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WELCOME, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE OPEN HOUSE, HOSTED BY THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
I'M A FORMER TELEVISION JOURNALIST WHERE I COVERED MANY CITY HALLS OVER MY CAREER.
BUT FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN WITH THE MARGULIES COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, A DALLAS BASED PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA RELATIONS FIRM.
SO I'M PROUD TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I AM 100 PERCENT IMPARTIAL TO TONIGHT'S FORUM.
I AM NOT A CITIZEN OF SOUTHLAKE AND I MET EACH CANDIDATE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS EVENING.
I'M ALSO JOINED TONIGHT BY THE CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE, SHERRY BERMAN, WHO WILL BE MANAGING THE CANDIDATES TIMER.
SO THANK YOU, SHERRY. DUE TO THE SOCIALLY DISTANCED FORMAT OF TONIGHT'S EVENT, THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS LOOKS QUITE DIFFERENT.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN AUDIENCE HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
THERE ARE NO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS WITH US TONIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT, THOUGH, TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE MAYOR HILL AND THE SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR FACILITATING THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY.
AND TO ALL OF YOU AT HOME TUNING IN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE [INAUDIBLE] PROGRAM. AS PART OF THE CITY'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE REGULARLY HOLDS SPIN TOWN HALL FORUMS THAT PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BEING PROPOSED WITHIN THE SOUTHLAKE COMMUNITY.
BUT FROM TIME TO TIME, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH A TOPIC OF INTEREST THAT IMPACTS THE LIVES OF THE RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND TONIGHT IS ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE RESIDENTS WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES FOR CITY COUNCIL PLACES ONE AND PLACE SIX.
SO BEFORE WE GET UNDERWAY, WE DO HAVE SOME GUIDELINES WE'D LIKE TO GO OVER, AND I'D LIKE TO NAME JUST A FEW HERE.
THE QUESTIONS WERE SUBMITTED BY THE RESIDENTS USING A FORUM ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
THESE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN EDITED FOR CLARIFICATION.
WE'VE CONSOLIDATED SOME WITH SIMILAR TOPICS AND WE'VE REVIEWED THEM FOR RELEVANCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION.
AND AS A REMINDER, CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE NONPARTISAN.
WHILE ALL CANDIDATES HAVE THEIR OWN POLITICAL VIEWS, STATE LAW REQUIRES THEM TO FILE FOR THEIR PLACE ON THE BALLOT, NOT A PARTY AFFILIATION.
EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER OR NOT ANSWER EACH QUESTION.
I WILL DIRECT THE ORDER OF CANDIDATE RESPONSES ON A ROTATING BASIS, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT ROTATION ENSURES FAIRNESS OF WHO GOES FIRST, SECOND, LAST AND SO FORTH.
TWO MINUTES WILL BE ALLOWED FOR A CANDIDATE'S RESPONSE TO EACH QUESTION AND IT WILL BE TIMED AND CANDIDATES WILL BE NOTIFIED WHEN TEN SECONDS ARE REMAINING AND WHEN THE TWO MINUTE TIME FRAME HAS EXPIRED.
IN THE EVENT THERE ARE, WE STILL HAVE SOME MORE TIME THERE, NOT ENOUGH AUDIENCE QUESTIONS, WE'VE ASKED THE CANDIDATES TO EACH SUBMIT THREE QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED TO EACH OTHER. WE WILL GET TO THOSE SHOULD TIME PERMIT.
BUT JUST SO EVERYONE'S AWARE, TONIGHT'S FORUM WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED ON VIDEO ON DEMAND WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THIS EVENT.
AND THEN ONCE POSTED, IT CAN BE ACCESSED AT ANY TIME ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE CANDIDATES FOR CITY COUNCIL.
THEY WILL BE LISTED TO YOU IN BALLOT ORDER.
AND WE'LL START WITH PLACE ONE FROM MY LEFT-- OR YOUR LEFT, MY RIGHT IS SABREENA HAKEMY AND ALSO PLACE ONE KATHY TALLEY.
AND ON MY LEFT, YOUR RIGHT IS RANDY WILLIAMSON FOR PLACE SIX AND ALSO VICTOR AVILA, PLACE SIX CANDIDATE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
[1. Candidate Opening Statement]
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THE QUESTIONS, WE WANT TO GIVE THE CANDIDATES A CHANCE TO GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT.EACH CANDIDATE WILL NOW BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE AUDIENCE WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR PLATFORM.
AS WE SAID, THERE ARE FOUR CANDIDATES AND EACH CANDIDATE WILL BE ALLOTTED THREE MINUTES FOR YOUR OPENING STATEMENT.
CANDIDATES AGAIN, YOUR TIMEKEEPER IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR SHERRY BERMAN, SITTING AT THE FRONT TABLE.
SHE WILL BE SIGNALING YOU YOUR TIME HAS BEGUN AND THE SCREENS IN FRONT OF YOU WILL TURN YELLOW WHEN YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS AND THE SCREENS WILL TURN RED WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.
SO PLEASE RESPECT THE TIMEKEEPER, PLEASE.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE WILL START WITH SABREENA, PLACE ONE.
THANK YOU, SHANE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS SABREENA HAKEMY AND I'M RUNNING FOR SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL PLACE ONE.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE AND THANK THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE, SHERRY BERMAN, ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND OUR CITY STAFF, JARED POTTS AND LAUREN [INAUDIBLE], FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR EFFORTS IN PUTTING THIS FORUM TOGETHER.
IT'S AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE TO BE ON THIS PLATFORM, ALONG WITH MY OPPONENT, KATHY TALLEY,
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FORMER CITY COUNCILMAN RANDY WILLIAMSON AND VICTOR AVILA.I'M HONORED TO BE A CANDIDATE IN THIS UPCOMING ELECTION BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I'VE LIVED UP TOWARDS.
WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD, MY FAMILY MOVED TO SOUTHLAKE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE [INAUDIBLE] TRAFFIC AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS HAPPENING IN RICHARDSON, SOUTHLAKE WAS A RURAL OASIS JUST MINUTES AWAY FROM DFW AND ALL THE OTHER BIG DEVELOPED CITIES LIKE DALLAS. I WATCHED IN AWE AS I GOT TO WITNESS SOUTHLAKE TOWN SQUARE AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS GROW OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES INTO THE THRIVING EPICENTER OF COMMERCE AND ENTERTAINMENT IT IS TODAY.
EARLY ON IN LIFE, I LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE EFFECT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS ON OUR LIVES AND OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I GREW UP WATCHING MY FATHER CAMPAIGNING FOR OUR NATION'S FORMER POLITICAL LEADERS, SUCH AS PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, GOV.
GREG ABBOTT AND CONGRESSMAN PETE SESSIONS.
AND IT LEFT A LASTING IMPACT ON ME.
AND NOW, AFTER HAVING SERVED TWO TERMS ON THE SOUTHLAKE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, I REALIZED I WANTED TO CONTINUE TO SERVE A CITY THAT I CALL HOME.
I'M FORTUNATE AND PRIVILEGED THAT AS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN, I HAVE THE TIME AND ENERGY AND PASSION TO WANT TO SERVE THE CITY THAT HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH.
OUR EXISTING CITY COUNCIL AND THE LEADERS OF THE PAST HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF TURNING SOUTHLAKE INTO THE WONDERFUL PLACE THAT IS TODAY.
YET NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK.
WE NEED TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL AND MEANINGFUL IN HOW WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE CITY.
WE MUST STAY TRUE TO OUR ROOTS.
AND MAKE SURE SOUTHLAKE PRESERVES AND PROTECTS ITS SMALL TOWN CULTURE AND WAY OF LIFE, ALL THE WHILE BEING AWARE AND OF STAYING AHEAD OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD ARE FACING AS A WHOLE.
I AM RUNNING TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE AND WILL ALWAYS VOTE NO TO APARTMENTS, PRESERVE LOWER DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WORK TO LOWER TAXES AND REDUCE TRAFFIC. THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE SEEN THE CHALLENGES COVID AND THE CHANGING TRENDS IN THE MARKET ARE AFFECTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS.
AND I WANT TO BRING IN MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND LEND TO THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE ON HAND.
SOUTHLAKE IS TRULY A WONDERFUL PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY.
IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE FOR ALL OF US.
SO I ASK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE AND YOUR SUPPORT THAT I MAY FULFILL MY PASSION AND SERVE THIS WONDERFUL CITY THAT I CALL HOME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA.
KATHY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS NOW.
THANK YOU, SABREENA. UM, GOOD EVENING.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK SHERRY AND THE CEC AND SHANE, THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS EVENING. THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US.
AND IT IS A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, MY HUSBAND AND I MOVED HERE TO SOUTHLAKE ALMOST TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO.
WE WERE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN BY THE BEAUTIFUL WIDE OPEN SPACES AND THE AMAZING SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE HERE IN SOUTHLAKE.
UM, I HAVE, UH, THREE, UH, DRAGONS.
WE RAISED THREE DRAGONS K THROUGH 12.
UH, THEY'RE ALL, UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
UM, OUR OLDEST, OUR SON, HE'S A CIVIL ENGINEER NOW DOWN IN DALLAS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME WHOOPS IN THE BACKGROUND.
UM, MY MIDDLE DAUGHTER, UH, WENT TO UT LIKE HER MOM, AND SHE JUST RECEIVED HER MASTER'S DEGREE FROM FLORIDA STATE.
AND THEN OUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER IS A SENIOR AT SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART DESIGN.
AND WE'RE NOT ONLY VERY PROUD OF THEM, BUT VERY PROUD OF THE EDUCATION THAT THEY RECEIVED HERE IN SOUTHLAKE. UM, THEY ARE WELL EQUIPPED TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND BEYOND COLLEGE. UM.
AS I SAID, WE FELL IN LOVE WITH SOUTHLAKE AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH SERVING SOUTHLAKE, MY TIME HERE HAS BEEN SPENT IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO OUR CITY. AND AS I'VE DONE THAT, THOSE THINGS OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE MADE SO MANY WONDERFUL CONNECTIONS, BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL.
AND THOSE ARE PRETTY SPECIAL TO ME.
UM, FOR ME, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TAKE SOUTHLAKE FORWARD.
I THINK WE HAVE TO AS WE DEVELOP MORE, THE SOUTHLAKE I SAW, UM, ALMOST TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO, SOUTHLAKE BOULEVARD WAS A TWO LANE ROAD AND HERE WE ARE TODAY.
BUT WE HAVE TO STILL PLAN FOR MORE OPEN SPACES, PROTECT THE ONES WE HAVE AND PRESERVE THEM AS WELL. I THINK IT'S HUGELY IMPORTANT TO MANAGE MOBILITY.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE MOBILITY WITHIN OUR CITY, BUT WE HAVE MOBILITY IN A REGIONAL WAY AS WELL. AND SO AS WE LOOK AT BUILDING MORE SIDEWALKS, THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO WITH WITH
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TRAFFIC. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE 114 CORRIDOR AND OUR NORTHERN AREA WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO SOUTHLAKE, QUITE FRANKLY.AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL PLACE TO BE.
AND FINALLY, MANAGING OUR CITY AND ITS FINANCES WITH FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
I HAVE LED AND MANAGED SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS AND I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
AND I TAKE THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR TAX DOLLARS SERIOUSLY AND I WILL TREAT YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
I WOULD TREAT YOUR MONEY AS MY MONEY.
AND SO I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KATHY.
WE'LL NOW TURN TO OUR PLACE, SIX CANDIDATES.
AND RANDY, YOU ARE FIRST UP ON PLACE SIX.
THANK YOU, SHANE. AND THANK YOU, SHERRY AND THE CEC AND SPIN.
YOU DO SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB EVERY YEAR WITH THIS FORUM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR IT.
SO MY NAME IS RANDY WILLIAMSON AND I'M RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL PLACE SIX.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF SOUTHLAKE ALONG WITH MY WIFE AMY AND OUR FOUR BEAUTIFUL KIDS FOR FIFTEEN YEARS. AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S INTERESTING.
I THOUGHT PROFESSIONALLY MY NEXT MOVE FIFTEEN YEARS AGO WAS TO ATLANTA AND WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT DALLAS.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE DALLAS AREA.
AND IT WAS AMAZING. ONE TRIP HERE AND ONE VISIT TO THE INCREDIBLE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE IS WHAT COMPLETELY FLIPPED OUR DECISION AND CHANGED OUR LIVES IN SUCH AN INCREDIBLE WAY.
AND NOW THIS IS OUR HOME AND WE'RE THRILLED TO BE HERE.
I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN, ALL DRAGONS, RANGING IN AGE FROM TWENTY ONE DOWN TO SIXTEEN.
TWO SENIORS RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS A SOPHOMORE REMAINING IN THE DISTRICT.
PROFESSIONALLY, I'M IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY.
I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO LEAD A SALES TEAM OF MEDICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES ACROSS THE WESTERN US FROM DALLAS TO DETROIT OVER TO HAWAII.
BUT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR CITY.
I'VE SERVED OUR CITY AND YOU, THE RESIDENTS, FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST DECADE, IN FACT, A LITTLE LONGER THAN THE LAST DECADE.
I STARTED OUT AS A SPIN REPRESENTATIVE WHEN ASKED BY A NEIGHBOR TO REPRESENT OUR PART OF TOWN. FOLLOWING THAT, I WAS ASKED TO JOIN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SERVE WITH OTHER INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS JUST LIKE SHERRY.
AND FROM THERE I WAS ASKED TO AND APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL TO SERVE AS ONE OF YOUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONERS FOR TWO YEARS.
AND THEN FINALLY, I RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL AFTER GAINING YEARS UPON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SO THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES IN FRONT OF OUR COUNCIL, IN FRONT OF OUR CITY.
I SERVED TWO TERMS AS YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IN PLACE FOUR FROM TWENTY THIRTEEN TO TWENTY NINETEEN.
FOUR OF THOSE WERE AS YOUR MAYOR PRO TEM OR VICE MAYOR FROM TWENTY FIFTEEN TO TWENTY NINETEEN. IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN MY SPARE TIME, I COACHED FOOTBALL, I COACH BASEBALL, I EVEN REFEREE GAMES.
AND IF I MADE A BAD CALL AGAINST ONE OF YOUR KIDS, PLEASE DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST ME IN THE BALLOT BOOTH. SO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME SAY MANY TIMES TONIGHT, IN TIMES LIKE THESE, EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
IN TIMES LIKE THESE EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
WE ARE IN AN INCREDIBLE ONCE IN A LIFETIME, IN MULTIPLE LIFETIMES TYPE OF PANDEMIC WITH COVID. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO TAKE CARE OF IN OUR CITY AND WE NEED EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT MY PRIORITIES WILL BE NO HIGH DENSITY HOUSING IN SOUTHLAKE, PERIOD.
WE DO NOT NEED APARTMENTS, NOR WILL I EVER SUPPORT THEM.
IN ADDITION, FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
I VOTED SIX YEARS IN A ROW TO RAISE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION UP TO THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE MAXIMUM OF 20 PERCENT AND LOWERED YOUR TAXES SIX YEARS IN A ROW.
I WAS PROUD OF MY LAST YEAR TO ALLOCATE AN ADDITIONAL FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.
AND THEN FINALLY, SOUTHLAKE BUSINESS VITALITY.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES SURVIVE THIS COVID CRISIS.
I'M ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR PLACE SIX, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RANDY.
VICTOR AVILA. THANK YOU, SHANE.
THANK YOU TO THE SOUTHLAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
IT'S AN HONOR TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHLAKE.
I'M HAPPY TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT.
BACK ON FEBRUARY 15, 2011, I WAS ORDERED BY MY SUPERIORS ON A MISSION WITH SPECIAL AGENT [INAUDIBLE]. WHILE ON AN ASSIGNMENT, WE WERE AMBUSHED BY A VICIOUS MEXICAN CARTEL WHO OPENED FIRE AND RIDDLED OUR SUV WITH 90 BULLETS.
