Jan 20, 2022 Mobility Committee

I HAVE ANGELO AUTUMN ON MY LIST.

FIRST, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND, AND MAKE YOUR REMARKS, SIR? UH, I WONDER DO WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR FENCE OR MIXER A CARPENTER, A GEAR COACH HAS TO PRESENT? WHAT IS UP WITH YOUR PROPOSED? WE TYPICALLY TAKE THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION UPFRONT, SO WE KNOW YOU'RE ALL REGISTERED TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE, BUT THE WAY THAT WE TAKE OUR COMMUNICATION DURING THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS IS TO GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM SPEAKERS FIRST.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON THE PHONE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE MEETING.

UH, TAXI AND VEHICLE AND US.

ALL RIGHT.

IF THAT IS THE CASE, UH, I, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WELL, UH, AS I MENTIONED MY NAME, I ENJOY TIM I'M THE CURRENT, UH, ATS CO-OP, UH, TAXI RESIDENT.

UH, THE CO-OP, UH, TAXI ATS CO-OP TAXI, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS THE CO-OPERATIVE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, UH, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, OVER FIVE YEARS AGO AND IS MANAGED AND OPERATE BY THE DRIVERS.

SO, UH, REASONABLY, UH, WE CHANGED THE MANAGEMENT IN OUR, UH, COMPANY AND WE CAME IN, BUT WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT WE FOUND THROUGH OUR MEMBERS THAT THERE WAS A FLYER PROPOSING THAT THE FRANCHISE, IT HAS TO BE MOVED FROM THE TT, UH, CONSOLE INTO MOBILITY, POVERTY, OR MOBILITY OPERATION, UH, PARTY.

SO WE DIDN'T GET DIRECT COMMUNICATION FROM THE, UH, FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, BUT WE GET THAT ONE FROM OUR DRIVERS.

SO I WOULD DRIVE US, WERE ASKING US, WHAT IS THIS? AND WHAT IT MEAN? SO WE SAID, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW, LET US, UH, FIND IT FROM THE VEHICLE.

SO WE CALL A MEETING WITH A VEHICLE AND HE RESPONDED AND HE EXPLAINED IT TO US, WHAT HE'S PROPOSING.

SO WITH THAT MEETING, WE TOLD THEM, OKAY, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPINION NOW, BUT LET US GO BACK TO OUR MEMBERS TO TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD US.

SO WHEN WE MET WITH OUR MEMBERS, UH, WE TOLD THEM WHAT JACOB TOLD US THAT HE WANTS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OR A PRIORITY APPRENTICE SHIES UNDER THE CITY, CANCEL INTO, UH, OPERATION A PARTY UNDER A TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

OUR DRIVERS REJECT THE IDEA.

SO THEN, UH, A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, WE HAVE ANOTHER JOINT MEETINGS WITH THE CENTRAL,

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AND WITH THAT MEETING, WE ALSO, UH, TOLD HIM OUR OPINION AND THE DECISION OF THE MEMBERS THAT THE PROPOSAL HE PROPOSING IS OBJECTED BY THE DRIVERS AND THE MEMBERS ALREADY SIGNED A PETITION.

SO IS NOW ON THE WAY TO BE DELIVERED TO HIM AND THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY'D ALL LIKE AN IDEA.

THEY WANT TO KEEP THE FRANCHISE UNDER THE CITY COUNCIL.

SO IN THAT MEETING, UH, WE TOLD JACOB, IF THERE IS ANYTHING REGARDING THE, THE, THE, THE TESTING BUSINESS, WE SHOULD BE CONTENT AND APPLY OUR OPINION.

THAT IS ALL ABOUT.

SO YESTERDAY WE GOT AN EMAIL FROM HIM TELLING US THAT WE HAD A MEETING TODAY, SO THAT WHY I, MYSELF, I SENT A MESSAGE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, ALL OF YOU TO SEE OUR CONSENT.

AND WE WORKED WITH PEOPLE ON THESE ONES.

SO WHAT WOULD THAT SAY IT WITH THAT SAID IS THAT IF ANYONE WANT TO HELP ATTEMPTED DRIVERS BASED ON WHAT, UH, MR. UH, JACOBI IS SAYING SUPPORTS TO ASK OUR OPINION HOW THIS CHANGES IS GOING TO HELP US, OR IS NOT GOING TO HELP.

CAN YOU, CAN YOU FINISH YOUR THOUGHT HERE THE THREE MINUTE BUZZER TIME, BUT I DO WANT TO HEAR THE REST OF YOUR THOUGHT.

SO WITH WHAT YOUR COACH SAID, ACTUALLY WE REJECTED IT AND WE'LL PAUSE IT.

AND WE WANT TO REMAIN UNDER THE CITY COUNCILS AS LAWMAKERS AND THE TRANSPORTATION AS THE ENFORCER FOR THOSE LAWS, WE WOULD NOT, UH, LIKE TO HAVE ONE ENTITY TO BE THE GUIDE, TO BE THE LAW MAKER AND TO BE THE PERSECUTOR.

SO THAT IS NOT GOING TO HELP US IN ANY WAY.

YES, WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THE STAFF, IF THE CITY WORKS TO HELP US, WE HAVE A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT YOU HAS ABOUT ONE OF THEM.

UH, APPRECIATE YOU, UM, BEING ABLE TO COLLECT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR US SO WE CAN, SO WE CAN HEAR FROM YOU, UM, CHAIR.

UM, THIS IS AN I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE IT'S WHEN THE ITEM COMES UP, BUT I WILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR THESE FOLKS.

UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND, I WANT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT THEIR OBJECTIONS ARE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I, UH, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE REST OF THEIR THOUGHTS AND, BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT LATER IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'D PREFER TO DO.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN KEEP THEM ON THE LINE, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO DO.

UM, WE DO HAVE TWO OTHER SPEAKERS THAT WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM.

AND SO I KNOW THAT TODAY IS, IS A BRIEFING THAT IS KIND OF STARTING THIS PROCESS SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CONVERSATION IS TRANSPIRING.

BUT WE HAVE HEARD FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS.

SO IF THEY CAN STAY ON THE LINE, WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO HEAR THEIR INPUT.

LATER, LATER IN THE DAY, WE DON'T TYPICALLY, UH, CONTINUE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

UM, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY DO WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM, WHETHER IT'S LATER TODAY OR IN WRITING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HEARING THE CONCERNS OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS PARTICULAR, UH, OPTION THAT WE WILL HAVE AHEAD OF US.

UM, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BILL.

I THANK YOU.

UH, MY NAME IS BILL GEORGE.

I'M THE CEO OF WHC ATX.

UH, WE ARE THE COMPANY THAT ACQUIRED THE ASSETS FROM YELLOW CAB, UM, OUT OF BANKRUPTCY COURT.

AND AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, WE OPERATE A COMPANY CALLED , WHICH WERE IN 26 CITIES IN 14 STATES.

WE ALSO THROUGH THIS BANKRUPTCY PROCESS, ACQUIRE THE YELLOW CAB OPERATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO AND HOUSTON.

WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS CHANGE, UM, IN ALL THE CITIES WE DO BUSINESS.

AND, UM, IT'S RARE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF FRANCHISE AGREEMENT.

AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, TRIED TO CHANGE THIS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

I MET WITH OPPOSITION FROM THE FORMER OWNERS OF YELLOW CAB.

WE THINK IT IS, UM, A BETTER MODEL, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED BECAUSE IT IS MORE FLEXIBLE AS THE MARKET CHANGE, AS ALL THE TECHNOLOGY COMES INTO THE MARKET.

AS THE COMPETITION CHANGES, IT REQUIRES COMPANIES LIKE CARS TO BE A LITTLE MORE NIMBLE.

AND THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT ITSELF BY SORT OF THE GREAT PURPOSE FOR A LONG TIME IS A LITTLE BIT ANTIQUATED RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WE ARE

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WE THINK IT'S FAIR TO ALL THE PLAYERS THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS.

IT ACTUALLY MAKES IT EASIER FOR NEW PLAYERS TO GET INTO THE BUSINESS, UM, THAT PROTECTS THOSE THAT ARE IN IT BECAUSE IT KEEPS HIGH STANDARDS THERE.

AND IT'S GOOD FOR THE RESIDENTS.

IT'S GOOD FOR BUSINESS AND IT'S GOOD FOR VISITORS.

SO WE WOULD BE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS CHANGE AND I'M HAPPY TO STAY ON TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS MAY WANT TO BE ABLE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, MR. , UM, IF HE'S AVAILABLE TO STAY ON THE LINE TOO.

AND OUR LAST REGISTERED SPEAKER IS HASSAN A RORY.

HELLO? HI.

YEAH, THIS IS THE, THE RORY, UM, I AM THE OWNER OF CENTRAL CITY TAXI.

UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.

LET ME JUST, UM, SINCE I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES AND THAT'S NOT REALLY GOOD, I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN IT ALL WHEN WE TALKED TO, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO US BY JACOB AS COMPANIES AND AS TAXI DRIVERS, IT WAS THE SHOCK AND SURPRISE.

WE BELIEVE THIS THING IS BEING WORKED IN, IN THE DARK IN SECRET THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT TODAY'S MEETING.

WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT EVEN THE COVER.

WE'VE HEARD THAT IT MIGHT GO ON THE AGENDA OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

THERE IS A BIG SECRET BEHIND IT.

AND HONESTLY, WHEN WE TALKED TO JACOB COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, HE SAID, WELL, THIS, UH, THIS MODEL IS BEING USED IN DALLAS, HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO.

WELL, THAT'S FANTASTIC.

DID YOU ACTUALLY DO OUR RESEARCH TO SEE THE INCOME OF THE DRIVERS OF THESE CITIES COMPARED TO THE AUSTIN TAXI DRIVERS KNOW WHAT TO END UP HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? NO ONE CAN CHANGE ANY OF THE ORDINANCE.

WITHOUT THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL.

AND WE LIKED THAT AS DRIVERS.

WE LIKED THAT AS COMPANIES, BECAUSE IT PROTECTS, UH, IT PROTECTS US AS DRIVERS AND COMPANIES.

RIGHT NOW, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS TO TAKE ALL THAT POWER, ALL THAT POWER AND PUT IT IN THE HANDS OF ONE PERSON.

I LIKE, UH, MR. ANGELA SAY, NOW THIS PERSON HAS GOT TO BE THE JUDGE, THE PROSECUTOR AND THE LAWYER.

ANYTHING CHANGED ANYTHING YOU WANT, WHAT WE REALLY BELIEVE WHAT'S GOING ON.

THIS IS GOING TO DESTROY THE TAXI INDUSTRY.

AS OF WHAT'S LEFT OF IT.

WHO'S GOING TO GAIN BIG COMPANIES.

AND HONESTLY IS GOING TO BRING IN, UH, THE TNC COMPANIES INTO THIS GAME.

GO TALK TO ANY OF THE TNC DRIVERS.

THEIR INCOME IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE TAXI DRIVERS.

AND THERE WERE THREE TIMES MORE THAN WE DO BIG COMPANIES.

THEY WANT TO JUST OPEN THE MARKET BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO END UP HAPPENING IS NOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO, 300 DRIVERS SHOW UP AND EACH ONE OF THEM STARTS HIS OWN LITTLE COMPANY, OKAY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY BUSINESS.

THEY'RE ALL GOING TO GO AND SIT AT THE AIRPORT.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO OR 300 COMPANIES SITTING AT THE AIRPORT.

THE AIRPORT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY SAY, THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK.

WE GOT TO ONLY NEED ONE COMPANY TO SERVICE THE AIRPORT.

AND THIS HAPPENED IN OTHER CITIES.

SO NOW ALL OF THESE CAB DRIVERS ARE FORCED TO JOIN THAT COMPANY TO WORK.

SO RIGHT NOW, YES, IT WILL SERVE BIG CORPORATION TO REMOVE ALL LAWS, TO REMOVE ALL ORDINANCES BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS THEM.

THEY'VE BEEN AFTER THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

THIS TAXI FRANCHISE STYLE IS PROTECTING US.

WE ARE THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS ARE STANDING TO SERVE THE CITY.

IF IT WASN'T FOR US TAXI DRIVERS UNDER THIS TAXI FRANCHISE, UBER WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN THE WHOLE ENTIRE MARKET.

I'M SORRY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YOUR, YOUR THREE MINUTES HAS EXPIRED.

IF YOU NEED TO FINISH YOUR SENTENCE, WE WE'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IF YOU CAN STAY ON THE LINE, THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS LATER.

ABSOLUTELY.

JUST ONE LAST.

I REALLY WANT JACOB TO EXPLAIN, TO BRING THE RESEARCH THAT HE DID ABOUT THE INCOME OF THE DRIVERS FROM OTHER CITIES.

AND, UH, I WANT TO KNOW FROM THE OTHER COMPANIES AS WELL, THE GENTLEMAN WHO SUPPORTED THIS IDEA, WHAT'S THE INCOME FROM THE CITIES OF THAT HE'S WORKING AT.

WHAT ARE THE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS GOING TO LOOK LIKE? SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, OF TIMELINE OR WHEN DECISIONS MIGHT BE MADE OR HOW TO BE INVOLVED IN A PUBLIC MANNER.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK.

I APPRECIATE ALL THE SPEAKERS, UM, SIGNING UP AND BEING AVAILABLE.

IF, IF IT'S WITHIN YOUR SCHEDULE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS LATER, UM, WE WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE REST OF THE SCHEDULE TODAY.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ITEM THREE IS BEING POSTPONED.

SO WE WILL NOT BE TAKING THAT ITEM UP TODAY, BUT I WOULD, UM, JUST LIKE TO FLAG FOR WHEN DO GET TO ITEM FIVE.

I THINK A FEW OF US WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER SINCE THIS WAS REQUESTED FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK TO THIS COMMITTEE TODAY, UM, WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS,

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CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ALL DO WANT TO HEAR FROM FOLKS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THIS VIA EMAIL OR VIA PUBLIC COMMENT, LIKE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR TODAY.

UM, SO

[1. Approve the minutes of the Mobility Committee meeting of November 10, 2021.]

I WILL NOW, UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM ONE.

THERE WAS ONE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS IN THE MEETING MINUTES, AND THAT IS THAT IN THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER.

THE SPECIAL MEETING WAS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2021.

AND IN THE HEADING THE DATE STILL SAID OCTOBER 7TH.

SO I JUST WANT TO READ INTO THE RECORD.

IT'S GOING TO BE AMENDED TO SAY NOVEMBER 10TH, 20, 21 TO MATCH WHAT'S IN THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER.

AND WITH THAT SMALL EDIT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THAT MEETING MADE BY MAYOR PRO TEM ALTER SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON, ALL IN FAVOR.

I SEE IT IS UNANIMOUS.

IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE HANDS DOING VIRTUAL, BUT I THINK I SAW UNANIMOUS HANDS THERE.

UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO,

[2. Cap and Stitch Design Strategy for inclusion in the I-35 Capital Express Central Expansion.]

WE WILL TAKE UP THE CAPTAIN STITCH DESIGN STRATEGY FOR INCLUSION IN THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL EXPANSION.

THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT VICE CHAIR KELLY REQUESTED TO BE ON OUR AGENDA TODAY.

AND WE WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION NOW BY MIKE TRIMBLE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MOBILITY COMMITTEE, MY TREMBLE WITH THE QUARTER PROGRAM OFFICE.

AND I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH A BRIEF PRESENTATION ABOUT THE KAPPA STITCH PROJECT, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, BUT THEN ALSO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY AND NEXT STEPS.

