[00:00:04]
I'M ON CALL TO ORDER THE, UH, WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE PRESENT VIRTUALLY, UH, B AND SO WE HAVE, UH, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
IT'S NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE MEETING IN THIS WORK SESSION IN THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND THAT'S AT AUSTIN CITY HALL, 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, MEMBERS, THE, THE ORDER THAT I ANTICIPATE WILL GO IN IS WE WILL GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE CLOSED SESSION, UH, AS SOON AS I'VE TALKED MY WAY THROUGH THIS, UH, ORDER THAT WE'RE GOING IN, UH, THE NEXT THING WE WILL DO IS BRING UP THE PROJECT CONNECT BRIEFING AND ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO POOLED ITEM NUMBER 72.
WE WILL THEN HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE RESILIENCE OFFICER'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND STRATEGY.
WE WILL THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION OR BRIEFING ON ITEMS 36, THEN 45, AND THEN 71.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? ALL RIGHT.
[E. Executive Session]
WILL NOW GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 51 0.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO E ONE PROJECT CONNECT.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM THAT WAS ANNOUNCED? HEARING NONE, THE COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UH, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THIS TAKING A FULL HOUR, BUT ANTICIPATE THAT WHAT WE WILL DO IS TAKE UP THE PROJECT CONNECT BRIEFING AT 10 O'CLOCK OR EARLIER, BUT WE WILL, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING.
IF, IF WE'RE NOT DONE BY 10 O'CLOCK, WE WILL COME OUT AND WE'LL START THE BRIEFING AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
WELL, I'M GONNA CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
UH, IT IS 10:12 AM UH, WE ARE OUT OF OUR EXECUTIVE.
WE'RE CLOSED SESSION, UH, MEMBERS
[B1. Project Connect Briefing]
BEFORE WE GET TO DISCUSSING, UH, THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND, AND HEARING THIS BRIEFING, UH, LET'S JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT, UH, THAT AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL, UH, DID SURVIVE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, LEGISLATION WAS FILED DURING THIS SESSION.
UH, THE SESSION ENDED YESTERDAY, AND THE LEGISLATION WAS FILED WAS EXPRESSLY INTENDED TO OVERTURN THE WILL OF AUSTIN VOTERS AND KILL PROJECT CONNECT.
THERE WERE MULTIPLE REASONS GIVEN, UH, THEY SHIFTED FROM THE FILING OF THE LEGISLATION ALL THE WAY UP TO LAST WEEK.
BUT THE GOAL WAS ALWAYS TO PREVENT PROJECT COM CONNECT.
UH, IT WAS ADMITTED TO US, AND IT WAS EVIDENCED BY HOW THE BILL PROGRESSED THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PROTECTING THIS LONG SOUGHT COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
UH, IF THE DEAL THAT WAS MADE IN THE HOUSE HAD BEEN HONORED, THERE WOULD BE LEGISLATION TODAY, BUT AS I SAID, UH, THAT DIDN'T GO ALONG WITH WHAT EVERYBODY WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T GO FORWARD WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, THERE WAS A HAZEL, UH, UH, HASTILY DRAFTED ATTORNEY GENERAL ADVISORY OPINION, UH, THAT WHILE THAT ISN'T LAW, IT WAS TO TRY TO, IT WAS USED TO JUSTIFY A PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT ESSENTIALLY REWROTE THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BILL AND WOULD'VE PROHIBITED THE LAWFUL FINANCING OF AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL.
WE WORKED WITH REPRESENTATIVE BUSEY AND THE HOUSE DELEGATION, AND WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THAT AMENDED VERSION OF THE BILL.
AND, AND NOW MAYBE IRONICALLY, WE HAVE A CLEAR PATH FORWARD.
THANKS TO THAT SAME ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION AND ADVICE, UM, THE GOVERNOR HAS CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION.
THIS ISSUE IS NOT ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL, HOWEVER, WE WILL BE VIGILANT.
UH, WE COULD ALSO, AND WE ANTICIPATE, SEE LITIGATION, UH, PARTICULARLY FROM THOSE WHO, UH, LOST THE ELECTION IN 2020 AND ATTEMPTED TO USE THE LEGISLATURE TO UNDERMINE THE WILL OF THE VOTERS.
BUT FOR NOW, UH, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, UH, TAKE MATURE, THOUGHTFUL ACTION TO MOVE THE VOTER'S VISION FORWARD PROMPTLY, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN LIGHT RAIL IS UP AND RUNNING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THE AUSTIN RIGHT LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY IS THE JOINT RECOMMENDATION, THE JOINT RECOMMENDATION OF THE STAFF FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CAPITAL
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METRO AND ATP.TODAY, WE'LL HAVE AT THE TABLE TABLE BRIEFING US ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS OF PLANNING AND OR ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE AND WORKING ON BIG COMPLEX TRANSIT PROJECTS.
UH, OF COURSE YOU CAN ADD TO THAT THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDRED MORE YEARS OF STAFF AND CONSULTANT EXPERTISE THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS.
THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE HEARING IS BASED ON THEIR TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, AS WELL AS THE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC FEEDBACK THAT WAS RECEIVED DURING THE SIX WEEK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
ON MARCH 21ST, WE STARTED WITH FIVE ALIGNMENT OPTIONS, PLUS TWO WAYS TO CROSS THE LAKE, AND A KEY DECISION ABOUT WHETHER LIGHT RAIL WOULD BE ELEVATED THROUGH DOWNTOWN OR RUN ALONG THE STREETS.
MORE THAN 7,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WEIGHED IN ON THESE OPTIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, AND WITH ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS, THIS OPTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT EMERGES THE CLEAR CHOICE FOR THE JOINT STAFFS.
IN ADDITION, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS ALSO ENDORSED THIS OPTION, AND AFTER THE STAFF PRESENTATION WILL CALL UP THE CHAIR OF THE CAC TO DISCUSS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CAC.
UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, STAFF HAS DONE ALL THREE STAFFS.
EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS HAS DONE A STELLAR JOB OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO DEVELOP THE OPTIONS FOR LIGHT RAIL AND TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT OPTION WILL WORK BEST.
AND I WANT TO THANK THEM BEFORE WE EVEN GET STARTED FOR THEIR GREAT WORK DONE UNDER TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TAKEN ON AN ENDEAVOR AS BIG AND COMPLEX AS DELIVERING A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
WE HAVE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.
THIS IS AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE, AND WE ALL NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE.
WE NEED TO BE NIMBLE, AND WE NEED TO BE OPEN TO NEW INFORMATION SO THAT WE DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF DELIVERING, UH, LIGHT RAIL TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO BE AT THIS POINT.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER, UH, TO THE PANEL TO GIVE US THE BRIEFING.
UH, ANIQUE BOK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE.
UM, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, WE'RE PLEASED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.
UM, AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, UH, THE TRI-PARTY STAFF, WE HAVE ANDY S SCHABOWSKI FROM CAPITAL METRO, JENNIFER PINE AND LINDSEY WOOD FROM AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND MYSELF, UM, FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN HERE TO PRESENT, UM, THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
TO YOU HAVE A DISCUSSION ALSO HERE, UM, IS COURTNEY CHAVEZ, WHO LED OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS OVER THE LAST, UM, LAST TWO MONTHS, REALLY, AS WELL AS PETER MULLEN, CHIEF OF ARCHITECTURE FOR ATP AND ANNA MARTIN FROM TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORK.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THOSE ITEMS? AND I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO LINDSEY TO GET US STARTED.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF AUSTIN'S LIGHT RAIL.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THIS RECOMMENDATION AND THEN TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT.
SO THIS, THIS FIRST PHASE, UH, THE LIGHT RAIL IS WITHIN A DEDICATED TRANSIT WAY IN, IN THE ENTIRE LIMITS OF THIS, FROM 38TH STREET ALONG GUADALUPE CONTINUING SOUTH AND TURNING ON THIRD STREET TO THEN CONNECT AT TRINITY AND CROSS LADY BIRD LAKE AND CONTINUE SOUTH TO OLTORF ON SOUTH CONGRESS AND TO THE EAST TO YELLOW JACKET ALONG EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
THIS OPTION HAS COVERAGE TO THE NORTH, THE SOUTH, AND THE EAST, LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE EXTENSIONS AND INCLUDES CONNECTIONS TO KEY DESTINATIONS AND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THE WAY, INCLUDING HEALTHCARE AT THE MEDICAL DISTRICT ALONG, UH, NEAR 38TH EDUCATION, BOTH AT UT AND ACC RIVERSIDE EMPLOYMENT AT KEY EMPLOYMENT CENTERS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ALONG THE CORRIDORS AND HOUSING, UH, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS OPTION IS ON STREET, AS YOU CAN SEE IN SOME OF THESE PICTURES HERE, CREATING A VISIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO REALLY SEE HOW THEY CAN CONNECT TO.
AND ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, THE CROSSING AT TRINITY STREET ACROSS LADYBIRD LAKE.
SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE.
UH, WE STARTED THIS PROCESS WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS.
[00:10:01]
WAS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF COLLABORATION ACROSS THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE OF THE ATP CAT, METRO AND CITY STAFF.AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, WAS INFORMED BY COMMUNITY INPUT AND REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT PROCESS OF HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, IN THAT SIX WEEK ENGAGEMENT PERIOD, WHICH WE KICKED OFF ON MARCH 21ST, WE PRESENTED FIVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF AUSTIN'S LIGHT RAIL.
WE CONDUCTED MORE THAN 90, UH, MEETINGS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, AND INTERACTIONS WITH MORE THAN 8,000 PEOPLE, AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE WHAT WAS VIRTUAL AND ON OUR WEBSITE WITH NEARLY 20,000 VIEWS.
AND WE ULTIMATELY RECEIVED, UH, MORE THAN 5,000 FORMAL COMMENTS.
WE, UH, USED MULTILINGUAL COMMUNICATIONS, AND ONE OF, UM, AT LEAST MY GREATEST SORTS, UH, SOURCES OF PRIDE DURING THIS PROCESS WAS THE REPEATED CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WITH PEOPLE.
WE DIDN'T TALK TO PEOPLE JUST ONCE, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AND, AND AREAS, UH, WHERE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, DEEP CONCERNS AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS, WE CAME BACK TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND CONTINUED TO LISTEN TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT.
IN SOME CASES, IN MANY CASES, THINK ABOUT THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND CAME BACK TO THOSE CITIZENS WITH AS MANY ANSWERS AS WE COULD POSSIBLY PROVIDE.
AND THAT LED US TO A PLACE OF HAVING ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND AS HIGHLIGHTED HERE, WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL GROUPS THAT ACTUALLY REACHED THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT WE DID.
WE DID NOT ASK ANY OF THESE GROUPS TO SUBMIT A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THE TIME THAT THEY INVESTED IN THEIR OWN ANALYSIS OF CONSIDERING THE DATA AND, AND ALL OF THE OPTIONS IN FRONT OF THEM, AND, AND HOW THEY REALLY ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES, UH, AND, AND WORKED WITH US AND ASKED US SOME REALLY HARD QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY THAT HELPED US COME TO THE RIGHT OUTCOME FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HIGHLIGHT OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THAT THAT CHALLENGED US AND PULLED US FORWARD AND, AND HELPED US REACH AN OPTION THAT WE FEEL BEST SERVES THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, JEN, UH, IS GOING TO TALK US THROUGH SOME OF THE RATIONALE AND THE PLANNING DATA BEHIND THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UH, SO ONE OF THE KEY MISSIONS OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS, FOR EDUCATION, FOR HEALTHCARE.
UM, SO TO THINK ABOUT THAT WE CONSIDERED OVERALL RIDERSHIP, BUT WE ALSO CONSIDERED THE COMPOSITION OF THAT RIDERSHIP AND WHO AND WHERE WE WOULD BE SERVING ALONG THE LINE.
SO WITH THE RECOMMENDED PROJECT, ONE OF OUR GOALS WAS TO SERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND TO SERVE AREAS WITH, UH, POPULATIONS WITH LOWER INCOMES TO SERVE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ONLY USING TRANSIT NOW, BUT WHO WOULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM TRANSIT, UM, THAT IS CONVENIENT AND WILL CONNECT THEM TO JOBS AND OTHER DESTINATIONS ACROSS AUSTIN.
UM, SO TO, TO DO THAT WORK, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY, UM, WITH OUR, OUR, UH, TRI-PARTY TEAM, BUT ALSO WITH THE CITY'S DEPARTMENTS OF PLANNING AND HOUSING, UM, TO CONSIDER THESE TOPICS.
SO THE, THE PRINCIPLE OF, UM, PROVIDING SERVICE TO AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY, UH, UNDERINVESTED IN WAS ONE WE WERE THOUGHTFUL OF THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
UM, THAT IS A CONSIDERATION THAT IS IN OUR JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS OUTCOMES FOR THOSE PRIORITY POPULATIONS.
BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD VERY CLEARLY.
UM, IN THE PUBLIC INPUT, WE HEARD THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, PRINCIPLE TO BE SERVED.
SO OVERALL, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT, UH, POPULATION DENSITY IN JOBS BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, UM, A KEY GOAL FOR US WITH THIS, UH, PROJECT WAS TO CONNECT AREAS OF HIGH POPULATION DENSITY WITH JOBS AND WITH, UM, HISTORICALLY UNDERINVESTED AREAS, AND TO KNIT THEM TOGETHER IN CENTRAL AUSTIN.
ANOTHER KEY PRINCIPLE FOR US WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW THE LIGHT RAIL WOULD FIT INTO THE EXISTING AND THE FUTURE TRANSIT NETWORK.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A REALLY WELL WORKING INTERCONNECTED TRANSIT NETWORK, UM, WITH LIGHT RAIL AS A PART THAT IS FEEDING THE BUS NETWORK AND THE BUS NETWORK IN TURN FEEDS IT.
UM, SO THIS IS A KEY PART REALLY, OF TRYING TO MEET THE GOAL, THE MODE SHIFT GOALS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE AS P, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SERVICE THAT'S VERY CONVENIENT TO AS
[00:15:01]
MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, UH, THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO CHOOSE TRANSIT.UH, IN PARTICULAR, THIS, UM, THE, THE RECOMMENDED PROJECT MAKES SOME KEY CONNECTIONS THAT WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, ONE IS WITH, UH, THE METRO RAPID SERVICE, UM, SOME OF WHICH EXISTS, BUT ALSO, UH, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PARTICULARLY AT PLEASANT VALLEY AND RIVERSIDE.
UH, ALSO WITH THE TRINITY CROSSING, THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, CLOSELY CONNECT WITH THE RED LINE AND THE FUTURE GREEN LINE COMMUTER SERVICE AT DOWNTOWN STATION.
UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO ANDY.
UM, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, UH, SPECIFIC TO THE CORINGS AT TRINITY AND FIRST STREET.
UM, THE TRINITY COSING, AS SAID, GIVES US GOOD CONNECTIVITY BOTH TO THE RED LINE AND THE FUTURE GREEN LINE, AS WELL AS ALSO TO THE GO LINE.
IT PROVIDES FOR MORE STATIONS, WHICH WILL ALLOW US SOME BETTER CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OUR EXISTING BUS NETWORK, UM, AND THE NEW LIGHT RAIL LINE.
AND AS WE MOVE OVER TO FIRST STREET, UH, FIRST STREET CROSSING, UH, AS WE TOOK A LOOK AT IT, IT'S ALREADY A VERY COMPLEX, UM, UH, COURSING.
THERE'S A LOT OF BUS TRAFFIC ALREADY, OR BUS MOVEMENTS ALREADY ON THAT ALIGNMENT.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF VEHICLE USE OTHER MODES, USES, USES THERE AS YOU COURSE CAESAR CHAVEZ.
CAESAR CHAVEZ IS TODAY A PINCH POINT IN THE CITY, AND WE THOUGHT AS WE LOOKED INTO IT AND WE ADDED LIGHT RAIL TO THAT, THAT'LL BE VERY IMPACTFUL TO THAT, THAT THAT INTERSECTION ON BOTH THE NORTH SHORE AT THE CAESAR CHAVES SIDE, AS WELL AS ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHERE IN THE ALIGNMENTS WE WERE LOOKING AT, WE ACTUALLY GET SOME CONFLICTING MOVEMENTS BETWEEN LIGHT RAIL, BUSES AND VEHICLES.
AND AS THE OPERATING ENTITY OF THE, OF THE TRIBE PARTY, IT, IT, IT BRUNG US PAUSE AND THE, AND THE AMOUNT OF IMPACT THAT WE WOULD CAUSE, NOT ONLY TO THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AND ITS RELIABILITY, BUT ALSO IN CASES WHERE SOMETHING MIGHT ACC HAVE GONE WRONG, EITHER WITH A VEHICLE SIDE OR ON A, ON A LIGHT RAIL SIDE, THE GENERAL IMPACT TO THE CITY ITSELF.
WE FELT THAT THE, OF THE TWO CROSSINGS OF TRINITY WAS MUCH LESS IMPACTFUL THAN THAT AT FIRST STREET.
WITH THAT, TURN IT BACK TO JEN.
SO AS YOU SEE HERE WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A, A FEW OF THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS FIRST PHASE, AND THEN ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT AND WHAT, UM, WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED AS PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SO IN THIS FIRST PHASE, LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR EXPANSION IN ALL THREE DIRECTIONS, NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST.
AND AS PART OF THAT, GETTING AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO THE AIRPORT TO FACILITATE A CONNECTION THERE.
AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT WE HEARD, UH, ALMOST UNIVERSALLY, UH, ACROSS, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE, UM, GROUPS IN THE, THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN ASKED THAT QUESTION OF, UM, PRIORITIZING AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY, MANY DIDN'T PRIORITIZE IT NECESSARILY AS THE FIRST PHASE, BUT THEY ALL THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND WANTED TO KIND OF HAVE A PATHWAY TO MAKING THAT CONNECTION.
UH, AND, AND THIS OPTION BUILDS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE TO SERVE HISTORICALLY UNDERINVESTED AREAS AND CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JOBS AS WELL AS CREATING NEW ONES.
SO THE EXTENSIONS THAT YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED HERE, THE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS INCLUDE A SEGMENT FROM 38TH TO CRESTVIEW, AS WELL AS FROM YELLOW JACKET TO THE AIRPORT.
THESE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS WERE BASED ON RECURRING THEMES FROM COMMUNITY INPUT AND PRIORITIES, AND WHAT WE HEARD WAS IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE.
UH, THEY ALSO ARE IDENTIFIED BASED ON OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE WITH OTHER PLANNED REGIONAL PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE RED LINE GRADE SEPARATION AT CRESTVIEW, AND, AND LOWERING THAT, UM, THAT CAP METRO IS ACTIVELY SEEKING FUNDING TO CONSTRUCT IN THE FUTURE AND THE AIRPORT EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AND FINDING A WAY TO CREATE AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR MULTIMODAL CUSTOMERS.
UH, THE, THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT THESE EXTENSIONS CAN PRESENT IS TO LEVERAGE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE THESE EXTENSIONS POTENTIALLY INTO THE FIRST PHASE.
UH, SO THAT LEAVES US WITH OUR, OUR NEXT STEPS AS HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
UM, WE, UH, HAVE THE COUNCIL MEETING THIS WEEK ON THE FIRST, THE CAT METRO BOARD WORK SESSION, WHERE WE WILL PRESENT THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE CAT METRO BOARD THIS FRIDAY, AND THEN OUR JOINT PARTNERSHIP MEETING ON JUNE 6TH.
AND WITH THAT, WE STAND, UH, READY AND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER, CADRE? GREAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M
[00:20:01]
SO EXCITED THEY'RE, WE'RE AT THIS POINT, UH, AND I'M, I'M VERY GRATEFUL, UH, TO Y'ALL, UH, TO ATP TO CAP METRO FOR EVERYONE WHO'S PLAYED THEIR PART, UH, IN, IN MAKING THIS, UH, LIGHT RAIL DREAM, YOU KNOW, THAT MUCH CLOSER OF, OF BEING A REALITY IN THE CITY.UH, I THINK THE PROPOSED ALIGNMENT GETS US MORE TO MORE PARTS OF TOWN.
LAYS LAYS THE FOUNDATION TO BUILD OUT A BIGGER NETWORK AND CREATE BETTER CONNECTIONS AND ACCESS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE OF THE CITY.
AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING DISTRICT NINE, UH, REPRESENTING THE DOWNTOWN, UH, PROBABLY THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, PIECE OF OUR RIGHT OF OUR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IS THE DOWNTOWN SECTION.
UH, I THINK EVERYTHING HINGES IN HOW WE GET PEOPLE INTO AND OUT OF AND AROUND OVER DOWNTOWN.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR DECADES WE'VE PRIORITIZED DRIVING OVER ALL OTHER MODES, AND I THINK THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO REALLY FLIP THE SCRIPT.
SO I, I REALLY WANT ONCE AGAIN, WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL Y'ALL Y'ALL'S HARD WORK.
I THINK BOTH OF THE PROPOSED ALIGNMENTS IN DOWNTOWN WILL BE FAR BETTER, UH, THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
UH, BUT, BUT I HAVE, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO DO WITH THE DECISION TO CROSS ALONG TRINITY, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THE, HOW THE DECISION TO CROSS ALONG TRINITY WAS MADE AND WHY IT WAS MADE, UH, NOW RATHER THAN LATER.
UH, BUT I I, FOR REALLY QUICK QUESTIONS, OR THEY MIGHT BE LONG QUESTIONS, THEY MIGHT NOT BE THAT QUICK.
UH, QUESTION NUMBER ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT STILL REMAINS UNCLEAR TO ME HOW Y'ALL ADDRESS THE LAKE CROSSINGS IN THE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
SO IF Y'ALL CAN KIND OF TALK ON THAT.
WE STARTED THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, NOT INTENDING TO NEED TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE LOCATION OF THE LAKE CROSSINGS, UM, THINKING THAT WE NEEDED TO KNOW MORE.
AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THAT SITUATION EVOLVED.
UH, WE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY, WE WERE ASKED A LOT OF HARD QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRED US TO DO MORE ANALYSIS AND TO DIVE INTO A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND BY THE COMPLETION OF THIS ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WE, UH, HEARD FEEDBACK FROM MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS, AND ALSO THROUGH OUR OWN TECHNICAL ANALYSIS TO HELP ANSWER MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED.
WE HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT, UH, THE, THERE ARE SOME STARK DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNITY OUTCOMES AND ULTIMATELY IN OUR, OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE BELIEVE THAT THE TRINITY CROSSING BEST SERVES THOSE COMMUNITY OUTCOMES WITH A, A CLOSER CONNECTION TO THE RED LINE WITH, UH, CLOSER ACCESS TO BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND EMPLOYMENT DENSITIES AND PROJECTED GROWTH ON THE EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
AND ALSO AVOIDING THOSE BUS AND TRAFFIC OPERATIONAL IMPACTS THAT ANDY MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EARLIER AT THE SOUTH FIRST CROSSING OPTION THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN DO YOU GUYS HAVE A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE CO OF THE COST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CROSSING OPTIONS? SO OUR, OUR DRAFT COST ESTIMATES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN A RANGE THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR, UM, WELL MANY UNKNOWNS AT THIS EARLY LEVEL OF DESIGN AND CAN ACCOUNT FOR EITHER RIVER CROSSING OPTION.
