[00:00:05]
CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND GO LIVE,
[CALL TO ORDER]
PLEASE, PLEASE CONFIRM JIM IS CLEARING THE ROOM REALLY QUICK.I THINK WE ARE READY TO BEGIN NOW.
WELCOME TO DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONS.
I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 5:40 PM.
UH, MR. STEWART, OR THE SANCHEZ OR MS. MCGUIRE, WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO CALL ROLL? SURE.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CALL ROLL.
UM, IF YOU'LL JUST SAY HERE, IF YOU ARE JOEL, SIR, PRESENT PRESTON RAIN.
CHRIS, CAN IT DAVID GOMEZ, PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER LEHMAN PRESENT LAURA TEMPLETON, MIKE LEVINE.
MEGAN MEISENBACH PRESENT IN AUGUST HARRIS RIGHT HERE.
WAS THERE ANYBODY THAT WAS, WHOSE NAME WAS CALLED? WHO HAD COMMUNICATION ISSUES OR DO WE HAVE NO, THEY MISSED ME THEN TIMESTAMP AND I THINK I GOT MOVED TO STAFF BECAUSE SOMEHOW MY, UH, VIDEO IS GONE BY THE COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY TOO.
I'VE HAD, I HAVEN'T CALLED HER ROLE.
I PREFER NON-VOTING NO, NOT THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
I ALSO GOT KICKED OFF THE CALL INTO THE ATTENDEE LIST.
I THINK THEY'D PROBABLY KICKED OFF THE NON-VOTING MEMBERS WITHOUT YOU JUST REMOVED THE NON-VETERAN MEMBERS.
WE'LL BRING THEM BACK IN AND WE'LL CALL THEIR ROLE AS WELL.
WE'LL BE BACK AT CITY HALL AND THIS WILL BECOME A THING OF THE PAST.
I'LL CALL THE ROLL FOR THE NON-VETERAN MEMBERS.
HI, I'M HERE AND CHARLOTTE, KIMBERLY KEATON, MELISSA
THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS CITIZEN
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.[00:05:01]
KNOW THAT WE HAVE MARK WALTERS, UM, HERE FROM PART TO TALK ABOUT THE FARM DISTRICT INITIATIVE.DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, SIR.
WELL THEN MR. WALTERS, WELCOME.
AND, UH, UH, WE'LL EXTEND THE TIME FOR YOU, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THE PALM DISTRICT INITIATIVE.
I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND I HAVE TO STILL REALLY KIND OF A QUICK UPDATE FOR YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET ON YOUR AGENDA TO TONIGHT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE HE WAS PRETTY JAM PACKED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LET YOU COMING HERE TO JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A HEADS UP OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
AFTER 19 MONTHS, WE FINALLY KICKED OFF THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE PALM DISTRICT, UH, AND UH, WHEN PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO PARTICIPATE, YOU CAN GO TO OUR SPEAK UP AUSTINPAGE@UPAUSTIN.ORG FORWARD SLASH PALM DISTRICT.
UM, YOU WILL BE HOSTING COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON JUNE 15TH AND 16TH.
THE JUNE 15TH MEETING WILL BE IN THE MORNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND THE JUNE 16TH MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE EVENING, STARTING AT SIX AND EACH MEETING WILL RUN TWO HOURS.
UM, NO, UNFORTUNATELY THE, THE JUNE 16TH DATE CONFLICTS WITH YOUR NEXT MEETING, BUT WE HOPE YOU CAN.
THE COMMISSIONERS VOTING AND NON-VOTING CAN PARTICIPATE ON THE JUNE 15TH MEETING OR THROUGH PROVIDE THEIR INPUT THROUGH, UH, WE FULLY PLAN TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING FOR YOUR, AT YOUR JULY MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE PROCESS IS BEGINNING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PARTICIPATION.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM AND TAKE THEM AT THIS TIME.
AND THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AROUND, UH, THE PROM, UH, DISTRICT, AND I HOPE THAT FOLKS CAN JUMP ONTO THE 8:00 AM CALL ON JUNE 15TH AND THE GREAT QUESTION.
I'M NOT SEEING THE WHOLE SCREEN, SO I'M SORRY.
MY QUESTION WAS, WHERE WILL IT BE HELD? THAT'S SILLY ME.
IT'S GOING TO BE A WEBEX OR A ZOOM MEETING, BONDED.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING IT UNDER A ZOOM MEETING.
UH, THE FORMAT WILL BE ROUGHLY, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCTIONS KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE, OF THE HISTORY OF THE PALM DISTRICT.
AND THEN WE WILL, UH, BREAKOUT INTO A ROOMS, ZOOM ROOMS, AND ABOUT 10, 10 PEOPLE PER ROOM.
AND WE'LL GO THROUGH A GUIDED DISCUSSION.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT WE'LL, UH, COME BACK TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND HAVE A BRIEF RECAP OF WHAT WAS SAID BRIEFLY IN THE GROUPS.
AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'LL START, WE'LL USE THAT INPUT AS WELL AS ALL THE INFORMATION GATHERED THROUGH THE SURVEY AND TO START BUILDING THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISION FOR THE PALM DISTRICT.
AND IS THERE A WEBSITE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO, TO, TO GET THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG FORWARD SLASH PALM DISTRICT? THERE YOU'LL HAVE ACCESS TO A BRIEF SURVEY.
THERE IS A INTERACTIVE MAP WHERE PEOPLE CAN DROP PINS AND ADD COMMENTS SO WE CAN GET SOME SPATIAL DATA ABOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOME, UH, BACK OF MATERIALS AND EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT AS WELL AS A, UH, A TIMELINE OF THE PALM DISTRICT.
I KNOW AUSTIN'S DOWNTOWN HAS A LONG HISTORY, BUT AS WE STARTED DIGGING INTO IT, THE HISTORY OF THE PALM DISTRICT IS REALLY, I THINK, UNIQUE IN THE STORY OF AUSTIN.
SO, UH, THAT LITTLE TIMELINE THERE PUT TOGETHER BY OUR STAFF, JESSE GUTIERREZ, REALLY KIND OF PAINT A REALLY QUICK, INTERESTING PICTURE OF THE AREA'S HISTORY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, AS I SAID, WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING AND HAVING YOU COME BACK AT OUR JULY MEETING, UM, WITH YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
[2. a. Downtown Austin Homeless Activity: Presentation(s) by Dianna Grey, COA Homeless Strategy Officer, Bill Brice, Austin Downtown Alliance, Matthew Mollica, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition and Commander Jeff Greenwalt, Austin Police Department– 50 minutes).]
IS, UH, UH, SCHEDULE OR ITEM TWO A THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN HOMELESS ACTIVITY.WE'VE GOT A PANEL OF PRESENTERS TONIGHT, UH, AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO EACH OF YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE HAVE DIANA GREY, THE CITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER, BILL BRYCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN DOWNFIELD DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, MATTHEW MOLIGA WITH INDIAN COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS COALITION AND COMMANDER JEFF GREENWALD WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND HE IS JOINED BY LIEUTENANT DAVIS.
AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS HAVE
[00:10:01]
EACH OF THEM, UH, EACH OF THE PRESENTERS, UH, GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THEIR PARTICULAR AREAS RELATED TO THE DOWNLOAD DOWNTOWN HOMELESSNESS ISSUE.AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMISSION.
UH, AND WITH, WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH, UH, MS. GRAY, THE CITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER.
IT TOOK ME A MOMENT TO UNMUTE MYSELF AND I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF ECHO.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SOLVE BY MUTING.
I AM STILL GETTING IT SO I WILL TRY TO NOT DISTRACT MYSELF.
I AM, UM, SERVE AS THE CITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER AND HAVE BEEN IN THAT POSITION SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
SO A LITTLE OVER FOUR MONTHS, UH, AND COM I AM A LONG TIME AUSTIN.
I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN DOING AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORK AND WORK IN, UH, AROUND HOMELESS HOUSING FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, FOR ABOUT 10 OF THOSE, UM, 30 YEARS.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK I WANT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME AS A PRELUDE TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SUMMIT ON UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, UH, THAT, UH, I THINK EITHER BILL OR, UM, MATT MULLICA MAY TOUCH ON, ALTHOUGH IF THEY THROW THE BALL TO ME, I'M HAPPY.
I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I OBSERVED UPON ARRIVAL IS THAT THE CITY IS DOING A LOT AROUND HOMELESSNESS AND INVESTING QUITE A LOT.
UM, BUT PERHAPS COULD HAVE BEEN DOING A BETTER JOB ABOUT ARTICULATING, UH, BOTH THE GOALS, THE PROGRESS, UH, AND REALLY WHAT THE TIMELINE WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND SO, CONSEQUENTLY, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UH, INCREASINGLY A REAL CRISIS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, UH, EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FRUSTRATION AROUND, UM, OUR CHALLENGE AROUND ARTICULATING THE ACTIVITIES.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EFFORTS THAT I THINK ARE CRITICAL, UM, THAT I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON BRIEFLY.
AND OF COURSE WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS LATER.
UH, WE, THE CITY HAD FOR SOME TIME HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, WHICH IS, UH, UH, SIMPLY APARTMENT HOUSING THAT IS AVAILABLE, UH, TO THE MOST NEEDY.
SO FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY AND LIKELY NEED LONG-TERM HOUSING SUBSIDY, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT EFFORT HAS BEEN MANIFESTED IS IN, UH, THE EFFORT TO ACQUIRE HOTELS.
UH, SO JUST, I THINK TO BE CLEAR, THE CITY HAS CLOSED ON TWO HOTELS AND HAS ANOTHER TWO PENDING, UH, PURCHASE.
THEY HAVE BEEN USED TEMPORARILY, UH, FOR SHELTERING AROUND COVID.
SO TO PROTECT VERY MEDICALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE, UH, IN THE FACE OF COVID, UH, AROUND THE RISK OF INFECTION, THEY ARE NOW, UM, BEGINNING TO TRANSITION THOSE FACILITIES TO THEIR INTENDED USE.
ONE OF THEM WILL BECOME A BRIDGE SHELTER AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WILL LIKELY BECOME A PERMANENT, A PERMANENT HOUSING LOCATION.
SO WE'VE, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE INITIATED THAT PROCESS OVER THE NEXT, UH, LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, THE, IN FEBRUARY ALSO COUNCIL APPROVED WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE HEAL INITIATIVE, WHICH I BELIEVE STANDS FOR HOUSING, UM, UH, HOUSING ASSISTED ENCAMPMENT.
I CAN'T MET ASSISTANCE LEAGUE, SORRY, HOUSING FOCUSED AND CATLETT ASSISTANCE LINK.
AND THAT IS AN INITIATIVE, UM, WHICH REALLY, THIS IS A PHASE.
ONE OF THE INITIATIVE AND COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SCALING IT, UH, UH, OVER TIME THAT ASKS STAFF AND OUR NONPROFIT SERVICE PARTNERS TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TARGET SPECIFIC ENCAMPMENTS.
SO GO INTO AN ENCAMPMENT, DO OUTREACH, AND THEN EXPLICITLY OFFER HOUSING AND SERVICES TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, AS A PRELUDE TO CLEARING A PARTICULAR SITE AS AN ENCAMPMENT.
SO THOSE FOUR SITES INCLUDE BOTH A SITE, DOWNTOWN ACCESSOR CHAVEZ AND CONGRESS, AS WELL AS A SITE THAT IS NOT IN DOWNTOWN PROPER,
[00:15:01]
BUT VERY NEARBY, WHICH IS THE TERASA LIBRARY.UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE BLOCK EAST OF 35 ON, ON CENSOR CHAVEZ.
SO WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, UM, GETTING OUR CONTRACTS IN PLACE, ET CETERA, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND ANTICIPATE THAT WORK BEGINNING, UH, IN THE MONTH OF MAY OR EARLY JUNE, UH, WE OF COURSE HAVE HAD A CHANGE IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF THE, UH, CAMPING ORDINANCE, UH, BEING REINSTATED, BUT THAT REALLY DOES NOT PRECLUDE US.
AND IN FACT, I THINK ENCOURAGES US TO DO THIS WORK, TO, UM, GET PEOPLE REHOUSED AND OFFER THEM SHELTER.
IN THE MEANTIME, AS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LIMITED SHELTER IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THIS DEDICATE SHELTER SPACE TO THESE KINDS OF EFFORTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE REAL, I THINK DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT RATHER THAN JUST ASKING PEOPLE TO MOVE TO ANOTHER PLACE, UH, THAT IS AN UNAUTHORIZED LOCATION FOR CAMPING.
WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE SOLVING THE PROBLEM IN A PERMANENT WAY BY GETTING THEM BACK INTO HOUSING.
UM, WE HAVE COMMITTED FUNDS TO ANOTHER PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT, UH, WHICH IS, WILL BE SPONSORED BY KARA TOSS OF AUSTIN, AS YOU KNOW, HAS A SITE DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT WILL BE 171 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING, UH, OVER, UH, APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED OF WHICH WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO THE CITY HAS COMMITTED, UM, RESOURCES IN A NUMBER OF WAYS ON THAT BUILDING, INCLUDING CAPITAL, UH, FOR THE BRICKS AND MORTAR COST, SOME RENTAL SUBSIDIES TO KEEP THE RENTS VERY LOW IN THOSE UNITS.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE ON THE AGENDA, I BELIEVE FOR TOMORROW FUNDING THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AT THAT SITE.
UM, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND SHARE THIS COMMUNITY SENSE OF URGENCY AROUND THIS.
UM, BUT WE THINK ARE, ARE MOVING, UH, AS AGGRESSIVELY AS WE CAN TO INCREASE CAPACITY.
UH, AND I THINK TO THAT END, I MIGHT, UM, PASS IT AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WE THOUGHT MIGHT GO NEXT, WHETHER THAT WAS BILL OR MATT AND, AND, UH, BILL, CAN YOU REMIND ME, HAD YOU THOUGHT OF COVERING THE SUMMIT OUTCOMES OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT DO I ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER A SLIDE PRESENTATION THAT I BELIEVE IS QUEUED UP READY TO GO WELL WITH A FEW SLIDES AND IT PROVIDED A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND PERFECT SPENDING SOME DATA THERE'S TO HELP FRAME THE ISSUE SPECIFICALLY FOR DOWNTOWN, UH, MR. CHAIR COMMISSIONERS, GOOD EVENING.
I'M BILL BRYCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF INVESTOR RELATIONS WITH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
ANOTHER THING MOST OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE MANAGING ENTITY FOR THE AUSTIN DOWNTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT REPRESENTING MORE THAN 850 INVESTMENT PROPERTY OWNERS IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH MORE THAN 900 PROPERTIES IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, UH, SINCE 1993.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE ALONGSIDE OUR DOWNTOWN COMMANDER GREENWALL WITH MATT, WITH DIANA, WE WORK TOGETHER ON THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS AS WELL AS MANY OTHER THINGS A LOT.
AND AS DIANA WAS, WAS ADDRESSING IN HER COMMENTS, THERE REALLY ARE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS ARENA.
AND, UH, I KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S NOT OBVIOUS THE PROGRESS THAT WE ARE MAKING AS A COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, BUT I THINK MY SLIDES COMING UP WILL HELP DEMONSTRATE THAT.
IN FACT, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
IF YOU PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO I WANTED TO JUST START OFF THE CONVERSATION BY FRAMING THE DATA, THEN THE BACK ONE, PLEASE.
THE DIAGRAM ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW REPRESENTS THE POINT IN TIME, COUNT A ONE NIGHT SNAPSHOT COUNT THAT'S DONE EVERY YEAR, EXCEPT NOT IN 2021 JANUARY BECAUSE OF COVID.
THIS IS ORCHESTRATED BY ECHO, WHICH MATT REPRESENTS IN THE BARS ON THE SCREEN, OR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COUNTED IN SHELTER AND UNSHELTERED ON ONE NIGHT IN JANUARY, A SLICE IN TIME, YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE 10 YEAR BAR CHART OF WHAT THAT COUNT HAS AMOUNTED TO OVER TIME.
AND THE FIRST THING I POINT OUT IS THAT THE TREND LINE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT.
AND I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT IS THAT CERTAINLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE TREND LINE FOR AUSTIN'S OVERALL POPULATION AND THE SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH THAT WE HAVE HAD AS A CITY, THE FACT THAT THIS TREND LINE IS FAIRLY FLAT, I THINK IS A REALLY POSITIVE THING THAT SPEAKS TO THE FACT, THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD WORK BEING DONE TO SUSTAIN OR KIND OF MAINTAIN THE LEVEL THAT WE HAVE HAD.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE HAD INCREASING NUMBERS OVER TIME, I'LL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO ALMOST THE MIDDLE BAR, 2015, THE LOW POINT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW, SINCE 2015 THROUGH LAST YEAR'S COUNT, WE HAD A 36% INCREASE OVERALL IN HOMELESSNESS.
HOWEVER, WE HAD A 136% INCREASE IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS,
[00:20:01]
AND I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT.CERTAINLY THE FACT THAT PEOPLE, UM, THE ORDINANCES WERE CHANGED AND PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO CAMP IN PUBLIC AREAS WHERE THEY WERE LESS VISIBLE BEFORE IS ALL PART OF THAT.
IF YOU'D GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE ZEROING IN A LITTLE BIT ON DOWNTOWN, YOU SEE 2017, 18 AND 19 DATA ON THIS SLIDE.
AND THIS SHOWS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN SHELTER REPRESENTED BY THE, UH, TURQUOISE AND DARK BLUE PORTIONS OF THE BARS, WHICH ARE ARCH AND SALVATION ARMY BEDS, RESPECTIVELY, AND THE UNSHELTERED COUNT IN GREEN.
AGAIN, UH, LOOKING AT THESE BARS, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU, IF YOU REFER TO THE OTHER SLIDE, DON'T GO THERE.
UM, 35% OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COUNTED IN THE OVERALL POINT IN TIME OUT OR IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, IN AND OUT OF SHELTER.