UM, YOU GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO AS YOU KNOW, UM, I, 35 HAS BEEN, UM, A, BOTH A SYMBOLIC AND A PHYSICAL, UH, UH, BARRIER BETWEEN EAST SIDE AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN GOING BACK TO, UM, THE 1928 PLAN, UM, WHERE BLACK COMMUNITIES WERE RELOCATED TO EAST AUSTIN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF EAST AVENUE, UH, HISPANIC COMMUNITIES ALSO, UH, WERE RELOCATED OVER THERE IN THAT AREA, UH, THROUGH DIFFERENT POLICIES THAT WERE OCCURRING IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

AND SO IT REALLY BECAME AN IMPORTANT, UH, LOCATION FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UM, AND EAST AND EAST AVENUE.

UH, FORMER WAS A MAJOR CONNECTION POINT BACK TO DOWNTOWN, BACK TO THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS, UM, IN AUSTIN, UH, BEGINNING WITH THE, UH, HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES.

UM, I, THE PLANS FOR I 35 MOVED FORWARD AND THEN THAT REPLACED, UM, EAST AUSTIN THAT THERE BY CREATING REALLY THAT PHYSICAL BARRIER ALONG WITH THE, THE SYMBOLIC BARRIER BETWEEN EAST AUSTIN AND DOWNTOWN NEXT SLIDE.

AND SO HERE'S 35 TODAY.

AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

UM, THERE, YOU HAVE THE UPPER DECKS THAT GO THROUGH DOWNTOWN SEVERAL ELEVATED AREAS OF THROUGH DOWNTOWN AREA AS WELL.

UM, AND SO GIVEN THE CURRENT CONDITION, THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF , AGAIN, I, 35 CONTINUES TO BE, UH, THE PHYSICAL BARRIER BETWEEN, UH, EAST AUSTIN AND DOWNTOWN, UH, WITH, WITH VERY, UH, LIMITED CONNECTIVITY, UM, CROSSING AS A PEDESTRIAN, A BICYCLIST IS, UM, VERY CHALLENGING, UH, NOT VERY SAFE.

AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF THE CONNECTIONS ACROSS 35.

UM, BUT ALSO SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS, UM, THIS LEGACY OF AS IT'S BEEN THIS, UM, THIS, THIS KIND OF EAST WEST DIVIDE BARRIER, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY NEXT SLIDE.

SO WITH THE PLANS BY TXDOT TO RECONSTRUCT, UH, THE HIGHWAY DOWNTOWN, THE CATHOLICS PRESS CENTRAL PROJECT, THEIR PLAN IS TO DEPRESS THE HIGHWAY LANES BELOW STREET LEVEL THROUGH DOWNTOWN.

AND SO THIS PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IN PLACE A SERIES OF CAPS AND STITCHES CAPS ARE JUST REALLY A COVERING OVER THOSE AREAS ABOVE THE HIGHWAY, WHERE THEY WOULD GO BELOW STREET LEVEL.

YOU CAN SEE A REPRESENTATION ON THE LEFT THERE, AND THAT REALLY PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT, UH, CERTAIN USES AND AMENITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY ON TOP OF THOSE CAPS.

UM, IF THEY WORK WELL, YOU DON'T REALLY REALIZE THERE'S A HIGHWAY UNDERNEATH YOU.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE KLYDE WARREN PARK IN DALLAS.

AND SO, UM, THIS COULD REALLY BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY RECLAIM THIS SPACE, UM, THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN UP BY 35 RIGHT NOW.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, YOU SEE THE STITCHES AND THE STITCHES ARE REALLY WIDENED CROSSINGS, AND THIS PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GET BETTER SEPARATION BETWEEN THE MODES, UH, BETWEEN THE, THE BIKE PEDESTRIAN VEHICULAR MODES, ADD LANDSCAPING AND ADD, ADD TO BUFFERS THAT REALLY PROVIDE FOR A MUCH BETTER QUALITY OF CROSSING AND CONNECTION POINT, UH, BETWEEN EAST AUSTIN AND DOWNTOWN AS WELL.

SO THE CONCEPT IS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT A SERIES OF CAPS AND STITCHES, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THESE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, NEXT SLIDE.

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AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF PUTTING THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN PLACE.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SEVERAL, UH, WE CAN THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, UH, RECLAIMING THE SPACE, ADDING GREEN SPACE TO IT, ADDRESSING OR QUALITY ISSUES, UM, REALLY CREATING BETTER CONNECTIVITY, UM, ADDRESSING THE LEGACY ISSUES OF , AS I MENTIONED, AND REALLY ENHANCING, UH, UH, THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY ASPECTS, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY, REALLY MAKING IT A LOCAL, UH, CONNECTION POINT, UH, FROM DOWNTOWN TO EAST AUSTIN, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, A GREAT SPACE GATHERING SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

ALSO, IT COULD BE A GREAT SUPPORT TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

UM, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT IN OTHER, UH, PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE THAT HAVE HAPPENED, UH, IN DALLAS AND OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE NATION NEXT.

SO BEGINNING OF 2020, UM, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE BY THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND THIS REALLY SET THE BLUEPRINT AND THE, AND THE, KIND OF THE PLAYBOOK, SO TO SPEAK FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING OFF OF SINCE THEN, UH, THE STUDY, UM, REALLY CALLED, UH, FOR LEVERAGING THE OPPORTUNITY AND LOOK, EVEN LOOK AT SOME, UH, PRELIMINARY LOCATIONS FOR WHERE THESE CAMPS COULD GO IN DOWNTOWN.

UM, IT ALSO THEN CALLED TO CUT, TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE FUNDING STRATEGY, UM, TO YOU'RE WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, LOOKING AT LEVERAGING VARIOUS SOURCES, UH, TO TRY TO MAKE THIS, UH, OPPORTUNITY, UH, A REALITY, ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF THAT WAS TO HAVE REALLY ROBUST INVOLVEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY FORM BASICALLY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THE CITY AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AS, AS WE LOOK TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION TO REALLY MAKE SURE THERE'S AN ORGANIC ASPECT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT.

AND AGAIN, THE PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE HERE, OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF ENTITIES INVOLVED, A LOT OF AGENCIES WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE PRIMARILY, UH, WE'RE WORKING VERY MUCH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

UH, WHO'S BEEN HELPING OUT WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND DISCUSSIONS, UH, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, OF COURSE, UM, AS THEY'RE DEVELOPING THE ALTERNATIVES FOR THE CAPITOL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT AND THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND SO WE WE'VE HAD VARIOUS WAYS THAT WE STARTED TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND ENGAGEMENT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO AFTER THE STUDY WAS DONE AT 2020 BEGINNING IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, UM, THERE WAS A SERIES OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, UH, REALLY SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN OFFICER ALLIANCE, BUT WORKING WITH KCI, UH, THE LOCAL RADIO STATION AND OTHER, UH, UH, STAKEHOLDERS TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE LEGACY OF AND WHAT IT'S MEANT.

AND, AND A COUPLE OF, UH, BIG THINGS CAME OUT OF THAT.

OBVIOUSLY A STRONG DESIRE TO ADDRESS THAT.

AND REALLY, UM, IF THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME BENEFITS OUT OF THE PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS RETURNED, UH, TO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY 35 AND THE PERK IN THE FIRST PLACE, UH, NAMELY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UM, THAT THE LIVED IN PROXIMITY PROXIMITY TO .

AND SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE HEARD OUT OF THAT.

AND OUT OF THOSE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, WE DEVELOPED A, UH, SCOPING WORKING GROUP, UH, WHICH IS, UH, A COMMUNITY-BASED STAKEHOLDER GROUP.

OUR CO-CHAIRS ARE DR.

PIERCE BURNETTE FOR THAT, AND LINDA CARRERO, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM, UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, UM, AS YOU'VE BEEN DEVELOPING THE PROJECT AS WELL.

SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, STAMPED CONCRETE AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, LOOKING AT ART PIECES, LOOKING AT LANDSCAPING TREES, UM, OTHER AMENITIES, UH, THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE SHADING STRUCTURES, AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM, UH, BOTH THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM, MY TEAM, UH, COORDINATING WITH TXDOT TO SEE WHERE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT EXIST.

SO HERE'S WHERE WE AT WE'RE AT, IN, IN SEIZING THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH TXDOT AND OUR, UH, ATKIN'S DESIGN TEAM, UH, IN THIS FIRST PHASE OF FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A SERIES OF POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS, REALLY BEGINNING AT CESAR CHAVEZ AND WORKING NORTH TO EIGHTH STREET.

AND THEN THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE THINK ARE VIABLE FROM 11TH TO 12TH.

UM, AND THEN AIRPORT BOULEVARD AS WELL, MIGHT PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY.

UM, WE DO THINK THIS IS GOING TO, TO MODIFY SOMEWHAT, UM, WITH THE, UM, UPDATED ALTERNATIVE THAT TEXTILE IS GOING TO BE COMING OUT WITH NEXT WEEK ON JANUARY 25TH AT THEIR CAPEX VOICE MEETING.

UH, WE DO THINK, HOWEVER, IT WILL STILL PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CAPTAIN STITCH LOCATIONS.

UM, IT WAS, UH, DEFINITELY ABOVE 20 ACRES OF OPPORTUNITIES.

SO PRETTY MUCH IN THE SAME RANGE, IF NOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAP STITCHES, AND EVEN, UM, SOME, SOME MINI CAPS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGH DOWNTOWN.

UM, AND SO WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONCE THAT ONCE THAT'S RELEASED, UM, ALSO, UM, TXDOT IS ALREADY INCLUDING FUNDING FOR, UH, THE STITCHES ALONG SEVERAL, UH, CROSSINGS IN DOWNTOWN.

AND THAT WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, 20 FEET ON EACH SIDE, WHICH REALLY ALLOWS US TO START TO PUT IN THAT SEPARATION OF MODES.

AND SOME OF THE, THE LANDSCAPE BUFFERS THAT WE START TALKING ABOUT WITH THESE STITCH IMPROVEMENTS.

SO THAT IS ALREADY INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT AND FUNDED TEXTILE.

WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT ENHANCING THEIR AESTHETICS PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND, BEYOND LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I GUESS AESTHETICS,

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THEY ARE LOOKING TO FUND THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.

AND THEN THEY'RE LOOKING TO US TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK OUT SOME TYPE OF MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS, BUT WE'LL BE WORKING ON THOSE ON THOSE TYPES OF APPROACHES OVER THE NEXT, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS, NEXT SLIDE.

SO HERE'S JUST A HIGH-LEVEL COST PROFILE FOR WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS VERY HIGH LEVEL.

WE REALLY NEED TO GET INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND DESIGN TO GET SOME REFINED NUMBERS OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 400 TO $500 MILLION ESTIMATED FOR THE STRUCTURES THEMSELVES.

SO EVERYTHING UP TO THE ACTUAL LID STRUCTURES, UM, AND THEN ABOUT 2, 250 TO $300 MILLION FOR SURFACE AMENITIES.

BUT AGAIN, I'M REALLY PRELIMINARY RIGHT NOW, AND WE REALLY NEED TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY OVER THIS NEXT YEAR TO START TO DEVELOP WHAT THOSE, UH, DESIRED AMENITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE ON THE CAPS.

AND THAT WILL GIVE US A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE COST ESTIMATES, UH, WILL BE.

UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A RANGE OF TOTAL ABOUT SEVEN TO $800 MILLION, UM, AT, AT THIS EARLY STAGE IN THE PROJECT.

UH, JUST A NOTE ON THAT, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ONGOING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS AND, AND THEY CAN BE, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THEY'RE IN THE RANGE OF TWO TO 3 MILLION FOR THE KLYDE WARREN PARK, UH, CAP.

AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO GET A GOOD ESTIMATE OF WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE.

AS WE START TO LOOK AT FIRE SAFETY VENTILATION, OTHER TYPES OF THINGS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN BOTH THE STRUCTURES, UH, THE SPACES UNDERNEATH THEM, BUT ALSO THE SPACES ON THE SURFACE AS WELL.

SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THOSE COSTS AS WELL, AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH REALLY A COMPREHENSIVE FUNDING STRATEGY FOR BOTH CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, AS WELL AS THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

EXCELLENT.

THERE'S JUST A OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROJECT.

AND SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS, AS I MENTIONED, WE WERE DOING A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT, UH, WITH OUR ATKINS CONSULTANT TEAM.

AND WE STARTING TO WRAP THAT WORK UP.

UH, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT WE HAD A, UH, PUBLIC OPEN MEETING, A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE THAT KICKED OFF ON DECEMBER 13TH OF LAST YEAR, AND WE RELEASED SOME CONCEPTS AND I'LL SHOW YOU THOSE A LITTLE BIT.

UH, BUT AS WE'RE GETTING THOSE AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK BASED ON THOSE AND THE SURVEY RESULTS, UH, WE'LL START TO WRAP UP THAT WORK.

WE'RE ALSO, THEN I'M HOPING TO LAUNCH INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, UH, COUNCIL AWARDED THAT CONTRACT BACK IN NOVEMBER 18TH.

AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT CONTRACT EXECUTED IN, UH, FEBRUARY, MARCH TIMEFRAME AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL ALSO BE, UM, HOPING TO LAUNCH, UH, THE CONTRACT FOR THE, UH, CONNECTING EQUITABLY CONTRACT THAT AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL BE HANDLING, BUT ALSO, UH, VERY MUCH INTEGRATING INTO OUR PROJECT.

THIS WILL BE LOOKING AT HOW TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THE LAND USE AND VALUE CAPTURE, RECAPTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE BENEFITS TO BE RETURNED TO THE COMMUNITY AND COMING UP WITH A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THAT BASED ON SOME OF THAT INITIAL FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN, UH, THE GOAL ULTIMATELY IS TO GET, UH, TO ABOUT 30% DESIGN AND GET THAT INCORPORATED INTO THE TECHSTOP DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT TXDOT RIGHT NOW IS LOOKING TO LET THAT CONTRACT IN LATE 20, 24 OR EARLY 20, 25 TIMEFRAME, AND THEN GET THAT CONTRACT IN PLACE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, AND THAT REALLY IS DICTATING THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PHASE FOR THE CAPITOL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.

SO SPEAKING OF TEXTILE, HERE'S THE, THERE'S A, AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR TIMELINE.

AND AGAIN, WE'RE VERY MUCH WORKING IN PARALLEL WITH THEM IN COORDINATION WITH THEM AND THEIR TIMELINE.

THEY ARE INCORPORATING THE CAPITOL LOCATIONS INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE PROCESS.

UM, AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH, WITH US ON THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, UM, AS THEY WORK THROUGH THAT, THEY'LL ALSO BE COORDINATING WITH THEM ON THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS AND COORDINATING THAT WITH SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND, UH, FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WE WORK THROUGH OUR NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN AND THE CONNECTING EQUITABLY STUDY THAT AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL BE DOING.

SO ALL OF THIS WILL BE WORKING VERY MUCH IN PARALLEL, AND WE'LL BE COORDINATING THAT VERY CLOSELY WITH TXDOT, UM, OVER THE NEXT YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF OR SO.

AND AS I MENTIONED, EVERYTHING'S HEADED TOWARDS, UH, TRYING TO GET, UH, THE STRUCTURES INCORPORATED INTO THE, UH, TEXTILE DESIGN BUILD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT, PARALLEL TO THAT.

WE'LL ALSO THEN WORK ON FINISHING OUT DESIGN TO THE SURFACE AMENITIES AND COME BACK AND GET THOSE COMPLETED.

ONCE WE GET THE SURFACE STRUCTURES IN PLACE AS PART OF THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.

THE OPPORTUNITY, GIVEN SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS BASED ON THE, THE HIGHWAY DESIGN RIGHT NOW AND WHAT'S, AND WHAT'S THERE.

SO HERE'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE CONCEPTS THAT CAME OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN DECEMBER.