THE TRINITY CROSSING IS ROUGHLY A QUARTER OF A MILE LONGER OVERALL IF YOU TRULY COMPARE THEM APPLES TO APPLES AND USE ALL COMMON END POINTS.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT NOT MATERIALLY SO TO IMPACT OUR ABILITY, UH, TO ACCOMPLISH OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT OUTSIDE OF, OF THIS DOWNTOWN SEGMENT.
SO THEY ARE ALL WITHIN THAT COST RANGE FOR EITHER CROSSING LOCATION.
UM, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GET OUR OFFICES THE, THE ANALYSIS OF THE COST DIFFERENCES? UH, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND YES.
ANSWER GREAT QUESTIONS ON THOSE DIFFERENCES.
UM, HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THESE 90 DEGREE TURNS WITHOUT DRASTICALLY SLOWING DOWN SERVICES? IS THAT IS A WORRY AND A QUESTION OF MINE ACTUALLY.
ANDY, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT FROM AN OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE? I THINK FIRST OFF, I THINK FIRST OFF, ONE THING IS TO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS OF MITIGATING THOSE CURVES AS BEST WE CAN MM-HMM.
UM, THE USE OF, UM, LEADING INTO TECHNOLOGY, UTILIZING GOOD OF SIGNAL SYSTEM AND A RAIL SIDE THAT INTER, INTER, UM, INTER WORKS WELL WITH THE EXISTING INTERSECTION NETWORK AND, UH, CIVILIZATION WITHIN OUR CITY.
UM, LEARNING FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES, OTHER AGENCIES THAT RUN AT GRADE AND LEARNING FROM WHAT THEY DID RIGHT.
AND TAKING THOSE EXPERIENCES OF THE TRI PARTY AND EVERY, ALL WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TO, TO MAKE SURE IN THE DESIGN PHASE WE'D LOOK AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE THINGS.
[00:25:01]
UM, IT, IT, A LOT HAS TO DO WITH NOW IN THE DESIGN PROCESS REALLY DIGGING IN AND FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE GOTTA DO AND HOW WE HANDLE THE CURVES AND HOW WE BEST, UM, USE TECHNOLOGY ON THE TRAIN TO SPEAK TO TECHNOLOGY ON THE TR ON THE INTERSECTION SIDE TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THOSE TWO CURVES.I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
UH, AND THEN, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION ARE, ARE THE PROPOSED STATION LOCATIONS, ARE THEY SET IN STONE OR IS THERE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE MORE FLUIDITY IN THAT AND THEY'RE SUBJECT TO CHANGE? IF, IF, IF POSSIBLE? UH, I'LL RESPOND TO THAT ONE.
UM, THERE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED GENERALIZED STATION LOCATIONS, BUT WE ARE AT A VERY EARLY STAGE OF DESIGN, AND SO WE ANTICIPATE DOING QUITE A BIT OF REFINEMENT OF EXACTLY WHERE THE ST UH, STATIONS FIT IN AND, UH, THE ALIGNMENT AS DESIGN PROGRESSES.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
GOOD MORNING AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT HAS GONE TO GET US HERE TODAY AND, AND THIS EVOLUTION.
I DID WANNA ASK, UM, ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, AND THE LACK OF A STOP BETWEEN CONGRESS AND 15TH STREET, WHICH SEEMS TO BE SOMEWHAT LONGER THAN THE DISTANCE, AT LEAST IN BLOCKS, IT MAY NOT BE GEOGRAPHICALLY.
UM, AND, AND, AND IS IT STILL POSSIBLE TO ADD A STATION BETWEEN THOSE AND WHAT WAS THE LOGIC OF NOT HAVING ONE? UH, SO YES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE, WE CAN'T SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
UM, THERE ARE TOPOGRAPHY CHALLENGES, THERE ARE DIFFICULT SLOPES TO MANAGE IN THAT AREA THAT, UM, MAY BE CHALLENGING TO GET A RELATIVELY FLAT STATION, UM, LOCATED IN THERE.
AND, AND THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON WHY THERE WASN'T ONE IDENTIFIED IN THE EARLY PLAN.
BUT WE DID HEAR THAT QUESTION IN FEEDBACK FROM SOME OTHER GROUPS AS WELL, AND WE DO AGREE TO LOOK INTO IT AND, AND, AND FULLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND UNDERSTAND THE VIABILITY OF ANY ADDITIONAL STATIONS IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN, UM, CAN SOMEONE SPEAK TO SORT OF, TODAY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LIGHT RAIL ASPECT OF PROJECT CONNECT AND THERE'S THE METRO RAPIDS, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE PARK AND RIDES AND THE OTHER ASPECTS, UM, OF IT THAT ARE NOT PART OF WHAT WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD WITH OVER THE NEXT WEEK.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK MOVING FORWARD, PLEASE? SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PB EXPO IN CONSTRUCTION AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS COMPLETING THAT.
UM, WE ARE ALSO AS AN AGENCY LOOKING AT A FIVE YEAR SERVICE.
CAN YOU USE THAT IN, I ASSUME THAT WAS PLEASANT VALLEY, BUT YES, PLEASANT PV AND EXPO, I'M SORRY, PLEASANT VALLEY AND EXPO.
UM, WE ALSO ARE ENGAGING IN A, IN A DEVELOPMENT OF A FIVE YEAR SERVICE PLAN, WHICH INCLUSIVE OF DOING, UM, UH, UH, DESTINATION ON ORIGIN STUDIES AND REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT OUR NETWORK NOW LOOKS LIKE AS WE COME OUT OF COVID INSTEAD OF SAYING PRE COVID FOR POST COVID, REALLY WHAT IS THE DEMOGRAPHIC LOOKS.
AND THEN AS WE LOOK THROUGH THAT SERVICE PLAN BUILD IN, WHEN WE DO GOLD, WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OTHER, UM, OTHER, UM, UH, PROJECT CONNECT PIECES AS THEY FOLD INTO AN OVERALL SERVICE PLAN FOR THE AGENCY.
CAN YOU SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE FUTURE PLANS FOR CONNECTING AREAS, SAY TO THE WEST OR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT ON THAT SPINE, HOW THEY CONNECT IN? UH, I, I CAN'T SPECIFICALLY SPEAK EXACTLY TO THAT AS IT'S ALL PART OF A NEW SERVICE PLAN, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND GO THROUGH THAT WITH SOME OF THE PLANNING FOLKS OVER ON CAP METRO SIDE.
I'M A LITTLE BIT ON THE OPERATING SIDE, IT'S KIND OF MY WHEELHOUSE, I APOLOGIZE.
BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN MOST DEFINITELY SIT WITH STAFF AND GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU.
I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY SINCE UM, MY COLLEAGUE BROUGHT UP THE MORE ROBUST KIND OF BUS SYSTEM DISCUSSION, UM, AND JUST OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION MAINLY FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT NOW FOR THIS PANEL.
WELL, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT APPROVALS FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, EXPANDED BUS SERVICE TO FILL IN THE GAPS BOTH DURING THE, THE BUILD OUT OF LIGHT RAIL.
UM, AND PROBABLY INTO THE FUTURE AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN MOVES MORE, UH, ROBUSTLY TOWARD TRANSIT, WE NEED TO MAKE THE SYSTEM MORE ROBUST TO MEET THAT NEED.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY THE, UH, CONNECTING DURING THE INITIAL PHASE HAS BEEN, UH, BROUGHT UP A NUMBER OF TIMES BOTH ON THE DIAS IN WORK SESSION AND AS A CAPITAL CAP METRO BOARD MEMBER, UM, ON THAT BODY.
[00:30:01]
TWO COLLEAGUES HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND THE MAYOR PRO TAM.SO I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD LET EVERYBODY KNOW I'M WORKING WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND STAFF AND PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND I SEE THE CHAIRS SITTING OUT, UH, AVE.
UH, HE'S THE CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE'RE EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH CAP METRO TO ALIGN EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICES WITH THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO FILL IN THE GAPS FOR THE PRIORITY EXTENSION, UM, AND THE FUTURE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL ROUTE.
SO I'LL BE WORKING ON THIS WITH THE MAYOR, MY FELLOW CAP METRO BOARD MEMBERS ON THE DIAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTEZ, WHO HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN THE ISSUE.
UM, I INTEND FOR US TO CRAFT A PATH FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HERE AT THE CITY AND AT CAP METRO IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS PULLED TOGETHER AS PART OF THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE TO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND THIS IS ALL IN AID OF ENHANCING EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICES AND TO SERVE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR TRANSIT.
I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS.
AND, UM, I THINK THIS IS A NECESSARY CHAPTER IN ADDITION TO THE WORK THAT WE WILL BE DOING WITH LIGHT RAIL.
AND FOR THOSE WATCHING, UM, AND MAY NOT KNOW THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS REPRESENTED, UM, AT THE TABLE IN GIVING, UH, GIVING US, UH, PART OF THIS BRIEFING, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS A PARTNERSHIP OF, UH, CAPITAL METRO, WHICH HAS THREE AS AS HAD BEEN POINTED OUT BY CUSTOMER POOL.
THREE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN VELA, AND THE MAYOR PRO TIM THAT ALSO SIT ON CAPITOL METRO AND, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, REPRESENTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, AND THAT'S ME ON THE ATP BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THOSE THAT WONDER HOW THIS, UH, UH, ALPHABET SOUP ENDS UP ACTUALLY WORKING.
UH, I'LL CALL ON THE MAYOR PRO TIM AND THEN COUNCILMAN OF PUENTES.
MAYBE FOR THAT JUNE 6TH MEETING.
WE NEED A FLOW CHART OF EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW THE BOARD MAKEUP WORKS AND, AND HOW THE RESPONSIBILITIES WORK.
I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO REVISIT IN THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, I'M VERY EXCEED, EXCITED TO SEE A RECOMMENDATION COMING FORWARD.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO SEE SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO SERVE, UT IS GOING TO SERVE EAST RIVERSIDE IS COMING DOWN INTO SOUTH AUSTIN.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS GONNA BE, UM, WHAT DISCUSSIONS ARE HAPPENING ABOUT POTENTIAL SMALLER PARK AND RIDES, FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE OLTORF STOP, ARE THERE CONVERSATIONS WITH ADJACENT, UM, PARKING LOT LANDOWNERS FOR FOLKS WHO LIVE SOUTH AND REALLY WANNA UTILIZE TRANSIT ONCE IT'S BUILT, BUT HAVE TO DRIVE THERE ESSENTIALLY TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS SYSTEM? YES, WE WILL, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS AND NEXT PHASE OF MOVING THE PROJECT FORWARD, WE WILL ANALYZE, PARK AND RIDE OPPORTUNITIES AT EACH OF THE FIRST PHASE ENDPOINT.
SO IN THE, THE MAP OF THE OPTION, YOU SEE ONE AT YELLOW JACKET, THE REASON THAT ONE'S ALREADY IDENTIFIED IS BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THE PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS.
BUT AS WE MOVE, UM, THIS RECOMMENDATION FORWARD, WE WILL DO SIMILAR PLANNING AT EACH OF THE OTHER ENDPOINTS.
AND THAT TIES BACK, THAT TIES BACK INTO AS CAT METRO'S DOING NEAR THE OVERALL SERVICE PLAN, TAKING A LOOK AT, UM, ORIGIN AND DESTINATIONS, HOW WE FIT OUR EXISTING NETWORK TO THE CHANGES THAT ARE, UM, TO THE NEW, UM, ALIGNMENT AND JUST MAKE IT ALL AS IN, IN AS INTERCONNECTED AS WE CAN POSSIBLY MAKE IT.
AND I KNOW IN ONE OF THE PREVIOUS ITERATIONS THERE WAS A FLEX SEGMENT, UM, SOUTH OF OLTORF AND NOW WE SEE THERE'S TWO FLEX SEGMENTS NORTH OF 38TH STREET.
CAN YOU TELL ME FINANCIALLY WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE CAN GET TO 45TH OR EVEN FURTHER? I KNOW I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'VE GOTTA TRUST THE FINANCE FOLKS WHO ARE CRUNCHING THOSE NUMBERS AND REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE GET AS CLOSE TO CRESTVIEW AS POSSIBLE TO, TO BEEF UP THE RIDERSHIP ACCESS.
IT'S, IT'S HARD TO GIVE A, A LIKELIHOOD BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE OBJECTIVE OF THE NEXT PHASE OF THE PROJECT TO ADVANCE DESIGN CONCEPTS AND HAVE GREATER CERTAINTY IN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DESIGN ELEMENTS AND, AND SOME OF THOSE UNKNOWNS BECOMING KNOWNS.
UH, BUT THAT IS, IS PART OF THESE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS AND, UH, IF WE HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE BASED ON THE DESIGNS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD AND, UM, CERTAIN RISKS BECOMING KNOWN, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT INCORPORATING THOSE INTO THE FIRST PHASE AND, AND ALSO LEVERAGING ANY ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS COORDINATION WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE CAN INTEGRATE WITH.
SO IS THERE ANY LIKELIHOOD WE CAN GET MORE YELLOW AND MORE GOLD COLOR ON THE MAP AT THIS POINT IN TIME?
[00:35:01]
WE ALL SHARE THAT DESIRE TO SERVE AS, AS MUCH AS WE CAN SERVE AND, UM, MUST MAINTAIN A PROJECT THAT WE KNOW WE CAN DELIVER AND FULFILL ON THOSE COMMITMENTS.BUT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AS WE ADVANCE THE PROJECT.
I KNOW I WAS PUSHING, CAUSE I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, I APPRECIATED COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RIVER CROSSINGS.
UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE JUST ABOUT HOW THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND HOW THE OPERATIONS FOR CAP METRO WOULD WORK.
UM, IS THERE STILL OPPORTUNITY TO CARRY BOTH FORWARD THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS JUST TO MAKE SURE, UH, FOLKS, I KNOW THAT'S A REALLY TIGHT AREA AND I WANNA MAKE SURE FOLKS FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD IN THAT PUBLIC OUTREACH, WHICH I KNOW THAT Y'ALL DID, UH, PRETTY THOROUGHLY.
BUT JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT MAKING DECISIONS AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT WILL EXCLUDE THE ABILITY TO SWITCH GEARS FOR THAT REALLY TIGHT SPACE IN THE FUTURE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT POTENTIALLY TO MOVE FORWARD SIDE BY SIDE? WELL, I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ADVANCE AND IS TO ADVANCE THE TRINITY CROSSING, UM, AND TO TAKE THAT THROUGH NEPA AND THAT WAS JUST BASED ON, UM, AS WE SAID, SOME OF OUR, ALL OF OUR ANALYSIS AND EXPERTISE AND WORK IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, UM, ON ON WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE MOST ROBUST, UM, OPTION FROM A RIDERSHIP AND, AND OTHER PERSPECTIVES AS WELL.
UH, SO THE, THE REASON THAT WE DID NOT RECOMMEND TAKING BOTH THROUGH TO NPA REALLY HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF THE SCHEDULE RISK AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT THAT WOULD REQUIRE.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT OF THE DESIGN WORK ON FIRST STREET WOULD HAVE TO BE ADVANCED TO A PLACE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO TAKE IT THROUGH NPA AND THAT COULD ADD ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO OUR SCHEDULE.
UM, AND SO, BUT THE MAIN CONCERN THERE IS NOT JUST DOING THAT SO MUCH AS, UM, WE WOULDN'T RECOMMEND DOING THAT, UM, AND INCURRING THOSE KIND OF COSTS AND, AND SCHEDULE IMPLICATIONS FOR AN OPTION THAT IS NOT ADVANTAGEOUS FROM A RIDERSHIP POTENTIAL OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL POTENTIAL OR AN OPERATIONAL POTENTIAL.
I, I APPRECIATE KNOWING MORE ABOUT THAT.
CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TIGHT 90 DEGREE ANGLES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A CONVERSATION ABOUT GETTING FOLKS TO AND FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE THAT'S A PLACE WHERE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WILL TRAVEL HERE ARE, ARE GOING TO GO TO AS A DESTINATION.
UM, AND ALSO JUST LOOKING AT THE RIVER CROSSING AREAS IF IT WERE TO COME UP SOUTH FIRST AND, AND LOOK AT THAT.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA LOOK MORE INTO IT AND I APPRECIATE, UM, Y'ALL'S WORK ON THAT.
AND I THINK THE LAST N UH, THE LAST QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK IS, UM, ABOUT THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT ARE YET TO BE DETERMINED IS, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR Y'ALL TO IDENTIFY, ARE, ARE THERE CERTAIN STATION LOCATIONS ON THE MAP AND WILL ANYMORE BE ADDED OR HOW THAT WILL PLAY OUT AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING? AND BY LOCATIONS YOU MEAN STATION LOCATIONS? YES.
SO THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER MENTIONED A A DESIRE TO LOOK INTO ADDITIONAL STATIONS DOWNTOWN, GIVEN THE SPACING BETWEEN THE CONGRESS STATION AND THE 15TH STREET STATION.
AND WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO THE VIABILITY OF THAT.
WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL STATION LOCATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR ANALYSIS, BUT PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS IS TO LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AROUND EVERY STATION.
AND, AND THAT CAN SOMETIMES RESULT IN CHANGES TO STATION LOCATIONS.
IF, IF SOME IMPACT, UM, WE BECOME AWARE OF, WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES AND THAT IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA ECHO MY COLLEAGUE SENTIMENTS AND TO SHARE MY APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE, UH, AND MARK MY EXCITEMENT THAT WE ARE NOW AT THE STAGE WHERE WE GET TO VOTE ON THE FIRST PHASE OF IMPLEMENTING PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, I KNOW AUSTIN KNIGHT, UH, SPOKE VERY LOUDLY AND CLEARLY WHEN AUSTIN KNIGHTS VOTED FOR THIS TRANSFORMATIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
SO IT'S EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE AND TO SHOW HOW WE INTEND TO DELIVER IT.
UH, I ALSO WANNA APPRECIATE THE OVER 5,000 AUSTINITES WHO PROVIDED COMMENTS THAT HELPED INFORM THIS RECOMMENDED, UH, FIRST PHASE OF, OF PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, I CAN TELL THAT YOU ALL REALLY INCORPORATED THE COMMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE VERY, THE SCENARIOS THAT WERE, THE FIVE SCENARIOS THAT ARE INITIALLY RELEASED DID NOT INCLUDE, UM, THE SEGMENT FROM OLTORF TO STASSNEY.
AND SO SEEING THAT ON THE MAP AND KNOWING THAT IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF, UH, THE CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION, I THINK REALLY WILL GO A LONG WAY.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT WANTING TO BRING FORWARD AN I F C, UM, NEXT MONTH, THAT TALK THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU KNOW, HOW ELSE ARE WE GONNA CONNECT THE REST OF OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM
[00:40:01]
TO THE SPINE OF AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL? I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING, UH, AND, AND, AND ASKING STAFF THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ME AND MY TEAM HAVE HAD, HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE GET, UH, UM, AN ENHANCED METRO RAPID, UH, FOR THE 8 0 1 DOWN SOUTH AND TAKING IT FROM ALT TURF ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, TO SLAUGHTER, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN WE PROVIDE CONNECTIVITY? AND SOME OF THE, UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU COUNCIL MEMBER POOL BECAUSE SOME OF THE DIRECTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE, UM, IS FOR CITY STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN WE PROVIDE ENHANCED SERVICE, WHETHER THAT INCLUDES, UH, SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION, UM, BUS PULLOUTS, UH, MARKED LANES, DEDICATED LANES, LIKE WHAT ARE ALL OF THE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN EFFICIENT, UH, AND COMPREHENSIVE TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR EVERYONE IN AUSTIN, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE IN OUR CITY.UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, I DO WANNA FOCUS IN ON A COUPLE SEGMENTS FROM YELLOW JACKET TO THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE AS Y'ALL MENTIONED, THAT, UH, WAS ONE OF THE MORE COMMON THEMES THAT CAME OUT FROM THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS WANTING THAT CONNECTIVITY TO THE AIRPORT.
UM, AIRPORT IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT TWO, SO I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UM, WHAT DO YOU ALL ENVISION AS THOSE POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE SHOULD, THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE TAKING A LOOK AT TO HELP WITH THAT, UH, SEGMENT, THAT CONNECTING THAT SEGMENT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, AS LINDSAY POINTED OUT, WE DID HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE AIRPORT, UM, DURING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND SO MUCH SO THAT IT IS PART OF OUR PRIORITY EXTENSION RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I THINK WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE.
MY, WE DON'T HAVE A FULL ANALYSIS ON FUNDING SOURCES AT THIS POINT, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE, UM, ONCE WE'VE DONE SOME MORE RESEARCH ON WHAT MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UM, A LOT OF SOURCES OUT THERE AND WE HAVE TO GET CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE.
UM, WE NEED TO INVOLVE, UM, INTERIM DIRECTOR SMITH ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL CONSIDERED THE AIRPORT EXPANSION, UM, PROGRAM.
SO WE WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE ON THAT QUESTION.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, YOU HAVE IT MARKED AS, UM, PERHAPS SOME SHUTTLE SERVICES FROM YELLOW JACKET TO THE AIRPORT.
CAN YOU GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE? JUST, UM, LOOKING AT WHAT ELSE WE CAN PUT OUT THERE, WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SERVICES WE CAN JUST TO, TO BEEF UP SOME OF, OF THE, UM, THE HEADWAYS WHERE WE GET MORE, UM, RELIABILITY AND MORE, MORE SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO THROUGH THAT QUARTER.
SO NOTHING DEFINITIVE RIGHT THIS POINT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN ADD INTO THE NETWORK.
SO MORE SO THAT WHEN WE DO, UH, UNVEIL THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL, THERE WILL BE SOME SORT OF, UM, SHUTTLE SERVICE OR OTHER ENHANCED SERVICE GOING FROM YELLOW JACKET TO THE AIRPORT.
IT'S BE SOMETHING THAT WERE PART OF OUR SERVICE PLANNING AS WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
MAKING SURE WE DO CONNECTIONS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT ENDPOINTS AS BEST WE CAN TO LEVERAGE OUR EXISTING NETWORK TO MAKE CONNECTIVITY TO THE WIDE RAIL SYSTEM.
AND YOU MENTIONED THE FIVE YEAR SERVICE PLAN.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHEN THAT THAT IS UP FOR AN UPDATE? UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW.
