[00:00:07]
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CONVENE, UH, TODAY'S UM, MEETING.
THIS IS, UH, TUESDAY, UH, JULY 27TH.
THIS IS THE WORK SESSION OF THE, UH, OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WE POTENTIALLY HAVE A LOT TO GET THROUGH TODAY.
A LOT OF IT IS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE THING THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO DO IS TO BEGIN WITH THE BUDGET DISCUSSION.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS PRIMARILY TO LET COUNCIL MEMBERS DAYLIGHT ISSUES THAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT SO THAT, UH, THE REST OF US AND STAFF GET, UH, UH, NOTICE IF IT'S POSSIBLE ON WHAT MIGHT BE COMING FORWARD.
WE HAVE A LONG WORK SESSION COMING UP NEXT WEEK.
THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE THAT THIS IS MORE A DAYLIGHT, UH, MOMENT.
SO THAT'S GOING TO START WITH A PRESENTATION.
MAYBE WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS IN 30 TO 45 MINUTES.
UH, BUT THEN WE WOULD THEN LEAVE HERE AND GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL START TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SEE HOW MUCH OF THAT WE CAN KNOCK OUT.
UH, SOME OF THE COLLEAGUES WANTED TO BE PART OF THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON, SO THEY WANTED US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT, UH, UH, EARLIER.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, ONLY ONE ITEM THAT'S BEEN, UH, POLLED.
UH, SO WE WOULD THEN, UH, UH, AFTER, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION, IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD STOP AT NOON, UM, TO GO FROM, FROM NOON TO, UH, FOR LUNCH.
IF WE COME BACK AND HAVE SOME TIME WE CAN DO THAT.
WE HAVE THE, UH, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, BD TODAY THAT'S BEEN SET FOR ONE 30.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE A ONE 30 WE'LL MOVE INTO THAT SHOULD BE A SHORT MEETING TODAY.
I THINK A CHAIR LIKE 45 MINUTES ISH, SO WE CAN, OR LESS.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
WE HAVE THE, UH, UH, OTHER, UH, UH, DISCUSSION ITEMS THAT ARE COMING BACK, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR US.
SOME OF THOSE THINGS WERE PUT ON THE AGENDA, KIND OF AN ADJUSTED CASE OF SCENARIO.
UH, I THINK THE HOMELESSNESS, UH, ISSUE, UH, REAL SHORT PRESENTATION FROM STAFF OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, UH, ON COVID WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT JOINING THE COUNTY THIS MORNING.
WE ALL SHOULD BE GETTING IN OUR BOXES HERE THIS MORNING, THE HANDOUT THAT THEY GIVE TO US FOR THAT.
SO EVERYONE CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE THIS AFTERNOON.
IF WE WERE TO CALL THEM, WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE AFTERNOON.
UH, BUT THEY'RE AVAILABLE HERE.
IF WE WERE TO BRING THAT BACK FOR US, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE MEADOWS PERSON HERE ADD, WELL, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU.
I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, THAT'S THE OTHER BRIEFING.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAVE THE CONSULTANT AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO US.
SO THERE'LL BE A REPORT ON, ON, ON THAT.
WE HAVE A HARD STOP AT FIVE 15 BECAUSE THE BD NEEDS TO BE TURNED OVER TO THE, UH, EVENING PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, I, I WAS EXPECTING THAT WE WOULD DO THE AUSTIN CARES THIS MORNING BECAUSE IT'S REALLY PART OF THE BUDGET.
AND IT'S SET UP AS A VERY, VERY BRIEF IF I'M UNDERSTANDING A BRIEF, UM, PRESENTATION.
AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTION AND ANSWER, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SEPARATING IT FROM THE BUDGET AND HAVING THAT PROSTITUTE CARES, WHICH IS THE MEADOWS.
UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING THAT PUSH TO THE END OF THE DAY.
I THINK IT'S SEPARATED TOO MUCH FROM THE BUDGET IF WE DO THAT, RIGHT.
I NOTED INDICATED THAT THE CONSULTANT WAS AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON AND NOT THIS MORNING ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON, NOT AVAILABLE THIS MORNING.
BUT CAN WE DO IT LIKE I'M CONCERNED? ARE WE GOING TO LOSE PEOPLE IF WE WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY IS, IS, UM, IT IT'S ANY MANAGER.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME CITY MANAGER? I DON'T OFFHAND, BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT SHE WASN'T AVAILABLE.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT.
UH, AND THIS AFTERNOON ALSO ON EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, WE CANNOT DO EXECUTIVE SESSION IN THIS ROOM.
UH, SO WE WOULD GO BACK TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO GO BACK INTO THAT SMALLER SPACE.
CERTAINLY IF YOU WERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT REMOTELY, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
[00:05:01]
MARY.I JUST WANT TO GO OVER THE CALENDAR AGAIN.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE BUDGET.
THEN WE ARE GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TALK ABOUT OPEN GOVERNMENT, REAL ESTATE, THE COUPLE OF CASES, POTENTIAL ELECTION, AND THEN THE PERSONNEL MATTER OR DOING ALL OF THAT IN ONE BLOCK ATTACH LEAVE.
WHEN WE GET BACK THERE AND COUNCIL WANTS TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK OUT.
BUT YES, IT WOULD BE THE INTENT TO TRY AND GET THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND THEN OUR, AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW BRIEFINGS.
IF WE HAVE TIME AFTER THAT, WE'LL COME BACK HERE.
IF WE HAVE TIME BEFORE NOON, WE'LL COME BACK HERE AND DO THE, UH, COVID.
AND THE PULL DOWN, AND THEN WE ARE BREAKING FROM WHAT TIME? TO WHAT TIME FROM LIKE NEW DOOR.
AND THEN AT ONE FROM ONE-ON, WE'LL JUST WRAP UP.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE'LL BE JUST PUSHING THROUGH IT.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REALLY? WHO IS, WHO ARE WE LOSING WHEN I'M SORRY? WHO ARE WE LOSING? WHEN YOU SAID SOME COLLEAGUES ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON, CARROTS OVER HALTER AND MAYOR.
I HAVE TO STEP OUT AT THREE 30.
I CAN COME BACK, BUT I CAN STEP OUT AT THREE 30.
DID I'M GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE AND RUN TO AUSTIN HIGH QUICKLY AT AROUND 3 45, BUT I CAN COME BACK TO, OKAY, WELL, LET'S WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
SHE COMES OVER ALTER AND THEN THAT SORT OF KELLY, UM, WHEN WE TAKE UP THE ONE POLLED ITEM, OR AT SOME POINT, I JUST, THERE ARE A COUPLE ITEMS THAT I'M ASKING SOME QUESTIONS.
I'M TRYING TO GET MY ANSWERS SEPARATELY, BUT I WANTED TO JUST SURFACE THAT I'M DOING THAT SO THAT IT'S NOT A SURPRISE ON THOSE ITEMS IF I PULLED THEM ON THURSDAY.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE MOSTLY TECHNICAL THINGS THAT I'M TRYING TO GET CLEAR, BUT IF, IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND, OR DON'T LIKE THE ANSWERS, WHEN I GO THROUGH THAT, I MAY WANT, WHERE DID WE DO PULLED ITEMS? PEOPLE CAN DAYLIGHT OTHER ISSUES ON OTHER ITEMS AS WE DO.
WE JUST WON'T HAVE STAFF HERE FOR THOSE.
I JUST THINK IT'D BE USEFUL FOR US TO HAVE, IT WILL BE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO MAKE A PART OF MATH OR ONE OF MY IC, UH, UH, IFCS AS WELL.
UH, BECAUSE R KELLY, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THAT WAS MY QUESTION AS WELL, WHEN WE WOULD DISCUSS PULLED ITEMS. THANK YOU.
I STILL HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT, UM, THAT I WANTED TO ASK.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THAT ROOM AND THE REMOTE OPTION IS WHAT PROTECTS OUR MEMBERS IF THEY WANT, BUT WE CAN'T SEE THE ROOM.
IS IT, IS IT THE SAME SYSTEM THAT WE HAD THE OTHER DAY WHERE, WHERE OUR COLLEAGUES OFF THE DICE WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE OTHERS IN THE ROOM.
WE COULD SEE THEM WITH THE OTHERS IN THE ROOM, OR YOU WILL SEE OTHERS IN THE ROOM.
IT'LL BE LIKE THE EARLIER, LIKE OUR PREVIOUS VIRTUAL.
UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ITEMS, UM, I ALSO HAVE SOME ITEMS TO DISCUSS THAT I DID NOT NECESSARILY PULL.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF OUR GAME PLAN FOR THURSDAY AT THAT OUR GAME PLAN FOR THURSDAY, KIND OF OUR SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, MANAGER, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO LAY OUT BUDGET.
[D1. Discussion about the fiscal year 2021-2022 proposed budget and tax rate]
THEN WE'LL THEY LIKE BUDGET THOUGHTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.AND THIS IS A OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL AS WE PREPARE FOR NEXT THURSDAY'S WORK SESSION.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR INTERIM BUDGET, OFFICER CARRIE LANG, WHO WILL DO A BRIEF INTRO.
AND THEN THE MAYOR'S QUESTION, REALLY, HOPEFULLY GETTING TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT A TOPIC OR TWO THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THAT WORK SESSION.
MS. LANG, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, CARRIE LANG INTERIM BUDGET OFFICER, AND AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED TODAY, WE WOULD JUST BEGIN DISCUSSIONS.
SO ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO DAYLIGHT FOR THE AUGUST 3RD WORK SESSION, UM, WE'VE INCLUDED IN BACKUP FOR YOUR REMINDER AND INFORMATION, THE TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT, THE PROPOSED BUDGET SNAPSHOT AND THE FOSTERING RESILIENT CITY WORKSHEET.
UM, DURING THE SESSION TODAY, WE WILL END THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
UM, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH YOU ALL, UM, TO INFORM OUR AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE DO HAVE THE, UM, PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS, THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS ON THURSDAY, UH, THE FOUR DAY WORK SESSION ON THE THIRD, I WILL BE SENDING OUT FURTHER COMMUNICATION BY THE END OF THIS WEEK ABOUT THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK AND TO, UM, JUST CONFIRM ALL THE AREAS THAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING NEXT WEEK AND THE PROCESS FOR BUDGET READING AND APPROVAL WITH THAT, I TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU ALL FOR, FOR US TO BEGIN DISCUSSION.
SO COLLEGE, WE HAVE A BUDGET HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.
WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A LONG SESSION
[00:10:01]
NEXT WEEK.I THINK STAFF'S LOOKING FOR, UH, INDICATIONS FROM COUNCIL.
IF YOU ALL WERE TO GIVE THEM AS TO, UH, THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO TAKE A LONGER LOOK AT.
YES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING.
UM, SO I HAVE THREE AREAS THAT I'D LIKE US TO BE DISCUSSING IN MORE DETAIL ON TUESDAYS WORK SESSION.
UM, I'VE TALKED A FEW TIMES ABOUT THE FIRE EMS OPTIMIZATION EFFICIENCY STUDY.
I THINK IT'S CALLED THE DISPATCH EQUITY STUDY.
UM, THIS IS A STUDY I HAVE HEADED FOR FUNDING IN RECENT BUDGET YEARS, AND I'M HOPING THAT THERE ARE USEFUL LESSONS AND SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDED IN ITS RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STUDY IS IN ITS FINAL STAGES AND HAS SOME INTERESTING ELEMENTS THAT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL FOR US FOR SOME OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING.
SO I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THAT AND BOTH WHEN WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT.
AND IF THERE ARE SOME HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM IT THAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT, I THINK THEY'RE PARTICULARLY RELEVANT BECAUSE I THINK A NUMBER OF US ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING FURTHER INVESTMENTS IN EMS. UM, AND I'M HOPING THAT THAT STUDY WILL HELP US, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME OF THOSE.
UM, SECOND I'D LIKE TO, UM, HAVE A DEEPER DISCUSSION OF VICTIM SERVICES.
UM, AS FOLKS KNOW I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR MORE MONEY AND MORE SERVICES FOR VICTIM SERVICES AND LED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT EVALUATION PROCESS.
I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AS A COUNCIL TO INCREASE STAFF AND EXPAND SERVICE CAPABILITIES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT OUR VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION IS ONE, IF NOT THE BEST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY.
AND IT IS THAT WAY IN PART OF THE VERY HIGH LEVEL OF CLINICAL SERVICES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT BY RELYING ON BOCA GRANTS TO FUND SEVERAL FTES IN YEARS PAST, BUT THIS MAY NOT BE THE CASE ANYMORE.
UM, THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY, BUT I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY REPLACING GRANT MONEY, UM, NOT ACTUALLY ADDING MORE SERVICES.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE A BRIEFING ON THE POSSIBLE CHANGES IN FUNDING THIS FISCAL YEAR AND HOW WE'RE ABSORBING THOSE COSTS FROM THE LACK OR THE EXPECTED LACK OF THOSE VOCA FUNDS.
UM, AS WELL AS INFORMATION ON STAFFING LEVELS, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CASE LOADS SERVICES PROVIDED, AND THE STATUS OF SOME OF THE REFORMS TO VICTIM SERVICES THAT CAME FROM THE RE-IMAGINING PROCESS, SUCH AS THE REPORTING STRUCTURE.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THE VICTIM SERVICES MANAGER, KATRINA CLARK, TO BE PART OF THAT BRIEFING.
AND IF IT'S HELPFUL, MY STAFF CAN GIVE YOU THAT LIST IN WRITING IF YOU LIKE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE NINE 11 DISPATCH STAFFING AND RETENTION.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE KSN STORY OVER THE WEEKEND RELATED TO OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
UM, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION A WHILE AGO, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, UM, HAVING CONVERSATIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SITUATION IS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS IN THE DEPARTMENT AND WITH, UM, RAY, ARIANA, ET CETERA, AND SPENCER CRONK ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, I THINK THESE ARE A REALLY CRITICAL PIECE TO OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT AND VACANCY RATE ISSUES.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A BRIEFING ON THAT TO SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE SOME INVESTMENTS IN THAT DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS CONCERNS, UM, THERE, WITH RESPECT TO THE VACANCY RATES.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHERE I THINK WE NEED MORE INFORMATION AS A DIOCESE.
UM, I WASN'T SURE IF WE WANTED TO DAYLIGHT THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE BRINGING AMENDMENTS ARE INTERESTED IN FUNDING MORE NOW.
UM, OR IF I SHOULD WAIT ON THAT, WHEN IS THAT APPROPRIATE TIME? CAUSE IT'S, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, STAFF PREPARING DOCUMENTS FOR THOSE THINGS.
I THINK, I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DAYLIGHT ISSUES.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO RAISE SOMETHING NOW, BUT IF YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM'S NOW YOU CAN JUST THROW ABOUT THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
I'M STILL, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON A LOT OF DETAILS.
SO I'LL GIVE SOME BROAD OUTLINES AND I WOULD INVITE COLLEAGUES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING A CO-SPONSOR OR ANY OF THESE AMENDMENTS AS I PUT THEM FORWARD, UM, TO REACH OUT TO ME AT A LATER DATE.
UM, SO WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, I AM INTERESTED IN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS WITH, TO WILDFIRE, SPECIFICALLY SUPPLEMENTS FOR THE TRAINING THAT WAS PLANNED.
UM, I AM INTERESTED IN PHASE TWO OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
[00:15:01]
AND ADDING THE ADDITIONAL PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONERS, UM, AND MAKING FURTHER INVESTMENTS IN EMS. UM, I BELIEVE IDENTIFIED SOME PUNCH POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR THESE, UM, BUT I'M STILL WORKING OUT, UM, THOSE OPTIONS, UH, ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES AS I WOULD BE OBVIOUS FROM THE QUESTIONS I RAISED EARLIER WOULD BE VICTIM SERVICES, UM, AND THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER BEING STAFFED AND WELL RESOURCED.AND THEN FINALLY THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UM, AND YOU KNOW, ON THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, JUST WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, JUST WANT TO REALLY COMMUNICATE HOW IMPRESSED I'VE BEEN, UM, WITH MICHELLE MILES AS OUR PROGRAM MANAGER AND HOW, HOW, UH, DILIGENTLY AGENTS STIRRUP AND LAURA TO LOAF ONE DAY, WE'RE IN HELPING TO STAND UP THAT OFFICE AND WANT TO GET SOME MORE DETAILS ON THE SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS TO SEE IF WE NEED MORE FUNDING, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THAT.
I'M REALLY BEEN IMPRESSED WITH WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO HAVE BEEN DOING TO PROPERLY RESOURCE THEIR VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORK, UM, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING UP THE OVP FOR SUCCESS.
I'M STILL LOOKING INTO THAT, UM, AREA TO SEE, AND THEN FINALLY, FOR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT, I'M FOCUSED ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, OUR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, AND SOME SMALL ASKS FROM OUR SENIOR COMMISSION.
UH, GOT OVER KELLY, THANK YOU.
UM, SOME THINGS THAT ARE OF TOP OF MIND TO ME AND FOCUS FROM THIS BUDGET IS, UM, DEFINITELY THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE AND DIG DEEPER INTO THAT AS WELL.
I'D BE HAPPY TO CO-SPONSOR THAT WITH YOU AND TALK FURTHER ABOUT IT.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO GO TO THE DISPATCH CENTER AT SCITECH AND SIT EVEN IF JUST FOR AN HOUR WITH THESE TELECOMMUNICATORS.
I DID THAT RECENTLY, AND IT WAS REALLY EYE-OPENING AS TO THE STRESS THAT THEY'RE UNDER ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO POSSIBLY ALIGNING THE BUDGET WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF HB 1900, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE BUDGET IS SET FORTH CORRECTLY.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE APD HAS SEEN TREMENDOUS ATTRITION.
I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER ADDING A MODIFIED POLICE ACADEMY.
IN ADDITION TO THE TWO REGULARLY PROPOSED ACADEMIES, UM, WE NEED A ROBUSTLY STAFFED AND WELL-EQUIPPED POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ACT AS A RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE NEED THEM TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER CURRENTLY BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING LEVELS.
WE HAVE INCREASED RESPONSE TIMES AND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE BECAUSE WE ARE IN A STAFFING CRISIS.
ONE WAY TO GET OFFICERS ON THE STREET QUICKER IS TO DO THAT MODIFIED ACADEMY.
ANOTHER, UM, THING THAT I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON, WE KNOW AUSTIN GOES OUT OF ITS WAY TO BE AN ANIMAL FRIENDLY CITY.