AGENTS [INAUDIBLE] DIED NEXT TO ME AND PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR COUNTRY.
I SURVIVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD, AND AFTER BEING SHOT THREE TIMES, I HAVE FACED ADVERSITY.
I'VE LEARNED MANY LESSONS SINCE THAT DAY, BUT TWO ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO ME, FAMILY AND PUBLIC SERVICE. I'M A PROUD FATHER OF TWO WONDERFUL AND RESILIENT KIDS, SOPHIA, MY DAUGHTER, WHO IS A SENIOR AT ST.
EDWARDS UNIVERSITY IN AUSTIN, AND SHE LOVES MUSIC.
[00:15:02]
AND VICTOR EMILIO, WHO IS A SOPHOMORE AT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AT THE CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL AND IS A PASSIONATE SOCCER PLAYER.I'M ALSO A HUSBAND TO MY BEAUTIFUL AND COURAGEOUS WIFE, CLAUDIA, OF 22 YEARS.
I HAVE 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE AND PROVEN SUCCESS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES.
HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT EQUATE TO GOOD DECISION MAKING WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON.
IN THIS ELECTION, YOU HAVE A CHOICE AND A CLEAR CHOICE.
MY OPPONENT STATES THAT EXPERIENCE MATTERS AND HE HAS SERVED AS AN UNOPPOSED COUNCILMAN FOR SIX YEARS. HE WILL REMIND YOU OF HIS SERVICE AGAIN TODAY.
I HAVE ALSO SERVED THIS COUNTRY FOR 20 YEARS AND GAVE BLOOD IN THE PROCESS.
SO I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT SERVICE AND SACRIFICE.
I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE ALL MY LIFE, AND I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT PUBLIC SERVICE HERE IN SOUTHLAKE TO REPRESENT YOU.
I WILL BRING MY EXPERIENCE, INTEGRITY AND GOOD JUDGMENT TO REPRESENT AND FOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND BENEFICIAL TO YOU.
I HAVE PERFECT CLARITY ABOUT SERVING YOU.
THERE ARE NO BLURRED LINES, NO GRAY AREAS, IT'S EITHER A YES OR NO.
YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD AND YOUR INTEREST WILL COME FIRST.
I BRING A FRESH AND INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL WITH A UNIQUE SET OF SKILLS, AND MY COMMITMENT IS TO YOU, PLEASE VOTE FOR VICTOR AVILA, SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL, PLACE MEMBER SIX.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TONIGHT'S QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.
THANK YOU, CANDIDATES. I HAVE BEEN PASSED A NOTE THAT IF YOU CAN PLEASE SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE MICROPHONE, THEY'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT HARD TIME HEARING ALL OF YOUR SPEECH IN THE BACK.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST DO THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS NOW.
[2. Audience Question and Answer Period]
SO WE ARE READY TO START TAKING THE QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED ONLINE.I WILL MANAGE THE ROTATIONS OF THE RESPONSES SO WE HAVE A LITTLE FAIRNESS IN WHO GOES FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH.
EACH CANDIDATE NOW WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU WILL TURN YELLOW AT TEN SECONDS AND IN RED WHEN YOUR TIME IS OUT.
SO WE WILL BEGIN OUR QUESTIONS.
OUR FIRST QUESTION THIS EVENING COMES FROM, AND I WILL APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED NAMES HERE. MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE.
PAIGE [INAUDIBLE] SENT OUR FIRST QUESTION SAYING OUR CITY IS IN THE MIDST OF DEEP DIVIDES POLITICALLY, RACIALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO UNITE US AND HOW WILL YOU BUILD BRIDGES AND CALM THE WATERS? KATHY, WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOU ON THIS.
IN PARTICULAR IN LIGHT OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN OUR CITY AND WITH WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IN MY WORK WITH THE CARROLL EDUCATION FOUNDATION, NOT ONLY SERVING AS BOARD CHAIR, BUT IN OTHER POSITIONS, WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO KEEP OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE TALK TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND I THINK AS WITH OUR NATION WITHIN OUR CITY AND WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AS THESE THINGS HAVE, I WOULD SAY BOILED UP AND PEOPLE ARE PRETTY UPSET.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND WAYS TO BRING THEM BACK TO THE TABLE AND HAVE OPEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THESE. IT'S NEVER EASY AT THE BEGINNING TO DO THAT.
BUT IN THE END, OUR CITY HAS ALWAYS COME TOGETHER.
WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
AND I KNOW THAT WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, THAT CAN HAPPEN SPECIFICALLY.
IT'S TOUGH RIGHT NOW WITH COVID.
BUT THERE WAS A FORUM EARLIER THIS SPRING OR EARLIER THIS SUMMER THAT WAS A FORUM AROUND RACISM AND RACIST TOPICS.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION AND IT WAS A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION.
OUR MAYOR, ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, PARTICIPATED, OUR ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF PARTICIPATED. AND IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN STILL HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T BE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND I THINK WE CAN DO MORE OF THAT.
AND EVERYBODY'S TALKING AND EXPRESSING THEIR OPINION ONLINE, BUT THAT DOESN'T DO ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO GET IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER AND GET BACK TO CARING ABOUT ONE ANOTHER.
AND, YEAH, IT'S BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT.
BUT I ALWAYS HAVE HOPE THAT WE CAN COME THROUGH THIS AND OUR RESIDENTS ARE PRETTY SPECIAL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KATHY.
ALL RIGHT. THANKS, SHANE. GREAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT IN 15 YEARS HERE IN SOUTHLAKE, I'VE YET TO RUN INTO ANY
[00:20:02]
INDIVIDUAL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHO WOULD SAY, YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT RACISM AND BIGOTRY IS RIGHT. I'VE NOT FOUND THAT PERSON.AND I FEEL LIKE THAT I COULD GO DOOR TO DOOR ACROSS OUR CITY AND I DON'T THINK I'LL FIND THAT PERSON. WE ARE A WONDERFUL CITY.
WE'RE A WELCOMING CITY, AND WE LOVE EACH OTHER.
AND WE'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT FOR DECADES HERE IN SOUTHLAKE.
I WILL SAY, THOUGH, IT'S BEEN DISAPPOINTING TO WATCH SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO MUCH OF WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW IN OUR CITY IS SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT'S A RESULT OF PEOPLE ENJOY THAT PLATFORM.
BUT I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES PEOPLE TALK TO EACH OTHER IN WAYS ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THEY WOULD NEVER TALK IN PUBLIC IF THEY WERE AT A BASEBALL GAME OR AT A BASKETBALL GAME OR A DRAGON FOOTBALL GAME. THEY WOULDN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER THAT WAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING WE NEED TO REMEMBER.
WE NEED TO START WITH THAT, JUST BASIC DECENCY AND LET'S TREAT EACH OTHER AS NEIGHBORS AND AS FRIENDS AND EVEN RELATIVES IN SOME INSTANCES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT CITY COUNCIL DOES HAVE AN OBLIGATION.
WE CAN'T JUST WASH OUR HANDS OF THIS AND SAY, WELL, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. WE DO NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS AND BE A BROKER IN OUR CITY TO ENSURE THAT GROUPS ARE COMING TO THE TABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THESE ISSUES THAT EVERYONE IS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT.
WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL WITH MAYOR HILL, WE KNEW THAT THE MARK OF SOUTHLAKE, WHICH IS A TREASURED PIECE OF OUR CITY NOW, SO MANY PEOPLE ENJOY.
WE KNEW THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE SHARED THAT WITH OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO RATHER THAN JUST HANDLING THINGS RIGHT HERE ON THIS DIAS, WE SET UP A MEETING IN A DIFFERENT PART OF TOWN. AND IT WAS A-- THE WHOLE THE WHOLE CITY COULD COME AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND INSIGHTS AS TO WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT THE PLANS FOR THE MARK.
AND IF THEY REALLY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT OUR CITY NEEDED AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT. WE ALSO TOOK IT TO THE VOTER BOOTH AS WELL FOR THEM TO MAKE A DECISION ON.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THE CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH THE DISTRICT TO FIND A WAY TO GET EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE. LET'S HAVE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, NOT JUST WORK WITH ONE SMALL GROUP, BUT BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
THANK YOU, SHANE. I BELIEVE IN UNITY.
AS A FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN-AMERICAN, I'M PROUD OF MY COUNTRY AND I THANK MY PARENTS ALMOST EVERY TIME I GET TO SEE THEM.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE AND NOW THEY'RE IN EL PASO.
AND BECAUSE OF COVID, I REALLY MISS THEM BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SEE THEM IN PERSON. BUT HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE SOON.
I TRY TO THANK THEM FOR IMMIGRATING TO THIS COUNTRY AND GIVING US, MY SISTERS AND ME, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THIS COUNTRY GIVES EVERYONE.
AND I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY WIFE AND I WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE, THAT SHE ALSO IS A FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN-AMERICAN.
MY PARENTS MADE ME EVEN PROUDER OF THEM WHEN THEY BECAME NATURALIZED U.S.
I THINK THERE IS A DIVISION IN OUR CITY, AND I THINK WE NEED TO OPEN THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AS A MEMBER OF THE DISTRICT DIVERSITY COUNCIL, I LEARNED A LOT.
I LEARNED A LOT, AND I LEARNED WHAT NOT TO DO AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO IT IN PERSON, MAYBE IN FORUMS. AND SOMETIMES SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT THE WAY TO GO.
THE DISTRICT DIVERSITY COUNCIL WAS CREATED TO TRY TO SOLVE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT WHAT WHAT IT DID.
I THINK IT CREATED MORE-- DIVIDED THE COMMUNITY A LOT MORE.
AND SO I REALLY THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN OPEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL BOARD AND REALLY COME TOGETHER.
I KNOW THERE'S JUST TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES HERE AND IT'S A SCHOOL BOARD ISSUE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S OUR CHILDREN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
AND THEY'RE ALL OUR CHILDREN AND THEY ALL ATTEND OUR SCHOOLS AND THEY ALL GET TOGETHER.
SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE LOVE TO LIVE IN SOUTHLAKE AND WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY HERE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.
AND SABREENA, YOU'RE-- WELL, FINISH UP THIS QUESTION FOR US.
GO AHEAD. YOU KNOW, WHEN MY FAMILY MOVED TO SOUTHLAKE OVER TWENTY SEVEN YEARS AGO, THIS IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY.
WE HAVE EXEMPLARY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE ISSUES OF DIVISIVENESS AND RACISM HAVE COME UP.
HOWEVER, I'M NOT RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE MUST HAVE EMPATHY FOR OUR FELLOW NEIGHBORS, OUR CITIZENS, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, DOES NOT MATTER HOW YOUNG OR HOW OLD THEY ARE.
[00:25:01]
AND IT'S TIME THAT WE TOOK A STEP BACK AND REMEMBER TO HAVE EMPATHY FOR ONE ANOTHER.WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, THE [INAUDIBLE] IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
I AM A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN.
I LOOK AT IT AS ANOTHER CONTRACT.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO'VE WRITTEN IT AND THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS AND THE CITIZENS INVOLVED IN IT ARE NOT FLAWED.
WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER THROUGH CIVIL AND RESPECTFUL DIALOG AND DISCOURSE AND FIND A WAY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.
BRIDGE THE MISCOMMUNICATION THAT'S GOING ON.
OUR CITY WILL NOT PROGRESS LIKE THIS.
IT'S HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS.
THEY'RE IN THE PRIME OF THEIR LIFE.
WE NEED TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THEM.
SO ALL I'M GOING TO SAY IS AS THE LEADERSHIP, AS THE FUTURE LEADERSHIP OF THIS COMMUNITY, AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP AND FIND THAT WAY TO BE RESPECTFUL TO ONE ANOTHER.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA.
AND WE WILL BE GETTING INTO MORE SPECIFICS OF THE CCAP AND SOME ISSUES-- THOSE ISSUES THERE. HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, YOU GUYS BRING IT UP ALREADY.
AND I THINK THREE OF YOU BROUGHT UP THE NOTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF NEGATIVITY AND POSITIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND PHILIP [INAUDIBLE] HAS A QUESTION THAT CITIZENS ARE TAKING THE SOCIAL MEDIA TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS NOW MORE THAN EVER.
WITH ALL OF THE NEGATIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOUR ADVICE REGARDING SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICIPATION OR WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE IN SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICIPATION TO SOMEONE FROM CALIFORNIA WHO'S PLANNING ON MOVING THEIR YOUNG FAMILY TO SOUTHLAKE? HOPEFULLY I PHRASED THAT RIGHT.
SO SOMEONE LOOKING TO MOVE HERE, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM REGARDING WHAT THEY MIGHT BE SEEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO MOVE? RANDY? GREAT, THANK YOU, PHILIP, FOR THAT QUESTION, APPRECIATE THE QUESTION FROM YESTERDAY'S FORUM AS WELL AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN THIS PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD GIVE THE SAME ADVICE TO SOMEONE FROM CALIFORNIA AS I WOULD TO SOMEONE FROM OHIO OR WEST VIRGINIA OR FLORIDA, AND THAT IS THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ROOMS WITHIN, FOR INSTANCE, FACEBOOK THAT ARE SPONSORED AND LED BY FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'VE SEEN MANY, MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN FOLKS SAY, HEY, WE'RE MOVING HERE, I'VE GOT A CHILD AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR PRESCHOOL OR THEY'RE AN ELITE SOCCER OR FOOTBALL PLAYER AND WE WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN A CLUB TEAM.
HOW CAN YOU HELP ME? AND EVERY SINGLE TIME, I MEAN, IT'S WITHIN MINUTES, PEOPLE ARE JUMPING ON TO SAY, LET US HELP YOU AND LET US WELCOME YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT TO DIG INTO IT, TO ABSOLUTELY FIND FRIENDS.
YOU WILL HAVE READY MADE FRIENDS WHEN YOU GET TO SOUTHLAKE BY REACHING OUT THAT WAY.
I THINK I KNOW TOO, THE PREMISE OF PHILLIP'S QUESTION, THOUGH, IS, AS IT RELATES TO JUST DIFFERENT POLITICS AND DIFFERENT BELIEFS AND SO FORTH BETWEEN CALIFORNIA, SOME FOLKS IN CALIFORNIA AND PERHAPS IN TEXAS.
AND THE REALITY IS THERE ARE FOLKS ON ALL ENDS OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHLAKE, JUST LIKE THERE ARE FOLKS ON ALL ENDS OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM IN TEXAS OR EXCUSE ME, IN TEXAS, JUST LIKE THERE ARE IN CALIFORNIA.
AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND FOLKS TO TALK WITH AND TO SHARE YOUR BELIEFS.
AND WE ALSO HOPE THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT TEXAS AND WHAT WE DO WELL AND THINGS THAT WE CAN LEARN. AND WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR TOWN.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU HERE. SO THAT WOULD BE MY FEEDBACK FOR FOLKS FROM CALIFORNIA ON FACEBOOK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RANDY.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR MR. [INAUDIBLE] QUESTION.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH HIM IN PERSON AND HAVE A COFFEE WITH HIM, AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING. AND I'VE BEEN MEETING A LOT OF PEOPLE AS I WALK AND KNOCK ON DOORS OF SEVERAL THOUSAND ALREADY IN SOUTHLAKE.
A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT HAVE RECENTLY MOVED HERE.
BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR, TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS THAT HAVE DONE EXACTLY THAT.
AND THIS IS WHAT THEY TELL ME.
THEY TELL ME THEY CAME FOR NOT SURPRISING TO ANYONE, THE SCHOOLS.
ONE OF THE MAGNETS THAT BRING PEOPLE TO SOUTHLAKE.
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE CITY.
WHY DO THEY WANT TO COME TO SOUTHLAKE? BECAUSE IT'S SAFE HERE.
