[00:00:02]
MY NAME NEEDED.SAID WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT
[Call to Order]
SIX O'CLOCK.UH, DETERMINE IF QUORUM PRESENT.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER.
IF WE ASK YOU BLESS THIS MEETING AND HELP US TO SAY THE THINGS AND DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE US DO AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO, BE YOUR WILL.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS.
I ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION, NATION UNDER GOD IN INVIS WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
FOR ALL ON HONOR TEXAS FLAG, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD.
UH, ANYBODY GOT ANY COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT, CITIZEN INPUT, SIGNED UP.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 1 1 2.CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY.
UH, AND I GO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION.
THAT OKAY? HERE WE'RE ALL RIGHT.
[Joint Workshop with the Aubrey Municipal Development District Board]
AN OPEN SESSION TIME, 6 46.AND WE'VE GOT THIS, UH, JOINT WORKSHOP WITH THE AUBREY MVD.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF US.
WE'LL DO A QUICK ROUND OF ROUND.
UH, I'M CHRIS RICH FROM THE MAYOR, CHUCK PIKES.
WE GOING THIS WAY? I'M TO DAVIS
ERIN BOGAR, HOLLY DREW, CHRISTINE GOSSETT, BRENDA BLACKBURN, ANNABELL BLACKBURN.
THANK YOU ALL OF Y'ALL FOR VOLUNTEERING.
I KNOW WE HAD A BUNCH OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.
PRETTY SHORT WINDOW TO DO IT IN THE WORK SESSION.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO START OFF WITH A LITTLE BIT OF INTRODUCTION? OKAY.
SO, UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, AND YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, WE HAD OUR STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS EARLIER THIS YEAR AND, UH, LAST YEAR AND IN NOVEMBER, UH, MDD MEETING, THEY ADOPTED THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS PROPOSED AND WRITTEN BY, UH, CATALYST COMMERCIAL.
SO THE CONSULTANT GAVE US SOME RECOMMENDED GOALS TO START WITH IN THE NEXT YEAR TO THAT BE ACTION ITEMS FOR THE BOARD AND STAFF, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED ON.
AND THEN THERE'S LONG, LONGER TERM GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT, UM, WERE INCLUDED IN AN EMAIL YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY SECRETARY.
BUT IF NOT, WE CAN PULL SOME OF THESE THINGS UP ONTO THE SCREEN FOR YOU IF YOU'D LIKE.
UM, BUT JUST IN A, IF YOU CAN'T FIND THAT, WE CAN ALSO EMAIL 'EM TO YOU AGAIN AFTER THE MEETING.
BUT WE DO HAVE SOME ACTION ITEMS ON THIS SHEET FRONT AND BACK.
OUR BOARD, YOU HAVE THEM ON THE COMPUTER.
SO IF Y'ALL WOULD PLEASE PASS THESE DOWN TO CE COUNSEL OR IF YOU NEED ONE, PLEASE TAKE ONE.
AND, UM, THAT CAN BE SOMEWHAT OF A STARTING POINT AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HOLLY.
SO SHE HAS SOME SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AND WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT.
Y'ALL, MY BOARD, FEEL FREE TO INTERJECT.
I KNOW EVERYBODY KIND OF HAD THEIR OWN THING THAT THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
[00:05:01]
SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT THEY HAD ON? SO ON THE COUNCIL ITEM, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO START WITH THAT, MAYOR, WE COULD START WITH SOME OF THE ITEMS, LIST ON ITEMS ON YOUR LIST AS FAR AS SOME PROJECTS Y'ALL MAY HAVE IN MIND.THINGS, QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING.
WE DO HAVE OUR ATTORNEY HERE, ANNABEL, WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I ALSO HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION.
AGAIN, IF WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING UP ON THE SCREEN, I'VE GOT SOME THINGS ABOUT STATE STATUTE THAT WE WENT OVER IN TRAINING THAT'S ALLOWED.
SO, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA START WORKING ON THESE GOALS.
NOW THAT WE'VE GOT 'EM ALL IN PLACE, WE'RE GONNA START NAILING THEM GOING THROUGH.
HE KIND OF, UH, CHRIS KIND OF GAVE US AN OUTLINE OF WHAT HE THOUGHT OUR TOP GOALS SHOULD BE AND THEN ACTION ITEMS. UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH AND CONTINUE WITH THAT AS, UM, AS WE GO AND START CHECKING THOSE OFF.
UM, SO LIKE ONE OF, IF YOU SEE IT IN ON YOUR PAPER, CREATE AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT BUSINESS RETENTION PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE A EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT BUSINESS PROGRAM.
SO IT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S ON THE SHEET.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM BECAUSE IT'S A LOT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF OUR GOAL NOW THAT WE HAVE THEM SET IN STONE FOR US, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT BEFORE.
SO NOW WE'VE GOT SOMETHING AND WE'RE EXCITED TO START ROLLING WITH IT.
AND THERE'S A LONGER DOCUMENT THAT'S THREE PAGES, THAT'S FIVE, FIVE YEAR PLUS GOALS.
UM, SOME OF IT INVOLVING SOME OF THESE ITEMS YOU HAVE LISTED FOR YOUR, YOUR DISCUSSION, UM, CHOICE LIST.
SO LOTS OF THINGS WE CAN DO, UM, WITH THE MDD FUNDS, SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
AGAIN, WE'LL TAKE SOME PLANNING IN ADVANCE AND SOME COMMITMENT OF BUDGET THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO DISCUSS THAT AND THINK ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY GONNA BE AN IMPORTANT GOAL, WE CAN COME BACK TO THOSE AND, AND START REALLY WORKING ON IT, ESPECIALLY DURING BUDGET SEASON.
AND, AND, UM, AS WE GO ALONG WITH THIS YEAR AND WE SEE SOME THINGS COMING OUT WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THAT GETS DONE AND APPROVED, UM, IT'LL BE, THIS WILL ROLL INTO THAT PLAN.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP.
SO IF YOU WANT, I COULD START WITH A COUPLE ITEMS I KNOW THE BOARD HAD YEAH.
ASK ABOUT PLEASE IN THE LAST TRAINING.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN OUR TRAINING WAS, UM, OUR GRANT, OUR GRANT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE MORE INTEREST IN OUR GRANTS NOW.
SO ONE THING WE TALKED ABOUT THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY WOULD HAVE, UH, OUR GRANT PROGRAM BECOME, UH, APPROVED IN AN ORDINANCE AND FUNCTION OF THE MPD THAT COULD ALLOW US THE MDD BOARD TO APPROVE GRANTS UP TO $30,000 AS LONG AS
AND AGAIN, CORRECT ME IF THAT'S, AS LONG AS THEY FIT WITHIN THE STATUTE AND THEY DON'T FALL WITHIN A CERTAIN STATUTE, THAT WILL ALWAYS REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL READINGS.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE OVER $30,000 THAT WOULD ALWAYS REQUIRE THAT.
BUT THIS WOULD HELP, THIS WOULD TAKE OUT SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL READINGS AND, AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, UM, UP TO THAT $30,000 LEVEL.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS DESIRED.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SEVERAL, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL, UM, GRANTS COME THROUGH, REALLY JUST ONE.
BUT, UM, IF WE CAN, IT'S A 10,000, RIGHT? WELL, TONIGHT WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ONE COME UP IN OUR MEETING THAT'S JUST OVER 10,000.
SO THAT WILL REQUIRE TO COME TO GUYS US TO COME TO YOU GUYS, HAVE A READING, AND THEN HAVE ANOTHER READING, AND THEN THEY GET APPROVED.
AND SO THIS HELPS TAKE SOME OF THAT PROCESS FOR THE GRANT APPLICANT AS WELL.
UM, IF, IF WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS IN THE BUDGET AND IT'S APPROVED BY COUNSEL IN THE BUDGET, UH, FOR X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS UNDER OUR GRANT PROGRAM, AND IF IT FITS WITHIN THOSE, THE GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES, GUIDELINES AND THE STATUTES, THEN WE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND ADMINISTER SOME OF THOSE, IMPROVE SOME OF THOSE GRANTS UNDER THAT 30,000 THRESHOLD.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
WHY HAVE BUREAUCRACY IF WE DON'T DO IT? OKAY.
SO THAT WAS ONE, ONE ITEM AND THEN ANOTHER, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE HAS CONTINUED TO COME UP AS A QUESTION.
UM, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ALLOWED EXPENSES THAT CAN BE DONE UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S PER THE STATE STATUTE.
UM, IF IT'S, HELP ME OUT AGAIN HERE ANYTIME, UH, IF WE HAVE WATER LINES THAT WE NEED TO BE EXTENDED TO A BUSINESS OR A DISTRICT BUS BUSINESS DISTRICT, IF THERE WERE ROADS THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
MAYBE THE COUNCIL, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHERE OR WHAT THE MDE CAN SPEND THEIR MONEY ON.
AND ANNABELL AND, OR YOU WANT ME JUST GO BACK? UM, I HAVE THE SLIDES.
