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TODAY IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY SESSION 2021.
WE JUST FINISHED OUR SPECIAL CALL JOINT MEETING WORK SESSION WITH TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE, UH, UPDATE THE, UH, FIRES.
AND DEMEC, UH, NOW WE'LL MOVE THROUGH, THROUGH OUR AGENDA
[B1. Briefing regarding petitions on potential charter amendments.]
COLLEAGUES.I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE BRIEFING ON THE, UH, POTENTIAL CHARTER AMENDMENTS WITH STAFF.
THAT'LL PROBABLY GET US CLOSE TO LUNCH.
UH, IF WE'RE ABLE TO, WE, WE RIDE DRY THE, TO PICK UP THE POOL ITEM EIGHT OR DIAPER, WHOLE CHAMBER FUNDING, AND THEN 32 AND 49.
UM, IF WE CAN OR NOT, UH, BUT THEN WE'LL BREAK FOR LUNCH AT ABOUT NOON.
UH, WE WILL, UH, COME BACK, UH, AFTER LUNCH, PROBABLY INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO GET THE REAL ESTATE PATTER AND THE, UH, MAY, 2021 ELECTION COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND DO THE POOL OF ITEMS. UM, AND I THINK YOU WERE LEAVING AT ABOUT THREE, BUT UTILIZE TO MAKE ON THOSE I'D I'D BE AMENABLE TO THAT.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT GET TO IT IN TIME.
I JUST WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO ITEM 49, UH, BEFORE THREE O'CLOCK SOUNDS GOOD.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
UH, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, BRING US WITH THE PRESENTATION.
AND WE DO JUST HAVE ONE, A BRIEF WARNING, AND THAT IS ON THE PETITIONS FOR THE POTENTIAL CHARTER AMENDMENTS AND OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS PREPARED A PRESENTATION.
AND SO I'M GOING TO FIRST TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO INTRODUCE HER TEAM.
UH, ASHLEY GLOSSER, WHO'S OUR DIVISION CHIEF FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE GROUP IS GOING TO LEAD THE PRESENTATION AND IT WILL JUST BE THE HIGH LEVEL, UH, FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE VARIOUS PETITIONS SHE'S JOINED BY CAROLINE WEBSTER.
WHO'S ALSO AN ELECTION EXPERT AND THEN LEE CRAWFORD AND CHRIS COPPOLA WHO ARE BOTH IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, GENERAL COUNSEL GROUP WILL BE THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UH, THE FIREFIGHTER UNIONS PETITION REGARDING, UH, BARGAINING AND THE PETITION ABOUT THE SITTING IN LINE IN CERTAIN AREAS, CAMPING AND SOLICITATION.
SO IF ASHLEY IS THERE, SHE CAN TAKE IT AWAY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED AS ANNE NOTED.
WE ARE GOING TO DO A REVIEW OF THE PETITIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
SO LET'S SAY A CLERK'S OFFICE HAS RECEIVED THREE CITIZEN INITIATED PETITIONS.
I'M GOING TO PRESENT THESE IN THE ORDER IN WHICH WE RECEIVED THEM, WHICH IS WHAT IS HERE ON THE SLIDE.
THE FIRST TWO ARE BOTH PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENTS.
THE FIRST ONE IS FROM AUSTINITES FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORM AND THE OTHER ONE IS FROM THE AUSTINS FIRE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS FROM SAVE AUSTIN NOW, BUT IT IS A POSITION UNDER OUR CITY CHARTER FOR INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND IT INITIATES AND ORNAMENTS.
THE FIRST TWO PETITIONS THE COURT HAS COMPLETED THE REVIEW OF, AND BOTH OF THOSE PETITIONS ARE VALID.
THE THIRD ONE FROM STEVE AUSTIN NOW IS STILL PENDING.
SO JUMPING INTO THE FIRST PETITION THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY OSTOMATES FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORM, THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO AMEND THE CHARTER IN SEVERAL WAYS.
THIS IS THE HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
THE FOUR B CHANGES THAT IT WOULD MAKE.
THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE TO CHANGE THE ELECTION DATE FOR ELECTING THE MAYOR.
THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE TO REQUIRE RANGE CHOICE, MOVING IN CITY ELECTIONS.
IF THAT'S ALLOWED BY STATE LAW, IT WOULD CHANGE THE FORM OF CITY GOVERNMENT FROM COUNCIL MANAGER, OUR CURRENT FORM TO MAYOR COUNCIL.
AND THEN IT WOULD REPLACE THE CITY'S CURRENT PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROGRAM WITH DEMOCRACY DOLLARS, WHICH ISN'T A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PUBLIC FINANCE PROGRAM.
SO THE FIRST ITEM HAS CHANGED IN THE MAYORAL ELECTION SCHEDULE.
THE CHARTER PETITION WOULD PROVIDE THAT THE NEW OR ELECTION WOULD THEN COINCIDE WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER UNIVERSE FOR PRESIDENTIAL.
THIS WOULD BE A CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT MAYORAL SCHEDULE, WHICH ALEKS THE MAYOR DURING INVENTORIAL NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTIONS AND PROVIDES A TRANSITION PERIOD SO THAT THE MAYOR ELECTED IN 2022 AND SERVE A TWO YEAR TERM AND THE MAYOR ELECTED IN 2024 AND LAYERS AFTER THAT WAS SERVED A FOUR YEAR TERM.
SO MOVING TO THE NEXT PIECE OF THIS PETITION, WHICH HAS BE RANKED CHOICE VOTING, THE RANK CHOICE VOTING WOULD ALLOW VOTERS TO RANK UP TO FIVE CANDIDATES PER OFFICE IN AN ELECTION.
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PLACE BOATS WOULD BE COUNTED.AND IF A CANDIDATE IN THAT FIRST ROUND RECEIVES A MAJORITY OF THE FIRST PLACE VOTE BY CANDIDATE IS THE WINNER.
IF THERE'S NOT A CANDIDATE THAT WINDS UP FOR THE FIRST ROUND, THE TABULATION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THERE IS A WINNER RANK CHOICE VOTING WOULD, WOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A SUBSEQUENT RUNOFF AWARD.
SO A BRIEF EXPLANATION TO THE TABULATION ROUNDS.
IF THERE WASN'T A MAJORITY WINNER AFTER THE FIRST PLACE VOTES WERE COUNTED, THE CANDIDATE WITH A LOWER LEWIS AND VERBOSE WOULD BE ELIMINATED.
AND THEN THOSE BALLOTS THAT RANK THE ELIMINATED CANDIDATE FIRST WOULD BE RE TABULATED.
AND THOSE VOTERS SECOND PLACE CHOICE WOULD BE ADDED TO THE BOAT TOGGLES.
AND THAT WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL THERE WAS A WINNER.
SO AFTER THE SECOND ROUND VOTES WERE TABULATED, IF THERE WAS A MAJORITY WINNER, THE TABULATION WOULD STOP.
IF THERE WASN'T A BIT, NEXT SLIDE.
SO MOVING TO THE NEXT PART OF THIS PETITION, WHICH WOULD CHANGE THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT TO MARRY COUNCIL AS A HIGH LEVEL REVIEW, THIS CHANGE WOULD LEAD TO CITY COUNCIL CONTINUING TO BE AN 11 MEMBER BODY, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE THE CREATION OF A NEW 11TH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE MAYOR WOULD BE ELECTED FROM THE CITY AT LARGE AND WOULD BECOME THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
THE MAYOR WOULD NO LONGER BE A MEMBER OF COUNCIL THAT WOULD HAVE VETO AUTHORITY OVER COUNCIL'S LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS.
AND THEN IN REGARDS TO THE POSITION OF CITY MANAGER, IT WOULD ELIMINATE THAT POSITION AND THAT PETITION LANGUAGE ENVISIONS THAT THIS WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AFTER THE 2022 ELECTION.
SO CITY COUNCIL, AS I NOTED THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION WOULD REDRAW THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
THIS WILL CREATE A NEW 11TH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
IT WOULD CREATE A PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL POSITION.
THE PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL WOULD BE THE PERSON THAT WOULD PRESIDE OVER COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, COUNCIL WOULD PASS ALL LEGISLATION, UM, THAT IT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE MIRRORS.
AND THEN THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR WOULD BECOME THE HEAD OF CITY GOVERNMENT FOR OFFICIAL AND CEREMONIAL PURPOSES AND A SIMILAR TO WHAT'S IN OUR CHARTER.
NOW FOR THE CITY MANAGER, UM, THE MAYOR WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
HE OR SHE WOULD HIRE AND DIRECT THE CITY WORKFORCE SUBJECTING CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
THEY WOULD PREPARE THE BUDGET AND SUBMIT THAT TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN ALSO PREPARE FINANCIAL REPORTS AND ADVISE COUNSEL ON THINGS.
SO FOR ORDINANCES AND A MAYOR AND COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT COUNCIL, WE CONTINUE TO PASS ALL ORDINANCES.
HOWEVER MAYOR COULD APPROVE OR VETO THE ORDINANCE WITHIN 10 DAYS.
IF THERE'S NO ACTION, THEN THE ORDINANCE IS EFFECTIVE.
MEANING IF THE MAYOR NEITHER SIGNS IT WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKES AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO MEET HIM.
AS THE ORDINANCE WOULD BECOME INFECTIVE COUNCIL MAY OVERRIDE THE VETO WITHIN 45 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING THE VETO AT THE FIRST MEETING, AFTER THE VETO VETO WOULD REQUIRE A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF COUNCIL, WHICH IS EIGHT MEMBERS, OR IT REQUIRE A THREE FORCE VOTES AND COUNCIL, WHICH HAS NINE MEMBERS.
IF THE ORDINANCE REQUIRED A TWO THIRDS VOTE TO AGREE.
SO THIS IS JUST A CHART OVERVIEW OF WHAT CHANGED IN TERMS OF APPOINTMENTS.
THE CITY CLERK AND CITY AUDITOR WOULD NOT CHANGE.
CITY COUNCIL CURRENTLY APPOINTS THOSE POSITIONS.
THE CITY ATTORNEY WOULD CHANGE CURRENTLY THE CITY ATTORNEY APPOINTED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
IT WOULD CHANGE TO THE MAYOR, APPOINTING THE CITY ATTORNEY WITH CONFIRMATION BY COUNCIL AND THE CITY ATTORNEY COULD BE REMOVED BY THE MAYOR OR BY A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, PLANNING, GROWTH MANAGEMENT, AND LAND DEVELOPMENT, ALL WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY WE'LL SIT OUT IN OUR CHARTER, THE APPOINTMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH SHIFT FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO THE MAYOR, AS WELL AS OTHER DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, WHICH WAS SHIFT FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO THE MAYOR.
AND THEN ON THIS SLIDE, IT'S THE CONTINUATION OF APPOINTMENTS FOR MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES AND THE CLERK.
THE CURRENT APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS CITY COUNCIL THAT WOULD CHANGE TO THE MAYOR WITH A CONFIRMATION FROM THE COUNCIL, AND THEN THEY COULD BE REMOVED BY THE MAYOR.
ALSO WITH THE CONFIRMATION AND THE COUNCIL, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS 13 MEMBERS APPOINTED BY COUNCIL.
NOW THAT WOULD CHANGE TO 11 BEING APPOINTED BY COUNCIL AND TWO BY THE MAYOR AND IN THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION WOULD NOT
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CHANGE THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO APPOINT THOSE NUMBERS SINCE THAT BODY NEXT SLIDE.SO THE LAST COMPONENT OF THIS PETITION IS DEMOCRACY DOLLARS.
SO THE PETITION WOULD REPEAL THE CURRENT FAIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROGRAM THAT THE CITY HAS.
AND WE REPLACED IT AGAIN WITH THIS KIND OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY CLERK TO MAIL $25 BOUNCERS TO ALL REGISTERED VOTERS WITHIN THE CITY, BEFORE EVERY CITY GENERAL ELECTION, THE PARKWAY MAIL UP TO TWO VOUCHERS PER ELECTION FOR VOTER ONE FOR CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN ONE FOR MAYOR, IF THOSE OFFICES ARE ON THE BALLOT AND THEN THE VOTERS CAN THEN CONTRIBUTE THOSE BACHELORS TO A CITY COUNCIL OR MAKE A ROW CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE, IF THAT CANADA HAS CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
SO CANADA HAS BEEN RECEIVED DEMOCRACY, DOLLAR CONTRIBUTIONS, ONLY IF THEY AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO QUALIFY BY RECEIVING AT LEAST TWO TIMES THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT AND BY RECEIVING AT LEAST 150 CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND THEY MUST ALSO AGREE TO ACCEPT CERTAIN CONDITIONS ON THEIR CAMPAIGN, WHICH ARE THAT THEY WILL NOT SOLICIT FUNDS ON BEHALF OF THE PAC POLITICAL PARTY OR AN INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE ENTITY.
THEY MUST ALSO AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN THREE DEBATES AND AGREE ON LIMITS TO CONTRIBUTIONS.
THE AGGREGATE VOUCHER LIMITS WOULD BE 300,000 FOR MY ROLE RACE OR RUNOFF, AND THEN 75,000 FOR COUNCIL RACE OR RUN OFF THE LANGUAGE OF THE PETITION DOES NOT PROHIBIT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM, FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE VOUCHERS, BUT IT DOES PROVIDE THE LIMITS ON CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CITY CHARTER IN CITY CODE WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN EFFECT IN WHAT THE BE CONFIDE WITH NEXT SLIDE.
SO NOW MOVING TO THE SECOND PETITION THAT WAS FILED IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS THE PETITION FROM THE AUSTIN'S FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PETITION WOULD BE TO ADD A NEW PROVISION TO THE CITY CHARTER, WHICH WOULD CREATE A BINDING ARBITRATION PROCESS FOR LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE CITY AND AFA.
IF NEGOTIATIONS WERE TO REACH AN IMPASSE, IT PERMITS EITHER THE CITY OR AFA TO DEMAND OUR CREATION.
IF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT COMPLETED WITHIN 60 DAYS, IT WOULD PROVIDE THAT THE ARBITRATION WOULD OCCUR BEFORE A THREE MEMBER PANEL.
THE ARBITRATION PANEL WAS MAKING THE FINAL BINDING DECISION ON ALL ISSUES.
AND THEN FINALLY THE PETITION ESTABLISHES A TIMETABLE AND STANDARDS FOR DECISIONS.
AND NOW MOVING INTO THE LAST PETITION THAT'S BEEN FILED WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE, WHICH IS FROM SAY BOSTON.
NOW THE PURPOSE OF THIS PETITION WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE CURRENT CITY CODE PROVISIONS ON CAMPING, AGGRESSIVE COMPLICATION AND OBSTRUCTION IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH CITY CODE PROVISIONS THAT WERE IN PLACE BEFORE PASSAGE OF THE JUNE, 2019 ORDINANCE ON CAMPING SOLICITATION AND SITTING OR LYING ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS AND SLEEPING OUTDOORS.
