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[CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]
ON MONDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2021.AND THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF DESIGN COMMISSION.
THIS IS ART SUMMIT WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, CHAIR CAROL PRESIDENT CHAIR, VICE CHAIR.
ROBLEDO COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, COMMISSIONER FRANCO JUST QUICKLY.
UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE LOGGING IN.
COMMISSIONER TANNIC, GUCCI, ACTUALLY.
UM, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, PRESENT COMMISSIONER WATNEY.
SO I'LL TAKE IT THAT YOUR PRESENT PERMISSION TO LOOK INTO PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, YOU HAVE A QUORUM CHAIR.
WE WILL START WITH A CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
IS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT? WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN'S COMMUNICATIONS TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
I COULD ASK ALL COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE NOT SPEAKING OR HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR.
IF YOU MUTE YOUR MICROPHONES, WE'RE GETTING QUITE A BIT OF FEEDBACK.
WELL, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR OUR VOICE HEADS.
NONE OF US WANT TO HEAR ECHOES ECHOES, ECHOES SO GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
THAT ONCE YOU ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF.
[1.a. Courtesy Briefing of the City of Austin George Washington Carver Museum Expansion, to be presented by Terry Smith - Smith & Co. Architects; Gregory Montes - City of Austin Park and Recreation Department (PARD).]
STRAIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS ITEM ONE, A COURTESY BRIEFING OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE GEORGE WASHINGTON, CARVER MUSEUM EXPANSION APPLICANT.COMMISSIONERS, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UH, PLANNING DIVISION.
UM, AND I AM THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE COVER MUSEUM FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN.
WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT THIS EVENING AND TO PROVIDE THIS COURTESY BRIEFING TO THE COMMISSION? UM, I'M ALSO JOINED BY A COUPLE OF OTHER PART STAFF MEMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, LARA'S PALLISER AND MEGAN ECKARD.
AND THEN WE ALSO ARE JOINED BY OUR CONSULTANT TEAM.
WE HAVE COUPLE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM ON THAT TEAM.
UH, THE PRIME CONSULTANT THAT WAS HIRED FOR THIS PROJECT WAS SMITH AND COMPANY ARCHITECTS OUT OF HOUSTON.
TERRY SMITH, UH, LEAD ARCHITECT WILL BE PRESENTING TONIGHT.
HE'S ALSO JOINED BY WHY THERE'S WHITE PROJECT MANAGER AND THEN ONE OF THE SUB-CONSULTANTS PERKINS AND WILLS WAS ALSO HAS REPRESENTATIVE STEVEN COASTING.
OF COURSE WE ARE ALL HERE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BE A RESOURCE.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THE PRESENTATION, UM, HAS BEEN FINISHED? SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ALLOW, UH, TERRY SMITH TO, UH, START THE PRESENTATION.
AND GOOD EVENING TO ALL OF YOU.
I'M WITH SMITH AND COMPANY ARCHITECTS.
GREG JUST SAID, THIS IS THE PRESENTATION FOR THE CARVER MUSEUM FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN.
AND THIS IS OUR SECOND PRESENTATION TODAY AND PROBABLY OUR FOURTH OR FIFTH IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT IT ON AUTOPILOT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS PRETTY BRISKLY, UM, BUT AT, AND I'LL HIT THE MAIN HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXPANSION PLAN.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS, UH, FEEL FREE TO ASK ONCE WE'VE CONCLUDED.
SO LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL GET STARTED.
SO WE STARTED THIS PROCESS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, UH, AT THE TIME THE PANDEMIC WAS IN FULL SWING.
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UM, WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN ENTIRELY VIRTUAL, WHICH HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL CHALLENGE, WHICH I THINK WE'VE ALL DONE A GOOD JOB AT THIS ALTERNATIVE METHOD.UH, WE HAD FIVE STEPS IN THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
WE STARTED OFF WITH A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THE ORIGINAL CARPET BUILDING.
WE HAD SEVERAL SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CORE TEAM.
WE'VE GOT A CORE TEAM, WHICH MAINLY INCLUDES PART.
AND THEN WE WENT INTO SOME PRELIMINARY PLANNING CONCEPTS.
WE HAD THREE MAJOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, ALL VIRTUAL WENT VERY WELL.
WE DRAFT OUR PRELIMINARY REPORT, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TODAY IN SUMMARY.
UM, AND AS I SAID, WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING TO OTHER COMMISSIONS AND PLAN TO WRAP THIS UP IN MAY WITH A PRESENTATION TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL WOMAN.
SO THAT'S SOMEWHAT OF OUR SCHEDULE.
AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE HAD A VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, PROCESS ON THIS CARVER PLAN LED BY THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OFFICE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE HAD THREE WELL ATTENDED COMMUNITY MEETINGS ARE VIRTUAL.
WHEN WE BROKE UP IN GROUPS AND RECEIVED FEEDBACK, WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH THE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU SEE LISTED HERE.
AND THEN WE HAD A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT CONSISTED OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE, UH, LIBRARY, UH, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER PUBLIC WORKS INDIVIDUALS LIKE SLACK.
THIS SLIDE BASICALLY SHOWS ALL OF THE SIGNIFICANT NEIGHBORS, THE CARVER SHARES, UH, AND HE STARTED, UH, THIS IS A GOOD SLIDE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH AUSTIN, OR MAYBE EVEN NOT, NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH CARVER, WHICH I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU ARE.
SO ALMOST A LOT OF TIME ON THIS SLIDE.
WHEN WE STARTED THE PROCESS, WE CAME UP WITH FOUR PRIMARY GOALS AND PRINCIPLES.
WE WANTED TO RESPECT THE EXISTING HISTORY AND CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF THE HARBOR CARVER CENTER.
UH, WE WANTED TO ADVANCE THE VISION AND MISSION OF CARVER.
WE WANTED TO ENHANCE THE OUTDOOR AMENITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, MAKE SURE WE STRENGTHENED AND, UH, ENTERTAINED TO DIVERSITY INTERGENERATIONAL, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE WANTED THIS PLAN TO BE FLEXIBLE, UH, HAS TO BE FLEXIBLE, UM, TIMEFRAME FOR THIS, UH, FOR THE FULL FRUITION.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COULD EVOLVE OVER TIME.
NEXT SLIDE, WE CAME UP WITH FIVE PLANNING, THEMES RANGING FROM, UH, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY AND CARVERS.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT DOES ONE EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY VISIT THE BUILDING? HOW CAN WE HELP THAT? UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE EXISTING PROGRAMS, PROGRAMS WERE BEING OFFERED AT CARVER, THE INDOOR SPACES AND HOW THEY UTILIZED.
AND LASTLY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE LOOKED AT THE, UH, OUTDOOR AREAS AS WELL.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SLIDE, A LOT OF NUMBERS.
UM, BUT I'LL TAKE YOUR ATTENTION TO THE RED SQUARES, THE DECORATE SQUARES THERE, WHICH ARE REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE OF THIS SLIDE.
UM, BASED ON THIS EXPANSION PLAN, CARVER WOULD BE INCREASED FROM 30,000 SQUARE FEET TO 9,000 SQUARE FEET OF BUILDING PROGRAM.
UH, IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE OVER 70,000 SQUARE FEET OF NEW AMENITIES AND OUTDOOR SPACES.
SO THAT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WHERE WE SEE CARVER, UM, WHEN THIS SPECIAL PLAN IS OVER THE NEXT SLIDE ON THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE EXISTING CARVER ALONG WITH THE ADJACENT GENEALOGY CENTER IN CARVER LIBRARY, THE CORNER OF ANGELINA AND ROSEWOOD ON THE RIGHT IS AN IMAGE OF CARVER ACID WOULD LOOK AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PLAN.
YOU SEE ALL THE SPACES THAT ARE BEING ADDED IN COLOR.
YOU SEE THE NEW, UH, OUTDOOR SPACES AS WELL AS A NEW PARKING GARAGE, WHICH I'LL TALK AGAIN HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
WELL, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUILDING ITSELF OF THIS PLAN INCLUDE AN INCREASED AND A LARGE INCREASE, THE BALLROOM AND EVENT SPACE, UM, NEW DANCE STUDIOS AND EDUCATIONAL STUDIOS AND CLASSROOMS. THE ARTIST'S GALLERY SIFTING WOULD BE ALMOST TRIPLED IN SIZE.
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WE WOULD ALSO ADD A NEW 500 SEAT FRESENIUS THEATER TO GO ALONG WITH EXISTING THEATER THAT EXISTS THERE TODAY.AND AS A RESULT OF ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL OCCUPANTS, WE NEED TO ADD A NEW PARKING GARAGE.
SO WE'VE PROPOSED A LOCATION FOR POTENTIAL NEW 300, APPROXIMATELY 300 SPACE PARKING GARAGE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
NEXT SLIDE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE OUTDOOR AMENITIES THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT CARVER GOING FORWARD.
AND WE'VE GOT A NEW, UH, PLAZA OPEN SPACE ON THE CORNER OF ANGELINA AND ROSEWOOD WHERE THE CURRENT SURFACE PARKING LOT IS ADJACENT TO THE LIBRARY.
UH, THOSE THAT PARK THERE NOW WITH, AFTER THIS PLAN PARK IN THAT GARAGE, THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT A NEW EVENT LAWN WITH A, UH, PAVILION FOR PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS, UH, AND THEN A NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN AS WELL AS NEW OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, UH, UH, WOULD GO AS WELL.
AND THEN WE WOULD OFFER A NEW OUTDOOR RESTROOM.
HOW MUCH DOES ALL OF THIS COSTS? UH, WE'VE ESTIMATED ALL PHASES OF THIS PLAN TO BE A LITTLE UNDER $60 MILLION WITH ABOUT $13 MILLION OF THAT BEING IN CONTINGENCY.
UH, WE ESTIMATE THIS PLAN JUST FOR PURPOSES OF THE COSTING.
WE ESTIMATED THE PLAN OVER A NINE YEAR TIMEFRAME.
WE LOOKED AT DIVIDING THIS UP INTO SIX PHASES.
SOME OF THESE SCOPE ITEMS ARE CRITICAL PATH, SUCH AS THE UTILITIES WE'VE GOT TO GET THAT DONE.
ALSO GOT TO RELOCATE THE ADMINISTRATION IN ORDER TO, UH, REPURPOSE SOME OF THE SPACES.
SO A LOT OF THAT, AND ALONG WITH THE OUTDOOR AREAS WOULD GO FIRST.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE ADD ON THE GALLERY AND EDUCATION SPACE, THEN WE'D ADD ON THE EVENT BALLROOM.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE NEW THEATER AND PARKING GARAGE.
HOW DOES ALL OF THIS GET PAID FOR LIKE EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE TODAY.
WE'VE GOT A LIST OF OPTIONS HERE THAT I BELIEVE THE CITY WILL BE SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT TO GO ON TO THE FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT RANGING FROM OBLIGATION BONDS, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, GRANTS, AND PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDS THE NEXT LAP.
SO AT THE END OF THE PLAN, THIS IS AN AREA OF SITE PLAN OF, UH, HOW THE CARVER SITE WAS LOOKING AT THE END OF THE DAY WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING AND ADJUSTING EXISTING LIBRARY THERE IN THE PEACH LIGHTER PEACH COLOR, AND THEN THE NEW ADDITIONS AND THE PINK.
YOU SEE THE GARAGE DOWN PLAN SOUTH, ALONG WITH THE NEW OUTDOOR PARK ON THE CORNER THERE TO BE A WET LAWN AND THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS. UH, YOU SEE KEELING MIDDLE-SCHOOL.
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN ISD.
UH, THEY WERE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, UH, FOR US, UH, DURING THIS PLAN AS WELL AS THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
NEXT SLIDE, I BELIEVE IS A SLIDE, UH, FOR QUESTIONS, LET ME GO OVER.
WE'VE GOT THREE RENDERINGS AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION.
LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST SHOW THOSE HERE REAL QUICKLY.
IF WE GO A FEW MORE SLIDES HERE.
SO THIS IS A, AN IMAGE, JOHN, ALL THESE IMAGES, GREAT IMAGES WERE DONE BY PERKINS AND WELL.
UM, THIS IS AS YOU ENTER THE BUILDING AND THE EXISTING DRUM IN THE LOBBY, YOU SEE THE EXTENDED EXTENDED, UH, GALLERY SPACES OVER TO THE LEFT AND THEN OVER TO THE RIGHT WOULD BE SOME OF THE, UH, EDUCATIONAL SPACES ON THE WAY TO THE THEATER AND THE NEW THEATER NEXT LAP.
I TALKED ABOUT THE ADDITION OF THE 500 SEAT THEATER.
THIS IS THE OUTDOOR LOBBY OR THE LOBBY THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE THEATER AS YOU ENTER AND EXIT THE THEATER, UM, ON THE SECOND FLOOR, UH, YOU, AS YOU LOOK OUT THE WINDOW, YOU'RE LOOKING ACROSS THE EXISTING COURTYARD ONTO THE ADDED, UH, EDUCATIONAL AND GALLERY SPACES NEXT LINE.
AND THEN LASTLY, THIS IS A RENDERING OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE STANDING ON THE PAVILION, THE NEW PAVILION, LOOKING OUT ON THE EVENT LAWN, UM, THE BACKGROUND THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE NEW ADDITION AGAIN, THAT HOUSES THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUITE AT THE TOP AND THE NEW GALLERY SPACES IN THE MIDDLE AND THE EDUCATIONAL SPACES ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
UM, IT'S JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE CARVE EXPANSION PLAN, AND I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE HAS, UH, ON ANY DETAILS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I ALWAYS HAVE A
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QUESTION AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO LET SOMEBODY ELSE TALK FIRST.I'M ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER AND WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND OVER TO THE FOC BUILDING AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT MY FOCUS IS, IS TO KIND OF EXEMPLIFY ALL THE COMMUNITIES THAT MADE AUSTIN WHAT IT IS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SEE KIND OF A BATTLE THERE BETWEEN US AND Y'ALL ARE IN, I DON'T SEE YOUR PRESENTATION, HOW WHAT'S YOUR FOCUSING ON AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE REALLY PRESENTING TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE HISTORY, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT STUFF WE'D LIKE TO HAVE IN OUR CENTER TO, TO WHERE WE HAVE A MORE DIVERSE, MAYBE A MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCE, YOU KNOW, TO WHERE WE CAN SHOW THE HISTORY OF BOSTON AND HOW EVEN INCLUDING ASIAN-AMERICANS LIKE ME, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT RACES THAT DID MAKE UP THE CITY.
SO I'M KIND OF WONDERING IF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME COMPETITION THERE, OR HOW MUCH EMPHASIS HAVE YOU PUT INTO THE ACTUAL, THE KIND OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER KIND OF DEAL AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE, A STATEMENT TO THE CITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE GENTRIFICATION, EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN KIND OF RUINING OUR CULTURE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT THAT, MORE OF A PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, BY THE WAY.
UM, LET ME, UH, I'LL ADDRESS THE, UH, COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, UM, THE BLUE PROGRAM CAPTURING SOME OF THE HISTORY OF EAST AUSTIN.
UM, THAT WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSED ABOUT THE GENTRIFICATION IN THE AREA, IN FACT, UH, THAT AREAS AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, UH, A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, COMMUNITY HAS MOVED OUT, MOVED AWAY.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO RECONNECT, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES BACK TO CARVER, UH, MOST OF WHOM MANY OF THEIR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS LIVED IN THAT AREA.
AND SO, UM, ONE THING I CAN SAY, UH, THE NEW GALLERIES THAT ARE TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THOSE GALLERIES ARE, UH, UH, TEMPORARY TRAVELING EXHIBITS AND SOME OF THOSE WILL BE PERMANENT.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT A PART OF THE PERMANENT GALLERY WILL BE DEDICATED TO, UH, THE HISTORY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN, IN CARVER.
AND, UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT IN THE FINAL, FINAL DOCUMENT, ALTHOUGH TO YOU, YOU DIDN'T SEE MUCH OF THAT IN THIS PRESENTATION, UM, ON YOUR OTHER, UH, QUESTION, I THINK I'LL PUT THAT OVER TO EITHER GREG OR SOMEONE, UH, WITH THE CITY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DO KNOW THE DIRECTOR OF THE LIBRARIES.
HE'S, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, HE'S REALLY HELPFUL TO US AS FAR AS GETTING OUR HISTORY CENTER ESTABLISHED, BUT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF COMPETITION, RIGHT? THERE'S TO WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO SHOULD HAVE THE EXHIBITS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT MAYBE IT'S BETTER TO HAVE IT KIND OF MORE CENTRAL, BUT I DO REALLY LIKE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR CORPORATE CENTER AS BEING THE COMMUNITY CENTER TOO.