THERE IS THAT, UM, THE, THE ONE DOCUMENT
[00:10:01]
THAT SAYS SLIDES 5 0 5.SO OUR ATTORNEY JUST KIND OF WENT THROUGH THIS WITH US LAST GO AROUND, UM, LAST MEETING, KIND OF GIVING EVERYBODY A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE STATUTES AND WHY WHEN WE HAVE TO GO ASK FOR HELP AND OR NOT APPROVALS, HOW APPROVAL, AND THEN WHAT IT HAS TO FALL, WHAT STATUTE IT HAS TO FALL UNDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FUND IT.
SO THESE SLIDES WILL KIND OF HELP GO THROUGH US, GO THROUGH IT.
SO WHILE SHE'S LOOKING UP THOSE SLIDES, UM, ANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UH, IS AS LONG AS IT IS, AND YOU'LL SEE ALL THE SLIDES HERE, UM, WE CAN DEVELOP A FUND OR WE CAN ESTABLISH A FUND THAT'S DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FUND.
AND THIS WOULD BE, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN, UM, EARMARK FUNDS TO GO INTO A CERTAIN BUDGET LINE FOR CERTAIN SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IF WE WISH.
AND IF, AGAIN, IT'S BENEFITING THE BUSINESS DISTRICT, IF IT'S GOING TO BENEFIT INCREASING SALES TAX COMING IN, UH, FEES CAN BE JOBS TO PAY THE COST OF BONDS THAT WERE APPROVED FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS.
SO ALL OF THESE RENOVATIONS, UM, ROADS, ACQUIRING LAND PROPERTY FOR FUTURE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING AS SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, THE MONEY, SOME OF THAT MONEY CAN BE USED FOR THAT.
UM, SO A AGAIN, THINK OF IT AS ALWAYS TYING BACK INTO THAT BUSINESS DISTRICT OR BUSINESS PROJECT THAT'S MEANT TO INCREASE REVENUE JOBS, SALES TAX.
AND IF IT FALLS WITHIN THAT 5 0 5 0.158, UM, ALLOWED EXPENSES FOR PROJECTS THAT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH RECREATION, UM, SPORTS FIELDS, FACILITIES, THINGS THAT, AGAIN, WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE AREA GENERATING MORE BUSINESS.
SO THERE ARE ABOUT EIGHT SUB SUB SUB STATUTES, UH, SUB POINTS OF THAT ONE STATUTE CODE THAT ALLOWS FOR SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES TO, UM, BE USED SPECIFICALLY FOR, IT'S KIND OF LIKE TYPE B AN E, DC, TYPE B.
SO, UM, THERE IS, UM, YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, BAILEY.
IS THAT CONSTRUCTING, DEVELOPING, CONSTRUCTING OR RENOVATING? YES.
THAT WAS THE ONE TYPE I WAS LIKE, AH.
CONSTRUCTING, SORRY, NOT CONSTRUING.
SO TYPE B AGAIN, CONVENTIONS, FACILITIES.
UM, SO THERE'S THAT 1, 5, 0, 5 0.15, ONE THROUGH 5, 0 5 0.158 THAT ALL OF THOSE UNDER TYPE B ARE ALLOWED.
AND THEN A CONVENTION CENTER, UH, OR RELATED IMPROVEMENTS, PARKING FOR THINGS, UH, FOR THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, IF JUST SPECIFICALLY FOR Y'ALL TO KNOW, UH, 5 0 5 0.151 IS FOUR MAJOR PROJECTS.
LAND BUILDING EQUIPMENTS, FACILITIES, EXPENDITURES, IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING JOB TRAINING.
UM, A PROVIDING THAT CAN PROVIDE JOB TRAINING FOR RECYCLING FACILITIES.
UM, NEXT SLIDE WOULD BE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, UM, COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
AGAIN, ANYTHING GOING BACK TO THE LAND BUILDING, EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES, IMPROVEMENTS, PLANNING.
THE NEXT SECTION IS, UH, PROJECTS RELATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AGAIN, THAT'S, DO YOU SEE IT THERE IN THAT SLIDE? THE NEXT 5.154.
THE NEXT SLIDE ARE PROJECTS, UH, RELATED TO WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. UM, LIKE THAT'S WHERE THE WATER LINES COME IN, UM, IMPROVEMENTS SO FORTH.
AND THEN NUMBER NEXT SLIDE, THE 5 0 5 0.155 PROJECTS, PROJECTS RELATED TO BUSINESS ENTERPRISES THAT CREATE OR RETAIN PRIMARY JOBS.
AND THEY ARE SPECIFIC ABOUT PRIMARY JOBS.
THERE IS A LIST IN THE CODE, UH, THAT OUTLINES WHAT THOSE PRIMARY JOBS ARE.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT, SOME OF IT'S LIKE FORESTRY TECH, SOME OF THOSE JOBS THAT, THAT ARE NOT AS BIG IN THIS AREA ANYMORE, BUT LIKE AGRICULTURE AND CROP PRODUCTION, THE, UH, IT'S BASED ON THE N-A-I-C-S SECTORS.
IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, BAILEY.
SO THOSE ARE CONSIDERED PRIMARY JOBS.
SO TYPICALLY IF IT'S A PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BRING IN THOSE PRIMARY JOBS, THEY SAY ABOUT 25 OR MORE, THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THOSE THAT FALLS IN, THAT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT'S MEANT TO BE USED FOR.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE PROJECTS RELATED TO AIRPORT FACILITIES IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES.
AND THE FINAL SLIDE FOR ANY PROJECTS RELATED UNDER THAT 5 0 5 ARE, UM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS
[00:15:01]
AND SMALL MUNICIPALITIES.SO AGAIN, TARGETED INFRASTRUCTURE, NEW DEVELOPMENT, EXPANDED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ANYTHING IN THAT POPULATION OF 20,000 OR LESS.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THOSE PROCEDURAL STEPS THAT WE'VE HAD TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE WITH THE HOLDING PUBLIC HEARING TO APPROVE MOST PROJECTS.
UM, IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT 1 5 1 TO 1 5 8, UH, WE, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND THEN, UM, THE 5 0 5 0.158 EXPENDITURES EXCEEDING 10,000 MUST BE APPROVED BY RESOLUTION OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAS REQUIRED THE TWO READINGS FOR LIKE THE RESTAURANT GRANT WE RECENTLY DID.
AND ANY GRANT WE DO OVER 10,000 IS GONNA REQUIRE THAT UNLESS YOU WOULD ALL CHOOSE TO WANT TO MAKE IT, UM, AN ORDINANCE OF OUR GRANT PROGRAM.
SO YOUR GRANTS ARE A LINE ITEM IN YOUR BUDGET THOUGH, CORRECT? SO YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM WE HAVE A A LINE ITEM FOR GRANTS, YES.
JUST ONE LINE ITEM FOR GRANT PROGRAM.
CHRISTINE, COULD YOU, UH, SEND THOSE SLIDES TO JENNY TO BE SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL? YES, YES.
AND I'LL ALSO RESENT THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS AND THE, THE, SO THE TWO THINGS.
SORRY, JUST ONE REAL QUICK ONE.
UM, OUR ATTORNEY POINTED OUT TWO APPLI TWO THAT ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO AUBREY, AND THAT IS PROJECTS RELATED TO BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, IT'S LIMITED TO MUNICIPALITIES THAT DID NOT RECEIVE MORE THAN 50,000 IN SALES TAX REVENUE IN THE PROCEEDING TWO YEARS, WHICH WE HAVE.
AND 5 0 5 0.157 PROJECTS RELATED TO LANDLOCKED COMMUNITIES.
IT'S LIMITED TO MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES OF A POPULATION MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION AND LESS THAN A HUNDRED ACRES IN ITS ETJ.
SO, UM, WELL, INFRASTRUCTURE WISE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR CCN OR OUR LEGAL BOUNDARY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE WATER OR SEWAGE TO.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO ADD TO THAT IF WE CAN WORK OUT AND DEAL WITH MUSTANG, BUT, UH, ACK ROADS THAT BASICALLY OUR EASTERN BOUNDARY, WE, WE WON'T GO PAST IT, THAT WE'RE KIND OF COVERED THAT WAY, ESPECIALLY WITH LING GOING IN OUT THERE.
UH, BUT ALL THE OTHER DIRECTIONS ARE STILL OPEN.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE, UH, WATER LINES AS 3 77 WIDENING KIND OF APPROACHES.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOKING AT DEVELOPMENT ON 3 77 NORTH UP BY MIDWAY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A WATER LINE TO GET TO THEM YET.
UH, MAYBE THEY HAVE COMMERCIAL FRONTAGE, UH, WITH THE RESIDENTIAL BEHIND IT.
UH, OR IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S A LITTLE TINY SQUARE SOUTH OF, UH, DOLLAR GENERAL.
AND THE VET THERE THAT'S FOR SOUTH, IS THAT THE, THE ONE THAT'S PURSE SOUTH? UH, THE ONE ON THE CORNER OF STANLEY? NO, UH, SOUTH OF THERE, SOUTH OF THE VET.
THERE'S A CORNER THERE THAT'S NOT IN OUR ETJ.
OR IT'S, IT'S IN OUR ETJ, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE CITY.
BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LINE THAT GOES THERE.
WE'RE ACROSS THE STREET AT JULIUS, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE.
