I love you look great in blue.

You look good in blue.

We can bust out a cage.

You know what I'm talking about?

Oh, right.

Oh, I don't want to go.

I know, I know.

I know that one I don't know.

So many trick wanted you to think about you.

Did they introduce the failure right?

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

So we're going to do it.

How are you about doing it?

I can meet you.

Oh, they have a war.

But yours doesn't even see it.

Councilman Peoples.

The day has already done that.

All right.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Welcome to the community development uh committee meeting for Tuesday, October twenty first.

Now call to order.

And with Quorum present, let's see.

First item of business approval of minutes from August twelfth, twenty twenty-five.

Second.

All in favor indicate by saying I.

Motion passes.

We'd like to ask you to approve the minutes from October twenty first.

I believe you're looking at the meeting.

Oh, wait a minute.

Yes.

You're right.

Correction.

Approval of the minutes from October twenty first.

Second.

All right.

All in favor indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Thank you, Dana.

Thank you.

All right.

So we have uh let's see, staff briefings.

Uh Library Advisory Board annual report.

Melissa Scott.

Yes.

She's here.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

How are you?

Okay.

Good.

Good to see you all.

Thank you so much for letting me come and share our library advisory board annual report with you.

The board is now fully seated.

I want to thank each of you, council members for appointing someone to serve alongside my other fellow members.

Makes it easier for us to achieve quorum, and that was one of our big goals for last year.

So thank you so much.

We're a fully seated board of engaged, motivated citizens who care very deeply about the city and the neighbors, the neighbors and neighborhoods they represent.

So thank you for that.

My name's Melissa Scott.

I'm the chair of the library advisory board.

I was appointed by Mayor Parker in 2023, and it's my honor to serve alongside the library staff and my fellow board members in support of the library's mission, which is to build a community of dreamers, learners, and doers.

You may notice the young lady in the picture, she's holding something very important, and that is her library card.

I certainly hope that everybody in this room today has a library card because if you do, you have a passport to many, many wonderful things.

And the more I learn about what the library is really offering to the city of Fort Worth, the more excited and passionate I get that everyone needs one of these so that they can access all those wonderful things.

All right.

Well, let's just jump into the annual report.

First of all, uh as a board, each year we focus on three big picture items and goals.

Number one, we honor our official charge of the library advisory board.

We set goals and act as advocates and sounding boards for the library staff on budget and mission issues.

We maintain a healthy and productive board, and we do that through timely communication, effective board management, and consistent proactivity.

Our members show up.

They show up consistently and they lend their support.

They show up for board meetings, they show up for community events, they show up for library programs and individual district events.

We welcome in opportunities to engage.

And as city council members, I hope you would reach out to your library advisory board reps if you feel they would be good support for you at a community event.

I am confident any of them would be more than happy to step up and willing to support if they're invited along and to offer their presence.

We promote the library, we advocate for the library and our circles of influence and participate in lots of programs and events.

We volunteer when opportunities arise and amplify library initiatives through social media and word of mouth.

And many Fort Worthians are unaware of all the incredible resources and programs available at each local library branch.

As library advisory board members, we strive to change that.

Number three, we enhance knowledge and understanding of library services.

This is key because so many wonderful things are happening, and as a board, we're continually learning about library services and programs so that we can better serve as informed advocates.

So these icons are intended to represent just a few programs that have specifically been attended by library advisory board members in the last year.

We play as board members an essence, an essential role in advancing the library's mission by engaging with programs and staff throughout the year.

We visit branches, attend events, and work alongside library staff at different programs.

And here's just a few examples.

Clyburn piano concerts with Clivern Competition Competitors, totally free, open to the public, and also a musical story time that featured a Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra member.

And that happened at Southwest Regional Branch.

There was a robotics program and Tyco Drummers at the Vivian J.

Lincoln Library, adult painting workshops.

I can't emphasize how popular these are in the city of Fort Worth.

There are watercolor painters in every corner of the city of Fort Worth, and they are enjoying painting workshops at their local library.

Neighborhood night out, which is always a family event at Reeby Carey Library, a groundbreaking at the new Sindera Springs Library Branch, and also a cool family sponge bob program, which was at Northwest Regional Library.

These are just a few of the programs, and I hope they showcase some of the cultural, educational, and innovative experiences that the Fort Worth Library is busy providing.

All right.

Slide four just shows you some of the branch presentations and special presentations that happen in the presence of the library advisory board.

Slide four just shows you some of the branch presentations and special presentations that happen in the presence of the library advisory board by rotating our bi-monthly meetings to all the different library branches that are listed.

It gives us a chance to get a first hand insight into the library branch staff, their patrons, and the programs that matter most to them.

We get a chance to hear about trends and services that are important to the in to the particular branches.

We get to see their different character, the architecture, the way the libraries are arranged.

It's really informative to help everybody on the board understand exactly what we're advocating for.

And then in terms of special presentations, we get to engage with library staff to learn a lot about the library through special presentations, things like collection management, how are books chosen, and how are they placed within the larger library enterprise, what branch gets which copies of which books based on data and information about the patrons and other things like employee growth.