BUT IF YOU FOCUS ON KIND OF THE BLACK AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE, UH, AND KIND OF, KIND OF LIKE SPECIALIZE IN THAT, AND WE DID SEE THIS FIESTA GARDENS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, OVER THERE IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND WE WERE KIND OF A LITTLE BOTHERED BY IT BECAUSE THEY HAD A LOT OF PUBLIC SPACES AND ALL THAT, BUT IT WAS KIND OF A LIBRARY AS FAR AS RENTING OUT THE SPACE.
SO ARE YOU GOING TO KIND OF A FAVOR THE COMMUNITY WHEN Y'ALL HAVE IT, THEY HAVE EVENTS OR ARE YOU GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEM THE NOD IS TO BEING ABLE TO HAVE PRIORITY FOR THAT SPACE, RATHER THAN JUST OPEN IT UP TO SOME KIND OF A LOTTERY WORK.
ANYBODY IN AUSTIN CAN KIND OF RENT IT OUT.
I'LL LET GREG AND LAURA TACKLE THAT PROGRAMMING QUESTIONS.
UH, YEAH, THIS IS WALTER, AS FAR AS, UH, UM, I'M DIVISION MANAGER OF MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS. UM, AND THIS SPACE HAS A VERY SPECIFIC MISSION.
UM, IT IS DEVOTED TO THE, UM, CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURES IN THE US, UM, AND AS SUCH IT, UH, IT REALLY SERVES A PURPOSE OF PRESERVING, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND AFRICAN CULTURES HERE.
UM, THAT IS A PROJECT THAT IS, UH, NECESSARILY CENTERED ON THE PRESERVATION OF CULTURE.
UM, AS THAT HAS BEEN THREATENED IN AUSTIN, AS WE HAVE LOST, UM, QUITE A BIT OF POPULATION, UM, AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION FROM AUSTIN.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US TO HAVE A SPACE, UM, THAT SPEAKS TO THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS IN THE US.
UM, THIS SITE IS A VERY HISTORIC SITE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE, UM, THAT THIS WAS THE SITE WHERE THE,
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WHERE THE, UM, AUSTIN'S FIRST LIBRARY WAS MOVED, UM, JUST AFTER THE 1928 COOK AND POLAR PLAN, UH, THAT SEGREGATED AUSTIN.UM, AND SO THIS, THIS, UH, LIBRARY WAS DEDICATED, UH, TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND IT WAS THE ONLY LIBRARY, UM, THAT AFRICAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAD.
THAT'S THE OLDER BUILDING THAT SITS STILL SITS ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT BUILDING IS THAT IT NOT ONLY SERVED AS A LIBRARY, IT ALSO SERVED AS THE CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S WHERE COMMUNITY AND MEETINGS, WHERE THEY HAD EXHIBITS, UM, WHERE PEOPLE COULD, UH, MEET AND ORGANIZE, UH, FOR THEMSELVES.
AND SO, UM, AS, UM, THE CITY HAS GROWN IN MANY RESPECTS, THE LIBRARY EXPANDED INTO A NEW BUILDING AND THE CULTURAL CENTER EXPANDED INTO A NEW BUILDING, BUT IT'S STILL A VERY IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT CORNER IN AUSTIN IN TERMS OF THE ROLE THAT THAT CENTER PLAYED, UH, IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY THERE.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CITING, UM, THE MUSEUM AT THAT SITE IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ACT IN TERMS OF PRESERVING AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY COME A LONG WAY IN US.
AND WE FINALLY GOT THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY THE LAST ONES THAT GOT THAT, BUT THERE WAS A MAC THERE'S A CARVER.
SO I, I LOVE HAVING THE, THESE SPECIAL PLACES, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR, OUR RACE OR CULTURES TO KIND OF CELEBRATE.
AND, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF LIKE FOCUS MORE ON KIND OF THE LOCAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE DID TO MAKE US AND WHAT IT IS, AND THAT'S WHAT THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER IS TRYING TO DO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WITH ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE DIVERGENCE OF ALL THOSE RACIAL, UH, EXPERIENCES.
BUT SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I JUST W THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THIS UP.
WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT AND MAYBE YOU'RE NOT AWARE THAT WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE LIBRARY AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE HISTORY CENTER.
WE'RE KIND OF JOINED AT THE HIP, UM, AND THAT WE HAVE THE SAME PROJECT, THE SAME CULTURAL PROJECT OF, UH, PRESERVING CULTURE.
AND SO, UM, WE, UH, JUST WON THE SUPPORT OF THE LIBRARY COMMISSION BECAUSE, UM, THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR ASKED US DIRECTLY, ARE YOU, ARE YOU WILLING TO, TO, UH, PROGRAM ALONG WITH US? AND WE SAID, ABSOLUTELY, WE ARE YOUR PARTNERS IN THE PAST, IN THE PRESENT AND INTO THE FUTURE.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANY MORE.
THAT'S KINDA WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.
I DIDN'T HEAR THAT BEFORE, BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANT TO HEAR.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, MR. REMINDERS.
WELL, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING PROPOSAL.
I WANTED TO EXPLORE THE PUBLIC PLAZA A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, UM, IN THE RENDERING, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE SOME FOOD TRUCKS, AND I JUST WONDER, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ALMOST IN INCUBATORY, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR A LOCAL BUSINESS, MAYBE EVEN UPON THAT IS BLACK OWNED TO HAVE MORE OF A PERMANENT RESIDENCE, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S DESIGNED TO BE MORE TEMPORARY? WHAT ARE THE THOUGHTS AROUND THAT? OKAY.
AND THIS IS EQUIPPED WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I THINK, UH, THAT'S FACE WE, UH, TRY TO ILLUSTRATE IN A WAY THAT KIND OF GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE KIND OF THE FRONT DOOR TO THE CAMPUS, AS YOU PROBABLY ARE AWARE OF.
WE NOT ONLY HAVE OUR MUSEUM THERE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE LIBRARY THERE IN GENEALOGY CENTER.
SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF CREATE A FRONT DOOR, AND THAT WAS IN OUR OPINIONS AND IN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT WAS A SUPPORTED IDEA, BUT, UM, WE DIDN'T REALLY DEFINE WHAT THAT SPACE WOULD REALLY KIND OF LOOK LIKE JUST YET, BUT I THINK WE'RE LEAVING THAT OPEN FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE DESIGN PHASE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT WE LEFT A LITTLE BIT OF LATITUDE THERE AND WE DIDN'T GET TOO PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT, IT'S GOING TO LOOK THIS WAY AND WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THESE TYPES OF SPECIFIC USES.
THINK WE'RE LEAVING THAT A LITTLE FLUID SO THAT WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY TO MOVE INTO THAT NEXT PHASE, BECAUSE OUR, OUR, OUR APPROXIMATE RECREATION DEVELOPMENT TEAM, OUR CIP TEAM IS GOING TO PICK UP THIS PROJECT AND MOVE FORWARD INTO A DESIGN PHASE.
SO I THINK THAT FUTURE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH STAKEHOLDERS IS GOING TO KIND OF BETTER SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO I THINK THE QUESTION THAT YOU BRING UP, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE A POINT OF DISCUSSION IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE WE CAN BETTER DEFINE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK
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LIKE IN THIS PLANNING PHASE.AND I THINK WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WAS TO GAIN SOME SUPPORT FOR THAT, UH, SPACE TO BE OPEN, UM, AND TO KIND OF BE FLEXIBLE.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD DISCUSSIONS IN THE FUTURE ABOUT THAT SPACE, FOR SURE.
UM, THE, THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT BLACK BUSINESSES AND THE INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, JUST LAST WEEK, WE PRESENTED TO THE ARRC AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESOURCES, ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, AND ONE OF THEIR ACTUAL IDEAS WAS TO IMPLEMENT RETAIL OR BUSINESSES, BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES INTO THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF THE GARAGE.
SO, UM, THAT WE THOUGHT THAT WAS, UH, A VERY GOOD IDEA.
UM, UH, IT'D BE FRONTING A VERY, VERY BUSY STREET.
UH, YOU COULD HAVE STOREFRONT BUSINESSES, UM, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
I THINK ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU ALL CAN PROVIDE, IT'S NOT JUST FAMILIES THAT WERE DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES, BUT BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE DISPLACED FROM THEIR BUSINESSES.
I THINK IF WE CAN HELP TO HAVE A RECOGNIZE IT BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING THOSE BUSINESSES BACK IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, THAT'S REALLY ENCOURAGED.
YOU DO, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I LOVE SEEING ALL OF THIS NEW POTENTIAL, UH, ALONG THE SAME LINE THAT COMMISSIONER MINORS WAS DISCUSSING ABOUT THE SIDE.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW I GET THERE, THE CONNECTIVITY, THAT PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE, HOW I MIGHT GET THERE THROUGH MASS TRANSPORTATION, ADJACENCIES, HOW, HOW I LOOK IN THE CONTEXT OF MY SURROUNDINGS.
CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR EDGES AND HOW, HOW YOU APPROACH THE SIDE? WELL, I CAN TALK ABOUT THE MICRO I'D PROBABLY HAVE TO LET GREG OR SOMEONE TALK ABOUT THE MACRO PART OF THAT QUESTION.
IN FACT, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PULL UP THE PRESENTATION, WE COULD GO BACK TO THE SITE PLAN, UH, THAT MIGHT HELP GIVE US SOME CONTEXT ON THAT QUESTION.
IF WE GO BACK A FEW SLIDES THERE TO THE SITE, LIKE ONE MORE DAY, YOU CAN, UM, CURRENTLY THERE'S ACTUALLY ASK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
I CAN TELL YOU CURRENTLY THERE IS A BUS STOP RIGHT THERE ON THE CORNER OF PAC.
YOU CAN SEE IT DOWN AT THE LOWER LEFT CORNER THERE.
SO THERE'S A DIRECT STOP FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RIGHT ONTO THIS SITE, UM, BECAUSE THE EXISTING BUILDING, NO, UH, WAS SET IN ITS CURRENT, UH, UH, FORM, UH, AND THE GENEALOGY CENTER WAS THERE AND THE LIBRARY WHERE THEY WERE THERE AND THE SCHOOL WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WAS THE PARKING, HOW PARKING WOULD IMPACT IF THAT COMMUNITY AND HOW WE WOULD RESOLVE THAT.
YOU KNOW, MOST OF THOSE RIGHT OF WAYS ARE NOT VERY LARGE.
IT'S NOT THAT IT'S SOME STREET PARKING, BUT IT'S CURRENTLY NOT ENOUGH, OBVIOUSLY TO BE ENOUGH TO CATER TO CARVER IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, SETTING THAT GARAGE THERE, WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON WHERE THAT GARAGE WOULD GO.
UM, WE SETTLED ON THAT LOCATION BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT, UH, THE SCHOOL'S PARKING UP ON THE NORTH, BUT ONE OF THE IDEAS WE HAD ON THAT GARAGE WAS THE GARAGE SERVING AS AN ART PIECE TO THE COMMUNITY, LIKE A MURAL ON A FACADE OR SOMETHING THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, AS YOU PASS DOWN ON ROSEWOOD STREET AND UPON ANGELINA.
SO IN MY MICRO, UH, LEVEL, UM, THE MAIN THING WE HAD TO DEAL WITH ON THE SITE WAS THE UTILITIES RELOCATING THOSE UTILITIES.
SO WE COULD EXPAND THIS EXISTING BUILDING.
WE DID WANT TO RESPECT THE SHAPE OF THE BUILDING THAT WAS DESIGNED ORIGINALLY BY DONNA CARTER.
UM, AND SO THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS OR SO AGO, THEY'RE STILL AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY MOVED FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY WERE AROUND WHEN THE ORIGINAL CARVER WAS, UH, CONSTRUCTED.
SO FROM A MICRO LEVEL, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW, LAURA, GREG, YOU WANT TO HANDLE SIMILAR, MORE MACRO ASPECTS TO THAT QUESTION FROM BOSTON? SURE.
I COULD TRY TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE KIND OF, UH, KIND OF LOOKING AT ROSEWOOD AVENUE ON THE SOUTH SIDE AS A PEDESTRIAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS ARE ALWAYS THE KEY, UH, YOU KNOW, A PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO GET PEOPLE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY.
I KNOW THAT, UH, BOTH ROSE WOOD, UM,
[00:30:01]
I PUT ANGELINA MILES AND I WANT TO SAY THAT PENNSYLVANIA ON THE NORTH SIDE OF SIDEWALKS TO GET TO THE SITE NOW HOW EXTENSIVE THEY ARE AS THEY BLEED INTO THE REST OF THE, THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD MISS LIKE MOST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY, BUT BEING THAT THIS IS AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I'M THINKING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A NETWORK OF SIDEWALKS THAT ARE IN PLACE TO GET FOLKS THAT ARE NEARBY TO THE SITE WITHOUT HAVING TO GET IN A, UH, VEHICLE.
WE DO HAVE BIKE LANES ALSO IN ROSEWOOD AVENUE.
UM, SO THEY ARE IN BOTH THE EAST AND WEST DIRECTION.
AND THEN THE NUMBER TWO, UH, BUS ROUTE DOES HAVE A VERY KEY AND CONVENIENT A BUS STOP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD WOULD AT THE CORNER OF ANGELINA AND ROSE WITH WHICH IS I THINK, UH, VERY HELPFUL TO GET, UH, VISITORS TO THE LIBRARY AND THE MUSEUM.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A KEY COMPONENT THAT AS WE LOOK AT THAT PUBLIC SPACE AT THAT CORNER, WE WANT YOU TO INCORPORATE, TO MAKE IT MORE INVITING AND MORE, UH, USABLE FOR, FOR FOLKS AND EASIER FOR FOLKS TO USE AND ACCESS THE CAMPUS.
BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK, I GUESS, MAKE THAT KIND OF A FRONT DOOR.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, EAST CYCLE ALSO HAS A STATION ON ANGELINA, WHICH WOULD BE THE EAST SIDE OF ANGELINA STREET, JUST OUTSIDE OF THE LIBRARY.
SO, UM, THAT IS ALSO THERE TO MAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, CYCLING TO THIS SITE AND FROM THE SIDE, UM, MORE CONVENIENT.
UM, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT, UM, WENT ON ANSWERED IN YOUR QUESTION.
WELL, I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING IS ON THE WEST, UM, THAT THE, THE, THE SIDEWALKS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STRUCTURES AND THAT SIDEWALL EXPERIENCE LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE VERY HOT.
SO I THINK SHOWING SOMETHING IN THE SPIRIT OF GREAT STREETS AND CERTAINLY SUBCHAPTER E THAT LOOKS AT A SHADED EDGE THERE, I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO EVEN SHOW AT A MASTER PLAN STAGE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT.
I APPRECIATE THE KIND OF ACTIVITY.
THE ONE THING I'M LOOKING AT TOO, IS IS THAT A DETENTION POND ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAWN PLAN, SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAWN? YEAH, IT IS EXISTING TODAY.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A DRIVER, BUT SOMEWHAT OF A DRY POND.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT IS PLANNED TO BE ENHANCED.
UM, BUT OF THE STORM INFRASTRUCTURE INFRASTRUCTURE IS, UH, AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM IS GETTING REBUILT.
BECAUSE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE ON THAT LOADING DOCK AND PARKING LOT SIDE, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT CONNECTION, BUT I WOULD, LIKE YOU SAID, I THINK I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT INTEGRATING THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION IN THAT POND WHERE IT'S NOT HUGGING THAT LOADING DOCK.
I DO SEE IT ON THE PLAN RIGHT-HAND SIDE, EAST SIDE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S SOME MINOR CONNECTION COMPARED TO THE WIDER ONE.
I, I JUST, YEAH, JUST THINGS LIKE, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE CONNECTION TO THE SURROUNDINGS, BECAUSE I THINK THE STRENGTH IN THIS, THESE OPEN SPACES IS HOW WELL THEY INTEGRATE WITH THE EDGE.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I NOTICED.
ONE OTHER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S JUST A SIDE NOTE, THAT'S BEEN, UM, VERY PRESENT SINCE WE LOST ALL THE PLANT MATERIAL DURING OUR BREAKS, NO EVENT IS I'M SEEING A LOT OF SHRUBS AND TREES AND GROUND COVER INDICATED, WHICH IS EXCELLENT, WHETHER IT'S A COMMUNITY GARDEN OR A ZEROSCAPE ART OR WHATEVER IT IS, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THE NUMBER I'M GETTING FROM MY LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR FRIENDS IS ABOUT 10% OF YOUR LANDSCAPE AND INSTALLATION WILL BE MAINTENANCE MONEY GOING FORWARD.