OR IF WE WANTED TO GO WEST DOWN, SHERMAN OUT OF TOWN, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN THOSE TO ME ARE, ARE ON THE TABLE TO START LOOKING INTO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE BUILDING AND THEY WILL COME SCENARIOS.
IF THEY HAVE THE WATER AND SEWAGE THERE, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY GONNA DO SOMETHING.
RATHER THAN BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND SIT AROUND AND WAIT ON US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL'S INTEREST LEVEL IS IN GETTING INVOLVED IN PARKS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I'M SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT INVOLVED A SPORTS COMPLEX AND THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL'S INTEREST IN GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT IS, OR WHAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING INTO THE FUTURE PHASES OF VETERANS' MEMORIAL PARK DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVE OTHER PHASES ON THE TABLE FOR THAT.
WELL, ONE THING WE DID DO LAST YEAR IS APPROVE THE PLANS FOR CONCEPT PLANS TO BE DRAWN FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY FARMER'S MARKET.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY TOUCHED THAT AREA AND I THINK DOWNTOWN SEEMS TO BE AN INTEREST OF THIS GROUP.
I MEAN, REALLY, AS MUCH AS WE CAN HELP, WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP.
I FEEL LIKE, UM, I GUESS WE JUST KIND OF NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO, WHERE YOU WANT US TO START, WHERE WE, HOW, HOW THAT PROCESS GOES.
BECAUSE THE WAY WE'RE KIND OF SET UP, AND SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR ALMOST A YEAR, I GUESS NOW MM-HMM
OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN EITHER TRYING TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY MM-HMM
THAT COMES UP AND WE'VE DEBATED SEVERAL.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE MONOPOLY IF
[00:20:01]
WE'RE OVER HERE PLAYING AT VERMONT AVENUE, BUT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY MORE INTERESTED IN PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE.IT REALLY DOESN'T SERVE EVERYBODY GOOD.
SO IT'D BE NICE TO KIND OF HAVE A, A FOCUS ON THAT.
THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON ARE IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVING FACADES OR WHATEVER, AND TRYING TO INITIATE BUSINESSES KIND OF ONE AT A TIME AS THEY SHOW UP.
BUT YOU'LL SEE AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, IT'S MORE WE KIND OF LIKE TO HAVE A MORE FOCUSED, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE PRIORITIZE RESTAURANTS OR MEDICAL OR WHATEVER.
AND NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HELP ANYBODY THAT SHOWS UP, BUT THAT WOULD KIND OF HELP US ALLOCATE MONEY.
UM, TO YOUR QUESTION, OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR IS 150,000 FOR GRANTS.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY BIG NUMBER.
AND WE CAN GO 30, SO WE CAN GO FIVE AT 30 OR WE CAN GO 10, YOU KNOW, I MEAN WE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
UM, SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO WITH THIS MEETING WAS KIND OF GETTING A SENSE FOR WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE THAT WE CAN FIT IN UNDERNEATH TO KIND OF COMPOUND THINGS.
'CAUSE I THINK WE ALL AGREE ON SOME THINGS.
LIKE SPORTS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK.
AND WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
'CAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE A CENTRALLY LOCATED, TRAFFIC DRIVEN PLACE.
AND IF WE CAN HELP WITH THE FOOD TRUCK, AND WE DID THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AUBREY THE PAINTING, YOUR MURAL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MUSEUM, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS, BUT IF THEY WE'RE TRYING TO HELP EM FIT UNDER YOURS, SO THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO DO IT.
RIGHT? I MEAN, DOES ANYBODY ELSE? NO, I AGREE.
BUT WHAT'S YOUR PRIOR, LIKE WHAT YEAH, WHAT'S YOUR PRIORITY AND WHERE YOU WANT ULTIMATE SYNERGY? YEAH.
THAT'S READY TO BRING YOU PUT IN OUR MEETINGS.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.
UM, CHRISTINE'S HAD A TIME TRYING TO BRING SOME OF THIS IN TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT A SMALL BUSINESS PIPE FOR 30 ACRES COMMERCIAL? THAT'S WHERE IT'S NOT TAX REVENUE'S NOT ALL DRIVEN JUST BY HOME ROOFTOPS.
AND THEN, BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THAT'S GOING TO, LIKE, WE UTILIZE 10 SECONDS ALIGN WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE, UM, SO THAT WE'RE ALL KIND OF WORKING TOGETHER, NOT SPENDING ALL OF OUR MONEY OVER HERE.
WHEN MEN WOULD, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS, WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER SPENT OVER HERE.
WE, I HAVE A PASSION FOR DOWNTOWN.
I HAVE A PASSION FOR LIGHT COMMERCIAL IN AN AREA THAT'S RESPONSIBLE.
NOT BIG HEAVY, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SOME COMMERCIAL SALES TAX COMING IN.
UM, WELL, SOME OF THAT DOWNTOWN STUFF'S GONNA BE Y'ALL'S COMFORTABILITY LEVEL OF HOW INVOLVED YOU WANT TO GET ON DOWNTOWN, RIGHT.
BECAUSE YOU COULD EASILY JUST BUILD A NEW BUILDING.
RIGHT ON WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, YOU'VE KIND OF JUST KICKSTARTED DOWNTOWN OF COURSE THAT THAT COSTS MONEY AND YEAH.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BONDS AND WE WANT TO KNOW, IS THAT, SO YOU COUNSEL, IS THAT WHERE YOU WANT US TO GO? YOU KNOW, THAT, WOULD Y'ALL IMPROVE OF THAT? IS THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SHE HAS A THING OVER HERE TALKING ABOUT BONDS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO DISCUSSED TAKING BONDS OUT AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
'CAUSE I MEAN, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, BUT THAT'S GONNA GO AWAY REAL QUICK.
IF WHATEVER WE START TO DO, I THINK BUSINESS IS DOWNTOWN IS FOR SURE WE WANT BUSINESS TO BE DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S GONNA BE A TRANSITION IN THE FUTURE AS WE, WE START MOVING MUNICIPAL FACILITIES OUTTA DOWNTOWN AND LOCATING IT TO COMMERCIAL USE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION WHERE, WHERE DO Y'ALL WANT TO BE PHYSICALLY IN THE FUTURE? Y'ALL GONNA COME WITH US WHEN WE BUILD A NEW CITY HALL.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SPACE INSIDE OF THAT WITH US AND, AND LEAVE THE BUILDING THAT YOU'RE IN NOW.
I WOULD, I PERSONALLY, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT I, I WOULD THINK THAT EVERY BUILDING IS DOWNTOWN NOW THAT'S NOT BEING USED.
RETAILER COMMERCIAL SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OPTIONAL TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, I LOOKED AT THE ORIGINAL PLAN THAT WAS 10 YEARS AGO OR WHATEVER, AND KIND OF THE, I MEAN, PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE THAT DOWNTOWN LIKE DENTON OR YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SQUARE, WHICH EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND US HAS.
SO IF WE CAN CREATE THE SQUARE BY TAKING AND REPURPOSING SOME OF THOSE BUILDINGS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S USED TO THAT.
OR I MEAN, YOU TALK TO ANYBODY WITHIN 80 MILES OF HERE AND THEY WOULD SAY, WHERE'S YOUR SQUARE? SO I THINK I HAVE NO PROBLEM REPURPOSING BUILDINGS IF IT ACCOMPLISHES THAT.
AND, AND YOU COULD GO A MILE, HALF A MILE ALL AROUND.
I THINK HISTORICALLY WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH NOT WITH COMMUNICATION, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND AND YOUR BOARD.
AND I, I THINK IT'D PROBABLY BE HEALTHY IF WE HAD A MEET A JOINT MEETING LIKE THIS EVERY SIX MONTHS OR SO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT.
JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
PLUS YOU'LL HAVE THE, THE NEW PLAN WILL BE OUT BECAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT'S LIMITED.
WE WE'RE HALF A STEP AHEAD OF WHERE YOU ARE AND WE'VE KIND OF BEEN BASING SOME OF OUR THOUGHTS ON THE OLD PLAN MM-HMM
AND, YOU KNOW, I ASSUME IT'LL LOOKS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL BE DIFFERENCES.
BUT WE'VE KIND OF HAD THAT VISION, OH, WE COULD
[00:25:01]
PROBABLY GO OVER HERE, OVER HERE.BUT THE NEW PLAN, THEY SAY NO, THE PRIORITY WILL BE INDIVIDUAL ROUNDED AREAS THAT ARE UNIQUE SO THAT THE TRAFFIC FLOW, WHO KNOWS.
BUT, UM, I DO THINK DOWNTOWN IS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON.
AND THERE'S CERTAINLY ONE PART OF ONE BUILDING.
IF WE COULD EVER GET THAT SOLVED, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY
I LIKE THE IDEA OF CONCENTRATED EFFORT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN, LIKE INSTEAD OF PIECEMEALING WE'LL DO A LITTLE BIT OVER HERE, A LITTLE BIT OVER THERE.
LIKE TAKE BIGGER DOLLARS AND FOCUS 'EM IN SPECIFIC AREAS.
AND TRYING TO BE A LITTLE BIT TO EVERYBODY.
THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO KNOW.
LIKE, DO YOU WANT US TO HELP WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE HERE OR DO YOU WANT US TO HELP YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE EXACTLY WHAT IS Y'ALL'S THOUGHTS AND IF THAT'S WHAT WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.