A THIRD OF THE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE REASON TO BE CONCERNED AND INVOLVED IN THIS PROBLEM AND HELPING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, WHICH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DOES EVERY DAY ALONGSIDE THE PARTNERS THAT ARE WITH US TONIGHT AND MANY, MANY OTHERS.
UM, ASIDE FROM THE POINT IN TIME COUNTS, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A ONE NIGHT MONTHLY COUNT AND THIS THE, THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN AND THE STATISTICS ALONGSIDE IT ARE THE COUNT THAT WE DID BETWEEN TWO AND 6:00 AM ON THURSDAY NIGHT, UH, APRIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 22ND.
UH, THE HEAT MAP, I THINK IS THE MAIN THING.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE THERE ARE LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED.
THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE ECHO COUNT IN THAT WE ARE NOT SERVING PEOPLE.
OUR AMBASSADORS TEAM, THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS ARE MOVING THROUGH EVERY STREET, EVERY ALLEY, EVERY PART THAT WE CAN THAT'S IN THE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, SIMPLY CLICKING A DATA POINT FOR ONE ROOM.
PEOPLE THAT WE SEE UNSHELTERED TO TENTS OR STRUCTURES, NOT KNOWING HOW MANY PEOPLE MIGHT BE INSIDE OF THEM.
AND THIRDLY VEHICLES WHERE IT'S EVIDENT THERE IS A PERSON OR PEOPLE SLEEPING INSIDE OF THEM.
AND SO ON THAT NIGHT, THE HEAT MAP THAT YOU SEE THERE REPRESENTS ONE, 561 DATA POINTS COLLECTED THAT NIGHT.
NOW, IF YOU USE MULTIPLIERS THAT HUD HAS AS USED IN THE PAST FOR NUMBER OF PEOPLE, INTENSE RESTRUCTURES, AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN CARS, WE THINK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY REPRESENTED HERE IS IN THE VICINITY OF ABOUT 742 ON THIS PARTICULAR NIGHT.
WHAT I MOSTLY WANT TO ILLUSTRATE IS THAT VOLUME OF PEOPLE, SOMEWHERE IN THE HIGH FIVE HUNDREDS, THE MID SEVEN HUNDREDS, APPROXIMATELY ON THAT NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN IN THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, BUT ALSO WHERE THEY'RE CONCENTRATED UNDER THE BRIDGES ON
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, WORKING WITH INTEGRAL CARE, UH, CREATED A NEW PROGRAM THAT'S JUST BEING LAUNCHED TODAY.
UH, IT'S JUST GETTING UNDERWAY CALLED HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS.
UH, THE GENESIS OF THIS GENESIS OF THIS CAME OUT OF RESEARCH THAT WAS FUNDED BY DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT REALLY PUT A THUMBPRINT ON THE NEED FOR INCREASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WE PARTNERED WITH INTEGRAL CARE, ASKED THEM TO DRAFT THE PROGRAM MODEL AS TO HOW WE MIGHT BETTER ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
THEY PUT TOGETHER THIS MODEL CITY COUNCIL HELPED MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO ENSURE THAT PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM WOULD BE IN PLACE.
IT PROVIDES A DIRECT LINE TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE INTEGRAL CARE AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, AS WELL AS THE HOST TEAM, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM, THE GOAL TO PROVIDE A 100 TO 150 PEOPLE PER YEAR WITH HOUSING FOCUSED HEALTHCARE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE AND LEVERAGING INTEGRAL CARE'S NEW TERRORISTS AND OAK SPRINGS HOUSING FIRST PROJECT CLINIC AS THE SERVICE HUB.
SO LEVERAGING OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND EXISTING PROGRAMS WITH COMMUNITY COURT, WITH HOST AND INTEGRAL CARE TO CREATE THIS PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT NEED THAT AFFECTS MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ON SHELTER.
[00:25:01]
THE FIRST YEAR PROGRAM COST IS $520,000, UH, BEING EQUALLY SHARED BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A NEW PROGRAM MODEL BEING TESTED SIMILAR TO HOW FIVE YEARS AGO, JUST NOW WE WERE BEGINNING TO TEST THE HOMELESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM HOST PROGRAM.
YOU THINK THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT MIGHT PROVE UP A MODEL THAT COULD BE REPLICATED, UH, TO A BROADER GEOGRAPHIC AREA AT ONCE.
UH, AS DIANA MENTIONED IN HER COMMENTS IN MARCH THROUGH APRIL MID MARCH THROUGH APRIL MID APRIL, UH, THERE WAS A HOMELESS SUMMIT, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE ECHO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE MAYOR AND CITY OF AUSTIN PARTNERED TOGETHER, UH, IN SOME FACILITATED MEETINGS BACK IN LATE 20, 20 AND EARLY 2021, AND ALL AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER FOR A SUMMIT INTENDED TO ADDRESS UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, UH, THAT INVOLVED AS DIANA MENTIONED, MANY, MANY PARTICIPANTS MORE THAN PROBABLY EVER, BUT A MORE DIVERSE GROUP THAN EVER BEFORE, PARTICULARLY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY THAT PARTICIPATED ALONGSIDE OUR SOCIAL SERVICE AND HOMELESS OR HOUSING PROVIDERS, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE ALMOST, UH, MORE SO THAN I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE A LONG AND SHORT TERM GOALS WERE SET IN A PROPOSED SYSTEM.
DIAGRAM CAME OUT OF THIS, WHICH WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND I'LL SHARE MORE ON THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UH, A LONG-TERM GOAL TO HOUSE 3000 PEOPLE IN THREE YEARS, HOUSE 3000 IN THREE YEARS, A TALL ORDER REACHING EQUILIBRIUM IN FIVE YEARS WHERE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THE SYSTEM EQUALS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXITING THE SYSTEM.
ALSO INVOLVED IS BUILDING UP, BOLSTERING UP THE SYSTEM TO HELP FOUR TO FIVE PROVIDER CAPACITY NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AND TO REHOUSE ENCAMPMENTS EQUITABLY, DIANA MENTIONED THE HEALS STRATEGY.
SHE ALSO TOUCHED ON THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT TODAY THAN WE WERE EVEN AT THE END OF THE SUMMIT WITH THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION B AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT WITH REINSTATED CAMPING ORDINANCES IN ORDINANCES AGAINST SITTING IN LYING AND AGGRESSIVE SOLICITATION, NOT ONLY DOWNTOWN, BUT ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
SO THE SYSTEM DIAGRAM IS ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU NOW, AND IT'S NOT TO DWELL ON IT.
THE FACT IS WE CAME OUT OF THE SUMMIT WITH THIS SYSTEM MODEL PROPOSED, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING FROM THIS AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT CAME OUT OF THE SUMMIT.
AND IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO ANY OF THESE, BUT I KNOW TIME IS SHORT, IMMEDIATE, NEXT STEPS.
WE ARE DEVELOPING AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND FORMALIZING THE STRATEGY, OBVIOUSLY KEY TO THIS WHERE THE RUBBER REALLY MEETS THE ROAD IS WITH ECHO AND ALL OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICE AND HOMELESS, UH, UH, UH, PROVIDERS AS WELL AS THE HOUSING ENTITIES INVOLVED HERE.
BUT NOW WE HAVE A BROADER COMMUNITY AROUND THIS.
HOW DOES THE PRIVATE SECTOR PLAYING A ROLE HERE TO, UH, PROVIDE LEADERSHIP AND FUNDING SUPPORT THE ROLE FOR PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY, NOT JUST RELYING ON THE CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM OR THE CITY AND OUR SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS YOU SEE BELOW THAT KEY MILESTONE.
SO THERE WAS A GOAL SET THAT BY JUNE, 2021, WE'RE GOING TO REHOUSE 100 PEOPLE BY AUGUST, ANOTHER HUNDRED IN DECEMBER, ANOTHER 200 BY APRIL OF 2024, TO REACH THAT GOAL OF REHOUSING 3000.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THIS ALREADY, BUT ONE THING WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED IS OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR SHELTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO HERE IN AUSTIN, SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY OR REDUCED THEIR OPERATING CAPACITIES WELL BELOW NORMAL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, SALVATION ARMY'S DOWNTOWN SHELTER SHUT DOWN FULLY FOR TWO MONTHS.
MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE MOVED INTO HOTEL ROOMS. ARCH REDUCED HIS CAPACITY TO BELOW 50%.
AND CURRENTLY SALVATION ARMY IS OPERATING AT 100 BEDS OUT OF 242 BED CAPACITY.
TODAY, ARCH IS OPERATING AT 50% OF ITS 135 BED CAPACITY.
WE ALSO HAVE INCREASING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE LIVING UNSHELTERED, BOTH DOWNTOWN AND ACROSS THE CITY.
OUR EARLIER SLIDES, I THINK HELPED TO FRAME THAT FOR YOU, AS DIANA MENTIONED, AND I'VE TOUCHED ON PROPHECY, PARDON PROPOSITION BE PASSED.
WE INSTATING CAMPING BANDS, AGGRESSIVE SOLICITATION ORDINANCES, AND SIT LIGHT ORDINANCES THAT THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS ON HOW WE ADDRESS THIS OR HOW URGENTLY WE ADDRESS IT.
THE MAIN THING IS THE PLAYING FIELD HAS CHANGED AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IS DYNAMIC AND ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
[00:30:01]
THE CITY COUNCIL JUST PASSED A RESOLUTION, MAY 6TH, DIRECTING THE MANAGER TO EXPLORE THE CREATION OF SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, IDENTIFYING CITY OWNED PROPERTY, PROPERTY OWNED BY OTHER PUBLIC PARTNERS OR POTENTIAL PRIVATE PARTNERS THAT MIGHT BE WILLING TO UTILIZE PROPERTY FOR POTENTIALLY CREATING SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS.AND I KNOW THAT'S CREATED SOME CONSTERNATION BECAUSE SO FAR THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON PARKS AND BELIEVE ME IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN PARKS.
UM, ALSO BILLS ARE BEING CONSIDERED RIGHT NOW BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT WOULD CREATE A STATEWIDE BAN ON CAMPING AND PUBLIC SPACE THAT COULD HAVE NEAR-TERM FUTURE IMPLICATIONS ON THE PLAYING FIELD HERE, BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, UH, THE AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN ACT FUNDING AS WELL AS INCREASED PRIVATE SECTOR INTEREST IN SUPPORTING AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS, I THINK CREATES UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY MOVE FORWARD, TO RAMP UP RESOURCES QUICKLY AND TO, UH, SOLVE THIS PROBLEM OR ADDRESS THE PROBLEM LIKE WE'VE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO BEFORE.
THE NEXT ONE JUST ASKS FOR QUESTION AND DISCUSSION.
UM, I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO DEFER TO OUR COMMANDER AND OR TO MATT.
UM, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, FORGIVE ME, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I KNOW THAT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN TO DOMINATE THE CONVERSATION.
CERTAINLY WELCOME QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK OTHERS MAY WISH TO COMMENT AS WELL AS A REMINDER, WE'LL DO Q AND A AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH PLATFORM, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, BEING HERE TONIGHT AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU ALL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE FORUM AND, UH, MY NAME'S MATT MULLICA, MATTHEW MULLICA, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE ENDING COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS COALITION.
UM, ECHO IS WHAT'S CALLED THE LEAD AGENCY FOR AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH MEANS WE COORDINATE THE FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, THAT COME IN FROM THE HOUSING URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND ALSO, AS BILL MENTIONED, UM, WE CONDUCT A POINT IN TIME COUNTY CHEER AND, UH, RUN WHAT'S CALLED THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, OR EACH OF MY S WHICH CAPTURES ALL THE DATA POINTS THAT, UM, THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OR SEEN ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, UM, OVER THE LAST, UM, WELL, CERTAINLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT, UM, HAVE BEEN MORE PREVALENT WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AS, UM, AS PROPERTY MOVED THROUGH, UH, THE, THE, UM, MOVED ON TO THE BALLOT AND, UM, IT WAS WELL DISCUSSED.
UM, I THINK FOR, UH, FOR US AND FOR ECHO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR FOCUS IS COMMUNITY-WIDE STRATEGIES IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY, BUT AS BILL MENTIONED, AND AS DIANA TOUCHED ON, UM, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE IS A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR.
WE DO KNOW THAT MOST OF OUR SERVICES, UH, EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES, OBVIOUSLY, AND MANY, UM, AREAS THAT ARE MANY SERVICES THAT PROVIDE, UM, BASIC NEEDS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE LOCATED DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THUS LEADING TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND I THINK AS, AS BILL, BILL OUTLINED A LOT OF THE THINGS HAPPENING NOW, UH, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY AND DIANA TOUCHED ON SOME AS WELL.
SO I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME DISCUSSING THAT.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL LEAVE SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I DO THINK, UM, CERTAINLY WANT TO HIT ON AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS WORTH MENTIONING, UM, IS THAT WE SEE MASSIVE DISPROPORTIONALITY IN PEOPLE LIVING, UH, WITH A DISABLING CONDITION IN OUR COMMUNITY OF THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE SEE THAT 8% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF TRAVIS COUNTY REPORT HAVING A DISABLING CONDITION WHILE 69% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS REPORT, UH, LIVING WITH A DISABLING CONDITION.
UM, WE KNOW THAT AUSTIN IS A REALLY DIFFICULT MARKET, UM, FOR RENTAL, UH, RENTAL MARKET, AS ALL OF, YOU KNOW, VERY TIGHT VACANCY RATES, REALLY HIGH COSTS OF LIVING.
SO IF FOLKS ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, UNABLE TO WORK OR IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO WORK, UM, IT CAN BE REALLY HARD TO AFFORD HOUSING UNITS, UH, IN OUR CITY ALSO WORTH MENTIONING.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT LOST ON MANY OF YOU.
UM, BUT OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAS SEEN SEEN 50% OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE 30% OR LESS OF THE AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME LOSE THEIR JOBS.
50% OF THOSE PEOPLE LOST EMPLOYMENT, UM, IN THE YEAR 2020, WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER NUMBER
[00:35:01]
THAN SURROUNDING TEXAS CITIES, UM, LARGE TEXAS CITIES.AND SO IN AUSTIN, IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE SEEING REALLY THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC ARE MASSIVE AND, UM, AND COULD, YOU KNOW, RESULT TRAGICALLY IN MANY MORE PEOPLE, UH, LOSING THEIR HOUSING AND ENDING UP ON THE STREET.
UM, AND I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ADDRESSING THIS HOLISTICALLY AND LOOKING AT THE WHOLE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF HOW PEOPLE FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS AND EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, WE WILL BE REALLY, UM, STRAPPED TO, UM, TO SUPPORT THOSE FOLKS.
UM, IF, IF THEY'RE NOT, IF THEY'RE NOT SUPPORTED PRIOR TO EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO PREVENTION LIKE PREVENTION IS A BIG THING IN OUR, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND A LARGE NEED.
NOW, AS YOU KNOW, IS BACK RENT IS PILING UP FOR FOLKS.
SO I DON'T, AGAIN, I KNOW WE ONLY HAVE 15 MINUTES.
I WANT TO LET THE COMMANDER TALK AS WELL.
WE DON'T MUCH TIME, BUT ARE, I WANT TO, UM, WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT, UM, AND I'LL DROP MY, MY NAME.
UM, IF I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THE CHAT, I'LL DROP MY EMAIL IN THE CHAT AND MY CONTACT INFORMATION, PLEASE REACH OUT.
UM, ECHO'S WEBSITE IS A GOOD RESOURCE FOR A WATER REPORTS THAT TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS ACROSS AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AND, UM, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE DISCUSSION TODAY THAT I CAN'T ANSWER BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET BACK TO YOU ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO I'LL TURN, UM, YIELD MY TIME BACK, UM, AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, WE GET EVERYBODY'S VOICE HEARD HERE AND WAIT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UH, COMMANDER GREENWALT AND LIEUTENANT DAVID.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR HAVING US.
WE, UM, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A COUPLE OF QUICK OPENING STATEMENTS AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT DAVIS FOR SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON APDS RESPONSE AND OUR, UM, PROTOCOLS FOR THIS PROPOSITION E THAT HAS PASSED RECENTLY.
IT'S APDS POSITION THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THEY'RE NOT COMMITTING A CRIME, UM, AND THEREFORE THE POLICE SHOULD NOT BE THE PRIMARY OR FIRST PEOPLE WHO RESPOND.
WE HAVE DIVERTED ALL OF THE NINE 11 PHONE CALLS RELATED TO THE CAMPING TO OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE RESPONSE TO THOSE CALLS, OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES, OUR DRS ARE TAKING AN INITIATIVE, AN AMBITIOUS EFFORT TO GO OUT AND MEET WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AT THESE CAMPSITES AS POSSIBLE TO PERFORM OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND TRY TO WORK WITH THEM, TO GET THEM TO THE NEXT PLACE AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF A, AN OVERVIEW OF ATDS STANCE AND APPROACH ON THIS METHOD, BUT, UH, ABSOLUTELY LIEUTENANT DAVIS BEING OUT THERE AND BEING WITH HIS PEOPLE OVER THE, THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER THAN I CAN.
SO I'M GONNA LET HIM TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THAT GOOD EVENING FOLKS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M WONDERFULLY DELIGHTED AND DEEPLY HONORED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME MEANINGFUL, UM, REWARDING AND ENGAGING DIALOGUE WITH YOU.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ALL YOUR RULES OF ORDER.
SO FORGIVE ME IF I, UH, MAKE A MISTAKE, IT IS IT'S A MISTAKE OF THE MIND AND NOT OF THE, UH, I JUST KINDA WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I A, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMPLEXITY.
I WANTED TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR PHASED APPROACH AND, UH, AGAIN, REITERATE OUR ROLE AND POSITION IN THE RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR RPM QUITE A BIT.
UM, I AM THE, UH, MYSELF AND MY, WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS OF THE APD RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION BEEF.
SO, UM, I HEARD SOMEONE SAY THAT, UM, THE, THE, UH, PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION B AND THE IMPLEMENTATION IS, UH, COMPLEX, AND I KNEW WHAT THEY MEANT.
