[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6499072,"mediaKeyId","5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849","parentId",5545626,"title","Senior commission approves sharing 'Seniors in the Know' items with Garland Gazette; website and email-blast details discussed","audioSeconds",545,"startMs",3644000,"endMs",4189000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849&start=3644&end=4189","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849/thumbnail_3644000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6499072/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/Senior-commission-approves-sharing-Seniors-in-the-Know-items-with-Garland-Gazette-website-and-email-blast-details-discussed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499072-5047da17e949ddc1b2018a168e4764e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896508&Signature=VVy1Pc65JNxWRApfUmE8xDTEJL1xlfy8f0T-No6Ot6aEGlAdI0Dde8clEfQc~D1~z00XXCcFZLzEIwEIdJ3bohDPoEP-HKQ~rtJllNHVLhLfLKumkl3QYaT-eWj5HER40Dcir0hpu0EgZ5ygjy90fdwEHADKTrDHwEXBzAXmFplPb8BUv0zz1R25xaFuG9Z29kxxHQyo8ZdKa29YaVVrJhLqUVlpHEIkdyuzZA2Z8LQgtRyq86D9yTe~68HnHzj~KlICXvA2RwLxi1z69g06f89zI~~eaKTerveIremJbYoLVu16CTZSid8-wtNQdTGichBgF0KSqp5J4GkKj1qdag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Garland","date","2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","article","Commissioners voted to let the Garland Gazette publish pieces from the commission's \"Seniors in the Know\" material after those items appear in the city press, and discussed an email-blast signup and the senior centers' website presence.

AJ Cole, founder of the Garland Gazette, described the local online news site and said it reaches roughly 10,000 visitors per month. \"I cover Garland, Rowlett, and SACCE,\" Cole said, and said the site mixes local reporting with community notices and daily updates aimed in part at older readers. She described a technical problem that prevents Garland Gazette emails from reaching some Yahoo users and said she is working with hosting and email providers to resolve it.

Commissioner Kathleen (first name only in meeting record) moved and Commissioner Gail seconded a motion to share the commission's \"Seniors in the Know\" write-ups on the Garland Gazette after the items have run in the City Press. The motion carried on a voice vote with all in favor.

Commission staff and the commission discussed how residents sign up for the email blast: staff said people can sign up at the senior centers' front desks (Gale Fields or Carver) where an iPad and a JotForm entry capture name, email and ZIP code; or residents can sign up via the Garland Parks website by following the senior-centers link to the sign-up form. Staff cautioned that some email filters (notably Yahoo in Cole's case) may send messages to spam and recommended people check spam folders if they do not receive emails.

The commission asked about the frequency of email blasts; staff recommended sending notices \"when there is something to send\" rather than a fixed daily or weekly schedule, and commissioners named Angela as a volunteer to coordinate topics with staff and Jesse, the staff member who manages the distribution list. Commissioners also discussed paused edits to the Boards and Commissions webpage and identified the city public-information coordinator (Courtney Vanover, City Secretary's office) as a contact about web updates.