I THINK A LOT OF OUR BOARD NOT, YOU KNOW, TAX GENERATING MAKES MORE IMPROVEMENT FASTER.
THAT, THAT'S WHY I'M A BIG FAN OF THE MED TECH OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT, MED TAIL.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CAN PUT, NOW WE COULDN'T REALLY DO THIS HERE, BUT WITH, I'VE SEEN PLANS WHERE IF YOU HAVE A HOSPITAL, THEN OBVIOUSLY THE AMBULATORY THING, OH, YOU WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, NOW YOU HAVE TO GO TO REHAB OVER HERE.
BUT THEN ON THE SAME CAMPUS, I'VE SEEN DEVELOPMENTS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE AN ASSISTED LIVING HOME AND THEN YOU HAVE AN INDEPENDENT LIVING HOME.
SO I'VE MEAN, WITHIN A 10 SQUARE, WELL, WITHIN A TWO SQUARE MILE AREA, YOU LITERALLY HAVE EVERY BIRTH TO DEATH THING.
AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THAT IS IT'S A DESTINATION, HIGH DOLLAR PEOPLE, EVERYBODY CAN LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WORKS THERE AND IT DRIVES TRAFFIC THERE.
AND THEN, OKAY, YOU HAVE THIS COMPLEX NOW YOU CAN PUT A CHILI'S IN THERE AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO EAT EVERY DAY.
SO I, I PERSONALLY AM A BIG FAN OF THE MED TECH TAIL COMPLEX THAT FRISCO HAS USED AND IS USING AND THERE'S A REASON WHY IT WORKS.
SO I'M, I'M KIND OF A FAN OF THAT.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE DOWNTOWN PLANS, UH, I WOULD LIKE IS LEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ON THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON A LOT OF PLANS,
SO, UM, I CAN START SHARING THOSE WITH YOU AND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM TO THE BOARD, AND I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE PROBABLY GOT A LITTLE UPDATE TOO ON OUR CONCEPT PLAN FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY MARKET.
FARMERS' MARKET, BY THE WAY, IS STILL IN THE WORKS WITH THE FIRM, BUT, UM, THERE'LL BE MORE PLANS AFTER THAT.
SO I'LL LET LAND GIVE Y'ALL A LITTLE UPDATE.
WE HAVE SOME UNDEVELOPED LAND ON MAIN STREET THAT WILL COME UP RECENTLY TOO, UH, FOR SALE.
YOU ANYTHING, ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE WITH US THAT Y'ALL WANT, LET US KNOW.
ANY CREATIVE IDEAS WITH THEM DOWNTOWN, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT WAYS TO REVITALIZE IT AND, AND, UH, MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE BOTH TO, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES AND FOR PEOPLE COMING DOWN AND JOIN THE PARK.
AND THEN HAVING, IN ORDER TO CREATE A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT DOWNTOWN, THAT'S GOTTA, I THINK LOOK NICE AND MAKE IT COMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE.
SO IT IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO.
BUT HAVING A, A CONSENSUS WORKING TOGETHER, I THINK WE COULD REALLY MAKE SOME, PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF AUBREY DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO ENHANCE IT.
SORRY, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE ON THE DRAINAGE STUDY? I DON'T HAVE A LOOK ON IT OTHER THAN WE ARE WORKING ON IT.
MARKOFF, HENDRICKSON HART AND CARTER HAS THE, UH, THE BEGINNING OF IT AND THEY'RE WORKING ON GETTING THEIR CONCEPTS AND NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A WORKSHOP ON IT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE WORKING ON A DRAINAGE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WATERSHED IS A, WE GOTTA FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND TO ME THAT'S KIND OF A DRIVING FACTOR ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE ALMOST NEED TO KNOW THAT BEFORE WE CAN GENERATE A CURBING GUTTER PLAN.
BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT DONE AND THEN WE CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN HOW WE WANT TO CURB AND SIDEWALK AND EVERYTHING DOWN TO THEM, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I, I DON'T WANNA PUT SIDEWALKS IN AND THEN GET A PLAN THAT SAYS, GOTTA RIP IT BACK OUT AND YEAH.
WELL THAT'S HARD ON BUSINESSES, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP BUILDING IN FRONT OF THEM THAT PEDESTRIANS DON'T COME AND THE CARS DON'T WANNA PARK THERE.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO BUILD IT UP AND THEN TEAR IT APART.
SO IN TERMS OF BUSINESSES PART, UM, BUT I WILL SAY MIXED USE FOR LIVING DOWNTOWN, UM, OFFICES, RETAIL RESTAURANT, THAT'S GONNA BE THE CRITICAL KEY.
UM, WE STILL DO NEED BUSINESSES THAT HAVE OFFICES DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA COME DOWN THERE, REASONS FOR PEOPLE COME DOWN THERE.
[00:30:01]
JUST GIVE IT ALL TO RETAIL RESTAURANTS.SO I THINK THERE'S AN IMPORTANT FACTOR OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, OFFICES THERE.
BUT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OFFICE SPACE IN OPRY RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, WE ARE GETTING SOME, UM, BUT AFFORDABLE OFFICE SPACES ARE ANOTHER ISSUE.
UM, AND, AND DOWNTOWN CAN SOMETIMES START OUT AS PLACES FOR AFFORDABLE PLACES TO HAVE OFFICES.
UM, ONE REASON I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A TWO STORY BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF THE MUSEUM THAT HAS PORCHES OF FACE MAIN AND THE PARK MM-HMM
WHERE THAT LOT IS BEHIND THAT CONCRETE PAD WHERE THE SHIP USED TO BE AND GO FROM FIRE STATION, FROM MUSEUM TO MAIN STREET, TAKE UP THE WHOLE BLOCK FOR Y'ALL'S CONCRETE SLAB SETS.
I THINK THAT'D BE A HUGE LEVERAGE POINT FOR DOWNTOWN.
BECAUSE IF IT'S TWO STORES YOU CAN LEASE OUT IN THE LOWER TO RETAIL SPACE AND PUT OFFICES UPSTAIRS, EVEN IF IT'S YOUR OFFICE.
SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T WANNA, 'CAUSE THE CHAMBER WILL ALSO, YOU MIGHT THROW A MUSEUM BONE DOWN IN ONE OF THE BUILDING.
WELL, A LOBBY, YOU CAN LITERALLY TAKE EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE MUSEUM AND PUT IT IN THE LOBBY ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALSO, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO THE MDD CHAMBER BUILDING TO FIX IT UP.
AND IT ACTUALLY IS A PRETTY NICE BUILDING IF SOMEONE WANTED TO MOVE IN THERE TO HAVE A BUSINESS.
WELL, MY ORIGINAL IDEA WOULD BE TO TAKE AWAY BOTH BUILDINGS, BUT Y'ALL JUST PAINTED A PRETTY PICTURE ON THE SIDE.
WE, THEY DO IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE THEY GO OVER THE, THEY JUST KEEP THE WALL
AND ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FIRE TECH WOULD BE A HUGE, IT'S A BIG LOT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE ARE ALSO OTHER PROJECTS THAT AGAIN, CAN HELP BUILD THE BUSINESS.
HAVING A BUSINESS INCUBATOR, WHICH WOULD BE A PLACE WHERE BUSINESSES CAN COME AND WORK TOGETHER AND THEN THEY'RE GROWING AND THEN THEY GO OUT TO OTHER BUILDINGS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, THERE'S JUST NO PLACE REALLY THOUGH RIGHT NOW IN AUBREY FOR ANYONE TO GATHER AND DO THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
WHICH I WILL SAY, JUST BASED ON OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, THE POPULATION IN THE RECENT COMP PLAN, UM, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE 30% OF THE PEOPLE IN AUBREY WORK FROM HOME.
AND SOME OF THOSE FOLKS ARE IN PLACES WHERE THEY WANT TO HAVE AN OFFICE SPACE OUTTA THE HOUSE OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.
SO, UM, I DO THINK THAT OFFICE SPACE IS A GOOD, WELL THERE'S A LOT OF THOSE.
WEWORK'S A BAD NAME NOW, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE AROUND TOWN.
I ACTUALLY KNOW A PERSON THAT CUSTOM BILLS, SMALL RENT TO RENT OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WHERE EVERYBODY SHARES THE SAME SECRETARY OR, OR WHATEVER.
AND CONCEPTUALLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WOULD FIT IN THAT AREA TOO.
THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A DEDICATED, OH, WE GOTTA FIND SIX PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA PAY THE RENT SO WE CAN GET THE FINANCING IF WE CAN DO IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF SPACE WOULD, THAT FLEX SPACE WOULD WORK GREAT IN SOME PLACE LIKE THAT.
AND IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING FROM HOME THAT WANT SOME PLACE TO GO, THEY CAN GO RIGHT DOWN THERE.
FROM A STAFF POINT OF VIEW, I'M HEARING THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE MDD WOULD LIKE TO SEE US WITH SOME LEVEL OF FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT'S TRUE.
TO WORK TOWARDS SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE.
AS MIKE WAS SAYING, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
I THINK PART OF DOWNTOWN WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE HIGH POINT DEVELOPMENT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, BETWEEN HIGH POINT AND KEENAN, WE'RE ABOUT 1500 HOMES.
