[00:00:03]
IN ONE, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING.
[Call to Order]
THE TIME IS 6:08 PM.THIS IS A JOINT MEETING OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION WITH MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HERE TO GUEST SPEAK.
WE HAVE A QUORUM FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, VICE CHAIR, JOLENE KIELBASA.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A QUORUM FOR THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION]
TO START WITH CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS WHO WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH EITHER OF THE BOARDS OR MARIO CANTU? IF YOU COULD COME UP TO THE PODIUM HERE FACING OUT TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE.
I'M GOING TO BE USED BY THAT WAY.
MY NAME IS MARIO CANTU, NATIVE TEXTS IN HERE, BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS GREW UP ON SOUTH CONGRESS IN EAST PART OF TOWN.
UH, I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME IMAGES TODAY OF DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, JUSTICE, KINDNESS, AND VOTING.
IF YOU CAN JUST PAY ATTENTION TO A LOT OF THE, UH, WRITING THAT'S IN THE IMAGES AND THE PEOPLE AND OBSERVE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
EXPRESSION OF FAITH, NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE.
I REALLY LIKE A LOT, TEXAS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, MONUMENT SIXTH STREET BORDERED UP DURING THE PANDEMIC STATE POLICE TROOPERS.
AND NOBODY WANTS TO BE SCARED.
OUR HOMELESS CAMPS THROUGHOUT THE CITY INDIVIDUALS GETTING TOGETHER ABOUT JUSTICE AND QUALITY AND DIVERSITY VOTING VOTING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
REMEMBER THAT DON'T MESS WITH TEXTS WHEN HE CAME TO KEEP IN OUR CITY OR STATE CLEAN CITY HALL, SIXTH STREET BORDERED UP FALLEN OFFICER RESPECTS GIVEN ON 9 35 FRONTLINE WORKERS.
FIRST RESPONDERS, NURSES, PARAMEDICS EMT IS DOCTORS.
EVERY PLACE YOU DEPEND ON, ON THE LEFT DURING THE COMPASSIONATE NINE MINUTES AND 29 SECONDS.
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THAT NINE MINUTES 29 6.
MOVING ON SOME QUICK HOUSEKEEPING FOR THOSE OF US IN THE CHAMBER TONIGHT, FOR THOSE WHO ARE BEING ASKED QUESTIONS, IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT AND FACE OUT TO THE AUDIENCE, A MICROPHONE IS WORKING THERE FOR THOSE OF US ON A BOARD OR COMMISSION.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[00:05:01]
WE HAVE A ROVING MICROPHONE THAT WE'LL BRING TO YOU.PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THE BORDER COMMISSION THAT YOU'RE ON.
WE'LL GO THROUGH PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE IN PERSON FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY IT'S THE FIRST RUNNING.
THE MEANING WILL BE MYSELF FOR ZONING AND PLANNING WILL BE VICE-CHAIR CABASA AND REPRESENTING PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT NOT IN ITS OFFICIAL CAPACITY CHAIR, SHAW, SHAW.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? OKAY.
AND I HAVE A POWERPOINT MAYBE.
SHOULD I DO IT FROM HERE? I NEED A CLICKER OR, UM, I HAVE A POWERPOINT.
WHERE SHOULD I DO THE POWERPOINT?
IF YOU COULD JUST NOTE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
[A.1.Austin City Hall Revised Boards and Commissions Use Policy; Required Relocation of Meetings of the Land Use Boards and Commissions]
AND CITY HALL NOT PERMITTING, UM, AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE MEETING PLACE? CITY HALL.
AND I DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT CITY HALL IS DEFINITELY THE SYMBOL OF DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL DISCUSSION.
IT CONVEYS GRAVITAS DESIGNED FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS AS WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW, AND WE HAVE BEEN HERE AND OTHER COMMISSIONS HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE CITY HALL OPENED, IT'S COMFORTABLE AND IT'S EASY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE COMMISSIONERS TO SEE THE PUBLIC.
AND YOU CAN KEEP TAB OF THE MEETINGS FROM THE LOBBY PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
THE NAME SAYS IT ALL, WHERE DEVELOPERS GET PERMITS.
IT'S THE RESULT OF CITY'S GOAL OF ONE.
STOP PERMITTING, PUSH IT'S AN OFFICE BUILDING AND WE'LL BE MEETING IN A MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
MOVING MEETINGS FURTHER AWAY FROM SOUTH AUSTIN MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR RESIDENTS, APPLICANTS AND VOLUNTEER COMMISSIONERS.
THERE'S LESS BUS SERVICE FORCE.
AND FOR SOUTH AUSTIN NIGHTS TO TRAVEL THROUGH DOWNTOWN AT RUSH HOUR I 35 IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION AT 6:00 PM.
NOW NIGHTS MUST CONTEND WITH CROSSING ONE OF FIVE DOWNTOWN BRIDGES JUST TO REACH HERE.
SO TRAVELING NORTHWARD WOULD MAKE IT WORSE.
AND IT'S A QUESTION OF EQUITY, WHICH I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYWHERE MENTIONED UNTIL NOW.
CITY HALL IS AT THE CENTER OF TRANSIT.
HIGHLAND MALL IS NOT THE CENTER OF TRANSIT AND THAT PERSON STANDING THERE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO GOT OUGHTA OFF THE BUS THAT NIGHT AT ABOUT EIGHT 15.
THE CLOSEST BUS STOP IS HALF A MILE AWAY FROM THE PDC.
NO PEDESTRIANS, FEW BUS WRITERS, POOR LIGHTING AND NO HUSTLE AND BUSTLE DOWNTOWN'S REPUBLIC SQUARE.
BUS SERVICE, CITY HALL AND THE CITY HALL REPUBLIC SQUARE, UH, SOUTHBOUND STOP AND NORTHBOUND 0.2 MILES AWAY COMPARED TO THE PDC BUS STOPS ON AIRPORT AND HIGHLAND MALL BOULEVARD ARE 0.6 MILES AND 0.5 MILES AWAY.
RED LINE IS ALSO 0.6 MILE WALK AND CITY HALL IS SERVED BY ALL THOSE BUSES PDC, THOSE BUSES, SEVEN HIGH-FREQUENCY BUS ROUTES SERVE CITY HALL.
AND I KNOW BECAUSE I USUALLY ACCEPT FOR TONIGHT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, PERSONAL REASONS.
I, I USUALLY TAKE THE BUS AND THERE'S ONLY TWO, SO SEVEN HIGH-FREQUENCY ROUTES HERE.
TWO HIGH FREQUENCY BUS ROUTES.
THEY'RE BUSIEST BUS STOPS IN THE CITY OR HERE AT CITY HALL PDC, NO ONE, UM, IN MY DRIVES THROUGH AT NIGHT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
D TWO BUS RIDE, CITY HALL, 40 MINUTES, NO TRANSFER FROM, AND NOW I FORGOT A LITTLE TEXAS STATION PDC, 94 MINUTES, ONE TRANSFER.
AND THAT TRANSFER IS JUST NOT IS YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO WALK FIVE MINUTES FROM ONE BUS.
STOP TO ANOTHER, INCLUDING CROSSING LAMAR.
PERSONAL SAFETY AT RISK IMMEDIATELY ACROSS FROM ONE ENTRANCE TO THE PDC, THE SIGN WITH THE ENTRANCE, WITH THE SIGNS.
AND THAT'S AT ABOUT EIGHT, 10 AT NIGHT.
NO LIGHTING, NO SIDEWALKS, NO CARS, NO PEOPLE.
AGAIN, THIS IS IMMEDIATELY ACROSS FROM ANOTHER ENTRANCE TO THE PDC, THE PARKING
[00:10:01]
LOT.THAT'S SORT OF A HAPHAZARD PARKING LOT ACROSS FROM THE PDC A MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM.
IS IT LIT BY THE ADJACENT HOLIDAY INN? NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AGAIN, BUS WRITERS MUST PASS THIS DIMLY LIT CONSTRUCTION SITE WITH NO SIDEWALKS AND NO PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE METAL DETECTORS AND SECURITY OUTSIDE OR CHAMBERS AT ALL TIMES.
SECURE PARKING OUTDOOR LIGHTING BUS STOPS ARE THE BUSIEST IN THE CITY.
DOWNTOWN FULL OF PEDESTRIANS, MANY BUSINESSES OPEN LATE.
AND NEXT SLIDE PLEASE MOVING MEETINGS TO PDC SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE ABOUT WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE.
TRANSIT DEPENDENT CANNOT ATTEND A WILL HAVE A HARDER TIME REACHING THE MEETING POTENTIAL VOLUNTEER COMMISSIONERS WILL WHO RELY ON TRANSIT WILL BE LESS INCLINED RESIDENTS.
SOUTH OF THE RIVER MAY ALSO BE LESS INCLINED TO PARTICIPATE EITHER AS COMMISSIONERS OR AS PARTICIPANTS.
AND IT FORCES PEOPLE TO RELY ON CARS, VOTERS JUST APPROVED TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS.
YET THE CITY WANTS TO MOVE COMMISSION MEETINGS TO LESS TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE.
PDC SAYS AUSTIN IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT EQUITY AND FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE.
FROM THE MEMO TO THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THE PDC, THE PDC BRINGS TOGETHER RESOURCES, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH STATES.
EXPLICITLY THAT PDC IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT CUSTOMER SEAMLESS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
THEN IT DID NOT MENTION THAT THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS WOULD MOVE TO THE PDC.
CITY RATIONALE FOR MOVING TO THE PDC, THE MEMO THAT WE GOT IN RESPONSE TO ZAP PUTTING THIS ON OUR AGENDA.
STAFF SAYS STAFF AT PDC, ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT TRUE.
STAFFERS AT MEETINGS IS AT 11TH STREET AND ONE TEXAS CENTER LOCATIONS.
AND THERE'S AN IMPLICATION THAT VIEWS CITY VOLUNTEER COMMISSIONERS ARE LIKE PAID STAFF, MOVING THEM WITHOUT CONSULTATION OR DISCUSSION, BUT THE MEMO POINTS OUT THAT THERE'S LOTS OF PARKING DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC APPLICANTS AND COMMISSIONERS AND USE THE ZUCKER REPORT AS AN EXCUSE.
SO I HAD TO JUST, I, WHEN I SAW THE ZUCKER REPORT AS AN EXCUSE, UM, HAD TO MAKE THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IT WAS A SLIDE, IT WAS A REPORT THAT WAS WITHHELD FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS.
AND ONE IS THAT THINGS THAT WE ASKED FOR THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET LIKE LEGAL REPRESENTATION AT OUR ZAP AND PC MEETINGS IS NOT THERE, BUT THE ZIPPER REPORT DOES ACKNOWLEDGE COMMISSION MEETINGS AT CITY HALL WITH NO MENTION WHATSOEVER OF MOVING THEM.
BUT CONTRARY TO THE CITY'S MEMO, THE ZD REPORT MENTIONS THAT COMMISSIONS WILL REMAIN AT CITY HALL IN AN INDIRECT WAY.
AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS PURCHASE IPADS OR LAPTOP COMPUTERS FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS, IF THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN HEARING CHAMBERS, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
PDC MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, NOT DESIGNED FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THERE IS NO DYESS, AWKWARD LAYOUT, MOVABLE CHAIRS AND TABLES, AND IT WAS USED AS A POLLING PLACE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE DOES THE CITY REALLY EXPECT THE PUBLIC STAFF APPLICANTS AND COMMISSIONERS TO SIT FOR HOURS ON THESE STACKABLE CHAIRS? I KNOW CAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THAT ROOM.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I WANTED VICE-CHAIR CABASA TO SPEAK FIRST BECAUSE SHE HAS AN AMAZING PRESENTATION, WHICH ADDRESSES WHY WE'RE HERE AND THAT'S DISCUSSED SOME OF THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THE MOVE TO THE PDC.
I HAVE TO BE HONEST, I'M A LITTLE DISCONCERTED THAT WE'RE ALL HERE.
MOST OF US FROM ALL THREE MAJOR LAND USE BOARD AND COMMISSIONS ADDRESSING AN ISSUE, WHICH SORT OF EXEMPLIFIES THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION FOR A WHILE, BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, I FELT LIKE I WAS GIVEN NO NOTICE.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I FELT THAT THERE WAS NO PUBLIC INPUT I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS, UH, GOOGLING EVERY WAY.
I KNOW HOW, SINCE WE FIRST GOT THE MEMO ABOUT THE PROPOSED PDC MOVE AND THE ONE THING THAT CONSISTENTLY KEEPS COMING UP IN MY RESEARCH, YES, I'M GOING TO INTERNET RESEARCH RIGHT NOW, BUT THE ONE THING THAT KEEPS CONSISTENTLY COMING UP BOTH THROUGH GOOGLE AND FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO WERE ORIGINALLY PART OF THE INPUT FOR CITY HALL BEFORE IT WAS BUILT IS THAT PUBLIC INPUT WAS INVESTED IN AND THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SHOULD BE PUT INTO ONE PLACE.
AND THAT WAS THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT CITY HALL.
[00:15:01]
IT WAS MOVED FROM ONE TEXAS CENTER FROM THE LCRA MEETING ROOM, UH, AND AUSTIN ENERGY AS WELL.IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, A BUNCH OF DISJOINTED PLACES THAT REQUIRED PEOPLE TO GO TO DIFFERENT AREAS.
THIS IS CITY HALL, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE HERE, ESPECIALLY SOVEREIGN BOARDS.
THERE'S A LEVEL OF SCRUTINY FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS.
AND THE BEST WAY TO HAVE THAT KIND OF SCRUTINY MAINTAINED IS TO PUT THEM UNDER A MICROSCOPE BEST PLACE TO DO THAT RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL.
I'M HOPING WE CAN GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED TONIGHT, MAYBE AT LEAST ON THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC INPUT AND WHY CITY STAFF FEELS THAT THE PDC WOULD BE A BETTER MEETING PLACE THAN THE CURRENT LOCATION.
AND I THINK I WILL HAND IT OFF TO CHAIR SHOT TO SPEAK FOR JUST A MOMENT ON THE PLANNING.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY ONE THING FIRST OFF PLACE MATTERS.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE DURING PROTEST, UH, VERY INTENSE PUBLIC DEBATES, AND THIS IS THE LOCATION WHERE THAT SHOULD OCCUR.
THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE DEBATES.
THIS IS WHERE IF THERE'S PROTEST, THEY SHOULD BE OUTSIDE.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR THE FOLKS, HEAR THEIR VOICES.
UH, SECONDLY, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.
I AGREE WITH, UH, UH, CHAIRS, VICE CHAIRS HERE, THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN THE KIND OF PUBLIC DEBATE THAT WE NEED ON THIS, THIS ISSUE.
WE HAVE NOT GIVEN ENOUGH TIME FOR THEM TO SPEAK.
I REALLY PERSONALLY, UM, I THINK THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THEIR PERSONAL FEELINGS.
THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE CHANGE BEING MADE FEBRUARY OF 2022 IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO THAT.
UH, PLANNING COMMISSION HAS ASKED, MADE SEVERAL MO UH, APPROVED SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS, ONE, UH, LIKE THE OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONS TO HAVE A, HAVE AN F AND F COMMITTEE, UH, APPROVED BYLAW CHANGES, WHICH MEMORIALIZED, UH, THE CITY HALL IS OUR MEETING PLACE.
UH, SECONDLY WE HAVE PUT FORWARD A CODE AMENDMENT, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO ACTUALLY PUT THAT INTO CODE, UH, FOR ALL LAND USE, UM, COMMISSIONS.
SO THAT WAY WE HOPE TO GET THE KIND OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO REALLY HEAR, HEAR OUT WHAT THE PUBLIC'S CONCERNS ARE BEFORE MAKING THIS PERMANENT CHANGE.
SO I ASK THAT WE LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK.
IN THE MEANTIME, I ASKED THAT THE CITY CLERK, PLEASE SCHEDULE OUR MEETINGS AS WE'VE REQUESTED, UH, AS WE DO EVERY YEAR, UH, WE'VE MADE THAT REQUEST TO YOU TO MAKE THAT OUR, THIS CITY HALL SCHEDULED THAT FOR 2022, PLEASE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
WE WILL KNOW A LOT MORE, UH, I THINK MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH, UH, DECEMBER, SORRY, UH, ABOUT WHAT THE ANF COMMITTEE FEELS, AND THEN IT'LL GO ON TO COUNCIL.
UH, SO I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THIS SPACE OUT IF COUNCIL DOES DECIDE TO KEEP US HERE.
WE, UH, IF WE DON'T GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE IT, WE MAY HAVE NO CHOICE, BUT TO MOVE.
I WOULD HATE THAT TO BE THE RESULT OF INACTION.
SO PLEASE GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE OUR MEETINGS HERE AS REQUESTED, AND WE'LL LET THE COUNCIL HAVE THEIR, UM, BILL HEAR THIS AT SOME POINT, HOPEFULLY SOON INTO THE NEW YEAR.
SO I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY INTRODUCE THE STUFF MEMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SPEAKING TONIGHT.
WE HAVE ROSIE TRUELOVE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND PLANNING, OR WHERE DOES GET, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YOU WANT TO START? OKAY.
HELLO, COMMISSIONER MEMBERS, RODNEY GONZALES.
I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF STAFF HERE PRESENT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
UM, AND SO FOR EXPEDIENCY SAKE, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL JUST REMAIN UP HERE, UH, GOING THROUGH THE QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, I'LL START OFF AND THEN HAND OVER TO ROSIE, DENISE, AND THEN ANDY.
UH, THANK YOU, RODNEY ROSIE, TRUE LOVE, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
DENISE, LOOK AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND I RESTARTED THE PDC.
DO YOU THINK THE SHARES ANDY MOORE I'M WITH FINANCIAL SERVICES AND I'M THE P THREE PROGRAM MANAGER RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING THE PDC.
[00:20:02]
THANK YOU ALL.WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO SPEAKERS FIRST.
AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE Q AND A, OKAY.
SOUNDS GOOD FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER, MONICA GUZMAN.
YOU GET TO FEEL WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN UP HERE PLENTY OF TIMES, NOT JUST NOT FACING THE AUDIENCE.
UM, CAN Y'ALL UNDERSTAND ME VERY WELL.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I AM MONICA GUZMAN, DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENT AND POLICY DIRECTOR AT GABA GO AUSTIN, VAMOS AUSTIN.
SPEAKING ON ITEM AWAN, RELOCATION OF THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS MEETINGS FOR YEARS, MANY OF US HAVE ADDRESSED MARIN COUNCIL, EXECUTIVE STAFF, COMMISSIONERS, AND TASK FORCE MEMBERS REGARDING THE HISTORIC AND CONTINUED LACK OF TRUE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
I DIDN'T FIND IT ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
I DIDN'T GET IT IN ONE OF MY MINI CITY, EMAIL NEWSLETTERS.
I HEARD ABOUT IT BY WORD OF MOUTH BEFORE IT WAS EVEN POSTED.
IT'S NOT JUST, AND OTHERS HEARD ABOUT IT FROM ME THIS MORNING IN A MEETING.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO CITY BUSINESS, RIGHT? YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY ARE INFORMED DECISIONS BEFORE THE RESPECTIVE COMMISSIONS ARE IMPACTING PEOPLE'S LIVES.
EVERY DAY THROUGH GABA, WE WORK WITH RESIDENTS WHO RECENTLY WENT THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS AND ARE NOW BEFORE COUNCIL.
SOME OF THEM MAY BE ABLE TO GO TO A MEETING AT THE PDC, BUT NOT EVERYBODY HAS THAT ABILITY, EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD BE CLOSER TO THEM GEOGRAPHICALLY, IT'S NOT A SAFE AREA.
THERE'S CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AROUND IT.
IF YOU HAVE TO COME ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS COMMISSIONER, AND KOBASA A GOOD, I GOT IT RIGHT.
AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE CENTER OF TRANSIT HERE DOWNTOWN AND THE AVERAGE PERSON, WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT CITY BUSINESS, THE FIRST PLACE THEY'RE GOING TO THINK OF IS CITY HALL.
YOU KNOW, NOT SOME BUILDING BEHIND WHAT USED TO BE.
WHEN YOU HAVE RESIDENTS WHO ARE MOBILITY IMPAIRED OR CHALLENGED, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THEM.
I HAVE A CAR I CAN DRIVE THERE AND BACK, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW SAFE I'D FEEL KNOWING THERE'S NO SECURITY, NO CLEAR SIGNAGE.
IF I DIDN'T SEE SOMETHING IN THE PAPERWORK BACK UP ABOUT THE ENTRANCE BEING ON SOME OTHER STREET, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN DRIVING AROUND THE BLOCK LOOKING FOR WILLING TO DELCO.
SO AS A D FOUR RESIDENT, UM, LIKE I SAID, OH, SORRY, MY NOTES ARE NOT COMPLETE HERE.
UM, REGARDLESS OF WHICH HAT I WEAR, I'M OPPOSING RELOCATION OR THE LAND USE COMMISSION MEETINGS FROM CITY HALL.
I URGE YOU TO POSTPONE THE DECISION ABOUT RELOCATION SINCE SO FEW ARE AWARE OF THIS MEETING.
YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH THE TRUE PUBLIC PROCESS OF ENGAGEMENT, MAKING PEOPLE AWARE, ALLOWING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, TO SPEAK PREFERABLY HYBRID, NOT NECESSARILY HAVING TO COME TO ANY BUILDING, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC AND NOT EVERYBODY IS VACCINATED.
PLEASE PUSH YOUR DECISION TO JANUARY.
THANK YOU, MS. GUZMAN, NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARIO COME TO GOOD EVENING.
UM, I JUST WANT TO CONCUR WITH WHAT THE MONICA, JOLENE AND SHAW THAT THEY MENTIONED.
I THINK THE DATA THAT JOLENE HAD IS VERY DEAD ON, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE DATA.
I MEAN, THE CITY ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT DATA EVERY TIME AND MAJOR DECISIONS ARE ALWAYS MADE.
EVEN SOMETIMES SOME SIMPLE DECISIONS ARE MADE WITH NO DATA OR A LOT OF DATA.
WE HAVE DATA, SO WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS OF LOW INCOME, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT LIVE IN THIS CITY AND THEY HAVE A HARD TIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ANOTHER ICE STORM, A LOT OF RAINS COMING IN ALL THE TIME.
[00:25:01]
AUSTIN, FORCING SOME OF THESE MEETINGS IS GOOD.IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
UH, JUST, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF THEM CAN'T EVEN HAVE ICE CREAM TO GO HOME.
LIKE SOME OF US, WE PUT ICE CREAM HEB, WE CAN DRIVE AND EAT ICE CREAM WHEN WE GET THERE.
BUT THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT WAIT FOR BUS ALL DAY, THEY NEVER GET ICE CREAM.
SO JUST THINK ABOUT THOSE LITTLE BITTY BITTY THINGS.
AND I THINK THE LITTLE BLUE BDB THINGS THAT I TALKED ABOUT WHERE THE SLIDES THAT I SHOWED YOU, I SAID IS COMMUNICATION.
A LOT OF Y'ALL PROBABLY DIDN'T SEE THESE IMAGES OR A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WERE TAKING PLACE IN OUR CITY, BUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE THERE AGAIN, THEY WERE EXPRESSING DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, JUSTICE, KINDNESS, AND PLACES TO VOTE, HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
LIKE THEY MENTIONED OVER HERE JUST A WHILE AGO.
THIS IS, THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT CITY HALL.
IT WAS BUILT MY UNDERSTANDING.
IT WAS BUILT FOR US FOR ALL OF US TO COME AND HAVE OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY HERE.
I MEAN, THAT WAS THE INTENT TO BUILD THIS.
WE GOT NICE AIR CONDITIONED AND SEATS, EVERYTHING.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE COST FOR THIS ENDEAVOR OF MOVING THESE MEETINGS OVER THERE? YOU KNOW HOW MUCH, I MEAN, WE HAVE A FINANCIAL PERSON.
I LIKE TO HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS SECURITY.
I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE INTO A BUILDING WITH NO SECURITY, EITHER EQUAL OR GREATER THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD.
YOU HAVE NINE IN THE U S ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME BOOGEYMAN THAT ARE OUT AND ABOUT, AND WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE THINGS.
SO I ASK AND I CONCUR WITH A LOT OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SPOKE BEFORE I DID THAT.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE A BIG LOOK AT THIS.
WE NOTIFY PEOPLE AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO STAY HERE, KEEP IT HERE, BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS BUILDING WAS BUILT FOR US AND ACTUALLY WE PAY IT ALL PAID FOR IT.
AND, UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE IN A GREER, SAID THAT, RIGHT? GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE GOURD AND, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I AM A DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT, AND I AM ALSO THE IMMEDIATE PASTOR OF THE SOUTHEAST COMPANY HEAD PLANNED CONTACT TEAM, BUT I AM NOT HERE TO SPEAK FOR THE CONTACT TEAM.
I DO NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE WERE RECENTLY MADE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE.
IT WAS TOO LATE FOR US TO PUT THIS ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, BUT WE INTEND TO VOTE ON THIS ITEM AT OUR NEXT MEETING ON DECEMBER THE 13TH.
I KNOW WE WERE SHOCKED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL BEING IN FAR SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
I CAN NOT IMAGINE WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE FOR US TO GET ALL THE WAY NORTH IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR, BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN THESE MEETINGS OCCUR.
SO THAT IS GOING TO BE, IT IS EFFECTIVELY THIS ENGAGING AN ENTIRE SOUTH AUSTIN COMMUNITY, AND CLEARLY I'M STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS.
JUST KNOW THAT I'M BABYSITTING MY GRANDKIDS.
I HAVE NOT BEEN IN A PUBLIC SETTING INDOORS.
THIS WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE HERE.
THAT IS HOW UPSET I AM ABOUT THIS EQUAL ACCESS.
THIS WILL BE NOT AS EQUAL ACCESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CONSULTED WITH THE EQUITY CONTINENT WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, PLEASE DO.
AND I KNOW PREVIOUSLY IT WAS MENTIONED COST TO MOVE.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE COST WOULD BE TO THOSE OF BUS THAT ARE DISENGAGED.
THIS IS EFFECTIVE, SYSTEMIC AND INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM.
I NEED TO CALL IT AS I SEE IT, TRANSPORTATION IT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED.
ONE OF OUR MEETINGS ENDED UP LIKE TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO KNOW IF I HAD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BACK HOME.
AT THAT TIME, ESPECIALLY TO SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, WE ALSO REPRESENT DEL VALLEY.
TELL ME ABOUT ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO DEL VALLEY.
OUR CONTACT TEAM ATTENDS TO BOTH PLANNING COMMISSION AND SONJA AND PLANNING COMMISSIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO GET A DOUBLE WHAMMY EACH TIME THAT THIS HAPPENS AND FOR STAFF THAT ARE RECOMMENDING THIS, THIS IS FOR YOU.
I'M NOT RETIRED, BUT IF YOUR EMAIL INCLUDES NAME AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, YOU WORK FOR THE PUBLIC.
YOU ARE OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THIS IS SO UNFAIR THAT THIS IS BEING PROPOSED.
I DID NOT SEE ANY TRANSPARENCY IN THIS PROCESS, IN THIS DECISION AT ALL.
I WANT TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO MEET BE,
[00:30:01]
MAKE IT ANY FUTURE PRESENTATIONS ON THIS.I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR YOU TO PUT YOURSELF IN OUR SHOES AND I DON'T SEE THAT YOU HAVE AT THIS POINT TO BE MAKING THIS DECISION.
UM, YOU NEED TO WORK FOR US IN COMMISSIONERS, BOARD MEMBERS ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
I NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY REPRESENT US OTHERWISE.
WHY ARE WE EVEN PAYING FOR YOU? IT IS OUR MONEY THAT IS PAYING FOR YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE FRANCIS AKUNA GOOD EVENING.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DUSK SPRINGS.
I'M ALSO A CLIMATE RESILIENCE COMMUNITY LEAD ORGANIZER WITH GAVIN, AUSTIN, VAMOS AUSTIN.
AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE RELOCATION OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, PLANNING COMMISSION IN SONIA AND IN PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS FROM, UM, FROM CITY HALL TO NORTH AUSTIN.
I WAS READING THAT THE BOARD AND COMMISSIONS ARE HERE TO ENABLE RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN AUSTIN'S GOVERNMENT PROCESS.
AND THEY ALSO HELP SHAPE AND INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY BECAUSE THEY, THEY LEND TO A MORE DIVERSE VIEWPOINT TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER WITH, WITH ALL THAT I WANTED.
I WANT TO SAY THAT BY DOING THE RELOCATION, YOU ARE LIMITING ACCESS TO INCLUSION OF AND PARTICIPATION TO COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MORE IMPACTED AND ANY DECISIONS MADE, BUT THE CITY MAKES IT A LOT HARDER FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, PLANNING, COMMISSION, AND SONY AND IMPLANTING COMMISSIONS TO ENABLE PARTICIPATION AND INFLUENCE ANY PUBLIC POLICY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ANY, IN ANYTHING WE NEED TO INCLUDE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE IMPACTED AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING, CONSIDER POSTPONING THE HEARING UNTIL THE HOLIDAYS TO ALLOW TIME FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING IN OUR COMMUNITIES ABOUT, UM, ABOUT ALL THIS, UH, RELOCATION.
WE KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ANY DECISION PROCESS, WE NEED TO INCLUDE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE IMPACTED.
I DON'T SEE MUCH ENGAGEMENT BEING DONE.
WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE TIME RESIDENTS WOULD TAKE IN THE BUS TO GET TO THIS NEW LOCATION.
IF I GO TO THIS LOCATION TO SPEAK, I WOULD NEED TO LEAVE MY HOUSE AT 4:00 PM.
SO I COULD GET THERE IN ORDER FOR ME TO SPEAK AT 6:00 PM, COUNTING THAT I'M GOING TO WALK AND I'M GOING TO RIDE THE BUS AND TO BE BACK HOME, I WILL BE AT MY HOUSE AT 10:00 PM.
THAT'S BECAUSE I WOULD LEAVE AT EIGHT.
THAT'S NOT COUNTING THAT THERE'S NO BUS GOING BACK HOME.
THE LAST BUS THAT GOOGLE MAPS, UM, SHOWED WHAT'S AT SIX 10.
AND BY THAT TIME I DON'T, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN.
AND OF COURSE I LOVED YOUR PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT THE SAFETY, THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ISSUES CAN I FINISH.
UM, AND IF I GO TO, FROM MY HOUSE TO CITY HALL, IT'LL TAKE ME FROM FIVE O'CLOCK FOR ME TO LEAVE MY HOUSE AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT 6:00 PM.
UH, POINTING OUT THAT BY 8:00 PM, I WOULD LEAVE CITY HALL RESIDENTS STRUGGLE TO GET OUT FROM WORK AND THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO COME VOICE THEIR OPINIONS OR TO SUPPORT CAUSES LIKE THIS ONE, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THEY LIVE PAYCHECK BY PAYCHECK.
LET'S KEEP MEETING HERE IN CITY HALL WHERE IT IS MORE ACCESSIBLE, BUT ALSO LET'S INCLUDE MORE RESIDENTS IN THE EASTERN PRECEDENT.
[00:35:01]
YOU, MR. CORNEA.NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE FORMER ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION, VICE CHAIR, JIM DUNCAN.
UM, MY COMMENTS ARE GOING TO BE REAL BRIEF, UH, AND SOMEWHAT REDUNDANT WITH SOME COMMENTS ALREADY MADE, BUT I WANT TO START OUT BY COMMENDING STEADY STAFF FOR MAKING AN EFFORT TO ALLEGEDLY ENHANCE AND IMPROVE THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS IN AUSTIN.
I THINK THAT THAT'S EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT.
I JUST THINK THAT THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT IS BOMBED DIRECTED WRONG-HEADED AND WOULD DO MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD.
I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THREE QUICK ITEMS, CONVENIENCE, COMFORT, AND SECURITY.
DO I HAVE A CLICKER HERE? FIRST OF ALL, AS A GOOD PLANNER, I ALWAYS LIKE TO LOOK AT THE GEOGRAPHIC.
SO I JUST TOOK AN ARBITRARY AT 10 MILE RANGE FROM CITY HALL, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE GOT TO SEE.
AND THAT BASICALLY TODAY AND THE 10 MILE RANGE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT PART OF THIS CITY IS COVERED.
NOW WE'RE NOT AN EXACTLY CIRCULAR CITY.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME EXTENSIONS NORTH AND SOUTH, BUT WE DO INCLUDE ALL OF SOUTH AUSTIN AND MOST OF NORTH AUSTIN, EXCEPT FOR THE FAR RANGES, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY, SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE, I THINK THEY LIVE IN ROUND ROCK.
THIS IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE CHANGE, THE 10 MILE RADIUS.
NOW, QUITE FRANKLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT A LOT MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF PFLUGERVILLE ROUND ROCK AND MAIN, OR TURN THE MEETINGS, BUT ACTUALLY ENSURE YOU THAT THAT'S NOT IN THEIR STRONGEST INTEREST.
BUT WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST IS ALMOST EVERYBODY LIVING SOUTH OF BEN WHITE SOUTH OF 71 IS NOW OUTSIDE OF THAT 10 MILE RANGE.
AND IT'S NOT JUST AN ARBITRARY 10 MILE RANGE BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET TO DOWNTOWN, THE NICE THING NOW IS THAT ANYBODY GOING TO A MEETING IN THE CITY HALL IS GENERALLY GOING ENCOUNTER COUNTED.
THE TRAFFIC TRAFFIC MOVES OUTWARD INSTEAD OF INWARD.
WHAT YOU'VE BASICALLY DONE IS YOU'VE REQUIRED ANYBODY THAT COMES UP BY 35 TO GET INTO THE MOST HEAVILY TRAFFICKED SEGMENT OF HIGHWAY IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES FOR ABOUT A FOUR MILE RADIUS ARE THREE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I HAVE NOT HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING IN THE NEWEST ONE, BUT WE SPENT A LOT OF EFFORT 20 YEARS AGO IN BUILDING YOUR STUDY HALL.
UH, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IT'S VERTICAL TONIGHT.
WE WERE ABLE TO PARK AND FOR EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN USING THIS BUILDING FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, IT'S SO CONVENIENT.
IT'S I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE OF THE NEW BUILDINGS, WHICH ARE BRAND NEW IS IT'S NOT A VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S TWO SINGLE USE BUILDINGS, ONE FOR PARKING AND ONE FOR OFFICES.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF HORIZONTAL MOVEMENTS.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT HORIZONTAL MOVEMENTS ARE A DETERRENT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE CLICK.
SO I GIVE A THUMBS UP ON THE CITY HALL ON THAT ONE.
AND AS FAR AS FACILITIES HERE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT IS.
THIS ROOM IS DESIGNED FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ROOMS, SUCH AS INDICATED IN THE NEW BUILDING OR NOT CLICK ONE MORE TIME.
I WANT TO GET TO THE LAST ONE FOR LEAD AND THE FACILITIES HERE.
WE HAVE NICE, COMFORTABLE ERGONOMIC CHAIRS.
I ACTUALLY SHOWED A PATTY ON MY FOLDING CHAIRS.
WE TO THE LAST ONE, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES.
THIS IS JUST A LOCATION IN THIS YEAR.
SO NOVEMBER OF HOMICIDES AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE CLUSTERED.
ALL RIGHT, CLICK IT ONE MORE TIME, RIGHT WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOCATING IT.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE UNSAFE, BUT THERE'S A PERCEIVED UNSAFE UP THERE.
IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE A DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH HAS ONE THIRD OF ALL THINGS.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S IN THE BACKSIDE OF POD AND MALL.
IT IS A HALF A MILE FROM THE TRANSIT STATION AND MOST OF THE BUS STOPS ALL ALONG AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
SO THANK YOU MUCH FOR TAKING THAT.
THANK YOU, BARBARA VICE CHAIR.
I FELT GOOD AND REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
[00:40:06]
OKAY.SO NOW I'D LIKE TO MOVE US INTO THE QUESTION AND ANSWER PORTION OF THE MEETING.
UM, SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE BRAVE AND DECIDE WHO HAS THE FIRST QUESTION? OH, HANG ON.
WE'VE GOT A MADAM CHAIR ON I'M ON THE, SO ARE YOU TAKING COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE BOARDING COMMISSION? SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO START WITH IN-PERSON, UH, QUESTION AND ANSWERS FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO VIRTUAL AND THEN WE'LL DO FREE FOR ALL, IF THERE'S ANYTHING LEFT.
WHAT WAS THAT? NO, WE WERE ACTUALLY HERE TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE FOR THE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
SO YOU'RE FACING THIS WAY OR THAT WAY.
I'M CURRENTLY ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
I'VE ALSO SERVED ON SEVERAL OTHER BOARDS WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR A VERY LONG TIME WITH NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'VE ALSO DO SOME WORK WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND I WANT TO KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH EQUITY OFFICER AND GOTTEN HER REVIEW OF THIS PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T SPECIFICALLY TALKED WITH THE EQUITY OFFICER ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE BUILDING, BUT, UM, THE LOCATION OF THE BUILDING HAS BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION FOR MANY YEARS SINCE OF COURSE, BUT SHE HASN'T BEEN HERE MANY YEARS.
SHE'S HAS NOT BEEN HERE THAT LONG.
I'M TALKING ABOUT BRIAN OAKS ARE OUR EQUITY OFFICER.
WHICH ONE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? UM, THE WOMAN THAT'S HEADING UP THE EQUITY OFFICE.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR EQUITY OFFICE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT PART OF THIS SPECIFIC DISCUSSION OF THE BUILDING THEY ARE BECAUSE IT'S MORE THAN THE BUILDING THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AND THAT'S JUST MY FIRST QUESTION.
SO OBVIOUSLY HAVING, SO THE SECOND ONE IS YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE MOVING THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE STAFF IS.
WE HAVE LEGAL IS ONE OF OUR MAIN PEOPLE THAT ARE AT OUR MEETINGS, EVERY MEETING, BECAUSE WE'RE QUASI JUDICIAL, AS MOST PEOPLE KNOW LEGAL IS HERE.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A STAFF PERSON STAFF LIAISON, BUT, BUT I THINK SHE'S WORKING REMOTELY.
SO THAT FOR ME IS AN ISSUE TOO.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MAYBE APPLICABLE IN SOME SITUATIONS, BUT NOT ALL.
UM, I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE AND I THINK WE JUST, AS EVERYBODY SAID, THERE'S BEEN NO PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON THIS.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE HAVEN'T ASKED PEOPLE, HOW WERE YOU GOING TO GET TYLENOL? ANOTHER THING FOR ME, THIS IS ME PERSONALLY, AS A COMMISSION MEMBER, WE PISS PEOPLE OFF.
I WANT A METAL DETECTOR AND I WANT A SECURED GARAGE WITH GATE.
WE AREN'T GOING TO HAVE THAT THERE.
AND THAT'S VERY SCARY FOR ME NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER PARTS OF THE LACK OF SECURITY IN THAT AREA.
I MEAN, I THINK EVERYONE HERE COULD TELL YOU THEY'VE BEEN THREATENED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MANAGE THAT? SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD, IF YOU'D LIKE, UH, GO THROUGH AROUND IT MORE COMMENTS FROM THE VARIOUS COMMISSION MEMBERS, IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND THEN GET TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR, OR, CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME COMMENTS, BUT THEN MAYBE A QUESTION AT THE END.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE UH, JUST A QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
OUR BOARD LIAISON IS ACTUALLY AT THE PDC.
SHE WAS MOVED THERE A FEW MONTHS AGO.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S UP, UH, LIAISON IS NOT THAT'S CORRECT.
IF I MAY SPEAK, THIS IS ELAINE RAMIDA IS THE LIAISON FOR BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
I'VE BEEN IN THE BUILDING AT PDC SINCE JUNE OF 2021.
DID YOU HAVE ANY ANSWER ABOUT THE EQUITY QUESTION? OKAY.
I HAVE MORE OF A STATEMENT THAN I DO QUESTIONS, MY QUESTIONS TO COME AT THE END.
SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS.
[00:45:01]
I WROTE THIS DOWN SO I DON'T GRAB ALONG.I MAY TAKE, I MAY TAKE A LIBERTIES WITH A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BEING A SITTING BOARD MEMBER.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR CHAIRS.
AND CO-CHAIR KOBASA FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M MICHAEL VON OLIN, AND I'VE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT FOR 12 PLUS YEARS.
PRIOR TO THAT, I'VE SERVED ON SEVERAL ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SINCE 1992 LONG BEFORE.
SOME OF YOU HAVE EVEN BEEN HERE IN THAT TIME, I'VE STOOD UP AND SUPPORTED CITY STAFF REGULARLY.
I'VE HAD A FEW, IF ANY ISSUES WITH THEM, AS IT RELATES TO THE BOARD ACTIVITIES, OUR STAFF BOA LI LIAISON HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING.
AND I MUST SAY SADLY THOUGH, THERE'S BEEN A NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DSD STAFF AND THE BOARDS.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO POINT OUT THAT I WAS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, NOT BY CITY MANAGER OR BY CITY STAFF.
I SERVE AT THE WILL AND PLEASURE OF MY, MY COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT AT THE WILL AND PLEASURE OF THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY STAFF.
AND I AM NOT A CITY EMPLOYEE NOW THAT THAT'S BEEN MADE CLEAR.
AND ON THE RECORD, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AT HAND AND WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
LET ME START BY STATING IF THE PROCESS HAD BEEN THOUGHT THROUGH AND APPROACHED IN A MUTUALLY PROFESSIONAL RESPECTFUL WAY.
I DON'T THINK WE'D BE HERE TONIGHT.
THAT BEING SAID, I RESEARCHED MY BOARD INFO AND I DID NOT RECEIVE THE JUNE, 1920 DID THE JUNE 29TH, 2021 MEMO REFERENCED IN THE OCTOBER 19TH MEMO MEMO.
EVEN IF I DID, I WOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED TO BELIEVE IT WOULD PERTAIN TO THESE THREE BODIES HERE TONIGHT IS STATES AND I QUOTE THE NEW FACILITIES DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SEAMLESS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ALL IN ONE PLACE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS PERMITTING ALL PERTINENT DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE CO-LOCATED TO THE PDC.