AND AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN REALLY BASED ON AN OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS ANALYSIS, JUST LOOKING AT WHAT'S FEASIBLE, UH, WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE GIVEN

[00:30:01]

SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CONCEPTS WE RELEASED.

AGAIN, WE'RE VERY PRELIMINARY.

WE TRIED NOT TO GET INTO TOO MUCH, UH, SUPPOSING OF WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY GO ONTO THE CAPS.

WE REALLY WANT TO TAKE THAT TIME TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THAT, UM, OVER THE COMING THE COMING MONTHS IN THE COMING YEAR.

AND SO, UM, THAT WILL, THAT NEXT PHASE WILL BEGIN AN EARNEST TO TRULY START TO REFINE, UH, SOME OF THOSE CONCEPTS FOR WHAT FOOT GOES ON ON THESE CALVES, AS WELL AS REFINING THE CAPITAL LOCATIONS WITH TXDOT AS THEY REFINE THEIR ALTERNATIVES, UH, WORKING TOWARDS A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE IN THEIR PROCESS LIKE SLACK.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A CROSS SECTION OF A STITCH.

AND AGAIN, YOU CAN START TO SEE FOR THOSE WHITE AND CROSSINGS HOW YOU CAN GET SOME ADDITIONAL SPACE.

AND SO YOU GET A MUCH COMFORTABLE, UH, BUFFERED CROSSING FOR BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS ALSO POSSIBILITY OF GETTING, UH, TREES AND SHADE STRUCTURES, UM, THAT REALLY GO UP AGAINST THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BARRIER BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY AND THE STITCH.

AND SO AGAIN, CREATING A VERY COMFORTABLE CROSSING, UH, MINIMIZING THE IMPACT OF THE HIGHWAY ON THOSE, THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE USING THAT CROSSING, UH, FROM A BIKE PEDESTRIAN STANDPOINT.

EXCELLENT.

AND AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE CONCEPTS.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TO WORK THROUGH NOW IS TO SAY, OKAY, UM, WHERE WERE COULD, UM, POSSIBLE AMENITIES GO WORK AT POSSIBLE GREEN SPACES GO ALSO, ARE THERE POSSIBILITIES FOR FACILITIES AS WELL? WE DO THINK THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES FOR A ONE STORY, POSSIBLY TWO STORY STRUCTURES, UM, ON CERTAIN AREAS OF THE LIDS NEAR THE NEAR THE CROSSINGS, UM, OR NEAR THE FRENCH ROADS, THEY'D HAVE TO BE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAPS.

WE DO THINK THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES NOT SUBSTANTIAL.

UM, I WOULDN'T ANTICIPATE ANY, ANY, UH, MULTI-STORY DEVELOPMENT GOING ON.

ANY OF THESE CAPS ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES EXISTING BASED ON WHAT'S REQUIRED.

UH, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME FACILITY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL BE, WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO EXPLORE THOSE, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET INTO THE NEXT PHASE.

NEXT SLIDE, JUST AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED ON THAT PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE THAT WE DID FOR THE, UM, CAP CONCEPTS AND THE STITCHES.

AND AGAIN, WE TRIED TO FOCUS ON WAS, WERE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, DESIRED USES, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE FOR THESE SPACES, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, HOW THEY, HOW THEY, UM, KIND OF THE BEHAVIORS BASICALLY.

AND, AND HOW DO YOU GET AROUND? HOW DO YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT? HOW DO YOU USE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPACE NOW, THE CROSSINGS? UM, SO WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK ON THAT AS FAR AS WHAT FOLKS WANTED TO SEE AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS SOME OF THE ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE CONNECTIONS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, SPACE USES AND AMENITIES, UM, THAT FOLKS WOULD WANT TO SEE.

AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL SUMMARIZE THIS AND WE'LL BRING THIS INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN, AND IT'LL START TO INFORM SOME OF THE NEXT ROUND OF, OF CONCEPTS AND, AND PRELIMINARY SCHEMATICS THAT WE START DOING FOR THE CAP POSITION PERMITS NEXT LOT.

SO JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, UM, TOO, AS WE START TO LOOK AT, WHAT'S POSSIBLE ON THE CABIN STITCHES HERE, I MENTIONED THE KLYDE WARREN PARK.

THIS IS IN DALLAS, AND SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE, HAVE BEEN TO THE SPACE.

AND AGAIN, IT'S A VERY WELL USED SPACE BY THE COMMUNITY.

UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE GROUP READ SPACE USES THERE.

UM, THEY HAVE KIND OF AN AMPHITHEATER SPACE, UH, CONCESSION SPACES AS WELL, CONCESSIONS, UH, VENDOR SPACE ON THE CAP, UH, LOW INTENSITY FACILITY AS WELL.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TECH STOCK HAS BEEN ABLE TO WORK WORK THROUGH WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE DALLAS COMMUNITY, UH, TO, TO GET IN PLACE.

AND SO AGAIN, I THINK BOTH TXDOT AND, AND THE CITY AND THE DA ARE DRAWING ON SOME OF THOSE ASPECTS OF WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT AND BRING INTO OUR PROJECT.

CORRIDOR, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, WHERE YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT THERE'S A HIGHWAY AROUND YOU AS WELL.

UM, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A STITCH, A WIDENED CROSSING.

AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE PLANTERS THAT PROVIDE THE BUFFER, UH, BETWEEN BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN AND THE ROADWAY, UH, SOME OF THE SHADE STRUCTURES THERE, AND SOME OF THE TREES AND LANDSCAPING, THE PROVIDED REALLY PROVIDES A BUFFER TO THE HIGHWAY AS WELL.

AND AGAIN, JUST DRAWING SOME INSPIRATION ON WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR THESE CROSSINGS.

YOU ALSO SEE THE MURAL PIECE THERE.

WE THINK THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH THE CABIN STITCHES FOR, UM, ART PIECES, UM, TO BE OVEN FOR THE COMMUNITY REALLY DEVELOPED, UM, IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY.

UM, THAT'S REALLY MAKE THAT A, A REALLY, REALLY NICE, UH, AMENITY, AND IT REALLY REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY SOME OF THE HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL, NEXT LINE.

AND HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A FACILITY ON A, A CAP AND REALLY KIND OF A, A SUPERSTITION FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.

THIS IS, UM, AT UNION STATION IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, THIS IS A, A SINGLE STORY, A RETAIL AND A VENDOR SPACE.

UH, YOU COULD SEE A CAFE SPACE RIGHT THERE, AND REALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN, WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS CROSSING, IT REALLY JUST LOOKS LIKE A, LIKE A CORRIDOR DOWNTOWN

[00:35:01]

AND SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP, UM, AS PART OF A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPLORING THESE TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.

UH, PARTICULARLY AS WE START TO DEVELOP MORE, UH, THE PRIORITIES THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE, UM, ON THE CAPS AND ON THESE STITCHES.

AND WE DO HAVE THESE TYPES OF SUPER STITCHES, UH, VERY WIDENED, EITHER MINI CAPS OR WIDEN, VERY WEDDING CROSSINGS.

WE DO HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE SEE ARE POSSIBLE AS PART OF THE NEW HIGHWAY DESIGN AS WELL.

UH, AVAILABLE AS WELL AND, AND HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.

AND JUST TO SUM, UH, THESE ARE OUR PRIORITIES, I'M GOING INTO 22.

UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO LAUNCH DESIGN PHASE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, AND REALLY START TO REFINE THE DESIGN CONCEPTS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DEVELOP SOME BETTER COST ESTIMATES.

UM, WE'RE ALSO HELPING, HOPING TO WORK ON A COMPREHENSIVE FUNDING STRATEGY, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR THE CABIN STATION IMPROVEMENTS.

AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL DID PASS RECENTLY, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE SOME FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABLE, BUT, UM, WE'RE, WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO COVER ALL THE COSTS WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TYPICALLY WHAT THESE TYPES OF PROJECT AROUND THE NATION, THEY TEND TO BE A STACKING OF FUNDING FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES, AND THAT CAN BE LOCAL FUNDING MIXED WITH FEDERAL FUNDING, GRANT FUNDING, OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, UM, THERE'S EVEN SOME PRIVATE FOUNDATION FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, AS THEY DID THEIR FUNDING STACK.

AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM HERE AT THE CITY, UM, AS, AS WELL AS, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND OTHERS TO FIGURE OUT HOW BEST WE CAN DO THAT.

UM, AND THEN ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, THE STUDY BY THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL BE KICKING OFF AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE DESIGN PHASE WILL THE NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN AND, AND LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VALUE RECAPTURE, UM, LAND USE BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND AGAIN, JUST AGAIN, A LOT OF ROBUST COORDINATION, UH, WITH, UH, THE TXDOT TEAM AS, UH, THEY REFINED THEIR ALTERNATIVES, WHICH WILL IMPACT THE CABIN STITCH, UH, DESIGN AND THE LOCATIONS ALSO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

WHO'S TAKING THE LEAD ON THE COORDINATION ON THE HIGHWAY PROJECT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT EVERYTHING IS WELL COORDINATED CAUSE CAUSE KINDA EVERYTHING IMPACTS THE OTHER AT THIS POINT.

SO, UH, A LOT OF COORDINATION, A LOT OF CONNECTING THE DOTS HAPPENING, UM, OVER THE NEXT YEAR.

UM, SO WITH THAT, I THINK I'M DONE.

UM, I'M READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME KEY FOLKS FROM OUR CAMPUS DITCH TEAM OR BOLICK FROM AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, DEREK CRIGHTON, WHO'S BEEN A LEAD ON COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH, UH, FOR THE CAMPUS IT'S PROJECT.

AND THEN SUSAN DANIELS, WHO'S REALLY BEEN WORKING ON THE NEXT PHASE, GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN.

UM, SO WITH THAT TAKE QUESTIONS, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION DIRECTOR TREMBLE.

UM, I HAVE A COUPLE, BUT I SEE VICE-CHAIR KELLY HAS HER HAND UP.

SO WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE MICROPHONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR.

AND THANK YOU MIKE, FOR GIVING THIS PRESENTATION.

I WAS REALLY EXCITED WHEN WE WENT ON OUR CHAMBER TRIPS IN NASHVILLE AND I GOT TO SEE IT FIRSTHAND AND I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GRATEFUL THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT SAME INFORMATION TO THEM TODAY.

LET'S GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HOPPER, MADISON.

UM, UH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, FIRST OFF I THINK THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT AND, UH, WITH A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, THERE'S A BIG, YOU KNOW, THE BIG HILL TO CLIMB IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING, BUT, UM, BUT IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, HIGHWAYS ESSENTIALLY, IT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.

SO, UM, I WANTED TO ASK A LITTLE, IF YOU COULD GIVE US SOME IDEA OF THE SOURCES OF, OF FUNDS TO STACK.

I KNOW YOU'RE STILL ANALYZING, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY THE PARTICULAR, UH, FUNDS THAT YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT.

YEAH, SO, SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

ONE IS OBVIOUSLY THE FEDERAL FUNDING AND WE DO THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

UM, WE'RE LOOKING CLOSELY AT THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE INFRA GRANT PROGRAM, UH, THE RES GRANT PROGRAM, BUT THERE'S ALSO A NEW PROGRAM CALLED RECONNECT COMMUNITIES IN THE, IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT WILL HAVE FUNDING SPECIFICALLY FOR PROJECTS LIKE THIS, THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO RECONNECT COMMUNITIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE, THE OLD HIGHWAY RE UH, CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, UM, IN THE MID 20TH CENTURY.

SO, SO THERE ARE SEVERAL FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE ARE HOPING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

UM, BUT YEAH, I DEFINITELY THINK THERE WILL BE SOME LOCAL, UH, FUNDING SCENARIOS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT AS WELL.

UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY NEW, UH, YOU KNOW, KIM, ALL OF OURS AND THE FINANCE TEAM TO, TO DO THAT AND TO LOOK AT WHAT SCENARIOS, UM, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, OR IT MIGHT BE FEASIBLE AND WE WILL POTENTIALLY HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL AS WELL.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE SOME, UH, FEDERAL LOAN PROGRAMS,

[00:40:01]

AND SO THAT IS A POSSIBILITY, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT, UH, REVENUE SOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO, TO SERVICE THAT TYPE OF LOAN.

UH, BUT THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

UH, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT IN EARNEST OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SO.

SO, UH, SO I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED THAT, MY QUESTION WITH YOUR LAST STATEMENT, BUT WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE FOR BRINGING, UH, AND DO YOU ANTICIPATE THIS FOLLOWING A COURSE WHERE YOU WOULD BRING, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A SET OF, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR IDEAS OR WHATEVER BACK TO COUNCIL, WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE FOR THAT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

COUNSELOR.

WE DO ANTICIPATE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL WITH A BRILLIANT OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE SEE THE RECOMMENDED FUNDING STACK TO BE, AND THEN, AND THEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR LOCAL, OBVIOUSLY.

UM, AND SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE TRYING TO GET THAT BACK TO COUNCIL WITH IT WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SO.

UM, OKAY.

AND THEN JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, THE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES GRANT PROCESS, UH, CAN YOU JUST, UH, ADVISE EVERYONE, SO WE'RE, EVERYONE'S AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FEDERAL GRANT PROCESS, THERE'S AN APPLICATION TIMELINE FOR IT.

UM, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, OF SETTING PARAMETERS.

UH, CAN YOU JUST TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW? SO EVERYBODY IS UNDERSTANDING, WHAT'S WHAT WE KNOW.

I KNOW THERE'S STILL INFORMATION WE DON'T KNOW, BUT YEAH, THEY HAVEN'T RELEASED THE FULL, UH, FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT YET.

AND SO, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE KNOW IS VERY PRELIMINARY, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THE US DEPARTMENT TRANSPORTATION IS LOOKING AT FOR ALL OF THEIR GRANT PROGRAMS. THEY RELEASED THAT INFORMATION TO THEIR, UH, AGENCY HEADS, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

AND SO WE D WE ARE STARTING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES AND FUNDING PRIORITIES ARE GOING TO BE, UH, FOR USDA.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THOSE, THINKING ABOUT THOSE AND, AND START TO STARTING TO PUT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUR CASE, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR HOW WE MEET THOSE PRIORITIES.

UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE, UM, ARE HEARING THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BECOME AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THE NEXT 60 TO 90 DAYS.

AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WILL BE AVAILABLE SUCH AS THE MORE, THE MORE ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS LIKE THE INFOR GRANT PROGRAM RES GRANT PROGRAM MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, UM, IN THAT SAME TIMEFRAME AS WELL.

SO, UM, AND EVEN SOONER, SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES TO GO AFTER IN OTHER WORDS, AND THEN HOW, HOW WE CAN START STACKING THAT FUNDING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR CONSTRUCTION, AN IDEA OF ORDER OF MAGNITUDE FOR THE FUNDS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT KIND OF SOURCE.

I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS.

UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO COVER THE FULL AMOUNT.

SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS THERE.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA BUILD A COUPLE OF COVER THE FULL, UH, EVEN THE ESTIMATE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOPPER MADISON.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

I APPRECIATE IT.

IN FACT, UH, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ASKED THE ONE QUESTION THAT I DID HAVE, AND THEN ALSO LED BY SAYING, UM, HOW EXCITED SHE IS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

I ALSO SEE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY HERE, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE A FAILED OPPORTUNITY TO, TO THINK ABOUT THE MONEY.

RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, WHEN I WAS RUNNING, ONE OF THE THINGS MY DAUGHTER ASKED ME WAS MAMA, WHAT'S AUSTIN GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN 2080.

AND I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT THIS WITH THE MIND OF AN 11 YEAR OLD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THINKING THAT FAR OUT.

AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY TO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WORKS FOR, FOR THE FUTURE.

UM, AND WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THAT NOW.

