Okay, folks.

We're gonna go ahead and get started.

Okay, let's go ahead and call the afternoon session back to order.

We're gonna move on down to 3.1.

Jennifer Wickman.

Thank you, Mayor.

Jennifer Wickman, deputy city manager.

I'm here to speak to you all today about a presentation that I'm sure is going to be pulled up very soon.

But it's about parking in neighborhoods.

And so we're gonna go over some information which includes and just a little background on where we've been on this before.

We've got uh back in August, um, Chief Jones, thank you, um, came to you all with an informal staff report on commercial vehicle parking violations, and then um on December 16th, there was a future agenda item request from council, and so that's how we're bringing this more sort of broader discussion on this.

We're trying to cover a lot of the issues that you all may get complaints on from residents from your constituents and what you may hear about uh some concerns that they share.

So we'll go through um a few things related to sort of our current ordinances and state code which govern parking in different locations, and also how they govern it based on um the types of vehicles, which is basically size and condition of the vehicle, and then some related elements, and then also want to look at our future and for our current enforcement tools.

So let's think about where um parking is currently allowed.

Article five of our traffic and motor vehicles chapter of our city ordinance um uh lays out general parking requirements on public streets.

So there's a length of time that vehicles can be parked in one location, which is 24 hours.

Um there's some um limits on the location, so clearly they can't be, you know, their proximity to things like fire hydrants or intersections, things like that.

There's also some characteristics um restrictions around the the size of the of the vehicles.

They also must be operational, have current inspection, registration, that sort of thing.

Um there's also a note I have here talking about there's no right to public parking in front of a private property.

So a lot of times we may hear from residents who are very concerned that there is park people parking in front of their home that are not their vehicles.

This is there's no restriction on it, maybe common courtesy within a neighborhood not to park in front of other people's uh homes or or or other property, but that's not in the in anywhere in the law.

Folks who um if if I own a home and I have a certain amount of frontage, I don't own the the right to park there.

Um that's just um sort of common courtesy to leave that or not leave that.

So private parking.

Um so those are all enforced by the police department, the the public, the parking on public streets.

Um parking on private properties enforced by our code enforcement division.

Um generally all vehicles parked on private property has to be on a concrete or asphalt surface.

We also call this an all-weather surface.

So it should not be parked on gravel or on um grass or anything like that.

In the front of the the house, it can be just parked.

If there's parking in the side yard or rear yard, those all should be parked behind a screening fence.

There's also a prohibition even on private property, you can't have something called the junked vehicle.

And that's a vehicle that it may have an expired license plate, doesn't have any license plate, it might be wrecked or dismantled, partially dismantled, uh, or or um you know, inoperable, um, and maybe in 72 consecutive hours or 30 30 consecutive days if it's on private property.

So those are all characteristics of junked vehicles.

We may have seen them in our neighborhoods, but those are sort of the the concerns that you can't you can park a vehicle on your private property, but you can't if it's a junked vehicle.

Um and the all-weather surface, this uh parking requirement applies to uh vehicles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor homes, campers, trailers, truck tractors, um, semi-trailers, polch, boats, mobile homes, all those things.

So all those things are considered what have to be parked on improved surfaces in on a private on private property.

So I want to talk a little bit about the definition of commercial vehicles.

This has been the discussion.

A lot of folks we can generally call commercial vehicles, you know, you may have a definition within your own head of what you think that is connected to.

But what we really want to dig into what in our code in our ordinances a commercial vehicle is.

And you can see it really the definition is going to rely on the weight of the vehicle, its transporting capacity, sort of whether it's transporting a large number of people, or also some hazardous materials.

You can see that it's something that's you know, it's it's gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds, it transports more than 15 passengers and also transports hazardous materials.

You can see the the photo in the bottom left.

I've included all the photos that I have in this presentation are either sent to us by residents or have been sent in on the Ask Arlington app.

And there's a there's a gentleman who's got a very sharp eye out there for hazardous vehicles.

Um this was particular one was parked in the in the um parking lot of a closed business, and so he sent this in.

It was indeed a violation, and so he worked with police to kind of get that get that taken care of.

So want to look also at our current parking ordinances.

This this has to do with um, so this 507 A, A and B, and we'll also talk about C in the in the next in the next slide.

But these are really some prohibitions for certain vehicles in certain areas.

So Section A of this this area really deals with certain vehicles by size on certain streets by size.