THE PETITION ORDINANCE EXPANDS THE AREA WE'RE SITTING LYING OR SLEEPING IS PROHIBITED.
AND WE HAVE A MAP AND A AMENDMENTS THAT WILL SHOWCASE OUT THE PETITION SPANS THAT AREA.
SO IN REGARDS TO CAMPING THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IN THE PETITION, THE PROHIBIT CAMPAIGN IN PUBLIC AREAS, NOT DESIGNATED AS A CAMPING AREA BY THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND THE PETITION, UM, WOULD ALSO PROHIBIT AGGRESSIVE SOLICITATION OR SOLICITATION IN CERTAIN AREAS OR DURING CERTAIN TIMES, WHICH WOULD BE ON BUSES OR BUS STATIONS FOR SIMILAR KINDS OF ROTATIONS FACILITIES WITHIN 25 FEET OF AN ATM OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AT A CROSSWALK NEAR SCHOOL ENTRANCES OR EXITS AT SIDEWALK CAFES OR PATIO AREAS AND BARS AND RESTAURANTS.
AND THEN FINALLY IT WOULD PROHIBIT SOLICITATION AND WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FROM 7:00 PM TO 7:00 AM, NEXT SLIDE, AND THEN IT WOULD PROHIBIT SITTING OR LYING DOWN ON A RIGHT OF WAY FOR SLEEPING OUTDOORS AND AREAS OF DOWNTOWN AND AROUND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS.
AND THEN HERE IS A MAP THAT SHOWCASES, UM, THE ORDINANCE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD PRIOR TO JUNE, 2019 AS THE WHITE GRAY AREA, WHICH IS THE CURRENT RESTRICTED AREA THAT PETITION WOULD EXPAND THAT AREA TO INCLUDE THE DARK GRAY AREA, WHICH GOES UP AROUND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS UP TO 38TH STREET AND THEN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER EAST.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE AROUND, UM, FISCHBACH, SANDY, AND THEN THAT AREA AROUND MAINER AND THAT SAME TIME.
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SO THAT IS THE LAST SLIDE THAT WE HAVE IN THE PETITION.HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THIS PRESENTATION ELLIS, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I MIGHT HAVE MORE AFTER A FEW MORE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT AS FAR AS THE RANKED CHOICE VOTING, THERE IS A CLAUSE ABOUT, UM, THE STATE LAW SUPERSEDES THAT THAT WOULD APPLY CORRECT.
OR IT'S A PROVISION IN THE PETITION THAT SAYS THAT IT WOULD COME INTO EFFECT IF IT WAS ALLOWED BY STATE LAW, STATE LAW DOES NOT CURRENTLY ALLOW RANK CHOICE VOTING.
SO THERE WOULD BE NEED TO BE A CHANGE ON THE STATE LEVEL FOR THE THING ABOUT SOMEBODY ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT PARK, THE PETITION, IF IT WERE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CANCER POOL.
SO ASHLEY, ON THAT PIECE WHERE THE STATE STATUTE DOESN'T PERMIT RANKED CHOICE VOTING, DO WE STILL, ARE WE STILL REQUIRED TO PUT THAT ON THE BALLOT OR IS THERE THE ABILITY NOT TO PUT IT ON BECAUSE IT VIOLATES STATE LAW IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE DUTY TO PUT IT TO THE VOTERS AND THE PETITION DOES HAVE THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT SAYS IF ALLOWED BY STATE LAW AND BY THE LANGUAGE ITSELF, IT SEEMS PETITIONER SEEMS TO HAVE ENVISIONED THAT WOULD ONLY COME INTO EFFECT ONCE IT WAS ALLOWED BY STATE LAW.
SO I THINK IT WOULD JUST KIND OF BE IDLE AS WHOLE IF, AND WHEN IT WAS ALLOWED BY STATE LAW, IF IT'S APPROVED BY VOTERS.
AND THEN ON THE, UM, ON THE MAILER OR VETO WITHIN 45 DAYS OF AN ORDINANCE PASSING OR A RESOLUTION PASSING, ARE WE STILL BOUND? UM, SO IT WOULD TAKE EIGHT OR NINE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OVERCOME A MAYOR'S VETO WITHIN THE 45 DAYS, BUT THOSE EIGHT OR NINE PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CONFER OR DISCUSS THEIR OBJECTIONS, RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE WOULD STILL BE LIMITED TO QUORUM RULES.
SO THAT ONLY FIVE PEOPLE AT THE MOST COULD EVER TALK ABOUT A PARTICULAR ACTION, CORRECT.
THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT WOULD STILL APPLY TO ANY KIND OF A SPECIALIST AMONG COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOHO AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
I ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PETITIONS AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE HAVE THE TIME ALLOCATED TODAY TO, TO HAVE THEM HAVE A FULL CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
SO I, I HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS THOUGH, ABOUT THE, WHAT WOULD BE JUST A HUGE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE TO, TO A STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM.
THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT I REALLY WOULD NOT WANT TO UNDERTAKE WITHOUT REALLY EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS.
AND CLEARLY THAT HAS NOT TRANSPIRED IN THE WAY IT WOULD ORDINARILY ORDINARILY HAVE HAPPENED, UM, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND, AND TYPICALLY THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT THE CITY HAS A ROLE IN, AND WE USUALLY HAVE A CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION COMPRISED OF DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS WHO REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK AND TO HEAR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND ASK QUESTIONS OF STAFF AND GET INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I'M REALLY ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE COUNCIL MAKES A DETERMINATION OF, OF WHEN TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
UM, AND, AND HAS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAREFUL VOTE ABOUT WHAT THE BALLOT LANGUAGE IS.
SO I'VE BEEN, AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESENTATION AND THE REALLY QUICK REVIEW I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO OF THE, OF THE CHANGES, I MEAN, IN A WAY THIS CREATES, THIS CREATES A, I MEAN, ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS ROLE IS THAT IT'S THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR IS, IS LIKE THE CITY MANAGER, BUT THAT HAS A VETO POWER OVER THE COUNCIL'S ACTIONS.
UM, BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR WOULD, WOULD BE STANDING IN THE PLACE WHERE THE CITY MANAGER IS CURRENTLY IN TERMS OF, UM, MAKING DEPARTMENTAL APPOINTMENTS, BUT ALSO IMPLEMENTING SOME AND MANAGING AND MANAGING THE WHOLE OPERATION OF THE CITY.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL, I MEAN, THAT'S QUITE A CHANGED ROLE FOR THE MAYOR AND, AND FOR AN ELECT THE POSITION IT'S IT'S, UM, IT CALLS ON A LOT OF QUALIFICATIONS THAT WOULD BE CRITICAL
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TO DOING THAT JOB WELL.AND IS THAT, DOES THIS, UM, DOES THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT INCLUDE ANY NEW QUALIFICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING FOR MAYOR? AND CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE ARE? IF SO THE POTENTIAL LANGUAGE HAS NOT CHANGED.
THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MAYOR WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UM, HAVING RESIDED WITHIN THE CITY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS AND WITHIN THE STATE FOR THE LAST 12 MONTHS, I BELIEVE I CAN CHECK THAT, UM, THAT IT WOULD MAINTAIN THOSE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
ARE THERE OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE WHO SERVE AS MAYOR? AND LET ME JUST SAY, I AM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT, UM, OUR CURRENT MAYOR WHO HAS AN ENORMOUS ARRAY OF SO MAY WANT TO JUST MAKE THAT POINT.
UM, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT, UM, THIS, THE CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CROCK, WHO ALSO HAS AN ENORMOUS ARRAY OF SKILLS.
I MEAN, I, AS WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IN HER COMMUNITY, I'M GOING TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO TALKED TO ME ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, ABOUT IT.
UM, NOT WITH SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS IN MIND, BUT, AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PLEASED WITH THE JOB THEY'RE DOING.
UM, BUT REALLY WITH, WITH AN EYE TOWARD HOW THIS COULD, HOW THIS WOULD COMPLETELY TRANSFORM OUR SYSTEM.
SO CURRENTLY, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE MAYOR, THERE ARE NO NEW QUALIFICATIONS BEING ADDED IN, UM, FOR THIS STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM.
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT QUALIFICATIONS? ARE THERE OTHERS, OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU MENTIONED ABOUT RESIDENCY, ARE THERE PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, EXPERTISE OR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OR BACKGROUND THAT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR SOMEBODY WHO SEEKS TO RUN FOR THAT POSITION? THERE ARE NOT ANY OTHER INITIAL REQUIREMENTS.
I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO EVALUATE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PETITIONS THAT THIS WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE DOING ON THE BALLOT.
IF THIS WERE ADOPTED IN THE FUTURE, I THINK IT WOULD REQUIRE AN EVALUATION OF BOTH STATE LAW AND OTHER CITY CHARTERS AND SEE IF ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS COULD BE ADDED BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMONWELL CITIES HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, UM, IN TERMS OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES.
UM, BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS THERE.
I THINK I'LL SUBMIT THROUGH THE Q AND A, OR, OR MAYBE I CAN JUST SAY IT HERE ON THE DIAS.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, TO JUST HAVE ATTACHED TO THIS PRESENTATION, A LIST OF THE CURRENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR MAYOR AND SOME SENSE, UM, MAYBE FROM ONE OF THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF WHAT KINDS OF QUALIFICATIONS ARE WELL, WHAT KINDS OF QUALIFICATIONS ARE TYPICALLY REQUIRED FOR A CITY MANAGER OF A CITY THIS SIZE? AND PERHAPS ONE WAY TO GET AT THAT WOULD BE TO LOOK, LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE JOB REQUIREMENTS THAT WE INCLUDED IN OUR JOB SEARCH FOR OUR CURRENT CITY MANAGER.
SINCE WE DID THAT ONE FAIRLY QUICKLY, FAIRLY RECENTLY, THAT WOULD JUST HELP I THINK, GET A SENSE OF, OF, UM, WHAT REQUIREMENTS ARE TYPICALLY ASKED FOR.
SO DOES THE MAYOR, UM, THE MAYOR, THE MAYORAL VETO WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM HOW WE USUALLY, UM, IN THIS CITY BRING FORWARD ACTS OF LEGISLATION.
SO CURRENTLY THE COUNCIL CAN BRING FORWARD AN ORDINANCE OR A RESOLUTION.
UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IF THIS PASSES, THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE A VETO RIGHT OVER, OVER ORDINANCES, WOULD THE SAME BE TRUE OF RESOLUTIONS.
THERE IS NOT A VETO AUTHORITY PROVIDED IN THE PETITION OVER RESOLUTIONS, JUST ORDINANCES, BUT ANY RESIDENT, IS IT ANY ORDINANCE THAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD BY AF OR COUNCIL MEMBERS? NOT SURE IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, IT WOULD BE ANY ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BE ENACTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THE PETITION DOES INCLUDE AN, A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS TO ACT BY ORDINANCE.
UM, I'M NOT, IT SEEMS TO TAKE AWAY SOME, SOME ABILITY FOR A RESOLUTION.
IT SEEMS THAT COUNCIL WOULD BECOME A LEGISLATIVE BODY THAT WOULD ENACT BY ORDINANCE, UM, AND DIRECT THE MAYOR TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIREMENTS.
THE ORDINANCE HAS PASSED BY COUNCIL AND THEN MAYOR HUSBAND OF AUTHORITY OVER THOSE ORDINANCES.
I'M NOT COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDING THAT.
SO YOUR SISTER, JUSTIN, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, AND IT MAY BE, IT MAY BE A POINT THAT, THAT I JUST NEED BLUR WITH YOU OFF LINE, BUT THE FACT, I MEAN, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT MOST, EVEN IF SOMETHING STARTS WITH A RESOLUTION THAT COMES BACK TO THE COUNCIL AS AN ORDINANCE.
AND SO IT WOULD BE AT THAT POINT, UM, THAT THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE A VETO ABILITY.
SO JUST FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M DOING AS I EVALUATE THIS PROPOSAL IS TO GO BACK AND THINK
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AGAIN, NOT JUST, UM, NOT JUST ABOUT THIS CURRENT COUNCIL, BUT HOW ON PREVIOUS IN PREVIOUS COUNCILS, UM, THE MAYOR HAS, FOR EXAMPLE, NOT SUPPORTED CHANGES TO THE CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENTS THAT REQUIRED TO REQUIRE A LIVING WAGE.AND SO IN THAT CASE, I BELIEVE THE COUNCIL WAS MAKING THOSE CHANGES TO THE CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENT AND THE LIVING WAGE REQUIRING AN ADD IN A LIVING WAGE REQUIREMENT.
AND THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN ORDINANCE.
SO IF THE COUNCIL, UM, VOTED AFFIRMATIVELY FOR THAT, THE MAYOR WOULD THEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VETO IT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IF THIS PASSES AND DOES THE MAYOR, I DIDN'T SEE THIS, BUT I MAY HAVE MISSED IT.
DOES THE MAYOR HAVE TO, ARE THERE ANY PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH THAT VETO CAN HAPPEN? UM, FOR EXAMPLE, DOES IT NEED TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR ILLEGAL OR TOO EXPENSIVE? ARE THERE ANY GUIDELINES FOR, FOR WHEN THAT MAYOR WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE, TO ISSUE A VETO? THE PETITION DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY LIMITATIONS, WHICH JUST PROVIDES A RIGHT TO THE MARRIAGE AND VETO AND ORDINANCE PASSED BY COUNCIL.
SHE DOES HAVE TO PROVIDE A REASON FOR THE VETO THAT THERE'S NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT THERE'LL BE CERTAIN PARAMETERS AND EXERCISING THE VETO.
SO IT, AND I THINK YOU SAID IT WITH THIS WORD, SO THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS FOR THAT VETO, THE, THE MAYOR CAN IN ESSENCE VETO, ANY ACTION OF COUNCIL.
MY QUESTIONS RELATE TO THE, HOW THE BUDGET IS DONE UNDER THE STRONG MAYOR PROPOSAL.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT THE MAYOR PREPARES THE BUDGET, HOW DOES IT WORK FROM THERE AND LOOKING AT THE PETITION? AND IT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO HOW IT WOULD WORK TO CURRENTLY WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THE PETITION WITH AMEND, UM, THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CITY MANAGER AND CHANGE THAT.
SO IT WOULD APPEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY IT'S KIND OF SUBSTITUTED CITY MANAGER IS SUBSTITUTED FOR MAYOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THAT, BUT IT JUST PROVIDES THAT THE MAYOR WOULD PREPARE THE BUDGET ANNUALLY SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION AFTER ADOPTION.
