WEBVTT

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 We have determined that a quorum has been met.

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 The downtown Denton Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone No. 1 Board of the City

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 of Denton, Texas will now convene in a regular meeting at 12.01 p.m. this Wednesday, the

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 24th day of March 2021.

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 Our first order of business is to consider approval and/or corrections of the meeting

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 minutes from the February 5th, 2021 meeting of this TERS Board.

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 Are there any corrections to the minutes as distributed?

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 Do we have a motion?

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 I'll make a motion to approve them.

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 Do we have a second?

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 Then easily we'll second.

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 It is moved and seconded that we approve the minutes as presented.

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 I will call your name once called, state your name and your motion of adoption or opposition

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 with a form of yes or no, and don't forget to unmute yourself.

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 Ben?

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 Yes.

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 Connie?

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 Yes.

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 Eric?

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 Yes.

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 Jimmy?

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 Yes.

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 Melissa?

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 Yes.

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 Do I wait for Paul to come back or with the quorum's voting, it's enough?

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 We'll just mark him absent during this vote, so it's okay.

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 So the motion passes with a unanimous vote, five to zero.

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 The next order of business, we're going to actually go out of order of what was distributed.

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 So we'd like to move up one E. The chair would like to recognize Ron Minguita.

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 Hello, everyone.

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 Good afternoon.

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 I'm getting your presentation pulled up, Ron.

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 Give me one second.

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 Oh, I can.

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 I can try to share it.

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 I've got it.

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 Okay.

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 Yeah.

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 All right.

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 You're good to go.

00:02:08.480 --> 00:02:09.480
 Okay.

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 Great.

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 Well, again, Ron Minguita, principal planner with Development Services.

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 I appreciate the opportunity to present to the board on this important update.

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 We are calling it an update, but it's not a wholesale rewrite, as you probably already

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 know or have heard.

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 Jessica, next slide, please.

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 The Dem Plan 2030 is our comprehensive plan, and on February 3rd, 2015, about six years

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 ago, if you can believe that, we updated that plan, and right now, we're in the process

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 of revisiting some of the goals and the policies and actions that are related to a number of

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 different things that we do, obviously, throughout the city.

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 So as part of the comprehensive plan, we try to look at reviewing those goals and policies

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 and actions every five to seven years.

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 So we're right at that point of the plan itself.

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 So part of that update and the scope of work that you see here is that our consultants,

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 we've hired a consultant that is going to assist us in the update, is to assess what's

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 going on today.

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 What are the existing conditions?

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 What are some of the new values or new ideas that we didn't contemplate back in 2015 or

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 even before 2015?

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 We obviously are seeing a lot of different things happening, not only in downtown but

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 throughout the city itself, so a city-wide assessment report, just kind of bring us up

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 to speed on where we are today.

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 A lot of the information that we would want to incorporate is obviously going to come

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 from our citizens, so a big public outreach plan is part of the effort.

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 We want to hear from as many people as possible.

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 I think that some of you were part of the interviews that were held about a month ago.

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 Just kind of start us off on the process.

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 We are planning a couple of workshops next month.

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 In fact, there's a workshop tomorrow, and I'll fill you in on that on the next slide.

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 But again, public outreach is important, and we want to make sure, again, we hear from

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 as many stakeholders and focus groups as possible.

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 Some of the things that the consultants and staff is going to try to focus on are major

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 local issues.

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 We understand there's a lot of things going on, but we also want to address some of the

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 major local issues, and so part of the effort, again, with the stakeholder interviews and

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 the focus meetings is really to identify what those issues are and then address them with

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 this update.

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 In the end, we will have a comprehensive plan evaluation report.

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 Not only will it look at those major local issues, but again, assess the comprehensive

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 plan, propose new recommendations as far as goals, strategies, and actions as part of

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 the update.

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 One thing I wanted to mention, as we're talking to the TURS board here specifically for downtown,

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 part of the scope will also include a special topic discussion or analysis, and that is

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 of the downtown master plan.

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 We recognize that downtown master plan was about two decades old, actually, 2002 is when

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 I understand it was approved, so we are well past that review of that downtown master plan.

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 So part of this effort is also to incorporate it into the comprehensive plan update.

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 The slide that you see here is just a list of things that we want to capture and we want

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 to make sure we address and make sure we include in the update.

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 Obviously, there's a lot of things happening as far as progress.

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 We want to confirm those, update the context, where we are today, again, engage the community

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 as much as we can, assess our vision statement in the plan, and it will be in the next couple

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 slides.

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 Our vision statement, our community vision statement, which was drafted and approved

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 by city council back in 2015, we want to revisit that.

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 But again, I don't think a lot will change.

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 I know that a lot of it is still applicable and we want to make sure that we just want

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 to make sure that it's updated as much as we can.

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 Again, I talked about implementation strategies and other opportunities.

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 Update data that, again, back in 2013 through 2015, we were using data from that time, even

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 before that time, or actually in 2021.

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 So we want to make sure we update those information and those data as part of the comp plan update.

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 Goals, policies, and actions we've discussed that we will make sure we revisit and review.

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 If there are any goals or, I'm sorry, any plans and studies that we need to address

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 or prepare, again, as part of what we hear from the community, we want to make sure that

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 we prepare those so that we're educated on what we need to do as part of the city moving

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 forward.

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 Two things, the preferred growth concept map, I have a slide that has that as well as future

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 land use map.

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 That's also an important part of the comprehensive plan.

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 It helps guide not only the staff, but just everyone in general of where that growth should

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 be and our future land use map identifies where and what type of future land use that

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 area should be developed to.

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 So we want to make sure that we look at that as well.

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 Just the next slide.

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 Again, just to illustrate, it's not meant for me to read this slide, it's just to show

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 you that this is the community vision statement that's included in our comprehensive plan.

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 And again, the vision statement is a two pager, there's a lot there, but it does cover, again,

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 what the city should be in 15 to 20 years.

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 I won't read it, I'll just specifically focus on a couple of those areas.

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 So if Jessica can forward the slide.

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 This is one that I really like focusing on and describing to folks is really the character

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 of Denton.

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 Obviously, that we're authentic, we have a small town charm, our downtown represents

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 that, and we want to make sure that that's protected and enhanced as much as we can.

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 We want to see a balanced growth, we want to see smart growth as we continue growing

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 out in the periphery of the city with high quality.

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 That's one of the most important one that I think is important because we deal with

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 growth all the time, but we also want to make sure that we have that balance.

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 The other three there just talks about being sustainable, consciously green.

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 We have a safe and liberal community, we want to make sure we continue with that.

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 And again, we want to foster our creativity and business and education, again, with the

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 two universities and our growing business areas in the city, we want to make sure that

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 we also see that grow when the city grows.

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 Jessica, next slide.

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 This here, again, in the core, and this is reflective of where we're focusing on with

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 this downtown, sorry, not task force, but rather trust board, we want to continue with

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 the downtown being vibrant.

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 It has come a long way.

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 I joined the city 15 years ago, and 15 years ago, it's not what it is today, so I'm happy

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 and very proud of what staff has done to make it what it is today.

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 We recognize that it's vibrant, maybe not exactly during this time, but we certainly

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 would like to see it come back, and I'm sure it will.

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 And how do we do that?

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 How do we keep it vibrant?

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 How do we energize the retail, the entertainment, and also increase housing in the area?

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 And a lot of the other things too is not just the downtown, but it's also the areas surrounding

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 the downtown, areas to the north, towards TW, to the west, towards UNT.

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 Those are areas that we want to see improved, and we certainly feel that that will make

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 the downtown a lot better if we can not manage, but help design and help enhance those areas,

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 because I think they work hand-in-hand with the downtown.

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 The other two here, again, we talked about great neighborhoods, livable areas in the

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 city, and then our universities, and also other educational resources that we have.

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 The cultural resources specifically, I know that Jessica has obviously worked on the cultural

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 district, and that's something that, again, will help not only implement the comprehensive

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 plan, but also implement some of the other strategies that the city is working on.

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 Next slide, please.

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 So here's the preferred growth concept and the future land use map.

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 Both are in the comprehensive plan.

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 Both are things, are maps that we're going to visit with the update or during the analysis

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 of this update.

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 As you can see, I'll start with the focus growth concept, and that's to the left.

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 The major focus there, as you can see, is the downtown.

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 It's a bigger circle.

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 We recognize that that's an important focus area for the city.

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 Now, there are other focus areas.

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 You see them around the periphery along major intersections as well as, you know, further

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 out.

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 Ropes Ranch is one.

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 The purple there that you see is the industrial center area, but again, I want to emphasize

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 that the downtown is also a focus area, and we want to make sure that that's kept there.

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 Turning over to the future land use map, you see there, again, another map that we will

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 be revisiting.

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 We know that a lot of the future land use has changed or will be, needs to be revised

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 or needs to be updated based on development that has occurred already and/or is planned

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 for specifically to the north and northwest.

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 We see that there's a lot of activity there, so we want to make sure that those future

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 land use designations are consistent to what, one, the city wants to see happen, and two,

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 obviously planning ahead and making sure that we have the appropriate services and infrastructure

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 to accommodate that area or those areas.

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 Again, I want to bring your attention to the center of that map of what we refer to as

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 downtown Denton, again, a major focus area.

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 That specific area that's shown there in the dark brown or maroon area is zoned for mixed

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 use downtown.

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 So a lot of the proposed uses in that area and density is going to be a higher intense.

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 So again, not only to help enhance the area, but also to help plan that area as a mixed

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 use, multi-use type area.

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 The two universities that you see there, TW and UNT, surrounding the downtown and approaching

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 those universities, again, are areas we want to see come to a mixed use type development.

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 But again, this future land use map is a high level map.

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 When we get further down, obviously with the zoning and the TURS area, it can get a little

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 bit more detailed, but in general, the future land use map just identifies where and what

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 type of density, intensity that area should be.

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 So I'll go on to the next slide.

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 So what is the DEN Plan update?

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 We're calling it DEN Plan 2040.

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 We typically look 15 to 20 years out, and so that's why the title that you see there

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 is DEN Plan 2040.

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 We know we're growing.

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 We want to grow with a unified purpose.

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 We have a lot of, I wouldn't say conflicting interests, but we do have different interests

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 and we want to make sure that we put together a plan that takes account of all of those

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 interests and forms, again, strategies, goals, and policies that helps form and guide the

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 decisions that we make moving forward, again, 15 to 20 years is what we typically plan for.

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 That doesn't mean that this plan is going to remain the same plan 15 to 20 years out.

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 We're going to revisit this again in five to seven years.

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 Again, just a touch on where we are at that point and to make sure that we're correct.

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 So moving forward for this actual update, it's a nine-month process and we've already

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 started the process.

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 We're actually in month two or phase two.

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 We hope to be done by the fall, October 2021.

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 But between now and then, of course, we talked about the interviews, the focus group meetings,

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 community workshop number one is scheduled for tomorrow evening.

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 If you haven't already received an email or would like more information on how to register

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 and attend that workshop, please let me know.

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 It is going to be virtual.

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 So it's going to be a Zoom meeting similar to this.

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 And in fact, we have already approximately 150,000, sorry, wishful thinking, 150 residents

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 already registered for the workshop.

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 So we will have a good turnout, I believe we will.

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 The community workshop number two is set for sometime in May.

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 That is just to follow up again what we've heard from community workshop number one and

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 start to think about what we're drafting forward with this comp plan.

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 Then at the summertime, closer to I would say August, there will be a public open house

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 to share with the community that is with what we've put together.

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 We hope that it again addresses and acknowledges and implements a lot of what we've heard from

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 the citizens in both community workshops.

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 We will follow that with work sessions with our boards and commissions, planning zoning

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 commission specifically, and then public hearings with city council.

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 So you can see that the follow through here is similar to other plans that we've done

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 in the past, but I just wanted to share with you the process as well as some of the general

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 dates that we have identified with the comp plan update.

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 So I think that's the last slide, Jessica, if you want to forward that forward.

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 I'll be happy to answer any questions.

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 That completes my presentation.

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 And again, the information for me is there, you see, as well as if you need more or want

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 more information on the comp plan update, you can also visit that website we've dedicated

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 specifically for this effort.

00:17:19.800 --> 00:17:29.160
 Ben, you're welcome to ask Ron questions.

00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:30.880
 Oh, thank you.

00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:32.720
 This is a pretty simple one.

00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.800
 Ron, what are the last four digits of your phone number?

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 8328.

00:17:36.800 --> 00:17:46.560
 Thanks for that quick question.

00:17:46.560 --> 00:17:56.640
 Any other questions?

00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:58.680
 Connie?

00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:08.160
 Yes, Ron, on the businesses downtown, are they going to push to bring more businesses

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 downtown?

00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:19.360
 I think more businesses to downtown, because like I say, I grew up here and that was a

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 hub at one time downtown, nearly all the businesses were downtown.

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 I'm for pushing downtown, you know, to get businesses and other things that might want

00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:36.520
 to come down, you know, the square.

00:18:36.520 --> 00:18:37.520
 Right.

00:18:37.520 --> 00:18:39.240
 I think there's ample opportunity.

00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:42.240
 There's a number of different areas of downtown.

00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:47.440
 I know by the transit center is certainly an area that we want to see we develop.

00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:51.040
 But you know, along with, you know, trying to bring businesses downtown, I think we also

00:18:51.040 --> 00:18:55.520
 need to recognize that there are some areas that we want to protect as well.

00:18:55.520 --> 00:19:00.120
 A big part of the downtown is this historic and cultural nature and we want to make sure

00:19:00.120 --> 00:19:09.120
 that that doesn't, you know, diminish as we invite and bring in more businesses.

00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:11.120
 Thank you.

00:19:11.120 --> 00:19:12.120
 Ben?

00:19:12.120 --> 00:19:21.200
 Connie, you kicked off another question for me.

00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:29.080
 Have you already reached out to Main Street Association for interviews?

00:19:29.080 --> 00:19:31.000
 We reached out to a number of people.

00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:32.000
 I'll have to double check.

00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:40.040
 I know we spoke to Christine prior, as far as being invited to be interviewed, I'll have

00:19:40.040 --> 00:19:41.040
 to double check.

00:19:41.040 --> 00:19:47.520
 There was a list that was sent out and we did follow up with a number of different folks,

00:19:47.520 --> 00:19:55.720
 different number of stakeholders.

00:19:55.720 --> 00:20:06.640
 Can we go back to slide five?

00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:16.900
 I know it's come up in the TERS and also in the Dead Sea meetings on item two, and I know

00:20:16.900 --> 00:20:22.360
 that this isn't a business plan or a mission statement, but the item number two is Denton

00:20:22.360 --> 00:20:28.800
 is consciously green, we're the leader in commitment to sustainability, tree canopy,

00:20:28.800 --> 00:20:31.200
 network of parks, greenways.

00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:38.120
 I know I hear often enough and I'm not really an outdoors person, so it's not necessarily

00:20:38.120 --> 00:20:39.120
 coming from me.

00:20:39.120 --> 00:20:44.320
 It's just something that I'm hearing a lot is like missed opportunities for green space

00:20:44.320 --> 00:20:50.400
 on the Pecan Creek thoroughfare and taking back some more green space downtown.

00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:58.360
 I think I was in a discussion a couple of days ago about where the housing and urban

00:20:58.360 --> 00:21:02.640
 development, I believe, owns that property just south of downtown.

00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:09.200
 It's a large parcel and it's being wasted space, whether we decide we need housing there

00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:14.360
 or we decide we need businesses there or green space.

00:21:14.360 --> 00:21:22.440
 Green space was one that was brought up as something that could go there.

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:29.880
 How does your department, how does this Denton plan 2020, can it override other departments

00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:37.200
 in the idea of if we're trying to capture as much green space as possible and that's

00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:43.800
 part of the Denton plan 2040, how do we not escape not implementing that?

00:21:43.800 --> 00:21:44.800
 Does that make sense?

00:21:44.800 --> 00:21:49.200
 Yeah, when you were speaking there, I had a couple thoughts.

00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:56.040
 One of the things is the parks master plan, parks and recreation and trails master plan,

00:21:56.040 --> 00:22:00.800
 which the city is currently working on is part of this comprehensive plan.

00:22:00.800 --> 00:22:02.000
 We want to be consistent.

00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:08.680
 We want to be coordinating the effort with their plan that they're working on.