THOSE ARE THE SAME TWO REASONS MY FAMILY AND I CAME HERE WHEN WE CAME HERE AND TO BRING OUR KIDS, BECAUSE IT OFFERS THAT.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WHAT WE SEE AROUND THE COUNTRY GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW THAT DON'T OFFER THAT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE COMMUNITY, THEN EVERYTHING ELSE KIND OF
[00:30:01]
GOES AFTER THAT. AND IT ALSO GOES FOR OUR SCHOOLS.WE NEED TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE, OUR STUDENTS ARE SAFE, SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO ATTRACT THOSE FAMILIES TO COME TO SOUTHLAKE.
THOSE FAMILIES WANT TO COME TO SOUTHLAKE.
THEY WANT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SMALL TOWN.
THEY WANT TO LIVE IN A NICE SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN AN APARTMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO COME HERE FOR.
AND SO WE WELCOME THEM, JUST LIKE MY FAMILY AND I WERE WELCOMED A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO. AND AS I CONTINUE TO TALK AND MEET MORE PEOPLE UNTIL THE ELECTION DAY, THAT'S WHAT I HEAR. AND THAT'S WHY I WILL CONTINUE TO TELL THEM THAT POSITIVE MESSAGE OF WHAT SOUTHLAKE OFFERS. THANK YOU.
WELL, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF INTERACTING WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL. I HOPE I'M SAYING YOUR LAST NAME CORRECTLY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIASED.
I'M A BORN TEXAN, SO MY HEART BEATS FOR TEXAS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD AND I HAVE SEEN THAT NO MATTER WHERE I'VE GONE, THIS IS HOME, SOUTHLAKE.
AND WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER IN MEANS OF OUR, AGAIN, OUR EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. WE HAVE THE CARROLL DRAGONS FOOTBALL TEAM HERE AND OUR SOUTHLAKE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.
I ATTENDED THE SOUTHLAKE CITIZENS ACADEMY AND I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING THEY'VE GONE THROUGH.
I SEE THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO THEIR TRAINING AND TO MAKE SURE THAT SOUTHLAKE CITIZENS ARE KEPT SAFE.
BUT IN REGARDS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE EFFECTS IT'S HAVING ON US, LIKE WITH ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN AN AGE OF CONVENIENCE AND SOMETIMES THERE'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO FILTER WHAT'S GOING ON AND DO OUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SEE.
WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF BEING RESPECTFUL TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND BELIEVE ME, EVERYONE IN SOUTHLAKE IS VERY FRIENDLY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOCIAL MEDIA CAN SOMETIMES GIVE YOU A SCREEN TO HIDE BEHIND AND IT BRINGS OUT THE WORST IN SOME PEOPLE.
BUT LIKE WITH ANYTHING IN LIFE, IF WE TREAT EVERYONE WITH LOVE AND RESPECT, TREAT THOSE AS HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED, WHETHER IT'S ONLINE OR IN PERSON.
SO LET'S TAKE EVERYTHING WITH A GRAIN OF SALT AND MOVE FORWARD AND LEARN TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE EMPATHY WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA.
AND KATHY, YOU CAN FINISH US OUT WITH THIS QUESTION.
SO WHEN YOU ALL WERE TALKING LAST NIGHT ABOUT HOW YOU HAD COMMUNICATED WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE], I WAS FEELING I HAVE TO BE HONEST, I WAS FEELING PRETTY LEFT OUT BECAUSE I HAD NOT HEARD FROM HIM.
AND SURE ENOUGH, AFTER THE FORUM WAS OVER, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM HIM AND HE APOLOGIZED AND HE SAID, I'M SO SORRY. I THOUGHT WE HAD CONNECTED.
AND SO I'M IN THE LOOP NOW WITH PHILLIP, WHICH IS GREAT.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LARGE SUPER HIGHWAY THAT LEADS FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS.
AND I LOVE THAT. AND WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE MOVED HERE FROM CALIFORNIA ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GO INTO THEM, WHY TEXAS AND PARTICULAR SOUTHLAKE IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, BUT AND THEY KNOW IT.
AND THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE MOVED HERE ARE COMMUNICATING THAT.
AND SO I LOVE BRINGING CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS.
IT'S PRETTY SPECIAL. ONLINE IS DIFFICULT.
AND I, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY.
AND I THINK I MENTIONED IT IS A PLACE WHERE BULLIES CAN HIDE AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UTILIZE IT IN POSITIVE WAYS.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO, EVEN IF YOU'RE NEW AND YOU DON'T KNOW ANYBODY HERE.
WE HAVE SOUTHLAKE WOMEN'S CLUB.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF OTHER GROUPS IN TOWN THAT AND ONLINE THAT PROMOTE POSITIVE INTERACTIONS. YOU CAN GET ONLINE AND JOIN A GROUP THAT WILL HELP YOU FIND DRY CLEANERS, FOR EXAMPLE. SO I THINK IT'S-- I THINK YOU HAVE TO FILTER OUT THE NEGATIVE AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S GOOD TO JUST GET UP AND WALK AWAY, BUT FOR NEW FAMILIES, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONNECTIVITY THERE AND YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE RIGHT PLATFORM.
SO AS MY DAUGHTERS WILL TELL YOU, THEY LOOK AT ME AND GO, MOM, NOBODY'S ON FACEBOOK.
WELL, IT'S, AS WE KNOW, DIFFERENT AGES ARE ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. SO I THINK THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS FOR THEM TO CONNECT, AND IT SPEAKS TO THE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF OUR CITY.
SO YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THE CCAP ISSUE.
[00:35:01]
THAT'S THE NEXT TOPIC THAT WE'LL BRING UP.WE RECEIVED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ON THIS ISSUE FROM HANNAH SMITH, NEIL ARMSTRONG AND [INAUDIBLE] SHANDRA, ALL SUBMITTED QUESTIONS REGARDING CCAP.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, YOU ARE RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THIS IS A MATTER WITH CARROLL ISD, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO HELP RESOLVE THE DISCORD AND DIVISIVENESS IN OUR CITY OVER CCAP? WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON CCAP AND WHAT IMPACT DO YOU EXPECT IT TO HAVE ON THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE? IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO REPEAT THOSE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO DO SO.
BUT VICTOR, WE WILL START WITH YOU THIS TIME.
WELL, THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO MIND IS LEADERSHIP, AND YOU'RE CORRECT, THIS IS A SCHOOL BOARD ISSUE AND IT'S DIFFICULT SOMETIMES FOR THE CITY TO GET INVOLVED WITH CISD.
BUT IF WE MUST COMMUNICATE, THAT'S THE KEY HERE, IS TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, BECAUSE EVENTUALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE SAME FAMILY MEMBERS, THE SAME COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE'RE ALL THE SAME PEOPLE HERE.
SO I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE ISSUES AND LET'S ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
I THINK THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY COUNCIL BY SPEAKING FORWARD AND COMMUNICATING WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS, WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, IF THEY, IN FACT, ARE GOING TO FORM, FOR EXAMPLE, A DISTRICT DIVERSITY COUNCIL, LET THEM KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE FORMED, HOW IT'S GOING TO BE FORMED, WHO IS GOING TO BE A PART OF IT AND INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY IN SUCH COMMITTEES AND PROGRAMS. AS A MEMBER OF THE DDC, DISTRICT DIVERSITY COUNCIL, THAT WASN'T AND DONE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD CHANGE.
BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE ISSUES AND I DO DENOUNCE RACISM.
I DO DENOUNCE ANY KIND OF DISCRIMINATION.
AS A HISPANIC AMERICAN, I KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE.
I KNOW WHAT DISCRIMINATION IS AND WHAT RACISM IS.
AND I DON'T WISH THAT UPON ANYONE IN ANY COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WANT TO BE ABLE TO UNITE THE CITY TOGETHER AND COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.
AND SABREENA, WE'LL JUMP ACROSS TO YOU.
WOULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO HELP RESOLVE THE DISCORD AND DIVISIVENESS IN OUR CITY OVER CCAP? WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON CCAP AND WHAT IMPACT DO YOU EXPECT IT TO HAVE ON THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE? SO, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, BUT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID HAVE ISSUES THAT HAVE SPANNED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND WE HAD TO IMPLEMENT OR THE LEADERSHIP PRIOR FELT THAT THEY HAD TO PUT TOGETHER A DISTRICT DIVERSITY COUNCIL THAT WOULD BE CHAMPIONED TO WRITE THE CCAP TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT THE CITY HAS FACED.
I UNDERSTAND IT. I'VE HEARD THE STUDENTS AND I EMPATHIZE WITH THEM.
I AM OF DIVERSE BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN AND NOT JUST ME, BUT I THINK ANYONE IN ANY RACE, RELIGION, CULTURE OR AGE HAS EXPERIENCED SOME KIND OF DISCRIMINATION, HAS EXPERIENCED SOME KIND OF DIVISIVENESS AND RACISM.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT HAS OCCURRED IN OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE A PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO FEEL SAFE, TO GET A TOP CLASS EDUCATION.
AND WE MUST DO EVERYTHING TO SUPPORT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN.
AND I'M NOT HERE TO DEMEAN THEIR SUFFERING.
IF THEY'VE HAD AN ISSUE, IF THEY'VE BEEN UNHAPPY, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE ADULTS OF THIS CITY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND A WAY TO BRING THE CONVERSATION TO THE TABLE THROUGH, AGAIN, CIVIL AND RESPECTFUL DIALOG AND DISCOURSE.
THIS TYPE OF YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE TO SEE ANYONE NOT GET ALONG WITHIN OUR CITY, BUT WHEN IT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN THE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THE ADULTS AND VICE VERSA, WE AS LEADERS NEED TO COME IN AND HELP MOVE THE CONVERSATION ALONG AS BEST AS WE CAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA.
[00:40:03]
SO IT'S BEEN PRETTY DIFFICULT TO WATCH IN MY TIME HERE IN SOUTHLAKE, I'VE NOT ONLY WORKED WITH CONNECTING THE CITY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT VICE VERSA.AND I KNOW MOST OF DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL BOARD AND IT'S BEEN TOUGH.
IT'S BEEN TOUGH TO SEE ALL OF THIS UNFOLD.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE LACK OF PROCESS TRANSPARENCY. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD ALWAYS HAPPEN.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR SCHOOL BOARD OR DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, CITY LEADERSHIP. AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S REALLY BEEN A FAILURE OF PROCESS TRANSPARENCY.
AND SO FOR THAT DOCUMENT TO APPEAR FOR PUBLIC VIEW ON JULY TWENTY THIRD, THAT WAS TOUGH.
A DOCUMENT THAT HAD BEEN WORKED ON FOR A LONG TIME, I BELIEVE, ABOUT 18 MONTHS.
WHAT THE DOCUMENT HOPES TO ACCOMPLISH AT ITS CORE, I THINK IS GOOD, BUT I THINK NOW WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH ALL OF THE CONTROVERSY AROUND THAT DOCUMENT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKED VERY HARD ON THAT DOCUMENT, BUT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE AND I'VE WATCHED EVERY SCHOOL BOARD CONCERNING THIS ISSUE SINCE IT CAME OUT, WHAT I CAN SEE AND PEOPLE I'VE TALKED WITH, NOT JUST WHAT'S GOING ON ONLINE, BUT WITH THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED WITH, THERE'S SOME CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE BASIC PRIMARY REASONS FOR WHY THAT DOCUMENT WAS CREATED TO BEGIN WITH. ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND IN LISTENING TO THOSE STUDENTS TALK, COME FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO, IT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE A CONVERSATION AND WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR KIDS. AND SO I HOPE THEY CAN FIND A WAY TO COME BACK TOGETHER AND WORK TOWARDS SOME MEANINGFUL RESOLUTIONS.
AND RANDY. YEAH, THANK YOU, SHANE.
SO I TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER IN THE CONVERSATION, BUT THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE CCAP HAS EVOLVED IS A FLAWED PROCESS.
THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF IT, IN MY OPINION.
IT'S FANTASTIC TO HAVE A GROUP, A SUBGROUP WORKING ON THE ISSUE.
AND THAT WAS THE 60 MEMBERS OF THE DDC.
BUT I BELIEVE WHERE THE PROCESS WENT SIDEWAYS WAS NOT INCLUDING THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
AND I SPOKE TO THAT EARLIER THAT THAT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE GREATER COMMUNITY TOGETHER, HAVE A WELL ANNOUNCED FORUM SO THAT ALL PARENTS, KIDS, IF THEY'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED, COULD PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION, ASK QUESTIONS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND INSIGHTS, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
SO THE PROCESS REALLY IS THE FLAW.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THAT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS RECOGNIZED THAT AND THE PROCESS NOW WILL BE THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE PARTICIPATION FROM THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL VOICES ARE HEARD.
AND THAT'S THE KEY TO THIS PROCESS.
I'LL ALSO SAY I'M PLEASED THAT THE DISTRICT HAS ELECTED TO ALSO HAVE A COMMUNITY WIDE INVOLVEMENT IN THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH.
I'M HONORED TO HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO BE ASKED TO BE A PART OF THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH FOCUS GROUP, AND I'LL BE PARTICIPATING IN THAT THIS WEEK.
AND I APPRECIATE THE TRUST THE DISTRICT HAS PUT IN ME TO BE A PART OF THAT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THIS.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND PROCESSES AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT, OR UNDERSTAND THAT IN A TOWN LIKE SOUTHLAKE, EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, WANTS TO HAVE A VOICE.
AND IN THIS CASE, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THAT MOVING FORWARD.
AND WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION KIND OF ALONG THESE LINES, I KNOW WE WILL GET TO OTHER TOPICS AND THERE'S A LOT MORE ISSUES GOING ON HERE IN THE CITY.
BUT THIS IS REALLY TOP OF MIND.
THIS IS WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
WE KNOW THAT THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING TIME, NOT ONLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOR OUR COUNTRY.
WE'VE SEEN PROTESTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS REGARDING RACE AND POLICE BRUTALITY, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHLAKE.
AND WE'RE ALSO HEARING CALLS TO DEFUND POLICE.
AND THAT INCLUDES SOME CHANGES TO THE S.R.O.
LAURA [INAUDIBLE] WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THE RACIAL TENSIONS THAT ARE ON THE RISE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE SCHOOL BOARD IN ADDRESSING SARC.
AND WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE ORDER A LITTLE BIT HERE.
SABREENA, WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH YOU AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO COUNTERCLOCKWISE FOR A COUPLE OF ROUNDS. SO, SABREENA, YOU ARE FIRST ON THIS QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING.
I'VE INTERACTED WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SINCE JANUARY.
SINCE I FILED ON THE 15TH OF JANUARY, MY LIFE CHANGED.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOOR TO DOOR AND MEET WITH THOUSANDS OF OUR COMMUNITY
[00:45:05]
MEMBERS. AND WHEN COVID HAPPENED, I CALLED THEM AND WENT THROUGH TO REACH OUT AND FIND OUT WHAT'S OF CONCERN TO THEM.IN MATTERS OF RACIAL DIVIDE AGAIN, AND OUR POLICE, I DO NOT SUPPORT RACISM IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, BUT I DO SUPPORT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I DO NOT THINK IT'S WISE TO REMOVE THE SROS.
THESE, YOU KNOW, SROS ARE THERE TO PROTECT OUR KIDS AND TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE WHILE THEY'RE AT SCHOOL. SOUTHLAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT IS-- I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THEM.
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INTERACTING WITH THEM MYSELF.
AND I KNOW WHAT THEY GO THROUGH AND THEIR SACRIFICE AND THEIR TIME AND THEIR COMMITMENT AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE, TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS, TO PROTECT MY FAMILY, TO PROTECT ME IN HARM'S WAY.
THERE'S NO PRICE YOU CAN PAY ON THAT FOR SOMEONE WHO'S WILLING TO TAKE A BULLET FOR YOU SHOULD THAT HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT QUANTIFY THAT.
SO I STAND BY WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND I DO NOT SUPPORT RACISM OF ANY KIND.
I DO HOPE AS A COMMUNITY WE CAN OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES AND LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, HAVE EMPATHY FOR ONE ANOTHER.
WE'RE ALL ONE CITY, ONE COMMUNITY.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE ON THIS PATH OF DIVISIVENESS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA.
