[00:00:01]
I WANT YOU TO SAY.WHAT TIME IS IT? GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
I'M GONNA CALL THIS WORKSHOP MEETING TO ORDER.
[1. PUBLIC FORUM]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE PUBLIC FORUM.THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY ABOUT ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT STRATEGIC PLANNING.
SO THE FIRST PERSON ON THE LIST IS MR. LARRY PARKS.
I'M GONNA, UH, RELINQUISH MY MICROPHONES.
HE'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE SHOOTING THIS TOO.
DEBORAH, DO YOU WANNA ARE YOU ARE? DID YOU WANNA SPEAK? YEAH, SORRY.
LARRY, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? I REALLY DIDN'T.
IT'LL BE THE EASIEST THING I DO ALL DAY.
WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE, FELICIA? ONE MORE CALL.
I CAN'T SEE WITH MY GLASSES ON OVER THERE.
USE THE PODIUM IF THEY LIKE, WE'RE ALL SET UP, SO, YEAH.
THEY TELL US THAT THERE'S HERE.
MA'AM, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
JUST SIGNING, SIGNING IN IS SO, YES.
SO, TOM KULA, WHERE'S GENERAL KULA? THERE YOU ARE, SIR.
DID YOU WANNA SPEAK AT PUBLIC? COMMENT? ALRIGHT, WELL, COME ON.
THEY, THEY SAID THE PODIUM'S UP AND WORKING.
SO, AND MY NAME IS, UH, TOM KULA, KULA, LIVE AT 2179 PORTOFINO, THAT'S RIGHT THERE AT THE HARBOR.
THE ARMY BROUGHT ME HERE AFTER 32 YEARS, AND THEN I HAD A WONDERFUL CAREER SIX YEARS WITH NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
UH, THE TEAM BROUGHT TOGETHER A HOST OF, UH, EXPERIENCE INDIVIDUALS THAT REALLY HAS PRODUCED A WONDERFUL PRODUCT TO, UP TO, TO THIS POINT.
AND I'M GOOD WITH THE, THE, THE, THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, FOR THE GOAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE, THERE IS A POINT THERE ABOUT A CONSORTIUM TO WORK WITH NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT FOR WATER NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE FOR OUR AREA.
BUT I THINK WHAT IS MISSING IN THAT PARTICULAR GOAL, AND WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO WORK IT IN, AND THAT WOULD BE WATER CONSERVATION.
WE'VE GOT HEATH WHO'S FACING CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW TO GET ADDITIONAL WATER.
ALL OF US IN THE NORTH TEXAS REGION ARE GONNA FACE WATER NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE.
AND IF WE DON'T START ADDRESSING EDUCATING, INFORMING, SETTING GOALS ACROSS THE COUNTY FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND LET THAT SPREAD OUT TO THE OTHER COUNTIES AND MEMBER CITIES, UH, IN THE REGION, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER DROUGHT AND WE'RE GONNA BE IN A VERY DIFFICULT TIME UNLESS WE START ADDRESSING THAT RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW THE CITIES LOVE TO GET THE PROCEEDS THAT COME IN WITH THE WATER BILLS, BUT IF WE'RE NOT CONSERVING LIKE RIGHT NOW AND ADDRESSING AND EMPHASIZING THAT WHEN WE REALLY NEED THAT WATER, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THERE FOR US.
AND THAT IS SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY OF THE REGION, NORTH TEXAS.
AND WE, THE COUNTY, WE CAN BE LEADERS, WE CAN BE LEADERS, OTHER MEMBER CITIES ARE OUT THERE, UH, PART OF NORTH TEXAS AT OUR LEADERS IN WATER CONSERVATION.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE EMPHASIZE IT ENOUGH WITHIN THIS COUNTY, WITHIN OUR CITIES, AND IT'S REALLY TIME TO DO THAT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PROMOTE FINDING A WAY TO PUT THAT RIGHT UP FRONT AS ONE OF THE GOALS, UH, AS, AS ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES WITHIN THE GOALS FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UH, ITEM NUMBER.
ZACHARY, DID YOU WANT? NO, SIR.
ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO ADDRESS THE, THE WORKING GROUP ON ANY COUNTY MATTERS?
[2. Discussion of Rockwall County Strategic Planning 2050 - Operating Initiatives presentation by Consultant Baker-Tilly, and all related issues; (Commissioner Macalik)]
NO.WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
WE'RE DISCUSS ROCKWELL COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN, 2050 OPERATING INITIATIVES PRESENTATION BY CONSULTANT BAKER TILLY, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
AND I'LL RELINQUISH THE MICROPHONE.
I'M A DIRECTOR WITH BAKER TILLY.
I AM A CONSULTING MANAGER WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PRACTICE WITH BAKER TILLY AS WELL.
ONE QUICK STATEMENT I WANNA MAKE IS WE HAVE NEW AUDIO
[00:05:01]
RECORDING EQUIPMENT, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING INTO A MICROPHONE THAT'S ON, YOU ARE VERY LIKELY BEING RECORDED.AND NEXT I WILL HAND IT OVER TO MARK AS I BELIEVE HE HAD A FEW COMMENTS TO MAKE BEFORE WE GET INTO THE FACILITATION.
SO I'M MARK KIPI, UM, WORKING WITH, UH, TO HELP FACILITATE THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
AND JUST A COUPLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
UH, THE FIRST IS OPEN MEETINGS ACT COMPLIANCE.
SO THE FIRST TIME YOU SPEAK, THEY, THIS IS RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU SPEAK FOR THE FIRST TIME, ANNOUNCE YOUR NAME, UH, AND WHO YOU'RE REPRESENTING.
AND THAT WAY IT, IT WILL BE RECORDED AND, UH, JENNIFER WILL BE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
UH, IT MAKES OUR JOB A LITTLE EASIER.
UM, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT THE JUDGE SAID.
IS EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM'S GONNA BE PICKED UP ON MICS, INCLUDING THE AUDIENCE.
SO JUST AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT IN, UH, IN CONTEXT OF, UH, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND TODAY'S AN IMPORTANT DAY BECAUSE TODAY IS GONNA BE THE CULMINATION OF 30 MONTHS OF WORK.
UH, IT STEPS US TO A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN THE JOURNEY TO CREATE A PLAN IN THAT WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH, UH, A SERIES OF OPERATING INITIATIVES, CONCEPTS THAT WILL BE UTILIZED TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN.
AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE, UH, WHEN WE STARTED THIS, THERE'S REALLY TWO PRIMARY PURPOSES AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN.
FIRST IS THERE'S A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE HAVE BELIEVE IN HERE IN ROCKWELL COUNTY.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE WALK INTO THE FUTURE, THAT WE PRESERVE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, WHICH HAS IMPLICATIONS THAT GO ACROSS OUR ECONOMIC HEALTH, OUR QUESTIONS OF DENSITY AND OPEN SPACES, THE CULTURE, OUR HERITAGE, OUR HISTORY.
UH, AND OF COURSE, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE OUT THE CRITICAL CAPABILITY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FACTOR WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTY, WHICH IS OUR HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS, BOTH, UH, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THE OTHER IS THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
AS WE TRANSITION AND MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, OUR TYPE OF OPERATIONS, HOW WE CAN BECOME MORE CUSTOMER FOCUSED, MORE PUBLIC FACING, UH, AND ALSO AS A RESULT OF THAT, BE MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR, IN OUR OPERATIONS.
UH, SO WE HAVE HOLD GOOD VALUE FOR TAXPAYER AGAINST ALL ACTIVITIES.
SO I WANNA WELCOME BAKER TILL WHO'S BEEN PARTNERED WITH US IN THIS PROCESS.
THEY'RE GONNA DO SOME INTRODUCTIONS, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE MEAT OF THE WORK SESSION.
UM, FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE, UH, IN THE PORTION YOU'LL BE, UH, KEY PARTICIPANTS.
AND I ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION THROUGHOUT THIS.
YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT 'CAUSE EACH OF YOU'RE SELECTED FORBEARING REASONS.
HAVING LED SUBGROUPS AS WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS FOR THE CSC MEMBERS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, AND ALSO COUNTY, UH, COUNTY FOLKS, UH, WE HAVE CARDS.
SO THE, UH, PROCESS IS SIMPLE.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, IF A POINT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE, IF YOU COULD JUST JOT IT DOWN AND HAND IT TO ME AND I'LL RELAY THAT.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM KEEP THE FACILITATION GOING.
SO WE TRY TO COMPLETE THIS WORKSHOP BY FOUR O'CLOCK.
ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY GOOD? PERFECT.
BACK OVER TO THE BAKER TILLIE TEAM.
SO, JUST A HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE FOR TODAY.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A QUICK INTRO AND RECAP OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND THEN WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO THAT FACILITATION OF THE OPERATING INITIATIVES AND PRIORITIZE PRIORITIZATION, AND DO A WRAP UP OF LIKE NEXT STEPS AND SOME OF THE KEY DELIVERABLES THAT THE BAKER TILL TEAM HAS MOVING FORWARD.
SO JUST THE PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE REVIEWING WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS IS.
WE'LL LOOK AT THE APPROVED VISION, MISSION, VALUES, SWAT, AND STRATEGIC GOALS, AND HAVE JUST A QUICK, UM, DISCUSSION ON
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IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE'D LIKE TO TAKE NOTE.AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO DEFINING WHAT AN OPERATING INITIATIVE IS AND HOW IT FITS INTO THE OVERALL PLAN AND ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE.
AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THAT COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION OF THE OPERATING INITIATIVES THAT YOU'LL SEE LISTED THERE IN YOUR BRIEFING BOOK.
AND WE'LL ALSO IN TANDEM BE LOOKING AT STRATEGIC TIMEFRAMES AND WHEN AND WHEN WE FEEL THAT THOSE INITIATIVES COULD TAKE PLACE.
SO EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A BRIEFING BOOK IN FRONT OF THEM.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU DID RECEIVE THAT AHEAD OF TIME, SO YOU SHOULD COULD JOT DOWN SOME NOTES.
BUT IF NOT, THE FULL COPY OF THAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU TO TAKE DOWN NOTES.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE AND BRING TO THE TABLE AS WE GO THROUGH THE POWERPOINT, WHICH IS, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BRIEFING BOOK.
SO IN YOUR BRIEFING BOOK, WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, LOOKING AT VIA VISION MISSION VALUES.
WE'LL GO OVER SOME OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS RESULTS, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO THAT FACILITATION OF THOSE STRATEGIC GOALS AND INSIGHTS.
AND WE'VE BROKEN ALL THOSE DOWN INTO SECTIONS.
SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT INSIGHTS FOR EVERYONE.
THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE INITIATIVES THAT TIE INTO EACH OF THOSE GOALS, AND WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON EACH ONE.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS WOODY BATTLE.
I'M PART OF THE BAKER TILLY PROJECT TEAM HERE.
THIS SLIDE, WE'RE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
SO THE BRIEFING BOOK OUTLINES SOME OF THE KEY TERMS IN OUR PROCESS.
THIS VISUAL JUST CAPTURES EVERYTHING IN A SUCCINCT FASHION AS WELL.
SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2050 CONTAINS THESE COMPONENTS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON THE OPERATING INITIATIVE COMPONENTS.
AND THEN WE ALSO WILL WORK ON A KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WORKSHOP IN THE COMING MONTH, UH, IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO THIS.
ONE OTHER THING I WANNA MENTION IS THAT IF WE THINK ABOUT STRATEGIC PLAN 2050, IT'S A VERY LONG TIMELINE.
THE PROCESS FOR UPDATING THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE BUILT INTO THE FINAL DOCUMENT.
AND IT IS INTENDED TO BE AN ITERATIVE DOCUMENT THAT CAPTURES KIND OF THE CHANGING SENTIMENTS FOR VARIOUS OBJECTIVES INITIATIVES AS THE COUNTY LEADERSHIP, THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 20 PLAN 2050, THIS IS THE FIRST ITERATION AND WE, UH, ANTICIPATE THERE BEING MANY MORE TO COME AS WELL.
BUT THIS DAY'S WORKSHOP IS FOCUSED ON HOW CAN WE GET TO THESE OPERATING INITIATIVES, WHICH IS THE MAIN COMPONENT OF THE PLAN.
I DO WANT TO JUST TAKE A QUICK PAUSE HERE.
IF, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAD TAKEN A LOOK AT OUR BRIEFING BOOK OR ANYONE ELSE PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKSHOP HAS A QUESTION OR JOTTED DOWN THOUGHTS RELATED TO PROMPT QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
PROMPT QUESTION ONE IS ESSENTIALLY JUST ASKING HOW WELL DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN REALLY DIVE INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS AND THE NUANCES IN TODAY'S SESSION.
SO WANNA JUST ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE TO DATE? AND THEN WHAT'S TO COME? WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I'LL ASK A QUESTION NOW AND I'LL TRY NOT TO ASK IT AGAIN.
CAN YOU PROVIDE YOUR NAME FOR US PLEASE? SORRY.
UM, I REPRESENT OPEN SPACES, UM, LIVE IN TEXAS.
UM, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA OF PUTTING IN A PURPOSE STATEMENT.
AND WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF BEFORE THE MEETING, IT, I SEE IT KIND OF FITS IN WITH THE VISION AND MISSION AND VALUES.
IN FACT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE LATER ON IN THE BOOK MM-HMM.
BUT WE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING IN A PURPOSE STATEMENT, WHICH WOULD BE KIND OF THE BASE FOR ALL OF THE GOALS AND INITIATIVES GOING FORWARD.
AND SEEMED TO ME THAT THIS, SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST QUESTION, THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I THINK, I KNOW SOME OF THE FOLKS IN HERE HAVE SEEN A PURPOSE STATEMENT DRAFT THAT I CIRCULATED AROUND.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH TODAY OR WHAT? YES.
THE PURPOSE STATEMENT IS DEFINITELY AN ITEM WE WILL INCLUDE IN THE FINAL STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT.
WE HAVE THIS SLIDE HERE TO TALK JUST ABOUT THAT TOPIC.
MM-HMM,
WE OBVIOUSLY WANNA INCLUDE THAT PURPOSE STATEMENT IN THE FINAL DOCUMENT RIGHT IN THE FRONT, RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE DOCUMENT FRAMING.
THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT.
HERE IS A QUICK STATEMENT THAT CAPTURES EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT YOU,
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UH, SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE PLAN WITHIN.SO WE DEFINITELY WILL INCLUDE THAT THIS SLIDE, UM, JUST MENTIONS THAT BRIEFLY.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE WILL BE INCLUDING A PURPOSE STATEMENT, ALTHOUGH WE WON'T BE CRAFTING ONE IN THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.
YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME ASK, DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OVER THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS ITSELF BEFORE WE MOVE ON? ALRIGHT.
AND IF NOT, NOW WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES.
SO THE FIRST, UM, TOPIC WE'LL LOOK AT IS THE VISION, WHICH THE VISION SETS THE FOCUS FOR THE FUTURE.
IT IS A STATEMENT OF WHERE THE ORGANIZATION WANTS TO BE.
UM, THE VISION STATEMENT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY MEMBERS OF ROCKWELL COUNTY IS CREATING A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES FLOURISH BY PROVIDING A HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE THAT IS WELCOMING, RESILIENT, AND SAFE BY INCORPORATING LIVABLE AND INNOVATIVE GROWTH CONSERVATION OF OUR OPEN SPACES AND EFFECTIVE USE OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES IN HISTORY.
NEXT INTO OUR MISSION STATEMENT, A MISSION STATEMENT OF THE PUR IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION, AND FUNDAMENTALLY DESCRIBES WHAT THE ORGANIZATION STANDS FOR AND WHAT IT WILL DO ON THE CRAFTED MISSION STATEMENT HERE IS WE WILL WORK DAILY TO CREATE A UNIQUELY VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT PROMOTES PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, ENSURES TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNMENTAL ACTIONS SUPPORTED BY AN EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM, THRIVING BUSINESS NETWORK AND QUALITY COUNTY SERVICES.
WE AIM TO KEEP OUR WAY OF LIFE BY REFUSING TO LOSE OUR UNIQUE LOCAL CHARACTER TO UNCONTROLLED GROWTH BY EMBRACING POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE VALUE STATEMENTS AND THE CORE VALUES GUIDE THE BEHAVIORS OR OF THE STAFF IN SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND OUR EXPECTATIONS OF HOW CONSTITUENTS WILL BE TREATED.
SO HERE WE HAVE A LIST OF CORE VALUES AND DESCRIPTIONS.
THE CORE VALUES PRESENTED WERE TEXAS PROUD, QUALITY OF LIFE, COLLABORATION AND TRANSPARENCY, DIVERSITY, STEWARDSHIP, AND INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP.
SO WE WANNA TAKE A QUICK PAUSE HERE AND ASK WHAT PARTS OF THE VISION MISSION VALUES MOST RESONATE WITH YOU ALL? IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
I THINK CAPTURES A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR MEETINGS.
UM, I LIKE THE MISSION STATEMENT TOO, BUT THE MOST PART OF THE BUSINESS STATEMENT.
SO, BAKER, TILLY, UM, I, I ALSO LIKE THE, THE MISSION STATEMENT THAT WE HAVE.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU, AS I HAVE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF MISSION STATEMENTS, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT THIS IS A, IS A LITTLE TOO LONG? AND IS THERE WAYS THAT WE COULD, UM, SUCCINCTLY GET THAT ACROSS WITH, WITHOUT, UM, AS MANY WORDS IN IT? BUT I, I THINK IT'S A PERFECT, IT'S PERFECT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE, THE GROUP AND HOW THEY, THEY CREATED IT.
BUT IT DOES SEEM AS SOME OF THE MISSION STATEMENTS OF OTHER STRATEGIC PLANS I'VE LOOKED AT, IT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE
SO BASED ON BEST PRACTICES, IT IS A LITTLE BIT LONG, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, EACH PLACE CAN CUSTOMIZE HOWEVER THEY LIKE FOR THEIR SERVICES TO BE CAPTURED.
UM, JUST SOME HIGH LEVEL FEEDBACK.
UM, I DO SEE LIKE A BREAKDOWN OF LIKE WORDS WHERE THEY'RE INDICATING DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE USUALLY QUANTIFIED IN JUST A WAY TO SAY LIKE, COUNTY SERVICES AS A WHOLE INSTEAD OF LISTING THEM ALL OUT.
AND THAT USUALLY HELPS A LITTLE TO SHORTEN DOWN THOSE VISION OR MISSION STATEMENTS.
SO THAT IS AN OBSERVANT THAT I SAW FROM A BEST PRACTICE STANDPOINT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE VISION, MISSION, VALUE COMMENTS? SO, UH, COMMENT, I, I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE, UM, ARE CREATING A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES FLOURISH GREAT.
AS WE, AS WE REFLECT ON ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AS WE'VE CRAFTED THIS TOGETHER, UM, FOREMOST IN EVERYBODY'S MIND WAS CLEARLY A FUTURE ROCKWELL.
THE FUTURE ROCKWELL WE WANT IS A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES
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FLOURISH, WHERE FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT, NOT SOMETHING DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT, UH, THAN MAYBE REPRESENTATIVE BY THE OTHER AREAS IN NORTH TEXAS.THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A, UH, PROFOUND THOUGHT THAT WAS BEHIND, UH, THAT.
AND I GUESS THE BIG, I, WE'VE CHALLENGED OURSELVES WITH THE IDEA OF WHAT IS OUR BIG, BIG IDEA.
AND OUR BIG IDEA REALLY TRANSLATES INTO WE DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.
UM, AN ADDITIONAL PROMPT QUESTION THAT WE HAD LISTED IN OUR BRIEFING BOOK ILET, WAS IN WHAT WAYS IS THE COUNTY AS AN ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY EMBODYING THESE VALUE STATEMENTS THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE? DO YOU ALL FEEL THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING VERY WELL OR IS THERE AN AREA THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO EXPLORE A LITTLE MORE THAT'S LISTED HERE IN YOUR VALUES? YES.
