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COLLEAGUES BEFORE WE CONVENE THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, WORK SESSION, UM, UH, GIVEN THE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT MIGHT WANT TO GIVE SOME COMMENTS.
I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE BEAR PRO TAM FIRST.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO SPEAK, UM, TO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES AND TO, TO THE CITY.
UM, THE EVENTS THAT ARE UNFOLDING IN UKRAINE ARE HORRIBLE TRATEGY TRAGEDY.
UM, AND THIS ISN'T A FRONT TO ALL WHO VALUE JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY, UM, TO THE UKRAINIANS AND THOSE OF UKRAINIAN DESCENT WHO ARE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE CITY STANDS WITH YOU TONIGHT.
CITY HALL WILL BE LIT IN YELLOW AND BLUE AND SOLIDARITY.
THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR HELPING US MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN AUSTIN, I WANT YOU TO THINK, AS YOU REFLECT ON THE EVENTS, UM, ON THIS ELECTION DAY, I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THE UKRAINIANS WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY, THEIR ABILITY TO OPERATE A FREE SOCIETY AND THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE IT'S ELECTION DAY HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND ONE THING YOU CAN DO IN SOLIDARITY IS TO EXERCISE THAT RIGHT TO VOTE.
UM, WE, AS A, AS A COUNTRY HAVE A LOT TO DO TO SUPPORT UKRAINE, UM, AND THOSE WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
UM, AND MY HOPE IS THAT AUSTIN WE'LL DO OUR PART.
UM, THIS IS A TRAGEDY AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE IT AS SUCH.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PART, TIM, THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR, I THINK IT'S, UM, I, I THINK IT'S REALLY, UH, A NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE AND IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL SPEAK OUT.
SO I JUST HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE AMAZING AND INSPIRING COURAGE OF THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE WORLDWIDE SUPPORT THAT HAS BEEN HEARTENING, AND THAT SHOWS US WHAT WE CAN DO AS A WORLD WHEN WE STICK TOGETHER.
AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT FOR THE, FOR EVERYONE WHO IS WATCHING AND HEARING AND LISTENING TO WHAT IS GOING ON AND CAN FEEL, FEEL IT IN YOUR HEARTS.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY EVERYBODY CAN DO SOMETHING WE CAN ALL STEP IN.
WE CAN ALL DO WHAT WE CAN IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD.
WE CAN SAY, WE CAN RECOGNIZE THE COURAGE OF UKRAINIANS.
WE CAN HELP OUR FOLKS THAT ARE HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
WE CAN SEND OUR THOUGHTS, OUR PRAYERS, OUR DOLLARS, ANYTHING, AND EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, TO SAY, UM, TO, TO RECOGNIZE AGAIN, THE JUST AMAZING AND HEARTBREAKING, UM, COURAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM UKRAINE AND URGE ALL OF US TO DO WHAT WE CAN IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD TO, TO SUPPORT THEM BEFORE THIS.
I ALSO WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES AND SHARING MY SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE.
UM, AND ALSO WHAT MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR SHARED ABOUT, UM, DOING OUR SERVICE AND CIVIC DUTY IN VOTING TODAY.
IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN DO AND RECOGNIZING HOW PRECIOUS DEMOCRACIES ARE AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING WORLDWIDE.
I KNOW THAT ME AND MY TEAM, UH, HAD A CONVERSATION YESTERDAY ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE.
AND SO I KNOW IT'S AFFECTING, UM, NOT ONLY OUR, OUR TEAMS, UM, BUT AUSTINITES AND PEOPLE WORLDWIDE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COME TOGETHER, THAT WE SHARE OUR SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE, UM, THAT WE OFFER RESOURCES AND APPOINT PEOPLE WHERE THEY CAN, UM, TAKE ACTION IF THEY WANT TO SUPPORT.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE REACHED OUT TO, UH, THE CITY STAFF TO SEE, UM, WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DOING AND OFFERING ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT.
SO IF WE COULD HAVE THAT SHARED OUT WITH EVERYONE, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US TO SHARE BACK WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, FOR THOSE WHO DO WANT TO GET INVOLVED AND, UM, AND SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, BUT ALSO JUST WANTED TO ECHO, UM, TO MY, MY SUPPORT.
AND I'M THRILLED TO HEAR THAT CITY HALL WILL BE LIGHTING UP, UH, TOMORROW, UH, IN SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE, UH, AND ALSO THINK, UH, CODA.
THEY LIT THEIR OBSERVATION TOWER LAST NIGHT, UM, WITH THE UKRAINIAN FLAG COLORS.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, COME TOGETHER, UM, AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY.
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AND I KNOW, UM, IT IS, UH, IT IS A VERY, UM, UNCERTAIN TIME RIGHT NOW FOR MANY, AND WE'RE ALL HAVING THOSE CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS.AND SO JUST WANTED TO OFFER MY SUPPORT AS WELL.
I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT THIS WEEKEND, IT WAS ALL EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO I KNOW THAT WE CERTAINLY HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS IN UKRAINE.
I'M GLAD THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS OFFERING WHAT ASSISTANCE IT CAN OFFER DURING THESE TRYING TIMES.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STEPPING UP AS A CITY TO SHOW OUR SOLIDARITY WITH THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
AND WE'VE CERTAINLY BEEN HUMBLED BY, BY THEIR STRENGTH AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME.
YOU HAVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM FOR RAISING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT'S HAPPENING IN AFFECTING EVERYONE.
I'D LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO TAKE TIME, TO SAY A PRAYER FOR THOSE THAT ARE STANDING UP FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE, AS WE'VE SEEN ARE VERY STRONG PEOPLE AND TEXANS ARE STRONG PEOPLE.
AND WE STAND WITH THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE AS THEY DEFEND THEIR COUNTRY.
I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN THAT ARE UKRAINIAN.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE SUPPORT YOU.
PLEASE KEEP THESE STRONG PEOPLE IN YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS, AND PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO LIFT THEM UP AND OFFER THEM SUPPORT.
ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND IT'D BE IN THEN THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE, WORK SESSION ON MARCH 1ST, UH, 2022.
UH, THE TIME IS 1113, UH, COLLEAGUES.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PULLED ITEMS, UH, THUS FAR.
UH, SO WE WOULD GO THAT INTO DISCUSSION.
UH, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVO YOU PUT BOTH OF THESE ON THE AGENDA, SO I WOULD LET YOU LEAD WITH THOSE WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THAT DISCUSSION, WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS TO TOUCH ON IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL THEN COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE, UH, THE BRIEFINGS AND WE'LL HAVE THE LUNCH BEFORE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION LUNCH.
BEFORE WE, WE DO THE DEBRIEF EGGS.
OBVIOUSLY A HARD STOP IS ALWAYS AT FIVE O'CLOCK, UH, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE A MAYOR PRO TEM ON A NEED TO LEAVE THE DAY IS AT ONE O'CLOCK FOR A FEW MINUTES.
AND THEN FROM ONE 30 TO TWO 30, UH, TODAY.
SO, UH, CATHERINE, TOVA LET ME, UH, UH, TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THESE ARE BOTH SUPER SHOULD BE SUPER SHORT DISCUSSION.
SO THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO PUT THEM ON.
AND I DIDN'T COME IN EARLIER BECAUSE I REALLY JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN AND OTHERS.
I CERTAINLY SHARE THAT SAME SENTIMENT.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BOTH RECOGNIZING THE HORROR AND TRAGEDY THAT'S THAT'S TRANSPIRING, THE STRENGTH OF THE UKRAINE PEOPLE, AND ALSO POINTING US TO THE WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN OF UKRAINIAN HERITAGE, UH, WITH REGARD
[D1. Discussion concerning Council policy on cancelling Council meetings when local school districts cancel classes due to unforeseen circumstances.]
TO THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA.SO WE HAD A SITUATION THAT I DON'T RECALL HAVING, HAVING HAPPENED IN A WHILE WHERE OUR MAJOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE CLOSED ON A DAY WHERE WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING.
AND I THOUGHT AS A MATTER OF PRACTICE, I THINK WE SHOULD PROVIDE DIRECTION TO OUR CITY MANAGER, THAT IN ON DAYS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER OR SOME OTHER, SOME OTHER UNEXPECTED CRISIS WHERE OUR MAJOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS CLOSED.
AND MOST OF THEM, I THINK TAKE LEAD FROM AISB W IF WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED THAT WE WILL, AS A MATTER OF PRACTICE, UM, CANCEL IT FOR THAT DAY, UNLESS THERE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE REALLY TIME-SENSITIVE ON THE AGENDA.
I KNOW THAT WHILE MOST, WELL, ALL OF US, I BELIEVE, EXCEPT FOR THE MAYOR WERE ABLE TO STAY HOME ON THAT DAY.
WE DID HAVE CITY STAFF FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE WHO HAD TO SUPPORT IT.
IT, IT DOES CREATE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF, IF MOST OF OUR BUSINESSES WHO ALSO FOLLOW, UH, THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OFTEN WHEN I WORKED AT THIS, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE FOLLOWED AISD DECISION.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S, AS A MATTER OF PRACTICE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD DO SO AS WELL, SO THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING SOME OF OUR STAFF IN DANGER TO HAVE TO COME TO WORK, TO SUPPORT OUR MEETING.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, LONG BEFORE ANY OF US GOT ON THE DIET, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A MEASURE TO BE THE MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY CITY IN THE NATION.
AND I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME, SOME OPPORTUNITIES AND SOME CHALLENGES ALONG THAT PATH, BUT ONE OF THEM THAT I THINK WE CAN EASILY EASILY APPROVE IS, IS TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW WHEN, WHEN SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED, IT CAN CREATE CHALLENGES FOR, FOR OUR CITY STAFF OF SCHOOL AGED WHO HAVE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO THEN MIGHT BE SUMMONED INTO WORK TO SUPPORT A COUNCIL MEETING.
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MY THOUGHTS FOR MY COLLEAGUES ON THAT.AND AGAIN, IF THERE IS A TIME SENSITIVE ISSUE, I WOULD EXPECT THE MANAGER WOULD MAKE US AWARE, AND THEN WE WOULD MEET FOR, UH, TO HANDLE THAT ONE AND ONLY ITEM OR THOSE COUPLE ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH ON THAT DAY.
REMEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVA FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, I KNOW YOU'RE A PARENT AND I'M A PARENT OF A 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.
AND, UM, WHILE WE'RE IN A UNIQUE SITUATION AND WE'RE ABLE TO SOMETIMES BRING OUR KIDS WITH US OR HAVE THEM AROUND WHILE WE'RE MEETING, UM, THERE ARE OTHER PARENTS WHO ARE NOT AS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT AS AN OPTION, ESPECIALLY INDIVIDUALS IN CITY STAFF WHO WORK HERE.
AND SO I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
I THINK THIS IS, UM, UH, UH, A GOOD APPROACH.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GET INPUT FROM THE CITY MANAGER ON THE, UM, THE CONSEQUENCES OF MAKING THOSE CHANGES AT THE LAST BASICALLY IT'D BE AT A LAST MINUTE, UM, AND THERE IS ROOM IN YOUR RESOLUTION FOR THINGS THAT ARE TIME SENSITIVE AND URGENT, BUT THE PROCESS OF HAVING TO SIFT THROUGH AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE ARE, CAN TAKE TIME AND DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, I THINK WE REALLY DO NEED TO HAVE KIND OF A GIVE AND TAKE AND SEE THIS AS KIND OF ELASTIC AND WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR, OUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE MORE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES THAN THE POSITIVE ONES THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY SEARCHING FOR, IF THAT MAKES SENSE AND MAYOR BY MAY.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHY I DESCRIBED IT AS A PRACTICE RATHER THAN A POLICY THAT A HARD, HARD AND FAST POLICY.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST IT AS A PRACTICE THAT THAT COULD BE ADAPTED IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES DEMAND, BUT I'D LIKE FOR US NOT TO BE IN A SITUATION AGAIN, WHERE THE DAY BEFORE WE KNOW THAT THE MAJOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHERS ARE GOING TO BE CLOSED AND WE'RE ASKING STAFF TO COME IN AND SLEEP AT HOTELS SO THEY CAN SUPPORT THE COUNCIL MEETING THE NEXT DAY, IF THERE'S NOTHING URGENT ON THE AGENDA.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REASONS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT I WOULD SUGGEST DOING THIS, BUT, BUT I JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, BECAUSE THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS WHAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING IT A HARD AND FAST POLICY AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGING IT AS A PRACTICE WE'D LIKE TO BE FOLLOWED UNDER WELL FIRST COUNCIL.
UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND THAT CLARIFICATION ON THE PRACTICE VERSUS A POLICY, BECAUSE I DO THINK EACH SITUATION WILL BE UNIQUE AND WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE BOTH WHAT IS POTENTIALLY ON THE AGENDA WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MIGHT RESULT FROM A WEATHER EVENT.
UM, BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT HEARING THIS DISCUSSION AND, UH, JUST KNOWING THE PRACTICE AT THIS COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THOSE IN THE FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, I, I HESITATE TO SAY THAT, EXCUSE ME, I HESITATE TO SAY THAT THIS PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITH ME ON THE DIETS.
UM, BECAUSE THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING THE LAST SEVERAL SEVEN YEARS, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE FOUR OR FIVE MORE SNOW STORMS. UM, BUT, BUT THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WAS, WAS MY CALL THAT DAY AND IT WAS REALLY CLOSE.
AND I TALKED TO SEVERAL OF YOU, UH, ABOUT THIS AND COULD HAVE GONE EITHER WAY.
THE OTHER THINGS THAT I HEARD WAS THAT WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE SET TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS THAT HAD MOVED THEIR CALENDARS AROUND IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
SO WE, THERE WAS GOING TO BE A RIPPLE EFFECT FOR, FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE DISRUPTED.
CERTAINLY WE HAD PEOPLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY THAT WERE DISRUPTED.
UH, I ALSO HEARD THAT WE HAD THOUSANDS OF OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES WORKING THAT DAY, UH, BECAUSE THIS CITY CONTINUES TO OPERATE IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
AND, AND, AND THANKS AGAIN TO OUR CITY STAFF THAT ARE EXPECTED TO, TO, TO BRAVE THAT, THAT SITUATION.
UH, AND THERE WAS, UH, SOME INTEREST TO SOME OF THE STAFF MEMBERS TO SAY, IF I HAVE LOTS OF OTHER COLLEAGUES THAT ARE WORKING ON THAT DAY, I CAN HELP SUPPORT THIS FUNCTION TO, UH, TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO WORK.
UM, THERE WAS NOTHING ON THIS AGENDA THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE NOT DONE THIS MEETING, UH, WHICH IS WHAT MADE THE DECISION REALLY, REALLY CLOSE.
I'M REAL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS DISCUSSION THAT HAVING IT AS A PRACTICE, I'M NOT SURE ULTIMATELY THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT ANY EASIER, ULTIMATELY, WHOEVER IT IS THAT THAT IS THEY'RE MAKING THAT DECISION ON THAT DAY.
IT'S JUST A REALLY CLOSE THING THERE.
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ANSWER TO THIS OR WRONG ANSWER TO THIS.UM, BUT, BUT TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU'RE REAFFIRMING, I THINK SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES THAT WE'RE A FAMILY FRIENDLY CITY THAT WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID PUTTING ANYBODY AT RISK, UH, AND ANY MORE SINGLE PERSON WE PUT AT RISK IS ANOTHER PERSON WE'RE PUTTING AT RISK I THINK IS, IS, IS, IS GOOD, UH, GUIDANCE AND, AND, UM, GOOD LUCK THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU REMINDED ME OF ONE OTHER ELEMENT.
