[00:00:03]
ALL RIGHT, WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE WORKSHOP.
IT'S 1:00 PM WE'RE AT THE ROCKWALL COUNTY HISTORIC COURTHOUSE.
[1. PUBLIC FORUM]
INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE.IT'S THE PUBLIC FORUM, THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY, ADDRESS THE COURT ABOUT ANY COUNTY MATTERS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE SIGNED UP.
NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST IS MR. FRANK MERLINO, AND IF YOU WOULD TRY TO KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO AT OR BELOW THREE MINUTES, PLEASE.
AND THAT WAS NOT DIRECTED AT YOU SPECIFICALLY, I PROMISE TO DO THAT, ALTHOUGH I'M A PRO AT THIS BY NOW.
SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK.
I LIVE AT 24 10 WINDCREST DRIVE IN ROCKWELL, TEXAS.
THAT'S PART OF THE HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES DEVELOPMENT.
I AM ALSO, I DON'T ONLY LIVE IN THERE, I'M ALSO THE HOA BOARD PRESIDENT.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY.
AS ALWAYS, LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO.
I KNOW I COME HERE FREQUENTLY, BUT IT IS OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, AS A RESIDENT OF HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES IN ROCKWELL COUNTY, I'M HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED SOUTHEAST ALIGNMENT OF THE ROCKWELL OUTER LOOP THAT WOULD CUT DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT BEING HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES, THIS RURAL NEIGHBORHOOD IS A SERENE HAVEN FOR FAMILIES WITH HOMES ON SPACIOUS LOTS WITH A COUNTRY FEEL ROUTING.
A MAJOR HIGHWAY HERE WOULD BRING UNBEARABLE NOISE, SAFETY RISKS FROM HEAVY TRAFFIC, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION UN TO OUR LOCAL WATERWAYS.
AND A SHARP DECLINE IN PROPERTY VALUES DEVASTATING THE LIVES OF DOZENS OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE INVESTED EVERYTHING IN THIS AREA.
MOREOVER, THIS LOOP HIGHWAY WILL NOT ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN ROCKWALL, AS WE WILL ONLY SEE A 10% DECREASE IN TRAFFIC.
INSTEAD, IT WILL PRIMARILY BENEFIT KAUFMAN COUNTY BY REDUCING THEIR TRAFFIC BY 30%, LEAVING ROCKWALL WHERE RESIDENTS TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE DISRUPTION WITHOUT MEANINGFUL RELIEF.
THE AT LOOP IS MEANT TO SERVE FURTHER GROWTH, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF DESTROYING ESTABLISHED COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.
I IMPLORE YOU TO REJECT THIS ROUTE AND PRIORIT PRIORITIZE ALTERNATIVES THAT SPARE HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES, SUCH AS ALIGNMENTS FOR THE EAST, OR ENHANCEMENTS TO EXISTING ROADS.
THIS PROPOSED HIGHWAY IS IN CONTRADICTION WITH ROCKWELL COUNTY'S QUALITY OF LIFE RESOLUTION SIGNED EARLIER IN 2005 BY BY YOU THE COURT.
YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE WILL DEFINE THE FUTURE FOR OUR COUNTY.
PLEASE STAND WITH US AND PROTECT OUR HOMES.
I THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY AND YOUR CONSIDERATION AS ALWAYS.
ALL RIGHT, SECOND, UH, NEXT IS RACHEL WHITMEYER.
AND BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE I JUST HAD SOME DENTAL WORK.
SO IF I START DROO ON ONE SIDE, YOU KNOW,
UM, SO YES, ROCHELLE WHITMEYER.
I'M A PART OF THE HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, MY SISTER-IN-LAW COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT SHE DID JUST SEND AN EMAIL THIS MORNING AND I FELT THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID, UH, FROM HER EMAIL, AND THEN I'LL SAY WHAT I WANNA SAY.
SO SHE, LIKE YOU'LL HEAR FROM MOST OF US, MOVED HER FAMILY IN 2020 TO THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE WANTED SAFETY, UM, GOOD SCHOOLS AND A PLACE TO RAISE OUR KIDS AWAY FROM A LOT OF WHAT WE SEE IN OUR BIG CITIES.
UM, SO SHE, LIKE MY FAMILY, ARE OPPOSED TO THIS OUTER LOOP COMING, UM, BEHIND OUR PROPERTIES.
AND ONE THING THAT SHE BROUGHT UP IN THE EMAIL WAS, UM, I THINK IT WAS, UM, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAD ASKED HOW SHE LIKED LIVING NEXT TO GEORGE BUSH BECAUSE SHE WAS HERE BEFORE BUSH WAS BUILT, AND UM, WAS HERE AFTER IT WAS BUILT.
AND HER RESPONSE WAS, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE LIVING NEXT TO A HIGHWAY? AND THERE WAS SILENCE.
UM, SHE SAW THE CRIME HAPPEN, HER AREA, UM, DECLINE, WHICH IS ALL THE MORE WHY SHE MOVED HER FAMILY OUT TO ROCKWALL.
SO I JUST, I URGE YOU TO READ HER EMAIL.
SHE GOES INTO SOME REALLY GREAT, UH, DETAILS OF THINGS THAT SHE KNOWS BETTER THAN THAN I DO IN TERMS OF THE COUNTY.
UM, SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS I THINK THOSE THAT THROW UP THEIR HANDS AND SAY THAT THIS IS INEVITABLE OR TRY TO JUSTIFY THE NEED FOR A NORTH TO SOUTH TRANSPORTATION THROUGH ROCKWALL ARE NAIVE TO THE REAL CONSEQUENCES OF ALLOWING THIS KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IF NOT NAIVE, ARE BEING DRIVEN BY A DARKNESS THAT ONLY YOU WILL FACE IN JUDGMENT.
THIS PROJECT DOES NOT ENHANCE THE SAFETY, NOR DOES IT PROMOTE THE KIND OF ECONOMIC GROWTH OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES UNLESS YOU'RE MEASURING ITS SUCCESS BY DALLAS STANDARDS, WHICH I CERTAINLY AM NOT.
THIS PUSH APPEARS TO BE DRIVEN BY THE FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF FORMER COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES AND DEVELOPERS LIKE DR HORTON, NOT BY ANY CONCERN FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ROCKWELL RESIDENTS.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE?
[00:05:01]
I CAN TELL YOU IT'S NOT FOR THE CONCRETE VIEWS OR THE RISING CRIME RATES THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA EXPERIENCE.IT'S FOR THE VERY REASONS OUR COMMISSIONERS CREATED THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO PRESERVE A FAMILY FRIENDLY, CLEAN, AND SAFE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW I DON'T KNOW ALL OF YOUR STORIES, WHERE YOU COME FROM AND WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE, OR IF YOU FOLLOW GOD'S WILL AS YOUR COMPASS TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, I SEE MANY OF YOU STANDING AS PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL DISHEARTENED AT SOME OF THE DIRECTION THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO JUSTIFY.
IT WILL BE THE DEMISE OF OUR COMMUNITY BEING PLANTED BY YOUR HANDS.
I DO BELIEVE IF YOU ARE REPRESENTATIVES, DON'T STAND FIRM AND PROTECT THE VISION THAT BROUGHT SO MANY OF US HERE TO ROCKWELL COUNTY.
WE RISK LETTING THEIR OUTSIDE INFLUENCES SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTY.
IF WE ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN, WE'LL END UP WITH THE SAME HORRIFIC PROBLEMS SEEN ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, NEGATING THE VERY PURPOSE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND LEAVING FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH THOSE CONSEQUENCES.
SO YOU CAN EITHER BE A PART OF THE PROBLEM OR BE A PART OF A PRODUCTIVE SOLUTION TO ADD POSITIVE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WITHOUT RUINING THE PLACE WE ALL CALL HOME.
JUDGE NEW AND OUR COMMISSIONER, STANDING FOR THE INTEGRITY OF WALK ROCK WALL.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, SEEING TRUTH AND FIGHTING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ROCKWELL AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND GENERATIONS TO COME.
UH, MARK KIPP AT 31 FIRESIDE DRIVE, MCCLINDON CHISHOLM.
UH, I'M ADDRESSING ITEM TWO, THE OUTER LOOP.
UH, I'LL JUST REMIND THE COURT, I THINK I HAVE SOME INSIGHTS INTO THIS.
HAVING LED YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND HAVING PERSONALLY TOUCHED THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS ACROSS ROCKWELL COUNTY, UH, BOTH THAT HAVE LIVED HERE FOR A LONG TIME, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT HAVE LIVED HERE JUST A FEW MONTHS.
SO AFTER LISTENING CLOSELY TO MICHAEL MORRIS IN HIS MEETING AND READING, REREADING THE JANUARY EMAIL FROM NORTH TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, IT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THE OUTER LOOP IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT WILL BE IN ROCKWELL COUNTY AS IT'S BEEN PLANNED FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
THE ONLY QUESTION THEN REMAINING IS TO DECIDE WHAT THE ROLE ROCKWELL COUNTY WILL PLAY IN THAT PROCESS.
WILL WE BE AN ACTIVE POSITION OF LEADERSHIP PARTICIPATION WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS TO DRIVE A POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR THE COUNTY AS OFFERED BY MR. MORRIS? OR WILL WE PASSIVELY STAND BY AND ALLOW OTHERS TO DRIVE OUTCOMES AND THEN WE GET WHAT WE GET IN TEXAS? COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOGETHER IS ALWAYS ACHIEVED BETTER OUTCOMES FOR ALL INVOLVED NATURE OF OUR NA NATURE OF OUR STATE.
LONG HISTORY, AS ABRAHAM LINCOLN HAS SAID, A HOUSE DIVIDED AMONGST ITSELF CANNOT STAND.
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MONTHS TO SORT THIS OUT.
I ENCOURAGE THE COURT TO ORGANIZE ITSELF AROUND THIS CRITICAL ISSUE.
I LIVE AT 24 50 WINDCREST DRIVE.
I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THE LOOP MEETINGS AND A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONER COURT SESSIONS, AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE OR NOT DEALING WITH THE GOVERNMENT BODY AND FEELING THAT I HAVE A VOICE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ANYTHING OR IF THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
OUR FAMILY'S ROCKWALL STORY BEGAN IN 1991.
SO YES, I REMEMBER WHEN RIDGE IN 30 WAS A FOUR-WAY STOP.
I REMEMBER WHEN HOBBY LOBBY WAS THE WALMART, AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME THAT 30 WAS WIDENED.
WE HAVE LIVED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ROCKWALL.
WE HAVE LIVED IN HEATH, AND WE HAVE LIVED ON THE SOUTH END OVER THE LAST 30 PLUS YEARS.
WE HAVE MOVED FROM WA FROM ROCKWALL THREE TIMES FOR MY HUSBAND'S JOB.
WE'VE LIVED IN EAST TEXAS, WE'VE LIVED IN FORT WORTH, AND WE'VE LIVED IN GEORGIA, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS FOUND OUR WAY BACK.
THE GROWTH HAS BEEN AMAZING TO WITNESS AND THE GROWTH HAS BEEN GREAT, BUT NOW IT'S JUST GETTING OUT OF HAND.
PEOPLE HAVE SAID OVER THE YEARS THAT ROCKWALL ISN'T GOING TO BE ROCKWALL FOR LONG.
AND I JUST SHRUGGED IT OFF AND THOUGHT THEY WERE OVERREACTING.
BUT IT REALLY IS GETTING OUT OF CONTROL.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OPEN SPACES
[00:10:01]
WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF THEM? THE SUBJECT OF OPEN SPACES STARTED IN 2008 WITH THE COMMISSIONER COURT ADOPTING AN OPEN SPACE POLICY THAT WOULD PROTECT FLOODPLAINS GREEN BELTS AND BUILD TRAILS, DEVELOP LARGE PUBLIC AREAS.WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE OPEN SPACE PLAN? DIFFERENT COMMISSIONERS WERE CHOSEN AND FORGOT WHY THEY LIVE HERE.
WHO PROTECTS THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, WHO WILL PROTECT ROCKWALL FROM THE LOOP? THAT WILL BE A DISASTER FOR THE SMALLEST COUNTY IN TEXAS.
WE VOTED ON A BOND TO BUILD THOSE ROADS IN 2021.
THAT WAS A BOND FOR ROADS, NOT A FREEWAY.
WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE WE ARE BEING FORCED TO SAY YES TO THE LOOP IN ORDER TO GET ROADS? WE THAT STARTED, THAT WE ALREADY VOTED FOR.
AND I WELCOME RESPONSIBLE GROWTH.
BUT THE LOOP, IT WILL CHANGE THIS COUNTY AND IT WON'T BE FOR THE BETTER.
SADLY, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER MOVE IN OUR FUTURE AND THIS LOOP IS BUILT, WE WON'T BE COMING BACK HOME.
NEW FOR BEING THOUGHTFUL AND MAKING YOUR DECISIONS AND TAKING THE TIME TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND NOT JUST SAYING YES TO EVERYTHING, TO QUIET THE NOISE OF OTHERS WHO HAVE NEVER MADE THE DECISIONS WHEN THEY HAD THE CHANCE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT? UH, THAT'S THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP, BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP WON'T PREVENT YOU FROM SPEAKING.
SHE, SHE, SHE GOT THERE FIRST.
ACTUALLY SPEAKING FOR MY HUSBAND.
WHO TE TELL, TELL, TELL ME YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UM, I RESIDE AT 5 0 0 5 BRIDGE CREEK DRIVE HERE IN ROCKWALL.
I AM SPEAKING FOR, UH, MY HUSBAND EARL, WHO RESIDES AT THE SAME ADDRESS AND MYSELF.
SO THIS IS, UM, A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME TODAY.
UH, MY NAME IS MARIE MARION AND I SPEAK FOR THE FAMILIES OF HEATH ROCKWELL AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE PROPOSED OUTER LOOP, LAKE ESTATES, WIND CREST, TREE HAVEN, TWIN CIRCLE, AND HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES, TX DOT'S OWN TRAFFIC STUDIES CONFIRMED THIS LOOP WILL NOT REDUCE A SINGLE VEHICLE ON I 2 0 5 OR RIDGE ROAD ZERO RELIEF FOR ROCKWALL.
INSTEAD, IT WILL DIVERT 30% OF KAUFMAN COUNTY'S TRAFFIC THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES WHILE GIVING US A MERE 10% DROP.
THIS IS NOT A LOCAL SOLUTION, PARDON ME? IT IS A REGIONAL TRUCK BYPASS.
WE WILL BEAR THE NOISE, THE POLLUTION, AND THE PLUMMETING PROPERTY VALUES.
WHILE LONG HAUL RIGS SPEED FROM NORTH AND SOUTH AROUND DFW, THE DISASTER DOES NOT END WITH THE HIGHWAY ACROSS FROM HIGH POINT RANCH.
DR. HORTON PLANS 8,600 HOMES THREE QUARTERS, THE POPULATION OF TARRELL PACKED AT SIX HOUSES PER ACRE.
THAT MEANS THOUSANDS OF NEW CARS, THOUSANDS OF NEW STUDENTS, AND A DOCUMENTED INCREASE IN CRIME THAT COMES WITH RAPID DENSE DEVELOPMENT.
OUR SCHOOLS ARE ALREADY STRETCHED.
OUR ROADS ARE ALREADY STRAINED THIS LOOP AND THESE SUBDIVISIONS WILL BREAK THEM IF WE REMAIN SILENT, THE LOOP WILL ENCIRCLE HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES AND CARVE A SIX LANE SCAR THROUGH OUR HOMES.
YOUR DECISIONS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER OUR PROPERTY VALUES COLLAPSE OR OUR COMMUNITY SURVIVE.
COMMISSIONERS, I URGE YOU, REJECT THE OUTER LOOP ALIGNMENT THROUGH ROCKWALL COUNTY.
DENY THE ZONING AND PERMITS AND ENABLE 8,600 HOMES AND ONE DEVELOPMENT.
PROTECT THE FAMILIES WHO TRUSTED THE COURT TO PUT THEIR INTERESTS FIRST.
WE ARE WATCHING, WE WILL REMEMBER AND WE WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
TELL US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
RYAN BRECKENRIDGE, 2 0 7 CHARLESTON IN FATE, UH,
[00:15:01]
AS A COUNTY RESIDENT, AS, UM, AN INTERESTED PERSON IN THE BUSINESS AND OPERATION OF THE COUNTY.AND AS SOMEONE INVOLVED DEEPLY WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOU.
UH, CONSIDER YOU ALL FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
UH, I KNOW THIS, THESE SUBJECTS ARE NOT EASY.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A FUN POSITION TO BE IN.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SYMPATHETIC AND YOU'RE EMPATHETIC, AND I KNOW THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT MARK SAID.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, UH, BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND A GOOD PARTNER WITH THE FOLKS IN THE REGION WOULD BENEFIT US GREATLY.
UH, I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE THIS IS VIEWED AS A BIG BOWL OF LEMONS TO GIVE A REALLY ELEMENTARY, UH, ANALOGY, UH, MY ENCOURAGEMENT IS WORK WITH EACH OTHER, WORK WITH THE REGIONAL GOVERNING BODIES IN A CO COLLABORATIVE WAY, AND LET'S MAKE THE BEST PICTURE OF LEMONADE THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN FOR THE COUNTY.
FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT IF IT DOESN'T IMPACT ME DIRECTLY, IT IMPACTS OTHERS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S THE SAME FOR YOU GUYS AS WELL.
I JUST REALLY WISH AND HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD WORK TOGETHER WITH THE COG AND THE RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NO ONE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE
[4. Discussion of Road Bond Issuance, and all related issues; (Judge New)]
DIRECTLY INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THESE IN REVERSE ORDER.
WE'RE GONNA GO 4, 3, 2, UH, AGENDA ITEM FOUR IS DISCUSSION OF ROAD BOND ISSUANCE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
MR. POLLSTER, DOES ANYBODY NEED A SPREADSHEET? OKAY, I'VE GOT SOME EXTRAS FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO, I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO TELL ME ANYBODY.
SO ONE RANGER, ONE RIOT DOES, DOES THIS COME UP? SO, UH, Y'ALL HAVE A SPREADSHEET THAT, UH, I PROVIDED Y'ALL LAST WEEK, I THINK SOMETIME.
AND LEMME JUST KIND OF GO OVER THE, UH, FORMAT OF IT AND THEN WE CAN GET RIGHT INTO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
SO THE FORMAT, WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK YOUR, UH, ORIGINAL 21 BOND PROGRAM FORMAT AND WE ADDED A TAN COLOR FOR FIRST ISSUANCE.
AND THEN THE SALMON COLOR IS FUNDS THAT ARE OTHER THAN 21 BONDS.
SO THERE'RE, ARE YOU SURE THAT'S SALMON? I'M KIDDING YOU.
AND COLORS, THEY'RE TWO BROWNS TO ME.
'CAUSE MEN ONLY KNOW SIX COLORS.
BUT I WAS TOLD WHAT THEY WERE.
UH, SO THE SALMON OTHER COLOR IS BOND FUNDS OTHER THAN A TRIP 21 AND OR RE REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE, UM, PASS THROUGH TOWING.
