BUILT OUT A SOFTWARE THAT INTEGRATES ALL OF THE DATA FROM YOUR TAX OFFICE HERE IN MCLENNAN AND ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE GET UPDATES EVERY MONTH FROM THE TAX OFFICE. AND THE FIRST THING WE DO EVERY JULY, WHEN THOSE GET TURNED OVER TO US, IS WE SEND OUT MASS MAILERS TO EVERY ONE OF THOSE ACCOUNTS. SO THIS REFLECTS THAT. WE DO THAT SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE COURSE AND SCOPE OF THE YEAR. AND ALL OF THE PROPERTIES ARE THE NUMBER, TOTAL OF PROPERTIES THAT WE SEND THOSE NOTICES OUT ON. THOSE NOTICES ARE THERE. THEY DO A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST, THEY LET THE TAXPAYER KNOW, HEY, YOU DO HAVE PROPERTY TAXES THAT ARE DUE AND THEY'VE BEEN TURNED OVER FOR COLLECTIONS, BUT THEN IT INVITES THEM TO COME INTO OUR OFFICE, WHICH IS DOWNTOWN, ACTUALLY SHARE A BUILDING WITH COUNCILMAN COLE. SO APPRECIATE YOU BEING A GOOD LANDLORD, SIR, AND INVITES THEM TO COME TURN ON YOUR TAXES YET. INVITES THEM TO COME INTO OUR OFFICE AND TO TRY AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS SO WE CAN HELP RESOLVE THOSE PROPERTY TAX ISSUES. OUR OFFICE HERE IN WACO HAS TEN FULL TIME STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUDING TWO ATTORNEYS, AND FOUR OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS AS OF THIS WEEK ARE BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH BILINGUAL BECAUSE AS SOMEONE THAT HAS TRAVELED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY DOESN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, WE KNOW THAT THAT CAN BE A BARRIER. AND WE WANT TO MAKE YOUR TAXPAYERS, WHEN THEY COME IN AND WHEN THEY WORK OUT THESE ARRANGEMENTS AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, IF WE DON'T AREN'T ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET THE TAXPAYERS EITHER TO CALL US IN THE OFFICE TO COME VISIT US IN THE OFFICE AND TO SET UP SOME SORT OF PAYOUT ARRANGEMENT. IT'S AT THAT POINT THAT OUR STAFF WORKS THE ACCOUNTS INDIVIDUALLY. SO WHEN I SAY THAT THEY ARE DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS, INCLUDING DOING TITLE RESEARCH, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT HERE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB MAKING SURE THAT THOSE, AS THOSE PROPERTIES CHANGE HANDS, THAT THAT INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE, BUT YOU'LL OFTEN FIND WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE A PROPERTY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. AND JOHN AND JANE SMITH, THEY HAVE PASSED THEIR NEXT GENERATION, THEIR KIDS MIGHT HAVE PASSED AS WELL. AND SO WE ACTUALLY, THROUGH THE TITLE RESEARCH, THROUGH LOOKING AT PROBATES, THROUGH DOING SKIP TRACING, WE FIND THAT THERE MAY BE ACTUALLY. 810, 20 I THINK WE'VE GOT AN ACCOUNT NOW THAT HAS ALMOST 60 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING AN INTEREST. SO OUR JOB IS TO THEN FIND THOSE INDIVIDUALS, LET THEM KNOW, HEY, YOU DO OWN AN INTEREST IN THIS PROPERTY AND THEIR PROPERTY TAXES THAT ARE DUE AT THAT POINT. IF THE PHONE CALLS THAT WE MAKE, ONCE WE DO THAT, RESEARCH THE NOTICES AND ACTUALLY WILL MAKE PHONE CALLS 
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AND SEND INDIVIDUALIZED NOTICES AT THAT POINT AS WELL. SO REALLY, THERE'S A COUPLE OF NOTICES THAT YOUR PROPERTY OWNERS ARE GOING TO GET AFTER THAT. WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO AHEAD AND FILE A LAWSUIT FOR COLLECTION ON THE PROPERTY TAX. THE THING ABOUT THAT IS IF THOSE OTHER METHODS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN SOMEBODY RECEIVES THAT, THEY SAY, OKAY, IT'S FINALLY TIME TO COME IN AND TO MAKE A PAYOUT ARRANGEMENT AS WELL. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET A HEARING, TAKE A JUDGMENT ON THE PROPERTY, AND THEN POST THE PROPERTY FOR FORECLOSURE SALE AND ACTUALLY SELL THOSE. WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THOUGH, AND WHAT I HOPE THAT COUNCIL HEARS IS THAT THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WHETHER IT'S THE NOTICES THAT WE SEND OUT, WHETHER IT'S THE PHONE CALLS THAT WE MAKE, WHETHER IT'S EVEN AS FAR AS POSTING SOMETHING FOR A SALE, THOSE ARE ALL TOOLS TO INCENTIVIZE COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR TAXPAYERS. I HAVE A VERY WEIRD JOB, AND THAT MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU SEND AN ATTORNEY OUT TO GO GET MONEY FROM SOMEONE, IT'S LIKE LETTING A BULLDOG OUT OF A CAGE. BUT RICK AND I BOTH SEE THIS AS WE ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST ADVOCATES FOR YOUR PROPERTY OWNERS. OUR JOB IS NOT ONLY TO HELP THEM RESOLVE THEIR PROPERTY TAX ISSUES, BUT OFTENTIMES TO EXPLAIN TO THEM EITHER LEGAL BENEFITS OR PROTECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE UNDER THE LAW THAT THEY'RE NOT UTILIZING AT THIS POINT. GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS WE HAD A CASE. IT WAS A RESIDENCE HERE IN THE CITY OF WACO. WE HAD MADE PHONE CALLS. 
          WE'D SENT NOTICES, DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING BACK. WE FILED A LAWSUIT, DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING BACK. FINALLY, WE HAD SET IT FOR A HEARING. AND THEN I GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF MY LAW PROFESSORS OVER AT THE LAW SCHOOL. HER, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER WHO RUN THE VETERANS ASSISTANCE CLINIC OVER THERE. AND SHE SAID, HEY, LOOK, THIS IS YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE. WALK ME THROUGH THIS. SO I GOT TO WALK. ONE OF MY PROFESSORS WHO TAUGHT ME OVER A DECADE AGO ALL ABOUT REAL PROPERTY. I GOT TO WALK HER THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROTECTIONS UNDER THE LAW FOR THAT CLIENT AT THE VETERANS CLINIC SAID, ALL, OKAY, THESE THIS IS ALL THE PAPERWORK THAT YOU NEED TO FILL OUT. AND THEN AT THE END OF IT, ACTUALLY PICKED UP THE PAPERWORK AND TOOK IT OVER TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE. 
          BUT THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH YOUR TAXPAYERS PRETTY MUCH ON A DAILY BASIS, WHETHER THAT'S JUST WORKING OUT THE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS OR IT'S LETTING THEM KNOW, HEY, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP OUT EITHER WITH THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE PAYING OR YOU KNOW, HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY PAY THAT OUT. SO THAT IS A BIG FOCUS OF OURS. WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE OPTIONS AND FEEL RESPECTED, AND THAT WE DO FIND AMICABLE RESOLUTION TO MOST OF THESE. THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD POINT OUT HERE, JUST KIND OF TO PUT SOME NUMBERS TO THAT WE HAVE AROUND EVERY JULY 1ST, WHEN THAT TURNOVER HAPPENS, WE HAVE ABOUT 2500 ACCOUNTS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK JUST WITHIN THE CITY OF WACO. THAT LAST BOX ACTUALLY SHOWS, PERCENTAGE WISE, THE NUMBER THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEGAL STEP ON. AND THAT MAY BE THE NUMBER THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF. RICK'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL COLLECTIONS AND THE MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, BUT OF ALL THOSE 2500 PROPERTIES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE ONLY HAD TO SELL 14 OF THOSE. IT'S LESS THAN 0.6%, WHICH IS A REALLY, REALLY SMALL AMOUNT. I'M GOING TO JUMP AHEAD ONE MORE HERE. AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, ONE OF THE OTHER SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IS MUNICIPAL LIEN COLLECTION. SO IF THE CITY STAFF HAS GONE OUT AND THEY'VE DONE MOWING OR THEY'VE DEMOLISHED A HOUSE OR THEY'VE RED TAGGED A HOUSE, WE ACTUALLY COLLECT THAT AS PART OF OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS AS WELL. YOU NOTICE THAT THAT NUMBER DOWN AT THE BOTTOM THIS YEAR THAT WE FORECLOSED ON WAS 12. AND I THINK I CAN GO BACK HERE. SO 12 OF THOSE 14 WERE ONES THAT THE CITY SAID, HEY, LOOK, WE'RE CLEANING THESE UP. 
          WE NEED TO GET THESE BACK ON THE TAX ROLL. EITHER THEY NEED TO GET SOLD TO SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO USE THEM OR, AND I KNOW THE CITY DOES A GREAT JOB WITH TAKING THESE PROPERTIES INTO TRUST AND THEN REDEVELOPING THEM AND HAVING A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR THEM. SO REALLY, IT WAS TWO OUT OF ALL THE 2500 THAT WE ONLY ONLY HAD TO DO TWO OF THOSE THAT WE FORECLOSED ON, APART FROM THE MUNICIPAL LIENS, WHICH IS LESS THAN ONE TENTH OF 1% OF ALL THE PROPERTIES. SO WE DO WORK VERY DILIGENTLY TO ONE RESOLVE ALL THOSE ISSUES, BUT TWO, TO DO SO IN A MANNER THAT WORKS WITH YOUR TAXPAYERS AS WELL. SO I'LL THEN TURN IT OVER TO RICK. AND RICK CAN ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT, WELL, I'LL SAY THIS AS WELL. FUNNY THING, COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TAXPAYERS, REACHING OUT TO THEM, HAVING IN YOUR OFFICE. IT'S ALSO A REALLY GREAT WAY TO GET PROPERTY TAXES COLLECTED. SO RICK'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS NOW AS WELL. AND I'M GOING TO BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. THERE YOU GO, RICK. WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS, UNFORTUNATELY, AS IT USUALLY IS, WE COLLECT OVER 100% OF THE TAX LEVY YEAR IN, YEAR OUT. AND THAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO Y'ALL BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET PLANNING, YOU NEED TO HAVE A NUMBER THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON. THE GO AHEAD. ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE, AND I THINK IT ACTUALLY SHOWS IN ACTUALLY THIS SLIDE. SO WE'VE GOT TWO MEMBERS ON THE COUNCIL THAT HAVE OR ARE CURRENTLY SITTING ON THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD. BUT ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS TRY TO POINT OUT IS THAT YOUR TAX ROLL IS KIND OF A LIVING, BREATHING THING. EVEN THOUGH THE NEW TAX YEAR MAY HAVE STARTED, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, MAY BE MAKING CHANGES TO PREVIOUS TAX YEARS. AND THE 
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CITY OF WACO IS VERY GENEROUS AND IT HAS A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. BUT THE STATE OF TEXAS SAY YOU CAN ACTUALLY APPLY THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ONTO PROPERTY UP TO TWO YEARS LATER, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU HAVE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE LATE ON APPLYING THEIR EXEMPTION AND THEY'VE ALREADY PAID THEIR TAXES, THAT MONEY GETS REFUNDED BACK OUT. THERE'S ALSO A NUMBER OF APPRAISAL DISTRICT LITIGATION CASES, THOSE CASES THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BASICALLY FILE AGAINST THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT FOR VALUE. A LOT OF THOSE GET SETTLED SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THEY'RE FILED. THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT ACTUALLY SHOWS THAT IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, AND IT SHOWS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, ACTUALLY, BUT BROKEN DOWN BY 12 MONTH PERIODS, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION EVERY YEAR OUT OF YOUR CURRENT COLLECTIONS. 
          THE THINGS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING IN THIS TAX CYCLE THAT DO HAVE TO GET PAID BACK OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS BASED ON THE CHANGES IN THE APPRAISAL ROLL. IS IT A FULL PERCENTAGE POINT? NO IT'S NOT. BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS. AND JUST FOR BUDGETARY PURPOSES, IT IS WORTH POINTING OUT TO THE COUNCIL, AS YOU GUYS GO THROUGH BUDGET CYCLE NEXT TIME AROUND. AND THOSE ARE AMOUNTS, AS CONNOR MENTIONED, THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. THEY'RE EITHER DUE TO LATE, LATE PLEAD FOR EXEMPTIONS OR VALUATION LITIGATION. AND. YOU KNOW, THAT COMES OFF THE TOP WHEN IT'S APPLIED. ONE THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION, AND CONNOR ALLUDED TO IT IS WE DON'T TAKE THIS. WE UNDERSTAND COLLECTING THE TAXES IS OUR FIRST OBLIGATION FOR THE CITY. WE DON'T SEE THAT AS EXCLUSIVE AND THE PRIMARY OBLIGATION, MAINLY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING THOSE TAXES, ALMOST EVERYONE, THEY DON'T CHOOSE NOT TO PAY SOME PERSONAL COULD BE A HEALTH ISSUE, COULD BE AN AGE ISSUE, COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT PREVENT THEM FROM PAYING TIMELY. AND THEY ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THEY ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS. THEY ARE MY COUSINS, NOT MY CONSTITUENTS, BUT MY NEIGHBORS AND PEOPLE WE LIVE WITH. AND WE FEEL AN ABSOLUTE OBLIGATION TO TREAT THOSE PEOPLE AND THE COLLECTION METHODS THAT WE EMPLOY WITH COURTESY AND RESPECT, BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT. AND WE GO TO TO EXTENSIVE EFFORT TO MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE AND RESPECTED IN EVERYTHING WE DO IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTION EFFORT. AND WE DO THAT BECAUSE WE THINK AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL WANT. THAT NEEDS TO BE THE WAY IT'S DONE. 
          IT'S NOT JUST COLLECTING THE MOST TAXES WE CAN COLLECT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO, TO, BUT DOING IT IN A WAY THAT Y'ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH AND THAT Y'ALL ARE NOT, AND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AND THOSE THAT ARE UNFORTUNATE AND GET BEHIND, YOU CAN FEEL CONFIDENT THAT ON YOUR BEHALF, OUR COLLECTION EFFORTS ARE RESPECTFUL AND THOUGHTFUL. AND I, I AM COMFORTABLE SAYING WE DO THAT IN EVERY INSTANCE, AND THAT'S A BIG DEAL. AS YOU CAN SEE, UNDER CUMULATIVE TAX COLLECTIONS, WE COLLECT 98 TO 99% EVERY YEAR. LIKEWISE, UNDER ON PAGE FIVE. WE RECEIVED THE MONEY THIS YEAR, THREE MONTHS AGO FOR 25. AND WE'VE COLLECTED 36.5% FOR EACH YEAR. WE HAVE TO WORK ON THIS. 
          WE COLLECT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE. AND A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THAT FOR 23, HAVING HAD THE DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTIONS AMOUNT AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON THAT THOUGHTFULLY AND COLLECTIVELY, WE'VE COLLECTED 80.41%. AND THE REALITY IS WE DO THAT EVERY YEAR. AND SO YOU CAN COUNT ON 
          [00:25:01]
THE NUMBERS WHEN YOU COME TO BUDGET TIME THAT ARE GOING TO BE COLLECTED. AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS AND DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED AND TRY TO DO IT AS EACH OF YOU WOULD DO IT. IN TALKING WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS. YEAH. THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ADD FOR THE COUNCIL, WE DO, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THOSE OTHER ACCOUNTS THAT AREN'T COLLECTED AT THIS POINT AS FAR AS PROPERTY TAXES, THOSE ARE BROKEN DOWN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF PAGES. ONE, THE ONLY OTHER THING I THINK I'D POINT OUT WITH THIS SLIDE, AND THEN THE PREVIOUS OR THE NEXT THREE, THERE IS A SECTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX ROLL THAT WE REFER TO AS UNCOLLECTIBLE. BUT UNCOLLECTIBLE CURRENTLY, MOST OF THE TIME THAT IS THINGS THAT ARE EITHER IN BANKRUPTCY. TEXAS LAW ALSO ALLOWS FOR SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, WHETHER IT'S INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY RATING INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 65, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES ON THEIR HOMESTEAD. THEY ACTUALLY GET A REDUCTION IN THEIR INTEREST RATE AS WELL ON THAT, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PENALTIES THAT ARE ACCRUED. SO AS WE GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE LONGER THAT WE'VE HAD THESE TO COLLECT, THE BIGGEST COMPONENT OF THAT THAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING IS GOING TO BE THOSE THAT ARE THOSE ARE CALLED DEFERRALS OR THAT ARE IN BANKRUPTCY. SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHAT GETS TURNED OVER TO US WILL GET COLLECTED OR IS OUT THERE TO COLLECT. ONCE THAT LEGAL PROTECTION STATUS IS PULLED OFF OF THAT AS WELL. SO, AND MOST OF THE TIME, THAT IS WHEN IT'S NO LONGER THEIR HOMESTEAD. THE LAST THING I'LL JUMP TO HERE. 
          SO ALL THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO THE CITY AT NO COST TO THE CITY. OUR FEE OR OUR PERCENTAGE OF THAT COMES OUT OF THE COLLECTIONS THAT WE ACTUALLY GET FROM PROPERTY TAXES. SO THERE'S NOT A BILLABLE HOUR RATE. YOU KNOW, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE TALKED TO THEM A LOT ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS. SO WE'RE NOT KEEPING TRACK OF THAT. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BUILD THOSE HOURS. THE BIGGEST ONE OR SOME OF THE OTHER BIG ONES ARE, AS I SAID EARLIER, THIS MUNICIPAL COLLECTION. SO ANY TIME THAT THE CITY IS DOING MOWING, ANYTIME THAT THEY'VE RED TAGGED PROPERTY, ANYTIME THEY'VE DEMOLISHED THAT, WE GET THAT INFORMATION AND WE MAKE SURE TO FOCUS ON THOSE PROPERTIES SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP INCURRING THOSE FEES. AND AGAIN, EITHER ONE, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO COME OUT AND PURCHASE THAT AT A FORECLOSURE SALE OR TWO, IT GETS BID IN TRUST TO THE CITY, AND CITY STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL GET TO MAKE THE DECISIONS ON HOW THOSE ARE REDEVELOPED. WE ALSO PROVIDE BANKRUPTCY SERVICES AT NO COST. ANY OF THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT DO HAVE BANKRUPTCIES THAT GET FILED, WE KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THOSE LIENS, ONE FROM THE CITY, AND THEN TWO, WHETHER THAT IS A REORGANIZATION OR LIQUIDATION, BANKRUPTCY, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY'S INTEREST IN THAT IN THOSE PROPERTY TAXES ARE COLLECTED AS WELL. AND THEN LAST, I PROBABLY AM NOT GIVING THEM ENOUGH TIME. I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO ASK STEVE TO COME UP. STEVE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF FINES AND FEES. WE ALSO WORK WITH YOUR MUNICIPAL COURT AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY OF THOSE FEES THAT THEY ASSESS ALSO GET COLLECTED. I'M GONNA HAVE STEVE COME AND JUST GIVE A REAL BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THIS. I WILL POINT OUT ONE THING TO COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO WHERE IT SAYS CASE IS PAID IN FULL, SO 7834, THAT IS A TRANSCRIPTION ERROR SHOULD BE 1834. BUT THE REST OF THE TOTALS AND THE TOTAL COLLECTED, RECALLED AND CANCELED THAT NUMBER IS STILL CORRECT. SO OUR DESIGN TEAM JUST GOT A LITTLE CRAZY WITH THINGS AND THAT NEEDED TO BE POINTED OUT. SO STEVE, YOU WANT TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW KIND OF HOW THAT WORKS WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT, MAYOR, FELLOW COUNCIL. I AM STEVE WHIGHAM. I'M DIRECTOR OF THE OPERATIONS FOR FINES AND FEES COLLECTIONS. LET ME SAY RIGHT UP FRONT, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MUNICIPAL COURT. WE OF ALL OF THE CLIENTS WE WORK FOR OVER 500. MY PEOPLE RAVE ABOUT WORKING WITH FRAN AND HER STAFF. AND IT'S IT'S IT'S A SIMPLE PROCESS. THEY ARE PRESENTLY GOING THROUGH A WARRANT RESOLUTION PROGRAM WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR WARRANTS, I THINK FOR $75 OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. AND THEY'RE HAVING REASONABLE SUCCESS WITH THAT. I BELIEVE WE DID MAIL POSTCARDS AND DO TEXT MESSAGING FOR THEM, FOR THAT PROCESS TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO THE COURT. OUR PROCESS IS PRIMARILY LETTER WRITING, TEXT MESSAGING, AND PHONE CALLS. WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE ANYTHING FROM THEM. WE DON'T HAVE A LIEN TO FORECLOSE, AND WE CAN'T PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL. THERE ARE WARRANTS OUT FOR THEIR ARREST, AND IF THEY GET STOPPED, THEY CAN GET PICKED UP. BUT WE DON'T ENFORCE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THEIR NEW ADDRESSES, LOOKING FOR THEIR PHONE NUMBERS AND CALLING THEM, TEXTING THEM AND WRITING WRITING LETTERS TO THEM. OR OUR POSTCARDS ARE BECOMING A LITTLE MORE POPULAR THAN LETTERS. THE NUMBERS YOU SEE ARE FOR THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, AND IT'S A. A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE WOULD BE. 