SO EVERY 10 YEARS YOU'VE KIND OF PAID FOR ALL OF YOUR LANDSCAPE INSTALL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE ALL WANT LOW MAINTENANCE AND EASY TO MAINTAIN.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY, BE VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH HOW MUCH INTENSE MAINTENANCE YOU HAVE IN AREAS LIKE THAT, AND JUST GROW IT OVER TIME, BUT DON'T BE OVERLY AMBITIOUS.
WE'RE HAVING CHALLENGES ON SOME OF OUR PUBLIC PROJECTS, LIKE NOW IN RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN.
SO I JUST MENTIONED THAT OPEN LAWNS ARE GREAT, THAT HIGH-INTENSE LANDSCAPE AREAS.
JUST, YOU DEFINITELY WANT THAT, BUT JUST BE CONSERVATIVE IN IT AS A STARTUP.
THE INTENTION OF THAT AREA, THAT GARDEN AREA IS TO BE A COMMUNITY GARDEN.
JUST MAYBE THE SIZE, JUST STUDY THE SIZE OF GROW INTO IT.
THERE'S SOME COMMUNITY GARDENS THAT ARE HUGE SUCCESSES AND THEIR SONS THAT BECOME MAINTENANCE OVERWHELMING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY AN UNSOLICITED COMMENT, BUT I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CONNECTIVITY DISCUSSION.
[00:35:01]
I, UH, HAD SIMILAR COMMENTS TO COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, SO I WON'T, UM, SAY ANY OF THEM, BUT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION IS, UM, REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND, UH, KIND OF A GREAT CASE STUDY FOR US.UM, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SLIDES, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I ENCOURAGE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE IN THE BACK OF THEIR MINDS THAT AS WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS PLANNING, UH, REWRITING OUR URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, PERHAPS WE WORK IN SOMETHING THERE SO THAT, UM, WE ENCOURAGE, UH, PRESENTERS TO INCLUDE SLIDES LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT'S, UM, I'D LOVE TO SEE IT FOR ALL KINDS OF PROJECTS, NOT JUST THESE KINDS OF PUBLIC BUDGETS, UM, FOR, YEAH, IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE THIS CASE STUDY.
AND IF YOU COULD MAYBE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, LIKE FINDINGS AND HURDLES AND BARRIERS, UM, HURDLES, BARRIERS, CHALLENGES, BUT THEN ALSO LIKE FINDINGS AND INSIGHTS FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.
GREG, YOU JUST ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.
IN THE LAST MEETING PRESENTATION.
WELL, I, I WAS ALSO SMILING BECAUSE I WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING AS TERRY MENTIONED, UH, TO WORSEN COMMISSIONS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING FOR, FOR OUR TEAM HAS BEEN THAT, UM, WHEN THE, THE SCOPE OF WORK WAS DRAWN UP FOR THIS PROJECT AND WAS KEEPING IN MIND THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE IN-PERSON MEETINGS, UM, WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, UM, WE HAD TO CHANGE OUR GAME PLAN WHILE THE PLAN HAD ALREADY STARTED IN.
SO IN THE PROCESS WE HAD TO ADJUST TO NOW GOING VIRTUAL WHEN THE SCOPE WAS LAID OUT TO GO IN PERSON.
SO THE PANDEMIC HIT PRETTY QUICKLY AND WE HAD TO, AS A TEAM ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES.
BUT AS IN THIS SLIDE, AS TERRY HIGHLIGHTED, I THINK THE PRESENT, THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE SHARED WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE OUTREACH THAT WAS DONE, AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT WE MADE WERE CERTAIN GROUPS THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE LAURA'S, YOU KNOW, UH, AND, AND, AND OUR CURATOR AT THE MUSEUM AT HIGHLIGHT, THERE WERE CERTAIN GROUPS WE NEEDED TO MEET WITH.
AND SO, UM, MAKING THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, I THINK WAS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR US DURING THE ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK NOW MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THAT I SPOKE TO WORK.
I'M GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP A COMPONENT OF VIRTUAL, BUT ALSO IN PERSON I HAVE YET TO MEET TERRY SMITH IN PERSON WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM.
AND STEPHEN CLOSEST FROM PARKINSON WILL FOR A YEAR NOW.
UM, AND WE HAVE NOT MET ONE STAKEHOLDER IN PERSON.
THAT WAS A HUGE CHALLENGE, BUT KEEPING IN MIND, WE WENT VIRTUAL 100%, BUT YET WITH STAKEHOLDERS INPUT, WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE THIS, THIS GREAT PLAN THAT WAS PREVIOUS TONIGHT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO THE, TO THE EFFORTS THAT PART STAFF AND THE CONSULTANT TEAMMATE TO ADJUST, UM, AND TO, YOU KNOW, STILL CREATE A PLAN THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THEIR, THEIR DESIRES AND THOUGHTS AND INPUT THAT THEN SHARED WITH US THAT I THINK FOR US WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE LAURA AND TERRY SOME TIME TO ALSO, UM, CHIME IN, BUT I THINK THAT OUR EFFORTS TO GET THE WORD OUT, UH, WAS, WAS SUCCESSFUL, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TO CHANGE THE GAME PLAN.
I CAN ADD SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING TO THAT QUESTION.
THIS GROUP WOULD BE PROBABLY MORE INTERESTED IN THIS THAN THE OTHER GROUPS THAT WE PRESENTED TO BECAUSE AS A, AS A CONSULTANT, UM, AS A DESIGN CONSULTANT AND ARCHITECT, YOU RELY SOMETIMES ON THE, NOT JUST THE OPEN REPEAT BACK, YOU RE YOU RELY ON THE ATTITUDE IN THE ROOM, YOU RELY ON THE FACIAL GESTURES AS YOU'RE PRESENTING, AND YOU USE ALL OF THOSE CUES TO READ YOUR CLIENT, UM, MEETING VIRTUALLY YOU DON'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO.
AND SO IT WAS A VERY, VERY, UH, DIFFERENT PROCESS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ONE POSITIVE OF IT, UM, IS YOU REACH AN AUDIENCE THAT YOU WOULD NOT OTHERWISE REACH IF YOUR, ALL YOUR MEETINGS WERE IN PERSON.
UM, AND BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, NOBODY WAS HAVING ANY VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
I MEAN, YOU WERE, BUT THEY WERE VERY LIMITED.
SO, UM, HAD THIS GONE, LIKE GREG TALKED ABOUT HOW WE EXPECTED, UH, I THINK WE ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE LOST THE PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE, WE GAINED BECAUSE NOW THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GET IN THEIR CAR.
THEY COULD SIMPLY WALK TO THEIR COMPUTERS AND THEY'RE THERE THEY ARE.
[00:40:01]
I THINK IT WAS A GIVE AND TAKE.IT WAS DEFINITELY PLUSES AND MINUSES, BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, UM, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED THE CORE TEAM FROM PART IN PARTICULARLY THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OFFICERS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DID A GREAT JOB.
ULTIMATELY, I THINK THE STRENGTH IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, PROCESS WAS IN TARGET MARKETING.
UM, WE WOULD IDENTIFY A CONSTITUENCY THAT WAS VERY INVESTED.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD REACH OUT TO THEM.
WE WOULD PHONE CALL, UM, EMAIL, UH, CAJOLE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, THESE WERE FOLKS THAT WE KNEW WERE ALREADY REALLY INVESTED IN THE CARVER AND WOULD SHOW UP WHEN WE ASK THEM TO ARE REPRESENTING EACH OF THE GENRES, EACH OF THE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES THAT WE SERVE AT THE CARVER, BUT ALSO SOME SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, UM, UH, LIKE, UH, THE AMBASSADORS, WHICH IS A LONG TIME SUPPORT GROUP FOR THE CARVER AND A NEWER SUPPORT GROUP MADE UP OF ACADEMICS, UH, CALLED, UM, THE CARVER TASK FORCE.
AND BY BREAK, HAVING A LOT OF MEETINGS THAT WERE SMALL, UM, PEOPLE FELT, UH, THE INTIMACY, WE STAGED A, UM, UH, FOCUS GROUP THAT INCREASED INTIMACY.
SO THE MOMENT THEY CAME TO ROOM, UH, WE ADDRESS THEM BY NAME AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM AND THEIR KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND HOW ARE THEY DOING, UH, TO CREATE THAT CONNECTION? UM, WE WORKED REALLY HARD AT IT AND I THINK IT PAID OFF.
I'M LIKE TOTALLY SIDETRACKING MESS, I FEEL, BUT HAVE YOU, UM, GOT LIKE, UH, ENGAGEMENT, BEST PRACTICES AND LICENSED LAND LIKES TOOLS AND METHODS THAT YOU SHARE OUT, LIKE A RESOURCE THAT DESIGNERS CAN, UM, BORROW FROM? I DID WRITE AN ARTICLE, UM, BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE FOR THE IMAGINE AUSTIN, UH, THIS LETTER, AND, UH, I CAN SHARE THAT ARTICLE WITH YOU.
UM, I, I THINK IT WAS THIS PROJECT WE'RE INVOLVED IN LA I'M INVOLVED IN LOTS OF CIP PROJECTS AS A RESULT OF THE 2018 BOND.
UH, AND WE'VE HAD TO DO IT ALL VIRTUALLY.
UM, BUT SO THERE WERE MANY LESSONS LEARNED, UH, IN THIS, UM, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REHEARSE.
IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE KNOW THEIR ROLES.
UM, IT WAS IMPORTANT, UM, TO KEEP IT MOVING AND KEEP IT INTERESTING, VARYING THE TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS THAT WE PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T GET BORED.
UM, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CALL ON PEOPLE BY NAME.
WE DIDN'T FIND BREAKOUT BOOKS, HELPFUL.
UM, PEOPLE WERE MORE, UM, INCLINED TO SHARE IN A LARGER GROUP THAN IN A BREAKOUT GROUP.
I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A BIT OF A SIDETRACK, SO I MIGHT REACH OUT TO YOU SEPARATELY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RAWLINSON.
UH, I WILL SAY, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE MOVE TO SORT OF TAKE THAT CORNER AT ROSEWOOD AND ANGELINA AND GIVE IT BACK TO THE PEOPLE.
NO, THAT CURRENT PARKING LOT, I JUST THOUGHT WAS, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY GO THERE A LOT.
I LIVE REALLY CLOSE BY AND, UM, I JUST NEVER LIKED THAT PARKING LOT IN THAT LOCATION.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE FOR BRINGING THAT PUBLIC PLAZA TO THAT PROMINENT CORNER.
UM, I WILL SAY I, I DO SHARE SOME COMMISSIONER COMMENTS, CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONNECTIVITY.
SO, UH, ESPECIALLY FROM THE GARAGE, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY CRITICAL PIECE OF THIS IS THE GARAGE.
UH, DO YOU KNOW CURRENTLY ABOUT HOW MANY SPACES YOU'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING IN THAT GARAGE APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 300 IS WHAT WE'VE, UM, TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
OF COURSE, THAT COULD GO UP OR DOWN CONSIDERING ON THE FINAL DESIGN THAT SHE'S BUILT.
UM, YEAH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I COULD SEE IT, UH, BEING FULL TOO, IF YOU HAVE BIG EVENTS UP THERE.
AND I REALLY LIKED THE IDEA THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT, UM, ADDING SOME RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO ACTIVATE THAT SPACE THERE.
UM, AND THE, YOU KNOW, AND PROVIDE EVEN MORE, UH, REASON FOR STRONG CONNECTIVITY,
[00:45:01]
UH, TO THE REST OF THOSE AREAS.UM, YEAH, THAT WAS A GREAT COMMENT.
WHY DID WE THINK OF THAT? UM, AND YEAH, AND ESPECIALLY THE SORT OF BACK OF HOUSE AREA THERE, I THINK COMMISSIONER COLEMAN KIND OF ALLUDED TO, IT SEEMS TO SORT OF CUT OFF THE GARAGE FROM THE REST OF THE SPACE AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S THERE.
UM, BUT I THINK SOME OF THOSE MOVES COULD HELP, UH, ADDRESS THAT.
UM, EH, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IT'S MORE OF IT'S THE CONCERN IS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE IDEA OF TURNING THIS EXPANSION AND TURNING THIS EVEN TO A GREATER FACILITY.
BUT PART OF IT, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE STARTS TO CONCERN ME, GIVEN THAT THERE ARE NO MAJOR ROADS IN THIS AREA.
I MEAN, ALL ROSEWOOD CHECON, I MEAN, ALL THESE ROADS ARE SINGLE LANE EACH DIRECTION, UM, AND JUST THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC SLOW IN THESE AREAS AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE SCHOOL.
UM, SO I MEAN, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S NO, UM, LIGHT RAIL STOP NEAR HERE, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT, UM, I JUST, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, ABOUT THAT TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY IF A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DRIVING DOWN ROSEWOOD AND 11TH STREET, UM, IT'S, IT ALREADY SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC THESE DAYS.
UH, SO ANYWAY, JUST SOME THOUGHTS TO THINK ABOUT.
SO CHAIR, I HAVE TWO FINAL REMARKS.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M PRETTY MUCH INVOLVED WITH THE HOUSTON TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY.
WE HAVE A PARKING LOT THERE WHERE THERE MIGHT BE A WAY THAT WE COULD THINK ABOUT SHARING SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS THERE.
BUT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBESON IN LAURA'S DISCUSSION.
LAURA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB BREAKING, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, BECAUSE IF EVERYBODY WORKED ON THAT GO VIA, I W I WAS ACTUALLY A PRIVATE CONSULTANT ON THE GOODBYE, A SWIMMING POOL.
AND THAT WAS LIKE THREE YEARS AGO.
AND SHE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB BRINGING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CONSULTANTS TOGETHER, THE CITY TOGETHER.
OF COURSE, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET EVERYTHING DONE ON TIME, LIKE THEY WANTED TO, BUT SHE IS JUST A REALLY GREAT ASSET FOR THE CITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS SOMEBODY WHO CAN BRING THOSE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
TANIGUCHI DID ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS GOING ONCE GOING TWICE? WELL, I'LL MAKE A, I'LL MAKE A MOTION IF WE NEED TO, IF WE NEED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND THIS PROJECT OR WHATEVER THE NEXT STEP IS, UM, MAKE THAT MOTION THEN LIKE THE TEXT.
NO, IT'S, IT'S NOT POSTED FOR ANY ACTION TONIGHT.
IT WAS JUST A, JUST A BRIEFING ME TO MAKE A MOTION, BUT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE A FANTASTIC PROJECT AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT AT GREAT PRESENTATION.
[2.a. Approval of the March 22nd meeting minutes.]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS ITEM TWO, A APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 22ND MEETING.IF SOMEONE HAS A VICE CHAIR IN OUR BLADER COMMISSIONER.
AND I AM A S THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
[00:50:02]
THANK YOU.UH, WE'LL GO TO ITEM TWO B ATTENDANCE REPORTS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, I THINK THIS WAS, IS THIS YOUR ITEM, ERIN? YOU THERE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
YOU WOULDN'T HEAR FROM AARON OR JORGE.
I CAN COME BACK TO THE SIGN AND WHEN YOU AREN'T ABLE TO RECONNECT.
[2.c. Officer Elections: Chair & Vice Chair]
TO ITEM TWO C OFFICER ELECTIONS, CHAIR, AND VICE CHAIR.I DIDN'T HEAR FROM ANYONE WITH ANY INTEREST, SO NO ONE HAS ANY INTEREST OF THAT, THAT LAUGH.
UH, YOU DIDN'T HEAR HIM ANYONE, CAUSE THAT WAS STRONG.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU, UH, CAN YOU DISCUSS ABOUT, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE BALLOT IS RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, I FORGOT, UH IT'S WE NEED TO ELECT A CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR CURRENTLY.
AND, UM, UH, THE VICE CHAIR IN OUR BLADE, I WAS VICE CHAIR.
WE, UH, BOTH, I BELIEVE AGREED TO CONTINUE IF NO ONE ELSE HAS INTEREST, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, I'LL MOVE THAT ON SECOND.
SO I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY.
WE GOT A GOOD GAME GOING BROKE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT TO TERRIFY ME? JUST TO CLARIFY, CAN WE ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THE MOTION FOR THE RECORD? OH YEAH.
CAN WE DO BOTH AT ONCE? SO WE NEEDED TO DO SEPARATE ONES.
YOU CAN DO BOTH AT ONCE CHAIRS.
WE WILL NEED NOMINATIONS FOR BOTH CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
YOU CAN CHAIR CAROL AND VICE CHAIR, MELISSA REPLY THOUGH.
