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Brittney Huff on things you don't learn in grad school (aka TYDLIGS)

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ZacCast

Brittney Huff, director of operations for the City of Hudson Oaks, joins us to talk about some things you don't learn in grad school. Also introducing a new segment: I Literally Can't Even.

- What's missing from the academic discussions of economic development? 
- Wearing multiple hats as an assistant-to-the-city-manager in a small town. 
- Learning how to make decisions. 
- How do you handle managing in a field where you don't have a great deal of technical expertise?

Plus a discussion of things about which we literally can't even.

Transcript

0:10 Chad
Hey everyone, welcome back to another exciting edition of ZacCast. I'm Chad Janicek, here with Patrick Lawler.
0:16 Patrick
What's up?
0:16 Chad
And we have a special guest today. Thank you for the interruption. It's getting off to a great start here. So we have a special guest with us today, uh, Brittany Hu- Brittany P. Huff, uh, some may know her as-
0:29 Patrick
What does the P stand for, Brittany? I'm curious
0:30 Chad
... the Fuff.
0:32 Patrick
The Fuff?
0:33 Brittney Huff
The Fuff, yes.
0:33 Patrick
Okay.
0:33 Brittney Huff
The P stands for Philip.
0:36 Chad
There you go.
0:37 Patrick
Oh.
0:37 Brittney Huff
No, I'm just kidding.
0:39 Patrick
Okay.
0:39 Brittney Huff
No, the P stands for, uh, my middle name. It's Paige. So-
0:42 Patrick
Paige, I didn't know that was your middle name.
0:44 Brittney Huff
Yep, that's it.
0:45 Patrick
Learn something new every day. Okay.
0:47 Brittney Huff
But thanks for having me, you guys.
0:49 Chad
So Brittany, we're super excited. You've been bugging us for, like, two months to join us, so-
0:52 Brittney Huff
I know. I know
0:53 Chad
... we're glad to get that monkey off the back.
0:55 Brittney Huff
Me too-
0:56 Chad
Um
0:56 Brittney Huff
... so thanks.
0:57 Chad
So Brittany, why don't you just take a brief minute and kinda tell everyone who you are?
1:03 Brittney Huff
Okay. Um, who am I? So my name is Brittany Huff, and I am the director-
1:07 Chad
That's like an existential question, I know.
1:09 Brittney Huff
I know. So I am the Director of Operations for the city of Hudson Oaks. Um, I am a local government nerd. I love working for the city, and, um, I am a UNT MPA grad. I have a undergraduate degree from Baylor University, and I started my, um, city career at the city of Woodway as an intern in the city manager's office. Um, I enjoy long walks on the beach and margaritas. So
1:41 Chad
So you don't have to-
1:44 Brittney Huff
Pressuring
1:44 Patrick
Yeah.
1:44 Brittney Huff
What else do I have to say?
1:45 Chad
You don't have to butter up Patrick on the Hudson Oaks stuff because he only has one more day before he joins me in gainful private sector employment, but, um-
1:51 Patrick
That's correct. Literally one more day. It is, it is March 5th, and March 6th is my last contract day with Hudson Oaks, so.
1:58 Brittney Huff
It is a sad day.
1:59 Chad
So Brittany-
1:59 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
2:00 Chad
... you are a fellow UNT MPAer.
2:03 Brittney Huff
I sure am.
2:04 Chad
Uh, Patrick and I are both, what? 2008 grads, so-
2:10 Patrick
You were a little earlier than I was
2:10 Chad
... it seems like so long ago.
2:11 Patrick
Yeah, it's so long ago.
2:12 Chad
Um, yeah, I finished on time. Patrick took an extra semester. Um, he had to get another B, so he just-
2:20 Patrick
Oh, man. Throw it out there. I was actually an-
2:23 Chad
So-
2:23 Patrick
... interim city administrator at the time, and things were a little busy in my life, Chad.
2:28 Chad
Yeah. Well, you know, common excuses.
2:29 Patrick
I had a wedding I remember that I forgot... I had a wedding that I forgot to invite you to.
2:33 Chad
Yeah. We'll, we'll never forget about that one. So, so- ... we, we all have MPAs, and I think-
2:41 Patrick
Yes
2:41 Chad
... that we all probably have the same, uh, appreciation and love for the UNT program, the North Texas program in particular. It's a great program, um, a very practical degree. Um, that's one thing I was struck by when, you know, I was, I was in the program is that it's... There's academics, you know, involved, um, and you talk about theory and the history of public administration as a discipline, but it's also a very practical degree. It's teaching you how to run public organizations. Um, that being said, there's only so much that you can learn in a classroom setting, right? About your actual job, you know, to come. There's so much that you learn on the job that we thought it might be good to sort of try out a new, uh, genre here of episodes where we bring people in and just talk to them about things that they wish they would've learned in grad school. So Brittany-
3:32 Patrick
Mm-hmm
3:33 Chad
... what we wanna talk to you about today is just some of those things. You've been in career, like, professionally for, what? A year and a half now?
