Feb 08, 2022 Community Development Commission

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO ALL OUR WORK VIRTUALLY DRIVE UP CURBSIDE AND MY APPOINTMENT.

I GAVE YOU SOME PROGRAMMATIC UPDATES.

UH, NUMBER ONE, UH, OUR PROGRAM MANAGER, YVONNE MEYER, UH, RETIRED JANUARY.

SO WE HAVE A VACANCY LEVEL WORKING WITH HR TO FILL THAT POSITION.

WE WILL NO SIR, A LOT.

SHE'S WITH THE CITY FOR 22 YEARS.

AND MOST OF THAT TIME, I SOUTH AUSTIN, UH, NUMBER TWO, CDC, NOMINATION SELECTION AND ELECTIONS, 2022, AS YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER HAWTHORNE HAS RESIGNED FROM THE CDC AND WE'LL BEGIN WORKING ON THE PROCESS TO FILL HER SEAT.

UH, GOOD NEWS.

CINDY JASSO WAS NOMINATED AND SELECTED AS THE NEW COMMISSIONER FOR THE DOVE SPRINGS GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

AND SHE IS WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ON THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.

SO HOPEFULLY SHE WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU ALL EVERY SIN.

NUMBER THREE, JUST A STANDING ITEM REMINDING YOU THAT, UH, THE COVID, YOU KNOW, WE CLOSED THESE CENTERS MARCH 16, 20, 20, WE'RE STILL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

WE ARE GOING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, BUT MOST OF OUR SERVICES ARE DRIVE THROUGH DRIVE UP AND VIRTUAL CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS TWO YEARS LATER, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE.

THEY'RE HOPING TO GET THROUGH THIS SURGE AND, UH, START, UH, DISCUSSIONS ON SLOWLY OPENING UP AGAIN.

BUT SO FAR

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SOME GOOD THINGS HAVE COME OUT OF THESE NEW PROCESSES.

NUMBER FOUR, OUR FRESH FOOD FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM, KIND OF A STANDING ITEM.

IT WAS NEW A FEW MONTHS AGO.

WE BROUGHT THAT BACK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FOOD BANK.

THE NEW NEWS IS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CREATING AN ALL DIGITAL WOMAN PROCESS FOR THAT PROGRAM SO PEOPLE CAN MORE EASILY, UH, REGISTER WHEN THEY COME TO THOSE EVENTS, UM, WITH AN IPAD AND A SIGNATURE PAD.

AND WE CAN REALLY KIND OF STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT STRIKES THROUGH A MOCK UP OF OPEN TICKET.

I STARTED IN APRIL, THE LAUNCHED TO NEWPORT NUMBER FIVE, OUR HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM GOING STRONG.

UM, IN DECEMBER WE SERVED 875 HOUSEHOLDS, ALMOST 2,700 INDIVIDUALS THAT FLEW BUSES DELIVERED TO THEIR DOORSTEP WITH OUR COLLABORATION WITH AMAZON AND THE FOOD BANK.

THEY ARE THE SUCCESS STORY THIS MONTH THAT I'M GOING TO SAY LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS REPORT, UM, AT, OFF THE PRESS.

I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WHEN I SUBMITTED THIS LAST WEEK, BUT I, AMAZON HAS AGREED TO ADD MONDAYS, UH, THIS YEAR.

UH, SO THEY HAVE THAT IN THEIR BUDGET.

SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE ONE MORE DAY A WEEK.

UM, EACH MONDAY WE CONDUCT A 90 FAMILIES.

SO THAT IS ABOUT 260 MORE HOUSEHOLDS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SERVE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

UH, NUMBER SIX, THE COA FINANCIAL STABILITY FUNDING.

THAT'S WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER WHEN WE RUN OUT OF OUR CARES ACT MONEY AND WE STARTED USING OUR COA FINANCIAL STABILITY FUNDS THAT WE'VE ASSISTED.

I CAN MENTION 200 AND TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE, OR WHAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT AN $11,000.

NUMBER SEVEN PLUS ONE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GO STRONG.

WE WILL SUBMIT OUR, UM, ANNUAL APPLICATION IS THURSDAY.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO ASK FOR A 50% INCREASE IN THE FUNDING THAT THEY GIVE US WITH.

OUR APPLICATION IS FULLY VETTED AND APPROVED.

SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT HAPPENING AND HAVING MORE FUNDS OR LETTING YOU KNOW THROUGH DECEMBER.

UH, WE HAVE THE TOTAL OF 502 PEOPLE KEEP THEIR LIGHTS ON USING THIS FUNDING EXPENDED ALMOST $80,000 TO DO THAT.

UH, NEXT PAGE IS OUR SUCCESS STORY.

I USUALLY, I TELL YOU GUYS TO JUST KIND OF GO HOME AND LOOK AT IT ON YOUR OWN, BUT IT'S A PRETTY COOL STORY THIS TIME AROUND.

IT'S JUST REMINDING ALL OF YOU THAT WE GOT WORD LAST YEAR IN JUNE.

I BELIEVE MAY JUNE THAT WE WERE GOING TO START.

IF WE WERE INTERESTED IN DOING THIS PROGRAM WITH AMAZON AND THE FOOD BANK AND WITHIN SIX WEEKS, WE'RE ABLE TO STEP START IT UP.

I THINK I'M SORRY.

IT WAS LIKE APRIL BY JUNE.

WE GOT THIS PROGRAM GOING, IF YOU CAN SCROLL UP, PLEASE, UM, GIVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON THAT.

THE PLUS ONE CODE, UH, KEEP GOING.

COMMISSIONER DELGADO I'M HERE.

SO AS YOU KNOW, PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM RECEIVE A MONTHLY BOX OF SHELF, STABLE GROCERIES, DELIVERING CONTENT IN A CONTACT LIST METHOD DIRECTLY TO THEIR HOME OR GROCERY STORE IS NEVER FREE OF CHARGE.

SO FROM JUNE TO DECEMBER, WHICH IS THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, WE ENROLLED 2,627 PEOPLE AND 875 HOUSEHOLDS.

AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT'S ALMOST 4,000 DELIVERIES WERE MADE OVER THAT TIMEFRAME, UM, FOR FOLKS EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY.

AND WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PROGRAM NOW THAT WE HAVE MONDAYS AS A DELIVERY DATE.

AND, UH, AND THANK YOU, AMAZON AND THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND OUR STAFF AND THIS PROGRAM IS RUN OUT OF THE GROCERIES THAT I GUESS I'M ABLE TO CENTER WITH MY, UH, REPORT OR DATA TO DECEMBER MOVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THANKS SO MUCH ON CON UH, I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR AND GIVEN THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, LARGELY VIDEO-BASED, IF, IF, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SHARE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

IT'LL HELP A LOT.

CAN YOU SEE ME? IT FEELS KIND OF WEIRD LOOKING AT PEOPLE, BUT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.

I WANT TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.

IT'S BEEN A REAL STRUGGLE, I THINK FOR EVERYBODY, UH, IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE PANDEMIC, WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH SO MUCH.

UM, SO THANK YOU.

UM, I REALLY LIKED THE NEWS OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH AMAZON AND, AND, AND I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF, UM, OF, UH, PEOPLE CALL IN AND SAYING THAT HOW THEY REALLY LIKED THAT YOU ALL BROUGHT THE FRESH FRUITS BACK, THE FRUIT AND

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THE DRIVE-THROUGH AT EAST AUSTIN CLINIC RIGHT THERE ON EAST SECOND STREET.

I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WENT AND GOT THOSE SERVICES, UM, WERE REALLY HAPPY, ESPECIALLY FOR DURING THE HOLIDAYS.

YOU ALL HELPED OUT WITH PEOPLE THAT NEEDED THAT.

AND SO THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO LET THE DEPARTMENT KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, ALSO I DO WANT TO ALSO FOLLOW WHEN THE CLINICS WILL BE OPEN.

SO PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED OF WHEN, UM, THE PLAN THAT YOU ALL HAVE.

SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO THEY'LL KNOW WHEN WE, UM, ARE GOING TO BE TAKING, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE OPENING THE DOORS FOR WALK-IN SERVICES.

SO AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER SLOAN.

OH, YOU'RE WELCOME.

COMMISSIONER.

I'LL PASS THAT ON TO THIS TIME.

THANKS SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.

IT'LL GO.

UM, ON HOW I WAS CURIOUS WITH THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM IS THAT, UM, A PROGRAM THAT'S FLEXIBLE ENOUGH IN TIMES LIKE THIS, THAT ITEMS LIKE BOTTLED WATER MIGHT BE INCORPORATED AND THE DELIVERIES, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE THIS WEEKEND WE WERE VERY BUSY, UM, MYSELF, MY BOSS, AND A LOT OF APH WITH THIS, AND WE DID PASS THAT QUESTION ONTO THE FOOD BANK IS WE WANTED TO DO THAT.

UH, THE FIRST IDEA WAS TO CALL THE OVER A THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS AND ASKED IF THEY NEEDED WATER.

AND THEN THE QUESTION WAS, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS IT IN THE CONTRACT FOR THE AMAZON DRIVERS TO DELIVER NOT JUST THE FOOD, BUT WATER AND, UH, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF THEIR CARS.

AND SO LOGISTICALLY IT COULD BE AN ISSUE, BUT WE ARE FOLLOWING UP WHEN THIS HAPPENS AGAIN.

HOPEFULLY IT WON'T, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO JUMP ON IT.

I HAD ONE MORE, UM, THIS SORT OF NOTES OR YOU, UH, LOOKING AT THESE EVICTION AVOIDANCE NUMBERS FOR THE LAST YEAR, IT CONTINUES TO AMAZE ALL OF US THAT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO PIVOT SO HARD AND DO SUCH EFFECTIVE WORK WITH THE FUNDING THAT YOU RECEIVED TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES.

AND I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT I THINK THAT THE ACTION OF THE COUNCIL THIS LAST WEEK, AND CONTINUING TO PURSUE AND LOOK INTO, UM, KIND OF RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND SENT RIGHT TO CURE, COME FROM THE GOODWILL OF HELPING PEOPLE FIGURE OUT HOW TO STAY.

UM, AND THAT IS THE DIRECT WORK OF YOUR STAFF OF MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WHEN TENANTS WANT TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE, THEY HAVE EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, KNOWING THAT THAT'S THE BEST OUTCOME ULTIMATELY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

SO THANK YOU.

AND THANKS FOR BEING A LEADER IN R AND D ON THAT ISSUE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SLOGAN, WHICH I APPRECIATE APPRECIATED ECHO THAT.

IT IS TO BE, WHICH IS THE PRESENT PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE UPDATE FOR THE 20, 20 TO 2024 NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, STRATEGIC PLAN.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE WITH DOWNHILL? ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO ON AHEAD THEN.

I'M GOING TO, OH, SORRY.

FORGIVE ME.

LET ME JUST ANNOUNCE THE AGENDA ITEM.

UH,

[2B. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on the Update for the 2020 – 2024 Neighborhood Services Strategic Plan (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]

AND OF COURSE WE HAVE.

ALL RIGHT.

I JUST DON'T REMIND HER A YEAR AGO, JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR AGO, I, UH, PRESENTED THE ACTUAL STRATEGIC PLAN AND KIND OF WENT OVER EACH OF THE FIVE GOALS.

THIS IS A REQUIREMENT AND THESE IS A STANDARD FORM GIVEN TO US BY THE STATE.

SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THIS FORMAT.

SO A YEAR LATER I'M COMING BACK WITH SOME UPDATES, TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF.

UH, IF WE CAN GO TO, UH, THE ACTUAL PLAN AND THE BACKUP, JUST GO TO THE FIRST TAB WHERE THE FIRST GOAL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN TOO, AND AS IS BRINGING THAT UP.

WHICH WILL HELP THEM ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY, UH, IN 2021, OUR GOAL WAS TO, UH, ENROLL 150 PEOPLE IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT, AGAIN, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND THE SHIFT IN JUST EVERYTHING, UH, ESPECIALLY US PIVOTING AS WELL TO REALLY FOCUS ON FOOD INSECURITY AND, UH, ALL HANDS ON DECK TO HELP PEOPLE AVOID EVICTION.

IF YOU CAN SCROLL UP A LITTLE BIT PLEASE, TO THE ACTUAL GOAL ON A WARNING HERE, BUT THE ACTUAL GOAL OF THE, THE GOAL WAS TO HELP LOW-INCOME PERSONS OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT, UM, BETTER PAYING OR LIVING WAGE JOBS AND OUR JOBS WITH BENEFITS.

A NUMBER OF THEM JUST STAY ON NUMBER ONE, UH, PAGE ONE.

ALRIGHT.

AND THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE PROVISION OF CASE MANAGEMENT.

LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE TRANSITIONS TO LINK LOW-INCOME PERSONS TO EMPLOYMENT OR EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND DECREASE BARRIERS, THE STABILITY,

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WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO, UH, ENROLL 60 CLIENTS IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND, UH, 29 OF THOSE CLIENTS OBTAINED JOBS.

SO WE WERE, OUR GOAL WAS TO HAVE 40 OF THOSE, 150 10 JOBS AT 2,960, UH, ACTUALLY OBTAIN JOBS.

SO ALMOST HALF OF THE FOLKS THAT WE WORKED WITH, UM, AT THE, THE GOAL, AND THEN OUR OTHER OUTCOME WAS HAVING 43 PEOPLE TRANSITIONED AT A POVERTY, WHICH IS OUR TDAC GOAL.

AND LIKE I REPORTED EARLIER, WE HAD 20 MINUTES.

SO AGAIN, WE DID NOT MEET THAT GOAL, BUT IT WASN'T FOR LACK OF TRYING, AND ALSO REMINDING YOU THAT OUR STAFF ALREADY PIVOTED MOSTLY TO FOCUS ON FOOD INSECURITY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE HELPING PEOPLE WITH EVICTION AND WE NEEDED EVERYONE HELPING PROCESS, THOSE APPLICATIONS, ELIGIBILITY, ET CETERA.

SO IN THAT IS OUR GOAL FOR 2021 IN 2022, WE ARE HOPING TO GROW 150 PEOPLE IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY HAVE 45 OUT OF THOSE, 150 OBTAIN JOBS AND GET FOUR, IF YOU TRANSITIONS, I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE TO DO THAT, BUT AGAIN, TWO USE IT AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING.

IF WE GO TO GOAL NUMBER TWO, MY GOAL NUMBER TWO WAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS WILL PROMOTE WELLNESS AND EMPLOYER RETENTION ACTIVITIES VERY IMPORTANT IN NORMAL TIMES, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT DURING TIMES OF CRISIS, YOU HAVE TO KEEP OUR STAFF KIND OF FRESH LIMBER OLD FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST IN A GOOD MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SPACE AS WELL.

AND WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT BY INCREASING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES OF ALL STAFF WORKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.

AND OUR STRATEGY WAS THAT THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION AT ONE WAS PROMOTION TASKFORCE WOULD PLAN, ORGANIZE AND IMPLEMENT TRAININGS AND ACTIVITIES FOR OUR STAFF.

SO IN 2021, WE WANTED TO BEGIN PUBLISHING A WELLNESS NEWSLETTER.

WE HAD ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT IN PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT, UH, IT WAS ON HOLD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.

WE BROUGHT THAT BACK AND WE STILL PUBLISHING THE WELLNESS NEWSLETTER IN THE SUMMER OF 2021, DISTRIBUTING IT EVERY OTHER MONTH, THAT MOVES THAT ARE, HAS A LOT OF, UM, ARTICLES ON WELLNESS AND MEDITATION, MINDFULNESS TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF, GOOD DIET EXERCISE, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND HAVE A PARALLEL TO THE HEALTHY CONNECTIONS WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON OFFERS AS WELL.

SO WE WE'VE ALSO MET THE GOAL OF FACILITATING WELLNESS ACTIVITIES DURING OUR STAFF MEETINGS AND OUR STAFF TRAININGS.

SO YOU SEE THE SECOND OUT THIRD OUTPUT, THEIR STAFF SEE SIX STAFF SUPPORT INPUT ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS.

WE REQUESTED STAFF'S FEEDBACK ON POTENTIAL TRAININGS ARE USUALLY ABLE TO CENTERED MEETING THROUGH SURVEY MONKEY EVALUATIONS.

WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF, A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS AND WE'RE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE.

UH, ONE OF OUR OUTCOMES WAS THAT 40% OF STAFF PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN SPONSORED WELLNESS ACTIVITIES, ALL THE CONNECTIONS AND HEALTHY REWARDS.

WE AVERAGED ABOUT 30% ON OUR HEALTH CODE EVENTS.

AND IT VARIED FROM MONTH TO MONTH, 15 TO 70%.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MAP THAT IT MIGHT MAP REALLY CLOSE TO THE SURGERIES AND THE INTENSE TIMES THAT WE HAVE WHEN PEOPLE WERE JUST WORKING SO HARD, THEY WERE FINDING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CHALLENGE THEM, TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, UM, IN BECAUSE THEY WERE TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR OUTCOME, AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE TO STAFF REQUESTED TRAININGS ANNUALLY, WE ACTUALLY DIVIDED TO BE TRAINED WITH THIS PAST YEAR ON WELLNESS AND HEALTHY LIVING FOR THE NEXT, UH, YEAR 2022.

NOW WE WERE HOPING TO CONTINUE TO SEE STAFF INPUT TO 50% OF OUR STAFF PARTICIPATE IN THE HEALTH REWARDS PROGRAM, HEALTH CONNECT, HEALTH CODE EVENTS, CONVINCED CITY OF AUSTIN OFFERS.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HOPING TO HAVE TWO MORE STAFF TRAININGS ON WELLNESS THIS NEXT YEAR, YOU CAN GO TO GOAL.

NUMBER THREE WAS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS SERVICES WHEN A, TO INCREASE OUR NUMBER OF SERVICES, SERVICE SITES, AND WAYS TO ACCESS SERVICES.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY, WE'RE HERE IN 2019.

WE WERE JUST STARTING TO DO A STAND UP OUR SATELLITE LOCATIONS IN NORTH AUSTIN.

AND HE STARTED IN THE NORTH AUSTIN YMCA.

AND WE STARTED I THINK THE WEEK THERE'LL BE CLOSED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

WE HAD JUST OPENED THAT EAST AUSTIN

[00:25:01]

SATELLITE LOCATION.

THEY HAD TO IMMEDIATELY CLOSE IT.

UM, SO IN 2021 OR A GOAL, ONE OF OUR OUTPUTS WAS TO PILOT, AN ONLINE INQUIRY, WHICH WE DID MEET, EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF SATELLITE LOCATIONS.