WE'RE GOING TO JUMP ACROSS TO VICTOR.
VICTOR, YOU'LL BE NEXT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU, SHANE. I AM YOUR LAW AND ORDER CANDIDATE.
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR CITIZENS AND YOUR PROPERTY IS MY PRIORITY.
I'M THE FIRST ONE TO SPEAK UP WHEN THERE WAS A THREAT TO WANT TO DEFUND OUR SRO PROGRAM, OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
THIS IS WHEN THE SARC INTRODUCED A 17 POINT DEMAND LETTER TO THE DISTRICT DIVERSITY COUNCIL AND TRY TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN THE CCAP.
I IMMEDIATELY SPOKE UP AND WAS ATTACKED BY IT.
OUR SRO PROGRAM, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR POLICE.
I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM.
I WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS THAT THEY'VE DONE FOR THE PAST AND KEEP THIS COMMUNITY SAFE.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY MOST OF US LIVE HERE TO BEGIN WITH.
THE SROS DO A LOT MORE THAN JUST PATROL OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
THEY ARE THERE AS THE EYES AND EARS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR CAMPUSES, BUT ALSO SERVE TO GET TO KNOW THE STUDENTS AND INTERACT IN THAT COMMUNITY POLICING THAT SOMETIMES LACS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES.
THERE'S NO OTHER CANDIDATE HERE THAT BRINGS THAT LAW AND ORDER EXPERIENCE THAT I BRING IN MY LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND.
DURING THESE TIMES OF THE VANDALISM THAT WE'VE SEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, IN THE GRAFFITI, THE DESTRUCTION INSIDE THE CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AND HAS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY.
THE LAST THING WE WANT TO SEE IS RIOTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR TOWN SQUARE.
THIS IS WHAT I BRING TO YOU AS A CANDIDATE IS LAW AND ORDER TO KEEP YOU SAFE AND TO PROTECT YOU FROM PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DEFUND THE POLICE.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE MY OPPONENT'S BACKGROUND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. I WILL TELL YOU, THOUGH, THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MUNICIPAL DECISIONS, IT'S ONE THING TO SAY IT.
IT'S ANOTHER THING TO HAVE DONE IT.
AND I HAVE A SIX YEAR TRACK RECORD HERE ON CITY COUNCIL OF ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTING OUR POLICE AND FIRE HEROES.
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME.
I'M MOST PROUD OF THE FACT THAT IN MY LAST YEAR ON CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR HILL ASKED ME TO SIT WITH OUR POLICE CHIEF, ALONG WITH THE SECRET SERVICE, FBI, DEA, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD A WORKING GROUP THAT WAS PREPARED TO PROTECT OUR KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS.
AS A RESULT OF THOSE MEETINGS, WE ALLOCATED AN ADDITIONAL FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FUND AN ADDITIONAL OFFICER, BOTH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
SO NOW WE HAVE TWO SROS AT OUR OLDER CHILDREN'S CAMPUSES AND ONE CONTINUING AT EVERY
[00:50:01]
OTHER CAMPUS IN THE CITY.THAT IS WHAT IT'S ABOUT TO SUPPORT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
I WILL ALSO SAY, AS IT RELATES TO THE QUESTION AND THE PROTESTS IN JUNE AND SO FORTH.
HEY, THE FIRST AMENDMENT ABSOLUTELY PROTECTS THE RIGHTS OF FOLKS TO PEACEFULLY GATHER.
WHAT IT DOESN'T PROTECT IS VIOLENCE, VANDALISM, CRIME AND SO FORTH.
AND NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED IN SOUTHLAKE.
BUT I WILL SAY IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE THAT'S HAPPENING, I ABSOLUTELY WILL NEVER CONDONE THAT.
I'M GOING TO SUPPORT OUR POLICE, OUR POLICE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
IF ANYTHING LIKE THAT WOULD EVER HAPPEN IN SOUTHLAKE, I WOULD 100 PERCENT BE BEHIND THEM TAKING CARE OF THAT SITUATION AND GIVING THEM THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
I WILL NEVER DEFUND THE POLICE.
I THINK IT'S A RIDICULOUS IDEA.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SEE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS, ACROSS THE BOARD COME TOGETHER TO REALIZE THAT DEFUNDING THE POLICE OR ANYTHING SUCH AS THAT HAS NO PLACE HERE.
SO LAURA [INAUDIBLE] IS THE ONE WHO ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT YOU WILL DO TO ADDRESS RACIAL TENSIONS THAT ARE ON THE RISE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE SCHOOL BOARD IN ADDRESSING SARC.
OK, YES, IT'S BEEN TOUGH, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR, AND ALONG WITH MY FELLOW CANDIDATES, I'LL NEVER SUPPORT RACISM.
I THINK RACISM IS A TERRIBLE THING.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GROWING UP IN A MILITARY FAMILY AND I WAS SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE AS WE MOVED AROUND THE COUNTRY, I WAS SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE FROM ALL RACES, CREEDS, RELIGIONS. AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL THING.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT TO THIS PLACE THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE HERE.
AND I THINK WE'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO SOME OF THOSE THINGS MEAN TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
AND AS IT BECOMES POSSIBLE, I THINK IT'S CRITICAL TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN PERSON TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES AND IN PARTICULAR, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY RACISM, THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE AND HOW TERRIBLE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IMPACT IT'S HAD ON THEM AND WHICH IS HORRIBLY UNFORTUNATE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE TOGETHER.
RELATIVE TO OUR POLICE, I'VE LISTENED TO ASSISTANT CHIEF [INAUDIBLE] TALK ABOUT HOW PREPARED OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS.
THEY'VE BEEN ACCREDITED FOR 20 YEARS.
THEY HAVE HAD THE GOLD STAR RATING FOR FIVE YEARS.
THEY HAVE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS RELATIVE TO SWAT.
THEY'RE PREPARED. AND I SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN TO PEACEFULLY PROTEST.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN SOUTHLAKE IN JUNE.
AND, YOU KNOW, BACK TO SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE WAS A LOT OF CHATTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WHO KNOWS WHO STARTED WHAT, BUT PEOPLE WERE PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPENING. AND WHAT I TOOK COMFORT IN WAS KNOWING THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS READY FOR WHATEVER MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AND WHAT A BLESSING IT WAS THAT NOTHING DID HAPPEN.
AND, YEAH, IT'S IT'S BEEN A CRAZY YEAR.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU. DEFINITELY HAS BEEN A CRAZY YEAR.
THAT IS RIGHT. WE ARE MOVING ON NOW TO SOME OTHER TOPICS ON THE MINDS OF THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE. THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM RAY CHANCELLOR.
RAY SAYS, AS SOUTHLAKE HAS GROWN RAPIDLY, MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF OUR NATURAL ECOSYSTEM AND HERITAGE WITHIN THE CITY HAS BEEN LOST, EXCLUDING LEASED CORE PROPERTY.
ALL CURRENT CITY PLANNING DOCUMENT SIGNIFICANTLY ADVOCATE AND CALL FOR PRESERVING AND EDUCATING ABOUT OUR NATURAL HERITAGE, INCLUDING BOB JONES NATURE CENTER AND PRESERVE, [INAUDIBLE] CORE PROPERTY, A NATURAL HIKING TRAIL SYSTEM, FLORA AND FAUNA PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION, AND THE RURAL ATMOSPHERE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE DESIRE TO MAINTAIN.
IF ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL, WHAT WILL BE YOUR POSITION AND HOW WILL YOU WORK TO REESTABLISH REAL STEPS THAT WILL MATERIALLY PROTECT AND PRESERVE OUR NATURAL ECOSYSTEM AND ITS HERITAGE FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS? GREAT QUESTION. SO, VICTOR, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH YOU ON THIS ONE.
THANK YOU, SHANE. WELL, THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT QUESTION.
THANK YOU, RAY, FOR THAT QUESTION.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THE GREEN SPACES THAT WE HAVE IN SOUTHLAKE.
TEY'RE GOING AND THEY'RE GOING FAST.
AND AND ONE OF THE WAYS IT'S GOING FAST IS WITH THE GROWTH AND SOMETIMES THE UNMANAGED GROWTH OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING LATELY.
SO I SUPPORT THE GREEN SPACES, THE PARKS AND THE PRESERVES, BUT NOT BY BUILDING APARTMENTS AND HIGH DENSITY CONSTRUCTION IN OUR CITY.
[00:55:05]
THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST WAYS THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE IT.WHY? IT WILL BRING AND HAVE AN IMPACT WITH TRAFFIC.
THERE'S JUST A LAUNDRY LIST OF WHAT COMES THROUGH WHEN YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT LIKE THAT COME TO OUR CITY.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE TRAFFIC, THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOLS, THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF LOWER TAXES.
THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO SOUTHLAKE DON'T COME HERE TO RENT A PROPERTY, THEY COME HERE TO LIVE IN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
AND SO I WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THOSE DEVELOPERS AND THOSE DEVELOPMENTS FROM COMING TO SOUTHLAKE AND PRESERVING THOSE GREEN SPACES.
MY OPPONENT VOTED FOR THESE APARTMENTS BACK IN 2013.
AND IT REALLY HAS OPENED PANDORA'S BOX IN ALLOWING THESE DEVELOPERS TO CONTINUE TO FILE APPLICATION AFTER APPLICATION FOR NUMEROUS DEVELOPMENTS.
JUST MOST RECENTLY THIS YEAR, WITH A HUGE UNIT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY UNITS STARTED OFF AS THAT LUCKILY WAS SHUT DOWN BY THIS CITY COUNCIL.
SO I WILL SAY NO TO APARTMENTS AND HIGH DENSITY CONSTRUCTION IN OUR CITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.
THANK YOU. WAS THE QUESTION ABOUT APARTMENTS OR PARKS? IT WAS ABOUT PARKS AND WHAT YOU WILL DO TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE OUR NATURAL ECOSYSTEM AND ITS HERITAGE FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE ON COUNCIL.
AND PRIOR TO THAT, AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHLAKE PARK'S DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AS WELL AS SITTING ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
YOU KNOW, DURING THAT TIME WE DID SO MUCH GREAT WORK AS IT RELATES TO NORTH PARK AND THOSE BEAUTIFUL LACROSSE FIELDS UP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN AT RIDGECREST AND DOVE AND WHITE'S CHAPEL. IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL PARK.
IN ADDITION THAT WE DID EXPANSIONS OUT AT BICENTENNIAL BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL FEATURES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, WHETHER IT BE THE COVERED TENNIS COURTS, WHETHER IT BE THE THE ADDITIONAL BASEBALL FIELDS, OR ONE I'M MOST PROUD OF WAS OUR MIRACLE LEAGUE PROJECT, WHERE WE HELP OUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN EVERY SATURDAY BE ABLE TO PLAY BASEBALL WITH THEIR PARENTS AND BE CHEERED WITH ANNOUNCERS AND SO FORTH.
I'M PROUD OF THAT WORK AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THAT IF REELECTED TO COUNCIL.
I WILL TELL YOU, THOUGH, THAT THE COUNCIL HAD A GREAT PLAN IN PLACE PRIOR TO COVID.
WE WERE GOING TO THE BALLOT BOX IN MAY AND WE WERE GOING TO VOTE ON AN ISSUANCE OF A RESPONSIBLE BOND THAT WE BELIEVED WOULD HAVE BEEN WIDELY ACCEPTED ACROSS OUR CITY TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE IN SOUTHLAKE.
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THAT'S EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THESE ARE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEY WISH TO GET WHAT THEIR PROPERTY IS WORTH.
BUT THE CITY FELT LIKE THAT VOTERS WOULD SAY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE FOR OUR CITY.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A FANTASTIC PARK SYSTEM, BUT WE'VE GOT MORE WORK TO DO.
I CAN TELL YOU, BOB JONES IS ONE OF OUR CITY TREASURES, WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN TO THE NATURE CENTER. I ACTUALLY HAVE A CROSS-COUNTRY ATHLETE AND WE HAVE A COUPLE HUNDRED OF OUR CROSS-COUNTRY ATHLETES EVERY DAY, THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE DAYS A YEAR WHO USE BOB JONES PARK AS THEIR TRAINING FACILITY.
AND MOST FOLKS DON'T REALIZE THAT.
BUT IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE TYPES OF RESOURCES.
SO I'M 100 PERCENT COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE GREEN SPACE, THAT WE ENHANCE THAT GREEN SPACE AND WE DO IT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RANDY.
SO WE, MY HUSBAND AND I, AND OUR FAMILY ARE BLESSED TO LIVE IN OUR OWN LITTLE MINI ECOSYSTEM ON 25 ACRES HERE IN SOUTHLAKE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE PROPERTY WAS TALK TO [INAUDIBLE] AND COME TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO TAKE CARE OF LAND.
SO WE HAVE AN AG EXEMPTION ON 19 ACRES.
BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE ARE ENTRUSTED WITH NOT ONLY TAKING CARE OF THE LAND, BUT MAKING IT BETTER. AND WHEN YOU GRAZE CATTLE, WHEN YOU CUT HAY, YOU MAKE THE LAND BETTER.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S PROBABLY MY FORTE, BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY FOR THAT.
AND I'VE FOUND MYSELF THINKING I WONDER IF THERE ARE WAYS TO UTILIZE WHAT [INAUDIBLE] TALKS ABOUT IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING AND PRESERVING LAND AND MAKING IT BETTER FOR THE FUTURE. WE COULD APPLY THAT TO PLACES LIKE BOB JONES.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THAT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'VE DONE SINCE DECIDING TO RUN FOR OFFICE IS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT
[01:00:01]
HAD A GREAT SCAVENGER HUNT EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT I PARTICIPATED IN.AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I UNCOVERED SOME PARKS THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED.
AND THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN. BUT IT WAS ALSO GREAT LEARNING ABOUT THAT.
AND WE HAVE SOME HIDDEN GEMS IN OUR CITY.
WE SHOULD WORK HARD TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE WHAT WE HAVE AND WE DO THAT.
I JUST THINK THERE'S A MYRIAD OF WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KATHY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN MY FAMILY MOVED HERE TWENTY SEVEN YEARS AGO, MY FATHER HAD A VISION OF HAVING HIS CHILDREN OUT IN THE OPEN.
WE USED TO LIVE AT A GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY AND WE MOVED TO SOUTHLAKE BECAUSE A GOOD FRIEND OF OURS AND A NEIGHBOR OF OURS ALERTED US OF A PROPERTY THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE LAKE.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO RESIDE ON 40 ACRES OF LAND THAT EXTENDS OUT TO LAKE GRAPEVINE, AND I'VE GROWN UP PLAYING OUTSIDE, RIDING HORSES ON THE TRAILS THAT GO ALONG THE BACK SIDES OF THE HOUSES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT LENDS TO THE SMALL TOWN CULTURE FEEL THAT SOUTHLAKE HAS AND MAKES US SO SPECIAL. WHILE THE PROGRESSION OF DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN GOOD FOR THE CITY, I REMEMBER WHEN SOUTHLAKE 114 WAS A TWO LANE ROAD AND SOUTHLAKE TOWN SQUARE DIDN'T EXIST AND THE GATEWAY CHURCH DID NOT EXIST.
AND WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING THE NEW HOTEL DIDN'T EXIST AND HALF OF SOUTHLAKE WAS ALL WIDE OPEN, GREEN FIELDS AND SPACES.
AND NOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF REACHED OUR CAPACITY OF DEVELOPMENT, WE NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL AND MORE MEANINGFUL IN THAT APPROACH.
WE HAVE TO SAY NO TO HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
WE HAVE TO BE MORE AWARE OF HOW OUR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS ARE PROGRESSING ALONG.
DO WE NEED IT? AND WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES.
IT'S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S BETTER FOR THE KIDS IN OUR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE ABLE TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY IN THE GRASS AND NOT BE STUCK TO THEIR IPHONES AND IPADS AND TELEVISION SCREENS ALL DAY LONG . GO OUTSIDE AND BREATHE SOME FRESH AIR AND ENJOY THE CITY FOR WHAT IT TRULY IS.