So vehicles that are longer than 22 feet or taller than eight feet or wider than eight feet cannot be parked on streets that are less than 38 feet.

And 38 feet is generally all of our neighborhood streets that we have, um, sort of those areas.

When you look at section B of this of this part of the ordinance or the chapter, this is a residential district restriction.

So this relates to also those same vehicles which are um of a certain size.

Um they're you know, more than 22 feet long, more than eight feet tall or eight feet wide.

Um they cannot park on in these residential districts.

There's also restrictions on public property, so they can't be parked in the city hall parking lot or on a parks parking lot or in a library parking lot or anything like that.

That's all publicly owned property and they can't be can't be parked there.

In private drives, there's a little more of a um allowance for the size of the vehicle.

So with on your private property, you can park something that's up to 30 feet long and 12 feet high.

Um I expect this is typically for RVs that people would would park at their homes.

So now we move to section C of the same part of the chapter.

This is a time limit.

Um so this applies to all streets in the city, not just ones of a certain size.

Um and those sent the same, you know, sort of commercial vehicle definition, and also includes these trailers or trucks that are this in combination or on their own, 22 feet in length, eight feet high, eight feet wide.

They cannot be parked for more than two hours.

So even if it's not in a residential street, they still can't be parked for more than two hours on any of these other streets in any of these other locations.

So those are all sort of prohibitions.

Um you can actually look though at this um at this um vehicle here.

This is a vehicle which some people may define as a commercial vehicle because it has a company's name on the side of it, but it is not more than 22 feet long.

So it is sort of just a regular pickup truck that happens to have the name of a business on the side.

So that is not currently defined in any way as some sort of a you know a commercial vehicle that has any prohibitions on parking in these streets.

Because a lot of this discussion also revolves around home-based businesses.

We wanted to talk to you a bit about this.

So there's both city regulations on this and then more recently state regulations on this.

So within the city UDC, we define a home-based business, and this is sort of business that is conducted within the home.

It is not someone who has a vehicle parked in their neighborhood that has the name of a business on, that they live in the house and they get in the vehicle and they drive away to do the business of that business.

It's not a take-home vehicle, but it's a home-based business.

This means the work done for the business is done in the home.

So it's a little bit of a difference, I think.

Um some people get um concerned, concerned with at times.

Um so we have neighborhood compatibility standards within the city, the city's UDC.

Um it limits the um the use of vehicles in connection with the with the home-based businesses, and um just sort of has some has some prohibitions there.

It can't really disrupt the neighborhood, needs to appear like appear like the neighborhood.

There's also a recently passed House Bill 2464 that was passed in 2005 by the state legislature.

And this is a prohibition.

It tells tells cities that they cannot regulate certain no-impact home-based businesses.

And they define a home a no impact home-based businesses as it's something that has on the property where the business is operated, a total number of employees or clients or patrons of the businesses does not exceed the the municipal occupancy limit for the property.

Also does not generate on street parking or a substantial increase in traffic throughout the area, operates in a manner which none of the activities are visible from the street and does not substantially increase noise in the area or violate municipal noise ordinances.

So the city is not allowed to regulate any of these businesses now based on the based on what the state legislature has passed.

When we look at what the city does to enforce these ordinances, it's really our police department that's a that's that leads this effort here.

They typically will begin with some education or some warnings if they do encounter these trucks that are somewhere out in the neighborhood, let folks know.

They can also issue parking citations.

We can have police service assistants or police officers issue those.

So we want to make sure the police do a good job of making sure that the folks who are in violation are aware of that and have been given the chance to correct this.

Um but they they do initiate these toes.

Um Chief Jones has initiated an expectation that the deputy chiefs are in are sort of given a heads up when this might this is going to happen, so they can also have that that view on it to make sure that we're that it's sort of a good it's a good decision to tow the vehicles at that time.

These are all sort of a range of these have all been submitted through the Ask Arlington app.

So you can see sort of a range of vehicle violations that are in, if we just suppose that these are all in neighborhoods, you can see that these are all mostly violations.

You can see starting from the top left, um, basically a semi with a very long but empty trailer on it.

You can see a pickup truck or a semi-cab parked in a residential neighborhood.

Same in the in the middle one on the top, although it might have a trailer on it of some sort, but all these are sort of clearly violating those length or height or width restrictions.

Uh a couple of box trucks on the top right, the on the um uh on the top right also has a has a trailer at the end, so that adds to the length, adds to the concern there.