00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:13.940
 Ultimately, we want a comprehensive plan and all plans to be cohesive.

00:22:13.940 --> 00:22:16.160
 We don't want them to be contradicting.

00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:25.960
 We're working with Gary on his plan as well as our plan in making sure that we have consistent

00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:28.600
 goals and policies.

00:22:28.600 --> 00:22:33.920
 Regarding that area that you're talking about, I know that that's part of a drainage project

00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:36.800
 that's being worked on as we speak.

00:22:36.800 --> 00:22:41.920
 But I think at that level where we start to identify areas of open space in the downtown,

00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:47.680
 I think the downtown master plan and possibly with the TERS board, that might be something

00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:51.320
 that we can get a little bit more detailed discussions.

00:22:51.320 --> 00:22:56.640
 But for the comprehensive plan, just know that it is a very high level, but at the same

00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:01.320
 time sets policies to what the city should be doing.

00:23:01.320 --> 00:23:07.800
 So I know with the open space component of the plan, we talk about, again, you read a

00:23:07.800 --> 00:23:13.440
 little bit of the vision, but also making sure that we have opportunities for open space,

00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:21.280
 not just for regional open space, but also all kinds of open space such as trails, linkage

00:23:21.280 --> 00:23:23.800
 parks.

00:23:23.800 --> 00:23:27.260
 Those are some of the things that I know we're working on as well.

00:23:27.260 --> 00:23:30.760
 The downtown, we would certainly want to see more pocket parks.

00:23:30.760 --> 00:23:33.960
 The one off of industrial is a great example.

00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:39.580
 We want to see more of that to give people the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor.

00:23:39.580 --> 00:23:43.440
 But that specific area that you referred to again, Melissa, I know it's being worked on.

00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:46.680
 There's a drainage study, drainage project there.

00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:53.920
 Hopefully when that is completed, there is an opportunity to partner or actually purchase

00:23:53.920 --> 00:24:07.200
 or maintain that area for open space.

00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:10.200
 Any other questions?

00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:11.880
 Raise a hand if you need a question.

00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:13.580
 I think we're done.

00:24:13.580 --> 00:24:14.580
 Thank you so much, Ron.

00:24:14.580 --> 00:24:15.580
 I appreciate it.

00:24:15.580 --> 00:24:17.680
 I hope everybody gets to get on one of the public forums.

00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:20.080
 I know I'm signed up for tomorrow.

00:24:20.080 --> 00:24:21.080
 Awesome.

00:24:21.080 --> 00:24:22.080
 Well, great.

00:24:22.080 --> 00:24:25.600
 I want to thank you guys for me moving up on the agenda.

00:24:25.600 --> 00:24:26.880
 I do appreciate that.

00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:31.720
 And again, if you have any further questions or comments, please reach out to me.

00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:32.720
 Thank you.

00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.680
 Thank you.

00:24:36.680 --> 00:24:41.400
 On our next order of business, we're actually going to go to 1D and we're going to receive

00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:46.160
 a report and hold a discussion, give staff direction regarding the downtown capital projects

00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:47.160
 update.

00:24:47.160 --> 00:24:52.480
 I'd like to welcome Rachel Wood to the floor.

00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:55.720
 Thank you, Madam Chair, and hello members of the TURS Board.

00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:59.920
 As the chair said, I'm Rachel Wood, I'm the deputy director of capital projects.

00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:05.480
 So we've got several different capital projects that are anywhere from initiation, more that

00:25:05.480 --> 00:25:09.960
 ideation phase all the way through to we've got projects that are wrapping up this year

00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:11.700
 with construction.

00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:15.920
 So myself as well as three of our project managers are going to go through those projects.

00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:19.880
 And the way we plan on structuring today's conversation, we're going to kind of be playing

00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:21.120
 musical chairs.

00:25:21.120 --> 00:25:25.440
 So I'm going to present on a few projects, we'll pause, let you ask questions about the

00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:29.920
 projects that I present on, then we'll go on to the next project manager once they get

00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:32.800
 through their projects, we'll pause, let you ask questions.

00:25:32.800 --> 00:25:37.160
 And then at the end, we'll of course, open it up for additional questions, but just because

00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:41.040
 we have so many speakers that are going to be presenting today and we're all going to

00:25:41.040 --> 00:25:45.200
 be presenting from this chair that I'm sitting in, it just makes it a little bit easier if

00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:49.400
 you can be thinking about your questions as you go so that as that presenter is seated,

00:25:49.400 --> 00:25:53.840
 they can go ahead and answer your questions rather than us having to continue the musical

00:25:53.840 --> 00:25:55.320
 chairs at the end.

00:25:55.320 --> 00:26:00.240
 So I'm going to pull up the presentation, I will note that we have one project manager

00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:04.800
 who wasn't able to join us today, his name is Kyle Pettigo, and he actually has the majority

00:26:04.800 --> 00:26:07.640
 of the active construction projects.

00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:12.000
 So I'm going to be going through Kyle's projects today, I will answer the questions that I'm

00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:16.720
 able to, but if there are questions that I'm not able to answer, I'll be coordinating with

00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:21.480
 Christina and Jessica to make sure that we're able to get specific answers back to you.

00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:26.200
 So I just want to make sure you're getting the most complete information possible, since

00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:28.320
 Kyle wasn't able to join us.

00:26:28.320 --> 00:26:42.480
 So I will really quickly pull up the presentation, and let's see here, okay.

00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:48.120
 So we'll start with one of Kyle's projects, that's the downtown storm sewer phase one

00:26:48.120 --> 00:26:49.120
 project.

00:26:49.120 --> 00:26:54.480
 This is an active construction project, the design firm was DEH and the construction contractor

00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:56.760
 is quality excavation.

00:26:56.760 --> 00:27:01.720
 The limits of this project are Bell Avenue to McKinney Street, and then also to Hickory

00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:03.260
 Street.

00:27:03.260 --> 00:27:07.520
 So the scope of this project is primarily a drainage project, it does have some pavement

00:27:07.520 --> 00:27:09.920
 repair associated with it.

00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:14.120
 The total project estimate at completion, and that's what we say kind of the all in

00:27:14.120 --> 00:27:21.240
 cost at the end of this project, once we get to close out will be roughly $1.8 million.

00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:26.880
 The project began in December 2020, construction actually began in December 2020, and is on

00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:31.640
 schedule to be completed by the fourth quarter of this calendar year, so by the end of calendar

00:27:31.640 --> 00:27:33.740
 year 2021.

00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:37.920
 We're doing a lot of coordination with this project, including with franchise utilities,

00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:44.320
 other city departments, as well as area businesses and TextDOT.

00:27:44.320 --> 00:27:49.640
 Kind of an offshoot of that downtown storm sewer, we've got a long standing 2014 bond

00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:54.760
 project for downtown quiet zones that we're going to be coordinating a significant amount

00:27:54.760 --> 00:27:59.600
 of the construction that's required for the downtown quiet zones with the downtown storm

00:27:59.600 --> 00:28:03.760
 sewer projects we've got a lot of nice synergy given the location and the fact that we've

00:28:03.760 --> 00:28:06.600
 got the same project manager assigned.

00:28:06.600 --> 00:28:12.200
 So those four crossings are at McKinney Street, Hickory Street, Sycamore and Prairie.

00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:17.300
 This project has been designed in house and then we look at as I mentioned, potentially

00:28:17.300 --> 00:28:23.280
 having quality excavation do a significant amount of the construction required to activate

00:28:23.280 --> 00:28:25.640
 these quiet zones.

00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:31.840
 So quiet zone repair and improvements include median improvements, sidewalk improvements

00:28:31.840 --> 00:28:34.280
 and then railroad crossing improvements.

00:28:34.280 --> 00:28:39.560
 The total project estimate at completion is $1.3 million.

00:28:39.560 --> 00:28:44.640
 We had the design finalized in January of 2021, we had to do some coordination with

00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:48.480
 area businesses and thank you to Jessica for helping us with some of that coordination

00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:50.800
 to get the design finalized.

00:28:50.800 --> 00:28:54.920
 And we should be in construction by quarter three 2021.

00:28:54.920 --> 00:28:58.160
 The construction itself is not significant.

00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:03.720
 It's like I mentioned going to be folded in with the downtown storm sewer phase one project.

00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:08.560
 Where we have wrinkles with this project is we have to get approvals from Union Pacific

00:29:08.560 --> 00:29:13.720
 Railroad and so we make the improvements, but then it's ultimately up to Union Pacific

00:29:13.720 --> 00:29:18.040
 Railroad to accept those improvements and activate the quiet zone.

00:29:18.040 --> 00:29:20.640
 So we're very motivated to get this completed.

00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:24.240
 I know we get regular requests on the status of this project.

00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:26.040
 We are proceeding with it.

00:29:26.040 --> 00:29:31.760
 We also have one of our at-grade crossing agreements in place, but we're having to work

00:29:31.760 --> 00:29:36.760
 very closely with Union Pacific Railroad to really get this project across the finish

00:29:36.760 --> 00:29:37.760
 line.

00:29:37.760 --> 00:29:42.560
 We're confident that we'll have the construction completed by the end of the calendar year.

00:29:42.560 --> 00:29:47.480
 What we're not confident in is the status of the negotiations and the approvals with

00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:48.920
 Union Pacific Railroad.

00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:53.840
 We're working very hard to get those synced up so that once we've completed the construction

00:29:53.840 --> 00:29:58.560
 that we can also have the quiet zones activated, but some of that is really going to be up

00:29:58.560 --> 00:30:03.640
 to the railroad themselves and we're working very hard on improving responsiveness and

00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:06.200
 those relationships there.

00:30:06.200 --> 00:30:10.520
 Also of course, once the railroad quiet zones are activated, that does not mean you will

00:30:10.520 --> 00:30:14.120
 never hear a train horn sounding at night.

00:30:14.120 --> 00:30:19.680
 If there is a pedestrian that's visible, the conductors do still have to sound their train

00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:25.240
 horns and so it will just be a quieter zone, if you will, but it will not mean that you

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:27.920
 will not ever hear train horns.

00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:33.040
 City Council also just approved a design contract actually last night for what we're calling

00:30:33.040 --> 00:30:37.440
 kind of the Frame Street group of quiet zones.

00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:41.760
 It's going to be further up, kind of running parallel along Mingo Road.

00:30:41.760 --> 00:30:46.140
 So we hope to have these activated and then shortly thereafter within the next two-ish

00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:51.440
 years have the quiet zones activated further along the Mingo corridor so that hopefully

00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:56.320
 that can really give more respite to residents and business owners in the area because I

00:30:56.320 --> 00:30:59.600
 know again, we get a lot of feedback on those quiet zones.

00:30:59.600 --> 00:31:06.080
 So that is something that we're working towards and we are working very closely with the railroad.

00:31:06.080 --> 00:31:10.180
 This is something that we've initiated, not necessarily the railroad and so we're working

00:31:10.180 --> 00:31:14.400
 through some responsiveness issues there, but we are optimistic that we're going to

00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:19.320
 have these activated by the end of the calendar year and then as I mentioned shortly thereafter

00:31:19.320 --> 00:31:24.600
 within the next few years, we hope to have the Mingo Frame Street group of quiet zones

00:31:24.600 --> 00:31:30.960
 activated as well so we'll have a nice corridor with activated quiet zones.

00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:35.600
 So moving on to the next project that Kyle is managing, the downtown TIFF sidewalk and

00:31:35.600 --> 00:31:37.280
 lighting project.

00:31:37.280 --> 00:31:42.360
 The limits of this project include Elm Street from Parkway to Oak, Oak Street, Carroll to

00:31:42.360 --> 00:31:45.320
 Elm, and Hickory, Carroll to Elm.

00:31:45.320 --> 00:31:49.600
 This project was designed by Teagnell and Perkins and construction is being done by

00:31:49.600 --> 00:31:55.280
 Floyd Smith who's the city's concrete contractor that we have on call as well as our in-house

00:31:55.280 --> 00:31:59.400
 traffic operations crew for the signal improvements.

00:31:59.400 --> 00:32:03.400
 So the scope of the project is pedestrian lighting improvements as well as sidewalk

00:32:03.400 --> 00:32:07.140
 improvements for the extents that I just described.

00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:10.640
 Total estimate at completion is $1 million.

00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:15.560
 Traffic signal design is nearing completion with final construction scheduled to begin

00:32:15.560 --> 00:32:19.960
 after the traffic components are delivered and they have been ordered.

00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:24.300
 The project is estimated to be completed by the end of the second quarter, so the quarter

00:32:24.300 --> 00:32:29.340
 that we're actually just now starting of this fiscal year in 20, I'm sorry, of this calendar

00:32:29.340 --> 00:32:31.760
 year in 2021.

00:32:31.760 --> 00:32:37.800
 We're coordinating closely with our franchise utilities, other city departments, area businesses

00:32:37.800 --> 00:32:42.960
 to get this project completed as quickly as possible and definitely appreciate the use

00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:49.360
 of the TIFF funding to get this project completed.

00:32:49.360 --> 00:32:53.840
 West Hickory Street is another project in the general downtown area that Kyle is the

00:32:53.840 --> 00:32:55.520
 project manager for.

00:32:55.520 --> 00:33:00.160
 The limits of the current phase of this project are Welch to Carroll.

00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:06.720
 Design was conducted by Tignall and Perkins and the contractor is 2L Construction.

00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:12.520
 The project includes drainage upgrades, roadway reconstruction, sidewalk installation as well

00:33:12.520 --> 00:33:18.160
 as the installation of pedestrian lighting and should have a total estimate at completion

00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:20.840
 of right at $3 million.

00:33:20.840 --> 00:33:24.720
 It's scheduled to be completed by the end of quarter three of this calendar year, so

00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:31.280
 hopefully late summer, early fall we're shooting for completion and we've been coordinating

00:33:31.280 --> 00:33:34.840
 closely with residents, business owners on this project.

00:33:34.840 --> 00:33:39.040
 We've also been coordinating closely with DISD just because of the proximity to Calhoun

00:33:39.040 --> 00:33:44.120
 Middle School as well as with UNT just because that's a major corridor getting to and from

00:33:44.120 --> 00:33:45.800
 the campus.

00:33:45.800 --> 00:33:50.600
 We've got regular updates on our Improving Denton website and then we've had regular

00:33:50.600 --> 00:33:55.680
 mailers, door hangers as there have been service interruptions and that sort of thing for the

00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:57.040
 duration of this project.

00:33:57.040 --> 00:34:00.720
 We've also been coordinating closely with Atmos Gas just because they've been doing

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:06.360
 some line work that's been conducted in concert with the construction that the city is doing

00:34:06.360 --> 00:34:09.840
 on this project.

00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:16.040
 So before I move on and the next few projects, Seth Garcia is the project manager for, so

00:34:16.040 --> 00:34:19.000
 he's going to be going through those slides.

00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:22.560
 Great to see if there were any high level questions that I could either attempt to answer

00:34:22.560 --> 00:34:28.440
 or we can have Kyle provide some written responses to give you all feedback on those first few

00:34:28.440 --> 00:34:30.280
 projects that I covered.

00:34:30.280 --> 00:34:34.160
 Rachel, I have a question.

00:34:34.160 --> 00:34:36.320
 This is Melissa.

00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:44.280
 I know on our last TERS meeting, Alex had asked about the coordination or the concept

00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:49.840
 of instead of just replacing a sidewalk is to expand sidewalks so that the walkability

00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:55.800
 of downtown is in line with what might be in the Denton 2030 plan, but you know that

00:34:55.800 --> 00:35:00.440
 it's a bigger, better sidewalk, not just a replacement of what was there.

00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:01.800
 Can you speak to that?

00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:02.800
 Absolutely.

00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:06.540
 So that's a really important point and something that we are working on coordinating.

00:35:06.540 --> 00:35:12.160
 I think the timing of Ron sharing the information on the update to the comprehensive plan and

00:35:12.160 --> 00:35:14.600
 then this coming afterwards actually worked really well.

00:35:14.600 --> 00:35:18.720
 So thank you, Jessica, for your flexibility with the agenda on that.

00:35:18.720 --> 00:35:22.600
 We actually, Robin Davis, who's going to be presenting in a little while, is the project

00:35:22.600 --> 00:35:27.920
 manager that's been assigned and kind of tasked as our sidewalk czar, if you will.

00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:33.320
 She's putting together a, you don't like that term, I'm sorry, Robin, our czarina.