3:42 Brittney Huff
Uh, y- yeah, here in Hudson Oaks, in a year and a half. I spent a year and a half in Woodway, so I sure did.
3:46 Chad
Awesome. So you've been at Hudson Oaks for a year and a half now. You're Director of Operations. You're-
3:50 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
3:51 Chad
... like, number two, right?
3:52 Brittney Huff
Yes.
3:53 Chad
Okay. What have you learned? Just some high level stuff, and then we'll kinda pick apart and, and kinda go through maybe in some more detail, but just generally, like, what have you learned on the year and a half, in the year and a half on the job in a management role that you kinda wish maybe you would've been told in, in your actual grad program?
4:13 Brittney Huff
Uh, well, I honestly think the, um, the blaring one here is definitely, um, economic development and just the process of, um, of development in general. Uh, now, of course, I've... In the year and a half I've been here in Hudson Oaks, it's been like a crash course on economic development, and, uh, I am grateful to have this opportunity because it's really been, um... It's really been amazing and informative, and, uh, I wanna thank Patrick for that. But that, it would've been-
4:43 Patrick
She still works for me for one more day.
4:44 Brittney Huff
Yes. Since Patrick's, since Patrick's still here for, till tomorrow. Uh, but with that said then, um, you know, ev- just a course on... I think, I think it would be, um, feasible to devote an entire semester, semester-long course on the process of economic development. Now, I think that there are definitely things that cannot be learned in the classroom as far as soft skills, relationships, which are a big part of, um, ED, but just a course to know, you know, um, the characters that are, that are in the play of economic development and, um, sort of, uh, where it starts and the different ways that it can start. Sometimes it starts with the city, someti- most of the, the times it doesn't, though. And, um, uh, and also the role that the city plays. Like I said, I'm a big city nerd, so it's like, you know, um, I kind of look at it like, uh, the city does it all. But that's so not true with economic development. They... It's just, uh, we're a small, a small piece in getting the deals made for sure and, um, the correct deals. But, uh, just to know, you know, the characters at play and the relationships. Um, Matt McCombs did a great, uh, segment at the UMANT One Day conference last year, but it was 40 minutes, and it was like, I felt, you know-I felt like Matt did a great job, but it was just barely, barely a scratch on the surface of what is actually happening, um, behind the scenes for, for economic development for those, for those deals. Um, I think that that would've been helpful. It also would've been helpful to maybe, uh, in the MPA program then, um, as robust as it is, you're only there for two years. And so, uh, to just know, to just have some resources, uh, which is a big part, I think, of, of getting an MPA is knowing the resources that you have and using those. Um, I think that that would've been helpful for, um, economic development and learning-
6:41 Patrick
So-
6:41 Brittney Huff
... economic development.
6:43 Patrick
So the question I would have, talk about, you, you said this twice, but characters.
6:47 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
6:48 Patrick
Economic development is so much different because of many, the, the different characters that we deal with.
6:52 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
6:53 Patrick
Talk a little bit about that from a standpoint of those soft skills and what's not taught in grad school when it comes to actually relating to the people that you're having to deal with.
7:02 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
7:03 Patrick
The equity players, the developers, those type of things. Talk about that a little bit.
7:06 Brittney Huff
So yeah. And so, um, you hear this all the ti- I heard this all the time, uh, in grad school and the, and, um, in the groups I'm involved with called UMET, that relationships are everything in life. And, uh, the relationships that it takes in order to make those, um, it- in order to make those deals work and in order to drive economic development for your city, it doesn't, it's not just putting, um, it's not just putting a good store on a bad street and, and then everything else is going to improve around it. It, it takes, um, dealing with the realtors that are involved, the developers that are involved, the money and the equity behind the developers that are involved. All of these characters have needs and have an agenda for the deal, and, and the city also, and then of course the community. And so it's a lot of moving parts. I think it's also the most private sector-esque, um, department of a city, and so that's why it seems so, um, so different or so novel.
8:09 Chad
Well, I mean, once you, once you factor in, you know, police and fire, it's definitely the most private sector-esque. But ...
8:15 Brittney Huff
Yeah.
8:15 Patrick
You just had to throw that one out there. Just-
8:17 Chad
I had to throw that out there-
8:17 Patrick
... just gotta get that
8:17 Chad
... because we have a, we have a special listener who I think will appreciate that. Um-
8:21 Patrick
Yeah, true.