IT, UH, DEBORAH SHINDER, DEPUTY MAYOR, PROAM CITY ATCH.
AND AS SOMEONE FROM A CITY THAT SPANS TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES, I WANNA SAY THAT I THINK THAT ROCKWELL DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF DISTINGUISHING ITSELF FROM THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
I THINK WHEN YOU CROSS THAT COUNTY LINE, IT'S LIKE GOING OVER ALMOST INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT YES, THIS IS A, A FAMILY-CENTRIC PLACE AS OPPOSED TO A MORE URBANIZED, UM, COLLECTION OF CITIES IN DALLAS COUNTY.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE DID DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.
UM, I, UM, I ALSO THINK ON THE CORE VALUES OF STEWARDSHIP, I I BELIEVE THAT, UM, I'M SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE.
I THINK THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTFULNESS AS FAR AS OUR CULTURAL AND OUR FINANCIAL, I THINK OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES IS ONE THAT WE, WE WANT TO FOCUS A LOT MORE ON AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT 20 PLUS YEARS.
I CAN'T SAY WE'RE EMBODYING IT THAT TO THE, TO THE LEVEL THAT YOU WELL, I, I MEAN, SO I JUST WANNA REITERATE COMMISSIONER OF THOUGHT HERE IS, 'CAUSE THIS WAS HIGHLIGHTED THIS MORNING IN THE COURT SESSION.
THERE'S MANY FACTORS THAT GO INTO CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUSTAIN IS SUSTAINABLE INTO THE FUTURE, THAT EMBRACES THE VALUES THAT WE WANNA HAVE.
FLOOD CONTROL, FOR EXAMPLE, STORM RUNOFFS, RIGHT? HIGH QUALITY WATER, UM, ACCESS TO OPEN SPACES, RIGHT? THOSE, THOSE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT WILL DRIVE SIGNIFICANTLY THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT'S EXPERIENCED BY THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT AS WE, SO WHAT WE LOOK FOR WITHIN THE PLAN IS THEN HOW DO WE, UH, POSITION OURSELVES TO BE, UH, TO MAINTAIN THAT MM-HMM.
RIGHT? WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES, THROUGH THAT'S LOCAL GOVERNANCE, THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH, UH, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE STRIVING TO.
DAVID, WOULD YOU JUST CAN'T HIDE IT.
CAN I, CHAIRMAN DID, UH, UM, DID DAVID BILLINGS MAYOR FATE, UM, I AGREE WITH YOU, MARK, BUT WHAT'S MI I THINK WHAT'S MISSING IS IN NON ORG, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE FULLY RELY ON.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT'S AT IN HERE.
AND THEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVE AT LEAST SIX NONPROFITS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE HERE, AND THEY HAVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL 'CAUSE THEY FULFILL ROLES THAT CAC OR WOMEN IN THE FULFILL ROLES THAT WE COULD NOT DUPLICATE WELL AND GOVERNMENT.
MIDDLE WILLS, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, CIC, WOMEN IN NEED.
THEY FILL A ROLE, RIGHT? FOR US.
HELPING HANDS, HELPING HANDS, I'M SORRY, JUST NAME 'EM.
SO I WOULD JUST SOMEHOW MAYBE THROW THERE A MARK, A NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY THAT WE DEPEND UPON SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
AND PROBABLY, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY MISS TOO.
SO IT'S JUST THAT YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
SO THAT'S A GOOD, A GOOD POINT,
AND THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK GOING FORWARD IS QUALITY OF LIFE.
HONESTLY, I THINK GOING FORWARD THE NEXT YEAR, THAT'S GONNA BE THE, THAT'S GONNA BE THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE GOING
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FORWARD.AND WHAT TACTICS DO WE USE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN KEEP OUR QUALITY IN LIFE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO, AND THERE'S A LOT OF ACTION BEHIND THAT, BUT THAT JUST HAVE SORT OF KINDA ENCAPSULATING THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE IS ACHIEVING A LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN PEOPLE SAY QUALITY OF LIFE, WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO.
AND THEN, SO THE COUNTY AS A GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, OR THE CITIES CAN THEN TRANSLATE THAT BECAUSE EACH OF OUR CITIES IS UNIQUE AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO LOSE THEIR UNIQUE CHARACTERIZATION.
THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT, A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE A SMALL GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
UH, BUT ALSO THEREFORE HOW THAT TRANSLATES INTO QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE ACTIONS WE'RE GONNA TAKE COLLECTED TO, TO DO THAT.
UM, DANA, I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, UM, WHEN YOU SAID WE'VE GOT GOOD CULTURAL AND FINANCIAL AND NOW WE HAVE TO FOCUS MORE ON ENVIRONMENTAL, I THINK THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S COME THROUGH ALL OF THESE MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I MOVED HERE, WE CAN ALL SAY WHEN WE MOVED HERE, BUT WHEN I MOVED HERE, THERE WAS, WHAT, 40,000 PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY MAYBE.
AND IT WAS BIG ENOUGH THAT IT, WE COULD STILL GROW FAST AND EVERYBODY WANTED IT TO GROW AND RIGHT.
BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE CAUGHT TO A POINT, I THINK THAT OUR COUNTY'S RECOGNIZING THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE RECOGNIZED WHERE LET'S CATCH OUR BREATH AND LET'S FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN JUST GROWTH AND FINANCIAL.
AND YOU EMPHASIZE ENVIRONMENTAL, WHICH IS A BROAD TERM THAT INCLUDES A LOT OF THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SO I THINK WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL KIND OF CATCH OUR BREATH AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND AND SAY, OKAY, EVERYBODY'S, WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
EVERYBODY'S SCARED OF GOING TOO FAST SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO LET'S FOCUS ON THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL POINTS.
SO I, I LOVE THE WAY YOU PUT THAT THERE'S A YES.
AND BECAUSE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WELL, WHY ARE YOU DOING A STRATEGIC PLAN? WHY IS THE COUNTY DOING A STRATEGIC PLAN? AND IT'S BASED ON A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MARK JUST SAID.
WE'VE GOT GREAT, OUR CITIES HAVE GREAT, UM, THEY'RE CREATED AND EACH ONE OF 'EM HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITY.
BUT OVERALL, WE, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE SOME TYPE OF A PLAN, WE'RE GONNA WAKE UP IN ANOTHER 10 YEARS AND WE'RE NOT, WE'RE GONNA MISS OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO A DISCUSSION ON SOME OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS.
AGAIN, THIS IS WOODY BATTLE BAKER TILLY.
WE ALSO HAVE A PROMPT QUESTION IN THIS PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH SOME OF THE SWOT THEMES, THESE ARE JUST LIKE ANY SWAT UH, A WAY TO CAPTURE THE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS, AND HOW THEY INTERRELATE TO EACH OTHER IN A VERY SIMPLIFIED MANNER.
UM, WE PROVIDED THESE IN THE DISCOVER REPORT, BUT WE'RE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS.
UM, OUR PROMPT QUESTION ASKS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT STICKS OUT WITH REGARD TO SOME OF THE ITEMS LISTED ON THESE, UM, IN THESE BUCKETS? AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE THOSE AT THIS TIME, ANYTHING YOU'D WANT TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT TO THE WORKSHOP GROUP, WE'LL TAKE A, TAKE A MOMENT HERE AS WELL.
AND THEN I, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS AS WELL THAT WE HAD AS THE BAKER TILLY GROUP, UM, WHEN WE WERE REVIEWING AND ANALYZING THE INFORMATION FOR, TO BUILD THIS.
I HATE TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO TALK, PLEASE, FOR NOW.
UM, BUT ONE THING I NOTICED THAT'S JUST STRUCK ME IS WHEN YOU SAY WHAT STANDS OUT, GROWTH FLOWS THROUGH EVERY ONE OF THOSE FOUR.
IT'S A STRENGTH, IT'S A WEAKNESS, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
SO MANAGING GROWTH IS CRITICAL BECAUSE IT FLOWS THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS IS A LONG TERM PLAN.
WE HAVE ZERO FIVE YEARS AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE A YEAR TO NOW IN THIS, IN SEPTEMBER, 2025, ALL THE RULE CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL, STATE LEVEL WORLD ARE GONNA CHANGE.
SOME WILL BE GOOD, SOME WILL MASSIVE GOOD.
ALTHOUGH I THINK WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL THAT EVERY TIME WE DO ANYTHING ON THIS BOOK, WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE RULE CHANGES COMING IN AUSTIN AND THEY ARE COMING.
UM, THE INTERIM SESSION WAS CLEAR ON THAT, AND NEXT COUPLE WEEKS WE'LL GET THE COMMITTEE REPORTS AND WE'LL HAVE A VERY
[00:30:01]
CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.I THINK WHAT CAN WE COURSE COME OUT? WE, WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.
I THINK THE OTHER THING IS COLLABORATION, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE NEED TO FIND PEOPLE, PARTNERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PARTNER WITH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS CAN BE BAD IF THEY'RE MISUSED, CAN BE EXTREMELY GREAT IF THEY'RE USED WELL.
RIGHT? CONSTANT FIGHTING WITH PEOPLE, WELL, YOU CAN'T DO THIS, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
WE'LL JUST CREATE MORE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW FROM AUSTIN.
AND THAT'S JUST I THINK A, JUST A REALITY RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE IN THAT, AND LAST ONE I THINK IS, WELL THINK OF COLLABORATION WITHIN THE CITIES BETWEEN US AND THE CITIZENS, BUT ALSO OTHER ENTITIES THAT WANNA DO BUSINESS IN, IN THIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK WE GOTTA THINK OF THAT A LITTLE BIT BROADER COLLABORATION.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS TRANSPARENCY.
AND WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL THINK WE'RE TRANSPARENT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS? WE HAVE TO BE FINE.
NOT LITTLE BIT BETTER MOVEMENT TACTIC ON WHAT TRANSPARENCY REALLY IS AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
SOME PEOPLE MEANS WHAT THING? SOME PEOPLE MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I CAN ARGUE FATE IS TRANSPARENT AND THEN PEOPLE THEN WE'RE NOT.
SO WE NEED TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT WHAT TRANSPARENCY MEANS UP THERE.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, DID YOU MENTION AT THE START NOW IN 2025, THE, THAT DISTANCE OF TIME YOU MENTIONED THAT THINGS CAN CHANGE IN THE WORLD? IS THAT WHAT YOU, YOU SAID RURAL SEPTEMBER, 2025 IS WHEN THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE BILL.
SO THE SESSION STARTS IN JANUARY THROUGH MAY, WHATEVER, AND THEN HE CAN SIGN A BILL IMMEDIATELY, OR THEY CAN SIGN THE BILL IN SEPTEMBER, NORMALLY SAY SEPTEMBER.
UNLESS THEY'RE REALLY IRRITATED THE CITY, THEY'LL DO THIS IMMEDIATELY.
BUT THAT'S WHEN HE SIGNED THE BE TOLD BILLS.
SO A VERY GOOD IDEA WHAT THE RULES ARE THAT HE HAS, HE HAS APPROVED RIGHT UP TO THAT POINT.
WE'LL JUST HAVE FEAR THAT HE'LL SIGN IT.
HE MIGHT GIVE US HINT AT WHAT HE IS GONNA DO, BUT I, I PICKED THAT DATE BECAUSE THAT'S THE DATE THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE BILLS AND CLOSE THE BILLS.
AS I LOOK AT THE SWAT ANALYSIS, IF WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US A A KEY STRENGTH, WHICH IS AN ACTIVELY ENGAGED COMMUNITY ACROSS THE, SO THERE'S POWER IN UNITY AND THERE'S POWER IN DEVELOPING A PLAN.
AND WE, AS YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, NO PLAN SURVIVES FIRST CONTACT.
SO THE PLAN, THE PLAN IS A PROCESS.
IT'S, WE'RE CREATING A PROCESS TO LEAD US INTO THE FUTURE.
CORE TO THAT PROCESS IS THE NOTION OF COLLABORATION, WHICH IS THROUGHOUT PLANNING PROCESS, WE'VE HAD, DEVELOPMENT PROCESS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY, THE CITIES, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UM, AND WHILE THERE ARE FORCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL THAT WILL ATTEMPT TO CONTROL OUR DESTINY, UH, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE UTILIZE THE POWER THAT WE HAVE THROUGH OUR UNITY TO PROJECT WHAT WE WANT.
AS, AND I, AS WE HIGHLIGHTED IN SOME OF THE PUBLIC SURVEY, IT, IT'S, IT'S RARE THAT YOU'LL GET THE LEVEL OF UNITY AND THE VIEWPOINT ON THE PUBLIC SURVEY OF OVER 500 PARTICIPANTS WITH OVER 90% CORRELATED IN AGREEMENT ON A SPECIFIC SUBJECT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE KIND OF UNITY WE HAVE IN ROCKVILLE COUNTY.
SO WE NEED TO, WE, I CHALLENGE MY CHALLENGE TO THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO HARNESS THAT, HOW GREAT.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD THEN, UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ON THE TOPIC IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
AND TO GET TO SOME MORE IN DEPTH CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, JUST WANNA REITERATE HERE, THE PURPOSE STATEMENT IS AN ITEM THAT WE'RE GONNA PLACE IN THE FINAL DOCUMENT.
WE'LL WORK ON SOME ITERATIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AND GENERATE KIND OF WHAT WE THINK BEING INVOLVED IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO CATALYZE THIS ENTIRE
[00:35:01]
PLAN IN THE FINAL VERSION.AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THAT DOCUMENT.
SO THE LANGUAGE WE HAVE HERE ON THE SCREEN IS MUCH, UM, LARGER AND CAPTURES A FEW IDEAS.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WE WANNA PUT THIS IN, UH, ALMOST LIKE A LETTER RIGHT AT THE FRONT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT ANYBODY WHO READS IT CAN SAY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DIVE INTO IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE, UH, WANNA SHARE WITH REGARD TO THE PURPOSE STATEMENT.
WE'VE WALKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF ITEMS NOW UP TO THIS POINT, VISION, MISSION, VALUES, SWO PURPOSE STATEMENT.
UM, ONE OTHER ELEMENT BEFORE WE JUMP INTO OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE STRATEGIC OPERATING INITIATIVES AND THE GOALS IS THAT SINCE THE PLAN FOLLOWS A 25 YEAR TIME HORIZON, WE'VE ESSENTIALLY SPLIT UP THE TIME HORIZONS INTO THREE BUCKETS THAT ALLOW US TO PLOT WHEN INITIATIVES MAY LIKELY OCCUR.
THESE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, THE CAPACITY TO DIVE INTO THESE INITIATIVES, THE BUDGET THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE, UM, NOT IN DETAIL AT THIS POINT, BUT JUST, UM, ALMOST BALLPARK ESTIMATES FOR SOME OF THE INITIATIVES.
BUT WE WANNA FAMILIARIZE YOU ALL IN THE WORKSHOP GROUP.
AND WITHIN THE CIC THAT THESE THREE TIME HORIZONS WE CALL ACTIONABLE, AMBITIOUS, AND VISIONARY.
UM, ZERO TO FIVE YEARS IS A COMMON TIME HORIZON FOR ANY STRATEGIC PLAN FOR COUNTY OR CITY GOVERNMENT.
FIVE TO 15 YEARS IS A LARGER HORIZON.
MORE, IT'S WHAT WE CALL IT MORE AMBITIOUS.
THESE ARE LARGER PROJECTS YOU CAN ANTICIPATE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, INITIATIVES THAT MAY TAKE A LOT OF INVESTMENT OF TIME AND RESOURCE.
AND THE VISIONARY TIME HORIZON IS, UH, MUCH TRICKIER.
THIS IS REALLY, UH, ESSENTIALLY VISIONARY.
WHAT DO, WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR THE COUNTY? AND ONCE YOU START TO GET TO 25, WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED 25 YEARS EARLIER STARTS TO MANIFEST IF THOSE PRIOR, UM, SEGMENTS HAD BEEN, UM, ITERATED ON IN THE WAY THAT ALLOW IT TO, TO COME ABOUT IN THAT VISIONARY TIMELINE.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU ALL FAMILIAR WITH THESE IN A MOMENT HERE.
WHEN WE DIVE INTO OUR OPERATING INITIATIVES, WE'RE GONNA ASSIGN THESE OUT TO THOSE INITIATIVES AS WELL.
SO WE'RE INTERESTED IN ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS IN THESE CATEGORIES.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO KIND OF THE MAIN FOCUS OF OUR WORKSHOP TODAY.
THE OPERATING INITIATIVES THEMSELVES, STRATEGIC OPERATING INITIATIVES, OUR SPECIFIC TASKS, THE PROJECTS FOR ACTION ITEMS, NEW OR EXISTING THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP AN ORGANIZATION ACHIEVE ITS STRATEGIC GOALS.
SO HOW ARE THESE DEVELOPED? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD WONDERFUL ENGAGEMENT FROM EVERYONE INVOLVED TO HELP US GET TO THIS, TO THIS STAGE.
SO WE HAVE THE PROCESS THERE SO FAR TO DATE.
WE HAVE OUR VISION, MISSION, VALUES THAT WE'VE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, AND THEN WE'LL BE GOING INTO OUR GOALS THAT WERE DONE.
AND THEN WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE OPERATING INITIATIVES DURING THIS FACILITATION RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE HAD INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE DURING THE WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSIONS THAT THEY, THAT ROCKWALL HAS HOSTED.
UM, ALSO WE'VE HAD MUCH ENGAGEMENT FROM THE ROCKWALL STRATEGIC PLAN LEADERSHIP TEAM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR GUIDANCE.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING FROM, FROM THE BAKER TILLY SIDE, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THAT LEADERSHIP TEAM BIWEEKLY, AND THEN MEETINGS AS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
AND THEN MANY OF THE, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING TODAY WAS FROM THE BAKER TILLY AND THE FRIES AND NICHOLS TEAM THAT WORKED AS OUR SUBPRIME CONTRACTOR ON THE RESEARCH AND THE DATA GATHERING THAT WAS TAKE THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE, BUT OTHER AREAS AND, UM, HOW THESE WERE DEVELOPED THAT, UM, REALLY FOLLOW LIKE THOSE BEST, BEST PRACTICES IS THAT CO-CREATION WHERE THE LEADERSHIP HAS REALLY BEEN INVOLVED IN CREATING MANY OF THE PIECES OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO STRATEGIC PLANS REALLY ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN YOU DO HAVE THAT BUY-IN, AND YOU HAVE THE INPUT FROM THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO BE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING AND PERFORMING THOSE DAILY OPERATIONS THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE'VE ALSO HAD THAT REGULAR ENGAGEMENT THAT I SPOKE TO.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ON SITE SEVERAL TIMES TO MEET WITH THE TEAM.
WE'VE, UM, MET MANY OF THE CSC MEMBERS, MANY OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.
WE'VE ALSO MET WITH, UH, CITY LEADERSHIP, UM, AS PART OF OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS.
SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SUCCESSFUL.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO A COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL.
SO HOW DO THESE FIT INTO THE PLAN? SO YOU'LL SEE HERE WE HAVE, AND WE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER IN THE SESSION, BUT WE WANTED TO GO OVER THIS AGAIN.
SO THOSE ITEMS LISTED THERE IN BLUE ARE WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO DATE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROJECT STARTING IN FEBRUARY UP UNTIL NOW.
AND THEN THE ITEMS THAT YOU SEE LISTED THERE IN RED ARE THE ITEMS THAT WE STILL HAVE TO PERFORM TO DATE.
SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH A KICKOFF, UM, SET UP PROJECT MANAGEMENT STANDARDS FOR THE PROJECT DURING THAT DATA GATHERING, UM, PIECE.
[00:40:01]
UM, THAT ALSO BEING A SURVEY THAT WENT OUT TO, TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY FOR ANYONE TO, UM, UM, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT.WE DID FIELD WORK INTERVIEWS IN WHICH WE CAME ON SITE, MET WITH LEADERSHIP TEAM, UM, AND ALSO, UM, OTHERS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND WE'VE REQUESTED LOTS OF DOCUMENTATION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ANALYZE RESEARCH, WHICH HAS BEEN PART OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THAT BOOKLET TODAY AND IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GIVING.
