[00:00:03]
AND HE HASN'T ACKNOWLEDGED ME TALKING TO HIM YET AND SEE WHY FACE, BUT WE JUST NEEDED HIM TO ACKNOWLEDGE
AND THEN IF THE VICE CHAIR ON CAPITAL, METRO CAN DO THAT, THEN WE CAN AT LEAST START WITH SPEAKERS SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT A MEETING, THE, THE, UH, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL'S PARTICIPATION MEETING HERE ON THE JOINT MEETING WITH CAPITAL BOARD AT METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS, MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020.
UH, WE HAVE A CORE ON PRESENT AND THIS IS A MEETING BEING HELD, UH, VIRTUALLY SOMEONE WENT TO CONVENIENTLY METRO SIDE.
I DON'T HAVE A SCRIPT, BUT, UM, THIS IS VICE CHAIR OR I'LL CALL THE METRO BOARD IN TO ORDER.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL THE SPEAKERS.
AND THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THE SPEAKERS THAT WE'LL MOVE TO THE, UH, TO THE, TO THE PRESENTATION.
WELL, MEETING WAS CALLED THE ORDER, UH, AND THAT'S ALL THAT'S HAPPENED.
BOTH, BOTH CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY, YOUR VICE CHAIR AND VAIN.
SO I THINK YOU'RE AT THE PLACE TO, TO RECOGNIZE THE, UH, 18 SPEAKERS THAT HAVE CALLED IN BEFORE WE DO THE PROGRAM.
UH, I WAS CHAIR AND MAYOR PRO TEM.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED EVERYBODY, A COUPLE OF LOGISTICAL ITEMS. I KNOW WE'RE ALL PROS AT THIS NOW, EVERYBODY, BUT ME, IT APPEARS LIKE JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE IN OUR MEETING ROOM TODAY, KEEP YOUR MICROPHONE ON YOU UNLESS YOU'RE SPEAKING.
AND THEN REMEMBER TO MUTE YOURSELF AGAIN BEFORE YOU'RE FINISHED.
ALSO, WHEN WE'RE VOTING ON ITEMS THAT WE MAY NEED TO ASK, UH, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ABOUT A DAY OR A DAY, OUR FIRST
[Public Comments ]
ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY, AGAIN, WILL BE A PUBLIC COMMENT.I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND SOME HAVE JOINED US BY PHONE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE LINE, WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
A REMINDER WILL NOT BE TAKING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
TODAY'S MEETING WILL ONLY BE TAKING COMMENTS ON TOPICS THAT ARE POSTED ON OUR AGENDA.
AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER, SORRY, I DON'T HAVE NAMES.
SO ED OR SOMEBODY, PERHAPS YOU CAN HELP.
THE CLERK'S GOING TO CALL ME NAMES.
YOU'RE ON THREE MINUTES, PLEASE.
YEAH, I'M ON, I'M GOING TO START WITH READING FROM THE DRAFT DOCUMENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
I AGREE WITH IT AS IT'S BEING A VERY VALUABLE ADDITION, IT SAYS HERE IS ITS AIM IS TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND BETTER CONNECT PEOPLE.
SO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN THRIVE.
AND I WANT TO KIND OF EMPHASIZE THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I SEE THESE TRANSIT CORRIDORS AS A RESOURCE FOR NOT ONLY TRANSPORTATION, BUT MANY OTHER SUPPORT, MANY OTHER ASPECTS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THIS RESOURCE BE EQUITABLE EQUITABLY AVAILABLE TO ALL INCOME GROUPS, INCLUDING THOSE LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS WHO MAY LIVE CURRENTLY IN THE AREAS OF THESE PROPOSED CORRIDORS, UH, SUCH THAT THEY ARE NOT FORCED
[00:05:01]
TO MOVE AWAY, BUT RATHER CAN BE ACCOMMODATED AS PART OF THE MIXED GROUP OF INCOME, UH, LEVELS, RIGHT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE TRANSIT CORRIDOR.SO YOU GUYS HAVE MENTIONED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS EXACTLY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PERCENT AMI CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE, UH, WHO MAY NOT FIT SOME OF THE HIGHER PERCENT AMI DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEING, UM, AT LEAST PART OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
I'M, I'M ALL FOR MIDDLE INCOME, BUT I'M ALSO FOR THE LOWER INCOME BEING ACCOMMODATED AND HAVING EQUAL ACCESS TO THESE TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
SO IN TERMS OF HOW TO ADDRESS HOW TO ACCOMMODATE THEM, THAT COULD BE WORKING WITH YOUR, UM, YOUR, YOUR WORKING WITH THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS IN TERMS OF NEW HOUSING.
MAYBE IT'S GOING TO BE REMODELING USING SOME OF THE PROJECT CONNECT ONE MONIES TO REMODEL, OLDER HOUSING AS A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE THESE PEOPLE OR ALTERNATIVELY, TO USE THE MONIES FOR MUNICIPAL BUILT LOW PERCENTAGE AM WHY I'M THINKING 30%, BECAUSE I THINK MANY, MANY INDIVIDUALS IN OUR CITY ARE IN THAT CATEGORY.
AND I, I DON'T, I WANT THEM TO SHARE THIS RESOURCE ON MY MIND.
SO I THAT'S ONE POINT, AND PERHAPS YOU NEED TO UP A, SOME FROM A HUNDRED MILLION, PERHAPS IT NEEDS TO BE A BIGGER CHUNK IN ORDER TO GIVE THIS BROAD ACCESS THAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR.
UM, MY SECOND COMMENT IS VERY QUICK.
PROJECT CONNECT GOURD, OR THE VALUE OF IT IS DEPENDENT ON CONNECTOR.
AND I SURELY URGE YOU TO TRY TO MAKE THE CURRENT CAPITAL REMAP SYSTEM MORE EQUITABLE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, JOSEPH REYNOLDS.
YOU'RE BEING ASKED TODAY TO FISCALLY COMMIT TO A FAIRY TALE PROJECT, GO TO THE PROJECT CONNECT WEBSITE AND IT SHOWS AN IMAGINARY CITY WITH IMAGINARY TRANSIT, NOT LIKE AUSTIN AS THE SETTING FOR THE FAIRY TALE, THE FUNDS YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO COMMIT OR NOT IMAGINARY, BUT THE PROJECT IS BASED ON FAIRYTALE COST ESTIMATES NUMBERS FROM MY HANDBOOK, SHOWING SOME AVERAGE COST PER MILE, NO CONSIDERATION FOR HAVING TO CONDEMN RIGHT AWAY OR BUILD BRIDGES OR REPLACE UTILITIES.
THE DETAILS OF ROUTING ARE IMAGINARY.
THE MAP SHOWS ROUTES CROSSING LADY, BIRD LAKE, BUT HOW ON NEW BRIDGES UNDER AN UNDERWATER TUNNEL, THEY'RE DRAWN SEPARATE FROM THE EXISTING BRIDGES, LAMAR AND BURNET CARTER PROJECTS HAVE DONE SOME DESIGN ENGINEERING FOR THOSE THOROUGHFARES, BUT PROJECT CONNECTS CONFLICTS WITH THOSE DESIGNS.
AND THERE WAS NO COORDINATION PROJECT CONNECT, PROPOSES A DOWNTOWN TUNNEL SYSTEM, BUT WITH NO CONSIDERATION, FOR ANY REALITY.
IN SO MANY WORDS, THE JUSTIFICATION GIVEN IS WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD A WALNUT CREEK DRAINAGE TUNNEL SO WE CAN FILL THIS ONE, THE MASSIVE COST OVERRUN AND THE SCHEDULE FOR WALLER CREEK STORM WATER TUNNEL IS JUSTIFICATION.
WHY DIDN'T THEY USE THE MOPAC TUNNEL PROJECT COST AND SCHEDULE? THAT'S JUST AS CAUTIONARY SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THE ALLOWED GRADE FOR THE TUNNEL WERE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED A GRADE COMPLIANT WITH ADA COULD EASILY BE SKETCHED ON A MAP.
AND IT SHOWS THAT A TUNNEL ENDING AT TRINITY AND 13TH STREET WOULD LEAVE A GIANT DITCH, COMPLETELY BLOCKING 12TH STREET AND THUS THE EASTERN ACCESS TO THE CAPITAL, OR IT COULD END AT 12TH STREET AND THEN BLOCK 11TH STREET ON GUADALUPE.
THE SAME ISSUE WOULD BLOCK ACCESS TO THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION OR THE COURTHOUSE.
THE PROJECT DOESN'T SEEM TO ACCOUNT FOR EXISTING UTILITIES, LIKE THE MASSIVE DRAINAGE THAT SERVICES THE CAPPED ON DISCHARGES DOWN AROUND FOURTH STREET.
ALL THE DISRUPTION THAT THE FOURTH STREET LEG WILL HAVE ON THE UTILITIES FOR FROST BANK, A HOTEL, AND A NUMBER OF 20 PLUS THREE APARTMENT BLOCKS.
THE FOURTH STREET CHANNEL WILL ALSO HAVE TO COME.
WE'LL ALSO CONFLICT WITH A MASSIVE STORM WATER PICTURE UNDER DOWNTOWN.
YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND REMEMBER THAT THE HARRY RANSOM LIBRARY WAS BUILT.
THEY WANTED A BASEMENT AND THE CHURCHES ACROSS WATERLOO HAD BASEMENTS.
THEY DIDN'T CHECK WITH THE BUREAU OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE NEWS THAT A SEGMENT OF THE BALCONY'S FAULT RUNS DOWN GUADALUPE AND THE EASTERN WEST SIDES OF THE STREET AND HAVE VERY DIFFERENT GEOLOGY.
FINALLY, PROJECT CONNECT USES FAIRYTALE POPULATION NUMBERS.
[00:10:01]
POLLING TOLD ME USED 4 MILLION, BUT YOUR WATER FORWARD TASKFORCES PROJECTING LIKELY SEVERE DROUGHT LAKE TRAVIS AND COLORADO RIVER BEING INADEQUATE FOR OUR EXISTING POPULATION.THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AQUIFERS.
IF THEY CAN PUMP WATER INTO WHEN IT RAINS AND DRY OUT, WHEN IT DOESN'T AND CLOSING, I'LL ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THAT SOME FAIRY TALES ARE GRIM.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROLYN REYNOLDS.
THIS, THIS IS CAROLINE REYNOLDS.
I LIVE OVER ON 49TH STREET, NEAR SHOAL CREEK AND GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR CAP.
METRO SAYS THIS IS A DESIGN BILL PLAN, BUT IT ONLY HAS SKETCHY DETAILS REGARDING THE TOPOGRAPHY, THE GEOLOGY, THE EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL ISSUES LIKE SPRINGS AND SEEPING WATER.
THE MAPS INDICATE EITHER TUNNELS UNDER THE RIVER OR MORE BRIDGES OVER THE RIVER YET.
GIVEN THE VEHICLE'S SPECIFICATIONS, TUNNELS ARE UNLIKELY UNDER THE RIVER AND PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE GIVEN AUSTIN STUFF OUT, GRUFFY AND GEOLOGY.
I SPENT MY ENGINEERING CAREER WRITING PROPOSALS AND PERFORMING PROJECTS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET SINCE 1978.
I'VE I'M WONDERING WHY KEPT METRO DISTRIBUTORS SUCH A SKETCHY CONFUSION, CONFUSING DESCRIPTION, AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE TUNNELS AND THE BATCAVE.
I FEEL LIKE KEPT METRO STAFF IS CONFUSED AND HASN'T LOOKED AT INFORMATION THAT'S READILY AVAILABLE FROM THE OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, THE MOPAC TUNNEL THROUGH THE INVISIBLE LIMESTONE, THE CHILLED WATER TUNNEL PROJECT AND THE WALLER TUNNEL PROJECT.
BOTH OF THE WATER TUNNEL PROJECTS WENT MORE THAN SIX TIMES OVER BUDGET AND TOOK NEARLY A DECADE, NOT A COUPLE OF YEARS TO COMPLETE.
AND YET NEITHER WAS AS LARGE AND COMPLEX AS WHAT CAP METRO IS PROPOSING HERE.
THE EXCAVATION OF THE TUNNELS AND THE BATCAVE WILL DISRUPT TRINITY AND GUADELOUPE AND FOURTH STREET FOR UP TO 10 YEARS AND NOT, NOT DIGGING THE HOLE, BUT HAVING TRUCKS DRIVING AROUND DOWNTOWN 24, SEVEN FULL OF DIRT, HANDING SUCH A SKETCHY PICTURE TO ENGINEERING FIRMS TO SOLIDIFY AND FILL OUT IS AN INVITATION FOR THE ENGINEERING FIRMS TO ABDUL AND GEWGAWS AND SPEND YOUR TAX MONEY ON ADD ITEMS AND CHANGE ORDERS AND COST OVERRUNS.
AND I HAVE A FRIEND HERE IN TOWN.
WHO'S A RETIRED CITY ENGINEER, HIS ESTIMATE, SO THAT REALISTICALLY, THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE $15 BILLION WITH GOOD PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TY SPECIFICATIONS.
I'M WONDERING IS CAT METRO TRYING TO CONFUSE ME THE TAXPAYER.
SO SHAME ON CAP METRO WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC AND WE DON'T HAVE FUNDS TO DO THIS SORT OF THING.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AN OPIATE JOSEPH, THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS.
MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE 47 OF THE BACKUP MATERIALS AS IT RELEASED TO THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE BETTER CONNECTS PEOPLE.
SO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN THRIVE.
I WANT TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION.
YOU ELIMINATED NORTHEAST WEST CONNECTIVITY.
IT TAKES THREE TO FOUR HOURS DURING THE PANDEMIC TO GET TO THE ARBORETUM, THE $100 MILLION THAT YOU HAVE ALLOCATED, OR YOU HAVE FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER FOR FYI 20, 20, 20, 21 COULD BE USED TO RESTORE THESE ROUTES IMMEDIATELY.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO ST.
AND SO YOU COULD USE $945, $45,000.
EXCUSE ME TO GET INDIVIDUALS THERE.
I WANT TO SPEAK TO, UM, MAYOR ADLER'S JULY 13TH, COMMENT ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS RAY RANDY'S RACIST, REGIONAL REMAP.
[00:15:01]
OF THE THINGS THAT'S PROBLEMATIC IS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY SAYING ON PAGE 21, ABOUT THE ORANGE LINE EXTENSION NORTH, THAT YOU WANT TO IMPROVE OF A PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AND BRIDGES AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.AND WHILE THAT SOUNDS NICE, DECEMBER 17TH, 2018, YOUR PLAN ACTUALLY START ITSELF OF NORTH LAMAR, AND IT HAS NO TIMELINE SPECIFICALLY ON PAGE 23, AS IT RELATES TO TEXT DOTS RIGHT AWAY, IT SAYS THE INITIAL INVESTMENT SYSTEM SEQUENCE PLAN WOULD BE REDUCED DOWN TO EIGHT TO NINE YEARS.
BUT ON MARCH 9TH, IT WAS 24 TO 30 YEARS.
I BELIEVE THE MARCH 9TH SLIDE BECAUSE IN 2012, THE VOTERS APPROVED A BOND FOR NORTH LAMAR CORRIDOR AND BURNET ROAD.
AND THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS PLACED ON NORTH LAMAR.
AND SO ON MAY 2ND, 2019, DAVID JOHN MCDONNELL WAS KILLED MID-BLOCK.
AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND AT FAIRFIELD STATION THAT THERE STILL IS NOT A SAFE CROSSING THERE.
SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING IS COMING OUR WAY.
I'VE ASKED YOU TO TAKE THE PROPAGANDA OFF A KCI 88.7 FM, THE BLACK RADIO STATION THAT SAYS THAT THESE FREQUENT BUSES ARE COMING RESPECTFULLY.
CRAIG WOODS IS WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVE.
THAT'S THE ONLY LOCATION ALONG WITH CALLING ME PARK, WHERE THE BUSES RUN EVERY 60 MINUTES, YOU HAVE BURIED YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND AND YOU VOTED TO APPROVE THESE, THIS RESOLUTION.
THE DAY AFTER GEORGE FLOYD WAS BURIED, YOU JUST DIDN'T SKIP A BEAT.
AND SO I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE NORTH OF US, ONE 83, WE WILL NOT BENEFIT AS IT RELATES TO THE BLUE LINE, RIVERSIDE DEVELOPMENT.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT DEFERRED A PROJECT BECAUSE THE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS CALLED INNOVATIVE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE 120% OF THE AREA, MEDIAN, FAMILY INCOME, AND 140%, THAT'S 80 AND $90,000.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD JUST ASK YOU, LASTLY, JANUARY 28, 2019, WHEN YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT WERE JUST DISADVANTAGED BY CAP REMAP TO PLEASE JUST GO AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. ANTHONY WALKER.
YOU'RE A Y'ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
FIRST ONE, IT DID RESONATE, UH, ELECTED COUNTY JUDGE, UH, NAPROXEN, DELLA, CARVER, WHOM IN MY OPINION IS AN ALPHA FEMALE, WHICH IS A LEADER.
MY LEADER AND I HAD ALREADY HAD TOLD HER TO PUT A NAME ON A BALLOT THAT SHE WAS GONNA WIN.
WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE IT'S STILL LIKE THE DAY I GET TO TALK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE, THE BOARD, THAT WAY EVERYBODY GETS THE PAIN.
SO RESTASIS OVER CLASS, THAT SESSION, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THERE WAS A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING.
SO I WANT TO TALK TO Y'ALL TODAY.
TIME IS REALLY WHAT DICTATES THE AGENDA.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS, YOU MIGHT BE DOING THE RIGHT THING AT THE WRONG TIME AND NOT GET THE RIGHT.
SO WHAT TIME IS LATIN AMERICA TIME, BUT FINANCIAL AND HARDSHIP TIME THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING I'M FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
BUT WHAT I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO PUT IT ON PAUSE, BUT TO BREAK THE 2022, WHEN I THINK YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF PASSING, I THINK MORE LIKELY THE REAL PATH FOR TWITTER RIGHT NOW, WHEN PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING, HAVING A HARD TIME MAKING HIS LEAP.
IF YOU GOING TO STAND ON THEIR BACK, THAT'S AN EMBARRASS UP.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY FOR SOME OF THE FIGURES OUT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL SHOULD THINK TWICE ABOUT GOING DOWN.
YOU'RE HOPING THEY PAY YOU OUT FOR SURE.
SO THE COMPANY IS JUST NOT THERE.
SO I KNOW SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE.
YOU GOT TO DO THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO.
I WORKED, Y'ALL JUST, Y'ALL WALKED HERE.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN UNTIL YOU COME QUICK.
I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS PROJECT WILL PROBABLY PAY IT.
BUT IN 2020, RIGHT NOW, WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH, I PICKED OUT, I WENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN 2014.
I STARTED GOING BACK AND LOOK AT THAT DATE.
I TOLD THEM AT THAT TIME, BUT NOT PUT ON THE REFERENDUM BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO PAY IT, BUT THEY DID IT ANYWAY.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU WITH THE MOTHERS THAT THEY WORKED FOR, THE REAL MAN THAT WAS ABOUT PAYBACK AND REBATE, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT THEY GOT MAD BECAUSE OF THE NOT PRODUCING WHAT HE WAS DOING US TO DO.
SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT.
AND I TOLD HIM THAT I'M WANT TELL YOU TODAY.
IF YOU PUT THAT ON THE BALLOT IN 20, 20, 20, 22, IT WILL PASS.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
IT'S A BUSINESS DECISION THAT NOT A PERSON.
PAUL COMPLETE, GET UP, GET RID OF IT FOR TWO YEARS.
I GUARANTEE YOU I'M COMFORTABLE THAT IN THE PAST, RIGHT
[00:20:01]
NOW YOU CAN HAVE A LOT OF OPPOSITION ON THIS THING, RIGHT? YEAH.SO RIGHT NOW LET'S JUST DO IT AND JUST WAIT, LET'S GET IT THROUGH THE RIGHT WAY YOU GO DO IT RIGHT.
OR YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT AT ALL.
SO IN THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY PAID ON PAUL RIGHT NOW, SO WE CAN GET MORE SUPPORT, MORE FOOT WORK AND PEOPLE WOULD BE WORKING.
AND I THINK THE BEST OPPORTUNITY IS 2022 OFF OF HAVING MY CALL.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS HAYDEN WALKER.
HELLO? THIS IS HAYDEN BLACK WALKER.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY QUICKLY THAT I SERVED AS A CITIZEN ON THE PEKIN AND THE
SO I'VE WATCHED THIS PLAN, UM, EVOLVE OVER TIME.
I'VE SEEN GREAT QUESTIONS, ASKED AND RESEARCH DONE.
AND I ACTUALLY THINK THE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN IS VERY GOOD.
UM, I SEE LOTS OF NATIONAL DATA ACTUALLY COMING OUT SHOWING THAT MANY OF OUR CENTRAL WORKERS RELY ON TRANSIT AS A LIFELINE TO GET TO THEIR JOBS.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO, UM, IMPROVE TRANSIT IN AUSTIN SO WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, SERVICES FOR THOSE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
UM, I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BUILD A FUTURE TRANSIT SYSTEM WE NEED.
UM, BACK WHEN I WAS COMMUTING DOWNTOWN, BEFORE I STARTED WORKING FROM HOME, I WAS WRITING THE 803 DAILY.
UH, AND I DEFINITELY SUPPORT, UH, MORE OF THAT KIND OF TRANSIT.
I'M A PROPONENT OF A SAFER MILWAUKEE, BOSTON WALKING AND ROLLING TRIPS, CONNECT PEOPLE TO TRANSIT, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT OUR ADA COMPLIANT, SIDEWALKS, BICYCLE LANES, URBAN TRAILS, UM, AND THEY'RE CONNECTED NETWORKS THAT SUPPORT TRANSIT.
UM, I THINK IT'S EXCITING THAT THIS IS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT THE ADA, AND IT SEEMS LIKE A REALLY GOOD TIME TO BE SUPPORTING, BUILDING MORE TRANSIT AS WELL AS SAFE STREETS FOR ALL.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE BOTH FOR HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT AND I'M ALSO HIGH CAPACITY, HIGH QUALITY, NOT HIGH CAPACITY, SORRY, HIGH QUALITY CONNECTED, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS THAT WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO HELP US REACH THE GOAL.
SO THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS BASS GOGGIN.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP WITH TEXTBOOK FOR SHORT.
AND I LIVE ALSO ON SHOAL CREEK, BUT AT 39TH AND A HALF.
AND I'M HERE TO GIVE A FULL THROATED ENDORSEMENT FOR ALL OF TEXPERS MEMBERS, MYSELF AS A CITIZEN AND STUDENTS FOR TRANSIT, ALL SUPPORTIVE OF PROJECT CONNECT.
I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE BECAUSE MAKING A MISTAKE PROJECT CONNECT IS AN EFFORT TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER.
THE PROBLEMS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS THAT TRANSPORTATION IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN OUR CITY, IN OUR STATE AND IN OUR NATION.
AND THAT'S PRECISELY BECAUSE OUR CITY AND STATE IS CAR DEPENDENT.
EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE THEIR OWN CAR TO GET AROUND.
IF WE GAVE PEOPLE MORE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, WE COULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT WE OURSELVES ARE CAUSING FURTHER MOBILE SOURCE EMISSIONS CONTRIBUTE TO DIRTY AIR IN OUR CITY, WHICH EXACERBATES PROBLEMS LIKE ASTHMA FOR KIDS IN SCHOOL AND LUNG CANCER AND OTHER RESPIRATORY ISSUES AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED HEALTHY AIR AND CLEAN AIR TO BE BREATHING THIRD IT'S CONGESTED RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S I DON'T THE DISRUPTION THAT PEOPLE ARE ARE SPEAKING TO IS, IS THERE'S NOTHING TO DISRUPT.
IT'S ALL PACKED IN ANYBODY WHO'S TRIED TO GET ACROSS THE RIVER.
UM, DOWNTOWN ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL TELL YOU THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO, THERE'S NOTHING TO DISRUPT RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S THERE'S BARELY ANY MOVEMENT.
FINALLY, OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AS HAYDEN MENTIONED, THEY NEED MORE OPTIONS TO GET AROUND TOWN.
THE AVERAGE COST OF CAR OWNERSHIP IN OUR CITY IS 12 AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIAL WORKERS WITH MEDIAN INCOMES RANGING FROM 30 TO 50, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CAR OWNERSHIP COSTS ALONE RANGES FROM 40 TO 60% OF PEOPLE'S BUDGETS.