          OVER HALF OF WHAT WE GET FROM THE COURT THAT'S IS CLEARED WITHOUT MONEY. WE WORK ON THEM, 
          [00:30:02]
GET THE PEOPLE TO COME IN, AND THEN THEY MIGHT GET COMMUNITY SERVICE, THEY MIGHT GET DISMISSED. VARIOUS THINGS THE JUDGE CAN DO. THE JUDGE HAS WIDE AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO FOR THESE PEOPLE. YOU MIGHT HAVE INDIGENT PEOPLE. WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN PLACE WHERE WE TALK TO THEM ON THE PHONE. IF THEY TELL US THEY CAN'T MAKE A PAYMENT OR THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT, WE HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE WHERE WE CAN REFER THEM BACK TO THE CITY, AND AS LONG AS THEY WILL SHOW UP AND GO AND TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT IT, THEY CAN GET WORKED OUT THROUGH THE INDIGENT PROGRAM WITH WITH THE JUDGE, WHATEVER THAT IS. THAT'S UP TO THE JUDGE. BUT WE TRY TO GET THOSE CLEARED AS WELL. OUR JOB PRIMARILY, I'VE ALWAYS LIKED TO THINK THAT IT'S JUST GET THE PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR HAND, SHOW BACK UP AT THE COURT, GET IT TAKEN CARE OF ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY AND HAVE A TRIAL. BUT IF YOU ARE INDIGENT, YOU HAVE A RIGHT FOR A HEARING FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          WE. IT'S A IT'S AN INTENSE CAMPAIGN OF JUST TRYING TO CONTACT PEOPLE. NOT ONLY ARE MOST OF OUR ADDRESSES THAT WE GET BAD, WE MOST OF THEM COME WITH NO PHONE NUMBERS. SO WE SPEND AN AWFUL LOT OF TIME LOOKING FOR PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT NUMBERS THEY MIGHT HAVE. AND SO WE CAN HAVE EFFECTIVE TEXT MESSAGING CAMPAIGNS AND PHONE CALL CAMPAIGNS. I WILL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. OR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT AS A WHOLE. SURE. ANY QUESTIONS GUYS? SINCE THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'VE NOT SEEN THIS ONE. RICK. WE ALWAYS SEND THE MUNICIPAL ONE IN THE PAST. WHAT'D YOU SAY? HAVE WE ALWAYS SHOWN THE THIS LAST PAGE? THE. I KNOW WE ALWAYS DO THE THE REGULAR TAXES, THE AD VOLUMES IN PREVIOUS REPORTS HELP ME. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO DIVE INTO THIS, BUT MY MIND HAS TO RECONCILE THIS. SO REFERRED TO THE MVBA RIGHT AT 6000 CASES, RIGHT. AND THEN 3,000,001 IS THE FINE AMOUNT. OR IS THAT THE COLLECTED AMOUNT? IS THAT THE VALUE OF THOSE 5955 VALUE, MEANING THAT'S THE AMOUNT TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE FINE PLUS COURT COSTS ON EACH TICKET ADDED. SO TOTAL. AND THEN I GUESS MY MIND WAS GOING TO EVERYTHING ELSE IS A SUBSET OF THAT. BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE IS IT? BECAUSE. SO. NO SIR. HOW DO YOU GET IF YOU HAVE 6000 REFERRED TO YOUR FIRM, HOW DO YOU GET EIGHT, 7.8 OR 7800 TO PAY IN FULL? THAT'S THAT NUMBER. 
          THAT WAS THE NUMBER MR. BUCHANAN REFERRED TO. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ONE INSTEAD OF A SEVEN. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY. YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S WHERE I LOST YOU. OKAY, WELL, THAT EXPLAINS IT THEN. SO THEN EVERYTHING SHOULD ADD UP TO THAT SIX THEN, RIGHT? IS I GUESS IF YOU ADD UP THE BOTTOM NUMBER AND THE TOP IS A GOOD COMPARISON TO THE TOP NUMBER, THE BOTTOM NUMBER IS EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED, RECALLED OR CANCELED. OKAY, SO THE BOTTOM NUMBER IS THE SUM OF LINES TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. YEAH. OKAY. I WON'T GO AS FAR AS TELLING YOU, YOU CAN ADD THEM ALL UP AND GET THAT SAME NUMBER BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE REPORTING WORKS. HOWEVER, IT THE 4720 REFLECTS THE CASES THAT WERE CLOSED WITH MONEY AND CLOSED WITHOUT MONEY. I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THAT. OKAY. THAT'S IN OUR IN MY BUSINESS, IT'S CALLED A RESOLUTION RATE. GOT IT. THE MIDDLE ONE CASES PAID IN FULL WOULD BE TECHNICALLY THE COLLECTION RATE. THAT'S JUST ACTUALLY MONEY SENT BACK TO THE CITY OR MONEY RECEIVED BY THE CITY ON, ON, ON THOSE TICKETS. GOT IT. SO THE BOTTOM NUMBER IS ALWAYS LARGER BECAUSE IT'S, LIKE I SAID, NOT UNCOMMON FOR, FOR, FOR EVERY ONE WE COLLECT MONEY FOR TWO OR NOT, BUT THEY'RE CLOSED BY THE JUDGE. OKAY. AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE NOT IN SOME CASES, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO COLLECT THAT WHOLE 3.1 MILLION. WE'RE TAKING SUBSETS OF THAT AS SETTLEMENT. YEAH. RIGHT. AND WHEN THE CASES ARE TURNED OVER TO US, WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO WORK ON WHAT'S GIVEN US. WE WE CAN'T MAKE A BARGAIN WITH THE DEFENDANT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THE COURT CAN DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND WHATEVER. AND THE COURTS WILL RUN SPECIAL CAMPAIGNS ON AND OFF TO GET THINGS, GET PEOPLE IN THE DOOR IN THOSE KINDS OF. YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, JUDGE GARCIA'S PRETTY GOOD AT THAT. IN FACT, WE'RE CELEBRATING MUNICIPAL COURT WEEK THIS WEEKEND. THAT IS THIS WEEK. SO JUDGE, THE MUNICIPAL JUDGE HAS THE AUTHORITY AND DISCRETION TO DO WHAT HE OR SHE BELIEVES IS APPROPRIATE IN EACH CASE. AND SOMETIMES. THAT'S IN FAVOR OF THE DEFENDANT FOR WHATEVER REASON. AND BUT THAT'S OUR ROLE IS TO GET THE DEFENDANT TO BE RESPONSIVE. AND THEN IT'S UP TO THE MUNICIPAL 
          [00:35:05]
JUDGE TO, IN SOME CASES, GET THE CASE PAID OR IN SOME CASES, DEAL WITH IT OTHERWISE, BUT IT GETS RESOLVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. THANKS. THE JUDGE'S DISCRETION. GOT IT. OKAY. 
          THANKS FOR ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? JUST A CURIOSITY. 
          WHEN YOU GUYS ARE COLLECTING ON THE PROPERTY TAXES, ARE YOU COLLECTING FOR THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES AS WELL, OR IS THAT YOU'RE JUST COLLECTING? YES AND NO IS THE KIND OF QUESTION. SO EACH TAXING UNIT IN THE STATE HAS ITS OWN AUTHORITY TO HIRE ITS OWN ATTORNEYS. IN MCLENNAN. 
          THERE'S REALLY A COUPLE OF ATTORNEYS THAT DO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT WACO ISD AS WELL. SO MOST OF THE TIME WE'RE GETTING CITY OF WACO. THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD OVERLAP THERE. AND WHAT WE ENCOURAGE THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO DO IS JUST GET THE WHOLE THING TAKEN CARE OF. 
          WE'LL GIVE THEM A STATEMENT FROM OUR CLIENTS, BUT ALSO GIVE THEM A STATEMENT THAT'S TOTAL DUE COUNTY, ALL OF THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. SO PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, YES, THEY'RE GETTING ALL OF THOSE TAKEN CARE OF AT ONE TIME. THANKS. YEAH. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I LOVE TO HEAR THE YOUR APPROACH. RICKY ARTICULATED IT A COUPLE TIMES ON. THESE FOLKS HAVE PROBABLY HIT A ROUGH PATCH AND WE WE HAVE A SOFT TOUCH. WE TREAT THEM WITH COURTESY AND RESPECT AND TRY TO DO WORKOUTS AS BEST WE CAN THAT THAT FIT THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN BOTH THE COLLECTION AND, AND WORKING WITH OUR, WITH OUR RESIDENTS. I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. NEW FORMAT THIS YEAR. A LITTLE BIT MORE POLISHED. YES, A LITTLE BIT. ROBERT ROBERT MEYER, ROBERT MYERS IS, IS, IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY, WHY WE CHANGE THINGS UP. YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR LATER, YOU WERE HERE LAST YEAR THOUGH TOO THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH. IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. IT'S EASY TO READ. APPRECIATE IT. GIVE IT THE MILLENNIAL TOUCH. MR. MAYOR ROBERT WAS A FIXTURE THAT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY FIRST IN A SIMILAR CAPACITY AND THEN SERVED FOR MANY YEARS. SEVERAL DECADES. YEAH, A LONG TIME. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. YOU ALL ARE A GREAT TEAM, A GREAT ASSET FOR THE CITY. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT. IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH US. 
          THANKS. ALL RIGHT, CITY MANAGER HOLT, WE HAVE ANOTHER WORK SESSION. WHICH ONE ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE HERE? 749 UP NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM FIONA BOND, CEO OF CREATIVE WACO. SHE'LL PRESENT A DISCUSSION ON CREATIVE WACO SERVICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. FOR A DECADE NOW, CREATIVE WACO HAS SERVED AS THE CITY OF WACO'S LOCAL ARTS AGENCY. FIONA. 
          WELL GOOD AFTERNOON. HAPPY ELECTION DAY TO YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CITY MANAGER HOLT, MAYOR HOLMES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ON CREATIVE WACO. TODAY, I'M FOCUSING ON HOW THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURE SUPPORTS WACO'S GROWTH WACO'S ECONOMY AND WACO'S IDENTITY. AND THEN WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING NEXT ON ELECTION DAY. I HOPE THIS IS A UNITING STORY AND IT BELONGS TO YOU. PLUS THE ARTISTS, PARTNERS, RESIDENTS, AND CITY TEAMS WHO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE AMAZING CREATIVE THINGS HAPPEN ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT. SO SETTING THE SCENE CREATIVE WACO SERVES AS WACO AND MCLENNAN COUNTY'S LOCAL ARTS AGENCY. WE'RE AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ESTABLISHED IN 2015 AND ESSENTIALLY SERVE AS THE CITY'S OUTSOURCED ARTS COUNCIL. WE CAN THANK DALE FISLER, FORMER CITY MANAGER, FOR THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT A CITY DEPARTMENT. HE THOUGHT THAT THE AGILITY AND I KNOW THE TEAM THAT. AND THE CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME CONSIDERED THAT THE AGILITY AND THE ABILITY TO ACCESS FUNDING OUTSIDE THE FRAMEWORK OF A CITY WAS A GOOD MODEL TO PURSUE. AND IT WAS A MODEL THAT A LOT OF CITIES USE FOR WHAT WE DO. OUR MISSION IS TO GROW AND SUPPORT A THRIVING CULTURAL AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY HERE IN WACO. AND DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020 526, THE CITY INVESTED $600,000 IN A PORTFOLIO THAT INCLUDES TACTICAL GRANT MAKING, CULTURAL PROGRAMING, PUBLIC ART AND CREATIVE PLACEMAKING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, DESTINATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION, AND CROSS-SECTOR STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE CONNECTED SERVICES THAT COMBINE TO HELP ARTISTS DO THEIR WORK, GIVE RESIDENTS PLACES TO GATHER AND MAKE WACO INTERESTING, DISTINCTIVE AND ENGAGING FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS. MY FOCUS TODAY IS THREEFOLD. FIRSTLY, HOW CREATIVE WACO 
          [00:40:01]
SERVES AS THE CITY'S LOCAL ARTS AGENCY. SECONDLY, WHAT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURE DELIVERS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE IMPACT OF THAT. AND THIRDLY, WHAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING NEXT. I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO NOTICE, TO NOTE THAT WE ARE NOT SOLO ARTISTS. AND LIKE ANY GOOD ACTOR, WE RELY ON A SKILLED CAST AND CREW, WHETHER WE'RE TAKING THE LEAD OR PLAYING A SUPPORTING ROLE. TODAY, I PARTICULARLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY, BECAUSE OUR PORTFOLIO OF ACTIVITIES MEANS THAT WE WORK WITH WHAT SOMETIMES SEEMS LIKE ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS. OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE WORKED WITH CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, DESTINATION MARKETING, PARKS AND RECREATION, BEAUTIFICATION, ARTS AND CULTURE PLANNING, CITY CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, COMMUNICATIONS, POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, LIBRARIES, AND EVEN THE ZOO, RANGER MUSEUM AND HEALTH DISTRICT. AND GOD BLESS THE HEROES IN SOLID WASTE PLANNING AND FACILITIES WHO SEEM TO BE ABLE TO FIX ALMOST ANYTHING AND SHOW UP WITH EXPERTISE AND A SMILE WHEN WE NEED THEM MOST, WITHOUT GIVING A FILM STYLE LIST OF CREDITS, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A PARTICULAR SHOUT OUT TO THOSE WE'VE WORKED WITH, ESPECIALLY CLOSELY OVER THE LAST YEAR. CITY MANAGER RYAN HOLT AND CITY MANAGER BRADLEY FORD BEFORE HIM AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER DEIDRA EMERSON AND THEN LISA BLACKMAN, HANNAH ANDERSON, RHONDA SULLIVAN, CAITLIN SKINNER, CHRISTINA TAYLOR, BECKY AYDELOTTE AND THE TEAM AT DESTINATION MARKETING, JONATHAN COOK, MARK KELLY, MEGAN DAVIS, ASHLEY MILLARD, BRITTANY COOMBS, CAMERON WOLFE AND THE TEAM AT PARKS AND RECREATION WHO ALSO OVERSEE OUR CONTRACT. THEN CHIEF FERGUSON AND HIS TEAM AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, MONICA SEDELMEIER AND HER TEAM IN COMMUNICATIONS TOM BULLOCK AND TRIES TO GAMBLING IN STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OF COURSE, MAYOR HOLMES. COUNCIL MEMBERS BENFIELD, CHASE, COLE, EWING AND LOZANO. IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO OUR ARTS COMMUNITY. 
          WHEN YOU SHOW UP AT CONCERTS, EXHIBITS, FESTIVALS AND CULTURAL EVENTS, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFUL DELIBERATION POURED INTO ARTIST SELECTION PANELS, DESIGN BRIEFS AND CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE ENDED UP WITH SOME WONDERFUL EVENTS, EXHIBITS, BEAUTIFICATION, AND PUBLIC ART AS A DIRECT RESULT OF YOUR DILIGENCE, AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED. SO JUMPING STRAIGHT INTO THE GRITTY STUFF, I WANT TO GET TO THE NUMBERS FIRST. AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS CREATIVE WACO'S CALENDAR YEAR 2025 REVENUE FROM OUR AUDITED ACCOUNTS. WE HAD AN OPERATING BUDGET OF JUST OVER 1.1 MILLION. BLESS YOU. THIS CHART SHOWS TWO IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES THAT THE CORE OF HOW WE SERVE AS YOUR ARTS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. 
          FIRSTLY, WE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF CITY INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS BY BRINGING IN A PORTFOLIO OF GRANTS, SPONSORSHIP DONATIONS, AND EARNED REVENUE. AND SECONDLY, WE REDISTRIBUTE ALMOST HALF OF WHAT WE RECEIVE FROM CITY OF WACO AS GRANTS FOR NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. MORE ON THAT IN A MINUTE. AND HERE'S HOW THOSE DOLLARS GET SPENT. IN OUR LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE SPENT $247,500 IN GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH TWO COMPETITIVE APPLICATION PROCESSES. ONE PROGRAM SUPPORTS BACKBONE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A PARTICULAR ART FORM, SUCH AS THE SYMPHONY OR ART CENTER. WACO. THE OTHER PROGRAM SUPPORTS ELIGIBLE ARTS NONPROFITS THAT CAN DEMONSTRATE HIGH IMPACT AND OR INNOVATION WHILE ADVANCING THE GOALS OF THE WACO CULTURAL PLAN, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED WITH CITY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND SERVES AS THE BLUEPRINT OR THE LENS THROUGH WHICH WE DO ALL OF OUR WORK. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT OVER $192,295 COMPRISED DIRECT PAYMENTS TO ARTISTS, AND THAT'S VERY, VERY MUCH PART OF OUR MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT ARTISTS GET PAID FOR THEIR EXPERTISE AS PART OF MAKING IT VIABLE TO DEVELOP CAREERS IN WACO. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE, NOTE THAT 97% OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT MEANS PAID CREATIVE WORK, GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC EXPERIENCES THAT RESIDENTS CAN ENJOY. WE TRACK THESE DOLLARS BECAUSE THE STORY THIS TELLS OF COMPENSATION AND ACCESS IS CORE TO OUR MISSION, NOT JUST ADMINISTRATIVE DETAIL. HERE, WE'RE ZOOMING OUT TO SEE THE WIDER ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF NONPROFITS, ARTS AND CULTURE IN WACO AS A SECTOR. AND JUST IN CASE, GOING FROM OUR ORGANIZATIONAL SNAPSHOT, SNAPSHOT TO SECTOR WIDE PICTURE IS A LITTLE DIZZYING. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT IS BEING MEASURED HERE. EVERY 5 TO 6 YEARS, AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS CONDUCTS A NATIONWIDE STUDY INTO THE NONPROFIT ARTS SECTOR. THIS DATA COMES FROM ARTS AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY STUDY CONDUCTED IN 2223 AND REPORTED IN 2324. THIS STUDY IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE GOLD STANDARD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
          [00:45:03]
IMPACT STUDY OF THE NATION'S NON PROFIT ARTS AND CULTURE INDUSTRY HAS A 30 YEAR LEGACY AND IS THE LARGEST AND MOST INCLUSIVE STUDY OF ITS KIND. A EP6, AS IT'S KNOWN, PROVIDED DETAILED FINDINGS ON 373 REGIONS FROM ACROSS ALL 50 STATES, PLUS PUERTO RICO. THIS $74.1 MILLION THAT IS SHOWN IN DIRECT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR WACO CAPTURES TWO KINDS OF SPENDING. THE FIRST IS AN AGGREGATE OF TOTAL ANNUAL SPENDING BY ALL THE ENTITIES THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS IN WACO. THAT INCLUDES US AND THE ORGANIZATIONS WE SUPPORT. BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY PUTS IN, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE WIDER ECOSYSTEM, SUCH AS MUSEUMS AND THE RODEO, FOR EXAMPLE. THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THAT FIGURE IS GATHERED FROM AUDIENCE INTERCEPT SURVEYS. PAINSTAKING. I KNOW, BECAUSE I STOOD THERE WITH THE CLIPBOARD MYSELF AT MANY OF THOSE EVENTS GATHERED AT OVER 30 SAMPLE EVENTS ACROSS A YEAR. THOSE SURVEYS MEASURE AUDIENCE SPENDING GENERATED BY THE EVENT THAT PEOPLE ARE ATTENDING, SUCH AS PRE-THEATRE DINNER OR DRINKS, COST OF CHILD CARE, PARKING, HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS IF THAT WAS A FACTOR, CLOTHING PURCHASED FOR THE EVENT. AND JUST IN CASE YOU DO NOT BUY A NEW OUTFIT FOR EVERY ARTS EVENT YOU ATTEND. ANYONE WHO WENT TO LAST WEEKEND'S DIA DE LOS MUERTOS PARADE AND FESTIVAL WILL APPRECIATE THAT FOR SOME ARTS AND CULTURAL EVENTS, THE OUTFIT AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE THE CLOTHING AND THE DECORATION AND ALL OF THE ACCOUTERMENTS THAT GO WITH ATTENDING AN EVENT OR A FESTIVAL ARE A MAJOR COMPONENT OF EXPENDITURE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THE AUDIENCE SURVEY DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PRICE OF ANY TICKETS OR ATTENDANCE FEE, BECAUSE THAT'S ALREADY BAKED INTO THE ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT OF OF THAT FIGURE. SO THAT NUMBER IS THE AGGREGATE SPENDING OF NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, PLUS THE SPENDING OF NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURAL AUDIENCES THAT IS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR ATTENDANCE. LIKE ANY STUDY, IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT IT DOES ALLOW US TO COMPARE APPLES WITH APPLES AGAINST PEER CITIES, AND TO BENCHMARK OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL GROWTH OVER TIME. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT WACO EXPERIENCED A 17% GROWTH IN ARTS ECONOMIC OUTPUT AT A TIME WHEN THE NATION SAW A 9% DECREASE, LARGELY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. BUT THAT, I THINK, SHOWS HOW WACO IS BUCKING THAT NATIONAL TREND, AND PARTLY BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH GROWTH OPPORTUNITY IN ARTS AND CULTURE. I LOVE THE SNAPSHOT THAT THIS GIVES US 1.35 MILLION LIVE IN-PERSON ARTS OR CULTURAL EXPERIENCES IN WACO, AND 2.3 MILLION IN LOCAL SALES. TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY THIS ACTIVITY REPRESENTS 4.6 TIMES THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURE. IT'S NOT A PERFECT MEASURE, BUT IT'S NOT A BAD ROI. I WANT TO BE REALLY PRECISE. 