THE FIRST PORTION OF IT IS DOING A, UM, ORIGIN AND DESTINATION SURVEY THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND ON THE PLANNING GROUP IN CAT METRO IS ACTUALLY GONNA WORK THROUGH THAT OVER THE, OVER THE COMING MONTHS NOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, AN ALIGNMENT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT KEY ELEMENT TO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY USING IT AS A SP UM, SPINE THAT YET SAID TO REALLY BUILD INTO IT, GET THE CONNECTIONS, UM, AND, AND BEST LEVERAGE BOTH FLIGHT RAIL AND, AND OUR BUS NETWORK AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THAT'LL BE OVER THE NEXT SIX TO NINE MONTHS IN WHICH WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.
I WANNA PICK UP A LITTLE BIT ON THE DISCUSSION OF THE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS AND JUST HOW THE DECISION IS MADE.
LET'S SAY WE END UP HAVING THE MONEY TO EITHER GET TO THE AIRPORT OR GO TO 45TH OR CANA GLA.
HOW IS THAT DECISION MADE OF WHICH ONE WE CHOOSE? UH, THAT MAY BE GREATLY INFORMED BY THE TYPE OF FUNDING SOURCE AND WHAT THAT FUNDING SOURCE MAY BE USED FOR.
UM, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF, IF WE FIND, UH, FUNDING THAT COULD HELP US INTEGRATE WITH THE AIRPORT EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THEN UH, THAT INTUITIVELY IS WHERE THAT WOULD BE SPENT.
SO I THINK LARGELY THAT ANSWER WILL COME FROM WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM AND WHAT IF THE MONEY COMES FROM OUR CONTINGENCY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SURE WE GOT IT RIGHT.
AND SO WE HAVE JUST OUR OWN MONEY, NOT AIRPORT MONEY, NOT OTHER.
HOW DO WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION ON WHICH ONE WE PREFER OR HOW, HOW DOES THAT DECISION? I THINK THAT WOULD DEPEND.
SO LET'S SAY THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FUNDS,
[00:45:01]
UH, UNSPENT THAT WE COULD BUILD MORE AS PART OF THE FIRST PHASE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCE WOULD REALLY DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING.FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT WERE A, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY SMALLER AMOUNT, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T GET US ALL THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT.
IT MIGHT GET US TO ONE ADDITIONAL STATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, COULD BE 45TH FOR EXAMPLE MM-HMM.
SO I THINK IT, IT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT THAT AMOUNT OF OF FUNDING IS.
THANK YOU CUSTOMER VELA FIRST ALL, I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK Y'ALL.
UH, ULTIMATELY I THINK WE HAVE A, UH, A GOOD PLAN THAT HAS WIDESPREAD SUPPORT.
UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG, DIFFICULT ROUTE GETTING HERE THROUGH A PANDEMIC AND COST CONCERNS AND, AND LEGISLATIVE CONCERNS AND WHATNOT.
UH, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE US AT THE STAGE WHERE WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF, UH, DECIDING ON A FIRST STAGE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND IT'S ALSO REALLY VERY HEARTENING AND, UH, UH, AND EXCITING TO SEE SO MANY COMMUNITY GROUPS, YOU KNOW, LINING UP IN SUPPORT OF WHETHER BEFOREHAND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW THE, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR, MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION AS SO MANY PEOPLE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE, THE PRIORITY EXTENSION TO CRESTVIEW AND THE OPPORTUNITIES AT, UM, AT CRESTVIEW.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT LISTED IN THE, UH, PRIORITY EXTENSION, UH, AS WELL.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO, TO Y'ALL AND YOUR TEAMS FOR, UH, A LOT OF WORK AND ANALYSIS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT LEFT TO DO IN TERMS OF WORK AND ANALYSIS, BUT JUST TO GET TO THIS KIND OF, UH, A PRETTY CLOSE TO A, A CONSENSUS, UH, UH, FIRST STAGE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION, UH, IS, UH, IS IS A BIG STEP FOR AUSTIN.
UH, AND I, I MEAN, I KNOW THE MAYOR TRIED TO DO THIS BACK IN 2000
UH, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO AGAIN, IT'S JUST SO EXCITING TO TO BE ON THE VERGE OF ACTUALLY GETTING, UH, A LIGHT RAIL, YOU KNOW, FUNDED AND, AND, AND PASSED AND, AND READY TO GO IN AUSTIN.
UM, THAT SAID, I DID, UH, WANT TO ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CRESTVIEW IN PARTICULAR.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, BASED ON, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM ATP IS THAT THE EXTENSION FROM 38TH STREET TO CRESTVIEW IS GOING TO BE ABOUT 600 MILLION.
UH, AND THAT WOULD BE NOT INCLUDING, UH, ANY KIND OF, UM, GRADE SEPARATION OF, UH, UH, OF THE RED LINE.
UH, I IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, WHAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, AND ANY SENSE OF HOW MUCH THE GRADE SEPARATION ON, UH, OF THE RED LINE, ASSUMING THAT WE WERE GONNA BURY IT THERE, ANY SENSE OF HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA BE? UH, 250 TO $300 MILLION DEPENDING UPON FINAL DESIGN.
UM, WHAT, AND, AND AGAIN, I I KNOW THE AIRPORT IS, IS A PRIORITY EXTENSION AS WELL AS, UH, AS CRESTVIEW, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF, OF, OF THE PLAN, UH, OF ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FUNDING OR FINANCING FOR IT? AGAIN, SPECIFICALLY I'M LOOKING AT, AT, AT THE CRESTVIEW EXTENSION.
I THINK THAT WILL JUST REALLY, REALLY HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE IN, UH, THE NORTH AUSTIN, UH, IN NORTH LAMAR.
IT WOULD, UH, UH, ALLOW THEM TO TAKE THE, THE 8 0 1 OR WHATEVER ITS SUCCESSOR LINE IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, WHEN THE LIGHT RAIL IS OPEN AND, AND TRANSFER TO, UH, LIGHT RAIL AT, UH, CRESTVIEW STATION.
AND I JUST THINK THAT WOULD, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING REALLY HELP, UH, MOBILITY FOR, UH, A LOT OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, PORN WORKING CLASS FOLKS IN THE, THE NORTH LAMAR, UM, UH, AREA.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS THE, THE, THE KIND OF THE, THE POSSIBILITY, UH, OR, OR WHAT IS KIND OF THE, THE THINKING ON, UH, THE, THE PRIORITY LIGHT RAIL EXTENSIONS? SO WE WILL BE EVALUATING, INVESTIGATING, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO IDENTIFY, UM, ANY POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES.
AND, AND BY THAT I MEAN GRANTS, FUNDING, PARTNERSHIPS, OTHER PLACES THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO POTENTIALLY ACCELERATE THOSE EXTENSIONS INTO A FIRST PHASE.
IF, IF WE DON'T IDENTIFY THOSE FUNDING, THEN THEY BECOME A PRIORITY EXTENSION IN THE NEXT MM-HMM.
SO AS, AS OF THIS MOMENT, THEN THE, THE BUDGET HAS SHOWN THE, THE ACTUAL FIRST, UH, STAGE LIGHT RAIL IS, IS, IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE GOT THE MONEY TO BUILD THAT OUT.
UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH MAKING THAT STATEMENT, THE, THE PRIORITY LIGHT RAIL EXTENSIONS THEN ARE NOT ACTUALLY
[00:50:01]
FUNDED AT THIS MOMENT.THE EXTENSIONS ARE NOT FUNDED AS PART OF THE FIRST PHASE WITHOUT, UH, FINDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES TO ACCELERATE THEM.
AND WILL THOSE, UH, PRIORITY, UH, EXTENSIONS BE GOING INTO THE NEPA PROCESS? DO YOU WANNA, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH WITH, UH, FTA OR THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THE NEPA PROCESS IN THAT DOCUMENT ARE, ARE THEIRS.
UH, SO WE, UH, ACTUALLY THEY'RE, WE'RE MEETING WITH THEM THIS WEEK AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT, THAT ITEM.
I THINK WE HAVE A FEW OPTIONS THAT WAY, AND IT, PART OF IT, UH, DEPENDS ON WHEN FUNDING'S IDENTIFIED AND WE'RE READY TO, TO GO.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'LL BE THINKING ABOUT THAT AND ALWAYS TRYING TO THINK AHEAD SO THAT WE'RE READY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE READY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SO YEAH, AND THAT WOULD, I WOULD JUST URGE REALLY, AGAIN, NOT KNOWING, UH, A WHOLE LOT ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THE NPA PROCESS ENTAILS.
YOU KNOW, THE MORE OF THE, THE, THE PROCESS WE CAN GET INTO THIS, UH, CURRENT NEPA PROCESS, UH, I I FEEL THAT WOULD REALLY FACILITATE THEM TO REALLY BE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS WHERE EVERYTHING IS.
AND IF EVERYTHING IS READY TO GO EXCEPT FOR THE MONEY, UH, THEN WE CAN FIGURE OUT THAT PIECE.
BUT, UH, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE KIND OF PRE-APPROVALS, THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LONGER ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, UH, TO, UH, TO, TO WORK THROUGH.
SO, UH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS I WOULD URGE THOSE BOTH PROJECTS, UH, WHICH HAVE, AS Y'ALL MENTIONED, SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC SUPPORT, UH, TO BE INCLUDED, UH, TO BE KIND OF PRE-APPROVED IF, UH, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
UM, AND, UM, AND WITH THAT, LIKE I SAID, I, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THE, THE ONE OTHER THING THAT, AND JUST IN, IN SPEAKING TO FOLKS ABOUT THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT, UH, CROSSINGS, UH, AND, AND I I HAVE SPOKEN TO, UH, TO CAP METRO ABOUT THIS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, EXTENSIVELY WAS THE, UM, POTENTIAL TRAFFIC IMPACTS IN TERMS OF, UH, NOT JUST VEHICLE TRAFFIC, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, BUS TRAFFIC, UH, UH, AT THE SOUTH FIRST CROSSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, UH, WILL, WILL, UH, CATCH THE BUS FREQUENTLY AT EITHER, YOU KNOW, REPUBLIC SQUARE OR THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FOURTH IN, IN LAVACA.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY A BUS COMING EVERY TWO MINUTES OR SO.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE 10 OR THE 20 OR THE 8 0 1 OR WHICHEVER ONE, UH, IS, IS COMING THROUGH THERE.
WHAT WERE THE CONCERNS WITH POTENTIAL TRAFFIC IMPACT OF A SURFACE, UH, CROSSING AT, UH, SOUTH FIRST AND, AND SAF CHAVEZ? WELL, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA ADD TO THAT NOW, EVERY TWO AND A HALF MINUTES OR SO, A LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE GOING THROUGH THERE, IT'S A LITTLE LONGER THAN A BUS.
AND SO IT'S A REASONABLY COMPLEX INTERSECTION ITSELF.
NOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING EVERY, EVERY ONE OF THOSE MODES NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF, OF INTERSECTION TIME.
AND WITH THE VOLUMES THAT GO THROUGH THAT, THAT POINT, THIS IS JUST ENOUGH TIME, TIME AND THE CLOCK FACE TO GIVE EVERYTHING EQUALLY.
SO YOU END UP SLOWING THE HOLE INTO SECTION DOWN MM-HMM.
SO IT'LL, IT'LL BE A REAL, IT'S ALREADY A PINCH POINT VEHICULAR, YOU ADD LIGHT, LIGHT RAIL, BUT IT'LL BECOME A PINCH POINT OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AS WELL.
SO THE, YES, WE, WE ALL, UM, WE ALL AGREE, YES.
THE VOLUMES ARE LOWER AT THE TRINITY CROSSING AND, AND ACTUALLY WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME INTERESTING DATA THAT SHOWS WHERE PEOPLE GO DOWNTOWN, UM, IN REFERENCE TO WHERE THEY ENTER DOWNTOWN MM-HMM.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GOING ALL THE WAY ACROSS DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THE, THE TRINITY CROSSING AS, AS YOU NOTE, UM, SORT OF INTUITIVELY DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH TRAFFIC COMING FROM, SAY, MOPAC AND, AND THE IS ENTERING DOWNTOWN FROM THE WEST, IT HAS MORE COMING FROM I 35, UH, WHICH IS AN OPPORTUNITY ACTUALLY TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE I 35 EXPANSION THAT WILL REDISTRIBUTE SOME OF THAT EAST-WEST TRAFFIC ON THE EAST SIDE OF CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FIFTH, SIXTH,
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SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH.SO NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE LOWER VOLUMES AT TRINITY, BUT THOSE VOLUMES MAY EVEN BE, UH, WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT THERE BY LEVERAGING THE PLANS OF I 35 ON THE EAST SIDE.
WELL, AGAIN, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR, UM, FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK, YOUR EFFORTS.
IT'S, UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD, UH, PRODUCT AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, MOVING IT THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, MEMBERS, AS I'VE INDICATED EARLIER, WE WERE GONNA BRING UP THE, UH, CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
Y'ALL JUST STAY THERE IN CASE SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING.
UM, UH, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I APOLOGIZE, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND, AND, AND ALVEAR HAS, AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT PREVIOUSLY, IS THE CHAIR OF THE, THE CAC.
AND AS, UH, YOU ALL KNOW, BUT I WANT THE PUBLIC TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, IS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE CREATION OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND, UH, HAS DONE A, A LOT OF WORK, UH, THROUGH THIS YEAR IN GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE.
SO, UM, WE'RE PLEASED THAT YOU'RE HERE TO ADDRESS US AND, AND TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PLAN.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AS MAYOR MENTIONED, MY NAME IS AVESTA HAR, I SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS ABLE TO REALLY ENGAGE IN THIS CONVERSATION AROUND THE FIRST PHASE OF AUSTIN LIGHT TRAIL AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MADE IS VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH, UH, WHAT STAFF HAS PRESENTED AS ITS OPTION.
AND I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT AND ENCOURAGING OUR DECISION MAKERS TO DE UH, YOU KNOW, DELVE INTO, I'M SEEING THAT ON THE DIAS TODAY.
SO BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO PASS A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION THAT LOOKED AT TWO SEPARATE OPTIONS.
ONE OF THEM IS VERY MUCH UNDER CONSIDERATION TODAY, AND OUR FIRST PIECE WAS REALLY COMMITTING TO THE OVERALL VISION FOR LIGHT RAIL THAT WE HAD SET IN 2020.
AND WE DO SEE THAT IN THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF, UH, VERY CLEARLY.
AND FROM THE CONVERSATION TODAY AS WELL, WE WERE VERY CLEAR THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO MOVE AHEAD WITH AN ON STREET OPTION.
UM, THE BIGGEST REASON BEING REALLY THAT IT SUPPORTS THE MOST AMOUNT OF RIDERS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON.
BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS MORE SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS WITH OUR OTHER TRANSIT MODES, INCLUDING ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
IT ENHANCES ACCESSIBILITY FOR, UM, AND MINIMIZES IMPACT ON FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES OR WHO MIGHT BE USING A STROLLER.
AND IT ALSO LEADS TO A MUCH MORE VIBRANT STREET LEVEL URBAN SCAPE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE CSE WAS FORWARDING TWO OPTIONS, WE WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE 38TH TO ALTOR, UM, AND THEN DO YELLOW JACKET OPTION BECAUSE THIS OPTION BY THE DATA THAT WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT SERVES THE MOST AMOUNT OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IN SOME WAYS THIS IS PERHAPS A STRONG LEAN INTO AN EQUITABLE LENS OF, IN INCLUDING FOLKS IN EAST AUSTIN WHO HISTORICALLY NOT BEEN ABLE TO, UH, BE SERVICED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AMENITIES.
ONE OF COURSE, UH, OPTION THAT COMES WITH IT IS LOOKING AT A MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE MEMO THAT WE HAD SHARED WITH Y'ALL AND OTHER DECISION MAKERS REALLY FOCUSES ON LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MITIGATE ANY IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH A MAINTENANCE FACILITY, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDE SOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY THERE.
AND I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION AMONGST OUR CSC, INCLUDING, WE HAVE TWO FOLKS, UH, WHO ARE FROM THEAS NEIGHBORHOOD, AND, UM, MS. SUSAN ALMANZA AND MR. NOE ELIS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
SO BIG THANK YOU TO THEM AND THE COMMUNITY THERE.
UM, WE WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THE SELECTED RIDE RAIL OPTION HAS TO BE ALIGNED WITH OUR EXISTING BUS AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS, AND ALSO TO REALLY MAP IT WITH OUR LAND USE POLICIES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, AND ASSET DISPLACEMENT EFFORTS.
AGAIN, I THINK I'M SEEING THAT CONVERSATION HERE TODAY.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR FOCUSING ON THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I'LL JUST SAY IS THAT THE CSE REALLY WANTS TO THANK THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF.
I THINK THEY'VE ALL BEEN AMAZING.
WE'VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THEM FOR, HONESTLY AT THIS POINT OVER A YEAR IN SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE IN TERMS OF SHARING DATA, UM, ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS, REALLY PUZZLING THROUGH SOME OF THE MORE COMPLEX PIECES.
AND WE ALSO REALLY WANNA THANK THEM FOR THE GREAT DEMEAN ENGAGEMENT EFFORT THAT THEY'VE DONE.
I KNOW COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPRECIATED THIS, BUT THEY REALLY HAVE DONE A, UM, SUPERIOR JOB AND ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE.
SO I REALLY WANNA THANK THEM AND ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THEIR WORK ON THAT.
LASTLY, I'LL SAY, UM, LOOKING AT THE ITEM UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THURSDAY, UM, THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE AROUND LOOKING AT THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT, WORKING WITH THE TRI-PARTY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, STREAMLINE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS AT MULTIPLE POINTS RECOMMENDED THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUS ON LOOKING AT THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AS THE INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION THAT CAN WORK ON THESE ISSUES, BUT ALSO SEE HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR, UM, OVERALL
[01:00:01]
WORK WITH A TRI-PARTY MUCH MORE SEAMLESS SO WE CAN ADVANCE THIS PROJECT FORWARD.SO THAT'S ALL MY COM UH, COMMENTS AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE? YES, MAYOR PRO, TIM, JUST CLARIFYING, I WANNA MAKE SURE I HEARD IT CORRECTLY.
HAS THE CAC PROVIDED THEIR RECOMMENDATION OR ARE YOU GOING TO ISSUE ONE SOON? WE HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED RECOMMENDATION.
WE HAD RECOMMENDED, UM, ESSENTIALLY FURTHERING TWO OPTIONS.
ONE WAS THE ONE THAT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION, ONE WAS THE NORTH LAMAR YELLOW JACKET, AND WE REALLY SAW SUPERIORITY IN BOTH THOSE OPTIONS.
SO WHAT STAFF HAS PRESENTED, I WOULD SAY, IS VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH WHAT WE, WE HAVE SUGGESTED.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? UM, YES.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, AVES FOR BEING HERE TODAY WITH US AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE DOES ON BEHALF OF THE CAC COMMITTEE.
UM, JUST GENERALLY ANY, UM, CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU THINK COUNSEL SHOULD KEEP TOP OF MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD? I, I THINK, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING HERE, I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY THE CONVERSATION THAT COUNCIL MAYOR BULL AND YOU HAD ALREADY MENTIONED, LOOKING AT HOW DO WE, UM, ALIGN OUR TRANSIT SERVICE IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. SADOWSKI HAD MENTIONED AS WELL, HOW DO WE KEEP THAT WORK GOING? AND THEN LASTLY, UH, REALLY AS WE'RE BRINGING FORTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVESTMENTS, ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS, AND LAND USE POLICIES, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE ALIGNED WITH THIS FIRST PHASE OF LIGHT TRAIL SO WE CAN LEVERAGE ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER? WONDERFUL.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, MEMBERS, I'LL, I'LL POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, GREG CANAL, AND HE'S GOT SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF WITH HIM.
UM, UNLESS SOMEONE HAS ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL, WE'LL UH, END THIS AGENDA ITEM.
WITH THAT, WE SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND, AND MR. CANAL AND OTHERS, UM, MR. AVE AAR, UM, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, AND WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
[B2. Update on the Resilience Office’s accomplishments and strategy.]
PLAN IS TO, UH, NOW CALL UP AN UPDATE ON THE RESILIENCE OFFICES, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND STRATEGY.THEN WE'LL GO TO ITEM 36 45 AND 71 COUNCIL MEMBER AND ALTAR.
UM, I MAY HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON 48.
I KNOW STAFF ARE NOT HERE CAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO PULL IT BEFORE.
DID I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU'D PULL.
I, I DIDN'T, I SAID I WASN'T ABLE TO PULL IT IN TIME BECAUSE OF MEMORIAL DAY.
OKAY, WELL THEN WE'LL PUT THAT AFTER ITEM 71.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNSEL RODNEY GONZALEZ, ASSISTANT HEAD MANAGER.
UH, LAURA PATINO, OUR CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER IS HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING TO COUNSEL ON THE ON AUSTIN'S RESILIENCY STRATEGY PROCESS.
UH, LAURA WILL ALSO REVIEW THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE RESILIENCY TEAM TO DATE, AS WELL AS TALK ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE WORK IN FRONT OF THE TEAM.
THAT Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME? GREAT.
UM, MY NAME IS LAURA BETINO AND I'M THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION OF AUSTIN'S RESILIENCE EFFORTS.
THIS IS A SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS.
SO TODAY WILL BE THE FIRST ONE WHERE WE WILL FOCUS ON, UM, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER TO, UH, CREATE A COLLECTIVE DEFINITION OF RESILIENCE AND REALLY IDENTIFY THE KEY NEXT STEPS.
SO TODAY, UM, I'LL INTRODUCE TO COUNCIL AUSTIN'S RESILIENCE CHALLENGES AND A DEFINITION WHICH HAVE RESULTED FROM A YEAR OF ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATION WITH MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS.
THEN WE'LL FOCUS ON AUSTIN'S RESILIENCE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
I WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE AND THE KEY AREAS OF FOCUS.
AND FINALLY, I'LL CONCLUDE WITH THE KEY NEXT STEPS.
UH, WE'LL LEAVE SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS AT THE END AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A FIRST STEP IN A SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS.
AND TODAY WE'LL FOCUS ON GETTING US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, UM, SO THAT IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION WE CAN GET A LITTLE MORE TACTICAL.
SO FIRST, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE HEADED, WE MUST FIRST GET ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT AUSTIN AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL'S EFFORTS AND COMMITMENT TO RESILIENCE.
MY POSITION AS A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER WAS CREATED THROUGH RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 2507 DASH 22 IN MAY OF 2020, WHICH DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO CREATE A RESILIENCE OFFICE, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EQUITABLE RESILIENCE AND COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE PLAN,
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AND FORMALIZE PARTNERSHIPS WITH GLOBAL NETWORKS, COMMUNITIES, AND PRIVATE PARTNERS ALONG THE WAY.WINTER STORM URI, WHICH REALLY SERVED AS A CITY'S CATALYTIC EVENT, WAS A CLEAR REMINDER FOR THE NEED AND URGENCY FOR TRANSFORMATION IN OUR CITY.