IT'S A GREAT TESTAMENT TO THE COMPASSION WE HAVE FOR ALL LIVING CREATURES.
I ALSO RECENTLY VISITED THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO LEARN ABOUT A POSITION THAT EMBODIES, UM, JUST THAT IT'S A GRANT FUNDED ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER ROLE.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER BEGAN TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THE AUSTIN EATS INITIATIVE, USING THAT ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER ROLE, THAT OFFICERS WORK DILIGENTLY TO ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN ALLOWING THEM TO KEEP AND CARE FOR THEIR ANIMALS AND TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY SUPPORT DURING PERIODS WHEN THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
THIS FTE OR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE HAS KEPT APPROXIMATELY 170 DOGS OUT OF THE SHELTER SINCE JANUARY OF 2021 AT A COST OF $35,000.
FOR EVERY PET THAT THEY TAKE IN THIS POSITION IS AN EFFICIENT, COMPASSIONATE USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
IT ALLOWS PEOPLE FACING AN ALREADY DIFFICULT SITUATION TO STAY WITH THE ANIMALS WHO PROVIDE COMPASSION, COMFORT, AND STABILITY TO THEM, FOR ANYONE WHO OWNS A DOG, THEY KNOW THERE'S NOTHING MORE COMFORTING THAN THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT THEY PROVIDE.
AND I FEEL THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ROLE THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED TO HELP OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
UM, I'M GOING TO DO, UH, UH, MENTIONED A COMBINATION OF THINGS THAT, UM, HAVE ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AND THEN INDICATE WHERE I THINK, UM, I MIGHT, MIGHT WANT TO BE, UH, TAKING SOME, SOME ACTIONS.
SO FIRST ONE IS AUSTIN CARES AS YOU KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER COSARA.
AND I HAD BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR TWO YEARS NOW, I BELIEVE.
AND DURING THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE, WE, UM, PASSED AN AMENDMENT TO, UM, TO ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING, AS WELL AS TO, UH, PUT A PROCESS IN PLACE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MEADOWS CENTER.
YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER THAT, THAT THIS IS THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PROJECT.
UH, AND OUR GOAL IS, IS OVER TIME THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF CALLS TO OUR NINE 11 CALL CENTER THAT ARE, UH,
[00:20:01]
THAT ARE, UH, NOT AN IMMEDIATE RISK CAN BE DIVERTED, UH, TO A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN.UM, THERE IS A MEMO THAT YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT, UH, THE PROGRESS TO DATE AND THE ADDITIONAL ACTIONS THAT STILL NEED TO BE TAKEN TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THIS PROJECT.
SO I AM GOING TO WANT TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET, MOVING FORWARD, UH, FOR THIS, UM, AND, UM, THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE MIGHT NEED TO ADD TO THE PROJECT.
WE MOST DEFINITELY NEED TO FINISH, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AUSTIN CARES, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THE MEMO IS TELLING US THAT THEY'RE ON VARIOUS DATES THAT THEY'RE ON TRACK FOR.
SO WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S FULLY FUNDED IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE WITH OUR, UM, UH, IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH, UH, FROM THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO KEEP THIS PROJECT ON TRACK, THEN I WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
UM, THIS IS JUST AN AMAZING PROGRAM AND I'VE BEEN PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS TO DATE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE DONE YET.
AND I THINK THAT'S CLEAR FROM THE MEMO AND I WOULD LIKE US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE STEADY PROGRESS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE YET.
I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THE PATH, UH, WHETHER IT'S THIS BUDGET OR ANOTHER PATH, BUT THE PATH FOR FUNDING FOR A KIND OF CARTS LAST DECEMBER WE PASSED.
UM, UH, I THINK IT WAS DECEMBER.
WE PASSED, UH, WE GOT STARTED ON PUTTING OUR ICONIC ARTS AND MUSIC, UM, FUND, AND IT'S NOW INTO THE, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND WE STARTED FUNDING, BUT WE DIDN'T FULLY FUND IT.
WE SET A GOAL OF, OF, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT'S AT.
UM, THE NEXT THING IS, I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS OUR FUNDING FOR THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO ANTI-DISPLACEMENT, UM, ACTIVITIES.
SOME OF THOSE ARE AROUND PROJECT CONNECT, SOME OF THEM ARE, OR, UM, MORE GENERAL.
SO I'M WANTING TO, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION AT THIS POINT, I'M WANTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT FUNDING, WHAT STAFFING WE HAVE IN HOUSING AND PLANNING TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT.
THE, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE, WHEN WE PASS PROJECT CONNECT, WE, UM, WE TOOK A PRECEDENT SETTING ACTION, YOU KNOW, ON A NATIONAL BASIS BY, UM, DEDICATING FUNDING FOR, UH, ANTI-DISPLACEMENT, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE STAFFING IN PLACE TO CARRY THAT OUT.
A COUPLE OF OTHER QUICK THINGS.
UM, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT FUNDING WE HAVE ALSO IN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT RELATED TO OUR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING, UH, AND THEN, UM, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, UH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A PATH FOR THE RIGHT LEVEL OF FUNDING FOR THAT OFFICE WHEN THEY'RE READY TO EXPAND.
SO JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S A QUESTION.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I AM INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING BETTER, UH, WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE FOR, UH, KEEPING THE APD BUDGET AT THE LEVEL THAT WE HAD IT AT IN OUR, UH, BENCHMARK YEAR.
I KNOW WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 8 MILLION OR SO IN THAT BUDGET, THAT'S OVER THE, UM, WHAT OUR BENCHMARK IS BY HOSPITAL, UH, 1900.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR, UM, UH, FOR TAKING THAT 8 MILLION AND NOT HAVING IT IN THIS BUDGET SO THAT OUR BUDGET IS MUCH CLOSER TO THE BENCHMARK BUDGET AND IDEALLY AT THE BENCHMARK BUDGET.
SO THAT'S, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES WITH THAT.
AND SO I WANT TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT.
SO THAT'S THE, THE KEY THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I AM INTERESTED IN, UM, THE, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR, UH, MENTIONED.
SO I'LL GET BACK WITH THEM ON THAT.
UM, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE HEALTH-RELATED, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THOSE AND THE SENIOR COMMISSION, WHICH I'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A, A GOOD LIST OF THINGS SO FAR TO, TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, HEY, GOOD MORNING COLLEAGUES.
MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING ON THE DIETS, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL THIS MORNING.
UM, THANK YOU, A COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
I JOIN YOU AND WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION INITIATIVES AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE PORTFOLIO OF WORK THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DOING IN REGARDS TO DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION.
WE KNOW THAT OUR CITY IS A GROWING CITY, IT'S A PROSPEROUS CITY, BUT NOT EVERYONE GETS TO SHARE IN THAT GROWTH AND SO ON TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT BY OUR COMMUNITY, DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO
[00:25:01]
INVEST IN DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION STRATEGIES.AND FOR ME, THAT INCLUDES THE CREATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A DISPLACED, UH, COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT NAVIGATOR PROGRAM.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH MY COLLEAGUES A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE IN WITH THE REENTERING OF STAGE FOUR AND KNOWING HOW PREVALENT THE DELTA VARIAN IS BECOMING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT IS NOT LOST ON ME THAT A HUGE PART OF THIS IS DUE TO THE VACCINE HESITANCY.
AND ONE WAY, ONE STRATEGY THAT WE CAN EMPLOY TO ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL MOMENT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS BY INCREASING OUR INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND THIS IS AN AREA THAT IT COMES RECOMMENDED FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
IT WAS PART OF THE REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE.
IT WAS ALSO RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HISPANIC QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO DIG IN TO WHAT IS PROPOSED AND WHAT MORE WE CAN BE DOING ON THAT FRONT.
YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE LICENSED PROFESSIONALS AND IS OFTEN SAID THAT THEY HAVE A PHD IN COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE NEED ON THE FRONT LINES RIGHT NOW, HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHY GETTING THE VACCINE IS IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, CREATING A STRONGER COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT IS PART OF IT.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS THAT I'LL BE LOOKING AT LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND AND, UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR FURTHER CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK WE'RE ALL FEELING A LITTLE RUSTY BEING ON THE DICE.
UM, I WANTED TO DAYLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, THESE ARE POSTED TO THE MESSAGE BOARD AS, SO THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR REFERENCE THERE.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, OUR LOCAL PORTION OF MATCH FOR CAP COGS, CLEAN AIR COALITION.
UM, I HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT THAT IS INCLUDED, UM, AND BAKED INTO THE BUDGET ALREADY.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT AND HAPPY TO AFFIRM THAT COMMITMENT, UM, TO CAP COG.
UM, I ALSO MENTIONED THE PROGRAMMING WORKFORCE FIRST THAT'S HANDLED BY THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE INCREASED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND THAT I'VE, UM, I'M HAPPY THAT THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION FOUND ITS ROOTS IN DISTRICT DATE.
THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY DOING AMAZING WORK, UM, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE ACCESS TO JOBS AND SAFE PLACES TO STAY.
SO WE APPLAUD THOSE EFFORTS AND WANT TO CONTINUE INCREASING THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE TALKED A BIT ABOUT EMS, AND SO I KNOW THAT IN THE ASK OF THE EMS ASSOCIATION, THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UM, ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE ALSO WORKING ON, I SPECIFICALLY AM WORKING ON THE, UM, 40 FTES THAT THEY HAVE ASKED FOR HALF A YEAR OF FUNDING FOR.
UM, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IN FUTURE YEARS, WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THOUGH THAT ONGOING FUNDING IS CAPTURED.
SO THAT'S VERY MUCH ON MY RADAR AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INCREASES IN STAFFING ARE FUNDED.
UM, WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH INTERIM CHIEF, UM, JASPER BROWN AND SELENA SHIA WITH THE EMS ASSOCIATION AND UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE CLASSES THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE PLANNED, THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL THAT CAN BE TRAINED IN THOSE CLASSES RATHER THAN HAVING TO FIND A THIRD CLASS TO CONDUCT.
SO WE ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND POSITIVELY MOVING FORWARD AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FULLY STAFF OUR EMS AND INCREASED STAFFING, KNOWING HOW MUCH WE HAVE BEEN RELYING ON THEM THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND THROUGH THE WINTER STORM.
AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT OUR EMS MEDICS ARE VESTED AND HAVE MOMENTS OFF FOR THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH AND THEIR OWN PHYSICAL HEALTH.
UM, SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND THEN, UM, I AM CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE, UM, EXTRA ASKS THAT THE PARKS FOUNDATION HAS, UM, HAS COME TO ME AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH SOME OF THESE ARE FTES.
UM, AND SOME OF THESE ARE JUST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING AT TRIAGING, UM, WHAT MAY ALREADY BE BAKED IN BECAUSE WE KNOW, UM, WE LOVE OUR PARKS SYSTEM AND WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT WAYS TO HELP WITH OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE GOOD MECHANISMS THROUGH PARKLAND DEDICATION TO ACQUIRE A NEW PARK SPACES, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SPACES HAVE PROGRAMMING AND HAVE PLAYGROUNDS AND HAVE, UM, SPORTS AVAILABLE TO THE FOLKS WHO WANT TO USE THOSE PARKS AND THAT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FUNDING IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS SORELY NEEDED.
UM, WE LOVE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.
UM, AND SO WE'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE ASKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THAT SHEET.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
AND SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M WORKING THROUGH.
UM, AND I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR BUDGET DEPARTMENT.
MAYBE I MISSED, UM, WE USUALLY HAVE SHEETS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FILL OUT.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED THAT IT CAME THROUGH THE INBOX OR IF THOSE ARE YET TO BE SENT TO US, BUT
[00:30:01]
WE ARE VERY EAGER TO START FILLING THOSE OUT.UM, THE SHEETS WILL BE COMING BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
GLAD I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND SOME OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, UM, THESE ALL SOUND LIKE GREAT THINGS THAT I CAN SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD.
SO NOW WE WILL JUST LOOK AT WHERE TO FIND THAT MONEY AND HOW, HOW TO MAKE THAT BUDGET WORK, BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL GREAT INITIATIVES.
AS I HAD POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, I TOO AM VERY INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT EMS STAFFING, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND SO I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAD ASKED FOR THAT TO BE PART OF NEXT WEEK'S BRIEFING.
I THINK GIVEN THE INTEREST ON THE DIOCESE, UM, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR A FULLER CONVERSATION NEXT WEEK.
UM, I HAD HIGHLIGHTED SEVERAL OF THE OTHER AMENDMENTS ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
UM, I HAD MENTIONED THE CAMPUS FOOD SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM EMS, AS I MENTIONED, UM, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAM THAT WE PILOTED WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, I'M SORRY, WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, IT WAS A SHARED FUNDING.
WE HIGHLIGHTED IT, PILOTED IT, UM, PILOTED THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
OF COURSE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PART OF THE DOC SERVICES FOR AWHILE.
UM, BUT IT, IT LOOKS TO ME FROM THE ANSWERS I'VE GOTTEN SO FAR FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE, THAT THERE IS NOT THAT ADDITIONAL BATCH OF FUNDING, UM, IN THE APPROVED BUDGET.
AND SO THAT IS CERTAINLY I WOULD REGARD AS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
I THINK WE, WE KNOW WE ARE LACKING IN THOSE SERVICES AND HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING BEGINNING IN 2021 WAS REALLY USEFUL.
AND SO WE WANT TO SEE THAT CONTINUING, UM, I MENTIONED IN MY MESSAGE BOARD POSTS, THE CONTRACT LABOR ISSUES.
SO I'LL JUST REFER YOU TO THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT'S STILL AN IN FACT THAT MAY ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND AT OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK.
UM, JUST WHAT THE STAFF HAVE PROPOSED IN TERMS OF PHASING.
AND SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE, ARE CONSISTENT ONGOING NEEDS FOR THE CITY.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME BEING PHASED IN, IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, BUT, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT THE WORK GROUP HAD HAD DIRECTED ONE ISSUE THAT HAS HAS ARISEN SINCE MY MESSAGE BOARD POSTS IS, UM, THE CONVERSATION THAT SEVERAL OF US HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH AUSTIN VOICES.
THEY ARE, THEY, UM, WE SUPPORT THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS HAVE BEEN FOR AWHILE.
THAT'S, UH, AN INITIATIVE THAT CAME OUT OF THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND I, I BELIEVE I'VE HAD THE, BEEN ABLE TO SPONSOR THOSE BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND THEY ARE NOW PART OF, OF OUR ONGOING BUDGET.
THAT'S SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT.
WE CAN REALLY HELP THEM BECOME PART OF THAT RESILIENCE HUB NETWORK THAT WE ARE, THAT WE HAVE DIRECTED.
AND SO, UM, LOUIS
AND AGAIN, I KNOW HAS MET WITH SEVERAL OF US OF US, UM, BUT I WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD AN AMENDMENT TO, TO MAKE THAT PART OF EITHER OUR GENERAL BUDGET OR PART OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND WE'RE STILL WAITING ON SOME ANSWERS WITH REGARD TO THAT.
UM, I WAS REALLY, UM, I AM ALSO TROUBLED BY THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN IN THE KX AND REPORTS THIS WEEK ABOUT THE NINE ONE CALL TAKERS, UM, MANAGER.
I HOPE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION NEXT WEEK IN OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION, THAT YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S NOT BEEN A HIGHLIGHT THAT THE MANAGER HAS, HAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, I, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT THAT WOULD HAVE RISEN TO THE LEVEL OF, OF BOTH YOUR ATTENTION AND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION AND THAT IT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND SO I TRUST THAT WE'RE HAVING, BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTRA HAS REQUESTED IT, UM, UH, CONVERSATION AROUND THAT IN NEXT WEEK'S BUDGET WORK SESSION.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SENSE AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SENSE OF THE TIMELINE ON THOSE VACANCIES.
AND AGAIN, WHY THERE WASN'T A SENSE OF URGENCY IF IT IS THE URGENT SITUATION THAT IT WAS APPEARED TO BE.
AND IN OUR SESSION YESTERDAY, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, YOU SAID BOTH ON THE DIOCESE AND IN, IN THE PRESS THAT YOU WISH YOUR COLLEAGUES WOULD GO DOWN AND, AND SEE WHAT THE CALTECH I HAVE DONE.
SO, UM, IT IS A HIGH STRESS JOB.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND I WOULD SAY PROBABLY OTHERS OF YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE DYNAS HAVE DONE.
SO AS WELL, MANY OF US HAVE, HAVE DONE THOSE KINDS OF, UM, IN-PERSON IN PERSON VIEWS TO SEE HOW OUR CITY STAFF AND ESPECIALLY OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF RESPOND TO THIS SITUATION.
SO I REGARD THAT AS A HIGH, DEPENDING ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDED, IT DOES SOUND AS IF THAT'S AN ATTEMPT.
THAT'S AN AREA THAT NEEDS ATTENTION IN THIS, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS AND, UM, WE'RE JUST CALL YOUR ATTENTION.
I'VE, I'VE PUT LOTS OF QUESTIONS INTO THE Q AND A, AND, AND HOPE, HOPE WE'LL BE GETTING BACK ANSWERS TO THOSE AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE RAISED AS WELL.
[00:35:03]
THEN I HAD ONE LITTLE OR WAS, I THINK, I THINK IT WAS NEW.AND I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR YOU TO COME BACK AND TALK TO US.
I ALSO HAVE BEEN THERE TO SEE OUR EMPLOYEES WORK, I THINK OTHER SIDE OF AS WELL.
UH, BUT I THINK YOU'RE COMING BACK AND TALKING TO US, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU COMING, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE 9 1, 1 ALSO IS OF CONCERN AND ISSUE WITH THAT.
I WAS MAD FOR ME OR WITH, UH, AND I WAS ASKING, I WAS, I WAS, UH, UH, REINFORCING THE MESSAGE FROM, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
TOVO TOOK HER BACK AND COMES OVER HALTER TO COME BACK AND TALK TO US ABOUT THAT OUT.
YOU DID POINT OUT THAT I'VE ALSO BEEN OUT THERE, I THINK ARE PROBABLY SEVERAL OF US OR MANY OF US HAVE.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT AS WELL.