THEY MEANT THAT IT WAS COMPLICATED, BUT WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS IN IS ON A LITTLE BIT OF POLICE ACADEMIA AND TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A COMPLEX INCIDENT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND ANY ONE OF THESE COULD QUALIFY AS A COMPLEX INCIDENT.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A MULTI-AGENCY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL OR MULTI-DISCIPLINE CORRINE COMMAND AND COORDINATION.
THAT COULD BE A COMPLEX ISSUE.
ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMICAL PROPERTY, WIDESPREAD PROPERTY, UM, UM, UH, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACT, ANY ONE OF THOSE COULD MAKE THIS A CRITICAL INCIDENT, UM, TIME AN IMPACT EXTENDS BEYOND WHAT WE CALL OPERATIONAL PERIODS, MULTI, MULTIPLE OPERATIONAL PERIODS.
THOSE COULD MAKE THIS COMPLEX, ANYTIME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, OPTICS OR THINGS, SOMETHING THAT WOULD ATTRACT MEDIA MEDIA ATTENTION THAT COULD MAKE IT COMPLEX, OR AN ANYTIME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REQUIRING THE SUPPORT OF STAKEHOLDERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES, AND LOCAL, UH, GOVERNMENT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, COMPLEX.
[00:40:01]
NOW, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR.WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS INVOLVED IN OUR RESPONSE.
SO I WENT BACK TO THE TABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY COMPLICATED NOW OF EVERYTHING THAT I MENTIONED, THAT WHAT MAKES IT REALLY COMPLEX IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LIVES OF HUMAN BEINGS AND RECONCILING THE EXPRESS WILL OF THE PEOPLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION B.
SO WHEN I WAS, WHEN MY STAFF AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT OUR RESPONSE WOULD BE, WE WANT IT TO BE A, WE WANT IT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE, UH, UM, IMPLEMENTED OTHER, UH, SIMILAR ORDINANCES AND THAT WE WANTED TO BE, MAKE SURE OUR RESPONSE WAS HUMANE.
IT WAS ABLE TO BE DONE SAFELY.
OUR OBJECTIVES WERE WE'RE IN THE SUCH THAT WE WERE GOING TO RELOCATE PEOPLE, UH, IN SUCH A WAY THAT PRESERVE HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMAN RESPECT AND PROMOTED, VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
UM, I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT THE COMMANDER SAID THAT APDS POSITION IS THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT WE WOULD NOT DECLARE OURSELVES THE TIP OF THE SPEECH, BUT RATHER BE A LINK IN A CHAIN.
AND WHENEVER WE MOVE THROUGH THE PHASES THAT I'M GOING TO GO OVER, UM, WE WANTED TO BE, UH, HAVE A HARM FOCUSED APPROACH TOWARD MEANING WE WANT TO ASK.
AND EVERY OPERATION THAT WE DO, WHAT HARM ARE WE GOING TO CAUSE? AND HOW CAN WE BEST MITIGATE THAT HARM? WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE INTELLIGENCE SPLIT, MEANING WE WANTED TO BRING THE HUMAN ELEMENT INTO IT.
UM, THE BIG, BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SOME BLIND SPOTS AND SOMETHING THAT WERE PRACTICAL AND PRAGMATIC, IT MADE THE MOST SENSE.
IT WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO FACILITATE THE INTRODUCTION OF B.
SO LET ME JUST, UM, UM, BEGIN WITH SOME OF OUR PHASED APPROACHES, WHAT WE DID, AND I HAVE DATA WHICH I'LL GIVE TO YOU, BUT I, I WOULD, UM, I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO FOCUS MORE ON THE, THAN THE HEART DATES.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE DID IS THE BEST WAY IS TO, UH, TO BEGIN OUR APPROACH WAS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE THAT WOULD BE MOST IMPACTED.
SO WE WANTED TO HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL PHASE WHERE WE WERE OUT ACTUALLY OUT, UH, ENGAGING THOSE THAT ARE, THAT ARE UNSHELTERED.
WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT OF PROPERTY, WHAT IT MEANS AND HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEM, AND ALSO WHAT THEY COULD EXPECT FROM THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN EDUCATIONAL PHASE AND PHASE ONE, WHERE WE'RE ALSO DOCUMENTING COLLECTING DATA AND, AND, UM, AND PROVIDING WHAT, IF YOU WILL WARNINGS THAT BURT WARNINGS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE DATA BECAUSE A, WE WERE GOING TO NEED TO NOT ONLY KNOW WHAT OUR BLIND SPOTS WERE, BUT, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT WORKS, WHAT DIDN'T WORK AND WHAT WAS PROMISING.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS PHASE IS ABOUT.
WE NEED TO GET A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AND, AND FIGURE OUT, UH, HELP US, UH, UNCOVER ANY, UH, ANY BLIND SPOTS THAT WE, THINGS WE MAY NOT BE THINKING.
SO THAT WOULD BE KIND OF LIKE IN PHASE ONE.
SO AS WE MOVE THROUGH PHASE ONE, PROGRESSIVELY WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, I SAY WE'RE DOING THEM IN 30 DAY INCREMENTS, BUT THE NEXT PHASE WOULD BE WHERE WE'RE GOING INTO, UH, UH, CAMPS.
AND LET, LET ME PAUSE FOR A MINUTE, NOTHING PER, UH, UM, REALLY LIMITS AN OFFICER'S RESPONSE TO INTERVENE WHERE THERE'S LIFE AND SAFETY OR, OR IMMINENT, UH, AN ELEMENT OF DANGER TO, TO RESPOND.
SO WE'RE ASKING OFFICERS TO USE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF DISCRETION.
AND WHEN WE DO ACT AT, IN, UM, WITH A HARM FOCUSED APPEAL AND THAT YOU'RE ACTING IN THE INTEREST OF CONNECTING THE INDIVIDUALS WITH SERVICES.
SO THIS MORNING AND THE NIGHTS THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE HOLE, OR THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT I'VE BEEN IN, THE HOMELESS CAMPS HAVE BEEN EDUCATION.
AND WITH THE FOCUS ON CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES, AND WHILE I HAVE THE WINDOW, UM, UH, HAVING A SENSE OF COMMAND AND COORDINATION WITH ECHO AND ALL THE OTHER, UH, SUPPORTING AGENCIES AND OUR STRATEGY OFFICER AND GET THOSE RESOURCES IN, UM, INVOLVED WITH, UH, WITH THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS.
SO W AS WE MOVE TO PHASE TWO, THAT WILL LOOK LIKE A WRITTEN WARNING AND, UH, UM, AND POSSIBLE CITATION.
SO WE'RE MOVING FROM PHASE ONE TO EDUCATIONAL AND PHASE TWO WOULD BE A RE UH, FROM, UH, EXCUSE ME, EDUCATION AND VERBAL WARNING TO A WRITTEN WARNING POSSIBLE CITATION, PHASE THREE, WITH THE DISCRETION OF THE OFFICER PHASE THREE COULD BE A CITATION.
UM, AND THEN AS WE MOVED INTO PHASE FOUR, AND LET ME GO WITH THOSE DATES, PHASE ONE WOULD BE MAY 11TH TO JUNE 20.
THAT'S WHERE I GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.
PHASE TWO WOULD BE JUNE 13TH TO JULY 10TH, PHASE THREE WOULD BE JULY 11TH TO AUGUST 7TH AND PHASE FOUR COULD BE ARRESTED ON DIVERSION, UH, BEGINNING, AUGUST 8TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 4TH.
NOW I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, UM, ARREST AND DIVERSION.
UM, IF WE, THERE MAY COME TO A POINT WHERE WE MAY APT TO TAKE AN INDIVIDUAL IN CUSTODY, BUT WE WANT TO DO SO WITH, WITH THE INFERENCE THAT WHAT, WHERE OUR FOCUS IS CONNECTING THAT INDIVIDUAL WITH SERVICE.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON A DIVERSIONARY PROGRAM TO WHERE WE CAN EFFECTIVELY TAKE SOMEONE INTO CUSTODY AND REMAND
[00:45:01]
IN REMAND THEM IN SOME SORT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.AND SO THAT'S IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, A LOT OF TALKS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO A COORDINATED EFFORT.
SO, UM, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE PHASES, UM, I CAN'T, UM, I DON'T WANT, I WANT, I DON'T, I CAN'T OVERSTATE THAT WE'RE ASKING, UM, OFFICERS TO USE DISCRETION AND BE HARMED FOCUSED AND TELL THEM THIS LIT, UM, AND PROBLEM ORIENTED, AND THEN ALSO BE EVIDENCE-BASED.
SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST AN OVERVIEW OF ONE-ON-ONE TO TALK ABOUT, AND THEN REITERATE THAT WE ARE IN, UM, AN, A MULTITUDE OF CONVERSATION WITH A MULTITUDE OF PARTNERS AND WE'RE LISTENING WITH, UM, TO, TO THE EXPERTS IN THE ROOM.
UM, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN, UH, COORDINATE OUR, UH, ENFORCEMENT PLAN, UH, BE A WHEEL WITHIN A WHEEL.
SO WE'RE TAKING OUR PLAN AND IN, UM, AND, UH, IN, UH, INFUSING IT WITH OTHER, WITH THE OTHER, OUR OTHER PARTNERS PLANS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, PLEASE CONTINUE.
SO, SO IN, IN A NUTSHELL, OUR, OUR ESTIMATION IS WE'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND WHAT WE'RE, IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IS, I MEAN, I'VE DONE A LOT OF MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND WE'RE HOPEFUL IS THAT WE GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS WHERE DO WE TELL THEM TO GO? SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, UM, SEEKING GUIDANCE ON.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOLKS TO LEAVE, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO TELL THEM SOMEWHERE SAFE TO GO.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE WE AT AT THIS POINT, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE TO OFFER UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, UM, THANK YOU.
UH, LIEUTENANT DAVIS, WHY DON'T WE OPEN IT UP TO COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? UM, THIS IS COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
I'VE GOT A BUNCH OF THEM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO DOMINATE THE CONVERSATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UM, OFFICER DAVIS, UM, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN OUT THERE EDUCATING, UM, THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS, THE MAIN PART OF, IF I WAS HOMELESS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, SO WHERE CAN WE GO? UH, AND I, I REALIZE THAT YOU SAID YOU'D BE, UM, YOU'RE WAITING FOR GUIDANCE.
UM, BUT, BUT, SO WHAT ARE YOU TELLING THEM? AND IS IT, ARE WE GOING TO MOVE TO PHASE TWO, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO OR NOT? ARE WE GOING TO BE WANTING THEM? THE, YOU GOT TO GO AND, OR CITING THEM IF THERE'S NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, SIR.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I SAID, THAT'S THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM AND IT'S AGAIN, AND IT'S VERY COMPLEX.
SO WHAT I'M DOING IS, IS BEING TRUTHFUL AND ACCOUNTABLE.
SO WHEN I'M HAVING THIS DIALOGUE WITH FOLKS, WE'RE RELYING ON OUR PARTNERS, WE'RE NOT JUST GOING IN THERE AND SAYING, HEY, SIT DOWN.
AND I GOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT PROPOSITION B, WE'RE COMING IN THERE WITH, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, THE OTHER RESOURCES, LIKE THE HOST TEAM AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO CAN ON THE SPOT IN TERMS OFFER THOSE SPECIFIC SERVICES.
SO, UM, I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, BEING TRANSPARENT, THAT JUST GOES BOTH WAYS.
WE HAVE TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH.
QUITE FRANKLY, I'M NOT THAT WE KNOW.
WE KNOW THAT THE CITY AND OUR GOVERNMENT ARE TRYING TO PRODUCE SOMETHING AND THAT THERE ARE TALKS, BUT MY MAIN THING IS TO LET THEM UNDERSTAND, GIVE THEM A REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, LET THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT'S COMING, WHAT IT'S GONNA MEAN TO THEM.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND BE HOPEFUL, YOU KNOW? UM, IT'S, IT'S A TRICKY, IT'S A TRICKY, IT'S VERY TRICKY.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND, UM, I'VE JUST BEEN TRANSPARENT WITH THE FOLKS.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S GUT WRENCHING, BUT I THINK I'M THE I'D RATHER HAVE ME DO IT.
UM, I RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE'RE HAVING WHEN WE'RE TALKING WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS, I HEAR THE STORIES.
UM, BUT, UM, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO BE AS JUST TELL THEM THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW.
AND AGAIN, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT COMING UP THERE BY OURSELVES.
WE'RE COMING OUT THERE WITH, UH, UM, WITH OTHER PARTNERS AND RESOURCES.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, SO THE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE COULD BE THAT THEY WOULD VOLUNTARILY LEAVE THAT LOCATION.
AND, AND I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS ARE WE AT ANY WAY FINDING OUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING? SO WE ARE, WE'RE NOT, UM, WE'RE, WE ARE KEEPING DATA.
SO WE'RE DOWN, WE'RE TRACKING HOW MANY EVENTS WE HAD, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE TALKED TO.
UM, AND ANYTIME YOU HAVE A DETENTION ON SOMEONE YOU'RE REQUIRED TO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO RESPONSIBLY COLLECT THAT SO WE CAN GET A BIG, A GRAND PICTURE OF, OF, ARE WE SEEING MORE PEOPLE BE JUST, THEY'RE PRESSING US IN, THEY'RE COMMUNICATING WITH US MORE, OR ARE WE SEEING LESS PEOPLE OR MORE OR LESS PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST LEAVING AND THEN WHERE ARE THEY GOING? SO WE ARE PLACING INFORMATION LIKE PAMPHLETS IN THERE WITH A LIST OF RESOURCES AND, UH, PARTNERS.
AND THEY'RE ALL THERE IS, UH, PERIODIC PARTNERS, WHETHER YOU'RE VETERANS OR, OR OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
SO WE'RE NOT SAYING, HEY, GET OUTTA HERE.
[00:50:01]
ON THIS, COME IN, COME IN THERE AGAIN, I CAN'T OVERSTATE WAS A SERVICE ORIENTED APPROACH AND A HARM FOCUSED APPROACH.SO WE ARE OFFERING THEM RESOURCES AND BRINGING IN OUR TEAMS WITH US.
UH, UM, I'VE GOT A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT THIS PRESENTATION IS COORDINATED WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UH, ECHO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER AND THE DEPARTMENT.
AND MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT THAT COMMUNICATION CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ADJUST THE TIMEFRAMES WITH THE RESOURCES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND THAT IT'S FLUID AND NOT RIGID.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL THAT THIS PRESENTATION IS.
AND I HOPE THAT THAT CONTINUES BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T, THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FINGER POINTING AFTERWARDS.
I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN WE WROTE THE PLAN, WE WROTE IT WITH FLUID AND FLEXIBILITY.
SO I WANTED TO FOCUS ON PHASES AND AS OPPOSED TO, HEY, YOU ARE NOW 38 TO 28 DAYS.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, AT THE WHEEL OF THE CHIEF AT HIS PLEASURE, YOU KNOW, HE COULD, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, HE HAS THOSE CAPABILITIES, BUT IT WAS, UM, IT WAS HIGHLY IMPORTANT THAT WE WERE HIGHLY ENGAGED WITH, UM, WITH, UH, DIANA, HER GROUPS, THE FOLKS AT ECHO AND THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES.
I THINK THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT POINT TO ALSO INCLUDE IN THE PROGRAM IS THAT WE TOOK THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES AND MADE THEM THE PRIMORDIAL RESPONSE TEAM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL REALLY HEAVILY ENGAGED IN SOCIAL DIDN'T EVER BUILT ALREADY CONNECTIONS WITH MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS.
AND SO THEY'RE THE MOST EXPERIENCED OFFICERS THAT ARE TRAINED TO, UM, TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT SERVICES, TO POINT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE RESPONDING.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON.
THANK YOU ALL FOR QUESTIONS TODAY.
I'LL KIND OF ECHO WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COORDINATING.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAVE, THE CITY HAS ALLOCATED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, OVER $116 MILLION TO THIS PROBLEM.
WE HAVE, THE CITY HAS PURCHASED TWO HOTELS, I THINK FOR A TOTAL OF 700 ROOMS. AND MAYBE, UH, THERE ARE WHAT MAY BE 300 PEOPLE WHO ARE HOUSED IN THIS HOTELS, MS. GRAY, CAN YOU TELL US WHY THOSE HOTELS THAT WE HAVE PURCHASED THAT, I GUESS NOW WE'RE PSH, WHY AREN'T THOSE PHIL? SO THE TWO HOTELS THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED, AND THAT IS FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 150 ROOMS, AND THERE WERE OTHER HOTELS LEASED FOR COVID HAVE BEEN UTILIZED AS PRO LODGES, WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY NON CONGREGATE SHELTER.
IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE THEY'RE IN THEIR OWN ROOMS WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO HAD SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS, WHICH INDICATED THAT IF THEY WERE TO CONTRACT COVID, THEIR OUTCOMES WOULD BE VERY, VERY POOR.
UM, AND, AND WE ARE NOW TRANSITIONING ONE OF THOSE HOTELS, UH, OVER TO A GENERAL SHELTER, THE FORMER ROADWAY IN, UH,
AND SO THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE, UM, THE EXPENDITURES OVER TIME, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE ONGOING EXPENDITURES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN HOUSING AND SERVICES.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER IS TO TEASE OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN ONGOING OPERATIONAL AND SERVICE EXPENDITURES AND CAPITAL DOLLARS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THAT NUMBER THAT YOU POSTED IS $30 MILLION, THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE CREATION OF PSH UNITS ONLY ABOUT, UM, I THINK 15 OF THAT HAS BEEN SPENT.
AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE HOTELS THAT WILL NOW COME OUT OF THE COVID RESPONSE AND BE UTILIZED, UH, AS PERMANENT HOUSING, BUT DO HAVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THEM.
AND WE HAVE MONIES THAT ARE IN THOSE BUDGETS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY OR ABOUT TO BREAK GROUND.