          THIS IS A SECTOR WIDE IMPACT STUDY, NOT A CLAIM THAT CREATIVE WACO GENERATED ALL OF THAT ACTIVITY. WHAT IT SHOWS IS THE SCALE OF THE ECOSYSTEM THAT THE CITY IS HELPING TO SUSTAIN, AND WHY ARTS AND CULTURE BELONG IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATIONS. WHILE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, I HAD SOME FUN PICKING OUT EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC ART WE'VE INSTALLED IN EACH OF THE CITY DISTRICTS. THIS IS DISTRICT ONE, WHERE WE INSTALLED INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MURALS AT THE NEW STEAM CENTER. THE QR CODE SHOWN THERE UNLOCKS THE AUGMENTED REALITY ANIMATION THAT BRINGS EACH OF THE EXTERIOR MURALS TO LIFE. ONE OF OUR GOALS IN THE WACO CULTURAL PLAN IS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENTED ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, AND CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS. 
          HERE, WE SEEK TO DO THAT BY WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO CREATE AN EDUCATION TO INDUSTRY PIPELINE OF OPPORTUNITY, SO THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE CREATIVE SECTOR IN WACO, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, ACTORS, FILMMAKERS, DESIGNERS ALL THE CREATIVE PURSUITS NEED MORE THAN A ONE TIME OPPORTUNITY. THEY NEED WAYS TO BUILD SKILLS, FIND COLLABORATORS, AND GET DISCOVERED THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, NETWORKING GRANTS, AND PROGRAMS. CREATIVE WACO HELPS ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS STRENGTHEN THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THEIR WORK AND CONNECT TO PAID OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2025, $192,295 WENT DIRECTLY TO ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS AND ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS AND GRANTS. 1200 ARTISTS WERE PAID. THE WACO ARTS ALLIANCE ENGAGES AROUND 90 ARTS LEADERS AND 340 CREATIVES TOOK PART IN NETWORKING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. 76 ARTS VENDORS HAD SALES OPPORTUNITIES AT OUR EVENTS, AND MANY MORE AT THE EVENTS THAT WE SUPPORT. THIS YEAR, WE 
          [00:50:04]
LAUNCHED THE CULTURALIST WACO PLATFORM, WHICH IS AN ONLINE PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS ANY ARTIST, PERFORMER, CREATIVE, PROFESSIONAL OR ARTS ORGANIZATION TO CREATE A FREE PROFILE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO MAKE THEM DISCOVERABLE. IT OPTIMIZES FOR DISCOVERABILITY NOT JUST IN WACO, BUT ACROSS TEXAS AND THE USA. IT MAKES CREATIVE WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS EASIER TO CONNECT AND DISMANTLES. ONE OF THE HISTORIC REASONS THAT WE FAILED TO KEEP TALENTED INDIVIDUALS IN WACO. IF THEY ARE DISCOVERABLE FROM ANYWHERE, THEY CAN LIVE, WORK, AND THRIVE HERE IN WACO. THEN THIS IS A LITTLE SNAPSHOT. DISTRICT THREE, WHERE WE HAVE THESE ARTIST DESIGNED UTILITY BOX WRAPS, WHICH ADD A WONDERFUL POP OF COLOR UP AND DOWN WACO DRIVE. WE'VE HAD SUCH A TERRIFIC RESPONSE TO THIS PROJECT, WHICH WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BEAUTIFICATION ARTS AND CULTURE IN PARKS AND REC, THAT WE JUST INSTALLED 23 OF THESE DESIGNS AS AN EXHIBIT AT THE NEW WACO WELCOME CENTER, WHICH WAS SHOUT OUT TO DEIDRA, BECAUSE THAT WAS HER IDEA, AND IT MAKES A WONDERFUL EXHIBIT IN THAT SPACE. 
          IT'S ALSO A GREAT EXAMPLE OF EARLY CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR VISUAL ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS. 
          AND SEVERAL OF THE SELECTED ARTISTS FOR THIS WERE GRADUATES OF OUR ART APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. CREATIVE WACO DISTRIBUTES COMPETITIVE ARTS GRANTS THROUGH ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY APPLICATION ROUNDS. APPLICANTS MUST SECURE AT LEAST A 1 TO 1 MATCH SO THAT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT HELPS CATALYZE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. IN 2025, $237,500 SUPPORTED 21 ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS, WITH WORK REPRESENTED IN EVERY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT. WACO ALSO RECEIVED ITS LARGEST EVER ALLOCATION OF STATE ARTS GRANTS IN 2025 AND 2026. SUBSEQUENTLY, THESE GRANTS HELP NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS SUSTAIN PROGRAMS, TEST NEW IDEAS, AND REACH PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE ENCOUNTER THE ARTS. AND A COUPLE OF CASE STUDIES HERE. SO ART APPRENTICESHIP IS ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT GIVES TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL ARTISTS PAID, MENTORED WORK EXPERIENCE ON REAL PROJECTS. APPRENTICES WORK WITH PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS AND MENTORS TO LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO PLAN, BUDGET, DESIGN, COLLABORATE, COMMUNICATE, AND PRESENT THEIR WORK PUBLICLY. IN 2025, 30 ARTISTS WORK ON WORKED ON THE SEVENTH STREET PAVEMENT MURAL, AND IN 2026, ANOTHER 30 ARTISTS, INCLUDING 20 APPRENTICES, WERE PAID TO RESTORE THE BROOKVIEW HILLS MURAL IN DISTRICT FOUR. I THINK JOHN MARK IS IS HERE TODAY AND THAT'S THAT WAS HIS PROJECT. WE LOVE THE ENTHUSIASTIC ENGAGEMENT FROM THE WIDER COMMUNITY AND IN THIS TIME, THIS ROUND, 70 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN A COMMUNITY PAINT DAY, 800 ATTENDED APPRENTICE EXHIBITS AND 15,000 INTERACTED WITH THE PROJECT ONLINE OR IN PERSON. THIS PROGRAM HAS BECOME A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE'S CREATIVITY WITH REAL WORK EXPERIENCE AND EXPANDS THEIR HORIZONS, SHOWING HOW THEIR CREATIVE SKILLS CAN SET THEM APART IN EDUCATION, THE WORKPLACE AND COMMUNITY FLOURISHING. AND HERE'S THE BROOKVIEW HILLS MURAL WITH THE APPRENTICES MIMICKING THE THE CREATURES IN THE MURAL. AND THAT ONE IS IN DISTRICT FOUR. WE HAD SO MUCH INTERACTION FROM PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMING TO TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECT AND THE ARTISTS, AND IT WAS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS BACK TO WACO FOR THAT PROJECT TO. 
          DURING 2025 TO 26, SIX PUBLIC ART INITIATIVES ENGAGED A FURTHER 35 PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS AND GENERATED 166 DESIGN SUBMISSIONS. THEY INCLUDED THE 23 UTILITY BOX ARTWORKS ALONG WACO DRIVE, EIGHT INTERIOR WALL DESIGNS, AND THREE AUGMENTED REALITY EXTERIOR MURALS AT THE BLEDSOE MILLER STEAM CENTER, THE SEVENTH STREET BRIDGES AND BRAZOS PAVEMENT MURAL FIVE ACTIVITY PROMOTING SIDEWALK ARTWORKS ACROSS THE COUNTY, A SCULPTURE AND, OF COURSE, A NEW SCULPTURE AT FIRE STATION NUMBER FOUR. THE PROJECTS CREATE CAREER DEFINING WORK FOR ARTISTS WHILE IMPROVING EVERYDAY PLACES THAT PEOPLE USE IN CREATIVE PLACEMAKING. THEY ALSO HELP RESIDENTS AND VISITORS RECOGNIZE WACO'S CHARACTER IN NEIGHBORHOODS, CORRIDORS, AND CIVIC SPACES. CREATIVE WACO HAS NOW BROUGHT OVER $2.8 MILLION OF PUBLIC ART TO TO WACO ACROSS THE DISTRICTS. THESE ARE LASTING COMMUNITY ASSETS, AND THEY MAKE PUBLIC SPACES MORE WELCOMING AND MEMORABLE. THAT'S THE NEW FIRE STATION SCULPTURE, THE FIRE THE 
          [00:55:02]
FIRE BEAR, WHICH IS BASED ON ONE OF OUR FIRE OFFICERS. AND OF COURSE, THE NEW MURAL, WHICH IS ABOUT TO BE THE MOSAIC MURAL ABOUT TO BE INSTALLED AT ALEX RODRIGUEZ PARK. ONE OF CREATIVE WACO'S ROLES IS TO OVERSEE THE WACO DOWNTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT STATE DESIGNATION AND PROGRAMING. 2026 WAS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE DESIGNATION, AND SO WE SUBMITTED OUR ANNUAL SUMMARY ALONG WITH A TEN YEAR REPORT AND APPLICATION FOR REDESIGNATION, WHICH HAS BEEN GRANTED SUCCESSFULLY SUCCESSFULLY FOR ANOTHER TEN YEARS. IN THE SAME ROUND, TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS ALLOCATED A HISTORIC $86,875 IN CULTURAL DISTRICT GRANTS FOR 2026 TO 27, THE LARGEST AMOUNT GRANTED TO WACO. THE CULTURAL DISTRICT PANEL DID NOT WANT TO SET A PRECEDENT BY DOUBLING THE SIZE OF OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT FOOTPRINT. HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO REAPPLY IN THE NEXT ROUND FOR A SMALLER BOUNDARY EXPANSION, AND THE PANEL PRAISED WACO'S TRACK RECORD ON CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAMING AND ABILITY TO AMPLIFY THE DISTRICT'S ASSETS IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE STARTED ACTIVATING SEVENTH STREET PLAZA AS A PROGRAM. PROGRAMABLE DOWNTOWN SPACE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL DISTRICT ART. EACH FIRST FRIDAY, WE WORK WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, CITY CENTER, WACO AND OTHER PARTNERS TO SHOWCASE A LOCAL ARTIST ADDING A NEW WALL MURAL, A LOCAL BAND OR EMERGING MUSICIAN, AND SAMPLE MENU ITEMS FROM A DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT. 
          WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED AN AFFORDABLE, LOW BARRIER MECHANISM FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNITY GROUPS WANTING TO BRING ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMING TO THAT SPACE. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS HAS BECOME ONE OF WACO'S MOST VISIBLE CULTURAL TRADITIONS, AND WE'RE STILL RECOVERING FROM LAST WEEKEND'S FESTIVITIES. THIS FREE, FAMILY FRIENDLY PARADE AND FESTIVAL BRINGS TOGETHER OVER 50 SCHOOLS, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO DECORATE AND RIDE ON PARADE FLOATS, OVER 70 VENDORS AND PARTNERS, AND 40 PERFORMING ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS. WE WERE SO GRATEFUL TO SEE OUR POLICE OFFICERS, DESTINATION MARKETING AND THE MAYOR PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE. THIS YEAR, TEXAS HIGHWAYS FEATURED THE EVENT IN ITS FALL 2025 EVENTS EDITION, REACHING A READERSHIP OF 277,000 PEOPLE, AND THE FESTIVAL SUPPORTS CULTURAL CONTINUITY ACROSS GENERATIONS WHILE CREATING A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISANAL VENDORS IN DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. LAST YEAR'S EVENT BROUGHT 8000 PEOPLE TO OVER 8000 PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE IN DOWNTOWN WACO, AND EARLY ESTIMATES PUT THIS YEAR'S ATTENDANCE AT A SIMILAR LEVEL. WE ALSO HAD WONDERFUL WEATHER THIS YEAR, WHICH WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR BECAUSE THE FORECAST WAS NOT GREAT. IN 2022, WE ENTERED A NATIONAL COMPETITION AND WON THREE YEARS OF GRANT SUPPORT FOR FAMILY FRIENDLY OUTDOOR CONCERTS ON BRIDGE STREET. THAT GRANT HAS JUST BEEN RENEWED AND INCREASED FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS. LEVITT AMP, WACO. IT'S FROM THE LEVITT FOUNDATION. LEVITT AND WACO BRINGS TEN FREE CONCERTS PER YEAR TO BRIDGE STREET PLAZA DURING THE SPRING AND FALL. FREE CONCERTS MAKE LIVE MUSIC ACCESSIBLE AND GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO SPEND TIME DOWNTOWN AND SUPPORT NEARBY RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS. IT ALSO HELPS ESTABLISH BRIDGE BRIDGE STREET PLAZA AS A GATHERING SPACE. THE SERIES ALSO SHOWCASES LOCAL AND REGIONAL MUSICIANS AND GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME PART OF A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF PERFORMANCES. LOCAL BAND SUEDE RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM IN HAWAII AS PART OF THE WIDER LEVITT CONCERT NETWORK, BECAUSE THEY HAD FIRST PERFORMED IN WACO. AND THEN WACO. INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL WAS OUR VERY FIRST ARTS MATCH PROGRAM GRANTEE IN 2017, AND NOW IN ITS 10TH YEAR, THE FESTIVAL HAS BECOME A POSTER CHILD FOR SUCCESS, INTRODUCING HUNDREDS OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS TO WACO FROM ACROSS THE USA AND INTERNATIONALLY, GENERATING A NUMBER OF OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS AND BEING LISTED IN ITS FIRST FIVE YEARS BY MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE AS A TOP 20 WORTH THE FEE FILM FESTIVAL AND IN THE LAST TWO YEARS RANKED AS A TOP 20 COOLEST FILM FESTIVAL ACROSS THE WORLD, ALSO BY MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE. IT'S BECOME. I THINK THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY. THAT'S ACROSS THE WORLD. ALL OF THE FILM FESTIVALS, INDEPENDENT. I KNOW ALL THE BIG ONES, ALL OF THE LITTLE ONES. AND WE'RE IN THE TOP 20 COOLEST. IT'S BECOME PART OF A VITAL AND GROWING PIPELINE FOR FILM INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES IN WACO, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR COLLABORATIVE AREAS. LOOKING FORWARD. LOTS OF GREAT FAMILIAR FACES IN THAT PICTURE. 
          [01:00:09]
WE BELIEVE THAT DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THOROUGHLY PART OF WHERE WE SEE OUR ROLE PARTNERING WITH THE CITY AND WITH THE DMO, ESPECIALLY DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS THROUGH MANY SMALL POINTS OF CONTACT, BEGINNING WITH HOW WACOANS FEEL ABOUT AND TALK ABOUT OUR CITY. THAT STARTS WITH CREATIVE PLACEMAKING THAT GIVES PEOPLE THINGS TO BE PROUD OF AND PLACES TO VISIT. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE 23 UTILITY BOX ARTWORKS ALONG WACO DRIVE ARE PASSED BY 87,500 PEOPLE EACH WEEK, BRINGING DELIGHT, CURIOSITY, AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IDENTITY. LAST YEAR, OVER 59,000 PEOPLE WALKED THE WACO SCULPTURE ZOO AND 58,200 HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE STEAM CENTER ARTWORK SINCE ITS INSTALLATION. 
          OUR NEW CULTURALIST PLATFORM, AS WELL AS SERVING ARTISTS, HELPS RESIDENTS, HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS AND VISITORS FIND RELIABLE EVENT INFORMATION IN A FORMAT THAT CAN THEN EASILY BE USED ON ANY CURATED CALENDAR. OUR MEDIA AND SOCIAL CHANNELS REACHED 54,000/54,000 PEOPLE DURING FISCAL YEAR 2526 AND ACROSS OUR EVENTS, FESTIVALS AND GRANT SUPPORTED PROGRAMS, WE ESTIMATE 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY LIVE, IN-PERSON ARTS EXPERIENCES, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 20% OF ATTENDEES COMING FROM OUTSIDE MCLENNAN COUNTY. THESE TOUCHPOINTS HELP TURN CULTURAL ACTIVITY INTO COMMUNITY PRIDE. STRONG VISITOR EXPERIENCES AND A VISIBLE WACO STORY THAT INVITES EXPLORATION. FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH WACO IS THE REGIONAL AIRPORT. WE. WE LOVE THAT THEY GET TO SEE THE SPECTACULAR ARTWORK THAT WAS INSTALLED AT WACO REGIONAL AIRPORT. AS PART OF THAT RENOVATION. WACO'S CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC STRENGTHS BECOME A GREAT ANCHOR FOR DESTINATION BUILDING STORIES, AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO SHARE OUR PLACEMAKING ASSETS, PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY, AND STORYTELLING WHEREVER WE CAN, AND IN STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR DMO PARTNERS. IN THE LAST YEAR, WACO'S DIA DE LOS MUERTOS PARADE AND FESTIVAL WAS FEATURED ON THE FRONT COVER AND INSIDE STORY OF TEXAS HIGHWAYS FALL EVENTS EDITION. WE WERE THRILLED WHEN SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE SHOWCASED WACO'S CULTURAL RENAISSANCE. OUR EVENTS AND PUBLIC ART FEATURE PROMINENTLY IN PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL, NOT JUST FOR THE DMO AND CITY, BUT ALSO FOR THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONVENTION CENTER. AND MOST RECENTLY, OUR FRIENDS AT SENDERO DID A PHOTO SHOOT FEATURING THE PAVEMENT AND WALL MURALS ON SEVENTH STREET. WE ARE ALWAYS GLAD TO SHARE OUR OWN PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY AND PROMOTE THE ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS WHO ARE GETTING WACO NOTICED IN ALL THE BEST WAYS. SO LOOKING AHEAD, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE CONTINUING OUR BUSY PROGRAMING AND JUMPING INTO SOME NEW INITIATIVES. THESE BOXES REPRESENT WHAT WE ARE PARTICULARLY LOOKING FORWARD TO UNPACKING IN THE YEAR AHEAD. WE HAVE SOME GREAT IDEAS FOR GROWING OUR FIRST FRIDAY PROGRAMING, ESPECIALLY AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS, MUSICIANS AND CULINARY ARTISTS TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK AND GET NOTICED. CULTURALISTS PRESENTS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR BETTER CHANNELS FOR EVENT INFORMATION, AS WELL AS MORE TACTICAL ABILITY TO CONNECT ARTISTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TEAM TO START THINKING ABOUT NEW PUBLIC ART FOR BEHRENS BRANCH IN DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS NOW BROKEN GROUND. THERE ARE SEVERAL ENTITIES KEEN TO EXPLORE, SHOWCASE AND MEMORIALIZE WACO'S RICH AND DIVERSE MUSICAL HERITAGE, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SUPPORT THAT, AND WE'RE EAGER TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC ART STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THE NEWLY APPOINTED PUBLIC ART COMMISSION. WE'RE CONDUCTING DISCUSSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERS ABOUT NEXT STEPS NEEDED FOR DEVELOPING THE PROPOSED CENTER FOR CULTURAL ARTS AND PERFORMANCE, KNOWN AS CAP, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY PURSUING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW TO EFFECTIVELY GROW WACO'S FILM AND DIGITAL MEDIA INDUSTRY TO MAKE THIS AN EFFECTIVE HUB FOR SKILLS AND EXPERTISE THAT ARE NOW ESSENTIAL FOR VIRTUALLY EVERY BUSINESS, AND A MAGNET FOR AN INDUSTRY THAT IS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE IN ITS OWN RIGHT. FINALLY, I LEFT A SURPRISE BOX BECAUSE ONE OF THE WAYS I THINK WE BEST SERVE IS BY BEING READY TO FACE THE UNEXPECTED WITH CREATIVE IDEAS AND AGILITY IN DELIVERING SOLUTIONS, WHETHER THAT'S PUBLIC HEALTH MURALS IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, BRINGING UNIQUE LIGHT ART TO ECLIPSE CELEBRATIONS, OR STEPPING IN TO SUPPORT PARADE LOGISTICS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THE MAGIC OF CREATIVITY TO SERVING WACO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND I INVITE YOUR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND CREATIVITY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR FIONA ON THIS GREAT 
          [01:05:05]
PRESENTATION? FIONA, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS. WITH THE EXPANDING OF THE CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT, WHERE DO WE KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING FOR US TO DO IN ORDER TO GET THAT SUPPORT IN THE NEXT APPLICATION? YES, WE, I THINK THE MAIN THE MAIN THING THAT THEY WANTED TO AVOID WAS SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR DOUBLING THE SIZE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY CULTURAL DISTRICT. AND I THINK THE. THEY'VE, THEY'VE GIVEN US SOME REALLY HELPFUL GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR AN EXPANSION THAT WOULD GET THROUGH THE NEXT ROUND. AND. IS IT REALLY IS IT DOUBLING OR IS IT EXPANDING? I MEAN, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, IT'S EXPANDING. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO DOUBLE. THAT WAS THAT WAS KIND OF A LEAP OF FAITH. AND THE MAIN REASON THAT IT WAS A DOUBLED FOOTPRINT FOOTPRINT WAS BECAUSE WE INCLUDED THE STADIUM. AND I THINK THAT WAS WHERE THE PUSHBACK GOT. IT WAS MAINLY HAPPENING BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT IF THEY ALL STARTED, INCLUDING STADIA IN IN THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICTS, THAT WOULD GET COMPLICATED VERY QUICKLY. I UNDERSTAND. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FACT THAT WE WERE RENEWED FOR LEVITT. I WASN'T I KNEW THAT THE YOU WE WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE THREE YEARS BECAUSE WE WAS SUPER EXCITED WHEN IT HAPPENED. AND WHAT WAS THAT, 22? NO. YES, SMALLER. 22 AND IT WAS THREE. FOUR FIVE AND. YEAH. 
