* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS MEET DIRECTORS TODAY. WE'RE HOLDING IT AT OUR TEMPORARY HOME WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE SHARING RESOURCES WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO THANK YOU CITI FOR HOSTING US HERE AND YOUR NEW BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. UM, IT'S THIS MEETING IS CALLED NOW TO ORDER TODAY'S WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, AND THE TIME IS 2:05 PM. AS A REMINDER, THE TRANSIT, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES BOTH AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND OTHER INTERPRETER SERVICES. WE JUST REQUEST 24 HOURS NOTICE, PLEASE. AND IF YOU NEED ANY OF THOSE SERVICES IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE CONTACT OUR BOARD LIAISON, CHLOE MAXWELL AND HER CONTACT INFORMATION IS IN THE BOARD PACKET AT EACH OF OUR POSTINGS. UM, I BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY. OKAY, GREAT. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. OUR FIRST [2. Technical Advisory Committee Reports] ITEM TODAY IS THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS. AND TO START US OFF, I'M DELIGHTED TO SHARE THE REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING SUSTAINABILITY EQUITY AND DB ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND ON DR. BURNETT'S BEHALF. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR GROUP WITH, WITH ME. UM, SO WE HAD, UH, OUR PERMIT, THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED. WE MET ON DECEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR AND WE HAD OUR, UM, I'M SORRY, I GOT THE WRONG ONE. UM, PLANNING SUSTAINABILITY EQUITY. THE PIECE THAT COMMITTEE MEETING HAPPENED ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2020 FIRST. AND WE HAD TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA. ONE WAS THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT UPDATE FROM ANNA LAN AND THE COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP UPDATE ON THE DRUG BY PETER MULLEN. THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS FOR ITEM. NUMBER ONE, THE MEMBERS DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES AND SHADE THAT WILL BE PROVIDED FOR PEDESTRIANS ALONG THE DRAG MEMBERS HIGHLIGHTED THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE MODES ON SIDEWALK, SUCH AS A SHARED USE PATH FOR BIKES, ELECTRIC, BIKES, SCOOTERS, AND PEDESTRIANS, AND THE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS THAT THEY COULD EXIST. AND BOTH PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS PREFERRED THE PROTECTED BIKE LANES DURING CONSTRUCTION. IT WOULD ALSO BE IMPORTANT TO BUILD TEMPORARY BIKE LANES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN EXISTENCE ON THE DRUG AND MEMBERS HIGHLIGHTED THE VALUE OF THE DRAG AS A DESTINATION, A PLACE NOT MERELY A PLACE TO MOVE THROUGH, BUT TO ARRIVE THIS REIMAGINING OF THE DRAG PRESENTS A CHANCE TO MAKE A PLACE THAT CAN THRIVE YEAR ROUND AND NOT JUST WHEN THE UNIVERSITY'S IN SESSION, UH, THEY REQUESTED A COUPLE MORE THINGS FOR INFORMATION FIRST THAT THE P SEC MEMBERS ASKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ETO D PROGRAM AFTER THE 2022 AND HOW THE GROUNDWORK HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO TAKE OVER ONCE THIS GRANT AND STUDY HAS BEEN PERFORMED. AND SECOND, UH, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF CONSTRUCTION ON AUSTINITES AND HOW DO WE UTILIZE THE LESSONS LEARNED OF OTHER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO HELP ATP MITIGATE THE EFFECTS ON RESIDENTS IN NEARBY BUSINESSES? OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS CITY OF AUSTIN ANTI-DISPLACEMENT TOOL AND THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT UPDATE AGAIN. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OVER. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD QUESTIONS? SO I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OVER TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, GINA DECA, WHO'S STOOD FROM YOU ON MY MEETING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, I WILL GIVE THE UPDATE ON THE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE. UM, WE MET ON DECEMBER 1ST AND OUR PRIMARY AGENDA ITEMS WERE THE COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOPS AROUND THE DRAG AND THE FOURTH STREET BRIDGE, UH, FOURTH STREET, AND THEN THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE, UM, COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THERE WERE SOME HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS DISCUSSED AND THE EAC WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE MEETING ONCE A MONTH FOR 90 MINUTES GOING INTO 2022, THEY DISCUSSED THE DRAG AND THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED THE TWO PRIMARY, UH, DESIGN OPTIONS FOR THE DRAG AND DISCUSS THE ASSOCIATED PEDESTRIAN CYCLING AND PUBLIC SPACE BENEFITS AS WELL AS THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THOSE OPTIONS. THE COMMITTEE SUGGESTED THAT ATP CREATE ADDITIONAL MAPS AND SHOW THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON THE BROADER STREET NETWORK. AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE DESIGN CHANGES PROPOSED FOR THE DRAG, THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE DRAG IN OPTION B, [00:05:01] GIVEN THE LACK OF THE CURRENT PARKING OPTIONS ON THE DRAG AND THEY IMPROVED STREETSCAPE CONDITION IN THAT PARTICULAR PROPOSAL FOR FOURTH STREET, THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED THE POTENTIAL URBAN DESIGN CHANGES THAT WOULD BE, UM, SORT OF POTENTIAL RE POTENTIALLY THE RESULT IS CONSTRUCTION OF THE DOWNTOWN TUNNEL, UM, STARTS IN THE COMMITTEE, RECOMMENDED LOOKING AT OTHER INTERNATIONAL MODELS FOR AREAS WITH LIMITED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND RECENT SUPERBLOCK PROPOSALS IN BARCELONA. AND THE DOWNTOWN CORE ONE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUGGESTED RUNNING A PILOT AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE FOURTH STREET STREETSCAPE, SORT OF AN URBAN TACTICAL INTERVENTION AND STUDY THE BENEFITS OF THOSE IMPACTS FUTURE TOPICS FOR THIS COMMITTEE INCLUDE METRO RAPID BUS SHELTER, UPDATE, AND VEHICLE POWER PROVISIONS, OVERHEAD VERSUS BATTERY VERSUS HYBRID ON THE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE, UM, WE'RE MOVING [3. Executive Director Report] ON TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, UM, MR. CLARK, WELCOME BACK FROM VACATION. I HOPE YOU RESTFUL. THANK YOU CHAIR. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME BEING HERE TODAY AND THANKS FOR THE PUBLIC FOR JOINING US. I'M GOING TO MAKE MINE, UH, WE HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TO COVER TODAY. SO MINE IS KIND OF SHORT SWEET, BUT VERY POSITIVE. AND I WANT TO START OFF WITH, UM, SOME GREAT NEWS THAT, UH, YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED NOTICE FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, UH, RECEIVING WHAT'S CALLED ON IN OUR WORLD AND TRANSIT A LETTER OF NO PREJUDICE. SO CAP METRO RECEIVED THAT LETTER OF NO PREJUDICE FOR BOTH THE EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY, UH, METRO RAPID PROJECTS, AND LET HER KNOW PREJUDICE IS, IS A, IS A BIG DEAL. AND WHAT IT REALLY DOES, IT ALLOWS US THAT LOCAL DOLLARS BEING SPENT FOR THOSE PROJECTS NOW GET TO COUNT AS LOCAL MATCH FOR BOTH OF THOSE, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, GRANTS THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO FOR FDA DOES A LOT OF ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THAT YOU GET A LETTER OF NO PREJUDICE. IT'S NOT JUST SENDING AN A PIECE OF PAPER AND YOU GET IT BACK. THERE'S A LOT OF ANALYSIS THAT GOES INTO THAT. UH, THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING HAND IN GLOVE WITH REGION FTA REGION AND HEADQUARTERS ON THAT. UM, THEY ALSO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD ON SOME REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION ACTIVITY. AND IN SOME OTHER ASPECTS OF THE, UH, OF THE PROGRAM, A BIG COMPONENT IS NOT ONLY THE LOCAL MATCH, WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, AS OF TODAY, ALL THE DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT MATCH, BUT IT'S REALLY FTA GIVING THAT INDICATION. HEY, YOU GOT SOME STEPS TO WRAP UP IN YOUR PROCESS, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THE GRANT PROCESS AND GET A GRANT. UH, THEY DON'T USUALLY EVER, I DON'T THINK I EVER HAVE GIVEN AN LLP AND NOT ENDED UP WITH A GRANT. SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF IT'S THAT STEP IN THAT PROCESS. SO THAT IS A BIG DEAL. IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO CELEBRATE TODAY. UH, CONSIDERING IT'S ONLY BEEN 13 MONTHS SINCE THE DAY OF THE ELECTION AND WHERE WE HAD REALLY NO N VERY, VERY BASIC, VERY BASIC CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, UH, WORK DONE. WE ARE NOW AT, UH, UM, RE RECEIVING LETTER OF NO PREJUDICE FROM THE FTA. I'M ALSO SECONDARILY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THIS MORNING, A CHAIR YOU WERE ABLE TO JOIN US, APPRECIATE YOU BEING AVAILABLE WAS THE EXPO LINE. WE HAD OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING ON THAT PROJECT TODAY AT THE LBJ HIGH SCHOOL. UM, IT WAS HALF GROUNDBREAKING, HALF PREP RALLY. UH, THE JAGUARS ARE GOING FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, UH, AND THEY'RE HAVING A BIG RALLY TOMORROW. SO A LOT OF HIS WAR ARE PURPLE IN SUPPORT OF, UH, UH, THE FOOTBALL TEAM, BUT IT WAS A GREAT EVENT AND IT HIGHLIGHT THE COORDINATION BETWEEN, UM, CAP METRO ATP, THE CITY AISD, HOW REALLY EVERYTHING WE DO AS A PARTNERSHIP AND HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM A STUDENT GAVE HER EXPERIENCE OF HOW THE BOSS IS GOING TO MAKE THEIR LIFE BETTER GETTING TO CAMPUS EVERY DAY. SO IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. UH, WE WERE JOINED BY A LOT OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE REGION, INCLUDING CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THEIR SUPPORT AND BEING THERE. SO THAT'S A, ANOTHER GROUNDBREAKING WE'VE GOT, THERE ARE PICKUP PROJECTS, UH, ON, ON SCHEDULE, UH, THAT WE COMMITTED TO AND THEY'RE DONE. THE RED LINE IS ON SCHEDULE AS WE COMMITTED TO, AND NOW, UH, METRO EXPO, UH, EXPO LINE ON SCHEDULE THAT WE COMMITTED TO AND WORK THROUGH THE FEDERAL PROCESS. SO JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK AGAIN, THE ENTIRE TEAM. AND THAT'S ALL OF OUR STAFF ON MULTIPLE SIDES, INCLUDING OUR CONSULTING TEAM. AND THEN OF COURSE, PUBLICLY THE FTA IS A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S A, IT'S A BIG, IT'S A BIG DAY OF CELEBRATION FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE ITEMS. UM, WITH THAT, UM, I THINK, UH, I, I WILL MENTION THAT WE WERE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE OUR FDA ADMINISTRATOR JOIN US IN FEBRUARY. WE'RE WORKING ON COORDINATING SOMETHING. WE'LL KEEP THE BOARD UPDATED CAP. METRO IS ACTUALLY HOSTING, WHAT'S CALLED THE SWAT SOUTHWEST TRANSIT ASSOCIATION AND THE TEXAS TRANSIT ASSOCIATION JOINT MEETING THIS YEAR IN AUSTIN. AND THE ADMINISTRATOR WILL BE HERE AND WE'RE HOPING TO COORDINATE SOME ACTIVITIES SO MORE [00:10:01] TO COME ON THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT A NOTE THAT WE ARE HOSTING THAT EVENT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING SOME NATIONAL ATTENTION IN AUSTIN AS WELL. SO WITH THAT CHAIR, HAPPY TO, UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE I CAN HELP WITH, BUT OTHERWISE THAT IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT FOR THIS MONTH. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? WELL, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU, RANDY, FOR GETTING US TO THIS POINT. SO LET HER HAVE NO PREJUDICES. IT IS INDEED A BIG DEALS AND THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL GROUNDBREAKING THIS MORNING. SO, UM, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT THE JOY AROUND BREAKING GROUND ON ADVANCING THE PROGRAM. SO KUDOS. THANK YOU. UM, NOW [4.1. Community Engagement and Involvement Update] WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO, UH, THE PROGRAM UPDATES FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FROM OUR ATP DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT. JACKIE NIERENBERG, SHE'S JOINING, SHE'S BEING JOINED WITH OUR CHIEF OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN, PETER MULLIN. THANK YOU, MS. NIRENBERG AND MR. MULLIN, WELCOME GOOD AFTERNOON. AND IT IS MY PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UPDATE FOR THIS MONTH. BEFORE WE DO THAT, I DO WANT TO SHARE A STORY ABOUT THIS MORNING AND IT, IT JUST KIND OF PUTS INTO PERSPECTIVE WHY THE WORK WE DO IS SO IMPORTANT AT OUR GROUNDBREAKING THIS MORNING. UM, WE HAD A WOMAN SHOW UP. SHE CLEANS HOUSES IN THE MUELLER NEIGHBORHOOD AND HAS TROUBLE GETTING TO WORK EVERY DAY AND HEARD ABOUT THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THIS NEW RE METRO RAPID LINE AND MADE HER WAY TO THE SCHOOL SO THAT SHE COULD CELEBRATE THAT BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A GAME CHANGER FOR HER. SO THAT JUST CRYSTALLIZES WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THE WORK WE DO. I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL. UM, NEXT, OOPS, HERE WE GO. SO, UH, UPDATE FOR THIS MONTH, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITY OVER THE LAST MONTH, UM, BEGINNING WITH A COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP FOR THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER. WE MENTIONED THAT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, I WANTED TO BRING IT UP AGAIN BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH REPRESENTATION OF THE FOLKS WHO REALLY USE THAT TRANSIT CENTER AT OUR ONLINE MEETING. AND SO WE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE TRANSIT CENTER AND DID SOME POP-UP OUTREACH THERE AND WERE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR ENGAGEMENT SIGNIFICANTLY AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY USE THAT AREA AND LIVE AROUND THAT AREA THE MOST. SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH THAT. UM, WE HAD A COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP ON THE DRAG. WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO, WE HAD A VIRTUAL ONE IN THE EVENING, BUT WE ALSO HAD ONE IN PERSON AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY STAFF, AND SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED AS WELL. I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT THE IN-PERSON EVENT HAD ABOUT 160 PEOPLE SHOW UP IN PERSON TO PARTICIPATE. UH, PEOPLE WERE EXTREMELY EXCITED AND ENGAGED. UM, WANTED TO CONTINUE THE ENGAGEMENT CAME UP AND ASKED US A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THEY COULD PLUG IN CONTINUING FORWARD. SO REALLY GREAT EVENT. UH, WE HAD ABOUT 153 FOR THE VIRTUAL MEETING, WHICH WAS ALSO VERY, UM, VERY FRUITFUL, LOTS OF ENGAGEMENT, LOTS OF GREAT FEEDBACK. AND PETER'S HERE TO REPORT ON SOME OF THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. UM, THEN WE HAD A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY UPDATE MEETING FOR OUR NEW MCCALLA STATION. UM, WE HAD A HUNDRED AND TWO TWENTY TWO, EXCUSE ME, PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THAT. AND THEN, UM, FINALLY LAST NIGHT WE HAD A COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP FOR FOURTH STREET, WHICH WAS REALLY INTERESTING. UM, AND I BELIEVE WE HAD ABOUT 81 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTEND THAT MEETING. UM, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAD AN EAC MEETING ON THE 1ST OF DECEMBER. WE HAD A PEACE SEC MEETING ON THE SECOND AND THEN COMING UP, WE HAVE TONIGHT A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING. UM, AND THEN STARTING NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE OUR SCHEDULED MEETINGS FOR EAC P SEC, AND THEN THE PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK WILL BE MEETING NEXT MONTH AS WELL. AND THEN WE STILL HAVE THREE AND MAYBE MORE COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOPS TO COME IN 2022, UM, UH, DATES ON THOSE ARE STILL TO BE DETERMINED. UM, I DID WANT, OH, BEFORE I CONTINUE TO OUR BYLAWS, UH, FOR, FOR THE CAC AND CHANGES TO THE, THE TAC CHARTERS. I WANTED TO STOP AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ON OUR ENGAGEMENT. YES, TONY'S SORRY. I'VE GOT TO GET USED TO THE NEW TECHNOLOGY HERE. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, MEDIA COMMENT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS ON BUSES ON THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE. COULD YOU COMMENT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE ATP IS WITH RESPECT TO BUSES ON THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE AND WE CAN ANALYZE THAT PRICE, IT, FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ON THAT. YEAH, SURE. I CAN ANSWER THAT. UM, THANKS BOARD MEMBER ELKINS. UM, SO YEAH, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME QUESTIONS, UM, [00:15:01] IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VENUES, BOTH AT OUR COMMUNITY'S NOT WORKSHOP, BUT ALSO AT A MEETING OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UH, THE CITY, UH, ABOUT THIS ISSUE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BUSES ON THE BRIDGE, UM, THAT HAS NOT BEEN PART OF THE PLANNING TO DATE. UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH CAP, METRO SERVICE PLANNING, BUS OPERATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS OUR OWN ENGINEERING. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO, UH, ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN THE, THE, WHERE WE ARE. SO WE'LL GET BACK TO THE FOLKS ABOUT THAT. YEAH, NO, THAT'S GREAT. I APPRECIATE THAT PETER IT'S, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST, THE KEYBOARD IS TRADE-OFFS RIGHT. WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING WE WANT TO DO, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO AND MAYBE WE WOULD DO A HYBRID, BUT AS LONG AS WE CAN DO A LITTLE ANALYSIS AND GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ON IT'S A GO, IT'S A, IT'S A NO GO. AND IT'S A NO GO BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS, THEN WE KIND OF CLOSE THE CIRCLE. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER A FEW OF THE KEY POINTS, UM, IN THE CAC BYLAWS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKETS FOR APPROVAL TODAY. UM, SOME OF THESE, UH, THERE'VE BEEN SOME REVISIONS BASED ON THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT, MAKING SURE THAT THE CAC CHARTER IS, OR EXCUSE ME, THE BYLAWS ARE ALIGNED WITH THE EXPECTATIONS, UH, OUTLINED IN THE JPA. SO THE JPA EMPHASIZES CLOSER COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ATP AND THE CAC. UH, IT REQUIRES THE ATP BOARD, CAPITAL METRO BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE CAC BYLAWS, WHICH WE'LL BE DOING TODAY. UM, CHANGES TO CURRENT CAC BYLAWS ARE NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THE JPA AND THE INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND CAP METRO AS FOLLOWS MEMBERSHIP CHANGES TO REFLECT THE NUMBER OF CAC APPOINTMENTS, SCOPE, ADDITION OF BUSINESS MITIGATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLANS FOR CAC REVIEW T A C DELEGATES. THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT CAC MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO THE, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES AS DELEGATES AND SUPPORT IT ACKNOWLEDGES SUPPORT FROM THE ATP AND CITY STAFF LIAISONS. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? AND YOU DO HAVE A RED LINE COPY IN YOUR PACKETS FOR YOUR REVIEW. REMEMBER STRAPPING? YEAH. HI JACKIE, JUST, JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION IN TERMS OF TIMING AND PROCESS, UH, ARE WE THE FIRST ORGANIZATION OF THE THREE TO CONSIDER THE CHANGES TO THE CAC BYLAWS? I'M GOING TO DEFER TO BRANDON CARR ON THAT ONE. THANK YOU. BRANDON CARR, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL. UM, YES, YOU WOULD BE, AND THIS ACTUALLY BE, IT'S NOT APPROVAL TODAY, BUT IT'D BE APPROVAL IN JANUARY. I DID WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS FOR BOTH THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO OR THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE CAPITOL METRO DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL TO TRY TO CONSOLIDATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGES. SO YOU WOULD ALL BE APPROVING THE SAME CHANGES, BUT YES, YOU WOULD BE. I THINK THAT'S THE PLAN. OKAY. SO YOU SEE, WE'LL BE CONSIDERING IT TONIGHT, SO THERE'LL BE LOOKING AT IT. OKAY. IT WILL BE POSTED FOR ACTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON BOARD. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES. AND THEN IN JANUARY, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE CDC APPROVED BYLAWS TO ADOPT. SO THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN APPROVED IT YET. THIS, THIS IS BASICALLY JUST BRIEF BRIEFING MATERIALS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GETTING A PRESENTATION JUST AS TO WHAT THE INTENT IS GOING FORWARD, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SEEING, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ULTIMATELY BE LOOKING TO APPROVE COME JANUARY. CORRECT. UM, MOSTLY CORRECT. UM, THE CAC DID ADOPT THEIR OWN BYLAWS, UH, BUT THEY WEREN'T APPROVED BY ANY GOVERNING BODY. CORRECT. OUR WE'RE CLEANING THAT UP AT PER THE, PER THE TERMS OF THE JPA. WE'RE NOW GETTING EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE. AND SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE BRIEFING AS TO HERE'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE. CORRECT. BUT NO ACTION HAS TO BE TAKEN TODAY. CORRECT. WE WANT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE THE JPA PASSED, WE HAD ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL CHANGES, SOME FROM THE CAC AND THEN SOME FROM YOU ALL FIRST UP IS TONIGHT, THE CAC WILL ACTUALLY BE VOTING ON THEIR REVISED BYLAWS TO ALIGN WITH THE JPA. AND THEN AFTER THAT JANUARY WOULD, WE WOULD BE, THEN THE FIRST ATP BOARD OF DIRECTORS WOULD BE THE FIRST BODY TO CONSIDER THE, UH, THE, THE, THE REVISED BYLAWS AFTER THE CAC HAS DONE SO WELL. WE HAVEN'T MADE AN OFFICIAL AGREEMENT THAT THE ATV WOULD GO FIRST, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE PLAN. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT IT IN TERMS OF THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK. JUST CURIOUS, I THINK THE PLAN IS FOR YOU ALL TO GO FIRST. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. SO MR. OCO, I'M SORRY. I'VE BEEN, UM, YEAH, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. UH, ONE, I APPLAUD, UM, THIS, UM, UH, ADOPTION OF THE BYLAWS CHANGING THE BYLAWS. AND I, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSER COLLABORATION BETWEEN ATP AND THE CIC. UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, HAS BEEN A BIT OF A WEAKNESS AND, UM, [00:20:01] YOU KNOW, AS I'VE NOTED IN SOME OF THE PRIOR MEETINGS, I THINK COMMUNITY RELATIONS IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST RISKS FOR THIS PROGRAM. UM, SO WE NEED TO DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE COMMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY GET BACK TO THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND ACT, AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR IN TERMS OF HOW I THINK WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH THE CAC, UM, YOU KNOW, PER THE, UM, JPA AND THE, UM, THE AGREEMENTS. IT SAYS THAT ALL ELEMENTS OF, UM, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S DISPLACEMENT AND EQUITY NEED TO BE GOING THROUGH CAC. SO I SEE THIS AS A MEANINGFUL COLLABORATORY, COLLABORATIVE PARTICIPATORY, PARTICIPATORY MODEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL SOCIAL EQUITY AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT ISSUES, MEANING THAT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE SOCIAL EQUITY OR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT, WE MUST COLLABORATE WITH THE CAC BEFORE WE TAKE ANY ACTION. RIGHT NOW, THAT'S A BROAD THING. WHAT IS EQUITY? WHAT IS ANTI-DISPLACEMENT? SOME THINGS ARE VERY CLEAR. SOME THINGS ARE VERY CLEAR THAT THEY'RE NOT, OTHERS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE AMBIGUOUS. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH THE CAC AS WE HAVE ISSUES AND SAYING, THIS IS, OR THIS ISN'T EQUITY. ANTI-DISPLACEMENT OTHER THINGS THAT ARE MORE ROUTINE. I THINK THE MODEL SHOULD BE MORE OF AN INFORM CONSULT AND INVOLVE MODEL, RIGHT? WHERE WE LET THEM KNOW THE CAC, THAT, THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY SEEKING THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION ON BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT EQUITY. UM, AND THEY'RE NOT DISPLACEMENT, BUT WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE CAC TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT IS, AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN ONE OF THE MEETINGS, CREATING A DASHBOARD FOR THE BOARD TO SEE WHAT ARE THE BIG, HOT ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS JUST CAC. IT COULD BE WITH THE JUSTICE COALITION. IT COULD BE WITH THE, UM, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES, UM, AND THAT WERE BRIEFED ON THOSE. THE, THE OTHER THING I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT A THREE MONTH LOOK AHEAD TO THE COMMUNITY ON ANY TYPES OF UPCOMING PROCUREMENTS, UPCOMING, UH, AGREEMENTS, ATP POLICIES, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY SEES THAT, OKAY, THERE'S GOING TO BE A POLICY ON ABC COMING UP IN FOUR MONTHS. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A PROCUREMENT FORMATS. AND THAT WAY THE COMMUNITY CAN WEIGH IN. THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS SPRING, YOU KNOW, SOME NEW POLICY ON THEM WITHOUT ANY EVENTS WARNING. SO A THREE MONTHS MAYBE LONGER LOOK AHEAD, I THINK WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GOING FORWARD. UM, AND THE OTHER THING I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS TO HAVE MORE OF A BRIDGE WITH THE CAC AND THE BOARD. SO I THINK PERIODICALLY HAVING DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS SIT IN ON CAC MEETINGS, UH, EVERY OTHER MONTH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR THE CAC CAN FEEL QUESTIONS WE CAN LISTEN TO, THE COMMENTS WOULD BE A GOOD THING. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THOUGHTS THAT, THAT I HAVE THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT, UH, IMPLEMENTING KEYBOARD MEMBER ELKINS. UM, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. AND I THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS ACTUALLY EVOLVED QUITE A BIT SINCE WE BEGAN AND WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR IDEAS CAN SEND YES, I, AS LONG AS WE'RE STILL ON THE TOPIC OF THE BYLAWS, I DID HAVE A, JUST THIS, THIS IS MORE OF A PROCEDURAL QUESTION, I SUPPOSE. UM, HAVING SERVED ON, UH, ON A CITY COUNCIL, UH, COMMISSIONED BEFORE THERE WERE SOME LANGUAGE IN HERE THAT I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT BRANDON, AND MAYBE YOU COULD ADDRESS, UM, IT'S ARTICLE EIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS. UM, THAT IS IN AN, I GUESS IF IT'S NOT RED LINE, THAT MEANS THAT THAT'S IN THE EXISTING BYLAWS OF THE CAC. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. UM, THE, UH, MOST OF ARTICLE EIGHT, I RECOGNIZE IT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION AND IT WAS AN INAUGURAL BRAND NEW COMMISSION OF THE CITY, WE ALSO HAD TO CREATE BYLAWS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. AND SO WE OPERATED OFF OF THE, THE CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FUNDAMENTALLY THEIR TEMPLATE. UM, THIS LOOKS VERY FAMILIAR OFF OF THAT TEMPLATE. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IN, IN RELATION TO THAT, I'M LOOKING UNDER COMMITTEES UNDER SECTION B, IT SAYS, WELL, FIRST IT SAYS THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE CAC WILL HAVE NO COMMITTEES. AND THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT UNDER B COMMITTEE MAY BE ESTABLISHED AT THE DISCRETION OF CAC BY AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE. A COMMITTEE CANNOT MEET UNTIL [00:25:01] ITS CREATION IS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. AND I WAS A LITTLE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, IF THAT WAS THE INTENT. IF, IF, IF YOU ALL, AS STAFF WERE AWARE, IF WE ARE, IF WE, AS THE ATP BOARD WERE AWARE OR INTENDED TO ALLOW FOR, OR THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALLOWED WHERE WE INTENDED TO ALLOW FOR AS PART OF THE STAFF LIAISON, UH, CONNECTION THAT THE CITY COUNCILS, UM, AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE NEEDED TO APPROVE ANY CHANGES. THAT, THAT, TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE AN OVERSIGHT THAT, THAT TIES MORE INTO WHAT HAPPENS WITH CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, NOT FOR THIS, WHICH IS AN ATP COMMITTEE. AND I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE YOU ALL HAD ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? UM, NO. THE, AS YOU MENTIONED, THESE, UM, THESE BYLAWS COME FROM THE CITY TEMPLATE. AND SO THAT, WASN'T SOMETHING I THINK THAT WE, WE THOUGHT ABOUT. UH, BUT THERE, THERE GENERALLY DOES NEED TO BE SOME SORT OF HIGHER LEVEL APPROVAL FOR A OR COMMISSION TO HAVE THEIR OWN COMMITTEE. THEY CAN FORM WORKING GROUPS AS THEY WANT TO. AND THEY DO HAVE SEVERAL RIGHT NOW, BUT COMMITTEES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRICKY PROCEDURALLY. AND SO THERE, AND THE CITY SIDE, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT TO GO TO THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW THAT WOULD BE APPROVED. I MEAN, I THINK WE COULD LEAVE IT AS NO, NO COMMITTEES FOR THE CAC FOR NOW, IF THAT WORKS BETTER. AND THEN MAYBE KIND OF THINK ABOUT IF THEY DO DECIDE THAT THEY WANT A COMMITTEE, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND REVISIT THE BYLAWS. WELL, I KNOW THAT THE CA SPE THE CAC HOLDS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE BECAUSE IN PARTICULAR, UNLIKE OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, ANY CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS IN PARTICULAR REQUIRE A JOINT VOTE OF ALL THREE PARTIES, THE CA REQUIRE A VOTE OF BOTH EIGHT OF ATP, CAPITAL METRO, AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THAT REGARD. UM, THAT SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, IF ANY OF US HAVE CONTEMPLATED THE NEED FOR A FORMALIZED COMMITTEE OF THE CAC VERSUS A QUOTE UNQUOTE WORKING GROUP. I DON'T WANT TO EXCLUDE THEM FROM HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY AND NEED, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN INFORMATIVE AND USEFUL FOR CITY COMMISSIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE INSTEAD IT'S A MATTER OF JUST SUBSTITUTE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDING THAT, THAT THE LANGUAGE BE CHANGED OUT FROM COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE TO US, TO THE ATP BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SINCE WE'RE, WE'RE A FIVE MEMBER PANEL. I MEAN, WE'RE JUST, AND WE ALL, THEY ULTIMATELY WORK, YOU KNOW, UNDER ARDUOUS DICTION AND WITH US, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE, I I'M OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS. I JUST DIDN'T. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT WASN'T AN OVERSIGHT THERE AND THAT WE WOULD SOMEHOW ADDRESS THAT. AND WE'RE TAKING FEEDBACK NOW, AND THIS ISN'T NO, ONE'S TAKE NO ONE'S MAKING ANY DECISIONS NOW, BUT IF THEY'RE MEETING TONIGHT TO, TO LAY OUT AND MAKE VOTE VOTING CONSIDERATIONS, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO AT LEAST HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THIS NOW. SO I'M OPEN FOR, FOR CONSIDERATION. I HAVE NO PREFERENCE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. YEAH. I GUESS I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT PROVISION ACTUALLY. UH, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULD STOP THEM FROM FORMING A WORK IN GROUP OR COMMITTEE. CAUSE I GUESS I'M NOT SURE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WORKING GROUP AND A COMMITTEE FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN'T TAKE VOTES TO ACTUALLY DO ACTION. SO IT DOESN'T RUN A FOUL OF PUBLIC MEETINGS KINDS OF THINGS CAUSE THEY CAN'T TAKE ACTION. I DON'T THINK CASEY WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN, THAN, THAN I WOULD. BUT GIVEN THAT I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD NOT LET THEM FORM COMMITTEES OR WORK GROUPS OF THEM AND JUST LET THEM DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY SHOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO ANYBODY. AND MY SENSE IS THE CAC, YOU KNOW, HELPS TO ADVISE ALL THREE OF THE BODIES. I THINK THE CITY FEELS PARTICULARLY INVESTED BECAUSE ONE OF THE PRIMARY FROM THE CAC IS TO FOCUS ON THE 300 MILLION AND THAT'S A CITY, UH, KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY. SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IT MAKES SENSE FOR ANYBODY OTHER THAN THE CITY THROUGH IT, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE CITY TO DO IT EITHER. OKAY. OKAY. WELL YOU CAN, YOU'RE WELCOME TO LEAVE IT OPEN. AND AGAIN, IT'S COMING BACK IN JANUARY. I CAN TALK TO THE CAC. I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO PRESENT THIS SAME PRESENTATION TO THEM AT FIVE O'CLOCK. SO IS THERE A REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T LET THEM TO BE ABLE TO, WHY WE WOULD BE CAUTIOUS OR WOULD WANT TO REVIEW A CAC TO DECISION TO FORM AN INTERNAL COMMITTEE? I MEAN, I WAS JUST GOING TO JUMP IT, I THINK THIS YEAR CLEARLY A BOARD MEMBER SHOT. AND THANK YOU FOR THIS IS AN ERROR ON THE, ON THE, ON THE, SO IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD, UH, THE CAC MEETING LATER TODAY, JACKIE AND BRENDAN CAN TALK TO THE CAC, UH, AND THEN BRANDON CAN WORK WITH BOTH CAP METRO AND THE CITY LEGAL STAFF REVISE THE SECTION. AND WE STILL HAVE A FULL MONTH JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE CONVERSATION, IF THAT WOULD WORK FOR THE BOARD. UM, UH, BECAUSE IT'S CLEARLY JUST A MISTAKE INSIDE THE DOCUMENT, NOT, NOT, NOT INTENDED [00:30:01] ANY THE OTHER WAY. WELL, AND ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, THANK YOU MR. CLARK, THAT, UM, THE CAC HAVE NOW PARTNERED, THEY'RE PARTICIPATING WITH OUR TAC, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUPS THAT THEY'RE NOW WE'RE BRINGING THEM INTO THE FOLD AND THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN OUR MEETINGS WITH THEIR OWN LIAISONS. SO THIS COLD CROSS-POLLINATION, I THINK IT'S, IT'S OPENING AND IT'S WORKING, I HOPE BETTER. AND SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME FOR, FOR US TO REALLY PARTICIPATE TOGETHER. SO, UM, THEY'RE ALWAYS WELCOME. AND I THINK I LOVE YOUR IDEA OR MAYBE HAWKINS DID THAT THE BOARD ALSO PARTICIPATES IN THEIR MEETINGS. I MEAN, THE MORE WE COMMUNICATE, I THINK THE BETTER WE'LL BE. SO, SO YES, IF WE, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT, UM, SUGGESTION FOR THEM, MR. CARR, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. HAPPY TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? WELL, BOTH OF YOU MAYOR WHERE MEMBERS STRESS ON IS THAT, UM, I DID HAVE JUST ONE OTHER THING AND I APOLOGIZE IT'S THIS IS WHEN I WAS SICK THIS WEEKEND AND COULDN'T REALLY DO MUCH ELSE. I JUST STARTED, I JUST KIND OF STARTED READING AND I PICKED UP A COUPLE OTHER THINGS AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS MAY HAVE JUST BEEN, UH, UH, UH, JUST AGAIN, ANOTHER, UM, JUST, UH, A HICCUP IN THE, THE CHARTER, THE CHARTER DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED. I WAS JUST CURIOUS, CAUSE I THINK WE WENT THROUGH THIS WHEN WE ORIGINALLY CREATED THE CHARTERS LAST SUMMER, BUT I HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT THE, UM, THE EAC THAT ALL THREE CHARTERS, EAC, UM, PEACE SEC. AND, AND FAAR ALL STATED THAT THE, UM, UH, THAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBER APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE INTEREST AND EXPERIENCE THAT WILL ASSIST THE COMMITTEE IN DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EQUITY MATTERS RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT. AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS THE CASE FOR PEACE SEC, BUT THAT WE HAD SUBSTITUTED IN DIFFERENT ONES FOR THE EAC THAT WERE SPECIFIC FOR ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, AND CONSTRUCTION AND ONES RELATED TO FINANCIAL AND RISK RELATED BACKGROUND FOR THE F FOR THE FAR COMMITTEE. YOU ARE CORRECT. OKAY. SO THIS, THIS WAS JUST AN OLD, AN OLDER AND OLDER DRAFT. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE NOTHING TO CHANGE OR THAT I WAS POINTING IT OUT. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE INTO OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, MEN. ALL RIGHT. UM, AMENDMENTS. UH, SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT WE WANT TO REVISE REGARDING THE CHARTERS FOR THESE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES. UM, THE FAR WOULD LIKE TO MEET QUARTERLY RATHER THAN MONTHLY. SO THE CADENCE OF THOSE MEETINGS IS GOING TO BE, UH, CHANGED. UM, ALL THE CHARTERS HAVE BEEN AMENDED TO ADD THE CAC DELEGATES ON THE, ON THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND THEN A FEW OTHER CHANGES AS PER UM, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS. UM, SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER IF I CAN. ALL RIGHT. NOW I'D LIKE TO CALL ON MY COLLEAGUE, PETER MULLIN TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOPS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JACKIE. UM, UH, SO AS JACKIE MENTIONED, IT IT'S BEEN A BUSY MONTH, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. AND I THINK WE CONTINUE TO SEE REALLY STRONG PARTICIPATION IN INTERESTS, UM, AND GETTING SOME REALLY VALUABLE FEEDBACK, UM, IN ALL OF THESE WORKSHOPS, UM, THAT WE'RE DOING. UM, THE FIRST ONE THAT HAPPENED, UH, IN NOVEMBER WAS, UH, REGARDING THE NORTH OF OUR TRANSIT CENTER AND SPECIFICALLY HOW WE CAN WEAVE THE, UH, THE LIGHT RAIL STATION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY PLANNED TO BE IN THE, KIND OF THE, THE CENTER OF THE ROADWAY. YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE. UM, JUST TO ORIENT YOU, THIS IS 180 3 ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THIS IS THE EXISTING NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER. UM, THIS IS NORTH LAMAR HEADING TO THE NORTH. UM, AND THE CURRENT LIGHT RAIL STATION IS PLATFORM IS, IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY. SO WE CAN MAINTAIN THE KIND OF THROUGH TRAFFIC LANES. UM, THIS IS A TECH STOCK RIGHT AWAY IN THIS LOCATION. UM, AND SO WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR HOW TO WEAVE THE LIGHT RAIL STATION INTO THE KIND OF MULTIMODAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TRANSIT CENTER. SO IT REALLY STARTS TO FEEL AS ONE. UM, I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS NOT AN EASY DESIGN PROBLEM. UM, JUST GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC LANES THAT WE'VE GOT TO NAVIGATE HERE. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOCUSED ON WORK, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE IN THE VICINITY, SO TO BETTER SERVE, UM, UH, USERS OF THE TRANSIT CENTER AND JUST, AND THE, AND THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN GENERAL. UM, I WILL SAY, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME MORE WORK TO DO HERE, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING [00:35:01] TO BE REACHING OUT TO TEXTILE AS WELL TO PULL THEM INTO THIS MORE DIRECTLY INTO THIS PROCESS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY OPTIMIZING THIS OPPORTUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, AND AS JACKIE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID GET, I THINK WE WERE A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED THE PARTICIPATION ON THE VIRTUAL SIDE. SO WE FOLLOWED UP WITH SOME IN-PERSON MEETINGS, WHICH I THINK WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE AS WE MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD. UM, WE ALSO, UH, ON THE EIGHTH, WE HAD, UH, TWO MEETINGS, UM, REGARDING THE DRAG TO REVIEW, UH, THE TWO DESIGN OPTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, BEING CARRIED TO 30%. UM, OPTION EIGHT, INCLUDES ONE TRAFFIC LANE IN EACH DIRECTION. IN ADDITION TO THE, THE LIGHT RAIL GUIDEWAY IN THE CENTER OF THE DRAG, UM, AND OPTION B, UH, ACTUALLY ANTICIPATES ELIMINATING ALL TRAFFIC LANES IN THE DRAG BETWEEN, UM, 22ND STREET AND 27TH STREET, UH, AT A MINIMUM MAYBE TO 29TH STREET. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH, I THINK ALL OF THE, THE REASONS HOW WE GOT TO THESE OPTIONS. UM, THESE ARE ACTUALLY TWO OF MANY OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN STUDIED, BUT REALLY DISTILL THE MAIN OPTIONS. AND THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT OBVIOUSLY. UM, AND WE GOT LOTS OF REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK. UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO, IN THIS CASE HAD REALLY, I THINK, GOOD RENDERINGS THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIEWS TO SHOW THE PUBLICS THAT THEY COULD REALLY GET A FEEL OF WHAT THIS WOULD BE LIKE. THIS IS OPTION A, UH, SHOWING THE, UM, THE ONE LANE NEXT TO THE GUIDEWAY. UM, SOME OF THE PROTECTION MEASURES THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO BASICALLY TO INCREASE SAFETY IN THIS AREA. UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE, I THINK ONE OF THE, THE, I THINK THE, THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS OPTION IS JUST A MUCH NARROWER SIDEWALK, UM, AREA FOR, UH, MULTIPLE MODES OF TRAVEL, WHETHER IT'S PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLES, OR OTHER MICRO MOBILITY. UM, AND SO THAT I THINK WAS, WAS APPARENT TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS OPPOSED TO OPTION B, WHICH AGAIN, ONCE YOU LOSE THAT TRAFFIC LANE, YOU GET LOTS OF THAT ADDITIONAL REAL ESTATE. UM, YOU CAN USE THAT FOR OTHER PURPOSES, WHETHER IT'S DEDICATED BIKE LANES OR STREET TREES, UM, ET CETERA. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE GOT REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CONCERNS OBVIOUSLY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO TRAFFIC NETWORK-WIDE TO REMOVE CARS OFF OF THIS SECTION OF THE DRAG. UM, THE, THE, THE ENGINEERS WHO ARE FOR THE ORANGE LINE HAVE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY STUDIES AND TRAFFIC MODELING FOR WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. UM, THERE'S MORE TO COME AND THAT IN THE NEXT COMING MONTHS. SO WE'LL BE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH, WITH MORE INFORMATION RESULTS ON THAT. UM, CAUSE REALLY YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS KIND OF DISTRICT-WIDE AND THE IMPACT THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THIS IS NOT IN YOUR PACKET, THIS IS LATE BREAKING STUFF THAT JUST CAME IN ACTUALLY THIS MORNING. UM, JUST IN TERMS OF ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IN THE, IN THE, IN THE MEETINGS IS HAVE A LIVE MENTIMETER SURVEY PROCESS, WHICH IS REALLY FUN, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS COMING IN IN REAL TIME AND PEOPLE CAN SEE IT. UM, AND I JUST WANT TO CALL OUT SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, WE ASKED FOR WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE DESIGN IDEAS THAT ARE BE MOST IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE DRAG. UM, AND SO THERE'S A WHOLE SERIES OF THEM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE ONES THAT SORT OF RISE TO THE TOP, UM, IN BOTH THE DAYTIME AND THE EVENING SESSIONS WERE EASY AS POSSIBLE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS OF THE DRAG. UM, THIS MAY BE THE MOST BUSIEST PEDESTRIAN, UH, AREA IN THE ENTIRE CITY. AND SO, AND I THINK, UM, THAT WAS READILY APPARENT TO A LOT OF THE ATTENDEES TO THIS MEETING. AND SO OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS SHOWED UP AND ONE OF THE PRIORITIES STATED, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT TOP THREE PUBLIC AMENITIES, UM, AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE AT THE TOP MORE TREES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE WE'RE ALL SENSITIVE TO THAT. UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HIGH QUALITY LIGHTING, OUTDOOR CAFES, UM, YOU KNOW, SO TH I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL TO US AS WE START TO DEVELOP THE DESIGN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOME CHOICES ABOUT, UM, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T DO ALL THESE THINGS, BUT I THINK JUST TO GET A SENSE OF HOW WE PRIORITIZE AND IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME LISTS OF SOME OTHER NOTES THAT CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. I JUST WANT TO SHOW THE IN-PERSON INTERACTIVE COMPONENT. CAUSE I WILL SAY IT WAS REALLY NICE TO BE BACK IN PERSON WITH PEOPLE. I THINK IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS VERY POSITIVE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU COULD JUST HAVE A MUCH MORE FLUID CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLIC. UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS A REALLY POSITIVE ASPECT OF THIS, UH, THIS MEETING. HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO MORE OF THAT IN THE FUTURE BASED ON, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH UH COVID. UM, SO, UH, JUST SOME SUMMARY POINTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, ELEMENTS THAT CAME ROSE TO THE TOP IN TERMS OF IN THESE CONVERSATIONS. UM, I WILL SAY THAT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ATTENDED THE MEETING, THERE WAS A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR OPTION B. UM, AND ACTUALLY JUST GIVEN SOME OF THE BENEFITS TO THE PUBLIC SPACE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE. UM, THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS, ET CETERA, THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AND ANSWER, AND WE WILL BE DOING THAT GOING FORWARD. UM, AGAIN, WE WILL BE CARRYING BOTH OPTIONS FORWARD TO 30%, SO NOTHING'S OFF THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK THIS IS GOOD FEEDBACK FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BOTH DEVELOP THE DESIGN AND [00:40:01] CONTINUE OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES. UM, AND THEN YESTERDAY AGAIN, WE JUST, WE HAD A MEETING ABOUT FOURTH STREET, UM, AND THIS INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY ABOUT THE STREET ITSELF, UM, LESS ABOUT THE TRANSIT FACILITIES. ALTHOUGH WE DID A LOT TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE TRANSIT FACILITIES WOULD, WOULD INTERACT WITH THE STREET ITSELF. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THE WE'RE ABOVE THE TUNNEL ON FOURTH STREET AND WHERE THE BLUE LINE COMES ACROSS, UM, AND CONNECTS TO THE ORANGE LINE, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, AND TALKING THROUGH REALLY A LOT OF THE DETAILS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS FOURTH STREET LIKE NOW? WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF FOURTH STREET? IT'S REALLY THE MORE YOU STUDY IT, THE MORE INTERESTING IT BECOMES. IT'S REALLY A UNIQUE STREET IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, IT'S VERY SHORT, IT'S ONLY NINE BLOCKS LONG, SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THROUGH TRAFFIC ON IT. UM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S THE ONE LAST BLOCK SORT OF THE VESTIGE OF THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. SO WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT ANALYSIS WITH THE, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, AND GOT SOME GOOD FEEDBACK ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE AS WE RE-IMAGINED IT INTO THE FUTURE. SO AGAIN, FIRST SORT OF DETAILED CONVERSATION ON FOREST STREET, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE GOING INTO THE FUTURE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY JUST ONE OF THE, ANOTHER EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIVE. SO HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR MOROCCANS. YEAH. THANKS, PETER. UM, JUST, JUST TO COMMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, READING SOME OF THE NEWS CLIPPINGS, WATCHING SOME OF THE THINGS ON THE VARIOUS NEWS CHANNELS, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CONCERN ON THE BUSINESSES ABOUT WHAT THE LACK OF TRAFFIC'S GOING TO DO, CUTTING THEM, DYLAN DELAINE, SAM'S COMPUTERS, VARIOUS OTHER VENDORS, UM, HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT BUSINESS BACK ON JUNE 16TH, I MADE A COMMENT ABOUT REDUCING LANES AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO DO TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION BUSINESSES. AND I THOUGHT THE MAYOR HAD ALSO MADE A COMMENT TOO ABOUT HAVING A STUDY DONE. I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL WHEN WE GO TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THESE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE BE PROACTIVE, AND WE HAVE THE STUDIES, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION AND THE AMMUNITION TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, WE'VE DONE SOME ANALYSIS. THIS IS WHAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE IN OTHER CITIES LIKE DENVER, WHERE THEY'VE DONE THIS, IT'S WORKED VERY WELL. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO PRESUMABLY THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT CAN SHOW THAT THIS MAYBE HAS INCREASED BUSINESS OR, OR, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE BACKING UP TRAFFIC, BUT HAVING THAT DATA, I THINK CAN BE SUPPORTIVE OF GOING TO THE COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO SAYING, HERE'S WHAT IT IS. WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU AFTER WE'VE DONE THE STUDIES. SO THE COMMENT WAS BROUGHT UP IN JUNE. WE, WE COULD HAVE ACTED ON THAT NOW, OUR MIDDLE. YEAH. I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE IT PERFECT. I WOULD NEVER WANT TO WAIT TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION BEFORE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY. I THINK IT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO START THE CONVERSATION. UM, CERTAINLY ON THE TRAFFIC SIDE, WE HAD DONE A FAIR AMOUNT OF ANALYSIS THAT WE COULD SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DATA WE COULD SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY. I THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE ON THE BUSINESS IMPACTS FOR SURE. UM, WE HADN'T REALLY LOOKED AT A CONCEPT WHERE WE WOULD TAKE ALL TRAFFIC OFF OF THE DRAG AT THAT POINT. SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH, AND, BUT YEAH, A HUNDRED PERCENT, I JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK WITH, WITH ALL THESE, I DON'T WANT PERFECT TO BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD, RIGHT. ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN DIALOGUE AND CONVERSATION. AND PART OF THIS IS ASSURING THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS NOT A ONE AND DONE, RIGHT. THIS IS THE FIRST CONVERSATION IN THAT CONTINUUM. UM, AND SO GETTING PEOPLE'S PEOPLE'S FEEDBACK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IS REALLY CRITICAL. THANK YOU, DR. BURNETT, PETER, THANK YOU, PETER. I'M CURIOUS WHAT AGENCIES DO WE PARTNER WITH TO DO THOSE ANALYSIS? LIKE WHO ARE PARTNERS TO GIVE US THAT KIND OF DATA THAT WE TAKE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DO WE LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE'RE ENGAGING THESE PARTIES? SO CERTAINLY, UM, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? ON ANYTHING RELATED TO TRAFFIC OR TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT. AND THEY'RE EMBEDDED IN OUR TEAM DOING THE, HELPING US DO THE ANALYSIS. AND CERTAINLY THEY'RE PART OF PREPARING THESE PRESENTATIONS, UM, TO THE PUBLIC. SO THEY'RE WITH US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF BUSINESS IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE A DIALOGUE OPEN DIALOGUE CONSTANTLY WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DEPARTMENT, UM, AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT ONE AS WELL. I THINK IN THIS CASE, PROBABLY IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH THE CHAMBERS AND THE MULTIPLE, ALL THE CHAMBERS, UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, GET THEIR IMPACT, THEIR INPUT AS WELL. UM, AND IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, PARTICULARLY ON THE BUSINESS SIDE, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WE SHOULD BE ENGAGING AND BRINGING INTO THIS DIALOGUE, YOU KNOW, PLEASE LET US KNOW. SO LIKE WE HAVE FORMAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS, PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE FORMAL MEETINGS WITH THOSE PARTIES THAT WE HAVE SOME KIND OF A, SOMETHING THAT COMES OUT AND GOES TO THE COMMUNITY. SO PEOPLE SEE [00:45:01] ACTION. LIKE WE'RE JUST NOT PLOWING THROUGH BECAUSE THAT'S THE PERCEPTION. OKAY. YEAH, NO, I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN DOCUMENT ALL THAT AND ALL, I MEAN, ALL OF OUR MEETINGS ARE BEING DOCUMENTED AS ON OUR PUBLIC INPUT, UH, PORTAL. SO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, PETER. JUST TWO OBSERVATIONS. AND I THINK IT'S BEEN STATED JUST TO, TO, TO, TO REINFORCE, UH, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT THE ANALYSIS OR WHAT THE DATA SHOWS WITH RESPECT TO RETAILERS. I MEAN, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF YOU INCREASE THE THROUGHPUT OF PEOPLE AND THE REASON FOR SOMEBODY TO BE ON THE DRAG, THAT IT ACTUALLY RESULTS IN ENHANCEMENTS TO BUSINESSES. UH, BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE DATA FOR THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE THING. WE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A KNOWN FOR US. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, TO SEE THAT SO THAT I CAN TAKE IT BACK TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ASKING ME THOSE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. UH, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, UH, JUST TO, TO MENTION IS THE, THERE WAS THE, THE RISING OF THE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO BUSES ON THE, ON THE BRIDGE BECAME A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. IT WAS MENTIONED IN THE MEDIA AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE FOUND OUT ABOUT IT. SO WHEN YOU'RE INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS LIKE THAT, AND SOMETHING RISES TO THE LEVEL THAT THAT CONVERSATION ROSE TO IN TERMS OF AN ISSUE THAT'S A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE OR SOMETHING, JUST A HEADS UP TO THE, TO THE BOARD WITH JUST A ONE PARAGRAPHS, YOU KNOW, JUST A REAL SHORT EMAIL TO EVERYBODY THAT SAYS, HEY, YOU JUST NEED TO BE AWARE OF, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC REVIEW AT THIS POINT. AND THIS IS A ONE PARAGRAPH TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AND THE IMPLICATIONS WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO US WITH, WITH THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES AND EXPECT US NOW THAT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC ARE TALKING ABOUT IT, THAT WE HAVE SOME GENERAL FAMILIARITY WITH IT. SO IF YOU COULD HELP US WITH THAT AND TO BE WELL, THEY APPRECIATE IT. YUP. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, I DO HAVE A FEW OBSERVATIONS, PETER, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK TO GET US THROUGH THIS REVEALING THE PROGRESS OF THE DESIGN. ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL THAT PERHAPS IS RELATED TO YOUR ALSO YOUR COMMENT BOARD MEMBER ELKINS REGARDING TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, BUT IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS, YOU HAD USED THE PEDESTRIAN COUNTS THAT WERE DONE AS WELL. SO THAT I THOUGHT IF, IF YOU CAN TELL US MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOUR TEAM DID THAT ANALYSIS OF COUNTING PEDESTRIANS AND INFORMING SOME OF THE DESIGN ON THE DRUG. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY REVEALING BECAUSE WHEN WE COUNT MOVEMENT, WE'RE NOT ONLY COUNTING MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES, BUT PEOPLE RIGHT. AND SO UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MOVEMENT AND HOW YOU GUYS ARE STUDYING THAT AHEAD OF TIME, I THINK IT'S INFORMING THE DESIGN AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HEAR MORE BROADLY. AND ALSO FOR THE BOARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE DOING THAT ANALYSIS ALREADY. UM, AND ANOTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY, UM, UH, WONDERFUL TO SEE, I PARTICIPATED IN THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS FOR THE DRUG AND I HAD TO DO A BEHIND THE SCENES HAPPY DANCE BECAUSE I LOVE TO HEAR THE, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE IT'S BETTER TO HEAR IT DIRECTLY THAN TO THINGS GET LOST IN TRANSLATION. I OFTEN SAY, BUT I, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME FROM THE COMMUNITY AS THEY SPOKE WAS THAT FOR FOLKS, THE INTEREST IS SO HIGH ON THIS EFFORTS AND THIS LINE THAT PEOPLE WERE LOGGING IN FROM ANOTHER CONTINENT AT TWO IN THE MORNING TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING. AND I THINK IT'S JUST A TESTAMENT OF PEOPLE, REALLY CARE. PEOPLE ARE TUNING IN AND PEOPLE REALLY, IT MATTERS TO THEM. THIS IS THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THESE ARE THEIR BUSINESSES. THESE ARE, THIS IS, THESE ARE OUR STREETS TOGETHER. SO I THINK THAT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS GREAT INTEREST AND GREAT ENTHUSIASM FOR, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING IN A VERY UNIQUE WAY THAT HAS BEEN, UH, IT REALLY RESONATED TO ME THAT SO THAT FOLKS WERE ABLE TO TUNE IN FROM ANOTHER CONTINENT, WHICH IS AGAIN, TH THE ASSUME IDEAS THAT WE'RE EMBRACING RIGHT. TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK. THANK YOU. YES, HE'S FOUND THAT, UH, I REALLY JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU, PETER. UH, YOU KNOW, I SAT IN ON SOME OF YOUR WORKSHOPS AND THIS ONE YESTERDAY, UH, IT WAS AS MUCH ABOUT URBAN PLANNING AS WAS ABOUT A TRANSIT PROJECT, AND YOU COULD SEE THE EXCITEMENT THERE. UM, AND I WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP IN SORT OF RAISING THAT, THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SORT OF HOW WE RE-IMAGINE OUR STREETS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROJECT [00:50:01] CONNECT GIVES US. UM, IT'S NEVER EASY TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE MOVE AROUND DIFFERENTLY, BUT YOU SHOW HOW PEOPLE CAN COEXIST. AND, YOU KNOW, AS A, THE FULL DISCLOSURE, THE BOARD MEMBER WHO SUGGESTED SOME POP-UPS, UM, TO TRY THESE THINGS, UH, WORK WITH THE CITY STAFF, YOU KNOW, W WE REALLY WANT US SEEING THINGS IN ACTION SOMETIMES REALLY HELPS. THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE TEAM, WHICH IS ENGINEERS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, URBAN DESIGNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR HAVING, WORKING THROUGH THESE ISSUES AND, AND PUTTING THEM INTO A FORM THAT IS THAT THE PUBLIC CAN UNDERSTAND. AND, UM, IT'S FROM THE TOP. AND I, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO GIVE RANDY CREDIT FOR THIS, CAUSE I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN PART OF HIS VISION FOR THIS IS THAT IT'S REALLY ABOUT HOW DO WE TAKE A HOLISTIC VIEW TOWARDS THESE THINGS. AND SO HAVING HIS SUPPORT FOR THAT APPROACH HAS BEEN REALLY MEANINGFUL TO US. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PETER. SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR TODAY. [5.1. Approval of minutes from the November 2021 Board Meeting] SO THE FIRST ACTION ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 17 FOR THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING. SO IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON APPROVING ACTION ITEM, NUMBER ONE, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, DR. BURNETT, DO I HAVE A SECOND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS SECOND, EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE, AYE. ANY NAYS? THE MOTION CARRIES JUST TO COMMENT, IF I COULD NOT ABOUT THESE MINUTES, I'M FINE WITH THIS. UM, CAN WE GOING FORWARD IN THE MINUTES WHEN WE ASK FOR THINGS, HAVE AN ACTION ITEM NEXT TO IT. SO WE ENSURE THAT THERE'S FOLLOW. SO I THINK I TALKED ABOUT A LOOK AHEAD, RIGHT? I'D LIKE AN ACTION ITEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S FOLLOWED UP ON THE MIRROR, ASKED FOR A FOLLOW-UP ON TRAFFIC. I'D LIKE AN ACTION ITEM TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP ON THAT SO THAT THESE THINGS DON'T GET KIND OF LOST. I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL AS A TRACKING. THANK YOU. UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MEETING MINUTES OR ACTION ITEM, NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. SO NOW [5.2. Adoption of ATP Records Management Policy and Approval of Records Management Officer Appointment] WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE ADOPTION OF ATP RECORDS MANAGEMENT POLICY AND THE APPROVAL OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT OFFICER APPOINTMENT. SO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UM, A PRESENTATION LAST TIME REGARDING THIS, THIS ISSUE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO NOW REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND AND ITEM NUMBER TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR NOVEMBER STRATTON. SECOND BY MAYOR ADLER. IF ANY DISCUSSION, NO DISCUSSION EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AND UH, ANY NAYS ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO HAS BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. UM, [5.3. Adoption of ATP Investment Policy and authorization to execute each of the (i) Participation Agreement for TexPool/Texpool Prime and (ii) Participation Agreement for Texas CLASS as authorized investment vehicles] MOVING ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE ADOPTION OF THE ATP INVESTMENT POLICY AND AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE EACH ONE, THE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR TEXTBOOKS AND TEXTBOOK PRIME AND TO PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR TEXAS CLASS AS AUTHORIZED INVESTMENT VEHICLES. SO AGAIN, WE HAD THE PRESENTATION LAST TIME REGARDING THIS ITEM, BUT IF ANYONE HAS, UM, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST NOW EMOTION AND A SECOND, AN ACTION ITEM. NUMBER THREE. THANK YOU. AND DO I HAVE A SECOND, DR. BURNETT, THANK YOU. UM, ANY DISCUSSION, NO DISCUSSION. SO THE MOTION LET'S PLEASE VOTE OR ONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AND THE MOTION CARRIES WITHOUT, UM, WITH EVERYONE APPROVAL. THANK YOU. SO [5.4. Approval of Resolution Authorizing General Counsel to Proceed with the Proposed Process for Independent Analysis, including authorization to engage The Eno Center for Transportation to serve as the Independent Consultant for performance of the Independent Analysis in an amount not to exceed [two hundred thousand] dollars ($[200,000]).] NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING GENERAL COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH PROPOSED PROCESS FOR INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, INCLUDING AUTHORIZATION TO ENGAGE THE ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION TO SERVE AS THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT FOR PERFORMANCE OF SUCH ANALYSIS AND IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $200,000 AND, UH, ON THIS MOTION, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU RECALL AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, WE PASSED THE RESOLUTION, APPROVING THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT WITH AN AMENDMENT TO DIRECT ME THE CHAIR IN MY CAPACITY TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE ATP GENERAL COUNCIL TO DEVELOP A PROCESS AND THE APPROACH FOR THE ADP BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN ORDER TO CONDUCT THIS INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, AS WE EMBARK ON [00:55:01] THE, TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE LEADERSHIP MODEL FOR ATP IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JPA SECTION 4.2 0.2, UM, THE NOV RESOLUTION ALSO REQUIRE THAT WE PRESENT THAT PROCESS TO THE ATP BOARD AT THIS MEETING. AND THAT PROCESS INCLUDED CERTAIN ELEMENTS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE OUR OBJECTIVES AND WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, IT KEY PROGRAM DELIVERY FACTORS TO BE ANALYZED SELECTION OF A QUALIFIED INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT AND A TIMELINE OR MILESTONES TO CONCLUDE THE ANALYSIS BY MARCH 31ST, 2022. SO, UM, MS. BARACK AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY SINCE THAT MEETING TO DEVELOP THAT APPROACH AND AS DESCRIBED THAT THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU TODAY, AND I HAVE ASKED MS. BARACK TO PRESENT AN OVERVIEW AND THEN DEPENDENT ANALYSIS RESOLUTION FOR YOU TODAY. SO WITH THAT, MS. BORUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THIS, THIS ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. BOARD AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RANDY CLARK. UM, YEAH. UM, AND WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION I THINK IS ADDED TO THE PACKET AS A SEPARATE DOCUMENT IN THERE WORKING DILIGENTLY LATE INTO THE NIGHT ON THIS. UM, BUT UM, IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PROBABLY, OR I CAN DO IT. UM, SO IF YOU GUYS RECALL WHAT, UM, OUR BOARD CHAIR SAID WAS THAT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, WE HAD AN ACTION TO ADOPT THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT WITHIN THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT, UM, WAS A CERTAIN SECTION THAT REQUIRED THIS INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS IN, BY THE ATP BOARD SO THAT THE ATP BOARD COULD MAKE A DECISION AND THERE'S SOLE DISCRETION AS TO THE BEST LEADERSHIP MODEL FOR THE ORGANIZATION. AND, UM, SO LIKE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WE'VE WALKED THAT WE HAVE THAT ANALYSIS SET OUT HERE. SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT THAT ACTION, HOW, WHERE IT CAME FROM. UM, AND, AND LIKE THE CHAIR MENTIONED, UM, SPECIFICALLY THE NOVEMBER RESOLUTION REQUIRES THAT THE ATP BOARD PUT FORTH THE KEY, THE OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES OF THAT ANALYSIS, THE KEY FACTORS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT THAT THE BOARD WOULD BE HIRING. AND WE HAVE A PROPOSAL TODAY OF WHO THAT WOULD BE, UM, FOR THEM TO CONSIDER THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, THAT THEY WILL ALSO BE FACILITATING, UM, AT THE START OF THAT ANALYSIS. AND THEN, UH, A TIMELINE FOR HOW WE WILL, UM, MEET ON HOW THE BOARD WILL MEET A VERY, UM, UM, AMBITIOUS MARCH 31ST DEADLINE. AND THEN UM, I'LL GO INTO THE CONSULTANT SELECTION. SO THE OBJECTIVES THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEEN, THAT WAS POSTED, UM, A WEEK AGO AND ALSO IS ALSO IN Y'ALL'S PACKET YOUR PACKETS, EXCUSE ME. UM, INCLUDES HONORING THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, UM, DELIVERING PROJECT CONNECT, YOU KNOW, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAM SEQUENCE PLAN, ENSURING PROGRAM EQUITY AND INSTILLING PUBLIC TRUST, WHICH I THINK ARE ALL VERY HONORABLE OBJECTIVES AND, UM, DIFFICULT TO ARGUE WITH THE, AND THEN THEY KEY FACTORS THAT WE WOULD, THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE THE, UM, UH, THE, UH, CONSULTANT TO CONSIDER AS THEY'RE CONDUCTING THEIR ANALYSIS. AND AS THEY'RE INTERVIEWING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OR CONDUCTING THE TOWN HALLS THAT ARE DESCRIBED FURTHER AND IN THE RESOLUTION, UM, INCLUDE ACCOUNTABILITY, THE ATP PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND CAP METRO AND THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, TAKING AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO PROJECT CONNECT THAT INCORPORATES, AND MAYBE EVEN IMPROVES UPON INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES AND THE FINANCING OR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND HOW LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE OR, YOU KNOW, THE RELATIONSHIP MIGHT AFFECT THOSE, UM, LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS OR CONSTRAINTS, CONTRACT RISK, OR THE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE GOAL OF MAXIMIZING ATP'S ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE THIRD PARTY AGREEMENTS AND DESIGNING THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE TO EFFECTIVELY CONDUCT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PRESERVE PUBLIC TRUST, AS WELL AS, AS I SCROLL DOWN HERE, DESIGNING GOVERNANCE TO ACHIEVE THE PROGRAMS, EQUITY AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT GOALS, AND THE ABILITY TO TRANSITION THE PROGRAM TO CAPITAL METRO, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN. SO AS DESCRIBING THE RESOLUTION IN MORE DETAIL, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WILL INVOLVE, UM, [01:00:01] STARTING IN JANUARY, WHICH IS AMBITIOUS. AS WE MENTIONED, UM, STARTING TO HAVE MEETINGS WITH, UM, THE FOLKS THAT THE JPA SPACE THEY WOULD NEED TO MEET WITH THAT SHOULD INCLUDES THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, POTENTIALLY INTERVIEWS WITH THEN ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CHC CHAIR TO FIGURE THAT OUT. UM, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, ATP BOARD MEMBERS, UM, SELECTED ATP STAFF AND CONSULTANTS. WHO'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM FOR AWHILE SELECTED ATP BOARD MEMBERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND STAFF, AND POTENTIALLY OTHERS. UM, AND PART OF THE DELIVERABLES OF THE CONSULTANT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UM, AN AN, AN EARLY PRELIMINARY REPORT, UM, LARGELY AROUND BEST PRACTICES AND PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT GOVERNANCE MODELS. AND WITH THAT REPORT WITH PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REVIEW IT, THE HOSTING OF, UM, AN IN-PERSON AND POTENTIALLY ON THE WEEKEND, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CAC ABOUT THIS IDEA OF ON THE WEEKEND, HAVING A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL AS WELL. SO WE CAN GET AS MANY FOLKS AS POSSIBLE TO THIS MEETING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UM, KNOWING THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO INTERVIEW EACH OF THE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHO'S INTERESTED IN THIS, IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS, UM, AN ANALYSIS. SO, UM, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT ROBUST PROCESS, UM, AND THE TIMELINE, WHICH HAS ALSO DETAILED, UM, KIND OF GETS A LITTLE BIT TO THE DELIVERABLES OF THE CONSULTANT. UM, HOPEFULLY TODAY WE'LL PASS THIS RESOLUTION SO WE CAN GET THIS STARTED AND, AND MEET OUR DEADLINE AND THE JPA. UM, THE CONSULTANT WOULD START WITH KIND OF DOING A PRELIMINARY REVIEW ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FOR THAT PRELIMINARY REPORT. AS I MENTIONED, THEY WOULD START INTERVIEWING COMMUNITY MEMBERS POST THE REPORT ON THE WEBSITE, CONDUCT THE COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS, BE IN TOWN TO DO FURTHER INTERVIEWS WITH SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS MEET WITH OTHER. AND THEN ONCE THEY TOOK ALL THE KIND OF FEEDBACK THAT THEY GOT FROM THE TOWN HALL AND IN THE INTERVIEWS THAT WOULD HELP THEM TAILOR QUESTIONS TO OUR SISTER ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PLACES AROUND THE WORLD AND IN THIS COUNTRY, UM, WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE WITH, WITH THOSE ENTITIES AND THEIR LEADERSHIP AND ASK THEM SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UM, BASED ON WHAT THEY KNOW ON WHAT THEY KNOW THE CONCERNS OF THIS COMMUNITY ARE AND BEST PRACTICES. UM, AND THEN THEY WOULD PRESENT THAT ANALYSIS TO THE ATP BOARD IN MARCH AND, UM, POST THEIR FINAL REPORT ON THE ATP WEBSITE BY THE END OF THE MONTH. AND, UM, QUICKLY THEY HAD TO KEEP WORD WOULD HAVE TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THAT ANALYSIS AS REQUIRED IN THE JPA AND COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION IN THEIR SOLE DISCRETION IN APRIL. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE AND PRIMARILY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE CHARGE THAT, UM, WAS GIVEN TO ME IN MY CAPACITY AS GENERAL COUNSEL TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT AND NON-PARTISAN AND IMPARTIAL AND ALL THOSE THINGS, UM, ORGANIZATION THAT COULD OFFER THAT WOULD ALSO BE QUALIFIED TO DO THIS WORK. THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE EXPERTISE IN TRANSIT INDUSTRY GOVERNANCE. SO THERE'S A, AND ALSO TO BE INDEPENDENT, NOT HAVE AN EXISTING CONTRACT WITH ANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY INVOLVED. SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE VERY FEW ORGANIZATIONS THAT MEET THAT, UM, MEET THAT BILL, BUT, AND ALSO ARE READY TO START WORKING, COULD ACTUALLY COMPLETE THIS WORK AND CONDUCT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UM, WITH, WITH OUR STAFF ASSISTANCE IN TERMS OF LOGISTICS, BUT THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT BY MARCH 31ST. SO, UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD THAT THEY ENGAGE WITH THE ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, REALLY THE PREEMINENT POLICY RESEARCH ORGANIZATION IN THIS COUNTRY ON TRANSIT TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND IN PARTICULAR TRANSIT GOVERNANCE, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TEND OR ORGANIZATIONS FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND TEND NOT TO REALLY THINK HARD ABOUT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. SO I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS ON, UM, EARLY ON. AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION. SO, UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK MORE TO THEIR WORK OR ANYTHING, ANY OF THE CONTENT THAT I PROVIDED ON THE SLIDES, BUT, UM, I SHOULD GIVE CREDIT TO THE CHAIR WHO REALLY WORKED ALL OF THE SUBS TOGETHER, AND I JUST PUT THE SLIDES TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, CASEY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANY DISCUSSION AND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, JUST A BRIEF COMMENT. FIRST OF ALL, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS RESOLUTION AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND OUR CHAIR HAVE DONE. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY. YOU DON'T PRESS A BUTTON. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT BEHIND THE SCENES. UM, I THINK, I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER ORGANIZATION THAN, YOU KNOW, TO DO THIS. THEY'RE INDEPENDENT, THEY'RE NONPROFIT. AND I THINK MANY OF US HAVE READ THE GREAT REPORT THAT THEY CAME OUT WITH THIS SUMMER ON, UH, BUILDING, UH, A BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING TRANSIT BETTER. AND LIKE, THEY TALK A LOT ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DO A GREAT WORK. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [01:05:01] YEAH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY MEETING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY THIS WEEK ABOUT THAT REPORT. SO, UM, I THINK IT'LL BODE WELL FOR OUR PROGRAM TO BE WORKING WITH THEM. THANK YOU. UM, ANY FURTHER QUESTION OR YES, MA'AM MADAM. I HAD SOME PROPOSED AMENDMENTS I TRIED TO GET, I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. I SENT THEM IN ABOUT AN HOUR BEFOREHAND. I, MY APOLOGIES, I, UH, I WAS SICK FOR LITERALLY THE ENTIRE WEEKEND, NOT COVID STREP THROAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE OTHER OLD FASHIONED THINGS THAT PEOPLE STILL GET, UM, AND DID NOT GET, I HONESTLY DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO GET HERE TODAY, BUT I WAS, I WAS FEVER FREE ENOUGH THAT I COULD ACTUALLY BE HERE TODAY, BUT FINISHED UP LITERALLY MY, MY FINAL COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS THIS MORNING AND RAPIDLY TRIED TO RUN THROUGH SOME THINGS AND THEN EMAIL IT OUT. AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I COULDN'T GET THIS TO ANY OF YOU ALL BEFORE, BUT I LITERALLY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING, BUT JUST READ A COUPLE OF, BUT JUST READ THIS WEEKEND. SO, UM, BUT I, IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT WITH THE CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO WALK THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS THROUGH EACH OF THESE IS JUST AS, AS INDIVIDUAL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL SECTION. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WAY. AND I CAN EXPLAIN WHAT I WANTED TO DO. CHAIR, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO STAY UP HERE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS OR SHOULD I SIT BACK AT THE PODIUM? SO I DID. I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T, I DON'T, I MEAN, I LOVE TO CONSIDER YOUR CHANGES, BUT I BELIEVE YOU HAD A RACE SENT YOUR COMMENTS A WEEK AGO. SO DID WE NOT REFLECT YOUR COMMENTS CORRECTLY? IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T JUST, WELL, KEEP IN MIND, MIKE, THE COMMENTS I MADE WERE ON A DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE IN, IN A BUBBLE THAT WAS JUST ME COMMENTING ON THE INITIAL DRAFT, BUT THEN ONCE THE NEW DOCUMENT CAME OUT, THAT DOCUMENT REFLECTED THE COMMENTS OF ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS BEHIND THE SCENES. AND ONCE I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND REFLECT ON IT AND THINK ABOUT IT, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT, AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I, I, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. OKAY, LET ME JUST MAKE THAT CLEAR. YOU HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB, MADAM CHAIR AND, AND, AND CASEY, I, THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS AMAZING WHAT YOU HAVE PUT TOGETHER. THIS, THIS IS W THIS IS A VERY, WE ARE IN A UNCHARTED WATERS HERE IN AN UNTENABLE POSITION. AND, UM, I THINK THAT, THAT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO REALLY, TO REALLY LAY THE GROUNDWORK AND REALLY MAKE IT CLEAR ON THE BACK END OF THIS. YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE, AS A BOARD, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE GOING TO GET, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO GET AS MUCH OPEN AND TRANSPARENT INFORMATION FROM COMMUNITY SOURCES, FROM STAKEHOLDERS, FROM SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, UH, FROM A REPUTABLE, INDEPENDENT, NONPARTISAN QUALIFIED, UH, UH, POLICY INSTITUTE. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I, I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THOUGH, IS AGAIN, AS I LOOKED AT THE DRAFT WITH EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS ON IT THAT I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD, THAT COULD DIRECT TO THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT MORE SPECIFICALLY, AND WOULD PROBABLY AT LEAST, I THINK, MAKE THE PRODUCT A LITTLE BIT STRONGER AND GIVE US GREATER ADVICE AND MAKE THE REPORT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEARER FOR OUR PURPOSES WHEN WE ADVANCE. SO THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS AND IN WHERE THESE CAME FROM, BASED ON WHAT I SAW BEFOREHAND VERSUS, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE DRAFT THAT GOT PUBLISHED ONLINE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE. AND MY, MY FEET, MY, MY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS HERE. I MEAN, FROM, FROM WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, I WOULD LOVE TO CONSIDER, I MEAN, YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, IF YOU WANT TO WALK US THROUGH IT, BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT, UM, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT THAT BINDS US CONTRACTUALLY THROUGH THE JPA TO FULFILL OUR COMMITMENT BY MARCH. SO WE, AS, I MEAN, I, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M SEEING THIS. UM, I UNDERSTAND, I KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND I'M, I'M ALSO AN, I AM VERY WELL AWARE OF THE, THE, THE JPA REQUIREMENTS TOO. AND IF YOU'LL GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, I, HOPEFULLY I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT MY INTENTIONS HERE ARE NOTHING THAT, THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE MOUNT. LIKE I SAID, MY, MY THOUGHT PROCESS HERE IS TO MY UNDERSTANDING THIS, THIS FRAMEWORK, THIS RESOLUTION IS REALLY GOING TO BE WHAT WE USE AS PRETTY MUCH THE, UH, THE LANGUAGE THAT GOES INTO THE CONTRACT WITH, WITH ENO KURT, IS THAT CORRECT IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR, THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE IN TERMS OF THE, THE DELIVERABLE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US BACK IS THAT WELL, IN TERMS OF THE DELIVERABLE, AND THIS IS, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DIALOGUE TO HAVE, BECAUSE WE HAVE GIVEN IN ORDER TO SEEK A CONTRACT, A PROPOSAL, [01:10:01] WE, THEY FULBRIGHT RECEIVED A GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK, BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, AND AS WE ENGAGE COMMUNITY, I MEAN, THEIR ANALYSIS COULD BE MORE ROBUST AS WE GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO NEVER HAVE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND THE COMMITTEE COULD ASK A POLICE INTERVIEW THIS OTHER GROUP. SO IT'S, IT'S PART OF, UM, FACT FINDING EXERCISE. SO THEY HAVE A GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK THAT THEY'VE GIVEN US IN THEIR ANALYSIS. SO WITH THAT, I MEAN, ONE OF THE, MY FIRST GLANCE AT THIS, AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF WALKING INTO THIS MEETING, I FELT LIKE MAYBE THIS COULD BE GREAT TO PUT INTO THEIR SCOPE OF WORK. I MEAN, IN TERMS OF, AS WE GO THROUGH A KICKOFF MEETING, OR IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS TO THE RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW, BY ALL MEANS, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S CONSIDER WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS. YEAH. AND THANK YOU. CAUSE, CAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, IS IT BASICALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THEIR CONTRACT AND WHAT THIS RESOLUTION IS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN MANY WAYS, THEY'RE ONE OF THE SAME, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE BASICALLY DOING IS THAT WE ARE LAYING OUT THE PROCESS AND TELLING THE CONSULTANT IN TERMS OF, IN PARTICULAR, THE, UM, THE KEY FACTORS, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU, THAT WE EXPECT YOU TO BE LOOKING AT. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS WE EXPECT YOU TO BE CONSIDERING WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS. UM, AND, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE REASONS, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS LOOKING AT IS I WAS KIND OF LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SECTIONS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY CAME TOGETHER IN SECTION THREE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT WE LOOKED AT ORIGINALLY, AND THEN WHAT, WHAT CAME BACK AS A FINAL DRAFT DID LOOK DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, THE, THE KEY FACTORS VERSUS THE PRIORITIES AND HOW THOSE WERE, WERE, WERE STRUCTURED IN THE DOCUMENT ITSELF WAS STRUCTURED. UM, SO YEAH, I GUESS, I GUESS WHAT I WAS JUST, WHAT I WAS KIND OF JUST LOOKING AT IS IS IF THERE A WAY THAT I COULD, UM, I GUESS IT'S WHAT I GOT HERE IS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, OH, THIS WAS JUST ONE PAGE. THERE WAS THERE'S ONE OTHER, THERE WAS ONE OTHER PAGE. THERE WAS A SECTION, THERE WAS AMENDMENT ON SECTION. OH, I'M SORRY. THERE WE GO. SORRY. YEAH. AND THEN, UM, YEAH, SECTION FIVE. SO THERE'S LIKE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FIVE DIFFERENT, IT'S FIVE DIFFERENT PIECES, BUT, UM, WE, WE COULD, WE COULD TAKE THEM, WE COULD TAKE THEM INDIVIDUALLY. I COULD JUST VERY BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT I'M LOOKING AT AND IF, IF I CAN MAKE THE MOTION, SOMEBODY SECOND, IT, I GIVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION AND IF YOU LIKE IT, GREAT, SOMEBODY Y'ALL CAN VOTE FOR IT. AND IF YOU DON'T SHUT IT DOWN, AND IF IN THE LONG RUN, IF EITHER YOU MADAM CHAIR OR YOU, AND, OR UKC FEEL LIKE THAT ANY OF THIS, YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE REST FOR THE RESOLUTION, BUT YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS COULD BE USEFUL FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK. GREAT. YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE TO USE IT FOR THAT PURPOSES. BUT LIKE I SAID, MY MAIN, MY MAIN THOUGHT PROCESS OF THIS IS, UM, THE HAVING GOTTEN ALL FIVE OF OUR FEEDBACKS TOGETHER, THE DOCUMENT DID CHANGE. AND MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT, THAT, THAT SOME THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UM, WE COULD JUST, I THINK WE COULD JUST STRENGTHEN IT A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, TELLING AND TELLING THE CONSULTANTS SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, GIVEN THE, THE AUSPICES OF THE, UM, THIS OCCASION AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TO COME, COME ALONG WITH, JUST TO COMMENT HERE. I MEAN, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, WE'RE GETTING THESE CHANGES SO LATE. WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION. WE HAVE TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION TODAY, PERIOD. I MEAN, WHAT'S THE PROTOCOL FOR GETTING CHANGES AT THE LAST MINUTE. I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE QUITE A WHILE TO GET THROUGH ALL THESE, AND I CAN TELL YOU, I'M READING THEM. A LOT OF THEM. I'VE GOT ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THE GENERAL COUNCIL, IS THERE ANYTHING ON HERE IN OPINION THAT DOES NOT BELONG IN THE RESOLUTION, BUT IT'S INSTEAD TO THE SCOPE OF WORK, WHAT MADAM CHAIR SAID EARLIER? SURE. UM, WHAT I DID NOTICE, AND I WAS TRYING TO LOOK AT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETING. UM, WHAT I DID NOTICE IS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF REFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. UM, THERE, UH, TO SPEAKING AND INTERVIEWING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, I WOULD SAY, UM, THE DRAFT, UH, OR THE WORKING DRAFT THAT I HAVE WITH, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR PROPOSAL, MAYBE IT'S NOT AS CLEAR IT WAS IN KIND OF THE TIMELINE, BUT IT WASN'T AS CLEAR IN THE RESOLUTION IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WHICH IS REALLY MOSTLY DONE BY THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY, IF NOT EARLIER, AND TAKE THAT INFORMATION TO GO THEN TALK TO ANNE. I KNOW SOMEBODY MENTIONED, OR TONY, YOU MENTIONED, SORRY, [01:15:01] BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, YOU MENTIONED THE BLUEPRINT DOCUMENT. SO THEY THAT'S ONE OF 10 OTHER REPORTS AND WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE ON THIS TOPIC. THEY HAVE ROBUST RELATIONSHIPS WITH LEADERSHIP AT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S REALLY NECESSARY TO CALL OUT THAT THEY NEED TO TALK TO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS BECAUSE, AND, UM, WE, WE CAN SHARE A DRAFT OF THAT, UM, SCOPE AND CERTAINLY KIND OF WORK THROUGH THE BOARD TO FINE TUNE THAT. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS, THAT IS DEFINITELY A MAJOR ASPECT OF THEIR, OF THAT WORK AFTER THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS IS TO SPEAK TO THE EXPERTS AND STAFF LEADERSHIP AT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO WHO HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODELS OF LEADERSHIP AND UNDER, AND TAKE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE PREPARE AS A GROUP AND THROUGH THE COMMUNITY TO THOSE QUOTE UNQUOTE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO ADD THAT INTO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AS PART OF THE CATEGORY OF OTHERS THAT'S REQUIRED IN THE JPA. DO YOU MIND? UH, WELL, I GUESS THAT, WELL, FIRST TO, TO TONY'S POINT AT THE LAST MEETING, THE ENTIRE RESOLUTION, THAT THE ENTIRE SECTION OF THE RESOLUTION ABOUT THIS PROCESS, WE LITERALLY WERE, WERE WE LITERALLY CRAFTED AT THE LAST SECTION AT THE LAST SEC SECOND ANYWAY. SO I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY, I MEAN, WOULD IT HAVE BEEN MY PREFERENCE THAT I COULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS TO YOU GUYS FRIDAY? YES, ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, I'M, I TRULY, I'M SORRY THAT, THAT, THAT I GOT SICK, THAT, THAT, THAT GOT IN MY WAY. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, KCD TO YOUR POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT IN THE HABIT. I DON'T BELIEVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MICROMANAGING A SCOPE OF WORK BY ANY MEANS ON OR GETTING INVOLVED IN, IN THE WRITING OF CONTRACTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY CONCERN WAS AS, AS CRITICAL AS THIS PROCESS IS THAT WE'RE IDENTIFYING HERE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS LOOKING AT IT, MY CONCERN WAS IS THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WERE SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE RESOLUTION. UM, LOOK, I, I AM AWARE OF, OF YOU KNOWS REPORT. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IS A VERY REPUTABLE, UH, POLICY THINK TANK OUT OF WASHINGTON, DC. THEY HAVE A WEALTH OF POLICY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING THE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR PEOPLE HAVE A TON OF EXPERIENCE. HAVING WORKED IN WASHINGTON AND HAVING WORKED FOR, UH, MEMBERS ON CAPITOL HILL AND HAVING WORKED IN THE, THE, UM, HAVING WORKED FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES. UM, THEY HAVE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD SOME YEARS EXPERIENCE, PREVIOUS YEARS EXPERIENCE AT, AT SOME TRANSIT AGENCIES. I, I WENT AND I LOOKED UP AND I LOOKED AT THE DATA, PULLED SOME OF THEIR DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS. UM, BIOS MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE PERSONALLY ON STAFF, UM, YOU KNOW, NOR DO WE HAVE ANYWHERE IN OUR DOCUMENT. DO WE DIRECTLY, UH, TASK THEM WITH AT LEAST IN OUR RESOLUTION? DO WE DIRECTLY TASK THEM WITH, HEY, GO OUT AND WORK WITH, OR INTERVIEW SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WHO HAVE DONE THE SAME KIND OF WORK TRANSIT FORMER OR CURRENT TRANSIT CEOS AND BOARD CHAIRS WHO HAVE BEEN ENGAGING IN THIS LEVEL OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT DESIGN AND BUILD FOR THINGS OF THIS SIZE, FOR PROJECTS OF THIS SCOPE. I, AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AN AMAZING THINK TANK WITH GOVERNANCE, YOU KNOW, WITH EXPERIENCE AND THINKING INNOVATIVE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES. AND I DO NOT WANT TO DISCOUNT THAT ANY WAY WHATSOEVER, BUT I JUST WANT TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT, THAT IT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY STAYED IN, IN HERE IN, IN, IN ANY PART OF THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, AS PART OF THEIR OTHER RESEARCH, WE, WE CALL OUT THEM, YES, GO TALK TO THESE STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, BUT WE DON'T SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT, HEY, YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND TALK TO, OR YOU NEED TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE-BASED HAVE SOMEBODY ON STAFF WHO SPECIFICALLY UNDERSTANDS RECENT OR, OR, OR CURRENT, UM, BIG TRANSIT DESIGN BUILD PROJECTS AS IN A CURRENT OR FORMER, UM, CEO OR BOARD CHAIR. AND THAT, THAT'S ALL THE KIND OF THING THAT I WAS GETTING AT IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT THIS IN A BUBBLE AND THAT WE JUST HAD SOME EXTRA BULLET POINTS THERE TO KIND OF, EXCUSE ME, SPECIFICALLY HIGHLIGHT THOSE KINDS OF REQUIREMENTS. AND THEN SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS ON HERE ARE JUST KIND OF CLEANING UP WHAT I THINK, OR JUST ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS, EXCUSE ME, BETWEEN, UM, BETWEEN THE THREE PARTIES. [01:20:01] AND THEN ALSO, UM, JUST A RECOGNITION THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS MORE THAN JUST A PROJECT. IT'S A PROGRAM MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING ALL AT ONE TIME. SO, EXCUSE ME. I MEAN, JUST FROM A QUICK LENS, I MEAN, I CAN, I CAN SEE BOARD MEMBER ELKINS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT AT CLARITY I CAN FULLY SUPPORT AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SUBMITTING, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, THIS HAS ALSO NOT BEEN POSTED TO THE COMMUNITY. I MEAN, IN TERMS OF ANY OF THE DRAFTS, NEITHER WAS WHAT WE DID LAST MONTH. WHAT, IN TERMS OF ASSIGNING ME TO CONDUCT THIS PROCESS? NO, THINK NOT, BUT THINK ABOUT IT. WE, WE, WE PASSED AND WE, WE, WE ADDED AN AMENDMENT LANGUAGE THAT STIPULATED EXACTLY HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS PROCESS. AND NONE OF US HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THAT IN ADVANCE. WE JUST DID IT ON THE FLY. IT WAS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OF ONE STATEMENT TO START TO CONDUCT THIS PROCESS THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK TODAY. SO WE HAD A MONTH TO GO OVER THIS PROCESS TOGETHER, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU DID RECEIVE A COPY AHEAD OF TIME TO REVIEW. UM, I DO SEE SOME GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS HERE. I DON'T AGREE WITH STRIKING OUT A COMPLETE SECTION OF FINANCING FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND AN ENTIRE SECTION BEING STROKING THAT TAKEN OUT. I, I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THAT. AND, UM, I MEAN, IF, IF, EVEN THOUGH EVEN THE FIRST POINT WITH ASSISTANCE OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM, OFFICER, UH, NOTHING AGAINST DAVE, BUT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE GENERAL COUNSEL LEADING THIS FOR THE INDEPENDENCE AND IN HER ROLE AS GENERAL COUNSEL. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE THE PROGRAM OFFICER ASSISTING. THERE'S NOBODY ELSE WITH TRANSIT EXPERT EXPERTISE, OTHER THAN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON THIS STAFF. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HIRING, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE SEARCH TRENDS AND EXPERTISE, I MEAN, IN THE SPIRIT OF TIME AND BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A VERY LONG MEETING AND I'VE BEEN COUNSELED THAT THE APPROPRIATE STUFF NOW TO DO IS TO ASK FOR A SECOND, IF WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS MOTION TO APPROVE. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A SECOND, OH, A SECOND, TO CONSIDER IT, TO CONSIDER THE AMENDMENTS. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO CONSIDER THE AMENDMENTS OF BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON? NO, WE HAVE. WE'VE INDICATED THAT, THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO AS I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS LIST. I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD TAKE US THAT LONG TO GO THROUGH THEM. AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING A PROCESS THAT JUST REJECTS THEM, UH, BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD. I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE THE VOTE TO ADD THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OFFICERS TO THAT. UH, THE ONES IN THE NEXT SECTION FUNDED BY CITY CAPITAL METRO IS JUST MEAN THAT DOESN'T OFFEND ME BECAUSE THAT'S AN OBJECTIVE FACT, UH, I DON'T KNOW, THERE IT'S CHARACTERIZED AS EXPANSION OF, OR SOMETHING NEW. SO I'M NOT, YOU MEAN I'M KIND OF AMBIVALENT ON THAT, A SEAMLESS TRANSIT SYSTEM OPERATION. I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD ADD BECAUSE WE COULD ADD LOTS OF QUALIFIERS OR THINGS MEAN TO ME, WE WANT TO HAVE THIS TO BE AS NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE AND NOT BE POINTING IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T SECOND THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OFFICER, I WOULD SECOND THE FUNDED BY CITY CAPITAL METRO. I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD TAKE THE EXPANSION OR THE SEAMLESS OPERATION. CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE TOTALIZING, THE STRIKING OF THE FINANCE. I WOULD NOT SECOND BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF THE EXPERTS COME BACK AND SAY, THAT'S IRRELEVANT TO THE ANALYSIS, LET THEM COME BACK AND SAY, IT'S IRRELEVANT TO THE, TO THE, TO THE, TO THE ANALYSIS BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY COULD, COULD DO THAT. UH, THE NEXT SECTION, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT AND PROJECT CONNECT IS A SERIES OF PROJECTS. I THINK YOU COULD SIT DOWN WITH, THEY CALL IT A PROJECT CONNECT. IT IS WHAT IT IS. AND I THINK THAT'S HOW IT'S REFERRED. SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S A CHANGE THAT WE NEED TO, TO MAKE, UM, THE, THE, THE DETAIL ON, ON ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN OPERATIONAL READINESS AND MAINTENANCE. UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO ASK TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT DETAIL OFFENDS ME. CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'D BE THE KIND OF THING THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT. SO I WOULD PROBABLY LET THAT GO, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION. I DON'T MIND THEM TAKING A LOOK AT THAT, BUT AGAIN, I WOULDN'T PUT IN KIND OF THE CHARACTERIZATION OF IT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT COULD SERVE TO, TO DIRECT IT. I WOULD JUST SAY THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD CONSIDER THE IMPLICATION IN GOVERNANCE MODEL OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION. AND I WOULD MAKE THAT THE ENTIRE PARAGRAPH OF WOULD THAT CHANGE. THAT PROBABLY BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SUPPORT. I WOULD NOT SUPPORT, UH, HAVING TO SUBCONTRACT OUT WITH A FORMER TRANSIT CEO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ADDS TO THE PROCESS. BUT IF THEY THINK THEY NEED TO SUBCONTRACT OUT, THEY COULD. SO I WOULDN'T SECOND THAT ONE THAT GETS [01:25:01] TO THE NEXT PAGE AS TO TELLING HIM THAT THEY CAN TALK TO SUBJECT MATTER. EXPERTS, I THINK IS FINE. UM, COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER, AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. I MEAN THAT THEY'RE DOING THEIR ANALYSIS. I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO SEEK OUT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO THE DEGREE, RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT EARLIER. THAT WILL BE IN THE SCOPE THAT THERE WON'T BE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, NOT NECESSARILY STAFF, RIGHT? THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, THAT'S THE SECOND HALF OF THEIR WORK. THE FIRST HALF IS UNDERSTANDING THE AUSTIN CONTEXT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVING DELIVERED A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON BEST PRACTICES, BUT THEN TAKING THAT CONTEXT TO THOSE, TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THOSE, THE, THE LEADERSHIP AT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. UM, BUT I MEAN, WE CAN, I CAN SPECIFICALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE SCOPE CALLS OUT CERTAIN POSITIONS WITHIN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. AND IT JUST GENERALLY MEAN JUST TO SAY, SEEK OUT WHATEVER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS YOU THINK YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO END UP WITH THE PRODUCT, HOW THEY'VE DONE EVERY OTHER REPORTS. SO I DIDN'T FIND ANY CONTACT ON IT THAT WAY, AND I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO DO CALLING IT OUT AS THEIR METHODOLOGY. IT DOESN'T OFFEND ME TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO THAT. SO THAT ONE, I WOULD PROBABLY, UH, LET THAT HAPPEN. I WOULD NOT PUT IN THE, THE CURRENT OR FORMER CEOS OR AN EXECUTIVE STAFF RECRUITER. I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO FIND WHATEVER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THEY THINK ARE APPROPRIATE, UH, INCLUDING ANOTHER KEY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. AGAIN, I JUST DOESN'T OFFEND ME TO PUT IN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THERE AND THE NEXT PLACE. SO WHEN I LOOK AT THIS GOING THROUGH IT, THAT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SECOND TO WHAT I, WHAT I WOULDN'T SAY. AND HONESTLY, THANK YOU MAYOR EITHER. CAUSE I, THAT THAT'S REALLY I'M GOOD WITH THAT. I WAS, I WAS WHAT I SAID. I WAS COMING UP WITH A LOT WITH A LOT OF IDEAS THAT I THOUGHT WOULD, WOULD, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE THINGS EVEN WITH THE FINANCING. AS I NOTED ON THE REASONING THAT I PUT DOWN HERE IS I PERSONALLY, AS I RETHOUGHT THIS, I THOUGHT THAT THE REASON THAT THE FINANCING SECTION WAS A LITTLE WONKY AND NOT QUITE AS CLEAN AS IT COULD BE FOR WHO WE ARE. AND THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I'M LIKE, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, DOES FINANCING REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? DOES IT MATTER WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A SEPARATE PERSON? THAT'S THE ED OR, YOU KNOW, THE ED IS VESTED IN THIS, IN THE JOINTLY WITH THE CAP METRO CEO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT DOES, DOES THAT IMPACT, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY IMPACT? BECAUSE IT'S MORE OF THE POLICIES THAT IMPACT HOW WE ARE VIEWED FOR CREDIT WORTHINESS THAN THE PERSON. AND SO I THOUGHT, WELL, GIVEN THAT THEN DO WE EVEN NEED THAT IN? BUT IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY THAT, THAT, THAT THE BODY'S LIKE, NO, THEN. OKAY, COOL. BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS WERE WORTH CONSIDERATION IN MY MIND TO, TO, TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST STRENGTHEN, CLARIFY OR STRENGTHEN THE DOCUMENT. I, MY BIGGEST THING, REALLY THE TWO BIGGEST THINGS OUT OF ALL OF THIS THAT WERE MOST IMPORTANT TO ME AS I LOOK AT THIS NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE THAT, THAT THE, THE LAST SECTION, MY PROPOSED LAST SECTION AND OPERATIONAL READINESS THAT LISTS OUT THE THINGS THAT, THAT I THINK THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD LOOK AT ABOUT TRANSIT SYSTEM INTEGRATION, UH, MANAGEMENT, MANAGING TRANSIT, LABOR RELATIONS, SAFETY, SECURITY, COMPLIANCE, AND CERTIFICATION, MULTIMODAL SERVICE PLANNING, FAIRING, CUSTOMER SYSTEMS, INTEGRATIONS CREATION OF THE LIGHT RAIL DIVISION, FTA GRANT MANAGEMENT, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, AND FTA ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE, AND THEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION. BECAUSE TO ME, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE RISKS. THOSE ARE REAL RISKS THAT WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERING BOTH ON THE, ON THE FRONT END, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN A RECRUITMENT PROCESS. AND THEN ON THE BACK END, WHEN WE'RE OPERATIONALLY READY, AND WE'RE HANDING THIS OFF THE CAP, METRO, WHAT CAP METRO'S REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BE, UM, SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS. YEAH. IT JUST, AND, AND THANK YOU, CASEY, FOR CLARIFYING. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS GOING TO BE IN THEIR SCOPE OF WORK. AND I, IT WAS A MATTER OF THINKING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE SCOPE OF WORK OR IN LARGE PART IS JUST, HEY, LET'S JUST BE APPENDED TO THE CONSTANT. IT WAS JUST PUTTING A COUPLE OF LITTLE CLARIFYING REMARKS IN THERE AND JUST KIND OF TWEAKING A COUPLE OF THINGS SO WELL, AND I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD ON THIS DIET WILL BE INTERVIEWED INDEPENDENTLY, UM, AS WELL AS CUP METRO BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING A COLLABORATIVE, UH, PROCESSES IN HAS BEEN DELINEATED. SO THINGS THAT COULD BE PART OF EITHER THE SCOPE OF WORK OR ADD CLARITY, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT CAN ONLY MAKE IT BETTER AND IT CAN ONLY INFORM US BETTER. SO IN, IN THAT, IN, IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT, I THINK THAT IT'S, UM, WHAT MAKES ME NERVOUS AT THIS POINT AT THIS JUNCTURE IS TO HAVE SO MANY AMENDMENTS THAT ARE SPRINKLED ALL OVER THE PLACE WITHOUT EVERYONE HAVING HAD A TIME TO REALLY LOOK AT IT CAREFULLY AND CONSCIENTIOUSLY, BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT IF WE CAN TAKE HIM THIS INPUT AND ALLOW US TO [01:30:02] ADD TO THE SCOPE OF WORK IS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IF WE EXECUTE WITH YOUR APPROVAL, THIS CONTRACT, THEN WE LOVE THE FEEDBACK. SO, UM, SO WITH THAT, I LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY CONSIDER IF, IF THE BOARD IS WANTING TO SECOND, ANY FURTHER ACTION ON THIS, UM, FROM A POINT OF ORDER, PLEASE. OKAY, SO YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS. ONE IS TO, UM, PROBABLY SO WE'RE CLEAR. I THINK THE MAYOR WALKED THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS THAT HE WAS WILLING TO SECOND, AND WE, YOU COULD CALL A VOTE ON THE MEN, THE RESOLUTION WITH THOSE AMENDMENTS, OR YOU COULD CALL A VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION AND THEN CALL A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENTS. SO THE RESOLUTION IS POSTED AND THEN, AND THEN ASK THE BOARD IF THEY WANT TO ADOPT THE AMENDMENTS DESCRIBED BY THE MAYOR. UM, I'M FINE WITH WHAT THE MAYOR SAID. I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE TOO PRESCRIPTIVE TELLING HE KNOWS WHO THEY SHOULD AND WHO THEY SHOULDN'T INTERVIEW THEY'RE PROFESSIONALS. RIGHT. I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO INTERVIEW WHO THEY THINK THEY NEED TO INTERVIEW. OBVIOUSLY THEY CAN GIVE YOU THE BOARD, THE COMMUNITY, BUT, UH, LET THEM FIGURE OUT WHO TO INTERVIEW AND, UH, NOT NECESSARILY BE TOO PRESCRIPTIVE, BUT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. THE IS, UH, SO LET'S DO IT. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND WE DO IT THIS WAY. WOULD, WOULD, WOULD YOU BE OKAY, REMEMBER STRATTON WITH MAKING THE MOTION TO AMEND THE DOCUMENT BY INCLUDING YOUR AMENDMENT IN SECTION THREE B THAT ADDS THE WORDS WILL BE, WILL BE FUNDED BY CITY CAP, METRO AND FEDERAL FUNDS, AND BECAUSE THAT'S TRUE. YES. UH, AND THEN SKIPPING DOWN TO A SECTION THREE, I, UH, ADDING SPECIFICALLY THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD RATHER THAN SHOW HOW, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WE'RE ASKING THEM TO SHOW HOW ANYTHING, BUT JUST TO SAY, THE INDEPENDENT ALICE SHOULD CONSIDER PARENTHESES WITHOUT LIMITATION. SO THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING THESE ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER IN THIS AREA. I LIKE THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD CONSIDER PARENTHESES WITHOUT LIMITATION CLOSE PARENTHESES, AND THEN THE OTHER FACTORS THAT TO YOU ARE IMPORTANT. CORRECT? THEY INCLUDE THAT. YES. SORRY. CAN I CLARIFY, MAYOR SHOULD CONSIDER WITHOUT LIMITATION. AND THEN WHERE DOES THE PICKUP, AND YOU WANT AN OVERALL TRANSITION AND INTEGRATION, UH, EFFECTIVE MANAGE EFFECT TO, UH, TO BOOK OVERALL TRANSIT INTEGRATION, TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE TRANSIT, LABOR RELATIONS, WELL, ANALYSIS, INDEFINITE DETENTION. UH, LET ME SEE, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD CONSIDER WITHOUT LIMITATIONS, HOW OVERALL TRANSIT SYSTEM INTEGRATION WILL OCCUR TO AFFECT IT. SO EVIDENT FOR THE REST OF THE ACTIONS WE'LL CONSIDER HOW AND INDICATE PARAGRAPH. OKAY. AND THREE, I SIMPLIFY IT. SO IT SAYS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION, THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, THREE GENDER INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF A GOVERNANCE MODEL ON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION. YES. AND THAT'S ALL THAT THAT SAYS YES, I LIKE IT. UH, AND THEN, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ISSUE IN THE SCOPE OF WORK, BUT CERTAINLY WE WANT THEM TO, WITHOUT LIMITATION, YOU TALK TO WHATEVER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS I THINK THEY NEED TO. SO THEN IN THAT CASE, THEN WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T EVEN, WE DON'T NEED ANY OF THOSE MESSAGES, THE REST OF IT. YEP. OKAY. SO REALLY THEY'RE JUST THE THREE CHANGE THEN THAT'S FUNDED BY CITY CAPITAL METRO ADDING THE LANGUAGE IN THREE I AND THREE. YEP. YEAH. IF THAT'S YOUR MOTION. I SECOND, I SECOND THAT I'M HAPPY TO READ IT TOO, IF HE WAS LIKE, OKAY. SO, UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ENTIRE RESOLUTION UP HERE IN FRONT OF ME. I'M SORRY. SO THREE B UM, WILL BE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS, UM, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND CAPITOL METRO ATP WAS CREATED TO ACT AID AND ACT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO AND PERFORMING CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM. PROJECT CONNECT WILL BE FUNDED BY THE CITY CAPITAL METRO AND FEDERAL FUNDS, AND PRIMARILY BE BUILT IN CITY OWNED RIGHT AWAY. AND THE REST WILL BE THE SAME. CORRECT. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, IS THAT I THINK IT WAS, I THINK YOUR WORDING HAD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT CONNECT AS OPPOSED TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM. SO WE CAN JUST LEAVE THAT THERE. AND THEN THE ONLY CHANGES TO THE RESOLUTIONS AND STAY AT ANY OF THE WORDS, BE FUNDED BY CITY AND CAPITAL METRO AND FEDERAL FUNDS AND OKAY, UNDERSTOOD. THE NEXT ONE IS [01:35:01] IN SECTION THREE, ROMAN IT, I, THE L WE WILL BE ADDING A SENTENCE AT THE END OF THAT SECTION THAT SAYS SPECIFICALLY THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD CONSIDER, UM, WITHOUT LIMITATION IN QUOTE IN QUOTATIONS, HOW THE OVERALL TRANSIT SYSTEM INTEGRATION WILL OCCUR TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE TRANSIT, LABOR RELATIONS, SAFETY, AND SECURITY COMPLIANCE, AND CERTIFICATION, MULTIMODAL SERVICE PLANNING, FARE, AND CUSTOMER SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONS CREATION OF A NEW LIGHT RAIL DIVISION, FTA GRANT MANAGEMENT AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND FTA ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE. YES. AND JUST CAUSE I KNOW I'LL GET THIS QUESTION FROM, YOU KNOW, CREATION OF A NEW LIGHT RAIL DIVISION. IS THAT AT CAPITAL METRO? YES. THESE, THESE ARE THE, YEAH. THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT CAP METRO IS DOING. I WOULD ADD THEM THE WORDS, THE POSSIBLE CREATION, BECAUSE IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE, WE CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT. OKAY. POP THE POSSIBLE CREATION OF A NEW LIGHT RAIL DIVISION AT CAPITAL METRO. AND THE THIRD AMENDMENT IS IN THREE REMANENT, J EXECUTIVE, OR THE ADDITION OF THIS WHOLE SECTION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION. THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOULD CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF A GOVERNANCE MODEL ON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION. JUST THOSE THREE CHANGES. YEAH. SO VERONICA, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO CALL A VOTE, IT WILL BE FOR THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED ON THE DICE. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CALL FOR A VOTE, UM, BASED ON THE RESOLUTIONS. I MEAN, THE AMENDMENTS AS PROPOSED AND IS CURRENTLY DISCUSSED BY BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON AND CLARIFY BY MAYOR ADLER. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION? THANK YOU. BY BOARD MEMBER STRATTON. SECOND BY MAYOR ADLER. EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY NAYS? NO, THANK YOU. SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO, UM, OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. [6.1. Project Connect Program Roadmap Presentation] SO WE HAVE THE M THANK YOU, MS. BARACK, THE BRIEFING ON PROJECT CONNECT ROADMAP BY PROGRAM OFFICER THEY'VE COUCH AND SENIOR PROJECT CONTROLS, JEN PYNE, PRINCIPAL OF MOBI TASK MOBILITY, MAC MERITED, MERIT, AND HDR, PRINCIPAL, PROJECT MANAGER, TRANSIT MARKER, SENIOR MANAGER, BRIAN BUCHANAN. SO WELCOME MR. COUCH. THANK YOU. UH, FOR CHAIR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK. WHAT I'D LIKE TO START WITH IS IT'S BEEN 12. THIS IS THE 12TH MEETING OF THIS BOARD, UH, AND IT IS NOW INTO AN IMPORTANT POINT AS WE GO INTO NEXT YEAR, UH, WHERE THERE WERE A WHOLE SERIES OF CRITICAL DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO GET MADE, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDING, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NEPA, ALL THOSE VARIOUS THINGS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO TODAY WAS TO KIND OF BACK UP AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE, AND THAT'S WHAT MEG IS GOING TO DO AS THE FIRST PART OF THIS IS TO TAKE US THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH TO GET TO THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES, THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED. A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE THERE, THAT SINCE THIS IS A NEW BOARD IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THOSE DECISIONS, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. SO THAT'S ONE PIECE OF IT. UH, ANOTHER PIECE IS GOING TO BE THE PIECES THAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS. HERE'S A VERY LONG SERIES OF ITEMS, UH, THAT YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. YOU HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND COMPLY WITH THOSE. SO JEN IS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT PART, AND THEN IT'D BE DETAIL ON THE CIG PROGRAM, UH, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNDING, THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FUNDING. AND BRIAN, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. SO THE WAY THE AGENDA IS PUT TOGETHER, UH, IS BASICALLY A RECAP. AND THIS IS THE PART THAT MEG WILL DO, UH, WITH WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO THE FUTURE. UH, THE SECOND PIECE OF IT IS NEPA. THAT'S WHAT JEN, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND COVER. UH, JEN IS OUR EXPERT THAT WE, UH, HOW DO I SAY THIS? WE STOLED FROM, UH, [01:40:01] FROM ANOTHER CITY, PHOENIX, UH, SHE'S HERE, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HER ON BOARD. I IN THE LAST PIECE OF IT IS GOING TO BE CIG. UH, AND THAT WILL BE BRIAN. BRIAN IS THE ONE WHO IS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR OUR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT RESPONSE GROUP. UH, AND THEN I'LL CLOSE IT OFF WITH A POTENTIAL LIST OF DIFFERENT SUBJECTS, UH, THAT WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHETHER IT IS IN THIS FORUM OR WHETHER IT'S IN WORKSHOPS, UH, AS WE GO AHEAD AND GO FORWARD TO THOSE CRITICAL DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THERE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. SO IF I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IF I GOT IT, I'VE GOT IT. OKAY. THIS IS BASICALLY WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD THROUGH, UH, REALLY IN THE PROCESS OF THE DIFFERENT SEASONS THAT WE'VE GOT. UH, WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAM TOPICS. THERE'LL BE A LIST OF THEM THAT WE'LL HAVE AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, UH, THAT ARE A STARTING POINT. UH, THOSE CAN BE ADDED TO THOSE CAN BE AUGMENTED, AS I SAID, IT CAN BE DONE, UH, BASICALLY IN A WORKSHOP BASIS WITH A BOARD, IT CAN BE DONE BASED UPON CONVERSATIONS AT THE BOARD MEETINGS. UH, IT'S REALLY UP TO WHICH WAY YOU WOULD PREFER TO DO THOSE, UH, IN THE SUMMER, WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE 30% DESIGN LOOKING AT WHAT THE COSTS ARE, LOOKING AT, WHAT THE TRADE OFFS ARE. AS WE START TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL DO THE RISK ANALYSIS. UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW, AND I BELIEVE IT'S NEXT MONTH. THERE WILL BE AN AWARD OF A CONTRACT THAT GREG IS GOING TO HAVE IN PLACE, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND DO RISK ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF CONTRACT TYPES AND MANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN WE GET TO THE FALL, UH, THAT'S DECISION TIME, AND A LOT OF AREAS, UH, IT GOES IN A DIRECTION OF TRADE-OFFS COSTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, MOVING OUT AND DOING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE NEPA PROCESS, SO THAT WHEN WE GET TO BASICALLY THE WINTER AND BEYOND, WE'RE READY TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD. AS MR. CLARK HAD SAID EARLIER, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UH, THE LETTER OF NO PREJUDICE, THAT'S THERE FOR THE FIRST TWO, UH, METRO RAPID LINES. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE ALSO FOR BOTH THE, UH, ORANGE AND BLUE LINES. SO WITH THAT AS A BACKDROP, UH, AND AS A STARTING POINT, UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK MEG TO COME UP AND DO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION. GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. UM, THE TEAM ASKED ME TO TALK TO YOU TODAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ROADMAP THAT WE WERE ON AND WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE. AND I'VE BEEN ON THIS PROJECT, UM, AS A CONSULTANT SUPPORTING THE TEAM SINCE ABOUT 2017. SO I'M FOUR YEARS, BUT WITH PANDEMIC MATH, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT. UM, LET'S WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE BIG MILESTONES AND I'LL TAKE THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UM, SO JUST AT A GLANCE, UM, GOSH, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO, EXACTLY. UH, THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD APPROVED THE VISION PLAN, BUT LEADING INTO THAT, WE HAD A LOT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH. SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW ONE OF OUR MORE FAMOUS MEETINGS, TRANSIT ALLA MODE, WHERE WE SERVE PI AT HOUSTON TILLOTSON, THAT WAS A FUN ONE. AND REALLY AT THE VERY BEGINNING, IT WAS JUST A LISTENING SESSION. WE, WE WANTED, WE KNEW THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD SOME SCAR TISSUE FROM REVEREND OF PAST, AND WE, WE KINDA NEEDED A CLEAN SLATE. SO WE REALLY LISTENED, TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PRIORITIES WERE AND ALSO NATIONALLY THE TRANSPORTATION LANDSCAPE WAS CHANGING. SO IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME THAT THE BOARD APPROVED THE VERY FIRST VISION PLAN. AND THEN THAT SPRING, THE CITY OF AUSTIN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, WHICH REALLY CEMENTED THE ROLE OF TRANSIT AND A FUTURE WHERE MODE SHIFT IN OUR CITY WOULD BE POSSIBLE. AND THEN JUST ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE LOCKDOWN, CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE CAPITOL METRO TEAMS CAME TOGETHER AND THE BOARDS TOGETHER APPROVED WHAT WOULD BE, UH, A SYSTEM PLAN THAT WE NOW KNOW AND RECOGNIZE TODAY. UM, AND THAT TRANSLATED INTO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH WAS TO GO WITH THE COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS. WE, WE VETTED A LOT OF THOSE INITIAL ALTERNATIVES WITH THE CITY AND, UH, ADDITIONALLY WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT CAME TO BE, WHAT WE KNOW NOW KNOW IS THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE. UM, IT WAS WITH THAT, THAT WE THEN HAD WHAT WE NEEDED TO DECIDE IF IT WAS TIME TO PURSUE AN INITIAL INVESTMENT AND INDEED TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE BOARDS OF CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DECIDED [01:45:01] TO PURSUE THAT. AND OF COURSE, NOVEMBER, 2020, THE REFERENDUM PASS, AND THEN THE ATP WAS FORMED, WHICH BRINGS US HERE TODAY. SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE FAIRLY BRIEFLY. UM, AS I MENTIONED, THIS WAS A RESULT OF A MULTI MULTI MONTH ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. UM, HOWEVER, IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE BOARD AND WITH THE COMMUNITY, SOME OF THE SENTIMENT EXPRESS WAS THAT ACTUALLY WE NEED TO GO BIGGER. THE PLAN SHOULD ACTUALLY BE BOULDER. THE POPULATION GROWTH, WE ALL NOW KNOW VERY WELL WAS STARTING TO SCARE A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY SENTIMENT WE WERE HEARING WAS PLEASE, IF WE'RE GOING TO INVEST SOMETHING IN, INVEST IN SOMETHING, PLEASE MAKE IT LAST AND PLEASE HELP US, UH, THINK OF A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO GROW OUR COMMUNITY. UM, ANOTHER BIG IMPORTANT STEP TO THAT WAS THE INCLUSION OF ASAP INTO HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE CORRIDORS. SO THOSE TWO PLANS WORKED, UM, IN SYNC TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CORRIDORS THAT ACTUALLY WERE GOING TO DO A LOT OF THE WORK IN TRANSIT. AND THEN IN APRIL OF 2019, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILE MOBILITY PLAN. AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PROJECT CONNECTS ROLE BECAUSE AT PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY, TRANSIT WAS ACCOUNTING FOR ONLY 4% OF MODE SHIFT IN AUSTIN. AND THE GOAL IS TO QUADRUPLE THAT OF COURSE, TO 16% AND A BIG PART OF THE S AND P THAT UNDERSCORED PROJECT CONNECTS ROLE IS TRYING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND, BUT ALSO HAVING HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS THE VALUE ADD OF HIGH-CAPACITY TRANSIT TO HAVE DEDICATED SPACE IN THE TRANSIT WAY. UM, THIS IS, UH, A PHASE THAT I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE ANALYSIS AND IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT SOMETIMES GETS OVERLOOKED. AND IT IS, IT IS REALLY THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE STUDY THAT WE HAVE, UM, DONE IN THE REGION TO DATE. AND IT REALLY BROUGHT US SOME REALLY GREAT DATA THAT WE ARE NOW ABLE TO RUN WITH BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE IN A NEPA PROCESS THAT HAS A TIMELINE. SO THIS, THIS DUE DILIGENCE GAVE US A BIT OF A HEADSTART. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE BEGAN WITH A TIERED SCREENING PROCESS, AND THAT IS, UH, REALLY BEGINNING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECT'S PURPOSE AND NEED. AND IT'S THROUGH THAT LENS THAT EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS. SO WE DID LOOK AT THIS UNIVERSE OF ALTERNATIVES OF ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION MODES IN THE FIRST TIER, YOU CAN KIND OF THINK OF IT AS LIKE A FILTER. AND THEN THINGS KIND OF WENT TO THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MEET THAT PURPOSE AND NEED ACCORDING TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAD DEFINED. AND THEN IN THE NEXT TIER, WE LOOK AT THINGS SUCH AS COST PROJECT COSTS, RIDERSHIP, UM, HOW THE CORRIDOR MAY OR MAY NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RIDERSHIP BASED ON THREE FACTORS MODE, THE, THE ELEVATION THAT IS, IS IT GOING TO BE STREET RUNNING? IS IT GOING TO BE UNDERGROUND OR IS IT GOING TO BE ELEVATED? UM, AND THEN ALSO THE MODE, UM, WHICH IN OUR CASE, CAME TO FRUITION AS BOTH BUS, RAPID TRANSIT IN QUARTERS, WHERE THAT WAS APPROPRIATE AND LIGHT RAIL, WHERE THAT WAS APPROPRIATE. AND, UH, THIS DATA PROVIDED US BOTH QUANTITATIVE. THAT IS ALL OF THE, THE NUMERICAL DATA THAT THE CORRIDORS WERE TELLING US. AND I, AND I, I PHRASED IT THAT WAY BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS A MATTER OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHICH QUARTERS HAD THE HIGHEST TRAVEL DEMAND, BUT ALSO WITH THE INPUT THAT IS QUALITATIVE BY THE COMMUNITY TO SAY, YEAH, THAT JIVES, OR ACTUALLY THAT'S GREAT THAT YOUR MODEL SAID THAT, HOWEVER, HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF, AND THE, HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF TYPE QUESTIONS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ITERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND SERVES AS A CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK LOOP. AND THEN FINALLY WE, UM, LET'S WE GO TO THE SYSTEM PLAN, WHICH I KNOW ALL OF US NOW KNOW VERY WELL, SO I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT, BUT IT IS THE BLUEPRINT FOR THE NEPA PROCESS. AND, UM, NOW WE, WE REALLY TALK A LOT ABOUT THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES, BUT IN THE END, UM, IT IS THE PROGRAM OF PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS MOST INTERESTED IN. SO WE, WE TRY TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT [01:50:01] EVEN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BLUE LINE OR THE ORANGE LINE, THAT WE ARE MAKING THE CONNECTIONS WITH HOW THAT INTEGRATES WITH THE BUS NETWORK, BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, ET CETERA. AND THAT BRINGS US TO, UH, WHERE WE ARE NOW AND THE NEPA PROCESS. SO JUST A QUICK LOOK, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS BECAUSE JEN IS GOING TO GO INTO IT. BUT, UM, EFFECTIVELY WE ARE AT THE NEXUS OF WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO GET PRETTY SPECIFIC ABOUT DESIGN, AND WE'RE SEEING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM IN AWHILE, START TO WEIGH IN AGAIN, WHICH IS GREAT. THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING INTEREST, THEY'RE STARTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE DESIGN MIGHT IMPACT OR BENEFIT AND OR BOTH, UM, PART OF THEIR SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHY THAT THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN. UM, AND ALL OF THIS IS IN PURSUIT TO THE GOAL OF SEEKING A FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT IN 2024. SO JEN IS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THAT COMPONENT OF NEPA. UM, BUT I'LL PAUSE AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THROUGH HAVING A QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEPA PROCESS, UH, SOMEWHAT WHERE WE'VE BEEN, BUT ALSO WHERE WE'RE HEADED. UM, LET ME ADVANCE HERE, UM, AND TO MOVE THROUGH HERE. UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENGAGED IN A NEPA COMPLIANT, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE PROJECTS WITHIN THE PROGRAM THAT WOULD UTILIZE FEDERAL FUNDS. UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAYS YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH NEPA COMPLIANCE, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF REVIEW, UH, AND IN OUR CASE, IT'S THE FTA THAT DECIDES, YOU KNOW, WHAT CLASS OF ACTION IS SUITABLE FOR WHAT PROJECT? SO WITHIN PROJECT CONNECT, UH, OUR METRO RAPID BRT PROJECTS, THEY'VE BEEN CLEARED THROUGH NEPA USING A CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION THAT, UM, WHILE COMPREHENSIVE IS PROBABLY THE SIMPLEST, AS FAR AS THE NEPA DOCUMENTATION. UM, AND IT'S USED IN CASES WHERE THE FTA HAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS JUST DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT. SO THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR OUR METRO RAPID CLEARANCES SO FAR. AND ALSO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE JUST STARTING TO PUT TOGETHER A CE FOR THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE FACILITY THAT WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT. AND WE'RE ALSO CONTEMPLATING THE OTHER USES AT THAT FACILITY. UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. WE'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THOSE, UM, AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM AT THIS TIME, UH, THAT'S UH, IN THE CASE WHERE FTA, UH, HAS DETERMINED, IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS. UH, SO CERTAINLY FOR OUR ORANGE AND BLUE LINES, WE'RE DOING EIS, WHICH IS THE MOST RIGOROUS OF THE, UH, THINGS YOU CAN DO UNDER NEPA AND APPROPRIATELY. SO BECAUSE THERE ARE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT ARE CERTAIN TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. SO THE VERY BEGINNING OF ANY NEPA PROCESS IS SCOPING, UM, UH, FOR THE BLUE AND ORANGE LINES, UH, WE'VE CONCLUDED SCOPING FOR THE PURPOSES OF NEPA. UH, THAT IS REALLY A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, HOW WE'RE DEFINING IT, WHAT ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO ACHIEVING THE SAME OBJECTIVES, UH, AND WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT ISSUES? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE ANALYZING IN THE NEPA PROCESS? WHAT'S IMPORTANT? SO THOSE THINGS REALLY ARE WOVEN INTO THE WORK WE'RE DOING NOW, WHICH IS WE'RE IN HEAVY ANALYSIS MODE. UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO PUT TOGETHER THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS, UH, WORKING ON A LOT OF THAT NOW, AND AS WE GET INTO 2022, WE'LL BE PREPARING AN ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFT EIS FOR EACH PROJECT, AND WE'LL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH FTA ON THE CONTENT AND OF THAT MATERIAL. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE WORKING WITH OUR PROJECT PARTNERS, UH, AND REALLY OUR OR INTERIM GOAL IS TO GET TO NEXT SUMMER WHERE WE WOULD BE ISSUING THE DRAFT EIS IS FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT. SO WE WOULD HAVE A 45 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE DRAFT EIS, OR THE DOCUMENTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. WE WOULD CONDUCT A HEARING AND PROBABLY OTHER EVENTS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DOCUMENTS AND ARE ABLE TO COMMENT ON THEM, UH, AT THE CLOSE OF THAT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, THAT INDICATES THOSE ARE THE COMMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE INTO THE FINAL EIS. REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE FINAL EIS IS TO RESPOND TO THOSE COMMENTS. AND THAT COULD MEAN A DESIGN ADJUSTMENT EITHER NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. IT COULD MEAN ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS, WHATEVER IT IS IN PREPARING THE FINAL EIS, WE'RE DOCUMENTING THOSE RESPONSES. UH, ONCE THE FINAL EIS IS COMPLETE, UH, ULTIMATELY FDA WILL ISSUE A ROD OR RECORD OF DECISION, AND THAT SIGNALS THE CONCLUSION OF THE NEPA PROCESS. UM, AND ANOTHER IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE ROD IS THAT INCLUDES ALL THE MITIGATION COMMITMENTS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE PROCESS, UH, WITH, WITH US, YOU KNOW, NEXT SUMMER IS A TARGET FOR THE DEIS PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD. [01:55:01] AND WE'RE LOOKING TO COMPLETE THE FINAL EIS AND ROD PROBABLY WITHIN ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THAT, UH, PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD. SO IN AS WE GET INTO 2022, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENGAGED WITH A NUMBER OF PARTNERS IN THE NEPA PROCESS. UH, THE COOPERATING AGENCIES IS A VERY SPECIFICALLY DEFINED ROLE IN THE NEPA WORLD. UH, GENERALLY IT'S FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT HAVE SOME KIND OF REGULATORY, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PROJECT OR THE PROJECT AREA. IN OUR CASE, WE'RE WORKING WITH EPA, THE FAA AND, UH, TXDOT. AND THEN WE HAVE A MUCH LONGER LIST OF PARTICIPATING AGENCIES. UM, AND THESE ARE, THEY COULD BE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, UH, STATE, FEDERAL LOCAL, OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A REGULATORY OR OTHER JURISDICTION OR ATTACHMENT TO THE PROJECT, SUCH THAT THEY'RE IN A POSITION TO HELP US IDENTIFY, UH, ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, UH, AND ALSO TO SET UP FOR THE NECESSARY COORDINATION THAT WE WOULD NEED, UH, TO ULTIMATELY IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. UH, SO WITH THIS SIDE, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT A LITTLE BIT ON THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEPA AND DESIGN. UH, SO EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE COMPLETED 15% DESIGN PLANS AND THOSE WERE REVIEWED BY THE PUBLIC, AND WE RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF FEEDBACK. IT WAS ALSO REVIEWED BY OUR EIS, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW TEAM. AND THAT IS A PART OF THE FEEDBACK LOOP AS WELL. UH, THAT INFORMS WHAT WE'RE DOING AS PART OF THE 30% PLANS. UH, ULTIMATELY IN THE DRAFT EIS WILL BE CONTEMPLATING THE 30% PLANS. UM, AND ACTUALLY WHEN WE GET TO THE ROD FINAL EIS WILL STILL BE AT THAT 30% LEVEL OF DESIGN. SO IT'S AFTER THAT, THAT IN SUBSEQUENT DESIGN WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE SOME OF THE MITIGATION COMMITMENTS, UH, BEING IMPLEMENTED. SO THE ROD IS A VERY IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR US, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT OF REASONS, UH, FOR ONE, THE ROD IS REQUIRED TO ADVANCE THROUGH THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A NEW STARTS. THAT'S OUR FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCE. UH, AND NOT ONLY IS IT REQUIRED, BUT IT'S REQUIRED TO OCCUR IN THE RIGHT TIMEFRAME. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF PRESCRIBED SCHEDULE CONSTRAINTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROD. ONE, UM, IS GUIDANCE THAT IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN TWO YEARS, BASICALLY, WHICH IS KIND OF INEFFICIENCY GUIDANCE. AND SOMETIMES IT CAN TAKE A LONG TIME. I WOULD REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE SECOND BULLET HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THAT. THAT NEPA MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE TWO YEAR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF THE SIG PROGRAM. IT'S NECESSARY TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO MOVE TO THE NEXT GATE IN THE FEDERAL FUNDING PROCESS. UM, ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT THING IS ISSUANCE OF THE ROD IN THAT IT GIVES US PRE AWARD AUTHORITY. AND THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN SPEND MONEY ON THINGS THAT WE LATER WANT TO SEE FEDERAL MATCH FOR AND CAN BE REIMBURSED LATER. AND THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY FOR US TO MANAGE SOME OF THE SCHEDULE AND COST RISK ON THE PROJECT. SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WOULD GET PRE AWARD AUTHORITY FOR, WITH THE ROD INCLUDE VEHICLES WHICH ARE A VERY LONG LEAD ITEM, PROPERTY ACQUISITION, WHICH IS ALSO A SCHEDULE AND COST RISK. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT KNOW WHAT PARCELS YOU NEED TO ACQUIRE, YOU REALLY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE OR WHAT YOUR FINAL COSTS WILL BE. SO TO BE ABLE TO START EARLIER ON THAT HELPS US MANAGE THAT. AND FINALLY, UTILITY RELOCATIONS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PRE AWARD AUTHORITY. UTILITIES ARE ALSO A BIG RISK ON THESE PROJECTS. AND SO THE SOONER YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THAT ITEM AND MANAGE THAT RISK THE BETTER. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PIVOT HERE. I WAS ASKED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS. UM, CERTAINLY I KNOW YOU'RE QUITE AWARE OF ALL THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND THE NEPA WORK THAT'S BEEN ONGOING. WHAT ANOTHER THING WE'VE BEEN DOING IS SETTING UP THE PROJECT CONTROLS FUNCTION WITHIN ATP. AND AS PART OF THAT, WE'RE LOOKING TO INSTITUTE A VERY METHODICAL PROCESS FOR HOW WE IDENTIFY MONITOR AND MANAGE RISKS. UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF KIND OF KEY EVENTS, I WOULD SAY, BUT ALSO OUR APPROACH TO LONG-TERM MONITORING AND MANAGING RISK ON THESE PROJECTS. UH, SO I THINK IT WAS DAVE THAT MENTIONED, UH, THERE WAS AN RFP OUT LAST FALL AND, UH, ANTICIPATED TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD NEXT MONTH FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT, UH, TO GET, UH, ADDITIONAL SERVICES ON RISK ADVISORY SERVICES. THERE'S A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AND MAKE DECISIONS ON AS WE GET INTO 2022. AND THAT INCLUDES HOW WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER THESE LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS. UH, CERTAINLY WHAT, WHAT KIND OF METHOD, WHETHER IT BE DESIGN BUILD OR SOMETHING ELSE, UH, BUT ALSO, UH, THE DIFFERENT MODELS, WHAT'S OUR RISK TOLERANCE. UM, WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO DELIVER THIS, THAT REALLY MEET OUR OBJECTIVES? UH, ALSO PART OF THAT ASSESSMENT WILL BE FINANCIAL AND LOOKING AT CASHFLOW REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, UH, AND THE FINANCING NEEDS, UH, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BACK THAT UP [02:00:02] THEN, UH, SPECIFIC TO ORANGE AND BLUE LINES. UH, WE WILL BE DOING VERY SPECIFIC AND VERY DETAILED, UH, RISK ANALYSIS WORKSHOPS, 30% DESIGN PLANS. UH, IT WOULD BE A REAL COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF ALL THE POTENTIAL RISKS THAT WE MAY ENCOUNTER ON THESE PROJECTS FROM THE VERY DETAILED TECHNICAL TO STAKEHOLDER ORIENTED, UH, ET CETERA. AND AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, WE WOULD, UH, UTILIZE A MONTE CARLO MODEL. UM, AND THAT IS A QUANTITATIVE, UM, WAY TO ANALYZE YOUR RISKS. IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, DIFFERENT OUTCOMES BASED ON A PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION. AND TH THE GOAL HERE IS TO GIVE YOU DATA AS FAR AS HOW DO YOU, HOW CAN WE NAVIGATE UNCERTAINTY ON THIS, THESE PROJECTS OF WHICH THERE WILL BE QUITE A BIT, UM, AND THAT KIND OF MODELING, UH, CAN REALLY HELP US INFORM OUR COST CONTINGENCY LEVELS. UM, A BIG OUTCOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE TO, UM, HAVE OUR, OUR FIRST INITIAL RISK REGISTER FOR EACH OF THE PROJECTS. AND THAT WILL BE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF RISKS THAT A TOOL THAT WE'LL USE TO MANAGE THEM THROUGHOUT. SO FTA ALSO IS GOING TO REQUIRE THIS KIND OF RISK ANALYSIS WORKSHOP, AND THEY WILL DO THEIR OWN MODELING. UH, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO THE GRANT AGREEMENTS. UM, AND THEY WILL BE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LEVEL OF COST CONTINGENCY AND SCHEDULE CONTINGENCY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ON THE PROJECTS. UH, THEY WILL TAKE AS MANY DAYS AS IT TAKES, AS IT TAKES TO DRILL DOWN INTO ALL THE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT, UH, IN ASSESS, UM, OUR MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY TO DELIVER THE PROJECTS AS WELL AS WHETHER WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE RISKS. ARE WE MANAGING THEM AND OUR COSTS AND SCHEDULE REASONABLE FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. THIS IS A CRITICAL PIECE THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENTS. AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF FTA DETERMINING THAT WE'RE READY TO GET THE FEDERAL FUNDS. SO ONGOING RISK MANAGEMENT, THIS KIND OF GETS BACK TO THE RISK REGISTER. I MENTIONED, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE UPDATING ON A REGULAR BASIS AFTER IT IS DEVELOPED. AND, UH, THE RISK REGISTER IS NOT JUST A LIST OF RISKS. IT'S ALSO, WE SCORE THOSE RISKS BASED ON A CALCULATION THAT INCLUDES PROBABILITY AND, UH, THE POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE OF COST AND SCHEDULE IMPACTS IF CERTAIN RISKS OCCUR. ALSO AS PART OF THE REGISTER, WE IDENTIFY SOMEBODY WHO OWNS THAT RISK, SOMEBODY ON THE PROJECT TEAM WHO IS MANAGING IT, IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO MITIGATE THOSE RISKS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, UH, TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT. UH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO ON A REGULAR BASIS ALONG EACH OF THE PROJECTS. UH, AND OVER TIME, CERTAINLY RETIRE SOME RISKS AND PROBABLY IDENTIFY NEW ONES ALONG THE WAY. UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT COMPREHENSIVE, YOU KNOW, INITIAL RISK REGISTER YET, BUT WE CERTAINLY KNOW ENOUGH TO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE TOP RISKS ARE. AND SO THIS IS A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME OF THOSE RISKS MIGHT BE. AND I WON'T READ THROUGH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FALLING OFF THE SLIDE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WON'T BE THE LAST CONVERSATION WE HAVE RISK ABOUT RISK. I'M SURE. UH, I WOULD SAY ONE THING ABOUT THIS LIST AND THAT IS THAT WE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONTROL OVER SOME OF THE DIFFERENT ITEMS ON THIS LIST. UH, YOU KNOW, SOME MAYBE WE CAN SERVE TO MANAGE AND SOME ARE GOING TO BE MORE HAPPENING TO US AND WE CAN MONITOR, AND WE CAN PLAN A FEW THAT I WOULD POINT OUT. ONE IS UTILITIES, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A BIG RISK ON ANY PROJECT OR PROJECTS LIKE THIS. AND NOT ONLY THE RISK, AS FAR AS YOU DON'T KNOW, NO MATTER HOW MUCH DUE DILIGENCE YOU DO, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU START DIGGING UNDERGROUND, YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND. SO THAT'S A RISK, BUT ALSO AS FAR AS WORKING WITH THIRD PARTY UTILITIES AND MAKING SURE EVERYBODY'S COORDINATED AND IN LINE AND WORKING ON THE SAME PATH. SO WE GET TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL AT THE SAME TIME, ALSO A SOURCE OF RISK. AND THE LAST ONE I'LL MENTION IS JUST RIGHT AWAY IN REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION. UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE CAN NOT KNOW WHAT PARCELS WE MIGHT NEED OR, OR PIECES OF LAND, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG OR HOW MUCH UNTIL YOU GET INTO IT. SO THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO MANAGE IT. WELL, THAT CONCLUDES MY SLIDES. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO BRIAN. THANK YOU, MS. FINE. I'M GLAD WE STOLE YOU FROM PHOENIX. I HOPE THE WEATHER IS A LITTLE NICER HERE, SO WELCOME ESTIMATE. YES. BOARD MEMBER ELKINS. OH, THANK YOU, ADAM CHAIR. UH, THANKS JEN. THAT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION. I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RISKS. IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT. UM, I WOULD AGREE WITH THOSE RISKS. [02:05:01] I WOULD HIGHLIGHT ONE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT I REALLY THINK IS ONE OF OUR TOP RISKS, AND IT'S NOT ONE THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY THINK AND HAS DOLLARS AND CENTS, BUT IT DOES HAVE DOLLARS AND CENTS AND THAT'S COMMUNITY RELATIONS. IF WE DON'T EXECUTE THAT WELL, THEN WE MIGHT AS WELL GO HOME. UM, AND I WOULD UNDERSCORE THAT THE OTHER RISK I SEE IS YOU'VE GOT, THERE IS TRADE OFFS AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I CALL THAT KIND OF SCOPE CREEP AND TRADE-OFFS, WE GOTTA MANAGE THAT WELL, SO I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT. SO I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS FOR FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS. SO THANK YOU. SURE. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM HIS SPINE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BUCHANAN. WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD. UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CIG PROCESS OR THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM. SO WHEN YOU, UH, ELECT TO BRING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON, AS, AS A FUNDING PARTNER, THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC PROCESS IN WHICH YOU WOULD WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH, AND THAT'S CALLED THE CIG PROCESS IN THIS CASE FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM. SO WE'VE ALREADY DONE SOME CHECKS HERE. WE, UH, GOT SOME THINGS ACCOMPLISHED, UH, BACK IN AUGUST, 2020, WE ASKED FOR ENTRY INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FOR, FOR THE METRO RAPID LINES OF EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY, WHICH LED TO THE ABILITY TO GET THE YELLOW MP THAT WE RECEIVED YESTERDAY AND BEGAN CONSTRUCTION, UM, HERE WITH A GROUNDBREAKING TODAY, AND THEN ON JULY 28TH, UM, WE ASKED FOR ENTRY INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WHERE THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES ENTERING THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IS BASICALLY THE GRANTEE OR THE, THE ENTITY. THAT'S ASKING TO BE A PARTNER WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO WRITE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE PROJECT IS OUTLINED THE PROJECT. WHAT ARE THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN THE CORRIDOR THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPROVED BY THE PROJECT? AND THEN THAT IS LOOKED AT BY, BY FTA STAFF AND YOUR ATTITUDE, A LIST IN YOUR ENTERED INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. I WOULDN'T SAY IT IS A, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP, BUT IT IS JUST THAT INITIAL STEP. THERE IS NO COMMITMENT ON THE FTAS BEHALF WHEN YOU ENTER INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, BUT SAYING, LET'S GO, LET'S GET INTO THE PROGRAM. LET'S START. SO THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW IN THAT PROCESS. UM, YOU SEE IN A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'VE DONE THROUGH PUBLIC OUTREACH AND A LOT OF, UH, PLAN SHEETS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT AS YOU BUILD THE TEAM AND BUILD THE, THE UNIT THAT'S GOING TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM. AND THAT IS DONE THROUGH A PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN. THESE ARE BASICALLY YOUR BUSINESS PROCESSES, YOUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. THEY GET DOCUMENTED, LAID OUT AS PART OF PART OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN COSTS. ESTIMATES GET, AS WE MOVE FROM FIVE TO 10 TO 15 TO 30% DESIGN SCHEDULES GET UPDATED AND RELOOKED AT BASED ON PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS THAT WE USE. AND WE TALK THROUGH DURING THE WHOLE PROCESS. AND YOU HEARD JEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIRD-PARTY AGREEMENTS ALSO IN RIGHT AWAY. THOSE THINGS ALSO CONTINUED TO GET FURTHER DEFINED IN THIS TWO YEAR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE. ALSO AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE DO TAKE ON SOME VALUE ENGINEERING, UM, SOME PRELIMINARY VALUE ENGINEERING, UM, TO LOOK AT THE PROGRAM THROUGH A MULTIPLE LENSES, UM, TO LOOK AT WHAT'S BEING BUILT, TO LOOK AT SCOPE CREEP, TO LOOK AT THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES. AND THEN ALSO ACCESSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, A PROGRAM LIKE THIS. UM, WE WANT TO LOOK AT HOW STATIONS ARE CONNECTED, HOW PEOPLE WITH ALL MOBILITIES CAN GET THROUGH AND GET INTO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND USE THE TRANSIT SYSTEM. ALL THAT IS UNDERTAKEN PLUS MANY, MANY MORE DURING THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE. OOPS, SORRY. SO THERE ARE SOME VERY PRESCRIBED ELEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AS PART OF THE REVIEW. THERE IS SOME STANDARD TEMPLATES THAT A STAFF WILL BE FILLING OUT. THERE'LL BE A 20 YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN. IT NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED AND BROUGHT TO BEAR, UM, THROUGH THE PROGRAM THAT WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PORTIONS THAT ARE NEEDED BY THE CAPITAL METRO SIDE OF THE HOUSE. ALSO, THAT'LL ALL BE BROUGHT INTO, BROUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM, UM, INTEGRATED PROJECT SCHEDULES IN THE CONTRACTING PLANS AND DOCUMENTS. YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION AS A THIRD-PARTY AGREEMENTS, THE PRELIMINARY GEO-TECHNICAL REPORT. YOU SAW SOME PICTURES EARLY IN YOUR DAYS OF SOME BOATS OUT ON THE RIVER AND UNLIKE COLLECTING SOIL SAMPLES. UM, THAT WAS ALL PART OF OUR DUE DILIGENCE. UM, DURING THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE, ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO YEARS. SO THAT CLOCK STARTED ON THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINE IN JULY 28TH OF THIS YEAR. AND WE HAVE TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE ALL THAT GET THROUGH THROUGH ALL THAT WORK WITH THE FDA, WORK WITH STAFF, WORK WITH THE PARTNERS TO BRING ALL OF THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND EVERYTHING TOGETHER, ALONG WITH THE 30% PLANS AND ALONG WITH ALL THE GREAT, UM, UH, COMMUNITY ASSETS AND STUFF AND GET IT ALL DOCUMENTED AND MOVING INTO WHAT IS NEXT CALLED, UM, ENGINEERING. SO MOVING INTO ENGINEERING IS ANOTHER FORMAL ASK ON, ON THE, UH, ON THE PROGRAM. UM, YOU MUST [02:10:01] CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS YOU STARTED AS PART OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. THEY CONTINUED TO BE REFINED. UM, A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS ARE NOW STARTING TO BE COMPLETED OR, OR THINGS ARE STARTING TO COME INTO VERY CLEAR, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM. AND THEN THAT WILL LEAD EVENTUALLY, UM, TO A NEW STARTS, FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT. UM, BUT, UM, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, YOU HAVE TO GET INTO THE ANNUAL REPORT. UM, THERE WERE WE A RATING OF THE PROGRAM THAT WILL GO BEFORE THE FTA, THEN IT WILL BE PUT INTO THE PROGRAM IF IT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA, THE AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAM FUNDS IS THERE. AND CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO WHETHER OR NOT THE GRANTEE IS READY TO GO INTO THAT. THIS IS WHERE THE DISCRETIONARY PART OF THIS PROGRAM COMES IN. THIS PROGRAM IS NOT GUARANTEED. IT IS DISCRETIONARY. SO YOU'VE GOT TO WORK THROUGH ALL THIS AND THEN WORK ALL YOUR OTHER, UM, MEANS AND METHODS TO TRY TO GET INTO THIS PROGRAM AND GET MOVED INTO RELATED INTO THE NEW STARTS, UM, ANNUAL REPORT AND THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET. SO WHAT IS A GRANT AGREEMENT? AND, UM, THIS IS, UM, VERY CLEAR. UM, IT'S A CONTRACT. UM, IT IS A CONTRACT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, TO PERFORM AND, UH, HOW THE GRANTEE WILL PERFORM, UM, UNDER THAT. AND WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE ROLES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, AND QUITE FRANKLY, HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOING TO BE PUTTING INTO THE PROGRAM? UM, THAT LEVEL OF, OF COMMITMENT FINANCIAL COMMITMENT IS LOCKED AT ENGINEERING, UM, AS YOU MOVE IN THAT PROCESS, SO IT WILL NOT CHANGE. AND, UH, THAT'S YOUR ONE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THAT, ON THAT FINANCIAL SHARE. IT ALSO, UM, HAS A SCHEDULE ASSOCIATED WITH IT ALSO. SO IT DEFINES A PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, UM, FOR THE GRANT AND HOW THE FDA IS GOING TO HELP OVERSEE THE PROGRAM AS A PARTNER. SO THE FTA, UM, WELL, W THIS WAS A VERY GREAT DAY WHEN YOU GET TO GET DEER FDA AND YOU HAVE YOUR SIGN IN AGREEMENT, BUT THERE IS A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT AND THEY DON'T JUST, YOU KNOW, HAND THEM OUT. THEY WILL NOT. UM, IF YOU'RE NOT READY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU. AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR STAFF AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT TO WORK THROUGH ALL THE DUE DILIGENCE, TO WORK THROUGH THE RISKS, TO WORK THROUGH EVERYTHING, AND GET EVERYBODY AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE THAT THE PROJECT IS A GO. AND ONCE THAT IS, THAT IS COMPLETE. UM, YOU GET THE FTA THROUGH, UH, ANOTHER OVERSIGHT, UM, GROUP OF PEOPLE CALLED THE PMOC. UM, THEY WILL WRITE A LETTER TO THE FDA RECOMMENDING THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM GET THAT GRANT AGREEMENT, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE FEDERAL PROCESS. SO I KNOW I'VE TAKEN ABOUT A THOUSAND PAGES OF, UH, FEDERAL RULES AND REGS HERE AND BOILED IT DOWN TO ABOUT EIGHT SLIDES, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, THAT PART OF THE PROCESS. THANK YOU, MR. BUCHANAN, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TEAM BOARD QUESTIONS? THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION, SO I HOPE WE ALL TAKE IT HOME AND FLIP IT AND READ IT CAREFULLY. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. I'M. SURE. I'LL JUST SAY, I THOUGHT MEDICAID WAS COMPLEX UNTIL I GOT TO THE TRANSIT WORLD. MY GOSH, I'M GLAD WE GOT A TEAM LIKE THIS ASSEMBLE. THAT'S NAVIGATING THIS FOR US BECAUSE WOW, THIS IS, THIS IS SOME, SOME CRAZY STUFF. AND THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. SO THOSE ARE ALL THE FUN THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO, UH, AND IT'S, IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY PRESCRIPTIVE, UH, AS BOTH JEN SAID, AND ALSO BRIAN SAID, UH, THERE ARE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO. UH, THE NEPA PROCESS IS VERY RIGID. UH, FDA HAS SOMETHING CALLED OPS AND EACH ONE OF THOSE PROCEDURES IS WHAT YOU'RE EVALUATED AGAINST. AND YOU HAVE TO GET TO A POINT WHEN THEY GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE REVIEWS, ALL OF THOSE, SEVERAL TIMES THAT YOU SEND A PROCEDURE IN, IT COMES BACK, YOU WIND UP GOING THROUGH IT AGAIN, IT'S JUST AN ARDUOUS PROCESS. UH, AND THERE IS AT THE END, A READINESS REPORT. AND THAT READINESS BEFORE IT IS WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT GOES FROM THEIR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT CONTRACTOR, BACK TO FTA, THAT WOULD SAY, THEY'RE BASICALLY READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN FFCA. IT IS A LONG PROCESS, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WITHIN THE GROUP IS VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ON EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY IN THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH. AND WE'RE LOOKING TO DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING WITH THIS, GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET TO THAT FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT. AS WE GO FORWARD TO GET TO THAT FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE INITIAL INVESTMENT, SOMETHING THAT JEN SAID AS PART OF THE WAY THROUGH IT, THE ABILITY TO HAVE PRE AWARD AUTHORITY WHERE WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THINGS THAT STARTS TO DO RELOCATION [02:15:01] OF UTILITIES, ACQUISITION, OR REAL ESTATE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WILL BE DONE USING THE LOCAL PORTION OF THE FUNDS LONG BEFORE WE'VE GOT THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S THERE THAT SHOWS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FTA THE DEDICATION AND INTEREST THAT THE LOCALITY AND THE TRANSIT AGENCY HAS TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A PROGRAM TO KIND OF QUANTIFY IT. ONE OF MY, TWO OF MY LAST EXPERIENCES IN HOUSTON, THERE WAS $300 MILLION THAT THE AGENCY HAD SPENT IN CALIFORNIA. IT WAS A HUNDRED MILLION. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT TAKES THAT INITIAL INVESTMENT. IT TAKES THAT DEDICATION TO GET TO THAT POINT THAT YOU'RE SIGNING A CONTRACT. AND THE POINT THAT BRIAN HIGHLIGHTED IS YOU SIGN THE CONTRACT AND IT IS FOR A FINITE DELIVERABLE THAT IS VERY GREATLY LEVEL OF DETAILED IT'S. THERE IT'LL HAVE THE NUMBER OF RAIL CARS, IT'LL HAVE EVERYTHING IN IT, AND IT WILL HAVE A SCHEDULE. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR WHEN YOU GO AHEAD AND SIGN THAT FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT, AND IT DOESN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE FUTURE FOR ANYTHING THAT IS FUNDING. IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS THERE. THAT'S THE GUARANTEE THAT THE AGENCY IS MAKING, AND THAT'S THE TIMEFRAME AND THE DOLLARS, BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A GOING BACK, AS BRIAN SAID, WHEN YOU GO INTO ENTRY INTO ENGINEERING, THAT'S THE TIME YOU COMMIT TO WHAT THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE. SO AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH ALL THOSE THINGS, AS A BACKDROP, WE'VE GONE THROUGH COLLECTIVELY AND LOOKED AT THE ITEMS, UH, THAT WE BELIEVE, UH, SHOULD BE PART OF THE CON THE DISCUSSION THAT GOES FORWARD WITH THE BOARD. THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE CRITICAL TO GO AHEAD AND GO INTO THE NEXT PHASE, TO GET US THROUGH THE DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE BETWEEN NOW AND BASICALLY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. UH, IT IT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING IS HERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT WE BELIEVE ARE ITEMS THAT NEED TO GET DONE. THERE MAY BE OTHERS THAT YOU DESIRE TO GO AHEAD, AND IT MAY BE SOME THAT YOU WANT TO DELVE INTO DEEPER. THIS CAN BE DONE EITHER IN A FORMAT THAT IS LIKE THIS TODAY. IT CAN BE DONE IN A WORKSHOP. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COLLECTIVELY IN COLLABORATIVE WANT TO TALK OUR WAY THROUGH TO SEE WHAT THE BEST WAY IS TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD. I THINK YOU'VE SEEN FROM EVERYTHING THAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY, UH, THAT THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE BETWEEN NOW AND THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO GET US THERE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE EXPERIENCE. THAT'S PART OF THIS OVERALL TEAM TO GET US THERE, BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT EXPERIENCE, YOU DO NOT GET THERE. UM, AND I JOKED ABOUT STEALING JEN FROM PHOENIX. WE STOLE PEOPLE FROM NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA. WE GOT ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WITH A SUPER LEADER. THAT'S TAKING US IN A GREAT DIRECTION. SO AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE SUMMER, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE 30% DESIGN AND ESTIMATES, THE INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL, WHAT GREG WILL BE DOING WITH THE NEW CONSULTANT THAT HE'S BRINGING ON BOARD MORE WORK ON THE INITIAL RISK ASSESSMENT, LOOKING AT MORE DETAILED THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, IN TERMS OF THE INITIAL RISKS THAT WE'RE SEEING, MOST OF WHICH ARE THE RISKS THAT YOU SEE WITHIN THE EARLY PART OF A MAJOR PROGRAM WITH THE UTILITIES. AND ALSO WITH RIGHT AWAY, THOSE ARE USUALLY THE TWO PRIMARY RISKS. SO AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE FALL IT'S DECISION TIME, AND THEN GOING BEYOND THAT, IT TAKES US TO THE NEPA PROCESS, THE START OF CONTRACTING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, OVER THE NEXT YEAR. UH, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T ACCOMPLISHED A LOT THIS YEAR. WE'VE COME COMPLETE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT THIS YEAR. UH, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO DO AS WE GET THROUGH THE NEXT 12 MONTHS THAT THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, EITHER MYSELF OR ANY OF THE OTHER PRESENTERS WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. COUCH. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE GROUP? NO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST SILENCED US WITH SO MUCH INFORMATION, MAYBE I'LL LIKE THAT JUST A QUICK, UH, GREAT JOB TEAM, UH, AS USUAL. UH, ONE THING BOARD THAT WE'RE HOPING TO MAYBE GET A LITTLE DIALOGUE FROM YOU WITH IS, UM, SO WE HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TOPICS WE HAVE TO COVER WITH YOU ALL. UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THOSE TOPICS, BASICALLY WE REFER TO THAT AS THE FUNNEL, IF YOU WILL, WE WANT TO KIND OF REALLY RUN THROUGH A LOT OF COMPLICATED TOPICS. WE GET TO THE SUMMER. WE HAVE A 30% BECAUSE REALLY THE MAJORITY OF THE PROGRAM THAT ATP IS FOCUSED ON IS THE LIGHT RAIL, UH, UH, COMPONENT. SO DESIGN AND COST ESTIMATES ARE GOING TO BE PUT TOGETHER BY THE SUMMER, AN UPDATE OF OUR INTEGRATED FINANCIAL MODEL, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA REMEMBER FEDERAL FUNDING STRATEGY PUT TOGETHER BY THEN THAT ERICA ERIC IS LEADING. SO WE CAN KIND OF REALLY START THINKING ABOUT WHAT OF OUR DIFFERENT FUNDING OPTIONS AND HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH ULTIMATELY MONEY WE CAN GET OTHER DC BACK HERE. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR INITIAL RISK AND CONTRACTING METHODOLOGY. THOSE ARE ULTIMATELY GONNA LEAD TO BIG BOARD DECISIONS BECAUSE WE GOT TO GET [02:20:01] TOWARDS THIS. THIS IS THE 30% DESIGN. WHAT IS OUR METHODOLOGY GOING PAST 30% DESIGN? WHAT TYPE OF CONTRACT DELIVERY METHODOLOGY? SO THE TEAM CAN THEN START BUILDING A SPECIFICATIONS. WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS WHEN WE HIT RECORD OF DECISION, WE ALREADY ARE NOW QUICKLY INTO THE NEXT CONTRACTS. WE DO NOT WANT, HERE'S A RECORD DECISION. NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER, BEFORE WE BOARD THE NEXT CONTRACT, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. ARE WE DOING SOME PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD DESIGN BUILDS, UM, YOU KNOW, SEE THEM AT RISK. ALL THESE DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES HAVE TO GET WORKED THROUGH. UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE ORANGE LINE COULD BE SIX PROJECTS, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO BE CUT AND, AND HOW THAT WORKS. SO THE TOPICS AT THE TOP DRIVE THE ENTIRE PROCESS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WOULD LOVE ANY INPUT FROM THE BOARD, WE HAVE TO DO IT. NOW. YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS AND THINK THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT MORE IS HOW YOU PREFER TO GO THROUGH THOSE TOPICS. IS THAT THE WAY WE JUST DID THAT WITH STAFF TODAY FOR PRESENTATION STYLE AND, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE ON THE BOARD REGARDING DIFFERENT TOPICS AND THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED. AND SO RIGHT AWAY IN REAL ESTATE, DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD MAY HAVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL VERSUS A MORE OF A NOVICE LEVEL. OTHER TOPICS SAY SUSTAINABILITY, VERY HIGH VERSUS NOVICE LEVEL. WE WERE KIND OF LOOKING, WHAT IS THE RIGHT FORMULA? DO YOU WANT TO PACKAGE TWO OR THREE OF THESE TOGETHER AND DO A WORKSHOP? A COUPLE OF THESE MAY ACTUALLY WORK REALLY WELL TO DO. THERE'S A COUPLE THAT PROBABLY WORKED REALLY WELL TO DO. WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A CAP METRO ATP SPECIFIC WORKSHOP, BECAUSE THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT INTEGRATED HOW THEY HAVE TO WORK HAS ULTIMATELY THIS IS TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CAP METRO TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN. SO THOSE COULD BE A COUPLE PIECES, BUT ANY DIALOGUE OR THOUGHT AGAIN NOW OR LATER, UH, WE COULD ALSO TAKE A, WE COULD TAKE A CRACK AT HOW WE THINK THAT SHOULD BE LAID OUT, WHICH WE'RE HAPPY TO DO, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE AT LEAST GIVE THE BOARD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US THAT THESE TOPICS ALL MAKE SENSE. WHAT IS A GOOD METHODOLOGY FOR YOU TO NOT ONLY DIGEST INFORMATION, BUT HELP DRIVE THE DECISION PROCESS WITH THE, WITH THE STAFF. THANK YOU, RANDY. I THINK THAT THAT'S EXACTLY IT TAKES US TO OUR NEXT NEXT TOPIC. I MEAN, YOU'VE HEARD PROBABLY FROM THIS BOARD AND I'M SORRY, MAYOR, I'LL GIVE YOU THE NEXT, UM, THAT WE WANT TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN BEING ABLE TO NOT JUST HAVE PRESENTATIONS TO US, BUT REALLY CREATE A WORK GROUP TO, TO HEAR OUR EXPERTISE AND OPINIONS FROM, FROM THIS BOARD. I THINK THAT THE WAY THAT THIS BOARD WAS DESIGNED IN PARTICULAR WITH EACH OF THE EXPERTISE THAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE, WE WILL HELP, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN, HAVE MORE INPUT. SO I, I LOVE THE CONCEPT OF US HAVING WORKSHOPS AND LESS PRESENTATION, BUT FOR ALL OF US TO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, TO CONSIDER STRONGLY. SO MAYOR YOU HAD A POINT, IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID. AND THEN I THINK THIS LAYS OUT THAT FRAMEWORK REALLY WELL. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST WORKING THROUGH THESE KINDS OF ELEMENTS ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT THAT SETTING THEM IN THIS FORUM NOT ONLY EDUCATE US AS TO THE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE, BUT IT ALSO IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THE HARD ISSUES WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THEM BEING DEBATED. AND THEY KNOW IT, THEY ARE, UM, UH, TONY ASKED FOR US TO START IDENTIFYING THE MAJOR RISK ISSUES AND HAVING US START TALKING ABOUT THOSE AND, AND WEIGHING THOSE. AND, AND I SUPPORT HIM ON, ON, ON THAT EFFORT WITH RESPECT TO RISK ISSUES. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE FORCED CHOICE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE. SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE DEEPER DIVE IN SUCCESSION ON THE KIND OF THE DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT WE SEE BUBBLING UP AND THE COST IMPLICATIONS FOR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SOONER THAT WE START BEGINNING TO GET A FEEL FOR THE HARD CHOICES THAT WE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE AND WHAT THE SCALE OF THE CHOICES ARE. I THINK THE MORE, MORE REASONED, UH, WILL BE THE DECISIONS THAT WE, THAT WE MAKE. SO I AGREE WITH, UH, WITH THE CHAIR JUST, UH, JUST LAID OUT. AND I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE EAGER TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS. UM, JUST A BRIEF COMMENT, CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE TIGHT ON TIME, BUT THIS IS GREAT ROADMAP FOR, UM, TOPICS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DURING THE YEAR. I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IS RECURRING THINGS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN EVERY QUARTER. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE, FOR INSTANCE, THE BUDGET TO ACTUAL EVERY QUARTER, I'D LIKE TO SEE A TOP 10 RISK ANALYSIS EVERY QUARTER. I'D LIKE TO SEE A TOP COMMUNITY HOT BUTTON LIST EVERY QUARTER, AND THEN THESE TYPES OF THINGS CAN HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AS NEEDED. I THINK ONE OF THE REAL, UM, PRIORITY ONES FOR ME WOULD BE DELIVERING PROCUREMENT STRATEGY. AND I KNOW WE'RE BRINGING ON ADVISER, BUT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE DELIVERY MODELS WILL REQUIRE SELECTION EARLIER VERSUS THE VENTILATOR, RIGHT? [02:25:01] SO FOR GRANDSONS, PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD THE BENEFIT OF PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD IS UPFRONT, RIGHT? AND WE DON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR A ROD TO DO SOME OF THESE DECISIONS. OKAY. SO YOU CAN DO A ROD. YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO A PROCUREMENT PRIOR TO THE RIDE, AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET THE FUNDING, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE, AFTER THE ROD COMES IN. BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE JUST INTENDED THERE THERE'S RESTRICTIONS ON HOW FAR YOU CAN ADVANCE ENGINEERING. THERE'S ALSO, AS YOU GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT BEFORE YOU GET TO A ROD, UH, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE AND WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO UNDER NEPA, UH, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH IS WHICH CONSULTANTS ARE PRECLUDED FROM PARTICIPATING AT THAT POINT, UH, IT'S ALSO WITH THINGS THAT ARE THERE AND GETTING TO THE 30%, UH, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD, UH, IS BEING PREPARED AS SOON AS THE ROD IS THERE TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE CONTRACTS OUT THE DOOR. UH, I'D LOVE TO FIND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET TO PROGRESSIVE DESIGN A MONTH FROM NOW. UH, IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THOSE FEDERAL REGULATIONS ARE, UH, YOU, YOU'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL HOW YOU DO THAT. THANK YOU, MR. COUCH. UM, YOU HAVE YOUR MIC ON MAYOR. DO YOU WANT IT? OH, SORRY. I GUIDED BY THE LIGHT. SO, UM, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO ADD BEFORE WE MOVE ON. THANK YOU, MR. COUCH. UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC THING BECAUSE WE LOSE A LOT OF THE AUDIENCE, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I CAPTURE THIS, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE WANT TO ADD AT OUR NEXT MORE, UH, OUR NEXT BOARD AGENDA. ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO BRING UP THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE DISCUSS? OKAY. SO, UH, WITH THAT, UM, I'D LIKE [7. Executive Session] TO NOW THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL NOW ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FOR PERSONAL MATTERS RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FISCAL YEAR 21 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, AND TO DEVELOP THE FISCAL YEAR PERFORMANCE FISCAL YEAR 22 PERFORMANCE CRITERIA. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE COMPLETE THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND PUTTING THIS MEETING TOGETHER IN A NEW LOCATION. SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE HARD WORK. THIS CONCLUDES THE DECEMBER ATP BOARD MEETING AGENDA, AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AGAIN AND THE COMMUNITY AND WHOEVER TUNED IN WHO WATCHED US TODAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE IMPORTANT WORK AND THE TIME IS 8:55 PM. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.