8:22 Chad
So, so you said one thing, Brittany, that I think is interesting. Um-
8:25 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
8:25 Chad
... and so i- in your MPA program, a lot of what you talk about is the legal framework that you operate in. So like-
8:31 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
8:31 Chad
... these are the different types of agreements that cities make and, you know, here are the options that you have. You have PIDs and TIRZ and TIFs and-
8:39 Brittney Huff
Right. Here are creative-
8:40 Chad
... you know, sales tax rebates and-
8:41 Brittney Huff
... more creative ways. Yes. Mm-hmm.
8:42 Chad
But what, what you said is that you can't just throw a store on a bad street and expect it to work, and I think that one thing that we don't really talk about enough is that if the market won't bear something, there's very little a city can do to make it viable.
8:58 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
8:58 Chad
But we tend to just think that as long as I can throw money at something to land it, then it's gonna be worth it.
9:06 Brittney Huff
Then everything else is going to, you know, rise up also.
9:10 Patrick
Yeah, I, I... So I actually had that conversation with a- another local community this, this, uh, this last week, specifically on the economic development chat where we talked about that. They've got a couple cities around them that are developing and doing deals and, and they're in a different economic situation, different road frontage, different traffic count, different demographic, and they wanna keep up with those other two cities that are doing deals. And the reality is, is that, you know, a lot of times the economic development is driven by what your neighbors are doing, not necessarily what you should be doing for your community, right? That's a-
9:41 Chad
Mm-hmm
9:41 Patrick
... that's a, that's a big change and... So Brittany, when you're in a small city, talk about how you get tossed into things and you're just kind of expected to run with it and, you know, it's, it's so much different than a big city. You don't have a lot of support. You know, you're really expected to learn on your own. Kinda talk about that and talk about how that i- is, is fun, not fun. You know, what's it like for you?
10:05 Brittney Huff
Uh, so for me personally, th- that's part of the best... That's one of the best things about, um, working for a smaller city. Uh, I very much enjoy it just because I feel like that is the way that I learn best. Um, you know, you can tell me something, and of course I'll retain some of it, but I think, uh, by doing it yourself and, um, independently, then you really, that's really how you're going to learn. And so I appreciate the, I appreciate the trust that, um, the people who I have worked for have had in me and, um, the trust in my, uh, in my capability as, um, as a professional, but also as a student of theirs in a sense, um, just because, you know, you're forced to learn. And you're right, there's not a huge, um, support system.
10:56 Chad
So one thing I like about the smaller city is you came in, Brittany, as an assistant to the city manager-
11:02 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
11:03 Chad
... which is a highly coveted position for someone coming out of an MPA program. Um, and it's not always available at the smaller cities. They just don't always have the staff, you know, resources to have that kind of position.
11:16 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
11:16 Chad
Um, but when you get a position like that in a bigger city, like you may work on a couple, maybe thrown on a couple of projects, but that's gonna occupy most of your time, but you had the opportunity to literally work on everything.
11:29 Brittney Huff
Yes. Yeah. And, um, I... Yes, definitely, um, in my role here in Hudson Oaks as, as the assistant to, I think I was definitely given immediately more responsibility than, um, an assistant to in a city of, you know, a population over 30,000. That is for sure. I think it's just because, um, you know, the resources that are available to each are a lot different, but, uh, I appreciated m- I appreciate more than anything, um, that responsibility. Is it hard? Definitely. Um, and but that's just something that, you know-We talk about things that aren't learned, that, uh, we didn't learn in grad school. One of those things, and I'm, again, I'm not sure it can be taught, is, uh, decision-making. Whatever the decision is, yes or no, or, um, moving forward or going backward, there needs to be a decision made. And, um, that is something that I have tried to, uh, keep in mind, but that's also something that I have definitely learned in the, um, it, by being thrown into the pool. You know? You have to make the decision to swim, otherwise you'll sink. So-
12:38 Chad
Yeah, we talked about that actually recently, or wrote about it, um, in context of the leap year.
12:43 Patrick
Yeah. The leap year post, yeah.
