[00:00:01]
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2026.WE'LL CALL OUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IN ORDER.
LET'S HAVE A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PGI TO FLAG THE UNITED STATES AMERICA TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN P LIBERTY AND JUSTICE LAW.
[3.1 Presentation of the Lunar New Year Proclamation]
THE PRESENTATIONS AND THE PROCLAMATIONS.FIRST 3.1 PRESENTATION OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PROCLAMATION.
THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, ALSO KNOWN AS SPRING FESTIVAL, MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW NAR CALENDAR YEAR.
IT IS A 15 DAY CELEBRATION THAT INCLUDES FAMILY GATHERINGS, FESTIVE MEALS AND CULTURAL PERFORMANCES, WHICH ENDS WITH A LIGHT FESTIVAL ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE ZODIAC CYCLE.
2026 IS THE YEAR OF THE HORSE, WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY.
THE NEW NEW YEAR IS CELEBRATED BY ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND OTHERS ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, VANESSA, WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
YES, WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM BRENT SANJI.
PLEASE COME TO MAKE A COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL, UH, MAKE A PROCLAMATION.
SO, UH, I THINK THIS IS A TOTAL MISUSE OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
UH, WE SHOULD NOT BE CELEBRATING LUNAR NEW YEAR.
THE UNITED STATES CALENDAR IS NOT BASED ON THE MOON, LIKE THE LUNAR CALENDAR IS.
UM, SO AMERICANS CAN'T CELEBRATE LUNAR NEW YEAR 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LUNAR YEAR.
UM, THIS WAS PUT ON THE DEI CALENDAR, UM, DEI WAS INAPPROPRIATELY PUT INTO OUR GOVERNMENT.
IT'S DOING THINGS THAT WE DON'T DO WHILE LEAVING OUT THINGS THAT WE DO DO, LIKE 4TH OF JULY, THANKSGIVING.
UH, SO WE SHOULD GET RID OF THE ENTIRE DEI CALENDAR.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, INVITE CITY VALLEY ASIAN ASSOCIATION, KATHY DREW, JUNIOR CENT JUNIOR SENIOR CENTER TABLE TENNIS CLUB, MARTIN MARTIN LING, AND THE DOUBLING SUNSET GLOBE GROUP.
PAULO HONG, TO COME OVER TO ACCEPT A PROCLAMATIONS.
AND ALL YOU TEAM MEMBERS CAN COME TO THE STAGE AS WELL.
WILL YOU COME? YOU CAN, UM, SAY A FEW WORDS.
MAYOR, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO OTHER GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN INVITED.
UM, ON THE SECOND PAGE THERE, THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER, AMERICAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, TRI-VALLEY CHAPTER, AND THE EAST BAY CHINESE ASSOCIATION.
SO WE HAVE TWO MORE ORGANI ORGANIZATIONS, UH, PAPA AND EAST BAY CHINESE ASSOCIATION.
PLEASE JUST COME FORWARD AND IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US, UM, PLEASE DO SO.
SILICON VALLEY, UM, ASIAN ASSOCIATION.
UH, MY NAME IS CASEY DREW, FOUNDER AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SILICON VALUATION ASSOCIATION.
I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE CITY OF DUBLIN MAYOR.
SHE HU AND, UH, OUR CITY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND THE SUPPORTING CELEBRATIONS.
LIKE THE EVENT, UH, AT THE SENIOR CENTER LAST SATURDAY, WE WERE, UH, THRILLED TO HAVE MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE JOIN US.
SO I WAS PROUD TO SERVE AS THE LEAD ORGANIZER AND TO SEE SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES CELEBRATING SIDE BY SIDE, LUNAR NEW YEAR.
AL HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY MOST MEANINGFUL HOLIDAYS IN MY LIFE GROWING UP.
I ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD, LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING DUMPLINGS AND, UH,
THESE TRADITIONS ARE NOT JUST A PART OF MY FAMILY'S CULTURE, BUT, UH, A WHAT PART OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
[00:05:01]
HERITAGE.HAPPY LUNA NEW YEAR FOR THE HOUSE.
AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING, UH, FOR THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
SO MAYBE, UH, WE DO ONE BY ONE.
KATHY AND YOUR GROUP, PLEASE COME OVER.
WE TAKE A PHOTO AND THEN WE START A SECOND GROUP.
SO, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE W SENIOR CENTER TABLE TENNIS CLUB, UM, PING ONG AT THE, UH, CHIN CLUB.
SO DO YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS OR YOU JUST WANT TO COME OVER? JUST TAKE A PHOTO TOGETHER.
EVERYTHING GOES BRU AND THROUGH.
YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD? YOU WANNA SAY THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH? THANK YOU.
UM, YEAH, THIS IS A ZU FROM A PAPA TRI VALUE CHAPTER, UH, BOARD MEMBER.
I'M ALSO THE BOARD MEMBER OF APAPA TRI VALUE CHAPTER.
YEAH, JUST HAPPY LEARN NEW YEAR.
ON BEHALF OF OUR PAPA, THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN PUBLIC FAIR ASSOCIATION, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO CELEBRATE THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
SO, YEAH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
SO, A POPPA'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC SERVICES AND LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND PUBLIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY HERE IN THE TRA VALLEY.
A PAPA TVC SUPPORTS INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE ANNUAL ASIAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION RIGHT HERE IN DUBLIN.
I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN TO THAT EVENT EVERY YEAR.
RIGHT? AND WE SUPPORT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
WE GOT ALL THE CITIZENS ON THE STREET AND MEET WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND YOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICEMEN AND VOTERS REGISTRATION EFFORT.
AND OUR SIGNATURE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH PLACES
[00:10:01]
STUDENTS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING MANY OF YOU HERE TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIC LEADERS.WE THANK THE CITY OF DUBLIN FOR RECOGNIZING LUNAR NEW YEAR FOR SUPPORTING A DIVERSE AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY.
WISHING EVERYONE HERE A PERSPEC, UH, PROSPER, UM,
THANK, OH, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU.
SO NEXT GROUP IS, IS THE BAY CHINESE ASSOCIATION.
AND AS, AS A WORLD CELEBRATION LUNAR NEW NEW YEAR, 2026, THE EAST BAY CHINESE ASSOCIATION IS CALLED EBCA.
RECEIVE CONGRATULATIONS FROM DUBLIN CITY.
UH, RECOGNIZATION, UH, RECOGNIZ RECOGNITION IS OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY OVER THE PAST YEAR.
EBCA, UH, ACTIVATE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE PARTICIPANT IN VARIOUS, VARIOUS LIN CITY EVENTS AND FACILITIES, CULTURES, UH, EXCHANGE, ACTIVATE, ACTIVATE ACTIVITIES FOR COMMUNITY HERE.
WE, RESIDENTS, WE THINK DUBLIN CITY FOR ITS CARE AND SUPPORT OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY.
WE, WE WILL EXTEND THIS HERE AND SUPPORT NOT ONLY TO THE DUBLIN CHINESE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TO THE ENTIRE EAST BAY.
UH, EAST BAY CHINESE ASSOCIATION IS FILLED WITH JOY IN ANTICIPATION AND WILL DO EVEN, EVEN MORE FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNITY.
DUBLIN CITY, PLEASE COME OVER FOR THE ATION.
AND WE'LL FOR ONE SEC, ONE MINUTE.
SO YOU CAN ALL LEAVE THE, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBER.
UM, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME TIME SO YOU CAN JUST, UH, LEAVE THE CHAMBER BECAUSE NOW WE ARE GOING TO OUR NEXT SECTION.
YEAH, IT, IT'S JUST, UH, GIVE YOU A ONE MINUTE BREAK.
BUT, UH, UM, I KNOW MANY OF YOU, UM, I ALREADY TALKED TO MANY OF YOU.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL PROCEED TO NEXT,
[3.2 Employee Introductions]
UH, AGENDA ITEM 3.2, EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTIONS, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.[00:15:02]
REINTRODUCE YOU TO DEBBIE BELL, WHO'S YOUR NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AND THEN SHE'LL INTRODUCE THE OTHER EMPLOYEES.SO DEBBIE'S BEEN WITH DUBLIN FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, MANAGING THE MAINTENANCE DIVISION AND OVERSEEING THE MCE CONTRACT.
UH, AND SHE'S REALLY BROUGHT A RENEWED FOCUS ON PROACTIVELY CARING FOR THE CITY'S MANY WONDERFUL ASSETS.
SHE HAS A BROAD BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC WORKS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING 17 YEARS WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE IN THE AREAS OF ASSET MANAGEMENT, PLANNING AND HUMAN SERVICES.
SHE'S ALSO SERVED AS A RAIL TRANSPORTATION PLANNER FOR CALTRANS MANAGING PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE CREATION OF THEIR 20 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIL CORRIDOR.
YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DEBBIE, THAT SHE'S A TEAM PLAYER, WHICH WE LOVE.
SHE'S COMMUNICATIVE AND SHE'S HIGHLY REGARDED BY HER PAST AND PRESENT COLLEAGUES.
UH, WE ARE ALL SUPER EXCITED FOR HER TO STEP INTO THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING YOUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DEBBIE BELL.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, YOU, COLLEEN, AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I REALLY WANNA SAY I'M INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M EXCITED TO BUILD SOME OF OUR TEAM AS YOU'LL MEET THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS CELEBRATE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE TEAM FOR A LONG TIME AND PUT A LOT OF CARE AND EFFORT INTO BUILDING THIS COMMUNITY AND MAINTAINING IT.
LOTS OF LOTS OF GOOD WORK AHEAD AND VERY EXCITED.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO, UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO VAAL PATEL AS A PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND CITY ENGINEER.
VASAL HAS NEARLY 15 YEARS OF PUBLIC WORKS EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA, STARTING AS AN INTERN WITH THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO MOST RE RECENTLY AS THE ENGINEERING MANAGER AT THE CITY OF BRENTWOOD.
VASAL WAS RAISED IN THE BAY AREA AND HE GREW UP IN THE PENINSULA.
HE ATTENDED SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY FOR HIS BS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AND NOTRE DAME DAM, NAMUR UNIVERSITY FOR HIS MBA BUTAL AND HIS FAMILY NOW CALLED DUBLIN HOMES.
SO HE IS ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN THE SAME COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A REALLY BENEFIT TO BOTH THE CITY AND THE EMPLOYEE.
SO I'M EXCITED FOR THAT, AND HE'S REALLY EXCITED TO BE JOINING THIS TEAM IN THIS ORGANIZATION WHEN HE IS NOT SPENDING TIME WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER.
HE ENJOYS PLAYING A ROUND OF GOLF, BUT HIS DAUGHTER IS VERY LITTLE RIGHT NOW.
SO THE ROUNDS OF GOLF ARE ALSO VERY LITTLE RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, JOIN ME IN WELCOMING VASAL TO THE, TO THE TEAM.
YOU WANT TO SHARE A FEW WORDS WITH US? UM, HERE YOU GO.
YOU CAN HAVE THAT, UH, NO, JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE GOOD WORK AHEAD.
AND HERE'S A LITTLE GIFT TO YOU.
WE'LL PRESENT THIS TO YOU TO WELCOME YOU INTO OUR, UH, DUBLIN CITY.
AND SECOND, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO JAMES LIE.
HE'S OUR NEW SENIOR PUBLIC WORKS INSPECTOR.
AND JAMES WAS MOST RECENTLY A SUPERVISING PUBLIC WORKS INSPECTOR THREE FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY WITH OVER SIX YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT.
PRIOR TO THAT, HE SPENT FIVE YEARS AS A PROJECT MANAGER WITH AN IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR PERFORMING PUBLIC WORKS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND SOME OF THOSE WERE EVEN IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
HE'S WALKING ONTO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND REALIZING THAT HE WAS A PART OF SOMETHING SIMILAR IN THE PAST.
JAMES WENT TO A SMALL COLLEGE IN CENTRAL IOWA WHERE HE STUDIED ENGLISH LITERATURE WITH A MINOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE, AND HE CURRENTLY RESIDES IN CASTRO VALLEY AND IS EAGER AND EXCITED TO BRING HIS COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT TO AFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THIS ORGANIZATION IN DUBLIN.
AND IN HIS FREE TIME, HE ENJOYS READING, SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY, HIKING, CAMPING, ALSO GOLFING AND SNOWBOARDING WITH HIS, WITH HIS, UH, DAUGHTER.
SO PLEASE WELCOME JAMES TO THE TEAM.
PLEASE SHARE A FEW WORDS WITH US.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, WARM WELCOME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SERVE THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU AND THERE'S A LITTLE GIFT FOR YOU.
[4. PUBLIC COMMENT]
PUBLIC COMMENT.AT THIS TIME, THE PUBLIC IS PERMITTED TO ADDRESS TO THE CITY COUNCIL ONLINE LEGITIMIZED ITEMS. PLEASE STEP TO THE PODIUM AND CURRENTLY STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
UH, VA DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, SIX PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[00:20:10]
READY? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR WHO, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND STEAM STAFF.I AM THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF THE DUBLIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND I'M HERE THIS EVENING ON BEHALF OF THE DUBLIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
I'D LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, HAS CONSIDERATION OF RENAMING HERITAGE PARK TO LOCKHART PARK.
IN HONOR OF MAYOR JANET LOCKHART AND HER HUSBAND, STEVE HERITAGE PARK EXISTS TODAY BECAUSE OF VISION, PERSISTENCE, AND THAT DEEP BELIEF THAT DUBLIN'S STORY MATTERS.
DURING HER TENURE AS MAYOR, JANET LOCKHART WAS STEADFAST CHAMPION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT PROTECTING OUR PAST WAS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT SAVING BUILDINGS, IT WAS ABOUT SAFEGUARDING IDENTITY, COMMUNITY CHARACTER, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION EFFORTS THAT SHAPED WHAT WE NOW KNOW.
AS DUBLIN HERITAGE CENTER REQUIRED LEADERSHIP, COLLABORATION, AND LONG-TERM COMMITMENT, MAYOR LOCKHART BROUGHT ALL OF THESE QUALITIES TO THE TABLE.
SHE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A PHYSICAL SPACE WHERE RESIDENTS, STUDENTS, AND VISITORS COULD CONNECT WITH DUBLIN'S ROOTS.
WHILE JANET'S LEADERSHIP WAS CENTRAL TO THESE EFFORTS AT THE CITY, THIS WORK WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE DEDICATED COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND PRESERVATION PARTNERS LIKE STEVE, WHO SHARED THAT, WHO SHARED THAT COMMITMENT WITH HER.
THE NAME LOCKHART PARK ALLOWS US TO HONOR THAT LEGACY OF SERVICE.
UH, RENAMING THE PARK TO LOCKHART PARK WOULD, WOULD NOT ERASE THE IDENTITY OF DUBLIN HERITAGE CENTER AND MUSEUMS, RATHER, IT WOULD CREATE A LASTING VISIBLE TRIBUTE TO THE OUTDOOR SPACE STANDING AS A TESTAMENT TO THOUGHTFUL STEWARDSHIP AND PUBLIC SERVICE, THE DUBLIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY BELIEVES THIS RECOGNITION ALIGNS WITH OUR CITY'S VALUES AND OUR LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE SHAPED DUBLIN IN MEANINGFUL WAYS.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU AT THE SHAMROCK GALA ON MARCH 13TH TO KICK OFF ST.
OKAY, NEXT, WE HAVE GUY HOUSTON, MADAM MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, GUY HOUSTON HERE TONIGHT TO, UH, TO ALSO TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF, OF RENAMING THE, UH, PARK PORT OF THE, UH, HERITAGE CENTER TO, UH, JANET LOCKHART PARK.
UH, JANET WAS THE FIRST ELECTED WOMAN MAYOR IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
UH, AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT SHE DID IN HER TENURE, HER LONG TENURE, UH, BUT PERHAPS THE HERITAGE CENTER IS, UH, KIND OF HER CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT, IF NOT FOR JANET LOCKHART, THAT PARK WOULD NOT BE THERE.
UM, AT THE TIME, LITTLE HISTORY LESSON IS, AT THE TIME, THAT WAS THE OLD ROMLEY SHOPPING CENTER AND THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, BERKELEY FARMS, UH, THEY WANTED TO REDEVELOP THAT INTO A, A OFFICE COMPLEX.
THERE WERE APPLICATIONS INTO THE CITY, UH, FOR AN OFFICE COMPLEX.
I LIKE THE PLANS, I WAS ALL FOR IT.
BUT JANET, SHE WAS THE ONE THAT SAID, NO, NO, THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND SO BERKELEY FARMS CAME BACK WITH A COUPLE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS.
THEY PUT A COUPLE TREES IN, THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA DO IT, AND JANET SAID NO.
SO IT WAS WITH HER VISION AND HER LEADERSHIP AND THE CITY'S MONEY TO ACTUALLY END UP BUYING THAT PROPERTY AND PUTTING, INVESTING THE DOLLARS TO, TO MAKE THAT PARK WHAT IT IS TODAY.
SO WITHOUT JANET, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A PARK, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, UM, TO, UH, NAME THIS AFTER JANET, UH, IN HER MEMORY AND HONOR FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT SHE'S DONE IN THE CITY.
SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY PASSES AND YOU WANT, THERE WAS THIS ZEAL TO NAME SOMETHING AFTER THEM.
AND SOMETIMES, FRANKLY, IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THAT HERITAGE CENTER AND THAT PARK, IT'S A PERFECT FIT BECAUSE SHE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS THERE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND SHE MADE IT HAPPEN.