HOW DOES IT WORK WITH REGARD TO VETOES AND HOW DOES IT WORK WITH REGARD TO THE DIRECTION? YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO THE BUDGET, A LOT OF TIMES WE ALSO INCLUDE WITH THE BUDGET, WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, BUT WE ALSO INCLUDE, UM, DIRECTIONS SOMETIMES, UH, TO, TO, UM, STAFF, TO CITY STAFF ON HOW WE WANT THEM TO IMPLEMENT A PARTICULAR PROGRAM OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, CAN YOU, IT MAY BE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER, OR IF YOU, YOU, UM, UH, FROM LEGAL, I'M NOT SURE WHO THE APPROPRIATE WILL, YOU KNOW, I, WE CAN THINK ABOUT THAT AND GET BACK WITH YOU WITH AN ANSWER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE SINCE THE MAYOR IS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AND EXECUTIVE IN THIS PETITION, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE AN EVALUATION OVER, UM, COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO INSTRUCT THE MAYOR AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
SO I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A TOPIC BY TOPIC QUESTION THAT CITY LAW AND, AND ALL OF US WOULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IF THIS, IF THE VOTERS WERE TO APPROVE THIS, UM, I WILL LEAVE THAT AT THAT IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD, THAT IS SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO CHECK IN TO FURTHER.
I WAS JUST GONNA, GONNA ADD COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THE, WHAT ASHLEY SAID IS CORRECT, ESSENTIALLY THE MANAGER'S REPLACED BY THE MAYOR.
SO EVERYTHING ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO HOW IT IS NOW, EXCEPT THAT IT WOULD BE THE MAYOR DOING IT RATHER THAN THE CITY MANAGER.
SO THE QUESTION THAT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION, IF THE MAYOR HAS VETO POWER OVER, OVER CERTAIN ITEMS, AND THERE'S A DIRECTION RELATED TO SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR HAD VETOED OR MAY WANT TO BE TOW IN THE FUTURE, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS FROM A BUDGET.
I WILL, I WILL ASK MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, BUT I HAVE SOME, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT THAT RELATED TO THE BUDGET.
IS IT OKAY TO CONTINUE LAYER? WELL, LET ME JUST COME BACK TO IT.
LET'S GET SOME OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I THINK VANESSA, THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
I THINK YOU AND I ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH, BECAUSE MY QUESTION IS AROUND THE BUDGET.
[00:30:01]
THE TIMELINE IS THAT DETERMINED BY OUR CITY CHARTER OR DOES THE CITY MANAGER CURRENTLY, AND IN EFFECT, IF WE MOVED TO A STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM, WOULD THE MAYOR HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE TIMING OF WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET? THERE WERE SOME STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS TO THOSE WOULD STILL BE IN PLACE.UM, AFTER THAT, THEN IT WOULD BE WITHIN YOUR COURT.
SO POST CHANGES TO THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THE BUDGET WOULD RUN ON THE SAME SCHEDULE, BUT IT IS NOW OKAY, BUT WOULD THE MAYOR THEN HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MOVE IT? CAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, CONSEQUENCES.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEE THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS THAT THE GOVERNOR ISSUES HIS VETO AFTER THE LEGISLATURE GOBBLES OUT.
SO IN FACT, YOU DON'T HAVE QUORUM TO BE ABLE TO OVERRIDE THE GOVERNOR'S VETO.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT COUNSEL TAKES A BREAK IN JULY, UM, TO TEND TO OTHER DUTIES.
AND SO IN EFFECT, THE MAYOR COULD THEN STRATEGICALLY VETO ITEMS AT A TIME WHEN COUNCIL IS NOT MEETING.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF THE BUDGET, AND SO I'M THINKING IF THEY COULD MOVE THE BUDGET PROCESS TO A DIFFERENT TIMES.
I THINK WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT IN A MORE DETAILED WAY.
I, I WOULD JUST ECHO WHAT SANDRA SAID.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE BUDGET IS DICTATED BY DEADLINE AND ST.
LAW, WHICH THE MAYOR COULD NOT CHANGE.
UM, IF THERE WERE A STRONG MAYOR THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED, UM, GENERALLY IT WOULD OPERATE ON THE SAME KINDS OF WAS SCHEDULED.
WE HAVE NOW, YOU KNOW, HOW SPECIFIC THAT IS TO COUNSEL'S CALENDAR, UM, AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK.
AND WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
AND JUST SO I'M SUPER CLEAR, THE STATE WHEN MUNICIPALITIES ADOPT THEIR BUDGET, THAT IS GOVERNED BY STATE LAW, IS THAT CORRECT? THERE ARE TIMEFRAMES THAT WE HAVE TO MEET TO OPERATE WITHIN STATE LAW.
SPECIFICALLY, IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE OUR TAX RATE IS GOING TO BE THAT WHERE WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE CONTROLLER.
SO I WILL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SPECIFIC DAY THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO RUN ON A CERTAIN CYCLE TO MEET ALL OF THOSE DEADLINES FOR ST.
MODEL BY INFORMING THE OTHER THINGS.
WE HAD A TAX RATE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, AND WE HAD TO OF COURSE HAVE THE BUDGET DONE SO THAT WE COULD CALL THIS TAX REDUCTION FOR NOVEMBER.
SO TO MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN TIME TO SCHEDULE.
I HAVE, UM, SEVERAL QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST I WANTED TO JUST CLARIFY, I WASN'T SURE IF YOU, YOU CLOSED THE LOOP, CAN THE MAYOR OF EACH OF THE BUDGET, THERE'S NO LIMIT IN THE PETITION ON THE MAYOR BEING ABLE TO BE ABLE TO BUDGET.
IT IS CONSIDERED AN ORDINANCE UNDER THAT.
AND SO IF THE COUNCIL HAD HOPED TO GO TO THE VOTERS WITH A TAX RATE ELECTION, WHICH IS TIME SENSITIVE AND THE MAYOR VETOED, IT WOULD THEN VITO ALSO THE ACTION TO GO TO THE TAX RATE ELECTION, OR IS THAT NOT AN ORDINANCE? REPEAT THE LAST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, GIVEN THE QUESTIONS THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER FONTAS ASKED, IF THERE'S A WAY GIVEN THAT WE HAVE TO CALL AN ELECTION FOR A TAX RATE ELECTION, WHERE THE MAYOR TO VETO THE BUDGET AND THE BUDGET CALLED FOR A TAX RATE ELECTION, I'M NOT ADVOCATING, I'M JUST TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PIECES.
WOULD THE MAYOR, WOULD SHE BE ABLE TO, UM, BE TOW THE TAX RATE ELECTION AND THE BUDGET EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO IT WITHIN, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY WE'D BE DOING THAT BUDGET DECISION WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS FROM WHEN WE'D HAVE TO CALL A DOC'S RATE ELECTION.
I THINK THAT'S ALSO A QUESTION THAT WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AND GET BACK TO YOU AND REQUIRE SOME LEGAL ANALYSIS.
UM, WE, THE FIRESIDE, LET ME KNOW THAT THE BUDGET CALENDAR IS SET BY STATE LAW.
SO I THINK THAT KIND OF ECHOES WHAT I JUST SAID, THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN LIKE END POINTS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET, UM, TO BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW IN TERMS OF ORDERING THE ELECTION.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW IN TERMS OF THE DEADLINE TO ORDER AN ELECTION.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT IF WE SAY GIVEN, WE HAVE THAT DEADLINE AND WE DON'T PASS THE BUDGET UNTIL SAY A WEEK BEFORE THAT DEADLINE, THEN THE MAYOR, IF SHE WERE TO VETO THAT, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAYOR TO, UM, PREVENT US FROM CHOOSING TO PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO THE VOTERS BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T DO IT WITHIN, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CALL AN ELECTION.
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO CALL, EVEN CALL A MEETING TO OVERRIDE THE VETO WITHIN A TIMEFRAME.
W I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, RIGHT? CAUSE YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE NOTICE UNDER OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
[00:35:01]
OKAY.THE, THE ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER WOULD BE YOU'RE CORRECT THERE THAT VETO COULD PREVENT THE ELECTION.
I THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD IN TIMEFRAMES, UM, TO PLAN FOR ANY KIND OF CONSEQUENCE THAT COULD HAPPEN.
AND THEN UNDER CURRENT LAW STATE LAW, UM, CONSTRAINTS, THE ABILITY OF THE CITY MANAGER WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN APPOINTMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
CAN YOU DETAIL WHAT THOSE CONSTRAINTS ARE FROM STATE LAW WITH RESPECT TO THE CHIEF POLICE? UM, AND, UM, WOULD ANY OF THAT CHANGE BY MOVING TO A STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM? I WILL DEPLETE CRAWFORD.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL LEE CRAWFORD HERE, UH, IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, STATE LAW PROVIDES THAT THE CHIEF OF POLICE ACTUALLY SERVES IN THE ROLE OF POLICE CHIEF ACT THE PLEASURE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, WHO IS CURRENTLY THE CITY MANAGER AND WHO WOULD BE THE MAYOR.
IF THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT WERE ADOPTED, IF THE CHIEF OF POLICE IS REMOVED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE UNDER THE STATE LAW HAS THE RIGHT TO RETURN TO THE SAME CLASSIFICATION, TYPICALLY ASSISTANT CHIEF THAT MAYBE NOT THAT THE CHIEF OF POLICE HELD IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BEFORE HE OR SHE WAS APPOINTED POLICE CHIEF OR ALTERNATIVELY, IF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WISH TO SORT OF COMPLETELY TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE POLICE CHIEF AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY WORKFORCE.
IN OTHER WORDS, NOT RETURNED TO THE POSITION THAT YOU CAME FROM, BUT EXIT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE HAS THE RIGHT UNDER STATE LAW TO GO THROUGH A CIVIL SERVICE HEARING JUST AS A REGULAR POLICE OFFICER WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL A DISCIPLINARY ACTION THROUGH THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S THE CURRENT LAW AND NOTHING IN THIS PETITION WOULD AFFECT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A MATTER OF STATE LAW.
THAT'S NOT CONTROLLED BY OUR CHARTER.
THE ONLY THING THAT THIS PETITION WOULD DO WOULD BE TO CHANGE THE ROLE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO THE MAYOR.
IF YOU COULD, UM, PROVIDE ME AND IT'S FOLLOW UP THE, THE, UM, ILLEGAL EASE AROUND THAT, THE STATUTE THAT WOULD BE, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, SO, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER PART OF THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE JUST DOING ONE SECTION OF THE INITIATIVES IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OTHERS, BUT THERE'S ONE THAT, TO ME SEEMS INTIMATELY LINKED, WHICH IS THE SWITCH, THE SWITCH TO, UM, THE PRESIDENTIAL YEARS FOR THE MAYORAL ELECTION.
UM, AS I READ IT, THERE WAS NOTHING IN HERE THAT DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT THE MAYOR SHOULD SHE CHOOSE TO, COULD PURSUE THREE TERMS OR NOT.
SO WHEN WE SWITCHED TO TEN ONE, WE MADE IT SO THAT, UM, THE FOLKS WHO GOT THE TWO YEAR SHORT STRAW WERE ABLE TO DO 10 YEARS, IS THAT IN OPERATION FOR, UM, THE MAYORAL PROPOSAL HERE, THE PETITION DOESN'T CONTAIN LANGUAGE SIMILAR TO THE TRANSITION TO TEN ONE THAT HAD THE, YOU KNOW, FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT DREW THE TWO YEAR TERM COULD PURSUE ANOTHER HIPPER SUE, ANOTHER TERM THAT'S NOT IN THIS POSITION.
SO WOULD THERE STILL BE A TWO YEAR, TWO TERM TERM LIMIT? I THINK THAT WOULD ALSO BE SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
THEY DO CARRY OVER THE TERM LIMIT, UM, LANGUAGE THAT PROVIDES THAT THEY CANNOT SERVE MORE THAN TWO TERMS WITHOUT HAVING THE PETITION.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THAT LANGUAGE WOULD APPLY TO THE TWO YEAR TERM PLUS A FOUR YEAR TERM, OR IF IT WOULD BE TO YOUR TERM PLUS TWO, FOUR YEAR TERMS. OKAY.
SO, I MEAN, I'M STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT, GIVEN A CONTEXT OF TERM LIMITS, WHAT YOUR ACTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY IS WITH A MAYOR IN HIS OR HER SECOND TERM, WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CHALLENGING TO GET THOSE PETITIONS.
UM, IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S ANY ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, IN THERE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD BE, UM, DELEGATING.
AND THEN CAN YOU TELL US UNDER A TEN ONE WHEN TEN ONE WAS INSTITUTED, UM, A CHOICE WAS SPECIFICALLY MADE TO PUT THE MAYORAL UP A NON-PRESIDENTIAL YEARS.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS SO THAT THERE WOULD BE HIGHER TURNOUT FOR THE COUNCIL ELECTIONS THAT WERE ON THE NON, UM, PRESIDENTIAL YEARS.
AND I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT THE WAY THIS SHAKES OUT, THEN YOU HAVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS FOR FIVE OFFICES THAT WILL ALWAYS BE WHERE THERE'S LESS TURNOUT.
WHEREAS THE OTHER ONES WILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE TURNOUT AND IT KIND OF, UM, IT'S NOT A VERY LEVEL PLAYING FIELD ACROSS THE 10 OR 11.
SO CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT UNDER TEN ONE, WHY THE CHOICE WAS MADE? AND THAT MAY BE MORE A QUESTION.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A QUESTION FOR LEGAL OR FOR COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
[00:40:03]
I WILL DEFER TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAS SOMETHING TO ADD.UM, I WAS NOT HERE DURING THE TEN ONE TRANSITION PROCESS, SO I CAN GIVE YOU A, WHAT WAS CONTAINED IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ALL THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER ALL I CAN REALLY, UH, AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THE INTENT, UM, OF THE COMMISSION AND THE INTENT OF TEN ONE.
UM, AND IN FACT, BOTH THE PROVISIONS THAT WERE PUT ON BY THE COUNCIL WAS TO ALLOW FOR GREATER REPRESENTATION AND TO TRY TO DO WHAT WAS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW FOR, UM, GREATER REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY, WHICH IS THE BASIC POINT, UH, OF TEN ONE.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME, MAYOR? YES, GO AHEAD.
I WANT TO KNOW, UH, IF, IF, UH, IF WE HAVE THE ELECTION HERE IN MAY AND IT PASSES, WE'LL BE THE FIRST ELECTION FOR THE NEW MIRROR, WILL, WOULD IT BE UNDER A STRONG MIRROR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, OR DO YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF TRYING TO DETERMINE WHEN WOULD IT BE IMPLEMENTED? THE WAY THE PETITION IS LAID OUT IS, UM, THE SELECTION WAS HELD IN, MAY IT ENVISIONS THAT THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION WOULD START WORK ON REDRAWING THE CITY TO INCLUDE 11 COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE STRIKES.
AND THEN THE STRONG MAYOR WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AFTER THE NOVEMBER 22 ELECTION.