WE PUT THAT ON HOLD TO THE COVID AND PARTICIPATE IN PLANNING ACTIVITIES FOR THE DOVE SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.

THAT'S IN PROGRESS.

WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UM, THE OTHER PARTNERS AND ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS ON THAT BEAUTIFUL FACILITY THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE COMPLETED IN 2023.

UH, AND OUTCOME WAS THAT WE WILL COMPLETE BASELINE DATA ANALYSIS FOR CLIENTS IN THE FAR EAST AUSTIN AND NORTH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.

AGAIN, OUR SATELLITE LOCATIONS WERE PUT ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19.

UH, WE ALSO WANTED A HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS TO COMPLETE THE ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS, SOMETHING THAT WAS BRAND NEW, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD 253 HOUSEHOLDS COMPLETE AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.

SO THAT WAS REALLY A BRIGHT SPOT THIS YEAR.

AND NEXT YEAR WE HOPE TO INCREASE, UM, YEAH, ALL SORTS OF COMPLETE ON THE APPLICATIONS TO 125.

WE'RE MOSTLY DOING VIRTUAL, UM, THROUGH THE MAIL DROP OFF, DRIVE UP CURBSIDE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, OR WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AND GET TO SELL ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS WE'RE STREAMLINED.

AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT GOAL, THAT'D BE PUT IN BRIEF ON THIS ONE.

THIS IS ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE BASICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT ELIGIBILITY IS DETERMINED CORRECTLY FOR OUR CLIENTS RECEIVING CSBG SERVICES.

AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT TO OUR, UM, TO OUR AUDITS AND ALL OF THIS, A LOT OF SMALL TYPE YEAR, BUT IT WAS MET.

WE DID OUR AUDITS.

YOU SAMPLE AT LEAST 10% OF ALL THE FUNDED SERVICES FOR REVIEW EACH MONTH.

AND THERE WERE NO, UM, NO VIOLATIONS OF THE ELIGIBILITY PARISH STAFF.

WE'LL CONTINUE AGAIN.

THAT'S I STARTED GOING BACK TO IMPROVE ON AND WE JUST ALWAYS IN FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT, IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PLAN TOWARDS REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE OUR SERVICES.

AND WE MOVE OVER TO GOAL NUMBER FIVE.

THE GOAL WAS TO PREVENT THIS, THAT ABLE TO SEND OUR CLIENTS FROM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER SLO MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING THAT.

CAN'T BE OVERSTATED.

UH, THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO INCREASE HOUSING STABILITY TO THE PROVISION OF RENT, UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

AND THE STRATEGY WAS TO EFFICIENTLY PROCESS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING TO ASSIST MORE INCOME INDIVIDUALS.

I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT KIND OF A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND VERY EFFICIENTLY THIS YEAR, OUR GOAL WAS TO HELP TO A HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS, EVICTION ACTUALLY SURPASSED THAT GOAL.

WE HELPED ONE THOUSANDS MERELY MINE ALSO WOULD AVOID.

YOU MENTIONED IN 2021, A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH THE EXTRA CARE OF FUNDING.

THAT'S WHY YOU WILL SEE FOR 2022 WITH OUR REGULAR FINANCIAL STABILITY FUNDING, OUR GOAL WHEN DOWN TO 500, WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS IN 2020, IT WAS ACTUALLY SET IN 2019 AT 500 BEFORE WE KNEW THAT THIS PANDEMIC AND BACK IN 2020, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO DO ALMOST DOUBLE THAT GOAL WITHOUT AN OUTCOME POINT, PAUSE FROM 179 HOUSEHOLDS, A PUBLIC ENTITY EVICTION 2020 WITH OUR CARES ACT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF IN A NUTSHELL, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

UM, AND THEN I WILL ASK THE CHAIR TO MOTION TO APPROVE THE 20, 20 TO 2024 NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE WITHOUT MODIFICATIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, EMILY BOARD.

UM, AND I SEE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER DESOLTEL IS IN THE MEETING AND, UH, ALSO HAS, UH, A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, SO RECOGNIZE YOU.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UM, SO, UH, AND HOW I WAS JUST HAVING A QUICK QUESTION.

SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE, UM, DETERMINING THAT, IS THAT A FEDERAL STANDARD THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET OR IS IT A MINIMUM STANDARD AND THE CITY CAN, UM, HAVE SOME, UH, WEIGH IN ON ELIGIBILITY? IT'S THE EXPANDED OR, OKAY, SO CITY.

AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CITY CAN EXPAND ON.

[00:30:02]

LIKE IF THE CITY ONE IS NOT A MINUTE FEDERAL MINIMUM, IT'S JUST, UH, YES, THAT'S FEDERAL 200%.

UH, I'M BELOW FOR POVERTY, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENT.

UM, THOSE ARE THE MAIN ONES, BASICALLY AN INCOME ELIGIBILITY, AND THEN RESIDENCY IN THE COUNTY AND RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF THE U S THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION, UH, COMMISSIONER THAT SHOULD TELL, AND ALSO JUST TO BE CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S WATCHING, UH, 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL MEANS THAT IF, YOU KNOW, 100% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL MEANS AROUND $26,000 OF INCOME FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.

UH, SO 200% OF THAT IS EFFECTIVELY DOUBLE.

SO AROUND $52,000 OF ANNUAL INCOME FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR OR BELOW.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.

ALSO WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE COMMISSIONER FOR THAT LOU HAS JOINED YET? YES, JESSE.

I THINK IN ORDER TO VOTE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE EVERYONE KIND OF DO A THUMBS UP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO VOTE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE EVERYONE WHO'S VOTING, UH, COMMISSIONER , UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.

I HAVE, UH, I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE CALL THE VOTE COMMISSIONER FIDELITY, IS IT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO, UH, HAVE YOUR CAMERA AVAILABLE? UNFORTUNATELY, MEEKS DOESN'T WORK OR MEETINGS THIS APP DOESN'T I CAN'T DO VIDEO.

WELL, I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH, WE HAVE EIGHT, WE STILL HAVE ENOUGH QUORUM TO VOTE.

UM, BUT, UH, JUST FYI COMMISSIONER FIDELIS.

UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THAT, UH, WILLING TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE AS IT HAS BEEN, UH, SHARED BY UNHEALTHY EMOTION.

WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER GESTURE TAIL.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER DELGADO? ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE, AND MAKE IT VISIBLY CLEAR.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY.

IT PASSES.

UM, GREAT WORK ON HANDLED TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AT NSU, AS WELL AS EVERYONE IN AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH TO ECHO WITH SO MANY FOLKS HERE HAVE SAID THAT'S BEEN SO SALIENT.

UM, THE HERCULEAN EFFORT THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY HAS PUT ON IN THE ABSENCE OF SO MUCH FEDERAL AND STATE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN JUST NEARLY UNIMAGINABLE.

THEY'VE BECOME, UH, AN IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION FROM VACCINATIONS TO SOCIAL SERVICES, AS OPPOSED TO SORT OF A POLICY AND GUIDANCE ORGANIZATION.

AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HEROIC.

AND WE'RE DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

UM, MOVING.

YES.

A AND UH, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET INTO NEW BUSINESS, WE'RE JUST LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE'VE GOT FOUR KEY ITEMS ON THE NEW BUSINESS AGENDA.

UM, MOVING INTO NEW BUSINESS ITEM THREE,

[3A. Introduction to new Civil Rights Office and new Office Director (Carol Johnson, Civil Rights Office)]

EACH OF THEM INVOLVE PRESENTATIONS.

SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT 10 MINUTES PER PRESENTATION, 10 TO 15 MINUTES, THAT'S AN HOUR.

SO IT'S A HALF DAY MEETING AND THAT'S WITHOUT OUR COMMENTARY OR QUESTIONS.

SO LET'S ALL DO OUR BEST, UH, TO BE, UH, UH, CONSIDERATE OF TIME.

AND I WILL ALSO ASK THE PRESENTERS IF WE COULD DO OUR BEST TO KEEP OUR PRESENTATIONS AT 10 MINUTES, IF POSSIBLE.

UH, AND, UH, WE'LL KEEP WE'LL HOLD OUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END NEW BUSINESS ITEM, A ONE.

UM, WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE AND NEW OFFICE DIRECTOR, UM, WITH CAROL JOHNSON.

I'M SO GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION TO BE HERE.

UM, I THINK THERE IS, UM, ANOTHER PRESENTATION OF THAT YOU'RE SEEING.

SO I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE FIRST PART OF IT, WHICH WAS THE ORDINANCE THAT CREATED THE OFFICE.

I'M NOT SURE I CAN'T SEE IT FROM HERE, BUT I'M GUESSING.

I GOT YOU.

UH, WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP WORKERS, VULNERABLE WORKERS, PARTICULARLY, UM, WHO MIGHT BE VICTIMIZED BY WAGE THEFT.

SO LET ME JUST, I WANT TO JUST START JUST BY TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS, UM, WHAT WE DO, WHY WE'RE HERE, UM, AND, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.

SO I AM, UM, I ACTUALLY AM COMING UP ON MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

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WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, I HAVE, UM, UH, UH, BEEN HERE.

I CAME IN FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, ACTUALLY, I THINK THE DAY BEFORE THE STORM.

SO, UM, I WAS, UM, REALLY, UM, GLAD TO SEE ALL OF THE EFFORTS AROUND, UM, JUST, UM, HELPING AND ASSISTING AND BEING NEIGHBORLY AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WERE JUST REALLY WONDERFUL.

AND I REALLY ENJOYED BEING IN, UM, AUSTIN.

UM, SO LAST YEAR AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY GET CODIFIED, UM, THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS IN ORDINANCE.

UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS, UM, THE FIRST PAGE OF, UM, UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL.

UM, AND BASICALLY WHAT WE DID WAS, UM, PRETTY MUCH ENUMERATED IN OUR CITY LAW.

THE THINGS THAT, UM, UH, THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS IS HERE TO DO, UM, UH, WE CREATED WITHIN, WITHIN THE CODE, THE OFFICE, UM, PROVIDED FOR, UM, THE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY FOR THE OFFICE.

UM, AND WE WERE ABLE ALSO DURING THAT TIME TO, UM, ADD SOME ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS AROUND THE AREAS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, UM, UH, AND, UM, ALSO, UM, UH, AREAS OF, UM, UM, SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

AND SO WE MENDED THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION BROADENED THAT, SO THAT IT WOULD BE MORE INCLUSIVE, UM, OF THE POPULATION OF THE LGBTQ POPULATION, UM, WITH REGARD TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT ENFORCEMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO EXTEND, UM, THE TIMEFRAME THAT FOLKS WHO WERE, UM, NEEDING TO FILE SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS, UM, IN THE WORKPLACE, UM, THAT WAS EXTENDED FROM 180 DAYS TO 300 DAYS.

UM, AND WE ALSO EXPANDED THE DEFINITION OF EMPLOYERS SO THAT, UM, EVEN IF AN EMPLOYER HAD ONE EMPLOYEE, THEY WILL BE COVERED ON THE ACT.

SO PREVIOUS TO US BEING ABLE TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE, YOU HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST 15 EMPLOYEES IN ORDER TO BE COVERED UNDER THE ACT.

SO THIS ALLOWED US TO COVER EVERY EMPLOYEE EMPLOYER.

SO, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF IF YOU HAVE ONE EMPLOYEE WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE ACT, IT ALSO PROVIDED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS, UM, THAT ONCE AN EMPLOYEE, UH, FILES, UM, IN A COMPLAINT OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE, EMPLOYERS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE AN IMMEDIATE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY WITHIN THE STATUTE.

SO IT REQUIRED, UM, EMPLOYEES TO TAKE IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.

UM, AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS IT CREATED ALSO WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE, UM, A CRIMINAL STATUTE OR A CRIMINAL PROVISION, UM, FOR OBSTRUCTION.

SO IF THERE WAS, UM, SOMEONE WHO, UH, TRIED TO OBSTRUCT, UM, THE ORDINANCE, THEN THEY COULD BE FOUND GUILTY OF A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR.

UM, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE, UH, THE MAIN, UM, PROVISIONS.

WE WERE ALSO TASKED, UM, DURING THAT TIME BY CITY COUNCIL TO LOOK AT OTHER AREAS OF CIVIL RIGHTS THAT COULD BE EXPANDED.

UM, SO ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, PRESENT TO COUNCIL IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS A CROWN ACT.

UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE CROWN ACT IS, UM, BASICALLY THAT IS A PROTECTION AGAINST HAIR DISCRIMINATION.

UM, AND, AND TYPICALLY WE SEE THOSE TYPES OF, UM, DISCRIMINATORY VIOLATIONS HAPPENING IN THE WORKPLACE.

UM, AND SO, UM, AND IT, IT DEALS WITH DISCRIMINATION AGAINST, UM, UH, FOLKS FOR THE WAY THEIR HAIR, THEY WEAR THEIR HAIR AND, AND TYPICALLY THAT'S A CULTURAL THING, AND TYPICALLY IT AFFECTS, UM, UH, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND OTHERS.

UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE MIGHT BE, UH, SOMEONE WHO WEARS BRAIDS OR SOMEONE WHO WEARS DREADS, UM, OR SOME OTHER FORM OF NATURAL, UM, HERE, UM, UNNATURAL UNPROCESSED HERE.

UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UM, EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF, OF WHAT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION MEANS TO INCLUDE, UM, HAIR TEXTURE.

SO, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UM, WE ALSO, UM, UH, IN THE LAST, UH, WEEK OR SO, UH, CITY COUNCIL ASKED, UM, A RESOLUTION AROUND WAGE THEFT.

UM, SO ONE OF THE OTHER AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AND HELPING TO TRY TO HELP FACILITATE, UM, ENFORCEMENT ON IS A WAGE THEFT AND PROTECTING WORKERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UM,

[00:40:01]

WE'LL BE WORKING WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND OTHER, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, STRONGER ENFORCEMENT, UM, THERE IN THOSE AREAS.

UM, ALSO I WAS, UM, REALLY EXCITED AS I, I HEAR YOU ALL.

UM, AND EVERYBODY HAS BEEN AS WELL WITH THE TENANTS RIGHTS, UM, RESOLUTION THAT PASSED A CITY COUNCIL THAT WILL BE ON OUR OFFICE TO DO THE ENFORCEMENT.

UM, WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE OF THAT.

WE'LL BE TALKING TO FOLKS, UM, UH, AND, AND REALLY TRYING TO PUT STRONGER PROVISIONS IN PLACE.

SO THAT TENANTS HAVE A RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND REDRESS THEIR GRIEVANCES, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF PROTECTIONS FOR TENANTS, UM, IN TEXAS PERIOD.

UM, AND MOST OF THOSE PROTECTIONS THAT TENANTS DO HAVE ARE AROUND WARRANTS OF HABITABILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN SECTION EIGHT, HOUSING OR FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.

UM, SO THIS WILL BE, UM, A BIG STEP TOWARDS ADDING PROTECTIONS FOR TENANTS, UM, UH, AGAINST BEING RETALIATED AGAINST SAY, IF THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR HOUSING CONDITIONS, UM, THIS WOULD, WOULD PREVENT, YOU KNOW, LANDLORDS FROM BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.

UM, UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS THE EVICTION PROTECTIONS WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE AS WELL.

UM, THOSE, UH, EVICTION PROTECTIONS WOULD, UM, UH, PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL TIME FOR TENANTS TO CURE, UM, UH, UM, A VIOLATION OF THEIR LEASE, WHETHER IT, YOU KNOW, IF IT, IF IT RELATES TO NON-PAYMENT OF RENT OR FAILURE TO PAY RENT.

UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS THERE WOULD BE AROUND THAT, UM, ALREADY THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCES, UM, UH, DISCRIMINATION OR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS AROUND HOUSING EMPLOYMENT AND PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.

UM, AND SO WE DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINTS, UM, UH, IN THE HOUSING CONTEXT.

A LOT OF TIMES WE SEE THAT IN OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RENTAL.

SO, UM, IT MAY BE THAT, UM, UM, FOLKS ARE BEING STEERED TO A PARTICULAR APARTMENT COMPLEX, FOR EXAMPLE, OR A PLACE IN THE APARTMENT COMPLEX BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHILDREN, OR IT COULD BE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LANDLORD IS FAILING OR REFUSING TO, UH, REPAIR, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE IN DISREPAIR, YOU KNOW, IN THE APARTMENT.

AND MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE OF A PERSON'S RACE, UM, OR BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE COVERED UNDER THE ACT.

UM, THE SAME WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, PLACES THAT PEOPLE CONGREGATE, UM, UH, A MALL, UM, SHOPPING CENTERS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE THAT, UH, RESTAURANTS.

UM, AND SO WE PROTECT PEOPLE AGAINST, UM, DISCRIMINATION OR DISCRIMINATORY ACTIVITIES, UM, AROUND HAVING ACCESS TO PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION.

UM, ALSO THERE ARE OTHER PROTECTIONS, UM, IN, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS IN, IN OUR LAWS FOR THE CITY.

UM, THOSE ARE FOCUSED AROUND, THERE ARE PROTECTIONS AGAINST HIV.

SO IF SOMEONE SAY HAS HIV, THEY'RE PROTECTED AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN THE, IN THE WORKPLACE, WE HAVE A FAIR CHANCE HIRING ORDINANCE.

SO WITH OUR FAIR CHANCE HIRING ORDINANCE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS HAVE A RIGHT TO, UM, SAY, COME TO A JOB INTERVIEW.

UM, AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AND THEIR QUALIFICATIONS PRIOR TO BEING ASKED, UM, ABOUT THEIR CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AND THEIR CRIMINAL HISTORY.

UM, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, GREAT THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF, UM, HELP FOLKS WITH.

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE OFFICE.

WE JUST, UM, RIGHT NOW I'M AT CAPACITY, WE HAVE ABOUT 16, SO WE'RE PRETTY SMALL STILL, BUT WE JUST HIRED, UM, A CIVIL RIGHTS ADMINISTRATOR.

UM, AND WE HAVE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME EXPANSION TO INCLUDE AN ADR PROGRAM.

SO AN ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION WE'LL BE PROVIDING MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION, UM, AROUND, UM, UH, THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.

UM, AND, UH, HERE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, WE'LL BE STARTING ON LISTENING TOURS.

SO WE'LL BE GOING OUT, UM, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY TO TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE SETTING OUR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT AND, UM, UH, UH, CIC, UM, UH, AND, AND IT'S STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS.

[00:45:01]

I'M SURE I'VE PROBABLY TAKEN 10 MINUTES.

I'M GOING TO STOP NOW, JUST IN CASE YOU GUYS DO HAVE QUESTIONS.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME AND PRESENT.