AND THAT IS, I THINK ANOTHER CONSIDERATION IS ONE THAT, THAT I THINK MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENT THAT DAY, WHICH IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE STAFF WHO ARE HERE SUPPORTING OUR MEETING OR PARTICIPATING IN OUR MEETING EVEN VIRTUALLY MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN RESPONDING TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER.
AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION THAT DAY THAT FOR EXAMPLE, INVOLVED THE POLICE CHIEF, I MAY BE MIXING UP SOME OF OUR MEETINGS.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT THAT ALSO BE FACTORED IN THAT THE TIME THE STAFF MIGHT NEED TO SPEND TO SUPPORT THE MEETING COULD BE TIME THAT THEY'RE BEING PULLED AWAY FROM, FROM SOME OF THEIR, SO I APPRECIATE ME, OR THAT IT WAS THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I THINK IT YOU'VE HELPED US SEE THE COMPLEXITY OF THOSE CHOICES, BUT AGAIN, I, I LIKE THE DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING TO MAKE IT LESS PRACTICE THAT WE WON'T, BUT CERTAINLY LEAVING IT, UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH SITUATION IS, AS YOU SAID, A CITY MANAGER DIFFERENT.
AND I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT TOO.
THANK YOU FOR RAISING THE ISSUE.
[D2. Discussion regarding the market study for Council staff and the relationship between Municipal Civil Service and rules applicable to Council staff.]
GO TO THE SECOND ITEM.SO THIS IS SOMETHING MAYOR THAT REALLY FOLLOWS UP IN A WAY ON THE COUNCIL DIRECTION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD, THE BUDGET DIRECTION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD TO DO MARKET STUDIES OF OUR CITY HALL STAFF, THE STAFF IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, AND THAT REMINDED ME OF A COUPLE, A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES THAT I HAD HOPED WE COULD ALSO ADDRESS AS PART OF THAT WORK.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT, UM, OUR THANK YOU TO OUR, OUR HR DEPARTMENT STAFF, UM, FOR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, I THINK I'VE ANSWERED.
UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE WITH THEM SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD AND, AND THEY ARE MORE OR LESS.
UM, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE US WITH A SHORT UPDATE ABOUT JUST A SUPER QUICK INFO ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE MARKET STUDY.
UM, ONE CHALLENGE THAT, THAT I THINK EXISTS IS THAT IN OUR CITY HALL OFFICES, WE HAVE JUST TWO, JUST TWO TITLES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US TO USE.
NOW, WE ALL, I THINK ASSIGN OUR STAFF DIFFERENT TITLES THAT ARE MORE REFLECTIVE OF THEIR JOB, BUT I, I HAVE TALKED WITH HR THROUGH THE YEARS ABOUT WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF WE ACTUALLY HAD THOSE TITLES THAT WERE MORE REFLECTIVE THAT REALLY, UM, ARE THINGS LIKE POLICY ADVISOR, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, CHIEF OF STAFF, COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST, OTHER KINDS OF TITLES THAT ARE REALLY REFLECTIVE, NOT JUST OF SIMILAR WORK IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO SIMILAR WORK IN THE PRIVATE COMMUNITY SO THAT OUR STAFF ARE REALLY EXTRAORDINARILY TALENTED STAFF THAT SERVE IN OUR CITY HALL OFFICES WHEN THEY LEAVE HERE, UM, ARE ABLE TO, TO REALLY BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT JOB THEY HELD AND, AND THERE, AND IT'S REFLECTIVE OF THEIR FULL RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND I ALSO HAVE WONDERED THROUGH THE YEARS, WHETHER THAT IMPACTS OUR MARKET STUDY, THAT'S DONE.
SO, SO THOSE TWO THINGS ARE LINKED THE JOB TITLES, WHAT OUR POSSIBILITIES ARE THERE.
I UNDERSTOOD FROM MY CONVERSATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS WITH HR, THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME CHANGES TO TITLES.
MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE NEED TO BE DIRECTED BY COUNCIL OR NOT.
UM, IF YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MARKET STUDY, AND THEN I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE WORKS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL ASK THAT QUESTION WHEN WE GET TO IT, BUT THAT'S THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
AND, AND AS AN OVERVIEW, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUPER STAFF IN MY OFFICE.
AND I KNOW HAVING WORKED WITH, WITH A LOT OF YOUR STAFF THAT YOU GUYS DO TOO, IT IS REALLY CHALLENGING SOMETIMES TO RECRUIT GREAT STAFF TO CITY HALL POSITIONS, BECAUSE THE PAY IS, IS SO MUCH LOWER THAN IT WOULD BE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND FRANKLY, THE SALARIES IN OUR OWN CITY HALL OFFICES ARE MUCH LOWER THAN THEY ARE IN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
I MEAN, I'VE COMPARED, YOU KNOW, I'VE LOOKED UP LOTS AND LOTS OF CITY, CITY STAFF MEMBERS, AND THEY ARE MAKING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE IF THEY WORK OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL THAN THEY DO HERE.
AND I THINK WE, WE NEED THIS AS A CHALLENGING JOB FOR ALL OF OUR, OUR POLICY STAFF, ALL OF OUR STAFF IN OUR OFFICES.
I THINK THEY SHOULD BE, UM, HAVE SALARIES THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE DIFFICULTY AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THAT WORK.
SO MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THE ACTION THAT YOU INITIATED TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT AND RESPOND TO IT IN WAYS THAT ARE FAIR.
UM, IT IS ALSO THOUGH ANOTHER CHALLENGE, I THINK FOR, IF WE'RE RECRUITING FROM STAFF STAFF WHO ARE ALREADY IN EXISTING CITY DEPARTMENTS, THEY ARE LEAVING MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE
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TO COME WORK OVER AT CITY HALL.AND WHEN THEY ARE, WHEN THEY CONCLUDE THEIR WORK AT CITY HALL, DO NOT HAVE ACCESS BACK INTO THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HAD IF THEY HAD REMAINED IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
SO THAT'S, THAT IS SOMETHING I'VE ASKED HR TO ADDRESS TO WHETHER THERE ARE ANY FIXES THAT THE COUNCIL CAN DO.
UM, AT LEAST FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LEAVING MUNICIPAL SERVICE TO COME WORK AT CITY HALL, UM, SHOULD THEY WANT TO REENTER THE REGULAR, UH, REGULAR WORKFORCE OUTSIDE OF, OF THIS SPACE? THANK YOU, DIRECTOR HAYES.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL, JOY HAYES, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND SOCIAL SERVICE.
UM, IF I COULD BEGIN WITH THE INITIAL QUESTION RELATIVE TO THE UPDATES ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE MARKET, WE DID RECEIVE DURING THE BUDGET PERIOD OR REQUESTS FOR EVALUATION.
UM, AS I LOOKED AT THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COUNCIL REQUEST CITY COUNCIL, YOU WANTED US TO LOOK AT A MARKET STUDY OF CITY COUNCIL, OFFICE COMPENSATION, STAFFING, AND BUDGETING THAT SHOULD INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO A REVIEW OF PAY AND BENEFITS, INCLUDING OPTIONS FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND A REVIEW OF SUPPORT SERVICES, STAFFING, AND BUDGETING LEVELS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN PEER CITIES.
AND SO THAT IS THE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR WHICH WE SET.
UM, THE, UM, REQUEST FOR GALLAGHER.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED COMPANIES WHO DO THIS WORK, UH, NATIONWIDE, UM, WE'VE ALSO USED GALLAGHER FOR TWO OTHER REQUESTS FROM THAT SAME BUDGET PERIOD.
UM, THAT TYPICALLY TAKES A PERIOD OF SIX TO NINE MONTHS WHEN YOU'RE DOING A NATIONAL MARKET REVIEW.
UM, THE PROCESS REQUIRES US TO ESTABLISH A SURVEY TO TALK ABOUT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE WITH THE CONSULTANT.
AND THEN WE PROVIDE THE CONSULTANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT, TO REACH OUT TO ALL OF THOSE PEERS AND TO GIVE THEM TIME TO RESPOND BACK TO THE SURVEY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A VERY CLEAR BENCHMARK BETWEEN WHAT WE SEE IN OTHER CITIES AND WHAT WE SEE IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND SO WE DID INITIATE THAT PROCESS IN OCTOBER, THE SCHEDULE THAT WE RECEIVED TO EXPEDITE THAT SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION BACK TO COUNCIL IN ENOUGH TIME FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS INCLUDED A REVIEW, WHICH IS PRETTY UNPRECEDENTED IN TWO MONTHS TO GET THE CONSULTANT, TO DO THE ANALYSIS AND DO THE BENCHMARK.
AND IN RETURN TO US IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, WHERE THE RESULT, THE TWO MAIN CONSULTANTS WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT, BOTH GOT COVID.
UM, AND SO THEY RE THEY DID CONTACT US AND ASK US FOR AN, A INCREASED AMOUNT OF TIME THAT MOVES US MORE INTO MARCH.
AND SO WE ARE EXPECTING TO RE RECEIVE THOSE RESULTS IN MARCH.
ONCE WE RECEIVE THOSE, IT WILL BE INCLUSIVE OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON WHAT WE SEE NATIONWIDE.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE COMPLEXITIES, AND IT'LL CERTAINLY BE THINGS THAT WE WILL DISCUSS WITH YOU WHERE WE GET THAT MARKET STEADY BACK.
BUT AS WE LOOK AT TITLES, I THINK THAT WAS THE SECOND PIECE TO WHAT YOU WERE DISCUSSING.
UH, WHEN WE CREATED THE TITLES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR YOUR OFFICES.
WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THE LEVEL ONE SYSTEM, THE TITLES WERE GENERIC TITLES THAT ENCOMPASS THOSE GOALS, THE SCOPE AND WORK RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OFFICE.
WHAT WE DID ALLOW IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OFFICES TO CREATE THEIR OWN WORKING TITLES.
BECAUSE WHAT WE ALSO FOUND IN THE INITIAL CONVERSATION IS THAT EVERY OFFICE SEES THAT WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY DIFFERENT.
EVERYBODY DOESN'T WANT THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
EVERYBODY MAY CALL THERE'S AS A POLICY ADVISOR, BUT THE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE DIVERSE.
AND SO IN THE CREATION OF THE THREE TITLES THAT WE PROVIDED OFFICES, IT GAVE YOU THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE SCALE OF PAY TO, TO ALLOW YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WORKED FOR YOUR OFFICE.
NOW, AS WE'VE EVOLVED, WE DO HEAR AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE MAY BE TIME TO REEVALUATE THOSE TITLES, THOSE SCOPES OF WORK, BUT AS WE DO, SO I WOULD WANT TO DO IT IN A WAY TO CREATE AS LARGE OF A SCOPE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY COUNCIL MEMBER TO DETERMINE SOME COUNCIL OFFICE WANT TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE TO DO LESS WORK, SOMEONE, LESS PEOPLE TO DO MORE WORK.
AND SO WE WANT TO CREATE AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS WE CAN AND ALLOWING YOU TO PICK THOSE TITLES.
WHAT WE WILL DO IS TO TAKE THE INFORMATION FROM THE CONSULTANT SURVEY, LOOK AT OUR CURRENT POSITIONS.
WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO CONFLICT WITH EXISTING TITLES THAT ALREADY ARE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL SCULPTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT MAY NOT ALIGN WITH YOUR OFFICE.
AND SO IF A CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE SCOPE OF WORK OF OUR CURRENT CHIEF OF STAFF JOB REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STAFF REPORTING TO YOU, A LARGER SCOPE OF WORK RUNNING OFFICES THAT WILL NOT NECESSARILY CORRELATE TO A COUNCIL OFFICES WITH THREE OR FOUR EMPLOYEES DOING LESS.
AND SO WE MAY NEED TO CREATE COUNCIL SPECIFIC POSITIONS THAT DON'T CONFLICT WITH THE TITLES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE EXISTING ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH IS ABOUT 1200 CLASSIFICATIONS.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO OVERSIMPLIFY IT AND MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE, OR I REALLY WOULDN'T BE HUMAN RESOURCES IF I JUST DIDN'T BRING UP THE COMPLEXITY.
AND EVERY, EVERY DISCUSSION AS IT RELATES TO CREATING AND SUSTAINING TITLES THAT WORK FOR YOU, THAT DON'T CREATE CONFLICT ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE ON RECORD THAT INTO 2022, THE CHALLENGE OF EVERY HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, PARTICULARLY IN A MUNICIPALITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY
[00:25:01]
IS CREATING AND STANDING TITLES WITH COMPETITIVE PAY THAT COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR ENTITIES THAT HAVE MUCH MORE CAPACITY TO PAY THAN WE DO.UM, NOT ONLY DO I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS A CONCERN, BOTH FOR A COUNCIL, BUT I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FROM ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY.
AND SO WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGE TO RECRUIT AND TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES AND THE COUNCIL OFFICES AS IT IS.
AND ALL OF OUR AREAS, I ALONE HAVE LOST FOUR PEOPLE TO PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
AND SO WE WERE DO OUR BEST TO CALIBRATE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A MUNICIPAL SALARY INTO WHAT YOU NEED.
AND WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU ALL WITH THAT INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY TO THE TIMELINE, YOU CAN EXPECT SOMETHING FROM US.
IF I GET IT BACK IN MID MARCH, I COMMITTED THAT MY STAFF WILL STOP AND GET THAT DONE AND BRING THAT BACK.
I HAVE TWO OTHER COUNCIL REVIEWS, INCLUDING NINE 11 IN VICTIM SERVICES THAT WE ALSO COMMITTED IN THE SAME PERIOD.
THE SAME CONSULTANT WILL BE BRINGING THOSE BACK AS WELL.
AND SO I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT BY THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, I WILL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS BEEN VETTED, REVIEWED, AND BENCHMARK TO BRING TO YOU FOR REVIEW AND ANALYSIS BY THE COUNCIL.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR TOVA FOR BRINGING THIS UP AS DISCUSSION ITEM DURING WORK SESSION.
UM, I, 100% BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE BETTER PAY FOR OUR TEAMS, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THE AUSTIN MARKET.
UM, JUST KNOWING THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN AND KNOWING THAT RENT HAS GONE UP NEARLY 35% IN AUSTIN, IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO HAVE OUR OWN TEAM MEMBERS BE ABLE, UH, TO GET PAID WHAT THEY DESERVE FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK.
I MEAN, WE ARE, AS IT BODY WE'RE PROVIDING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, POLICY TO MULTITUDE OF DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, OVERSEEING AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER, THE AIRPORT CONVENTION CENTER.
THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT WE DO, AND IT'S COMPLETELY UNFAIR TO NOT BE ABLE TO PAY OUR TEAM MEMBERS WHAT THEY'RE WORTH.
AND SO I, 100% AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND THE CONVERSATION SHOULD ALSO BE GUIDED BY THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN KNOWING HOW MUCH OUR TEAMMATES ARE PAYING IN RENT AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, TO STAY IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW MANY CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES DON'T AREN'T ARE NOT ABLE TO LIVE IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE CREATIVE AND OFFERING SOME TYPE OF INCENTIVE FOR THOSE, UM, WHO, WHO WANT TO, WHO CAN STAY AND, AND DON'T WANT TO BE DISPLACED? UM, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M TAKING A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE GET CREATIVE, UM, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND ALSO DIRECTOR, I DID WANT TO MENTION, UH, THAT I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, YOU STARTING THE LIVING WAGE WORK GROUP, BECAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE, UH, CONFRONT THE MANY CHALLENGES THAT CITIES ARE FACING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT RAISING THE LIVABLE WAGE TO, OR LIVING WAGE TO $20 PER HOUR.
