<html><head></head><body><div class="ydpf65d8ea7yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Gay Willis, our City Councilperson, conducted most of the meeting. Issues she covered:</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">1. Neighbors have complained about cars speeding through RNA, HNA and LJE. DPD reports that most of the vehicles stopped for speeding in response to these complaints have been residents. SLOW DOWN and pay particular attention in school zones. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> If you have a complaint, contact the Transportation Dept. of the City of Dallas with a specific location and time. The Dept. has an assessment program which is already monitoring problem areas. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> City is considering putting in "speed cushions" rather than speed bumps, which are very hard on vehicles.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">2. DPD recruitment/retention</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> Big recruitment effort underway, with a floor of 250 new officers. Have raised base pay 7%, giving bonuses to current officers who bring in new officers.Also offering bonuses if recruits finish the academy. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">3. Report that DPD has "refused to cooperate with ICE". According to GAy, that is inaccurate and, in fact, DPD has not been asked to help ICE. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">4. There is a national search underway for a new Police Chief and Fire Chief</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">5. Gay gives huge kudos to the new City Manager. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">6. Response to complaint that DPD response time is too slow: 911 calls are categorized (Priority 1 et al). Based on priority of your call and others being worked, you may have slower response. Avg. response time of 11 minutes for a Priority 1 call. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> All the more reason to JOIN ENP. If the officer is on duty, maximum response time is 2 minutes. For a uniformed DPD officer in a marked DPD squad car. And the more members we have, the more hours the ENP officers are on patrol. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">7. CALL 911 <u>BEFORE</u> you call ENP, to make a record of the incident and to have back-up sent to assist ENP if needed. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">8. You may report a 311 issue either by phone or online.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">9. Short-Term rentals- There is currently a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) precluding the shutting down of VRBOs/etc. Gay and the City will support fighting that TRO to the Tx. Supreme Court if necessary. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> In the meantime, if you are adversely affected by activity at a short-term rental, you may contact Community Enforcement or Code Enforcement.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">10. Potholes- $33M has been allocated to repairing Dist. 13 streets from the latest bond election. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">11. Vehicles parking along streets at construction sites- Streets are public property; can't preclude parking. HOWEVER, if the parking would impede the passage of emergency vehicles, contact 311 and report to Parking Enforcement. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">12. Cliff Gillespie, Director of Sanitation, also spoke regarding the problems of picking up garbage in our alleys. The alleys were not built for the current width of garbage trucks. There are no "skinnier" garbage trucks available. Europe has them, but they are not approved for use in the U.S. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> Picking up garbage in the narrow alleys is causing much damage to property (which the City then has to pay for) and causes injury to the people handling the garbage. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> 62% of garbage in Dallas is currently being picked up at the curb, not in alleys. There are 8,000 spots in Dallas with "alley blocks", areas where the trucks are physically not able to pass. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> The Sanitation Dept. is currently on a "listening tour" to gather residents' input. In June, the issue will go back to the full City Council. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> Cliff imagines the City will begin with requiring all homeowners who have a driveway which connects their alley to the street to move their cans to the street for pick up. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> If you are unable to move your cans to the street, his dept. has a Helping Hands program where you may request someone to move your cans out and back.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> If you have issues or complaints, he asks that you file a report online at dallas.gov/sanitation. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> There are several neighbors in our 3 neighborhoods who are up in arms about the garbage pick-up issue and pursuing solutions. If you would like to contact one of them to show your support, let me know. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">It was a very informative meeting, with members of DPD, Fire, Northaven Trail, YMCA, Sanitation, Code Enforcement and others in attendance and available for individual consultation. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">There were at least 50 neighbors in attendance. 4 from LJE. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><span style="font-family: new times, serif;">Liza P. Urso</span></div><div class="ydpf65d8ea7signature"><div style="font-family:new times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div>214-882-9858<br></div></div></div></div></body></html>