OVER THE YEARS AND AFTER THE INITIAL RESOLUTION, COUNCIL HAS BROUGHT FORTH MULTIPLE RESOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS RESILIENCE, INCLUDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE, DISASTER RESILIENCE, AND MORE.
WE HAVE EVEN GONE FURTHER AHEAD AND NOW ARE NOW LOOKING AT MORE PROGRAMMATIC AND TACTICAL ASPECTS OF RESILIENCE LIKE RESILIENCE HUBS.
ALL OF THIS HAS LED TO MY ONBOARDING AS A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER LAST YEAR IN APRIL OF 2022.
I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT PLANNING FOR RESILIENCE REQUIRES A ROBUST AND THOUGHTFUL PROCESS IN ORDER TO START TRACK TACKLING OUR MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES.
WHILE WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY ACTIONS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD NOW, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE RESOLUTIONS SINCE THE INITIAL RESOLUTION THAT IS, UM, LISTED ON, ON THIS SLIDE, THAT FOCUS ON RESILIENCE AND THAT MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE ALREADY WORKING ON THEIR OWN RESILIENCE EFFORTS AND ACTIONS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE NEED TO GUIDE OUR RESILIENCE WORK, WHICH COMES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN.
THIS WILL GUIDE THE GROWTH AND PRIORITIES OF THE OFFICE AND THE CITY IN TERMS OF RESILIENCE.
SO LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK TO LOOK AT WHAT RESILIENCE MEANS.
IN AUSTIN, WE KNOW WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
THERE ARE MANY GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES, AND WE ARE APPLYING THE VETTED FRAMEWORKS THAT HAVE BEEN USED GLO GLOBALLY AND ARE BEING REPRESENTED IN OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE WORLD TO OUR OWN PLANNING PROCESSES.
BECAUSE OF THIS, WE KNOW THAT BUILDING RESILIENCE REQUIRES CITIES TO ADDRESS BOTH SHOCKS AND STRESSORS IN AN INTEGRATED WAY.
AS A CITY, WE CANNOT ASK INDIVIDUALS, OUR FACILITIES, OUR SYSTEMS TO PREPARE, RESPOND, RECOVER FROM, FOR EXAMPLE, A WINTER STORM.
IF THERE ARE UNDERLYING STRESSES THAT LIMIT PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO THRIVE, WE MUST LOOK AT THE SYSTEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HOLDING US BACK AT DIFFERENT SCALES, BOTH INDIVIDUALS, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND OUR SY CITY AND SYSTEMS. SO BEFORE WE DIVE DEEPER INTO TWO, UM, THE ONGOING WORK, IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO TAKE BACK AND UNDERSTAND WHAT URBAN RESILIENCE MEANS.
MULTIPLE DEFINITIONS HAVE BEEN UTILIZED OVER THE YEARS WITHIN THE CITY AND GLOBALLY.
WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, I REVIEWED MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS AND PLANS AND INTERVIEWED MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
AND SO NO SURPRISE, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF RESILIENCE.
IN ORDER US FOR US TO FURTHER DEVELOP A PLAN, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW WE DEFINE IT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THAT IS THROUGH THE SHOCKS AND THE STRESSES THAT WE FACE.
SO SOME EXAMPLES OF SHOCKS ARE DISASTERS THAT LITERALLY BREAK THE SYSTEM.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE FLOODING, POWER OUTAGES, PROTESTS, AND SOME OTHERS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE SLIDE THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO AUSTIN.
STRESSES ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE THE SLOW MOVING PRESSURES THAT ARE FELT IN THE COMMUNITY DAY TO DAY.
THIS MEANS THAT PRESSURES THAT LIMIT OUR INDIVIDUALS, OUR CITY, AND OUR REGIONAL ABILITY TO PREPARE, RESPOND, ADAPT, AND THRIVE.
THESE INCLUDE ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, POOR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, DRAMA, CLIMATE CHANGE.
THESE PUT PRESSURES ON OUR COMMUNITY AND EXACERBATE INEQUITIES OVER TIME.
SO WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS ACTUALLY MEAN FOR AUSTIN? THIS GRAPHIC IS REALLY AN EXCERPT OF THE REPORT THAT WAS RELEASED IN MAY OF 2020, UH, 2023 THIS YEAR.
UM, WITH A MEMO OF THE EFFORTS TO DATE OVER AUSTIN'S HISTORY, RESIDENTS HAVE DEALT WITH NUMEROUS SHOCKS AND NUMEROUS STRESSES.
AND DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, AUSTIN HAS CONTINUED TO GROW IN AREA AND POPULATION AND HAS ALSO CONTINUED TO ADAPT IN WAYS THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE CAN SEE THAT AS THESE SHOCKS AND STRESSES INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AND AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW, WE MUST TACKLE THESE PRESSURES TO ENSURE THAT ALL AUSTINITES CAN ENVISION A FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WHILE THIS SNAPSHOT DEPICTS SOME OF THE MAJOR SHOCKS AND STRESSES IN AUSTIN, IT DOESN'T REFLECT THE DEEP CASCADING IMPACTS THAT THESE THESE HAVE HAD OVER TIME AND CONTINUE TO HAVE.
SO HENCE, WITH THIS INFORMATION OF OUR SHOCKS AND STRESSES THAT WE HAVE GATHERED, WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE,
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UH, THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCES MISSION TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF ALL AUSTINITES, OUR COMMUNITIES, INSTITUTIONS, BUSINESSES, AND SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR CITY TO PREPARE FOR, WITHSTAND, ADAPT AND THRIVE NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF SHOCKS AND STRESSES WE FACE AND THREATEN OUR WAY OF LIFE.SO WHAT'S NEXT? WELL, OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WE LOOKED AT OVER 12 DIFFERENT PLANS AND I THINK IT WENT FORWARD A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE LOOKED AT 12 DIFFERENT PLANS, LEVERAGE ENGAGEMENT OF OVER 21,000 AUSTINITE AND LOOKED AT 113 DIFFERENT CITY DOCUMENTS RESOLUTIONS, MEMORANDUMS, AND MORE.
TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY RESILIENCE WAS MENTIONED, WE LOOKED AT IMAGINE AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, THE HOUSING BLUEPRINT, AND SO MANY MORE.
WE ALSO COMPLIMENTED IT WITH ADDITIONAL DATA SOURCES AND SETS AND VALIDATED THIS DATA WITH OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CITY STAFF, AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS.
THESE RESULTED IN THE COLLECTIVE OUTLOOK FOR AUSTIN.
NOW, I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUAL SHOCKS AND STRESSES BECAUSE THERE ARE DATA POINTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING INTO FURTHER AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE TACKLE RESILIENCE THROUGH THE RESILIENCE LENS.
THIS DATA IS INCLUDED AGAIN IN OUR REPORT THAT WAS RELEASED IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, WHICH PROVIDES A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF OUR RESILIENCE CHALLENGES AND PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE THERE'S MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MOVING TO AUSTIN.
THERE ARE STARK DIFFERENCES IN LIFE EXPECTANCY IN ECONOMIC INEQUALITY BY RACE AND LOCATION IN OUR CITY.
AND EDUCATION ATTAINMENT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST.
WE ARE ALSO LOOK LOSING MORE AND MORE GREEN SPACE DISPLACEMENT IS INCREASING.
WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED MORE SERVICE DISRUPTIONS AND THESE HAVE A LIKELIHOOD OF INCREASING AS WELL.
WE HAVE MORE FLOODING AND WE'RE EXPECTING MORE FOOD INSECURITY DUE TO LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND PRODUCTION.
THE QUESTION BECOMES WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS INFORMATION FOR OUR PLANNING? WE ARE USING A TWO-STEP PROCESS.
THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF THIS INIT OF THE ANALYSIS HAVE CREATED A FRAMEWORK THAT WAS RELEASED EARLIER IN MAY IN WHICH YOU RECEIVED A MEMO.
I INVITE YOU TO READ THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT AND SPREAD THE WORD.
WE WILL BE RETURNING TO YOU TO COUNSEL TO PRESENT THE DETAILS OF WHAT THIS FRAMEWORK ENTAILS.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
WE'RE KICKING OFF A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT WILL HELP US GET THROUGH TWO OBJECTIVES.
THE FIRST IDENTIFY THE INITIATIVES THAT WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD THAT ALREADY EXIST, AND THE SECOND CO-DESIGN NEW INITIATIVES THAT WILL PROPEL US FORWARD TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE.
THIS WILL TAKE US INTO JUNE OF 2024, GETTING US TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY, WHICH WILL HAVE SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN FORWARD BY EACH DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO ADVANCE RESILIENCE.
THE GOAL THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS THAT IT'S NOT AN INTERNAL CITY PLAN OR DOCUMENT.
RATHER, IT CONTAINS ACTIONS THAT WE ALL AS AUSTINITES CAN ALL GET BEHIND, HAVE CO-CREATED AND CAN TAKE ON TO BUILD RESILIENCE AND TRANSFORMATION.
SO I WANT TO CONCLUDE, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD OVER THE PAST YEAR, ALONG WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT, UM, I BRIEFLY DISCUSSED IN THE PAST YEAR, ALONG WITH KICKING OFF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESILIENCE STRATEGY TO COMPLY WITH THE DIRECTIVES AS THE INITIAL RESILIENCE RESOLUTION.
WE HAVE ALSO INHERITED THE RESILIENCE HUBS PROGRAM FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED EQUITY GUIDING PRINCIPLES WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY TASKFORCE.
WE HAVE ENGAGED OVER 200 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PROCESS.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES LEADERS, BUSINESSES, AND NONPROFITS.
WE HAVE ASSEMBLED A TEAM TO SUPPORT IN EMERGENCY ACTIVATIONS.
WE HAVE SECURED FUNDING THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH JP MORGAN CHASE TO SUPPORT THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE HAVE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION IN MAY.
BUT OUR WORK, OF COURSE, DOESN'T STOP HERE.
THE IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS FOR RESILIENCE FOR THE RESILIENCE OFFICE WILL CONTINUE ON OUR PLANNING PROCESS TO FINALIZE A STRATEGY AND WILL
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ARE ALSO, UM, OUTLINED THAT WE'RE ALSO OUTLINED ON THE SLIDE.WE'LL ALSO KICK OFF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED THROUGH A SERIES OF WORKING GROUPS, INFORMATION SESSIONS, SURVEYS, UM, AND EVEN A POTENTIAL CELEBRATION.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU AND EACH OF YOU TO ENGAGE IN YOUR DISTRICTS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS YOUR RESILIENCE PRIORITY.
SO STAY TUNED SO THAT WE CAN GET ON ONE-ON-ONES WITH YOU ALL.
WE HAVE STARTED AND WILL CONTINUE THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUPS AND INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE.
THIS INCLUDES PURSUING AND LEVERAGING FUNDING, ADVANCING PROJECTS AND ALIGNING IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS OF THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ACTION PLAN FOR CITY ASSETS AND OPERATIONS.
WE'LL CONTINUE OUR WORK TO TACKLE URBAN HEAT WITH PARTNERS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND GO AUSTIN BAOS AUSTIN.
AS A KEY EXAMPLE OF A CASE STUDY ON CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION, WE WILL INTEGRATE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE IN ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH EQUITY DISASTER AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE AS THEY DO NOT EXIST IN SILOS AND ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
AND THE LAST TWO THINGS THAT WE'LL FOCUS ON IS WE WILL CONTINUE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE $3 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING THAT WERE RECEIVED FOR RESILIENCE HUBS.
THIS INCLUDES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BACKUP POWER AT SOME OF THESE FACILITIES, AND WE PROVIDE QUARTERLY UPDATES REGARDING RESILIENCE HUBS TO THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE FOR AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND FINALLY, THE LAST ON THE POINT THAT I WANNA ADD IS THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO OBTAINING OUR MEMBERSHIP AS ONE OF THE PARTICIPATING CITIES IN THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK.
MANY CITIES ARE LOOKING TO AUSTIN FOR GUIDANCE, AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE WORK THAT IS TAKING PLACE IN OUR CITY AND BY OUR OFFICE, OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS AND REGIONALLY SPEARHEADED BY COUNCIL'S VISION TO CREATE A MORE RESILIENT AUSTIN.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I INVITE YOU TO SHARE THE WORD.
I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OF YOU TO IDENTIFY YOUR DISTRICT PRIORITIES, CO-DEVELOP STRATEGIES, AND THAT WILL INFORM THE RESILIENCE PLAN.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DO PLAN TO COME BACK TO PROVIDE MORE DETAILS ON THE FRAMEWORK, THE DETAILED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HOW YOU CAN STAY INVOLVED AS PART OF THIS SECOND SERIES OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY AND SHE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK OR, UH, ASK A QUESTION.
SO I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU STAFF FOR THIS GREAT PRESENTATION.
I'M ACTUALLY VIRTUAL TODAY BECAUSE I'M AT THE TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE IN FORT WORTH.
AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PREPAREDNESS IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
UM, WHAT I REALLY ENJOYED ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT IT REALLY FALLS IN LINE WITH PRESIDENTIAL POLICY DIRECTIVE EIGHT, UM, WHICH GOES ALONGSIDE WITH OUR NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS GOALS, WHICH DESCRIBE FIVE MISSION AREAS, PREVENTION, PROTECTION, MITIGATION, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY.
AND WITHIN ALL OF THOSE IS 32 DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND THEIR CORE CAPABILITIES, WHICH ADDRESS THE GREATEST RISKS TO OUR COUNTRY.
TWO OF THOSE 32 AREAS ARE RISK AND DISASTER RESILIENCE ASSESSMENTS AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.
AND, UM, WITHIN ALL THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT FEMA DID A STUDY AND THEY SHOWED THAT $6 IS SAVED FOR EVERY $1, UM, PAID FOR TOWARDS MITIGATION.
AND SO LONG TERM I CAN REALLY SEE THESE RESILIENCE HUBS AND, UM, THE RESILIENCY OF OUR CITY HELPING SAVE THE TAXPAYERS MONEY.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE PUTTING INTO THIS.
I KNOW THAT IT IS, UH, PROBABLY A MOUNTAIN LOAD OF WORK FOR YOU ALL TO DO, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY NOT JUST IN MONEY SAVE, BUT BEING ABLE TO, UM, RES JUST BE RESILIENT AFTER A DISASTER OR AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK HOW YOU'RE WORKING WITH OUR HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
IF YOU COULD GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THAT THAN WHAT YOU DID IN YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS IN WHICH WE'RE ENGAGING WITH OUR HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
UM, ON ONE END, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE RESILIENCE HUBS, WE ARE COORDINATING WITH THEM AND THEIR STAFF, UH, TO LOOK AT RESILIENCE HUBS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CAN DO BEFORE AND AFTER A DISASTER AND HOW, AND HOW THEY OPERATE SPECIFICALLY DURING A DISASTER.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE FACILITIES THAT ARE CAPABLE OF, UH, SERVING AS DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS
[01:20:01]
DURING A DISASTER.AND SO, UM, THERE'S, THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN OUR WORKING GROUPS FROM THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE THAT ADVISE US ON HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE, UM, HOUSE SHELTERS, HOW FEEDING DISTRIBUTION SITES POST A DISASTER ARE EMBEDDED INTO THE WORK, UM, AND OF ULTIMATELY SETTING UP THESE PILOT RESILIENCE HUBS.
ON THE OTHER END, WE'RE ALSO INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING THE HOMELESS SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ON, UM, MULTIPLE ASPECTS INCLUDING, UM, THE FOOD AND WATER, UH, EMERGENCY APPENDIX.
UH, WE HAVE INVOLVED THEM AS WELL IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE PLANNING PROCESS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE, DISASTER RESILIENCE IS A KEY PORTION, UM, OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'LL NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY THE LAST PORTION THAT I WANNA MENTION IN TERMS OF HOW WE WORK WITH OUR HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE, UM, THE IMMEDIATE, UH, ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE NOW THAT HAVE RESULTED FROM AFTER ACTION REVIEWS, UH, WHERE THERE IS THAT, UM, MERGER BETWEEN MITIGATION, PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION AND OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE IN TERMS OF HOW OUR TEAM IN THE RESILIENCE OFFICE CAN HELP ACCELERATE THOSE EFFORTS AS WELL.
THAT'S FANTASTIC AND I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR IT.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOUR OFFICE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO KEEP AUSTIN MORE RESILIENT.
I, I HAD ASKED, UH, THAT THIS BRIEFING BE SCHEDULED FOR US TODAY.
AND MS. PATINO OFFERING THE REPORT IS, IS A REALLY, IS REALLY TIMELY FOR ALL OF US.
IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE WE HIRED A RESILIENCE OFFICER.
I THOUGHT THE UPDATE AND INTRODUCTION FOR THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER CITY STAFF WAS IMPORTANT.
RESILIENCE CAN CONJURE UP DIFFERENT MEETINGS FOR EACH ONE OF US, AND HOW WE AS A CITY CAN BE RESILIENT, CAN BE JUST AS NEBULOUS.
IT'S LIKE SUSTAINABILITY WAS MANY YEARS AGO.
AND THE BRIEFING THAT MS. PATINO GAVE US THIS MORNING, I HOPE, HAS CLARIFIED THE IMPORTANCE OF RESILIENT STRATEGIES AND HOW, HOW ALL OF OUR CITY, UH, DEPARTMENTS CAN BENEFIT.
SO I JUST HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONCE THE CITY OF AUSTIN RESILIENCE PLAN IS CREATED, HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE IT WILL TAKE FOR THE DEPARTMENTS TO WORK THESE CONCEPTS INTO THEIR PROGRAMMING? GREAT QUESTION.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON SPECIFICALLY THE ACTIONS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS VERY CLEAR AND THAT WE HAVE INCORPORATED IN THE DEVELOP IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS STRATEGY IS THAT WE CANNOT WAIT FOR A FULL PLAN TO BE DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO START IMPLEMENTING RESILIENCE INITIATIVES.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN INCORPORATING A PLANNING WHILE DOING APPROACH THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO IDENTIFY THOSE LONGER TERM ACTIONS, AND IN THE MEANTIME, WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS AND KEY DEPARTMENTS TO ACCELERATE THEIR RESILIENCE EFFORTS.
ONE OF THOSE KEY EXAMPLES IS, FOR EXAMPLE, RESILIENCE HUBS THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO WORK WITH, UM, DEPARTMENTS LIKE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, THE, UH, HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE, UM, AND, AND, AND A FEW OTHERS, UH, TO BRING IN, BRING IN TOGETHER AND TRY TO LEVERAGE, UH, THE WORK THAT IS ALREADY ONGOING SO THAT WE CAN GET THE, UH, SERVICES THAT COMMUNITIES NEED IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR AND RECOVER FROM DISASTERS.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS HAS HELPED OVER THE PAST YEAR WAS IN THE RECOVERY OF WINTER STORM MARA, WHEN WE SET UP THE MULTI MUL MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTERS AND WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE WORK THAT WAS, UM, HAD BEEN DONE FOR RESILIENCE HUB TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN THE RECOVERY OF, OF THE PAST, UM, WINTER WEATHER EVENT.
UM, WE ALSO ARE MEETING REGULARLY WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WAYS IN WHICH A LOT OF THEM ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING RESILIENCE ACTIONS AND WE HAVEN'T CALLED THEM AS SUCH.
AND SO HOW WE CAN PACKAGE THOSE TOGETHER SO THAT AS WE DEVELOP A PLAN, WE KNOW OF THE EXISTING ACT ACTIONS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, AGAIN, TO LONG WAY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE WILL BE SOME IMMEDIATE ACTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY TAKING PLACE AND THINGS THAT WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD ONCE THE PLAN IS RELEASED, AND THEN SOME LONGER TERM ACTIONS THAT WILL HELP GUIDE US MOVING FORWARD.
AND WE CAN SEE FROM YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR ANSWERS HOW STEPH IS OPERATIONALIZING AND TAKING ACTION ON THE POLICIES THAT THE COUNCIL HAS CRAFTED AND PASSED IN PREVIOUS, UM, IN
[01:25:01]
PREVIOUS MEETINGS.MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, EXPANDING A LITTLE BIT ON YOUR CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL WORK.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE RESILIENCE OFFICE IS COLLABORATING WITH BOTH AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER? YES.
SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED, UM, UH, A SERIES OF, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUPS, UM, ON THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS AND ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IN RE WITH RESILIENCE, THE FIRST BEING THE RESILIENCE PLANNING EFFORTS.
UM, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF AUSTIN ENERGY INCLUDED IN, IN, IN OUR BROADER COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE WORKING GROUPS SET UP FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE SPECIFICALLY.
THAT IS THAT THOSE, THAT SERIES OF WORKING GROUPS, INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUPS, WAS CREATED TO REALLY ADDRESS THE GOALS AND OUTCOMES PUT OUT IN THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ACTION PLAN FOR CITY ASSETS AND OPERATIONS.
AND SO OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE GATHERED DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER, TO COME AND TACKLE, UH, THE, THE SPECIFIC GOALS OUTLINED IN THAT PLAN.
AND WE ARE MEETING NOW QUARTERLY TO BE ABLE TO ALIGN, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW WE LEVERAGE OUR PROJECTS, HOW WE LOOK AT, UM, ACTIVATION, HOW WE LOOK AT, UH, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, AND HOW WE ALSO LOOK AT, UM, FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING DOWN, UH, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL.
UH, MAYOR, I MEAN, UH, TO BUILD ON WHAT LAURA JUST TALKED ABOUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, UH, THE, THE ISSUE OF TRYING TO PUT THESE INTO THIS, THESE REPORTS INTO TWO PIECES WAS YOU GET FROM THE TACTICAL, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT, HOW OUR DEPARTMENT'S GOING TO INCORPORATE THESE PIECES INTO WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY WILL DO.
I THINK THAT'LL BE A SUBSEQUENT REPORT AS WE GET A LITTLE FURTHER DETAIL IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
BUT WHAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IS THAT WE IDENTIFY, UH, YOU KNOW, TOO OFTEN THE CITY HAS WANTED TO STEP IN AND DO EVERYTHING.
AND THE FACT IS, IS THE WAY LAURA'S APPROACHED THIS IN TERMS OF A COMMUNITY EFFORT IS TO IDENTIFY COMMUNITY ASSETS AND RESOURCES THAT WE COULD TAP AT, AT, AT A CENTRAL POINT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET, UH, THE COMMUNITY BACK ON ITS FEET, WHATEVER, WITH WHATEVER DISRUPTION MAY HAVE COME OUR WAY, PLUS SOME OF THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT SHE MENTIONS, WHICH ARE GONNA NEED ONGOING WORK ON OUR BEHALF.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I THINK THE MORE WE CAN, UM, BUILD A ROBUST RESPONSE RESILIENCE, IF YOU WILL, IN OUR COMMUNITY AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL, THE BETTER WE WILL OFF WE WILL BE AS WE FACE FUTURE CRISES.
