[00:00:03]
UM, I'LL ALSO BE CHAIRING THE, UM, THE COUNCIL MEETING AND, UH, IT IS NINE OH SEVEN AT I'LL CALL OUR WORK SESSIONS TO ORDER.
WE HAVE A QUORUM MEETING VIRTUALLY, UH, THE FIRST WEEK SHOULD BE A PRETTY SHORT, UM, WORK SESSION.
UH, WE HAVE, I THINK, TWO POOLED ITEMS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE COVID BRIEFING, WHICH WE WILL START WITH, UM, UH, CITY MANAGER.
DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE THE BRIEFING? SURE.
MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE JUST HAVE THE ONE BRIEFING AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED, UH, ON COVID-19 WILL WITH YOUR PERMISSION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DIRECTOR HAYDEN START OFF THE BRIEFING.
AND THEN WE'LL PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS.
LET DR. SCOTT GO TO COMMISSIONERS COURTS, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, BELLA CARMEN, OUR INTERIM HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER TO TALK ABOUT PROTECTIVE LODGES AT YOUR REQUEST AFTER THAT.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, UH, I'LL ASK,
[B1. Briefing on Covid-19 related matters. (Standing staff update)]
UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN'S AND START OFF THIS BRIEFING.I HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL TODAY.
UM, I WANT TO START OUT BY, UM, TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE WORK THAT OUR EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, OUR SURVEILLANCE TEAM, AS W AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
UM, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED EARLY ON AND CONTINUE TO FOCUS TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS HIGHER EDUCATION LONG-TERM CARE.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME OTHER NON-NURSING HOME, UM, SITES THAT WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO OUR TEAMS, WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SCHOOLS, UM, TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO THEM.
WE ARE HOSTING A WEEKLY CALL, UM, AT THIS POINT IT'S ABOUT 50 MEMBERS THAT ARE ATTENDING THAT MEETING.
SCOTT MEETS WEEKLY, UM, WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL.
AND SO THAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING, UM, QUICK, ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, AS WELL AS OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, OUR STAFF HAVE, UM, WORKED WITH, UM, OUR SCHOOLS TO, UM, ON, UH, ON THE TA HAS PUT TOGETHER THE RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING, UM, PROJECT.
AND SO WE ARE PROVIDING GUIDANCE ON THAT TEST.
AND, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THINGS ARE ALIGNED AND WE HAVE CONSISTENCY.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND BIONICS, RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS, AND, UM, WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE THAT TESTING.
AND, UM, JUST AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE SELECTED TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, UM, IN TRAVIS COUNTY TO FOCUS ON THE OTHER THING.
UM, AS WE MOVE ALONG THIS PROCESS, UM, IS WE'RE GOING TO FIND, WE FOUND THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER A, UM, A DOCUMENT WHEN TO QUARANTINE.
AND SO THIS IS A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT, UM, THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE FOR SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE, UM, AND IT WILL BE USED BY OUR NURSES.
SO WHEN, UM, WHEN ANY, ANY, ANY INDIVIDUAL CALLS OUR NURSE LINE, UM, OUR STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, REFER BACK TO THAT DOCUMENT, AS YOU MAY RECALL, UM, OUR, OUR TEAM PUT TOGETHER AN INTERIM GUIDANCE ON, UM, REOPENING SCHOOLS.
AND SO, UM, SINCE IT IS AN INTERIM GUIDANCE, WE KNOW THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG AND THINGS CHANGE, WE DO NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THAT DOCUMENT.
AND SO OUR TEAM IS WORKING ON UPDATING THAT INTERIM GUIDANCE, UM, ON REOPENING SCHOOLS, WE ARE CONTINUING TO, UM, CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER BUSINESSES AND OTHER ENTITIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHENEVER WE DETERMINE, UM, THAT THEY MAY HAVE, UM, A CLUSTER, WHICH IS THREE OR MORE CASES AT THAT SITE ON FRIDAY, THE SIXTH, OUR VACCINE COALITION, UM, MEETING MAT.
AND AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE HAVE, UM, OVER 100 PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THAT MEETING.
AND SO WITHIN, UM, THE GROUP OF FOLKS THAT ARE ATTENDING, UM, AS HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, WE HAVE, UM, COMMUNITY, UM, UM, NON-PROFIT AGENCIES, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY A REGIONAL MEETING.
SO WE HAVE PARTNERS FROM HAYES COUNTY, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UM, AND BASTROP COUNTY THAT ARE ATTENDING AS WELL AS, UH, MEMBERS FROM STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
AND SO AS WE REALLY PLAN, UM, WITHIN
[00:05:01]
THE MSA, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, BE ABLE TO DECIDE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE GOING TO BE OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS.AND SO THAT MEETING PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON PRIORITY POPULATIONS, AND WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT SUBGROUPS WITHIN THE POPULATION, KNOWING THAT, UM, INITIALLY, UM, WHEN WE RECEIVE THE VACCINE, WE ARE ANTICIPATING IT TO BE A SMALLER ALLOCATION.
AND SO KNOWING THAT IT MAY BE A SMALLER ALLOCATION, EVEN THOUGH PRIORITY POPULATIONS WILL HAVE, HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AT A HIGH LEVEL FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO DRILL DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER TO GET THOSE SUBGROUPS WITHIN THE PRIORITY GROUPS.
UM, WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES, UM, WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL.
AND SO WE ARE A PART OF OPERATION WARP SPEED.
AND SO, UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE PUT TOGETHER THE COALITION.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH, UM, STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
AND, UM, WE ARE, UM, ARE REVIEWING WEBINARS WEEKLY ABOUT THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
AND, UM, SO THE STATE, THEY HAD INFORMED US LAST WEEK THAT, UM, THE PHASES HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE STATE CAME OUT WITH A PLAN ON OCTOBER 16TH AND INITIALLY, UM, THEY WERE, UM, ANTICIPATING PHASE.
ONE OF THE PLAN WOULD START NOVEMBER.
SO THEY'VE CHANGED THAT, UM, TO SAY NOVEMBER AS A PLANNING MONTH, AND I'M ANTICIPATING THAT DECEMBER COULD POTENTIALLY, AND THIS IS ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
UM, UM, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE MONTH OR, UM, THE FIRST PHASE OF THEIR PLAN.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UM, OVER 75 PROVIDERS THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE STATE TO PROVIDE, UM, VACCINE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR US.
AND OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT, UM, DURING THIS PLANNING TIME, WE'D HAVE MORE, UM, PROVIDERS THAT WILL, WILL AGREE TO PROVIDE THE VACCINE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS A RE AS A REMINDER, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE, UM, UP SITES, UM, DOVE SPRINGS, GIVENS, MONTOPOLIS, UM, AND IN THE RUMBERGER COMMUNITY AT WALNUT CREEK LIBRARY, WE HAVE A DRIVE-UP SITE, UH, AT ST.
JOHN'S AT ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE DAY, EVENING AND WEEKEND HOURS.
AND SO IF YOU, UM, HAVE FOLKS THAT HAVE HAD AN EXPOSURE, UM, TO SOMEONE THAT, UM, MAYBE MAY TEST, I MAY HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, UM, OR HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, UM, PLEASE ASK THEM TO, UM, EVEN GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE OR IF THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET TO CALL OUR NURSE LINE.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO AT HOME TESTING THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO SWITCH AND START TALKING ABOUT LONG-TERM CARE.
UM, THAT INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM, UM, OVER THE LAST 14 DAYS, WE'VE SEEN 18 NEW CASES, UM, AT OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
UM, MOST OF THOSE CASES HAVE OCCURRED AMONGST THEM.
AND SO WHAT OUR STAFF ARE DOING IS, IS THAT WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING THE PPE TO THEM AND, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE SENT OUT ENOUGH, UM, FOR THE FACILITIES TO HAVE TODAY, UM, WE'VE, UH, PLACED AN ADDITIONAL 269 PPE ORDERS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, OUR STAFF CONTINUES TO, UM, TO MEET WITH, UM, THE TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CALLING IN FROM THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, THEY MEET WEEKLY.
AND SO, UM, THE DISCUSSION WAS HELD ABOUT PROVIDING, UH, PPE KITS FOR THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
AND SO, UM, SO WHAT OUR TEAM IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON IS PUTTING TOGETHER SOME KITS WITH, UM, REUSABLE FABRIC, UM, FACE MASK, AS WELL AS HAND SANITIZER, AND THEN ENCOURAGE THE FACILITIES TO JUST PROVIDE THESE TO THEIR, UM, EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE OVERALL, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP EVERYONE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO, UM, PARTNER, UM, AT THE SOCIAL SERVICE BRANCH.
UM, WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING, UM, UH, PPE AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE ALSO PARTNERING WITH INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHETHER IT IS, UM, A COMBINATION OF THEY'RE PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE, UH, PPE SHOTS,
[00:10:01]
UM, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH, UM, INDIVIDUALS TO DO THIS PAST WEEKEND.UM, WE HAD AN EXERCISE AND IT WAS A, UM, WE PROVIDED FLU VACCINE, UM, TO ALMOST 500, UM, DOCENTS WERE PROVIDED.
AND THEN, SO IT WAS A DRIVE-THROUGH.
AND SO WE, UM, WE REALLY, IT WAS OVERALL SUCCESS.
UM, AND SO WE CAN DEFINITELY USE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT EXERCISE, AS WELL AS AN EXERCISE THAT WE DID ON THE 24TH OF OCTOBER.
AND SO, UM, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF EXERCISES THAT WHEN WE, WHEN THE VACCINE IS HERE, UM, WE COULD JUST MOVE INTO A PLACE OF PROVIDING THE VACCINE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT IS WIDELY AVAILABLE.
OUR, UM, I WANT TO TERM CARE FOLKS CONTINUE TO TEST, UM, AND OFFERED THAT, UM, TO OUR LONG-TERM CARE FOLKS.
AND, UM, HHSC IS REQUIRING A TESTING STRATEGY FOR ALL OF THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
AND SO, UM, SO OUR, OUR STAFF HAVE JUST KIND OF LET THEM KNOW WE ARE THERE AS A SUPPORT WITH THE COVID 19 VACCINE.
UM, OUR LONG-TERM CARE, UM, PARTNERS HAVE SIGNED ON WITH DIRECTLY WITH CVS AND WALGREENS OR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE.
UM, AND SO, UM, SO THAT, UM, THE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP WAS THIS PAST FRIDAY.
AND SO, UM, AND SO THAT WAY IT PUTS, UH, A PRIORITY POPULATION THAT WE KNOW DEFINITELY WOULD NEED THE VACCINE.
UM, THEY WILL BE PROVIDED THROUGH CVS AND WALGREENS.
IF WE HAVE ANY PARTNERS THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, UM, CONNECT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND SEE HOW WE CAN FILL IN THE GAP.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO, WITH OUR, UM, HOMELESS, UM, UPDATE, WE CONTINUE TO, UM, PROVIDE THE EATING APART TOGETHER INITIATIVE, UM, FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, THAT PROGRAM IS, IS REALLY MOVING ALONG QUITE WELL.
WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD PARTNERS, UM, THAT HAVE PROVIDED FEEDBACK TO US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THE PROGRAM IS JUST REALLY HELPING SO MANY PEOPLE, BUT OUR ISO FAC AND PRO UM, PROTECTIVE LODGES.
UM, IF FOLKS ARE IN NEED OF, UM, TO ISOLATE A QUARANTINE, WE DEFINITELY INVITE THEM TO GO TO THE ISO FAC, UH, WITH OUR, UM, FIRE PROTECTIVE LODGES.
WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT UNDER 300 GUESTS, UM, ALL FIVE OF THE PROTECTIVE LARGEST OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE PROVIDED, UM, FLU CLINICS AND ALL OF THEM.
AND SO, UM, SO OUR, OUR STAFF WERE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE THE FLU VACCINE TO THEM.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO, UM, WORK WITH, UM, FOOD CLINICS, UM, THIS WEEK AT THE ARCH AND SALVATION ARMY SHELTERS AND SUNRISE HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS NAVIGATION CENTER.
UM, NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE PROVIDING FLU SHOTS AND ITS AROUSERS LIBRARY.
I AM SO EXCITED THAT THE TEAM IS CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS.
UM, AS OF TODAY, 63 INDIVIDUALS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO PERMANENT HOUSING, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
UM, OUR TEAM ARE JUST WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD, UM, TO TRANSITION THE FOLKS OUT, TO, TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
UM, LASTLY WITH THE CHILDCARE COME, STAFF ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, UM, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED INITIALLY SEVEN ZIP CODES, AND THEN WE'D SPREAD OUT A LITTLE MORE TO SOME ADDITIONAL ZIP CODES.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO DISTRIBUTE HEALTH AND SAFETY SUPPLIES TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, UM, THAT INDICATE THEY HAVE A NEED.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR, UM, INFO LINES OPEN FOR LONGTERM CARE FOR SCHOOLS AS WELL AS CHILDCARE.
UM, SO THEY CAN RECEIVE THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE.
THAT INCLUDES THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'LL ASK AMY TO PULL UP MY SLIDES.
SO TIM AND COUNCIL, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ALL ON OUR CURRENT COVID-19 SITUATION.
[00:15:01]
UH, THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE, HAVE BROUGHT US A WORSENING SITUATION.UH, THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING US THE, UH, THE NEW CASES DIAGNOSED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, YESTERDAY WE REPORTED THE HIGHEST NUMBER SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 214 NEW CASES, WHICH GIVES US A MOVING AVERAGE OF 154, UH, ARE LOW AFTER OUR INITIAL SURGE WAS ON OCTOBER THE FOURTH, UH, WHICH WAS 64 CASES ON THE MOVING AVERAGE.
SO WE ARE AT 140% IN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AND 60% IN, IN THE PAST WEEK.
NOT SO SIGNIFICANTLY WORSENING SITUATION HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY FROM COVID-19 TRANSMISSION.
NO, THIS GREAT FOR SHOWING US THE, UH, THE NEW ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY, WE REPORTED 24 NEW ADMISSIONS WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 26.
NOW, AGAIN, THIS IS MORE THAN DOUBLED OUR, UH, OUR LOW THAT WE, UH, ENCOUNTERED ON OCTOBER THE FOURTH, UH, FOLLOWING OUR INITIAL SURGE.
UH, THAT NUMBER ON THE 4TH OF OCTOBER WAS 12.
SO AGAIN, MORE THAN DOUBLE OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS, AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, SIMILAR TO OUR CASE NUMBERS THAT THE PAST WEEK TO 10 DAYS HAVE BROUGHT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND AGAIN, THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING US THE, UH, IN BLUE, THE, UH, HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED FOR COVID-19 THE ORANGE ICU BEDS IN THE GRAY VENTILATORS.
UH, THE HOSPITAL HOSPITALIZATION NUMBER YESTERDAY WAS 140 WITH A MOVING AVERAGE AT ONE 32.
UH, OUR LOW, UH, FOLLOWING THE INITIAL SURGE WAS AGAIN, OCTOBER THE FOURTH, THAT WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 77.
SO 71% INCREASE IN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH FOR OUR HOSPITAL UTILIZATION, OUR ICU BEDS YESTERDAY 45 WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 46.
UH, AGAIN, MORE THAN DOUBLE, UH, THE, UH, THE LOW THAT WE, UM, HAD ON OCTOBER THE SECOND, UH, OF 22.
UH, SO AGAIN, UH, ALL OF THE MEASURES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOT RELATED TO COVID-19, UH, INCLUDING THE ADMISSIONS, THE NEW CASES, HOSPITAL BEDS, ICU BED UTILIZATION ARE ALL POINTING TO THE FACT THAT THINGS ARE WORSENING HERE, SIMILAR TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND THE STATE AND CERTAINLY AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO THIS MORNING, UH, I'M ALSO PROVIDING YOU THE UPDATED PROJECTIONS FROM UT MODELING CONSORTIUM.
UH, YOU CAN SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK, THINGS WERE LOOKING RELATIVELY FLAT, UH, WITH THE INCREASES THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST WEEK IN TERMS OF ADMISSIONS THAT 60% INCREASE IN CASES THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, THE PROJECTIONS FOR, FOR THE HOLIDAYS ARE, ARE LOOKING UGLY AGAIN.
UH, THE PROJECTIONS ARE THAT, UH, THAT RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL TRANSITION TO, UH, THE, UH, THE ORANGE STAGE THAT GOING PAST THE 40, UH, ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL, UH, RIGHT AROUND THANKSGIVING.
SO THE DAY BEFORE, OR THE DAY OF THANKSGIVING, UH, THE PROJECTIONS CURRENTLY ESTIMATE THAT WE WILL HIT 40.
UM, AGAIN, THESE ARE PROJECTIONS, THIS IS NOT A FORECAST OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
UH, BUT ASSUMING THAT TRANSMISSION IS STAYING THE SAME, UH, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE.
THIS IS A GRAPH OF THE, UH, THE HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED, SIMILARLY, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER THE COMING THREE WEEKS LEADING INTO, UH, THE FIRST AND SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER, UH, WITH, WITH MORE THAN 300 ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL, UH, BY THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER.