AND THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY CITIES THAT WE COULD GIVE EXAMPLES.

THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET QUITE HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND DIDN'T DO IT.

AND NOW THEIR CITIES DON'T WORK AND THEY DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

SO I'M EXCITED.

AND MOST OF MY QUESTIONS, UM, I'M GOING TO RESERVE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE YET TO COME, AND SO THERE'S MORE INFORMATION TO COME.

AND SO I WON'T BELABOR IT NOW, BUT I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS SO FAR.

AND I LOVE HOW THOUGHTFUL THE PRESENTATION WAS.

SO THANK YOU, DIRECTOR TRIMBLE.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF THE, THE LINE ITEMS AND THE CHART THAT HAVE AN ELLIPSES AT THE END.

I APPRECIATE THOSE REMARKS AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ALSO TOUCHED ON ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD HIGHLIGHTED.

UM, SO I WON'T, I WON'T BELABOR THE POINT, BUT I WILL JUST SAY, I, I THINK I SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND HOPEFULLY MORE PEOPLE WHEN I SAY WE LOOK FOR ANY AND ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER IN THIS FUNDING, UM, DEPENDING ON WHICH PART OF THIS PROJECT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY IT.

SO I THINK THE MORE OF US THAT CAN COME TOGETHER TO BUILD SOMETHING BIG AND DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH A, UH, MORE OF A GREEN FOOTPRINT, UH, THAT, THAT WILL HELP CONNECT OUR COMMUNITY AND BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.

UM, I WILL MOVE TO THE OTHER QUESTIONS.

ONE IS A SHORT ONE, UM, ON SLIDE 16 DIRECTOR TRIMBLE,

[00:45:01]

AND SO, I DIDN'T KNOW IF MAYBE THIS SLIDE COULD BE ADJUSTED AND RE POSTED JUST TO FULLY EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, ONE SAYS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ANOTHER WORD BEHIND IT.

AND SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S TWO MORE LIKE CREATING UNIQUE AND OPPORTUNITY TO HOUSE COMMUNITY, POTENTIALLY MEMBERS.

SO MAYBE THAT COULD JUST BE ADJUSTED AND, AND REPOST IT OR RE SENT OUT TO US.

THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE, UM, SOME OF THOSE HEADINGS.

AND I DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON SLIDE 11 IN THE SCHEDULE OVERVIEW CHART, THE EQUITY IMPACT AND ANALYSIS SECTION.

SO, UH, AS PART OF THE NEPA ANALYSIS THE TXDOT IS DOING, I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, KIND OF ANY, AND ALL, UH, IMPACTS, UH, OF THE POTENTIAL HIGHWAY PROJECT, UH, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO A SOCIAL SOCIAL IMPACTS AND OTHER THINGS, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS INCORPORATED THERE AND GET DEFINITELY A TON MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.

BUT THIS STUDY IN PARTICULAR REALLY HONES IN ON THE, UM, ANY OF THE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE CAPTAIN'S DISHES AS PART OF THE HIGHWAY PROJECT, DOES THAT PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL LAND USE OPPORTUNITIES OR VALUE RECAPTURE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.

SO IT REALLY HONES IN ON THAT.

AND SO, UM, AND THAT'S WHY AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS DOING IT QUITE HONESTLY, IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE OF THAT EXPERTISE.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE IT'S VERY INTEGRATED.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST COMMUNITY, UH, DISCUSSIONS AS WELL AS PART OF THAT.

AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SINKED UP VERY WELL.

SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DUPLICATION OF EFFORT.

EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THAT REALLY IS GOING TO BE THE FOCUS.

AND THAT WOULD REALLY RESULT IN A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK.

AND I'D DEFINITELY WANT TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, UH, COMING OUT OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

I CAN APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I KNOW THIS CONVERSATION WILL CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE.

I HAD ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION ON SOME OF THE CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS, THE CAPS HAVE SOME GREEN SPACE AND SOME OTHER SPACE THAT IS IN LIKE A SANDY COLOR.

ARE THOSE JUST LOCATIONS YOU HAVEN'T QUITE FIGURED OUT? WHAT IS THE BEST COMMUNITY, UM, RESULT TO SEE THERE? ARE WE POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE CAPPING AND PUTTING MORE CONCRETE SPACE ON TOP? OR WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT FOR RIGHT NOW? IS THAT A PLACEHOLDER AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THERE IN THE FUTURE? THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

THAT'S, UH, THAT'S REALLY A PLACEHOLDER AND IT'S REALLY POLYGON ALL RIGHT NOW, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THE COMMUNITY ON SUPPOSING THE USES.

AND, AND SO REALLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY IS HERE'S WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, BUT LET'S ALSO IMAGINE WHAT THOSE SPACES COULD BE USED FOR AND WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES, YOU KNOW, TH THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE SPACES TO BE ON THE, ON THE COMPLICATIONS.

AND SO THAT'S THE WORK THAT'S REALLY GONNA KICK IN.

UM, AS WE GET INTO THIS NEXT PHASE OF PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND DESIGN THAT WILL KICK OFF, UM, IN FEBRUARY, MARCH TIMEFRAME.

AND SO WE'LL REFINE THAT AND SAY, OKAY, NOW WE KNOW WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET STRAIGHT STANDPOINT, BUT NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT WERE THE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST AND WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE NOW, LET'S, LET'S REALLY REFINE THAT NOW, WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT TO SEE IS THAT SOME TYPE OF, OF GREEN SPACE IS THAT AN EVENT SPACE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, RETAIL SPACE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH.

AND THAT'S WHY WE LOVE TO POLYGON IS JUST TO, JUST TO SAY THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE THERE YET, BUT HERE'S THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY OF KNOWING THE COMMUNITY CAN COME AND SAY, WE HAVE IDEAS.

WE WANT THIS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS PROJECT.

WE WANT YOU TO HEAR US.

AND SO I THINK THAT IS REALLY HELPFUL.

I KNOW THAT WE, ON THE DAYAS HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, EXTRA PARK SPACE, SHADE STRUCTURES, ADDED TREES FOR AIR QUALITY HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION.

SO I THINK THIS CONVERSATION IS STILL PROGRESSING, BUT I DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE OPEN, THE OPENNESS OF LEAVING SPACE IN A PLAN FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ABOUT WHAT THEY REALLY HOPE TO SEE IN THESE PROJECTS.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR TREMBLE BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE NEXT ITEM? I SEE MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR.

KIND OF FEEDBACK WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING, UM, FROM YOUR OFFICE ON THOSE NEW PLANS WHEN THEY ARE REVEALED NEXT WEEK? YEAH.

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AS I THINK MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO MEET A TECHSTOP ABOUT THE LATEST ITERATION, AND I KNOW THEY'RE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, ON TUESDAY.

UM, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO HOW THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO UNFOLD AND HOW PEOPLE CAN PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK AND WHAT

[00:50:01]

SO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW, HOW THE FEEDBACK MECHANISM IS GOING TO WORK FOR, FOR THE, FROM THE TECHSTOP PERSPECTIVE.

I KNOW THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S GOING TO BE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN SOME OF THE PRIOR, UH, PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES AS THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS.

UM, BUT I KNOW THEY WILL BE SEEKING FEEDBACK, UH, FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND OUR PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO SEE THEM.

WHAT WE WILL SEE IS THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED OPPORTUNITIES, IF NOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR CAPTAIN STITCH LOCATIONS, UH, BASED ON SOME OF THE, UH, UPDATE ALTERNATIVES INCLUDED IN, IN WHAT THEY'RE RELEASING, UH, NEXT TUESDAY AND EVEN SET SOME BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONNECTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, OFF THE CAPS, YOU KNOW, INTO THE AREAS, YOU KNOW, ON, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WAS THEN THE HIGHWAY, BUT ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO GET ONTO THE CAPS AND BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY USE THE STITCHES.

AND WE THINK THERE MIGHT EVEN BE SOME ENHANCED OPPORTUNITIES THERE, UM, TO WHERE IT'S NOT, AS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CROSS A FRONTAGE ROAD IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU WOULD TODAY TO GET TO THAT SPACE, UM, AND USE IT.

SO I THINK IT'S GONNA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOME ENHANCEMENTS THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT.

UM, AND DEFINITELY SOME THE SAME TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY FROM A, FROM A TOTAL ANCHORAGE, UM, THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE DETAILED CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ESTIMATED COSTS AND THE FUNDING SOURCES.

UM, I REALLY AM HOPEFUL THAT THIS PROJECT CAN BE FUNDED, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WITH CONSIDERABLE FEDERAL, UM, INVESTMENT THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE ACT.

UM, BUT ALSO FROM OTHER ACTORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHICH HAS BEEN PART AND PARCEL OF THE MODEL, UM, FOR DOING THESE KINDS OF ENHANCEMENTS, NOT JUST THROUGH A TERMS, IF WE STILL PUBLIC MONEY, UM, BUT THROUGH ACTUAL, UM, DONATIONS AND INVESTMENTS, I KNOW THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WITH UT FOR THEM TO CONTRIBUTE TO PIECES OF THIS AS WELL.

UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THE CALLS OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR THESE PARTNERS, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT, UM, THIS KANSAS BEYOND THE CITY, AND WE REALLY DO NEED PEOPLE TO COME UP AND THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN STATE.

ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED CASE STUDY ON MOBILITY THAT MCKOWN PHASE TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE CAN MOVE

[4. Affordability Unlocked Case Study on Mobility: The Chicon Phase II affordable housing development.]

I THINK THAT'S MR. GERRITSEN THAT NEEDS TO BE MOVED OVER.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES.

I THINK THEY'RE GETTING READY TO QUEUE UP THE PRESENTATION, UM, SHALL GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN.

YES, THE PRESENTATION IS JUST LOADED UP.

OKAY, GREAT.

UM, SO I'M GOING TO PUT MY READING GLASSES ON FOR THIS ALSO, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE SOME OF YOU I'VE KNOWN FOR A WHILE, AND IT'S NICE TO MEET SOMEBODY FOR THE FIRST TIME.

UM, IT'S ALSO, UH, VERY INTERESTING FOR ME TO FOLLOW THAT LINE, FOLLOW THAT LAST PRESENTATION BY MIKE TREMBLE.

I'VE LIVED IN EAST AUSTIN ABOUT 20 YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF THE CAPTAIN STITCH, UH, SINCE SINCLAIR BLACK FIRST INTRODUCED THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS OF PROJECTS LIKE OURS THAT ARE MULTIMODAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT HUBS THAT WE'RE CREATING ARE LARGELY DEPENDENT ON THE SUCCESS OF OVERALL CONNECTIVITY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE DOWNTOWN BEING SUCH, SUCH THE LARGEST EMPLOYMENT SECTOR IN EMPLOYMENT CENTER IN ALL OF AUSTIN, HAVING THAT CONNECTIVITY FROM EAST AUSTIN ALLOWS PROJECTS LIKE OURS, UH, TO SUCCEED.

UM, SO, UM, UM, MY NAME IS SEAN GARRETSON, I'M THE BOARD PRESIDENT, VERY PROUD TO SERVE THE BOARD PRESIDENT, UH, FOR CHESTNUT NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION CORPORATION.

UM, I ALSO OWN, UM, AN URBAN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FIRM, UH, PEGASUS AND SERVE AS A DEVELOPER AGENT FOR THE OVERALL NONPROFIT.

SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THIS NEW PROJECT THAT IVORY TODAY.

UM, AND IT IS THE THIRD BUILDING OF, UH, THREE BUILDINGS CALLED THE CHECON RIGHT AT CHECON.

AND THIS ONE IS AT, UH, 14TH BETWEEN 13TH AND 14TH.

I JUST ALSO WANT TO SAY, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE REALLY HELPING TO REDEFINE WHAT AFFORDABILITY IS.

WE CALL IT WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, INSTEAD OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND I THINK THAT, UM, REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE, IN THE EYES OF THE BUYER AND THE RENTERS.

UM, AND ESPECIALLY BY ADDING SOLAR, UM, TO A PROJECT LIKE THIS AND CREATING A MULTIMODAL HUB, IT SAVES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY, UM, UM, TO THE OWNERS OR THE RENTERS.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

I FOUND THIS SLIDE RECENTLY AND IT'S FROM 2019.

SO JUST TO KIND OF FRAME THIS PROBLEM A LITTLE BIT, UM,

[00:55:02]

UM, AUSTIN'S THE MOST CAR DEPENDENT CITY IN TEXAS.

UM, YOU CAN SEE BY THE SLIDE, UH, THERE'S ONLY 5% OF HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT ACCESS TO A VEHICLE.

I AM PROUD TO SAY I AM NOT ONE OF THEM.

UM, I FELT I AM GOING TO BE AN OWNER OF ONE OF THESE MARKET RATE UNITS IN THIS BUILDING.

AND KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION, I HAD TO SELL MY CAR BEFORE IT, AND I SOLD IT TWO DAYS AGO.

UM, SO, UM, I'M NOW ASKING MY FRIENDS FOR, UH, LIFTS ALL OVER THE CITY.

I'M JOKING.

UM, IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE LEAST AFFORDABLE CITIES IN AUSTIN AND CAR OWNERSHIP ALONE COSTS AROUND $10,000 A YEAR.

SO BY THE SAVINGS OF SOLAR REBATES IN AN ALL ELECTRIC BUILDING, WHICH THIS IS, AND NOT OWNING A VEHICLE, WE COULD, UM, ALLOW AND, AND ILLUSTRATE TO THE BUYERS THAT THEY CAN SAVE ANOTHER 10 TO 12, 12,000 PER YEAR.

SO WE ALL SEE THE ACCOLADES ON A DAILY BASIS OF HOW AMAZING OUR ECONOMY IS.

I DO A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I SEE THAT FIRSTHAND.

UM, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THE ACCOLADES THAT ARE NOT SO GOOD, UM, RELATED ON, UH, HOW UNAFFORDABLE WE HAVE BECOME NEXT SLIDE, OUR NONPROFIT CHESTNUT NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION CORPORATION.

IT WAS CREATED IN 1999.

UM, BY REVEREND JOSEPH PARKER, SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM, UH, IS A, A BLACK PATRIARCH.

UM, ALSO, UH, THE REVEREND AT, UM, DAVID CHAPEL CHURCH.

AND YOU SAW SOME MLK AND IT'S MANAGED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

UM, SO WE'VE BUILT A BUNCH OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

WE BUILT A 22 UNIT SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, DEEP SUBSIDY AT MLK AND FRANKLIN, UM, IN FRANKLIN.

AND THEN WE BUILT, UM, THE FIRST TWO BUILDINGS OF A 33 UNIT MIXED USE PROJECT, UM, CALLED THE CHECON NEXT SLIDE.

SO ADDRESSING AFFORDABILITY IS NOT NEW FOR US.

UM, WE PURCHASED THESE PROPERTIES WITH A CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN HOUSING, FINANCE CORPORATION, UH, BOND FUNDS, I THINK FROM THE FIRST AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND, UH, BACK IN 2012, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE PROXIMITY TO EAST 12TH STREET.

AND, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BUILDINGS WAS AN OLD POOL HOUSE USED AS, UH, WHERE THEY WERE SELLING CRACK.

UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER BUILDINGS.

ONE WAS THE FRESH UP CLUB, UM, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN USED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

AND, UM, AMAZINGLY STILL HAD MIRRORS ON EVERY WALL, INCLUDING IN THE BATHROOM.

I'M NOT GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE WERE ORIGINALLY GOING TO BUILD THREE BUILDINGS, TOTALING 43 UNITS, 33 OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE WITH 8,700 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.

UM, WE DECIDED TO NOT BUILD THAT THIRD BUILDING.