UM, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, CAROL.

IT'S OUR HONOR, AND PRIVILEGED TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH YOUR DEGREE OF EXPERTISE AND PROFUNDITY OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE TO BE ABLE TO LEAD THIS DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE IDIOSYNCRASIES ASSOCIATED WITH FEDERAL LAW STATUTE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND CITY ORDINANCE.

UH, UM, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

DO WE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, OR COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS? UH, VICE CHAIR? UH, YEAH.

I WANT TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT CHAIR'S SAID.

WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE SOMEBODY WITH SUCH A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS POSITION.

I'M CURIOUS WHETHER YOUR WORK ON HOUSING MIGHT INCLUDE MATCHED PAIR TESTING.

THIS WOULD BE A FORM OF FAIR HOUSING TESTING WHERE, UH, SIMILAR PEOPLE GO OUT AND APPLY FOR HOUSING AND THEN COMPARE THE RESULTS THAT THEY GET FROM THE LANDLORDS.

UM, I'M SORRY, OUR COMMISSIONER.

I, UM, I, I THINK I LOST, UM, THE CONNECTION FOR MOST OF THE QUESTION, BUT YOUR PROPERTY, WOULD YOU REPEAT IT? YEAH.

THANKS FOR THE QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU'VE CONSIDERED, OR YOU MIGHT CONSIDER DOING MATCHED PAIR TESTING, IT'S A TYPE OF FAIR HOUSING TESTING WHERE TWO PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS GO OUT AND EACH APPLY FOR HOUSING AND THEN COMPARE HOW THEY GET, WHETHER THEY GET TREATED THE SAME OR DIFFERENTLY.

YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND, UM, I, I ACTUALLY, UM, THEIR HOUSING IS REALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME, I ACTUALLY HELPED START, UH, START THE FAIR HOUSING COMMISSION.

I'M THE ONLY CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.

UM, AND I WAS THERE FOR 15 YEARS AND I WORKED FOR THREE GOVERNORS THERE AND THEIR HOUSING WAS OUR THING.

UM, SO, UM, THE, THE, THE PAIR TESTING, I MEAN, THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT.

I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, MOST OF THE CASES THAT ARE A LOT OF THE CASES THAT COME IN, COME IN THROUGH TESTING, WHETHER FOLKS KNOW IT OR NOT.

UM, A LOT OF TIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINANTS THAT, THAT FILE, UM, WITH OUR OFFICE AND OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICES WILL KIND OF DO THEIR OWN TESTING.

UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY'VE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IS NOT BEING HONEST WITH THEM OR TRUTHFUL WITH THEM, AS FAR AS OUR OFFICE ACTUALLY DOING THE TESTING OR INITIATING THE TESTING, WE ARE NOT AT THAT POINT RIGHT NOW.

UM, I THINK THAT WE, RIGHT NOW, WE PARTNER WITH ANOTHER NONPROFIT, UM, AGENCY, UM, WHO DOES THAT TYPE OF TESTING.

SO THE AUSTIN TENANT'S COUNCIL, UM, DOES A LOT OF TESTING.

AND ONCE THEY DO THAT TESTING, THEY FORMULATE THOSE COMPLAINTS AND THEY SEND THEM TO OUR OFFICE.

UM, AND SO I IMAGINE THAT THAT WILL PROBABLY BE HOW WE OPERATE AT LEAST IN THE NEAR, UM, IN THE NEAR TERM, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT IT TAKES TO GO OUT AND INITIATE THOSE TESTING CASES.

UM, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S WORKING REALLY GOOD.

UM, AND THEY BRING A LOT OF TESTING CASES TO US.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO, TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT AND INVESTIGATE THOSE TYPES OF CASES, BUT YOU'RE REALLY RIGHT.

I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO IDENTIFY BAD ACTORS, UM, UM, IN, UM, IN THE LANDLORD, UM, REALM.

SO, YEAH.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

THANKS FOR THAT ANSWER.

OKAY, MR. DUMP.

WE NEED THIS DEPARTMENT IN THIS DIVISION.

UM, MS. JOHNSON, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND GIVING US AN UPDATE.

I KNOW I'VE WATCHED THE DEPARTMENT SINCE 2018, AND JUST TO HEAR THAT ALL OF THIS WORK IS BEING DONE, IT'S ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, AND THE PROTECTION OF TENANTS.

I THINK THAT RIGHT THERE IS A REAL HIGHLIGHT FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE WATCHED SO MANY, UH, SO MANY TENANTS BE DISCRIMINATED OUT THERE, UH, WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION, WITHOUT ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ANY HELP.

AND WE'RE REALLY SHORT ON ADVOCACY TEAMS OUT THERE WORKING FOR THEM.

AND SO JUST THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED ME AS WELL.

AND ALSO ADDING THE MORE EMPLOYEES I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SMALL.

AND JUST TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL HAVE ADDED, UH, ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES FOR THIS DIVISION IS VERY HEARTWARMING TO ME BECAUSE NOW YOU ALL CAN WORK ON ALL OF THE INJUSTICE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING CITY WIDE, AND

[00:50:01]

SO IT'S VERY, VERY CRUCIAL AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO THANK YOU MS. JOHNSON FOR BRINGING ALL OF YOUR SKILLSET TO OUR CITY, AND YOU'RE HERE TO HELP, UH, OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, COMMISSIONER GARRETT.

I JUST WANT TO ECHO TO EVERYONE.

ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD SAID AROUND.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, FOR MAKING THIS OFFICE, UM, MUCH MORE ROBUST THAN IT HAS BEEN.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, MY QUESTION WAS ON, UM, I GUESS MIGHT BE A LITTLE EARLY IN THE KIND OF FORMAL FORMATION OF THE OFFICE, BUT IF SOMEONE WERE TO HAVE A COMPLAINT AROUND FAIR CHANCE HIRING OR PATIENTS HOUSING, WHAT'S THE BEST, I GUESS, PROCESS THROUGH EITHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ATC OR, UM, DIRECTLY WITH YOUR OFFICE IN THOSE OR FILING COMPLAINT AND WHAT THAT PROCESS MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.

UM, SO YEAH, SO IF, IF A PERSON HAD, UM, UH, A COMPLAINT OF CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT, THEIR CHANCE, UM, HIRING COMPLAINT, THEY COULD ACTUALLY CALL OUR OFFICE DIRECTLY.

UM, SO, UM, AND THEY COULD, UM, GO ONLINE.

SO WE DO HAVE AN ONLINE COMPLAINT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

OUR OFFICES ARE STILL CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC EXCEPT BY APPOINTMENT.

UM, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO CALL IN OR GO ONLINE, UM, AND REQUEST, UM, AN EITHER A VIRTUAL OR AN IN-PERSON APPOINTMENT FOR INTAKES.

UM, ONCE A PERSON ACTUALLY, UH, REQUESTS, UM, OR WANTS TO FILE A COMPLAINT OR NOTIFIES US IF THEY HAVE AN ISSUE, THEN WE DO, WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING THE INTAKE.

WE'LL SIT DOWN WITH THEM, WE'LL TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR ISSUE.

UM, AND WE'LL START, WE'LL START THAT PROCESS OF GATHERING INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION.

UM, WE SEND OUT NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO THE PARTIES, WE'LL GIVE THE RESPONDENTS IN THE CASE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND AND PROVIDE ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY HAVE.

AND THEN WE JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING, INTERVIEWING WITNESSES AND, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO ULTIMATELY REACH A CONCLUSION, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT WE DID IN THE ORDINANCE, UH, WHEN IT WAS, UH, PASSED THIS PAST COUPLE MONTHS, UM, IS TO PROVIDE AN ADJUDICATION, UH, AN ADDITIONAL ADJUDICATION, UM, UM, EFFORT OR REMEDY WITHIN THE, THE, THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS.

AND SO NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY, UM, SCHEDULE HEARINGS.

UM, WE'LL HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE THAT WILL ACTUALLY HEAR HEARING.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE FIND THAT THERE'S A REASONABLE COST TO BELIEVE THAT A VIOLATION OF THE LAW HAS OCCURRED, THEN WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT FOR HEARING THE PARTIES WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING WITH AN ALJ, OR THEY MAY CHOOSE TO GO TO COURT.

UM, BUT THEY DO HAVE, OR THEY MAY CHOOSE ADR.

SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY HAVE THREE, UM, THREE TYPES OF WAYS THEY CAN RESOLVE.

SO THEY COULD EITHER GO THROUGH THE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE.

THEY COULD GO THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION, UM, OR THEY MAY FILE, UM, OR THEY MAY DECIDE THAT THEY WANT TO GO TO COURT, OR I GUESS THE FOURTH WOULD BE THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO JUST TAKE, UM, UH, THE DETERMINATION THAT WE, THAT WE ISSUE AND HIRE THEIR OWN PRIVATE COUNSEL.

UM, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WE REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO ASSIST A PERSON THROUGHOUT THE ADJUDICATION PROCESS FROM THE INTAKE THROUGH THE END OF THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.

AND JUST, UH, UM, I'LL TRY NOT TO THIS QUESTION THAT WHAT ELSE IT'D BE IN A LITTLE MUDDLED, BUT, UM, WHAT THAT ABILITY TO KIND OF GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO A HEARING AND TO, I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT GOOD JUDGMENT, BUT A DECISION TO BE MADE, UM, HOW, UM, THIS OFFICE ALSO MAYBE WORK WITH LIKE, UM, THE COMMUNITY DOWNTOWN COURT OR LIKE TRAVIS COUNTY IN TERMS OF IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF, UM, COMPLAINT THAT KIND OF BRIDGES SORT OF OUR CRIMINAL QUOTE-UNQUOTE JUSTICE SYSTEM WITH YOUR OFFICE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO, YEAH, SO, UM, I, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD NECESSARILY BE, UM, THE COMMUNITY COURT.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT LAST YEAR WE DID, UH, WE COLLABORATED WITH THE, UM, WITH APD, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO TALK ABOUT OUT, UM, UH, THE, UH, THE ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS FROM BOTH THE CIVIL SIDE AND THE CRIMINAL SIDE.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE WOULD PROCESS A CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT FROM THE CIVIL STANDPOINT OR WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPLAINT WOULD BE PROCESSED BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT

[00:55:01]

FROM THE CRIMINAL SIDE, WHETHER OR NOT THE ACTIONS WERE SUFFICIENT TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A HATE CRIME PER SE.

UM, AND SO WE DID THE FIRST SERIES OF THAT WE DID AT THE END OF THE YEAR, LAST YEAR, AND THAT PARTICULAR SERIES WAS FOCUSED ON COMBATING HATE CRIMES IN THE API COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, AND, UH, AND WE DID A SERIES OF, OF, UH, TWO WORKSHOPS.

UM, AND I THINK IT WENT REALLY, REALLY WELL.

WE INTEND TO KIND OF EXPAND THAT TO OTHER, UM, RACIAL MINORITY GROUPS AS WELL, UM, UH, UH, TO LATINO, TO AFRICAN-AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, TO OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING, UM, HATE CRIMES, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO DO FOCUS ON CIVIC ISLANDER GROUP, UM, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF COVID.

AND, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE HAPPENING, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, JUST RACIAL BIAS AGAINST THAT GROUP DURING THIS TIME.

UM, BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND, AND SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE WANT TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WAYS THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY ENFORCE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GARRETT.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UH, AND OF COURSE, CAROL, FOR THE RESPONSE, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANY OTHER FINAL THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO START MOVING ALONG, UH, TO THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS, THEN WE'LL DO EXACTLY THAT.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR VISIT, UH, AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.

WHICH IS AN UPDATE FROM THE CODE DEPARTMENT, UH, REGARDING MOLD ISSUES AND POLICY THAT RESULTED FROM WINTER STORM URI.

UH, AND LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE B,

[3B. Update from Code Department regarding mold issues and policy that came from winter storm Uri (Daniel Word, Austin Code Department)]

WE HAVE DANIEL WORD WITH THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND ALSO THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSIONERS WHO REQUESTED, UH, THIS, UH, BACK IN DECEMBER, AS WELL AS, UH, IN EARLY AGENDA SETTING MEETINGS, UM, IN JANUARY WHERE WE UNFORTUNATELY MISSED OUR MEETING.

HI, GOOD EVENING.

CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY, GREAT.

UH, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

MY NAME IS DANIEL WORD I'M WITH THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT.

UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.

UM, I'LL DO MY VERY BEST TO TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF.

UM, SO WE LEAVE A LITTLE TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AT THE END, UM, TO UPDATE THE COMMISSION ON, UH, POLICIES, UH, RESULTING FROM WINTER STORM JURY, UH, REGARDING MOLD, UH, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION BACK IN MAY, UH, RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 21 0 5 0 6 DASH 0 4 0.

UH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPROVE THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO ADDRESSING HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES RELATED TO MOLD AND RENTAL HOUSING, UH, PROVIDE A REPORT ON HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES RELATED TO MOLD AND RENTAL HOUSING, AND THEN TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE CITY'S RESPONSE.

UH, SO TONIGHT, UH, MY INTENTION IS TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND REGARDING THE HEALTH RISKS INVOLVING MOLD, UM, THE CURRENT PRACTICES OF THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT INSPECTION STAFF, AND THEN OUTLINE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW THE CITY OF BOSTON CAN IMPROVE ITS RESPONSE TO MOLD GROWTH IN RENTAL HOUSING.

UH, IF YOU COULD MOVE TO, I THINK THE THIRD SLIDE.

PERFECT.

UH, SO JUST TO SPEAK GENERALLY, A MOLD IS A TYPE OF FUNGUS THAT NATURALLY EXISTS ALL AROUND US.

MOLD SPORES CAN BE FOUND IN THE AIR INSIDE OUR HOMES.

UM, ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR MOLD TO GROW AS MOISTURE AND NUTRIENTS.

UM, NUTRIENTS ARE GENERALLY FREELY AVAILABLE, UM, AS ANY TYPE OF ORGANIC MATTERS AND IT'S WOOD PAPER DUST, OTHER MATERIALS THAT ARE LOCATED IN BUILDINGS, UH, PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SURFACES FOR MOLD SPORES TO GROW, BUT THE MOLD SPORES WILL NOT GROW IF MOISTURE IS NOT PRESENT.

UM, PEOPLE THAT SPEND TIME IN DAMP BUILDINGS ARE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT HEALTH PROBLEMS, UH, INCLUDING RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, UH, DEVELOPMENT OR WORSENING OF ASTHMA BRONCHITIS ECZEMA.

UM, GIVEN THIS IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS AND OCCUPANTS REMOVE ANY VISIBLE MOLD GROWTH AND TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT CONDITIONS THAT ARE CONDUCIVE TO MOLD GROWTH.

UM, ADDITIONALLY CHILDREN AND SENIORS MAY BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THESE HEALTH RISKS, UM, COMPARED TO ADULTS.

UH, IF YOU COULD MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE CIRCULATED A MEMO AMONG OUR INSPECTION STAFF, UH, TO, WITH AN AIM TO TRY TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY IN OUR INSPECTION PRACTICES AROUND, UH, ISSUES OF MOLD.

UH, SO IN TERMS OF OUR CURRENT PRACTICE, UM, AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO ALL COMPLAINTS WE RECEIVE, AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, COMPLAINTS WE RECEIVE REGARDING MOLD GROWTH.

UM, AND OVER THE SUMMER OF 2020, UH,

[01:00:01]

UM, WE TO KEEP IT AT A HIGH LEVEL, OUR CODE INSPECTOR IS EXPECTED TO LOOK FOR THE SOLE SOURCE OF THE WATER INTRUSION.

UM, THE INSPECTOR CANNOT EXPLICITLY DETERMINE WHETHER A PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE IS MOLD OR NOT.

UM, THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC STATE REGULATIONS REGARDING MOLD TESTING, MOLDER, MEDIATION, AND MOLD ASSESSMENT, UM, THAT REQUIRES INDIVIDUALS THAT ENGAGE IN THOSE BUSINESSES TO BE LICENSED WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION.

UM, AND THE, THE, THE STRUCTURE OF THE STATE LAW STRUCTURE IS NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO A CITY PERFORMING THAT TYPE OF SERVICE.

UM, AND SO WE INSTRUCT OUR STAFF TO LOOK FOR THE SOURCE.

CAUSE AGAIN, MOLD IS NOT GOING TO BE AN ISSUE UNLESS YOU HAVE MOISTURE INTRUSION OR WATER INTRUSION.

UM, AND SO WE LOOK FOR STRUCTURAL OPENINGS GAPS, UM, OR OTHER SITUATIONS THAT ARE ALLOW ALLOWING WATER TO PENETRATE THE INTERIOR OF THE STRUCTURE.

AND SO A LOT OF TIMES THAT'LL BE HOLES OR GAPS, INCITING ROOFING, UM, AROUND WINDOWS AND DOORS.

UM, SOMETIMES IT'S A PLUMBING LEAK.

UM, SOMETIMES IT'S CONDENSATION FROM HVAC SYSTEMS, UM, BUT GENERALLY IT'S AN ISSUE WHERE WATER IS BEING ALLOWED TO ENTER AN AREA OF THE BUILDING THAT'S NOT DESIGNED TO BE IN.

UM, AND SO IF AN INSPECTOR CAN VERIFY THAT A VIOLATION EXISTS, UM, THEN WE SEND A NOTICE OF VIOLATION TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.

UH, WE SEND US BOTH REGULAR AND CERTIFIED MAIL, UM, THAT NOTICE CONTAINS A REFERENCE TO THE SPECIFIC CODE SECTION THAT IS IN VIOLATION.

UM, IT PROVIDES A RECOMMENDED REMEDY FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE AND THEN A TIMEFRAME TO COMPLY IF THAT PROPERTY OWNER FAILS TO CORRECT THE VIOLATION IN A TIMELY MANNER.

UH, AND THE INSPECTOR IS NOT SEEING A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TOWARDS COMPLIANCE.

UM, THE INSPECTOR WILL ESCALATE THE VIOLATION TO ONE OF OUR VENUES FOR LEGAL ACTION.

UH, WE HAVE THREE PRIMARY VENUES TO CASES WHEN NECESSARY.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS.

UH, WE HAVE THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND WE ALSO HAVE THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION, UM, THE TYPE OF VIOLATION AND THE SEVERITY OF THE VIOLATION HELPED DETERMINE WHICH OF THOSE VENUES IS MOST APPROPRIATE.

UM, AND, BUT ANY ONE OF THOSE VENUES CAN PROVIDE A FINANCIAL PENALTY TO THE OWNER, UH, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY'S ADOPTED, UH, MAINTENANCE AND SANITATION AND HEALTH RELATED CODES.