SO EVERYTHING HERE DURING THE ORDER AS THEY WERE ON THE BOND PROGRAM SPREADSHEET, AND THEY REPRESENT IN THE FIRST ISSUANCE COLUMN, THOSE THINGS THAT EITHER THE COMMISSIONERS ASK FOR THEMSELVES OR THE A GROUP THAT WE ASKED, THE CONSORTIUM, THE GROUP OF PROJECTS THAT THEY SUBMITTED THAT MADE THE CUT WERE PUT IN, UH, TO THOSE THAT ALIGN ITEM FOR THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
SO IF THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR MORE THAN WHAT'S IN THE BOND PROGRAM, WE PUT WHAT'S IN THE BOND PROGRAM IN THE LIGHT COLOR AND THE ADDITIONAL ASK IN THE DARKER BROWN COLOR.
UM, AND SO IF YOU GO QUICK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LINE, YOU'VE GOT WHAT WE SHOW YOU IS WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THERE'S ABOUT, UM, $36 MILLION PLUS OR MINUS THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE COUNTY CONSIDER ISSUING.
BUT YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UM, $22 MILLION IN ASKS IN THE OTHER COLOR.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 12.7 IN OH 8 0 4 BOND FUNDS.
SO IF YOU TAKE 22 MILLION MINUS THE 12, YOU'VE GOT $10 MILLION MORE ASKS THAN YOU HAVE MONEY.
AND THEN WE HAVE NOTES AS TO WHAT THE DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT ON, IF THE COURT MOVES ON THOSE PROJECTS.
AND MOST OF IT'S ENGINEERING OR ACTUAL WORK ON COUNTY ROADS.
SO COM COMMISSIONERS, I DIDN'T, UH, ESTABLISH THE RULES.
THIS IS TYPICAL ROLLING TUMBLING DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, JUMP IN.
UM, WHEN YOU SAY THE $36 MILLION NUMBER IS WHAT YOU RECOMMEND, THE ITS
[00:20:01]
RECOMMENDS RIGHT? AS OURSO HOW, HOW WE GOT TO THAT NUMBER WAS, WELL, WE, WE DIDN'T PICK THE THE PROJECTS, Y'ALL, THE GROUP PICKED THE PROJECTS AND WE WE'RE GIVING YOU A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT WE THINK THE, UH, ENGINEERING WILL COST.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE NOTES, SOME OF 'EM ARE ESTIMATES ON WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
OTHERS ARE, WE HAVE AN ACTUAL CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE IN HANDS, WE KNOW THE NUMBER.
SO YES, IT'S WHAT WE, WHAT WE THINK YOU'RE GONNA NEED IF, IF YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE PROJECTS.
SO MY QUESTION IS THIS, UM, IS THAT RECOMMENDATION? I, I, I REALIZE WHAT YOU TOOK IT FROM AND WE ALL WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THE, UH, ROAD CONSORTIUM.
BUT IS THE DECISION ON 36 MILLION BASED ON A A TAX RATE ISSUE? NO.
OR A CAN I FINISH THE QUESTION PLEASE? I'M SORRY.
HOW FAST CAN WE SPEND IT ISSUE? BECAUSE THOSE ARE TWO THINGS OBVIOUSLY THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL, WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS A, WE DON'T WANNA RAISE MONEY THIS TIME IF WE CAN'T SPEND IT QUICKLY CORRECT.
ON ROADS AND B, WE DON'T WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE MORE OF A TAX IMPACT THAN WE FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING.
SO APOLOGIES, UH, IT'S THE, THAT'S THE END OF MY QUESTION.
UH, SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS WHAT WE THINK YOU NEED IF YOU'RE GONNA MOVE THIS, THESE PROJECTS TO THE NEXT PHASE.
WE DIDN'T PUT MONEY INTO ENGINEERING ON PROJECTS THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTAL BEING ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLEARED.
WE ONLY PUT MONEY INTO IT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE, ASSUMING THAT LATER YOU'D ISSUE THE MONEY FOR THE PSNE WHEN YOU NEED IT.
SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID ON 30 97, 5 51.
UH, OTHER ONE, I CAN'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST ISSUED THE MONEY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL WHEN WE USED OH EIGHT MONEY.
UH, AND THEN NOW WE'RE PROPOSING ON THESE TO ISSUE THE MONEY FOR THE ACTUAL DESIGN CONTRACT.
SO WE'RE ONLY RECOMMENDING THAT YOU, 'CAUSE I WAS HEARING NUMBERS LARGER THAN THIS AND I WAS SAYING IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SPEND ROAD BOND MONEY AND YOU DON'T WANT TO ISSUE MORE THAN YOU NEED.
AND SO I WAS COMING UP WITH NUMBERS SMALLER THAN WHAT I WAS HEARING.
AND SO I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS WHAT I THINK YOU COULD SPEND IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND AND BASED ON BA PRIMARILY ENGINEERING WORK.
SO, AND THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME IS, AS YOU KNOW, AND I THINK EVERYBODY ON THE COURT KNOWS I'M GONNA ASK FOR MORE MONEY FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IT'S A BIG NUMBER.
UM, BUT IF, IF THAT WERE, IF THE COURT WERE TO AGREE WITH MY SUGGESTION AND I'M TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT EDWARDS ROAD, CORRECT? UM, IS THAT MONEY THAT IN ADDITION TO THE ENGINEERING, THE 36 MILLION WE COULD SPEND, WE COULD GET AFTER IT AND GET IT DONE WHEN YOU GO TALK ABOUT CONSTRUCTION YES.
THE, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE DONE QUICKLY BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN HAND RIGHT.
BEFORE YOU CAN ISSUE THE CONTRACT.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE PART OF THAT, UH, $22 MILLION AND ASK IN THE DARKER BROWN INCLUDES 10.5 MILLION, UH, ADDITIONAL YEP.
'CAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE 500,000 IN THE BOND PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AUTHORIZING, ISSUING THE 500 FROM 21, AND THEN Y'ALL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA FIND THE 10.
RIGHT? I I JUST WANTED TO, AND I, I THINK YOU CLARIFIED YES SIR.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THE 36 MILLION WE COULD, IF WE THERE, IT DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT ALL WE CAN SPEND.
IT'S ALL YOU THINK WE CAN SPEND PROMPTLY ON ENGINEERING AND THE, THE THING ALL WANT CORRECT.
BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS USUALLY TAKE 18 MONTHS TO 24 MONTHS AND YOU DON'T WANNA BE SETTING ON MORE THAN YOU NEED, UH, ISSUED.
'CAUSE YOU'RE PAYING DEBT SERVICE ON IT.
UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR FOLKS IN THE ROOM AS WELL.
UM, THE 36 MILLION AND YOU SAID IT'S MOSTLY FOR ENGINEERING, THIS STILL SETS THE COUNTY UP WITH TDO OR COG OR WHOEVER ELSE WE MAY BE WORKING WITH THAT WE HAVE DONE OUR WORK.
SO IT WOULD HELP THESE PROJECTS GET MOVED UP THE LADDER A LITTLE QUICKER? YES, MA'AM.
IS IS, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH.
SO THE TECH DOT CURRENTLY, THEY'RE BOTH THEIR STATEWIDE BUDGET AND THEIR DISTRICT BUDGETS CUT THEIR CONSULTANT BUDGETS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND NOT ONLY IS IT CUT, IT'S DRASTIC ENOUGH THAT I CONFIRMED YESTERDAY THAT EVEN WHEN THE DISTRICT WANTS TO HIRE A NEW CONSULTANT ON A PROJECT, THEY GOTTA FILL OUT A MEMO, SEND IT TO, UH, AUSTIN, AND HEADQUARTERS HAS TO APPROVE THAT CONTRACT.
AND SO WHAT WHAT WE DO IS RECOMMEND OUR CLIENTS DO, IS COME IN AND DO THE ADVANCED
[00:25:01]
PLANNING BECAUSE WE CAN DO IT OUTSIDE THEIR BUDGETARY PROCESS.AND OUR PROJECTS ARE STILL MOVING WHILE A LOT OF THEIR PROJECTS INSIDE THEIR SYSTEM ARE STOPPED OR DELAYED BECAUSE THE BUDGET'S IMPACTING IT.
SO YES, IT, THIS, IF YOU, IF YOU MOVE FORWARD ON THESE AND WE GET THOSE CONTRACTS EXECUTED, IT ENSURES THAT OUR PROJECTS CONTINUE TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE IN THIS KIND OF, UH, STANDSTILL AT THE, AT TECH SIDE FOR THEIR WORK.
AND I NEVER, I DIDN'T SAY MY USUAL CAVEAT AT THE BEGINNING ON ANYTHING TALKING ABOUT MONEY, ANYTHING I SAY IT DISAGREES WITH ANYTHING LISA TELLS YOU.
UM, THE
'CAUSE THAT WAS THEIR POLICY AT THE TIME.
UHHUH, THEY'VE RESCINDED THAT POLICY.
SO IN THEORY, I'M GONNA GET TO THE BAD NEWS FOR A SECOND.
IN THEORY, THAT WOULD'VE MEANT THAT THERE WOULD'VE BEEN MONEY YOU COULD USE IN THOSE ESTIMATES FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN RIGHT OF WAY.
'CAUSE SINCE THE STATE DOESN'T NEED IT ANYMORE, BUT BETWEEN 21 AND 25 COSTS HAVE GONE UP ABOUT 70%, UH, STATEWIDE.
AND SO THERE MAY NOT BE AS MUCH SAVINGS THERE AS WE ANTICIPATED.
UH, BEFORE WE TURN JOHN LOOSE, OTHER FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HIM AND YOU CAN'T LEAVE, BUT, OH, I'M NOT LEAVING.
I'M, I'M HERE FOR THE DURATION.
THIS IS TOO EASY OR IT'S NOT EASY YET.
RIGHT?
THERE ARE $22 MILLION WORTH OF ADDITIONAL ASK IN OVER AND ABOVE WHAT'S IN TRIP 21 AND 10 MILLION IN SOME CHANGE OVER WHAT YOU HAVE LEFT IN OH EIGHT AND OH FOUR, EXCUSE ME, 22 TURN, TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE THERE PLEASE.
22 MILLION ADDITIONAL, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE SALMON COLOR.
SO IF YOU ADD THE 12.76 AND THE 10 POINT MM-HMM
THAT'S WHAT THE TOTAL IS IN THE RIGHT, IN THE DARKER BROWN, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THEN WHAT WAS THE, AND THEN, AND THEN AS FAR AS THE MONEY FROM OH EIGHT, WHAT IS THE, IT'S ALL THE 12.7 IS WHAT WE THINK YOU HAVE IN OH EIGHT AND OH FOUR.
SO YOU GET TO 22 MINUS THE 12, YOU'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 10 THAT YOU NEED TO.
JOHN HAS ALREADY ALLOCATED THAT, UH, ESSENTIALLY DEDUCTED AND CAME UP WITH A, WE'RE WE'RE 10 MILLION SHORT MM-HMM
JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, I JUST DID WHAT I WAS TOLD THAT IT, I DIDN'T MEAN TO OKAY.
ANYTHING NEFARIOUS ABOUT THAT.
SO THE, THE QUESTION IS, THE LARGER QUESTION, IS THIS HOW WE WANT TO ALLOCATE THE MONEY? IF NOT, HOW DO WE WANT TO ALLOCATE THE MONEY? DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT PROJECTS? DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT DOLLAR AMOUNTS? UH, DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT BOTH? UM, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET INTO PRECINCT LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT PROJECTS ARE, UH, MUST HAVE AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.
AND UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THAT LEADS TO A LARGER DISCUSSION OF, OF ADDING UP THE DOLLARS.
AND SO THESE, THESE PROJECTS RIGHT HERE THOUGH, ARE THE MUST HAVES THAT HE'S SHOWING US RIGHT NOW, SO TO SPEAK.
THESE HAVE BEEN COLLA, THESE HAVE BEEN, UM, PUT TOGETHER AND CREATED BASED ON, UM, AT LEAST TWO MEETINGS WE HAVE HAD WITH THE CONSORTIUM AND OR WITH THE CITY MANAGERS AND THE CITY LEADERSHIP OF ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THIS LIST.
AND WE'VE DONE IT TWICE, I BELIEVE, AS A GROUP, CORRECT.
I'M SEEING NODDING ALL AROUND.
SO, SO WE'RE, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING THEN, JUDGE, IS THAT, ARE WE GOING TO NOW TAKE THIS AND SAY, WELL, I KNOW THAT FATE WANTS X PROJECT, BUT WE JUST CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE INFERRING? WELL, WE, WE, WE HAD THE CITIES GIVE US THEIR TOP THREE, RIGHT? UH, ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
UH, I, I WOULD SUSPECT SOME, NOT SOME OF THEM.
AND ONE CITY GETS ALL OF THEIRS AND ANOTHER CITY GETS NONE OF THEIRS.
I WOULD WELL, THE, THE PROJECTS ARE FAIRLY WELL SPREAD OUT BY PRECINCT IN THE TRIP 21 COLUMN THAT, THAT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE REQUESTERS, THAT'S HOW IT ENDED UP.
[00:30:01]
THE DARKER COLOR WHERE YOU'VE GOT THAT DISCRETIONARY, I GUESS MONEY FROM OH EIGHT THAT, THAT WE DIDN'T USE AT 66 AND WE DIDN'T USE ON 2 76 BECAUSE WE GOT THEM FUNDED OTHER WAYS THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR REPRIORITIZING.AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE POINTING OUT IS WHAT, WHAT, FROM YOUR CONSULTANT STANDPOINT, WE NEED HELP ON GUIDANCE ON HOW YOU WANNA DEAL WITH THE DARKER COLOR COLUMN.
WELL, OKAY, SO I I I WAS ABOUT TO PITCH YOU A, A SOFTBALL.
I SAID RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE, LET'S TALK ABOUT $10.5 MILLION FOR EDWARDS ROAD.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE I WANTED TO GO.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, ON THE, THE HEY, JOHN, FIRST ISSUE, INSTALLERS TO, SORRY, TO MAKE MATTERS EASIER.
IF, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A SEAT, THERE'S A MICROPHONE OVER THERE, YOU CAN RELAX AND, AND HAVE, HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH US.
I, I DON'T REALLY, YOU'LL MAKE SURE THAT MICROPHONE'S ON.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FIRST ISSUANCE INSTALLERS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA BRING UP ONE PROJECT AND EXPLAIN WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND WHY I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.
AND, UM, IF I, I GAVE EACH OF YOU A MAP, OKAY? AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE, UH, OR ERICA, WE DON'T HAVE THIS ON TO PUT IT ON THE BOARD FOR OTHERS TO SEE.
SO I GAVE E EACH OF YOU A MAP, AND BEFORE I GET INTO EXPLAINING, TALKING ABOUT MONEY, I WANNA SHOW YOU WHERE ED, YOU ALL KNOW WHERE EDWARDS ROAD, I'M SURE EVERYBODY'S RIDDEN IT.
WE'RE TALKING ESSENTIALLY THE STRETCH BETWEEN 5 48 AND FIVE 50.
AS YOU'LL SEE THERE, UM, THERE ARE THREE SEGMENTS OF IT.
THERE'S THE, WHAT I CALL THE NORTHWEST SEGMENT FROM FIVE 50.
THEN IT DOES A LITTLE LOOP DOWN TO BENEDETTO WAY ON, AND THEN THERE'S THE STRETCH FROM THERE TO LEAGUE ROAD.
AND THEN THERE'S A STRETCH FROM EDWARDS TO 5 48.
THAT MIDDLE STRETCH FROM BENEDETTO WAY TO LEAGUE ROAD IS ALL IN THE CITY OF MCCLENNAN CHISHOLM.
AND THEY ARE, RIGHT NOW THE, THEY HAVE WORKED WITH THE GUY WHO'S DEVELOPING THE NEW PORTIONS OF SONOMA VERDE TO PUT THAT ROAD IN.
AND THEY ARE ABOUT TO START CONSTRUCTION.
THEY HAVEN'T STARTED YET, BUT THEY GOT BIG EQUIPMENT SITTING OUT THERE.
AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE BLOCKED OFF THIS WEEK.
AND THEY'RE GONNA GET INTO THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO THEY'RE GONNA TURN EDWARDS ROAD INTO A 37 FOOT WIDE CONCRETE, UH, ROAD STREET, UH, TWO LANE, REAL NICE STREET.
JUST KIND OF THE THING WE WANT.
WHAT WE'VE GOT ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT IS, UH, MUCH NARROWER AND LESS WELL-BUILT, UM, CHIP SEAL ROADS.
OKAY? AND THE NORTHWEST PART, A LITTLE CORNER THAT GOES OVER TO FIVE 50 IS IN WORSE CONDITION THAN THE PORTION FROM LEE ROAD TO 5 48.
AND I'M, MY GUESS IS EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE KNOWS THAT.
UM, SO WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THEY'RE GETTING READY TO START ON THIS NOW, UM, I LOOKED AT THIS AND IF YOU'LL SEE THIS IS, THIS ROAD IS PRETTY MUCH PARALLEL TO 2 0 5.
2 0 5 WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CONTRACT LET IN JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S NOW BEEN PUSHED OFF TILL JANUARY OR FEBRUARY OF 27.
WHENEVER IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE BUILT, THE MONEY IS THERE IN T DOT TERMS, WHATEVER THAT MEANS.
UM, BUT IT WILL BE BUILT AND PROBABLY IN 2027 IT'LL GO FULL-TIME AS EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN THAT STARTS.
2 0 5 IS GONNA BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
NOW, I THINK ANYBODY WHO DRIVES IT WOULD TELL YOU THAT IT'S GONNA BE MORE DIFFICULT.
AND WHAT KIND OF MADE SENSE TO ME IS SINCE WE'VE GOT MCCLENDON CHISHOLM BUILDING A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF EDWARDS ROAD INTO A HIGH QUALITY STREET, IF WE COULD DO THE SAME THING ON THE COUNTY PORTIONS, THEN WE COULD HAVE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE FOR A LOT OF THE PEOPLE DOWN IN HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES AND SONOMA VERDE, UH, BLUEBONNET RIDGE, OTHER SUBDIVISIONS TO GO TO,
[00:35:01]
TO AVOID THE CONSTRUCTION ON 2 0 5.AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT GOT ME THINKING IN THIS DIRECTION.
SO, UH, I ASKED OUR CONSULTANT, UH, MR. POLLSTER TO COME UP WITH AN ESTIMATE AND HE CAME UP WITH, UM, AND, AND I KNOW THESE ARE ALL JUST ESTIMATES, AND I'M NOT HOLDING ANYBODY TO ANY NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, BUT HE CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF 10 AND A HALF MILLION.
I THEN WENT TO THE DEVELOPER WHO IS CURRENTLY BUILDING EDWARDS ROAD, OR THAT, THAT NEW SECTION FOR MCCLENDON CHISHOLM, THE GUYS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK.
AND I SENT YOU ALL, OR HAD, UH, FELICIA SEND YOU ALL AN ESTIMATE OF THAT.
AND THEIR ESTIMATE CAME OUT TO, UH, 6.3 MILLION.
BUT IN, BUT WE GOTTA BE AWARE THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITION, WHICH THERE'LL BE SOME, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ALL THE ENGINEERING MONEY.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DOESN'T IT INCLUDE? SHE SAID, UH, UM, THERE'S SOME ISSUES POTENTIALLY THERE'S ONE STREAM THAT CROSSED A CREEK CROSSING THERE THAT'S COULD BE SIGNIFICANT.