THAT'S NOT TO DISSUADE ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT HAD A BIG PART IN PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAD, UH, CLAUDIA MCCORMICK, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, FORMER VICE MAYOR, UH, AS WELL AS FORMER MAYOR TIM BRTI CONTACT YOU ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
BUT THERE'S A TON OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE, AND I LISTED THEM.
YOU HAD DHPA, THE PREDECESSOR OF, OF THE ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE TODAY, THE LIONS CLUB, THE ROW RANCH RODEO, THE DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE SISTER CITY ASSOCIATION, D-S-R-S-D, THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
EVEN THE CLAMPERS AT A BIG PART OF WHAT HAPPENING AT THAT, AT THAT CENTER RIGHT NOW.
SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, JANET LOCKHART WAS THERE, THE PERSON THAT MADE IT ALL HAPPEN.
SO I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, UH, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS THIS.
AND, UH, JANET LOCKHART PARK WOULD BE VERY APPROPRIATE FOR THE CITY OF DUBLIN.
[00:25:01]
NEXT WE HAVE SACHIN QATAR, AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.I'M HERE TO, UH, SHARE MY CONCERN ABOUT HOW THE CRICKET FIELD IN FALL AND SPORTS PARK IS BEING MAINTAINED, THOUGH I KNOW IT'S CLOSE FOR LA LAST THREE MONTHS FOR THE RAINS AND WHATNOT, BUT, UH, IT'S REALLY FROM THE LAST YEAR ITSELF.
SO THE WAY, UH, I THINK THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT IS OUT TO SOME, SOME CONTRACTING AGENTS, SOME MAINTENANCE AGENCY, BUT WE ARE NOT SURE IF THAT AGENCY HAVE THE REAL SKILLS TO MAINTAIN SUCH A TECHNICAL FIELD, WHICH IS USED FOR A SPORT, UH, TECHNICAL SPORTS LIKE CRICKET, WHICH AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AND NOT TO, UH, NOT TO MENTION OUR, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT TO CRICKET IS NOW GOING TO BE PART OF 2028 OLYMPICS AS WELL.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PLAYERS, UH, FROM THE DUBLIN ITSELF ARE CURRENTLY PRE REPRESENTING USA AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
EVEN THERE ARE LIKE THREE OR FOUR PLAYERS JUST FROM THE BAY AREA RIGHT NOW PLAYING THE WORLD CUP.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT, UH, FIELD AND THE RIGHT SHAPE AND FORM THAT OUR UPCOMING ATHLETES CAN REALLY BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION PLAYERS.
JUST TO POINT OUT, LIKE IF THE FIELD IS NOT, UH, BUILT RIGHT, OR THE GRASS IS NOT CUT TO THE RIGHT LEVEL, OR THE PITCH IS NOT BUILT RIGHT, THEY WILL LOSE THEIR TECHNIQUE.
THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO PLAY IN THE RIGHT WAY.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, A LOT OF KIDS OR A LOT OF COACHES ARE TRYING NOT TO PLAY IN DUBLIN, BUT TO PLAY IN SOUTH BAY.
TO THE MATTER OF FACT, THE LAST WEEK I WENT TO THE MORGAN HILLS TO HAVE MY SON PLAY THERE.
SO IMAGINE, AND WE ARE PAYING FOR ALL THESE FIELDS WE ARE PAYING HERE IF WE PLAY HERE OR WE ARE WE PAYING THERE TOO, SOMEBODY'S ANYWAY MAKING MONEY.
AND, AND CITY IS ALSO SPENDING MONEY AS WELL.
SO WHY NOT TO PICK THE RIGHT TERM MAINTENANCE CONTRACTORS WHO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW CRICKET PITCH IS, OR THE HOW THE CRICKET FIELDS ARE BEING MAINTAINED.
I, I WOULD BEQUEST TO REVISIT, UH, WHAT OUR CONTRACTORS THAT WE ARE MAINTAINING THIS, WHAT KIND OF, UH, SKILLS THEY HAVE, WHAT KIND OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE, HOW THE TRIGGER FIELD SHOULD BE MAINTAINED.
I DID SHARE SOME OR EXCHANGE SOME EMAILS WITH THE CITY LAST YEAR.
THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THAT YES, THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
BUT AGAIN, UH, AS WE ARE GONNA START THIS SEASON NOW, PROBABLY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AT THE RAIN STARTS TO STOP, I WANTED TO BRING IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO REVIEW THAT.
AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP AND COLLABORATE.
WE HAVE A GROUP OF, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY CRICKET EXPERTS, EVEN THE, UH, MEMBER OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE AT THE USA, UH, CRICKET BOARD LEVEL, WHICH IS ALSO PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET BOARD.
SO WE, I'M HERE TO HELP COORDINATE AND BRING IN THE MORE EXPERTS ON THE TABLE TO HELP COLLABORATE.
I'M NOT JUST HERE TO RAISE A CONCERN, BUT ALSO WANT TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO IT.
JUST WANNA START OFF WHEN WE'RE DOING THE LUNAR THING, YOU STARTED SPEAKING A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE TO YOUR PEOPLE.
IT'S LIKE WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THE CHAMBER WHEN YOU'RE IN THE POSITION OF THE MAYOR.
SO IT'S DISRESPECTFUL THAT YOU DID THAT.
UM, SO THE REASON I'M DOING PUBLIC COMMENT IS BECAUSE I WANNA DO A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT.
EVER SINCE DEI GOT PUT INTO THE GOVERNMENT, UM, WE'VE GONE OFF THE RAILS AS A CITY.
IT'S JUST LIKE PURE POLITICAL ACTIVISM ALL THE TIME.
AND THE PROBLEM THAT I AM COMING HERE SPECIFICALLY IS THAT CHERRY, WHO IS AN IMMIGRANT.
AND WE'VE HAD HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL AGENDA ITEMS REGARDING IMMIGRATION.
THE FIRST ONE WAS THE ICE FACILITY, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, UH, CHERRY, WHO'S AN IMMIGRANT, SHE VOTED AGAINST IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT FACILITY.
UH, THAT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
THE SECOND ONE WAS THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY ADDED AN AMENDMENT REGARDLESS OF THE IMMIGRATION STATUS, BASICALLY PROVIDING COVER FOR IMMIGRANTS WHO BROKE OUR LAW.
UH, CHERRY WHO AGAIN, SHE'S AN IMMIGRANT, SHE VOTED IN, IN FAVOR OF THAT PROVIDING PROTECTION FOR IMMIGRANTS WHO BREAK OUR LAWS.
UM, A LITTLE HISTORY OF OUR CITY.
WE HAD A POPULATION BOOM, AND WE BROUGHT IN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND WE WELCOMED THEM AND WE WERE NICE TO THEM.
AND THEN AS SOON AS THEY GOT HERE, A LOT OF THEM STARTED BREAKING OUR LAWS AND BRINGING IN MORE OF THEIR PEOPLE.
AND SO NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THOSE PEOPLE WHO BROKE OUR LAWS.
SO THAT WAS NOT THE DEAL WHEN WE HAD THE POPULATION.
BOOM, WE LET YOU COME IN OUR COUNTRY LEGALLY, BUT YOU CAN'T BREAK OUR LAWS.
AND NOW YOU'RE JUST HERE IN OUR GOVERNMENT CELEBRATING YOUR HOLIDAYS AND SPEAKING YOUR LANGUAGE.
AND AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE DEI FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS INDEFENSIBLE.
SHE'S IN OUR GOVERNMENT DEFYING OUR COUNTRY'S LAWS IN TERMS OF IMMIGRATION, AND SHE'S AN IMMIGRANT.
SO THAT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.
SO PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON AND HOW YOU'RE GONNA RECTIFY THIS.
SORRY, MADAM MAYOR, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, MAY I ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FROM OUR STAFF? PLEASE, PLEASE.
UM, DID ANYTHING WE DID, UM, REGARDING THE, UM, THE RESOLUTION FOR ICE OUT OF DUBLIN BREAK ANY LAWS OF ANY KIND? NO.
UM, AND HAS ANYTHING THAT WE PUT INTO OUR, UM, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, UH, ADVOCATE FOR BREAKING LAWS OF ANY KIND? NO, THANK YOU.
UM, AND, UH, DO YOU, IS IT REQUIRED THAT YOU ARE A, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN IN ORDER TO RUN FOR OFFICE IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN
[00:30:01]
AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY? NO, IT IS NOT.IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO BE A CITIZEN.
IT IS A, IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO BE TO BE A CITIZEN.
CITIZEN TO RUN, RUN TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO BE A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY.
EVERYBODY ON THIS DIOCESE IS A CITIZEN, A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY, CORRECT? YES.
IT'S A CITIZEN IN ORDER TO VOTE AND THE CITIZEN IN ORDER TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY, UH, FOR THE BILINGUAL I'M USING TODAY, EVERYTHING I SAID, I SAID ENGLISH FIRST.
SO IT'S, YOU DIDN'T LOSE ANYTHING.
OKAY? YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GET TO SPEAK BACK TO US AT THE DIOCESE.
NO CHINESE FROM THE, YOUR, FROM THE, FROM THE DIOCESE.
MR. SAN, PLEASE, UM, REMAIN SILENT SO WE CAN, UM, PROCEED.
OUR MEETING NEXT SPEAKER IS DAWN BENSON GUNGHO.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AS WE ARE ALL ONE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
MADAM MAYOR AND DUBLIN COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, TRUBY AND STAFF.
I'M HERE THIS EVENING IN SUPPORT OF RENAMING DUBLIN HERITAGE PARK.
AFTER OUR RECENTLY PASSED, MAYOR JANET LOCKHART JANET'S MANY YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE TO DUBLIN, INCLUDING HER 11 YEARS SERVING ON THIS COUNCIL.
AND AS THE MAYOR PROVIDED MANY MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY DURING HER LEADERSHIP, SHE CHAMPIONED THE CREATION AND THE BUILDING OF HERITAGE PARK.
SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THIS JEWEL OF A PARK AND A HISTORICAL, UH, ASSET TO THIS, TO OUR CITY.
A REALITY ALONGSIDE HER WONDERFUL HUSBAND, STEVE, THESE TWO BUILT AND WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENED.
SHE WAS A KIND, CARING, FAMILY ORIENTED PERSON THAT BALANCED PUBLIC SERVICE WITH HER BELOVED FAMILY.
I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE, HAVE HER AS A MA, AS A MENTOR, AND TO SERVE ON OTHER BOARDS WITH HER OVER THE YEARS.
SHE DID A LOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE THANKFUL FOR HER LEADERSHIP, PASSION FOR HER COMMUNITY AND HER HUMANITY.
I HOPE THE CITY CONSIDERS NAMING THE HERITAGE PARK AFTER JANET DUBLIN IS A BETTER CITY, THANKS TO THE WORK JANET DID WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS, UH, LITTLE TIDBIT OF, UH, MY KNOWLEDGE AND MY HEART.
MIKE GRANT, I RUN GUNS UNLIMITED IN TOWN.
I ALSO SUPPORT WHAT THEY JUST BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE PARK.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT DEAL.
TONIGHT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY NET AS THE LIST BY SAFE WISE, IT WAS RELEASED.
2026 SAFEST CITIES IS ACTUALLY 2025.
DANVILLE'S NUMBER ONE SAN RAMON'S, NINE DUBLIN'S 26.
THE QUESTION TO EACH OF YOU WHO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR 72,000 PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN IS, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET US DOWN, GET THE NUMBER DOWN, NOT UP AT 26.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF EMBARRASSING FOR A CITY LIKE WE ARE.
AND THAT MEANS NOT GOING TO A CONFERENCE SITTING AROUND IN A STATE CONFERENCE, WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FOR DESSERT AND SAYING THAT THAT'S A SAFETY DEAL.
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
IT'S BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR SAFETY.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA MAKE IT BETTER? FOR YEARS, THE CITY'S EXPANDED ITS FOOTPRINT GOING THAT DIRECTION.
YOU'VE ADDED MORE HOMES AND BUSINESSES AND OUR DPSS HAVE HAS TO GO OUT THERE AND NOT ONLY DURING THE DAY OR AT NIGHT, TAKE CARE OF US.
THEY GOTTA TAKE CARE OF THE, UH, BUSINESSES TOO.
SO WE ONLY HAVE 63 OFFICERS ON STAFF, ONE EVERY TWO YEARS OR WHATEVER.
I MEAN, THAT'S GUYS, THAT'S A DRIP IN THE BUCKET.
YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO SAN RAMON, THEY'RE 84,000, THEY HAVE MORE COPS.
PLEASANTON 80, THEY HAVE MORE COPS.
WHY ARE WE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL ALL THE TIME? I KEEP ASKING THAT QUESTION TO START.
WHY NOT JUST PUT UP CAMERAS ON MAJOR STREETS IN TOWN? SILVER GATE'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
AND YOU CAN START WITH THE CITIZENS' PATROLS.
DANVILLE HAS IN PLEASANT FLOCK CAMERAS THAT
[00:35:01]
ARE, CAN CAPTURE PICTURES OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FACES.WHEN THEY HAVE A LICENSE PLATE THAT DOESN'T READ, IT GETS KICKED.
SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, A BROWN CHEVY.
THERE'S A LOT OF BROWN CHEVYS OR WHATEVER OUT THERE.
SO I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND A FAMOUS STATEMENT THAT SAFE, SAFE WISE, PUT OUT FROM DATA FROM ALL THE CITIZENS THAT, THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS.
IT SAYS, WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONAL SAFETY, FIREARMS ARE THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR YEARS.
AMERICANS ALSO TEND TO REACH INTO THE POCKET FOR A KNIFE SPRAY.
THOUGH THE, THE PREFERENCE VARIES BY THE GENDER IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
MEN LEAVE HEAVILY TOWARDS FIREARMS, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
SO WHY NOT, UH, GO AHEAD AND START DOING SOMETHING FOR THIS CITY.
AND THAT IS MOVE THE NEEDLE, START THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, QUIT TALKING PUBLIC SAFETY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WE'RE SHORT ON OFFICERS IN THIS TOWN AND CITIZENS THAT COULD BE OUT THERE HELPING YOU OUT.
[5. CONSENT CALENDAR]
FIVE, CONSENT CALENDAR, CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS A TYPICAL, TYPICALLY NON-CONTROVERSIAL IN NATURE AND ARE CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL BY THE CITY COUNCIL WITH ONE SINGLE ACTION.SO, WANT TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE CONSENT CALENDARS? OKAY, 5.4 0.4, ALSO 5.4.
I ALSO HAVE A SPEAKER SLIP FOR 5.1 0.1.
SO, UM, NEXT, LET'S JUST BECAUSE THESE TOTAL FOUR ITEMS, ITEMS, SO E EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT.
SO LET'S GO, GO AHEAD TO DO 5.1, APPROVAL OF FIVE THIRD, 2026, REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES.
SO WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH IS INVITE THIS PUBLIC COMMENT.
AS YOU ARE QUITE AWARE, I SENT YOU A BROWN ACT CURE AND CORRECT DEMAND ON FEBRUARY 6TH, PERTAINING TO YOUR VOTE ON FEBRUARY 3RD TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS ON YOUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
I NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN THE AGENDA NOR THE RED LINES OR STAFF REPORT THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY DISCUSSION OF INCLUSION OF THE LANGUAGE OF REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS.
I ASK THAT YOU RESCIND THE VOTE AND RE-NOTICE AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE FUTURE MEETING.
VICE MAYOR JOSIE RESPONDED TO ME ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT, A, I WAS CLEARLY TOO CONFUSED TO UNDERSTAND THE ACTION YOU TOOK.
B YOU DID NOTHING WRONG, JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL.
C THERE WAS NOTHING TO SEE HERE AS THIS WAS NOT ABOUT CITY BENEFITS AND SERVICES ONLY ABOUT FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATION YOU SUPPORT.
AND THIS IS A QUOTE, IT IS COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT TO OUR WORK.
IF THIS LANGUAGE AMENDMENT WAS SO IRRELEVANT TO YOUR WORK, WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT YOU PRESSURE COUNCILMAN MORADA OUT OF HIS INITIAL REASONABLE REQUEST TO CONSIDER THE AMENDED RED LINES AT TODAY'S MEETING AND WHY? THE STRANGE BEHAVIOR DURING THE FEBRUARY 3RD MEETING, AS YOU MAY HAVE REALIZED, I WATCHED THE SESSION ON TV AND YOUR BEHAVIOR DURING 8.1 WAS TO PUT IT POLITELY, A LITTLE PECULIAR.
THERE WERE A LOT OF MEANINGFUL GLANCES NODS, AND YOUR NOSE, UH, BETWEEN A FEW OF YOU, YOU WOULDN'T, OF COURSE, I TRUST, UH, UM, VICE MAYOR JOIE, THAT, UH, YOU OBEY WITH THE BROWN ACT, UH, UH, COMPLY WITH THE BROWN ACT.
SO I ASSUME YOU'RE NOT HAVING ANY SERIAL CONVERSATIONS.
THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS, WAS ACTUALLY ONLY MENTIONED ONCE BY COUNCILMAN QUADRY.
ONE MAY HAVE EASILY MISSED IT.
THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED ADDING LANGUAGE, BUT NEVER ACTUALLY THE, THE ACTU VERBIAGE.
AND INTERESTINGLY, AS SOON AS YOU MOVED ONTO THE NEXT TOPIC OF THE NOISE ORDINANCE, YOU SUDDENLY TALKED IN SPECIFICS.
