* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] GOOD AFTER. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IT IS NOW 6:15 PM ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2026, AND THE DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS. NOW CALLED TO ORDER. WE HAVE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE RISE? UH, MAYOR STOFFER, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US JOINING THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER MY INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL TEXAS FLAG AUDITOR TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. [2. Approval of Minutes: August 25, 2026] THANK YOU ALL. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 25TH, 2026 MEETING. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. STOW FOR A SECOND BY MR. INDICATE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEE NONE. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE, SPILL SOME THINGS ON . CAN'T SEE IT ANYWAY. WITH 12 IN FAVOR, ZERO IN OPPOSITION. [4. Public Comments – Agenda Item Specific] AND MOTION PASSES. OUR NEXT ITEM ARE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS SPECIFIC. UH, MR. GENERAL COUNSEL WOULD PLEASE READ OUR RULES. THANK YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH, UH, DARTBOARD MEETING TIMES ALLOCATED FOR THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. ADDITIONAL TIME FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED AT THE END OF THE MEETING. ALL SPEAKERS MUST COMPLETED PUBLIC COMMENT. REQUEST FORM IN PERSON OR ONLINE PRIOR TO SPEAKING. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLING THE ORDER IN WHICH THE FORMS ARE RECEIVED. ONE WHO DO NOT SPECIFY AN AGENDA. ITEMS WILL TREAT AS GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE YOUR NAME IS CALLED. PLEASE STEP TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. SPEAKERS WHO NEED AN INTERPRETER MAY HAVE AT LEAST SIX MINUTES TO ENSURE THAT ALL SPEAKERS RECEIVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. THE GREEN LIGHT ON THE PODIUM WILL INDICATE WHEN YOU CAN BEGIN. THE YELLOW LIGHT INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE REMAINING AND THE RED LIGHT INDICATES THAT YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. SPEAKERS WILL REMAIN AT THE PODIUM DURING THEIR COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS WILL NOT ASK QUESTIONS, OFFER THEIR OWN COMMENTS OR OTHERWISE INTERACT WITH SPEAKERS DURING THE COMMENT PERIOD. BOARD MEMBERS CANNOT RESPOND TO PERSONNEL MATTERS DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD DIFFER. EMPLOYEES SHOULD DIRECT THEIR COMMENTS TO THEIR SUPERVISOR, CHAIN OF COMMAND OR CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES. THE AUDIENCE IS ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM APPLAUDING OR OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION. A COPY OF THE FULL PUBLIC COMMENT GUIDANCE IS POSTED IN THE LOBBY AND MAY BE FOUND ON THE DART.ORG WEBSITE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ADDRESS THE MORNING. ALRIGHT, FOR AGENDA ITEM 18, WE HAVE, UM, HILLARY BROWN, FOLLOWED BY ALEX DUNN. OKAY, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, SO I KNOW YOU CAN JUST FINISH SHEET AND HILLARY BROWN, I TELL YOU MY ADDRESS. IS THAT WHAT? UH, 54 54 AMESBURY DRIVE, DALLAS 7 5 2 0 6. UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS HILLARY BROWN AND I WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT SYSTEM AND FOR IMPROVING BUDGETS TO MAKE THOSE NEEDED CHANGES. I'M EPILEPTIC AND LEGALLY UNABLE TO DRIVE. I RELY ON DART TO GET TO WORK IN OAK CLIFF DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, MEETING FRIENDS IN GARLAND, VISITING MY MOM IN PLANO. AND MORE I SEE THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF THE SYSTEM. AND I'M HERE TO BRING PART OF MY PERSPECTIVE. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF IMPROVEMENTS CURRENTLY ALLOTTED IN THE BUDGET BEING DISCUSSED WHEN LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ONLINE, I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND ANY BREAKDOWNS OF WHAT THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON IF IT IS AVAILABLE, IT ISN'T VERY CLEAR. I'M NOT NAIVE ENOUGH TO THINK WE WOULD SPEND MONEY ON AN ENTIRELY NEW RAIL ROUTE SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH WE SHOULD. UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN IMPROVEMENT TO BUS STOPS, BUS ROUTES AND STOP TIMES IS NECESSARY AND WOULD BRING MORE INCOME TO THE CITY IN VARIOUS WAYS. OKAY. SORRY, I'M NERVOUS. . UM, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IT'S MUCH EASIER TO VERIFY VALID PASSES ON BUSES. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THOSE RIDING BUSES ARE TYPICALLY PURCHASING PASSES FOR MORE THAN THREE HOURS OR [00:05:01] ARE TAP CARD HOLDERS. BY IMPROVING BUS ROUTES AND MAKING THE CITY MORE ACCESSIBLE, YOU CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RIDERS BY USING THOSE PASSES OR NUMBER OF RIDERS USING THOSE PASSES. I THINK THE BIGGEST WAY TO MAINTAIN THOSE RIDERS IS BY IMPROVING BUS STOPS. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE ALREADY BEGUN ON THAT, UM, EFFORT. JUST TODAY I WAS AT A STOP WITH A NEW BENCH AND AN ELECTRONIC TIME READER, HOWEVER, THAT STOP HAD ALREADY HAD A BENCH, UM, AND A COVERING. SO, UM, I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING THESE FUNDS PROPERLY. ADDING BENCHES, TRASH CANS, COVERINGS AND PROPER MAINTENANCE TO ALL STOPS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE WAITING FOR THE BUSES IN THIS WEATHER. I'VE BEEN FORCED TO WRITE EMAILS TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER AND DART MEMBERS, UH, DUE TO FIRE AMP BITES THAT I NOW HAVE SCARS FROM, UM, BECAUSE THE STOPS WERE NOT MAINTAINED, THAT STOP ALSO HAD BENCHES AND COVERINGS. UM, I AND OTHER RIDERS HAVE CHOSEN TO WALK BECAUSE THE HEAT WAS TOO MUCH AND IT JUST WASN'T WORTH STANDING IN GRASS BECAUSE A LOT OF STOPS IN DALLAS ARE JUST IN GRASS. UM, I TRULY HOPE YOU'LL LISTEN AND BRING THE SMALL MEANINGFUL CHANGES FIRST. COMMUNICATION, CONSISTENCY, AND EFFICIENCY IS MY PROFESSIONAL SLOGAN AND IT IS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN MOST SCENARIOS, AND I THINK IT'S APPLICABLE HERE. AGAIN, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL LISTEN TO SOME OF THE THINGS I'M SAYING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ON AGENDA ITEM 21, WE HAVE ALEX DUNN, FOLLOWED BY PETER YOUNG. GOOD EVENING DART PORT OF DIRECTORS. MY NAME'S ALEXANDER DUNN FROM 55 TO FIVE AMESBURY DRIVE DALLAS. UH, I'M A MEMBER OF THE DALLAS AREA TRANSIT ALLIANCE AND I AM GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT, UH, WE APPEAR TO BE TAKING FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES IN THIS UPCOMING SE UPCOMING, UH, SESSION. IT APPEARS THAT, THAT AT PRESENT, THIS AGENCY HAS NO PLANS TO ADVOCATE FOR A FUNDING SOLUTION TO BACKFILL THE LARGE HOLE IN THE BUDGET THAT IS BEING CREATED BY THE GMP. INSTEAD, CHOOSING CHOOSING TO FOCUS ON CHANGES TO THE GOVERNMENT'S FORMULA THAT AL THAT ALLOCATES BOARD SEATS. THIS IS A GRAVE MISTAKE, WHICH RISKS KICKING THE FUNDING CAN SO DOWN SO FAR DOWN THE ROAD THAT IT CANNOT BE RECOVERED BEFORE OUR SELF-INFLICTED FISCAL CLIFF HITS. ESSENTIALLY, AS IT STANDS, THIS BOARD WOULD APPARENTLY PREFER TO ASK PERMISSION TO REARRANGE THE DECK CHAIRS RATHER THAN WORK TO PLUG THE HOLES THAT ARE DRAINING THIS SHIP. WE CANNOT BE SATISFIED WITH A MEEK APPROACH. WE HAVE JUST EMERGED FROM AN ELECTION SEASON IN WHICH THE RESIDENTS OF ADDISON AND UNIVERSITY PARK AFFIRMED THEIR BELIEF IN THE SYSTEM. BELIEF THAT OUR BUSES AND OUR TRAINS AND OUR PARATRANSIT SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. UH, THE COMPROMISE STRUCK WITH MEMBER CITIES WHO DID NOT HOLD WITHDRAWAL ELECTIONS LIKEWISE SIGNALS THAT DIALOGUE CAN PRODUCE PROGRESS. SO WHY NOT TAKE THEN TAKE THAT MOMENTUM AND TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT FOR FUNDING AND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT CAN BUILD A FUTURE FOR THIS TRANSIT SYSTEM AND A FUTURE FOR MOBILITY OF THIS REGION. THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE. WHAT I FEAR IS THAT RATHER THAN TAKE THE INITIATIVE, THE CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE HERE TO AVOID DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM ENTIRELY UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. IF WE DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION, WE WILL BE CUTTING YET MORE BUS ROUTES. CUTTING YET MORE FREQUENCY, DEFERRING ALREADY YEARS DEFERRED AND BADLY NEEDED MAINTENANCE AND INVESTMENT. STRANDING YOUR RIDERS, FURLOUGHING YOUR EMPLOYEES, AND ABANDONING THIS VITAL PILLAR OF THE REGION TO MANAGE DECLINE WITHOUT A PLAN TO SECURE FUNDING. HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THE SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS WHICH WE NEED TO KEEP OUR RIDERS SAFE? HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR BUSES TO REPLACE OUR BROKEN DOWN ONES? HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY OUR OPERATORS AND MECHANICS WHO LABOR IN THE HEAT AND COLD TO MOVE THIS REGION WITHOUT AN AGGRESSIVE, TACTICAL AND AMBITIOUS LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY? IT WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE THE STORY COMING OUT OF THE JACKSONVILLE TRANSIT AUTHORITY ARE REARING THEIR HEADS HERE. I KNOW YOU'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE STORY WILL BE DIFFERENT HERE, THAT THE RIGHT BLEND OF CHARISMA AND VIGILANCE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THAT. YOU WON'T BE CAUGHT UNAWARES BY SERVICE CUTS, IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING AND BUDGETARY SHORTFALLS. BUT ALL THE CHARISMA CANNOT HELP YOU IF YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR THE RIGHT THINGS. VIGILANCE WON'T PROTECT YOU IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACES, AND NOTHING WILL HELP THIS AGENCY IF IT PRIORITIZES REARRANGING SLICES OF PIE. INSTEAD OF GROWING THE PIE YOUR WRITERS NEED. YOU AND YOUR WRITERS ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO HEAR THEM. WILL YOU LISTEN? OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PETER YOUNG, FOLLOWED BY CONNOR HULA. HI, MY NAME IS PETER YOUNG. UH, I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF 'CAUSE MUCH OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. I'M HERE TO IMPLORE THIS CO UH, THIS BOARD TO DIRECT STAFF TO INCLUDE LOBBYING FOR GREATER TRANSIT ME FUNDING MECHANISMS FROM THE STATE IN THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION DURING MY WORK TO WHIP VOTES TO KEEP ADDISON HIGHLAND PARK, OUR UNIVERSITY PARK WITHIN THE DAR DART SYSTEM. IT WAS WITH THE VISION THAT THE SYSTEM CAN GROW AND FULFILL THE POTENTIAL OF OUR, OUR EXPANDING NET METROPLEX DURING [00:10:01] THIS CAMPAIGN. MANY ADVOCATES OF THESE IN THESE COMMUNITIES CAMPAIGNED ON THE PROMISE OF A BETTER DART. DART IS ALREADY DECIDED TO GIVE A PORTION OF THE REVENUE BACKS TO THE CITIES. IF A MODEL, UH, IF A NOVEL FUNDING MECHANISM IS NOT FOUND TO MAKE UP THE COST OF THESE REBATES, DART REALLY FORCED TO MAKE SERVICE CUTS. AGAIN, MANY OF DAR, MANY OF THE DART MEMBER CITIES HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED TO FUND, UH, FINDING RECOMPENSE FROM THE STATE. UH, IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGETS, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE SESSION, ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS THAT THIS BODY WORK WITH THEM AND PRESENT A UNIFIED FRONT WITH THE COG AND ITS MEMBER CITIES, UH, SORRY, AND AS MEMBER CITIES, UH, AND, AND THE MANY TRANS ADVOCATES THAT RELY ON DART SERVICES EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. OUR LAST SPEAKER IS CONNOR HULA. HELLO, MY NAME IS CONNOR. UM, I LIVE IN RICHARDSON AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. UM, SO I'VE, UH, SOME OF, YOU KNOW, I'VE PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT, UH, TO SUPPORT DART SERVICES. UM, AND WITH THIS COMPROMISE, WHAT I LIKED WAS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THE CITIES WHAT THEY WANT WITHOUT GIVING UP DART SERVICES. SO, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE CITIES WILL BE RECEIVING MONEY, BUT DART'S GOING TO TRY TO SUBSTITUTE THAT REVENUE SO THAT WAY THE RIDER DON'T FEEL THE PAIN THAT COULD, THAT WOULD'VE OTHERWISE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IT. UM, NOW IN THE SLIDE CHAT DECK, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY THIS YEAR IS JUST FOCUSED ON, UM, THE BOARD AND THE BOARD STRUCTURE. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE COMPROMISED ART MADE WITH THE CITIES. AND MAYBE THE LOGIC HERE IS YOU JUST FOCUS ON ONE AT A TIME. 'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LOGIC IS, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA FOCUS ON ONE, I THINK THE MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITY IS TO SUBSTITUTE THE FUNDING. UH, BECAUSE THE SOONER THAT HAPPENS, UM, THE LESS WE HAVE TO WORRY IS THE AGREEMENT GOES START, HAS TO SCALE UP THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY GIVE BACK TO THE CITIES OVER TIME. AND I WORRY THAT DART COULD HIT A WALL WHERE THEY CAN'T AVOID SERVICE CUTS AND RETURN PAYMENTS TO THE MEMBER CITIES. UM, I THINK YOUR MEMBER CITIES MIGHT ALSO APPRECIATE GETTING THAT MONEY SOONER. UM, SO IF I THINK FINDING A NEW FUNDING SOURCE TO SUBSTITUTE THAT, UH, SALES TAX THAT'S BEING RETURNED IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONE THAT COULD ULTIMATELY AFFECT RIDER. IF WE, IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IF THAT LEGISLATION DOESN'T GET PASSED, I KNOW THE BOARD'S IMPORTANT TOO, AND MAYBE YOU CAN DO BOTH. MAYBE YOU CAN FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE CHANGES TOO, BUT, UM, I JUST THINK THAT I, I REALLY WANTED TO SEE THAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. SO I HOPE THAT CAN BE ADDED ON. UM, AND I HOPE WE CAN AVOID, UH, SERVICE CUTS IN THE FUTURE. UM, AND THAT'S ALL I WANNA SAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE [5. Honorary Proclamation Celebrating the Partnership Between Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Dallas Independent School District for the Launch of the High School Student Bus Externship Program (Randall B. Bryant)] WILL MOVE ON NOW TO, UM, A FEW PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE A PRETTY FULL HOUSE. HOPEFULLY IT'S SOME SUPPORTIVE, UM, SPOUSES AND FRIENDS OF QUITE A FEW RETIREES AS WELL AS, UM, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS FROM DALLAS OR SOME OF OUR PARTNERS FROM DALLAS, ISD ARE HERE. SO, UM, MADAM, COO IF YOU WOULD MEET ME AT THE PODIUM, WE WILL DISTRIBUTE SOME, SOME PROCLAMATIONS AND, UH, RECOGNITIONS. CHIEF, WHAT Y'ALL DOING? TRY TO SUPPRESS ME. NOT OKAY, SIR. Y'ALL FEEL COMING DOWN? YOU NEED TO CALL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. Y'ALL NEED TO COPY Y'ALL. SUPPRESSION OF ME IS NOT OKAY. I SEE Y'ALL COURT. ALL RIGHT. IF WE COULD GET OUR PARTNERS FROM DALLAS IZ TO COME UP. UH, MR. OSWALDO. ALVARENGA. PERFECT. ALRIGHT. AND MONIQUE, RIGHT? ALRIGHT. I I, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU. I'VE SEEN YOU SINCE THEN. ALRIGHT, WE WANNA, UM, FIRST THANK, UM, DALLAS, ISD. UM, THANK YOU. SO, UM, I SIT RIGHT HERE AT THIS PODIUM BACK IN OCTOBER AND CHARGED OUR STAFF AND TICE AS WELL, UH, TO HELP CREATE A PARTNERSHIP WITH DALLAS ISD. AND THIS IS KIND OF TO THE, SOME OF THE POINTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN SOME OF THE LAST SPEAKERS. UM, IF YOU'VE EVER WORKED IN AROUND OR FOR GOVERNMENT, IT'S VERY HARD TO MOVE JUST ONE AGENCY TO DO SOMETHING IN A, WHAT WE'LL CALL A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR. GETTING TWO AGENCIES TO DO SOMETHING IN LESS [00:15:01] THAN A YEAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, BUT, UM, WE ACCOMPLISHED THE IMPOSSIBLE TOGETHER. UH, LAST MONDAY WE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THE, UH, ESTABLISHMENT OF A BUS EXTERN, UH, EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DALLAS ISD. THERE ARE 14 STUDENTS ENROLLED THIS YEAR IN THAT PROGRAM. WHEN THEY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. THEY WILL BE MAKING, IF THEY CONTINUE ON WITH DART, POTENTIALLY ALMOST $33, UH, PER HOUR THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. AND SO, UM, IT'S THE START OF IT. WE'VE ALREADY BEEN, UH, BEGUN TALKS WITH OTHER, UM, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA THAT HAVE CTE PROGRAMS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO, I PERSONALLY WANT TO THANK, UM, EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH IT. UM, WE'VE DONE MANY PRESS CONFERENCES AND WE'RE ALSO BE GOING TO BE TAKING THE STUDENTS, UM, TO THE STATE FAIR ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH. AND SO EVERYONE'S VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND SOME OF OUR PARTNERS FROM DALLAS, ISD ARE HERE TO RECEIVE, UH, THIS PROCLAMATION. IT READS, UH, WHEREAS A STRONG AND SKILLED WORKFORCE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CONTINUED GROWTH, PROSPERITY, AND VITALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT AND DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM THAT WILL CONNECT STUDENTS WITH MEANINGFUL CAREER TRAINING. AND WHEREAS THIS PARTNERSHIP DEMONSTRATES A SHARED COMMITMENT TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AND WHEREAS THE PROGRAM WILL HELP CULTIVATE A TALENTED PIPELINE OF FUTURE EMPLOYEES, STRENGTHEN THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE AND SUPPORT THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE DART BOARD OF DIRECTORS HEREBY RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN DART AND DALLAS ISD AND COMMENDS THE LAUNCH OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BUS EXTERN PROGRAM AS A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARD WORKFORCE INNOVATION, EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT, AND COMMUNITY PROSPERITY. ANY WORDS FROM YOU, MR. UH, OSWALDO? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS UP. UH, IT'S INCREDIBLE. I WE'RE MAKING NEWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR TWO PUBLIC ENTITIES TO COME TOGETHER FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT EVENT. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. ALRIGHT, LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. STAND. THREE, TWO. GOOD. ONE MORE. THREE, TWO. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD, ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE'D LIKE TO [7. Honoring DART Retirees for their Service to DART (Randall B. Bryant)] TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A GROUP OF 15 DEDICATED HARDWORKING STAFF MEMBERS WHO COLLECTIVELY REPRESENT 336 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO DART. THESE STAFF MEMBERS ARE RETIRING FROM ACROSS THE AGENCY AND WILL LEAVE DART MUCH BETTER AND WILL LEAVE DART MUCH BETTER THAN WHEN THEY STARTED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHERE THAT SENTENCE WAS ACTUALLY GOING. , THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED INNOVATION, FLEXIBILITY AND A DEEP ALLEGIANCE TO PUBLIC SERVICE. THE FIVE RETIREES HERE TONIGHT ARE BRIDGET CAMPBELL, UH, BUS OPERATOR FOR 11 YEARS. JOHN BOYD, MATERIALS WAREHOUSE TECHNICIAN FOR 26 YEARS. RODNEY ANDERSON, SPECIALIST CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SUPPORT FOR 29 YEARS. PAMELA, UH, MART MERRITT. ALRIGHT, UH, DALLAS POLICE REPRESENTATIVE FOR 39 YEARS, AND MY GOOD FRIEND, HE CAME IN A SUIT TONIGHT, Y'ALL. SO WE GONNA HAVE TO DO A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR HIM. UH, MAJOR RONALD LINDSEY, UH, POLICE MAJOR FOR 23 YEARS. UM, JUST PLEASE KNOW THAT THE FIVE OF YOU WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED. UH, WE WISH YOU ALL GODSPEED AS YOU ENTER, UH, YOUR NEXT PHASE OF LIFE. AND LET'S ALL GIVE THEM ALL COLLECTIVELY A ROUND APPLAUSE. ALRIGHT, MS. CAMPBELL. IS MS. CAMPBELL HERE? ALRIGHT, BOYD. ALRIGHT. YOU COME ON HERE IN THE MIDDLE. OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS. SURE. THERE YOU GO. STAND. THANK. [00:20:03] ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, PAM, STAND ONE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS MAYOR. STAND BY. 3, 2, 1 MORE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL THAT DON'T KNOW, MAJOR LINDSAY USED TO HOLD THAT POST DOWN AND GIVEN THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED EARLIER, YOU MIGHT NEED TO STAY A COUPLE MORE WEEKS , JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HOLD IT DOWN RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT. UM, WE WILL SKIP ITEM NUMBER SIX FOR NOW. YEAH. AND COME BACK TO IT. IF, IF, IF WE CAN, WE'LL MOVE [Consent Items] ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA CONSISTENT OF ITEMS EIGHT THROUGH 13. IS THERE A BOARD MEMBER THAT WISHES TO PULL ANY ITEMS? SEE NOW I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SO MOVE SECOND. BEING MOVED BY CHAIR SLAGEL SECOND BY MR. MCGREGOR. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. ELLI? THREE MINUTES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. YES. JUST A VERY BRIEF DISCUSSION. I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE ON THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT, UH, MR. GOMEZ HAS DONE EXCELLENT WORK. ALL THE CHANGES THAT WE, UH, APPROVED, UH, THE AMENDMENTS, UH, ON THESE ITEMS AT OUR LAST MEETING ARE REFLECTED IN HERE, UH, AND WILL BE WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IN THIS CONSENT AGENDA VOTE. SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. IS THAT ON ITEM 10? UH, ITEM 10 AND, UH, 20. GOT IT? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. BUT IT'S ALREADY REFLECTED IN THE PACKET. I WAS JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? C NONE. PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE. 4 2 14 IN FAVOR. ZERO IN OPPOSITION. THAT MOTION PASSES. NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL TO EXERCISE THE ONE YEAR OPTION FOR CLOUD-BASED TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SOFTWARE. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? OH, I'M SORRY. THERE YOU'RE RIGHT. YEAH. OKAY, I'M GOING BACK UP JUST A SECOND. UM, LET'S TAKE AN ADDITIONAL MOTION TO, TO APPROVE, UH, 14TH THROUGH 17. THAT'S ALSO ONLY THE CONSENT AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT CATCHING THAT ORIGINALLY. SO, UM, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 14 THROUGH 17. SO MOVED. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY, UH, MR. MCGREGOR, SECOND BY MR. WEST. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE. 14TH ? YES. YES. OKAY, NO PROBLEM. UH, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND IN YOUR POST. OKAY. THAT MOTION PASSES. 14 ZERO AS WELL. MY APOLOGIES AGAIN. OKAY, [18. Approval of Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Budget (Presenters: Gary Slagel/Jamie Adelman)] MOVING ON TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. WE WILL START WITH ITEM NUMBER 18, APPROVAL OF FISCAL YEAR 2027 ANNUAL BUDGET. MS. EDELMAN, A BRIEF PRESENTATION. COULD YOU STAND FOR QUESTIONS? I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, SIR. I'LL DEFER TO YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SAME OKAY. THE SAME PRESENTATION WE DID ON, UH, AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, OR IF THERE'S JUST ANY QUESTIONS NO PROBLEM. WE'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOVE. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. ENOCH, SECOND BY CHAIR, SLAGEL. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. ABBA? THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE AND PUT TIME AND EFFORT INTO [00:25:01] THE BUDGET. UH, THERE'S CERTAINLY SOME GOOD THINGS IN THE BUDGET, BUT, UH, OVERALL THIS IS NOT, UH, SOMETHING I CAN SUPPORT, AS I'VE SAID FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE MEMBER CITIES ARE PAYING INTO THE AGENCY, UH, FOR TRANSIT SERVICES. AND ONCE AGAIN, THIS YEAR, AS IT HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR REALLY OVER 40 YEARS, WE'VE SEEN ANOTHER INCREASE IN REVENUE. UH, AND AS A RESULT, THE STORY REMAINS THE SAME FOR THE CITIES I REPRESENT, WHICH ARE CARROLLTON AND IRVING AND REALLY FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OVER OVERALL. AND THAT IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM SALES TAX REVENUE. AND THE SALES TAX REVENUE THE MEMBERS ARE PAYING INTO THE AGENCY HAS ALMOST DOUBLED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS AND HAS ALMOST TRIPLED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. SO THE REVENUE CONTINUES TO GROW AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE TRANSIT SERVICES, UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET ARE REFLECTIVE OF THAT INCREASE IN REVENUE. SO, AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE EFFORT. THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS IN THIS BUDGET, BUT THIS IS NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING I CAN SUPPORT. THANK YOU, CHAIR. ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? MR. RICKARD? DELEY. THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UH, SO I WRESTLED WITH THIS DECISION A BIT BECAUSE, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, INTERIM CEO LEININGER HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC, UH, INTERIM CEO AND JAMIE, YOU AND YOUR YOUR TEAM HAVE, UH, CERTAINLY DONE A GREAT JOB OF, UH, PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, IT'S NO SECRET, UH, SINCE I CAME ONTO THIS BOARD THAT I THINK THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH THE ALLOCATION OF SERVICES TO MEMBER CITIES BEING SO OUT OF WHACK WITH MEMBER CITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS. TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT A NEW ISSUE CREATED BY THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. IT'S NOTHING THAT ANYBODY DID IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS. I THINK EVERYONE WORKING ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET DID A GREAT JOB. I THINK IT EVEN TAKES WHAT I VIEW AS SMALL STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, NONETHELESS, THIS BUDGET CONTINUES A PROFOUNDLY INEQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF SERVICES AMONG DARTS MEMBER CITIES, WHERE SOME CITIES RECEIVE FAR LESS IN SERVICES THAN WHAT THEIR SALES TAX PAYERS PAY FOR. AND OTHER CITIES RECEIVE FAR MORE THAN WHAT THEIR SALES TAX PAYERS PAY FOR. ACCORDINGLY, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS BUDGET UNTIL WE START MAKING MORE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THOSE ISSUES. I'LL ALSO SAY TO DIRECTOR EK'S POINT, UM, THE OPERATING BUDGET INCREASE CONCERNS ME, GIVEN THAT THIS IS A LARGELY STATUS QUO BUDGET, UM, AND THE AUSTERITY THAT, THAT WE POTENTIALLY HAVE AHEAD, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO INCREASE THAT MUCH WITHOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, TREMENDOUS SERVICE INCREASES. UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT INFLATION AND POPULATION GROWTH WAS THIS YEAR WAS ALSO A CONCERN FOR ME. UM, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT CRYSTALLIZED MY THOUGHT PROCESS PROCESS ON THIS IS THAT WHEN I CAME ONTO THIS BOARD ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND WE WERE IN THE HEAT OF THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UH, I REMEMBER BEING TOLD, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT PLANO HAD REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OF THOSE YEARS AND THOSE REPS VOTED FOR THE BUDGET AND EVEN HAD A HAND IN PREPARING IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THE IMPLICATION WAS ESSENTIALLY, UH, IF, IF THAT ALLOCATION WAS PROBLEMATIC, WHY NOT SAY SOMETHING AT THAT TIME? AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT CRYSTALLIZED MY THOUGHT PROCESS ON MY VOTE TONIGHT. UM, I DON'T WANNA GO BACK DOWN THAT ROAD. SO I'M RAISING MY HAND NOW TO SAY THAT THE INEQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES THAT THIS BUDGET CONTINUES IS SIMPLY NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR THIS AGENCY. I THINK THAT CHAIR BRYANT HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT LEADER DURING THIS PROCESS. UH, INTERIM CEO LINE INJURED JAMIE AND YOUR TEAM, Y'ALL HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB ON THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF BUDGET PREPARATION. THIS IS NOT A REFLECTION ON ANYONE, IT'S JUST ABOUT THE INEQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES THAT THIS BUDGET INHERITED. I KNOW IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A STATUS QUO BUDGET, AND SO IT INHERITED THE INEQUITABLE STATUS QUO. UH, THIS MEANS THAT THIS BUDGET CONTINUES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PLANO AND OTHER DONOR CITIES TO DELIVER SERVICES IN OTHER CITIES WHEN THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT UNMET NEEDS IN PLANO AND THOSE OTHER DONOR CITIES. EVEN THOUGH THIS BUDGET MAKES INCREMENTAL PROCE PROGRESS, UH, IN MY ASSESSMENT, IT'S STILL SO FAR FROM BEING WITHIN ACCEPTABLE TOLERANCES THAT AFTER SIGNIFICANT DELIBERATION, I CANNOT VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET. THANK Y'ALL FOR LISTENING. ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? UM, IF YOU COULD PUT ME ON FOR THREE MINUTES, UM, LEMME START BY SAYING, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT AND, UM, I HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH, UH, MR. ELLI BEFORE, UH, NOT ABOUT HOW HE WAS GONNA VOTE BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS SMART ENOUGH AND KNOWS HOW TO VOTE THEIR CONSCIENCE. UM, AS CHAIR AND AS BOARD MEMBERS, UM, WE HAVE TO BE VERY DILIGENT WITH OUR TIME AS CHAIR, AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD THIS FISCAL YEAR. GOING INTO THE BUDGET, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD LAST YEAR THAT I WANTED TO TRY TO CHANGE FOR THIS YEAR WAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE AND VARIOUS CITIES INABILITY TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET OVER [00:30:01] THE PROCESS. SO WHAT DID I DO? I TOOK THE COMMITTEE AWAY AND ENSURED THAT ALL CONVERSATIONS RELATED TO THE BUDGET HAPPENED RIGHT HERE AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONTENTION HISTORICALLY WITHIN THIS AGENCY ABOUT, UM, SALARIED BONUSES. WE HAVE NOW ENSURED THAT THE INCOMING CEO WILL MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION OF WHAT THOSE BONUSES ARE. UM, THERE HAVE BEEN TALKS ABOUT DELIVERY OF SERVICES AND SO WE TRY TO ENSURE THAT NEW CIRCULATORS AND NEW GOING ZONES AND EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T FULLY MEET, UM, SOME OF THE REQUESTS FROM THE CITIES GO FURTHER THAN WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE PAST. ULTIMATELY, WE AS BOARD MEMBERS CAN ONLY DO WHAT'S REALLY IN OUR TRUE PARAMETERS AND MAKE PROGRESS ON THE PROMISES THAT WE TRY TO DELIVER ON EACH AND EVERY DAY. DOES IT ALWAYS GET A HUNDRED PERCENT? NO? UH, AND MY VOTES ARE NEVER CASTED ON EVERY ITEM MEETING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT I LOOK FOR. BUT FOR RELATIVE TO, RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS BUDGETS AND SERVICE CUTS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE PUT THIS ON THE RECORD ONE LAST TIME. THOSE SERVICE CUTS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND NO FAIR INCREASES OTHER THAN WHAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR ON UM, PARATRANSIT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THE GMP IS FULLY FUNDED? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THAT GMP SPECIFICALLY IS 5% OF OUR SALES TAXES INCREASING 1% YEAR OVER YEAR BACK TO OUR SERVICE SERIES? THAT'S CORRECT. TO GET TO 10%. TO GET TO 10% AND, AND SALES TAXES SPECIFICALLY TO DART. IS IT TRUE OR NOT TRUE THAT THE SALES TAXES THAT WE ARE SEEING, THE DOUBLING OF OUR BUDGETS, THE INCREASES THAT WE ARE SEEING HERE AT DART ARE THE EXACT MIRROR TO WHAT EACH AND EVERY CITY IS, IS SEEING AS WELL FOR THEMSELVES? THEY WILL SEE IT, YES. AND THE CITIES ACTUALLY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SALES TAX THAT DART IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR. AND WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE THE CITIES HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT SALES TAX ON CERTAIN UTILITIES THAT DART DOES NOT. OKAY. SO AT MINIMUM IT'S THE SAME, BUT IT COULD BE MORE IN SOME INSTANCES. CORRECT. AND IT VARIES CITY BY CITY, DEPENDING ON THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC AND ACTIVITIES. OKAY. SO THE SALES TAXES AND THE INCREASES INCREASINGS OF OUR BUDGET, UM, ARE THE CITIES THAT THE MEMBER CITIES OR WHATEVER QUALIFYING WORD YOU WANT TO USE FOR A CITY, THEY'RE SEEING THE SAME IF NOT MORE WITHIN THEIR ANNUAL BUDGETS? YES. OKAY. UM, BUT THAT HAS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING I PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTES. 12 IN FAVOR TO AND OPPOSITION. THIS MOTION PASSES. WE'LL MOVE ON [19. Approval of Fiscal Year 2027 20-Year Financial Plan (Presenters: Gary Slagel/Jamie Adelman)] TO THE APPROVAL OF THE FISCAL YEAR 20 27, 20 YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. WEST, SECOND BY CHAIR SLAGEL. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE WITH 11 IN FAVOR. THREE IN OPPOSITION. THIS MOTION PASSES. IT NEEDED 10 TO PASS. [20. Approval to Execute Amendments to the Interlocal Agreements between DART and the Cities of Cockrell Hill, Glenn Heights, and University Park for Implementation of the Transit Related Improvement Program (Presenters: Gary Slagel/Kay Shelton)] NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL TO EXECUTE A AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN DART AND THE CITIES OF COCHRANE HILL, GLEN HEIGHTS, AND UNIVERSITY PARK FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRANSIT RELATED IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OR TRIP MOVE APPROVAL. IT'S BEEN MOVED. IS THERE SECOND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. , BY MS. GARCIA. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTES. 14 IN FAVOR. ZERO IN OPPOSITION. THIS MOTION PASSES. ITEM 21 IS THE [21. Approval of DART’s Legislative Priorities for the 90th Session of the Texas Legislature (Presenters: Gary Slagel/Kay Shelton)] APPROVAL OF DART'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 90TH SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE. IS THERE MOTION TO APPROVE MOVE APPROVAL? IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. ENOCH, SECOND BY CHAIR, SLAGEL. ANY DISCUSSION? AND I'LL TAKE ONE. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS A FEW THINGS, BUT I RECOGNIZE ANYONE ELSE FIRST. OKAY. UH, GO AHEAD MR. RICKARD. THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I WON'T TAKE NEARLY THAT MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I INACCURATELY MENTIONED THIS ONE ALSO WHEN WE VOTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT, UH, THIS IS, UH, THE AMENDMENT IS ALREADY REFLECTED IN THE PACKET, SO, UM, I'M GOOD WITH THIS AS AMENDED. ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE YOU CAN PUT ME ON FOR, FOR, UH, THREE MINUTES? SO I JUST WANT TO, UM, THANK THOSE THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE, UM, ON, ON THIS ITEM. UM, I, I KNOW WE HAVE THIS IDEA, UH, ABOUT THE LEGISLATURE, BUT JUST I WANNA PUT SOMETHING IN PERSPECTIVE FOR, FOR EVERYONE HERE. ON AVERAGE ABOUT 2000 BILLS GET FILED IN THE SENATE AND ON AVERAGE ABOUT 8,000 GET FILED IN THE HOUSE. SO ABOUT 10,000 TOTAL AND ONLY ABOUT A THOUSAND ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK FOR SIGNATURE. THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS NOT WHERE BILLS GO TO, YOU KNOW, PREVAIL. IT'S ACTUALLY WHERE BILLS GONNA DIE IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE RATIOS [00:35:01] OF IT. AND SO, UM, THE CITIES AND, AND, AND DART AND THE STAFF ON ALL SIDES, UM, ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND, AND SUCCEED WITHIN THE THINGS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US TO SUCCEED AT. AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ALL AGREED UPON A GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE. THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS ALSO NOT WHERE THE LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS CREATE THE CONCEPTS AND THE BILLS THEMSELVES. THEY GENERALLY TAKE THEM FROM THE ADVICE OF US. AND SO WE HAVE NOT MADE THE FULL PROGRESS, AND THERE'S NO POINT OF GOING DOWN THERE AND ADMITTING DEFEAT ON WHERE AN ULTIMATE UH, UH, FUNDING BILL WILL BE THERE. SO WE STILL HAVE MANY MORE, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS WITHIN THE SIX YEARS OF THE GMP TO MAKE THAT FINAL PROGRESS. UM, SO IT'S, IT THAT'S THE, THE, UH, I WON'T SAY THE FULL REASON WHY, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE NOT INCLUDED, UH, ANY FINANCIALS OR ANY FINANCING, UM, WITHIN OUR, UH, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. ALSO, IF YOU OPEN UP PANDORA'S BOX, YOU RUN THE RISK OF THE OPPOSITE HAPPENING, WHICH IS DEFUNDING OF DART IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT SOLID PLAN. AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND ALL OF OUR CITIES TO ULTIMATELY COME UP WITH THAT PLAN. AND WHEN WE DO, I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS BOARD SUPPORTING IT AND INCLUDING OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'VE ALL AGREED TO THE GOVERNANCE AND THIS IS WHAT WE, UH, INTEND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID AT MAYOR SOFFER, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? SURE. I JUST WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE INDIVIDUAL. I JUST SHARING THAT. TALKED ABOUT BENCHES AND STUFF. WE HAVE A THREE YEAR PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND THERE'S A TIMEFRAME WHEN WE WILL BE PUTTING BENCHES IN AND REDOING SHELTERS AND STUFF SO THAT THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE FOR THAT AS WELL. AND ALSO, AS FAR AS THE FUNDING GOES, UH, RANDALL, YOU'RE INVOLVED AND GARY, I DON'T KNOW WHO ALL'S INVOLVED WITH THE, UH, 2.0 WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE COG, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK WITH TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET MORE FUNDING AS WELL. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THOSE TWO POINTS WE ARE WORKING ON. WHILE THEY DON'T SHOW UP IN THE LEGISLATION, YOU ARE WORKING ON 'EM AS WELL AS OTHERS. THANK YOU. UH, MS. KENNEDY AND MS. THEN MR. MCGREGOR CHAIR. I, I APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT, THAT YOU HAD JUST MENTIONED, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT TO FOR, AS PART OF THIS, FOR US TO SUPPORT STATEWIDE, UH, FUNDING FOR, UH, MAJOR TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE. ALRIGHT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AS AN AMENDMENT. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I GOT IT RIGHT. YOU WANT TO IN, IN THE SUPPORT, UM, UM, SECTION, YOU WANT TO ADD LANGUAGE THAT SAYS SUPPORT. COULD YOU RESTATE IT? YES. STATEWIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE. ALL RIGHT. THE AMENDMENT IS TO ADD, UH, LANGUAGE UNDER THE SUPPORT SECTION FOR STATEWIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC AGENCIES ACROSS, ACROSS THE STATE. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT. OKAY. ANY, UH, DISCUSSION ON THAT AMENDMENT, MR. ENOCH? I JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S, I MEAN, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEA THAT IF SOMEONE ELSE FILES A BILL THAT WE WOULD BE SUPPORTING, IF THAT INCREASED THE PIE FROM WHICH ALL THE PUBLIC AGENCIES COULD TAKE TRANSIT FUNDS, I WOULD NOT SUPPORT SPENDING OUR MONEY ON CREATING A BILL. AND, AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS IT'S A, A VERY INTENSIVE EFFORT AND MONEY AND TIME FOR OUR STAFF TO GO DOWN THERE AND PUSH A BILL THROUGH OR START A BILL. IN FACT, WE'RE LATE IN THE PROCESS NOW TO DO THAT. UH, SO WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT THIS IS GONNA MEAN? I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT MAYOR ENOCH, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD THAT I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, WHEN THE STATE HAS A PLAN, UH, TO SUPPORT ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT THEN DOESN'T NECESSARILY PUT ANY KIND OF, UH, FINANCIAL BACKING OR BUDGET BEHIND IT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO AT LEAST KIND OF TAKE A STAND THAT, UH, THAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING THAT. AND, AND IF THERE WERE TO BE A BILL, NOT NECESSARILY SAYING THAT WE SHOULD LEAD THE EFFORT OF WRITING THE BILL, UH, THAT WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING ANY KIND OF EFFORT TO INCREASE, UH, FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. UM, [00:40:01] YEP. I'M JUST, I'M JUST WONDERING THOUGH, PATRICK, WE TYPICALLY, WHAT WE GO DOWN THERE TO DO IS WE WATCH BILLS, THANK YOU. WE WATCH BILLS TO SEE THOSE COULD, THAT COULD HURT. WE'VE GOT PEOPLE DOWN THERE, WE PAY TO DO THAT. WE WATCH BILLS THAT WE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN TAGGING ON, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR OWN BILLS THAT WE PUT FORWARD. I WOULD NOT WANT TO PUT A BILL FORWARD ON THAT IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION BECAUSE OF LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND IF ANOTHER AGENCY OR SOME MOVEMENT OCCURRED, I THINK THE STAFF WOULD COME BACK TO US AND ASK US. AND I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY UNANIMOUSLY SAY, YES, LET'S DO SOMETHING TO, TO, TO GET ON BOARD WITH THAT. EVEN IF IT'S LOOKING OVER THE BILL AND, AND OFFERING SOME, SOME IDEAS ABOUT CHANGING. I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT US PUTTING IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT WE WILL SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE I, I DON'T WANNA SPEND MONEY DOING THAT RIGHT NOW, THOUGH. I'D BE WILLING TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO'S DOING IT. UNDERSTOOD. AND IT'S ALSO FRUSTRATING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS PLAYING DEFENSE AND NOT PLAYING OFFENSE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE RISKS RELATED TO THAT. UH, IT JUST FEELS LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING OUR, UH, EGGS IN THE BASKET OF SPINNING OFF COMMUTER RAIL INTO SOME OTHER, UH, OPERATIONAL AGENCY THAT NEEDS TO BE FUNDED BY THE STATE, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, UM, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOME, UH, MENTION OF THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, I GOT, I GOT MR. ELLI ON THE AMENDMENT, AND THEN MR. MCGREGOR, THEN MR. LOPEZ, AND THEN MR. SLAGEL. OKAY. MR. ELLI, I'LL KEEP IT QUICK. I, I, I APPRECIATE THE INTENT. I CAN'T VOTE FOR THIS AMENDMENT FOR THE REASONS THAT MAYOR ENOCH TALKED ABOUT. AND ALSO, UH, BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH DART TO BUDGET. YOU KNOW, THE AMENDMENT IS EVERY AGENCY AROUND THE STATE. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD BE USED AT EVERY AGENCY AROUND THE STATE OR HOW FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE OTHER AGENCIES ARE. I JUST HAVEN'T LOOKED INTO IT. AND, UH, UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, ALSO JUST THE KIND OF OPEN-ENDEDNESS. I THINK THERE ARE FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT I MIGHT SUPPORT, FUNDING MECHANISMS, I MIGHT NOT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'D BE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE CLOSELY MONITOR APPROACH THAT MAYOR ENOCH TALKED ABOUT. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING COMES FORWARD THAT'S CONCRETE AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I COULD SUPPORT, I WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER THAT. BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TOO VAGUE AND OPEN-ENDED FOR ME. OKAY. MR. MCGREGOR, THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU. CHAIR. UM, I, I SECONDED THE AMENDMENT AND I, I STILL SUPPORT IT, UM, FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. THE FIRST ONE IS THAT, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE WAY THAT WE ARE CUTTING BACK THE BUDGET FOR DART GOES, UM, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF WHAT THE PROJECTIONS OF POPULATION GROWTH ARE. SO, UM, WE REALLY NEED TO BEGIN, I MEAN, CONTINUE TO BUILD NOW A BASE TO SUPPORT THE POPULATION THAT'S PROJECTED. UM, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL MORRISON HAS QUOTED THAT NUMBER IN THOSE FIGURES MANY TIMES IN TERMS OF POPULATION GROWTH. UM, AND THE, THE SECOND ONE IS, I SUSPECT THAT A SIMILAR ISSUE IS GOING ON IN OTHER TEXAS CITIES. AND , THEIR VOICE MIGHT BE SITTING DOWN THINKING, NO, NO, NO, WE GOT OTHER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT. SOMEBODY HAS TO PUT IN THE FIRST, UH, PUT IT OUT FIRST, TALK ABOUT IT. AND IT MAY NOT HAPPEN THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S, IT'S THROUGH REPETITION. I THINK THAT IN TIME WE MAY BE LISTEN TO. SO I THINK, I DO THINK THIS IS A VERY VALUABLE AMENDMENT. AMENDMENT AND I WILL DEFINITELY SUPPORT IT. ALRIGHT, MS. LOPEZ? THREE MINUTES. MR. KA. I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS, BUT, UH, I WILL SAY THAT I DO FEEL A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, UM, BECAUSE THE WORD LOBBY, AND YOU DIDN'T SAY THE WORD, BUT YOU DID SAY SUPPORT. SO, UH, IN LEGISLATIVE TERMS, SUPPORT AND LOBBY, UH, ARE OFTEN SYNONYMOUS WITH EACH OTHER. UM, AND AS WE LOBBY FOR OTHER TRANSIT AGENTS, UH, AGENCIES, UH, JUST, I, I GET VERY, VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT. UM, IF THE LANGUAGE WERE CHANGED TO WATCH MONITOR, BE A RESOURCE WITNESS, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION, I WOULD SUPPORT, UH, THIS AMENDMENT. UH, OUR STAFF AND OUR GEN AND OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, UH, LOCAL LOBBY TEAM, UH, IN AUSTIN SHOULD BE A FIDUCIARY FOR THIS AGENCY. UH, AND, AND I JUST FEEL VERY, VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE WORD SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. CHAIR LAGEL. THREE MINUTES. YEAH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO BE A LITTLE PATIENT. I KNOW YOU COULD ARGUE THAT WE'VE BEEN TOO PATIENT, BUT THE, UH, TRANSIT 2.0 INITIATIVE REALLY IS TO TRY TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND THAT ISSUE OF HOW DO WE GET MORE FUNDING FOR OUR TRANSIT AGENCIES IN THIS AREA. AND, AND THE, AND THE RTC HAS VOTED NOT TO DO ANYTHING BEYOND THIS ONE MOVEMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE CONCERNED, [00:45:01] AS THE CHAIRMAN SAID THAT SOMETHING BAD MAY HAPPEN BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE CITIES WITH US. IT'S NOT, OR OUR, OR EVEN OUR LEGISLATORS. IT WOULD JUST BE, UH, IT WOULD BE BETTER I THINK IF WE COULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AT THE RTC LEVEL AND THEN BRING THAT FORWARD IN THE NEXT SESSION, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT THE REGION HAS AGREED TO DO. SO. BUT I'M, I'M NOT ON THE RTC COMMITTEE. OKAY. HOLD ON. MS. WON CROSS. THANK YOU. UM, I THINK PERHAPS A BETTER OPTION IS TO MONITOR, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, REGARDING PUBLIC FUNDING OF TRANSIT AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND THEN AS WE GET, IF AND WHEN WE GET BILLS AT, AT A LATER TIME, WE CAN ANALYZE IT AND THEN AS A BOARD COME TO A CONSENSUS ON HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH IT. BUT I THINK I SEE MORE OF A CONSENSUS FOR MONITOR RATHER THAN SUPPORT, EVEN THOUGH I, I DO WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT I THINK THE BETTER, UM, MORE CAREFUL, PRUDENT ACTION IS TO MONITOR IT. UM, AND THEN AD HOC, UH, AS WE REVIEW AND ANALYZE THE BILL, THEN WE CAN MAKE AN OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. THANK YOU. MR. ABA. THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. YEAH, AS I MENTIONED THE COMMITTEE, THE WHOLE, I PERSONALLY DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE'S A NEED FOR A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. THERE'S BEEN AN AGREEMENT MADE ON THE GOVERNANCE AND THERE'S NOTHING TO DO THERE. UM, AND AS HAS BEEN, UH, PRESENTED TO YOU HERE IN THE LAST SEVERAL MINUTES, EVERYTHING ELSE IS VAGUE AND SUBJECTIVE. IF A PARTICULAR, UH, BILL GETS FILED, THEN WE SHOULD PUT IT ON AN AGENDA. WE SHOULD SHUT DOWN AS A BODY, HAVE A DISCUSSION AND TAKE A POSITION AND ALL THAT. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A NEED FOR A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SHERIFF. ALRIGHT. RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? UM, I'LL, I'LL WEIGH IN ON THE, ON THE AMENDMENT. UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE, THE DIFFERENTIATORS AND WHAT WE HAVE UNDER SUPPORT AND WHAT WE HAVE UNDER CLOSELY MONITOR IS WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE BILL IS GOING TO BE FOR THE ENABLING, UH, STATUTE REVISIONS. IT'S ALREADY BEEN SENT TO ALLEGED COUNSEL. THE ENHANCED CRIMINAL PENALTIES BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED CONSISTENTLY FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF SESSIONS. UM, WHAT WE HAVE UNDER CLOSELY MONITOR IS GENERALLY, UM, THE, SO TO SPEAK, CATCHALL. I THINK THAT WAS A TERM USED, UH, THE LAST TIME BY MR. ELLI. UM, AND AS MS. JUAN KRAUS POINTED OUT AND AS WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME, ONCE BILLS BEGAN TO ACTUALLY GET FILED, WE CAME BACK TO THIS BOARD, UM, AND AMENDED WHAT OUR, UM, PRIORITIES WOULD BE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SESSION. AND SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE MAKER OF THE MOTION OR THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE, UM, WILLING TO PUT IT UNDER CLOSELY MONITOR, BUT, UM, THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST IF POSSIBLE. AND IF NOT, WE'LL TAKE THE VOTE AS IS. I'LL, I'LL ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FOR A CLOSELY MONITORED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THE AMENDMENT IS TO MOVE, UH, LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS CHANGE. NO, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE WORD. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS STATEWIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE. UNDER CLOSELY MONITOR PUBLIC AGENCIES, TRANSIT, PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES, PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES, LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE UNDER CLOSELY MONITOR. DOES A SECOND? UH, YEAH, I ACCEPT IT. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WE'LL TAKE A HAND VOTE ON THIS ONE UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER, UH, CONVERSATION ON IT. SEEING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OPPOSITION WITH 13 IN FAVOR, ONE IN OPPOSITION. THE AMENDMENT PASSES. WE ARE BACK ON THE MAIN MOTION. UM, MR. UM, MCGREGOR, YOU ARE NEXT IN LINE. THREE MINUTES? YES. ON THE MAIN MOTION. THANK, THANK YOU MR. CHAIR AS AMENDED. SO, I, I THINK I MISSED THE CONVERSATION. THE, THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THAT DISCUSSED THIS WAS BEEN ALLOWED AT THE LAST MEETING, AS YOU KNOW, I, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO DIAL IN REMOTELY AND TURNS OUT IT WASN'T ADVERTISED THAT WAY. SO, UM, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT I, I STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS GOVERNANCE CHANGE ON THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS. I, I FELT FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IT'S A SOLUTION GOING AFTER A PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T EXIST. THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE CITY CEILING, LIKE THEY'RE NOT PROPERLY REPRESENTED. UM, THIS IS NOT GONNA CHANGE THAT IF, IF, IF, IF THE CURRENT DIRECTORS THAT REPRESENT THE CITIES, THEY'RE NOT COMMUNICATING WITH 'EM, ADDING A TON OF OTHER PEOPLE IS NOT GONNA CHANGE THAT AT ALL. BUT WHAT THIS WILL DO, THIS WILL MAKE THESE BOARD MEETINGS VERY DIFFICULT TO 21 PEOPLE TO, TO REACH TO, YOU KNOW, APPROVE A BUDGET OR TO TO REACH A CONCLUSION ON ISSUES, UH, IS, IS [00:50:01] GONNA BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. PROBABLY DAMAGING TO DART'S ABILITY TO BE NIMBLE AND MOVE ON, ON, ON ISSUE. SO I, I CANNOT SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO BE FOR OR AGAINST THE MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED? SEEING NONE, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE ON YOUR MACHINE. THIS IS TO APPROVE THE MOTION AS AMENDED WITH TENANT FAVOR TO WAIT, SORRY, WITH TENANT FAVOR TO AN OPPOSITION. THAT MOTION PASSES. NEXT [22. +Approval of Reaffirmation of Existing DART Board Members (Presenters: Gary Slagel/Gene Gamez)] ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF REAFFIRMATION OF EXISTING DART BOARD MEMBERS. THEIR MOTION TO APPROVE. APPROVE. SO SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. IN SECOND BY MR. MCGREGOR. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE. 13 IN FAVOR. ZERO IN OPPOSITION. THAT MOTION PASSES. [23. Approval of Contract for Dallas County Hospital District d/b/a Parkland Health to Provide Licensed Behavioral Health Services in Support of the DART Cares Multi-Disciplinary Response Team Program (Presenters: Patrick J. Kennedy/Charles Cato)] NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF CONTRACT FOR DALLAS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT DBA PARKLAND HEALTH TO PROVIDE LICENSED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF DART CARE'S MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TEAM PROGRAM. THERE'S A BLUE SHEET ON THIS ITEM, UH, MR. WEST FOR A MOTION, PLEASE, MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE MDRT AGREEMENT WITH PARKLAND HEALTH FOR TWO YEARS. WITH ANY OPTIONS TO BE PRESENTED TO BOARD FOR APPROVAL. YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S LISTED ON THE BLUE SHEET WITH EDITS. ALRIGHT, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. WEST. SECOND BY MR. GRADING. ANY DISCUSSION MR. HERBA? THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE THAT'S, UH, VERY COMPLICATED AND ONE THAT WE AS AN A AGENCY HAVE TO LEAN INTO. AND I DO WANT TO LEAN INTO THIS ISSUE. UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN SOLVE ON OUR OWN. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH MANY, MANY PEOPLE. UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, UH, THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, I WAS VERY AWARE THAT THERE WAS SORT OF A SCOPE AND REACH ON WHAT WE COULD DO HERE, BUT THE HOPE WAS AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT THAT REACH WOULD REALLY REACH OUT INTO OUR SERVICE AREA. A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT, UH, THAT THE COMMUNITY PARTNER THAT PROVIDES THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE CITY OF CARROLLTON, WHICH IS THE CITY THAT I REPRESENT, AS WELL AS PROVIDES A VAST MAJORITY OF SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE CITY OF FARMERS BRANCH IN ADDISON, IS YET TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, WE DO HAVE SOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS THAT I CAN, I THINK CAN BE A TREMENDOUS HELP TO THIS PROCESS. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, I ASKED STAFF TO BRING BACK A ONE YEAR OPTION FOR THIS. AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THE UPDATED LANGUAGE, IT'S IN THE BLUE, UH, SHEET THAT THE MEMBERS HAVE. MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO LET THE NEW MEMBERS TAKE AN AN AT BAD HERE AND TAKE A SWING AT SOLVING THIS PROBLEM AND A FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVE ON IT. AND THEN WE COULD COME BACK IN 12 MONTHS FROM NOW AND SEE WHAT THEY HAD COME UP WITH. SO FOR THOSE TWO REASONS, I WILL BE VOTING NO ON THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? C NINE. PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE. 12 IN FAVOR TWO AND OPPOSITION. THIS MOTION PASSES. [24. +Approval of Contract for Building Maintenance and Cleaning Services at DART Headquarters and DART Police Headquarters (Presenters: Patrick J. Kennedy/Trenise Winters)] NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF CONTRACT FOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING SERVICES AT DART HEADQUARTERS AND DART POLICE HEADQUARTERS. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. ENOCH, SECOND BY MR. STOFF. FOR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, MR. HERBA? THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I DO APPRECIATE. YEAH, THIS BREAKS DOWN TO $270,000 A MONTH FOR WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS, UH, THE CLEANING OF THE BUILDINGS. ALSO INCLUDED IN HERE IS ELEVATOR MAINTENANCE. AND AFTER, UH, SPEAKING WITH THE STAFF AND ASKING SOME QUESTIONS, I'M NOT REAL CLEAR IF THE ELEVATOR'S GONNA GET FIXED OR NOT. SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GONNA VOTE. NO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? MR. MCGREGOR? THREE MINUTES. OH, YEP. WERE YOU, WERE YOU GONNA PROVIDE A LIST OF THE ITEMS COVERED BY THE CONTRACTION? CLEAR? IF THAT WAS GOOD? IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, IT'S OKAY. I JUST WANNA KNOW THAT IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU PRODUCED IT THAT I DIDN'T MISS IT. I DID. OKAY, THANK YOU. I'M GOOD. I'LL, I'LL SUPPORT THE MOTION THOUGH. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NONE, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE. 13 IN FAVOR, ONE IN OPPOSITION. THE MOTION PASSES. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO [25. Public Comments – General Items] OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS. OUR FIRST, UH, COMMENT [00:55:01] IS FROM PHYLLIS SILVER. HELLO, MY NAME IS PHYLLIS SILVER, RESIDENT OF ADDISON. AND FOR THE NEWER BOARD MEMBERS WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW ME, I'M ALSO CHAIR OF THE DARTS, UH, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF DATA, WHICH IS DALLAS AREA REP, UH, DALLAS AREA TRANSIT ALLIANCE. UH, AND BUT THESE COMMENTS THAT I'M MAKING TODAY ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN, ARE NOT THE, UH, IDEAS OF THE COMMITTEES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DART BOARD MEMBERS FOR APPROVING THE, UH, EXTENSION OF SILVER LINE FREQUENCY FOR OUR RECENT, UM, OCTOBER FEST FESTIVAL THIS PAST WEEKEND. I WAS ALSO PLEASED THAT THE SILVER LINE OPTION FOR TRAVELING TO THE EVENT WAS WELL ADVERTISED IN ADVANCE IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA SUCH AS THE RADIO. I NOTICED THAT SILVER LINE AND HERZOG STAFF WERE ON THE TRAIN PLATFORMS IN ADDISON, WHICH WAS HELPFUL FOR WRITERS WHO HAD QUESTIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DART TAKE AN EVEN MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH AND HAVE INCREASED SUPPORT COVERAGE AT THE BUS SIDE OF IN ADDISON, I UNDERSTAND THAT SUPERVISORS, ASSISTED RIDERS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THERE WOULD BE AT LEAST ONE BUS CONCIERGE, INCLUDING ON THE WEEKENDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS A FESTIVAL. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THAT CAPACITY THIS PAST WEEKEND. HAVING DART PERSONNEL ON HAND WOULD IMPROVE THE RIDER EXPERIENCE AND IT WOULD LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD REYNOLDS, FOLLOWED BY MADISON MCNAIR. RICHARD REYNOLDS, OH, SORRY, EXCUSE ME. STILL TOO MUCH NEW YORK CITY AND ME WON'T NEED ANY OF THIS. I COULD BE BRINGING UP HANDFULS OF ISSUES, BUT WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING TO THIS, BUT THE KEY ON MY PLATE RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE THIS AI TALK OUT THERE. WE ARE ACTING VERY UNINTELLIGENT, VERY ARTIFICIAL AGGRESSIVE INTEGRITY. ARE WE AGGRESSING OR NOT? I POINTED OUT THE TERM INTEGRITY. IT'S TWO DATES AGO. I HAD A PAIR OF TRANSITS SET UP FROM 1500 NORTH GARRETT AVENUE TO A CHURCH RIGHT OVER HERE, 1707 SAN JACINTO DRIVE FIRST BAPTIST. BUT SOMEHOW IN THE RECORDS IT WAS LOST AND I GET DROPPED OFF IN A HOTEL COMPLEX. 650 OLIVE. WHAT DOES ANY OF YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR AN APOLOGY? CAN I GET IT TYPED UP IN A 15 P PIECE LETTER. FORTUNATELY A RESPECT BACK HERE IS GO, GONE TO LOOK INTO THIS. I'VE BEEN GIVEN A CARD BY THE FRONT DESK OUT THERE AND A NAME TO PUR PURPOSELY GET TO. BUT I ALSO ADD, AND THERE ARE THE RECORDS OF 20 VISITS TO THE ER AND SPECIALISTS AFTER THIS FALL AT 40 10 ROSS AVENUE JUST MONTHS AGO. AND THEN IN APRIL, UNSAFETY AT THE JFK CENTER ARE, HOW DO I KNOW THAT I CAN TRUST ANY KIND OF LEADERSHIP AT THIS PLACE? LEADER OF DALLAS, LEADER OF TEXAS, OR THIS END OF AMERICA. ARE YOU LEADERSHIP PROPERLY BEHAVING ON THE PHONE SYSTEM? TELLS ME THE OTHER DAY THAT THEY WILL GET BACK TO ME ON MONDAY, 9:00 AM AND I'M SUPPOSED TO STAND THERE AT SAN JACINTO DRIVE. AM I REALLY SUPPOSED TO TRUST THIS? WOULD YOU BE TRUSTING YOUR TAX DOLLAR ARROGANTLY BEHAVING LIKE THIS? WHICH ONE OF YOU WOULD'VE STOOD OUT THERE FOR WITH ME FOR 17 HOURS? PURE DISGRACE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ARROGANT, INTEGRITY. DEAR TAX DOLLARS DESERVE THAT. I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF ONE OF THEM IN THE SUPPORT AT THE TWO ER VISITS. THERE'S AT LEAST THE REPORTS OF 20 TRIPS TO THE SPECIALIST. AND STILL TWO MORE IN THE NEXT FOUR BUSINESS DAYS. WHAT DOES DART HAVE TO SAY FOR [01:00:01] ALL OF THIS LACKS? I'M READY TO SEE THE LETTERS OF PAUL D RIGHT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE RIGHT DOWN TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS PANEL. SIR, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING AND YOU'LL CONNECT ME TO THE RESPECT HERE BECAUSE I'M READY TO FIGHT THIS. THANK YOU SIR. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MADISON MCNAIR, FOLLOWED BY GUA BAILEY, WHO'S NO LONGER HERE. SO WE BE FOLLOWED BY HILLARY BROWN. GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS MADISON, NO, NOEL MCNAIR. I'M A MEMBER OF DART'S, PRAN AND AND ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY GROUP. AND AS A DART PAG MEMBER, I'M HERE TO ASK THIS BOARD TO TAKE A STRONG UNIFIED POSITION IN THE UPCOMING LEGISLATION AND SUPPORT OF INCREASED STATE FUNDING THAT CAN BENEFIT DART'S PARATRANSIT SERVICES ACROSS OUR REGION FOR THOUSANDS IN NORTH TEXANS. PARATRANSIT IS IN A CONVENIENCE. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, A JOB, A GROCERY STORE, OR A VISIT WITH FAMILY. THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS WITH DISABILITIES, OUR SENIORS, OUR VETERANS. WHEN PARATRANSIT IS UNDERFUNDED, THEY DON'T SIMPLY WAIT LONGER. THEY MISS WORK, THEY MISS MEDICATIONS, THEY GET LEFT BEHIND. DART PROVIDES OVER 3000 PARATRANSIT RIDES EVERY SINGLE DAY. THAT'S NOT A NICHE SERVICE, THAT'S A LIFELINE. AND THOSE RIDERS HAVE DIFFUSED ALTERNATIVES. WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, WHEN SCHEDULES TIGHTEN OR BUS ROUTES DISAPPEAR, THE DEMAND DOESN'T DISAPPEAR. IT SHIFTS ONTO OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS. EVERY CUT ANYWHERE IN THE SYSTEM LANDS EVENTUALLY ON THE DOORSTEP OF A PARATRANSIT RIDER. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE AT DART. OUR PARATRANSIT WAIT TIMES TODAY ARE COMPARABLE TO A TYPICAL FIXED ROUTE BUS RIDE. BUT THE STANDARD WE SHOULD BE MEETING IS NOT ABOUT THE SAME AS A BUS. IT'S ON TIME EVERY TIME. FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT WAIT ON A CURB IN THE HEAT OR THE COLD. AND HONESTLY, WE'RE NOT THERE YET. RIDERS ARE STILL BEING PICKED UP AN HOUR OR MORE AFTER THEIR DESIGNATED TIME. FOR SOMEONE HEADING TO DIALYSIS OR A SHIFT AT WORK AN HOUR LATE ISN'T AN INCONVENIENCE, IT'S A MISSED APPOINTMENT, A LOST JOB A DAY DERAILED. I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THE IDEA THAT PARATRANSIT RIDERS CAN TURN TO DART ON DEMAND THROUGH UBER. THAT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE. UBER VEHICLES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE ACCESSIBLE. SORRY. A USER WHO USES A WHEELCHAIR CANNOT COUNT ON AN UBER THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THEM. FOR MANY OF OUR RIDERS, THE ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE IS THE ENTIRE POINT. HANDING THEM AN APP THAT MAY NOT HAVE A SINGLE ACCESSIBLE CAR AVAILABLE ISN'T A SOLUTION. IT'S A DEAD END. I'VE USED DART ON DEMAND MYSELF AND I'VE BEEN DROPPED OFF AND LEFT BEHIND AT RANDOM SPOTS ACROSS DALLAS, STRANDED AT A QUICK TRIP AT 10:30 PM THEN ON A SIDEWALK IN DEBELL. BEING LEFT AT A RANDOM LOCATION WITH NO ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE AND NO WAY HOME ISN'T A SERVICE FAILURE YOU CAN STRUCK OFF. IT'S A SAFETY FAILURE AND A DIRECT RESULT OF RELYING ON A SYSTEM WITH NO OBLIGATION TO CARRY US. THERE'S ANO. UM, SO I ASK, PLEASE, UH, CONSIDER, UM, FRAMING, UM, SORRY, PLEASE. SO I ASK THE BOARD, DO NOT LET DART ON DEMAND BE FRAMED AS A REPLACEMENT FOR ON DEMAND PARA TRANSIT SERVICE. IT IS A COMPLIMENT AT BEST AND FOR RIDERS WHO NEED ACCESSIBILITY, IT IS NOT AN OPTION AT ALL. THE LEGISLATURE SETS THE CEILING ON WHAT TRANSIT AGENCIES CAN DO. RIGHT NOW. THAT CEILING IS TOO LOW. THE COST OF ACCESSIBLE DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE KEEPS RISING WHILE STATE SUPPORT HAS NOT, UH, KEPT PACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HILLARY BROWN, FOLLOWED BY TAMMY GREENBERG. I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN. ALRIGHT. TAMMY GREENBERG, FOLLOWED BY TAMIKA JOHNSON. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK AGAIN. UM, 2 37 PRESTON NORMANDY. TIME IS GONNA BE CHANGING AND I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THAT. 2 37, THAT BUS STOP. UM, IT'S NOT, THERE'S NO LIGHT. I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS DOESN'T WANT IT, BUT IT'S VERY HARD FOR THE BUS DRIVER TO SEE ME AT NIGHT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO NORMANDY AND PRESTON EVERY OTHER TUESDAY NOW. SO YOU GUYS, SO WE NEED AND CONNECTIONS. CONNECTIONS, CONNECTIONS. WE NEED THE BUSES BE CONNECTED WITH WEST END TO OTHER BUSES BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A LONG WAIT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A HUNDRED DEGREES HEAT FOR US. IT'S A LONG WAIT. WE NEED SECURITY AFTER 8:00 PM I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING WEST HOUR, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE AT 8:00 PM 'CAUSE I WAS, IT WAS YOUNG KIPPER LAST NIGHT AND I WAS ON THE TRAIN AT 10 O'CLOCK LAST NIGHT AFTER MY FAST. UM, BUSES NEED TO BE CLEAN AFTER WASH HOUR. I WAS OVER AT [01:05:01] MOCKINGBIRD TODAY, UM, BECAUSE OF MOCKINGBIRD STATION. THE BUS STOP ON 1 3 5 4 1 3 5 4 0 NEEDS TO BE MOVED FROM MOCKING MCMILLAN BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T CROSS THE STREET. I HAD TO CROSS AND GO BY TO MOCKINGBIRD AND GET THE TRAIN TO GET HERE. SO THE CONSTRUCTIONS, THEY REALLY PAIN IN THE NECK FOR THE PASSENGERS IN MOCKINGBIRD. SO WE NEED, IT'D BE NICE IF WE CAN GET A BUS STOP AT KROGER'S SO WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP WALKING. 'CAUSE WE CAN'T EVEN WALK ON THE SIDE OF KROGER'S ANYMORE. WE HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET THEN GET, ALMOST, GET HIT BY A CAR. UM, SO WE NEED SOMETHING AT FARMER'S MARKET. I HAD TO WALK FROM DOWNTOWN TO FARMER'S MARKET LAST WEEK. WE REALLY NEED SOMETHING AT FARMER'S MARKET FOR THE THEATERS AND FOR PEOPLE WHO TAKE HARWOOD AND STUFF. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WALK, GO APP NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. SKIPPING BUSES AGAIN ON THE GO APP BUS STOP, 2 3 3 7 5 NEEDS A BUS STOP. THREE. AND THE BUS APP DOES NOT SHOW 2 5 9 21 IN ADDISON. I SENT EMAILS TO YOU GUYS AND SEE WHERE'S PLANNING. SO WE NEED TO FIX THAT. ASAP. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TAMIKA JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY MS. RAY. NO, SIR. YOU'VE BEEN REMOVED FOR THE MEETING COURT. MY TURN? YES MA'AM. THREE MINUTES. HOW Y'ALL DOING? ALRIGHT, MY NAME'S, I'M AN EMPLOYEE HERE AT DART, RIGHT? SO FIRST I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD. I WANNA THANK Y'ALL, ALL OF Y'ALL. MAKE SURE I, I THANK Y'ALL. OKAY. UM, I WANT THANK THE BOARD FOR SELECTING MR. FORD, EVEN THOUGH HE IS NOT HERE. IF YOU WATCHING, WELCOME ABOARD. SHOUT OUT TO MR. FORD. THIS IS A GREAT MOMENT FOR YOU. WELCOME TO DARK, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU HAVE, AND I'M, I, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION COMING HERE. NOW, WHILE WE TALKING ABOUT FINANCES, I WANT TO SPEAK UP FOR THE OPERATORS, RIGHT? I'M NOT SURE WHO NEGOTIATED THE 3%, BUT THE 3% SHOULD AT LEAST BE 5%. I'M SIMPLY ASKING THE BOARD TO JUST BE CONSIDERATE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY ARE DOING THE WORK HERE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE HERE. OKAY? UH, REMEMBER YOUR OPERATIONS TEAM, THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY OUT HERE EVERY DAY IN THESE STREETS ON THESE TRACKS SERVING THE METROPLEX. AND IF YOU CAN INVEST IN NEW LEADERSHIP, REMEMBER TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP DART MOVING EVERY DAY. UM, I KNOW WE ON OUR PHYSICAL YEAR, RIGHT? UM, SO JUST REMEMBER US, I GUESS NEXT YEAR FOR THE, THE PHYSICAL YEAR SINCE Y'ALL ALREADY DONE VOTED ON YOUR BUDGET. BUT, UM, JUST DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT. IT'S COST OF LIVING. EVERYTHING IS GOING UP. UM, GAS IS HIGH, REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER. WE STILL GOTTA MAKE IT TO WORK, YOU KNOW? SO I MEAN, THE 3%, I MEAN, I, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM THAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL GET A RAISE. I MEAN, 3%. I'M GRATEFUL. I'M, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL. BUT, UM, WE'VE BEEN GETTING 3% FOR A LITTLE MINUTE NOW. ALL RIGHT? SO IF Y'ALL COULD, UM, TALK TO WHOEVER Y'ALL NEED TO TALK TO AND NEGOTIATE TO GET THE 5%, THAT'LL BE REASONABLE AND WE'LL BE THANKFUL. WE DO SHOW UP EVERY DAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR DART, BECAUSE WE ARE DART, WE ARE THE FACE OF DART. ALL RIGHTY, I DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL TIME, AND I DO HOPE Y'ALL BE SAFE DRIVING HOME. ALL RIGHT. ALRIGHT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. RAY, FOLLOWED BY SHYAM RUM. MS. RAY HERE, YOU HAVE MY ADDRESS ON THE THING. AS I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK OFF MS. TAMIKA TEAMWORK, DR MAKES THE DREAM WORK FROM THE, FROM THE CEO, MR. MR. FORD, WHO WILL BE STARTING OCTOBER THE 26TH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE LAST WRITER. WE ALL REPRESENT A LINK HERE, BUT TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY, WE CREATE, WE MAKE A CHAIN AND EACH LINK IS DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER. SO THAT'S HOW THIS GONNA BE. BUT WITH MY ISSUE IS THREE FRIDAYS AGO, SEPTEMBER THE FOURTH, I WAS AT MY UNCLE'S CHURCH. I'M AT HIS FUNERAL, CORINTH, ILLINOIS. AND I'M GONNA TALK FAST. 'CAUSE WHAT I HAVE ON THIS PAPER, I WANT TO GET IT ALL IN. IT'S REALLY MORE [01:10:01] THAN THAT. AND I, AND I KNOW MISS, UH, I HOPE MR. I DO HOPE MR. FORD THE BEST. I HOPE HE DO HAVE A HEART AND INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM BECAUSE IT'S NOT HERE. UH, THE BEST ASSET AND ONLY ASSET. LAST ASSET THAT WAS HERE, THAT WAS MS. TICE. NO, I'M SORRY, SORRY, MS. TICE. MS UH, RASHIDA. SHE WAS THE FORMER GENERAL MANAGER AT, FOR TRANS DEATH. BUT ANYWAY, UM, THREE FRIDAYS AGO. THANK YOU. IT WAS MY, I WAS AT MY UNCLE'S FUNERAL. I TRIED TO SCHEDULE MY RIDE ACCORDINGLY. UH, IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR TO PICK ME UP BETWEEN 1220 AND 1250. SO, UH, THEY NEVER, MOST OF THE TIME THEY NEVER COME IN AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO DOOR TO DOOR FOR EVERYBODY. SO I WAS OUT THERE. SHE DIDN'T DO DOOR TO DOOR. HER NAME WAS LOW TOO. NEVER MET HER BEFORE. LOT OF THE DRIVERS COME WITH ATTITUDES. I'M VERY PLEASANT. YOU'D BE SURPRISED I ALREADY GOT A BAD REP REPUTATION BECAUSE OF THE EX GENERAL MANAGER, JUSTIN, WHO SAYS, EVERYBODY AFRAID OF ME. AND I SAID, YOU'RE JUST AS SILLY AS THEY ARE. LOOK AT ME, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? COME ON. SO ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S A LAW. UH, THAT'S A LAWSUIT FOR DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER RIGHT THERE. 'CAUSE A LOT OF BUS DRIVERS WILL COME AND SAY, MS. RAY, YOU'RE NOT LIKE SUCH AND SUCH A, WHO TOLD, WHO SAID THIS? WHO SAID THIS? SO THAT'S A LAWSUIT. I HAVE RECORDINGS ALL OF THIS. UM, THE BUS DRIVER. UH, SO I GOT ON THE BUS. UH, THE, THE WAY THE CARS WAS PARKED, THE, THE PROCESSIONAL CARS, A FUNERAL CAR. SHE COULDN'T GET OUT. SO SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT GOING AND GET THEM TO HELP THEM MOVE. I SAID, NO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA STOP MY UNCLE'S FUNERAL. IT'S ENOUGH SPACE TO PULL BACK. SO THEY PULL BACK. IT'S A LOT MORE. THIS THING IS GOING REALLY FAST. I WISHED MR. BRA BRYANT, MR. RANDALL. BRYAN, IF YOU COULD MEET WITH ME. I BESEECH YOU MEAN I'M BEGGING YOU TO MEET WITH ME. 'CAUSE A LOT OF STUFF THE BOARD DON'T KNOW. THEY'RE KEEPING THE CEO FROM GETTING TO THIS. THE LAST ONE, MR. DAVID LINEER, HE, HE HAD MY PHONE NUMBER. HE'S SUPPOSED TO CALL ME THE FOLLOWING. HE NEVER DID. SO I KNOW, KNOW, THEY'RE KEEPING STUFF. IT'S SO MUCH STUFF THEY'RE LEAVING ME. I DROVE MY HOME, DROVE MY CHAIR HOME ON THE FREEWAY. UH, 67, I'M SORRY, 30. IF YOU GIMME JUST 30 SECONDS, UH, FROM, UH, ILLINOIS, GOT ON 35, 35 TO 60 ON THE FREEWAY. LIKE THE CARS GO, BUT NOT IN THE LANES. OKAY, BUT ON THE, AND THAT'S RIDICULOUS. NOBODY WOULD ANSWER MY CALL. I WAS GETTING HUNG UP ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. RAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHEYENNE RUM, FOLLOWED BY JUDY WASHINGTON. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SEAN GAN. I'M RESIDING AT 1 2 1 6 OREGON AL DRIVE, UM, FRISCO, TEXAS. UM, TAKING A LOOK AT THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, UM, BIT LATE FOR THIS, SORRY. BUT, UM, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, OR THE LACK THEREOF. UM, WE NEED TO END GETTING MORE FUNDING FOR OUR, UH, TO OUR PRIORITIES. INSTEAD OF SHARING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT AND DRAINING OUT MONEY AND CUTTING OUT VITAL SERVICES, WE NEED TO GAIN FUNDING SO WE CAN KEEP RUNNING AND EXPAND EXPANDER SYSTEM IN A, UH, IN A SEEMINGLY GROWING REGION. NOW, WHETHER OR NOT IT MOVES, WE STILL NEED TO GIVE THE MESSAGE THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR FUNDING AS STARTING SOONER. UH, SOONER IS BETTER THAN LATER. AND, UM, UM, MR. RANDALL, UM, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, THINGS YOU SAID. UM, THE, UM, THING OF MANY BILLS NOT PASSING IS TRUE, BUT THAT COULD REALLY GO FOR ANYTHING. SO WE AT LEAST NEED TO GET OUT THE MESSAGE AND AT LEAST GIVE A TRY AS PUSHING FOR IT NOW IS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN LATER FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SYSTEM. AND, UM, SO YEAH, PLEASE KEEP, UH, PLEASE ADD FUNDING FOR MORE FUNDING TO YOUR, UM, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. THANK YOU. AND, UM, COULD I GET A SCHOOL NOTE, ? OKAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JUDY WASHINGTON. INSTEAD BE WITH ME. GOOD EVENING. UM, MY NAME IS, UH, JUDY WASHINGTON. AND UM, I AM, UH, REPRESENTING BERTRAM T ROBINSON, WHO IS MY NEPHEW. I'M ALSO BERT'S GUARDIAN, APPOINTED BY THE STATE AND ALSO, UM, I AM HIS CAREGIVER, HIS AUNT, CAREGIVER, AND GUARDIAN. UH, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING BERTRAND, [01:15:01] UM, READY TO GO TO HIS DAILY ADULT CARE CENTER, WHICH IS YOU AND I. UH, SO WE ALL DEPENDS ON DART TRANSIT TO GET HIM THERE. MY CONCERN, WHY I'M HERE TODAY ADDRESSING THE BOARD IS SINCE I'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF BERTAND AND GETTING HIM READY FOR, UH, TO GO EACH MORNING TO BE READY FOR HIS, HIS PICKUP, I RAN INTO SOME SITUATIONS WITH THE DRIVERS. UM, THE SITUATION I RAN INTO, NOT ALL DRIVERS, SOME OF THE DRIVERS ARE KIND AND COURTEOUS AND, AND AND VERY PROFESSIONAL. BUT I RAN INTO SOME SITUATION WITH, UH, QUITE A FEW DRIVERS. WHEN I FIRST CAME IN, I WAS TOLD BY MANAGEMENT THAT WE HAD DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE. AND UM, WHAT THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING IS DRIVERS COMING AND SOMETIME THEY CALL, SOMETIME THEY DON'T, WHICH I DON'T EXPECT FOR THEM TO CALL, BUT I EXPECT FOR THEM TO COME TO THE DOOR AND RING A DOORBELL AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR. BUT I HAVE DRIVERS TO COME AND DO NOT EVEN GET OUTTA THE VEHICLE. THEY SIT THERE AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE A BIG WINDOW WHERE WE WATCH AND I WAS TOLD NOT TO SEND HIM OUT, LET THEM COME TO THE DOOR. 'CAUSE WE HAVE DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE. AND SO WE SIT THERE AND THE DRIVERS JUST DRIVE OFF, NEVER COME TO THE DOOR, DON'T EVEN CALL. AND THEN WHEN I CALL TO COMPLAIN, THAT'S A HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOUR PROCESS TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY TO COME BACK AND PICK HIM UP. THE LADIES A LADY, A LATEST EVENT WAS LAST WEEK. THE DRIVER CAME AND THE DRIVER DID NOT GET OUTTA THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER DID NOT COME TO THE DOOR. WE WAITED FOR HIM TO COME. AND AFTER HIS, HIS ARRIVAL TIME WAS, UH, 7 59, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY, 7 49. AND UH, HE CAME, HE WAS ON TIME AND EVERYTHING AND HE SIT, HE SIT THERE, BUT HE NEVER GOT OUT THE VEHICLE AND HE NEVER CAME TO THE DOOR. AND THEN HE DROVE OFF AT 8 0 5, HE DROVE OFF. SO I CALLED TO, YOU KNOW, HE DROVE TO LET THEM KNOW HE DROVE OFF AND EVERYTHING, BUT BERTRAN STILL NEEDS A RIDE TO GO TO UNI. AND SO I WAS CALLED BACK AFTER BEING ON THE PHONE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. I CALLED MS. RAY, MS. RAY'S MY NIECE, AND I WAS TELLING HER ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, I WAS TELLING HER WHAT THE SITUATION WAS. AND SO WHAT I DID WAS COMPLAIN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T SEND ANYBODY ELSE OUT BECAUSE THE DRIVER LIED AND SAID HE CAME TO THE DOOR. HE NEVER CAME TO THE DOOR, HE NEVER CALLED OR ANYTHING. AND ALSO THEY DID FINALLY SEND SOMEBODY ELSE OUT. WE'LL GET SOMEONE, UH, TO MEET YOU RIGHT OVER HERE TO ADDRESS YOUR NEEDS. MA'AM, IF YOU JUST OVER HERE UHHUH , OKAY. WE'LL JUST GET SOMEONE OVER HERE TO MEET WITH YOU. ALRIGHT? RIGHT NOW OR LATER? RIGHT NOW. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT, THAT ENDS OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS. IT IS NOW 7:34 PM AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.