UM, ONE POTENTIAL CONVERSATION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
PART OF WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF THOSE OFFICERS COULD ACTUALLY BE FREED UP FOR, UH, INVESTIGATIVE WORK OR, OR POLICE WORK, UH, IN THAT WE COULD LOOK AT WHETHER OUR OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS COULD HANDLE SOME OF THAT, UH, INVESTIGATORY WORK.
SO, UH, I I'D LIKE TO MAYBE HAVE AN INTERNAL CONVERSATION WITH THE STAFF AND SEE WHETHER THAT IS READY FOR A BROADER COUNCIL CONVERSATION, AS WELL AS I APPRECIATE THE, THE MEMO ON FORENSICS.
IT MAY JUST BE A, A SHORT CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE MANAGER CAN DO, UM, AND WHAT THE STAFF CAN DO AROUND THE FORENSICS LAB EITHER THIS YEAR OR NEXT, AS FAR AS, UH, AS FAR AS FURTHER INVESTMENTS, I CONCUR WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AROUND, UH, THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOUR OFFICE HAS DONE.
I APPRECIATE, UH, THE MANAGER SELECTION OF MS. MILES.
I THINK SHE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, I'VE GOTTEN SOME CALLS FROM PEOPLE IN THE WORLD OF PHILANTHROPY WHO WANTS TO SEE THAT EXPAND MORE QUICKLY.
AND SO IF THERE ARE POTENTIAL MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES, POTENTIALLY EVEN ONE TIME DOLLARS MAY, MAY PROVIDE US ENOUGH FUNDS TO ACTUALLY STAND UP MORE PROGRAMMING.
SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH EVERYONE ON THE DAYAS ON THAT, UH, LAST YEAR WE MOVED FORWARD ON FUNDING.
UH, OUR FIRST NEW FAMILY VIOLENCE SHELTER BEDS FUNDED BY THE CITY AND MANY YEARS.
UH, MY HOPE IS THAT WE COULD GET THAT PURCHASE DONE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE ARE HEARING FROM REAL ESTATE THAT IF THAT DOESN'T GET DONE THIS FISCAL YEAR WITH THE INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE PRICES, WE MAY NEED TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO, UH, TO THAT BUDGET IF WE WANT TO SUCCEED IN THIS REAL ESTATE MARKETS.
UH, SO I WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE ABOUT THAT.
I APPRECIATE, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOGO'S LEADERSHIP ON THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE AND AGREE THAT THE, UH, AUSTIN VOICES, UH, UH, STAFF AT OUR SCHOOLS REALLY DO RESILIENCE HUB WORK.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, THEY ALSO HIRE MANY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AS WELL.
UH, AND SO I, I ALSO AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FLINT DOES THAT IF THERE IS WORK THAT WE CAN DO THERE WITHIN OUR FEDERAL FUNDS, UM, OR THE EXISTING CITY BUDGET TO ADD MORE OF THOSE, UM, COMMUNITIES FACING STAFF THAT HELP WITH RESILIENCY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH AT OUR SCHOOLS.
I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, UH, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SUPPORT AND, AND SUPPORT, UH, WHOEVER CHOOSES TO SPONSOR THOSE, THOSE AMENDMENTS, UH, OR, OR WOULD WORK WITH WHOEVER ON, ON JOINTLY SUPPORTING THAT WORK.
UH, I CONCUR THAT THAT ADDING IS CRITICAL.
I KNOW WE HAVE ASKS FROM, FROM EMS AND FIRE AND ALSO FROM THE PARKS FOUNDATION, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, TO PARKS RANGERS, AS WELL AS OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AND THEIR, AND THEIR COST OF LIVING ISSUES.
UM, LASTLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, ABOUT AUSTIN CURES CLEARLY IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY SAVES US RESOURCES IF WE'RE ABLE TO MATCH THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THE KIND OF CALL.
UH, AND THEN THE LAST THING I WILL MENTION, BECAUSE I ASSUME IF THE PETITION IS VERIFIED THAT WE WILL BE TAKING A VOTE ON WHETHER TO ADOPT THE PETITION OR NOT, UH, BEFORE THE BUDGET IS THAT I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, A GENERAL RANGE ESTIMATE AROUND HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS, THE PETITION THAT'S BEEN TURNED INTO US WOULD MANDATE HIRING.
I KNOW LAW MADE HAVE TO PROVIDE US A RANGE BASED ON A RANGE OF INTERPRETATIONS, BUT THE NUMBERS THAT I SEE CIRCULATING IN THE 400 TO 500 RANGE IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE WORK ON THIS BUDGET.
UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET DONE HERE IS MAYBE FOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, OR 12 PARK RANGERS, OR NINE MEDICS FOR DOWNTOWN OR A DOZEN MORE FIREFIGHTERS.
OBVIOUSLY THAT DIFFICULT TASK WOULD BE MADE IMPOSSIBLE.
IF WE WERE MANDATED TO HIRE SEVERAL HUNDRED UP TO 500 MORE POLICE OFFICERS NEXT YEAR, I SUPPORT, UM, HAVING CADET, UH, ACADEMIES IN THIS AND THIS
[00:40:01]
YEAR'S BUDGET, MEANING WE'LL HAVE NEW POLICE OFFICERS, BUT ALSO NEW FIREFIGHTERS AND ALSO NEW EMS. AS WE ALSO WANT TO ADD NINE ONE, ONE CALL TAKERS.I THINK THAT COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF OUR BUDGET IS THE RIGHT VIEW.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE, AS IT DIAS CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO ADOPT TO THE PETITION FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT A DOZEN PARK RANGERS OR GETTING OUR LIBRARIES BACK OPEN OR NINE EMS, NOT ONLY WOULD THAT BE IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WE MAY ACTUALLY BE LOOKING AT CUTS IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 500 MORE POSITIONS.
SO ANY INFORMATION FROM THE CFO AND THE BUDGET OFFICE ON THAT, I THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR OUR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, IF ANYBODY ELSE, OR WHATEVER, THAT'S WHERE THE KITCHEN, UNLESS THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN, BUT DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO ADD THAT I CAN? OKAY.
SO THIS, THIS REALLY RELATES TO OUR CONVERSATIONS MOST LIKELY AROUND, UM, THE FUNDING WE'VE DEDICATED THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY WITH REGARD TO HOMELESSNESS, BUT I JUST WANT TO FLAG IT FOR PEOPLE.
UH, AND CAUSE I KNOW THAT MAY BE ON A SEPARATE TRACK IN TERMS OF THAT CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, I DO WANT US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AT THE RIGHT TIME ABOUT PHASE TWO OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
UH, THE HEAL INITIATIVE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO FAR WITH TWO LOCATIONS AND THERE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS IN THE, IN THE PILOT AND THE HEALING IS, SHOULD JUST AS A REMINDER TO EVERYONE IS THE, UH, INITIATIVE THAT, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, GOES TO A LOCATION, OFFERS PEOPLE HOUSING, AND CONNECTS THEM TO HOUSING AND SERVICES TO PUT THEM ON THE PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND SO WE'VE HAD SUCCESS WITH THE
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO AREAS COMING UP, ONE ALONG CESAR CHAVEZ AND WENT UP NORTH ALONG 180 3.
AND SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO SING THE PRAISES OF ALL, ALL OF THE MANY STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT.
UH, THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB, UH, IN, IN WORKING WITH, UM, OUR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND GIVING THEM A PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO IT'S REALLY BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM AND I'M AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH PHASE TWO OF THAT AND THE OTHER, THEY REGARD IF WE'RE HAVING AN UPDATE ON HOMELESSNESS, IF, IF IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HEAL, THERE COULD BE SOME DISCUSSION OF THE TWO HOTELS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK, WHERE WE'RE EXTENDING, UH, LISA'S ABOUT AVAILABILITY FOR HOUSING, IF THOSE RELATE TO THE IMPLEMENTATIONS COUNCIL EVER ALTER.
UM, I'VE BEEN, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NINE 11 TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE BRIEFING THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT THING.
SO I'VE BEEN, UM, ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SINCE JUNE, UM, AND THE DATA THAT I HAVE BACK PROVIDE ONE SNAPSHOT, BUT REALLY THE CONCERN IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LEAVING OR NOT STAYING, WHO ARE GETTING THE TRAINING AND LEAVING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF LONG STANDING, REALLY VALUABLE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE IN THAT DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE STAYED FOR A LONG TIME AND THAT'S GOOD.
UM, BUT WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT NEW COHORT AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT NEW COHORT.
AND SO SOME OF THE DATA ON THE WAY THAT DATA IS PRESENTED, DOESN'T ACTUALLY FOCUS US IN ON THE CHALLENGE THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, UM, WITH THAT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS, AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE ALSO WANT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR LONGSTANDING DEVOTED EMPLOYEES, BUT THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS IS NOT GOING TO BE REVEALED BY A VACANCY RATE AND A TERM OF HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN IN SERVICE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE NOT MEASURING, WHO'S LEAVING, WHY THEY'RE LEAVING AND UNDERSTANDING, UM, THAT PIECE OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE ISSUE OF WHETHER THEY'RE HAVING THE BREAKS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE, UM, AND OTHER, OTHER KINDS OF STUFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ON TUESDAY, WE REALLY HOPE THAT, UM, WE'LL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT REALLY FOCUSING IN ON THE, THE CHALLENGE, UM, THAT WE'RE OBSERVING AND FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT'S IMPACTING ELSE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO SOLVE FOR AND HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.
UM, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE, THE PIECE IN CAKES AND WAS STILL VERY SUPERFICIAL AND DIDN'T GET AT A LOT OF THE PIECES IN TERMS OF WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON AND HOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT FROM A MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER, UM, IN LOOKING AT THIS FOR OVER A MONTH, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
[00:45:03]
YES, SCOUTS ARE QUITE THIS.I JUST, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SHARE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR INCREASING INVESTMENT AND EMS. UM, ESPECIALLY WE KNOW WHEN LIVES ARE ON THE LINE, HOW CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT SECONDS MATTER AND STEPPING UP OUR DOWNTOWN STATION WILL HELP AREAS LIKE MINE BY ENSURING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO USE A STATION LOCATED IN MY DISTRICT FOR CASES AND SERVICES NEEDED MORE LOCALLY.
UM, ALSO WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO CASSATA FOR BRINGING UP THE AUSTIN VOICES PROPOSAL.
I'M MEETING WITH THEM TOMORROW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.
I DO, I LOVE THAT THERE'LL BE SOME CROSSOVER AND SOME SYNERGY WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE AND TO ALSO OFFER MY SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTIN VOICES PROPOSAL.
AND I AGREE, COUNCIL MEMBER OF FRONTEX THAT THERE, THERE IS DEFINITELY A SYNERGY, ONE OF THE, SO WE SUBMITTED A QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS A WHILE AGO, BUT AS, AS I TALKED WITH AUSTIN VOICES AND JUST THOUGHT THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER, SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE, UM, WORKING ON A QUESTION THAT LOOKS AT, I THINK WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE ALREADY FUNDING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UM, BECAUSE THEY ALREADY, I BELIEVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, WE'RE PROPOSING TO GET, UM, TO APH HAS PROPOSED TO HIRE SOME NEW ONES AND, AND, UM, CREATE A CAREER LADDER.
AND THEN I THINK WE FUND SOME THROUGH THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER, EXISTING GRANT.
SO LET'S JUST TRY TO GET, I AGREE THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT AREA.
LET'S TRY TO GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THEY ALREADY EXIST IN OUR BUDGET AND, AND WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE RIGHT PLACES TO BE FUNDING IT, UM, AS WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO I HAVE, I WAS ACTUALLY AT THE MOMENT DRAFTING THAT QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SEND IT ON FOR THE Q AND A, AND WE CAN KIND OF GO FROM THERE AND SORT OUT HOW BEST TO PROCEED COLLEAGUES HAD IT HERE.
AND I WOULD JUST ALSO ASK TO REITERATE WHAT, UH,
I GOT TO BE CONSIDERING THAT PETITION, IF IT GETS CERTIFIED OR EVEN TO CONSIDER THOSE ELEMENTS, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T GET CERTIFIED, UM, UH, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IT JUST KNOWING THAT THE POLICE CHIEF CHIEF CHACONE DOES NOT SUPPORT IT AND, AND RECOMMENDS THAT A METRIC THAT AUTOMATICALLY INCREASES THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS IT'S THE WRONG METRIC TO USE.
UH, BUT FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, I AM INTERESTED IN LEARNING WHAT THE BUDGET IMPACT OF THAT WOULD BE, UH, BOTH IN NEAR TERM BUDGETS HAVE LOGGED HER BUDGET, UH, TO SEE, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR WITH YOUR MASK ON, YOU GOTTA SPEAK UP.
I'M ALSO ASKING, I RE RE REITERATING WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KASAR HE ASKED FOR, I'M ASKING THE BANDAGE OR AN ADD TO LET US KNOW RELATIVE TO THE BUDGET PROCESS, BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE WE'LL BE CONSIDERING, AGAIN, EITHER IF THE PETITION GETS APPROVED OR EVEN IF THE PETITION IS NOT CERTIFIED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHETHER WE SHOULD BE DOING THOSE ELEMENTS.
I EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN KNOWING THAT, UH, CHIEF CHACONE HAS INDICATED THAT THAT METRIC CONTAINED IN THE PETITION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HE SUPPORTS, UH, AS BEING THE WRONG KIND OF METRIC.
BUT I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE SHORT TERM BUDGET AND LONG TERM BUDGET, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THAT METRIC, IF IT WERE IN OUR BUDGET, UH, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR TODAY IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION, UH, UH, EMS PERSONNEL, WE'RE OPENING UP NEW FIRE, UH, UH, HOUSES.
UH, WE NEED ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT PARKS AND PERSONNEL AND OPENING UP LIBRARIES.
SO I AM, I HAVE A CONCERN, UH, AND JUST, WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT, WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT, OF THAT PETITION WOULD BE IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW.
AND THE GAPS BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION SAID, WE'LL DO THAT CITY COUNCIL
[E. Executive Session (Part 1of 2)]
WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP FOUR ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE, FIVE WIDE DOT OH SEVEN.ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEMS
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES AND REAL ESTATE MATTERS RELATED TO EAT TO THE PURPOSE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF ANY INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY AND IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO HOTEL CONVERSION STRATEGY PURSUANT TO 5, 5, 1 0 7 4, THE GOVERNMENT CODE WE'LL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO HE SIX,
[00:50:01]
UH, EMPLOYMENT DUTIES, EVALUATION, CITY MANAGER.HE, WHY WOULD I BE HEARD TODAY? E THREE WOULD NOT BE HEARD TODAY, UH, IS
ETHER WILL BE HEARD ON THURSDAY.
UH, AND WITH THAT, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION OR THE ITEMS THAT, THAT IT'S 9 57, UH, LET'S ALL WORK OUR WAY BACK THERE.
WE'LL, WE'LL GOBBLE THAT IN AT 10 0 5 BACK THERE.
WE'RE IN RECESS THAT COULD A SESSION ROOM.
[E. Executive Session (Part 2 of 2)]
THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING.UM, I HAVE TO LEAVE AT TWO 30.
I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THE ITEMS THAT I WAS GETTING INFORMATION ON, JUST SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW IF THEY WANT TO GO LOOK AT THOSE ITEMS. UM, AND I'M TALKING TO STAFF AND I'M HOPING I'LL GET ALL MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED TOMORROW, BUT, UM, FOR ITEMS FOR BEFORE YOU DO THAT, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT RECONVENE THAT, OH, I'M SORRY.
SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD THEN AND JUST SAY THAT, UH, I'M NOT GOING TO BE IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING NOW HERE AT, UH, 2:18 PM WHILE WE WERE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION EARLIER THIS MORNING, WE DISCUSSED, UM, ITEM, UH, EASY TO BOTH LEGAL AND REAL ESTATE MATTERS, UH, ITEM SIX, UH, AND WE'RE BACK OUT, UH, UH, NOW I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE YOU TO IDENTIFY OTHER CASES, UM, OTHER MATTERS YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH, UH, AND WE'RE GOING TO HEAD BACK TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
JUST, JUST, UH, A QUICK SCHEDULE QUESTION.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WHEN, WHEN DO YOU THINK WILL TAKE UP THE MEADOWS OF, I, I SAID EARLIER THAT I HAVE TO STEP OUT THREE, AS SOON AS WE GET BACK.
I DON'T THINK IT'LL TAKE US THAT LONG IN THE REMAINING.
I JUST HAVE TO STEP OUT AT THREE 30.
IF I MAY, UM, UH, UH, MAPLE JAM HARPER MADISON YEAR, UM, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THE LESS THAN YOU SAID, YOU MEAN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE TODAY ON JULY 27TH, 2021 AT 2:18 PM.
I ANNOUNCED WE WERE BACK FROM THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION WHERE WE'RE IN RECESS.
WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THERE, BUT BEFORE WE GO BACK OUT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, I'M RECOGNIZING COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO JOIN US BACK OUT ON THE DAY, S UH, FOR HER TO LET US KNOW WHAT ARE THE ISSUES SHE HAD DISSIPATES COMING UP ON THURSDAY.
AND I, BY THE WAY, EXITED THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THING, CAUSE WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
SO SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE TO TURN THE MEETING BACK ON IN THE ROOM.
SO I JUST WANT TO DEFY THAT I AM MEETING WITH STAFF ABOUT FOUR, WHICH IS THE ARR, UH, CONTRACT AGREEMENT.
UM, I'M TALKING WITH STAFF ABOUT EIGHT AND 43.
UM, AGAIN, I'M HOPING THAT IN MOST OF THOSE CASES, I'LL JUST GET MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND I WON'T HAVE TO PULL IT.
UM, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO SURPRISE ANYBODY ON THOSE.
UM, SINCE THEY'RE BIG ITEMS, THEN I MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
AND THEN I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE, UM, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ST JOHN'S, BUT I THINK ANOTHER COLLEAGUE IS RAISING THOSE AND IF THEY DON'T GET ADDRESSED, UM, IT'S MOSTLY ABOUT HOW WE'RE HANDLING THE LEASE VERSUS OWN, UM, PIECE OF THAT.
UM, SO I DON'T, I D I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE WILL COVER THAT.
SO AT, UH, 2 21, WE GOT A RECESS AND SAUSAGE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
LET'S GO BACK TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TURN BACK ON THAT SYSTEM.
GO AHEAD AND RECONVENE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE ON JULY 27TH, 2020 1, 4 10 IN THE AFTERNOON.
UH, WE ARE OUT OF A CLOSED SESSION WHILE WE WERE IN CLOSED SESSION.