BUT WHEN I TALKED THIS WAS DONE, THIS ESTIMATE WAS DONE BY KIMLEY HORN, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REPUTABLE GUYS AND THEY LOOKED AT THIS AND THEY'RE DOING THE WORK THE OTHER PLACE, SO THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE STREET.
SO IF WE ADDED, UM, I ASKED OUR ENGINEER, WHAT DO YOU ADD FOR ENGINEERING? AND IF I THINK YOU REMEMBER, IT'S 10%.
SO IF WE ADDED 10% TO THE 6.3, THAT WOULD PUT US BASICALLY TO 7 MILLION.
AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE SOME RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION.
SO LET'S SAY IT'S 8 MILLION BUCKS.
I KNOW THESE ARE REALLY LOOSE NUMBERS, BUT IT, IT APPEARED TO ME THAT WE CAN MAKE A REAL IMPACT ON WHAT'S GONNA BE TRAFFIC FLOW IN THIS AREA, AND ESPECIALLY HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT 2 0 5, ONCE 2 0 5 STARTS IF WE DO THIS, THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND MAKE IT PARALLEL.
BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW IS THERE, WHEN 2 0 5 STARTS, EVEN IF WE DON'T DO IT, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC THAT RUNS DOWN EDWARDS ZERO TO AVOID 2 0 5.
AND IT'S NOT A GOOD ROAD FOR THAT.
UH, THE, THE MOST SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS BETTER THAN THE NORTHWEST, BUT NEITHER PORTION IS GOOD.
SO MY PROPOSAL WAS TO DO THIS AND I THINK TO CHANNEL MY INNER JOHN, STACY, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO DIG THE MONEY OUT OF SEAT CUSHIONS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN MY THINKING ON THIS BECAUSE I KNOW WE DIDN'T BRING IT UP PREVIOUSLY.
AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU HOW I GOT THERE AND WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND WHY I THINK IT'LL HAVE A REAL IMPACT UPON THIS REGION.
BECAUSE IT'S GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE TO GO FROM 5 48 TO FIVE 50 AND THEN THEY CAN GO 1139 AND CATCH UP AND IT WILL RELIEVE A BUNCH OF THAT TRAFFIC.
I THINK ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF 2 0 5.
I, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT, UH, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
SO THE, THE DEVELOPER IS DOING THE PORTION THERE, UH, RIGHT BEHIND SONOMA VERDE ACTUALLY IN BETWEEN THE NEWEST PHASE OF SONOMA VERDE.
DOES IT GO AROUND THAT S-CURVE OR DOES IT GO STRAIGHT THERE TO HIT FIVE 50? DO DO YOU KNOW, AND AND ARE, ARE, ARE THEY REDOING ALL OF IT? ARE THEY REDOING ALL THE WAY TO FIVE 50 OR ARE THEY JUST GETTING NO, PAST THEIR DEVELOPMENT? THEY ARE NOT DOING ALL THE WAY TO FIVE 50.
I THINK IT GOES AROUND THAT S-CURVE OR THE FIRST ONE.
BUT I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE YOU SEE WHERE THE CITY LIMITS ARE THERE.
UM, ACTUALLY MARK KIPPET MIGHT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT PICKS UP THAT FIRST BEND, BUT IT CLEARLY DOESN'T GO ALL THE WAY TO FIVE 50.
AND WE HAD KIMLEY HORN BASE THERE ESTIMATE, WHICH WAS A $6.3 MILLION NUMBER BASED UPON WHAT THEY'RE NOT DOING.
WHATEVER, WHATEVER THEY'RE SHORT.
'CAUSE THAT, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I REMEMBERED FROM MEETING WITH THE DEVELOPER IS THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING ALL THE WAY.
SO PART, PART OF THIS SEVEN TO 8 MILLION IS US GETTING TO FIVE 50 AND GETTING TO 5 48.
IT'S JUST THOSE TWO OUTSIDE SECTIONS.
WELL, I I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S REASONABLE.
WHERE, WHERE DID WE FIND THE MONEY WAS GONNA ASK? I I JUST, I THINK BOBBY WANTS TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
I I'M JUST ASKING A GENERAL QUESTION.
IN THE BIG WHITE AREA TO THE, UM, EAST OF WALLACE ROAD, WHO'S THE DEVELOPER IN THERE? UH, THAT WOULD BE A GROUP CALLED DR HORTON FIGURED AND I, AND I'M GUESSING WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THIS PORTION OF EDWARDS ROAD? UH, NO, WE HAVE NOT.
WHO'S, WHO'S BUILDING, WHAT DEVELOPER IS BUILDING THE OTHER PORTION OF EDWARDS ROAD FOR THE CITY OF MCLENNAN CHISHOLM? UM, TAYLOR DUNCAN.
I THINK IT'S TAYLOR DAVIS NOW.
OR DUNCAN TAYLOR, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
[00:40:01]
THE GUY'S NAME IS LARRY TAYLOR.I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR QUITE A WHILE.
NOT THAT THAT MEANS ANYTHING,
WELL, UM, SO, UH, WHERE DO WE FIND THE MONEY? OKAY, SO EVEN THOUGH I DON'T, AND, AND A QUESTION, A BIG QUESTION I'D HAVE FOR OUR CONSULTANT ON THIS, WHICH I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH HIM BEFORE THE MEETING ABOUT IT, IS IF WE HAVE A CONSULTANT'S ESTIMATE OF 10 AND A HALF MILLION AND WE HAVE A KIMLEY HORN ESTIMATE OF 6.3 MILLION, MAYBE AS MUCH AS EIGHT.
'CAUSE WE GOT THINGS THAT AREN'T COVERED.
SO IT'S BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10 AND A HALF.
HOW DO WE CALCULATE AND SET ASIDE MONEY AND WHAT SHOULD WE ISSUE IF WE DECIDE TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS? AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD WORK OUT, BUT I THINK IF WE, IF IN GENERAL PEOPLE ARE IN FAVOR OF IT, WE'LL THAT'LL BE A, UH, EASY DECISION TO MAKE.
BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT 10 AND A HALF, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT EIGHT.
SO WHERE DO WE FIND THE MONEY? OKAY, SO I HAD THE, UM, THEORY HERE THAT, UM, WE WOULD GO LOOK FOR A 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WELL, NOT IF YOU ONLY NEED EIGHT.
I MEAN, I'M CHOOSING BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10 AND A HALF MILLION.
SO LET'S JUST RUN THROUGH THIS.
SO I'VE GOT SEVERAL CATEGORIES HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, WE SHOW EDWARDS ROAD HERE CURRENTLY AS A PROJECT, NOT A, UH, WITH A FIRST ISSUANCE OF $500,000.
AND THIS WAS TO DO, UM, I THINK YOU ADDED THE 500,000 LATER.
I THINK JOHN DID AFTER I DID THIS, THE ORIGINAL 500,000 WAS JUST TO DO SOME GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO WHAT WE HAD THERE ON EDWARD ROAD.
THEN I SPOKE WITH, UM, OUR ENGINEER, UH, ERICA, AND SHE SAID THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET THEY, THAT WE JUST APPROVED AND ALL REMEMBER HOW WE INCREASED OUR MONEY FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE.
WELL, 250,000 OF THAT WAS FOR ALL WHAT SHE HAD ALLOCATED TO EDWARDS ROAD.
YOU WANNA SPEAK? I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M NOT GIVING BAD NUMBERS HERE.
THAT WAS AN APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE WE CAME UP WITH FOR A THREE INCH OVERLAY, UH, HOT MIX ON TOP OF THE CHIP SEAL.
AND IT, WHEN I'M DONE WITH ALL THIS, IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO EDWARDS ROAD AND JUST YOUR, WHETHER OR NOT I'M OFF BASE, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S, YOU WE'RE LOOKING TO YOU FOR YOUR EXPERTISE.
YOU AND OUR CONSULTANT HERE, JOHN.
UM, IF YOU LOOK ON THE CHART THAT, UH, JOHN PASSED OUT, UH, ITEM 16 IS THE 2 0 5 AND FIVE 50 INTERSECTION IN MCCLENNAN CHISHOLM.
THERE'S A MILLION DOLLARS, NO FIRST ISSUANCE MONEY, BUT A MILLION DOLLARS ALLOCATED.
THAT MONEY'S THAT, THAT PROJECT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE.
BUT THE MONEY'S THERE AND BEING SPENT.
SO I THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD TAKE A MILLION DOLLARS THERE.
UM, ITEM 24, UH, LONG BRANCH SUBDIVISION.
I HOPE MY LONG BRANCH FOLKS DON'T SCREAM AT ME 'CAUSE THEY'RE IN MY, MY AREA TOO.
BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING THOSE ALREADY AS PART OF OUR, OR NO OVERALL MAINTENANCE AND NORMAL MAINTENANCE.
AGAIN, NONE IN FIRST ISSUANCE, BUT 500,000 SET ASIDE THERE IN LONG BRANCH.
SO IF WE WERE TO TAKE THAT AND WE SH WE'LL NEED TO CONFIRM ALL THIS, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER $500,000.
NOW HERE'S WHERE I'M GONNA LEAN ON THE EXPERTISE OF, UH, COMMISSIONER STACY, BECAUSE WE MAKE A, WE STILL, THAT'S STILL LEAVES A PRETTY BIG HOLE.
I KNOW DANA'S LOOKING AT ME LIKE, YEAH, WELL, OKAY.
SO IT'S GETTING SMALLER BUT IT'S GETTING SMALLER.
IT'S GETTING SMALLER, BUT BUT NONE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE HAVE FIRED THEIR SHOTS AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO THERE'S TRIP OH EIGHT MONEY.
THIS STILL AVAILABLE, I THINK ABOUT 12 MILLION BUCKS OF IT.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT THAT'S OH OH FOUR AND OH EIGHT.
[00:45:01]
I KNOW WE, WE, LISA, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND AT THAT MONEY IS UNENCUMBERED LEGALLY WE COULD USE IT FOR WHAT WE WANT TO USE IT FOR.IF YOU'RE GONNA SAY NO, PLEASE DON'T.
USE IT FOR ROADS IN THE COUNTY.
IS THIS ON? AM I ON? YEP, YOU'RE ON.
IT WAS ASSIGNED, BUT IT WAS NOT CONTRACTED.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ALWAYS SHOWING IT AS ALREADY ENCUMBERED.
AND YOU'LL, AND YOUR PASS THROUGH YOUR ANNUAL PASS THROUGH FUNDS, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT ADDS TO, TO MAKE IT 12.7.
THAT'S WHAT, WHAT WAS THAT? 1.3? 1.3 ANNUALLY.
AND THAT, THAT'LL BE COMING IN SOON.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TEETERING ON 13 MILLION.
SO I'M SAYING THAT THE PASS THROUGH TOLLS ARE IN ADDITION TO THIS 12.7? NO, NO, THEY, THEY'RE INCLUDED.
SO, UM, SINCE I WAS THE FIRST TO ASK, I SAID, HEY, LET'S TAKE 6.75 MILLION OF THAT.
THAT THOSE, ALL THOSE ADDITIONS GET US TO $9 MILLION, WHICH PROBABLY WILL BE ENOUGH.
BUT JUST IN CASE IT'S NOT, IF WE HAVE TO GO TO TEN FIVE, I'VE STILL GOT STRATEGIC PROJECT MONEY FOR A MILLION AND A HALF BUCKS, WHICH I WAS HOPING TO USE ON SOMETHING ELSE, BUT IF WE HAD TO GO, I COULD USE IT FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S HOW I GET TO 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD PROJECT FOR RELIEVING TRAFFIC BURDENS.
AND THAT'S WHY I I MAKE THE SUGGESTION.
AND THE ADDED BENEFIT THAT I LIKE FROM THIS IS IT REMOVES THIS ROAD FROM OUR INVENTORY.
BECAUSE WHAT, UH, WHAT JUDGE NEW IS REFERRING TO IS ALL INFORMAL, NOTHING SIGNED, BUT WE'VE SPOKEN WITH THE MAYOR OF MCCLENNAN CHISHOLM AND HE SAID THAT IF WE WOULD BUILD THIS, LIKE TO THEIR SPECS, THAT THEY WOULD THEN TAKE OVER FUTURE MAINTENANCE.
SO IT WOULD TAKE IT OFF OUR, OUR ROAD BURDEN GOING FORWARD.
JUDGE, COULD I GET, CAN WE YES, SIR.
GO OVER THE NUMBERS AGAIN? 'CAUSE I WASN'T ACTUALLY ABLE TO FOLLOW MOST OF THEM.
SO COULD YOU JUST RUN DOWN THE, THAT, THAT LIST OF NUMBERS NOW? I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE JOHN STA UM, CAREFUL
AND RARELY THAT PEOPLE SAY I GIVE NUMBERS TOO FAST, I'M USUALLY TOO SLOW.
UM, EDWARDS ROAD, 500,000 OR 750,000, WHICH IS 500,000 LISTED HERE IN LINE ITEM 21 AND 250,000, WHICH THE, UH, THE ROAD AND BRIDGE DEPARTMENT HAD BUILT INTO THEIR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
ITEM 16, WHICH IS THE FM 2 0 5 AND FIVE 50 INTERSECTION, A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, ITEM 24, WHICH IS LONG BRANCH SUBDIVISION MAINTENANCE, $500,000 TRIP 21 OR TRIP OH EIGHT MONEY.
AND THE TOLLS, WE GET THE TOLL REBATES, THAT POT OF MONEY, 6.75 MILLION, THAT GETS US TO NINE.
AND IF WE HAD TO DO MORE, I'VE GOT STRATEGIC PROJECT MONEY.
LET'S, LET'S DIVE INTO LINE ITEM NUMBER 30.
BEN PAYNE, CITY OF FATE NEEDS $10.3 MILLION.
AND, AND THE REASON I'M DIVING INTO THESE TWO, THEY'RE THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST, UH, BUDGETARY, UH, LINE ITEMS. OKAY.
SO FIRST WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER LTI JUST DID WITH HIS UM, SALMON PROJECT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE JUST GONNA START CALLING THESE MR. POLLSTER SALMON PROJECTS.
UM, HE'S LEAVING US, AND I WANT SOMEONE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE MATH $7 MILLION SHORT FROM ALL THE ASKS BECAUSE HE BASICALLY DROPPED IT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS AND THEN SAID HE WOULD FILL IT IN WITH STRATEGIC PROJECTS.
SO YOU TAKE THAT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS AND SAY, WELL, HE EITHER DOESN'T OR DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO THEN WE SAY, WELL, IF WE WANTED EVERYTHING WE WANT, THEN WE'RE $7 MILLION SHORT.
[00:50:01]
PLACE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO JUMP INTO THAT $7 MILLION IS MY OWN STRATEGIC PROJECTS GOING FROM 4 MILLION TO THE ONE AND A HALF MILLION THAT WE'RE SPENDING.AND THEN JUST PUTTING THE REST OF THAT INTO EITHER BEN PAYNE OR CRENSHAW ROAD.
AND THAT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH THEN LEAVES US LOOKING.
UM, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING ALL OF YOUR STRATEGIC PROJECT MONEY? WELL, TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF IT, WHICH IS ALL, ALL YOU HAVE LEFT.
WHICH THEN LEADS WITH THE $4.5 MILLION HOLE.
THEN I WANTED TO GO IN AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE RIGHT OF WAY EXPENSES.
UM, SUCH AS ON 5 51, IT'S ABOUT $1.8 MILLION.
DO YOU HAVE THAT SPREADSHEET FROM, FROM BRENDA, JOHN, OR I WAS, I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST START TALKING ABOUT THESE NUMBERS AND I'M SURE I HAVE IT.
I DON'T HAVE, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
LET ME GIVE YOU A COPY SO THAT YOU CAN COMMENT.
AND WHAT I'M HANDING YOU IS FROM ITS.
SO IT, THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM BRENDA AND I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN IT.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT TRYING TO TINKER WITH SOME OF THAT MONEY TO MAKE THE REST OF THE SHORTFALL IS, IS AS AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THERE'S $6 MILLION OF RIGHT OF WAY TO TRY TO COVER A FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS HOLE.
CRENSHAW ROAD AND BEN PAYNE ARE THAT STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THIS ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE THE ROAD PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED IN, UH, TRIP 21.
BEN PAYNE AND CRENSHAW ARE LISTED IN TRIP 21.
AND THIS ALLOWS US TO GET THEM BUILT.
CAN I, UH, JUST GO OVER THIS? SO YES, PLEASE.
SO WHAT THE COMMISSIONER ASKED US TO DO WAS TO TAKE WHAT WE THOUGHT WE NEEDED FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON SYSTEM AND GIVE HIM A NUMBER ON WHAT THAT IS.
AND THEN THE DELTA IS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE ESTIMATED THAT THE SUPPLEMENTALS AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR ADVANCED PLANNING AND PSNE LEFT HIM.
THE TOTAL OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE, UH, I CAN'T DO THE MATH REAL QUICK, BUT WHEN YOU GET DONE, IF YOU SUBTRACT WHAT WE THINK YOU NEED FOR THOSE PROJECTS, THERE'S ABOUT $6 MILLION THAT IS REMAINING IN THOSE, THOSE ACCOUNTS.
SO HE ASKED US TO DO A, UH, RUN OUT THE NUMBERS.
WE RAN OUT THE NUMBERS AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
SO JOHN, WOULD YOU GO THROUGH WITH ME THE PROJECT NUMBERS OF HOW HE'S GETTING TO WHAT HE JUST ABSOLUTELY.
TO WHAT PROJECT? WHICH JOHN, JOHN ARE YOU TALKING? OKAY.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE TOOK IT OVER, WE STILL WANNA LEAVE 3.75 IN P, S AND E.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA JUST GET THAT TO ZERO, UM, BECAUSE FM 35 HAS TO GET BUILT, UM, SO IT LEAVES US $250,000 MM-HMM
AND THEN PROJECT 26, UM, THE, UH, THAT WOULD BE, UH, 5 48 THAT GIVES, THAT PRODUCES 3.95 MILLION.
THE DELTA FROM MOVING FORWARD THE PSNE.
WHICH ONE WAS THAT? NUMBER 26.
I'M GONNA STICK WITH NUMBERS AND NOT SAY THE, I'M SORRY, I WON'T SAY THE ROAD NUMBERS ANYMORE 'CAUSE THAT IS NO, IT GETS NUMBER CONFUSING.
WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING ALL OF THAT MONEY ON ADVANCED PLANNING FOR THAT PROJECT PROJECT 28.
WE'RE WAY TOO EARLY IN THAT PROCESS TO, TO HAVE ANY SORT OF ESTIMATION.
SO EACH ONE OF THESE HAS AN ESTIMATE FOR WHAT WE WERE THINKING.
THE PSNE AND SUPPLEMENTAL OR THE EN ENVIRONMENTAL WORK WILL BE DONE PLUS ABOUT, UH, HALF A MILLION PER PROJECT IN CONTINGENCY IN CASE WE MISS SOMETHING OR NEED A SUPPLEMENTAL.
AND THEN WE'RE NOT EVEN USING ALL THAT 6 MILLION IS THE POINT.