AND FINALLY, THESE ARE THE PROJECTIONS FOR ICU UTILIZATION.
UH, BACK OVER THE SUMMER, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, IDENTIFYING 350 ICU BEDS AVAILABLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY THAT COULD BE UTILIZED IN A SURGE EVENT.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY GIVEN THE SITUATION AROUND TEXAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT, THAT MANY OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO UTILIZE TO STAFF EXTRA BEDS ARE BEING UTILIZED IN, IN EL PASO RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, LUBBOCK AMARILLO, DALLAS, UH, AND OTHERS WHO ARE FACING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN CASES.
[00:20:01]
WE CAN'T DEPEND UPON, UH, THAT STAFFING THAT, THAT WE MAY HAVE IF WE WERE THE ONLY ONES SURGING AT THE TIME.UH, SO IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR, OUR HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES, WE BELIEVE IN A MORE REASONABLE NUMBER OF, UH, HOSPITAL OR ICU BEDS FOR THAT SURGE IS AROUND 200.
SO YOU CAN SAY THAT WITH THIS PROJECTION THROUGH THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER, UH, WE ARE APPROACHING 130 OR SO, UH, ICU BEDS NEEDED IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE GOING TO HIT THE, THE MAXIMUM SOON AFTER THAT, I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE IF THE SITUATION WORSENS, IF THESE PROJECTIONS ARE TOO OPTIMISTIC, UH, WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TAKING US INTO ORANGE OR POTENTIALLY RED, UH, BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
THIS IS WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF WE DO NOT CHANGE THE RISK BEHAVIOR THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS QUITE FRANKLY LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR ENTRY INTO THE FIRST SURGE.
WE ARE AT SIMILAR NUMBERS TODAY THAT WE WERE ON JUNE THE 17TH, JUNE THE 18TH, UH, WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM THE, THE PEAK.
AND IT'S REALLY UP TO THIS COMMUNITY TO ACT IN A MORE PROTECTIVE WAY TO REINVIGORATE THOSE, THOSE CALLS, TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND PROTECT OUR FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN TURN, TURN THIS BEGINNING OF A SECOND SURGE INTO MORE OF A BOMB.
UM, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF DRIVING THESE NUMBERS DOWN BEFORE THANKSGIVING, AND CERTAINLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE RISK SO THAT WE CAN AVOID HAVING A SECOND SURGE, PARTICULARLY ON THE, ON THE CUSP OF, OF THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A VACCINE IN THE NEAR TERM.
THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, FROM LAST WEEK BASED UPON, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY, UH, THE GREEN LINE REPRESENTS OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY LAST WEEK, 41.5% OF NEW ADMISSIONS, UH, MORE FROM MEMBERS OF THE LATIN X COMMUNITY, 37% OF THE WHITE NON HISPANIC COMMUNITY, UH, 14.6% FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC, WE SEE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
UH, AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN DESCRIBED EARLIER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS EFFORTS ON THESE COMMUNITIES, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH EDUCATION, THROUGH PPE, UH, THROUGH IMMUNIZATION FOR THINGS LIKE FLU, UH, AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY PRIORITIZATION FOR, FOR VACCINATION FOR COVID-19 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS THE SAME DATA BROKEN DOWN BY ACTUAL NUMBERS OF, OF INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN OUR NEW ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL.
WE WENT FROM ONE 42 TO ONE OH FIVE, UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE ABOUT 20% INCREASE, UH, BETWEEN, UH, THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER AND THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER.
SO YOU CAN SAY THAT, UH, 54 INDIVIDUALS IN THE LATIN X COMMUNITY HOSPITALIZED LAST WEEK 19 IN OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
UH, SO WE'LL GET CONTINUED TO TRACK THESE NUMBERS AND, UH, AND WORK TO THE REPORT, THOSE TO YOU WEEKLY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE, UH, NEW HOSPITALIZATION BASED UPON, UH, AGE GROUPS THAT YOU CAN SAY THE MUSTARD YELLOW LINE ARE 70, 79 AGE GROUP.
UH, LUCKILY HAS SEEN DECREASES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UH, YOU SEE A SLIGHT UPTICK IN OUR 80 PLUS AGE GROUP, WHICH IS THE ORANGE LINE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE, THE TWO GROUPS ALONG WITH THE 60 TO 65 AGE GROUP THAT WE ARE MOST CONCERNED, UH, REGARDING ADMISSIONS BECAUSE THOSE ADMISSIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO ICU, UH, NEEDS, AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN A DECREASE IN OUR, UM, ADMISSIONS RELATED TO THE 20 TO 29 AGE GROUP, UH, AND OUR, OUR 10 TO 19 AGE GROUP IS MAINTAINING ITSELF RELATIVELY STEADY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE SAME DATA, UH, BROKEN DOWN BY NUMBERS OF ADMISSIONS.
UH, YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, UH, THAT SEVEN TO 70 ARE
[00:25:01]
CORRECT IN THAT 80 PLUS AGE GROUP ON TOP THERE WITH 21 ADMISSIONS 22 IN THE 70, 79 AGE GROUP AND 26 IN THE, UH, THE 60 TO 69 AGE GROUP.UH, SO AGAIN, UH, THOSE TOP THREE AGE GROUPS REPRESENTING ABOUT HALF OF THE ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL OVER THE PAST WEEK.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT, UH, REGARDING, UH, LONGER LENGTH OF STAYS FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS, ICU ADMISSIONS.
AND AGAIN, DEATHS, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS ENOUGH STATE OF OUR POSITIVITY BY WEEK.
IF YOU RECALL, TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN I LAST SPOKE TO COUNCIL, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, FACT THAT WE'RE RELATIVELY STEADY 3.8 3.9% FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS A WEEK 44, WHICH WAS TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, THAT BUMPED UP TO 4.2%, THE DATA THAT WE HAVE FOR LAST WEEK, AND THERE'S ABOUT 8,000, UH, UH, LAB TESTS THAT GO INTO THIS DATA SET THAT YOU'RE SAYING, UH, HAS A FURTHER INCREASE TO 5.2%, UH, SO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 40 TO 50% INCREASE OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS IN TERMS OF POSITIVITY.
UH, WE ARE SEEING SIMILAR INCREASES, UH, IN, UH, IN OTHER DATA SETS THAT WE'RE MONITORING AS WELL.
AGAIN, CERTAINLY THE, THE DATA IS POINTING THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HEAD UPWARDS.
UH, REMEMBER THE CASES THAT WERE WERE DIAGNOSED LAST WEEK ARE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED THIS WEEK.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE THE WORK, CONTINUE THE EFFORT TO DECREASE TRANSMISSION.
WE DID SEE A BUMP, UH, BEFORE HALLOWEEN STARTED, UH, BUT CERTAINLY WE ARE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT RISE, UH, IN MANY CASES TRACKING BACK TO HALLOWEEN RELATED ACTIVITIES.
NOW, THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE POSITIVITY BY AGE GROUP, CORRECTION, BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UH, THAT RED DOTTED LINE WAS THE ONE THAT WE WERE SHOOTING FOR.
YOU CAN SEE BACK ON A WEEK 42, THAT, UH, WE ONLY HAD OUR LATIN X POPULATION OVER THAT 5%.
UH, AND MANY OF THE OTHER GROUPS, UH, CLOSE TO THE 3% WHERE WE REALLY LIKE TO BE, UNFORTUNATELY, A WEEK 45.
WE SEE THAT, UH, OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY AND OUR NATIVE HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY, ALL SHOWING POSITIVITY OVER THAT 5% MARK, UM, LAST WEEK.
SO FAR, OUR LATIN X, UH, POSITIVITY 9.0%.
UH, HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER 8% ARE WHITE NON-HISPANIC 4.9% AND OUR ASIAN AMERICAN POPULATION, 2.9%.
UH, SO WE ARE SEEING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES ACROSS, UH, MANY DEMOGRAPHICS IN TERMS OF, UH, POSITIVITY.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN, UH, OF THE POSITIVITY BY AGE GROUP, AGAIN, BACK ON WEEK 41, THAT WEEK 42, YOU CAN SEE THAT WHAT WEEK 41, ALL OF OUR, UH, AGE GROUPS WERE UNDER 5% THAT MAINTAINED FOR MOST IN WEEK 42.
BY THE TIME WE GET TO WEEK 45, OUR 10 TO 19 AGE GROUP, 20 TO 29, 40 TO 49 AND 50 TO 59 ARE ALL SIGNIFICANTLY OVER 5%.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, CERTAINLY OUR 50 TO 59 AGE GROUP IS A, A NEW TREND, UH, THAT WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED BEFORE, BUT CERTAINLY CONCERNING.
REMEMBER THAT, UH, AS AGE INCREASES, THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN INCREASED HOSPITALIZATION AND INCREASES IN DEATH.
UH, AND, UH, WE'RE CERTAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT INCREASE IN THAT 50 TO 59 AGE GROUP.
AGAIN, WE LOOK AT THE, UH, THE POSITIVE CASES TESTED BY APH IN THE PAST SEVEN DAYS, ABOUT 50% OF THOSE CASES ARE IN THE 20 TO 29 AGE GROUP AND 30 TO 39 AGE GROUP.
UH, SO WE ARE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT TRENDS IN THOSE GROUPS AS WELL.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT CERTAINLY IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS IN TERMS OF OUR CASES AT THAT LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
UH, THIS IS ON OUR DASHBOARD PAGE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH COVID-19, UH, WHICH HAS, UH, FACILITY SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
UH, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING ONGOING CASE TRANSMISSION, PARTICULARLY AMONGST STAFF,
[00:30:01]
UM, AND AGAIN, SIMILAR TO OTHER PLACES, UH, SCHOOLS AND IN BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS, ET CETERA.UH, WE ARE SEEING THAT ACTIVITY, THAT TRANSMISSION HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF, OF THE WORKSPACE AND IN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE, UH, KEEP AN EYE ON THIS OR REPORT ON THIS WEEK LATE.
AND, UH, AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THROUGH OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY TASK FORCE.
UH, I WILL MENTION THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CASES ASSOCIATED WITH VISITATION CHANGES, UH, AT NURSING HOMES.
UH, THERE ARE STRICT PROTOCOLS IN PLACE FOR THOSE VISITATIONS, AND WE'RE PLEASED THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CASES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UH, THIS IS A, A DRAFT UPDATE OF OUR, UH, SCHOOL REPORT FOR LAST WEEK.
YOU CAN SEE A TOTAL OF 101, UH, CASES ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY, 63 IN STUDENTS, 35 AND STAFF IN THREE IN INDIVIDUALS VISITING THE CAMPUS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS MAY SEEM ALARMING THAT THERE'S A HUNDRED CASES, MORE THAN A HUNDRED CASES IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, THESE CASES REPRESENT 73 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OVER THE PAST WEEK WITH CASES, UH, AND ONLY A FEW THAT HAVE MORE THAN THREE CASES AGAIN, IN TALKING TO OUR, OUR SCHOOLS TASK FORCE AND TALKING TO OUR SUPERINTENDENTS.
UH, THE TRANSMISSION THAT WE'RE SAYING IS THE SAME THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR WEEKS NOW, TRANSMISSION IS HAPPENING IN ATHLETIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, AND MORE SUBSTANTIALLY IT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL, BUILDING ITSELF, IT'S HAPPENING IN SOCIAL GATHERINGS, IT'S HAPPENING WHEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING TOGETHER AT THE, TO SHARE A MEAL THAT'S HAPPENING WHEN THEY'RE GETTING TOGETHER AT PARTIES AND OTHER EVENTS.
UM, SO THIS IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, UH, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING, THE NEW CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING ARE, YOU KNOW, TRACKING BACK TO TIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKING THEIR MASK OFF AND CLOSING THE SIX FOOT DISTANCE TO BE CLOSE TO OTHER PEOPLE, FAMILY AND FRIENDS, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
UH, AND THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMIND FOLKS AND TO CERTAINLY AFTER THIS MESSAGING, UM, AND EVERYWHERE THAT WE CAN, THAT THERE IS NOT A SAFE SPACE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
SO IF YOU WERE GOING OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD OR ARE COMING INTO YOUR HOUSEHOLD, YOU NEED TO HAVE A MASK.
YOU NEED TO HAVE A SOCIAL DISTANCE THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE HAND HYGIENE.
UM, I JUST CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH THAT IF WE DON'T REALLY GET OUR VIGILANCE BACK, IF WE DON'T CHANGE OUR WAYS, IF WE DON'T GO BACK TO THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS THAT WE WERE TAKING OVER THE SUMMER AND IN THE SPRING, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MISERABLE WINTER.
AND, UH, NOW'S THE TIME TO CHANGE THAT.
NOW'S THE TIME TO GO BACK TO THOSE PROTECTIVE HABITS.
IF YOU FOLKS STARTED SHAKING HANDS OR HUGGING, IT'S TIME TO STOP AGAIN.
UH, IF THEY STARTED HAVING LARGER GATHERINGS OR GETTING TOGETHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT RESTAURANTS OR AT THEIR HOME, IT'S TIME TO STOP AGAIN.
UH, THIS IS WE'RE IN A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT, AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY CONCERNED THAT CASES ARE SURGING ACROSS THE US AND ACROSS THE STATE.
OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN PARTLY DEPENDS ON REDUNDANCIES, DEPENDS ON HAVING RESOURCES THAT WE CAN PULL INTO AREAS THAT ARE, ARE FACING SURGEONS.
IF SURGERIES ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE, SURGERIES ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT REDUNDANCY GOES AWAY AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT EXTRA PROTECTION THAT WE NEED TO HANDLE A MORE SIGNIFICANT SURGE.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S FLU SEASON AS DIRECTOR HAGEN MENTIONED EARLIER.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT OUR FLU CASES, UH, HAVE REMAINED LOW THROUGHOUT TRAVIS COUNTY, ABOUT 14 TOTAL CASES TODAY, THREE INFLUENZA, A 11 INFLUENCE A B UH, WITH AN OVERALL, UH, POSITIVITY RIGHT OVER THE SEASON.
UH, SO THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS.
AGAIN, IF FOLKS HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEIR FLU SHOTS YET, NOW'S THE TIME TO GET IT NOT NEXT WEEK, OR SOMETIME LATER THIS MONTH TODAY.
UH, BECAUSE AS I JUST DESCRIBED, WE DON'T HAVE THE REDUNDANCY IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TO MANAGE A SURGE OF, OF COVID-19 AND INFLUENZA.
AND THIS IS A GRAPH SHOWING A COMPARISON OF THIS SEASON, WHICH IS
[00:35:01]
IN BLUE, UH, TO THE PREVIOUS, UH, THREE SEASONS THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE CONTINUE TO TRACK BELOW, UH, THE PRIOR THREE SEASONS, UH, THIS YEAR.AND AGAIN, THE, THE INFLUENCE OF VACCINATION, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING, THE MASKING, THE HAND HYGIENE WILL HELP US MAINTAIN THIS, THIS LINE VERY LOW, UH, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE REMAIN IN STAGE THREE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, OUR TRIGGER POINT HAS 40 FOR THAT TRANSITION TO STAGE FOUR.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE DATA ON THE TRAJECTORY OF CHANGE, UH, AS WELL AS THE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM, FROM OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. AND I WILL SAY THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE MAY NEED TO TRANSITION TO STAGE FOUR BEFORE 40, DEPENDING UPON THE, THAT ANGLE.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT OUR, OUR SURGE CAPACITY IS DIMINISHED BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND THE STATE, AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UH, SO WE WILL UPDATE, UH, COUNCIL NEXT WEEK, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONERS COURT, UH, AND, UH, AND PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THAT.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UH, SPENCER, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO YOU.
HAYDEN PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL.
AND THEN WE'LL AGAIN, HEAR FROM CARMEN AFTER THAT.
S SCOTT AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS.
UM, SO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS, COUNCILOR ELLIS.
S SCOTT, CAN YOU TELL ME ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANES ISD CASES THAT NUMBERS, UM, STRIKINGLY HIGH FOR SUCH A SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS? IS IT ONE CLUSTER OR MULTIPLE CLUSTERS, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES? ANY, ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT THAT? PRIMARILY IT'S RELATED TO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES? I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, UH, FOR THE CASES, UH, LAST WEEK, UH, BUT WE HAD, UH, ISSUES AS WE'VE HAD IN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS RELATED TO, UH, ATHLETIC EVENTS AND, AND TRANSMISSION IN THOSE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE DONE SOME WIDESPREAD TESTING, UH, OF, UH, THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM WITHIN AIMS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL CASES AND, AND PUT A LID BACK ON IT.
UM, BUT, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE AND PROVIDE SOME, SOME FURTHER INFORMATION.