UM, SO WE ALSO DID A VERY THOROUGH DISCOVERY REPORT, AND THEN WE'VE HAD MUCH ENGAGEMENT FROM YOUR OWN COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE WORKSHOPS.
AND SO WE'VE SHARED THAT VISION AND MISSION VALUES JUST NOW.
AND THEN YOU, YOU'LL SEE THE LIST OF GOALS.
SO THAT'S, SO EVERYTHING UP TO THIS POINT IS A CULMINATION OF THE OPERATING INITIATIVES THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY.
AND SO THEY WERE GOING TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE GOALS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US AS WE GO THROUGH THIS FACILITATION.
SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON AS FAR AS ANY OPERATING INITIATIVES OR HOW ALL OF THIS FITS INTO YOUR PLAN? ALL RIGHT.
IF THERE ARE NONE, WE WILL MOVE INTO GOAL ONE.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN CURRENTLY HAS SIX GOALS.
EACH GOAL HAS A BETWEEN FIVE AND EIGHT SUB, UM, INITIATIVES OR OPERATING INITIATIVES THAT WE'LL DISCUSS IN DETAIL.
GOAL NUMBER ONE READS, PROMOTE TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS.
UM, JUST TO REITERATE, THESE GOALS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CSC MEMBERS.
UH, AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONERS HAVE SEEN THESE AND HAVE APPROVED THESE GOALS ALREADY.
SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE SUBPARTS TODAY.
WANTED TO SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS GOAL, SPECIFICALLY FROM WHAT WE HAD DISCOVERED.
MORE EFFICIENT DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS IS A PART OF THIS.
FROM OUR CONVERSATIONS AND FROM THE SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS THAT WE HELD, THERE'S A NEED FOR DIFFERENT MECHANISMS, DIFFERENT METHODS TO RETAIN INFORMATION, TO QUANTIFY IT AND USE IT ACROSS DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS AND BENCHMARKING.
AGAIN, BEST PRACTICE FROM IN PUBLIC SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING THAT GOING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND UTILIZING THESE JUST WAYS TO SEE HOW WELL THE COUNTY IS DOING, HOW WELL THE COUNTY'S PERFORMING.
WE DID NOTE TOO THAT STAFF ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE COUNTY AS AN EMPLOYER.
THEY'RE, UM, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
THE REASON WE CAVEAT THIS IS WE SURVEYED ABOUT A HUNDRED, UM, PARTICIPANTS WHO RESPOND WITHIN THE EMPLOYEE SURVEY.
GENERALLY THE MAJORITY ARE, ARE VERY POSITIVE AND VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE COUNTY, UM, AS AN EMPLOYER.
AND THEY'RE VERY HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
BUT, UM, BEING ON THE INSIDE, JUST AS ANY ORGANIZATION, THEY ALWAYS HAVE, UM, THEY HAVE VERY, VERY GREAT SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WAYS THE COUNTY AS AN EMPLOYER CAN IMPROVE.
SO WANTED TO NOTE THAT WITHIN THIS CONCEPT OF TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY TOO, I THINK THAT FOURTH BULLET FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY, JUST ADDRESSING CONCERNS INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
THERE'S A TREND IN PUBLIC SECTOR AS WELL WITHIN, UH, JUST TRANSPARENCY.
PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS, UM, HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE.
SO OTHER TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING, OTHER THINGS WE'RE HEARING WITHIN THE COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WITHIN GOAL NUMBER ONE? AND WHAT DO YOU ALL, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU ALL SUGGEST? THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE INFORMED ON THE WHY FOR BUDGET AND TAX RATE DECISIONS AS WELL.
SO FROM A LARGE NUMBER OF, UH, PUBLIC SURVEY RESPONSES, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE CONVERSATION TO BE HAD ABOUT, UM, WHY DIFFERENT, UH, BUDGET DECISIONS ARE MADE AND RATIONALE FOR THOSE, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE MORE ENGAGED WITHIN THE PUBLIC.
NOT NECESSARILY THAT THERE'S ANY WRONG DIRECTION BEING, UM, TAKEN WITH DECISIONS, BUT JUST THAT THERE'S, IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT, UM, THE PLAN CAN LEAN INTO.
A QUESTION IF YOU DON'T MIND, PLEASE.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY FOR A BUDGET, RIGHT? DOES THAT, THE WAY I TRANSLATE THAT IS TO LEVELS OF SERVICE, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE A BUDGET, LET'S SAY A HUNDRED DOLLARS, AND I'LL SKIP THE OTHER CONVERSATION, UM, A HUNDRED DOLLARS AND, BUT WE NEED $120 OF SERVICES TO MEET THE BASIC FUNCTION OF THE GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? SO MY EXAMPLE OF $20 SHORT PUBLIC NEEDS UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT GONNA FULLY FUND A, B AND C.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? YEAH.
ESSENTIALLY THIS IS, UM, IT'S A MYRIAD OF COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE SURVEY RESPONSES THAT JUST IN SUMMARY ARE JUST ABOUT MORE TRANSPARENCY ON THE TOPIC OF BUDGET
[00:45:01]
AND TAX RATES AND, UM, WHY DIFFERENT DECISIONS.DIFFERENT COUNTIES LOOK DIFFERENT WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THEIR FINANCIALS ON A PIECE OF PAPER AS WELL.
CHALLENGE, I THINK WOULD BE, IF YOU'RE GONNA SIMPLY EXPLAIN THE CITY TAX RATES TO ME, THAT'D BE GREAT.
AND IT'S, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS HOW TO EXPLAIN THE TAX RATE TO CITIZENS, GIVEN ALL THE DIFFERENT, VERY OPTIONS AND THE WAY THE STATE WORST THINGS IN A WAY THAT'S NOT UNDERSTANDABLE.
SO ANY IDEAS YOU HAVE ON HOW, HOW WE COMMUNICATE, HOW TEXT FREE TO SEND TEXT, I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO TAKE IT BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO COMMUNICATE HERE.
THERE'S SO MANY VARIATIONS THAT THE RIGHT.
FOR THE DISCUSSION ON THE FIRST GOAL, WE HAVE SIX SUB INITIATIVES.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE AROUND THE TABLE AND YOUR OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS WITH REGARD TO THESE OPERATING INITIATIVES.
I'LL ZOOM IN AS WELL TOO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT ANY IN PARTICULAR.
BUT WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL JUST READ THROUGH EACH OF THEM ONE BY ONE FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL, UM, GATHER ANY THOUGHTS.
I'LL TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE REAL TIME CONVERSATION ON THE RIGHT SIDE HERE IN THE OPERATING INITIATIVES NOTES, THE GOAL FOR ANY OPERATING INITIATIVE IS TO SAY, OKAY, IF THIS IS THE GOAL TO PROMOTE TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY, DO THESE SIX ITEMS, IF THEY ARE ACHIEVED, CAN I SAY I ACHIEVED, UH, THE GOAL OF PROMOTING TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS? SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING MISSING AMONG THESE SIX, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
CREATE A COUNTY PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TO ENHANCE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND AWARENESS TO ADOPT A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD THAT TIES THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO ACTIONS AND BUDGET.
THREE, REVIEW AND REFINE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF KEY POSITIONS, INCLUDING PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.
CREATE A COUNTY COMMISSIONER, COURT ADVISORY COUNCIL, CREATE AN INTERNAL COUNTY FUTURES GROUP, IS A TERM WE CITED ON, FOCUSED ON TRENDS AND INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ADAPTATION SPECIFICALLY.
AND THEN SIX, FINDING WAYS TO BETTER INTEGRATE AND EXPAND THE ROLES OF EXISTING PUBLIC COMMITTEES.
THESE SIX ARE PROPOSED TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL OF PROMOTING TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY WITHIN THE PLAN.
WHAT THOUGHTS? QUESTIONS? SO MY SUGGESTIONS, JEFF, MY, MY THOUGHT IS, UM, WE CAN DO ALL OF THOSE AND DO 'EM WELL AND STILL BE CONSIDERED NON-TRANSPARENT AND NOT GOOD COMMUNICATORS.
UH, SO IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT.
AND, AND DURING THIS WORK SESSION, MY GROUP, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, A LOT ABOUT, UH, ACTIVE TRANSPARENCY VERSUS PASSIVE TRANSPARENCY.
SO WE'RE ALL TRANSPARENT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY OF FATE AS ROCKWALL COUNTY AND HEATH AND, AND ALL THE CITIES, WE HAVE TO POST OUR MEETINGS.
WE HAVE TO POST THEM PROPERLY IN THE PUBLIC AND LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE, THAT THE PUBLIC HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME SPEAK.
WE'LL BE AT THIS LOCATION AT THIS TIME.
THAT REQUIRES THE CITIZENS TO DO SOMETHING SO ACTIVE.
UH, MY GOAL IS TO PUT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE WHERE THEY CAN'T NOT SEE IT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT STATE LAW CHANGE.
I MEAN, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
WE CAN, YOU KNOW, JIM BARTO DOES A FANTASTIC JOB AND, AND POST, I DON'T KNOW, A HALF A DOZEN THINGS A DAY THAT'LL GET EIGHT, 10,000 PEOPLE THAT ENGAGE WITH IT.
SO WE CAN HIT 10,000 PEOPLE FAIRLY EASILY.
WHAT ABOUT, YEAH, WELL THERE'S 130,000 PEOPLE THAT WE'VE NOT ENGAGED WITH THAT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET TO 'EM.
AND, AND THERE'S SOME THAT JUST AREN'T, AREN'T PLUGGED INTO SOCIAL MEDIA.
UH, JUST, I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO 'EM, BUT WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET TO 'EM.
'CAUSE IF WE DON'T, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT FIRST INTERACTION WITH THE PERSON THAT'S UNPLUGGED, THEY NEVER SAY, I AM SO UNPLUGGED.
WHAT THEY SAY IS, YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND, AND SO THERE, THERE'S FRUSTRATION THERE.
'CAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CRACK THIS CODE.
LIKE I SAY, WE CAN DO ALL OF THIS LIST AND IN THE END STILL FAIL SURE.
TO REACH THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS.
SO IT'S, UH, AND I THINK TO ADD THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND YEP.
ADD TO THAT IS THE WORDS WE USE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA WATCH OUT WHAT WORDS TO USE BECAUSE SOME WORDS TRIGGER A RESPONSE.
UM, WE GOTTA BE MORE NEUTRAL IN OUR WORD THAT IF WE'RE GONNA COMMUNICATE JUST FACTS AND INFORMATION AND WE GOTTA VOICE CERTAIN WORDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSIDER THAT GOING FORWARD.
[00:50:01]
UH, IF WE CAN SOLVE THE WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT ENGAGED PROBLEM, JUST LET ME KNOW.SO, AND GET A LITTLE INTERACTION BY THE WAY, YOU LOT OF OPINIONS, RIGHT? AND SO THE AGE OLD QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE SILENT, IS THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE SATISFIED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON? THEY HAVE OTHER WORDS IN THEIR LIFE.
LIKE I KNOW FOOTBALL GAMES, YOU KNOW, KID STUFF, THEIR OWN JOBS, THEIR OWN FAMILIES.
WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THEY GET UNSATISFIED WITH AND YOU HAVE, THEY HAVE A TENDENCY OF SHOWING UP.
SO BAKER TILLY CAN HELP US WITH THOSE DYNAMICS OR HOW TO COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY OUTSIDE SOCIAL MEDIA.
IS I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE KNOWING SOCIAL MEDIA THESE DAYS AND THEY'RE STAYING OFF FOR LOTS OF GOOD REASONS.
UH, I THINK THAT WILL, THE TERM WILL CONTINUE.
SO ANY IDEAS YOU GUYS GOT ON THAT AND WORDS TO USE AND I, I GIVE YOU SOME SAMPLES OFFLINE.
I'M SURE WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN USED LATELY THAT, UM, CAN WE JUST, YOU JUST THINK NOT THAT USING MAKES SENSE.
AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, YOU SAID I WOULDN'T SPEAK LARRY PARKS 27, 22 CAPSTONE WAY IN ROCKWALL REPRESENTING THE 2050, UH, COMMITTEE.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF INTERESTING COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE OUTTA THE STATE OUT THE AREA THAT WERE JUST TOTALLY CONFUSED AND MAYBE WE ARE AS WELL WITH OUR STATE GOVERNMENT AND OUR MUNICIPAL CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND FROM THAT, WE KEPT GETTING, UH, INTEREST TO GO TO AUSTIN, SO TO SPEAK, AS A, A GROUP TO COMMUNICATE AND SPEAK WHAT WE WANT.
EACH COUNTY IS VERY DISTINCT AND UNIQUE, UH, AS ARE THE CITIES AND THE MAKEUP.
WE KEPT GETTING THAT FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
WHAT DO YOU DO? AND WE GOT A LOT OF THAT WITH A GROWING COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S, WE'LL JUST BE NORMAL.
UH, WE MORE DIVERSE, UH, AND LEARNING HOW TO SET UP THE SAME TABLE AND WORK TOGETHER ON COMMUNICATION.
UH, TRANSPARENCY TO BE ED, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BUT I THINK WE PICKED UP A LOT OF THAT.
UH, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS A GOAL.
I THINK IT JUST SORT MORPHED OUT OF THE PROCESS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE OR NOT.
I THINK WE WERE ALL, WE SAW THAT A LOT.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED AND YET HAVE TO SCREEN THAT PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, AN OUTLIER THERE CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE, BUT YOU CAN'T CONTROL WHAT THEY SAY EITHER.
SO I THINK IT'S A UNIQUE THING.
I THINK THAT CHAMBER, UH, AND ROCKWELL DOES A PRETTY GOOD JOB WITH SOME WHITE PAPERS AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, AND I, I THINK WE'VE GOT STRONGLY DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IS, IS VERY UNIQUE, VERY POWERFUL.
BUT I THINK, AND THAT'S MAYBE THE STRUGGLE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, IS GETTING THAT, UM, UH, YOU FIRED IN A WAY THAT DOES THE BEST FOR US.
HEY, LARRY, IF I CAN ADD TO THAT, I THINK WHAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED IS HOW PEOPLE PROCESS INFORMATION.
CORRECT? IT'S BASED ON THEIR CONTEXT, WHICH IS BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE MAJORITY, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN OUR AREA CAME FROM OTHER AREAS AS YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED.
AND THEIR GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIENCES VARY.
UH, THERE IS A LITTLE UNIQUE TEXAS TRADITIONS BASED GOING BACK TO THE DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC, DIFFERENT REASONS WHY THEY'RE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, AND SO I SEE THIS AS INTEGRAL AS THIS.
UM, HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS IS QUESTION OF HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS, MUNICIPAL, COUNTY STATE IS, IS KEY.
AND I THINK TO, TO JUDGE NEW'S POINT, THIS INITIATIVE, NUMBER ONE, THIS PUBLIC COMMUNICA, IT'S, THAT'S NOT JUST PUSHING INFORMATION OUT.
THAT'S A PLAN THAT HELPS EDUCATE.
UM, SO WE GET EVERYBODY TO A LEVEL, YOU KNOW, LEVEL SET.
UH, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER, A FACTOR IN OUR SOCIETY, AND AGAIN, NOT UNIQUE TO US, NOT UNIQUE IN TEXAS, IN A NATION OF A DISTRUSTED GUN.
SO YOU TAKE THE DISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT, YOU OVERLAY IT WITH MULTIPLE EXPERIENCES OF HOW THINGS ARE DONE OR SHOULD BE DONE, COULD BE DONE.
UH, YOU THROW IN THE, UH, GASOLINE OF SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE, UH,
[00:55:02]
INSTANTANEOUS SATISFACTION WITH, WITH PROVIDING YOUR VIEWPOINTS.UH, AND IT CAN BE A VERY VOLATILE MIX THAT THEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND, AND I, TO, TO MAYOR BILLING'S POINT, I THINK THAT CAPTURES IT, RIGHT? IS THAT HOW SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IS A TASK.
AND I, SO AS I THINK ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF THE PLAN, THE, THE PLAN IS THE STRUCTURE OF HOW WE'RE GONNA THINK ABOUT THINGS AND MOVING FORWARD IN THE ACTIONS WE'RE GONNA TAKE.
THERE'S A ASPECT, ANOTHER LAYER TO THIS CALLED CHANGE MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS HOW WE, UM, WE REORIENT OURSELVES TO HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES.
AND WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT INTERNALLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF.
BUT I THINK THERE'S AN ASPECT, YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING A POINT THAT I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE, WHICH IS DOING IT MORE BROADLY OUTSIDE, WHICH IS TO GET SOME JUDGE NEWS DESIRES, RIGHT? WE WANNA HELP PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE OUR GOVERNMENT IN MULTIPLE WAYS.
I WOULD SAY FORCED TO ENGAGE, FORCED TO JUST HAVE THE COMMUNICATION WHERE YOU CAN'T NOT SEE IT.
LARRY, THANK YOU FOR, THERE'S SOMETHING, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT, SOMETHING ELSE IN, IN THAT EQUATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S CERTAIN RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT AS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY WE HAVE TO FILE.
SO BY HAVING TO FILE CERTAIN THINGS, WHETHER IT'S A CITY, COUNTY OR STATE, SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION BREAKS DOWN BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE DO THINGS OR WHY WE'RE REACTING TO THINGS BECAUSE IT'S A POLICY THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND IT'S NOT A POLICY THAT THE COUNTY MAKES.
IT'S A STATE POLICY THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THINGS.
SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT, OR I THINK THAT PEOPLE FROM COMING FROM OTHER PLACES IS NO COUNTY GOVERNMENT RUN THE SAME AS OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
THEY MAY BE A MORE FRUGAL OR THEY CAN JUST TALK ABOUT ANYTHING OR DO ANYTHING.
IT MAY NOT BE AS STRINGENT AS OURS.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME LACK OF COMMUNICATION THAT WAY AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE PEOPLE SIDE, NOT KNOWING WHY WE DO THINGS THE WAY WE DO.
I THINK THAT'S A, A ANOTHER BIG POINT THAT COMES OUT IN THE CONVERSATION DIALS WITH PEOPLE.
I DO WANT TO JUST CLOSE OUT THIS GOAL OR ASK IF ANY OF THOSE ON THE WORKSHOP HAVE ANY SUGGESTED EDITS TO ANY OF THE LANGUAGE, UM, ADDITIONAL OPERATING INITIATIVES THAT YOU DON'T SEE LISTED UP HERE BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO GOAL NUMBER TWO.
JEREMIAH MCCLURE, CITY OF HEATH.
MAYOR, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO, UH, THAT EVERYBODY ON THE PANEL IS STATED, UH, ONE THROUGH THREE ARE ALL ENCOMPASSING.
MM-HMM,
SO IN PRIVATE SECTOR, WE'D BE REFERENCING, UM, THAT IN A WAY THAT THAT IS PUSHED VERSUS POOL.
UH, SO WE AS CITIES AND AS A COUNTY, WE OPERATE IN A POOL SCENARIO.
SO IF WE COULD GET THE GUIDANCE, UH, FOR A PUSH STRATEGY AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ONLINE VERSUS OFFLINE, OBVIOUSLY THE ENVIRONMENTS WILL CHANGE ALL THE WAY THROUGH 2050.
BUT IF WE COULD IDENTIFY SOME OF THOSE KEY ELEMENTS AS WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THROUGHOUT THIS PLAN, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT STRATEGY, UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER, AND THEN GIVING THAT GUIDANCE AT A MACRO LEVEL, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE COLLABORATION EFFORT OF ONE, TWO, AND THREE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE COUNTY COMMUNICATING TO THE CITIES AS WELL AS THE NGOS, ET CETERA.
I'VE GOT ONE LAST QUESTION, PLEASE.
BRECKENRIDGE,
IS THAT A CONCERN? ANY Y'ALL'S EXPERTISE OR THOUGHTS AND TO THE, I GUESS TO THE GROUP? SURE.