THE BOS APP AND PLANNING COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES.
WE CANNOT REPRESENT THE DEPARTMENT.
WE CANNOT ACT IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY EXCEPT THROUGH THE ACTION OF THE BOARD.
THAT'S CLEARLY STATED IN OUR ARTICLES, DO WE PARAGRAPH D OF THE BYLAWS, THE OCTOBER 19TH MEMO THEN GOES ON TO GLOSS OVER THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF THE PDC FOR THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS.
THE FINAL PARAGRAPH ATTEMPTS TO SHORE UP THE REASONS FOR THE REQUIRED CHANGE.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW REQUIRED BY HOME AND REQUIRED FOR WHAT REASONS OTHER THAN TO HELP JUSTIFY THE COST OF A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY.
LET ME POINT OUT THAT AS A QUALITY GOVERNMENTAL SOVEREIGN BOARD THAT IS ESTABLISHED BY THE AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO 11 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND DERIVES ITS AUTHORITY FROM STATE LAWS, AS WELL AS CITY CODE TWO DASH 1, 1 11 AND CHAPTER 25 DASH TWO.
THIS BOARD PLANNING AND ZAP ARE NOT YOUR NORMAL ADVISORY BOARDS OR ADVISORY COMMISSIONS THAT THE DECISIONS MADE BY THESE THREE BODIES CAN CHANGE CODE.
AND IN SOME WAYS CHANGE LAWS IN THE CITY, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH INTERPRETATIONS OR OTHER ACTIONS TAKEN BY OUR MEETINGS, HELL EVEN THE CITY COUNCIL COULD LET, LET ALONE CITY STAFF CANNOT OVERRULE THE DECISIONS MADE BY BOA.
IT HAS TO GO TO DISTRICT COURT, BUT I DIGRESS WHEN WE SIT ON THE DICE, IT'S IN THE REPRESENTATION OF THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE ARE THE LIVING REPRESENTATION OF THEIR AUTHORITY IN CITY HALL.
AND THIS ROOM IS THE REPRESENTATION OF THAT AUTHORITY AS WELL.
THE OCTOBER 19TH MEMO GOES ON TO SAY THE MOVE QUOTE REINFORCES THE CONCEPT OF THE PDC SERVING AS THE CITY'S ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL PERMITTING AND RELATED NEEDS, WHICH IS RECOMMENDATION IN THE 2015 DOCKER ANALYSIS.
THE ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS IT NOW FOR THE REQUIRED MOVE IS NOT THERE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT EMPLOYEES.
WE DO NOT INTERACT WITH CITIZENS EXCEPT AS A BODY FROM THE DIYERS.
THE ZUCKER ANALYSIS WAS TO ANALYZE THE DEPARTMENT, NOT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I WAS INVOLVED AND I WAS AROUND WHEN THE ZUCKER REPORT WAS COMMISSIONED.
I WAS ON THE BOARD FOR THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS, AMERICA AND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WAS CHAOS.
COULDN'T DO ANYTHING, GET ANYTHING DONE? IT WAS TO ANALYZE PERMITTING PROCESS IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU TO SHOW ME WHERE IN, IN THE ZUCKER REPORT, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT MOVING THESE THREE SOVEREIGN BOARDS IN THE REPORT AT ALL.
BUT I DID NOTICE THAT, UH, CO-CHAIR, CABASA DID POINT OUT A BEAR, GOOD FACT, THAT HE SAYS THAT THESE, THESE BODIES CAN REMAIN HERE, HERE IN CITY HALL.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU, IN THE YEARS I'VE SERVED ON LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAD, I HAVE HAD TO PERSONALLY ESCORT MEMBERS TO THEIR VEHICLES.
WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE APD STANDBY AND EVEN REMOVE PEOPLE FROM THIS CHAMBER.
IN THE PAST, BEFORE WE WENT TO THE SECURITY PEOPLE WE HAVE.
NOW, THE DECISIONS THAT THESE THREE BODIES MAKE ARE SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL.
AND AT TIMES CONTENTIOUS, I MYSELF HAVE REVEALED PAST IN THE PAST RECEIVED VEILED THREATS.
AND SO HEALTH AND SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.
PDC DOES NOT PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE SECURITY AND IT CANNOT
[00:50:01]
BY DESIGN.PICKINGS GREYHOUND ACROSS THE STREET IS A WELL-KNOWN HOTSPOT FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
AND I THINK THAT WAS JUST SHOWING ON A PAST SLIDE A MINUTE AGO.
SECONDLY, CITY HALL IS CENTRALLY LOCATED WITH ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY.
THE PDC IS NOT, IT IS DISCRIMINATORY BY NATURE AND DESIGN.
SINCE OUR DECISIONS ARE LEGAL AND HAVE FAR REACHING LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS, OUR LEGAL TEAM LOCATED UPSTAIRS CAN ALSO EASILY BE ACCESS LEGAL INFO IN MINUTES.
WE'VE HAD TO HAVE THEM DO THAT IN THE PAST, LEAVE A MEETING, GO UPSTAIRS, GATHER INFO ON, ON THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE US, AS BROOKE HAD STATED.
IF THE REASON IS TO HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE, THAT'S LUDICROUS.
WE CAN'T EVEN GET STAFF TO RESPOND.
NOW IT TOOK THREE YEARS TO GET STAFF CLARIFICATION ON THE UT SIGN TO OR ORDINANCE.
IT WENT THROUGH THE TURNOVER OF TWO CHAIRMAN BEFORE JERRY CAME AFTER NUMEROUS REQUESTS.
NOT TO MENTION OUR MEETINGS ARE IN THE EVENING AFTER STAFF LEAVES FOR THE DAY.
SO THE REASON FOR THE ACCESS TO STAFF DOESN'T HOLD WATER EITHER.
IF THE TRUE INTENT IS TO REDUCE THE RELIANCE ON CITY HALL, COUNCIL, CHAMBERS, AND COMMITTEE ROOMS AND MOVE ALL THE ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO THE PDC.
BUT THE THREE SOVEREIGN BOARDS THEY REPRESENT THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT AND AUSTIN NEED TO STAY AT CITY HALL ARE CLOSE AGAIN WITH POINTING OUT.
WE ARE NOT PAID EMPLOYEES OR EVEN CONSIDERED CITY STAFF.
WE REPRESENT THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF THE MAYOR AND SIT IN HERE TO HAVE THE MEETINGS OF THESE THREE BODIES IN THE SEAT OF AUTHORITY, WHICH THIS ROOM REPRESENTS.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS IN 28 YEARS OF HAVING BUSINESS IN THE CITY WAS MY SECOND LARGEST CLIENT.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH THESE DOG AND PONY SHOWS, YOU KNOW, AND WE NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITIZENS, THE VOLUNTEER APPOINTEES AND THE TAX PAYING CITIZENS OF AUSTIN HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT PROCESS.
I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH MEMO FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF THIS BEING A DONE DEAL.
AND IF WE'RE JUST DOING A DOG AND PONY SHOW AND GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND NOTHING'S GOING TO CHANGE THAT DON'T WASTE MY TIME.
LET'S CALL IT AS IT IS CITY COUNCIL AT THE ANDREW'S GOING TO HAVE THE LAST SAY.
SO BEFORE WE GO MOVING, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE REQUEST TO CITY CLERK TO GO AHEAD AND SET UP NEXT YEAR'S CALENDAR FOR US HERE FOR THE THREE BODIES HERE IN CASE THE CITY COUNCIL MAKES A DECISION.
I SPOKE TO MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TONIGHT.
I KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING TO GO.
SO BEFORE WE START PULLING TRIGGERS AND JUMPING A GUN, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE WITH THE INTENT OF THESE, THE THREE BODIES STILL MEETING HERE IN THIS ROOM HERE.
I SORT OF WENT OFF TRACK THERE, BOARD MEMBER FUNNEL, AND I HEARD A COUPLE QUESTIONS IN THERE.
THE FIRST ONE WAS REQUIRED BY.
AND ALSO WHY, WHAT THE THREES THREE SOVEREIGN BOARDS WERE NOT CONSULTED PRIOR TO STAFF MAKING THIS DECISION.
WHY WAS THERE NOT A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL? SAME THINGS.
YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT A GOOD MEMORY.
I CAN TELL
SO, UM, WITH REGARD TO CONSULTING THERE WEREN'T BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WERE CONSULTED.
THIS WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION GOING BACK APPROXIMATELY SIX YEARS WHEN THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED, UM, WITH THE INTENTION INTENTION OF, OF COURSE CREATING WHAT WE CALL A ONE-STOP SHOP.
UM, AND THAT INTENTION OF COURSE, WAS TO ALSO CREATE THIS, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSIONS ROOM WITH PLENTY OF SEATING, ET CETERA, TO HOST THE LAND USE COMMISSION MEETINGS.
AND SO THAT DECISION WAS MADE MANY YEARS AGO.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WAS, OH, THE ZACHARY REPORT.
IT DOESN'T SAY, UH, TO MOVE LAND AND LAND USE COMMISSIONS.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT REEMPHASIZES THE ONE-STOP SHOP CONCEPT.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER, IF YOU CAN SPEAK IN A MICROPHONE, PLEASE, IF WE COULD PLEASE HOLD UNTIL YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE CHAIR, YOU COULD BELIEVE COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU.
AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET FOR YEARS, ALL OF THAT TO BECOME A ONE-STOP SHOP.
SO WE WERE INVOLVED WITH IT IS OUTSIDE BODIES.
SO, AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IT WAS LONG BEFORE YOU GOT HERE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IT WAS NEVER INTENDED.
IT WAS ONLY FOR THE PERMITTING PROCESS BECAUSE IT WAS SO CHAOS.
HE HAD TO GO TO THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS.
YOU HAD TO GO TO THE TAJ MAHAL, BUT WE USED TO CALL IT THE TOP OF MY HALL.
YOU HAD TO GO TO 5 0 5, YOU HAD TO COME OVER HERE.
THERE WAS SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES THAT YOU HAD TO GO IN ORDER TO GET PERMITS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GET THINGS TAKEN CARE OF.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE ONE-STOP SHOP IS.
ONE STOP SHOP HAS NOTHING TO DO.
[00:55:01]
THEY DON'T SHOP US.I MEAN, NOBODY SHOPS US AND IF THEY DO, WE CAN'T TALK TO THEM ANYHOW, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE HAVE TO RECUSE OURSELVES.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT ONE STOP SHOP CONCEPT YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL IS ONLY FOR CITY STAFF FOR THE CITY DEPARTMENT, NOT FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN, CANNOT AGREE WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF IT WAS INTENDED FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO BE MOVED BECAUSE DURING THE ZUCKER REPORT WHERE WE WORKED ON IT AND WE WORK WITH CITY STAFF AND THERE WAS THREE OR FOUR MAYORS AGO, OKAY.
THEN IT WOULD HAVE BROUGHT UP, BUT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WERE NEVER INTENDED TO BE INVOLVED IN ONE STOP SHOPPING BECAUSE NOBODY COMES TO THE SHOPS TO US, UH, BOARD MEMBER BY NOLAN.
I'M GOING TO CALL AN AUDIBLE REALLY QUICK, EVERYONE SO THAT WE CAN SET A PATTERN FOR THE MICROPHONE.
AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE EASIEST IF WE JUST START GOING DOWN THE ROWS BACK AND FORTH AND SIP HER UP AND WE HIT TO THE BACK, MOVED TO THE BACK, PASS IT FORWARD, AND THAT WAY WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COVER EVERYBODY.
SO IF I, IF I, IF I COULD, ONE MORE COMMENT WITH REGARD TO, WE HAVE ONE MORE RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE.
AND REALLY, I JUST WANTED TO COME UP HERE AND CLARIFY TOO WELL.
UM, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, UNLIKE JEANETTE GODEL, OUR PREVIOUS, OUR FORMER CITY CLERK, SHE IS NO LONGER OUR CLERK.
SHE'S A CLERK FOR, UH, FORT WORTH.
UM, SHE EMAILED A FEW OF YOU, I BELIEVE HER LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, STATING THAT, UM, WE ARE ACCEPTING ALL OF YOUR SCHEDULES.
THE ONLY THING WE ARE NOT DOING IS SCHEDULING THE MEETINGS.
AND THAT IS NOT ONLY FOR THE LAND USE COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I MEAN, COMMISSIONS, THIS IS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE.
WE, YOUR RECOMMENDATION CURRENTLY STATES THAT, UM, WE DENIED THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE DENIED YOUR CALENDAR.
WE HAVE ACCEPTED ALL OF YOUR CALENDARS AND THEY WILL BE POSTED TO YOUR WEBPAGE AS THEY ARE AND HAVE BEEN FOR WHO KNOWS HOW MANY YEARS.
UM, WHAT WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT IS, UM, HOLDING OFF ON SCHEDULING ALL OF THESE MEETINGS UNTIL THESE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.
AND THAT IS NOT JUST AGAIN FOR THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS.
THIS IS ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS ACROSS THE BOARD.
HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE OVER 70 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE NEED TO SCHEDULE.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE CLARIFICATION POINT.
THE OTHER I'M, I'M SORRY, SIR.
I DON'T, I'M NOT AWARE OF A MEMORANDUM FROM JANETTE GOING OUT REGARDING, ON NOVEMBER 10TH.
UH, YOU MAY BE CONFUSING THAT WITH A DIFFERENT MEMO MEMO FROM A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT IT ENTAILS, WHAT DOES THAT MEMO STATE, SO THAT IS POSSIBLY THE MEMO THAT STATES WHERE WE ARE SEEKING, YOU KNOW, THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE CHALLENGES, UM, TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE PERMANENT HYBRID MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT SHE SENT.
IT'S AN, AN EMAIL FORMAT, UM, FOR ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THE ONLY WAY POSSIBLE TO EXPAND AT THE LOCATIONS THAT, UM, CAN EFFICIENTLY HOST THE HYBRID MEETINGS, UM, IS NOT POSSIBLE TO HOST THEM ALL HERE AT CITY HALL.
SO WE HAVE BEEN DIRECTED AND THE CODE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THAT EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 28TH, WE NEED TO PROVIDE THIS OR, OR THESE, UM, UM, OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO CONDUCT HYBRID MEETINGS.
BUT THERE, WE HAVE NO SAY IN, IN, IN THIS, UM, UM, THE MOVE OR WHATNOT, WE SUPPORT USING THE PDC.
WE NEED THE SPACE, UM, HOW IT IS DETERMINED, WHO GOES OR NOT.
WE DO NOT HAVE A SAY IN THAT, LIKE, UM, ACM GONZALEZ MENTIONED IT'S ALL ADMINISTRATIVE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION POINT, THIS RUBBER, WE PULL UP THAT MEMO.
UM, IF WE CAN PROCEED TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, I THINK I'LL HAVE IT AVAILABLE.
SO I WANT TO ASK, LIKE, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY, SORRY ME REAL QUICK.
ANOTHER AUDIBLE, UH, COMMISSIONER RAY, IF I COULD JUST ASK THE ROOM REAL QUICKLY, RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF YOU KNEW ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, ANY OF IT,
[01:00:01]
DID ANYONE KNOW THAT OUR SCHEDULES WERE BEING ACCEPTED LIAISONS? THIS IS A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM AND A BAD ONE.UM, MY NAME IS TIMOTHY BRIANNE WITH THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, I WANTED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY WE ARE AT CITY HALL, UH, SEEMS TO BE WORKING FINE.
WE DON'T HAVE CONFLICTS WITH OTHER MEETINGS AT SEA.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, I KNOW THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO CURRENTLY WORK.
SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT IS TRYING TO BE ADDRESSED HERE? LIKE, IS SOMETHING CHANGING THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO MOVE US THIS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME CONFLICT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I HAVE TO DEFER TO THE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO, I'M NOT SURE SPECIFICALLY THIS ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS THIS, BUT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT.
SORRY, YOUR, YOUR QUESTION WAS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT'S SPRING.
SO, SO WHY, WHY IS IT THAT WE CAN MEET HERE NOW? IT'S BEEN WORKING HERE FOR YEARS, BUT SUDDENLY WE NEED TO CHANGE, LIKE, WHAT IS, WHAT IS DRIVING? WHAT IS THE NEED FOR CHANGE HERE THAT IS BEING ADDRESSED? LIKE, WHY CAN'T IT, WHY CAN'T WE KEEP MEETING? YOU HEAR ME, YOU CERTAINLY CAN MEET HERE.
AND AS, UH, UH, MS. RIOS WAS SAYING WHAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED RECENTLY, NOT JUST RECENTLY, BUT FOR A WHILE NOW ARE SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
UM, AND THIS BUILDING PARTICULAR.
AND SO WE VIEW THE PDC AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THOSE SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
UH, IT'S BRAND NEW BUILDING, UH, ROOM FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO MEET, WHICH WILL HELP TO RELIEVE THAT OVERFLOW HERE AT CITY HALL.
SO THERE ISN'T A SPECIFIC PROBLEM PER SE, BUT RATHER JUST A GENERALIZED CONCERN FOR BEING ABLE TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THE VARIOUS MEETINGS THAT OCCUR HERE, INCLUDING SPECIAL CALLED COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SO HAVE THERE BEEN EXAMPLES IN SAY THE LAST YEAR OF US HAVING A MEETING THAT INTERFERED WITH WHAT, LIKE, CAN YOU GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHERE THAT MIGHT'VE HAPPENED? SURE.
THE LAST YEAR I THINK IS GOING TO BE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE OF COURSE, MOST OF THOSE WERE VIRTUAL, BUT IT'S MS. RIOS JUST RECENTLY POINTED OUT.
WE'VE NOW GOT A CONCERN WITH, UH, CONDUCTING HYBRID MEETINGS, UH, WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE DONE FOR EVERY BOARD AND COMMISSION 70 PLUS OF THEM.
AND SO AS SHE HAD POINTED OUT, IT CERTAINLY IS GOING TO BE A CONCERN GOING FORWARD, BUT WITHIN THE YEAR, ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WERE MEETING VIRTUALLY.
SO IT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE, WELL, I GUESS I'M ASKING, LIKE WHAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE HYBRID THING MAKES A CRUMBLE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE HAVING TO CREATE MORE SPACES THAT PEOPLE CAN MEET VIRTUALLY, BUT THAT DOESN'T SEE.
HOW DOES THAT CREATE A CONFLICT FOR US TO MEET HERE? LIKE HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT SPECIFICALLY? SURE.
IT'S NOT THE VIRTUAL COMPONENT.
SO WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THAT MAKES IT HARD FOR US TO STILL MEET HERE? I'D HAVE TO RELY ON STEPHANIE OR MYRNA TO TALK ABOUT THE HYBRID COMPONENT AND STEPHANIE HALL WAS WALKING UP SHE'S WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
HI, Y'ALL THIS IS STEPHANIE HALL WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE WITH HYBRID MEETINGS COMES DOWN TO THE EQUIPMENT AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO CURRENTLY THE ONLY ROOMS THAT CAN DO THAT ARE THIS ROOM AND THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM, BECAUSE WE NEED TO INTERACT WITH ATX.
THEN WE NEED TO INTERACT WITH THE SCREENS WE HAVE TO INTERACT WITH WEBEX, AND THEN PDC IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT CAPABILITY STARTING MARCH.
SO IT'S STILL REALLY LIMITS US STARTING MARCH OF 2022.
SO THAT'S WHY THE DATE OF THOSE CODE CHANGES IS FEBRUARY 28TH, 2022, BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WOULDN'T HAVE PDC READY UNTIL THEN.
SO WE STILL GOING INTO NEXT YEAR, WE'LL ONLY HAVE THIS ROOM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM, AND THEN THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS AT THE PDC THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT CAN HOST HYBRID MEETINGS FOR ANYONE.
SO, BECAUSE WE'RE OPENING THIS UP NOW BECAUSE THE COACH AGENTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND THEY'RE COMING NEXT YEAR, WE NEED TO MAKE THIS OPEN FOR EVERY SINGLE BOARD AND COMMISSION.
WE STILL HAVE LIMITED SPACES TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE OF THE EQUIPMENT, BECAUSE OF STAFFING AND SPACE.
SO, SO YEAH, I'M, I'M WONDERING LIKE WHAT, UH, SO I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE TRYING TO OPEN THIS SPACE UP.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO OPEN IT UP FOR? LIKE SPECIFICALLY, IT SEEMS JUST KIND OF GENERAL, LIKE WE NEED MORE SPACE.
ARE THERE, IS THERE ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT MEETS ON TUESDAY NIGHT THAT NEEDS THE SPACE? UM, YEAH, SIR, SIR, IF I COULD, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT ANY SPECIFIC COMMISSION OR BOARD THAT IS GOING TO COME IN AND THEN TAKE THE PLACE OF THE MEETINGS THAT OCCUR HERE.
THIS IS SIMPLY TO CREATE THE SPACE AT THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR THE LAND USE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS.
BUT I KNOW THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE GROUP THAT IS GOING TO, I THINK BACKFILL WAS THE WORD THAT WAS USED, UH, THE MEET, THE, UH, OPEN MEETING SPACE, ET CETERA.