AS FAR AS CHAIR FOR THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE.
I'D LIKE SOME DISCUSSION HERE.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND SO HAS COMMISSIONER WATLEY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT TERM THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR YOU, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BEST WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN LEARN OR GET, GET SITUATED IS THAT WE GROOM THEM.
IF THEY'RE READY TO BE A CHAIRS, WAIT, WE KIND OF MOVE THIS THING.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN THE CHAIR? I RESPECT YOUR, I RESPECT YOUR DEDICATION AND ALL, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I APPRECIATE THAT EVAN.
UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, UM, UH, AS I SAID, WILLING TO, TO BE CHAIR AGAIN, BUT, UM, I'VE ONLY GOT TWO YEARS LEFT BEFORE I TIED THEM OUT.
AND SO I DEFINITELY THINK IF I DO IT THIS YEAR, SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD DO IT NEXT YEAR.
WHY? SO I'M STILL AROUND AND THEN CAN HELP THEM.
OTHERWISE WE JUST HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF, AND I BELIEVE YOU, THAT DROP OFF AND THE NEW PEOPLE WILL BE LEFT PLAYING SO WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF I DROPPED OFF, I'VE BEEN ON HERE FOR LIKE 13 YEARS NOW AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO, I'VE BEEN STAYING ON JUST SO I CAN KIND OF BE THE MENTOR OR WHATEVER IT IS AND THE ALWAYS COMMISSIONER WILDLY.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD KIND OF LIMIT THE CHAIR, CHAIRMAN SHIP OR CHAIRWOMANSHIP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN YOU BECOME IN THAT POSITION, YOU REALLY LEARN A LOT, YOU KNOW? SO, UM, I WAS ENCOURAGING THE, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO KIND OF LOOK AT A LIMIT SO THAT WE CAN BRING SOME OF THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ON BOARD AND THEY'VE BEEN AROUND.
AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY DEDICATED, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
YOU DON'T REALLY LEARN WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT UNTIL YOU, AND YOU CAN ASK A CHAIR BOTLEY TOO, YOU DON'T LEARN A LOT ABOUT THIS TILL YOU'RE ACTUALLY LEADING THESE DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS FEEL KIND OF A, I FEEL KIND OF INTIMIDATED WHEN YOU WANT COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS THE ONE THAT HAS TO GO FIRST ABOUT COMMENTING,
[00:55:01]
BUT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 14 YEARS AND YOU KNOW, I'M USED TO IT, BUT I, I LIKE OTHER PEOPLE TO STEP UP TO THAT POSITION AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY SO I CAN KIND OF RETIRE GO OUT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE FIELDS, RIGHT? YEAH.I WILL SAY, I AM, I WILL NOT BE RUNNING FOR CHAIR.
LET'S JUST MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR.
I DON'T HAVE ASPIRATIONS OF MOVING UP THIS LADDER AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO I'M GLAD EVAN BROUGHT THAT UP.
YOU KNOW, W WE DO NEED SOME, WE NEED THESE SOME YOUNG LEADERSHIP THOUGH.
YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN I HAVE.
AND WE BOTH SERVED AS CHAIR FOR LIKE THREE TIMES OR LESS OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU DO LEARN A LOT FROM BEING THE CHAIR AND RUNNING THE, RUNNING THE SHOW FOR SURE.
WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY ALONG THOSE LINES, I BELIEVE I'M ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AS YOU, THE CHAIR THAT I CAME OUT IN TWO YEARS AS WELL.
AND I THINK MOST EVERYBODY, EXCEPT FOR COMMISSIONER ROSLYN AND BINDERS, UM, AT LEAST THAT ARE ON THE MEETING TODAY ON MY SAME SCHEDULE.
I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO IT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO START GROOMING SOME NEW YOUNG FACES AND START GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY TO START TAKING OUR PLACES FOR US.
LISTEN, WOULD YOU AGREE TO BE VICE CHAIR OF, I ASK A CONDITIONER ROLL BY THOUGH, AND THEY ARE ABLATED TO STEP DOWN AS VICE CHAIR.
IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, MR. PLAY-DOH SO I, AFTER A LONG THOUGHTFUL PROCESS, I I'M WILLING TO, YES.
I'M WILLING TO STEP DOWN, BUT I'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW MY MOTION PLEASE.
CHAIR, CAN I JUST QUICKLY DISCUSS IT A LITTLE BIT FAST? DO THAT? I HAVE TO SAY I AM.
I AM INTIMIDATED BY THE IDEA OF TAKING ON A RESPONSIBILITY THAT I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE CAPACITY FOR, BECAUSE I, I DO SAY YES TO A LOT OF THINGS AND I, I, I REALLY RESPECT THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND TIME AND COMMITMENT THAT OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR PUT INTO THIS.
AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I COULD DO THE SAME, BUT I'M WORRIED THAT I WOULDN'T DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I CAN SPEAK TO THIS.
UM, DAVID DOES ALL OUR, YOU KNOW, THE CAFE, OUR HIPPY CHAIR DOES ALL OF THE HEAVY LIFTING.
SO HE WOULD BE A GREAT PERSON TO START TO LEARN UNDER.
AND I, I MEAN, I, I SAY THAT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I UNDERSTAND THAT SAYING YES TO TOO MANY THINGS.
SO THIS WOULD REALLY BE A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO DIP YOUR TOE IN THERE.
AND I TOLD HIM, I WOULD ONLY ACCEPT THE ROLES AS LONG AS HE NEVER MISSED A SINGLE MEETING, BECAUSE THEN JORGE WOULD JUST BE SPEAKING US THROUGH ALL OF THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND READING.
IT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO BE IN THE LOOP, BUT HE REALLY DOES THE HEAVY LIFTING AS AN ENTRANCE.
UM, AND, AND YOU WILL GET IT, YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM IT GREATLY BECAUSE IN TWO YEARS, WHEN WE ALL GET OUTTA HERE, THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG DROP.
I KNOW DAVID'S A GREAT MENTOR AND COACH, SO THANK YOU.
AND, AND FOR, FOR CLARITY TO, TO BACK TO, UH, COMMISSURE TANK GUCCI'S POINT, THE ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS TO, UH, LIMIT THE CHAIR TO FOUR YEARS, BUT THERE IS, WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE HIT, BUT THERE IS, UM, A, UH, ABILITY WITH A TWO-THIRDS VOTE TO GO PAST THAT.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE HITTING.
THAT'S WHERE OUR CURRENT BYLAWS SAY.
SO, UM, JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY.
UM, SO I SECOND THE MOTION AND, UH, COLEMAN COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
IS THAT, IS EVERYBODY CAUGHT UP TODAY? I HAVE SOME DISCRETION HERE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE LEADERSHIP, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE LEADERSHIP OR BEING THE CHAIR IS IMPORTANT.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU LEARN WHEN THE CHAIR AND AS YOU LEARN WHAT THE ISSUES ARE AND YOU LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO SAY, AND YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO COMMENT TO THE APPLICANTS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF OUR MEMBERS REALLY GET KIND OF GLUED INTO THAT.
AND THE MORE VOCAL YOU ARE WHEN WE HAVE THESE, WHEN WE HAVE THESE HEARINGS, THESE
[01:00:01]
APPLICANTS COME BEFORE US, I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU REALLY LEARN A LOT.AND I HAVE STILL, HAVEN'T HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER WALLY, BUT WE WERE HIM AND I WERE KIND OF THE YOUNG BUTTS ON THE TEAM WHEN WE HAD A BUNCH OF REALLY OLD GUYS WHEN WE STARTED OUT AND THEY WOULD CARRY ON AND ON ABOUT STUFF.
AND I THINK WE'VE GONE, WE'VE GONE A LONG WAYS.
UH, WE BECOME A LOT MORE PROGRESSIVE AND WE KIND OF SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE RATHER THAN KIND OF THIS OLD PHILLIP PHILOSOPHICAL THING.
YOU REMEMBER BART THAT, I MEAN, ONE, ONE HEAD AND THOSE GUYS, AND THEN THEY JUST CARRY ON AND ON ABOUT THE PILLARS AND ALL THAT STUFF THAT WERE LIKE ANTIQUATED.
SO THAT'S ALL I JUST WANTED TO SAY.
YEARS AND YEARS AGO WE DID CHANGE CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR, WE ROTATED QUITE A BIT, YOU KNOW, GAVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY YOUNG AND OLD, BUT THEY WERE NEW TO THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS GOOD.
UH, SO, UH, URGE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, OR USE HER HAND AND JUMP UP AND VOLUNTEER TO BE INVOLVED.
IS THAT KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF THE WAY WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS LOT LOVED THE ROTATION.
ALTHOUGH A CHAIR CAROL'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
SO I WOULD NOT BE DISAPPOINTED AT CM SERVE SOME MORE, BUT THAT'S, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF SHORT TERMS. I THINK TWO YEARS AT MOST, SOMETIMES IN THE PAST IT WAS PRETTY QUICK, YOU KNOW, CHANGE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WE HAVE A, A CHAIR IN A WAITING NOW, SO MY MOTION.
YOU WANT TO MAKE A NEW MOTION.
I'M MOVED TO NOMINATE CHAIR, DAVID CARROLL AS CHAIR FOR NEXT TERM.
AND I NOMINATE COMMISSIONER ROLSON AS VICE CHAIR FOR THE NEXT TERM.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? WHERE WE VOTE? ALL RIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONER RICHIE, UH, VICE CHAIR IN OUR BETA FOR SURE.
I ARE ROCK, UH, KRISHA ROLLISON.
UH, COMMISSIONER GONZALES, THE PHONE.
WE COULDN'T GET HER AS THE PANEL.
SO SHE'S BEEN, UH, UM, ATTENDED, I THINK
SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU.
I DON'T THINK SHE CAN, BUT SHE'S TYPING TO ME.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN, WE CAN COUNTER OR NOT, EVEN IF WE CAN'T SEE, SEE OR HEAR HER.
UM, BUT IF, IF A CITY HALLS LISTENING, IF THEY CAN GET HER ADDED TO THIS MEETING, PLEASE, DID THEY MEET HER VOTE? NO, THEN THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF SHE WANTS TO GET COUNTED, I SAID, DO YOU WANT TO GET COUNTED? UM, AARON, ARE YOU BACK WITH US? SHE SAYS IT.
IT LOOKS LIKE HE IS HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
YOU MUST BE HANGING OUT WITH COMMISSIONER GONZALES.
WE'LL MOVE ON THEN, UH, ITEM TO THE BRIEFING ON THE PROGRESS UPDATE.
WE MIGHT NEED ERIN FOR THIS ONE TOO.
UM, SARAH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DESKTOP.
SO I DOWNLOADED THE APP ON MY PHONE.
[2.b. Attendance Reports for the Commissioners]
I BELIEVE WE WANTED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE NOT THE ISSUE ITEM ON THE AGENDA WITH REGARDS TO AGENDA ITEM TWO B UM, YEAH.OR DID YOU WANT, DID YOU WANT TO WAIT OR I CAN DO THAT AT THE END, BUT WE CAN GO BACK
[01:05:01]
AND GET IT NOW THAT YOU'RE ON.UH, YEAH, THE ATTENDANCE REPORTS ITEM TO BE.
SO JUST THIS REAL QUICKLY, THIS IS, UH, FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO.
UM, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO CITY STAFF IS REQUIRED TO DO ATTENDANCE REPORTS, UM, FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, IF YOU WERE ABSENT OR DID NOT SHOW, OR HAVE AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE FROM THE, ANY COMMISSIONING MEETING OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS, I BELIEVE THREE CONSECUTIVE.
UM, YOU WOULD BE RECEIVING A NOTICE FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO THIS IS MORE SO A COURTESY REMINDER, UH, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT YOU ATTEMPT TO ATTEND AS MANY COMMISSION MEETINGS AS POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
UM, SO WE CAN MARK YOU FOR AN EXCUSED ABSENCE.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AN UNEXCUSED OR AN EXCUSED ABSENCE WOULD NOT COUNT FOR SOMEONE HAVING A WORK-RELATED ISSUE.
IT'S MORE SO WITH YOU OR ILL, OR IF THERE'S ANY TYPE OF FAMILY EMERGENCY THAT WOULD BE DEEMED AN EXCUSED ABSENCE.
SO ANY UNEXCUSED ABSENCE WOULD COUNT AGAINST THE COMMISSIONER'S ATTENDANCE.
UM, SO AGAIN, JUST AS JUST A COURTESY REMINDER TO TRY TO ATTEND AS MANY COMMISSION MEETINGS AS POSSIBLE AS YOU GUYS ARE ALL REPRESENTATIVES FOR YOUR, UH, APPOINTMENTS OR THE, UH, THE COUNCIL PERSON THAT APPOINTED YOU, YOU'RE REPRESENTING THEM.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THAT, FOR THAT ITEM.
DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT THEN? WE'LL, WE'LL
[2.d. Briefing on the progress to Update the Urban Design Guidelines]
MOVE ON TO THE ITEM, 2D BRIEFING ON THE UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.UM, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENT THAT AARON SENT OUT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT COMPLETE, IT'S A DRAFT AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS THAT STILL NEED TO BE COMPLETED, LIKE THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT SYNTHESIZES ALL THE WORK THAT THE WORKING GROUPS HAVE BEEN DOING THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, AND REALLY THE, WHAT I WANTED TO FOCUS ON TONIGHT.
UM, THE IDEA IS WE, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE SOME DISCUSSION TONIGHT AND THEN TAKE THAT, THOSE COMMENTS BACK TO THE WORKING GROUP.
AND WE WOULD TRY TO FINALIZE THIS AND, AND, UM, GO TO COUNCIL NEXT MONTH, UH, OR GO TO THEIR COUNCILS WORKING GROUP AS A FIRST STEP AS THE ASK.
BUT, UM, PART OF WHAT I WANTED TO FOCUS ON TONIGHT WAS, UM, PAGE 11, WHICH OUTLINES THE, THE PHASES AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN EACH PHASE.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS JUST THIS PLAN IS JUST THE ASK THE COUNCIL OF WHY WE NEED TO UPDATE THE GUIDELINES AND HOW WE WANT TO GO ABOUT DOING IT, WHO WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS OR ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL, THEN THE ACTUAL WORK BEGINS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THREE PHASES OF THAT WORK ONCE WE GET APPROVAL TO PROCEED FROM COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT'S BROKEN DOWN IN THAT GRAPHIC THERE ALONG WITH HOW LONG WE THINK IT'LL TAKE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THE A YEAR AND A HALF OR MORE TO DO THIS WORK AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UM, AND SO WE CAN QUICKLY KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS, UH, PHASE ONE IS SORT OF THE PREPARATION WHERE WE IS THIS SAYS CRAFT NARRATIVE, DIVINE DEFINE CORE VALUES, CREATE AN ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
SO THAT'S ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS FOR AND WORKING GROUPS.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, FORM SEVERAL WORK IN GROUPS WITH SUBJECT MATTER, UH, BEING THE FOCUS OF EACH GROUP AND THOSE GROUPS WOULD CONSIST OF, UH, DESIGN COMMISSIONERS, UH, CITY STAFF MEMBERS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, EACH GROUP WOULD, WOULD
[01:10:01]
BE DIVERSE DEPENDING ON THE SUBJECT MATTER, YOU KNOW, HAVE PEOPLE FROM CAP METRO OR FROM URBAN PLANNING, URBAN DESIGN.UM, AND, AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO, UM, AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH HAVE SORT OF COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS THAT ARE PART OF THESE GROUPS THAT THEN GO OUT AND HELP INFORM THE COMMUNITY AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THESE STAGES.
SO THE, THE WORKING GROUPS ARE WHERE A LOT OF THE MEAT OF THIS IS AND WHERE THE WORK GETS DONE.
AND SO I HOPE EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE IN ONE OF THESE WORKING GROUPS.
AND THEN, UH, PHASE TWO IS SORT OF WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WORK HAPPENS IS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THESE WORKING GROUPS, WE'VE GOT OUR CORE VALUES THAT ARE GOING TO GUIDE US THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE START DRAFTING THESE GUIDELINES WHERE THE WORKING GROUP AND THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE REALLY DOING ALL OF THEIR WORK.
AND THEN AT THE END, UM, ACTUALLY TESTS DO DO TESTS AT THESE GUIDELINES.
UM, AND AT EACH I SHOULD KNOW AT EACH PHASE WHERE WE WOULD COME, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD TAKE WORK AND PRESENT IT TO THE COMMISSION AND GET SIGN OFF.
CAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW NOT EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TO BE IN A WORKING GROUP AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS WHOLE COMMISSION UNDERSTANDS ALL THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AND IT GETS APPROVED AS WE MOVE INTO EACH PHASE, UH, AND THEN BASE THREE FINALIZATION.
SO THAT'S REALLY ABOUT SORT OF COMPILING ALL THE WORK INTO DOCUMENT, FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT DELIVERABLE IS, THE GRAPHICS, UH, THE ONLINE PRESENCE.
AND, UM, AND THEN ALSO ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT OF ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND PRESENTING THIS TO STAKEHOLDERS AND TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY WITH HOPES THAT SINCE THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS PROCESS FROM THE BEGINNING, IT WOULD BE EASY SIGN OFF ON THEIR END.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GET ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, COME BACK, UM, YOU KNOW, REVISE THE DOCUMENT AS NEEDED AND THEN, UM, START TO ENGAGE ANY OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE WANT TO, AND, AND THEN ULTIMATELY COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
I MEAN, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, KATHY TOVO IS NOW TALKING ABOUT RECALIBRATING THE DENSITY BONUS DEAL, AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, OR NOT OUR PROBLEM, BUT OUR FOCUS IS IT'S KIND OF UNFAIR THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT IT'S ABOUT, ABOUT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
SO THAT SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE OVERALL DESIGN GUIDELINES.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT REALLY BOTHERED ME, DAVID WAS IN A SENSE, YOU KNOW, I NEVER HEARD KATHY TOVO SAY, WELL, THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS REALLY KIND OF LIKE BEHIND A LOT OF MY IDEAS.
I DON'T THINK SHE EVEN KNOWS WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OVER HERE.
SO I THINK THERE IS A HUGE DIVIDE THERE BETWEEN OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD, THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE THE WATCHDOGS IT'S NEVER MENTIONED IN HER, IN HER NEWS RELEASES OR WHATEVER THAT WE ARE THE WATCHDOGS FOR THIS, WE KNOW THIS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
AND SHE'S KIND OF LIKE GOING OFF ON THIS TANGENT AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO.
SO THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS I DON'T WANT TO PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THE REWRITE OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE COUNCIL WANTS TO GO WITH THIS AND THE, IN THE END, BECAUSE IT COULD BE WASTING OUR TIME AND IT'S ALREADY WASTING SOME OF OUR TIME AS FAR AS I CAN PERCEIVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH.
WE DO HAVE, UH, THAT AS AN ITEM TO DISCUSS, TO DISCUSS NEXT AFTER THIS.
UM, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT YEAH, I AGREE THAT MY HOPE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IS JUST RELATED TO FEES AND IT'S REALLY NOT GOING TO AFFECT WHAT WE DO WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT ON A GREATER SCALE, HOPEFULLY WHAT WE DO WITH THESE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES CAN HELP INFORM THAT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE.
THERE'S ME IS THAT SHE DOESN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE THE WATCH.
WE WERE WE'RE THE GATEKEEPERS FOR THIS.
AND SHE NEVER MENTIONS THAT, OR SHE NEVER TALKS OR HER US QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, I MET HER, I'M IN KATHY'S DISTRICT.
WE'RE GOOD FRIENDS, BUT IT'S KIND OF STRANGE THAT THEY'RE TAKING THEIR OWN ROUTE WHEN WE
[01:15:01]
REALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THIS.AND I FELT KIND OF LIKE, UH, YEAH, I, I FELT A LITTLE OFFENDED THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T CALL US AND ASK US ANY QUESTIONS.
CAUSE WE'RE KIND OF LIKE, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN RAINY STREET, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE OTHER CONTROVERSIAL AREAS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO PUT OUT THERE IS THAT, UH, IT IS KIND OF DISCOURAGING TO ME.
I, I WONDER IF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, I MEAN, IT'S MORE THAN A ONE THING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST IS, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS MIGHT, HOW THEY MIGHT APPLY TO ANY PART OF TOWN WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT DENSITY.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE CONVERSATION MAY BE RESPECTFULLY AWAY FROM KIND OF URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AS A DISTRICT NINE THING.
AND, YOU KNOW, A SPECIFIC COUNCIL MEMBER, IT MAY BE AS I THINK AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE COULD DO IS THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS REALLY ARTICULATE TO ALL OF COUNCIL ON THE MAYOR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE VALUE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN REALITY, THAT'S, THIS IS FOREMOST ON THEIR AGENDA ABOUT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES OR YOU KNOW, OR THE VALUE OF THEM OR WHY THEY MIGHT NEED TO BE UPDATED.
SO THINGS MAKING, MAKING THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HOPEFULLY GETTING ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS TO THE MAYOR TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS REALLY GOOD.
Y'ALL DO NEED TO PUSH FORWARD AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOU AND ALL OF THIS STUFF.
SO THAT'D JUST BE MY SUGGESTION.
AND, AND WE DO, UH, WE DO ADDRESS THAT IN THIS PLAN.
UM, THE, THE IDEA IS THAT PART OF THE GOAL OF THIS REVISION IS TO EXPAND THE GUIDELINES IN SUCH A WAY TO WHERE THEY'RE MORE USABLE OUTSIDE OF THE SORT OF TRADITIONAL CBD AND PERHAPS THEY COULD BE USED IN OTHER AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE PUDS OR, OR REGIONAL CENTERS, UM, CORRIDORS, THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, SIMILAR, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE LDC GOING TO DO WHEN THE REWRITE RIGHT.
BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE THIS BIG SEPARATION RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY POLITICAL KIND OF THING.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE, IF WE PUT DOWN OUR FOOT DOWN AND SAID, THEN WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW THIS BETTER THAN ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO US, BUT THEY DON'T SAY THAT YOU CAN KNOW WHO WE ARE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME.
OH, LAST MONTH WHEN THIS THEMATIC CAME UP RELATIVE TO RADIUS STREET, I CONTACTED MY ACCOUNT TEAM MEMBER WHO GOT BACK WITH ME OR HIS OR HER ASSISTANT GOT BACK WITH ME ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE WAITING FOR, UH, UH, OUR INPUT WE SMOKE AND I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S FILLED WITH YOURS.
WE JUST NEED TO, UH, MOVE QUICKLY AND HAVE, IS GIVE THEM A SENSE THAT WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEM IN A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS, MY COUNCIL MEMBER IS VERY, UH, HE'S VERY ATTENTIVE TO THESE MATTERS.
AND I THINK THAT THE WAY OUT OF DENSITY IS THROUGH DESIGN NOW.
SO ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE IS THAT MOST ISSUES RELATIVE, IF NOT ALL ISSUES RELATIVE TO DESIGN, EXCUSE ME, RELATIVE TO DENSITY ARE SOLUBLE, UH, THROUGH DESIGN AND THAT'S OUR BUSINESS.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR OUR WAGE CRUSHER FRANCA.
SO JUST ONE QUESTION REGARDING KIND OF A OVERALL SCOPE OF WHAT IT IS WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT REVAMPING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND I'M FULLY BEHIND IT, BUT ONE THING IS THE RULES.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THE ENFORCEMENT RIGHT THERE.
ARE WE TALKING AT ALL ABOUT POTENTIALLY CHANGING THE CHARTER OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION TO NOT BE FOR LACK OF BETTER TERMS? UM, WELL, RIGHT NOW WE ALL KNOW IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS.
ULTIMATELY, IF YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME, SEVERAL PROJECTS AND I CAN REMEMBER ONE PROBABLY ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AGO, THAT JUST KIND OF, KIND OF LAUGHED IN OUR FACE.
ALMOST SAID WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT.
AND THEY SAID, OKAY, THAT'S GREAT.
AND THEN WE ALL KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME EXAMPLES WHERE WE LITERALLY SAID NO TWICE.
AND THEN CITY STAFF WHEN, OR WENT OVER US.
UM, NOW I'M NOT TRYING TO, TO GET INTO SOME POWER STRUCTURE OR POWER PLAY HERE, BUT ONE, I JUST, I WANT, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT IT TO DO ALL THIS WORK AND GET A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND DO AN AMAZING JOB.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT COMES DOWN TO ONE OR TWO PEOPLE AT ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL WHO SAY, THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BYPASS ALL THAT WORK.
WELL, CURRENT CURRENTLY THE, THE PLAN DOES NOT, UH, PROPOSE TO CHANGE ANY OF THAT CODE LANGUAGE, A BOARD THAT'S FOCUSING ON REVISING THE GUIDELINES.
UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T
[01:20:01]
ASK THAT LANGUAGE SHOULD BE CHANGED LATER, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING SAYS THAT YOU MUST SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.SO IF WE REWRITE THESE GUIDELINES IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE APPROPRIATE TODAY AND MAYBE SETS A HIGHER BAR THAT THEY MUST SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY WITH, YOU KNOW, IN THE END WE ARE GETTING BETTER PROJECTS EVEN WITHOUT CHANGING THAT CODE LANGUAGE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I THINK THE WORD IS COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL ALONG.
AND THAT'S WHAT KATHY TABLA IS TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S NOT JUST AFFORDABLE UNITS, IT'S NOT THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUT INTO THE FUND.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT THAT.
BUT THEN I HAD TO JUST BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M FOR I'M FOR THE LDC REWRITE.
AND THE END OF THE, UH, THE, THE, THE DENSITY BONUSING AS PART OF THAT.
BUT I DON'T WANT THAT TO AFFECT GAM CITY IN THE WHOLE CITY.
AND IT'S KIND OF GETTING LIKE, IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE, WE WE'RE OKAY WITH THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, BUT, AND WE AGREE THAT THERE'S, WE DON'T NEED DENSITY IN THE CITY.
I DON'T WANT TO SIGN, I PUT MY NAME ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S LIKE, KATHY TABLEAU IS A GOOD EXAMPLE AND I'M DUMB.
SHE'S A GOOD EXAMPLE IF SHE WANTS A STRICTER, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS, BUT THEN SHE'S A REALLY, SHE REALLY WANTS TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I RESPECT THAT TOO, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE LDC REWRITE THROUGH WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN KIND OF WORK BOTH OF THOSE AT THE SAME TIME.
JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY AND CLOSE MY COMMENTS, I GOT, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS, IS, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ASSIST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, YOU KNOW, REALLY GO OUT THERE AND TRY TO GET WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY IN EITHER THROUGH GOOD DESIGN AND BETTER DESIGN PRINCIPLES, UPDATE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROCESS.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING IS TO PUT ALL THIS TIME AND EFFORT INTO IT AND REALLY PUT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FACING OUT THERE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT'S FOR NOTHING.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT SAYING I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT UNLESS WE HAVE SOME TEETH TO IT, BUT I WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE AND SAY, HEY, LET'S THINK ABOUT NOT JUST THE RULES, BUT ALSO THE ENFORCEMENT OF IT ALL.
CAN I ADD SOMETHING? UM, SO I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY AS IT SOUNDS LIKE MANY OF YOU HAVE, AND EVEN JUST TODAY IN THE AUSTIN MONITOR, THEY TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO FIRST TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN TO CANCEL TO COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE, UM, SO EXHIBITION REMINDERS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM? YES.
SO I WANT TO TRY TO ROPE EVERYONE IN THAT.
THAT'S NOT THIS ITEM THAT THAT IS AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, BUT THIS RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE WE MOVE.
THE NEXT ITEM WILL BE THE DENSITY BONUS.
AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE STAY ON THE ITEM THAT WE'RE ON.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS IT'S HARD TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE DEPENDENCY ON THE OTHER ITEM.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S TRICKY FOR A LOT OF US TO, TO SEGREGATE THE TWO, BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS EVEN LIKE FARMER, YOU KNOW, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST.
SO I THINK A LOT OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ULTIMATELY, UM, FROM THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES PLAY INTO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO ULTIMATELY SEE WITH A DENSITY BONUS.
UM, AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT WORK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE AIN'T EVEN GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THIS WEEK IN THAT BEING TOBO, UH, IN THE, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, UM, IT'S HARD TO COMPARTMENTALIZE THOSE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO BE AWARE OF IF WE ARE DOING ALL THIS WORK AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AND IT HAS AN IMPACT ON US AND WE DON'T PROVIDE INPUT, THEN I FEEL LIKE WE MISSED THE MARK ON THAT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT AND WE'LL DEFINITELY DISCUSS IT.
AND FOR CLARITY, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, TOGO'S HIS OFFICE FOR MANY WEEKS NOW ABOUT THIS ITEM.
SO THEY, THEY DEFINITELY WANT, WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE, UH, DISCUSS AND ANYTHING THAT WE VOTE ON TONIGHT.
AND SO THAT, THAT THAT'LL DEFINITELY HAPPEN.
AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE NOTION OF HOW THEY'RE SORT OF INTERTWINED.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO SEPARATE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONES, ONE IS ESSENTIALLY CODE AND ONE'S NOT.
SO I BROUGHT THIS UP, I BROUGHT THIS UP, SO I'LL, I'LL RETRACT THAT AND LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STATEMENT BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE, LIKE
[01:25:01]
COMMISSIONER MINORS, I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY MUCH A PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOREVER, BUT LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS GOOD WITH THE, THIS DRAFT, IF THEY HAVE COMMENTS QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, UM, LOOK COMMISSIONER FRANCO IN, ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD IN THE WORKING GROUP ABOUT HIS POINT.
UM, CAUSE WE CERTAINLY GRAPPLED WITH THAT FACT OF, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY HAVING TEETH TO ENFORCE, UM, ANYTHING AND WHERE WE KIND OF LANDED WAS THAT ASSUMING WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE CHARTER LANGUAGE, WE LET'S MAKE THE DESIGN GUIDELINES SO USEFUL AND RELEVANT THAT PEOPLE WILL RESPECT AND USE THEM MORE.
AND SO THAT'S, YEAH, IT HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. ROSTEN FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I JUST WANT ONE LAST ONE LAST THING AND I'LL, I'LL, I'M NOT REPRIMANDING ANYBODY, BUT I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO ABLE TO BE ON THESE MEETINGS WHEN WE WE'RE POINTING OUT ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT ALL.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST DISRESPECTFUL OF OUR, OF OUR OFFICES.
SO JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, LET THEM LET THE GROUP KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED.
IT'S ANOTHER THING TOO, TO BE TALKING ABOUT NEWS ARTICLES AND WHATNOT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE LAST THING ON THE, UH, ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IS W ONE I DIDN'T GET THE, I DIDN'T GET THE MEMO.
IS THERE A DRAFT LETTER THAT EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT THAT WE HAVE, OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN EMAILED KEVIN YOUR BODY? OKAY.
UM, WELL I DIDN'T GET THAT OR I'LL I'LL IF THAT CAN BE RECENT.
AND UM, AND I LIKE TO SAY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WELL, I'LL, I'LL, MAYBE I SHOULD RESERVE COMMENTS, I'VE READ IT, BUT I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THE OPINION THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THEY TALK ABOUT HOW HORRIBLY OUTDATED THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE AND WE CAN MAKE SO MUCH MORE THINGS HAPPEN IF WE UPDATE THEM.
AND I THINK I KIND OF DISAGREE WITH HALF OF THAT.
UM, AND MAYBE I NEED TO READ THE MEMO MAYBE AT ARTICULATE SAD, BUT IN A WAY, A LOT OF URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT A HUMAN SCALE AND PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY STREETSCAPES.
AND I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE BY AND LARGE, ALL STILL TRUE AND OLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN REALLY UPDATE THEM THAT MUCH MORE AND UNLESS WE GET IN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF HOW DEEP AND AWNINGS SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AND GET INTO DIMENSIONS, BUT THAT WAS NEVER REALLY, THE INTENTION WAS TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATE.
IT WAS KIND OF ABOUT JUST SOME BROAD CONCEPTS.
UM, SO I, I WANTED TO OFFER THAT AND ALSO WANT TO OFFER TOO IS, WELL, I GUESS IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE TOO, BUT WE ARE AN ADVISORY BOARD AND NOT A SOVEREIGN BOARD.
SO I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, THE TRYING TO WORK TOWARDS HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE STAFF, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T COME UP WITH ANOTHER CONCLUSION ON A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM OR HOW WE CAN HAVE MORE POWERS.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE, FEW TILE ON APPS AND I'M EVEN A LITTLE CAUTIOUS ABOUT TRYING TO MAKE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES SO STRONG THAT PEOPLE CAN'T NOT, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN I GET TO A PUNITIVE THING WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER LEAD PEOPLE WITH IT WITH A CARROT THAN BEAT THEM WITH A STICK I'VE MEMBERS HAVE A WAY TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, JUST ASK SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS IN CLOSING TO BE CLEAR.