THAT'S 4,500 PEOPLE MOVING INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT'LL BE A, THAT'LL BE A DOWNTOWN DRAW.
THAT'LL TAKE SOME TIME FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT TO, TO, UH, WORK ITSELF OUT.
I THINK THAT THINK THEIR CURRENT PROJECTION IS CLOSING 25 HOMES A MONTH ONCE THEY GET STARTED.
SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE TO GET THAT GOING.
UH, THE MAYOR AND I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO DOWNTOWN.
HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE BUILD THAT SQUARE? HOW CAN WE DO THAT DOWNTOWN? YOU KNOW, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFERS US AN OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAVE A REALLY BIG BUILDING THERE.
IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE TO MOVE OUT, THAT WOULD GIVE US AN OPTION OF SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO DOWNTOWN.
IMAGINE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS IT SITS WITH LARGE FULL GLASS ROLL UP DOORS.
THAT COULD BE A PLACE, A GATHERING PLACE.
YOU COULD HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET IN THERE AND THE BAD WEATHER.
ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO IN THAT BUILDING.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF IDEAS OUT THERE.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE IS WE NEED TO START PUTTING THESE IDEAS DOWN
[00:35:01]
ON PAPER.UH, WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, WHAT WE CAN DO.
THERE ARE SOME LARGER ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE, UH, AS IT SITS, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST 35 TO 40% OF DOWNTOWN IS OWNED BY THE CITY.
SO THAT, THAT, WHILE THAT'S A CHALLENGE, NOW, THAT'S A POSITIVE LAYER FOR SURE.
BECAUSE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE FOR CITY OFFICES, THAT OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE EXTENSIVELY HAD WITH THE MAYOR WHERE WE THINK ABOUT IDEAS.
I REALLY LIKE THE MAYOR'S IDEA OF, UH, EXITING THE LI UH, THE MUSEUM NOW THAT, THAT THE MAYOR IS NOT PROPOSING THAT WE DO AWAY WITH A MUSEUM.
HE'S PROPOSING THAT WE BUILD A NEW MUSEUM AND WE HOUSE THAT IN, HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY WE CAN ROLL THE MUSEUM INTO OUR ARTS DEPARTMENT AND WE CAN REALLY START TO SUPPORT THAT.
THAT THE MUSEUM NOW DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT.
AND I THINK IF WE COULD SHORE THAT UP, WE COULD DO MORE FOR THE MUSEUM.
BUT I REALLY LIKE HIS IDEA OF HAVING A BUILDING THERE.
UH, I DON'T THINK, UH, MOST OF YOU WERE NOT ON THE BOARD.
THERE WAS A PROPOSAL ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, TO DO THAT KIND OF BUILDING, UH, OF WHERE THE HOUSE WAS AT VETERANS PARK.
IT WAS A TWO STORY, UH, IT WAS A TWO STORY MIXED USE.
IT WAS WHERE THE HOUSE WAS ON THE CORNER THERE.
THE HOUSE AT THE CITY THE CHURCH WAS TRYING TO BUY.
BUT IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
I MEAN, IT LOOKED REALLY GOOD.
AND IF WE CAN, WE CAN PARLAY THIS INTO WHAT LEANNE AND I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS HAVING A, UH, A HISTORICAL DESIGNATION DOWNTOWN DOING AN OVERLAY SO THAT WE CAN CONTROL WHAT THE BUILDINGS LOOK LIKE TO SOME DEGREE OR WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY, THERE'S ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, BUT IF WE COULD KEEP OUR HERITAGE DOWNTOWN, THAT WOULD BE GOOD AS WELL.
SO I LIKE THE FACT THAT I'M HEARING FROM THE COUNCIL AND THE MDD, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN WHILE WE'RE DOING OTHER THINGS.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US IN THE FUTURE, IT WILL BE A DRAW FOR US, UH, AS WE GROW AND CONTINUE TO GROW.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 15, 2500 POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER 600, THREE TO 4,000 HOMES.
IN THE, UH, AUBREY PROPER AREA THAT ARE, THEY'RE HAPPENING.
SO THAT COULD BE A BENEFIT TO US.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT THAT, I, UM, WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH CATALYST AND CHRIS, HE REALLY FOCUSED AND EXPLAINED TO US THAT HE HELPED ROANOKE.
THEY CATALYST HELPED ROANOKE DEVELOP THEIR DOWNTOWN AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE, WHICH IS I THOUGHT WAS AWESOME.
SO THAT, AND HE, HE, THAT'S WHAT HE SEES FOR AUBREY.
KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO.
I THINK, I MEAN, IN OUR OPINION, IN OUR OVERALL STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, UM, WHEN YOU GET THIS DOCUMENT, IT'S NUMBER NINE IN THE OBJECTIVE AND GOALS FOR DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S NOT AS SPECIFIC IN THE LIST, BUT IT IS IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT.
AND A LOT OF IT IS ACQUIRING THE PROPERTIES.
UM, BUILDING SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SIDEWALKS, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
UM, IMPROVING SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE, SHORING 'EM UP, MAKING 'EM SAFER.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY AUBREY'S, UH, MOST IMPORTANT IDENTITY AS A COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED AND THAT'S WHAT HAS STAYED THE SAME AND STAYED IN PLACE.
SO MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE IDENTIFIED FOR ISN'T IN OUR CONTROL
SO, UM, BUT THAT IS THE, THE, UM, OG AY, I LIKE THE, I LIKE THE
THEY'RE MORE OF A STRIP DOWNTOWN A STRIP.
AND WHILE I LOVE THE SQUARE IDEA, I WISH WE HAD A SQUARE.
I THINK OUR DOWNTOWN DOESN'T REALLY PLAY WELL WITH THE SQUARE.
I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE THE PARK WE GOTTA OF BUILD AROUND THE PARK, BUT THE PARK'S GOT RAILROAD TRACKS ON ONE SIDE A SQUARE.
BUT YEAH, BECAUSE CONCEPTUALLY THAT ENCOMPASSED IN A SHORT, WE HAVE A BOULEVARD.
I MEAN, WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO MAKE, EXCEPT, EXCEPT AS A BOULEVARD, WE CAN'T MAKE ANY WIDER
VERY SIMILAR TO LIKE EAST TEXAS TOWNS THAT ARE OFF FOR LIKE 80 AND OUT IN THAT WAY.
THEY'RE VERY LIMITED WHAT THEY CAN DO.
BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR WALKABILITY, CREATING THAT WALKABILITY.
AND Y'ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT BILL BARNS.
WITH VETERANS, WE APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE A LONG TERM STRATEGIC PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN.
LIKE A PLAN THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN AGREED UPON.
LIKE, HEY, THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO.
SO WE CAN OVERLAY THAT FOCUS ON A PHASED PLAN OF, OKAY, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST BEFORE WE START ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY HERE.
WE GOTTA ACQUIRE THESE PROPERTIES HERE PRIOR TO STARTING ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
[00:40:01]
THEN US AS A BOARD, WE CAN GO, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON ACQUIRING THESE PROPERTIES FIRST.THEN ONCE THAT'S DONE, OKAY, NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE FLOODPLAIN STUDY AND MAKE SURE THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF.
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU DON'T EVEN OWN THE PROPERTY.
SO WE NEED A FOCUS PLAN OR STRATEGIC PLAN.
IF WE KNOW IT'S A BOULEVARD, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING EVENTUALLY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN YOU CAN KIND OF OVERLAY THAT PHASING PLAN AND THEN SEE HOW THAT ALIGNS WITH KINGSTON AND HOW THAT ALIGNS WITH THE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS GOING ON.
AND YOU CAN PHASE THAT AND SEE WHERE THOSE ARE GONNA ALIGN AT THE SAME TIME.
WELL, LAND ONLY GETS MORE EXPENSIVE THERE A LOT YESTERDAY.
THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LOOK FIRST.
AND THAT'S WHAT EARLY, SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE SOME, WE'LL HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU, UH, IN UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE CAN'T DISCUSS BECAUSE IT IS LAND ACQUISITION.
WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL HOW WE, HOW WE APPROACH THAT.
BUT THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE ON THE LAND SIDE.
BUT WHAT STAFF NEEDS IS THIS DIRECTION TONIGHT, UH, TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING.
WE CAN PUT SOME INFORMATION TOGETHER.
LEANNE ALREADY HAS A GOOD DEAL OF INFORMATION.
WE HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES DOWNTOWN.
WE DO NEED TO BE IN THE LAND ACQUISITION, UH, PROGRAM AT THIS POINT.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S YOU SAID IT'S NOT GETTING ANY CHEAPER ANYTIME SOON.
UM, IT'S AN OLDER PLAN, A MASTER PLAN.
IT'S IN YOUR PACKAGE, IT'S MASTER PLAN.
I MEAN, MOST PEOPLE, I MEAN, MOST PLACES DO A 10 YEAR AND A 20 YEAR MASTER PLAN.
IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO UPDATE OUR MASTER PLAN AGAIN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK WITH THAT MASTER PLAN.
AND IF WE ARE ON TRACK, THEN SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO GET BUSY.
AND IF WE'RE NOT, THEN MAYBE WE CAN ADJUST THAT MASTER PLAN.