AND WE HAVE TO BE TRUE TO OUR ROOTS AND PROTECT WHAT IS DEAR TO US.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES.
AND THANK YOU ALL. MOVING ON, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM LORI STARKS.
LORI SAYS DRIVING AROUND SOUTHLAKE, EVEN PRIOR TO COVID-19, THERE WERE MANY OFFICE BUILDINGS EMPTY OR FOR LEASE.
AND NEW OFFICE SPACE IS BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO SOUTHLAKE IN ORDER TO FILL SOME OF THESE VACANT OFFICE SPACES? RANDY, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
YEAH, LORI, THANK YOU. THAT'S A FANTASTIC QUESTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE LAST TWO, TWO TO THREE, FOUR YEARS IN BRINGING BUSINESSES LIKE TD AMERITRADE TO SOUTHLAKE.
IT'S BROUGHT A WONDERFUL TAX BASE TO OUR CITY.
IT'S BROUGHT WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES WHO COME HERE.
AND THEY SHOP, THEY HAVE LUNCH, THEY EAT, PERHAPS THEY STAY FOR DINNER.
AND THAT'S FANTASTIC FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR OVERALL FOR WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO OUR RESIDENTS. YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THESE LOCAL OFFICES, YOU KNOW, ONE THING TO CONSIDER THERE IS THAT THIS SPACE IS NECESSARY.
THESE FOLKS NEED, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE OFFICE SPACE.
AND THE KEY IS ABOUT WHAT ARE WE CHARGING AS FAR AS RENTS AND SO FORTH.
THIS NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S DISCUSSED.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COUNCIL CAN BECOME INVOLVED IN, TO TALK TO THE AGENTS THAT ARE LEASING THE PROPERTY, TO SAY WHAT ARE THE PRICES YOU'RE CHARGING? HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO OUR CITIES NEARBY, OVER IN WESTLAKE, IRVING, LOS COLINAS AND SO FORTH? AND HOW CAN WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH THAT? ON COUNCIL, IT'S INTERESTING.
AND WE'LL GET CASES THAT WILL COME BEFORE US FOR GARDEN OFFICES OR LARGER TYPE ONE OFFICES. AND SOMETIMES ON COUNCIL YOU'LL SIT AND YOU'LL SAY, GOSH, I'M NOT SURE THIS IS PERFECT FOR THIS LOCATION.
BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT IF IT'S ZONED FOR THAT LOCATION AND IF THAT APPLICANT HAS BROUGHT A CLEAN APPLICATION, WHICH IS TO DO THAT, WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF DECIDING FOR THEM WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS TO OPEN.
AND SO OFTENTIMES WE'LL GIVE INSIGHTS, WE'LL GIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS? IS THIS SOMETHING THEY'VE CONSIDERED? AND I THINK AS COUNCIL MEMBER LEADERS IN THE CITY, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH THE CITIES AROUND US SO THAT WE CAN FILL UP THIS OFFICE SPACE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S BEING PUT TO USE PROPERLY.
[01:05:02]
YEAH, LORI, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A LOT OF THIS OFFICE SPACE OR OFFICE SPACE THAT WE SEE GOING UP NOW WAS ALREADY PLANNED.
AND SO WHILE IT'S FRUSTRATING TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WOW, WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE, IT WAS ALREADY IN THE WORKS WELL BEFORE COVID JUST LIKE OUR LIVES WERE IN THE WORKS WELL BEFORE COVID. SO THERE IS THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THAT.
SOMETIMES WE FORGET ABOUT THOSE THINGS WHEN WE'RE PROCESSING WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. I THINK WE CAN PROVIDE BUSINESSES INCENTIVES TO COME TO SOUTHLAKE AND TO STAY IN SOUTHLAKE. AND TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE BUSINESSES AND REACH OUT TO THEM AND ALSO TALK TO OUR CURRENT BUSINESSES, WHICH I'VE DONE A LOT OF, TO SEE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
I KNOW THERE'S A HUGE CONCERN ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WITH PEOPLE STAYING AT HOME, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GOING TO GO BACK TO OFFICE SPACE? AND THERE ARE A LOT OF FASCINATING THINGS HAPPENING WHERE BUSINESSES ARE CREATING SHARED OFFICE SPACE, PHYSICAL OFFICE SPACE IS SHARED, AND THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE AND CREATIVE WAYS THAT I THINK WE CAN HELP FILL THOSE SPACES.
MY HUSBAND'S BUSINESS THAT AFFORDED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN SOUTHLAKE, HE WAS IN THE BUSINESS OF UTILIZING OFFICE SPACE, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RENTAL RATES ARE COMPETITIVE AND THE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT CAN'T JUST OUTPRICE PEOPLE FROM COMING TO SOUTHLAKE, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT.
BUT I HAVE ALSO TALKED JUST YESTERDAY ACTUALLY TALKED WITH A POTENTIAL, WELL, POTENTIAL CEF DONOR THAT I HAD TALKED WITH WHILE I WAS STILL ON THE CEF BOARD.
AND THEY'RE BECAUSE OF THEIR CONNECTION WITH CARROLL EDUCATION FOUNDATION, THEY'RE THINKING THEY CAME INTO THE CITY TO SUPPORT THAT.
THEY'RE THINKING OF USING OFFICE SPACE NOW IN OUR CITY.
YOU KNOW, WHILE I CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE REST OF THE CANDIDATES SITTING ON THE DAIS HERE IN THERE ARE LEVELS OF SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY OR TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M THIRTY SIX YEARS OLD, BUT I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I'M A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR AND BUSINESSWOMAN. I HAVE DEDICATED MY LIFE TILL NOW IN MAKING SURE THAT I HAD THE CAPACITY, THE EXPERIENCE IN BUSINESS.
AND I SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED FROM A SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE CAREER.
AND NOW I'M A BUSINESS OWNER MYSELF AND I KNOW THE RISKS INVOLVED IN DEVELOPMENT AND IN COMMERCIAL SPACES.
WITH THAT, I DO BELIEVE THAT AS YOUR FUTURE CITY COUNCILWOMAN, I HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE ON THIS DAIS HERE TODAY IN ASSISTING OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
I UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TRANSITION OUR BUSINESSES.
PRE COVID, DURING COVID, I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I HAD ALREADY BEEN IN TUNE WITH THE MARKET. I UNDERSTAND THE CHANGING TRENDS.
I KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S NEEDED.
TECHNOLOGY IS THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS.
AND I KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS TO HELP THEM OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES, TO BRING IN THE REVENUE, TO BRING IN THE FOOT TRAFFIC.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING AND IT'S ALL ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY.
IN ADDITION, I HAVE THE NEGOTIATION SKILLS AND I HAVE THE BACKGROUND IN SITTING DOWN WITH MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND WORKING OUT COMPETITIVE RATES, SHOWING THEM WHAT'S THE MARKET RATE, HOW BUSINESS OWNERS CAN COMPETE WITH THE SURROUNDING AREAS AND FILL BACK UP OUR COMMERCIAL CENTERS.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR OUR COMMERCIAL RETAIL CENTERS TO BE HALF EMPTY AND FOR TURNOVER TO BE SO HIGH. THANK YOU, SABREENA.
I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE THAT OUR BUSINESSES MEAN TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH OUR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AND I HEAR THEIR CONCERNS.
I SUPPORT SMART GROWTH WHEN IT COMES TO BRINGING AND ATTRACTING NEW BUSINESSES TO SOUTHLAKE. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING BUILT IN TOWN SQUARE THAT WOULD ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO SOUTHLAKE, NOT ONLY TO SHOP, BUT MAYBE AN ANCHOR STORE TO INCREASE THE SHOPPING, MAYBE AN AMPHITHEATER.
I MEAN, I'M OPEN TO SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS OPEN SPACE THAT WE HAVE IN TOWN SQUARE TO FINISH IT AND REALLY ATTRACT PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND
[01:10:05]
INCREASE OUR SALES TAX REVENUE.THAT'S, I THINK, VERY IMPORTANT.
I CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND REALLY LISTEN TO THEM AND SEE WHAT IS IT THAT THEY NEED AND THEIR CONCERNS FOR OUR CITY.
BECAUSE I THINK COVID HAS BEEN SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY THAT'S AFFECTED A LOT OF THEM, ESPECIALLY SOME THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OPEN UP.
BUT I'LL CONTINUE TO BRING THAT, THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING THAT I HAVE IN MY EXPERIENCE AND AS WORKING AS A U.S.
DIPLOMAT ABROAD, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN MANY, MANY ASPECTS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY IS A CORE OF OUR SOUTHLAKE ECONOMY AS SALES TAX REVENUE IS AT 60 PERCENT OR SO.
AND SO IT IS SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT OR I MIGHT HAVE MISQUOTED THAT MIGHT BE A 30 PERCENT AND BUT SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO BRING THAT MONEY TO SOUTHLAKE.
WHAT I DO NOT WANT TO BRING IS THE WRONG GROWTH, AND THAT IS MULTIFAMILY UNITS OR APARTMENTS. THAT'S NOT THE TYPE OF GROWTH THAT I WANT TO SEE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS KIND OF A RAPID FIRE QUESTION HERE.
THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO THIS QUESTION AND THEY'RE ALL SOMEWHAT RELATED, BUT SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT, TOO. SO I'LL ASK THE QUESTION AND THEN THEN I'LL LET YOU DECIDE HOW YOU'D LIKE TO ANSWER. SOPHIA SAYS, HOW WILL YOU LOWER, ONE, PROPERTY TAX APPRAISALS, TWO, TRAFFIC, AND THREE, POPULATION DENSITY, SUCH AS THE INCREASE OF ZONING REQUIREMENTS TO AT LEAST A HALF AN ACRE? SO THOSE ARE PROPERTY TAX APPRAISAL, TRAFFIC AND POPULATION DENSITY AND KATHY, WE'LL START WITH YOU ON THIS.
WOW, SOPHIA REALLY HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH ALL THREE OF THOSE.
HUGELY CRITICAL ISSUES FOR ALL OF US THAT LIVE HERE IN SOUTHLAKE.
PROPERTY TAX APPRAISALS, THAT IS A MYSTERY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY ONE OF US CAN COMPREHEND. AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS PAID PROPERTY TAX IN THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE FOR 24 YEARS NOW, WHEN I TAKE THAT BLUE SHEET OF PAPER OUT OF THE ENVELOPE, I STILL GET STICKER SHOCK 24 YEARS LATER.
AND I KNOW AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT THEY ARE WORKING TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE APPRAISAL SYSTEM. I DON'T THINK, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE ON CITY COUNCIL THERE'S MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT. BUT WE CAN ADDRESS TRAFFIC DENSITY.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN'T ADDRESS, BUT WE CAN.
IN TALKING WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A GREAT REGIONAL PARTNERS THAT ARE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF ALL THINGS TRAFFIC.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOME PRETTY FUTURISTIC THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS WE THINK SOMETHING IS TOO FAR OUT IN THE FUTURE, IT'S HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD HAPPENED IN SOUTHLAKE TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC IS THE INSTALLATION OF ROUNDABOUTS.
AND THE THING THAT'S GREAT ABOUT ROUNDABOUTS IS THEY KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING.
AND SO THERE'S NO STOPPAGE AT LIGHTS.
AND I KNOW THAT PLANS ARE IN THE WORKS TO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE PLACING ROUNDABOUTS ON CONTINENTAL. THE OTHER THING THAT'S GREAT ABOUT ROUNDABOUTS IS THAT THEY DECREASE POLLUTION BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SITTING THERE IDLING WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR THE LIGHTS TURN RED AND THEN YOU DON'T GET THROUGH THE LIGHT AND YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER LIGHT.
SO ROUNDABOUTS ARE A FANTASTIC.
A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, NOT SITTING ON CITY COUNCIL YET.
THOSE AGREEMENTS, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS IN OUR CITY.
THEY HAVE TO START AT THE BEGINNING WITH PLANNING AND ZONING.
THOSE THREE PRONGS, IF YOU WANT ME TO READ THEM AGAIN.
HOW WOULD YOU LOWER PROPERTY TAX APPRAISALS, TRAFFIC AND POPULATION DENSITY? SO AGAIN, WITH PROPERTY TAX APPRAISALS, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH THAT WE CAN DO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AT THIS POINT IN TIME WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ALLOTTED AS RESIDENTIAL, AS NICER AND NICER HOMES ARE BUILT AND PROPERTIES ARE DEVELOPED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE APPRAISALS IN THOSE AREAS WILL GO UP.
AND I KNOW THE PRICES OF HOMES IN SOUTHLAKE ARE NOT CHEAP, BUT I THINK IT DOES MAKE FOR A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD AND GREAT TO DRIVE BY IT TO SEE ALL THE BEAUTIFUL HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED.
[01:15:01]
IN REGARDS TO TRAFFIC.WITH THE RISE IN DENSITY AND THE RISE IN DEVELOPMENTS COMMERCIALLY, TRAFFIC HAS BECOME AN ISSUE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTROL THE DENSITY IN SOUTHLAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY AREAS.
IN ADDITION, WE NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL OF ALL OF OUR REMAINING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE SAY NO TO APARTMENTS AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
AND TO MITIGATE THAT TRAFFIC, WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT SMART TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS.
WE CAN BUILD MORE ROADS, EXTEND THE LANES, PUT IN ROUNDABOUTS AND FIND WAYS TO MITIGATE THE ISSUES WHERE THE POCKETS OF TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION DO OCCUR.
AND IN REGARD TO THE POPULATION DENSITY, WELL, IF WE STICK TO THE PLAN, HAVE LESS AND LESS CHANGES IN THE ZONING, MAKE SURE THAT WE STICK TO THE LOW DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND FOR WHAT THE AREAS AND POCKETS OF LAND ARE DESIGNATED FOR, I THINK WE CAN STICK TO THE MASTER PLAN AND CONTROL THE POPULATION DENSITY A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PUT RESTRICTIONS ON THAT, BUT WE CAN DO THE BEST WE CAN.
GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA.
AND VICTOR, WE WILL COME TO YOU NOW.
WELL, THE WAY TO KIND OF ADDRESS THE HOME APPRAISALS, WHICH WE ALL WANT THE VALUE OF THE HOME TO BE THE LOWEST PROPERTY TAX, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP OUR HOME VALUES HIGH.
AND THAT'S A HARD BALANCE TO DO.
BUT ONE WAY I COULD DO THAT IS BY CONTINUING TO DO WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF, IS CONTINUE TO CUT THE TAX RATE AND JUST LIKE THEY HAVE IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT.
I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR A TAX INCREASE.
THAT WILL GIVE THEM SOME RELIEF AND GIVE OUR HOMEOWNERS SOME RELIEF WHEN IT COMES TO AT LEAST THE APPRAISAL WITH THE TAX EFFORT THERE.
WE THE CITY HAS GIVEN A COMPLETE 20 PERCENT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WHICH IS A MAX AND THAT'S VERY FORTUNATE AND IS VERY GOOD THAT THAT CONTINUE.
I WILL SUPPORT THAT. WHEN IT COMES TO TRAFFIC.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS WITH TRAFFIC HERE.
I WAS EXPLORING THIS QUESTION THE OTHER DAY.
AND WHAT CAN WE DO? I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY COMPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SIGNAGE.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME MORE SIGNAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE PLACED AROUND 1709 TO ALLOW DRIVERS TO POSSIBLY TAKE DIFFERENT ROUTES TO HIT 114 AND NOT TAKE SOUTHLAKE BOULEVARD ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 114.
MAYBE ADD SOME DECELERATION LANES.
AND TO NOT HAVE THAT BACK UP TRAFFIC ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I WOULD GET TOGETHER WITH TXDOT AND DO SOME ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC STUDIES AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE FLOW OF THE TRAFFIC.
AND SO BRINGING ALL THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, I THINK WE COULD DO THAT.
THE POPULATION DENSITY, WE ARE BUILT OUT WITH OUR GROWTH.