IS THAT A CONCERN TO ANYONE OR NO? I'LL JUST MENTION THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A CONCERN FOR US CONSIDERING THESE ARE THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE OF MOST INTEREST TO THOSE THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN THE PROJECT.
THEY HAPPEN TO FALL IN THESE TIME HORIZONS FROM A RESOURCE AVAILABILITY PERSPECTIVE, LATER ITERATIONS OF THE PLAN MAY HAVE LONGER TERM VISIONARY, UM, COMMUNICATION
[01:00:01]
FOCUSED, TRANSPARENCY FOCUSED ITEMS. I, WE THINK THIS MIX OF ACTIONABLE AMBITIOUS ARE IS VERY GOOD.AND ALSO FROM A BEST PRACTICES STANDPOINT, TRANSPARENCY CHANGES PROBABLY MORE QUICKLY THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
SO WE USUALLY KEEP THIS ONE MORE SHORT TERM BECAUSE THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE MIGHT BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DON'T LOOK SO FAR OUT ON THIS ONE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU KIND OF HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY LOOK AT EVEN ALMOST YEAR TO YEAR.
IN THAT SPIRIT TOO, SAME QUESTION.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY SUGGESTED CHANGES FOR THE TIME HORIZONS LISTED FOR ANY OF THESE INITIATIVES? BEFORE WE MOVE ON? WE'RE SUGGESTING ONE THROUGH THREE IS ZERO TO FIVE YEARS, WE CAN REASONABLY ACHIEVE THESE.
AND THEN ACROSS THAT FOUR THROUGH SIX, IS THAT 15 TO 15 YEAR, OR SORRY, FIVE TO 15 YEAR, UH, TIME HORIZON TO HAVE ACHIEVED THAT, BUT STILL STARTING IT WITHIN THE UPCOMING ZERO TO FIVE YEARS? YES.
THE ONE CONCERN I WOULD HAVE IS, UH, NUMBER FIVE, WITH THE AMOUNT OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S CHANGING DRAMATICALLY, UH, WITH AI, UH, I DO THINK THAT PUSHING THAT OUT, UH, IN AN AMBITIOUS FIVE TO 15, UH, MAYBE PUSHING IT OUT TOO FAR.
WE'LL MAKE SURE TO REVIEW THAT ONE.
UM, ON NUMBER FOUR, UM, AS FAR AS THE ADVI, THE, THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, UM, I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN YOUR SPECIFIC GROUP, BUT I DO REMEMBER YOU TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT WHEN WE WERE MEETING.
IS THAT, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE SOONER OR IS THAT A GOOD TIME POINT? UM, NO, I, I WOULD DO THAT IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE CHA UH, ARE WE ALLOWED, MAKE A CHANGE REAL QUICK TO THIS, ADD A WORD WE SAY, AND ONLY BECAUSE I AM, I WORK FOR T WAIT SO LONG.
UM, NUMBER FIVE, WE SHOULD PUT INNOVATION, CYBERSECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY.
I LIKE BREAKOUT CYBERSECURITY SEPARATELY AS A SEPARATE FOCUS JUST ON TECHNOLOGY.
I MEAN THAT'S THE PROBABLY MOST YOU CREDIBLE THREAT.
IT'S OUR MOST IMMEDIATE THREATS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO, AND WHERE DID YOU SUGGEST THAT WORD BE PUT? I WOULD SAY INTERNAL COUNTY FUTURES GROUP FOCUS ON TRENDS, INNOVATION, COMMA, CYBERSECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ADOPTION.
DID I CAPTURE THAT? TRENDS AND INNOVATION, CYBERSECURITY TECHNOLOGY AND ADOPTION OF AI TECHNOLOGY? NO.
THINK HE SAID I THINK HE WANTED CYBERSECURITY TECHNOLOGY.
SHANNON COMMA, CYBERSECURITY COMMA AND TECHNOLOGY.
COMMENT ON AI IS JUST A COMMENT.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO GOAL NUMBER TWO HERE.
THIS IS REGARDING POSITIONING THE GOVERNMENT, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FOR GROWTH.
A FEW INSIGHTS BEFORE WE FOCUS IN ON THE GOAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IS, SO THROUGHOUT OUR DISCOVERY, WE'VE HEARD THIS CONVERSATION OF PLANNED VERSUS UNPLANNED DEVELOPMENT.
THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND THIS PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF CONSIDERING MORE VARIABLES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF, UM, THE VARIOUS NEEDS OR ASPIRATIONS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
OF THOSE, UM, THE CONSTITUENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, UH, AND THE VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES, HOUSING TYPES, LOCATIONS, ACCESSIBILITY WHILE UNPLANNED DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT GENERALLY CATEGORIZES ARE GENERALLY GUIDED BY MORE OF A MARKET FORCES AND DEVELOPER, UM, ASPIRATIONS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE KINDA UNDERSTAND IS PLAN VERSUS UNPLANNED DYNAMIC.
THIS CAME UP SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
SO THIS IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION.
WE UNDERSTAND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY POPULATION DENSITY PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS AS WELL, RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION.
AND THE DENSITY SPECIFICALLY, EARLIER LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A, OR THE YEAR BEFORE IT WAS ABOUT 940, UH, INDIVIDUALS PER SQUARE MILE, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY.
IF I UNDERSTAND NOW, IT'S CLOSER TO 1,060.
SO THAT GROWTH IS GOING RAPID OR IS IT'S RAPIDLY INCREASING, BUT THE DENSITY SPECIFICALLY IS SOMETHING TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
AND SO THAT PUSHES YOU PAST SOME OF THE, UM, OTHER CITIES IN THE AREA AS WELL, OR SORRY, OTHER COUNTIES IN THE, UM, STATE OF TEXAS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY BEHIND THOSE.
[01:05:01]
I DO WANNA MENTION TOO, THAT ROCKWELL COUNTY IS SEEN AS A DESTINATION LOCALE WITH HIGHLY ACTIVE AND ENGAGED CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES.THE COUNTY CAN BENEFIT FROM UTILIZING ITS PROXIMITY TO DFW, THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH, METROPOLITAN AREA METROPLEX, AS WELL AS ITS REPUTATION FOR, UH, THAT DESTINATION FEEL.
AND THAT, UM, AS YOU GO INTO THIS, THESE NEXT FIVE YEARS, 15 YEARS, 25 YEARS, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WITHIN A PLAN SPECIFICALLY.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, WHICH WAS ALREADY MENTIONED EARLIER AT THE START OF THIS CONVERSATION, WATER CONVERSATION, CONSERVATION, EXCUSE ME, AND SHORTAGES ARE A CRITICAL CONCERN FOR THE REGION AS A WHOLE, NECESSITATING TECHNOLOGY AND AN INNOVATIVE INNOVATION AND STRATEGY.
SO ALL OF THESE, WE JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT FROM AN INSIGHT PERSPECTIVE.
WE HEARD THIS, ALTHOUGH THE GOAL IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ORGANICALLY DEVELOPED BY THE CSC, WE WANTED TO SHARE THESE THOUGHTS, WHICH WERE GLARING FROM US AS WE DID OUR DISCOVERY PROCESS.
ALL RIGHT? AND WITH THAT, WE'LL GO INTO FACILITATING THE OVERVIEW OF THE GOALS FOR THIS GOAL OF POSITIONING THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FOR GROWTH.
SO WE'LL KEEP THE SAME METHOD IN HOW WE DID GOAL NUMBER ONE.
UM, NUMBER ONE HERE WE HAVE CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AN INTEGRATED PRIORITY BASED PLANNING, PROGRAMMING, BUDGETING, AND EXECUTION PROCESS.
NUMBER TWO, UPDATE AND REVISE THE COUNTY FACILITIES MASTER PLAN TO EVALUATE EXISTING FACILITIES, ESTABLISH FUTURE REQUIREMENTS, AND INCORPORATE INTO A TIME PHASE PLAN AND BUDGET.
NUMBER THREE, REVIEW A, REVIEW A CON, EXCUSE ME, CONDUCT A REVIEW AND PLAN TO FORECAST CAP CAPABILITY NEEDS REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH THE COUNTY'S ROLES AND MISSIONS UNDER DEMANDING GROWTH SCENARIOS.
NUMBER FOUR, CONDUCT A STUDY AND REVIEW PERIODICALLY TO IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES FOR THE COUNTY'S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, POSITION, CLASSIFICATION, AND COMPENSATION.
AND NUMBER FIVE, REVIEW ESTABLISHED INTERNAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT WORKING GROUPS TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT OF ACTIONS AND RESOURCES TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN VISION AND GOALS.
SO WE'D LIKE TO OPEN THAT UP TO THE GROUP FOR ANY FEEDBACK THEY MIGHT HAVE ON THESE SPECIFIC INITIATIVES.
YEAH, I ONLY GOT ONE COMMENT, MAYBE JUST EXPERIENCE OR MY PERSONAL OPINION ON NUMBER FOUR.
SO I THINK I SAID THIS IN THE PAST, RIGHT? BUT WHEN CITIES AND COUNTY OR GOVERNMENT ENTITIES DO CONVERSATION REVIEWS, WE'RE JUST BENCHMARKING EACH OTHER.
UH, I'M GONNA LEAVE OUT DPS AND PLACE SOME FIRE, DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, RIGHT? BUT I CALL THAT THE FIL PROPHECY, RIGHT? IF WE RAISE OUR PAY, THEN NEXT TIME WE RAISE OUR PAY, THEN WE BASE MARK DOWN, RAISE THE PAY, AND IT JUST GOES ON AND ON.
AND SINCE WE LIKE LOWER TAXES, THERE'S A POINT WHERE THAT COMES IN UN UNSUSTAINABLE COST CURVE.
YOU JUST CAN'T SUSTAIN IT LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
RYAN, I'M SEPARATE UP PLEASE FOR A REASON, BECAUSE THINGS ARE GONNA BE PAID MORE.
BUT I THINK WE GOTTA, AS FINAL FATE, WHEN WE DO, WE THINK ABOUT, WE'RE TRYING TO ADD PRIVATE SECTOR STUFF IN THERE, SOME COMP POSITION LIKE EXECUTIVE FOR CANADA WILL BE AN EXECUTIVE, HOW THEY'RE PAID, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I JUST THINK WE GOTTA DO THAT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE HUGE, THE BUDGET WILL BE, UM, COMPENSATION THEN IF IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, I THINK HEALTHCARE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
BUT JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT AS YOU GO THROUGH THE PLANS ON, ON HOW YOU STRUCTURE THE STUDY AND WHAT THE GOALS OF THE STUDY.
AND WE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT AS WE'VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY.
I AGREE SOMEWHAT WITH SOME OF THAT.
BOBBY ALANA, UH, INCOMING COMMISSIONER, UM, FOR PRECINCT ONE HERE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND I MEAN, I THINK SOME OF THAT YOU CAN SAY, YEAH, I'M AFRAID THAT IF WE DO COMPENSATION STUDIES, WE'RE GONNA OUT BUDGET OURSELVES.
BUT THE, REMEMBER THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT TOO IS THAT WE ALSO WANNA KEEP OUR TALENT AND WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A RETENTION ISSUE DOWN THE ROAD WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS PLAN.
SO WE, WE CAN BENCHMARK OURSELVES A LITTLE AGAINST THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TYPICALLY, UH, IN GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO, IN MY OPINION.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO BENCHMARK OUR BENCHMARK OURSELVES AGAINST SOMETHING.
AND IT CAN BE AN EVER INCREASING SCALE OF COMPETITION, UH, WITH OUR SET.
BUT AS LONG AS WE DEFINE OUR COMPETITION SET RIGHT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE OKAY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, THAT OUR TEAM OF EMPLOYEES AT THE COUNTY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE VALUE THEM AND THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO THINGS LIKE THIS FOR OUR FUTURE.
UH, SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO SAY ON THE FLOOR IS I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MOVED BACK TO EVERY YEAR.
AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE EVERY YEAR OUR DEPARTMENTS DURING OUR BUDGET TIME COME TO US AND TELL US,
[01:10:01]
THEN WE NEED EMPLOYEES.WE CAN'T WAIT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW AND WE CAN'T PROJECT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE'RE GROWING.
THAT TO ME, SHOULD BE AN EVERY YEAR ITEM THAT COMES UP WITH BUDGET TIME.
UH, LIKE BOBBY SAID, THE, THE TOTAL COMPENSATION, A LOT OF TIMES IT COMES UP FOR US IS, EXCUSE ME, THE BUDGET COMES UP AT THE SAME TIME AS PERSONNEL OR EQUIPMENT.
I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE MOVED DOWN TO ZERO TO FIVE.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING YEARLY.
YEAH, I CAN DEFINITELY COMMENT ON THAT ONE.
SEVER, UM, FROM A BEST PRACTICE STANDPOINT, MOST ORGANIZATIONS DO COMPENSATION STUDIES ABOUT EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ORGANIZATION STRUCTURES, WE DO SEE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WHEN BUDGETS ARE PRESENTED, PART OF THAT IS ALSO IDENTIFYING THE RESOURCES AND THE ORGANIZATION AND POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR ANY CHANGING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
SO SOME OF THEM DO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE ORG STRUCTURE EVERY YEAR.
AND, AND BOBBY, UM, I WAS ALSO KIND OF, I AGREE WITH WHERE, WHAT YOU WERE GOING, WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH, BUT I THINK AS THE COUNTY, A LOT OF THESE INITIATIVES ALSO, IF WE'RE CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT, UM, THAT IS, IS CONDUCIVE TO YOU WANT TO WORK AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, THAT'S GONNA ALSO MAYBE ADDRESS THAT SOME ATTRITION BECAUSE THEY, THEY ENJOY THE, WHO THEY WORK FOR AND THEY ENJOY THAT ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY WORK IN.
BUT, BUT ON ANOTHER POSITIVE THAT'LL SUPPORT THAT TOO, IS AS WE GO THROUGH AND WE LOOK AT, UM, INEFFICIENCIES, NOT INEFFICIENCIES, BUT EFFICIENCIES THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, WE MAY FIND, EXCUSE ME, WE MAY FIND THAT, UM, EXCUSE ME.
WE MAY FIND THAT, UM, THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS THAT SOME OF THESE POSITIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAYBE NOT BE AS, AS LABOR INTENSIVE AS THEY HAVE BEEN.
UM, I, I CAN'T SAY THAT ABSOLUTELY ACROSS THE LINE, BUT I DO SEE THAT WE'RE GONNA EXPERIENCE SOME OF THAT OVER THE NEXT PROBABLY 10 TO 15 YEARS AS WELL.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT DOWN, MAYBE MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
THE FUTURE OF WORK HAS MORE UNCERTAINTY THAN EVER.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT EMERGING TESTS, AND WE'VE SAY HISTORICALLY, I, I AGREE WITH YOU, IT HAS BEEN MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE A GAP BRIDGE WITH PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES VERSUS GOVERNMENTAL, BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA BE THE CASE IN THE FUTURE.
THOSE, THE JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS DO NOT EXIST ANYMORE.
AND SO THERE COULD BE A NATURAL FLOW BACK OVER TO THE GOVERNMENTAL SIDE WHERE IF WE'RE NOT COMPETITIVE AND WE'RE NOT IN TUNE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN OUR REGION, WE GET THIS OUT SOME GREAT TALENT.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE FOCUS IN ON PAY AND, AND IF THAT'S ALL WE'RE FOCUSING ON, IS THE NUMBER THE GOVERNMENT LOSES.
BUT WHEN WE START HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, ABOUT AT THREE O'CLOCK, YOU CAN LOCK THE DOOR AND GO HOME AND ACTUALLY HAVE A LIFE.
AND OH, BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A PENSION? WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING ENTITIES THAT WILL GIVE YOU A TRUE PENSION THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS CONVERSATION FLIPS ON ITS HEAD.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT I CAN MAKE 5,000 MORE DOLLARS IF I WORK HERE.
UM, SO IT, IT'S, IT'S, I I WOULD ENCOURAGE NOT TO GET SUCKED INTO JUST TALKING ABOUT SALARIES.
'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN, THAN THE CHECK THAT YOU BRING HOME EVERY WEEK, JUSTIN, TO REMIND EVERYBODY FOR NUMBER FOUR, WE HAD A PRETTY ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TIME HORIZON.
UH, AND THAT, UH, SO WE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHEN WE LEAVE HERE TODAY, WE'RE IN AGREEMENT ON THE TIME HORIZON.
AND, UH, THE OTHER IS THE LANGUAGE WITHIN FOUR THAT DID, DOES IT SUFFICIENTLY CAPTURE THE RANGE OF WHAT WAS JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT THAT'S THE, THE CHALLENGE BECAUSE OUR PROCESS IS TO FOCUS ON THIS EVERY YEAR AS A BUDGET, A MATTER OF BUDGET.
IT'S JUST 'CAUSE THAT'S THE WAY OUR, WE'RE MECHANIZED TO PRODUCE A GOVERNMENTAL BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
[01:15:02]
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THESE CONVERSATIONS COME UP.MY, UH, EXPERIENCE, BRIEF EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS IN, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY IN A NUMBER OF AREAS AROUND THIS IS THE CONVERSATION STARTS AFTER A PROBLEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.
SO IT'S A VERY REACTIVE STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH PERSONNEL MATTERS IN TERMS OF RETENTION, ET CETERA.
AND I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT, BRING ON AN HR DIRECTOR, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT? TO, TO, TO DO THAT MORE EFFICIENTLY, MORE EFFECTIVELY.
SO THE INTENT HERE IS TO CREATE A PROCESS, RIGHT? THIS MAKE IT A, A MORE DYNAMIC PROCESS.
SO JUST GOTTA MAKE SURE THE WORDS ARE THERE SO THAT WHO OWNS THIS INITIATIVE IN THE FUTURE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO IT.
CAN I SPEAK TO THAT? IT SEEMS TO ME, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE IS A BROADER SCOPE THAN WHAT NUMBER FOUR SAYS.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I, I SUPPOSE IT COULD BE A PART OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, BUT SPECIFICALLY WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT PERSONNEL ALLOCATION, HOW MANY POSITIONS WE HAVE AND ABOUT BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION, I THINK, AND I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT NUMBER FOUR AND NUMBER TWO ARE REALLY INEXTRICABLY ENTWINED.
BECAUSE AS YOU HAVE MORE PERSONNEL, YOU'RE GONNA NEED LARGER FACILITIES.
SO WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT TOO.
AND THAT'S, I WAS, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY'VE ASKED US IS WHICH OF THE OPERATING INITIATIVES DO WE THINK IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AMONG THOSE LISTED? AND I WAS TRYING TO SAY, I DUNNO IF I KNOW THAT ANSWER, BECAUSE WHICH COMES FIRST? THE CHICKEN? YEAH.
I THINK THAT IT ENCOMPASSES IT PRETTY WELL.
I MEAN, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS WHAT WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT.
WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW, TO RYAN'S POINT, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE, BUT IN THE COMPENSATION STUDY WOULD INCLUDE A BENEFIT STUDY AS WELL.
THOSE ALL GO TOGETHER BECAUSE THAT'S TOTAL COMPENSATION.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOTAL COMPENSATION VERSUS OUR COMPETITIVE SET.
AND WE'RE NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO BE THE BEST, WE'RE JUST SAYING WE HAVE TO BE IN THE GAME LONG TERM.
AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE WILL CHANGE AS THINGS TO DANA'S POINT MIGHT BECOME MORE EFFICIENT OVER TIME.
IT MAY CHANGE WORKFLOW FOR PEOPLE.
IT MAY MEAN THEY HAVE TO WORK LESS, AS FRANK POINTED OUT, OR GET OUTTA HERE AT THREE O'CLOCK AND CLOSE THE DOORS.
BUT WE HAVE TO KNOW ALL OF THOSE THINGS OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN BUBBLE.
AND IF WE DON'T, IF WE JUST EXIST IN OUR OWN BUBBLE AND WE DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US, WE'RE GONNA FAIL.
SO WE CAN'T BE SCARED OF A STUDY BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S GONNA INCREASE OUR BUDGET.