          RIGHT. 678 YES. SO THIS WILL BE EXTENDED TO 28. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT. THAT'S WONDERFUL. 
          WONDERFUL. AND THEY INCREASED THE AMOUNT. TO WAS GREAT QUESTION. I DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN, BUT I THINK THEY INCREASED IT FROM 20 TO 30,000. OH WONDERFUL. WONDERFUL. 
          AND FOR THE STEAM CENTER VIEWS ON THE AUGMENTED REALITY ARTWORK THAT'S OUTSIDE IS THAT GAUGED FOR CLICKS ON THE QR CODE OR THAT IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE NOT AN ESTIMATE. THE CLICKS. YEAH. THAT WAS INFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO US BY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. GOT IT. SO YES, WE CAN WE CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH THEM TO GET THAT FIGURE. BUT THAT WAS THE FIGURE THEY GAVE ME FOR THE PEOPLE WHO'D BEEN WONDERFUL VIEWING THE ARTWORK. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. AND JUST REGARDING THE FILM FESTIVAL. I MEAN, WELL, CLEARLY IT'S THE COOLEST AND IN THE TOP 20 BECAUSE DUH. AND YOU THINK ABOUT HOW IT HAS ADVANCED SINCE ITS INCEPTION. AND I WOULD GLEAN TO THINK THAT SUNDANCE STARTED SMALL TO THEY ALL STARTED SMALL, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY A WACO AND WHO'S CURRENTLY DIRECTOR, HE'S THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, SO I'M HOPING WE CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM HIM. ALSO BIG THINGS. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? I'LL JUST NOTE THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING A GOOD STEWARD OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT WE ASSIGN TO YOU TO, TO GRANT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. I REALLY THOROUGHLY ENJOY THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE ART GETS TO BE INCORPORATED IN THAT. I THINK THAT WE HAVE A MORE BEAUTIFUL CITY BECAUSE OF IT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING ANOTHER UPDATE FROM YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH WITH EVEN MORE PROJECTS WE'VE GOT IN THE PIPELINE. THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF. GREAT PRESENTATION. I LOVE THE DATA YOU PRESENTED, AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS SEVENTH STREET. SO. WE LOVE THAT. IF IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY THAT GAME, IT'S A GIANT BOARD GAME. I HAD THE FUN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY IT WITH OUR 220 SOMETHING BOYS, AND WE HAD THE MOST FUN. IT WAS HILARIOUS. IT'S. THE PROMPTS ARE SO FUN. IT MAKES A REALLY GOOD BOARD GAME. THE SPINNERS ARE ON THE WALL AND YEAH, IT'S GREAT CONVERSATION OPENER. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THANKS, FIONA, I APPRECIATE IT. I'M GOING TO CALL OUT JULIE'S BACK HERE. JULIE CERVANTES IS BACK THERE WITH YOU. YOU MAY HAVE CALLED HER OUT AT THE FIRST PART OF YOUR DEAL, BUT I SEE HER BACK THERE. SHE SHE'S THE ONE THAT OVERSEES THE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS AND ALSO BRINGS OUR GRANTS. SO SHE IS PHENOMENAL. WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HER. JUST YOU. SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I THINK YOU'VE MAYBE GOT INVOLVED ABOUT THE SAME TIME. BUT JUST YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN PUBLIC ART, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I LOVE 
          [01:10:04]
PUBLIC ART AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT MY MY CAREER HAS TAKEN ME AROUND TO SEE DIFFERENT CITIES. AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WACO CAN PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT, AS WE LIKE TO SAY, ANDREA, AS FAR AS PUBLIC ART AND WE'RE THERE BECAUSE OF YOU CREATIVE WACO'S EFFORTS AND JUST I MEAN, GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, THE PUBLIC ART SPLASHES, THE UTILITY BOXES, THE STEAM CENTER MURALS AND WALLS, THE, THE FIREFIGHTER BEAR. I MEAN, THAT IS JUST WE COULD HAVE JUST HAD A FIRE STATION THERE WITHOUT SOMETHING COOL. AND NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING COOL THERE. AND EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING OUT AT THE ALICE AT MOSAIC IS GOING TO BE REALLY COOL THERE. THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS THAT YOU RUN, PROMOTING LOCAL ARTISTS AND INSPIRING THEM IS GREAT. THE BROOKVIEW HILLS DEAL LOOKS VERY GOOD. JOHN MARK THE THAT IS A NICE LITTLE UPGRADE THERE. THE PLACEMAKING, I THINK, IS WHAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT. THAT'S WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO GO SEE THE MAGNOLIA, OBVIOUSLY. BUT PLACEMAKING, THE DIFFERENT PARTS WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THOSE VERY INTENTIONALLY. THAT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG AGO. I MEAN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER FAIRFIELD WAS A BIG PART OF HELPING OUT, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS IS THE THIS IS THE SILO DISTRICT. THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. THIS IS WHATEVER. SO PEOPLE ARE WALKING AROUND GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES AND EXPLORING WACO, WHICH IS GREAT. AND THEN THE EVENTS, THE THE DIA DE LOS MUERTOS WAS FANTASTIC. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BEST ONES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IF NOT THE UNITED STATES. AND IT'S JUST GAINING MOMENTUM EVERY YEAR AND GETTING MORE AND MORE FOLKS. AND IT'S IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION. AND OF COURSE, THE FILM FESTIVAL ALREADY A TOP 20 THINGS ALWAYS REAL EXCITING. 
          IT'S ALWAYS A FUN WEEKEND. AND THEN THE LAST DEAL YOU HAVE HERE, I LIKE IT. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE WHITE BOX THERE THAT THAT MIGHT BE. WE DON'T KNOW. NOBODY KNOWS. AND THEN BUT I'M ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE BLUE BOX ON THE TOP THERE, DEVELOPING OUR MUSICAL HERITAGE AND AND MORE. WE ALREADY HAVE A GREAT MUSICAL HERITAGE, BUT AND THERE'S SEVERAL GROUPS THAT HAVE KIND OF TRIED TO KIND OF HONOR THAT, BUT I, I SEE IT KIND OF COALESCING HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT. THE MUSIC HISTORY IN WACO IS FANTASTIC. AND WITH LEMON JEFFERSON AND I'M SORRY I'M A GEEK ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT MUSICIANS THAT HAVE COME FROM WACO OR PASSED THROUGH WACO AND BLUES MUSIC AND JUST THE HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL AND EVERYTHING KIND OF CAME THROUGH WACO. SO I'M EXCITED TO TO HONOR THAT AND CELEBRATE THAT HERE IN THE NEXT A COUPLE OF YEARS AS WE AS WE AS WE TRACK THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER DEAL ON THE TOP IS JUST THE BARONS BRANCH. I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL. JUST THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF IT. IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD. BUT OR GREAT, I SHOULD SAY. AND THEN AS WE SLOWLY ADD IN THESE LITTLE PUBLIC ART PIECES, I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO MAKE THAT PLACE SUPER SPECIAL. SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S EFFORTS AND Y'ALL'S PERFORMANCE. AND THANKS, FIONA, AND THANKS, JULIE. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. WE WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM LEFT. CITY MANAGER HOLT. THAT'S TRUE. 
          BEFORE FIONA GOES AWAY, I WANT TO SAY ONE OF THE THINGS I MOST APPRECIATE IS THAT OF, OF ALL OF OUR OUTSIDE AGENCIES, THEY'VE CREATED THIS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM SO THAT THEY KEEP US UP TO DATE ON ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, THE LATEST ONE WAS THE FIRE BEAR AND THEY GAVE US UPDATES SO OFTEN THROUGH THAT PROJECT SO THAT WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. AND IT REALLY CREATES CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM. AND WE ARE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. THANK YOU. THANKS, FIONA. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, FOR OUR FINAL WORK SESSION. ITEM 750. SERENA STEVENSON, WACO TRANSIT MANAGER, WILL PRESENT ON THE WACO TRANSIT SERVICE, AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER DEIDRA EMERSON WILL JOIN MISS STEVENSON FOR THE DISCUSSION. SERENA, WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL. TODAY MY PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. 
          THE KEY MESSAGE TODAY IS THAT WACO'S URBANIZED AREA IS GROWING TOWARDS A FEDERAL THRESHOLD. THAT WILL CHANGE HOW TRANSIT IS FUNDED. THE DISCUSSIONS WE MAKE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE BUDGET CYCLES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE CHANGE BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY, OR A GENERAL FUND PROBLEM. OUR THEME TONIGHT IS TO UNDERSTAND TODAY. PLAN FOR TOMORROW, INVEST STRATEGICALLY AND PROTECT THE GENERAL FUND. THE AGENDA TODAY WILL COVER WACO TRANSIT SYSTEMS 
          [01:15:04]
CURRENT STATE, WHICH INCLUDES WHO WE SERVE, WHAT SERVICE COST AND HOW IT'S FUNDED, OUR FLEET STRATEGY, HOW WE BRIDGE THE FLEET GAP WITH EIGHT BUSSES FROM SUNTRAN OUR FUTURE NEEDS, WHICH WILL TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY GROWTH, OUR TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA TRANSITION FOR THE MPO, OUR READINESS AS A TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR THAT TRANSITION, AND HOW THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL WILL HELP DEFINE THE NEXT STEPS. BEFORE WE GET INTO THE NUMBERS, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WACO TRANSIT'S URBANIZED AREA OR THE UK, AS DESIGNATED BY THE U.S. 
          CENSUS BUREAU, AS A CONTIGUOUS AREA WITH A POPULATION OF 50,000 OR MORE PEOPLE, UK BOUNDARIES ARE NOT THE SAME AS MUNICIPAL CITY LIMITS. THEY ARE DRAWN TO INCLUDE ALL URBANIZED LAND WITHIN THE CENSUS DEFINITION, WHICH EXTENDS INTO SURROUNDING TOWNS, SUBURBS AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WACO TRANSIT'S FIXED ROUTES, PARATRANSIT AND MICRO DASH ON DEMAND SERVICES, ROUTE ONE THROUGH NINE SERVES THE CITY OF WACO. ROUTE TEN IS A CONNECTION THAT COMES IN FROM RIESEL AND PROVIDES DIRECT CONNECTION FROM THE MARKET  & PLACE TO TSTC WORK SITE, AND THEN BACK INTO THE TRANSFER CENTER. THE DASH TWO AREAS ON THIS MAP OUTLINE OUR THREE MICRO TRANSIT ZONES. THE NORTH ZONE WHICH IS LAID, WHICH ALSO PROVIDES SERVICES FOR LACEY, LAKEVIEW, BELLE MEADE, THE CENTRAL ZONE AND THE SOUTH ZONE, WHICH IS IN HEWITT. WRITERS IN THOSE ZONES BOOK A TRIP ON DEMAND. INSTEAD OF WAITING AT A BUS STOP. WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT MICRO TRANSIT IS ONLY PROVIDES SERVICE IN THE ZONE. IT DOES NOT CROSS OVER TO OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY LIKE A UBER. IT'S REALLY DESIGNED FOR FIRST LAST MILE CONNECTIONS IN ORDER FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GAPS IN TRANSIT SERVICE TO HAVE SOME MODE, IN ORDER TO ALLOW THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT MICRO ZONES, I WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW YOU, BASED OFF OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, THAT THE NORTH ZONE, IT COVERS DISTRICT ONE AND IT INCLUDES LACEY, LAKEVIEW, BELLE MEADE, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS. BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE I EXPLAINED THAT URBANIZED AREA SO YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY SOME ARE NOT PART OF THE CITY LIMITS, BUT THEY ARE IN OUR USE A THE CENTRAL ZONE INCLUDES DISTRICT FOUR AND FIVE FOR MOST OF THE AREA AND PARTS OF DISTRICTS ONE AND THREE. THE SOUTH ZONE. HEWITT. IT INCLUDES DISTRICT THREE PLUS HEWITT AND THE WOODWAY OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MICRO TRANSIT IN OUR DISTRICT TWO, BUT DISTRICT TWO ACTUALLY HAS EVERY SERVICE THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY IN THAT DISTRICT ALONG ITS LINE. AND SO IF WE'RE USING MICRO TRANSIT IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE GAPS THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US TO INCLUDE MICRO TRANSIT, WHERE WE HAD A GOOD CONCENTRATION OF ROUTE SERVICES. SO THAT'S WHY DISTRICT TWO DOESN'T HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MICRO TRANSIT, WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT EXPANDING THAT SERVICE. AND SO I WILL KIND OF GO INTO DETAILS ABOUT OUR COST. SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE SPECIFIC AREAS, I WANTED TO KIND OF DEFINE THE THE FULLY ALLOCATED COST FOR MICRO TRANSIT SERVICE IS ABOUT 90, $95 PER REVENUE HOUR. THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING THE BENEFITS, THE COST OF YOUR FARES. SO IT'S FULLY ALLOCATED. BUT IF YOU PULL OUT THOSE THINGS AND YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT YOUR DRIVING AND YOUR MAINTENANCE COSTS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $66. BUT WHEN WE PROJECT OUT OUR BUDGET FOR TRANSIT, WE ALWAYS WANT TO GO WITH THAT TOP NUMBER. AND SO IF WE WERE LOOKING AT ADDING JUST ONE MORE MICRO TRANSIT ZONE, 12 HOURS ON WEEKDAYS, THAT WOULD COST US ABOUT $290,000 A YEAR. AND THAT TODAY'S TWO RIDES PER HOUR, THAT WOULD EQUATE TO ABOUT 6000 TRIPS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY FOCUS ON MICRO TRANSIT SUBSIDIZING WHERE THERE'S GAPS AND NOT TRYING TO CREATE A UBER OR LYFT SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT'S JUST NOT COST EFFECTIVE. OUR FEDERAL 5307 FUNDS CAN PAY UP TO HALF OF OUR NET OPERATING COSTS. SO NEW SERVICE COMPETES WITH OUR EXISTING SERVICE FOR THOSE SAME DOLLARS. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING MICRO TRANSIT ZONE, YOU HAVE TO DEFINE EARLY AND CONSIDER WHERE AND WHAT, WHERE AND WHY. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO EXPAND AND WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THAT AREA? SHOULD IT BE BASED 
          [01:20:06]
ON CONNECTIONS TO YOUR FIXED ROUTES? SHOULD IT BE BASED ON NEW DEVELOPMENT? YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE SERVICE LEVEL, HOW MANY DAYS, HOW MANY HOURS, AND WHAT IS THE TARGETED WAIT TIME FOR A RIDE? IF YOU TRANSITION YOUR WAIT TIME TO 3040 MINUTES, IT KIND OF NEGATES THE FACT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FREQUENCY WHEN YOU'RE CREATING MICRO TRANSIT ZONES, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT YOUR RESOURCES, YOUR VEHICLES, YOUR DRIVERS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN EXTRA COST IF YOU HAVE TO ADD SERVICES BASED OFF OF THAT ADDITIONAL NEED, YOUR FARES, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO INCREASE YOUR MICRO FARE BASED OFF OF NEW ZONES THAT YOU CREATE. BUT WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR FARE STRUCTURE DEFINED SO THAT YOU CAN USE OUR ALL DAY PASS ACROSS ANY MODE THAT'S PROVIDED BY TRANSIT. SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING THOSE FARES, IT DOES. IT WILL IMPACT OUR RIDER BASE. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SETTING YOUR PERFORMANCE TARGET, YOU HAVE TO ESTABLISH HOW MANY RIDERS PER HOUR. AND THAT COST PER TRIP FOR EACH ZONE. YOU NEED TO SET THOSE TARGETS IN ADVANCE SO THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER IF IT'S BEING A SUCCESSFUL SERVICE OR IF IT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE GROWTH OF YOUR SYSTEM, PUBLIC INPUT, YOU NEED TO GET YOUR OUTREACH AND NOTICE BEFORE YOU LAUNCH NEW ZONES AND ADVERTISE THAT TO YOUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE CHANGES, BECAUSE WHAT WE BELIEVE MIGHT BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE COMMUNITY, IT MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY WANT, BUT ONCE YOU PUT THE SERVICE OUT THERE, THE COST IS THERE. WHETHER YOU HAVE ONE RIDER OR NO RIDERS, THE RECOMMENDED PATH IS THAT YOU FIND YOUR ZONES, YOU SET YOUR TARGETS, YOU PROJECT OUT YOUR COSTS FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ZONE. YOU LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND THEN FROM THERE YOU. AS A COUNCIL, WE AS A COMMUNITY, WE DECIDE ON THE BEST OPTIONS. WE NEED TO LOOK AT RUNNING PILOT PROGRAMS FOR ABOUT 6 TO 12 MONTHS IN ANY NEW ZONE THAT YOU DECIDE ON. SO THAT WAY YOU CAN ADJUST IT BASED ON THE NEED AND BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE TARGETS. AND THEN YOU TREAT EACH NEW ZONE AS A PILOT WITH A TARGET SET BEFORE LAUNCH, AND YOU ONLY KEEP THE ZONES THAT MEET THOSE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. WACO TRANSIT'S CURRENT STATE, WACO TRANSIT IS A MULTI-SERVICE SYSTEM. WE HAVE OUR FIXED ROUTE. WE HAVE OUR COMPLIMENTARY PARATRANSIT, WE HAVE MICRO DASH. WE HAVE EVENING LINK. WE HAVE SPECIALIZED SERVICE WHERE WE WORK WITH SENATOR SANDERSON FARMS, AND WE HAVE CONTRACTED TRANSPORTATION WITH MEDICAID, BAYLOR AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. BY THE NUMBERS FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR NTD REPORT, WE TRANSPORTED 883,838 PASSENGER TRIPS. WE HAD 30 VEHICLES IN OUR PEAK SERVICE. 
          IT WAS 6.2 MILLION IN FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE EARNED. AND WE OPERATE IN A 99 SQUARE MILE SERVICE AREA. AND AGAIN, THAT INCLUDES WACO, BELLE MEADE, BEVERLY HILLS, PARTS OF HEWITT, LACEY, LAKEVIEW, ROBINSON AND CHINA SPRING. WACO DOES NOT NEED TO START OVER. WE NEED TO OPTIMIZE, MODERNIZE AND STRATEGICALLY INVEST IN THE SYSTEM WE ALREADY HAVE. SO THIS SLIDE, THIS SLIDE SHOWS WHERE OUR SERVICE GOES. TO THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE THAT OF OUR 883,830 TRIPS, 38 TRIPS AND FISCAL YEAR 25. THE FIXED ROUTE CARRIED ABOUT 92% OF THOSE TRIPS. OUR DEMAND RESPONSE AND ADA PARATRANSIT CARRIED ABOUT 8%. TO RUN THAT SERVICE. WE PUT 30 VEHICLES ON THE STREET DURING PEAK TIMES. WE HAVE 16 FIXED ROUTE BUSSES, AND WE HAVE 14 DEMAND RESPONSE VEHICLES. WE MAY RUN MORE VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE DAY JUST DEPENDING ON THE DEMAND FOR OUR DEMAND RESPONSE. PARATRANSIT SERVICE TO THE RIGHT THAT SERVICE, WE PUT 30 VEHICLES IN AGAIN IN THE. 16 AND THE. 14 DEMAND RESPONSE, I APOLOGIZE. A KEY POINT TO MAKE HERE IS THAT DEMAND RESPONSE USES NEARLY HALF OF OUR PEAK VEHICLES, BUT IT'S REQUIRED UNDER FTA TO PROVIDE COMPLIMENTARY PARATRANSIT TO YOUR FIXED ROUTE. 