UH, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

INTRUSION INTO BUILDINGS.

SO, UH, TO GET INTO SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT IN THE REPORT WE PROVIDED, UM, WHICH WAS RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, UM, ONE THING THAT WE FOUND, UH, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP THE SITUATION WOULD BE TO FIND A WAY TO INCREASE ACCESS TO RENTER'S INSURANCE.

UM, RENDERS INSURANCE WILL NOT PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING, BUT IT CAN HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.

UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A SITUATION OF WATER LEAKS AND MOLD, MOLD GROWTH OCCURRING, UM, BY, YOU KNOW, OFFSETTING THE COST OF, OF, YOU KNOW, FOOD, UM, OR PROVIDING, UH, COST OFFSETS, IF YOU NEED TO RELOCATE TO A HOTEL OR TO A DIFFERENT UNIT, UM, IT JUST PROVIDES ANOTHER PATH OF, UH, ANOTHER MEANS OF FUNDS, UM, TO HELP, UH, RESULT IN OUR RESOLVE THE SITUATION, BUT, BUT TO HELP LESSEN THE, THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM THE SITUATION, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, ANOTHER ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE PROVIDED IN THE REPORT, UM, THE CITY ALREADY HAS AN EXISTING PROGRAM, UH, THE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

UM, THIS IS FUNDED THROUGH MULTIPLE SOURCES, UM, BUT THE PROGRAMS CURRENTLY OVERSUBSCRIBED, UM, AND SO FUNDS ARE AWARDED THROUGH A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UM, FROM THE CODE DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE, UH, INCREASING FUNDING TO THIS PROGRAM, UH, WOULD ALLOW MORE RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS TO LEVERAGE THAT PROGRAM, TO MAKE REPAIRS THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE OF REDUCING THE PRESENCE OF MOLD AND MOISTURE INTRUSION, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, ROOF REPLACEMENTS AND SIDING REPLACEMENT, UM, UPDATING WINDOWS, MAKING PLUMBING, REPAIRS, ANYTHING THAT HELPS MAKE A BUILDING WATERTIGHT, UM, WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR HELPING PREVENT WATER

[01:05:01]

UM, ADDITIONALLY THINGS LIKE UPGRADING HVAC EQUIPMENT, UM, ONE, YOU KNOW, WITH AGING HVAC EQUIPMENT, YOU MAY HAVE MORE ISSUES WHERE CONTINENCE STATION, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CONDENSATION PAN OVERFLOWS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING WATER TO GET OUT OF THE SYSTEM AND INTO PLACES WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE.

UM, BUT ALSO AIR CONDITIONING IS ALSO IMPORTANT FROM A HUMIDITY CONTROL PERSPECTIVE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HVAC SYSTEMS COOL THROUGH EFFECTIVELY REMOVING HUMIDITY FROM THE AIR.

UM, AND SO IF YOU REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HUMIDITY IN THE AIR THAT ALSO TAKES AWAY THE MOISTURE AVAILABLE TO MOLD SPORES, TOO, THAT WOULD DISCOURAGE THEIR GROWTH.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO OUR THIRD RECOMMENDATION, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT US, AS, AS THE CODE DEPARTMENT, WE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO IMPROVE OUR INSPECTION PRACTICES, UM, AROUND THE COMPLAINTS REGARDING MOLD.

UM, ONE OF THE PROVISIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE THAT WE ADOPT HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, THAT, THAT DETERMINES THE MINIMUM STANDARDS, UH, FOR, FOR ALL BUILDINGS, NOT JUST RENTAL HOUSING, BUT, UM, BUT IN PARTICULAR RENTAL HOUSING, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT OUR CODE IS THAT ALL WORK IS DONE IN A WORKMAN-LIKE MANNER.

UM, AND ONE OF OUR IDENTIFIED WEAKNESS IN OUR PROCESS, UM, IS IN REGARDS TO THE QUALITY OF REPAIR WORK THAT OCCURS IN THESE INSTANCES WHERE YOU HAVE WATER DAMAGE OR THE, YOU KNOW, TWO WALLS OR CEILINGS OR CABINETRY, UM, THE WAY OUR PROCESS WORKS, INSPECTORS IDENTIFY THE PRESENCE OF THE WATER DAMAGE AND THE ISSUE THAT NOTICE OF VIOLATION.

AND THEN THEY FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REPAIRS ARE DONE.

UH, BUT WHAT IS NOT KNOWN TO THE CODE INSPECTOR, UM, IS WHETHER THAT REPAIR CONFORMS TO BEST PRACTICES IN THE INDUSTRY.

UM AND THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, UM, PARTICULARLY AROUND THINGS LIKE WATER EXTRACTION AND DRYING, UM, IN INSTANCES WHERE THE WATER DAMAGE IN DRYWALL IS LESS THAN 32 SQUARE FEET.

UM, AND IN COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES OF 64 SQUARE FEET AND IN SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES, A BUILDING PERMIT IS NOT REQUIRED TO REPAIR THAT DAMAGE.

UM, AND SO WHEN A BUILDING PERMITS REQUIRED, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS A BUILDING INSPECTIONS PROCESS THAT THE PERSON MAKING THE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND THERE'S INTERMITTENT CHECKS, UM, DURING THAT CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND THAT REPAIR PROCESS TO SEE THE WORK THAT'S DONE, BUT WHEN THE WORK FALLS BELOW THE THRESHOLD OF REQUIRING A PERMIT, THERE'S NOT ANYONE THAT ACTUALLY SEES THE REPAIR IN ITS VARIOUS STAGES OF WORK.

WE SEE THE PROBLEM AT ITS BEGINNING, AND THEN WE SEE THE PROBLEM AT ITS END.

UM, AND SO ONE WAY WE THINK THAT WE CAN HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT PROBLEM WHEN IT COMES TO MO YOU KNOW, WATER DAMAGE IS THE USE OF PINLESS MOISTURE METERS.

UM, WE WOULD USE THESE DEVICES TO HELP US DETERMINE WHERE AREAS INSIDE A WALL CAVITY, OR PERHAPS IN CABINETRY OR WET THAT SHOULDN'T BE WET.

UM, AND SO WE CAN THEN LOOK AT THE REPAIR, UM, AND USE THAT MO PENDULOUS MOISTURE METER, AGAIN, TO DETERMINE IF THE AREA IS SUFFICIENTLY DRY, UM, OR IF IT'S STILL WET.

UM, CAUSE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ISSUES WE RUN INTO WITH REPAIRS OF WATER DAMAGE AND DRYWALL, UM, GYPSUM BOARD IS THAT WE TEND TO SEE INSTANCES WHERE RATHER THAN, UH, OPENING UP THE WALL, CAVITY, RUNNING A FAN TO DRY THINGS OUT, SPRAYING BLEACH ONTO THE SURFACES.

UH, WE TEND TO SEE SITUATIONS WHERE PARTICULARLY MAINTENANCE STAFF WILL USE A PRIMER PRODUCT, UM, THAT CONTAINS A MOLD INHIBITOR.

UM, A COMMON COMMON ONE IS CALLED KILLS.

K I L Z.

UM, IT'S BASICALLY WHITE PRIMER PAINT WITH A MOLD INHIBITOR, UH, IN IT.

UM, THEY'LL SPRAY THAT ON THE SURFACE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DO FINAL TEXTURE AND PAINT ON TOP OF THAT.

AND SO COSMETICALLY, THE WALL LOOKS REPAIRED.

UM, BUT WITH THESE PINLESS MOISTURE METERS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY SEE BEHIND THE WALL TO SEE WHETHER THE MATERIAL IS ACTUALLY DRIED SUFFICIENTLY, UH, OR WHETHER IT'S STILL WET.

AND OF COURSE, IF IT'S STILL WET, THE PROBLEM IS GOING TO RESURFACE.

UM, THAT'S JUST A TEMPORARY FIX TO THE SITUATION.

UM, AND SO TH THAT'S ONE OF THE ACTIONS THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TAKE, UM, FROM THE CODE DEPARTMENT SIDE, UH, TO TRY TO IMPROVE HOW WE GO ABOUT INSPECTING THESE AND ENSURING THAT THE REPAIR THAT'S CONDUCTED IS ACTUALLY DONE IN A MANNER THAT RESOLVES THE ISSUE.

AND DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM PAINT OVER THE PROBLEM,

[01:10:01]

AND SO, UH, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE, UM, IS WE WANT TO ESTABLISH SOME GENERAL REPAIR GUIDES RELATED TO WATER DAMAGE, UM, THAT WE CAN MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, BOTH TO THE LANDLORD SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE TENANT SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HELP SET EXPECTATIONS AROUND WHEN THERE IS WATER DAMAGE, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD BE OCCURRING, WHAT ARE THOSE STANDARD PRACTICES THAT ATTENDANT SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE? UM, AND, AND WE SEE THIS AS EDUCATIONAL TOO, FOR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE STAFF THAT MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THE SCIENCE BEHIND A LOT OF THESE WATER EXTRACTION AND DRYING TECHNIQUES.

UM, THEY'LL HELP SET EXPECTATIONS FOR THE TENANT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A MOISTURE INTRUSION EVENTS, UM, AND YOU HAVE TO REMOVE DRYWALL, YOU KNOW, THOSE FANS ARE LOUD, THEY'RE THERE, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT.

UM, BUT THAT'S A NECESSARY STEP.

AND SO, UH, WE WANT TO SET THOSE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT, WHAT WILL THE TENANT EXPECT TO SEE? WHAT SHOULD THEY EXPECT TO, YOU KNOW, TO DEAL WITH OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDE AN OUTLINE AND GUIDELINE TO THE, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEIR MAINTENANCE STAFFS, UM, OF WHAT THE GENERAL BEST PRACTICES ARE, UM, WITH THE INTENTION OF ULTIMATELY JUST EDUCATING EVERYONE BETTER AROUND, UH, HOW THESE ISSUES SHOULD BEST BE RESOLVED.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS, UH, MENTIONED STATE LAW A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, UM, CHAPTER 1958 OF THE TEXAS OCCUPATIONS CODE, UH, ESTABLISHES REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANIES THAT WISH TO CONDUCT MOLD ASSESSMENT OR MOLD REMEDIATION.

UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND IN OUR RESEARCH, UM, IS THAT STATE LAW PROVIDES QUITE A FEW EXEMPTIONS FROM, UH, FORCING A PROPERTY OWNER TO ENGAGE A LICENSED PERSON IN MOLD REMEDIATION OR ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY.

UM, BUT THERE IS A THRESHOLD IN STATE LAW THAT IF THE MOLD CONTAMINATION EXCEEDS 25 CONTIGUOUS SQUARE FEET AND THAT CAN, AND THAT CONTAMINATION IS OCCURRING AT PROPERTIES WITH 10 OR MORE DWELLINGS, UM, THEN THAT PROPERTY OWNER WOULD ACTUALLY BE REQUIRED TO UNDER STATE LAW TO ENGAGE A LICENSED MOLD ASSESSOR AND A LICENSED MOLD REMEDIATORS TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE.

NOW, I DON'T WANT TO OVERSELL THIS.

UM, THE NUMBER OF INSTANCES WHERE WE SEE A 25 SQUARE FEET OF CONTIGUOUS, UH, MOLD CONTAMINATION IS, IS VERY, VERY SMALL.

UM, BUT IT'S STILL GOOD TO KNOW THAT THAT LIMITATION OUT THERE EXISTS, UM, AND THAT WE CAN MAKE PROPERTY OWNERS AWARE WHEN WE'RE SEEING A SITUATION WHERE MOLD CONTAMINATION HAS BEEN UNCHECKED, AND IT HAS REACHED THAT 25 SQUARE FOOT THRESHOLD, UM, THAT WE CAN, WE CAN RAISE AWARENESS AROUND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE WITH A LICENSED COMPANY.

UM, AND WE, OF COURSE BELIEVE THAT ENGAGEMENT WITH LICENSED COMPANY IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN BETTER OUTCOMES BECAUSE THOSE COMPANIES ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED AND EQUIPPED, UH, TO DEAL WITH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES, UM, AND, AND CARRY OUT BEST PRACTICES, UM, UTILIZING THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

JUST TO FLY, UH, WHERE I THINK PUSHING 20 MINUTES.

UH, OPEN THE FLOOR TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

SO TO WRAP UP, UM, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME RESOURCE NEEDS.

UM, OUR DEPARTMENT WILL REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR OUR STAFF.

UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEKING TO GET SOME OF OUR INSPECTORS TRAINED, UM, IN WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION, UH, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE INDUSTRY PRACTICES AROUND DRYING AND WATER EXTRACTION AS USE.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL ALSO BE PURCHASING THOSE MOISTURE METERS, UH, TO EQUIP OUR STAFF, UH, WITH THAT.

SO THEY HAVE IT IN THE FIELD.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S OF COURSE THE EXISTING PROGRAM I'VE MENTIONED, UM, OUR HDA AND THERE'S SOME OTHER EXISTING HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. UH, PRIMARILY I BELIEVE MANAGED BY HOUSING AND PLANNING, UM, THAT EXIST AS WELL THAT, UH, SOME OF THOSE ARE AIMED AT HOMEOWNERS.

UM, BUT TH THOSE ARE OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE'S POTENTIALLY RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP A HOMEOWNER, UM, MAKE THESE TYPES OF REPAIRS.

UM, SORRY FOR THE LENGTH ON THAT.

UM, I WILL WRAP UP THERE AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

THANKS SO MUCH TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR PRESENCE HERE IN THE EVENING.

[01:15:01]

UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, CAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A REQUEST THAT WE HAD ASKED, UH, FOR YOU ALL TO COME AND GIVE US AN UPDATE.

NOW, LET ME ASK THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

ARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OR ARE THESE ACTUALLY POLICY CHANGES? THAT'S ONE QUESTION.

SURE.

UH, SO, SO SOME OF THEM ARE, I GUESS, STILL IN THE RECOMMENDATION PHASE, UM, SOME OF THEM ARE VARIOUS STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION.

UM, WE ARE, UH, PERFORMING RESEARCH ON MOISTURE METERS RIGHT NOW, UM, AND LOOKING TO MAKE OUR FIRST PURCHASE HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.

UM, SO THAT THE USE OF THE MOISTURE METERS, UM, WILL HAPPEN RELATIVELY SOON, UM, AND IMPROVEMENTS OUR INSPECTION PRACTICES ARE CURRENTLY ALSO UNDERWAY.

UM, SOME OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS SUCH AS THE IMPROVING ACCESS TO RENTERS INSURANCE, UM, INCREASING FUNDING TO OUR HDA, THOSE, THOSE ARE STILL, UH, EFFECTIVELY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, REGARDS REGARDING RENTERS INSURANCE.

THE CITY ITSELF IS GENERALLY NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF BEING AN INSURANCE COMPANY.

UM, SO THAT'S NOT A FUNCTION.

THE CITY IS NECESSARILY BEST EQUIPPED TO HANDLE, BUT THAT WOULD BE, IT'S AN IDEA THAT IF SOME NONPROFIT OUT IN THE WORLD WAS ABLE TO PICK THAT UP AND RUN WITH IT, UH, TO FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO RENTER'S INSURANCE.

UM, I THINK THAT COULD IMPROVE SOME OUTCOMES.

UM, RENTER'S INSURANCE IS ONE OF THE MORE AFFORDABLE TYPES OF INSURANCE OUT THERE.

UM, A LOT OF TIMES YOU CAN FIND POLICIES FROM 20 TO $30 A MONTH, HOWEVER, EVEN A 20 AND $30 A MONTH, THAT IS STILL GOING TO BE A, A HARD REACH, UH, FOR CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF OUR CITY.

UM, AND SO FINDING WAYS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THAT AS SOMETHING I THINK WOULD HELP.

UM, AND AGAIN, THE RSDA PROGRAM I THINK IS GREAT.

UM, AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO THAT GIVES PROPERTY OWNERS, THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, TO HELP MAKE THEIR BUILDINGS MORE WATERTIGHT UPDATE THEIR HVAC EQUIPMENT, UM, IS SOMETHING I THINK WOULD ALSO BE GREAT, UH, WOULD HELP MAKE GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS LESSENING THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, AROUND WATER LEAKS AND WATER INTRUSION AND MOLDED MR. WARD, UH, IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY CHANGE? THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO KNOW.

SECOND IS THERE, UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAD SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR APARTMENTS THAT WERE, UM, THAT HAD A RESULT OF WATER DAMAGE.

WAS THAT DATA, UM, ACCUMULATED TODAY.

AND DO YOU HAVE THAT, IF NOT, WE WANT TO SEE HOW MANY APARTMENTS WERE CONDEMNED AND CLOSE DUE TO MOLD.

I KNOW THAT I'M LOOKING BACK AT OUR NOTES FROM THE REQUEST THAT WE WANTED TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY APARTMENTS WERE AFFECTED BY THE WINTER STORM.

AND WE ALSO WANTED TO KNOW, UM, HOW MANY WERE CLOSED, UH, DUE TO THAT.

AND SO IF WE COULD GET THAT DATA, THE TIMELINE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, OF WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO START, UH, DOING A POLICY CHANGE, AS WELL AS ONE QUESTION, YOUR ANNUAL INSPECTIONS ARE, Y'ALL DOING MODE ANNUAL INSPECTIONS OR MONTHLY INSPECTIONS.

I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT.

UH, SO I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THAT IN PART, UH, SO REGARDING THE DATA, UM, I WAS ABLE TO GET DATA FROM WINTER STORM YURI, UH, REGARDING OUR REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.

UM, DURING WINTER STORM YURI, WE HAD A TOTAL OF FOUR PROPERTIES IN THAT PROGRAM THAT EXPERIENCED SOME TYPE OF, UM, WATER DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE STORM.

UM, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO, I DON'T KNOW, HAVE A SOURCE, UH, REGARDING DATA, UM, EXCUSE ME, WHILE I PULL SOMETHING OUT HERE REAL QUICK.

UH, I DON'T KNOW OF A SOURCE OF DATA IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WERE POTENTIALLY CLOSED, THAT NO UNITS WERE CLOSED AS A RE AS A RESULT OF ANY CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

UM, BUT WE'RE, THERE, THERE ARE, THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS, THE COMMUNITY WHERE IF THE DAMAGE IS CATASTROPHIC, THE LANDLORD AND THE TENANT MAY COME TO AN AGREEMENT TO DISSOLVE THE LEASE, UM, AND THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY INVOLVE US.

UM, AND SO I DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF INFORMATION IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE DISPLACED, UM, OR TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WERE TAKEN OFF LINE.

UH, THAT'S JUST NOT DATA I HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, REGARDING TIMELINE.