00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:38.080
 Robin is putting together our five-year sidewalk work plan right now.

00:35:38.080 --> 00:35:42.580
 We're developing that in coordination, not only with streets and drainage to make sure

00:35:42.580 --> 00:35:47.560
 that we're planning for sidewalk needs as we're doing those roadway reconstruction,

00:35:47.560 --> 00:35:53.080
 major drainage and utility projects, but we're also coordinating with Gary Packen, who's

00:35:53.080 --> 00:35:55.480
 got the trails master plan.

00:35:55.480 --> 00:36:00.680
 And once we hire our new bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, we'll also be developing and

00:36:00.680 --> 00:36:05.800
 finalizing that sidewalk work plan with that person as well.

00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:10.520
 Absolutely, we're looking at some of the sidewalk segments that we have in design or in construction

00:36:10.520 --> 00:36:15.640
 right now are five feet, but we are definitely having the conversation as we look particularly

00:36:15.640 --> 00:36:18.200
 at those accessibility needs.

00:36:18.200 --> 00:36:22.460
 Does it make sense to have an eight-foot or a 10-foot in some areas?

00:36:22.460 --> 00:36:27.320
 As we're rolling out the sidewalk work plan, which we should be doing in May, the summer

00:36:27.320 --> 00:36:32.440
 timeframe, we do plan on presenting that not only to the parks board, but also to the committee

00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:36.720
 on persons with disability, to the traffic safety commission, as well as to the mobility

00:36:36.720 --> 00:36:41.320
 committee in addition to hopefully doing some sort of a road show so that we can get some

00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:43.800
 additional feedback from the community as well.

00:36:43.800 --> 00:36:48.480
 But we are absolutely wanting to be as inclusive as we can be, not just with sidewalks, but

00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:49.480
 we're just taking...

00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:52.620
 You'll hear Becky and myself use the term holistic a lot.

00:36:52.620 --> 00:36:57.820
 We're really wanting to take a true comprehensive holistic view as we're doing capital improvement

00:36:57.820 --> 00:37:01.740
 so that we're not just looking through the lens of what do we need to do to complete

00:37:01.740 --> 00:37:06.320
 this roadway or how do we connect the existing sidewalk segments.

00:37:06.320 --> 00:37:08.160
 But what are those long-term needs?

00:37:08.160 --> 00:37:09.900
 What's in our comprehensive plan?

00:37:09.900 --> 00:37:11.740
 What's in our mobility plan?

00:37:11.740 --> 00:37:13.680
 And then really what makes sense for our residents.

00:37:13.680 --> 00:37:17.560
 So that's absolutely a fantastic question and something that we're working towards.

00:37:17.560 --> 00:37:19.520
 Thank you, Rachel.

00:37:19.520 --> 00:37:20.520
 Okay.

00:37:20.520 --> 00:37:25.960
 Sorry, Rachel, just one quick question.

00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:30.840
 What's the TxDOT tie-in for the drainage project along Bell and Oak?

00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:33.840
 I don't see any TxDOT roadways right there in that area.

00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:37.480
 Or am I mistaken?

00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:40.200
 You're talking about for downtown storm sewer phase one?

00:37:40.200 --> 00:37:41.200
 Yes.

00:37:41.200 --> 00:37:42.200
 Yeah.

00:37:42.200 --> 00:37:43.200
 That's a good question.

00:37:43.200 --> 00:37:47.320
 It could be that I needed to update the slide and TxDOT shouldn't be on there.

00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:48.320
 You're correct.

00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:49.920
 That's not a TxDOT roadway.

00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:50.920
 We are...

00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:53.440
 We meet with TxDOT on a monthly basis.

00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:58.160
 I think actually Kyle asked me to update that to say Union Pacific Railroad and I did not

00:37:58.160 --> 00:37:59.780
 update the slide.

00:37:59.780 --> 00:38:02.400
 So that is actually my mistake on there.

00:38:02.400 --> 00:38:06.960
 So thank you for noting that it is actually Union Pacific Railroad that that's supposed

00:38:06.960 --> 00:38:07.960
 to say.

00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:08.960
 Thanks.

00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:11.280
 I just wanted to make sure I'm not the confused one here.

00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:17.520
 And Melissa, I would just add, as I was reviewing the downtown implementation plan, it actually

00:38:17.520 --> 00:38:25.080
 includes a lot of kind of artistic renderings of the types of sidewalk and street sections

00:38:25.080 --> 00:38:29.720
 and cross sections in the downtown area that long-term we'd like to move toward.

00:38:29.720 --> 00:38:35.040
 Especially that did a lot of work that goes from a specific design of specific areas.

00:38:35.040 --> 00:38:43.440
 But just wanted to let you know that.

00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:49.600
 To add in there, you had said the TxDOT should maybe not be on there.

00:38:49.600 --> 00:38:56.000
 Is that drainage system going to link up with the drainage that was...

00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:00.600
 Oh, I don't know if we're planning it still.

00:39:00.600 --> 00:39:03.720
 Along the south side of the square?

00:39:03.720 --> 00:39:06.080
 Could that be why TxDOT is on there?

00:39:06.080 --> 00:39:11.240
 Truthfully, it was supposed to be updated and that was a mistake with us having TxDOT.

00:39:11.240 --> 00:39:13.400
 We do coordinate with them on all things.

00:39:13.400 --> 00:39:17.680
 We are working towards the implementation of a stormwater master plan.

00:39:17.680 --> 00:39:22.360
 And of course, our stormwater is a network where it is all interconnected.

00:39:22.360 --> 00:39:27.660
 But again, I apologize, I think I may have sent Jessica the wrong version of this presentation

00:39:27.660 --> 00:39:31.200
 where that was just one edit that needed to be made.

00:39:31.200 --> 00:39:33.480
 So we always coordinate with TxDOT.

00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:37.520
 We are actually meeting on a monthly basis with our area engineer, Tina Massey, to make

00:39:37.520 --> 00:39:40.600
 sure that we're better coordinating on those projects.

00:39:40.600 --> 00:39:44.880
 And of course, she wants to know the status of projects just because we have so many TxDOT

00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:46.760
 roadways in the downtown area.

00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:51.600
 But on that slide in particular, just in full transparency, that was just a mistake.

00:39:51.600 --> 00:39:55.160
 And I think I sent the wrong version to Jessica.

00:39:55.160 --> 00:40:01.680
 Okay, so with that, no mistakes are allowed.

00:40:01.680 --> 00:40:06.240
 Just put it on the list Councilmember Meltzer, I'm sure I've got quite a list going right

00:40:06.240 --> 00:40:07.240
 now.

00:40:07.240 --> 00:40:11.920
 Okay, well, with that, unless there are other questions, I'm going to turn it over to Seth

00:40:11.920 --> 00:40:26.640
 to go through his projects that he has in downtown.

00:40:26.640 --> 00:40:32.360
 All right, good afternoon, Madam Chair, board members, Seth Garcia, project manager with

00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:34.940
 Capital Projects.

00:40:34.940 --> 00:40:39.520
 This afternoon, I'll be going over PEC 4 phases one and two that's under construction.

00:40:39.520 --> 00:40:44.400
 And then as well as PEC 4 phases three and four, that's currently under design.

00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:50.360
 So to start off PEC 4 phases one and two, the we installed dual 11 by 8 drainage boxes

00:40:50.360 --> 00:40:56.400
 from Wainwright up to Prairie and then across Elm and Locust, and they decommissioned right

00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:58.760
 behind the Ravel and Bakery.

00:40:58.760 --> 00:41:04.560
 We also did a quite a bit of utility relocation and replacement all the way up and down Elm

00:41:04.560 --> 00:41:10.780
 and Locust from Hickory to Eagle, and then quite a few side streets in that area as well.

00:41:10.780 --> 00:41:18.280
 The design firm for all of PEC 4 phases one through four is Freeze and Nichols.

00:41:18.280 --> 00:41:22.840
 So as I said, the scope was installing those dual 11 by 8 drainage boxes.

00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:28.560
 It also included some pretty substantial water and wastewater utility installation and relocation.

00:41:28.560 --> 00:41:34.440
 And then we are repairing parts of the roadways that were impacted and doing a full street

00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:35.440
 reconstruction.

00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:41.040
 So I don't know how frequently y'all drive the Prairie Street, but we did just open Prairie

00:41:41.040 --> 00:41:46.240
 in between Elm and Locust and then Prairie in between Elm and Pierce.

00:41:46.240 --> 00:41:48.680
 Those are getting finished up.

00:41:48.680 --> 00:41:53.760
 The estimated completion is 15.1 million on phases one and two.

00:41:53.760 --> 00:41:59.120
 That project began construction in July of 2019, and we are on schedule to be completed

00:41:59.120 --> 00:42:02.200
 by quarter three of 2021.

00:42:02.200 --> 00:42:07.280
 We've done some pretty extensive coordination with franchise utilities in the area to accommodate

00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:14.340
 the boxes this large, as well as local area businesses, and then coordination with Elm

00:42:14.340 --> 00:42:20.680
 and Locust being text out roadways.

00:42:20.680 --> 00:42:24.560
 The next project I'm going to cover is PEC 4 phases three and four.

00:42:24.560 --> 00:42:29.000
 So this project essentially takes the boxes from where we decommissioned behind the Ravel

00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:35.000
 and Bakery, north, crossing Sycamore and Stroud to Mulberry, and then from Mulberry we moved

00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:42.400
 west across Carroll all the way to Bernard, and then have a small piece south of Bernard

00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:44.880
 to connect to the existing channel.

00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:53.520
 Once again, this was also designed by Frieza Nichols, and we're currently at 90% design.

00:42:53.520 --> 00:43:00.040
 So the scope of phases three and four include 16 by 8, 12 by 8, and 10 by 8 box culverts.

00:43:00.040 --> 00:43:04.680
 Once again, we'll have some pretty substantial water and wastewater installation and relocation

00:43:04.680 --> 00:43:11.520
 just associated with the boxes this size, and then some pretty significant street reconstruction

00:43:11.520 --> 00:43:16.800
 on portions of Sycamore, Stroud, and Mulberry as those boxes actually transition into the

00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:21.800
 roadway from the current alignment of the rock channel.

00:43:21.800 --> 00:43:26.940
 Our estimate at completion for phases three and four is 17.7 million.

00:43:26.940 --> 00:43:30.680
 Our schedule right now is kind of dictated based off of easement acquisition.

00:43:30.680 --> 00:43:35.120
 We currently don't have funding for easement acquisition or construction funding.

00:43:35.120 --> 00:43:40.280
 So once we do have that funding identified and available, we'll be able to iron out that

00:43:40.280 --> 00:43:42.920
 schedule a little bit better.

00:43:42.920 --> 00:43:46.220
 Coordination for this one, we're working with Denton County on an agreement because we do

00:43:46.220 --> 00:43:51.440
 cross the Denton County property in between Sycamore and Mulberry and then kind of run

00:43:51.440 --> 00:43:56.480
 in front of the Carroll Building as well as multiple franchise utility relocations in

00:43:56.480 --> 00:44:01.280
 the University of North Texas to accommodate all the student living that we see there on

00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:07.920
 Mulberry that's west of Carroll Avenue or Carroll Boulevard, excuse me.

00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:11.520
 And with that, those are my two PEC-4 projects.

00:44:11.520 --> 00:44:15.560
 Any questions?

00:44:15.560 --> 00:44:19.960
 Okay, perfect.

00:44:19.960 --> 00:44:20.960
 Thank you.

00:44:20.960 --> 00:44:26.680
 Next is Ms. Robin Davis.

00:44:26.680 --> 00:44:37.440
 Good afternoon, I'm Robin Davis, and I'll be going over the next couple of projects

00:44:37.440 --> 00:44:38.920
 with you.

00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:43.680
 The first one is the all-way crossing around the Denton County Courthouse on the Square.

00:44:43.680 --> 00:44:50.320
 And this was just approved in council for the design of this project last week on March

00:44:50.320 --> 00:44:52.080
 16.

00:44:52.080 --> 00:44:57.200
 So what this will do, this will provide permanent all-way crossing and signal improvements at

00:44:57.200 --> 00:44:59.420
 each of those intersections around the Square.

00:44:59.420 --> 00:45:04.560
 It'll provide for some diagonal crossings as well as just the normal crosswalks that

00:45:04.560 --> 00:45:06.520
 you're used to seeing.

00:45:06.520 --> 00:45:11.920
 We have an estimate at completion for this of 662,000, and we anticipate design being

00:45:11.920 --> 00:45:16.240
 complete by quarter three of this year and a construction completion of quarter three

00:45:16.240 --> 00:45:18.360
 of next year.

00:45:18.360 --> 00:45:24.600
 We'll be coordinating, of course, with our Main Street Committee and also with all the

00:45:24.600 --> 00:45:26.360
 area businesses.

00:45:26.360 --> 00:45:32.020
 We'll have community meetings at 30% and 90% design, and we'll distribute mailers and everything

00:45:32.020 --> 00:45:37.320
 prior to construction and during construction efforts.

00:45:37.320 --> 00:45:40.920
 The next one is the Bell Avenue sidewalk connectivity.

00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:46.040
 This is sidewalk along Bell Street between Hickory and Sycamore, and it was designed

00:45:46.040 --> 00:45:49.400
 by Adams Engineering.

00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:54.560
 We're going to complete this probably, the estimated construction completion for this

00:45:54.560 --> 00:45:57.120
 is quarter one of next year.

00:45:57.120 --> 00:46:02.880
 The estimated completion is 116,000, and we'll be coordinating with real estate currently

00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:07.160
 on property acquisition if needed for any temporary construction easements or right-of-way

00:46:07.160 --> 00:46:13.380
 needs that we need prior to construction.

00:46:13.380 --> 00:46:17.080
 And the next one is the A train to UNT bike and pedestrian path.

00:46:17.080 --> 00:46:22.400
 This is going to be implementing a side path down Sycamore Street from the downtown Denton

00:46:22.400 --> 00:46:28.640
 Transit Center to Welch, and then on Welch Street, a bike lane between Hickory and Eagle.

00:46:28.640 --> 00:46:35.660
 And this is also a project that the design was approved by council on March 16th.

00:46:35.660 --> 00:46:41.880
 So this will be a bicycle and pedestrian improvements on route from A train station to UNT with

00:46:41.880 --> 00:46:43.860
 a 10-foot side path.

00:46:43.860 --> 00:46:50.280
 New traffic signal, bike radar, estimated completion is 2.6 million, and we expect design

00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:54.600
 to be complete by quarter one of next year and estimated construction completion by quarter

00:46:54.600 --> 00:46:57.980
 four of 2023.

00:46:57.980 --> 00:47:04.160
 We'll be coordinating with UPRR and DCTA on the relation to any of those pedestrian railroad

00:47:04.160 --> 00:47:08.800
 crossing requirements, and we'll be also having committee meetings.

00:47:08.800 --> 00:47:14.320
 Committee meetings will be held at 30%, 90% design, mailers will be distributed prior

00:47:14.320 --> 00:47:23.520
 to construction, and we'll also be working with other area businesses.

00:47:23.520 --> 00:47:24.520
 And that's it for me.

00:47:24.520 --> 00:47:31.100
 Does anyone have any questions about those three projects?

00:47:31.100 --> 00:47:35.320
 I do have a question.

00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:43.920
 The Bell sidewalk, that was between which streets?

00:47:43.920 --> 00:47:48.080
 Hickory and, that's all I've got.

00:47:48.080 --> 00:47:49.080
 Thank you.

00:47:49.080 --> 00:47:50.080
 Okay.

00:47:50.080 --> 00:47:51.080
 Anyone else?

00:47:51.080 --> 00:47:55.720
 Does the 10-foot side path look like?

00:47:55.720 --> 00:47:57.200
 What does that look like?

00:47:57.200 --> 00:48:03.440
 Well, it's currently under design, but it'll basically just be a 10-foot wide sidewalk

00:48:03.440 --> 00:48:06.840
 but it's considered a side path because of the width.

00:48:06.840 --> 00:48:07.840
 Okay.

00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:13.320
 And that's, that runs down Sycamore from the train station to UNT?

00:48:13.320 --> 00:48:18.000
 From the train station to Welch Street.

00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:22.200
 Wow.

00:48:22.200 --> 00:48:23.680
 Anyone else?

00:48:23.680 --> 00:48:25.240
 Okay.