CERTAINLY LOVE TO KNOW MORE IF THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AND TO SEE HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CURTAIL THAT NUMBER FROM GOING UP ANY HIGHER, BUT WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH TOM LINER, THE SUPERINTENDENT THERE, UH, AND DEAN'S HAS BEEN VERY ENGAGED AND PROACTIVE IN TERMS OF, UH, WORKING WITH US TO, TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 THERE.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, IN THE EARLY STAGES OF PLANNING, VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT I KNOW THE SEVEN EIGHT, SEVEN FOUR SIX ZIP CODE WHEN WE STARTED MAPPING ZIP CODES HAD KIND OF, UM, SHOWN UP HIGHER, PRETTY EARLY ON.
SO I I'D LOVE TO KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THAT MEMBER.
I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SAYING, PARTICULARLY IN THE SUBURBS IS PARTIES HAPPENING, UH, WITH HIGH SCHOOLERS.
AND THIS IS THE PRIMARY WAY THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS SPREAD.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS AND WE CAN SEE CASES ASSOCIATED WITH ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, BUT IT'S, IT'S MORE LIKELY THAT THAT SPREAD IS NOT HAPPENING ON THE FIELD IT'S HAPPENING WHEN THEY'RE GETTING TOGETHER FOR MEALS OR THEY'RE GETTING TOGETHER FOR PARTIES.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO REALLY, IF THEY TOOK A BREAK FROM, FROM THE VIGILANCE AND STARTED HAVING LARGER GATHERINGS TO GO BACK TO THAT MORE PROTECTED ACTION SO WE CAN CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THIS CURVE.
WE REALLY DO HAVE TO FLATTEN IT AGAIN.
I KNOW I'VE BEEN OUT WHEN I'M AT THE STORE AND I SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, GROUPS OF FRIENDS KIND OF GO INTO THE STORE TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE SEEN PRE COVID.
SO APPRECIATE YOU PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.
UM, I KNOW THAT AISD ONLY VERY RECENTLY, UM, KIND OF WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, UM, AND BOTH OF MY KIDS' SCHOOLS, THERE WERE CASES OVER THE LAST WEEK THAT WERE REPORTED.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT PORTION OF KIDS ARE ACTUALLY BACK IN SCHOOL, WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW? UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT REALLY VARIES ACROSS AGES, UM, AND ACROSS,
[00:40:01]
UM, SCHOOLS AND POPULATIONS.DO WE HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT REAL QUICK COUNCIL MEMBER? ALTERNATE, WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT IT'S LIKE REALLY LOUD AND KIND OF JUST, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A NOISE ATTACHED TO IT, JUST FYI.
I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO ON THAT.
WE'VE GOT LIKE FOUR ZOOMS GOING WITHIN AN AREA.
SO I'LL TRY TO TURN THE VOLUME DOWN THEN.
UH, COUNSELOR ALTER THERE, THERE IS SOME VARIABILITY BASED UPON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, IN MY DISCUSSION YESTERDAY WITH, UH, WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, AISD HAS ABOUT 27% CAPACITY RIGHT NOW, WHO IS IN PERSON.
UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, MOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE AROUND 50%.
UH, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE, SOME THAT ARE A LITTLE LESS, UH, THERE'S SOME VARIATION ACROSS THE COUNTY.
THERE'S A, TENDS TO BE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE IN PERSON AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND FEWER IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY NOT ANY THAT ARE, ARE MUCH ABOVE 50% RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE CONTINUE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY LOW NUMBERS OF CASES ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO, TO MANAGE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE IF IT WAS AT 75 OR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE STAGE.
UM, BUT WE WERE, WE WE'LL CONTINUE TO ATTRACT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DID HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS ALSO ABOUT A STADIUM CAPACITY, UH, AND, UH, THEY REALLY REINFORCED THEIR, UM, THEIR ENFORCEMENT OF THAT 25% MAXIMUM, UH, MANY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO WERE HAVING FOOTBALL GAMES HAVE LESS THAN 25% RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT US AS WELL.
UM, MAY OF OUR TIME, IS THIS BETTER? I MAY HAVE BEEN LIKE, NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S LIKE REALLY HIGH AND DISTORTED AND IT, AND A BUNCH OF COUNCIL MEMBERS PULLED THEIR, THEIR PLUGS OUT OF THEIR EAR.
UM, BUT I MEAN, WE CAN HEAR YOU CLEARLY.
I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN, UM, DID ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS, COUNSELOR KITCHEN? UM, YES.
I HAVE A, UM, QUICK QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US, WHAT, UM, AND, AND YOU WILL ALSO DR.
S ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND THE, UM, UH, IN PARTICULAR, THE PPE KITS FOR THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY, CAUSE I, NOT SURE IF I HEARD IT RIGHT.
SO THOSE WILL HAVE THE REUSABLE CLOTH MASKS, UM, FOR THE, THE WORKERS, THE STAFF IN LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES, STICK IN, USE IT, UM, WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND AT HOME.
IS THAT, IS THAT THE THINKING THERE DIRECTOR HEAD? UM, YES.
UM, AND THE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO SEND OUT A REQUEST, UM, TO LET THEM KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE AND THEN BASED UPON THE RESPONSE, THEN TEAMS WILL PUT THE PACKAGES TOGETHER AND THEN PROVIDE THEM TO THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY.
AND THEN, BUT, BUT JUST TO DISTINGUISH, SO THE PPE THAT'S PROVIDED FOR USE IN THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, THOSE WOULD BE THE SURGICAL MASKS, RIGHT.
SO THE, THE, THE PPE PACKS AND, UM, INCLUDES THE N 90 FIVES.
UM, WE HAVE PROVIDED SOME GOWNS GLOVES, UM, AND, UM, AND FACE SHIELDS.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NOW, BUT YOU COULD GIVE US A, UH, MAYBE A BRIEF UPDATE NOW, MAYBE SEND US SOME MORE DETAIL.
UH, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT BACK ABOUT THE CREATION OF A GROUP OR TASK FORCE.
I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT WE WERE CALLING IT EXACTLY, UH, TO WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH YOU ALL, UM, TO HELP, UH, REDUCE THE INCIDENTS AMONG OUR, UM, OUR POPULATIONS OF COLOR.
AND IS THAT, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT GROUP IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW AND, OR SEND ME INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE I CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON? UM, SO CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS IN PLACE.
UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK UNDER THE SOCIAL SERVICE BRANCH WITH THE PRIORITY POPULATIONS.
UM, AND SO THAT WORK IS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN.
UM, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED, UH, A, UM, A STRIKE TEAM,
[00:45:01]
UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HISPANIC, UM, IN LATIN X COMMUNITIES.AND SO WE MEET, UM, EVERY OTHER MONDAY EVENING AT 6:00 PM WITH THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS STRATEGIES, YOU KNOW, BRINGING INFORMATION TO THEM, UM, INFORMATION COMES BACK TO US, UM, AND IT IS, UM, DIRECTLY, UM, CONNECTED TO THE PLAN THAT WE PUT IN PLACE THAT WENT OUT IN THE SURVEY.
UM, AND SO, UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE THAT WORK, UM, ON THE WEEKS THAT WE DON'T MEET, UM, THERE IS A TEAM OF SUBSET OF FOLKS THAT COME TOGETHER AND ADDRESS, UM, UM, HIGH LEVEL, UM, TASKS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, ONE WEEK, UM, THEY MET ABOUT, UM, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL, UM, PPE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, NEXT WEEK THEY'RE GONNA MEET, UM, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, PUBLIC CHARGE.
AND SO THEY JUST, WE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, TOPICS BASED UPON WHAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING.
AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO THE MEETING FOR A PRESENTATION AND KIND OF ANY QUESTIONS AND OVERVIEWS.
UM, THE NEXT PHASE OF IT, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH MY, WITH MY TEAM BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, UM, IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH, UM, THAT GROUP OF FOLKS NEXT.
UM, AND THAT WAY THEY CAN ALSO, UM, WE CAN WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THEM IN, IN ALIGN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER,
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN SEEING THE, UM, THE NUMBERS OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND NOW THE BLACKS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS, UM, DO Y'ALL THINK I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ATTRACT WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE THAT ARE GETTING TO US AND YOU GOT TRACKING THEM TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE GETTING IT.
UH, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME MORE INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF EFFORTS OUT THERE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PASSING OUT PPE SANITIZERS.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY CATCHING THIS MISFIRES? YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, UM, PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVE HAVING GATHERINGS.
UM, AND WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, UM, AT OUR, AT OUR PRESS BRIEFING.
UM, I LIVE AT HOME WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY SON, BUT MY SISTER, HER HUSBAND DECIDED TO COME OVER HERE, MY FAMILY, BUT WE ALL TAKE OUT OUR MASS.
AND SO THAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT FOLKS ARE SOMETIMES MEETING WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DON'T LIVE IN A HOUSE WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE LETTING THEIR GUARD DOWN AND THEY'RE TAKING OUT THEIR MASK.
UM, AND THE DOCTOR HAS GOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE HUGGING AND SHAKING HANDS AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY SHOULD NOT BE DOING.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE LOOKING TO, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE KNOW WE WILL PREFER INDIVIDUALS, NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING GATHERINGS, UM, IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THE GATHERINGS, WE WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR MASK SOCIAL DISTANCE.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE PROTECTIVE MEASURES, WE WANT FOLKS TO CONTINUE THOSE, BUT THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY, YOU KNOW, WHERE, UM, WHERE FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY CATCHING, UM, THE COVID.
SO WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YOU ALL ON A WEEKLY, A, A NON-NURSING HOME, UM, OR WHICH PICKS UP ALL OF THE OTHER, UM, THE STREETS.
AND SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER AREAS THAT WE, WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
CAUSE I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, PUT THAT MESSAGE OUT TO THE PUBLIC THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT IT'S, UH, YOU COULD GET CUT YOU AT YOUR WORK SITE, THEN YOU CAN COME UP WITH, TO YOUR OTHER FAMILIES, TO YOUR FAMILIES OR YOUR BROTHERS OR SISTER OR DAD AND GIVE IT TO THEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
YOU'RE WELCOME, COUNSELOR BOKASSA.
SO OF COURSE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION, TO AVOID A SURGE, UM, IN THE, IN THE LAST TIME THAT THE SURGE STARTED
[00:50:01]
REALLY PICKING UP, AND ONE OF THESE WORK SESSIONS, WE WERE DISCUSSING THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE MORE AND MORE CASES ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE THERE WERE MORE AND MORE CASES HERE WHEN PEOPLE WERE GETTING TESTED, IT WAS STARTING TO TAKE LONGER AND LONGER FOR THE RESULTS TO COME BACK.DO WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE NOW ON HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR SOMEBODY GOES TO A PELLET TESTING SITE, HOW QUICKLY THEY GET THE RESULT BACK MEMBER? RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE VERY FEW CASES THAT, THAT WE'VE REPORTED OVER THE PAST WEEK THAT ARE OLDER THAN 14 DAYS OLD.
UH, SO IF THEY'RE GETTING TESTED THROUGH APH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, THOSE TESTS ARE COMING BACK IN 24 TO 48 HOURS.
UH, THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE, THAT ARE LONGER THAN 48 HOURS.
UM, SO THE INFORMATION WE'RE GETTING IS CERTAINLY MORE TIMELY THAN IT HAD BEEN.
UH, WE HAVEN'T SEEN HUGE DUMPS OF, UH, OF DATA, OF OLD CASES LIKE WE SAW IN PREVIOUS MONTH.
SO, UH, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE AS YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED, AS THE SURGE HAPPENS LOCALLY AROUND THE STATE, AROUND THE COUNTRY, THERE CERTAINLY A RISK OF THAT, THAT LAB TURNAROUND TIMES WE'LL LINK THAT OUT AGAIN.
AND THEN I REMEMBER IN THOSE CASE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAD STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAD INSURANCE, WHO STILL THOUGHT THAT THE BEST PLACE TO GO WAS THE CITY SITES, WHICH WERE REALLY BEST POSITIONED FOR THOSE FOLKS WITHOUT INSURANCE.
UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK THE TOP, THE MAIN MESSAGE SHOULD BE, LET'S NOT EVEN GET THERE AND YET FOLKS DO NOT DO GATHERINGS.
WE'LL PROBABLY JUST PUT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT IF WE START TO SEE THAT INCREASE IN PEOPLE COMING TO GET TESTS, BUT IF YOU HAVE A PRIVATE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE, YOU CAN GO AND GET IT FOR FREE AT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL PROVIDER.
WHEREAS THE CITY SITES ARE OF COURSE, AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE TO BEST SAVE TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO OTHER OPTION.
I KNOW I'VE ASKED THIS BEFORE, BUT IT JUST SEEMS SO PERSISTENT AND CONSISTENT.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS FOR YOU DIRECTOR HAYDEN OR DR.
SCOTT, WHERE WE ARE SEEING NOW EVEN MORE, REALLY THE MOST DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT IN THE HOSPITALS BEING IN OUR BLACK COMMUNITY AND THEN THE POSITIVITY RATES BEING HIGHEST IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY.
AND IT JUST SEEMS TO BE GETTING MORE AND MORE PERSISTENT AND MORE AND MORE PRONOUNCED.
I, I, ONCE IT'S BEEN SO CONSTANT, I WANT TO DRAW SOME SORT OF CONCLUSION, SOME SORT OF LESSON OUT OF THAT.
UM, WHAT SHOULD WE BE? HOW SHOULD WE BE AT THIS POINT WHEN IT'S, ONCE IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE PRONOUNCED WHERE FRANKLY, THE LATINO HOSPITALIZATION RATES IS BECOMING LESS DISPROPORTIONATE, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BUT THE POSITIVITY RATE STAYS SO STUBBORNLY HIGH AND THEN THE BLACK HOSPITALIZATION RATE SEEMS TO BE GETTING IN SOME CASES WORSE.
I MEAN, HOW SHOULD WE BE TAKING ACTION TO, TO ADDRESS THAT JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY REALLY, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, WE KNOW THE PROVEN METHODS ARE, YOU KNOW, FACE COVERING IN HYGIENE ON SOCIAL DISTANCING.
UM, BUT I REALLY THINK THE OTHER KIND OF, UH, THING THAT IS REALLY HAPPENING, NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, BUT ACROSS THE NATION IS FOLKS ARE GETTING FATIGUED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST KIND OF LOOKING ON MY WAY, DRIVING INTO THE OFFICE THIS MORNING AND KIND OF LOOKING AT PEOPLE, WORKING ON, UM, ON THE HIGHWAY.
AND I EVEN NOTICED THAT FOLKS WERE NOT, THEY THEY'RE RIGHT THERE WITH PEOPLE, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THEIR FACE COVERINGS ON.
AND SO, UM, EVEN LIKE WITH, WITH, WITH KIND OF THE GATHERING THAT HAPPENED, UM, OVER THE KIND OF HALLOWEEN WE CAN, UM, PHOTOS WERE SHARED WITH US ABOUT HOW FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GATHERING.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CONTINUE TO GATHER, THEY CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, GO, UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE NOT, UM, IN THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THEN, I MEAN, LET'S ALSO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO KIND OF DO A PLUG FOR THIS IS OPEN ENROLLMENT.
AND SO MY HOPE IS, IS THAT, UM, FOLKS WOULD REACH OUT TO FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UM, AND ENROLL, UM, TO GET HEALTH COVERAGE FOR 21, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS AN INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT HAVE A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN.
UM, 23% UNINSURED FOLKS LIVE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND SO THE, THE INFORMATION IS JUST SHOWING THAT PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE INSURANCE THAT DON'T HAVE A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR ATTENDING TO BE THE ONES THAT ONCE THEY DO GO TO A PHYSICIAN AND THEY GET THIS DIAGNOSIS, OR THEY GO TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU
[00:55:01]
KNOW, THEY FIND ALL OF THESE OTHER UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.AND SO YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF WORKING IN, AND TYPICALLY THE POPULATIONS WHERE THIS IS THE, WHERE YOU SEE IT THE MOST IS IN THE HISPANIC AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, AND SO THAT REALLY ADDS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE NUMBERS.
MY, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON WHAT TYPE OF ADDITIONAL, UM, EQUITY STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE AS A COMMUNITY TO REALLY START TO JUST KIND OF TURN THE CURVE ON THE EQUITIES THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IN ITSELF, YOU KNOW, WILL HELP WITH THE COVID AS WELL, BUT IT WILL HELP US TO BE A STRONGER COMMUNITY IN THOSE POPULATIONS WHERE WE SEE THE DISPARITY.
AND I'M SURE WE ARE ALL GOING TO KEEP PUSHING THAT MESSAGE OUT AND THEN REALLY INTERESTED IN SORT OF WHAT LANDS YOU COMPENSATIONS AS WE ALL LIVE IN MORE THAN A KITCHEN, UH, JUST AS A, AS A FOLLOW-UP, UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN, UH, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE W FROM A CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WERE YOUR ARE, ARE DOING, UM, UH, TO GET THE WORD OUT.
IN OTHER WORDS, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR PROGRAM IS FOR, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT HOW, HOW WE'RE USING THE MEDIA, FOR EXAMPLE, OR OTHER MECHANISMS TO REACH OUT.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN, UM, UH, EITHER TALK WITH US ABOUT RIGHT NOW OR SEND TO ME VERSUS TO ALL OF US? YES.