I MEAN, WE, WE'VE DEFINITELY IDENTIFIED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT THROWING THE EXISTING GUIDELINES IN THE TRASH CAN AND STARTING FROM SCRATCH RIGHT THERE, WE, THERE ARE PLENTY THERE'S MANY OF THOSE GUIDELINES THAT ARE DEFINITELY WORTH SAVING AND BRINGING IT FORWARD.
UM, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THAT, GOING TO BE PART OF THAT THIS PROCESS IS TO IDENTIFY WHAT, WHAT WORKS AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND, AND TO YOUR POINT ALSO KEEP IT AT A HIGH LEVEL.
WE, WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF SPECIFYING, YOU KNOW, FEET AND INCHES ON THINGS.
SO I'M SURE ALL OF A SUDDEN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? SO JUST, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE COMMISSIONER WILL PROBABLY FEEL, UH, CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, THROWING THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN THAT WITH, WE'RE HOPING TO, UM, GO THROUGH A PROCESS THAT WILL POTENTIALLY EXPAND THEM TO COVER MORE GROUND IN TERMS OF LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT AND, UH, COMMUNITY, UM, BENEFIT, LIKE IN A MORE SOCIAL SENSE, AS OPPOSED TO JUST LIKE, UM, YEAH.
SO, BUT DEFINITELY NOT TRYING TO BE MORE PRESCRIPTIVE AND GET INTO OWNING LINKS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IS CERTAINLY WRITTEN IN THERE IN THE MEMO.
[01:30:02]
YEAH.SO I HAVE A WORD, I'LL SAY CHAIR, SO SO-SO COMMISSIONER WILEY.
I RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I'M TRYING TO BE AS YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WE'RE, THIS IS A 21ST CENTURY IN THOSE GUIDELINES.
THE ONES WHO ARE TRYING TO UPGRADE OR IMPROVED ARE PRETTY OLD AND THERE'S A LOT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON THERE.
AND A LOT OF MY COMMENTS HAVE TO DO, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO GET INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND WE NEED TO BE WHETHER WE'RE PRESCRIPTIVE OR NOT, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF THAT WAS NOT EVEN THOUGHT OF BACK WHEN WE FIRST DID THOSE GUIDELINES.
SO I, I RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE ON AND REALLY MAKE SOME HUGE, PROGRESSIVE CHANGES, PROGRESSIVE THE BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND NOT JUST BECAUSE WE THINK THAT WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT BEING PAID TO DO THIS.
SO JUST STRIVE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN AND MAKE LOSS IN A BETTER PLACE.
BUT HERE MINORS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE A MOTION THAT YOU ALL PROCEED AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP? UH, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR EMOTION NOW.
IT WAS REALLY JUST TO COME GET SOME FEEDBACK AND THEN WE GO BACK AND KIND OF REVISE THE DOCUMENT BASED ON THAT.
AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION, UM, FOR, FOR THEM TO TAKE ACTION ON A FINAL DOCUMENT BEFORE WE DELIVERED IT TO COUNCIL.
I WAS CONSIDERING MAKING A MOTION TO TABLE THIS UNTIL AFTER WE SEE WHAT COMES FROM THE DISCUSSION ON OUR NEXT ITEM.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S OUT OF TURN.
UM, WELL, I WILL SAY WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS TO COUNCIL BEFORE THEIR SUMMER BREAK.
AND SO WE SORT OF, OUR SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT, WE NEED TAKE ACTION ON IT NEXT MONTH, I BELIEVE IS WHAT WE LAID OUT AND IN ORDER TO GET IT TO COUNCIL, UM, IN JUNE, CAUSE IT'S GOT TO SHOW UP THERE WORKING GROUP FIRST.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK TONIGHT.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY WE WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM COUNCIL BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THAT AFFECTS THIS.
BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE PLAN, THIS ISN'T THE ACTUAL WORK.
SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME ONCE THIS GETS APPROVED BY COUNCIL TO INCORPORATE ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE DENSITY BONUS THAT WE FEEL APPROPRIATE, UM, AT THAT TIME.
SO CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO NEXT TIME, NEXT ISSUE.
BUT YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE STAFF BECAUSE I THINK THEY'VE DONE A BIT OF A BIG JOB, AARON AND JORGE PUT TOGETHER THAT DRAFT, WHICH I SAW, AND I WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT I WAS PRETTY IMPRESSED THAT HE, THEY HAVE CAPTURED A LOT OF THIS STUFF THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SO I GOT TO GIVE THEM SOME CREDIT, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE THEY THINK THIS IS GOING TO PROGRESS TO THE NEXT STEP.
AND IF THAT MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ISSUES AND NEXT THE AGENDA ITEMS, THAT'S FINE TOO FAIR APPOINTMENT.
WHAT AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION YOU SHOULD.
SHE SHOULD HEAR IT FROM THIS SIDE.
IT'S QUITE QUITE A DOOZY OF A DISCUSSION.
CAN WE JUST CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES STARTED OUT AS THE DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES BACK IN 1999? AND THE PREMISE OF THOSE WERE TO APPLY TO THE DOWNTOWN CONTEXT CAME 2009.
THE, THE GUIDELINES WERE REVISED MAINLY IN NAME ONLY TO, TO BE PERFECTLY CANDID.
HOWEVER, THE CONTEXT REMAINED VERY URBAN, VERY DENSE, VERY CORE CENTRIC, AND THAT POSED A LOT OF PROBLEMS TO PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT WITHIN AN URBAN OR DENSE DOWNTOWN CONTEXT AS THOSE PROJECTS LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE YOU SAW THIS EVENING TRYING TO MEET DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SOME ARE LOW-HANGING FRUIT, BUT SOME ARE NOT, SOME ARE QUITE SPECIFIC.
THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF EXCELLENT INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THE EXISTING DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT COULD BE SALVAGED IF THE COMMISSION WISHES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN UPDATE TO THE GUIDELINES.
AND SO LET ME, LET ME TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION, JUST, JUST TO KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THAT AND NOT PAY TO THE GUIDELINES AS COMMISSIONER ROLSON WAS SAYING, AS WELL AS THE CHAIR IS NOT A START FROM SCRATCH APPROACH, BUT RATHER TAKE THE THINGS THAT ARE WORKING AND ARE WORKING WELL AND BUILD UPON THOSE AND TALK ABOUT THESE EXISTENTIAL ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING THE URBAN FABRIC AT DIFFERENT CONTRACTS SO THAT THE GUIDELINES CAN BE MUCH
[01:35:01]
MORE EFFECTIVE.I THINK THE COMMISSION HAS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY HERE TO, TO BORROW COMMISSIONER RALSTON'S, UH, EXPRESSION, TO RAISE THE BAR ON DESIGN MATTERS AND BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WHEN A PROJECT IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE OF THESE GUIDELINES, THAT THEY HAVE REALLY BEEN PUT THROUGH A PROCESS AND EVALUATION PROCESS BY WHICH IT WILL YIELD IS SUPERIOR OR A BETTER DEVELOPMENT, UH, PROGRAM AND PROJECT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE APPLICANT.
AND SO, BECAUSE THE GUIDELINES WERE ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION, THE COMMISSION HAS RIGHTLY NOTED.
BEING AN ADVISORY COMMISSION CANNOT EXECUTE BRISK SOLUTIONS ON THEIR OWN, EXCEPT THROUGH THE BODY OF THE COMMISSION.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE COUNCIL.
YOU MAY DISCUSS THOSE WITH THE COUNCIL.
YOU MAY EVEN PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK BY WHICH YOU WANT TO APPROACH A HOLISTIC REVISION TO THE GUIDELINES, AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
AND THAT'S THE INTENT OF THE WORKING GROUP TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A ROADMAP OF HOW THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES COULD BE ADOPTED OR REVISED, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH A PATHWAY BY WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM CITY STAFF, AS WELL AS PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS AND AS WELL AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND APPROACH THAT HAS NOT BEEN EXPLORED IN RECENT ATTEMPTS TO UPDATE THE GUIDELINES.
THEREFORE, THE, THE INTENT IS TO BRING US UP TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL, WHICH IS A SUBSET NUMBER OF MEMBERS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO ASK THEM TO CHAMPION THIS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL, TO GIVE DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER, TO WORK WITH CITY STAFF AND THE DESIGN COMMISSION TO UPDATE THE GUIDELINES.
NOW, UPDATING THE GUIDELINES COULD BE AS OPEN-ENDED OR AS SPECIFIC AS YOU WANT IT TO BE, BUT IT WOULD COME THROUGH THE GUIDANCE OF THE COMMISSION BY WHICH YOU WOULD BE ASKING THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT YOU WITH THE USE OF CITY STAFF AND CITY RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU A DRAFT DOCUMENT THAT ESSENTIALLY WALKS YOU THROUGH HOW YOU WISH TO ACCOMPLISH OR COULD ACCOMPLISH THIS.
IT IS NOT THE GUIDELINES THEMSELVES.
THOSE WILL COME LATER, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH PROCESS, BUT YOU WANT TO JUST PRESENT THAT TO THE COUNCIL.
SO I PASS CHAIRS OR PARTICULARLY QUESTIONS IF I CAN CLARIFY OR BRING MORE INSIGHT INTO ANY OF THOSE ISSUES I'VE TALKED ABOUT.
I ASKED JORGE FOR HIS OPINION, BECAUSE I'M KIND OF ASTOUNDED THAT WHEN TOVO OR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT THIS, A DENSITY BONUS, SAY THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, DO THEY REALLY KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING? OR ARE WE JUST SITTING HERE? JUST KIND OF LIKE WHAT IS IN OUR TIME, BUT THIS IS THE NEXT TOPIC, RIGHT? THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
WELL, I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE.
IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE AT ALL? OR IS THE ANSWER GOING TO CHANGE? WELL, I'M WONDERING IF HIS STAFF SHOULD BE BRINGING FORWARD THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, THEY'RE MAKING PRESENTATIONS TO OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WHY AREN'T THEY MAKING A PRESENTATION TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION? THAT'D BE MY QUESTION.
I'LL WAIT, I'LL WAIT FOR THAT.
AND THEN I'LL ASK THEM, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE PIN THIS ON THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND IT'S, IS THERE A FAULT OR A STAFF'S FAULT? YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY, IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY IS FRUSTRATED THAT WE'RE NOT THE LEADERS IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND, AND I AGREE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT IT TOO.
AND I DON'T KNOW, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA POINT ANY FINGERS AT ANYBODY BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS YET OF HOUSES UNFOLDED, BUT CERTAINLY I'M LIKE, LET'S SEE IF IT RESOLVES ITSELF TO TERRIFY ME.
I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS THOSE, THOSE TOPICS AT THE NEXT ITEM, WITHOUT THE RESPECT CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS, BUT REALLY WE'RE TRYING TO HONE IN AND TRY TO LAND THE PLANE ON WHAT STEPS YOU WANT TO TAKE NEXT WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, WHICH IS IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT, YOU DON'T WISH TO TAKE ANY ACTION THIS EVENING.
YOU'RE NOT POSTED TO SPECIFICALLY TAKE ACTION.
YOU MAY, IF YOU LIKE, HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO KEEP WITH THE SCHEDULE AS LAID OUT BY THE CHAIR TO TRY AND LAND ON THE JUNE 15TH COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF, UH, HOUSING AND PLANNING, WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE HAVE THE COMMISSION TAKE FINAL ACTION ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE MEMO.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO REDISTRIBUTE THAT AND PUT IT AS BACKUP AS WELL FOR THE NEXT MEETING AND
[01:40:01]
GET BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.SO YOU BEGIN TO READ THAT AND HAVE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL ITEMS AT YOUR MAIN MEETINGS, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LOAD THOSE DOCUMENTS FOR JUNE, TRY AND SAY IT WILL BE A VERY TIGHT SCHEDULE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT.
CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT WE SHARE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UP TO THIS POINT IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER? LIKE THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO? UM, YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WE WANT TO, UM, GET ALL OF OUR DUCKS IN A ROW BEFORE WE PRESENT IT TO COUNCIL.
I THINK WE MIGHT BE SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT IF WE GO STRAIGHT TO TOWNSVILLE.
I THINK IT'S, IT NEEDS A LITTLE, IT JUST NEEDS THAT FINAL POLISH WE'VE SPENT SO LONG ON GETTING IT TO THIS POINT.
UM, IT'D BE LIKE, IT'S LIKE 95% THERE.
IF WE JUST GET SOME COMMENTS BACK FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS, PUT THAT LAST BIT OF POLISH ON IT.
THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE US A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO IT NEXT WEEK.
DID YOU GET LOTS OF ELEMENTS? DID YOU RECEIVE MORE COMMENTS? I THINK I SENT THEM TO AIRLINES.
UH, I, I THINK I DID SEE SOME OF LIKE, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO OR SO MAYBE A LITTLE MORE, BUT YES.
YEAH, I THINK I DID SEE THOSE, UH, TERRIFY ME.
AND JUST FOR CLARITY, IF YOU'RE SENDING COMMENTS, IF YOU CAN SEND THOSE TO THE STAFF LIAISON, WHICH IS ERIN, PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THOSE WITH EACH OTHER.
CAUSE YOU RUN THE RISK OF HAVING A WALKING QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION.
I DID SEND THEM TO YOU DIDN'T I LAND CC CHAIR.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M LOOKING AT THE EMAIL.
I DON'T THINK HE'S CC THE CHAIR ON THAT, BUT HE DID SEND THOSE TO ME.
WE HAVE NOT INCORPORATED ALL THOSE COMMENTS YET.
UM, THIS DOCUMENT IS STILL VERY MUCH IN THE DRAFT STATE, SO WE HOPE THAT INCORPORATE A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU SENT OVER TO US WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT THEM.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I THOUGHT WORKING GROUPS, WE TEND TO VERSA WITH EACH OTHER DIRECTLY BECAUSE WE WERE NOT A CORE.
ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT? OKAY.
[2.e. Recommendations to City Council for proposed changes to the Downtown Density Bonus Program.]
WE CAN MOVE ON TO, UH, WHAT EVERYONE SEEMS TO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL FOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.UH, SO AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION, UM, TO ESSENTIALLY BRING FORWARD THE FEES THAT WERE CALIBRATED AS PART OF THE CODE NEXT PROCESS.
UM, HOWEVER, THEY ALSO ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT SORT OF RECALIBRATING THOSE, UM, BECAUSE THOSE WERE DONE NOW, UM, COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND I KNOW THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION.
I ACTUALLY DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THEY LANDED ON, BUT ABOUT THE FACT THAT THOSE FEES WERE CALIBRATED FOR A DIFFERENT ZONING, UH, ALTOGETHER.
AND SO JUST STRICTLY APPLYING THEM TO DMU OR CBD COULD BE PROBLEMATIC, UH, GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS THAT THAN THE CODE NEXT ZONING'S DISH.
SO, UM, THAT'S PART OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THEN ALSO THE, UH, I GUESS THE 24 TO ONE FAR CAP AND LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROVIDED WITH, UM, IN DOING THAT AND THAT I BELIEVE THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT CODE IS WRITTEN, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WE'VE SEEN, IT'S JUST, THEY CAN JUST PROVIDE MORE MONEY, UM, UM, AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY PROVIDING, UH, ANYTHING ON SITE.
SO, UM, I, I DID REACH OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER
UM, IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO NOW IT'S BEEN AWHILE AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING BACK AND FORTH.
I LET HIM KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA REVISIT THIS FOR THEM, BUT THEY ALSO LET ME KNOW THAT THEY WERE ON A VERY AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE AND SORT OF, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALREADY
[01:45:01]
DONE THE RESOLUTION, BUT THAT RESOLUTION OBVIOUSLY ISN'T THE FINAL ORNAMENTS.SO THERE'S STILL TIME TO PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK TO THEM.
I DID SHARE WITH THEM, UM, THE DOCUMENTS THAT I BELIEVE WERE IN OUR BACKUP, WHICH ARE ITEMS THAT WE HAD VOTED ON AND DISCUSSED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE THEY HAD SEEN THOSE GIBBONS.
UM, I SHARED THOSE DOCUMENTS WITH THEM AND I WANTED TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT TO GIVE US A CHANCE, NOT ONLY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, BUT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON, BUT IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE WANT TO RECOMMEND TO THEIR OFFICE OR THEIR TO COUNCIL IN GENERAL, UM, FOR THIS ITEM, THEN OUR OPPORTUNITY IS TONIGHT, UH, FAIR HAS THAT COUNT AS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE ASKS THE CITY MANAGER, UM, FOR ANY KIND OF RESEARCH OR WORK TO BE DONE, OR THEY ENGAGE THE STUDY MANAGERS, UH, AT ALL OR STAFF.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
I DON'T HAVE THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF ME, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE RESOLUTION ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO, UH, TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, RECALIBRATING THOSE FEES.