SO THAT FOLLOWING JANUARY, WHEN THE MAYOR WAS SWORN IN, SO A STRONG MAYOR WAS STARTED IN JANUARY OF 2023 ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE WE BREAK, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOLLOWING UP ON COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHENS, UM, COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE WE ADOPT THE BUDGET.
THE COUNCIL ADOPTS THE BUDGET AS AN ORDINANCE.
ANY CHANGES TO THAT BUDGET WOULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO A MAYORAL VETO.
AND AGAIN, AS I'M TRYING TO THINK THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHEN A MAYOR HAS BEEN IN A DIFFERENT POSITION FROM THE COUNCIL, UM, REFLECTING BACK ON THE YEAR THAT THE YEAR THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS FAILED AND SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WEREN'T GOING FORWARD, AND THERE WAS A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME SURPLUS FUNDING AND $10 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THAT THOSE PROJECTS THAT HAD THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET BOND FUNDS WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE.
UM, AND THOSE WERE SUPPORTED BY THE COUNCIL, BUT NOT FAIR.
SO THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS HAPPENING, THAT KIND OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UM, EITHER DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS OR DURING A MID-YEAR BUDGET PROCESS IS HAPPENING VIA AN ORDINANCE, I WOULD ASSUME THOSE KINDS OF THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO MAYORAL VETO.
IS THAT CORRECT? I DON'T SEE ANY LANGUAGE IN THE PETITION THAT WOULD EXCLUDE ANY TYPE OF ORDINANCE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE VETO AUTHORITY.
UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UM, IF THE VOTERS WERE TO APPROVE THIS MEASURE TO IMPLEMENT STRONG MAYOR OF WE'VE BEEN BEING NUMBER OF PROCESSES THAT THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES WOULD LOOK AT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW THAT WOULD WORK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER EVERY QUESTION, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY NOT ANYTHING IN THE PETITION THAT LIMITS THE VETO AUTHORITY TO A SPECIFIC KIND OF ORDINANCE, BECAUSE YOU WERE SAYING IN THE EXCHANGE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, THAT THE MAYOR PRESENTS THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY LIKELY AND COMMON AND ALWAYS HAPPENS THAT THE COUNCIL MAKES AMENDMENTS TO THAT BUDGET, MAYBE SHIFTING SOME FUNDS AROUND OR ADDS MONEY, OR IN THE EXAMPLE I DESCRIBED, IF THERE'S A MID-YEAR BUDGET PROCESS, WE'LL MAKE ALLOCATIONS OUT OF THAT.
AND SO, SO THOSE WOULD, THOSE WOULD BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COUNCIL TO RESPOND TO CONSTITUENTS AND, AND MAKE CHANGES TO THAT.
UM, BUT THOSE TWO WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE MAYORAL PERFECT.
TO THIS SUBJECT, INCLUDING INCLUDING A BUDGET WE'RE NUTS.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEMOCRACY DOLLARS, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE STRONG MAYOR, I'LL DEFER THOSE FOR THEM.
TALK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND, UM, STAFF, UH, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, DIRECTORS AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS RIGHT NOW, WE, UM, THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, UH, HOLDS OUR CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE.
MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IS THAT UNDER STRONG MAYOR, THAT IS THE ROLE OF THE MAYOR.
[00:45:01]
IN TERMS OF HOLDING STAFF ACCOUNTABLE IS NOT THE ROLE OF, UH, THE COUNCIL, UM, IS THAT CORRECT? THE PETITION DOES PROVIDE THAT THE MAYOR WOULD BECOME THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATOR SIMILAR TO THE ROLE OF CITY MANAGER NOW AND WOULD OVERSEE THE DUTIES OF THE CITY AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY.SO THE CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE A MECHANISM FOR HOLDING THE MAYOR ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF, OF STAFF, UH, OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS.
IS, IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? I WILL.
UM, I DON'T, I THINK, I THINK SIMILAR TO NOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITATIONS ON, UM, LET ME, LET ME DEFER ON THAT QUESTION AND I WILL GO BACK.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I LOOK THROUGH THIS ONE MORE TIME.
SO LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF MY CONCERNS BECAUSE, UM, AS THE, AS THE, UH, SYSTEM CORRECT, RIGHT NOW AS OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, NOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, FUNCTIONS DIRECTLY WITH OUR CITY MANAGER.
AND WE HAVE ENJOYED OR RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE, UM, COLLABORATIVE WITH OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, WITH OUR DIRECTORS AND WITH OTHERS ON OUR STAFF, WHICH ALLOWS US TO REALLY REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, MOST DIRECTLY, PARTICULARLY WITH CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE HAVING, UM, DIFFICULTIES WITH PARTICULAR ISSUES.
SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A SYSTEM THAT IS SET UP SUCH THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME MEMBERS WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, AND WOULD NOT HAVE THAT DIRECT ACCESS.
SO, UH, AFTER YOU GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW THAT WORKS.
THAT APPEARS TO BE, UM, THE SITUATION TO ME.
AND I'M NOT SEEING HOW THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE COULD HOLD AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ACCOUNTABLE, UM, AND, UM, AND NOT BE BLOCKED FROM WORKING DIRECTLY WITH, UH, STAFF.
I WANTED TO BUILD ON A COMMENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA MADE EARLIER ABOUT THE NORMAL CITY CHARTER PROCESS.
UM, SO IF, UM, LEGAL CAN SPEAK TO HOW WE ORDINARILY HANDLED CHARTER AMENDMENTS IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THOSE AND THE PROCESS, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF ANY, THESE COORDINATES CHANGES PASSES, UM, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR FUTURE ABILITY TO GO THROUGH THAT KIND OF BROADER PROCESS.
HISTORICALLY, LET ME BACK UP AND SAY THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE PROVIDES THAT A CHARTER CAN BE AMENDED.
AND ONE OF TWO WAYS EITHER CITY COUNCIL CAN PLACE AN ITEM ON THE BALLOT, OR THERE CAN BE A PETITION PROCESS WHEREIN CITIZENS CAN COLLECT SIGNATURES ON A PETITION TO PLACE A CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT.
HISTORICALLY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHEN CITY COUNCIL HAS PLACED AN AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT, UM, COUNCIL HAS CREATED A CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF THE WEEK WE'VE HAD, BUT I KNOW WE RECENTLY HAD ONE IN 2018, AND I KNOW THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS CREATED DURING THE 2012 AND ONE TRANSITION.
UM, AND THE CHARTER COMMISSION USUALLY HAS CREATED BY CITY COUNCIL WITH SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND LOOK AT AND ADDRESS AND COME UP WITH ANY PROPOSALS FOR CHARTER AMENDMENTS.
UM, SO THAT IS HISTORICALLY BEEN THE APPROACH OF THE CITY.
AND THEN I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ALSO ASKING IS ABOUT THE PROVISION IN THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, WHICH PROVIDES THE, A CITY CHARTER CANNOT BE AMENDED MORE OFTEN THAN TWO YEARS.
SO THAT MEANS THAT IF THERE IS AN ELECTION, THIS MAY OF 2021, THE CITY'S CHARTER, COULDN'T BE AMENDED AGAIN UNTIL MAY OF 2023 AT THAT, AT THAT JUNCTURE.
SO IT PRECLUDES, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE CHARTER PROGRAM MOMENTS DURING THE, EXCEPT FOR TWO YEAR INTERVALS.
SO, ASHLEY, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THE STRONG MAYOR PROPOSAL, THE MAYOR IS A LEGISLATOR, IS THAT RIGHT IN THE ACTION OF VETOING, UH, ORDINANCES ESSENTIALLY DESCRIBES THE MAYOR AS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AND EXECUTIVE, HOWEVER, PETITION DOES ALSO PROVIDE THE MAYOR WITH VETO AUTHORITY.
SO, AND THE VETO AUTHORITY, UH, WOULD REST GENERALLY WITH, UH, WITH THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, IS THAT RIGHT? I, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S AN ANSWER TO THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN LEGAL AUTHORITIES WITH AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THREE BRACES IN GOVERNMENT WORK, BUT, AND THEN IF I'M REMEMBERING RIGHT THERE, ONE OF THE CHANGES IN THE CHARTER THAT WERE ATTACHED
[00:50:01]
TO THE PETITION SAID THAT THE MAYOR ALSO WOULD RULE ON APPEALS FROM EMPLOYEES.I WILL, I, I DID NOT SEE THAT, BUT I WILL.
THAT WILL BE SOMETHING I WILL ADD TO LOOK.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE, THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE PROCESS WOULD REMAIN, UM, YEAH, IT STRIKES OUT CITY MANAGER AND INSERTS MAYOR AS THE ARBITER ON APPEALS FOR EMPLOYEES IT'S TOWARD THE END, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THAT'S THE JUDICIAL BRANCH.
SO WE'VE COVERED THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, POTENTIALLY JUDICIAL BRANCH.
AND THEN AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, HE IS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY MUCH UNDERSTOOD.
SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE HAVE EFFECTIVELY COLLAPSED OR CONFLATED THE THREE SEPARATE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH ARE PRETTY MUCH A BASIC TENANT AND HALLMARK OF OUR PARTICULAR FORM OF DEMOCRACY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO ANSWER THAT.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE INTERPRETATION THAT I'M PUTTING ON THIS, WHICH IS WHAT IS WAVING SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT RED FLAGS TO ME ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL, BUT ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT, UM, I CAN'T FIND VERY MANY, IF ANY PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT WHO WERE, UM, CONSULTED ABOUT THIS PROPOSITION, THE PETITION TO, TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH IT.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT THAT MY NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT OF THE CITY WAS ENGAGED AND PARTICIPATED, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A VERY GOOD ENGAGEMENT.
UM, CERTAINLY MY DISTRICT, WHICH VOTES PRETTY ROBUSTLY, AS WE KNOW, WE SAW THE NUMBERS WE HAD ABOUT 45,000 PEOPLE VOTING OUT OF DISTRICT SEVEN, JUST IN THE DISTRICT SEVEN RACE IN NOVEMBER, WHICH, UH, EXCEPT FOR, I THINK DISTRICT 10 PROBABLY ECLIPSED ALL OF THE OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT WERE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.
UH, OF COURSE THAT'S A PORTION OF THE ENTIRE ENGAGEMENT, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE VOTING FOR PRESIDENT.
I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE SUBSET ON THE, ON THE DISTRICT.
SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT, IT, THIS IS COMING FROM A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY REACH OUT AS BROADLY.
UH, CERTAINLY NOT IN MY PART OF THE DISTRICT, UH, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING ME, UM, RIGHT AS, AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THOSE, UH, COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I HAVE SOME OTHER REALLY DISTINCT, UH, CONCERNS AND SKEPTICISM ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, BUT I THINK I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT THERE, THE LACK OF BROAD-BASED INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT LOOKS TO ME TO BE LIKE A COLLAPSING OF THE THREE BRANCHES OF SEPARATE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT INTO ONE, INTO ONE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY STRONG INDIVIDUAL.
UM, AND THE WILD SWINGS IN POLICY THAT COULD FRANKLY HAPPEN IF YOU REMOVE AND THE MAYOR EVERY FOUR YEARS, YOU COULD HAVE WILD SWINGS IN POLICY WITH NO THROUGH, WITH NO THROUGH THREAD, UM, UH, FROM ONE TERM TO THE NEXT.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S THE RELIABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY OF GOVERNMENT, UM, AND THE LACK OF DRAMA THAT MOVES OUR, OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD.
UM, I, UH, I'LL CONTINUE TO STUDY THE PROPOSAL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONVERSATIONS IN OUR, IN OUR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, BUT I, I HAVE GRAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL UNDER THE STRONG MAYOR.
BEFORE WE BREAK FOR LUNCH, UM, THANKS.
SORRY TO CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THE DEMOCRACY DOLLARS, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT PROVISIONS OF THE FAIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE FUND ARE REPEALED AS, AS I'M LOOKING OVER SOME OF THE CORRESPONDENCE WE'VE RECEIVED OVER IT, AND THEY HAVE ONE, UM, WRITER POINTS OUT THAT THE CURRENT FAIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE FUND HAS A LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES THAT CANDIDATE CAN MAKE FROM HIS OR HER OWN FUNDS, AS WELL AS AN OVERALL CAP ON THE AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURES THEY CAN MAKE IT MAKE.
UM, IS THAT ACCURATE BASED ON YOUR READING? YES.
[00:55:01]
UM, THIS PETITION WOULD REPEAL CITY CODE SECTIONS TWO TO 11 THROUGH TWO TO 17, AND THEN TWO TO SIX, ONE THROUGH TO TWO 65.SO WHAT WOULD APPEAL ALL OF THE CURRENT FAIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROVISIONS, WHICH WOULD ALSO INCLUDE REPEALING THOSE THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS ON EXPENDITURES AND USE OF PERSONAL FUNDS BY THE CANDIDATE? OKAY.
AND IT DOES NOT, IT DOES NOT PUT ANY NEW ONES IN ITS PLACE.
SO THERE WOULD BE, THERE WOULD BE NO LIMITATION ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS OF ONE'S OWN FUNDS, CORRECT.
PUT INTO A CAMPAIGN IF THEY'RE RECEIVING DEMOCRACY DOLLARS AND THERE ARE NO, THERE ARE NO CAPS ON OVERALL FUNDRAISING.
SO YOU COULD, YOU COULD GET THE DEMOCRACY DOLLARS AND, AND DO AS MUCH FUNDRAISING AS YOU COULD OR WANTED TO.
RIGHT NOW, THING IN THIS PETITION THAT WOULD SERVE AS A OVERALL CAP, THERE ARE THE VOUCHER AGGREGATES, THEY GET LIMITS IN TERMS OF WHAT A CANDIDATE CAN RECEIVE THROUGH THE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
AND THEN AS I NOTED IN THE PRESENTATION, IT DOES PROVIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHER CONTRIBUTION LIMITS WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLIED WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, CURRENTLY I THINK WITH THE ADJUSTED CPI, THE CANDIDATE CAN RECEIVE $400 FROM THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO THAT WOULD STILL BE THAT'S IN OUR CITY CHARTER AND A DIFFERENT SECTION OF THIS WOULD STILL BE IN EXISTENCE.
BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THIS POSITION THAT THE PROVIDE A CAP ON.
I THINK WE WERE ASKING FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THE CANDIDATE COULD RAISE, PROVIDED THEY COMPLIED WITH THE OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WOULD EXIST ELSEWHERE IN OUR CHARTER CODE AND THEN WITHIN STATE LAW.
SO THE PETITIONERS CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AS A CHARTER AMENDMENT RATHER THAN AN ORDINANCE CHANGE.
