* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. CHECK, [00:00:01] CHECK. [Infrastructure Meeting on March 18, 2026.] ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE, PLEASE COME TAKE YOUR PLACES. IT'S FIVE 30. I'M GONNA CALL THE ROCKWALL INFANT STRUCTURE CONSORTIUM TO ORDER. AND IMMEDIATELY I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER STACY, WHO IS RIGHT OVER THERE WHO HAS A SPECIAL GUEST FOR A PRESENTATION. THOSE THAT ARE ON THIS SIDE, YOU MAY WANNA WORK AROUND. ALRIGHT, SO CHECK. YEAH, Y'ALL DID THE ROCK WALL. THE ROCK WALL CONTINGENCY IS SITTING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TABLE SO THAT THEY CAN WATCH THE PRESENTATION. AND YOU KICKED ME OUTTA MY SEAT, SO NOW I'M OVER HERE. UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS. I'M GONNA READ THEIR BIO AND THEN I'LL LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO A, UM, A PRESENTATION. SO WE HAVE DREW CAMPBELL, WHO IS THE SENIOR PARTNER OF CAPITAL INSIGHTS, HAS 46 YEARS OF LOBBYING EXPERIENCE. HE IS A CURRENT SENIOR PARTNER AT CAPITAL INSIGHTS LLC, A ROLE HE HAS HAD FOR 17 YEARS. PRIOR TO THAT, HE WAS THE CEO OF THE NEW CAR DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF THE METROPOLITAN DALLAS INCORPORATED. THAT IS A COMPANY NAME. UM, SINCE OPENING CAPITAL SIZE, DREW HAS BROUGHT HIS MANY SKILLS TO REPRESENT A VARIETY OF CLIENTS AND BUSINESS INTERESTS, INCLUDING MAJOR FINANCIAL, TRANSPORTATION AND MANUFACTURING INTERESTS. FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS, HE HAS BEEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DALLAS REGIONAL MOBILITY COALITION. SO THAT IS DREW, HE'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE SPEAKERS. THE OTHER SPEAKER IS GONNA BE BRANDY BYRD, AND SHE IS THE PRESIDENT OF BIRD ADVOCACY AND CONSULTING, A GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS FIRM BASED IN THE NORTH TEXAS REGION SPECIALIZING IN TRANSPORTATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISSUES. SHE HAS SERVED AS THE DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DALLAS REGIONAL MOBILITY COALITION FOR, FOR OVER 13 YEARS AND HAS OVER 20 YEARS OF LOBBYING EXPERIENCE REPRESENTING BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR CLIENTS. HER FIRM ALSO RUNS FOUR ASSOCIATIONS AT THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES OF TEXAS, AND SHE HOLDS A BACHELOR OF ARTS AND GOVERNMENT FROM UT AUSTIN. SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU GUYS TO START THE PRESENTATION. GREAT. THANK YOU, JOHN. WE REALLY APPRECIATE BEING HERE, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND VISIT WITH YOU WITH, WITH WHAT WE THINK IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT THAT TEXAS CAN MAKE, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IS GONNA COME AS A GREAT SURPRISE TO EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, IS THAT IF YOU DON'T ADVOCATE IN AUSTIN FOR TRANSPORTATION FUNDS OR FUNDS AT ALL, YOU AREN'T GONNA GET ANY. AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THAT'S WHY IN 1989, UH, OUR ADVOCACY GROUP WAS FORMED, AND BACK THEN I WAS WITH THE AUTOMOBILE DEALERS. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SINCE WE SELL MORE NEW CARS AND TRUCKS IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH THAN IN 47 STATES, WE WANT ROADS. AND SO THE ORGANIZATION GOT STARTED AND IT'S BEEN RUN SINCE THEN. AND ITS PRIMARY GOAL WAS, UH, TO, TO REALLY TRY TO GET THE 27 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING ROCKWALL COUNTY, UH, AND WHICH BY THE WAY IS THE FASTEST GROWING AREA IN OUR REGION. AND OUR REGION IS WHAT THEY CALL THE DALLAS DISTRICT. UH, DALLAS FORT WORTH IS MADE UP OF TWO DISTRICTS. YOU'VE GOT THE FORT WORTH DISTRICT AND THE DALLAS DISTRICT, UH, AS, AS TECH STOCK PUTS US TOGETHER. BUT ANYWAY, UH, AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE COMMISSIONER STACY ON OUR BOARD, BUT WE WERE PRIMARILY PUT TOGETHER, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT OUR FAIR SHARE OF DOLLARS BECAUSE BACK IN THE 1980S, UH, WE HAD THREE COMMISSIONERS AND IT WAS CALLED THE HIGHWAY COMMISSION, OR IT WAS ACTUALLY THE, YEAH, IT WAS THE HIGHWAY COMMISSION AND THEY HAD THREE MEMBERS, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE ALWAYS FROM HOUSTON, AND THEY SEEMED TO GET MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF DOLLARS. SO WE STARTED TO PUT TOGETHER OUR LOCAL GROUPS WHO THEN WORKED TOGETHER WITH OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND STATE SENATORS, AND LO AND BEHOLD, MONEY STARTED TO FLOW TO THE DALLAS DISTRICT OR DALLAS FORT WORTH. AND, UH, AS WELL, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE CHAIRMAN OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES, UH, THAT GOVERN TRANSPORTATION. AND, AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN IDEA, AND I KNOW MOST OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT I LOVE TO DO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ASPECT OF THIS, IS