I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU WATCH THE TV
[00:40:01]
RECORDING.TO SUMMARIZE, I ACTUALLY REQUEST THAT YOU DO NOT APPROVE THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 3RD WITHOUT SOME ADDED CLARITY ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS VOTE AND THIS PARTICULAR LANGUAGE.
AND AGAIN, I REQUEST THAT YOU RE-NOTICE AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I MAY JUST BE AN OLD WOMAN WHOSE KNOWLEDGE OF CITY COUNCIL RULES IS NOT QUITE UP TO VICE MAYOR JOSIE STANDARDS, BUT I THINK DUBLIN RESIDENTS DESERVE SOME TRANSPARENCY AROUND WHY REGARDING OF IMMIGRATION STATUS IS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHAT IMPACTS AND CONSEQUENCES, IF ANY THERE ARE FROM IT.
DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT? OH, I WAS GONNA ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, WE ARE AT CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
UM, I'LL ALSO HAVE COMMENTS, UH, WELL, I GUESS WE'RE DONE WITH PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
SO I CAN HAVE BOTH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
MY, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, UH, FROM FOR COUNSEL, UH, RACHEL, DO YOU, DID WE HAVE A BROWN ACT VIOLATION WHEN WE DISCUSSED ADDING LANGUAGE TO ITEMS IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM? WE DID NOT.
AND I CAN, UM, EXPLAINED WHAT THE STANDARD IS UNDER SAN DIEGO, UH, SAN AGAINST FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT, WHICH DEFINES THE STANDARD FOR WHAT IS SUFFICIENT ON AN AGENDA TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE BROWN ACT.
AND THAT STANDARD IS THE AGENDA.
DRAFTERS MUST GIVE THE PUBLIC A FAIR CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN MATTERS OF PUBLIC OF PARTICULAR OR GENERAL CONCERN BY PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH MORE THAN MERE CLUES FROM WHICH THEY MUST THEN GUESS OR SURMISE THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF THE BUSINESS TO BE CONSIDERED BY A LOCAL AGENCY.
I BELIEVE I KNOW THAT THE STANDARD WAS MET HERE BECAUSE THE AGENDA DESCRIBED THE COUNCIL, THE, THE ACTION THE COUNCIL WAS TAKEN, WHICH WAS, UM, TO DISCUSS THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM AND THE ACTIONS, UM, THAT FOLLOWED, UM, AS WELL AS SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT.
AND IT ALSO PROVIDED ENOUGH DESCRIPTIONS THAT WOULD ALLOW A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC TO FORESEEABLY UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, DISCUSSIONS THE COUNSEL WOULD HAVE ON THAT PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THE BROWN ACT, AND, AND NEITHER THAT PARTICULAR CASE I CITED, REQUIRE THAT ANY CHANGE, ANY AND ALL CHANGES MADE TO A PARTICULAR, UM, POLICY BE, UH, MENTIONED IN THE AGENDA.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, DID ANYTHING THAT WE ADD TO THE AGENDA, UM, OR TO THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, EXCUSE ME, UM, CHANGE THE WAY WE AS A CITY DO BUSINESS, UM, AS FAR AS DELIVERING SERVICES, PROVIDING, UM, NO SAFETY SERVICES, REC SERVICES, UM, ANY SERVICES OF ANY KIND TO, UH, I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IT IT DOES NOT, IT PROVIDES A GUIDELINE FOR STAFF TO RESPOND TO POTENTIAL, UH, LEGISLATION OR, AND TAKE AN ADVOCACY POSITION ON CERTAIN ITEMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A GROUP AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, CORRECT? YES.
UM, AND THEN I, I'M NOT GONNA PHRASE THESE AS QUESTIONS.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, RESPECTFULLY, I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE MISQUOTED MY, UM, EMAIL TO YOU.
THE, UH, WHAT I SAID WAS NOT RELEVANT WAS, UM, ANYBODY'S IMMIGRATION STATUS AS FAR AS THE CITY OF DUBLIN PROVIDING SERVICES TO ANYONE, WE DID NOT ADD, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS TO, UM, THE WAY WE PROVIDE SERVICES OR, UM, CITY FUNDED, UM, PROGRAMS TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, I SAID THAT WE NEVER ASK ANYBODY'S IMMIGRATION STATUS WHEN WE PROVIDE, UH, SERVICES, THEREFORE, THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS IS NOT RELEVANT TO WHAT WE DO.
THAT'S WHAT I SAID WAS NOT RELEVANT, NOT ADDING THIS LANGUAGE TO OUR, UM, OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
SO IF THAT WAS THE IMPRESSION YOU GOT FROM MY EMAIL, THEN I WAS NOT CLEAR IN WHAT MY LANGUAGE WAS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO AS A PECULIAR BEHAVIOR.
UM, NO, TO AT LEAST CERTAINLY ON MY, MY, UM, END.
I HAD TALKED TO ONE COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE POLICY AHEAD OF TIME AND, AND NO OTHERS.
SO, UM, I'M SATISFIED WITH WHERE WE ARE ON THIS ITEM WITH 5.1.
CAN WE PASS THIS, UH, LIKE, HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ONE? I MOVE ITEM 5.1, I'LL THE MOTION IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
SO, UH, MOTION 4 2 1, STEP 4 2 1.
SO AGENDA ITEM 5.2, PAYMENT INSURANCE REPORT, AND ELECTRONIC FONT TRANSFER.
[00:45:01]
ATTACHMENT TO, I WAS REVIEWING THE LIST OF ITEMS AND THERE WAS A ENTRY ON JANUARY 20TH, ACTUALLY TWO ENTRIES ON JANUARY 20TH REGARDING THE US TWO US BANK TRANSACTIONS.IF I MAY, THEY SEEMED SOMEWHAT VAGUE TO ME.
UH, THEREFORE MY SIMPLE QUESTION IS, COULD YOU SHARE WITH US JUST THE PROCESS FOR WHICH WE RECONCILE WHAT THAT VERY LARGE LUMP SUM OF MONEY THAT WAS SPENT, UH, HOW, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AND, AND THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS? UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL, JB THE CITY'S FINANCE DIRECTOR.
THE, UM, THE, UH, CHARGE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, TO US BANK IS OUR CAL CARD, OUR PURCHASING CARD PAYMENT.
UH, WE PAY THOSE MONTHLY, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER KIND OF CREDIT CARD YOU WOULD PAY.
UM, THE WAY THAT IS RECONCILED IS EACH CARD, UM, GETS UPLOADED INTO OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM FROM THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM, IT IS REVIEWED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
THEN IT COMES THE FINANCE TO ENSURE COMES COMPLIANCE WITH OUR PURCHASING POLICY, UM, INCLUDING RECEIPTS.
UH, AND THEN ONCE ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL CARDS ARE REVIEWED AND RECONCILED, WE THEN RECONCILE EVERYTHING AGAINST, UH, US BANK FOR THAT TOTAL AMOUNT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING MATCHES AND THEN WE MAKE THE PAYMENT.
JUST, UH, JUST TO SUMMARIZE QUICKLY, WE HAVE MULTIPLE GATEWAYS IN WHICH WE ASSESS AND REVIEW AND MAKE SURE THE CHARGES ARE OKAY.
WE'LL, AT EVERY SINGLE TRANSACTION.
WE'RE GOOD ON 5.2, RIGHT? OKAY.
LET'S DO THE ONES THAT ARE FIVE.
FIVE, BECAUSE THREE IS THE THING.
NO, BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE HAVE LEFT AND WE HAVE FIVE, TWO, AND THREE.
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO PROVE FIVE.
UH, ITEM FIVE TWO AND FIVE THREE A SECOND.
[5.4 Agreement with Revize Software Systems for Website Redesign and Related Services]
AGREEMENT WITH REVISED SOFTWARE SYSTEMS. HAVE QUESTION.UH, YEAH, I'M GLAD THAT WE WENT DOWN THAT PATH WEBSITE.
UM, CAN YOU JUST PROVIDE US MAYBE PROCESS WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH, PERHAPS IT'S KIND OF A STANDARD PROCESS, BUT WHAT I'M DRIVING AT IS WHAT WAS IT THAT REALLY CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION AND MADE YOU HAVE THAT, UH, THAT WARM AND FUZZIES WITH THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR? AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
SO JUST KIND OF WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE BEHIND ALL THAT? UM, RYAN MORAN SENIOR DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST.
SO ULTIMATELY WE WERE LOOKING FOR A, A, A VENDOR WHO COULD HELP US PROVIDE, UH, BETTER ONLINE SERVICES TO, TO THE PUBLIC.
WE, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE INTERNAL STAFF INFRASTRUCTURE IS SET UP, THE WEBSITE IS MANAGED BY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION.
SO WE HANDLE ALL PUBLIC FACING CONTENT.
WE'RE, WE'RE, THE CITY IS IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE PUBLIC FACING SIDE OF THE WEBSITE.
THE VENDOR IS WHO, UH, HANDLES ALL THE HOSTING.
THEY HANDLE ALL THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
SO WE, WE WERE LOOKING FOR, BUT WITH THAT KIND OF STRUCTURE, SOMETIMES YOU GET LEGACY PAGES THAT KIND OF, UH, LOOK THE SAME ACROSS DIFFERENT CITIES.
MUNICIPALITIES, WE WERE LOOKING TO UPSCALE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DESIGN OF THE WEBSITE AND REALLY IMPROVE THE, THE FUNCTION OF IT SO THAT USERS CAN FIND INFORMATION FASTER.
SO THE SELECTION PROCESS WAS FINDING THAT MIDDLE GROUND, THAT VENDOR WHO CAN PROVIDE US THROUGH LIKE A WEBSITE THAT IS VISUALLY APPEALING, THAT IS HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL, THAT IS USABLE FOR THE CITY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE, WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING THAT, THAT THAT LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP, THAT LONG-TERM STRUCTURE FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
SO THOSE WERE KIND OF THE TWO THINGS.
AND, AND, AND WHAT WE FOUND WITH A LOT OF THE SUBMISSIONS IS, IS, IS A LOT OF 'EM WOULD DELIVER, UM, A WEBSITE WITHOUT THAT LONG-TERM SUPPORT.
SO IT WAS FINDING THAT MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN CREATING A, A WEBSITE THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF THAT CAN, UH, HELP RESIDENTS AND ALSO PROVIDE THE LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT.
I MIGHT'VE MISSED A STATISTIC.
HOW MANY, UM, VENDORS DID YOU EVALUATE IN THE PROJECT? 30 38 PROPOSALS.
UH, TWO MORE QUESTIONS REALLY QUICK.
UM, I NOTICED, UH, SOMETIMES I LOOK AT CONTRACTS AND I LOOK AT TERMS, AND IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE, YOU HAD A 10 YEAR TERM MM-HMM
THEN I STARTED LOOKING DOWN THE SCHEDULE AND GOING, OKAY, I SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING.
I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT COMMONLY IN A CONTRACT, UH, DURATION OF 10 YEARS WITH MAYBE AN OPTION TO EXTEND OR WHATEVER? OR WAS IT SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO THIS, UH,
[00:50:01]
SITUATION THAT REQUIRED THAT THE HANDHOLDING, THE DEVELOPMENT, WHATEVER, AND I'M PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO HEAR WHAT IS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LONG AS I'M THINKING.SO WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT ON THAT? SO THE, THE 10 YEAR TERM IS CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE HAVE HISTORICALLY MANAGED WEBSITE SERVICES, OUR CURRENT VENDOR, CIVIC PLUS, WE'VE BEEN WITH THEM SINCE 2010, SO 16 YEARS.
UM, LIKE I KIND OF ALREADY MENTIONED, IT'S INHERENTLY A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE WE RELY ON THEM LONG AFTER THE DELIVERY OF THE WEBSITE.
WE RELY ON THEM FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
SO ONE OF THE COOL FEATURES OF REVISED IS BUILT INTO THEIR MODEL, BUILT INTO THEIR PRICING STRUCTURE IS AN OPTIONAL REDESIGN EVERY FOUR YEARS FOR WHICH WE PLAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP THINGS FRESH, UH, ON THE FRONT FACING SIDE WITHOUT HAVING TO DO A FULL VENDOR TRANSITION OR A LONG, A LARGE SCALE CONTENT MIGRATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS.
AND THEN, THEN THE LAST ONE WAS, UH, AS YOU GET THIS IN PLACE, AS IT STARTS ROLLING OUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA INTERFACE WITH THE PUBLIC, PERHAPS MAYBE GET SOME INPUT AS, UM, THIS IS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MAYBE SOME ACCESS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO, HEY, YOU KNOW, RYAN, UH, LET'S, UH, THINK ABOUT TWEAKING THIS, OR IT DOESN'T DO THIS.
I MEAN, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE, UH, VIS, UH, THE PUBLIC IS GONNA HAVE VISIBILITY, UH, AT THROUGH THIS PROCESS? NOT NECESSARILY IMPLEMENTATION IMMEDIATE, BUT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU START GETTING THIS THING OUT AND ABOUT.
SO THAT'LL BE PART OF THE DISCOVERY PROCESS WITH THE VENDOR.
AND THAT PROCESS WILL TAKE, UH, ROUGHLY HOW LONG? SIX TO EIGHT? WELL, THE, THE TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS FROM WHEN THE CONTRACT IS AWARDED FROM AND THEN BEFORE WE GO LIVE IS EXPECTED TO TAKE SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.
UM, ANY MORE COMMENTS? GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT UX, UM, THE USER DESIGN SIDE OF THINGS.
UH, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO, UM, WHAT TYPE OF APPROACH YOU'LL USE IN TERMS OF STREAMLINING THE PROCESS AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CLICKS FOR THE WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF APPROACH WE USE FOR THE USERS? YES.
I MEAN, FIRST AND FOREMOST, COMMUNICATING THAT LIKE THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE PARAMOUNT, UH, REQUIREMENT FOR THIS NEXT STEP THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, BASICALLY BEING ABLE TO SHOW THEM SOME OF OUR ROUTINE PAIN POINTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEN WORKING WITH THEM TO FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS FOR HOW WE, WE'VE ALREADY THAT WE'LL GET MORE INTO THAT IN THE DISCOVERY PROCESS.
BUT AS IT IS, WE'VE ALREADY, THEY'VE ALREADY THROWN OUT IDEAS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF COMMISSION PAGES THAT HAVE ALL THESE TINY, THAT A BUNCH OF SUB PAGES AND, UH, IN AGGREGATE MAKES UP, SAY 30, 40 PAGES, WHITTLE THAT DOWN TO ONE PAGE WITH CONVENIENT DROPDOWNS.
SO, UM, THE WHOLE, WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE USABILITY TESTING IS GONNA BE, UH, LOOKING AT THE ROUTE AT WHICH PEOPLE FIND INFORMATION, UH, AND IMPROVING UPON THAT, I THINK I'VE HEARD LESS THAN THREE CLICKS TO GET SO FAR.
LESS THAN THREE, THREE CLICKS TO GET TO ANYTHING.
UM, SECOND QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE AI.
UM, I, I BELIEVE IN THE PACKET IT'S MENTIONED THAT THE LANG LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL, THE LLM IS GONNA BE PRIVATE.
UM, I'M ALSO ASSUMING THAT NONE OF THE DATA THAT ARE COLLECTED OR SHARED EXTERNALLY, NO, NOT AT ALL.
AND THE, THE AI CHAT BOT DOES NOT NEED PERSONAL IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION TO FUNCTION.
UM, AND IT'S THE, THE, THE INTERACTIONS, THE DATA FROM INTERACTION LOGS, THOSE CAN, THAT CAN ONLY BE USED TO, TO OPERATE AND TO STRENGTHEN THE CHAT BOT.
UH, THE VENDOR IS PROHIBITED FROM USING ANY OF THAT DATA FOR ANY AI TRAINING, UH, ANY COMMERCIAL PURPOSES OR, OR SHARING IT WITH ANY THIRD PARTIES.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION IS ABOUT RELIABILITY.
UH, I KNOW IT'S MENTIONED THE THREE NINES.
UH, I'M ASSUMING YOU HAVE AN SLA IN PLACE FOR, FOR DOWNTIME.
I'M ALSO ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE A DASHBOARD TO, TO MONITOR, UM, UPTIME.
AND WE CAN INDEPENDENTLY MONITOR THAT WITH OUR IT DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND THEN LAST QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS JUST IN TERMS OF FEEDBACK, UH, ARE YOU GONNA BE PROVIDING THAT TO CIVIC PLUS? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY MOVING AWAY FROM THAT VENDOR, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF OTHER, UH, MUNICIPALITIES THAT MIGHT BE USING THEM, OR ARE YOU GONNA BE, ARE YOU GONNA BE GIVING THEM ANY FEEDBACK, GIVING CIVIC PLUS ANY FEEDBACK? YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE SOME KIND OF AN EXIT INTERVIEW AND I'VE BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY FORTHRIGHT WITH THIS WHOLE PROCESS WITH THEM.
AND THEY WERE, THEN THEY SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL AS WELL.
LIKE, WE, WE SENT THE RFP DIRECTLY TO THEM.
QUESTIONS, PLEASE, UH, NO QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, DID WE WANNA CHECK FOR A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM FIRST? WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO EVALUATING THAT MANY DIFFERENT, UM, VENDORS.
AND, UM, I DID CHECK THE LINKS ON THEIR REFERENCES AND LOOKED AT SOME OF THE OTHER CITY WEBSITES, AND I'M EXCITED TO, UM, SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR US.