WE DISCUSSED LEGAL ISSUES RELATED ITEMS,
WE'RE GOING TO HIT SOME OF THE, UH, UH, UH, DISCUSSION ITEMS. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE BETOS FOUNDATION.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE HAVE A MESSAGE OF UTMOST
[00:55:01]
IMPORTANCE.I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND WISH MY DAUGHTER A VERY HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY TODAY.
SHE TURNS 12 TODAY AND SHE IS ACTUALLY OUT OF TOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME AWAY FROM HER MOM AND DAD.
AND SO SHE'S A LOVELY, BRIGHT LITTLE GIRL, AND I HOPE THAT I MAKE HER PROUD IN EVERYTHING THAT I DO UP HERE ON COUNCIL AND THAT SHE IS JUST A BRIGHT LIGHT TO ALL OF HER FRIENDS.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REBECCA, FROM ALL OF US.
THIS MEETING GOES DOWNHILL FROM HERE.
[D3. Discussion on the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute’s Interim Report regarding the mental health diversion initiative.]
MEADOWS FOUNDATION.THIS IS A BRIEFING ON THE MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE, INTERIM REPORTS, UH, REGARDING THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION INITIATIVE.
UH, THIS WAS A REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, ACM ARIANO INTRODUCED THE TOPIC.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE A CONSULTANT ON THE LINE, UH, WITH US FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER HALF AN HOUR OR SO THEY SAY MARIANNA.
AND HEARING COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE AND RESPOND TO QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION INITIATIVE.
UH, AND THE INTERIM REPORT DEVELOPED BY THE CITY'S CONSULTANT, THE MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE.
JOINING ME VIRTUALLY IS MS. BJ WAGNER FROM, FROM THE INSTITUTE, UH, EMS ASSISTANT CHIEF ANDY HOFMEISTER, WHO SERVES AS THE SEAS PROJECT MANAGER, APDS ASSISTANT, CHIEF GUAJARDO AND LIEUTENANT KEN MURPHY AND DAWN HANDILY WITH INTEGRAL CARE, ALL HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, THE COUNCIL, UH, INCLUDED FUNDING IN THE FYI 19 BUDGET TO CONDUCT A STUDY REGARDING FIRST RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH INCIDENTS.
THE CITY EXECUTED A CONTRACT WITH THE MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE IN JANUARY, 2019.
AND IN MAY, 2019, WE RELEASED THEIR REPORT PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS IN SIX MAJOR AREAS WITH FYI 21 BUDGET COUNCIL INCLUDED FUNDING TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE 2019 REPORT.
AND ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2020, THE CITY CONTRACTED AGAIN WITH THE INSTITUTE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, CREATING THE AUSTIN CARES PROGRAM WITH THE GOAL OF DIVERTING 100% OF ALL CALLS WITH A MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT, WHICH DO NOT POSE A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY WOULD BE DIVERTED FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE.
SINCE CONTRACT EXECUTION, STAFF ANGEL CARE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE INSTITUTE TO ADVANCE THE PROGRAM.
AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF THIS TEAM, UH, THAT HAS WORKED THROUGH THE CHALLENGES AND ACCOMPLISH A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE OF ADDING A FOURTH TRIAGE QUESTION, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO THE 9 1 1 ANSWERING SCRIPT IN FEBRUARY, 2021, ALLOWING NINE 11 CALL OPERATORS TO IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFY CALLS WITH A POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT, TRIAGE, THOSE CALLS AND TRANSFER NON-EMERGENT MENTAL HEALTH CALLS TO A LICENSED CLINICIAN TO DATE.
MEADOWS HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES COMPONENT IN THE NINE 11 TRIAGE OPTION, MAKING THIS CONCEPT A UNIQUELY AUSTIN INNOVATION.
I SUBMITTED THE MIDOS INTERIM REPORT TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON JULY 15TH, WHICH PRESENTS THE CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF THE AUSTIN CARES PROGRAM AND INCLUDES A STATUS OF THE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'D NOW LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO MS. BJ WAGNER COULD PROVIDE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS AND A STATUS OF STATUS UPDATE OF EACH.
AND, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG, THE INTERIM REPORT IS PROVIDED AS BACKUP, BUT TODAY'S ITEM MS. BJ WAGNER.
AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
CAN YOU EVERYBODY, I'M ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY CAN HEAR ME.
I HATE TO ASK THAT QUESTION, KNOWING THAT IT'S A CROWDED ROOM, BUT OKAY.
LET'S DO I WANT TO START WITH, UH, PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AND AS WE GET TO EACH RECOMMENDATION, THEN GIVING A STATUS UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION.
SO IF WE START WITH RECOMMENDATION, NUMBER ONE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE A MECHANISM HAVING AN ADVISORY OR FEEDBACK TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH CALLS FOR MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS FOR SERVICE.
WE IDENTIFIED THAT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE LOOKED TO BE A VERY GOOD FIT FOR THIS.
IT HAD ALL OF THE RIGHT DISCIPLINES OF MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, CLINICIANS, HOSPITALS, AND JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS.
UH, THE STATUS OF THIS PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION I'M VERY PLEASED TO REPORT IS THIS IS ONE THAT IS FULLY COMPLETED.
UH, THE RED WE WAS READ INTO THE MINUTES THAT THE, UH, CHIEF, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE WOULD BE PROVIDING REGULAR UPDATES
[01:00:01]
TO THE BEEHAG, UH, TO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.AND THAT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE COMMITTEE WOULD REVIEW THESE ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE CHIEF'S OFFICE AND GUIDANCE AS WELL AS PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY'S MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE, UH, FOR MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE IS COMPLETED RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO, SO THAT WE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, PARTICULARLY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, COLLABORATE WITH NAMI CENTRAL TEXAS AND INTEGRAL CARE TO CREATE EITHER AN EVIDENCE-BASED OR A RESEARCH INFORMED MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALL IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR ALL CALL TAKERS.
WHEN WE WERE ORIGINALLY DOING OUR ASSESSMENT, WE IDENTIFIED SOME AREAS IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS WERE NOT IDENTIFIED AT THE POINT OF DISPATCH AND OUTCOMES WERE LESS THAN OPTIMAL FOR THOSE PERSONS SEEKING HELP.
AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE TEXAS TRAINING, THE PECOS TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT CRISIS TRAINING FOR CALL TAKERS AND DISPATCHERS, IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO COVER TOPICS OF IDENTIFYING WHEN AN UNSTATED MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY IS PRESENT, BUT ALSO HOW TO ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT RESOURCES WERE GOING.
AND THEN ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH ON ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL VARIABLES FOR THE OUTCOME OF MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE DISPATCHER SAYS TO THE OFFICER IN ROUTE.
AND SO THERE'S NO EXISTING TRAINING THAT TAKES THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
I DO WANT TO IDENTIFY THAT INTEGRAL CARE AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DID A LOT OF WORK IN PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING TO THE DISPATCHERS AND THE CALL-TAKERS IN THE NINE 11 CALL CENTER.
AND SO THAT FOUNDATION IS LAID, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE BEYOND THAT AND CONTINUE TO CREATE A RESEARCH INFORMED TRAINING THAT ADDRESSES THE VERY THINGS THAT LED TO SOME TRAGIC OUTCOMES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO ON, UH, ON THE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR CALL TAKERS, WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME, UM, DEVELOPING SOME, SOME BUY-IN SOME PROJECT BUY-IN AND GETTING OUR PARTNERS ON AND DEVELOPING THE WILLPOWER AND THE, AND THE, THE PATH FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THIS TRAINING.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOW IN THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
OUR PROJECT PARTNERS HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE MEGA OUTLINE.
SO WE'VE CREATED A CURRICULUM OUTLINE FOR THE TRAINING.
WE'VE ALSO ASSIGNED TO EACH PARTICULAR DISCIPLINE.
WHO'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THAT PIECE OF THE TRAINING.
AND WE'VE ASKED THAT OUR, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS FROM INTEGRAL CARE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US BY TARGETED DATES AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
ONCE WE GET THESE DRAFTS BACK BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, WE CAN THEN COMPILE IT INTO ONE FULL CURRICULUM BODY FOR REVIEW BY EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
THE CURRIES POLICE INSTITUTES EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD IS MADE UP OF, UH, PERSONS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE ACADEMICS, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, POLICE CHIEFS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE.
SO OUR FIRST GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT BOARD REVIEW THE TRAINING AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
SO HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF AUGUST, WE'LL HAVE A COMPLETED CURRICULUM AND IT WILL BE ONE AND BEGIN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTIN TO TAKE THE STATE AND NATIONAL STAGE OF HAVING CREATED A FIRST OF ITS KIND TRAINING THAT HELPS CALL-TAKERS IDENTIFY THOSE UNSPOKEN CRISES AND PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO AVOID TRAGEDY.
WE'RE SOMEWHAT BEHIND WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE ON THIS PARTICULAR GOAL.
UM, IT'S TAKING US A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO GET THIS CURRICULUM DEVELOPED, BUT HOPEFULLY AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THIS FINISHED FOR Y'ALL BY THE END OF AUGUST, AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A GOOD TRAINING SCHEDULE AND A FACILITATORS GUIDE IN PLACE BEFORE WE MOVE, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATIONS THREE THROUGH SIX REMAINING.
SO SINCE I'VE COVERED TWO, I WANT TO PAUSE TO SEE IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I MOVE TO THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION MAYOR.
AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY, THANKS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH YOU BJ AND GETTING, UM, AN IMPLEMENTING THIS OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, ACM ARIANO.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE ON THE CALL.
SO THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL ARE PUTTING INTO IT.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION ON NUMBER TWO.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TIMELINE IS, UH, AFTER GETTING THE INCO, UH, CURRICULUM READY TO GO.
IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, THE END OF SEPTEMBER IS THE TIMEFRAME THAT THE CURRICULUM, UM, MAY BE READY TO IMPLEMENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
[01:05:01]
A, UH, A PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND A TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION? ONCE WE HAD THE CURRICULUM FINALIZED, WE HONESTLY HAD HOPED TO HAVE THE TRAINING COMPLETED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.UM, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET ALL OF THE TRAINING DONE BEFORE SEPTEMBER.
WE NOW, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE CURRICULUM DESIGNED BY THE END OF AUGUST, AND THEN DEVELOP A TRAINING SCHEDULE.
WE ARE NOT ADDING ANY MORE THAN I THINK WE HAVE SIX HOURS OF CURRENT TOPICS TO BE ADDED TO THE EIGHT HOURS OF FOUNDATION THAT WAS LAID WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID.
SO EVERY, EVERY CALL TAKER WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH THOSE ADDITIONAL HOURS OF TRAINING.
WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PUT THAT SCHEDULE TOGETHER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME STAFFING CONCERNS AND SOME, SOME WORKFORCE BANDWIDTH CONCERNS REGARDING PULLING SOME DISPATCHERS OFFLINE TO GO THROUGH TRAINING.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO BE CREATIVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET ALL OF THE DISPATCHERS THROUGH A TRAINING NOW WITHIN 12 MONTHS, UH, WOULD IT BE LAST QUESTION, AND THEN YOU CAN GO ON, UH, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER THE SCHEDULE BY THE TIME THE CURRICULUM IS DONE? SO WHEN WE HAD THE CURRICULUM DONE AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, WE WOULD ALSO KNOW WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, AS YOU SAID, RUNNING BEHIND AND WE TAKE A WHOLE NOTHER YEAR TO HAVE TO TRAIN FOLKS.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO MOVE FASTER, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST REQUEST THAT YOU ALL CONSIDER AN ACM, UH, ARIANA, IF YOU ALL WILL CONSIDER ACTUALLY HAVING THE SCHEDULE DONE BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER SO WE CAN HAVE WHATEVER CONVERSATION IS NECESSARY ABOUT HOW TO GET IT IMPLEMENTED.
I KNOW FROM OUR END, WE'LL ABSOLUTELY BE ABLE TO HELP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PULL A SCHEDULE TOGETHER.
WE'VE PULLED TOGETHER SCHEDULES TO TRAIN 3,600 OFFICERS WITHIN 10 MONTHS, UM, IN SOME PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENTS.
SO I'M CERTAIN THAT WE CAN ABSOLUTELY PULL THE SCHEDULE TOGETHER AND MATCH IT WITH THE CURRICULUM.
EVEN IF IT MEANS TRAINING IN TWO HOUR BLOCKS, WE'LL BE CREATIVE TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THAT DONE.
AND THEN THE MENTAL HEALTH INTEGRATED DISPATCH WAS RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE, AND THAT INCLUDED ADDING THE FOURTH OPTION OF SAYING MENTAL HEALTH WHEN 9 1 1 IS ANSWERS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, ACCOMPLISH THAT IN FEBRUARY, AND THEN TO THE NEXT STEPS HAVE BEEN TO CREATE A CALL TREE, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN MOVE AS MANY CALLS THAT DON'T POSE A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY AS POSSIBLE TO A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN, BUT ALSO TO RETAIN THAT CLINICAL CONSULTATION FOR WHEN A FIRST RESPONDER IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR THAT CALL, SO THAT HE'S NOT RESPONDING IN THE BLIND.
UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS BORN FROM OUR ASSESSMENT.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT SOME CALLS THAT HAD SOME UNFORTUNATE OUTCOMES AND DETERMINED THAT, THAT THERE WOULD HAVE PERHAPS LIKELY THAN A BENEFIT TO CONSULTATION, UM, IF THE OFFICER HAD HAD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND ROUTES, SO THIS ONE POSED TO, UM, TWO GOALS, ONE TO ROUTE, AS MANY CALLS AS POSSIBLE AWAY FROM A POLICE RESPONSE, BUT TO ALSO ENSURE THAT THAT POLICE RESPONSE HAD HIGH QUALITY CLINICAL CONSULTATION, WHEN THEY HAVE TO GO, WE HAVE CREATED, UM, A CONSULTATION POLICY.
WE'VE ALSO CREATED A CALL TREE THAT WILL GUIDE DECISION-MAKING FOR DISPATCHERS TO BE ABLE TO SEND AS MANY CALLS AS POSSIBLE TO THE, THE CLINICAL COUNSELOR, TO THE, TO THE CCD, THE C3, THE CALL CENTER CLINICIAN, AND ARE LOOKING AT DATA.
NOW THERE'S SOME DATA WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THE DATA IS NOT VERY CLEAR ON WHAT OFTEN THE DECIDING FACTOR IS SUSPEND THAT CALL.
SO WHILE WE HAVE THE POLICY IN PLACE AND WE HAVE THE CALL TREES IN PLACE, THERE APPEARS TO STILL BE SOME SUBJECTIVITY, WHICH IS NOT UNHEARD OF IN PUBLIC SAFETY WORK.
UH, PUBLIC SAFETY WORK IS FROM A FOUNDATION OF RISK AVERSION.
YOU HAVE TO OPERATE FROM RISK AVERSION TO KEEP THE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME RISK AVERSE OF ASPECTS TO CHANGING THE CULTURE OF THE DISPATCH CENTER.
BUT NOW WE NEED TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER IN TO STAY.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS REMAINING TO MOVE CALLS THAT DO NOT POSE A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, TO A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN? SOME OF THAT MAY BE CODING, UM, A DISPATCHER MAY CODE TO CALL THAT TO A PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONAL DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT HAS A MENTAL HEALTH NATURE TO IT AT ALL.
AND THAT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH NATURE CODING IS NOT SECONDHAND TO DISPATCHING.
AND SO WE JUST, WE'RE GOING TO START TAKING A HARDER LOOK AT THE DATA TO SEE WHY THESE CALLS ARE NOT BEING MOVED OVER AT THE RATE THAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WOULD BE.
I BELIEVE THAT THE POLICIES ARE SOLID.
I BELIEVE THAT THE CALL TREE IS SOLID.
I KNOW THAT THE DISPATCHERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED ON BOTH THE CALL TAKERS AND DISPATCHERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED ON BOTH.
SO OUR NEXT STEP OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS IS TO WORK WITH OUR TEAM AND APD COMMUNICATIONS
[01:10:01]
AND WITH THE FOLKS THAT WERE INTEGRAL CARE.I KNOW DON HANLEY HAS BEEN A HUGE CHAMPION OF MOVING AS MANY CALLS AS POSSIBLE OVER TO HER CLINICIANS TO SEE IF WE CAN'T IDENTIFY THOSE HIDDEN BARRIERS, WHETHER IT'S A NATURE CODING OR WHAT HAVE YOU TO GETTING THESE CALLS MOVES WHEN A POLICE RESPONSE IS NOT NECESSARY.
AND SO W FOR RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR, SUSTAINABILITY OF IOM COT, INCLUDING TELE-HEALTH EXPANSION, UM, THIS WAS ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION WHERE WE NEEDED TO REBUILD SOME BUY-IN AND DEVELOP SOME ADDITIONAL RAPPORT AROUND WHAT IS TELE-HEALTH LOOK LIKE, AND IS IT A TEMPORARY OR AN END-TO-END SERVICE AND HOW CAN IT BE A BEST SERVICE TO EXPAND THE WORKFORCE ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN? UM, AND EXPAND IT AGAIN, NOT ONLY TO JUST POLICE, BUT TO EMS. I FIND MYSELF SAYING FREQUENTLY, UM, INCLUDING WHEN I'M ON CALLS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT OFTEN IS DOING SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NOT SEEN IN OTHER CITIES BEFORE.
ONE IS THE PIECE IN DISPATCH, BUT EXPANDING TELE-HEALTH WITH CEMETERY TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS TO EMS IS AGAIN, THAT OTHER CITIES ARE NOT DOING.
THAT'S TYPICALLY DONE IN A SILO WHERE TELEHEALTH FOR EMS HAS DONE FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES AND TELEHEALTH.
AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE FOR WHAT THEY CALL MENTAL HEALTH PURPOSES, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS A MEDICAL NEED.
AND SO IT SHOULD BE WITH EMS. AND WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A UTILIZATION GUIDE IF YOU WILL, THAT HAVE SOME, SOME OFFICER FRIENDLY LANGUAGE WE DISCOVERED PRETTY EARLY ON IN THIS PARTICULAR IMPLEMENTATION THAT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS BEING PROVIDED TO THE OFFICERS WAS ACTUALLY CREATING A BIT OF HESITANCY FOR THE OFFICERS TO USE TELEHEALTH.
THEY PERCEIVED IT AS AN ADDITIONAL STEP RATHER THAN A CAREGIVING STEP OF SERVICE.