Another box truck on the bottom left.

We've got a pickup truck with a very long trailer there, so that would also be a violation, same in the middle and the bottom on the bottom row.

The last two on the bottom row on the right, we're not sure about.

So if those vehicles, if they appear to be somewhat regular-sized pickup trucks, even if they might have a flatbed on the back of them or might have um you know something else happening with them, as long as they're not parked with any other violation in a neighborhood, they could be allowed.

Um but the good thing is when when concerns are submitted either through the Ask Arlington app or through calling 911, as the chief is now asking folks to do, because this is a higher level of concern, we understand for neighbors, um, and that will get police officers dispatched on police service assistants dispatched more quickly to the scene because if there's just a two-hour parking limit, they would need to get there more quickly in order to effect some sort of a change on the situation.

So, as I mentioned before, um reporting the Ask Arlington app is an option, but I as I mentioned Chief Jones is because of the concern of the council and the concern of the community with this.

He's asking that folks actually call 911 now when they see these concerns so that he can ensure that his officers are dispatched, the the record is kept, the priority is obviously this is not our top priority for responses, and I don't think anyone would want this to be over some sort of life health safety issue.

But when there's the capacity, in particular for the PSAs, he does want to respond to this as quickly as possible.

And so we're asking that the council and also the public when they see these concerns, they they do call 911.

There's also an option, um, the city council website has a on the code site, it's fairly popular.

They have a um the single family rapid reference guide on there.

When we had talked about this before, the council had talked a little bit about education, how are we educating the public and maybe even the owners and drivers of these vehicles as to what's happening?

Uh we could also add a neighborhood parking hot topic under the the code, um, sort of within sort of the neighborhoods, what are the regulations in the neighborhoods?

We could add it in that area.

It would have rules that are both enforced by code and by our police department, but it might be something to add more information out there where you could point to something.

Folks could understand a little bit better as to what is and is not a violation.

So putting that out there for the for the council to to weigh in on.

And then also certainly to ask if after this information that you've received, if there's anything that you want us to change regarding the um the system that we're that we're working with or the um or the rules that we've got currently.

And I'm happy to answer any questions.

I also have folks, I have uh um Chief Jones here, and we also have Gus Garcia from Code.

If you all have any questions related to this topic.

Councilmember Hunter.

Thank you.

I do have a question.

So the Bake Rig 18 willers are a problem, I think, in every neighborhood in my district's no different.

Um what is the process like if someone, if I were to call a big rig parked in in a residential area?

I know you said we do an educational piece, then we move to the next level, next level.

What's the time frame on all of that?

I think it would depend on how quickly what the response would be from the other.

And uh, the chief can come up and also address that.

But I think it would certainly depend on the how the um how the party who had the vehicle would respond.

You know, if they continue to park there and we continue to get the notice, I think we could continue to address it, you know, multiple days in a row.

But I think it would depend if that person understands the education and then moves away, or if they just kind of thumb their noses at us and are like, nope, not gonna, I'm just gonna, you know, stay here, then at that point we could certainly move the process along.

But it it takes um the the capacity on the police side to get there and address it, but also help from the residents to understand that this might be something they have to report more than once.

Uh it it we can't you know, we can't solve everything with the first call.

Um, and I think that you all would understand that we need sort of a uh to build up a bit of a um hopefully education, then other correction, and then if we have to do the towing.

Does that answer your question?

It does, but there's a part two.

So are we able to allow no parking, no big truck parking signs in places like Vandegrape Park?

So Vancouver Park, um, there's some townhomes right across, and we have a lot of big rigs that park kind of in that area.

Um are we able to put like signs that say no big trucks allowed to park here or something like that?

So I think um we can certainly consider that.

A couple things to consider is that we also we don't want to um, you know, so the visual clutter of it's a beautiful park, there's a visual clutter.

We um have I believe our police officers are aware that it is illegal to park in in in that park parking lot.

Um so we don't really need as much the the sort of the sign.

Perhaps we they don't need the sign to point to to say you can't be here, but we can certainly um look at that and see if it's something that we think that the police would would be beneficial to their enforcement, or if we can just remind them that every time they go by, just please check for that, you know, just notify the beat sergeant or something like that.

But you're saying Vandergriff Park, you're seeing that a lot?

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

Um Councilmember Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Jennifer, for this report.