UH, WE DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC TIMELINE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.

UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON GETTING THAT

[01:20:01]

STUFF IMPLEMENTED.

UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY EXPECT THAT TO TAKE ALL THAT MUCH LONGER.

UM, AND I'M SORRY, THERE WAS A, THERE'S NO QUESTION.

I THINK THAT I'M MISSING.

UM, ACTUALLY YOU ANSWERED IT, YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION, SO THANK YOU.

UM, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT YOU ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENT AND YOUR DEPARTMENT.

C, WHICH IS THE PRESENTATION AND UPDATE ON THE CITY-WIDE RESILIENCE HUBS WITH, UH, MARK FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, I'LL ASK THAT YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME FOR ME AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO REMEMBER IT AND SAY IT WELL AFTERWARD.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER INQUIRIES? FANTASTIC.

I THINK, UH, AMONG THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME ARE ONES THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY GET TO BE CODIFIED INTO POLICY AS DANIEL MENTIONED.

SO, UH, COULD BE, UH, A TORCH FOR ANY ONE OF US IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP, UH, AND RALLY BEHIND.

UH, SO, UM, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, YOU RAISING YOUR HAND.

OH, NO.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, DANIEL.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

UM, IF WE COULD MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM THREE

[3C. Presentation and update on citywide resiliency hubs (Marc Coudert, Office of Sustainability)]

THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MARK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.

UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE.

SHALL I JUST JUMP IN OR PLEASE DO.

AND, UH, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK IS THE BEST MIX OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION TIME, BUT, UH, PERHAPS EXPEDIENCE DURING THE PRESENTATION ALLOWS FOR MORE PROFOUND DISCUSSION.

SO TONIGHT, UM, I'M GOING TO PRESENT QUICKLY ON THE RESILIENCE HUBS, A PROGRAM THAT IS JOINTLY BEING MANAGED BY OUR OFFICE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT ALSO WITH AIS T CHAVEZ COUNTY, AND NOW, UH, ACC.

SO EXCELLENT QUICKLY GO OVER THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION, UH, GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT RESILIENCE UPS ARE AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY, BACK IN APRIL, UH, IN RESPONSE TO INITIAL SUMMARY, BUT ALSO OTHER EVENTS IN AUSTIN COUNCIL COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO LOOK AT RESILIENCE HOPES.

THIS INCLUDES DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF IDENTIFIED LOCAL LOCATIONS.

SO NOT ONLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT LIBRARIES, HEALTH CENTERS AND REC CENTERS, BUT ALSO AISD TRAVIS COUNTY ACC AND OTHERS.

UH, THIS INCLUDES LOOKING AT PASSIVE SURVIVABILITY.

SO HOW CAN A BUILDING CONTINUE TO FUNCTION WHEN IT NO LONGER HAS WATER ENERGY OR, UH, COMMUNICATION, AND ALSO THAT WE SHOULD ENGAGE COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE MOST VULNERABLE AND EFFECTED BY, UH, THINGS LIKE LARGE WINTER STORMS OR OTHER EVENTS.

AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE SHOULD LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO THESE LOCATIONS THROUGH EITHER 15 MINUTE WALK SHEDS, BEING ABLE TO WALK THROUGH THOSE OR OTHER FORMS OF CHAT.

WE RESPONDED A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER WITH A BUDGET SUFFICIENT TO STAND UP A COUPLE OF HUBS, BUT ALSO, UH, METHODS FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH OTHER AGENCIES IN THE AREA.

AND I'LL GET TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

IN ON THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST VULNERABILITY BY SAYING SOCIAL VULNERABILITY.

SO WHY DO WE NEED RESILIENCE HUBS? UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AUSTIN IS EXPERIENCING MORE IN SEVERE EXTREME EVENTS RANGING FROM BACK IN 2011, WHERE WE HAD A HEAT WAVE.

WE HAD A DROUGHT YOU'VE ALSO HAD IN 2013 OR 20 14, 20 15.

WE HAD MASSIVE FLOODS.

NOW WITH WINTER STORMS, THESE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING LONGER AND STRONGER AND IMPACT THOSE WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES WITH GREATER INTENSITY.

BUT IT'S ALSO MEANS WE'LL HAVE WE ARE BEING, HAVING, WE WILL POTENTIALLY HAVE MORE POWER OUTAGE WATER OUTAGES IN THOSE CASCADING IMPACTS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AND EMERGENCY EXTREME EVENTS.

ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR US TO PROVIDE AMENITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY, BOTH WATER, FOOD, AND MEDICINE, BUT ALSO BACKUP POWER BACKUP WATER PROVIDE SHELTERING NEEDS.

AND THEN ALSO TO TRULY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE THAT'S KEY, RIGHT, IS REALLY CENTERING EQUITY IN THIS PROCESS, ENSURING THAT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES HAVE ACCESS TO THESE SITES, BUT ALSO EMPOWERED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS.

AND THEN ALSO BUILD THAT EQUITY LENS WITHIN CITY STAFF IN PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS.

SO THAT WE'RE CENSORING THAT CONVERSATION THROUGH FOCUSING ON THOSE, WHO WOULD THEY BE THIS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, AND THEN REALLY WORKING A LOT WITH COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND THAT THOSE DECISIONS ARE GROUNDTRUTH BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS SLIDE AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION WHERE ARE STARTING TO MAP LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.

AND THEN WE'RE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS

[01:25:01]

THESE ARE METRICS THAT WE USE TO MAP, UM, DIFFERENT MEASURES THROUGHOUT THE TRAVIS COUNTY.

THINGS LIKE, UM, AGE INCOME, WEALTH, UH, RAISE OTHER MAYBE POTENTIAL HEALTH OUTCOMES TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THE GREATEST STRESSORS EXISTING, EITHER IN THE GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT OR IN A CERTAIN, UM, SAY AGENCIES IN THE GROUPS IN THE AREA SO THAT WE'RE MAKING THEM DECISIONS, BUT ALSO EMPOWERING THOSE COMMUNITIES WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.

EXCELLENT.

SO WHAT ARE RESILIENCE APPS? WELL, FIRST THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATIONS, THEY ARE A NETWORK OF LOCATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE COMMUNITY.

THESE HUBS ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR TRADITIONAL EMERGENCY PLANNING OR DISASTER RESPONSE.

THEY'RE MORE SORT OF A WAY TO BOLSTER THOSE EMERGENCY RESPONSES DURING AN EVENT I THOSE SPACES BEFORE AND AFTER AN EVENT TO, TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT EVENT.

NOW, THIS IS NOT A SPECIFIC REPLACEMENT FOR SHELTER PLANS.

SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS BOOK IN CAN BE SHELTERS WHILE SOMEONE'S SHELTERS WILL NOT BE RESIGNED.

SO I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A COUPLE OF SLOTS.

WE ALSO WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT THESE LOCATIONS, NOT JUST DURING THE EVENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 2% OF TIMES THAT THESE THINGS ARE TRIGGERED, BUT ACTUALLY HOW DO THESE FACILITIES PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? AND, AND ALSO HOW DO WE USE THESE FACILITIES THAT BUILD TRUST IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN AUTOMATICALLY GO THERE DURING AN EVENT? EXCELLENT.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE FACILITIES, WE DO WANT TO STRESS THE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FACILITIES THEMSELVES ARE BUILT UP IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES THE REDUNDANCY IN POWER AND ENERGY AND WATER IN COMMUNICATION, SORT OF, SORT OF A BOTTOM RATE FACILITY INSIDE PREPAREDNESS.

NOW WE'RE LOOKING ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE BUILDING UPGRADES AND THE ACCESS TO THOSE SITES, BUT THAT IS ONLY A PIECE OF IT.

WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY JASON SUICIDES ACTUALLY NEED.

HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY THE METHODS OF COMMUNICATION, IF THOSE COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED, BUT ALSO THAT WHAT WE PROVIDE THERE IS CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND DESIGNED FOR THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

PART OF THAT DISCUSSION IS ALSO ENSURING THAT WE'RE PICKING LOCATIONS THAT ARE CHOSEN BY THE COMMUNITY.

SO THE COMMUNITY ALREADY TRUST THESE LOCATIONS, WE'LL GO THERE NATURALLY, AND THAT WE'RE NOT PICKING LOCATIONS THAT HE DOES NOT TRUST.

AND LASTLY, IF THERE IS A, AN EVENT THAT WE'RE ACTIVATING THESE HUBS IN A WAY THAT COMMUNITY CAN, CAN BETTER CONNECT TO THROUGH OUTREACH, THROUGH STAFF TRAINING, BUT ALSO COMMUNITY TRAINING, AND ALSO IDENTIFYING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE PROVISIONS TO PROVIDE THERE DURING AN EVENT, BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO STAKEHOLDERS CAN INCLUDE SEEDING COUNTY, UM, FACILITIES, BUT ALSO FAITH-BASED LIKE CHURCHES SCHOOLS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO UTILITIES LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY AND ALSO WATER HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN PROVIDE SERVICES BEFORE AND TURN EVENT.

NEXT SLIDE I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT NOT ALL RESILIENCE WILL BE SHELTERS AND NOT ALL SHELTERS BE RESILIENCE OFFICES, BECAUSE WE'VE REALIZED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACILITIES.

WE HAVE IT IN THE CITY AND THROUGHOUT CHAVEZ COUNTY.

SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE BIGGER LIKE REC CENTERS THAT MIGHT HAVE A GYMNASIUM SHOWERS, UH, COMMERCIAL KITCHENS, WHICH ARE MORE, UM, MORE CAPABLE OF BEING SHELTERS.

WE ALSO HAVE LIBRARIES HEALTH CENTERS THAT ARE SMALLER, NOT ABLE TO BE SHELTERS, BUT COULD STILL PROVIDE GREAT, UM, SORT RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS DURING EVENTS.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE FIRST THING WE'RE DOING WITH THE FACILITIES WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ONE THAT THEY'RE NOT IN LOCATIONS THAT ARE IN POTENTIAL HARM'S WAY.

SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THESE INTERNATIONAL ACTORS IN THE FLOODPLAIN OR HIGHLY AT RISK OF WILDFIRE OR OTHER AREAS THAT ARE MAKING THEM MORE EXPOSED TO NATURAL HAZARDS, BUT ALSO ENSURING THAT THESE LOCATIONS ARE, ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC PLACES PEOPLE WILL NATURALLY GO TO, AND THAT IT'S SAFE FOR THEM TO GET THERE.

SO THEY HAVE THE DAILY ACCESS THERE.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST PIECE.

THE SECOND THING IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE SITES AND DETERMINING WHERE THEY MIGHT FIT WITHIN THESE THREE LEVELS.

SO A LEVEL ONE THINK ABOUT, SAY A SMALL LIBRARY, PROVIDE SOME GATHERING SPACE, EITHER INDOOR, INDOOR, OR OUTDOOR PROVIDE SOME CAPACITY FOR BATHROOMS, PROVIDE, UM, OUTLETS FOR PEOPLE TO PLUG IN THEIR PHONES AND CALL THE LOVED ONES, HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF SNACKS, SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER AND INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE.

THESE WOULD BE PASSIVE LOCATIONS.

SO THEY'RE ALWAYS OPEN AND THEY'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO SERVE PEOPLE, BUT ALSO CAN ACT AS RESOURCE CENTERS,

[01:30:01]

COOLING CENTERS OR WARMING CENTERS, A LEVEL TWO WOULD BE ACTIVE, SO IT WOULD BE TRIGGERED AND THEN STAFF WOULD COME THERE TO ACTIVATE IT.

THIS WOULD BE A LOCATION THAT COULD PROVIDE RESOURCES, UM, SAY FOR DRIVE-THROUGHS OR TO PICK UP WATER OR FOOD AS NEEDED.

SO NEED A PARKING LOT WITH THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THROUGH SOME KIND OF INDOOR SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME THROUGH, PICK UP WHATEVER'S NEEDED, LEAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL DRY STORAGE FOR MORE FOOD, POTENTIALLY MORE WATER, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE KITS FOR BASIC NEEDS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, ALTHOUGH THEY WILL BE ACTIVATED FOR POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION.

THEY WILL HAVE RESOURCES THERE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.

A LEVEL THREE WOULD BE A WHAT WE CALL SHELTER CAPABLE.

SO A MUCH LARGER FACILITY, IT WOULD HAVE, UH, SOME KIND OF GRID INDEPENDENCE, EITHER SOLAR AND BATTERY BACKUP OR, OR, UH, GAS GENERATORS.

WE HAVE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, REFRIGERATOR, STORAGE SHOWERS, BACKUP WATER SYSTEMS, POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR, UM, SHELTERING.

AND THEN THIS WILL BE ACTIVATED DURING A SHELTER NEED SITUATION.

EXCELLENT.

HOW'S THE MENTIONED, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT SITES.

WE HAVE ABOUT 57 SITES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THESE ARE REC CENTERS, LIBRARIES, HEALTH CENTERS, WHERE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, STEVE, THAT HAS ABOUT 130 SITES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT.

THESE ARE ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND HIGH SCHOOLS.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH A COUNTY THAT HAS ABOUT FIVE SITES.

THESE ARE WHAT THE HEALTH CENTERS, AND THEN WE'RE NOW JUST WORKING WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY HAVE.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, UT AUSTIN AND HT TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE.

AND IN THE PAST, IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH CENTRAL HEALTH ON THEIR NEW LOCATIONS IN EAST AUSTIN.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A RANGE OF LOCATIONS, BUT ALSO A RANGE OF COMMUNITY TYPES THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO WORK ON SOMEBODY CUT IN.

SORRY.

SO RIGHT NOW, WORKING ON MAPPING THOSE FACILITIES, ANALYZING THOSE SITES BASED ON SOCIAL VULNERABILITY, SORTING THEM BY LEVELS AND DETERMINING WHERE THOSE GAPS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY BASED ON WATERSHEDS, BUT ALSO JUST GENERALLY OVERALL ALL TRAVIS COUNTY, WHERE THOSE GAPS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON.

SO IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT AGENCY, UM, FACILITIES, WHAT ARE CHURCHES OR NONPROFITS WE CAN WORK WITH TO FILL IN THESE GAPS? EXCELLENT.

SO AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS.

WE ARE MAPPING THESE ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY, IDENTIFYING WHAT THOSE CAPS ARE, SEEING, HOW WE CAN FILL IN THOSE GAPS.

PURPOSELY FOCUSING FIRST ON AISD AND CITY FACILITIES IN TRAVIS COUNTY FACILITIES, THEY ARE, UM, BY FAR THE ONES WE'RE WORKING WITH THE MOST AND STEPPED UP IN THE BEGINNING WHEN WE STARTED REACHING OUT TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO FILL IN THOSE GAPS, UM, WE ARE CONCERNED AS THREE RANGES.

SO ACROSS ALL 200 SITES, HOW THEY FALL INTO THIS LEVEL ONE LEVEL TWO LEVEL THREE, THE NEXT STEP IS IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES BASED ON SOCIAL VULNERABILITY, AND THEN ASK THIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WHERE ARE THOSE FACILITIES THEY'LL NATURALLY GO TO AND HAVE THE COMMUNITY TELL US WHERE ARE THOSE SITES? SO WE CAN START TO FOCUS IN BASED ON COMMUNITY NEEDS AND COMMUNITY TRUST, UH, AND SEE IN COMPARISON TO THOSE ONE VOCATIONS, HOW THOSE OTHER LOCATIONS STARTS AT BECOME THAT NETWORK AND HELP EACH OTHER DURING AN EVENT BEFORE.

UM, SO WE'RE STILL PRETTY EARLY IN THE PROCESS, BUT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS ACROSS ALL THESE, THESE TOPICS.

EXCELLENT COUNSEL ALSO, AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, ALLOCATED $3 MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLANNING ACT TOWARDS RESILIENCE HUBS.

UM, OUR INITIAL ANALYSIS WAS TO LOOK PURELY AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE AND THEN $3 MILLION DIDN'T GO AS FAR.

UH, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE STOOD UP TWO HUBS.

WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO USE THOSE FUNDS ACROSS MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND TO SORT OF LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, TO SEE IF WE'D BE SPENDING THAT MONEY ON, UM, COMMUNICATION, IDENTIFYING RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND THEN SORT OF SEEING HOW WE CAN, UM, LEVERAGE THAT MONEY WITH OTHER RESOURCES, EITHER FEDERALLY OR LOCALLY TO MAKE THOSE DOLLARS GO STRETCH FARTHER.

SO THE PLAN IS TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, LEVERAGE THE FUNDING FROM ARPA, AND THEN THAT MONEY FROM OUR POOL AND IN DECEMBER 31ST, 20, 24, BUT WE CAN WORK HOPE TO CONTINUE THAT PROJECT, THIS PROJECT BEYOND THAT TUMBLE NEXT LINE.

SO Q1 OF THIS YEAR, LOOKING AT DATA COLLECTION, LOOKING AT SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN IDENTIFYING THE SITES AND THEN SCIENCE, A BRICK AMOUNTED TO THESE LEVELS, Q2.

SO, UM, APRIL, MAY, JUNE

[01:35:01]

OF THIS YEAR START TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT IS HELPING US SORT OF STEER THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING AND THEN START TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY THE SUMMER SO WE CAN SEE WHERE THE COMMUNITY WOULD NATURALLY GO AND, UH, MAKE SURE WE MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.

SO THAT BY Q3, WHICH IS, UH, LATE SUMMER, WE'LL START TO IDENTIFY SITES AND THEN PILOT THOSE SITES IN THIS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN AUSTIN, AND THEN IMPLEMENT, START TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

UH, WE HAVE A GOAL OF MAYBE SIX BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN TO EXPAND IT MAYBE 10 PER YEAR FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

I THINK THAT'S MY LAST SLIDE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION OPENED THE FLOOR TO THE COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER DELGADO.

I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU MARK.

FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT, UM, OUR MONEY AND DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, GIVEN TO OUR CITY THAT THEY ARE BEING USED PROPERLY.

SO I WANT TO THINK, UM, THIS HUB, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING TO A GIRL, UM, THAT ACTUALLY CREATED AN EMERGENCY AID HUB IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD DURING A WINTER STORM, AFTER FOUR DAYS WITH NO, UM, NO ELECTRIC AND THE RESOURCES THAT THE COMMUNITY POURED INTO AND ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE CITY THAT CAME TO HELP MY DISTRICT, WHICH IS DISTRICT THREE, UM, WAS VERY OVERWHELMING.

AND SO JUST COMING FROM DOING THAT WORK AND NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES OR ACTUALLY A HUB, UH, FOR THE CITY, IT, IT, IT'S JUST REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT THIS IS BEING CREATED.

