All right.

The time's 9 09 a.m., and I'll call this meeting of the Dallas City Council to order, and we are going to turn it over to our colleague, Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Maxie Johnson, who is also a pastor of the New Morningstar Missionary Baptist Church.

We'll have our invocation and our pledges of allegiance to the United States flag and the Texas flag.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Can we all please stand?

Let us bow our heads.

Father in heaven, we thank you this morning.

Thank you, God, because you let us see another day that wasn't promised to us.

God, not only did you wake us up, but you woke us up, clothing our right mind with the activities of our limbs.

And today we say thank you.

We thank you, God, because you've been better to us than we've been to ourselves.

You look beyond all our faults and you saw our needs, and God, we thank you because you've been a great God.

Even when we have bad days, you're still a good God.

And so, God, this morning, we come to give you glory.

We come to bless your name.

But we ask that you anoint us, anoint us to do the work that you've asked us to do.

Bless our mayor, bless his family, bless our city manager, bless her family, bless our council and their families.

God, I said that you bless our community, bless our citizens, bless our neighborhoods, bless our police departments, those that put their lines on our life every day for our freedom.

We ask that you look after them and bless them and their family.

No God in the world that seemed like it's full of hate.

We ask that you bring love right now.

We God, we call on you because we need you.

There's no one that can bring us together but you.

And so, God, we lift you up right now.

We ask that you let your will be done.

Not our will, God, but your will be done.

And God, we sing that song, that hymn that says, Father, I stretch my hands to thee.

No other help I know.

If thou withdraw thyself from us, where shall we go?

So we call on you because you're the answer.

Now God strengthen us now, and we praise you.

We give you glory, we magnify you because you are worthy God.

You're so awesome, and we love you this morning.

We praise you.

Despite of what we're going through, we still magnify you because we know that you are the answer.

Continue to strengthen us now and bless us, and we give you glory and praise.

It's in your son, we pray.

Everyone would please remain standing for the pledges.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Honor the Texas flag.

I pledge allegiance to thee.

Texas, one state, under God, one and indivisible.

Thank you, everyone.

You may be seated.

We do have some announcements this morning, so bear with me for just a moment.

Um, we will start with an announcement from the Office of the City Manager.

So I'll turn it over to uh Kimberly Tobert.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor and to the City Council.

I'd first like to start with the recognition of a group of employees whose professionalism, courage, and commitment to service were on full display following the tragic apartment explosion that occurred on May 28th in Oak Cliff.

Can you all please come out?

What began as a routine day?

This webinar is being transcribed and summarized.

What began as a routine day quickly turned into a life-threatening emergency.

The explosion claimed lives, injured residents, displaced families, and left an entire community searching for answers in the aftermath of this tragedy.

In moments like these, Dallas residents look to their city government for help.

They look for leadership, coordination, compassion, and action.

And that is exactly what they received.

I'd like to thank the Dallas Fire Rescue DFR personnel who were the first to arrive on scene, and who immediately entered into an extremely dangerous and unstable environment to search for survivors, extinguish fires, and secure the area.

Their response required tremendous bravery, technical expertise, and an unwavering dedication under difficult conditions.

And today we are grateful for their service and for their sacrifices that they make every single day to keep our community safe.

I would also like to recognize Dallas Water Utilities.

The crews worked alongside emergency responders to assess and secure critical utility infrastructure, support safety operations, and help stabilize the site.

Their efforts were essential in protecting public safety and ensuring emergency personnel could continue the work safely and efficiently.

I'd also like to thank the transportation and the public works staff.

They played a vital role in securing the surrounding area, supporting traffic control, maintaining access for emergency vehicles, and assisting with site safety and recovery operations.

Their work behind the scenes helped ensure that first responders could focus on life-saving efforts while protecting the broader community.

I'd also like to recognize the Office of Emergency Management and Crisis Response.

They coordinated resources across multiple departments and partner agencies, helping ensure that communications, logistics, and emergency operations remained organized during a rapidly evolving situation.

Their leadership and coordination were instrumental in bringing together the many moving pieces required during a major incident of this scale.

And finally, I'd like to recognize the Office of Homeless Solutions and Community Empowerment.

In the wake of the explosion, many residents faced uncertainty about where they would sleep, how they would access services, and just what would come next.

This team stepped forward to connect impacted individuals and families with shelter, resources, support services, and assistance during one of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Their compassion reflected the very best of public service.

While each department had a different role, they shared a common purpose serving the people of Dallas when they needed us the most.

On behalf of the City of Dallas, we're taking the time this morning to thank you all.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for the unwavering commitment to the residents of Dallas.

Mayor and City Council, please join me this morning in recognizing these outstanding employees from Dallas Fire Rescue, Dallas Waller Utilities, Transportation Public Works, the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Homeless Solutions and Community Empowerment, and I would like to add the Dallas Police Department as well for their efforts in taking care of the residents of Dallas.

Thank you so much.

I'll just stay right here.

Chairman West, you're recognized for announcement.

Thank you, Mayor.

And just ask that everybody stays there so we can get one picture together.