UH, WE SAW TARGET JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING GOING UP TO $24 PER HOUR FOR, UH, SOME OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
SO I THINK THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING, THAT WE SHOULD BE URGENTLY CONSIDERING AND TAKING ACTION ON.
I HOPE THAT, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE GET BACK FROM THIS MARKET STUDY INCLUDES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT AND, OR AT THE VERY LEAST A BUDGET YEAR, A BUDGET ITEM FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND, AND SO JUST WANTING TO, TO LEND TO KIND OF WHERE I'M AT, I MEAN, THIS IS, IS AN INCREDIBLY, UM, IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR US.
AND, UM, AND, AND I JUST WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING OUR TEAM TO DO AND KNOWING THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE IN AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH IF I COULD, AS YOU SPEAK ABOUT THAT, EACH OF YOU PROVIDED US RECOMMENDATIONS OF, OF ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR SECOND ROUND OF THE LIVING WAGE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE DID THAT FIVE YEARS AGO, THOSE CO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE BROUGHT TO THIS, UH, TO THIS COUNCIL.
WE SET SOME GOALS AS TO WHAT LIVING WAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
HUMAN RESOURCES DID INITIATE THIS PROCESS.
AGAIN, AS WE COMMITTED FIVE YEARS AGO, WE HAVE HAD THREE MEETINGS WITH OUR LIVING WAGE GROUP, AND WE ARE DISCUSSING JUST THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE DATA NATIONALLY, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN LABOR MARKETS AND MARKETS PERIOD, WHO ARE AT THE TABLE REPRESENTING THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE SPEAKING ABOUT THE LIVING WAGE IN AUSTIN, INDEPENDENT OF THIS MARKET STUDY, THAT COMMITTEE WILL BE BRINGING FORTH TO YOU, A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT LIVING WAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN AUSTIN FOR THE REMAINING, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND SO I THINK BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS TOPIC, I JUST WANT TO REMIND US THAT THERE IS NO ONE AREA IN WHICH WE DEAL WITH THE LIVING CRISIS, THE SALARIES AND THE ISSUES OF JUST COMPETITIVENESS AS WE BEGAN TO LIVE IN THE WORLD OF GREAT RESIGNATION.
AND SO YOU WILL RECEIVE THIS MARKET INFORMATION AS DIRECTLY REQUESTED BY THE COUNCIL.
YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE THE MARKET INFORMATION ON THE CRITICAL POSITIONS YOU IDENTIFIED IN THE LAST, IN THE LAST BUDGET PROCESS.
YOU WILL ALSO HEAR A RE A COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND HRD
[00:30:01]
IS NOT PUSHING A RECOMMENDATION.WE'RE PRESENTING EVERY INFORMATION AS THEY REQUEST IT.
AND THAT LIVING WAGE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY WILL COME FORWARD WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU AS TO WHAT LIVING WAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS I PRESENTED IN THE MEMORANDUM, WE PROVIDED YOU, THERE ARE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR COMPETITIVE BONUS OPPORTUNITIES, OTHER SIGN-ON INITIATIVES TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO TO RETAIN AND KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES.
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY BEGAN THE PROCESS WITH CREATING A BONUS FOR THOSE WHO COME INTO THE CITY, WE ARE NOW ESTABLISHING A BONUS FOR THOSE WHO STAY AT THE CITY.
SO IF YOU COME FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, WE'LL INCENTIVIZE YOU FOR COMING.
IF YOU STAYED WITH US BEYOND THE TWO YEARS, WHEN THERE WAS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, WE HAVE OUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT REFERRAL BONUSES BECAUSE THE BEST RECRUITMENT ARE THOSE WHO ACTUALLY ALREADY WORK HERE.
AND SO THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT INITIATIVES, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEND THAT INFORMATION OUT TO YOU AGAIN, JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES THAT COLLECTIVELY HELP US BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SALARIES, MARKETS AND COMPETITIVENESS AS WE LOOK AND WORK IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY.
WE WILL DEFINITELY BRING YOU THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PAY SALARY LOOKS LIKE AND WHERE IT SHOULD BEGIN.
AND SO YOU SHOULD BE RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS IN TWO WEEKS, WE'VE ALREADY PRESENTED THE DATA AND WE'RE EXPECTING THEM TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN WE WILL SCHEDULE SOME TIME TO TALK THAT THROUGH YOU AS TO YOU AS WELL.
AND SO JUST KNOW WE'VE ALSO DONE A SURVEY WITH OUR EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF COVID AND WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO EVALUATE THAT.
I'LL ALSO REMIND YOU THAT IN 2017, WE WERE THE ONLY CITY GOVERNMENT WHO DID A FAMILY FRIENDLY INITIATIVE, WHERE WE BROUGHT IN EMPLOYEES FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT.
WE STILL HAVE THAT REPORT, AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO EVALUATE WAYS TO, TO, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND TO WANT THEM TO BE RECRUITED FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ALSO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE THE MOST COMPETITIVE BENEFIT PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN THE BENEFIT COSTS THAT HAVE COME FROM OUR SELF EMPLOYED PLAN AND TAKEN ON THOSE COSTS SO THAT THERE WAS NO INCREASE TO EMPLOYEES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND SO I THINK IT TRULY IS A PACKAGE OF MULTIPLE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, BUT I CAN NOT DISCOUNT THE REALITY OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ALL OF YOU SPEAK TO THEM.
AND SO WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO BRING YOU THAT DATA, ALLOW YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THAT MARKET EVALUATES AGAINST OTHER POSITIONS, AND CERTAINLY HAVE THOSE CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN WITH, IF I COULD MOVE FORWARD TO YOUR ADDITIONAL QUESTION, I CAN WAIT TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO THE MARKET.
SO WITH REGARD TO COUNCIL EMPLOYEES, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT'S AVAILABLE TO, TO A COUNCIL OFFICE.
IT DOES NO GOOD TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL LEVELS CAN BE PAID AT A CERTAIN LEVEL IF THAT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE OVERALL BUDGET.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY RIGHT NOW WITH OUR OVERALL BUDGET TO PAY OUR STAFF.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS OUR OVERALL BUDGET IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR US TO PAY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR OFFICE AT A DECENT LEVEL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, UH, SO I'M LOOKING FOR, IN AN, IN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS DID, AS YOU RECALL, IS YOU, YOU LOOKED AT ONE OF THE, UM, CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR OFFICES AND YOU RECALIBRATED THAT ONE.
UM, I FORGET WHICH ONE IT WAS, IF YOU RECALL THAT, AND THAT WAS HELPFUL BECAUSE THAT ENDED UP IN ABOUT A 5% ADDITION OR SO TO THAT PARTICULAR LEVEL.
BUT AGAIN, IF, IF, IF, IF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO PAY AT THE LEVELS THAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR, FOR STAFF, THEN IT'S NOT GOING TO BE HELPFUL.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, AND THAT MAY BE A, SOMETHING FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO, TO THINK THROUGH.
AND I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS MADE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO DO A PERCENTAGE INCREASE EVERY YEAR ON.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT'S A PERCENTAGE INCREASE ON SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS, WAS NOT AT A GOOD LEVEL TO BEGIN WITH.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
AND THE OTHER THING IS IN THE, IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS, THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE BUDGETS FOR COUNCIL OFFICES IS PRETTY SMALL WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE ENTIRE, UH, BUDGET FOR THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER OUR, OUR STAFF, AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, ARE WORKING AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL IN TERMS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THEY ARE NOT GETTING PAID AT LEVEL AT, UM,
[00:35:01]
AT LEVELS THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMPARABLE TO THEIR LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY.AND SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT, A LOT OF THAT'S ON US.
I MEAN, WE, WE HIRE OUR STAFF.
WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING WHAT LEVEL THEY SHOULD BE AT.
WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING IN PLACE, THE KIND OF STRUCTURE THAT IS A GOOD WORK ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM, THAT'S ON US, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A LEVEL OF TOTAL BUDGET THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.
SO I JUST ASK YOU IS, YOU KNOW, YOU DO YOUR WORK JOY AND THEN CITY MANAGER.
I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT TOO.
UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT FLEXIBILITY WE CAN PROVIDE TO OUR COUNCIL OFFICES TO ACTUALLY WORK WITHIN A HIGHER, A HIGHER BUDGET LEVEL.
SO THAT, SO THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY CAN PAY STAFF.
AND I JUST WANT TO ECHO THOSE COMMENTS JUST A BIT AND JUST MENTION I WAS A GOD ABOUT IN 2007, I WAS HIRED AS A STAFFER AT THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, VERY SIMILAR, UH, ENVIRONMENT.
I WAS 35 YEARS OLD AND THINK ABOUT 35.
I WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLD STAFFERS IN THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SALARIES AND THE BUDGETS THAT ARE GIVEN TO A STATE REP OFFICES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD 24 YEAR OLDS, 20 FIVE-YEAR-OLDS.
THEY WERE GREAT, THEY WERE SHARP, THEY WERE HARDWORKING, BUT YOU JUST DID NOT HAVE THE BUDGET TO HIRE MORE EXPERIENCED STAFF.
AND, UH, AND IT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT AFFECTS YOUR ABILITY TO, UH, ANALYZE, UH, THE POLICY, UH, ITEMS THAT ARE COMING BEFORE YOU, UH, TO PLAN AND, AND MOVE LEGISLATION FORWARD.
UH, AND SO I, I JUST ECHO THOSE, THOSE CONCERNS, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE MORE A BUDGET AGAIN.
UH, I THINK, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN'S COMMENTS WERE RIGHT ON WHERE IT'S NOT REALLY THE INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATIONS PER SE.
IT'S REALLY MORE KIND OF LIKE THE OVERALL BUDGET LEVEL AND THE AMOUNT OF FOLKS THAT WE CAN BRING ON TO, UH, TO HANDLE A VERY HEAVY, UH, COUNCIL AGENDA, UH, KATHERINE TOVAR.
I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU, YOU PUTTING THIS BACK ON THE AGENDA AND I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE THE WORK THAT'S DONE.
AND I THINK THE COUNCIL IN THE LAST BUDGET MADE REAL CLEAR, UH, THAT WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT TRYING TO KEEP THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE.
I KNOW EVERYBODY WORKS REALLY HARD.
UM, UH, I KNOW THAT OUR COUNCIL STAFF'S WORK ESPECIALLY HARD, NOT ONLY THE WORK THEY DO, BUT HECK I SEE MOST OF OUR COUNCIL STAFFS AT EVENTS AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OFF HOURS.
AND, AND I MEAN, IT REALLY IS A 24 7 JOB, UM, THIS ONE, UH, AND IT IS A HARD JOB CAUSE IT'S, IT'S AT THE HOOKS BOWL OF POLITICS AND THINGS THAT ARE HARD IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.
AND, UM, I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO, TO BRING FORWARD MANAGER, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD INCORPORATE IT INTO THE BUDGET THAT YOU BRING BACK TO US, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE WILL.
AND THE SENTIMENT THAT YOU SEE ON THE, ON THE DAY IS, BUT WE NEED TO, TO REALLY ADVANCE THAT THIS BUDGET SESSION HAS RIGHT OVER.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AT, AT, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WE SEE THE SALARIES ARE, ARE NOT, UM, ARE NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT WE DO HAVE, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE BENEFITS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM MY EXPERIENCE WORKING AT THE CITY, EVERYBODY WHO, WHO WORKS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A HEART FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND WE ARE REALLY EXTRAORDINARILY FORTUNATE TO HAVE TO HAVE SUCH MISSION DRIVEN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE INSTITUTION.
AND I, AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE BENEFITS ARE PART OF, OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT ONE REASON WHY MAYOR I REALLY LIKED YOUR DIRECTION.
IS THAT WHAT I, WHAT I FIND, UM, JUST TO UNDERSCORE IT AGAIN, IS THAT THE SALARIES IN THIS PART OF THE CITY DO NOT MATCH UP WITH SALARIES OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M, I THINK IT'S USEFUL TO SEE HOW OUR SALARIES COMPARED TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT, BUT REALLY, I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THAT LEVEL OF, OF HOW THE SALARIES HERE COMPARE TO EQUIVALENT, UM, TYPE JOBS IN OTHER I, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS ALSO PART OF THE MARKET STUDY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE TITLES.
I THINK EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SECRETARY, SECRETARY, AND SENIOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT ARE THE TITLES THAT WE USE.
AND THOSE MY GUESS IS IF WE LOOKED AROUND THE ORGANIZATION AND SAW WHERE THOSE ARE IN USE, THERE PROBABLY IS A LOT OF DIFFERENCE.
I MEAN, THE STAFF MEMBER WHO SERVES IN MY OFFICE AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY POSITION DOES SUCH A BROAD RANGE OF, OF, UM, REALLY CRITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE PROBABLY BROADER THAN, THAN SOME
[00:40:01]
OF THE CRITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE PART OF THAT EXECUTIVE SECRETARY POSITION AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS.SO THANK YOU FOR, TO, FOR LOOKING AT THE TITLES, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, QUINTAS, THANK YOU FOR RAISING THE ISSUE OF REALLY LOOKING AT OUR, OUR LIVING WAGE.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF LOOKING TO THAT WORK.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR HAYES FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
I KNOW WE'RE ALL TALKING A LOT THESE DAYS ABOUT, ABOUT THE BENEFITS, THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU BROUGHT AND, AND HOW WE MIGHT INCORPORATE THOSE, UM, FAMILY LEAVE BENEFITS FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS.
AND, UM, I'M REALLY EAGER TO SEE US HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS ON THE DYESS.
AND THEN, UH, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION ABOUT THE CONVERSATION THAT JUST TRANSPIRED IS, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE MY COLLEAGUES AWARE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND I HAVE BEEN REVIVING A CONVERSATION THAT STARTED LONG AGO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSTON.
AND I, UH, LOOKING AT, AT THE POTENTIAL OF HAVING RESIDENCY INCENTIVES, UM, FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, THERE ARE CERTAINLY ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S AN EQUIVALENT KIND OF PROGRAM COULD BE EXTENDED TO, TO CITY EMPLOYEES AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU ALL AWARE THAT WE'RE, WE ARE REVIVING THAT CONVERSATION.
I'M REALLY EAGER TO SEE, TO SEE WHERE THAT MIGHT GO.
SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER HOPPER MANDERSON.
UM, UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVO OUTSIDE LIKE VERY MUCH TO BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION AS IT CONTINUES.
UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'RE LAYING PLAYING TODAY, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO THE MANAGER ABOUT, BUT MAYBE NOT, UM, TO MORE COLLEAGUES, IF YOU ARE A NEWCOMER, RIGHT? THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT YOU IN CAPABLE AND COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL, BUT IF YOU'RE A NEWCOMER TO CITY HALL, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THAT BUDGET.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I MEAN, I THANK YOU TO THE HR TEAM AND TO BETH BURDEN AND TO LAUREN, YOU KNOW, WHO HAVE BEEN ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT I'M CONSISTENTLY ASKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE PAY SCALE? WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE PAY INCREASE? WHAT IS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THEN YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND TO THE POINT, YOU KNOW, MANAGER, I, I SAID, I DON'T THINK WE DO A GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF ONBOARDING NEW MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THERE'S NO BOOK THAT TELLS YOU EXACTLY HOW TO MANAGE A STAFF.
THERE'S NO BOOK THAT'S TELLING YOU HOW TO MANAGE THAT BUDGET.
UH, AND IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, BE IN THE ROLE.
I THINK THE DIVERSITY AND THE INCLUSION OF NEWCOMERS TO POLITICS IS CRITICAL.