UM, I WILL SAY IF YOU HAVE NOT AT THAT TIME, I WILL SAY IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE CHECON, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING, UM, ALL OF THE COMMERCIAL UNITS ARE FIRST TIME, UM, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEY'VE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL.

WE HAVE BAKERIES, COFFEE SHOPS, A PET STORE, UM, AND OTHERS.

SO NEXT SLIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNLOCKED REALLY WAS A GAME CHANGER FOR US.

UM, I GOT ACCEPTED INTO, UM, AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACCELERATOR CLASS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, RIGHT.

ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LAUNCH WAS BEING DISCUSSED.

AND I DECIDED TO PUT ALL MY EFFORTS INTO FIGURING OUT HOW WE COULD DO THIS ON OUR NEXT BUILDING, ON OUR THIRD BUILDING AND, UM, VAN GOGH, CARLOS, AND MOST PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS PRETTY CRAZY, PERHAPS I AM TO SOME DEGREE.

UH, BUT HERE WE ARE TWO YEARS LATER ABOUT TO BREAK GROUND ON EXACTLY MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD ENVISIONED.

SO WE, UM, HAD LEFT, UM, TO BUILD, UH, A COUPLE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS, ACTUALLY 12, IT SAYS SIX, 12, AND WE ARE NOW ALMOST TRIPLING THAT.

SO WE'RE BUILDING 40 MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS UNDER AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON BOTS.

IT WAS GOING TO BE A THREE-STORY MIXED USE BUILDING.

WE COULD HAVE GONE UP TO SEVEN STORIES.

UM, WE DECIDED TO GO UP TO FIVE STORIES.

UM, SO, UM, IT'S A 50 53 UNIT, UH, PROJECT, UM, WITH 40 AFFORDABLE UNITS, 13 MARKET RATE UNITS AND THEN THREE COMMERCIAL UNITS.

GOING TO BE, UM, FULLY ELECTRIC, UM, AGAIN, UH, 56 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, 40 OF THOSE, UH, WORKFORCE THREE COMMERCIAL UNITS AND NO PARKING, UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE IVORY, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE GAVE ME SOME FLACK ABOUT THE NAME OF IT.

YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE ACTUALLY CAUSING GENTRIFICATION, ET CETERA, THAT, YOU KNOW, PERCEIVE WHITEWASHED AND CALLING IVORY MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD BRAND, BUT, UM, WE HELD TO IT BECAUSE THIS BUILDING IS NAMED AFTER SCOTTY IVORY.

SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW HER.

UM, HER FATHER WAS ELL DAVIS.

UM, HER WHOLE FAMILY HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVISTS IN EAST AUSTIN.

UM, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, PROBABLY SINCE THE TWENTIES OR THIRTIES, SHE'S EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT PRESENTING MORE OF IT TO YOU.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, UM, THIS IS AGAIN, UM, THE, THE, THE WEBSITE IS THERE THE IVORY ATX.COM.

I RECOMMEND YOU CHECK IT OUT, TALKS A LOT MORE ABOUT OVERALL SUSTAINABILITY.

UM, WE ARE

[01:00:01]

SO, UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, TWO ADA SPACES THAT WILL BE THERE.

WE HAVE, UM, TWO SPACES THAT ARE GOING TO BE FOR A CAR SHARE PROGRAM THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE, UM, THAT ARE ONLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE USED BY THE OWNERS THEMSELVES.

WE HAVE A NEW CAP, METRO CANOPY, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T THE RIDERSHIP ON THAT LINE, DOESN'T JUSTIFY A CANOPY WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT.

AND CAP METRO IS WORKING WITH US.

WE HAVE SIX B CYCLES THAT ARE GOING TO BE THERE.

UM, WE HAVE AN ONSITE, UM, BIKE CHARGING ROOM.

SO, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS IS WITH SOME JUST AMAZING PARTNERS.

UM, ADD REMISS.

I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T FIRST TALK ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY NOT ONLY, UH, HAD JUST DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH US IN ILLUSTRATING THE SOLAR REBATES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING, UM, THE BIKES, THE BIKE REBATES WE'RE GOING TO GIVE.

UM, THEY ALSO GAVE ME THIS T-SHIRT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN SEE THIS.

I DECIDED TO WEAR THIS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

ELECTRIC IS GREATER THAN GAS.

UM, THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT ELECTRIC BUILDING.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE PUTTING SOLAR ON TOP OF THE BUILDING, UM, WE HAVE MODELED IT AND WE KNOW THAT, UM, EVERY ONE OF THOSE BUYERS IS GOING TO GET ALMOST 90 TO 95% OF THEIR ELECTRIC COST REBATE BACK TO THEM, UM, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

UM, EVERY HOUSEHOLD IS GOING TO GET A FREE ELECTRIC BIKE, UH, THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR.

WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH A LOCAL, UM, LOCALLY OWNED ELECTRIC BIKE COMPANY, MOD BIKES, UM, AND QUANTUM SOLUTIONS, UM, IS A MANAGEMENT TEAM FROM THE FORMER AUSTIN CARSHARE.

UM, THEY ARE GOING TO BE OWNING AND MANAGING THE TWO CARS AND VEHICLES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ON THIS SITE.

SO GREAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALL THESE FOLKS.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP IN SOME OF OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE ZONING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LOCK.

WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY NEED, UH, THE COMMUNITY BUY OFF ON THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST AS A NEIGHBORHOOD BASED A DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, WE DEFINITELY WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, TALK WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, AND THEY HAD, UM, JUSTIFIABLY CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, HOW, UH, ONE, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE GUARANTEED SOMEHOW, WHICH IS NOT, UM, THAT ALL THE OWNERS ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A VEHICLE.

UM, SO WE'RE GIVING THEM EVERY OPTION TO LOSE THEIR VEHICLE BEFORE THEY, UH, BEFORE THEY MOVE HERE.

UM, BUT THEY'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT OVERALL CONNECTIVITY ON 12TH STREET, CHECON, UM, IMPROVED BIKE LANES, UM, ON ALL THOSE CROSSWALKS ON CHECON.

UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW THAT AREA OF EAST AUSTIN FROM MLK TO 12TH STREET ON CHECON, THERE IS NO STOP SIGN.

THERE'S NO STOPLIGHT, UM, AND VEHICLES FLY DOWN THAT HILL.

UM, THERE'S NOTHING, NO, NO PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS, ET CETERA.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS WITH TRANSPORTATION.

UH, WE'RE ON THEIR LIST DEPARTMENT, TRANSPORTATION.

UH, WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GETTING READY TO LOOK AT 12TH STREET, UM, AS AN IMPROVEMENT AREA.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS INTERESTING FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNLOCKED IS THAT THE MOBILITY BOND AND ABILITY BOND FUNDS DID NOT FACTOR IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LOCK.

THEY DID NOT FACTOR IN PROJECTS LIKE OURS THAT COULD CREATE, YOU KNOW, A MASSIVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GOING TO NEED MOBILITY NEEDS RIGHT THERE.

UM, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT, UM, CAN MOVE FORWARD.

UM, BUT I THINK IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER, UM, JUST WANT TO SAY KIND OF LASTLY, UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, THE MARKET LOVES THE IVORY.

UH, WE HAD DONE VERY LITTLE MARKETING, UM, SINCE, UM, I THINK EARLY DECEMBER, WE'VE ALREADY SECURED 35 OF THE 40 WORKFORCE HOUSING BUYERS THROUGH OUR PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS.

WE HAVE NEARLY 300 INTERESTED BUYERS FOR 13 MARKET RATE AND THREE COMMERCIAL UNITS.

UH, WE HAVE SOME VERY GOOD, UM, COMMERCIAL OPTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED INTEREST KNOWING ABOUT NOT PARKING AND NOT HAVING THAT PARKING THERE.

UM, WE ARE HOPING TO CLOSE ON OUR CONSTRUCTION LOAN BY THE END OF FEBRUARY PENDING THE RECEIPT OF OUR SITE PLAN AND BUILDING PERMITS, WHICH SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL.

UM, AND THEN WE ANTICIPATE BUYERS MOVING IN BEFORE THE END OF SUMMER 2023.

SO LASTLY, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

UH, WE WOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO A PROJECT, UM, THIS SPECIAL, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LARGER, UH, UH, UH, NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS WITHOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNLOCKS AND WITHOUT, UH, YOUR ALL'S SUPPORT WITH THAT KIND OF A PROJECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCH AND SUCH AN INNOVATIVE PROJECT.

DO WE HAVE ANY

[01:05:01]

QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND AGAIN THAT A MUTE BUTTON WILL JUST STICK AND WON'T DO ANYTHING.

THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME CHAIR.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, SEAN.

UM, I'M OBVIOUSLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT GAVE YOU A HARD TIME ABOUT THE, THAT.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT YOU EXPLAINED TO ME, I, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALL VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, SO I'M SUPER PROUD TO HAVE, UM, THIS NEXT ITERATION, RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE EPICENTER OF DISTRICT ONE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING PRETTY TIRELESSLY TO, TO MAKE 12TH STREET SAFER TOO.

AND SO I JUST REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING ONE MORE ROBUST PARTNER RECOGNIZING WHAT SOME OF THE TRICKS, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU THINK THAT GIANT HUMP THAT YOU HIT RIGHT AT 12TH AND CHICAGO AND LAUNCHES YOU DOWN THE HILL WOULD STOP PEOPLE, BUT IT DOESN'T.

AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

YOU KNOW, YOU LIKE, LIKE A, THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SEE IT FIRSTHAND.

AND IT REALLY DOES NEED THIS INJECTION OF, YOU KNOW, INTEREST IN PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE CHICAGO POP-UP AND MY DAUGHTER INSISTED THAT SHE CAN WALK TO THE FRENCH PATISSERIE BY HERSELF HAS BEEN A VERY CUTE THING TO WATCH HER GROW AND DEVELOP AND BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT BECAUSE THOSE KINDS OF AMENITIES ARE CLOSE, LITERALLY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

I'M NOT GOING TO LIE.

I FOLLOWED THE FIRST TIME AS FIVE, BUT SHE DID JUST FINE.

SHE CROSSED THE STREET WELL, SHE DID EVERYTHING FINE.

AND I THINK THIS WILL NOT ONLY INCREASE OUR OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THIS INCREASES THE OPPORTUNITY FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? YOU DON'T CREATE COMMUNITY SPACES AND, YOU KNOW, MIXED INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS BY JUST THROWING PEOPLE TOGETHER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE PROGRAMMING AND THE AMENITIES THAT BRING THEM TOGETHER AND OFFER THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT.

SO I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

NOPE.

I AGREE WITH ALL OF THAT.

UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.

HOW MANY MORE FREE BIKES ARE YOU GIVING OUT? YEAH, SO WE'RE GIVING OUT 56, UH, BICYCLES, 56 ELECTRIC BIKES, AND WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, MOD BIKES FOR EVERY ONE OF THOSE.

THEY'RE GIVING US A PRETTY GOOD DISCOUNT ON ALL OF THOSE AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A WAY FOR ME TO GET A DISCOUNT BEFORE I BUY ONE OF THOSE UNITS.

SO I CAN HAVE AN, AN OPTION FROM ABILITY RIGHT NOW BEING CARLESS.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

AND I KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE SLIDE THAT YOU INCLUDED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CAR OWNERSHIP ON A HOUSEHOLD'S BUDGET.

I MEAN, THE BIGGEST COST DRIVERS ARE PUTTING THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD AND HOW YOU GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B, WHAT KIND OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE? AND EVEN WHEN YOU OWN YOUR CAR OUTRIGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL NEED TO GIVE IT A OIL CHANGES, TIRE ROTATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, SO I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

COULD YOU TELL ME IF YOU'VE HAD ANY PEOPLE REACH OUT WITH AN INTEREST TO, TO GET INTO THE IVORY THAT SAID, NEVERMIND, I REALLY NEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKING, OR HAVE YOU HEARD ANY STORIES ALONG THOSE LINES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, A LOT OF MY GOOD FRIENDS ARE REALTORS, BUT I WILL SAY, UM, I HAVE FOUND THAT THE ONLY INDIVIDUALS THAT ASK IF THERE'S ANY PARKING OR THE REALTORS THAT HAVE NOT READ THE WEBSITE.

UM, SO, UM, AS SOON AS I KIND OF DEFER THEM TO WEBSITE, BECAUSE THE WEBSITE IS VERY THOROUGH IN TERMS OF BE RIGHT UP FRONT, THAT THIS IS A CAR-LESS COMMUNITY, ZERO PARKING SPACES, ET CETERA.

UM, AND SO ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE POTENTIAL BUYERS, UM, HAVE NOT BLINKED AT IT.

UM, SO THEY'VE READ IT, THEY UNDERSTAND IT AND ALL OF THE LANGUAGE WE PUT OUT TO THEM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY FIRST, UM, EXPRESSED INTEREST, I SENT ANOTHER EMAIL OUT WITH THE PREQUALIFICATION FORM AND IN THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, AGAIN REITERATE NO PARKING AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT MONTH IS WHEN THERE'LL BE, UM, PUTTING DOWN, YOU KNOW, 1%, YOU KNOW, UH, NONREFUNDABLE EARNEST MONEY ON THEIR, ON THEIR SALES.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE MAY LOSE A FEW, BUT I DON'T THINK SO.

UM, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, UM, I GET TO LOOK THROUGH ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE FORMS AND, YOU KNOW, WE ASK EVERYBODY TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THEIR AGE OR HOW MANY THEY HAVE IN A HOUSEHOLD AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR ETHNIC ORIGIN IS AND EVERYTHING.

AND IT'S, UM, IT'S A REALLY GOOD MIX.

UM, AND I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UM, I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED.

WE WERE GOING TO GET A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST UT UT COLLEGE STUDENTS OR GRAD STUDENTS.

NO, NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

UM, BUT WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM, UH, WORKERS IN THE COFFEE SHOP, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE GONNA BE BUYING UNITS, UM, TO SINGLE MOMS WITH TWO KIDS THAT WANT A TWO BEDROOM UNIT, UM, AND, UM, ELDERLY PEOPLE AS WELL.

SO, UM, I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

UM, AND, UM, AND SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HEARD THAT FEEDBACK YET.

I APPRECIATE

[01:10:01]

THAT IT'S CERTAINLY AN EXCITING PROJECT, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU HAVE.

SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE SUCCESS MOVING FORWARD.

ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM? I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANY, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION.

IT WAS REALLY INSIGHTFUL ABOUT A NEW AND INNOVATIVE PROJECT.

UM, WITH THAT

[5. Recommendation for Taxicab Franchise Transition.]

WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR TAXI CAB FRANCHISE TRANSITION.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARY BRIEFING, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY, PLEASE.

EXCUSE THE ROUGH VOICE.

I DO HAVE A BIT OF A COLD, UM, NON COVID.

I WOULD SAY, CAN I INTERRUPT FOR JUST ONE MOMENT? I'M NOT SURE THAT THE PRESENTATION MADE IT INTO BACKUPS.

SO COULD I JUST SUGGEST AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, MAYBE SOMEONE CAN MAKE SURE THE LATEST VERSION IS ON OUR WEBSITE FOR FOLKS FOLLOWING ALONG AT HOME.

GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE.

THANKS.

UM, SO TODAY I'M HERE TO SEND ON A TAXICAB FRANCHISE, UH, TRANSITION, UH, FROM, UH, A FRANCHISE SYSTEM TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY SYSTEM.

UH, PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO FOR A QUICK UPDATE ON, UH, TAXI CAB OPERATIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, THERE ARE THREE CURRENT COMPANIES OPERATING IN AUSTIN, ATX CO-OP TAXI CENTRAL CITY TAXI AND YELLOW CAB.