THE CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THERE'S AN APARTMENT BUILDING USUALLY HAS TO COMMIT FUNDS A YEAR TO TWO YEARS BEFORE OCCUPANCY.
AND SO I, UM, I THINK WE CAN, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MEMO OUT, UH, THAT I BELIEVE CAME OUT IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH THAT SPOKE TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AROUND FISCAL
[00:55:01]
YEAR $20, UH, AND WHERE THOSE DOLLARS, UM, HAD GONE AND WHAT SOME OF THE, UH, THE MONIES THAT WERE UNEXPENDED AT THE END OF THE YEAR WERE, BUT THEY WERE ALREADY COMMITTED TO FUTURE PROJECTS.WELL, WHEN CITIES LIKE NEW YORK HAVE GIVEN UP BUYING HOTELS, LA HAVE GIVEN UP BY HOTELS AS WELL, IT'S NOT A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY AND IT'S NOT, COST-EFFECTIVE THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY I DON'T BELIEVE IS BEING USED WISELY.
WHAT ABOUT THESE 3D PRINTED HOMES THAT SUPPOSEDLY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INCREDIBLE AND A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE? UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE HOTEL PURCHASES, WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THERE CAN HOUSE PEOPLE, BUT IT'S NOT PERMANENT SOLUTION.
AND MANY OF THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE IN CLOSED IN FOUR ROOMS. THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE.
SO THERE, WHEN IT'S A FAILED STRATEGY SOMEWHERE ELSE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CITY IS PERSISTENT.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO RAISE, TO RESPOND TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTION? YES, PLEASE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD SAY, UM, THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT IS A FAILED STRATEGY, OTHER PLACES, AND IT IS IN MANY CASES, A PERMANENT SOLUTION.
WE DO HAVE ONE PROPERTY WE INTEND TO USE FOR SHELTER, BUT FOR THESE OTHERS, THESE ARE CONVERSION TO STUDIO APARTMENT UNITS.
SO THEY ARE NO LONGER HOMELESS.
AND TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A COMPARISON.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PURCHASE OF A HOTEL ROOM, OUR PURCHASE PRICE HAS HOVERED AROUND A HUNDRED, 115,000 UP TO SAY, $120,000 PER UNIT.
OFTEN WE NEED TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS OR CHANGES TO THAT BUILDING TO MAKE IT READY FOR USE AS MULTIFAMILY.
BUT WE DON'T EXPECT TYPICALLY OUR PER UNIT COST TO GO ABOVE 150,000 OR SO WE THINK, LOOK AT THE MARKET IN AUSTIN TODAY, THE NUMBER OF STUDIO OR ONE BEDROOM UNITS THAT COME IN UNDER THAT NUMBER ARE FAR AND FEW BETWEEN.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, UM, OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION IN GENERAL, NOT JUST INCLUDING, UH, THIS KIND OF ACQUISITION REHAB, THAT IS ACTUALLY FAR BELOW THE AVERAGE COST THAT WE SEE IN, UH, IN THAT, UH, IN THOSE EFFORTS.
SO REALLY, UH, IN TERMS OF, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE CAN BE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT STRATEGY, BUT IN TERMS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CAPITAL, UM, I WOULD JUST HAVE TO SAY THE NUMBERS DON'T FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BEAR THAT OUT.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF WHETHER PEOPLE WANT TO BE HOUSED OR NOT, UH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE STREETS FOR A LONG TIME AND WHO, UH, PROJECT SHELTER, UH, CONGREGATE SHELTER WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN IT.
I WILL SAY THOSE ENVIRONMENTS ARE TOUGH ENVIRONMENTS FOR THE MOST PART WHEN WE OFFER PEOPLE HOUSING AND STICK WITH THEM, UH, FROM A RELATIONAL STANDPOINT, UM, BECAUSE IT MAY TAKE THEM SOME TIME TO TRUST THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A REAL OPPORTUNITY.
THE VAST MAJORITY WILL ACCEPT HOUSING.
UM, SO A QUICK EXAMPLE AND, AND, UH, I HOPE I'VE ANSWERED ALL OF YOUR POINTS.
AND IF I HAVEN'T, I'M HAPPY TO IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE PARTNERS DOING SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO THE HEAL INITIATIVE WHERE THEY'RE GOING INTO SPECIFIC ENCAMPMENTS, UH, AND ENSURING THAT THERE ARE HOUSING RESOURCES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
THEY, SO THESE ARE PEOPLE STRAIGHT OFF THE STREET.
THEY RECENTLY, UH, UH, WORKED ON AN IN CAMPUS THAT HAD, I THINK, 54 OR PEOPLE IN IT.
AND AT THE END, I THINK TWO PEOPLE I'D SAID, I'M NOT READY TO GO INTO HOUSING.
SO THE GAP WE HAVE OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO NEED HOUSING COMPARED TO PEOPLE WHO MAYBE POTENTIALLY WILL RESIST OR ARE NOT READY, IS HUGE.
AND SO I JUST WANT US TO NOT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY GOVERNMENT, EXCUSE OURSELVES, BY SAYING PEOPLE DON'T WANT HOUSING.
CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY NOT YEAH, OF COURSE.
YEAH, OF COURSE PEOPLE DO WANT HOUSE.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO IMPLY THAT SOME PEOPLE DO NOT, BUT I MEAN, WORKING, WE GET THESE NUMBERS, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN, UM, OH, I'LL GO AND DO, I'LL GO AND DO RESEARCH MYSELF.
AND I'M HAVING COST EFFECTIVENESS, COST EFFECTIVENESS OF BUYING HOTELS.
[01:00:01]
SEEMS TO ME, IT SEEMS A LITTLE EXTRAVAGANT.I, I FEEL LIKE THERE, THERE COULD BE A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR THESE PEOPLE.
DIANA, IF YOU HAD, IF YOU HAVE LINKS THAT YOU COULD SHARE, IF YOU WOULD COORDINATE WITH CITY STAFF, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
WE HAPPY TO, UM, QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE A FEW, UH, COMMISSIONER.
DIANA, A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS OR MAYBE MORE THAN A COUPLE.
UM, COULD YOU JUST GIVE US SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS AND FROM THAT BACKGROUND, WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK.
I'M NOT ABLE TO START MY VIDEO THERE IT IS.
UM, SO I I'M ACTUALLY, UH, CAME OUT OF, UH, OF, UH, THE LBJ SCHOOL.
SO I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION OF MANY, MANY MOONS AGO, AND FOR THE FIRST DECADE OR SO OF MY CAREER, I WORKED IN, IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORLD FROM A FINANCE PERSPECTIVE.
SO, UM, I SORT OF CUT MY TEETH AND NOT ONLY FROM A FINANCE PERSPECTIVE, BUT I WORKED IN THE ST JOHN'S NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WORKING ON FIRST TIME, HOME OWNERSHIP, UH, PROJECTS, BECAUSE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD HAD VERY LITTLE HOMEOWNERSHIP, UH, BACK IN THE DAY, THIS IS PROBABLY 20 YEARS AGO.
AND THEN I BECAME A LENDER FOR A NATIONAL NONPROFIT THAT ACTUALLY HAD A LOAN FUND, UH, FOR OTHER NONPROFITS THAT WERE SEEKING TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
SO I UNDERWROTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEALS, BOTH HOME OWNERSHIP AND, UH, AND MULTIFAMILY.
AND SO REALLY, I MEAN, THAT WAS A BIG PART OF MY EXPERTISE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOUSING POLICY AND PRACTICE ALSO, UH, FROM THERE, I BEGAN TO DO WORK, UH, IN THE HOMELESS ARENA, UH, SPECIFICALLY PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AGAIN, FOR THOSE MOST VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, NOT EVERYONE WHO'S EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS ACTUALLY NEEDS THIS, BUT PROMOTING PSH AS, UM, AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE, WHICH SAMHSA THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL HAS RECOGNIZED THAT THERE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT POINTS TO ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
SO IN THAT WORK, I WORKED THROUGHOUT TEXAS AND, AND CERTAINLY YOU'RE IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I NOTED AND I THINK IS THAT THIS IS AS, AS A LIEUTENANT LEE SPOKE TO, IT IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE.
UM, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SET REALLY EXPLICIT GOALS, UM, TO BE REALISTIC, AND TO TALK ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS, BECAUSE IT IS THEY, THESE ARE EXPENSIVE INTERVENTIONS, BUT ALSO TO OFFER THE COST BENEFIT OF WHAT IT COSTS WHEN PEOPLE LIVE ON THE STREETS, WHICH TYPICALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TO MENTION CLEANUPS AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WHICH WE'RE DOING A LOT OF RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT EMERGENCY ROOM UTILIZATION, INPATIENT, UH, INPATIENT STAYS EMS AND CYCLED THROUGH OUR, OUR JAIL SYSTEM ON LOW LEVEL CHARGES OFTEN IS FAR ABOVE THE COST OF, UH, PROVIDING FOLKS HOUSING, UM, AND SERVICES TO KEEP THEM STABLE.
DOES THAT HELP IN TERMS OF, UH, BACKGROUND WELL, IN YOUR, UH, EXPERIENCES, WHATEVER YOU SEEN THAT YOU WOULD SAY THIS DOESN'T WORK AND WE REALLY SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, REALLY THE SECTOR OVERALL HAS IDENTIFIED IS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A BALANCED SYSTEM.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE INVESTING IN THOSE LONGER TERM SOLUTIONS, WHICH CAN BE FRUSTRATING AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE INVEST IN A PROJECT AND IT'S TWO YEARS, RIGHT? UNTIL WE SEE THE UNITS.
AND, UH, AND IN SOME CASES, YOU KNOW, MONTHS UNTIL WE GET THE SERVICES ON THE GROUND, BUT HAVING, UM, A TON OF EMERGENCY SHELTER WITHOUT EXITS WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THAT SPACE CREATES A BACKLOG.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT IN AUSTIN WITH THE VERY RAPID INCREASE THAT WE'VE HAD IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, I THINK WE ARE AWARE AND PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF A CAMPING ORDINANCE THAT NOT HAVING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE EMERGENCY RESOURCES IS A HUGE ISSUE.
SO FOCUSING ON THE LONG-TERM FOCUSING ON THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, UH, THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE STREETS FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THEY HAVE PROVEN BY THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE.
USUALLY THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE HOUSED UNTIL THERE ARE SUPPORTS TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR HEALTH, THEIR DISABILITY STATUS AND THEIR LACK OF, UM, HOUSING HISTORY.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY MAKES UP THE BULK OF WHO WE SEE
[01:05:01]
AGAIN AND AGAIN, DAY AFTER DAY ON THE STREET.AND SO IF WE CAN HOUSE THOSE FOLKS, OUR POPULATION REALLY DECREASES, NO, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THEY REMOVED THE CAMPING BAN, A CITY CITY MANAGER WAS DIRECTED TO DO A NUMBER OF THINGS AT THAT TIME OF WHICH, UH, SEEMS LIKE HE DIDN'T DO ANY OF THEM.
AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE PROPOSITION B THAT PASSED AND, OH MY GOD, IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
WE GOT TO DO ALL THESE THINGS.
AND IT'S JUST VERY FRUSTRATING TO, TO SIT HERE AND SEE, YES, I'M GLAD THEY'RE FINALLY DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS AND IT'S TOO BAD.
THEY NEEDED PROPOSITION B TO DO THAT.
BUT I, I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY CITY MANAGEMENT KIND OF TRIED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, SHOVE THIS UNDER THE RUG AND PRETEND IT WASN'T A PROBLEM WHEN WE ALL KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS.
SO I, HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
AND I AT FIRST WAS NOT PRESENT AT THAT TIME.
AND, AND SO, AND, AND I WILL SAY, UM, ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER THE CAMPING BAN, UH, PAST COUNCIL ASKED STAFF TO LOOK AT SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, UM, AND AT THE TIME FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WAS NOT TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT IS NEW IN TERMS OF THE EFFORTS, UH, SINCE THE CAMPING BAN HAS PASSED, IS THIS A MORE CONCERTED LOOK AT SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, WHICH, UM, IS A BIG DEAL, BUT IT IS A SMALL PART OF THE EFFORTS OVERALL.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, BILL SPOKE TO THE GOAL SHARED BY DAA AND THE CHAMBER AND OTHER PARTNERS OF DOING PERMANENT HOUSING FOR 3000 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MANY PARTNERS ARE WORKING ON AND WE DO HAVE SOME RESOURCES, UH, DEDICATED TO, AND COUNCIL, OF COURSE, IS LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL DOLLARS PRESENTLY, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WE DO HAVE? WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT TOTAL DOWNTOWN? I KNEW THE BRIDGES ARE EVERYWHERE.
I'M PRETTY MUCH IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS ARE IN AUSTIN, INCLUDING LOCALS IN COUNTY.
SO TO PASS THIS TO MATT MALIKA, AND HE WILL ACCEPT AN APPOINTED TIME COUNT AND, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFITS AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, IF YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THE QUESTION FOR THIS.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE MOST RECENT NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH A POINT IN TIME COUNT WERE CONDUCTED IN 2020.
UM, WE HAVE A PLANNED RELEASE TO THE 20, 21 POINT IN TIME NUMBERS, WHICH WILL BE FRIDAY ACTUALLY, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
SO IT'S AN INTERESTING, INTERESTING TIMING FOR THAT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK WE, WE ARE OUR DATA AND OUR ABILITY TO, TO, UM, TO REPORT OUT ON A NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED.
HOMELESSNESS IS ONLY LIMITED BY THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE GET INTO OUR SYSTEM AROUND WHO'S WHO'S REPORTING AND HOW MANY FOLKS THAT WE SEE.
UM, I THINK A BEST ESTIMATE THAT WE WOULD SAY, IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME A NUMBER, UM, THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO IS IN THE, IS IN THE 2,500 RANGE FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT'S THE BEST DATA THAT WE HAVE.
WELL, I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT NUMBER.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THOSE NUMBERS PLAN.
IF YOU WATCH ANY OF YOUR LOCAL NEWS STATIONS, YOU'LL SEE ME AND THE TWO BIKES BEHIND ME.
UM, AND THEN A MULTITUDE OF RANDOM PICTURES I HAVE UP, UM, DISCUSSING IT.
SO HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT AFTER, UM, AFTER FRIDAY AND MATT, IF I'M NOT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU ALSO SAID THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF REPORTS THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THE ECHO WEBSITE REGARDING STATISTICS.
AND WE'LL HAVE THE PO THE MOST RECENT POINT IN TIME COUNT, UH, WILL BE POSTED.
THAT REPORT WILL BE POSTED ON FRIDAY.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ONE, YOU CAN DIGEST IT AND IT'LL BREAK DOWN THE, THE NUMBER AND, UH, AND ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND I'LL SAY THIS THOUGH, UM, THAT NUMBER IS NOT, IS, WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN UNDER COUNT BECAUSE IT'S LIMITED IT'S ONE NIGHT IN THE YEAR, THAT'S ALL THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT WE ARE CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED TO CONDUCT THE ACCOUNT.
IN THAT WAY, I WANT TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ECHO JUST GOES OUT AND SAYS, THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO COUNT THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS, IT IS MANDATED THROUGH FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND IT'S REPORTED BACK TO CONGRESS AS SUCH.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SAYING IS THE NUMBER TO GO BACK AND GO OUT AND, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HITCH OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR TAIL
[01:10:01]
TO, SO WE UNDERSTAND ITS LIMITATIONS.UM, THE CENSUS DATA THAT CAME OUT IN 2020, UM, IS ANOTHER DATA POINT TO LOOK AT WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DATA COLLECTION, UH, METHODOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT IT.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO COUNT, UM, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON OUR STREETS BECAUSE IT CHANGES SO FREQUENTLY.
ONE MOMENT, PLEASE, ONE MOMENT, PLEASE COMMISSIONER.
I THINK YOU HAD SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.
YES, I, I DID FOR DIANA, UM, WATCH HOW MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDING ANY TYPE OF HOMELESS SERVICES.
SO THERE ARE, I WOULD SAY TWO DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE PROVIDING SOCIAL SERVICES OR FUNDING THEM, AND THOSE ARE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, ACTUALLY, SO LET ME REFRAME THAT THREE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, WHICH FUNDS OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UH, TO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, UM, ET CETERA.
OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT OBVIOUSLY FUNDS CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND A SMALL PORTION OF RENTAL SUPPORTS.
AND THEN THE THIRD PLACE IS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, WHICH FALLS UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, PROVIDE SOME SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO PRESENT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COURT, UH, FOR MR. MEANER CHARGES IN DOWNTOWN.
I HAD BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST THAT THERE WERE OVER ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDING SOME LEVEL OF SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S APD A WATERSHED.
AND I'M JUST, IT IS THAT ALL BEING COORDINATED NOW? UM, IT IS.
UH, AND SO I, I SPOKE TO SOCIAL SERVICES, BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE A HAND, UM, ALSO RESOURCE RECOVERY, YOU KNOW, IT IS SERVICING ENCAMPMENTS AND DOING CLEANUPS, UM, ANY OF THE, THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE LAND OF SOME SORT, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND SO WATERSHED HARD, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, ET CETERA, ALL HAVE, UH, OFTEN WILL HAVE CLEANUP NEEDS OR, UH, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION, IF THERE IS IMMINENT DANGER, AS THERE OFTEN IS IN CREEK BEDS, WE'LL NEED ASSISTANCE, HAVING FOLKS MOVE.
UH, AND, AND APD OF COURSE, IS INVOLVED.
FIRE IS INVOLVED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY DEAL WITH THIS AS AN ISSUE RELATED TO THEIR CORE PURPOSE.
ONE OF THE, REALLY THE, THE, THE TWO PRIMARY PURPOSES OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE DIVISION, UH, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS QUITE SMALL, WE'RE ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE.
AND MY ROLE IS A YES TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES FOR THE CITY TO DECREASE HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR THE COORDINATION OF THOSE SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UH, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CROSS DEPARTMENTAL MEETING EVERY MONDAY MORNING.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, LIEUTENANT LEE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE WAY THAT WE WORKING TO COORDINATE AROUND THE ROLLOUT OF PROP B, UH, BUT CERTAINLY WORKING VERY CLOSELY, UH, PART IS WORKING WITH US, UM, ON, ON SOME PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION, WHICH, UM, ROLLED OUT THIS WEEK, UH, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR CLEANUP CREWS.