12:45 Chad
Right. So leap year is effectively a, it's like a life hack, right? You know, we- ... decided thousands of years ago how long a day was, and it didn't exactly match with the rotations of the earth. So every now and then we have to add an extra day to the calendar, and that's just what we do. So we made a decision. Wasn't 100% right, if we could even be 100% right on that question. But, uh, there's a way to work around it, and most of the decisions that we make, there are, there are some decisions that you make in city government that are literally life and death. Um, but a lot of the decisions that we make aren't. And, and truthfully, we tend to spend more time on decis- decisions or the questions that are more trivial, which I always find really interesting. It's a process called biteshedding, um, where basically more, just, it, it describes a process where, uh, more of your attention is going to be spent on things that matter less. Like, for example, you, if, if you end up doing budget at all, whether it's, uh, as a budget director or an analyst or even just at the department level, you're gonna be going through the process and at some point, someone is going to ask you about the $300, uh, office supplies line, and why did you spend... You spent $250 but you're asking for $300, and why do you need $300? And you're like, "I have a $4 million budget, and you're asking me about 50, 50 bucks." You know? Like-
14:09 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
14:09 Chad
... but those are the things that are easier to understand, so we tend to spend more time on them. Um, but, uh, and, and, and truthfully, we, we spend so much time thinking about them that we just don't make a decision and move forward.
14:21 Patrick
But I mean, you s- you see that, you see that a lot with city councils. I mean, when a manager's relating with their city council and they're doing presentations on items, you know, you, you see that where, you know, you go and ask for say, 30 or $40,000 for an item, and a council may spend an hour on that item. But you go in and you put like a $2 million capital improvement project on there, and they're only gonna spend like 10 minutes. Right?
14:42 Chad
Yeah. They just as-
14:43 Patrick
Yeah
14:43 Chad
... kind of assume that someone else along the way knew what they were doing.
14:46 Patrick
Yeah, as the number gets bigger-
14:48 Chad
And, and often those-
14:48 Patrick
... there's just like this assumption that it's such a big deal, like somebody must have done something on this already.
14:53 Chad
And those bigger things are more complex, so they don't have... I mean, everyone has, everyone knows how much a pen costs, right? Or staples.
15:00 Patrick
Mm-hmm.
15:00 Chad
Most people don't have the expertise, unless you have an engineer on council, to understand the intricacies of a, you know, a huge sewer project that's gonna cost $15, $20 million.
15:08 Patrick
Which I've always been blessed with in Hudson Oaks to have an engineer on city council. Um, always real good for your QA, QC work. So, but you know, at the end of the day, y- you're, you're right, Chad. It's easier in those smaller areas for somebody to understand it. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, I don't think they're a bad city council member if they do kinda hyper focus on those small issues. I think the brain just kinda works that way with a lot of-
15:31 Chad
Absolutely
15:32 Patrick
... city council members. And so as managers, we have to prepare differently for those items than we do for the larger items, and that's just, that takes time.
15:39 Chad
It works that way regardless of what level you're at. You have to actively fight against, uh, trying to focus on the trivial things. On those small things, you just have to make a decision, and I'm sure that's something that you've kinda learned, having, being forced into a role where you're making decisions, uh, often, Brittany.
15:54 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
15:54 Chad
Which a lot of people, you know, coming out of grad school, um, they may not actually be in a role where they are, they are tasked with making decisions. So, um, you're in a, a management role now, you know, a year out of grad school. What is it like, uh, managing people who, uh, are maybe older than you or have more expertise in their field? Uh, this is something that I struggled with, and I'm happy to talk about it after we kinda get your, your input. But, uh, you know, you're coming in kinda green, but you're, you're managing people who have been doing something for 20 years. So, like, how do you approach that, and, uh, you know, how do you, how do you s- like I guess, yeah, how do you approach that situation?
16:36 Brittney Huff
Well, I mean, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't difficult, right? Um, it's like, "Who is this girl coming in here who ha- you know, maybe worked for a city previously and, um, just out of grad school and whatever." But, uh, for me then, I try and approach it as, again, I don't... I openly say, "I don't know everything." Okay. And, um, so for me then, uh, I try and build a relationship-
17:03 Chad
That's one thing you'll never hear Patrick say.
17:05 Brittney Huff
If, I-
17:05 Patrick
Oh, man.
17:08 Brittney Huff
Or I, have I, I've done the, I don't know if I've heard it come out of your mouth either, Chad. Just gonna point that out. Just-
17:13 Patrick
That's true. Thank you, Brittany.
17:14 Brittney Huff
So-
17:15 Patrick
That's true.
17:15 Brittney Huff
You're welcome, yeah. I'm just gonna throw that out, out there also. But, um, yeah, I mean, I would be lying if I said it, it wasn't difficult, right? The office politics, you spend eight hours worth, at least eight hours a day, um, five days a week with these people. And so for me then, um, I try to, you know, I try to have, um, professional relationships that involve respect and kindness. Like at the base then if we can be respectful, we can be kind. For me, I try, I definitely try and nurture, um, those relationships because I have something to learn from these people, right? Okay. So, um, technically in our organizational chart, I am over water, our water services and utility billing. But, um, Ricky, our water operator, is like the rain man. He is awesome. I, um, don't question him as far as water operations. What I, and he-
18:04 Chad
Do you throw toothpicks on the ground?