BUT LEGALLY, BECAUSE WE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE, I THINK WE JUST NEVER GOT AROUND TO IT WITH, UM, COVID AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH A DEMOCRACY DOLLARS PROGRAM VIA ORDINANCE, WHICH THEN WOULD MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR US TO AMEND IT AS NEEDED AND ADJUST IT, UM, AS WE IN A SEATTLE, ET CETERA, LEARN ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS, BUT THE CHARTER APPROACH, UM, MEANS THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE FLEXIBILITY THAT CORRECT, IN ORDER TO AMEND THE CHARTER, THEN IT DOES REQUIRE AN ELECTION COUNCIL CANNOT.
AND THEN THE CHARTER BY AN ACTION OF COUNCIL.
SO YES, IF THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOW, I'M GOING TO SHOW A DUTY TO BE PUT FORWARD TO THE PEOPLE.
IF THIS IS ADOPTED THE ONLY WAY TO AMEND THE INSTRUMENT, SUBSEQUENT CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION, WHICH CAN'T HAPPEN FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS PLUS, AND THEN, UM, HOW IS THIS FUNDED AND HOW IS IT THAT THEY CAN PUT A, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENT IN THAT HAS FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS, OR IS IT THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PUT A ORDINANCE FORWARD THAT HAS FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS, BUT IT'S OKAY IF IT'S IN THE CHARTER, OUR CITY CHARTER PROVIDES THE, UM, THE PEOPLE CANNOT INITIATE AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD REQUIRE APPROPRIATION CITY FUNDS.
THIS IS A CHARTER AMENDMENT, SO THIS IS DIFFERENT.
SO THERE'S NOT A PROHIBITION IN STATE LAW ABOUT, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, PUTTING FORWARD AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE TO APPROPRIATION.
HOWEVER, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE DOES REQUIRE THE FISCAL IMPACT BEING, UM, DEVELOPED FOR THIS AND INCLUDED THAT THE ELECTION NOTICE.
SO VOTERS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE POTENTIAL FISCAL IMPACT OF ANY AND ALL CHARTER AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ON THE BALLOT.
BUT GOING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION, WE COULD PUT FORWARD IN, OR NOT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, CAUSE IT WOULDN'T SUBSTITUTE FOR THE INITIATIVE, BUT WHERE THIS TO NOT PASS, WE STILL WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT FORWARD AN ORDINANCE THAT DID THE SAME THING, SOMETHING SIMILAR, BUT WITH BETTER RULES, IF WE CHOSE AND THE BUNKERS DECLINED IT, I DON'T SEE A PROHIBITION ON COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING A DIFFERENT KIND OF PUBLIC FINANCE PROGRAM THROUGH ORDINANCE CURRENTLY OUR CURRENT PUBLIC FINANCES, THE ORDINANCE, UM, AS LONG AS IT COMPLIED WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THE CITY CHARTER THAT ARE ABOUT CAMPAIGN FINANCE, WHICH ARE IN ARTICLE THREE, SECTION EIGHT, K KELLY, I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ON ALISON'S ASHLEY, BUT THEN THAT, THAT ORDINANCE CHANGE WOULD THEN BE SUBJECT TO VETO BY THE MAYOR IF STRONG MAYOR IS ON THE BALLOT AND THEN IT WAS VOTED IN, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IF WE ARE, IF WE WERE THINKING, IF, IF DEMOCRACY DOLLARS WERE TO NOT PASS STRONG, MAYOR DOES PASS AND THEN COUNCIL WANTED TO IMPLEMENT ITS OWN VERSION OF DEMOCRACY DOLLARS.
IT'S THAT POINT? ASSUMING THOSE TWO THINGS, THEN YES, THAT ORDINANCE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO BEAT UP BY THE MAYOR.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION, CAN THE MAYOR VITO AND OVERRIDE A VETO
[01:00:01]
OR DOES THAT NEVER HAPPEN? THERE'S NOTHING IN THE PETITION THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN OVERRIDE OF AN OVERRIDE.UM, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TIME EITHER TODAY OR ON THURSDAY AND EXECUTIVE SESSION TO ASK SOME LEGAL QUESTIONS? CAUSE I DO HAVE SOME LEGAL QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER PETITIONS OR PETITIONS IN GENERAL OF THE THREE.
IT'S OUR INTENT TO DO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BREAK FOR LUNCH AND WE'LL DO AN HOUR OF THAT.
UH, GIVEN, UH, AM'S CONCERN OR WANTING TO BE HERE.
LET'S COME BACK AT ONE 30 TO HERE AND WE'LL HANDLE THE REMAINING TWO.
WE'LL HANDLE THE POLE ITEMS AND THREE BOWL, UH, ITEMS. UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HANDLE THOSE THINGS SUPPOSE THAT TODAY.
SO, UH, HERE AT 1232, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN RECESS TILL ONE 30.
AND I'LL SEE YOU ALL BACK ON THIS CHANNEL WITHIN THREE POLI OKAY.
WORK SESSION HERE ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2021.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
HOLD ITEMS. UH, AND THEN WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.ALISON, YOU PULLED THE FIRST ITEM, WHICH WAS NUMBER EIGHT.
UM, SO I THINK, UM, I REALLY JUST PULLED IT TODAY TO GIVE MY COLLEAGUES AN UPDATE ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH STAFF OVER THIS ITEM AND THE, UM, DIRECTION THAT WE ARE EXPLORING.
UM, I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO POST SOMETHING TOMORROW TO GIVE YOU, UM, A HEADS UP FOR THURSDAY, BUT I DID WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THE DIRECTIONS THAT WE ARE GOING AGAIN.
I JUST HEARD BACK FROM STAFF WITH SOME SPECIFICS, UM, LAST NIGHT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW REGULARLY THE DATA SHOULD BE UPDATED THAT UNDERLIES THE FUNDING MODEL.
UM, SOME OF IT IS TIED TO, UM, POPULATION AND A LOT OF IT IS TIED TO DATA THAT CHANGES OVER TIME.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, THE, WE WANT TO LOOK AT PROVIDING SOME DIRECTION ON HOW OFTEN THEY NEED TO UPDATE THE UNDERLYING DATA.
UM, AND THAT IS LIKELY TO ALIGN WITH WHEN THEY, UM, ARE NEGOTIATING AND EXECUTING, UM, NEW CONTRACTS.
AND THEN, UM, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT IF A NEW EQUITY CHAMBER IS ADDED BEING, UM, COMES JOINTLY FROM THE EQUITY NON-EQUITY CHAMBER BUCKETS AND IS NOT, UM, ALWAYS COMING OUT OF SIMPLY THE MECCA CHAMBERS, UM, BUCKET SO THAT THEY FACE A SHRINKING POT OF FUNDS OVER TIME.
UM, CAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME CHAMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UM, JOIN IN THE FUNDING FROM THE CITY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, ONCE YOU THINK THROUGH, IF THERE ARE SOME WAYS TO PROVIDE BONUS DOLLARS FOR PERFORMANCE AND INCENTIVES, UM, FOR MEASURES, THAT'S THE ONE I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TO FOR THURSDAY OR NOT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY I WANT TO ADD AN EQUITY FACTOR THAT IS FOCUSED ON LANGUAGE, UM, WITH RESPECT TO SEVERAL OF THE CHAMBERS.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT EQUITY AND BEING ABLE TO REACH THE NEEDS OF THEIR MEMBERS, THEY REALLY HAVE TO HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO TRANSLATE MATERIALS INTO MULTIPLE LANGUAGE, SOMETIMES AS MANY AS 20 LANGUAGES.
UM, AND THERE'S NOT A MECHANISM IN THE CURRENT FUNDING MODEL IN MY VIEW THAT REALLY CAPTURES THAT, UM, SERIOUS EQUITY NEED, UM, THAT IS THERE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REACH THE POPULATIONS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO, TO HELP, UM, WITH THIS FUNDING.
UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH STAFF TO PREPARE THAT LANGUAGE AND WHEN WE HAVE IT, WE WILL POST IT AS SOON AS WE'RE ABLE.
AND IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET IT TOGETHER FOR THURSDAY, THEN I WOULD ASK TO POSTPONE IT TO THE NEXT DAY REAL QUICKLY.
UH, STAFF PAGE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT OVER INTO THIS MEETING.
WHAT WAS THE PIECE, ALISON THAT YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T SURE IF YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE WORDING FOR YET? UM, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE IS A WAY, UM, TO INCLUDE IN THE MODEL A WAY TO HAVE INCENTIVE LIKE BONUS INCENTIVES FOR CERTAIN PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
UM, THE WAY THAT THE FUNDING MODEL IS SET UP IS THAT THE PERFORMANCE ISSUES ARE ALL TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A MECHANISM THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO, UM, ELEVATE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE PERFORMANCE-BASED FUNDING INCLUDED AS WELL.
[01:05:01]
UM, IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BASE FUNDING MODEL, UM, WITH THE LOGIC BEING THAT, UM, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT GROUPS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.AND SO IT'S HARD TO HOLD THEM TO THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, UM, BECAUSE THE REASON YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT LENS IS BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT HAVE EQUAL ABILITY, UM, TO REACH THE PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES, BUT EVEN WITHIN THERE, UM, WHAT WE'VE SET OUT THAT ARE MORE, UM, MORE ALIGNED TO THEIR CAPACITY AND THEIR NEEDS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND MORE TAILORED IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES IN THERE SO THAT THEY HAVE INCENTIVE, UM, FOR, FOR MEETING ADDITIONAL NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE DON'T, THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY CONSULTANT FULLY, UM, ADDRESSED.
AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IN MY CONVERSATIONS AND WITH THE OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO WORKED ON THIS WITH ME WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE HOPING TO FIND A WAY, UM, TO INCLUDE.
UM, BUT THE, THE APPROACH, UM, DID NOT ALLOW THAT IN THE BASIC FUNDING MODEL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM NUMBER HATE HEARING AND SEEING NONE KATHY PEO SPEAK UP SINCE I CAN SEE YOU, IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING, UM, GO NOW, GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
UH, THIS IS PULLED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CASAR AND KITCHEN ITEM 32.
THAT'S WHERE WORKS ARE OKAY, MAYOR.
THIS IS THE ITEM TO, UH, CREATE AN INDEPENDENT, UH, FORENSICS DEPARTMENT.
UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND FOR COMMUNITY TRUST.
AND AS THE CITY GRAPPLED WITH THE DNA LAB BEING SHUT DOWN AND THE RAPE KIT BACKLOGS, WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO TRY TO FOLLOW BEST PRACTICE, TO ENSURE HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE IN OUR FORENSICS DEPARTMENT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND, UH, CITY STUDIES AND NATIONAL EXPERTS HAVE POINTED TO INDEPENDENCE TO HIT THOSE HIGHEST QUALITY, UH, UH, SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS.
BUT THEN ALSO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR COMMUNITY TRUST.
UM, INDEPENDENCE HELPS PEOPLE TRUST THAT THE LAB WILL FOLLOW JUSTICE, WHEREVER IT LEADS, EXONERATING PEOPLE WHO ARE INNOCENT AND HOLDING PEOPLE WHO HEART HOLD, UH, WHO CAUSED HARM ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, AND SO THE INDEPENDENCE PART IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO I'VE POSTED A, UH, AN AMENDMENT ON THE CITY COUNCIL MESSAGE BOARD.
AND I APPRECIATE, UH, SEVERAL OF OUR COLLEAGUES HERE WHO HAVE POSTED IN SUPPORTIVE THIS, UH, TO MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR IN THE ORDINANCE WHEN WE FORMED THIS DEPARTMENTS THAT, UH, THAT THE HIGHEST QUALITY, HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE INDEPENDENCE AND FOLLOWING JUSTICE, WHEREVER IT MAY LEAD ARE OUR CORE TO THE MISSION OF THE NEW OF THE NEW DEPARTMENT.
SO I APPRECIATE THIS, THIS WORK.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS CHANGE, UM, BECAUSE THERE'VE BEEN SO MANY FOLKS AT THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT.
I HOPE THIS CAN GO AND CONSENTS AND YOU WANT IT TO OFFER, UM, OFFER THE AMENDMENT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD FOR IT TO BE ABLE TO GO THAT WAY.
I WANT IT TO RAISE THAT HERE, JUST IN CASE FOLKS HAD ANY QUESTIONS I AM.
UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
COSARA, UH, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU LAID OUT.
UH, I JUST SAY I HAD A QUESTION, UH, FOR, UM, FOR STAFF AND OPERATIONAL QUESTION.
SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE TIMELY TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, THIS IS A QUESTION RELATED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A, AN ANALYSIS AND A REPORT AND SOME OF THAT INVOLVED TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WAS DONE IN HOUSTON AND IN HOUSTON, THERE WERE SOME ADVANTAGES SEEN FROM, UH, USING, UH, UH, UH, UH, FULLY INDEPENDENT MODEL, LIKE A, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
AND SO I WANTED TO ASK OUR STAFF JUST TO IF, UH, AND WE ALSO HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH SOMEONE IN OUR COMMUNITY NOW WHO ACTUALLY DID THE STARTUP FOR THE HOUSTON ONE.
SO I'M JUST WANTING TO ASK THIS BRINGS FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO A DEPARTMENT, WHICH I'M FINE WITH, BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE, UM, GOING TO BE CONTINUED CONSIDERATION OVER, UH, IN, UH, IN THE FUTURE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF, UM, PURSUING AN, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION OR A MORE INDEPENDENT MODEL? OF COURSE WE HAVE TO BE PEOPLE WE WOULD NOT WANT TO DO THAT UNLESS WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT OUR EMPLOYEES MIGHT HAVE, UH, GIVEN THE ABILITY IF WE HAD THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AND MAINTAIN THEIR WAGES AND BENEFITS, THEN, UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND.
SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STAFF'S THINKING WAS.
UM, AND IF THEY FORESEE A CONTINUED, UH, EXPLORATION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR A, UM, LIKE AN LGC OR MORE INDEPENDENT, UM, APPROACH,
[01:10:02]
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO ACM ARIANO TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.BUT AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE A LEARNING ORGANIZATION AND WE CONSTANTLY ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY IMPROVING OURSELVES, BUT ALSO PROVIDING FURTHER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL ALWAYS BE EXPLORING THOSE OPTIONS NO MATTER WHAT ACTION IS TAKEN ON THURSDAY.
UM, BUT I'LL LET ACM ARIANO TO, UH, DESCRIBE WHY WE WENT FORWARD WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME CITY MANAGER, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN'T REMEMBER KITCHEN, UH, THE, UH, ACTUALLY THAT'S BEFORE YOU, THIS COMING THURSDAY REALLY IS, UH, IN THE CONTEXT OF REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND TAKING THOSE STEPS, UH, THAT HELPED TO DECOUPLE A FUNCTION THAT, UH, IN MANY WAYS HAS BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, OVER THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, AND REALLY HIGHLIGHTED BY SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE QUATRA AND CENTER FOR THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
WHEN THEY LOOKED AT, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH CITY AND COUNTY, UH, PARTICIPANTS, AS WELL AS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, HOW BEST TO DELIVER SERVICES SPECIFIC TO DNA LABS SERVICES, BUT COULD ALSO BE APPLICABLE TO FORENSIC SCIENCE, UM, UH, SERVICES AS WELL.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET NEXT MINUTE, DISH, LESLIE, TO CREATE A WHAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT THE COUNCIL HAS PROVIDED FOR THESE KINDS OF SERVICES.