I MEAN, I CAN JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A, A HIGH LEVEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, SO TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONTINUED WITH MASS MEDIA, UM, JUST KIND OF REALLY TRYING TO, TO REACH THE MASSES THAT WAY.
UM, OUR STAFF, UM, ARE, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, WE HAVE SOME SMALLER CONTRACTS WITH, UM, NONPROFIT AGENCY THAT ARE WORKING AT THE ZIP CODE AREA AND ARE PROVIDING SOME OUTREACH AND INFORMATION TO THEM.
WE'VE HAD SOME APARTMENTS THAT HAVE GONE DOOR TO DOOR.
UM, WE'VE HAD, UM, OUR NONPROFIT, UM, AGENCIES THAT HAVE PROVIDED INFORMATION TO THE INFO TO THE FOLKS THAT THEY SERVE.
UM, OUR STAFF ARE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, ALSO DO AN ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, WE HAVE A, UH, HISPANIC, UH, CELEBRITY THAT MY STAFF ARE WORKING ON.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH
BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS, IS THAT WE HAVE TO DO A HYBRID OF, OF, OF EVERYTHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE ABLE TO GET THE WORD OUT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR DISTRIBUTION LISTS CONTACT LIST.
WE REALLY, UM, REALLY APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR SHARING INFORMATION, BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM YOU OFF DISTRIBUTION LISTS, AND THAT IS SO HELPFUL.
UM, BUT WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION OUT TO POPULATIONS THAT MAY NOT TYPICALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, TURN ON THE NEWS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING RADIO AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT WAS, UM, A SUGGESTION THAT WAS MADE FROM SOME, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO WE'RE JUST BEING AS HOLISTIC AS WE CAN BE TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT.
UH, ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
SO IS THAT INCLUDING, UH, PAID MEDIA, LIKE, UM, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UM, UM, UNIVERSITY ON, ARE WE DOING ADVERTISEMENTS PAID ADVERTISEMENTS? UH, YES, WE, YES, WE ARE.
WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU PRE ELECTION, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY START TO SEE US COME BACK AGAIN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KIND OF HAD TO GET OUT OF THE WHOLE, UH, BUSINESS DURING THE LECTURE BESIDES RADIO.
UM, BUT YOU'LL START TO SEE US HAVE ADVERTISEMENT ABOUT TESTING ON MAJOR NETWORKS.
UM, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO HEAR IT ON OUR RADIO STATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH UNIVERSAL AND IT IS PAID.
THAT'S KATZENBERG KOSSAR'S AND COUNCILOR KITCHENS, UH, POINTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DO, I FEEL LIKE OUR, OUR AIRWAVES HAVE BEEN CONSUMED WITH ELECTION, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I REMEMBER JUST WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS AND EVERY SINGLE COMMERCIAL WAS A CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL.
[01:00:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I CERTAINLY AGREE, UM, WITH DR.S SCOTT, OF COURSE, THAT AS A WHOLE, IT FEELS LIKE WE HAVE BECOME LESS VIGILANT AND I'LL EVEN ADMIT TO PROBABLY GETTING MORE RELAXED THAN I SHOULD HAVE AS WELL.
AND MY HUSBAND AND I WERE HAVING THE DISCUSSION MORE RECENTLY THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, UM, GET BACK TO BEING WHERE WE WERE IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS.
AND I KNOW WHEN WE, WHEN THIS ALL FIRST STARTED, THERE WERE SO, I MEAN, WE HAD THAT REALLY, WE DID THAT COUNCIL, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE, UM, WHAT'S IT CALLED, UM, COMMERCIAL, WHATEVER IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, ASK ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO MASK UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN, YOU KNOW, BILLBOARDS WITH PAID FOR BY PRIVATE COMPANIES, WHICH I APPRECIATE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE, BUT IT, IT, I, I CERTAINLY BELIEVE WE DO NEED TO, AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION HAS REALLY TAKEN A LOT OF, UH, OF THE ATTENTION.
AND SO I CERTAINLY HOPE NOW THAT WE'RE PAST THAT FOR THE MOST PART THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE ALWAYS VALUED SCIENCE AND, AND MATH AND, UH, AND, AND, AND TO GET BACK TO, UM, TO CONCENTRATING ON, ON, ON THOSE, UM, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT MESSAGES.
AND, UH, I, I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN VOLUNTARY, UM, PPE AND THANK YOU TO PUBLIC HEALTH FOR, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER WE GET THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WANTING MORE PP PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE LIMITED SUPPLIES, AND I KNOW YOU ALSO ARE CONCENTRATING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, CHILDCARE FACILITIES AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH A SMALL SUPPLY OF PPE AS WELL.
SO, BUT, UM, I DID HAVE A COUPLE, OH, AND ALSO TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASAREZ, UM, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, I, I, YOU, UH, I KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW THIS TOO, BUT IT JUST, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT HEALTHCARE FOR ALL.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THINGS THAT REALLY HELP THE MINORITY COMMUNITY ARE THE BIG THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KEEP SAYING THAT WE CAN'T GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE THIS, UH, PANDEMIC.
AND SO I HOPE THAT SINCE THE ELECTION'S OVER, WE CAN CONCENTRATE REALLY HARD ON THOSE EFFORTS AND ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, UM, ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AS COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE CONCENTRATED ON DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, EITHER, EITHER YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN OR, OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT HAS, HAS, HAS, HAS MAYBE DISTRACTED FROM THIS VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE AND SHOWING THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN.
AND SO I CERTAINLY AM COMMITTED TO REFOCUSING AND PRIORITIZING AND GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THOSE DISPARITIES, UM, REALLY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
I HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR, UM, UH, DR.
I KNOW IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT ORGANIZATIONS WERE, WERE GIVING US INFORMATION ABOUT POSITIVE CASES, IT WAS LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH, I THINK, CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, COMMUNITY CARE.
AND THEN I THINK AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC WOULD SHARE INFORMATION.
I'M CURIOUS IF, ARE, AND I'M SORRY IF YOU SAID THIS ALREADY, UM, DO OUR POSITIVE CASES ALSO INCLUDE, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE GETTING RAPID TESTED AT CVS AND WALGREENS.
I DON'T KNOW IF WALGREENS I'VE HEARD SPECIFICALLY CVS DO OUR POSITIVE CASE.
NUMBERS INCLUDE EVERY SINGLE ENTITY THAT IS, THAT IS TESTING PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND THEY DID INCLUDES ALL OF THE POSITIVE PCR TESTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE'RE NOW REPORTING POSITIVE ANTIGEN TESTS, WHICH ARE, UH, THEY'RE NOT CONFIRMED POSITIVES, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING.
UH, WE ARE TRACKING THAT INTERNALLY.
UH, THERE HASN'T BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION, UH, TO POSITIVE CASES FROM, FROM ANTIGEN TESTS.
UH, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT DATA AS WELL.
SO ANYWHERE THE P SO THE PCR IS IN, SORRY, I DON'T KNOW THIS, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RAPID TEST AND THE TEST THAT PEOPLE WERE GETTING IN THE BEGINNING OF, OF THE PANDEMIC? UH, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, BUT THEY'RE BOTH, THEY'RE BOTH PCR TESTS.
UH, ONE IS THE ABBOTT ID NOW, UH, WHICH IS THE RAPID VERSION OF THAT, THAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND MANY OTHERS DO AS WELL, UH, VERSUS THE SENDOFF TEST THAT GOES TO A LAB, WHICH IS A STATEMENT PCR TESTS THAT WE'VE BEEN USED TO.
AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING I THOUGHT I HAD WAS I THINK FOR SOME, FOR MANY WHO HAVE BECOME A LITTLE MORE RELAXED IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS THIS WHOLE THING HAS BEEN SO DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT, RIGHT.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER NOBODY THOUGHT WE WOULD BE.
WHAT IS THIS TENT NINE MONTHS ALMOST, YOU KNOW, EIGHT MONTHS IN.
AND, AND I THINK THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE VACCINE PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE FOR PEOPLE.
SO IF, IF, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS WE GET ANY VALID, UH, GOOD INFORMATION, I
[01:05:01]
THINK MAYBE THAT PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH THE END, THE, IN AN END IS KIND OF INSIGHT.AND, AND MAYBE THAT HELPS THE, THE MENTAL FEELING OF HOW MUCH LONGER, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THIS, UM, ARE, ARE WE GOING TO BE QUARANTINED AND SELF QUARANTINE? AND SO, UM, I, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO UNDERSTANDING THAT I AM INFORMATION A LITTLE BIT MORE, I'VE READ A COUPLE OF ARTICLES ABOUT, UM, TESTING AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TRIAL TESTING AND, AND THINKING THAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING SOON.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THERE'S AN END IN SIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY ASKS ME TO DO SOMETHING LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT FOR SIX MORE MONTHS, BUT IF, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S ONLY FOUR, MAYBE THAT WOULD, UM, GET PEOPLE BACK TO THAT REALLY VIGILANT, VIGILANT STAGE, BUT REGARDLESS, UM, THE EVIDENCE IS THERE TO MASK THE SOCIAL DISTANCE AND, AND IT SAVES LIVES.
SO, SO I HOPE WE CAN REPRIORITIZE AND, AND, AND FOCUS ON THAT MORE AS A COMMUNITY DIDN'T DID ANYBODY EVER
NOW'S THE TIME WHERE WE SHOULD ALL BE WORKING TOGETHER.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL SEEN THE PANDEMIC MOVIES AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE STAR RIGHT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ANTIDOTE OR THE, THE VACCINE ARRIVES.
W W WE HAVE THE PROMISE IN THE SHORT TERM OF, OF A REAL SOLUTION.
AND IF WE CAN ALL WORK HARD AS A COMMUNITY, AS A STATE, AS A COUNTRY TO BAND TOGETHER, TO SUPPRESS THE DISEASE.
NOW WE CAN AVOID THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DEATHS, AND WE CAN HAVE THE PROMISE OF PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN AVOID LARGE OUTBREAKS IN THE, IN THE SPRING AND IN THE SUMMER.
THANK YOU FOR THAT COUNSELING, KATHY.
IT'S, IT'S DOING THAT, LIKE, UM, CHIPMUNK VOICE AGAIN, STILL THE SAME.
ARE YOU TRYING TO CALL IN, UM, ARE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR, UH, DR.
SCOTT OR, UM, DIRECTOR HAYDEN? I THINK THAT WAS A YES.
IS THERE, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR, UH, DR.
SCOTT AND DIRECT TO HIM TO STICK AROUND FOR A COUPLE MORE MINUTES, AND THEN WE COULD START THE, THE, THE PRESENTATION AND THAT IF KATHY'S ABLE TO, TO FIGURE OUT THE AUDIO, THE SOUND THING, BRING, BRING THEM BACK REALLY QUICK CITY MANAGER? UM, YES.
UM, I THINK GOT, MAYBE HAS ABOUT 15 MINUTES, BUT, UM, YES.
UM, SO I'LL TURN OVER TO SOME VELA CORPSMAN TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ABOUT THE STRATEGIES FOR THE PROTECTIVE MODULE.
KATHY, KATHY, KATHY JUST CAME BACK.
I HAVE JUST TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, I KNOW, UH, SOMEONE I KNOW WENT TO GET A COVID TEST RECENTLY, AND IT WAS SELF ADMINISTERED, WHICH I HADN'T BEFORE, UM, AND HAVING HAD THE COVID CHEST, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU REALLY HAVE TO GET IT.
IT SEEMS LIKE PRETTY, PRETTY, UM, DEEP.
AND I WONDERED IF, IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON WHETHER THE SELF ADMINISTERED TESTS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE OR YOUR EVIDENCE ARE AS ACCURATE AS THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT SELF ADMINISTERED, AND IF THAT'S, AND IF THERE IS ANY DIFFERENCE, UM, WELL, LET ME JUST START THERE.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME SELF ADMINISTERED TESTS.
THERE ARE SOME TESTS WHICH ARE APPROVED FOR, UH, NASAL SWABS RATHER THAN NASAL PHARYNGEAL SWABS.
SO THE NASAL PHARYNGEAL, THE ONES THAT, THAT TOUCH YOUR BRAIN, UH, NASAL, JUST GO ON THE FRONT
[01:10:01]
OF THE NOSE.UH, THOSE NASAL SWABS ARE REALLY OKAY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SELF TEST THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT COMPLICATED, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE DISCOMFORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE IS VARIABILITY IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TESTS, PARTICULARLY, DEPENDING ON WHETHER SOMEBODY IS SYMPTOMATIC OR ASYMPTOMATIC.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT ALSO HAS TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE, WITH THE COMMUNITY PREVALENCE OF THE DISEASE ALSO.
UM, SO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S ASYMPTOMATIC WHO, UH, HAS A NEGATIVE TEST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR ERROR IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY'RE USING ARE A RAPID TYPE OF CAST.
AND SO THERE'S SOME VARIABILITY REALLY DEPENDS ON THE, UH, THE SPECIFIC TEST, UH, REGARDING THE ACCURACY.
CAN YOU TALK, CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH WHY IS AN ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS, WHY THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR ERROR IN THAT KIND OF TEST I'M AT, I'M NOT NECESSARILY CONNECTING THE DOTS THERE.
UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ASYMPTOMATIC, THE, WHAT WE CALL THE PRE-TEST PROBABILITY OF, OF A POSITIVE TEST IS MUCH LOWER.
UH, SO IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, IF YOU GET A POSITIVE TEST, THERE MAY BE, IT MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO BE FALSE, POSITIVE THAN A TRUE POSITIVE.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, UH, IF IT IS NEGATIVE, ONE OF THE CONCERNS REGARDING THE ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUAL IS THAT THEIR VIRAL LOAD MAY NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH TO DETECT A POSITIVE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE FOR THE ANTIGEN TEST.
AND IT'S TRUE FOR THE PCR TESTS.
NOW, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING THE THRESHOLD OF DETECTION FOR A PCR TEST VERSUS AN ANTIGEN TEST, OR A REGULAR PCR TEST, AND A RAPID TEST IS, IS RELATIVELY SMALL, MEANING THAT IT'S A MATTER OF HOURS BETWEEN WHEN THE VIRAL LOAD IS HIGH ENOUGH TO BE DETECTED BY THE PCR VERSUS ONE OF THE RAPID TESTS.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO MISS A LOT NOW, BUT CERTAINLY WHEN WE HEAR WORRIES ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE RAPID TEST, IT HAS TO DO WITH THAT ASYMPTOMATIC POPULATION, UM, BECAUSE THE RISK IS ALREADY LOW BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS OF NOT HAVING A POSITIVE TEST.
WHAT IS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TESTS? I REMEMBER EARLIER IN THE SUMMER WHEN I NEEDED TO GET A TEST, UM, THERE WERE THE TESTS THAT WAS BEING OFFERED THROUGH RAPID MEANS NOT, NOT HERE, BUT IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY WAS NOT.
I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 80% BASED ON SOME OF THE RESEARCH I DID.
SO IF, IF YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL IS REALLY TRYING TO GET THE MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION, WOULD YOU SAY, IS THE CDC THE BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENT TESTS AND OTHER, AND THEIR ACCURACY LEVELS FOR ASYMPTOMATIC VERSUS SYMPTOMATIC? YEAH, CBC IS A GOOD RESOURCE.
IT WILL WORK WITH OUR, OUR, UH, OUR JOINING FORMULATION TEAM TO, UH, PUT SOME LINKS ON OUR WEBSITE FOR TESTING.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT TESTING.
SOME PEOPLE ASK, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE UTILIZING, UH, ANTIGEN TESTING AND RAPID TESTING IF IT'S NOT AS GOOD? THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE YOU GET A QUICK RESULT.
AND FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, A QUICK RESULT, THAT IS PRETTY GOOD, MAYBE BETTER THAN A DELAYED RESULT, THAT IS, IS MORE ACCURATE.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT SOMEBODY MAY BE TESTED ON A FRIDAY AND THEN GET A RESULT TO A MONDAY.
WELL, THEY'RE NOT, THEY MAY NOT BE FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS OF, YOU KNOW, ISOLATE YOURSELF UNTIL YOU GET A RESULT.
THEY MAY BE TRAVELING VIA AIRPLANE.
UH, SO HAVING THAT, THAT RAPID RESULT, PARTICULARLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC AND HAVE A HIGHER INDEX OF CONCERN, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE.
THE, THE RAPID TESTS ARE GOING TO PERFORM MUCH BETTER.
I THINK THAT BE VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION TO HAVE AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY AS WE MOVE INTO THE HOLIDAYS.
AND THERE MAY BE INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO BE AROUND A FAMILY MEMBER WHO DOES BILL AND, AND THEY REALLY WANT TO GET THE MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION, UM, AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO KIND OF CHOOSE AMONG DIFFERENT SITES THAT WOULD GETTING A LITTLE CLARITY AROUND THOSE, BECAUSE IT HAS REALLY SHIFTED, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS OFFERED, WHERE, AND, AND HOW, UH, CAN YOU TALK FOR JUST A MINUTE ABOUT THE 14 DAYS AND WHETHER THERE'S ANY SHIFTING INFORMATION ABOUT THAT? I NOTICED A COUPLE OF THE STATES THAT HAD HAD PREVIOUSLY, OR AT LEAST ONE THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED A 14 DAY QUARANTINE NOW REALLY REQUIRES SORT OF A SEVEN DAY PERIOD.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHETHER INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WANTING TO QUARANTINE? YEAH, THEY DID.