18:06 Brittney Huff
NoWhat if I told you I, I've never actually seen the movie Rain Man? I know the premises though, so... So, um, I, I, I approach it as I don't know everything, and there is something here, uh, to be learned. I'm also, um, I also am not, like, uh, hammer down, like, you know, forceful, "This is, it, this has to change immediately." Um, I kind of have a softer approach to that. And, um, the office politics part, and for, for myself and for all young, um, managers who, uh, are up and coming and might shine a little brighter than the stars that are, um, currently there, I think that it's just, uh, it's something that I don't have a perfect way to handle it. I will tell you it's been, uh, it's been difficult, but it is, it is always so rewarding when, um, you can, uh, strike a balance, but also find, find the, the way that it works, um, for you with, with those, um, those employees that you have. Um-
19:19 Patrick
So, I, I, I found myself-
19:19 Brittney Huff
I'm trying to think of, like, advice. I'm trying to think of, like, advice- ... but my advice would be that, my advice is that, um, I don't think, like, a hard-nosed approach works. I think that one, either party just gets pissed off, and then, um, there is, like, sort of a lack of communication. So, um, I don't know. I think that, I think that being open about, um... This is a very millennial thing to say, but being open- ... about feelings and, like, how this... So, um, you're operating in this way. This is how this, you know, how I'm perceiving it. This is my truth, Chad. Um, but this is how- ... this is how I am-
20:00 Patrick
And-
20:00 Brittney Huff
... am perceiving it, and, um-
20:01 Patrick
You had to go there, huh?
20:02 Brittney Huff
And yes. And so, and this is the issue. But also, I say that because I want to know how, how I am making them feel, and then how we can move forward, you know, to benefit, to bo- to benefit each of us and also the organization. Because, um-
20:16 Patrick
That's awesome. That's awesome.
20:17 Brittney Huff
Yeah.
20:18 Patrick
Ladies and gentlemen, your crunchy millennial moment brought to you by- ... Brittany P. Huff.
20:22 Chad
Brittany Huff.
20:22 Brittney Huff
Brittany Huff.
20:23 Chad
Um, so so I found myself about two years out of grad school, um, as the director of a transportation public works department, knowing absolutely zero about street maintenance, drainage, you know, traffic, anything. Um, so one thing that I found that helped me, because I'm kind of, uh, I'm kind of the, like, nerd with the calculator in the back room. Actually, probably like the nerd with the Excel spreadsheet in the back room. And, you know, I'm walking into this street department meeting with a bunch of guys who have been, like, out in the field, you know, laying asphalt. Um, so how are they gonna trust me? Like, how, how... Like, they, they don't know how to read me. So, one thing that helped me was to actually get out in the field with them. Like, go out there and ride on a, a laydown machine.
21:12 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
21:12 Chad
Um, and just kinda get that experience, 'cause that c- that builds trust between you and the people that you're managing, and it lets them know that you actually care, and you're trying to learn what they go through and what they're doing, and that you're gonna, you're gonna be there to give them the resources that they need.
21:28 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm. Yeah, and that's what I was gonna add also, is I think that it takes time to build, um, a relationship of trust. And in your actions that might not be, um, deliberate, there's also... You have to... There's a proving yourself on each, for each party. Um, proving that I, proving that they can trust me and I can trust them.
21:49 Chad
Well, it's kinda like when you're interviewing for a job. So you, you interview for a job. You're, the employers are interviewing you, but you're also interviewing them, right? It's a two-way street.
21:58 Brittney Huff
Right. Right.
21:58 Chad
'Cause if you don't like the organization that you're interviewing for, they may love you, but if you don't, if you're not gonna fit with them, then, you know, it has to work both ways.
22:05 Brittney Huff
Sure.
22:06 Chad
And the same is true when you come into an organization as a young professional, uh, a- and, and trying to build those relationships.
22:13 Brittney Huff
Yeah, and I definitely echo what you said about, um, like, getting out and seeing, uh, their, quote-unquote, "office." Like, uh, s- sometimes I, um, Ricky and I have weekly meetings, and sometimes I go to the shop down there just to, just for a change of scenery, but also just to, you know, go down there, see what's up, have a personal conversation after we're done talking about business. 'Cause Ricky, Ricky, you know, if we have a leak, then he calls me, and it's like, "Hey, this one, this one is different in this way. You wanna come down and see it?" "Sure." I keep tennis shoes in my office so that I can go out and visit them in the field when they're, um, working a project like that, so...
22:50 Chad
Cool. Well, Brittany, we really appreciate your, your sort of insights and, you know, what you have to kind of convey to people that are maybe a couple years behind you and, and moving into the field. But before we let you go-
23:03 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
23:03 Chad
... since we've, since we sort of pioneered one, one new segment, I wanna do another new segment with you.