WE HAVE TO TAKE THE STUDY AND DO WITH IT WHAT WE CAN AND WHAT THE RIGHT THING IS TO DO FOR OUR COUNTY.
SO WITH THAT, THE NUMBER FOUR, WOULD YOU SAY POSITION IZATION AND TOTAL COMPENSATION? YEAH, I THINK FOR SURE, BECAUSE I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
IT'S WHAT I CALL THE TOTAL VALUE OF EMPLOYMENT, RIGHT? YOUR SALARY, YOUR BENEFITS, EDUCATION, RIGHT? IT'S AND ALL THAT.
RIGHT? SO THE WAY I THINK ABOUT, BUT TO KEEP THE WORST SIMPLE TOTAL COMPENSATION COVERS BOTH OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO, MARK, RESPOND TO WHAT YOU SAID.
WE DID HAVE A VERY ACTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS POINT.
AND I THINK WE ENDED UP WITH THIS LANGUAGE A PERIODICALLY REVIEW BECAUSE CONCLUSION WE REACHED WAS WE DIDN'T WANNA COMMIT TO DOING ANNUAL STUDIES.
AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN YOU DO.
AND EVERY MANAGER'S GOTTA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR AREA.
AND, AND, AND, AND A STUDY, A RE STUDY AND REVIEW IS AN EXPENSIVE ITEM.
AND TO SAY WE WOULD DO IT ANNUALLY, I THINK THERE'S MORE MONEY THAN I WOULD BITE OFF.
I KNOW IN MY LAW FIRM, WE CERTAINLY DON'T DO THAT.
EVERYBODY KNOWS KIND OF WHAT YOU PAY, WHAT YOU HAVE TO PAY, BUT YOU DON'T GO OUT AND HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO A STUDY, WHICH IS WHAT THE COUNTY'S TALKING ABOUT.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD BE A BIG FAN OF LEAVING IT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN AND NOT TRYING TO PIN US DOWN THE DATE.
UH, IT'S LISTED IN, UH, GOAL THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE IS IT TALKS ABOUT LAND USE, IS IT TALKS ABOUT TOURISM AS IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
[01:20:17]
ALL RIGHT.SO JUST SO THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS BEING MADE IN THIS AREA, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT NUMBER FOUR, UM, FROM A MORE ACTION STANDPOINT, FROM, UM, SEEING THAT MANY OF THEM ARE KIND OF LIKE IN TANDEM AND ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER.
AGAIN, ONE OF THE, UM, BEST PRACTICES THAT IT WOULD NOT, THERE WOULD NOT BE A STUDY RECOMMENDED FOR EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BUT PROBABLY A TWO TO THREE YEAR WOULD BE WHAT WE WOULD MAKE AS A RECOMMENDATION IN THIS AREA.
UM, WE SAW, UM, EFFICIENCIES IN TECHNOLOGY, FUTURE OF WORK RIGHT HERE, UM, CHANGING THE VERBIAGE OF POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND TOTAL COMPENSATION.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE KIND OF PHRASE THAT A LITTLE BIT BASED ON SOME TERMINOLOGY IN THAT AREA OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL THOSE AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER UPDATES? I, I WOULD, I WOULD COME BACK TO YOU ON THAT CHANGE AND SAY, DOES THAT STILL, ARE YOU STILL GETTING THE QUESTION THAT YOU STARTED WITH BY CHANGING CERTAIN THINGS IN IT? BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA, WE DON'T WANNA CHANGE TO WHAT YOU HAVE THE IDEA OF WHAT THAT REALLY IS.
I, I THINK, UH, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.
I THINK THE, UH, SO WE, WE WORK THIS, WE WORK THIS ONE LINE, UM, THE KEY, KEY WORD HERE, AND I'M, I'M JUST, WE SAY STUDY, I DON'T THINK STUDY MEANS GO OUT TO OUR CONSULTANT STUDY.
IT COULD BE AN INTERNAL STUDY.
WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVE BROUGHT ON BOARD A DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL TO LEAD HR FOR THE COUNTY SOMEWHERE, RIGHT, JUDGE? CORRECT.
WHERE MICROPHONE, YES, THAT'S ACCURATE.
AND WHO DOES THE FABULOUS JOB ON MY HEAD AND, AND, AND IS ON THE FRONT END OF DOING A, UH, COMPENSATION SALARY STUDY.
SO, SO I THINK IT'S, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S INCUMBENT THAT THE COUNTY DEVELOP COMFORTABLY LAND ON A PROCESS THAT THEY CAN ENDORSE.
BUT THE CHALLENGE I'M GONNA LAY OUT FOR THE COUNTY AS AN OBSERVER IS, UM, AND THIS IS GONNA COME A LITTLE ACROSS A LITTLE HARSH, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE THEIR OWN, UM, STAFF.
THE REAL QUESTION IS, UM, ARE THEY ALL EQUALLY BOUGHT INTO THE PROCESS TO WORK TOGETHER TO EMPOWER THE INDIVIDUAL THAT THE COUNTY HAS BROUGHT ON TO LEAD THIS PROCESS? AND, AND, AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU I APPRECIATE, I JUST, IT'S AS IT IS SOMETHING WANNA DO, AND THAT A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT THAT I'LL OFFER AS AN OBSERVATION, I MAY BE COMPLETELY OFF TRACK, BUT I JUST, I'LL OFFER THAT UP.
COMMISSIONER, YOU, I, I HAVE, I TRIED, NOT JUST ME.
IT'S BEEN TRIED IN THE PAST TO BE VERY COHESIVE WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HEAR TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I DON'T WORK FOR YOU.
I GOT ELECTED JUST LIKE YOU DID.
SO WHEN IT, THE ONLY CONTROL, AND WE'VE TRIED TO BE BETTER AT IT TO TRY AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER SO THEY UNDERSTAND, IS WE CAN WRITE REGULATIONS THAT MOST OF THEM HAVE TO FILE, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE CAN GET THEM TO BE A PART OF THIS.
BUT TO GO TO A DEPARTMENT TO ASK THEM OR TELL THEM SOMETHING ABOUT AN EMPLOYER OR THE WAY THEY'RE WORKING, YOU'RE JUST STEPPING ON TOES NOW.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I WISH IT HAPPENED.
I WISH I, BEFORE WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, UH, IT WAS COMMENTED THAT THEY USED TO HAVE A DEPARTMENT HEAD ELECTED OFFICIAL MEETING ONCE A, BUT THEN IT GOTTA THE POINT WHERE I CAN'T BE IN HERE BEFORE WORK.
SO THEN IT STARTED FALLING APART.
BUT WE, IT WAS TRIED TO DO THAT.
THEY TRIED TO DO THAT IN THE, IN THE PAST.
BUT YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AND WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
[01:25:01]
AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER COMMENTS, WE'LL MOVE INTO GOAL NUMBER THREE.SO GOAL NUMBER THREE IS TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL REGION AND STATE COLLABORATION.
AND WE'LL SHARE A FEW INSIGHTS WITH YOU THROUGHOUT OUR DISCOVER PROCESS.
WE NOTICED A FEW ITEMS THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THIS GROUP.
ONE IS THAT THE BUSINESSES AS WELL AS NONPROFITS ARE THRIVING IN THE CL IN THE COUNTY, AND THEY PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE FUTURE.
SO TO AN EXTENT, THIS GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT WE DO WANNA MENTION THIS FOR YOU ALL IN THAT THIS WAS MENTIONED, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS, BOTH INTERNALLY IN THE COUNTY OPERATIONS, THE VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES, AS WELL AS, UM, RESPONDENTS TO THE EXTERNAL SURVEY AND THE WORK THAT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND WORKSHOPS PROVIDED.
UH, SO THERE IS A RECOGNITION OF THE VALUE OF THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS SPECIFICALLY.
AND HOW CAN WE CRAFT OUR OPERATING INITIATIVES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT VALUE IN THE CRUCIAL ROLE THAT THEY, UH, PLAY IN THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTY AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A, OR VARIOUS, UH, UM, CITIES, AGENCIES, MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATIONS, STATE AGENCIES, STATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THE COUNTY MUST ALIGN WITH FOR FUTURE SUCCESS.
SO IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GOAL STRENGTHENING LOCAL REGION AND STATE COLLABORATION, WE WANT TO LEAN INTO OPERATING INITIATIVES HERE THAT BASED OFF OF OUR DISCOVERY ADDRESS, THE NEED THAT WE ARE SEEING FOR MORE COLLABORATION IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE, UM, SOME OF THE TOPICS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, GROWTH, UM, SILO EFFECTS THAT ARE COMMON IN PUBLIC SECTOR.
UM, AND THEN JUST VARIOUS INITIATIVES AND, UH, ASPIRATIONS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
HOW ARE WE COORDINATING, COLLABORATING? AND THEN LASTLY, JUST UNFUNDED MANDATES AND THEIR, HOW THEY POSE A CHALLENGE FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE COUNTY.
WE WANTED TO STRESS THAT THE ABILITY OF COUNTY LEADERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR EXISTING PROPERTIES IS SOMEWHAT IMPACTED BY UNFUNDED MANDATES TO VARYING DEGREES.
AND SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ON THE SWAT MET MATRIX PERSPECTIVE, THIS WOULD FALL IN THAT THREATS CATEGORY ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE, UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN CONTROL PER SE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY, VARIOUS GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO DEAL WITH OR IDENTIFY MECHANISMS TO DEAL WITH.
SO JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THIS FOR CONSIDERATION IN THESE OPERATING INITIATIVES.
THESE TOPICS CAME UP THROUGHOUT OUR, UH, DISCOVER PHASE.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S RUN THROUGH THE SIX LISTED HERE FOR PROPOSED OPERATING INITIATIVES.
NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED, LET'S GO BACK.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ROCKWELL COUNTY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, INTEGRATED THE COUNTY, CITIES AND SCHOOL DR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, HOST ROCKWELL 2050 GROWTH SUMMITS WITH COUNTY CITIES DEVELOPERS, IDS AND TMWD AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS.
NUMBER THREE, ESTABLISHED COUNTY OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT OF UNINCORPORATED AREA LAND USES, INCLUDING THE CREATION OF A FUTURE LAND USE MAP TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT.
NUMBER FOUR, CREATE A ROCKWELL COUNTY ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY, CITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
CONDUCT A STUDY TO IDENTIFY COMPATIBLE LAND USE AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES, STANDARDS AND COST RESPONSIBILITY, BURDEN, APPORTIONMENT, AND LAST, STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS AND THE NORTH TEXAS COMMISSION.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO ANY FEEDBACK ON ANY OF THOSE INITIATIVES LISTED HERE.
I PERSONALLY LOVE THE IDEA OF THE ROCKWELL COUNTY ALLIANCE.
I THINK THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE ROCKWELL COUNTY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES BECAUSE THE ALLIANCE WOULD BE A BIG PART OF DEVELOPING THOSE PRIORITIES.
UM, IN REGARD TO THE COLLABORATION, GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT MARK ALLUDED TO A LITTLE EARLIER, WE DO HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE GONNA BE MORE BOUGHT IN THAN OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE GREAT BUY-IN WITH A CURRENT ELECTED OFFICIAL, THEN YOU HAVE AN ELECTION AND YOU HAVE DIFFERENT OFFICIALS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAYBE THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE CONTINUE THAT BUY-IN, NOT JUST HOW DO WE GET IT, BUT HOW DO WE MAINTAIN IT? HOW DO WE CONTINUE IT ACROSS ELECTIONS AS AS THE ADMINISTRATIONS CHANGE? SO I THINK NUMBER ONE IS IMPORTANT.
[01:30:01]
RELATIVELY QUICKLY.UM, I WOULD, IF TIME IS PASSING QUICKLY AND THREE WEEKS, THE OUR BILL, THEN NOVEMBER PRE-FILING PERIOD WILL HAPPEN.
THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KNOW THE DIRECTION THAT LET'S LEGISLATURE WHERE THEY'RE HEADING, THE TOP 20 BILLS, UH, THAT BILL ONE OR 20 WILL PASS MORE LIKELY.
I WOULD ADD NUMBER ONE, I WOULD ADD, SAY, I THINK ANY PLACE WE SAY KEY STAKEHOLDERS, I THINK SEVERAL OF 'EM I WOULD ADD CHAMBER COMMERCE TO IT AND THE EDCS.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE TWO, FOUR, WHATEVER.
I THINK THE CHAMBERS, BOTH CHAMBERS, ROCKWELL, UH, CHAMBER AND ROY CITY CHAMBER, OR THE TRI-COUNTY CHAMBER, I GUESS THEY'RE CALLED.
AND THEN I THINK, UM, UH, ROY CITY'S EDC, ROCKWELL, EDC.
YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE AN EDC, RIGHT? WE DO NOT.
SO WE'RE, AND THEN I DON'T THINK TEMPERATURES DO THEY, I WOULD JUST MAKE SURE WE ADD THE A DC TO THIS CONVERSATION.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT REAL QUICK, HOW COMPLEX, WELL, WELL, THIS SEEMS LIKE SUCH AN EASY A STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
NOW, PUT YOURSELF IN A, A SITUATION WHERE THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS IS TRYING TO PUT A ROAD RIGHT THROUGH YOUR COUNTY THAT YOUR CITIZENS HAVE CLEARLY SAID THEY DON'T WANT.
SO WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, AND, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN GROUPS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT'S GONNA MEET HERE, AND, AND WE GET ALONG WELL, AND WE CAN DIRECT THEIR ACTIONS, AND THEY'RE A GOOD PARTNER, 9 1 1.
AGAIN, WE GET ALONG WELL WITH THEM.
SO I, I THINK WE MAY NEED TO BREAK THAT COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS DOWN INTO ITS SEPARATE ENTITIES.
'CAUSE THERE, THERE ARE GROUPS THAT, THAT WE CAN FOSTER A MORE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH.
BUT THERE, THERE'S A GROUP THAT WE HAVE TO STAND UP AGAINST AND, AND ADVOCATE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
UH, IF WE ALLOW THEM TO DO WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, UH, IT'S GOING TO CREATE ISSUES FOR NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT AND THEN GETS US BACK TO THAT, UH, UNPLANNED DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT WE CAN'T REALLY, UH, GET AHEAD OF.
AND THEN THAT'S GONNA GET US INTO THE ISDS WHERE WE'RE EDUCATING MORE KIDS IN THE METAL BUILDINGS BEHIND THE SCHOOL THAN WE ARE IN THE SCHOOLS.
UH, SO IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, STRENGTHENING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS SOMETIMES CAN MEAN SOMEWHAT OF AN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP OF STANDING UP AND ADVOCATING FOR, FOR YOUR COUNTY.
UH, THAT'S WHAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THE COMPLEX NATURE OF, OF THAT RELATIONSHIP WHERE, WHERE WE'RE NEVER GONNA, UH, HOLD HANDS AND, AND SAY YES, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ON BOARD BECAUSE, UH, AS MR. PARK SAID, WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
ROCKWELL COUNTY IS AN INCREDIBLY DISTINCTIVE COUNTY.
WE, WE HAVE ASSETS THAT OTHER COUNTIES DON'T HAVE.
WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHER COUNTIES DON'T HAVE.
SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME AS IT'S DEALT TO NORMAL COUNTIES.
WE, WE CAN SAY WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA PLAY OUR OWN GAME HERE.
UH, SO IT, IT CREATES COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS.
SO, UM, I, I'M JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MEASURE THAT.
UH, BECAUSE IT, IT MAY WELL END UP BEING WE'RE, WE'RE BUTTING HEADS, UH, WITH THEM INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO.
SO, SO, JUDGE, I WAS JUST REFLECTING ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
AND, AND SO WHAT A WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS IS THE ABILITY TO HAVE DIFFICULT RELATION OR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS IN A, IN A POSITIVE WAY, RIGHT? SO, UH, AND, AND MAYBE STRENGTHEN IS THE WRONG ADJECTIVE, BUT, UH, STRONG, UM, TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS.
MAYBE IT'S THE WORD TRUSTED IS WHAT WE'RE SEARCHING FOR.
TRUSTING, TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
UH, IF, AND THINK OF IT JUST IN CONTEXT OF MARRIAGE.
IF YOU'RE IN A STRONG MARRIAGE, IT'S A TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP.
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT THREATENING THE RELATIONSHIP ITSELF.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEKING HERE AND WHAT YOU JUST
[01:35:01]
SPOKE TO.SO MAYBE INSTEAD OF STRENGTH AND IT'S TRUST.
THE OTHER THING, THE OTHER THING IS, AS YOU SAW, IS AS YOU SAW, UM, ALL OF THE ACTUAL, UM, IDEAS OF WHEN WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS, THEY'RE ALL FOR FY 25.
SO I THINK IT'LL BE, I THINK IT'LL BE GOING OVER.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THIS FALLING INTO THE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND ZERO TO FIVE YEARS, GUYS, THIS IS ONGOING.
I SAY ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN ONE OF THE MEETINGS WAS ABOUT, THIS IS A COUNTY PLAN, BUT HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GET THE CITIES ON BOARD WITH IT? WELL, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STRENGTHENING LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION.
UH, IF YOU, AND, AND I LOOK AT A LOT OF THIS THROUGH, THROUGH A VERY NARROW, UH, LENS AS I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF YOU, AND I LOOK AT IT THROUGH A PUBLIC SAFETY LENS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT LENS, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE KNOWN FOR, FOR MY WHOLE CAREER.
BUT I THINK IF WE HAD A DISASTER, WHAT WOULD WE DO? WE WOULD DEPEND ON EACH ONE WHO IS REPRESENTED HERE IN THIS ROOM, THE COMMUNITIES, THE BUSINESSES, UH, THE LOCAL CITIZENS, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, TO ALL PULL TOGETHER FOR SOMETHING.
AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN ON A STATE AND REGIONAL LEVEL AS WELL.
NOW, WILL THAT HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE, LET'S JUST TAKE THE, THE CONSORTIUM FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE EMERGENCY SERVICE CORPORATION.
THOSE ARE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AT A TABLE IN THIS ROOM TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES, NOT JUST AT A COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING, OR NOT JUST AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, OR A, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? A OPEN HOUSE TYPE, UH, FORUM IS SOMETHING THAT BRINGS EVERYBODY TOGETHER.
AND IF YOU CAN'T GET THOSE DISCUSSED BEFORE A PROBLEM HAPPENS, THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT BOBBY AND JEREMY HAVE WHEN A DISASTER HAPPENS, IS GONNA BE FAR OUTTA LINE THAN IF YOU MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AND TALK ABOUT THOSE, UM, ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR COOPERATION.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO STAND TOGETHER AS A COLLABORATIVE, UH, COMMUNITY THAT'S GONNA WORK TOGETHER AND WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES, EVEN IF YOU DON'T ALWAYS AGREE? MM-HMM,
I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT IF TOMORROW WE COULD DRAW A FUTURE LAND USE MAP, BUT AS A COUNTY FOR THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, WHICH THAT SAYS, UH, FOR THE, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE CAN'T LEGALLY YEAH, I ASK THAT QUESTION.
WHAT? I WAS GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION.
AND SO TO YOUR, UH, UH, ADVICE HERE, WE STATE THE COUNTIES DON'T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO CREATE ZONING, WHICH IS WHAT THIS EFFECTIVELY IS.
UM, SO HOW CAN WE WRITE THIS IN A WAY THAT, UH, THAT IS LEGAL AND PERMISSIBLE? UH, COULD WE SAY, DO WE LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS? OR WE JUST SAY INCLUDING, UH, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE CREATION OF A FUTURE LAND USE MAP? WHAT DO WE DO? I LIKE YOUR INSIGHT ON THAT.
SO LET, LEMME JUMP IN REAL QUICK.
WE, WE CAN DRAW THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
SO I MEAN, WE CAN, WE CAN DRAW WHATEVER MAPS WE WANT.
SO I'M WONDERING IF INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON ENFORCEMENT, WE SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WILL SUPPORT.
AND WE HAVE SOME TOOLS TO HELP YOU.
IF, IF YOU FOLLOW THIS, THIS PATH.