AND SO NOW THEY RECOGNIZE ARE BEGINNING, HOPEFULLY TO RECOGNIZE THAT TELEHEALTH IS A PART OF THE TRUSTED E M COT PROGRAM THAT THEY KNOW AND HAVE USED FOR SO LONG.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE UTILIZATION GUIDE WILL PROVIDE THE OFFICERS WITH THAT COMFORT.
I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THAT UTILIZATION GUIDE TO THEIR OFFICERS AND TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF TELEHEALTH, TELEHEALTH AND EXPANSION, THE BAKER SECTOR, UM, THE PATROL SECTOR KNOWN AS THE BAKER SECTOR HAS BEEN A FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
THE CHARLIE SECTOR IS IN PROCESS NOW, AND DAVID SECTOR WILL BE NEXT.
WE HAVE A WORK PLAN THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT SHOULD ALLOW THE BAKER AS WELL AS CHARLIE AND DAVID TO BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE END OF AUGUST.
WE REALLY DON'T SEE ANY BARRIERS TO THAT NOW, OTHER THAN TIME OR WORKFORCE BANDWIDTH, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL HAVE IN YOUR CITY BAKER, CHARLIE AND DAVID, WHICH ARE THE MAJORITY OF THE SECTORS IDENTIFIED IN OUR REPORT IMPLEMENTED BY THE END OF AUGUST AND BECAUSE THE EMS PARTNERS AND ANDY CAN PROBABLY PROVIDE BETTER EXPLANATION OF THIS, THE SOFTWARE THAT THEY USE IS ALREADY IN PLACE ON THE AMBULANCES TO CONNECT TO TELE-HEALTH.
THEIR IMPLEMENTATION ROLLOUT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER THAN HAVING TO PROVIDE THE OP-EDS TO ALL OF THE PATROL UNITS AT APD.
THE IPAD DISTRIBUTION HAS BEEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE SLOWED THIS DOWN QUITE A BIT, UM, AND THE EMS WILL NOT HAVE THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
SO WE EXPECT TO SEE EMS ROLLOUT JUST AS QUICKLY AS APD, BUT I GET THAT RIGHT, ANDY, THE SOFTWARE PIECE.
UM, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THREE AND FOUR SHOULD BE J WOULD YOU RATHER FINISH BEFORE I ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY.
LET'S, UH, I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
ACTUALLY, LET ME GO BACK TO NUMBER THREE, BECAUSE NUMBER THREE IS REALLY KIND OF, I MEAN, THESE, THESE ARE ALL VERY CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS.
NUMBER THREE, KIND OF GETS AT THE HEART OF OUR GOAL, UH, WHICH IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DIVERT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT GOAL OF DIVERTING, UM, THE CALLS THAT CAN BE DIVERTED.
SO IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE, UH, THAT MAY BE DATA RELATED, BUT THERE'S BARRIERS THAT NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED THAT ARE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT ARE BEING DIVERTED IF I UNDERSTOOD THAT CORRECTLY.
SO WHEN YOU GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT MAYBE RELATES TO CODING OR DATA, DO YOU HAVE A, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UM, WHAT THE TIMELINE IS THERE FOR IDENTIFYING THOSE BARRIERS? AND DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE AND THE TIMELINE FOR THAT TO GET CLOSER TO OUR A HUNDRED PERCENT GOAL? ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT THE PRIMARY BARRIER HERE IS GOING TO BE ACHIEVING A COMFORT LEVEL OF DIVERSION WITHIN YOUR CALL CENTER.
[01:15:01]
AGENCIES OPERATE ON THE PRINCIPLE OF RISK AVERSION AND THAT'S, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.UM, WE CERTAINLY WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND DISMISSING A RISK AVERSE PROTOCOL WHEN IT'S WELL-PLACED.
UH, BUT FOR INSTANCE, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET OUT OF STATES THAT, UH, UH, A CALL MAY BE MISCODED BECAUSE IT WAS SENT TO, IT HAD A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES CODE APPLIED WHEN IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE, BUT NOBODY CAN SAY REALLY WHY IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER TO SEE IS THAT OBJECTIVE, WAS THERE A WEAPON INVOLVED, UM, WAS THERE A SIGNIFICANT ASSAULT IN PROGRESS INVOLVED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR WHAT DOES IT SUBJECTIVE? DID SOMEBODY THINK IT WASN'T AN APPROPRIATE CALL BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY ASSUME WITH A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY.
THAT AGAIN IS NOT NECESSARILY SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN.
SOME OF THE MOST FREQUENT MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS THAT WE SEE WHEN WE LOOK AT NATIONAL, AS WELL AS STATE DATA COME FROM THINGS THAT ARE OTHERWISE CODED AS A DISTURBANCE OR AS A FAMILY DISTURBANCE OR AS A WELFARE CHECK AND 9 1, 1 HANG-UP, THOSE CALLS HAVE A LOT OF RISK INVOLVED WITH THEM.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE, AND OUR NEXT STEPS ARE TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AT APD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CALL TREE TRAINING IS BEING INTEGRATED WITH HIGH FIDELITY, THAT THE CALL TREE IS BEING TAUGHT, UM, AS IT IS TO THE DISPATCHERS, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON, UM, A RISK MATRIX.
AND THEN THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS NOT SIMPLY BEING WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS THIS IS A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY, BUT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHEN THIS CALL THAT MAY HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN ASSUMED TO BE A DISTURBANCE IS A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG CULTURE CHANGE IN THE CALL CENTER.
SO OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS, WE WANT TO GO THROUGH AND ENSURE THAT THE DISPATCHERS HAVE RECEIVED HALF FIDELITY TRAINING TO THE CALL TREE.
WE WANT TO TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT THOSE CALLS THAT FOLKS ARE SAYING HAVE BEEN MISCODED AND GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY, UH, THEY SAID THAT A MENTAL HEALTH COACH SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THAT CALL AND HOW WE CAN OVERCOME SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AND CREATE A COMFORT LEVEL IN THE DISPATCH CENTER TO DIVERT THESE CALLS TO THEM PROFESSIONAL.
THAT'S ANOTHER ITEM THAT I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL WANT TO CONTINUE TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON.
SO IF YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING THROUGH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, SO RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FIVE WAS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE APD CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS PROGRAM.
WE IDENTIFIED THAT OFTEN, UH, WELL AS A STANDARD PRACTICE, THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM AT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS, AND THEN DETERMINES WHERE THEY NEED TO BE NAVIGATED TO WHAT WE RECOMMENDED IS THAT THE CHIP PROGRAM OR THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM ACTUALLY BECOME INTEGRATED INTO THAT NAVIGATION PROCESS SO THAT YOU HAVE A MEDICAL AGENCY BEING YOUR PARAMEDIC AUTHORITY, NAVIGATING MEDICAL NEEDS, RATHER THAN HAVING A POLICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED, UM, WHETHER THIS WAS A MEDICAL NEED.
AND SO WE, OUR NEXT STEPS THERE ARE TO, UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK TO FINISH MAPPING THAT PROCESS, TO DETERMINE HOW ALL OF THESE REFERRALS ARE COMING INTO CIT AND IDENTIFY A RISK MATRIX THAT CAN BE AUTOMATED WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT THE ONES THAT HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE MANAGING.
AND THEN THOSE THAT NEED A HEALTHCARE FOLLOW-UP WILL BE NAVIGATED OUT OF THE CHIP PROGRAM.
UH, THERE'S SOME CONCERNS WITH OUR PARTNERS ON THE CHIP AND THE CIT SIDE ABOUT WORKFORCE BANDWIDTH.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK TO ENSURE THAT THE CHIP AND THE CIT UNITS HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO DO THIS INTEGRATION.
FRANKLY, THE WORKLOAD IS SO HEAVY NOW IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
I BELIEVE IN THE LONG-TERM AND ITS CURRENT, UM, PHASE.
SO THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SOME KIND OF AN ADJUSTMENT OR SOME KIND OF A CHANGE WE'VE RECOMMENDED THAT E M CAUGHT THE PART OF THIS AS WELL.
BUT THE END GOAL IS TO HAVE YOUR HEALTH CARE AGENCY NAVIGATING HEALTHCARE REFERRALS AND NOT HAVING YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT NAVIGATING THOSE HEALTHCARE REFERRALS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MAP THAT PROCESS NEXT WEEK.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO PUT THEM IN AN OLD FASHIONED WHITE BOARD, MAP IT OUT AND FIND THE POINTS WHERE WE CAN MOVE IT OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MOVE IT INTO CHP.
WHEN A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK IS NOT INVOLVED, I WOULD JUST EMPHASIZE THERE THAT THE FOLLOW-UPS CRITICAL BECAUSE THESE ARE FOLKS THAT CYCLE IN AND OUT OF THE SYSTEM CONSTANTLY IN AND OUT OF, UH, EMERGENCY ROOMS IN AND OUT OF OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND SO NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO DIVERT AND HANDLE THE CALLS AS THEY COME IN AS MENTAL HEALTH CALLS,
[01:20:01]
BUT WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UM, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THE INTERIM REPORT, WE ARE BEHIND IN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FIVE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ONE THROUGH FOUR HAVE ALL BEEN QUITE A HEAVY LIST AT A TIME THAT OUR, I BELIEVE THE CIT UNIT HAS SEEN SOME, UM, WORKFORCE MIGRATION AWAY FROM THEIR PARTICULAR UNIT.
SO WE'VE NOT HAD AS MANY STAFF MEMBERS AS WE WOULD HOPE.
AND SO THIS ONE CONTINUED TO, TO BE TABLED A BIT UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK OFF ONE THROUGH FOUR AND WE REALLY INTEND TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH THIS ONE.
I'VE DONE, NOT BELIEVE THIS WILL BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, BUT YOU WILL CERTAINLY HAVE A COMPLETE GAME PLAN AND MAP WHERE THERE'S NO REASON IT SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED IF NOT BY THE END OF OCTOBER, BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO JUST QUICKLY THEN, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE RESOURCES WILL BE THERE TO IMPLEMENT IT, OR DO WE NEED TO BE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT RESOURCES? NO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE RESOURCES WERE PROVIDED WHEN CHP RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
THE RESOURCES AT CIT FRANKLY, ARE NOT ROBUST ENOUGH TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE WORKLOAD AS IT IS.
SO IF THERE'S NOT A SHIFT, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A TREMENDOUS WORKFORCE BURDEN ON THAT PARTICULAR CIT UNIT THAT IS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT CASELOAD THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THERE HAS TO BE A SHIFT OUT OF CIP, EVEN IF THIS RECOMMENDATION WASN'T IN THERE.
I THINK YOU GUYS WOULD BE LOOKING AT MAKING A CHANGE TO THAT PARTICULAR WORKFORCE BURDEN.
AT SOME POINT, THE RESOURCES ARE THERE, UH, THE WORKFORCE RESOURCES TO DO THE PLANNING HAVE BEEN STRAINED A BIT AS FOLKS HAVE MIGRATED OUT OF CIT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH ENOUGH SUPPORT TO GET THE PLAN UNDERWAY NOW.
AND IN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SIX, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE I AM ACTUALLY VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE.
WE MADE RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SIX TO WHEN WE LOOKED AT USE OF FORCE A RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE DATA IN OUR ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT.
AND WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES OF USE OF FORCE OR RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE IN CERTAIN SPANISH SPEAKING NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WHERE THERE WERE ALSO HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY.
AND SO WE CREATED THE RECOMMENDATION TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH NAMI NATIONAL, UM, WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1 CAMPAIGN.
AND IT WAS TO CREATE CALL CARDS OR POCKET CARDS THAT OFFICERS COULD HAND OUT IN THESE IDENTIFIED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT GAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE ON WHAT TO SAY, WHEN YOU CALL NINE 11 AND WHAT TO DO WHEN THE OFFICER ARRIVED.
AND THEN WE ALSO ARE PUTTING THAT IN SIMPLE CHINESE SO THAT IT CAN BE HANDED OUT IN, IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS ALSO HAD INCREASED INSTANCES OF USE OF FORCE.
UM, IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA, YOU'LL NOTICE A MAP 11 OF THE BIG REPORTS.
AND SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH NAMI CENTRAL, TEXAS AND INTEGRAL CARE AND APD, AND I WANT TO GIVE IT A BIG SHOUT OUT TO KAREN RHINOS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S ON THE MEETING OR NOT, BUT KAREN RHINO SAYS THE DIRECTOR OF NAMI CENTRAL TEXAS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS BACKBONE HERE AND MOVING THIS PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION FORWARD, BUT, AND HAVE CREATED A POCKET CARD THAT HAS VERY, UM, AUSTIN FRIENDLY LANGUAGE, BUT ALSO CULTURALLY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ON WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1 AND WHAT TO DO WHEN THE OFFICER ARRIVES, THAT'S BEING TRANSLATED NOW INTO SPANISH AND CHINESE, AND THEN THERE'LL BE PRINTED AND PROVIDED TO OFFICERS IN THOSE SECTORS FOR THAT MAP TO BE HANDED OUT JUST ON ROUTINE PATROL, TO BE HANDED OUT WHEN THEY GO TO A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY CALLS TO BE LEFT AT SPECIFIC CULTURAL CENTERS, SUCH AS CHURCHES, RESTAURANTS, OR THE LIKE, UM, BUT TO MAKE THESE CARDS AVAILABLE, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON A TWO PAGER THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO COMMUNITY EVENTS.
SO IF DON'S CREW OVER INTEGRAL CARE IS HOSTING A MENTAL HEALTH EVENT, THEY CAN HAVE A LONGER DOCUMENT THAT DISCUSSES NOT ONLY WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CALL NINE 11 AND WHAT TO DO WHEN AN OFFICER ARRIVES, BUT ALL OF THE GOOD SERVICES THAT INTEGRAL CARE OFFERS FOR CRISIS PREVENTION, AS WELL AS CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES.
I BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSLATION WILL BE COMPLETED.
UH, LET ME CHECK MY NOTES HERE THAT THE CAR'S BEEN SENT BACK TO TRANSLATION THAT THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND THEN THE PRINTING PROCESS CAN BEGIN.
SO I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE THESE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BY THE END OF AUGUST, IF NOT EARLY SEPTEMBER.
AND IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT AND IF YOU DON'T MIND ME SHARING, I WAS SPEAKING WITH, UM, UH, A
[01:25:01]
LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE NORTHERN AREA OF OUR COUNTRY WHO WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THIS SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE IT'S AN ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING TO SOLVE AND HAVE TRIED TO APPROACH THROUGH THINGS LIKE EXPENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, POSTERS, UM, COMMUNITY NETWORK PERSONNEL WHO, UM, WOULD DO PERSONAL OUTREACH AND SUCH IN TOWN.AND THEY HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THE IDEA OF GIVING POCKET CARDS TO THEIR OFFICERS TO HAND OUT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OFFICERS ARE MAKING MUCH MORE FREQUENT COMMUNITY CONTACT THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS A PIECE OF YOUR AUSTIN CARES PROJECT THAT COULD VERY WELL HAVE A NATIONAL IMPACT.
UM, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO ALLOW, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COSARA MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION HE LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT ALSO TO GIVE CHANCE TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS TO BE ABLE TO GO FORWARD TO SPEAK IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY ABOUT HOW THIS IS ROLLING OUT OR ITS IMPACT, OR TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO DO THAT MAYOR, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S DIRECTED AT ANYONE IN PARTICULAR.
I CAN, I CAN SPEAK FOR EMS AND, AND THE GROUP AT LARGE, UH, IF THAT'S, UH, YEAH.
UH, I, I THINK, UM, I AM, I'M VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT THAT, UH, THIS IS PART OF A CULTURE SHIFT WITHIN THE FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY AND CHANGING THE WAY IN WHICH WE RESPOND AND SERVE THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
UH, SO CULTURAL SHIFTS DON'T HAPPEN, UH, VERY QUICKLY.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED, IMPLEMENTED SOME, SOME THINGS AND IN VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BOTH ON THE GROUND, IN THE CALL CENTER TELE-HEALTH.
AND SO, UH, IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHICH INTERVENTION WE'VE WE'VE MADE OR IMPLEMENTATION WE'VE MADE IS YIELDING THE GREATEST SUCCESS AND FOCUS EFFORTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD THERE.
UM, AND SOME TANGIBLE CHANGES THAT I'VE SEEN.
I WATCHED OUR, OUR, UH, MDC OR OUR, OUR DISPATCH, UM, DATA THROUGH THE DAY, JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I'M INTERESTED PARTICULARLY IN THE PSYCHIATRIC CALLS AND SEEING THAT OFFICERS NOW ARE REQUESTING A CHP UNIT, OR THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE ALTERNATIVES, UH, TO, UM, UH, STANDARD, UH, POLICE RESPONSE, I THINK IS SHOWING THAT IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU WRITE INTO POLICY AND IT'S DONE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY TAKING, TAKING A FOOT, UH, IN THE FIELD AND ACTUALLY TAKE TAKING EFFECT AND IMPACTING THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THEM, HOW PRICES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD AND PEOPLE ARE SEEING RESULTS.
WHAT ABOUT FROM A POLICING PERSPECTIVE? I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S A STRATEGIC
I, I AGREE WITH, UH, WITH ANDY, UH, I THINK A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE LOOKED AT AND A LOT OF THE SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE SEEN WERE, WERE, UH, SUCCESSES IN THE COLLABORATING WITH, UH, WITH INTEGRAL CARE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF NATIONAL ATTENTION AND I CAN LET KEN SPEAK TO THIS NATIONAL ATTENTION WITH THE, WITH THE CLINICIANS OUT AT, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND OUR ABILITY TO ADD THAT FOURTH OPTION, WHICH, UH, AS, AS KEN CAN ATTEST TO IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE NATION.
SO, UH, LOOKING AT LOOKING AT IT FOR ME, A COLLABORATIVE STANDPOINT, LOOKING AT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, IF YOU WILL REIMAGINE, UH, HOW WE, WE PROVIDE OUR RESOURCES AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN A BETTER WAY AND, AND WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH INVACARE.
BUT, UH, THAT THAT'S, UH, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, THAT'S HOW WE LOOKED, UH, THE, THE BIGGEST SUCCESS THAT WE HAD WAS FROM, FROM, UH, INTEGRATING CLINICIANS INTO COMMUNICATIONS.
ANYBODY ELSE? UH, I DON'T A FAN WILL GO CARE IF DAWN IS THERE.