          SO PARATRANSIT MAY BE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. WE WOULD HAVE TO RUN PARATRANSIT AS LONG AS WE HAVE A FIXED ROUTE SERVICE. SO WHY DOES THE DEMAND RESPONSE USE NEARLY HALF OF IT? IT'S BECAUSE 1 OR 2 RIDERS AT A TIME, THEY MAY NEED MORE VEHICLES BASED 
          [01:25:01]
OFF OF WHEN YOU SCHEDULE YOUR TRIP. SO A PARATRANSIT TRIP PICKS A PERSON UP AT THEIR HOME, TAKES THEM TO THEIR DESTINATION, RETURNS TO THAT DESTINATION, AND TAKES THEM BACK HOME. AND WE TRY TO CURB THE COST BY SHARING. BY GROUPING THOSE TRIPS TOGETHER, HOWEVER, WE ARE RESTRICTED BY OUR SCHEDULING WINDOW. YOU CAN ONLY SCHEDULE IF YOU CALL IN AND YOU BOOK A PICKUP TRIP. YOU HAVE A 15 MINUTE WINDOW IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE TIME THAT THEY REQUEST. IF YOU SCHEDULE A DROP OFF TIME, YOU CAN PICK THAT PERSON UP, PICK THAT PERSON UP, UP TO ONE HOUR BEFORE THEIR APPOINTMENT TIME. SO WHEN YOU'RE FACTORING ALL THOSE IN WHICH YOU'RE SCHEDULING IS KEY TO HAVE AN EFFICIENT SCHEDULING SOFTWARE THAT CAN FACTOR ALL THAT IN. BUT THE DEMAND IS RUN BY PEOPLE AND PEOPLE CHOICES. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOUR PARATRANSIT IS MORE COSTLY, BECAUSE YOUR FIXED ROUTE IS SET ON A SET SCHEDULE. YOU CAN REJECT THOSE COSTS BASED OFF OF HOW MANY DAYS IN THE MONTH YOU RUN THE HOURS OF SERVICE. 
          WHEREAS PARATRANSIT IS DEMAND BASED, YOU DON'T KNOW FROM DAY TO DAY HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY BE SCHEDULING THAT RIDE, BUT WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE THAT AVAILABILITY TO REMAIN ADA COMPLIANT. OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL AND OPERATING ENVIRONMENT, TRANSIT IS LABOR AND CAPITAL INTENSIVE. OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025 OPERATING COSTS, IT WAS 8.7 MILLION, 5.5 MILLION OF THAT WAS FOR OUR FIXED ROUTE, AND 3.2 WAS ON OUR DEMAND RESPONSE. LABOR AND BENEFITS ARE ABOUT 58% OF THAT, AND CASUALTY AND LIABILITY COSTS ALONE ARE ABOUT 10%. 
          FLEET IS OUR BIGGEST CAPITAL PRESSURE. 14 OF OUR 22 ACTIVE FIXED ROUTE BUSSES, WHICH IS ABOUT 64%, ARE PAST THEIR FTA. USEFUL LIFE AGAINST A TARGET OF NO MORE THAN 15%. MANY OF OUR BUSSES DATE BACK FROM 2007 TO 2009. FROM A FUNDING SIDE, EVERY FUNDING PERCENTAGE HERE IS A SHARE OF THE SAME 8.7 MILLION FEDERAL FUNDS PAID, 59% FARES AND OTHER EARNED REVENUES WAS 24%. THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION COVERED ABOUT 8.6%. TECH STOCKS STATE GRANTS COVERED 7% FOR LOCAL MATCH SOURCES AND ABOUT 1% 1.5%. AND OUR WACO TRANSIT FAREBOX RECOVERY IS ABOUT 18%. OUR FARE RECOVERY RATIO IS THE FARES THAT WE COLLECT, AND WE'RE ABLE TO USE THEM AGAINST OUR REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS FOR THE STATE SO THAT THE DRAW DOWN IS LESS BASED OFF OF WHAT WE BRING IN AS A SYSTEM. SO 15%, 18% IS PRETTY GOOD FOR A SYSTEM. OUR SIZE. ALSO KNOW LAST YEAR WE USED SOME OF OUR 2020 CARES FUNDS. THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A LOCAL MATCH. IN ORDER FOR US TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGIES, WE HAVE USED THAT CARES FUNDS AS STRATEGICALLY AS WE CAN IN ORDER TO NOT REQUIRE A MATCH FROM THE GENERAL FUND. IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS IN OUR SYSTEM. WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THOSE CARES FUNDS LEFT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OUR INVESTMENTS AND OUR TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL THAT WE GROW THAT IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE CHANGES THAT ARE ON THE HORIZON. 
          MY CHARGE IS TO IDENTIFY HOW DO WE KEEP PROVIDING QUALITY, MOBILITY AND CONTROLLING THE CITY'S LONG TERM FINANCIAL EXPOSURE. THE BEST PATH FORWARD IS JUST TECHNOLOGY. CHANGE THAT HAS BEEN INVESTED IN TECHNOLOGY AS A PRIORITY. WHENEVER WE RECEIVE ANY FUNDS, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE USE OF PAY CORPS FOR OUR HR AND PAYROLL SOLUTIONS. WE WERE BASICALLY RUNNING OUR PAYROLL SYSTEM THROUGH SPREADSHEETS. DRIVERS TURN IN A PAPER MANIFEST. WE TRANSFER THOSE IRAS OVER TO EXCEL SPREADSHEET. WE IMPORTED THOSE, AND THEN WE. AND THEN WE WORKED WITH OUR PAYROLL SYSTEM TO PROCESS OUR PAYROLL. NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE PAY CORPS AS OUR HR AND PAYROLL SOLUTION. WE IMPLEMENTED WI-FI AND OUR AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTERS ON OUR FIXED ROUTES. THESE WERE STEPS FOR US TO IMPROVE HOW WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA SETS THAT WE COLLECT ARE ACCURATE, AND THAT BECAUSE EVENTUALLY OUR FUNDING WILL SHIFT MORE TOWARDS A DATA, MORE TOWARDS A PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE DIRECTION. AND I'LL GO INTO THAT. AND SO WE NEED TO PLAN TODAY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOSE TOOLS IN PLACE. SO THERE'S NOT A LEARNING CURVE. ONCE THE ONCE THE TMA TRANSITION HAPPENS, WE DON'T WANT TO LEARN ABOUT OUR SYSTEMS AND BE PUT IN A POSITION WHERE WE COULD LOSE SOME OF OUR 
          [01:30:01]
FUNDING, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A TRANSITION WHEN YOU'RE LEARNING NEW TECHNOLOGIES. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS IN ADVANCE OF THE TRANSITION TO TMA. WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED STRIPE, WHICH IS A ONLINE PAYMENT ONLINE PAYMENT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE UTILIZING WITH OUR WITH OUR PARATRANSIT AND MICRO TRANSIT SYSTEM. SO WE DO HAVE A ONLINE OPTION BECAUSE WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY ON BOARD OUR VANS, BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY USE SPARE. SPEAKING OF SPARE, ON OCTOBER THE 6TH, COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF SPARE FOR OUR FIXED ROUTES. WE WERE SO GRATEFUL. SPARE BRINGS ROUTE PLANNING, SCHEDULING OUR GTFS FEED LIVE OPERATIONS INTO ONE PLATFORM SO DEMAND RESPONSE, FIXED ROUTES. THEY ALL WILL OPERATE IN THE SAME SYSTEM. 
          THIS WILL ALLOW WACO TRANSIT TO MANAGE OUR FIXED ROUTE BUSSES ALONGSIDE OUR PARATRANSIT AND MICRO TRANSIT. WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY SOFTWARE ON OUR FIXED ROUTES. WE DO HAVE A TRACKING SOFTWARE, BUT IT'S STATIC, SO IF WE HAVE A DETOUR, WE HAVE TO REACH OUT TO OUR VENDOR, LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S CONSTRUCTION OR DETOUR. IT COULD BE 2 OR 3 DAYS BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO UPDATE THE STATIC FEED, WHICH AT THAT POINT IT JUST CREATES A LESS THAN IDEAL SITUATION FOR OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. SO WITH OUR NEW SPARE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES IN OUR SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY. THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER WILL HAVE A IPAD ON THEIR VEHICLE, WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM LIVE GOOGLE MAPS. SO IF THERE IS CONSTRUCTION, THEY CAN GO. THEY CAN CHANGE THAT ROUTE BASED OFF OF THE SOFTWARE. READING IT KIND OF LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE USING SOME OF THE SYSTEMS WE HAVE. I THINK WAZE. YEAH. YES, YES. YOU USE WAY SO LIKE WAZE. AND SO WE'LL LET OUR BUSSES KNOW. AND THEN THAT WILL ALSO ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE THOSE EXTRA MILES THAT WE OFTEN MAY NOT RECEIVE. NOW, BECAUSE THE DRIVERS ARE JUST ON THAT ROUTE. IF THEY GO OFF ON A DEVIATION, THEY DO DOCUMENT THOSE MILES. HOWEVER, THERE'S SO MUCH ROOM FOR HUMAN ERROR WHEN YOU'RE DEPENDING ON THEM TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK. AND SO HAVING A SYSTEM THAT WILL TRACK EVERY MOVE THAT THEY MAKE IS GOING TO BE IDEAL FOR OUR COST EFFECTIVENESS AND AS WELL AS OUR EFFICIENCIES. THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO HAVE AN APPLES TO APPLES DECISION MAKING. WE ARE OFTEN ASKED HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BOARDING AT THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION. WE CAN'T TELL YOU. WE CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE BOARDED ON THAT ROUTE FOR THE DURATION OF IT. BUT WE CAN'T TELL YOU SEGMENT BY SEGMENT. 
          BUT THE WITH NOT HAVING THAT TECHNOLOGY ON OUR FIXED ROUTE. SO THIS WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THAT GRANULAR INFORMATION TO DEFINE OUR SERVICE AREA AND REIMAGINE WACO TRANSIT SO THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS BASED OFF OF THE ACTUAL DATA SETS. AND IT'S NOT SUBJECTIVE TO WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE WOULD BE BEST IN THIS AREA OF THE CITY. WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONNECT OUR SERVICE WITH THAT SHARED DATA. AND AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THE RELIABILITY. WE CAN MEASURE FUNDING READINESS UNDER THE LARGE URBAN FORMULA REVENUE MILES, PASSENGER MILES AND OPERATING COSTS DIRECTLY DRIVE THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS SO THAT CONSISTENT DATA WILL PROTECT OUR FUNDING AND WILL BE ABLE TO SCALE SCALE THE STAKES. OUR FIXED ROUTE COSTS ABOUT 5.5 MILLION TO OPERATE IN 2025, SO EVERY 1% OF PRODUCTIVITY THAT WE GAIN IS WORTH ABOUT $55,000 A YEAR. WHERE THE MONEY GOES AND WHERE IT COMES FROM. THIS SLIDE BREAKS DOWN THAT 8.7 MILLION FOR OUR OPERATING BUDGET. WHERE THE MONEY GOES IS TO THE LEFT. LABOR AND BENEFITS ARE THE LARGEST COSTS. THAT'S ABOUT 58%. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES AND INCLUDING FUEL ARE ABOUT 19%. OUR SERVICES AND CASUALTY AND LIABILITY COSTS ABOUT 11% AND ABOUT 10%. OUR UTILITIES AND OTHER COSTS ARE ABOUT 2%. WHERE IT COMES FROM. OUR FEDERAL FUNDS PAID 5.1 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 59%. OUR FARES AND OTHER EARNED REVENUE, INCLUDING ADVERTISING, CHARTER SERVICES AND AGENCY REVENUE, IS ABOUT 2.1 MILLION, ABOUT 24%. THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTED $750,332, WHICH IS ABOUT 8.6%, AND TECH STOCK WAS INVESTED IN ABOUT 7%. 
          THE MATCHES FROM THAT IS THE CITY BUDGET'S GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO COVER OUR EXPENSES, 
          [01:35:03]
BUT WE DO OUR BEST TO USE OUR FEDERAL, OUR STATE, AND OUR SELF-GENERATED RESOURCES FIRST. 
          THAT'S HOW WE STAY PRUDENT WITH OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS AND KEEP THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR MATCH WHEN GRANTS REQUIRE IT. THE. BRIDGING THE GAP WITH OUR FLEET. WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS TRANSITIONING OUR FLEET TO HYBRID ELECTRIC. BUT AS I STATED EARLIER, OUR PERCENT OF VEHICLES THAT ARE PAST THEIR USEFUL LIFE IS SIGNIFICANT. SO WORKING WITH RATP, DEV AND OUR AND THE OTHER GENERAL MANAGERS, ONE DAY WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION AND THE SYSTEM IN ARIZONA, IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, WAS TALKING ABOUT. THEY HAVE ALL THESE BUSSES BECAUSE THEY HAVE. THEY HAVE A DESIGNATED SALES TAX. SO THEY BUY BUSSES ALL THE TIME. AND SO THEY HAD ABOUT 20 BUSSES THAT HAD WAY LESS MILES THAN MY BUSSES HAD. SO I CALLED MIKHAIL AND I SAY, IS THERE A WAY I CAN GET SOME OF THOSE BUSSES? SO IN BETWEEN HE AND I VISITING, I REACH OUT TO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER EMERSON. AT THAT TIME SHE WAS STILL OVER TRANSIT AND I WAS LIKE, DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD GET ABOUT $4,000 IF I COULD GET EIGHT BUSSES, $4,000 PER BUS? SO SHE MADE ME PROVIDE HER ALL THE STATISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUSSES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE RIGHT. AND IT TALKS ABOUT HOW MANY YEARS THE SUNTRAN BUSSES WERE AT. AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE BUSSES THAT WACO WAS PROPOSING TO REPLACE. THEIR YEARS IN SERVICE WAS ABOUT 13.3 ON AVERAGE. OURS WAS 15 TO 20 AVERAGE MILES PER BUS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THEM WAS ABOUT 230,000 WERE. MY BUSSES WERE AT ABOUT 493,000. SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THE TOTAL MILES FOR ALL EIGHT OF THEIR BUSSES. AND YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL MILES FOR MINE. AND IT WAS JUST A A SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS. SO WE WENT TO TUCSON, WE INSPECTED THE VEHICLES, WE WORKED THE DEAL WITH THE MANAGERS IN TUCSON. WE GOT THE BUSSES TRANSPORTED HERE AND THEY ARE IN SERVICE TO THIS DAY. THESE WERE THE BUSSES WHEN WE WENT TO TUCSON. THIS IS WHAT WE INSPECTED AND THESE ARE THE BUSSES. NOW THAT THEY'RE IN FULL SERVICE DELIVERY, YOU HAVE TO GET CREATIVE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR DOLLARS BECAUSE AGAIN, WE GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE SAME SERVICES. AND SO WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO NETWORK AND HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER TRANSIT SYSTEMS, AND THE CITY UNDERSTANDS THE ADDED VALUE THAT WE RECEIVE FROM BEING ABLE TO TRANSFER THOSE BUSSES IN. BRAND NEW 40 FOOT BUS COULD COST YOU ABOUT 800 TO $900,000. AND WE GOT THESE FOR 4000 EACH, AND IT WAS EIGHT OF THEM. 
          THEY'VE BEEN IN SERVICE. THEY WERE AT THE BLEDSOE MILLER STEAM CENTER GRAND OPENING. WE HAVE THEM IN THE FIXED ROUTE ROTATION. AND WE'RE ALSO USING THEM FOR BAYLOR FOOTBALL GAMES, BASKETBALL GAMES. SO WHEN YOU SEE THE 40 FOOT BUSSES, YOU'LL KNOW THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT CAME FROM TUCSON. AND A 35 FOOT ARE WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY RUN. BUT BEFORE WE PUT THEM IN SERVICE, WE HAD TO DO A WHOLE ROUTE ASSESSMENT BECAUSE THAT TURNING RADIUS OF A FIVE IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM A 35 FOOT TO A 40 FOOT BUS. SO THAT WAS PART OF OUR ASSESSMENT BEFORE WE PUT THEM IN. THE KEY POINT IS THAT $32,000 COVERED THE PURCHASE AND THE MAKE READY TO TRANSPORT THEM HERE. THEY ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OUT THERE, AND WE'RE KEEPING OUR FIXED ROUTE SERVICE RELIABLE WHILE WE PLAN AND FUND THE FUTURE AND MOVE TOWARDS OUR BATTERY ELECTRIC HYBRID ELECTRIC BUSSES. WHAT IS CHANGING AROUND WACO TRANSIT? THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AHEAD WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT FROM TODAY. GROWTH IS THE BIGGEST DRIVER. 
          OUR URBANIZED AREA HAS GROWN AFTER EACH CENSUS BY OVER 20,000 PEOPLE PER DECADE. AT THAT PACE TO 2030, CENSUS WILL VERY LIKELY PUT US OVER 200,000 CUSTOMERS. EXPECT REAL TIME INFORMATION, DIGITAL BOOKING AND OUR GENERAL FUND RESOURCES REMAIN LIMITED. WE ARE PLANNING TODAY BECAUSE THE FUTURE CANNOT BE MANAGED USING ONLY TODAY'S OPERATING MODEL. TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA READINESS A FUTURE PLANNING NEED. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SLIDE TONIGHT WHERE WE ARE. THE 2020 CENSUS COUNTED ABOUT 192,844 PEOPLE IN THE WACO URBANIZED 
          [01:40:05]
AREA. SO WE'RE ABOUT 7200 SHORT FROM TRANSITIONING OVER TO TMA. THAT'S GOING TO BE DESIGNATION IS GOING TO BE AUTOMATIC. FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES TXDOT TO DESIGNATE EVERY URBANIZED AREA OVER 200,000 AS A TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA. SO WACO DOESN'T OPT IN AFTER THE 2020 CENSUS. URBANIZED AREAS AND PUBLIC TRANSIT WERE PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER OF 2020 AND TMAS DESIGNATIONS FOLLOWED ABOUT A YEAR LATER. IF WE FOLLOW THAT PATTERN, WACO SHOULD EXPECT DESIGNATION AROUND 2032, 2033 AND ABOUT 3 TO 4 BUDGET CYCLES AWAY FROM TODAY. WHAT CHANGES FOR TRANSIT WE RECEIVE? WHO RECEIVES OUR FEDERAL FUND TODAY? TEX DOT IS A DESIGNATED RECIPIENT FOR AREAS UNDER 200,000. AND ABOVE THAT, THE GOVERNOR DESIGNATES A LOCAL RECIPIENT. AT THAT TIME, THE CITY OF WACO WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT. 
          OPERATING ASSISTANCE WILL GET CAPPED. FTS2025 FULL YEAR TABLE ALLOCATED OVER 4 MILLION TO THE WACO TRANSIT URBANIZED AREA. IN 2025, WE USED 2.6 MILLION OF THAT 5307 FUNDS AS PURE OPERATING ASSISTANCE, PLUS 1.8 MILLION FOR OUR CAPITAL ELIGIBLE COSTS, SUCH AS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, WITH NO LIMIT ON EITHER. WITHOUT 16 PEAK FIXED ROUTE BUSSES, WE WILL QUALIFY FOR THE TIER ONE THAT LETS LARGE URBAN SYSTEMS USE UP TO 75% OF THEIR ALLOTMENT FOR OUR OPERATIONS. SO IF WE APPLIED THAT TO THIS YEAR'S DISTRIBUTION, THE CAP WILL BE ABOUT 3.3 MILLION. SO TODAY'S 2.6 MILLION IN OPERATING ASSISTANCE WOULD FIT WITH ROUGHLY ABOUT 6700, ABOUT 675,000 WIGGLE ROOM. OUR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE WOULD REMAIN ELIGIBLE AS A CAPITAL COST. THE REAL UNCERTAINTY IS THAT THE ALLOTMENT ITSELF. SO AS A SMALL URBAN, MAY SHIFT TO A LARGER URBAN OR RURAL SYSTEM, COULD SHIFT INTO A SMALL URBAN RURAL SYSTEM COULD SHIFT INTO, YOU KNOW, A SMALL, A SMALL URBAN COULD GO DOWN TO A RURAL SYSTEM. SO IT'S ALL BASED OFF THE POPULATION GROWTH. SO WHILE TODAY YOU MAY HAVE SEVEN LARGE URBAN'S, YOU COULD ULTIMATELY END UP WITH MAYBE 10 OR 12, WHICH WOULD IMPACT THE ALLOCATION. BECAUSE IF YOU IF A RURAL MOVES UP. SO THOSE NUMBERS WOULD SHIFT. SO IF WE BASE IT OFF OF THE NUMBERS TODAY, WE WOULD HAVE THAT. BUT UNTIL WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY SYSTEMS SHIFT, THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO START PLANNING ABOUT THAT UNCERTAINTY BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW AT THIS TIME HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL SHIFT AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL REMAIN. SO IT'S CALCULATED DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW, OUR ONCE A LARGE URBAN AREAS DESIGNATED IT'S CALCULATED USING A DIFFERENCE PERFORMANCE BASED FORMULA. AND AGAIN, THAT GOES UP AND DOWN. 