[01:15:01]
OR CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST RE REFLECT ON THAT? IT, SO THE CURRENT CDC RECOMMENDATIONS ARE STILL IN THE 14 DAYS.HAVING SAID THAT WE DO KNOW THAT THAT MOST PEOPLE, UH, WHO ARE EXPOSED TO EVENTUALLY, UH, WILL TEST POSITIVE, WE'LL DO SO IN THE FIRST SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS FOLLOWING THE EXPOSURE.
UM, SO THERE IS, THERE IS SOME WORK BEING DONE TO IDENTIFY WHETHER OR NOT IT'S SAFE ENOUGH TO ISOLATE PEOPLE FOR SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS, HAVE THEM TEST IF IT'S NEGATIVE RELEASE THEM.
UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON, ON PUBLIC SAFETY, THE IMPACT ON, ON HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS, THE IMPACT ON SCHOOLS.
AND SO THERE IS WORK BEING DONE, UH, THAT PARTICULARLY FOCUSING ON THOSE AREAS.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT AT SOME STAGE WE CAN DECREASE IT FROM 14 DAYS TO MAKE IT MORE REASONABLE.
AND, AND CERTAINLY TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE A CENTRAL SERVICES I EXPECT FOR NOW 14 DAYS.
IS IT STILL THE CORRECT? AND WE GOT A LOT MORE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A PHONE CALL FROM THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SAYING, HEY, YOUR CHILD'S BEEN EXPOSED.
THEY WANT TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO GET THE CHILD TESTED AND, AND SHOW THAT THE NEGATIVE TEST, THERE IS NO POINT IN GETTING A TEST, THE SAME DAY OF EXPOSURE OR THE DAY AFTER, OR TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER, UH, UNLESS A PERSON DEVELOPS SYMPTOMS. IF THEY'RE GOING TO GET TESTED AND THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC, AND THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED AT LEAST A WEEK, FOLLOWING THAT LAST EXPOSURE IS WHAT WE WOULD ADVISE.
UH, IT STILL DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO, TO GET OUT OF QUARANTINE, BUT IT DOES GIVE YOU AN INDICATION OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE LIKELY TO, TO DEVELOP COVID A SYMPTOMATIC CASE OF, OF COVID OR NOT.
AND THAT ACTUALLY JUST REMINDED ME OF, BECAUSE I DID GET A CONSTITUENT QUESTION ABOUT TRAVEL BECAUSE I AM STARTING TO HEAR PEOPLE PLANNING MORE ABOUT TRAVELING DURING THE DAYS AND, AND FLYING.
UM, SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TO GETTING TESTED AFTER THAT, THEY SHOULD WAIT IF ONCE THEY RETURN YOUR SUGGESTION IS THAT THEY SHOULD WAIT AT LEAST A WEEK TO GET THE BEST ACCURATE, UM, RESULT.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
I WILL SAY ALSO THAT IT FILTER THINKING ABOUT TRAVELING, UH, OVER THANKSGIVING OR, UH, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS, THERE ARE MANY COUNTRIES THAT HAVE VERY STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR TESTING IN A TRAVEL HEALTH VISA, UH, MAYBE REQUIRING TESTING WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF TRAVEL AND ALSO REQUIRING TESTING ONCE YOU'VE ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND ENSURE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE THAT, UH, THOSE STEPS IN PLACE BEFORE YOU, YOU BOOK AND PAY FOR YOUR TRAVEL.
DON'T TRAVEL, BUT THERE WAS A FLYING CAR.
BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE WILL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL BE DOING THAT.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE WERE TOTAL AND I WAS JUST GOING TO MENTION ON THAT FRONT, UM, I, A NOTE ON THE CDC AND PERHAPS IT'S ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE, THE CDC DID A REALLY GOOD ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT TRAVEL OPTIONS.
UM, OVER THE SUMMER, IT'S KIND OF A ONE-PAGE OR LOOKING AT REALLY LOW RISK ACTIVITIES, MODERATE RISK, AND THEN HIGH RISK.
AND I FOUND OUR FAMILY FOUND THAT TO BE QUITE HELPFUL.
SO WE JUST RECOMMEND THAT TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE CONSIDERING DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT METHODS OF TRAVELING.
NOW I'LL JUST GIVE AN ANECDOTE, YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY AND I WENT FOR A WEEKEND TO AN AIRBNB DOWN IN KYLE, JUST TO GET AWAY FROM THE HOUSE.
KIDS NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY SAFE OUT OF THE HOUSE ACTIVITY, GO INTO THE HOUSE.
THAT'S JUST YOUR STAYING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES LIKE AIRBNB AND OTHERS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF, OF CREATING PROTOCOLS FOR CLEANING.
THEY SPACE OUT RESERVATIONS THAT GENERALLY DON'T HAVE IT, BUT YOU CAN'T BOOK A PLACE IF SOMEBODY HAS LEFT THAT PLACE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF, OF YOUR ARRIVAL THERE.
SO THE INDUSTRY, OUR BUSINESSES ARE DOING A GREAT JOB OF ADAPTING TO THE COVID-19 THREAT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS COMPANIES DO THAT AND WE CAN START TO DO MORE NORMAL THINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S, WE'RE NOT BACK TO NORMAL YET, AND WE CAN'T BE, UH, SO LOOK FOR THOSE SAFE OPTIONS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.
I LOVE THAT YOU TRAVELED TO KYLE, DR.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS IN HELPING US FIGHT THIS PANDEMIC AND WHAT THAT MAYOR PRO TEM WILL THEN TALK TO US COMMISSIONER'S COURTS, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
[01:20:05]
THANK YOU, SPENCER.UM, AT THIS, WE'RE GOING TO ASK, UM, BELLA, UM, TO COME FORWARD AND PROVIDE ALL THE PROTECTIVE LODGES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FELLA.
GOOD MORNING, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS IS BELLA CARMEN, INTERIM HOMELESS SERVICES OFFICER FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
HAYDEN JUST STATED, I'LL BE GIVING AN UPDATE ON WHERE THINGS STAND WITH OUR, UM, PROTECTIVE LODGES.
THAT WAS PART OF COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UM, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS AND TO HELP REDUCE OUR COMMUNITIES SPREAD, UM, WE'VE STOOD UP FIVE PROTECTIVE LODGING FACILITIES.
GO AHEAD WITH THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE DOWN, UM, TWO OF THE FIVE CORE LODGES IN DECEMBER, AGAIN, DECIDING WHICH ONES, UM, THOSE WOULD BE BASED ON VARIOUS FACTORS.
AND THAT WOULD MEAN THAT SOME CURRENT, UM, GUESTS AT PROLOGIS WOULD TRANSFER TO, UM, TO ANOTHER FACILITY, UM, ANOTHER SHELTER IN ORDER TO, UM, TO CONSOLIDATE, UM, OUR SHELTERING OPERATIONS.
WE EXPECT SOME ADDITIONAL RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS TO BE UP AND RUNNING.
UM, IN DECEMBER, IN JANUARY WITH OUR ESG, UM, OUR FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS, UM, CARES ACT FUNDING DOLLARS THAT EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT OR ESG FRONT OF VIRUS FUNDING.
ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS WILL BE DECIDED STARTING DECEMBER 1ST, WHERE THEY'LL BE TAKING ON, UM, NEW INDIVIDUALS, NEW CLIENTS TO HELP GET THEM HOUSED.
AND, UM, THERE IS A SOLICITATION OPEN RIGHT NOW FOR $2.8 MILLION OF FUNDS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE STATE, AND THEN DIRECTLY TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT ECHO, UM, IS COORDINATING THE, THE AWARD FOR.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT THOSE PROGRAMS FOR RAPID REHOUSING WILL BE UP AND RUNNING, UM, DECEMBER, JANUARY.
SO WE WOULD LOOK AT, UM, PLANNING TO CLOSE ADDITIONAL PRO LODGES IN EARLY 2021, UM, AND BASICALLY BASING THOSE, THOSE CLOSURES ON REACHING ENOUGH EXITS, UM, TO FOLKS EXITING AGAIN, TO STAY, UM, HOUSING OR OTHER SAFE OPTIONS.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH INTERNAL FUNDING AND FEDERAL FUNDING TO COVER THESE OPERATIONS, UM, THE VARIOUS, UM, ELIGIBLE EXPENSES AS WE WORK TO RAMP DOWN AND CLOSE THE TEMPORARY SHELTER.
SO, UM, AND FINALLY WERE COMBINED COMPILING INFORMATION ON WHAT GAPS EXIST AND WHAT ASSISTANCE MIGHT BE NEEDED FROM A POLICY OR FUNDING OR RESOURCE COORDINATION STANDPOINT.
AND WE WILL BE PROVIDING STATUS UPDATES AT THE WORK SESSION OKAY.
FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, UM, IN ORDER TO LET, UM, MAYOR, MAYOR PRETEND AND COUNCIL KNOW, UH, WHERE WE STAND AND, AND IF WE, UM, HAVE IDENTIFIED NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO PUT FORWARD TO AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE'VE, UH, I KNOW, UM, AT LAST WORK SESSION, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHENETTES SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT, UM, WHAT CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING, UM, AND IN OUR EXITS WHEN WORKING TO HOUSE PEOPLE, ALL OF OUR CURRENT EXISTING HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE STILL IN OPERATION THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL, UM, 300 PLUS PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO, UM, GET INTO HOUSING OPTIONS ON TOP OF ALL OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HOUSED THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS. SO THERE IS CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF STAFFING LIMITATIONS, UM, ARE NONPROFIT AGENCIES ADDING MORE CAPACITY.
SO THE, UM, AGAIN, THAT'S THEN HAPPENING, BUT IT'S BEEN SLOWER.
UM, THEN, THEN, THEN WE'D LIKE, UM, AND THAT'S JUST PART OF OUR REALITY.
THERE'S ALSO JUST, UM, TENDS TO BE TURNOVER AT TIMES.
UM, WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF FEDERAL FUNDING THAT'S COME, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTRY, UH, INCLUDING INTO THE STATE.
UM, AND SO THERE HAVE BEEN ADDITIONAL STAFFING POSITIONS OPEN, AND SO PEOPLE MIGHT MOVE TO A NEW, A NEW JOB, AND THAT CREATES, UM, A VACANCY
[01:25:01]
WHERE THEY WERE, AND THEN IT TAKES TIME TO HIRE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO FILL THAT POSITION.SO THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A TURNOVER EFFECT THAT THE STAFFING, UM, IT TYPICALLY TAKES 60 DAYS OR SO ONCE SOMEONE IS ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM TO GET INTO HOUSING, UM, WE CAN, UM, OUR COMMUNITY CAN DO THAT IN, IN 45 OR SO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN PUSHING THE HAVE HAPPENED WITH, WITH OUR GUESTS AT THE PRO LODGES, UM, WHO NEED HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
AND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A CAPACITY BUILDING TEAM, UM, WITH THE HELP FROM OUR CONSULTANT THAT HE STAFF AND, UM, ECHO STAFF ARE CURRENTLY ASSESSING ANY UNMET NEEDS AND FIGURING OUT SOLUTIONS TO BUILD CAPACITY.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST, UM, DIVERTING OR PIVOTING OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS, BUT REALLY EXPANDING OUR RESOURCES IN ORDER TO, UM, HOW, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NEED HOUSING AT THE FAIR LEVEL.
SO, UM, AT THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCILOR KITCHEN.
SO, ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS I'D LIKE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW THE CLOSURE OF THE PER LODGES FITS INTO OUR OVERALL STRATEGY, HOTEL MOTEL STRATEGY.
UM, AND THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE THE ADDITION OF, UH, THE ADDITION OF THESE PRO LODGES THAT HAVE SERVED, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 300 PEOPLE, I GUESS, UM, HAS, HAS BEEN HELPFUL BEYOND JUST, UH, COVID, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO NOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IS REDUCING OUR CAPACITY AS A CITY TO PROVIDE THIS KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, INTERIM HOUSING SHELTER, I GUESS MIGHT BE THE BEST WORD FOR IT.
UM, SO, SO IN, SO I'M WANTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW, INSTEAD OF JUST DROPPING BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE, COVID HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION THIS INTO, UH, IMPROVING OUR CAPACITY, UM, AS A COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER THING THAT CAN, SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION ABOUT IT.
I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS, HOW THIS FITS WITH OUR HOTEL MOTEL STRATEGIES.
THAT'S ONE THING, SECOND THING THAT CAUSES ME A BIT OF CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH DR.
ESCALADE AND ALSO DIRECTOR HAYDEN, WE'RE NOT PAST COVID AT THIS POINT.
SO WE ARE, WE'RE GOING AHEAD AND SHUTTING DOWN, YOU KNOW, TWO OF OUR PRO LODGES, UM, AND PLANNING TO CLOSE ADDITIONAL PRO LODGES NEXT YEAR.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER, BUT WOMEN, BUT WE'RE STILL IN A PANDEMIC.
AND WE'RE ABOUT TO BE IN OUR SECOND, UM, IN A SECOND WAY.
SO, UM, I'M WONDERING WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO CONTINUE OUR PROLOGUE EFFORTS AT THE LEVEL THAT WE'VE HAD THEM AT.
AND IT CONCERNS ME A GREAT DEAL TO START SHUTTING DOWN WHEN WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC AND TALKING ABOUT YET A SECOND WAY.
SO I GUESS ALL THAT BOILS DOWN TO TWO QUESTIONS, TWO OVERARCHING QUESTIONS.
WHY ARE WE SHUTTING DOWN NOW? AND WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO KEEP THOSE GOING? SO THAT'S ONE BIG QUESTION.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS WHEN WE DO, AS WE DO START SHUTTING DOWN, HOW DOES THAT TRANSITION INTO OUR HOTEL MOTEL STRATEGY? SO WE'RE NOT JUST HAVING A LEVEL OF CAPACITY FOR SHELTER AND THEN JUST DROPPING IT.
AND SO IN, SO I'D LIKE TO ASK TO SPEAK TO THAT THINGS.
I DO HEAR YOU ABOUT THE CAPACITY BUILDING PLAN PUNCHES AROUND STAFFING AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I APPRECIATE UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THE SOUTH PATH, UM, TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH YOUR CAPACITY BUILDING PLAN.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT THERE ARE, SO THE FIRST QUESTION ABOUT STILL BEING IN THE THICK OF THE PANDEMIC, WHERE WE'RE VERY AWARE OF THAT, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE MADE IT A PRIORITY, NOT TO, NOT TO EXIT PEOPLE THAT THE PRO LODGES WERE STOOD UP AS A PROTECTIVE MEASURE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGH RISK AT INFECTION AND, AND, UM, HIGH RISK OF NEGATIVE OUTCOMES, UM, SHOULD THEY BECOME INFECTED WITH COVID-19? AND SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT, UM, WE ARE NOT SHUTTING THEM DOWN AND EXITING PEOPLE WITHOUT A SAFE PLACE TO GO, BUT WE ARE BASING
[01:30:01]
OUR CLOSURE ON THE ABILITY AND THE RATE AT WHICH WE CAN FIND SAFE EXIT.AND SO WHETHER THOSE ARE HOUSING OPTIONS, WHICH IS IDEAL AND, AND OTHER PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOCAL HOUSING OPTIONS FOR OUR LOCAL HOUSING PROGRAM OR OTHER SAFE, UM, HOUSING OPTIONS, UM, THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR TOP PRIORITY.
AND WE ABSOLUTELY, UM, IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE MISTAKE TO, UM, TO CLOSE DOWN, UM, THESE PROTECTIVE FACILITIES IN THE MIDDLE OF ANY THIRDS, OR CERTAINLY, UM, WHERE WE ARE NOW, WHICH IS STILL SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY SPREAD, UM, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THE FUNDING PRIMARILY TO OPERATE THESE LODGES, UM, HAS BEEN TIED TO OUR FEDERAL FUNDING AND A LARGE, UM, AMOUNT OF THAT ENDS AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
AND SO THAT IS, UM, THROUGH THE CARES ACT FRONT OF VIRUS RELIEF FUNDING.
AND SO THAT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SORT OF WHAT WE ARE PLANNING AROUND INITIALLY HAVING NO IDEA WHEN WE STARTED IN MARCH, HOW LONG DOES IT GO ON AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT TURNS THE PANDEMIC WOULD TAKE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT SORT OF TIES INTO YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I THINK AS WELL IN THAT, UM, THE IDEAL SITUATION FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE A PLACE TO STAY SAFELY, UM, SOCIAL DISTANCE, UM, AND HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HYGIENE RESOURCES, WHICH WOULD BE SOME SORT OF SHELTER OR HOME, UM, W THE IDEAL SITUATION WOULD BE HOUSING TO HAVE A HOME RATHER THAN SHELTER.