SHE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING FROM INTEGRAL CARE'S PERSPECTIVE.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNSEL, UH, MAYOR APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND TALK ABOUT ALL THE GREAT NAVY, UH, FANTASTIC WORK WE'RE DOING AS A GROUP.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS, UM, WE'VE ALREADY SERVED, ARE TAKING THREE TIMES AS MANY CALLS OUT OF OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER THAN WE DID ALL OF LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UH, FOR SURE.
UH, THE TRAINING MADE A DIFFERENCE, BEING ABLE TO ASK FOLKS WHEN THEY CALL AND IF IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS MADE A DIFFERENCE, UM, BEING 24 7, UH, WITH MORE THAN ONE STAFF ON THE FLOOR AT A NINE 11 HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE.
[01:30:01]
SO JUST BEING MORE ASSESS ASSESSABLE, RIGHT? SO WE'VE GOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE MORE CALLS WE'VE REALLY STAFFED UP DURING THOSE PEAK TIMES, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE CALLS.AND WE'VE ALSO ARE WORKING MORE CLOSELY WITH THE EMS AND THAT NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
WE'RE QUITE PROUD OF THAT WE'VE MADE MORE THAN ONE PRESENTATION, UH, TO FOLKS UP IN DC.
UM, SOME OF THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS ARE INTERESTED.
UM, SO I THINK WE'RE DOING GOOD WORK AND, UM, I'VE ENJOYED WORKING, UH, WITH MY, MY COLLEAGUES AND PARTNERS IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR, FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TURNING, UH, OUR FOCUS ON, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, UH, CRISES BEING A HEALTHCARE CRISIS.
I WANT TO GIVE A GOOD MURPHY CHANCE TO SPEAK GREG, A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
THAT'S GOT TO GIVE US 15 MINUTES ON EACH OF OUR LAST TWO PRESENTATIONS.
I, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, YOU CAN SUBMIT THEM OR WE CAN PULL THEM BACK.
UH, MR. MURRAY, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE CONVERSATION? GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
WAS THAT DIRECTED AT ME? MA'AM YES.
DID YOU, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE IF YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
THANK YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROCESS, THE PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AS, AS DAWN SAID, WE ARE MAKING GREAT STRIDES AND, UH, IT'S, WE ARE A FLAGSHIP FOR THIS PROJECT FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT MUCH, UH, MY INTEGRAL CARE PA COUNTERPART AND I HAVE SPOKEN WITH 47 DIFFERENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT OUR PROGRAM.
AND WE HAD A THREE-DAY VISIT FROM DES MOINES, IOWA TWO WEEKS AGO, WHO CAME DOWN SPECIFICALLY TO LOOK AT OUR PROGRAM.
SO, UH, WHILE WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, WE ARE, WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT AREAS.
WE CAN MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THE PROGRAM MORE EFFECTIVE.
HOWEVER, I AM VERY PROUD OF THE WORK OUR HAVE DONE AND IN THE COLLABORATION WITH INTEGRAL CARE AND EMS AND WITH MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE ON THIS PROJECT.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
SINCE THE PROJECT CLOSES OFF, I WILL, I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU HERE ON THIS CALL.
UH, I'VE SEEN YOUR, YOUR GANTT CHART OF TASKS AND IT'S THE MOST MONSTER CHART I'VE EVER SEEN.
UH, SO I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO IMPLEMENT OUR GOALS HERE.
UM, I WILL CUT MY QUESTIONS JUST DOWN TO ONE, BECAUSE WE'RE SHORT ON TIME.
UM, DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH, HOW MANY MORE CALLS WE THINK WE CAN DIVERT? WE HAVE THE GOAL THAT YOU ALL SET WELL, THAT WE ALL HAVE COLLECTIVELY SENSE OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, WHERE THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE RISK TO, UH, TO THE RESPONDER FOR IT TO BE DIVERTED.
DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF BOTH? AND MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US CONTEXT ABOUT HOW MUCH WE ARE DOING NOW, AND THEN HOW MUCH WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU'VE PRESENTED HERE, HOW MUCH MORE WE THINK WE CAN DO.
I'LL SAY TOO, TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE DOING NOW, HOW MANY, WHAT THE PERCENTAGE OF CALLS WITHOUT A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY ARE.
WE NEED TO DIG A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY INTO THE MANNER IN WHICH THAT DATA IS COLLECTED AND MEASURED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S MEASUREMENTS ARE CONSISTENT AND ALSO VALID.
AND THEN WE HAVE BEEN, WE'LL HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ONCE FULLY IMPLEMENTED WITH HIGH FIDELITY, YOU WILL SEE AT LEAST 85%, WHICH WAS THAT BELIEF THAT CON CONTRACT STATED GOALS OR GREATER DIVERSION OF ALL CALLS WITHOUT A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK TO A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
UM, THAT'S THE WAY THAT THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS A GROUP HERE IN AUSTIN WILL ACHIEVE THAT BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE CENTURY THAT'D BE GREAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I CUT WAS GOING TO BE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO BE THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE ALREADY HAD IT TO DO.
SO I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, MS. WAGNER AS HAVING YOUR HELP FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, UH, TO HELP LEAD THAT CULTURE CHANGE, THAT WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DRIVE.
SO PLEASE MANAGE YOUR MS. WIDEN OR ANY OF THE, OUR CHIEFS.
IF IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO DO TO HELP US ACHIEVE THAT BEST IN THE COUNTRY GOAL OF WELL OVER 85%, THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO COME, COME TO US, BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT THERE IS THIS SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS MAYOR.
I HAVE LIKE FIVE SECONDS, FIVE SECONDS.
SO, UM, MS. WAGNER, DO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE IN MIND THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD, THAT WE COULD TOUCH BACK WITH YOU ON WHERE WE'RE AT ON THE NUMBERS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER COSARA ASK ABOUT? I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ANALYZING THOSE, BUT DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT ON WHEN WE MIGHT GET THAT DONE? I WOULD TO GIVE US AT LEAST FOUR, IF NOT FIVE WEEKS, BECAUSE WE WILL WANT TO,
[01:35:01]
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WANT TO GIVE A NOD TO THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT KEN AND HIS CREW OVER IN COMMUNICATIONS ARE ALREADY HAVING TO DO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO THIS WITH GOOD QUALITY AND NOT RUSH THEM THROUGH IT, BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PULL THE CALL DATA THAT WE HAVE AND CLEAN IT REALLY WELL AND UNDERSTAND IS, IS THERE STILL SOME SUBJECTIVITY AND THE NATURE CODING AND HOW WE CAN IDENTIFY THAT, AND THEN HOW WE CAN IDENTIFY THE REASONS WHY FOLKS ARE THINKING THAT A MENTAL HEALTH COACH SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO SOME CALLS THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A MANUAL LABOR, UM, MISSION THAT WE'RE GOING TO ALL HAVE TO UNDERTAKE.SO I WOULD SAY, GIVE US, IF NOT, FOR AT LEAST GIVE US FIVE WEEKS TO DIG DEEPLY INTO THAT DATA.
IT'S A LOT OF THINGS TO LOOK AT AND CHECK WITH US PERHAPS, UM, EARLY SEPTEMBER MAYBE, AND, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME BETTER ANSWERS IN, THANK YOU.
AND IF YOU CAN GIVE US THAT REPORT MANAGER IN WRITING SO THAT WE HAVE, SO WE CAN SHARE OUT WITH PEOPLE ON THIS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
IT IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE RE-IMAGINING, HOW WE DO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I, AND I REALLY DO TAKE THAT THIS IS CUTTING EDGE WORK WE'RE DOING FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S GOT TO BRING ALL THE BENEFITS LIKE COMMUNITY.
[D2. Briefing and discussion on issues related to homelessness.]
LET'S GO NOW TO HOMELESSNESS.WE'RE GONNA SPEND 15 MINUTES THERE.
AND THEN A CANVAS AND 15 MINUTES, UH, ON A PRO BED, UH, WE'RE UP TO 60 ADMISSIONS TODAY OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE ICU.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO THAT TOPIC TODAY AND THEN, UH, AND THEN WE HAVE THE PULLED ITEM, UM, ROLLING FAST.
THAT TAKES US BEYOND OUR FIVE 15.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WITH OUR REMAINING TIME.
I HAD ASKED YOU WHETHER WE'RE POSTED, ARE WE POSTED ON THURSDAY FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE A FULLER PRESENTATION ABOUT THE DESIGNATED CAMPING? I KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT SUBJECT.
AND SO I, I I'M JUST, UM, YES, I MEAN, I THINK WE COULD, WE COULD ADDRESS THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TWO HOTELS THAT ARE BEING EXTENDED, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GERMANE TO THAT CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE I HAVE, UH, I HAVE QUITE A BIT I'D LIKE TO ASK ABOUT AND TALK ABOUT, AND I JUST KNOW, WELL, WE'LL NOT GET TO IT TODAY.
SO I, I APPRECIATE, AND MY COLLEAGUES MAY WANT TO AT LEAST START THE SUBJECT, BUT IF WE COULD MAKE SPACE FOR IT ON THURSDAY, THAT WOULD REALLY BE IDEAL.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING IT UP WITH THE CONTEXT, AT LEAST ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, MAYBE MORE WE'LL CHECK, BUT BEFORE WE PASS IT ON TODAY, IF THERE'S ANY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WANTS TO ADDRESS THIS SUBJECT FROM THE DYES, NOW I WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
UM, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF, UH, AT A OKAY, BUT JUST GO STRAIGHT THERE.
I, I DO AGREE THAT THIS SUBJECT, UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN WATCHING AT HOME TODAY, UM, PROBABLY ALL DAY LONG WAITING, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO CURIOUS ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
I DIDN'T WANT TO PREEMPT IF DIANA GRAY HAS ANYTHING TO SHARE.
UM, BUT I DID WANT TO AT LEAST VOICE THAT I WOULD LIKE A CHANCE TO SPEAK TODAY AND I'M HAPPY TO ALSO DISCUSS IT ON THURSDAY TOO.
CAUSE I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, AGAIN, WE ARE PREPARED WITH A PRESENTATION.
CLEARLY WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UH, WE ALSO WANTED TO JUST REVIEW THE MEMOS THAT HAVE COME OUT SINCE WE WERE LAST ABLE TO HAVE A PUBLIC WORK SESSION ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT MS. GRAY OR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER, MAYBE WE CAN SKIP TO THE END OF THE PRESENTATION AND JUST KIND OF DO THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT.
UH, IF THAT'S HELPFUL, UH, JUST TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY AT, UH, AND THEN ANY ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED FROM COUNCIL, GREAT HOMELESS STRATEGY, OFFICER, UM, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN PARTICULARLY TO SEE YOUR FACES IN PERSON.
UM, SO TODAY'S BRIEFING, UH, IS FOCUSED ON THE DIRECTIVE OF COUNCIL TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CREATION OF DESIGNATED ENCAMPMENT FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT THAT RESOLUTION WAS PASSED IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE, UH, INTERMEDIATE REPORTS LOOKING AT THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE AVAILABLE, UM, UH, IN THE CITY PORTFOLIO, STARTING WITH OVER 70 PROVIDING COUNCIL WITH THE CRITERIA THAT WE WERE UTILIZING TO LOOK AT THOSE, UH, PROVIDING SOME COST ESTIMATES, ET CETERA, THE LAST MEMO, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED DELIVERED LAST WEEK, UH, NARROWED THAT TO THE TWO THAT WERE MOST APT, NOT PERFECT, BUT SEEM TO BE, UH, TO FIT THE CRITERIA MOST CLOSELY.
UM, SO I WANT, WE DO HAVE HERE TODAY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TO GO THROUGH SORT OF, I THINK PROCESS, UH, DETAILS THAT WE THINK ARE CRITICAL TO SORT OF THE, THE, UM, OVERALL OUTLOOK FOR THIS,
[01:40:01]
FROM ZONING, FROM DSD, ET CETERA.BUT IF WE CAN GO TO THE LAST PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION, PERHAPS I'LL JUST TELL YOU WHAT'S ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION.
CAN WE MAKE SURE I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT COULD WE MAKE SURE THESE GET POSTED TO THE BACKUP PLEASE, TO THE PUBLIC AND ALSO THE COVID BRIEFING? THIS HAS BEEN ENTIRE REPORT.
SO I THINK IN SUMMARY, AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS NOW THREE MONTH PROCESS WITH A LOT OF STAFF AND TA, UH, INVOLVED A LOT OF, UH, TIME DEDICATED AND FRANKLY, A LOT OF, I THINK, UM, INTEREST CONCERN, UH, EXPRESSED ON THE PART OF THE COMMUNITY IS THAT A, THERE WERE FEWER CITY PROPERTIES THAT SEEMED TO BE APPROPRIATE BASED ON THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAD ESTABLISHED.
UM, AND THAT, UH, IN FACT, IT WILL TAKE US SOME TIME TO GAIN THE ENTITLEMENTS THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PUT SUCH A PROPERTY, UH, INTO A SERVICE.
AND THAT, THAT TIMELINE WOULD ALSO TAKE US PAST THE SEPTEMBER ONE DATE UPON WHICH THE NEW STATE LAW GOES INTO EFFECT, WHICH WOULD ALSO REQUIRE US TO ACQUIRE STATE APPROVAL FOR THE OPERATION OF SUCH A CAMPSITE.
WE PREVIOUSLY, I THINK, REPORTED TO YOU THAT, UH, THE MINIMUM WE THOUGHT OPERATING COSTS OF THESE SITES WOULD BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1.3 AND $1.8 MILLION A YEAR.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, I THINK THAT IS, UH, A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE.
SO, UH, WHILE WE, UM, CERTAINLY WANT TO BE INVESTING IN CRISIS SERVICES AND CRISIS BEDS FOR THIS POPULATION, IT IS NOT FREE.
FINALLY, I THINK IMPORTANTLY, AND, UM, WE HAVE, CPIO HERE TO SPEAK TO THIS AS WELL, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE NEWNESS OF THIS MODEL, BECAUSE OF WHAT IT CONJURES FOR PEOPLE IN TERMS OF THE IDEA OF WHAT ENCAMPMENTS, UM, UN-DESIGNATED, KAMPMANNS UNSANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW, THERE REALLY WOULD NEED TO BE A MORE EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS BEFORE WE, UH, THINK WE COULD MOVE FORWARD.
UH, AND SO THAT IN, UH, IN, IN OF ITSELF ALSO OF COURSE HAS IMPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF STAFF TIME AND RESOURCE.
AND ALL OF THIS I THINK IS IN THE CONTEXT, UM, OF WHICH WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT EITHER TODAY OR OTHERWISE, PERHAPS ON THURSDAY OF OTHER EFFORTS, THAT STAFF IS ENGAGING IN TO TRY TO FIND, UH, IN AS AGILE AWAY AS POSSIBLE CRISIS BEDS, WHICH, UM, ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR UNSHELTERED POPULATION RESPOND TO SOME DEGREE ABOUT THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAMPING BAN, MEANING THAT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE PARTICULARLY MEDICALLY FRAGILE OR VULNERABLE TO, UM, VICTIMIZATION MOVING INTO AREAS THAT ARE LESS VISIBLE.
SO, UH, I THINK, UH, AGAIN, WE THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS WE HAVE.
WE VIEW THIS AS A RELATIVELY RESOURCE INTENSIVE ENDEAVOR FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BOTH TIME, UH, AND RE AND RE AND STAFF RESOURCE AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF SOME OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE DO HAVE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL PAUSE, UM, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL FOLKS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS HERE TO ANSWER THE MORE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
UM, AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM WORKING SO HARD ON THIS.
I KNOW THESE ARE NOT EASY CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE.
UM, I CAME INTO THIS CONVERSATION WITH AN OPEN MIND AND WANTING TO HAVE A DESIRE TO LOOK AT THE SITUATION HOLISTICALLY AND OBJECTIVELY AND WITH A STRONG COMMITMENT TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR BOTH OUR HOUSE AND OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS IN AUSTIN.
I SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF EXPLORING SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS.
WHEN WE PASS COUNCIL MEMBER TOGO'S RESOLUTION AND WORKED WITH CITY STAFF AS THEY WORKED TO IDENTIFY PROPERTIES THAT MIGHT BE FEASIBLE IN DISTRICT DATE WITH THE HELP OF SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS, I'VE ALSO SUPPORTED COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN'S HEAL INITIATIVE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE GOING SMOOTHLY, THE PURCHASE OF HOTELS FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, INVESTING IN PREVENTATIVE SERVICES, WORKFORCE PROGRAMS, AND EVERY OTHER STRATEGY THAT STAFF AND THE SUMMIT CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT TO GET FOLKS OFF THE STREET THROUGH SAFE AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS.
AND WHEN THE NEWS BROKE OF THE PROPOSED LOCATIONS IN DISTRICT ONE AND EIGHT ON MONDAY, UM, WHICH CAUGHT A FEW OF US BY SURPRISE, UM, WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO RECEIVE CALLS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, WORRIED ABOUT SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES NEARBY, THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION, WILDFIRE RISK, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER CONCERNS, UM, THAT WE KNOW IS ON CITY STAFF'S RADAR AS WELL.
UM, MY TEAM AND I SPENT ALL OF LAST WEEK ASSURING FOLKS THAT NO DECISIONS HAD BEEN MADE YET.
AND IF ANY ENCAMPMENTS WERE TO BE ULTIMATELY APPROVED THE ROAD TO GET THERE WOULD BE LONG, AND IT WOULD
[01:45:01]
BE THOROUGH.WE'VE HAD ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH CONSTITUENTS HOSTED MEETINGS WITH NEIGHBORS, AND I'VE TALKED WITH CITY STAFF AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, I'VE ALSO SPOKEN AT LENGTH WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM, WHO ISN'T HERE AT THE MOMENT, BUT IS WATCHING REMOTELY.
AND AFTER A WEEK OF EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, LOTS OF RESEARCH INTO BEST PRACTICES AND A GOOD DEAL OF REFLECTION, THE MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD TABLE THIS STRATEGY FOR THE TIME BEING, WE BELIEVE OUR CITY'S LIMITED DOLLARS AND TIME WOULD BE BETTER SPENT ON GETTING FOLKS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING RATHER THAN THE BAND-AID TACTICS.