I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

SO I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AUSTIN AISD AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY FOR ALL THREE ENTITIES COMING TOGETHER TO CREATE THIS.

SO I JUST WANNA, UH, HIGHLIGHT THAT.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, IS THIS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S PERMANENT OR ARE WE GOING TO JUST IMPLEMENT THIS UNTIL, UM, THE FUND, THE FUNDINGS OF OUR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDINGS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALL GONE.

UH, THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I HAD, CAUSE I DID HEAR YOU SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO A COUPLE OF PROJECTS THIS YEAR AND THEN A COUPLE MORE IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.

SO, UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE? CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER DISASTER.

WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE THERE, THEY'VE BEEN ANNUALLY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN THIS PANDEMIC, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF, OKAY, NEXT YEAR WE DON'T HAVE A DISASTER IN THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR YEARS.

ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THIS STILL IN PLACE? THAT WAS MY QUESTION.

UH, YES.

SO WE PLAN TO HAVE THIS AS A PROGRAM AND TO BEYOND THE ARPA FUNDING, THE ARBOR FUNDING IS GREAT SOURCE TO GET THIS PRICE OFF THE GROUND, BUT WE PLAN TO LEVERAGE DEPARTMENTAL FUNDING AND OTHER FUNDING TO KEEP THIS GOING BEYOND, UH, THE DECEMBER 20, 24 TIME PERIOD.

THAT WAS ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT.

THANKS COMMISSIONER LEGATO, COMMISSIONER SLOAN THERE.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, MY QUESTION IS AS YOU MOVE TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PORTION OF THE PROCESS, UM, WHAT IS YOUR SORT OF STRATEGY AROUND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES OF FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES AND THE AGING AND ELDERLY? UM, I APPRECIATE THE SORT OF WALK, SHED, UM, SORT OF ANALYSIS, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IN ITSELF IS A BARRIER FOR LOTS OF FOLKS.

AND I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE THE SOLUTION OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE VOICES IN PARTICULAR ARE REPRESENTED IN OUR PLANNING AND IN OUR OUTREACH.

UM, YEAH, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT WHOLE COMMUNITIES OF, OF AGING FOLKS IN OUR CITY, UM, WERE IMPACTED AND REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A WAY TO GET WHAT THEY NEEDED OR GET WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GET.

UM, YEAH.

ASK THE QUESTION OF WHO NEEDS HELP, WHERE SHOULD WE GO? AND WHO'S THAT PERSON WHO'S IN THE WHEELCHAIR THAT NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THEIR HOUSE OR WHO HAS A DOG THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS CREATING SOME KIND OF BLOCK LEADER OR NAVIGATOR PROGRAM WHERE WE WOULD PROVIDE SOME KIND OF STIPEND FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO BE THE CONTACT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO TELL US AS A CITY, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, HOW SHOULD WE COMMUNICATE THESE THINGS AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE, WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO DURING AN EVENT, WORK WITH THAT PERSON TO BE LIKE, TO

[01:40:01]

AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEXITY AND A LOT OF, UM, SORT OF THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT DURING EVENTS, BUT ALSO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THAT TRUST OVER TIME.

SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY WE COULD DO THINGS LIKE HAVE SUNDAY BRUNCHES THAT ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE THOSE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO MEET, MEET EACH OTHER, BUT ALSO TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, BUILD THAT TRUST WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WITH CITY, ET CETERA.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, THE FIRST RESPONDERS DURING AN EVENT IS NOT GOING TO BE EMS OR THE AMBULANCE OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXTRA NEIGHBOR SO MORE WE CAN BUILD THAT COMMUNITY COHESION MORE LIKELY WILL BE SAVED, COULD HAVE ASKED FOR THAT.

I EMPHASIZE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SULLEN.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS? WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARK.

UH, IT WAS A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION.

I HAVE A MUCH CLEARER IDEA, UH, AROUND THE NATURE OF THE RESILIENCY HUBS.

UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRAGMATISM AS WELL AS SORT OF THE USER, THE HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN, UH, AND THOUGHTFULNESS THAT'S, THAT'S GOING INTO IT.

UM, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE NOTION FOR THE NEED FOR SUSTAINABILITY, UH, WHEN ARPA FUNDING DRIES UP OR MAY DRY UP.

SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR A MULTIFACETED PRESENTATION AND FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING, WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM,

[3D. Briefing and discussion on Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) (Laura Keating, Housing and Planning Department, and Anna Lan, CapMetro)]

WHICH IS THREE D UH, BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT'S WITH LAURA KEATING, UH, WITH HOUSING AND PLANNING AND ANNA LAND WITH CAP METRO.

UM, GOOD EVENING.

Y'ALL CAN YOU HEAR ME? THAT'S CORRECT.

HI, UM, I'M LAURIE KEATING WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, HERE WITH ANNA LAND FROM CAP METRO.

THE CITY IS COLLABORATING WITH CAP METRO TO DO PLANNING AROUND PROJECT CONNECT LIGHT RAIL STATIONS.

SO TONIGHT WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STUDY, JUST CURRENTLY BEING LED BY CAP METRO, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM BECAUSE EVENTUALLY THE WORK WILL, UH, WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE CITY TO TAKE THE LEAD FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT TO ANNA WHO WILL GIVE YOU A SHORT PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL BOTH BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, LAURA.

CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES.

OKAY, PERFECT.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO COME SPEAK TODAY.

MY NAME IS ANNA LANA.

I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH CAPITAL METRO.

UM, I'M HERE REALLY EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WHICH KICKED OFF LAST YEAR.

SO WITH THAT, CAN WE MOVE ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? UM, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT KICKED OFF WHEN KEMP PUT METRO WINE, A FEDERAL GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION FOR 1.6, $5 MILLION.

UM, IN OUR STUDY CORRIDOR, WE'RE ABLE TO COVER 21 STATIONS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK INTO CLOSER FOR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STUDIES.

AND THIS STUDY IS DONE IN PARALLEL WITH THE CITY'S TOD EFFORTS, WHICH WAS PASSED.

UM, THE NOTION WAS PASSED LAST YEAR BY CITY COUNCIL TO DO AT EACH YEARLY POLICY PLAN.

UM, WE ARE LEADING THIS PROJECT, BUT WE CONSIDER ATP AND CAP MATCH OUR NCO AS OUR PROJECT PARTNERS IN LOCKSTEP.

AND WE ALSO, UM, CONSIDER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION INPUT AS OUR FOURTH PARTNER IN THIS PROJECT.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

WE HAVE A FEW GOALS THAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE OUT OF THIS PROJECT AS A TRANSIT AGENCY.

OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO TRY TO LOOK AT WAYS TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP BY PROVIDING MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.

WE ALSO WANT TO GROW RIDERSHIP A LONG ARCH HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT CORRIDOR, AND WE WANT TO DO THAT BY LOOKING AT EXPANDING HOUSING OPTIONS FOR ALL INCOME LEVELS AND THIRD, UM, AS A TRANSIT AGENCY, WE ARE, WE HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE FTA NEW STARTS CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT, OUR RATINGS CRITERIA.

[01:45:02]

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE TO INCREASE THROUGH, INCREASE LANGUAGE, SUPPORT CONTRACTS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

A LOT OF OUR GOALS FOR CHAPLAIN METRO ALIGNS VERY WELL WITH CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, THERE ARE LIST OF 30 GOALS IDENTIFIED BY THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY OF THEM CROSS, UM, ARE VERY SIMILAR, SUCH AS ANTI-DISPLACEMENT EQUITY CREATION OF NEW HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE, AND ECONOMIC LIKE THIS.

SO HOW DO WE GET TO THIS PROJECT? UM, IT DEFINITELY IT PRESIDENT IS BASED ON VOTER APPROVED MEASURES TO TACKLE TRANSPORTATION AND GROWTH IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, STARTING WITH THE CORRIDOR BOND, AS WELL AS THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN IN 2019 TO REDUCE SINGLE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD, AS WELL AS PROJECT CONNECT IN 2020.

SO HERE WE ARE WITH EACH YARDI, WE STARTED LAST YEAR AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE WILL CONTINUE WELL WITHIN THIS YEAR AND WELL PROBABLY INTO NEXT YEAR AS WELL.

OUR HOPE IS THAT THIS PROJECT WILL TRANSITION INTO, UM, HAND OVER THE BATON TO CITY OF AUSTIN, WHERE THEY CAN IMPLEMENT IT IN THE 2D POLICY PLAN ON A GREATER SYSTEM LEVEL INTEGRATION.

AND ULTIMATELY IT WILL BE ADOPTED INTO REGULATORY PLANS AND AS UPDATE UPDATE.

I THINK EVERYONE HERE FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT FOR IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.

THIS IS NOT A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR BUILDING, BUT REALLY A PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE WORLD WAR II AND IT'S PRESENT IN EVERY SINGLE MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITY WITH TRANSIT AND IT CONSISTS OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED, COMPACT, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS CENTERED ON QUALITY PUBLIC TRANSIT.

THE GENERAL IDEA IS THAT YOU ARE WITHIN A FIVE, 10, OR MAYBE AT THE MOST 15 MINUTE WALK.

WHEN YOU EXIT A TRANSIT, YOU'RE ABLE TO ACCESS A RICH MIX OF USERS WITH ADEQUATE DENSITY NEXT, PLEASE.

OH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

JOBS, RUINING SMALL BUSINESSES AND IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACES.

UM, BUT ONE OF THE CRITICAL CRITICISMS OF TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IS THAT IT CAN BE A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS.

SO BY HAVING TRANSIT COME IN, YOU DO ATTRACT THE PRIVATE INVESTMENTS, BUT THEN YOU'RE ALSO ACCELERATING THE RENT GROWTH IN EXISTING PROPERTIES.

SO IN MANY PLACES THAT MEANS LOCAL BUSINESSES AND VENTURE SPACE, RISING BRANDS AND CHANGING CUSTOMER BASIS THAT ARE REALLY DRIVING OUT THE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.

AND TO THAT EXTENT ALSO LOCAL NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES, AND THESE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES ARE OFFERING THE LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT ACCESS TO A VEHICLE AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHICH, UH, WHO ARE THE EXACT POPULATIONS THAT REALLY WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM TRANSIT.

SO DISPLACED COMMUNITIES CAN LOSE ACCESS TO THE TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY THAT THEY'VE DEPENDED NEXT FIVE THINGS.

SO WE ASKED CAT METRO, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER THE TOD MODEL FOR MANY YEARS, BUT NOW WE'RE CONSCIOUSLY SHIFTING AWAY FROM TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, ADDING THE EQUITY.

BUT, AND THAT REALLY ENTAILS FROM JUST MOVING FROM SUPPORTING MARKETS FOR THE DEVELOPMENTS AND MOVING BEYOND TRYING TO REDUCE DISPLACEMENT AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO REVERSE TRADITIONAL INEQUALITIES AND CREATING NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS ALONG THESE TRANSIT CORRIDORS.

AND WE REALLY NEED TO DO THAT BY CREATING HOUSING FOR ALL INCOME LEVELS WHILE PRIORITIZING THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

AND, UM, WE'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, AND SAY, WELL, MAYBE IT'S OKAY.

IT'S BETTER JUST TO DO NOTHING.

DON'T CHANGE OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IF YOU DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, THEN THE MARKET FORCES WILL KIND OF COME IN AND DICTATE FOR US WHO CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE OR NOT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY ASPECTS THAT MAKES EACH DOD EQUITABLE? UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S ABOUT PROVIDING THE SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY NOT BEEN INVESTED IN, AND IT'S PROVIDING HOUSING AT DIVERSE, DIVERSE PRICE POINTS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER KEY GOALS SUCH AS CREATING

[01:50:01]

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, FOR THE EOD PROJECT FOR THE SEGMENT THAT WE HAVE SIX MAJOR DELIVERABLES, UM, HIGHLIGHTED IS THE CONTINUOUS ENGAGED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WE FEEL IS VERY CRUCIAL.

OUR FIRST STEP IS TO REALLY IDENTIFY THE COMMUNITIES IN THE STUDY AREA THAT ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK FOR DISPLACEMENT.

AND WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THESE FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PROJECT AND REALLY ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS AROUND BENEFITS.

AND TRADE-OFFS, UM, THEY'RE NOT JUST TELLING US THEIR FEEDBACK AND WE'RE CHECKING A CHECK BOX AND MOVING ON, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO IMPLEMENT, KEEP TRACK OF THEIR COMMENTS AND IMPLEMENT THEM IN INFORMING POLICY SOLUTIONS.

MOVING FORWARD.

THE OTHER FIVE ELEMENTS ARE WE'RE LOOKING AT INTERVIEW PRESIDENTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THERE ARE SOME OTHER CITIES THAT WILL TRY TO ADAPT SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICE METHODS.

UM, WE'LL BE DOING A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS, NOT JUST FOR OUR IN VIET LINE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.

UM, WE'LL BE PROVIDING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT INCLUDE LIKE URBAN DESIGN POLICIES, UH, DISPLACED ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL AS, UM, CERTAIN DESIGN MEASURES AND FINANCING MECHANISMS FOR EACH OF THESE STATIONS ALONG THE CORRIDOR.

LASTLY, WE'LL BE SELECTING OUT OF THESE CANDIDATES STATIONS, A LIKE FEW FOCUS STATIONS, REALLY FOCUS ON WHERE WE CAN PRODUCE STATION AREA ADDITION PLANS, WHICH IS LIKE THE PRECURSOR STEP PRIOR TO ANY DISCUSSION OF REGULATORY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND LASTLY, WE'LL BE UPDATING THE CAPITAL METRO 2D PRIORITY TOOL, WHICH WAS SOMETHING WE STARTED IN 2007 PREVIOUS TO ANY PROJECT CONNECT, UM, CONSIDERATIONS, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO FOR THE STUDY PARAMETERS, NORMALLY LOOKING AT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, UM, WE INCREASE THE STATION FROM 13 AND WE BUMPED IT UP TO 21 STATIONS ALONG THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES.

WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE TOOLBOX OF RECOMMENDATIONS, DECISION AREA, ADDITION PLANS, AND THE PRIORITIZATION PRIORITY POSITION TOOL.

BUT WHAT WILL NOT DO IS ACTUALLY MAKE ANY ZONING RECOMMENDATION, CHANGES, DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS, OR PRODUCE ANY REGULATORY PLANS AT THIS.

AND THAT'S LIKE THIS, THE LENGTH OF THE PROJECT KIND OF CORRESPONDS WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE FTA.

BUT THE SPAN OF THIS PROJECT IS ROUGHLY THE PHASE ONE IS ABOUT SPENT A LENGTH OF A YEAR.

THIS IS OUR CURRENT PROJECT SCHEDULE.

YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE FIVE INDIVIDUAL DELIVERABLE TASKS, THEY KIND OF BUILD UPON EACH OTHER, HELPING US TO INFORM THE NEXT STAGE OF DELIVERY.

AND THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS, WE HAVE CONTINUOUS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

AND WE KIND OF THINK OF THESE ENGAGEMENT AS THREE MAJOR MILESTONE COHORTS.

WE'RE CURRENTLY WRAPPING UP ENGAGEMENT SESSION ONE, UM, AND WE'RE STARTING TO BRAINSTORM FOR THE NEXT SPRINT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, BUT ULTIMATELY WE WILL PRODUCE, UM, THE STATION AREA, VISION PLANS AND THE PRIORITY TO UPDATE.

AND THIS IS WHERE WE KIND OF HAND OFF TO THE TIME TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEN THEY CAN TAKE IT TO, UM, IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE ETD POLICY PLAN AND REGULATORY.

SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF FOR THIS PROJECT IS THE AMOUNT OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

UM, AND SO I'LL KNOW, CABINETRY HAS A VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND THEY DO WONDERFUL WORK FOR ALL PROJECTS RELATED TO TRANSIT AND PROJECT CONNECTING THE CITY.

WE, UM, DURING THE PROJECT SITE VISIT FOR OUR TEAM, WE ACTUALLY WROTE THE BUSES UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR.

SO KIND OF REALLY EXPERIENCED, UM, THE DIFFERENT STATIONS AND ALSO JUST CHATTING WITH WRITERS ALONG THE BUS STOPS AND INSIDE THE BEST ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.

AND WE FOUND OUT THAT ACTUALLY A LOT OF THE WRITERS ARE NOT REALLY AWARE OF PROJECT CONNECT OR THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE THAT LIGHT RAIL IS COMING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM THAT THEY'RE WRITING ON.

SO WHAT THAT'S TELLING US IS WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO GO DEEPER INTO THE COMMUNITY, BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL REALMS OF PUBLIC OUTREACH.

SO WE HAVE A FEW MECHANISMS. UM, WE HAVE COMMUNITY

[01:55:01]

PRESENTATIONS AND STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS.

THOSE ARE THE MORE TRADITIONAL TIME WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CAC.

THEY FORMED A SPECIFIC EACH STUDENT WORKING GROUP WHERE WE NEED TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH, WE BRIEF THEM ON CURRENT PROGRESS AND WE HAVE THEIR INPUT ON ALL THE MAJOR DELIVERABLES AND MILESTONES.

WE HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW, OUR FOCUS GROUPS, WHERE WE HAVE SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS UP COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT OR HAVE ACCESS TO BIPAP POPULATIONS OR THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

AND WE JUST WRAPPED UP, FIRST OF OUR FOCUS GROUPS, THEY'VE GONE REALLY, REALLY WELL.

WE HAVE NINE FOCUS GROUPS, UM, ESTABLISHED THREE OF THEM ARE IN SPANISH, ONE FOR ACCESS MEMBERS AND THEY REPRESENT OVER 20 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE AUSTIN, GREATER AUSTIN AREA.

UM, COMMUNITY CONNECTORS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HOPING TO KIND OF GO EVEN DEEPER INTO OUR ENGAGEMENT.

WE ARE RECRUITING 10 PAID, UM, CONNECTORS THAT KIND OF WILL HELP US GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO DO OUTREACH AND SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS AND THESE CONNECTORS.

UM, WE'RE HOPING TO RECRUIT FROM COMMUNITIES THAT REPRESENT ALL DIFFERENT AREAS OF AUSTIN, BUT REALLY SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO FAR, WE HAVE 141 APPLICANTS THAT WE'RE INTERVIEWING.

UM, ULTIMATELY WE'RE CHOOSING 10 AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET DOWN BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME REALLY WONDERFUL APPLICANTS, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING ENGAGEMENT AS A PROJECT CHANGES.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF LIVE.