THAT IN 1990, WE HAD JUST A LITTLE OVER 12, 13 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE'VE GOT 33 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING HERE NOW. I MEAN, AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY WELL OF HOW MANY PEOPLE MOVE IN EVERY DAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE HAVE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE FOR MORE FUNDS, NOT ONLY FOR NEW PROJECTS, BUT JUST TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE'VE GOT. AND WHAT WE HAVE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS MORE PAVED HIGHWAY THAN ALL OF WESTERN EUROPE COMBINED, UH, WHICH INCLUDES FRANCE, WHICH THAT'S A DIFFERENT SUBJECT, [00:05:01] BUT, UH, THE POINT BEING IS, IS THAT IT'S A TREMENDOUS UNDERTAKING IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR FAIR SHARE OF THE FUNDING AT THE STATE LEVEL. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE ADVOCATES, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE YOUR STATE REPS IN LINE WITH YOUR NEEDS. THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE AS WELL AS YOUR STATE SENATOR. AND THEN YOU WORK YOUR WAY UP TO THE SPEAKER'S OFFICE AND THE OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES. BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THAT IF YOU'RE NOT ORGANIZED AND YOU'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER WITH OTHER GROUPS, LIKE-MINDED GROUPS, UH, THE DOLLARS WILL FLOW SOMEWHERE ELSE. UH, WE'VE SEEN THE UTP GROW, UH, BUT, BUT IT'S, AS WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT, UH, AND THEY'VE ALREADY RECOGNIZED THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN US THROUGH 2050. UH, AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO BRANDY AND LET BRANDY TALK YOU THROUGH THE OVERVIEW OF THE, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING BOOK. AND SO AS DREW MENTIONED, DO I HAVE THIS ON OR DO I NEED TO DO SOMETHING? OKAY, WELL, HOPEFULLY I CAN TALK LOUD ENOUGH AND YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY, BUT MAYBE WE CAN TURN THE VOLUME UP A LITTLE OR I'LL GET CLOSER. SO AS DREW MENTIONED, DRMC IS PRIMARILY A LOBBYING ORGANIZATION. AND SO COMMISSIONER STACEY SERVES ON OUR BOARD. HE HEARD THIS PRESENTATION IN DECEMBER. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH TEXDOT AT THE STATE AND LEADERSHIP LEVEL, AND THE CFO CAME IN AS WELL AS MOER AND GAVE THIS PRESENTATION TO OUR BOARD IN DECEMBER. AND SO THE COMMISSIONER ASKED THAT WE COULD SHARE IT WITH YOU, AND IT JUST GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A FEEL FOR THE FUNDING LEVELS AT, UM, ON A STATEWIDE BASIS. AND THEN WHERE THOSE HAVE BEEN TRENDING. SO YOU CAN SEE 2010, THE ENTIRE UTP, WHICH IS A 10 YEAR PLANNING FUNDING DOCUMENT THAT COVERS A 10 YEAR PERIOD, IT WAS AT $20 BILLION IN 2010. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 2024 AND 2025, IT EXCEEDED A HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS. SO YOU SEE THE MASSIVE GROWTH THAT HAPPENED IN 2017 AS A PART OF PROPS ONE AND SEVEN WHEN THOSE FUNDING MECHANISMS WERE PASSED. DREW AND I WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN A STATEWIDE COALITION THAT GOT, THOSE TWO MECHANISMS PASSED, AND IT REALLY DOUBLED THE FUNDING FOR THE UTP AT THAT TIME. NOW WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IS IN 2026 AND NOW THE DRAFT NUMBERS FOR 2027, THE UTP IS GOING DOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LOT OF YEARS. AND SO THAT'S CAUSED A LOT OF CONCERN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE STATE AS WELL AS ADVOCACY GROUPS LIKE OURS. SO THE ESTIMATE, THE FUNDING LEVELS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE $94 BILLION IN THE 2027 UTP, WHICH I KNOW SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S A 10 YEAR PROGRAM. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 9.4 BILLION ON AVERAGE PER YEAR, WHICH IS, UH, AS YOU WELL KNOW, NOT ENOUGH TO DO JUST A HANDFUL OF PROJECTS IN DFW. SO IT'S A CHALLENGE, AND THIS SHOWS YOU WHY THE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING DOWN. SO IN THE 2027 UTP FEDERAL FUNDING IS ESTIMATED TO BE DOWN, BUT THAT'S VERY MUCH DEPENDENT ON THE NEXT FEDERAL REAUTHORIZATION BILL. SO AS YOU'RE ENGAGING WITH YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, KEEP THAT IN MIND. WE NEED TO KEEP FUNDING LEVELS AT THE IIJA OR GREATER IN ORDER FOR THE UTP, NOT TO HAVE THESE KINDS OF IMPACTS. AND THEN ALSO IT'S DUE TO JUST PROPOSITION ONE REVENUES GOING DOWN. SO OIL PRICES HAD BEEN TRENDING DOWN, AND THAT VERY MUCH AFFECTS PROP ONE REVENUE. WE'LL SEE HOW THOSE NUMBERS CHANGE AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE MORE ESTIMATES GOING FORWARD. BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2026 AND 2027 UTP IS $7 BILLION. AND SO THE MESSAGE FROM TXDOT IS LIKELY NO NEW PROJECTS IN THE 2027 UTP STATEWIDE, WHICH I KNOW IS A PAINFUL MESSAGE, BUT IT'S THE REALITY OF WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT. AND THESE ARE ESTIMATES. SO THEY CHANGE, REVENUES GO UP AND DOWN. OBVIOUSLY WE DIDN'T KNOW, UH, THE WAR WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO. AND SO THAT WILL CHANGE PROPOSITION ONE REVENUES. SO IT'S FLUCTUATING ALWAYS. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. BUT PART OF THE REASON WHY THE UTP IS GOING DOWN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS IS ALSO BECAUSE TXDOT HAD BUILT UP A VERY LARGE CASH BALANCE. AND IN 2023, THE LEGISLATURE IN THAT 2023 SESSION TOLD TEXDOT, AND I THINK Y'ALL HAVE MAYBE HEARD THIS FROM SOME OF YOUR LEGISLATORS AS WELL, THAT THEY NEEDED TO SPEND DOWN THAT BALANCE. THAT OF COURSE FROM A TXDOT PERSPECTIVE, THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDS THAT ARE ALL THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED. AND SO THEY, UM, HAVE TO KEEP A SUFFICIENT BALANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CASH FLOW WORKS. BUT IN THIS INSTANCE, THE LEGISLATURE LOOKED AT THAT LARGE BALANCE AND WAS GETTING VERY CONCERNED. SO IN 2023, THEY STARTED SPENDING DOWN THAT BALANCE. AND YOU CAN SEE IT WAS AT A HIGH OF 13.7 BILLION IN 24, AND THEN HAS BEEN STEADILY GOING DOWN AND GOING DOWN IN HUGE NUMBERS IN 25. SO LAST FALL, THE CASH BALANCE GOT TO $1.5 BILLION, WHICH IS LESS THAN THEIR MONTHLY SPEND. SO THEY GOT [00:10:01] VERY CLOSE TO A A NEGATIVE BALANCE THERE, WHICH WAS PRETTY CONCERNING. AND SO THEN TXDOT STARTED RAINING IN SOME OF THE PROJECTS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR. SO THIS JUST SHOWS YOU THE LETTING VOLUME, BASICALLY, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION. I'M SURE YOU HEAR A LOT OF THAT FROM MR. POLLSTER, BUT THIS IS THE VOLUME OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT TRENDING DOWNWARD IN 26 AND TXDOT IS ESTIMATING IT'S GONNA TREND DOWNWARD EVEN MORE IN 27 AND 28. AND DREW, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU BRANDY. AND, AND, AND I KNOW THAT NOW ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE STOP US, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR GO DOWN ANY RABBIT TRAILS YOU WANT TO GO WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS. BUT SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. AND IT'S, UH, WE, WE HAD, UH, A MEETING WITH ONE OF, UH, WITH SENATOR CHARLES PERRY LAST WEEK, AND HE INFORMED US, HE SAYS, LOOK FOR, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, HE'S VERY FRUSTRATED. HE'S, HE OF COURSE IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WATER BEING FROM WEST TEXAS. HE WANTS MORE MONEY. HE THINKS 1.5 BILLION FOR WATER PROJECTS IS NOT ENOUGH. BUT HE SAID, GUYS, I I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ANY SPARE DOLLARS. AND BY SPARE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE RAINY DAY FUND. THEY'RE NOT GONNA SPEND THE RAINY DAY FUND. I JUST, THAT'S A POLICY. AND TO, TO SPEND THAT WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARY. SO BEYOND THE RAINY DAY FUND, ANYTHING SPARE DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET, THEY'VE BEEN DIRECTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING TAX CUTS AND ANY OF THOSE SPARE DOLLARS. AND, AND WE ALL THINK ABOUT, WELL, WE COULD SPEND THOSE ON HIGHWAY PROJECTS, ROAD PROJECTS, WE COULD SPEND 'EM ON ANY NUMBER OF INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THAT'S RIGHT. NOW, THAT'S NOT THE POLICY. SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE CONFUSED OR, OR TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WAIT, DID I JUST HEAR WE HAVE A SURPLUS OF HOW MANY BILLION DOLLARS? AND THE REALITY IS THE RAINY DAY FUND IS SACROSANCT NOT GONNA BE SPENT. AND ANYTHING BEYOND THAT IS GONNA BE SPENT TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES. UH, AND IF YOU'LL LOOK, LET'S SEE, WE GOT THE HIGHWAY COST INDEX. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S VERY FRUSTRATING, AND I KNOW YOU ALL IN YOUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS, BUT IT REALLY AFFECTS THE HIGHWAY FUNDING, UH, AND HIGHWAY EXPENDITURES AND WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO AFFORD, WHAT WE CAN BUY, AND THEN HOW WITH THE INCREASE IN, UH, INFLATION OVER THE LAST REALLY SIX YEARS, UH, WE HAVE LOST ABOUT 25% OF OUR BUYING POWER. PLUS THE FACT THAT IT'S MORE, MORE OF OUR DOLLARS HIT THE MARKET. IT MAKES IT HARDER TO GET THE, THE SUPPLIES THAT ARE NEEDED TO BUILD THE PROJECTS, WHICH AGAIN, DRIVES UP INFLATION. THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT INFLATION IS, HAS SOFTENED SOMEWHAT, AGAIN, AS BRANDY ALLUDED TO, I JUST SAW AS WE WALKED IN TONIGHT, THAT OIL IS AT $110 A BARREL ON THE WORLD MARKET, WHICH IS GONNA CAUSE INFLATION HERE, WHICH MEANS WE'LL HAVE FEWER DOLLARS OR FEWER, UH, DOLLARS IN BUYING POWER TO, TO GET THE PROJECTS DONE. UH, NOW LOOK AT THE RACK AND STACK ACCELERATION. UH, THE 50 PROJECTS THAT WERE ACCELERATED, THE ROUND ONE, THESE WERE IMPROVED IN 2025, APPROVED IN 2025. AND YOU CAN SEE WHICH DISTRICTS GOT THE MOST