AND ONE WAY THAT I TELL YOU THAT IT WILL NOT IMPROVE IS BY ALLOWING HIGH DENSITY CONSTRUCTION HERE. AND SO WE'RE ALL BUILT THAT AT ALMOST THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE.
AND RANDY. OK, THANK YOU, SHANE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, VICTOR, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THE WORK WE DID FOR SIX YEARS TO LOWER THE PROPERTY TAX BY MAXIMIZING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
WE DID THAT FOR SIX STRAIGHT YEARS AND I VOTED ALL SIX TIMES.
YEAH, THANK YOU. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE ROUNDABOUT YOU COMPLIMENTED, WE ALSO CREATED THOSE WHILE I WAS ON COUNCIL.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT. SO HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY.
I'VE HEARD FOLKS SAY WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT APPRAISALS.
WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE. WE CAN DO THINGS ABOUT APPRAISALS AND APPRAISED VALUES.
THAT'S WHY WE WORK WITH OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES.
THAT'S WHY WE WORK WITH OUR STATE SENATORS.
WE WORK WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HEAR THE VOICE OF THE RESIDENTS THROUGH US, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE CAN'T SIT BY THE SIDELINE AND JUST SAY, WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE APPRAISAL IS GOING TO BE AND WE'LL JUST PAY IT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
LIKE I SAID, WE LOWERED YOUR TAX RATE SIX YEARS IN A ROW BY VOTING TO MAXIMIZE WHAT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WILL ALLOW AT 20 PERCENT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRAFFIC.
SEVENTEEN ZERO NINE IS A TXDOT THOROUGHFARE, AND THAT'S DIFFICULT.
WE WISH WE COULD CONTROL THAT MORE.
BUT AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR EXCUSE ME, AS A RESIDENT, YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO UNDERSTAND WHO TO TALK TO, THAT UNDERSTAND THE NETWORK, THAT UNDERSTAND WHO TO TALK TO IN THE CITY OFFICE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH TXDOT AND MAKE IT REAL CLEAR THAT WHILE THEY OWN THAT ROADWAY, WE EXPECT BETTER.
WE EXPECT THEM TO COME AND FIND WAYS TO SOLVE TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING BOTTLENECKS HERE, BOTTLENECKS THERE.
SO THERE IS A WAY FOR CITY COUNCIL TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, A POPULATION DENSITY.
I JUST HAVE TO ADDRESS THE FACT MY OPPONENT CONTINUES TO MAKE THIS ABOUT APARTMENTS.
[01:20:03]
AND IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT THIS ENTIRE FORUM THAT FOLKS ARE TUNING INTO EVERY QUESTION GOES TO APARTMENTS. HERE'S THE FACTS.IN 2011, BEFORE I WAS ON CITY COUNCIL, A DEVELOPMENT WAS APPROVED IN THE GARDEN DISTRICT.
IT'S CALLED THE GARDEN DISTRICT.
IN 2013, I CAME BACK AND BECAUSE OF WHAT I DID ON THAT COUNCIL, WE ACTUALLY LOWERED DENSITY OF THE OVERALL NUMBER OF LUXURY HOMES AVAILABLE.
WE REDUCED THE BUILDINGS FROM 10 BUILDINGS DOWN TO FOUR.
WE REDUCED CONCRETE COVERAGE AND WE INCREASED GREEN SPACE.
THESE ARE THIRTY SIX LUXURY RESIDENCES, ALL OWNER OCCUPIED, ALL FOR SALE.
AND IT'S THE MOST EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE IN OUR CITY AT SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT. WE DO NOT HAVE APARTMENTS IN SOUTHLAKE.
WE'VE NEVER HAD APARTMENTS IN SOUTHLAKE.
AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE BETWEEN ME AND MY OPPONENT WHO SPOKE AT BOTH THE P&Z AND COUNCIL MEETING AGAINST THE APARTMENT COMPLEX THIS LAST FEBRUARY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON, I THINK, VICTOR, YOU MENTIONED SIGNAGE ON THE STREETS, BUT WE HAVE ALSO SEEN A LOT OF CAMPAIGN SIGNS OUT IN THE CITY.
WE'VE HAD TWO QUESTIONS OR TWO PEOPLE SUBMIT QUESTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT.
ONE FROM LEE [INAUDIBLE] AND ONE FROM MARTIN SCHELLING.
THEY WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER PUT A CAMPAIGN SIGN OUT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE OWNER.
AND IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TOLD BY THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE TO REMOVE YOUR SIGNS? INTERESTING QUESTION THERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I RESPECT, I KNOW LEE [INAUDIBLE] AND MARTIN SCHELLING WAS A PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OF SOUTHLAKE. YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE MY BEST AS FAR AS A CANDIDATE IS CONCERNED TO ADHERE TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS SET FORTH BY THE GUIDELINES ON POLITICAL SIGNAGE.
I HAVE NOT PUT MY SIGNS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION.
I'M VERY LUCKY. I'VE ONLY HAD A FEW OF MY SIGNS STOLEN AND GONE MISSING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE CANDIDATES LOOK TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TO OUR OWN PERSONAL FINANCES AND RESOURCES TO FUND THESE CAMPAIGNS. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE DOING IT FOR A VOLUNTEER POSITION.
WE PUT OUR TIME AND ENERGY AND OUR WHEREWITHAL TO CAMPAIGN FOR OUR CITY TO WANT TO LEAD OUR CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE IN THIS WAR OF SIGNS MISSING AND INAPPROPRIATE THINGS HAPPENING.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER PLACED A SIGN ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION.
I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE ASSISTED ME IN PLACING SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE.
AND I APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE AND THEIR ASSISTANCE IN HELPING ME LIVE OUT MY PASSION AND MY DREAM OF ONE DAY SERVING THE CITY THAT'S GIVEN ME SO MUCH.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING THE NEXT CITY COUNCILWOMAN OF THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SABREENA.
AND MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE OF THAT QUESTION.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO KIND OF GO CRISS-CROSS IN OUR ORDER.
SO, RANDY, YOU WILL BE NEXT TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, IF THAT'S OK.
THANK YOU. SO I CAN ANSWER VERY CLEARLY ON THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
NOT ONE OF MY SIGNS IS ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT I DO NOT HAVE EXPLICIT PERMISSION TO HAVE THAT SIGN ON THAT PROPERTY.
AND NO HAVE I HAD TO REMOVE ANY SIGNS.
I BACKED ONE SIGN UP BECAUSE THE MOW AREA WAS EASILY IDENTIFIABLE.
SO I MOVED IT BACK A FEW FEET TO ENSURE THAT I WAS NOT IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THAT'S AN EASY ANSWER FOR ME.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS THIS HAS BEEN AN AREA THAT'S BEEN DISAPPOINTING TO ME AS A CANDIDATE AND AS A FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, BECAUSE THESE ARE ORDINANCES, THESE ARE THE LAWS OF SOUTHLAKE. AND LET'S BE HONEST, A CAMPAIGN SHOULDN'T COME DOWN TO SIGN PLACEMENT IF YOU WIN BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE MOST SIGNS OF THE MOST VISIBLE SIGNS YOU PROBABLY WON FOR THE WRONG REASON. I THINK OUR RESIDENTS ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHO THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR BASED ON FORUMS SUCH AS THIS.
BUT IT'S BEEN DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY OPPONENT HAS PLACED SIGNS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
AND FURTHER BEYOND THAT, I'VE HAD PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS CALL ME AND SAY, WHY DOES YOUR OPPONENT HAVE HIS SIGN ON MY PROPERTY? IN MY INTEREST? I DON'T KNOW.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHY MY OPPONENT WOULD HAVE A SIGN ON YOUR PROPERTY.
BUT THERE'S BEEN OCCASIONS WHERE EVEN THAT PROPERTY OWNER SAYS, WELL, I'M JUST TAKING IT DOWN. AND THEN MY OPPONENT CAME BACK ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY A SECOND TIME AND REPLACED THE SIGN. I HAVE A CONCERN WHEN YOU'RE VOTING TO ELECT SOMEBODY TO WRITE YOUR LAWS AND
[01:25:04]
YOUR ORDINANCES THAT THEY ENSURE THAT THEY FOLLOW THEM THEMSELVES.AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WHEN YOU LOOK RIGHT NOW AROUND THE CITY, I HAVE PEOPLE CALL ME AND SAY, HEY, HOW COME YOU DON'T HAVE A SIGN IN THIS CORNER WHERE ALL THE CANDIDATES HAVE A SIGN? WHY DON'T YOU PUT ONE OF YOUR BIG FOUR FOOT BY FOUR FOOT SIGNS OVER ON THIS CORNER OVER HERE TO BE REALLY VISIBLE? AND TO A PERSON I CAN LINE THEM UP IF YOU'D LIKE.
THEY'LL SAY EVERY TIME RANDY SAYS, THAT'S NOT HOW I'M GOING TO RUN MY CAMPAIGN.
I WILL HAVE PERMISSION FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER, IF I PLACE A SIGN.
IF I LOSE A SIGN BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT IT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, I DIDN'T HAVE A PERMISSION OR EXCUSE ME. IF I LOSE A CAMPAIGN BECAUSE OF THAT, THEN I'LL LOSE A CAMPAIGN.
BUT I CAN HOLD MY HEAD HIGH AND KNOW I DID IT WITH INTEGRITY IN THE WAY THE RULES ARE WRITTEN. THANK YOU, RANDY.
WE'RE GOING TO JUMP ACROSS TO KATHY NOW.
THANK YOU. I ALSO HAVE NEVER PLACED A SIGN ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION.
I AM DISAPPOINTED IN HEARING MY OPPONENT SAY THAT BECAUSE THAT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES THAT PEOPLE HAVE SENT ME WHERE THAT HAS HAPPENED.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND IT AT THE OUTSET.
YOU SEE A BUNCH OF CAMPAIGN SIGNS.
YOU PUT THEM THERE. YOU THINK IT'S A SPACE WHERE EVERYBODY-- AND I OPERATE FROM A FORGIVENESS STANDPOINT.
BUT WHEN PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE CALLED ME AND ASKED THE SAME QUESTION, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. SO IT IS WHAT IT IS.
THE SIGN GAME IS NEW FOR ME FOR THREE OF US HERE RELATIVE TO RUNNING FOR AN ELECTED POSITION. AND SO I KNOW PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES AND THINGS HAPPEN.
NOW, THE OTHER THING I WOULD WANT TO NOTE RELATIVE TO SIGNS IS, YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVED A FAIRLY THICK BOOK OF RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND I THINK WE'VE ALL PORED OVER THOSE DILIGENTLY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE NOTICED IS THAT WHEN YOU RUN WHEN YOU ARE NOT AN INCUMBENT, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PUT WHAT YOU ARE RUNNING FOR ON YOUR SIGN.
AND SO MY SIGNS ALL SAY SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL, PLACE ONE.
I TAKE FOLLOWING THE RULES PRESENTED TO ME VERY SERIOUSLY.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME PORING OVER THAT BOOK AND MAKING SURE I WAS DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY AND ALSO CALLING IF I WAS UNSURE RELATIVE TO WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING ON.
AND WE, THREE OF THE FOUR OF US ARE NEW IN THE SIGN BUSINESS.
AND I DO OPERATE FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED THAT THERE WAS AN ASSUMPTION THAT YOU COULD PUT YOUR SIGN THERE WHEN IN FACT YOU COULDN'T. SO THANK YOU.
AND I'LL GO BACK AND ADDRESS MY OPPONENT ABOUT THE APARTMENTS THAT HE SAID.
AND I JUST WANT HIM TO STOP CONFUSING THE VOTERS.
PLEASE, RANDY, STOP CONFUSING THE VOTERS.
THE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT, THE GREEN SPACE, THE CONCRETE.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO OWN YOUR VOTE.
YOU VOTED FOR HIGH DENSITY APARTMENTS.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU OWN IT.
YOU SAID IT ON A VIDEO IN 2013 AS YOU SAT IN THAT CHAIR ON THAT OTHER SIDE.
WOULD THIS BE A LEASE TO PURCHASE OR WOULD THIS BE A STRICTLY A LEASE? THE DEVELOPER SAID IT DEPENDS.
YOU SAID IF YOU WOULD MOVE FORWARD, WILL YOU INTEND TO SELL LEASE OR POSSIBLY BOTH? IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT JUST WALKS OFF THE STREET AND SAYS THEY COULD LEASE SOMETHING FOR SIX MONTHS OR ONE YEAR.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE DEVELOPER TOLD YOU.
YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE VOTING FOR.
AND OUR MAYOR BACK THEN, OUR MAYOR PRO TEM--.
BUT THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS ON CAMPAIGN SIGNS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE CAMPAIGN SIGNS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE KATHY SAID, WE'RE ALL NEW TO THIS.
AND I IMMEDIATELY GOT WITH A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
I ACTUALLY RODE WITH HIM IN HIS TRUCK AND WE DROVE AROUND ALL AROUND THE CITY.
A LOT OF MY SIGNS WERE DESTROYED AND WERE STOLEN.
AND I NEVER FILED A POLICE REPORT.
I FIGURED, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME HERE.
THAT'S THE WAY POLITICS ARE PLAYED IN SOUTHLAKE.
BUT I GOT IN THE TRUCK WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WE DROVE AROUND TOWN AND WE PLACED THEM WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND THEY WERE STILL TAKEN DOWN. I PLACED ON WHAT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, HIM ON ONE SIDE, ME ON THE OTHER. WE NAILED IT DOWN IN THE GRASS AREA.
IT WAS NOT IN THERE RIGHT OF WAY.
IT WAS NOT IN A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO IF YOU WANT TO PLAY A SIGN GAME, THERE IS A SIGN GAME GOING ON HERE AND THE SIGNS DON'T VOTE. IT'S THE VOTERS OF SOUTHLAKE THAT WILL VOTE.
THANK YOU. SO YES OR NO, DID YOU PLACE A SIGN ON PRIVATE PROPERTY? YES OR NO? ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.
WE WILL ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO ADDRESS WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ADDRESS IN YOUR CLOSING REMARKS. SO WE HAVE ONE QUESTION FROM [INAUDIBLE] SAYS, WHEN WE
[01:30:06]
FACE LIFE'S CHALLENGES, MANY RELY ON THEIR FAITH TO SEE THEM THROUGH IT.DO YOU RELY ON YOUR FAITH TO GET YOU THROUGH TOUGH CHALLENGES? GOOD QUESTION THERE.
WE WILL START WITH LET'S SEE, WE'LL START WITH RANDY ON THIS ONE.
I'M PROUD TO START WITH THIS ONE.
THANK YOU. THIS IS THE EASIEST QUESTION I'VE RECEIVED TONIGHT BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY DO DEPEND ON MY FAITH. I'M A CHRISTIAN.
I'M A MEMBER OF SOUTHLAKE BAPTIST CHURCH.
I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF THAT CHURCH.
AND MY WIFE AND I HAVE RAISED OUR KIDS IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
YOU KNOW, AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. WE'RE HERE TO LEAD.
WE'RE HERE TO CONSIDER FAIRLY APPLICATIONS THAT COME IN FRONT OF US, NO MATTER WHAT THAT PERSON'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ARE, WHAT THEIR DECISIONS IN LIFE ARE AROUND OTHER ASPECTS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
AND SO THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I CONDUCT MYSELF IN TOTAL UNBIASED FAIRNESS HERE.
BUT AS FAR AS MY FAITH, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY TOLD A STORY YESTERDAY IN A FORUM THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME. AND REALLY THIS IS INDEPENDENT OF WHAT YOUR FAITH IS.
BUT I WAS WALKING AND KNOCKING ON DOORS AROUND TOWN.
GOSH, I DO IT ALL, YOU KNOW, A FULL TIME JOB.
BUT AFTER WORK, I GET TO SAY HI TO THE KIDS AND THEN GO START WALKING AND SAYING HI TO NEIGHBORS. BUT IT WAS SO NICE.