UH, WE COME FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION FOR CREATING A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT, WHICH ACHIEVES MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GOALS, UH, THAT HAD COME OUT FROM, UH, THE, FROM A REPORT, UH, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, IT SAID, WE ARE CERTAINLY OPEN TO LOOKING AT DOWNSTREAM AFTER WE GET PAST THESE, UM, A NUMBER OF ACTIONS THAT, AGAIN, CARRY OUT THE COUNCILS WILL, UH, RELATED TO HOW CAN WE FOCUS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASPECTS, DIRECT LAW ENFORCEMENT ASPECTS OF A DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND CERTAINLY WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT IT MAKES SENSE TO FURTHER, UM, CREATE A MORE INDEPENDENT, UH, ORGANIZATION IN THE FORENSIC SCIENCE, UH, BUREAU AS AN LGC FOR THE TIME BEING, IF I MAY JUST, UH, BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THE DNA LAB DNA LAB SERVICES, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED AS THEY CURRENTLY ARE, UH, IN AN OUTSOURCED, UH, PROVISION OF SERVICE MANAGED BY THE NEW FORENSIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, THE, THE, PERHAPS ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WAS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE QUICKLY, IS THAT THE, UM, THAT WAS THINKING THAT, THAT A DEPARTMENT APPROACH OFFERED THAT THAT'S CORRECT BOTH QUICKLY AND THAT I WOULD SAY NO, UM, UH, COST IMPACT.
OKAY, WELL, I MAY HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU OFFLINE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND.
SO TO THAT POINT, RIGHT, WHEN THE, UH, THIS ISSUE OF THE FORENSIC FLAT, UH, THE CAMERA, UH, REAL HOT, MUCH DISCUSSED MUCH TOP OF MIND, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WHERE WE WERE DEALING WITH THE, UH, UH, PRENTICE LAB ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES.
AND THERE WAS DISCUSSION THAT TIME AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE DEFENSE BAR, UH, UH, ASKING FOR AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO BE NOT JUST INDEPENDENT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CITY, BUT INDEPENDENT OF THE, OF THE CITY.
UM, AND WE HAD THAT STUDY DONE THAT ANALYZED EACH OF THOSE OPTIONS WITHIN LIKE A RECOMMENDATION, JUST LAID OUT THAT INFORMATION, THE, TO THE DEGREE THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION TO ANN'S POINT, UH, PROSECUTORS OFFICE SORT OF EXPENSE ATTORNEYS OR ANYONE ELSE WE'RE STILL OPEN FOR THOSE COMMUNICATIONS, BUT ARE THE MEANTIME PENDING THOSE COMMUNICATIONS, WE'VE TAKEN THE STEPS TO MAKE THAT FUNCTION, UM, MORE INDEPENDENT WITHIN THE CITY'S CHARTER, UH, NOT TAKING ANY MONEY OUT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, GENERALLY NOT CHANGING, UH, THE FUNCTION OF PERSONNEL, UH, WITH AGING IN ESSENCE ITS REPORTING STRUCTURE THAT CORRECT.
UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UM, FIRST I WANTED TO, UM, JUST APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSSAR'S COMMENTS TODAY, AND THE COMMENTS ON THE MESSAGE BOARD AND, AND RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ON THE DNA LAB AND THE FORENSICS.
THE FORENSICS ISSUES STARTED BEFORE I JOINED ON COUNCIL, AND I'VE BEEN VERY CONCERNED PARTICULARLY WITH, UM, THE DNA
[01:15:01]
THEY WORK AND, AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT NEXT STEP.AND THE REASON THAT I WANTED TO FLAG THOSE COMMENTS IS THAT I WAS STRUCK IN READING THE BACKUP, HOW LITTLE INFORMATION THERE WAS ABOUT WHY WE WERE EMBARKING ON THIS STEP.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE KIND OF, UM, BACKGROUND THAT, UM, HAS BEEN ADDED SO FAR TODAY, UM, BUT JUST, UH, THE REAL VALUE THAT IS OUT THERE AND RECOGNIZED IN THE RESEARCH FOR HAVING A FORENSICS LAB INDEPENDENT.
UM, AND I WOULD ASK THAT STAFF MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THESE REPORTS THAT WE HAVE USED, UM, SOME OF THE BACKGROUND MATERIAL THAT WERE THE BASIS FOR MAKING THIS DECISION BE INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP.
UM, BECAUSE AS I READ THE RCA, THERE WASN'T EVEN REALLY A RECOGNITION OF WHY THIS WAS IMPORTANT AND WHAT WE WERE ACCOMPLISHING AND DOING THAT.
UM, AND MOVING FORWARD AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE THAT LONG PREDATED ANY ACTION THAT WE TOOK IN AUGUST IN TERMS OF A DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL.
AND WE HAVE LOTS OF, UM, MATERIAL THAT SUPPORT THE DIRECTION THAT WE'LL BE TAKING ON THURSDAY.
UM, SO I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, YOU TAKE A STEP AND MAKE SURE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IS IN THE BACKUP AND THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE CLEARLY ARTICULATE, UM, SOME OF THE RATIONALES AND THE OTHER THINGS.
UM, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION AS WELL.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE CITY RELIES ON, UM, GRANT FUNDING TO ELEVATE AND EXPEDITE OUR FORENSIC EFFORTS, UM, INCLUDING THE ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, ET CETERA.
UM, AND I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT STEPS WE'RE TAKING TO MAKE SURE THAT IN MOVING, UH, THE FORENSICS LAB, WE ARE ENSURING THE FLOW OF THOSE GRANTS.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE INDEPENDENT, UM, FORENSICS DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE STATE.
SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT SHOULD BE A PROBLEM, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE HAVE DOTTED OUR I'S AND CROSSED OUR T'S SINCE SO MUCH FUNDING DOES SEEM TO COME FROM THOSE GRANTS, COME FROM THE ALTAR.
UH, WE HAVE DONE SOME, UH, STAFF WORK, CERTAINLY TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO GET THESE GRANTS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY RELATED TO FORENSIC SCIENCE, UH, SERVICES.
UM, UH, THE ABD GRANTS MANAGER THAT I WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH HAS REACHED OUT TO OUR GRANDDAUGHTERS, UH, TO BRIEF THEM ON, UH, THE ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN AND I'VE RECEIVED FEEDBACK CERTAINLY ABOUT ONE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OF.
AND IN ADDITION, THE LAW DEPARTMENT AS WELL, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, LOOKING VERY CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FORENSIC SERVICES THAT COULD THEN BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE GRANTS, AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO, UH, THE ABILITY TO UPLOAD A DATA FOR INSTANCE, INTO THE CODIS DATABASE AND, AND OTHER, UM, FUNCTIONS THAT WOULD CONTINUE HAVE THEY BEEN STILL WITHIN THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT? SO, UH, YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE WE'VE COVERED THE BASIS IN THAT REGARD, AND CERTAINLY WE'LL KEEP OUR EYE OPEN, SHOULD ANY ISSUES COME FORWARD? THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT REASSURANCE.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF DECOUPLING, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING PROBABLY MORE STRAIGHT FORWARD IN THIS CASE THAN IT MAY BE IN OTHER AREAS.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION FOR THAT CONTINUITY OF THE FLOW OF FUNDS.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK GREG FOR HIS, UM, SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS.
I THINK THEY READ REALLY STRONG AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ADDING THEM, MAKING, MAKING THOSE AMENDMENTS.
UM, AND I WANTED TO, UH, PRESS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHAT ANNE TALKED ABOUT, THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE LAB.
UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS TAKING THE FIRST STEP TO MOVE IT ALL OUT OF AP DINGHY AND KIND OF GET OUR ARMS AROUND WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, UH, UNDER MORE ADMINISTRATIVELY INDEPENDENT, UM, UH, LEADERSHIP.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN TO THE POTENTIAL OF MAKING IT ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT.
IF INDEED, WE FIND THAT THAT ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SEPARATION IS, UM, UH, A POSITIVE CHANGE.
UM, AND ALSO TO KEEP, UM, MR. HOCHBERG ENGAGED IN, UH, HE WAS THE FELLOW WHO, UM, HEADED UP, UH, THE, UM, THE FIRST INDEPENDENT LAB IN HOUSTON.
HE WAS A STATE REP AND HE, AND, UH, ANNE SERVED TOGETHER, UH, IN THE HOUSE, UM, IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, WHICH IS ALSO WHERE I GOT TO MEET HIM.
SO HIS INPUT WAS REALLY HELPFUL, I THOUGHT AND INSTRUCTIVE, AND I'D LIKE TO KIND OF KEEP HIM ON BOARD, JUST IN CASE WE, WE REALIZED THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL SEPARATION AND CREATE A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT FORENSIC SCIENCE LAB, BUT I SUPPORT THE,
[01:20:01]
UM, THE MOVES THAT WE ARE MAKING AT THIS TIME.THIS IS A HUGE STEP TOWARD THE RE-IMAGINING, UH, AND THE FIRST REALLY CONCRETE CHANGE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE AND SEE IN AN ORG CHART IN SOME, UH, INSTRUCTIONAL WAYS.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT STAFF HAS PUT, UH, IN, UM, SO DILIGENTLY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING FOR THIS SOME THIRSTY.
AND THANK YOU, GREG OR COUNCIL MEMBER COSAR FOR PULLING THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHY WE SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE.
I, TO SUPPORT IT AFTER TALKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY ALSO AGREE TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK FOR A MOMENT, THOUGH, FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD SPOKEN ABOUT, COUNSEL, ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE ACTUAL FORENSICS WORK BEING DONE, DID WE HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF WHERE THAT WASN'T COMPLETED BECAUSE I'M NEW AND I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS LAST YEAR, AND I WAS HOPING MAYBE YOU COULD CLARIFY FOR OTHERS WHO MIGHT ALSO NOT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THAT.
WELL, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY AMERICAN.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE QUESTION.
AND, AND A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, WE DID HAVE, UH, REAL SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGES AND ISSUES AT THE DNA LAB SPECIFICALLY.
IT WASN'T THE WHOLE FORENSICS DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE WERE LEADERSHIP CHANGES.
UH, IT WAS ONE OF THE KEY TASKS, UM, THAT I KNOW ACM ARIANO AND THE CITY MANAGER TOOK UP.
IT WAS ONE OF THE CORE TASKS ASSIGNED TO CHIEF MANLEY AS HE BECAME PERMANENT CHIEF.
UH, SO IT WAS A REALLY SERIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
UM, SOME OF THE DATING BACK DECADES, SOME OF IT HAVING TO DO WITH VERY SPECIFIC SCIENTIFIC ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY, UH, OVERSIGHT AGENCIES.
UM, UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEEN A REAL, A REAL CHALLENGE AND CHANGING THE STRUCTURE IN AND OF ITSELF DOES NOT IN AND OF ITSELF SOLVE THOSE CHALLENGES.
BUT, UH, MANY EXPERTS HAVE SAID THAT THIS KIND OF, OF STRUCTURE WHERE, UM, SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP IS NOT SEVERAL LAYERS DOWN IS ONE STRUCTURAL WAY THAT WE CAN TRY TO AVOID SOME OF THOSE THINGS COMING UP AGAIN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT FOR EVERYONE.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UM, THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THE AMENDMENT AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALTAR FOR, FOR THE CONTEXT AND FOR, FOR YOUR WORK ON THESE ISSUES.
UM, AS SOON AS YOU GOT ON THE COUNCIL, CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS THOUGH.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND POOL MENTIONING, UM, UH, THEIR WORK, UM, AND, AND LOOKING AT THE HOUSTON MODEL AND OTHER MODELS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE, GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
UM, HALF OF MY CO-SPONSORS, I WANTED TO JUST, UM, BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO, UM, UM, UH, THE CORRECTED MESSAGE BOARD POSTS THAT WE PUT OUT WITH A FACT SHEET AND SOME QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
THE OTHER THING TOO, TO NOTE IS THAT, UM, THAT, THAT POST LIST AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD, UH, THAT SHOULD BE POSTED BY THE END OF THE DAY.
SO I WANT TO TAKE JUST A, JUST A MINUTE TO TALK THROUGH WITH YOU.
AND THEN I WANT TO ASK YOU IF ANYONE IS ANTICIPATING, UH, BRINGING ANY AMENDMENTS OR HAS SOME QUESTIONS YOU CAN ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO JUST, JUST QUICKLY, UM, I, CAUSE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH BANDWIDTH PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS AS YOU KNOW, THIS HEAL INITIATIVE IS, UM, IT'S A STRATEGY.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IN 2019, BUT IT'S A STRATEGY TO IMMEDIATELY CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING, UH, AND TO CREATE A PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE OVER TIME, ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR UNSHELTERED, UH, CAMPING IN OUR CITIES.
SO, UM, AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE SOMETHING, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT IT, AND THAT'S AT THE RESOLUTION DOES UPHOLD THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, AND IT RECOGNIZED, AND I'LL GET INTO A FEW MORE DETAILS ON IT, AND IT DOES RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT IT DOES RECOGNIZE THAT UNSHELTERED CAMPING IS REALLY IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR THOSE EXPERIENCES AND HOMELESSNESS.
SO WHAT HEAL DOES IS IT, IT, UM, IT RECOGNIZES, UM, THAT FIRST OFF THE EMPHASIS IS ON CONNECTING PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND CREATING THAT PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING AND TO PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THAT, THE SERVICES, UM, AND THE HOUSING.
SO, UH, BUT IT DOES RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME PLACES IN OUR CITY THAT POSE
[01:25:01]
HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK AND THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED IN UNSAFE SITUATIONS.SO THE RESOLUTION ASKS IS THE RESOLUTION ALSO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO COME BACK TO US.
UM, THIS IS NOT FOR ACTION ON THURSDAY, BUT TO COME BACK TO US IN MARCH TO PROVIDE SOME STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN DISCUSS AND THINK ABOUT AND AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR DISALLOWING CAMPAIGN UPON COMPLETION OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE IN THESE LOCATIONS, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE FIRST PRIORITY IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND SERVICES, TO GET THEM ON A PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
AFTER THAT'S COMPLETED FOR EVERYONE WHO IS LIVING IN, UM, IDENTIFIED LOCATIONS, THEN THE INTENT IS TO IDENTIFY THOSE LOCATIONS AS UNSAFE FOR CAMPING SO THAT WE, THEY WOULD BE LOCATIONS THAT WE WOULD DISALLOW.