23:11 Brittney Huff
Okay.
23:12 Chad
Okay. This new segment is called, "I Literally Can't Even."
23:16 Patrick
Because this is what Brittany does to everybody in the office.
23:19 Brittney Huff
Okay.
23:20 Patrick
"I literally can't even with you," is what I hear.
23:24 Chad
Okay, so-
23:24 Brittney Huff
I do it a lot to Patrick, that's for sure. Yeah.
23:26 Patrick
That's correct.
23:27 Chad
So I've written down a handful of things that I literally can't even, and I don't think that Patrick took the time to do it, but maybe you did too, Brittany. So I thought maybe we could-
23:38 Brittney Huff
Oh, I have one, I have one glaring one, but yeah.
23:40 Chad
Okay. So let's, let's do kind of a lightning round. Okay?
23:45 Brittney Huff
Oh, God. Okay.
23:45 Chad
So-
23:45 Brittney Huff
Wait, wait, wait. Hold on
23:46 Chad
... just state the thing that you can't even, and then we'll have, like, a brief venting about it, and then we'll move on to the next one.
23:53 Brittney Huff
Oh, God. Okay.
23:54 Chad
Okay. I'm really excited about this one because, um, my... I don't know if you can say this, but, like, my spirit animal is probably Larry David.
24:04 Patrick
Oh, man.
24:06 Chad
So I have lots of rules about society that I keep in my head, and then when other people don't abide by themIt's just very difficult for me, so I'm excited to get some of these things out there. Okay, so real quick, my first one is people who take video in portrait mode. What are you doing?
24:22 Patrick
You have to say it correctly.
24:24 Chad
I literally can't even-
24:26 Patrick
I literally can't even-
24:27 Chad
I literally can't even with the people shooting video in portrait mode on their phones. Guys, your TV is landscape mode for a reason, because you can get more context of the scene than you can in portrait mode. Please don't shoot... I wish that they would just turn off portrait mode options for video. It's just ridiculous. So I literally can't even with that. Please don't do that.
24:47 Patrick
Interesting.
24:47 Chad
Go for it.
24:48 Patrick
Your turn, Brittany.
24:49 Brittney Huff
Well, I have a comment about that, though.
24:50 Chad
Oh, go for it.
24:51 Brittney Huff
That's the way your phone is shaped.
24:54 Chad
Uh-huh.
24:56 Brittney Huff
Yeah.
24:57 Chad
Your point?
25:01 Brittney Huff
So, so-
25:01 Chad
For, for-
25:01 Brittney Huff
... how are you not supposed to take your Snapchat like that?
25:05 Chad
Well, that's, that's part of the problem is that, like, Snapchat and Instagram are geared towards... Well, Instagram is a square, right? I don't use Instagram, so I don't know.
25:14 Brittney Huff
Okay.
25:14 Chad
Don't they, don't they post things in squares or they, they post it in full portrait mode?
25:18 Brittney Huff
Uh, they actually have a new feature where you can post it in portrait.
25:21 Chad
Okay. So I can live with those because they're built for their specific app, but, like, taking actual video that, like, in your, you know, camera app that you're-
25:33 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
25:34 Chad
Snapchat's ephemeral, right? It's, like, that stuff doesn't stay forever.
25:38 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm.
25:38 Chad
It kinda goes away. Is that right? I, you, you're talking about all these, these social media platforms that have...
25:43 Patrick
Yeah. Snap-
25:44 Brittney Huff
Okay, Boomer
25:44 Patrick
... Snapchat is the one where you send somebody a message and it goes away.
25:48 Chad
Okay.
25:48 Brittney Huff
Yeah.
25:48 Chad
So, like, that's fine. But if you're taking video for posterity, like, of your kids or of some event that you find interesting that you would normally, in the old days, have had a camcorder. Like-
25:58 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
25:58 Chad
... can you imagine someone taking a camcorder and holding it sideways? It makes no sense.
26:04 Patrick
This is the weird way that Chad's brain works.
26:07 Brittney Huff
I know.
26:07 Patrick
Just pointing that out.
26:10 Chad
Okay. So that's what I, that's one thing I literally can't even about.
26:13 Brittney Huff
Okay. Are you ready for my can't, I literally can't even?
26:16 Chad
Yes.
26:16 Brittney Huff
Chad, I feel like you're gonna appreciate this also.
26:19 Chad
Let's hear it.
26:19 Brittney Huff
I literally can't even when people do not zipper merge.
26:25 Chad
Thank you.
26:26 Brittney Huff
That is the way-
26:27 Chad
No
26:27 Brittney Huff
... the road is made. That is the way the road is made. End it.