UM, MY, UH, COMMENTS ARE SORT OF IN LINE WITH YOUR, UM, AI TRAINING MODEL.
[00:55:01]
ADD A LITTLE BIT OF STRENGTHENING LANGUAGE TO THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT ITSELF.UM, IF I GET, UH, ADDITIONAL HEAD NODS FOR THAT.
UM, ON PAGE PACKET, AGENDA PACKET, PAGE ONE 13, WHICH IS PAGE FIVE OF 11 OF THE, UH, CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT.
THE, UH, FIRST PARAGRAPH THERE, WHICH IS DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES, UM, ENDS IN THE SENTENCE, THE AI POWERED CHATBOT SHALL NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC USERS TO PROVIDE PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION TO OPERATE AS INTENDED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT.
I WOULD LOVE TO ADD ANOTHER SENTENCE THAT EVEN STRENGTHENS THAT TO SAY NO PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION MAY BE COLLECTED OR AGGREGATED FROM USERS INTERACTION WITH THE CHATBOT, UM, EXCEPT AS MAYBE NECESSARY TO REGISTER FOR CITY PROVIDED SERVICES TO MAKE IT EXPLICIT THAT NOT ONLY CAN THEY NOT REQUIRE PEOPLE TO, UM, PROVIDE THE INFORMATION, BUT THAT THEY MAY NOT SCRAPE IT FROM ANYWHERE ELSE EITHER.
UM, SO CAN I ASK A CLARIFY, I'M ON PAGE ONE 13.
THE FIRST PARAGRAPH UNDER AI POWERED CHATBOT AND AI SEARCH SERVICES, NUMBER ONE, DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES.
THE LAST SENTENCE OF THAT PARAGRAPH SAYS, THE AI POWERED CHATBOT SHALL NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC USERS TO PROVIDE PERSONALLY INFORMA, UM, INFORMATION.
I WANT TO EXPLICITLY PROHIBIT THE SCRAPING OF, UH, USERS' INFORMATION.
UH, SO I ACTUALLY HAVE THOMAS CHE, WHO'S THE PROGRAM MANAGER WITH REVIS, WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT I DO JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE LAST PART OF THE SUGGESTION RIGHT THERE MM-HMM
UM, THE CHAT BOTT DOES NOT COLLECT INFORMATION TO REGISTER FOR ANYONE.
IT'S, IT, IT'S INFORMATIONAL, AND SO, UH, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY KIND OF PERSON IDENTIFIABLE.
SO A A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, IF SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO USE A CHAT BOT TO REGISTER FOR A CITY PROGRAM MM-HMM
THE CHAT BOT WOULD DIRECT THEM TO THAT CITY SYSTEM OKAY.
AND THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THE EXISTING WEBSITE POLICY POLICY.
THEN WE CAN JUST, UH, END THE SENTENCE AT, UM, NO, OPII MAY BE COLLECTED OR AGGREGATED FROM USERS INTERACTION WITH THE CHAT BOTT, UH, I, I HAD ADDED THE, UM, EXCEPT AS NECESSARY TO REGISTER TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS COLLECTING INFORMATION TO POPULATE FIELDS, THEN IT WAS NECESSARY.
BUT, UM, IT SAYS THAT THEY CAN'T REQUIRE THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT SPECIFICALLY PREVENTS THE SCRAPING OF INFORMATION, UM, FROM USERS, IP ADDRESSES, ET CETERA.
UH, THE AGREEMENT DOES RESTRICT TRAINING, REUSE, RETENTION, AND I, I UNDERSTAND.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK THE, THE ADDITION OF OF THAT LANGUAGE IS PROBLEMATIC, UH, UNLESS YOU'RE GETTING PINGED BY THE CONSULTANT NOW, BUT I, I THINK IT'S STRONGER THAN WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
I I DON'T THINK IT CONFLICTS WITH WHAT WE'RE SAYING RIGHT.
I THINK IT JUST STRENGTHENS IT.
UM, AND THEN ON THE SECOND ONE IS ON PAGE ONE 16, WHICH IS, UH, WHAT EIGHT EIGHT OF 11.
UM, AT THE TOP, IT'S THE SECOND SENTENCE THERE SAYS, CONSULTANT IS PROHIBITED FROM SELLING THE CITY'S DATA.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY CITY OR USERS DATA.
AND TECHNICALLY THE USERS ARE PART OF THE CITY'S DATA, BUT I WANTED EXPLICITLY STATED THAT, UM, THEY'RE PROHIBITED FROM SELLING THE CITY OR USERS' DATA AND OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO ANY THIRD PARTIES JUST TO STRENGTHEN THAT.
UM, THAT'S, THOSE WOULD BE MY COMMENTS AND HOPE TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE REST OF COUNCIL TO, FOR THOSE TWO SMALL ADDITIONS TO THE USER AGREEMENT.
NOT THE ONE, ONE, UH, UH, THAT'S ON EIGHT OF 11.
THE SECOND SENTENCE SAYS, CONSULTANT IS PROHIBITED FROM SELLING THE CITY'S DATA AND OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THE WORDS OR USERS BETWEEN CITIES AND DATA JUST TO MAKE IT EXPLICIT.
THE, YEAH, I, I, I'LL SUPPORT YOU ON THAT.
ARE YOU READY FOR A MOTION? I, SORRY.
UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE REVAMP.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT STREAMLINING THE PROCESS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN A PAIN POINT FOR ME AND, AND SEVERAL RESIDENTS JUST CLICKING ENDLESSLY TO, TO FIND AN AGENDA, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE MEETING WAS CANCELED.
UM, SO, SO I APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE HERE, UH, AS WELL AS THE THOROUGHNESS.
I ALSO AM EXCITED TO HEAR, UH, ABOUT THE MOBILE RESPONSIVENESS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, I THINK MO MORE AND MORE FOLKS AREN'T USING THEIR LAPTOPS, UM, OR, OR PCS AND, AND, UH, SO IT'S GONNA BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT AT, AT THEIR, UH, AT THEIR FINGERTIPS.
AND, AND FINALLY THE SEARCH PIECE OF IT, JUST BEING ABLE TO, UH, USE THE ADVANCED SEARCH FEATURES TO GET TO THE INFORMATION QUICKLY, UM, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SPELLINGS AND, AND ALSO THE, THE TRANSLATION SERVICES THAT ARE GONNA BE INCLUDED.
I'M ALSO PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT THE SEARCH PIECE.
UM, ESPECIALLY THIS AI CHAT BOX, AND I THINK THAT WILL MAKE THE USER INTERFACE MUCH, UM, QUICKER AND MUCH EASIER TO EVERYBODY TO USE.
BUT I DO HAVE A ONE, UM, LIKE A ONE DREAM OR ONE WISH.
UH, RIGHT NOW IN OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, THE
[01:00:01]
SUBSCRIPTION IS LIKE A 1,700, 800.MY, MY WISH IS TO MAKE IT A 10,000
I, I HOPE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE PART OF THIS, UH, WEBSITE DESIGN, MAKE EVERYTHING SO APPEALING SO PEOPLE WANT TO SUBSCRIBE.
SO WE LOOK FOR A MOTION, MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE ITEM 5.4 OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
SECOND, THE MAKE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO YOUR MOTION.
ARE WE INCLUDING YOUR CHANGES? PUTTING THE CHANGES EXTENSION.
DO YOU, DO YOU NEED THE CHANGES AS PART OF THE MOTION, THE SPECIFIC CHANGES? I THINK WE CAN JUST ACCEPT THE CHANGES THAT WERE PROPOSED.
SO MOTION AND THE SECOND? YEAH.
DID YOU SAY AYE? YES, I DIDN'T SAY IT.
SO THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND THE 5.40 5.4 ALREADY FINISHED, AND THE SIXTH AND THE SEVEN, IT'S, UH, NINE AND NEW BUSINESS 8.1
[8.1 Fiscal Year 2025-26 2nd Quarter Financial Review]
PHYSICAL YEAR, 2025 TO 2026.SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL REVIEW.
UH, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR COUNCIL, JAY BAXA, CITY FINANCE DIRECTOR HERE TO, UH, GIVE A UPDATE, UH, FROM THE SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL REVIEW.
SO OVERALL, WE'LL BE, UH, WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON THE GENERAL FUND, BUT OVERALL, UH, VERY CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC WOULD BE, UM, KINDA THE, THE WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
UM, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN SEEING FROM OUR CONSULTANTS AND JUST THROUGHOUT, UM, THE, UH, KIND OF RECEIPTS COMING IN IS, AGAIN, VERY, UM, IT, IT BETTER THAN WE HAD ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED.
UM, SO OVERALL, THE GENERAL FUND, UM, AFTER, UM, IF A, THE, UH, BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS ARE APPROVED WILL INCREASE BY $3.12 MILLION AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THAT IS THE OPERATING, UM, BUDGET.
SO WE'LL HAVE AN OPERATING SURPLUS AT YEAR END, UH, $17.77 MILLION.
UM, THERE WERE NO, UH, NO CHANGES TO TRANSFERS OUT.
UM, THOSE ARE GENERAL FUND TRANSFERS OUT TO CIPS.
UM, A A BULK OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE FROM DESIGNATED RESERVES AND THEN ALSO $2 MILLION TO, UM, A TRANSFER OUT TO THE I SFS FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE BUILDING MANAGEMENT.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, OVERALL, WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, UM, FROM THE GENERAL FUND ALLOCATED TO CIP PROJECTS.
SO IT'S $69.21 MILLION, AND THEN THE END OF THE YEAR, IF EVERYTHING WAS TO BE SPENT, UM, WE WOULD END THE YEAR WITH 274, UM, MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR RESERVES.
SO REVENUE SUMMARY, UM, IS A NET INCREASE OF ALMOST $2.5 MILLION.
AS YOU'LL SEE, THE, THE BULK OF THAT'S GOING TO BE IN INTEREST.
UM, AS WE HAD MENTIONED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, THERE HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, UM, AROUND RATES AND JUST EVERYTHING WITH THE FED.
UM, WE TOOK A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH.
UM, AND THEN ALSO AS MENTIONED, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALMOST $70 MILLION ALLOCATED TO CIPS, WE HAVE TO KIND OF BALANCE THAT AND ASSUME THAT THAT'S GONNA BE SPENT AND THEN REVISIT IT DURING MIDYEAR, WHICH HAS BEEN OUR PRACTICE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND, UH, ULTIMATELY WHAT THAT'S DONE IS, UM, WE'LL, UH, WE'RE PROJECTING A $3 MILLION INCREASE OVER THE BUDGETED AMOUNT.
UM, OTHER REVENUE OF, UH, ALMOST $750,000.
UM, THE FINANCE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR BOND CONSULTANTS, UM, AS PART OF THE, UH, PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS, UM, I'M GONNA BLANK ON THE NAME, THE BUILD BETTER JOB.
UM, IT'S, SORRY, WHATEVER THE ACRONYM.
PART OF THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO, UM, FILE A TAX RETURN AND GET TAX CREDITS.
UM, NORMALLY WE DON'T FILE TAX RETURNS BECAUSE WE'RE A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, BUT WHAT THAT DID IS, UH, FOR ANY ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECT ALLOWED CITIES TO FILE A TAX RETURN AND GET TAX CREDITS IN THE FORM OF REVENUE.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES WITH, UM, A, A, A, OUR TAX ATTORNEY AND, UM, A SPECIALIZED ACCOUNTING FIRM.
UM, AND SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE, UH, GOTTEN $750,000.
WE ANTICIPATE, WE'RE HOPING TO, THEY, THEY KEEP CHANGING THE RULES, BUT BECAUSE, UM, THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECT AND A LOT OF THESE ARE ALREADY IN OR WE'RE UNDERWAY, WE ARE HOPING TO GET ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO THIS IS, THIS, NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
IT'S SIMPLY, UM, IT WAS A PROGRAM THAT WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF.
UH, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, UH, THAT'S A DECREASE OF 666, UH, THOUSAND 270, UM,
[01:05:01]
THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TOTAL.UM, THAT'S THE AGGREGATE OF PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, UH, REDUCTION OF 185,000.
THAT IS DUE TO THE, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING TO IMPLEMENT A STATE MANDATE, UM, FOR TK OR TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN, UM, WHICH IS AFFECTING THE ATTENDANCE FOR SOME OF THE CITY'S PROGRAMS. UM, BUT THAT'S A MANDATE THAT THE, THE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS JUST IMPLEMENTING.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE SECOND, UH, DECREASE OF ALMOST 500,000 IS DUE TO THE DOUBLET ARTS CENTER AND JUST THE, THE DELAY IN THE OPENING.
UM, SO YOU'LL SEE A DECREASE IN EXPENDITURES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ALL A LOSS OF REVENUE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S KIND OF, UM, SOME SAVINGS OBVIOUSLY ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, BUT THAT'S DUE TO THE TIMING.
AND THEN, UM, $15,000 FOR THE AQUATIC PROGRAM, WHICH, UM, ARE DOING VERY WELL.
SO JUST TO KIND OF CONTINUE ON FOR THE DAC, UH, THE RENTS AND LEASES, THAT WOULD BE FOR THE BLACK BOX THEATER, AND THEN JUST THE FACILITY AS A WHOLE IS $83,000.
UM, AND THEN, UM, LASTLY, A $500,000 DECREASE FOR DEVELOPMENT REVENUE.
UH, THAT WE'LL ALSO SEE A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN CONTRACT SERVICES.
SO A NET 150,000, UM, AND THAT'S DUE TO THE, JUST THE TIMING OF PROJECTS, UM, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AS THEY COME TO THE CITY AND DUE TO SOME VACANCIES, UM, AND KIND OF A LITTLE BACKLOG ON PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT DEVELOPMENT OVERALL HAS BEEN VERY STRONG THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND THEN ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, WE'RE SEEING A NET DECREASE OF $619,000.
UM, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, TWO OF THOSE ARE SIMPLY, UM, DUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, AND THEN ALSO THE, THE DAC.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WHEN, UM, ALL OF OUR, UM, P OUR PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE CLASSES, UM, WE, THERE'S A SPLIT.
SO WE'RE GETTING $15,000 IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 11.
IT LOOKED, UH, THAT I JUST SPOKE ABOUT, LOOKING AT LAST YEAR, THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR 25, 26, AND THEN NOW, UM, THE UPDATED AMENDED BUDGET WITH THE, UH, THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, KINDA UNDER THAT FIRST BOLD, THE, UH, NET OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT, WE'RE LOOKING AT A $17.7 MILLION SURPLUS.
UM, AND OVERALL, AGAIN, AT $274,000, UM, RESERVES AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, JUST SOME OTHER FUNDS JUST TO, UH, BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
THESE ARE LIGHTING AND LANDSCAPING DISTRICTS.
THERE WERE SOME WIRE THEFT, UM, THAT WAS DONE IN BOTH DISTRICTS.
UH, SO WE WERE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, TO OFFSET THE COST THAT WE HAD TO, UM, BASICALLY, UM, FIX THE, THE THEFTS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A POLL REPLACEMENT IN THE 1983 DASH ONE, BUT, UM, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IT, WE DO SUBMIT THIS TO OUR INSURANCE, AND IF WE GET ANY FUNDING BACK OR THERE, THEY GET CAUGHT AND THERE'S ANY REMEDIATION, IT'LL GO BACK TO THE FUND.
BUT THIS IS SIMPLY MAKING THOSE FUNDS WHOLE, AND THESE TYPICALLY ONLY REALLY PAY FOR THE ELECTRICITY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ONE OFFS LIKE THIS.
AND THEN, UM, ON A VERY POSITIVE NOTE, THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS LOAN, UH, WE ARE REQUESTING $400,000.
IT IS A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM, UM, AND HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, SO THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS THERE.
SO, UM, WE INCREASE IT DURING BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND FOR IT THAT WE'RE REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL 400,000.
UM, AND THEN, UH, WHAT'S COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS PEG FUNDING, BUT PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL, UH, THIS IS PART OF WHAT'S PAID WHEN YOU PAY YOUR CABLE BILL, A PERCENTAGE OF THAT COMES TO THE, TO THE CITY TO PAY FOR THE COST OF, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PUTTING THESE MEETINGS, UM, ONLINE OR, UH, GETTING EQUIPMENT.
AND SO WE ARE, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS, UM, FOR EQUIPMENT FOR THESE MEETINGS.
AND THEN, UM, LASTLY, UH, A SHIFT.
THIS IS A NET ZERO, BUT WE ARE SHIFT, WE'RE REQUESTING SHIFTING FUNDS FROM SALARIES TO CONTRACT SERVICES.
THIS IS MEASURE D, THIS IS THE, THE RECYCLING FUNDS.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY TO BEST USE THOSE FUNDS ON THE SB 1383 AND THEN THE SOLID WASTE AGREEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THAT REALM, SO THAT WE'RE JUST REQUESTING TO SHIFT AND THEN JUST UPDATES.
UH, THERE'S NO FUNDING, UM, WITH THESE, UH, OR REQUESTS.
BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, AGAIN, UM, THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION SELF-FUNDING PROGRAM THAT SARAH HAD PREVIOUSLY SPOKEN ABOUT, UM, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAS SAID THAT WAS ENGAGING A, A CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR.
WE PURCHASED EXCESS INSURANCE, AND WE ESTABLISHED THE WORKERS' COMP TRUST FUND.
AND WE DID ALSO WITH SAVINGS FROM THE RISK MANAGEMENT BUDGET.