WE MIGHT HAVE TO REDIRECT, OR MAYBE FOCUS ON ONE AREA GREATER THAN THE OTHER, BUT AS THE PROJECT IS LIVE, WE'LL BE ADJUSTING ACCORDING TO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IN ADDITION, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO REALLY PUBLICIZE THIS PROJECT BECAUSE WE WANT INPUT FROM EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITIES IMPACTED ALONG THE TRANSIT CORRIDORS.

AND A FEW WAYS WE'RE GOING ABOUT IS I THINK IN THE SPRING, WE'LL BE PLACING BUS PLACARDS AND ALL THE BUSES ALONG THE ROUTES WHERE PEOPLE CAN SCAN A QR CODE AND EITHER HELP US TAKE SOME SURVEYS OR GIVE US THEIR INPUT ABOUT THEIR RIDERSHIP EXPERIENCE OR NEIGHBORHOOD PRIORITIES AND EXPECTATIONS.

WE'LL ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY ON DISTRIBUTING FLYERS AND POSTCARDS, AND WE HAVE RIGHTY OF SOCIAL MEDIA PAID CONTENT PUSHES THAT REALLY ARE EFFECTIVE IN HELPING US GAIN SOME FEEDBACK.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO KIND OF KEEP TRACK OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, WE HAVE A DEDICATED EMAIL OR ALSO MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS IN THIS, UM, IN THIS PRESENTATION.

SO EVERYONE'S REALLY WELCOME TO REACH OUT.

WE ALSO HAVE A PROJECT WEBSITE ON PROJECT CONNECT DEDICATED TO EACH ELD THAT WILL TRACK THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING UPCOMING UPDATES WITH CASE STUDY SUMMARIES, WE'LL HAVE AN INTERACTIVE LIVE MAP OF EXISTING CONDITIONS OF ALL THE STATIONS ALONG THE CORRIDOR PLAN THAT THE PUBLIC IS OPEN TO THAT HAVE REALLY VALUABLE DATA REGARDING LAND USE AND DISPLACEMENT RISKS AND A VARIETY OF, UM, INTEGRATED DATA MEASURES.

WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON.

SO THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION, LAURA, AND ARE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU'LL HAVE.

UH, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND JUST A MOMENT IF YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP AND ACTUALLY JUST WANT TO CHECK, DOES HE HAVE COMMISSIONER WOODS IS AUDIBLE OR NOT? UM, SHE MAY BE MUTED.

UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IN CASE SHE'S IN CASE YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU MAY WANT TO SAY SOMETHING OR SPEAK ON ANYTHING I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOU, SHE, EXCUSE ME.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION.

UM, YES.

UH, OPENING UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

WELL, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

UH, THE FIRST IS, UH, AND THIS DOESN'T NEED TO BE, WILL BE BELABORED, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD OF THE, UH, PROJECT CONNECT ANTI-DISPLACEMENT, UH, EFFORT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROVERBIAL NOT PROVERBIAL THE FAMOUS $300 MILLION, UH, WHICH 23 MILLION I THINK WAS JUST

[02:00:01]

RECENTLY ALLOCATED.

UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT LINKS IN WITH THIS? IF IT LINKS, UH, THAT'S A QUESTION I'M GOING TO PASS ON.

YEAH, SO THIS, UM, EFFORTS IS, IS MORE AROUND LIKE PLAN PLANNING AND REGULAR REGULATORY TOOLS.

UM, BUT WE ALSO WILL BE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, UM, ANTI-DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES.

SO AT SOME POINT THAT MIGHT CONNECT UP WITH THAT FUNDING AND WITH THAT TEAM AND PEOPLE ON THAT TEAM ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN OUR CONVERSATIONS.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT, UM, SILOED FROM, FROM THAT.

SO THIS, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING IS HAPPENING IN CONCERT IS WHAT I'M HEARING.

CORRECT.

OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CONNECTIVITY, TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES.

AND MY, THE NEXT QUESTION IS JUST AROUND, UH, SORT OF MY CONCERN.

IT COULD VERY WELL BE UNFOUNDED ABOUT THE FOREST POSSIBLY GETTING LOST THROUGH THE TREES OR IN THE, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'D SAID, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY THINK THE PRESENTATION IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE YOU ALL BEGAN WITH THE PREMISE OF THE, UH, UNINTENDED OR AT LEAST JUST THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OR EXTERNALITIES, I THINK IS A NICE WAY OF SAYING IT, OF TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IT BRINGS IN INVESTMENT, WHICH TYPICALLY CREATES A CYCLE OF DISPLACEMENT, UM, DUE TO AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES AND HOW THAT'S, WHAT WE UNIQUELY WANT TO MITIGATE NOW WITHOUT NECESSARILY AN EVIDENCE-BASED.

I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSING IS PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE INTEGRAL FACTOR OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THESE ZONES IS THE NUMBER ONE INTEGRAL FACTOR WHEN IT COMES TO DISPLACEMENT RELATED ISSUES.

UH, AND, AND CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE TENANTS, UH, THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WAS PRESERVATION OF, UH, AND PERHAPS, UH, GROWTH, UH, OF, UH, BUT PRESERVATION OR INCREASING EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UM, IS THERE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF IT I'M, I'M WONDERING IS THAT WHAT WE'RE HEARING IN THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SESSIONS IS, IS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSING WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE TEAM IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF SOLICITING AND FACILITATING THAT FEEDBACK AND FOLKS ARE PUTTING IN THEIR FEEDBACK OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE MIGHT LIKE TO SEE, UH, IN TRANSIT, ORIENT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.

AND WE'LL, THEY'LL ALL THOSE THINGS POSSIBLY HAPPEN.

AND THE SAME THINGS WILL HAPPEN.

INVESTMENT WILL COME IN AND PRICES WILL GO UP AND AFFORDABILITY WON'T BE THERE AND FOLKS WILL GET PUSHED OUT ANYWAY, BECAUSE DURING THESE SESSIONS, PERHAPS OUR FOLKS DISCUSSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE FACT THAT OUR FOLKS VERY EXPLICITLY DISCUSSING THAT, WOW, WHEN, UM, WHEN THE LIGHT RAIL IS EXPANDED, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE AFFORDED TO LIVE HERE ANYMORE.

UM, IS, IS THAT A KEY THEME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND DISCUSSING HOW TO MITIGATE THAT, UM, OR FOLKS TALKING ABOUT JUST SORT OF, ARE WE TALKING LARGELY ABOUT NICE TO HAVES AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR FEEDBACK IS BEING INTEGRATED INTO THE DEVELOPMENT? BUT MY CONCERN IS THE, THE RISK THAT, THAT FEEDBACK DOESN'T DIRECTLY CONNECT TO HOUSING, UH, AND PRESERVATION OF HOUSING AND HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSUAGE THAT CONCERN.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO FROM ALL OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS SO FAR FROM, UM, PUBLIC PUBLIC MEETINGS TO SMALLER GROUP MEETINGS, ONE-ON-ONE ACTUALLY THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN THAT EVERYBODY BRINGS THAT IS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, UM, HOW TO STAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOMES THAT THEY STAY IN NOW AND HOW NOT TO BE DRIVEN OUT AND HOW NOT TO BE IMPACTED BY NEW USERS COMING IN.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY ADDRESSING.

HEAD-ON.

UM, THESE DISCUSSION GROUPS REALLY HELP US REINFORCE HOW IMPORTANT HOUSING IS IN THIS EQUATION AND ALSO COMING FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE DIFFERENT COMPLEXITIES AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE IN.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PRIORITIZE THIS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE CONCERNS IN THIS PROJECT.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW THAT GETS ITERATED INTO A PLAN THAT'S PASSED TO COUNSEL? YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN A PLAN? DOES IT SAY, WELL, 20,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEED TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, VERY QUICKLY DEVELOPED, UH, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UH, IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER OUR CURRENT GOALS ARE, OR WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO Y'ALL? WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE? HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE IT'S FLESHING OUT? UM, LAURA MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER ABOUT WHERE KIND OF ONE STATION MAY HAVE DIFFERENT HOUSING, OTHER, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE'LL TAKE A PROTOTYPE STATION, SAME NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT STATION.

THAT'S A VERY UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A LOT

[02:05:01]

WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT STATION AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE GAP IN HOUSING AND OPPORTUNITY.

AND THE VERY FACT THAT NORTH LAMARA IS A CAP METRO OWN PROPERTY.

THEN WE CAN STRATEGIZE AND SAY, IF WE DEVELOP THIS TRANSIT CENTER INTO A TOD, THEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD IN THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT TO IT.

SO IT REALLY KIND OF VARIES STATION BY STATION RECOMMENDATIONS.

UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE WILL PRODUCE LIKE THE SUMMARY.

IT'S NOT AN INTEGRATED AUSTIN WISE, UM, SPECIFIC SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF LOOK AT GEOGRAPHIC SPECIFIC, UM, SET OF TOOLS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

I JUST WANT TO, I THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. ANA FOR YOUR PRESENTATION WAS FLOW WAS WELL DONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT TRULY.

UM, MY QUESTION ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PORTION IS, IS THERE ANY, UM, UH, REGULATIONS OR, UH, UH, PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ADHERE TO WHAT YOU'VE JUST SAID? WHAT YOU'VE JUST SAID MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GEOGRAPHICAL, ET CETERA, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THAT GOES FORWARD? I MEAN, IF YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE CAPITAL METRO, WHO, WHO DO I TALK TO TO SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, TIME OUT.

AND HONESTLY SAID THIS BACK IN 2022, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DO I HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO TO ENSURE THAT THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT IS IN FACT FACTORED IN, IN THE LAMAR, UH, LOCATION? THANK YOU.

GREAT QUESTION.

UM, OF COURSE WE'RE STILL IN THE PRETTY EARLY STAGES OF OUR PROJECT.

WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO EX UM, EXPLORE THE VERY TOOL KITS THAT WE CAN USE TO MITIGATE IT.

BUT WHAT WE CAN SAY IS WE REALLY WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN FOR THIS PROJECT.

THAT'S WHY, IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOCK INTO OUR WEBSITE EVEN BETTER YET, IF YOU CAN GIVE US LIKE ANOTHER MONTH, THEN WE'LL BE TRACKING OUR PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT THROUGHOUT.

SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC THAT OUR CONSULTANTS HAVE COMPILED FOR US.

UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE GET TO THE SUMMARY, THE TOOLKITS RECOMMENDATIONS PER STATION, A SUMMARY OF THAT WILL BE LIVE ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW AS WELL.

SO, UM, FOR EVERY STAGE OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WILL BE POSTING SUMMARIES, OUR KEY DEMOGRAPHICS, THINGS LIKE THAT TO THE WEBSITE TO KIND OF SHOW THE PUBLIC.

THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE STAGE, AND THAT'LL ALLOW YOU TO TRACK IT THROUGHOUT.

CAN I FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND MS. ANA WITH ONE THING ON THAT, WOULD IT BE REASONABLE AND IT MIGHT NOT BE, SO LET ME KNOW, IS IT REASONABLE FOR US TO ASK YOU TO PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR TO KEEP US ABREAST OF THAT? BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, I COULD TRACK IT ON THE CALENDAR.

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

AND I WILL TELL YOU, I'M GOING TO MAKE A NOTE WHERE WE'VE FINISHED TO, TO PUT THAT AND TO KIND OF, SORT OF, UM, UH, PROBABLY TRACK IT AGAIN AROUND THE 4TH OF JULY AND I'LL TRACK IT AGAIN ON LABOR DAY.

YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MY KIND OF, SO I'LL TRACK IT THEN.

SO I'M GONNA MAKE THOSE LITTLE POINTS, BUT I MIGHT MISS SOMETHING.

WOULD IT BE REASONABLE TO ASK YOU TO PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR, TO BE PREPARED, TO COME BACK TO US AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHEN TIME IS, I MEAN, IT MAY NOT, IT MAY BE A LITTLE PREMATURE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I AM, THAT IS ONE OF MY CONCERNS.

THAT IS ONE OF MY ISSUES THAT I AM INTERESTED IN.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T MISS IT BECAUSE OF ME, IS THAT REASONABLE? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY REASONABLE.

I WILL LOVE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND UPDATE Y'ALL.

UM, I WAS IN A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT AS PROBABLY LATE SPRING, WHEN WE GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION REGARDING THE TOOLS.

UM, THE OTHER WAY, IF YOU LIKE TO STAY REALLY MORE INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT IS I WILL REACH OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY, BUT WE ARE HOLDING NEW FOCUS GROUPS IN THE SPRING, AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS LIKE YOURSELF TO REALLY GIVE US MORE IN DEPTH.

YOU HAVE THINGS THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS WE LOOK OUT AND NOT JUST YOU, IF YOU HAVE COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS TO RECOMMEND, WE REALLY LIKE TO HAVE YOUR INPUT.

AND, UM, THESE, THESE OPPORTUNITIES, WE REALLY VALUE YOUR TIME.

CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S BUSY, THEY ARE PAID OPPORTUNITIES.

UM, WE COMPENSATE EACH FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS, $50 FOR

[02:10:01]

THEIR DISCUSSION TIME.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I WOULD LOVE TO REACH OUT TO YOU.

FAIR ENOUGH.

WE'LL WE'LL WE'LL CONNECT.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, MR. DELGADO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE E T O D PRESENTATION.

IT, IT REALLY PUT A LOT OF, UM, QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING A KIND OF PUT IT IN A VISUAL PRESENTATION FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPLICATED AND I BLAME CAPITAL METRO FOR THAT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU.

BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE FOCUS GROUPS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH, I JUST WANT TO RECOMMEND THAT NOT ALL FOCUS GROUPS AND PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT THEY REPRESENT US OR REPRESENT THE UNDERSERVED MINORITY POPULATION OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OR EVEN ME, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE ME, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL, UM, GO OVER AND BEYOND AND NOT JUST LISTEN TO THOSE FOCUS GROUPS THAT YOU ALL ARE CONNECTING WITH.

I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, AGAIN, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOMEOWNERS, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BUSINESSES, LONGTERM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, TENANTS AND HOME OWNERS, PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN AUSTIN AND ARE ROOTED FROM AUSTIN, NOT PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST MOVED TO AUSTIN.

AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, CAPITAL METRO AND, AND THIS DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY, UH, LOOKING AT, AT GETTING FEEDBACK FROM NOT JUST THOSE SPECIFIC FOCUS GROUPS, THAT CLAIM THAT THEY REPRESENT US.

UM, I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY 141 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONNECTORS.

I HOPE TO SEE THAT THE 10, THAT YOU ALL SELECT TO TAKE CARE OF SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY, UM, THAT YOU ALL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO, UH, AUSTIN NATIVES.

I THINK THE AUSTIN NIGHTS AND THE AUSTIN NATIVES HAVE LITERALLY BEEN SILENT, TESTED AND ERASED FROM THE CITY.

AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE ISSUE WITH THAT WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSIT AND TO PROJECT CONNECT.

AND I WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF WE HAVE SUCH AUTHORITY AND POWER AND WE SERVE ON COMMISSIONS OR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THAT WE'RE ALSO VOICING THAT AS YOU ALL MAKE, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGE IN OUR CITY, THAT AUSTIN NIGHTS BE THE VOICE OF THAT AS WELL.

UM, ANOTHER THING, WHEN YOU SAID ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEING GIVEN HERE.

UH, WHAT I HAVE SEEN WAS A TREMENDOUS LOSS OF MEXICAN AND BLACK BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AND THAT CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE TAXES HERE IN, IN EAST AUSTIN AND THE EASTERN CRESCENT OF, UM, THIS CORRIDOR OF 35 AND THE MAIN CORRIDORS THAT, UH, HORIZONTALLY ARE AFFECTING US RIGHT NOW.

SO I WANT TO REALLY DIVE IN THAT AS WELL AS, UH, ALL INCOME LEVELS.

I FIND THAT, UM, A LITTLE CONCERNING, BECAUSE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, THE ALL WORD CURRENTLY, THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE MOVED TO AUSTIN THAT COME FROM DIFFERENT AND DIFFERENT COUNTRIES THAT THEIR ECONOMY IS SO MUCH DIFFERENT AND THEY HAVE CAME AND REAP THE BENEFITS OF OUR PROGRAMS OF OUR HOUSING.

AND BECAUSE NOW WE'RE AT A HIGH, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY VALUE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR HOMES ARE, ARE PRICED OUT.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING STOCK.

UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALL, YOU'RE ALSO GIVING THEM A PLACE, UH, TO BE A, YOU KNOW, UH, CONSIDERED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMISSION, BECAUSE WE SERVE THE POOR AND BECAUSE WE SERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WE REALLY NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE WORD AFFORDABLE, MORE LIKE WORKFORCE HOUSING.

I WANT TO SEE WORKFOR FORCE HOUSING IMPLEMENTED, AND THIS PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY GO TO WORK AND HAVE TO COME INTO TOWN INTO THESE TRANSITS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED OUT OF THE CITY.

AND THEY'RE USING THIS, UH, TRANSIT TO COME IN TO GO TO WORK, TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, UH, TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S HOMES THAT ARE, ARE AROUND THE CORRIDOR.

SO I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE SAY ALL LEVELS AND YOU'RE OPENING THE GATES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING 130,000 A YEAR, PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING 200,000 A YEAR THAT GET TO BE ABLE TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF LIVING NEXT TO A TRAIN, ANOTHER THING OR RAIL.

ANOTHER THING WAS, UM, THE DISPLACEMENT OF FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES.

UM, I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO, IN YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, REALLY TALK

[02:15:01]

ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THE RAINY STREET, UM, STATION IS A CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S ADJACENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN A SCHOOL SANCHEZ ELEMENTARY, UM, THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THAT SERVES 5,000 RESIDENTS EAST OF 35 OFF OF HOLLY STREET.

AND SO THE RE THE STATION THERE ON RAINY STREET WHERE MAC IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S CURRENTLY A CONGESTED IN AN IMPACTED AREA.

WE'RE LOOKING AT HIGH RISES.

I MEAN, AGAIN, OUR, UM, THE OLD BARS BEING REPLACED BY HIGH RISE CONDOS.

SO IF YOU CAN SPEAK ON THAT AREA FOR ME, UM, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT SINCE IT'S ONE OF THE 21 STATIONS? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ALL HAVE? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE WORKS OF THAT SPECIFIC INTERSECTION OF RAINEY STREET WHERE THE RAINEY STREET, UH, SUBSTATION WOULD BE, COULD YOU ANSWER THAT? UM, I BELIEVE FOR THIS REASON, THE PATRICK, ANY KIND OF GO BACK TO THAT.