26:32 Patrick
Okay. Just, so, so we have already agreed that this is-
26:34 Brittney Huff
That is the road's truth
26:35 Patrick
... the most efficient way to drive. We have, we've talked about the zipper merge on this podcast so many times.
26:41 Brittney Huff
Oh, you have... Oh.
26:43 Patrick
We-
26:43 Chad
Just once.
26:43 Patrick
We, we have, yes.
26:45 Brittney Huff
Okay.
26:45 Patrick
Once maybe.
26:45 Chad
Way to show us that you're not listening here.
26:47 Brittney Huff
I know. That's why I was like, "Oh, I won't say that."
26:51 Chad
Oops.
26:51 Patrick
So, but, but seriously, it, it, I will agree 100% that it's the most efficient engineering method for merging traffic. No doubt. That's not the problem with the zipper merge. It's when you try to tell people that they have to zipper merge. That's un-American.
27:08 Chad
Okay. How about this? I literally can't even with the people who get emotionally-
27:13 Brittney Huff
Who
27:13 Chad
... upset when you tell them to zipper merge. Is that better?
27:16 Patrick
Okay. So, so mine is really similar to that.
27:19 Chad
Okay.
27:19 Patrick
So I, I'm... Brittany, I'm gonna, I'm gonna add onto yours a little bit. I literally can't even with people who don't accelerate when getting on the freeway.
27:28 Chad
Yeah.
27:29 Brittney Huff
Yes.
27:30 Chad
Like-
27:30 Brittney Huff
I would, that was actually gonna be my second one
27:31 Patrick
... okay, that's like a Dallas thing. Houston, I think you'll die if you don't accelerate trying to get on the freeway.
27:37 Brittney Huff
It's called an acceleration lane.
27:38 Patrick
But in Dallas, people slow down.
27:39 Chad
Yeah, it's crazy.
27:40 Brittney Huff
Or it's called an acceleration ramp.
27:40 Chad
They're like, "Oh, I think I'll, I'll, I'll slow down and try to get in." Like, you have to go highway speed.
27:45 Patrick
It's just not safe.
27:45 Chad
That's correct. Okay. I literally cannot even with the gas station pumps that don't ask you if you want a receipt until after you've pumped. Because then you have to wait for the, like, the credit card processing, so you're sitting there, and especially if it's cold, like, freezing your butt off, and it's just trying to process the credit card payment, and then it asks you if you want a receipt, which I don't know about y'all, but I always say no. So, like, it, when they ask beforehand-
28:12 Brittney Huff
Yeah, I'm confused about... Uh-huh
28:14 Chad
... so it, when, when you're going through the whole pro- 'cause you have to, like, enter your ZIP code and tell if it's credit card. It's like you already have these things that you're, you're being asked, so just real quick, ask, "Do you want a receipt, yes or no?" You say no, you say yes. The processing time to do that is almo- it's trivial, right? It's, takes no time. So you just push an extra button then. Then you put the pump in, you pump your gas. Then when you're done pumping, you can just put the gas pump up and leave. You don't have to sit there and wait for the pro- the credit card processing and then push yet another button. I just can't even with that.
28:51 Patrick
So I'm just, I'm just gonna say, for the, for the 85% of normal people in this world, Chad-
28:55 Brittney Huff
I'm so... Yeah
28:56 Patrick
... such a light concern to the world.
28:58 Brittney Huff
I, I was gonna say, I was-
29:01 Patrick
The way your brain works.
29:01 Brittney Huff
Yeah. I was gonna say, I really live my life unbothered because this conversation is-
29:08 Patrick
Nice.
29:08 Chad
What, are you saying that this is a first world problem?
29:10 Brittney Huff
Oh, sorry.
29:10 Chad
Come on. This is a, this is a legitimate gripe.
29:13 Brittney Huff
Yes.
29:15 Chad
Y'all have any more? 'Cause I got one more.
29:17 Patrick
Brittany, you got one?
29:18 Brittney Huff
I don't, I really can't think of-
29:18 Patrick
I got one. I've got one as well.
29:19 Chad
Okay, good.
29:19 Brittney Huff
Okay, go ahead, Patrick.
29:21 Patrick
Okay. I literally can't even with people who have an allergy to something and when you are doing something with a kid's sport, have an expectation that you are going to take care of their child's allergy issue.
29:36 Chad
Like, you're coaching-
29:37 Patrick
Prime example
29:37 Chad
... you're coaching baseball, and you're expected-
29:39 Patrick
You're coaching and you've got a snack schedule, and this is like, you put Cheez-Its in everybody's bag on your snack date, and you have the one kid with a gluten allergy that instead of the parent just being like, "Hey, don't eat the Cheez-Its, eat the gummy bears," right?