UM, I ASKED BECAUSE TYPICALLY IT SEEMS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS OR OFFICES, OR A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY WRITE OR, YOU KNOW, RESOLUTION, BUT USUALLY IT, IT HAS, UH, INSTRUCTIONS OR REQUESTS TO CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE CITY MANAGER THEN AT THAT POINT WOULD DECIDE WHAT PROCESS THEY WERE GOING TO GO INTO AND ENGAGE STAFF AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.
AND AT SOME POINT, THIS, IT SEEMS LIKE FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, IT'D BE FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OR STAFF WOULD, WOULD COME TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I HAVE SEEN SOME TIMES FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SPECIFICALLY LIST BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT THEY WANT A TOPIC TO GO TO.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES THAT GOES THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF PROCESS.
SO I GUESS MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I KIND OF HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I SAY THIS BECAUSE IT KIND OF GOT BROUGHT UP WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION VERSUS A DISTRICT NINE OFFICE, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT IN CHAIR, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU'VE, YOU'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH DISTRICT NINE OFFICE.
UM, AND I'M INTERESTED IN BECAUSE I'M THE POINTY OF DISTRICT NINE, OF COURSE, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN TOO, JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF HOW THINGS USUALLY HAPPENED AND WHAT I FIND KIND OF PERPLEXING IS THAT IN ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD SO FAR SEEMS TO BE KIND OF A COMPLETE ABSENCE OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IS THE CITY MANAGER AND DEPARTMENT DOING? WHAT IS STAFF DOING? WHAT KIND OF PROCESS DID THEY COME UP WITH OR HAVE THEY BEEN RENDERED KIND OF USELESS IN THIS WHOLE EFFORT? SO, SO I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, UH, WHERE ARE YOU, WHERE ARE THE WATCHDOGS OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM? I FEEL REALLY OFFENDED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T EVEN REACH OUT TO US TO GET OUR, OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL THIS, BECAUSE WE DEAL WITH EACH PROJECT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALLY, AND THEN THEY GO ON ON THE NEWS OR WHATEVER IT IS AND THEY WANT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING UP, BUT WE'VE NEVER EVEN HAVE A BART.
BART IS A TOPO REPRESENTATIVE AND HE'S THE, HE'S NOT HEARD FROM HER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SHE, THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'LL HOLD OUR, OUR PHILOSOPHY ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT AS HIS VOLUNTEERS, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, WELL, I DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, MY, AND THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, SAY HE'S BEEN TRYING TO MAKE SOME EFFORT, YOU KNOW, AND JIMMY FLANNIGAN PUSHED HARD AGAINST CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PREVENT THEM FROM TAKING ANY ACTION JUST BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE THEM.
AND EVEN SAID THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL IN THE RECORD.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE POLITICS OF THIS INTO JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S FAIR TO CALL OURSELVES THE WATCHDOGS AND OWNERS.
SO THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE DEFINED AS THAT.
WE ARE THE
[01:50:02]
FROM STAFF.WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THIS? ARE WE JUST A YEAH.
JUST TO BRING SOME CLARITY TO THE COMMISSION ON WHAT ACTUALLY COUNCIL IS DOING WITH IS, UH, THESE ITEMS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT INITIATING CODE AMENDMENTS TO A SPECIFIC SECTION OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY 25, 25, 86, B AS IN BOY SIX.
THAT IS A SECTION THAT THE COUNCIL, WHEN THEY DID THE CODE AMENDMENT BACK IN 2014, GAVE APPLICANTS THE ABILITY TO PETITION THE COUNCIL DIRECTLY FOR ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS ON THEIR PROPERTY.
BEYOND THE FAR LIMITS LISTED IN THE MAPS THAT ARE CONTAINED IN FIVE 25, 25, 86.
SO THE COUNCIL IS HAVING A DISCUSSION.
NOW THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN THAT SPECIFIC DIRECTION BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING BACK WITH A RESOLUTION IS MY UNDERSTANDING TO GIVE SPECIFIC DIRECTION ON WHAT TYPE OF CHANGES THEY WANT TO SEE AMENDMENTS TO THAT SECTION OF CODE.
SO WHAT WAS APPROVED, UH, LAST THURSDAY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS NOT, NOT THE ACTUAL DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, BUT TO PLACE AN ITEM THAT WOULD COME BACK A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD GIVE DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS.
THE SECOND THING IS ALSO THEY DIRECTED TO THE CITY MANAGER TO BRING BACK, UH, THE CALIBRATION BY THE END OF AUGUST IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WOULD HAVE A RECALIBRATION OF THOSE FEES BASED ON WORK THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THUS FAR.
I WANT TO CLARIFY AGAIN, THAT CODE NEXT, NO LONGER EXIST.
IT IS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE PROCESS THAT HAS MADE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO RECALIBRATE NOT ONLY THE FEES, BUT APPLY IT TO A SPECIFIC CONTEXT BASED ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE CONTAINED IN THE LATEST DRAFT.
THOSE CALIBRATIONS WERE BASED ON NEW ZONES THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED IN THAT PROCESS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY ALIGN WITH OUR EXISTING PREDOMINANT ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS AND DOWNTOWN LIKE CBD AND D NEW THEREFORE STAFF IS LOOKING INTO THAT PROCESS NOW TO SEE WHAT CAN BE USED IN SALVAGE FROM THE CONSULTANT WORK THAT WAS ENDEAVORED THROUGH, UH, THE CODE X PROCESS, AS WELL AS THE NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE PROFITS.
AND THOSE ARE THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION, WHAT OUR ROLE I'M TRYING TO GET TO THAT COMMISSIONER.
OKAY, WELL, JUST GET TO THAT ROLE, GET TO THAT QUESTION.
UH, SO THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION AS SPECIFIED IN 25 TO FIVE 86, WHICH IS CITY CODE, IS TO EVALUATE PROJECTS WHERE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AND THAT IS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT.
THERE IS NO OWNERSHIP OF THE CODE, THE CODE BELONGS TO EVERYONE.
SO THE, THE, THE PORTION OF THE CODE DOES NOT BELONG TO THE COMMISSION OR ANY PARTICULAR BODY.
SO THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN GATING.
THE EFFICACY OF THE GUIDELINES AGAINST THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED AND MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY STAFF IS THE WAY THAT THE CODE LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN AND STAFF IS DIRECTED VIA THE CODE TO CONSIDER THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHEN EVALUATING THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, THE EFFICACY OF MEETING THOSE GUIDELINES, CAN I INTERRUPT AND SAY, WHAT DOES GATEKEEP? WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF GATEKEEPER? THERE ARE THREE, THERE ARE SEVERAL GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS THAT NEED TO BE REPORTED.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF OUR ROLE AS GATEKEEPER? WHAT ARE WE, WHAT'S OUR ROLE, AS LONG AS YOU CAN ROLL US TO EVALUATE THOSE PROJECTS AGAINST THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND FIND IF THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE GUIDELINES, THERE IS NOT A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS BECAUSE THE COUNCIL THROUGH THEIR CODE AMENDMENTS DID NOT SAY, YOU MUST MEET AN X PERCENT OR X NUMBER OF GUIDELINES.
THEY JUST SAID, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
AND THE COMMISSION GETS TO ESSENTIALLY PROVIDE THAT RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER THAT PROJECT, WHEN YOU'RE REVIEWING FOR A DENSITY BONUS HAS ACHIEVED THAT BENCHMARK, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE A LOT OF POWER IN DETERMINING WHERE THESE PROJECTS GO, RIGHT? UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY POWER COMMISSIONER, BUT YOU ARE ONE OF THE KEY GATEKEEPER ELEMENTS THAT PROJECT CAN NOT, CAN I PROCEED WITH THEIR APPROVAL OF ENTITLEMENT UNTIL THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE DESIGN COMMISSION REVIEW AND HAVE THAT RECORD TO BE
[01:55:01]
CLEAR COMMISSIONER KIND OF GUCCI.THERE, THERE ARE THREE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
WE ONLY REVIEW ONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
WE JUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO REVIEW FOR THAT ONE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT.
YEAH, WELL, THAT'S KIND OF, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A SAD SITUATION AND IT IS KIND OF LIKE, UH, I MEAN, I THOUGHT WE HAD THE POWER TO IT.
HUH? THAT'S WHY WE'RE REVISING THE GUIDELINES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF.
WE'D WANT TO REVISE THE GUIDELINES BECAUSE THERE ARE, IS SQUISHY AREAS THERE THAT THERE MIGHT BE, BUT IT'S VERY SAD THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IN A SENSE IS MAKING ALL THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT TALKING TO US ABOUT IT.
WHEN WE, TO ME, I THINK IT'S GOT GATEKEEPERS, WE ARE THE KIND OF THE EXPERTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE OR ABOUT THE, YEAH.
AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I HAVE IT'S I DON'T KNOW THAT NECESSARILY THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS THAT GATEKEEPER.
I THINK WE REVIEW ONE OF THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS AND THAT'S ABOUT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT COUNCIL IS NOT WRITING A NEW ORDINANCE ON THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, BUT IS ACTUALLY INSTRUCTING THE CITY MANAGER TO WRITE AN ORDINANCE, WHICH MEANS THERE'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS AND WILL COME TO US.
I'M KIND OF, I MEAN, I GUESS I JUST WANT CLARITY BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, ARGUING OR FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THINGS WERE HAPPENING.
AND SO, UM, AND I RESPECT THAT THE COMMISSIONER WILDLY, BUT WE'D NEVER EVEN SEEN THE CITY MANAGER.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE DISTURBING TOO.
I JUST WANTED TO STAY EARLIER THAT AGAIN, IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, OR THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION, UH, WITHOUT DISCUSSING THIS TOPIC FIRST.
AND I THINK, UM, THERE'S A FEW POINTS THAT I WANT TO COVER.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE FACT THAT A LOT OF MY INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON AT COUNCIL COMES FROM THE MEDIA.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT FROM CITY STAFF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT THAT'S REALLY KIND OF MY ONLY OUTLET AT THIS POINT.
AND, UH, MY INTENT IN SHARING THAT IS NOT TO SINGLE OUT ANYONE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT TO ILLUSTRATE THE FACT THAT IT DOES SOUND LIKE THEY'RE MOVING PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY ON THIS AND TO COMMISSIONER RALSTONS POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'RE PROBABLY 95% READY TO PRESENT.
I'M JUST NERVOUS THAT, UH, THAT THAT TIME WOULD BE WASTED.
I'M KIND OF CONVERSELY NERVOUS THAT ALL THE TIME THAT YOU'VE INVESTED UP TO THIS POINT, IT'S GOING TO BE WASTED IF THOSE POINTS AREN'T IN FACT INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I FEEL SOMEWHAT AT EASE THAT CHAIR, CAROL, THAT YOU HAVE, UM, BEEN IN COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH, UM, I THINK YOU SAID DISTRICT NINE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S REASSURING, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK MY MAIN CONCERN, YOU KNOW, WHICH MAY BE SLIGHTLY NUANCED FROM WHEN I COMMISSIONER TOM GUCCI'S IS THE FACT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE AS FAR AS A TIMING PERSPECTIVE IS CONCERNED, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE AGGRESSIVE, I THINK WE HAVE TO MEET THEM WITHOUT AGGRESSION AND BE INVOLVED.
BUT CHAIR, I THINK THIS CONVERSATION IS KIND OF CONFUSED BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AND FROM WHAT STAFF SAID, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE ADOPTING A NEW ORDINANCE ON THE, UM, ON THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND THERE WAS URGENCY, BUT IF I'M WRONG STAFF, IF YOU COULD LET ME KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS DIRECTION THE CITY MANAGER AND GONNA BE A PROCESS.
SO YEAH, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES OR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THERE'S A DIRECTION, THERE'S A DIRECTION FROM CITY MANAGER TO THE CITY MANAGER TO, UM, ESSENTIALLY ASSESS THE BEST PRACTICES OF THE FAR TO BELIEVE THIS, HOW THE RESOLUTION IS SAID.
AND THEN ALSO TO, UM, LOOK AT THE EXISTING FEE CALIBRATION THAT WAS DONE DURING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE.
AND THEY DID TO THE TWO THINGS THEY SPOKE ABOUT SORT OF IMPLEMENTING A SORT OF TEMPORARY FEE STRUCTURE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEN ALSO GIVING A DEADLINE OF, I BELIEVE THE END OF AUGUST FOR A CALIBRATED FEE, KNOWING THAT THOSE FEES THAT WERE DONE TWO YEARS AGO NEEDED TO BE CALIBRATED AND ASKED TO DO THAT.
YEAH, WOULDN'T IT BE UP TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND STAFF TO BRING THIS FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS I CAN TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION, MY GUESS IS THEY WON'T DO THAT.
BUT, UH, GIVEN THAT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE TIMELINE, BUT THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO BE
[02:00:01]
PROACTIVE.AND LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, I REACHED OUT TO DISTRICT NINE OFFICE.
THEY DID NOT REACH OUT TO ME AS AN EXAMPLE, AND WE NEED, WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO OUR OWN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND TO OTHERS AND BE AS PROACTIVE AS WE CAN, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY COME TO US ON ALL THESE THINGS, SO WELL, THAT, THAT MIGHT BE, BUT THERE'S STILL, THE PROBLEM IS, IS STAFF WON'T WRITE, WON'T WRITE CODE.
I MEAN, THIS, THE CITY COUNCIL, IT WILL BE STAFFED.
SO I STILL THINK I STILL KEEP POINTING TO A BIG PART OF THIS.
THIS IS STAFF, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, CITY STAFF, AND TO JUST AVOID EVEN DISCUSSING THAT IN THE PROCESS AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT STAFF'S DOING AND WHY THEY'RE DOING IT FOR THE CITY MANAGER IS WE'RE RESTING THE BOAT.
WE'RE AT EITHER END OF THE SPECTRUM.
CAN I ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ON SOMETHING? SURE.
I SEE US AS BEING OF REVIEWING ONE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT AS DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, AND WE HAVE DESIGN EXPERTISE.
I DON'T SEE US AS HAVING ANY KIND OF CALIBRATION EXPERTISE, ANY KIND OF ECONOMICS EXPERTISE, ANY KIND OF AFFORDABILITY, UM, LIKE FEE CALIBRATION EXPERTISE.
AND SO I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE WHY THEY SHOULD BE RUSHING TO SEE, TO TALK TO US IMMEDIATELY ABOUT DENSITY BONUS.
LIKE I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE TALKING TO EXPERTS THAT CAN CALIBRATE THAT EFFECTIVELY.
AND THEN WE ARE TRYING TO REEVES RIGHT.
EVEN DESIGN GUIDELINES ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT TIMELINE TO RAISE THE, OR LIKE, LIKE WHAT NATE'S LIKE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES AND, AND THAT'S WHERE OUR DESIGN EXPERTISE COMES IN.
AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, UM, WE, WE, WE HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PAST ON THOSE FEES, BUT THEY WERE BROAD.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE SAID THAT, UH, NON-RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS NEED TO HAVE A FEE GREATER THAN ZERO, WHICH IS WHAT THEY ARE TODAY.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WAS IN THE ORIGINAL CALIBRATION.
AND, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD AS THIS EXPERTIZE, AS WELL AS RAISING THE CURRENT FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.
SO THOSE ARE TWO SORT OF BROAD BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN, THE CITY DOESN'T NEED IT.
THEY HIRED A CONSULTANT TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER SHOULD BE.
UH, AND SO WE HAVEN'T GIVEN ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GIVEN SOME RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PAST ON FAR IN GENERAL.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE WAS, UH, THAT ABOVE GROUND PARKING SHOULD COUNT AGAINST FAR, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THAT'S LIKE A DESIGN THAT RELATES TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT.
WHICH WE HAVE EXPERTISE TO TALK ON, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS ABOUT CALIBRATING SOMETHING MUCH MORE TO DO A SPREADSHEETS AND CALCULATIONS THEN.
SO I'D LIKE TO INTERJECT AND SAY, I THINK OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT IS WE KNOW WHAT COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS CAN BE DOLLARS.
IT CAN BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY CAN BE IN PLACE SO THEY CAN BE DOLLARS INTO THE POND, BUT WE KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE.
SO I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
SO JUST OUR EXPERTISE ON THAT TO DEFINE WHAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS MIGHT BE.
