SUCH A SUCH A COMMUNITY, A BLESSING GOD. LORD, HELP US TO HONOR YOU THIS MORNING WITH WITH OUR DECISIONS AND WITH OUR DISCUSSION, [*This meeting was joined in progress*] [00:00:07] AND LIVE LIVES WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING. HELP US TO HAVE A HAVE A GREAT MEETING THIS MORNING. IN JESUS NAME THAT WE PRAY. AMEN. OKAY. THANKS, DAVID, I APPRECIATE IT THIS MORNING. WELCOME, EVERYBODY. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL ENTER INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PHASE OF OUR MEETING. ANYONE THAT IS WITH US THIS MORNING THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ANYTHING ON OUR AGENDA OR ANYTHING ELSE, I GUESS. PLEASE STEP FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE, STATE YOUR NAME AND WHO YOU'RE WITH OR AFFILIATION, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO COMMENT. SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. AND SEEING NO ONE COMING FORWARD, WE'LL CLOSE THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MOVE INTO OUR PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS. [1. Service Award (Discussion)] OUR SERVICE AWARD. CHRIS. HELLO, BOARD. CHRIS GIBSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, PARKS AND RECREATION. I'M VERY EXCITED TO BRING WE'VE GOT TWO SERVICE AWARDS TODAY. AND TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE TO SAY THEY'RE A MAJOR IMPACT ON WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY IS IS NOT SAYING ENOUGH. IF IT WEREN'T WITHOUT THESE, THESE FOLKS AND THE WONDERFUL JOB THEY DO WE WOULD WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TIME. SO THE FIRST PERSON I WANT TO BRING UP IN FRONT WITH BOTH OF THESE, BOTH OF THESE PEOPLE STARTED ON THE SAME DAY AND ARE NOW AT FIVE YEARS. SO I REALLY ENJOYED WHEN WE HAVE TO DO PERFORMANCE REVIEWS, AND I GET TO DO TWO OF THEM IN ONE DAY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A PLEASURE TO DO. SO I'M GOING TO BRING ASK JANINA FIRST OFF TO COME UP. AND JANINE HAS BEEN WITH US FOR FIVE YEARS. SHE IS SHE PRETTY MUCH IS OUR FRONT OFFICE AND RUNS AND MAKES SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING EVERYTHING FROM CONTRACTS TO RESERVATIONS, TO SPECIAL EVENTS, TO EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON WITHIN OUR OUR OFFICE ITSELF. AND SHE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, IS OUR PARKS AND REC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR RECIPIENT THIS YEAR. EXCELLENT. CONGRATULATIONS. WE'RE SO PROUD OF HER. AND EVERYTHING YOU DO. SO YOU GET. OF COURSE YOU GET A COIN. SHE. THIS IS ALSO GOES THROUGH HER OFFICE. SO THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE. SHE'S SHE GETS THESE ENVELOPES. SHE'S LIKE, HEY, I GOT FIVE YEARS. SO WE HAVE A COIN FOR YOU. WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT IT. WE KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOMETHING OF COURSE, IN YOUR ACCOUNT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS, GINIA. OUR NEXT RECIPIENT IS MR. JESUS CORONADO. HE IS, OF COURSE, OUR DIVISION MANAGER FOR PARKS DEPARTMENT. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARKS AND REC, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S PASSIONATE FOR WHAT THEY DO AND SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO LEAVE A LEGACY AND IS IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING THAT WITH US. I CAN'T. I ENVISION PARKS WHEN I SEE HIM AND I SEE THE PASSION THAT HE HAS, BUT HE LEADS A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE. WE WE TALK ABOUT OUR PARKS WORKERS AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE THERE EVERY DAY. BUT IT BECOMES HIS BECAUSE OF HIS PASSION AND WHAT HE DOES EVERY DAY AND BRINGS TO THE TABLE THAT DRIVES THOSE TEAMS. AND IT DRIVES US. AND I'LL SPEAK FOR LESLIE MYSELF. WE WE WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH HIM AND ALL THE EXCITING THINGS AND IDEAS THAT HE HAS. HE'S HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH TRAPS. IT'S A BIG PART OF THAT. AND IS NOW SERVING YOUR SECOND TERM OR FIXING TO SERVE YOUR SECOND TERM. IS THE TRAPS PRIMARY? YEAH. REGIONAL DIRECTOR. I DIDN'T GET THE TITLE RIGHT, BUT SO THAT'S I MEAN, IT GOES FAR BEYOND JUST THE EVERYDAY WORK. IT'S PART OF WHO HE IS. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HIM AND APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE EVERY DAY. SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. HEY, SEUSS AGAIN HAS FIVE YEARS. THERE'S YOUR COIN TO GO. APPRECIATE YOU APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THANKS. WE APPRECIATE YOU AND JANINA TREMENDOUSLY. ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF PARKS AND REC. SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. YOU HAVE A COPY IN YOUR FILE FOLDER THIS MORNING OF THE MINUTES OF OUR LAST MEETING [2. Minutes (Discussion and Action)] OCTOBER 21ST. I WILL GIVE YOU A SECOND TO REVIEW IT. HOPE YOU HAVE. AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME I'LL ACCEPT ANY DELETIONS, ADDITIONS, AMENDMENTS, CHANGES OR A MOTION TO APPROVE I MOTION, MICHAEL. MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, ON TO OUR AGENDA. MY AGENDA ITEMS. LESLIE, I'LL LET YOU TEE THIS ONE UP FOR US, IF YOU WOULD. [3. Fort Imagination Playground Project Memorandum of Agreement and Location (Discussion, Public Hearing and Possible Action)] ALL RIGHT. AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE FORD IMAGINATION BURNED ABOUT A MONTH AGO. WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO MOVING FORWARD. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WE, THE CITY AND JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ABILENE PARTNERED TOGETHER MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO TO BUILD THE ORIGINAL FORT IMAGINATION. [00:05:11] AND SO WHEN THIS HAPPENED, JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ABILENE REACHED BACK OUT TO THE CITY TO SEE HOW THEY COULD HELP IN PARTNERING WITH US AGAIN. SO BEFORE YOU TODAY IS IS REALLY TWO ITEMS. ONE IS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE CITY TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ABILENE TO HELP US FUNDRAISE TOWARDS THE REPLACEMENT OF FORT IMAGINATION. ONE THING THAT WE WILL ALSO BE FUNDRAISING FOR OR HOPING TO DO IS PUT SECURITY CAMERAS UP AT THE NEW FORT IMAGINATION. SO THAT IS FACTORED INTO THE THE PRICE OF WHAT WE ARE WANTING TO RAISE MONEY FOR. THEY ARE WILLING TO BE THE 501 NONPROFIT, THE LEAD ON RAISING THE FUNDS, AS WELL AS TAKING THE LEAD ON ORGANIZING THE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US BUILD THE PLAYGROUND WHEN WE ARE READY TO DO THAT AS WELL. IT WILL BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER BUSINESSES AND OTHER ENTITIES, BUT THEY HAVE AGREED TO TAKE ON THE LEAD FOR THAT. SO THAT'S ONE PART OF OF THIS ITEM. THE SECOND PART IS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS MAP WHERE FORD IMAGINATION WAS LOCATED THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT POTENTIALLY MOVING FORWARD, IMAGINATION TO THE OTHER SIDE OF NELSON'S SPLASHPAD, WHERE THAT GREEN DOT IS. THAT WOULD PUT FORD IMAGINATION IN A DIFFERENT PARKING LOT FROM THE ZOO PARKING LOT. WOULD ALSO PUT IT IN A LITTLE CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE SPLASH PAD, IF YOU CAN SEE THE LINE GOING DOWN BY FORD IMAGINATION THAT IS ACTUALLY DRAINAGE THERE, THERE IS A A DIP THERE WHERE WATER FLOWS INTO TO THE LAKE. IN FURTHER INVESTIGATION FROM WHEN WE FLOATED THIS IDEA AND, AND PRESENTED PUT THIS AGENDA PACKET TOGETHER. I HAVE LEARNED UNDER THAT GREEN DOT THERE IS A SEWER LINE AS WELL AS CITY FIBER OPTIC LINE THAT RUNS UNDER THAT LOCATION. THAT COULD MAKE IT POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT TO BUILD IN THAT LOCATION. WHERE ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE FORD IMAGINATION WAS THERE. THERE IS NO UTILITIES UNDERNEATH TO CONFLICT WITH ITS LOCATION. AND THE CONVERSATION WAS MORE WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE ZOO AND HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE THERE EXPECTING, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO POTENTIALLY HAVE THE OPENING AND COMING OUT OF A DIFFERENT PARKING LOT? I DID SPEAK WITH JESSE FROM THE ZOO. HE'S COMFORTABLE WITH IT GOING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SPLASH PAD. WE ALSO HAD CONVERSATION. IF THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO POTENTIALLY BUILD A PAVILION THAT GOES NEXT TO IT, SO THAT WHEN SCHOOLS WANT TO USE THE PLAYGROUND OR PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A PLACE TO, YOU KNOW, RENT FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PAVILION CLOSE THAT IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. DEPENDING ON FUNDING. BUT THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND AGAIN, MR. POTTEBAUM WAS COMFORTABLE WITH BOARD IMAGINATION BEING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SPLASH PAD WITH OR WITHOUT A PAVILION. SO THOSE ARE THE REALLY THE TWO ITEMS BEFORE YOU ALL TO DECIDE TODAY WHETHER TO LEAVE FORT IMAGINE IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION OR TO MOVE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPLASH PAD. AND THE SECOND ONE IS TO APPROVE THE MOU WITH JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ABILENE PRESIDENT OF JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ABILENE, AS WELL AS A COUPLE BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT HERE TODAY TO ALSO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. HAS HAS THERE BEEN A DETERMINATION MADE THAT OR RECOMMENDATION FROM EITHER CITY ENGINEERING OR ANYBODY IN THE, IN THE CITY AS TO AN ADVANTAGE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ONE ONE POSITION, ONE LOCATION OR THE OTHER, CURRENT REPLACEMENT OR OTHER SIDE? BOTH. BOTH LOCATIONS ARE FINE FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, BOTH LOCATIONS ARE THE SAME. IT REALLY COMES MORE TO THE EXPENSE OF HAVING TO MOVE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. IF WE MOVE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPLASH PAD. OKAY. OKAY. AND IS THAT COST? YEAH. IS THAT COSTLY MOVING? I THERE IS A COST TO IT. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW COSTLY IT WOULD BE. THERE WOULD DEFINITELY BE A COST TO MOVE THAT FIBER. YEAH. MICHAEL, YOU HAD A QUESTION. YEAH. I WAS GOING TO SAY ABOUT HOW FAR DOWN IS THAT FIBER OPTIC LINE? DECLINE, AND DO THEY REALLY ANTICIPATE DIGGING THAT FAR DEEP? THERE IS A THERE IS A MAP. IT'S IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT IT IS IN YOUR PACKET. IT'S WHERE THAT FIBER LINE RUNS. AND IT GOES BASICALLY RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THAT SPACE. [00:10:07] AND IT IS ONLY ABOUT 3 TO 4FT DEEP. OKAY. SO IS THIS MORE SO FOR JUST THE ACCESSIBILITY ASPECT OF IT IN THE EVENT THAT THEY DO NEED TO DIG. OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. WOULD MOVING IT. TO THAT OTHER LOCATION COMPLEMENT OR COMPLICATE ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FRONT OF NELSON PARK? NO. WE WOULD. OUR INTENTIONS ARE TO LEAVE THAT AS OPEN GREEN SPACE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A FEW FOOTBALL AND SOCCER TEAMS THAT USE THAT OPEN SPACE FOR PRACTICES BUT THERE'S THERE IS. EVEN IN THE MASTER PLAN AND THE NELSON MASTER PLAN, THERE IS NO PLAN DEVELOPMENT ALONG THAT AREA ON EITHER SIDE. THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENT, BUT AS FAR AS THE LOCATION OF THE PLAYGROUND ITSELF, I PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH EITHER SIDE OF IT. I DO LIKE THE IDEA ABOUT ADDING A PAVILION. YOU KNOW, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THOSE GET UTILIZED A LOT. AND SO CERTAINLY AS YOU'RE CONTINUING THIS TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING THOSE PLANS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT ADDITION TO THIS PARK. I THINK IF THE IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT FIBER OPTIC LINE I THINK FROM THE BOARD STANDPOINT, I WOULD THINK THAT JUST GETTING SOME KIND OF COST FIGURE AND WHAT IT WOULD COST TO MOVE THOSE UTILITIES PROBABLY BE APPROPRIATE. YEAH, I THINK IT CAN GET COSTLY. YEAH, WELL, YOU DON'T JUST. YOU DON'T JUST PICK UP PART OF THE LINE AND MOVE PART OF THE LINE, YOU WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE TO MOVE ALL OF THE LINE. AND THAT. YEAH, I'D BE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST FACTOR OF THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE FUNDRAISING. I MEAN, A TOTAL BUDGET OF MOVING THE LINES AND ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE TO, WOULD HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FUNDRAISING ASPECTS OF IT. IT WOULD BE, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE. OH, IT MAY NOT BE OVER THE TOP EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE CHEAP TO TO MOVE BOTH THOSE LINES, BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THE WHAT YOU INCLUDED IN HERE, NOT ONLY WOULD WE HAVE TO MOVE THE FIBER LINE, WE MIGHT ALSO HAVE TO ENTERTAIN MOVING THE SEWER LINE. WE MIGHT HAVE TO ENTERTAIN IT. BUT I ALSO THINK THE SEWER LINE, BECAUSE OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED, WE COULD WE COULD WORK AROUND THE SEWER LINE. WE CANNOT WORK AROUND BOTH. RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH. THAT BEING SAID, I THINK TO ME I TEND TO LEAN IN THE STAYING IN THE SAME LOCATION THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY. FROM THAT STANDPOINT, JUST FROM A COST STANDPOINT I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE MAP, FROM WHAT WE SEE, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM TO ADD A PAVILION ON EITHER SIDE IN EITHER LOCATION. WITH THAT. SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? YEAH. I THINK WITHOUT THE, THE WITHOUT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COST, IT'S HARD TO MAKE A FIRM DECISION THERE. I THINK MY MY OTHER QUESTION IS JUST AS FAR AS THE COST OF IT, BECAUSE, I MEAN, I COULD SEE VALUE IN EITHER DIRECTION, RIGHT? WOULD BE I'D LOVE TO KNOW A BREAKDOWN OF THE AFTER WE GET OUR INSURANCE PAYMENT VERSUS THE REBUILD VERSUS THE CLEARING. IS THERE A IS THERE SAVINGS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER FOR THAT? BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET A THERE'LL BE AN INSURANCE CHECK IN THEORY RIGHT. FOR THE FOR THE REBUILD. AND SO WHAT WOULD IT ACTUALLY BE LESS COSTLY TO MOVE IT OR TO BE MORE COSTLY TO MOVE IT. DOES THAT MEAN IT'LL BE MORE COSTLY TO MOVE IT? THE RESET TO REBUILD COMPLETELY. AND AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE WOULDN'T MOVE IT. I WOULD JUST WANT TO KNOW A BREAKDOWN OF IT. I'D WANT TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. BUT I AGREE WITH MIKE. I LOVE THE IDEA OF A