SO I THINK THAT THAT HELPS US ENSURE THAT ALL THE RIGHT HANDS AND THE LEFT HANDS KNOW WHAT EACH OTHER ARE DOING AND, UM, ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR GOALS AS THE CITY.
UH, BUT, BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY PART OF THE REASON FOR THE EXISTENCE OF, UH, OF OUR DIVISION.
SO YOU WOULD SAY THAT THE COORDINATION IS BETTER OR NEEDS TO IMPROVE, OR I THINK THAT WE'VE, WE'VE CERTAINLY IDENTIFIED A WAYS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, IMPROVE AND ARE MOVING TOWARD THAT.
BUT I DO THINK ABSOLUTELY SINCE THE CREATION OF THE DIVISION, UH, WHICH IS A OVER A YEAR AGO, UH, I THINK ABSOLUTELY COORDINATION, UH, HAS IMPROVED IS MY SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS WERE WORKING WITH ONE ANOTHER CERTAINLY AND, UM, SHARING INFORMATION, BUT THERE WAS NO, UH, SORT OF FORMALIZED OR CONSISTENT STRUCTURE FOR DOING THAT IN QUITE THE SAME WAY.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE HEAVY LIFT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP, KEEP MOVING FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
YEAH, A COUPLE ACTUALLY, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO, TO SAY WITH REGARDS TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IS, IS, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE CITY DECIDED ON A HOMELESS, UH, UM, OFFICER
[01:15:01]
AND WE HIRED SOMEBODY AND THEN COVID HIT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS MADE TODAY WILL INCLUDE THAT THERE WERE SOME INTERRUPTIONS IN THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE, THE, THE PLANNING THAT WAS DONE.THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE PUT TOGETHER LIKE THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO, THE PLAN THAT, THAT ECHO, UH, BROUGHT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, ALL THOSE THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING MOVING ALONG, BUT, BUT ONE WAS HIRED AND THEN THEY LEFT.
AND, UH, UH, THEN, UH, ON, IN, UH, IN JANUARY, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISRUPTION OF THE ABILITY FOR THINGS TO FLOW.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND TO, TO PUT IT OUT THERE AND TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE WERE FURTHER ALONG, BUT WE'RE NOT.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT PROPOSITION B THAT GOT JUMPED IN AND ALSO KIND OF NOT SO MUCH COULD HAVE, COULD BE A HURDLE.
UM, IT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE PLAN AS, AS WAS FORMULATED, UH, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UM, AND I THINK THE OTHER PIECE IS WE NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT NUMBERS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SIX MONTHS AGO, THAT TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ARRESTED, WHO ARE, WHO SHOW, UM, UNDUPLICATED, WHO SHOW THEMSELVES AS BEING HOMELESS WAS AROUND 10,000.
AND I THINK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE A MAP CARD AND BRICK AND, AND SELF, UH, UM, DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS BEING HOMELESS IS ABOUT 10,000.
AND I THINK ECHO IN HMI HAS, HAS AROUND 85, 8,700 PEOPLE WHO HAVE RE UH, REQUESTED SERVICES TO ASSIST THEM IN HOMELESSNESS, UH, WITH HOMELESSNESS ISSUES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT IT WAS AROUND THERE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, NOT THAT WE PUT THE, THE, THE REAL NUMBERS OUT THERE, CAUSE CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IS FIND-ABLE ON THE POINT IN TIME COUNT AND, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS OF, OF, OF BEING ABLE TO GET TO HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE HOMELESS.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER POPULATION THAT'S VERY HIDDEN IS THE CHILDREN.
I MEAN THE POINT IN TIME COUNT HARDLY EVER COUNTS ANY KIDS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE CLEAR IN OUR, IN OUR PRESENTATION FOR OUR INTERVENTIONS GOING FORWARD.
WE STARTED WORKING ON IT, WE GOT DIRECTION, WE'RE MOVING ON IT AND YES, IT'S SLOW, BUT WE'RE FINALLY GETTING SOME TRACTION.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY WAS, I HOPE THAT THERE'S A WAY THAT WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC PRIVATE, UM, INVOLVEMENT.
I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO RESOLVE THIS CRISIS.
AND IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN PUT OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT IF THEY HAVE PROPERTY TO PUT A 3D HOUSE OUT OR TO PUT SOME OF THESE SMALL SHELTERS OR TO SERVE AS, AS, AS, UH, AS A SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, UM, IF, IF THERE ARE PRIVATE CITIZENS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE WILLING TO DO THIS, TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, UM, WHERE CAN THEY SAY, HEY, I HAVE SOME LAND AND I'D LIKE TO OFFER IT FOR SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT OR THAT I'M OKAY WITH PUTTING A COUPLE OF, UH, SHELTERS, THOSE SMALL SHELTERS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING UP AT ESPERANZA COMMUNITY.
UM, HOW CAN THEY DO THAT IF THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND NOT JUST POINT FINGERS ABOUT, WELL, IT'S TOO LATE OR IT'S TAKING TOO LONG OR IT'S NOT COORDINATED OR COST TOO MUCH.
CAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S AN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO GET THIS RESOLVED AND ARE WILLING TO STEP FORWARD INSTEAD OF JUST POINTING FINGERS.
SO HOW CAN THEY DO THAT? SO LET ME SPEAK FIRST TO THE CITY, UH, THE CITY SORT OF PROCESS AROUND SANCTION ENHANCEMENTS AND THEN BILL AND, UM, BILL AND, AND MATT MAY ALSO HAVE INPUT.
SO THE, THE SORT OF INITIAL, UH, SURVEY OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY, UH, THAT WAS DONE AND PRESENTED TO COUNCIL ON TUESDAY, AGAIN, THE SORT OF ASK FOR THE FIRST SWEEP WAS REALLY, WAS TRULY JUST CITY-OWNED PROPERTY.
BUT, UM, COUNCIL HAS SAID, AND WE INTEND, UM, CERTAINLY TO OPEN THAT UP, IF THERE ARE PROPERTIES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE, UM, IN THIS CASE, WE'RE PROBABLY, WE ARE PROBABLY LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, MO MORE OF A MULTIPLE, UH, TENT OR STRUCTURE SCENARIO, UH, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF HOW WE WOULD SERVICE THAT, ET CETERA.
AND SO WE HAVE A, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO OFTEN ARE AWARE OF PROPERTY IN THEIR DISTRICT OR GROUPS THAT MIGHT
[01:20:01]
BE INTERESTED, BUT FOLKS CAN REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE.AND WE ARE SHARING THAT WITH PARD, UM, WHO IS DOING THE, THE PROPERTY ANALYSIS.
UM, AND, BUT DEFINITELY WANT TO BE GATHERING THAT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN COME TO ME, I BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY ARE SETTING UP AN EMAIL FOR THAT PURPOSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S UP YET OR, UM, I'D SHARE.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION, MATT OR BILL.
DID YOU GUYS HAVE INPUT? I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.
EITHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, THEY WERE PRETTY DIRECT QUESTIONS, UM, TO DIANA GRAY IS THE HEAL INITIATIVE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PACE WITH THE SPACED APPROACH.
LIKE WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE AUGUST 7TH APPROACH, ARE WE GOING TO BE READY TO GET PEOPLE INTO UNITS? SO, UM, THE TWO PROCESSES ARE MOVING IN PARALLEL, UH, TO YOUR POINT, THE, UH, THE, THE TIMELINE THAT COUNCIL SET FOR US WAS AMBITIOUS, ALWAYS WAS TO COMPLETE THE REHOUSING EFFORTS IN THOSE FOREIGN CAMP MINTS, UH, OVER THE SUMMER, I BASICALLY, UH, BY THE END OF AUGUST.
AND, AND SO WE ARE PRESSING FORWARD IN THAT AREA.
UM, I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATES, BUT OBVIOUSLY FOR THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, 60 DAYS, WE'RE PROBABLY CLOSE TO, UM, AT 50 DAYS NOW, UM, SINCE WE STARTED, UH, I THINK WE WILL COMPLETE OUR FIRST ENCAMPMENT POTENTIALLY.
THE SECOND ONE, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT AS YOU, AS WE TALKED ABOUT NUMBERS, THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY ENCAMPMENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND ALSO GIVEN THAT WE KNOW, UH, AT PRESENT, THERE AREN'T VERY MANY PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO, UH, THAT THIS IS NOT DIFFERENT, UM, FROM THE WAY THAT APD, UH, HANDLED THE CAMPING ORDINANCE PREVIOUSLY, WHICH IS THAT YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE PLACES, UM, THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC FROM ANY NUMBER OF STANDPOINTS, PARTICULARLY HEALTH AND SAFETY, YOU KNOW, FIRE, FLOOD, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, UH, HEALTH ISSUES AND SAFETY ISSUES TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
SO GIVEN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MY FEELING IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK WELL WITH APD.
UM, AS WE BEGIN TO ROLL OUT THAT PROCESS, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING WHAT THEY HOPE WILL HAPPEN ANYWAY, WHICH IS TO MOVE THOSE FOLKS AND IN FACT, MOVE THEM PERMANENTLY OFF OF THE STREETS.
SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT IS A BIT OF A JUGGLE IN TERMS OF PROP B NOW EXISTING.
UH, BUT I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO COMPLETE THE FIRST PHASE APPEAL.
AND MY, MY SECOND QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION, QUICK FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WAS TO, UM, APD, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THE DISTRICT REPS WERE SORT OF, UM, TAKING THE LEAD WITH TALKING TO PEOPLE AT SOME OF THESE ENCAMPMENTS.
AND MY QUESTION IS HAVE THESE SAME DISTRICT REPS BEEN TAKEN OFF OF THEIR PATROLLING DUTIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN VERY STRONGLY MESSAGING THAT THEY ARE UNAVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE PATROLLING.
SO ARE THEY GETTING TAKEN OFF OF LIKE, HOW, HOW IS THAT STAFFING ISSUE BEING RECONCILED, RIGHT? AND SO CITY-WIDE, I'M THE SUPERVISOR OF ALL THE DISTRICT REPS.
SO ALL THE DISTRICT REPS, THIS IS OUR PRIMARY FOCUS.
AND AGAIN, WHILE I HAVE THE, UH, THE, TO ECHO IS WHILE WE'RE GOING, AND EVEN AS THE PHASES, UM, PASS THROUGH WHERE WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T DISPLACE INDIVIDUALS OR INTERRUPT SERVICES THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING.
SO IF THERE IS SOME INDIVIDUAL THAT'S AT A LOCATION, UM, THAT THERE'S A PLAN IN PLACE, WE'VE GOT TO BE CERTAIN THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGED RECOGNIZE THAT PLAN THAT'S IN PLACE FOR THIS PERSON TO RECEIVE THOSE SERVICES AGAIN.
UM, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH, UM, THE HIGHER PRIORITY, UM, PLACES TO START IMPLEMENTING THIS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S LIFE OR, OR, OR SAFETY, OR THERE'S A, UH, AN EMINENT RISK OF DANGER, OUR WATERSHED, OUR ENVIRONMENT, UH, OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACES WHERE FIRES ARE BEING SET, WE'RE GOING TO START ALONG THOSE LINES, CRACKED OUR ATTENTION.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE, UM, VERY FOCUSED AND VERY, UM, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A, A SUITE.
IT'S GOING TO BE SOME PRECISION INVOLVED.
AND AGAIN, UM, OFFICERS ARE PRETTY INTELLIGENT, PARTICULARLY OUR DEALER, OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES ARE EQUIPPED TO, UM, TO USE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF DISCRETION AND, AND WORK WORK, UM, IN, UH, IN CONCERT WITH OUR PARTNERS, OH, THEY ARE CHANGING, THEIR STAFFING PRIORITIES ARE CHANGING AND THEY'RE GETTING TAKEN OFF OF PATROL SO THAT THEY CAN PRIORITIZE THIS.
I THINK THAT, I THINK I CAN SPEAK TO YOUR QUESTION.
UM, WHAT PROBABLY I'M ASSUMING
[01:25:01]
HAS HAPPENED IS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WE HAD TO TAKE SOME OF OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES AND SEND THEM BACK TO PATROL BECAUSE WE HAVE CRITICAL SHORTAGES RIGHT NOW ON PATROL.AND WE HAVE TO STAFF PATROL FIRST BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE RESPOND TO THE NINE 11 PHONE CALLS WHERE PUBLIC SAFETY IS AT RISK.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IS THOSE OFFICERS, THOSE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES THAT USED TO WORK AS DRS, 100% OF THEIR 40 HOUR WORK WEEK ARE NOW DOING PATROL.
BUT THE DRS THAT ARE LEFT ARE STILL DOING ONLY BR WORK AND NOT PATROL.
AND I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU SEPARATELY JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON DRS IN GENERAL, BUT YOURS ARE VERY STRONGLY MESSAGING THAT THEY'RE STILL EVEN AS, AS RECENTLY AS TODAY, BUT THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE PATROLLING AND THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IF THEY'RE GETTING THIS ADDED RESPONSIBILITY, ADD IT TO THEIR PLATES, UM, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE GIVE IS.
SO THEY, THERE IS, THERE'S STILL VERTICAL ON PATROL AND THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER ROUND OF DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES THAT HAVE TO GO BACK JUST TO HANDLE THAT.
UH, WE'RE JUST IN A BAD SPOT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE AT APD.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE MESSAGE IS GETTING LOST, BUT THE ONES WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES THAT IS THEIR PRODUCTIVITY AND ALL OF THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES ARE FOCUSED ON THIS EFFORT FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.
UH, COMMISSIONER, I'M SETH COMMISSIONER, AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU IN A MOMENT.
I HATE TO OPEN UP A CAN OF WORMS. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
THE FOCUS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS PRIMARILY DEALING WITH A MORE IMMEDIATE CRISIS.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A GALVANIZED, A LOT OF ATTENTION AND FOCUS, BUT I, I REALLY, I REALLY HAVE TO COMMENT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, NOT HERE FROM THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION, BUT MORE AS AN ARCHITECT, DEALING WITH A LOT OF THESE ISSUES ON THE BROADER SENSE THAT THIS STILL IS ONLY A PART OF WHAT IS MUCH BIGGER HAVING TO DO WITH THE HOUSING CRISIS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVEN'T LEFT THE IMPRESSION IN SOME OF THESE COMMENTS THAT EITHER THAT'S OF LESS IMPORTANCE OR THAT EVEN ADDRESSING THIS THROUGH THE PUSH TO HOUSING IS GOING TO SOMEHOW HAVE A SILVER BULLET.
CREATING HOUSING IS EXPENSIVE.
AND EVEN THE 3D HOUSING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS THE LATEST FAD.
WE TRIED MANUFACTURING HOUSING AT VARIOUS TIMES, THERE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE LOTS OF WAYS.
WE WERE GONNA GET HOUSING CHEAPLY.
THE COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION IS ONLY A FRACTION.
YOU HAVE ALL THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
YOU HAVE ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S REQUIRED, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE OTHER ISSUE THAT THE CITY HAS A LOT OF LEVERAGE ON AND HAS NOT DONE VERY MUCH ABOUT, WHICH HAS ALL ITS REGULATORY, UH, APPARATUS BECAUSE TIME IS MONEY.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A CRISIS IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT'S TAKEN TO GO FROM CONCEPT TO PLAN TO CONSTRUCTION, TO COMPLETION, AND THE CITY'S TAKING NO INITIATIVE HAVING ABANDONED THE, UH, BASICALLY THE, THE, THE IDEA OF CODE REDIRECT OR RE REDO AT THIS POINT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, UH, UH, ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT ELEMENT AND AT LEAST INDIRECTLY WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THIS.
THE LAST THING I THINK WE HAVE TO ADD TO THIS IS NOT ONLY ARE WE SEEING HOUSING PRICES IN GENERAL SOARING, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE ISSUE OF A COVID CRISIS, WHICH IS STILL HERE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY READING ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS, WHICH WAS PROBABLY AMONG US.
SO, UH, BILL, I HAVE TO SAY YOUR CHART, YOU TALKED ABOUT WAS A LEVELING OF WHAT YOU SAW OVER 10 YEARS.
BUT WHAT I SAW WAS A RISE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING TO PREPARE NOT FOR THE CONDITIONS WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING.
AND MAYBE DIANA AND, AND MATT, YOU CAN ADDRESS THIS MORE BECAUSE THIS MAY BE SOMETHING YOU HAVE QUITE A BIT TO SAY ABOUT, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE AT THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST DIDN'T FEEL WE WOULD DO JUSTICE TO THE TOPIC.
IF ALL WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS.
WHEN IN FACT A BIG WAVE, I THINK, UH, THAT HAS MANY IMPLICATIONS, UH, HAS TO BE SOMETHING.
WE ALSO THEN HAVE SOME PROCESS JUST START ADDRESSING IMMEDIATELY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON.
UM, DIANA, I KNOW THAT ALL IN GRAHAM HAS SUCCESSFULLY WORKED WITH HER OVER 20 YEARS.
WHAT KIND OF COLLABORATION HAS THE CITY HAD? SO, UM, THE EARLY PHASES OF, UH, OF COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE WERE DONE LARGELY WITH PRIVATE DOLLARS AT, UH, ALAN GRAHAM'S, UH, DIRECTION.
UH, HE WANTED TO AVOID SOME OF THE RED TAPE, THE CITY AND OTHERS HAVE FUNDED SERVICES AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.
AND ON A AGENDA I BELIEVE FOR NEXT WEEK IS THE WAIVING OF ABOUT $600,000, UM, OF, UH, FEES OF UTILITY
[01:30:01]
CONNECTION FEES.UM, AND SO WE CAN CERTAINLY GET YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, BUT THIS IS THE EARLY PHASE OF THEIR EXPANSION.