00:48:25.240 --> 00:48:38.520
 I think Trevor Crane is next.

00:48:38.520 --> 00:48:39.520
 Good afternoon.

00:48:39.520 --> 00:48:40.520
 My name is Trevor Crane.

00:48:40.520 --> 00:48:45.520
 I'm a project manager with the city of Denton in the capital improvement department.

00:48:45.520 --> 00:48:48.360
 So today I'll be talking to you about two projects.

00:48:48.360 --> 00:48:50.480
 First one is Elm and Locust phase two.

00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:56.320
 The limits of this street are Elm and Locust street from US 380 to Hickory street.

00:48:56.320 --> 00:49:00.400
 It's currently under design by Half and Associates.

00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:03.440
 Scope of this project is a drainage system upgrades.

00:49:03.440 --> 00:49:08.680
 We'll also have some water and wastewater system upgrades as well.

00:49:08.680 --> 00:49:13.240
 Our estimate completion for this project is a little over $20 million.

00:49:13.240 --> 00:49:19.920
 The schedule, the design is probably within the next month, we're probably about 95% just

00:49:19.920 --> 00:49:23.040
 making some final tweaks to that design.

00:49:23.040 --> 00:49:25.480
 The construction schedule is dependent on funding.

00:49:25.480 --> 00:49:30.200
 We're currently trying to identify drainage funding for this project.

00:49:30.200 --> 00:49:35.400
 Once we get that locked down, we'll be ready to move forward with construction.

00:49:35.400 --> 00:49:36.840
 Coordination.

00:49:36.840 --> 00:49:40.400
 So project status updates will begin once funding has been acquired and the project

00:49:40.400 --> 00:49:42.560
 moves forward.

00:49:42.560 --> 00:49:47.160
 Our design consultant is currently doing survey work out there and working on some right of

00:49:47.160 --> 00:49:55.200
 way and then we'll also be coordinating with TextDOT on this project as well.

00:49:55.200 --> 00:49:59.320
 The next project is the Development Service Center parking lot improvements.

00:49:59.320 --> 00:50:04.800
 This is for the parking lot at 401 North Elm, which is our new development service center.

00:50:04.800 --> 00:50:09.800
 This was designed in-house and our contractor is MSB Constructors.

00:50:09.800 --> 00:50:13.720
 So the scope of this project is the actual parking lot reconstruction with some drainage

00:50:13.720 --> 00:50:18.520
 improvements as well as lighting, sidewalk, landscaping, and pavement striping.

00:50:18.520 --> 00:50:22.420
 SMS completion is $1.2 million.

00:50:22.420 --> 00:50:26.880
 Construction is scheduled for completion in quarter two of 2021, which is about two months

00:50:26.880 --> 00:50:29.520
 ahead of schedule.

00:50:29.520 --> 00:50:33.880
 Probably would have been done already if it hadn't been for the snow and the weather,

00:50:33.880 --> 00:50:36.640
 but we're moving and getting pretty close.

00:50:36.640 --> 00:50:37.960
 Coordination.

00:50:37.960 --> 00:50:41.840
 We have biweekly meetings with our contractor and our development services staff to provide

00:50:41.840 --> 00:50:47.600
 updates on the progress of that project.

00:50:47.600 --> 00:50:51.000
 And that is it for that.

00:50:51.000 --> 00:50:54.760
 Anybody have any questions on those two projects?

00:50:54.760 --> 00:50:58.240
 A question about the parking lot itself.

00:50:58.240 --> 00:51:04.720
 What kind of signage is going to be there so that evening parking might be available

00:51:04.720 --> 00:51:10.480
 as public parking and then the linkage between that parking lot and the square, what is that

00:51:10.480 --> 00:51:12.840
 being coordinated with or looked at?

00:51:12.840 --> 00:51:17.080
 So there's actually three entrances into the parking lot.

00:51:17.080 --> 00:51:22.960
 There's one off of Bolivar, one on Parkway, and then one onto Elm itself.

00:51:22.960 --> 00:51:27.880
 The way it's designed is kind of for people to come in off of Bolivar and then drive through

00:51:27.880 --> 00:51:30.080
 on and continue on through Parkway.

00:51:30.080 --> 00:51:38.200
 As far as signage, there will be some public parking signage though eventually not in this

00:51:38.200 --> 00:51:44.120
 current design, but in an upcoming design we're going to be working on an additional

00:51:44.120 --> 00:51:51.400
 parking lot that attaches to that, have electrical vehicle charging stations for the public as

00:51:51.400 --> 00:51:55.760
 well as the City of Denton vehicle that they use.

00:51:55.760 --> 00:52:02.640
 So as far as specific for public parking signs, there are some, but not necessarily a whole

00:52:02.640 --> 00:52:06.280
 lot.

00:52:06.280 --> 00:52:10.720
 And I think the question really is, is that going to be public parking and is there going

00:52:10.720 --> 00:52:16.500
 to be linkage from the largest public parking lot, potentially the largest public parking

00:52:16.500 --> 00:52:18.000
 lot, to the square?

00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:19.000
 Right.

00:52:19.000 --> 00:52:23.680
 So the purpose of that parking lot is for the community who's going to be using going

00:52:23.680 --> 00:52:27.520
 in and out of that building, there will be some spots for employees, but a lot of that

00:52:27.520 --> 00:52:33.200
 parking spot is going to be for residents that are coming in and dealing with the different

00:52:33.200 --> 00:52:36.520
 departments that are housed in that building.

00:52:36.520 --> 00:52:38.400
 All right.

00:52:38.400 --> 00:52:40.800
 We can further discuss that, but go ahead, Paul.

00:52:40.800 --> 00:52:44.640
 Yeah, just to follow on, I'm really glad you raised that, Melissa.

00:52:44.640 --> 00:52:50.520
 Isn't it more or less, I mean, the whole building, more or less replacing the rented space and

00:52:50.520 --> 00:52:58.320
 the old DATCA building on Oak and the parking behind that is, you know, is posted so that

00:52:58.320 --> 00:53:02.920
 after office hours, it's available to the public.

00:53:02.920 --> 00:53:06.040
 So wouldn't it be just the same deal?

00:53:06.040 --> 00:53:07.040
 Correct.

00:53:07.040 --> 00:53:08.040
 That's correct.

00:53:08.040 --> 00:53:13.400
 It's, we've, I know they've, the DATCA building, we've got rid of that.

00:53:13.400 --> 00:53:18.000
 So the actual, there's a lot of different services that are now housed in that building

00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:23.760
 that will be, you know, operating out of there, but after business hours, it will be open

00:53:23.760 --> 00:53:24.760
 to the public.

00:53:24.760 --> 00:53:25.760
 Yeah.

00:53:25.760 --> 00:53:28.960
 Which means weekends too, which is great for new time.

00:53:28.960 --> 00:53:30.160
 Thanks.

00:53:30.160 --> 00:53:42.400
 Yeah, I, I guess part of, of what I heard in Melissa's question was as far as linkages.

00:53:42.400 --> 00:53:48.240
 Right now, you know, there's no crosswalk directly across McKinney from that property.

00:53:48.240 --> 00:53:52.640
 So is the plan to route pedestrians over to Elm and what is the state of the sidewalk

00:53:52.640 --> 00:53:57.720
 there or, you know, since McKinney doesn't get a lot of traffic, is there an ability

00:53:57.720 --> 00:54:01.960
 to, to make a good crossing there essentially?

00:54:01.960 --> 00:54:02.960
 Sure.

00:54:02.960 --> 00:54:08.680
 So currently while the construction has been underway on that parking lot, we've had our,

00:54:08.680 --> 00:54:12.840
 the, the workers who are actually using that building now parking in that public lot across

00:54:12.840 --> 00:54:13.840
 McKinney.

00:54:13.840 --> 00:54:20.800
 So what we did is we, we rehabbed that, that crosswalk right there at Bolivar and McKinney

00:54:20.800 --> 00:54:23.920
 to allow for a safe space for people to walk across there.

00:54:23.920 --> 00:54:30.000
 We've ordered some of the flashing pedestrian lights, that will end up being, that will

00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:33.720
 stay there permanently.

00:54:33.720 --> 00:54:38.120
 Once we move on to that next phase of construction for that kind of small triangular parking

00:54:38.120 --> 00:54:43.240
 lot that's right on the McKinney and Bolivar, then we'll, we'll rehab that, that, that corner

00:54:43.240 --> 00:54:48.480
 some more to make it ADA compliant and make sure that we have connectivity for, through

00:54:48.480 --> 00:54:53.120
 all those sidewalks there.

00:54:53.120 --> 00:54:58.280
 And unrelated to that, when, when you mentioned coordination with TechStat on the Elm and

00:54:58.280 --> 00:55:06.520
 Locust projects, how does that align timeline-wise with the take-back program and are we going

00:55:06.520 --> 00:55:13.200
 to get ourselves in a situation where we risk tearing up a good street or are we confident

00:55:13.200 --> 00:55:16.880
 that we're going to get all that stuff done even though we don't have tons of funding

00:55:16.880 --> 00:55:18.040
 identified yet?

00:55:18.040 --> 00:55:21.680
 Yeah, that's, that's really a question for Becky and Rachel.

00:55:21.680 --> 00:55:27.380
 As far as I'm, as far as I know, that we will not be taking that street back until the agreement

00:55:27.380 --> 00:55:30.960
 we have with TechStat is that we won't take that street back until we are completed with

00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:33.320
 our utility work on that street.

00:55:33.320 --> 00:55:37.600
 So we wouldn't be taking that street back until we're a hundred percent complete with

00:55:37.600 --> 00:55:38.600
 it.

00:55:38.600 --> 00:55:39.600
 Okay.

00:55:39.600 --> 00:55:40.600
 Thank you.

00:55:40.600 --> 00:55:41.600
 Sure.

00:55:41.600 --> 00:55:43.280
 Anything else?

00:55:43.280 --> 00:55:56.360
 All right, thank you.

00:55:56.360 --> 00:56:00.160
 And I can really quickly just kind of add to what Trevor said, you know, as we're looking

00:56:00.160 --> 00:56:06.080
 at TechStat roadways, as I've mentioned earlier, we're meeting with them on a now monthly basis

00:56:06.080 --> 00:56:12.400
 directly with the area engineer and we are certainly open to having conversations about

00:56:12.400 --> 00:56:15.040
 potentially taking on roadways.

00:56:15.040 --> 00:56:19.400
 Our intent is not to take on any roadways that don't meet our current specifications

00:56:19.400 --> 00:56:20.600
 and requirements.

00:56:20.600 --> 00:56:26.520
 And so the expectation would be that TechStat would bring those roadways to our current specifications

00:56:26.520 --> 00:56:28.920
 before we would entertain those conversations.

00:56:28.920 --> 00:56:33.320
 So all preliminary in nature, but we want to make sure if we're accepting an asset that

00:56:33.320 --> 00:56:44.320
 that asset meets our standards.

00:56:44.320 --> 00:56:46.200
 We appreciate your time today.

00:56:46.200 --> 00:56:49.840
 I'm happy to share my contact information with those of you that don't have it.

00:56:49.840 --> 00:56:53.960
 We're happy to come back if you have other specific questions and we look forward to

00:56:53.960 --> 00:56:56.360
 speaking to you again in the future.

00:56:56.360 --> 00:56:59.680
 Hopefully we're able to share with you that several of the projects that we mentioned

00:56:59.680 --> 00:57:04.380
 as active construction today will be closing out so we look forward to that within the

00:57:04.380 --> 00:57:08.280
 next year having several projects that we can say have been completed.

00:57:08.280 --> 00:57:18.320
 So thank you again.

00:57:18.320 --> 00:57:21.960
 We don't need to have further discussion on that, right, but we're moving on to the next

00:57:21.960 --> 00:57:22.960
 item.

00:57:22.960 --> 00:57:23.960
 Okay.

00:57:23.960 --> 00:57:28.340
 So the next order of business is 1B, receive a report, hold discussion and give staff direction

00:57:28.340 --> 00:57:33.040
 regarding the 2021 annual meeting schedule.

00:57:33.040 --> 00:57:38.880
 Yes, as required by the boards and commissions handbook.

00:57:38.880 --> 00:57:42.760
 The board must adopt an annual meeting schedule.

00:57:42.760 --> 00:57:49.440
 Your typical meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month at noon.

00:57:49.440 --> 00:57:57.840
 And so those dates for 2021 are included in your backup, but we're already kind of a quarter

00:57:57.840 --> 00:57:58.840
 in.

00:57:58.840 --> 00:58:04.000
 So this is just for the remainder of the year at this point.

00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:08.680
 The board does retain any right to call a special meeting like we did in February to

00:58:08.680 --> 00:58:10.680
 adjust our schedule as needed.

00:58:10.680 --> 00:58:15.020
 We're just required by ordinance to adopt the official meeting dates, what will be the

00:58:15.020 --> 00:58:21.320
 regular meeting dates of the board.

00:58:21.320 --> 00:58:27.760
 I can pull it up if you think that'd be convenient, but the dates are moving forward March 26th,

00:58:27.760 --> 00:58:32.640
 July 28th, September 22nd and November 24th.

00:58:32.640 --> 00:58:38.320
 The November 24th date always falls on the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and we almost

00:58:38.320 --> 00:58:44.140
 always end up moving and rescheduling, canceling the regular meeting and calling a special

00:58:44.140 --> 00:58:47.040
 called meeting.

00:58:47.040 --> 00:58:51.160
 Since we usually have quite a few people traveling on that date.

00:58:51.160 --> 00:58:58.120
 So do we vote on that or just give a thumbs up to yeah, let's move forward with the way

00:58:58.120 --> 00:58:59.320
 it is.

00:58:59.320 --> 00:59:02.800
 A motion and a vote would be the best way to go on this one.

00:59:02.800 --> 00:59:03.800
 Okay.

00:59:03.800 --> 00:59:06.720
 Do we have a motion?

00:59:06.720 --> 00:59:10.240
 Then easily we'll motion.

00:59:10.240 --> 00:59:11.240
 Motion what?

00:59:11.240 --> 00:59:16.120
 To accept our meeting as set.

00:59:16.120 --> 00:59:20.680
 Do we have a second?

00:59:20.680 --> 00:59:21.680
 I'll second.

00:59:21.680 --> 00:59:22.680
 Eric second.

00:59:22.680 --> 00:59:32.720
 It is moved and seconded that we do as Ben suggested where we keep the meetings as set.

00:59:32.720 --> 00:59:38.800
 And I'll call each name and again, go around the horn to get a yes or no or a version of

00:59:38.800 --> 00:59:40.960
 yes or no.

00:59:40.960 --> 00:59:51.120
 And so we'll start Connie There you go.

00:59:51.120 --> 00:59:52.520
 I'm still muted.

00:59:52.520 --> 00:59:54.920
 You did yourself again.

00:59:54.920 --> 00:59:55.920
 Yes.

00:59:55.920 --> 00:59:56.920
 Yes.

00:59:56.920 --> 01:00:00.240
 You're talking so.

01:00:00.240 --> 01:00:04.440
 Can you hear me?

01:00:04.440 --> 01:00:05.440
 Yes, sir.

01:00:05.440 --> 01:00:06.440
 Okay.

01:00:06.440 --> 01:00:13.200
 Peter went up, you know, repeat what you were saying, please.

01:00:13.200 --> 01:00:20.680
 So we have a motion and a second to accept the dates for the next meetings as presented

01:00:20.680 --> 01:00:24.640
 and we're looking for yes or no vote.

01:00:24.640 --> 01:00:26.120
 Yes.

01:00:26.120 --> 01:00:27.480
 Okay.

01:00:27.480 --> 01:00:29.120
 Eric.

01:00:29.120 --> 01:00:30.840
 Yes.

01:00:30.840 --> 01:00:32.920
 Jimmy.

01:00:32.920 --> 01:00:38.640
 Unmute Jimmy.

01:00:38.640 --> 01:00:40.640
 His lips say yes, but does he?

01:00:40.640 --> 01:00:41.960
 There we go.

01:00:41.960 --> 01:00:44.600
 I'm new at this.

01:00:44.600 --> 01:00:45.600
 Yes.

01:00:45.600 --> 01:00:46.600
 Paul.

01:00:46.600 --> 01:00:47.600
 Primitive.

01:00:47.600 --> 01:00:48.600
 Ben.