IT'S A PART OF HOW OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS BEST, BUT THERE'S NO, WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT TEACHING, YOU KNOW, UH, THE LESSONS THAT I, AND I'M TELLING YOU AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A NEWCOMER, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IN A STAFF, HOW MUCH THEY NEEDED TO EARN HOW CRITICAL IT IS THAT YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIPS AT CITY HALL, UH, CRITICAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND WE'RE NOT TEACHING NEWCOMERS YET.
SO IT'S SOMETHING I HOPE WE CAN INCLUDE IN THE CONVERSATION.
I HAD A REALLY QUICK QUESTION FOR OUR HR DIRECTOR WOULD A TITLE, AND I KNOW I'M GETTING INTO THE WEEDS, BUT, UM, I DO HAVE A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TOWARD HR.
UM, COULD WE DO SOMETHING LIKE, UM, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL STAFF LEVEL 1, 2, 3, OR DO WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OR, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, OR DO WE HAVE TO SAY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT OR SENIOR POLICY AND, YOU KNOW, ARE THE DESCRIPTORS IMPORTANT OR IS IT REALLY MORE A LEVEL OF COMPENSATION BASED ON, UH, COMMENSURATE TO THE WORK THAT THE STAFF IN THE COUNCIL OFFICES IS DOING, COULD BE EASIER TO DEFINE THAT WAY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE USING A TITLE THAT IS ALSO USED ELSEWHERE, AND THAT CREATES CONFUSION OVER WHAT THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION, A COMBINATION OF SEVERAL OF THOSE FACTORS.
I THINK WHAT WE DO WHEN WE LOOK AT A MARKET IS TO SEE WHAT IS THE TREND? WHAT ARE PEOPLE PAYING AND WHAT DOES THAT SCOPE LOOK LIKE? I THINK GALLAGHER'S RESPONSE WILL GIVE US SOME INDICATION OF WHAT THE MARKET IS YIELDING IN TERMS OF TITLES, BENEFITS, PACKAGE, SCOPE OF WORK.
UM, LET ME TELL YOU, IT IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OUR POSITIONS IN CLASSIFICATIONS DON'T REFLECT OUR VALUE TO THE PEOPLE AND THE VALUE TO THE WORK.
IT REFLECTS THE VALUE OF WHAT THAT POSITION REPRESENTS.
AND IT'S ALWAYS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION BECAUSE FOR SO MANY OF US, WE CONNECT HOW MUCH YOU, HOW MUCH YOU VALUE ME TO, HOW MUCH YOU PAY ME.
RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT ACROSS THE BOARD TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN KIM, COULD WE CREATE COUNCIL SPECIFIC POSITIONS THAT ALLOW YOU MORE FLEXIBILITY IN SCOPE AND A DIFFERENCE IN PAY? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT AS YOUR HR DIRECTOR, I WOULDN'T MAKE ANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS UNTIL I SEE WHAT THE MARKET YIELDS TILL I SEE WHAT THOSE TITLES
[00:45:01]
LOOK LIKE.AND ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT JOBS I HAVE IS TO SAY TO YOU, DESPITE HOW MUCH WE LOVE POSITIONS, HOW MUCH WE VALUE THEM.
LET ME JUST TELL YOU, THIS IS WHAT THIS POSITION IS VALUED AT IN A MUNICIPAL SPACE.
AND WE DO LOOK AT PRIVATE SECTOR AS SOME BENCHMARKS, BUT AS YOU DESCRIBE TARGET AMAZON, WHEN THE MARKET GOES DOWN, THOSE COMPANIES CAN FIRE YOU AND LET YOU GO.
THEY CAN BRING THOSE SALARIES DOWN.
SOME COMPANIES I KNOW AT ONE POINT, SOMEBODY CALLED ME AND SAID, HEY, I CAN MAKE MORE CHIPOTLE THAN I CAN MAKE WORKING FOR YOU, BUT AT CHIPOTLE, THAT PRICE MAY GO DOWN.
AND SO WE ALSO HAVE SOME INHERIT PROPERTY VALUES AND RIGHTS AND BENEFITS THAT COME AND PROTECTIONS THAT COME WITH MY JOB.
AND SO I WILL NEVER, EVER FULLY COMPETE WITH SALARY AND SOMETIMES SCOPE, BUT I ALSO GIVE YOU A GUARANTEED SPACE OR AN ENTITLED SPACE THAT ALLOWS YOU LONGEVITY AND CAREER.
I THINK, AS WE LOOKED AT ARR, WE LOOKED AT TITLES.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER CDL DRIVERS THAT ARE OFTENTIMES THOSE WERE COMING BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY FROM OTHER SPACES ARE NOW THE MOST COMPETITIVE JOB IN THE COUNTRY.
SO THEY CAN WORK ANYWHERE WHERE IT USED TO BE.
SO THIS, THIS, THIS PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED THE PARADIGM OF WHAT MARKETS AND SALARIES LOOK LIKE.
WE ARE EMBRACING THE REALITIES OF WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
I CAN'T MOVE FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE WE DESPERATELY NEED TO HIRE QUALITY PEOPLE AND KEEP THEM.
BUT I HAVE TO BE THE PERSON THAT HELPS KIND OF BANK CREATE SOME BANDWIDTH BETWEEN WHAT WE WANT TO PAY PEOPLE AND WHAT THE REALITY IS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO PAY PEOPLE.
AND THE INEQUITY THAT IS CREATED WHEN WE EMPHASIZE ONE POSITION AND NOT RECOGNIZE ITS IMPACT ACROSS THE BOARD TO ALL CLASSIFICATIONS.
SO WHEN YOU PAY ONE GROUP MORE THAN THE OTHER GROUP SAYS, BUT WAIT A MINUTE.
AND THEN PRETTY MUCH YOU COME BACK TO A SPACE OF, ARE WE CREATING AND SUSTAINING AN EQUITABLE PROGRAM THAT IS MANAGED BASED ON CONSISTENT PRINCIPLES AND CONSISTENT MARKETS BY WHICH I CAN VALIDATE.
AND SO THAT'S THE CHALLENGE, BUT WE'RE UP TO IT.
WE'LL BE BACK TO YOU WITH THIS ONE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU SPEAK OF COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, WHAT WE SEE, WHAT WE THINK AND HOW WE CAN MERGE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE WITH WHAT REALITY WE HAVE FOUND BOTH IN THE BUDGET AND IN THE MARKET.
AND THAT'S SUPER, SUPER HELPFUL.
I THINK THAT PUBLIC SERVICE IS IN LARGE PART, HAS A SIGNIFICANT INTRINSIC VALUE PORTION TO IT.
AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN IN IT FOR A LONG TIME, AND I COUNT MYSELF AS ONE OF THOSE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO WANT TO PUSH A LITTLE BIT HARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THE THINGS THAT ARE LEFT ON THE TABLE FINANCIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CHOOSING TO BE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, BECAUSE THERE IS, HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DRAIN OF EMPLOYEES.
UM, I SAW THIS IN AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF A CONFERENCE.
I WAS AT THIS WEEKEND AND IT'S NOT, UM, EVERYBODY LOST EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AS WE KNOW, HAS REBOUNDED AT LEVELS THAT THE PUBLIC SECTOR HAS NOT HENCE THE WORK THAT YOU RECOGNIZE AND ARE POISED TO DO AND HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.
YOU RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR US TO BE NIMBLE IN THAT DISCUSSION AND IN THAT ARENA.
SO COUNT ME AS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF DOING THAT, ALL THAT WE CAN WITHIN OBVIOUSLY THE VERY REAL CONSTRAINTS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH OUR, WITH OUR BUDGETS.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
THAT'S WHERE ELLIS, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE RIO.
I AGREE WITH THESE SENTIMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED, UM, ESPECIALLY ABOUT OUR COUNCIL STAFF.
WE KNOW WE NEED TO RETAIN GOOD FOLKS.
THEY WORK VERY HARD AND THEY ARE VERY SMART ABOUT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY HANDLE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO PORTIONS OF OUR BUDGET THAT ARE ABOUT EVENT WAIVERS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH COST ON OUR COMMUNITY TRYING TO DO, ESPECIALLY THE SMALLER EVENTS OR DO A, YOU KNOW, A RACE OR A FESTIVAL OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE AND THE, THE COST FOR THOSE, UM, USUALLY SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS CAN BE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
SO I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT AS WELL, TO HELP SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE TRYING TO, UM, ORGANIZE EVENTS AND OPERATE IN THAT SPACE.
UM, I KNOW IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE FRIENDLY FACES WHEN THEY COME BACK TO, TO THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICES.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF FOLKS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN GREAT PUBLIC SERVANTS OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, BEEN ABLE TO WORK IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT OFFICES AND LEND THAT EXPERTISE OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE SINCE THE CALIBER OF OUR WORK IS SO HIGH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CORRECTLY COMPENSATE, UM, AND GIVE BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DO HAVE THE HEARTS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, BECAUSE IT IS OF EXTREME VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR DISTRICTS TO HAVE, HAVE GOOD DEDICATED FOLKS HERE IN OUR OFFICES.
UM, AS FAR AS THE EXTRA CONSIDERATIONS FOR SOME OF THE, UM, THE OTHER CITY STAFF, IS THAT INFORMATION
[00:50:01]
THAT'S GONNA COME IN A MEMO TO US, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT DIRECTOR HAYES'S WORKING ON OR WHERE WOULD WE LOOK TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION ONCE IT'S, ONCE IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED AND DECIDED, UM, AS FAR AS THE RETENTION CONVERSATION, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, I GAVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF MARKETING IN THAT, IN A MEMORANDUM THAT WENT OUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND TALKED ABOUT THE RETENTION BONUS, IT TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THOSE OTHER PIECES, LET SEND THAT OUT TO YOU AGAIN.AND IF THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED, UM, I CAN CERTAINLY LET YOU KNOW, GIVE ME SOME SPACE AND GRACE THOUGH, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S AN EVER MOVING ACTIVITY.
WHAT I'M DOING TODAY LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I DID LAST WEEK.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO, BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY INDUSTRIES THAT ARE IMPACTED IN ONE WORK IN ONE SPACE AND ENVIRONMENT, WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND SOME ADDITIONAL MARKET PIECES AS WELL.
UM, WE KNOW THAT, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME IN SWORN AND OTHERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO YOU SOON.
AND SO LET ME SEND THAT TO YOU AGAIN.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET THROUGH SOME OF THE MARKETS, WE CAN CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR ADVANCEMENTS AND TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE MARKET ISSUES AND INDIVIDUAL SPACES.
YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE FACING, UH, I DON'T CALL IT A CRISIS YET, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, UH, UH, PUBLIC AGENCY LIKE METRO CAPITAL METRO, THERE ARE HAVING TO PAY $22 AN HOUR FURTHER.
AND DRIVERS STARTED, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO A LOT OF COMPETITION NOW, NOT IN THE PRIVATE NOW IN THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, I DON'T BLAME ANYBODY FROM GORDON OVER TO ANOTHER AGENCY TO GET THEIR PAID MORE.
YOU KNOW, I HAD MY TWO, I HAVE LOST THREE EMPLOYEES IN WHICH I, I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO LOSE THEM BECAUSE I LET THEM GO TO GET THEIR MBA.
BUT I'M ALSO KNOW THAT HE TOOK HER TO BE OUR FUTURE LEADERS.
SO, UH, I ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT I WAS GOING TO LOSE THESE PEOPLE.
CAUSE I CAN'T PAY HIM FOR THE SALARIES THAT THEY, THEY NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO PAY THEIR STUDENT LOAN.
NO, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, AUSTIN HAVE BECOME A CITY THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
UH, WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR IBM, WE USED TO, THEY USED TO SAY, WE CAN'T PAY YOU ANY MORE BECAUSE REPAYING PAYING COSTS WHAT THEY SAY, THE COST OF LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN AND YOUR, YOUR LIVING COST IS VERY LOW HERE.
YOU KNOW, IF I WOULD GO UP NORTH, THEY WERE MAKING ALMOST 25% MORE THAN I WAS, BUT THEIR COST OF LIVING WAS HIGH.
WELL, AUSTIN IS NOW A VERY RICH, EXPENSIVE CITY IN THE COST OF LIVING.
IT'S OUTRAGEOUS, YOU KNOW, WITH INFLATION GENTRIFICATION.
AND IT'S, IT'S GETTING TO THAT POINT WHERE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOSING A LOT OF OUR LOWER LEVEL EMPLOYEES BECAUSE IT CAN SURVIVE HERE.
AND WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, I'M SEEING MANAGERS THAT SUPERVISOR'S A PARKS DEPARTMENT HAVING TO MOVE TO ROUND ROCK BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, OR THERE ARE TAXES HERE BECAUSE PROPERTY VALUES ARE SO HIGH.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTRAINED BY THE CUP BY THE STATE AND WE CAN'T GO ANY HIGHER THAN 3.5 ON OUR PROPERTY TAX.
AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY LET THEM SEE IN HER FEEDS INCREASING.
AND I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE, BUT IF WE CAN'T GET THE EMPLOYEES TO PICK UP YOUR TRASH, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT YOUR LIGHTS TURNED ON AND BDT AFTER A STORM.
WELL, WE NEED TO GET, WE, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO WORK ON THOSE.
AND, UH, IT'S UH, SO, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT OPRAH, THE WHOLE PICTURE, THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE CITY.
THAT'S, UH, ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW AND IT THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING HER EMPLOYED.
SO, UM, MANAGER, I JUST HOPE THAT YOU REALLY LOOK INTO THE WHOLE PICTURE AND NOT JUST SOME, JUST OUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD.
UH, I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CARRY OUT SOME OF THE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET TO SPEND IT BECAUSE OF THE COVID RESTRICTION.
AND I WOULD SAY YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO.
SO, UM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE FACING SOME VERY HARD DECISIONS COMING UP, MAYOR THIS JUST ONE LAST QUESTION THAT I ASKED OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS.
AND THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I'VE ALSO TALKED WITH SEVERAL OF YOU ON THE DICE ABOUT, SO WHEN
[00:55:01]
COUNCIL OFFICES HIRE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM ANOTHER CITY DEPARTMENT, UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN PART OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.WHEN THEY COME OVER TO CITY HALL, THEY NO LONGER HAVE THAT.
THEY ARE NO LONGER PART OF MSC.
IS THERE, UH, WHEN THEIR TIME OVER AT CITY HALL IS THAT'S CONCLUDED.
ARE THERE ANY WAYS THAT, THAT WE CAN, WELL, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WHEN A MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEMBER APPLIES FOR ANOTHER JOB, UM, DO THEY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OVER OUTSIDE CANDIDATES? SO CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES, IF THERE'S A POSITION THAT IS CITY ONLY, THEN THOSE CITY EMPLOYEES DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY.
I THINK THE FIRST PART OF THIS QUESTION IS CRITICAL IS WHAT THE CHARTER SAYS.
AND IF I COULD YIELD, UH, TO THE CITY ATTORNEY TO JUST SPEAK TO, UH, THE CLASSIFIED CIVIL SERVICE DOCUMENTATION, WHERE IT COMMUNICATES, UH, WHO'S A PART OF MCS AND WHO ISN'T, I THINK THE COUNSELOR, UH, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS MEMBER PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICES, YOUR CITY COUNCIL STAFF ARE NOT PART OF MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE.
AND THAT WOULD TAKE A CHARTER AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THAT.
AND THEN THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE SPECIAL BENEFITS YOU WANT TO ANSWER, THERE IS NO SPECIAL BENEFIT.