SO WE'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
AND THEN, UM, SALES TAX, UH, PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THAT WE
[01:10:01]
HAVE VERY POSITIVE QUARTER ONE RESULTS.UM, OVERALL DUBLIN BUSINESSES ARE OUTPERFORMING STATEWIDE AVERAGES.
AGAIN, UM, DUBLIN BUSINESSES ARE VERY RESILIENT.
UM, SO OVERALL, WE'RE TRENDING SLIGHTLY ABOVE BUDGETS, BUT WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY UPDATE TO THE BUDGET CURRENTLY.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK JUST AT THE NUMBER THAT CAME IN, IT WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK A LITTLE LOW, AND THAT'S BECAUSE A MAJOR TAXPAYER MISSED THE PAYMENT.
TYPICALLY, THOSE GET RESOLVED THE, THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.
UH, SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF WAITING TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT.
AND, UM, ASSUMING THAT THEY MAKE THE PAYMENT AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A TIME WE COME BACK AND, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT REVENUE.
AND THEN JUST LASTLY, UM, FOR DUBLIN POLICE, UH, THEY HAD MOU APPROVALS, UM, WITH THE DEPUTIES, UM, AND THEIR SWORN PERSONNEL, UH, THAT CONTRACT.
SO ANYTHING THAT THE COUNTY DOES IS A PASS THROUGH TO THE CITY.
SO AN INCREASE TO THE, THE DEPUTIES IS AN INCREASE TO THE CITY.
UM, SO THERE WAS AN INCREASE THERE.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO AN INCREASE ON THE RISK MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION SIDE.
BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CHIEF AND KIND OF OUR COUNTERPARTS AT THE COUNTY, UM, AND, UH, THEY'VE REALIZED SOME DECREASES IN RETIREMENT COSTS.
SO IT'S MORE OF JUST THE OVERALL HEADS UP THAT THESE COSTS WENT UP.
BUT WE'RE OFFSETTING THAT WITH RETIREMENT COSTS.
AND OVERALL, WE'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
UH, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE TRACKING.
AND THEN ALSO WE'LL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH BUDGET.
SO, SO, UH, OVERALL, UH, THE, UM, AGAIN, IT'S, UM, PLEASANTLY OPTIMISTIC, UM, AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDS RECEIVING THE REPORT, APPROVING THE BUDGET CHANGE.
AND THEN I AM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND STARTING WITH QUESTIONS? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UH, A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU WITH REGARD TO AN EARLIER COMMENT MADE ABOUT OUR BUSINESSES ARE PERFORMING WELL, IF I MAY, UH, THERE ARE SOME MEMBERS OF THE DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE ROOM, SO I WANNA ASK ON THEIR BEHALF, UH, WHICH IS, COULD YOU TELL US WHICH SECTORS OF THE BUSINESSES ARE DOING WELL? IS IT RETAIL, AUTO, RESTAURANTS? JUST, I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
UM, BUT OVERALL, I, IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF BROAD.
UM, IT, UH, DEFINITELY ON THE RETAIL AND DEFINITELY ON THE AUTO, UM, OVER TWO THAT WERE STANDOUTS, BUT, UM, OH, DID YOU WANNA, OH, YOU GOT SUPPORT.
FELICIA ESCO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.
AND I'LL JUST ADD TO WHAT JAY, UM, SAID BY OUR TOP SALES TAX PRODUCERS ARE THE AUTO INDUSTRY, AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO, UM, FAIRLY WELL AS LONG, UM, AS WELL AS OUR RETAIL AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR.
UM, SO IT'S KIND OF, IT KIND OF FLUCTUATES QUARTER TO QUARTER, BUT WE SAW IN THE LAST QUARTER THAT, UM, THEY'RE DOING PRETTY WELL AND IT KIND OF EVENS OUT.
SOME, SOME ARE HIGHER THAN OTHERS, BUT OVERALL, UM, IT EVEN, SO.
UH, THEN, UH, UH, LET ME GO TO SOME DEEPER CUTTING QUESTIONS, IF I MAY.
IN ATTACHMENT TWO, WHICH IS THE SCHEDULE FOR GENERAL FUND RESERVE SUMMARY MM-HMM
UH, COULD YOU SHARE WITH US OR WHAT, WHAT THE COLUMN TITLED DECREASED 2025 TO 2026 MEANS? AND I'M GONNA ASK SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS HERE, IF I MAY, WHICH IS THE FIRST LINE ITEM, WHICH I THINK IS LIKE THE EIGHTH ONE DOWN.
IT SAYS, ASSET CONTINGENCY, $5 MILLION, MOVING ON HALFWAY THROUGH THE PAGE, DUBLIN BOULEVARD EXTENSION ADVANCE MINUS $20.2 MILLION.
MOVING FURTHER DOWN, AGAIN, VILLAGE PARKWAY PAVEMENT RECONSTRUCTION, MINUS $11.5 MILLION.
AND THEN MOVING FURTHER DOWN TO THE, NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, IT SAYS, INNOVATION AND NEW OPPORTUNITY MINUS $1.418 MILLION.
SO I PICKED SOME OF THE BIGGER NUMBERS SURE.
BUT, UH, TELL US WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY WHEN YOU SEE A DEC, THAT COLUMN DECREASE, AND THEN SHARE TO ME, SHARE WITH ME WHAT'S IN THOSE CATEGORIES.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SHEET IS ALL OF THOSE REPRESENT TRANSFER OUT TO CIPS.
SO, UM, FOR THE ASSET CONTINGENCY, UH, YOUR COUNSEL APPROVED, UM, UH, PROJECT, I BELIEVE IN NOVEMBER, THE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, PART OF THE FUNDING FOR THAT WAS $5 MILLION FROM THE ASSET CONTINGENCY RESERVE.
[01:15:01]
IS ASSUMING THAT IT'S ALL SPENT, WHICH YOU SEE ON THE TRANSFER OUTSIDE ON THE ATTACHMENT ONE, AND THEN WE'RE SHOWING THAT AMOUNT A LIKE AMOUNT ON THE RESERVES.UM, SO THE $5 MILLION BASICALLY SHOWING IT BEING USED, AND THAT THAT'S THE SAME FOR, UM, THE DUBLIN BOULEVARD EXTENSION.
THAT 20, UH, $0.2 MILLION IS WHAT IS PROGRAMMED INTO THAT CIP UTILIZING, UH, THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE.
UM, AND THEN SAME, THE $11 MILLION IS, UM, BUDGETED ON VILLAGE PARKWAY.
SO THOSE ARE ALL, UM, CIP FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY APPROVED, AND WE'RE JUST SHOWING IT BEING USED.
UH, I'M JUST ASKING FOR THE CLARITY FOR THE AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND OH, WHAT, WHAT IT MEANS WHEN WE ASSUME IT'S GONNA BE USED.
I JUST HAVE ONE, UM, UH, THE 400,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYER LOAN PROGRAM, UM, THAT IS COMING FROM WITHIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND.
SO WE'RE MOVING IT FROM ONE PART OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND TO ANOTHER.
IS THAT, DO I, DO I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH, WE'RE, IT'S, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THE FUNDS, IT KIND OF SITS IN WHAT WE CALL FUND BALANCE, AND THEN WE ARE JUST ALLOCATING IT OUT.
BUT THAT IS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND.
WE RAN THROUGH IT ALL IN THE, UH, FINANCE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR QUESTIONS.
AND THEN, UM, UH, WE HAVE A, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS, NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
COMING BACK FOR, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY, UH, REALLY NICE JOB ON THE, UM, THE TAX CREDITS PIECE, UM, FROM THE BUILD BACK BETTER AND INFLATION DUCTION ACT.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, SUPER NICE JOB ON THE, UM, UH, WORKERS' COMP PIECE TO THE WHOLE TEAM THERE.
AND, UM, ALSO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD NEWS, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, BUDGET NOT HAVING TO INCREASE BASED ON THE MOU THAT WAS, YEAH.
UM, YEAH, I'LL JUST ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF, UH, VICE MAYOR JOSIE.
UM, GREAT JOB ON FINDING THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF THAT TAX CREDIT.
UH, AND AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE WORKMAN'S COMPENSATION, THE, UH, THE INTERNAL FUND.
UM, AND THEN JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UH, GREAT JOB ON, ON, UH, THE $3 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE ON THE INTEREST.
WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST CUMMINS.
UM, YEAH, EVERYTHING THEY SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD REALLY SURPRISED ME IS HOW YOU PUT TOGETHER THAT CAPTIVE ON THE, UH, INSURANCE.
I, WHEN I FOUND THAT OUT, THAT, WOW.
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT EASY TO DO, UH, ESPECIALLY FROM THE ENVIRONMENT THAT IT STARTED FROM.
SO TO GO INDEPENDENT LIKE THAT AND TO CREATE THAT ENVIRONMENT THAT I THOUGHT THAT, UH, SHOWED A LOT OF, UH, SKILL, I GUESS I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE CREDIT, BUT THAT IS, THAT WAS SARAH AND RACHEL
SHE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND SHE MADE IT HAPPEN.
SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR GOOD JOB, AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO HEAR, UM, THE SECOND QUARTER, UM, FINANCIAL REVIEW.
WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, AND I'M VERY EXCITED.
THEY HAVE ALREADY SAID A FEW THINGS.
I REALLY ENJOYED THAT AS WELL.
HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE, WE NEED, WE NEED A MOTION.
MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET CHANGE, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
I WILL, JOHN, DO YOU WANT, WANNA GO? ONE SECOND.
[8.2 Report on Dublin’s Transient Occupancy Tax and Direction on a Potential Increase ]
UM, DOUBLINGS TRANSCEND OCCUPATION TAX.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS CIA ESCO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.
I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THIS REPORT ON DUBLIN'S TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX, OR TOT, UM, AND TO REQUEST COUNCIL DIRECTION ON A POTENTIAL INCREASE.
SO THIS ITEM IS COMING FORWARD.
AS DURING PREVIOUS BUDGET HEARINGS, THE CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSED INTEREST IN EXPLORING A POTENTIAL INCREASE TO TOT AS ONE OF ITS BUDGET BALANCING STRATEGIES.
AS WAY OF BACKGROUND, TOT, UM, IS ALSO COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS A BED TAX OR A HOTEL TAX.
AND IT IS PAID BY VISITORS STAYING IN A LODGING WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS.
IT IS AUTHORIZED UNDER STATE LAW, AND IT TYPICALLY APPLIES TO STATES
[01:20:01]
UNDER 30 DAYS WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS.UH, FOR THE CITY, REVENUES ARE DEPOSITED INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND SUPPORT A VARIETY OF CORE SERVICES LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND MORE.
THE CURRENT STRUCTURE, UH, DUBLIN, DOT WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1984 AND 8%, AND IT HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE THEN.
SINCE IT IS A TAX, IT DOES REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL TO BE INCREASED AS A GENERAL TAX.
IT REQUIRES A SIMPLE MAJORITY TO 50% S ONE.
CURRENTLY, DUBLIN HAS SIX HOTELS WITHIN CITY LIMITS, KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THEY'RE LISTED HERE ON THE SCREEN.
UM, I DID WANNA NOTE THAT THE IHG ARMY HOTEL THAT'S OPERATED AT CAMP PARKS, THAT IS FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL.
AND SO THAT'S NOT A HOTEL THAT'S TYPICALLY AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND SO, GIVEN THAT MANY OF ITS EXEMPTIONS ARE EXEMPT BECAUSE THEIR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES OR THEY HAVE ORDERS, UM, THIS HOTEL MAKES UP A REALLY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOT REVENUES RECEIVED BY THE CITY.
AND HERE YOU'LL SEE SOME REVENUE TRENDS AND LEVELS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
SO, TOT IS INFLUENCED BY A VARIETY OF FACTORS.
SO OCCUPANCY RATES THAT AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE, BUSINESS TRAVEL DEMAND, AND OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONDITION.
UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS TOT WAS STRONG AND STABLE FROM FISCAL YEARS 1516 TO 1819, AND PEAKING AT 2.1 MILLION.
AND THEN IT DECLINED DURING COVID, UM, DROP IN BELOW 750,000.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, I STARTED TO REBOUND TO WHERE IT IS TODAY, AND IT SHOWS SOFTENING.
IT HASN'T RETURNED TO PRE PANDEMIC, UM, LEVELS AT THIS POINT, BUT HAS RECOVERED SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
AND THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS SOME REGIONAL CONTEXT.
SO TYPICALLY, THE TRI-VALLEY HAS SOME OF THE LOWEST TOT RATES IN ALAMEDA COUNTY AND WITHIN THE EAST BAY WITH, UH, TRI-VALLEY JURISDICTIONS MAINTAINING A RACE BETWEEN 6.5% AND 8%.
BY COMPARISON, ALAMEDA COUNTY CITIES, UM, HAVE A MEDIAN OF 12%, AND THE RATES RANGE FROM EIGHT TO 14.
THIS IS ADDITIONAL REGIONAL CONTEXT.
SO ON FEBRUARY 3RD, THE PLEASANTON CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO PROCEED WITH DEVELOPING A BALLOT MEASURE THAT WOULD ESTABLISH A TARGET RATE OF 12% WITH THE PHASE IMPLEMENTATION, 10% EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2027, AND THEN UP TO 12% JULY 1ST, 2028.
UM, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POTENTIAL FISCAL IMPACT OF A TOT RATE ADJUSTMENT, STAFF PREPARED A GENERAL REVENUE PROJECTION BASED ON THE CURRENT ESTIMATED TOT COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 1.4 AT THE EXISTING 8% RATE.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE TOT HAS RANGED FROM LIKE 1.3 TO 1.5 WITHIN THE PAST THREE FISCAL YEARS.
UM, AND THIS IS ALSO BASED ON THE CURRENT HOTEL INVENTORY AT THE MOMENT.
AND SO AT 12%, UM, THE CITY WOULD BRING IN APPROXIMATELY 2.1 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN INCREASE FROM SEVEN, UM, INCREASE OF 700,000, UM, ANNUALLY, AND THEN 7 MILLION OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD.
STAFF ALSO INCLUDED, UM, THE FIGURES AT 10% AND 14% AS COMPARISON.
SO YOU COULD SEE KIND OF THE, THE DIFFERENCE, UM, BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT RANGES.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES, IF SOMEONE WERE TO BOOK A HOTEL ROOM TONIGHT FOR $119, UM, AT THE CURRENT TOT, THEY WOULD PAY $9 AND 52 CENTS.
IF IT WERE TO INCREASE TO 12%, THEY WOULD PAY $14 AND 28 CENTS.
SO THAT'S A DIFFERENCE OF $4 AND 76 CENTS AS THERE'S ALREADY, UM, A NOVEMBER 20, 26 MUNICIPAL ELECTION SCHEDULED.
THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL ELECTION COSTS BEYOND TRANSLATION, PRINTING, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, AND LEGAL SERVICES.
UH, THESE ARE ESTIMATED AT LESS THAN $34,000.
OH, DURING THE 2025 COMMUNITY SURVEY, RESIDENTS WERE ASKED ABOUT VARIOUS BUDGET BALANCING STRATEGIES.
AND WHEN ASKED ABOUT A TOT INCREASE PAID BY HOTEL AND MOTEL GUEST, THERE WAS GENERAL SUPPORT.
52% SUPPORTED, 35% WERE IN OPPOSITION, AND 13% WERE UNDECIDED.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF HAS BEEN MEETING WITH HOTELIERS AS PART OF THE HOS HOSPITALITY EXPANSION INITIATIVE OUTLINED IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
SO TO DATE, STAFF HAS MET WITH FIVE OF THE SIX HOTELIERS.
THESE CONVERSATIONS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON
[01:25:01]
MARKET AND CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY TRENDS, AND HOW THE CITY CAN SUPPORT HOSPITALITY WITHIN DUBLIN.UM, AND THIS ALSO, THESE MEETINGS ALSO INCLUDED A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON A POTENTIAL, UH, TOT INCREASE, AND THERE WASN'T ANY STRONG OPPOSITION AT THAT TIME.
UM, BUT SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE STAFF REPORT, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE JUMP FROM EIGHT TO 12%.
UM, WE, I DID WANNA NOTE ALSO THAT WE DID SPEAK TO COMMAND STAFF AT CAMP PARKS, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT AN INCREASE WOULD NOT IMPACT SOLDIERS AS AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF THE TRAFFIC IS DONE ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS AND MAKES THAT EXEMPT FROM TOT.
SO, BY EXCEPTION, THERE MAY BE MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT ARE TRAVELING ON PERSONAL BUSINESS, AND THEY DECIDE TO STAY IN A MILITARY HOTEL.
IN THAT CASE, IF THEY'RE OFF DUTY, THEN THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO TOT.
HOWEVER, THOSE RATES, UM, BY THE HOTEL ARE COUNT PARKS ARE TYPICALLY, UM, LESS THAN THE MARKET RATES OF OTHER SURROUNDING HOTELS.
SO, SO TONIGHT'S STAFF IS RECOMMENDING STRUCTURING ANY POTENTIAL INCREASE AS A GENERAL TAX AT 12%.
AND SO THIS APPROACH IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY'S, UM, SURVEY SENTIMENT THAT SUPPORTS THE CITY COUNCIL'S REQUEST TO IDENTIFY, UH, BUDGET BALANCING STRATEGIES.
THIS ALLOWS YOU FLEXIBILITY AND ADDRESSING COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
THIS REQUIRES A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF APPROVAL.
UM, SO 50% PLUS ONE, AS I MENTIONED, AND NOT THE TWO THIRDS THRESHOLD.