MONEY. UH, AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHERE THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED. AND BRANDY, IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT. YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH A, A NEGATIVE IMPRESSION IN ALL BAD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE HIGHWAY COST INDEX IS NOW TRENDING DOWNWARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. AND SO TXDOT IS SEEING BIDS COME IN LOWER, WHICH MEANS THAT MORE PROJECTS CAN BE ACCELERATED IN THE UTP. AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE. THE TDOT'S PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN FOR A LOT OF DECADES TO RACK AND STACK PROJECTS, MEANING TO GET THEM READY TO DO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND THE ENGINEERING AND THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND TO HAVE THOSE PROJECTS READY SO THAT THEY CAN GO TO CONSTRUCTION. THE DALLAS DISTRICT LED THE STATE WITH THE NUM THE MOST PROJECTS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL UP IN, IN EARLIER YEARS IN THE UTP, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS CHART IS SHOWING YOU. SO CERTAINLY, UH, WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF FOR THE DALLAS DISTRICT AND BEING ABLE TO DO THAT. AND THEN THEY HAVE A LOT OF CAP CAPABILITY LATER ON IN THIS FISCAL YEAR TO DO THE SAME THING. SO IF BIDS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWNWARD AS WE ARE SEEING, THEN MORE PROJECTS WILL GET MOVED UP. AND SO THAT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE THAT MEANS IF YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS LATER IN THE UTP, THOSE CAN GET ACCELERATED OR EVEN GET PULLED INTO THE UTP DEPENDING ON HOW THE FUNDING NUMBERS CHANGE. AND ALL OF THE ESTIMATES THAT I WAS SHOWING YOU FOR FY 27 EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, AGAIN, THOSE ARE ALL ESTIMATES. SO A LOT OF FACTORS GO INTO THOSE. AND MANY TIMES WE'LL SEE A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION A YEAR FROM NOW IF THOSE REVENUES INCREASE VERSUS WHAT WAS PROJECTED. SO JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP [00:15:01] IN MIND. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TOO, AS BRANDI MENTIONED, THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, DALLAS AND WHERE WE ARE, UH, WE'RE WAY AHEAD OF EVERY OTHER, UH, AREA IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE GETTING IN THE RACK AND STACK ACCELERATION PROJECTS. AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA IN PARTICULAR IS ORGANIZED. UH, WE, WE HAVE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF GETTING OUR PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, AS THEY SAY, SHOVEL READY, UH, SO THAT WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARRIVES, WE CAN STRIKE. IT'S NOT THAT, OH, WAIT A SECOND, LET'S GET OUR PAPERWORK. NO, WE'RE READY TO GO. AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF COORDINATION AND A LOT OF HARD WORK, I KNOW, ON THE PART OF YOUR STAFF, BUT ALSO WITH, UH, UH, YOUR STATE REPS AND, AND, AND THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT. UM, NOW THE MINIMAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE GOT TO MEET 2050 TARGETS, AND I KNOW 2050 SEEMS LIKE A LONG WAY FROM HERE, BUT THEY'RE TALKING IN 2050. WE'RE GONNA HAVE CLOSE TO 50 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. IF WE CAN CONTINUE GROWING LIKE WE ARE NOW, I'M HOPING I'M NOT HERE IN 2050, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT 50 MILLION PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. UH, OH, COME ON. THAT'S A JOKE. UH, BUT I HOPE I AM HERE. BUT THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT, AT WHERE WHY WEVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS IS WE, WE ALWAYS WERE WILLING AND ABLE TO MAKE THE INVESTMENTS FOR NOT THE NEAR TERM, BUT FOR THE LONG TERM IN TERMS OF WATER, ELECTRICITY, UH, AND ROAD BUILDING. AND THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS PLAYING CATCH UP BECAUSE WHEN YOU START PLAYING CATCH UP, IT JUST MEANS THAT YOUR PROJECTS ARE GONNA BE MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT LONGER, UH, TO, TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE. AND, AND SOONER OR LATER PEOPLE WILL STOP COMING HERE. NOW, I, I KNOW THAT SOME, FOR SOME THAT WOULD BE, HEY, JUST, YOU KNOW, PULL UP THE LADDER, I'M ABOARD. I MEAN, I'M DONE. I DON'T WANT ANY MORE PEOPLE HERE. THAT'S, THAT IS A, A, A WAY TO APPROACH IT. BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT BECOME AVAILABLE, AND ALSO THE MAINTENANCE. THE MAINTENANCE IS WHAT REALLY EATS UP SO MUCH OF, OF THE, THE DOLLARS THAT NOW GO INTO TDO. BUT, UH, UH, IF YOU LOOK PARTICULARLY AT THIS PAGE, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE GONNA BE NEEDED FOR EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES. JUST ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, UH, DEVELOPMENT COSTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND, AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT TWO THAT, UH, HOW BIG JUST DALLAS FORT WORTH IS, UH, HOW, HOW SPREAD OUT WE ARE, AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA EVER BE A CITY LIKE NEW YORK CITY. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE LIKE PARIS, WHERE THERE'S 75,000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE. IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN HERE. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE HAVE TO APPROACH OUR, OUR DESIGN AND, AND OUR DEVELOPMENT THAT WAY AND UNDERSTAND THAT ROADS ARE GONNA BE A, A MAJOR PART OF HOW WE MOVE, HOW WE CREATE A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO MOVE HERE. UH, BRANDY, YOU HAVE, IF YOU WANT TO ADD, AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE ON THIS CHART IS FROM A PLAN THAT TECH STOP PUT TOGETHER A LONG RANGE PLAN THAT LOOKED AT STATEWIDE NEEDS THROUGH 2050. AND I KNOW THESE LOOK LIKE HUGE NUMBERS BECAUSE THEY ARE, BUT IT GIVES YOU A MAGNITUDE OF WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO GET IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL THE NEEDS STATEWIDE. AND SO THEY LOOKED AT THE YEARS OF 2025 THROUGH 2046. SO THAT STIP BASICALLY IMPLEMENTED IN 2050, AND IT BASICALLY SHOWS RIGHT NOW, TXDOT HAS BEEN AVERAGING UNTIL THIS DRAFT, 27 UTP, ABOUT $10 BILLION A YEAR IN STATEWIDE INVESTMENTS. THEY NEED 20 BILLION IN ORDER TO REALLY MEET ALL THE NEEDS. SO WE REALLY NEED TO DOUBLE THE FUNDING THAT THEY'RE GETTING NOW, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IT SHOWS YOU WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET AND WHAT THE NEEDS REALLY ARE STATEWIDE BEGINNING IN 2013. AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DATE THAT I THINK WE ALL THINK ABOUT BECAUSE THAT'S THE LAST YEAR, GOVERNOR PERRY, THAT WAS HIS LAST SESSION, AND GOVERNOR PERRY WAS, UH, ONE OF THESE TYPE PEOPLE THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE APPROACH WAS TO GET THE JOB DONE. LET'S TAKE IT. UH, LET'S, LET'S DON'T, LET'S DON'T BE IDEOLOGICAL, LET'S, HOW DO WE GET THIS DONE? WE'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH A BRUTAL SESSION IN 2009 WHERE ABOUT, UH, WHERE THE BUDGET WAS JUST SLASHED. AND, UH, IT MADE US REALIZE IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORLD THAT IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING TO DEDICATE FUNDING TO TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE GONNA BE IN THIS FIGHT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BECAUSE EVERYBODY, EVERY GROUP DOWN THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE OUR MONEY, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE OUR MONEY. AND IT WASN'T FOR TRANSPORTATION, IT WAS FOR ALL THE OTHER NEEDS. AND I KNOW THAT SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE GO TO AUSTIN AND THEY THINK I'M GONNA CUT ALL THE FAT OUT OF THE BUDGET, AND THEY GET DOWN THERE AND DISCOVER THERE'S ONLY A SKELETON, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF FAT ON THE BUDGET. [00:20:01] AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT A POPULAR THING, BUT HAVING BEEN AN OBSERVER OF THE PROCESS AND THE BUDGETING SINCE 1981, I CAN TELL YOU TEXAS IS NOT A, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT, NOT ANY FAT ON THE, ON THE BONES DOWN THERE. IT JUST ISN'T. AND SUBSEQUENTLY, WE STARTED LOOKING AROUND AND THINKING, HOW DO WE GET FUNDS DEDICATED TO THE HIGHWAYS? AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAME UP WITH PROPOSITION ONE, PROPOSITION SEVEN. AND I SAY WE, BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY ROBERT NICHOLS, SENATOR ROBERT NICHOLS, WHO'S GETTING READY TO RETIRE. IT WAS HIS BRAINCHILD. AND, UH, IT GO AHEAD AND CHANGE TO THE NEXT ONE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE SCHEMES, AND THEY ARE SCHEMES BEHIND IT IS THE WAY YOU GO ABOUT COLLECTING THE MONEY. AND IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT, HEY, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO THESE THINGS, UH, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE ALL OF THE TAX. WE JUST, YOU KNOW, IF THE STATE REACHES CERTAIN THRESHOLDS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE OFF THE TOP. AND SUBSEQUENTLY, UH, IT WAS ABLE TO WORK AND THE ECONOMY HAS GROWN, AND PROP ONE AND PROP SEVEN HAVE BOTH DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB, TREMENDOUS JOB OF PROVIDING MORE FUNDS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BRANDY'S GROUP, TAOT IS GONNA BE WORKING TOWARDS, AND ALL OF US, LIKE DRMC AND ET CETERA, AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY GROUP IN TEXAS, BY THE WAY. UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE STATE, JUST LIKE OURS. UH, WE WANT TO EXPAND PROPOSITION SEVEN, WHICH IS THE MOTOR VEHICLE SALES TAX. AND WE WANT TO TAKE RIGHT NOW, IF, IF IT GETS ABOVE A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, IT GETS 35% OF THE TAX. AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, RIGHT, BRANDY, 10 YEARS, YES, IT'LL BE A 10% INCREASE OF THAT TAX TILL AFTER 10 YEARS, 100% OF THE SALES TAX COLLECTED ON MOTOR VEHICLES. WE'LL GO TO THE HIGHWAY FUND. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT REALLY MAKES SENSE. IF YOU'RE NOT BUYING A CAR, YOU'RE NOT USING THE HIGHWAYS UNLESS YOU'RE A COLLECTOR. UH, AND I KNOW SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE. UH, THE OTHER THING IS TO THINK ABOUT IS WE HAVE NOT HAD A GASOLINE TAX INCREASE SINCE 1991. AND I, I, I ALWAYS THINK, WELL, THAT WAS ABOUT WHAT, 10, 12 YEARS AGO? AND IT'S LIKE, NO, NO, NO. THAT, THAT WAS 35 YEARS AGO. AND BACK THEN, IN 1991, THE AVERAGE, UH, MILES PER GALLON WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 2025. TODAY IT'S 45, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE DRIVING TWICE AS MANY MILES ON, HALF AS MUCH GAS, AND YOU'RE PAYING LESS GASOLINE TAX, WHICH MEANS WE'RE NOT COLLECTING ANYWHERE NEAR ENOUGH. SO THIS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN SELL TO THE LEGISLATURE THAT MAKES SENSE. UH, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE NOT IN A CRASH, UH, CASH CRUNCH RIGHT NOW. IF WE WERE TRYING TO SELL THIS IN A, IN AN, IN A TIME OF A CASH CRUNCH, THEY'D NEVER GO FOR IT. UH, UH, LET'S SEE, WHERE ARE WE FUNDING STREAMS? GO AHEAD, BRENDA. WHAT, WHAT DREW'S TALKING ABOUT IS A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, ON THE STATEWIDE BASIS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS AROUND THE STATE, ALSO WITH A CEC, AND WITH THE CONTRACTORS, A GC. ALL OF THE INTERESTED PARTIES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING MORE FUNDING GO TO TRANSPORTATION. AND SO THIS IS THE PROPOSAL IN THIS CHART, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING AND WHAT THE STATEWIDE GROUP IS SUGGESTING AS WELL, WHICH WOULD BE TAKING, SO THIS, THE SECOND PORTION OF PROP SEVEN IS THE MOTOR VEHICLE SALES TAX THAT DREW WAS TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT NOW, THE HIGHWAY FUND GETS 35% OF THAT SALES TAX. WE WANNA GROW THAT TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OVER TIME, BUT THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON GENERAL REVENUE AND AN IMPACT ON THE STATE'S BUDGET. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS RAISE THAT PERCENTAGE 10% A YEAR UNTIL WE GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT. AND SO THE, THE PORTION OF THE CHART IN PURPLE IS BASICALLY SHOWING YOU THE GENERAL REVENUE IMPACTS THE BUDGET. AND SO AS FORMER STAFFERS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE FOR APPROPRIATORS AND FOR THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SUGGESTING DOING THIS GRADUALLY OVER TIME. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE MOTOR VEHICLE SALES TAX PORTION RISES TO ALMOST FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF IT GOES TO THE HIGHWAY FUND AND OVERTIME IN FY 43. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING, AND OUR PITCH TO YOU WOULD BE TO HELP US IN THAT EFFORT AND, UH, ENGAGING WITH YOUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATIONS AND GETTING THEM ON BOARD TO SUPPORT A CONCEPT LIKE THIS. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROGRAM, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA WORK REALLY HARD ON, AND SENATOR NICHOLS SAID IN HIS RETIREMENT, THIS IS ONE OF HIS PROJECTS HE WANTS TO WORK ON, BUT AS COMMISSIONER STACY HAS HEARD ME SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE HAVE GOT TO, AND WE, AS, AS YOU ALL, [00:25:01] UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, YOU'VE GOT TO SIT DOWN WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS, TALK TO THEM ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, GET THEM EXCITED ABOUT IT, GET 'EM INTERESTED IN IT SO THEY CAN BE IN A POSITION TO HELP. UH, DALLAS-FORT WORTH USED IN, IN TIMES PAST WE'VE HAD, AS I SAID, CHAIRMAN TODAY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. UH, ROYCE WEST IS VICE CHAIR OF, UH, TRANSPORTATION IN THE SENATE. UH, HE'S FROM DALLAS AND HE IS FROM SOUTH DALLAS. UH, HE'S NOT A CHAIRMAN. HE'S NOT THE CHAIRMAN. THE CHAIRMAN'S THE ONE WHO CALLS THE SHOTS. UH, DON'T KNOW WHO THE NEW CHAIRMAN WILL BE, BUT ANY MEMBERS OF OUR HOUSE AND SENATE, UH, COMMITTEES THAT WE CAN HAVE FROM DALLAS-FORT WORTH, THEY WILL HAVE A VOICE. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US GET THESE KINDS OF FUNDING DONE. BUT NOT ONLY THAT, AND, AND IT'S AN AMAZING THING, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS AT T HOP AND WE CALL BRANDY, AND I CALL 'EM ALL THE TIME, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, WHEN SENATOR SO-AND-SO CALLS 'EM, THEY ANSWER THE PHONE VERY QUICKLY AND SAY, YES, SIR, YES MA'AM. WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? AND IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE, PARTICULARLY IF THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE, WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS, AND HEY, GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND HELP US. UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE IS REAL STRONG ADVOCACY. I'VE SEEN IT WORK. I KNOW IT WORKS. UH, AND, AND IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW AND PROVIDE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR NEWCOMERS THAT ARE COMING IN HERE, UH, WE WE'VE GOTTA HAVE THAT. WE REALLY DO. AND NOW ANYBODY ANSWER ANY QUESTION, I'LL EVEN TELL YOU WHO THE COWBOYS AREN'T GONNA DRAFT QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS FOR DREW OR BRANDY? NO. WELL DONE . THAT'S, THAT'S SCARY. YES. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, UH, IF, IF YOU CAN'T GET AHOLD OF US, COMMISSIONER STACY, HE'S GOT OUR CELL NUMBERS AND OUR, OUR, UH, UH, COMPANY MOTTO IS, WE MADE THOSE, BUT WE NEVER CLOSE. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED US FOR ANYTHING, DON'T HESITATE TO CALL. AND THEN FOR THE ELECTEDS IN THE ROOM, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT PUTTING LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TOGETHER AND TALKING TO LEGISLATURES, GET, GET UP TO, TO DATE ON WHAT THIS PROP SEVEN REALLY IS, AND THAT THIS TRANSITION IS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT, OR WE'RE NOT GOING TO MEET THE TRANSPORTATION DEMANDS THAT ARE COMING. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT OUR FM ROWS, STATE HIGHWAYS AND, AND WHAT TDOT'S GONNA HAVE TO DO. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM. SO AT LEAST OUR BEST WAY TO GET MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM, THERE'S MORE WAYS, BUT THIS IS THE BEST WAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU, JOE. UM, ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO OVER, EVERYBODY WAS EMAILED A COPY OF THE ROAD PROJECTS AND AGAIN, LIKE, UH, MEETINGS IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE DETERMINED NOT TO JUST SIT UP HERE AND READ, READ FROM THE PAGE, WHO HAS QUESTIONS FOR JOHN OR BRENDA OR BRENDA? JOHN WILL DEFER TO BRENDA. QUESTIONS. OKAY. WE'RE NOT ENCOURAGING. ALRIGHT. LAUREN, LAUREN HAS A QUESTION WORKING ON CONTRACTS. MICROPHONE. YEAH. SAY SAY IT IN THE MICROPHONE, LAUREN. OKAY. I'M SORRY. COMMISSIONER LTI. HEY BRENDA. I, I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON CONTRACTS ON THESE PROJECTS. YES. UM, USE THIS IS BETTER. YES, SIR. WE ADD IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THOSE PREPARED, I'VE SEEN SOME OF 'EM GO BACK AND FORTH TO THE AUDITOR AND THERE, IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO DO TO HELP MOVE THEM FORWARD? UH, WE'VE PLACED SEVERAL OF THEM IN THE HANDS OF THE AUDITOR IN LISA'S HANDS. UH, WE'VE REQUESTED THEM TO BE PLACED ON YOUR AGENDA. SHE'S GOING THROUGH HER REVIEW PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO APPROVE IT, TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA. WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE, UM, I THINK IT'S THREE OF THEM, HORIZON FM 5 49 AND THE FM FIVE 50 SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT, UM, ON APRIL 7TH, IF SHE CAN GET 'EM REVIEWED BY THE ATTORNEY AND OKAY. BY THAT TIME. THEN NEXT TUESDAY WE'VE GOT CRENSHAW ROAD LETTING PHASE TWO AND HOPEFULLY, UH, CRENSHAW ROAD, THE VERY LAST PARCEL, REIMBURSING CITY OR, UH, FUNDING IT THROUGH ROYCE CITY. THAT, THAT IS, BOTH OF THOSE ARE ON THE AGENDA. BOTH CRENSHAW ROAD ITEMS ARE THERE. PERFECT. UM, DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, BUT WE NEED TO MEET [00:30:01] IF WE COULD ON SEVEN 40 I MET WITH THE HEATH FOLKS. WE DO. AND, UH, LET'S SET SOMETHING UP. YES. 'CAUSE WE'VE, UH, JOHN AND I HAVE DISCUSSED IT WITH TDOT AS WELL AND HAVE GOT THEIR FEELINGS ON THE SUBJECT AND WE JUST NEED TO SEE IF WE CAN MESH. LET'S DO IT. OKAY. UH, THE OTHERS ARE EITHER WAITING ON SCOPE AND FEE FROM THE CONSULTANTS, OR WE ARE REVIEWING THEM WITH TDOT AND THEY'RE IN KIND OF IN OUR CO REVIEW AREA. BRENDA, IS THAT, IS THAT WHERE 1777? UH, NO. 1777 WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE ON APRIL 7TH, WE'VE SUBMITTED IT FOR AGENDA PLACEMENT. AND THEN IS THERE THE RQ HEY, LA LACEY C COME UP AND GRAB A MICROPHONE. I'M SORRY. UM, I COULD FEEL THE COUNTY CLERK STARING AT ME. YEAH, THE, THE RFQ, UM, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT AFTER WE GET EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THE QUEUE THROUGH THE SYSTEM. OKAY. I'M ONLY ONE PERSON. NO, NO, IT'S FINE. . SO A DECISION HASN'T BEEN MADE WHETHER OR NOT A NEW RFQ IS GONNA GO OUT OR NOT. SO AS YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR PREVIOUS LIFE, UH, WE HAVE A DISTRICT OFFICE WE HAVE TO TRY TO WORK WITH, AND THEY HAVE A WORKLOAD ISSUE THAT THEY'RE, THEY GIVE US A LIST AND WE HAVE TO, WHEN WE PUT SOMETHING ON, WE HAVE TO TAKE SOMETHING OFF. SO WE'RE NEGOTIATING THAT PARTICULAR ONE, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN DO IT NOW WITH THEIR WORKLOAD. AND SO DEPENDING UPON WHAT THEY COME