I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE [INAUDIBLE] NEIGHBORHOOD AND A COUPLE WAS RIDING THEIR BICYCLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WENT UP TO THEM WITH ONE OF MY CARDS, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ME LIKE, OH, BOY, WHO'S COME AND WHAT'S HE SELLING? OR PERHAPS MAYBE WHAT RELIGION IS HE? AND BUT I SAID, NO, NO, IT'S NOTHING.
I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE TALKED FOR A FEW MINUTES.
IT'S THE NICEST COUPLE. THEY WERE MEMBERS OF GATEWAY CHURCH.
AND WE ENDED OUR CONVERSATION BY THEM SAYING, HEY, WOULD IT BE OK IF WE TOOK A MOMENT, JUST PRAYED FOR YOU AND YOUR CAMPAIGN? THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME AS A MAN OF FAITH.
AND SO I GUESS THE WALK AWAY FROM THIS COMMENT FROM ME WOULD BE JUST TO SIMPLY KNOW THAT IF YOU VOTE FOR ME AND YOU BRING ME BACK IN YOUR CITY COUNCIL, YOU'VE GOT A MAN OF INTEGRITY, YOU'VE GOT A MAN OF UNWAVERING INTEGRITY WHO WILL ALWAYS BE TRANSPARENT AND HONEST IN THE DECISION MAKING AND REPRESENT YOU AND BE FAIR.
AND THAT'S WHY I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU, RANDY. KATHY, WE'LL JUMP ACROSS TO YOU REAL QUICK.
YEAH, THANK YOU. YES, I'VE BEEN A CHRISTIAN FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND MY FATHER, GOD REST HIS SOUL, RAISED US IN A STRONG CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD.
AND HE ALSO RAISED US, MY BROTHER AND I, OUR FAMILY, TO RESPECT EVERY RELIGION, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, NO MATTER WHAT THE RELIGION PREACHES OR STANDS FOR, AND I THINK THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE A PERSON OF FAITH.
I'VE ALWAYS RESPECTED ALL OF THE GREAT RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, AND I THINK WHAT THAT DOES, NO MATTER WHAT OUR RELIGION, IT'S SOMETHING THAT BINDS US AND IT BRINGS US TOGETHER BECAUSE OUR FAITH GIVES US ALL STRONG CORE VALUES, CORE FAMILY VALUES.
AND IT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, IT DOES TEACH US TO OPERATE WITH FORGIVENESS, TO OPERATE WITH KINDNESS, AND WE NEED TO EXEMPLIFY THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHETHER WE'RE SITTING ON CITY COUNCIL OR JUST OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE.
AND I THINK IN PARTICULAR THIS YEAR, THE WORLD COULD USE A, NOT A LITTLE MORE GRACE, BUT A LOT MORE GRACE. AND I HAVE HOPE THAT AS I PRAY THAT WE COME OUT OF COVID THAT PEOPLE REALLY START FEELING THAT, SHOWING THAT AND WE JUST REALLY NEED TO BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. AND BEING KIND TO ONE ANOTHER IS A CORE PRINCIPLE OF EVERY RELIGION.
AND I THINK WE ALL SHARE THAT.
AND, YEAH, IT'S PRETTY SPECIAL.
I THINK WE'VE ALL GROWN UP IN STRONG RELIGIOUS FAMILIES AND IT JUST HAS SO MUCH MEANING.
THANK YOU, KATHY. AND WE'RE GOING TO JUMP BACK OVER TO VICTOR.
THANK YOU, SHANE. FAITH, THANK YOU, JULIAN, FOR THIS WONDERFUL QUESTION.
MY FAMILY AND I BELONG TO GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC CHURCH.
FAITH HAS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE SINCE I WAS A YOUNG CHILD.
I'VE BEEN GOING TO CHURCH AND PART OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE I WAS A YOUNG BOY. MY MOM DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF INSTILLING THOSE VALUES OF BEING A COMMUNITY MEMBER, NOT JUST ATTENDING CHURCH ON SUNDAYS, BUT TO REALLY HAVING
[01:35:03]
FAITH AND WHAT FAITH REALLY MEANS AND WHAT CAN I TELL YOU? I MENTIONED IT IN MY OPENING STATEMENT THAT I'M ONLY HERE BECAUSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD.AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IT IS A MIRACLE THAT I'M HERE.
I WAS ALMOST KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY AND MY FAITH REALLY, REALLY BROUGHT ME THROUGH SOME VERY, VERY DARK TIMES AND DIFFICULT TIMES WITH MY FAMILY AND I.
AND REALLY PRAYER, FAMILY, UNITY AND GOD HAVE REALLY SOUGHT OUR FAMILY AND I THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES. AND SO FAITH IS A PART OF ME, HAS BEEN A PART OF ME ALL MY LIFE.
I WILL-- IT HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT.
IT HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, NOT ONLY IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, BUT IN MY PERSONAL CAREER AS WELL.
AND SO FAITH YOU'LL GET A PERSON OF FAITH IF YOU ELECT ME TO SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL PLACE SIX. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.
WOULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. WHEN WE FACE LIFE'S CHALLENGES, MANY RELY ON THEIR FAITH TO SEE THEM THROUGH IT. DO YOU RELY ON YOUR FAITH TO GET YOU THROUGH TOUGH CHALLENGES? OH, OF COURSE I DO.
YOU KNOW, IN LIFE, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A MORAL COMPASS.
YOU NEED TO LIVE LIFE IN A JUST MANNER, AND YOU HAVE TO DO GOOD BY YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS A LIFELONG CITIZEN OF SOUTHLAKE, I'VE ENJOYED LIVING A HAPPY AND FULFILLING LIFE WITHIN MY COMMUNITY.
FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE FAITH, YOU DON'T HAVE HOPE AND WITHOUT HOPE, YOU CAN'T HOPE THAT THE WORLD WILL BE A BETTER PLACE.
WHEN WE HAVE FAITH IN ONE ANOTHER, THAT'S PUTTING TRUST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN.
IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU VEST YOUR LIVELIHOOD IN.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE FAITH, THE WORLD WOULD BE A VERY DARK PLACE.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR THE GOOD IN EVERYTHING.
AND I HOPE THAT WITH MY ROLE AS YOUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN THAT YOU WOULD HAVE FAITH IN ME TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR ALL CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE, REGARDLESS OF RACE, RELIGION, CREED, ANYTHING. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO BE DIVERSE OF ALL RELIGIONS AND OF ALL FAITHS.
SO AT THAT RATE, WE HAVE TO RESPECT ONE ANOTHER AND CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THE GOOD AND BE POSITIVE THAT EXISTS IN ANY SITUATION, IN ANY WALK OF LIFE.
AND IF YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'LL EXEMPLIFY THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION AND IT KIND OF ALONG THE SAME LINES.
IT'S FROM [INAUDIBLE] WHO SAYS, WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE? AND IF SELECTED, WOULD YOU SUPPORT THIS FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT THAT IS ENSHRINED IN OUR CONSTITUTION? AND ALSO WANT TO ADD DONNA BAKER, SIMILAR QUESTION.
WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT? SO IF WE CAN ADDRESS THAT QUESTION REAL QUICK, KATHY, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
WELL, TWO GREAT QUESTIONS ALL IN ONE.
I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
I THINK THAT IT'S ONE OF THE ORIGINAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH OUR COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED, AND I DO NOT SEE A REASON TO CHANGE THAT.
SO THERE'S THAT ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
WHAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON GOVERNMENT? AND ONE, YEAH, I'M FOR LESS GOVERNMENT, BUT I'M FOR INVOLVED GOVERNMENT.
I THINK THAT OUR RESIDENTS ENTRUST IN US THE ABILITY TO LEAD AND TO CARRY OUR CITY FORWARD. AND WE SHOULD DO THAT WITH EVERY AMOUNT OF RESPECT THAT WE CAN.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO BE TOO INVOLVED IN THE DAY TO DAY AND WE DON'T WANT TO OVER LEGISLATE, OVER CREATE LAWS, CREATE THINGS WHERE OUR RESIDENTS DON'T NEED THEM TO BE CREATED IN PARTICULAR.
OR AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT CREATE LAWS OR REGULATIONS OR CODES WHEN JUST ONE THING HAPPENS, YOU KNOW.
YOU NEED TO TAKE THE WHOLE INTO ACCOUNT.
SO I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN LESS IS MORE RELATIVE TO GOVERNMENT, BUT INVOLVE GOVERNMENT.
[01:40:03]
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE GETTING OUT THERE, COMMUNICATING, TALKING, LISTENING, MORE IMPORTANTLY, LISTENING TO OUR RESIDENTS TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS.AND THEN WHEN WE LEGISLATE, IF THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, IT SHOULD BE FOR THE GOOD OF ALL OF SOUTHLAKE. AND THAT'S WHAT I REPRESENT.
I LOVE OUR CITY AND I WANT TO SEE OUR CITY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND I'D BE HONORED TO DO THAT AS YOUR NEXT CITY COUNCILWOMAN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KATHY.
WE'RE GOING TO JUMP ACROSS THE VICTOR NOW.
ABSOLUTELY. LET ME GET MY GLASSES BACK ON.
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH AND STATE, AND IF SELECTED, WOULD YOU SUPPORT THIS FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT THAT IS ENSHRINED IN OUR CONSTITUTION? AND WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON GOVERNMENT? YES, I DO BELIEVE IN THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
THERE IS THAT KEY ELEMENT THAT WE ABIDE BY.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT, I DO BELIEVE IN A SMALL GOVERNMENT IN THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT, ONE THAT IS FOR THE PEOPLE.
WHEN I WALK AROUND MEETING NEW PEOPLE AND KNOCKING ON THEIR DOORS, I TELL THEM I WANT TO TAKE THINGS BACK TO BASICS.
I TELL THEM I WANT TO REPRESENT THEM.
I KIND OF SAY JOKINGLY SAY I WANT TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE AND ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE PEOPLE. WHAT A CONCEPT, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT.
AND SO. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OWNED BY ANYONE BUT THE PEOPLE, WE ARE HERE TO RESPOND TO THEM, WE ARE HERE TO WORK FOR THEM.
IN THIS CASE, WE WILL ALL VOLUNTEER FOR THEM.
AND THAT'S HOW I SEE THE PHILOSOPHY AND GOVERNMENT.
IT'S NECESSARY. OBVIOUSLY, I'VE WORKED IN GOVERNMENT FOR 20 YEARS AT ALL LEVELS.
I STARTED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WORKING AT THE AGE OF 23, WORKING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND I KNOW HOW IT IS TO SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUREAUCRACIES, IF YOU WILL, IN THE GOVERNMENTS AND THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET TO THE FEDERAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS. SO IT'S A SHAME SOMETIMES TO SEE THE RED TAPE THAT YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH. AND SO I'D RATHER REDUCE THAT RED TAPE TO GET THE WORK DONE FOR THE PEOPLE AND WORK FOR THEM DIRECTLY.
AND SABREENA, WE'LL JUMP ACROSS TO YOU.
REPEAT THE QUESTION, PLEASE, IT'S A TWO PARTER.
STATE AND WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON GOVERNMENT? YOU KNOW, SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
IT'S PART OF THE FRAMEWORK OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
AND IT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE CHECKS AND BALANCES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AS MANDATED BY OUR ROLES THAT WE HAVE TO PLAY.
YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL BOARD IS THERE.
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS HERE TO MANAGE, YOU KNOW, YOUR ELECTRICITY, YOUR SANITATION, YOUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES.
SO AS FAR AS SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO BE EFFECTIVE, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE TASKS AT HAND.
BEYOND THAT, ON OUR PHILOSOPHY, ON GOVERNMENT, MY PHILOSOPHY ON GOVERNMENT IS I DO BELIEVE IN SMALL GOVERNMENT. I'M A TEXAN THROUGH AND THROUGH.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL LOOK TO REMAIN FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE.
I'M AN ENTREPRENEUR FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS OF MY LIFE.
AND AS A BANKER AND AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I KNOW HOW TO HANDLE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS AND BALANCE SHEETS.
I KNOW HOW TO MAKE SURE WHERE WE NEED TO SAVE MONEY AND COST CUT AND HOW WE CAN BEST IMPLEMENT OUR RESOURCES WITHIN THE CITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD GIVE IT EVERY OUNCE OF MY PASSION, ENERGY AND TIME TO SERVE THE BEAUTIFUL CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I SUPPORT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
IF IT'S IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, I SUPPORT IT.
THAT'S ABOUT AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS I CAN GET WITH THAT ANSWER.
AS FAR AS THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT.
I'VE USED THE SAME ANALOGY FOR YEARS, WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME THIS QUESTION.
I'VE ACTUALLY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH OUR YMSL BOYS EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY COME
[01:45:04]
INTO THIS CHAMBER TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND LEARN ABOUT THEIR DUTIES. AND IT'S DOZENS, IF NOT A FEW HUNDRED BOYS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO IMPACT THROUGH THAT ORGANIZATION. AND IT'S ONE OF MY GREATEST HONORS.AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT.
AND ONE THING THAT I ALWAYS SHARE WITH THEM IS IT SHOULD BE KIND OF LIKE A BASEBALL GAME.
THEY SAY AN UMPIRE HAS RUN THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST GAME WHEN NOBODY NOTICED THAT THE UMPIRE WAS THERE, JUST LIKE A REFEREE IN THE NFL GAME.
IF NOBODY NOTICES THE REFEREES, IT'S BEEN A VERY WELL REFEREED GAME.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE ANALOGY I WOULD USE FOR GOVERNMENT, IS THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THE PEOPLE AND TO ASSIST THE PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE NOT HERE TO BE A NANNY STATE AND TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE. AND SO IF WE CAN RUN A GREAT CITY WITHOUT EVERYBODY POINTING AND SAYING, WHAT'S THE CITY COUNCIL DOING NOW? WHAT IS THIS? THIS TERRIBLE IDEA.
I THINK WE'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU'RE ELECTING A CITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL IS YOU WANT SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS THIS. YOU WANT THE INTEREST IN THE BUDGETS, THAT IT'S NOT JUST PLATITUDES OF WHAT I CAN DO OR MIGHT DO.
IT'S THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE HAD A 20 PERCENT REDUCTION IN SALES TAX AS A RESULT OF COVID. WE'VE HAD A 70 PERCENT REDUCTION IN HOT TAX.
THAT IS A BIG DEAL TO THE HILTON DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S A BIG DEAL TO THE OTHER HOTELS AROUND TOWN.
AND YOU NEED A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW TO MANAGE THROUGH THAT AND PERHAPS PREEMPTIVELY PREPARED FOR THAT BY HAVING POLICIES TO WHERE WE ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR CITY BUDGET FUNDS ARE FUNDED AT ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF PLANNED EXPENDITURES IN THE BUDGET. AND THAT'S THE SAME CASE IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE'VE PASSED A BUDGET.
IT'S FUNDED AT ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF EXPENDITURES, WHICH ALLOWS US SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS FOR CONTINUED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR GOVERNMENT.
SOMEBODY CAN HELP MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, BUT NOT BE A NANNY STATE FOR YOU.
THANK YOU, RANDY. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TONIGHT.
IT'S BEEN A HOPEFULLY AND VERY ENLIGHTENING FOR OUR VOTERS.
THE CANDIDATES ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A CLOSING STATEMENT.
[3. Candidate Closing Statements]
EACH CANDIDATE WILL BE ALLOWED AN ADDITIONAL THREE MINUTES FOR CLOSING REMARKS.AND AS I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THE SCREENS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE USED TO IT.
NOW THEY TURN YELLOW AT TEN SECONDS AND RED WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR CLOSING STATEMENTS IN REVERSE ORDER OF OUR OPENING STATEMENTS.
SO THAT MEANS, VICTOR, YOU WILL BE FIRST TO GIVE YOUR CLOSING STATE.
THANK YOU, SHANE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AND FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS OF OUR GREAT CITY.
MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN ABOUT HONOR, INTEGRITY AND THE SERVICE TO OTHERS, IT'S WHO I AM.
I WANT TO CONTINUE THE SERVICE TO REPRESENT YOU AS YOUR NEXT CITY COUNCILMAN.