UH, THEY HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED, UH, WANTING TO DO 1400 ADDITIONAL UNITS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, BUT THEY HAVE TWO NEW PERSONAL PARCELS OF LAND THAT THE FIRST STEP REALLY IS GETTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE FOR THAT.
SO THE CITY IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS OFTEN IS THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE RENTAL SUBSIDIES, AND I THINK I SHOULD HAVE REFERRED TO THAT MUCH OF THE WAY WE HOUSE PEOPLE IS NOT THROUGH BUILDING UNITS, BUT THROUGH PROVIDING A SUPPORTING RENT, MANY OF THOSE FOLKS DO GO OUT TO COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE AND THAT HELPS THEM PAY THEIR RENT UNTIL THEY'RE STABILIZED.
SO, UM, ALLEN IS A GREAT PARTNER.
THEY HAVE, UH, AN UNUSUAL, UH, UH, MODEL THAT WORKS FOR MANY PEOPLE, UH, WHAT THEY DO IN TERMS OF BUILDING COMMUNITY.
I THINK THEY DO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.
UH, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM EXPAND.
UH, IT IS PART CERTAINLY PART OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE SEE, UH, BUILDING THAT SOLUTION OUT.
LET ME FIND WHEN HE SAYS HOUSING DOES NOT SOLVE HOMELESSNESS, COMMUNITY SOLVED HOMELESS.
UM, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT TONIGHT.
WE COULD GO ON FOR HOURS AND HOURS ON THIS VERY COMPLEX TOPIC THAT TOUCHES SO MANY PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE OF TIME AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO OUR OTHER PROGRAM TODAY.
UM, I WANT TO THANK EACH OF OUR PANELISTS.
I HOPE THAT WE'LL HAVE YOU ALL BACK.
WHAT STRIKES ME IS HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR THIS AND MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
IT IS VERY COMPLEX WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL REMOVED THE ORDINANCES, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN WHEN THE CITY MANAGER WAS TASKED A FEW YEARS AGO WITH COMING FORWARD WITH A PLAN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
AND NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE A PROPOSITION THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE VOTERS WITH A VALID PETITION, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE LEGISLATURE NOW ACTING ON A STATEWIDE BASIS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY THAT IS WORKING ON THIS SO DILIGENTLY IS MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.
I THINK IT WAS AN UTTER FAILURE OF CITY MANAGEMENT THAT WE ARE WHERE WE ARE NOW BECAUSE THEY PASSED THE ORDINANCE WITHOUT A PLAN.
UM, I HOPE THAT WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE EACH OF YOU BACK.
UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING IN MORE PANELISTS TO DISCUSS EVEN MORE DIVERSE ISSUES REAL REGARDING THE HOMELESS.
UH, WE'RE FORTUNATE IN THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS WHO KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND, UH, CERTAINLY INVITE ANY COMMISSIONER THAT WANTS TO, UH, PUT TOGETHER A WORK GROUP ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, UH, TO BRING IT FORWARD.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT GOING, UM, WITH THAT.
IS THERE ANY ACTION ITEM FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TONIGHT, HEARING NONE, SEEING NONE.
EACH OF YOU FOR PARTICIPATING, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, UH, TO HELP MOVE THIS CRISIS IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, MR. CHAIR, AND THANK YOU.
AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US.
[1. Approval of Minutes of the April 21, 2021 Meeting Minutes]
YES.UM, JUST A REMINDER ABOUT THE MEETING MINUTES, PERHAPS, UM, BEFORE WE LEAVE, UH, MAYBE AFTER THE WATERLOO GREENWAY PRESENTATION, WE PICK UP THE MEETING MINUTES, UM, BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR.
WELL, SHOULD WE GO AHEAD AND DO IT NOW? UM, I TRUST EVERYBODY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MEETING MINUTES.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ANY, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS HEARING NONE.
[2.b. Waller Creek Greenway Conservancy: Presentation by Melissa Ayala, Waller Greenway Conservancy – 15 minutes).]
SOMETHING, I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY EXCITED ABOUT HEARING ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.UH, WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE MELISSA IOLA AND LISA, UH, TO SPEAK ABOUT THE WALLER CREEK GREENWAY CONSERVANCY.
[01:35:06]
I COMMISSIONERS.THANK YOU FOR HAVING US JOIN YOUR MEETING TONIGHT.
UM, I AM ALSO JOINED BY OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DESIGN JOHN RIGDON AND LISA STORE FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
I'LL JUST, UM, GIVE FOLKS A MINUTE TO LOAD THAT UP.
AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO LIKE I MENTIONED, UM, WE ARE, UH, WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY, UM, WE'RE A NONPROFIT, UM, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, SO TODAY WE'LL BE GIVING YOU ALL OUR PROJECT OVERVIEW AND OF COURSE SPEAKING TO THE OPENING OF WATERLOO PARK, UM, AND WE WILL ALSO BE REQUESTING SUPPORT FOR WATERLOO PARK.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO THIS IS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, WE WORK WITH PART AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENTS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
UM, AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THE PROJECT OVERVIEW THAT WE'LL TALK THROUGH AS A COUNCIL APPROVED PLAN.
UM, OUR MISSION IS TO SERVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND CREATE SPACES FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL THAT INCLUDE MANY COMPONENTS, UM, FOR THE RESTORATION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF OUR SPACES, BUT THEN ALSO ACTIVATION FOR PUBLIC USE, UM, THAT REALLY CONSIDERS EQUITY AND HOW WE CAN BE AN INCLUSIVE SPACE.
THAT'S INVITING TO ALL OF AUSTIN.
NEXT SLIDE, A MAJOR COMPONENT OF OUR PROJECT IS THE ECOLOGY OF OUR SPACE.
AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WALLER CREEK IS AT THE CENTER OF OUR PROJECT.
UM, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY IS TO WORK ON THE RESTORATION OF WALNUT CREEK FROM 15TH STREET DOWN TO LADYBIRD LAKE.
UM, SO WE ARE RESTORING OUR SPACE TO IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY, TO CREATE NEW HABITAT SPACES AND IMPROVE, UM, THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ALONG THE CREEK.
ANOTHER MAJOR PART OF OUR PROJECT IS MOBILITY.
UM, WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT TRAIL PIECES AND CONNECTIONS, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR CENTRAL AUSTIN AREA.
AND THE LINE THAT YOU SEE IN PINK IS THE WATERLOO GREENWAY TRAIL, UM, THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON IN PHASES.
AND WHEN IT'S COMPLETE, IT WILL BE A MILE AND A HALF NEW TRAIL, UM, TO CONNECT TO OUR, UM, OTHER PARK SYSTEM IN AUSTIN.
NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS A MORE DETAILED VIEW OF THAT TRAIL SYSTEM.
SO WE HAVE, UM, OUR TRAIL NETWORK THAT WILL CONNECT, UM, ALONG THE ENTIRE SECTION OF WATERLOO GREENWAY, BUT THEN ALSO A SET OF SECONDARY TRAILS WITHIN OUR PARKS THEMSELVES.
SO IN TOTAL, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT THREE MILES OF TRAIL THAT YOU'LL SEE IN OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM NEXT SLIDE.
AND OF COURSE, UM, THE PIECE OF OUR PROJECT, UM, THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE MOST ABOUT OUR PARK SPACES.
UM, SO WE HAVE THREE PHASES OF OUR PARKS.
UM, WATERLOO PARK IS THE FIRST PHASE THAT WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN DETAIL SYMPHONY SQUARE, UM, WHICH IS A PART OF PHASE ONE.
AND THAT'S WHERE OUR HEADQUARTERS HAVE BEEN.
UM, OUR SECOND PHASE, WHICH IS THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE CREEK CALLED CREEK DELTA.
UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL, IN SOME DETAIL, AND THEN THE MIDDLE SECTION, WHICH IS OUR THIRD PHASE, UM, WHICH WE CALL THE REFUGE, UM, AND YOU SEE IN THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE MAP THERE, AND THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE CENTRAL PART OF OUR, UM, PROJECT AND IS KIND OF DEPENDENT ON SOME OTHER, UH, LAND ACQUISITION AND OTHER PROPERTIES, UM, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND SO THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE AREA OF THE APD HEADQUARTERS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S OUR FIRST PHASE BECAUSE OF SOME OF THAT TIMING AND HOW WE KIND OF HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE PROPERTIES.
UM, BUT THAT IS IN OUR COUNCIL APPROVED PLAN TO CREATE SOME PARK SPACE IN THE CENTER OF OUR PROJECT AND REALLY CONNECT THE NORTH AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF OUR WATERLOO GREENWAY PROJECT.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO THINK ABOUT OUR PROJECT AND HOW WE'RE SERVING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH A LENS OF EQUITY AND BEING INCLUSIVE.
AND THAT REALLY STARTS WITH AN AWARENESS OF OUR HISTORY AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SHAPED, UM, POLICIES AND PLANS THAT HAVE, UM, MOVED PEOPLE PHYSICALLY, UM, THE, AND REALLY
[01:40:01]
CONSIDERING, UM, OUR INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND SEGREGATION, UM, AND HOW WE CAN THINK ABOUT THAT AS WE'RE REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITIES AND HOW WE CAN BRING FOLKS TOGETHER AND THEN GEOGRAPHY OF OUR PROJECT, UM, BEING ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF DOWNTOWN, UM, PROVIDES US A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE CONTINUING TO TELL THE STORIES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND WORKING WITH PARTNERS, UM, TO REALLY BRING, UH, FOLKS TO WATERLOO GREENWAY FROM ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.NEXT SLIDE, A BIG WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
SO IN 2019, WE HAD OUR FIRST YEAR OF, UM, OUR FIRST CALENDAR YEAR OF PROGRAMMING AT SYMPHONY SQUARE.
UM, AND OF COURSE WHEN THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED, UM, WE WENT VIRTUAL AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO RESUMING OUR IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WHEN WE OPENED WATERLOO LATER THIS YEAR, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE FUTURE OF WATERLOO GREENWAY AND WALLER CREEK WAS REALLY ENHANCED BY THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE WALLER CREEK TUNNEL.
AND THAT FACILITY IS LOCATED IN WATERLOO PARK.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE OUTLINE OF THE TUNNEL AND ITS ALIGNMENT WITH WALLER CREEK, AND REALLY WHAT THAT HAS DONE HAS BEEN TO REMOVE SOME OF THE FLOOD PLAIN AND REALLY MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO THEN PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON THE SURFACE LEVEL IMPROVEMENTS AND OUR PARK SPACES.
NEXT SLIDE, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'RE WELL UNDERWAY IN OUR PHASE ONE.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND WE'LL START LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE DETAILS, UM, OF OUR OPENINGS.
SO WE ARE LOOKING TO OPEN IN AUGUST.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED, OF COURSE, WE'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER OPENING CEREMONIES WE HAVE, THAT THEY ARE COVID SAFE.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE SOME REALLY EXCITING PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE FALL, UM, AS CONDITIONS BECOME SAFE AND OUR COMMUNITY STARTS TO REOPEN, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO REOPENING THE PARK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS WE ALL KNOW, THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT, BUT FOLKS HAVE A NEW APPRECIATION FOR THE OUTDOORS AND WE'VE ALL GONE ON WALKS.
UM, AND WE HEAR A LOT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING WATERLOO PARKS.
SO WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AS Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER IF YOU'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR A WHILE, UM, WATERLOO PARK, W W W HAD A PREVIOUS LIFE AS A PARK FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS AND BEFORE THAT WAS THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO HONOR THAT HISTORY AND THE EXPERIENCE OF FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS AND THE MEMORIES THAT AUSTINITES HAVE GOING TO THE PARK.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TELLING THOSE STORIES THROUGH SIGNAGE AND OUR WEBSITE AND BRINGING PROGRAMS BACK AS POSSIBLE TO THE PARK.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO ENGAGE THIS GROUP ON IS OUR APPLICATION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
AND WE'RE APPLYING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARK DEPARTMENT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ALSO HAVE A FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALE IN THE PARK.
ONCE WE OPEN, INCLUDING ALCOHOL SALES AND ANY REVENUE THAT WE MAKE IN GENERATE IN THE PARK IS REINVESTED BACK INTO OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
AND OF COURSE, UM, ANY FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES WOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL GUIDELINES.
UM, AND FOR ALCOHOL SPECIFICALLY, WE'LL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TABC REGULATIONS AND WATERLOO GREENWAY ALSO WE'LL HAVE PARKS STAFF, UM, THAT'S MONITORING THAT AND HELPING TO PROVIDE THAT ON THE GROUND OVERSIGHT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND DAY-TO-DAY DAY-TO-DAY USE.
UM, SO WE WILL BE ASKING FOR, UM, A VOTE OF SUPPORT OR MOTION OF SUPPORT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU, UM, WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF.
AND OF COURSE WE CAN TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE END ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
SO THIS IS AN, IF YOU HAVE WATERLOO PARK, UM, I'LL SHOW YOU A FEW IMAGES OF SPECIFIC AREAS.
UM, BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT SPACES, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE THE NEW MOODY AMPHITHEATER, AND THAT'S AN OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE AMPHITHEATER THAT HAS OUR GREAT LAWN TO SUPPORT CAPACITY.
UM, WE CAN USE IT FOR REGULAR PARK USE FOR FOLKS CAN JUST WALK UP AND EXPERIENCE IT OR ACTIVATE IT DURING A SPECIAL EVENT, SUPPORTING THAT WE HAVE, UM, A FAMILY AND PLAY AREA AND AN AREA THAT WE CALL OUR HILL COUNTRY GARDEN.
THAT'S HEAVILY, HEAVILY PLANTED LANDSCAPE.
UM, IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL INTENDED TO PROVIDE SORT OF A MORE SERENE, QUIET EXPERIENCE IN THE PARK.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE STARTED NEXT SLIDE.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS A VERY RECENT IMAGE WHERE YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT POPPING UP AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN THE WORK.
[01:45:01]
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MOODY AMPHITHEATER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, THE HILL COUNTRY AREA, AND OUR SKYWALK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT IMAGE.SO THIS IS, THIS IS LOOKING RIGHT AT THE AMPHITHEATER.
UH, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THE GREAT LAWN.
SO WE HAVE A LOWER LAWN AND UPPER LAWN, TWO SECTIONS.
UM, WHEN WE DO HAVE MAJOR EVENTS, WE CAN HAVE A CAPACITY OF UP TO 5,000 IN THE SPACE.
UM, WE HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR PEER PARKS AND OTHER PEER VENUES, UM, AND HAVE INCORPORATED A LOT OF THE PHYSICAL SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE VENUE TO AVOID THAT HEAVY TRAFFIC ONTO THE GRASS AND, UH, PRESERVE OUR LANDSCAPE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO WHAT YOU SEE, UM, BEHIND THE AMPHITHEATER STAGE, THAT'S ALL BACK OF HOUSE SPACE.
SO WE HAVE GREEN ROOMS, PRODUCTION, SPACE STORAGE, UM, AND EITHER, EITHER WING OF THE STAGE ITSELF HAS CONCESSION WINDOWS.
SO THOSE ARE THOSE GRAY BLOCKS RIGHT THERE.
WE CAN OPEN THOSE UP AND HAVE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, PUBLIC RESTROOMS BUILT INTO THE VENUE.
AND DURING A REGULAR PACK A DAY, YOU CAN IMAGINE FOLKS LAYING ON THE LAWN, UM, PUPIL, BRINGING OUT THEIR DOGS OR FOLKS GOING UP TO THE STAGE AND HAVING LUNCH THERE.
SO REALLY WE WANT TO INVITE A LOT OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES TO THEM PARK, NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS THE, HAVE YOU WITH OUR PLAY AREA IN THE BACKGROUND AND IN THE FOREGROUND, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL TREES.
UM, A BIG CONSIDERATION FOR OUR SPACE HAS BEEN PRESERVING TREES AND RELOCATING TREES FROM EXTERNAL SITES TO THE PARK WE MOVED TO FROM THE UT CAMPUS.
ONE FROM THE CAPITOL ONE FROM A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, ALL TREES, SIGNIFICANT LIVE OAK TREES, UM, THAT RELOCATED TO THE PARK.
WE CAN PRESERVE THEM, SAVE THEM, AND THEN ALSO HAVE GREAT SHADE FOR SURE.
THIS IS A VIEW OF OUR PLAY SPACE.
SO YOU SEE THREE DIFFERENT, UM, PLAY FEATURES THAT WE HAVE HERE ALL DESIGNED TO, UM, INVITE KIDDOS OF DIFFERENT AGES.
ON THE LEFT SIDE, WE HAVE OUR STONE SLIDE AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WE HAVE OUR LOG CLIMBER AND THOSE GREEN POLES ARE, UM, WHAT WE CALL MEGA GRASS.
UM, THEY'RE DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE GRASS STOCKS, UM, AND FOR TODDLERS TO RUN THROUGH AND PLAY HIDE AND SEEK, AND KIND OF JUST RUN AROUND AND ENJOY THE LANDSCAPE.
UM, WE HAVE THIS, UM, BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AREA WHERE WE'VE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE CAN INVITE FAMILIES INTO THE PARK AND PROVIDE THEM EVERYTHING THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO STAY IN THE PARK.
UM, SO WE HAVE OUR PLAY SPACE.
WE HAVE RESTROOMS AND FOOD THROUGH OUR FOOD TRUCKS, UM, THAT BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND ARE GENDER NEUTRAL FAMILY RESTROOMS. AND THEN WE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, WE HAVE AN RFP OUT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR LOCAL VENDORS.
UM, SO WE CAN HAVE THESE FOOD TRUCKS IN THE PARK.
AND THEN RIGHT BEHIND THIS, WE HAVE OUR TREE DECK AREA WHERE WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, BE STORE TABLES AND HAVE FOLKS ENJOY THEIR FOOD THERE.
SO THIS IS VIEW OF THAT DECK, UM, THAT WAS BUILT AROUND THESE BEAUTIFUL TREES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE PARK FOR YEARS THERE'S MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, WE'RE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW OLD THESE TREES PROBABLY ARE, AND WE'RE THINKING THEY'RE ABOUT 200 YEARS OLD.