01:00:48.600 --> 01:00:49.600
 Yes.

01:00:49.600 --> 01:00:58.520
 So the motion passes by unanimous vote.

01:00:58.520 --> 01:01:01.080
 Thank you all.

01:01:01.080 --> 01:01:06.120
 So on to the next order of business, one, see, receive a report and hold discussion.

01:01:06.120 --> 01:01:07.120
 Did you ask Eric?

01:01:07.120 --> 01:01:13.160
 I thought he had profound problems with it and I didn't hear his full argument.

01:01:13.160 --> 01:01:14.160
 Okay.

01:01:14.160 --> 01:01:18.000
 I didn't want to see.

01:01:18.000 --> 01:01:21.640
 Receive a report, hold discussion and give staff direction regarding the ongoing downtown

01:01:21.640 --> 01:01:26.240
 tax increment reinvestment zone number one study and analysis.

01:01:26.240 --> 01:01:28.360
 The chair recognizes Jessica.

01:01:28.360 --> 01:01:30.080
 Hi, everyone.

01:01:30.080 --> 01:01:35.240
 Well, it's so rare that I get to share all my presentation duties, so I'm always happy

01:01:35.240 --> 01:01:37.720
 to invite some guests in.

01:01:37.720 --> 01:01:42.640
 I'm going to go over just a really quick update over what we've been working on and what's

01:01:42.640 --> 01:01:43.640
 happened.

01:01:43.640 --> 01:01:49.640
 I shared with you a few weeks ago a summary of the council presentation as well as provided

01:01:49.640 --> 01:01:50.640
 the link.

01:01:50.640 --> 01:01:57.720
 I know many of you have watched it or participated in it, so I'm not going to relive that for

01:01:57.720 --> 01:02:04.800
 everyone, but let me pull up my presentation real quick.

01:02:04.800 --> 01:02:11.840
 So to just go background for our newer members, we hired TXP, that's Travis's company back

01:02:11.840 --> 01:02:18.100
 in late 2019 to complete a review of revenue projections of the downtown TERS fund.

01:02:18.100 --> 01:02:22.720
 Our initial focus was specifically looking at the PEC four phases three and four project

01:02:22.720 --> 01:02:27.960
 and could that be funded because that was associated with a specific development project

01:02:27.960 --> 01:02:30.360
 that was presented to us at the time.

01:02:30.360 --> 01:02:37.040
 That development project has since been withdrawn and with COVID and the pandemic, really we

01:02:37.040 --> 01:02:40.600
 started taking a more holistic view of the TERS itself.

01:02:40.600 --> 01:02:44.320
 So we really changed the timeline of the study and what the analysis parameters are.

01:02:44.320 --> 01:02:48.880
 So if you go back and look at the original scope of that study, we changed a lot of those

01:02:48.880 --> 01:02:52.520
 sort of in process and those are the various conversations we've had with the board over

01:02:52.520 --> 01:02:55.780
 the past year.

01:02:55.780 --> 01:03:01.040
 This is the summary in a nutshell of what we sort of found during the study.

01:03:01.040 --> 01:03:06.260
 So we reviewed all of the original catalyst studies, the project and finance plans and

01:03:06.260 --> 01:03:11.320
 all of the other sort of relevant documents that led to the creation and implementation

01:03:11.320 --> 01:03:13.040
 of the downtown TERS.

01:03:13.040 --> 01:03:18.500
 We worked with kind of the known limits of the TERS, which was it had a 30 year term.

01:03:18.500 --> 01:03:22.720
 It also has a revenue cap on it of $24.8 million.

01:03:22.720 --> 01:03:27.480
 It has a decreasing contribution rate, so the city steps down its contribution over

01:03:27.480 --> 01:03:32.140
 time and the city is the only participating jurisdiction.

01:03:32.140 --> 01:03:36.800
 What we found in this study is that the TERS has really performed fairly consistent with

01:03:36.800 --> 01:03:38.280
 the original finance plan.

01:03:38.280 --> 01:03:43.240
 The only thing that was really different is that growth occurred primarily through appreciation

01:03:43.240 --> 01:03:46.120
 as opposed to the new value.

01:03:46.120 --> 01:03:53.680
 And the TERS was formed really around expecting new growth and that occurred instead in appreciation.

01:03:53.680 --> 01:03:59.040
 At the end of the last fiscal year of FY1920, there had been about $3 million in revenue

01:03:59.040 --> 01:04:04.160
 that had been collected and about $21 million remaining.

01:04:04.160 --> 01:04:08.520
 And what we found when we ran pretty conservative revenue projections is that the TERS will

01:04:08.520 --> 01:04:12.660
 hit that revenue limit before it hits the term limit.

01:04:12.660 --> 01:04:19.800
 So it would expire with no changes and under those sort of scenarios we ran, we see it

01:04:19.800 --> 01:04:24.440
 ending somewhere around 2036, 2037, so a couple years early.

01:04:24.440 --> 01:04:30.760
 And again, we were using pretty conservative revenue projections for that.

01:04:30.760 --> 01:04:35.800
 So what this board talked about and what we presented to city council is that, you know,

01:04:35.800 --> 01:04:41.860
 with no changes, there's about $21 million in future revenues, or excuse me, there's

01:04:41.860 --> 01:04:47.160
 about $21 million including fund balance and future revenues available for projects.

01:04:47.160 --> 01:04:51.000
 So we looked at projects that could potentially be funded by the TERS.

01:04:51.000 --> 01:04:55.160
 So those included capital projects that were consistent with the project plan.

01:04:55.160 --> 01:04:58.000
 They were feasible given the TERS' financial performance.

01:04:58.000 --> 01:05:03.180
 We thought that we've heard from this board or we've heard through the project plan or

01:05:03.180 --> 01:05:09.760
 from council that these were sort of priority areas, areas to kind of focus our study.

01:05:09.760 --> 01:05:12.240
 We also reviewed these projects with developers.

01:05:12.240 --> 01:05:16.480
 We had some public meetings with downtown businesses, downtown stakeholders, the Main

01:05:16.480 --> 01:05:18.120
 Street Association.

01:05:18.120 --> 01:05:22.000
 We talked to relevant city departments and then we brought these projects forward to

01:05:22.000 --> 01:05:26.260
 the TERS board and to the city council.

01:05:26.260 --> 01:05:32.080
 This board provided us the direction to pursue funding PEC 4 phases 3 and 4 from the TERS.

01:05:32.080 --> 01:05:38.000
 The direction in October was to consider expanding the TERS boundary, consider removing the cap

01:05:38.000 --> 01:05:40.520
 to get that project fully funded.

01:05:40.520 --> 01:05:45.120
 But to continue to look for other funding sources for PEC 4 phases 3 and 4 in a way

01:05:45.120 --> 01:05:49.160
 that would limit and or reduce the impact to the TERS fund.

01:05:49.160 --> 01:05:52.640
 And that's important because if that project were fully funded by the TERS, it would really

01:05:52.640 --> 01:05:59.520
 take up pretty really significantly if not more than the existing financing that's available

01:05:59.520 --> 01:06:01.200
 through the TERS.

01:06:01.200 --> 01:06:04.800
 And the direction from the board was also to continue funding the downtown reinvestment

01:06:04.800 --> 01:06:09.360
 grant program and that secondary project, so if that cap was removed, what projects

01:06:09.360 --> 01:06:13.680
 would you look at doing with any additional revenue and those included smaller infrastructure

01:06:13.680 --> 01:06:18.980
 projects and incentives if they were financially feasible.

01:06:18.980 --> 01:06:22.120
 So we focused our additional analysis at that point.

01:06:22.120 --> 01:06:26.240
 We had our recommendation from the board and so that additional analysis we really focused

01:06:26.240 --> 01:06:30.680
 in on that PEC 4 project since it would have the most significant impact on the TERS fund,

01:06:30.680 --> 01:06:39.000
 which is why at the council presentation, we did a little bit more in depth look at

01:06:39.000 --> 01:06:40.000
 that project.

01:06:40.000 --> 01:06:43.160
 So we presented to city council on February 9th.

01:06:43.160 --> 01:06:49.560
 We presented this board's recommendations, the findings of the study and various options.

01:06:49.560 --> 01:06:55.320
 At that time, council gave us direction to fund some part of the PEC project from the

01:06:55.320 --> 01:06:57.960
 TERS fund, but not 100%.

01:06:57.960 --> 01:07:02.560
 So we're currently running through scenarios of what those would look like.

01:07:02.560 --> 01:07:06.960
 Council also said we want you to continue to review and explore those additional options

01:07:06.960 --> 01:07:09.580
 that will be needed to fund the remainder of the project.

01:07:09.580 --> 01:07:14.160
 So that's what you heard Seth talking about today in his presentation is we're still looking

01:07:14.160 --> 01:07:18.920
 at that project and how we can kind of get to that 100% funding goal.

01:07:18.920 --> 01:07:23.640
 And then also expanding the TERS boundary to get one phase of that project fully within

01:07:23.640 --> 01:07:27.480
 the TERS, which would make at least 50% of the project eligible.

01:07:27.480 --> 01:07:33.840
 Right now, the project broken down into those two phases, neither phase four or phase three

01:07:33.840 --> 01:07:35.440
 is completely within the TERS.

01:07:35.440 --> 01:07:40.240
 So not even 50% of the project could be funded today.

01:07:40.240 --> 01:07:44.960
 The other direction that we got was really to build out a plan that's going to lay out

01:07:44.960 --> 01:07:48.980
 projects that could be funded by the TERS and then move toward implementation.

01:07:48.980 --> 01:07:56.080
 So building what we would call something similar to a CIP or a financing plan for the TERS

01:07:56.080 --> 01:07:59.320
 with those projects and so we know what we're going to be executing on.

01:07:59.320 --> 01:08:03.920
 What we heard from this board and from council is kind of wanting to get past having this

01:08:03.920 --> 01:08:07.780
 conversation and, you know, not having to come back in five years and we haven't made

01:08:07.780 --> 01:08:13.640
 any motion or progress on these, but we want to really get to a firm plan of what we intend

01:08:13.640 --> 01:08:16.000
 to do and how we're going to implement it.

01:08:16.000 --> 01:08:21.280
 And then the last piece was completing additional analysis related to property values and impacts

01:08:21.280 --> 01:08:22.280
 in the area.

01:08:22.280 --> 01:08:26.760
 Obviously, pulling properties out of the floodplain can impact them.

01:08:26.760 --> 01:08:29.640
 It may not impact their direct value.

01:08:29.640 --> 01:08:34.000
 So if we look at something that's a residential property today and we pull that residential

01:08:34.000 --> 01:08:38.200
 property out of the floodplain, it may not have a significant impact on that property,

01:08:38.200 --> 01:08:42.200
 but it could increase its development potential.

01:08:42.200 --> 01:08:45.180
 So it's sort of the future value of that property becomes more.

01:08:45.180 --> 01:08:49.920
 So we're looking at doing additional analysis on what properties would be coming out of

01:08:49.920 --> 01:08:56.080
 the floodplain and what development potential exists in that area.

01:08:56.080 --> 01:08:58.880
 So set all of that to get to this point.

01:08:58.880 --> 01:09:01.980
 So what are we doing today and where are we going forward?

01:09:01.980 --> 01:09:07.920
 So capital projects right now is working towards updating their estimate at completion for

01:09:07.920 --> 01:09:08.920
 the project.

01:09:08.920 --> 01:09:13.700
 So we're getting a better idea of what we think the all in cost of phases three and

01:09:13.700 --> 01:09:15.120
 four will be.

01:09:15.120 --> 01:09:19.440
 That will then be able to be plugged into our financial analysis and we can come back

01:09:19.440 --> 01:09:24.240
 with more firm numbers of saying, okay, here are the options of funding components of that

01:09:24.240 --> 01:09:26.600
 project through the TERS.

01:09:26.600 --> 01:09:30.840
 They'll be presenting their stormwater master plan.

01:09:30.840 --> 01:09:35.960
 A part of that to city council in April of 2021 and their goal at that presentation is

01:09:35.960 --> 01:09:40.280
 to get feedback on whether council is going to want a comprehensive approach to the stormwater

01:09:40.280 --> 01:09:44.480
 master plan or a targeted needs assessment.

01:09:44.480 --> 01:09:49.480
 And then that could obviously influence the timeline of how they approach when prioritize

01:09:49.480 --> 01:09:50.480
 projects.

01:09:50.480 --> 01:09:55.600
 And then moving forward through the summer as the master plan is being developed at the

01:09:55.600 --> 01:09:59.740
 staff level, capital projects is going to work on prioritizing the drainage projects

01:09:59.740 --> 01:10:05.960
 that they know and developing a prioritization schedule of how they would move forward with

01:10:05.960 --> 01:10:07.040
 implementing those.

01:10:07.040 --> 01:10:13.720
 As many of you know, the PEC project is not the only drainage project that's impacting

01:10:13.720 --> 01:10:17.160
 downtown drainage and impacting properties in the floodplain.

01:10:17.160 --> 01:10:21.800
 So they want to take a holistic look and see where do we need to prioritize our work.

01:10:21.800 --> 01:10:26.840
 In terms of economic development, we are working to update our property value analysis.

01:10:26.840 --> 01:10:28.480
 This is a bit of a challenge.

01:10:28.480 --> 01:10:34.160
 We usually get files from the Denton central appraisal district that we can kind of plug

01:10:34.160 --> 01:10:41.720
 into our GIS system and say, pull every property on their value, their 2020 value that's within

01:10:41.720 --> 01:10:46.840
 the downtown tours and we get a nice little file that we can plug into our GIS system.

01:10:46.840 --> 01:10:51.080
 Unfortunately that that layer isn't yet complete with DCAD.

01:10:51.080 --> 01:10:54.360
 Now I haven't checked in with this week, so we'll check with them again and see.

01:10:54.360 --> 01:10:58.800
 But once we have that we right now instead we are having to click on parcel by parcel

01:10:58.800 --> 01:11:05.560
 data, which you can imagine gets pretty exhausting when there's a well over a thousand property

01:11:05.560 --> 01:11:11.360
 individual parcel levels at that in the kind of downtown area that we're looking at.

01:11:11.360 --> 01:11:17.880
 So ongoing we're looking at development projects that come forward in downtown when I'm referring

01:11:17.880 --> 01:11:19.120
 to development projects.

01:11:19.120 --> 01:11:24.680
 I'm talking specifically about mixed use type of development projects or business development

01:11:24.680 --> 01:11:30.380
 projects or things like that that are going to come in sort of on an as needed basis.

01:11:30.380 --> 01:11:33.840
 So as those projects come forward, we're not going to say, hey, no, we're waiting on this

01:11:33.840 --> 01:11:35.000
 additional analysis.

01:11:35.000 --> 01:11:39.680
 We want to go ahead and say, bring those in and we'll kind of evaluate those as part of

01:11:39.680 --> 01:11:42.400
 our overall process.

01:11:42.400 --> 01:11:47.240
 We're going to continue to look at possible infrastructure projects that could also be

01:11:47.240 --> 01:11:52.000
 continuing to look at that menu of possible infrastructure projects and really creating

01:11:52.000 --> 01:11:58.360
 a pro forma that could include a cash flow analysis and sort of a capital plan for how

01:11:58.360 --> 01:12:04.200
 we sort of program out the TERS funding over the life.

01:12:04.200 --> 01:12:09.240
 And then lastly, one of the interesting questions that got brought up and I think it was councilmember

01:12:09.240 --> 01:12:14.560
 Meltzer who brought this up is we really need to know what the all in downtown infrastructure

01:12:14.560 --> 01:12:15.560
 project costs.

01:12:15.560 --> 01:12:20.060
 You saw a lot of projects earlier today from capital projects saying these are all going

01:12:20.060 --> 01:12:22.720
 on in downtown and those aren't all of them.

01:12:22.720 --> 01:12:26.760
 We know that there are more, we know that there's additional work that needs to be done.

01:12:26.760 --> 01:12:32.120
 And so we really want to get our hands wrapped around if we want to kind of continue development

01:12:32.120 --> 01:12:36.400
 in downtown, what is that all in cost to get our infrastructure prepared to handle the

01:12:36.400 --> 01:12:40.840
 type of development that we want to see in downtown that allows properties to come out

01:12:40.840 --> 01:12:45.420
 of the floodplain that creates those sidewalks and pedestrian corridors and bike corridors

01:12:45.420 --> 01:12:48.280
 and you know our transit oriented development.