SO IF AN EMPLOYEE LEAVES AN ADMINISTRATION, MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE POSITION, IT GOES ANYWHERE.
IT LEAVES THE CITY GOES TO THOSE AREAS THAT ARE DEFINED NOT TO BE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE.
IF THEY SEEK AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK INTO A MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE, THEY'LL HAVE TO COMPETE FOR THAT JOB THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
OUR MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE RULES UNDER RULE FOUR, HIRING PROMOTIONS AND LATERAL TRANSFERS COMMUNICATES THAT ALL MCS POSITIONS MUST BE POSTED IN FOR, FOR OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPETITION IN THOSE POSITIONS, THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE HAVE PROPERTY RIGHTS TO THOSE JOBS.
AND SO IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN A PROCESS, SO LET'S SAY WE HAVE A HIRING PROCESS, A CANDIDATE THAT'S COMING FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT IS NOT AN MCS EMPLOYEE COMPETE FOR THE POSITION.
ANOTHER MCS EMPLOYEE COMPETES.
THE ONE THAT'S ALREADY IN MCS HAS THE ABILITY TO APPEAL THAT HIRING DECISION BASED ON MERIT AND FITNESS AND CAN APPEAL.
AND SO, UM, THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANTAGE, UM, TO ANY EMPLOYEE THAT IS NOT ALREADY IN THE MCS, UH, CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
AND, AND SO JUST SO I'M CLEAR ON WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION ALL OF US.
WELL, A LOT OF US ON THE DIAS HAVE HIRED INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PART OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM TO COME OVER TO CITY HALL AND SHOULD THEY WANT TO APPLY FOR A POSITION IN ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS, THEY WILL NOW BE APPLYING AS OUT AS EXTERNAL CANDIDATES, NOT AS MEN, AND THEY WILL NOT HAVE WHAT YOU DESCRIBED AS PROPERTY RIGHTS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HAD IF THEY'RE COMING FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I HAD ASKED THE HR DEPARTMENT, WHETHER THERE ARE ANY FIXES, IN FACT, MAYOR, YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK YOU HAD A SUGGESTION THAT I RAN BY THEM, BUT I'LL LET YOU TALK ABOUT IT.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT MY SUGGESTION WAS BACK THEN.
SO REMIND ME, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO BE ABLE TO MY QUESTION ONE, ONE WAY.
I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THERE'S A, A VACANCY OR A COUNCIL POSITION, UH, AND THAT, AND IT CAN BE FILLED BY SOMEBODY WHO'S A CITY STAFF EMPLOYEE AND THAT CITY STAFF EMPLOYEE IS EITHER PUT ON LEAVE OR ON LOAN FROM THAT POSITION.
SO THEY'RE NOT SEVERED FROM THE POSITION THEY HAVE, BUT THEY'RE NOT FUNCTIONING IN THAT POSITION WHILE THEY HELP SUPPORT THE COUNCIL OFFICE.
IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THAT MORE BROADLY SO THAT SOMEONE WHO IS A CITY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE DOES NOT SEVER THEIR EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP, DOES GIVING UP THAT STANDING.
THEY GET LOANED BY THE CITY OR PUT ON LEAVE BY THE CITY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS SPECIFIC KIND OF ROLE WITH THE COUNCIL.
AND THEN WHEN THAT'S OVER, THEY THEN RETURNED BACK TO THAT POSITION, THE SAME POSITION, IF IT'S OPEN AND THE LEAVE OR LOAN WAS SHORT-TERM, OR VERY LEAST THEY RETURNED BACK TO HAVING THAT SAME KIND OF COMPETITIVE STANDING.
IF THEY LEAVE THE FTE THAT IS UNDER MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE AND THEY GO INTO ANOTHER FTE, THEY DO NOT HAVE OPPORTUNITY IF THE EMPLOYEE STAYS IN THE FTE THAT IS BEING HOUSED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THEN LOANED TO A COUNCIL OFFICE, THAT DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THAT EMPLOYEE, UM, FOR, TO THAT.
BUT THE CONCERN IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MCS AND ITS INTENT IS THAT IF YOU HOLD A POSITION THAT IS MCS, SO THAT EMPLOYEE CAN THEN GO WORK IN A COUNCIL OFFICE, YOU HAVE THERE BY TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN MCS WHO COULD HAVE PROMOTED INTO THAT POSITION AWAY FROM THEM DURING THAT PERIOD.
AND THAT WORK THAT THAT EMPLOYEE WAS DOING IN THAT DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE TO BE ENCOMPASSED BY SOMEONE ELSE WHILE THEY'RE TEMPORARILY GOING OVER.
[01:00:01]
UM, AND SO I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE AS TO WHY IT WAS ESTABLISHED WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A PERCEPTION AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ASKED ME IN TERMS OF THEIR VIEW, BUT THE THOUGHT WAS THERE WERE INSTANCES WHERE WE WERE JUST APPOINTING PEOPLE INTO POSITIONS AND PEOPLE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCESS, LITERALLY MOVE UP INTO OTHER JOBS.AND SO THE CREATION OF MCS IN ITS INTENT IS TO SAY THESE POSITIONS THAT ARE DEFINED AS NON-EXECUTIVE NON COUNCIL OFFICE, NON CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THESE POSITIONS REQUIRE A PROCESS FOR COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND ENSURES A EQUITABLE PROCESS FOR APPEAL.
AND SO IF WE ARE TO DO WHAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING, MAYOR, IT COULD BE DONE THAT SOMEONE CAN BE BORROWED, RIGHT, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEY'VE NEVER OFFICIALLY LEFT THEIR POSITION, BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU MAY HEAR SOME CONCERNS FROM STAFF WHO SAY THAT BY CREATING THAT SPACE, YOU HAVE THEN TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE FOR THAT JOB AND RECEIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION, THE POSITION THAT NOT THE POSITION THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEE WAS LOANED TO, BUT THE POSITION THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEE IS, IS LEAVING.
BECAUSE IF THEY'RE IN THAT FTE, THAT IS STILL REMAINING IN THAT, THAT MCS POSITION IN THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND SO THE OTHER PIECE TO IT IS THAT, UM, IN THE PAST, PRIOR TO THIS, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MCS, WHEN COUNCIL OFFICE, WHEN COUNCILS WENT OUT OF OFFICE, THEIR STAFF DID NOT HAVE POSITIONS.
AND SO WE ENDED UP TRYING TO ASSIST THEM IN FINDING JOBS AND IN SOME PLACES APPOINTING THEM.
AND THE CONCERN THERE WAS THEY WERE TAKING POSITIONS THAT THEREBY OTHERS COULD HAVE, COULD HAVE COMPETITIVELY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE.
AND SO THE SEPARATION, UM, ALSO CREATES THAT, AND IT CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO HIRE WITHOUT APPEAL TO YOUR POSITIONS AND TO ALSO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT APPEAL PROCESS, UM, AND ALLOWS YOU YOUR OWN PROCESS FOR HIRING WHERE YOU'RE NOT STIPULATED TO DO IT IN DEFINITION TO THE MCS RULE.
SO IT ALSO GIVES MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY TO THE COUNCIL OFFICES TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THEIR STAFF.
AND I SEE THAT ONE WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE GETTING A ALREADY EXISTING CITY EMPLOYEE, WE DON'T HAVE RUN INTO THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE THAT PERSON'S ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM.
OTHERWISE I'M STILL, I'M STILL WANTING TO THINK, TRY TO THINK ABOUT THAT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND MAYBE TALK TO, TO ASK ME TO, UH, WHERE, WHERE THERE'S A CITY STAFF EMPLOYEE THAT'S TEMPORARILY WORKING IN THE COUNCIL SIDE AND, AND WANTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU TO COME BACK.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN THAT YOU STAYED.
I WOULD JUST ASK AS PART OF YOUR ANALYSIS TO RETURN TO US SOME OPTIONS FOR, UM, FOR, UH, COUNCIL STAFF TO BE, UH, CONSIDERED, UH, FOR CITY STAFF POSITIONS IN A WAY THAT THEY ARE NOT JUST SOMEONE OFF THE STREET.
NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT WHAT I MEAN IS THEY ARE, THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHIN THE CITY AND THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME SORT OF PREFERENCE, UM, FOR THEM TO BE CONSIDERED IN MOVING BACK INTO EITHER MOVING BACK IF THEY CAME OUT OF A CITY, UH, DEPARTMENT OR IN MOVING TO A CITY DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT, THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD BE OF ASSISTANCE FOR US IN, UM, IN HIRING FOR THE COUNCIL IN HIRING STAFF, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE HIRING STAFF FOR A COUNCIL POSITION, IT'S TERM IT'S TIME LIMITED, DEFINITELY WHEN IT'S ABSOLUTELY TIME LIMITED.
SO ALLOWING IN A, AN OPTION THAT, UM, A COUNCIL STAFF PERSON AT LEAST HAS SOME ABILITY, YOU KNOW, TO BE CONSIDERED PERHAPS WITH SOME LEVEL OF PREFERENCE, THE SAME LEVEL OF PREFERENCES, OTHER CITY STAFF, I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE, I DON'T EXPECT AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD LIKE OPTIONS SO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER OPTIONS.
SO THE TROTTER DOESN'T ALLOW IT.
AND SO I WOULD HAVE TO REFER THAT REQUEST OF REVIEW TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE OPTIONS WHEN THE CHARTER AND THE CITY MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE RULES DON'T ALLOW IT.
SO I WOULD HAVE TO YIELD THAT REQUEST TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
WELL, THEN I WOULD WANT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO GIVE US OPTIONS BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS THAT THE CHARTER DOESN'T ALLOW IT.
WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE IN THE CHARTER THAT SAYS THAT OUR STAFF COULD NOT BE GIVEN SOME KIND OF CONSIDERATION GOING BACK INTO BEING CONSIDERED FOR STAFF? SO IT'S JUST OPTIONS WHO WHOEVER NEEDS TO PROVIDE OPTIONS IS I'M GOING TO ANSWER THAT ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW COUNTS OVER THE CHARTER.
DOESN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE IN IT.
BUT I THINK THE QUESTION THAT, THAT YOU ALL ARE POSING IS IF YOU HAVE A CITY EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER, IS THERE, ARE THEY AT A DISADVANTAGE WHEN THEY APPLY IN A COMPETE FOR CITY JOBS THAT OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES ARE COMPETING FOR
[01:05:01]
AND THEY'RE ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.SO WE DON'T GIVE PEOPLE WHO ARE CITY EMPLOYEES COMPETING FOR ANOTHER JOB, SOME KIND OF POINTS, EXTRA POINTS THAT WE DO IT FOR LIKE BEING A VETERAN, UNLESS I'M WRONG.
AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME THE PROPERTY, RIGHT, IS THAT WE, WE HAVE, UM, PO THE, THE ABILITY TO APPEAL, BUT WE DON'T GET POINTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE COMPETING FOR A JOB AGAINST OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES.
WHAT ABOUT AGAINST SOMEONE WHO'S NOT A CITY EMPLOYEE? IS THERE A PREFERENCE GIVEN TO SOMEONE WHO'S A CITY EMPLOYEE, YOU KNOW, WITH A POSITION THAT FROM SOMEONE WHO IS NOT WITHIN THE CITY FOR POSITIONS, THERE IS NO PREFERENCE GIVEN.
WE DO GIVE POINTS FOR VETERANS.
THAT IS THE ONLY SPACE WHERE THERE IS ANY PREFERENCE POINTS GIVEN.
BUT WHEN SOMEONE APPLIES FOR THE JOB, WHEN SOMEONE APPLIES FOR A POSITION EVERYBODY'S ON AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD, WHEN THEY APPLY FOR THE POSITION, ONCE A DECISION IS MADE IN THE HIRING, AN MCS EMPLOYEE HAS A RIGHT TO APPEAL THAT FINAL DECISION THAT CLARIFIES THAT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IT'S THE APPEAL.
SO THE CITY, SO THE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO WERE IN COUNCIL OFFICES, APPLYING FOR JOBS ARE ON THE SAME FOOTING AS PEOPLE WHO ARE OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES.
BUT DOES THAT MEAN WHAT ABOUT THE JOBS THAT ARE ONLY OPEN CITY EMPLOYEES, COUNCIL, STAFF CAN APPLY FOR ANY POSITION.
MONICA IS SHARING WITH ME THAT WE DO GIVE CITI POINTS FOR THOSE.
WHO'VE WORKED FOR A CITY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOME PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT TO THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CITY VERSUS THOSE WHO COME OUT FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE CLARIFYING POINTS IS THAT EVEN IF THEY WORK IN A COUNCIL OFFICE, THEY ARE STILL CONSIDERED A CITY EMPLOYEE.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO JUST COMPETE FOR MCS LEVEL POSITIONS.
SO IF SO, HOW LONG IS THAT PERIOD OF TIME? HOW LONG DOES, WHAT PERIOD OF TIME? WELL, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT IF, IF SOMEONE'S IN THAT, THAT THEY GIVEN, UH, PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET THIS CORRECT.
DID YOU SAY POINTS OR JUST SAY IT FOLLOWS OUR SERVICE INCENTIVE PLAN? SO IF AN EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY BETWEEN ZERO OR OVER FIVE YEARS, THEY GET ONE EXTRA POINT ON THEIR FINAL SCORE BETWEEN FIVE AND SEVEN YEARS, THEY GET TWO EXTRA POINTS AND THEN SEVEN PLUS THEY GET THREE EXTRA POINTS.
AND SO COUNCIL, OFFICE STAFF ARE GET THAT ALSO? YES, YES.
IF THEY ARE A CITY EMPLOYEE, BUT THEY JUST HAVE TO APPLY.
SO I THINK THE ORIGINAL QUESTIONS WAS TO THE DIRECT APPOINTMENT, BACK INTO AN MCS POSITION WHERE THEY CAME FROM, THAT CAN'T HAPPEN.
SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE THEN IS THAT APPEAL, UH, APPEAL.
AND THEN THE PREFERENTIAL POINTS BASED ON CITY TENURE.
WELL, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR AWHILE WHO MAY HAVE THEN GONE TO A COUNCIL OFFICE AND THEN MAY WANT TO GO BACK TO THE CITY AND THEY DON'T HAVE A BREAK IN SERVICE.
SO THERE IS NO BREAK IN SERVICE IF YOU GO IN AND OUT OF THE MCS PHASE.
JUST APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION AND REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE COMPLEXITIES AROUND THIS, UH, THIS WORK.
AND SO OUR HR TEAM CONTINUES TO DO THIS, AND REALLY EVERYTHING HAS BEEN EXACERBATED IN THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR WORK AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO COUNSEL AS WE LEARN MORE.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK THEM AS WELL.
THIS WAS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL TO CLARIFY SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND BECAUSE WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT GROUPINGS, IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ON THE DIOCESE WITH ALL OF YOU.
ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES, UH, WE HAVE, UH, NEXT TO, TO GO INTO, I'M SORRY.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UH, BRIEFLY DAYLIGHT.
UM, I THINK IT'S ITEM NUMBER 17, THE ROWING DOCK ITEM THAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME.
I IT'S MY INTENT TO POSTPONE THAT FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE PARKS DIRECTOR IS OKAY WITH THIS.
AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THAT, UM, PARKS PURCHASING AND THE, THE VENDOR SIT DOWN AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, BUT JUST WANTED, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WHICH IS WHY I DIDN'T PULL IT.