PAVILION. I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCCER AND FLAT FIELDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THERE, THERE WILL BE USED LIKE CRAZY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. I DON'T GUESS ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT THE STATUS OF THE CASE OF THE ARSONIST IS. HAVE THEY HAVE THEY HAVE THEY FOUND SOMEBODY? I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. I SURE HOPE SO. IT SURE HOPES I'M TIRED. I'M TIRED OF DEALING WITH ARSONS IN OUR PARKS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. WE'VE. THIS IS, I THINK, THE LARGEST SCALE. WELL, SEARS PARK WAS PRETTY CLOSE. SEARS PARK WAS WAS. YEAH. YEAH. IT WAS. YEAH. TWO YEARS AGO. SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE. I HAD A QUESTION ON PLAYGROUND DESIGN BECAUSE AS WE STRATEGICALLY, AS A BOARD LOOK AT REFURBISHING PLAYGROUND BY PLAYGROUND, I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW THE DESIGN WILL BE DECIDED [00:15:05] UPON. AND WHO WOULD BE DOING THAT? THE THE DESIGN WILL REALLY BE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE JUNIOR LEAGUE. AND IF THERE'S A PARKS BOARD MEMBER THAT WANTS TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO. REALLY, THE IDEA IS TO KEEP IT AS CLOSE AS IT AS CLOSE TO AS IT WAS NOW. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY CHANGES OVER 20 YEARS, DESIGNS CHANGE OVER 20 YEARS. YOU KNOW, SAFETY REGULATIONS, THOSE CODES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS CHANGE OVER 20 YEARS. AND WE WILL HAVE TO MEET THOSE, YOU KNOW, LAWS, REQUIREMENTS, CODES OF TODAY. BUT WE ARE THE THE IDEA IS TO TRY AND BE AS CLOSE TO WHAT IT WAS BACK THEN, BUT MEETING CURRENT DAY STANDARDS. YEAH, I JUST THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME EXCITEMENT IF IT'S KIND OF NEW AND IMPROVED, BUT THAT'S JUST ME FROM TAKING MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY GO, OH, LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXCEPTIONAL TO HAVE SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE IN THE OLD MODEL. I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S JUST A PERSONAL OPINION. AND WE'VE SEEN THAT WHEN WE'VE GONE BACK AND REDONE SOME OF THESE PLAYGROUNDS, THAT WE'RE ADDING A NEW TYPE OF SLIDE OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE, JUST TO MAKE IT THAT AS A CITY, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT SOMETHING NEW AND IMPROVED. BUT THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL. IT DOESN'T MEAN THE WHOLE THING, BUT JUST MAYBE A LITTLE CHANGE, A WRINKLE OR TWO. YEAH, YEAH, JUST A LITTLE. SURE, SURE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LAYOUT AND THE LOCATION? JESSIE. YEAH. JESSIE. ZOO DIRECTOR I JUST WANT TO GIVE MY $0.02. THE REASON I WAS OPEN TO LESLIE ASKING TO MOVE ON THE OTHER SIDE IS BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL EXPANSION OF THE ZOO A DECADE OR TWO FROM NOW, GROWING THE PARKING LOT. THAT'S THE BEST PLACE TO GROW THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW LANDLOCKED WITH THAT BOULEVARD. AND SO IF THE ZOO WERE TO GET AN ADDITIONAL 100,000 GUESTS ANNUALLY, THIS WOULD BE AN EASIER FOOTPRINT TO ADD MORE PARKING SPACES. SO JUST ANOTHER THING TO THINK ABOUT. ABSOLUTELY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANKS, JESSIE. OKAY. AS FAR AS THE OTHER ASPECT OF ITEM NUMBER THREE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MOU. MOU. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE MOU? MY ONLY QUESTION IS TIMING. DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE TIMELINE WOULD THIS REBUILD WOULD START AT. REALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. SO IF PARKS BOARD APPROVES THIS THIS MORNING THE HOPE IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AND ANNOUNCE IT THIS AFTERNOON AND START FUNDRAISING TODAY IN HOPES OF BUILDING IT AND HAVING IT OPEN IN 26. NOW, HOW FAST THAT HAPPENS IN 26, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE SPRING, SUMMER, FALL OR WINTER, IT'S TOO SOON FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT. I THINK WE'D ALL BE APPRECIATIVE AND IN AGREEMENT OF THAT AS WELL. SO I GUESS THAT GOES TO MY OTHER QUESTION OF IF WE NEED TO IF WE MAKE THAT DECISION TODAY AND ENTER INTO THIS MOU DO WE NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION ON WHERE WE PUT THE PARK TODAY OR. EXCUSE ME, WHERE DO WE PUT THE PLAYGROUND TODAY, OR CAN WE CAN THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO SLOW US DOWN IN THAT PROCESS. PICKING THE LOCATION DOES NOT SLOW US DOWN. IF YOU APPROVE THE MOU, WE COULD STILL START THE FUNDRAISING. I COULD GET THE COST ON AND AND SEE IF IT'S EVEN A POSSIBILITY TO MOVE THE FIBER. I DIDN'T GET THIS INFORMATION SOON ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO VET THAT BEFORE THIS MEETING, BUT I CAN CHECK ON THAT AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO COME BACK TO PARKS BOARD. YOU KNOW, ONCE THE PLAYGROUND IS DECIDED ON THE LOCATION, THE FOOTPRINT THAT WILL HAVE TO COME TO PARKS BOARD FOR FINAL APPROVAL. SO THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME THAT YOU SEE IT. PERFECT. OKAY. SO I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN THE MOTION THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THE THAT PARKS IS ABLE TO ENTERTAIN THE AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT MEMORANDUM AGREEMENT. KNOWING THAT THEY WILL BE PROVIDING US WITH THE DOCUMENTATION FOR COST FIGURES AND POTENTIAL LOCATION. JUST SO THAT WAY WE HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT THOSE OPTIONS. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MOU AND TO FURTHER EXPLORE THE COST FACTOR OF MOVING THE FIBER OPTICS. IS THAT. YES. THAT PRETTY WELL STRAIGHT. DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. JACK, WE HAVE TO GO TO PUBLIC HEARING. OH, WE HAVE TO DO. I DO THAT EVERY TIME. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED. I'M NOT THE ONE TO SCREW IT UP. NO, I'M GLAD IT'S ME. SO THIS IS MY FIRST RODEO, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. SO LET ME BACKTRACK JUST A MOMENT, PLEASE, IF I CAN. IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, WE'LL OPEN UP THE MIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. [00:20:01] FOR THE IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND MOU AND LOCATION. IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD, TIFFANY, THEN I'LL LET YOU COME FORWARD. HI, I'M TIFFANY NICHOLS, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE JUNIOR LEAGUE, AND SO WE'RE JUST EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. WE WERE DEVASTATED BY THE FIRES. A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS GREW UP GOING TO THAT PARK. THEIR MOMS WERE PART OF THE REBUILD. SO IT JUST MADE SENSE FOR US TO PARTNER WITH Y'ALL ON THIS PROJECT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR US IN THIS? I THINK WE'VE I THINK WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. YES. WE'RE EXCITED. APPRECIATIVE OF THE EFFORT OF THE LEAGUE TO COME IN AND AND PARTNER WITH US AND LOCK ARMS AND LET'S GO. LET'S GO GET THIS THING DONE. YES. EVERYBODY IS READY. AND LIKE LIKE LESLIE SAID, IF THIS IS APPROVED, WE WANT TO HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 130 AND START THE FUNDRAISING IMMEDIATELY. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ANYBODY? NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TIFFANY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. NOW WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND BEFORE US, I'LL ENTERTAIN THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. GOOD. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. AND WITH THAT BEING APPROVED, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU ALL TO A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 130 THIS AFTERNOON ON LOCATION TO ANNOUNCE THIS AGREEMENT AND THE KICKOFF OF THE FUNDRAISING. GOOD DEAL. OKAY. VERY GOOD. 130 OUT AT FORD IMAGINATION. ALL RIGHT. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT. ANYBODY THAT CAN BE THERE, PLEASE. YOU'RE INVITED TO BE THERE. OKAY, OUR NEXT ITEM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. [4. Abilene Community Theatre Lease Agreement (Discussion, Public Hearing and Possible Action)] ABILENE COMMUNITY THEATER LEASE AGREEMENT. YES, ABILENE COMMUNITY THEATER. WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF THEIR CONTRACT, AND THEY CAME TO THE CITY AND ASKED TO EXTEND IT. THEY'RE ASKING FOR A FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE OPTION FOR THREE ADDITIONAL FIVE YEAR TERMS. THERE IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DIFFERENT IN THIS AGREEMENT THAN IN THE PAST. IN THE PAST, 100% OF THE MAINTENANCE WAS ON ABILENE COMMUNITY THEATER. BUT AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP OF THREE BUILDINGS IS PRETTY EXTENSIVE. AND SO WHAT THEY HAVE ASKED IS TO START PAYING A LEASE PAYMENT TO THE CITY THAT GOES INTO A DEDICATED FUND THAT IS USED FOR MAINTENANCE FOR THEIR FACILITIES. SO WHEN THE ROOF HAS TO BE REPLACED, OR WHEN AN AIR CONDITIONER HAS TO BE REPLACED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THERE'S MORE OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH WITH THE CITY AND ABILENE COMMUNITY THEATER. AND THERE IS ALSO A DEDICATED LINE ITEM THAT GOES TOWARDS THE MAINTENANCE OF ABILENE COMMUNITY THEATER. THEY'VE HAD SOME GOOD, SOME GOOD YEARS. THEY'RE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS. BUT THIS DOES REQUIRE PARKS BOARD APPROVAL. SO I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN. ENTERTAIN? ANY QUESTIONS? DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER AGREEMENTS SIMILAR TO THIS? YES. THIS IS VERY MUCH IN LINES OF, LIKE, THE BRIDGE CLUB THAT YOU ALL APPROVED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. BOY SCOUTS ISN'T QUITE TO THIS LEVEL. IT'S A MUCH, MUCH SMALLER