UM, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC IN, IN MAY OF 2020 LONE STAR CAB, UNFORTUNATELY CLOSED THEIR DOORS, UH, AND LONGHORN TAXI CAB COMPANY ALSO CLOSED THEIR DOORS.

UH, THEY HAD STARTED IN SEPTEMBER, UH, ON THE ORDINANCE PASSED BY AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR A FRANCHISE LICENSE, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, NECESSARY, UH, TO CONTINUE.

UH, SO UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAD TO CLOSE NEXT LINE.

UM, SO IN, IN FISCAL YEAR 2018 TO 2019, THERE WERE, UH, 1016 TAXI CABS OPERATING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, GOING INTO 2019 AND 2020, UM, THAT NUMBER WAS REDUCED TO 245 CABS OPERATING IN THE CITY.

AND NOW, UM, DURING FISCAL YEAR 20, 20 AND 2021, UH, 220 CABS OPERATING IN THE CITY, THAT NUMBER HAS, UH, IS INCREASING THIS YEAR, UH, WHICH IS, UH, GOOD TO SEE, UM, UH, BUT, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE FOR THE FIRST QUARTERS AND TO, UM, FIND THE NUMBERS ON THAT EXACTLY.

UM, RIGHT NOW ATX, CO-OP TAXI IS OPERATING AND HAS PERMITTED A 125 TAXI CABS, 117 STANDARD AND EIGHT WHEELCHAIR LIFT CAPS.

UM, CENTRAL CITY TAXI HAS 50, UH, 46 STANDARD.

AND, UH, FOR WHEELCHAIR LIFT, A YELLOW CAB HAS 80 TAXI CABS, UH, 74 STANDARD AND SIX WHEELCHAIR LIFT.

UH, THIS IS A FIVE-YEAR COMPARISON OF A TAXI CAB NUMBER OF TRIPS FROM 2016 TO 2017.

THERE WERE ROUGHLY 3 MILLION TRIPS, UH, CONDUCTED WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN BY TAXI CABS.

UM, THEN IN 2017 TO 18, UH, 1.8 MILLION DOWN TO 28, 18 AND 19 MILLION.

UM, AND SO FAR, UH, AFTER CALCULATING FOR 2020 AND 2021, UH, FISCAL YEAR, UM, 248,690 TRIPS, UH, CONDUCTED FOR ALL TAXI CABS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AUSTIN UNDER STATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY AT THE SAME TIME TAXI CAB FRANCHISES EXPERIENCED THAT 75% DECLINE IN THEIR NUMBER OF TRIPS THAT WE PREVIOUSLY SAW ON THE LAST SLIDE TO ADDRESS THIS DECLINE COUNCIL APPROVED ATDS TAXI CAB FRANCHISE REGULATORY REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS IN 2018.

SO TAXI CAB COMPANIES WERE FIRST LICENSED IN AUSTIN BY ORDINANCE FROM THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON MARCH 8TH, 1932 TAXI CAB COMPANIES.

THEN UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL UNTIL BEING DECLARED PUBLIC UTILITIES AND FORMED INTO FRANCHISES BY AN ORDINANCE PASSED ON JUNE 8TH, 1950.

AT THE TIME THE TAXI CAB FRANCHISE ORDINANCE WAS ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE CITY-WIDE TRANSPORTATION TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN AND TO RESERVE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF TAXICABS, SUCH AS TAXI ZONES.

UH, ADDITIONALLY, THE ONLY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, UH, BESIDES TAXI CABS WERE OPTIONS CENTERED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO FIND TRANSPORTATION TO AREAS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN TODAY.

HOWEVER, MULTIPLE COMPETITIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS ARE READILY AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY IN 2017 TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES OR TNCS SUCH AS UBER AND LYFT BEGAN OPERATING IN

[01:15:01]

UH, THOSE WERE INTENDED TO LIGHTEN FRANCHISE RESTRICTIONS AND TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD BETWEEN TAXI CABS AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPERA, UH, OPERATIONS, UH, OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

UH, SHORTLY AFTER THESE REFORM MEASURES WERE PASSED.

TAXI CAB FRANCHISES DID EXPERIENCE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THEIR NUMBER OF TRIPS FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF STABILIZATION, BUT NOW IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, A TAXI CAB FRANCHISES HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LOWEST TRIP NUMBERS ON RECORD AND ARE IN NEED OF REFORM MEASURES THAT WILL ELIMINATE MORE REGULATORY BARRIERS, INCREASE OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY, AND PROVIDE A GREATER ABILITY TO COMPETE WITH OTHER MOBILITY SERVICES OFFERED WITHIN THE CITY.

CURRENTLY ALL OTHER VEHICLE FOR HIRE COMPANIES LICENSED BY THE CITY OF OTHER THAN TAXI CABS, SUCH AS LIMOUSINES CHARTER VANS, CHARTER BUSES, TOURING, AND SIGHTSEEING COACHES, PETTY CABS, ELECTRIC, LOW SPEED VEHICLES, ET CETERA, OUR LICENSE AS OPERATING AUTHORITIES, THE BENEFITS OF LICENSING VEHICLE FOR HIRE COMPANIES UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL VERSUS A FRANCHISE MODEL ARE DEMONSTRATED IN THE COMPARISON TABLE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

TRANSITION THAT OVER.

ALL RIGHT.

CRITERIA WAS MET, A TAXI CAB COMPANY WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, GET A LICENSE AND BEGIN OPERATIONS, UM, MUCH JUST AS WE DO FOR ALL OF OUR OTHER OPERATING AUTHORITIES, UH, IN THE CITY.

SO WITH A FRANCHISE MODEL, UM, UH, OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU WILL SEE KIND OF THE, THE, THE COMPLICATIONS WITH THE FRANCHISE MODEL.

UM, IT, THE APPLICATION TIMES TAKE MORE THAN 30 DAYS TO COMPLETE.

IT REQUIRES A COUNCIL ACTION APPROVAL, UH, FOR APPROVAL RENEWAL OR TRANSFER OF A FRANCHISE LICENSE.

IT HAS TO GO THROUGH A THREE READING'S FRANCHISE APPROVAL PROCESS, WHICH MAY TAKE THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

UM, AND OF COURSE IS GOVERNED BY THE, THE, THE, UH, CHAPTER 11 OF, UH, CITY CHARTER UNDER FRANCHISES.

UM, IT HAS RIGID APPLICATION, TIMEFRAMES AND DEADLINES.

UH, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SCALE VEHICLES TO, UH, VEHICLE FLEETS, TO DEMAND WHEN NECESSARY.

UM, THEY HAVE TO INCREASE OR DECREASE PER QUARTER, UH, AND, UM, WITH, UM, OTHER OPERATING AUTHORITIES, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET TEMPORARY LICENSES FOR, FOR FIVE DAYS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, UH, WHICH COULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE TAXI INDUSTRY.

AS LONG AS THEY ARE A CURRENT LICENSED COMPANY.

THIS WOULD NOT INCLUDE COMPANIES THAT WERE NOT LICENSED, EXCUSE ME.

UM, THEY HAVE THE INABILITY TO CEASE OR RESUME OPERATIONS WHEN NECESSARY, WHEREAS AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, UM, CAN PAUSE THEIR OPERATIONS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO CLOSE DOWN, UH, WITHIN THE FRANCHISE ORDINANCE.

NOW TAXICABS MUST MAINTAIN AT LEAST 24, 25 CABS ON THE ROAD AT ALL TIMES, UH, OR THEY ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM THEIR FRANCHISE AND LOSE THEIR BUSINESS.

UM, THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR TIMES SUCH AS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ALREADY IN THE PANDEMIC FOR THEM TO REDUCE OR, UM, PAUSE OPERATIONS FOR A TIME, UH, UNTIL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS PICK BACK UP.

UM, UH, WE BELIEVE THE FRANCHISE MODEL HAS LIMITED DRIVER AUTONOMY AND CHOICE.

UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR, UM, NEWER COMPANIES TO, UH, UH, GATHER WHAT THEY NEED AND TO MAKE THE REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY TO OPEN UP THEIR OWN TAXICAB, UH, BUSINESS, WHICH WE WOULD STILL CONTINUE ALL OF THE, UM, UH, REGULATIONS, UH, OF A FRANCHISE EXCEPT FOR, UM, THE, THE RIGID REQUIREMENTS OF A FRANCHISE.

UM, IT RIGHT NOW, UH, THE FRANCHISE SYSTEM IS, IS UNIQUE VEHICLE PRIOR CATEGORY, UNLIKE ANY OTHERS IN THE CITY.

UH, AND IT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH TAX CAP PERMITTING PROGRAMS IN OTHER TEXAS CITIES.

UM, UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, TRANSITION TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL WILL ALIGN, UH, AUSTIN'S TAXICAB PERMITTING SYSTEMS WITH PERMITTING SYSTEMS OF OTHER LARGE CITIES, UH, WHERE TAXICABS ARE CURRENTLY LICENSED, INCLUDING HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, EL PASO, ET CETERA, TO BE CLEAR TRANSITIONING THE TAXI CAB COMPANIES FROM A FRANCHISE MODEL TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL WOULD NOT CHANGE ANY TAXI CAB OPERATIONS OR ALTER CURRENT STANDARDS OR REQUIREMENTS EXISTING IN CITY CODE FOR TAXI CABS.

IT WOULD SIMPLY CHANGE THE LICENSING MECHANISM AND REMOVE UNNECESSARY BARRIERS EXISTING WITHIN THE FRANCHISE MODEL, SUCH AS THE THREE READINGS PROCESS BEFORE COUNCIL, UH, FOR, UH, TRANSITIONING LICENSE, UH, FOR OPENING A NEW COMPANY, UH, THIS WOULD ESTABLISH PREREQUISITE CRITERIA JUST LIKE WE HAVE FOR ALL OF OUR OTHER OPERATING AUTHORITIES.

UM, THAT AS LONG AS THAT PREREQUISITE

[01:20:01]

NOW, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, TAXI CAB FRANCHISES HAVE REQUESTED SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROCESSES, SPEEDIER, UH, LICENSE APPROVAL TIMES STREAMLINED, UH, VEHICLE FLEET ADDITIONS AND REMOVALS, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO CEASE AND RESUME OPERATIONS.

AS I MENTIONED, UH, WHEN NECESSARY FOR NATURAL DISASTERS OR FOR NATIONWIDE PANDEMICS LICENSING TAXICAB COMPANIES AS AN OPERATING AUTHORITY WOULD MEET ALL OF THESE OBJECTIVES.

UM, SOME RECENT OUTREACH THAT WE'VE HAD IN NOVEMBER, 2021, UH, ATD CREATED, UH, AN INFORMATIONAL WEBPAGE AND DISTRIBUTED FLYERS DIRECTLY TO TAXI CAB DRIVERS, UH, WHICH WAS MENTIONED BY ONE OF THE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES EARLIER, UH, WHICH CONTAINED INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSITION OF TAXI CAB LICENSING FROM A FRANCHISE MODEL TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL, THE WEBPAGE AND FLYERS ALSO PROVIDED TAXI CAB DRIVERS, UH, OPEN OPPORTUNITIES TO CONVERSE DIRECTLY WITH LICENSING STAFF MANAGEMENT, SUCH AS MYSELF, UH, ASK QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK OR SUGGESTIONS.

UH, ATD LICENSING STAFF, UH, MANAGEMENT HAS SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL, UH, TAXI CAB DRIVERS THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD WHO SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL RELATING, UH, THAT IT WOULD REMOVE FURTHER BARRIERS FOR NEW TAXI CAB COMPANIES TO ENTER THE MARKET.

AND IN TURN LEAD TO GREATER DRIVER AUTONOMY AND CHOICE ATD HAS RECEIVED NO COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO THE TRANSITION FROM TAXI CAB DRIVERS, EXCUSE ME, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2021, ATD PRESENTED THE RECOMMENDATION TO TRANSITION TAXI CAB FRANCHISES INTO TECHS, CAB OPERATING AUTHORITIES TO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OR UTC, UH, AND, UH, RECEIVED A UNANIMOUS 11 TO ZERO VOTE IN SUPPORT.

UM, THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW MONTHS, ATD HAS MET WITH TAXI CAB COMPANY OWNERS AND PRESIDENTS, AND DISCUSSED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING A TRANSITION TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY LICENSING MODEL.

UM, OUT OF THE COMPANIES THAT HAVE VOICED OPPOSITION, UH, OR SORRY.

UH, ONE OF THE ONE WAS IN FAVOR AND TWO HAVE VOICED THEIR OPPOSITION.

THE COMPANIES THAT ARE VOICED THEIR OPPOSITION HAVE STATED THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT TRANSITION MIGHT REMOVE ORDINANCE PROCESS AND OVERSIGHT OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FROM THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY.

HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

UM, THE TAXI CAB OPERATING AUTHORITY ORDINANCE WOULD SIMPLY REPLACE THE CURRENT FRANCHISE ORDINANCE AND REMOVE THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY FROM THE RIGID REQUIREMENTS OF A FRANCHISE SYSTEM, AS OUTLINED IN CHAPTER SEVEN, ARCH, SORRY, CHAPTER 11 OF CITY SHARP, UM, ATD THEREFORE RECOMMENDS THAT A TAXI CAB COMPANIES NO LONGER BE REGARDED AS PUBLIC UTILITIES UNDER A FRANCHISE SYSTEM, BUT RATHER AS A VALUABLE PART OF A DIVERSE AND EVER EVOLVING NETWORK OF COMPETITIVE MOBILITY OPTIONS AS OPERATIONAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED.

THIS ORDINANCE TRANSITIONING TAXI CAB COMPANIES FROM A FRANCHISE LICENSING MODEL TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY LICENSING MODEL WOULD NOT INTERRUPT ANY CURRENT TAXI CAB SERVICES.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

CAN WE PULL THAT DOWN? I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND I WANT TO, BUT I'LL LET YOU GO FIRST.

WELL, I'LL JUST ASK ONE AND THEN, AND THEN HAND IT OFF AND THINK ABOUT MORE.

SO, UM, I WANT IT TO JUST GET, GET DOWN TO THE SOURCE OF THE CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED EARLIER FOR US.

UM, I BELIEVE ONE OF THE, UH, PERSONS WHO TESTIFIED, SPOKE TO, UH, THE DRIVER'S PAIN IN OPPOSITION TO THIS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THAT WAS THE FRANCHISE THAT IS, UH, PERHAPS A CO-OP OR, UM, SO, BUT, BUT YOU JUST SAID THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION FROM DRIVERS, SO, BUT I THINK I HEARD THAT THERE IS.

SO CAN YOU JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT AND, UH, AND ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT WE THINK THEIR CONCERNS MIGHT BE? SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION COUNSELING.

UM, SO W ATD PASSED OUT, UH, ABOUT 300 FLYERS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO DIFFERENT DRIVERS DIRECTLY.

UH, WE USED OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND OUR MOBILITY, UH, ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO PASS OUT THOSE FLYERS AT, UH, COMMON PLACES WHERE TAXICABS USUALLY INTERACT, UM, ON THAT FLYER WAS A LINK TO A WEBSITE, UH, THAT WOULD PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE TRANSITION.

UH, AS WELL AS MY DIRECT CONTACT INFORMATION,

[01:25:02]

I RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY SEVEN OR EIGHT PHONE CALLS FROM DIFFERENT, UH, TAXI CAB DRIVERS AT DIFFERENT TIMES, UM, WHO ALSO STATED THAT THEY WERE REPRESENTING OTHER TAXI CAB DRIVERS, UM, THAT WERE, UH, COWORKERS WITH THEM.

UM, THEY ASKED SOME VERY SIMPLE QUESTIONS IF THERE WOULD BE ANY CHANGES IN OPERATIONS, UM, THE BASIC OUTLINE OF THE FRANCHISE OR THE OPERATING AUTHORITY SYSTEM ITSELF.