          THE CAP IS ALSO A CEILING. WE WOULD HAVE TO PLAN WITHIN AS COSTS GROW. THAT IS THE GENERAL FUND EXPOSURE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE TRY TO MODEL THE FORMULA, THE LARGE URBAN FORMULA, IT REWARDS PERFORMANCE. LARGE URBAN FUNDING IS BASED ON REVENUE MILES, PASSENGER MILES AND OPERATING EXPENSES, PLUS POPULATION AND DENSITY. LAST YEAR WE REPORTED 3 MILLION PASSENGER MILES AND 1.2 MILLION REVENUES. OUR DATA WILL DIRECTLY DRIVE THOSE DOLLARS. 
          HOW PERFORMANCE WILL BE MEASURED TODAY VERSUS AS A TMA, THE SIMPLE VERSION. TODAY, OUR FEDERAL FUNDING IS BASED MOSTLY ON HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE HERE AS A TMA. IT WILL BE BASED MORE ON HOW MUCH SERVICE WE RUN, HOW MANY MILES OUR RIDERS TRAVEL, AND HOW EFFICIENTLY WE DO IT. 
          TODAY, AS A SMALL URBAN, OUR 5307 FUNDS ARE SET BY POPULATION, POPULATION DENSITY. 
          RIDERSHIP SERVICE LEVELS DO NOT CHANGE OUR BASE AMOUNT. PERFORMANCE COUNTS MAINLY IN OUR TEX DOT STATE DOLLARS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE USE FOR OUR LOCAL MATCH. IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          WHICH LOOKS AS RIDERS MILE RIDERS PER MILE, COST PER MILE, RIDERS PER RESIDENT AND LOCAL INVESTMENT AS A TMA, THE FEDERAL BUS FORMULA SHIFTS TO SERVICE. HALF IS BASED ON OUR BUS REVENUE MILES, AND THE OTHER HALF IS ON POPULATION AND DENSITY. SO AN INCENTIVE SHARE REWARDS PASSENGER MILES AND PASSENGER MILES PER DOLLAR OF OPERATING COSTS. SO OUR 
          [01:45:06]
NATIONAL TAC, OUR NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE REPORTING, IT BECOMES THE BASIS FOR OUR FEDERAL DOLLARS. SO DATA ACCURACY MATTERS MORE. WHAT IT MEANS TO COUNCIL STRONG RIDERSHIP, EFFICIENT SERVICE AND CLEAN DATA WILL MATTER MORE TO OUR FUNDING THAN IT DOES TODAY. CMA READINESS IS NOT ABOUT PREDICTING WHICH DESIGNATION, WHEN THE DESIGNATION WILL OCCUR. IT'S ABOUT BEING PREPARED. WHEN IT DOES. THE FUTURE PLAN. OUR APPROACH HAS FIVE STEPS. WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND. WE WANT TO MEASURE, WE WANT TO OPTIMIZE, AND WE WANT TO LEVERAGE AND INVEST. EVERY STEP HERE ALSO BUILDS THE DATA WE WILL NEED TO COMPETE FOR FUNDING. ONCE WE ARE A LARGE URBAN SYSTEM, OUR GOAL IS IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS OUR FINANCIAL PRESSURES BEFORE IT BECOMES A STRUCTURAL GENERAL FUND OBLIGATION. OUR NEXT STEP IS TO ESTABLISH A WACO TRANSIT FUTURE PLANNING INITIATIVE, WHERE WE BRING TOGETHER TRANSIT FINANCE, MPO, I.T AND CITY LEADERSHIP. WE ALSO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL NEXT STEPS. SO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, YOU'VE HEARD US, MR. STEVENSON, TALK THROUGH THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE WACO TRANSIT SYSTEM, AS WELL AS AND SOME THINGS THAT ARE KEY AS WE PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE CHANGE INTO BEING A TMA. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS, THE LAST THINGS THAT SHE SAID THAT IT KIND OF STICKS OUT IS THAT THINKING ABOUT RIDERSHIP AND HAVING STRONG RIDERSHIP AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND SO AS WE TALK THROUGH THIS FUTURE PLAN AND UNDERSTAND, THE FIRST STEP IS TO UNDERSTAND. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AND WILL DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PRIORITY OF THIS COUNCIL IS IN REGARDS TO MOBILITY AND TRANSIT PLANNING WITHIN THE WACO COMMUNITY. SO IN THE COMING WEEKS THAT WE WILL BRING BACK FOR YOUR APPROVAL AND AGREEMENT WITH KIMLEY-HORN. AND THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO ESTABLISH A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TRANSIT IS TODAY AND WHAT WE ENVISION TRANSIT TO BE IN THE FUTURE. WHAT IS WHAT DO WE WANT OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM TO LOOK LIKE? SOME OF YOU WERE ON THE COUNCIL WHEN WE INITIALLY HAD THE BRT, AND WE I MEAN, WE'VE WORKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT SIZED FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO AS WE PREPARE TO TAKE THIS NEXT STEP INTO TMA, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU, AS A COUNCIL, HAVE ENVISIONED FOR HOW THE TRANSIT SYSTEM LOOKS, HOW WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITY MOBILITY WISE, IN ADDITION TO HAVING A AN ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE PLANS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AND ALL THE PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE. DID WE MEET THE MARK ON THOSE. AND WHAT SHOULD OUR NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE AS WE PREPARE TO MOVE INTO THIS TMA STATUS, ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT WE COULD DO IS NOT HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT AND NOT BE PREPARED FOR THAT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE BEST EFFICIENT TRANSIT SERVICE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. IN ADDITION TO, I ALWAYS SAY THAT TRANSIT SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS HAVE TO BE AN A REQUIREMENT. IT SHOULD ALSO BE A CHOICE. AND SO IF WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THESE NEXT STEPS, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'LL GET TO THE RIGHT PLACE SO THAT AS WE WHEN WE TRANSITION INTO TMA, WE'RE PREPARED TO NOT ONLY HAVE A TRANSIT SYSTEM OF OF REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO TRANSIT SYSTEM OF CHOICE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO BE. SO THAT YOU DON'T, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO RIDE THE SYSTEM THAT IT HAS IS IN A WAY THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT IS EFFECTIVE AND MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS. AND SO IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE'LL BRING THAT RESOLUTION BACK FOR YOUR APPROVAL AND SO THAT WE CAN GET STARTED ON THOSE NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU. THAT'S THE ENTIRE PRESIDENT. I HAVE ONE MORE PAGE IN MY DEAL. OH, YES, YOU DO, SIR. WELL, WE HAVE A STRONG SYSTEM THAT WE'RE BUILDING ON. AGAIN, PLANNING NOW PROTECTS THAT GENERAL FUND. WE JUST WANT TO REITERATE OUR CURRENT STATE, WHICH WE OUTLINED INITIALLY. OUR FLEET STRATEGY WILL CONTINUE TO GET CREATIVE TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WITH REGARDS TO OUR FLEET STATUS, OUR FUTURE NEEDS. AGAIN, AS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER INDICATED THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A PLAN SO THAT WE CAN. SO WE'RE PREPARED. AND OUR NEXT STEPS IS TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO FIND THE BEST PATH FORWARD. THANK YOU. GREAT PRESENTATION, SERENA AND 
          [01:50:06]
DEIDRE. APPRECIATE IT. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GO AHEAD. YOU FIRST. THANKS, SERENA. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE US GETTING BACK TO THIS POINT IN TRANSIT BECAUSE OF THE SENIOR MINISTRY ON THIS COUNCIL, THE BRT WAS A BIG THING THAT THAT WE LOOKED AT. 
          AND WE REALIZED THAT THAT WASN'T, I DON'T KNOW. WELL, IT WASN'T RIGHT SIZED FOR WACO IS A VERY PROPER WAY FOR YOU TO TO SURMISE THAT. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE STUDY AND LOOKING. TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT WHAT TRANSIT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITY FOR NEED AND WANT, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MY MOTHER IN LAW WHO IS ON THE THE, THE SOUTH END OF APPROACHING 80. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TRANSIT. AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE, WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO RIDE THE BUS. I JUST NEED TO I WOULD HAVE TO LEARN IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE FOR HER, NOT BECAUSE SHE, SHE WANTS TO, NOT BECAUSE SHE HAS TO, BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY NEEDS THAT ARE OUR RESIDENTS CURRENTLY THAT ARE BEING MET THE BEST THEY CAN BY THIS CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM, BUT IT IS NOT THE MOST EFFECTIVE. AND MY QUESTION IS, WELL, MY ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IN IN ASSESSING THE ROUTES, HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? BECAUSE ARE WE YOU KNOW, IS IT I KNOW WE HAVE A FIXED ROUTE AND THAT MAKES SENSE. IT'S THE FIXED ROUTE. WELL, IS THE FIXED ROUTE THE FIXED ROUTE JUST BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THE FIXED ROUTE OR THAT IS NOW THE ROUTE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE TODAY. SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH TRYING TO BRING IN SOME TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE HAVING NO RESOURCES ON YOUR FIXED ROUTE IS ALL SUBJECTIVE TO WHO COMES IN, WHO PARTICIPATES, WHO FIGHTS FOR THOSE SERVICES IN THAT AREA. BUT IT STILL MAY NOT BE EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE, OR MEETING THOSE NEEDS. SO WITH US TRYING TO PUT AS MUCH TECHNOLOGY IN OUR SYSTEM, WHEN YOU ASK ME THAT, THAT QUESTION, I WAS PERFORMANCE STANDARD, THAT IF YOU DON'T MEET THIS EXPECTATION, THAT ROUTE IS NOT ONE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED BASED OFF OF OUR LIMITED RESOURCES. SO TECHNOLOGY WILL GIVE US THOSE TOOLS TO SAY, WHAT TRANSIT SYSTEM OF THE FUTURE DO WE NEED? WE HAVE THOSE DATA POINTS TO DEFINE IT, TO COMMUNICATE IT, AND TO AND TO CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, SHOW YOU THAT THIS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL BASED OFF OF THE DATA AND WHO'S RIDING AND WHO NEEDS IT VERSUS WE BELIEVE WE NEED IT. WE INVEST THIS MONEY AND THEN THERE'S NOT A RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO BRING YOU THAT GRANULAR DATA WITH REGARDS TO THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. 
          BUT THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT IT WAS WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE BRT, AND JUST THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT WI-FI. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET OUR AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTER CERTIFIED THROUGH FTA. SO THAT'S ANOTHER STEP IN HELPING US HAVE CLEAN DATA TO REPORT. AND WE'VE JUST BEEN TAKING THAT PHASED APPROACH IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL LONG TERM. AND THAT'S THE SPARE. YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. AND WE SO WE JUST GOT IT. SO IS IMPLEMENTATION AND ALL THAT BUSINESS PROBABLY SIX, EIGHT MONTHS AND THEN OR MAYBE LONGER BEFORE WE CAN GET SOME GRANT BOTTOM, YOU KNOW, LOW LEVEL DATA TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH IT. WHAT'S YOUR ESTIMATION? I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU. COME ON WITH IT. SPARE HAS BEEN ON OUR PARATRANSIT. ALSO USE IT ON OUR RURAL SYSTEM. 
          THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP. THEY ACTUALLY, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR INFORMATION, HAD GONE THROUGH COUNCIL YET. THEY'VE BEEN PULLING OUR DATA SETS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY A PART OF OUR PERFORMANCE. SO I'M LOOKING AT JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND AT THAT TIME AT LEAST BEING ABLE TO REPORT BACK ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT AREAS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE. WE'VE ALREADY GOT MICRO TRANSIT AS PART OF OUR SPARE SOFTWARE BECAUSE IT'S IN WITH OUR. IT WAS BEING SCHEDULED THROUGH OUR PARATRANSIT. SO REALLY WE'RE JUST CLEANING UP OUR FIXED ROUTES. MAKE SURE THOSE GTA FEES ARE ACTUALLY ACCURATE TO WHAT WE'RE PERFORMING. AND THEN FROM THERE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, EXECUTE PRETTY QUICKLY VERSUS TAKING NO DATA AND JUST HAVING TO BEGIN TO REFINE IT TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. SO WE SHOULD HAVE A PRETTY QUICK TURNAROUND WITH SPARE. WE MEET EVERY TUESDAY WITH REGARDS TO OUR PROGRESS. 
          SO OKAY. ALSO WITH THE, WITH THE MICRO TRANSIT BEING BASICALLY FIRST, MY LAST MILE PORTIONS OF, OF THE TRANSIT PROCESS. HOW OFTEN, HOW DOES HOW WOULD ONE KNOW WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S WORKING. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T EXPAND MICRO TRANSIT 
          [01:55:05]
THROUGH DIFFERENT ZONES BECAUSE OF THE FISCAL BURDEN ON THAT, BUT SO HOW DO WE KNOW? IS IT GAUGE THE SAME WAY WHICH WE KNOW IS WORKING IN THAT WAY OR NOT? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE OUR RIDERSHIP IN THE THREE ZONES THAT WE HAVE HAS BEEN PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. SPARE CAN USE A COMPARISON FROM OTHER SYSTEMS. AND SO WHEN WE PICK THOSE AREAS, INITIALLY IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A GAP IN SERVICE. AND SO WE WERE WE'VE TALKED TO MOBILIZE WACO. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROMOTING AND TELLING THE STORY OF IT, AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, WE CONTAIN IT BECAUSE WHO WOULDN'T WANT AN UBER? WELL, SURE, SURE SURE SURE. YEAH. AND THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS. RIGHT. AND I, I HAD TO DO A DEEP DIVE BECAUSE AGAIN, MY MOTHER IN LAW ASKED ME THESE QUESTIONS. AND YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE MICRO TRANSIT DO? WHERE DOES IT GO? AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT IT DOES. THIS IS WHERE IT GOES BECAUSE I HAD TO DO A DEEPER DIVE FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING FOR ME. SO I KNOW THAT THAT MAY BE NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE FOR EVERYBODY. 
          THE OTHER PIECE IS. I REMEMBER, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN BRT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR TENURE WITH US, THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF, OF DATA COLLECTING FROM OUR RIDERSHIP. I REMEMBER YOU GETTING ON THE BUSSES AND TALKING TO PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, ASSESSING THEIR NEEDS. HOW DOES A RESIDENT GO ABOUT SHARING INFORMATION WITH TRANSIT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST CALL OR EMAIL OR WE HAVE QR CODES ON ALL OF OUR BUSSES THAT ALLOW YOU TO SCAN IN AND COMMUNICATE BACK TO US. WE HAVE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK OPTIONS. WHEN YOU'RE UTILIZING SPIRIT, IT ACTUALLY HAS FOR OUR MICRO TRANSIT RIDERS, THEY ACTUALLY CAN RATE THAT AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK IMMEDIATELY THAT GOES INTO OUR SYSTEM. IT'S BEEN A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO USE WITH MCLENNAN COUNTY RURAL TRANSIT DISTRICT, BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY GET TO UTILIZE THAT SPARE. WHEN WE BRING THAT FEEDBACK TO THAT BOARD. WE ALSO DO PASSENGER SURVEYS WHEN OUR PARATRANSIT PEOPLE CALL IN ON A ADDITION TO THAT, WE RIDE THE BUSSES. ALL OF OUR. WE RIDE EVERY RIDE ALL THE TIME. WE TALK TO THE PASSENGERS. I DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I GO TALK TO THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. AND SO TELLING THE STORY IS SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO DO. WE ALSO HAVE THOSE FEEDBACK MECHANISMS. HOWEVER, I'M SURE WE'RE MISSING SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST TRY TO AS THEY SCHEDULE, WE TRY TO GET WHAT WE CAN FROM THEM THAT WAY. COOL. LAST. LASTLY, $4,000 PER BUS. CAN Y'ALL COME WITH ME TO BUY MY NEXT CAR? BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU, THAT'S ABOUT NETWORKING AND CONNECTION. LISTEN. THAT'S AMAZING. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. I THINK YOU'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED THIS, BUT IN LOOKING AT THE TRANSITION TO THE TMA, DO YOU HAVE A GUT SENSE SINCE IT'S SERVICE AND PERFORMANCE DATA DRIVEN, DO YOU HAVE A GUT SENSE AS TO HOW WE'D STACK UP NOW, OR IS THAT SORT OF WHAT YOU NEED THE SPARE DATA TO TELL YOU? YES, SIR. I NEED THAT DATA SET. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, IF WE GO PICK UP THE FOOTBALL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USING LITTLE CLICKERS OR CLICKERS SUBJECTIVE TO DID YOU REMEMBER THE CLICK OR AT THE END OF THE DAY ARE YOU THINKING I DIDN'T CLICK ANYTHING. SO CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK. YOU KNOW SO SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE THINGS THAT AREN'T JUST DEPENDENT ON HUMAN ERROR IS GOING TO BE IDEAL MILES, WHERE WE HAVE TO AUGMENT A ROUTE BECAUSE THERE'S CONSTRUCTION. 
          AND SO WE MAY LOSE THOSE MILES FOR FIXED ROUTE, BUT THE VEHICLE THAT WE SEND OUT, THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL MILES THAT WE BE ABLE TO USE FOR OUR REPORTING. AND SO IT'S THOSE SMALL LITTLE NUANCES THAT NOBODY THINKS ABOUT THAT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING ON EVERY VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SERVICE DELIVERY IN IN ORDER TO GET THOSE DOLLARS. I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT DATA IN THAT FORMAT? I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING TO LET YOU ESTIMATE, I ASSUME THE CLICKER DOESN'T WORK. DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY THAT GOES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. I'LL JUST SAY REALLY QUICKLY BEFORE I JUMP IN WITH THE QUESTION, THAT MY THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OR MY THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S FAVORITE PART OF ANY WEEK IS TAKING THE SHUTTLE FROM CITY HALL TO THE FOOTBALL STADIUM. 
          SHE LOVES THE BUSSES. ANYTIME WE DRIVE BY HERITAGE SQUARE, SHE ASKS WHERE THE BUSSES ARE. 
          SO WE HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THAT ASPECT OF IT. I HAVE A QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN ASKED IN THE PAST AND AND I I'VE NOT ASKED IT, BUT BETWEEN CITY AND WACO TRANSIT, IS THERE A WAY TO. 
          [02:00:03]
SUBSIDIZE OR. I WOULD IMAGINE THE REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE A DIGITAL OR CREDIT CARD PAYMENT OPTION ON THE BUS IS BECAUSE OF THE SURCHARGES INCLUDED WITH THAT. THAT WOULD REMOVE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THE THE FLAT RATE OF $1.50 THAT WE HAVE FOR RIDERSHIP. RIGHT. IF YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, SO WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THAT FEE. ABSOLUTELY. WE DON'T GENERATE ENOUGH FARES. 
          YEAH. THEN I'M IN THE NEGATIVE. AND THEN INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO USE THE FARES WE COLLECT WHEN WE'RE DOING A REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT, WHICH PULLS THOSE MONIES OUT BECAUSE WE USE IT LIKE A LOCAL MATCH. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. YEAH. REGARDLESS, YOU GOT TO PAY THAT COST EACH MONTH. WE ALSO INITIATED A SURVEY ABOUT ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS AGO WHERE WE WHERE WE GAUGED OUR RIDERS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IF IT WOULD BE IF WE INVESTED IN IT, IS IT SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO UTILIZE? EVERYONE THAT RESPONDED. WE WENT OUT ON THE BUSSES, WE TALKED TO THEM. 
          WE DON'T WANT THAT. WE DON'T WANT NO CARD. JUST JUST PAY MY DOLLAR, YOU KNOW. AND WE'RE REQUIRED OF UNDER TITLE SIX TO ALWAYS COLLECT CASH REGARDLESS. SO WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO HAVE THAT MECHANISM IN PLACE. AND SO WE KIND OF TOOK A TEST WITH THE STRIPE ON THE MICROTRANSIT. 
          YEAH. AND WE HAVE GOTTEN A GOOD RETURN. BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT POPULATION OF RIDER OFTENTIMES FOR SURE ON THAT MICROTRANSIT THAN YOU'RE LOOKING ON THAT FIXED ROUTE CIRCUIT. SO WITH SPARE COMING ALONG, STRIKE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THAT FIXED ROUTE SIDE. SO IT'S COMING IT'S HORIZON. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TABLETS. WE DIDN'T HAVE MDT TERMINALS IN ORDER TO EVEN HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO INVEST IN OUR SYSTEM, WHICH IS OUR FARE COLLECTION, THAT WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT 500 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THEN TO GET NEW FARE BOXES, I MEAN, IT'S OVER $40,000 FOR A NEW FARE BOX. SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TO LOOK AT A TAP AND GO WITH THE TABLET AND THE SPARE SYSTEM VERSUS, YOU KNOW, BUYING A WHOLE NEW FARE SYSTEM FOR SURE. THAT HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE, THE HARD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU PULL OUT. SO OUR HOPE IS THAT STRIPE WILL GIVE US, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DATA POINTS TO SUPPORT IF IT WOULD BE BEST TO MOVE FORWARD AND INVEST IN THAT SYSTEM. BUT IF YOU CAN SAVE COST AND STILL PROVIDE AN ENHANCED AMENITY, THEN THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU HAVE TO TAKE. YEAH, I THINK AND I THINK FROM A USER EXPERIENCE, I'D BE GREAT WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IPAD TAP AND GO SITUATION AS WELL. IF I HAVE TO PRE-LOAD SOMETHING, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, AN EASY WIN. AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER EMERSON AND I TALK ABOUT THIS FROM TIME TO TIME. IT'S ALWAYS SORT OF A CHICKEN OR THE EGG WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTMENT VERSUS RIDERSHIP. DO YOU, YOU KNOW, TRY TO DO YOU TAKE THE BET ON ON INVESTMENT ON THE FRONT END THAT IT'S GOING TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP? OR, YOU KNOW, YOU TRY TO GET RIDERSHIP INCREASE BEFORE YOU MAKE THE INVESTMENT. AND IT IS WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, A VERY FINITE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO PUT TOWARDS THIS, IT'S REALLY HARD TO, TO DETERMINE WHICH CHANCE TO TAKE THERE. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PHASED APPROACH YOU'RE TAKING INTO INCREASING THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE UTILIZING TO OPTIMIZE OUR BUS SYSTEM. I TOLD CITY MANAGER HOLTON DEPUTY CITY MANAGER EMERSON YESTERDAY, I I'LL BE TAKING THE BUS, I THINK FRIDAY, JUST ON MY NORMAL COMMUTE. I'VE GOT A MORNING FREE OF MEETINGS. AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO JUST HOP ON THERE AND SEE WHAT THIS THING'S ALL ABOUT. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. I THINK IT'S ROUTE 3VA TO COLCORD WILL STOP AT 36, THEN BOSQUE 1 OR 2. YEAH. SO COME JOIN ME IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO RIDE ON THE COLCORD ROUTE, WE'LL TRACK THAT MORNING AND LEGITIMATE, YOU KNOW, A PRO TO THIS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF LIKE, OH, THE BUS IS GOING TO TAKE ME LONGER TO GET TO WHERE I NEED TO GO. THERE'S WI-FI ON THE BUS AND I CAN'T BE ON MY PHONE OR ON MY LAPTOP RESPONSIBLY IN MY CAR. BUT IF I GOT 30 MINUTES ON THE BUS, I'M NOT FALLING BEHIND ON THE WAY TO THE OFFICE OR ON THE WAY TO THE END POINT, BECAUSE I CAN JUMP ON. AND WHAT'S THAT? YEAH. FOR SURE. YEAH, YEAH, FREQUENCY IS OUR PAY POINT, YOU KNOW. ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET TO INCREASE FREQUENCY. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE MORE APPEALING TO ALL, BUT WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME CREATIVE THINGS INCORPORATING TRAILS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. YEAH. TO KIND OF BRING IN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AS FAR AS PUBLIC TRANSIT GOES. AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD ON ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT WACO OFFERS TO SHOW THAT TRANSIT CAN BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, A BUS, BUT WHAT KIND OF VESSEL CAN IT ACTUALLY BE FOR CONNECTIONS, FOR SURE. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO. I BELIEVE THAT PROVIDING PUBLIC 
          [02:05:05]
TRANSPORTATION IS A IS A CORE MUNICIPAL SERVICE. THAT THAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR CITIZENS AS A CITY AND AS A COUNCIL. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND I SINCERELY APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT YOU'RE PUTTING IN TO PREPARING US AND POSITIONING US TO, TO GO AND, AND IMPROVE AS WE GEAR UP FOR WHAT OUR NEXT PHASE IS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, GUYS? GREAT PRESENTATION. I LOVE THE THE DATA AND THE GRAPHS AND IT MAKES IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND. THANKS FOR THANKS FOR PULLING ALL THAT TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US HAVE RIDDEN ON GREAT TRANSIT SYSTEMS LIKE DC, NEW YORK, ATLANTA, AND IT KIND OF. WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, I WAS ASPIRATIONAL. YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY TO TO DO THAT. BUT IT'S SUPER CHALLENGING. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ECONOMIES OF SCALE, THE THE POPULATION GROWTH. YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT. WHAT IN THE YEARS I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, JUST THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES WITH THIS UBER AND POINT TO POINT AND THE LAST MILE AND JUST GETTING TO YOUR DOORSTEP TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND THEN BACK. IT'S I MEAN, SERENA, YOU DO A GREAT JOB IN, IN JUGGLING ALL THOSE CHALLENGES AND HELPING US OUT. I APPRECIATE THAT. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THIS IS USUALLY FEDERALLY OR STATE FUNDED. SO THE CITY IS USUALLY COMING OUT FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15%, WHICH IS WHAT CHOOSE UP TO YOUR LITTLE CHART THERE. SO WE DO HAVE FUNDING HELP AS WE SOLVE THIS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. AND THEN I GUESS WE'RE ALL NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE THE TMA BECAUSE I THINK ON MPO, WE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE WE WANT TO GET TO THAT 200,000 SO WE CAN BE TMA. AND NOW IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE HAVE TO WRITE RIDERSHIP TO REALLY MAKE THAT WORK. SO I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR THE NEXT STEPS YOU'RE TAKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, THAT THE SCIENCE WORKS. THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. DEIDRE. AND THEN FINALLY, THAT 4000, I MIGHT, I WON'T WANT TO LIVE IN ONE OF THOSE THINGS. YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN GET ANOTHER ONE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT THAT'S GREAT WORK ON, ON FINDING THAT DEAL. BUT ANYWAY, AGAIN, THANKS. THANKS, SERENA AND DEIDRA FOR THE PRESENTATION. YES, SIR. OKAY. I THINK ANYTHING ELSE, CITY MANAGER HOLT? THAT'S ALL. 
          THAT'S IT. I DO. BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE NEW FORMAT IN THE. I STARTED READING THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AND I ABOUT FREAKED OUT BECAUSE IT WASN'T THE SAME. IT WASN'T THE SAME AS IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. IT'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. BUT I'M EMBRACING CHANGE AND IT LOOKS. IT LOOKS GREAT, EASY TO READ. BUT IS THIS PERMANENT NOW? IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE THIS. YES. OUR STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD ON THAT PROJECT. FANTASTIC. OKAY, WE WILL NOW GO TO THE LAST WORK SESSION ITEM UNDER THE NEW FORMAT. AND THIS IS A REQUEST FOR FUTURE ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED AND SCHEDULED IN UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. ANY REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WE DON'T HAVE ANY. SO WE WILL NOW RECESS THE WORK SESSION AND AT NOVEMBER 3RD, 2026 TO ORDER AT 
          [BUSINESS SESSION 6:00 P.M. - WACO CONVENTION CENTER BOSQUE THEATER]
6:01 P.M. ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT UP HERE TONIGHT. IT'S GREAT. FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE JOIN ME. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, THE FIRST ITEM TO CONSIDER IS THE 
          [CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA. THE CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES RESOLUTION 2026-752, OR ITEM 2026-752, AND THEN RESOLUTIONS 2026-753 THROUGH 765. IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? FAIRFIELD. YES. LOZANO. YES. CHASE. YES. COLE. YES. EWING. 
          [INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION]
YES. HOLMES. AYE. THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. AND THE FIRST ITEM WITHIN THAT SECTION IS ORDINANCE 2026-766. CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON COULD CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE FROM M1 OR M2 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO R2 TO FAMILY AND SINGLE ATTACHED SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY 0.3811 ACRES OF PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS LOT ONE, BLOCK 14 OF THE WIT EDITION, ADDRESSED AS 1328 HARRISON AVENUE AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES. THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE ON FIRST READING ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2026. IS THERE A MOTION? MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE SECOND READING. ANY DISCUSSION? 
          [02:10:04]
THIS IS THE REZONING AT 1328 HARRISON AVENUE. CITY SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? MR. FAIRFIELD. FAIRFIELD. YES. LOZANO. LOZANO. YES. CHASE. CHASE. YES. COLE. 
          YES. EWING. YES. HOME I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS ORDINANCE 2026-767. 
          CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO CHANGE THE LAND USE DESIGNATION FROM MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL OFFICE FLEX TO MIXED USE FLEX, AND TO REZONE FROM R1 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT TO C2 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY 2.148 ACRES OF PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS LOT TWO, BLOCK ONE OF THE CHRISTIE ADDITION, ADDRESSED AS 133116 ROBINSON DRIVE AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES. THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE ON FIRST READING ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2026. DO I HEAR A MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. MOTION IN A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? THIS IS A. BOTH. CHANGING THE LAND USE DESIGNATION AND REZONING OVER AT 3116. ROBINSON. CITY SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. 
          FAIRFIELD. FAIRFIELD. YES. LOZANO. LOZANO. YES. CHASE. YES. COLE. YES. EWING. YES. HOLMES. 
          I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS ORDINANCE 2026-76976876868. YES. SORRY. 
          768. GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF. CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON. YES, SIR. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE FROM C3 COMMERCIAL GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT TO C2 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY ONE ACRE OF PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS LOT FIVE, BLOCK ONE OF SALEM WAY. 
          ADDITION ADDRESSED AS 9516 CHINA SPRING ROAD AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES. THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE ON FIRST READING OCTOBER 20TH. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ON THE SECOND READING OF THIS ORDINANCE. ANY DISCUSSION? THIS IS BASICALLY REZONING THE PROPERTY AT 9516 CHINA SPRING ROAD. CITY SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. FAIRFIELD. YES. LOZANO. YES. 
          CHASE. YES. COLE. YES. EWING. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. THAT SOUNDED LIKE YOU THAT TIME. YOU KNOW, I KNOW HOW TO CHANGE MY VOICE SOMETIMES. ALL RIGHT. CAN WE SAY WHO DO WE HAVE HELPING US TONIGHT? THE. OVER HERE. SUPER JUNIOR'S ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY. OUR ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY. OUR NEWEST ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY. SHE'S GOING TO TELL YOU HER NAME AND HOW OLD SHE IS. MY NAME IS BEBE, AND I'M EIGHT. ALL RIGHT. DOING A GREAT JOB. 
          THERE WE GO. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS ORDINANCE 2026-769, CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON. MAYBE WE SHOULD READ THESE TWO. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE FROM R-2 TO FAMILY AND SINGLE AND ATTACHED SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT TO OH THREE OFFICE LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY 0.1894 ACRES OF PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS LOT EIGHT, BLOCK FOUR OF THE PROCTOR SPRINGS ADDITION ADDRESSED AS 2024 NORTH FOURTH STREET AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES. THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE ON FIRST READING ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2026. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THIS SECOND READING. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? BASICALLY, WE HAVE A REZONE AT 2024 NORTH FOURTH STREET. CITY SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? FAIRFIELD. YES. LOZANO. LOZANO. YES. CHASE. YES. COLE. COLE. YES. EWING. YES. HOLMES. 
          I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM IS ORDINANCE 2026-770. CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON. 
          CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE FROM R1 B SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT TO R3C MULTI MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY 3.6 ACRES OF PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS LOT ONE, BLOCK ONE OF F W FELLOWSHIP ADDITION ADDRESSED AS 2001 GURLEY LANE AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES. THIS ORDINANCE WAS PASSED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE ON FIRST READING ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2026. IS THERE A MOTION? MOVE FOR APPROVAL ON SECOND READING. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE SECOND READING. ANY DISCUSSION? THIS IS BASICALLY A REZONE OF 2001 GURLEY LANE. CITY SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? FAIRFIELD. YES. MISS. 
          LOZANO. YES. CHASE. CHASE. YES. COLE. YES. EWING. EWING. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. 
          [HEARING OF VISITORS]
          [02:15:05]
THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT IS THE HEARING OF VISITORS. DURING THE HEARING OF VISITORS SECTION OF THIS AGENDA, WE PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO PRESENT CONCERNS OR ADDRESS ISSUES THAT ARE NOT MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. THE COUNCIL IS UNABLE TO CONDUCT A DISCUSSION WITH YOU, BUT WE WILL LISTEN AND WE'LL ASK STAFF TO LOOK INTO CONCERNS AND WE'LL PROVIDE FOLLOW UP. PLEASE PROVIDE REGISTRATION INFORMATION SO THAT STAFF CAN CONTACT YOU IF NECESSARY. AND IF YOU HAVE HANDOUTS, PLEASE LET US KNOW AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION AND STAFF WILL DISTRIBUTE THOSE TO THE COUNCIL. IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO APPROACH THE PODIUM DUE TO PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, A MICROPHONE IS AVAILABLE TO BE BROUGHT TO YOU. WE DO HAVE SOME CARDS HERE TONIGHT WITH THE HANDOUTS ATTACHED, SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GETTING THAT TO US. BEFORE. WHEN CALLED TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. 
          EACH SPEAKER MUST LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. IF YOU ARE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A GROUP OF TEN OR MORE INDIVIDUALS PRESENT, PLEASE HAVE THOSE PERSONS STAND AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR COMMENTS AND YOU WILL BE GIVEN TEN MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU STAND IN SUPPORT OF THAT PERSON GETTING TEN MINUTES TO SPEAK, YOU'RE FORFEITING YOUR RIGHT TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM. FOR ANY PERSON ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL THROUGH THE USE OF A TRANSLATOR, THE SPEAKING TIME WILL BE DOUBLED TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRANSLATION SERVICES. WHILE PUBLIC DISCOURSE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN ORDER IN THE MEETING SO THAT ALL PERSONS MAY BE HEARD AND CITY BUSINESS CAN BE CONDUCTED. IF SO DIRECTED BY ME, THE SERGEANT AT ARMS SHALL REMOVE FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING ANY PERSON WHO, WHILE ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL OR WHILE ATTENDING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL REMARKS, IMPERTINENT OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS. ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS, OR ANY PERSON WHO MAKES UNAUTHORIZED REMARKS FROM THE AUDIENCE, CLAPS HER HANDS OR FEET, WHISTLES, YELLS, OR MAKES SIMILAR DEMONSTRATIONS. 
          WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT HERE TONIGHT. SO WE'LL START WITH WE GOT A COUPLE CARDS HERE. 
          AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE ATTACHMENTS. WE'LL START WITH. THE LAURIE LAMONT. 
          MISS LAMOND, AS YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS COUNCIL. THERE'S LITTLE LIGHTS ON THERE THAT'LL GO GREEN, YELLOW, RED. AT THREE MINUTES. SO GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          TODAY I TOOK A STRAY DOG TO PET CIRCLE. BEFORE I EVEN ENTERED THE FACILITY, A STAFF MEMBER CAME OUT AND SAID, LAURIE. I SAID YES. HE SAID, JENNY LOOPER, WHO IS ONE OF THE FOSTER COORDINATORS AND A STAFF MEMBER THERE. SO THERE ARE SOME DOGS INSIDE AND WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU CAN WAIT OUT HERE FOR A BIT. I SAID, SURE, I WAITED ALMOST 20 MINUTES AND THEN WENT AHEAD. 
          INSIDE, THERE WAS ONE DOG WITH A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHICH WAS JUST DRINKING FROM A WATER BOWL. 
          IF THAT DOG HAD POTENTIALLY BEEN AGGRESSIVE, THEY SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE PERSON WITHOUT DOG TO REMOVE THE DOG VERSUS MAKE THE PUBLIC WAIT OUTSIDE. THEY SCAN THE DOG. I BROUGHT IN FOR A MICROCHIP AND HE HAD ONE, WHICH WAS GREAT NEWS. INSTEAD OF ME GOING BACK TO INTAKE, THEY AGAIN ASKED ME TO WAIT. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, I DID GO BACK TO INTAKE AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO WAIT BECAUSE THEY HAD FOUND THE REGISTERED OWNER AND I THOUGHT, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME? FINALLY, JENNY LOOPER CAME BACK AND SAID, WE FOUND A MICROCHIP. 
          I SAID, YES, SHE SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO CONTACT THE OWNER. I SAID YES. I SAID, I'M HERE TO BRING THE DOG TO INTAKE. THAT'S FOR YOU GUYS TO HANDLE. SHE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THEM BEING PRETTY FULL AND IF THEY IN TOOK THE DOG THEY MAY HAVE TO EUTHANIZE ONE. I SAID, YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY THAT TO THE PUBLIC. SHE THEN I AND I THOUGHT, HOW DARE THEY TRY TO GUILT THE GOOD SAMARITAN WHO ALREADY DID THE RIGHT THING BY GETTING A DOG OUT OF HARM'S WAY AND OFF THE STREET INTO GUILTING THEM WITH LEAVING WITH THE DOG. JENNY THEN GOT VERY UPSET. THIS WAS JUST TODAY SAID, I'M NOT DOING THIS. WALKED OUT AND SLAMMED THE DOOR. RATHER THAN TREATING THE PUBLIC WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT, THE PUBLIC IS FEELING DEMORALIZED. 
          PET CIRCLE ALSO STATES THAT A GOOD SAMARITAN HAS UP TO TWO WEEKS TO HAVE THE DOG IN THEIR POSSESSION, WHILE POTENTIALLY LOOKING FOR THE OWNER UNTIL THE DOG IS CONSIDERED THEIR LEGAL PROPERTY. WHEN THIS BECOMES THE CASE, THEY THEN HAVE TO WAIT 4 TO 6 MONTHS FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN OWNER. SURRENDER. RECENTLY, I'VE HAD PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT THEY'RE NOW SAYING IT'S THREE DAYS. WHICH IS IT? OOPS. WE'RE NOT ASKING ANYONE TO PERFORM MIRACLES. 
          WE'RE ASKING THE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED WITH THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNICATE, LEAD AND TREAT THE COMMUNITY WITH RESPECT. SO MY QUESTION TO THE COUNCIL IS SIMPLE. WHAT 
          [02:20:02]
SPECIFIC ACTIONS WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE TO ADDRESS THESE COMPLAINTS, AND WHEN CAN THE PUBLIC EXPECT ANSWERS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MISS LAMONT. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT. NEXT UP IS KEN WILLITS. KEN, THERE YOU ARE. KEN. AS YOU GET TO THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS COUNCIL. MR. WILLETTS, GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. KEN WILLITS FOUR THREE, TWO FOUR SHADY GLEN DRIVE, DISTRICT FIVE, THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE CITY. I WILL STILL SAY THAT, MAYOR HOLMES, YOU RECENTLY GAVE A GREAT STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS AT THE BAYLOR CLUB. I LISTENED TO IT MANY TIMES. MY COMMENTS ARE NOT AN ATTACK ON YOU OR YOUR WORDS, BUT JUST IDENTIFYING A FEW MAJOR CONCERNS WITH THE CITY. ALLOW ME TO RECAP A FEW STATEMENTS YOU MADE DURING THE SPEECH. STATEMENT NUMBER ONE A THRIVING CITY IS MEASURED BY HOW PEOPLE LIVE. I AGREE. HOW WOULD CITY COUNCIL MEASURE THIS? LOUISVILLE SLUGGER THAT THIS LADY CARRIES WHEN SHE GOES OUTSIDE OF HER HOUSE ON HER OWN PROPERTY. STATEMENT NUMBER TWO. 
          A BASIC NECESSITY OF OUR CITY IS HAVING OUR RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE. OUR RESIDENTS CANNOT FEEL SAFE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WALKING THEIR DOGS OR ALLOWING THEIR KIDS TO PLAY ON THEIR STREETS. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF STRAY DOGS. STATEMENT NUMBER THREE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THAT WOULD ADD OVER 4000 NEW HOMES AND MULTIFAMILY UNITS. HOW MANY STRAY DOGS AND CATS WILL THAT ADD TO THE STREETS OF WACO? THAT MUST BE MANAGED BY THE UNDERSTAFFED ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS AT PET CIRCLE. STATEMENT NUMBER FOUR. I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST THESE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WILL BE EASY. YOU QUOTED JOHN KENNEDY. WE CHOOSE THESE THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE HARD AND WE WILL ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE. THE STRAY DOGS AND CATS ISSUE IS A HARD ISSUE, AND WE ASK THAT THE CITY ACCEPTS THAT CHALLENGE. STATEMENT NUMBER FIVE, IN YOUR TIME ON CITY COUNCIL, WACO HAS ATTRACTED 4000 NEW JOBS. THE GREATEST VALUE LIES IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO FIND A HOME THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS. THEIR NEEDS INCLUDE STREETS FREE OF STRAY DOGS AND CATS SO THEY CAN ENJOY THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY SHOULD NOT NEED THAT LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FEELING SAFE OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME, ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY. 
          THE LAST STATEMENT WE WELCOME ACCOUNTABILITY. THE CITIZENS OF WACO ARE ASKING THAT THE CITY TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE STRAY DOG ISSUE AND ALLOW THE CITIZENS OF WACO TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO HELP FIND RESOLUTIONS. MEET US AT THE ROUND TABLE AND HAVE THAT OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION WITH NO FINGER POINTING, NO PUTTING BLAME, JUST IDENTIFYING THE UNDERLYING PROBLEMS AND COLLECTIVELY COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT THE CITY. 