Um, you know, I want to extend my gratitude to the citizens who take the initiative uh to report this concerns because I know the watchfulness helps keep our neighborhoods safe and and clean.

So uh I appreciate you know your report.

I appreciate uh the police department and asking our neighbors or citizens to call 911.

Uh and you know, don't expect uh an answer right away because uh you know somebody's life is at danger.

Um, you know, looking at a park cars is is a lower priority.

Um so with all this that we're talking about, really we have the ordinances already in place is just enforcing them more so and also miss.

I think a lot of citizens don't understand what commercial means just because they see a word or a sign of a company onto it.

It it wouldn't that's not a commercial business.

They could they can have that because isn't that something about First Amendment right?

Or I mean what what what is that?

I mean, can we can't keep neighborhoods from having cars like that, right?

Yeah, I I think that what we've seen and sort of the um the enforcement that we have and the enforcement that other um cities have taken is that we need to enforce based on not based on the the what the sign says on the side or if there is a sign, uh, but we have to enforce based on the size of the vehicle.

Um and and in you know, if it's carrying uh carrying hazardous materials, that's another thing we can enforce on.

But no, I don't believe, I believe, you know, due to certain um certain requirements, um constitutional rights.

It's it's a difficult situation to put um the city in to be asking to um to regulate based on the content of what the side of the truck says.

And the two biggest complaints I get are the reports are welders and uh roofers.

They have their equipment out there, they have them in the truck.

They're they're not in the yard, they're just in the truck.

You know, that's their that's their work.

And so those are not violations.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Councilmember Pham.

Uh Jennifer, if the vehicle uh legally parked on the street, did not move in three days.

Somebody told me that they don't move at all.

That's a violation, right?

So you have to move it, correct?

I see sometimes I see somebody come in mark by the tire.

Make sure that they come back three days later that that truck not there.

If it's still there, they can give you a warning.

If you don't move, they can tow it.

So we we don't use that um that chalking the tire technique um uh here.

Um, but we but car cars do need to move every 24 hours if they're parked in the public street.

If if it's legal to park there, they still have to move every 24 hours.

Yeah, because uh how about a vehicle not even register?

They use it for work.

They park on the street, they got a red warning sticker, they peel it off now, they park in the driveway, but it's still not don't have no most likely don't have no valid insurance, but they still drive in it.

It does still legal to park on your driveway.

So uh a junked vehicle is not legal to park in your driveway, and a junked vehicle includes if it doesn't have a license plate or current registration, or if it's you know, um taken apart or uh in some way.

So they but I I did I can't speak to insurance.

Um that's not visible in terms of what we're gonna do.

So they have no registration sticker, right?

That that should be considered, I believe that's considered a junk vehicle.

So that could be called on, and the code enforcement officers could go out and and investigate that.

Oh, okay.

Because uh that vehicle uh no longer park on the street, but they park on the driveway.

Right.

If it can stop, I guarantee you that vehicle have no insurance because you have because you have no insurance, you couldn't you can get that registration sticker.

And uh according to I read the Texas law, I think you can um I think the city of Mansfield, they can give you a uh code compliant, can give you a citation, but I don't know that's just something that we need staffing to look into it.

See, we need to follow the same rule like Mainsfield because it's they uh one of the uh person work for Mansfield told me that uh they it works pretty good.

They they start a uh moving the vehicle, they pay to get it registered, you know.

So we we do uh car code officers do write tickets for for junked vehicles on that are parked in in um which would include some of those examples that that you had.

So we do write those, write those citations uh and and give no violation then citations for that.

Or the rich stickers say expire in June of 2021.

But they still run around, you know, and then they park in the driveway, but they face it now.

But you can I can see the sticker being expired a full or five.

So if you know of a location like that, you could please send that to our code um department and then they can investigate that to see if that is a junked vehicle.

Okay.

And I'm gonna let the chief speak to the other issue.

Okay.

So you're you're exactly correct, Jennifer.

Uh if it's expired, then it's illegal.

Um if it's on the street, the police handle it.

If it's in the driveway, uh then code enforcement takes care of it.

Chief, this vehicle don't have to register and sticker for over eight months.

They use it every day for work, but they always park sticking out, you know, like facing now, so I can always see there's no sticker.

But I send it in, nothing happens, so I couldn't do anything about it.

Can you uh if you can actually send it over to me and give me a specific location and vehicle, I'll make sure we get taken.

Okay.

I I I can put my phone in and text it to you again.