IT'S CLEAN, IT'S GREEN AND IT HELPS MOVE OUR CENTRAL WORKERS AROUND TOWN.
LASTLY, THE COST ISN'T PROHIBITIVE, OTHER CITIES LIKE LOS ANGELES, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, JUST INVESTED MORE THAN $150 BILLION IN THIS.
WE HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THIS RIGHT.
THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE A CHANCE TO INVEST IN US IN A GENERATIONAL TRANSFORMATION OF TRANSIT
[00:25:01]
THAT WILL CHANGE THE FACE OF OUR CITY AND GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS TO GET AROUND TOWN, TO GO DOWNTOWN AND TO ENJOY OUR GREAT CITY.AND THE LAST THING I NEED TO SAY IS CAB METRO AND THE CITY BOTH HAVE DONE IN HISTORIC JOBS AT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
IN ALL MY TIMES, ORGANIZING, I HAVE NEVER SEEN AS MANY PEOPLE, AS MANY EVENTS AS THEY HAVE PUT ON.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE SPOKEN TO MORE THAN 50,000.
AUSTINITES ABOUT THIS, AND THAT IS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING.
THE PLANNING FOR THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB WORKING WITH BOTH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND TRANSIT ADVOCATES LIKE MYSELF.
SO FOR MYSELF, FROM STUDENTS, FOR TRANSIT, FROM TEXT BERG, I URGE YOU ALL TO GO BIG ON THIS PROJECT.
MR. SCOGGINS SPEAKER IS DAVID SULLIVAN, MR. SULLIVAN.
HI, UH, MY, MY NAME IS DAVE SULLIVAN.
I'VE SERVED ON CITY BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, TASK FORCES, AND A FEW NONPROFIT BOARDS OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK AND THE TRANSIT FOR ALLIANCE.
UH, THE TRANSIT FOR AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
I'M A VERY PRIVILEGED PERSON BORN IN THE RIGHT ZIP CODE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
I'VE ALSO BEEN A MASS TRANSIT USER SINCE I WAS A SMALL CHILD, AS MY MOM DID NOT DRIVE AND SHE WOULD TAKE US DOWNTOWN AND BACK ON THE BUS.
I WROTE MASS TRANSIT IN COLLEGE IN BOSTON.
AND LATER WHEN I CAME TO GRAD SCHOOL IN AUSTIN USING SHUTTLE BUSES IN THE EARLY 1980S, AND THEN FROM 1994, UNTIL THE PRESENT COMMUTING FROM MY CENTRAL AUSTIN HOME TO MY WORKPLACE IN NORTH AUSTIN, MY WIFE AND I SHARE ONE CAR AND NOT HAVE SAVED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER THE PAST YEARS AS BASE GOGGINS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE COST OF OWNING A CAR CAN BE MORE THAN 10,000 A YEAR.
WELL, IF WE SAY $5,000 A YEAR FOR THE LAST QUARTER CENTURY, THAT'S OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WE'VE SAVED, BUT JUST BY BEING A ONE CAR FAMILY, I AM A RIDER BY CHOICE, BUT MANY LIKELY, MOST OF MY FELLOW BUS RIDING COMPANIONS HAVE MORE OF A NEED TO USE THIS LOWER COST FORM OF TRANSPORTATION.
I SUPPORT PROJECT CONNECT, NOT FOR MY OWN SAKE, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FOLKS WHO NEED TO LOWER EXPENSES TO GET BY IN OUR INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE CENTRAL TEXAS REGION AND WHO COULD SAVE MONEY BY USING MASS TRANSIT, MAYBE NOT EVERY DAY, BUT WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT.
UM, ANOTHER POINT IS THAT THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT EXPANDING TRANSIT CAN MAKE AREAS AROUND NEW STATIONS, MORE VALUABLE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO HIGHER RENTS, THE PROPERTY TAXES AND DUSTED DISPLACEMENT TO SOME RESIDENTS.
PROJECT CONNECT PLAN INCLUDES RESOURCES TO SLOW DOWN DISPLACEMENT.
AND THE MAYOR I HEARD LAST WEEK SUGGESTS DOUBLING THE AMOUNT THAT IS RIGHT NOW ALLOCATED.
I BELIEVE THAT BY EXTENDING RAIL AND BUS SERVICE AROUND THE CITY AND PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEAR STATIONS, PROJECT CONNECT WILL HELP MAKE AUSTIN A MORE AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
AND LASTLY, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THIS BALLOT ITEM DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I BELIEVE WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT AMERICA WAS IN A MUCH DEEPER HOLE AFTER THE TERRIBLE RESULTS OF THE 1918 FLU PANDEMIC, BUT CAME BACK WITH THE ROARING TWENTIES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, SCOTT DUQUETTE, MR. DUKETTE.
I LIVE AT 11 FIVE OH ONE CENTURY PARIS IN AUSTIN.
WELL OVER 20 YEARS, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE PAST BOATS ON THE PHONE.
THIS MR. SKIDMORE, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO SPEAK UP OR GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
YOU'RE STARTING TO GET MUFFLED.
UM, I HAD BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND THROUGH THE OTHER VOTES ON THIS ISSUE, I'VE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THEM.
I FELT MOSTLY THAT THE MONEY WOULD BE BETTER SPENT ON ADDRESSING ALL OF THE ROADWAY NEEDS THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME THAT RON FOUNDED AND STILL HAD MANY OF THEM FOR AND DIRECT CONNECTS AND MANAGE LANES.
I THINK IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF TEXT DON AND JEREMY AND CAMPO AND OTHERS, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON SOME OF THOSE LEADS.
AND WE'VE DONE TO THE POINT WHERE IF WE WERE GOING TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON ROADS AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH MORE POST TO PUT A LOT OF THEM.
[00:30:01]
I THINK WE'RE READY FOR THIS PROPOSAL.THERE'S ALWAYS PROJECTS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO COST TOO MUCH.
IF THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE RISKS, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE HUGE DISRUPTION FOR CONSTRUCTION.
THERE'S ALWAYS LOTS OF REASONS NOT TO DO THINGS, BUT THERE'LL NEVER BE A BETTER TIME AND NEVER BE A CHEAPER TIME TO DO IT.
THEN RIGHT NOW, I HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW AUSTIN IS GOING TO DOUBLE IN 20 TO 25 YEARS, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
WELL, THIS KIND OF PLAN IS ACTUALLY MORE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS SOMETHING FOR THE A HUNDRED YEAR VISION.
AND, UH, I, I THINK IT'S TIME AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE, AFTER YOU PUT THIS IN PLACE.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR, COOPER MEMBERS WITH THE BOARD OF CAPITAL METRO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE CIVIL ENGINEER, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF VISIBILITY, OUR CITY'S TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.
I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND I GUESS ON MY SON, PETER, TO EXPRESS OUR STRONG SUPPORT FOR PROJECT CONNECT, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WAS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE LAW, THE ADA AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE AMAZING ADVOCATES FROM ADAPTS IN FRONT OF CITY HALL AND COMMEMORATION OF THAT MOMENTOUS STAY CAPITAL.
METRO HAS LONG BEEN A LEADER IN ACCESS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING THE FIRST FULLY ACCESSIBLE BUS FLEET IN THE NATION.
FREQUENT BOSTON, COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ARE KEYS TO ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY FOR EVERY GREAT CITY.
THIS ACCESSIBILITY IS NOT JUST PHYSICAL, BUT ALSO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
AS MUCH AS I LOVE OUR CITY, THE LACK OF MEANINGFUL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR SO MANY OF US HAS HELD US BACK FOR FAR TOO LONG.
HERE IN 2020, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THE TRANSFORMATION TO A TRULY MULTIMODAL CITY AND REGION THE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN.
AND THE INITIAL INVESTMENT SCENARIO IS A PRACTICAL AND PRUDENT START TO THIS JOURNEY, LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW AT AGE 35.
AND I SEE CONGESTION BUILDING ADMIT AFTERNOON ON A MONDAY DURING A PANDEMIC IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ROADWAY ONLY SOLUTIONS IN THE CITY WILL NEVER SOLVE CONGESTION MEANINGFULLY AND COLLECTIVE MOBILITY AND CONTRAST PROJECT CONNECT WILL BE A KEY PART OF IMPROVING EVERYONE'S STABILITY THROUGH CITY, NOT SIMPLY TRANSIT USERS BENEFIT FROM IMPROVE CONNECTIONS AND FACILITIES, AND FINALLY A MOTORIST WHO WILL BENEFIT AS WELL.
IF SAY FREE SPACE ON THE ROADWAY SYSTEM, WHICH EACH PERSON WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MAKE THAT MUCH SHIFT.
WE WILL LOOK BACK AT 2020 AND RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BEGIN THIS INVESTMENT JUST AS DURING THE NEW DEAL, WITH THE RIGHT TIME TO INVEST IN THE MANSFIELD AND TOM MILLER DAM, WHICH MADE THE AUSTIN.
WE KNOW TODAY POSSIBLE PROJECT CONNECT.
WE'LL DEFINE AUSTIN IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE AND I CHERISH YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GREG ANDERSON.
GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I DO WANT TO START OFF BY RECOGNIZING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
IT IS PRETTY AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT, TO SPEAK POSITIVELY ABOUT, UM, QUICK CONFESSION.
THE LAST TIME I DID NOT VOTE WAS THE YEAR 2000.
I WAS A 19 OR 20 YEAR OLD LIVING IN SOUTH AUSTIN, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO PASS THIS TERRIFIC RAIL LINE.
AND IT JUST BLEW MY MIND THAT WE DIDN'T.
AND HERE WE ARE, WE'RE BEHIND, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW.
AUSTIN HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY CATCH UP AND MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.
UM, THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US THE PREMIUM SERVICE THAT AUSTIN DESERVES AND WE CAN TRAVEL THE WORLD AND AMERICAN CITIES AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
THERE'S JUST GREAT SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED, AND THIS IS GOING TO GET US THERE.
THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW YOUR RIDERSHIP TO JUST SKYROCKET TO THE TUNNEL.
JUST THIS PLAN IS JUST TERRIFIC.
AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO REMEMBER THE TRUE COST OF HOUSING IT'S HOUSING PLUS TRANSPORTATION, PLUS UTILITIES, GIVING MORE PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO LIVE WITHOUT A CAR, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE OR TO SAVE MONEY, OR BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO DRIVE A CAR.
GLOBAL WARMING IS GOING TO BE WORSE THAN COVID SO MANY TIMES WORSE.
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A VACCINE.
THAT'S GOING TO SHOW UP AND GET US OUT OF GLOBAL WARMING.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND A GOOD CHANCE OF THE REASON A LOT OF YOU SERVE THE POSITIONS YOU'RE SERVING IN.
CAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE REAL IMPACTS ON THE FUTURE.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY YOU'RE EVER GOING TO HAVE WITH THE ONE MINOR EXCEPTION MAYBE OF LAND USE REFORM, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION IS HERE.
SO THOSE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS.
[00:35:01]
FOR GIVING US ONE MORE AMAZING THING TO VOTE ON.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOSH LEVINE.
YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, ACTUALLY ON THE CALL.
THE NEXT SPEAKER THAT'S ACTUALLY ON THE CALL IS OSHA BUDDHA POO POO APOLOGIZING.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, VERY, UM, UM, I HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, OR WHAT 23 YEARS, UH, STARTED MY CAREER AS WORKING IN CITY OF BOSTON AS A CONSULTANT AND SERVING ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, I'VE SEEN A DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE TRAFFIC AND I AM SUPPORTING A PROJECT CONNECT BECAUSE I SEE THE FRUSTRATION OF THIS, UM, TRAFFIC.
AND WHENEVER I, I DO A LOT OF COMING TO, UM, AUSTIN DOWNTOWN.
UM, I SEE SO MUCH TIME LIKE HOURS AND HOURS OF TIME, AND THE TIME HAS COME OFF THE 23 YEARS AND OFTEN LAGS BEHIND OTHER METROPOLITAN AREAS OF SIMILAR SIZE.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND COVID-19 HAS A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON TAPPING METRO'S INCOME AND NOT ONLY CAPTURE METRO, BUT MOST CITIZENS ARE WITNESSING SIMILAR STRUGGLES WITH INCOME.
I FEEL LIKE A RIGHT SIZE APPROACH TO TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS AT THIS TIME IS BOTH PRUDENT AND EXPECTED AT THIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY.
MY FACING AT THIS TIME IS CRITICAL DOWNSIZING.
THE SCOPE OF THIS INITIATIVE MAKE SOME SENSE BECAUSE I STILL READ THE CALLING ON PROJECT CONNECT WEBSITE THAT STATES IT WILL BE TIME TO ADDRESS OTHER CHALLENGES OUT CITY FACES SUCH AS TRANSIT AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
THE PROJECT CONNECT HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN SOLIDIFYING THE COMMUNITY, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE THAT GOODWILL AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN FACT SOMEWHAT SCARED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST TO FOCUSING ON BASTILLE TECHNOLOGY AND PART AND DRIVE MAYBE A GOOD IDEA AT THIS TIME, THE RAIN ROUTES HAVE BEEN EVALUATED IN LIGHT OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES AND STAYING POSITIVE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AS A, AS, UM, A PERSON LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 23 YEARS, I WANT TO SUPPORT MY CITY, MY BEAUTIFUL CITY TO BE IN GOOD TIMES AS LESS, NOT SO GOOD TIMES.
AND BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR, BEING A VISIONARY, LOOKING AT THE 2040 VISION, AUSTIN HAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PROJECT CONNECT, LOOKING AT THE VERY FORTUNATE DURING THIS COVID-19 TIME, WE ARE HEARING A POSITIVE NEWS OF GOOD NEWS THAT TESLA HAS COMING IN AND WE'RE EXPECTING 15,000 JOBS.
AND THIS PROJECT CONNECT IS GOING TO GET US ANOTHER 9,500 SHOPS.
SO OVERALL THEY'RE EXPECTING 25 TO 30,000 JOBS.
WE THOUGHT HAVING AN INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, I DON'T THINK THIS IS POSSIBLE AND WE WILL BE FACING MORE AND MORE CHALLENGES AND, UM, FRUSTRATION, CHALLENGES AND CLASHES.
AND RECENTLY I HAD A NEW NEIGHBOR MOVING TO MY NEXT DOOR.
I WAS EXPECTING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CALL ME FOR A HOUSEWARMING, BUT I HAVE TO GO SEE THE 16 YEAR OLD SR FOR A HANDSOME BOY ON THEIR DEATH MEMORIAL, WHICH WAS SAD.
AND I FEEL LIKE THEY WANT TO SAVE THE LIGHTS OF A FUTURE GENERATION.
AND THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR FUTURE OF AUSTIN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN AND I'M LIKELY TO MISPRONOUNCE THIS STUFF.
I'M A PROPONENT OF PROJECT CONNECT, UM, BECAUSE AUSTIN IS OUR TRAFFIC'S NOTORIOUS.
THIS GOES TO HAVING, UM, MORE CONSISTENTLY BAD AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINING THE MOST MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS.
UM, AND WITH THAT COMES TONS OF CARBON EMISSIONS AND TOXIC POLLUTANTS FROM THE THOUSANDS OF CARS DRIVING THE ROADS EVERY DAY, THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING BECOME INCREASINGLY APPARENT HIM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS WHERE THE COAST AND THE POP CLIMATE AND THE SITUATION WILL ONLY LOOSEN IF THE POPULATION ON COST INCREASES.
AND THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO THE EMISSIONS,
[00:40:01]
GIVEN A TERRIBLE STATE OF POLLUTION, ANY PROPOSITIONS TO MEDIA, OUR SYSTEM SHOULD REALLY BE WELCOMED BY, UM, OUR CITIZENS AND PROJECT CONNECT OFFERS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO START TAKING PREPARATIONS FOR THE FUTURE MORE SERIOUSLY.AND THAT MEANS INVESTING IN CONVENIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, THAT DOESN'T CONTAMINATE OUR DANGER, OUR CITIZENS, UM, LIGHT RAIL AND BUSES FOR PEOPLE TO COMMUTE, TO WORK AND SCHOOL WITHOUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ON OUR STREETS.
UM, IT ALSO REALLY WAS SAVING MONEY TO INVEST IN CAR MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLES AND, UH, FUEL, UH, CARBON EMISSIONS FROM MOTOR VEHICLES WOULD BE GREATLY REDUCED AND NEW MODE TRANSPORT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE FROM SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF ENERGY RATHER THAN JUST GUZZLING FOSSIL FUELS.
UM, IF WE WANT AUSTIN TO CONTINUE BEING PRIVATES MOTIVATION, TRANSFORMING NUMBERS, TRANSPORTATION, AND REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT MUST BE AMONG OUR TOP PRIORITIES.
THANK YOU, MR. DAVID KING IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
BOARD AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DATA PRODUCED BY THE CITY'S INNOVATION OFFICE SHOWED THAT ALMOST 233,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN AUSTIN ARE AT SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INVOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT, THOUSANDS OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES, HUNDREDS OF SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES AND NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR LOCATED ON OR ADJACENT TO TRANSIT CORRIDOR IN PROJECT CONNECT ARE AT SERIOUS RISK OF INVOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS PUSHED IN EVEN CLOSER TO THE BRINK OF DISPLACEMENT AND HOMELESSNESS IN VOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IS IMMORAL AND RACIST.
WILL PROJECT CONNECT, GENTRIFY THEIR COMMUNITIES AND FORCE THEM OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES, OR WILL IT HELP SUSTAIN, STRENGTHEN AND EMPOWER THEM TO PROPOSE $100 MILLION FOR TRANSIT RELATED DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.
MITIGATING DISPLACEMENT DOES NOT PREVENT DISPLACEMENT.
MITIGATION IS DEFINED AS THE ACTION OF REDUCING THE SERIOUSNESS OR PAINFULNESS OF SOMETHING.
PREVENTION IS DEFINED AS STOPPING SOMETHING FROM HAPPENING.
WE NEED BOTH DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION FUNDING AND PROJECT CONNECT.
DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED TO HELP SUSTAIN LOW INCOME FAMILIES, SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
PLEASE INCLUDE AT LEAST $225 MILLION IN PROJECT CONNECT BOND PROPOSAL DESIGNATED SOLELY FOR DISPLACEMENT PREVISION PREVENTION, CASH ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND SMALL LITTLE LOCAL BUSINESSES LOCATED ON OR ADJACENT TO TRANSIT CORRIDORS IN PROJECT CONNECT.
PLEASE EXPLICITLY PROHIBIT THE USE OF ANY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION FUND FOR MIXED USE MARKET RATE DEVELOPMENT.
AMPLE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THESE DEVELOPMENTS PRODUCE VERY FEW HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE TO FAMILIES EARNING AT OR BELOW 60% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, EVEN AS THEY FACILITATE INVOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES, PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL TRANSIT RELATED DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION PROGRAMS UTILIZE MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE EQUITABLE TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES OF COLOR IN AUSTIN.
THE MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME FOR BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES IN AUSTIN IS ABOUT $45,000, WHICH IS LESS THAN HALF OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR AUSTIN.
THEY FAMILY EARNING FIFTY THOUSAND FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY DOLLARS ANNUALLY COULD QUALIFY FOR AN INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING PROGRAM BASED ON 60% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, BUT EVEN 60% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME IS STILL OVER $12,500 ABOVE THE MEDIAN INCOME FOR BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES.
THAT MEANS THAT THE LOW INCOME BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES ARE SYSTEMATICALLY DISADVANTAGED WHEN APPLYING FOR SUBSIDIZED HOUSING AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BASED ON MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME LEVELS ABOVE 50%, THEREFORE AT LEAST 90% OF THE BOND FUNDING FOR DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO PROGRAMS THAT SERVE LOW INCOME FAMILIES ON AN APP OR BELOW 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR SERVICE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SCOTT MORRIS MORRIS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, MAYOR ADLER COUNCIL AND BOARD MEMBERS.
THIS IS SCOTT MORRIS WITH THE CENTRAL AUSTIN CDC AND THE AUSTIN COALITION FOR TRANSIT.
THIS IS AN EXCITING AND UNIQUELY CHALLENGING MOMENT IN OUR SISTER CITY'S HISTORY WITH A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO CLAIM A POSITIVE OUTCOME AND A SECURE A FUTURE OF MOBILITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AUSTIN HAS A STRONG PLAN, AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, READY TO PROVIDE JOBS.
A PROJECT CREATED BY ITS WONDERFUL PEOPLE, DEFINED WITH THE STRONGEST OF PURPOSE
[00:45:01]
AND INTENT INTELLIGENTLY ALIGNED WITH ITS VALUES.THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM WILL CONNECT PEOPLE TO EACH OTHER AND TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
IT WILL RESTORE THE USABILITY OF THIS CITY FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO RIDE IT.
AND EVEN FOR THOSE WHO DON'T PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WILL HAVE A WAY TO MOVE ACROSS AUSTIN AGAIN, TO WORK, EAT, AND PLAY WITHOUT FIGHTING TRAFFIC.
THE AUSTIN COALITION FOR TRANSIT IS PLEASED TO OFFER ITS ENTHUSIASTIC ENDORSEMENT FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT INITIAL INVESTMENT SCENARIO PRESENTED ON JULY 22ND ACT SUPPORTS A TAX RATE ELECTION BALLOT MEASURE THIS NOVEMBER, AUTHORIZING THE BUILD OUT OF THE INITIAL INVESTMENT SCENARIO, SATISFYING THE TEXAS STATUTES ON RAIL ELECTIONS AND CREATING THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ACT SUPPORTS THE CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT IN TRANSIT ORIENTED DISTRICTS, ACT PLEDGES TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS BALLOT MEASURE AND TO SERVE AS A PUBLIC RESOURCE FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
IN THE YEARS AHEAD, WE RECOMMEND THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS INCLUDE DIRECTION ON PHASING TO ENSURE THAT AN INITIAL MINIMUM OPERABLE SEGMENT INCLUDE THE HIGHEST PERFORMING SPINE OF THE SYSTEM AND THAT THIS NOT BE DEFERRED FOR LIONS QUICKER OR EASIER TO BUILD.
LET'S ALSO MAINTAIN THE FOCUS NEEDED TO PASS A COMPLEX TRANSIT REFERENDUM IN NOVEMBER AND AVOID COMBINING IT WITH OTHER PROJECTS.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS PROJECT DELIVERY AND NOT POLICYMAKING.
WE FEEL THERE SHOULD BE NO ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE ATP BOARD.
WE NEED TO PROFESSIONALIZE AND DE POLITICIZE THAT BODY FINALLY LIGHT RAIL OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS TO BE DECENTRALIZED.
A MULTISITE MULTI-USE APPROACH ENSURES EQUITY OFFERS THE RESILIENCE OF OPERATIONAL REDUNDANCY WHILE LOWERING DAILY OPERATIONAL COSTS AND REDUCES DEADHEAD MILEAGE TO AND FROM A SINGLE REMOTE STORAGE FACILITY.
A LIST OF ALTERNATIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SITES ON THE ORANGE LINE HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE AGENCY AND TO YOUR OFFICES.
WE STAND WITH YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP OF FACING THIS OF GREATEST CHALLENGES WITH THE GREATEST PROJECT EVER CONCEIVED FOR OUR CITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DOWN TO BETH MCCORMICK IS MCCORMICK MCCORMICK.
ARE YOU THERE? DID WE LOSE MS. MCCORMICK? I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE LOST HER CHAIR COOPER.
YOU MIGHT MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON I'M GOING TO MOVE ON.
AND THEN IF SHE COMES BACK, LET ME KNOW OUR NEXT PERHAPS FINAL SPEAKERS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD.
UM, THIS IS A TERRIBLE TIME TO ASK VOTERS TO APPROVE THIS TITANIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECT.
RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN ARE COPING WITH LAYOFFS, REDUCED INCOME AND DIFFICULTY PAYING THEIR DEBTS.
NOW IT'S NOT THE TIME TO BE ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF MORE TAXES.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF 2020 CENSUS FIGURES.
SO WE DON'T KNOW THE EVIDENCE OF THE POPULATION INCREASE AND SHIFTING OF MOVEMENT OF VARIOUS POPULATION SECTOR SALES TAX, AND HOTEL MOTEL TAXES ARE DOWN DUE TO THE NEGATIVE COVERED IMPACT ON BUSINESSES, CUSTOMERS AND TRAVEL AND TOURISM.
THE NEED FOR THIS PROJECT IS OVERSTATED.
IT IS BASED ON AN INFLATED POPULATION FIGURE OF 4 MILLION BEING THE EXPECTED POPULATION GROWTH OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN BY 2040.