I JUST WANTED TO DAYLIGHT THAT I INTEND TO POSTPONE THAT JUST UNTIL THE MEETING AT THE END OF MARCH.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING ON THE SIXTH STREET WORK.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO FOLLOW UP, BUT I HAVE A COUPLE THOUGHTS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY AND INTEND TO, WELL, WHATEVER WE DECIDE, WHERE YOU GO THROUGH THAT.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TO ALSO SAY THAT, UH, AS I ANNOUNCED EARLIER, I HAVE THE, UH, UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS LEADERSHIP MEETING, UH, OUT OF TOWN ON THURSDAY.
SO I WON'T BE, UH, I WON'T BE WITH YOU, UH, ANY, BEFORE WE, UH, GO INTO LUNCH IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU HAVE TO CONFRONT MIRA SINCE YOU RAISED THE SAFER SIX.
I JUST WANT MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW THAT THERE WERE TWO OTHER SECTIONS OF THIS THAT I, I, IN THE END, UH, EXTRICATED TOOK OUT, UM, TO GO FORWARD
[01:10:01]
AS SEPARATE INITIATIVES, ONE DEALT WITH REALLY CLARIFYING THE SCHEDULE AND SOME OF, AND SOME ADDITIONAL DIRECTION WITH REGARD TO THE WEST CAMPUS LIGHTING WORK THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN VARIOUS SETTINGS AND HAVE INITIATED SOME DIRECTION ON.AND THEN THE OTHER IS, IS PICKING UP ON SOME PREVIOUS WORK WITH REGARD TO ALLEYS, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO JUST, UM, JUST KNOW THAT THOSE ARE TWO ELEMENTS.
THERE IS A THIRD ELEMENT THAT I'M IN CONVERSATIONS WITH ONE OF THE MAJOR PROPERTY OWNERS ON SIXTH STREET ABOUT, AND THAT, AND SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD AND TALKED ABOUT IT, AND THAT HAS, HAS TO DO WITH A POTENTIAL CODE AMENDMENT THAT I, I HOPE WOULD BE HANDLED, UM, IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY THAT PICKS UP SOME EARLIER WORK ON STREETSCAPES.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THREE SEPARATE, UM, INITIATIVES THAT ARE RELATED TO THE SAFER SIXTH STREET WORK, BUT ARE NOT COMING FORWARD AS PART OF THIS ONE, JUST SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON SOME OF THOSE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STAFF.
COLLEAGUES, IT IS, UH, 12, 15 OR 17 RIGHT NOW.
UH, I'M GOING TO PROPOSE THAT WE TAKE LIKE 15 MINUTES FOR EVERYBODY TO KIND OF GRAB LUNCH AND THEY GET BACK TO THEIR, UH, COMPUTERS, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT 1230.
[E. Executive Session]
AND EXECUTIVE SESSION, OR WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE POLICING.TWO ITEMS ARE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO NOW TO CLOSE SESSION, TO TAKE OUT FOUR TOTAL ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS A 4 18 180 1, 4 18 180 3, 5 5, 1 0 7, 6 AND 5 5 1 0 8 9.
THE GOVERNMENT CODE WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS SECURITY MATTERS RELATED TO E ONE CYBERSECURITY PURSUANT TO 5, 5, 1 0 7.
WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO EAT TWO AND EAT THREE.
THOSE ARE, UH, LAWSUITS AND CLAIMS RELATED TO APD AND THE MAY 30TH 31, UH, 2020 PROTESTS, INTERPERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND PURSUANT TO 5, 5, 1 0 7 FOR THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO YOU FOR, UH, THE EMPLOYMENT, UH, UH, DUTIES, COMPENSATION, EVALUATION, THE CITY MANAGER WITHOUT OBJECTION.
I'LL SEE YOU GUYS IN 15 MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, GET GOING AGAIN.
WE'RE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION IN CLOSED SESSION, WE DISCUSSED INFORMATION SECURITY MATTERS, RELAY THE ONE LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE TWO AND THREE AND PERSONNEL ISSUES RELATED TO E FOUR.
UH, THE TIME HERE ON MARCH 1ST, 2022 IS THREE 40, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND FINISH THE, UH, AGENDA FOR THIS, UH, UH, UM, WORK SESSION.
[B1. Recommendation for Taxicab Franchise Transition]
BRIEFING IN FRONT OF US TODAY, AND IT'S THE TAXI CAB FRANCHISE TRANSITIONS RELATED ITEM 23 ON THE AGENDA, UM, MANAGER.YOU WANT TO THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL AND GOOD AFTERNOON.
AND AS YOU NOTED, THIS IS THE ONE BRIEFING WE HAVE.
AND IT'S RELATED TO THE ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION ON THURSDAY RELATED TO AN ORDINANCE AMENDING OUR CITY CODE TO REPEAL FRANCHISE REQUIREMENTS FOR TAXI CAB COMPANIES AND ESTABLISHED TAXI CAB OPERATING AUTHORITY REQUIREMENTS.
THIS WAS A BRIEFING THAT WAS HEARD AT THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, BUT IT WAS DEEMED TO BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ELEVATE THROUGH THIS WHOLE, UH, COUNCIL.
AND SO WE WANTED TO ALLOW OUR STAFF TO PRESENT THIS BRIEFING FOR THE ENTIRE DIOCESE, WITH THAT ALTERNATE OVER TO JASON, JOHN MICHAEL, TO LEAD THIS OFF.
UH, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN.
AND, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UM, BEFORE YOU, IS THAT, THAT ITEM, UH, THAT, UH, CITY MANAGER CROCK, I WENT OVER, WE ARE AT THE PRECIPICE OF, UH, LOOKING TO MAKE THIS, UH, VERY FORMATIVE YET, YET NEEDED CHANGE IN THE TAXI, IN HOW WE REGULATE, UH, TAXI COMPANIES AND TAXI OPERATIONS WITHIN, WITHIN AUSTIN.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE JOINED TODAY BY JASON REDFERN, WHO IS THE PARKING ENTERPRISE MANAGER, AS WELL AS JACOB CULBERSON, WHO IS OUR DIVISION MANAGER OVER ABILITY SERVICES, PERMITTING DIVISION, UH, THAT OVERSEES THE REGULATION AND THE PERMITTING OF NOT ONLY THE, THE, THE VEHICLES AND, BUT ALSO, UH, THE DRIVERS.
AND SO, UH, JASON AND JACOB I'LL, I'LL LET YOU GUYS TAKE IT AWAY.
JASON, CAN YOU PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF, JACOB? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, THAT'S GOOD.
[01:15:05]
WE CAN'T HEAR YOU, JACOB.WE'RE GOING TO HEAR JASON, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR 10 BY PLEASE.
MR. REDFERN HAD ASKED THAT, UH, IN ORDER TO SPEED THIS UP, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND OPENING THE ITEM AND WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON JACOB'S AUDIO AS, AS WE CAN, WE'LL DO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE PRESENTATION PROGRAM.
CAN I GET AN AUDIO TEST FROM SOMEONE THAT'S, UM, IN THE VIRTUAL MEETING? THAT'S THE INTESTINE? SURE.
CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING TESTING? WE'RE HERE TO NATASHA.
SO THE TECHNICAL ERROR WOULD BE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T RECTIFY IT FROM THE SIDE.
UH, CAN WE, UH, CITY HALL, ANY OF YOU, CAN WE JUST HAVE THE PRESENTATION PULLED UP AND MR. REDFERN, YOU GUYS AUDIO WILL COMMENCE WITH THE PRESENTATION, RIGHT? THANK YOU, JASON.
UM, AGAIN, I'M JASON REDFORD FOR A MEMBER OF PARKING ENTERPRISE MANAGER FOR CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT A TRANSITION OF A PERMITTING MECHANISM FROM A FRANCHISE TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.
AND SO IF I CAN HAVE THE FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE CURRENTLY THREE, UH, FRANCHISE OPERATING TAXI COMPANIES.
UH, WE HAVE ATX CO-OP THE CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, CENTRAL CITY TAXI YELLOW CAB, WHICH IS NOW KNOWN AS, OR IT WILL BE SOON AS THE TRIPS.
UM, AND WE LOST A COUPLE OF FRANCHISES THAT WERE APPROVED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AND THAT WAS LONE STAR CAB, WHICH WAS ONE OF OUR MOST LONGSTANDING, UM, UH, TAXI COMPANIES AND A LONGHORN TAXI CAB.
UH, THEY WERE AUTHORIZED WITH A FRANCHISE, BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO OPEN UP OR OPERATE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND BECAUSE OF THE FRANCHISE RIGIDITY AND THE STRUCTURE OF THAT MECHANISM, UM, REALLY PREVENTED THE, THESE TWO COMPANIES FROM CONTINUING THEIR SERVICES KIND OF THE NEXT LINE.
SO, UH, YOU SEE, BEFORE YOU, THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN THE FLEET, UM, ATX CO-OP OF COURSE HAS THE MOST EXI CABS.
THEY'RE OPERATING 125 TAX LEADS.
UM, 117 ARE STANDARD, BUT EIGHT OF THEM ARE WHEELCHAIR.
WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT CURRENTLY THAT 6% OF A TAXI COMPANIES FLEET, UH, HAVE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY, UH, CENTRAL CITY TAXI, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR NEWER FRANCHISES, HAS 50 TAXI CABS AND YELLOW CABS.
EACH TRIP HAS 80 TEXAN CATS THEY'RE OFFERING NEXT SLIDE.
SO OVER THE YEARS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A, THIS IS A DEPICTION OF THE NUMBER OF TRIPS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
UM, IN 2016, 17, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAD A HEALTHY NUMBER OF TRIPS, 3 MILLION, UM, AND AS, UH, UBER AND LYFT, THEY HAD THE ADVENT OF THE TNCS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF RIDES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING AN AUSTIN.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE IN FY 2021, WE DID, UH, NOT EVEN A QUARTER MILLION TRIPS WITH OUR TAXI CAB SERVICES IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, HAVE YOU DECLINED AND THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY AND THE NUMBER OF RIDES THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING ARE SO NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
UH, JACOB DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF GOING BACK AND, AND LOOKING AT, UM, THE HISTORY OF TAXI CABS IN 1932, THEY WERE, UM, AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, UH, IN 1950, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY DECLARED TAXI CABS AS A PUBLIC UTILITY.
YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES, AND WE LIKE TO HAVE ENERGY, UH, EVEN DURING, UH, PANDEMICS
[01:20:01]
OR DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN 1950 COUNCIL DECLARED THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE TO RUN ALL THE TIME THERE TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS, UM, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY IN 1950, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF, UH, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES THAT WERE OFFERED, UM, IN AUSTIN.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY WERE PART OF THE REASON WHY THEY WERE DECLARED A UTILITY.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT, THAT GRAPH SHOWED THAT THEY REACHED THEIR PEAK SERVICE SERVICE IN, UH, 2016, 17.
UM, BUT SINCE TMCS, UM, AND THE DEREGULATION OF TNCS, WE'VE SEEN A VERY STEADY DECLINE OF TAXI CAB SERVICES.
UH, IN 2018, WE DID A, A, UH, SOMETHING AT THE, UM, THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL.
WE, WE LOOKED AT THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY AND WE, UH, DID SOME REGULATORY REFORM FOR THE FRANCHISES.
AND WE REALLY WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO TRY AND FIND AS MANY AREAS WITHIN THE CODE THAT WE COULD SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE, UM, BENEFITS, UH, SO THAT THE, THE COMPANIES WOULDN'T BE ECONOMICALLY WHERE THEY WOULD BE ACTUALLY MORE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE.
UM, SO WE REDUCED REQUIREMENTS, UM, WITH THOSE TAXI CAB, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
AND WE HAD, UM, TALKED ABOUT, UM, MOVING IT FROM A FRANCHISE TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY BACK THEN, HOWEVER, UM, THAT WAS, UH, KIND OF A STICKING POINT FOR, UH, ONE OF THE CAB COMPANIES.
AND SO WE MOVED FORWARD WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, SINCE THEN THE COMPANY THAT HAD THE ISSUE WITH THE FRANCHISE IS NOW, UM, ALL FOR US MOVING TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT DEPICTION ALSO ON THE GRAPH THAT, UM, JUST DO THE PANDEMIC AMBITIONS, THAT TAXI CAB RIDES HAVE SLOUGHED OFF QUITE A BIT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, PART OF THE FRANCHISE, UM, STRUCTURE REQUIRES US TO ISSUE A CITATION.
IF A COMPANY DOESN'T PROVIDE SERVICE.
AND WE THINK THAT RIGIDITY, UM, IS, IS NOT GOOD FOR THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY, AND IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON WHO ARE TRYING TO GET THERE AND HAVE THE NEXT LINE.
THERE'S JUST A LISTING OF IF, UM, OF HOW IT LOOKS WHEN WE HAVE A FRANCHISE MODEL VERSUS IF WE WERE TO MOVE TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.
AND IT'S JUST A COMPARISON OF, UM, YOU KNOW, AN APPLICATION FOR A FRANCHISE, UH, COULD TAKE 30 DAYS TO COMPLETE WHERE WE CAN DO AN OPERATING, UM, APPLICATION OPERATING A 40 IN ONE DAY.
UM, THERE'S, UH, FOR A FRANCHISE MODEL, OF COURSE IT REQUIRES COUNCIL ACTION TO AUTHORIZE NEW COMPANY TO START A BUSINESS IN AUSTIN.
AND IF WE GO TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, WE WOULD THEN INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH A THREE READINGS PROCESS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADMINISTRATE, UH, THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY.
LIKE WE DO EVERY OTHER RIGHTS FOR HIGHER, UM, BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN.
AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AUTHORIZE THEM BASED ON, AGAIN, WHATEVER'S IN THE CITY CODE AND UNDER 13 DASH TWO REALLY COVERS WHAT THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND, AND WE'RE NOT PROPOSING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
WE'RE JUST SIMPLY MOVING TO A MODEL WHERE STAFF CAN NOW AUTHORIZE A TAXI CAB COMPANY TO OPERATE VERSUS HAVING TO GO WITH THREE READINGS PROCESS.
AND SO YOU, THERE ARE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M, IF I NEED TO READ ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENCES IN THE, BETWEEN A FRANCHISE MODEL OPERATING 40, IT'S JUST, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, RIGIDITY AND, UM, NOT A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY THAT WE HAVE IN THE OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.
AND, UM, IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS WHETHER THE COMPANIES BELIEVE IT OR NOT FOR THEM TO MOVE TO.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE DID A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH, UH, THROUGH, UH, 20 AND 21.
WE WE'VE MET WITH THE, THE FRANCHISE, THE CAB FRANCHISES ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
WE'VE MET WITH THE, THE OWNERS, UH, OR THE PRESIDENTS OF THE COMPANY WE'VE MET WITH THE DRIVERS.
UM, WE'VE DONE PRESENTATIONS FOR THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND INVITED ALL OF THE TAXI CAB COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS AND PROVIDED THEM THE MEETING TIMES AND DATES.
[01:25:02]
UH WE'VE WE CREATED, UM, INFORMATIONAL WEBPAGES.WE DISTRIBUTED FLYERS TO ALL OF THE DRIVERS WITH JACOBS, UM, CONTACT INFORMATION AND HIS, HIS EMAIL PHONE NUMBER AND POINTED TO THIS WEBSITE.
UM, AND WE RECEIVED, UH, ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT RESPONSES.
AND HONESTLY, THE RESPONSES WERE THERE, THERE WERE NO NEGATIVE RESPONSES, BUT, UM, THE 15 WERE RESPONSES WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE DRIVERS? AND OF COURSE IT WILL NOT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, SOME OF THE DRIVERS WERE EVEN, UM, INTERESTED IN OPENING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.