UM, AND, AND SO THE, THE MOTEL CONVERSION STRATEGY OF COURSE HAPPENED, UM, YOU KNOW, CAME INTO PLAY WELL BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT OUR COMMUNITY ALL ALONG.
UM, THE CITY STAFF HAD BEEN LOOKING TO PURCHASE BUILDINGS AND IT COINCIDED WITH, UM, THE PROTECTIVE LODGE FACILITY IN THAT WE HAD, UM, WE HAVE SOME FACILITIES NOW, THERE ARE TWO OF OUR FIVE PROTECTIVE LODGES THAT THE CITY, UM, OWNS THE BUILDINGS, BUT OUR, UM, OUR PRIMARY CONCERN IS TO CONVERT THE BUILDING INTO HOUSING AS A PERMANENT OPTION, RATHER THAN PROLONGING, UM, THE TEMPORARY SPACE, UM, AND THE COST OF OPERATING THAT AS A SHELTER, AS A TEMPORARY SHELTER.
SO IT IS IT'S, UM, IT'S TRICKY AND IT'S COMPLICATED, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
THAT'S PART OF OUR DECISION PROCESS.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE FACILITIES THAT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, THAT WE HAVE OPERATING AS A PROLOGUE RIGHT NOW, UM, WILL REMAIN, UM, AS, UH, AS A SORT OF LONG-TERM SHELTERING FACILITY FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
UM, BUT WE DO, WE ARE LOOKING AT SORT OF, UM, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS UNDER OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
UM, CERTAINLY NOT COMPLETELY SILOED FROM OUR NORMAL OPERATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES IN HOW THINGS ARE RUN AND HOW THINGS ARE FUNDED AND HOW THINGS, UM, UM, PLAY OUT.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK AT THE FIVE PROTECTIVE LODGING FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH THE PEOPLE IN THEM AND, AND PLAN ON THOSE SAFE EXITS, UM, INTO, INTO HOUSING OPTIONS AND SAFE OPTIONS, UM, AND, AND BE TURNING THOSE FACILITIES INTO PERMANENT HOUSING OPTIONS, UM, AS WE CAN ALONG THE WAY.
JUST ONE, I KNOW OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS TOO, SO I'LL JUST ASK, SO, SO, SO, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I AM OPERATING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THERE, THAT THERE'S A CONTINUED NEED FOR THE PROLOGUE IN THE SENSE THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE, UM, NEED THIS KIND OF SHELTER AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PREMISE BEHIND MY THOUGHT AND KEEPING, KEEPING THESE OPEN, UM, AS OPPOSED TO NOT HAVING THAT OPTION AVAILABLE ANYMORE.
SO, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU AGREE THAT WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF PERFECT PROTECTIVE HOUSING FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT NEEDS IT AT THE MOMENT? IS THAT RIGHT? WE DON'T.
UM, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE HIGHER, UM, HIGHER HEALTH NEEDS AND HIGHER ACUITY THAN, THAN OTHERS.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE CERTAINLY NEED MORE IN GENERAL IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IN TERMS OF MORE SHELTER
[01:35:01]
AND MORE HOUSING.SO IN TURN IT TO OTHERS WHO MAY WANT TO ASK, SO THE HOTEL MOTEL, I, UM, I THINK WE MIGHT NEED A LONGER CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
I, I, I'M NOT SURE IF I HEARD CORRECTLY.
SO, UM, I THINK WHAT I HEARD WAS THAT, UM, THAT THE THINKING IS TO TURN THOSE PLACES INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, AS OPPOSED TO, UM, THE, THE HOUSING FOCUSED SHELTER CONCEPT THAT WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, AS PLACES THAT PEOPLE COULD COME AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE CONNECTED TO, TO SERVICES FOR LONGER TERM HOUSING.
SO TO ME, THAT'S A CHANGE, UM, AND THAT MAYBE I MISSED ALONG THE WAY, I'M NOT SURE WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT APPROACH.
SO, BECAUSE IF WE DO THAT, THEN THAT LEAVES STILL LEAVES US WITH NEEDS FOR MORE OF THE HOUSING FOCUS SHELTER.
SO, UM, HAVE A LONGER CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THAT THOUGH.
AND WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THERE'S PIECES, THERE'S PIECES.
I MEAN, I THINK HILTON SHOWED IT TO US AS PUZZLE PIECES AND THERE'S, AND WE NEED ALL THOSE, THOSE, BUT THE SHELTER IS ONE OF THOSE PIECES, AS WELL AS THE PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH THE HOTEL MOTELS THAT WE WERE ACQUIRING.
SO THAT REALLY IS A, TO ME THAT'S PROBABLY A LONGER CONVER I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONVERSATION EVERYBODY HAS WANTS TO HAVE TODAY, BUT I THINK AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR THOSE HOTEL MOTELS THAN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.
SO I'M, AM I HEARING THAT THAT RIGHT NOW? SO WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, GIVE, UH, UH, A MORE, UM, A BROADER UPDATE ON THE HOTEL CONVERSION STRATEGY.
UM, W WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW OF THE TWO PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY THE CITY IS THAT ONE WOULD REMAIN AS A BRIDGE SHELTER, AND ONE WOULD CONVERT INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
SO THERE IS A CONTINUUM ALONG THE WAY, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE IN VERY HIGH DEMAND.
AND SO, UM, AND THAT HOUSING, UM, IS REALLY WHERE WE WOULD WANT TO PUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR INVESTMENTS, UM, RATHER THAN JUST SORT OF PROLONGING SHELTERING.
SO AT THIS POINT, UM, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT ONE OF EACH OF THE TWO, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GIVE, UM, A BROADER UPDATE HERE IN THE FUTURE FOR YOU ALL.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE IS OBVIOUSLY WE NEED ALL OF THESE TYPES.
WE NEED SHELTER AND WE NEED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND SO I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.
WHAT'S THE DATA THAT'S DRIVING, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND WHAT END ARE WE DRIVING TOWARDS, UH, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF SHELTERS WE NEED THE NUMBER OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WE NEED.
SO I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S DRIVING THOSE DECISIONS AND WHAT OUR GOAL IS AND HOW WE'RE PROGRESSING TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE A FUTURE MEETING WHERE WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, CAUSE WE WERE PRESERVED, I'VE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO VISIT SOME OF THE PROLOGIS IN MY DISTRICT AND REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THE STAFF IS DOING.
THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT IN SAVING LIVES.
IF WE, AS WE GET ON CLOSING ANY OF THESE, I THINK WHAT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT WOULD BE FOR US, MAYBE EVEN JUST IN ONE-ON-ONES TO KNOW WHETHER THAT DECISION AS WE GET CLOSER TO IT IS BECAUSE WE FOUND HOUSING FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY AND WE ARE ON THAT PATH OR IF IT IS A FUNDING ISSUE, BECAUSE THEN IF IT'S A FUNDING ISSUE, IT WOULD BE JUST BE REALLY USEFUL FOR US TO DECIDE WHETHER WELL, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, UH, NOT ENOUGH FUNDING HAS COME DOWN AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH IT.
OR IF, UM, OR WHETHER THERE IS REALLY PRIORITIZATION OR ASKS THAT WE CAN MAKE TO, TO BUY US THE TIME THAT WE NEED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE CARES ACT DOLLARS IS A, IS A LARGE, UH, W WE PASSED HER A LARGE BUDGET ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BUT THERE WAS ALSO GENERAL FUND DOLLARS AND EXTEND TO THAT.
AND SO AS WE GET CLOSER, I THINK FROM THE CONVERSATION YOU JUST HAD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, WHAT'S MOST INTERESTING TO ME IS JUST, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THAT POINT, IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW IF, IF WHAT
[01:40:01]
IS DRIVING ANY CLOSURES IS FUNDING, OR IF IT'S THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE HOUSED FOLKS IN ARE READY TO JUST CONVERT INTO BSH, OR THAT MAKES SENSE.AND WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION ON THE UPDATES AS WE, UM, THAT DAY WE PROVIDED THE WORK SESSIONS MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU, MS. CARMEN, COUNSELOR TOVO AND THEN COUNSELOR ALTAR.
I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES ASKING, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, ABOUT HOW BEST TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STAFF ARE DOING TO IDENTIFY LONG TERM HOUSING SOLUTIONS.
UM, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO STOP AND REALLY APPRECIATE BELLA AND YOUR STAFF AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED HOUSING.
I THINK YOU SAID WHERE DIRECTOR HEAD IS THAT 63 INDIVIDUALS.
AND THANKS TO YOU TODAY, CALL UP THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE WORKING TO MAKE TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.
I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE PARTNERS WHO HAVE, UM, WHO HAVE REALLY COMMITTED RESOURCES, UM, AND, AND REALLY, UM, RALLIED AROUND THIS ADDITIONAL, UM, ADDITIONAL WORK AND VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR THEM AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHERE YOU DONE COUNCIL WERE TOBO COUNCIL ROAD.
UM, MS. CARMEN, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT, UM, HOW WE'VE DONE RELATIVE TO COVID RATES AMONG OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'VE NOT HAD A MAJOR BREAKOUT.
UM, CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, A DEFINITIVE COUNT OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 BECAUSE, UM, PEOPLE MAY HAVE TESTED POSITIVE AT A CLINIC OR A LAB, OR I'M SORRY, AT A HOSPITAL, SOME OTHER PROVIDER, AND DID NOT INDICATE THEIR HOUSING STATUS, UM, THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, ACCOUNT, UM, THAT JUST OVER A HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE, HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, UM, AND RECOVERED FROM COVID-19.
UM, WE DID HAVE AN OUTBREAK, UM, AT THE VERY BEGINNING IN ONE OF OUR CONGREGATE SHELTERS AND DURING THE SURGE IN JULY, WE HAD SOME, UM, VERY SMALL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN OTHER SHELTERS, INCLUDING STAFF MEMBERS, UM, MAYBE TWO OR THREE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, BUT HAVE REALLY MANAGED TO, TO KEEP THE NUMBER DOWN ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY FOR THIS POPULATION AND, AND FOR THE STAFF AND DIFFERENT AGENCY THAT, THAT WORK, UM, WITH, WITH THIS POPULATION, UM, IN, IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A VERY BIG CHALLENGE.
AND SO, YES, UM, WE HAVE A PRETTY, A PRETTY LOW RATE AND, UM, WE REALLY CREDIT THE PROTECTIVE LODGING AS, UM, AS HELPING WITH, WITH THAT, UM, HAVING BOTH THE PROTECTIVE LOGIC AND THE ISOLATION FACILITY, THE ISO FACT, UM, CERTAINLY THAT WHEN WE HAVE HAD, UM, PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS OR KNOWN EXPOSURE OR, UM, OR TESTED POSITIVE THAT WE HAVE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND BE SAFE, UM, AND BE ISOLATED FROM OTHERS AND NOT, UM, NOT SPREAD THAT.
SO BEEN A SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, FOR SURE.
AND I AM, I JUST WANTED TO OPEN THAT UP TO HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS, UM, A SUCCESS STORY FOR OUR PANDEMIC RESPONSE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE SET OUT TO TRY TO, UM, PROTECT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE HOMELESS POPULATION, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT SEEING A MASSIVE SPREAD AS OTHER CITIES HAVE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT AND A TESTAMENT TO THE STRATEGY, UM, THAT DOES THOUGH UNDERLIE, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS AS WE POTENTIALLY MOVE INTO A SECOND SURGE OVER WHAT HAPPENS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, UNDERSCORE COMMENTS THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE ALREADY, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO BE REALLY MINDFUL AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, FOR THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH WE'RE WE'RE OPERATING, UM, WHICH I KNOW THAT YOU ARE, YOU ARE KEEPING IN MIND.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL CLARITY, AND I KNOW THAT YOU PREPARED TO TALK MOSTLY ABOUT THE PROTECTIVE LODGES.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS DATA RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN PROVIDE IT TO ME LATER.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WITH COVID, WE HAVE HAD TO MODIFY
[01:45:01]
THE CAPACITY LEVELS AND THE WAY THAT MANY OF OUR SHELTERS ARE FUNCTIONING, UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL CONGREGATE SETTINGS DON'T COMPLY WITH SORT OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT PEOPLE UNDER COVID CONDITIONS.UM, CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW MUCH LESS CAPACITY WE HAVE IN THOSE SHELTERS BECAUSE OF THOSE MODIFICATIONS, CERTAINLY.
AND I, AND AS YOU, AS YOU SUGGEST THAT I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, UM, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON, ON THE FACILITY SET UP.
SO WE HAVE SOME SHELTERS, UM, TYPICALLY ARE OUR FAMILY SHELTERS, UM, AND SOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, FACILITIES, UM, AND SOME OTHER CONGREGATE SETTING ARE MUCH MORE SEPARATED IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUAL ROOMS AND BATHROOMS WHERE THEY'VE ESSENTIALLY BEEN ABLE TO KEEP PRETTY CLOSE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY ARE OUR TWO LARGEST SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, DOWNTOWN THE ART AND THE SALVATION ARMY HAVE HAD TO, UM, REDUCE THEIR CAPACITY BY QUITE A BIT ABOUT 50% OR SO, I WOULD SAY BECAUSE OF THE SETUP OF THE, OF THE FACILITY, WHEREAS IT IS MORE, UM, DORMITORY STYLE, YOU KNOW, MANY MORE PEOPLE, UM, WOULD TYPICALLY BE LIVING AND SLEEPING IN, IN, IN THE SAME AREAS RATHER THAN BEING SEPARATED OUT.
SO IT DOES DEPEND, UM, IT DIFFERS BY FACILITY BASED ON THE, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE FACILITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE ANY, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MS. CARMEN, DID YOU WANT TO CLOSE MANAGER? SURE.
AGAIN, JUST APPRECIATE THE, UH, ENGAGEMENT FROM COUNCIL ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC, UH, HEARING FROM BOTH DIRECTOR HAYDEN, DR.
NOW I'M INTERIM DIRECTOR OR BELLA CARMEN ON OUR CONTINUED EFFORT TO STEM THE TIDE OF THIS PANDEMIC.
WE ARE, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO, UH, WE HAVE STAFF THAT IS COMMITTED TO DOING THAT, AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORTS, UM, AND LEADERSHIP OF THIS COUNCIL.
WE'LL CONCLUDE OUR BRIEFING AND LOOK
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
CONCERNED BACK TO PULL BY HYMNS.UM, THE ITEMS THAT I HAD PULLED WERE 10 AND 43, BUT I JUST RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT 10 HAS BEEN POSTPONED BY STAFF.
IS THAT RIGHT? IS THERE STAFF THAT CAN SPEAK TO THAT? WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT CAN SPEAK TO THAT, BUT THAT IS CORRECT.
DO YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS OF STAFF OR DO YOU, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE POST COUNCILOR ALTAR? WHAT WAS THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO VOTE TO BE CLEAR? THAT THAT WAS A MISTAKE.
SORRY ABOUT, SO IT'S TOVAR TOVO AND ALTAR.
UM, I JUST WANT TO FLAG IT HERE BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT I SPOKE WITH WERE NOT, UM, CITY STAFF.
I SPOKE WITH MR. UM, NOONAN AND MR. JOSLYN, AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE, UM, ADJUSTING AND UPDATING THE SERVICE PLAN FOR, I GUESS, WHENEVER WE DO BRING IT UP.
UM, THE, SO I JUST WANT TO FLAG THE ISSUE TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF CAN, UM, FOLLOW UP ON IT.
UM, SO, AND MR. NOONAN AND MR. JESSALYN WERE, WERE, OR QUICK TO SAY THAT THEY COULD ADJUST THE SERVICE PLAN.
THE ISSUE THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT, UM, FROM A BUDGETING PERSPECTIVE, UM, THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY CONSERVATIVE UNDERSTANDABLY WITH RESPECT TO OUR ESTIMATES OF OUR HOT FUNDING YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, THE WAY THAT THE SERVICE PLAN WAS WRITTEN WAS SUCH THAT IF WE HAD AN, UM, RAISED AND AMOUNT OF HOT TAXES THAT WAS ABOVE THE ANNUAL ESTIMATE, THAT THAT MONEY WOULD GO INTO SALES AND MARKETING, EVEN FOR THE 40% BUCKET THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO FOR, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER BUCKET.
UM, AND I GUESS THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE WAY THAT COULD BE SHAPED AND THEY WILL NOW SHIFT IT BACK.
SO THAT, THAT AMOUNT, UM, IF IT DOES EXCEED THE ESTIMATE WOULD STILL GO INTO THAT 40% BUCKET, UM, ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AND, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, BUT I JUST WANT TO RAISE THAT FOR STAFF AND MY COLLEAGUES, UM, SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KIND OF CUT OUT THERE AT THE END.
WHAT WERE YOU JUST SAYING SO THAT IT CAN BE LOOKING FOR I'M SORRY.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUE BETH CAN BE LOOKING FOR THAT, UM, AS IT COMES BACK AND AS THEY REVISE THE SERVICE PLAN.
[01:50:01]
UH, YEAH.I THINK THAT POSTPONING, IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO GIVE US ALL SOME MORE TIME TO THINK THROUGH IT.