HOWEVER, THE DEMOGRAPHERS OWN ANALYSIS PROJECTED THE 2040 POPULATION IN 2019 AS BEING 1,000,574, 742.
AND I COULD REFER YOU TO THE DTI 2040 POPULATION EMPLOYMENT FORECAST FOR THAT REFERENCE.
IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW THIS PROJECT COULD BE FUNDED.
IF THE ANTICIPATED FEDERAL GRANTS OF 4.5 BILLION DO NOT COME THROUGH, WOULD THE PROJECT BE CURTAILED OR WHAT AUSTIN TAXPAYERS WILL BE ASKED FOR MORE MONEY FUNDS ARE MORE NECESSARY NOW FOR AUSTIN STREET MAINTENANCE, WHICH HAS LONG BEEN IMPROVED WATER AND SEWER LINE INFRASTRUCTURE BADLY, MUCH MORE THAN WE NEED AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.
THE PRIMARY COST OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE BORNE BY AUSTIN'S RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAXPAYERS WITH SOME SUPPLEMENTS FROM
[00:50:01]
A 1 CENT SALES TAX THAT KEPT METRO IS AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, BE AWARE THAT THE CAP METRO HAS NO AUTHORITY TO LEVY A PROPERTY TAX AND THE PROPERTY TAX THAT THE CITY WOULD LET LEVIES AT 11 CENTS PER HUNDRED WILL BE ON TOP OF THE 3.5% TAX INCREASE FOR THE REGULAR CITY BUDGET.IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THE CAPITAL METRO SERVICE AREA MEMBERS HAVE COMMITTED TO HELP FUND THIS PROJECT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS PRESENTED AS A REGIONAL PROJECT PROJECT.
THE PROJECT ITSELF HAS ALREADY OUTMODED BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH THE INCREASE OF NUMBER OF ELECTRIC POWERED VEHICLES.
WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO WORK REMOTELY.
THE PLANE DOESN'T OFFER EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR MANY OF THE USERS SUCH AS WOMEN AND PARENTS WHO OFTEN MAKE SEVERAL OTHER STOPS WHILE GOING TO AND FROM WORK.
IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHO NEED TO GO TO OTHER DESTROYS DESTINATIONS.
OTHER THAN THE TRANSIT DROP-OFF STATION.
IN SHORT, THE PROJECT IS ALREADY OUTMODED.
WE COULD PURCHASE ADDITIONAL BUSES, ELECTRIC AND OTHERWISE WITHOUT NEEDING TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THIS PROJECT, EVEN THOUGH THE TAX PAYERS IN AUSTIN WILL BE FUNDING AT LEAST 5.5 PROJECTS, THE SCOPE INCLUDES REGIONAL TRANSIT, WHICH NO CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN PROMISED FROM OTHER ENTITIES.
UH, THINK WE HAVE MS. MCCORMICK BACK ON MS. MCCORMACK, IF YOU'RE THERE.
I'M A FORMER PRESIDENT OF ALLENDALE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD AND A PAST MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
UH, MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT WE HIT MIGHT HAVE 30 MILLION, I MEAN A 30 YEAR SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT AND EVERYBODY IN THE MOBILITY CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY NEEDS TO START THINKING OUT OF THE SAME SONGBOOK THINGS HAVE CHANGED GREATLY WITH THE VIRUS OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
UH, WE DON'T NEED HIGHER TAX RATE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALSO STAYING AT HOME TO WORK.
THERE'S THE LESS TRAFFIC THERE'S GOING TO BE LESS OFFICE SPACE DOWNTOWN.
WE DO NOT KNOW HOW THE VIRUS, HOW LONG IT'S GONNA LAST, WHAT THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO BE LIKE.
WE NEED A REALLY DETAILED PLAN AND IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE ON THE NOVEMBER 3RD BALLOT.
UH, ALLENDALE IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF ANYTHING THAT THE CITY WANTS TO DO AS AN EXPERIMENT, DO IT IN ALLENDALE FROM SHOW BOULEVARD TO VERNAC ROAD TWO 2222.
BUT MY MAIN PAIN IS SAYING OUT OF THE SAME SONGBOOK DO GET TOGETHER.
I SEE PEOPLE GET TOGETHER AND CHECK OUT YOUR PLAN.
I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN SINCE 1955.
I'VE LIVED IN DALLAS AND WASHINGTON DC.
AND I LIKE TO DRIVE BECAUSE I HAUL I'M NOT GOING TO BE RIDING THE BUS.
SO WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY, EVEN THOSE OF US THAT DRIVE THOSE THAT WANT TO WALK AND THOSE THAT WANT TO RIDE A BICYCLE, THERE MUST BE A WAY TO GET TOGETHER AND COMPROMISE.
THANK YOU, MS. MCCORMIN, BUT YOU'RE ABLE TO CONNECT THAT.
I CAN CLOSE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE'LL MOVE ON IN JUST A SECOND TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS TODAY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE AN UPDATE ON PROJECT CONNECT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THEN REVIEW THE THIRD PARTY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF PROJECT CONNECT, INVESTMENT SCENARIOS, AND THEN A PRESENTATION ON THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UH, AFTER THAT, UH, I THINK COUNCIL WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A RESOLUTION AND THEN, UH, CAP METRO BOARD WILL AS WELL BEFORE WE GET TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE AHEAD WITH OUR OTHER PRESENTATIONS WHERE YOU'RE MUTED COUNTRY, MY TECHNICAL PROWESS, HOW'S THAT WORK.
UH, THIS IS AN EXCITING DAY TO BE TAKING A STEP FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR HEALTH.
[00:55:01]
UH, OTHERS OUT OF WORK, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AGENCIES OF PEOPLE STANDING IN OUR STREETS AND WE HAVE SO MANY INVOLVED IN, IN CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO HAVE.THIS IS BOTH A SCARY TIME FILLED WITH UNCERTAINTIES AND A TIME THAT IS FILLED WITH HOPE AS WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF REAL TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, SOMEDAY WE'RE GOING TO EMERGE FROM THIS PRESENT HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISIS AND THIS VIRUS.
AND WHEN WE DO, WE HAVE TO PROMISE OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THAT WILL EMERGE AND MOVE FORWARD AS A BETTER, MORE FAIR, MORE JUST CITY.
UH, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TO BE THE AUSTIN, UH, OF OUR ASPIRATIONS AND OUR DREAMS. I BELIEVE WE CAN DO THIS BY, BY FEARLESSLY REACHING FOR THE BIG IDEAS THAT WILL MAKE FOR GENERATIONAL CHANGE.
PROJECT CONNECT IS SUCH A BIG IDEA.
I THINK IT'S NOW MORE THAN EVER.
WE HAVE TO BEGIN STEPPING INTO OUR FUTURE.
I'M PROUD TO, UH, UH, HAVE BEEN SERVING, UH, OUR, IN THIS PROCESS, WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE BOARD OF CAP, METRO, THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TOGETHER, CULMINATING HERE TODAY, UH, WORKING TOGETHER, OUR WORKING TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT WE ALSO HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO, TO, TO ACHIEVE BEFORE.
WE TAKE THAT NEXT STEP TO REALIZING THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY.
I BELIEVE THAT NOW IS THE MOMENT, UH, NOT DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME, BUT PRECISELY BECAUSE WE ARE IN SUCH CHALLENGING TIMES, I BELIEVE IT IS NOW MORE THAN EVER TO SET OUR CITY ON THE COURSE WE WANT TO ARRIVE ON.
[Items 1 & 2: 1. Update on Project Connect Community Engagement, Investment Options, and Governance. 2. Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to include a determined amount in the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 property (ad valorem) tax rate for the purposes of creating a dedicated fund for a local government corporation, to be created by the City of Austin and Capital Metro, to invest in the Project Connect System Plan and transit supportive investments, and directing the City Manager to draft an interlocal agreement with Capital Metro for consideration by the City Council at a later date.]
AND NOW WITH OUR PRESENTATION, UH, MS. NIERENBERG, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET US STARTED TODAY? CHECKING, ARE YOU WITH US? SHE'LL BE JOINING US IN ONE SECOND.MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, CHAIRMAN COOPER, BOARD MEMBERS AND CEO CLARK, ALSO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, MY NAME IS JACKIE NIERENBERG AND I'M THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER FOR CAPITAL METRO TODAY'S AGENDA.
IF WE CAN PULL IT UP ON THE SCREEN, THAT FIRST SLIDE WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH OUR, UH, ENGAGEMENT PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.
UM, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ANALYSIS THAT HAS JUST BEEN RECENTLY COMPLETED, AND WE WILL ALSO BE EXPLORING THE PROJECT CONNECT INVESTMENT SCENARIOS AND THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND THEN TALK ABOUT SOME ACTION ITEMS AND MOVE ON TO NEXT STEPS.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT.
NEXT SLIDE FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR PLANNING PROCESS FOR PROJECT CONNECT, OUR GOAL WAS TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY ALONG IN THIS PROCESS, TOUCHING BASE AND ASKING FOR FEEDBACK.
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IN OUR PROGRAMS IS AN EVOLUTION.
THAT'S WHY WE DECIDED TO HOST ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING THIS MONTH.
IN FACT, JUST LAST WEEK, UM, SO THAT WE COULD APPRISE THE COMMUNITY OF THE SCENARIOS WE'RE CONSIDERING AND GET SOME FEEDBACK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND IN FACT, WE HAD OVER 240 PEOPLE ATTEND THAT ZOOM EVENT.
AND IT HAS NOW BEEN VIEWED OVER 10,000 TIMES, WHICH IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE OUR COMMUNITY AWARE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT PROJECT CONNECTS ALL ABOUT AND THE BENEFITS IT OFFERS.
WE'VE TOUCHED OVER 60,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THIS ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
AND WHILE THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LISTEN.
THAT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE ARRIVING AT AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THE, IN THE PROCESS, DOES IT MEAN THAT THE DIALOGUE IS OVER? IT IS CONTINUING AND WE ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REACH OUT TO US, UH, VIA FEEDBACK@PROJECTCONNECT.COM OR FEEDBACK@CAPMETRO.ORG, OR BY CALLING THE GOAL LINE AND ASKING FOR ME OR ANYBODY ELSE ON THE PROJECT CONNECT TEAM.
AND WE'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND LOG YOUR FEEDBACK AND CONSIDER IT AS WELL.
[01:00:01]
UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE'VE ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY IN A LOT OF WAYS THROUGH, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS.FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN MAY.
THEN WE HAD TO PIVOT FROM A IN PERSON MEETINGS THAT WERE PLANNED IN APRIL AND HAD TO BE CANCELED.
WE ALSO HAD A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE THAT WENT LIVE ON MAY 7TH AND WAS, UM, OPEN FOR COMMENT AND PARTICIPATION THROUGH MAY 31ST, WE DID A SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION OF OUR, OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON, UH, WHAT HAVE YOU SEE ON IN THEIR LIVE TOWN HALL, FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT AND HAD OVER 20,000 VIEWS THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
WE HAVE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT HAS, UM, MET MONTHLY FOR THE BETTER PART OF THREE TO THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
ALSO OUR PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK, WHICH HAS OVER 150 MEMBERS STRONG REPRESENTING, UH, PERSPECTIVES FROM ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY.
UM, FROM NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS.
WE'VE ALSO HAD TO CO COORDINATE VERY CAREFULLY WITH OUR PARTNERS AT, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS DOT, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY, ALL OF THE AGENCIES, WHICH WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH CLOSELY TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS.
AND ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS OF COURSE, WAS THE CORRIDOR, THE CITY'S CORRIDOR OR PROGRAM OFFICE.
UM, WE, THIS IS THE EIGHTH OF, UH, NINE CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO JOINT WORK SESSIONS OR MEETINGS.
UM, AND THE NEXT ONE WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST THE SEVENTH.
I MENTIONED WE HAD A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE IN MAY THAT RAN FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE 31ST.
AND IN THAT WE ASKED OUR COMMUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THEIR LEVEL OF AGREEMENT ON ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE RECOMMENDED SYSTEM PLAN.
UM, AND WE WENT THROUGH EACH OF THOSE AND WANTED TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE RESPONSES WE GOT BECAUSE THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH IN, IN LINE WITH WHAT WE WERE PLANNING TO DO WITH THIS SYSTEM PLAN.
90% OF THE RESPONDENTS AGREED WITH THE RECOMMENDED SYSTEM PLAN, 90% A GRADE WITH THE ORANGE LINE PLAN, 90% WITH BLUE LINE AND GOLDMINE 87% WITH NEW METRO RAPID ROUTES, 84% WITH THE ENHANCEMENTS, THE RED LINE AND THE PROPOSAL FOR THE GREEN LINE, 88% A AGREEMENT WITH ADDING NEW METRICS, BREAST ROUTES AND PARKING RIDES, AND 92% AGREEMENT WITH OUR PLANS FOR A ZERO EMISSIONS FLEET.
SO RESULTS OF THAT WERE QUITE ENCOURAGING.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY IS ABOUT THE RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
AND INDEED WE'VE HEARD FROM THE SPEAKERS TODAY, UH, ABOUT THAT VERY CONCERNED, UM, A PROJECT LIKE PROJECT CONNECT THAT LARGE AND SCALE DOES RUN THE RISK OF HAVING SOME NEGATIVE IMPACTS.
AND WE WANT TO ASSURE OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND WE RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO CONDUCT A FULL ASSESSMENT OF THOSE POTENTIAL IMPACTS, UM, DEVELOP PLANS AND ACTIONS TO MITIGATE THEM, AND TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION'S TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR ALL.
UM, WE ALSO HEARD A DIRECTION FROM THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL LAST YEAR, INSTRUCTING THE CITY TO CONSIDER, UH, TO UTILIZE TOOLS, EXCUSE ME, TO SUPPORT CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES STOPPING OR LIMITING DISPLACEMENT.
AND THEN LAST MONTH IN CITY COUNCIL, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN PROPOSED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SERVICES, PROGRAMS OF RESOURCES ALREADY IN PLACE AT THE CITY, AND TO PROPOSE TOOLS TO PREVENT TRANSPORTATION, INVESTMENT RELATED DISPLACEMENT.
AND SO TO THAT, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND WITH THE FOLLOWING NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO EQUITY PROJECT CONNECT IN ITSELF IS A SYSTEM THAT IMPROVES EQUITABLE ACCESS TO QUALITY TRANSIT SERVICE.
I WILL SHOW YOU, UM, SOME OF THE MEASURES THAT WERE USED TO DETERMINE THAT FOR EACH OF OUR ROUTES, UM, THERE ARE CURRENT ANTI-DISPLACEMENT EFFORTS BEING TAKEN, INCLUDING LAND BANKING ON TRANSIT CORRIDORS FOR FUTURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SUBSIDIZING NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND STATION AREAS AND PLANNING AND SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION AND OTHER DISPLACEMENT ANTI-DISPLACEMENT PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
[01:05:03]
SO CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL MONUMENTALLY SHIFT HOW WE MOVE THROUGH OUR CITY AND OUR CURRENT TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES PREVENT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM ACCESSING JOBS, EDUCATION, HEALTHY FOOD, MEDICAL FACILITIES, ACTIVITIES, AND DESTINATION DESTINATIONS.SO WE PROPOSED DIRECT FUNDING FOR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT PROGRAMS AND EQUITY SCORECARD FOR EACH CORRIDOR TO EVALUATE DISPLACEMENT RISKS, CREATING AN INNER AGENCY TEAM BETWEEN CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO DEVELOP DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES, SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FOR EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, OR TOD TO LEVERAGE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO IDENTIFY THE DISPARATE IMPACTS ON OUR CITIZENS AND OUR RESIDENTS, UH, WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REVIEW, PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS, GOING INTO HOW WE EVALUATE THE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED BY EACH OF THE PROJECTS IN PROJECT CONNECT, STARTING WITH THE METRO RAPIDS, SOME OF THE VARIABLES AND MEASURES WE LOOKED AT WERE TOTAL JOBS THAT THESE PROJECTS WOULD CONNECT RESIDENTS TO THE PERCENT OF MINORITY POPULATION ALONG THE ROUTES OF EACH OF THESE PROJECTS, AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME, ALONG THOSE ROUTES, UH, POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL, ZERO CAR HOUSEHOLDS, THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS ALONG THE ROUTE EDGE NUMBER OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES ALONG THAT ROUTE AND ACCESSIBLE HEALTH FACILITIES.
AND JUST TO TAKE AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PLEASANT VALLEY PROPOSED METRO RAPID ROUTE 81% OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG THAT CORD OR, UM, OUR MINORITY POPULATIONS, THEY ALSO HAVE A HOUSEHOLD INCOME, AN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF ABOUT 48,000 AND, UM, A NICE 19%, EXCUSE ME.
UH, 19% LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL, 11% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS ALONG THE PLEASANT VALLEY CORRIDOR ARE ZERO CAR HOUSEHOLDS.
SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY FROM THAT METRO RAPID ROUTE.
AND HERE'S THE SAME, UH, USING THE SAME MEASURES FOR OUR, UH, RAIL LINES.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE ORANGE LINE AND THE BLUE LINE, UM, BOTH HAD 54% OF THE POPULATION LIVING ALONG.
BOTH OF THOSE LINES ARE MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH 21% FOR THE ORANGE LINE, LIVING BELOW POVERTY LEVEL AND 23% FOR THE BLUE LINE LIVING BELOW POVERTY LEVEL AND 8% AND 9% RESPECTIVELY, ZERO CAR HOUSEHOLDS, AND EACH OF THE LINES ARE EVALUATED IN THIS MANNER.
SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH OUR ENGAGEMENT, UH, FOR, FOR EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR GOAL IS THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT PROJECT IS OFFERING AND BE ABLE TO MAKE AN EDUCATED CHOICE ABOUT IT.
WE WILL BE LAUNCHING A PROJECT CONNECT SPEAKERS BUREAU.
UM, WE NEED OUR COMMUNITY TO STEP UP AND HELP US EDUCATE YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR COLLEAGUES, BY BEING ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.
AND WE WILL BE OFFERING TRAININGS FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, TO DO JUST THAT.
AND THIS CAN BE AT A BOOK CLUB MEETING.
IT COULD BE AT A VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR.
IT CAN BE A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER TWO PEOPLE, 200 PEOPLE, BUT WE NEED OUR COMMUNITIES HELP TO SPREAD THE WORD.
AND SO WE'LL BE COUNTING ON YOU TO ST.
SIGN UP FOR SOME TRAININGS FOR OUR SPEAKERS BUREAU STARTING NEXT MONTH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE UPDATES TO CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
ALSO, OF COURSE, OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES ARE ALSO OUR BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ALSO CALLED C-SAT AND OUR ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND NEXT MONTH WE'LL BE HOLDING A SPECIAL VIRTUAL EVENT CALLED ACCELERATE.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT EVENT IS TO SHOW HOW TRANSIT PROJECTS CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTIN.
SO WE INVITE ALL BUSINESSES TO JOIN US.
THAT'S GOING TO BE HOSTED BY THE AUSTIN
[01:10:01]
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.THEY'LL ALSO BE A DISCUSSION OF DBE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY WOMEN, VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES.
SO WE HOPE THE COMMUNITY WILL TUNE IN FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN POST-NOVEMBER ENGAGEMENT THOUGH.
THERE WILL BE SO MUCH WORK TO DO, UM, ON PLACEMAKING CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION AND OTHER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, ON TOP OF THAT, WE ARE INVOLVED IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, UM, THE NEPA PROCESS, WHICH WILL HAVE US DELL VERY DEEPLY INTO EACH OF THESE CORRIDORS AND COORDINATE WITH THE FOLKS LIVING ALONG THOSE QUARTERS OF WORKING ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS TO MAKE SURE THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND THEIR NEEDS ARE INCORPORATED INTO THAT PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
AND NOW I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO JOHN
AM I IN THE MEETING AT THIS POINT? YOU ARE.
CAN WE HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? AND THE NEXT SLIDE AFTER THAT? ALRIGHT.
SO WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED DOING SOME ANALYTICAL WORK AROUND ALL OF THIS, AND THIS IS A VERY, VERY SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF WHAT WE WERE DOING.
ONE OF THE FIRST BENEFITS, OF COURSE, ANY TIME YOU UNDERTAKE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS YOU'RE INJECTING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
SO WHAT WE DID IN THIS EQUATION WAS TO TAKE THE TOTAL CAP, THE TOTAL PROJECT CONNECT BUDGET, BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT BY ITS COMPONENT PARTS ASSUME THAT THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLES LIKELY WOULD HAPPEN OUTSIDE THE AUSTIN AREA.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYBODY MAKING A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
SO THAT'S GOING TO LEAK OUT OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT THAT THE BALANCE OF THE SPENDING WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE AUSTIN ECONOMY.
AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY SAYS IS FOR EVERY BILLION DOLLARS INVESTED, YOU HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT CREATES AROUND AN ADDITIONAL $400 MILLION OR SO IN SECONDARY ACTIVITY SPREADS THROUGH THE ENTIRE AUSTIN ECONOMY.
IF WE, FOR EXAMPLE, DID THE FULL SYSTEM PLAN AT 9.8 BILLION, AND THAT TRANSLATES INTO AN INJECTION OF JUST UNDER 14 MILLION HERE LOCALLY, PERHAPS JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, IT CREATES ALMOST A HUNDRED THOUSAND JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST ACTUALLY WORKING ON THE PROJECT, BUT DUE TO THE RIPPLE EFFECTS AS WELL FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT ITSELF, PAYING AN AVERAGE OF AROUND $45,000 A JOB.
SO AT A TIME, OBVIOUSLY A PANDEMIC OF RECESSION CONCERN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE COMING OUT OF IT BY THE TIME THIS ACTUALLY KICKS OFF, BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT'S A STIMULUS TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
HOWEVER, THAT'S JUST, THAT WOULD BE TRUE OF ANY SORT OF MAJOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT THAT CAN BE MADE.
THE INTERESTING QUESTION THEN BECOMES WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF THIS OVER THE LONGER TERM AS YOU START TO SORT OF TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THIS.
AND SO TRADITIONALLY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSIT IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE OF COURSE IS THAT IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY WELL KNOWN FACT.
AND YOU HAD SPEAKERS REFERENCES EARLIER DURING THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PORTION OF THE MEETING, IT'S QUITE QUITE A BIT MORE EXPENSIVE TO OWN AND OPERATE YOUR CAR THAN IT IS TO TAKE TRANSIT.
UH, THAT'S PRETTY WELL KNOWN THAT CREATES COST SAVINGS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO USE TRANSIT IN LIEU OF, OR AT LEAST PARTIALLY IN LIEU OF USING AUTOMOBILES.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY COST SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THERE ARE ALSO AT LEAST PUT FORWARD THE IDEA THAT THEIR CONGESTION REALLY BENEFITS.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE PERIOD IS ALSO, THERE ARE SOME BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY, UH, BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH IS MOSTLY RELATED TO SAVING PEOPLE HASSLES ON CONGESTION AND MAKING IT EASIER TO GET AROUND TOWN THAT IN THEORY, ENHANCES PRODUCTIVITY.
SO TRADITIONALLY THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSIT.
THERE ARE OTHERS CLEARLY AS WELL.
AND THIS IS, I THINK REALLY SHOT THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN IS ACCESS IS MOBILITY AND ACCESS.
SO ACCESS TO JOBS, ACCESS TO HOUSING, ACCESS, TO MEDICAL CARE, ACCESS, TO ENTERTAINMENT, ACCESS, TO RECREATION, ACCESS TO COMMUNITY FACILITIES, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE ARE INCREASINGLY ARE FOCUSED ON.
AND THAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW, AS WE'VE.
I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT A FAIRLY IMPORTANT EVENT RECENTLY AROUND THAT'S GOING TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AS WE BEGIN TO SEE THE PATTERN OF JOB CREATION, HOPEFULLY IN, IN THE AUSTIN AREA SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE REGION, PARTICULARLY DISEASED ACCESS BECOMES EVER MORE IMPORTANT ALONG ALL THAT SECOND ONE, MANY SPEAKERS
[01:15:01]
TALKED ABOUT THIS IS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.IT'S AGAIN, FAIRLY WELL UNDERSTOOD.