10 YEARS AGO WHEN THAT DOWNTOWN PLAN WAS PUT IN PLACE, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH HAS HAPPENED.
IT'S A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO START.
THAT PLAN WAS ORIGINALLY TWO PLANS.
THERE WAS A PARK STAYS WHERE IT'S AT, OR PARK MOVED OVER WHERE Y'ALL'S BUILDINGS ARE IN.
WELL, I THINK IF WHENEVER THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STARTS TO COME OUT, SOME OF THESE PLANS THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE ARE BEING LOOKED AT ALONG WITH IT.
AND SO ALL THAT WILL GET LEANNE STAFF IS WORKING ON THINGS NOW.
THIS HELPS US WITH SOME DIRECTION TONIGHT ON WHERE TO GO.
SHOW US THAT WE DO HAVE A PHASED PLAN OF THE VETERANS PARK, WHICH WILL END UP VETERANS PARK WILL BE THE CENTERPIECE FOR A WHILE.
UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THAT THROUGH.
HOW MANY PHASES DO YOU HAVE? PROBABLY THREE.
WE HAVE THREE PHASES OF THAT FOR DOWNTOWN BEYOND.
SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY IN HA WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH PHASE ONE AT THIS POINT, SO WE WE'RE PHASED THROUGH THAT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY, THE CITY PORTION OF THAT IS DOING.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO THE MDD FOR THE RETAIL AND, UH, BUSINESS, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES DEVELOPMENT TO COME IN FOR SURE.
WE STILL HAVE SPRING HILL ON MS. MONTH'S NAME ACTUALLY.
SO, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE WORKED ON, BEFORE SOME OF THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS CAME, WE DID DO A BONDING, UH, INFORMATION SESSION, UM, WHERE WE CAN, WE FIGURED OUT HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEEDED DO BONDING.
AND SO WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET BONDS.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW MUCH WE THINK WE NEED TO BOND FOR SOME OF THIS PROPERTY ACQUISITION AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU ALL GIVE DIRECTION ON, UH, AS PRIORITY.
AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND TO Y'ALL AND HAVE A PRESENTATION ON, OKAY, HERE'S HOW MUCH IS RECOMMENDED, HERE'S HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET THESE PROJECTS OR THE MONEY.
UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN WHEN YOU GO INTO BONDS.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE ALL THAT SPECIFIC.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THE HOMEWORK ON ALL OF THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING TO THAT PHASE WHERE WE'RE READY.
BUT WELL, WELL, I THINK AT THIS POINT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS PUT TOGETHER SOME PROJECTS, A PROJECT LIST.
PRESENT THAT TO BOTH COUNCIL AND THE MDD AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? YEAH.
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? WE COULD COME BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
WE, IN SIX MONTHS, AS MIKE SAID, THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
IT'S NOT, WE CAN'T EXPECT THAT.
WE CAN'T EXPECT TO BE UP THROUGH A FIVE PHASE PLAN IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS IN DOWNTOWN.
SO IF, IF, NOW THAT I'M, WE WE'RE GETTING THIS INFORMATION FROM YOU TOGETHER, WE KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER SOME PROJECT LISTS.
WE'LL MEET LIKE THIS AGAIN, WE'LL PUT THOSE LISTS UP ON THE WALL AND LET YOU AND, AND THE COUNCIL AND THE MDD TALK ABOUT WHAT DO YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR PRIORITY? LET'S PRIORITY ONE, PRIORITY TWO.
[00:45:01]
WANT TO PRIORITIZE IT.YOU'RE THIS, YOU'RE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITIZENS.
SO THEREFORE, IF WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION, WE CAN START PRIORITIZING WHERE YOU WANNA SPEND THE MONEY.
DO YOU WANNA BORROW MONEY? UH, I MEAN, YOU'RE AT THAT POINT NOW WHERE YOU, IN MY OPINION, IN MY OPINION, ONLY YOU NEED TO HAVE A RESERVE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO, YOU KNOW, BURN THROUGH ALL OF YOUR CASH.
YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER BONDING SOMETHING AT THIS POINT.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
IS IT PROPERTY? WE COULD PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF PROPERTIES THAT WE KNOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND SOME PROPERTIES THAT WE COULD GO TALK ABOUT MM-HMM
WITH SOME PEOPLE AND SEE, UH, HOLLY AND I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, PROPERTY ACQUISITION, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START.
BUT ON A PROJECT LIST FOR BONDING, SPENDING BORROWED MONEY, I THINK WE NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU.
UH, SOMEBODY RECOMMENDED SIX MONTHS COME BACK TO YOU IN SIX MONTHS.
WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A PROJECT LIST.
UH, WE CAN PUT TOGETHER SOME PHASING OF DOWNTOWN.
WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE? WE NEED TO TALK TO SOME OTHER FOLKS.
WE NEED TO TALK TO THE MUSEUM.
IS THE MUSEUM READY? I DON'T THINK SO.
WE HAVE TO SHOW THE MUSEUM WHERE THEY'RE GOING BEFORE THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THE MDD OWNS THAT BUILDING, WE'VE GOTTA SHOW THEM WHAT OUR PLAN IS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THE FUTURE.
AND I BELIEVE WE CAN BUILD THE MUSEUM UP.
I BELIEVE IT COULD BE A DRAW FOR OUR DOWNTOWN.
BUT, BUT WE NEED TO TRANSITION IT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND GET IT UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN BUILD IT UP.
BECAUSE I THINK PARKS COULD DO A GREAT DEAL WITH IT.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR, UH, I I I KNOW MOST OF YOU'RE ALREADY AWARE, WE HAVE A REALLY ROBUST HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY HERE.
AND THE MUSEUM COULD BE A VERY GOOD PART OF THAT ROBUST, UH, UH, HOMESCHOOL.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE.
UH, JUST, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY TO BE SPENT
WE NEED TO HAVE A YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOING TO TELL US A LOT.
AS YOU SAID EARLIER, YOU'RE ONE, YOU'RE A HALF STEP AHEAD OF US BECAUSE YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS DONE QUICKER THAN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
BUT ONCE WE GET THERE, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT WILL BE IN THAT PLAN AND HELP US GUIDE TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
IS THAT GONNA BE THE SPRING WHEN YOUR PLAN IS FINISHED? I WOULD HOPE ANY DAY WE'RE GOING ON A YEAR AND THEY SAID IT WAS 14 MONTHS.
I THINK THE NEXT PHASE IS A DRAFT.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL HAVE, WE SHOULD BE GETTING CLOSE.
I KNOW FOCUSING ON DOWNTOWN, BUT YOU KNOW, IS IT JUST TOTAL A HUNDRED PERCENT FOCUS DOWNTOWN OR IS THERE A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU MEAN LAND BANKING AND OTHER STRATEGIC AREAS AS WELL? THAT WOULD HELP OUR COMMERCIAL? I I THINK YOU HAVE TO DO THAT TOO, BUT ALSO, AND BUSINESS RETENTION.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE BUSINESS RETENTION IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US MM-HMM
DURING THIS PERIOD WHERE WE ARE GROWING, WE NEED TO RETAIN THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE.
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SOME TYPE OF PROACTIVE MEASURES FOR WHEN 3 77 START WITH ITS HORRENDOUS, UH,
WELL THAT, AND IF THEY'RE HAVING TO MOVE, HELP THEM FIND LOCATIONS THAT ARE STILL HERE AND, AND WE DON'T, WE NEED PLACES TO PUT THEM.
SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER CRITICAL PRIORITY WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT IS WHERE ARE WE GONNA PUT THESE BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE DISPLACED.
SO, UM, DO YOU WANT TO, AND THE OTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THAT WAS NDD AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COLLABORATIONS.
WHAT, WHAT DID Y'ALL HAVE IN MIND THERE? I I WAS JUST WONDER, ARE Y'ALL WORKING TOGETHER? I MEAN, Y'ALL ARE BOTH KIND OF TARGET THE SAME.
SO CHRISTINE AND JANA WORK REALLY CLOSE TOGETHER.
AND KAREN, THEY ALL WORK CLEARLY.
THEY'RE IN THE SAME OFFICE TOGETHER.
UM, THEY DID THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP TOGETHER, WHICH WAS PRETTY VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, WHAT ELSE HAVE Y'ALL DONE TOGETHER? WE WORKED, JANNA AND I, SHANNON'S PART-TIME.
SO WE WORK CLOSELY ON, UM, MAYBE TOPICS THAT THE BUSINESSES NEED TO HEAR ABOUT AT THE LUNCHEONS.
WE WORK CLOSELY ON, UM, MAYBE VENUES, FACILITIES WHERE AN EVENT COULD BE HELD.
LIKE IF, IF THERE'S A NEW BUSINESS, SHE LETS ME KNOW IF THERE'S BUSINESS THAT MAYBE NEEDS RETENTION VISITS.
SHE, AND SHE'S TALKED TO THEM.
SHE JUST, SHE KEEPS ME INFORMED.
WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY WORKING.
SOMETIMES WHEN I NEED A GOOD AUBREY SALES PITCH FROM OUTSIDE THE MDD LENS, I'LL HAVE THEM TALK TO JANA AS WELL BECAUSE OF THE, THE FACT THAT THE, THE AUBREY CHAMBERS MEMBERSHIP GOES BEYOND JUST THE CITY LIMITS OF AUBREY, UM, IN OUR AREA.