IT'S JUST TOTALLY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT POLITICIANS DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S PARKS, IT'S GETTING RID OF CARS ON THE STREET, TRANSMITTER, TRANSPORTATION IS EVERYTHING TO MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER URBAN COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S, I THINK NOBODY ASKS US ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS, WHERE ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR WHERE WE SHOULD PUT THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND, AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO PUT THIS AS AN ITEM TONIGHT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE COULD PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO OVER 24 TO ONE FAR, THESE ARE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED ONSITE, VERSUS JUST IN THE BETHANY EXAMPLE, UH, COMMISSIONER LUKINS, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? SAY THAT AGAIN, THE RECALIBRATED FEE IS TO DO MORE THAN JUST A DENSITY TAX AND WE NEED TO GET OUR GUIDELINES AND OUR INPUT REGARDING COMMUNITY BENEFIT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S THAT'S ALL I WAS GOING TO SAY IN THAT MATTER, BECAUSE THE FEES ARE MORE THAN JUST A TAX ON A DENSITY TO RAISE
[02:05:01]
THE YES, PLEASE.SO IF I MAY JUST BRING SOME CLARITY ON THE COMMISSIONER'S ROLE AS THIS CONTAINED IN THE CODE, I'M LOOKING AT 25, 25, 86 C AS IN CHARLIE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS TO ACHIEVE THE BONUS AREA.
THE DIRECTOR MUST DETERMINE THAT THE PROJECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, THE CHARGE FOR ASSESSING WHETHER A PROJECT CODE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IS GIVEN TO THE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING UNDER ITEM A TO THAT DESIGN COMMISSION SHALL EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER THE PROJECT COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THE DIRECTOR SHALL CONSIDER COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
SO NOWHERE IN CODE, UH, IS THE ABILITY GIVEN TO THE COMMISSION TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE THESE PROJECTS THERE.
THE, THE WAY THE CODE LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN AS TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY STAFF, TO THAT ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, THAT IS A DIFFERENT SECTION OF THE CODE THAT THE COUNCIL IS NOT CURRENTLY CONSIDERING TO MAKE AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES, HOWEVER, DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE COMMISSION FROM GATHERING YOUR COMMENTS AND PROVIDING THAT INPUT DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL.
SO I DON'T WANT TO BE, I DON'T WANT IT.
I WANT TO REACT TO THAT REAL QUICKLY IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REWRITING THE GUIDELINES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REWRITING THE GUIDELINES TO WHERE WE THINK IT SHOULD BE.
IT'S NOT HOW WE ASSESS THEM AT THIS MOMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT DOESN'T HELP ME AT ALL THINKING THAT, HEY, MAYBE WE CAN MAKE THIS A BETTER CITY BY REWRITING THOSE GUIDELINES IN CHANGING THOSE OLD 10 YEAR ANTIQUATED LAWS.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD NOT KEEP US FROM RE FROM GOING INTO THE NEXT STEP, THE 21ST CENTURY GUIDELINES.
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AS FAR AS ENFORCEMENT ALL GOES, WE WANT TO REWRITE THIS TO MAKE BOSTON A CITY THAT KIND OF REFLECTS WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
AND THE ONE THING WE LEAVE OUT OF ALL, THIS IS THE HOMELESS ISSUE HAS BECOME A REAL, AND IN THE COVID THING, ALL THIS IS A REAL NEW KIND OF THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT BACK IN 10 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY WROTE THE GUIDELINES AS THEY ARE NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHANGING, IT'S JUST A WHOLE CHANGING CITY RIGHT NOW, AND WE NEED TO BE MORE INVOLVED AND WE NEED TO PUT OUR FEET DOWN UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL, HOW WE FEEL THAT IT IS URBAN PLANNERS, BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REAL WORLD.
SO ONE POINT THAT I WOULD ADD IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FOREST, IT DOES SEEMED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO OUR GAME AND, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
AND, YOU KNOW, SINCE THAT'S SOMETHING, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SHARE, UM, IF THEY WERE TO BE CAPTURED AND, YOU KNOW, UM, INCLUDED AS PART OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND WHATEVER DECISIONS THEY ULTIMATELY MAKE, THEY'D BE MORE INFORMED OF SYMPTOMS. SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY LIKE THE, THE ULTIMATE POINT THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MAY NOT, UH, KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE NUMBERS BEHIND EVERYTHING, BUT WE HAVE GIVEN THIS FEEDBACK IN THE PAST AND, UM, NOTHING SOUNDS UNFAMILIAR FROM WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO BE INVOLVED IN SOME WAY.
AND AGAIN, I I'VE SHARED ALL OF OUR PAST RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WITH THE DISTRICT NINE OFFICE, BUT, UH, TO, UM, COMMISSIONER WALLY'S POINT, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO FIND, UH, THE CORRECT STAFF TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE EYES ON THAT AS WELL, PERHAPS, UM, AARON OR JORGE CAN HELP US WITH, UH, VERIFY ME, UH, YES, PLEASE.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COMMUNICATE THAT INTEREST TO THE APPROPRIATE STAFF THAT IS LEADING THAT EFFORT.
I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE HOUSING FOLKS ON OUR DEPARTMENT THAT ARE WORKING ON THAT CALIBRATION, OUR ROLE IS A DIFFERENT ROLE.
AND SO THAT'S THE HOUSING FOLKS ARE THE ONES THAT WORK WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TEAM AND THE CONSULTANTS TO ARRIVE AT THE CALIBRATION RECOMMENDATIONS.
OR CHAIR, IF I MAY LOOK AT ALONG THOSE LINES, UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSING STAFFER ARE LOOKING AT THE, THE, THAT PARTICULAR COMPONENT, BUT IS THERE A WAY IT SOUNDS FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IS, IS TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THIS EFFORT AS WELL.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND GET AN UPDATE FROM THEM ON WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING TERRIFY ME,
[02:10:01]
BUT CERTAINLY COMMISSIONER, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION CAN COMMUNICATE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING EITHER A BRIEFING OR DOCUMENTS THAT ARE PRODUCED BY STAFF, UH, IN DRAFT FORM TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COUNSELOR OR OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT'S WELL, WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE COMMISSION TO REQUEST THOSE DOCUMENTS, BE SURE WITH THE COMMISSION, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.IS IT, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION HERE TONIGHT, OR CAN THE CHAIR SIMPLY SEND AN EMAIL, UM, WITH, WITH THE INTENT HONESTLY, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THAT FORMAL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT COULD BE THE CHAIR ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION.
AND LET ME CLARIFY, YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THAT.
YOU CAN JUST BY CONSENSUS, ESSENTIALLY, IF YOU ALLOW THE EXPRESSION DEPUTIZE, THE CHAIR TO ON YOUR BEHALF, REACH OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, POSSIBLY EVEN TO A COUNCIL OFFICE TO REQUEST THAT INFORMATION BE SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR A FORMAL ACTION BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT POSTED PERFORM REAL ACTION ON THAT ITEM.
SO THERE IS NO NEED TO DO THAT.
YOU'RE JUST COMMUNICATING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON TO DO.
AND THEN JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UM, I'M, I'M SURE IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S PROBABLY MORE, UH, STAFF OR MAYBE EXTERNAL, UM, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, EXPERTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE WEIGHING IN ON THIS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE, UM, UH, IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS CHAIR, YOU KNOW, I LEAVE IT, WE LEAVE IT TO YOU TO DECIDE WHO TO REACH OUT TO, BUT IT'D BE GREAT TO HEAR FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARTIES INVOLVED SO WE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION MOVING FORWARD.
IF I MAY CLARIFY ON THAT POINT CHAIR.
THAT WHAT COUNCIL WILL DO IN TERMS OF THEIR ACTION COMING UP IS TO INITIATE THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
SO LET ME, LET ME BE CLEAR THAT THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH STAKEHOLDER REVIEW AND COMMISSION REVIEW.
SO ANY ACTION THEY TAKE, WHETHER THAT BE NOW OR AT THE END OF AUGUST, WOULD INITIATE THOSE CODE AMENDMENTS, WHICH, UM, THIS COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE INPUT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING NOTHING'S BEEN APPROVED BECAUSE WHAT COUNCIL'S DOING IS GIVING DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER TO INITIATE THOSE CURTAILMENT.
UM, SO, SO WE CAN WRAP UP THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE? UM, RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO WAIT UNTIL WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM STAFF OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO HAVE A KIND OF A MEETING BETWEEN US OR WHATEVER THAT THAT GROUP IS, OR THE DESIGN COMMISSION CAN GO AND TALK TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF EACH OFFICE OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT THE MAYOR AND I CAN GO TALK TO HIM DIRECTLY, BUT IT IT'S KINDA, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF BEING LEFT OUT OF THIS PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE'RE KIND OF APPOINTED BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF LIKE THE EXPERTS OF ALL THIS.
AND IT KINDA LIKE KINDA, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE KIND OF LIKE SPINNING MY WHEELS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO GO DO ALL THIS WORK AND TRY TO MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE.
IF THE POLITICIANS ARE GOING TO SIT OUT HERE AND THE CITY MANAGER, THEY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND OR REALIZE WHO WE ARE.
SO IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF AN OPEN, UH, OPEN FORUM WHERE WE COULD ALL KIND OF GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND THEY COULD UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE VERY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY INTO THIS AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN SPENDING BARTON.
I'VE BEEN SPENDING 12 AND 13 YEARS ON THIS COMMISSION.
OKAY, WELL, I WILL, UM, I WILL REACH OUT, UM, TO, TO THEM AND, UM, TRY TO TRY TO GET THAT SET UP.
UH, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE WANT TO TAKE ANY ACTION TONIGHT THOUGH.
WE'LL WAIT UNTIL WE CAN GET THAT BRIEFING FROM THEM.
[2.f. Update from representative on the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting.]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM TO ADD UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.YOU GUYS WERE VERY PASSIONATE.
UM, SO THEY HAVE A DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
THEY HAD, UH, THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION GIVE A PRESENTATION.
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION GAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT THEY TOOK ACTION ON HEALTH
[02:15:01]
BILL 38, 13, THE REGULATING AMPLIFIED SOUND.AND THERE, UM, ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, YOU CAN SEE THEIR LETTER.
DID THEY JUST PUT A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY OPPOSED THAT BILL AND THAT BILL IS ESSENTIALLY, UM, I WAS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SAY IT THAT, AND IT'S TEXT HB 38, 13 PROPOSES THAT A MUNICIPALITY MAY NOT ADOPT OR ENFORCE AN ORDINANCE THAT REGULATE THE PRODUCTION OF AMPLIFIED SOUND FROM A BAR.
IF IT EXCEEDS 75 DECIBELS IS PRODUCED BETWEEN 10 AND 12, AND THAT THE BILL WOULD GO INTO EFFECT BOARD THE POPULATION OF 750,000 OR MORE.
THAT'S PRIMARILY LOCATED IN A COUNTY WITH A POPULATION OF 1.5 MILLION.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THAT BILL ONLY APPLIES TO AUSTIN? SO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, THEY OPPOSE IT.
SO WE EITHER NEED TO GET BIGGER OR GET SMALLER.
YOU'RE CAN I ASK YOU TO DO ME A FAVOR AND PUT LEAF BLOWERS INTO THAT, UH, INTO THAT CATEGORY? OKAY.
I'LL JUST AMEND THAT THIS LITTLE.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE ON THAT? ALL
[2.g. Update from representative on the Joint Sustainability committee regarding last meeting.]
RIGHT.WE'LL GO TO ITEM TWO G UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REGARDING THE LAST MEETING.
UM, SO LAST MEETING, WE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, THE UPDATE TO THE CLIMATE PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HAD BEEN DELAYED ON ITS ADOPTION.
THE CITY MANAGER ASKED IT TO GO THROUGH WORKING GROUP COUNCIL, WORKING GROUP PROCESS FIRST, UM, AND THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
SO THE HOPE IS THEY THEY'VE SORT OF UPDATED THAT DOCUMENT TO A FINALIZED VERSION AND, UM, HOPE TO GET IT TO THAT COUNCIL WORKING GROUP, UM, NEXT MONTH AND TRY TO GET ADOPTED THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT, UH, DIDN'T COINCIDE WITH THE BUILDING CODE, UM, ADOPTION PROCESS.
SO MY CONCERN IS THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENERGY CODE, UM, NONE OF THAT CLIMATE PLAN WAS NECESSARILY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND, AND ANY OF OUR, UM, AMENDMENTS, OUR LOCAL AMENDMENTS ON THE ENERGY CODE.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE PUSHING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATE ANOTHER PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT CODE GETS UPDATED, UH, BEFORE THE NEXT ADOPTION CYCLE, WHICH WOULD BE ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO SIX YEARS.
SO, UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ON, UM, THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN, UH, YOU KNOW, COMING OFF THE WINTER STORM URI, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ABOUT, UM, HOW TO HAVE A BETTER RESILIENCE.
YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAD PLANS IN PLACE, UH, UH, FOR, UH, EXCESSIVE HEAT, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT NOT FOR COLD AND THE THINGS THAT CAME WITH IT.
SO, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO, UH, REVISIT THOSE PLANS.
AND, UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE PROVIDING SOME INPUT ON THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, SO A LOT OF, A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON, UM, THEN
[2.h. Update from representative on the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board.]
WE'LL GO TO, UH, ITEM TWO H UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING THIS MONTH THAT GOT CANCELED, UM, DUE TO SOMETHING WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT, BUT IT WAS THROUGH NO FAULT OF OUR OWN.
SO WE HAVE A RESCHEDULED SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR THIS COMING WEDNESDAY.
[3.a. Chair Announcements;]
WILL MOVE ON TO, UH, THREE EIGHT CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS.UM, MY ONLY ANNOUNCEMENT IS, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL, UM, WHO WAS, IF ANY OF YOU ARE BEING REAPPOINTED NOW, BUT, UH, THOSE THAT ARE MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET YOUR TRAINING DONE, THAT CLERK'S OFFICE SHOULD HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU.
UM, AND THAT WAY THERE'S NO LAPSE, UM, FROM YOUR PROBATION.
[3.b. Items from Commission Members;]
THEN WE'LL GO TO ITEM THREE, B ITEMS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS[02:20:01]
MAY WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE TONIGHT.WELL, WE HAD A RESIGNATION, WE DID, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE A FRAIL IS, UH, RESIGNING FROM THE COMMISSION, BUT YOU KNOW, IS THIS COUNCIL MEMBER WAS NOT REELECTED, UH, HIS ORIGINAL APPOINTEE.
UM, AND SO HE'S DECIDED TO STEP DOWN, HE TALKED ABOUT, UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ON THE LAST MEETING? I THINK SO, UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE A GOOD PERSON TO REPLACE HIM.
HE'S GOING TO BE HARD TO REPLACE.
AND I, I MET HIM THROUGH THE DESIGN COMMISSION IN AN OFFICE, SO I OFFERED HIM AN AFFORDABLE PLACE.
HE IS A GREAT GUY AND LET'S JUST WISH HIM THE BEST.
HE'S GOING TO MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY AND HE'S GOING TO LIVE THERE WITH HIS BOYFRIEND FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
SO THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM, BUT IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE, BUT BO IS A REALLY GREAT GUY.
HE'S DONE A LOT FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SO IT'LL BE, WE'LL REMEMBER FOR SURE.
UM, DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY ITEMS TO SHARE? OH, OKAY.
[3.c. Items from City Staff;]
TO THREE C ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF, AARON OR JORGE.THE ONLY ITEM I HAVE IS PRETTY MUCH JUST TO REITERATE WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER WITH REGARDS TO THE, UH, UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, THAT MEMO, UM, WE'LL SPEND THE NEXT WEEK IMPLEMENTING A LOT OF THOSE COMMENTS AND FINALIZING THIS.
AND THEN I'LL SEND THAT OUT TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UH, TO GET FEEDBACK.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROCEED, UH, WITH SOME SITE, SOME FORM OF ACTION AT NEXT MONTH'S MEETING IF POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE NEXT WEEK OR SO JUST FINALIZING THE DOCUMENT.
SO IT WOULD NO LONGER BE DRAFT MODE.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I ASKED ABOUT THAT, IT LOOKS LIKE GREEK OR WHATEVER, BUT WHO'S WRITING, WHO'S WRITING THE SUMMARY.
THAT'S IT? THAT'S IN MY CORE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'M GOING TO GET, I JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT BEFORE THIS MEETING, BUT I'M GOING TO JUMP ON IT.
WELL, THAT JUST SAYS, LOOK, IT'S LOOKING GOOD.
UH, WELL THEN IT IS SEVEN 56 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.