AND AFTER EXPLAINING TO THEM ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'VE EXPLAINED TO Y'ALL TODAY, UM, THEY THEY'VE VOICED THEIR SUPPORT FOR IT.

AND I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED ANY OPPOSITION FROM ANY DRIVERS, UH, REGARDING THE TRANSITION.

UH, WE RECOMMEND NOW, UH, SORRY TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE COMPANY IS ADDRESSING.

UM, I THINK THERE'S A, UM, UH, A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING, UM, THAT, THAT OCCURRED.

THE LAST MEETING I HAD WAS WITH, UH, SOME OF THE TAXI CAB COMPANIES, UH, IN THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE SWITCH OVER TO, UH, AN OPERATING AUTHORITY WOULD, UH, TAKE THE TAXI CAB ORDINANCE AWAY FROM CITY CODE AND BE PLACED IN PERHAPS A SET OF RULES THAT COULD BE, UH, CHANGED QUICKLY BY, UH, ATD MANAGEMENT.

BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

IT WOULD SIMPLY BE PLACED INTO AN ORDINANCE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE OPERATING AUTHORITIES, UM, FOR PEDICABS, UH, FOR LIMOUSINES, UM, IT WOULD BECOME ITS OWN ORDINANCE.

AND IN FACT IT WOULD, IT WOULD ALMOST BE AN IDENTICAL ORDINANCE TO THE FRANCHISE ORDINANCE NOW, EXCEPT IT WOULD NO LONGER BE A UTILITY AND PLACED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE FRANCHISE, UM, UH, AGREEMENTS UNDER, UM, UH, UH, CHAPTER 11 OF, OF CITY CHART.

SO THAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCES.

IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THREE READINGS PROCESSES AT CITY COUNCIL TO SIMPLY AWARD A LICENSE TO A COMPANY, UM, OR TO TRANSFER A LICENSE FROM ONE COMPANY TO ANOTHER COMPANY OR, UH, IF A COMPANY WAS PURCHASED.

UM, OKAY.

UH, WELL, JERRY, YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME.

I KNOW OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS.

LET'S GO TO VICE-CHAIR KELLY.

TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY.

I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, IF I GO, WHAT THE STATE LAW IS REGARDING THIS SORT OF ACTION, AND IF IT WOULD AT ALL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T CONFLICT, BUT COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS AS A CITY? SO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN REGULATING TAXI CAB SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY SINCE 1932.

UM, AND, UH, THEY WERE FORMED INTO FRANCHISES IN 1950, UH, BEFORE THAT THEY OPERATED AS OPERATING AUTHORITIES.

UM, THE STATE HAS, UM, UH, HAS ALWAYS GIVEN MUNICIPALITIES THE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, UH, WITHIN THOSE MUNICIPALITIES, UH, EXCEPT FOR, UM, A RECENT CHANGE, UH, WITH TNCS TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES, SUCH AS UBER AND LYFT, UH, WHICH, UH, WERE EVENTUALLY, UH, UH, PLACED UNDER STATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY, UH, IN 2018.

SO WE DON'T REGULATE TNCS, UH, BUT WE DO REGULATE ALL OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, WHICH OCCUR WITHIN, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH IF I DON'T SEE OTHER HANDS RIGHT NOW, I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK MY FEW QUESTIONS AND SEE IF COUNCIL NUMBER KITCHEN HAS ANY OTHERS SHE WANTS TO ADDRESS IN A LITTLE BIT.

UM, MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE CHANGING FROM FRANCHISE MODEL TO OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.

WOULD THIS ONLY AFFECT TAXI CAB COMPANIES, OR WOULD THIS IMPACT ANY OTHER COMPANIES THAT OPERATE UNDER FRANCHISE? LIKE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION EARLIER ABOUT, UM, DOCKLESS MOBILITY HAVING A FRANCHISE STRUCTURE.

UM, YOU MENTIONED LIMOS AND PETTY CABS.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER FORMATS THAT CURRENTLY OPERATE UNDER FRANCHISE THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD CHANGE UNDER THIS AS WELL? SO THERE ARE OTHER FRANCHISES THAT EXIST WITHIN THE COMPANY, LIKE, OR WITHIN THE CITY, UH, SUCH AS THE POWER COMPANY AND PERHAPS OTHER UTILITIES.

UM, ALL OF OUR OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS WITH LICENSED WITHIN THE CITY ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING AS OPERATING AUTHORITIES, UM, UH, SCOOTERS, UH, UH, MICRO MOBILITY OPERATES AS AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.

AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT OPERATING AUTHORITY MEANS IS THAT THE CITY HAS AN ORDINANCE THAT AUTHORIZES, UM, THE OPERATION OF, OF, UM, SAID VEHICLES, UH, UH, AND PERMITS THEM, UM,

[01:30:01]

UM, SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS.

IT'S A VERY SIMPLE PROCESS.

UH, THERE'S THERE ARE SET PREREQUISITE CRITERIA, UM, THAT ARE ESTABLISHED BY CITY CODE AND CAN ONLY BE CHANGED BY CITY COUNCIL, OF COURSE.

UM, AND AS LONG AS THE COMPANY CAN MEET THOSE PREREQUISITE CRITERIA, UH, THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, OBTAIN A LICENSE, UM, UH, AS THEY, AS THEY CAN.

BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS BACK INTO OUR NORMAL MEETING PROCESS.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

AND THANKS FOR BEARING WITH ME.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD TOO MANY OF THESE FRANCHISE DISCUSSIONS COME TO COUNCIL.

I THINK WE'VE DONE IT WITH MAYBE SOME OF THE AMBULATORY SERVICES, UM, BUT SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE DICE A LITTLE LONGER MAY HAVE BETTER RECOLLECTION OF HOW SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE PROGRESSED IN THE PAST.

UM, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE? YOU SAID IT WAS APPROVED 11 TO ZERO AT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS ON MY RADAR UNTIL WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BRING IT UP HERE FOR A BRIEFING.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE AND TIMELINE, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE FOLKS WHO CALLED IN EARLIER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT OR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND NOTIFICATION, YOU KNOW, JUST AWARENESS, EVEN IF IT'S NOT A FORMALIZED NOTIFICATION, WHAT, WHAT COMMUNICATION CAN THEY EXPECT FROM THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL PARTIES UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS PROGRESSING IN, IN THE CONVERSATION, NO MATTER WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING WHEN IT GETS TO COUNCIL? UH, YET.

SO WE HAVE, UM, WE'RE COMMITTED TO OUTREACH, UM, WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, WITH, UH, THE TAXI CAB COMPANIES, AS WELL AS THE DRIVERS.

UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANY OF THEM, WE HAVE A WEBPAGE SET UP RIGHT NOW, UH, AND, UM, A FEEDBACK SYSTEM WHERE THEY CAN CONTACT ME DIRECTLY.

I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMPANIES, UM, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND I'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, UH, ABOUT THIS PROCESS WHERE ESSENTIALLY, UM, WE, WE WENT TO UTC, UH, WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, UH, BACK IN SEPTEMBER.

UM, AND, UH, WE WERE KIND OF MOVING ALONG TO, TO GENERATE A DRAFT ORDINANCE AND REALLY WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND COMING TO MOBILITY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS BEFORE GOING TO COUNCIL, UH, WITH, WITH ATDS RECOMMENDATION.

UM, SO WE WERE PLANNING TO COME TO COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 3RD, UM, TO, UH, DISCUSS FURTHER PERHAPS, OR, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO, TO SWITCH OR TRANSITION TO, UH, AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL, UM, IN AN OUT OF A FRANCHISE MODEL.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, JASON REDFORD FROM ATD HAS ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT.

UH, ACTUALLY THIS IS ROB SPILLWAY, THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION.

AND AS JACOB SAID, UH, ADAM CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 3RD, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY SLIP THAT TO FEBRUARY 17TH, IF THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME EXTRA TIME.

AND, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL.

UM, UH, OUR GOAL IS, IS TO, TO MOVE THIS FORWARD THIS SPRING, UH, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON, UH, JUST SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MOVE FORWARD.

SO THAT'S SORT OF THE PLAN, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR THAT DIRECTOR SPILLER.

UM, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO CONSULT WITH SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES BEFORE MAKING THAT, BUT I JUST, MY ANECDOTAL THOUGHTS AT THIS POINT WOULD JUST BE, SINCE WE DO HAVE BACK-TO-BACK MEETINGS, UM, THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO DISCUSS AT A WORK SESSION.

AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE CITY MANAGER, UM, YOU MAY NEED TO ASK HIM TO SEE WHAT, UM, CITY MANAGER CRONK HAS IN STORE FOR THE WORK SESSIONS ON THE FIRST AND THE 15TH, JUST BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO SIT AS A DIOCESE AND UNDERSTAND BETTER AND ALLOW FOR MORE FEEDBACK FROM, UM, THE COMPANIES AND TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME Q AND A WITH STAFF ON ALL THE DIFFERENT ANGLES OF THIS, BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A FEW GOING ON HERE.

UH, YES.

AND, AND THAT'S UNDERSTOOD.

AND SO I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND START MOVING TO DELAY IT A LITTLE BIT.

UH, ANYTIME WE TALK ABOUT A FRANCHISE AND JUST TO REITERATE, THIS IS ONLY THE VEHICLES FOR HIRE FRANCHISE IS THE ONLY DISCUSSION THAT THIS WOULD REVOLVE AROUND.

UM, OKAY.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, UH, COLLECTIVELY WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO, TO COMMUNICATE ON THIS.

AND SO I'LL WORK WITH, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, FIDANKA TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL JUST CAUSE I KNOW WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE UP TO SPEED ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPENED.

AND SOMETIMES, UM, WHEN THINGS DO GO TO A COMMISSION, WE START HEARING ABOUT THEM AT THAT POINT.

AND SO I'M, MAYBE IT DID COME IN AND MAYBE WE DID HAVE COMMUNICATION BACK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT I'M JUST NOT SURE.

UM, IF IT WAS ON OUR RADAR, BECAUSE WE WERE PROBABLY SWITCHING GEARS FROM THE

[01:35:01]

UNDERSTOOD.

AND OF COURSE COVID, AND THE PANDEMIC HAS SORT OF MADE IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THINGS GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE, UH, OR CONSISTENT SEQUENTIAL LINE, AT LEAST.

I KNOW EVERYTHING WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON AND FIGURING OUT TIMELINE HAS THAT, THAT ASTERISKS NEXT TO IT THAT SAYS COVID IS STILL GOING ON.

AND WE ARE STILL TRYING TO NAVIGATE EVERYTHING AS, AS BEST WE CAN.

UM, I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION AND IT WAS ABOUT THE SLIDE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE WHEELCHAIR LIFT VEHICLES, UM, IS THERE LIKE AN ADA STANDARD BY WHICH THE COMPANIES ARE ABIDING RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE GOT ENOUGH OF THOSE AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS? AND IF SO, HOW WOULD THAT BE PROTECTED UNDER A NEW MODEL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WITH ALL TYPES OF ABILITIES OR DISABILITIES HAS ACCESS TO, UM, UH, A CAB OR OTHER MODES OF TRANSIT WHEN AND WHERE THEY NEED IT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

AND I'M SURE.

UM, YES.

UH, SO THE 6% REQUIREMENT, UH, IS A FEDERAL MANDATE, UH, FOR TAXI CAB COMPANIES TO MAINTAIN 6% OF THEIR OVERALL FLEET AS WHEELCHAIR LIFT CABS.

UM, SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, A VERY IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT, UH, AND THAT WOULD BE MAINTAINED AS WELL AS ALL OF THE OTHER OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, UH, UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.

SO THERE WOULD REALLY BE NO OPERATIONAL CHAT, UH, CHANGES, UM, UH, IN A TRANSITION FROM A FRANCHISE TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.

IT WOULD SIMPLY JUST CHANGE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH WE LICENSE THE COMPANIES.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT EXTRA EXPLANATION.

UM, I MIGHT JUST ASK IF THERE COULD BE LIKE A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, EITHER SENT TO US OR UPDATED.

UM, I DO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THREE SPEAKERS SIGNING UP AND COMING TO SPEAK TO US TODAY.

I, I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE AT LEAST ONE WAS, UM, A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT IT WAS COMING TO US AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME, UM, SHARE HIS THOUGHTS WITH US AS, AS WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH THE FRANCHISE TAXI MODEL IN THE PAST CAN, CAN GET MORE UP TO SPEED AS WE, AS WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS, THIS IDEA BETTER AND WHERE IT COMES FROM AND WHAT, UM, WHAT PROS AND CONS ARE INVOLVED IN, IN CHANGING TO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

DO I HAVE I SEEK A MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR, AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN MAY HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC AND IT IS ABOUT 2 45.

WE'VE GOT TWO MORE ITEMS TO GET THROUGH.

SO JUST WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON OUR TIME RIGHT HERE.

DID YOU ALL HEAR THAT FROM ONE AS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WAS RAISED AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO IT? YEAH, THERE WAS A CONCERN FROM ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, UM, THAT PERHAPS A, A SINGLE COMPANY WOULD BE ABLE TO PERHAPS CONTRACT WITH THE AIRPORT.

I'LL BE, I'LL BE QUICK.

UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET IN WRITING SORT OF WHAT THE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, IT'S A LITTLE QUIET.

SO MAYBE JUST SPEAK ABOUT OUTCOME.

I'LL COME IN CLOSE THIS, LIKE EVERY, IF I MOVE IT SOMEWHERE, CHANGES THE SOUND.

UM, I WANTED TO ASK IF YOU COULD PROVIDE A, A WRITTEN EXPLANATION WITH RESPECT TO THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND HOW THOSE ARE STAYING THE SAME.

I SHARE THE CONCERN THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS RAISED ABOUT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.

SHE RAISED THE QUESTION FOR DISABILITIES, BUT NEW, EVEN IF YOU LIKE ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT AT 2:00 AM, YOU'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO GET A CAB THEN, UH, THEN, THEN SOME OTHER OPTIONS.

UM, AND TRADITIONALLY OUR TO BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, TRADITIONALLY THEY'VE BEEN MUCH MORE RELIABLE, UM, IN THAT REGARD.

AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT, UM, REDUCING THE KINDS OF SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OR REQUIRING.

UM, AND I'M, I'M HEARING THAT THAT WON'T HAPPEN ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I NOT, I'M NOT TOTALLY UNDERSTANDING WHY THEN ANYONE, YOU KNOW, WHY, IF WE'RE SWITCHING THIS, ANYONE'S SIGNING UP AS AN OPERATING AUTHORITY TAXI CAB AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING ELSE.

UM, SO THAT MAY BE A SECOND PIECE OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE VARIATION ACROSS THE LICENSES THAT YOU'RE GIVING FOR THESE MOBILITY, UM, SERVICES TO, TO DEMARCATE STILL THAT SPACE OF SERVICE, UM, THAT WE'VE COME TO RELY ON FROM THE CAVS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.

UH, YES.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UH, ANOTHER, UH, POINT THAT, UM, UH, SPEAKER RAYS THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A COMPONENT OF THIS, SO IT MAY BE A MISUNDERSTANDING.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF I HEARD CORRECTLY, I THINK THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED ABOUT THIS, UM, REPLACING, UM, THE EXISTING SYSTEM WITH ONE, UM, ENTITY THAT ALL THE DRIVERS WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

NOW, MAYBE I HEARD THAT WRONG OR

[01:40:01]

I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE CONCERN, UM, THAT I HEARD.

UM, I, I DO NOT THINK THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

AND THOUGH I DO NOT REALLY HAVE ANY, UH, OVERSIGHT OF THE AIRPORT OPERATIONS AT ALL, UH, JUST THE CITY OPERATIONS.