UM, SO WE REALLY WANT TO CELEBRATE THEM AND PROTECT THEM NEXT SLIDE, KIND OF MAKING IT YEAH, WAY DOWN THE PARK.
UM, WE HAVE THIS AREA THAT WE CALL THE HILL COUNTRY GARDEN.
UM, THIS AREA HAS A REALLY SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION CHANGE.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO MEET, UM, OUR ACCESSIBILITY AND IN AN EFFORT TO EXCEED THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH PARD, UM, TO TRY TO HAVE UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN THE PARK.
UM, AND SO WITH OUR DESIGN TEAM, UM, WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL SKYWALK, UM, THAT WAS A GREAT OPTION TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS, BUT THEN ALSO CREATE BEAUTIFUL VIEWS, UM, AND HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE, UM, COMING IN THROUGH ONE OF OUR ENTRANCES AND KIND OF SNAKING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE GARDEN AREA, DOWN TO THAT GROUND ELEVATION.
AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS SPACE, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PLAZAS.
THIS IS A SMALLER SPACE WHERE FOLKS CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, COME HAVE LUNCH, OR WE CAN HAVE SMALLER PROGRAMS WORK WITH, UM, LOCAL NONPROFITS TO HAVE ACTIVITIES IN THAT SPACE NEXT.
AND THIS IS A VIEW OF OUR GARDEN AREA.
SO YOU CAN SEE OUR INTENTION IS TO HEAVILY PLANT THE SPACE, HAVE A MAJORITY OF TEXAS NATIVE PLANTS OR ADAPTIVE
[01:50:01]
PLANTS AND MIMIC THE HILL COUNTRY EXPERIENCE.UM, AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE IS TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OUR TEXAS LANDSCAPE.
SO FOR FOLKS WHO CAN'T AS EASILY HEAD OUT TO THE HILL COUNTRY, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY BRINGING IT TO DOWNTOWN NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND I'LL JUST QUICKLY TALK ABOUT OUR SECOND PHASE.
WE'RE LOOKING TO START ON THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF WALNUT CREEK.
UM, A LOT OF OUR WORK IN THIS AREA IS ABOUT CONNECTIVITY.
UM, SO IF YOU'VE BEEN ON THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL IN THE AREA OF THE MAC AND THE BOAT HOUSE, AND YOU'VE CROSSED OVER THAT BRIDGE, THAT'S WALLER CREEK.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO ENHANCE THE EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY IN THAT AREA.
SO YOU'LL SEE OUR PROJECT WE'LL BRING IN, UM, TWO ADDITIONAL BRIDGE CROSSINGS AND THEN AN ELEVATED WALK AT CREEK LEVEL.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO CONNECT THESE SPACES THAT YOU SEE IDENTIFIED IN THOSE, UM, PINK CIRCLES, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT CULTURAL SITES, UM, IN THE AREA.
AND WE WANT TO BRING PEOPLE TO THOSE SITES.
THIS IS A VIEW OF WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, AND ON ONE OF OUR LOUDEST BRIDGES, UM, WE WANT TO CONNECT FOLKS TO NATURE AND REALLY HAVE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR TREE CANOPY IN DOWNTOWN NEXT SLIDE.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER VIEW OF THAT EXPERIENCE.
UM, A LOT OF WHAT YOU WILL SEE TODAY IN THIS AREA IS ERODED CREEK BANKS OR HIGH CONCRETE WALL EMBANKMENTS, UM, THAT WERE ALL ENGINEERED TO CONTROL THE HISTORIC FLOODING THROUGH THE AREA WITH THE TUNNEL.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDESIGN THIS AREA AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND REALLY START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE REBUILD OUR CREEK BANKS, OPEN THEM UP IN AREAS WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS, UM, AND REALLY CELEBRATE NATURE IN THIS AREA AND, AND SUSTAINABILITY WHERE WE CAN NEXT SLIDE.
AND THIS IS JUST AN AERIAL VIEW OF THAT AREA, JUST TO HELP ORIENT YOU NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO LIKE I MENTIONED, UH, WE'RE VERY QUICKLY CONTINUING WORK, UM, ON, IN ALL OF THE PHASES AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE ABLE TO.
SO WE WILL VERY SOON BE HEADING INTO BIDDING AND THEN START CONSTRUCTION END OF THIS YEAR, EARLY NEXT YEAR, UM, AND KEEP THE WORK GOING SO WE CAN REALIZE THE WATERLOO, GREENWAY VISION AND WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, THAT PART AND WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENTS, NEXT SLIDE.
AND THAT'S ALL I GOT AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
LIKE I MENTIONED, MY COLLEAGUES, UM, ARE JOINING ME HERE AND WE CAN ALL HELP ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ONE THING THAT, UH, MENTIONED BESIDES HOW STUNNING THIS ALL IS AND HOW REMARKABLE ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT IS I, I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE IT, WHICH BRINGS ME TO SOMETHING THAT I MENTIONED TO STAFF AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, ABOUT OUR, UH, PROPOSED JOINT MUSIC COMMISSION, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING ABOUT WEATHER, WHICH HAS, I BELIEVE STAFF, WE'RE TRYING TO SCHEDULE FOR JULY.
IF WE COULD HAVE IT ON THE STAGE THERE, SINCE IT WOULD JUST BE US.
AND THAT'S A TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED STAGE, A CHAIR, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
UH, WE ARE WORKING, UH, IT MIGHT BE THAT IS GOING TO BE MORE LIKE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, AUGUST, WHICH WOULD BE A FINE, UM, THEY SAKE, UH, TIME, BUT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO GET, UH, THE CHAIRS, BUT THE PHYSICIANS TOGETHER TO REALLY WRANGLE OUT AND FINALIZE THE TIME.
SO WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND, UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IF WE CAN HAVE A MOBILE, UH, MOBILE, UH, MEETING, IF OUR FRIENDS AT THE WATERLOO GREENWAY WOULD, UH, ALLOW US TO ENJOY THAT.
WELL, AND WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO WE'LL ANNOUNCE OUR OPENING DAY AND WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS, BUT YEAH, WE'RE HAPPY TO COORDINATE, UM, CHRISTINE, JUST LET US KNOW AND WE CAN WORK IT OUT.
HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GO THERE.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT SPACE, WHAT IS THE AMBIENT NOISE LIKE
[01:55:01]
WITH THE BACKGROUND NOISE? THANK YOU.AND DO YOU MEAN, UM, NO NEIGHBORING NOISES LIKE TRAFFIC OR AIR CONDITIONERS, WATER HANDLERS? I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY QUIET AND LOTS OF NATURE NOISES OTHER THAN CONSTRUCTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE OUT THERE ON A SATURDAY OR A SUNDAY WHEN THERE'S NOT WORK GOING ON, SO PRIMARILY SUNDAYS LATELY, IT'S VERY QUIET AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOUR OWN, YOUR OWN PIECE OF NATURE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF DOWNTOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAIN NOISE IS YOU'LL HEAR OTHER THAN ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK OR SOME ADJACENT CONSTRUCTION DURING THE WEEK.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE FOR QUITE A WHILE IS A LOT OF THE AREA AROUND THEIR REDEVELOPS WITH, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL HEALTH AND OTHER ADJACENT, UM, YOU KNOW, CITY AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING ONGOING DURING, DURING THE WEEK, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, NO AIR CONDITIONERS OR TRAFFIC NOISES REALLY, OTHER THAN WHAT'S IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PARK.
AND I'LL JUST MENTION, UH, A NOISE WITHIN THE PARK.
UM, AT THE WALNUT CREEK INTAKE FACILITY, WE HAVE, UM, IT'S BASICALLY A WATERFALL, LISA, YOU CAN CORRECT ME, BUT THERE'S A REALLY NICE WATER TRICKLING SOUND.
UM, THAT'S GENERATED FROM THE TUNNEL.
UM, IT CYCLES THE WATER TO KEEP THE, KEEP IT HEALTHY AND OXYGENATED.
UM, AND SO WE BASICALLY HAVE A WATER FOUNTAIN, UM, WHICH IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE IT ADDS TO THAT THE PARK NATURAL SOUNDS.
SO THAT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE IN OUR HILL COUNTRY GARDEN AREA.
I HAVE GOT TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
UH, THIS LOOKS WONDERFUL AND WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS, UH, FINALLY FINALLY HAPPENING.
UM, FIRST ONE, HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY PROJECT CONNECT, WHERE IT'S AT THE LAKEFRONT AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WILL BE, HOW IS MAINTENANCE BEING HANDLED? IS IT THROUGH PRIVATE GROUPS OR IS IT, ARE WE COUNTING ON THE CITY, WHICH SOMETHING, THIS MAGNIFICENT NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED MUCH BETTER THAN THE CITY HISTORICALLY HAS DONE? SURE.
SO AS FAR AS THE PROJECT CONNECT, UM, CONNECTION OF THE SOUTHERN SECTION.
SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT WITH CAPITAL METRO AND THE PROJECT CONNECT TEAM ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR LIGHT CROSSING CONCEPT.
UM, AND WE, WE HAVE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, HAD A CONCEPT FOR A LIGHT CROSSING.
UM, AND SO WHAT THEY HAVE A DESIGN FOR A BRIDGE, A TRANSIT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
UM, SO WE'RE TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT WORK TOGETHER TO CONSOLIDATE THAT, UM, AND ACCOMPLISH ALL OF OUR GOALS.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM AS THEY START ITERATING THEIR PLANS AND, AND, UH, KIND OF FORMALIZING THOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THEIR, UM, ON THE GROUND DESIGN AND, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE OTHER NOTE TO ADD TO THAT AS A LOT OF OUR COORDINATION WITH CITY STAFF AND ALSO WITH CAP, METRO HAS BEEN ABOUT WHERE THAT STATION IS AND HOW THAT GETS STITCHED INTO RAINEY STREET AND THE AREAS AROUND A GENERAL AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS ALL OF THOSE BRIDGE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE, UH, MOVING THROUGH THE CREEK DELTA AREA, UH, THAT MELISSA POINTED OUT EARLIER, SUDDENLY THOSE AREAS ARE A LOT CLOSER TOGETHER WHEN YOU HAVE THREE BRIDGE CONNECTIONS, UH, DIRECTLY MOVING FROM THE RAINY STREET AREA TO THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE CREEK.
AND SO COORDINATING ON THAT, KIND OF IN THE NEW CONTEXT OF A KIND OF POST CREEK DELTA WORLD DOWN THERE AND LOCATING THE STATION, LOCATING THE BRIDGE AND THOSE ACCESS POINTS, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT HAS BEEN A REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, GREAT EXERCISE, UH, THAT ALL OF OUR AGENCIES HAVE BEEN WORKING ON TOGETHER.
AND TH THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
SO PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS SO WE CAN ACCOMPLISH OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, HIGHER LEVEL OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
SO WATERLOO, GREENWAY AS A NONPROFIT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LONG-TERM OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR SPACES.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS THROUGH OUR ONGOING FUNDRAISING EFFORTS AND PRIVATE, PRIVATE DONATIONS, UM, ANY REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED WITHIN THE PARK, THAT'S REINVESTED BACK INTO OUR OPERATIONS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE TO HELP US, UM, WITH OPERATIONS AS WELL.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO HAVE THEIR AMBASSADORS, UM, ALSO HAVE A PRESENCE IN THE PARK AND HELPING US WITH THAT UPKEEP.
LET'S LOOK FORWARD TO, WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING HERE WITH PROJECT CONNECT COULD BE VERY, VERY INTERESTING.
[02:00:01]
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.I JUST, I'M WONDERING IS THE CREEK FLOW GOING TO BE ENOUGH FOR THERE TO BE LIKE PADDLE BOATS OR CANOES OR SOMETHING LIKE FROM, UH, BARTON SPRINGS DOWN TO THE LAKE? UM, FOR THERE TO BE SOME KIND OF, UH, ABILITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO MOVE FROM A WATERLOO ON 15TH, UM, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE, TO, TO THE LAKE.
UM, SO NO, THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH FLOW OR WIDTH OR DEPTH IN THE CREEK FOR BOATS TO MOVE FROM 15TH TO THE LAKE.
AND THE CREEK IS VERY SHALLOW AND NARROW AND A LOT OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
UM, HOWEVER, TWO THINGS I'LL ADD TO THAT IS ONE, THE TUNNEL DOESN'T JUST CONTROL THE FLOODWATER, BUT ALSO RECIRCULATES WATER FROM THE LAKE FROM BELT STREET DOWN ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE LAKE.
SO THERE WILL BE A MUCH MORE CONSISTENT FLOW OF WATER THROUGHOUT THE CREEK, WHICH ENABLES, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF A MOVING CREEK, BUT ALSO HAS BEEN KIND OF THE BACKBONE OF THE RESTORATION TECHNIQUES USED, UH, IN REBUILDING THE CREEK GOING FORWARD.
SO IT'LL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT AND IT'LL BE A HEALTHIER SYSTEM AND HAVE A CONSTANT FLOW, WHICH YOU HAVEN'T SEEN HISTORICALLY, UH, ON WALLER CREEK.
THE OTHER THING WHICH I'LL NOTE IS ONE OF THE KIND OF DESIGN AMBITIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN IS WE WANT TO BRING PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE WATER AND DOWN IN THE CREEK WITHOUT BEING IN THE WATER.
SO A LOT OF THE TRAILS ARE, UH, DEC TRAILS ON TOP OF THE CREEK WHERE POSSIBLE, UH, TRAIL CROSSINGS, WHICH GETS YOU NEAR THE WATER AND ABOVE THE WATER AND IN THE TREE CANOPY, UM, AND ALSO, UH, CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ADJACENT PARKS AND THE CREEK BELOW THE SLOPING DOWN THE CREEK BANKS TO PROVIDE BANK ACCESS ALONG THE CREEK.
SO YOU'LL GET A LOT OF THE SENSORY EXPERIENCE OF BEING NEAR A CREEK, BUT NOT ABLE TO BE IN IT WITH BOATS OR OTHER, UH, VESSELS BECAUSE OF THE NARROWNESS AND DEPTH OF THE CREEK.
AND, AND WITH REGARDS TO, UH, UM, COMMERCIALIZATION, I'VE HEARD THAT MAYBE THIS COULD BE ANOTHER, LIKE A RIVERWALK LIKE THEY HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO, IS THAT THOUGHT OF, OR IS THAT A POSSIBILITY OR IS IT GOING TO BE KEPT PRETTY MUCH A MORE NATURE ORIENTED? YEAH, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
I THINK THIS IS INTENDED TO BE MUCH MORE AN EXPERIENCE OF NATURE.
I THINK SOME OF THE PARALLELS MAY BE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME DOWN HERE AND BE CLOSE TO THE CREEK.
WE WANT THIS TO BE A BELOVED RECREATIONAL AMENITY AND THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE CENTER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF THE DENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND HERE IS KIND OF THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THIS BEAUTIFUL, ROBUST NATURE WITH ALL OF THE ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT, MORE THAN NECESSARILY HAVING ALL THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHT IN ON THE CREEK AND TOUCHING THE CREEK.
HOWEVER, I THINK THERE ARE SOME STRATEGIC LOCATIONS WHERE THAT IS APPROPRIATE AND THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE ALONG THE CREEK.
AND PRIMARILY THOSE AREAS KIND OF ALONG IN THAT SORT OF, THEY CALL IT THE NARROWS SECTION, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF NEAR SIXTH STREET, YOU KNOW, FIFTH STREET UP TO, YOU KNOW, THE REFUGE, THE FUTURE PARK.
SO I THINK THE CREEK IS REALLY NARROW.
THERE'S ALREADY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE WOULD LOOK TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, A REALLY GREAT CREEK SITE USES THAT ARE VERY KIND OF PUBLIC IN NATURE.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT BE PATIOS, UH, CAFES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WITH KIND OF PUTTING EYES DOWN ON THE CREEK, BUT IN THE AREAS WHERE THERE'S MORE SPACE, I WOULD SAY IT'S MORE ABOUT, UH, CREATING THAT ROBUST AND BEAUTIFUL NATURE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING WITH, WITH THOSE ADJACENT DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH WILL HAVE A LOT OF THOSE, UM, COMMERCIAL AMENITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR.
I HOPE I'M NOT TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S TIME, BUT I JUST HAVE A PERSONAL NOTE.
THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE A BELOVED AREA FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT IN AUSTIN THAT ARE PARKS THAT ARE CLOSED SO MUCH OF THE TIME TO GET READY FOR THIS FESTIVAL OR THAT EVENT.
AND JUST FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, I HOPE THAT YOU CAN KEEP THE TRAIL OPEN, EVEN IF THERE ARE EVENTS.
AND SO I'LL, I'LL SPEAK TO THAT AND I'M SURE MELISSA, KEN AS WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD THE COMMUNITY LOUD AND CLEAR ON THAT FRONT AND, AND OUR PARTNERS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DURING THE PLANNING PHASES AND DURING THE, YOU KNOW, THE DESIGN, UM, COMPETITION WE'RE REALLY CRITICAL INPUT.
SO MELISSA WAS POINTING OUT SOME OF THOSE FEATURES IN WATERLOO PARK WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THOSE BIG EVENTS IS PERMANENT.
IT CAN BE CLOSED AND IT HAS GREEN ROOFS, OCCUPIABLE, PLAZAS, UM, ABOVE IT.
SO REALLY THE IMPACT OF THOSE FACILITIES IS MINIMIZED.
AND THEN FURTHERMORE, DURING A SHOW, UM, ONLY AROUND A THIRD OF THE PARK ACTUALLY HAS TO BE CLOSED
[02:05:01]
FOR THAT TICKET EVENT.AND THE REST OF THE PARK CAN REMAIN OPEN.
SO THE TRAILS ALL ALONG THE CREEK, THOSE WOULD BE OPEN DURING SPECIAL EVENTS.
THE MAJORITY OF WATERLOO PARK WOULD REMAIN OPEN EVEN DURING A SPECIAL EVENT.