WE'RE LEAVING SOME OF THAT MONEY IN HERE.
UM, AND THEN THE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN'T PREDICT VERY WELL, WE'RE JUST LEAVING AT ZERO AND KEEPING THEM MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT REALLOCATION OF PRECINCT FOUR IS WHERE WE COME UP WITH THE REST OF THE $4.5 MILLION.
AND THEN THAT REQUIRES US TO, TO THEN TURN AROUND AND TAKE THAT BOND ISSUANCE UP TO THE 46 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS OR CLOSE TO $47 MILLION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF HOW, THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE GET THERE IN THE END.
AND THEN THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE ITS TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK, UM, IF THIS IS, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T VOTE.
SO IF THIS IS KIND OF THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO AND, AND THERE'S NOTHING ELSE REALLY TO ADD, WE CAN START KIND
[00:55:01]
OF PUTTING A, PUTTING A BOW ON THE FIRST ISSUANCE AND LOOKING AT WHERE THESE SHORTFALLS ARE.AS AS A CLARIFICATION, YOU, YOU WANTED TO TAKE WHATEVER WAS REMAINING IN THE OH 8 0 4 MONEY? YES.
AND, AND THEN THE REST OF IT COMES FROM REALLOCATION OF YOUR PROJECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
12 MILLION FROM THE OH EIGHT SHARING IT.
SO NO, THAT, THAT BECOMES AN ACCOUNTING THING.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE JUST GETTING TO A NUMBER.
I SUBTRACTED WHAT LAUREN'S ASKING FOR THE SIX, SEVEN, UH, AND I MEAN, YEAH, SIX SEVEN AND IT LEAVES BETWEEN SIX AND 7 MILLION I ROUND.
AND SO YOU TAKE THE STRATEGIC PROJECTS OF TWO AND A HALF MILLION, THEN I GOT IT.
THEN THAT, THEN THAT LEAVES US THERE AND THEN, AND THEN WE'RE THERE.
I LOVE THE WAY YOU ASKED THAT, LISA, ALL OF THE 12 MILLION OR ARE YOU SHARING? I CAN SHARE WITH LAUREN.
UM, AND, AND SO THEN IF, IF THE COURT KIND OF LIKES GOING IN THAT DIRECTION, UH, THAT PUTS US ON PATH TO BE LOOKING AT CLOSER TO A $47 MILLION FIRST ISSUANCE.
UM, AND UH, AND THEN IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO ASKING JOHN, DOES THAT WORK? DOES IS DO WE DO 47? DO, IS THERE ANY REASON TO GO TO 50? IS THERE, I I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW FROM A, FROM A CONSULTING STANDPOINT 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT MONEY SITTING IN THE BANK THAT WE CAN'T SPEND.
AND UH, SO THE QUESTION WOULD BE, WE STILL NEED TO TALK ABOUT CRENSHAW 'CAUSE THAT'S A PROJECT WE HAVEN'T RESOLVED YET.
WELL, I WAS GETTING TO THE, I I WAS JUST USING THE OVERALL SHORTAGE NUMBER BE BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT, UM, YOU, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT TWO OR THREE WAYS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAP THAT UP SO I OH, OKAY.
WHEN, WHEN YOU MATH IT UP,
I MEAN, YOU, YOU WANT ME TO, SO YOU, YOU GOT TWO AND A HALF ADDITIONAL FROM YOUR STRATEGIC, 'CAUSE YOU WERE ALREADY HAVING 1.5 ON THOSE THREE PROJECTS.
AND THEN I GET THE, THAT, UH, YOU'RE TAKING, YOU, YOU WANT TO USE THE REMAINDER, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE AROUND SIX, 7 MILLION BUCKS AND THEN ALL YOUR STRATEGIC, UH, REPRIORITIZATION YOU, SO YOU'RE JUST LUMPING IT ALL INTO ONE.
I'M JUST LUMPING IT INTO ONE ALL.
YEAH, NO, NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOOD.
AND THEN, AND THEN THAT ALLOWS US THE $4.5 MILLION CRENSHAW.
I THINK WE'LL MAP ALL THIS, READJUST THE SPREADSHEET AND WE CAN HAVE IT OUT TO YOU TOMORROW.
WELL LET, LET, LET'S LET TWO MORE COMMISSIONERS.
WELL, I'M JUST SAYING HAVE A CONVERSATION.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL MAP IT OUT FOR YOU.
I'M NOT WILLING TO GIVE UP ON MINE.
UH, LET'S GO TO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT ONE.
WELL, I MEAN THE, I IMPORTANT PROJECTS IN MY DEAL ARE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MAPPED OUT ON HERE.
IT'S, YEAH, YOUR, YOURS AND, AND DANA'S BOTH ARE PRETTY, PRETTY MAPPED OUT.
IT'S TO 2 0 5 JOHN KING, UH, INTERCHANGE AND THE WIDENING OF 2 0 5 FROM JOHN KING TO DOWNTOWN.
IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US.
AND THEN I'M USING THE STRATEGIC FUNDS TO, ON 1141 AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY CHANGES FROM WHAT'S ON HERE.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I NEED DONE IN MY DEAL.
I SUSPECTED THAT COMMISSIONER MACKLIN, AND THAT IS VERY MUCH THE SAME WITH ME.
UM, THE STRATEGIC PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, ISSUANCE IS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE NUMBER 13, THE, UM, THAT'S ISSUING 2 MILLION FOR THE LOCAL MATCH ON THE VILLAGE DRIVE.
AND THAT ONE IS, THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I KNOW THE CITY OF ROCKWELL IS ALREADY WORKING ON THAT WITH ITS AS WELL.
SO THAT ONE IS, SO MINE IS PRETTY, MINE ARE ALL EXACTLY AS, AS THEY ARE.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S NO CHANGES TO ANY OF THAT.
HEY DANA, I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU ON THAT.
DO ROCK, WERE YOU GONNA SAY DO ROCK? OKAY.
DO YOU WANNA GIMME THAT MONEY? I CAN FIND A PLACE TO SPEND IT.
UM, DOES THAT, IS THAT TO REPLACE THAT BRIDGE? THAT'S A PROBLEM.
AND IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY A, IT'S, IT'S A STRUCTURALLY, UM, IMPAIRED PROJECT, SO IT'S GOTTA BE DONE.
I MEAN, THAT'S ONE WE GOTTA DO.
AND, AND THE CITY OF ROCKWELL'S ENGINEER IS ALREADY WORKING WITH ITS, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE AHEAD ON THAT.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE MONEY'S NOT THERE YET, AND THEN THE REST OF IT, THE OTHER HORIZON MONEY IS MORE OR LESS TO DETERMINE IF WE CAN WIDEN IT TO ALL THE WAY TO 5 49.
OH, AND ALL THE WAY TO BRIDGE ROAD, RIGHT.
AND THE ONLY THING, UM, J JOHN POLLSTER THAT I WANTED TO ASK, WE DID DECIDE, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING ON THE DEL ROCK ROAD, UM, FROM 66 TO I 30, MY, MY NOTES HAVE THAT THE CITY OF ROULETTE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO, THEY DON'T WANNA CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN, UM, IN THAT PROJECT
[01:00:01]
THAT MATCHES OUR, OUR MEMORY OF IT AS WELL.SO THAT RIGHT NOW, UM, THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, THERE WAS 6 MILLION THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS ADDRESSED TO THAT.
SO I WILL SAY THAT, 'CAUSE I'M A TEAM PLAYER.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? OR SOMETHING CHANGED THAT NO, NO, NO.
SO I'M A TEAM PLAYER, SO I WILL SAY THAT RIGHT NOW, UM, UM, MR. POLLSTER, THAT, THAT, THAT 6 MILLION THAT WAS, THAT WAS CONSIDERED FOR THE TRIP 21, I GUESS THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO WE OBVIOUSLY I WANNA, I WANT IT TO GO TO OUR COUNTY IN WHICHEVER AREAS WE NEED IT TO GO TO.
IT'S NOT CALCULATED IN THE FIRST ISSUANCE, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S OUT THERE.
UH, SO THAT BRINGS ME TO MY PROJECTS FM 5 49 FROM 2 0 5 TO SEVEN 40.
WITH THE STATE TAKING OVER THE NORTH PART OF 5 49, THAT PROJECT'S GONNA GO SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
SO IT'S HIGH TIME TO GET THAT DONE.
AND THE FUNDS FOR THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN UPDATE.
I'M A LITTLE BIT MIFFED STILL ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I REMEMBER BEING TOLD THAT THE BUDGET WAS GONNA BE BETWEEN 2 75 AND 4 95, AND WE, WE BLEW RIGHT THROUGH THE TOP END OF THAT.
SO THERE ARE, I, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE STRATAS OF THAT AND Y'ALL GET TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION, BUT I NEVER LIKE TO BE THE LOW BIDDER.
SO I PUT THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN, AND IF YOU DON'T USE IT, THEN YOU DON'T USE IT.
NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE IS WHAT I HEARD FROM THAT.
SO I, I THINK WE'RE ALL, UH, SURPRISINGLY AT, AT A POINT OF AGREEMENT ON THIS WHERE JOHN CAN REWORK THE SHEET FOR US AND THEN WE CAN COME UP WITH THE RESOLUTION AND, UH, STILL ON, STILL ON TRACK FOR A FEBRUARY DEBT ISSUANCE.
SO I SEE A LOT OF NODDING FROM THE APPROPRIATE AUDITOR AND TREASURER.
SO I'LL WORK WITH LISA ONCE WE GET A NUMBER.
THEN OBVIOUSLY SHE'LL WORK WITH, UH, MARTY TO GET YOU THE IMPACT.
[3. Discussion of the Rockwall County Throughfare Plan, and all related issues; (Judge New)]
WE'RE GONNA ROLL INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF THE ROCKWELL COUNTY THOROUGHFARE PLAN AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.I'M JUST TRYING TO CLEAN UP MY, THAT WAS FUNNY.
YEAH, I, I I MADE YOU REVERSE ORDER.
SO I GOTTA GET MY OTHER FOLDER.
YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR WAY UP, ERICA? I WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE CUE.
UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, STACY AND I AND ERICA HAD A REAL PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION WITH THE FOLKS FROM FREEZE NICHOLS.
UM, AND, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO DICE THIS PLAN UP INTO SEVERAL PARTS.
THERE'S THE MTP UPDATE PART, WHICH I AGREE WITH YOU.
WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWO 50 AND 4 75.
UM, AND THE, THEN THE APPORTIONMENT PART, AND THEY REALLY ARE TWO DIFFERENT PARTS, BOTH EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE, WE HAD A CONVERSATION, UM, WITH FREEZE NICHOLS.
UH, WE FOCUSED ON, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS STICKER STICKER SHOCK, WE FOCUSED ON COST AND THE COST OF THE PROJECT AND COST REDUCTION STRATEGIES.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE CONFRONTED AND DISCUSSED WITH THEM WAS WHETHER OR NOT WE FELT COMFORTABLE USING, UH, NET COG DATA FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND, UM, ERICA IS GOING TO HAVE A, UH, LITTLE SHOW FOR US HERE THAT'LL SHOW SOME OF THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE, UM, I DIDN'T FEEL CONFIDENT, UH, TO, TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
'CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THOSE IN THAT INFORMATION.
BUT SHE DUG INTO IT AND GOT THE TRAFFIC STUDIES THAT THEY WERE, THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT AND FOCUSED ON WHAT THEY HAVE ON ROCKWALL COUNTY TO DO WHAT IS EITHER KIND OF THE SIMPLER FORM, WHICH IS RE RE RELY UPON NET COG DATA OR WHAT SOMEONE USED THE TERM, THE MORE GRANULAR FORM WHERE WE DO A REALLY DEEP DIVE AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT ROCKWALL COUNTY DATA WE THINK IS MORE APPROPRIATE.
AND FREEZE NICHOLS CAN HELP US WITH THAT.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE WOULD BE OUT THERE DOING IT OURSELVES.
[01:05:01]
A BIG, IT'S A BIG NUMBER THAT, THAT CHANGE IN AND OF ITSELF IS A BIG NUMBER.AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT APPORTIONMENT AND THERE'S TWO OR THREE PARTS OF APPORTIONMENT.
THE FIRST PART WAS A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, WHICH WE HAVE DECIDED WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH ERICA THAT SHE CAN JUST HANDLE THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO THAT.
BUT THEN WE'VE GOT THE APPORTIONMENT, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE ALLOCATE COSTS LEGALLY TO DEVELOPERS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS SUPPORTABLE UNDER THE LAW, AND THEN MODIFICATION OF OUR, UH, SUBDIVISION RULES AND REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE CHANGES ARE INCORPORATED INTO THEM.
AND, UM, UH, I ASKED ERICA IF SHE PLEASE GIVE US A LITTLE PRESENTATION, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHERE WE WANNA GO FROM THERE.
THAT, THAT WAS A GREAT SUMMARY.
COMMISSIONER, UM, ERICA BRIDGES COUNTY ENGINEER.
UM, HONESTLY, I'M, I'M GONNA TRY TO STAY OUT OF THE, THE COST OF IT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY A, A DECISION FOR Y'ALL TO ULTIMATELY MAKE.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LOOK FOR AREAS TO, YOU KNOW, WHITTLE DOWN THAT NUMBER BECAUSE IT WAS STICKER SHOCK FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT THERE ARE, THERE IS VALUE TO GOING WITH THAT GRANULAR APPROACH.
AND, AND I SHOULD SAY EDDIE HASS IS HERE AS WELL.
UM, IF WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UH, THAT HE COULD PROVIDE THAT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
UM, HE'S BEEN VERY GRACIOUS TO MEET WITH Y'ALL TWICE NOW, AND, UH, HE'S MET WITH COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND I, UH, SEVERAL TIMES AS WELL.
SO, UM, I WAS JUST GOING TO TO SAY, UM, I AM WAITING FOR NCT COG TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL DATA BEHIND THEIR MOBILITY 2050 PROJECT.
I'VE, I'VE REQUESTED THAT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THEIR WEBSITE.
SO I JUST PULLED TOGETHER JUST A FEW SLIDES THAT I WANTED TO SHOW Y'ALL.
UH, WELL REALLY A COUPLE TO POINT OUT, UM, WHY IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO DO THE MORE GRANULAR APPROACH AND WHEN, SORRY, WHEN I SAY GRANULAR, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIGGING IN, UM, OR OUR CONSULTANTS DIGGING IN MORE TO THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTIONS IN THE AREA, TALKING TO ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES, UM, MEETING OR, OR SPEAKING TO EXTERNAL COUNTIES.
AND JUST REALLY TRYING TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER AND GET A BETTER HOLISTIC IDEA OF, OF WHAT WE SEE COMING FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS OR SO.
SO THIS FIRST ONE, UM, THIS IS A POPULATE POPULATION DENSITY CHANGE MAP MAP FROM NCT COG.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, UH, WHERE THEY SEE THE POPULATION DENSITY CHANGING IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
UM, THAT DARK AREA, I APOLOGIZE, I CAN'T, UH, I DON'T HAVE A POINTER, BUT THE DARK, DARK BLUE AREA IS WHERE THEY SEE A 300% CHANGE.
UM, AND THEN THE LITTLE BIT LIGHTER BLUE IS 200 TO 300%.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING.
IT'S ON THE KAUFMAN COUNTY BORDER.
UM, THAT AREA IS GETTING A LOT MORE DENSE.
HOWEVER, MAYBE IT'S MISSING THE MARK IN SOME OTHER AREAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH REGARD TO GROWTH TO THE EAST INTO HUNT COUNTY, UH, ON THE HUNT COUNTY LINE.
AND ALONG THAT, WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING IS THE OUTER LOOP.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING FOR Y'ALL TO, TO LOOK INTO YOUR CRYSTAL BALLS AND, AND THINK IF, UM, IF YOU AGREE WITH, WITH THESE NUMBERS.
UM, AGAIN, THEY, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LOOK INTO ALL THEIR DATA AND HOW THEY, THEY CAME TO THIS CONCLUSION OF WHERE THEY SEE THE, THE CHANGES HAPPENING.
BUT, UM, I, I WOULD WANNA LOOK INTO THAT DATA.
IS THIS THEIR PROJECTION OUT TO 2050? MM-HMM
YEAH, I WOULD WANNA LOOK AT THE ASSUMPTIONS, UH, THAT, THAT HAS THE SOUTHWEST CORNER, UH, CHANGING MORE DENSELY THAN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER.
I JUST, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WHAT COMMISSIONER LICHTY AND I NOTICED WHEN WE SAW THE MAP TO THINK MAYBE WE NEED A MORE GRANULAR APPROACH.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY'RE PUTTING THE POPULATION GROWTH IN THE WRONG CORNER OF THE COUNTY FOR US TO DEVELOP THE PLAN.
[01:10:02]
I AGREE.UM, AND THEN MOVING ON, THIS IS A LOOK AT THE 2026 SYSTEM PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO WHAT THEY PROJECT FOR 2050.
UM, AND JUST, JUST WANTED TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE POPULATION GROWTH.
UM, CURRENTLY THEY'RE SAYING WE'RE AT 133,000, OR, WELL, IN 2026 WE'LL BE AT 133,000.
UM, AND IN 2050, THEY BELIEVE WE'LL BE UP TO 246,000, UH, POPULATION WISE.
SO THOSE PROJECTIONS, JUST FROM, FROM SPEAKING WITH, UM, FRAS AND NICHOLS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH OTHER COUNTIES IN THE AREA, UM, WHEN THEY DID THE GRANULAR APPROACH FOR OTHER COUNTIES, THE, THE 2050 PROJECTION WAS LOW, UH, THE USING THE COG DATA.
SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT, THAT NUMBER SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY.
UH, IF THE COG NUMBER IS VERY LOW, BUT, UH, ONE OTHER COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEY WERE PROJECTING JUST FROM TALKING WITH THE CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY, IT WAS ALMOST DOUBLE THE POPULATION, UH, JUST BASED ON THE TRENDS.
SO IT, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO CONSIDER A MORE GRANULAR APPROACH WHERE THEY REALLY DIG INTO DEVELOPMENT TRENDS WITH THE VARIOUS CITIES AND THE COUNTIES AROUND US, AS OPPOSED TO JUST PURELY USING THE COG DATA, UM, THAT'S AVAILABLE.
I, IS THERE A WAY, SO IF, IF WE DIG IN AND FIND THAT THE 2050 PLAN, ESSENTIALLY THE HEAT MAP THAT YOU JUST SHOWED MM-HMM
FOR POPULATION INCREASE, IS THERE A WAY TO NOT USE THAT IF WE FIND THAT'S FAULTY DATA? OR DOES THAT CORRUPT ANY CALCULATION WE MAKE? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET AROUND, UH, AN ASSUMPTION THAT THE COG MADE.
UM, IF, IF WE WENT WITH THE LOWER END QUOTE, THE 250,000 OR 2 75, THEY WOULD PURELY BE USING THE COG DATA.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
SO THEY WOULDN'T REALLY BE DIGGING IN DEEPER TO FIND OUT.
BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IF WE USE THE HIGHER, THE MORE GRANULAR ONE, DOES IT ALSO USE THAT DATA AND JUST COME OUT WITH AN AVERAGE? OR DOES IT DISCARD THAT DATA AND COME UP WITH A, A DIFFERENT SOURCE? WELL, CAN I JUST ADD, WE WE'RE DOING THIS EXACT SAME THING IN DENTON COUNTY AND WHAT SHE'S SUGGESTING Y'ALL DO, WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
AND SO WHAT YOU DO IS FREEZE THE NICHOLS WILL TAKE THAT ITERATIVE ADDITION AND THEY'LL GO BACK AND SHOW COG AND JUSTIFY IT.
AND THEN THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO ADJUST THEIR ASSUMPTIONS TO MATCH SO YOU CAN AFFECT THE CO DATA GO.
UM, JOHN, JOHN, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, UM, SORRY, I WAS LISTENING ON YOUR DOING THIS IN DENTON COUNTY.
ARE YOU SEEING THAT THERE ARE CHANGES FROM THE COG DATA? I MEAN, DID, DID, IS YOUR CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS GOOD TO GO WITH THE MORE DETAILED OR APPROACH? YES, SIR.
AND I NOW FEEL, FEEL EVEN MORE INTIMIDATED NOW THAT EDDIE HOTT IS STANDING BEHIND ME.
AND, AND YOU CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS AND HE WILL TELL YOU THAT ALL, THEY ALWAYS UNDERESTIMATE, BUT THEY TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME.
SO THEY BEAT YOU WITH THE SAME STICK, BUT IT JUST UNDERESTIMATE YOUR NUMBERS.
SORRY, I WAS HOPING EDDIE AS WELL COULD SPEAK TO WHAT HE HAS SEEN WITH JOHNSON COUNTY'S MASTER THOROUGH MASTER THOROUGHFARE PLAN.
I DON'T WANT THIS TO TURN INTO A BEAT DOWN SESSION OF OUR MPO BECAUSE THEY REALLY DO A TREMENDOUS JOB FOR OUR REGION.
THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE A VERY DETAILED DEMOGRAPHIC PROJECTION PROCESS, RIGHT? THEY'RE LOOKING AT HISTORIC TREND OF HOW THE, THE REGION IS GROWING.
IF THEY WERE TO TAKE EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY, WHETHER IT'S MUNICIPALITY, COUNTY, EVERYBODY'S LIST OF, OH, WE'VE GOT THESE PROJECTS COMING IN.
WE WOULD HAVE POPULATION IN THE, YOU KNOW, MEGA MILLIONS.
SO THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT TREND ON WHAT'S REALISTIC, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL, THE REGIONAL MODEL IS A FISCALLY CONSTRAINED MODEL.
WE, WE ALL THE AGENCIES, ALL THE PARTNERS, THERE'S NO UNLIMITED FUNDS TO PUT DOWN ROADWAY TO ADDRESS GROWTH.
SO IT'S A FISCALLY CONSTRAINED GROWTH.
A LIST OF PROJECTS OR REGIONALLY DEFINED.
THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BEST SUIT THE REGION.
AND THAT GOES TO THAT FORMAL MTP PROCESS.
THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHERE WE FIND IT OF BENEFIT IS FOR YOU ALL HERE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY, THAT WE TAILOR THOSE
[01:15:01]
DEMOGRAPHICS TO WHERE WE THINK THAT RE REALISTICALLY WILL BE.WE THEN PLUG THAT INFORMATION, WHEN I SAY THAT INFORMATION, THAT'S THREE SETS OF DATA BASE YEAR, CURRENT YEAR, 20 36, 10 YEAR, AND 2045 OR THE 2050 DATA SET.
WE PLUG THE UPDATED DATA INTO THE REGIONAL MODEL.
WE RUN IT BECAUSE THAT HAS REGIONAL EXISTING PLUS COMMITTED PROJECTS.
WHAT'S ON THE BOOKS, WHAT'S APPROVED, SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT THE IMPLICATION WILL BE HERE IN ROCKWALL.
NOW, AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE ALSO ADJUSTING NETWORK.
IF THERE'S SOME NETWORK CHANGES THAT WE'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE AS PART OF THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN UPDATE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, WE SEND BOTH DEMOGRAPHICS AND NETWORKS TO THE COG.
THEY INCORPORATE THAT INTO THEIR REGIONAL MODEL FOR A RUN.
NOW THAT DOES NOT BECOME HOYLE, THAT BECOMES A MODEL RUN FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE HOPE IS THAT HERE'S OUR UPDATED THOROUGHFARE PLAN THAT CONTAINS DEMOGRAPHICS.
WE WANT YOU TO INCLUDE THIS IN THE NEXT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA UPDATE BECAUSE THIS IS BASED ON GROWTH THAT'S EITHER VESTED OR ENCUMBERED BY CITIES AND OR WHAT WE KNOW IS GONNA OCCUR HERE IN THE COUNTY.
SO THEY WILL TAKE THAT INTO THEIR NEXT DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESS.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS SHED SOME LIGHT ON THAT.
BEFORE YOU STEP DOWN, I, I ASKED YOU IN THE MEETING YEAH.
UM, ABOUT TRYING TO GO TO A FEW OF OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES TO TRY TO GET A A LITTLE BIT BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
THE HEAT MAP IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
YOU'LL LOOK AT WHERE MY PRECINCT IS.
THERE IS A HEAT MAP RIGHT ON TOP OF MY PRECINCT.
UM, AND HOW THAT COLLIN COUNTY GROWTH, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING AND WHAT THEIR MODELING IS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE.
AND, AND SO THE IDEA WOULD BE FOR FREEZING NICHOLS TO AT LEAST AT THE BARE MINIMUM, REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, COLLIN COUNTY, CLARENCE AND COLLIN COUNTY, AND JUST ASK HIM, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING FROM THE COG MODELING TO TRY TO INCORPORATE AS MUCH DATA AS, AS WE CAN INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO CONNECT THESE NETWORKS.
I MEAN, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE AN ISLAND 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LAKE THAT WE HAVE TO DRIVE OVER, UM, TO GET TO DALLAS.
BUT, UM, BUT WE'RE NOT AN ISLAND.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH TO OUR SOUTH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH TO OUR NORTH AND THEN TO OUR EAST THAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE AS GOOD A DATA AS POSSIBLE.
WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO 2 76? WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO THE 1777 EXTENSION OF ROYCE CITY AND 1138 AND AND 2 0 5? AND, AND THEN HOW DOES THAT WORK ON THAT SECTION THROUGH HEATH AND, UM, UP TO RIDGE ROAD AND THE 80 IMPROVEMENT.
SO I JUST ASKED THEM WHEN WE'RE TAKING THIS DEEP DIVE TO AT LEAST TALK TO OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES AND JUST ASK THEM, WHAT DOES THIS DATA LOOK LIKE? IS IT COMPARABLE TO YOU? SO WE CAN TRY TO PUT THAT SOMEHOW INTO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND CONSIDER THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE WE COULD FIND THAT WE'RE EITHER SHORT OR WE'RE GOOD, OR THAT WE NEED TO ADD MORE CONNECTIONS IN THE PROCESS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD OUR PLAN.
AND SO THAT NUMBER WOULD BE ABOUT 2,500 BUCKS.
THAT HEAT MAP IS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN IT GOES TO THESE SOFTER COLORS, YOU THINK, OH, THAT'S NOT SO BAD.
IT'S STILL A HUNDRED PERCENT GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALL GONNA BE EXTREME GROWTH.
SO WE GOTTA, WE, WE REALLY GOTTA, AND I KNOW YOU ALL AGREE WITH THIS, WE GOT TO GET THIS DONE INTO OUR PLANNING.
DIDN'T MEAN TO TAKE YOU DOWN A, A PATH, ERICA.
NO, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING EDDIE HERE.
I WASN'T SURE IF HE WAS GONNA MAKE IT TODAY.
SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE HIM, UH, AS WELL AS JOHN.
UM, SO ANYWAY, MY, MY ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH, UH, WHAT EDDIE WAS JUST SAYING.
WE REALLY, I FEEL LIKE THE, THE MORE GRANULAR APPROACH IS PROBABLY THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
IT'S, UM, IT'S THE MORE PROGRESSIVE WAY TO LOOK AT IT, UM, AT, AT GROWTH IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN THE FINAL THING I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS WAS, UH, Y'ALL ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UM, THE COST ESTIMATE, AND I JUST HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE ITEMS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN MAYBE A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT REMOVING.
UM, SO PHASE ONE IS BASICALLY ALL OF THESE ITEMS. WE DID TALK ABOUT MAYBE REMOVING SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE MEETING BANK, UM, REDUCING SOME OF THE MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN FIND SOME COST SAVINGS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE REDUCING FOUR MEETINGS TO TWO AND, AND, UM, HAVING LESS, UM, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, LESS MEETINGS TO,
[01:20:01]
TO TRY TO FIND SOME SAVINGS THERE.UH, SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T REMOVE ANY OF THOSE.
THE ONLY ITEM I DID REMOVE WAS THE GIS DASHBOARD, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE FROM TALKING WITH EDDIE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN HOUSE.
UM, ONCE THEY GIVE US THE DATA, WE CAN, WE CAN CREATE THAT EASILY OURSELVES.
AND THEN LOOKING OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, UNDER THE PHASE TWO PORTION, UM, WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT REMOVING THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS GUIDELINES.
UM, ALL OF THAT WE COULD DO AT A STAFF LEVEL.
SO THAT'S, THAT SAVES A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS THE ROAD APPORTIONMENT, UM, WE DO NEED SOMETHING.
UM, WE DO NEED TO HAVE ROAD APPORTIONMENT DETERMINED MM-HMM
UM, WE NEED TO, ALL THESE ITEMS ARE CRITICAL EXCEPT MAYBE THE CASE ANALYSIS ONE THAT I DID NOT HIGHLIGHT, UM, THAT WAS JUST, UM, BASICALLY TAKING AN EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND RUNNING IT THROUGH OUR APPORTIONMENT METHODOLOGY TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN.
UM, SO I THINK THAT WE CAN PROBABLY FOREGO THAT ITEM.
UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, ALL THE, ALL THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS WERE ITEMS THAT I BELIEVE WE WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE, UH, IF EDDIE HAS BEEN ABLE TO, UH, WORK ON THE ESTIMATE ANY FURTHER SINCE OUR LAST CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY, SO CAN, CAN I TALK, FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE THINGS? ERICA MENTIONED THAT WE TALKED ABOUT REDUCING SOME THINGS.
AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO DO THAT WE HAD GOT THIS IDEA THERE IN THE INITIAL PACKAGE, AND I THINK IT MIGHT STILL BE HERE.
THERE'S A BANK OF 15 MEETINGS.
IS THAT STILL IN THERE? MM-HMM
SO THAT WAS, I THINK A RESULT OF MAYBE SOME MISCOMMUNICATION.
PROBABLY WHAT I DIDN'T DO IS EXPLAIN WELL ENOUGH WHAT I WANTED TO, UH, FREEZE NICHOLS.
I WANTED THE ABILITY TO, UH, CALL CONNOR EVERY NOW AND THEN SAY, HEY MAN, IT'D REALLY BE GOOD IF YOU COULD SHOW UP AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT TOMORROW.
'CAUSE HE LIVES HERE IN ROCKWALL.
AND I THINK THEY, THEY WANTED, THEY THOUGHT I WANTED MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE THAN THAT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE MIGHT DO IS ELIMINATE THAT BANK OF 15 MEETINGS.
AND THAT, UH, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, WOULD RESULT IN A SAVINGS OF ABOUT $21,000.
THAT'S UNDER, UM, PHASE ONE ITEM C.
IT'S THE TEAM ATTENDANCE AND ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER COURT MEETINGS.
THAT'S WHERE THAT 21,000 WOULD COME OUT.
SO THERE WOULD STILL BE SOME, WE WOULD JUST TAKE OUT $21,000.
OF THAT 29 395 WE TAKE OUT 21 3 0 1 IS WHAT? FRIES NICHOLS.
AND THEN WE HAD TALKED, WE, ONE THING THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE A RESOLUTION ON IS THE COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS.
UM, AND FRANKLY OUR CONSULTANT FREEZE NICHOLS, UM, IF I AM TELLING THEM RIGHT.
SAID, GEE, YOU, YOU COULD GET ALONG WITH TWO MEETINGS IF YOU WANTED TWO COMMUNITY INPUT RATING.
AND WE HAD THE ORIGINAL BUDGET HAD SIX.
NOW HOW IT GOT TO SIX, I CAN TELL YOU HOW IT GOT TO FOUR.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT TO SIX, BUT HOW IT GOT TO FOUR WAS BECAUSE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
BUT WHAT THAT OBVIOUSLY RUNS UP THE COST, BECAUSE NOW YOU GOTTA HAVE THE SAME MEETING IN SAY, IN THE NORTH PART AS YOU DO IN THE SOUTH PART OR EAST PART AS YOU DO IN THE WEST PART.
SO YOU GOT AN EXTRA SET OF FOUR MEETINGS, THE TWO INITIAL AND THE TWO LATE.
SO, UM, AND RIGHT, BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE TWO OF 'EM ANYWAY.
'CAUSE YOU GOTTA HAVE THE FIRST AND THE SECOND.
SO, SO SOMEHOW WE'VE GOTTA, BUT THAT'S A QUESTION I WANNA ASK BECAUSE, UM, I MAY BE JUST OFF BASE ON THIS.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD HAVE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
FACE IT, WE'RE THE SMALLEST COUNTY IN TEXAS.
AND WE GOT, UM, EVERYONE IS USED TO COMING TO THE LIBERTY HALL IN THE COURTHOUSE, SO WE COULD PROBABLY SAVE MONEY IF WE JUST CHOSE TO DO ALL THE MEETINGS IN LIBERTY HALL AND GO TO CUT IT DOWN TO TWO.
SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY SAVE 20 SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS, $7,000 A MEETING.
I I, I, I THOUGHT WE'D KIND OF ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT, SO I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, LAUREN.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, I MEAN, OKAY.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY THAN, THAN THAT.
WELL, AND, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET WHAT Y'ALL WANT BECAUSE WE WERE ALL FACING OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S A WAY WE CAN SAVE SOME MONEY.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT GETTING RID OF THE GIS DASHBOARD, AND THEN, UM, WITHOUT
[01:25:01]
GOING INTO TOO MANY PARTICULARS, I TOLD EDDIE, OKAY, NOW CUT YOUR PRICE.UM, SO IT'S ALWAYS, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD START.
SO ERICA, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE, UM, PHASE TWO, THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS GUIDELINES.
YOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD BE DOING THE TOTAL SOMEWHERE IN THAT 18,018 FOUR.
UM, IS THAT WHAT YOUR, ALL OF THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED UNDERNEATH THERE, YOU, YOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD BE DOING THAT? YES, MA'AM.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT MY THOUGHT PROCESS WITH THAT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW OTHER, UM, OTHER COUNTIES IN THE AREA ARE HANDLING THIS ITEM AND USE THEM AS A MODEL AND THEN BASICALLY PUT TOGETHER, PIECE TOGETHER THE BEST METHODOLOGIES WE CAN AND GO THROUGH IT WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THAT THIS IS DEFENSIBLE AND, AND A GOOD, UH, COURSE OF ACTION.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, COME SPEAK WITH Y'ALL ABOUT IT.
I WAS, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT.
SO I GUESS WE'RE GONNA GET A, A REVISED BID BACK TO US.
UH, THE GOOD THING IS THIS THOROUGHFARE PLAN IS TIED TO OUR BOND ISSUANCE.
SAY SOMETHING? IF I COULD, IF I COULD.
YEAH, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.
I THINK I MIGHT HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING BACK, BUT, UH, I'LL JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT.
SO, UH, YES, WE HAD A GREAT MEETING LAST FRIDAY TO REALLY TALK THROUGH THE, UH, THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN.
AND REALLY WHERE WE, WHERE WE ENDED UP, UH, WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO, UH, REMOVE, UM, SOME OF THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
FOUR BECAME SIX BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD TWO, AND WE ADDED TWO AT EACH LOCATION.
SO IT WAS A TOTAL OF SIX, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO UP FRONT AND ONE IN THE BACK.
BUT AT ONE LOCATION, WE, WE WENT THROUGH AND WE REMOVED, UM, ALL OF THE BRIEFINGS.
I WENT AHEAD AND I KILLED THE COMMISSIONER BRIEFINGS TOO.
THE COMMISSIONER COURT BRIEFINGS THAT, THE WHOLE THING.
UM, AND THEN WE, WE ALSO SHARPENED THE PENCIL ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
I WAS, WE WENT THROUGH, AND I, I HAD TO ASK OUR URBAN PLANNING TEAM TO, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AGAIN AT THIS, BECAUSE OF, UH, THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC SURVEY ZONES OR DEMOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT.
UH, SO THEY SHARPENED THE PENCIL QUITE A BIT THERE.
UH, AND THEN WE WERE, WE REMOVED THE DASHBOARD, WE REMOVED, OR WE LOWERED THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COORDINATION MEETINGS, UH, THAT WE WOULD HAVE MONTHLY OR AS NEEDED WITH ERICA, UH, UM, THROUGHOUT THE, THE PLAN PROCESS IN PHASE ONE.
SO OVERALL, UM, WITH THOSE REDUCTIONS AND THE PENCIL SHARPENING, UH, WE ARE AT, AT, RIGHT AT 400,000.
NOW, IF WE NEED TO CUT SOME MORE, THERE'S SOME WORK WE COULD PUT TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.
WE COULD HAVE HIM DO THE, THE TAKINGS IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
WE COULD HAVE THEM DO THAT TOO.
IF WE WOULD NEED TO CLIP SOME MORE, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER 7 80, 80, 8100, MORE OR LESS.
IF WE NEED TO DO THAT, THAT'S UN UNDER ITEM C.
SO, AND, AND THEN IN PHASE TWO, UM, YES.
THE KIND OF THE BEST PRACTICES APPROACH IS WHAT WE WOULD'VE INITIALLY TAKEN.
ITE HAS A WHOLE NEW GUIDELINE FOR THAT WITH KINDA THE MULTIMODAL ELEMENTS, BUT THAT WE WOULD BE TAKING THAT AS WELL AS BEST PRACTICE FROM OTHER COUNTIES AND COMMUNITIES WOULD'VE PUT THAT ALL TOGETHER, ERIC.
AND, UH, SHE'S WELL QUALIFIED TO DO THAT.
SO WE STRUCK THAT WHOLE TRAFFIC, UH, IMPACT ANALYSIS GUIDELINES.
AND THEN WE STRUCK THAT INTERIM, UH, PROGRAM.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE, WE SAID WE'RE GONNA WAIT FOR THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN, THEN WE DO THE NUMBER CRUNCH, AND IN THE PROCESS WE'RE WORKING FORWARD VETTING THE METHODOLOGY.
SO PHASE TWO, ITEM B BASICALLY STAYS THE SAME.
AND AGAIN, IF THAT DOESN'T PASS MUSTER WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, THEN WE'RE NOT EVEN DOING THE WORK.
IT WOULD BE JUST THAT SUBTASK FOR THOSE MEETINGS TO VET THE METHODOLOGY.
SO LET ME JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT PHASE TWO IS REALLY A SEPARATE DEAL.
AND, AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I, I APPRECIATE YOU SHARPENING YOUR PENCIL THERE FOR US, UM, AND GIVING US A NUMBER THAT'S MORE PALATABLE.