SO THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THIS CHANGE THAT, UH, IT'S SIMPLY A CHANGE IN THE FORM OF CONTRACT.

IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS, RIGHT? CORRECT.

IT WOULD BE SIMPLY THE MECHANISM BY WHICH THEY'RE LICENSED RIGHT NOW FOR ANY, ANY FRANCHISE IN THE CITY IS GOVERNED BY, UM, ARTICLE 11 OF CITY CHARTER.

YEAH, IT WAS AIRPORT.

I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR THOUGHT.

OH, NO, PLEASE.

WELL, WITH REGARD TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPORT COULD CONTRACT WITH ONE VENDOR.

NOW, IF THEY WANTED TO, UH, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, NO, UM, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORTS, UM, OPERATIONAL ABILITIES.

BUT THIS DOESN'T CHANGE THEIR AUTHORITY.

CORRECT.

IT WOULD NOT CHANGE ANYTHING EXCEPT THE MECHANISM BY WHICH THEY'RE PERMITTED.

AND IF I COULD DISRUPT SPILLER AGAIN, THAT DIRECTOR, UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT STAFF FOLLOWS THE POLICY THAT COUNCIL ENACTS.

AND SO EVEN RIGHT NOW, THE FRANCHISES, UH, PAUL UNDER THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND ARE OPERATED BY A SINGLE DEPARTMENT, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY OPERATE UNDER THE RULES AND DIRECTIONS THAT, THAT YOU ALL SET THROUGH POLICY.

AND THAT WOULD BE THE SAME THING AS WE GO INTO AN OPERATING SORT OF ENVIRONMENT.

UH, IF THERE ARE CERTAIN PARAMETERS OR RULES FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, NO MORE THAN X NUMBER OF, UH, OF OPERATING AUTHORITIES OR, OR, UM, STANDARDS IN TERMS OF HOW MANY DRIVERS WERE WE'RE WE'RE SEEKING TO PUT INTO THE MARKET.

THOSE ARE CERTAINLY POLICY ITEMS THAT, THAT, UH, WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ALL ABOUT AND, AND GET YOUR DIRECTION ON.

SO, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A CHANGE IN THAT SORT OF OPERATING, UM, ENVIRONMENT, IF YOU WOULD.

WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS GOING TO BE OUR UPDATE FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CHAIR IS MR. CHAMPION ON HI.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

I SEE THE MAYOR, OUR FORMER MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT.

SO IT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT WHERE THE ONLY MAJOR METRO IN TEXAS WHOSE OPERATIONS LIKE OURS ARE, DID I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT.

WE'RE THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS THAT, UM, LICENSES, TAXI CABS AS A FRANCHISE, UH, SYSTEM.

UM, ALL OF THE OTHER, UM, CITIES IN TEXAS, UH, ARE ESSENTIALLY AN OPERATING AUTHORITY THOUGH.

SOME MAY NOT CALL IT AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.

IT'S, IT'S A SIMPLE LICENSE THAT IS ISSUED UPON, UH, THE COMPLETION OF PREREQUISITE CRITERIA.

UM, SO, UH, HOUSTON, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UH, SAN ANTONIO, NOW THEY DO HAVE OTHER OPERATIONAL, UH, DIFFERENCES, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE 25 CABS TO OPERATE, UM, UH, IN TO START A CAB BUSINESS, BUT THAT WOULD BE A STANDARD THAT WE WOULD MAINTAIN, UH, JUST AS, UH, HOUSTON MAINTAINS THAT AS WELL.

I'D BE CURIOUS TO JUST LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL.

I'LL BE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAKE OF FULL DISCLOSURE, I DON'T MUCH TO THE TEARS POINT.

I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I KNOW ENOUGH TO WEIGH IN SUBSTANTIVELY, BUT I DO HAVE THIS QUESTION.

HAVE WE TAKEN A LOOK AT HOW THOSE COMPANIES AND THOSE DRIVERS ARE FAIRING IN THOSE OTHER TEXAS CITIES THAT USE THE OPERATING MODEL, UM, INSTEAD OF FRANCHISING, ARE THEY THRIVING, STRUGGLING? DO WE KNOW WHY? WHY NOT? THOSE ARE THE, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT TODAY TO THE CHAIR'S POINT.

WE STILL HAVE TWO ITEMS TO COVER, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS IN THE FUTURE ANSWERING THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT WERE RAISED BY MY COLLEAGUES TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.

UM, I AGREE.

I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS.

THIS HAS BEEN INFORMATIVE, UM, BUT I THINK WE'VE STILL GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND WANT TO UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW, HOW THIS AFFECTS THE DRIVERS AND THE, AND THE COMPANIES AND, UH, WHAT THE PROS AND CONS ARE.

SO I IMPLORE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DID SIGN UP TO SPEAK TO PLEASE EMAIL US, AND YOU CAN JUST DO ALL OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL SINCE AT A FUTURE POINT, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE ON ALL OF OUR RADARS AND WE'LL NEED TO DISCUSS IT TOGETHER AS A DIOCESE.

UM, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SIGNING UP AND SPEAKING TODAY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THE COMMENTS THAT YOU CAN SEND TO US.

[01:45:02]

AND WITH THAT, WE

[6. Update from the chair of the Urban Transportation Commission (UTC) regarding recent UTC actions from the 9/27/21, 10/5/21, 11/02/21 and 12/06/21 meetings.]

I SEE YOU.

HI, I'M HERE.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

THANKS FOR JOINING, UH, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT MAY PRETEND SO I'M MARIO CHAMPION.

I AM CURRENTLY THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

I'VE BEEN ASKED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON SEVERAL OF OUR LAST MEETINGS GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO SEPTEMBER 27TH OF LAST YEAR, WHERE WE DID IN FACT, TAKE UP THIS EXACT ITEM.

SINCE WE JUST DISCUSSED IT A BUNCH, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS AND WHY WE SUPPORTED IT.

11 ZERO.

WE STILL HAVE A VERY, VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATION.

THERE WAS SOME QUESTION BACK AND FORTH.

I THINK THE STRONGEST ARGUMENTS THAT SWAYED THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OR REMOVING THE CONCEPT OF THE, UH, TAXI COMPANIES AS A PUBLIC UTILITY RATHER THAN AS A PRIVATE COMPANY AND THE ARGUMENT THAT, UM, ALL OF THE OTHER VEHICLE FOR HIGHER SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR CITY AND ESSENTIALLY EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY OF TEXAS DO NOT USE THE FRANCHISE MODEL.

THEY USE OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.

SO IT DOES, YOU KNOW, IF THERE HAS TO BE SOME WISDOM OF THE CROWDS, PERHAPS, UM, UH, LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE AND HAVE SETTLED ON THE OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.

THAT WAS A PRETTY STRONG ARGUMENT, UM, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT IT STARTED AS AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL AND HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME A FRANCHISE MODEL, BUT IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN A FRANCHISE MODEL.

SO THERE, UM, THAT WAS SORT OF HOW THAT DECISION CAME ABOUT.

AND IF I REMEMBER IT CORRECTLY, ALSO AT THAT MEETING, WE DISCUSSED, UM, MOVING, UH, OR APPROVING A RECOMMENDATION THAT YELLOW CAB BE ABLE TO CHANGE ITS NAME, WHICH IS, UM, MR. CARLSON MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THE FRANCHISE MODEL HOLDS THINGS UP.

SO THIS WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER, IT'S NOW BEEN, I GUESS, WHATEVER THAT IS FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AND YELLOW CAB IS STILL NOT Z TRIP BECAUSE IT HAS TO GO THROUGH COUNCIL AND A PROCESS THAT'S A LITTLE MORE EITHER RIGOROUS OR LABOR LABORIOUS, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT.

SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN SEPTEMBER.

I'M GOING TO MOVE THIS PRETTY QUICKLY.

I KNOW WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE, SO PLEASE STOP ME IF YOU NEED TO DIG IN DEEPER ON ANYTHING.

NO, I'LL JUMP RIGHT AHEAD.

AND, UM, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, WE HAD MORE UPDATES, NOTHING REALLY MATERIAL THAT WE, I THINK NEED TO DISCUSS HERE, BECAUSE WE DID SPEND A BUNCH OF TIME IN DECEMBER ON THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LADY BIRD LINK BRIDGE PROJECT, UM, WHICH IS HOW THE BLUE LINE AS PART OF PROJECT CONNECT CROSSES TOWN LAKE.

UM, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION, UM, UH, QUITE, QUITE A GOOD DISCUSSION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY SHOULD EVEN CONSIDER PUTTING BUSES ON THAT BRIDGE.

THAT'S THE SUM OF IT.

UM, THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO DO IT AND GOOD REASONS TO NOT DO IT.

UM, ATD, UH, WAS VERY OPEN ABOUT NOT HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT JUST HAD NOT COME UP.

THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO SAY IT WAS TOO LATE, BUT I THINK MANY PEOPLE ON UTC FELT THAT THEY WERE ON THE VERGE OF SAYING IT'S TOO LATE TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK THERE WAS SOME PUSHBACK FROM UTC TO SAY, WELL, AS IT GOES INTO THE DESIGN STAGES, AND WE'RE NOT REALLY THERE YET, CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT? IS IT WORTH CONSIDERING, UH, MAYBE IT IS GOING TO REPRESENT TO US, UM, TO UTC, I BELIEVE NEXT MONTH THEY WANT IT TO GATHER MORE DATA, UH, COME BACK WITH A STRONGER OPINION AS TO WHY BUSES NOT WHERE THE BUSES SHOULD BE ON THERE, BUT WHETHER OR NOT BUSES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE ON THERE, CAUSE IT WILL HAVE TO GET THE FULL DESIGN STAGE.

UM, SO THERE WAS A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION.

UM, THERE WILL BE FOLLOW UP, I GUESS THERE WAS ON YOUR AGENDA FOR TODAY THAT WAS PUSHED AS WELL.

UM, SO THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONCERN.

IT HAS A LOT OF IMPACT ON, WELL, IT POTENTIALLY HAS A LOT OF IMPACT ON HOW PROJECT CONNECT GETS USED AND WHO USES IT.

UH, THE ONE OTHER ITEM THAT I THINK WORTH MENTIONING IS, WAS A PRESENTATION WE GOT FROM FARM AND CITY.

UM, WHICH IF YOU DON'T KNOW, IS A 5 0 1 C3 THAT TALKS ABOUT, UH, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND, UH, A LOT DATA MODELING.

I THINK THIS WAS A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION AND RAISED A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW CAMPOS, UM, KIND OF REGIONAL USE, UH, GROWTH, STANDARD MODELING HAPPENS AND WHETHER OR NOT, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT CAMPO PROJECTIONS, WHICH DETERMINE WHAT ROADS WE BUILD AND HOW MONEY GETS SPENT, IF THEY HAVE BEEN ACCURATE AND THEREFORE SHOULD THE CURRENT MODELS THAT THEY USE BE CONTINUED TO BE ACCEPTED.

UM, FARMING CITY HAS AN OPINION.

I WON'T PRESS ANY PARTICULAR OPINION.

I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD, UH, ANALYSIS BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK BACKWARDS AND YOU CAN SEE HOW ARE PEOPLE DOING? IS THAT WORTH DOING FORWARD? AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ADDITIONAL ELEMENT IN THERE ABOUT WHERE GROWTH HAS BEEN AND WHERE GROWTH IS AND WHERE REPRESENTATION IS ON CAMPO, UM, WHICH IS A WHOLE OTHER SET OF DISCUSSIONS.

[01:50:01]

IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD PRESENTATION.

UM, IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE UTC SITE, IN THE BACKUP.

UM, IF NOT, WE CAN PROBABLY GET THE STAFF LIAISON TO SEND IT FORWARD TO YOU.

I RECOMMEND LOOKING THROUGH IT.

THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD DATA.

UM, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE NON-PROFIT IS CALLED FARM AND CITY, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEM.

AND THAT IS A VERY QUICK UPDATE AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO JOIN US.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE UPDATES.

I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN'S HAND IS UP JUST A QUICK COMMENT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT AND DISCUSSING THE, UM, QUESTIONS RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT.

APPRECIATE THAT.

OH, I WANT TO CHAIR JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT IN PERHAPS THE UPDATE FROM OUR ACM WE'LL WE'LL COVER THIS, BUT THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS OCCURRING RIGHT NOW ABOUT PULLING TOGETHER THE, UM, THE THREE BOARDS, THE CAP, METRO ATP AND CITY COUNCIL, UH, AT SOME POINT, UM, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE TO, UM, TO GIVE EVERYONE A HEADS UP ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WILL BE COMING FORWARD, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THIS NEXT YEAR, ACTUALLY NOT THE WHOLE YEAR, EVEN THROUGH THE SUMMER AND MAYBE EARLY FALL, THE, THE KINDS OF ISSUES THAT WILL NEED TO BE, UM, DISCUSSED AND DECIDED AS A COMMUNITY.

UM, AND SO, UH, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO TODAY, LIKE THOSE ISSUES IN ONE PLACE FOR ALL IT'S TO BE AWARE OF THEM AND ALSO TO BE DONE IN A PUBLIC WAY SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS.

I KNOW THAT THE UTC, UM, UM, AND, UH, UTC NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO GET THAT KIND OF INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN GET THE INPUT FROM THEM.

SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP, UM, AS SOME OF YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK THE DATE'S BEEN SET YET, SO, OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

AND I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS FLEX, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT WORK.

IT'S A MOMENTOUS OCCASION TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT PROJECT CONNECT.

AND SO WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE, THOSE JOINT MEETINGS THAT WE GET TO HAVE.

IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAMPION FOR YOUR UPDATE.

AND WE WILL NOW CALL UP

[7. Update from Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca on the City's Strategic Mobility Outcome]

ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FEE IN DACA JUST TO PRESENT OUR LAST ITEM.

SURE.

TO BE HERE.

UM, I HAVE POSTED THE MONTHLY MOBILITY OUTCOME REPORT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

I'M HERE.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, FOR CONSOLE MEMBER KITCHEN, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SCHEDULING THAT DATE WITH OUR POLICYMAKERS AND THE ATP BOARD AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION CONVERSATION WITH STAFF ON SOME OF THE PROGRAM ELEMENTS THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR POLICYMAKERS TO DISCUSS WITH STATE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING THIS UPDATE JUST VERY QUICKLY.

IT IS POSTED IN BACKUP, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT THE ATX WALK, BIKE ROLL, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR INPUT THE AUSTIN MARATHON PREPARATIONS, THE MCCALLA STATION UPDATE PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD OVER LONGHORN DAM MOBILITY PROJECT NAMED AS A TOP FIVE BEST NEW BIKE WAYS OF 2021.

SO CONGRATS ON THAT.

UH, VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICE AUSTIN TO LONDON HEATHROW AND THE AIRPORT FUEL STORAGE PROJECT WAS, WHICH IS A CONVERSATION THAT, UM, A FEW OF, UH, QUITE A FEW FOLKS HAVE REACHED OUT TO US JUST ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION AND THE BROADMORE STATION GROUNDBREAKING, AS LONG AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF LINKS TO RESOURCES THAT THE COMMUNITY MAY FIND REALLY HELPFUL.

UM, I HAD ONE BRIEF QUESTION AND THAT IS ON THE MCCALLA STATION UPDATE.

IT TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE BOND DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO FUND THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, 20 16, 20 18 AND 2020.

I THOUGHT I REMEMBER LIKE PROJECT CONNECT HAD MENTIONED SOME OF THAT IS THAT THE 20, 20 BOND DOLLARS THAT'S EXPECTED TO BE USED RIGHT NOW AS PART OF, UM, AS PART OF THE REDLINE IS TO DO THAT THROUGH PROJECT CONNECT FUNDING CHAIR.