WHEN WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON REAL LONG-TERM STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE SEEN WORK, WE'D LIKE US TO INVEST OUR MONEY IN PROVEN SOLUTIONS AS HAVE BEEN OUTLINED IN THE SUMMIT FINDINGS, AS WELL AS IN OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS, BOTH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND I HAVE LONG BEEN ADVOCATES FOR ABUNDANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FOR PRACTICAL.
AND HE MADE PATHWAYS TO HOUSING FOR THOSE LIVING WITHOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
BUT AT THIS TIME, THE TACTICS SEEMS TO BE WAY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE BENEFITS THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO REALIZE.
INSTEAD I'D LIKE US TO TAKE A PAUSE AND STAY THE COURSE ON THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE KNOW WILL WORK.
WE HAVE SEEN ENCAMPMENT AND TINY HOME STRATEGIES EXECUTED REALLY WELL BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS COMMUNITY FIRST AND THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION AT CAMP ESPERANZA.
AND WE SHOULD SUPPORT THEM IN WHAT THEY DO WELL WHILE WE FOCUS ON PERMANENT AND BRIDGE HOUSING OPTIONS, AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST THIS YEAR THROUGH ARPA AND OUR UPCOMING BUDGET, WE'RE MAKING HISTORIC INVESTMENTS TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS.
LET'S PUT THOSE DOLLARS TO GOOD USE BY SPENDING IT WISELY ON THOSE PROVEN SOLUTIONS.
AND AGAIN, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THIS, THE WORK THAT STAFF IS PUTTING INTO THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS A DIFFICULT ROAD, AND I KNOW THAT YOUR TEAM IS THAT YOUR TEAM IS VERY COMMITTED TO FINDING WORKABLE SOLUTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? WE'RE GOING TO CUT BACK TO THIS OUR THURSDAY.
WE'RE GOT TO DISCUSS IT AT LENGTH.
I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO SAY ON THIS.
DO I IMAGINE A LOT OF US DO ARE ON THE DESK? YES.
I WANTED TO MAKE A CLARIFYING POINT.
UM, IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, MS. GRAY, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS PASSED IN FEBRUARY.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE HEAL INITIATIVE WAS IN FEBRUARY AND ON MAY 6TH, ITEM NUMBER 17.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THE TIMELINE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS SUBJECT, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, LET US KNOW WHAT HER THOUGHTS WERE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US.
SO, UM, I THINK I NEED TO CLARIFY WITH YOU MS. GRAY, ARE YOU SUGGESTING, ARE YOU MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT THE STRATEGY OF DESIGNATED CAMPING AREAS, OR ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THE TIMEFRAME UNDER WHICH WE WOULD NEED TO CONSIDER AND THEN GET ENTITLEMENTS FOR TRACKS AND CONTINUE? THE REVIEW WOULD TAKE US BEYOND SEPTEMBER? I JUST WASN'T SURE IF I WAS, AND I KNOW YOU'RE TRUNCATING YOUR PRESENTATION, SO THAT MAKES IT REALLY CHALLENGING.
UM, AND SO FEEL FREE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS INSTEAD ON THURSDAY, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS HEARING A RECOMMENDATION FOR MOVING IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER.
SO I, I THINK THAT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS TODAY IS THAT, UM, WE WOULD LIKE SOME DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL ON THIS FRONT.
WE, UM, ARE MOVING FORWARD ON VARIOUS FRONTS TO LOOK AT CRISIS CAPACITY, THIS, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITHIN INTEGRITY AND APPROPRIATE RESOURCES IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA WILL REQUIRE, UM, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE STAFF TIME.
IT WILL TAKE LONGER, I THINK, THAN INITIALLY WAS HOPED.
UH, AND IT WILL TAKE FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
AND SO I THINK THAT MY RECOMMENDATION IS SIMPLY THAT, UM, COUNCIL LET US KNOW IF THEY WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES IDENTIFIED.
UM, IT IS PROBABLY NOT VIABLE FOR MY TEAM AND EVEN WITH THE SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO DO THIS WITHOUT SOME EXPLICIT, I THINK COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF, UH, OF THE BODY.
AND I, I HOPE MAYOR THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN A FULLER WAY, IF NOT ON THURSDAY, THEN ON TUESDAY.
UM, LET ME PREFACE MY COMMENTS BY SAYING, AS I MENTIONED, UM, IN A, IN A DIFFERENT SETTING, ONE OF THE TWO SITES IS YES, FALLS IN DISTRICT ONE, BUT IT IS IMMEDIATELY ACROSS THE STREET FROM DISTRICT NINE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE ALSO BEEN HEARING FROM MANY, MANY CONSTITUENTS, UM, ABOUT THIS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU CONTINUING TO CLARIFY THAT THESE WERE, THIS IS, THESE ARE TWO SITES THAT ARE CONTINUING TO BE IN CONSIDERATION, BUT ARE NOT, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THEY ARE NOT SCHEDULED FOR A VOTE OR, UM, ANY KIND OF ACTION AT THIS POINT.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE PARTICIPATED IN SOME, IN AT LEAST ONE MEETING THAT, THAT MY OFFICE HELPED FACILITATE,
[01:50:01]
UH, WITH SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORS, BOTH IN DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT NINE.I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE CHALLENGES YOU'RE DESCRIBING AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, ALL OF THE RESERVATIONS, UM, THAT MAY EXIST.
I THINK WHAT THE CHALLENGES FOR OUR BODY IS WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? SO, YOU KNOW, A MAJORITY OF THIS COUNCIL VOTED FOR UNDOES.
WHAT, WHAT AMOUNT TO UN-DESIGNATED ENCAMPMENTS WHEN WE, WHEN THAT MAJORITY AND I WAS NOT IN IT VOTED TO LIFT THE CAMPING BAN.
AND SO WE HAVE HAD ON DESIGNATED CAMPING AREAS, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, AND THEY HAVE CAUSED ENOUGH CONCERN AMONG THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND WITH THEIR OPERATIONS, THAT IT IS NOW MAKING IT, I BELIEVE MORE CHALLENGING TO DO SOME OF THE HOUSING STRATEGIES THAT WE WERE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING PRIOR TO THAT.
UM, AND SOME OF THE ONES THAT WE ARE NOW UNDERTAKING, AND WE HAVE A VERY REAL PROBLEM BEFORE US IN THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION B, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW REQUIRED, UM, UNDER THE CITY ORDINANCE TO MOVE FROM THOSE SITES AND WE DON'T HAVE PLACES TO OFFER TO THEM TO GO.
AND SO THIS, UM, THIS IS, AS WE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT IS NOT AN IDEAL STRATEGY OF HAVING DESIGNATED CAMPING AREAS.
WE WANT TO BE SPENDING OUR RESOURCES FOR PERMANENT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE BE SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE.
BUT WE ALSO DON'T HAVE PLACES.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE LONGER, THOSE STRATEGIES TAKE LONGER AND, UM, PEOPLE NEED PLACES TO GO NOW.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T, THIS IS A DILEMMA AND I DON'T HAVE A RESOLUTION TO THAT.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE UP ON THURSDAY KNOWING THAT THE HOUSING STRATEGIES THAT ARE REALLY BETTER OPTIONS TAKE MORE TIME.
WHAT SHALL WE TELL PEOPLE? IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE EMAILED ME MULTIPLE TIMES NOW ASKING WITH THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION B, WHERE WOULD I SUGGEST THEY GO? AND I DON'T YET HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I MEAN, TO THAT POINT, I AM, AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE RECEIVED SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND I KNOW YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO HAVE LIKELY RECEIVED THAT EVEN MORE GIVEN THAT YOUR DISTRICT HAS MORE, UM, UNHOUSED PEOPLE THAN IN ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY.
AND WE, I, AND MANY OF US ON THE DICE, UM, AND MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED, UM, ON SERVICES FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS MADE IT VERY CLEAR BOTH WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING CRIMINAL PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH CAMPING AND DURING THE, THE DECISIONS AROUND B THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH PLACES FOR 1500 PEOPLE TO LAY THEIR HEADS AT NIGHT.
UM, IF, IF LAYING YOUR HEAD DOWN AT NIGHT OUTSIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF SHELTER WAS TO BE CRIMINALIZED.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS EVEN IF WE COULD MOVE MORE QUICKLY ON SOME OF THESE THAT THEY'RE SIMPLY, WE KNEW EVERYBODY KNEW ON ALL SIDES OF THAT CAMPAIGN, THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH PLACES FOR ALL 1500 PEOPLE TO GO, WHICH IS THE VERY REASON THAT I COULD NOT SUPPORT IT.
UH, THE GOAL WAS TO ADD MORE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO, AND THEN YOU COULD, UM, AND THEN IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO SAY, YOU CAN'T BE HERE.
YOU CAN'T BE HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO.
SO NOW OUR JOB IS TO ADD THOSE PLACES IN THE INTERIM AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
AND, UM, AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, MS. GRAY, THAT YOUR OFFICE HAS LIMITED RESOURCES TO TRY TO ADD THOSE PLACES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE PLACES, WE, WE, WE HAVE VOTED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF SHELTER SPACE AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SPACE, UH, QUITE A BIT HERE IN THIS LAST YEAR.
UH, SOME OF THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE, UH, THE ONES THAT I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH ARE THE ONES THAT I'VE BEEN MOST INVOLVED WITH IN MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE HOTEL PROPERTIES, A FORMER RETAIL SPACE THAT WE'RE BREAKING GROUND ON HERE NEXT WEEK TO HOUSE 171 INDIVIDUALS, OR PEOPLE WOULD HAVE FOUR WALLS AND A KITCHEN AND A BATHROOM.
UM, AND SO I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE SHELTER AND ALL DIFFERENT FORMS, BUT I, BUT I WANT OUR STAFF RESOURCES TO BE DEDICATED TOWARDS HELPING AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A LONGER CONVERSATION, BUT I AM NOT COMMITTED TO IT BEING TINY HOUSES.
I'M NOT COMMITTED TO IT BEING NEW BEDS IN OUR EXISTING SHELTERS.
I'M NOT COMMITTED IT TO BEING HOTELS OR SANCTIONED CAMPSITES.
I WANT IT TO JUST BE THE BEST THING THAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO.
AND SO IF THE ANSWER IS THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING TO, UH, SET UP A CERTAIN KIND OF CAMPSITE, BUT INSTEAD WE CAN SET UP TINY HOMES OR INSTEAD THERE'S A HOTEL THAT WE CAN LEASE AND IT CAN HELP JUST AS MANY PEOPLE, BUT THEY ALSO MIGHT ALSO HAVE A BATHROOM IN FOUR WALLS.
I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING GOOD FOR US TO, TO DO AND MOVE FORWARD ON.
[01:55:01]
AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER TO-GO, I THINK YOU FRAMED IT VERY WELL AS IF THIS IS ONE OPTION, BUT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH IT.WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? IF THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES, THE STAFF CAN FIND THAT YOU CAN GET DONE, BUT WE HAVE THAT FALL WITHIN THE SUMMIT PLAN, WHICH WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR, UM, AND THAT YOU CAN GET DONE MORE QUICKLY AND CAN HELP PEOPLE JUST AS WELL OR BETTER THAN I WOULD.
UM, AND SO OUR GOAL I'M LESS COMMITTED TO THE SHAPE OF THE SHELTER, UM, AND MORE TO IT BEING THE BEST INVESTMENT OF CITY DOLLARS AND THE BEST INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME AND OUR CITY.
STUFF'S LIMITED TIME TO BRING THESE RESOURCES TO BEAR.
SO OBVIOUSLY, TRUNCATED CONVERSATION HERE TODAY.
I THINK THE QUESTION THAT COUNSELOR OVER TOVO ASKING IS WHAT DO WE SAY TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYONE TO GO TO? UM, AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION FOR US TO, TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE, THERE WAS AN ELECTION PEOPLE SAID THEY DID NOT WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE IN TESTS.
UH, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND THE MANAGERS FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY THE, BY THE COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT THAT MOST EVERYBODY THAT WAS VOTING FOR THAT, UH, WANTED US TO, TO ACTUALLY HELP THAT COMMUNITY AND TO GET THEM OFF THE STREETS.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT VOTE IS A VOTE THAT ASKED US TO SPEND MONEY, TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS TEMPORARILY, BUT TO ACTUALLY GET THEM OFF.
I DON'T THINK THAT WAS A VOTE FOR US TO SPEND OUR RESOURCES, TO DO SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE BACK ON THE STREETS QUICKLY.
CAUSE THAT DOESN'T GET US WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND, AND, AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS CHALLENGE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS US TO, TO DEAL WITH.
ON THURSDAY, WE HAVE A VOTE, A COUPLE OF VOTES IN FRONT OF US ON HOTELS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED FOR BRIDGE HOUSING.
I WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THAT BRIDGE HOUSING FITS IN WITH SOLVING OR MEETING THE IMMEDIACY CHALLENGE.
I WANT TO ADD DISCUSSIONS THAT COMPARE THAT ASSOCIATED WITH HEAL, UH, AS, AS, AS, AS JUXTAPOSED TO SPENDING RESOURCES ON SANCTIONING THE CAMP AREAS.
SO THE COMMUNITY CAN HEAR THOSE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS.
I WANT TO KNOW IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET SERVICES FOR PEOPLE TO KEEP THEM OFF THE STREET, MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION, SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES TO SUBORDINATES IN A BRIDGE HOUSE LIKE WE'RE APPROVING ABOUT THURSDAY OR HOUSING IS HE'LL GETS THEM INTO VERSUS THE SANCTUARY CAMP AREA.
IN OTHER WORDS, IS IT, THIS IS A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO AIR THESE ISSUES SO THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT OR NOT TO EXPECT SO THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS REALLY WELL WHAT THE TRADE OFFS ARE AND WHAT THE CHOICES ARE.
UH, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE GREATER AND GREATER URGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE GOAL OF GETTING 3000 PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS IN THREE YEARS, THE SEVENTH PLAN OR THE ARPA STRATEGY OR HEAL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ULTIMATELY IS GUIDED W THIS CHALLENGE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE CAN DO ALL THIS ON THURSDAY.
THEN WE STILL HAVE COVID THE PULLED ITEM TO TALK ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER, GALLEY ACCOUNTS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY STRUGGLE WITH WHEN IT COMES TO TACKLING THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE IN OUR CITY AND OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS IS REALLY LIKE, HOW DO WE HELP EVERYONE WITHOUT PAINTING SUCH A BROAD BRUSH ACROSS THE SPECTRUM? BECAUSE EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED, THE MORE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, THE BETTER WE WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM.
WHAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING IS WHAT RESOURCES YOUR OFFICE NEEDS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE POSSIBLE AND TO GET THINGS DONE IN A MORE EXPEDIENT MANNER.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT A FAULT OF YOU OR YOUR STAFF, IT'S JUST THAT LIMITED RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE.
AND SO IF YOU COULD SET THE EXPECTATION FOR US SO THAT WE CAN BETTER ASSIST YOU AS A COUNCIL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WAS BEING SAID EARLIER BY MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE DIAS.
AND I DO STILL FULLY BELIEVE IN COUNCIL MEMBER TOGO'S RESOLUTION.
AND I THINK THAT IF THAT IS ONE OPTION, WE HAVE AVAILABLE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT FOR OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF, OF WAITING SO LONG TO APPROVE PURCHASING OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
I KNOW THAT PROCESS TAKES A WHILE AND WE NEED IT IN TERM SOLUTION.
SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GET BACK TO SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE POINTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE RAISED, UM, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY, I BELIEVE IT'S BETTER FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO BE IN
[02:00:01]
STABLE STRUCTURES RATHER THAN TENTS AND TINY HOMES.UM, THAT MIGHT BE TEMPORARY IN NATURE.
WE HAVE BEEN PURSUING THIS HOTEL MOTEL STRATEGY, AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR STAFF ARE BRINGING THOSE PROPERTIES TO US AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN, AND AS QUICKLY AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
SO WE, ONE QUESTION I WANT TO TEE UP FOR THURSDAY IS WHAT ARE OTHER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT TURNED OUT TO BE THE FASTEST OF OPTIONS EITHER.
AND SO SHOULD WE GO BACK TO THINKING ABOUT SECURING SOME SPACES THAT COULD BE EMERGENCY CONGREGATE SHELTER, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT IDEAL IN, IN, UM, THE SITUATION WE'RE CURRENTLY FACING WITH REGARD TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT AGAIN, PEOPLE STILL NEED IMMEDIATE PLACES TO GO.
SO I AM, I AM STILL STRUGGLING TO KNOW ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE, ARE IMPORTANT.
I SUPPORT THE INVESTMENTS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE LED ON MAKING THESE INVESTMENTS AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT QUICK ONES AND THEY'RE NOT IMMEDIATE ONES.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE ARE IN MEETING BOTH OF THOSE.
UM, ANOTHER THING I'D LIKE TO JUST TEE UP FOR THURSDAY, WE DO HAVE THE, I KEEP FORGETTING RATIFICATION THE RATIFICATION OF THE EXTENSION OF LISA'S, UM, FOR THE DAYS IN AND ANOTHER, ANOTHER ONE OF THE HOTELS THAT HAD BEEN LEASED FOR PROTECTIVE LODGING.
UM, I HAD ASKED YOU MANAGER AND I, I APOLOGIZE, I HADN'T PUT IT INTO THE Q AND A, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO SEE SOME OF THESE ASSETS AS THEY PLAY OUT GEOGRAPHICALLY, UM, IN, IS IN DISTRICT NINE.
UM, IT IS, I ALSO HAVE SEVERAL OTHER ASSETS SERVING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, INCLUDING OUR TWO LARGEST, UM, EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND OTHERS.
THERE ARE AREAS OF OUR CITY WITHOUT, WITHOUT ASSETS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY MINDFUL OF WHERE THOSE AREAS ARE, SO THAT WE CAN LOOK TO LOCATING RESOURCES AND ASSETS IN THOSE TO KNOWING THAT INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND THAT WE HAVE HAD PUBLIC ENCAMPMENTS AND IN MANY AREAS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, NOT ALL.
SO, UM, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SUBMITTING THIS IN A FORMAL WAY.
IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR THURSDAY, BUT IF WE COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION AT LEAST ON THE HIGH LEVEL, UM, OR WORK TOWARD IT IN THE WEEKS AHEAD OF GETTING A MAP OF THAT SORT, AND PERHAPS THAT'S MORE REALISTIC OF GETTING A MAP OF THAT SORT IN THE WEEKS AHEAD IN THINKING ABOUT OUR CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY.