AND, AND THERE ISN'T ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR
[01:05:01]
SIMPLY CREATING THE SPACE FOR THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS TO MEET AT THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.UM, I MEAN, I GUESS MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALL THESE CONCERNS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, WHICH I STRONGLY AGREE WITH AND ABOUT IT'S A LOT HARDER FOR THE PUBLIC TO GET TO IT.
AND SO WITHOUT A GOOD, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME OTHER COMMISSION THAT HAS A VERY GOOD REASON TO MEET HERE AND NOT NEVER EVER BEEN BUSTED WITH TO PDC.
I JUST, I DON'T SEE IS HE SEEMS LIKE IT JUST KIND OF OPEN UP SPACE, BUT WITH NO LIKE SPECIFIC LIKE, OH, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, ETHICS COMMISSION TO BE HERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
JUST A GENERAL NEED FOR MORE SPACE.
LIKE WHEN A, WHY ISN'T IT, WHY AREN'T THE OTHER COMMISSIONS MOVING UP THERE? WHAT, LIKE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHICH COMMISSIONS SHOULD BE, WHERE, WHICH COMMISSIONS HAVE MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? I MEAN, I STRONGLY SUSPECT, I MEAN, I DON'T WATCH A TON OF OTHER COMMISSIONS, BUT I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT OUR COMMISSIONS HAVE BY FAR THE MOST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
SO WE SHOULD BE KEEPING THEM ONES AT CITY HALL THAT HAVE THE MOST POLAR PARTICIPATION.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONE-STOP.
AND THEN I GUESS MY SECOND THING BEFORE I'LL PASS ALONG FOR OTHER PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING A ONE-STOP SHOP.
WELL, A LOT OF OUR STUFF GOES TO CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS STILL GOING TO BE HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO COME TO CITY HALL TO TESTIFY TO HAVE THEIR CASES HEARD.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY CREATING A ONE-STOP SHOP IF THEY'RE ALREADY GOING TO BE COMING TO CITY HALL AT SOME POINT ANYWAYS, JUST TWO MEETINGS WHERE THERE'S CITY HALL SET OF ONE.
LIKE, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LIKE WATER, YOU KNOW, MEETING ALL THAT OTHER WATERSHED OR ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
YOU KNOW, THOSE, THEY SHOULD MUNICIPAL STAFF ALL AT ONE PLACE THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT LIKE THEY ALREADY HAVE TO COME TO CITY HALL FOR VERY, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT THEY NEED.
HOW IS IT'S NOT REALLY PUTTING MORE ON US THAN HAVING TO GO TO MORE PLACES IF THEY WERE ALREADY GOING TO HAVE TO COME HERE VERSUS FOR THANK YOU.
AND BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT QUESTION, I WAS GONNA MENTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WANT TO DO IN THIS ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, WITH THE THREE COMMISSIONS IS, UH, FOR THAT FEEDBACK, LIKE CONCERNS FOR SECURITY.
UM, WE WELCOME HAVING A TOUR AT THE PLANNING DEVELOPMENT CENTER, PREMIERING DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UM, FOR ISSUES OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE WELCOME THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO, UH, TO MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
AND SO IT'S, UH, PLEASE DON'T CONSIDER THIS AS JUST SAY, EVEN YOU ASK A QUESTION, WE PROVIDE A RESPONSE.
WE CERTAINLY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH YOU AND WORK WITH YOU ON WHAT CONCERNS UH, YOU HAVE.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN LOOK AT EVERY ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE WHAT THOSE CONCERNS MIGHT BE.
MY NAME IS BETSY GREENBERG AND I'M ON THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, SINCE THE 2015 ZACHARY REPORT WAS PUBLISHED AND THE ONE-STOP SHOP FOR PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS WAS ESTABLISHED AT ONE TEXAS CENTER.
WHY WASN'T THERE A PUSH TO MOVE THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
AND, UM, IF THE SEAMLESS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ALL IN ONE PLACE, IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
WE'LL CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE CONSIDER ZONING CASES ALSO BE MOVED TO THE P PDC.
UM, SO WITH REGARD TO THE ONE TEXAS CENTER, AND I CAN GO BACK TO THAT, UH, DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENED SIX YEARS AGO, WE HAD LOOKED AT ONE TEXAS CENTER AS AN OPTION FOR BEING THE ONE-STOP SHOP, IF YOU WILL.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT TERM INVOKES ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT, UM, HISTORY, BUT WE HAD LOOKED AT THAT JUST WASN'T CONDUCIVE BECAUSE OF THE FLOOR PLATE SIZES.
THEY'RE ABOUT 25,000 SQUARE FEET IN THE BUILDING.
IT'S JUST NOT A VERY EFFICIENT BUILDING.
AND SO WE QUICKLY GRAVITATED TOWARDS DEVELOPING A NEW CENTER.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT WAS OUR PUSH WAS TO DEVELOP A NEW CENTER, UH, FOR THIS FACILITY.
IN THE MEANTIME IT SAID ONE STOP SHOP THERE.
YES, IT, SO THAT INITIATIVE DATED BACK TO 2006, UNDER CITY MANAGER, TOBY FOR TRAIL.
UM, AND WE HAD ATTEMPTED TO CREATE A ONE-STOP SHOP AT ONE TEXAS CENTER.
UM, AND FOR, FOR A SHORT TIME BEING THERE WERE DEPARTMENTS THAT PARTICIPATED, BUT AFTER A WHILE, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THOSE DEPARTMENTS OUTGREW ONE TEXAS CENTER.
AND SO, UM, WHAT STARTED OFF AS AN EARNEST ATTEMPT TO DO A ONE STOP SHOP AT ONE TEXAS CENTER WITHIN A MATTER OF YEARS, DID NOT FULFILL THAT, UH, THAT ENDEAVOR, UH, BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENTS JUST QUITE FRANKLY, OUTGREW ONE TEXAS CENTER, UM, THE OTHER ISSUES, AND THEY WERE POINTED OUT IN THE REPORT, THE LACK OF PARKING, UM, FOR MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT DID DRIVE TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
I KNOW WHEN I GOT THERE, UH, I HEARD PLENTY OF STORIES OF PEOPLE CIRCLING 20, 25, 30 MINUTES, JUST TO TRY TO FIND A PARKING SPOT AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY AT ONE TEXAS CENTER.
AND SO IT'S, FOR MANY REASONS, THE BUILDING JUST DIDN'T WORK AS A ONE-STOP SHOP.
AND THAT'S WHY WE GRAVITATED TOWARDS THE NEW FACILITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT POTENTIALLY HOSTING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AT A PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, AS A MEANS OF GETTING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS KIND OF ROVING THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE EQUIPPED IT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY
[01:10:01]
TO BROADCAST THE MEETINGS.SO THAT WAY, IF COUNCIL DECIDES TO HOST WHETHER IT'S A WORK SESSION OR WHETHER A FULL-BLOWN COUNCIL MEETING THE ROOM CAN BE EQUIPPED FOR IT.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS YOU'VE SEEN SOME INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THESE SLIDES AND DISCUSSIONS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ON THERE THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH? UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT HERE TO GET HER HEAD WAIT, WE DON'T WANT TO COME HERE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CREATE SOME SORT OF FORM OF DISAGREEMENT WITH THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WE REALIZED THAT WHERE YOUR POSITION LIES, AND WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A NEGATIVE MEETING BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.
I'VE GOT A MEETING, WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION HERE.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT IN THE SLIDES DO YOU DISAGREE WITH? IT WAS A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE INEQUITIES, THE TRAVEL PROBLEMS, THE SAFETY.
I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY OVERWHELMING.
WHAT IS IT YOU DISAGREE WITH? NICE.
LUCAS IS GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SECURITY THAT WE HAVE AT THE BUILDING.
AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF CLARIFY SOME THINGS.
SO IF YOU COME OUT TO THE PERMANENT END DEVELOPMENT CENTER TODAY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN WE HAVE STARTED HAVING MAJOR MEETINGS AND FULLER OCCUPANCY THERE.
SO IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, THE, THAT THE PEOPLE, THE EMPLOYEES OF THE PDC STARTED TO INTEGRATE BACK INTO THE BUILDING.
WE BROUGHT INTO THE PUBLIC IN JULY AND WE DID 90 DAYS OF TESTING TO MAKE SURE OUR TECHNOLOGY WORK THAT THAT'S TRULY MEASURES WE HAD IN PLACE THAT WE HAVE AMPLE PARKING SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH WAS, UM, MOVING SOME OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEETINGS TO OUR EVENTS CENTER.
SO THE SECURITY THAT IS IN PLACE NOW MATCHES THE WORK SCHEDULE OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE THERE.
ONCE WE START HAVING EVENING EVENTS, WE DO HAVE GATES ON OUR PARKING GARAGES.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE SOMEONE THAT PATROLS THE PARKING LOT THROUGHOUT THE EVENING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UM, UNWANTED GUESTS HANGING OUT IN OUR PARKING LOT.
WE HAVE A, UM, FULL SECURITY TEAM AND AS WE HAVE MORE AND MORE EVENING EVENTS, THAT TEAM WILL BE ENHANCED TO PROVIDE THE SECURITY THAT WE NEED.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE, JUST MAKE YOU AWARE THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY IS NOT WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE NEXT YEAR, WHEN WE HAVE MORE OCCUPANCY AND THE BUS STOPS.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
IT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THIS PROCESS AND WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO DO.
WILL THEY BE POLICE OFFICERS ESCORTING PEOPLE BACK TO THE BUS STOP? SORRY.
SO I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUS STOPS.
AND SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE NOTED THAT.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU GOT A TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WITH THE BUILDING HERE, NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THESE MEETINGS, IS THAT CORRECT? I MAY HAVE TO DEFER TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT THE ISSUE WITH THE HYBRID MEETINGS.
I DON'T THINK THAT I HEARD THAT I HEARD THAT WE DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THAT.
WE DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.
THE ISSUE HERE IS YOU COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM THAT'S TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
IT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE AND IT'S NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE SET UP TO DO.
I MEAN, IT'S TOTALLY INCONSISTENT.
YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK, SAY LET'S FIGURE OUT A DIFFERENT WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
YOU'VE COME UP WITH A, WITH A SOLUTION THAT DOESN'T WORK, GO BACK AND COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT WAY TO SOLVE IT.
MAYBE YOU NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON THE TECHNOLOGY HERE AT THE BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IN ANY, ANY SOLUTION DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THE RIGHT SOLUTION.
THAT'S NOT, THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT SOLUTION.
HI, MY NAME IS BARBARA MACARTHUR AND I'M ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
I FIRST SERVED ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMMISSION IN 1984.
I ALWAYS HAVE SERVED FROM A DYESS WITH PUBLIC AND AN AUDIENCE, UM, CLEARLY, AND PROBABLY NOT ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT POWER A CITY HAS IS THE POWER TO CONTROL IT, THE LAND IN THE CITY.
SO IT WAS WITH INTEREST TO ME THAT YOU WERE GOING TO MOVE THE FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC COMMISSIONS TO A PLACE THAT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE EQUITY AND DEMOCRACY ARE ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.
OH, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT GETTING POLICE TO WALK US TO THE GARAGE OR ANYTHING ELSE, YOU ARE MAKING PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH VOLUNTEERS AND THE PUBLIC AND ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC.
YOU ARE CREATING GREAT HARDSHIP WHERE PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO.
IT'S UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE POWER OF THE GREATEST POWER IN THE CITY TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THE CITIZENS.
[01:15:01]
DID YOU CONSIDER PEOPLE IN FAR SOUTHEAST OR FAR SOUTHWEST AUSTIN BEING ABLE TO GET THERE? IS THAT JUST, THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT.IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAT SOME STAFF ARE ONSITE.
IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO FIGURE IT OUT.
SO YOUR QUESTION WAS, WHAT DID WE CONSIDER, UH, ACCESS, NOT HAVE CARS TO GET THE CITY AND THE ACT OF EQUITY AND DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST CONSIDERATIONS TO MOVE THE COMMISSIONS THAT MOST FUEL WITH THE PUBLIC CITIZENS OR THE PUBLIC WE'RE BEING GREATLY IMPACTED TO AN INACCESSIBLE LOCATION SEEMS TO BE KIND OF NOT DEMOCRATIC, BUT SHE'S HANDING IN THE MIC TOO.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE DECIDED ON CHOOSING THAT BUILDING THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS.
AND YES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE CENTER, IF YOU WILL, OF AUSTIN, IT IS A CLOSER LINE TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS CENTER OF AUSTIN.
UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE, OF COURSE, AS YOU'VE NOTED THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS AS HERE AT CITY HALL, UM, IT IS MORE CLOSELY TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN OUR BOSTON.
I'M ON THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND HEARING OUR CONCERNS, ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS, HEARING OUR CONCERNS, UH, LETTING US KNOW WHAT ISSUES ARE MY QUESTION RELATES TO EDUCATING THE PUBLIC.
UM, THIS ISN'T JUST A MATTER OF LETTING FOLKS KNOW THIS CHANGE IS COMING.
UM, THIS, I DON'T THINK IS AN ISSUE OF RESISTANCE TO CHANGE, WHICH WAS BROACHED EARLIER AT ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
UM, EVEN IF YOU WERE TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT THIS DECISION IS MADE TO RELOCATE, TO, UM, CLOSE TO HIGHLAND MALL, THE ISSUE I HAVE IS DOWN THE ROAD.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING HERE FOR SO LONG.
THEY MAY NOT EVEN QUESTION THE FACT THAT THAT, UH, LOCATION MAY CHANGE.
UM, OR SO WHAT IS YOUR PROPOSAL FOR DOWN THE ROAD? IF YOU'RE GETTING A NOTICE IN THE MAIL, UH, ABOUT A HEARING BEFORE ZAP OR PC, OR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, VERY OFTEN FOLKS GET THAT ON A WEEKEND FOR A TUESDAY, MONDAY OR TUESDAY MEETING.
AND WE'RE TENDS TO TRAVEL, UM, BY WORD OF MOUTH PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO GO.
THEY GO WHERE THEY'VE KNOWN TO GO, WHICH IS CITY HALL.
SO EVEN IF WE MAKE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL CHANGE, WHAT DO YOU DO ONCE THE DECISION'S MADE? IF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGE IS MADE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THIS IS WHERE THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO.
BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD, I DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL ANYBODY WHERE TO GO.
THEY ALL KNEW IT WAS CITY HALL.
YES, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND SOMETHING THAT WE OF COURSE COMMIT TO DOING, UH, LEADING UP TO THE CHANGE IS WORKING WITH THE, UH, LIAISON TO THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, ENSURING THAT ANY FORMS THAT GO OUT HAVE THE NEW LOCATION IN MIND, UM, ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ADVANCED NOTICE THAT WE PUT UP SIGNAGE IN THIS BUILDING, UM, NOTIFYING FOLKS THAT THE LOCATION WOULD CHANGE AND WHEN THAT CHANGE WOULD OCCUR, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, WE CERTAINLY WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH A VERY ROBUST COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.
UH, RON MCDANIEL, I'M THE, UH, DISTRICT FOUR POINTY TO THE BOARD TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
THIS IS MY THIRD BOARD IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS PREVIOUS TO THIS, I WAS ON ZAP OR THAT I WAS ON SOLID WASTE COMMISSION BEFORE THAT IN A BRIEF HIATUS FROM LIVING IN AUSTIN, I WAS THE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IN BUTTE.
I AM THE CHAIR OF THE, OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT THERE.
[01:20:01]
TO JOIN, UH, MICHAEL VON OLAND'S REMARKS AND HIS JACKET, UH, IN, IN THEIR ENTIRETY.UM, SAVE THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SECURITY ISSUES IN DISTRICT FOUR, UH, IN THE GREYHOUND STATION.
NOT BECAUSE I NECESSARILY DISAGREE, BUT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMEWHAT IRRELEVANT TO THE ISSUE HERE IN THAT IT STIGMATIZES THE DISTRICT.
BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THOUGH, BEFORE IT GET TO QUESTIONS IS SIMPLY THIS, THAT, UH, IN A DISTRICT THAT HAS BEEN IGNORED BY THE CITY SO LONG UNDER OUR PREVIOUS FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
I THINK THAT, UM, AS DISTRICT FOUR'S REPRESENTATIVE HERE, UH, I'M CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT OUR WIND CANNOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED DISTRICTS AT CITY HALL, PARTICULARLY IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, BUT ALSO IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE PERSPECTIVES OF SOUTHWEST AUSTIN HAVE NOT BEEN WE'RE WELL-REPRESENTED IN CITY HOLLY.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I'LL SKIP TO SOME QUESTIONS.
SO, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS CHAIN HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS AND MENTIONED THE ZUCKER REPORT AS A REFERENCE THERE.
I DON'T RECALL SEEING ANYTHING AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY OF THE THREE SOVEREIGN BOARDS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED THEIR BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PLANNING COMMISSION ZAP.
IN FACT, QUITE THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.
WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THE ZUCKER REPORT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WITH REFERENCE TO ALL THREE OF THOSE BODIES IS THE LACK OF ACCESS THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE IN REAL TIME TO LEGAL SUPPORT.
SO, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, DOES THE PDC AND WILL THE PDC CONTAIN DEDICATED WORKSPACE AND ACCESS TO LEGAL DURING ALL COMMISSION MEETINGS? YES.
THAT'S THE INTENT IS THAT EVERYDAY? NO, NO, NO, NO.
IT'S NOT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE INTENT.
IS THERE A DEDICATED WORKSPACE NUMBER ONE? AND NUMBER TWO IS THE DEDICATED, IS THE LEGAL SUPPORT ON SITE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN, ARE THEY TASKED AND BUDGETED TO BE PRESENT DURING THE EVENING MEETINGS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, UH, PORTS? SURE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC ATTORNEYS, BUT I EXPECT THAT THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, ET CETERA, BUT WE HAVE WORKED WITH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT EXPECTATION MIGHT BE MISPLACED.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A LAND USE COMMISSION MEETING? OKAY.
I'M TRYING TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND I'M REALLY NOT TRYING TO BE COMBATIVE.
MEANING THAT MEANING THAT IT IS MORE OFTEN THE NORM THAT THE, THAT THE ATTORNEYS, WHILE THEY MAY BE FINE ATTORNEYS AND SOME SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ARE NOT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN LAND USE IN THE CODE SPECIFIC.
SO THAT, SO THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
I MEAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.
AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE LAW DEPARTMENT REPRESENTED HERE TODAY OR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, BUT I WOULD BE GLAD TO CARRY THAT COMMENT TO THEM.
I THINK THAT ACTUALLY SPEAKS VOLUMES THAT YOU HAVE A JOINT MEETING OF THREE SOVEREIGN COMMISSIONS WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE CITY LEGAL PRESENT, CONSIDERING THE MAJOR ROLE THAT PAID IN THE ZUCKER REPORT ABOUT THESE THREE COMMISSIONS.
TO ME, THAT SEEMS LIKE A SIGNIFICANT IN THE RE AND THE NEXUS TO THAT ISSUE IS THIS LEGAL IS HERE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, UH, IN THAT THESE ARE SOVEREIGN BOARDS, PARTICULARLY THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, SORRY, IS A CLOSET JUDICIAL BODY.
NOT ONLY IS IT, UH, REQUIRED THAT WE HAVE LEGAL ONSITE, BUT ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE FUNCTION OF THESE THREE BOARDS, PARTICULARLY A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FUNCTION THAT THE REST OF DSD PERFORMS IN THAT NONE OF THESE BOARDS ARE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT, THE PUMP, THE FUNCTION WE WE PLAY IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND HEARING CASES.
I CAN YOU EXPLAIN IN WHAT SENSE THE ONE-STOP SHOP FOR THE CUSTOMERS OF THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT THAT IS ACCESS TO PERMITTING PROCESSING REVIEW, RIGHT? THE STAFF, THE PEOPLE THAT GET PAID TO DO IT, TO WORK THROUGH THE STEPS OF THE PROCESS, ALL OF WHICH ARE VERY RELEVANT.
LIKE I'M THRILLED THAT PDC IS THERE.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT LOCATION FOR IT, BUT HOW DOES THAT IN ANYWHERE LATE ANYWAY, RELATE TO A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT A CASE THAT TAKES PLACE OUTSIDE OF STAFF WORKING HOURS, OTHER THAN JUST THE PHRASE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN KIND OF WAVE THE WORDS ONE-STOP SHOP AROUND, BUT LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN? SURE.
AND ONCE AGAIN, OUR STAFF OF COURSE WORKS BEYOND BY PM, ET CETERA, TO ATTEND VARIOUS SPORTS AND COMMISSIONS MEETINGS, ET CETERA.
AND SO THAT'S ONE FACET OF THIS OTHER FAST.
IT WAS, AS I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, WHICH IS TO CREATE THE SPACE AND TAKE ON SOME OF THE OVERLOAD HERE AT CITY HALL AT PDC AS WAS JUST MENTIONED.
SO, AND YOU BROUGHT UP THE OVERLOAD ON CITY HALL BECAUSE I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH THE IDEA THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SEATS FOR A ZOOM MEETING IN HERE.
WELL THEN COULD YOU EXPLAIN IT? YES.