IF YOU DON'T, WE'RE NOT GONNA HELP YOU.
BUT WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T ENFORCE IT.
I, LOOK, I AM NOT GOING TO CHALLENGE YOUR STATEMENT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN COUNTY JUDGE AND I HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, BUT I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T, YOU'RE, I AGREE WITH YOU ON ONE THING.
YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN'T ENFORCE IT.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T ENFORCE IT, DOES THE COUNTY EVEN HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PASS IT? YEAH, WE DO.
WE CAN PASS AN UNENFORCEABLE LAW.
YOU JUST CAN'T WAIT ME QUESTION LAW.
I THINK, LAUREN, I THINK A FUTURE LAND, IF I UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF A FUTURE LAND USE MAP, IT'S A, IT'S A STATEMENT OF
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DESIRED USE FOR THAT FUTURE LAND USE.IT BECOMES ENFORCEABLE WHEN IT TRANSLATES INTO ZONING UNDER STATE LAW.
ZONING IS, I'M GONNA USE THE WORD REQUIRED.
IT MAY BE THE WRONG ONE, BUT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP WITHIN A MUNICIPALITY.
SO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STATES WHAT THE DESIRED OUTCOMES ARE FOR A CITY.
IT'S A STATE, IT'S AN, IT'S AN OBJECTIVE GOAL IF YOU'LL, BUT IT IS NOT, IT CAN BE MODIFIED, IT CAN BE IT.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS FULL AUTHORITY TO, UH, FOLLOW ANOTHER PATH IF THEY HAVE THE LOGIC TO DO THAT.
FUTURE LAND USE MAP REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE DESIRED OUTCOME.
SO I, TO JUDGE NEWS'S POINT, MM-HMM.
UH, BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT IS, AND JOHN HARPER'S THE ONE THAT OFFER THIS, AND I'LL LET JOHN SPEAK TO IT IF I DON'T GET IT ALL CORRECT.
SO, JOHN, SO GET READY IS PART OF THIS GOAL TIES TO THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BECAUSE THERE'S A LEGISLATIVE, UM, NUANCE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR GREATER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL AT THE COUNTY LEVEL AND AT MUNICIPAL LEVEL.
AND, AND YOU HAVE, I THINK YOUR COMMENT BEFORE WAS IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT, IT'S SORT OF GAME OVER ANYWAY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A KEY.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO WORK THIS AND MULT A MULTIFACETED STRATEGY, A LOCAL STRATEGY, WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS TO ACHIEVE DESIRED OUTCOMES AT THE SAME TIME WORKING WITH LEGISLATURE TO INCREASE THE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOW GREATER ENFORCEMENT.
I, I AGREE WITH JOHN HARPER'S POINT.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT, JOHN? IT'S A GREAT POINT.
HOW ABOUT IF WE DID THIS THEN? UM, HOW ABOUT IF WE SAID CREATION OF A DESIRED, I LOVED YOUR WORD, MARK.
A DESIRED FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO SPECIFY SOMETHING HERE THAT WE'RE GONNA STAND BY AND STICK TO.
IT HAS TO BE PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
UM, I JUST DON'T WANNA START OUT WITH SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T ENFORCE.
YOU WANNA SET EXPECTATIONS? YES.
I WOULD BE FINE IF WE HAD A DESIRED FUTURE LAND.
CAN YOU USE THE MIC THOUGH? THAT WAY? EXCELLENT.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
JUST TO GIVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.
UH, I, I'VE READ THE ENTIRE PROPOSED PLAN COMPLETELY, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND THE NUANCES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT AS I LOOK AT THE, UM, FIRST STUDY THAT WAS DONE ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE ON, IT'S OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE.
SO MUCH OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED CANNOT GO FORWARD UNTIL WE GET IN ROCKWELL COUNTY, THE AUTHORITY TO REALLY CONTROL AND MANAGE AND GOVERN, UH, THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS.
THE OTHER PROBLEM WE'RE GONNA RUN INTO IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF AUTHORITY, AND I SEE I THINK THREE MAYORS IN THE, UH, IN THE, AT THE TABLE, UH, THE MAYORS AREN'T GONNA GIVE UP THEIR AUTHORITY VERY EASILY.
AND I THINK YOU BETTER HAVE SOME LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY IN YOUR HAND WHEN YOU START TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN SOME OF THE PROPOSALS.
CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME FOR THE RECORD? JOHN, UH, JOHN HARPER.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO GO ON FOR THIS ONE BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I THINK WE'RE, I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAPTURED JUDGE NEWS.
IF JUDGE NEWS SATISFIED THAT WE CAPTURED THIS POINT.
AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER COMMENTS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK 10 MINUTE BREAK FOR EVERYONE, AND THEN WE'LL COME
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REALLY NEED IT.WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED AGAIN HERE IN ANOTHER MINUTE OR SO.
IF YOU'LL WANNA FIND YOUR SEAT.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING YOUR WAY BACK.
THE NEXT GOAL, FOUR OF SIX, RELATES TO THE INVESTMENT IN COUNTYWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE.
A FEW INSIGHTS HERE BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE OPERATING INITIATIVES.
THROUGHOUT OUR DISCOVER PROCESS, WE IDENTIFIED THAT APPROXIMATELY 37% OF THE LAND, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY IS IN THIS UNDEVELOPED STATE.
AND THE COUNTY FACES THE CHALLENGE OF EXPANDING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS GROWING POPULATION.
ONE OF THE PRIMARY CONCERNS AMONG COUNTY STAKEHOLDERS IS ROADWAY INFRASTRUCTURE SPECIFICALLY, AS WELL AS TWO CRITICAL ISSUES THAT STAND OUT FROM BOTH OUR INTERVIEWS, OUR DATA GATHERING, WHICH ARE RELIABLE ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER, AND I SHOULD SAY JUST ALL WATER SOURCES AS WELL IN ADDITION TO JUST TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
SO IN THIS TOPIC OF INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FEW TOPICS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ROADWAYS, TRAFFIC, UM, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL FOR WATER AND RESOURCES.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE ADDED A NOTE THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR THE WORKING GROUP HERE, WHICH IS THAT 65% OF HOUSEHOLDS OWNED BETWEEN ONE AND TWO CARS WITHIN ROCKWELL COUNTY.
THIS, THE CULTURE OF ROCKWELL COUNTY HAS AN IMPACT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEMAND.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING.
WE HAVE OTHER STATISTICS AND INFORMATION THAT ARE THROUGHOUT OUR DISCOVER REPORT THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY, UM, THAT ESSENTIALLY WE, UH, JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THE AS POPULATION GROWS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THESE BE EXPONENTIAL QUESTIONS, THE CONGESTION, TRAFFIC, WATER, AND THESE SORTS OF ITEMS. SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE INTO A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT OPERATING INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED FOR THE GOAL NUMBER FOUR, IN INVEST IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE COUNTY.
THIS IS THE LARGEST OF THE GOALS.
WE HAVE SEVEN OPERATING INITIATIVES.
LEMME ZOOM IN IN ZOOM IN HERE A BIT HERE SO WE CAN SEE THESE A LITTLE CLOSER.
REFINE ROLES AND MISSIONS OF THE ROCK WALL ROAD CONSORTIUM TO CREATE A COUNTYWIDE BODY TO INTEGRATE CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS TO CREATE A ROCK WALL COUNTY WATER CONSORTIUM TO COLLABORATE WITH THE NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT, CITIES AND WATER SUPPLY COMPANIES TO ENSURE THE SUPPLY OF ADEQUATE WATER FOR EXISTING AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.
THREE, ESTABLISHED LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIES TO INCREASE COUNTY AND CITY AUTHORITIES OVER APPROVALS AND OPERATIONS OF, UH, MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS AND OTHER SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS.
LEVERAGING THE OPEN SPACE ALLIANCE.
CREATE A COUNTYWIDE TRAIL PLAN THAT INCORPORATES CITY EFFORTS WITH UTILITIES TO LEVERAGE EXISTING AND FUTURE EASEMENTS AND CORRIDORS.
THIS IS ON THE TRAFFIC, UM, AND OPEN SPACE.
TOPIC NUMBER FIVE, DEVELOP ENHANCED STORM RUNOFF AND FLOOD CONTROL STRATEGIES, INCLUDING THE MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING CONSERVATION LAKES.
NUMBER SIX, IN COLLABORATION WITH TXDOT AND THE CITIES.
IDENTIFY MODERN PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES TO MONITOR, PREDICT AND MANAGE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION PATTERNS.
AND LASTLY, IDENTIFY INVESTMENT MECHANISMS AND FUNDING SOURCES TO SUPPORT COUNTYWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR COSTS.
SO A LOT GOING ON IN THIS GOAL.
I'D LOVE TO OPEN UP FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO COMBINE, UM, TWO AND ONE AND, AND LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT I HAVE IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW TO TURN THE, THE ROAD CONSORTIUM INTO AN INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM.
WHERE, WHERE WE, SO THE COUNTIES COME UP WITH A LIST OF 16 ITEMS THAT WE CONSIDER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, AND WE CAME UP WITH THAT, UM, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING THAT IMPACTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWALL COUNTY.
SO I, I WOULD, UH, ASK THAT WE COMBINE THOSE TWO AND THE TIMEFRAME.
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ADJUSTED? WE HAVE ONE SECTION IN ONE THAT THAT'LL HAPPEN IN 2025.UM, IS IT GONNA BE BROADER THAN THAT OR IS IT GONNA BE LIMITED TO WATER AND ROAD? NO, NO, IT'S GONNA BE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT, IT, IT WILL BRING IN SCHOOLS, IT WILL BRING IN SEWER, IT'LL BRING IN DRAINAGE, IT'LL BRING IN BROADBAND ANIMAL CONTROL.
I MEAN, IT, IT, IT WILL BE EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING.
NEITHER OF WHICH I'M COMPETENT TO ANSWER FIRST.
UM, SHOULD IT BE DRAFTED MORE BROADLY THAN THAT? I GUESS YOU'RE SAYING COMBINE 'EM AND MAKE IT BIG AT INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM.
LET, LET, LET'S HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE CONVERSATION.
SECOND, IS IT GONNA GET TOO BIG THAT IT BECOMES INEFFECTIVE? YEAH.
BUT SO IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA FIX AS WE GO, IN YOUR OPINION? I, I, I THINK SO.
I'LL TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE, THE MEMBER ENTITIES.
UM, BUT I, I THINK WE ARE DECEIVING OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT IF WE THINK WE SOLVE ROADS, WE'VE SOLVED INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHERE SOMETIMES ROADS CAUSES OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
AGAIN, BACK TO THE WATER IS THE EASIEST AND, UH, MOST OBVIOUS EXAMPLE.
UM, SO NO, I, I WOULD TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE CONSORTIUM AND THE MEMBER ENTITIES, BUT I, I THINK WE HAVE TO STEP BACK AND HAVE A HOLISTIC VIEW OF, OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
WELL, YOU PUT IN A LOT MORE THOUGHT ON THIS THAN I HAVE.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AT ALL.
UH, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION, BUT I DO THINK MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT AS YOU CREATE THIS AND AS WE EXPAND THIS, WE HAVE TO HAVE SUBCOMMITTEES THAT ARE REAL ACTIVE, THAT GET INVOLVED IN PUSHING THINGS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE ON ALL FRONTS, RATHER.
WHICH LOST, WHICH SHOULD DRAG US RIGHT BACK INTO SOME LEGISLATIVE ISSUES.
UH, AND, AND WOULD, UH, THE SLIDE BEFORE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT BUILDING COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES, AND THAT, THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD AVENUE TO, TO START THAT CONVERSATION.
I WOULD SUGGEST WE BREAK IT UP INTO MAYBE SECTIONS, RIGHT? SO ROADS AND DRAINAGE AND ANIMAL CONTROL.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE MORE DRUG CONTROL OVER BROADBAND.
UM, SCHOOLS, STATE LAW SAYS SCHOOLS IS NOT AN INFRASTRUCTURE BY STATE LAW.
I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T PUSH THAT ANIMAL TOO MUCH UNLESS THAT CHANGE.
WELL, THEY SAY THAT, WELL THAT'S, BUT THEN THEY CHIP AWAY AT IT.
WELL, THEY'LL ADD MORE TO THE LIST WHEN THEY, WE CAN'T DO IT.
SO JUST, I WAS JUST BE MINDFUL.
SCHOOLS ARE NOT INFRASTRUCTURE BY DEFINITION, BY FLAW.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE IS FINE.
I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, HAMPERED BY STATE LAW BECAUSE OF THE BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, NATIONAL STANDARDS, WE HAVE TO ADHERE TOO.
AND PREVIOUS SERVICES ARE NOT A REQUIREMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE JUST CAUSE A LOT OF CHANGE ISSUES.
SO MAYBE WE CHIP AT THAT, BUT I WOULD JUST MAKE SECTIONS OUT OF IT THING WE HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER THINGS WE, WE NEED TO GET CONTROL OVER OR INFLUENCE OTHER GROUPS.
AND COURSE WE HAVE NO CONTROL LIKE BROADBAND.
WE CAN FRAME EACH CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK THE CONSORTIUM IS THE APPROPRIATE PLATFORM TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE ALSO, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ROADS, MOST OF OUR ROADS ARE WHAT STATE? ROADS, CITY.
YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE CITY THAT CONTROL OVER THOSE.
SO YOU HAVE TO LOBBY AS A GROUP, RIGHT? SO WHETHER IT'S THE ELECTRICAL GRID, WHETHER IT'S, UH, UH, TECHNOLOGY, UH, PURPOSE OR ANYTHING ELSE, THAT, THAT WOULD BE AN INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? YEP.
INFRASTRUCTURE, AGAIN, MY, MY WHOLE GOAL IS IF WE JUST FOCUS ON ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA MISS IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO VERY LIKELY CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VERY IMPORTANT, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE ITEMS. WE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE HOLISTICALLY.
SO, SO I JUST POINT OUT ONE CONSIDERATION, UM, VERY CLEARLY, THE PUBLIC WHEN ASKED WHAT THEIR NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS, IT'S ROAD TO TRAFFIC.
LET'S, LET'S TRY TO ASK YOU STAY FOCUSED ON THIS POINT.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT IS WE WENT OUT AND INTENTIONALLY ASKED,
[01:55:01]
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE.SO I'M NOT, UH, THE IDEA OF CREATING AN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CONSORTIUM IN DUE COURSE WAS EMBRACED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHILE YOU I AGREE, JUDGE, YOU DON'T WANNA LOSE BY FOCUSING ON ONE THING.
YOU CAN LOSE FOCUS ON THE OTHER ITEMS. WELL, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE PROBLEMS, CAUSE PROBLEMS, BUT SOMETIME, UM, I'M GONNA MAKE THE ARGUMENT FOR THE AVERAGE CITIZEN THAT IF I WANT MY COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS ON ONE, HELPING ME SOLVE A PROBLEM, THEN THAT'S PROBABLY THE PROBLEM I'M GONNA POINT TO.
SO, UH, AND, AND, AND I AGREE WITH THAT.
IT'S NOT A NEW PROBLEM EITHER, BUT I, I WOULD, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN GROWING AND CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT OF INDUCED DEMAND.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WHO BUILD ROADS, UH, TXDOT DO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.
UH, AND I, I'VE USED THE ANALOGY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE A HAMMER, EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL.
SO YOUR SOLUTION TO OVERDEVELOPMENT IS TO BUILD A ROAD WHICH CAUSES MORE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS FINE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SOLUTION TO IT, WHICH IS BUILD A ROAD, WHICH CAUSES MORE DEVELOPMENT AND ON AND ON AND ON IT GOES.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE YOU'RE BUILDING ROADS, WHY YOU'RE BUILDING ROADS.
ARE YOU BUILDING THE ROADS FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR EXISTING CITIZENS, OR ARE YOU BUILDING THE ROADS FOR WHAT WE CALL STAKEHOLDERS TO ACTUALLY INDUCE THE DEVELOPMENT? AND, AND IT'S OKAY IF YOU ARE, BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT TOO CLOSELY, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION.
YOU HAVE TO BACK UP FROM IT AND SEE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE AS A WHOLE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE CITIZENS' FOCUS ON ROADS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T POINT A DIRECTION AND GET OUTTA ROCKWALL COUNTY WITHOUT CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THE BILLION DOLLARS OF I 30 THAT'S GOING FROM ONE END OF OUR COUNTY TO THE OTHER IS GOING TO INCREASE TRAFFIC.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO DECREASE TRAFFIC.
SO IT, IT IS GOING TO FUNNEL TRAFFIC ONTO OUR SIDE ROADS AND IT'S GONNA CREATE ISSUES WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE ISSUES BEFORE.
SO MY, MY WHOLE STANCE IS WE CAN SAY ROADS, BUT JUST PAVING AND SPENDING MONEY MAY BE CAUSING MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN FIXING THE PROBLEM.
SO WE, WE'VE GOTTA GET BACK AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM A HOLISTIC STANDPOINT, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT CASE STUDIES TO THAT.
SO IF YOU TAKE, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE R LOOP, WHICH I UNDERSTAND EVEN THOUGH, WELL, NO, I'M REFERRING TO ANYTHING.
WELL, LISTEN, JUST HANG, JUST HANG WITH A SECOND.
SO IN DUE DEMAND, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR A LONG TIME IN FAITH DUE DEMAND, SO SYSTEMS HAD TWO FEEDBACKS, RIGHT? LET'S TAKE JOHN KING AND VERSUS THE OUTER LOOP.
SO JOHN KING WAS BUILT 5, 7, 10 YEARS AGO, WAS HERE WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2013, A LONG TIME AGO, NOT USED.
NOW IT'S ENABLING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHERE IKEA IS GOING OR COULD GO THE PLACE IN IN RESIDENTIAL.
CITIZENS THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
BUILD AFIC IN ADVANCE, THEY'RE PAYING FOR IT, BUT YOU CAN'T DO IMPACT FEES.
SO THAT'S ONE VIEW OF THE WORLD.
WE'RE ASKING WHY WE DO THINGS MORE TIMES IN ADVANCE.
THAT'S ONE POSITION THEY'RE TAKING.
THE CITIZENS ARE, AND SURE THEY TOTALLY, TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT IS, BUT THEY ARE, THE SECOND PART OF THIS CONVERSATION IS MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? AND THEN MAINTENANCE IS YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN YOUR ROADS IN ADVANCE OR ARE YOU PAY LONG-TERM COST.
AND THE COUNTY HAS, HAS SOME COUNTY HAS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUES GOING LONG-TERM ROAD DEBT THAT YOU'RE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND THIRD ONE IS, IS THE THIRD IS THE THIRD ONE.
SO IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS ONE BLANKET STATEMENT IS DEMAND.
YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE OUTER LOOP AS ONE PROBLEM.
DO YOU BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE IN ADVANCE OR NOT? ARE YOU, WHEN YOU'RE REACTIVE AND THEN YOU HAVE CONSTRUCTION ISSUES OR CONCESSION ISSUES AS WE GO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE, RIGHT? THE FOURTH THING, WHICH IS INTERESTING IS ROADS CREATE MORE DRAINAGE ISSUES WHICH CREATE MORE FLOODING.
SO YOU HAVE PURPOSE SERVICES PROBLEMS. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS IN MORE IN BIG BUCKETS AND BUCKETS, RIGHT? SO THIS IS OUTER LOOP IS ONE PROBLEM.
GOTTA, BUT WE GOTTA WRESTLE AS A COUNTY, WHERE DO WE DO THINGS IN ADVANCE? ARE WE REACT EITHER WAY? IS THERE'S GROSS AND CONS, RIGHT?
[02:00:01]
AND GIVEN OUR SYSTEM, DON'T WANT US PAY A LOT OF MONEY IN TAXES FORCED TO BE REACTIVE.SO JUST IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL HAVE TO BREAK UP FROM THE KIND BUCKETS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ARGUING POINT OF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT MORE THAN JUST ROADS BECAUSE THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S AN IMPACT.