AND I APPRECIATE SO MUCH CITY MANAGER, THE WORK THAT OUR RESILIENCE OFFICER AND HER AND HER OFFICE, WHICH WE HOPE WILL, WILL EXPAND A BIT DURING, UH, BUDGET.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, SOME INITIATIVES THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HAS THE STAFFING THAT SHE NEEDS TO GO FORWARD.
AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
WELL, SHE'S TOLD ME SHE HAS TOO MANY PEOPLE.
THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTERING THE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
UH, THANK YOU MS. PATINO FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT NOT ONLY THE BRIEFING THAT YOU PROVIDED US AND AND THE INFORMATION YOU SHARED, BUT I GUESS FIRST I WANTED TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING FOR CITY MANAGER KNOW, KNOWING THAT WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD IS A BLUEPRINT FOR RESILIENCY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT THAT WE HAVE FOR HOUSING, UM, AND ONE THAT SET OUT A 10 YEAR GOAL OF PRODUCING 60,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS.
WE'VE ONLY PRODUCED A LITTLE, I THINK 7,500 SO FAR.
SO WE ARE WAY BEHIND TREND AND THAT'S WITHIN FOUR YEARS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER AND I, RYAN ALTER, AND I HAVE, UH, SOME POLICY PROPOSALS FOR CONSIDERATION NEXT WEEK THAT SEEK TO ADDRESS OUR HOUSING SUPPLY ISSUE.
UM, BUT I, I RAISED THAT CITY MANAGER TO SAY LIKE, AS WE DEVELOP THIS BLUEPRINT, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN CAUTION AGAINST DEVELOPING SOMETHING, UM, AS WE DID WITH OUR HOUSING BLUEPRINT, THAT WE ARE SO OUT OF STEP WITH AT THIS POINT.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND SO I JUST WANNA TO MARK THAT AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
I THINK, UH, AND I CAN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE HOUSING, BUT SOME OF THE SYSTEM ISSUES, IF THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSED, ADDRESSED IN THE PLAN, YOU, YOU WILL HAVE CREATED A SYSTEM THAT CAN'T PRODUCE THAT RESULT.
I MEAN, YOU WILL, YOU WILL, YOU'VE SET A GOAL RATHER THAT THE SYSTEM CAN'T, YOU GOTTA GO CHANGE THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT LAURA'S DOING WITH RESPECT TO THIS, IS TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE, THAT HARD WORK IS.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS, IS WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO UNLEASH YES, THE CREATIVITY OF THE SYSTEM TO PRODUCE THOSE HOUSING UNITS IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING THAT WE THE VOTERS HAVE AUTHORIZED.
[01:30:01]
TO BE DONE THAT WE'VE NOT DONE IN A, IN A SYSTEMATIC WAY IN THE PAST.UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ALL OF THE STRESSES AND SHOCKS THAT AUSTINITES HAVE GONE THROUGH IN RECENT YEARS.
I MEAN, JUST HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THOSE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, CONVERSATIONS, UM, I THINK IS IS VERY FRUITFUL AND BENEFICIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WE'VE ENDURED, UM, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING FOUR HISTORIC FLOODS WITHIN OUR CITY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UM, AND ALSO WHAT YOU POINTED OUT THAT WE LOSE ON AVERAGE 16 ACRES OF FARMLAND EVERY SINGLE DAY IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AND, AND HAVE A CONVERSATION OF WHAT WE CAN BE DOING TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A MORE RESILIENT CITY.
UH, AND LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO, AS YOU HAVE YOUR WORKSHOPS AND, UH, THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I'D LOVE TO VOLUNTEER DISTRICT TWO, UM, AND, AND TO WORK WITH YOU ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SO JUST WANTED TO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND, AND TO, UH, SAY THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTRA, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
UH, MS. PATINO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO ALSO SEEING THE BROADER PLAN.
UM, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO SORT OF THE COMMENTS EARLIER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POOL AND ALSO FROM CM GARZA ABOUT YOUR STAFFING.
UM, CAN YOU REMIND US YOUR CURRENT STAFFING SITUATION FOR YOUR OFFICE? SURE.
SO, UM, THERE IS THE RESILIENCE OFFICER.
UM, WE HAVE ONE POSITION ON LOAN, UH, FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE FUNDING FROM OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, UH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AS WELL AS FUSE CORP TO BRING TWO ADDITIONAL STAFF UNTIL, UH, JUNE OF 2020, OR SORRY, DECEMBER OF 2024.
UM, SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF STAFF TO DO THE TASK THAT WE'VE ASKED YOU, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS THAT'LL BE HELPING, UM, TO DO THAT.
UH, JUST DO WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT AS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AND, AND YOUR WORK, UM, REALLY IS VERY IMPORTANT ALSO FOR THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE UNDER-RESOURCED AND UNDERINVESTED GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MEET.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY IDENTIFY WHERE WE NEED TO BE MAKING, UM, THOSE INVESTMENTS AND, AND HOW WE, HOW WE, UM, MANAGE OUR WHOLE SYSTEM TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS.
AND I THINK YOUR OFFICE, UM, TOGETHER WITH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS A REALLY KEY ROLE IN THAT.
SO, SO I DID WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS ON YOUR RADAR SCREEN THAT ONE OF THE CASUALTIES OF THIS VERY STRANGE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, IT IS OUR PARKLAND DEDICATION RULES.
UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN A, OUR EXISTING RULES HAVE BEEN A REALLY KEY WAY FOR US TO ADJUST CLIMATE CHANGE BY PUTTING PARKS WHERE WE'RE GROWING.
ALSO A KEY ASPECT OF EQUITY MAKING SINCE A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, THE LEGISLATION COLLEAGUES, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH ESSENTIALLY GUTS, OUR ABILITY TO SECURE PARKLAND ACTUAL LAND AND UNDERMINES THE ABILITY TO, TO COLLECT THE FEES AT A LEVEL THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO PURCHASE LAND, UM, WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF BONDING TO GO WITH IT.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA FLAG THAT AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, UM, THE CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE TACTICAL PLAN, UM, AND ALSO WITH THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL PLANNING, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WERE HOPING IT WOULDN'T PASS, BUT IT DID.
AND IT STILL HAS TO BE SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, BUT ASSUMING HE SIGNS IT, WE ARE REALLY GOING TO NEED TO BE PLANNING FOR WHAT'S GONNA TAKE THAT PLACE.
UM, ACCESS TO PARKLAND WAS ONE OF THE FEW MEASURES THAT WE HAD WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 23, WHERE WE ACTUALLY WERE MOVING THE NEEDLE AND THAT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THE PARKLAND DEDICATION RULES THAT WE HAD.
UM, SO, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ON YOUR, YOUR RADAR.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE COUNTY.
CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS THERE WHO ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT THEIR RESILIENCE OFFICER, BUT, UM, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, I THINK THAT RELATIONSHIP IN PARTICULAR WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND AND OTHERS IS IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM TRAVIS COUNTY ON, UH, MULTIPLE OF OUR EFFORTS THAT WE'RE LEADING FORWARD.
AND THAT INCLUDES REPRESENTATION FROM TRANSPORTATION, NATURAL RESOURCES, UM, FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AS WELL AS FROM THEIR OEM, UM, THE COLLABORATION WITH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO WE, WE MEET MONTHLY WITH, UH, THAT TEAM
[01:35:01]
AND WE ALSO HAVE JUST DELIVERED A VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATION TO COUNTY STAFF, UM, SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF OUR EFFORTS, UM, AND ARE ABLE TO BRING THEM ON BOARD AS WE CONTINUE THE CO-CREATION AND CO-DESIGN OF STRATEGIES AS WE KICK OFF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.UM, SO THEY'RE VERY, AND FROM A MORE TACTICAL LENS AND PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE PLUGGED IN WITH THE STAFF AT TRAVIS COUNTY THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING AND ARE LOOKING AT RESILIENCE INITIATIVES AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN MCC CADRE.
UH, AS, AS ONE OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON, UH, ABOUT A YEAR, UH, ON THE JOB.
UM, DID I HAVE TWO REAL QUICK QUESTIONS? UH, THE FIRST QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, I'M CURIOUS IF THE AUSTIN FOOD PLAN WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE REPORT AS WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, RELATING TO FOOD INSECURITY DURING, DURING DISASTERS.
SO WE ARE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, UM, THE AUSTIN FOOD RESILIENCE PLAN BEING ONE OF THOSE EFFORTS THAT IS MOVING IN PARALLEL, UM, TO OURS.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING TO EMBED THE TWO PLANS WITH EACH OTHER, UM, AS, AS THEY RELATE TO EACH OTHER.
UM, AND A FEW ADDITIONAL OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS AS WELL THAT WE STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THE RAIN, THE RAIN TO RIVER, THE WATERSHED PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, WE ARE INCLUDING IT IN TERMS OF HOW WE, AS WE DEVELOP OUR RESILIENCE PLAN AND WHAT RELATES AND WHAT ELEMENTS CAN BE BROUGHT INTO THAT PLAN AS WELL, UM, AS WELL AS IMAGINE AUSTIN.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE MEET, UM, WEEKLY AND BIWEEKLY WITH THE, THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND EMBED THEM INTO THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF WHETHER IT'S THE COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE PLANNING, UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE HUB'S EFFORT OR THE OVERARCHING CITY CLIMATE, CITY ASSETS AND OPERATIONS PLAN FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE.
UM, AND THEN I KNOW A LOT OF CITIES, UH, HERE IN TEXAS, AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE WORKING ON USING THEIR EV BUSES, UH, TO BE STATIONED IN AREAS DURING DISASTER, SO THEY COULD BE USED AS CHARGING STATIONS.
IS THAT SOMETHING AUSTIN'S LOOKING TO DO? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH CAP METRO ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY OF, UM, DEPLOYING, UM, BUSES TO NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE HUB AND OTHER AREAS TO SERVE AS, UM, COOLING CENTERS TO SERVICE CHARGING CENTERS AS WELL IN AREAS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER DISASTER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items ]
THAT WILL TAKE US TO AN ITEM, ITEM NUMBER 36 FOR DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 36.UM, AND I'LL ASK THE CITY CLERK TO COME UP AND TALK TO US.
COUNSEL MYRNA IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE WITH ME IS CAROLINE WEBSTER WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE HERE TO RESPOND TO ANY OF QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THE COUNCIL PROCEDURES.
COUNCIL MEERS, I KNEW THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS, SO THAT'S WHY I WENT AHEAD AND PULLED IT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MYRNA AND CAROLINE FOR BEING HERE.
SO WHEN I WAS REVIEWING TOMA, UM, IT BECAME PRETTY APPARENT TO ME THAT, UM, THERE'S REALLY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT KIND OF MEETING OR AGENDA ITEM THE PUBLIC'S ENTITLED TO SPEAK ON.
IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION 5 51 0 0 7, IT SAYS, A GOVERNMENTAL BODY SHALL ALLOW EACH MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO DESIRES TO ADDRESS THE BODY REGARDING AN ITEM ON AN AGENDA FOR AN OPEN MEETING OF THE BODY TO ADDRESS THE BODY REGARDING THE ITEM AT THE MEETING.
I, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT OUR PROPOSED RULES COULD VIOLATE THE SECTION OF THAT ACT, UM, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BRIEFINGS.
AND SO I WAS HOPING MAYBE LEGAL COULD TALK TO US MORE ABOUT THAT.
I'M JUST CONCERNED BECAUSE THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'VE READ, DOESN'T DISTINGUISH WHICH AGENDA ITEMS PEOPLE CAN SPEAK ON OR NOT ON.
IT DOES NOT, BUT I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY.
THE WAY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, UH, OPERATES IS WE ARE REQUIRED TO LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK ON ITEMS WHEN THE COUNCIL IS TAKING IN ACTION.
IF THERE'S JUST A CONVERSATION AT THE WORK SESSION.
UH, THE COUNCIL DOES NOT, IS NOT REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK ON THAT.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITHIN, UH, THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, OTHER CITIES AROUND THE STATE, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE INTERPRETATION WE HAVE AND WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
SO JUST, IT'S ONLY WHEN THE COUNCIL'S TAKING ACTION THAT ARE, WE ARE REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
[01:40:01]
MORALES AND AL ALTER, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.I HAVE SEVERAL, SO MAYBE I'LL ASK A COUPLE AND THEN, I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN.
SAID I HAVE SEVERAL, SO MAYBE I'LL ASK A COUPLE AND THEN, AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE CAN ASK.
UM, SO I HAD SOME CLARIFICATIONS THAT I WANTED CUZ UM, FOR INSTANCE, WE DON'T MEET EVERY THURSDAY.
UM, I KNOW WE AT SOME POINT TAKE A VOTE THAT WE'RE CANCELING THOSE OTHER MEETINGS, BUT IT JUST STILL SEEMS ODD TO SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA MEET EVERY THURSDAY BY OUR RULES AND THEN ONE ONCE CANCEL THEM.
I, I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND ONE SUGGESTION THAT HAD BEEN MADE WITH REGARD TO THAT BECAUSE THAT HAD BEEN FLAGGED WOULD, WOULD BE THAT WE AMEND THAT SO THAT, UM, IT SAYS THAT THE COUNCIL WILL ESTABLISH A CALENDAR AND THAT WAY IT, WE COULD ESTABLISH A CALENDAR AND IT WOULDN'T SAY HE HAD TO DO IT EVERY WEEK, UM, AND THEN HAVE TO BACK OFF OF EXACTLY THE WAY YOU SUGGESTED.
SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY SOLVE THAT BECAUSE THEN YOU COULD AMEND THE CALENDAR AS YOU GO ALONG IF NEED BE, LIKE WE'VE RECENTLY DONE.
AND I THINK IT'S STILL GOOD TO SAY THAT OUR GENERAL MEETING DATE IS THURSDAY, BUT, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD SURE.
AND THEN, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO TRY TO LIMIT OUR BRIEFINGS TO TWO.
UM, BUT I'M WONDERING, SO THAT'S IN SECTION G OF THAT THURSDAY COUNCIL MEETING SECTION, UM, IT SAYS NOT MORE THAN TWO BRIEFINGS MAY BE PLACED ON A COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA.
UM, IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN THE WORK SESSION? I THINK I'M GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED ACROSS THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING AND THE WORK SESSION AS THIS IS LAID OUT, RIGHT? NO, THE UM, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, HISTORICALLY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN TWO, THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS.
I KNOW THAT, UM, WHEN I WORKED AS THE AGENDA MANAGER, UM, IT WAS ALWAYS TWO, BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHERE WE REQUIRED THREE OR UP TO FOUR, EITHER ON A COUNCIL WORK SESSION DAY AND ADDITIONALLY ON A COUNCIL MEETING DAY.
SO THAT IS JUST IN WRITING, IT'S NOT SAID IN STONE.
IT IS, UM, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS.
IT WOULD BE UP TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ON, DEPENDING ON HOW BUSY OR HOW, UM, EXCUSE ME, BIG THE AGENDA IS FOR, FOR THAT DAY.
SO DOES G APPLY TO WORK SESSION AND THE COUNCIL MEETING DAY? BOTH.
UM, SO THAT CONCERNS ME CUZ WE DO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THOSE SEEM TO BE BRIEFINGS TOO.
THEY'RE JUST AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO WE'RE KIND OF VIOLATING THAT ALL THE TIME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'D LIKE THAT TO BE OUR GOAL, BUT, UM, I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HAVING STUFF IN THERE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE REGULARLY VIOLATING.
BUT I AGREE THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR A GOAL THERE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, IT SAYS A COUNCIL MEMBER MAY PLACE AN ITEM ON A WORK SESSION AGENDA FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION AND IDENTIFYING THREE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WISH TO PLACE THE ITEM DIRECTLY ON A COUNCIL AGENDA, UM, OR DISCUSSION AND IDENTIFYING THREE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WISH TO OPEN THE ITEM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, I HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PRACTICE WAS THAT YOU NEEDED A SECOND TO PLACE SOMETHING ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA.
AND THIS SEEMS TO BE THAT ONE PERSON CAN, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT.
I ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS A PART OF THE, THE RULES THAT WE COULD CHANGE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, THE COUNCIL HASN'T BEEN FOLLOWING THIS EXACTLY.
AND SO IN, THERE'S A POLICY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT YOU WANNA DO, BUT THIS LANGUAGE IS NOT A LOT OF THIS A A GOOD BIT OF THIS LANGUAGE HAS BEEN NOT FOLLOWED SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S, THIS IS A GREAT TIME AND I APPRECIATE THE CLERK RAISING THIS AS AN ISSUE TO, TO CLARIFY AND WE CAN, YOU ALL COULD MAKE SOME CHANGES IF YOU'D LIKE TO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR, FOR FIXING THIS FOR, FOR THURSDAY.
UM, I HAVE FELT OVER THE LAST PERIOD THAT WITH, AS WE'VE COME OUT OF COVID, THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GIVING THE COMMUNITY ENOUGH TIME TO SPEAK TO US IN AN ORGANIZED WAY.
UH, WE USED TO ALLOW FOR DONATED TIME THAT WAS VALUABLE FOR US TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PROVIDE US WITH A PRESENTATION THAT WAS LONG ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE REALLY, UM, THE CONCERNS IN A PARTICULAR WAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS SHARE THAT CONCERN.
I ALSO AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE NOTION THAT AN ITEM MAY NOT EXCEED 90 MINUTES.
NOT SURE THAT WE WANNA LIMIT DEBATE IF THERE'RE THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE THAT, UM, IN THE PAST.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'M JUST REACTING TO WHAT WAS ON THE PAPER.
I KNOW THAT NONE, NONE OF MY COLLEAGUES NECESSARILY PUT THIS FORWARD.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE, UM, CONCERNS
[01:45:01]
THAT, THAT I HAVE.I REALIZED THAT SINCE COVID WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY ALLOWED FOR THE DONATING TIME AND WE HAD DONE THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS HARD TO DO WITH THE ONLINE SPEAKING.
AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE THAT YOU ONLY GET DONATING TIME IF YOU'RE THE PERSON DONATING AND YOU ARE IN THE CHAMBERS ITSELF.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT IT, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I FIND THAT THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS VALUABLE AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WITH THE TIME LIMITS THAT WE'VE GONE TO, ET CETERA, THAT WE'RE REALLY, UM, PROVIDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMENT IN THE WAY THAT WE SHOULD.
AND I'LL LEAVE IT FOR THAT FOR NOW.
I ALSO HAD SI SIMILAR SENTIMENTS.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES THAT WERE MADE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND SOME OF THE CHANGES WERE INCREDIBLE.
WE ARE NOW ABLE TO OFFER TESTIMONY VIA PHONE AND THAT HAS INCREASED PARTICIPATION, ESPECIALLY FOR FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE OUTER EDGES OF OUR CITY.
SO I APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONS THAT WERE MADE.
UM, BUT I THINK SOME OF THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE LAID OUT BEFORE US TODAY, UH, TO, TO UPDATE OUR RULES, I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO WOULD LIKE TO POSE TO MY COLLEAGUES IF FOLKS WOULD, WOULD BE AMENABLE TO A, A POSTPONEMENT OF THIS ITEM TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK, JUNE 8TH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UM, MORE CONVERSATIONS AMONGST, UM, EACH OTHER ON, ON THESE RULES.
RIOS, DO YOU WERE, UH, WERE, DID COUNCIL MEMBERS WEIGH IN ON THESE CHANGES THAT YOU PROPOSED HERE OR, UH, CAN YOU SHARE HOW YOU CAME TO THESE PROPOSALS? SURE.
UM, DURING MY EVALUATION, I MENTIONED, I PRESENTED THEM TO ALL OF YOU AND ALSO, UM, SENT YOU A COPY FOR REVIEW.
UM, THE PURPOSE FOR US BRINGING THESE FORWARD ARE, UM, JUST THAT THE PANDEMIC WE ARE NOW, UM, MEETING IN A HYBRID SETTING AND WE STILL HAVE THE OLD RULES FROM THE PRE, YOU KNOW, PRE PANDEMIC.
AND SO OUR OFFICE RECEIVES A LOT OF INQUIRIES REGARDING, YOU KNOW, SPEAKER REGISTRATION AND I DON'T HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT I CAN REFERENCE AND SAY THESE ARE THE RULES.
AND SO BASICALLY IT IS P PRACTICE THAT I HAVE TO, UH, DEFER TO.
AND, UM, I DON'T SEE THAT WE'LL EVER GO BACK TO ALL IN PERSON.
SO I MADE IT, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE NEW MANAGEMENT, I REQUESTED IF WE CAN REVISIT THESE AND, AND GET THEM UP TO DATE, UH, SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THAT AFFECTS OUR OFFICE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
BUT WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND BEING IN A HYBRID VERSION, I MEAN A SETTING, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WITH, UH, REMOTE SPEAKERS TO ALLOW DONATION OF TIME.
UM, THE VE IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO IT, THE VENDOR IS ABLE TO DO IT, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE FOR US TO CREATE A BATCH FOR EVERY SINGLE NUMBER.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR STAFF MEMBERS HERE MANAGING THAT PROCESS DURING A COUNCIL MEETING.
AND SO IT, AND THE TECHNOLOGY YOU SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE HANG UP OR LOSE, YOU KNOW, CONNECTION.
SO, UM, IT WOULD JUST BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT NOT CHANGE.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR NOW,
AND I KNOW YOU, YOU MENTIONED THIS, UM, BEFORE, BUT THE RED LINE VERSION MM-HMM.
SO THAT WE, YOU DIDN'T HAVE, COUNCIL DIDN'T, LIKE YOU DIDN'T HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WORKING WITH YOU TO NO, I PROVIDED THOSE AND, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL QUESTIONS FROM SOME COUNCIL OFFICES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, WE RESPONDED TO AND, AND IT WAS, IT WAS FINE.
IT HAD TO DO WITH THE SHELL AND THE, UH, CALENDAR, THE MEETING DATES OR MEETING EVERY WEEK.
UM, AND THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT IS THAT THERE IS A CHARTER PROVISION THAT STATES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE FOLLOW.
AND SO WE HAVE THE COUNCIL APPROVES A YEARLY CALENDAR AND THERE IS A COLUMN WHICH I ALSO ATTACHED, UM, TO THE EMAIL FOR YOUR REVIEW, UM, THAT STATES THEY ARE CANCELED MEETINGS.
SO THAT ADDRESSES THE, UM, CHARTER PIECE SO THAT WE ARE COMPLIANT.
UM, AND THE RATIONALE OF RIGHT NOW FOR A RESIDENT TO SIGN UP FOR THE NOON GENERAL COMMENT PERIOD, THAT TIMELINE USED TO BE ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.