29:57 Chad
You're, like, expected to know.
29:57 Patrick
And the parent's like, "I have an expectation that you're going to put carrots in my kid's bag."
30:03 Chad
Y- you're, you're really pushing it here, I, I think.
30:06 Patrick
I'm pu- I'm pushing it and, and look, I-
30:07 Chad
You're pushing the boundaries of-
30:08 Patrick
... I have a family member with a gluten allergy
30:09 Chad
... acceptable conversation topics.
30:11 Patrick
But yes. But I'm just, I'm just saying, I literally can't even.
30:15 Chad
So my kids can't even take any outside food into their schoolUh, for this reason, I, I don't-
30:23 Patrick
Well, peanut-
30:23 Chad
I don't think that anyone-
30:24 Patrick
Peanut butter is-
30:25 Chad
It's not even peanut allergies
30:26 Patrick
... I mean, peanut butter makes sense.
30:27 Chad
You can't take anything. Well, for, I mean, how many times did you take a peanut butter sandwich to school growing up?
30:33 Patrick
Oh, I mean, all the time.
30:35 Chad
Like, it was never... I, I don't know what's happened that-
30:38 Patrick
Yeah
30:38 Chad
... peanut allergies have become such a, a prominent issue, but-
30:40 Patrick
But I, I, I did have that friend, 'cause, you know, I, I grew up in kind of a, a... Well, my family was made up of offensive linemen. We were larger people. And I, I did grow up in a, an environment where I had friends whose parents were, like, you know, crazy food people, and they didn't have any snacks in their house. And, and those friends would, like, give me a couple bucks to bring them a pack of Oreos to school. You know what I mean? Like, I was the dealer of the junk food. Yeah.
31:10 Chad
Yeah.
31:10 Patrick
So-
31:10 Brittney Huff
Oh, I have another one
31:11 Patrick
... it is what it is.
31:12 Brittney Huff
I have another I can't even.
31:12 Patrick
What can you literally not even do, Brittany? What are you done for? It's anything.
31:14 Brittney Huff
I literally can't even with people who own big dogs in small apartments. I can't.
31:27 Patrick
So-
31:27 Brittney Huff
I literally can't.
31:28 Patrick
So we just got a very big dog.
31:30 Brittney Huff
Also, and to have that, and to have that small apartment on the third floor of an a- apartment complex. I can't even.
31:34 Patrick
Oh, and then your poor big dog has to walk up three flights of stairs.
31:37 Brittney Huff
Yeah. I just feel like, I don't wanna say anything divisive, but- ... I feel like they're gross. So...
31:43 Chad
So we just adopted a dog, a very large dog, from someone who lived in an apartment.
31:47 Patrick
Another one?
31:48 Chad
No, this is our fifth dog, the same one. And, um, this dog has knee problems, and I don't think it's because of the apartment. It's probably genetic. But I can't imagine, I mean, this dog is, like, 120 pounds. He's huge. Um-
32:04 Brittney Huff
Mm-hmm
32:05 Chad
... and yeah, being in a small apartment with a dog that big would be difficult.
32:10 Brittney Huff
That's like a person. 120 pounds is like another person.
32:13 Chad
Yeah. He's, he's massive.
32:14 Brittney Huff
So I, I don't know. I just-
32:17 Patrick
Can we, can we talk about the fact that Chad has five dogs?
32:20 Chad
Sure. One of them is from, uh-
32:23 Patrick
I just, I just think it's-
32:23 Chad
One of th- them is from a Caribbean island.
32:25 Patrick
So i- I just wanna, I just wanna point out that you, you legally could not live inside the city limits of Hudson Oaks 'cause we have a four dog restriction.
32:33 Chad
That's an interesting topic. I think we should-
32:35 Patrick
Yes
32:35 Chad
... talk about that in the future.
32:38 Patrick
In the future, animal control ordinances, 'cause that is every city manager's favorite topic.
32:44 Chad
How dare you restrict my ability to- I thought this was America.
32:50 Brittney Huff
Oh, my.
32:52 Patrick
Absolutely. Well, Brittany, I wanna thank you for coming on and hanging out with us, even as your boss for one more day. You didn't have to do it. And so thank you for coming, hanging, talking, giving us that perspective. Uh, and wanna thank our listeners for hanging out with us. We got a n- couple new topics that came in today, and hopefully we'll be able to continue that with some other guests in the future. So thanks, guys. Have a great day and, and thanks for tuning into ZacCast.
33:15 Chad
Thanks, Brittany.
33:15 Brittney Huff
Thanks for having me. Thank you.
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March 11th, 2020
Updated Oct 27, 2025
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