Ending: Commissioners approved sharing senior newsletter material with the Garland Gazette and agreed to continue developing web and email distribution offline and bring any unresolved policy questions back to the commission.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Garland - Senior Citizens Advisory Commission","oneSentenceSummary","The commission voted to allow select material from the city 'Seniors in the Know' newsletter to be posted to the Garland Gazette after City Press publication, and discussed the senior email-blast sign-up process and website reach for seniors.","taxTitle","Garland, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2783,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6499075,"Garland procurement director outlines purchasing rules, HUB outreach and auction revenue",574,1726000,2300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849&start=1726&end=2300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849/thumbnail_1726000.jpg","/articles/6499075/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/Garland-procurement-director-outlines-purchasing-rules-HUB-outreach-and-auction-revenue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499075-58687cc7bdf9d7c67c4ec5341a34bf83/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896508&Signature=JmmrrQfobhFxTgjFfyRJlrCYe5Ye7R224E-~cZknIgaXDNqU3v849PzpI~bBS77tq2RvPl7HZAAJ-evO~b4i8A3ahKOXlDq4-2jlImDqxZVFGR1lZBv2tPQjQYcDy65jKoXhcVMbrhXPEKMjaXL7ZGlty634gtqF~FqGqAR6v3~EpAWRGAi5qzVtYQEhC40xNiVz4Hogkvdo1UM6~fXicpe~3vbVOBwok3AshDlvzm~Cfej5Yca5yi~rV6UN2yI53eQl0l7Bdj4g8UnHoBDZ7hwV5IkMjsKOSqFsVhNjrM5uZW-Mt9QSCUgbQPo9FD6tu2WMaY-f8EAKPKFz4iPklQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gary Holcomb, director of procurement and contracts for the city of Garland, told the Senior Citizens Commission the procurement office manages purchasing and contracting for the whole city and must follow state law on bid thresholds and HUB outreach.

\"We are centralized procurement here in the city of Garland,\" Holcomb said, explaining that the department handles purchases over $3,000 and manages contracting and contract administration for departments including Garland Power and Light. Holcomb said formal advertising is required for larger procurements and that, beginning Sept. 1 under recent legislation, the formal-advertisement threshold will rise from $50,000 to $100,000.

Holcomb described the department's approach to awards, which includes low-bid responsive/responsible standards as well as \"best value\" evaluations that weight price and non-price factors such as experience, delivery and warranties. He described sole-source purchases and emergency procurements as limited exceptions and said the city maintains standing contracts and multiple pre-vetted vendors for common emergency needs such as storm restoration and HAZMAT cleanup.

He provided summary figures the department reported in the meeting: the procurement office spent $344,000,000 last year; it manages nearly $6,000,000 in contracts (as described in the presentation); auction activity generated almost $2,000,000; P-card purchases totaled about $9,000,000 with a rebate that returns to the general fund; and the city spent $34,000,000 with HUB vendors last year. Holcomb described HUB vendors as those certified by the Texas Comptroller as historically underutilized businesses (minority-, women- or veteran-owned businesses) and said the city's practice is to email every HUB in Dallas County for solicitations at $3,000 and above rather than merely meeting the minimum two-HUB contact requirement in state law.

He described cooperative purchasing (joining competitively bid contracts run by other public agencies) as a way to shorten procurement cycle time, and said the department maintains an online sealed-bid system (Ion Wave) and uses the publicsurplus.com platform for online auctions. He noted the department won an \"Achievement of Excellence in Procurement\" award for 2025 and that the procurement team includes 10 staff plus the director.

Holcomb took questions about change orders and performance/payment bonds for large public-works projects, and said unforeseen field conditions produce change orders a \"couple of times a month\" on large projects. He described bonds and payment bonds as standard protections on public-works contracts and explained that larger change orders requiring council approval can add 2–4 weeks because council meets on the first and third Tuesdays.

Ending: The presentation was informational; no action was requested. Commissioners asked follow-up questions and Holcomb offered to return if the commission wanted deeper briefings on topics such as HUB certification or cooperative contracts.","Gary Holcomb, director of procurement and contracts, briefed the commission on procurement rules, HUB outreach to historically underused businesses, cooperative purchasing and revenue from auctions and P-card rebate programs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6499082,"Garland Fire Department demonstrates extinguishers, smoke-detector program at senior commission meeting",1594,180000,1774000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849&start=180&end=1774","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5545626-d7a1f8c52a6ae7bc812657a035d77849/thumbnail_180000.jpg","/articles/6499082/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/Garland-Fire-Department-demonstrates-extinguishers-smoke-detector-program-at-senior-commission-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499082-e4b8243ca9a7dff80024042481fb6916/orig.mp4?Expires=1770896508&Signature=kbC3cXD2SjX7Vt9dwQ-GT86cFDnQz2N1eU85xWD0Y-W1OvD~W6QJxuNj4lYHVZzCz8rlC1AgtXJdQPl1RbTnbWxnlPQ4S7GIqpPsjig9nkEX-r8QxWqQ0NR~aP-dEdC5qZtyDvjpc~-iRxAWtpdfLUVgQTiUX8eSCLukr2mCv0kXxTVSTc11Q~LIR9vTP8fkNlci~y2lFSa2Puojgn22v3bgOv-2TNAVuuIoeCEeK8WXpsjcgP-nzkSxn5cwlHWk4yP72srKV-l8iAg8fUqCYsDpi-mskNagpIYDgPLAen-ESDiG-yaCqr0L2HzntBXKs0RBRrDuY7861MlX~pQkNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jerry Cliff, with the Garland Fire Department, told the Garland Senior Citizens Commission that many people do not feel comfortable using a portable fire extinguisher and reviewed basic fire-safety steps and local programs.

\"If you don't feel comfortable using it, it's useless,\" Cliff said, urging residents that extinguishers are a small, early-stage tool and not a substitute for evacuation. He and Philip Crawford demonstrated the PASS technique — \"pull, aim, squeeze, sweep\" — and advised users to stand about 6 feet from a small, beginning fire with their back to the exit so nothing blocks the escape route.

Cliff described common fire classes (A for combustibles, B for flammable liquids, C for energized electrical equipment) and recommended a multipurpose home extinguisher commonly sold as a \"2A:8:10 BC\" unit, which he said weighs about 8 pounds, sprays roughly 6 feet and discharges for about 60 seconds. He cautioned that extinguishers are a \"Band-Aid\" for very small fires and that once an extinguisher no longer controls a blaze, people should drop it and evacuate.

The presenters also reviewed maintenance and disposal: check the gauge to ensure the indicator is in the green; many units are recommended for replacement every 10 years; small home units often cost roughly $30–$50 new and may be less costly to replace than to refill. Cliff said local companies refill larger units but that for an individual household a new extinguisher is often the economical choice.

On smoke detectors, Cliff said Garland Fire will install smoke detectors at no cost for residents who are elderly, disabled or on fixed incomes and that the department offers both hardwired and battery-backed installation. He gave a department contact for scheduling: (972) 781-7100 and said the fire marshal's line (781-7148) will connect callers to the staff member who schedules installs. He advised residents to test detectors monthly and replace units that are more than 10 years old.

Cliff and Crawford also discussed newer linked smoke-detector systems that sound all alarms in a house when one sensor triggers, the nuisance of false activations in older hardwired systems, and the department's recommendation that homes have multiple detectors — in living areas, outside sleeping areas and in common rooms. They noted the department will respond to alarm calls to verify conditions and that, in the event of a building alarm, occupants should evacuate to a safe distance because emergency responders will arrive.

The presenters gave monthly call statistics from the fire department during the meeting, which the department recited aloud: 2,453 EMS runs; 1,761 treated; 1,774 patients; 1,075 transports; 32 fire calls; 49 hazmat calls; 324 public-service calls; and 116 false alarms. The presenters said there were no recent reported fatalities in the monthly summary they provided.

Cliff closed by stressing public education as the key to lowering residential-fire rankings, noting Garland's position on a national residential-fire list had improved over several years and encouraging seniors to use department services and to keep evacuation paths clear.

Ending: The commission did not take action during the presentation but welcomed follow-up: residents were told to call (972) 781-7100 to request free smoke-detector installation or to ask questions about extinguisher refilling and recycling at local transfer stations.","Fire department presenters reviewed classes of fire, how to use a portable extinguisher (PASS), recommended home placement and inspection, and a free smoke-detector installation program for seniors and people with disabilities.","actionData","errors"]

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Senior commission approves sharing 'Seniors in the Know' items with Garland Gazette; website and email-blast details discussed

Garland procurement director outlines purchasing rules, HUB outreach and auction revenue

Garland Fire Department demonstrates extinguishers, smoke-detector program at senior commission meeting