01:12:48.280 --> 01:12:52.340
 What would it take to get to that place?

01:12:52.340 --> 01:12:56.200
 And so that's that's pretty much all we have going on right now.

01:12:56.200 --> 01:12:57.680
 So I'm going to go ahead and take this down.

01:12:57.680 --> 01:13:10.840
 I'll happy to answer any questions or bring a slide back up if I need to.

01:13:10.840 --> 01:13:11.840
 There we go.

01:13:11.840 --> 01:13:12.840
 Now I'm unmuted.

01:13:12.840 --> 01:13:13.840
 Okay.

01:13:13.840 --> 01:13:22.760
 You had said in an earlier slide in regard to the end of the PEC4 project that your recommendation

01:13:22.760 --> 01:13:29.120
 from council was to move forward, assuming that some money would come from TURS, but

01:13:29.120 --> 01:13:31.000
 not 100%.

01:13:31.000 --> 01:13:39.200
 Was there a stipulation attached to that in regards to expanding the funding, like how

01:13:39.200 --> 01:13:44.800
 long the TURS could fund itself or the amount cap?

01:13:44.800 --> 01:13:49.320
 Is there any consideration for changes to those or updates to those?

01:13:49.320 --> 01:13:55.760
 So the direction we got from council was that if the kind of generally, let's say we presented

01:13:55.760 --> 01:14:01.880
 those three options, then kind of 0%, 50% and 100% funding, the comfort level was somewhere

01:14:01.880 --> 01:14:09.240
 of 50% or less, which would we would consider that to be one phase of the project.

01:14:09.240 --> 01:14:14.620
 To do any of the phases, so phase three or phase four, we have to expand the boundary.

01:14:14.620 --> 01:14:19.600
 So if council were to even consider a 50% funding of the project, the boundary has to

01:14:19.600 --> 01:14:24.000
 be expanded to get 50% of the project into the TURS.

01:14:24.000 --> 01:14:29.640
 So if there were no boundaries, like the physical boundary, yeah, the geographic boundary of

01:14:29.640 --> 01:14:33.400
 the TURS, we would have to capture additional properties in the TURS.

01:14:33.400 --> 01:14:34.400
 Okay.

01:14:34.400 --> 01:14:40.440
 Now what about what we had gotten from the consultant was if we funded some of this,

01:14:40.440 --> 01:14:43.920
 that's it, and the TURS is gone, the money's gone.

01:14:43.920 --> 01:14:44.920
 Yes.

01:14:44.920 --> 01:14:51.200
 And that same information was presented to city council of that at a 100% funding scenario,

01:14:51.200 --> 01:14:57.180
 you'd have to remove the cap to fund the project fully, and then you'd also have to expand

01:14:57.180 --> 01:14:58.180
 the boundary.

01:14:58.180 --> 01:15:03.640
 There's no way to get to funding 100% of the project without doing those additional actions.

01:15:03.640 --> 01:15:10.600
 But even with those additional actions, you use up really any future revenues.

01:15:10.600 --> 01:15:16.920
 Yeah, so it's still just, hey, we should look at spending out of the TURS, not let's go

01:15:16.920 --> 01:15:19.280
 for it and close this thing down.

01:15:19.280 --> 01:15:26.920
 No, I think that there was pretty clear direction from council that they want the TURS to fund

01:15:26.920 --> 01:15:33.640
 a portion of the PAC project, but not 100%, but they wanted a clear list of projects that

01:15:33.640 --> 01:15:35.040
 would be funded from the TURS.

01:15:35.040 --> 01:15:41.480
 So how do we get to 100% utilization of the TURS?

01:15:41.480 --> 01:15:42.480
 Okay.

01:15:42.480 --> 01:15:43.480
 Okay.

01:15:43.480 --> 01:15:49.160
 So is that a conversation we can have going forward of expanding the timeline and expanding

01:15:49.160 --> 01:15:50.160
 the cap?

01:15:50.160 --> 01:15:57.480
 Yes, I don't think council, yeah, council didn't shut the door on changes and related

01:15:57.480 --> 01:15:58.480
 to the TURS.

01:15:58.480 --> 01:16:04.660
 It was more of kind of specific to that PAC project that they didn't want to find 100%,

01:16:04.660 --> 01:16:09.640
 but kind of come back with a menu of options that they can consider.

01:16:09.640 --> 01:16:10.640
 Okay.

01:16:10.640 --> 01:16:18.000
 And to the same point that Ben had, we had had a conversation about participating jurisdictions,

01:16:18.000 --> 01:16:21.400
 maybe including county in the future.

01:16:21.400 --> 01:16:23.980
 Has there been conversations with county?

01:16:23.980 --> 01:16:27.840
 Is that part of what we might be able to capture in the future?

01:16:27.840 --> 01:16:30.280
 It is, and council asked the same question.

01:16:30.280 --> 01:16:32.200
 We haven't approached them specifically.

01:16:32.200 --> 01:16:37.240
 We had very preliminary discussions with them and we sort of got the same direction from

01:16:37.240 --> 01:16:42.760
 them of when there's a list of projects and we know what we'll be participating in, we're

01:16:42.760 --> 01:16:44.560
 open to having the conversation.

01:16:44.560 --> 01:16:49.640
 So I think we need to get a little bit more refined on our projects before we approach

01:16:49.640 --> 01:16:50.640
 them.

01:16:50.640 --> 01:16:52.360
 So how fast does that happen?

01:16:52.360 --> 01:17:00.040
 So if in four months at the end of the summer, the list is there, city council said yes,

01:17:00.040 --> 01:17:04.080
 county said yes, we participate because we see where the funding is going to come from

01:17:04.080 --> 01:17:06.760
 for 100% and what the projects are.

01:17:06.760 --> 01:17:12.840
 And then how does that get, like, what's the timeline to expand TERS to include additional

01:17:12.840 --> 01:17:15.640
 footprint and or to include county?

01:17:15.640 --> 01:17:20.080
 Like I don't know what that process is for the expansion.

01:17:20.080 --> 01:17:24.160
 There's some public notification and public hearing requirements.

01:17:24.160 --> 01:17:29.560
 I don't remember the days off the top of my head, but it's usually a 30 to 60 day.

01:17:29.560 --> 01:17:34.220
 And then I know Mac is here with the Sarsity attorney, but there's usually a 30 day like

01:17:34.220 --> 01:17:38.400
 notice requirement and then we have to post the public hearing notice and then there has

01:17:38.400 --> 01:17:41.240
 to be action taken.

01:17:41.240 --> 01:17:47.940
 So I would say it's probably somewhere in the 30 to 90 day range of the process legally

01:17:47.940 --> 01:17:49.680
 has to take.

01:17:49.680 --> 01:17:50.680
 Great.

01:17:50.680 --> 01:17:54.320
 Paul, I saw your hand.

01:17:54.320 --> 01:17:55.320
 Thanks.

01:17:55.320 --> 01:18:02.000
 I just wanted to clarify at least, you know, what I heard that I agreed with.

01:18:02.000 --> 01:18:08.000
 So I don't know if it's, you know, entirely the will of council was as far as picking

01:18:08.000 --> 01:18:13.480
 between the parts of PEC, the PEC project, that there's one part, I don't remember if

01:18:13.480 --> 01:18:19.080
 it's three or four, it's one part that's more, you know, evidently in kind of the business

01:18:19.080 --> 01:18:25.160
 area and one part that goes more into what's residential today.

01:18:25.160 --> 01:18:30.960
 And so just to the conversation, as I said, at least the part that I agreed with was to

01:18:30.960 --> 01:18:37.280
 focus on the part that, you know, that was more kind of within, you know, within the

01:18:37.280 --> 01:18:41.680
 east-west boundaries that we're accustomed to thinking of as the business area and that

01:18:41.680 --> 01:18:46.480
 that would therefore point us toward the 50%.

01:18:46.480 --> 01:18:48.680
 That's correct, council member.

01:18:48.680 --> 01:18:56.040
 Phase three, one is primarily already about 75% of phase three is already within the boundary

01:18:56.040 --> 01:19:02.440
 per se and it also is the piece that runs along Sycamore kind of through the county's

01:19:02.440 --> 01:19:08.160
 historic park and then turned south towards Stroud.

01:19:08.160 --> 01:19:17.120
 Thanks for confirming that and then actually, while we've got the mic, what do you envision

01:19:17.120 --> 01:19:21.320
 as the process for picking through the menu of projects?

01:19:21.320 --> 01:19:27.280
 Will that be a task for this body initially to make a recommendation?

01:19:27.280 --> 01:19:33.480
 Absolutely, it's a pretty comprehensive analysis already, but what we're doing is trying to

01:19:33.480 --> 01:19:35.520
 narrow the focus.

01:19:35.520 --> 01:19:41.360
 I think we heard a pretty good consensus, you know, the list of projects, that shortlist

01:19:41.360 --> 01:19:45.200
 of things that we have seem to be generally acceptable.

01:19:45.200 --> 01:19:51.520
 Those are kind of projects we know need to happen and they're all feasible downtown TURS

01:19:51.520 --> 01:19:52.520
 funded projects.

01:19:52.520 --> 01:19:55.680
 There's not one that's 60 million or 70 million dollars.

01:19:55.680 --> 01:20:04.480
 They're all small scale projects and so we're using that to say, okay, you know, if we accept

01:20:04.480 --> 01:20:10.640
 as PEC is kind of one a priority, we can actually run the scenarios of saying, okay, you can

01:20:10.640 --> 01:20:16.000
 do PEC and this project or you could do PEC and this project and this project, which can't

01:20:16.000 --> 01:20:17.520
 do that.

01:20:17.520 --> 01:20:23.040
 So we're actually going through that and building that out right now with the data we have.

01:20:23.040 --> 01:20:30.240
 Once we have the updated estimates at completions, once we get the updated data from DCAD, we'll

01:20:30.240 --> 01:20:34.640
 be able to plug those numbers in, but the formulas will essentially be the same.

01:20:34.640 --> 01:20:41.800
 So we're building that pro forma right now and then kind of forecasting out the TURS

01:20:41.800 --> 01:20:42.800
 revenue.

01:20:42.800 --> 01:20:46.520
 And so if there's going to be debt issued, we have to make sure that our debt lines up

01:20:46.520 --> 01:20:51.400
 with our cash flows for the TURS so that we're able to pay that debt service.

01:20:51.400 --> 01:20:54.040
 So that's the process we're going through right now.

01:20:54.040 --> 01:20:55.040
 Great.

01:20:55.040 --> 01:20:56.040
 Thanks.

01:20:56.040 --> 01:21:01.640
 So that's what we have to look forward to.

01:21:01.640 --> 01:21:02.880
 Yes.

01:21:02.880 --> 01:21:04.760
 Eric?

01:21:04.760 --> 01:21:13.760
 Yeah, I guess I really resonate with what was said about let's figure out what the all-in

01:21:13.760 --> 01:21:21.800
 plan is for how to transform a growing downtown essentially.

01:21:21.800 --> 01:21:32.560
 I know a couple of years ago, it's not a scientific study, but I saw a popular question from our

01:21:32.560 --> 01:21:36.960
 state representative, Lynn Stuckey, and he was asking, you know, where's the first place

01:21:36.960 --> 01:21:39.680
 you take friends or family when they come visit Denton?

01:21:39.680 --> 01:21:43.880
 And over 90% of the people who responded said downtown, right?

01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:48.540
 So I think downtown is really at the heart of what people enjoy about Denton.

01:21:48.540 --> 01:21:54.960
 It's really important to sort of be the fiscal engine, if you would, of our city.

01:21:54.960 --> 01:22:02.160
 I guess when I see what we could do, I try to think of it more of what are the necessary

01:22:02.160 --> 01:22:11.080
 pillars to complete in order for the development potential that we envision being unlocked,

01:22:11.080 --> 01:22:12.080
 right?

01:22:12.080 --> 01:22:16.440
 And so certainly PEC 4 seems like one of those things.

01:22:16.440 --> 01:22:20.920
 But if that's the only thing that's done, then I'm not convinced that it's just going

01:22:20.920 --> 01:22:24.840
 to flip the light switch and everything's going to happen, right?

01:22:24.840 --> 01:22:28.640
 There's still, you know, sidewalk connectivity issues.

01:22:28.640 --> 01:22:30.160
 Some of that's being worked.

01:22:30.160 --> 01:22:35.880
 What does that corridor look like in the southern area?

01:22:35.880 --> 01:22:41.600
 Another thing is, you know, there's a lot of those properties in that southern south

01:22:41.600 --> 01:22:51.260
 of the current towers actually had an all-street parking requirement exemption in the old code

01:22:51.260 --> 01:22:55.280
 and the 2019 code pulled that away from them.

01:22:55.280 --> 01:23:02.600
 So there's lots of sort of project/policy actions that might be necessary in order to

01:23:02.600 --> 01:23:05.320
 quote unquote unlock some of that area.

01:23:05.320 --> 01:23:11.180
 And I think I'd be interested in seeing what staff envisions for what that menu would be.

01:23:11.180 --> 01:23:21.400
 You know, I think the PEC 4 is a lot of money and certainly, you know, the numbers that

01:23:21.400 --> 01:23:26.000
 were shared last year, sorry, if you want to stop me, Melissa, please do.

01:23:26.000 --> 01:23:30.840
 I'm kind of coming in from, you know, new from all the discussions last year.

01:23:30.840 --> 01:23:37.560
 And the numbers I saw last year were, you know, increased valuation of around 17 million

01:23:37.560 --> 01:23:39.480
 or so.

01:23:39.480 --> 01:23:43.040
 And to me, that alone doesn't really justify the project, right?

01:23:43.040 --> 01:23:49.600
 You have to figure out how to unlock this area for development so that you have a lot

01:23:49.600 --> 01:23:57.880
 more than that, right, so that it can actually repay those bonds in a reasonable timeframe.

01:23:57.880 --> 01:24:08.040
 And then I guess the only thing else I'll say is that, you know, I think one question

01:24:08.040 --> 01:24:15.260
 I guess I have for you, Jessica, is I heard a lot of talk about office and we need to

01:24:15.260 --> 01:24:20.300
 reactivate sort of the daytime activity and downtime, and I'm assuming that's what that's

01:24:20.300 --> 01:24:23.480
 getting to.

01:24:23.480 --> 01:24:27.200
 But then at the same time, the comments seem to say that getting office development is

01:24:27.200 --> 01:24:31.200
 really hard, especially in the current situation.

01:24:31.200 --> 01:24:36.760
 Are there any out of the box ideas that we can come up with to sort of reactivate daytime

01:24:36.760 --> 01:24:42.360
 activity downtown that don't involve, you know, waving a magic wand and getting more

01:24:42.360 --> 01:24:48.520
 office space that people don't necessarily want to occupy right now?

01:24:48.520 --> 01:24:51.520
 It's a challenge.

01:24:51.520 --> 01:24:59.280
 It's really about the TERS can be a powerful tool.

01:24:59.280 --> 01:25:05.360
 It's not the only tool that you can use to encourage office users.

01:25:05.360 --> 01:25:09.240
 A lot of it is, you know, proof of concept.

01:25:09.240 --> 01:25:15.560
 And so when you're looking at really changing the profile of development and area, you have

01:25:15.560 --> 01:25:19.240
 to have someone who's going to be first in the door.

01:25:19.240 --> 01:25:24.440
 Usually that has to be someone who's a much more sophisticated developer who might understand

01:25:24.440 --> 01:25:30.360
 who also is willing to take a risk, but there might be a price associated with that risk.

01:25:30.360 --> 01:25:35.920
 And they may ask for an incentive to mitigate that and say, you know, we're willing to come

01:25:35.920 --> 01:25:41.640
 in and take the risk to change the profile of an area, but we're looking for, you know,

01:25:41.640 --> 01:25:48.680
 some assistance and there are some creative ways that communities are doing that.

01:25:48.680 --> 01:25:54.480
 I would say I think we've looked at, I want to say city of Allen, maybe one that has an

01:25:54.480 --> 01:26:00.480
 office space program where the city is, you know, helping to offset some of those rent

01:26:00.480 --> 01:26:01.680
 prices and things like that.

01:26:01.680 --> 01:26:07.600
 There are creative ways to get there, but it's just one way to get there.

01:26:07.600 --> 01:26:11.240
 There's some of the traditional economic development tools that are available.