Okay, that'd be great.

But you gotta come about six o'clock at night on the weekend, you see it.

No, or the squash real quick.

Council member.

Jennifer, thank you for the for the explanation.

Um yeah, I'll uh I like to take your your your thought about including on the single family rapid uh uh referral guide.

Uh if we got those that the this presentation is is pretty good already.

Summarizes everything, you know, the basics they need to know about it.

If it's not too much, I'll all offer included on that.

I don't my colleagues will yeah, I think what we'll do is we can put it on on the website in the same way that the rapid reference guide is on there.

We can we can add a parking in neighborhoods, and that might at least give you all a place to share with constituents if they have questions about what is a commercial vehicle, what's not, because it can get a little complicated um in terms of explaining that the size and all that.

So we'll let let us work on putting something out there, and so that's maybe something we can help with the public.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments for Jennifer?

Thank you.

Okay, let's move on down to 4.1.

Gen C.

Any questions or comments for Gen C on the staff and report.

Yes, Mayor.

Yes, Councilmember Galante.

Yeah, I'll uh read the report.

I figure it's time for Arlington to include the vaping, uh, the prohibition for vaping in uh in public spaces.

So I um don't know what what we'll go about it if it goes to the municipal policy.

What I'm seeing on the report is it looks like we're the largest city in the state that has not done that.

I didn't see El Paso in the analysis, but from from everything.

Sorry, Mr.

Gonzalez.

Um but it looks like all the other big North Texas cities, especially have already included vaping in uh their non-smoking ordinances.

Uh you know, I originally was the one that asked to have this looked at and put on the agenda because this is something that the American Heart Association and others were reaching out to us saying, can Arlington get on board with the rest of this?

Uh and doing this research, did y'all find any other reasons other than uh inconveniencing patrons why we would not include vaping in our ant in our non-smoking ordinance?

Um development services director.

Yeah, we didn't see any reason why not to.

It was included in the 2017 ordinance as if when we first initially started that discussion, but it was then taken out.

At that time, we didn't have enough uh uh other cities or data or even uh scientific data about the secondary smoking uh piece of it.

So at this point, it does look like many other cities have already adopted that.

And it sounds like the staff report has found also that there is second hand concerns to vaping in addition to regular smoking as well.

Yeah.

I'll support the inclusion.

We'll support the inclusion.

Dr.

Odom Wesley.

I agree as well that we need to uh include no vaping in our smoking ordinance.

But when we do that, now does that include all of these techniques for electronic nicotine delivery?

The hookah pins, the e-cigarettes, the list y'all have in your own.

Yeah, I'm gonna call Amy Rockell Carpenter.

She's our health services manager, she can give you more technicals.

Hi, Amy Rockhill.

I'm with Health Services as Gen C stated.

Um, so we would need to just make sure that our provision has that language that would include all of the ends, whether it's um, you know, a uh pen device, a hookah device.

There are many different routes per se, but it would all be categorized as well.

It would all be included.

Correct.

Okay.

Yes.

Okay.

Uh can I just ask the city attorney or are there any legal concerns with us going this route now from uh liability perspective?

Yeah, uh no legal concerns, and as um Amy and Gen C have mentioned, we found a whole bunch of other um cities who have adopted these regulations.

Um so I think just it becomes sort of a political decision.

You all might hear from businesses or individuals, you know, that they're not in favor of this.

So um, but from a legal perspective, um, no legal concerns with um broadening our regulation.

Yeah, I would almost argue that it may help business owners say, listen, you you can't vape in here because it's the ordinance.

Councilmember Gonzalez.

I probably know the answer, but I uh everybody's gonna say, why do you ask that?

So hookah lounges, they can still have people go in there because it's a hookah lounge.

Or they should is that correct.

So in our current ordinance, there's um some affirmative defenses included, and it just depends on the type of business that is.

So for example, if they have a certain percentage of sales of um tobacco products, then they can have a smoking lounge.

Um, but just to have hookah in a business that is otherwise categorized as a bar or restaurant is currently prohibited.

Um, should you want to include the ENS devices in that?

It would not just be tobacco hookah, but it would also be the ends hookah or the the vape hookah.

So the hookah bars that we have now on 303, I think other places I've never been in one, I've never I don't know if they sell or not, but I can't.

I mean, are they my mystery?

I haven't been there.

My oldest is the only one that's been in there, so I don't know what I'm saying.