Thank you for those beautiful words, City Manager Tolbert.

Before anything else, I want to take a moment to remember the lives lost and the devastating explosion and fire at the Clyde Departments in North Oak Cliff.

Our hearts remain with the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and every resident whose life was turned upside down by this tragedy.

Three people, including an infant, lost their lives, and many others lost their homes and their belongings.

In the face of unimaginable loss, we also witnessed the very best of Oak Cliff and Dallas.

I want to echo City Manager Tolbert's appreciation and recognition of the city personnel who rushed forward into danger on that day.

Their courage, professionalism, and compassion helped save lives and brought comfort to residents during some of the darkest hours.

I also want to recognize the countless neighbors, volunteers, and community members who immediately stepped forward to help.

Oak Cliff showed what community truly means.

In particular, I want to thank Pastor Gannon Sims and the entire team at Mission Oak Cliff.

From the earliest moments after the explosion, they opened their doors, raised funding, organized support, connected families with resources, and helped ensure displaced residents were not facing this crisis alone.

I also want to thank Austin Holmes of Dominium and Barrett Lindbergh of Savoy Equities for their leadership and generosity in helping secure housing for residents who suddenly found themselves without a home.

Their willingness to act quickly made a real difference for families trying to rebuild and find stability.

Thank you to the mayor, to Councilmember's Cadena, Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Johnson, and others who showed up or who sent me messages offering support for our community members.

And last but certainly not least, among the community heroes that deserve special recognition today is Rodney Brown.

I have a special rec for Rodney that I'm going to read.

Can we bring him forward, please?

Whereas Rodney Brown has proudly called Oak Cliff home since 1982, embodying the resilience, compassion, and community spirit that define this historic and vibrant neighborhood.

And whereas on the afternoon of May 28th, 2026, while sitting outside his home, Rodney Brown heard and felt a powerful explosion at a nearby residence located at 409 East Ninth Street.

And whereas without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, Rodney rushed to the scene where he saw a young girl desperately attempting to escape the burning structure through a window.

And whereas, guided by instinct, courage, and an unwavering commitment for helping others, Rodney reached the young girl, pulled her to safety, and moved away from the home mere moments before a second explosion rocked the property.

And whereas Rodney Brown's extraordinary bravery, quick thinking, and selfless actions helped avert a devastating tragedy and exemplify the very best qualities of a good neighbor and community hero.

And whereas in the days and weeks that followed, Rodney maintained a meaningful connection with the young girl and her father, creating a lasting bond, forged through an act of courage and compassion that has inspired residents across the city of Dallas.

Now therefore, I Chad West, Councilmember of District One, do hereby extend special recognition to Rodney Brown.

Mr.

Brown, you don't have to say anything, but you certainly are welcome to.

The floor is yours if you'd like to say anything.

Well, I'd like to say thank you everybody.

Bringing me here this day, still another day living, because I know at the time I probably wouldn't have been here.

But God had his hands on me.

So I'm here today.

Thank you very much.

Chairman West, did you want to have one photograph?

Would everyone come inside the rail, I'm going to come down.

Okay.

As you all make your way back to your seats, our guests and our members as well.

I'm going to recognize, if you're ready, Chairman Gracie, for our last announcement of the morning.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And this is a uh special announcement that's near and dear to me because it opened up doors for me, these type of interns.

So today we are joined by truly uh special group of individuals that I, along with City Manager Tobert, uh, you mayor, and a fellow council members, uh, want to take a moment to recognize that each year, the City of Dallas facilitates a summer intern program made up of college students who have demonstrated a genuine interest in public service.

These students have traveled near and far to spend their summer lending their talents and energy to the City of Dallas, all while developing skills that will shape their futures as professionals and leaders.

This year, I am proud to say we have our largest cohort to date 31 interns representing departments across the entire organization.

And at this time, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our summer interns.

We are so glad you are here with us today.

These interns have been hired across various departments for a total of nine weeks, and they are already uh already making an impact.

We are grateful for your dedication and commitment to service first now results.

It is our hope that the skills you build this summer in this city in these halls will go with you back to your communities and your classrooms, and that you will carry Dallas's mission forward wherever your paths may lead.

As a council member for district three, I want you to know the city believes in you, and we are better for having you here.

And as a personal note, y'all are gonna get a lot of information.

You're gonna have a lot of experiences.

I've done several interns, and they've opened up so many doors.

You're not gonna remember everything, but just know that you'll recall it when the time is right.

Thank you for being here.

Congratulations.

Congratulations, everyone.

It's in our internship program here at the city.

Come on down and come inside the railing so we can get a picture with all of you.

We're very proud of you.

Okay, so I'm just to help you.

I'm the very center, so you guys can sort of fan out from here and bounce out your picture, all right.

Thank you very much, everyone.

All right, members, as you make your way back to your seats, and thank you, interns, for your hard work.

It's nine thirty a.m.

and this meeting of the Dallas Council is now at recess until the conclusion of our special call meeting, which we will begin again now.

We'll reconvene the special call meeting.

I know we need to switch over the WebEx so everyone will stand at ease so we can switch over the meeting.