01:26:11.240 --> 01:26:15.440
 But I would say anytime you're looking at this type of change, we have an area that's

01:26:15.440 --> 01:26:22.100
 very, you know, nighttime, evening, weekend population, and we're hearing that we need

01:26:22.100 --> 01:26:26.780
 to increase that daytime user, that's a change.

01:26:26.780 --> 01:26:31.260
 And so we have to be willing to use the tools at our disposal to encourage that type of

01:26:31.260 --> 01:26:33.440
 development.

01:26:33.440 --> 01:26:35.280
 Lots of things go into that.

01:26:35.280 --> 01:26:39.800
 One is going to be part of what you've heard today, right?

01:26:39.800 --> 01:26:43.760
 Making sure that that's part of the comprehensive plan is that if that's something we want to

01:26:43.760 --> 01:26:50.560
 do, we have to make sure that we're building our codes around allowing that type of development

01:26:50.560 --> 01:26:51.560
 to occur.

01:26:51.560 --> 01:26:56.280
 So whether that's changing the parking requirements or changing something in the building requirements

01:26:56.280 --> 01:26:59.700
 in that area, then the other part of that is the capital projects.

01:26:59.700 --> 01:27:04.520
 We have to have the sidewalks and the lighting and the trees and the green space that make

01:27:04.520 --> 01:27:05.960
 those daytime uses attractive.

01:27:05.960 --> 01:27:09.800
 And then the last part is the financial and economic component, which is where we come

01:27:09.800 --> 01:27:16.540
 in and say, well, we can help maybe offset some of that risk or mitigate that risk or

01:27:16.540 --> 01:27:22.080
 encourage or incentivize that type of development to occur financially.

01:27:22.080 --> 01:27:30.120
 And so it's everyone working together without that, it's not as effective.

01:27:30.120 --> 01:27:32.120
 Paul?

01:27:32.120 --> 01:27:41.160
 Yeah, I just want to reflect on a couple of points that Eric raised, not your whole holistic

01:27:41.160 --> 01:27:47.360
 point, but the idea that the increase in value associated with the PEC project would be $17

01:27:47.360 --> 01:27:48.360
 million.

01:27:48.360 --> 01:27:54.160
 I mean, that's part of what we hear is going to be ongoing, is figuring out what the built

01:27:54.160 --> 01:28:00.920
 out potential is, but I think that's not even going to be anywhere close to the result.

01:28:00.920 --> 01:28:07.000
 If you look at something like the rail yard down by the police station, that was like

01:28:07.000 --> 01:28:13.520
 a $500,000 property before, $400,000, and it's now probably a $20 million property.

01:28:13.520 --> 01:28:21.320
 So I'm not saying it's going to be all $20 million properties, but that's a lot of space

01:28:21.320 --> 01:28:23.720
 that becomes possible to develop.

01:28:23.720 --> 01:28:33.680
 And another point I wanted to follow on was you started your comments by referring to

01:28:33.680 --> 01:28:40.120
 a survey that our state rep had done, which I wasn't aware of, but I wonder if that, what

01:28:40.120 --> 01:28:41.720
 was the point of that?

01:28:41.720 --> 01:28:48.320
 Is there some, is he doing some advocacy for us with the state for some kind of funding

01:28:48.320 --> 01:28:54.680
 that might help with our big holistic downtown redevelopment vision?

01:28:54.680 --> 01:29:00.480
 Is there anything forthcoming there, or is the state too anti-city to expect anything

01:29:00.480 --> 01:29:01.480
 there?

01:29:01.480 --> 01:29:07.280
 Yeah, so that was somewhat dated, that was pre-COVID, so I think it doesn't speak to

01:29:07.280 --> 01:29:14.000
 any current events going on, but I just found it interesting that everybody seems to like

01:29:14.000 --> 01:29:15.000
 downtown.

01:29:15.000 --> 01:29:23.120
 Yeah, my question was ultimately to Jessica there, like, is there anything, is the state

01:29:23.120 --> 01:29:27.560
 of any interest, does our state representative or the state in general have any interest

01:29:27.560 --> 01:29:33.900
 in investing in our cities?

01:29:33.900 --> 01:29:38.920
 I don't know of anything off the top of my head, I know that this legislative session

01:29:38.920 --> 01:29:46.120
 might be a challenge financially for the state, so I, but I don't know of anything other than

01:29:46.120 --> 01:29:50.040
 the normal programs, obviously you've heard us talk about, you know, there are federal

01:29:50.040 --> 01:29:55.120
 grants that we may, that we're continuing to work on, and explore the possibilities

01:29:55.120 --> 01:30:01.000
 for those public works improvements, so at that level, but I'm not sure of the state

01:30:01.000 --> 01:30:07.200
 level.

01:30:07.200 --> 01:30:14.640
 Too many other questions, comments related to this item in our agenda?

01:30:14.640 --> 01:30:20.000
 I'll just close it out by saying, you know, as with many things, this is ongoing, and

01:30:20.000 --> 01:30:26.140
 we will be back, and hopefully have something a little bit neater and wrapped up in some

01:30:26.140 --> 01:30:32.420
 additional analysis work, I know what I'm doing this summer, so if anyone had any questions

01:30:32.420 --> 01:30:38.360
 or wants to participate in downtown property value analysis, I love company.

01:30:38.360 --> 01:30:44.760
 Might give you a little help if you asked.

01:30:44.760 --> 01:30:49.620
 What's this summer going to look like anyway?

01:30:49.620 --> 01:30:55.280
 Thank you Jessica, I think definitely an important part of this discussion today, thank you.

01:30:55.280 --> 01:30:59.600
 The next order of business is 1f, receive a report, we'll discuss and give staff direction

01:30:59.600 --> 01:31:04.280
 regarding the downtown reinvestment grant program, and the possible funding of COVID-19

01:31:04.280 --> 01:31:09.320
 response health and safety improvements as eligible grant expenses.

01:31:09.320 --> 01:31:12.920
 Jessica, I'm assuming this is you as well?

01:31:12.920 --> 01:31:18.640
 This is me.

01:31:18.640 --> 01:31:29.360
 Let me get everything pulled up, alright, so the objective for this item is just to

01:31:29.360 --> 01:31:36.800
 quickly go over a question that we received of whether or not health or safety improvements

01:31:36.800 --> 01:31:43.040
 made at businesses would be eligible grant expenses funded through the downtown TURS.

01:31:43.040 --> 01:31:47.860
 So sort of to set the stage for everyone, just a reminder that to be eligible for the

01:31:47.860 --> 01:31:53.320
 downtown reinvestment grant, there are three key areas that all expenses must be eligible

01:31:53.320 --> 01:31:54.800
 under.

01:31:54.800 --> 01:32:00.320
 Sort of the narrowest is the downtown reinvestment grant program guidelines.

01:32:00.320 --> 01:32:04.240
 It says if used there because that was if that becomes the funding source for any sort

01:32:04.240 --> 01:32:09.520
 of project or any other applicable ordinance or policy that the city might have.

01:32:09.520 --> 01:32:15.920
 The second kind of layer is the project plan, so we couldn't adopt a program that wasn't

01:32:15.920 --> 01:32:19.180
 compliant with the city's project plan for the TURS.

01:32:19.180 --> 01:32:23.940
 And then lastly is that it has to be eligible under Chapter 311 of the Texas Tax Code, which

01:32:23.940 --> 01:32:27.000
 is the Tax Increment Financing Act.

01:32:27.000 --> 01:32:31.640
 And so based on any direction or discussion we need to that we get today, if the board

01:32:31.640 --> 01:32:36.400
 wants us to move forward with anything, that we have to go back and review any direction

01:32:36.400 --> 01:32:40.240
 to be compliant with all three of those.

01:32:40.240 --> 01:32:44.680
 So just a reminder, since this is sort of the narrowest scope that we have to comply

01:32:44.680 --> 01:32:50.720
 with is the downtown reinvestment grant program, what are the existing eligible project categories?

01:32:50.720 --> 01:32:54.040
 That includes facade rehabilitation, building renovation.

01:32:54.040 --> 01:32:59.640
 We included the definitions for that, I won't read all of that, but it also includes awnings

01:32:59.640 --> 01:33:05.880
 and signing signs, impact fee reimbursements, utility upgrades, and interior code improvements.

01:33:05.880 --> 01:33:10.200
 If you'll remember just last year we updated that interior code improvement section to make

01:33:10.200 --> 01:33:16.040
 it clear that any type of improvement made with the Americans with Disabilities Act should

01:33:16.040 --> 01:33:21.720
 be included as an eligible expense under that interior code improvement section.

01:33:21.720 --> 01:33:25.760
 So really the point of this today is if a business that would be eligible under the

01:33:25.760 --> 01:33:34.880
 downtown grant program could include improvements and health or safety related improvements

01:33:34.880 --> 01:33:38.840
 as eligible expenses under that downtown reinvestment grant program.

01:33:38.840 --> 01:33:46.800
 So first we looked at eligibility, we think one option would be that it could be, we would

01:33:46.800 --> 01:33:51.680
 have to redefine interior code improvement, so we'd have to add something to that definition

01:33:51.680 --> 01:33:56.960
 to make it really clear, because it doesn't really fit into any of those definitions as

01:33:56.960 --> 01:33:58.560
 they exist today.

01:33:58.560 --> 01:34:04.120
 A second option would be to draft a new category of eligible expenses, so to make an additional

01:34:04.120 --> 01:34:11.040
 category that says businesses that made those improvements, that's just a separate category

01:34:11.040 --> 01:34:15.760
 and it wouldn't count in any of those others, it might also change how we score it.

01:34:15.760 --> 01:34:20.240
 Some additional considerations for just eligibility would be that properties that have already

01:34:20.240 --> 01:34:26.400
 reached their $25,000 max would not be eligible unless we waived or amended that part of the

01:34:26.400 --> 01:34:31.600
 policy as well, so that's a challenge, and then also it must still meet the chapter 311

01:34:31.600 --> 01:34:35.800
 and the project plan requirement, so in and of itself, without that grant program, it

01:34:35.800 --> 01:34:40.320
 might be a little bit more of a challenge to include health and safety improvements

01:34:40.320 --> 01:34:46.880
 unless we could point to a specific part of chapter 311 and the project plan that say

01:34:46.880 --> 01:34:49.040
 those are eligible.

01:34:49.040 --> 01:34:53.360
 The other consideration that we wanted to talk to the board is funding, would you want

01:34:53.360 --> 01:34:58.000
 that included in the existing $100,000 annual allocation or if this is something that you

01:34:58.000 --> 01:35:03.000
 would recommend increasing the downtown grant maybe temporarily as businesses are still

01:35:03.000 --> 01:35:09.380
 responding and making changes, and then additional consideration with that would be if we did

01:35:09.380 --> 01:35:13.560
 make some amendment, would it be effective in the current fiscal year, a future fiscal

01:35:13.560 --> 01:35:19.960
 year, we haven't received any grant applications this fiscal year to date, so right now we

01:35:19.960 --> 01:35:22.920
 still have $100,000 available.

01:35:22.920 --> 01:35:29.080
 And then the last option, which, and I'll kind of get into the specifics of that would

01:35:29.080 --> 01:35:34.960
 be you could make a recommendation to city council to create a new grant program or policy

01:35:34.960 --> 01:35:40.520
 specifically related to health and safety improvements, the caveat with that is that

01:35:40.520 --> 01:35:45.720
 we received specific direction from city council in December of 2020 that they did not want

01:35:45.720 --> 01:35:50.480
 to pursue a separate grant program specific to health and safety improvements, there are

01:35:50.480 --> 01:35:56.280
 a lot of federal funding that was made available through various things far beyond what the

01:35:56.280 --> 01:36:01.840
 TERS could feasibly fund and so we relied on the county's grant program, federal grants,

01:36:01.840 --> 01:36:06.800
 the PPP, EIDLs and now we have additional shuttered venue grants and the restaurant relief

01:36:06.800 --> 01:36:09.440
 fund that are now coming online.

01:36:09.440 --> 01:36:13.880
 Now obviously if we move forward with creating any additional grant program or policy it's

01:36:13.880 --> 01:36:18.160
 going to take more time to develop and implement, we're going to have to go back to city council

01:36:18.160 --> 01:36:23.320
 and ask them to reconsider their previous direction as well as develop drafts, make

01:36:23.320 --> 01:36:28.400
 sure it's legal, you know, I started to use cross before we bring it back to the board

01:36:28.400 --> 01:36:31.520
 for any type of consideration.

01:36:31.520 --> 01:36:34.760
 And so I just want to be clear with the board on the timeline to get something like that

01:36:34.760 --> 01:36:39.280
 it's it's obviously more significant when we're starting from scratch.

01:36:39.280 --> 01:36:45.400
 And so that that's pretty much I wanted to kind of just have a really brief summary before

01:36:45.400 --> 01:36:51.080
 we kind of get into the central question is it is this something that that the board wants

01:36:51.080 --> 01:36:56.060
 to consider and sort of and then if the answer is yes we can kind of talk through those pathways

01:36:56.060 --> 01:37:02.080
 of what the challenges are and how we could get there.

01:37:02.080 --> 01:37:06.000
 And we're not voting on this we're just having a discussion correct?

01:37:06.000 --> 01:37:11.040
 Correct just just want to get direction and then we'd have to make the changes and then

01:37:11.040 --> 01:37:18.920
 and bring it back okay does anybody have anything to add or questions to ask with Jessica related

01:37:18.920 --> 01:37:19.920
 to this.

01:37:19.920 --> 01:37:20.920
 Paul?

01:37:20.920 --> 01:37:26.600
 Yeah I mean just to kind of help the discussion because you know I mean Connie and I will

01:37:26.600 --> 01:37:31.640
 get another bite at this potentially but what exactly are we talking about in terms of what

01:37:31.640 --> 01:37:37.380
 kinds of things might people want to have grants for and are they things that there

01:37:37.380 --> 01:37:42.840
 wouldn't be CARES or Rescue Act money for?

01:37:42.840 --> 01:37:49.560
 I think we're talking about interior improvements things like installing the plastic shields

01:37:49.560 --> 01:37:54.880
 or the sneeze walls or the beautiful like separative walls like we have in in here in

01:37:54.880 --> 01:38:00.920
 the work session room to kind of give that protective space no you know touchless fixtures

01:38:00.920 --> 01:38:09.260
 doors those sorts of improvements but I would point back to sort of the the a lot the same

01:38:09.260 --> 01:38:15.600
 discussion we had with the ADA change was in and of itself if somebody was already making

01:38:15.600 --> 01:38:20.000
 an improvement would those be considered eligible expenses and that's why we wanted to clarify

01:38:20.000 --> 01:38:23.960
 that definition we thought that they were but it wasn't explicit in the policy.

01:38:23.960 --> 01:38:28.680
 So the same sort of thing if a space was being renovated today and those items were being

01:38:28.680 --> 01:38:35.240
 installed we think those things those improvements might be eligible but do we want to make the

01:38:35.240 --> 01:38:37.640
 language align with that?

01:38:37.640 --> 01:38:44.400
 Okay I'll just ask one more question if I may just on timing you know you kind of laid

01:38:44.400 --> 01:38:51.720
 out that there'd be a lot of steps to it you know I don't know if these kind of changes

01:38:51.720 --> 01:38:59.360
 would be considered enduring improvements or temporary and if you believe what we hear

01:38:59.360 --> 01:39:06.120
 from other levels of government that maybe we're kind of out of this thing in July you

01:39:06.120 --> 01:39:14.600
 know how much time would would even be sort of relevant you know for for downtime businesses

01:39:14.600 --> 01:39:22.000
 to act on it and get it and get a benefit before we're kind of post-COVID.