AND THEN THE GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SHOW ON SAY A THURSDAY NIGHT, ALL NIGHT THAT LOADS OUT EVERYTHING'S CLEANED UP AND THE NEXT DAY THE PARK CAN REOPEN FOR THAT GENERAL LAWN USE THAT MELISSA SPOKE TO.
AND THE PARK WAS DESIGNED WITH THAT INTENT BECAUSE OF EXACTLY THE COMMENTS YOU JUST MADE AND, AND THE FEEDBACK AND EXPERIENCE FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THE PARK WAS DESIGNED FOR.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE FIGURING OUT OPERATIONS WITH THAT, WITH THAT IN MIND.
THANK YOU MOST, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? NO, I THINK THAT COVERED IT REALLY WELL.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, CHERIF, IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST, UM, SUPPORT FOR OUR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION, UM, THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO, TO HAVE, UM, ALCOHOL SALES IN THE PARK.
UM, AND WE WILL ALSO BE, UM, ATTENDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND PARKS BOARD COMING OUT TO ALSO, UM, SHARE INFORMATION WITH THEM ABOUT THE APPLICATION.
WHEN DO YOU HAVE THE APPLICATION MOVING FORWARD? SO WE HAVE SUBMITTED OUR APPLICATION, UM, AND IT'S IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REVIEWED.
UM, AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING POTENTIALLY JUNE TO ATTEND PLANNING COMMISSION.
WOULD THAT BE BEFORE OR AFTER OUR NEXT MEETING? THE REASON I ASK IS THAT, UH, THE, THE COMMISSION HASN'T SEEN THE APPLICATION YET, AND THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY HESITANCY.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE DATES, UM, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP ALSO IF, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU PREFER.
I I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE COMMISSION TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON IT.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A MOTION THEY WANT TO BRING FORWARD ON THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST? I WOULD MOVE THAT WE SUPPORT THEIR, UH, THEIR, UH, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW ALCOHOL SALES, UH, DURING EVENTS AND ON PREMISES.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN THERE MELISSA, THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? NO, THAT COVERS IT.
UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION HEARING? NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION IS PRESENTED.
ANY OPPOSED PLEASE SAY, NAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MOTION CARRIES.
YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR, UM, UH, YOUR MOTION GOING TO, TO STAFF AND, AND WE'LL SEE THAT IT GETS OVER TO THE NECESSARY PARTIES.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO OLD BUSINESS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE POSSIBILITY FOR MEETING, UH, ON SITE.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP, KEEP TALKING ABOUT THAT OR LOOKING FORWARD TO IT TOO.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US.
THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS OLD BUSINESS.
UH, AND THE FIRST ITEM IS AN UPDATE FROM COMMISSIONER
IS THAT CORRECT? YOUR CORRECT.
[3.b. Update from Commissioner Ben Heimsath on recent activities and actions taken by the Historic Landmark Commission]
UH, MOST RECENT ACTIVITIES FROM THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.WELL, WE ARE, UH, A SENDING OUT, UH, REQUESTS SHORTLY FOR, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN OUR RE-IMAGINING B UH, OR, OR REWORKING THE, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A, UM, A MAJOR GRANT THAT, UH, IS INTERFACED WITH A NUMBER OF STAFF PRIORITIES.
AND, UH, THIS GROUP, UH, IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO, UH, LOOK INTO, UM, IN PARTICULAR WORKING WITH UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, UM, AS WE LOOK AT OUR STANDARDS AND SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE GOING ABOUT THE PRESERVATION PROCESS.
SO, UH, ONCE THE GROUP IS FORMED, UH, WE HAVE A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AGENDA, UH, OVER THE SIX TO NINE MONTHS OF WORK, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH SOME CONSULTING HELP.
AND, UH, I THINK AS WE MAKE PROGRESS AND AS THE GROUP, UH, IS LAUNCHED, WE'LL CERTAINLY BE WANTING TO INCORPORATE SOME INPUT, UH, FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
[3.c. Update from Commissioner Cynthia Weatherby on recent activities and actions taken by the Urban Transportation Commission]
UM, COMMISSIONER[02:10:01]
WEATHERBY.UM, THE LAST THING THAT WE'VE DONE AT THE UTC WAS RECEIVED A, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF THE ZILKER PARK VISIONING PLAN.
SO WHILE WE SAW THE GREAT RESULTS THERE AT WATERLOO, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY AND I DON'T SEE THE PARKS, UH, COMMISSIONER HERE, BUT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO REPORT ON.
THAT WAS WHAT WE DID TIME WE MET.
SO MAYBE THERE ARE GOOD THINGS TO COME YEARS IN THE FUTURE.
PROBABLY I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING LIKE A 20 YEAR OR 30 YEAR HORIZON, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND I'M SURE THIS GROUP WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IT TOO.
[3.d. Update from Commissioner kYmberly Keeton on recent activities and actions taken by the Arts Commission]
FROM COMMISSIONER KEATON ON THE ARTS COMMISSION.SO WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK ON MONDAY? UH, BASICALLY WE GOT A PRESENTATION, UM, BY MOLLY ALEXANDER, UM, IN WHICH SHE SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCES ROADMAP TO RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE.
UH, I WON'T GO INTO ALL OF THE POINTS, BUT IT WAS RATHER INTERESTING.
UM, I THINK EVERYONE ON, UM, THE COMMISSION WAS, UM, VERY PROUD OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT THEY'VE HAD, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC AND GOING FORTH AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, UM, MAKE AVAILABLE TO, I WOULD SAY PRETTY MUCH ALL ARTISTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN JUST PUTTING THEIR INFORMATION ON AN APPLICATION, WHICH WE NORMALLY HAVE TO DO IN LIFE, UH, AND MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE RECEIVED SOME BRIEF STAFF, UM, BRIEFINGS, UM, FROM THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM, UM, ABOUT THEIR EXPANSION PLAN UPDATE, AS WELL AS, UM, VERONICA
AND MEGAN WELLS SHOWED UP AND, UM, DISCUSSED MORE ABOUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATES AS FAR AS COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY.
UM, SOME ACTION ITEMS, UM, THAT WILL BE COMING UP, UH, I WOULD SAY, AND THE NEXT MEETING WOULD BE MORE ABOUT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM, UM, WERE ABOUT THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK.
UM, AS WELL AS OUR NEW CHAIR ELECT IS MICHELLE POLGAR AND VICE CHAIR IS SELENA GUZMAN.
[3.e. Update from Commissioner Douglas Leveton on recent activities and actions taken by the Music Commission]
COMMISSIONER PATTERSON.SO, UM, WOULD YOU MIND TAKING THE REALMS ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION I'D BE HAPPY TO? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, DOUG HAS LEFT THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
HE JUST, HE HAS GOT A LITTLE ONE AT HOME AND HIS MUSIC STUFF HAS GOTTEN BUSY FOR HIM AGAIN.
AND SO IT WAS JUST FOLDING A LOT OF DIRECTIONS, DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BUT WE MISS HIM A LOT.
SO I'M KIND OF SUBBING IN TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW COMMISSIONERS AND WE HAVE, I THINK MAYBE POSSIBLY ONE OR TWO MORE, AT LEAST ONE MORE COMING ONTO THE COMMISSION.
SO WE'D HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE KIND OF GETTING THEIR FEET UNDER THEM.
AND, UM, I'M RELATIVELY NEW AS VICE CHAIR AND OUR CHAIR IS RELATIVELY NEW.
SO WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT.
SO WE WILL APPOINT A NEW DOWNTOWN CONDITIONER, BUT RIGHT NOW PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, JUST WHAT, WHAT THEIR JOB, THEIR ROLE IS ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME PARTICIPATE TEMPORARILY.
I MAY BE HERE NEXT MONTH TOO, BUT WE'LL GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF OUR JOINT MEETING BEING AT WAUKEE GREENWAY.
THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL SPACE AND IT'S A REALLY ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO HEAR THAT PRESENTATION.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT, UM, THE POSSIBILITIES FOR A MUSIC PERFORMANCE SPACE THERE FOR BOTH, YOU KNOW, BOTH THE BIG SHOWS AND SMALL SHOWS.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION THAT WE'RE THINKING A LOT ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS PERFORMANCE SPACE FOR REHEARSAL SPACE, PRODUCTION SPACE.
AND THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED FOR, YOU KNOW, THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND PASSED A WHILE BACK.
SO THIS IS A DISCUSSION THAT HAS, UM, UH, IT HAS BEEN CONTINUING FOR A WHILE.
UH, MOLLY ANDERS, I'M PULLING UP ALEXANDER FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION ALSO PRESENTED TO US.
AND WE TALKED WITH HER A LOT ABOUT, UM, STOREFRONT ACTIVATION, UM, HOW MUSIC CAN BE PART OF THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION AS, AS WE COME BACK FROM THIS PANDEMIC.
AND I THINK WHEN, WHEN CONCERN
[02:15:01]
THAT WE HAVE ON THE, THE COMMISSION AND I MEAN, I'M SURE YOU GUYS SHARE THIS.UM, IT'S JUST THAT AS REAL ESTATE DOWNTOWN BECOMES VERY EXPENSIVE.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF MUSIC AND MUSIC VENUES IN THAT? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MAKE, UM, OUR, OUR URBAN CORE, UM, A PLACE THAT HAS, UH, CULTURAL SPACES AS WELL AS, AS PART OF THAT? UM, SO PART OF THAT, UM, VENUE PRESERVATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED A LOT.
THERE HAS BEEN OF COURSE, SAVES FUNDING THAT WENT TO THE MUSIC VENUES.
WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE MUSIC COMMUNITY IS REALLY A LOT OF THAT FUNDING IS JUST GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO PAY ALL THIS BACKGROUND WHERE WE'RE, UM, LANDLORDS WERE HA HIT PAUSE ON PAYMENTS, BUT AS THEY'RE REOPENING, WHICH IS A REALLY EXCITING TIME, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF RENT PAYMENTS TO MAKE.
SO GO AHEAD FOR THE PARENT, WE ARE STILL VERY INTERESTED AND FUNDING, AND WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT BUDGET ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S BEEN REALLY IN THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND.
UM, WE DID MAKE AS A MUSIC COMMISSION, A PRETTY AMBITIOUS ASK, UM, BUT, UH, A SMALLER AMOUNT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THROUGH A RESIGNATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FIND.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO, WE'RE STILL EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO IT'S 5 MILLION A YEAR FOR TWO YEARS FOR MUSIC.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE FROM THE, UM, ARP FUNDS, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, FEDERAL FUNDS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT IS GETTING READY TO REALLY START BACK UP.
UM, AND SO ALL OF THAT IN MY MIND IS, UM, IS REALLY AN INVESTMENT AND IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, IN THE ECONOMY, UH, IT'S ECONOMICALLY, IT MAKES SENSE FOR AUSTIN.
IT'S ALSO A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE.
UM, SO I'M TRYING TO GO FAST, CAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE HAD A REALLY LONG MEETING, BUT, UM, THE OTHER PIECE OF BOTH THE SPACE ISSUE AND THE FUNDING ISSUE FOR US IS THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ARE REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE.
AND, UM, HOW MUSIC CAN BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION IN TWO WAYS, LIKE HOW, HOW CAN, UM, CREATIVE SPACE THAT SUPPORTABLE VENUES SUPPORT AND INTERESTING WAYS BE PART OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE URBAN CORE, UM, ALSO PRODUCTION SPACE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, WE, UM, HAVE ALSO TALKED, ESPECIALLY IN THE SYSTEMIC RACISM, WORKING GROUP OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR CREATIVES AND HOW THAT CAN BE PART OF IT WAS POSSIBLY LIVE WORKSPACES THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE I PERSONALLY, BUT ALSO WITH THE GROUP, BUT I THINK WE FEEL THAT THAT COULD BE A VERY, UH, VISIONARY APPROACH TO, UM, AS, AS SPACE AS BEING IMAGINED AND CREATED.
UM, AND ALSO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I'M JUST GLANCING OVER AT MY NOTES.
UM, YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REALLY TAKE THE LEAD AND PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS SO THAT CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY CAN BE PART OF, UH, MUSIC AND CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AND AUSTIN, AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT THIS CAN ALL BE A VERY TRANSFORMATIVE TIME AS WE COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC WITH THESE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THIS BUDGET THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CURRENTLY, UH, IS TALKING ABOUT USING, UM, FEDERAL COVID RELIEF FUNDS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
I THINK THAT THAT, THAT BASICALLY TO ME SAYS THAT WE HAVE TWO YEARS TO FIND PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WILL FILL IN ON THAT FUNDING AND THAT THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT GOING FORWARD, WE SHOULD INVEST IN MUSIC AND CULTURAL ARTS AND CULTURAL ARTS, UM, IS ALSO PART OF THAT RESOLUTION, UM, SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION A YEAR FOR TWO YEARS.
UM, SO ANYWAY, WE'RE THE MUSIC COMMISSIONER, THE WIDENED AND HAPPY TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER AND WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD FROM AUGUST AND CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.
SO, YEAH, THANKS FOR LETTING ME HELP IN TONIGHT AND GIVE AN UPDATE.
UH, COMMISSIONER TAYLOR IS WITH US TONIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONER RAMIRO.
[3.g. Update from Commissioner Nelly Paulina Ramirez on recent activities and actions taken by the Public Safety Commission]
HI EVERYBODY.UM, WE, UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS, I'M JUST LOOKING AT MY NOTES REAL QUICK.
I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY, MAY 3RD, WE GENERALLY MEET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH.
UM, WE ACTUALLY USE THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEETING TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE ON THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE, THEIR MID-YEAR RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT.
AND WE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THAT MEETING KIND OF GOING OVER THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, TALKING
[02:20:01]
ABOUT THEM, UM, AND FIGURING OUT A PATH FORWARD SO THAT WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, COMMISSIONS PHASE IN STEP, UM, WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT.UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO START TAKING, UM, MONTHLY BRIEFINGS FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM AS THEY'RE DOING THEIR WORK.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS, UH, NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, WHICH HAS BEGINNING OF JUNE, WE'LL BE CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROP B FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO WE'LL HAVE DIANA GREAT JOINING US, UM, BILL BRYCE, JOINING US AND ALSO THE PUBLIC SAFETY CHIEFS, UM, TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FIRE EMS AND POLICE JUST SORT OF RESPONSES HOW THOSE ARE ADAPTING, UM, IF THEY'RE ADOPTING, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO, WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
SO THAT'LL BE, UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEETINGS NEXT MONTH, IN ADDITION TO A DISCUSSION ON THE POLICE CHIEF SEARCH.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DIAL IN AND LISTEN IN ON THE, ON THE MEETING, I INVITE YOU TO DO THAT.
I'LL SEND INFORMATION ON THAT AND I'LL MAKE SURE TO SEND OVER, UM, THE MID-YEAR RECOMMENDATION REPORT SO THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AND START LOOKING AT THAT IT'S PRETTY MASSIVE, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT REALLY IS GUIDING A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS DOING WITH REGARDS, UM, FOR POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK THEY'RE DOING SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT IS IT FOR WHAT WE HAVE.
HE PRETTY MUCH ALL OUR LIAISONS DO SUCH A GREAT JOB.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR REPORTS TO US THIS EVENING.
[4. Potential Future Agenda Items]
POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, STAFF.I HAVE TWO ITEMS. IF WHEN YOU'RE READY, PLEASE DO.
UH, ONE I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS ON THE OTHER PROPERTY, WHICH WAS THE 2020 MOBILITY BONDS IN THE CONGRESS AVENUE, URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS, UH, A PORTION OF THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FUNDED AS PART OF THE MOBILITY BONDS BY AND WHAT THE STATUS IS WITH RELATION TO THE CITY ACTUALLY ADOPTING THE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVES SO THEY CAN PROCEED WITH, UH, DESIGNING WORK.
UH, OTHER ITEM IS, WOULD BE NICE TO GET AN UPDATE ON STATUS OF THE HEALTH SOUTH BUILDING AND THE INNOVATION DISTRICT.
UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE HAVE A LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING FOR A TO COME TO A MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, BUT ANY, ANY INFORMATION OR DETAILS THAT YOU GET ON THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL? THAT'S IT? I THINK WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THAT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND STAFF CAN CORRECT ME, BUT BECAUSE THERE WERE REAL ESTATE MATTERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY COULDN'T PRESENT TO US QUITE YET.
UM, WE'VE ASKED THE CONCERNS, UH, BRIEFLY THE EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS NEEDED TO BE EXECUTED BEFORE THE, UM, I SEE LOBBYING THOUGH, CONTACTS, UH, PURCHASING A ROOM FOR A LIFTED THAT WAS EXECUTED MONDAY.
AND SO WE CAN NOW BRING IT FORWARD ON A FUTURE SUNDAY.
AND I THINK WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THEM COMING IN JUNE TO DISCUSS THAT VERY ISSUE.
ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM COMMISSION? NO.
I'M NOT HEARING ANYTHING STAFF AND THE UPDATES ON YOUR END STAFF DOES NOT HAVE ANY UPDATES CHAIR AT THIS TIME.
ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THAT WE ADJOURNED? I HAVE A MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
UH, THE, THE MAY 19TH MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, HAS COME TO ADJOURNMENT AT 8:03 PM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND FOR PARTICIPATING IN.
AND I THINK WHAT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING, UM, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE ON THE HOMELESS ISSUE AND MANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES SURROUNDING DOWNTOWN.
[02:25:01]
LIKE TO THANK NATHAN R A V TECH AGAIN, HE'S EXCEPTIONAL AND OUR MEETINGS RUN SO SMOOTHLY WITH HIM.I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THANK EVERYONE FOR GIVING ME GRACE IN MY FIRST YEAR OF MY PHD AS WELL, WORKING A 40 HOUR A WEEK JOB.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW.
THAT IS UNC AND I CAME OUT WITH A 3.7.
SO A GRADUALLY ISOLATIONS GRADUATION.
HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER.