The Dallas City Council met for more than five hours Monday night to discuss the city's plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. Council members Adam Bazaldua, Paula Blackmon and Chad West called the emergency meeting.
Mayor Eric Johnson tried to block the meeting, saying the three had not given proper notice and the issues they wanted to discuss had already been decided. City Attorney Chris Caso allowed the meeting to continue.
Bazaldua, Blackmon and West called the meeting because Johnson rejected their request for vaccine registration support. They say they are learning about the city's vaccine allocations through press releases and the media.
"We immediately inform the media and you, simultaneously, which is standard procedure around here," Johnson said during the meeting.
Council members also said they wanted City Manager TC Broadnax to take a greater role in vaccination distribution instead of Emergency Management Director Rocky Vaz, who works for Broadnax.
"What Rocky's doing now is going up to TC for those resources. It puts one more step in the process of trying to get help to those who need it most," West said.
Vaz says Dallas cannot choose which areas to prioritize for appointments. He says the convention center is being set up as a state hub, so the city must take reservations from anyone in Texas, prioritizing people only based on guidelines set by the state.
"We cannot restrict anybody from the State of Texas registering on our database," Vaz says. "It's open to all Texans."
The City of Dallas plans to get 2,000 first responders their second dose of the vaccine at the convention center Tuesday. The convention center will open to members of the public with an appointment Thursday.
Vaz says he hopes to vaccine 5,000 people by the end of the day Saturday; Johnson says the city could handle up to 10,000 doses a week.
People can register online or by calling (469) 749-9900.