Who's doing what?

What are their goals?

What are they doing to grow their particular areas in the library enterprise as well?

These special presentations all work together to help the board understand the system-wide and operational initiatives of the library, and that equips us all to speak more confidently to the community about the library's offerings.

These presentations strengthen our ability to advocate and they increase awareness for library resources.

A look ahead.

This is an exciting time to be engaged with the library, both as a library advisory board member and as a community member.

There are lots of really awesome things on the horizon.

We're enthusiastic supporters of the new downtown library branch, look forward to participating in its planning and development.

We're committed to engaging in upcoming strategic planning process, which will shape the library's direction for the next five years.

And we stand ready and willing to support the 2026 bond initiatives that will enable the library to engage in some very vital expansion and innovation.

We don't want anyone, anyone to miss out on all the wonderful things that are happening at the Fort Worth Public Library.

If you're a Fort Worth resident and you don't yet have a library card like mine, I challenge you to drop by your local branch, check it out.

Just ask a few questions.

You'll be surprised at the in-depth answers you get from staff members.

And this library card opens a door for you that you don't even know about the contents and the resources and the programs on the other side.

So I really encourage you to take advantage.

It's one of the few things that is freely available to everyone right in your neighborhood.

So with that, I'll thank you for your time and your attention and the opportunity to just share some of the great work that the Fort Worth Public Library is doing and that the Library Advisory Board gets to engage in.

We are very grateful for the opportunity to serve the city and this community, and I thank you for your time.

Thank you, Melissa.

Any questions from Alyssa before she leaves the podium?

Should I tell you?

You just walk right up to the circulation desk and say, hey, I don't have a library card, and it'll just be minutes, and you'll get a library card.

I just got my uh youngest library card to do a little research on a recent uh history project that he had.

That's amazing.

Did he do a backflip when he got it?

Was he so excited?

Well, you know, he was just wondering what other kind of benefits he got with it.

And I said, Well, it's not like a credit card, but it will but membership does have its advantages.

But it isn't, it does crack a door open where there's some good stuff.

Yeah, I know it enabled him to do some good research.

And I also want to uh commend you all.

I think uh I I've heard some preliminary numbers.

You've increased circulation, I think.

You know, speaking of uh branches in my district.

Yes, and then uh attendance, you know, and in library programs is looking pretty robust.

So uh very encouraging news, so thank you.

Yeah, also materials checked out.

This is it's amazing numbers.

It's like five items per resident of the city of Fort Worth.

It's pretty amazing.

Yeah, great work.

Thank you all.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Next up, so before we leave.

I just had some guests today.

Hey, who you all stand up and they would might they might like a library card.

So would you two please stand up?

So people don't be shy.

My guest came to see today how we work and to hear a committee meeting.

And so you heard good things about the library, didn't you?

Good.

All right.

Oh already has a library card.

Thank you.

Sure, okay.

It's wonderful.

Thank you, Sandra Stanley.

That's your passports knowledge right there.

That's a good thing.

All right.

Next up, we have an introduction of neighborhood improvement program uh by uh Jesus Morill.

Or no, actually, it's Anderson Stout.

Good afternoon, Chair Flores.

Um, committee members, um, council uh members, um, city manager and assistant city managers.

I'm here to introduce um Jesus Morillo, our new neighborhood program coordinator in the neighborhood improvement program within neighborhood services department.

Um Jesus has a strong background um in public service, community development, and public policy.

He holds a bachelor's degree um in political science from Fisk University, a master's in theological studies from Harvard University.

Um most recently he served as grants coordinator for United States Congress, Office of New Mexico Congressional Delegation, where he supported funding strategy grant coordination and intergovernmental coordination.

Um prior to that, he worked at U.S.

Department Housing and Urban Development as a community planning and development specialist supporting the oversight and administration of major federal economic development and housing programs.

Um he has also served as the U.S.

Department of Agriculture in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, focusing on stakeholder engagement and interagency coordination.

Um we're excited to welcome Jesus to the neighborhood services department, where he's already helping to make a change and make a difference.

Um where he is strengthening capacity already, and um we uh um happy to have him join the neighborhood services team.

Um thank you so much, Jesus.

Thank you, Anderson, for that kind introduction.

Good afternoon, everybody.

My name is Jesus Morillo.

It is a pleasure to be here with you all today.

Um I'm really looking well, first I want to say thank you to the uh council members' offices for uh working alongside us to schedule quarter two meetings so we can touch base with each and every single one of you to give you status updates on NIPs.

I know we're all interested and excited to ensure that that program continues to move uh swiftly and expeditiously to serve the uh citizens of uh Fort Worth.

And so I look forward to working alongside every single one of you.

And if there's anything that we can do to be of service to you all, um we look forward to doing so, but I'm grateful to be here with you all.

Thank you.

We're grateful to have you.

Welcome aboard.

All right, before we adjourn, do we have any future agenda items from anyone?

Okay.

Well, thank you very much.

We are adjourned at 1623 hours.