SHE KNOWS A LOT OF THE, UM, OTHER BUSINESSES.
[00:50:01]
ARE, UM, GOOD, THERE'S GOOD NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND GOOD CROSSOVER.SO I THINK I WAS JUST HOPING LIKE IF YOU'RE IN FRONT OF A BUSINESS OWNER, IF YOU COULD SELL THE CHAMBER.
IN, BECAUSE I, I GOTTA LOOK AT CHAMBER MEMBERSHIPS AND THERE'S BUSINESSES IN AUBREY THAT ARE NOT PART OF OUR CHAMBER, BUT THEY ARE
I I I'VE BEEN HITTING 'EM UP TOO, JUST BECAUSE YEAH, THEY SHOULD IF THEY'RE PART OF PILOT POINT.
I HAD THE MEETING WITH COOKS THE OTHER DAY AND I WAS LIKE, SO ARE YOU PART OF, WHY AREN'T YOU'RE PART OF SALINA AND PILOT POINT? WE NEED TO BE PART OF? I THINK A LOT OF IT IS THE, THE STAFFING TIME AND JUST, UH, WE'VE CHANGED A LOT.
SO WE, THE AUBREY CHAMBER IS NOW DOING A LOT MORE OUTREACH AND, AND GROWING IN SOME AREAS.
IF I NEED A BUSINESS, I LET THEM KNOW WHERE I'M, WHERE WE'RE OFFICED AND THAT IT'S WITH THE CHAMBER.
AND WE CERTAINLY, I GIVE JANICE CARDS TO THEM BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN'T DO FOR THEM THAT A CHAMBER CAN DO.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT A CHAMBER.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF TIMES WE GET CONFUSED OF AS BEING THE CHAMBER.
BUT I REMIND 'EM, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT OUR JOB.
YOU WANT A ROOM CADING OR YOU WANT TO NETWORK AND ALL THIS, THIS IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION.
SO TRY TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP AND KEEP EACH OTHER.
BUT THEY RELY SOLELY ON MEMBERSHIP.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL PUT MY CHAMBER VICE PRESIDENT HAT ON
SINCE HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE INTEREST, UH, OR LUNCHEONS, WHICH IS TOMORROW.
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING, YOU'RE MISSING OUT.
IT'LL BE HERE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER TOMORROW.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE, UH, MORE ATTENDANCE AT THOSE LUNCHEONS THAN WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE.
IN FACT, THE LAST ONE HERE WAS THE MOST ATTENDED.
56, UH, PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS ONE.
UH, THEY EXPECT THE SAME THING OR MORE TOMORROW.
SO IT'S REALLY, THEY'RE REALLY BRANCHING OUT THEIR DUES.
UH, THERE'S A NEW DUE STRUCTURE THAT WENT INTO PLACE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EO.
A NEW DUE STRUCTURE TO TRY TO BUILD THE CHAMBER.
UH, SOME PLACES ARE MORE, ARE MEMBERS OF MORE THAN ONE CHAMBER.
UH, I, I WAS A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, DISAPPOINTED THAT THE, UH, THE BODY SHOP IS JOINED THE PILOT POINT CHAMBER AND THEY'RE CLEARLY TOUCHED THE CITY LIMITS OF AUBREY.
THEY'RE IN OUR ETJ, THEY'RE BASICALLY IN OUR CITY.
AND, AND THEY'RE CALLED AUBREY.
WHAT'S THEIR NAME? IT'S, WHAT IS THIS COLLISION? IT'S AUBREY CALIBER COLLISION.
BUT THEY JOINED THE PILOT FOR I KNOW.
WELL, I TOLD THEM TO JOIN IF I, I'VE TOOK MY CART SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THERE'S AWARENESS OF BUSINESSES NOT KNOWING BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST, AND THE, THE OPPOSITE OF KURT ON THREE 80.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE BUSINESSES ON THREE 80 THE FAIR EAST FROM HERE THAT BELIEVE THEY'RE IN AUBREY.
I WENT TO THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR BEAR DERMATOLOGY THAT'S IN, I THINK IT'S IN LITTLE EL.
THEY, THEY ARE, THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE IN AUBREY.
AND IT IS JUST, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT ISSUE ISSUES THAT SOUTH THAN WE HAVE NORTH.
THEY DON'T, THEY THINK THEY'RE IN PILE POINTS.
SO IT'S VERY, IT DOESN'T HELP WHEN THE POSTOP IT'S RIGHT.
SAY IF THEY, I'M PRETTY SURE, I KNOW I'M IN CITY LIMITS,
UH, I, I'VE BEEN ELECTED TO ANOTHER TERM, ANOTHER THREE YEAR TERM.
NO, YOU CAN AND I'M GONNA SKIP BEING THE PRESIDENT.
SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO BE THE PRESIDENT NEXT YEAR, SO I DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
I HATE TO BE RUDE TO EVERYBODY, BUT I HAVE TO TAKE OFF.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
IT'S GREAT TO HEAR YOU GUYS OPINIONS AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND HOPEFULLY ANOTHER MEETING IN THE THANK YOU.
THAT'S JUST KIND OF AN UPDATE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WE DO PUSH FOR THE CHAMBER TO COOPERATE AND WORK WITH EMDD, ESPECIALLY ON BUSINESS RETENTION.
I THINK JANNA UNDERSTANDS THAT.
UH, THERE'LL BE SOME, UH, MIKE AND I BOTH HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT SOME, UH, SOCIAL MIXERS.
UH, JANA IS BEING ON THE MIXERS.
UH, AND SO, UH, MIKE AND I HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, ESPECIALLY FOR DOWNTOWN AUBREY.
IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD GET A, A COUPLE OF MIXERS IN DOWNTOWN THAT MIGHT HELP US JUST A LITTLE BIT, BRING SOME BUSINESSES IN SO THEY CAN SEE.
BECAUSE AS CHRISTINE HAS SAID IN THE PAST, IS THERE A BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO MOVE TO AUBREY?
[00:55:01]
I MEAN, SOMEBODY SOUTH OF THREE 80 CALIBER COLLISION CAME.THEY'RE RIGHT DOWN THERE IN, IN THE CROSSROADS NOW.
AND HERE WE HAVE A CALIBER COLLISION.
SO IT IT, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THOSE FOLKS IN AUBREY AND IT'S NICE TO, TO HAVE A, A VENUE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD, WHAT Y'ALL WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE BYLAW, I JUST WANT KNOW, IS WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED? YEAH, THERE IS A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE THAT WE KIND OF ADDRESSED TODAY, RIGHT, WAS THE 10,000.
ISN'T THAT IN OUR BYLAWS? NO, THAT'S JUST IN OUR GROUP.
UM, THERE IS A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THINK WE DO NEED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, AS A GROUP, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN ALTERNATES.
DO WE WANT ALTERNATES? UH, IF SOMEONE WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT OR WE COULD, YOU KNOW, UM, WE CAN HAVE ALTERNATES IF OUR BYLAWS ALLOW THEM.
UM, BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE JUST WENT THROUGH OUR, WITH OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
'CAUSE WE KIND OF, WE GOT SEVERAL NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
WE JUST WENT THROUGH ALL OUR TRAINING WITH OUR LAWYER AND UM, OUR NEW BOARD TRAINING WITH EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE WE ALL KIND OF WENT, WANTED TO GO THROUGH IT TOGETHER.
SO NOW I THINK WE'LL DEEP DIVE INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE ITEMS LIKE THE BYLAWS.
'CAUSE THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS.
I THINK, UM, THE WAY WE CHANGE, UH, THE WAY THE OFFICER JOBS NOW, IF THERE'S AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOME OF THOSE OFFICER JOBS DON'T APPLY AS MUCH ANYMORE.
THE WAY WE DO OUR FINANCES NOW WITH THE CITY AND REMOVAL AGREEMENT.
UM, SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE JUST NEED TO FRESHEN UP AND DO HOUSEKEEPING IN UP.
HOW ABOUT THIS, HOW ABOUT LEANNE AND I FROM THE CITY SIDE? WE TAKE A, WE TAKE A TRIP THROUGH THE MDD BYLAWS,
PLEASE DO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON ANYTHING THAT WE SEE TO THE COUNCIL AND THEN, UH, WE'LL MAKE THE SAME RECOMMENDATION TO CHRISTINE AND CHRISTINE CAN GIVE ME YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL AND THEN WE CAN ALL AS A GROUP SAY, HEY, THESE ARE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO CHANGE.
DOES THAT WORK? THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
BECAUSE I THINK Y'ALL FIND SOME THINGS TOO THAT Y'ALL ARE LIKE, NO, IT JUST NEEDS A REFRESH.
IT'S OUTDATED NOW THAT WE HAVE THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS.
YEAH, DEFINITELY NEEDS HOUSEKEEPING DONE.
WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? ONE THING I NOTICED IN WATCHING SOME OF Y'ALL'S BEES IN THE PAST WAS A LOT OF ABSTENTIONS.
WHY IT'S NOT A YES OR A NO VOTE INSTEAD OF AN ABSTENTION.