I'VE WORKED IN MANY CITIES AND WAS ALSO APPOINTED AS A U.S.
DIPLOMAT TO ADVANCE THE MISSION AND NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS OF THE U.S.
I WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY RESUME.
I HAVE 20 YEARS OF GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE AND PROVEN SUCCESS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
I'VE MANAGED BUDGETS AND LED THE GLOBAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS INITIATIVE AND THE ONE POINT SIX BILLION DOLLAR [INAUDIBLE] INITIATIVE BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES.
I'VE WORKED WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPLEMENT POLICY AND DEVELOP BI NATIONAL AGREEMENTS.
MY OPPONENT CONTINUES TO STATE THAT EXPERIENCE MATTERS AND SO DOES HIS RECORD.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE HIS EXPERIENCE, MY OPPONENT VOTED AGAINST OUR CURRENT MAYOR AND OPENED PANDORA'S BOX TO EVERY DEVELOPER THAT HAS STOOD AT THIS DAIS.
2013, MY OPPONENT SIDED WITH THE DEVELOPER, NOT OUR CITIZENS.
HE VOTED YES FOR HIGH DENSITY.
THE BUILDING IS THERE TODAY IN TOWN SQUARE WITH THIRTY SIX UNITS.
THE 50 PERCENT THRESHOLD THAT MY OPPONENT NEGOTIATED WITH THE DEVELOPER HAS BEEN MET, WHICH MEANS THAT THE REMAINING 14 UNITS CAN BE LEASED OR SOLD.
LET'S NOT GET CONFUSED WITH THE WORDS LEASE RENT LEASE TO PURCHASE.
THESE ARE JUST WORDS THAT WANT TO BE FOOLED BY THE SLEIGHT OF HAND AND A SLEIGHT OF EXPLANATION. I'VE LEARNED AS A YOUNG BOY THAT IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK, IT'S A DUCK.
MY OPPONENT CALLED ME DISINGENUOUS.
WHAT'S DISINGENUOUS IS VOTING AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
MAYOR HILL HAVE THE INTEREST OF OUR CITIZENS WHEN SHE VOTED NO IN 2013.
WHY DIDN'T MY OPPONENT? HE SAYS HE SPOKE OUT AGAINST APARTMENTS.
THAT WAS THIS YEAR. I WAS HERE.
AFTER HE FILED AS A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL.
WHY DIDN'T HE SPEAK AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, VOTE AGAINST APARTMENTS IN 2013 WHEN HE WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER? I HAVE PERFECT CLARITY ABOUT APARTMENTS, THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE.
I MAY NOT HAVE LIVED IN SOUTHLAKE FOR 15 YEARS OR SERVE TWO UNOPPOSED TERMS, BUT I HAVE SEEN WHAT WORKS AND DOES NOT WORK IN OTHER CITIES.
I'M NOT A POLITICIAN OR A SALESMAN.
I JUST BECAME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR.
I HOLD A WORLD RECORD FOR MARKSMANSHIP.
[01:50:02]
HOWEVER, I'M FULLY FOCUSED ON SOUTHLAKE AND ITS BEST INTERESTS.I SAY TO MY OPPONENT, IF I'M GOOD ENOUGH TO SERVE MY COUNTRY, I'M GOOD ENOUGH TO SERVE IN OUR CITY COUNCIL. PLEASE VOTE FOR VICTOR AVILA SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL, PLACE NUMBER SIX AND I'LL BE HONORED TO SERVE YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS EVENING.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
MY OPPONENT SAID OWN MY VOTE, I ABSOLUTELY OWN THAT VOTE AND STAND BY THAT VOTE.
THAT VOTE BROUGHT THE MOST EXPENSIVE LUXURY HOMES WE HAVE IN OUR CITY HERE TO US TODAY.
IF YOU WERE TO ASK THE DEVELOPER, I ASSURE YOU THAT DEVELOPER WILL TELL YOU THAT THE FIFTY PERCENT MANDATE FOR PRESALES BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN MOVE A GRAIN OF DIRT COMPLETELY REGULATED THAT APPLICATION.
THEY HAD TO PRESELL MILLION DOLLAR HOMES BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN MOVE A GRAIN OF DIRT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, MY OPPONENT HAS BROUGHT UP THE MAYOR ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES, AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT HE SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIOUS AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT HE'S SAYING WHEN HE BRINGS THAT UP.
I'D INVITE ANYBODY TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEO FROM TWENTY THIRTEEN, WHICH, BY THE WAY, WAS FIVE YEARS BEFORE MY OPPONENT EVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT COMING TO SOUTHLAKE.
SO HE'S SPEAKING UP THINGS THAT HE HAS NO CONTEXT FOR AND HAS NO UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WAS OCCURRING AT THE TIME. WHAT I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE MAYOR AND SHE WILL ABSOLUTELY GO ON THE RECORD AND TELL YOU THIS IN THE VIDEO WILL TELL YOU, IS THAT SHE WAS 100 PERCENT IN SUPPORT OF THE PARK VIEW RESIDENCES.
SHE SIMPLY WANTED TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET.
SHE PREFERRED THAT ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN TOWN SQUARE FOR RESIDENTIAL BE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BOULEVARD. THIS BUILDING WAS ON THE WEST SIDE.
BUT YOU CALL THE MAYOR BECAUSE SHE'S ACCESSIBLE.
SHE'LL TALK TO YOU AND YOU ASK HER IF SHE SUPPORTED IT.
SHE'LL ABSOLUTELY SAY THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE VOTING AGAINST IT AND THAT THOSE THAT WERE IN SUPPORT OF IT THAT NIGHT IN SUPPORT OF THAT APPLICATION THAT NIGHT WERE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT WITH THEIR VOTE.
SO I'LL CHALLENGE YOU, VICTOR, TO TALK TO TO THE MAYOR AND GET CLARITY FROM HER ON THAT.
WITH THAT SAID, WHEN I STARTED TONIGHT, I SAID EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
AND WHAT I WOULD JUST SIMPLY SAY IS THIS.
WE ALL HAVE TREMENDOUS, DIVERSE EXPERIENCES.
MY OPPONENT HAS A TREMENDOUS TRACK RECORD SERVING OUR COUNTRY.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO IN THIS DAIS EVERY OTHER TUESDAY.
WE COME IN HERE AND WE EAT A PIECE OF [INAUDIBLE] LASAGNA OR A PIECE OF BRISKET FROM THE FEED STORE. AND WE GET TO WORK ON CITY ISSUES.
AND IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THIS CITY.
YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THIS CITY HAVING LIVED HERE JUST TWO YEARS AND NEVER SERVED ON ANY BOARD OR COMMISSION THAT WAS APPOINTED BY THIS CITY.
THIS TAKES TIME. IT TAKES ENERGY.
IT TAKES EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND IT.
WHAT YOU WANT IS YOU WANT A CANDIDATE WHO WILL ENSURE THAT WHEN YOU TAKE A SHOWER ON MONDAY MORNING, THE WATER WILL COME ON.
YOU WANT A CANDIDATE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE BUDGETS, WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW TO MANAGE THROUGH CHALLENGES LIKE WE'RE HAVING WITH COVID RIGHT NOW.
YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT YOU CAN CALL IF SOMETHING COMES UP.
AND I'LL GIVE A QUICK EXAMPLE OF A WOMAN IN OUR TOWN WHO WAS RECENTLY GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME. SHE CALLED ME ON A SUNDAY WHILE I WAS ON VACATION IN FLORIDA, SAYING, I DON'T KNOW WHO TO CALL.
WE'RE HAVING A PLUMBING FLOOD IN OUR HOUSE.
AND THEY SAY IT'S A CITY ISSUE.
IT'S NOT OURS. I GOT OUR CITY MANAGER ON THE PHONE WITHIN TEN MINUTES WHO GOT OUR ON CALL PLUMBER ON THE PHONE MINUTES LATER.
AND WE TOOK CARE OF THAT WOMAN'S HOUSE.
THAT'S WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT KNOWING WHO YOU CAN CALL, WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF PROBLEMS FOR YOU AND WHO WILL BE HERE FOR YOU. I'M ASKING THAT YOU CAST YOUR VOTE STARTING NEXT WEEK, OCTOBER 13TH, OR ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 3RD FOR RANDY WILLIAMSON FOR CITY COUNCIL PLACE SIX.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET'S MOVE OVER TO PLACE ONE.
AND KATHY, WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOU.
THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, SHANE.
THANK YOU, SHERRY. AND THE CEC AGAIN FOR HOSTING THIS GREAT FORUM.
WE'VE HAD SOME FANTASTIC QUESTIONS THIS EVENING.
AND I THINK THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE REALLY CAUSED US ALL TO TO GIVE A LOT OF THOUGHT TO THINGS. YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE AS A SPECIFIC ITEM FOR A LONG TIME.
I WANT TO FINISH BY TALKING ABOUT WHY I'M UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION.
I UNDERSTAND FIRSTHAND THE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WITH OUR CITY AND WITH EACH OTHER. I HAVE SPENT YEARS SERVING OUR SENIORS.
I CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE [INAUDIBLE] MEALS ON WHEELS BOARD.
I'VE DELIVERED MEALS TO OUR SENIORS, THEY'RE A PRETTY SPECIAL PART OF OUR CITY AND A GROWING POPULATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND THE DATA, THAT NUMBER IS ONLY GOING TO INCREASE.
AND THE OTHER FASCINATING THING I THINK ABOUT SENIORS IS LIKE THE REST OF US, THEY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE. ONCE YOUR KIDS ARE GROWN AND GONE, YOU CAN BE LIKE LIKE MY HUSBAND AND I.
YOU HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES AND YOU WANT TO STAY HERE.
IN MANAGING AND DIRECTING AND LEADING ORGANIZATIONS.
I UNDERSTAND HOW TO OPERATE BUDGETS, HOW TO FORECAST, HOW TO FUNDRAISE.
AND THESE AND SO MANY OTHER SKILLS ARE NECESSARY WHEN SITTING ON CITY COUNCIL.
THE OTHER THING THAT I UNDERSTAND IS THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IN PARTICULAR WITH RESPECT
[01:55:05]
TO TAXES.I'M UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO REPRESENT OUR CITIZENS RELATIVE TO PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE I PAY THEM. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW.
AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.
I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR APARTMENTS.
THIS CITY, LIVING IN THIS CITY, RAISING MY FAMILY IN THE CITY IS SOMETHING THAT I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GROWING OLD IN THE CITY.
IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL PLACE, AS WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT.
AND I JUST IT'S REALLY SOMETIMES HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS WHAT THE CITY MEANS TO ME AND TO ALL OF US. SO I'D BE HONORED TO HAVE YOUR VOTE FOR SOUTHLAKE CITY COUNCIL PLACE ONE AND TO ECHO WHAT RANDY SAID, EARLY VOTING IS GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE KNOW IT.
AND OF COURSE, ON ELECTION DAY, I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO EARLY VOTE BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR GAVE US AN EXTRA WEEK OF THAT.
AND SO IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT A LOT EASIER, IN PARTICULAR FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SO FORTH.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL EVENING.
AND SABREENA, YOU GET THE LAST WORD THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU. I THANK YOU AGAIN, SHERRY, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
AND THANK YOU TO SHANE FOR MODERATING THIS EVENT.
YOU KNOW, 2020 HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR FOR SOUTHLAKE, OUR NATION AND THE ENTIRE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE ALL FACED ONE CHALLENGE AFTER ANOTHER THIS YEAR.
OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD IS NAVIGATING IN UNIQUE AND UNCERTAIN TIMES.
AND AS A PERSON WHO'S PLUGGED INTO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S IN TUNE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND CHANGING TRENDS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE MARKET, I POSSESS THE KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, PASSION AND ENERGY THAT WOULD NOT ONLY BE AN ASSET TO OUR EXISTING CITY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP, BUT COMPLIMENT IT AS WELL.
SOMETIMES YOU NEED A FRESH PERSPECTIVE TO ADD TO THE DIVERSITY OF THE EXISTING COUNCIL.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ROTATING TERMS. I HOPE THAT TODAY'S EVENT HAS GIVEN YOU A GLIMPSE OF MY PASSION AND DESIRE TO SERVE THE CITY AND THE VALUES THAT HAVE SHAPED ME INTO THE WOMAN I AM TODAY.
AS A LIFELONG TEXAN, A CITIZEN OF SOUTHLAKE FOR THE LAST TWENTY SEVEN YEARS, I REALIZED EARLY ON MY PASSION IN WANTING TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY.
I APPLIED AS A VOLUNTEER TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, AND AFTER HAVING SERVED TWO TERMS, I WANT TO CONTINUE MY VOLUNTARY SERVICE.
NOT JUST SOUTHLAKE I'VE BEEN A LIFELONG VOLUNTEER AND IT'S IN MY BLOOD.
SOUTHLAKE RESIDENTS TAKE PRIDE IN OWNERSHIP, AND I'M RUNNING TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS VOTE NO TO APARTMENTS.
WE PRESERVE LOWER DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
WITH MY BUSINESS ACUMEN, WE CAN HELP DRIVE THE SALES TAX REVENUE BY BRINGING IN TRAFFIC INTO THE CITY COMMERCIAL.
I MEAN, BUSINESS TRAFFIC, FOOT TRAFFIC, INCREASE THE SALES AND WITH THE INCREASE IN SALES AND THE SALES TAX REVENUE WILL LOWER OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
I WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES, AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE TRUST IN ME AS A DAUGHTER OF SOUTHLAKE, AS A GIRL WHO'S LIVED HERE HER ENTIRE LIFE AND UNDERSTOOD THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED AS A COMMUNITY, SEEN THE GROWTH, SEEN HOW THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.
GIVE ME A CHANCE TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
I MAY NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF MY PREDECESSORS OR OF MY OPPONENT.
AS FAR AS LIFE IS CONCERNED, I'M 36 YEARS OLD.
BUT I HAVE THE PASSION, THE KNOWLEDGE, THE WHEREWITHAL AND THE CAPACITY TO LEND TO OUR CITY, AND I HOPE YOU'LL TRUST IN ME AND ALLOW ME TO SERVE YOU.
THANK YOU AND PLEASE VOTE SABREENA FOR SOUTHLAKE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SABREENA, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR CANDIDATES HERE AS A AGAIN, A NON CITIZEN OF SOUTHLAKE, NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION, I CAN TRULY SAY THE CITY WILL BE VERY LUCKY. SO YOU'RE ALL VERY GOOD CANDIDATES AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE VOTERS CHOICES QUITE DIFFICULT WHEN THEY GO TO THE POLLS.
SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND AGAIN, IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF THIS EVENT.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING TONIGHT.
I KNOW IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BEING VIRTUAL INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO BE HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN.
AND AS THE CANDIDATES HAVE ALREADY SAID, PLEASE GO VOTE.
EARLY VOTING OPENS OCTOBER 13TH, RUNS THROUGH OCTOBER 30TH.
[02:00:01]
AND OF COURSE, ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD.FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING TIMES AND POLLING LOCATIONS, JUST GO TO THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE WEB SITE, CITYOFSOUTHLAKE.COM/ELECTIONS.
AGAIN, A RECORDING OF THIS FORUM WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED ON VIDEO ON DEMAND WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THIS EVENT. AND ONCE POSTED, IT CAN BE ACCESSED AND SHARED AT ANY TIME ON THE CITY'S WEB SITE. SO ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY INFORMED AND CONNECT WITH THE CITY.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS AND EASY WAYS TO DO THIS, WHETHER THROUGH SPIN MEETINGS OR THROUGH THE CITY'S WEBSITES OR SOCIAL MEDIA, THE DETAILS OF WHICH CAN BE SHOWN RIGHT NOW ON YOUR SCREEN. I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MY THANKS TO, AGAIN, THE CANDIDATES AND THE AUDIENCE.
YOU GUYS OUT THERE JOINING IN VIRTUALLY TONIGHT.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING AND A GREAT WEEK AHEAD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.