SO, UH, THOSE THAT'S THE TYPE OF FEEDBACK WE GOT WHEN WE, UM, PUT OUT, I THINK THERE WAS LIKE THREE OR 400 FLYERS, AND WE WENT OUT TO THE AIRPORT AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR THE DRIVERS THERE.
UM, AND JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE PRESENTED TO, UM, THE, UM, MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND, UH, PROVIDED THIS, THIS BRIEFING, OF COURSE.
UM, I WAS NOT THE ONE DELIVERING AND JACOB'S MY RESIDENTIAL EXPERT, AND I'M SURE HE DIDN'T WANT BETTER THAN ANYTHING, BUT, UM, WE WENT TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND PRESENTED THIS INFORMATION AS WELL, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO STAY OPEN AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE TAXI CAB COMPANIES, UM, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LICENSING MODEL, UM, FOR, UH, NEXT LINE.
AND SO, UM, SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE ONLY, OR IS THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS MAJOR CITY THAT HAS A FRANCHISE SYSTEM.
NOW, THE OTHER CITIES HAVE OPERATING AUTHORITIES OR SOMETHING LIKE AN OPERATING AUTHORITY WHERE STAFF ARE ABLE TO, UH, TO PROVIDE PERMITTING SERVICES, UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND GO FOR THREE MEETINGS PROCESS.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS ALL, THIS IS, IS US CHANGING THE PERMITTING MECHANISM FROM GOING TO COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS, UM, GOING INTO THE, UM, THE CITY CODE CHAPTER 13 DASH TWO, AND STRIKING REFERENCES TO FRANCHISE AND, AND JUST REFERRING BACK TO OPERATING AUTHORITY OR, OR PERMITTING UNDER NUMBERED.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE GIST OF, OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO.
AND, UM, OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR JASON, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
NO, JASON, I THINK YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN PRESENTING ALL OF THE MATERIAL.
I THINK QUITE HONESTLY, IF, UM, IF YOU GUYS LOOKED AT THE SLIDE OF WHO'S, WHO'S LEFT IN THE TAXI INDUSTRY, THAT THE TWO THAT WE LOST, WE LOST BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE MECHANISMS, UH, THAT WE COULD USE, UH, IN AN EMERGENCY, UM, TO, TO ACTUALLY HELP THOSE COMPANIES.
AND SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT DIRECTOR SPILLER, UM, WAS, WAS CONTACTED BY YELLOW CAB IN 2020, UH, DESPERATE NEEDING SOME ACCOMMODATIONS.
HOWEVER, UM, THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS COULD NOT BE, BE YIELDED, UH, DUE TO LEGAL REASONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAY THAT WE REGULATE TAXI COMPANIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DO REMEMBER A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT AND THEIR COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, UH, TO GO OVER THAT.
AND THEY, THEY WARNED ME THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE PANDEMIC WERE TO GO LONGER THAN, UH, PAST 2020, UH, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE, WE WOULD HAVE ISSUES OF THE SOLVENCY OF A LOT OF THE COMPANIES WITHIN, UM, WITHIN THE AUSTIN REGION FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND WAYS TO CREATE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT THEIR NEXT STEP HERE IS TO, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE A, WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A, A LOT OF CONFUSION WITH THE DRIVERS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
UH, BUT WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANY MAJOR, UH, UH, ELEMENTS RELATED TO THE, TO THE WAY, UH, THAT WE, UM, WE REGULATE WE'RE MERELY CHANGING THE, THE, THE REGULATION MODEL THAT WE USE TO HELPFULLY OPEN UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO HELP, UM, SHEPHERD A, UH, A RESURGENCE AND HOPE ULTIMATELY IS SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE OF TAXI, UH, OPERATIONS WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE REGION.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME NOW? YES.
THIS IS BECOME REALLY A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
UM, AND PERHAPS IT'S, IT'S THE WAY IT WAS FRAMED ORIGINALLY, BUT REALLY, UM, LIKE JASON, JOHN MICHAEL SAID, THIS IS JUST A, UH, A CHANGE IN THE MECHANISM BY WHICH WE PERMIT THE VEHICLES.
[01:30:01]
REALLY TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, UH, IT KEEPS 13 TO A CHAPTER 13 TO OF OUR CITY CODE, ESSENTIALLY WHERE IT HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS.UM, IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST REMOVES THE ADDITIONAL PIECE OF THE GOVERNANCE FRANCHISE, UH, OF, OF CITY CHARTER, UH, TITLE 11, UH, FROM THE TAXICABS, ESSENTIALLY PUTTING THEM IN A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WITH ALL OF THE OTHER RIDES FOR HIGHER THE CITY, LIKE OUR LIMOUSINES, OUR, UH, OUR CHARTER BUS CHARTER BAN, ALL OF OUR OTHER RIDES WERE HIGHER.
UH, AND IN FACT, I THINK AS, AS JASON REDFORD MENTIONED, UM, IT PUTS THEM ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WITH, UH, RIDES FOR HIGHER THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES REGULATE TAXI CABS, UH, SIMILAR TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, OR JUST A BASIC LICENSING, UM, UH, SORT OF FRAMEWORK.
SO, UM, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS JUST PUT THEM INTO A VERY SIMPLE LICENSING PROGRAM.
UM, THEY WILL STILL RETAIN ALL OF THE OPERATIONAL CUES THAT THEY'VE HAD FOR YEARS.
UM, REALLY NOTHING OPERATIONALLY WILL CHANGE EXCEPT FOR MAKING THINGS A LITTLE EASIER, UH, FOR, UM, THE COMPANY OWNERS, UM, FOR A CITY GOVERNMENT, UM, UH, REGULATORY SIDE, UM, AND FOR, UM, FOLKS TO FRANKLY, OPEN UP THEIR OWN TAXI BUSINESS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER AS WELL.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, UM, MAYOR COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER, UH, AT THIS TIME WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, DONE WITH OUR PRESENTATION AND OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS.
JASON, THERE WAS A PETITION THAT WAS SENT TO A TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
UH, ROB SPILLER, UH, MADE SURE WAS CIRCULATED AMONG ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, INDICATING SOME CONCERN ABOUT, UH, GOING TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY AND INVITING, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AND EXPLAIN.
WHY DID YOU ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THAT? WERE YOU ABLE TO, TO, TO ASCERTAIN WHAT THE CONCERN WAS? OKAY.
W WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE, UM, THROUGH, UH, A SERIES OF BACK AND FORTH.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, THE ISSUES WERE JUST GENERAL STATEMENTS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO KILL THE TAXI INDUSTRY, UM, WHICH, UH, I THINK THAT IF WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, IF WE DON'T ACT AND WE CONTINUE TO ALLOW A RIGID, UH, SOMEWHAT OUTDATED, UH, REGULATORY MECHANISM TO STAY IN PLACE, WE'RE STILL NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACT APPROPRIATELY IN ORDER TO HELP.
UM, SO THAT'S FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE REMAINDER OF THE ISSUES.
UM, WE'RE TRY QUITE HONESTLY, I THINK MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF, OF WHAT AN OPERATING AUTHORITY IS AND ISN'T VERSUS HOW A, HOW A, UH, REGULATION THROUGH A FRANCHISE ISN'T ISN'T.
SO WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANY OF THE RULES.
SO MOST OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY, THAT DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS HAD BROUGHT UP, UM, ACTUALLY OPEN IT UP.
UM, AND SO THE THINGS THAT THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT, UH, FOR INSTANCE, UM, NUMBER OF VEHICLES, OR THE ABILITY TO DYNAMICALLY CHANGE, HOW MANY VEHICLES THEY'RE PERMITTED AND HAVE THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT A YEAR, UM, THEY WANT THE, THE, THE ENTIRE TAXI INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN WANTS THE ABILITY TO, UH, BE ABLE TO FLEX THEIR FLEET, RIGHT? IT'S THE, IT'S THE LARGEST COST.
IT'S A SUNK COST TO THE COMPANY.
AND THEREFORE THE COMPANY PASSES THAT COST DOWN AS FIRST, RIGHT? IF A COMPANY IS ABLE TO BETTER MANAGE ITS VEHICLE FLEET AND THE PERMITS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THEN ULTIMATELY THOSE COST SAVINGS COULD, COULD BE PASSED DOWN TO THE, TO, TO THE DRIVER.
UM, MOST OF THE OTHER ISSUES THEY HAD ALSO WERE ISSUES AROUND EITHER, UM, SMALLER COMPANIES STARTING WITH, WITH A LOWER AMOUNT OF CARS OR OTHER INCENTIVES THAT COULD BE ADDED FOR OTHER, UM, UM, COMPANIES TO BE ABLE TO, JUST TO MANAGE THE FLEX AND DEMAND THAT HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S TODAY'S WORLD.
UH, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN UNDER THE OPERATING AUTHORITY AND CANNOT BY LAW HAPPEN WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THREE READINGS OF COUNCIL UNDER A FRANCHISE MECHANISM.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING, WE'VE BEEN TRYING SINCE 2018, HONESTLY, WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO HELP AND PROVIDE STEWARDSHIP OF THIS, OF THIS PRACTICE, OF THIS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT MARKETPLACE FOR AUSTIN FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE AT THAT PRECIPICE, YOU'VE SEEN THE GRAPH OF THE NUMBER OF RIDES.
THERE WERE 1500 CABS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHEN I JOINED THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN 2018,
[01:35:02]
THERE'S LESS THAN 300.NOW WE NEED TO BE BOLD AND WE NEED TO START MAKING THIS CHANGE HAPPEN FOR THE MARKETPLACE THAT WE, UM, THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS, UH, BRIEFING KATHY? YEAH.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS IN THERE.
THANKS FOR THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PETITION.
I DID SUBMIT MY STAFF HAD SOME BACK AND FORTH WITH THE TRANSPORTATION STAFF.
UM, ADDRESSING THOSE, THE CONCERNS THAT THEY RAISED, AND I SUBMITTED A VERSION OF THEM FOR THE Q AND A, SO THOSE COULD BE MADE PUBLIC, BUT I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, ABOUT A COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS, I WAS A LITTLE WARY, UM, BUT I AM PERSUADED BASED ON, ON REVIEWING THE INFORMATION AND THE CONVERSATION THAT THIS IS REALLY, THIS IS REALLY WAY THE WAY TO HELP SUSTAIN THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY.
AND I SHARED WITH SOMEONE YESTERDAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME I WENT TO CALL A CAB, UM, I SCHEDULED IT A DAY IN ADVANCE FOR SOMETHING LIKE FOUR IN THE MORNING TO GO TO THE AIRPORT AND IT, AND IT NEVER SHOWED.
THEY WERE, THEY SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE, UM, A DRIVER.
WHEN I CALLED TO SAY, WHERE IS IT? THEY DIDN'T HAVE A DRIVER.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO, TO BOLSTER THIS INDUSTRY FOR THOSE OF US WHO WOULD PREFER TO USE A TAXI CAB OR NEED TO FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
AND SO I THINK THIS, THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT STEP IN PROVIDING THE KIND OF FLEXIBILITY THAT OUR CAB COMPANIES NEED.
I WANT TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT DOES APPEAR, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME BACK UP AND SAY, WE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO THE TAXI DRIVER ASSOCIATION AND, AND HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THEM.
DID YOU, WERE YOU ABLE TO, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THAT ORGANIZATION? SO I REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THE COMPANIES.
UM, I, SINCE MY TENURE IN THIS POSITION, UM, I BELIEVE THE, THE TAXI CAB ORGANIZATION HAD DISSOLVED.
UM, I HAVE NOT HAD ANY COMMUNICATION WITH ANY ORGANIZATION, JUST THE THREE COMPANIES THAT EXIST NOW AND THE PREVIOUS COMPANIES THAT, THAT EXISTED IN AUSTIN.
UM, I HAD SEEN SOME DIFFERING OPINIONS ON ONLINE ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS OR WAS NOT IN EXISTENCE.
THAT WAS A HARD ONE LONG, UH, LONG GOAL OF TO GET AN ASSOCIATION.
I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT, THAT IT SOUNDS AS IF IT'S BEEN DISBANDED.
ONE OF THE RE ONE OF THE POINTS THAT WAS RAISED IN THE ARTICLE IS ONE THAT I THINK IS A GOOD ONE, AND I THINK WE'VE EVEN PASSED IT ALONG TO OUR TRANSPORTATION OR OUR AIRPORT STAFF IN THE PAST.
I THINK IT REALLY IS TROUBLING, UH, TO HAVE THE AIRPORT TAXIS SO FAR BURIED IN THE PARKING GARAGE.
AND SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST OF, OF WHAT, UM, ON THAT PETITION, THEY CIRCULATED THAT 30% OF OUR BUSINESS HAS GONE AT THE AIRPORT BECAUSE THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY HAS HIDDEN US UNDER THE GARAGE, FAR AWAY FROM THE VIEW OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO TO OTHER CITIES, WHEN YOU WALK OUT, TYPICALLY THERE IS A QUEUE OF CAB DRIVERS.
UM, AND OFTEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE THEY ARE, UM, WHERE MORE OF THEM ARE, BUT THERE'S A SHORT QUEUE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE AIRPORT.
IF YOU'RE ARRIVING IN A NEW CITY AND YOU DON'T WANT TO USE ANOTHER FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, YOU HAVE THEM, YOU SEE THEM, YOU, YOU CAN GET RIGHT IN THE CAR.
I THINK THAT'S A WAY OF MAKING OUR CITY MORE ACCESSIBLE TO VISITORS, AS WELL AS TO RESIDENTS WHO AGAIN, WOULD, WOULD ELECT THAT OPTION RATHER THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT HAVE COME IN.
SO I WOULD, HOW DO WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN? I, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AS A CUSTOMER.
UM, IT IS REALLY CHALLENGING IF YOU'RE ARRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, YOU DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE EVEN ANY CABS THERE AND, AND THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES THERE HAVEN'T BEEN, UNLESS YOU, UNLESS I CALLED AHEAD AND ACTUALLY RESERVED ONE.
SO I REALLY DO THINK MOVING THAT QUEUE BACK TO A MORE CONVENIENT LOCATION IS CRITICAL.
WHAT'S WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, UH, I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE ALSO EXPERIENCING WHAT A LOT OF OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING, ESPECIALLY OUR ADA COMMUNITY WITHIN AUSTIN AND OUR ELDERLY THAT THAT REALLY DO RELY ON THE TAXI INDUSTRY FOR, FOR RIDES.
UM, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS TO, TO REG IS, IS THE, THE, THE MECHANISM TO REGULATE BOTH THE VEHICLES AND THE DRIVERS, UM, HOW WE, HOW WE, UM, CREATE, UH, OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS TO SUPPORT THAT INDUSTRY IS WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE AFRO OPERATING AUTHORITY.
ONCE, ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS, UM, THERE, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS, JACOB AND JASON HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES OVER AT THE AIRPORT, GROUND SIDE OF THE HOUSE AS WELL, UM, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE, SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH HOW THEY'RE HANDLING THEIR DROUGHT, GROUND CONTROL, GROUND TRANSPORTATION, ALONG WITH OTHER, UM, CHALLENGES WITH, WITH, UH, THEY'LL COME IN CONSTRUCTION AND OTHER THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING AROUND THE TERMINAL IN THE PRE IN PRIOR YEARS.
SO I DO THINK THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE ADVANTAGE
[01:40:01]
OF FINDING A WAY TO ENSURE THAT OUR TAXI INDUSTRY HAS, UM, A LEVEL OF, OF, UM, UH, ACCOMMODATION WITHIN OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT.UH, UH, FOR INSTANCE, JACOB AND JASON MANAGED THE, UH, THE TAXI STANDS DOWN IN DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S CERTAIN PLACES FOR THEM TO QUEUE UP, UH, AT SOME OF THE, THE LARGER HOTELS, ET CETERA, AS WELL AS, UH, SOME OF THE, THE VALET ZONES AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THERE TO THEM.