UM, WELL, WE'VE KIND OF, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT ISSUE LATELY.
UM, I THINK IT WAS, UM, JUST, UM, NEUTRAL,
I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
I KNOW IT, IT IS, IT WAS FRUSTRATING FOR A LOT OF US BECAUSE WE DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND EITHER.
TO JESS'S POINT, I THINK THINK THAT THE ISSUE IS AS AN ABSTENTION IS A NO, IT IS.
AND AS LONG AS WE MAKE, THAT'S TOLD US.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND IF YOU ABSTAIN, IT'S A NO, IT'S A NO.
YOU'RE STILL VOTING NO AND YOU ABSTAIN.
WELL, I KNOW, I KNOW FROM THESE SEATS, IT'S EITHER YES OR NO, UNLESS THAT, UNLESS YOU HAVE TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE IT AFFECTS A PERSON OR A CONFLICT INTEREST.
SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THERE AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT.
I THINK IT'S JUST EXACTLY HAVE ME SCRATCH MY HEAD A LITTLE BIT.
SCARED TO SAY NO IN THAT SITUATION, BUT THEY NO, WE STILL HAVE TO VOTE.
ABSTAIN IF IT WAS YEAH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN, UH, NOT VOTE JUST YOURSELF HERE, WHICH IS A NO, I I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID, MA'AM.
OH, SHE WAS ASKING IF YOU CAN RECUSE YOURSELF INSTEAD OF ABS SAYING, AND YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL FOR ANY REASON IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE FROM US? I THINK THIS IS HELPFUL 'CAUSE THEY WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW YOU AND HELP YOU AND I MEAN, I LITERALLY HAVE NOT MET ANYBODY IN THE MAYOR EVER.
BUT THIS, I I WOULD EVEN BE PREFER MORE THAN EVERY SIX MONTHS FRANKLY.
UM, ONCE A QUARTER WOULD BE FINE WITH ME BECAUSE SOME OF THIS STUFF, ONCE IT GETS ROLLING MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE IT WITH GETTING RID OF THE TWO MEETINGS.
WELL, I MEAN WE COULD SAY SIX MONTHS AT A MINIMUM OR MORE OFTEN OR SOMETHING URGENT COMES UP THAT WE THINK WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE SPECIAL MEETINGS IF THERE'S AN URGENT PRIORITY FOR SOME LAND ACQUISITIONS OR PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS.
WE JUST, WE JUST DON'T WANNA LET IT GET AWAY FROM US.
TWO YEARS FROM NOW WE'RE LIKE, DANG, WE REALLY NEED GET THAT MEETING.
AND ONE, ONE OF OUR OTHER GOALS THAT HE PUT AS A PRIORITY I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR OPINION ON IT, WAS THEY WANT US, HE THOUGHT THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT EXPANDING TOURISM IN AUBREY AND KIND OF EMBRACING THE AGRITOURISM, THE HORSE CULTURE
[01:00:01]
AND ALL OF THAT.AND THEY EVEN SUGGESTED WE HAVEN'T, I DON'T THINK WE'VE AGREED ON YET, BUT EVEN A STUDY FOR HOSPITALITY.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BUILD IT.
IF IF YOU WANT TO COME HERE, YOU CAN'T STAY HERE, THEN YOU CAN'T STAY HERE.
SO, SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WAS ON OUR PLATE LONGER TERM IS HOW DO WE KIND OF EMBRACE THAT CULTURE? 'CAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF BAD BREAKFASTS AND WE HAVE ALL THESE WEDDING VENUES, BUT THAT'S LIKE A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THAT'S HARDER THAN THIS DOWNTOWN IDEA.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS, THE COUNCIL COUNCIL'S GENERAL OPINION ON TOURISM IS, IS ENCOMPASSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE REST OF THE THING, SPECIFICALLY THIS KIND OF MAINTAINING THE HERITAGE OF HORSES AND AGRICULTURE AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
IT'S, IT GIVES US TAX PAYERS, SALES TAX PAYERS.
MEAN, I THINK THE BIGGER WE GET, THE MORE THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE TOURIST DRAW IS GONNA BE LEAVING.
THERE'S GONNA BE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE THAT STAY AROUND, I MEAN, BUT, AND THEN DEFINITELY I THINK WE WANT TO KEEP THAT HERITAGE.
WHAT THE CHALLENGE WOULD BE, KEEP IT AS A DRAW BECAUSE OF THAT.
WELL, I THINK EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM IS A WAY YOU KEEP THAT HERITAGE AND YOU KEEP THOSE THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE AND STILL HERE, BUT ALSO THERE'S RECREATION AROUND US THAT THERE'S LAND THAT CAN BE USED FOR, SPECIFICALLY FOR TOURISM TYPE PROJECTS THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DEVELOP A FACILITY OR SOME TYPE OF, UH, VENUE OR PROPERTY THAT CAN BE USED IN THOSE, UH, CODES THAT, UH, OR THE PROVISIONS OF THE CHAPTER STATES THAT THE STATUTES THAT WE CAN USE IT FOR.
SO SOME OF IT IS DO WE BUILD IT? DO WE CREATE IT WITH SOME OF THAT LAND WE HAVE, DO WE ENCOURAGE SOME OF THAT PARTNERSHIP AMONG SOME OF THOSE EXISTING BUSINESSES ALREADY HERE? UM, AND JUST USE THEM AS AN ANCHOR TO ATTRACT OTHER TYPES, SIMILAR TYPES AND UH, EXPERIENTIAL LODGING AND SO FORTH.
I THINK A QUESTION TOURISM'S KIND OF A HARD ONE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY ALL PRIVATELY OWNED BRANCHES.
UNLESS SOMEBODY'S WILLING TO OPEN THEIR RANCH UP TO TOURISM MM-HMM
FOR, BUT NOT SELL IT THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT YOU NEED, FACILITY LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT GRAHAM FOR INSTANCE.
GRAHAM HAS A HUGE EQUINE FACILITY.
UM, I'VE BEEN TO IT MANY, MANY TIMES AND IT'S, IT'S RENTED OUT EVERY WEEKEND.
BUT WHERE IS THIS IN GRAHAM, TEXAS? THEY HAVE, I MEAN IT'S FULLY, I MEAN, YOU GOT TWO ARENAS, FULLY AIR CONDITIONED, TONS OF PARKING, RV HOOKUPS.
I MEAN, IT'S THE REASON PEOPLE GO TO GRAHAM IN AND OUT ALL THE TIME.
BUT I MEAN, WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND DO A JOINT PARTNERSHIP WITH A PRIVATE EQUITY GROUP AND HAVE THE CITY CREATE JOBS FOR IT AND MAINTAIN IT, BUT THEN HAVE THEM RUN IT AND, YOU KNOW, WE DONATE THE LAND, HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE MANAGE IT, AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS PROVIDE HELP, YOU KNOW, WITH MAINTENANCE AND LET THEM HAVE THE, THE EVENTS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE MORE HORSES HERE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES AND WE DON'T HAVE AN ARENA YEAH.
I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF CRAZY THAT EVERYBODY GOES TO OKLAHOMA CITY,
THERE ARE TULSA AND JUST TULSA AND THERE ARE PLANS FOR THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES IN ADJACENT COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO THOSE AREN'T COMPLETELY GOING AWAY.
SO AGAIN, GIVING REASONS TO STAY, GIVING REASONS TO, UH, ENTICE OR INCENTIVIZE STAYING OR, OR PRODUCE, CREATING A DIFFERENT BUSINESS PLAN.
UH, WE'RE ALSO STILL NEAR THE GREEN BELT, WHICH IS STILL GONNA BE RAY ROBERTS LAKE AREA.
IT'S STILL GONNA GO UP AND DOWN.
I DON'T HAVE EQUESTRIAN TRAIL.
THERE'S A LOT OF FLOODPLAINS STILL BETWEEN OPRE DOWNTOWN AND THE GREENBELT AND TRAILS PLANNED
UM, SO IT IS NOT A COMPLETELY LOST CAUSE IT HAS TO BE PRIORITY.
WE ALSO HAVE A COMMUNITY NORTH OF US THAT STILL HAS A LOT OF THAT AS A PRIORITY AND, AND A LOT OF THAT LAND AND AND ACCESSIBILITY TO THE STATE PARK.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF JOINT EFFORTS, UH, BETWEEN, UH, MUNICIPALITIES AND BETWEEN ENTITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANNA MAKE IT A PRIORITY.
AND, AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL GREEN SPACE THAT COULD STILL BE A NICE SETTING FOR, UM, ANY TYPE OF EQUEST UH, EXPERIENTIAL LODGING.
UM, SO IT'S JUST A, AND THAT'S AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THOSE ARE SOME GOALS AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING THE DECISION TO PRIORITIZE IT AND WORK YOUR FUNDING TOWARD WHAT YOU CAN FOR INCENTIVIZING IT.
I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVE GOT MORE IDEAS THAN I WOULD'VE EVER THOUGHT OF
Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE, Y'ALL ARE SHARP GROUP
[01:05:01]
AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL VERY MUCH.THANK Y THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
ANYBODY ELSE? I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
ARE YOU ALL HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
ADJOURN I THINK NEEDS TO KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.