BACK WITH ON THAT CONVERSATION, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE RFQ. OKAY. SO JUST SO MY FOLKS KNOW THAT FM 24 53 IS ON THE LIST FOR THE SECOND RFQ TO COME OUT, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW, OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE QUESTION HERE, JUDGE. YES. TURN, TURN YOUR MICROPHONE ON THERE. WHEN YOU MENTION HORIZON AND 5 49 COMING IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE UPCOMING COMMISSIONER'S COURTS, DOES THAT INCLUDE BOTH SECTIONS OF HORIZON AND BOTH SECTIONS OF 5 49? UM, IT INCLUDES THE SECTION OF HORIZON FROM FM SEVEN 40 TO INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 30. RIGHT. UM, WE ARE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH TDOT RIGHT NOW ON THE SECTION OF HORIZON FROM TUBBS ROAD TO FM 5 49. OKAY. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE YOU ASKED ABOUT WAS, UM, 5 5 49, BOTH SECTIONS OF 5 49. YES. UM, 5 49 IS ONE THAT SHOULD BE ON THE NEXT COMMISSIONER'S COURT, NOT THE 24TH, BUT HOPEFULLY APRIL 7TH. THE OTHER 5 49 IS UM, LET, RIGHT, YES, IT LET, AND THEY'RE WAITING ON, UM, PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING ON IT. THAT WAS ONE OF THE SIX DALLAS PROJECTS. YES. BRACKENS STACK WENT EARLY FROM YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE AT 6 0 3. WHOA. WE NOT TALK ABOUT OTHER THINGS? WE SURE, SURE. OKAY. I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE MAN, YOU, YOU BARELY, YOU, YOU BARELY GOT IT. I JUST, ANY QUESTIONS FOR BOLSTER? HEY, THANKS JOHN. APPRECIATE IT. UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN UPDATE. WE ARE OLD PROCEEDING AHEAD ON OUR MASTER THOROUGHFARE PLAN REVISION FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY. UM, WE'VE HAD THE FIRST MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE. THE GROUP WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH FREEZE NICHOLS IS WORKING TO SET UP INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WITH STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. UM, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE REACHED OUT TO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE. AND MICHAEL IS SAYING, GIVING ME A THUMBS UP. YEAH, THEY'VE TALKED TO, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET A BROAD SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE INTERVIEWED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY SO WE CAN GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT ON IT. BUT THAT, THAT WAS APPROVED IN DECEMBER. WE SIGNED THE CONTRACT EFFECTIVE JANUARY, AND WE ARE ROLLING TO GET THIS DONE. SO TRYING TO PUSH AS FAST AS WE CAN. THERE'S THE FIRST, THERE ARE TWO UPCOMING TOWN HALL MEETINGS. MAY MARCH 31ST. IS THAT THE ONE IN CHANDLER'S? MARCH 31ST AT CHANDLERS LANDING IN APRIL 1ST AND FATE. WE WANTED TO SET THOSE FIRST TWO IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS. SO ENCOURAGE FOLKS IN YOUR AREAS TO COME TO THOSE MEETINGS AND TRY AND GIVE THEIR INPUT BECAUSE THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF DECISIONS [00:35:01] TO BE MADE ON THAT. THAT'S IT FOR FROM ME. OH YEAH. DANA SAID SHARE THE INVITE THAT OUR PO HAS. PIO. YEAH. WHATEVER. PO OKAY. YEAH, SHARE THE INVITE. DANA, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS? NO. NO. DON'T. OKAY. WELL, OKAY. ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST OUR UPDATE. I WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN IDEA. WE'RE WORKING ON THIS. WE'RE FULL, GOING FULL STEAM AHEAD. THEY'LL BE WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR CITIES BECAUSE THIS INTEGRATES ALL THE THOROUGHFARE PLANS FROM EACH OF THE CITIES TOO TO TRY AND COME UP WITH A COMBINED PRODUCT. THAT'LL BE REAL, REAL HELPFUL. YEP. BRENDA? I'M SORRY, JOHN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? OH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY CAN FIND A MICROPHONE OR I'M GONNA GET IN TROUBLE. THERE YOU GO. THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN. WE'RE TRACKING IT ON PAGE 24 FOR YOU AS WELL, SO IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR MONTHLY REPORT. OKAY. AND THEN THE, THE SECOND THING I JUST WANTED TO MENTION IS I'M SURE EVERYONE AT THIS TABLE IS AWARE OF IT, BUT IF PER CHANCE OR NOT, UM, WE APPROVED THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT'S APPROVED A ME MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WE SENT TO NET COG TO TRY AND COME UP WITH A WRITTEN AGREEMENT ON WHERE WE'RE GOING ON THE OUTER LOOP. SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT ALSO. WE HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM, BUT I'M AS HOPING FOR THE BEST JUDGE. NICK WAS WANTING TO KNOW WHY. QUESTIONS? DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS FOR NICK ? APPRECIATE HONOR. ALL RIGHT. ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? SPEAK NOW. 6 0 7 WE'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU EVERYONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.