UM, THERE WILL BE SOME COST SAVINGS GIVEN THAT A MUNICIPAL ELECTION IS ALREADY SCHEDULED COMPARED TO IF WE WERE TO PUT THIS ON A PRIMARY ELECTION OR A SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT.
AND THIS ALSO ALIGNS WITH THE ACTIONS OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN PLEASANTON.
AND SO, IF COUN, IF IT'S THE COUNCIL'S WILL TO PURSUE AN INCREASE IN DIRECT STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BALLOT MEASURE, WE WOULD RETURN WITH DRAFT BALLOT LANGUAGE REFLECTING THE STRUCTURE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, UM, WITH THE GOAL TO HAVE THE ELECTION MATERIALS READY BY AUGUST FOR THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION.
AND TO CONCLUDE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE THE REPORT AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF.
UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOUR FEEDBACK.
ANY QUESTIONS? OH, NO QUESTIONS.
UH, A FEW QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO THE, UM, IHG, IF I MAY.
UH, THE, UM, I'M GONNA PHRASE THIS QUESTION, ONE QUESTION, AND I'LL, I'LL PASS IT ON.
UH, THE, THERE'S A REASON THAT IHG HOTELS ARE BELOW MARKET RATE, UH, AND I'M, I'LL SAY MY COMMENT FOR, FOR AFTER PUBLIC, BUT, UH, COULD YOU SHARE WITH ME WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TOT TODAY REPRESENTS THE IHG, UM, REVENUE? UH, NOT, NOT WITH, SORRY, WITHOUT THE INCREASE, JUST WHAT IS IT TODAY THAT IHG REPRESENTS? AND SO BASED ON LAST FISCAL YEAR, IT WAS LESS THAN 2% OF THE TOT REVENUE.
UH, GONNA GET DOWN THE WEEDS AND THERE'S A REASON, BUT, UH, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE ROOM RATE IN, IN DUBLIN RIGHT NOW? ABOUT 200.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE AVERAGE ROOM RATE OF DUBLIN, BUT WE KNOW IN THE TRI-VALLEY LAST YEAR, THE AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE WAS $135.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S A LOT LESS THAN I THOUGHT.
UM, AND THIS QUESTION IS MORE BIGGER PICTURE.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ANALYZED WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WOULD BE IF WE DID THAT.
UH, BUT DID WE LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IT TOO, OKAY.
IN, IN VARIOUS DEGREES, RIGHT? UH, VARIOUS STRATEGIES.
SO DID WE LOOK AT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT IN THAT ANALYSIS, THAT $350,000 INCREASE, WHETHER THAT WAS LIKE A NET NUMBER, UH, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE ONLY INCREASED AT X, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS, UH, RELATIVE TO OTHERS, UH, WOULD WE BE LOSING, UH, THE, UH, THE BUSINESS? AND I, I THINK I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S KINDA A SMALL NUMBER, BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S, IT'S A RELEVANT, UH, PERSPECTIVE.
AND AND DID THE HOTEL OWNERS EXPRESS THAT TO YOU WHEN THEY TALK TO YOU? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
[01:30:01]
SAY THAT, UM, HOW PEOPLE DECIDE WHY AND HOW THEY DECIDE TO CHOOSE A CERTAIN HOTELS VARIES ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS.SO WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR MM-HMM
UM, WHAT THEIR COMPANIES ARE SENDING THEM, THEREFORE, OR IF THEY HAVE A PREFERENCE IN TERMS OF, OF BRAND, UM, SOMETIMES PRICE IS A, A CONSIDERATION FOR SURE.
UM, AND RATES VARY KIND OF ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO I'D SAY THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY, LIKE, IF WE INCREASE, THEN OUR, IS EVERYONE GONNA GO AND GO TO DANVILLE, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S A VARIETY OF FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO FOLKS' DECISION.
UM, THIS ESTIMATE IS ASSUMING THAT EVERYTHING STAYS THE SAME, AND SO THAT WE WOULDN'T LOSE ANYTHING BY, UM, BY INCREASING IT.
I ALSO THINK THAT BECAUSE PLEASANTON IS KIND OF OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR, AND THEY'RE GOING TO 12%, THERE IS GONNA BE SOME ALIGNMENT WITHIN OUR TWO COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THAT MAY, UM, KIND OF HELP WITH THE PRICE ADJUSTMENT, BECAUSE GOING FROM DUBLIN TO PLEASANTON OR PLEASANTON TO DUBLIN, IT'LL BE ABOUT THE SAME RATE, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
SO YEAH, I WAS THINKING KIND OF IN THE SAME LINE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT NECESSARILY TOURISTS PER SE, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE CORPORATES THAT ARE COMING HERE AND MAYBE THEY'RE RENTING OUT SOME ROOMS, AND USUALLY THEY WANNA STAY CLOSER REGARDLESS TO WHERE THEIR, UH, THE COMPANY IS.
AND, UH, SO WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT WAS WHAT WAS THE IMPACT AND WOULD THAT SWAY SOMEBODY'S DECISION? AND I HAVE MY OWN OPINION ON THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, MOVING ON, THE OTHER CLARIFYING QUESTION IS GOING BACK TO THE SURVEY, UH, IF YOU COULD PULL IT UP JUST A CLARIFICATION POINT OR JUST MAYBE GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON SOMETHING.
UH, YEAH, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
ONE IS STRONG AND THE OTHER IS SOMEWHAT, AND THE OTHER IS, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, SO WHAT DOES SOMEWHAT MEAN? I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE WAY ALL OVER THE PLACE BE, AND THERE'S A REASON WHY.
'CAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS AND, UH, THE STRONG VERSUS THE STRONG, UH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, FOUR PERCENTAGE POINTS, AND IT'S REALLY WHAT'S SWAYING THAT IN THE DIRECTION.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST POKING AT THIS, RIGHT? UM, IT, IT'S THE SOMEWHAT CATEGORIES THAT NEBULOUS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I NOT SURE, BUT I'M KIND OF LEANING THIS WAY.
SO ANY THOUGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER INFORMATION ON WHAT SOMEWHAT REALLY MEANS? SO THERE WAS A CONSULTANT THAT HELPED, UM, WITH THIS POLLING THAT WAS DONE, SO THEY WOULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS AND HOW THEY DEFINED THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
YEAH, I CAN PROVIDE EXACTLY HOW THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT I DON'T HAVE, UM, THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR HOW THEY, UM, KIND OF GRADED EACH OF THESE OPTIONS.
AND, AND, AND WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT.
BUT IT STRUCK ME AS I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS, I THOUGHT, OH, OKAY, WOW, GOOD SUPPORT.
AND THEN I STARTED LOOKING AT IT AGAIN AND GOING, OKAY, THERE'S SOME INDECISION THERE IN THAT WHOLE THING.
SO IT'S NOT AS, AS, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, MY OPINION IS THE 52 TO 35 IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, UNCERTAIN.
MAYBE IT'S NOT THAT, THAT TIGHT.
SO THAT LEADS ME TO THINK ABOUT OTHER THINGS IN THIS WHOLE WHOLE, UM, ANALYSIS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, BUT I MIGHT HAVE SOME COMMENTS HERE LATER ON.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE STATE LAW DOESN'T REQUIRE TOT TO BE USED FOR ANY SPECIFIC PURPOSE, BUT IF WE DID WANNA USE IT FOR SOME SPECIFIC PURPOSE, THAT BECOMES A SPECIAL TAX, RIGHT? AND IS SUBJECT TO THE THREE QUARTERS PASSAGE RATE.
I, I SEE A HEAD BEING NODED OVER HERE,
SO TO GET IT ON THE BALLOT FOR A SPECIAL TAX, IT WOULD REQUIRE COUNCIL, UM, A SIMPLE COUNCIL MAJORITY VOTE, BUT A TWO THIRDS PASSAGE OF THE ELECTORATE.
WHEREAS AS A GENERAL TAX WOULD REQUIRE, UM, A TWO THIRDS VOTE FROM COUNCIL TO GET IT ON THE BALLOT.
BUT A SIMPLE MAJORITY, SO 50% PLUS ONE OF VOTERS TO, UH, ENACT IT.
OH, SO IT TAKES A, IT TAKES THE SUPER MAJORITY OF COUNCIL TO PUT A GENERAL TAX AND ONLY MAJORITY OF COUNCIL TO PUT A SPECIAL TAX, CORRECT? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA THAT SHOWS THAT, UM, INCREASING THE TOT MARGINALLY LIKE THIS DECREASES, UM, HOTEL BUSINESS.
I DO, I DO NOT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA.
UM, UH, ON YOUR SLIDE WHERE IT WAS SHOWING THE RELATIVE, UM, RATES, THE RELATIVE, UH, PERCENTAGES THAT THE DIFFERENT CITIES, YEAH.
UM, YOU'VE GOT ALAMEDA COUNTY AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LISTED.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT'S UNINCORPORATED COUNTY, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT COUNTY PLUS CITY, IT DOESN'T STACK, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO IF A HOTEL IS NOT WITHIN A CITY, BUT IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I THINK MY NEXT QUESTION WAS ALREADY ANSWERED.
QUESTIONS? YEAH, A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, IN THE SURVEY, UH, WERE ANY PERCENTAGES, ANY NUMBERS GIVEN, OR WAS IT JUST A COMFORTABLE LEVEL OF COMFORT WITH INCREASING
[01:35:01]
IT, SORT OF VAGUE COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS? RIGHT.UM, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE CONSULTANTS REPORT TO US.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED, UH, PLEASANTON, UH, I'M ALSO ASSUMING THAT YOU'VE, UH, YOU HAVE SOME LEVEL OF ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER CITIES IN, IN THE TRI-VALLEY, OR AT, AT LEAST REACHED OUT TO THEM.
YEAH, SO I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MY COUNTERPARTS.
SO PLEASANTON IS MOVING FORWARD.
LIVERMORE, UM, DANVILLE AND SAN RAMON ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH AN INCREASE AT THIS TIME.
AND THEN MY, MY THIRD QUESTION IS, UM, SIMILAR TO, TO COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARSTEN AND, AND VICE MAYOR JOSIE.
SO, SO KIND OF THE, THE, THE NEGATIVE IMPACT, BUT I'M, I'M KIND OF LOOKING AT IT AS IF WE WEREN'T TO INCREASE, HAVE, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT LIKE THE IM ECONOMIC IMPACT? YOU KNOW, IF, IF PLEASANTON ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, WITH INCREASING THEIR TOT, THEN WE DO NOT, DOES THAT DRIVE ANY ADDITIONAL BUSINESS TO DUBLIN? HAVE HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THAT? WE HAVE NOT.
THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WE'D NEED, LIKE A, A FORMAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS TO KIND OF DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THAT MIGHT, WHAT THAT MIGHT BE.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE WERE, UH, TALKING TO OTHER CITIES WHEN WE, UM, DOING THE WORK.
AND, UM, SO WHAT, LIKE, HOW THIS TOPIC WAS STARTED, LIKE WHEN WAS STARTED? WELL, I'LL CHIME IN, MAYOR.
UM, THIS HAS COME UP, UM, A HANDFUL OF TIMES IN THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS, MOST RECENTLY LAST JUNE, WHEN WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, UM, LONG-TERM BUDGET BALANCING SOLUTIONS, BECAUSE WE HAD A HIT TO OUR SALES TAX.
AND, UH, TOT WAS ONE THAT WE SAID, THIS IS SORT OF A LOW HANGING FRUIT, IF YOU WILL, FOR FOR MANY COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S VOTED ON BY THE RESIDENTS, UH, BUT IT'S PAID, IT'S PAID BY VISITORS.
SO, SO SOMETIMES THAT'S MORE DESIRABLE, UM, TO, TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T CHANGED IT SINCE THE EIGHTIES, IS SORT OF, UM, UH, DEMANDS THAT WE LOOK AT IT RIGHT AS AN ONGOING SOURCE OF REVENUE.
SO THE COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO, TO INVESTIGATE THAT FURTHER.
UH, AND WE BEGAN CONVERSATIONS WITH PLEASANTON AND LIVERMORE AND FOUND THAT WE WERE GENERALLY ALIGNED.
NOT SURE WHY LIVERMORE IS NOT MOVING FORWARD.
I I IMAGINE AT SOME POINT, UH, THEY WILL.
UH, BUT PLEASANTON, UH, FELT IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME AND, AND WE, WE FELT COMFORTABLE GOING SORT OF HAND IN HAND WITH PLEASANTON TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALIGNED, UM, AS A SMALLER REGION.
ANOTHER QUESTION IS, UM, IN THE, LIKE A WORK IN PROGRESS, UM, HAVE YOU GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE HOTEL OWNERS AND WHAT'S THEIR COMMENTS, FEEDBACK ON THIS? SO, AS I MENTIONED, WE DID HAVE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HOTELIERS, AND SO I WAS SPEAKING MOSTLY WITH THE GENERAL MANAGERS.
I HAVEN'T HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OWNERSHIP, UM, AT THIS TIME.
AND SO FEEDBACK WOULD, WOULD, MAY CHANGE BASED ON, UM, CONVERSATIONS WITH OWNERS VERSUS HOTELIERS.
SO WITH THE HOTELS, WHAT, WHAT'S THE, LIKE A GENERAL COMMENTS YOU HEARD FROM, LIKE, WHAT'S THE COMMENTS THEY GIVE TO YOU? YES, AS I MENTIONED, THERE WASN'T, UM, STRONG OPPOSITION.
THERE WAS GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF, YES, PLEASANTON IS ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH SOMETHING.
IT HASN'T CHANGED IN A LONG TIME.
KIND OF ALL FEES ARE GOING UP.
SO THERE WAS THAT GENERAL CONSENSUS.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO A GENERAL CONCERN WITH, YOU KNOW, ANY PRICE ADJUSTMENTS, YOU KNOW, MAY IMPACT CONSUMERS, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR KIND OF PRICE CONSCIOUS, UM, BRANDS.
UM, SO WE FINISH OUR QUESTIONS.
WE WANT TO SEE IF WE HAVE A PUBLIC, OH, ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN ASKED, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY, AND MAYBE IT WAS ASKED BY JOHN, I DON'T REMEMBER.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN ON THE TYPES, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE TOURISTS FOLKS, AND THEN YOU HAVE CORPORATE FOLKS.
DO YOU HAVE KIND OF A BREAKDOWN OR A BIG PICTURE OF, OF WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR, WHETHER IT'S OUR HOTELS, WELL, IF YOU WANNA USE THE TRI VALLEY ADS, WHATEVER, BUT, UM, ARE USING THESE HOTELS IF YOU BREAK 'EM DOWN IN BIG, BIG CATEGORIES? YEAH.
I HAVE ADO ANECDOTAL DATA, IF THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO COUNCIL.
YEAH, IT'D BE, WELL IT'D BE INTERESTING IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE IT RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, UH, YEAH.
SO IN MEETING WITH THE HOTELIERS, THAT WAS A QUESTION I ASKED, LIKE, WHO IS STAYING? WHAT ARE THE TRENDS, UM, WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, OCCUPANCY LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT I HEARD FROM MOST HOTELIERS IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR, OF THEIR VISITORS WERE HAPPENING DURING THE WEEK, AND THEY WERE RELATED TO BUSINESS TRAVEL.
AND SO WEEKENDS TENDED TO BE SLOWER THAN THE WEEKDAYS BECAUSE OF THAT.
[01:40:01]
YOU.UM, DO WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES.
UH, FIRST ONE IS INGA HOUSTON.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND STAFF.
UM, MY NAME IS INGA HOUSTON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION OF THE TOT TAX BEING, UH, PLACED ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
UM, AFTER SEEING THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UM, I PULLED OUR, UH, HOTEL MEMBERS AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE CHAMBER.
AND THERE WAS UNANIMOUS, UM, CONSIDERATION FROM THEM IN OPPOSITION OF THIS ITEM.
WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY PLEASANTON WAS FORCED TO CONSIDER THIS AS A OPTION FOR THEIR CITY, BECAUSE THEIR BUDGET IS SEVERELY UNDERWATER AFTER THE LAST AGENDA ITEM.
UM, DUBLIN IS, UH, IN A FINANCE SOLID FINANCIAL SITUATION, UH, REPORTING SURPLUSES IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
IF OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION DETERIORATES IN THE FUTURE, THAT IS THE TIME TO ASK THE VOTERS TO RAISE TAXES, NOT WHEN WE HAVE SURPLUSES.
AND A 50% TAX INCREASE IS NOT WARRANTED.
OUR HOTELS COMPETE NOT JUST WITH PLEASANTON.
WHAT ABOUT SAN RAMON? AND OF COURSE, LIVERMORE IN DANVILLE WITH THE TAX LOWER THAN OUR, AND SAN RAMON'S TAX IS LOWER THAN US, UH, AT THIS TIME.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT LIVERMORE? THERE IS THE SAME AS US, BUT IF THEY DON'T RAISE, THERE'LL BE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THERE.
AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE IDEA THAT OUR BUSINESSES COULD PROSPER WITH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES? THESE BUSINESSES ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO STAY OPERATIONAL, ADDING MORE COST PRESSURES TO THEIR GUESTS, AS WILL MAKE IT EVEN HARDER FOR THEM.
THE DUBLIN CHAMBER BOARD OF, UH, DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY ASKS THAT YOU OPPOSE THIS TAX INCREASE ON THE DUBLIN HOTELS AND SUPPORT THEIR SUCCESS IN A TOUGH MARKET.