UM, AND WE ARE ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO HELP US WITH ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD BACK IN 2019.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THESE, THESE PLACES ARE NOT ALLOWED THAT THEY'RE UNSAFE? IS THAT SIGNAGE, UM, IS IT SOME OTHER APPROACH? UM, THE INTENT IS THE INTENT OF THIS INITIATIVE IS TO PROVIDE THAT PATH, TO DO WHAT WE ALL KNOW AND AGREE IS IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND THEN TO SEIZE CAMPAIGN IN UNSAFE PLACES WITHOUT RELYING ON POLICING, WITHOUT RELYING ON CITATIONS.
SO, UM, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, MY CO-SPONSORS AND I HAVE APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE RAISED.
AND WE HAVE A LIST OF AMENDMENTS THAT I'VE, UM, SHARED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD PLUS, AND I'M GOING TO TALK, THEY JUST, IN THE INTEREST OF BEING CLEAR AND TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THEM CONCERNS AND MISCONCEPTIONS THAT ARE MISINFORMATION THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD ABOUT WHAT THIS, UM, WHAT THE HEAL INITIATIVE DOES.
UM, AND I WANT TO FIRST THANK OUR CO-SPONSORS, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO, UH, POOL, UM, KELLY AND RENTERIA, AND ALSO, UH, THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR WHO HAS ADDED HER SUPPORT AND OUR REQUEST FOR CO-SPONSORSHIP PUBLICLY ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
SO I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THESE LISTS OF, OF, UH, AMENDMENTS.
UM, FIRST, UH, WE ARE INCORPORATING COUNCILMEMBER ALTERS AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE AREAS.
CAMPAIGN IS CURRENTLY NOT ALLOWED, SUCH AS PARKLAND WHEN IDENTIFYING PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE LOCATIONS.
SECOND WE'RE SPECIFYING CONSULTATION WITH THE AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THIRD, WE WANT TO SEE MORE, MORE CLEARLY STATE THE INTENT.
THE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE SERVICES AND HOUSING OPTIONS BASED ON WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THEY EXPRESS THEY NEED, THEIR EXPRESSED AND INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.
UH, FOURTH, WE WANT TO CLEARLY STATE THAT THE INTENT IS TO OFFER A PATH FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TOOL INDIVIDUALS TO PERMANENT HOUSING WITH THE SUPPORTS NECESSARY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO MAINTAIN THAT HOUSING OVER TIME.
UM, SIX, WELL, I LOST COUNT, SORRY.
WE WANT TO, UM, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE CONNECTED.
THIS PROGRAM WILL CONNECT INDIVIDUALS AND OFFER ASSESSMENT THROUGH THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM.
NEXT WE'RE WANTING, WE'RE ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO RETURN TO THE COUNCIL ON MARCH 4TH, WITH STRATEGIES AND AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR DISALLOWING CAMPING AFTER COMPLETION OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UH, WITH STRATEGIES THAT DO NOT RELY ON POLICING OR CITATION NEXT, UH, WE'RE ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO RETURN TO COUNCIL ON MARCH 4TH WITH DOCUMENTS TO DEDICATE AT LEAST AT LEAST 3 MILLION FOR THIS, FOR THIS PHASE.
ONE OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE, WHICH IS THE PHASE ONE, FOUR LOCATIONS.
NEXT WE ARE SPECIFYING MORE CLEARLY THE INTENT THAT FUNDING WILL NOT BE DIVERTED FROM EXISTING PROGRAMS, SERVING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND THEN LAST WEEK WE ARE SPECIFYING THAT WE, UH, THE THERE'S A LOT MORE IN THE, UH, THERE'S INFORMATION IN THE RESOLUTION, ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO REPORT BACK TO THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, AT LEAST MONTHLY.
AND PROGRESS IN A NUMBER OF OTHER ASPECTS OF IT.
WE HAVE INCLUDED ASKING FOR A REPORT ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED AND CONSIDERATION OF EQUITY IN IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS.
SO I WANTED TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS I GO THROUGH IT.
I THINK THAT, UM, WE'VE HAD GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS, AND I THINK THAT THIS LIST OF AMENDMENTS IS ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED US TO DATE.
UM, I ALSO WANT, I REALLY WANT TO
[01:30:01]
EMPHASIZE IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE SOME ACTION.I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO ACT NOW.
UM, AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW IDEA.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE FIRST DISCUSSED IN 2019.
IT'S AN IDEA THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO HAD RAISED AT THAT TIME AND WASN'T A RESOLUTION AND WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE DIDN'T TAKE ACTION AT THAT TIME.
AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN, THAT I THINK WE ALL SHARE, WE ALL SHARE.
AND I THINK OUR COMMUNITY SHARES, UM, THE CONCERN ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING ON HOUSED.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A BROAD CONSENSUS TO MOVE QUICKLY TO PROVIDE HOUSING AND SERVICES TO OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, AGAIN, EMPHASIZE AGAIN, THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE LONGER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO RELY ON LIVING SITUATIONS THAT POSE MAJOR HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK TO THEM.
AND, UM, AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY THE OTHER THING I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS THE RE THIS RESOLUTION IS A COMMITMENT TO START DEVELOPING THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP IT AND IMPLEMENT IT.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, IT'S, IT'S, UH, THERE'S SOME STEPS IN THE PROCESS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE CITY.
MANAGER'S GOING TO HAVE TO RETURN TO US, LIKE I SAID BEFORE WITH REGULAR PROGRESS UPDATES, AND ALSO COME BACK TO US WITH ACTIONS NECESSARY FOR DEDICATING AND FUNDING, COME BACK TO US WITH ACTIONS NECESSARY TO ADDRESS APPROACHES FOR DISALLOWING, CAMPING AND UNSAFE PLACES.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO JUST GO THROUGH ALL THAT WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, PARTAKING FOR ALLOWING ME TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION, WE, UH, WE'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS AS ARE MY CO-SPONSORS.
I'D ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK TO DIANA GRAY OR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER.
I THINK SHE MAY BE AVAILABLE NOW IF PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE THE TIME, BUT WE'VE WRITTEN THIS RESOLUTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH HER.
UM, AND, UM, AND IT SETS UP A PROCESS, UH, TO MAKE THIS INITIATIVE, THIS SUCCESSFUL.
SO, UM, I WOULD INVITE, UH, MAYOR, IF, IF IT'S, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU, I'D LIKE TO INVITE MY CO-SPONSORS, IF ANY, ONE OF THEM WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT I'VE SAID.
UH, YES, MIRA AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK ANNE FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST PEOPLE THAT WE HAD A STRATEGY PLAN NINTH, AND IN 2019, WE WERE WORKING WITH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO BUILD THIS BIG, UH, CAN YOU SAY IT OVER THERE AT THE, UH, GOVERNOR'S, UH, THE STATE LAND IN MONTOPOLIS IN MY DISTRICT, I ALSO, UH, UH, WE ALSO BOUGHT A HOTEL, THE ROADWAY IN MY DISTRICT SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING IN A PATH FOR PERMANENT HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC THAT CAUGHT US OFF GUARD.
I MEAN, NO ONE EVER THOUGHT THAT WE WERE EVER GOING THROUGH THIS, THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE VACCINE COMING OUT AND, UH, AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE A, THERE'S A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
AND I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO REALLY START REFOCUSING OUR ATTENTION TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND SUPPORT THAT, THAT THE HOMELESS POPULATION ARE LIVING OUT THERE.
AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN INTERSECTIONS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SO CLOSE TO THE STREETS, UH, IT JUST REALLY FRIGHTENS ME.
SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR REALLY WORKING ON THIS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS THE START OF A NEW YEAR FOR US ON ADDRESSING THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
ANY OTHER SPONSORS, OR WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YES.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, AND THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS BEING A PART OF MY FIRST RESOLUTION WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE KIND OF WORK THAT GOES INTO MAKING THESE THINGS A REALITY.
THE TIME TO ACT IS DEFINITELY NOW WE NEED TO HELP OUR UNSHELTERED NEIGHBORS GET INTO THAT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND OFF OF THE DANGEROUS LOCATIONS WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY CAMPING.
I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS PASS AND, AND TO PROVIDING THE CITY RESIDENTS WITH A PLAN OF ACTION THAT WE CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO.
I THINK THAT'S BEYOND TIME TO HAVE FOR THE CITY.
ANY OF HIS SPONSORS WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE, OR AUTHOR, I JUST WANT TO THANK,
[01:35:01]
UM, THE GROUP THAT BROUGHT THIS FORWARD AND PLEASED TO JOIN AS A CO-SPONSOR.UM, THE SPIRIT OF THIS INITIATIVE, UM, REALLY REFLECTS WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UM, DIRECTION THAT SOME DIRECTION THAT WAS ADOPTED SOME DIRECTION THAT WE NEVER TOOK UP TO VOTE ON, UM, AND PULLED THEM TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT I THINK IS APPROPRIATE FOR WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THESE AREAS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT SURROUND THEM.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE BALANCE AND, UH, THE HUMANENESS WITH WHICH, UM, THIS IS CONSTRUCTED.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS AND THE LEADERSHIP YOU HAVE SHOWN TOGETHER WITH THE CO-SPONSORS ON THIS.
UM, THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED IN THE COMMUNITY AS I WAS COPYING ON YOUR AMENDMENTS.
I THINK YOU MAY HAVE TICKED OFF, UH, THE ONES THAT, THAT I HAD SEEN, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE AMENDMENTS.
UM, UH, BUT I THINK THAT, UH, GENERALLY YOU'VE HIT THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED, AND I KNOW IT'S NEITHER YOUR INTENT OR ANY OF THE SPONSOR'S INTENT TO RE CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND THAT IT IS THE INTENT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY ENDS UP IN HOUSING.
UM, UH, BUT I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE CONCEPT IS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IT IS THAT NOW WE'RE ALL BEEN TRYING TO DO.
UH, IN FACT, SOME OF THIS WAS ACTUALLY PART OF WHAT WE PASSED BACK IN JUNE OF WHAT IS IT, 1919 NOW, UH, WHERE THE, WHERE THE VERY FIRST THING WE HAD, THE COMPANY RESOLUTIONS SPOKE TO SETTING UP, UH, A WHILE, WHILE WE WERE DECRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE WERE PLACES THAT PEOPLE SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T BE, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHY THEY WERE THERE, THEY JUST SHOULDN'T, OR SHOULDN'T BE IN CERTAIN PLACES.
AND WE ASKED, UH, FOR THAT, UH, TO THE LAID OUT, UH, UH, IN A WAY THAT, UH, UH, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY COULD BUY INTO, WE COULD LIVE THAT WAY AND IT NEVER QUITE HAPPENED.
UH, I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP THAT TOMO SHOWED AND THEN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES TRYING TO GET THAT BACK IN FRONT OF US.
AND IT HADN'T HAPPENED, UH, THERE.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT, THAT IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, UH, IN, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, TWO THINGS THAT WE NEED REAL RAPIDLY IS, IS WE NEED, UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THE WORK.
DO WE KNOW WHAT WORKS? AND WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH VETERANS, WHO'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, GETTING CHILDREN FOR THAT HOLDS THIS OFF OUR STREETS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT WE NEED, WE NEED, WE NEED, UH, AN IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE, UH, SO THAT EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY KNOWS EXACTLY HOW LONG WE'RE PLANNING ON MISTAKING AND WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN OVER TIME WITH BENCHMARKS TO MEASURE.
AND THE SECOND THING WE NEED IS, IS BEING ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS PROGRESS IN THIS STEP THAT HAD HOMELESSNESS IN A WAY THAT IS CONSTRUCTIVE AND HELPFUL.
I THINK THE INTENT HASN'T CHANGED, THE GOALS HAVEN'T CHANGED.
UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT THAT YOU WERE EXPRESSING IN TERMS OF, UH, INITIATING THIS.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER TOUCHPOINTS THAT ARE COMING UP TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS THE BEST WAY THAT IMPLEMENT THIS AND TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST READING A FEW MINUTES AGO, THE SUPPORT EMAIL THAT CAME IN FROM UNIVERSAL CARE, UH, ON THIS RESOLUTION.
AND, UH, IT WAS THE LAST PARAGRAPH OR THE SECOND LAST PARAGRAPH ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT AS WE GET INTO THIS, THERE ARE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO LEARN WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WE'VE NOTICED THAT BOB, TO MAKE SURE NOW WE'RE DOING THIS WHOLE THING, UH, IN THE, IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
UH, I'M REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT WAITING.
IT'S SO BAD THAT THE SCALE IS, IS SO GREAT, UH, THAT, THAT BEING ABLE TO TREAT EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY AS OUR NEIGHBORS AND MAINLY GET PEOPLE REINTEGRATED IS OF A SCALE THAT, THAT WE JUST, THAT THEY JUST CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THAT'S MORE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DO IF YOU'RE IN LA OR SEATTLE, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE NEVER GET TO THAT PLACE.
AND THAT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OF US ON BEHALF OF THE REST OF US, UH, TRYING TO, TO WORK FOR WHERE SOME OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS SUMMIT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WE'LL BE HEARING HERE SHORTLY THAT A LOT OF US THAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR ALL OF US, UH, AND THEN MAYBE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THAT WITH RESPECT TO THE STRATEGY, WHEN THE STAKEHOLDERS, YOU'RE TAKING A LOOK AT IT TO HELP FACILITATE IT AND BE ABLE TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THAT KIND OF INPUT COMING FROM THERE AND FROM EVERYWHERE AND ENSURE THAT WE, WE ACTUALLY GET TO THE PLACE WHERE WE HAVE HOMELESSNESS
[01:40:01]
IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S, EVERYBODY'S EVERYBODY'S SCHOOL.UH, SO, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO SPONSORS CO-SPONSORS OF 10, UH, WAS NOT TO, UH, AND IS NOT TO, UH, UNDERCUT, UH, UH, THE POLICY DIRECTIONS THAT WE SET.
AND I WENT FORWARD TO THE, TO THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU, THAT YOU BRING THAT'S WHERE WORKERS ARE.
I ALSO WANT TO APPRECIATE THIS LATEST MESSAGE BOARD POSTS.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN ASKED WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WHAT ACTION WILL TAKE ON THURSDAY, HEART.