BUILDING. BUT THIS IS KIND OF A PHILOSOPHY CHANGE IN THE IN THE CITY AS WE ENTER INTO THESE AGREEMENTS, INSTEAD OF IT PUTTING 100% ON THE CITY OR 100% ON ON THE ENTITY, THAT IT'S MORE OF A PARTNERSHIP, BUT ALSO A A FUNDING MECHANISM FOR FUTURE MAINTENANCE. BECAUSE THE CITY IS SO DEPENDENT ON SALES TAX, YOU KNOW, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS. AND SO THIS, YOU KNOW, GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF COMFORT TO ORGANIZATIONS WE PARTNER WITH. IS THERE A I WAS JUST GLANCING THROUGH THIS JUST A MINUTE. IS IS THERE AN AMOUNT OF THE LEASE? AM I OVERLOOKING IT? Y'ALL DOING, LIKE, ANY KIND OF AS FAR AS, LIKE, A PERCENTAGE COST SHARE? IT'S NOT A PERCENTAGE COST SHARE. THEY ARE JUST PAYING. PAYING A LEASE INTO THAT ACCOUNT. AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MAINTENANCE IS OR THE EMERGENCY IS, IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THAT LINE ITEM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD ENTERTAIN HELPING WITH THAT, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE CITY IS ON THAT PARTICULAR YEAR AND FUNDS AVAILABLE. OKAY. I SEE IT HERE. YEAH. OKAY. QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, ANYBODY? ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME I WILL CORRECTLY ORDER. OPEN THIS UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE IF YOU HAVE IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE ABILENE COMMUNITY THEATER LEASE AGREEMENT, PLEASE STEP FORWARD, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR AFFILIATION, AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. [00:25:02] AND SEEING THAT NO ONE IS COMING FORWARD, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. AND WE WILL TAKE ACTION ON THIS. I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE. MICHAEL. DAVID. SECOND. SURE. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. LET'S GET TO OUR REPORTS. [5. Parks Report (Discussion)] GOOD MORNING. JESUS. CORONADO, PARKS DIVISION MANAGER. THIS WEEK WE WENT INTO OUR WINTER CRUISE. EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT WINTER YET, WE'RE STILL IN THE 90S. BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF PROJECTS THAT WE GOTTA GET TO. WE WILL BE DOING SOME SPOT MOWING FROM HERE ON OUT, BUT JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE THIS PAST SEASON. AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S A BREAKDOWN ON GROUNDS MAINTENANCE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LANDSCAPE. HOW MANY LABOR HOURS AND WORK ORDERS WE WERE ABLE TO GET DONE THIS SEASON, WHICH IS LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF HOURS. BUT AGAIN THE SEASON IS LONG, AND I KNOW THE GUYS ARE HAPPY TO MOVE ON TO DOING SOMETHING ELSE, SO THEY'RE HAPPY TO START WINTER CREWS ALREADY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STARTED DOING AS PART OF THIS MIKE MCBRIDE, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, HE'S OUR LANDSCAPE GURU. HE IS STARTING TO DO SOME SEASONAL COLOR CHANGE. AND HE DID THAT OVER AT THE TMP DEPOT AND AS WELL OUT HERE IN FRONT OF THE THE TRAIN SCULPTURE YOU CAN SEE THERE. HE'S PUT SOME SEASONAL COLORS, SO YOU'LL SEE SOME SEASONAL COLOR DURING THE WINTER TIME AS WELL. WE HAD A CALL FROM A PERSON WHO HAD A MEMORIAL BENCH INSTALLED THAT WAS YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT THE LAKE KEEPS CARVING INTO THE EDGE. AND WE HAD TO TAKE THAT BENCH OUT AND MOVE IT. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK IT OUT, AND THEN WE REDID ALL THE BOARDS MADE IT BRAND NEW FOR THEM AND PUT A NEW PLAQUE ON THERE AS WELL. SO THE GUYS WERE EXCITED TO TAKE THAT PROJECT ON THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT KIND OF EXCITED THEM TO DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE AS WELL. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU ALL TODAY. OKAY. ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JESUS? JESUS, I WANTED TO SAY IT EARLIER, MAN, I AND FOR BOTH OF Y'ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMITMENT FOR FIVE YEARS TO THE CITY. I MEAN, THERE ARE I THINK ALL OF OUR DIRECTORS DO A GREAT JOB WITH IT, MAN. BUT I LOVE WATCHING THE WAY THAT YOU LIGHT UP WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PEOPLE, MAN. LIKE YOUR PASSION FOR YOUR PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY DO. IT REALLY IS INSPIRING. SO THANKS FOR THAT AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, MAN, ON THINGS THAT ARE LIKE YOU SAID, WE MOVED TO BENCH, BUT MAN, LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU LIT UP AND SAID, MAN, THIS IS WHY WE DID THIS AND THIS IS WHY IT MATTERS. IT'S, IT'S IT'S IT'S POWERFUL. SO THANKS FOR THAT, MAN. WELL, I MEAN, IT IT MATTERS TO ME BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I STARTED. I WAS OUT IN THE FIELD FOR 16 YEARS. SO I KNOW WHAT THOSE GUYS GO THROUGH AND WHAT THE EFFORT IS. AND WHEN YOU REALLY GET INVESTED IN WHAT YOU DO AND IT WHEN IT BECOMES A PROFESSION, YOU REALLY GET INVESTED IN WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE THEM ALL THE CREDIT BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM, I MEAN, I'M JUST I DIRECT THEM WHERE TO GO, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DO THE WORK. SO, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO THEM. WELL, YOUR LEADERSHIP IS CLEAR, MAN. IT'S IT'S WELL SAID. WELL SAID. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, LET'S GET OUR SENIORS REPORT. [6. Seniors Report (Discussion)] AND WHILE YOU'RE COMING UP, AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, THE CHICKEN FRIED LUNCH AT THE SENIOR CENTER IS GREAT. I LOVED IT. I'M GLAD YOU LOVED IT. ANNE HALL, SENIOR DIVISION MANAGER. IT'S GOOD. YOU NEED TO COME ON FRIDAY BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING THANKSGIVING. OH, WELL, YOU'RE YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE FOR A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A RUSH. BUT WE WILL GET YOU THROUGH. AND WE ARE GETTING READY FOR THE THE END OF OUR TURKEY TROT. THE SENIORS ARE COMPETING BY EXERCISING EVERY DIFFERENT CLASSES IS DIFFERENT POINTS FOR WHAT YOU GET. SO WE HAVE A NEW CLASS CHAIR YOGA IF YOU COULD. IF YOU DO YOUR EXERCISES ON THE MAT, YOU GET EXTRA POINTS. SO THEY'RE REALLY THIS IS THE WEEK BECAUSE THEY'RE DUE ON THURSDAY. AND THEN ON FRIDAY THEY WILL GET A THANKSGIVING BASKET FOR WHOEVER WINS. AND OUR BIBLE STUDY GROUP SERVED TO SAVE. THEY HAVE DONATED A TURKEY. SO EVERYBODY'S GETTING INVOLVED. AS I SEE THEM TRASH TALKING A LITTLE BIT. HOW MANY POINTS DO YOU HAVE? WELL HOW MANY? AND I WAS LIKE, YOU DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT. LET'S JUST ALL COMPETE. SO EVERYBODY IS VERY EXCITED. AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY'S THANKSGIVING DAY. AND WE ARE ALSO STARTING A NEW SERIES THIS MONTH IN NOVEMBER. AND IT'S WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS. SO WE SHOWCASE OR SPOTLIGHT A CLASS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO PARTICIPATE. LIKE THIS WEEK IT'S ZUMBA. THEY LOVE ZUMBA. THE POOL PEOPLE THINK IT'S TOO LOUD, BUT I SAY THERE'S A BIG GROUP OF LADIES THAT LIKE TO WHOOP AND [00:30:01] YELL. AND SO I SAID, LET THEM HAVE THEIR TIME AND WE'LL SHUT THE DOOR. SO ALSO, THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO PLAY WII SPORTS. SO WE'VE WE'RE ADDING SOME TECHNOLOGY A LITTLE BIT. SO THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO USE THEIR WII REMOTES. AND IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE OLDER BUT THEY'RE ENJOYING IT. I TOLD THEM NEXT TIME WE MIGHT DO MARIO KART. THAT'S GREAT. SO THAT IS WHAT IT'S GOING ON AT THE SENIOR CENTER. ANY QUESTIONS? YOU WANT TO COME PLAY? I SAID, YOU KNOW, MIKE SAID HE'S A DJ NOW, SO HE CAN DJ FOR ZUMBA OR FOR WII SPORTS. I MIGHT HAVE TO TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ANYTHING, FRAN? VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, MA'AM. WE APPRECIATE IT, ANN. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO TO OUR ZOO REPORT. JESSIE. [7. Zoo Report (Discussion)] ABILENE ZOO DIRECTOR JESSE POTTEBAUM. SOME GREAT NEWS. WE HAD A BABY HOWLER MONKEY BORN, AND IT'S OUT ON DISPLAY. DO YOU GUYS WANT TO COME SEE HER? SHE'S CLIMBING ON, MOM, BUT ALSO NOW STARTING TO CLIMB ALL THROUGHOUT THE CAGING. SO COME CHECK HER OUT. WE DO SUSPECT IT IS A FEMALE, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOME DNA TESTING. BECAUSE THE AREA IS CHALLENGING TO SUSPECT WHAT GENDER IT IS. UNFORTUNATELY, HER FATHER PASSED AWAY JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. HERE'S THE CRAZY THING ABOUT ANIMALS IN OUR FACILITIES. THEY STILL DISPLAY NATURAL BEHAVIORS, WHICH JUST MEANS THEY MASK SYMPTOMS. WHICH MEANS HE HAD A SEVERE INFECTION IN HIS TEETH. AND WE DID NOT KNOW THAT. AND WE SUSPECT THAT SEVERE INFECTION HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. SO HE WENT OFF FOOD. WITHIN A DAY OR TWO, DOCTOR NANCE DECIDED TO DO A KNOCKDOWN, AND WE REMOVED THOSE TOOTH TEETH. BUT IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THIS INFECTION WAS MORE SEVERE. WE GAVE HIM A BROAD SPECTRUM ANTIBIOTIC. THEN HE NEEDED TO DO ORALS DAILY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HIS HE STARTED GETTING MORE OF AN APPETITE AND NOT EATING. AND SO IT CAUGHT UP TO HIM WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS AND WE FOUND HIM UNFORTUNATELY PASSED AWAY. WE ASSUME IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE OF SEPTIC SYMPTOMS. BUT WE'RE WAITING ON GROSS NECROPSY. WE SENT OUT FOR PATHOLOGY, SO WE'LL WAIT FOR THOSE. SO HE WAS AT A GOOD AGE. 18. AVERAGE AGE IS AROUND 18 TO 20 YEARS OLD. SO HE WAS AT A GOOD, RIPE AGE. BUT I THINK HE COULD HAVE LIVED LONGER IF THIS INFECTION DID CATCH UP WITH HIM. BUT THAT'S STINGS. BUT WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO ASA AND THEY WILL GET US ANOTHER MALE MONKEY. AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE BABIES IN THE FUTURE. WE HAD A BABY STEENBOK BORN. SHE'S BEING HAND-REARED SO SHE'S NOT ON DISPLAY. SHE WILL BE ON DISPLAY WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. THE REASON WE'RE HAND-REARING HER IS BECAUSE THESE. THIS SPECIES IS A VERY FLIGHTY SPECIES. AND UNFORTUNATELY, IF THEY'RE NOT RAISED BY HUMANS, THEY GET REALLY SKITTISH. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF TRACTION IN THAT AREA WITH ALL THE MULTI-SPECIES FROM THE ALDABRA TO THE GUINEAFOWL AND TO THE GUESTS. SO WE WANT THE HAND-REARED MAKE SURE THAT SHE'S NOT FLIGHTY AND SHE'S TAMED VERY SIMILAR TO HER PARENTS. SO SHE'LL BE OUT WITH MOM AND DAD HOPEFULLY HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH. AND THEN IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE NEWS, WE DID HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH DYESS AIR FORCE BASE AND WE GOT A C-130 FOR OUR EXPANSION. THAT MADE MAJOR HEADLINES GOING DOWN 83 IN ON THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN SEE THERE THEY TOOK OFF THE WINGS AS WELL AS THE TAIL. AND THAT IS NOW ON AT THE ZOO. IF YOU DO WANT TO SEE IT, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO NORTH TO THE PARKING LOT, AND YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT THERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. IT WON'T GO ON SET IN PLACE UNTIL WE BREAK GROUND AND OBVIOUSLY GET THE SITE WORK DONE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER GOOD YEAR BEFORE THAT GETS PLACED IN THE RIGHT SPOT. THAT'S GOING TO BE ON FOR OUR NEW EXPANSION. BUT THE ZOO IS A HUGE SUCCESS. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES THERE. I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON THE ATTENDANCE. AND AGAIN, THANK TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE EXPANSION OF THE PARKING LOT. YOU CAN SEE OUR ATTENDANCE IS GROWING SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 2020 ALL THE WAY TO 2025. 23,000. SO ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING YEAR. SO MOTHER NATURE WAS IN OUR FAVOR THIS YEAR. WE DID HAVE A COUPLE RAIN ISSUES, BUT IT DID NOT HURT US TOO BAD. ANOTHER EVENT WE ADDED WAS THE DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. MEXICAN CULTURE. WE HAVE A FEW MEXICAN CULTURE EMPLOYEES THAT WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, AND WE FELT THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO THIS. AND SO WE HAD LOTS OF MARIACHIS. THE. I CAN'T THINK OF THE WORD BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE. BECAUSE I'M NOT PART OF THAT CULTURE. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE THE ALTARS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE ON DISPLAY. AND THEY DID A FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC JOB. AGAIN, THE ATTENDANCES ARE COMPARISONS OF PREVIOUS YEARS OF THE SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. USUALLY THAT FIRST WEEK AFTER BU, WE DON'T GET THAT MANY FOLKS. SO THAT FIRST SATURDAY WE HOVER AROUND 800 GUESTS. BUT THAT FIRST SATURDAY WITH DIA DE LOS MUERTOS, WE HAD ALMOST 1500 GUESTS. AND YOU CAN SEE THE SUNDAYS ARE REALLY NOT SO GOOD, BUT IT BROUGHT IN 1400 GUESTS. SO A REALLY GREAT INCREASE WITH ATTENDANCE BECAUSE OF THAT CULTURE. AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND KEEP GOING WITH IT MORE. THERE'S A LOT OF THAT CULTURE HERE, AND WE WANT TO EXPRESS WHAT THEY DO. AND IT'S JUST A GREAT AMBIANCE, [00:35:06] THE THE ENERGIES, EVERYTHING IS JUST GREAT ABOUT IT. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT TRADITION. AND THEN LASTLY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE CORNER. IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DECEMBER 12TH TO THE 23RD AT 4 TO 9 P.M.. THAT'S IT. VERY GOOD. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THIS CHRISTMAS IS GOING TO BE MORE LIKE THE WAY IT'S BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WITH THE LIVE STUFF AND THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS COMING TO THE ZOO AS WELL TO HELP. I WOULD ASSUME IT'S ALL THE SAME, BUT YEAH, WE JUST HAVE A NEW ZONE. THE CARIBBEAN COVE IS GOING TO BE MORE DECORATED. IT'S GOT A SPECTACULAR THEMING. BUT YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LIVE REINDEER MRS. CLAUS COOKIE TENT. SO YOU GET A FREE COOKIE FOR THE KIDDOS. THE GRINCH IS GOING TO BE THERE. YEAH. LOTS OF ENTERTAINMENT WITH THE LIGHTING OF THE TREE. THE BELTWAY'S DOING THE WALK THROUGH BETHLEHEM. SO LIVE NATIVITY WITH THAT WHOLE THING. AWESOME. YEAH. GOOD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, JESSE. OKAY. LESLIE, DID WE MISS ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT? OKAY, WELL, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I WILL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED. AND THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING AND PARTICIPATING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.