I SUPPORT YOU GUYS INCREASING THE TAX ON THESE BUSINESSES BECAUSE I SEE AN INCREASE AS GUNS UNLIMITED FROM THE STATE ALL THE TIME.
IT'S 10.25, MY RE MY, UH, SALES TAX, AND I HAVE TO CHARGE 11%.
SO WE'RE CHARGING 21.5% TO ANYBODY THAT COMES IN TO BUY AMMO OR A GUN.
NOW, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN STAYING ONE NIGHT IN A MOTEL AS BUSINESS, I WAS ON THE ROAD A LOT, HAWAII, IT WAS 14, 15% THAT DIDN'T TURN ME AROUND AND PUT ME BACK ON AN AIRPLANE HEADING BACK TO THE WEST COAST.
THIS IS GONNA HELP US FOR ONE THING.
THESE PEOPLE THAT COME TO THIS TOWN, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PROTECTING THESE PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE IN THESE MOTELS.
WE ALREADY HAVE 72,000 IN TOWN.
WE'RE ALREADY SHORT WITH 63 OFFICERS, NO MATTER WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.
AND WE'RE GONNA TURN AROUND NOW AND BE ABLE TO INCREASE AT 250,000, PROBABLY PUT ANOTHER OFFICER ON, MAYBE HAD SOME CAMERAS IN TOWN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE THAT YOU GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
YOU'RE TECHNICALLY NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PEOPLE COMING TO TOWN TO STAY IN A MOTEL THAT IS THEIR BUSINESS COMING TO TOWN.
SO I SUPPORT 100% TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.
MY GOD, WHAT IS IT? 1984, WHAT WERE WE ONLY TWO YEARS THEN INTO THE CITY.
THAT'S A LONG TIME TO GET A FREE RIDE.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF YOU GUYS, BUT DO YOU GET A FREE RIDE WHEN YOU GO TO PAY SALES TAX ANYWHERE SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1984.
I SHOULD GET THAT SIX POINT, WHAT IS IT, 6.5% RATE BACK THEN FOR SALES TAX? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
YOU'RE PAYING 10.25 IN THIS CITY AND WHATEVER THEY ARE IN ANY OTHER CITY.
SO THESE, THESE MOTEL PEOPLE, AND MOST OF THEM DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THIS TOWN.
WE LIVE IN THIS TOWN AND OUR POLICE THAT I'M PAYING FOR, AND ALL OF YOU THAT ARE PAYING FOR THIS TO PROTECT THEM, PEOPLE, WHEN THEY'RE IN THOSE MOTEL ROOMS, THEY GO OUT TO EAT WHEREVER THEY GO.
IT'S OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT I PAY FOR, AND THEY'RE GETTING THE ROYALTY FROM THAT.
SO MY POINT IS, PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, LET THE CITIZENS DECIDE.
I THINK IT PRETTY WELL SAID IT WAS WHATEVER, 52% APPROVAL.
AND I DO BELIEVE A LOT OF THOSE SWAY VOTES ARE PROBABLY WOULD
[01:45:01]
COME AROUND.AND THEN MOVING OVER TO ZOOM, WE HAVE PAUL MANIA.
LET'S SEE, PAUL, I SEE HIM ON ZOOM.
PAUL, CAN YOU UNMUTE YOURSELF? OKAY.
AND THEN THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAD IN ZOOM, UH, WAS LONG DAY, BUT HE HAD STATED THAT HE HAD TO LEAVE THE ZOOM, SO HE HAS LEFT.
LET'S COME BACK TO OUR COUNCIL.
ARE WE GOING, UH, LIKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? WHO WANTS TO MAKE GOOD COMMENTS FIRST? UM, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO FIRST.
UM, I, I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF BRINGING THIS BACK, UM, AND INCREASING IT.
I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT SINCE AT LEAST 2017.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE BROUGHT UP, UM, EVEN BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY TASK FORCE.
AS, AS ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED A A REVENUE MEASURE, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL OTHERS AS WELL, UH, AS USE IN SALES TAX, UM, AS A POSSIBILITY.
THAT'S, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING, ANY OF US WANNA GO DOWN.
UM, I DO THINK THAT WE WANNA BE, UM, MINDFUL THIS HAS BEEN A HARD FIVE YEAR PERIOD FOR, UM, HOTEL OPERATORS BASED ON SOFTENING OF, UM, BUSINESS TRAVEL.
BUSINESS TRAVEL HAS NOT REALLY RECOVERED FULLY FROM, UM, THE PRE PANDEMIC, THE PANDEMIC LEVEL, UM, AND THE WORK FROM HOME.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY ALL OF A SUDDEN REALIZE WE CAN DO MEETINGS ON ZOOM,
AND SO, UH, SOME OF THE HOTEL TRAVEL, I THINK, UM, SLOWED DOWN FROM THAT.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL, THAT THE TRI-VALLEY WILL GO EVENTUALLY.
UM, I I ALSO AM SURPRISED THAT, UH, LIVERMORE IS, IS NOT INTERESTED IN PROCEEDING AT THIS TIME, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.
UM, MY SUSPICION IS THAT THEY WILL, UM, THEY'RE WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH US.
AND, AND, UM, I I, I REALLY DO RESPECT THE CHAMBER'S POSITION.
UM, AND IT, ESPECIALLY AFTER LOOKING AT THE BUDGET ITEM THAT WE HAD TONIGHT.
UM, BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO WATCH THE, UM, PROJECTED DEFICIT AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW TO, TO, TO KEEP THAT LINE
AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE PLENTY OF RESERVES THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR SPECIFIC CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT, UM, THE OVERALL OPERATING REVENUE IS GOING TO, UM, CONTINUE TO DECLINE.
AND SO I DO SUPPORT DOING THIS AT THIS TIME WHEN RESIDENTS ARE, UM, INDICATING THAT THEY ARE LIKELY TO SUPPORT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT, MIKE, ABOUT THE, UM, SOMEWHAT SUPPORT AND SOMEWHAT OPPOSED, UM, AND WHETHER IT'S SOFT OR NOT.
I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE PICK THE SOMEWHAT LIKE, YEAH, I'M LEANING YES.
NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE UNCERTAIN, BUT BECAUSE THIS ISN'T MY HIGHEST PRIORITY.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE MORE OF THE SOMEWHAT.
SO I THINK THAT THERE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE ISN'T A HUGE MAJORITY OF DUBLIN THAT IS LIKE, ABSOLUTELY I'LL CAMPAIGN FOR IT.
RIGHT? BUT THEY'LL, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, IN SUPPORTING AND VOTING FOR IT.
SO MY, MY FEEDBACK WOULD BE, UM, YEAH, WE SHOULD BRING IT BACK.
COMMENTS? YEAH, I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE.
UH, I WOULD ALSO ADVOCATE FOR, UM, THE, THE PHASED IMPLEMENTATION, THE 10%, UH, EFFECTIVE JULY 1 27, AND THEN THE 12% JULY 1 28, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT, WHAT, UH, PLEASANTON HAVE, HAVE, UM, HAVE APPROVED.
UH, I THINK THAT GIVES US A CHANCE TO, UH, KIND OF SEE WHAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC, WE CAN ALWAYS TRY TO TRY TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, BUT, BUT IT ALSO GIVES US, UM, THE CHANCE TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE JUST A SLIGHT BIT OVER TIME AND, AND PUT US IN A BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION, UH, PUSH OUT THAT DEFICIT THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH OUT FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I TOO RESPECT, UH, THE, UH, CHAMBER'S PERSPECTIVE ON THIS IS, IS UNDERSTANDING, UH, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UM, AND INDEED THIS IS, IS REALLY NOT GONNA MAKE A TREMENDOUS REVENUE IMPACT TO US.
[01:50:01]
DISAGREE WITH ONE THING.THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN A SURPLUS DOES NOT MEAN WE JUST SIT IDLE AND DO NOTHING AND WAIT UNTIL WE'RE IN A DEFICIT.
AND I'M, I'M BEING A LITTLE MORE BLUNT ABOUT IT, UH, IS NOW IS THE TIME TO START PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT THIS.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING SINCE THE EIGHTIES, UH, GIVES ME PAUSE AS THOUGH WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS A WHILE AGO.
UM, BUT, UH, AND, AND THE OTHER THING IS, WHETHER IT'S RELEVANT OR NOT, IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERY 2% INCREASE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THE ROOM RATE OF 130 BUCKS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO OR THREE BUCKS, RIGHT? UH, NOT A LOT.
UM, MAYBE THAT'S NOT A POINT, BUT IT ALSO KIND OF RESONATED ME.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ACTUALLY BE, UH, VERY SUPPORTIVE, UH, IN, IN A PHASED APPROACH AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S A, A A BIT MORE SENSITIVITY, UH, WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SURE, WE DON'T NEED 350 GRAND RIGHT NOW OR WITH 300.
BUT, UM, IT ALLOWS US TO, AS YOU POINTED OUT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TO EVALUATE, UH, THE PROCESS AND WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, AND I THINK WE DO HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION IN, IN THE, UH, ANALYSIS THAT THAT WAS DONE, UH, TO GIVE US DIRECTION ON THAT.
SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE NOW'S THE TIME TO START LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AND IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE A, A HUGE IMPACT.
AND AS I ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, I SAID, IS IT GOING TO SWAY PEOPLE FROM COMING TO DUBLIN? NO, IT'S NOT.
IT, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAIN FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UH, STAYING ACROSS, ACROSS THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THEY WORK FOR VARIOUS COMPANIES AND THE SAME OVER HERE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
SO I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF A PHASE IN IT, UH, RATHER THAN A BIG JUMP TO 14.
ALRIGHT, I GET TO GO LAST THIS TIME, WHICH IS AWESOME.
SO, UH, YOU LIKE THAT
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A FELLA NAMED JOE, RIGHT? JOE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, UH, HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY 'CAUSE HE WANTS TO BETTER HIS LIFE, RIGHT? SORRY, MIKE, I KNOW I PICK ARMY, NOT NAVY, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, JOE'S PAY ISN'T GREAT, BUT HE SQUEAKS BY, RIGHT? UM, HE DOES PRETTY GOOD, UH, ACTUALLY GETS COMMENDED BY HIS COMMAND TO MAYBE GO TO OFFICER TRADING SCHOOL.
PAY ISN'T GREAT, BUT HE SQUEAKS BY WORLD WAR II HAPPENS, THEY'LL MAKE IT HOME.
JOE LEAVES HOME LEAVES, UH, BEHIND A WIFE AND A SON.
JOE'S PENSION ISN'T GREAT, BUT THEY SQUEAK BY.
SO UNLIKE OUR SISTER CITIES, DUBLIN HAS A BASE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CITY.
THAT BASE IS FREQUENTED BY SOLDIERS WHO COME AND FAMILIES WHO STAY IN ORDER TO BE WITH THEIR SOLDIER.
SO MY QUESTION IS NOT TO CREATE A PROTECTED CLASS NECESSARILY, BUT IS THERE A CONSIDERATION FOR THOSE WHO SERVE A COUNTRY OR EVEN A 2% INCREASE COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDICINE OR FOOD BECAUSE THEIR PAY ISN'T GREAT, BUT THEY SQUEAK BY.
SO CAN YOU ANSWER THAT FOR ME? YEAH.
SO GOING BACK TO THE POINT EARLIER, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT, UM, HOW THIS WOULD IMPACT THOSE STAYING AT THE MILITARY BASE HOTEL, AS I MENTIONED, COMMAND STAFF WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH THE INCREASE.
THEY DID NOT THINK IT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE, UM, FOR THE SOLDIERS.
AND THAT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO A MAJORITY OF THE, OF THE STAY SINCE THEY'RE EXEMPT IF THEY'RE ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS OR ON TRAINING OR BEING SENT THERE ON SPECIFIC ORDERS.
AND SO THERE WASN'T CONCERN FROM THAT SIDE.
I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER THE, THE QUESTION ABOUT, ABOUT JOE AND HOW THEY MIGHT SQUEAK BY.
UM, SO YEAH, SO THAT'S THE, THE INFORMATION WE HAVE FROM THE COMMAND STAFF AT THIS TIME.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, JOE, HIS NAME WASN'T JOE, HIS NAME WAS MARADA, HE WAS MY GRANDFATHER.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS WHEN FAMILIES EAT TO SQUEAK BY, IT'S TOUGH.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PUT $2 MORE ON THE BILL, IT'S REALLY TOUGH FOR THE MILITARY FAMILIES.
AND E ONE DOES NOT MAKE A LOT OF MONEY IF
[01:55:01]
HE'S BRINGING HIS FAMILY TO COME TO STAY AT THE IHG BECAUSE HE WANTS THEM TO CELEBRATE HIS GRADUATION FROM THE NCL ACADEMY.THAT'S 10 EXTRA POSSIBLE DAY, OR 10 EXTRA POSSIBLE DOLLARS HE HAS TO PAY FOR FIVE DAYS.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS LET'S BE SENSITIVE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S UNDER 2%, WHICH WAS THE CYSTIC YOU GAVE ME, LET'S BE SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT THEY SERVE OUR COUNTRY.
ANY MORE COMMENTS FROM, NOPE, THAT'S IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS A SMALL, SMALL PART OF, AND, AND, AND A VERY SPECIFIC, UH, RESIDENCE.
RIGHT? UM, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY WE CAN HAVE AN EXEMPTION FOR THAT PARTICULAR HOTEL GIVEN THAT IT'S ON A MA UH, MILITARY BASE? IS THAT, HAS THAT BEEN, IS THERE SOMETHING I I MEAN I, ME, I JUST GOING MAKES SENSE.
UH, IS THERE SOME LEGAL ISSUE? I MEAN, YOU COULD SEGREGATE, IT'S ON A MILITARY BASE AND YOU CAN GIVE AN EXEMPTION FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE CAN EXEMPT, UM, FE ANY FEDERAL AGENCY AND ANY INSTRUMENTALITY OF A FEDERAL AGENCY.
SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE, WHICH I WOULD ASSUME ALSO INCLUDES, UH, A MILITARY, UH, PER, PER PERSONNEL.
AND THE TAX IS NOT FOR THE HOTEL, IT'S FOR, UH, THE, THE PERSON WHO IS TEMPORARY STAYING THERE.
RIGHT? SO IF, UM, ANY FEDERAL WORKER WERE TO COME AND STAY THERE, THEY WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THAT TAX.
BUT IN CONTRAST, A STATE EMPLOYEE FOR INSTANCE, WOULDN'T.
SO, UM, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECT, CORRECTLY, THE CONCERN, WELL, MIKE, IN SPITE I, TO HIS POINT, YOU KNOW, UH, ARE WE, UH, BEING KIND OF DRACONIAN, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE ARE, BUT, UH, ARE WE JUST KINDA LOOKING AT IT AND GOING, WELL, OKAY, IT ACROSS ALL BOARDS.
SO WHAT I'M, I'M VETTING OUT HERE, UH, CAN WE GEOGRAPHICALLY SEGMENT HOW WE'RE GONNA APPLY THIS? AND THE FACT THAT IT IS ON, UH, IT'S ON FEDERAL LAND, RIGHT? UH, CAN WE LOOK AT THAT IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT? I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FOR, FOR AN EXEMPTION IF WE COULD PUT AN EXEMPTION TOGETHER TO ALLOW FOR, FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SMALL STUFF HERE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE, UM, A BIGGER PICTURE, UM, A CONCEPT, RIGHT? I THINK THAT WOULD REQUIRE FURTHER RESEARCH BECAUSE A, A LOCAL AGENT ENTITY FOR CAN'T AS YOU, AS YOU, AS YOU LIKELY KNOW, IMPOSE ON A FEDERAL AGENCY AND THEIR INSTRUMENTALITIES EMPLOYEES OR, UM, IN AN, LIKE AN EXTENSION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT BECAUSE THIS TAX ISN'T FOR THE PROPERTY OF THE HOTEL, RIGHT? IT'S FOR THOSE PERSONS WHO ARE ENJOYING THE PRIVILEGE, AS THE STATUTE SAYS, OF STAYING IN THAT HOTEL OR, UM, OTHER LODGING UNDER, UH, 30 DAYS.
UM, SO LET ME PHRASE IT ANOTHER WAY THEN.
UM, IS IT OUR DISCRETION AS A CITY AS TO HOW WE APPLY THAT TAX? OR MUST IT BE ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, REGARDLESS OF SITUATION, CIRCUMSTANCE, ANYTHING HAVE, CAN WE LOOK INTO THAT? I MEAN, I'M JUST KIND OF PULLING THIS OUT HERE AND THINKING IT, THERE'S SOME LOGIC TO THAT, RIGHT? UH, I, I, COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I, I WANNA ASSURE THE COUNCIL THAT, THAT WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, WITH, WITH OUR FRIENDS AT, AT CAMP PARKS ABOUT THIS ISSUE MM-HMM
UH, BECAUSE WE TOO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT.
UM, AND, AND WE DIDN'T HEAR ANY ISSUES RAISED.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT MEANS THAT THERE, THOSE RATES THAT THEY CHARGE AT THAT HOTEL OR ARE LOWER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK ABOUT THAT, BUT YEAH.
BUT, UM, THERE, THERE WASN'T A CONCERN BROUGHT TO US THAT WE WOULD THEN ADDRESS, TRY TO ADDRESS FOR YOU, UH, PROACTIVELY IN ADVANCE OF THIS CONVERSATION.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? YEAH, I'LL JUST ADD A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE, WE DID LOOK AT A COMPARISON.
SO WE LOOKED AT TONIGHT A RATE AT AN IHG HOTEL VERSUS A RATE AT KENT PARKS, AND THE MARKET RATE WAS ONE 19 VERSUS THE KENT PARKS RATE WAS $75.