AUTOMOBILES ARE ONE OF THE, I BELIEVE THE SINGLE LARGEST SOURCE OF EMISSIONS POLLUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN TAKE AUTOMOBILES OFF THE ROADWAYS THAT OBVIOUSLY BENEFITS, THERE ARE PUBLIC SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AROUND THIS AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN NOT THE NOT, NOT THE LEAST, THE LEAST FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IS WHEN YOU HAVE THESE KINDS OF FIXED TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT, IT TENDS TO GUIDE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT THAT TENDS TO KEEP TAX SPACE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND IT ALSO TENDS TO REDUCE SOME OF THE COSTS OF PUBLIC SERVICE PROVISIONS, SUCH AS POLICE, FIRE, UH, HORIZONTAL UTILITIES AND ALL THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE A MORE COMPACT STYLE OF DEVELOPMENT AND MORE COMPACT DEVELOPMENT TENDS TO BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE.
SO THOSE ARE ALL KIND OF THE TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
BUT THE INTERESTING QUESTION BECOMES, CAN YOU TAKE IT A LEVEL DEEPER? CAN YOU GO A LITTLE FURTHER IN THE ANALYSIS AND SEE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS IN THE EQUATION? DID YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? AND SO DOES IT HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE OVERALL ECONOMY AND THE ANSWER IS YES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WAS TO PULL TOGETHER DATA FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SOURCES, THE NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE, AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, EURO ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, LOOKING AT MEASURES LIKE GDP PER CAPITA GROWTH IN GDP PER CAPITA EMISSIONS, HER CAPITAL AUTO FATALITIES PER CAPITA, AND EXAMINING A CORRELATION RELATIONSHIP, LOOKING FOR POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THOSE MEASURES OF THE ECONOMY AND, OR SORT OF PUBLIC WELLBEING AND HOW TRANSIT INTENSIVE A COMMUNITY IS IN GENERAL.
AND WE HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MEASURES ON THAT AND THEN PARTICULARLY AROUND FIXED GUIDEWAY TRANSPORTATION, WHICH TYPICALLY HAS TO DO WITH DEDICATED RIGHT AWAY.
AND TIME CERTAINTY CAN BE RAPID BUS CAN BE LIGHT.
RAIL CAN BE RAIL, COMMON QUALITY IS IT'S TYPICALLY IN DEDICATED RIGHT AWAY.
AND SO THAT THERE IS AN EXPECTATION YOU'LL GET THERE AT THE TIME THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THERE.
WE SAW POSITIVE CORRELATIONS, ACTUALLY ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE ECONOMIC, UH, MEASURES.
SO COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A GREATER LEVEL OF GDP PER CAPITA ALSO TEND TO BE MORE TRANSIT INTENSIVE IN GENERAL, FIXED GUIDEWAY TRANSIT INTENSIVE IN PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GROWING THE FASTEST AS BETTER MEASURED BY PER CAPITA GDP, BOTH THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND THE LAST 15 YEARS, SAME THING, POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP, STATISTICALLY, SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT TRANSIT INTENSITY IN GENERAL, FIXED GUIDEWAY INTENSITY IN PARTICULAR AND FEWER FATALITIES, WHICH IS A PUBLIC SAFETY AGAIN BETWEEN BOTH TRANSIT IN GENERAL, FOR SKYWAY TO PARTICULAR AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
SO WHAT IT TELLS US IS THAT THESE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS CREATING THIS KIND OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE BACKBONE POSITIONS, COMMUNITIES OVER TIME TO REALIZE ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT GO BEYOND THE SHORT TERM STIMULUS BEYOND JUST THE ENHANCED MOBILITY FOR THE CITIZENS, BUT ACTUALLY REALLY ARE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT ENABLE THE OVERALL GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF A REGION.
WHEN YOU START LOOKING OUT FOR MULTIPLE YEARS AT A TIME, IT'S A PRETTY INTERESTING FINDING.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
YOU GOT SUMMARIZE MY OWN CONCLUSIONS.
NEXT STEP WE, UH, HAVE, AND, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BOARD MEMBERS WE'LL PAUSE AFTER THESE PRESENTATIONS, UH, RECROSS EXAMINATION OR COMMENT, UH, NEXT STEP SECTION THREE, UH, TO DISCUSS PROJECT CONNECT INVESTMENT SCENARIOS.
WE HAVE OUR ALL STAR TEAM OF DAVE COUCH.
RYNETTE MARNA WICK, AND GREG CADALLI.
DAVE, ARE YOU WITH US? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, SIR.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.
UH, THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN COOPER.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND THANK JOHN FOR DOING THE SECTION THAT HE DID AHEAD OF ME.
UH, I'M DAVE COUCH, I'M THE PROGRAM OFFICER WITH CAP METRO FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
I'M GOING TO START GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT BASICALLY I'LL GET SOME OF THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES ARE, WHAT THE INVESTMENTS CAN BE.
AND THEN WE'LL TRANSITION INTO THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT OPTIONS
[01:20:01]
THAT WILL COME LATER IN THE PRESENTATION THAT RENT AND GREG WE'LL GO AHEAD AND COVER NEXT LINE ON JUNE THE 10TH OF THIS PAST YEAR, THE OVERALL SYSTEM PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD AND ENDORSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.IT BASICALLY IS A LONG TERM MULTI-YEAR INVESTMENT STRATEGY THAT WILL RESULT IN THE COMPLETE BUILD OUT OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OVER TIME.
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO POINT OUT IS JOHN WAS TALKING A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT THE NUMBER OF JOBS THAT ARE THERE AND THE NUMBER OF JOBS THAT ARE CREATED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE BUILD OUT CYCLE.
WE CAN'T LOSE TRACK OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE OVER 700 PERMANENT JOBS THAT WILL BE THERE.
ONCE THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IS BUILT.
ONCE THE BUSES ARE IN PLACE AND OPERATING, AND IT WILL BE FROM AN OPERATION STANDPOINT, IT WILL BE FOR MAINTENANCE WILL BE FOR ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS THAT IT TAKES TO SUCCESSFULLY OPERATE AND MAINTAIN AND OVERALL TRAINS THAT SYSTEM, MOST OF THOSE WILL BE NON-DEGREE JOBS.
SO IT GIVES A CHERRIES OF ALTERNATIVES FOR THOSE IN THE LOCAL MARKET, TO BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET PERMANENT LONGTERM JOBS.
ONE OF THE TENANTS THAT'S THERE WITH CAPITAL METRO IS ALSO PROGRESSION LADDERS TO GET PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES AS TIME GOES BY TO MOVE UP WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND POINT OUT IS AN EXPENSIVE DBE PROGRAM.
WHEN YOU'RE UTILIZING FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE ANTICIPATE GETTING FROM FDA, THEN THERE IS AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAM THAT IS CREATED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF THE PIECES OF THE PROGRAM THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE DBES.
IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM THE THINGS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTION.
IT MIGHT INVOLVE UTILITIES, IT COULD BE CIVIL WORK.
IT MIGHT BE MATERIAL WITH SUPPLY OF REINFORCING STEEL OR CONCRETE.
IT COULD BE EQUIPMENT SUPPLY, THINGS LIKE CAMERAS THAT WILL BE IN STATIONS, ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, A WHOLE SERIES OF THINGS THAT WILL BE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IT WILL BE INCORPORATED AND REQUIRED TO BE UTILIZED UNDER THAT DBE PROGRAM, WHICH WILL VERY MUCH ASSIST AND AID WITH THE LOCAL DBE MARK.
WITH THE OVERALL SYSTEM PLAN INVESTMENT, UH, THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE THERE ARE THE THREE LIGHT RAIL LINES, THE BLUE, THE ORANGE, AND THE GOAL SEVEN NEW METRO RAIL WRAPPLY METRO BUS, RAPID LINES, BRING LINE EXTENSION, AND BUILD THAT UP TO COLONY PARK ENHANCEMENTS TO THE RED LINE, TO BE FRIED ADDITIONAL CAPACITY RING, CHANGE THE FREQUENCY TO BE ABLE TO GET DOWN TO A 15 MINUTE FREQUENCY CONNECTIONS AT THE ORANGE LINE AT CRESTVIEW CIRCULATOR INCREASE.
THOSE ARE, THOSE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL TO DATE AND THE EXPECTATION TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE AND MULTIPLY THOSE AS WE GO TO THE FUTURE.
ALSO A NEW FARE SYSTEM, SOMETHING THAT WILL BE CONTACTLESS, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ON THE STATION PLATFORMS, SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND TAP YOUR FARE AND THEN BE ABLE TO BOARD IT DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE VEHICLES ARE IN THE STATION AND PROVIDES MORE EFFICIENCY.
ALL OF THOSE BASICALLY COMES TO A PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE SOME $10 BILLION AND OF THAT $10 BILLION, 4.5 WITH A 45% EXPECTANCY FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE THE AMOUNT THAT WOULD COME IN.
THAT'S BASED UPON DIFFERENT AMOUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE RECENTLY FOR OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE FORWARD.
WHAT THAT RESULTS IN IS A $5.5 BILLION INVESTMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR THE LOCAL MATCH.
THERE WILL BE AN OVERALL SEQUENCE PLAN TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM AND DELIVER THE PROGRAM ON SCHEDULE AND WITHIN BUDGET.
THE TWO THAT WOULD START CONCURRENTLY WOULD BE THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINE, THE TWO LIGHT RAIL LINES WHERE THE PROJECTION OF GOING THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND THE DESIGN AND OUT TRUE CONSTRUCTION, UH, AND BEING COMPLETED IN ABOUT NINE YEARS OUT FROM THE START RIGHT BEHIND, IT WOULD BE THE GOLD LINE AS LRT, REALLY THAT WHEN YOU SAW WHAT JACKIE WAS DOING IN TERMS OF THE CONTENTS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT THE DIFFERENT AREAS ARE, THE GOLD LINE FITS IN EXACTLY IN THIS POINT.
AND THEN THE FUTURE EXTENSIONS ON BOTH THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE OVER TIME, THOSE WOULD BE INCLUDED.
THOSE WILL BE BUILT OUT FROM WHAT CURRENTLY
[01:25:01]
WOULD BE METRO RAPID INTO FULL LRT, A SERIES OF METRO RAPID LINES, UH, THE FIRST THREE AND A FIRST PHASE THAT WOULD BE EXPO LINE PLEASANT VALLEY, UH, ANY EXTENSION OF WHAT WE HAVE AS THE CURRENT EIGHT OH THREE DEMAND, CHECK THAT, AND ALSO TO, OH, ALONG WITH THAT IS MORE WORK THAT WOULD BE THERE FOR PARKING RIDES FOR METRO EXPRESS.UH, AND WITH IT AGAIN, THE COMPONENTS THAT WOULD BE THERE FOR TECHNOLOGY THAT REALLY TAKES YOU TO THE FAIR SYSTEM WITH THE FOCUS AS JACKIE DESCRIBED ON THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INVESTMENTS.
UH, WELL, THIS ONE WILL COME UP A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PROGRAM.
WE'VE SHIFTED THESE AROUND SLIGHTLY.
UH, SO THIS WILL COME UP AS WE GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS IN THE FUTURE.
THE INITIAL INVESTMENT TO START THE SYSTEM WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO DO THE ORANGE LINE AS LIGHT RAIL.
THAT WOULD START OUT WITH A SECTION THAT WOULD BE FROM THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER TO STASSNEY.
THAT COULD BE THE FIRST PHASE OF THE ORANGE LINE.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE AN HANSON METRO RAPID SERVICE AT THE END, THE BLUE LINE WILL BE BUILT UP FOR THE CORRIDOR.
AND ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS WITH THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN TUNNEL.
THE DOWNTOWN TUNNEL PROVIDES A VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND SAFE AREA TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE IN A VERY CONGESTED SECTION OF TOWN.
THE METRO RAPID WOULD START OUT, UH, WITH BASICALLY THE EXPO PLEASANT VALLEY, UH, AN EXTENSION TO THE SOUTH OF BETA THREE.
AND AS A STARTING POINT, THE GOAL VINE WOULD ALSO BE METRO RAPID.
SO AS WE MOVE TO THE FUTURE AND GO THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, THE NEPA FOR FULL COMPLETE VERSION, TWO LRT FOR THE GOAL LINE WOULD BE INCLUDED.
WE DO THAT FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, WHEN IT COMES THE GREEN LINE, UH, EXPANSION OF WORK THAT WOULD BE THERE ON THE RED LINE.
AND THEN ALL OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS DOWN THROUGH PARK AND RIDES, EXPRESS SERVICE, THE CUSTOMER TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LEAST.
IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IS THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INVESTMENTS THAT WOULD TOTAL THEM TO SOME $7 BILLION.
AND AGAIN, ANTICIPATING A 45% FEDERAL SHARE OF 3.15 BILLION.
IT WOULD RESULT IN A LOCAL COMMITMENT OF A PACKAGE OF 3.8, $5 BILLION.
I WANT TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE ENDS OF THE ORANGE LINE, UH, AT THE NORTH END, WHERE WE WOULD INITIALLY BUILD, IF THIS WAS ADOPTED, WHERE WE HAD AN ISSUE, WE BUILD TO THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER FOR THE, UH, LRT, WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO HAVE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE METRO RAPID THE EIGHT OH ONE SERVICE, BUT IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND INCREASE THE FREQUENCY SO THAT WE COULD GET DOWN TO A FIVE MINUTE FREQUENCY AS NEEDED ALONG WITH THAT OUR ADDITIONS AND RELOCATIONS OF SOME OF THE BUS STOPS AND
AND ALL OF THIS TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COORDINATION WITH TEXTILES AND WITH THE CITY LOOKING AT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GO AHEAD AND OVER THE SHORT TERM, IMPROVE THE OPERATION AND EFFICIENCY OF EIGHT OH ONE.
AS WE WORK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO TACKLE TO THE AREA THAT WOULD GO FROM NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER TO TECH RIDGE COORDINATED WITH TEXTILE AND THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO IN THE FUTURE WHEN FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PORTION OF THE LINE.
SIMILARLY ON THE SOUTH, UH, THE INITIAL LIGHT RAIL WOULD GO AS FAR AS STASSNEY, UH, AND THEN WITH THE CONTINUATION OF THE METRO RAPID FROM STASSNEY DOWN TO SWATTER IN THIS CASE AS THE SAME AS WOULD BE FOR THE NORTH, UH, WE COULD GO UP TO A FIVE MINUTE FREQUENCY.
WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND HAVE POTENTIAL INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD VERY MUCH IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND THE ABILITY TO GO AHEAD AND RUN THOSE BUSES, UH, AT A MUCH QUICKER PACE, UH, BY BEING ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND WORK ALSO, UH, WOULD THE INTERSECTIONS AND BE ABLE
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TO GO AHEAD WITH THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AGAIN IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY AND ALSO WITH TEXDOT AS WE WORK THROUGH THE CONCERNS AND ISSUES TO BE ABLE TO ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO TURN THE SECTION FROM STASSNEY TO SLAUGHTER INTO LIGHT RAIL IN THE FUTURE, WHEN FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.THIS WOULD BE THE INVESTMENT SEQUENCE FOR THE INITIAL INVESTMENT.
UH, THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES WOULD BE BUILT CONCURRENTLY AND THE AREA THAT WOULD BE METRO RAIL EARLY START ON THE RED LINE.
DID YOU GO AHEAD AND DO THE IMPROVEMENTS THERE? UH, THE GREEN LINE COMING OUT AND STARTING OUT IN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD BE ONE PHASE OF THE METRO RAPID, UH, WHICH WOULD BE THE THREE THAT JACKIE HIGHLIGHTED ON EXPO PLEASANT VALLEY, UH, IN THE SOUTH END OF EIGHT OH THREE DOWN TO MANCHESTER, AND ALSO START WITH THE GOLD LINE, UH, AS THE METRO RAPID SERVICE, BUT IN MINDFUL OF, WE WOULD GO WITH THE FULL NEPA PROCESS, WHICH WILL ALLOW IN THE FUTURE FOR THE GOLD LINE TO HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL PORTION AND BE ABLE TO MAKE THE SWITCH OVER TO LRT OTHER COMPONENTS AND SCHEDULES WITHIN HERE WOULD BE METRO EXPRESS PARK AND RIDES IMPROVEMENTS TO METRO BUS, METRO ACCESS, UH, THE FAIR SYSTEM THAT I HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, AND ALSO THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS TO GO AHEAD AND TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO RYNETTE AND A FOLLOW ON, UH, AS THINGS GO THROUGH WITH GREG CANAL.
PLEASE RUN OUT AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
I'M RENEE,
AND LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE, YOU WILL REMEMBER FROM THE JUNE 10TH JOINT SESSION THAT THE FIRM PFM DID A PRESENTATION ON THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL.
IF M IS THE NATION'S LEADING INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR FOR THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR, AND IT'S TOP RANKED IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND MASS TRANSIT INDUSTRIES.
PFM IS ALSO THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO BOTH THE CITY AND CAP METRO THEY'RE DEVELOPED AN INTEGRATED FINANCIAL PLAN AND FUNDING MODEL TO EVALUATE LONGTERM FINANCING ALTERNATIVES FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
THIS MODEL WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE CITY, BUT WILL METRO AND THE LEAD ENGINEERING FIRM, HDR, WHO IS THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND OWNER REPRESENTATIVE FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
THE COST INPUTS WERE DEVELOPED BY THE THREE TOP ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT ARE ENGAGED AS CONSULTANTS FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM.
THESE COST ESTIMATES WERE DEVELOPED WITH INPUT AND OVERSIGHT FROM CAPITAL METRO.
YOU MIGHT ALSO RECALL THE FAVORABLE FEEDBACK FROM THE APTA PEER REVIEW STUDY THAT WAS DONE EARLIER THIS YEAR AND PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY A TEAM OF NATIONAL EXPERTS EVALUATED THE RIDERSHIP AND COST ASSUMPTIONS AND PRONOUNCED THAT THE METHODOLOGIES AND ASSUMPTIONS WERE SOUND REASONABLE.
AND IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY NORMS, THIS PROVIDES US WITH ANOTHER LEVEL OF ASSURANCE, THE FINANCIAL MODEL EVALUATES THE CASHFLOW REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM.
IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE REVENUE SOURCES, INCLUDING CITY OF AUSTIN, PROPERTY TAXES, CAPITAL METRO FUNDS, AND FEDERAL GRANT REVENUES.
AND THEN ALSO THE TIMING THERE OFF PFM ANALYSIS SUPPORT A 45% FEDERAL PARTICIPATION BASED ON FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENTS WITH FUNDING THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE FISCAL YEARS, 2019 TO 2020 FOR THE LOCAL FUNDING, IF TA REQUIRES A DEDICATED ONGOING REVENUE STREAM AND THE PROPOSED DEDICATED PROPERTY TAX REVENUE WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF A STABLE COMMITTED FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE CAPITAL, THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS, AS WELL AS THE STATE OF GOOD REPAIR COSTS.
THE FTA WILL STRESS TASTES THE FINANCIAL PLAN TO HANDLE ADDITIONAL COST CONTINGENCIES FOR BOTH CAPITAL AND O AND M INITIAL
[01:35:01]
LARGE OUTLAYS OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES ARE FUNDED WITH THE REVENUE STREAMS, REVENUE, BONDS, AND FEDERAL LOANS DURING CONSTRUCTION OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS BEGIN IN 2023.AND SCALE UP AS PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED.
THE MODEL ALSO INCLUDES COST FOR STATE OF GOOD REPAIR LIKE FUTURE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.
AND IT ALSO INCLUDES DEBT SERVICE ON REVENUE BONDS.
THE MODEL IS DESIGNED TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT AGENCIES REQUIREMENTS AND CAN BE UTILIZED AS PART OF THE APPLICATION OF A FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT FROM THE FTA.
NEXT PAGE CAPITAL METRO HAS FUNDED THE PROJECT CONNECT PLANNING AND COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT IN THE RECENT YEARS.
AND WE ARE PROGRAMMING 73 MILLION IN THE FISCAL 2021 BUDGET, MOSTLY FROM THE CAPITAL EXPANSION FUND THAT WE HAVE ACCUMULATED SINCE 2018.
THIS WILL ENSURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN NOVEMBER OF DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR AND IN 2021.
AND SO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP LGC IS FORMED ON THE FIRST ROW.
YOU CAN SEE THAT CAPITAL METRO WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND NEPA COSTS IN FISCAL 2021 AND FISCAL 22 WITH 13 AND 10.4 MONEY AND RESPECTIVELY, THE RED LINE PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS ARE PLANNED TO START AHEAD OF THE CREATION OF AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND WILL BE FUNDED FROM THE CAPITOL EXPANSION FUND.
WE CAN ALSO START EARLY WITH THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OF THE THREE METRO RAPID LINES WITH A COMBINED 6.5 MILLION FUNDING FROM THE PROJECT FROM THE CAPITAL EXPANSION FUND, THE FISCAL 2021 BALANCE OF THE CAPITAL EXPANSION FUND OF 38.5 MILLION WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP FOR STARTUP AND DEVELOPMENT COSTS.
AND THEN THE FINANCIAL MODEL ALSO INCLUDE CONTINUED ONGOING REVENUE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CAPITAL METRO.
WITH THIS, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO GREG
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR ADLER, JOE COOPER CAP, METRO BOARD MEMBERS AND CITY OF AUSTIN COUNCIL.
I AM GREG KENNEDY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON TO WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE REMAINING OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY AROUND THE INVESTMENT, UH, OF, UH, BOTH CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN PROJECT CONNECT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE RYNETTE GOING THROUGH THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL THAT HAS REALLY BEEN A KEY COMPONENT, UH, OF THE APPROACH AND, AND, AND GOING BACK IN THE FALL IN THE FALL, WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A RESOLUTION ASKING CITY STAFF TO COLLABORATE WITH CAPITAL METRO, AND I WILL SAY THE COLLABORATION HAS REALLY BEEN FANTASTIC.
AS YOU'VE HEARD, WE'VE WORKED A DAY IN AND DAY OUT TOGETHER TO LOOK AT SOME FUNDING CHOICES AND FUNDING MODELS THAT CAN ACCOMPLISH A SIGNIFICANT LARGE INVESTMENT IN AUSTIN TRANSIT, UH, AS WE'VE LOOKED AT YEAH.
ON, UM, I THINK THIS IS THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THIS IS A VERSION OF THE INITIAL INVESTMENT, UM, WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT THE $7 BILLION COST ESTIMATE, ALTHOUGH I WANT TO, UM, AND AS WE, WE WANT IT TO SHOW TO YOU THE IMPACT OF THE TAX RATE ELECTION PIECE OF THAT, BUT TO REITERATE AN INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL, UM, THE FINANCING IS COMING FROM CAPITAL METRO, AS RYNETTE JUST WENT OVER THE 45% FEDERAL GRANTS.
I THINK BOTH, BOTH THE CAP METRO REVENUE, AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL GRANT ASSUMPTION, UM, COME OUT OF THE WORK THAT PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DO AN INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF BOTH THE CAPITAL METRO ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THEIR REVENUE, AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL GRANT AND ON THE CITY TAX RATE ELECTION AS WELL.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO LOOK AT THAT AS THE DEDICATED SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE, UH, INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND JUST A NOTE TO MAKE ABOUT THE TAX RATE ELECTION.
I THINK, AS RYNETTE SAID, UM, THE FACT THAT IT IS DEDICATED, THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO HOW OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THE COUNTRY INVEST USUALLY WITH A SALES TAX, UH, DEDICATED SALES TAX REVENUE, UH, AND IN FACT, LOOKING AT A DEDICATED PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, IT ACTUALLY GIVES US A LEG UP FROM A SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY AS COMPARED TO A SALES TAX
[01:40:01]
DEDICATION.WE ALSO KNOW AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE USE OF, UH, NOT ONLY THE REVENUE BONDS, BUT BEING ABLE TO USE PAYGO WHERE THE CASH THAT IS COMING IN AS PART OF THE TAX RATE ELECTION, THE OVERALL MODEL, ALL OF THESE FUNDING SOURCES HAVE BEEN OPTIMIZED OVER TIME TO SOLVE FOR THE EXACT THINGS WE'RE NET LAID OUT, NOT ONLY THE CAPITAL BUILD BOTH THE CASH FUNDING OF THAT CAPITAL BUILD AND THE DEBT ASSOCIATED AND OTHER DEBT, BUT ALSO OPERATIONS AND STATE OF GOOD REPAIR.
SO BY LOOKING AT AN INTEGRATED MODEL, AGAIN, ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES TOGETHER, A TAX RATE ELECTION BY ABLE TO USE CASH MINIMIZES HELPS US TO LOWER DEBT COSTS, LOWER DEBT SERVICE COSTS, WHICH IN THE LONG TERM, UH, IS THE BEST OUTCOME FOR TAXPAYERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE DEBT WE LESS DEBT, WE HAVE TO ISSUE LESS DEBT SERVICE, LOWER TAX IMPACT FOR OUR RESIDENTS IN AUSTIN.