CITIZENS' QUALITY OF LIFE ALSO I THINK CAN'T BE FIXED BY PAVING EVERY ROAD IN THE COUNTY.
AND THE WATER ONE, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, FLINT, CHISHOLM, HE'S GOT A MUCH DIFFERENT PROBLEM WITH STATE DOES.
I MEAN, WE'RE MORE WRESTLING WITH NORTH TEXAS WATER DISTRICT CHI CITIES HAVE A MUCH DIFFERENT ISSUE THAN WE DO.
SO THAT'D BE A GOOD PLACE TO HAMMER SOME THOSE OUT.
I, I DISAGREE WITH YOU, FRANK.
I THINK I'M NOT AS CONCERNED WITH HOW MUCH THIS IS GONNA TAKE ON.
I THINK WE START WITH IT, HOW WE HAVE IT, INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, CONSORTIUM, AND, AND THEN WE WILL SEE HOW THAT EVOLVES.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE PICK IT APART NOW.
I THINK WE KNOW ALL HERE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND ALL THESE PIECES FIT TOGETHER.
SO I THINK WE JUST START WITH IT.
UM, IT'LL DEFINE ITSELF AS WE GO.
I I WOULD, AND I, I AGREE, I CONCUR.
BUT I DO THINK THAT MARK, MARK SAID THIS YEAH, A FEW MINUTES AGO, IS THAT WE HAD A NUMBER, I MEAN OUR, THE NUMBER ONE OPEN SPACES AND YEAH.
HOW IT AFFECTS THE S ARE THE NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO THINGS.
SO WE HAVE, I, I TOTALLY BELIEVE THAT THE ROAD CONSORTIUM NEEDS TO BE TOTALLY OVERHAULED.
THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S THE WORD THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE'RE, THAT'S THE OUTCOME YOU'RE HOPING.
SO I THINK THAT'S TRUE, BUT I DO, I, I SEE SOME, I SEE THAT THEY'RE ALL PIECES, BUT TO TRY TO DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME, LOGISTICALLY, I SEE THAT AS BEING, UM, A CHALLENGE WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND THE DIFFERENT LEADERS THAT WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
BUT, SO, SO FRANK, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, AND I'M KIND OF STEPPING IN HERE FOR, FOR YOU'RE, YOU'RE WANTING US TO, TO TRY TO COMBINE ONE AND TWO.
AND WE CAN WORDSMITH THAT TOO A BIT.
TRY TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF BOTH OF THOSE, BUT STILL CAPTURE THE COMBINED ESSENCE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WE HAVE A $30 MILLION WITH ROAD, ROAD BOND, WHAT WAS IT? 30 MILLION, I WISH.
50 50 MILLION COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS WHAT THE ROAD CONSORTIUM WAS IN THEORY DOING.
RIGHT? AND BEFORE, RIGHT, 15 OR A HUNDRED.
YEAH, I THINK IT WAS, WE HAD 2008 MONEY, THEN WE HAD 2012 MONEY AND WE HAVEN'T STARTED ON THE 2020 3 21 YET.
WELL, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO MY POINT, AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM COMBINING THIS, AS LONG AS WE DON'T LOSE EFFECTIVENESS, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT A, WE'RE NOT AS EFFECTIVE.
IN FACT, I JUST DISCUSSED THIS WITH A JUDGE A FEW DAYS AGO.
WHY? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FROM 2008 WHEN I WAS FIRST APPOINTED TO THE ROAD CONSORTIUM AS HEATH'S REPRESENTATIVE, TILL TODAY, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S FUNCTIONS HAVE CHANGED RADICALLY.
AND IT SEEMS LESS, IT'S DIFFERENT.
SO WE NEED, AS YOU SAID DANA, WE NEED TO RESTRUCTURE IT TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY FRANK, WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE IN MAKING IT ONE, I'M WILLING TO RIDE THAT HORSE BECAUSE INFRASTRUCTURE'S SO IMPORTANT.
BUT IF, IF WHAT WE CAN'T LET HAPPEN IS LET THE ROADS BECOME LESS EFFECTIVE BY TRYING TO RESTRUCTURE 'EM.
WE HAVE TO BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE.
AND THAT'S WHY MY QUESTION EARLIER, ARE WE GONNA HURT OURSELVES? SO LOOK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A STRATEGIC PLAN HERE.
THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND ACTUALLY PASSING A RESOLUTION AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
BUT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WHOEVER'S SITTING ON THAT COURT BETTER BE PRETTY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T BECOME LESS EFFECTIVE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES OR SUGGESTED UPDATES FOR THE OPERATING INITIATIVES FOR THIS GOAL? AND ANY THOUGHTS ON THE TIME HORIZONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I THINK BEFORE WE JUMP, I THINK THERE'S, OH, THERE'S A FEW COMMENTS.
IT IS FOR INITIATIVE TWO, UM, AND IT JUST SAYS, CREATE A WATER CONSORTIUM AND ADD TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY DURING SO MANY MONTHS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES AND TO ENSURE SUPPLY OF ADEQUATE WATER FOR
[02:05:01]
FUTURE GROWTH.YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING FURTHER THAN WHAT YOU DID EARLIER? BECAUSE THIS IS FROM, SO I THINK KILL IS GONNA HAVE COME OUT WITH WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT? WHAT WAS THAT QUESTION? MY COMMENT IS BAKER KELLY IS GONNA HAVE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE.
I'M GONNA LET HIM SPEAK FIRST.
AND TOM KULA, UH, I WAS PART OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES ALONG WITH, UM, CINDY, UH, ON THE, UH, STEERING COMMITTEE AND JUST HIGHLIGHTING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT I ADDED PREVIOUSLY IS WATER CONSERVATION WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN OPPORTUNITY AND ALSO AS A THREAT AND A CONSORTIUM.
AND I, I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, JUDGE.
UH, JUST LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY CAN IMPACT AND WORK WITH THE CITIES ON.
ROADS IS ONE OF 'EM, AND WATER IS ANOTHER ONE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY TWO RANK UP AS HIGH AS THOSE TWO.
UH, SO WHAT I WANTED TO, UH, EMPHASIZE ABOUT WATER CONSERVATION IS PRIMARILY LAWN IRRIGATION BY ALL OF OUR CITIES.
THOSE THAT HAVE, UH, LAWN IRRIGATION WITH THEIR HOUSEHOLDS, LARGE YARDS, SMALL YARDS, YOU NAME IT.
DURING THE MONTHS OF MAY, THROUGH OCTOBER, OUR WATER USE IN THE REGION, NORTH TEXAS, IN OUR CITIES AND IN A HOME MORE THAN DOUBLES BY PUTTING WATER ON THE LAWN.
AND WHAT I'M, I'M TRYING TO, UH, HOPE THAT WE ADD TO THIS TO COMMUNICATE, UH, TO INFORM AND, AND ALSO TO ENFORCE SOME PROGRAMS, SOME GOOD PROGRAMS SO THAT OUR PEOPLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR CITIES, OUR COUNTY EMPHASIZING SMARTER USE OF WATER DURING, UH, THE MONTHS MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, UH, PEOPLE PUT TOO MUCH WATER ON THE LAWN MORE THAN IS NEEDED.
UH, THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UH, NORTH TEXAS TRIES TO EMPHASIZE THAT AS WELL.
AND WHAT THIS REALLY DOES IS IT EXTENDS THE LIFE OF OUR CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES.
WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE WATER SUPPLY, UH, IN OUR REGION.
AS WITH, WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON, IT'S GONNA BE MORE CHALLENGING TO GET A PERMIT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO FURTHER AWAY TO GET THAT WATER AND IT'S GONNA BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR WATER BILL, NOW A WAY THAT WE CAN IMPACT IT IS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF OUR CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES THROUGH THOSE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THE SPRINKLERS ON TOO MUCH.
THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT WATERING ONCE A WEEK RIGHT NOW, OR JUST TURNING THE SPRINKLER OFF PRETTY SOON.
UH, I HEARD IT AT SOME OF THE CITIES.
I, YOU KNOW, THE MINUTE THAT WE WEREN'T IN SOME WATERING RESTRICTIONS, THEY WANTED TO BEGIN TO WATER THEIR LAWNS THREE TIMES A WEEK.
AND THAT'S, NONE OF US ARE, UH, ADVOCATING THAT THE CITIES IS NO MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK.
SO WATER CONSERVATION HAS GOT TO WORK ITS WAY IN HERE BECAUSE WE ARE STRESSED FOR WATER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE, AND IT'S GONNA BE MORE EXPENSIVE THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO WITHIN ROCKWALL COUNTY, AMONGST OUR CITIES.
AND THEN HAVE THAT ALSO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OTHER MEMBER CITIES AND CUSTOMER CITIES OF THIS REGION TO FURTHER EMPHASIZE KEY WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S PRIMARILY THE BIG TICKET IS LAWN AND IRRIGATION.
SO THERE, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
AND SOME, SOME OF THE CITIES ARE CHALLENGED AS WELL WITH LARGE LOTS CITIES AND I KNOW THE DEAL, LARGER LOTS DON'T, MAYBE NOT USE AS MUCH WATER AS SMALLER, MULTIPLE LOTS WITHIN THE SAME TYPE OF FOOTPRINT.
UH, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET BETTER ABOUT, UH, ENFORCING THINGS AND COMING UP WITH SMART WAYS OF LESSENING THE USE, THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE PUT ON LAWNS DURING THOSE MONTHS.
SO BAKER TILL IS GONNA HAVE TO, I'M RECOMMEND AN EDUCATION PROGRAM.
I THINK BAKER TILL HAS COME BACK AND EDUCATE THE CITIES, UH, AT LEAST THIS TEAM ON WHAT THAT MEANS.
AND I THINK, I THINK THEY GOT UNDER, I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS.
AND THE CITY COUNCILS NEED TO UNDERSTAND PASSING CERTAIN ORDINANCES WAS NOT THE BEST INTEREST OF THE WATER SUPPLY IN TEXAS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE WOULD BE SOME HARD CONVERSATION.
IT'S NOT ABOUT WATERING YOUR LAWN BY THE WAY, THAT'S PART OF IT, BUT IS THESE STATES HAVE DONE SOME THINGS THAT WON'T BE ACCEPTED IN TEXAS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THAT REALLY HARD CONVERSATION.
AND CITY COUNCILS NEED TO REALLY STEP BACK AND THINK HARD ABOUT THIS.
[02:10:01]
INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION, THEY CAN EDUCATE US ON VARIOUS WAYS TO SAVE WATER AND THEN YOU KNOW, HOW TO IMPLEMENT THOSE.UM, AND THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY JUST A GOOD WAY TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THE COUNTY IS, UH, SITUATED TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS JUST FROM THE SIMPLE FACT WE'RE NOT IN THE WATER BUSINESS.
SO WE'RE NOT, UH, PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT AS, AS SUSPICIOUS AS, AS A CITY THAT SAYS, HEY, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.
WELL, IT'S 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T PLAN, UH, OR YOU MISSPENT THE MONEY.
UH, SO I THINK THE, THE COUNTY, UH, AGAIN, IS IDEAL TO TAKE THE LEAD.
WE HAVE THE AG AGENT, WE HAVE THE MASTER GARDENERS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT DROUGHT TOLERANT, DROUGHT RESISTANT PLANTS.
UH, AND I, I THINK GENERAL KULA IS, IS CORRECT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION AND, AND MAYOR BILLINGS HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD.
IT'S A HARD, TOUGH DECISION, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DECIDE PRETTY QUICKLY.
DO WE WANT WATER TO DRINK OR DO WE WANT WATER FOR OUR GRASS? UH, AND I, AND I'VE SAID BEFORE, AND I DON'T THINK I'M BEING TOO OVERLY DRAMATIC, THAT I BELIEVE SHOTS ARE GONNA BE FIRED IN MY LIFETIME OVER WATER.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO GET TO, TO, TO THAT POINT WHERE WE RUN OUTTA WATER AND, UH, WE, WE CAN'T LIVE IN TEXAS WITHOUT SHADE AND WATER.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY STANCE AND I HESITATE TO EVEN ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING ELSE 'CAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY VOLUNTEERING SO MUCH FOR THE COUNTY.
BUT I'D LIKE TO GET TOGETHER WITH YOU AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A PROGRAM, BECAUSE LIKE I SAY, I, I THINK THE COUNTY IS IDEALLY SUITED TO BE THE ONE TO CARRY THAT MESSAGE TO THE CITIZENS.
I THINK, I THINK MR. TILLEY, I KNOW WE'RE, YOU'RE WANTING US TO KEEP GOING ON, ON, ON THIS, BUT I DID WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UM, TO THE GROUP HERE, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME OF THE CSE THAT ARE GIVING US NOTES.
AND SO JUST AS A, AS A, UM, COMMUNICATION IS THAT WHEN WE MERGE ONE TWO, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EMPHASIZE THAT THE, THAT CONSORTIUM IS ALSO, UM, DOING TRACKABLE AND TRACEABLE.
UM, WE HAVE IT MARKED AS FOR, FOR AS FAR AS OUR ROADS ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THAT IS, THAT CAME OUT REAL LOUD AND CLEAR AND SEVERAL OF THEM HERE WANT US TO MAKE SURE WE SAY NOW.
SO I DUNNO IF THERE'S, AND ONE MORE.
JUST FOR FOUR FOUR, UM, WE HAVE, IT'S THIS QUESTION OF USING OPEN THE OPEN SPACE OR CREATING CORRIDORS ACROSS THE COUNTY THAT CAN BE USED FOR A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES.
WE SHOULD OPEN THE APERTURE BEYOND JUST THE OPEN SPACE ALLIANCE, UH, TO INCLUDE OTHER ENTITIES THAT EXIST WITHIN TEXAS AND TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION, FOR EXAMPLE.
I THINK I WANNA CLARIFY BECAUSE I THINK THE MONEY, UM, IN ACTIONABLE ITEM, UH, IT'S 20 YEARS.
IF YOU GO TO TEXAS WILDLIFE AND THERE ARE PLANS AND THEIR TRAILS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WANTING, UH, THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO 20 YEARS TO GET GRANT MONEY.
AND SO THERE'S MONEY THERE AND IT ALSO GOES THROUGH TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION AS WELL.
THERE'S MONEY THERE, BUT WE COULD UTILIZE THAT IN THAT IN ALLIANCE AND THE COUNTYWIDE THROUGH THE CITY EFFORTS WITH THE TRAIL PLANS WITH MONEY THAT'S ALREADY EXISTING.
CAN YOU ALSO PLEASE LIST YOUR NAME AND ORGANIZATION FOR THE RECORD? UM, MARK RUSSO, EVERY ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTY.
UM, I, I WAS INTERESTED WHICH ONE HE WAS GONNA TO.
YEAH, THAT I WAS TRYING TO COVER IT.
SO TEXAS, OH, THE ROCKWELL COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
AND, UH, YEAH, THAT, WE'LL GO WITH THAT ONE.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO GOAL NUMBER FIVE.
THIS GOAL IS FOCUSED ON FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH WHILE PRESERVING AND PROTECTING LOCAL CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.
A FEW INSIGHTS ON THIS GOAL BEFORE WE FOCUS ON THE INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT OUR DISCOVERY PHASE, WE IDENTIFIED THAT AGAIN, TO REITERATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AS A CONCEPT IS CONTINUALLY BEING, UM, MENTIONED OR BROUGHT UP IN DIFFERENT TOPICS, QUESTIONS THAT WE PUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONCEPT OF ADDRESSING QUALITY OF LIFE IS SIMULTANEOUSLY INTRODUCING CHANGES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE INTO THE FUTURE.
AND SO A LOT OF QUALITY OF LIFE WE UNDERSTAND IS, UH, AKIN TO KEEPING THINGS, UM, THE WAY THAT THEY'VE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST OR THAT WAY THAT OTHERS INDIVIDUALS
[02:15:01]
ARE FAMILIAR WITH.AND SO THIS IS ONE WAY THAT QUALITY OF LIFE MANIFESTS.
WHILE THERE'S ALSO THIS CONCEPT OF PRESERVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE FUTURE, AND HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THAT CHANGE WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THE CURRENT, UM, ELEMENTS OF THE, THE COMMUNITY AND THE LOCAL TRADITION AND CULTURE THAT ARE COVETED.
IN 2023, THE COUNTY'S GDP SURPASSES 5 BILLION.
THE COUNTY IS THE LOWEST TAX RATE COMPARED TO NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, WHICH CONTRIBUTE IN PART TO THE BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
BALANCING THE PRESERVATION OF CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT SPACES WITH RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION MAY MEAN POTENTIALLY ACQUIRING LAND FOR PRESERVATION AND PUBLIC USE AND MANAGEMENT.
AND LASTLY, ROCKWALL COUNTY HAS VARIOUS DESTINATION VENUES AND A THRIVING TOURISM AND RECREATION SECTOR.
WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS INCREASINGLY THRIVING, SO ESSENTIALLY THAT ONE WOULD BE MORE ASPIRATIONAL, THAT WE KIND OF HIT THAT THRIVING TOURISM, UM, CONCEPT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S A LONGSTANDING HISTORY THAT DRAWS RESIDENTS AND MAINTAINS RESIDENTS AND KEEPS 'EM IN THE AREA.
SO WANNA MENTION THAT THAT WAS WHAT WE SEE FROM JUST SOME QUICK INSIGHTS, SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM AN ECONOMIC AND A CULTURAL AND TRADITIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
THE OPERATING INITIATIVES FOR THIS ARE FIVE AND THEY INCLUDE CREATING AN INTEGRATED COUNTY CITY ECONOMIC EFFORT AND COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM TO PURSUE INNOVATIVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
CONDUCT A TOURISM STUDY TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO USE THE COUNTY'S HISTORICAL ASSETS, CULTURAL PROGRAMS AND RECREATION INDUSTRIES AS KEY ECONOMIC DRIVERS.
THREE, ESTABLISHING A COUNTY REAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT TEAM TO ESTABLISH MONITOR, TO ESTABLISH AND MONITOR THE PROCESS AND GUIDE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
FOUR, CONDUCT AN IMPACT STUDY INCLUDING A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR THE CREATION OF A COUNTY MULTI-EVENT SLASH MULTIPURPOSE CENTER AND OR A STATE REGIONAL PARK.
AND THEN LASTLY, EVALUATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNTY AND OR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO MAINTAIN OPEN SPACES, INCREASE RESIDENT AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT IN CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
SO THIS IS TYING IN THE TOPIC OF CONSERVATION INTO THE ECONOMIC CON UH, CONVERSATION AS WELL.
THESE ARE THE FIVE OPERATING INITIATIVES FOR THE SCHOOL.
WHAT ARE YOUR SUGGESTED THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE.
I, I, I HAVE JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON, ON NUMBER THREE.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY? A A COUNTY REAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT.
SO NUMBER THREE IS MENTIONING THE, ESSENTIALLY DEVELOPING AN INITIATIVE THAT WOULD FOCUS IN ON THE PROCESS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHEN WE SAY THE REAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT TEAM, THAT'S BASICALLY THE NAME THAT WE'RE ATTACHING TO, HOW DO WE, UM, MAKE THIS PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT? HOW ARE WE GUIDING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT? IS IT MORE, UM, STRATEGIC? IS IT FOCUSED ON A GUIDING OR A GUIDANCE? AND UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT IN ONE OPERATING INITIATIVE KIND OF STANDALONE.
SO IS THAT KINDA LIKE PLANNING AND ZONING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL ESSENTIALLY? I WOULD SAY THAT'S A GOOD COMPARISON.
WELL, IN, IN MY OPINION, UH, JUDGE IT, IT'S BROADER THAN THAT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T ZONE, BUT IT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FUNCTIONING WELL WITHIN THE COUNTY SO THAT WHEN SOMEBODY, UM, WERE TO FILE A PLAT, FOR EXAMPLE, OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, THAT WE ARE ALL OVER IT AND WE COORDINATE WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T MISS DEADLINES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE SURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MONITORING COMPLIANCE WITH OUR SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD DO THAT.
YOU WERE HOPING I WOULD DO THAT.