AND I THINK IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO ME, MAYOR TO HAVE IT MORE BROADLY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO TALK ABOUT, UM, EXPECTATIONS OF HOW WE WILL OPERATE OUR FACILITIES, UM, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN BE ASSURED OF WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT WHEN, UH, AND SO THAT GUESTS IN THOSE FACILITIES CAN BE ASSURED OF, OF WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT IN TERMS OF THE CITY'S MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS OF THOSE.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF, SORRY.
I JUST NEGLECTED TO THANK OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT SHE'S DOING AND HER STAFF AND THE WHOLE STAFF, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING.
UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GO INTO THAT FURTHER DETAIL ON THURSDAY.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT CHOICES WE HAVE AND TRADE-OFFS EVOLVE.
[D4. Discussion on Covid-19 related matters.]
BRIEF EGG THAT'S ON, ON VIRUS.I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD REALLY SPEND MUCH TIME ON IT, PROBABLY NOT.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE PASS OVER IT, I JUST WANT TO COLLEAGUES, WE GOT A COPY OF THE REPORT, UH, THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE COUNTY.
WE GOT IT A LITTLE BEFORE TWO O'CLOCK, UH, IT IS ALARMING TO SAY THE LEAST, UH, THE NUMBERS WE JUST GOT THAT ARE GOING TO BE REPORTED TODAY.
SHOW THAT, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT OUR ICU HAVE NOW GONE OVER 100, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, CLOSE TO WHAT WE THOUGHT OUR CAPACITY MIGHT BE WITH THE STAFFING THAT'S BEEN, UH, REDUCED.
UH, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MEETINGS TOMORROW ON THAT.
I THINK THAT THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS THAT'S BEING REPORTED TONIGHT IS 60, WHICH GETS US IN THE POSSIBLE RAGE FOR THE HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR TO PUT US INTO STAGE FIVE, WHICH IS RED JUST DAYS AFTER WE HAVE GONE INTO STAGE FOUR, I WANT TO READ A SOCIAL MEDIA POST, THAT MORE PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR THIS.
A SOCIAL MEDIA POST A FEW HOURS AGO.
THIS IS POSTED BY A NURSE PRACTITIONER IN OUR CITY, THE COVID CENSUS IN MY ICU BEEN GROWING STEADILY UNTIL TODAY.
TODAY IT BLEW UP, BLEW UP AS ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS.
THE ICU IS FILLING UP WITH VERY ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS, SICK UNVACCINATED COVID PATIENTS STILL HAVE YET TO SEE ONE IN THE ICU WHO IS VACCINATED.
THEY ARE LITERALLY ALL ON VENTILATORS AND
[02:05:01]
OR E C M O LUNG BYPASS.THEY ARE MUCH YOUNGER AND WERE MUCH HEALTHIER THAN THE PATIENT POPULATION WE SAW IN PRIOR SURGERIES.
THEY ARE ALSO GETTING SICKER FASTER AND DYING FASTER.
THE THIRD ROUND IS, WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE.
IT IS DEVASTATING TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND.
THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS VERY SIMPLE.
GET VACCINATED, WEAR A DAMN MASK IN PUBLIC.
IF WE COULD SPEND 12 HOURS IN RESPIRATORS, CAEP C A P R HELMETS AND 95 MASKS AND FULL PPE.
YOU SURE AS HELL CAN WEAR A MASK.
THE HEB AVOID CROWDS AND RISKY SITUATIONS.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE INDICATED ACTION.
I THINK WE NEED TO HUDDLE WITH, UH, HELP FOLKS AND, AND, AND FIGURE THIS OUT.
I KNOW THAT, UH, AISD HAS POSTED A, UM, UM, UH, A SURVEY ON ITS WEBSITE.
I URGE EVERYBODY TO, TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UH, IN AND LET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT KNOW, UH, WHAT FAMILIES ARE FEELING ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN.
I NOTE THAT, UH, THE CDC IS NOW RECOMMENDING AS OF TODAY.
I THINK CHANGED POLICY WITH RESPECT TO MASKING INDOORS, UH, INEVITABLE BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE SEEING GET VACCINATED IS STILL THE PRIMARY MESSAGE HERE.
AND THEN I'LL JUST CONCLUDE WITH, I SAW THAT THE GOVERNOR IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE NOW IN THESE RESPONSES, IN RESPONSE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE ASKING FOR THE PERMISSION TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEIR STUDENTS BY REQUIRING MASKING IN THEIR SCHOOLS, AND CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE UNDER WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS DOING, THEY WILL LOSE FINANCING AND, AND, AND MONEY TO BE ABLE TO, TO RUN SCHOOLS.
IF THEY DO THAT, THEN IN RESPONSE TO THAT, THE GOVERNOR TODAY ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING THAT EVERY TEXAS HAS A RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHETHER THEY WILL WEAR A MASK OR HAVE THEIR CHILDREN WEAR MASKS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE FIND THAT, RIGHT, THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO FILL UP OUR ICU'S AND PREVENT PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING HEART ATTACKS FROM BEING ABLE TO GO THERE, THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO PUT NURSES IN OUR ICU AND OUR EMERGENCY ROOMS AT RISK.
I DON'T FIND WHERE THAT RIGHT EXISTS.
AND I APPLAUD ASCENSION SETON TODAY, WHICH APPARENTLY IS NOW ASKING ITS ASSOCIATES TO GET TESTED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN A HOSPITAL.
IF I WENT INTO A HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THAT HOSPITAL THAT I WAS RUNNING INTO ON THAT STAFF WERE PEOPLE THAT HAD DECIDED TO GET VACCINATED.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY RIGHT.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE AND IT IS NOT GETTING APPROPRIATE ATTENTION OR RESPONSE.
UM, IF I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT COVID BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU MAYOR.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FRONTLINE WITH THIS AND ALL OF US REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND APPRECIATE THE, THE MESSAGES THAT YOU ARE SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I WILL ECHO THOSE AS MUCH AND AS LOUDLY, AND AS OFTEN AS I CAN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALICE.
I'LL BE BRIEF AS I LIKE TO BE.
UM, IT'S REALLY BEEN A STRUGGLE AS WE'RE KIND OF GOING INTO THIS NEXT PHASE AND ANOTHER WAVE AND DEALING WITH A VARIANT THAT YOU KNOW, IS SPREADING WAY TOO FAST.
AND I'M, I'M TIRED OF WEARING MY MASK TOO, BUT I STILL PUT IT ON.
I THINK ABOUT KIDS THAT ARE TOO YOUNG TO GET VACCINATED.
I THINK ABOUT DOCTORS THAT ARE EXHAUSTED.
I THINK ABOUT FOLKS WITH IMMUNO COMPROMISED SYSTEMS AND OLDER FOLKS, AND I'M, I'M TIRED OF IT TOO, BUT THIS PANDEMIC DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT OTHERS, BECAUSE IT'S THE VERY LEAST THAT WE CAN DO.
I THINK WE'VE ALL READ AND HEARD THAT THIS IS THE PANDEMIC FOR THE UNVACCINATED.
AND SO FOR ME, HEARING THAT WE ARE ON THE PRECIPICE OF ENTERING OR ELEVATING.
OUR STAGE IS EXTREMELY ALARMING AND IT'S A CALL TO ACTION THAT WE HAVE TO DO MORE TO ADDRESS VACCINE HESITANCY.
AND I KNOW IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE
[02:10:01]
THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TODAY TO RECEIVE A FULL BRIEFING.I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST, UM, THE DAILY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS EOC BRIEFINGS THAT ARE GIVEN, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE IN AN, A CRISIS MODE AND WE SHOULD BE TREATING IT AS SUCH.
THERE'S NOT A WEEKEND THAT GOES BY THAT.
I DON'T HEAR FROM SOMEONE IN MY COMMUNITY WHO TALKS TO ME ABOUT A LOVED ONE THAT THEY'VE LOST.
AND SO THIS PANDEMIC IS STILL VERY, VERY REAL AND VERY PREVALENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, UH, TO ECHO COSTUMER ELLIS'S STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, TO MAX THAT MASK UP AND, AND DO RIGHT OUR COMMUNITY.
AS WE CLOSE OUT OUR MEETING, LET'S GO TO THE ONE PULLED ITEM
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
THAT WE HAVE.JOHN, UH, AS MARKETS ARE, YOU PULLED THIS, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING VERY BRIEFLY.
WHO'VE WORKED SO HARD ON THIS.
UH, ALL FIVE OF THE PROPOSERS THAT PUT IN SO MUCH WORK TO SEND PROPOSALS TO US.
UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN THAT AREA HAS BEEN ASKING ME ABOUT THAT PROPERTY SINCE I WAS FIRST KNOCKING ON DOORS THERE, AND WE'VE PASSED MANY, MANY RESOLUTIONS GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
UM, AND SO, UH, GIVEN HOW MANY ITEMS WE HAVE COMING UP ON THURSDAY, I JUST WANT FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY SAW ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, SOME OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE PROJECT BEFORE IT GETS TO ITS FINAL PHASE.
AND WE'LL APPRECIATE, UH, ANY ONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO POST THINGS SO WE CAN INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE DIRECTION, UH, AND GET THIS LONG OVERDUE PROJECT MOVING ON THURSDAY.
UM, I HAVE HEARD FROM SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT, UM, HAVING MORE, UH, UH, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS, UH, AND ALSO REALLY PRESSING FOR A LEASE AND MAINTAINING CITY OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY WAS, UH, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I, UH, I'M HAPPY TO INCORPORATE THAT.
AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT GETS, UH, THAT GETS RAISED BY THE DIOCESE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DELIBERATE THAT, BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THIS DONE ON THURSDAY, GIVEN THAT THERE WILL STILL BE SEVERAL MONTHS MORE OF NEGOTIATION WITH THE, UM, UH, WITH THE PROPOSED VENDOR, HOW'S ABOUT A TURBO AND ALSO PULL THIS, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BOTH SOME THAT, UM, NEED TO BE ANSWERED PROBABLY IN, UH, WITH STAFF DIRECTLY, UM, AND, AND NOT IN AN OPEN SESSION BECAUSE THEY'RE SUBJECT TO THE COMPETITIVE MATTERS.
SO SOME I MAY BE ABLE TO GET ANSWERED ON BEFORE THURSDAY, SOME MAY REQUIRE A CONVERSATION AMONG OUR COUNCIL.
UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, CASSARA FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS, THIS TOO IS, UH, ATTRACT, UM, THAT HAS GENERATED LOTS OF COMMUNITY EXCITEMENT AROUND ITS REDEVELOPMENT AND, AND, UM, DATING BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE AT-LARGE COUNCIL.
AND SO I'VE BEEN OUT TO THE TRACK, LOTS OF TIMES THINKING AND IMAGINING WHAT IT CAN BE AS WELL.
UM, I, AS I INDICATED TO YOU WILL BE, UM, HAVE PREPARED A, UH, MOTION SHEET THAT I'LL SHARE AS SOON AS IT'S READY TO BE POSTED.
I DO WANT TO SEE THAT I DO WANT TO SEE A VERY CONCRETE DIRECTION TO STAFF THAT WE WOULD LEASE THIS AND NOT SELL OUR TRACK.
I CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THE RATIONALE AT A LATER DATE, IF, IF THERE'S DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT IT.
UM, I THINK THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR APPROACH.
I AM NOT AT, I AM NOT YET FAMILIAR WITH EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THE PUBLIC REALM VERSUS WHAT'S IN THE CONFIDENTIAL PROPOSALS.
SO I WILL, I WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY LEVEL OF DETAIL EXCEPT TO SAY THAT AS I INDICATED TO YOU, I WILL BE PROVIDING VERY, VERY STRONG DIRECTION THAT THE SHIFT BE TO, UM, AWAY FROM STUDIO AND ONE BEDROOMS AND TWO, TWO, AND THREE BEDROOMS, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE ON OUR OWN LAND.
UM, WHAT WE ARE ALWAYS ASKING OUR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO ACHIEVE, WHICH IS HOUSING, UM, FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, THOSE WHO HAVE CAREGIVERS, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE MORE THAN MORE THAN, UM, STUDIOS AND ONE BEDROOMS. AND I, I THINK WE HAVE SOME INTERESTING PROPOSALS IN FRONT OF US.
UM, BUT WE'D LIKE TO PUSH THEM.
I AM THE, THE MOTION SHEET THAT I'VE PREPARED THAT I'M BRINGING FORWARD DOES LOOK A LOT LIKE THE ONE FOR HEALTH SOUTH, I THINK CHILDCARE, UM, SHOULD BE A DEFAULT POSITION TO INCLUDE, UH, A HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS.
IT CAN CERTAINLY BE SHAPED BY THOSE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AS WELL, BUT, UM, IT WILL BE, IT WILL BE IN THE EMOTION CHIEF THAT I'M BRINGING FORWARD.
AND AS WITH HEALTH SOUTH, I WOULD LIKE THERE TO BE MULTIPLE CHECK-IN POINTS SO THAT WE DON'T GET TO THE POINT WHERE AN AGREEMENT IS COMING FORWARD FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL AND A MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
AND WE'RE TRYING AT THAT POINT TO NEGOTIATE.
SO, UM, AS WE DID WITH HEALTH SOUTH, WE HAD, WE ASKED, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD A LIST OF DEAL POINTS.
WE WANTED TO SEE INCLUDED WITHIN THAT EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT.
AND WE ASKED THE STAFF TO COME BACK IF THERE WERE OBJECTIONS.
AND THEN WE ASKED FOR SOME PARTICULAR FOLLOW-UP DATES.
SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ALONG THE LINES OF, OF WHAT I'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD FOR, UM,
[02:15:01]
ADDITIONAL FOUR AMENDMENTS SLASH ADDITIONAL DIRECTION.UM, I'M VERY EXCITED AND INTRIGUED BY THE VISION OF THIS LOCATION AND WHAT WE WILL BE DOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
I KNOW THAT IN THE CITY, WE HAVE AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND THAT WILL LEAD TO MANY PEOPLE BEING HOMELESS IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE DISCUSSION ON THIS.
I HAVE NO LESS THAN EIGHT TO 10 QUESTIONS WITH FOLLOW-UPS RELATED TO THE PROPERTY, JUST TO GET MORE INSIGHT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION.
YOU COULD POST THOSE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, UH, PEOPLE GET READY, MAKE SURE YOU GET REALLY, REALLY COMPLETE ANSWERS.
UH, I, I WANT TO APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO SHE'S CO-SPONSORED, UH, SO MANY OF THE ITEMS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD OVER THE YEARS.
AND EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR MOTION, SHE HAD EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE LISTED AND SAID, I THINK ALIGNS WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING CONSISTENTLY FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND I WOULD WANT TO SEE IN THE PROJECT, UH, BECAUSE AT THE STAGE THAT IT IS, IT IS, UH, A NO SUBSIDY PROJECT.
AND IF, UH, AND THAT MEANS THAT IT HAS CERTAINLY ROOM TO IMPROVE, UH, COMPARED TO SO MANY OF OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT WE DO PUT MONEY INTO.
AND SO I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, THIS, THESE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO WHILE THE PROPOSAL WE HAVE BEFORE US, UM, AS LISTED THAT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF US SELECTING, UH, A BUILDER COULD ACTUALLY START CONSTRUCTION.
SO IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED ON THE SITE.
THE FACT THAT WE'RE ONE YEAR AWAY FROM, FROM DIRT TURNING, I THINK IS REALLY EXCITING, BUT WE WOULD WANT IT TO BE THAT KIND OF PROJECT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF.
UM, AND, AND, UH, I HOPE, I HOPE AND BELIEVE THAT THE DIRECTION YOU'RE THINKING OF PROVIDING IN MY DIRECTION, UH, COULD PASS ON THURSDAY AND WE CAN GET TO THAT LAST FEW MONTHS OF WORK.
SO OBVIOUSLY TIMING IS SOMETHING WE'LL TALK ABOUT ON THURSDAY ON THAT POINT, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM, GIVEN THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME AND TALK, SPEAK ON THIS, IS, ARE WE THINKING OF GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THIS ITEM, OR IS IT GOING TO BE TAKEN UP WITH, UH, CONSENT AT THE BEGINNING? I'M NOT SURE IF IT COMES UP BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE WANT IT TO ADD TO THE, TO THE, TO THE ISSUE OF IT HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
SO THEN SHOULD I LET FOLKS KNOW TO COME? UM, COULD WE, COULD WE TAKE IT UP AS SOON AS WE'RE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, JUST AS FAR AS LETTING FOLKS KNOW WHO WE'RE GOING TO COME DOWN, UH, WHAT TIME TO COME? COULD WE SET A TIME SOON? YEAH, BASICALLY.
CAN WE JUST TAKE IT UP RIGHT AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION? I THINK, I THINK WE COULD, WE HAVE A BIG DEAL.
MY HOPE IS YOU CAN TALK TO ADVOCATES AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY IS GOING TO PASS.
THE ISSUE IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE SAY WE WANT TO LOOK AT, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A LOT OF TIME ON THURSDAY FOR THIS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE SIX OR SEVEN ZODY CASES THAT LOOK LIKE THERE MAY BE DISCUSSION CASES.
UH, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WHERE WE'RE MAKING BEST USE OF THE, OF THE TIME THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
I THINK FOLKS KNOWING IT WOULD PASS WOULD PROBABLY KEEP IT PRETTY TIGHT, UH, BUT WOULD PROBABLY, PROBABLY IT'S EVEN EASIER IF THEY KNOW WHEN, WHEN FOLKS SHOULD ARRIVE.
SO WE'LL JUST GENERALLY PLAN ON THE BEST WE CAN.
WE'LL DO IT AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, JUST BY WAY OF NOTICE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK IS I HAD ABOUT 18, WHICH IS REAFFIRMING OUR WORK ON THE SABBATH.
I THINK IT FITS WITH THE CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING HERE TODAY.
UH, IT GIVES A LITTLE BIT GREATER DETAIL OR THAT FOR FOLKS THAT, THAT WE'RE ASKING TO PARTNER WITH US, THERE'VE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE RAISE.
WHAT ARE YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT BY THAT RESOLUTION TRIED TO TAKE OVER LEADERSHIP OR THAT WE ARE APPROPRIATELY DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO I'LL PUT IN SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TO MAKE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT DOING EITHER OF THOSE TWO THINGS.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE ADJOURN OUR MEETING FOR TODAY.
AND WITH THAT HERE AT, UH, 5 34, UH, THIS COUNCIL MEETING IS THE CHART.