01:39:22.000 --> 01:39:29.040
 I think that's a great point and question you know we would have to make the changes

01:39:29.040 --> 01:39:35.560
 redraft it bring it back to this board get it back in front of City Council so if you

01:39:35.560 --> 01:39:40.680
 know it could be summer before we would even have something an ordinance in front of City

01:39:40.680 --> 01:39:58.400
 Council thanks anyone else Eric yeah I guess you know it sounds like a good idea to allow

01:39:58.400 --> 01:40:05.760
 people to be a little bit more flexible the big concern I have well I guess as I look

01:40:05.760 --> 01:40:13.120
 back over the last year right there were a lot of things we didn't know last March right

01:40:13.120 --> 01:40:17.520
 and and maybe if we had had this tool there it could have benefited some people but we

01:40:17.520 --> 01:40:23.360
 may have also made you know some improvements that that the science later turned out to

01:40:23.360 --> 01:40:31.440
 say that it wasn't that big of a deal to me I think the big the big question is whether

01:40:31.440 --> 01:40:39.380
 a program like this could help the businesses get back on their feet in terms of making

01:40:39.380 --> 01:40:46.520
 more people feel more comfortable coming back downtown right now certainly improving their

01:40:46.520 --> 01:40:53.960
 safety is is number one right but there are other benefits that that has as well I really

01:40:53.960 --> 01:41:00.280
 can't imagine exactly what types of solutions they might come with for the grant at this

01:41:00.280 --> 01:41:07.280
 point but when I look at at sort of what what would the downside be of not doing this given

01:41:07.280 --> 01:41:13.280
 like you said that there hadn't been any applications in this fiscal year yet that there's just

01:41:13.280 --> 01:41:19.440
 not a lot of capital running around to do new investments like that I kind of see it

01:41:19.440 --> 01:41:24.440
 as well what's the downside to trying and just saying at least for this fiscal year

01:41:24.440 --> 01:41:31.720
 maybe not an open-ended thing but if you have an idea to make your business jump back a

01:41:31.720 --> 01:41:37.880
 little bit faster than it would otherwise and there's some way that we can assist that

01:41:37.880 --> 01:41:45.200
 it sounds like a good idea to me Eric I'd like I'd like to respond a second for that

01:41:45.200 --> 01:41:53.120
 so I'm on the Dead Sea group as well and I've been surprised that nobody's taken advantage

01:41:53.120 --> 01:41:59.320
 of the street the parklets and the other street that what I would consider would be a safety

01:41:59.320 --> 01:42:06.600
 enhancement to be able to bring people back down and I'm not sure and you know there's

01:42:06.600 --> 01:42:12.040
 a couple you know Jimmy and Ben might be able to speak to why those weren't taken advantage

01:42:12.040 --> 01:42:19.120
 of and was it capital and if there was a 50/50 grant to be able to pay for the implementation

01:42:19.120 --> 01:42:26.320
 of that or the the you know the wood to put up the outdoor parks like maybe that would

01:42:26.320 --> 01:42:37.560
 have been a good a good place to go to as to that that grant as a safety type but it

01:42:37.560 --> 01:42:43.280
 would I think I think it also in in our in in terms it should be something that's more

01:42:43.280 --> 01:42:49.640
 substantial than a splash guard or a station where hand sanitizers are something that actually

01:42:49.640 --> 01:42:57.840
 changes the value of the property increases the tax basically the return on investment

01:42:57.840 --> 01:43:08.940
 would would be to increase the value of the property my two cents anybody else have anything

01:43:08.940 --> 01:43:18.880
 to add or ask

01:43:18.880 --> 01:43:27.080
 So is the direction to look at that definition and and see if there's a change that we could

01:43:27.080 --> 01:43:34.320
 make to maybe make it a little bit more broad so those types of things could be considered

01:43:34.320 --> 01:43:41.440
 or okay I mean Ben and Jimmy if you I would love to hear from y'all and see what like

01:43:41.440 --> 01:43:48.640
 the the parklets or what what infrastructure could a grant that would include health and

01:43:48.640 --> 01:44:01.360
 safety as Jessica described work well if if we're talking about adding help for bouncing

01:44:01.360 --> 01:44:07.840
 back or putting safety in place I don't think we could get that approved and through council

01:44:07.840 --> 01:44:15.400
 and get get presentations submitted to us before the world goes back to normal so I

01:44:15.400 --> 01:44:24.980
 don't know if that really helps but as far as ADA and disability accessibility goes I

01:44:24.980 --> 01:44:35.080
 think that should that should definitely be in there yeah that's my two cents

01:44:35.080 --> 01:44:40.960
 And I think that I think there's maybe a balance just thinking through this of maybe being

01:44:40.960 --> 01:44:46.800
 more clear of adding in parklets or street areas as to something that would be eligible

01:44:46.800 --> 01:44:51.320
 in the grant long term because that's something businesses may continue to want or pursue

01:44:51.320 --> 01:45:02.120
 beyond COVID COVID yeah yeah I think that's a great idea I'm not certain but I think the

01:45:02.120 --> 01:45:07.600
 the program that was passed by council last year may have expired because I think maybe

01:45:07.600 --> 01:45:12.440
 it was a pilot program so that maybe that involves seeing if council wants to renew

01:45:12.440 --> 01:45:16.960
 that I don't know but it's certainly something I would be in favor of using TURS funding

01:45:16.960 --> 01:45:26.520
 to to help smooth the way forward I think they extended it but I will I will check on

01:45:26.520 --> 01:45:34.120
 that and get and get back with the board so let me ask you a question you mentioned the

01:45:34.120 --> 01:45:39.720
 parklet is that correct if we could make it a little more general value of the property

01:45:39.720 --> 01:45:52.960
 I think that would be a smart smart wording to put in oh sorry did I freeze up all right

01:45:52.960 --> 01:46:00.280
 we'll get Jimmy the floor all right the parklet are you talking about the parking spaces being

01:46:00.280 --> 01:46:07.800
 part of the restaurants or the bar that what you're referring to yes yes and nobody took

01:46:07.800 --> 01:46:16.760
 advantage of that we received one application but I don't know that it's actually been implemented

01:46:16.760 --> 01:46:23.800
 who was it just can you say it was mulberry street cantina oh yeah they didn't they didn't

01:46:23.800 --> 01:46:29.080
 it was it because they were going to pour concrete was that right patio I'm neighbors

01:46:29.080 --> 01:46:34.880
 with them that's all but yeah yeah I'm not sure what the status is that's the only application

01:46:34.880 --> 01:46:48.940
 we received okay well is that is that a permanent thing is that ongoing or is it a temporary

01:46:48.940 --> 01:46:56.960
 or it was a pilot program I'm not sure if it's still I know it was extended beyond its

01:46:56.960 --> 01:47:06.760
 initial kind of deadline but I'm not sure if it's still ongoing I'll have to look was

01:47:06.760 --> 01:47:18.720
 there funding for it or no no just the permission to use street property yes but it would be

01:47:18.720 --> 01:47:26.300
 interesting to see if we tie that in with a reimbursement grant if it would have wings

01:47:26.300 --> 01:47:32.520
 that it didn't I mean I'm quite frankly shocked that it didn't have wings especially in light

01:47:32.520 --> 01:47:37.120
 of the conversation of wanting to use tourist funding for things like the new streets because

01:47:37.120 --> 01:47:43.700
 essentially this created a meet you know the parklets would create new streets without

01:47:43.700 --> 01:47:55.360
 going through creating new streets could not would but could but it would be interesting

01:47:55.360 --> 01:47:58.960
 if it was tied into a ringer I think we're getting a little bit off point for posting

01:47:58.960 --> 01:48:03.000
 safety discussion and if we want to talk about parkless we can come back at another meeting

01:48:03.000 --> 01:48:11.560
 okay I meant part of safety but I understand your point thank you okay so I think it sounds

01:48:11.560 --> 01:48:20.760
 like we're not wanting to move forward from what I can tell or and look in looking at

01:48:20.760 --> 01:48:33.320
 adding item 1f to future recommendation to council so what I hear could we add language

01:48:33.320 --> 01:48:44.020
 it's a little more broad you you had tapped on this something that if it adds to the value

01:48:44.020 --> 01:48:49.880
 or the function of the business it could be included or it could be a reason or is that

01:48:49.880 --> 01:48:54.720
 getting too general I think that there the point would be there we could add general

01:48:54.720 --> 01:48:58.920
 language to the interior code improvements that would say something like an improvement

01:48:58.920 --> 01:49:05.960
 made for health and safety that increases the value we I'd have to you know work with

01:49:05.960 --> 01:49:11.560
 Mac to get kind of what would be legal language under the statute and the project plan and

01:49:11.560 --> 01:49:18.200
 I could bring that back I think I think then the question would be in the board's evaluation

01:49:18.200 --> 01:49:24.760
 and use of the grant that you know we've kind of shied away from doing a lot of grants that

01:49:24.760 --> 01:49:29.040
 where it's a singular improvement it's usually you're kind of hitting all of the categories

01:49:29.040 --> 01:49:34.440
 or if not it's a very small level grant some of like the mural grant that we just did was

01:49:34.440 --> 01:49:39.920
 much smaller than the maximum grant because it's an isolated category so while we can

01:49:39.920 --> 01:49:45.080
 add this into the grant in terms of scoring it it may not score very high unless it's

01:49:45.080 --> 01:49:57.280
 done as part of a larger project well larger project being recreating spaces in a particular

01:49:57.280 --> 01:50:09.720
 building restaurant yeah the larger rehabilitation and renovation projects kind of much like

01:50:09.720 --> 01:50:16.920
 sweet water you know received was very different than the h2o grant which was specific for

01:50:16.920 --> 01:50:24.280
 the mural and so Christina it was only what seven thousand dollars not sure I apologize

01:50:24.280 --> 01:50:28.240
 I don't have that number in front of me but so if it was a health and safety specific

01:50:28.240 --> 01:50:34.280
 language that was added to those interior code improvements or to the building we could

01:50:34.280 --> 01:50:38.920
 find some language to get it in there but it would still not change how a grant would

01:50:38.920 --> 01:50:49.120
 be evaluated that may not be scored very highly in and of itself Paul I'm just kind of processing

01:50:49.120 --> 01:50:59.160
 hearing from everyone you know it it may be a little too late to be you know what it's

01:50:59.160 --> 01:51:04.880
 explicitly defined as and a little too early to say what our business is going to feel

01:51:04.880 --> 01:51:09.960
 the need to do to jump start and make people feel comfortable to come back in the only

01:51:09.960 --> 01:51:14.880
 thing that I can think of that might even fall you know sort of along the lines that

01:51:14.880 --> 01:51:21.240
 Eric described this health and safety thing that people might sort of still want going

01:51:21.240 --> 01:51:26.160
 forward and I'm just speculating would be like those air filtration systems I mean I

01:51:26.160 --> 01:51:31.840
 don't I don't I mean I'm just my opinion is I don't think people are going to be looking

01:51:31.840 --> 01:51:38.920
 so much for sneeze guards and spacing like I think you're super ready to go back to whatever

01:51:38.920 --> 01:51:44.560
 the pre-covid life was to the extent possible but maybe there's still be some lingering

01:51:44.560 --> 01:51:52.600
 feeling of if we're 75% immune there's still some people wandering around you know with

01:51:52.600 --> 01:52:00.320
 the virus so you know I'm totally speculating maybe businesses will have that as an advertisable

01:52:00.320 --> 01:52:08.840
 feature that they've got the filtration but I but I still kind of feel like it's we don't

01:52:08.840 --> 01:52:14.960
 know yet what like the more important thing in what you said to me was businesses are

01:52:14.960 --> 01:52:21.120
 going to want something that are going to want help restarting and and and I think kind

01:52:21.120 --> 01:52:28.360
 of whatever falls under that category is more significant than necessarily be about you

01:52:28.360 --> 01:52:36.960
 know yeah yeah so I don't know if that helps anyone that's just some reflection and Jessica

01:52:36.960 --> 01:52:43.820
 I think you said that there are other essentially funding opportunities and grants for businesses

01:52:43.820 --> 01:52:49.320
 have been in the past I like the open grant which is closed but there are other opportunities

01:52:49.320 --> 01:52:58.160
 yes yes and particularly as it relates to to restarting because you know looking at

01:52:58.160 --> 01:53:03.640
 the intent of the downtown reinvestment grant it's about historic preservation it's about

01:53:03.640 --> 01:53:09.360
 that rehabilitation and generating economic activity kind of where it isn't where there

01:53:09.360 --> 01:53:15.400
 isn't one or where you know someone has taken on renovating their space but preserving some

01:53:15.400 --> 01:53:23.760
 of those historic elements and so this particular grant may not be the place for those restarting

01:53:23.760 --> 01:53:30.400
 grants to occur if that makes sense yes I personally think it belongs somewhere else

01:53:30.400 --> 01:53:37.760
 so I'll make that statement personally

01:53:37.760 --> 01:53:42.240
 so I think the direction is we're good with the with the grant firm now but there may

01:53:42.240 --> 01:53:49.120
 be a need to re-approach it later if we hear kind of what a specific need coming forward

01:53:49.120 --> 01:53:56.360
 I agree with that yeah just to just say one more thing you know I think there's a little

01:53:56.360 --> 01:54:03.480
 bit of a lesson in and I'm looking at Matt carefully here in the discussion about streeteries

01:54:03.480 --> 01:54:10.540
 and parklets and that you know we had some some very appealing I think guesses at what

01:54:10.540 --> 01:54:14.660
 businesses ought to want but it didn't seem like anyone wanted it except for Mulberry

01:54:14.660 --> 01:54:22.240
 Street and I'm wondering if this is you know if we need to somehow be following a little

01:54:22.240 --> 01:54:28.680
 more in our leadership you know I mean like like I think we need to be maybe drawing some

01:54:28.680 --> 01:54:35.240
 of our clues more directly from what the businesses you know see as opportunities so it's a little

01:54:35.240 --> 01:54:40.120
 embarrassing having spent that many hours debating the bloody thing and then have nobody

01:54:40.120 --> 01:54:47.880
 act on it yeah maybe one possible follow-on would be to to check with Main Street and

01:54:47.880 --> 01:54:55.600
 other organizations you know before our next meeting to see what what do they see as needs

01:54:55.600 --> 01:55:08.040
 right sure we'll tell Mac that that one is a concluding item but no I think that's a

01:55:08.040 --> 01:55:15.120
 great idea we could do a check-in with Main Street and see what they're hearing any other

01:55:15.120 --> 01:55:23.120
 further discussion next order business is 1g received staff activity report the chair

01:55:23.120 --> 01:55:29.120
 recognizes Christina Davis who's been waiting patiently that's a great conversation happening

01:55:29.120 --> 01:55:36.280
 here today just really quick since our last meeting we haven't had any openings or closings

01:55:36.280 --> 01:55:42.600
 so we're good there we didn't have those posted as far as coming soon we're still waiting

01:55:42.600 --> 01:55:48.940
 on h2 oak and caskies both of those people are working through their business plans and

01:55:48.940 --> 01:55:54.200
 and deciding how they want to proceed with their businesses but so far everyone's still

01:55:54.200 --> 01:56:02.880
 moving forward so that's good news and then on our our currently active reinvestment grant

01:56:02.880 --> 01:56:08.560
 that 104 McKinney I did reach out to that property owner I haven't heard back from them

01:56:08.560 --> 01:56:12.960
 but I was able to get with development services and find out they are trying to get some of

01:56:12.960 --> 01:56:17.440
 their final inspections completed they're running into a few little hiccups but they're

01:56:17.440 --> 01:56:22.640
 working through those and they have their next scheduled inspection for the end of April

01:56:22.640 --> 01:56:28.760
 so hopefully we'll have some good news soon on that property and then the remaining item

01:56:28.760 --> 01:56:34.740
 is just our next meeting date is May 26th is that right Jessica May 26th is our next

01:56:34.740 --> 01:56:48.240
 meeting date yes give any questions for me about my report no onto concluding items thank

01:56:48.240 --> 01:56:54.740
 you Christina concluding items item two is there any other business to discuss please

01:56:54.740 --> 01:57:05.280
 raise your hand I heard a main street briefing that's what I heard right now I think that's

01:57:05.280 --> 01:57:12.240
 a great idea we'll reach out to Christine Gossett and John Cartwright and maybe invite

01:57:12.240 --> 01:57:20.120
 them at our next meeting I think it's a great idea I did send Christine the link to it's

01:57:20.120 --> 01:57:31.120
 been sorry because we've been talking that Christina Davis and I should be updating the

01:57:31.120 --> 01:57:35.640
 main street board a little bit more but Christine Gossett said she'd like to just sit on these

01:57:35.640 --> 01:57:40.960
 quietly and just take notes so I'll try to send those to her earlier than the day of

01:57:40.960 --> 01:57:55.240
 next time any other concluding items there's no other business the regular meeting is adjourned

01:57:55.240 --> 01:57:59.040
 at 159 p.m. thank you all very much thank you