SO THIS SCENARIO HERE, THIS IS THE $7 BILLION INVESTMENT THAT DAVE WENT OVER, REQUIRES AN EIGHT AND A HALF CENTS, UH, IMPACT THAT WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT THAT IMPACT LOOKS LIKE ON DIFFERENT HOME TAXABLE HOME VALUES.
AFTER THE EXEMPTIONS FROM 250,000, THE MEDIAN TAXABLE VALUE IS 325,000.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A $276 PER YEAR, UH, INCREASED IN THIS FIRST YEAR, WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT A 3.9% IMPACT TO A TAX BILL TO THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.
THAT'S PAYING A TAX BILL, NOT ONLY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT TO ALL THE TAXING ENTITIES THAT IT PAYS A BILL EACH YEAR.
WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU, UH, THE, THE, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, AUSTIN IS ONE OF, UH, FIVE TAXING JURISDICTIONS.
UM, SO AS YOU ARE, AS YOU ARE A PROPERTY OWNER PAYING PROPERTY TAXES TO FUND SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, JUST WANTED TO REMIND FOLKS ABOUT THE SHARE OF EVERYTHING.
UH, CERTAINLY AGAIN, AUSTIN IS ONE OF, OF, OF ONE OF THE TAXING JURISDICTIONS.
CURRENTLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY'S TAX RATE, WE'VE REPRESENTED ABOUT 20% OF THE OVERALL TAX BILL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT ADDING AN ADDITIONAL DEDICATED PIECE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN TAX RATE, AND AGAIN, THE DEDICATED PIECE, UM, IS, IS, IS, IS INTEGRAL TO THE FUNDING, UH, APPROACH.
UH, THAT'S ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL 3.9%, AS I MENTIONED FOR THESE DIFFERENT HOME VALUES, AGAIN, JUST TO SHOW SOME CONTEXT, UM, THIS INVESTMENT AS IT RELATES TO, UM, THE OVERALL TAX BURDEN FOR AUSTINITES NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WITH THAT ARE GOING TO JUST TOUCH AGAIN ON A CONVERSATION, UH, AND SOME INFORMATION THAT WE'VE NOW SHARED WITH YOU, I BELIEVE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL JOINT WORK SESSIONS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD HAVE HAD RELATED TO THE GOVERNANCE AND SPECIFICALLY THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AS WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING SINCE, UM, REALLY SINCE JANUARY, THE IDEA OF, OF THE FINANCING AND THE FUNDING OF THIS INITIATIVE, THE PROJECT CONNECT, UM, GOES HAND IN HAND WITH GOVERNANCE ON HOW LOOKING AT, HOW YOU EVENTUALLY, UM, TAKE ALL THE FANTASTIC WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE FROM THE PLANNING PERSPECTIVE AND PROJECT CONNECTED, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, LIFTING ALL OF THOSE, UH, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS, THE MAP, AND, AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING IT AND GETTING IT DONE.
SO WE KNOW THAT THE FORMATION OF AN AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS INTEGRAL INTO ENSURING THAT, UH, WHAT GETS VOTED ON CAN GET DONE BOTH FROM A PROJECT OVERSIGHT PERSPECTIVE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND CRITICALLY FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WOULD HAVE UNDER STATE LAW WOULD BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE INVESTMENT, UM, THAT VOTERS WOULD BE LOOKING AT IN NOVEMBER.
SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND I THINK AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, REALLY WHAT IT DOES BUILD UPON IS, UM, WHAT I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS SEEN OVER THESE LAST, UH, NOW SEVEN OR NOW EIGHT JOINT WORK SESSIONS THAT CITY OF CAT CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD HAVE HAD AS WELL AS ALL OF THE PROCESSES THAT HAVE GONE, GONE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAPITAL METRO, BASICALLY BRINGING THEM TOGETHER IN A FORMALIZED
[01:45:01]
NEW WAY UNDER THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, ALONG WITH CAPITAL METRO, AS THE FEDERAL GRANTEE, BRINGING ALONG FEDERAL FUNDS, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM DAVE, THAT IS REALLY ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS WHEN WE BUILT OUR INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE AND SOLVE FOR THE EQUATION OF MAXIMIZING FEDERAL FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM.THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UH, WOULD BE A NEW, TRANSPARENT, INDEPENDENT BOARD WITH UNCOMPENSATED MEMBERS.
THEY WOULD BE FOCUSED ON GOVERNANCE, FINANCING AND PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND THEY WOULD BE THE SINGLE ENTITY WITH THE AUTHORITY AND RESOURCES TO CONSTRUCT AND IMPLEMENT PROJECT CONNECT AS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY TAKE INTO, TAKE INTO THE VOTERS CITY COUNCIL ON THE CAP METRO BOARD, AS THE CREATORS OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT, UM, TO THE PARTNERSHIP AS IT WORKS OVER THE YEARS TO IMPLEMENT PROJECT CONNECT.
ULTIMATELY, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE OPERATION SIDE OF THE FUNDING, UH, THE OPERATIONS OF THE, ANY OF THE ASSETS THAT WOULD BE BUILT BY THE TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WOULD THEN BE, UM, UH, BACK TO, UH, TO CAPITAL METRO FOR OPERATIONS.
AGAIN, A KEY COMPONENT THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE A SINGULAR OPERATOR OF OUR TRANSIT NETWORK IN AUSTIN.
ONE OF THE TOPICS WE DID WANT TO COVER TODAY IN A LITTLE MORE DETAILED THAN IN THE PAST IS TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD.
THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM FOR TODAY, BUT WE THOUGHT IT'D BE IMPORTANT TO ADVANCE THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I THINK AT THE LAST JUNE 10TH MEETING AND PRIOR, YOU'VE HEARD SOME INFORMATION FROM BOSTON CONSULTANT GROUP ABOUT, UH, SOME NATIONAL LOOKS THEY'VE DONE AT DIFFERENT MAKEUP OF, OF, OF SIMILAR STYLED BOARDS AND IMPLEMENTATION BOARDS.
UM, THEY WENT THROUGH A PROCESS OF A CONVERSATIONS TO LOOK AT, UH, DIFFERENT MAKEUPS AND WHAT MIGHT BE THE RIGHT FIT FOR US IN AUSTIN.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT, UM, AN ACTION ITEM FOR YOU TODAY, BUT WE DID WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE AS YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE OF MOVING PROJECT CONNECT FORWARD.
WE LOOK AT A BOARD COMPOSITION OF A MEMBER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, A MEMBER OF THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD.
AND THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT THREE COMMUNITY EXPERTS WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE IN THREE AREAS.
ONE WOULD BE FINANCE, ONE WOULD BE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION, AND ONE WOULD BE COMMUNITY AND PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY WITH ALSO ADDRESSING ISSUES, UH, WITH, UH, WITH A SKILLSET AROUND, UH, LOOKING AT WAYS OF, OF HOUSING AND THE DISPLACEMENT, UH, CATEGORY, UH, ISSUES, UM, AND IDEAS THAT JACKIE, UM, DISCUSS EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO HOW WOULD WE GET TO THAT BOARD? UM, AS, AS BOSTON CONSULTANT GROUP HAS PUT ON THE TABLE, WE BELIEVE THERE'S A PROCESS WHERE THERE COULD BE A NOMINATING COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN REPRESENTATION FROM THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
THE ALSO SIMILAR FROM, UM, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND ON THE CAPITAL METRO SIDE FROM THEIR COMMITTEES ON FINANCE AND AUDIT AND THE COMMITTEE ON OPERATIONS AND PLANNING AND SAFETY FOR THAT JOINT NOMINATING COMMITTEE TO PUT FORWARD A SLATE OF THREE CANDIDATES FOR JOINT APPROVAL BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD, SO THAT THIS THE BOARD WOULD BE UP AND RUNNING BY JANUARY 1ST, I THINK AS YOU'VE SEEN DAVE WALKTHROUGH AND RYNETTE WALK THROUGH CERTAINLY A LOT OF WORK, UM, POST-ELECTION TO GET MOVING ON IMPLEMENTATION AND THE BOARD, THE CREATION OF THE BOARD WOULD BE CRITICAL TO, UH, CHECK STARTING THAT EFFORT.
SO, UH, HERE WE ARE AT TODAY'S ACTION.
UM, WE ARE NOW, UH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, MOVING AHEAD ON PROJECT CONNECT, NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE'RE HERE ON JULY 27TH AT THE JOINT WORK SESSION.
YOU, UH, EACH BODY HAS A RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF THEM, UM, TO DIRECT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT IS DIRECTING STAFF TO INCLUDE THE PROJECT CONNECT IN, UH, IN A TAX RATE AND PREPARE ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE TO PUT A, UH, REFERENDUM IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS.
AND AS SIMILAR ON THE CAPITAL METRO SIDE TO DIRECT THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CAPITAL METRO TO PUT IN PLACE A COMMUNITY, UM, UH, PACKAGE THAT THE COMMITMENT PACKAGE ON CAPITAL METRO FINANCES THAT THIS WEEK CITY COUNCIL WILL BE ADOPTED, BE ADOPTING ITS MAXIMUM TAX RATE.
AND THEN I THINK AS JACKIE MENTIONED, THE WHAT WILL BE, I BELIEVE THE NINTH THAT WAS COUNTING, UH, THE NINTH JOINT WORK SESSION SCHEDULED FOR NEXT FRIDAY, THE SEVENTH WHERE WE WILL, UH, IN FRONT OF THE
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BOTH BODIES WILL BE INFORMATION AROUND THE CREATION OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND THE FORMATION OF AN INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT.AGAIN, A KEY PART OF THE FINANCING AND GOVERNANCE TOGETHER, THOSE TWO PIECES FITTING TOGETHER, AND THEN ALSO INFORMATION, UH, IN ADVANCE OF SETTING A BALLOT AROUND A CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, WHICH IS A SIMILAR TOOL WE USE IN OTHER LARGE INVESTMENTS.
AND IN CAPITAL METRO WOULD ALSO BE MAKING A FUNDING, COMMITMENT RESOLUTION, A COMMUNITY FUNDING, COMMITMENT, A SOLUTION.
AND THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO ADOPT ITS BUDGET, BOTH ADOPTING THE OPERATING BUDGET, THE TAX RATE, AND AT THE SAME TIME, UH, ORDERING A ELECTION.
SO THERE ARE ACTION THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR NOW.
SO WE ARE EXCITED, UM, AFTER AN OVER TWO YEAR PROCESS COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PROCESS, UM, EIGHT JOINT WORK SESSIONS, LOTS OF COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS, UH, WE AS STAFF, THE JOINT STAFF OF, OF CAPITAL METRO IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE EXCITED, UH, TO PUT BEFORE YOU TODAY, BOTH BODIES TODAY, A RECOMMENDATION FOR AN INITIAL INVESTMENT THAT YOU CAN TAKE FORWARD TO THE VOTERS.
THEY'VE WENT OVER THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT, LOOKING AT, UM, A $7 BILLION INVESTMENT THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE A 45% FEDERAL MATCH FOR.
AND IT INCLUDES, UM, A LOT OF ELEMENTS THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS IS DAVE MENTIONED, UH, TWO NEW LIGHT RAIL LINES, UH, VARIOUS METRO RAPID LINES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, DOWNTOWN TUNNEL.
I THINK VERY KEY ONE JUST TO STRESS AGAIN, IS A GREEN LINE, A COMMUTER RAIL, A NEW COMMUTER RAIL LINE IN AUSTIN, ALL THE WAY OUT TO COUNTY PARK AS, UH, THAT AREA CONTINUES TO LOOK AT WAYS TO, UH, INVEST IN, UH, IN COUNTY PARK AREA AND OTHER AREAS OUT THERE AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS TO RED LINE AND METRO EXPRESS AND ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT DAVE TALKED ABOUT.
I THINK THE, THIS INVESTMENT, UH, WILL, AGAIN, AS WELL INCLUDED THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ON THE SEQUENCING PLAN THAT DAVE LAID OUT.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE EXCITED TO LAY THIS RECOMMENDATION OUT FOR YOU TODAY.
SO WHAT ABOUT THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT SCENARIO? I THINK KEY AS WE CAME TO THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT AT THE CORE OF IT IS A COMMITMENT TO FULLY APPLY TO THE FULLY ALREADY APPROVED PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM PLAN.
AS DAVE TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT DOES, IT ALLOWS US TO LEVERAGE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES.
AS WE BUILD OUT THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT TO BRING OTHER PARTNERS IN, TO BUILD OUT A REMAINING PIECES OF THE OVERALL SYSTEM PLAN THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED THESE FUNDING PARTNERS.
AND I THINK AUSTIN HAS, HAS DONE THAT WELL IN OTHER AREAS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE NOT ONLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TAX DOLLARS, BUT LEVERAGE THEM AGAINST OTHER INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THAT COULD RANGE FROM FEDERAL STATE REGIONAL AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
THE EXAMPLE, I THINK, ON THE ORANGE LINE OR OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE TO COORDINATE WITH TEX DOT ON THE GOLD LINE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND ON THE GREEN LINE, BEYOND COLONY PARK WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMUNITY CITIES IN MAINE AND LVN.
SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT ALSO GIVES US A SPRINGBOARD FOR OTHER FUTURE INVESTMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS.
SO WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION, WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF BOTH BODIES TODAY IS THE DETERMINATION OF THE INVESTMENT PACKAGE FOR THE AUSTIN, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER ON THE 8.50 CENT TAX RATE ELECTION THAT WE HAVE LAID OUT, UM, FOR THE INITIAL INVESTMENT, UH, IMPLEMENTATION, AND TO BRING BACK THE NECESSARY, UH, WORK, UM, TO STAND THAT UP AND PUT IT AND GET IT READY FOR A VOTER, THE VOTER APPROVAL AND A SIMILAR DIRECTION FOR THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD THAT WOULD COMMIT EXISTING AND FUTURE FUNDING FOR THIS INVESTMENT IMPLEMENTATION.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK, UH, UH, CHAIR COOPER, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU AND TO MAYOR ADLER, GREG, THANKS SO MUCH.
UH, AND THANKS AS WELL TODAY, NET, UH, JOHN HAKAN YOS AND, UH, UH, JACKIE, UH, NIERENBERG FOR THOSE PRESENTATIONS.
I KNOW STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING NONSTOP OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS, PROBABLY SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK OF BRINGING THIS TO THIS, UH, TO THIS STATE.
UM, AT THIS TIME, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BOARD MEMBERS, WHO'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT, UH, AND LETTING US GET THESE PRESENTATIONS ARE, I WONDER IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS OR ANY OF OUR PRESENTERS COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.
[01:55:01]
THANK YOU, ACTUALLY, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, UM, WHILE WE'RE HAVING QUESTIONS, I CAN GET A COPY OF WHAT CAPITAL METRO IS VOTING ON TODAY THAT WASN'T IN OUR, IN OUR PACKET AND I COULDN'T FIND IT OFFLINE ON THE CAP METRO SITE SYSTEM.A GOOD EMAIL THAT TO ME, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, ED, PERHAPS YOU COULD TAKE CARE OF THAT, CARRIE.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTERS OR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR PRESENTATIONS, NOT SEEING ANY, UM, MAYOR TIM GARZA.
UM, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ADDITIONAL, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 8.5 RIGHT NOW, AND IF WE ADD, UM, ADDITIONAL OF, OR MORE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION, UH, WHAT AT 8.75 I BELIEVE, UM, WAS TALKED ABOUT ON OUR COUNCIL MESSAGE BOARD, UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME TO BE PART OF THE MESSAGE ON KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AS FEEL FEELS LIKE WE ARE ON A CONSENSUS.
UM, FOR MANY OF US THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY, WE, WE TOOK A HISTORIC MOVE IN THE $250 MILLION AFFORDABLE BOND AND WE'D ACTUALLY STARTED A LOT HIGHER.
UM, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT COULD PASS.
AND THEN WHEN WE SAW WHAT DID PASS, I KNOW MANY OF US WERE THINKING WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR MORE.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TRIPLE POSSIBLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW, THE 8.5 OPTION INCLUDES, UM, A HUNDRED MILLION, UM, OR MAYBE 200 MILLION ACTUALLY.
AND THEN, UM, GOING UP TO 8.7, FIVE WOULD, UH, ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION I THOUGHT WAS JUST A HUNDRED MILLION.
AND SO NOW WE'RE AT 200 MILLION AND THEN I'M ADDING AN X, ANOTHER QUARTER WOULD GET US TO TRIPLING WHAT THE, AND I REALLY TRULY BELIEVE.
UM, I'M SO PROUD OF OUR VOTERS IN SO MANY WAYS LATELY, BUT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HISTORIC BOND, UM, THAT PASSED AND KNOWING THAT IN, FROM THAT PLACE, WE SHOULD HAVE, WE COULD HAVE PASSED MORE.
WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING PASSED.
AND SO WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY NOW TO DO ADD MORE FOR, FOR THAT DISPLACEMENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT IN FACT, GOING TO 8.75 DOES GET US TO 300 MILLION FOR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION THAT CORRECT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, WE HAD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, WE WERE AWARE OF THAT QUESTION THAT HAD BEEN POSED AND WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO AND WORK UNDER THE GUISE OF THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL THAT WE LAID OUT.
THAT AGAIN, IS, IS TRYING TO SOLVE FOR FPA COMPLIANCE.
WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND BY, UH, IF THE, IF IT WAS THE DESIRE OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO LOOK AT, UH, GOING ABOVE OUR RECOMMENDATION BY A QUARTER CENT TO 8.75, THAT WOULD GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED MILLION FLOORS, UM, COUPLED WITH THE POTENTIALLY $200 MILLION THAT WE HAVE IN YOUR TRANSIT INVESTMENTS, THAT WOULD BE FOR DISPLACEMENT FOR TOTAL $340.
WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
THEN WE WANT TO IT, WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE SIT DOWN WITH FTA THAT WE HAVE A COMPLIANT MODEL AND THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE MAXIMIZING FEDERAL SHARE.
UM, AND SO WE BELIEVE WITH THAT, UH, WE CAN DO THAT WITH THAT, UH, A HUNDRED MILLION THE QUARTER SET TO GET ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AND IS THERE ANYBODY THAT COULD SPEAK TO WHAT THOSE PROJECTS WOULD LOOK LIKE? THAT'S FINE.
IF NOT, BUT I'M WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT COULD SPEAK TO WHAT THE PROJECTS COULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN I I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK MAYOR FIRST OFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UM, YOUR STATEMENTS ABOUT, UM, GOING TO THE 8.75 AND 300 MILLION.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT, UH, PERHAPS JACKIE SPOKE TO EARLIER, BUT, BUT PERHAPS WE'VE ALSO CONSIDERED AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF CO-CREATING, UM, AT A UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL, DIFFERENT TIME, DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO THOSE COULD INCLUDE JUST FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, FOR PURCHASING LAND,
[02:00:01]
UH, INVESTING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT THEY ALSO CAN INCLUDE THE WHOLE RANGE OF, UM, DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT, UM, WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE AS PART OF THE UPROOTED OR REPORT THINGS LIKE, UM, HOME REPAIRS, TARGETED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, RIGHT TO RETURN POLICIES, UH, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND WEALTH ALONG THESE FORWARDERS IS THAT THESE NEED TO BE UNIQUE TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, ALONG THESE CORRIDORS, THEY NEED TO BE CO-CREATED WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND THEY NEED TO BE, AND, UH, AHEAD OF CONSTRUCTION.I THINK THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UM, IS BROAD ENOUGH LANGUAGE TO ALLOW FOR THE FULL RANGE OF, UH, DISPLACEMENT STRATEGY.
I HAVE ONE MORE COMMON THAN NOT, THEN I WAS DONE.
SHE WAS ANSWERING MY QUESTION.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IT'S ALSO THINK COUNSELOR KITCHEN.
IT WAS, UM, SHE LED ON THE RESOLUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ADDRESSING DISPLACEMENT EARLY IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, MANY WILL SPEAK TO THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAY, OR MAYBE WE CAN JUST ADD THAT TO THE BASE MOTION OF ADDING THAT THE, THE, THE, THE TRIPLING, THE INVESTMENT IN, IN DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION.
AND THEN JUST SAY THAT, UM, AS PART OF, UH, BEING ABLE TO WEAR BOTH HATS, YOU KNOW, ON THE COUNCIL AND AS A BOARD MEMBER, I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN TO, TO TAKE SOME OF THESE TRIPS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE.
AND IT WAS INTERESTING GOING INTO OTHER COMMUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN A PLACE THEN WHERE LISTENING TO THEM SAY HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE MESSAGE OF JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS, UM, HOW THAT HAD MADE THEIR PROJECT SUCCESSFUL.
I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE NOW IN A VERY SIMILAR POSITION BECAUSE GOING TO THOSE COMMUNITIES AT THAT TIME, AUSTIN WAS IN A POSITION WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HEAR, WELL, IT BRINGS MORE JOBS AND IT DOES ALL THIS.
AND WE PUT IN SUCH A GOOD PLACE, BUT NOW WE ARE IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE.
AND SO LOOKING AT THIS FOR ME THROUGH THAT LENS, UM, THIS REALLY IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED AN INVESTMENT IN OUR TRANSIT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT, UM, SINCE BECOMING A COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, NOW I JUST BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY PROS AND OF COURSE WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT.
UM, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS, THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING EQUITY AND, AND DISPLACEMENT.
AND, AND I CAN'T SEE ANY OTHER OPTIONS TO GO TO THE 8.75, BUT THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF THAT, ALL YOUR AMAZING WORK ON, ON, ON GETTING US TO THIS TEM.
I HAVE COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN NEXT.
UH, FIRST, UH, WANT TO, UH, TO COMMAND, UH, CITY COUNCIL FOR, UH, MAKING SUCH A LARGE COMMITMENT TO DISPLACEMENT FUNDER.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL ISSUE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, BECAUSE OF WHAT HISTORY TELLS US, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE SEEN THE SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN OH TWO CORRIDOR, WHICH WHEN I MOVED TO WAS, WAS, UH, A VERY POOR CORRIDOR AND HAVE A HIGHEST NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES OF ANY COMMUNITY.
AND WE, AS WE, AS A CITY, WE, AS A REGION, UH, TOOK SEVERAL STRATEGIES AT, AT THAT TIME WE DID INFIELD SPENDING.
WE MADE SIGNIFICANT LAND PURCHASES, THE CITY OWNED OUR PROPERTY.
AND, AND INITIALLY WE TALKED ABOUT IT WAS GOING TO BE PROPERTY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, UH, THAT OUR GOALS WERE NOT MET.
AND I THINK MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE, UH, WE DIDN'T DO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.
AND FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S NOT THIS COUNCIL.
UH, BUT, UH, WE DID NOT DO THIS, THE SIGNIFICANT PLANNING, UH, BEFORE THE INVESTMENTS WERE MADE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS A COUNTY.
UH, YOU ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS A CITY.
UH, MAYBE SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO DO SOME LAND BANKING TO, TO PURCHASE PROPERTY AT, AT, UH, AT WHAT WILL BE LOWER PRICES NOW, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THOSE CORRIDORS (787) 247-8725 BECAUSE OF INVESTMENT OUT THERE, THOSE, THOSE PRICES AND VALUES OF THAT PROPERTY WILL GO UP.
I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK TOGETHER AND BUILD THE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE
[02:05:01]
THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES OF DISPLACEMENT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY ANYMORE AND NOT BEING PUSHED OUT IN THOSE AREAS.AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE PLAN COMPREHENSIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN OH TWO HAPPENED IN SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN TWO FOUR AND SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN TWO FIVE.
AND I THINK THE COMMITMENT TO DISPLACEMENT DOLLARS IS A HUGE MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
UH, AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HOW WE PUT, UH, A LAND THAT THE COUNTY OWNS INTO TRUST, UH, HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVE OURSELVES THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THAT AREA IMPROVES, THAT IT DOESN'T BECOME UNAFFORDABLE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY LIVE THERE.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, THINK WITH AN EQUITY LENS.
I THINK THIS IS A HUGE FIRST STEP, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE ARE ALSO BRINGING IN THE BEST MINDS AND LOOKING AT, UH, THE, THE, UH, EFFECTIVE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THIS TURNS OUT TO BE WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE, THAT OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPS WELL, AND THAT, AND THAT AS IT DEVELOPS, ALL OF US HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSIT.