YOUR, IT'S STILL INCLUDES THE MORE DETAILED, GRANULAR LOOK AT OUR IT POLL.
[01:30:02]
SO IF, IF YOU ALL WERE TO AGREE WITH THIS, WE'D BE READY TO MOVE FORWARD.SO I'M ASSUMING THIS IS GONNA COME TO A COURT SOON.
RIGHT? UM, I, I WANNA REALLY WANNA GET EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, WE'RE TOUCHING ALL THE BASES WE NEED TO TOUCH.
I, I THINK MY OVERALL FEEDBACK, IF WE DON'T DO GRANULAR, WHAT ARE WE EVEN DOING? AND THE APPORTIONMENT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT.
I'LL, I'LL JUST ECHO THE JUDGE.
I THINK THE RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR CONSULTANT AND FROM EDDIE AND FROM, UH, OUR ENGINEER ALL SAY WE NEED TO DO THE GRANULAR APPROACH.
AND YES, THE, UH, PART TWO IS VITAL.
[2. Discussion of the Rockwall County Outer Loop, and all related issues; (Judge New)]
US TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSSION OF THE ROCKWALL COUNTY OUTER LOOP AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.ARE WE ACTUALLY GONNA SIT IN BED SILENCE ABOUT THE OUTER LOOP? BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO GO FIRST.
DOES, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THE OUTER LOAD? I'M, GO AHEAD.
I'LL, I'LL START A LITTLE BIT AND JUST KIND OF GIVE SOME, SOME HISTORY FOR EVERYONE THAT'S HERE.
UM, WE DID, UM, BACK ON THE, UM, EIGHTH OF, OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR, WE DID AN OUTER LOOP, UM, UM, ROUTE RESOLUTION THAT WE ALL SIGNED, UM, IN REGARDS TO LOOKING AT THE CONNECTION POINTS AND TAKING IT, TAKING IT FURTHER EAST.
SO WE HAVE, WE, WE, WE ASKED TO DO THAT, AND WE, WE DID DO THAT, AND WE BROUGHT THAT OVER INTO COG.
AND WE HAD A PRESENTATION, UM, ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO FROM, UM, MICHAEL MORRIS, WHICH PRESENTED AND, AND HAD COMPLETED THE ANALYSIS OF OUR RESOLUTION REQUEST TO CAULK, WHICH WAS TO LOOK AT OTHER ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.
AND, UM, THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING WAS THAT THERE IS NO, THERE, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR STANDPOINT, THERE IS NO, UM, ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO TAKE IT EAST OUT OF ROCKWELL COUNTY.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ONE THAT HAS DONE RESEARCH FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND I, I KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HERE THAT, UM, I, UM, I'VE HEARD, I'VE, I'VE HEARD YOU ALL YOUR SPEAKING TODAY AND MANY OTHER TIMES, AND, AND I AM VERY SYMPATHETIC TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT AS I'VE LOOKED AT, WHEN I WAS BROUGHT ONTO THIS COURT TWO, AND, YOU KNOW, THREE YEAR, NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO, THIS, THIS OUTER LOOP WAS INVOLVED IN NOT ONLY THE LAST THOROUGHFARE PLAN THAT COMMISSIONER MAGNUS DID, WHICH I INHERITED THE BOOK FROM 2017 AND 18.
BUT AS I BEGAN TO LOOK AT THE OUTER LOOP AND LOOK AT THE, UM, DISCUSSIONS THAT WERE HAD, THOSE STARTED IN 2004.
AND, UM, THROUGH OUR COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, I ORIGINALLY PULLED EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING AND EVERY SINGLE CONSORTIUM MEETING THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2004, ACTUALLY 2006 IS WHEN I FOUND, AND I HAVE OVER 400 PAGES OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT SAT IN THE, IN AT THIS DAAS BEFORE THE FOUR, THE FIVE OF US, AND THE CONSORTIUM MEETINGS THAT THIS TOPIC WAS DISCUSSED.
IT WAS DISCUSSED MANY TIMES, 400 PAGES OF NOTE OF, OF, UM, RECORDS THAT THE COM, THE COUNTY CLERK RECORDED.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENED WHEN, UM, JUDGE NEW AND, AND COMMISSIONER STACEY AND I TOOK THIS, TOOK THIS POSITION.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, COMMISSIONER IAN AND GALANA HAD ALREADY HEARD ABOUT THIS PRIOR TO THEM BEING ELECTED TO THEIR POSITIONS.
AND THEN TO TAKE IT TO THE MOST RECENT, THE TRIP 21 FUNDING THAT, UM, THE BOND, THE $150 MILLION BOND DID INCLUDE THE NORTH PORTION ONLY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE $150 MILLION BOND THAT THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWALL COUNTY ADOPTED AND, AND, AND AGREED AND VOTED FOR.
SO I LOOK AT THIS AS SOMETHING THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST, THIS IS NOT A ROAD THAT HAS JUST BEEN DECIDED UPON WITHIN THE LAST THREE PLUS YEARS, FIVE YEARS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY, BASED ON WHETHER IT WAS GRANULAR
[01:35:01]
OR INFORMATION FROM NET COG OF WHERE THE GROWTH WAS GOING TO BE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY OVER 20 YEARS AGO.THEY WERE LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE NOW.
AND WE'VE JUST HEARD FROM OUR, OUR, UM, UM, FROM EDDIE AS WELL AS FROM, UM, UM, OUR, OUR ENGINEER, COUNTY ENGINEER, THAT WE KNOW THERE'S STILL GROWTH THAT'S GOING TO BE, AND WE, WE DO NEED TO BEGIN TO STICK, CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, IS IT GRAN? HOW DO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE TRANSPORTATION? I COULD GO BACK, AND I KNOW MY PEER HERE ON THE COURT, UM, COMMISSIONER LICHTY SAYS, I, I TOUT A LOT ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT, UM, EVERYONE ON THIS COURT PARTICIPATED FOR OVER 18 MONTHS WITH HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF HOURS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT KEPT COMING UP AMONG OVER 14,000, 12,000 PEOPLE THAT, THAT, THAT SAID STUFF, DENSITY AND OUR ROADS.
AND THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY.
NOW, AN OUTER LOOP, IT, IT, IT WILL BRING, IT COULD BRING MORE TRAFFIC FROM WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S, BUT THE, THE RESULTS ARE THAT IT'S, IT'S INTENDED AND EVERYTHING I HAVE READ IS THAT ITS INTENTIONS ARE THAT IT WILL REMOVE SOME OF THE TRAFFIC OFF OF THE MAIN NORTH AND SOUTH THOROUGHFARE UP 2 0 5, 2 0 5 WHEN IT IS COMPLETED WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE DESIGN THAT IS ALREADY BEING DESIGNED RIGHT NOW, WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO COME INTO THE SOUTHERN, SOUTHERN PORTION AND THAT HAVE ALREADY COME INTO THE NORTHERN PORTION OF ROCKWELL COUNTY.
I TOOK THIS POSITION TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR THIS, FOR THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWALL COUNTY.
AND I DO, I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
MOST OF YOU, MANY OF YOU IN HERE KNOW THAT.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US GO BACK AND HAVE ROCKWALL COUNTY BE 5,000, 6,000 PEOPLE LIKE IT WAS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP HERE.
BUT IT'S NOT, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BASED ON ALL THE DATA WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT WAS ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWELL COUNTY PRECINCT TWO, TO MAKE THE RIGHT KIND OF CHOICES AND DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, THAT ARE GOING TO ADDRESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE TO WHAT WE CAN CONTROL.
AND IT IS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN CONTROL.
SO I'M GONNA START WITH THAT, AND THEN AS WE GET INTO THE DETAILS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE DIFFERENT ROUTES, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TODAY.
THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION, BUT IT IS TIME FOR THIS COURT TO NOT PUNT THE PUNT THE BALL ANY LONGER.
WE'RE NOT GONNA ACT ON IT, BUT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO KEEP PUSHING THIS AND NOT MAKING A DECISION WHERE WE'RE AT BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS GOING TO AFFECT ALL THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT ARE SITTING IN THIS ROOM THAT LIVE IN HIGH POINT RA RANCH ESTATES AND, AND, AND LAKES.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GONNA STOP IT AT THIS POINT.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IT, YOU KNOW, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, IT APPEARS THAT TEXDOT, UM, COG ARE, ARE GOING TO PUT THIS LOOP THROUGH, UM, THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE EXPLORED ALL THE OPTIONS WE HAVE, UM, SPECIFICALLY COMMISSIONER STACEY AND COMMISSIONER TI HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF WORKING ON DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF APPROACH TO THE OUTER LOOP.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE THAT IT AFFECTS NEIGHBORHOODS THAT IT'S GONNA AFFECT AT ALL.
BUT, BUT I, IF WE JUST TRY TO PUNT THE OUTER LOOP AND SAY, NO, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, WE DON'T GENERALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO JUST SAY, NO TECH STOCK CAN STILL COME IN.
THEY HAVE CONDEMNATION AUTHORITY.
THEY WILL CONDEMN THE ROADS, THEY WILL TAKE THE RIGHT OF WAYS, THEY WILL BUILD THE ROAD WHERE THEY WANT IT, AND THEN WE'RE LEFT IN A SITUATION WHERE, UM, WE COULD HAVE MITIGATED A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GONNA AFFECT YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE DIDN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE JUST SAID NO.
SO WE HAVE TO SHIFT THE CONVERSATION NOW FROM SAYING JUST NO TO THE OUTER LOOP, TO WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THE MOST POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN.
WE HAVE TO START HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, OR WE'RE GONNA END UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS FOR ALL OF YOU AND THE AUDIENCE THAT LIVE IN THESE AFFECTED NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE GOTTA MITIGATE IT WITH EVERY TOOL POSSIBLE THAT THEY WILL LET US MITIGATE IT WITH FOR YOU.
OR WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY DON'T LIKE.
I KNOW, I, I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL.
IT'S NOT A FUN DECISION TO TRY TO MAKE, BUT WE HAVE THE WHOLE ROAD NETWORK TO THINK ABOUT IN ROCKWALL COUNTY, THE ENTIRE ROAD NETWORK.
[01:40:01]
PART OF THE ROAD NETWORK AND OUR FUTURE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY FOR ROADS.AND IF WE DECIDE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE PARTNERS WITH COG, WE'RE NOT BUILDING ROADS.
GUYS, WHO'S GONNA CARRY THAT FINANCIAL BURDEN IF WE'RE NOT PARTICIPATING WITH COG IN TXDOT, WHO'S GONNA CARRY IT? DO YOU ALL WANT TO CARRY THE WHOLE BURDEN OF ALL OF OUR ROADS HERE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO IT? WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
AND I UNDERSTAND AGAIN, THAT THIS ONE SECTION IS GONNA HAVE A ROAD IMPACTING YOU, BUT WE CAN MITIGATE THAT.
THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS ON THE TABLE TO HELP MITIGATE, AND WE'VE GOTTA START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS TODAY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING OUT.
UM, I SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I HAVE A UNIQUE POSITION HERE BECAUSE I HAVE SEEMS LIKE THE MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST CONCERNED, A LOT OF PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION, AS WE HEARD HERE, WE HEARD PEOPLE FROM PRECINCT THREE SAY, YOU CAN'T BUILD IT FAST ENOUGH.
WE HEARD PRECINCT PEOPLE FROM PRECINCT THREE SAY, STOP IT, DON'T DO IT.
I DON'T LIKE WHAT IT'S GONNA DO TO OUR COUNTY.
I'VE SAID THAT FROM THE BEGINNING.
NOBODY, NOBODY DOUBTS WHERE I STAND ON THAT.
UM, I, A FEW THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT HERE, BECAUSE I'VE KIND OF SENSED WHAT I WOULD CALL A FRENZY TO MAKE A DECISION.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A POINT WHERE WE'RE LIVING IN A FRENZY YET.
SO, BUT LET ME POINT A FEW THINGS OUT.
SO WHEN WE MET WITH, UM, MR. MORRIS AND I, I, I DO APPRECIATE HIM COMING OUT HERE AND MEETING WITH US AS, AS THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO IT.
I'VE MET NOW OVER THERE AT NET COG THREE TIMES, UH, AND THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO TALK TO US.
I WANNA POINT OUT THAT HAS HE CONFIRMED TO JOHN AND I WHEN WE WERE THERE LAST TIME TO THIS POINT, COUNTY HAS DONE ITS JOB, OKAY, BECAUSE WE HEAR, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT, WELL, WE HAD A DEAL WITH THEM AND WE, WE HAVE TO PERFORM UNDER OUR DEAL.
AND, UH, JOHN POLSTER AND I HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AT LENGTH, AND WE HAD IT WITH MR. MORRIS WHEN JOHN STA AND I WENT OVER THERE.
UM, REGARDLESS OF ANY FUTURE TO THIS POINT, ROCKWALL COUNTY'S DONE ITS PART.
WE FUNDED THE FIRST PHASE ONE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.
UM, AND MICHAEL MORRIS RECOGNIZED THAT IN OUR PRESENCE.
HE SAID, YEAH, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE YOUR PART.
HE SAID, NOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANNA PARTICIPATE IN PHASE TWO.
BECAUSE AS EVERYBODY, I THINK IN THIS ROOM, PR ROOM PROBABLY KNOWS, UM, IF, AND AS YOU GUYS HAVE SAID, UH, ROCKWELL COUNTY, DOING NOTHING DOES NOT MEAN THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A ROAD.
AND AS HE TOLD US, THAT'S THE CASE, THEY'RE GONNA COME THROUGH AND BUILD AN OUTER LOOP AT SOME POINT.
THEY DO WANNA COOPERATE WITH US, AND I BELIEVE THEY WANT OUR COOPERATION.
I THINK HE'S BEING VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD THERE.
UM, BUT HE ALSO SAID, AGAIN, TO JUST TO TOUCH ALL THE BASES OF OUR CONVERSATION, HE ALSO SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IF YOU DON'T WANT, BUT DON'T GO TO WAR WITH ME.
OKAY? AND AS I'VE SAID, MORE TIMES THAN I CARE TO REPEAT OR COUNT, UM, WE WERE CONFRONTED ON DAY ONE.
BOBBY AND I WERE WITH A PROPOSAL TO GO TO WAR WITH THEM, AND WE AVOIDED IT.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAY, WE'VE KIND OF GOT THIS WITH SETTING THE TABLE WITH THAT WE KIND OF GOT THIS DECISION TO MAKE OF WHAT DO WE WANNA DO? OKAY? WHAT, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ROCKWALL COUNTY AND WHAT DO WE WANNA DO AND DO, WHAT DO WE GET FROM PARTICIPATING IN THIS? WHEN MICHAEL MORRIS WAS HERE, HE LAID OUT, I THINK, SIX TOOLS.
OKAY? AS, AND MOST OF THOSE HE AND I HAD DISCUSSED, AND JOHN POLLSTER AND I HAD DISCUSSED, UM, ONE OF THEM WE HADN'T, ONE OF 'EM CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE, WHAT HE CALLED THE CITY COUNTY PARTNERSHIPS AT THE VERY END, WHERE HE SAID, WELL, WE CAN HAVE THE CITIES.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE HUGEST CONCERNS ABOUT THIS TOLL ROAD IS, IS WHAT IT DOES TO DEVELOPMENT.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS, UH, THE TOLL ROAD WOULDN'T BE AS BAD OF AN IMPACT, BUT IT, WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT'S COMING.
JUST DRIVE UP GEORGE BUSH AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE.
SO HE SAID, WELL, WE COULD DO THESE
[01:45:01]
CITY COUNTY PARTNERSHIPS, UH, TO TRY AND HAVE CITIES COME IN AND PUT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEREBY HAVE CONTROL OVER DEVELOPMENT MORE.SO, I, I'D NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE.
I, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN I WANNA TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD, AND I WANT TO GIVE EVERYTHING HE SAYS A CHANCE.
SO I WENT AND MET WITH THE MAYOR OF ROCKWALL RIGHT AFTER THAT MEETING, AND WE SAT DOWN AND TALKED ABOUT CITY COUNTY PARTNERSHIPS, AND HE SAID, HE'S GONNA LOOK INTO IT AND HE'S GONNA TALK WITH HIS PEOPLE.
HE SAID HE'D HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH, UH, MR. MORRIS HIMSELF.
UH, SO, UM, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANY CITY IN THE COUNTY THAT CAN DO IT, IT'S ROCKWALL, I THINK.
SO I AM GIVING ALL DUE REGARD TO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO, AS IS OUR OBLIGATION AS A GOOD PARTNER.
BUT IT STILL LEAVES US WITH THE QUESTION OF WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? AND WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? IN MY OPINION, WE'RE NOT READY TO PICK A ROUTE YET.
ALTHOUGH I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DISAGREE WITH ME.
THERE'S THIS FRENZY, IN MY OPINION, TO MAKE A DECISION.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE FOR TWO REASONS.
UM, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, WE HAVE THREE PROPOSED ROUTES, AND BY, BY MR. MORRIS'S OWN STATEMENT, UM, HE DISCOUNTS THE PINK ROUTE, WHICH IS THE FURTHEST EAST.
AND I KNOW HE'S DISCOUNTED DANA, AS YOU SAID, THE ROOTS TO HUNT COUNTY.
HE JUST SAYS IN, IN THEIR OPINION, THOSE DON'T WORK.
BUT HE'S DISCOUNTED THE PINK ROUTE DOESN'T VIEW THAT AS A HUGE POSSIBILITY.
HE'S THE TECHNICALLY PREFERRED, WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE, WHICH IMPACTS THE FOLKS IN HIGH POINT LAKE ESTATES THE MOST, UM, IS STILL A VI PROBABLY THE MOST VIABLE OPTION, PROBABLY, BECAUSE HE ALSO SAID THERE'S A BLUE ROOT OVER HERE THAT GOES THROUGH MCCLENNAN CHISHOLM.
AND HE SAID, AS HE PUT IT, THAT DESERVES FURTHER ANALYSIS.
SO WHETHER IT DOES OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT HE SAYS.
AND AS I, I'M SURE THE, THAT THE FOLKS FROM MCCLENNAN CHISHOLM, IF IT MOVED OVER THERE, WE WOULD GET MAYBE A DIFFERENT OPINION BECAUSE, UH, THE MAYOR CAME HERE AT OUR LAST CONSORTIUM MEETING AND SAID, HERE'S HOW MY PEOPLE VOTE.
AND THEY VOTE, UH, TECHNICALLY PREFERRED OR PINK ZERO VOTES FOR THE ONES THAT GO THROUGH THE MCCLENNAN CHISHOLM.
SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT A POINT YET WHERE WE'RE READY TO MAKE THAT DECISION BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE THINGS DONE.
AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED WITH MATT CRAIG, WHO IS KIND ENOUGH TO COME HERE.
HE'S OUR GUY WITH HALF, REALLY SMART GUY, REALLY KNOWS THIS STUFF.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION OF IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE KNOW WHICH OF THOSE THREE ROUTES, IF ANY, WE'RE GONNA SELECT.
BUT SECONDLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BENEFIT OF ALL THIS IS TO US.
OKAY? WE TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T PROCEED.
AND I HEARD YOU GUYS LOUD AND CLEAR, AND I'VE HEARD THIS FROM OTHERS.