NOW I THINK IT'S PROPOSED AT TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT PROPOSAL? UM, IT'S, AS FAR AS I, I MEAN AS, AS I CAN
[01:50:01]
REMEMBER, IT'S BEEN 14 DAYS, UM, FOR SOMEONE TO REGISTER ON A NOON FOR THE NOON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION PORTION ON THE AGENDA.IT'S ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
UM, ONE THING THAT DID CHANGE IN 2017, UH, THE LAST TIME THESE PROCEDURES WERE, WERE REVISED ARE THAT, UM, A IF SOMEONE SPEAKS ON DURING A NOON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, THEY HAVE TO STAY, YOU KNOW, SIT OUT FOR THE REMAIN THREE ADDITIONAL MEETINGS BEFORE THEY CAN SPEAK AGAIN.
BECAUSE WE USED TO HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE REGISTER, YOU KNOW, UM, TO SPEAK AND ALWAYS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO SPEAK.
SO WE WANTED TO ALLOW OTHERS TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ANY TOPIC OF, OF THEIR CHOICE DURING THIS PERIOD.
BUT IT'S 14 DAYS IN ADVANCE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.
YEAH, AND I KNOW, I MEAN, THE REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING OVER THE DETAILS CAUSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, YOU KNOW, SETTING THE RULES FOR HOW OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGES AND HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND PROVIDE INPUT.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES, IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTER OR I SHOULD ASK OUR CITY CLERK, IS THERE ANY IMPACT, ANY CONSEQUENCE TO US DELAYING THIS TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK TO GIVE US MORE TIME TO REVIEW AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ABOUT IT? NO, NO.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING A FEW YEARS, SO I DON'T THINK ANOTHER WEEK WILL.
BUT FOR THAT MATTER, IF WE NEED MORE TIME, IT WOULD, YOU COULD EVEN WAIT BEYOND THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY MEETINGS AFTER THIS MEETING FOR SOME TIME.
SO THERE'S NOT A RUSH IN THAT REGARD.
UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T VOTE AT THIS WORK SESSION.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT IF, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN EFFORT TO POSTPONE THAT, WE ALLOW FOR THAT AT THE, AT THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING, AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, THE WAY WE PULL THINGS OFF THE AGENDA AND HAVE MOTIONS.
AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS A POSTPONEMENT TO A DATE CERTAIN, UM, IN THAT REGARD, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, UH, WITH REGARD TO HOW WE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT MM-HMM.
BUT IT WILL ALSO ALLOW THE CLERK TO MAYBE BE ABLE TO CLARIFY WHY THERE'S THOUGHT BEHIND SOMETHING THAT SHE MADE A SUGGESTED CHANGE ON.
BUT, UH, IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO POSTPONE, WE'LL JUST TAKE THAT UP AT THE, AT THE THURSDAY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND ALSO I DID SOME RESEARCH THIS WEEKEND AND SO IT DATES BACK TO 2011.
I'M HAPPY TO SEND THAT INFORMATION TO YOU SO THAT, UM, YOU HAVE THE HISTORY BEHIND IT AND HOW IT WENT FROM CODE AND PULLED TO, UM, A STANDALONE PROCEDURES DOCUMENT.
SO, UM, AND ALL THE CONVERSATIONS AND, AND MEETINGS THAT WERE HAD PRESENTATIONS, SO.
UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME? HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, UM, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS IN THIS ITEM.
NUMBER 45, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, RYAN AL ALTER, AND THEN WHOEVER IS STAFFED THAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR US TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
I, UH, AM BRINGING THIS RESOLUTION, PULLED IT TO GIVE A LITTLE BOTH CONTEXT, BUT ALSO MAKE YOU AWARE OF AN AMENDMENT THAT WILL BE COMING ON THURSDAY.
UH, JUST SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS.
THERE ARE A FEW PROJECTS THAT ARE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS RELATED TO FINDING HOME ATX THAT ARE PARTNERING WITH, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
IN ORDER TO, UM, PROVIDE THOSE, THOSE UNITS HERE IN TOWN, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THIS, UH, TECHNICALLY IT'S A WAIVER OR WE, WE HAVE TO LET THEM OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, THIS RESOLUTION DOES.
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CON OR CONTACTED, UM, BY A, A DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEMBER, FRANCE'S DISTRICT, UH, AS WELL AS A COUPLE IN COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S DISTRICT THAT ALSO PROVIDES SOME GREAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO, UH, WE PLAN TO ADD THOSE TO THIS ON THURSDAY.
AND I THINK SOME CONVERSATIONS ARE ALSO BEING HAD ABOUT POTENTIALLY SOME OTHERS, BUT SHOULD THAT HAPPEN, I'LL BE SURE TO MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD AND DISSEMINATE THE CHANGES AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
SO THAT IS REALLY THAT UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:55:02]
THANKS, MAYOR.UM, I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF, AND SO I, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT AROSE, UH, IN READING.
UH, THEY'LL BE ANSWERED IN THE Q AND A PROBABLY TOMORROW.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM STAFF, UM, ABOUT THE PROJECTS LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION.
UM, FIRST I WANNA SHARE MY CONCERNS OVER SEVERAL CRITICAL ISSUES.
SO LET ME GO THROUGH THESE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE STAFF SPEAK TO THE, TO THE PROPOSALS.
SO THE FIRST CONCERN FOR ME IS PROCESS HOUSING PROJECTS SEEKING CITY SUBSIDY AND COUNCIL SUPPORT GO THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS, A DUE DILIGENCE WITH OUR HOUSING STAFF.
THIS ENSURES THAT COUNCIL PRIORITIES ARE BEING MET ALONG WITH FIRM COMMITMENTS TO AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
THAT PROCESS IS NOT HAPPENING HERE, WHICH CONCERNS ME AND I, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY.
SECOND IS THE USE OF THE PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION TOOL.
THAT'S THE FCS THAT YOU'LL SEE LISTED.
THEY MAY BE USED TO STRUCTURE THESE PROJECTS.
WE DO NOT YET HAVE AN ESTABLISHED POLICY AROUND WHAT JUSTIFIES CITY SUBSIDIES AND TAX BREAKS FOR THESE FCS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
THE REQUEST FOR CITY FUNDS IS A RELATIVELY NEW DEVELOPMENT AND IT SEEMS TO BE, UH, CONSIDERABLE AND POTENTIALLY ENDLESS.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO STRESS A FEW POINTS MOVING FORWARD.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT STAFF DEVELOP A PROPER SET OF CRITERIA AND PROCESS FOR APPROVING PFC PROJECTS AND ESTABLISHING CRITERIA FOR OUTSIDE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES THAT ARE OPERATING WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THAT.
AND I, I WILL SAY AS A SIDE NOTE, I THINK THAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT I DON'T THINK OUR STAFF WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT INTO THE CONVERSATION UNTIL RELATIVELY RECENTLY.
AND I DON'T THINK THE DIAS HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO IT AT ALL EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS.
THE CRITERIA SHOULD ASSESS THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS PROVIDED THE LONGEVITY OF AFFORDABILITY PROVIDED THE NON-DISCRIMINATION AND TENANT PROTECTIONS, PROVIDED PROCESSES FOR MONITORING COMPLIANCE THAT ARE INCLUDED AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE GOALS OF THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY, HOW IMPORTANT THAT BLUEPRINT IS.
GENERALLY, IF PRODUCT, IF PROJECTS ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND RECEIVING BENEFITS FROM US, WE SHOULD HOLD THEM TO OUR STANDARDS OF OR AFFORDABILITY LEVELS AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS ACROSS THE PROJECTS.
I UNDERSTAND THE, THE THREE PROJECTS NAMED IN ITEM 45 ARE PROPOSING TO PROVIDE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, BUT THERE MAY ALSO BE SUBSIDIES EXTENDED FOR MARKET RATE PORTIONS OF THE PROJECTS.
SO THIS IS WHERE PROPER STAFF VETTING IS SO IMPORTANT AND IT'S MISSING.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT MAY BE HIGH CLOSING AND ANNUAL FEES IF WE ARE SUBSIDIZING A PROJECT AND OFFERING TAX BENEFITS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE, AND I THINK THE DIAS WOULD AGREE THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE SURE THOSE DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT FOR ACTUAL AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AND FINALLY, I'M WORKING ON AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO DEVELOP THAT NECESSARY CRITERIA THAT HOLDS THESE PROJECTS TO OUR STANDARDS.
I'LL POST THAT TO THE MESSAGE BOARD AS SOON AS IT'S READY.
SO I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR HOUSING STAFF NOW TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE REGULAR PROCESS OF REVIEW, THE ONE THAT THEY ARE INVOLVED IN, AND WHAT WE GAIN FROM THAT PROCESS.
AND AS A PART OF THOSE RESPONSES, PLEASE STAFF HELP US UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS ANYTHING PREVENTING THE THREE PROJECTS LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION FROM GOING THROUGH THE CITY STAFF REVIEW NOW.
GOOD MORNING, ROSIE TRU, LOVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR MANDY DE MAYO IS HERE WITH ME AND WE'RE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS HERE.
AND WE WILL, WE, WE WILL BE WORKING ON, UH, A FULL WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME FROM YOUR OFFICE, UM, HOPEFULLY BY TOMORROW MORNING AT THE LATEST.
UM, WE ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPING A PROCESS WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO ENSURE THAT WE DO HAVE A GOOD MECHANISM TO PROPERLY VET, UM, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THESE PROJECTS
[02:00:01]
ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH SSY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY.UH, AND THEY DO REQUIRE FORMAL ACTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO ALLOW THOSE PROJECTS TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S JURISDICTION.
WE WERE NOT BROUGHT INTO THIS CONVERSATION UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OR TWO.
UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER JUST BROUGHT UP THAT HE'S POTENTIALLY LOOKING TO AMEND AND ADD.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE PROJECTS EVEN ARE.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT WE'RE NOT BEING BROUGHT INTO.
WE VERY MUCH VALUE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THESE PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE FOR REMOVING THESE PROJECTS OFF THE TAX ROLES.
UM, I'M GONNA ALLOW MANDY DE MAYO TO GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND TO PERHAPS TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF THE PFC, UM, PROCESS AND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH, UM, WITH STATE LEGISLATION ON THAT.
MANDY DE MAYO DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
SO JUST TO START WITH THE THREE ITEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, BEING CONTEMPLATED.
ITEM 45, THE THREE PROPERTIES, THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COLLABORATIVE.
AND AS ROSIE MENTIONED, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COLLABORATIVE IS A COLLABORATION THAT INVOLVES SEVEN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, THEY HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, IN ORDER TO CREATE A STRUCTURE WHEREBY MIXED INCOME HOUSING, UM, COULD POTENTIALLY OFFSET THE COST OF SUPPORTING, UM, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
ACROSS THESE, IT'S ACTUALLY SIX DIFFERENT SITES RIGHT NOW.
TRAVIS COUNTY HAS COMMITTED TO 50 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS, UM, TO MAKE THESE PROJECTS A REALITY.
YOU ALL, AS AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, HAVE ALSO COMMITTED A VARIETY OF FUNDS TO THESE, UH, SEVEN DIFFERENT PROJECTS, UM, INCLUDING 4 MILLION TO THE URBAN LEAGUE, 3.4 MILLION TO FAMILY ELDER CARE, 6 MILLION TO A SAFE 60 UNIT SAFE, UM, ALLIANCE PROJECT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE ON THURSDAY'S AGENDA TWO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE.
UM, ONE WITH LIFEWORKS FOR 8 MILLION AND ANOTHER ONE FOR A LITTLE OVER 6 MILLION WITH CARITAS.
UM, THE NORMAL PROCESS WOULD HAVE BEEN, SHOULD HAVE BEEN, UM, HAD THESE PROJECTS NOT COME TO US PIECEMEAL, UM, THAT YOU ALL AS THE, THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD'VE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE STRUCTURE OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COLLABORATIVE AND THE VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES.
UM, AGAIN, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
WE ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT THE PFC STRUCTURE THAT WAS BEING UTILIZED AS SUBSIDIARY OF HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY OR HATS HATSE TO PROVIDE THE TAX EXEMPTION.
IN THIS VERY LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCE, WE, WE MET WITH RYAN ALT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER'S, UM, STAFF MEMBERS.
AND BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN, UM, IN THE WORKS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND BECAUSE THESE ARE VERY, UH, NEEDED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS, WE AS STAFF ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE THREE PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.
HOWEVER, AS COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER MENTIONED, UM, WE ARE LEARNING EVERY DAY, UH, NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
UM, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE, UM, ON A FAST TRACK BECAUSE OF PENDING PFC LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
YOU ALL MAY KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ENORMOUS ABUSES OF THE PFC LOOPHOLE ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE LEGISLATURE, UH, HAS REIGNED THAT IN, IN CURRENT LEGISLATION, HB 2071.
UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT LEGISLATION, UM, AND WE ARE WAITING FOR THAT TO GO INTO EFFECT.
IT WILL IN FACT REQUIRE, SHOULD A PFC STRUCTURE GO FORWARD DEEPER AFFORDABILITY.
RIGHT NOW, THE, UM, AFFORDABILITY LEVELS ARE 50% AT, UM, 50% OF THE UNITS AT 80% OR BELOW MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
AND SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER MENTIONED, TWO OF THEM WE HAVE A WEEK AGO MONDAY, WE LEARNED OF THEM AND WE HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VERY QUICKLY VET AND REVIEW, AND WE HAVE ENORMOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS.
THE 80% UNITS, UM, BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS ARE ACTUALLY, UM, HIGHER IN SOME CASES THAN MARKET RATE AT NEARBY NEW CLASS A PROPERTIES.
UM, IN ADDITION, ONE OF THE PROPERTIES DOES HAVE, BECAUSE OF AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, NO, BECAUSE OF VM U TWO, UM, THE VERTICAL MIXED USE TWO, IT DOES HAVE 15% OF THE UNITS AT 60% OR BELOW MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, WHICH PRESUMABLY WOULD, UM, ENABLE IT TO FIT INTO THE NEW PFC UH, LEGISLATION.
BUT I WILL NOTE THAT THAT 15% AT 60%
[02:05:01]
OR BELOW IS IN EXCHANGE FOR ALREADY INCREASED ENTITLEMENTS UNDER THE V M U TWO.SO THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, UH, WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED.
WE HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF CONCERNS THAT WE HONESTLY HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VET.
AS ROSIE MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD A PRELIMINARY MEETING WITH HAKA HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PATSY HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY, AND US A H F C, AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION TO LAY OUT, UM, A ROADMAP.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING MONTHLY, UH, REALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT OUR SHARED COMMUNITY VALUES ARE AND WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, CERTAINLY WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UH, JURISDICTION.
HAPPY TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS.
AS ROSIE MENTIONED, WE ARE, UH, DIGGING INTO COUNCIL MEMBER POOL HAD NINE, UM, UH, NINE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
WE'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR THIRD PARTY PARTNERS TO TRY TO GATHER SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WE HAVE IN HOUSE.
WE PLAN TO HAVE FULL RESPONSES, UM, BY TOMORROW MORNING.
I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT STAFF HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PFCS OR THE, UM, AGREEMENT FOR HAT C TO WORK, UM, IN COLLABORATION WITH HAKA.
YOU CAN'T COLLABORATE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO COLLABORATE.
SO I APPRECIATE STAFF SAYING THAT THEY, UM, ARE WILLING TO ALLOW THE THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE IN ITEM 45 TO GO FORWARD.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO, TO EXERCISE SPECIFIC DILIGENCE AROUND THOSE, EVEN IF THEY DO PASS.
AND, UM, AND ALSO I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE A BRIEFING LATER, UH, ONCE THERE IS, UH, SOME AGREEMENT WITH HATSE ON WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY VIA MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER TUCKER.
WHEN, WHEN I WAS BRIEFED ON THIS ITEM, I GATHERED THAT IT WAS ROUTINE AND IT'S CLEARLY IT'S NOT, UH, EVEN THE THREE THAT ARE ON THIS RESOLUTION, IF THEY OPEN THE FLOODGATE TO WHATEVER THAT FLOODGATE LOOKS LIKE, I THINK WE, WE OWE IT TO THE STAFF TO GO BACK AND EVALUATE ALL THIS AND PUT THE FRAMEWORK TOGETHER SO THAT ALL THESE, ALL THESE WORTHY PROJECTS ARE CONSIDERED UNDER A CERTAIN, UH, UH, PROCESS WHICH EVERYBODY CAN COMPETE OR, SO WE UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC COMMITMENT PLUS THE NEED TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO I JUST WOULD WANT, UH, THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT CUZ EVEN, UH, WE SAID THE THREE, AND THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHERS IN THERE.
I JUST THINK WE, WE NEED TO PROBABLY TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW ALL THESE PIECES FIT TOGETHER.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY TO THAT CITY MANAGER, I AGREE WITH YOU, AND I ALSO DON'T LIKE BEING PUT IN A POSITION WHERE WE MIGHT PROVIDE A DIFFERENT MEASURING STICK FOR THREE PROJECTS AND THEN, UH, UH, A MORE, A STRICTER ONE OR A DIFFERENT ONE FOR ANY OTHER COMING FORWARD.
IT REALLY DOES FEEL A BIT OF FAVORITISM AND, AND THAT, THAT CONCERNS ME.
SO I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT REVIEWING ALL OF THEM.
AND I THINK VERY MUCH OUR GOAL ON THE STAFF SIDE IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW ALL THESE, WE KNOW WE NEED ALL OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE CAN GET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PUT UP ROADBLOCKS OR, OR, OR BE A BURDEN OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE STOP, UH, ON ANYTHING.
WE JUST WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING MAKES SENSE THAT WE'RE GETTING, UM, ADEQUATE LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY AND, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR, UM, THE ENTITLEMENTS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE.
UM, SO I I, ONE OF THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT I THINK MR. UH, COUNCILMAN WALTER WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, IT IS ONE THAT WE HAD IN FACT TALKED TO THE, THE DEVELOPER ABOUT, AND THEY SAID THAT JULY WAS GREAT AND WE COULD HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO EVALUATE, UH, AND THEN CAME BACK TO LEARN THAT THEY NEEDED IT, YOU KNOW, ADDED TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA TODAY, WHICH DOESN'T, UH, TIES STAFF'S HANDS AND DOESN'T GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GIVE IT THE CONSIDERATION THAT IT, IT DESERVES.
SO I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED HERE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MY STAFF HERE.
THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING TO YOU.
SO THE REPRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT THESE IS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING TO ME BECAUSE THEY DID TALK TO YOU SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHY THERE'S THAT DISCONNECT.
BUT I'M, THAT'S JUST THING NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE OF PFCS, THERE WAS A NEW PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WAS BROUGHT AND PASSED, AND IT WAS PASSED BY MORE THAN TWO THIRDS OF BOTH BODIES.
AND SO AS SOON AS IT'S SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, IT WILL BE IN PLACE.
THIS IS NOT A RUNAROUND TO GET IN BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1ST, THAT PIECE
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OF LEGISLATION AND THAT LAW WILL BE IN PLACE IN A MATTER OF WEEKS, AND THESE WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT.SO THIS IS NOT SOME, YOU KNOW, RUSH TO BEAT THE CLOCK.
I ALSO WANT TO JUST GIVE SOME CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT THESE PROJECTS ACTUALLY ARE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE THE THREE ON THE ITEM.
THE COUNTY HAS INVESTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, AS THEY HAVE INDICATED IN THESE PROJECTS AS PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE AND FINDING HOME ATX.
AND SO THE COUNTY CHOSE TO WORK WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY PERFECTLY.
YOU KNOW, THEIR MONEY, THEY, THEY CAN CHOOSE THEIR PARTNER AND THEY HAVE, AS PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, IF, IF THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST MONEY IN HOMELESS AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, WE NEED TO BE A GOOD PARTNER IN RETURN.
WE CAN'T EXPECT THEM TO HELP US OUT IN THIS ENDEAVOR THAT WE HAVE SET OURSELVES ON IF WE ARE GOING TO HOLD UP PROJECTS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING OF A SHARED GOAL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AS IT RELATES TO THE THREE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE FOR THESE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED.
THEY ARE NOT SOME MARKET, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW, HOW TO, LET ME, LET ME GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS FOR ONE OF 'EM.
THE ONE THAT'S IN COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S DISTRICT, IT'S 101 UNITS.
OF THAT 101 UNITS, MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE ARE AFFORDABLE, 20% OF THEM ARE AT 50% MFI.
WE ALMOST NEVER SEE THAT LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY.
ANOTHER ALMOST 20% OF THEM ARE 60% ARE FINE.
SO THESE, AND THEN THE REST THAT ARE UM, ARE AFFORDABLE ARE AT 80.
THAT IS MORE STRINGENT THAN WHAT THE NEW LAW IS GONNA REQUIRE.
THE NEW LAW REQUIRES 10% AT 60 AND 40% AT 80.
SO WHAT WE HAVE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
WE HAVE, ONCE AGAIN, A SITUATION WHERE MORE THAN 50% OF THE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE, AND OF THOSE, THEY'RE NOT JUST AT 80%, BUT THEY AVERAGE OUT TO 62 OR 65% IN VARIOUS REGARDS.
SO THESE, ONCE AGAIN, WE CAN COME UP WITH A, A FRAMEWORK, AND I THINK WE SHOULD FOR HOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN APPROVES THESE PROJECTS, BUT TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT PROJECTS THAT ARE MORE THAN 50% OF THE UNITS ARE AT AROUND 60% M F I, THAT WE AS A COUNCIL DON'T WANT TO ALLOW THOSE PROJECTS TO GO FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S, I I I WHOLLY DISAGREE IF, IF THIS IS A PRIORITY OF THIS COUNCIL OF PROVIDING TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.
AND SO I I I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT RUSHING THROUGH THINGS.
I'VE MET WITH SOME OF THESE, UM, INDIVIDUALS AND IF WE CAN BRING IT TO THE 20TH TO GET A DECISION, THAT'S FINE.
BUT WE HAVE A, AN ENTITY THAT IS THIS PROCESS HAS TAKEN SO LONG THAT THEY RISK GOING BANKRUPT IF THEY CAN'T MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF UNITS THAT COULD BE AFFORDABLE THAT WE COULD SAY YES TO.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY YES.
AND IF WE NEED TO COME UP WITH FUTURE FRAMEWORK, I'M ALL FOR IT.
BUT I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE CONTEXT TO WHAT THIS ITEM IS ALL ABOUT.
COUNCIL NUMBER RYAN AL ALTER, I, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE UNIQUE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY AND WHY WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT OF PRODUCING 60,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES WITHIN 10 YEARS.
UH, AND SO WE SHOULD NOT, OR WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKING AT, IF IT'S A PROCESS, UH, PROCEDURE IN WITHIN OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION, WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE TAKING A, A CLOSER LOOK AT, AT THAT PROCESS THAN WHAT IT ENTAILS FOR THE PROJECT.
IN MY DISTRICT, I WILL SAY WE ARE WORKING ON, ON A, A SEPARATE AGREEMENT TO ENSURE THAT IT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE LAW THAT WAS JUST PASSED.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WHAT WAS LAID OUT TO ME WAS THAT THERE WAS, UH, A MISUNDERSTANDING AT TRAVIS COUNTY AND IT WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE GAP WITHIN THE PROCESS.