SO THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE MADE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER AS WE GO FORWARD.
IF THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS IT'S FOR OUR PRESENTERS WOULD BE THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THAT.
I'LL ASK THE MAYOR MAYBE TO TAKE OVER THE PROGRAM SO THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DEAL WITH THIS MOTION, RIGHT.
AND IN A WAY, IN THAT REGARD, JUST TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT LONGER VIEW OF THE HORIZON, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE OUT TUNITY AND HOW TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
IT WOULD BE MY INTENT AND THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION THERE PRO TAM IS TO GIVE EVERYBODY ON THE COUNCIL, THE ABILITY TO HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO TALK AND TO SAY WHAT THEY ARE THINKING.
MY SENSE IS IS THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MOTION.
I'M GOING TO INVITE EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL THAT WANTS TO, TO JOIN IN THAT MOTION AND JOIN IN MAKING THAT MOTION.
UM, AND MY HOPE IS THAT AFTER PEOPLE TALK, WE'LL HAVE A SENSE OF, OF WHAT THAT, OF WHAT THAT MOTION IS, UH, BUT SEE IF WE CAN DO IT BY WAY OF THAT BASE MOTION, BUT I'LL WAIT TO, TO, TO DO, TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE TO SPEAK, UH, AFTER, UH, CHAIRMAN COOPER HAS DONE TAKING US THROUGH QUESTIONS OF THE PRESENTERS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR, AND THEN MADISON.
I'M SO NOT HAVE A COPY OF WHAT CHAP METRO IS VOTING ON.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AS I SEE THIS, THIS FUNCTION AS WELL, IF IT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH CAP METRO, UM, AND THE CITY, THIS DOCUMENT, UM, SEEMS TO BE COMMITTING THEM FOR OUR TAX FOR THE, FOR THE FUNDS IDENTIFIED FOR 2021.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A RESOLUTION TO OFFER, UM, THAT'D BE VOTED ON, ON AUGUST 7TH, THAT WOULD THEN PROVIDE THE LONGER TERM COMMITMENT.
UM, CAN SOMEONE SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE LONGER TERM COMMITMENT, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING VOTERS TO SUPPORT A TRE, WHICH GOES INFINITELY INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PARTNERSHIP SIDE FROM THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CAP METRO.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE AT THIS POINT ASKING THE MANAGER TO COME BACK WITH THAT.
WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY SENDING IT TO THE VOTERS YET IN THE PROCESS.
UM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE THROUGH THIS PROCESS ARE, UM, UH, DOCUMENTING THAT COLLABORATION AND THAT FINANCIAL COMMITTEE I MIGHT CALL ON PRESIDENT CLARK, RESPOND TO THAT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, UH, WE DO HAVE IT SET UP, UH, DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS ACTUALLY JUST BEEN PRESENTED A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING PREVIOUS WORK SESSIONS.
AND I, AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FOR EVERYTHING ON EVERYONE'S PLATE.
UH, THOSE THINGS SEEM LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO.
UM, WHAT I THINK WOULD BE REST IS MAYBE IF RYNETTE IS STILL AVAILABLE, SHE COULD, UH, GO THROUGH IT QUICKLY.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO THEN SIT WITH YOU AND GO OVER MORE DETAIL, BUT IT'S THINGS LIKE CAP METRO'S, UH, SALES TAX, CAP, METROS, FARE, REVENUE, PARKING REVENUE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT MAYBE RYNETTE COULD GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL CAUSE THERE IS SOME GROWTH OVER THAT OVER TIME AND HOW IT KIND OF COMES TOGETHER.
SO BURNETT ARE, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO PROBABLY GIVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER ANSWER THAN ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SO, UM, AS PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED THE REVENUES FROM CAPITAL METRO WILL COME FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.
UH, FIRST CAPITAL METRO PLAN TO COMMIT FROM ITSELF
[02:10:01]
TAXES ON ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION STARTING OFF 20 MILLION A YEAR IN 2023, AND THEN GROWING OVER TIME AND THEN ESCALATING TO 30 MILLION IN 2027 AND THEREAFTER GROWING BY 3% PER YEAR.IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM WILL REPLACE SECTIONS OF THE EXISTING ROUTE EIGHT OH ONE AND ROUTE 20 AND O AND M COSTS CURRENTLY EXPANDED ON THOSE ROUTES CAN BE REALLOCATED, THE PROJECT CONNECT LINES, AND THAT WILL YIELD 7 MILLION STARTING IN 2028 AND WILL ESCALATE UNTIL 2035, FOR EXAMPLE, SAMPLE THAT WILL ESCALATE TO 8.6 MILLION.
WE ALSO PLAN TO IMPLEMENT, UH, PARKING FEES AT THE PARK AND RIDES.
AND THEN WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE SYSTEM, THAT SYSTEM WILL ALSO GENERATE FAIR REVENUE THAT WILL GROW OVER TIME.
SO IN CUMULUS CUMULATION, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THESE REVENUE SOURCES, WHEN THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINE WILL START GOING LIVE, THAT REVENUE WILL GROW FROM 50 MILLION IN 2028 TO APPROXIMATELY 82 MILLION IN 2036.
UM, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION OR DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I THINK IT GIVES ME A GOOD OVERVIEW FOR NOW AND, UM, WOULD APPRECIATE SEEING IT IN WRITING AND JUST WOULD ASK THAT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, IF WE'RE VOTING ON SEPARATE THINGS THAT, UM, WHAT THE OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATION IS VOTING ON IS ALSO MADE AVAILABLE TO US, UM, IN THE BACKUPS SO THAT WE CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE EACH, UM, COMMITTING TO.
I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, HELP WITH TRANSPARENCY AND HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE BUILDING, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
IF I COULD, UH, COUNCILOR ALTO I'LL TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY.
I, I THINK THE INTENT WAS TO SEND BOTH, UH, RESOLUTIONS TO BOTH PARTIES.
AND SO I'LL JUST TAKE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
AND WHEN WE GO TOWARDS ON THE SEVENTH, UH, IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT BOTH RESOLUTIONS, BUT THE CITY SIGN WILL BE THE CONTRACT FOR THE VOTERS AND THAT CAP METRO WE'RE CALLING COMMUNITY COMMITMENT.
WE'LL SHOW ALL THOSE ELEMENTS IN THERE.
SO BOTH PARTIES COULD SEE THAT FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY AND THE SEQUENCE PLAN THAT CONNECTS IT ALL TOGETHER.
SO AGAIN, APOLOGIES THAT YOU DID NOT GET THAT, UH, AS INTENDED BEFORE THE BABY.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, I THINK, UH, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T SEE HER, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER BARBARA MEDICINE WAS FIRST.
SO I THOUGHT YOU WOULD RESPOND TO THAT.
I STARTED TO, BUT, BUT, BUT, UM, PART CANCER, RANDY CLARK CANCER.
SO I HAVE A DIFFERENT QUESTION, BUT GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY MOST OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED BY MY COLLEAGUES, WHICH IS GREAT.
THAT MEANS WE'RE ALL THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES.
UM, THE ONE QUESTION THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE I GOT A SATISFACTORY ANSWER ON YET, UM, IS KIND OF AN EXTENSION OF THE QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR JUST ASKED.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO COMPLETING THE PROJECT AFTER THE INITIAL INVESTMENT AND ARE THERE ANY SORT OF POINTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE CHECK BACK IN AND SAY, AND YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE WAS DONE QUESTION, RANDY, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT? I GUESS I'LL TAKE THAT QUICK QUESTION.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU ALL ARE ADVANCING THE INITIAL INVESTMENT SCENARIO, PARTNERING WITH CAP, METRO IS MONEY TO PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED ON THAT SEQUENCE SLIDE.
THEN THE IDEA IS THAT WE COULD GO AND SEE, UH, ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO DRAW FUTURE REVENUES FOR THE REST OF THOSE ELEMENTS.
WHEN WE GET TOWARDS THE EVOLVEMENT, I THINK GOT A COPY OF THE FIRST VERSION OF A DRAFT ILA FOR THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
THERE OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE A FEEDBACK MECHANISM.
I E KNOW, HYPOTHETICALLY THERE IS MORE REVENUE AVAILABLE IN 2024, 2028, 2040.
YOU, IF THE IDEA AT THAT POINT, WE MAY HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO DO MORE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET CONNECT SYSTEM PLAN.
AND THE INTENT IS THAT WOULD BE, BE A POLICY DECISION.
SO THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WOULD THEN GO BACK FOR ACTION BY AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAP METRO BOARD TO SAY, YOU NOW HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE EMV, A REGIONAL STATE, FEDERAL PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY GO FORTH AND GO THIS METRO RAPID PROJECT, DO THE ORANGE LINE EXTENSION, DO THE GOAL LINE, ET CETERA.
SO YOU'VE ALL PASSED THE SYSTEM PLAN BACK LAST MONTH.
THIS IS THE INITIAL INVESTMENT TO BILL, A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THAT.
AND THEN AS REVENUES BECOME AVAILABLE THROUGH A VARIETY OF SOURCES,
[02:15:01]
GO BACK TO THE TWO POLICY-MAKING BOARDS TO SAY, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMPLETE THE BUILD OUT OF THIS SYSTEM NOW THAT THESE OTHER MONIES ARE AVAILABLE? I HOPEFULLY THAT GIVES AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.MORE OR LESS ANSWERS TO MY QUESTION.
IT DOES NOT HELP ME TO, UM, TO RESPOND TO MOST OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, WHEN THEY ASKED THAT QUESTION.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, AND AS SIMPLIFIED OF TERMS AS POSSIBLE, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT Y'ALL SHOOT ME SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION WHEN CONSTITUENTS ASK, WELL, WILL DO THANK YOU.
I THINK IT'D BE IMPORTANT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO KNOW THAT THERE'D BE INDEPENDENT.
AUDITOR'S WHEN I ANNUAL BASIS PROVIDING AUDITS BACK TO BOTH CITY COUNCIL AND TO CAP METRO SO THAT OUR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS CAN ENSURE THAT THE ATP IS ON TRACK.
THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE HELPFUL IN THAT IT SPEAKS TO THAT LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT I'M LOOKING FOR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, THE, THE PROJECT, THE INVESTMENT AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS WAY.
I REMEMBER STRATTON AND REMEMBER KITCHEN.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? OKAY.
I'VE BEEN HAVING SOME INTERNET ISSUES ON MY END.
SO YOU LOOK LIKE YOU CAME FROM MY OLD MOVIE, BUT, UM, I BELIEVE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MR. CANALY, UH, BUT, UH, IT'S A TWO PARTER.
SO PART ONE, UH, IF THE, UM, THE, SO WE PASS THE, OR THE, UM, UH, THE, UH, CAP METRO BOARD PASSES, UH, AND DECIDES, YES, WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT TO PUT OUR, OUR SHARED WITH FUNDING INTO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
THIS AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, CITY OF AUSTIN AGREES TO PUT ANY FUNDING IN SUCH THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH TAX RATE ELECTION, THAT THE VOTERS THEN ULTIMATELY DECIDE.
SO IF THE VOTERS THEN MAKE THAT DECISION TO DO SO, WHEN ARE THOSE FUNDS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE? WHEN DOES ALL THIS ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY START ALL THE, ALL THOSE POOLED RESOURCES? WHEN, WHEN DOES THE FIRST AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHETHER IT BE OUR MONEY FROM CAP METRO SIDE OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN MONEY FIRST BECOME AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
THAT'S PART ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I CAN, I THINK I CAN ANSWER BOTH PIECES OF IT, OF THE FIRST QUESTION.
SO AS I, AS WE WALK THROUGH ON THE UPCOMING ACTIONS, UM, WITH TODAY'S, UH, WITH TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION AND CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, DETERMINING THE INVESTMENT PACKAGE AND THE TAX RATE, UM, UH, IN A SENSE, THE NEXT STEP ON THE CITY SIDE IS THAT WOULD THEN BE INCLUDED IN THE CITY'S UPCOMING ANNUAL TAX RATE AND BUDGET THAT WILL BE SET THIS WEEK, AND THEN FORMALLY ADOPTED ON AUGUST 12TH, 13TH, AND 14TH.
ONCE THE CITY COUNCIL FORMALLY, UM, ADOPTS THAT BUDGET, IT WOULD THEN TRIGGER THE REFERENDUM, THE ELECTION THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT UPON PASSAGE OF THAT ELECTION, IF IT PASSED THE FUNDS, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRE WOULD BE PART OF THE UPCOMING TAX REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAX BILLS THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
SO REALLY STARTING IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, WHICH AGAIN WAS A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE OVERALL FUNDING MODEL SO THAT WE CAN LOWER OUR OVERALL DEBT COSTS TO BEGIN INVESTING IN ALL OF THE PROJECTS.
THE SAME THING WITH CAP METRO, I'LL TAKE A CRACK AT ANSWERING THIS AND RYNETTE CAN GIVE ME A VIRTUAL, UM, A SLAP IF I DON'T GET IT RIGHT.
BUT IS THAT THE, UH, IS, IS THAT YOU LIVE CAPITAL METRO WILL ALSO BE DIRECTING, UH, THE PRESIDENT CEO TO, UH, AS YOU ADOPT YOUR BUDGET FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, THERE WOULD BE FUNDS INCLUDING EUROPE, BUT, BUT THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD COMMIT CAP METRO TO BOTH OF THOSE FUNDING STREAMS TOGETHER.
AND ONCE THOSE FUNDING STREAMS ARE IN THERE, UM, AGAIN, ATP WOULD BE MANAGING THOSE FUNDS TO DO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND, AND TO ON COUNCIL MEMBER MADISON'S QUESTION ATP BOOT WOULD BE, UH, NOT ONLY INDEPENDENT AUDIT THAT CHAIR COOPER MENTIONED, BUT ALSO ATP.
ALL OF THEIR MEETINGS WOULD BE PUBLIC MEETING, TRANSPARENT MEETINGS UNDER THE GOVERNMENTAL CODE.
UM, THERE WOULD BE A WEBSITE TRACKING PERFORMANCE MEASURES AROUND ALL THE INVESTMENT AS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO BOARD, UH, THE CAN EXIST IN PLAN, ANY INITIAL INVESTMENT TO TEST PART ONE, I MEAN, CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS STRATEGY.
NOW WE'VE SET ASIDE DOLLARS ANTICIPATING THIS.
SO CAN'T METRO DOLLARS WOULD BE AVAILABLE AS SOON AS ATP IS APPROPRIATE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I APPRECIATE PART, PART, ONE OF MY QUESTION THAT TIES INTO PART TWO OF MY QUESTION, WHICH I THINK IS MORE OF A DATE COUCH QUESTION, UM, AS I GO BACK AND AS I WAS LOOKING BACK THROUGH MY COPY, UH,
[02:20:01]
OF THE, UH, PRESENTATION, I THINK IT WAS BACK AT SLIDE, MAYBE 25, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY LOOKING AT THE PROJECT TIMELINE.UH, IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING AS I READ THAT CORRECTLY? UM, I KNOW SO MUCH OF THE FOCUS OF THIS IS, IS AROUND IN THE CAPITAL FOR THAT MATTER TOO.
IT WAS FOCUSED AROUND THE ORANGE LINE, THE BLUE LINE AND THE TUNNEL, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE A BUNCH OF THIS MONEY IS GOING TO END UP GOING INTO, BUT IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING AS I LOOKED AT THOSE THAT ONCE THIS MONEY BECOMES AVAILABLE EFFECTIVE BEGINNING OF THE TAX YEAR, IF, IF ALL THIS GOES THROUGH AND ALL THE PIECES PUT TOGETHER, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING ONLINE IMMEDIATELY, OR PRETTY QUICKLY WITHIN, WITHIN, UH, 21, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO BE SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR EIGHT, 10, 12 YEARS FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS THING TO ACTUALLY START.
IT'S NOT A PAY FOR IT NOW WAIT FOR IT LATER KIND OF THING, IS THAT CORRECT? DID I SEE SOME THINGS ON THERE, LIKE, LIKE RED LINE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO ONLINE NOW, METRO RAPID BUSES THAT AREN'T EVEN CONTINUING TO COME ONLINE, LIKE PARK AND RIDES GET, CAN YOU KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THOSE THINGS? JUST, JUST CLARIFY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO GET INITIALLY THAT, THAT SINCE WE KNOW THE BIG THINGS, BUT, BUT ARE WE GOING TO BE GETTING SOME OF THESE AT SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS COMING OUT INITIALLY AS A RESULT OF THIS, IF WE CONTINUE TO, OF COURSE, YES.
BERBERINE IS TRADING EXACTLY RIGHT.
UH, AS WE START TO MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THINGS LIKE THE CIRCULATORS.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO FORWARD WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE RED LINES THAT WILL LET US GO AHEAD AND BRING THAT FREQUENCY TO 15 MINUTES.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO OUT WITH THE FIRST THREE OF THE METRO RAPID LINES, EXPO PLEASANT VALLEY, UH, AND ALSO THE EXTENSION TO THE EIGHT OH THREE, TWO MAN CHECK OUT AND ALSO DOWN TO OAK HILL.
THOSE ARE EARLY PROJECTS THAT WE CAN DO.
UH, WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THE COORDINATION, UH, SO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE PARK AND RIDES WORK, UH, WORK IN COOPERATIVELY.
UH, AND THEN THE PROCUREMENT OF THE NEW BUSES THAT ROLL ELECTRIC.
SO YES, THERE IS A LOT OF IT IN THAT DIRECTION THAT WE CAN DO AT THE VERY BEGINNING VERY QUICKLY.
UH, AND AS YOU POINT OUT, IT WILL TAKE A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME FOR THE LIGHT RAIL, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, WHICH IS MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE THAN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH FOR THESE OTHER LINES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT I WAS CLEAR THAT, THAT WHATEVER THAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, THIS ISN'T ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUT THE MONEY IN OR TRY TO TRY TO COMMIT MONEY OR TRY TO HOPEFULLY COMMIT MONEY, PAY FOR IT NOW, BUT NOT SEE ANYTHING FOR 10, 12, 15, 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT, WHAT WE TOGETHER AS A CAP METRO BOARD AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEN ULTIMATELY GETS THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN WOULD DO IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE SEEING REAL MEASURABLE RESULTS AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR, BABY STEPS, BUT YES, MEASURABLE RESULTS THAT WE CAN SEE TOWARDS THE, TOWARDS THE BIG, TOWARDS THE USE OF PROJECT CONNECT EARLY ON.
AND THEN FROM THERE LEADING UP TO THE BIGGER THINGS, IT'S NOT JUST DO IT NOW, PAY FOR IT, PAY FOR IT.
PEOPLE COULD START USING THIS STUFF PRETTY DAG-GONE QUICKLY.
IT JUST NOT THE BIGGER, BIGGER THINGS PRECISELY.
I'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN THEN COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY FOR RANDY CLARK.
WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOMEONE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HOW THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IS A COMMITMENT TO, TO THE FULL PROJECT CONNECT, UM, PLAN, AND THAT IT WAS A PRUDENT, INITIAL INVESTMENT, UM, UH, WHICH ALLOWS US, UH, TO LEVERAGE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS OVER TIME.
BUT ONE ASPECT WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO YOU YET IS THE RE NATURE OF THIS.
UM, AND I KNOW FOR, UM, SOME, SOME FOLKS HAVE TALKED TO IN, IN FAR SOUTH AUSTIN WATER, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE PARTS OF TOWN TO THAT CLASS AND THE, THE, UM, THE REGIONAL ASPECT AND THE CONNECTING SOUTH TO BUDA OR KYLE OR SAN MARCUS, UH, IS SOMETHING ON THE HORIZON, UH, AGAIN WITH THEIR INVESTMENTS.
SO COULD YOU TAKE THE, THE POTENTIAL TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT OVER TIME? YEAH, SURE.
THANKS FOR THE QUESTION COUNCILMEMBER.
SO THEY HAVE A LONG RANGE REGIONAL PLAN AS WELL THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH CAMPUS STAKEHOLDERS ON THE AVERAGE PERSON NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT BY TEXAS LAW TRANSIT AGENCIES ARE BASED ON WHERE VOTERS HAVE VOTED INTO THE SYSTEM AND THEN HAVE ALLOCATED THAT THEIR SCENT OF SALES TAX TO THAT PIECE.
METRO IS EXAMPLE OR MAYNOR OR LAND OR ET CETERA.
THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME CAP METRO
[02:25:01]
OR TRANSIT SERVICE, BUT THEY HAVE NOT FORMALLY ENTERED THAT TYPE OF ARRANGEMENT.SO WE, WE GET FROM TIME TO TIME SOMEONE FROM, UH, SAY PFLUGERVILLE, AND THEY'LL SAY, WE WANT A TRANSIT SERVICE IN FLICKERVILLE THAT PFLUGERVILLE IS WORKING SAROO.
AND IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WANT TO MOVE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS FORWARD TO CONTRACT WITH CAP METRO FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND WE EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE DO THAT ROUND ROCK AND GEORGETOWN THERE'S SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HAD INITIAL DISCUSSIONS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE LEGALLY PROHIBITED FROM RUNNING STATE BUSES IN HOT, OUT AS AN EXAMPLE, OR SAN MARCOS UNTIL THAT COMMUNITY, UH, LEGALLY, UH, ENTERS A CONTRACT OR STATUTORILY, ANY SALES TAX ALLOCATION INTO THE CAP METRO SERVICE AREA WITH THAT SAID, WE CLEARLY ARE GROWING AS A REGION AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO MORE TRANSIT SERVICE.
SO I THINK THE AREAS WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY ARE, UH, LARGER DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE GOING ON AS THE AREA BECOMES MORE URBANIZED TO THIS ADVANCING OF THIS PROGRAM, I THINK WILL NATURALLY ADVANCE THE LARGER CONVERSATION IN THE REGION BECAUSE THEY'LL SEE A MAJOR COMMITMENT FOR TRANSFORMATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THREE ARE THE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALSO GOING ON TRANSPORTATION WISE, THEY'LL COMPLIMENT PROJECT CONNECT.
SO GOOD EXAMPLE IS
IF, IF, IF, AND WHEN THOSE PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD, WE, WE RUN A REALLY GREAT EXPRESS BUS SERVICE IN THE NORTHWEST RIGHT NOW.
CANCEL COUNCILMEMBER PLAN AGAIN, AVAILS FROM TIME TO TIME, I SEE HIM ON, UH, ON SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONING THOSE BUS TRIPS, UH, UM, COUNSELING, OUR BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON DOES AS WELL, AND A BOARD MEMBER, OUR MAYOR HILDA'S.
SO WE WANT TO REPLICATE THAT KIND OF QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE REGION.
AND SO WE'VE HAD, WE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING WITH COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS, AS AN EXAMPLE, DOWN IN THE WILDFLOWER AREA, UH, TRYING TO RUN A REALLY GOOD EXPRESS BUS SERVICE FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN THE SOUTHWEST FOR SLAUGHTER AND TECH RIDGE.
WE ENVISION LONGTERM REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CENTERS, WHERE YOU COULD IMAGINE, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY THE CAP METRO LIGHT RAIL AND BUS SERVICE, BUT MAYBE REGIONAL SERVICE TO DALLAS, AS EXAMPLE CONNECTING IN THERE AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, OUR GOAL IS TO ALWAYS KEEP ROWING THE SYSTEM BASED ON THE PART PARTNERS WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SYSTEM.
SO, SORRY FOR LONG ANSWER, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A COMPLEX QUESTION CAUSE IT'S, THERE'S SO MANY LAYERS TO IT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN AUSTIN THAT LIVE FURTHER SOUTH, LIKE BUDDHA AND KYLE.
AND SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT, UH, ASSUMING THOSE IN THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UM, COMMUNITIES ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT CAN HAPPEN OVER TIME WITH THEIR INVESTMENT.
UM, AND THIS WILL ONLY, UM, THIS WILL ONLY MAKE IT, UM, BETTER INVESTMENT FOR THEM AND A BETTER POSSIBILITY.
I'VE GOT COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN THEN A COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER, SARAH, AND, AND, UH, AND THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, AN EXTENSION OF THE EQUITY DISCUSSION.