I'VE ALSO HEARD MICHAEL MORRIS SAY, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE EVERYTHING YOU'D SAID TO DO TO THIS POINT.
SO THEY'RE NOT, HE'S NOT GONNA PUNISH US.
NOW, CAN WE GET MORE FROM BEING A PARTNER? MAYBE WE CAN, MAYBE WE CAN'T.
BUT IF THE DECISION IS YOU'VE GOTTA VOTE ON THIS AT THE NEXT COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY TO DO IT.
AND WHAT I AM WILLING TO DO, AND WHAT MR. POLSTER AND I TALKED WITH MICHAEL MORRIS ABOUT WAS, I AM WILLING TO SIT DOWN AND RUN THROUGH THAT LIST OF SIX TOOLS THAT WE CAN HAVE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO GOING IN TO KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT WHEN THIS IS COMPLETED.
BUT UNTIL WE'RE READY TO GET, UNTIL WE'VE DONE THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WE'RE READY TO, TO MOVE FORWARD, IN MY OPINION.
AND I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE AND PEOPLE IN THIS AUDIENCE WHO I'VE SPOKEN TO THAT WOULD SAY, YOU'RE JUST DELAYING THE PROBLEM OR YOU'RE DELAYING A SOLUTION.
LAUREN AND I, I, I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
I'M TRYING TO FIND A GOOD SOLUTION.
A A FAST SOLUTION MADE WITHOUT ADEQUATE INFORMATION IS RARELY THE BEST SOLUTION.
AND A SLOW GOOD SOLUTION IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN A BAD FAST SOLUTION.
AND I'M WILLING TO PUT IN THE WORK AND SIT DOWN AND MEET WITH, UH, DOC MR. POLLSTER.
IN FACT, HE AND I AND MATT CRAIG HAVE A CALL SCHEDULED TOMORROW TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO LOOK AT THESE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS OF THAT WILL BE, BUT I'M WILLING TO LOOK AT IT AND, AND I WILL GIVE EVERYTHING THAT MICHAEL MORRIS SAID, A FAIR SHAKE WITH, WITH WHATEVER PART OF IT IS MINE TO COME UP WITH THAT SOLUTION.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE SEVEN TO $10 MILLION, I THINK SEVEN WAS
[01:50:01]
THE MOST RECENT NUMBER YOU GAVE ME, RIGHT? MATT, YOU SAID IT'D BE AT LEAST 7 MILLION BUCKS.WE ALREADY SPENT 8.8, I THINK SEVEN.
FRANKLY, I THOUGHT THAT WAS LOW, BUT I'M GLAD YOU CAME IN LOW RATHER THAN HIGH.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND THAT $7 MILLION, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR IT? BECAUSE AS WE JUST WENT THROUGH AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, THERE'S $150 MILLION OF BOND FUNDS AND WE GOT A LOT OF WAYS TO SPEND IT.
SO WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR IT? I'M WILLING TO FIGURE OUT, I'M WILLING TO WORK, GIVE IT A FAIR SHAKE AND SEE IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN FIND SOLUTION THAT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO COOPERATE.
I JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
COMMISSIONER LUTY, I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I AGREE THAT YOU NEED SOME TIME TO WORK THROUGH ALL THOSE MITIGATION OPTIONS.
UM, BUT IS THERE A TIMEFRAME WE COULD PUT ON IT? WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS THAT WE'RE A YEAR DOWN THE ROAD AND WE'RE STILL HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
DO YOU THINK YOU'D HAVE FOUR MONTHS? DO YOU THINK SOME IDEA DON'T WANT A YEAR HOW LONG THAT WOULD WOULD TAKE? I DON'T WANT A YEAR DOWN THE ROAD EITHER.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE.
I'D, I'D TALK TO, I'D HAVE TO LISTEN TO, TO JOHN AND HE AND I WOULD'VE TO ARM WRESTLE.
BUT I KNOW WHEN WE MET WITH MIKE POLSTER, AND BY THE WAY, HE CAN BEAT ME ARM WRESTLING, WHEN WE MET WITH MIKE MORRIS, HE SAID THAT THEY WORKED THROUGH SOMETHING WITH SOME CITY, TOOK 'EM SIX MONTHS TO COME UP WITH A STRUCTURE FOR HOW THEY WERE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S REASONABLE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO PUT A REASONABLE TIMELINE ON IT, ON WHEN THE COURT COULD EXPECT SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION TO COME BACK, UM, ON THE OUTER LOOP SO THAT WE HAD SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, HANG OUR HATS ON, SO TO SPEAK, INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, WELL, AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION.
I, I, I WOULD LIKE A TIMELINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY ELSE AGREES, BUT I'D LIKE AT LEAST SOME KIND OF TIMELINE ON IT.
I I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN GIVE YOU IT.
AND I, LIKE I SAID, I'VE ALREADY MET WITH THE MAYOR OF ROCKWALL AND I'M MEETING WITH HALF AND THE ITS TOMORROW.
I'M, AGAIN, I, I WANT THIS OVER AS BAD AS YOU DO.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS YET.
AND I'M NOT READY TO MAKE A DECISION.
SO THE EXAMPLE MICHAEL GAVE US WAS THE, UH, LBJ, UH, EXPRESS LANE PROJECT THAT ALL THOSE ENTITIES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE STARTED, THEY CAME UP WITH, THEY SAID THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NO HIGHER OR NO WIDER.
OKAY? AND SO THAT WAS THE THEME THAT WENT THROUGH TO DEVELOP THE PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU GET TO PUT THE THINGS INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT THAT INFORM YOUR DECISION.
SO THEY INITIALLY STARTED WITH A GIANT TUNNEL AND THEY REALIZED THAT THEY COULDN'T GET PEOPLE THROUGH IT WITHOUT KILLING THEM.
UH, AND, AND TO MOVE THE AIR WAS TOO EXPENSIVE.
SO THEY CAME UP WITH THE CANTILEVER, UH, UH, SOLUTION, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE THEY STARTED.
BUT THEY, THOSE, THEY GOT TO THAT ANSWER BECAUSE THEY PULLED THE TRIGGER ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFINED THE PURPOSE, THE NEED THAT SAYS NO WIDER, NO HIGHER, AND THEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT ANSWERS THE QUESTION FOR YOU.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT WAS THE EXAMPLE.
I THINK HE WAS TALKING AND, AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, DIDN'T HE SAY IT TOOK HIM ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO GET TO THAT POINT? AND I'VE DONE ONE ON 24, 9 9, WE HAD TO CROSS THE LAKE AND WE WERE IN, IN DENTON COUNTY, AND WE, WE WERE GOING THROUGH PASTURE AND UH, BUT BY THE TIME WE GOT STARTING, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE HOMES WERE UP AGAINST THE RIGHT OF WAY WE BOUGHT.
AND SO THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A LINEAR PARK.
SO WE HAD A TOUGH ROAD TO HOG, BUT WE SAT DOWN WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
THE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE WAS INTERESTED, THE COUNTY WAS INVOLVED, THE CITIES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
AND WE TOOK PROBABLY SIX MONTHS BICKERING OVER, ARGUING OVER WHAT THE WORDS WERE IN THE PURPOSE AND NEED, BECAUSE THE PURPOSE AND NEED DRIVES THE ANSWER.
AND AGAIN, I'M INTIMIDATED BECAUSE MATT'S THE EXPERT AND HE OUGHT TO BE, HE OUGHT TO BE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF.
BUT THAT, THAT WAS THE EXAMPLE HE GAVE.
AND THEN ON THE PARTNERSHIPS IN TWO PLACES UP IN ANOTHER COUNTY, WE HAD A SCENARIO WHERE A BIG DEVELOPMENT WAS GONNA GO IN AN UNINCORPORATED AREA AND THE COUNTY COULDN'T PROVIDE WATER AND SEWER 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE IT.
BUT THE ADJACENT COMMUNITY COULD, BUT THEY COULDN'T GET IT THERE THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.
WELL, THE COUNTY CAN'T PAY FOR WATER AND SEWER, BUT WE COULD PAY FOR ROADS.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE ENDED UP PARTNERING WITH THE CITY TO BILL ROADS IN THEIR CITY TO OFFSET THE COST FOR THE UTILITIES SO THAT THEY COULD RUN WATER AND SEWER TO THE, THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE DEVELOPMENT AGREED TO BE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY BECAUSE THEY WOULD PREFER TO HAVE CITY UTILITIES THAN PACKAGE PLANTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
AND COMMISSIONER TY I SPOKE WITH, UM, WITH MICHAEL MORRIS AND I DO HAVE A, AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIM ALSO TO TALK ABOUT THE TOOLS.
'CAUSE I WAS, I WAS KIND OF, UM, NOT AWARE OF ALL THE TOOLS WE HAD THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY LOOK AT USING.
SO I HAVE A SIMILAR MEETING THAT YOU, THAT YOU DESCRIBED, BUT THE ONE THING I UNDERSTOOD IS HE, THAT I I, HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE IS READY FOR US TO SELECT AT LEAST A POSSIBLE ROUTE SO THAT
[01:55:01]
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COULD, WE COULD BEGIN TO HAVE THE MEETINGS THAT, THAT MR. POLLSTER WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AND THAT WE COULD BEGIN TO, UM, AND WE COULD THEN, BASED ON THOSE MEETINGS, START ANY ENVIRONMENTAL, THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, THE, THE LOOP AND THE OPTION, THE, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT ROUTES.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY CONVERSATIONS WITH MICHAEL MORRIS FOLLOWING OUR LAST CONSORTIUM MEETING IS HE IS EXPECTING ROCKWALL COUNTY TO BE, TO BRING SOMETHING TO, TO HIS ATTENTION OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LEANING TOWARDS OR WHAT WE WANT TO AT LEAST DO THE, THE STUDIES ON.
SO MOSTLY WHAT MICHAEL'S WANTING IS WHAT, UH, MR. COMM COMMISSIONER WAS SAYING IS HE NEEDS TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GONNA START AND MATT WILL CORRECT THIS WHEN, IF I GET IT WRONG.
BUT WE'RE NOT, NOBODY'S ASKING YOU TO PICK AN ALIGNMENT.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SAYS YOU CANNOT PICK AN ALIGNMENT.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT HAS TO PICK THE ALIGNMENT.
ALL THE STATES ASKING YOU TO DO AN MPO IS TO START THE PROCESS.
THE PROCESS WILL TELL YOU WHETHER THE TE AND IT'S ONLY TECHNICALLY PREFERRED IN FEASIBILITY.
WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THE OTHER, THE TECHNICAL PAPERS TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT YOU'VE HEARD CONCERNS WITH.
THIS IS JUST A FEASIBILITY ON THE, ON A 30,000 FOOT VIEW.
IT'S THE STARTING OF THE PROCESS, NOT THE SELECTING OF A ROUTE.
BUT TO JUST TO MAKE A DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE IN WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, DON'T WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH, AS YOU SAY, PURPOSES AND NEEDS AND DEFINE WHAT IT IS WE'RE LOOKING FOR, DEFINE WHAT OUR, OUR IMPACT IS GONNA BE.
I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE INFLUENCING AUTHORITY.
YOU HAVE A LOT MORE IMPACT, UH, ON THE PROCESS BY DOING IT THAN BY BEING A STAKEHOLDER FOR SOMEBODY ELSE DOING IT.
THAT'S WHAT NM P O'S TELLING YOU.
IF WITH YOU DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU CAN TELL MATT WHAT TO DO.
IF TDOT'S DOING IT, WE CAN ASK TXDOT TO DO SOMETHING.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THERE.
BUT IT'S, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THE PURPOSE OF NEED IS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
SO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT GETTING SOMEBODY ON BOARD AND THERE IS REMEMBER A NO BUILD SCENARIO.
IT COULD BE THAT IT'S NOT WARRANTED THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN IT HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S GOTTA BE PART OF THE CALCULATION IS, IS IT REALLY NEEDED? AND THEN ONCE IT'S NEEDED, DOES IT FIT THE PURPOSE AND NEED? AND THAT'S PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT.
SO WE WON'T KNOW WHAT THE ALIGNMENT IS.
WE'RE WE'RE STILL NOT REALLY, WE STILL DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL NORTHERN ALIGNMENT YET.
'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEARED IT.
WE'RE, WHEN, WHEN DID WE DO THE NOTICE INTENT NOTICE OF INTENT FOR THE NORTH? WELL, THE, THE BEGINNING OF THE NORTH WAS, I MEAN, THE NOTICE OF INTENT FOR THE 365 DAYS PURPOSE OF, I'M SAYING THE NOTICE OF INTENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL 360 DAYS.
WHEN, WHEN ARE WE DOING THAT? SO THE HARD PART WHERE THE FEDS SAY YOU GOT 365 DAYS FROM THE TIME YOU PULL THE TRIGGER AND GIVE THIS FEDS NOTICE THAT YOU'RE GONNA CLEAR IT.
YOU GOT ONE YEAR TO GET IT CLEARED.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED OUT ON THE NORTHERN SECTION.
ALL WE'VE GOT IS WHAT'S CALLED A LOCALLY AND TECHNICALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE THAT RO ROY CITY HAS SAID THEY'RE SUPPORTING FATE SAID THEY'RE SUPPORTING AND IT IMPACTS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
SO IT HASN'T BEEN CLEARED EITHER.
SO WE'RE NOT SAYING PICK A ROUTE.
THE THE, THE STUDY WILL PICK A ROUTE.
IT'LL, IT'LL SAY THE BLUE OR THE PINK OR THE GRAY OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN YOU GET INTO YOUR MITIGATIONS.
THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN SAY, UH, DEPRESS THE MAIN LANE SO YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH SOUND WIDEN THE, UH, PARKWAY BORDER SO YOU CAN HAVE MORE TREES OR BERMS OR MAKE IT MORE RURAL.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THOSE ARE THE TIMES WHEN YOU GET INTO THE UNDOCUMENT WHERE YOU CAN START SAYING, HERE'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO MITIGATE ANY ISSUES WE FIND JUST, YEAH.
WELL, AGAIN, I, WE'RE HAVING COMMUNICATION ISSUES, YOU AND I.
UM, AND, BUT WE'LL WORK THROUGH THOSE.
BUT I, I WANNA KNOW THAT THERE'S REALLY GONNA BE A COMMITMENT TO MITIGATION.
I WANNA KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A REALLY, GONNA BE A COMMITMENT TO ENHANCEMENT.
OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE NET COG CAN COME SPEND THE MONEY AND DO IT.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WAR WITH THEM.
AND THEY SHOULD TREAT US LIKE ANY OTHER COUNTY.
YOU JUST SAID ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES IN THE OUTER LOOP ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE OUTER LOOP FOR THEMSELVES SO THEY CAN SET THE ALIGNMENT.
YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU TRUSTED WHAT MICHAEL MORRIS TOLD YOU ABOUT THE MITIGATION EFFORTS.
SO I DO WE ARE EITHER GONNA TRUST THEM OVER NOT WELL, NO, NO, NO, NO.
AND I TRUST THAT THOSE ARE TOOLS AND I THINK HE MEANS WELL, BUT I, I PERSONALLY, BOBBY, AM NOT WILLING TO SAY, OKAY, I WILL OBLIGATE THE COUNTY TO SPEND SEVEN POINT WHATEVER MILLION DOLLARS UNLESS I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GETTING IN EXCHANGE FOR IT.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO CLEAR THE ENVIRONMENTAL BEFORE YOU CAN PICK A ROUTE.
[02:00:01]
GETTING THIS BACKWARDS.THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADS TO, UH, LETTING US KNOW WHERE THE ROUTE CAN GO AND THEN YOU CAN START HAVING THOSE MITIGATION DISCUSSIONS.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE INTELLIGENTLY WITHOUT DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL, GEE, I I, WHY CAN'T WE DECIDE RIGHT NOW? WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BUILD BELOW GRADE.
WHY ARE YOU, BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU CAN DO THAT OR NOT.
I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S THREE, THREE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE DEVELOPED IN THE FIRST PHASE.
SO WHY CAN'T WE SAY RIGHT NOW IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND THIS MONEY TO WORK ON THIS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE IS CLEAR SO WE CAN DO IT BELOW GRADE IN YOUR HOUSES.
THAT'S PART OF THE PREFERRED THAT YOU WOULD GIVE MATT TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENTAL.
BUT YOU STILL NEED ALL OF THAT DONE BEFORE YOU CAN PICK A ROUTE, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME FOR THIS ROAD.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL SAYS THEN IT CAN GO HERE.
AND IF YOU DON'T, IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEN TECH STOCK CONTROLS THE ENVIRONMENTAL, RIGHT? YEP.
AND THEY DON'T, MAYBE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
WE'VE GOTTA CLEAR THE ENVIRONMENTAL.
SO, SO YOU'RE SAYING IF I DON'T, IF WE DON'T CLEAR THE, IF WE DON'T AGREE TO DO IT REAL FAST, TEXTS IS GONNA KICK US TO THE CURB.
I EARLIER MY TIMELINE WAS LIKE FOUR MONTHS FOR YOU TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND COME BACK TO THE COURT WITH SOMETHING AND NOTHING ABOUT THIS HAS BEEN FAST.
I DON'T EXPECT IT TO SUDDENLY BE FAST.
BUT I AM TRYING TO GET YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PART IS GOING TO GET US TO THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE.
AND IT'S GONNA TELL US WHERE THE ROUTE GOES BASED ON WHAT YOU WANT TO MITIGATE AND HOW YOU WANT TO MITIGATE IT.
AND IF WE DO IT, WE'RE IN CONTROL.
IF WE LET THEM DO IT, WE'RE NOT IN CONTROL ANYMORE.
THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO GET YOU TO UNDERSTAND.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT IN CONTROL, BUT I ALSO THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WE'VE JUST SPENT, WE SPENT THE FIRST PART OF OUR MEETING ON.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, AS YOU SAID, HE TOLD YOU THAT WE MAY BE PUNISHED.
NO, I DIDN'T SAY, HE TOLD US THAT.
I TOLD, HE SAID WE WOULDN'T BE PUNISHED BECAUSE WE DID WHAT WE SAID WE'D DO ON PHASE ONE WITH THE FIRST PART, RIGHT? YES.
BUT I'M TALKING, WE'RE WE'RE I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS NEXT, THIS NEXT PHASE.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND, AND I THINK, I THINK HE HAS COMMUNICATED THAT TO EVERYONE ON THIS COURT FROM WHAT WE, WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
NO, HE HAS NOT COMMUNICATED THAT TO ME.
IN FACT, UNLESS YOU, UNLESS YOU HEARD SOMETHING DIFFERENT, YOU WERE IN THE MEETING.
HE SPECIFICALLY DID NOT SAY THAT WE WERE GONNA BE PUNISHED.
I DIDN'T, I DON'T MEAN TO SAY THAT WAS HIS WORD.
I I WELL, THAT'S THE SAME THING.
COMMISSIONER STACY, I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD.
UM, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER LTI DID A GOOD JOB OF TALKING ABOUT WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT IS TO TRY TO, TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS ACTUALLY BEFORE US, I THINK YOU SAID IT BEST, WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN MICHAEL MORRIS WAS HERE, HE DID SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE GETTING PROJECTS ADDED TO THE UTP, UM, YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP.