Uh wrong, but in a hookah lounge where their livelihood is predominantly the sales of the hookah participation, whatever it's called, that that would remain available to them.

It's it's trying to go to Chili's and lighten up a hookah becomes problematic because it's not part of their livelihood and it characterizes it differently, does it not?

Yeah, no, that's correct.

And as Amy mentioned, there's an affirmative defense or another way of saying this is an exception, right?

In the regulation that allows for that to occur as long as that's the predominant sort of um activity you've got going on right there at the business as opposed to as mayor mentioned it being a bar where this is also allowed to occur.

Thank you, Mayor, for dumbing that down for me.

Brother, I'm where I'm there with you.

Yes, Dr.

Wesley.

I have a question.

We have a list of places, and this is in our current ordinance where smoking is not allowed.

Um we got nightclubs and bars and billiard halls, bowling centers, sexually oriented businesses.

So would we spell out what places and then put an exception for a hookah bar?

So that exception already exists that we talked about, right?

Where um the majority of the sales and the activity are generated, right, because of this use.

So what we would be doing here is just broadening the definition, right, of the tobacco use really, right, to encompass these types of delivery mechanisms.

So what I what I did see in researching other cities is exactly that.

Um so they just included within the definition of smoking defined in the ordinance language, they would not just include tobacco smoking, but they would also include ends smoking as part of the definition of the prohibited activity in the already existing framework of the ordinance.

And if it makes sense, what we could do is take this to a council committee.

If council still wants to kind of study it, if you've got some open questions, we if there's an interest in moving forward, we could take it to a council committee to kind of answer those additional questions, make sure we've got um you know any other perspective that you want to bring into these modifications addressed.

I don't uh for me, I I think it's fairly straightforward when it comes to this.

I don't know that we need to burden another committee, unless Dr.

Odom Wesley, we just want to keep piling up stuff in here.

But um I don't think we need to burden another committee with it.

It's pretty straightforward.

Yeah, I think we gotta be careful going way, way far because now we're affecting someone's business, what they're doing.

I mean, we got to be very careful.

Adding the vape on, we're one of the few cities that hasn't added on.

Raoul and I can tell you from a school district's perspective, it's probably one of the biggest issues they face is kids sneaking in vapes and things like that.

And it's one of those, I think the more they see it out in public, the more socially acceptable it becomes.

So uh I think we just stick with the adding that piece of the ordinance.

Um I think that's a common step.

I think I think we could do that if council's inclined.

Let's let the city attorney's office draft a proposed ordinance and bring it back to us and let's take a look at it and make sure it does everything we want it to do and go forward.

I agree with that.

I agree.

Thank you.

Thank y'all for doing the legwork on that.

Okay, let's move on down now to 4.2.

Nora.

Any questions or comments for Nora on recycling at multifamily developments that are older developments and haven't put stuff in there.

I do.

Mayor.

You have questions?

Yes.

Okay.

Uh thank you for the the report, Nora.

Last time I was able to catch you on the um yes, I like to re-exem examining the need for recycling in a multifamily, even the old ones.

So the new ones, they have space for for recycling, but we've been having uh requests from from residents.

Uh they want to recycle, but they have no way to recycle.

So the res residential units recycle the multifamily newer recycle.

So the old ones, yeah, they're gonna complain.

Uh they don't have the means and everything, but maybe we can take a look at and see how we can do that, ramp up a ramp up period, uh, three or five years, whatever you you you, you know, the consul feels, but we'll have the recycling think it's important.

Go ahead, council member.

Thank you, Mayor.

And and Nora, if I'm I've read it correctly, 2018 is when the city made the switch.

So anything built after 2018 is required to have that.

Galante I want to agree with you but I also know some of these older complexes think especially of our really old ones that's a major undertaking so instead of and I guess I'd should have other cities forced old ones to do that because then you're changing these things are built on structures and to meet the requirements the only other thing I was thinking of Nora I'd like to know if other cities require that the other thing is you know this is one of those carrot versus stick pieces of what you could do is there's some type of carrot you could put out there and we've talked a lot about if they're doing certain things they maybe aren't uh what's it called uh not appraised um evaluated inspected sorry I was trying to find the word inspected um as often and some other cities have done that when they're doing some self-reporting some things that are really stepping up is is that something that could be a carrot mentality and and have you seen other cities do either implement the old or do a carrot mentality on that type of process if I recall correctly back then as we were researching the topic we found both I'd have to refresh that research and look to see what kind of results do they have are they still in you know um active that kind of thing we could certainly bring that information back yeah I I would I would agree with council member hogg that I want to be careful that we don't unnecessarily burden financially some of these older developments out there that don't they're not positioned to do so are they gonna give up parking spaces are they gonna how are they gonna do this if we can use a a a carrot rather than a whip to to get them and do something different I would prefer to look at something like that um but I I want to make sure and I think that's one of the things that we looked at originally was the the financial hardship that we would cause on some of these older complexes out there.