SO IT'S FOR THE HYBRID FUNCTIONALITY
[01:25:01]
OF THE MEETING.AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS STILL HERE OR NOT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S THE HYBRID FUNCTIONALITY, BUT WE'RE HAVING A HYBRID MEETING RIGHT NOW.
AND HOW MANY, SO HOW MANY SOVEREIGN BOARDS DO YOU HAVE? WELL, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN BOARDS WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICERS.
I THINK YOU'RE PICKING UP WHAT I'M LAYING DOWN HERE.
THE SOVEREIGN BOARDS ARE IN FACT DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER BOARDS.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE OF, AND LIKE I SAID, NOT, I WANT TO RESPECT YOUR TIME, SO I'LL LET YOU RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THE FINAL QUESTION I'LL ASK YOU IS THIS, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE EITHER WATCHED HER ATTENDED IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, A NUMBER OF PLANNING, COMMISSION, MEETINGS, ZONING, AND PLANNING, COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEETINGS.
THESE ARE FRACTIOUS BODIES THAT HAVE PASSIONATE OPINIONS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE THAT PASSIONATELY BELIEVE IN AFFORDABILITY.
YOU HAVE VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT HOW TO GET THERE.
THAT'S TRUE FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SECURITY ISSUE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A GUY WHO'S STILL CALLING ME SIX YEARS LATER BECAUSE HE'S SO ANGRY ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE AUSTIN OAKS CASE WHEN I WAS ON ZAP, BUT DINKLER WAS ANGRY AT ME TOO AT THE TIME.
I THINK IT SHOULD SAY SOMETHING TO STAFF.
AND I THINK MAYBE IT SHOULD GIVE YOU A REASON TO HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON, THAT THERE IS SO MUCH UNANIMITY ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON THIS BODY.
SO PLEASE DO NOTE THAT AND I'LL GIVE THE MIC TO THE NEXT PERSON.
I'M A NEW MEMBER ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT TO YOU.
I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF SOUTHEAST AUSTIN ON A PERSONAL NOTE.
HAD I KNOWN THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT MY BOARD WOULD BE MEETING IN THE NORTHERN PART OF DOWNTOWN OR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SECTION OF WHERE OUR MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY HELD.
I WOULD HAVE STRONGLY RECONSIDERED EVEN APPLYING TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
UM, I THINK THAT PART OF THE REASON I WANTED TO JOIN IS THAT I WAS GIVEN MORE ACCESS, UM, TO CITY HALL, GIVEN THAT I WORKED DOWNTOWN.
SO THE IDEA THAT I'LL HAVE TO SPEND AN EXTRA 45 MINUTES DRIVING TO A MEETING AND MORE TIME DRIVING HOME, I THINK AFFECTS FUTURE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MIGHT WANT TO PARTICIPATE.
ADDITIONALLY, AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN TOUCHED ON, BUT GIVEN THE SOVEREIGN NATURE OF THESE THREE LAND USE COMMITTEES OR COMMISSIONS, I DO THINK THERE IS A REASON TO GIVE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION TO THE LOCATION AND TO THE NEEDS AND CONCERNS OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
WE ARE AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS PROPERTY AND PERSONAL RIGHTS.
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN MORE WEIGHT AND CONCERN THAN OTHER COMMISSIONS.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THE WORK THAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONS ARE DOING, ISN'T IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK GIVEN THAT WE DO HAVE QUASI JUDICIAL STATUS, OUR DECISIONS ARE HEARD BY THE DISTRICT COURT.
IF THERE'S AN APPEAL, I THINK THERE'S A GREATER CONCERN THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE GREATER COMFORT IN OUR OWN SECURITY.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT THERE WOULD BE AUSTIN PD AT THE NEW CENTER, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME IS, IS THERE GOING TO BE A METAL DETECTOR.
PEOPLE COME TO THESE MEETINGS AND THEY GET ANGRY.
AND I DON'T WANT TO COME HERE IN FEAR FOR MY LIFE THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET ANGRY AT A DECISION.
AND SINCE THERE'S NO METAL DETECTOR AND AUSTIN PD, SOMEWHERE IN THE PARKING GARAGE THAT I'M NOT GOING TO FEEL SAFE.
NO, NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE TAKEN NOTE ABOUT THE CONCERN FOR THE LACK OF METAL DETECTORS.
I THINK THERE'S SOMEONE ON THAT SIDE, MR. COONEY.
AND, UH, AND I JUST, I WANT TO KNOW IF, IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE GOING TO THAT PLACE WITH CHILDREN, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE TO BRING OUR KIDS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO COME TO THE BUS? YOU KNOW, I HAVE A CAR, BUT
[01:30:01]
EVEN WITH A CAR I'M SCARED WHENEVER IT'S DARK OUT THERE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE.AND MOST OF THE RESIDENTS THAT I WORK WITH, THEY HAVE CHILDREN.
WHEN I WAS GOOGLING HOW TO GET THERE.
IT TAKES TWO OR THREE BUSES TO GET TO THAT PLACE.
AND THEN AT SIX O'CLOCK THAT'S IT, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WAY ANYWHERE TO GET HOME.
HOW ARE THIS, UH, SECURITY SYSTEMS OR THIS SECURITY OFFICERS, ARE THEY GONNA TAKE THE PEOPLE TO THE NEXT BUS STOP? THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
AND I BELIEVE YOU WORK FOR US.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK FOR US, NOT US FOR YOU.
SO I, I THINK YOU NEED TO NOT ONLY CONSIDER, BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE SAFE.
THE RESIDENTS ARE SUP ARE COMING TO THIS SPACE SO THEY COULD VOICE THEIR OPINIONS SO THEY COULD VOICE THEIR CONCERNS.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE, AS ORGANIZERS ARE WORKING FOR AND WORKING WITH RESIDENTS SO THEY COULD BE EMPOWERED.
SO THEY COULD BE ABLE TO COME INTO THIS SPACE AND TELL YOU WHAT THEY'RE MISSING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, WHAT THEIR CONCERN IS, WHERE THEY GET FLOODED.
WHERE'S THE, THE OTHER INEQUITIES.
THEY COME TO THIS SPACE SO THEY COULD SHARE THAT.
AND HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO OVER THERE AND COME BACK? IT'S, IT'S NOT DOABLE IF YOU'RE WORKING FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOUR, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THE EASTERN PRECEDENT, THE RESIDENTS THAT DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY DON'T HAVE, DON'T HAVE THE MEANS.
DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS ISSUES THAT WE FACE ON AN EVERYDAY LIFE.
HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH YOU? WHEN MY WORK AS AN ORGANIZER IS MEETING THAT GAP OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND THE RESIDENTS.
I WORK TO EMPOWER THIS RESIDENTS SO THEY COULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU AND MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GOES ON IN, IN THE COMMUNITIES.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY GO ON AN EVERYDAY LIFE.
IF YOU WANT TO HANG ON ONE SEC, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE YOU THINK I'M SILENCING YOUR VOICE AT ALL, BECAUSE I AM A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR US FOLKS ON THE EAST SIDE.
BUT THE QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD IS JUST GOING TO BE FOR COMMISSIONERS AND BOARD MEMBERS.
BUT, UH, MR. MR. CITY MANAGER, LIKE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.
I THINK WE COULD OFFER A LITTLE LEEWAY HERE, SIR.
AND THAT QUESTION WAS, I THINK MR. COONEY WAS MAKING MORE OF A STATEMENT AND CONCERN FOR, UH, THINGS THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS GOING BACK TO OF COURSE, SARAH MEMORANDUM THAT WE HAD SENT OUT, WHICH WAS THAT WE WANTED TO WORK THROUGH OUR LIAISONS WITH EACH OF THE BOARDS TO DISCUSS THESE TYPES OF MATTERS.
SO WE HAVE OFFERED THAT INVITATION TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND ALSO TO HAVE TOURS OF THE PDC AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UM, LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND CONCERNS AND AS BEST AS POSSIBLE ADDRESS THOSE THANK YOU.
HI, UH, GRAYSON, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10.
I APPRECIATE MR. GONZALES AND THE REST OF THE STAFF BEING HERE AND FOR STEPPING IN THE FIRING LINE.
UM, I, I, UH, ADMITTEDLY CAME INTO THIS WHOLE ISSUE, VERY NEUTRAL.
UM, IF I WAS SOLELY MAKING DECISIONS OFF OF SELFISH PURPOSES, THE PDC IS LIKE A THIRD OF THE COMMUTE FOR ME, UH, INSTEAD OF COMING DOWNTOWN.
BUT I THINK MY FELLOW, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS ARE QUICKLY AND PRETTY EFFECTIVELY TURNING ME AGAINST THIS PDC PROPOSAL.
BUT, UM, I REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL.
I KNOW THAT THIS DECISION WAS MADE MANY YEARS AGO AND I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT.
NONE OF Y'ALL PROBABLY HELD YOUR CURRENT POSITIONS WHEN THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY YOU'RE THE ONLY PEOPLE WE HAVE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
[01:35:01]
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SHOULD BE PRIORITY.NUMBER ONE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO FIGURING OUT HOW THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OPERATE AND GEOGRAPHICALLY WHERE THEY OPERATE.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GRAPHICALLY SEEN AT A LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CITIZENS FEEL DISENGAGED AND NOT LISTENED TO BY THEIR GOVERNMENT? UM, AND SO I WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL WHY Y'ALL THINK AS THE STAFF MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN MAKING THESE DECISIONS, WHY THE MOVE TO PDC, HOW THE MOVE TO PDC WILL INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN WHAT WE DO.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I CAN DO IS OFFER YOU SOME GENERALIZED COMMENTS.
AS I HAD MENTIONED, IT'S CLOSER TO THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTERS YOU'VE POINTED OUT.
IT ACTUALLY IS CLOSER TO YOU CLOSER TO THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC OR OF AUSTIN'S POPULATION.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT DOES A DEMOGRAPHIC CENTER? I KNOW WHAT A GEOGRAPHIC CENTERS, WHAT'S A DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, YEAH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS LIVING IN NORTHERN AUSTIN.
AND SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS CENTER, I MEAN, CLOSER TO WHAT, UH, THE CENTER OF THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN IS VERSUS THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER.
SO, SO HOW WILL THE MOVE TO PDC INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN WHAT THESE THREE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS DO FOR THE CITY? WELL, UM, ONCE AGAIN, THEN THE INTENT IS TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
NOW OUR HOPE IS THAT IT DOES INCREASE, UH, PARTICIPATION, BUT NOTHING CAN BE GUARANTEED.
I WOULD THINK THAT, UH, WHAT THAT BEING CLOSE TO, UH, MORE CLOSELY LOCATED TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC CENTER, THAT MORE FOLKS MIGHT BE APT TO PARTICIPATE TO, UM, TO YOUR POINT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE TRAVELED A FURTHER DISTANCE, BUT JUST LIKE, UH, AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT, IT IS GOING TO BE FURTHER THAN, UH, OUR SOUTHEAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS AS WELL.
AND SO ANY LOCATION, UM, HAS ITS PLUSES AND MINUSES.
UH, WE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN HELD AT CITY HALL, UM, SINCE 2006 WHEN THE, WHEN THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED.
UM, AND THIS IS A CHANGE 2004, THANK YOU.
SINCE THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE CHANGE, SO THAT WAY WE CAN CONTINUE THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND ENCOURAGE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, TO, TO YOUR QUESTION OF, I THINK YOU HAD ASKED HOW, YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S JUST WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THE LOCATION CHANGE, UM, AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO UTILIZE THE NEW LOCATION IS THE WAY TO COME AND GET ENGAGED.
WELL, I MEAN, WHAT, FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DO YOU ALL SEE AS THE BIGGEST DRAWBACKS OF MOVING THESE THREE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO PDC, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE'VE SEEN ARE THE POSITIVE.
SO, I MEAN, THE DRAWBACKS OBVIOUSLY ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT CHANGE IS DIFFICULT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, UM, WILL NOT BE WELCOMED FOR MANY REASONS.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW, AND THIS IS BEING IN THE BUILDING FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, THAT IT IS A BUILDING DESIGNED WITH THE RESIDENT AND THE CUSTOMER IN MIND, BRAND NEW BUILDING, UH, PLENTY OF ROOM TO SPREAD OUT AND TO, UH, PARTICIPATE.
WHEN YOU SAY CUSTOMER, WHO ARE YOU THINKING OF AS THE CUSTOMER, UM, OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, PEOPLE WHO COME IN TO DO ANY TYPE OF MINOR PERMIT FOR THEIR HOME, ANY TYPE OF HOME BUILDER THAT'S COMING IN, WE REFER TO ANYONE WHO, UH, SUBMITS AN APPLICATION AS A CUSTOMER AND HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED THE FACT THAT I ASSUME THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE GOING TO THAT BUILDING DURING THE DAY DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
UM, HAVE Y'ALL HAD ANY EVENTS YET OR, OR, OR ANYTHING THAT'S OUTSIDE NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS TO SEE HOW THAT AREA FUNCTIONS AND OPERATES.
I KNOW THAT WE RECENTLY HELD, AND I KNOW IT WAS A QUESTION HERE, THE CENSUS, THE CENSUS COMMISSION, BUT THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD THERE AND I DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THOSE, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY, UH, RESPOND WITH, UH, HOW THOSE MEETINGS WENT.
SO THERE WAS ANOTHER, THERE'S ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT'S ALREADY OPERATING OUT OF THE PDC.
OH, UNDER THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION MEETING, WE'RE HELD OVER THERE PDC FOR SURE.
IS IT POSSIBLE, UH, ANDREW TO LIKE GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION, THE CHAIR OF THE
[01:40:01]
REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, JUST TO SEE, UM, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WOULD FALL AND, OH, UH, YOU COULD, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY UPSET THAT IN 2013 THEY HAD A CERTIFICATION CEREMONY HERE IN CITY HALL AND THEY WERE TOLD THEY COULD NOT DO IT IN CITY HALL AGAIN.SO THEY HAD TO DO IT AT THE PDC AND CERTIFYING THE DISTRICT MAPS WHERE THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS IS ACTUALLY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE.
THEY HAD A VERY IMPORTANT JOB TO DO, AND THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE JUST PUT ASIDE AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
SO, YES, I THINK WE SHOULD, I THINK, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT DOING THAT, BUT I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO THE CHAIRS AND ANDREW TO CONNECT US UP.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT, THAT I JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT AND, AND TODD MENTIONED, THIS WAS THE PLACE DOES REALLY MATTER FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
UM, ALL THE ONES THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT BEFORE, BUT I HONESTLY CAN'T THINK EXCEPT FOR MAYBE THE DOMAIN WHERE ELSE, AND AUSTIN HAS A LOT OF WELL DOMAIN AND MAYBE UT, UH, WHAT OTHER PLACE IN AUSTIN AT 9:00 PM, 10:00 PM, 11:00 PM.
YOU USE, YOU SEE ACTIVITY, THERE'S LOTS OF LIGHTS, THERE'S LOTS OF ACTIVITY.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ACTIVITY TENDS TO INCREASE SAFETY.
UM, YOU KNOW, CRIMES OFTEN HAPPEN IN THE DARK WHEN NO ONE'S AROUND.
UM, AND SO I, I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE PDC IS PROBABLY AN AMAZING BUILDING AND MUCH NEEDED FOR OUR PERMITTING DEVELOPMENT, UM, ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, GETTING ALL THE STAFFERS TOGETHER.
I MEAN, IT'S PROBABLY GREAT FOR THAT, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW FROM A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, IF THAT IS TRULY THE BEST PLACE TO TRY TO DO THIS.
SO JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT COMING COX, IF YOU CAN HAND IT BACK TO COMMISSIONER COSTA, PLEASE, HERE'S ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UH, SAYS THAT ACOSTA AND THE DISTRICT COURT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, WHEN ZAP HAD RESOLUTION ON THIS MATTER, I SAID THAT I SUPPORTED OUR COMMISSION STAYING AT CITY HALL.
I STILL DO, BUT I DID WANT TO OFFER SOME SUGGESTIONS OR QUERIES AS TO THINGS THAT COULD MAKE IT AN EASIER TRANSFERENCE FOR WHOEVER IS GOING TO BE SET UP AT, UH, AT PDC.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOUR OFFICE TO WORK WITH CAP METRO FOR A CAP METRO ACCESS BUS TO BE WAITING OUTSIDE FOR, AT THE END, AT, AT THE END OF A MEETING? ABSOLUTELY.
WE CERTAINLY WILL WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO TO INCREASE ACCESS.
AND THEN I VOTE AT THE PDC AT THE PDC BUILDING.
IT'S A GREAT FACILITY, BUT IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND.
IS THERE ANY WAYFINDING OR SIGNS SET UP FOR WHERE COMMISSION FOR WHERE BOARD MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE? UM, CAUSE THE FRONT SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ENTRANCE WAY, BUT IT'S KIND OF LABYRINTH LIKE THE EAST, EAST, SOUTH SIDE OR THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING, EVEN HARDER TO FIND YOUR WAY INTO A PLACE.
WE WELCOME WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ANY OF YOU, UH, AT THAT AT THE BUILDING AND THE FACILITY, UH, TO TAKE A WALKING TOUR WITH US AND TO POINT OUT THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU THINK THE SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING COULD BE IMPROVED, UM, WE'RE ALL WE'RE EYES WIDE OPEN TO ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS.
WE DON'T WANT FOLKS TO WHEN THEY'RE THERE NOT TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE RIGHT LOCATION, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF INTERSECTIONS OR IMPROVED SIGNING THAT COULD BE MADE, WE CERTAINLY WELCOME THOSE, THOSE, UH, THAT FEEDBACK.
AND THEN JUST AN ECHO, A POINT THAT A COMMISSIONER MADE EARLIER IN THE DAY IS THAT I FEEL OUR BOARDS TYPICALLY DO HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHER DEGREES OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
AND ARE THERE RECORDS OR DEAL, KEEP AN INDICATION OF WHO ATTENDS EACH OF THE DIFFERENT OF THE 70 BOARDS? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING AND FREQUENTING THEM? UM, ANDREW'S NODDING HIS HEAD.
SO MAYBE IT'D BE WORTHWHILE TO WHEN, CONSIDERING WHICH BOARDS ARE GOING TO END UP HERE OR ELSEWHERE, LOOK AT WHERE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IS.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT STAYS IN PLACE, KEEP THOSE BOARDS WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, CAUSE IF YOU FEEL THAT IT WILL GENERATE MORE PARTICIPATION TO BE AT PDC, THEN THE BOARDS THAT ARE GETTING LESS PARTICIPATION MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THAT MORE THAN THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY RECEIVING THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION AT THEIR CURRENT LOCATIONS.
I ALWAYS FORGET TO ASK THE LAST QUESTION THAT'S IN MY HEAD.
UM, IT WHAT'S THE NEXT FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? I KNOW, I KNOW THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE TRYING TO POKE AND PROD AND, AND MAYBE FORCE YOUR HAND IN A WAY THAT YOU DON'T WANT, BUT, BUT FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS BETWEEN NOW AND FIRST OR SECOND QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR? UH,
[01:45:01]
THE NEXT STEPS ARE TO WORK TOWARDS CHANGING THE MEETING LOCATIONS TO THE PDC.IT INVOLVES OF COURSE, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT THIS CHANGE IS HAPPENING.
WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY, UM, WHETHER IT'S WORTH WAYFINDING, ET CETERA, TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS THAT SEEM TO NEED TO BE MADE, UH, TO HELP OUT.
WE CERTAINLY WILL, UM, REACH OUT TO CAPITAL METRO ABOUT INCREASED AVAILABILITY, UM, FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, REAL QUICK PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, IN THE PAST AND IN THE FUTURE, WHAT CAN YOU KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT? BECAUSE I REALLY THINK IT'S BEEN ABSENT, MAYBE I'M WRONG, BUT COULD YOU GO THROUGH THAT? SURE.
THE BUILDING ITSELF, WHEN IT WAS DEVISED AND CONCEIVED, ET CETERA, REALLY WAS THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN COUNCIL AND STAFF IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, ET CETERA.
UM, THERE WERE MAYBE ONE, IF NOT TWO MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL WHERE WE CLEARLY DELINEATED THAT THE MEETING ROOM THAT WAS BEING CREATED WAS INTENDED TO BRING THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS OVER.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS STATED BROADLY, UM, IN BETWEEN THERE, OF COURSE THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED JUNE OF 2020, UNFORTUNATELY DURING THE PANDEMIC, UH, WE WERE ALL WORKING REMOTELY RECENTLY.
OF COURSE WE BEGAN REINTEGRATING NOW THAT THE BUILDING HAS BEEN OCCUPIED AND WE'VE GOTTEN, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IN THE BUILDING THAT'S NEEDED SAVE OF COURSE, THE, TO DO THE MEETINGS, WHICH IS COMING IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
UM, WE WANTED TO REACH OUT TO THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONS TO STATE THE INTENT TO MOVE THE MEETINGS IN FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
I JUST THINK I HEARD THE ANSWER, BUT COULD YOU POINT TO, YOU KNOW, ZUCKER REPORT CLEARLY? I THINK WE CAN WRITE THAT.
DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT US REALLY RELOCATING, UH, AS FOLKS HERE POINTED OUT, BUT CAN YOU POINT TO A SPECIFIC POLICY DECISION, YOU KNOW, SHORT OF JUST GOING THROUGH WITH COUNSEL, BUT AS THERE BEEN A RESOLUTION OR ANYTHING THAT ACTUALLY DIRECTS YOU TO MOVE, UH, THESE BODIES TO PDC THERE ISN'T.
UM, THEN, UH, W HAVE YOU HEARD ANY CONCERNS FROM COUNCIL, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC SO FAR, HAVE ANY CONCERNS BEEN VOICE YOUR OFFICE? OKAY.
AND, UM, SO THE HYBRID, WHEN WE'RE A HYBRID MEETINGS, FIRST, THAT'S A RECENT DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? THAT THE IDEA OF HAVING THIS HYBRID, IT IS A RECENT DEVELOPMENT, UH, AS YOU ALL MAY BE AWARE WITH THE PANDEMIC, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ISSUED AN ORDER WHICH ALLOWED MEETINGS TO BE CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY, UH, THAT ORDER EXPIRED, I BELIEVE SEPTEMBER 1ST, UH, WHICH OF COURSE THEN, UH, REQUIRED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO BE IN ATTENDANCE, UH, UH, PHYSICALLY, HOWEVER, THE CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS FOR HYBRID PARTICIPATION AND THAT HYBRID PARTICIPATION, I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, REFER TO MYRNA HAS TO BE EFFECTIVE MARCH 1ST OF NEXT YEAR.
SO THE, THE KIND OF THAT JUSTIFICATION IS MORE RECENT.
SO THIS, I GUESS WHEN I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THAT HAS NOT BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
IT WAS KIND OF JUST MORE, ANOTHER REASON FOR KIND OF, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO ALL HYBRID MEETINGS FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONS AND FORWARDS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEETING ROOMS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO WE NEED TO USE THE PDC, UH, FORCE, AT LEAST SOME OF THESE NEEDS IT CERTAINLY FURTHER SUPPORT, SET POSITION.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
AND I THINK THERE WAS ONE MORE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION BEHIND YOU.
OH, AND MYRNA HAS A RESPONSIBILITY I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY GIVE THE VIRTUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO START, AND THEN WE'LL PICK UP AT THE END.
I JUST, CAN I JUST CLARIFY REALLY QUICKLY? I JUST, I WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON THE PDC, BUT I WANT EVERYONE TO ALSO BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING, UH, CUSTOMIZED TO ALSO HOST THESE TYPES OF MEETINGS WITH REGARD.
I KNOW THAT WE KEEP FOCUSING OR HONING IN ON TECHNOLOGY, UM, WHICH IS A BIG POINT.
UM, HOWEVER, AS STEPHANIE MENTIONED, IT'S ALL ABOUT, UM, MEETING THE TEXAS OPEN
[01:50:01]
MEETINGS ACT.NOW THAT THE GOVERNOR LIFTED THE WAIVER AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE HEARD MANOR AND COUNCIL.
WE HEARD THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE HEARD THE PUBLIC THAT YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN HYBRID MEETINGS IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
UM, THERE ARE VERY STRICT TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT RULES THAT WE NEED TO ABIDE BY.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE HAVE TO ALLOW FOR IN-PERSON, UM, STILL HAVE THE SOCIAL DISTANCING IN PLACE.
WE HAVE TO ALLOW FOR THE TECHNOLOGY TO ALLOW FOR THE AMOUNT OF MEMBERS THAT NEED TO BE PRESENT, UM, AND VIRTUALLY TO BE SEEN AT THE SAME TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING THIS ONE, BUT ANYWAY, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I, I JUST REALLY FEEL ARE IMPORTANT THAT, UM, WE COMMUNICATE AGAIN, IT'S JUST NOT THE PDC.
WE ALSO HAVE OVER 10 SOVEREIGN BOARDS.
IT'S JUST NOT THE THREE LAND COMMISSION, UM, LAND USE COMMISSION, SOVEREIGN BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS.
SO, UM, CURRENTLY SOME OF THEM JUST MEET, YOU KNOW, VIRTUALLY OR ARE NOT MEETING AT ALL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL OF DISCUSSION AS YOU ALL HAVE.
UH, BUT THERE ARE OTHER SOVEREIGN BOARDS OUT THERE.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I JUST, OUR, OUR TECH THAT WE HAVE TO MEET THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND WE CAN'T DO IT, HAVING THEM JUST HERE IN CHAMBERS AND IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOMS, BOARDING COMMISSIONED ROOM.
I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE ALL VIRTUAL, WE WERE CONDUCTING MEETINGS FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ROOM AND FROM THE BULLPEN, BUT WE WEREN'T REQUIRED TO HAVE ANYONE HERE IN PERSON.
AND THAT HAS NOW BEEN LIFTED BY THE GOVERNOR.
SO WE HAVE TO MEET THAT SECTION OF, YOU KNOW, THAT PORTION OF THE, OF THE, UH, STATUTORY REQUIREMENT.
SO ARE WE AT RISK IF COUNCIL DECIDES TO KEEP US HERE, DO WE HAVE, HAVE YOU RESERVED THESE CHAMBERS FOR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS? SHOULD THEY DECIDE TO KEEP US AT THIS LOCATION? CAUSE I HEARD YOU SAY SCHEDULE CITY HALL, THE TUESDAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OUR SCHEDULE, IF, IF WE WAIT UNTIL COUNCIL TAKES UP, OUR BYLAWS SAY, LET'S SAY FEBRUARY OR MARCH, BUT WE'D STILL BE ABLE TO MEET HERE OR IS, ARE THERE OTHER MEETINGS THAT WILL BE SCHEDULED? YEAH, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, I'M HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE, LIKE I MENTIONED OVER 70 BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEETINGS THAT WE NEED TO FIND LOCATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BEGIN MEETING.
AND, UM, AS THEY, THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE LIKE YOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THEY HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED.
THEY HAVE NONE HAVE BEEN DENIED.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE GOT THERE AND NOT THE NILE WAS WE SPECIFIED THE LOCATION SPECIFIC.
SO BECAUSE YOU CAN HONOR US BEING HERE.
WE TREATED THAT AS A DENIED, NO, WE, WE ONLY, OUR OFFICE ONLY ACCEPTS THE CALENDARS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE HISTORICALLY FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
WE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE ENCOUNTERED THIS.
SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE MEETING AGENDAS, TYPICALLY INCLUDE TIME DATE, LOCATION.
THAT'S USUALLY PRETTY STANDARD.
AND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT AT THE AUDIT AND FINANCE.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND THAT'S WHERE IT CAN BE DISCUSSED FURTHER AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
BUT RIGHT NOW I WANT TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE THAT WE ARE SIMPLY TRYING TO, UM, FOLLOW THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, NOT JUST THE SOVEREIGN BOARDS, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, AND WE NEED MORE SPACE SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THAT ALSO, UM, WE HAVE THE CORRECT TECHNOLOGY SO THAT EVERYONE WHO CANNOT ATTEND IN PERSON DOES NOT WANT TO BE IN TRAFFIC, DOES NOT HAVE A VEHICLE CAN CONTINUE TO CALL IN AND PARTICIPATE, UM, VIRTUALLY.
SO VIRTUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS RAISE YOUR HAND, I'M GOING TO MAKE A LIST REAL QUICK.
SO JUST EVERYBODY I'M GOING TO GO FROM WHAT I SEE ON OUR SCREEN FROM TOP LEFT AND THEN JUST FOLLOW, FOLLOW THROUGH.
SO LET'S START WITH THE VICE-CHAIR HAWTHORNE, UH, GOOD EVENING.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR PULLING THIS MEETING TOGETHER.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT ACTUALLY STARTS AT 5:30 PM.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE COMMUTE, THE COMMUTE STARTS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER FOR BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
UM, I, I THINK I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING AND I REALLY APPRECIATE,
[01:55:01]
UH, ACM GONZALEZ FOR YOU BEING HERE IN PERSON AND PARTICIPATING.AND I'M SORRY, I'M NOT THERE TO SEE YOUR FACE.
UH, BUT I MISSED THE REACH-OUT PART.
I FEEL LIKE THAT THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO A VERY INDIRECT WAY THAT WE ALL FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MOVE, UH, THAT, THAT APPARENTLY IS BEING REQUIRED.
UM, WHICH SEEMS A LITTLE ODD, UH, JUST AS A STATEMENT, UM, PERHAPS WITH A LITTLE CONCERN.
UM, SO, AND IT ALSO IS REALLY INTERESTING HOW LITTLE OF THE ZUCKER ZUCKER REPORT ACTUALLY WAS IMPLEMENTED.
AND THIS IS THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO PICK OUT OF THE ZUCKER REPORT.
I ECHO A LOT OF SENTIMENT THAT HAS BEEN, UH, ARTICULATED PROBABLY A LOT BETTER THAN I CAN DO.
AND I, I REALLY FIND IT QUITE INTERESTING THAT I HAVE BEEN, UH, I THINK I MUST BE GETTING OLD BECAUSE I REMEMBER LIKE BACK IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN, UH, THEY ACTUALLY USED TO BE NICE TO, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
AND, UH, HEY, YOU REMEMBER YOU GUYS, THEY USED TO LIKE ACTUALLY HAVE AN APPRECIATION NIGHT AND EVERY FEW YEARS MAKE YOU A LITTLE CERTIFICATE AND HAVE A LITTLE MIXER, MAYBE GIVE YOU A LITTLE LAPEL PIN AND SAY, THANK YOU.
OR, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND, UH, AT THIS POINT I, YOU KNOW, I GET THAT, BUT I USUALLY GET A CALL EVERY YEAR, JUST GOING, PLEASE DON'T QUIT.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT USUALLY FROM THE CITY, IT'S USUALLY FROM PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY, NOT CASE SPECIFIC BECAUSE I'M NOT ON A LOBBY OF A BOARD, BUT JUST GOING, PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR SERVICE.
AND I HAVE BEEN ON SOME KIND OF CITY BOARDS SINCE 1992.
UM, I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY SEVERAL MAYORS, SEVERAL COUNCIL PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY.
UM, I'M A BIT OF A MODERATE, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT TO THE LEFT, BUT I'M A MODERATE AND I'M A PRETTY FAIR PERSON.
UM, WE ALL ARE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE APPOINTED BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE ALL MAKE SOVEREIGN DECISIONS.
AND THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS ACTUALLY NOT APPEALABLE TO ANOTHER LAND USE COMMISSION.
NORDIC COUNCIL IS APPEALABLE TO DISTRICT COURT AND OUR AVAILABILITY TO LEGAL STAFF IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THERE IS AND LEGAL.
OUR LEGAL STAFF IS AT CITY HALL.
UH, I THINK THAT THE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE MOVE, UH, IF I COULD SAY IT GENTLY WOULD BE, I THINK IT MIGHT'VE, COULD'VE BEEN HANDLED A LITTLE BETTER AND A LITTLE MORE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.
SO I DON'T THINK I'LL BE PARTICIPATING ON THE COMMISSION ON THE BOARD IF IT'S REQUIRED THAT I, I GO THERE.
I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER TWO HOURS IN MY DAY.
AND I MEAN, OUR BAR BOARD STARTS AT FIVE 30.
UM, IT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SERVED AND I'M GLAD TO CONTINUE SERVICE, BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TO DO.
UM, UH, AND I ALSO WOULD SAY THAT I'M ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT WITH, UH, BOARD MEMBER VON OLIN, AND WE HAVE A PACT IF HE LEAVES I LEAVE.
SO, AND I THINK IT'S VICE VERSA.
SO WE'VE BEEN ON THERE A, THE LAWYERS, UM, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, NOT AS PLATO.
AND I'LL THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, UM, FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND TO, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, GONZALEZ AND ALL OF THE CITY STAFF.
I KNOW WE'RE GRILLING YOU ALL TONIGHT, BUT YOU ARE, YOU ARE THE ONES IN THE HOT SEAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I RESPECT AND LOVE YOU ALL PERSONALLY, BUT I'M REALLY NOT HEARING, UM, VERY LEGITIMATE JUSTIFICATION HERO.
SO REALLY JUST, I WANT TO SAY I HAVEN'T SERVED AS LONG AS, UH, VICE-CHAIR HAWTHORNE, BUT IN 2013, I BEGAN MY COMMISSIONER JOURNEY ON THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, THE INAUGURAL COMMISSION, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND, WE MET IN THE CITY CHAMBERS IN THE BEGINNING.
AND THEN WE WENT ALL OVER TOWN AND SOMEHOW THE CITY STAFF MIRACULOUSLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO AUDIO VIDEO AND COMPLY WITH TOMA THE ENTIRE WAY THROUGH.
UM, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE 70 COMMISSIONS.
[02:00:01]
ON THE LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION.SO THIS IS NOT TO DISPARAGE THE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
IT'S NOT AT ALL THAT THEY'RE LESS IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU ALL SEEM TO BE SOME CONTRADICTORY ANSWERS.
SO MY QUESTION REALLY COMES FROM THE FACT I'M HEARING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE IS THAT WE NEED SPACE FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE NEED SPACE WITH AUDIO, WITH VIDEO, WITH AAV CAPABILITIES, THE TECH CAPABILITIES FOR HYBRID TOTALLY MAKES SENSE.
YOU'VE EQUIPPED A NEW FACILITY.
YOU WILL HAVE EQUIPPED IT BY MARCH FOR THOSE AUDIO VIDEO CAPABILITIES.
WHY NOT PUT THE OTHER COMMISSIONS THERE? YOU'VE GOT US HERE.
WHY ISN'T THAT ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR OTHER COMMISSIONS? AND THE OTHER THING I'M HEARING IS THAT THIS IS A ONE-STOP SHOP IDEA, THAT THIS COMES FROM A ONE-STOP SHOP IDEA OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PERMITTING, WHICH I AGREE WITH OTHERS.
THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT NEEDED TO BE THE MOST CONVENIENT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE CLOCK DOING THIS PART OF THEIR JOB OR STANDING TO GAIN VALUE ON THEIR PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY'RE DEVELOPING IT.
IT NEEDS TO BE CONVENIENT TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE DON'T GET PAID TO BE HERE.
COMMISSIONERS DON'T GET PAID IN THE PUBLIC.
DOESN'T GET PAID TO DEFEND THEIR VERY NEIGHBORHOOD INTERESTS.
THEY DO IT OUT OF THEIR SELF-INTEREST AND THEIR UNPAID.
SO WE NEED TO BE ACCOMMODATING THE PUBLIC, BUT THOSE ARE CONTRADICTORY.
SO IS IT THAT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE TOGETHER AND THEREFORE BY SOME LOGIC WERE LUMPED OVER THERE? OR IS IT BECAUSE YOU NEED SPACE FOR ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS? THOSE SEEM CONTRADICTORY TO ME.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN IT AIN'T BROKE HERE.
WE HAVE OUR SOVEREIGN LAND USE COMMISSION SPEAKING AT CITY YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO WHY NOT PUT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO NEEDS SPACE IN THAT NEW FACILITY OR ROTATE PEOPLE AROUND? THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WHO'S MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED? I HEARD THE DEMOGRAPHIC CENTER COMMENT, WHICH BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT IN REDISTRICTING TOO.
I REMEMBER IF SOMEBODY IN REAL ESTATE TELLING US, OH, YOU KNOW, THE REAL CENTER OF AUSTIN IS GOING TO BE 22, 22 AND 360.
WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING IN HAYES COUNTY, YOUR FASTEST GROWING AND MOST POPULATED ZIP CODES ARE FOUR, FOUR AND FOUR OR FIVE DOWN SOUTH OF BEN WHITE.
THAT'S WHERE WE SEE TONS OF LAND USE CASES, INCLUDING ALL OVER THE EDGE OF TOWN.
SO MY TWO QUESTIONS ARE, IS IT PUTTING PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TOGETHER OR IS IT MORE SPACE FOR OTHER COMMISSIONS, IN WHICH CASE, WHY CAN'T WE PUT OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AT THIS NEW FACILITY? AND THE OTHER QUESTION, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WHO GEOGRAPHICALLY IS MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT ON NEW DEVELOPMENT CASES AND LAND USE CASES? SURE.
UM, AND THANKING COMMISSIONER FOR THE QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE'VE INTENDED TO MOVE OVER THERE.
OF COURSE IT'S, WE'VE COMMUNICATED, IT'S THE LAND USE RELATED COMMISSIONS THAT DOES NOT BY ANY STRETCH OF IMAGINATION, CLOSE THE DOOR AND OTHER COMMISSIONS, UH, MEETING UP THERE.
WE HAVE AMPLE SPACE, UH, PLENTY OF ROOM WE WANT TO OF COURSE START WITH LANDIS' COMMISSIONS, UH, AND WORK WITH CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AS THEY GO THROUGH THE 70 PLUS COMMISSIONS THAT NEED SPACE AS WELL AND SEE WHO ELSE WE CAN ACCOMMODATE.
AND SO IT ISN'T CLOSING THE DOOR ON THE OTHER COMMISSIONS, RATHER IT STARTING FIRST WITH THE LINDY'S RELATED COMMISSIONS.
AND IF THERE IS SPACE AFTER THAT, WE CERTAINLY WELCOME ALL SORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING THERE.
WE HAVE OPENED THE SPACE TO ENCOURAGE OF COURSE, OTHER COMMUNITY MEETINGS THERE AS WELL.
UH, BECAUSE WE DO VIEW IT AS AN ASSET FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IN THAT PARTICULAR SECTION OF AUSTIN, UM, WITH REGARD TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION OF CONSIDERATIONS FOR, UH, OUR RESIDENTS IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, ET CETERA.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, YEAH, THIS LOCATION, UM, MAY NOT BE THE MOST IDEAL LOCATION.
IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T HAVE, OF COURSE, AS YOU ALL HAVE POINTED OUT THAT, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT, UH, RELATED TO CITY HALL, UM, IT IS THE ONLY NEW FACILITY THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THESE TYPES OF MEETINGS.
UM, WE CERTAINLY WILL WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO TO EXPLORE HOW WE CAN BOLSTER PUBLIC TRANSIT ACCESS TO THE FACILITY.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL ALWAYS BE ONGOING.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MOST ROBUST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO THE FACILITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD REALLY QUICKLY.
I'M ONE OF SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO'S COMMENTED.
WHO'S LIKE FIVE MINUTES FROM THE PROPOSED NEW LOCATION, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT MY COMMUTE.
IT'S ALL THE REASONS THAT WERE STATED PREVIOUSLY, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, THE OTHER ONE.
AND I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD MY SUPPORT FOR THOSE COMMENTS AND, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I,
[02:05:01]
A COUPLE OF THINGS REALLY STRIKE ME ABOUT THIS.AND I, UM, LIKE MY COUNTERPART ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I CAME IN SORT OF NEUTRAL ON THIS, ALTHOUGH SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEA OF STAYING AT CITY HALL, BUT MY REAL ISSUES ARE ABOUT THE PERCEPTION AND THE NEUTRALITY OF HAVING THESE MEETINGS AND A BUILDING THAT'S LABELED FOR DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S NOT PLANNING IN CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OR PLANNING AND CONSERVATION IT'S IF THE DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND IT'S A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR DEVELOPERS.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY SENDS A MESSAGE THAT I DON'T THINK REASSURES THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT FELT ALIENATED BY CODE NEXT AND THE PLANNING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
AND I THINK THINKING ABOUT THINKING ABOUT A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, THAT'S ACTUALLY INVALIDATED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I, I'M KIND OF DISAPPOINTED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD, AGAIN, ROLL OUT WITHOUT ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BETTER LEARN FROM MISTAKES AND, UH, ENGAGED, ENGAGED WITH PEOPLE IN THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS AND NOT FURTHER ALIENATE THEM FROM A PROCESS THAT'S SO HARD TO GRASP AND, AND SO DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE WITH.
UM, SO I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERNS OR THEY'RE ALL, I HAVEN'T HEARD A SINGLE CONCERN THAT IN MY MIND IS NOT LEGITIMATE.
I'M WONDERING WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR RECONSIDERING THIS DECISION? IS THERE A WAY FORWARD WHERE, WHERE THIS COULD BE RE-EVALUATED? UM, ONCE AGAIN, I WILL TALK ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION MADE TO DO THIS WITH INTENT OF IMPLEMENTING BY MARCH.
FIRST OF NEXT YEAR, WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FEEDBACK AND TO THE CONCERNS AND TO WORK WITH YOU, UM, TO ADDRESS THOSE, UM, IN EARNEST.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR PROCESS IS TO WORK WITH YOU WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FOR THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE NOTED, BUT, BUT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AS, AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I TEACH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT IS NOT IT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A SPECTRUM OF ENGAGEMENT AND, AND YOU'RE STOPPING AT THE FIRST STOP, WHICH IS TO TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S NOT ENGAGEMENT IS ACTUALLY DOES NOT MEET THE DEFINITION.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
AND, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID, WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING UP WITH A DIFFICULT MEETING.
I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT AS SINCERE OF HER IF YOU KNOW THAT THE ONLY PATH FORWARD IS THE PREDETERMINED PATH.
I'M NOT SURE WHY WE'RE EVEN HAVING THIS MEETING.
YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE EXTRA SIGNAGE WOULD BE GREAT, EXTRA, YOU KNOW, COMMUTE SUPPORT WOULD BE GREAT.
I VOTED THERE THIS LAST ELECTION.
UM, IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT, IT'S IT, THERE WAS NOT PROPER ENGAGEMENT.
THE PROCESS, THE PROCESS WAS THE PROBLEM HERE.
AND WE'RE NOT HEARING ANYONE SUPPORT THIS CONCEPT.
I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYONE SUPPORT THE CONCEPT.
SO I'M, I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT THE PROCESS.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER HOW IT COULD BE REAPPROACHED.
SO IT WAS ASKING HOW CAN IT BE APPROACHED? I KNOW.
THAT WAS THE QUESTION EARLIER WAS, YOU KNOW, WAS THERE, UH, A DIFFERENT WAY OF PERHAPS, UH, MODIFYING THE DECISION? I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HAD HEARD AND I HAD RESPONDED TO THAT PREVIOUSLY.
AND THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S A PROBLEM JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S, THE ANSWER IS NO COMMISSIONER KING.
AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M DISAPPOINTED.
I'M HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS DECISION IS NOT ABOUT SERVING THE PUBLIC.
IT'S ABOUT SERVING A PARTICULAR INTERNAL INTEREST OF THE CITY STAFF, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO THINK THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THE STAFF WORKS HARD AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I, I I'VE SERVED MUCH OF MY LIFE AS PUBLIC SERVICE.
I WORKED FOR THE CITY TO BEGIN WITH THE CITY, GAVE ME MY START IN MY CAREER AND WENT ON TO THE STATE.
SO I LOVE THIS CITY AND I, I, I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT.
I WAS A CITY EMPLOYEE AND I KNOW HOW HARD CITY EMPLOYEES WORK.
SO THIS ISN'T, TO ME, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE HARD WORK OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES HERE.
IT'S, UH, IT'S A MANAGEMENT DECISION.
AND TO ME, IT'S, THE PROCESS IS AN ISSUE HERE.
[02:10:01]
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TO ME AND WE'RE DOING IT IN THE WAY.I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE LEARNED, WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH.
ALL OF THESE MEETINGS ABOUT EQUITY AND INEQUITY BUILT INTO OUR PROCESSES.
AND HERE WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN, WHERE WAS THE EQUITY ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE ON THIS DECISION? NONE, ZERO WAS DONE.
AND YET THIS IS GOING TO HAVE, IN MY OPINION, A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON EQUITY IN OUR CITY.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE US BACKWARDS.
AND, AND SO, UM, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THIS, AND IT SEEMS TO ME REMINDS ME OF SOME OF OUR ZONING CASES WHERE WE TALK ABOUT, WELL, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE THE TRANSIT THERE NOW, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE THERE, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND STAMP THIS DECISION, GET IT DONE.
OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY ALWAYS BRINGS UP SAFETY AND SECURITY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S, SO IT JUST REMINDS ME OF THE SAME OLD STUFF OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I'M HIGHLY, HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THIS PROCESS HERE.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT, THAT, THAT YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND RESERVE THESE, THESE MEETING SPACES AT CITY HALL FOR THESE THREE COMMISSIONS AND NOT PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDRESS BY SAYING, WELL, THE TIME RAN OUT, SORRY, THE COUNCIL DIDN'T RESPOND IN TIME.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, THAT'S YOUR ONLY CHOICE NOW.
AND WHAT KIND OF PUBLIC PROCESS IS THAT? AND WHAT DOES IT SEND TO VOLUNTEERS FOR THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS? WHAT KIND OF MESSAGES THAT SEND? I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD MESSAGE HERE.
I'M, I'M HIGHLY, HIGHLY FRUSTRATED ABOUT THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE SAID ENOUGH HERE.
I'M JUST, I THINK THIS WAS A POOR DECISION.
THESE, THESE LAND-USE COMMISSIONS NEED TO REMAIN AT CITY HALL IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, IN THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THAT'S WHAT THIS SHOULD BE DOING.
THIS DECISION SHOULD BE DRIVEN BY, BUT I THINK IT'S NOT, I THINK I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT IT'S MORE ABOUT MAKING IT, ONE-STOPS CLICK THE FULL DELIVER, AND YOU'VE GOT ALL YOUR STUFF DONE IN ONE STOP HERE.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
AND YOU'RE STREAMLINING THE PROCESS SO MUCH THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY TRUE EQUITY OR PUBLIC PROCESSING ANYMORE.
SO I'M, I'M JUST HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED.
UH, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND LISTENING TO OUR COMMENTS AND, AND, AND, UH, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL REALLY GENUINELY LISTEN AND, AND MAKE SOME CHANGES HERE THAT WERE, THAT YOU HEAR US SAYING TONIGHT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMISSIONS BEING HERE TONIGHT AND TRYING TO TACKLE THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MUCH TALLER.
UM, I'M JENNIFER MUSH TALLER, AND I'M SERVING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR DISTRICT SIX OR THE CURRENT DISTRICT SIX.
UM, I STARTED IN APRIL AND I REALLY, UM, ENJOY MY SERVICE.
I ENJOY MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND, AND WHAT I HOPE WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE CITY STAFF THAT SUPPORT US IN DOING THAT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY BEHIND THIS.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY WITH THE PDC, BUT THEN THERE WAS ALSO THE NEW IMPETUS TO HAVE THE HYBRID.
UM, WOULD IT HELP FOR US TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER WHAT HAVING THE HYBRID CAPABILITY WILL, WILL DO? UM, DOES THAT CHANGE HOW WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE IN TERMS OF A BOARD? CAN WE MEET QUORUM IF WE ARE HYBRID, UH, IS ONE QUESTION AND WILL OUR PUBLIC BE ABLE TO ATTEND, UM, IN THE HYBRID FASHION AS WELL? UH, BECAUSE WHEN WE KIND OF DISCUSSED THINGS IN A COVID SITUATION AND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE POST COVID, WE FOUND THAT IN SOME WAYS OUR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GREW WHEN PEOPLE HAD MORE AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCESS AND TESTIFY THAN JUST COMING IN PERSON.
SO I'M WONDERING, ARE THERE UPSIDES HERE THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT RECOGNIZING? CAUSE I, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD AD NAUSEUM OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEGATIVES.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STEPHANIE HALL WHEN Q HI, IT'S STEPHANIE AGAIN.
AND THAT IS WHAT COUNSEL DID WHEN THEY MADE THESE CODE CHANGES JUST A MONTH OR SO AGO.
SO THE INTENTION IS THAT WE WILL BE CHANGING WHAT IS WRITTEN IN CITY CODE TO ALLOW NOT TO SO THAT NOT A CORUM IS REQUIRED TO BE PRESENT.
SO THAT ONLY THE PRESIDING OFFICERS TOLD THAT'S WHAT TOMER REQUIRES.
THOMA REQUIRES ONLY A PRESIDING OFFICER BE PRESENT SO THAT ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS COULD ATTEND VIRTUALLY WITH ALSO THE INTENT TO HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY THAT IS A COMPLICATED PROCESS MERGING THAT THING.
THAT'S WHY THAT ALSO TAKES SOME SPACE AT EQUIPMENT.
THAT'S THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING TO MERGE PUBLIC CALLERS IN IS A REALLY TIME INTENSIVE PROCESS.
YEAH, I'M SURE ALL THREE BODIES HAVE FACED THE CHALLENGES.
CERTAINLY I'M GOING TO GET MY SHOUT OUT TO ANDREW FOR HIS HELP, WITH THAT AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
[02:15:01]
ALL THE COMMISSIONERS UNDERSTAND, THEN, THEN IT WOULD BE THE PRESIDING AND WE CAN STILL MEET OUR QUORUM OR QUOTA REQUIREMENTS VIA VIRTUAL.SO THAT APPLIES TO THE COMMISSION, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MERGE THE REPUBLICAN.
SO PERHAPS OUR FOLKS WITH KIDS OR JOB ISSUES OR THINGS LIKE THAT CAN BE ABLE TO TESTIFY REMOTELY OR VIA DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. CORRECT.
THAT IS WHAT THE COACHES ARE ALLOWING.
SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TOWARDS.
YOU PROBABLY, HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT THAT YET BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING OUT THOSE DETAILS, BUT THAT'LL BE COMING OUT.
AND THEN I JUST LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT FOR THE REST OF YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, LET ME KNOW.
I'LL, I'LL ASK ANOTHER QUESTION THEN.
COULD, COULD YOU GUYS POTENTIALLY GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION OR THOUGHT AS TO MAYBE A ROLLING INTRODUCTION OF THIS? SO INSTEAD OF A HARD STOP IN FEBRUARY, UM, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO, TO ROLL IT SO WE COULD ALTERNATE.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW FREQUENTLY SOME OF MY OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND BOARD MEMBERS HERE ARE MEETING.
I KNOW FOR US, WE ARE, WE ARE TYPICALLY TWICE A MONTH AND SOMETIMES MORE ON SPECIAL SESSION.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD DO ONE HERE, ONE THERE, START TO INTRODUCE IT AND UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK AND FEEL, AND THEN MAYBE GET SOME FEEDBACK BEFORE DECIDING WHAT THE FINAL IS.
WE WELCOME THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS AS REACHING OUT TO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IS TO HAVE THOSE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS OF HOW THAT IMPLEMENTATION LOOKS.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN THAT WAY IT'LL GIVE YOU SOME ROLLING OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR BACK FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM THE COMMISSIONS WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT, AND GET PEOPLE FAMILIAR GROUND, BUT WE WOULD WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THOSE, UM, MEETINGS WHERE THEY'RE HAPPENING, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE PLANS ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE MEETINGS AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE, WHETHER THEY'RE SERVING OR WHETHER THEY'RE THEY'RE COMING IN TO TESTIFY.
WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT ACCESS.
UM, I AM A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY IN THAT AREA.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT, BUT, AND I THINK THAT THE KEY DELINEATOR IS, UH, AT LEAST FOR THE MAJORITY OF US, WE'RE MEETING INTO THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT, UM, AND THAT TRANSPORTATION ISSUE FOR PEOPLE COMING, IF THEY'RE COMING IN PERSON, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE ACCESS AND THEY'VE GOT TO FEEL THEY'VE GOT TO BE SAFE TO AND FRO.
UM, SO WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A CAREFUL LOOK AT THAT.
AND I KNOW, UM, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND BOARD MEMBERS FEEL THE SAME WAY FOR THEIR OWN, UM, ATTENDANCE IN PERSON OUT THERE.
UH, THANK YOU, STAFF FOR, UH, ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS AND TAKING THEIR FEEDBACK.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS SAID TONIGHT, A TON THAT I AGREE WITH, BUT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST REITERATE, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, FOR SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AND ALSO THE SOUTHWEST, UH, AUSTIN FOLKS.
JUST THE NIGHTMARE OF TRYING TO DRIVE OR PICK THE BUS TO THAT HIGHLAND LOCATION.
UM, IF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, OUR PALITO OF THIS UNIT, UM, SHE, SHE, SHE MENTIONED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WEIGHT OF THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT KIND OF LIKE MEET, YOU KNOW, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ZAP AND THEN THE OTHER ONES, UH, PLANNING AND THEN, UH, OTHER HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS, UH, TO STAY AT CITY HALL AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE JUST TO TRY TO MOVE IT TO OFFSITE.
IS THAT A POSSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, WHEN ONE THING THAT, UH, WE WANT TO DO OF COURSE IS LOOK AT, NOT LOOK BUT IMPLEMENT WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS MOVING THESE SPORTS AND COMMISSIONS OVER.
UM, WE HAVE NOT YET BEGUN SCHEDULING THEM AT ALL.
UH, IF FOR SOME REASON, YOU KNOW, THE COMPLETE MOVE OVER SEEMS INFEASIBLE TO MOVE OVER THE LAND, USE ALL THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS.
WE WILL LOOK AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES.
UM, RIGHT NOW, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE PLAN IS TO MOVE ALL OF THEM OVER TO PDC.
UM, WE BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT, UH, IN ORDER TO EXPLORE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'D HAVE TO COME INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE COULDN'T MOVE ALL OF THEM OVER POURED MY BRAIN.
SO I DIDN'T SEE YOUR VIDEO EARLIER.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OH, I JUST WANT TO, UM, RE REITERATE, UH, WHAT, UH, WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, ESPECIALLY ON PALITO AND, UM, UH, WHAT SHE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
I LIVE ALSO ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AWAY, BUT, UM, NO, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT, UH, OUR COMMISSIONERS
[02:20:01]
HAVE SHARED.AND, UH, I GUESS I WAS WONDERING IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, THE SCHEDULING, I GUESS, CURRENTLY, UH, CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
IT'S NOT IN, IN THE DECISION MATRIX.
UM, ARE THERE ANY PLANS, CHEATING INCLUDE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND FEATURE, UM, LIKE LOCATION DECISIONS.
UM, UH, AND THIS IS JUST AN OPEN QUESTION, I GUESS, TO WHOEVER IS RESPONDING.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ON OUR END IS THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS MOVING OVER TO THE PDC, UM, WITH REGARD TO OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I KNOW THAT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER CHANGES CONTEMPLATED ON THOSE ENDS.
I'M GETTING A NEGATIVE THAT THE, THAT THERE AREN'T I HEAR YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK INTO THE ROOM REAL QUICK AND, UH, ANSWER A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER MONO, OR SORRY, A BOARD MEMBER BY NOLAN.
I JUST WANT TO SAY WHAT I'M HEARING AND BASED ON YOUR RESPONSES, NUMBER ONE.
SO YOU GOT THROWN UNDER THE BUS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE 28 YEARS I HAD MY BUSINESS, WE USED TO GO THROUGH THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS, COME EVERY THURSDAY, BUT, UH, WELCOME TO THE FIRE.
THE, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY, AND I'VE HEARD YOU SAY IT SEVERAL TIMES, THAT BASICALLY THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
AND WHAT I SAID IN MY STATEMENT AGAIN, IS IF THIS IS A DONE DEAL, JUST SAY SO, BECAUSE WE'RE WASTING EVERYBODY'S TIME, BUT I WILL ALSO STEP OUT THERE FAR ENOUGH TO SAY THIS, THAT YOU, AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND STAFF MADE THIS DECISION TO MAKE THESE MOVES, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE DECISION NOT TO MAKE THEM AND TO HOLD OFF ON IT.
SO IT'S REALLY NOT A DONE DEAL.
AND I WAS A FORMER CHAIRMAN OF CAPITOL METRO.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW HOW, HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE YOU TO TRY TO GET A BUS STOP OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT THE RIDERSHIP.
AND IF THE RIDERSHIP IS GOING TO BE INTERMITTENT ON IT, BECAUSE OF THESE MEETINGS, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE PULLING HANDS TO THAT.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY CAPITAL METRO WORKS AND CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NOT HAVE A RECORD OF HAVING A REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIP.
I KNOW THERE'S ANY LOCAL AGREEMENTS, BUT IT WILL TAKE FOREVER THE SECURITY ISSUE YOU DON'T HAVE.
YOU DON'T HAVE SECURITY OUT THERE.
I HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE METAL DETECTORS.
UH, YOU DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION.
AFTER SEPTEMBER 1ST, AND I'VE GOT A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT, I CAN PACK OUTSIDE AND I'M GOING TO GO WALKING INTO MY MEETING.
IS THAT OF WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE? THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
AND I KNOW NOW THAT I SAID THAT YOU POST THE LETTER OUT THERE SAYING NO, NO, NO CONCEALED CARRY.
BUT BEING A FORMER MILITARY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I LOOK, I LOOK AT THESE PLACES AND I LOOK AT WHERE THE, THE VULNERABILITIES LAY AND I PERSONALLY DO FEEL RIGHT NOW THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE IS YOU GUYS HAVE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
YOU SAY, YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS ON SECURITY.
YOU SAY, YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IN ANY, AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, FORMER CONTRACTOR CONTACTED WITH THE CITY AND TODD WILL TELL YOU THIS BEING A FORMER PROJECT MANAGER WITH THE CITY, WE KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE FOR YOU TO GET METAL DETECTORS IN.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OFF A BED.
THAT'S A WHOLE LONG PROCESS JUST IN AND OF ITSELF.
THEN AFTER THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EVALUATE THE BIDS.
SHE'S, SHE'S DONE PURCHASING FOREVER.
OKAY? IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN OVERNIGHT THING.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE READY BY FEBRUARY THE WAY YOU THINK IT IS.
AND SO I THINK PERSONALLY, YOU NEED TO PUMP THE BRAKES ON THIS A LITTLE BIT.
AND ONCE YOU HAVE THAT SECURITY IN PLACE, ONCE YOU HAVE CAPITAL METRO AND YOU HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESSIBILITY, ONCE YOU HAVE THE METAL DETECTORS IN THAT'S WHEN WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT MOVING, BECAUSE THESE BOARDS, WE DO RUN INTO ISSUES WHERE PEOPLE AND I'VE HAD TO WALK MS. HAWTHORNE TO HER VEHICLE, COUPLE OF TIMES, CAUSE PEOPLE WERE STANDING RIGHT OUTSIDE THAT DOOR.
AND ONCE WE GET OUT THERE AND, AND, AND SECURITY HAS GONE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WITH THE WOMEN THAT ARE ON THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THEY'RE VULNERABLE, AND I'M OLD SCHOOL SHOW HER.
HE HASN'T DIED WITH ME YET, BUT I REALLY FEEL THAT THE SAFETY ISSUE, IF HEALTH AND SAFETY IS THE TRUE CONCERN, WHICH SAID IN THE LAST, THE VERY SECOND TO THE LAST SENTENCE OF YOUR MEMO, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
YOU NEED TO PUMP THE BRAKES, YOU PUT THE CART FOR ANOTHER HORSE, PUT THESE, THESE ITEMS IN PLACE, THEN COME BACK.
WE MIGHT BE A LOT MORE OPEN TO WANTING
[02:25:01]
TO MOVE UP THERE.SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION.
I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION TO THAT, BUT SO DID YOU, DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND? NO.
I THINK TO HIS POINT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION GOING ON A COUPLE OF HOURS NOW AND I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE A RUDER REITERATION.
SO I WOULD MAKE THE POINT WITH THE CAPITAL METRO THING THAT LIKE, YOU CAN WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO, BUT THAT'S MEANINGLESS.
I MEAN, YOU MIGHT GET, YOU KNOW, HAVING ONE BUS COME OUT THERE FOR A MEETING IS NOT THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS THE CENTER OF THE SPIDER WEB OF A CAPITAL METRO.
WE HAVE DOZENS OF BUS LINES THAT GO ALL OVER TOWN.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET ALMOST ANY PART OF TOWN THAT HAS BUS SERVICE GETS DOWNTOWN AND WITHIN ONE BUS LINE.
SO IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE A TRANSFER FOR MOST PEOPLE UP THERE.
AND YOU JUST CAN'T, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO FIX THAT.
THEY CAN'T, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO REROUTE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AROUND WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO, UM, AND IT'S JUST, THIS IS THE TEST AS PART OF THE CITY, ORGANICALLY REMORSE TO THE TRANSIT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO STILL THE POINT ABOUT LIKE, THIS IS THE GOOD ENDING POINT WHERE YOU KNEW YOU'RE COMING DOWNTOWN.
YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO PASS THROUGH DOWNTOWN THAT YOU KIND OF THE WORST TRAFFIC TRYING TO PASS THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UM, UH, I GUESS I WAS A LITTLE BIT LIKE CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR ANSWER TO, I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
I APOLOGIZE IF I GOT THAT WRONG.
UH, IT WAS ASKING ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THINGS UP, MAYBE IT'S LIKE, WELL, MAYBE WE WON'T WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONS.
LIKE IT'S NOT A FINAL DECISION ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU, HAVEN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS ASKING QUESTIONS EARLIER ABOUT WHICH COMMISSIONS WOULD BE TAKING OVER, YOU DIDN'T KNOW.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVEN'T REALLY DECIDED OTHER THAN YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE US UP THERE, WHICH COMMISSIONS ARE GOING TO BE IN WHICH ROOM, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A FINAL THING TO ME OTHER THAN, OH, WE, WE WE'VE SAID THAT WE WANT TO MOVE THE COMMISSIONERS UP THERE, BUT YOU HAVEN'T SET THE SCHEDULE.
YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN OUR SPACE YET.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE SPACE IS STILL THERE NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME LIKE DOMINO EFFECTS WHERE YOU HAVE SOME OTHER COMMISSIONERS OR MAYBE MEETING PLACES WHERE THEY CAN'T DO WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOUNDS LIKE YOUR EQUIPMENT ISSUES THAT MAYBE THEY'RE MEETING IN OTHER PLACES WHERE IT IS.
THEY DON'T QUALIFY THAT THEY NEED TO BE MOVED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE WANTING TO MOVE FAST, BUT Y Y Y BUT THEN IT GETS TO WHICH COMMISSION SHOULD BE AWARE.
UH, AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL, IT'S THE PLANNING AREA.
THAT'S WHERE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE.
IT SEEMS TO BE THE LOGIC THAT WE'RE THE FIRST ONES THAT SHOULD MOVE UP THERE.