UM, BUT AT THE AIRPORT FOR US TO, I THINK THAT MEANS US GETTING WITH THE AIRPORT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE, UM, WHAT THOSE COMBINATIONS COULD LOOK LIKE AND WHEN, AND WHERE THEY MIGHT HAPPEN.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU ON HOW, UH, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE NECESSARILY IN HOW WE REGULATE THEM.
IT WOULD BE HOW WE ACCOMMODATE IN THE, IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
AND THINK YOU POINTED OUT THAT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE CONCERNS RAISED WERE, WERE LESS CONDITIONS OF AN OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY, BUT OTHER, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT OUTSIDE OF, OF THAT PROCESS.
BUT I, SINCE WE'RE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, I REALLY DO, I WOULD ASK THAT MAYBE BY THURSDAY, IF YOU COULD GET US SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHETHER THIS IS DOABLE, WHETHER IT'S IN THE AIRPORT'S PLANS TO DO SO.
AND IF SO, WHEN, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE COUNCIL ACTION ON SOMETHING OF THAT SORT, THOUGH.
WE'VE CERTAINLY TAKEN ACTION ON A LOT OF ELEMENTS RELATED TO CABS.
IN FACT, POTENTIALLY POTENTIALLY ENCOURAGING STAFF TO SET UP TAXI CAB STANDS.
AT SOME POINT WE'VE DONE SO MUCH TAXI WORK OVER THE YEARS.
I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD REALLY, I WOULD ASK YOU TO PROVIDE US WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION THAN I MAY.
I MAY PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION ON THURSDAY THAT I'M ASKING YOU TO GET BACK TO US ABOUT THE SOLUTION THERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR EMPHASIZING THAT FOR MANY, FOR MANY AUSTINITES, UM, IT'S NOT JUST A PREFERRED OPTION, BUT IT IS POTENTIALLY THEIR ONLY OPTION IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I HAD, I HAD THE BENEFIT OF, OF BEING ABLE TO CALL SOMEONE TO DRIVE ME.
SO, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME, I'VE GOT LOTS OF OTHER OPTIONS FOR MANY AUSTINITES, THIS IS THEIR OPTION, AND IT NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT AND SAFE AND AVAILABLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR TAKING THE STEPS YOU ARE ON THE ISSUE OF SAFETY, UM, OUR TAXI DRIVERS STILL FINGERPRINT BACKGROUND CHECKED.
AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS ALSO PERMIT FROM THE CITY, FROM MY OFFICE.
I THINK I MAY HAVE SPOKEN OVER YOU.
WOULD YOU MIND SAYING THAT AGAIN, JACOB? YES.
THEY STILL HAVE TO RE RECEIVE A CHAUFFEUR'S PERMIT FROM MY OFFICE, WHICH, UH, THE PROCESS INCLUDES A DPS BACKGROUND.
SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO BE A DISTINCTION THAT CAB DRIVERS HAVE AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF, IN MY OPINION, SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES THAT, THAT OUR OTHER, UM, THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK DRIVERS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE.
I THINK AT THE MOMENT, UH, THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBA FOR THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE RAISING, I WOULD ASK THAT AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING POLICY CHANGES THAT YOU ALSO INCLUDE, UM, OR IF WE CAN INCLUDE OUR AVIATION DEPARTMENT TO TALK ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF TAXI CABS AT THE AIRPORT, UM, OFTENTIMES WITH AIRPORT DESIGN, THE WAY YOU CONFIGURE IT IS BEFORE A VERY SPECIFIC REASON.
SO I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHY IS THAT THEY HAVE THEIR STANCE AT THAT LOCATION.
UH, WE KNOW EVEN WITH, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, WHERE GATES ARE LOCATED, GOING TO PICK UP YOUR LUGGAGE, IT'S LOCATED, UM, FURTHER AWAY.
SO THAT BY THE TIME YOU GET TO YOUR LUGGAGE, THAT YOU'RE NOT WAITING FOR MINUTES AND IT'S ALREADY THERE FOR YOU.
SO IT MIGHT BE ALSO SOME DESIGN THINKING ELEMENTS AND WHERE THE TAXI STAND IS LOCATED.
UH, WE DID TAKE THIS UP IN THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GETTING A BRIEFING TO THE FULL DYESS TODAY, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THIS CONVERSATION, UM, IT, IT MATTERS TO A LOT OF US, WHETHER WE HAVE A LOT OF TAXIS IN OUR DISTRICTS, WHETHER WE HAVE FEW TAXIS IN OUR DISTRICT.
UM, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS IS A SERVICE THAT DOES NEED TO BE AVAILABLE.
THE ADA STANDARDS, IF THIS CHANGE IS MADE STILL APPLY.
AND SO I THINK THERE IS A BENEFIT TO HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY OF MAKING SURE THAT STAFF CAN, UM, MAKE THESE ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS WHEN APPROPRIATE FOR THE TAXI CAB COMPANIES.
I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES, UM, THAT DO NEED TO COME TO THE COUNCIL FOR POLICY DIRECTION, THAT WE STILL MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF CONTROL, BECAUSE I THINK THAT OVERSIGHT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, I ALSO KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON HAD SUGGESTED THAT WE TAKE UP AT A PREVIOUS MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING THE SAME CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION AT THE AIRPORT.
I THINK THE BLUE LINE WITH PROJECT CONNECT IS GOING TO MAKE SOME OTHER HUGE IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL WHEN THAT'S, WHEN THAT'S FINALLY COMPLETED.
AND SO I KNOW THIS CONVERSATION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE AIRPORT AND FOLKS COMING TO OUR CITY TO ENJOY
[01:45:01]
IT.AND I ALSO THINK THERE'S A BENEFIT TO HAVING FLEXIBILITY FOR OUR STAFF AND OUR DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS.
I WOULD HATE TO THINK ABOUT DURING A PANDEMIC, SOMEONE BEING REQUIRED FOR MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, HAVING A MINIMUM NUMBER OF CARS ON THE ROAD WHEN THERE'S NO TRAFFIC, THERE'S NO PASSENGERS AND THERE'S NO WORK TO BE DONE.
AND YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WASTING YOUR GASOLINE, TRYING TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A BENEFIT TO THE FLEXIBILITY OF THIS PROCESS AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF YOUR TEAM GOING THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU'VE BEEN VERY DILIGENT ABOUT TRYING TO REACH ANY AND ALL PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
BUT I DO AGREE WITH THE QUESTIONS AND, AND STATEMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES.
CAUSE I, I ALSO HAD THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT FINGERPRINTING TOO EARLIER AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL, UH, MANAGING THAT BASIC LEVEL OF SAFETY FOR THE PASSENGERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE RHEA? YEAH, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW IF I, I MIGHT'VE MISSED IT AT, OR IF I WANT TO KNOW, DO WE STILL HAVE THE, THE REGULATING POWER AT THE AIRPORT? I KNOW THAT WE WERE A LOT OF THIS TIME AT THE, IN THE CITYWIDE CITYWIDE, UH, UBER AND LYFT CAN NOW OPERATE ANYWHERE THERE, BUT, UH, DO, DO WE STILL HAVE CONTROL OVER THE AIRPORT OR WHO, WHO PROVIDES TAXI SERVICES? UH, YEAH, SO, SO THE DEPARTMENT OF COURSE IS SEPARATE FROM AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE SPOKEN TO MY COUNTERPARTS AT THE AIRPORT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, UM, AND, UH, THE AIRPORT MEETS WITH THE TAXI COMPANIES ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
SO, UM, IT WOULD REALLY BE ABOUT REACHING OUT TO THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
THERE'S ONLY ONE REGULATORY MECHANISM, WHICH IS THE CITY'S REGULATORY MECHANISM THAT ATD, UM, UH, ADMINISTERS ON BEHALF OF YOU GUYS.
UH, AND THAT IS CURRENTLY, UM, SET UP AS A, THE FRANCHISE MODEL.
WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE CHANGING IT TO THAT.
SO WHATEVER WE DO HERE, UM, AFFECTS HOW, UM, IT DOES AFFECT THOSE TAXI CAB OPERATIONS AT THE, AT THE AIRPORT.
AND AS I THINK, UM, I THINK IT WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KELLY, UH, WE JUST NEED TO GET WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR CONSTRAINTS ARE AND WHAT COULD BE DONE, UH, PERHAPS ESPECIALLY IF THE, IF THAT'S THE WISH OF COUNCIL.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HELPER, MADISON YOU'RE MUTED.
UM, I WAS TALKING TO MY KIDDOS.
UH, I I'M REALLY APPRECIATING THIS CONVERSATION AND ALL THE THINGS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD.
SOMETHING THAT I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION IS DO THINGS.
I REMEMBER WHEN I COULDN'T GET A TAXI ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT HAVING ACCESS TO TAXIS THAT MAKES IT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF DISCRIMINATION THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S TIME TO COME PICK YOU UP.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, SOMETHING ELSE THAT HADN'T COME UP TO SHIT IN TERMS OF CONSISTENCY.
SO MY STAFF AND I, WE LAUGHED, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING THREE BLOCKS THE OTHER DAY.
THE RATE FOR ME TO GET FROM THAT FROM CITY HALL TO THREE BLOCKS AWAY WAS $29.
AND THEN IT WENT UP TO $48 AND THEN BACK DOWN TO 12.
AND THEN, I MEAN, SO THAT LACK OF CONSISTENCY IS JUST SO PROBLEMATIC.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, THE CONSISTENCY THAT THIS ADDITIONAL OPTION OFFERS.
I APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN VERY MUCH.
I THINK IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE APPLYING AND CLEANING OUR LENSES CORRECTLY SO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM FROM THE, FROM THE, FROM THE RIGHT PROBLEM PART AND ATTACKING THE CORE OF THAT PROBLEM CORRECTLY SO THAT WE CAN IN ESSENCE TRANSFORM, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE PURPOSE OF US DOING THIS IS TO NOT CHANGE IT'S TRANSFORMATION THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF SERVICE CONTINUES TO BE OFFERED.
AND TO YOUR POINT, OUR COMMUNITY HAS AT LEAST SOMETHING TO GO ON, ON, ON HOW MUCH OUR RISE SHOULD COST AT 11:00 PM AT NIGHT, FROM BIA TO WHEREVER THEY'RE.
THEY MAY RESIDE IN OUR, IN OUR, IN OUR WONDERFUL CITY.
THAT TRIGGERED ANOTHER QUESTION FOR ME.
WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE WAS DESCRIBING IN OF RATE FLUCTUATION? UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE OPERATING AUTHORITY IS, IS STILL PROVIDING SOME REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AROUND FEES.
[01:50:03]
SO THE WAY THAT THE FRANCHISE WAS SET UP IS THAT THEY ARE FREE TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN FEES.HOWEVER, THOSE FEES HAVE TO BE SENT TO THE CITY, UM, AND THEY HAVE TO BE SET FLEET WIDE.
UM, SO IT CAN'T BE, YOU KNOW, CABS ON THIS SIDE, UM, SET THEM AT THESE RATES OR OVER HERE, THEY SET THEM AT DIFFERENT RATES.
THEY HAVE TO BE FLEET-WIDE WITHIN THEIR OWN COMPANY.
UM, SO THAT, UH, STANDARD WOULD STILL APPLY TO THE OPERATING AUTHORITY.
SO THAT WOULD CARRY OVER INTO THAT BASICALLY THE SAME OPERATIONS THAT OCCUR NOW WILL.
THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
NO, BACK WHEN THE TAXI CABS WERE ORIGINALLY SET UP AND WE HAD THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS, IT WAS BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS SERVICE TO THOSE AREAS THAT WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING SERVICE.
AND IN ORDER TO INDUCE AND MAKE AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, WE AGREED TO GIVE CERTAIN OPERATORS MONOPOLIES SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO CHARGE THE RATE AND THE PROFITABLE RUNS THAT WAS NECESSARY TO DRIVE THE ACCESS TO THE LESS PROFITABLE RUNS.
ONE OF THE CONCERNS WE HAD BACK WHEN THE DNC'S WERE COMING TO THE CITY, WAS IT, THEY WOULD CHERRY PICK THE PROFITABLE RUNS, UH, LEAVING THE NON-PROFITABLE RUNS FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO PICK UP.
AND AT THE TIME THAT WAS A REASON TO MAINTAIN THE FRANCHISE SYSTEM, UH, THINKING THAT THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO DELIVER BENEFITS OR OPPORTUNITIES OR SOMETHING IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD ENFORCE A PROVISION THAT YOU HAD TO WHOEVER YOU PICKED UP WHEREVER THEY WANTED TO GO, YOU HAD TO, YOU HAD TO TAKE THEM.
HOW, HOW DOES WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE TNCS, THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TAXES THAT WE SEE OVER TIME? HOW HAS THAT LEFT US AS A COMMUNITY WITH THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE, TO MAKE SURE THAT SERVICE IS BEING PROVIDED IN THOSE HARD TO SERVE HARDER TO SERVE AREAS? I THINK THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M, I'M SO ANIMATED ABOUT THIS.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE, YOU'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS, UM, UH, YOU'VE HEARD EVEN STORIES OF OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE DAYAS HERE THAT, UM, UH, WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE RISE OF BEING GOOD SOMETIMES.
UM, THE TAXI INDUSTRY IS IN A, IN A SERIOUS, A WORLD OF HURT, UH, RIGHT NOW.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HELP WOMEN, AND THIS IS HOW WE CAN HELP THEM.
UM, I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE COULD GET THE TAXI INDUSTRY BACK TO WHERE IT WAS CIRCA 2016, UH, OR EVEN BEFORE, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT IF YOU LEFT, UM, YOU KNOW, A CONCERT LATE AT NIGHT, UH, THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE MET WITH THE LEVEL OF SURGE PRICING THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON JUST MENTIONED AROUND A, A SHORT TRIP IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE UNFORTUNATELY JUST PREYING ON PEOPLE THAT DESPERATELY NEED RISE WITHIN CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY.
AND, AND BY US MAKING THESE CHANGES, IT OPENS UP OUR FLEXIBILITY TO HOPEFULLY PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS AS WELL AS HELP THE TAXI INDUSTRY THROUGHOUT, UM, WHAT IS A RESURGENCE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND, AND WHAT BETTER TIME TO BEGIN PUTTING THAT INTO ACTION.
AND WHILE, UH, THE ACTIVITIES BEGIN TO INCREASE TO A LEVEL OF SAFE, UH, UH, TO A LEVEL OF SAFETY THAT, THAT WE EXPECT IN THIS CITY.
AND I THINK THAT IN TURN IS WHAT WILL ALLOW US TO ENSURE THAT, THAT, THAT WE CAN MEET THE LETTER OF, UM, THE RULES, WHETHER THAT WILL, THAT, AGAIN, AS JACOB MENTIONED, ARE CARRYING ALL, EVERYTHING OVER INTO THE OPERATING AUTHORITY, SUCH THAT, UH, ANYONE WITHIN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, IS THAT THEY CAN HAVE A RIDE THAT THERE IS THE, THE ABILITY TO SCHEDULE A RIDE AND, UM, AND SOMEBODY SHOW UP, UM, THAT, THAT UNFORTUNATELY, AND THUS, THE REASON WHY, UH, TAXIS TODAY ARE NOT A UTILITY.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, COLLEAGUES, WE WILL THANK THESE FOLKS FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING HERE AT FOUR 20 MEETING IS ADJOURNED.