SO MY QUESTIONS WILL BE, AND I SHARED THESE WITH, UM, MR. NOONAN EARLIER.
UH, MY QUESTIONS WILL BE WHEN IT DOES COME BACK.
WELL, FIRST OFF, DO WE, DO WE HAVE A DATE THAT WE'LL COME BACK OR AT THIS POINT IT'S JUST A POSTPONE.
CAN I ASK THAT QUESTION FIRST A YEAH.
INDEFINITELY, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU ECM GONZALEZ, ANY UPDATE ON THAT? UM, YOU'RE CORRECT.
CITY MANAGER, INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT, UM, MR. NOONAN AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS NEED SOME TIME THEY, UH, ANTICIPATE IT WON'T BE VERY LONG.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF TOM WANTS TO ADD TO THAT, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM, UM, UNDER ANY UNDUE PRESSURE TO MEET A DATE.
AND SO WE ARE REQUESTING AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT WITH THE TARGET OF COMING BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO MY QUESTIONS WILL RELATE TO, UM, WHEN IT COMES BACK, MY QUESTIONS WILL RELATE TO THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD HAD PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE, THE ABILITY AND THE ROUTE FOR, UM, ADDRESSING FUNDING, UH, TOWARDS, UM, UH, SOME DEDICATED FUNDING FOR HOMELESS SERVICES.
UM, SO, UM, SO I'LL WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER.
AT SOME POINT, I'LL WANT TO HAVE A, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT WE CAN DIG INTO THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING, UM, THAT, SO, UM, SO THAT'S JUST TO FLAG AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD ALREADY BROUGHT UP TO MR. NOONAN.
SO, UM, WAS THERE ANY OTHER, WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON ITEM 10?
I APPRECIATE STAFF SPENDING THIS ITEM RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT, UM, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS TOO, THAT I THINK WOULD, UM, SORRY.
I HAVE LIKE A MUSIC CONCERT GOING ON TO THEM THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BETTER.
UM, ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THE WILLINGNESS TO POSTPONE IT.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, IN THE CONTEXT OF POTENTIALLY MAKING SOME REVISIONS TO THE SERVICE PLAN.
I, I WENT BACK AND REVIEWED OUR CONVERSATION AND THE QUESTION AND ANSWER FROM SEPTEMBER 28TH, THE MEETING SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2017.
AND AT THAT TIME, THE CONCESSION WAS 40% ALSO.
UM, BUT WITH 20% AS A DIRECT CONCESSION TO THE CITY AND 20% THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO I HAD INTENDED TODAY TO ASK THEM SOME PRETTY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS AND ACTUALLY HAD ASKED THAT THEY BE UPDATED THROUGH THE Q AND A, THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT THEY DID FOR, THEY DID FOR THE CURRENT PLAN.
UM, BUT ALSO WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, DIRECT CONCESSION IN ADDITION TO THE, TO THE 20% THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THEN WHEN THIS DOES COME BACK TO US, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I ALSO INTENDED TO ASK AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, INCLUDING INCLUDING, UM, SOME QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT PASSED, UH, LAST SESSION RELATED TO
UH, AND I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, PART OF MY INTEREST IN EXPLORING WHETHER WE CAN ADJUST THE SERVICE PLAN FOR THAT DIRECT CONCESSION IS LINKS UP WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN SAID ALL ALONG.
WE'VE REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE TPN AS A MECHANISM FOR, IN, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING ALL THE THINGS TWO KIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO IN TERMS OF MARKETING AND, AND ASSISTING OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND OUR, AND VISIT AUSTIN AND ATTRACTING VISITORS TO OUR CITY.
BUT WE ALSO ABSOLUTELY TALKED ABOUT IT AS A SOURCE OF DEDICATED REVENUE FOR HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO I AM INTERESTED IN THAT DIRECT CONCESSION IN PART, BECAUSE THAT WAS, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE PATH WE'VE BEEN PROCEEDING ALONG IN TERMS OF THAT DIRECT FUNDING.
SO WHEN IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR, TO ASK HIM LEGAL AND EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I HAVE THAT QUESTION ABOUT WHY THE SWITCH FROM 20 DIRECT 22 THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER TO A 40% THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THEN I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
WE'VE HAD, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS BACK IN 2017 AND SINCE ABOUT THAT PATH THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER, BACK OUT TO THE CITY, AND IT IS, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR TO ME.
IT, IT, UM, I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS IF WE HAVE KIND OF A DIAGRAM ALONG THE LINES OF A CARLA STEPHAN, DID THAT ILLUSTRATED THE FLOW OF FUNDS BACK ON WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE CONVENTION CENTER ENGINE, IF WE HAD SOME KIND OF DIAGRAM LIKE THAT, I, I, I BELIEVE THAT WOULD POSITION US BETTER AS A COUNCIL AND AS A COMMUNITY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT MONEY THAT GOES THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER COMES BACK TO THE CITY AND WHAT
[01:55:01]
REQUIREMENTS, UM, HOW THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FORI'M HAPPY TO, TO WORK WITH STAFF ON CLARIFYING THOSE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST ACCOMPLISHED IN IT IN A DIAGRAM FORM.
AND THEN I WOULD WANT TO ALSO TALK IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT RESTRICTIONS ON FUNDING, UM, AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE USES OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.
AND NOW ADDING TO THAT RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF CHEAPER FUNDING, BECAUSE SOME OF IT, SOME OF THE INTERIM I'M HAVING TROUBLE ALIGNING, UH, SOME OF THE DIFFERENT ANSWERS WE'VE GOTTEN ABOUT WHEN RESTRICTIONS APPLY AND WHEN THEY DON'T.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BEFORE IT, BEFORE IT MOVES ON TO THE HOTEL YEARS, BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION AND THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS.
UM, YOU KIND OF CUT OUT THERE TO COUNSELOR TOBA, BUT I THINK WE GOT THE MOST OF YOUR COMMENTS AT THE END THERE.
UM, THAT LAST COMMENT WAS JUST, I'M GLAD THAT I APPRECIATED THE POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THE LAST THING I SAID WAS JUST, BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE TOOLS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ITEM 10? ALL RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN ITEM 43 WAS PULLED BY COUNSEL BURN, NATASHA HARPER, MADISON.
AND THAT'S THE LAST ITEM THAT I HAVE LISTED AS COLD.
SO, UM,
LET'S WE CAN STILL BE GOOD STAFF AVAILABLE ON, ON, ON 20 AND 58 WHILE WE TALK ABOUT ITEM 43.
AND IF I CAN, UM, CAUSE WE'RE START, CAN YOU TAKE THE CHAIR? I NEED TO STEP AWAY JUST FOR A SECOND, BUT WE'RE TALKING ON 43 RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 40 PHILBY COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
ARE YOU RAISING A LITTLE, I'LL JUST HIT A QUICK DIFFERENT QUESTIONS REAL QUICK WHEN WE GET TO IT.
AND, AND THAT WAS REALLY ABOUT ITEM NUMBER 11, WHICH WAS THE THREE 80 AGREEMENTS.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE POSTPONED.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AS WELL AS THAT RIGHT.
MANAGER, THAT ITEM 11 IS ALSO BEING POSTED ON.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, SEE THEM GUYS TO CONSERVE CONFIRM THAT.
WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 43 COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COSAR UM, I, I JUST HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, SORT OF GENERAL COMMENTARY IF FOR NO OTHER REASON TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ALL MY COLLEAGUES UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE INTENT WAS HERE I HAD IN 43, JUST OBVIOUSLY BRINGS A MUCH NEEDED FOCUS TO A LONG NEGLECTED PART OF EAST AUSTIN.
THAT IS BASICALLY ON THE PRECIPICE OF REALLY EXPERIENCING CONSIDERABLE GROWTH.
AND I MEAN, THE KIND OF, UH, IMPACTFUL LONG-TERM GROWTH THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
SO THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA, AS WE ALL KNOW, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS LIKE WALTER REED, LONG, UH, COLONY PARK, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY INITIATIVE.
UM, HOWEVER, I DO THINK, AND I ALWAYS HAVE THOUGHT, I MEAN, EVEN JUST COMING IN I'VE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT LACKED IN THE WAY OF A COHESIVE OVERALL VISION, JUST FOR NO OTHER REASON, TO ENSURE THAT THESE PROJECTS NOT ONLY SUPPORT EACH OTHER, BUT THAT THEY ACTUALLY HELPED TO CREATE GREAT PLACES TO LIVE AND STAPLE JOBS AND IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY AND PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC SPACES.
AND AGAIN, FROM THE BEGINNING, I THOUGHT I COULDN'T HELP, BUT THINK LIKE THESE THINGS ARE ALL CONNECTED.
WHY AREN'T WE LOOKING AT THIS IN A WAY THAT CONNECTS THEM BETTER? SO IN MY MIND'S EYE, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GET IT RIGHT AND GET AHEAD OF UNFETTERED GROWTH WITH MORE PROACTIVE ACTION IN THIS AREA, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO IT.
UM, IMPLEMENTING PROJECT CONNECT, WE CAN, WE CAN SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE CAN LIMIT SPRAWL AND ASSOCIATED STRAIN ON OUR CITY RESOURCES.
WE CAN ENCOURAGE HEALTHY LIVING.
WE CAN MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION AND LIMIT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
WE CAN PROVIDE MORE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN EVERY, AND I MEAN, EVERY INCOME LEVEL WE CAN MITIGATE DISPLACEMENT, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO ACT BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
UH, MY STAFF, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY STAFF, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SO MANY, WHICH BY
[02:00:01]
THE WAY, THANK YOU, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO OFFERED YOUR TIME, YOUR TALENT, YOUR TREASURES.SO MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE WORKED SO HARD OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS TO REALLY PUT TOGETHER THIS RESOLUTION.
SO WITH THIS ONE, I JUST WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF IT.
AND JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY INTENTION WAS, UM, UH, WHILE THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE THE FIRST STEP OF MANY.
UM, MY HOPE IS THAT THROUGH OUR CONTINUED COLLABORATION, ALONG WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WE WILL ULTIMATELY CREATE THE FUTURE MODEL FOR EQUITABLE PLANNING IN OUR CITY.
AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME.
IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE, I THINK, UH, AT THE, AT THE END OF MY, MY FOUR YEARS, THIS WILL BE MY BABY.
AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS ONE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT SUPPORT.
AND I HOPE THAT IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY, THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ASKING THEM OF ME AND MYSELF.
UM, BUT THAT'S IT MORE OR LESS IN A NUTSHELL, MS. CAMPBELL, I'M HARPER, MADISON, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OF COURSE, BY THE MESSAGE BOARD OR SOMETHING, IF, IF YOUR COUNCIL ARE HARPER MADISON'S SUB COURT, UM, COUNSELOR ALTAR.
UM, SO COUNCIL MEMBER HAMPER MADISON.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I THINK WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO BE, UM, THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT THESE GROUPS ALL TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION.
FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT WALTZ OR, UM, ELONG PARK MASTER PLAN OR VISION PLAN, WE DIDN'T TALK MUCH ABOUT THE EXPO CENTER.
UM, AND I THINK I HOPE THAT THIS PROCESS CAN HELP US RESTART AND REJIGGER THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CONVERSATIONS THERE, UM, AND, AND BE A CATALYST FOR REALLY IMPORTANT SET OF LARGER, LARGER CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I DID WANT TO GET A SENSE OF THE TIMING, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT PIECES THAT ARE MOVING AND SOME ARE MOVING FASTER THAN OTHERS.
AND BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH AMBITION IN THIS, I WANTED TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE TIMETABLE THAT YOU HAD IN MIND.
AND THEN HOW DO WE FIT, UM, CERTAIN PIECES THAT MAY BE MOVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, UM, ALTOGETHER I'M HESITANT TO SAY SO TODAY, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, WE STILL, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SO MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE PUT SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT INTO THEIR EFFORTS AROUND THE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD BE HESITANT TO OFFER A TIMETABLE TODAY, BUT HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU IN YOUR OFFICE TO GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA OF HOW I THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CALIBRATE THIS THING IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, IN THE APPROPRIATE SORT OF GENERAL ORDER RIGHT NOW, MY MUTE BUTTON WAS GOING CRAZY ON AND OFF.
AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS THE, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT ORDER, BUT ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, SOME DECISIONS ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE MADE ON CERTAIN THINGS, UM, ON A TIMETABLE THAT IS NOT DICTATED BY THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, AND I, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW NECESSARILY WHICH ALL OF THOSE PIECES ARE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, SO MUCH IN HERE.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, CHOICES ARE GOING TO BE MADE ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT TESLA IS DOING OR WHAT THE EXPO CENTER HAS TO DO THAT MAY, AND WHAT PROJECT CONNECT HAS TO DO OR COLONY PARK THAT MAY MOVE DIFFERENTLY THAN THE SPEED WITH WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE SAY ON WALTER THREE LONG OR JOHN TREVINO.
UM, AND, AND I JUST, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GET EVERYTHING RESOLVED DOWN TO THE LEVEL THAT WE ULTIMATELY WANT IT IN TIME FOR SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS TO BE MADE.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO FLAG THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO HAVE A FLEXIBLE ENOUGH, UM, PLANNING PROCESS, AND THIS MAY VERY WELL DO THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
UM, SO THAT THE PIECES CAN MOVE WHEN THEY DO NEED TO MOVE AT A DIFFERENT PACE.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I SHOULD OFFER AS SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF COMFORT IS THAT ESSENTIALLY WE'RE JUST ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO HELP US BRING BACK THE SCOPE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE, THE PROCESS, THE TIMELINE, I THINK THIS IN AND OF ITSELF IS OFFERING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT INFORMATION BY OF DIRECTION OF THEM BRINGING THAT BACK TO US.
I'LL READ, REREAD IT AGAIN, AND THAT'S HOW I READ IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ARBOR MADISON FOR INCLUDING ME AS A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS ITEM.
[02:05:01]
IT'S MORE IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING AND, AND TRYING TO BUILD THINGS TOO HASTILY.UM, I HAVE ADDED LANGUAGE TO IT THAT I THINK IS EITHER ALREADY POSTED OR WILL BE THERE FOR THURSDAY ABOUT INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING ALL OF THE REALLY CRAZY ANNEXATION LINES OUT THERE, WHICH FOR IN MOST CASES, BECAUSE OF CHANGES IN STATE LAW CAN NOT BE CHANGED.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE COUNTY AND HOW WE DO THIS PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT IT CAN BE ALIGNED WITH WHATEVER THEIR BID PROCESSES MAY BE AS THEY CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION, BUT WILL ABSOLUTELY BENEFIT FROM THE AMENITIES THAT CITY OF AUSTIN TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND A BETTER WAY TO, TO BE PARTNERS WITH THE COUNTY.
AND I'M ON HOPEFUL WITH TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT THAT WE CAN FIND A, UH, REALLY, UH, SYNERGISTIC APPROACH.
AND THIS WILL BE ONE OF MANY THINGS WHERE I HOPE WE, LIKE WE DID FOR PROJECT CONNECT, DO SOME JOINT WORK SESSIONS, UH, GET US ALL AT THE SAME TABLE SO WE CAN BE CO-CREATING THE SAME TYPE OF VISION COUNSELOR.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, ALISON WAS ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT A TIMELINE.
I DEFINITELY THINK ALL OF US SHOULD, IF THERE'S ANY ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OUT AT FALL, APART FOR CHESTER, I'M A FAN OF AND SUPPORTIVE OF, AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO ADVANCE IT IN THE SIX YEARS I'VE BEEN GOING ON A LONG TIME.
I THINK ALL OF US WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE TIMING, SO WHATEVER IT IS THAT STAFF HAS PULLED TOGETHER, I WOULD EXPECT THAT Y'ALL WILL CONTINUE TO BELIEVE HAS PUBLICLY ON ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IN THAT DIRECTION, CERTAINLY ON BOARD FOR THAT, INCLUDING OF COURSE, WORKING WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, IT'S, IT'S ALL MUSIC, I THINK, TO ALL OF OUR EARS TO HEAR THAT THE DIOCESE INTERESTED IN THAT COLLABORATION ON ALONG THAT PARTNERSHIP, UM, CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF IMPLODE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, GREAT POSTURE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL STRONG IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
DID YOU WANT ANY CLOSING REMARKS? COUNCILMEMBER HARPER MADISON? NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
I MEAN, I THINK IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD POINT OUT REAL QUICK JUST TO OFFER SUBSTANCE IN THE WAY OF, UM, UH, JUST FURTHER SCOPE FOR THE FIRST FEE RESOLVED IS THE CITY MANAGERS DIRECTED TO RETURN TO COUNCIL WITH THE PLANNING, SCOPE AND PROCESS FOR HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS? UM, I THINK HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO, IF, IF WE FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE THERE'S A LACK OF CLARITY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, THANK YOU BY THE WAY, COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN FOR, UH, BEING WILLING TO BE A CO-SPONSOR AND FOR OFFERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK DOES HELP TO FORTIFY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT FORWARD BY WAY OF OFFERING OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE COUNTY, THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ALONGSIDE US.