BUT FOR ALL THE REASONS EVERYONE'S TALKED ABOUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE PARTICIPATION NOW.
I'M NOT, I KNOW YOU ALSO DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH AN ANGRY ROOM FULL OF COMMISSIONERS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS ABOUT MOVING THEIR COMMISSION UP THERE.
BUT, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FRIEND ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THERE'S CERTAINLY THE THINGS THAT BUILD THE SECURITY FOR THAT COMMISSION.
UH, BUT, UH, I, I DO THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE FAR FEWER PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS THAT HAVE A LOT LESS CONTENTIOUS ISSUES THAT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO MOVE UP THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT TENDS TO BE JUST BE THE NINE PEOPLE AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO OTHER PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS VERSUS WE REGULARLY HAVE THINGS COMING TO US THAT WE KNOW WE REGULARLY HAVE THINGS THAT COME TO US AND THEY GO TO COUNCIL SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO US AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, WHEN PUBLIC SAYS THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT IT, IT'S THE SAME SPOT WHEN IT COMES TO COUNSELORS, WHEN IT COMES TO ZAP OR PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, THAT MAYBE THAT DYNAMIC DOESN'T EXIST FOR OTHER CONDITIONS.
SO I, I REALLY THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE EVALUATION.
I, WHAT DOESN'T SOUND TO ME LIKE IT'S A DONE DEAL YET, OTHER THAN YOU'VE SAID, YOU WANT TO DO IT, UH, THAT YOU HAVEN'T SCHEDULED OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOMMATE.
AND SO I THINK IT WOULD, FOR ME PERSONALLY, TO, TO BE OKAY WITH THIS, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE LIKE, YOU'D HAVE TO SHOW ME WHY ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT, WHAT WHAT'S TAKING OUR SPACE THAT NEEDS IT MORE THAN WE DO.
AND I DON'T WANT TO PICK COMMISSIONS AGAINST EACH OTHER, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHICH ONES HAVE THE MOST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, WHICH ONE NEED THE SECURITY THE MOST.
AND LIKE, CAN YOU TELL ME LIKE WHERE YOU ARE IN THE SCHEDULING PROCESS, THAT THAT MEANS THAT THIS IS A DONE DEAL? UM, SURE.
UM, I CAN SPEAK TO OUR SCHEDULING PROCESS AT PDC.
AND OF COURSE OUR NEXT STEP IS TO WORK WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO LOOK AT THE VARIOUS MEETING SCHEDULES, ET CETERA, FOR THE VARIOUS LAND USE COMMISSIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN WE CAN BEGIN SCHEDULING THEM AT THE PDC.
WE CAN'T SPEAK TO THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SCHEDULING PROCESS, BUT WE CAN TELL YOU OF COURSE, HOW WE INTEND TO WORK WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR SCHEDULING THE LAND USE RELATED COMMISSION MEETINGS HAVE PDC.
UM, WHY COULD YOU NOT SCHEDULE OTHER COMMISSIONS AT PDC AND KEEP US HERE? SO, AS I MENTIONED, IT DOESN'T CLOSE THE DOOR FOR THAT CONVERSATION.
WE STARTED WITH THE LAND USE RELATED COMMISSIONS.
SO START IT, BUT THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A FINAL DECISION TO ME.
THAT MEANS YOU'RE JUST KIND OF STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES SENSE FOR YOU TO MOVE THERE, BUT YOU HAVEN'T FINALIZED ANYTHING.
SO WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT'S FINAL WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE STARTING TO, BUT YOU HAVEN'T FINALIZED WHERE, WHERE AS WHAT YET? SO IT STILL SEEMS TO ME THAT IF YOUR HAND WAS FORCED, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE OTHER PEOPLE UP HERE AND KEEP US HERE.
LIKE, I, I, UH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT HEARING ANYTHING THAT CONVINCES ME THAT THIS IS A FINAL DECISION.
LIKE OTHER THAN THAT, YOU'VE USED OUR SPACE AND CAN'T HAVE US HERE.
[02:30:01]
YEAH, I, I CAN REITERATE WHAT WE'VE PUT IN THE MEMO, WHICH IS THAT, UH, WE'RE WE HAVE TARGETED THE LAND USE RELATED COMMISSIONS TO MOVE TO PDC EFFECTIVE MARCH 1ST AND FARGO.I SAY, I SAY STARTED WITH, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE COMMISSIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, PUT IN PLACE TO, TO MOVE TO THE PDC.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BIG BUILDING.
UH, IF THERE'S ROOM TO ACCOMMODATE MORE IN THE CITY, CLERK'S OFFICE SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOME MORE SPACE.
WE CERTAINLY WILL LOOK TO EXPLORING THAT AS WELL.
AND SO WHEN I SAY WE HAVEN'T CLOSED THE DOOR TO OTHER COMMISSIONS, WE PUT TH TH THAT'S NOT REALLY ANSWERING MY QUESTION.
THAT'S LIKE, THAT'S A PRETTY FAKE WORD.
THAT'S NOT A, LIKE, THERE'S NO, I DON'T SEE ANY LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO MOVE UPSTATE SHIFT UP THERE, JUST CAUSE YOU'VE SAID, YOU WANT TO DO THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M HEARING.
AND THEN, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY REASONS WHY, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED MORE SPACE, THEY NEED A BOOST OF COMMISSIONS.
LIKE THIS SEEMS TO BE THE REASON FOR THIS, WHICH I THINK, I MEAN, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, BUT WHY, WHY COULD THOSE COMMISSIONS NOT MOVE UP TO THE PDC? UH, WHY IS OUR COMMISSION BEING MOVED UP OTHER THAN LIKE, YOU JUST SAY YOU'RE TARGETED LIKE THAT.
THAT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME AT ALL YET.
I MEAN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TRY TO MAKE THAT CLEAR? LIKE YEAH.
OUR RPS IS, UH, WHEN WE SAY LAND USE RELATED THAT THEY'RE RELATED TO THE USES IN THAT BUILDING.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE LOOKED AT THOSE SPECIFIC COMMISSIONS.
WHY WHA SO THEN IT GETS TO LIKE WHITE IS WHAT PREVENTS OTHER COMMISSIONS FOR MEETING THEIR OTHER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST, CAUSE IT SAYS THE PDC IS CALLED PLANNING.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSIONS NEED TO BE, AND THE NAME I'LL REITERATE MY STATEMENT.
SO THE COMMISSION'S MEETING THERE AS WELL.
THE DOOR MEANS THAT THE COMMISSIONS THAT YOU WOULD BE MEETING HERE INSTEAD OF US COULD BE THERE AND WE COULD STILL MEET HERE.
LIKE THAT'S, I'M NOT SAYING WHY THAT'S NOT A POSSIBILITY.
UH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THAT'S NOT A POSSIBILITY? UM, I WILL TRY TO BE AS SUCCINCT AS I CAN.
SO WE HAVE STARTED WITH THE LAND USE RELATED COMMISSIONS TO MOVE TO PDC, BUT WHY DO YOU NEED TO DO THAT? WHY CAN'T YOU START WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS? BECAUSE THEY'RE, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THEY'RE MORE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE WORK THAT OCCURS AT PDC.
SO, BUT DO YOU FACTOR IN LIKE, WHICH ONES HAVE MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THAT? LIKE WHICH ONES ARE ACTUALLY MORE APPROPRIATE TO BE IN WHICH PLACE? SURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION WITH THE WHY AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S THE WHY.
AND SO WE COULD DO A LOT OF FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO THOSE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, WE CERTAINLY COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, BROADLY THESE COMMISSIONS MORE CLOSELY RELATE TO THE WORK THAT'S DONE AT PEAK.
I MEAN, I HEAR THAT, BUT THAT DOESN'T LIKE, THAT SEEMS TO ME, LIKE NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN AND NOT A GOOD REASON, GIVEN ALL THE OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT PROBABLY PARTICIPATION AND HOW OURS ARE LIKE THAT.
JUST BECAUSE WE'RE CALLED PLANNING DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S THE BEST MOVE.
IT'S JUST, YOU'RE NOT MAKING A CASE FOR WHY, WHY THAT'S TRUE TO LIKE, WHY THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT WE'RE PLANNING AND THEIR PLANNING.
LIKE THAT'S ALL, THAT'S NOT OVERRIDING ALL THE OTHER REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TONIGHT.
AND I, AND I THINK YOU NEED TO, LIKE, I, I DON'T THINK THIS IS FINAL.
LIKE, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING THAT COMES TO ME LIKE THAT YOU CAN'T ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE MADE ANYTHING THAT'S LIKE, OTHER THAN YOU WANT TO SAY, IT'S FINAL, I'M SORRY.
I GET OTHER PEOPLE TO TURN, BUT THANK YOU.
I'M KELLY BLOOM BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
THEY CAN THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT YOU DO PAUSE THE RELOCATION EFFORT TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND COLLECT SOME DATA.
BUT FOLLOWING ON THE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS ABOUT ATTENDANCE, LIKE, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT MEETING ATTENDANCE OVER THE LAST 2, 3, 4, 5 YEARS, AND TO SEE WHICH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE THE MOST PUBLIC ATTENDANCE, CAN YOU USE THAT AS ONE OF YOUR FACTORS IN YOUR DECISION MAKING AND SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY FROM MY BOARD, WE ALWAYS KNOW THAT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF WHAT OUR DECISION-MAKING IS IMPACTING.
SO WE COULD TECHNICALLY GO BACK THROUGH OUR HISTORICAL CASES AND ESTIMATE THE IMPACT ON SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE CITY.
AND WE COULD CALCULATE, FOR EXAMPLE, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IMPACTED BY DISTANCE.
THEY WOULD TRAVEL TO A GIVEN LOCATION FOR THEIR MEETINGS.
SO WE COULD COME UP WITH A METRIC THAT, AND THEN USE THAT TO PERHAPS INFORM THE DECISION-MAKING ABOUT, ABOUT THIS QUESTION OF ACCESSIBILITY.
AND THAT WOULD GIVE YOU SOME HARD NUMBERS YOU CAN LOOK AT.
SO THAT, SO THAT EVEN IF THE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HERE ISN'T COMPELLING ENOUGH, THEN YOU AT LEAST WOULD HAVE OBJECTIVE DATA THAT YOU COULD THEN LOOK AT AND USE THAT TO SUPPORT YOUR DECISIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT RESONATES OR NOT, BUT I WANTED TO SUGGEST DATA.
UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME THAT, RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION, UM, TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU, YOU WANT TO WORK WITH YOUR LACE ON TO PUT THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER, UM, HE CAN CERTAINLY SEND IT TO US.
[02:35:04]
AND ANGLER AGAIN, I'M JUST HOPING YOU CAN ACTUALLY SURVEY THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS PROCESS.AND I THINK YOU SHOULD DO THAT BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS.
I'M NOT HEARING WHAT THE CITIZENS THINK ABOUT THIS.
I'M NOT HEARING WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM STAFF THAT DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE MEETINGS UP THERE.
I HAVEN'T HEARD WHAT THE DEVELOPERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
UM, IF YOU'RE COMING TO A LAND USE COMMISSION FOR, UH, UM, AT A MEETING, YOU'RE ACTUALLY COMING DOWN TO A MEETING YOU'RE NOT COMING BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DROP PERMIT.
YOU'RE COMING TO PROVIDE PUBLIC TESTIMONY ABOUT A REZONING CASE OR A VARIANCE OR A LEGAL INTERPRETATION.
IF YOU'RE WITH THE BOARD OF A J THIS IS TAKING INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND I AM NOT HEARING ANYTHING IN YOUR COMMENTS THAT SAY YOU'VE MADE THE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS WANT.
I'VE GIVEN SUGGESTIONS, BUT I DO WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE IMPRESSION.
I DON'T THINK YOU'VE GOT A SOLID BASIS FOR BREE LOCATING, AND I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL TAKE THE TIME, NOT HAVE THE BOARDS AND LIAISONS GATHER THIS, BUT COME TO FIND A WAY TO ACTUALLY SURVEY THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE USE, THE MOVES FOR THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE I DO THINK THEY GET MORE PARTICIPATION.
I DO THINK THEY ARE MORE, THERE'S MORE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.
I THINK OUR MEETINGS TEND TO RUN LONGER, WILL NOT ALWAYS APP, BUT I THINK YOU'RE MISSING A VERY VITAL PART OF YOUR DECISION-MAKING.
AND I REALLY WOULD URGE YOU TO GET SOME ACTUAL STAKEHOLDER INPUT AND THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A HEARING.
UH, THE CITY IS BRILLIANT AT THAT.
UM, BUT IT, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ASKED AND COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE SOME WEIGH IN ON THIS TOO.
RICHARD SMITH AGAIN, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU TOO FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION IF CITY COUNCIL HEARS FROM THE PUBLIC AND SEES THESE PRESENTATIONS, THESE EXCELLENT PRESENTATIONS, AM I CORRECT? THAT THEY CAN PUT A STOP TO THIS STOP, TO THE MOVE OVER TO THE PDC.
SO, UM, I THINK WHAT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION IS THE APPROVAL OF THE BYLAWS.
AND SO I'M NOT A CITY ATTORNEY OR, YOU KNOW, CAN ACTUALLY REPRESENT THAT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S THE ACTION THAT COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERING, OR THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERING IS APPROVAL OF THOSE BYLAWS, UH, WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF KEEPING CITY HALL AS THE LOCATION OF THE MEETING.
SO ULTIMATELY IS THE CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, RIGHT.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YES, BY THERE, BY VIRTUE OF CONSIDERING THOSE BYLAWS, THAT, UH, IT COULD BE PERMANENT TO HAVE THE MEETINGS HERE.
IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS MYSELF.
THANK ALL OF Y'ALL FOR SHOWING UP TO TALK TO US.
I KNOW HOW HARD CITY STEP WORKS.
I WATCH OUR LIAISON AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN ZAPPA LIAISON.
MR. RIVERA, MR. RAMIREZ, THEY JUST PUT SO MUCH TIME AND THEY WORKED SO HARD AND THEY MAKE IT SO EASY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
CAUSE I COULDN'T WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE FROM THESE FOLKS.
BUT I HAD A COUPLE OF, UH, WHAT MAY SEEM PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND I'M WONDERING HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE CITY? SO, UM, IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE WHERE THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING WILL GO.
I'M A PUBLIC SERVANT OF 25 YEARS, A PROUD PUBLIC SERVANT, UM, PLAN ON CONTINUING FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL BE 16 YEARS IN JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.
AND 10 YEARS AT OR SEVEN YEARS AT CITY OF ST.
MARCUS IN THREE YEARS AT THE CITY OF BERLIN.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D HAVE THE PATIENCE TO DO IT FOR THAT LONG.
SO PROPS, BUT HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE PLANNING TO STICK AROUND WITH THIS CITY? OKAY.
THAT I THINK THE QUESTIONING IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT TOO PERSONAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO STICK WITH, I THINK YOU HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE PDC AND THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK.
IF IT WAS MY BABY, I WOULD, I WOULD WANT TO SEE IT THROUGH TO ITS FRUITION AND, AND
[02:40:01]
I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW BIG YOU WERE ASLEEP.I FEEL THAT PERHAPS YOU THINK THAT MAYBE THIS IS A BUNCH OF STODGY, OLD FOLKS WHO JUST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CHANGE, AND IT'S REALLY NOT.
THIS IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND YOU'RE HEARING IT OVER AND OVER AND YOU'RE GIVING US THE SAME ANSWERS BACK.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE HEARING US WHEN I HAD MY TINY LITTLE BULLY PULPIT IN 2018.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAID WAS THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH CITY STAFF BEING THE TAIL THAT WAGGED THE DOG.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE TO ME.
I'M REALLY TRYING TO PUT THIS IN A NICE WAY WITHOUT BEING OFFENSIVE.
I'M HEARING REASONS, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
WE'RE SEEING THAT DON'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME, ESPECIALLY THE HYBRID MEETING.
I WORKED FOR CISCO FOR THREE YEARS.
I WORKED IN TELEPRESENCE, WHICH IS WEBEX.
YOU CAN DO THIS FROM A LAPTOP IN ZILKER PARK.
IT'S A LITTLE CHALLENGING WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF COLORS, BUT THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE NEW NORMAL, I GUESS, FIRST WORDS EVER USING THESE EXCUSES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND TO ME, THEY FEEL LIKE EXCUSES.
IT IMPLIES AN INDIFFERENCE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TELL YOU.
MY COUNCILMAN, EVERY TIME HE'S RUN FOR OFFICE HAS TOLD HIS STORY ABOUT THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND HOW MUCH HE HATED IT AND HOW IT WASN'T ACCESSIBLE.
AND WHEN HE DECIDED TO APPOINT ME, I SAID, ALL RIGHT, THE ONE THING I'M GOING TO DO IS TRY TO MAKE THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE FOLKS IN DISTRICT THREE.
THIS I DID THE TRIP PLANNER FOR CAP METRO.
I'VE LIVED DOWN EAST ALTAR FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY ADULT LIFE AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES.
I'M PRIVILEGED ENOUGH THAT I HAVE A WAY TO GET TO WHERE I NEED TO GO.
DON'T HAVE TO RIDE THE BUS BECAUSE THAT'S JUST PAINFUL.
SHE STOPS HAVING TO WALK A HALF MILE.
WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY KIDS.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IT WITH EVERYTHING I HAD TO CARRY FROM WORK.
WHAT IF I'M RUNNING LATE? WHAT IF THERE'S A RACK? I DON'T SHOW MEANING DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE VICE-CHAIR IS VIRTUAL.
THAT THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, ESPECIALLY IF Y'ALL HAD COME TO US BEFOREHAND.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, OH, WE UNDERSTAND THIS WHAT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE, BUT IT'S, THERE ARE THINGS THAT I FEEL WE COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED ALONG WITH THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC WHO WERE ALL HERE TRYING TO SUPPORT AND REPRESENT THAT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BEFORE THIS EVEN EVER MADE IT THIS FAR.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE AT ALL AND WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT US NOT LIKING CHANGE? UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE IN EARNEST.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT EASY TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FITS WITHIN WHAT THE NEW BUILDING WAS PLANNED FOR AND WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS FOR, UM, AT THIS TIME WHERE YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TO, UM, CHANGE THAT DIRECTION.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN OR CONVINCE ME MAYBE HOW THIS WILL NOT DISENFRANCHISE EVERYONE SOUTH OF THE RIVER IN A LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS? SURE.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE DIDN'T COME HERE WITH ANY INTENTION OF DOING JUST THAT WE CAME HERE WITH THE INTENTION OF ANSWERING AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
UM, SO ALL I CAN RELY ON IS THE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE HEARD THUS FAR.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT HAS GIVEN YOU SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO, TO, UM, SUPPORT THAT DECISION.
AND I RESPECT THAT COMPLETELY.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT I CAN OFFER THAN OTHER WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS.
AND THAT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT, BUT AGAIN, I REALLY DO
[02:45:01]
APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND BEING LIKE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.I KNOW IT'S A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION TO BE IN.
UM, WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET MUCH FURTHER WITH THIS TONIGHT.
UH, ANDREW, DO WE HAVE A DATE YET? DO YOU KNOW FOR THE AUDIT AND FINANCE MEETING, I'LL DEFER TO THE CITY CLERK JUST TO CONFIRM THE NEXT, UH, DECEMBER 15TH DATE.
I HAVE REQUESTED THAT IT BE ADDED TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE AGENDA.
THEY HAVE NOT CONFIRMED WITH ME YET THAT IT'S ON THE ACTUAL AGENDA, BUT I'M WORKING WITH THE LIAISON TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE TO GET IT ON THERE, HOPING FOR DECEMBER 15TH.
BUT IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO GET IT UNDER NEXT GEN.
THAT'S YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
SO PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
TRULA THANK YOU, DIRECTOR LUCAS.
AND THANK YOU, MR. MAR, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T GET TO TALK TO YOU THAT MUCH REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING OUT TONIGHT.
SO AUDIT AND AUDIT AND FINANCE DATE FOR ALL THREE COMMISSIONS OR JUST PLANNING COMMISSION THAT WOULD BE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
TO BE HONEST, I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND CHECK.
I BELIEVE I RECEIVED IN ORDER FOR ME TO TAKE SOMETHING TO AUDIT AND FINANCE.
I NEED TO RECEIVE THE REQUEST AND THE RED LINED BYLAW PROPOSED BYLAWS.
I KNOW I'VE RECEIVED THEM FROM PLANNING AND ZAP.
I NEED TO DOUBLE-CHECK ON BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, BUT THE INTENT IS SINCE I KNOW THEY'RE ALL THREE COMING IS TO GET THEM ALL THREE THERE.
I JUST NEED TO VERIFY WHAT OUR CORRESPONDENCE HAS BEEN.
AND THE INTENT IS HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET ON DECEMBER 15TH.
I BELIEVE THEY MEET AT 9:30 AM.
IF YOU COULD JUST PASS THAT INFORMATION ONTO OUR LIAISONS WHEN YOU GET IN AND THEN AS LONG AS IF Y'ALL COULD FORWARD ON TO US, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I THINK IT IS NOW 8 56 AND MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED.
IT WAS A THANK YOU FOR COMING RON.