SO I DON'T THINK THE PARTNERSHIP IS STRAINED, BUT I THINK THAT WE ALL WOULD BE DECEIVING OURSELVES TO THINK THAT IT, WE'RE NOT WALKING INTO A, A POSITION WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE ASKED TO, TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WOULD STRAIN THE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, AND I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW THE BEST WORDS TO USE, BUT WHEN IT GOES THROUGH MY PRECINCT, IT'S GOING THROUGH ROYCE CITY MAINLY.
THE CITY OF ROYCE CITY WANTS IT.
SO I I, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO REAL, IT'S JUST COMING THROUGH UNTIL IT HITS 2 76.
BUT FROM 2 76 TO THE END OF THE COUNTY, IT'S REALLY EASY FOR PEOPLE IN HEATH AND ROCKWALL AND ROY CITY AND FATE TO SAY, JUST BUILD IT.
IT'S A LOT HARDER WHEN YOU'RE ELECTED BY THOSE PEOPLE TO REPRESENT THEM, TO FIGURE OUT, AM I ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT MY PEOPLE? WILL WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VOICE AT THE TABLE? WHAT L IS ASKING US TO DO AS A COURT IS LET HIM UNDERSTAND, WILL I HAVE A VOICE AT THE TABLE OR IS IT ALL JUST SEMANTICS? IS IT ALL JUST WORDS? IS THERE ANY CHANGE THAT WE CAN AFFECT? I HAVE NEVER BUILT A HIGHWAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BUILT A HIGHWAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOES INTO THIS.
I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US.
I KNOW WHAT WORDS ARE COMING OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS.
BUT UNTIL WE INTIMATELY UNDERSTAND HOW THE GEARS TURN, HOW DO WE EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE SIGNING UP FOR OTHER THAN SOMETHING IN SOMEONE ELSE'S BACKYARD? AND I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO GIVE COMMISSIONER LTI THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE THIS AFFECTS HIS PRECINCT AND
[02:05:01]
THE PEOPLE THAT RE THAT, THAT HE REPRESENTS MORE THAN IT AFFECTS ANY OF US.AND AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO ADD.
AND, UH, JUST TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE AND THEN THROW A MONKEY WRENCH IN EVERYTHING, UH, I WANT TO GO BACK, UH, A LITTLE BIT AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORK SINCE 2004, 2007, 2018.
WE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING, I, I SAT RIGHT IN THIS ROOM, UH, WHEN I WAS A COUNCILMAN REPRESENTING HEATH ON THE ROAD CONSORTIUM.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE OUTER LOOP AND THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD BACK THEN WAS, IT'S GOING RIGHT UP HIGHWAY 34.
SO WE ALL WENT RIGHT BACK TO SLEEP BECAUSE OUR CONVERSATIONS OF IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING OVER THERE.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S NOT COMING HERE.
WHEN YOU DRAW A LINE ON A PIECE OF PAPER GOING THROUGH SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY, THAT'S WHEN IT BECOMES REAL.
AND, AND TO DISCOUNT THAT PEOPLE WEREN'T INVOLVED BACK THEN.
YOU KNOW, I WAS ELECTED ALL, ALL THE ELECTED SIT HERE.
WE, WE ALL THOUGHT 34, THAT MAKES SENSE, RUN IT UP 34.
BUT WHEN YOU DRAW IT ON A MAP AND YOU ACTIVATE PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T DISCOUNT THEIR, THEIR FEELINGS AND THEIR THOUGHTS JUST BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED 20 YEARS AGO WHEN IT STARTED.
SO IT, IT'S, THAT'S THE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF WHEN IT'S ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND SOMEBODY SENDS THEM NOTICE THAT SAYS, HEY, ARE YOU FOR THIS, THIS, UH, ALIGNMENT OR WHICH ALIGNMENT ARE YOU FOR? AND YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, AND, AND I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH MAYOR MCNEIL, UH, OF COURSE ALL OF HIS CITIZENS VOTED TO HAVE IT AS FAR AWAY FROM THEM AS THEY COULD.
AND, AND IF YOU WENT TO WHERE THEY WANTED IT, AND, UH, THEY VOTED TO HAVE IT OUT OF THEIR CITY.
SO THE PEOPLE WHERE, WHERE THE ALIGNMENT WENT, COULDN'T VOTE
BUT IF I WENT TO THOSE PEOPLE AND SAID, HEY, COME SHOW ME WHERE YOU WANT IT, THEY WOULD SEND IT BACK THE OTHER WAY.
AND SO NOT THAT EVERYBODY SAYS I DON'T WANT IT, AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT, BUT I, I ECHO YOUR POINT, UH, DIRECTLY.
WHAT ARE WE GETTING? WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR THIS? AND, AND I I, I THINK WHAT YOUR, YOUR INSTINCTS ARE TELLING YOU IS WHAT MINE TELLS ME.
IF WE KNOCK OVER THE FIRST DOMINO, DO WE REALLY HAVE ANY OF THESE TOOLS TO MITIGATE THIS? OR IS THIS JUST A BOX THAT A GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY IS GOING TO CHECK? ARE THEY GOING TO SAY, WE ATTEMPTED TO MITIGATE CHECK.
WE, WE ATTEMPTED TO DO A PLAN WITH THE CITIES, CHECK WE, WE ATTEMPTED WHAT, WHATEVER, AND JUST GO DOWN THE CHECKLIST AND NOW WE RUN IT RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF YOU.
UH, I DON'T WANNA STRAIN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH COG, BUT I DON'T REPRESENT COG.
I REPRESENT ALL, ALL OF ROCKWELL COUNTY.
UH, SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS NOT END UP BEING SO BOLD AND BRASH THAT THEY DO JUST RUN IT RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF US AND, AND, AND DO IT TO SPITE US.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
I THINK WE'RE STILL HAVING CONVERSATIONS.
UH, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO EXPLORE AND FIGURE OUT THESE MITIGATION TOOLS AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WE, WE GOTTA GET STARTED, BUT TO START ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE STARTING ENVIRONMENTAL.
AND WHEN YOU KICK IT OVER, HAVE WE STARTED A PROCESS THAT WE CAN'T STOP? I SUSPECT WE HAVE, I SUSPECT WE HAVE.
I I I DON'T KNOW THE COMPLETE ANSWER TO THAT NOW I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
BEFORE I THROW THE MONKEY WRENCH IN IT.
OKAY, WELL, I I WOULD CORRECT ONE THING.
I'M NOT TRYING TO, I'M JUST AS WHEN YOU SAY, HAVE WE STARTED A PROCESS? WE CAN'T STOP.
ANYWAY, WHAT I WANNA MAKE SURE IS THAT IF WE'VE STARTED A PROCESS, WE'VE STARTED A PROCESS WE CAN INFLUENCE.
THIS IS HOW WE SHAPE AND, AND ARE ABLE TO HAVE INFLUENCE THIS.
THAT'S WHAT I, I SAW, I UNDERSTOOD THAT WHAT, FROM THE LAST MEETING WE HAD WITH MR. MORRIS, HE IS GIVING US, HE'S TELLING US THERE ARE TOOLS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THEY ARE.
HE GAVE SOME EXAMPLES, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE CAN SHAPE AND INFLUENCE THIS, RIGHT? WELL, CALL ME A LAWYER, BUT I GOTTA SEE IT IN WRITING.
OKAY, SO MY, MY QUESTION TO THROW THE MONKEY WRENCH IN THIS, HOW CAN WE ALLOCATE ANY FUNDS WHEN THIS WAS NOT ON THE TRIP 21 BOND PACKAGE? WE, WE, WE, WHAT PROJECTS HAVE WE JUST DONE TODAY THAT WEREN'T ON THE TRIP 21 BOND PACKAGE? NONE.
OH, I, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THAT THE EDWARDS ROAD, WHAT WE'RE DOING WAS ON AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THERE.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN ROADS THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER STACY HAS HAD, EDWARDS ROAD WAS ON, BUT NOT, NOT TO THE EXTENT I WANT TO DO IT.
AND, AND WE HAVE, WE'VE DONE PROJECTS THAT WEREN'T ON THE 3 21 IN PRECINCT FOUR.
THE MS. MAY WAS A STRATEGIC PROJECT.
UM, AND SO IT WASN'T ON THERE, BUT CRENSHAW AND BEN PAYNE WERE BOTH LISTED.
IT'S JUST WE'RE CHANGING THE FUNDING MECHANISMS
[02:10:01]
OF HOW WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY.SO THOSE WERE ON THERE JUST NOT FUNDED PROPERLY.
UH, THIS IS NOT ON THERE AND IS GONNA REQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING.
HOW, HOW CAN WE SUBSTANTIAL, IT'S SEVEN TO 8 MILLION, I THINK IS WHAT, UM, THAT THAT SUBSTANTIAL, HOW CAN WE ALLOCATE MONEY THAT WAS NOT ON TRIP 21, WHICH WAS WHAT THE CITIZENS APPROVED THAT BASED ON OUR, OUR BOND COUNSEL THAT CAME AND SPOKE TO US BACK LAST, LAST FALL, THEY EXPLAINED HOW, HOW YOU CAN USE MONIES.
SO YOU'RE ASKING QUESTION BOND COUNSEL.
SO IT'S NOT THAT IT ILLEGAL GOES BY WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING IT'S NOT ILLEGAL.
BOND COUNCIL GOES BY BALLOT LANGUAGE.
AND THE BALLOT LANGUAGE IS ROADS AND ROCKWALL COUNTY.
SO WE'RE ONLY CONSTRAINED BY THAT.
BUT TO GET TO THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT PEOPLE VOTED FOR, WE HAD A TRIP 21 LIST THAT LISTED ALL THE ITEMS. WE, WE'VE ALL GOT THE LIST.
SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP WAS NOT ON THERE.
SO HOW CAN WE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE GO TO OUR VOTERS WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO VOTE UP OR DOWN ON THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP AND SAY, WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THIS MONEY THAT YOU'VE ALLOCATED TO OTHER THINGS AND NOW WE'RE GONNA SPEND IT ON THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP.
WELL, I THINK ONE, ONE THING IS THAT, UH, WE DID SAY THAT'S NOT ILLEGAL.
AND THERE'S A REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THIS BOND WAS PASSED WHEN, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOW 2025.
AND THEY ELECT US AS COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY JUDGE TO MAKE DECISIONS WHEN THINGS CHANGE.
SO THAT'S WHY IT SAYS ROADS IN ROCKWALL COUNTY BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A PROJECT AND THAT PROJECT IS SCRAPPED AND IT'S IN THE BOND AND WE NEED TO USE THE MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
GUESS WHAT? WE'RE ELECTED TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF HARD DECISIONS.
AND THAT'S WHY THE BOND LANGUAGE IS THAT WAY.
JOHN, JUST ON THE NUMBER, JUST ON THE NUMBERS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPREADSHEET YOU HAVE, NUMBER ONE PROJECT IN THE JUDGE IS THE SH 2 0 5 SECTION.
WE PUT $10 MILLION IN THERE TO ENTICE THE STATE TO BUILD THAT ROAD.
THAT PROJECT IS NOW FULLY FUNDED AT $167 MILLION.
SO WE CAN TELL THE VOTERS WE GOT, UH, 2 0 5 SOUTH FUNDED AND BUILT.
WE JUST DIDN'T NEED TO USE ROAD BOND FUNDS, WHICH FREES UP THE 10 MILLION.
YOU DON'T THROW AWAY THE AUTHORIZATION.
IT'S JUST MADE FOR DOING SOME OTHER THIRD THING.
THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO DO MORE THAN WHAT YOU TOLD THE FOLKS.
AND IT'S NEVER GOOD TO DO LESS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR TRIPLE OH EIGHT BOND PROGRAM, WE'VE HAD FIVE PROJECTS LISTED ON THE BOND PROGRAM, FIVE LISTED THAT ALL THE PUBLICATIONS.
WE ENDED UP DOING 13 MORE OTHER PROJECTS BESIDES THOSE FIVE BECAUSE WE HAD SAVINGS THAT WE COULD USE ELSEWHERE.
WOMEN, WOULDN'T YOU THINK IT WOULD BE MOST HONEST THOUGH, IF WE HAVE A $10 MILLION SAVINGS TO GO BACK TO PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THAT LIST? YES, SIR.
THAT THE VOTERS SAID, YES, WE WANT TO DO THIS AND SPEND THAT MONEY THERE.
YEAH, THAT'S A POLICY QUESTION, BUT I'M JUST SAYING YOU HAVE THE FUNDS AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO.
AND, AND WE HAVE USED BOND MONEY FROM OTHER BONDS TO DO PROJECTS FROM OTHER BOND PROJECTS.
WE'VE, WE'VE MOVED MONEY ALL AROUND.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
BUT WE'VE HAD MONEY FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, OH FOUR THAT WE'VE USED FOR OH EIGHT AND OH EIGHT MONEY THAT WE'VE USED FOR STUFF FROM 21.
I MEAN, AND THOSE, IF YOU WANT TO GET THAT SPECIFIC, WELL, THOSE THINGS WEREN'T ON THOSE BONDS EITHER.
AND WE SPENT MONEY OUTSIDE OF WHAT THOSE BONDS LISTED FOR OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL.
WE'VE DONE IT, THIS COURT'S DONE IT.
YOU ALL THAT WERE HERE LONGER THAN ME AND LAUREN HAVE DONE IT NUMEROUS TIMES, HAVE DONE THAT NUMEROUS TIMES.
I THINK WE DID IT ONCE IN JANUARY OF 23 AS FAR AS TO TO START TRIP 21 SPENT MONEY FROM OH 8 0 0 8.
YEAH, WE SPENT MONEY ONLY SPENT IT ON ONE PROJECT.
I'M SAYING WE SPENT MONEY IN, OH, WE SPENT OH EIGHT MONEY TO GET FOR NUMEROUS TWENTYS.
21 STARTED NUMEROUS THE FIRST MONTH WE WERE IN OFFICE FOR NUMEROUS PROJECTS.
WELL, YOU CAN SAY ONE ACTION, BUT IT WAS NUMEROUS PROJECTS.
BUT YOU SAID MULTIPLE TIMES AND I'M SAYING WE, WE DID IT ONE TIME FOR MULTIPLE THINGS.
SO I'M, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH SOMETHING SO SUBSTANTIAL, AND SO WHAT I BELIEVE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE COUNTY OF IT NOT BEING ON AN APPROVED LIST.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M NOT, NOT COMFORTABLE, UM, TAKING MONEY THAT WHERE IT WASN'T CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP.
SO WHAT WOULD YOUR SUGGESTION BE THEN? I MEAN, THE, THE, THE SUGGESTION IS WE, WE NEED TO GO TO THE VOTERS SOMEHOW.
WE, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE VOTERS.
'CAUSE OKAY, WELL GIMME THAT PROCESS.
HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? I, I WANNA KNOW, LIKE SPECIFICALLY IF I KNOW THAT I, I KNEW THIS WAS COMING UP TODAY.
I KNOW, I KNOW WHERE YOU STAND AND I DON'T DISRESPECT THIS.
I RESPECT WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS THEN FOR YOU.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR END GAME WITH THIS THEN? WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
[02:15:01]
WELL, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE SOLUTION IS WE STICK TO THE LIST AND WE STILL HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUTER LOOP OUT.HOW DO WE FIGURE THAT OUT? WE, WE, WE LET LAUREN GO TALK WITH MICHAEL MORRIS AND, AND WE FIGURE OUT A PATH FORWARD.
BUT IF IT REQUIRES US SPENDING MONEY THAT THE MOTOR'S APPROVED, UH, THEN WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION AND, AND I WOULD NEED SUPPORT OF THE VOTERS IN ORDER TO FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING THAT.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE VOTERS HAVE NOT HAD A BITE AT THIS APPLE.
AND, AND I TRULY SUSPECT IF THEY HAD, IF IT WAS LISTED, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE A TRIP 21 FUND.
SO IS YOUR, SO YOU THINK THE WHOLE BOND WOULD'VE BEEN, I I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME AT ALL, BUT, SO YOU WOULD GO FOR ANOTHER BOND FOR THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT OR YOU WOULD JUST, I, I I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MECHANISM TO JUST HAVE AN UP AND UP AND DOWN VOTE ON AN ALREADY PASSED BOND.
SO WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOU NO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD SOLUTION TO GO FOR A, A SPECIFIC BOND.
SO, WELL, TO, TO YOUR POINT, BOBBY, I, EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW I FEEL, SO I CAN JUST KIND OF JUMP IN HERE WHERE I WANT.
UM, THE, WE WOULD, IT WOULD, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE DEFEATED THE 21 BONDS BECAUSE THERE WAS A, THERE WAS OUTER LOOP MONEY FOR THE NORTH SECTION.
SO I THINK IF THERE, IF THAT VOTE BY INCLUDING THAT WOULD'VE DEFEATED THE BONDS THAT WOULD'VE DEFEATED IT, BUT IT DIDN'T.
NOW MAYBE IF PEOPLE WEREN'T AS AWARE OF IT AS THEY ARE NOW, IT MAY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE DEFEATED THAT BOND ISSUE.
SO, BUT THAT, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
I I, I GOTTA FEEL LIKE THE VOTERS HAVE APPROVED THIS, AND RIGHT NOW I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE VOTERS HAVE APPROVED THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE OUTER LOOP.
IT'S, IT'S HARD TO DISAGREE WITH THAT.
IF WE JUST FINISH OUR, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT I'M
SO, UH, LAUREN LICHTY, COMMISSIONER LICHTY IS GONNA GET WITH MR. MORRIS AND GO OVER OUR MITIGATION PLANS AND FIGURE OUT, UH, COMFORT LEVEL WITH THE PATH FORWARD OF HOW WE MITIGATE AND, AND THEN WE WILL, UM, CORRECTION, I, I AM ALSO GOING TO MEET WITH HIM.
WELL, ANYBODY CAN MEET WITH HIM.
I'M, I'M STARTING TOMORROW MEETING WITH, UH, HALF AND JOHN POLLSTER TO DISCUSS THIS EXACT ISSUE.
IF, IF YOU WANNA APPOINT SOMEBODY ELSE FROM THE BOARD TO WORK TO THE COMMISSION TO WORK WITH ME, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
WE'RE NOT WORKING ANY THESE WALKING QUORUM ISSUES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, NO, I, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET AND I, I THINK YOU'RE PUSH AS HARD AS I CAN PUSH.
SO YOUR, YOUR PRECINCT IS, UH, FRONT AND CENTER ON THIS, SO YOU, YOU MAKE LOGICAL SENSE.
BUT, BUT COMMISSIONER MACK, I HAVE NO PROBLEM IF YOU WANT TO GO MEET WITH HIM OR ANYBODY.
YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT? THAT THAT'S OUR JOB.
IT SUPPORTS THE STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN, GUYS.
IT'S JOB, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS, IS ALL OVER.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF AREAS HERE.
SO IT SUPPORTS THE STRATEGIC PLAN WELL, BUT IT'S ALSO WE'RE TO BE, UH, AN OASIS FROM URBAN SPRAWL.
IT IS, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER PLACES.
I, I HAVE A LOT I COULD HAVE READ TONIGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT I CHOSE NOT TO.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, AT THREE 18, WE ARE ADJOURNED.