AND WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION EARLIER, AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE, THERE ARE SOME, SOME ROUTE CHANGES, UH, THAT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF CAP REMAP AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO, UH, BETWEEN CABINET AND THE CITY IS TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT DOLLARS AND TO REALLY BUILD A FOCUSED PLAN, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN, UH, ON THE DSR ROAD CORRIDOR BETWEEN BREAKER AND PALMER, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR SIDEWALKS THAT ARE CONNECTING A NEW BUS ROUTES ARE ADA CERTIFIED AND, AND, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW THAT WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT, UH, THAT HAD SOME ROUTE, UH, CHANGES AND SOME ROUTE ADDITIONS.
UM, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE HAVE, UH, PARENTS WITH CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE NAVIGATING THOSE CHANGES, WE EXPLICITLY BUILD A PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE SIDEWALKS IN THAT AREA.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS NEXT.
AND I APPRECIATE IT, RANDY CLARK, BRINGING UP THE WILDFLOWER CENTER, PARKING RIGHTS, CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, AND MAYBE THIS QUESTION IS FOR MR. COUCH.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE PINNACLE PARKING RIGHT, JUST OPENED DOWN AT THE PROPERTY THAT ACC OWNS AT THE LIGHT OAK HILL AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, WAS ABLE TO JOIN ME DURING THAT RIBBON KIND OF SERVICE.
UM, BUT YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE EIGHT OH THREE EXTENSION WITHOUT JUST THE ADDING BUSES AND DIFFERENT STOPS TO THE EXISTING UNIT OR THREE ROUTE? OR WHAT WOULD THAT TRANSITION LOOK LIKE FOR EXTENDING THE EIGHT OH THREE? UH,
[02:30:01]
YES.IT WOULD BE THE ADDITION OF BUSES.
UH, IT WOULD BE THE ADDITION OF STOPS.
UH, WE CURRENTLY, AS YOU KNOW, HAVE LEASED THE SPACE AT THE PINNACLE PARKING LOT, UH, AND THE AREA WHERE WE HAVE THE CURRENT SMALL PARKING LOT IS THE AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UH, BY TECH STACK TO GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THAT INTERCHANGE AROUND.
UH, SO YES, IT WOULD BE THE ADDITION OF BUSES SO THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THE BUSES GOING UP FROM OAK HILL AND ALSO UP MAN MANCHESTER, UH, TO MERGE BACK ON THE SOUTH LAMAR SECTION.
AND DO YOU KNOW AT THIS POINT, HOW FAR APART TIME-WISE THE BUSES WOULD OPERATE? UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING RIGHT NOW WOULD BE THE 10 MINUTE FREQUENCY, UH, AND THAT REALLY WOULD DEPEND UPON THE TIME OF DAY.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S FANTASTIC AND THAT IS MUCH NEEDED IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN.
NOW I'M TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND MAKING STEPS FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR PARTICIPATION IN MARCH.
AND, UM, I WANNA KEEP MY TIME REALLY SHORT.
AND SO I JUST, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THAT THE EXTENSIONS OF THE ORANGE LINE WOULDN'T BE DELAYED BY US, UH, GOING WITH THE 8.75 OPTION SO LONG AS, UH, EITHER WE'D HAVE A, UH, A SMALLER SECOND ELECTION TO FINISH FUNDING THEM, OR IF WE GOT ENOUGH, UM, OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING TO KEEP MOVING, IS THAT RIGHT? JUST BECAUSE I, I WANT TO SEE THE FULL SYSTEM PLAN IMPLEMENTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CAP METRO IS WE CAN DO THAT ON THE SAME TIMELINE, UH, OR POTENTIALLY EVEN FASTER.
UM, IF WE, UM, AND THAT THIS DOES IT, UH, THIS WILL, IT WOULDN'T SLOW THAT DOWN AND WE MIGHT JUST HAVE TO FEED THOSE EXTRA STEPS.
I THINK PICK A ANSWER THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO YES, UH, WE, WE ARE VERY MUCH COMMITTED TO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM PLAN.
THE BOARD APPROVE THAT NOW THAT IS A FORMALIZED VOTE IN THE WORLD OF FEDERAL TRANSIT.
YOU APPRECIATE THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTING AND AFFIRMING THAT DECISION AS WELL.
IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES IN THOSE SECTIONS, SPECIFICALLY A DEEP DESIGN COORDINATION WITH TECH STOCK BECAUSE IT IS STATE STATE OWNED RIGHT AWAY.
UH, UH, ONCE THOSE TWO, UM, IF YOU WILL, UH, OBSTACLES OR OUR ITEMS ARE RESOLVED, UH, DEFINITELY THE IDEA IS TO ADVANCE THOSE PROGRAMS. SO OUR GOAL IS WE REALLY WANT THE ENTIRE ORANGE LINE BILL, RIGHT? AND IN THOSE PLACES WE COULD HAVE UP TO FIVE, OR WE CAN HAVE THINGS AS FREQUENT AS EVERY FIVE MINUTES, PLUSES EVERY FIVE MINUTES WITH THIS, WITH THIS ACTION AT EIGHT, SEVEN, FIVE.
WE, WE BELIEVE VERY MUCH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA YOU'RE REFERRING TO, UH, THERE IS A LOT OF TRANSIT DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS, PEOPLE THAT ARE CURRENT CUSTOMERS AND EVEN MORE, MORE WILL BE CUSTOMERS.
WE WANT TO DELIVER UP TO A FIVE MINUTE FREQUENCY IN THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM, WHICH, UH, I WANT TO THANK MY TREMBLE.
I KNOW HE WORKS WITH DAVE ALL THE TIME.
THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OF ANSWERING THAT PROGRAM.
THERE'S THINGS OF STOCK CHANGES, UH, SIGNAL, LIGHT IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, WE WANT TO RUN REALLY, REALLY HIGH QUALITY BUS SERVICE, A CHECK RIDGE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, AND NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONNECT INTO BOTH THE ORANGE LINE AND THE BLUE LINE TO REALLY CONNECT THEM THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
AND, UH, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID AT THE BEGINNING HERE ABOUT, UH, FIRST WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A $300 MILLION INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, UH, BACK IN 2018 AND BEING ABLE TO INCLUDE THAT AS PART AND PARCEL OF OUR, UM, MOBILITY, UH, STRATEGY, I THINK IS REALLY POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT.
SO WHEN WE GET AROUND TO THAT, I THINK AT EIGHT 75, WITH THAT, UH, $300 MILLION ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND, UM, THANK YOU TO HIS STAFF FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL REALLY STELLAR WORK ON PULLING ALL OF THIS REALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND THE COMPLICATED SYSTEM PLAN TOGETHER.
I AM PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN AND AN ADVOCATE FOR CONTINUING TO SEEK OUT AND SUPPORT OUR EAST-WEST TRANSIT ACCESS SO THAT WE HAVE A LOT IN NORTHWEST WHATSAPP THAT WE NEED EAST WEST AS WELL.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT A NUMBER OF TIMES, UM, AND THE, UH, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN GET TO THE 300 MILLION RANDY DISPLACEMENT, I POSTED ON A MESSAGE BOARD THAT I TALKED ABOUT 8.75 COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SAW HER, I HAD SUGGESTED WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD, UH, LOOKED PRETTY GOOD TO ME.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
I WANTED TO ASK IF RANDY CLARK, IF YOU COULD TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TWO TRAIN STATIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN DISTRICT SEVEN THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, THAT I'VE BEEN DIGGING PRETTY DEEP TO TRY TO FIND A FINANCING FOR, AND WHICH FRANKLY, THE SUCCESS FOR THE LINES GOING THROUGH
[02:35:01]
THE SPINE OF DISTRICT SEVEN IN A MORE CENTRAL PART OF OUR CITY REALLY GONNA MEAN A LOT.AND THAT'S THE, UM, BROADMORE STATION UP AT THE DOMAIN.
AND THEN, UH, THE MCCALLA PLACE, UM, STATION, WHICH IS WHERE THE SOCCER STADIUM IS GOING TO BE.
CAN YOU JUST GIVE EVERYBODY A QUICK UPDATE ON, ON THE STATUS OF INSTITUTE PROJECT? AYE, AYE, AYE.
AND GOOD, GOOD COMMENT, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE RED LINE IN THAT AREA.
AND I DID WANT TO MENTION THE ROPE LINE IS SO, SO RED LINE HAS THE POTENTIAL BECOMES SO MUCH MORE VALUABLE WHEN IT COULD CONNECT INTO THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE, BECAUSE THEN WE'RE REALLY CREATING THAT SYSTEM THAT ALL LARGER CITIES HAVE TO HAVE TO REALLY CONNECT AND GIVE EVERYONE THAT OPPORTUNITY OF ACCESS.
ON THE RED LINE SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE ADVANCING A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH A DEVELOPER IN THE BROADMORE.
THAT'S THE BROADMORE SIDE OF THE DOMAIN AREA.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING LIKE WE WILL BE TAKING THAT ACTION TO THE CAP METRO BOARD IN AUGUST.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO TAKE IT IN JULY, BUT FROM A TIMING POINT OF VIEW, WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING IN AN AUGUST.
UH, WE THINK THAT I'LL ACTUALLY PROBABLY TURN INTO OUR SECOND BUSIEST STATION ONCE CONSTRUCTED.
THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT STATION UP AND RUNNING, YOU KNOW, CONNECT ALSO TO THE METRO RAPID AND LOCAL BAR OR LOCAL BUS ALL IN THAT AREA.
SECONDARILY, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, AND WE'VE HAD GREAT DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, AUSTIN UFC, YOU ALL.
I APPRECIATE THE RESOLUTION YOU TOOK AND THE PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN FC AT THE STADIUM, THEY HAD MONEY COMMITTED TO THAT CAP.
METRO, UH, ACTUALLY SUBMITTED, UH, WHAT'S CALLED A USDA BUILD GRANT, UH, IN THIS CYCLE HOPING, UH, TO GET SOME FEDERAL MONEY, WHICH IS NOT FTA MONEY, IT'S ADDITIONAL MONEY.
THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PROJECTS, THE RIGHT PARTNERS.
AND WE'RE HOPING TO LEVERAGE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF NOT, UH, THERE'S MONEY IN PROJECT CONNECT FORWARD.
AND IF THAT GOES THROUGH WITH THE BILL GRANT, WE'LL LEVERAGE THIS INTO THE RED LINE AS WELL.
UH, SO BOTH OF THOSE ARE, ARE CERTAINLY MOVING IN EARNEST.
WE'D LIKE TO BREAK GROUND ON THE BROADMORE DOMAIN ONE AS EARLY AS MAYBE EVEN, UH, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER TO GET THAT GOING.
WHEN BOTH OF THOSE ARE COMPLETE, WE WERE THE IDEA WE WOULD CLOSE KRAMER STATION BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S REDUNDANT AND IT WAS NEVER REALLY ESTABLISHED IN THE RIGHT LOCATION.
AND NOW THE RED LINE BECOMES MUCH BETTER.
WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF DOUBLE TRACKING PROJECTS IN THE RED LINE BUDGET.
AND AS DAVE COUCH MENTIONED, THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RUNNING NOT ONLY MORE FREQUENT UP TO 15 MINUTES AND BY DIRECTIONAL SERVICE, THE COMMUTER RAIL HAS ALWAYS REALLY BEEN LEANDER IN.
AND I KNOW MAYOR HILL'S TALKED ABOUT THIS.
WE WANT TO PICK PEOPLE BOTH DIRECTIONS ON THE RED LINE AND REALLY FEED INTO THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
AND I CONTINUE TO UPDATE EVERYONE ON THOSE PROJECT AT ALL.
I'M JUST, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND ADVOCATES WHO BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON THE REDLINE PARKWAY INITIATIVE AT 32 MILE, UM, BIKEWAY AND PEDESTRIAN WAY THAT WILL INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY AROUND OUR TOWN, EVEN EVEN MORE, UM, UH, DEMONSTRABLY.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, UM, FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT ANGLES ON MOVING THIS TRANSIT SYSTEM PLAN FORWARD.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S WORK.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS UP, SO MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR THE CITY TO TAKE UP ITS RESOLUTION.
OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU FOR CAP METRO.
UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS JUST TO HAVE DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT, AND THEN AFTER EVERYBODY SAYS GUEST, THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO A, INTO A MOTION AND LET'S SEE WHERE EVERYBODY IS A COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN.
YOU WANT TO START US OFF? YEAH, IT'S, I'VE ALREADY, UM, I JUST WANT TO ADD A FEW THINGS, UM, A FEW QUICK THINGS.
UM, I WANTED TO, UM, SPEAK A BIT MORE TO THIS PLACEMENT, UH, MITIGATION, UH, AND, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE.
UM, AND AS, AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN, UH, TRIPLE THE INVESTMENT IN THIS TRA I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THOUGH THAT, UM, WE CAN, UM, USE THAT $300 MILLION AND, AND ALSO LOOK AT OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS, UM, AND WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH A HOUSING BOND MO UH, MONEY AND OTHER FUNDS WE HAVE ALREADY, UM, THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED FROM THIS.
UM, AND WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER FUNDING, UH, INTO THE FUTURE.
SO WHILE I THINK THE 300 MILLION IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, IT ALSO IS A WAY FOR US TO LEVERAGE AND GROW THAT AMOUNT.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO JUST SUGGEST THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S ALSO A VERY EXCITING WAY FOR US TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT WE COMMITTED TO OVER THE YEARS, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE PUT INTO THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC
[02:40:01]
MOBILITY PLAN.UM, AND ALSO OUR UPROOTED STUDY.
UM, THIS REALLY IS, IS A STEP IN OPERATIONAL COMMITMENT THAT WE MADE IN THE ASAP TO DISPLACEMENT.
WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLUSH OUT THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, METRICS, UH, AND PLANNING PROCESSES TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE GET, UH, RESULTS FROM THIS.
UM, AND WE'LL ALSO, YOU KNOW, THROUGH EQUITY SCORECARD AND OTHER MECHANISMS, UM, AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY BUILD OUT, UM, OUR APPROACH TO CO-CREATING AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT MORE DETAIL, AND I'M AN ADDITIONAL LEVELS OF DETAIL IN OUR CONTRACT WITH THE VOTER RESOLUTION.
UM, AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE EXCITING ABOUT THIS AND, UM, HAVING COMBINED LIKE THIS, OUR APPROACH TO, UM, TO ANTI-DISPLACEMENT OR DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES, UM, IS, IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE IT ADDS TO JUST THE INHERENT VALUE ENSURES THAT THE INHERENT VALUE OF TRANSIT, WHICH IS, I MEAN, ONE OF THE VALUES OF TRANSIT IS THE ABILITY TO INCREASE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WHOLE CITY, UH, TO JOBS AND, YOU KNOW, AN EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE AND ALL THOSE PLACES THAT PEOPLE NEED TO GET NEED TO GET TO.
AND BY, UM, MAKING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT, AS WE HAVE PLEDGED TO IN THE PAST, UH, DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES, WE CAN ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY TRULY HAS, UH, THE ABILITY TO, TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
GOT TO REMEMBER HARPER, MADISON, THANKS, MAYOR.
UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN JUST REMINDED ME OF THE OTHER THING THAT WAS ON MY MIND.
SO I'VE HEARD THE WORD, UM, JUST PUT THE WORDS, DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION, UM, BUT I'VE ALSO HEARD DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND TO MR. UH, I THINK IT WAS DAVID KING THAT BROUGHT IT UP EARLIER IN HIS TESTIMONY TO HIS POINT ABOUT PREVENTION.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT DELINEATING BETWEEN THE TWO, UNLESS OF COURSE WE'RE DOING BOTH IN WHICH CASE WE SHOULD INDICATE SOMEHOW WE'RE DOING BOTH.
I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.
WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE WORD COST A FEW DAYS AGO.
I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY DAYLIGHT THAT AS THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE MOVED ORGANICALLY THROUGH THE LAST FEW MONTHS THERE WAS DISCUSSION OR DOING THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT MEASURES AS WELL AS ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION MEASURES WITHIN THAT TRE THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING.
SO NOW AS THE ACTIVIST COMMUNITY HAS ASKED US TO START LOOKING AT POTENTIAL FOR AFTER TRANSPORTATION AS A SEPARATE, UM, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION NOW, UM, WITH COUNCIL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT THAT IS WHAT IS ALLOWING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY OR THIS TRD TO, TO DO MORE WITH DISPLACEMENT.
AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE ADDRESSING AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THAT THE LOCATION WHERE DOES PLACEMENT IS GOING TO BE EFFECTED, UM, IT'S GOING TO BE AFFECTING THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AS WE MOVE THROUGH, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF PROJECT CONNECT AND EVERYTHING THAT IT HAS TO GIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION AS WELL ABOUT ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND CONVERSATIONS, THE CITY COUNCILS HAVING WE'RE GOING TO BE APPROACHING THOSE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE HAD NOT MOVED OFF OF THAT TOPIC.
WE WERE JUST SEPARATING THAT OUT FOR THIS CONVERSATION AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT MEASURES AND THE 8.75 SOUNDS LIKE A VERY REASONABLE PLACE FOR US TO BE.
AND THAT'S, UM, I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT, AND I HOPE COUNCIL'S MOVING TOWARDS THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRE GENDER DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING ON HERE? COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF VOTES TO BE TAKEN, UH, PROCEDURAL VOTES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW AND JUST PROCESS STUFF TO GET THROUGH OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, BOTH SETTING MAX TAX RATES, SETTING ACTUAL TAX RATE, SETTING, BUDGETS, SITTING, BALLOT ITEMS, SITTING BALLOT LANGUAGE, ALL THE THINGS.
SO I DON'T, I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE THE LONGER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW FREAKING SPECTACULAR THIS PLAN IS AND HOW UNBELIEVABLY EXCITING, UH, THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY COULD LOOK LIKE WITH THE TYPE OF TRANSIT INVESTMENT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING.
I DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE, THE POINT THAT COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS MADE IS THE ONE THAT I'M INTERESTED IN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
UM, I POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD
[02:45:01]
AS WELL.UM, I, I FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY THAT THE TAX RATE ELECTION IS, UH, THE MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY TO MAKE THE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS WE KNOW ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED OVER THE LONG TERM.
AND THAT'S WHY I GET INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT USING A TRE TO DO PROJECT CONNECT BECAUSE AS A, AS A FISCAL MECHANISM, UH, IT IS, IT IS THE BEST METHOD IT'LL, IT ALLOWS US TO, UH, GET MORE FOR OUR MONEY.
IT ALLOWS US TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE AND START COLLECTING THE MONEY EARLIER, UH, THAT HELPS KEEP THE COST DOWN OVER THE LONGTERM AND IT SETS UP A LONGTERM SUSTAINABLE FUND THAT CAN COVER NOT JUST INITIAL CONSTRUCTION, BUT ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE, UH, FUTURE REPAIR.
I FEEL THE SAME APPLIES TO ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
AND I KNOW THERE'S AN ACTIVE DEBATE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE PROPER MECHANISMS FOR THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT FINAL DECISION TODAY.
ALTHOUGH IF WE ARE CONTEMPLATING EIGHT, EIGHT AND THREE QUARTERS, SINCE THAT INCLUDES PROJECT CONNECT AND DISPLACEMENT, THEN WE'RE PROBABLY ALSO SAYING THAT ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION THEN HAS TO BE A SEPARATE BOND ITEM.
I DON'T THAT I CAN SUPPORT THAT AS A WAY FORWARD.
I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE TREB AND MECHANISM THAT WE USE, WE WON'T ALWAYS BE ABLE TO DO TRS, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BONDS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, THE MOST PROPER AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHAT I SAID.
AND IF THERE ARE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANT TO ENGAGE IN THAT, IN THAT PATH, THEN I WOULD BE HERE FOR IT.
JAMIE COUNCIL MEMBER, I MAY PRO TIM CARSON, A MINDSET, ENGAGING TOPIC.
WAS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTED TO, DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT? OKAY.
UM, OH, CAUSE WE'RE ALTERING TO YOU TO DRESS UP.
UM, I HAD SOME GENERAL MARKS, BUT I'LL, I DO WANT TO JUST, UM, FOLLOW UP WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FLANNIGAN'S, UM, POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FISCAL ADVANTAGES OF MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, A TRE AND, UM, I'M STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER IF WE VOTE TODAY, WE ARE PRECLUDING AN OPTION FOR OUR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE FROM OUR STAFF.
UM, AND, AND, UM, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY PRECLUDING THAT CONVERSATION BY MOVING FORWARD, UM, TODAY.
AND SO, UM, IF, IF I'M WRONG, I'D LIKE, LIKE TO KNOW THAT, UM, CAUSE WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ROUTE FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND WHAT IS THE BEST MECHANISM, UM, TO GET, GET US THERE? I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, HOW, HOW WE GET THERE.
UM, AND IT, WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT STEPS THAT WE HAVE TO, TO MAKE, IF WE, IF WE SAY, UM, EIGHT, SEVEN, FIVE, AND WE SPECIFY, UM, THAT IT GOES FOR DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION, WHICH I THINK IS A WISE INVESTMENT, UM, WE WILL BE PRECLUDING ANY OPTION OF, OF PUTTING THAT IN THE TRA EVEN IF THE OVERALL AMOUNT WE WANT TO INVEST IS THE SAME.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, ACROSS THE TWO MECHANISMS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY PRECLUDING THAT MY SENSE IS WITH THERE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE VOTES THIS WEEK.
SO WHAT WE'RE ON THE AGENDA TODAY IS TO GIVE STAFF THE DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE AMOUNT OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, UH, UH, G R E FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE DEDICATED FUND FOR THIS PROJECT CONNECT PIECE THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AND THEN THAT STAFF KNOWS WHAT SIZE OF PROJECT TO DO.
UM, UH, SO AT THIS POINT IT WOULD BE THAT 8.75 AND THE 300 MILLION, UNLESS PEOPLE MOVE THAT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND WE HAVE ANOTHER VOTE.
AND THEN IN ANOTHER TWO DAYS, THREE DAYS WHERE WE SET THEM MAXIMUM TAX RATE, UH, FOR THE CITY, UH, AND, AND, UH, IF WE ARE TO STAY AT THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT THAT THE MANAGER PROPOSED, I WOULD ANTICIPATE ON THURSDAY THAT WE WILL BE CONSIDERING AT LEAST THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE AS PROPOSED BY THE MANAGER.
PLUS THE 8.75 PENNIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT CONNECT.
IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO MOVE FOR A MAX RATE THAT WENT ABOVE THAT.
UH, BUT BETWEEN THIS DECISION AND THE JUST, UH, WE PROBABLY MAKE THAT DECISION INTERVENING IN THAT IS THE RESOLUTION THAT'S SET BEFORE US ON WEDNESDAY.
AND WE CAN DISCUSS TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY WITH RESPECT TO THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT
[02:50:01]
THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT A MOMENT AGO.BUT IN TERMS OF THIS VOTE, I MEAN, IF THIS IS SETTING THE TRE, THEN ANYTHING THAT WOULD GO ABOVE THEY 0.75, AND THE 3.5 WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE IN THE TRE.
NO, WHAT WE'RE SET TODAY IS TO, IS TO DECIDE WHAT IS THE TRE FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT MEASURE? THAT'S, WHAT'S ON OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.
IT'S CONCEIVABLE THAT ON, ON THURSDAY, THERE COULD BE A MAXIMUM TAX RATE THAT SET HIGHER THAN EIGHT AND THREE QUARTERS PLUS THE THREE AND A HALF.
SO IF SOMEONE WANTED TO ADD ADDITIONAL CAPACITY IN A TRE, UH, I THINK IT WOULD, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO PREVAIL AT THAT POINT ON A NUMBER THAT WAS HIGHER THAN THE 8.75 PLUS THE NUMBERS.
SO I THINK WE CAN ONLY PUT FORWARD ONE TRE.
SO I THINK THAT THIS DECISION TODAY, UM, PRECLUDES THAT UNLESS WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE IT, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON.
I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A GREAT PLAN.
I THINK IT, IT COVERS A LOT OF WHAT, OF WHAT WE NEED, BUT WHEN WE START ADDING, UM, THE DISPLACEMENT AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME, WE GET SOME CLARITY ON THE CHOICES BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CONVERSATION.
CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A, AN EFFECTIVE ANSWER PERHAPS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LEGAL ANSWER.
THERE IS, THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP THE COUNCIL ON THURSDAY FROM SETTING THE TAX RATE, THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE AT A NUMBER THAT IS HIGHER THAN THREE AND A HALF PERCENT PLUS THE EIGHT AND THREE QUARTER PENNIES.
SO IT WAS BEFORE WE CAN ONLY DO ONE TRE WE CAN ONLY VOTE TO RAISE THE TAX RATE TO A CERTAIN LEVEL.