AND SO, UM, I, I DO THINK IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN GET THERE.
YOU GUYS WANT HAVE TO FORGIVE ME.
THERE'S LIKE THREE ZOOM MEETINGS HAPPENING AND ONE VERY SMALL SPACE RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR MY DAUGHTER LEARNING NEATH RIGHT NEXT TO ME, BUT UH, I'LL JUST MUTE REAL QUICK.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS YOUR BACKGROUND NOISE OR I WAS GOING TO TELL PEOPLE TO MUTE.
UM, I THINK OUR ASK PEOPLE RATHER, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR ITEM 43.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM THAT, UH, COUNSELOR
DO WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE AND MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US WITH YOUR QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBER
UH, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, UH, THIS LOCATION ITEM 20TH, THE, UH, THE PROPOSAL TO MOVE THE, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT.
AND THEY WERE THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IT IT'S BUILT THERE ON SECOND STREET, WHICH IS 17, 19 EAST SECOND STREET, WHICH IS LIKE HALF A BLOCK FROM THE MOST EASTERN POINT OF THE BOUNDARY OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT THAT YOU CAN PUT THIS.
AND I I'M REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE, UH, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY BEING
[02:10:01]
CONTACTED OR HAVE THEY COME THROUGH THE CONTACT TEAM.AND I'M, UH, I'M AFRAID THAT IF WE GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND, AND APPROVE THIS, THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF ANGRY RESIDENTS BECAUSE IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENCE OR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, THEY CAN REBUILD THEIR, THE REAL NICE RESTAURANT ON THE CORNER OF CHALMERS.
UM, UM, THERE'S CONDOS ACROSS THE STREET.
IT'S A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, AND I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS LOCATION AND I'M GOING TO REQUEST THAT WE POSTPONE THIS AND GIVE IT MORE TIME.
UH, UH, I'M JUST AFRAID THAT YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO BE COMPLETELY AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UH, HAVE A BIG PROBLEM THERE ON THAT SAYS A CHILD INCIDENT WHO'S, WHICH IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST A HALF A BLOCK DOWN WITH A LOT OF DRUGS AND EVEN CAPITAL METRO HAD TO PULL THEIR BENCH DOWN BECAUSE OF DEALING THERE.
SO I JUST DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF, UH, UH, OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEN THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE REALLY, UH, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT IF IT DOES GET PUSHED THROUGH, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERYBODY KIND OF INPUT IN IT, UM, THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF ANGRY PEOPLE IN THERE.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, YOU KNOW, THE ELECTION WAS A LOT OF DISTRACTION AND NOW THAT THEY'RE SO OVER, WELL, ALMOST OVER, BUT, UH, UH, I WANT MORE TIME TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, LOOK INTO THIS AND SEE IF IT'S REALLY THE APPROPRIATE PLACE.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, I HATE TO THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE THEM TO EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S STACKING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
SO, AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IT AT THE LIBRARY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH BETH GOING TO HAVE TO GO, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A HOMELESS CAMP THERE AND SURROUND HIM AND, AND WE HAVE THE SOUP KITCHEN ACROSS THE STREET ON SET THE CHILD IS, AND I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO PUT THAT, WHICH SHOULD BE LOOKING DOWN THERE, A BRIBERY CENTER, YOU KNOW, WHAT, MAYBE WE PUT IT THERE FOR AS CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN INSTEAD OF BRINGING IT ALL THE WAY TO BE SAUCED AS COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT BOTH ASK GAL FROM OUR OFFICE REAL ESTATE SERVICES, AND THEN PEOPLE FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT, MAYBE I'LL FIRST ASK ALEX, YOU DESCRIBED THE PROCESS OF HOW THIS SITE WAS SELECTED.
ALEX SCALE, INTERIM OFFICER FOR THE OPPOSITE REAL ESTATE SERVICES.
UM, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE FEEL AS STAFF IS A RIGOROUS PROCESS TO ENDING UP AT THIS LOCATION.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT MULTIPLE, UM, CITY OWNED SPACES WITHIN, UH, ALL OF THE JURISDICTION FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, UH, FOR THEIR JURISDICTION.
THERE IS A, UH, A DOWNTOWN THAT DOESN'T CO ENCOMPASS WEST CAMPUS AND EAST AUSTIN.
UM, WHAT WE FEEL IS WE'VE LOOKED AT, UH, CITY LOCATIONS, UH, BEING, UH, THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE FALL LIBRARY, UTILIZING THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, UH, WHICH IS THE OLD CITY HALL.
WE'VE ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH MULTIPLE ITERATIONS OF LOOKING TOWARDS, UH, LEASE, UH, UP FOR THIS.
UM, AND, AND THOSE DEALS HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THIS IS I THINK THE THIRD, UH, LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF COURSE, COMING TO COUNCIL.
UM, BUT AS WE'VE LOOKED FOR LISA'S PURCHASES, WE HAVE LOOKED TO BE WITHIN, UH, DAX JURISDICTION.
UH, THIS IS THE FIRST ONE, UM, DUE TO THE SENSE OF URGENCY OF FINDING SPACE FOR DECK.
UH, WE WANTED TO, TO MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD, UH, AS THIS LEASE LOCATION, UH, AND SPEAKING TO, I KNOW A COUNCIL MEMBER IN FRONT OF THE REIA DID BRING UP THAT TEMPORARILY ACT ENDS OPERATING OUT OF THE TERRAZA LIBRARY LOCATION, UH, AND IT IS NEAR THAT LOCATION.
UM, SO IT IS STILL WITHIN DECKS, UH, JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY, UM, BUT, UH, CAN ALSO PASS IT OVER TO PETE TO SEE IF HE HAS ANY, IF HE HAS HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT IS NOT TYPICALLY SOMETHING THE OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE DOES AS MOVING FORWARD WITH,
[02:15:01]
UM, FINDING, UH, A LOCAL, UH, AN ADMINISTRATIVE LOCATION, UH, FOR STAFF TO OPERATE OUT OF.UM, BUT I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, DOES PROVIDE, THIS IS PUBLIC FACING SERVICE.
IT'S PART OF THEIR OPERATIONS AS WELL.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER.
UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY INQUIRIES, UH, FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING, UM, OUR PRESENCE EITHER AT, TO ROZ'S OR, UM, REGARDING THE PROPOSED, UH, FACILITY ON EAST SECOND STREET.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU ALL SPEAK TO, UM, THE, A POSTPONEMENT AND IF THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU OBVIOUSLY IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWAY, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST? I WOULD, UM, JUST WANT TO CHECK BACK WITH STAFF TO BEFORE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT AT THIS POINT.
I KNOW THAT WORKS THROUGH, BUT YOU ARE.
YOU'RE ALSO CONTACTED ME YESTERDAY, SO I, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT THEN I'M SURE THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S REALLY CONCERNING TO ME, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, THAT'S NOT THE PROCESS THAT OUR COMMUNITY GOES THROUGH.
IT'S THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, GOING AND WORK WITH, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GONNA BE OKAY AND TO GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION.
BUT I FEEL LIKE IF WE PASS THIS TO, UH, THURSDAY, IT'S LIKE, WE'RE PUTTING SOME UP FAST WHEN I'M IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I DON'T WANT TO BE SEEN AS BEING PART OF THAT.
SO I WOULD VOTE OUT IF WE DON'T GET THE POSTPONEMENT, I'LL JUST VOTE AGAINST IT.
SO ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF WHILE THEY'RE HERE? UM, ALL RIGHT.
YEAH, JUST A QUICK, JUST A QUICK QUESTION, CITY MANAGER.
I KNOW THAT, UM, I KNOW THAT REAL ESTATE STAFF, I THINK, REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE, UH, TO BRIEF US ON THIS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS WITH, UH, WITH A REAL ESTATE ISSUE LIKE THIS ONE, UM, THAT THE PART OF THE PROCESS PART OF YOUR PROCESS IS ALWAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF ARE REACHING OUT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHOSE DISTRICTS ARE IMPACTED BY ONE OF THOSE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
AND SO I KNOW THAT I KNOW THIS ISSUE CAME BEFORE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, I THINK AT ITS LAST MEETING OR, OR MAYBE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT YOUR, WHAT YOUR PROCESSES FOR LETTING COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW ABOUT, ABOUT UPCOMING REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, ABSOLUTELY COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND THERE WERE SOME REVISIONS THAT WERE MADE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING WITH ALL ACCOUNTS, LOTS AS, BUT IN PARTICULAR, THE ONES THAT ARE IMPACTED IN THEIR DISTRICT.
UM, AGAIN, THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON IN THESE LAST FEW WEEKS, BUT WE DID, AS YOU MENTIONED, A PRESENT BEFORE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO GET ON EVERYONE'S SCHEDULE BEFORE THIS, UH, HELSEL MEETING, UH, JUST PROVED CHALLENGING.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL LOOK INTO THE IMPACT OF THE POSTPONEMENTS AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO STILL WORK WITH A POTENTIAL, UM, LANDLORD TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, IF YOU WERE TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT CYCLE, UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES AND THE COMMUNITY BEFORE MOVING FORWARD.
YEAH, I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I JUST DON'T LIKE TO OPERATE THAT WAY.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE COMING IN AND ESPECIALLY WITH, AS TROUBLES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THAT AREA BECAUSE OF THE SECOND FLOOR THEY MOVED OUT, BUT IT'S STILL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CALLED HIM AND TIM ONLINE WORK, BUT IT'S STILL IN SECOND AND MILE.
AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE THAT JUST HANG OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S A BIG IT'S CONCERNING TO ME KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING UP ANOTHER FACILITY RIGHT NEXT TO A RESTAURANT AND NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING.
THAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CHALMERS.
SO, UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT SOME MORE TIME TO REALLY GRAB THIS AND SEE IF, UH, IT'S, THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY BIG CONCERN.
AND I ALWAYS THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FORCING PEOPLE ALL THE WAY OVER TO, TO EAST AUSTIN FROM THE DOWNTOWN
[02:20:01]
AND, UH, TO TRANSIT, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL GOING TO BE FORCING THEM TO COME DOWN TO ONE SIDE OF TOWN, TO THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.AND THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SERVICE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CLIENTELES THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING TO HER, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER CONCERN OF MINE.
IT'S JUST THE LOCATION AND HOW FAR IT IS FROM DOWNTOWN.
AND YOU DO HAVE TO CROSS 35, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER CONCERN.
UM, MAYBE IF POSSIBLE, YOU CAN TALK TO THE, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I THOUGHT, I THINK YOU SAID YOU HADN'T HAD A CHANCE YET BEFORE THURSDAY, AND OBVIOUSLY WE ALWAYS, UM, CONSIDER ANY, ANY MOTION BY A COUNCIL MEMBER ON, ON THURSDAY, INCLUDING YOUR YOURS.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU WILL MAKE ONE TO POSTPONE.
SO, UM, IF STAFF COULD JUST PLEASE, UH, BRIEF COUNSELOR IDENTITY.
I TOO HAD A, WE HAD A MEETING, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST WEEK ON, ON, ON THIS.
AND I, I IMAGINE MAYBE THERE WERE JUST SOME KIND OF MISCOMMUNICATION AND, AND, AND SCHEDULES.
I KNOW HAVE BEEN VERY HECTIC FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS BY, UH, BY, BY THURSDAY, UH, THE NEXT ITEM THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER AND I'M GOING TO GET PULLED WAS ITEM 58.
THIS IS A, AN ISSUE THAT, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN KIND OF WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER THERE FOR AWHILE AND, UM, UM, GET INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE HAVING A VERY, THAT THE DEVELOPERS NEGOTIATED WITH THEM ON BUILDING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THIS DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE AREA HAS BEEN UNDER A LOT PRESSURE AND WE HAVE APPROVED A LOT OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT THERE AND SOME OF THE, THE DEVELOPERS HAVE COME AND BEEN BEEN, UH, AS OFFERED EVEN 50% IN SOME OF THESE UNITS, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS AREA IS GETTING GENTRIFIED SO QUICKLY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN DRIVING THROUGH SOUTH CONGRESS BETWEEN THAT AREA THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UM, UH, I, UM, I'M ALARMED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING THE ABILITY TO HAVE AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THAT AREA.
UM, UH, MY WHOLE REASON FOR JOY, UH, RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL WAS TO, TO REPLICATE THE MODEL THAT WE DID OVER THERE IN MUELLER, BUT THAT WAS CITY LAND.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T WANT A WHOLE AREA WHERE THERE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, WORKFORCE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR, FOR OUR PEOPLE AND, AND SOUTH AUSTIN IS GETTING TO THAT POINT.
NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'D GO IN A LOT OF APARTMENTS DOWN THERE, A HUGE AMOUNT, AND WE'RE NOT GIVING THE AFFORDABILITY THERE THAT WE NEED TO.
AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT INTO AN EXCLUSIVE AREA WHERE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WEALTH CAN LIVE THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY CONCERNED.
AND, AND I, I HEARD THE, UH, THE DEVELOPER TO, TO REALLY GET DOWN AND WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ELSE I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, UH, GUESS NUMBER ALTAR? UM, IT'S NOT ON THAT ITEM.
SO IF SOMEBODY ELSE FOR KITCHEN, IS IT ON 43? WELL, IT WAS 58, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT COUNTS FOR RENTERIA.
I HEAR YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THAT AREA.
SO JUST WANTED TO, UH, APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THAT.
AND, UM, WELL, I'LL ASK MY STAFF TO REACH OUT TO YOU.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IF WE CAN HELP YOU.
I DRIVE, THAT'S JUST NORTH OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT AREA IS REALLY GETTING, UM, A LOT OF, A LOT OF PICKUP, A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT WAS ALL ON 58 COUNCILOR ALTAR.
I JUST WANTED TO FLAG AN AMENDMENT THAT I'LL HAVE FOR, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S AN AMENDMENT ON 73 OR 74 RELATES TO THE IMPACT FEES.
IT'S A SMALL AMENDMENT, BUT IT ADDRESSES, UM, AN ISSUE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE ABOUT, UM, PAYDAY LENDING AND NOT WANTING TO ENCOURAGE THAT.
UM, AND SO BY, AS PART OF THE STREET IMPACT FEES, WE ARE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE, UM, BANKING SYSTEMS, UM, IN CERTAIN SERVICE AREAS.
[02:25:01]
THAT IS USED IN THE LOVE NET INCLUDES OR MAY INCLUDE PAYDAY LENDING.AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH LAW, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WON'T BE INADVERTENTLY ENCOURAGING PAYDAY LENDING BY PROVIDING THOSE INSTITUTIONS A BREAK ON THEIR, THEIR, UH, STREET IMPACT FEES.
UM, AND I WILL TRY TO POST THAT AS SOON AS I CAN, BUT WITH THE CITY BEING CLOSED, I JUST WANTED TO FLAG IT IN CASE I DON'T HAVE IT TOO MUCH BEFORE THURSDAY, I HAVE THE THING AND I NEED TO REVIEW IT.
THANK YOU FOR FLAGGING THAT THAT'S A GOOD LAG AND AMENDMENT LIKELY.
UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA OR, OR, OR ANY COMMENTS ON SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WHAT ORDER YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THINGS THEN I WILL LIKELY BE TAKING THINGS IN THE ORDER THAT WE ALWAYS DO.
WE DON'T HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION THURSDAY EITHER.
SO, UM, COUNSEL FOR HARPER MEDICINE JUST REAL QUICK, I WOULD SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF IF, UH, IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE IN ADDITION TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER THOSE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, AMENDMENTS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BRING FORWARD ABOUT IMPACT FEES.
SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN HELPFUL FOR ME IS JUST ASKING QUESTIONS FROM PROFESSIONALS AND THAT SPACE.
AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE IMPACT OF THE IMPACT FEES.
CAUSE, UH, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING.
AND I'VE ALSO JUST, JUST FOR PUBLIC SEC.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW, I BELIEVE IT'S JUST SET FOR FIRST READING.
UM, THE, THE, THE, THAT CHANGED.
SO JUST ALSO IS THAT AS FOLKS THAT ARE GOING INTO THURSDAY, IT WILL BE JUST FIRST READING IN MY UNDERSTANDING.
UM, AND SO THE, THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE NEW YEAR OR ANY FURTHER ITERATIONS, SO WITHOUT, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS, UM, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO WEAR YOUR MASKS, WEAR YOUR MASKS, PLEASE, SOCIAL DISTANCE.
I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CLOSE, BUT WE STILL NEED TO SAFE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
I'M SURE MANY OF US ARE FEELING A LITTLE HAPPIER THIS WEEK, UM, BECAUSE OF ELECTION RESULTS.
AND, UM, AND SO I CERTAINLY IT'S A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR OUR FEMALE MAJORITY CITY COUNCIL.
AND ALSO I'M SURE FOR OUR MALE COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE OF US.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL, IF THERE WAS NO OBJECTION, UH, WE'LL SEE YOU ALL ON THURSDAY AND WE'RE ADJOURNED AT 1138 ME, RIGHT?