AND SO THAT IS WHY WE WERE WANTING
[02:15:01]
TO SEE IF WE COULD ADD IT IN TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S, UH, RESOLUTION.UM, BUT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN WITH OUR COMPLIANCE CHECKS, WITH TENANT PROTECTIONS AND ENSURING THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS PORTION, WE'RE GONNA DO A SEPARATE AGREEMENT OR THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING NOW.
UM, SO I KNOW WE, HAVING A SEPARATE AGREEMENT MIGHT NOT BE THE PREFERRED ROUTE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UNDER THE LENS OF TRYING TO EXPEDITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN, IN LIGHT OF THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN, IS, IS THE OBJECTIVE THAT I HAVE.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER FRANCIS, I DON'T THINK OUR, UH, REALLY OUR COMMENTS ARE NOT TO SAY WE DON'T WANNA ACHIEVE THE, THE, THE GOALS OF THE COUNCIL ON AFFORDABILITY.
THE WAY I FOUND OUT ABOUT THESE EXTRA PROJECTS WAS, UH, FRIDAY I, I RAN INTO SOMEBODY IN THE HALLWAY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE'S, THERE WAS THIS ISSUE AND I PASSED IT ALONG TO THE HOUSING STAFF SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE OUT HERE TALKING TO US, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ABOUT THIS ITEM.
AND SO IT'S NOT TO SAY WE DON'T WANNA DO IT, WE JUST, WE, I WE WANT A CHANCE TO, TO STUDY IT SO WE KNOW HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER.
AND WE, IF THERE IS A FINANCING ISSUE THAT, THAT WE GOTTA SIT DOWN WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE REAL CONCERN IS SO THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE BY THE 8TH OF JUNE, WE MAYBE PERHAPS DO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN THIS ITEM WAS ON THE AGENDA, I WAS AT LEAST, AND I KNOW IT'S MY FAULT, I SHOULD HAVE, I SHOULD HAVE DRILLED DOWN TO GET THE DETAIL CUZ I, I WAS TOLD IT'S A ROUTINE ITEM AND, AND JUST FROM HEARING FROM THE CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT BEYOND, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN ROUTINE.
NOT MEAN WANT TO GET DONE, JUST MEANS IT NEEDS SOME STUDY AND, AND STAFF REMAIN SUPPORTIVE.
OF THE THREE THAT ARE POSTED RIGHT NOW, UM, IT'S, IT'S ADDING THE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO YOUR TEAM SINCE YOU INITIALLY CAME UP WITH THE PROPOSED POSTING OF THIS ITEM.
IT'S THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES AND THE DEVELOPERS THEMSELVES THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH UNTIL, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, AND WE JUST NEED ADDITIONAL TIME TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE APPROPRIATELY, UM, ENDORSING ITEMS THAT WE SHOULD BE ENDORSING, UM, AND WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT AND OKAY.
AND I'M NOT SURE WE KNOW ABOUT ALL THE PROJECTS EITHER THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME IN COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ'S DISTRICT THAT DON'T SOUND AT ALL FAMILIAR TO US.
WELL, LET'S, LET'S GET TOGETHER AGAIN.
WE'LL GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT IF THEY MEET WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO MEET.
AND, AND WE'LL LET EVERYBODY KNOW HOW THAT MEETING GOES.
AND THEN I'LL COME TO COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, CITY MANAGER IF YOU CAN ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND FOR THURSDAY, KIND OF WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I'M NOW CONFUSED OF, OR THE THREE, BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS TWO OF THOSE THREE THAT YOU WEREN'T SURE OF AT ONE POINT IN YOUR COMMENTS.
SO, AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE SURE OF ALL THREE, BUT MAYBE IT WAS SOME OF THE EXTRA ONES.
SO, SO IF WE COULD GET SOME CLARITY, CLARIFY, I MAY, MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD.
WE'RE, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO CLARIFY IN THE Q AND A, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO JUST SAY IS THAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE A PROCEDURAL STEP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROCEEDING, UM, WITH DUE DILIGENCE.
UM, AND I WANNA, I JUST WANNA ADAMANTLY SAY THAT I'M VERY THRILLED THAT, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY HAS DECIDED TO DEVOTE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES TO PERMIT SUPPORT OF HOUSING AND, AND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF AUSTIN.
I THINK THAT'S A RELATIVELY, UM, NEW SETUP.
AND SO I THINK WE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE GROWING PAINS OF, OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THAT AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND TO FACILITATE IT.
UM, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT WITH DUE DILIGENCE.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANT THIS CONVERSATION, WHICH IS ABOUT DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE IMPORTANT AND HISTORIC INVESTMENTS THAT THEY'RE MAKING AND HOW VALUABLE, UM, THESE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS ARE GONNA BE FOR US IN MEETING OUR HOUSING GOALS AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND I, AND I THINK THAT OUR STAFF A AGREE WITH THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IN THIS CONVERSATION, IF, IF IT, IF TRAVIS COUNTY IS WATCHING THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE ARE, WE DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, UM, THOSE INVESTMENTS.
WE'LL WIND UP WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? YEAH, AND, AND AGREE WITH IN, IN ALL RESPECTS SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER WAS SAYING, THIS ISN'T ABOUT PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE ALL VERY STRONGLY WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION.
I'M CONCERNED, AND, AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A PROJECT POTENTIALLY IN, THERE'S A POTENTIAL PROJECT IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, BUT WHEN I HEAR THAT THE RENTS THAT WOULD BE OFFERED BY PROJECTS THROUGH THE FCS END UP BEING
[02:20:01]
MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY MARKET RATE, UM, THEN WHAT IS BEING PROVIDED ELSEWHERE IN THE DISTRICT, THEN I THEN I HAVE RED FLAGS.THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY AT, UH, AT ISSUE HERE, 50 MILLION FROM, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY AND 26 20 7 MILLION, NEARLY 27, 20 7 MILLION, 27 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE WANT THAT MONEY TO GO TO PROVIDING DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO.
THAT'S WHAT THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT I'M HOPING TO GET FROM STAFF WILL PROVIDE.
THAT'S THE ASSURANCES THAT I CERTAINLY NEED BEFORE VOTING ON THESE THINGS.
AS WE ALWAYS DO IN ALL OF OUR CONTRACT AGREEMENTS, WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN VETTED COMPLETELY AND APPROPRIATELY.
AND I, I THANK STAFF FOR FALLING BACK AND, AND DOING THAT WORK NOW, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT WE HAVE FOR THURSDAY.
AND THEN ALL OF THIS INFORMATION SHOULD COME TO THE ENTIRE DIAS.
I KNOW YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE WORKING CERTAINLY WITH THE AUTHOR OF THIS IF C BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT EVERY LAST ONE OF US HERE NEEDS TO HAVE ALL OF THAT SAME INFORMATION.
UH, THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 71.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE PERSON THAT PULLED ITEM 71.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ITEM 71 WAS BROUGHT FORWARD TO AMEND OUR PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION RELATED TO LICENSE PLATE READERS.
AND AS SUCH, I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
MAYOR, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
YEAH, 71 AND THEN WE'LL GO TO 48.
CAUSE IT WAS PULLED ON THE DIAS.
I 48 IS OCCUPANCY LIMITS, RIGHT? YES, PLEASE ASK YOUR QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND IS THAT, THAT'S CHIEF GREENWALT, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
CHIEF GREENWALT, I KNOW YOU'VE DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME TO THIS DISCUSSION, AND I THINK FOR SOME OF OUR NEWER COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LAY OUT THE, THE PROCESS RELATED TO AN INVESTIGATION AND A TIMELINE OF WHEN DATA MIGHT BE USED FOR LICENSE PLATE READERS OR RELATED TO LICENSE PLATE READERS.
COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN, UM, PERHAPS KIND OF THE TIMELINE OF HOW A TYPICAL INVESTIGATION GOES AND AT WHAT POINT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY LEARN THROUGHOUT AN INVESTIGATION TO EVEN ACCESS LICENSE PLATE READER DATA? ABSOLUTELY.
AND THANK YOU FOR CALLING US HERE TO ENTER THESE QUESTIONS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS WORK AND HOW THESE INVESTIGATIONS UNFOLD BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS THE INVESTIGATION MAY UNFOLD.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE A CRIME OCCURRED AND WHAT LICENSE PLATE WE'RE LOOKING FOR IMMEDIATELY.
SOMETIMES THAT COMES DAYS LATER, SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE WEEKS OR MONTHS LATER.
SO THE RETENTION PERIOD REALLY COMES INTO PLAY IN THOSE TYPES OF INVESTIGATIONS WHERE WE DON'T FIND OUT FOR A WEEK OR TWO WHAT LICENSE PLATE WE'RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE WE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE THAT VEHICLE IS OR WHERE IT HAS BEEN IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE CRIME.
BUT ALSO, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE RETENTION PERIODS IS WE MAY KNOW ON DAY ONE WHAT OUR SUSPECT VEHICLE IS, WHAT THE DESCRIPTION IS, WHAT THE LICENSE PLATE IS, BUT IN ORDER TO FIND THE SUSPECT, WE HAVE TO HAVE AS MUCH HISTORICAL DATA AS POSSIBLE.
SO I BROUGHT TOGETHER, UM, I BROUGHT WITH ME TODAY THREE EXAMPLES OF CASES THAT ARE REAL EXAMPLES THAT HAPPEN HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS THAT KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT A SEVEN DAY AND A 30 DAY RETENTION POLICY WOULD GIVE US AS FAR AS RESULTS.
UH, KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE JUST THREE OFF THE TOP OF OUR HEADS THAT WE TURNED AROUND IN QUICK FASHION.
IF WE WANTED TO DO A DEEPER DIVE.
THERE WILL BE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF THESE EXAMPLES OVER THE FOUR YEARS THAT WE HAD THE LPR FROM 2016 TO 2020.
BUT THESE ARE JUST THREE QUICK EXAMPLES.
IN 2016, THERE WAS A MURDER IN EAST AUSTIN.
WE GOT THE LICENSE PLATE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE ON DAY ONE, THERE WAS WITNESSES THERE THAT WERE ABLE TO GIVE US THE LICENSE PLATE OF THE VEHICLE.
THE, UH, INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO USE THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM TO PUT THAT VEHICLE'S LICENSE PLATE INTO THE DATABASE AND LOOK HISTORICALLY AT THE INFORMATION TO SEE WHERE THAT VEHICLE WAS.
IT WAS REGISTERED TO AN ADDRESS IN CEDAR CREEK, TEXAS, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT WHERE IT WAS REGISTERED TO BE ON PAPER.
UM, WE GOT INFORMATION FROM THAT DATABASE THAT WAS IN THE TWO TO THREE WEEK TIMEFRAME, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN LOST WITH A SEVEN DAY TIMEFRAME.
WE STILL HAD IT BECAUSE IT WAS WITHIN 30 DAYS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO GO TO THAT ADDRESS, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE THE SUSPECT'S NEW GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT PERSON INTO CUSTODY AS HE WAS LOADING UP BAGGAGE.
AND IN HIS LUGGAGE, BECAUSE HE WAS PLANNING ON FLEEING THE COUNTRY,
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HE WOULD'VE BEEN GONE TO MEXICO HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR OUR RETENTION POLICY AT THE TIME.IF THE SAME EXACT SITUATION HAPPENED TODAY WITH A SEVEN DAY PERIOD, THAT PERSON WOULD BE GONE AND IT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT TO BRING HIM BACK ACROSS THE BORDER TO, UH, FACE JUSTICE.
IN THAT CASE AGAIN, IN 2016, WE HAD A SERIAL RAPIST, UH, THAT WAS KIDNAPPING WOMEN IN NORTH AUSTIN AND BRINGING THEM TO CENTRAL AUSTIN TO RAPE THEM.
HE HAD FOUR SEPARATE CASES WHERE HE HAD KIDNAPPED, ROBBED, AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED VARIOUS WOMEN.
UM, THAT SPECIFIC INVESTIGATION SPANNED ACROSS, UM, THE WHOLE YEAR, SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A VEHICLE DESCRIPTION ON ONE OF THE LAST CASES WHERE IT HAPPENED.
ON THE EXACT DAY THAT WE GOT THE LICENSE PLATE INFORMATION, WE ISSUE A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST, AND WE STARTED THE INVESTIGATION ON WHERE THAT VEHICLE MIGHT BE.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE HAD TO HAVE DATA IN ORDER TO FIND THAT SUSPECT THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE SEVEN DAY PERIOD.
UH, WE JUST DON'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME IF SEVEN DAYS IS GONNA CAPTURE THIS DATA OR IF IT'S NOT GONNA CAPTURE THE DATA.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, SITUATION ON A LOT OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES THAT WE GAVE IN PREVIOUS WORK SESSIONS IN PREVIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS WHERE THERE WAS TWO INDIVIDUALS IN 2019 THAT WERE TRYING TO KIDNAP, UM, YOUNG GIRLS AT A BUS STOP.
I THINK IN THE EIGHT TO 10, UM, AGE GROUP, THEY WERE TRYING TO KIDNAP THE GIRLS TO SEXUALLY ASSAULT THEM.
ONE OF THE GIRLS GOT AWAY, GAVE A LICENSE PLATE THAT, AGAIN, THAT LICENSE PLATE WAS NOT WHERE IT WAS REGISTERED TO BE.
OFTENTIMES, CRIMINALS DON'T PARK THE LICENSE THEIR VEHICLES IN FRONT OF WHERE THEY'RE REGISTERED TO BE.
OFTENTIMES THEY'RE NO LONGER ACTUALLY OWNED BY THE SAME PEOPLE.
IT WAS ONLY THROUGH THE USE OF THE LICENSE PLATE READERS SYSTEM THAT WERE ABLE TO FIND THAT VEHICLE AT THE ADDRESS OF THE OTHER SUSPECT WHOM WE HAD NOT IDENTIFIED.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE FOUND IT IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM, WHICH AGAIN, WAS OUTSIDE THE SEVEN DAY RETENTION PERIOD PROPOSED IN THIS RE IN THIS, UM, RESOLUTION AMENDMENT.
THEY GAVE A FULL COMPE A FULL CONFESSION.
AND IF IT WERE NOT FOR US FINDING THEM AND STOPPING THEM, THEY WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIND MORE PEOPLE TO SEXUALLY ASSAULT.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF JUST PUT INTO CONTEXT THAT IT IT'S THE OPINION OR THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE A ONE YEAR RETENTION PERIOD.
WE WANT AS MUCH HISTORICAL DATA TO FIND OUR SUSPECTS AND PROVIDE JUSTICE TO OUR VICTIMS AS POSSIBLE.
WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS LAST YEAR, WE WERE, UM, IN A POSITION OF COMPROMISE AND WE WERE TOLD IT'S NOT GONNA PASS WITH A YEAR.
YOU CAN HAVE 30 DAYS OR YOU CAN HAVE NOTHING.
WE TOOK 30 DAYS BECAUSE 30 DAYS IS BETTER THAN NOTHING.
WE MADE THAT COMPROMISE LAST FALL.
UM, SO SINCE THAT RESOLUTION PASSED IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS WITH THE OPO TO TRY TO PUT, ENFORCE A POLICY THAT ABIDES BY THAT RESOLUTION.
AND WE WERE EXPECTING THE CITY COUNCIL TO ABIDE BY THAT RESOLUTION AS WELL.
WE FEEL LIKE 30 DAYS IS WHAT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN DESERVE.
WE FEEL LIKE 30 DAYS IS WHAT OUR CITIZENS NEED IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE CRIMES THAT THEY HAVE.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY CONFUSION OR MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS, WE CAN DO DEMONSTRATIONS.
WE CAN COME BACK AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ANY DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE BY THE COUNCIL THAT IMPACT THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS ARE DONE FULLY EDUCATED ON HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS AND, AND NOT, UM, BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF MISUNDERSTANDING.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT RECAP THERE.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR STATEMENT JUST NOW THAT IT'S THE OPINION THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE A ONE YEAR RETENTION PERIOD BEFORE THIS CAME BEFORE COUNSEL, COULD YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT THE PRIOR RETENTION PERIOD WAS FOR THIS DATA? IT WAS ONE YEAR.
AND, UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NATIONWIDE AVERAGE FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE LICENSE PLATE READERS MIGHT LOOK LIKE? HAVE YOU LOOKED AT OTHER POLICIES AND SEEN WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE AS THEIR STANDARD FOR DATE OF RETENTION? THEY'RE SLOWLY MOVING FROM THE LONGER OF ATTENTION PERIODS TO A 30 DAY SYSTEM.
30 DAY SEEMS TO BE THE NATIONAL STANDARD.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, FLOCK THE CONTRACT THAT WE'RE ASKING COUNCIL TO APPROVE ON JUNE 8TH HAS A A 30 DAY STANDARD POLICY THAT THEY, THAT THEY'VE RETAINED DATA FOR.
THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY'LL ACTUALLY GO AROUND THAT 30 DAY PERIOD IS IF THERE'S A LOCAL LAW ORDINANCE MANDATING THAT IT GO PAST 30 DAYS.
SO ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT THEY HAVE OVER 3000 CITIES NATIONWIDE, SEVERAL CITIES IN TEXAS, HOUSTON, DALLAS, UH, FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON, UH, SEVERAL OTHER CITIES AROUND THE NATION ALL HAVE, UM, THAT ARE USING FLOCK HALF 30 DAYS.
AND YOU DID A PLETHORA OF COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS AND GOT A LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ACCORDING, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT COLLABORATION YOU DID WITH THE OPOS OFFICE, AT ANY POINT, WAS IT DISCUSSED ABOUT A SEVEN DAY RETENTION POLICY IN LIEU OF THE 30 DAYS OR WAS IT JUST THE 30 DAYS? UH, SEVEN DAYS NEVER CAME UP.
UM, COUNSEL AND COLLEAGUES, I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH AN ITEM FOR SEVEN DAYS OF RETENTION WHEN WE HAVEN'T HAD THE SAME TYPE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR FEEDBACK RELATED TO THAT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO I KNOW THAT PERSONALLY
[02:30:01]
I HAVE STRUGGLED SINCE SEEING THIS ITEM ON FRIDAY, UM, WITH MY ABILITY TO REALLY COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT AN ITEM THAT WOULD REALLY DIRECTLY IMPACT THE, THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.AND I CANNOT IN GOOD FAITH CONNECT TO MY CONSTITUENTS OR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO SIMPLY CHANGE DIRECTION TO COUNCIL OR FROM COUNCIL THROUGH A RESOLUTION RELATED TO A SEVEN DAY RETENTION POLICY.
UM, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE COUNCIL MOVED FORWARD WITH LAST YEAR.
AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE WITHOUT GIVING IT THAT SAME, UM, PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND COMMUNICATION PROCESS, I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
UH, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I THANK THE CHIEF IS EXACTLY RIGHT IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE USED, UH, USED LAST YEAR AND THEN, UH, DISCUSSION TO GET IT TO 30 DAYS.
BUT LET ME JUST, UH, INDICATE THAT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, AS I UNDERSTAND THE RESOLUTION AND DISCUSSION, IS THAT SEVEN DAYS WOULD BE FOR A YEAR A PILOT, IF YOU WILL.
AND THAT EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT OUR RECOMMENDATION, IF WE GET A YEAR'S WORTH OF DATA THAT SHOWS HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK, AND AS LONG AS WE CAN COME BACK TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE THIS, THIS SEVEN DAY PERIOD HAS, HAS FALLEN SHORT, AND HERE'S HOW IT'S FALLEN SHORT.
AND SO THAT YOU THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, IN, UH, TO PROVIDE THE, THE DIRECTION TO MOVE THAT TO 30 DAYS, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE AS, AS A MATTER OF COMPROMISE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AGAINST OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, AND IF IT IS, WE WILL TRY TO MAKE IT WORK.
AND THEN WE'LL BE IN, IN GOOD FAITH, BRING YOU THE INFORMATION SO THAT YOU, ONCE YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION, YOU CAN MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO GET US BACK TO THAT 30 DAY PERIOD THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO.
TIM, I APPRECIATE THAT INPUT CITY MANAGER ON, UH, YOUR ABILITY TO TRY TO WORK WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE DECIDE AS A COUNCIL.
UM, I, I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT IF WE STAY WITH, WITH 30 DAYS, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL BETTER WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, AND WHETHER A MAJORITY OF THE INSTANCES THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING TO SOLVE, WE'RE FALLING IN THAT SEVEN DAY PERIOD.
OR IF THERE WERE OUTLIERS THAT, UM, I'M AFRAID WE WOULD MISS THE INFORMATION IF WE STOP WITH SEVEN, WE WON'T HAVE THE DATA ABOUT WOULD WE HAVE CAUGHT IT ON DAY EIGHT OR 14 OR, YOU KNOW, 20, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER WOULD BE.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THIS ITEM COMING TO US.
AND I JUST REMEMBER HOW THE CONVERSATION GOT STARTED, WHICH WAS A NUMBER OF US SAT DOWN WITH THE SEXUAL ASSAULT DETECTIVES AND THE, THE CRIME COUNSELORS FOR VICTIM SERVICES.
UM, AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS JUST THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS WAS KIND OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT CAME OUTTA THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THAT WAS A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO.
UM, SO MY QUESTION WILL BE, UH, HOW DID THIS CONVERSATION PLAY OUT AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COM, THE COMMISSION MEETING? UM, WAS THAT RECOMMENDED AT 30 DAYS OR WAS THERE SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM? UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION THAT WE DID MOST RECENTLY LISTEN TO, UH, MY EXPLANATION OF THE POLICY, HOW WE INCORPORATED IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING, THEY HAD SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS AND THEN THEY UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO RECOMMEND THAT WE PASS IT WITH A 30 DAYS.
THEY NEVER TALKED ABOUT A LOWER OF ATTENTION PERIOD.
AND SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT, UH, TO YOUR POINT, YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT.
UM, AFTER A YEAR PILOT PROGRAM WAS SEVEN DAYS, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT WE DIDN'T SOLVE, BUT WE WON'T REALLY KNOW THE VALUE OF WHAT WE COULD HAVE SOLVED IF IT WON'T BE, WOULDN'T BE FOR THE ACTUAL DATA BEING THERE.
AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATES ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE, UH, FOLKS WHO REALLY WANNA SEE THE LICENSE PLATE READERS REINSTATED AND FOLKS WHO ARE VERY, UM, WORRIED ABOUT HOW THEY MIGHT BE USED AND WHAT KIND OF DATA MIGHT BE COLLECTED AND WHO HAS ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO I KNOW, UM, THIS WAS A LENGTHY TOPIC THAT WE DEBATED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WHEN WE DETERMINED THAT 30 DAYS WAS WHERE WE WERE GOING TO LIE.
AND SO I THINK BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLIC FOR SO LONG, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH STAYING WITH 30 DAYS AND HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE AUDITS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ROUTINE REPORTS GIVEN TO US SO THAT WE CAN REEVALUATE THAT AT A LATER POINT IN TIME.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM, CUSTOMER RYAN, AL ALTER.