AND ULTIMATELY WE DON'T SET THE TAX RATE AND MAKE THAT DECISION ON THE TAX RATE UNTIL LATER IN, LATER IN, LATER IN AUGUST.
SO YES, IT WOULD STILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE WAY THAT WE SET OUR SCHEDULE FOR SOMEONE TO MOVE, TO INCREASE THE TRE DURING PRIESTS, THE, THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE WILL IS THERE TO DO THAT.
AND THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING TODAY IMPACTS THAT, BUT THERE'S NOTHING THAT PREVENTS SOMEONE FROM DOING THAT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO APPLY THAT.
THAT'S THE DIRECTION I'M GOING.
I JUST, I DON'T, I, I I'M UNCOMFORTABLE THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, OF TRANSPORTATION AND THAT WE HAVE OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS, BUT ARE MAKING THIS, THIS, THIS FIRST.
UM, SO IN THE CONFERENCE, THOSE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, UM, I WILL SAY THAT I, I THINK THAT THE BROADER DIRECTION THAT WE ARE APPROACHING TODAY OF, UM, ADDING TO A TRANSFORMATIVE, UM, TRANSIT PLAN MITIGATION MONEY ON THE ORDER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK THAT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT SIGNALS THAT WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT THE MARKET ALONE IS NOT GOING TO DELIVER THE KIND OF HOUSING THAT WE NEED, WHERE WE WANT IT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT, APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, UM, LEADING WITH HER RESOLUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS BUILT IN.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS PLAN IS ALSO KIND OF THE, THE FINANCIAL WONKINESS OF IT.
UM, I THINK THE TRE IS A VERY STRONG, UM, DIRECTION.
UM, AND THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON I WAS RAISING THE OTHER CONCERNS.
CAUSE I THINK IT IS A BETTER MECHANISM THAN A BOND.
UM, I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS IS REALLY TO PRESENT THE VOTERS WITH A CHOICE.
UM, WE ARE NOT MAKING THE CHOICE FOR THEM.
WE ARE GIVING THEM A PACKAGE THAT, UM, WE FEEL STRONGLY WILL HELP TRANSFORM THE CITY, BUT IT'S ULTIMATELY THE VOTERS CHOICE.
AND I THINK, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE GIVE THEM A CHOICE THAT'S BACKED UP, UM, WITH A LOT OF WORK, WHICH, UM, HAS BEEN PUT INTO IT.
SO ALLISON, LET ME GO BACK FOR JUST A SECOND.
IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT THAT IN THE TRA YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE PURPOSE.
SO IF THE PURPOSE OF THE TRE IS FOR PROJECT CONNECT IN ANY ADDITIONS WITH RESPECT TO X OR TRANSPORTATION WOULD HAVE TO RELATE BACK TO RELATE BACK TO ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
SO THE DECISION TO NAME A VERY WELL BE MORE CONFINING THAN WHAT I SAID, FURTHER COMMENTS, COUNCIL, MAYOR PRO TEM.
I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY COMMENT ON 'EM THE MITIGATION VERSUS PREVENTION.
I MEAN, IT MAY JUST BE SEMANTICS, BUT, UM, MY MINDSET
[02:55:01]
WAS PREVENTION.AND IN FACT, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBERS LOOK AT KITCHENS LANGUAGE, UM, THAT WAS QUOTED IN THE, ONE OF THOSE SLIDES SPECIFICALLY WAS TALKING ABOUT PREVENTION.
UM, THERE WAS MITIGATION ON ANOTHER SLIDE, BUT GOING FORWARD THAT IT IS STRICTLY A PREVENTION, UM, EFFORTS.
AND THEN JUST REAL QUICKLY, I KNOW WE'RE NOT, UH, VOTING TODAY ON THE ILA THAT WOULD CREATE THE BOARD.
UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO ADD QUICKLY THAT, UM, I HAD BEEN PAYING MOST ATTENTION BECAUSE I HAD CONCERNS THAT THERE WEREN'T ELECTEDS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEIR WORD, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE BACK AND FORTH ON WHETHER THAT I'M GRATEFUL THAT STAFF LISTENS AND HAS ADDED THE ABILITY IF TO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER ON A CAP METRO BOARD.
BUT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN PAYING SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE DEAD TODAY, WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS THE 15 YEAR EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE OTHER THREE.
AND I JUST WANT US TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT ADDING LEVELS LIKE THAT.
THAT CAN HAVE A, UM, AN EFFECT ON, ON, ON, UM, PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR AND OF WOMEN WHEN WE SET A BAR OF, OF A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE IT'S, I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT.
IT'S HARDER FOR WOMEN TO HAVE ACCESS, ESPECIALLY IN THESE FIELDS, UM, AS WELL AS MINORITY.
SO I JUST WANT US TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT SETTING WHAT IS KIND OF AN ARBITRARY NUMBER, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT MORE LATER.
SO FOR ME ON THIS, UM, ONE I EVER DID, I AGREE WITH YOUR LAST POINT, I REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF SLIDES THAT TALKED ABOUT PARTICULAR LANGUAGE AND NOMINATING COMMITTEES AND THE LIGHT AND NOTHING THAT I'M DOING TODAY SHOULD BE READ AS, AS APPROVAL WITH ANY OF THOSE KINDS OF ELEMENTS AS YOURS.
I DON'T THINK THOSE ARE REALLY PROPERLY IN FRONT OF US, AND I'M NOT ENTIRELY CONVINCED YET WHAT HAS TO BE DECIDED NOW, OR WHICH GETS DECIDED LATER.
BUT WITH RESPECT TO THE, THE QUESTION THAT I THINK IS BEFORE US, UH, WITH RESPECT TO APPROVING THE, UH, THE TRE I, I SUPPORT THAT AND I SUPPORT THE DIRECTION THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THE COUNCIL IS GOING ON THAT, UM, I'M EXCITED THAT, THAT WE CAN ADJUST THE PRICE TO TAXPAYERS, TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT, UH, I THINK REALLY REFLECTS A MORE APPROPRIATE AT THIS POINT WITH THE CITY TAXPAYER SHARE SHOULD BE, UM, UH, WITHOUT, UH, REMOVING AT ALL THE, THE INTENT OR THE DESIRE AND THE EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THE WHOLE PROJECT DONE.
I MEAN, THE ELEMENTS THAT SEEM TO, TO NOT BE CURRENTLY FUNDED ARE THE, ARE THE ELEMENTS MOSTLY THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE DONE FOR ANOTHER 15 YEARS, ANYHOW.
UH, AND I THOROUGHLY HOPE AND EXPECT THAT OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE FUNDS THE WAY THAT WE DID WITH THE 2016 TRANSPORTATION BOND AND OTHERS WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO HERE.
UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE ULTIMATELY, UH, UH, INVESTMENT INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY, UH, THAT'S COMING BOTH FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND PERHAPS FROM THE STATE THAT ENABLES US TO DO THAT.
SO, UH, MY, THE VOTE TODAY IS, IS IN MY MIND, NO INDICATION OF ANY LESS DESIRE OR AN EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE WHOLE THING I, I SUPPORT AND CONCUR WITH, UH, WITH THE REALLY SUBSTANTIAL PUSH ON THE, UH, THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT MEASURES.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IF YOU WANTED MITIGATION OR YOU WANTED PREVENTION, UH, OR WHETHER IT'S BEST JUST TO TALK ABOUT ANY DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES, WHICH WOULD HAVE INCORPORATE BOTH.
UH, CAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BOTH REAL IMPORTANT, BUT I LIKE THE MAGNITUDE AND SIZE, UH, OF THIS, UH, AND I'M REAL COMFORTABLE DOING THIS EIGHT AND THREE QUARTERS ON TOP OF, AND I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE THREE AND A HALF A PERCENT ELEMENT BECAUSE I THINK THAT BECOMES A, WHAT IS THE, THE, THE APPROPRIATE THINGS FOR US TO BE DOING.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION IN ORDER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS ON, ON THE, UH, ON THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION COLLEAGUES.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS THAT ARE RAISED.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE, THE MOTION IN FRONT OF US IS, UM, UH, AS WAS STATED EARLIER TO, TO APPROVE THE EIGHT AND THREE QUARTER, UH, T R E, UM, UM, WHICH INCLUDES A $300 MILLION INVESTMENTS WHERE THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES, UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN MAKING THAT MOTION.
UH, AND I WANT TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT IF PEOPLE WANT TO DO THAT, IS THERE, IS THERE ANYONE THAT DOES NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MAKING OF THAT MOTION? MAYOR? CAN I JUST CLARIFY THE MOTION BECAUSE WE JUST HAD SOME CONVERSATION AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESOLUTION THAT'S IN THE BACK, IT SAYS, UM, TRANSIT, SUPPORTIVE DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION.
UM, I THINK WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE AMENDING WHAT WAS IN, IN THE BACKUP TO HAVE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING.
[03:00:04]
DO YOU WANT ME TO READ THAT? YEAH.I THINK THAT THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THE LANGUAGE ARE IMPORTANT HERE.
WE WANT IT BROAD ENOUGH AND THAT WE'RE NOT LIMITING IT TO MITIGATION VERSUS PREVENTION.
SO I LIKE THE, I DO LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU STATED IT, A MAYOR, WHICH WAS, UM, SUPPORTIVE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO THAT LAST RESOLVE CLAUSE WOULD READ THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER INCLUDE 8.70 CENTS IN THE FISCAL YEAR, 2021 BUDGET AT OUR OWN TAX RATE FOR THE PURPOSES OF CREATING A DEDICATED FUND FOR JOINT LOCAL GOVERNMENT COOPERATION CREATED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAT METRIC INVEST IN THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES A $300 MILLION INVESTMENT FOR THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT EXCEPT MARY, YOU SAID 8.7.
I THINK I WAS TALKING AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I'M GOING TO HAVE THE CLERK PLEASE REFLECT THAT THAT WAS A MOTION THAT WAS MADE BY THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
IN WHICH CASE WE DON'T NEED A SECOND, THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT WAS OPPOSED TO COUNCIL IS UNANIMOUS AND THAT RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED WITH THAT.
I TURN THE MEETING BACK TO YOU.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A BREATH FOR A MOMENT AND A PAUSE AND THANK COUNCIL FOR THIS HUGE STEP FORWARD.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS, BUT WHAT A GREAT FEELING IT IS TO HAVE THIS PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER AND SEE THIS LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND TODAY REALLY SEE A, A, A FABULOUS STEP FORWARD, UH, TO TRANSFORMING OUR CITY.
WHAT, WHAT A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE.
UH, WE'RE NOT DONE, BUT IT JUST FEELS LIKE A MOMENT THAT WE OUGHT TO, WE OUGHT TO NOTE FOR JUST A SECOND.
AND WITH THAT, UM, UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, UH, WELL, LET ME JUST PAUSE AND SEE IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE YOU HAVE ANY FINAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE OVER INTO YEAH.
METRO ACTION ITEM HERE IN LONDON, WE'LL GO TO THE CA UH, CAP METRO, UH, ACTION ITEM, RANDY, ANY, UH, COMMENTS ON YOUR PART PRIOR TO US TAKING UP THE MOTION IN TERMS OF WHAT THE MOTION DOES OR CLARIFICATION.
I WILL JUST SAY AS A, WE'LL KEEP THE MEETING SHORT.
I JUST CAN'T REITERATE, UH, ENOUGH MY PERSONAL THANKS.
AND IF HALF OF THE ENTIRE STAFF ORGANIZATION TO, UH, ALL OF THE CAB METRO STAFF CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, ALSO THE CITY STAFF, GINA, GREG, KEN, ALLIE, CHEYENNE, UH, THE ENTIRE TEAM HAS JUST BEEN LIKE, I JUST REALLY CAN'T REITERATE HOW MUCH OF A TEAM EFFORT THIS HAS BEEN.
AND I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THEM PUBLICLY AND ON THE ATHLETE ORGANIZATION, THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR HOW MUCH THEY PARTICIPATED IN THIS.
SO WE HAD A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL THE OTHER DAY.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF HUNDRED PEOPLE JUST LIKE THAT.
CLEARLY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC.
THEY WANT US ALL TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, UM, I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR, UH, CURRENT VOTE AND YOUR CLEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH CAP METRO.
IT IS, UH, I HOPE YOU FEEL THAT WE'VE EARNED THAT AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND A CHAIR.
I, I, I NOT TO FORESHADOW IT, BUT I'M HOPING THAT I CAN ALSO THEN SAY THANK YOU BOARD FOR, UH, YOUR, YOUR ACTION TODAY TO ADVANCE ALL THE WORK THAT STAFF HAS DONE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL DEFER BACK TO YOU.
PRESIDENT CLARK, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE CIRCULATED A STAFF DRAFTED A RESOLUTION, WHICH NEEDS A FILLING IN OF THE BLANKS ON THE LAST RECITAL CLAUSE AND PERHAPS A CORRECTION, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE DRAFT MOTION CONTEMPLATED THE A HUNDRED MILLION FOR TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DISPLACEMENT, UH, MITIGATION.
AND THAT NUMBER I THINK, HAS JUST BEEN CHANGED TO 308.75.
SO, UM, WITH THAT CHANGE, UM, DO WE HAVE THEN A, UH, A MOTION BEFORE OUR BOARD COUNCIL, DIFFERENT KITCHEN? YEAH, I THINK THAT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO THIS ONE BY ACCLIMATION, IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, UH, CHAIR, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF OUR, HOW ARE THE REST OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS FEEL, OR SHOULD I JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION? WELL, LET'S TRY THAT OUT.
I WOULD LOVE FOR US A GIVEN VIA COUNCIL'S STRONG ENDORSEMENT OF THE, UH, AND, AND, AND HAVING EVERYBODY ON BOARD WITH THE RESOLUTION, OUR BOARD IS, UH, LEARNING AS WE GO ON THIS, UH, MR. CHAIR
[03:05:02]
STRATTON.DO WE HAVE TO, DO WE HAVE TO FORMALLY AMEND THAT? OR IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS, WE'RE FIXING IT AND THEN REENTRY AND THEN REINTRODUCING IT? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT LEGALLY WE'RE CLEAR WHATEVER WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD AND POTENTIALLY TRYING TO APPROVE BY ACCLAMATION A GOOD QUESTION.
AND I'VE BEEN CONSULTING WITH OUR LAWYER ABOUT THAT.
AND WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US IS THE STAFF DRAFT OF THE RESOLUTION.
IT HAS, UH, KNOW IT'LL BE PRESENTED.
AND I THINK I REMEMBER A KITCHEN CONTEMPLATED, THOSE TWO CHANGES IN THE RECITAL CLAUSE.
AND SO I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND HER CORRECTLY, HER MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE DRAFT RESOLUTION AND THE BLANK AND THE RECITAL CLAUSE WITH 8.75 CENTS 100 MILLION TO 300 MILLION.
THAT WOULD BE HER EMOTION PEOPLE BUY.
SO THIS, WE DON'T NEED A SECOND, IF IT'S TO BE BY ACCLAMATION, IF ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE CHECKED AND WE'LL TAKE IT JUST AS A MOTION WITH A REGULAR SECOND, THIS MOTION BY ACCLIMATION, CAN'T BE AMENDED.
UM, AND IF ANYBODY OBJECTS, WE WON'T DO IT BY ACCLAMATION.
SO THE QUESTION NOW IS, UM, AND WE CAN HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, AND DISCUSS IT, UM, CAN AMENDED BY ACCLAMATION.
SO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I CAN JUST SAY ONE THING, MR. CHAIR, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, I, I INITIALLY, AFTER OUR LAST MEETING SENT SOME FEEDBACK TO FOLKS IN MY COMMUNITY FOLKS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I GOT, THERE WERE SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE PRICE TAG AND WHAT WE WERE GOING TO GET FOR THE PRICE.
UH, I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED AND VERY HAPPY FOR WHAT, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE STAFF OF CAT METRO HAD COME BACK AND DONE HAVING LISTENED TO THAT FEEDBACK ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, AND I STILL MAINTAIN WHAT I HAVE SAID BEFORE THAT, UM, HAVING BEEN AROUND AUSTIN LONG ENOUGH AND WHERE WE ARE NOW, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE BEHIND IN THE INVESTMENT IN OUR TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, A WIDE RANGE OF INVESTMENT OPTIONS.
THIS IS A PART OF IT, AND I'LL JUST STATE IT NOW THAT I'M DOING NOTHING LITERALLY GETS US NOWHERE, DOING NOTHING GETS US NOWHERE.
WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO BE STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
I THANK EVERYONE FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AND HOW RESPONSIVE WE'VE BEEN ON THIS.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN HARDLY ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN MORE TRANSPARENT THAN WHAT I'VE SEEN GETTING US TO THIS POINT OVER THE, I STILL MAINTAIN FOR YEARS.
THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING ON, AND I'M VERY EXCITED THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE.
I'VE COME A LONG WAY IN THIS, BECAUSE AS I'VE STATED BEFORE ON THE RECORD I VOTED AGAINST AND, AND WORKED AGAINST, UM, OTHER PREVIOUS ONES.
SO I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE'RE HERE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
UM, LET'S GET, LET'S GET THIS, LET'S GET THIS TRAIN DOWN THE TRACKS.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WISH TO BE HEARD ON THIS VERY WELL THEN? UH, I'LL JUST ASK EACH OF YOU, IF THERE'S AN OBJECTION THEN TO DOING THIS BY, UH, ACCLAMATION, UH, VICE CHAIR GARZA.
I REMEMBER STRATTON ANY OBJECTION BY DOING IT OR DOING IT BY ACCLAMATION.
I MET A BOARD MEMBER MITCHELL.
ANY OBJECTION TO DOING BY ACCLAMATION? NO.
ANY OBJECTION TO DOING BY ACCLAMATION? NO OBJECTION.
A COUNCIL MEMBER WENT TO RAISE ANY OBJECTION TO DOING BY ACCLAMATION, UH, COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN ANY OBJECTION TO DOING, UH, UH, THIS MOTION BY ACCLAMATION? NO OBJECTION.
AND NO OBJECTION FROM THE CHAIR.
SO THIS MOTION CARRIES BY ACCLAMATION, UH, AND, UH, WHAT A GREAT STEP FORWARD, EVERYBODY.
SO HOW ABOUT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR GETTING THESE TWO MOTIONS OUT? WELL, THAT'S FABULOUS.
UH, RANDY, ANY, UH, UH, COMMENTS AS TO NEXT STEPS THEN? UH, YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL, LET'S, LET'S JUST OBVIOUSLY VERY SUCCESSFUL MEETING.
UH, NEXT STEPS WILL BE AUGUST 7TH, AUGUST 7TH.
WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO THIS JOINT MEETING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
THE IDEA IS TO HAVE A STAFF WE'LL RECOMMEND, UH, AN ILA WITH ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS FOR THE AUSTIN TRANS PARTNERSHIP THAT FORMALIZES A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT COUNSEL OR ULTRACET FORMALIZES THE
[03:10:01]
RELATIONSHIP, UM, IN WHAT LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.AND THEN WE VERBALLY TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
ALSO, I BELIEVE ON THE CITY SIDE, THE STAFF WILL BE PRESENTING A RESOLUTION.
I QUOTE UNQUOTE, UM, CONTRACT WITH THE MOTORS, THE EQUIVALENT SIDE ON CAP.
METRO WOULD BE, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE COMMUNITY RESOLUTION RESOLUTION.
SO IT'LL SHOW HOW ALL THOSE FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS WORK AND REALLY THE INTENT IS TO GO THROUGH THIS STEP.
AND ULTIMATELY NEXT SUMMER, PROBABLY SPRING SUMMER, BRING BACK A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY CAPITAL METRO AND THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD.
THAT'LL REALLY GO FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, 15, 20 PAGES TO HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF DETAIL OF HOW THE ENTIRE PROGRAM WOULD ULTIMATELY GET TOGETHER.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, UH, BOARD CHAIR, SORRY.
I SEE HIS FACE IN FRONT OF ME AND I DIDN'T CALL HIS NAME ON SPECIFICALLY, BUT I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, C MANAGER CROCK.
HE'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNER AND ALL THIS.
HE AND I GOT HERE BASICALLY AROUND THE EXACT SAME TIME.
YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR BOTH OF US, HE MORE THAN ME, I THINK THE LAST TWO, TWO PLUS YEARS HAVE BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF A CHAOTIC, A NONSTOP, BUT, UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE, ALL HIS HARD WORK, HIS LEADERSHIP AT THE CITY, THE CITY STAFF TO HELP PUT THIS AS WELL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS ON THE RECORD.
AND THE NEXT STEP CHAIR AND MAYOR WILL BE A JOINT MEETING ON THIS APP.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CLARK, UH, CITY MANAGER, KRONK.
UH, ANY WORDS FROM YOU OR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IN DACA? I WAS GONNA ACTUALLY ASK THEM IF OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WOULD SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE RANDY, I REALLY WANT TO THANK CITY STAFF.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE, UM, PARTNERSHIP WITH CAPITAL METRO AND I WANT TO THANK OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CAPITAL METRO'S BOARD AND YOUR STAFFS.
THEY'VE HAD, UH, UH, BEEN GENEROUS WITH THEIR TIME AND, AND REALLY WERE PARTNERS WITH US THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
I'M GOING TO PARTICULARLY THANK, UH, MY CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CARNE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UM, A GREAT CANALY HAS ALSO BEEN A STRONG PARTNER FROM STEP ONE, UM, WITH HIS STAFF AND OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UM, REALLY SO MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, AT THE TABLE WITH US AND WITH CAPITAL METRO, UM, ON RANDY SIDE, ERIC WHO'S DOS AND CARRIE BUTCHER HAVE BEEN JUST INCREDIBLE PARTNERS.
UM, BUT I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR LENDING THEIR EAR TO US AND TO BEING WITH US TO HELP CRAFT THIS PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST SUCH AN IMPORTANT STEP THAT WE'RE TAKING HERE.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO, TO TAKE THIS BIG STEP WITH US.
WE ADDRESS DEFICIENCIES IN OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT BETTER CONNECTS PEOPLE TO JOBS, TO HEALTHCARE, TO EDUCATION, TO HOUSING.
IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN OURSELVES, AND IT'S A BIG INVESTMENT IN THIS GREAT CITY.
IT'S SIGNIFICANT TRANSIT INVESTMENT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS WANTED FOR SUCH A LONG TIME.
THIS WAS SUCH A BIG STEP AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN SAID A FREAKING SPECTACULAR, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM BOSTON WHERE WE'VE HAD A TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR, UM, THE OLDEST TRANSIT SYSTEM IN, IN THE NATION.
UM, IT'S, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN AND TO, TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE FOR REALLY RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, ADVANCING THESE STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN.
AND THEN HOW IMPORTANT TRANS IS IN THAT PROCESS.
THANK YOU, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MAYOR ADLER, ANY, UH, FINAL REMARKS.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, AND THAT, UH, WATCHING, UH, UM, OF THE CITY STAFF WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO STAFF, UH, HAS JUST BEEN WONDERFUL TO SEE, UH, JUST CAUSE IT WORKS SO WELL.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, GINA AND RANDY AT BRAG, AND I'VE JUST BEEN WORKING ON THIS LIKE NONSTOP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU DO.
UM, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF TIME TO DO ANYTHING ELSE, BUT THIS, AND IT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE REAL CLOSE, A COUPLE MORE WEEKS TO GO.
AND, AND THEN, AND THEN IT'S TO THE DENTIST, TO THE VOTERS, I'M EXCITED, PICK YOUR MAYOR.
UH, THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE CAP, METRO BOULDER CITY COUNCIL, AND FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME FOR OUR STAFF FOR REALLY LAYING IT OUT ON THE LINE HERE.
UH, I JUST, UH, ONE TO TWO, UH, UH, REALLY ENCOURAGED US TO WORK HARD THE NEXT, UH, I THINK IT'S 11 DAYS FEELS LIKE WE GOT ENGAGED, UH, TODAY.
AND, UH, WE GOT TO GET THE PAPERWORK DONE AND GET MARRIED, DOES SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY OUR PARENTS, THE VOTERS.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE PROBABLY 99 DAYS AWAY FROM
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AN ELECTION ON THIS.SO THIS TO ME IS SOMETHING THAT WILL TRANSFORM OUR CITY, UH, AND, UH, HELP US TO FULFILL OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF AUSTIN RIGHTS.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER, UH, BUSINESS OF THE CAP METRO BOARD, UH, WE'LL STAND ADJOURNED AT FIVE 25