I WOULD BE THAT ANY IT WOULD BE, WELL, AND IT'S WHAT? IT'S, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I DON'T THINK IT IS, I DON'T THINK IT'S A, A MECHANISM FOR, FOR, UH, ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S MORE A MECHANISM FOR MAKING SURE WHEN SOMEBODY COMES THAT THEY DO IT RIGHT.
AND ACCORDING TO OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS AND THAT WE AS A COUNTY MONITOR IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
AND, AND I'VE RECEIVED A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND I DID WANNA SAY THAT, UM, OF GOAL OF OUR GOAL FIVE, UM, INITIATIVE NUMBER ONE COULD, IT COULD IS AND COULD BE EASILY ACTIONABLE FOR FY 25.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A NUMBER OF
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RESEARCH OUT THERE BOTH IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AS WELL AS SOME OTHER STATES THAT HAVE HAD SIMILAR TYPE OF COUNTY INITIATIVES, UM, TO SUPPORT A, A COUNTY EDC, SO TO SPEAK.SO THAT'S WHAT THAT, THAT ONE IS ABOUT SOMEWHERE.
AND THEN NUMBER TWO, UM, INITIATIVE NUMBER TWO, THE SURVEY, UH, AS FAR AS A TOURISM SURVEY, NOT ONLY IS THAT GOING TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT STATES WILL, BUT IT WILL ALSO HELP, UM, HELP US WITH ANY TYPE OF STATE PROJECTS SUCH AS ANY, ANY OTHER KIND OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE LAND AREAS LIKE A STATE PARK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
DO YOU HAVE THERE, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.
HOWEVER, UH, ROCKWALL COUNTY, THE COUNTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO GO TO ROCKWELL CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING, COULD NOT SIT THERE WHEN THEY VOTE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A VOTING POWER, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS AT CITY COUNCIL, MR. WIMPY AND MR WERE AT EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAD AND THEY HAD INPUT, BUT THEY COULD NOT BE THERE WHEN THEY DISCUSSED THE CLIENT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I DUNNO IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT.
NO, BY, BY THAT OR ARE YOU ASKING TO PUT A POSI A PERSON IN THAT POSITION BECAUSE NOT NECESSARILY A PERSON? NO, I MEAN, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE OF A, ONE OF THE, UM, THAT COMMISSIONER'S COURT, SOMEONE ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT OR IT COULD BE A CONSORTIUM OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD REPRESENT MATT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KIND OF GIVE SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCE? SURE, MATT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF FANTASTIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS IN ROCKWELL COUNTY TODAY.
AND JUST LIKE THE UNIQUE CITIES, THEY'RE ALL A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO THERE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS, THERE'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS, THERE ARE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT GROUPS, THERE ARE CITY BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS.
THEY, ALL, THE FUNDING ALL COMES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES.
BUT WE ALL GET ALONG, WE ALL LIKE TO TALK AND WE ALL LIKE TO COOPERATE.
AND MANY TIMES WE HAVE SHARED GOALS AND WE HAVE SHARED STRATEGIES.
SO THE SUGGESTION FROM THE GROUP ON THIS PARTICULAR POINT WAS TO, UH, BOBBY, I THINK YOU SAID IT EARLIER WITH THE CONSORTIUM.
LET'S START WITH THE CONSORTIUM AND SEE WHERE IT GETS, WE HAVE GROUPS THAT GET TOGETHER ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY LED FROM A COUNTY BASIS.
SO IF THERE WAS ONE COMMISSIONER THAT WAS INVOLVED, AND WE COULD ALL TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, THE PROSPECTS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITIES, THE CHALLENGES, THE THREATS, AND THEN WE COULD THEN WORK TOGETHER AND INFORM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THEN WORK TOGETHER ON OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD BLOOM INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN 5, 10, 20, 30 YEARS.
BUT TODAY, FY 25, IT CAN EASILY START WITH A CONSORTIUM, RIGHT? I'LL BE THERE.
AND BECAUSE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, SOMETHING, ONE MAY BE VERY GOOD FOR THE MCCLENNAN CHISEL AREA, BUT IT MAY NOT WORK FOR THE BAY AREA.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CONSORTIUM CAN KIND OF IDENTIFY THAT HE SAVED IT.
MATT WAVERING, ROCKWELL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? SUGGESTED CHANGES, QUESTIONS FOR THE TIME HORIZONS OR THE LANGUAGE FOR THE OPERATING INITIATIVES FOR THE SCHOOL? I, OKAY, WE'LL MOVE TO STRATEGIC GOAL NUMBER SIX.
SO THIS ONE IS TO EXPAND SUPPORT FOR THE JUDICIAL, JUDICIAL SYSTEM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE EMERGENCY, AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES.
WE'LL START WITH THE INSIGHT AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO OUR GOALS DISCUSSION.
ROCKWELL COUNTY IS KNOWN FOR ITS PUBLIC SAFETY, QUALITY LAW ENFORCEMENT, FAIR AND EFFICIENT COURT SYSTEM AND POPULATION THAT IS HIGHLY RANKED IN THE STATE IN TERMS OF ITS HEALTH, UM, AND PERCEIVED WELLBEING.
TWO THIRDS OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET IS SPENT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT COURTS AS HIS PRIMARY FUNCTION.
AND THERE ARE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO, IF YOU ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WERE PARTICIPANTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE, WHAT ESSENTIAL SERVICES, UH, REFERS TO THE MEMBERS INCLUDE FUNDAMENTAL UTILITIES AS INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND INCREASED HEALTHCARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT OUR INTERVIEWS, OUR DISCOVER PHASE.
WE REQUESTED A LOT OF DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND WE ALSO DID SOME OWN, UH, SOME PRIMARY RESEARCH OF WHAT WE COULD FIND THAT W WHICH WE DID FIND HIGHLIGHTS ALL THESE POINTS ABOVE IS THAT, UM, THERE'S A WIDELY REGARDED
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PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, JUST OPERATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THESE CITIES THAT THE PUBLIC IS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF AND OTHER COUNTIES HAVE TAKEN NOTE AS WELL.SO, UM, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS AN INSIGHT AS WE LOOK DEEPER INTO THE GOAL.
NUMBER SIX, EXPANDING SUPPORT FOR THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE EMERGENCY, AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL ON THIS ONE AS WELL.
CAN YOU BE A LITTLE BIGGER FOR ME? NUMBER ONE, CONDUCT A DETAILED STUDY OF ROCKWELL COUNTY'S JUSTICE SYSTEM TO DETERMINE NEEDS, TIMELINES, AND COSTS TO MEET POPULATION GROWTH AND INCREASE FILINGS.
UM, NUMBER TWO, CREATE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THE INCREASE IN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING ENHANCED COLLABORATION WITH NONPROFIT COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXISTING AGENCIES.
NUMBER THREE, ASSESS ON A RECURRING BASIS THE STATE OF ROCKWELL COUNTY'S LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ACHIEVE BETTER CROSS AGENCY OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES AND EFFICIENCIES.
NUMBER FOUR, REVIEW THE EMERGENCY SERVICES CORPORATION CHARTER TO EXPAND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES, ROLES, AND MISSIONS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING.
NUMBER FIVE, LEVERAGE THE COUNTY DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN TO IMPROVE READINESS AND INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND SUPPORT.
NUMBER SIX, REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL HEALTH PROVIDERS AND SERVICES TO PROMOTE BETTER, BETTER OUTCOMES.
AND NUMBER SEVEN, FOSTER COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS VIA SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, NONPROFITS, ET CETERA, TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND INCREASING ACCESS TO RESOURCES, SERVICES, AND INFORMATION.
AND WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANY COMMENTS.
WHAT'S EVERYBODY'S, UM, WHAT'S EVERYBODY'S THOUGHT ABOUT? UM, INITIATIVE NUMBER TWO, UM, IS, UM, AND NUMBER SEVEN, IS THERE A WAY TO KIND OF COMBINE THOSE TOGETHER? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES ON, ON THIS.
WHICH ONE? I'M SORRY, TWO AND SEVEN.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD COMBINE THOSE? DOES ANYBODY? SURE.
WHO LOOKS, WOULD RESOURCES, UH, THE RESOURCES THAT YOUR, UH, FIRST RESPONDING AGENCIES AND HEALTHCARE PEOPLE FACE? UM, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN US, EMS, JUDGE RUSSO, THE OTHER JUDGES IN DEALING WITH, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT, THAT CREATES, UH, THE PROBLEM BECOMES WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THOSE.
IS THAT MARK, YOU AGREE WITH THAT? YEAH.
I WOULD SAY NIP, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD JUST SAY, BUT I WOULD INCLUDE STATE AGENCIES, UM, BECAUSE, AND THEN ALSO VETERANS.
SO A LOT OF YOUR VETERAN AFFAIRS, UH, IS BEING UNDER, WE'RE NOT UTILIZING THOSE SERVICES THAT, THAT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS.
SO I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE THE VA IN OUR, THAT OUR VETERANS ARE GETTING THE NECESSARY SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.
IS VETERANS CONSIDERED A STATE AGENCY? WELL, FEDERAL.
SO MAYBE IF YOU SAID INCLUDING, UM, STATE, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES.
AND BY THE WAY, AND MARK RUSO, JUSTICE LAPIZ PRECINCT THREE.
COMMISSIONER MLI, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD FROM THE BAKER CHILI SIDE IS, UM, POTENTIALLY COMBINING SIX AND SEVEN.
LOOKED LIKE THOSE WERE MORE, UM, LIKE FOR LIKE NUMBER SIX, IT ENDS WITH, UM, PROMOTING BETTER OUTCOMES.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE OUTCOMES ARE ACTUALLY LISTED IN NUMBER SEVEN.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'D LIKE TO PUT OUT THERE.
TERRY, ARE YOU GOOD? COMBINED FROM SIX AND SEVEN.
I THINK WE'RE ARE PRETTY, PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER.
I I SAW NUMBER NUMBER TWO IS MORE OF A RESOURCE BASED THING.
BUT THE NUMBER TWO YOU WERE, OR YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BEING FIRST RESPONDERS, RIGHT? WELL,
[02:30:01]
UM, IT GOES ACROSS THE BOARD WITH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, UH, JUDICIAL SYSTEM.AND, AND FIRST RESPONDERS BECAUSE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
MAYBE WE, MAYBE WE OUGHT SAY THAT THEN SEE SIX AND SEVEN IN MY WAY I READ IT, WE RELY HEAVILY ON OUR NONPROFITS TO OFFSET COST TO GOVERNMENT FOR, UH, KEY SERVICES THAT, UH, I DUNNO THE RIGHT WORD HERE.
UH, IT HELPS TO ALLEVIATE STRESS ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY.
BUT STILL HOMELESSNESS FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT? YEAH.
LIKE, WELL TWO IS I THINK VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE THAT'S A, BUT I THINK I WOULD ADD FIRST RESPONDER JUDICIAL BRANCH TO IT BECAUSE THE BIGGEST PROVIDER MENTAL SERVICES IS THE COUNTY JAIL ROCK.
PAUL, I WOULD, I LIKE YOUR IDEA WHERE HE'S TAKE NUMBER TWO, WE ACTUALLY CALL THE REWARD IS SOME BETTER WAY.
I DON'T WANNA SAY
BUT I WOULD SAY CALL OUT FIRST RESPONDERS.
UM, THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND COUNTY JAIL HEALTH CHALLENGES ARE HELPING GET BETTER HEALTH RESOURCES.
SIX AND SEVEN ARE MORE LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST EVERYDAY CITIZENS DOING THAT AND GETTING HELP FROM HELPING HANDS OR GRACE CLINIC OR WHEREVER THEY GO OR TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES.
BUT I THINK I LIKE, LIKE STRAIGHT IDEA OF CALLING OUT THAT ONE SPECIFIC PROBLEM.
AND IN A WAY THAT SOUNDS BETTER.
I I HAVE NO WAY OF DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
BUT DON'T SAY ISSUES, YOU KNOW, DON'T JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES OR FOR THE HEALTH RESOURCE, THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO JUDICIAL BRANCH TO WHATEVER VERY MUCH SAY, BUT I WOULD JUST DO THAT.
SO WE HEARD THERE'S SOME AGREEMENT TO COMBINE, UM, NUMBER SIX AND SEVEN.
UM, DO YOU AGREE WITH THE TIME HORIZON? UM, BASED ON A LOT OF OUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THESE GROUPS ALREADY EXIST.
SO WE MIGHT WANT TO RECOMMEND MOVING THAT TO ACTIONABLE AS IT'S ALREADY HERE THAT WE JUST NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME ENGAGEMENT IN THAT AREA SIX AND SEVEN, COMBINING SIX AND SEVEN.
IS THAT SO? YEAH, SO COMBINING SIX AND SEVEN IS WHAT WE HEARD, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S LISTED AS THE TIME HORIZON OF AMBITIOUS FROM FIVE TO 15, WHERE MOST OF THESE ARE ALREADY PRE-EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THAT BE MOVED UP TO THE ACTIONABLE AND THEN WE CAN PROCEED WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND JUST CONTINUE TO LOOK AT FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WORK WITH OUR OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION STATE AND SUPREME COURT AS BOTH OF THOSE, UM, THAT THAT'S UNDER THE ACTUAL DETAILED STUDY AND THAT, AND THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR STATE AGENCIES AND, AND MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
JUST HAVING THE STUDY HAS, HAS TO WORK IN CORRELATION WITH THE STATE.
WELL, WON'T THAT BE IMPLIED? I I DON'T THINK YOU NO.
WITH OFFICE ADMINISTRATION IT SOMETIMES BECOMES FRACTURE.
SO I THINK YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH EACH AGENCY.
IT'S, IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S PROBABLY CALLED IMPLIED.
I DON'T THINK IMPLIED WORKS JUDICIAL.
I DON'T THINK IT WORKS THAT WAY.
JUDICIAL? I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND.
JUDGE ADVOCATE JUSTICE, PEACE CONSTABLE ASSOCIATION.
COULD COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR COMMENTS? HEY MARK, COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR COMMENT? I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING IT'S IMPLIED, BUT I THINK THAT, THAT THEY NEED A ACTUAL STUDY.
WHAT WAS YOUR ORIGINAL COMMENT? THAT BASICALLY WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE SUPREME COURT AND, UH, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S OPPOSITE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT, IT'S MORE THAN JUST A STUDY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE RELATIONS AND BUILD THAT.
ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW THEY'RE DONE.
WITH THE SUPREME COURT AND, AND AND UH, UH, OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION WORKING WITH THEM AS WELL.
WE NEED TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE PROCESS.
BUT SO THAT DOESN'T GET TOO WORDY IN THESE, IN THESE BULLETS.
SHOULD THAT, SHOULD SOME OF THAT WORDING BE IN AN ANNOTATION SOMEWHERE
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ELSE? IT COULD BE WITHIN A KPI, RIGHT? YEAH.THE KPI WOULD BE COORDINATED WITH THOSE APPROPRIATE.
AND THE REASON I BRING IT UP IS I KNOW IT'S GETTING LATE IN THE DAY AND EVERYBODY'S ZIPPING UP THEIR CASES, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO FATE,
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE CHANGING THIS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE AGREEING TO CHANGE.
SO WHAT I WOULD INCUR, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, TWO, TWO THINGS.
IF WE'RE GONNA CHANGE IT, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE IT TO SAY CONDUCT A DETAILED STUDY WITH APPROPRIATE AGENCIES OF THE, THE REST AS WRITTEN.
AND THEN AS A KPI, YOU DEVELOP THE, IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC AGENCY THAT HAS TO BE COORDINATED WITH IT'S IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE KPI, THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING IT AND WE ASSIGN THIS WHOLE TASK TO MARK RUMAN.
SO WE'RE NOT CHANGING THIS IN THE LANGUAGE OF THIS INITIATIVE.
JUST ADDING THREE WORDS, DETAILED STUDY WITH APPROPRIATE AGENCIES.
UM, CAN WE COMMENT ON SOME OF THESE OTHER, JUST KIND OF GO ALONG IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? ON NUMBER ONE AS FAR AS THE, UH, JUSTICE SYSTEM, I THINK WHAT WE WERE GOING WITH THERE WAS, UH, THE COURTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TRYING TO PREVENT BACK BACKLOGS OF CASES AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ANOTHER COURT THAT'S BEING ANTICIPATED AND, UM, PROCESS THERE.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BACKLOG DOESN'T BECOME TO WHERE YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH PEOPLE THROUGH THERE.
OUR, OUR DOCKET CALLS, FOR EXAMPLE, NOW SOME DAYS ARE, UH, TREMENDOUS.
AND THEN ON NUMBER THREE, UH, WE'RE BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT.
WHEN IT'S TALKING ABOUT, UH, ROCKWELL COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ACHIEVE A BETTER, A BETTER CROSS-AGENCY OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES.
WE HAVE THE RADIO SYSTEM, WE HAVE THE COMBINED, UH, FIREARMS TRAINING FACILITIES.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TO COMBINE THAT TRAINING BECAUSE OF HOW GEOGRAPHICALLY SMALL THE COUNTY IS.
EVERYBODY, EVERYONE WORKS REALLY WELL TOGETHER.
AND THEN NUMBER FOUR KIND OF GOES INTO THAT TO COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS AND FACILITIES IS SOMETHING THAT THE EMERGENCY SERVICE CORPORATION HAS, UM, GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH IN THE PAST.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHO FUNDED THE RANGE, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IF YOU HAD OTHER FACILITIES THAT YOU FUNDED TO THROUGH THAT, UH, MECHANISM TO PROVIDE A BETTER COLLABORATIVE SYSTEM, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THEN NUMBER FIVE WAS, UM, COMMUNICATION.
UH, I THINK JUDGE NEWS TALKED ABOUT COMMUNICATION, UM, IN DEGREE AND, AND TO DO THAT, I MEAN THAT, THAT WOULD GO RIGHT INTO THIS NUMBER FIVE.
AND THEN TRAINING THE PUBLIC FOR, UH, THE DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN.
YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THEN PULL IT OFF THE SHELF.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOUR, YOUR CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS, THAT'S NOT GONNA, THAT'S NOT GONNA EXIST IF YOU DON'T, YOUR RECOVERY'S NOT GONNA EXIST IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN ALREADY MEMORIZED AND WORKED.
I THINK THAT'S THE, I THINK THE, THE KEY POINT WE DIDN'T SUFFICIENTLY DISCUSSED IN THIS SESSION WILL BE DISCUSSED IN NOVEMBER IS HOW THE INDIVIDUAL KPIS THEN CAN REALLY LAY OUT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF WHAT HAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.
ANY OTHER FEEDBACK ON GOAL NUMBER SIX? NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 12TH? UM, NOVEMBER DATE NOVEMBER THE 12TH.
SO IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, WE'LL ACTUALLY OUR NEXT SLIDE COVERS WHAT THE NEXT MONTH WILL LOOK LIKE, IS A SET UP
SO AS MARK SAID, WE'LL BE COMING BACK NOVEMBER 12TH AND 13TH IF NEEDED FOR THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WORKSHOP, UM, PREP WORK FOR BAKER TILLY WILL BE TAKING ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HEARD FROM THIS WORKSHOP TODAY AND WE'LL BE DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK SO THAT EACH KPI WE'LL BE, UM, PROVIDING SOME EXAMPLE KPIS THAT WILL GO WITH EACH OF THOSE INITIATIVES FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA HEAR OTHERS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IN MIND AS WELL.
SO THAT WAY WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF MECHANISM TO MEASURE HOW EFFECTIVE THE INITIATIVES ARE THAT WE'VE INDICATED IN TODAY'S SESSION.
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WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE YOUR FIRST DRAFT OF STRATEGIC PLAN 2050 BEFORE WE ALL GO ON HOLIDAY BREAK.ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? AND IF, IF NOT, WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE FOR THIS WORKSHOP TODAY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK NEXT MONTH IN THE NEXT WORKSHOP.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF OR WOODY.
YOU GUYS AT 4 23 WE'RE ADJOURNED.