AND I'LL, I'LL TELL Y'ALL, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF, IF NOT THE MOST DIFFICULT ITEMS AND SUBJECTS HAVEN'T BEEN HERE THAT LONG, BUT THE TIME I HAVE BEEN HERE, MY CONCERN, AND THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING THIS ITEM, HOW, HOW WE GOT HERE IS THAT I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE DON'T MAKE A CHANGE TO THE 30 DAY POLICY, WE WILL HAVE ZERO DATA BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE
[02:35:01]
THIS PROGRAM.AND SO IF WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE THIS CONTRACT AND ACTUALLY HAVE THIS TOOL BE AVAILABLE FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS, WHO I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO THE CHIEF'S POINT, IT'S, IT'S A VALUABLE TOOL.
THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO GET THERE, AND THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS WE CAN DO THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO CATCHING, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL PERPETRATORS OF CRIMES, RIGHT? IF WE HAD CAMERAS AT EVERY CORNER THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WE WOULD CATCH MORE PEOPLE THAN WE DO TODAY.
BUT THERE ARE CIVIL LIBERTY CONCERNS, PRACTICAL CONCERNS, AND SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE RIGHT BALANCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE TRIED TO DO HERE IS FIND A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THE TOOL WILL BE USEFUL, UM, BUT ALSO RESPECT CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC OF THIS.
AND, AND, AND WE CAN COME BACK IN A YEAR AND SEE HOW IT HAS WORKED, HOW IT HASN'T WORKED.
UM, BUT THAT IS HOW WE HAVE ARRIVED HERE.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE CHIEF FOR ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR CREDIT AND POINT, HOW WE GOT HERE WAS EXACTLY HOW COUNSEL TOLD YOU TO GET HERE.
SO Y'ALL DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG IN THE PROCESS.
THAT WAS JUST HOW, YOU KNOW, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
AND SO I WANT TO BE ABLE FOR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE HAVE 300 VACANCIES WITHIN APD AND THIS IS ONE WAY TO HELP FILL SOME OF THOSE GAPS.
AND I KNOW YOU WILL ALWAYS, LIKE YOU SAID, A YEAR IS, IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND, AND I RESPECT THAT THAT'S YOUR JOB TO WANT THAT.
UM, I JUST BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S OUR JOB TO, TO DO THE BEST WE CAN, AND I THINK THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN.
I I'M GONNA CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY TO CLOSE.
UM, I ACTUALLY, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER FOR EXPLAINING, I GUESS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS ITEM AND WHY YOU BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW YOU LANDED ON SEVEN DAYS AND WHAT KIND OF RATIONALE WENT INTO THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, AFTER I SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF, WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A, AN AMOUNT OF TIME BASED ON CERTAIN, JUST REALLY ANECDOTAL, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FROM EITHER INTERVIEWING SOMEBODY, ARRESTING SOMEBODY, OR JUST TO, TO WORK THE SYSTEM.
AND, AND ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WAS, YOU KNOW, COULD BE 48 HOURS BEFORE YOU ARE ABLE TO EVEN GET SOMEBODY THAT FROM, FROM THE MOMENT YOU LEARN ABOUT IT TO, TO WHEN YOU WOULD POTENTIALLY RUN THE LICENSE PLATE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A, IT'S NOT AN INSTANTANEOUS DEAL.
AND SO A WEEK SEEMED TO BE CAPTURING SOME OF THAT TIME LAG, YOU KNOW, IF WE DID 24 HOURS OR 48 HOURS, THAT THAT WOULDN'T QUITE BE LONG ENOUGH.
AND, AND, UM, SO SEVEN DAYS WAS WHERE WE LANDED.
I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IS IT, SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE IN A PLACE WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMPROMISE AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE NEW COUNCIL COMING IN AND DIFFERENT THINGS BEING ADDED TO THIS, UM, WITH WHAT ASSISTANT CHIEF GREENWALT TOLD US EARLIER IN MY FIRST LINE OF QUESTIONING, IF PERHAPS THE BALANCE OF THE DIAS WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS, MAYBE WE GO HALFWAY BETWEEN, UM, ZERO AND 30 DAYS TO 15 DAYS SINCE CHIEF GREENWALT MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES IT COULD TAKE UP TO TWO WEEKS TO KNOW TO SEARCH FOR INFORMATION.
IS THAT SOMETHING MAYBE THE AUTHOR MIGHT BE AMENABLE TO? IF I WERE TO BRING FORWARD AN AMENDMENT? I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU, IF IF SUCH AN AMENDMENT WAS PASSED IS MY BELIEF THAT THE ULTIMATE TOOL ITSELF AND THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE TO APPROVE FOR IT WOULD NOT BE APPROVED.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT INPUT AND THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
I STILL FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A TOOL THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND THE MORE TIME THAT WE HAVE, THE MORE DATA WE WILL HAVE IN ORDER TO SEE IF IT IS EFFECTIVE OR NOT.
REMEMBER, MAY I, MAY I JUST, OH, OKAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS OVER THE LAST YEAR PLUS ABOUT THIS, AND I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES REALLY LEANED INTO THIS TO TRY TO, UM, CREATE A POLICY THAT WOULD BE A MODEL POLICY.
AND, AND I'VE HEARD SOME OF THOSE FOLKS SAY THAT THIS WOULD BE A MODEL POLICY.
I KNOW OUR, OUR STAFF HAVE ALSO LEANED IN WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, AND GOING BACK TO ONE OF THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS THAT LAUNCHED
[02:40:01]
SOME OF THE, THE SEARCH TO SEE IF WE COULD REINSTATE THIS AND ALSO REMEMBERING WHAT HAPPENED IN 20 AND HOW IT WAS REMOVED IN THE FIRST PLACE.UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK TO SOME OF OUR DETECTIVES AND THE FOLKS WORKING IN THE SEX CRIMES UNIT BEFORE YOU VOTE ON THURSDAY, AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE SHORT STAFFED.
THIS IS A TOOL THAT HELPS THEM ENORMOUSLY WITH THEIR JOB TO ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTING SEXUAL ASSAULT, WHO COULD GO ON TO COMMIT ANOTHER SEXUAL ASSAULT IF THEY'RE NOT APPREHENDED, THEY COULD GO ON TO KIDNAP THESE OTHER THINGS.
WE HAVE PUT IN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SAFEGUARDS.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO, TO TRY THIS NOW.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE YEAR GOT LANDED ON FOR THE PILOT EITHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THIS IS A TOOL THAT'S WORKING, YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AFTER THREE MONTHS AND SAY SOMETHING ONE WAY OR OR ANOTHER ABOUT HOW, HOW IT'S DOING.
YOU HAVE SOME HISTORICAL DATA.
UM, BUT I THINK WE, WE, THERE ARE REASONS FOR THINGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS DATA.
SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED, I THINK, IN THE OTHER RULES.
UM, AND, AND I THINK I, I'M GONNA HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS IN PARTICULAR AND OTHER VICTIMS, THEY NEED TO HAVE THIS TOOL.
SORRY, JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, THE MEMBERS OF PUBLIC.
AND THE POLICE CAN ALWAYS WITH, UH, A WARRANT, SUBPOENA THAT INFORMATION AND PULL ANY KIND OF DATA BASED ON ANY LICENSE PLATE.
AND AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, THE PRIVATE COMPANIES HAVE NO TIMELINE WHERE THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DISPOSE OF IT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, UH, AGAIN, THERE'S MULTIPLE, I THINK, TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THE POLICE WHEN CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOLDING THEIR OWN LICENSE PLATE READER DATA, UH, OBVIOUSLY IS A VERY, VERY POWERFUL ONE.
UH, BUT GIVEN ALSO THE POTENTIAL, UH, CITYWIDE EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WE DEBATED THIS LAST YEAR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE, I THINK A LIMITED NUMBER OF UNITS.
UH, THERE WERE A LIMITED NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH IT, AND THERE WERE ONLY A LIMITED, UH, NUMBER OF STATIONARY UNITS NOW GIVEN THE CONTRACT AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TOWARD, UM, ESSENTIALLY EVERY APD UNIT IS GONNA BE, UH, A LICENSE PLATE READING VEHICLE, AND THE DATA THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING IS GONNA BE VERY ROBUST, WHICH IS FINE.
I, I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THE CIVIL LIBERTIES IMPLICATIONS, I THINK CAN BECOME, BECOME MORE SERIOUS WHEN YOU'RE CAPTURING, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT EVERY, UH, VEHICLE, UH, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ESTABLISHING ESSENTIALLY THE WHEREABOUTS OF EVERY PERSON IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND PUTTING IT IN A POLICE DATABASE, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE SAFEGUARDS ARE THERE.
I COMPLETELY, UH, UH, BELIEVE AND, AND KNOW THEY'RE GONNA DO THEIR, THEIR BEST TO SAFEGUARD THAT.
BUT AS WE'VE SEEN WITH, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL SECURITY DATABASES, CIA DATABASES, ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, STUFF GETS OUT AND, AND, AND, AND THAT KIND OF DATA IS ALWAYS ABUSED TOO.
SO, UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, ESPECIALLY THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS TOOLS THAT THE POLICE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, IN, UH, UH, IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OUTSIDE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN, UH, UH, RESERVED AND RECORDED DATA.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO BE HEARD ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER WHO PULLED THE ITEM.
I APOLOGIZE THAT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE WITH THE HOLIDAY TO PULL IT, UM, SOONER I, UM, UNDERSTAND, UM, THE GOAL, UM, AND THE RATIONALE FOR THE ITEM.
UM, I DID WANNA GET A SENSE, THOUGH, IN PRACTICE HOW IT WOULD WORK AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCES WERE.
SO DO YOU HAVE A, LIKE AN EXAMPLE IN MIND, MR. CADRE OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ELIMINATING THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA OPERATE UNDER THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE RULES THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S GONNA PROVIDE THAT SAFEGUARD.
UM, AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS IN PRACTICE, UM, A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND, AND, AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW TO THINK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS, UM, WERE PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS SOME PARTICULAR CHALLENGES.
I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE AND THE CONCERN TO OPEN UP MORE HOUSING, UM, BUT I, BUT I DON'T TOTALLY THINK IN 70 SQUARE FEET LIMITS AND, AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
[02:45:01]
HOW THAT, HOW THAT PLAYS OUT.I THINK SOMEONE WAS GONNA GET UP AND SAY SOMETHING.
YOU HEARD THE QUESTION,
UH, TRISH LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, UM, THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE STANDARD OF 70 SQUARE FEET FOR A BEDROOM, OR 120, UM, PLUS 50 WHEN YOU GO ABOVE THREE IN ADULTS, IS THE STANDARD THAT WE APPLY TO EVERY SLEEPING UNIT IN THE CITY, THE 25,000 200 511, WHICH IS OUR DWELLING UNIT OCCUPANCY LIMIT.
SO I, I LIKE TO REFER TO IT AS OUR ZONING OCCUPANCY LIMIT BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON THE NUMBER OF UNRELATED ADULTS.
OUR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE IS STRICTLY ADULTS WHILE OUR, UM, WITHOUT, UH, QUALIFYING WHETHER THEY'RE RELATED OR NOT.
AND THEN THE, UM, 25,000 200 511 IS FOR UNRELATED.
UM, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS IF COUNSEL ESSENTIALLY REPEALS 25 11, YOU WOULD BE LIMITED BY THE NUMBER OF, BASED ON YOUR SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BEDROOMS. I, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND PRACTICE, LIKE I DON'T THINK IN SQUARE FOOTAGE OF BEDROOMS, THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS ARE VERY CLEAR.
I THEN WHEN YOU START TRANSITIONING, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND PRACTICE WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR SOME GIVEN SCENARIOS THAT WE WOULD SEE PLAY OUT, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LONG HISTORY FOR IMPLEMENTING THESE LIMITS.
THERE WAS A REASON FOR IMPLEMENTING IT, AND I DON'T WANT US TO MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
SO I THINK IN PRACTICE, UM, THE WAY I, SO AUSTIN CODE, UM, NOW UNDER DSD ENFORCES OUR DWELLING UNIT OCCUPANCY LIMIT AND THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE.
SO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DETERMINE WHETHER A VIOLATION EXISTS, UM, THEY WILL WITHOUT THE ZONING OCCUPANCY LIMIT, SO THE UNRELATED NUMBER, THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND CALCULATING HOW MANY ADULTS COULD BE SLEEPING IN THAT ROOM.
SO THAT'S HOW YOU WOULD DETERMINE THE OCCUPANCY LIMIT, UM, FOR THAT PARTICULAR DWELLING.
SO IF YOU HAVE TWO BEDROOMS AND IT WILL FIT THREE ADULTS, THEN YOU COULD HAVE UP TO SIX ADULTS LIVING IN THAT, UM, DWELLING UNDER THE 25,000 205 11 STANDARD.
YOU COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE SIX ADULTS IF THEY ARE ALL RELATED, IF THEY ARE UNRELATED.
THAT IS WHERE WE DO THE LIMITATIONS OF, UM, FOUR IF YOU'RE WITHIN WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE MCMANSION BOUNDARIES.
UM, AND THE PROPERTY WAS CONSTRUCTED AFTER, UH, MARCH OF 2014.
UM, ASIDE FROM THAT, IT'S GENERALLY SIX UNRELATED.
UM, AGAIN, IT, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, AND I'LL ASK SOME QUESTIONS IN THE Q AND A TO GET SOME MORE SPECIFIC KIND OF EXAMPLES.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT SHORT TERM RENTAL LIMITS? IT DOES NOT.
UM, CURRENTLY OUR ONLY LIMITATION ON OCCUPANCY FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS IS THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE.
UM, THEY WERE REMOVED FROM 25, 25 11 IN 20, UH, 1516 TIMEFRAME.
THEY, WE HAD COUNCIL ADOPTED SPECIFIC OCCUPANCY LIMITS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AND THOSE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WERE STRUCK DOWN BY THE COURT OF APPEALS.
SO THIS WON'T, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
SO THIS WOULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THAT'S A QUESTION I'VE BEEN GETTING.
SO THIS WOULDN'T AFFECT THAT BECAUSE THOSE LIMITS WERE ALREADY SHOT DOWN.
THEY WERE, AND THEY WERE ALREADY REMOVED FROM 25,000, 2,511.
SO WE ACTUALLY CREATED, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTAL SPECIFIC, UM, OCCUPANCY LIMITS IN ADDITION TO THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE.
IF WE HAD OCCUPANCY LIMITS, THEY WOULD NOT APPLY, THOUGH.
THEY COULDN'T APPLY TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS THEY WERE APPLYING EQUALLY TO EVERYONE.
WHAT WE APPLY RIGHT NOW IS THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE THAT EVERYONE HAS TO FOLLOW.
MY QUESTION WAS IF, IF WE DECIDED WE HAD REMOVED IT FROM THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS, UM, WE HAVE NOT EXPLORED WHETHER WE COULD HAVE AN OCCUPANCY LIMIT AND HAVE IT APPLIED TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATION AND ANALYSIS ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.
UM, I'M GONNA BE DOING SOME MORE, UM, RESEARCH AND HOPEFULLY I'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THURSDAY.
AND AGAIN, I, I WANNA JUST BE CLEAR, I TRULY UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING CONCERN OF PROVIDING SOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR HOUSING.
BUT I, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT COME FROM THIS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT.
UM, AND I THINK GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE, UM, IN THE FIRST PLACE IS IMPORTANT.
[02:50:01]
HAVE BEEN CONSEQUENCES OF THAT CHANGE AS WELL THAT WE WANNA LOOK AT.UM, BUT, BUT I DO DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT I WANNA THINK THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
MAYBE MS. LINK CAN COME BACK UP.
I WANTED TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE OF 'EM AROUND THE ENFORCEMENT OF OCCUPANCY, UH, LEVELS, HOW'S THAT BEEN WORKING? THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE PIECE, IT'S VERY OBJECTIVE.
STAFF CAN JUST MEASURE A ROOM AND SAY HOW MANY ADULTS ARE HERE.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE 25, 25 11 STANDARD, THEY DO HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT INDIVIDUALS ARE RELATED.
AND WE WILL TAKE INDIVIDUALS AT FACE VALUE WHEN THEY TELL US THAT THEY'RE RELATED.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY INVESTIGATIONS ON OCCUPANCY LEVELS HAVE WE HAD IN THE LAST YEAR? I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK WITH STAFF, BUT I, I, I CAN JUST SAY THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF, UM, THEY CAN BE HARD TO, ESSENTIALLY, WE'D HAVE TO PROVE A NEGATIVE.
WE HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY'RE NOT RELATED.
AND THAT'S, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A VERY BROAD STANDARD OF WHAT RELATED IS IN OUR CODE BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS.
AND, UH, SO IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING.
SO WE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT A SITUATION IN OUR CODE AND IN LAW WHERE WE HAVE SOME RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY, MAYBE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE.
AND THAT MAY BE ONE REASON I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO ARTICULATE WHY WE ARE BRINGING THIS CHANGE, UM, THROUGH THIS I F C, THAT WOULD BE ONE ADVANTAGE.
IF WE HAVE JUST THIS SINGLE OCCUPANCY LIMIT, IT WOULD BE, UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN EVEN MEASURE ON THEIR OWN.
UM, AND THEN TWO, IT'S VERY OBJECTIVE AS OPPOSED TO GETTING INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER INDIVIDUALS ARE RELATED.
SO WE MIGHT BE ON A BETTER, BRIGHTER LINE LEGAL, UH, LANDSCAPE THROUGH THESE CHANGES THAN WE ARE CURRENTLY.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WHAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS IS LAWFUL.
UM, HOWEVER, I'M NOT SURE FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT THAT WE NECESSARILY GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK OUT OF THAT LIMITATION.
SO IT'S THE OPERATIONAL PIECE THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UM, QUITE LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, UM, HAVE STATED EARLIER, I'VE DONE SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH RELATED TO THIS ITEM TOO.
I WANTED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AND SO I'M WONDERING, UM, TRISH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT 25 DASH TWO DASH FIVE DASH 11, UM, DOES THAT INCLUDE OUR FIRE CODE STANDARD IN THAT PART OF THE CODE? UH, NO COUNCIL MEMBER.
THAT IS STRICTLY OUR ZONING OCCUPANCY.
SO IT IS BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT INDIVIDUALS ARE RELATED, OUR PROTECTION FROM A FIRE CODE STANDPOINT OR FROM OUR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, THOSE WOULD STILL BE INTACT.
AND THOSE ARE, UM, IN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE IN REGARDS TO THE FIRE CODE? I'M CURIOUS.
UM, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A LOT OF THIS CONVERSATION HAPPENED WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WAS AROUND, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, HE USED TO BE A FIREFIGHTER.
AND SO I THINK THE FIRE CODE DEFINITELY HAS A ROLE IN WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
UM, I, AS A FOLLOW UP, I CAN DO A RESPONSE FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, AND WE'LL ACTUALLY, UH, CHECK IN WITH DSD AND HAVE THEM ASSIST ME WITH THAT.
IF THAT COULD GO TO ALL OF COUNSEL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS, UM, DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH STAFF TIME THIS, UM, CURRENTLY TAKES OR COULD TAKE, UM, IN ORDER TO ENFORCE OR NOT ENFORCE, I WOULD NEED THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, DSD TO, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
IF YOU COULD JUST INCLUDE THAT, I GUESS IN YOUR, YOUR ANSWERS BACK TO COUNSEL, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
WELL, AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, HAVE ANY STUDIES BEEN DONE TO DETERMINE ANY SORT OF IMPACTS RELATED TO REPEALING THIS ORDINANCE? AND MY QUESTION IS, UM, I'M REALLY CONCERNED, UM, ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, MIGHT MUCH LIKE MY COLLEAGUES WHO WHO'VE SPOKEN ALREADY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION? I APOLOGIZE.
UM, HAVE ANY STUDIES BEEN DONE TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT ON REPEALING THE ORDINANCE? NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF.
UM, I WILL SAY WHEN IT COMES TO 25, 25 11, BECAUSE IT IS A ZONING, UH, REGULATION, WE, UM, ARE REQUIRED TO GIVE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE, WE HAVE TO HANDLE THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF, UM, THE TYPE OF REGULATION
[02:55:01]
THAT IT IS.UM, OUR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, UH, WHICH IS THE 70 SQUARE FEET, OR THE 120 PLUS 50 SQUARE FEET FROM MORE THAN THREE ADULTS, IS A STANDARD THAT WE FOLLOW WHEN WE'VE COUNCIL ADOPTED IT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, AND IT WAS CONSISTENT AND WAS SUPPORTED BY A VARIETY OF OF STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THEN I GUESS ONE LAST QUESTION, SORRY, EVERYBODY, UM, THAT BRINGS UP THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS RELATED TO IF THIS ORDINANCE WERE TO PASS, IF ANY STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT CHANGE OR IF, IF THAT'S EVEN A POSSIBILITY.
SO THE RESOLUTION AS PROPOSED, UH, WOULD DIRECT THE MANAGER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CODE AMENDMENT AS IT GOES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COMES TO COUNCIL.
THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, CHANGING THIS OCCUPANCY LIMIT.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERNS.
UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, THE MANY FOLKS WHO HAVE CALLED AND EMAILED OUR OFFICES AND MIGHT HAVE EMAILED OTHER FOLKS' OFFICES, UH, ON THIS ISSUE.
I I READ EVERY MEAN TWEET AND, AND NICE TWEET.
UH, AND, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, AND I JUST WANNA ALSO REAFFIRM THIS IS JUST THE INITIATION.
THERE'S GONNA BE MULTIPLE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS, UH, TO BE HEARD AS A CODE AMENDMENT WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS EVERYONE HAS, UH, ARE VALID.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, AS IT'S BEEN SAID AND, AND WILL BE SAID, AND I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S GONNA CONTINUE TO ENFORCE THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS IN THE BUILDING CODE.
UH, AND THEY'RE BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE PER PERSON, AND THEY PREVENT HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES RELATED OVERCROWDING.
UH, AND THEN THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT, THAT WE HAVE, UH, ARE ALIGNED WITH FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR OCCUPANCY LIMITS.
SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, EVERYONE'S CONCERNS ARE, ARE RIGHTEOUS AND, AND RIGHT AND VALID.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ARE, WE'RE VERY WELCOME TO, TO, TO HEAR THEM.
UH, BUT WE, WE HOPE TO, UH, TO EXTINGUISH ANY, ANY, ANY CONCERNS ON THURSDAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBERS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP AT THIS WORK SESSION? IT'S BEEN A GOOD THOROUGH WORK SESSION.
THANK YOU ALL WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IT IS 1:07 PM NO ONE EVER THINKS THAT LITTLE HANDS ARE CAPABLE OF MUCH LITTLE, WERE JUST CAPABLE ENOUGH NO'S THE RIVER.