Councilmember Boxell thank you uh mayor and um councilman hog I think we could look at taking an incremental approach and maybe starting with complexes over a certain number of apartments like the larger ones because those would have more area usually to do this and then look at uh maybe similar to our alternative um compliance model and zoning where you could make uh arrangements with them to trade things like a parking space or whatever they might be deficient on something if you put in your recycling uh it's a trade-off type thing but I I think starting slow and incrementally maybe starting with maybe units apartment complexes over a hundred units or I'm just throwing that number out there we could look at doing that yeah I think other cities back when we were researching had a similar approach yeah um so we again we can bring that information back if you if you ask this may be a a more appropriate place to put this into a committee like council member boxel's committee on C and D to look at this type of thing and how we might be able to have an incremental type of advancement of something like this or a a carrot type of thing if you're willing to allow that to come into your committee and let's see what we can do with that.

Is everybody okay with doing something like that?

Oh excuse them council member Odin Wesley I'm okay with that approach I also like the carrot as as opposed to the stick but I think we as a city have to make a decision are we serious about recycling yes or no and if we are serious about it then we need to get a process in place to make sure we're recycling everywhere city buildings multifamily old new large small and and go about the business of putting that in place but I think we have to make a value statement is this important to us and I guess C and D can start start that conversation thank you almost wait to get Councilmember Gonzalez uh I like what you said Councilman Odin Wesley because the Rangers and the cowboys it just all the trash goes in and when you see all those light beer they don't recycle I mean so when they come up and I mean that's a lot I mean we talk about major I mean that's what serious stuff is and I don't want to make the Rangers or cowboys mad but that's a big one and every time we go there everybody you know when we go and watch a game there's like where do you put your trash and just all together so just to wrap up uh yes thinking for the the ideas of uh of uh um giving incentives

And when you see all those light beer, they don't recycle.

I mean, so when they come up, and I mean that's a lot.

I mean, we talk about major.

I mean, that's what serious stuff is.

And I don't want to make the Rangers or Cowboys mad, but that's a big one.

And every time we go there, everybody, you know, when we go and watch a game, there's like, where do you put your trash?

And just all together.

So just to wrap up.

Yes.

Thank you for the ideas of uh of uh um giving incentives or or looking to our ramp up different uh for sizes, but what bothers me is really what uh Consulwoman uh Odam says we serious about it.

There's some people doing it and other people doing nothing.

What it bothers me, I mean everybody has to do something, not some do everything and some others do nothing.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Thank you, Nora.

Appreciate you.

Okay, we're gonna move on down.

Uh no committees met today due to the weather.

So we'll bypass that, go on down to discussion of miscellaneous items on 4.6.

Any appointments to boards or commissions, Mr.

Buskin?

Yes, sir.

We have two appointments this evening.

Thank you, sir.

4.7.

Uh Mr.

Gonzalez, uh RTC.

Yes, Mayor.

The RTC met on Thursday, January 8th.

Uh the RTC approved several items, including funding for public electric vehicle charging infrastructures at sites across the region, including three here in Arlington, uh, one at Veterans Park, uh Bobco Park, and Vandergrip Park.

Uh, the Metropolitan Transportation Policy Plan Policy Bundle, which awards transportation development credits to local entities for use in lieu of local trash.

Um for federal funding was also approved.

RTC also approved several items related to the search for a new director of transportation to replace Michael Morris, including a letter from RTC to the COG uh executive board requesting greater partnership and up to and up to $50,000 in funding for external legal support for review policies that affect the RTC's responsibility.

Um this was also discussion of the four RTC members who serve.

There was also discussion of the four RTC members who serve on the executive board as well as their roles in the RTC.

Finally, the chair of the Transfer Transit uh Vision Subcommittee provided an update on their progress to date, including a draft vision statement and future topics for discussion.