          WHEN I ASKED THIS LADY IF I COULD TAKE A PICTURE AND PRESENT IT TO CITY COUNCIL, I SAID, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TELL CITY COUNCIL? SHE SAID, ASK THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE STRAY DOGS SO I DON'T HAVE TO BOP ANOTHER OF GOD'S CREATURES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANKS, KEN. APPRECIATE IT, MR. WILSON. OUR NEXT CARD IS FROM BRIANNA MILLER. MISS MILLER, THERE YOU ARE IN THE FRONT ROW. ALL RIGHT, BRIANNA, WHEN YOU GET TO THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO TALK TO COUNCIL. MY NAME IS BRIANNA MILLER. I LIVE ON 114 YORK. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, NOT JUST AS AN ANIMAL ADVOCATE, BUT AS A CONCERNED MEMBER OF A COMMUNITY THAT IS WITNESSING THE HEARTBREAKING CONSEQUENCES OF ANIMAL ABANDONMENT AND ABUSE AND NEGLECT. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO WAIT UNTIL ANIMALS ARE SUFFERING. RESCUES ARE OVERWHELMED, AND CONCERNED CITIZENS ARE LEFT DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS BEFORE WE DECIDE TO ACT. ANIMAL WELFARE SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS A CRISIS WE RESPOND TO ONLY AFTER IT HAPPENS. IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING OUR CITY ACTIVELY PREPARES FOR. WE NEED TO LOOK AHEAD. WE NEED STRONGER PREVENTION EFFORTS, BETTER ENFORCEMENT, MORE ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES FOR STRUGGLING PET OWNERS, AND A PLAN THAT SUPPORTS OUR ANIMAL SHELTERS, LOCAL RESCUES, AND THE CITIZENS WHO ARE STEPPING IN WHEN THERE IS NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN. BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, COMPASSION ALONE CANNOT SUSTAIN A SYSTEM THAT LACKS PREPARATION. EVERY ABANDONED ANIMAL REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE INTERVENTION COULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. EVERY OVERWHELMED RESCUE IS A REMINDER THAT WE CANNOT CONTINUE PLACING THIS RESPONSIBILITY ON THE SHOULDERS OF VOLUNTEERS ALONE. I'M NOT HERE SIMPLY TO POINT OUT PROBLEMS. I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE WACO HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A CITY THAT LEADS BY AN EXAMPLE. OUR GOAL SHOULD NOT BE TO BECOME BETTER AT RESPONDING TO ANIMAL SUFFERING. OUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO PREVENT AS MUCH OF THAT SUFFERING AS POSSIBLE. THESE ANIMALS CANNOT STAND BEFORE YOU AND ASK. ASK 
          [02:25:04]
FOR CHANGE. BUT WE CAN. AND TONIGHT I'M ASKING THAT WE START PLANNING THEIR FUTURE INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO REACT TO THEIR SUFFERING. I HAVE SOME PACKETS THAT I MADE, BUT I DIDN'T MAKE ENOUGH. I ONLY MADE THREE AND I SENT IN A PDF LIKE GOOGLE SLIDES OF ALL THE ANIMALS THAT ME AND SOME RESCUERS HAVE HAD OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND PERSONALLY FOR, BUT THERE'S LIKE SOME CONTACT INFORMATION. AND I JUST BASICALLY HAD IT SAID, AND IT SAYS THAT IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO US FOR ANY IDEAS AND STUFF, AND BASICALLY I JUST WANT US TO START WORKING TOGETHER. I MEAN, NO CHANGE CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT US ALL WORKING TOGETHER. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANKS, MISS MILLER. APPRECIATE IT. MISS SECRETARY HICKS, DID WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM MISS MILLER? JUST MAKE SURE IT GETS DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF US. 
          WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK IT. MAYOR. YES. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TINA WILSON. MISS WILSON, RIGHT IN FRONT ROW. GREAT. AS YOU GET TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. AND THEN THREE MINUTES. OKAY. TINA WILSON, AND MY ADDRESS IS 4005 BRAVO RANCH ROAD, WACO, TEXAS, 76705. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WANT TO BRING SOMETHING TO YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD CONCERN EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM. SINCE WHEN DID SHOWING COMPASSION FOR A STARVING ANIMAL BECOME A PUNISHMENT? WHEN CITIZENS CALL OUR CITY SHELTER ABOUT A STRAY ANIMAL, THEY'RE OFTEN TOLD THE SAME THING WERE FULL. WELL, OF COURSE YOU'RE FULL. SHELTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FULL. 
          THAT IS NOT NEWS, AND IT CERTAINLY ISN'T A SOLUTION. BUT HERE'S WHAT CONCERNS ME THE MOST. INSTEAD OF OFFERING GUIDANCE EXPLAINING AVAILABLE RESOURCES, OR INFORMING CALLERS ABOUT THE SHELTERS 1 TO 4 INTAKE HOURS, THEY'RE SIMPLY TOLD WE'RE FULL. AND THEN SOMETHING EVEN MORE TROUBLING HAPPENS. A GOOD SAMARITAN CALLS ABOUT A STRAY DOG. MAYBE THEY'VE BEEN FEEDING THE DOG FOR THREE DAYS, MAYBE TEN. MAYBE THEY SIMPLY COULDN'T BEAR TO WATCH ANOTHER ANIMAL STARVE. AND WHEN THEY MENTIONED THERE HAVE BEEN FEEDING IT, THEY'RE TOLD, WELL, NOW YOU'RE THE OWNER. EXCUSE ME, WHERE IS THAT LAW OF SHOWING COMPASSION? WHERE IS THAT ORDINANCE? AND WHO DECIDED THAT FEEDING A STARVING ANIMAL MAKES YOU LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR OWNING IT? IF SUCH A LAW OR ORDINANCE EXISTS, I WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL TO IDENTIFY IT PUBLICLY. AND IF THIS IS A SIMPLE AND INTERNAL POLICY OR INTERPRETATION, THEN IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE SENDING. WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO BE KIND, TO SHOW COMPASSION, TO HELP THOSE THAT CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES THE INNOCENT. YET WHEN A CITIZEN DOES EXACTLY THAT, FEEDS A HUNGRY ANIMAL, OR PROVIDES WATER AND CALLS THE VERY SHELTER THAT THEIR TAX DOLLARS SUPPORT, THEY'RE POTENTIALLY PUNISHED FOR THEIR KINDNESS. 
          THESE GOOD SAMARITANS AREN'T NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PET YET ALREADY HAVE SEVERAL ANIMALS. SOME CAN AFFORD VETERINARIAN CARE OR ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED. THEY ARE NOT CALLING TO SURRENDER THEIR OWN ANIMAL. THEY'RE CALLING BECAUSE THEY FOUND AN ANIMAL THAT NEEDS HELP. AND INSTEAD OF FINDING SUPPORT, THEY'RE FINDING ROADBLOCKS. MANY CITIZENS ARE FEELING DEFEATED, FRUSTRATED, AND ABANDONED BY THE VERY SYSTEM THAT'S SUPPOSED TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY. AND LET ME BE CLEAR, THIS ISN'T JUST AN ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUE. IT'S A COMMUNITY SERVICE ISSUE. IT'S A LEADERSHIP ISSUE, AND IT'S A COMPASSION ISSUE. SO TONIGHT, I AM HUMBLY ASKING FOR THREE THINGS. FIRST, PLEASE PROVIDE EVERY CALLER WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT INTAKE HOURS, AVAILABLE RESOURCES, AND WHAT STEPS THEY CAN TAKE TO HELP A STRAY ANIMAL. SECOND, CLARIFY IN WRITING THE ACTUAL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DETERMINING OWNER DETERMINING OWNERSHIP OF A STRAY ANIMAL. OKAY, CAN YOU JUST TELL ME YOUR THIRD ONE RIGHT QUICK, REALLY, REALLY QUICK. SORRY. THIRD, ESTABLISH A CLEAR, COMPASSIONATE PROCESS FOR HELPING GOOD SAMARITAN INSTEAD OF DISCOURAGING THEM. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MISS WILSON. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. OKAY, NOW WE GO TO WE'VE GOT ONE CARD AND WE HAVE TEN PEOPLE SCOTT SPRINGER, MR. SPRINGER, AND WE HAVE YOU'RE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF TEN OF MY CARDS. TELL ME AND YOU'LL HAVE TEN MINUTES TO SPEAK. BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, MR. SPRINGER, WE ASK THE GROUP OF TEN TO PLEASE STAND. I THINK WE'VE GOT MORE THAN TEN. ALL RIGHT, I THINK THAT'S YEAH. THAT'S TEN. ALL RIGHT. APPRECIATE APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE TONIGHT. OKAY, SCOTT WE'LL GET STARTED. WE HAVE THE NEW TIMER PUT ON. OKAY. 
          GOOD. MR. SPRINGER, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TEN 
          [02:30:05]
MINUTES. MY NAME IS SCOTT SPRINGER. I'M HERE REPRESENTING LATE MODEL RESTORATION SUPPLY INCORPORATED. WE'RE HEADQUARTERED OUT OF 7901 PANTHER WAY. BUT WE ALSO WORK OUT OF 7911 PANTHER WAY. I CAN TELL YOU, ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT CAME TONIGHT, THEY FOUND OUT TODAY THAT I WAS DOING THIS. SO I'M HUMBLED THAT THEY'RE ALL STANDING BEHIND ME TODAY. BUT I'M NOT SURPRISED ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE STOOD IN SOLIDARITY FOR OUR COMPANY. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SUMMER. WE'VE HAD A WE'VE HAD A LONG SUMMER BEGINNING WITH. ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, WE HAD A FIRE SUPPRESSION PIPE THAT SUDDENLY RUPTURED AND FLOODED OUR 7901 PANTHER WAY BUILDING. AND IN THE RECOVERY OF THAT, WE MOVED A LOT OF OUR STAFF FROM THAT 7901 FACILITY OVER TO 7911. AND LO AND BEHOLD, THREE WEEKS LATER, WE'RE HIT WITH THE FLOOD WATERS FROM THE 614 JUNE 14TH FLOODS THAT AFFECTED OUR AREA IN WEST WACO. SO I'M VERY. 
          PROUD OF THIS GROUP. YOU KNOW, THANKFUL FOR THIS GROUP FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. I'M HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF OUR COMPANY. AND IT'S NEARLY 100 STAFF MEMBERS AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS. ON JUNE 14TH, SEVERE LOCALIZED FLOODING OVERFLOWED FLAT CREEK, WHICH IS THE NEIGHBORING CREEK THAT ACCEPTS THE RUNOFF FROM THAT AREA AND DIRECTLY CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL PHYSICAL PROPERTY DAMAGE TO PANTHER TO BOTH OF OUR PANTHER WAY BUILDINGS. THIS INCLUDES DAMAGE TO FACILITIES, INVENTORY OF GOODS AND BUSINESS EQUIPMENT. WHEN THIS SEVERE FLOOD HIT, WE FACED A TOTAL OPERATIONAL SHUTDOWN THAT THREATENED THE IMMEDIATE LIVELIHOODS OF OUR WORKERS. DUE TO THE HARD WORK OF OUR STAFF, OUR FACILITY ONLY FORCED TO CLOSE FOR ONE SINGLE DAY. I WANT TO BE ENTIRELY CLEAR THAT THE MINIMAL DOWNTIME WAS NOT A CREDIT TO THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. IT WAS ACHIEVED SOLELY THROUGH THE HEROIC, EXHAUSTIVE PHYSICAL EFFORTS OF OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE. OUR EMPLOYEES STOOD ON THAT LINE, FOUGHT BACK THE WATER AND CLEARED THE DAMAGE. BECAUSE OF THEIR FIERCE COMMITMENT TO THE COMPANY AND TO PROVIDING FOR THEIR FAMILIES. WE'RE STILL RECOVERING AND FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THESE EVENTS DAILY. WHILE WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF OUR TEAM, IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY UNJUST TO EXPECT THEM TO TO CONTINUOUSLY RISK THEIR SAFETY AND PERFORM EMERGENCY REMEDIATION TO COMPENSATE FOR A FAILING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT WE'RE NOT HERE TODAY TO COMPLAIN. WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT AN IMMEDIATE, FULLY FUNDED FEDERAL SOLUTION, THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE $92 MILLION MITIGATION REALLOCATION PROGRAM, WHICH FUNDS LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BETWEEN TWO AND A HALF AND $10 MILLION. 
          WE'RE FACING AN ESCALATING STRUCTURAL CRISIS. THE MUNICIPAL STORM AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVING OUR COMMERCIAL ZONE IS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF HANDLING INCREASING AND UNPREDICTABLE RAIN EVENTS. THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES THAT MUST FLOW INTO FLAT CREEK, WITH THEIR SUBSEQUENT SUBSEQUENT RUNOFF, HAVE ADDED TO THIS RISK. 
          ITS TOLL HAS BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE AND RISK BECOMES TOO LARGE. BY UTILIZING THESE FUNDS, THE CITY CAN EXECUTE A PROJECT WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY THAT CAN PROTECT A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR LOCAL ECONOMIC ENGINE AND ITS NEIGHBORS, SAFEGUARD THE MUNICIPAL TAX BASE AND ENSURE THAT VITAL WORKFORCE REMAINS SAFE AND THRIVING. THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE PROGRAM. IT MUST BE INTRODUCED OR MUST BE APPLIED FOR BY. BY GOVERNMENT. THE GLO REQUIRES THE TIGER ACCESS FORM BY NOVEMBER 11TH, AND THE FINAL PROJECT CALL CLOSES ON NOVEMBER 18TH. I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HOW THE CITY MAY BE OF ASSISTANCE IN THIS PROGRAM. WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY ALONG WITH OUR THE OWNER OF THE BUILDINGS TO FIND SOLUTIONS. THIS LED HIM TO MEET WITH SOME CITY OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS REACH OUT TO THE HEART OF TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, WHO HAS ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. WE NEED HELP. WE MUST FIND THE SOLUTION THAT WILL PRESERVE OUR 
          [02:35:09]
ORGANIZATION AND ITS STAFF. WE URGENTLY REQUEST A MEETING WITH THE MANAGER'S OFFICE AND PUBLIC WORKS LEADERSHIP TO FAST TRACK THIS APPLICATION, AS WELL AS TO EXPLORE ITS RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF THIS PROGRAM THAT MAY SAFEGUARD THE STAFF AND PROPERTY OF A 27 YEAR LOCAL EMPLOYER AND ITS FAMILIES. OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHO LATE MODEL RESTORATION SUPPLY IS, WE'RE PRETTY SIMPLE. WE SELL MUSTANG PARTS FOR THE MOST PART. YOU KNOW, WE WE SERVICE AFTERMARKET AND REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR MUSTANGS AND OTHER FORD VEHICLES. WE HAVE AN ONLINE PRESENCE. AND IN AN INDUSTRY. 
          FAIR SHARE OF THE PIE, WE'RE WE'RE GOOD TO OUR CUSTOMERS. WE ARE OUR CUSTOMERS. WE. AND WE HAVE A TEAM THAT THAT SHARES THE SAME INTEREST IN EXCITEMENT THAT THEY DO ABOUT THEIR HOBBY AND, AND PRESERVING THEIR VEHICLES. WE SHIP NATIONWIDE AGAIN. WE EMPLOY NEARLY 100 PEOPLE IN ALL THEIR FAMILIES. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY IS ONLY A SAMPLE. AND OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE. WE'RE COMPANY BUILT OF AUTOMOTIVE ENTHUSIASTS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING A QUALITY, QUALITY, SOLUTION BASED PRODUCTS, ALL BACKED BY A DEEP PASSION FOR DELIVERING THE BEST CUSTOM OR BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY. WE STAND BY THAT EVERY DAY. WE WORK HARD, BEEN HERE FOR 27 YEARS. A LOT OF THESE GUYS THAT YOU SEE OUT HERE IN HAVE HAVE WORKED FOR US FOR MANY YEARS. WE HAVE A VERY LONG TENURE AND A VERY YOUNG STAFF. BUT, BUT WE'RE IN A WE'RE IN A BIND. WE'VE WE'VE HAD ALL OF THESE IN THE TEN YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN AT THIS THESE TWO PANTHER WAY LOCATIONS ARE NEARLY NEARLY TEN YEARS. 
          THE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT UPSTREAM FROM US HAS JUST BEEN HUGE. AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PUSHED MORE AND MORE THAT RUNOFF DOWN TO OUR BASIN THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS CREEK. 
          THIS THIS FLOOD THAT OCCURRED IN JUNE, IT DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE THE VALUE OF THE BUILDINGS AND OUR ABILITY TO, TO RELOCATE. SO WE'RE ASKING FROM THE HELP FROM THE CITY IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. IF NOT THIS GLO OPTION, THEN THEN WHAT, WHAT COULD THE OPTIONS BE? AND WE'RE WELCOME TO, TO FURTHER THE CONVERSATION AND, AND HAVE A MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE. TOGETHER. I THINK WE CAN PROTECT WACO JOBS AND THESE FAMILIES THAT YOU SEE SITTING OUT HERE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SPRINGER. APPRECIATE YOU. YEAH. SMALL BUSINESS BACKBONE OF OUR CITY. AND WE HAVE WE HAVE THE HANDOUT ALSO THAT FOLLOWED YOUR YOUR WORDS. CAN WE WE CAN HAVE SOMEBODY FOLLOW UP WITH WITH YOU GUYS. WE'VE GOT PUBLIC WORKS WORKING ON IT RIGHT? YEAH. ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE IT, MR. OLSON? MR. OLSON IN THE BACK. 
          JUST AT LEAST GET SOME DIALOG GOING. I APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT. I ALSO HAVE TO SAY THAT OUR CITY MANAGER'S FIRST CAR WAS A 64.5 MUSTANG, SO HE'S GOT SOME VESTED INTEREST IN THIS THING. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, EVERYBODY, FOR BEING HERE. THAT'S ALL THE CARDS I HAVE TONIGHT. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK AT THE HEARING VISITORS TONIGHT? ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. THIS HELPS. COUNCIL. THE NEXT ITEM OF 
          [COUNCIL REPORTS AND REQUESTS FOR SCHEDULING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
BUSINESS IS ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? I SEE A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING. OH, YEAH. SO WAS IT LAST WEEK? LAST WEEK WE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOWN TO THE WOODLANDS TO CELEBRATE OUR VERY OWN MICHELLE HICKS, AS SHE WAS INDUCTED AS THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL CLERKS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT. SO WE WERE SUPER EXCITED. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER LOZANO AND I WERE ABLE TO GO DOWN AND CHEER HER ON. WE ALSO GOT TO RECOGNIZE FORMER CITY SECRETARY PATRICIA IRVIN AS A LIFETIME WITH A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. MAMA TRISH SERVED AS CITY SECRETARY DURING MY MOM'S TENURE ON COUNCIL, AND THEN SHE HAS COME OUT OF RETIREMENT ABOUT 55 TIMES IN VARIOUS CITIES AROUND THE THIS THIS AREA AND REGION BECAUSE SHE IS JUST A GEM AND JEWEL. SO WE'RE WE WERE HONORED TO CELEBRATE 
          [02:40:05]
AND CELEBRATE MICHELLE AND RECOGNIZE MAMA. TRISH WAS THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL CLERKS ASSOCIATION, AWARE OF CITY SECRETARY HICKS CHILD LABOR PRACTICES THAT SHE. LISTEN. I WOULD LISTEN AFTER REPORT. IT IS NOT TONIGHT THAT IS VOLUNTEERISM HAS NO AGE. AND SO YOU KNOW BEBE HAS BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR NOW. AND SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP THAT WAGON ON THE ON THE TRAIN. OKAY. BUT WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE BEBE HERE WITH US. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? AND SHOUT OUT TO HER PARENTS. YEAH. THANKS. CONGRATS AGAIN. THAT'S HAPPENED. ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE'RE WE'RE PRETTY NEAR THE RECORDS BUILDING. IF YOU HAVEN'T VOTED YET, YOU GOT ABOUT A HALF HOUR TO GET OVER THERE AND DO SO. 26 MINUTES TO GO VOTE TODAY'S ELECTION DAY. THAT'S CORRECT. TWO QUICK SHOUT OUTS. I DID THE NO PROCLAMATION TONIGHT BECAUSE I WENT TO MUNICIPAL COURT AND DID A PROCLAMATION THIS MORNING FOR MUNICIPAL COURT WEEK WITH BOBBY GARCIA, JUDGE GARCIA AND ALL HIS STAFF. THAT WAS GREAT. 
          WE GOT A GREAT, GREAT TEAM OVER THERE. AND THEN JUST A SHOUT OUT TO JONATHAN COOK OUT THERE. 
          I SEE WE DID OUR RIBBON CUTTING OUT AT CHAPEL HILL PARK LAST WEEK. IT LOOKS GREAT. IT'S EVERYTHING'S BIGGER AND BETTER AND BRIGHTER. APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. 
          ANYTHING ELSE, GEORGE? NEXT WEEK? NOTHING TODAY. JIM. NOTHING. NOTHING. JORDAN. OKAY. 
          ANY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR SCHEDULING A FUTURE AGENDA? ITEMS. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.