YOU KNOW, I HOPE FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT I THINK WHEN WE SEE THE ACTUAL AMENDMENT LANGUAGE, THAT THAT WILL BE CLEARER, BUT MANY AS THE MAYOR SAID, MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UM, THAT CAME TO MY MIND AND THAT I'VE RECEIVED, UM, UH, SEEM TO HAVE INDICATED ANSWERS HERE ON THIS MESSAGE BOARD POST.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN FOLKS WHO HAVE ASKED, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THIS WOULD BE GOING BACK TO STRATEGIES OF RELYING ON POLICING OR, OR CITATIONS TO MOVE PEOPLE AROUND RATHER THAN HOUSING THEM, BUT HERE IN THE LATEST POST, I THINK YOU'VE INDICATED THAT, UM, THAT THE STRATEGIES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK WITH DO NOT RELY ON POLICING OR CITATIONS FOLKS HAVE ASKED WHETHER, UM, WHETHER THIS INITIATIVE WOULD BE FUNDED IN A WAY THAT JUST MOVES PEOPLE TEMPORARILY INTO SHELTER, AND THEN BACK TO THE STREETS WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING SOLVED THE PROBLEM WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE AN ENCAMPMENT, BUT YOU HAVE, UH, LISTED HERE THAT THE INTENT WOULD BE TO OFFER A PATH, REACH INDIVIDUAL TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, OR THE SUPPORTS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN HOUSING OVER TIME.
SO THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY REDUCING HOMELESSNESS RATHER THAN JUST MOVING IT AROUND.
UM, UH, THERE'S BEEN QUESTION ABOUT, UH, WHETHER THIS WOULD DIVERT FUNDING, UM, UH, SO THAT ULTIMATELY WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT REDUCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THIS BECAUSE WE'RE JUST SUPPORTING SOME FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS RATHER THAN OTHERS.
I APPRECIATE WHAT IS WRITTEN HERE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD THAT THIS WOULD SPECIFY THAT FUNDING SHOULD NOT BE DIVERTED FROM HOUSING, OTHER INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, ULTIMATELY, UH, UH, I THINK WE ALL, YOU KNOW, WE ALL AGREE THAT WE DON'T WANT FOLKS IN A PLACE THAT IS DANGEROUS TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
UM, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE IT'S PROHIBITED TO BE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE CHANGES TO ORDINANCE ORDINANCES IF IN FACT, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS FINDING WAYS TO MAKE THE CURRENT ORDINANCES WORK BY SAYING IF SOMEBODY IS IN A PLACE THAT IS ACTUALLY DANGEROUS TO THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE, AND WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO TRY TO HOUSE THAT PERSON THE BEST WE CAN, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE STILL ARE RULES ABOUT WHERE A PERSON CAN AND CAN'T BE AT NIGHT.
SO, UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE MESSAGE BOARD POSTS.
IT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME, UM, TO, TO SEE THE ACTUAL WORDING OF THE AMENDMENTS AS WE HEAD INTO AS WE HEAD INTO THURSDAY.
AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO, TO AIR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT COME UP.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THOSE MAJOR POINTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON HEALTH AND SAFETY, WHERE I'M GOING TO BE FOCUSED, THAT THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE RELYING ON POLICE OR CITATIONS THAT THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE DIVERTING MONEY FROM EXISTING PROGRAMS. UM, UH, I THINK THAT, THAT THOSE SEEM TO BE MANY OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS THAT HAVE COME UP AND IF THOSE ARE ADDRESSED, UH, THEN I THINK IT MAY BE, UH, IT MIGHT BE A EASIER OR SHORTER CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE THE LANGUAGE GET INCORPORATED INTO, INTO A DRAFT.
KIND OF ANSWERED MY QUESTION DURING HIS COMMENTS.
UM, BUT JUST WANTING TO GET A SENSE FROM STAFF.
IF WE HAVE STAFF ON THE CALL, UM, ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO FIND DOLLARS, UM, TO IMPLEMENT THE HILL INITIATIVE WITHOUT DIVERTING FUNDS FROM CURRENTLY SERVING OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT HAPPENING, OR IF WE HAVE A GOOD FILL THAT THAT IS POSSIBLE, I'M AVAILABLE TO THAT.
THIS IS DIANA GRAY, UM, WHO WAS STRATEGY OFFICER AND A COUNCIL MEMBER.
I, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE GENERAL FUNDS IN OUR BUDGET, UM, THAT WERE ALLOCATED NEW FOR, UH, COMBATING HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PROGRAMMING THOSE, UM, BOTH FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND GOING FORWARD BECAUSE SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE CONTEMPLATED AND DEDICATING, UH, DEDICATED TO DEPLOYING WILL ONLY BEGIN IN THE LATTER PART OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
[01:45:01]
UM, THERE WILL LIKELY BE MORE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS IN FISCAL YEAR 21.THEN THERE WOULD BE GOING FORWARD AS AN EXAMPLE, THE CANDLEWOOD HOTELS, OR EXCUSE ME, THE, NOT THE CANDLEWOOD, BUT THE TEXAS BUNGALOW HOTELS THAT COUNCIL APPROVED PURCHASE OF LAST WEEK.
WE WOULD ANTICIPATE OCCUPANCY BEGINNING, PROBABLY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THEN FULL COST IN THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEARS LEAVING, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS IN FISCAL YEAR 21 TO ALLOCATE.
WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL IDEAS FOR EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAYS TO UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, BUT I THINK THE, THE SH THE, UH, THE SHORT VERSION OF THAT LONG EXPLANATION IS THAT WE DO BELIEVE THERE ARE CURRENTLY DOLLARS IN THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR FOR THE $3 MILLION THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS NEEDED.
TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHERE WE ARE, UH, ON SCHEDULE AND EXPECT TO POST BY THE END OF TODAY.
UM, UH, HOPEFULLY I'M NOT GIVING ANYONE HEARTBURN BY SAYING THAT, BUT WE EXPECT TO HAVE IT POSTED BY THE END OF THE DAY, SO THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS EVENING.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY, THANKS TO A COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS FOR MOVING FORWARD.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN SAID, THE IDEA OF HAVING AN ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE STRATEGY IS NOT A NEW ONE FOR THIS COUNCIL, AND IT'S NOT A NEW ONE FOR OUR STAFF.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNCIL, WE WERE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING AND DELIBERATING ON A RESOLUTION TO DEPLOY AN ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE STRATEGY.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE STAFF TOOK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE IMPLEMENTED THAT PARTICULAR STRATEGY OUTSIDE THE ARCH IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, AND THEN WORKING TO FIND PERMANENT HOUSING FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IN NEED OF IT, BUT WE'RE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO I AM REALLY GLAD TO HEAR MY COLLEAGUES, THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL'S QUESTIONS.
I THINK THE AMENDMENTS THAT COUNT, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE POSTING ADDRESS THE MAIN CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL RECEIVING LOTS OF EMAIL THIS WEEK ABOUT A LOT OF TOPICS.
AND, AND I, SO I'M GOING TO JUST EMPHASIZE AGAIN, THAT THERE IS CLEAR, THERE IS A CLEAR AND VERY EXPLICIT COMMITMENT WITHIN THIS RESOLUTION TO NOT CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS AND TO ASK STAFF TO COME BACK TO US WITH A PLAN.
SO I TH I, I WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND ONE THAT'S THE COMMITMENT AS SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE AMPLIFIED.
UM, THAT IS, THAT IS AN EXPLICIT COMMITMENT IN THE RESOLUTION.
AND ALSO THAT, THAT THERE'S A, UM, TIME THAT WHATEVER THE STAFF, THAT, THAT THERE WILL BE A TIME FOR THE STAFF TO THINK ABOUT, UM, HOW BEST TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION, THAT THE ISSUE, UM, AND TO COME BACK TO US WITH A PROPOSAL AROUND WHICH THEY'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND COUNCIL CONVERSATION.
YOU MENTIONED, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING HERE AND ELSEWHERE ABOUT THE IDEA OF, OF WHETHER HAVING SAFE AND SECURE.
UM, I THINK THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO SAFE, INSECURE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE CAN POTENTIALLY CAMP, UM, IS, IS SOMETHING WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT.
AND THAT IS, THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT, UM, MY OFFICE IS, IS, IS, HAS BEEN DOING SOME WORK ON AND IS INTENDING TO BRING FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IN MY COMMENTS TO THE PUBLIC IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY IN THIS COMMUNITY TO END HOMELESSNESS.
THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN DO.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE A COMMUNITY EFFORT, NOT JUST CITY EFFORT, NOT JUST A NONPROFIT EFFORT, IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND BUSINESSES.
NO, BUT WE, WE CAN, AND I THINK ARE ON A PATH TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
THIS IS JUST ONE STRATEGY, BUT I THINK WILL BE A KEY STRATEGY IN THAT EFFORT.
SO NOT THE ONLY THING WE'RE DOING, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT STEP, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT.
AND WHILE WE'RE, WELL, BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT EMAILS ON A RELATED SUBJECT, WE'RE GETTING THOUSANDS OF EMAILS, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND I JUST WANTED MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW THAT I, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT'S A GLITCH IN THE STONE, OR WE
[01:50:01]
NEED TO DO BETTER WORDING ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE EMAILS ARE COMING IN AND DUPLICATE.SOMETIMES WE'RE GETTING 20 OF THE SAME EMAIL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT MY OFFICE HAS, HAS RAISED THAT AS, UH, OUR, UM, TECH FOLKS.
AND SO HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE A FIX AND IF NOT A FIX, BECAUSE SOME OF IT MAY BE USER GENERATED ERROR.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET SOME LANGUAGE ON THE WEBSITE.
IT'S I KNOW THAT WE ALL WANT TO, IT'S CHALLENGING WHEN WE'RE GETTING SO MUCH EMAIL AND A LOT OF IT IS COMING IN AND DUPLICATE TO GIVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE EMAILS KIND OF ATTENTION IT DESERVES.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT THE DUPLICATES WEEDED OUT THROUGH THE SYSTEM, CATHERINE, SORRY, I, I WAS TRYING TO FLIP THROUGH THE MESSAGE BOARD POST WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH WORK SESSION.
UM, TWO OF THESE ISSUES MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
CAUSE I JUST, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE'S TWO COPIES OF IT, OF THE MESSAGE BOARD POSTS, BUT TWO REMAINING QUESTIONS OR ISSUES OR ONE, UM, HOW, HOW IT IS, WE CAN SET UP, UM, GUARDRAILS OR GUIDELINES AROUND WHEN WE THINK WE HAVE OFFERED SUFFICIENT HOUSING TO, UM, TO PEOPLE CAMPED IN A LOCATION.
YOU KNOW, WHEN DO WE DECIDE THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED SUCCESS? UM, IS ONE QUESTION THAT I'M GOING TO BE THINKING OF THAT I DIDN'T QUITE SEE AN ANSWER TO IN THE RESOLUTION OR MESSAGE BOARD POSTS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
AND THEN SECOND, UH, I THINK I ALLUDED TO THIS, UM, BUT I DO HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT, UH, CHOOSING, LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT THE BEST THING IS TO CHOOSE LOCATIONS BASED ON, ON THEM BEING ALREADY PROHIBITED BY ORDINANCE OR LOCATIONS THAT DO POSE A HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK.
IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO DETERMINE SUBJECTIVELY WHAT IS LIVING ON THE STREET IN AND OF ITSELF AS A HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE OFTENTIMES CHOOSING AN UNDERPASS BECAUSE IT IS THE SAFEST ALTERNATIVE THAT THEY HAVE BEFORE THEM.
SO, UM, SO THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE PRIORITIZING WHERE IT'S, UH, HOW, HOW TO HOUSE FOLKS, UH, AND WHERE WE'RE SAYING THAT IT IS NOT LEGAL TO CAMP, HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ARE OBJECTIVELY AND TRULY NOT HEALTHY OR SAFE PLACES COMPARED TO THE ALTERNATIVES, UM, IS ALSO, UH, IMPORTANT TO ME.
SO I JUST WANT TO RAISE THOSE THINGS IN ADVANCE OF, OF THURSDAY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASARA THERE.
UH, THERE IS, UH, LANGUAGE TO SECOND QUESTION ABOUT, UM, PRIORITIZING BASED ON, UM, OBJECTIVE INFORMATION.
AND I THINK WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT THAT MAKES THAT CLEAR RELATED TO DATA AND INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN THE FIRST THING YOU ASKED ABOUT THE GUARDRAILS, WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UM, THE PROCESS THAT IS SET UP FOR, FOR STAFF KNOW FOR THE, FOR OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER IN, IN COLLABORATION WITH, UH, WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS, UH, THAT WILL BE DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM.
THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO IS THEY WILL HAVE TO DEFINE WHAT SUCCESS IS.
UM, WE'VE STATED OUR INTENT, THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT FOR PEOPLE TO GET PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND SO THE THINKING AT THE MOMENT IS THAT, UH, THAT IS THAT, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS COMPLETE.
WE DON'T WANT TO DICTATE THAT OR TRY TO DEFINE THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE THINK THAT THAT IS A FUNCTION THAT, UM, OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER HAS TO DEFINE IN, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, THE SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT SHOULD BE WORKING WITH IT.
UH, WE HAVE AN INTENT STATED IN, IN THE, UH, RESOLUTION.
HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT MORE, UH, AFTER YOU REVIEW THE REVISED VERSION, IF YOU WANT TO POST ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, HAPPY TO HEAR THEM.
ANYTHING ELSE, GUYS? ALL RIGHT.
IF THEY SAID WE TAKEN CARE OF ALL THE WHOLE, THE ITEMS, UH, FORGET THAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE NIGHT, WE'LL BE HAVING A SPECIAL CALL MEETING ON THE, UH, UH, BALLOT ISSUES POTENTIALLY IN, UH, IN, IN MAY.
I WAS GONNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ON YOUR, ON YOUR SCHEDULE.
[E. Executive Session]
LET'S SAY THE COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION, TAKE UP, UH, TWO ITEMS PURSUANT TO FIVE, FIVE, ONE OH SEVEN ONE, UH, AND PROBABLY BY ONE OH SEVEN TWO, THE GARMENT CODE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL AND REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATED TO EAT, TO PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE VALUE OF INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY AND PURSUANT TO FIVE, FIVE, ONE OH SEVEN[01:55:01]
ONE.THE GOVERNMENT CODE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL MATTERS RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL MAY 21 ELECTION, 2021 ELECTION.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I DON'T THINK WE WILL NOW GO.
HE HAD TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE END OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'LL COME OUT AND CLOSE OUT THE WORK SESSION.
NO ONE ON EIGHT TO COME UP WITH ME.
SO YOU ARE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY A, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR MINUTES TO THE STARTS, THE LEGS, AND THEN LET'S GET INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION GUITAR AND RUBBER RISE.
REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM G2.
THEY GO MATTERS RELATED TO ITEMS E TWO AND E THREE.
I CONCLUDES ALL THE BUSINESS WE HAVE FOR TODAY IS WORK SESSION.
SO THEY IS FEBRUARY 2ND, 2021.
THE TIME IS FOUR OH SEVEN AND TODAY'S WORK SESSION IS AT YOUR STAFF.
I GOT A HOUSE ON A HILL AND I'M LOOKING OUT OVER THE SEA.
I GOT A HOUSE ON A HILL, LOOKING OUT OVER THE SEA, LIVING ON THE ISLAND ON A