Uh our next meeting is scheduled for February the 12th on Thursday.

So is there any questions?

Seeing none, thank you, sir.

We'll move on down to Councilmember Hogg for North Central Texas Council of Governments executive.

I still have another one subcommittee.

I didn't do it.

Oh, I thought you did what you just mentioned.

No, sorry.

Oh, okay.

I apologize.

I I was gonna do both, but I thought he's gonna say, well, why did you do that?

Uh we also had before that RTC meeting, we had a subcommittee meeting.

Uh we approved the addition of the following language to our vision statement.

Uh the regional spine system would be coordinated with community-based solutions.

So that really talks about Arlington.

We have our our base solutions, so trying to get that our solutions with the bigger solutions working together.

Uh reviewed and discussed the RTC presentation, scheduled for our subcommittee, which we had.

Um we dedicated significant time, and then uh we initially conversation regarding RTC's transit positions, which included mobility 2050 resolutions of policies, and our next subcommittee was this morning, and I will report that meeting uh next city council meeting.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Now we'll move on to Councilmember Hogg.

Thank you, Mayor.

Let Mr.

Gonzalez go again when you're moving, keep moving.

So uh unfortunately, last Thursday I was in uh traveling for business, so I could not attend.

Um I've had a meeting with the executive director over the meeting, and then I'm meeting with the uh chair of our committee on on uh Thursday to go through everything, discuss an executive session on council of governments, uh some of the main things from the key meeting, uh, some workforce development items, as we do almost every meeting, it seems like more FIFA operational items being approved as a council of governments is that's one of those key factors that everyone's got to work on um from those perspectives, and then uh more and some environmental waste as well as over some key items uh from this last week and some air quality pieces, but uh from the executive director pieces and some of those uh more info to come when I hear what was discussed in the executive session.

Perfect, thank you, sir.

Uh TRTC.

Uh we had our annual luncheon with TRTC.

Um Michael Morris uh was the primary speaker at that.

He brought with him his team of people to talk about what is big and exciting in Tarrant County and what's going forward, and it was a very robust discussion of everything from the Southeast Connector to high speed rail to you name it.

Um nothing specific as far as what's next on the horizon.

Um, but it was good to sit down and have lunch and see everybody.

So nothing spectacular.

Evening agenda items.

Anyone have anything on this evening's agenda items?

Dr.

Odom Wesley.

I have one question, Mayor.

On 8.10, and this is the um three-year professional services contract for the police department and the jail providing uh a jail paramedic.

And it says that this item is exempt from bidding.

I'm wondering why is that, and we got a company out of Colorado that we're gonna contract with.

Can you give a little more explanation on that?

Yes, ma'am.

Good afternoon, Will Velasco, your procurement manager.

It's exempt from competitive bidding, it's professional service.

So as a professional service, you can't compete those items.

It's based off qualifications and experience only.

So, how we find the company in Colorado?

It's go ahead.

Same company.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Any other questions on this evening's agenda items?

Mayor.

Yes.

I placed a memo at the council member places regarding items 12.1 and 12.2 on the evening agenda.

Um, after we posted the council agenda last week, we're we received an updated early voting schedule from the Tarrant County elections administrators, so there's a slight change to the schedule in both of those ordinances uh due to a state holiday during the early voting period.

Perfect.

Thank you, Alex.

All right.

Issues relative to city or tech stop projects.

Anybody future agenda items?

Mayor.

Yes, sir.

Um can I suggest uh to explore uh we can explore some um options for truck stops for overnight parking in the city?

Truck stops or overnight parking.

Overnight parking.

Big large commercial vehicles.

Overnight parking, yeah.

Okay.

To give some options for the ones that cannot park everywhere else.

You're not at you're asking, like also like we could just zone for private entities to offer that as possibly a paid service.

We're getting to the weeds when we discussed I'm just proposing take a look at it.

You're you're just wanting to find options that we may or may not be able to make available to people.

Yep.

Since we're going uh comprehensive approach about not parking neighborhoods, I think we you know we can give can give at the same time a solution for the ones that can't park on the neighborhoods or ever else to park somewhere else, and that's what we I think we could explore.

So thank you.

Okay.

Anyone else?

All right, with that, we're gonna go ahead and adjourn this afternoon session, and we'll see everybody downstairs at 6:30.

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Bienvenue on the segment of Ask Arlington.

I'm Jaciel Zapata from the Department of Bombers of Arlington.

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