AND SO IT IS QUITE DISCOUNTED.
UM, ADDITIONALLY TO YOUR POINT, I WANTED TO ADD THAT WE CAN DO SOME MORE RESEARCH.
WE CAN WORK WITH CAMP PARKS ON UNDERSTANDING BETTER WHO THOSE FOLKS ARE THAT ARE PAYING THE TOT TO UNDERSTAND IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE ALLOWING PRIVATE CONTRACTORS OR CITIZENS TO STAY ON BOARD, OR IF THOSE TRULY ARE MILITARY PERSONNEL OR THEIR FAMILY, SO, AND SO, WE CAN DO MORE RESEARCH INTO THAT TO SEE KIND OF WHO IS PAYING THAT
[02:00:01]
2% ON THE BASE.UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, APPRECIATE YOU.
UH, IF, IF I COULD RECOMMEND, CAN WE ADD TO THE RESEARCH, UH, TRAVIS MM-HMM
UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE QUITE A BIG CITY AND SURROUNDING THE AIR FORCE BASE ENTRANCE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IN ADDITION, UH, THERE'S A, THE, THE, THE BASE DOWN IN, UM, MOFFITT AS WELL.
THAT'S WHERE ACTUALLY THE MAJOR GENERAL WHO COMMANDS THE, UH, P-R-F-T-A ACTUALLY IS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A NICE COMPARISON AS WELL.
I'M, I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING HERE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING, UH, THE CONCERNS OF THE, THE VARYING, UM, RESIDENTS AND, AND NOT NECESSARILY RESIDENTS, BUT THE USERS OF THESE HOTELS.
AND IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN SUPPORT, UH, THE, UM, THE MILITARY, THEIR FAMILIES AND, AND THE WHOLE BIT, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? AND HOW WE CAN WEAVE THAT INTO THIS.
AND IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE THAT, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY, IT'S NOT A LOT OF BUCKS OFF OUR BACK, RIGHT? THIS IS A VERY SMALL, VERY SPECIALIZED AREA, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS OR WHATEVER, RIGHT.
UM, OR HOWEVER WE WANNA CHARACTERIZE IT, RIGHT? SO, UM, I'M GENERALLY IN FAVOR.
I I'M IN FAVOR OF, OF DOING SOMETHING TONIGHT.
BUT I WANT TO, TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME CARVE OUTS HERE.
UM, SO I'VE GOT A, I'VE GOT A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR, FOR THOSE AND, UH, MEMBERS OF, OF SERVICE AND, AND THEIR FAMILIES.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR, YOUR GRANDFATHER FOR, FOR HIS SERVICE.
UM, PRAGMATICALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 50 CENTS, UH, GOING FROM $6 TO POTENTIALLY, UH, UH, SEVEN, RIGHT? UH, OR SEVEN 50, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TALKING A LOT OF, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY HERE.
UM, I KNOW THE, I KNOW THE BASE HAS A CHAPLAIN THAT HELPS OUT WITH A LOT OF, UH, NEEDS AND SERVICES WITHIN, WITHIN THE BASE.
I'M SURE WE COULD WORK SOMETHING OUT IN TERMS OF LIKE A MINI-GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE IT OVERLY INFLATED IN TERMS OF THE OVERHEAD OF CARVING OUT AND, AND REC, YOU KNOW, BOOKS AND RECONCILIATION AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, I, I, I'M, I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS.
I, I JUST DON'T THINK, LIKE, I, I, UH, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT AND, AND THE SENTIMENT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BEST USE OF, OF OUR TIME TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT HEAD ON.
AND IF WE WERE TRYING TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND, AND MEMBERS OF SERVICE, I, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO, TO HIT THAT.
CAN I MAKE SOME COMMENTS TOO BEFORE YOU DO THAT? UM, SO, UH, I, I FEEL LIKE WE DO WANT TO BE VERY SENSITIVE, ESPECIALLY TO THE HOTEL BUSINESS.
AND I, I, I, LIKE TODAY WE ARE ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS, RIGHT? SO I WANT TO SAY IF THERE'S ANY STUDIES HAVE DONE IN OTHER CITIES, IN OTHER PLACES, LIKE HOW THE RELATIONSHIP OF INCREASING THE, UH, TOT CAN IMPACT THE BUSINESS.
MAYBE THERE'S NO IMPACT, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOMEWHAT, WE, WE DON'T KNOW.
SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING I WANT, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BECAUSE THE, WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES.
I THINK THAT'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE COMMENT, UM, THE HOTEL BUSINESS ARE STRUGGLING, RIGHT? LIKE, ESPECIALLY, UM, AFTER THE COVID.
WE ARE NOT BACK TO THE BEFORE COVID LEVEL YET.
SO THIS IS ONE THING I WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT.
AND ALSO, WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE FAMILIES LIKE, UH, UM, MARTA'S FAMILY MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
WE WANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE PEOPLE WHO USE OUR, UH, SPACE AS WELL.
AND THAT'S THING I AM SUPPORTIVE OF.
IF WE, AFTER ALL THE RESEARCH, MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS, WE FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO, UM, PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THIS KIND OF PHASE OUT, OR JUST THE 2% AT A TIME, I, THAT'S HOW I FEEL LIKE WHAT I HEARD FROM YOU IS LIKE, WE WANT TO BE SENSITIVE.
WE WANT TO BE KIND OF, UH, TESTING WATER A LITTLE BIT.
IS THAT A DIRECTING ENOUGH FOR YOU TO, TO WORK ON THINGS? NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
NO, BECAUSE I'M HEARING, UH, DISPARATE OPINION, SO I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION.
I, I, DO WE NEED AN ACTUAL MOTION TONIGHT? I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST DIRECTION.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THE, THE TWO YEAR PHASED IN.
UM, AS LONG AS THAT DOESN'T MAKE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, UM, UNNECESSARILY HARD TO UNDERSTAND, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, WHAT WE'RE PUTTING ON THE BALLOT IS CLEAR LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE REALLY, TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, WE CERTAINLY
[02:05:01]
CAN BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PLEASANTON.THEY'RE, THEY HAVE ALREADY PROVED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PHASED IN 10% TO 12%.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US AS WELL, UM, UH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION OF BOTH THE CITY AND THE, THE HOTELS.
BUT I DO THINK WE WANNA GET TO THE 12%.
UM, SO I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE PHASED IN APPROACH.
UM, I, I ALSO AM VERY SENSITIVE TO, UM, THE, THE, UM, PINCH, UM, OF, UH, MILITARY FAMILIES.
UM, THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY, UH, FAMILIES IN DUBLIN THAT GET PINCHED.
YOU KNOW, I WAS, I GREW UP IN A MILITARY FAMILY.
I WAS, I WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, MARRIED TO A NAVY MAN FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, THOSE SALARIES ARE NOT TERRIBLY HIGH.
SO THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING IN EDUCATION AND MOST SALARIES AREN'T HIGH EITHER.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR WHOM, UM, YOU KNOW, HOTELS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
I THINK THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SMALL.
UM, AND SO I, I'M WITH YOU IF, BECAUSE THE IHG IS SUCH A SPECIAL ISN'T A SPECIALIZED LOCATION, IF THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN EASY FIX THAT ISN'T JUMPING THROUGH A TON OF HOOPS, THEN I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
BUT WE DID HEAR FROM, UM, FROM, UH, COMMAND STAFF THAT, UH, THIS WASN'T A, A BIG PROBLEM FOR THEM.
SO I WOULDN'T WANT STAFF TO BE SPENDING, YOU KNOW, A HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO, TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S AN EASY WAY THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING THERE, GREAT.
BUT I, I DON'T WANT THE BALLOT LANGUAGE TO BE OVERLY COMPLEX.
AND I'M A LITTLE WORRIED THAT IF WE ARE EXEMPTING THAT HOTEL THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IT, DO SO IN THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, AND THAT I DON'T WANNA DO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT MUDDIES THE WATER A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO DO IT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT THAT PIECE ON THE BALLOT THAT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, THAT, UM, UH, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IF, IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, SOUNDS LIKE, UH, WE MIGHT HAVE DIRECTION FOR A PHASED APPROACH, WE WOULD, UH, GO BACK TO THE, TO THE COMMAND STAFF AT THE BASE AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT STRUCTURE THEY HAVE FOR, UH, MILITARY FAMILY DISCOUNTS AND MAKE SURE THOSE THINGS ARE IN PLACE AND UNDERSTAND BETTER, YOU KNOW, THE TYPES OF FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE STAYING IN THE HOTEL AND, AND, AND, UM, AND WHAT RATE THEY'RE PAYING AND, AND BEING SENSITIVE TO EVERYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER BROUGHT UP AND YOU ALL AGREE WITH.
IS THAT A WHAT DO WE, WHAT YOU GATHERING? SO, I THINK I'M LOOKING FOR DIRECT, I'M LOOKING AT PEOPLE'S HEADS FOR NODDING THAT WE WOULD MOVE TO PUT THAT ON THE BALLOT IN A PHASED APPROACH.
I WANT TO SAY THE MORE, LIKE A MORE RESEARCH OR STUDY THAN DATA.
SO I'LL JUST HOLD ON FOR, FOR THIS MOMENT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE FOUR HEAD NODS TO BRING BACK THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
UM, AND I THINK IN CONJUNCTION WITH BRINGING BACK THAT LANGUAGE, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE, UM, DATA TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DECIDING HERE, WHICH IS TO, TO, TO PUT THAT ON THE BALLOT.
THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS HAPPENING.
I I OH, DO I, DO I GET THAT, UH, CROSS, LIKE, I WOULD LIKE ALSO SAY HOW THAT INFLUENCED, UM, HOTEL OWNERS BUSINESS, HOTEL BUSINESS.
CAN WE GET THAT KIND OF DATA RESEARCH? SO I NEED TO BE CLEAR, IS THIS A SEPARATE RESEARCH ITEM THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? AND DO I HAVE HEAD NODS ON THAT? WOULD YOU LIKE A REPORT ON? I, I I NEED YOU TO JUST CLARIFY WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU WANNA SAY.
WANT TO SAY THE ANY STUDY HAS DONE THAT.
HOW INCREASE OF TOT WILL IMPACT THE HOTEL BUSINESS OKAY.
AND THAT, THAT COMPLETES THIS, UH, ITEM NINE, UH, NINE, ITEM EIGHT.
SO WE'LL GO TO ITEM NINE, CITY
[9. CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL REPORTS]
MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANNA MAKE, UH, YOU ALL AWARE ON THE PUBLIC AWARE AGAIN, WE PUT OUT A, A NEWS FLASH TODAY THAT, UH, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT WET WEATHER SYSTEM PASSING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE SANDBAGS AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE.
UM, LIMIT UP TO 10 AT THE CORP YARD.
UM, IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE FILLING THEM ON YOUR OWN OR YOU NEED THEM TRANSPORTED TO YOUR HOUSE, JUST GIVE US A CALL.
UH, THE NUMBER IS 9 2 5 8 3 3 6 6 3 0 AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP OUT.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE UPCOMING A PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND FENTANYL SAFETY COMMUNITY FORUM.
UH, DPS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE IS HOSTING THAT EVENT AT EMERALD HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, SO, UH, CHECK OUT THE DUBLIN WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND, UH, REGISTER TO ATTEND.
[02:10:01]
THE, UH, IN TERMS OF MY ATTENDANCE, I WAS AT THE CAMP PARK SIGN RELOCATION CEREMONY.UH, THEN ALSO, UH, OF COURSE THERE WAS THE LUNAR NEW YEAR GALA HELD AT THE SENIOR CENTER.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, THIS EVENING'S LU LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AS WELL.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF EVENTS, UH, ATTENDED THE A PMO BOARD MEETING THAT'S PART OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF OF CITIES, UM, WHICH WAS GREAT.
UH, THE CAMP PARKS, UH, SIGN RELOCATION AS WELL AS THE ALAMEDA COUNTY MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISTRICT MEETING.
UH, AND THE LUNAR CELEBRATION, UH, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL ONE, UH, POTENTIAL NAME CHANGE OF, OF THE HERITAGE PARK, UH, IN HONOR OF, UH, FORMER MAYOR JANET LOCKHART.
SHOULD WE KNOCK THE HEAD?
AND THEN, UH, IF, IF, UH, STAFF COULD LOOK INTO THE CRICKET PITCH MAINTENANCE, UM, AND IF SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE IN TERMS OF COUNCIL TO BRING THAT BACK.
OTHERWISE, UH, JUST INVESTIGATE AND, AND KNOCK.
THE GUEST SPEAKER WAS THE GM OF BART
AND YES, I DID LISTEN INTO THE BART BOARD MEETING.
UH, UH, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ON THE SEVENTH WHILE YOU FOLKS WERE, UM, UH, MOVING THE SIGN OVER THERE.
UM, AT CAMP PARKS, UH, PUT TOGETHER, I WAS INVOLVED WITH A ROTARY, UH, FUNCTION AND, AND WE DID THE, THE KIDS FOR HUNGER.
SO, UH, PREPPED A LOT OF FOOD THAT'S GOING OVERSEAS TO, UH, DECA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO.
UH, IT WAS, UM, A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
UH, HAD A, UM, HOUSING, ALAMEDA COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY COMMISSION MEETING AS WELL.
UH, AND A VALID LINK BOARD MEETING AND REALLY NOTHING TO REPORT ON THOSE TWO MEETINGS.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OVER THERE GOT ME IN THE SAME BEFORE I COULD ABOUT EXPLORING WAYS THAT WE COULD LOOK ABOUT, UH, LOOK ABOUT HONORING, UM, OUR FORMER MAYOR, INCLUDING, UH, LOOKING AT THAT PARK AS WELL.
I MEAN, I, I GO DOWN IT EVERY DAY.
I LIVE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO IT, RIGHT? SO I'M KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF PERSONAL TO ME.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, CERTAINLY LIKE TO LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS WE HAVE INCLUDING, UH, THAT AS WELL, UH, DO A LITTLE STUDY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME BACK, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU PULL THAT ALL TOGETHER AND YOU COME BACK, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, YEAH, THE, I WANNA GIVE, UM, REAL KUDOS TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED ON THE, UM, CAMP PARK, SIGN IN, GUARD, POST RELOCATION.
THAT WAS REALLY, UM, WELL DONE WORK AND, UM, A REALLY WELL DONE EVENT.
UM, THE, UM, I'VE HAD A-T-V-T-C TWO MEETINGS, UM, WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WORKING OUT THE BYLAWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE JUST HAD A MEETING THIS WEEK, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THE, UM, WORK BEING DONE ON THE PHASE OUT OF THE, UM, THE THICKER PLASTIC BAGS THAT YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO GET AT THE GROCERY STORE.
AND, UM, THE OUTREACH TO, UM, TO BUSINESSES AND HOW THAT'S GOING AND, UM, THE, THE PAPER BAGS BEING AVAILABLE FOR 10 CENTS.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY'S REMEMBERING TO BRING THEIR REUSABLE BAGS INTO THE, UM, THE, UH, RETAIL STORES.
UH, WE HAD A LAUGHTER, A PARATRANSIT MEETING WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BEST WAYS TO, UM, SERVE OUR, UH, PARATRANSIT USERS IN BOTH ALAMEDA, UH, TRI-VALLEY REGION AND, UM, THE, UH, CONTRA COSTA PART OF THE TRI-VALLEY REGION.
WE PARTNER WITH COUNTY CONNECTIONS ON PARATRANSIT.
UM, AND THEN I DO WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT IT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND OUR LIBRARY HAS, UM, QUITE A FEW SPECIAL, UH, PROGRAMS GOING ON AT, UM, THE LIBRARY IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
SO, UM, FOR ME, THE CAMP CAMP PARKS SIGN RELOCATION, RIBBON CUTTING IS A GREAT EVENT.
AND THEN I ALSO WENT TO OUR SENIOR CENTER PING PONG, PING PONG TOURNAMENT FOR THE OPENING.
THEY HAVE A, A LOT OF, UH, GREAT, UH, COMPETITION GOING ON THAT, THAT DAY, THE SAME DAY AS THE CAMP PARKS, UH, RELOCATION.
AND LAST WEEK, UH, NEW NEW YEAR CELEBRATION IN SENIOR CENTER.
[02:15:01]
A HUGE, THAT WAS GREAT SUCCESS.AND THANKS TO THE, TO THE CITY.
ACTUALLY, CITI IS A SPONSOR, UH, FOR THE SPACE.
AND, UH, UM, SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING, UM, S-S-V-A-A AND OTHER PING PONG AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS PUT TOGETHER, IT'S, IT'S VERY WELL RECEIVED.
UM, BEYOND THAT, LET ME SEE, BIGGEST EVENTS AND TODAY IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST DAY OF NEW NEW YEAR.
AND IT'S PRETTY, YOU KNOW, U UNIQUE.
IT'S A YEAR OF A HORSE FULL OF ENERGY AND, UH, IT'S A FIRE HORSE.
SO IT'S A GOOD YEAR FOR ALL OF US, AND I WISH THE BEST, UH, TO EVERYBODY WHO'S OBSERVING THE HOLIDAYS.
WITH THAT SAID, WE'LL, OH, WE HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT.
SO WE'LL ADJOURN OUR TODAY'S MEETING, UM, IN MEMORY OF OUR FORMER MAYOR, UM, JANET LOCKHART AT 9:16 PM UH, UH, I THINK WE OVERSHOT.