THE PROJECT MAP EARLIER ACTUALLY HAVE TAKEN OUT THE DOWNTOWN AND THE INTERIOR AREAS.

IS THERE ANYONE? OKAY.

UM, LET ME PULL UP MY REFERENCE, NOT SO THE RAINY STREET, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT A VERY SPECIFIC CORRIDOR.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BLUE LINE CORRIDOR FROM NORTH OMAR TO HYDE PARK AND FROM, UM, WATERFRONT TO MONTOPOLIS AT THIS MOMENT.

WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE DOWNTOWN PLAN BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY EXISTING PLANS AND REGULATIONS IN PLACE.

WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MORE, UM, THAT STILL HAVE MORE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AT GREATER RISK FOR DEVELOPMENT.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JOT DOWN YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE RAINY STREET, CAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAMS FROM OUR, FOR ATP THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT MORE FOR THAT SPECIFIC INTERSECTION THAT, AND THE WATERFRONT CAUSE I LIVE OFF OF HOLLY.

AND SO I LIVED EAST OF 35.

SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN YOUR MAP AND THAT'S THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I REPRESENT IN OH TWO IS A DEMOGRAPHIC AREA THAT I REPRESENT, WHICH IS A VERY, VERY, UH, GENTRIFIED AREA RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WHEN I JUST LOOKED AT THE MAP AND IT SAID WHERE THE WATERFRONT AND THE RAINY STREET, ALL OF THAT, I WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION.

SO IF YOU CAN GET BACK WITH ME ON THAT AND ONE MORE THING, UM, UM, THE TIMELINE FOR REZONING, UH, DO, YOU SAID LATER ON YOU ALL WILL COME BACK AND ASK FOR, UM, UH, SOME TYPE OF, OF CHANGE OF ZONING, CORRECT? THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE PASSING ONTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE AS KEVIN SAID, WE HAVE NO LANGUAGES ALREADY, BUT THERE'LL BE TAKING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE CITY WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT ON TO THE NEXT STAGE OF CHELSEA IMPLEMENTATION AND REGULATORY UPDATES.

AND JUST ONE MORE COMMENT BEFORE I LET YOU GO, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, SO YOU CAN PUT THIS IN YOUR FEEDBACK UP.

UM, THE MARKET HAS ACTUALLY FORCED US OUT ALREADY, AND SO I WISH THIS PLAN WITH CAPITAL METRO WOULD HAVE DONE THIS A LONG AGO, BUT, UH, WE'VE ALREADY FACING THAT AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DELGADO.

DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? YES.

FROM VICE-CHAIR POP AND IT LOOKS, UH, ALSO, UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER AT LEAST RIGHT AFTER YOU PLACED YOUR POP.

UM, CAN YOU TELL ME, THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE THE ORANGE LINE PROCESSES UNDER THE LIKE LADY BIRD PROPERTY, DOES IT CROSS FOR THE ORANGE LINE WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, FROM AUDITORIUM SHORES TO SLAUGHTER? DO YOU MEAN LIKE SPECIFIC INTERSECTIONS? OKAY.

UM, MY PARTICULAR CONCERN IS THAT IT NOT NO WORRIES LINE OR ANY OTHER LINE FOR THAT MATTER, NOT DISRUPT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT LAKESIDE, WHICH IS IN THE VICINITY THERE.

RIGHT.

WE ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY ADDED THIS SEGMENT OF THE ORANGE LINE.

UM, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS JUST THE BLUE LINE AND THE ORANGE LINE ABOVE THE RIVER.

WE ADDED THE ORANGE LINE SELF BECAUSE WE WANT A NEW GRANT FROM THE FDA THAT KIND OF ALLOWS US TO INCLUDE

[02:20:01]

THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE STUDY.

SO AT THIS POINT I AM NOT QUITE SURE YET.

WE HAVEN'T REALLY STARTED LOOKING AT ORANGE MYSELF BECAUSE THIS GRANT JUST CAME IN THREE WEEKS AGO.

SO IF Y'ALL ONLY TO COME BACK, UM, IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS AND UPDATE.

WHAT'S YOUR POP.

YEAH, I'M SURE WE'LL BE INTERESTED IN FUTURE REPORTS.

I JUST WANT TO REGISTER NOW THAT THAT'S AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND IT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO LOSE IT WHILE WE BUILD SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW HAS POTENTIAL FOR IMPACTING OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

GENERALLY, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GIVE ME THE NAME OF THAT, UM, DEVELOPMENT LAKESIDE AND IT'S ON AN 85 TRINITY.

I WILL.

YOUR MARK THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANKS SO MUCH VICE CHAIR.

UH, AND, UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A TEACHER OF THE YEAR, UH, HERE, COMMISSIONER, UH, LES CONGRATULATIONS.

HEY.

WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SET OF AGENDA ITEMS, WHICH ARE UPDATES AROUND WORKING GROUPS, UH, AND OR COMMITTEES.

UM, FIRST I WANT TO SAY, UH, I REALLY LIKED HOW, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON AND DELGADO HAVE BROUGHT THIS FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW THE, WHAT THE CBC IS FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT OUR WORKING FAMILIES.

UH, SO MY QUESTION WAS WHENEVER, UM, THIS MOVES ON TO THE CITY, LIKE YOU SAID, UM, IS THIS JUST A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAN BE IGNORED BY THE CITY? OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S VERY CODIFIED THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THEM.

THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION, ADAM GOING TO DELEGATE THAT TO LAURA.

HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

SO, UM, ALONGSIDE THE WORK THAT CAP METRO IS DOING, WHICH IS KIND OF FOCUSING ON THE TWO RAIL LIGHT RAIL LINES AND SPECIFIC STATIONS, THE CITY IS, UH, LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, WHICH INCLUDES RAPID BUS AS WELL.

UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO PRIORITIZE PLANNING INTO THE FUTURE.

AND SO COUNCIL HAS ASKED US TO DO THAT.

AND THEN WITH THE PLANS THAT COME AT OUT OF THE END OF THIS INITIAL STUDY, UH, THE GOAL OF THE CITY IS TO TAKE THOSE PLANS THROUGH CITY COUNCIL TO BE ADOPTED AND TO FOLLOW UP THOSE WITH REGULATORY PLANS OR POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, UM, AT NIGHT NOT BE A TRADITIONAL REGULATORY PLAN LIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST FOR TOD.

UM, CAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON POLICY THAT IMPLEMENTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, MITIGATES GENTRIFICATION AND PREVENTS DISPLACEMENT.

SO, UM, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP, UM, AND THE CITY AND THE CITY WILL TAKE OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PLANS ARE IMPLEMENTED.

THANKS, LAURA, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

WELL, I APPRECIATE, UH, LAURA, ANNA, Y'ALL HANGING IN, UH, SO LATE.

UM, AND OF COURSE, AS ALWAYS APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF, UM, WE

[4A. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee (Commissioner Fadelu)]

UH, DO WE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER FIDELITY, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE? NO UPDATE.

WAS THERE A MEETING IN THE TIME IT WAS CANCELED.

UPDATE, UH, FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.

UH, AND IS THERE, LET'S SEE AN

[4B. Update from the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) Community Advisory Committee (Commissioner Elias)]

WAS THERE A MEETING, UH, COMMISSIONING? YES.

THIS, UH, $23 MILLION AND $65 MILLION OVERALL FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS PROJECT CONNECT, UH, CAN BE, UH, STREAMLINED AND MAKE SURE THAT IT MOVES FORWARD, UH, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR THAT MONEY AND GET IT OUT THERE.

YES.

UM, SO ONE WAS THAT THE ONE THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE $23 MILLION DEDICATED TO LAND ACQUISITION HAS BEEN OPENED.

SO THEIR CURRENT APPLICANTS, UM, FOR THAT, AND ACTUALLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS ALSO NOTED THAT THERE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF USING SOME OF THAT MONEY TO BUY A MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEX OR AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR LONG THE ONE OF THE CORRIDORS.

UM, I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IT IS.

I, THEY DIDN'T IDENTIFY THAT.

UM, THE OTHER BIG THING FROM THE LAST MEETING WAS THAT THE CAC SEND A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT

[02:25:01]

THE QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO WAIT? AND, UM, LIKE WE KNOW THE MARKET, YOU KNOW, FOR LAND ACQUISITION IS, YOU KNOW, THE LAND PRICES ARE JUST GOING TO INCREASE.

UH, AND ALSO THE PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING THE EQUITY TOOL THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE CAC, UM, TO THIS, UH, DISBURSE THAT MONEY.

DO YOU GET A SENSE, UM, WHAT IS YOUR SENSE ABOUT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, 300 MILLION IS EITHER A LOT OF MONEY OR A LITTLE MONEY WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, DEPENDING UPON THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM OR HOW MUCH YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE THOSE DOLLARS TO, TO ADDRESS IT.

BUT A THIRD OF A BILLION DOLLARS IS A TON.

AND DO YOU, DO YOU GET A SENSE OF, OF, OF HOW, WHERE THE BEST OUTCOMES WHEN IT COMES TO PRESERVING HOUSING AND MITIGATING DISPLACEMENT, DO YOU GET A SENSE OF WHERE THE BEST OUTCOMES WOULD BE? DO YOU, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT MONEY IS BEST INVESTED, JUST ACQUIRING AFFORDABLE UNITS OR ACQUIRING OR, AND, OR CREATING AFFORDABLE UNITS, UM, OR, OR, OR WHAT I MEAN, OR ARE THERE OTHER, ARE THERE OTHER INTERVENTIONS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE DOLLARS THAT, THAT COULD OCCUR, THAT COULD PRODUCE SUPERIOR OUTCOMES WHEN IT COMES TO ANTIDEM DISPLACES? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING AND THAT'S WHERE WE COME TO ACQUIRING AND PRESERVING A LOW-INCOME HOUSING.

AND ALSO, AGAIN, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WAS WORKING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOW-INCOME HOUSING.

FROM THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE BETWEEN LAST, OUR LAST MEETING AND THIS ONE COMMISSIONER , UH, EXCUSE ME.

AND THANKS, OF COURSE, FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING, DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE

[4C. Update from the Housing Investment Review Committee (HIRC) (Commissioner Deshotel)]

NO, WE DON'T.

UH, WE MEET QUARTERLY SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY, AND, UM, YEAH, ON THAT NOTE, UH, WELL, W WE CAN GET, WE CAN GET TO THAT IN JUST A BIT.

AND FINALLY, UH, VICE CHAIR, IS THERE ANY UPDATE FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT

[4D. Update from the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board (SCWAB) (Vice Chair Paup)]

ADVISORY BOARD, YOU MAY BE MUTED VICE CHAIR, AND WE LOST YOUR VIDEO.

THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD DIDN'T MEET, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO COMMISSIONER WOODS AND COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, AND I WERE ABLE TO, UH, GET INVITED TO GO WITH ONE OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL BOARD MEMBERS TO A MEETING SHE HAD SCHEDULED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO.

AND W WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHING REALLY SPECIFIC TO TELL YOU, BUT I, I, THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THE AFFORDABILITY PART AND HOW TO INCREASE THAT FROM THE 4% IT'S CURRENTLY PLANNED ON THE FIRST DEVELOPMENT GOING FORWARD AREA.

I DUNNO, COMMISSIONER WAS THERE COMMISSIONER THOMPSON? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ABOUT THAT MEETING? SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOOD.

I, I, I WONDER, UM, WITH, UH, DID, WAS CA THIS WAS WHEN YOU SPOKE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, WERE YOU ABLE TO SEE IF SHE WAS AWARE OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU AUTHORED IN THIS BUDDY? UH, PAST? YEAH, SHE WAS, SHE PULLED IT UP DURING THE MEETING AND STARTED ASKING ABOUT PARTICULAR PARTS OF IT.

OKAY, FANTASTIC.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO DO THAT, TO, TO MEET AND, UH, AND TALK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO.

UM, DO LET'S SEE, LET'S MOVE

[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, YES, UH, COMMISSIONER I'M READY FOR THAT PART SO WE CAN TURN.

UM, SO I DO SEE THAT I HAD REQUESTED FOR HAKA THAT HE S THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO COME.

AND I WANT TO CHECK WITH STAFF IF THAT, UM, WAS, IF THAT INVITE WAS SENT OUT TO THEM.

I KNOW THAT, UH, OUR, OUR MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING, CAUSE JANUARY, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING.

UM, I STATED THAT, UH, I NEEDED TO GET AN

[02:30:01]

UPDATE.

WELL, THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AN UPDATE ON THE, UM, CHALMERS, UM, COURTS, WHICH, UM, I THINK THEY'RE CALLED CHALMERS AND PATHWAY.

THEY, THEY NAMED RENAMED THE CHALMERS COURTS, BUT I NEED AN UPDATE FROM HACA ON THAT PROPERTY, AS WELL AS ROSEWOOD PROPERTY.

I KNOW THE GROUNDBREAKING IS, IS GOING TO BE COMING SOON, AS WELL AS, UM, SANTA RITA COURTS.

AND SO LISA, IF YOU'RE STILL ON THE LINE, UM, COULD I GET, UM, A RESPONSE? DID MY GERBER EVER RESPOND? I KNOW I HAVE A MEETING WITH HIM AND THE FOLLOWING WEEK DUE TO COMPLAINTS, UH, ABOUT THESE, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

SO I'LL JUMP IN AND JUST MENTIONED THAT, UM, IN THE ABSENCE OF A MEETING IN JANUARY, THAT OUR AGENDA WAS SUPER PACKED.

AND SO WE TRIED TO PICK THE ITEMS THAT WERE MOST TIME SENSITIVE, UH, AND THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED BY MEANS OF PRESENTATION.

UM, OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT, UH, WE WERE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERAL UPDATE AROUND GROUNDBREAKING AT A TIMELINE, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT IF IT WERE, UH, UH, THEY DIDN'T SEEM LIKE AN EMERGENCY, THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT HE COULD, HE COULD SEND AN EMAIL, BUT THEN WE DIDN'T WANT TO NECESSARILY LOSE THE OPTION TO HAVE A PRESENTATION.

UH, SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, UH, ME SUGGESTING THAT TO KEEP THIS MEETING AS TIGHT AS WE COULD.

UM, AND ALSO SO THAT WE COULD VISIT THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS THE SUSTAINABILITY HUBS.

WE DID THAT.

UM, SO, UH, THAT, HOWEVER, COUPLED WITH, UH, SEEMS LIKE, UH, SO PATHWAYS AT CHALMERS, SANTA RITA AND ROSEWOOD, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, YOU'D LIKE, UH, SOME INFORMATION ON, IF YOU, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT WHEN YOU MEET WITH MIKE, THAT MAYBE YOU ASK HIM FOR, UH, AN EMAIL UPDATE, UH, SO THAT WHEN YOU GET IT, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH, UH, WITH, UH, JESSE AND HE CAN SHARE IT ALL, UH, OUT WITH US, UM, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOUR QUESTIONS ARE VERY, UH, SPECIFIC AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR ALL OF US TO SEE THOSE ANSWERS.

SO I, IF YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DO THAT, RIGHT, THAT'S GOOD.

THAT'S GREAT.

BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS CAME TO THIS COMMISSION EVERY YEAR AND IT'S GIVEN US AN UPDATE ON, UH, THEIR FACILITIES AND BECAUSE THEY ARE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY HAVE CHANGED TO MIX USE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THERE'S SOME, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED.

AND I THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION NEEDS TO KNOW THOSE CHANGES, UH, ESPECIALLY, UM, IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT THEY SERVE.

ALSO.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, AS WE GET COMPLAINTS AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE WAITING ON THE WAITING LIST FOR SECTION EIGHT AND PUBLIC HOUSING.

I THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION, UM, NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HOLD THOSE AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT GETTING OUR FUNDING, EVEN IF WE DON'T OVERSIGHT THEM.

UM, WE, IT'S STILL, UM, AN ENTITY THAT'S IN THE CITY THAT IS USING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND GETTING A FEDERAL GRANT MONEY, MAYBE NOT FROM US, MAYBE STRAIGHT FROM FEDS, BUT WE NEED TO BE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING, UH, REAL, THE REAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.

AND THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, HAKA COMES AND PRESENTS TO THE COMMISSION AND THAT WE ALSO HAVE IT RECORDED.

UM, SO HE ALSO CAN SHOW THAT HE'S DOING HIS, UH, YOU KNOW, GOOD DILIGENCE BY COMING TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO COUNCIL OR TO CITY HALL, ANOTHER, UM, AGENDA ITEM.

I THINK I'VE ASKED BEFORE IS THE RBJ ELDERLY FACILITY.

I RECEIVED A ZONING CHANGE, UH, FOR THAT AREA.

I KNOW THAT WE RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM THEM TWO YEARS AGO.

ONE MORE AFTER THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, REBECCA GALLO.

I HAVE A PARTICULAR CASE THAT HAS BEEN, UH, ON MY BACK BURNER, UH, THE CASE THAT HAS TO DO, AND LISA RODRIGUEZ, I BROUGHT THIS TO HER ATTENTION.

I ALSO CALLED YOU CHAIR, UH, TO ASK, TO PUT THIS, UM, AGENDA ITEM SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR THE YOLANDA RENDON CASE, UH, FOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, THERE'S A DISCREPANCY, THERE'S SOME LEGAL ACTION.

THEY WANT TO COME TO THE BOARD AND THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

SO I HAVE THREE REQUESTS FOR AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU.

TOLD, DID IT LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR HAND MODERATELY RAISED? OKAY.

UM, YEAH, LOUD AND CLEAR.

LET'S MAYBE HAVE A PHONE CONVERSATION OR AN EMAIL CONVERSATION AND MAKE SURE WE GET, UH, YOU WHAT YOU NEED ON THE NEXT AGENDA.

UM, AND SORT OUT MAYBE, WHICH WERE THE ONES MAYBE BEST FOR A ONE-OFF SIDEBAR AND FOR PRESENTATION PURPOSES.

I APPRECIATE IT.

COMMISSIONER, IT'LL GO.

UM, AND, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, THOUGHTS ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I HAVE A FEW AS WELL THAT I I'D LIKE TO SHARE.

UH, I SEE COMMISSIONER GARRETT.

AND WAS IT COMMISSIONER JESSICA

[02:35:01]

COMMISSIONER GARRETT, UM, KIND OF A REQUEST AND ASK, UM, WHAT HAVE WE PREVIOUSLY DONE? THIS IS NOT GOING TO MY BEGINNING OF MY SECOND YEAR AROUND BUDGET.

UM, I THINK WE'VE ALL GOT THE EMAIL FROM THE CITY AROUND, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TOWARDS THE UPCOMING BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WANTED TO CREATE, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE BUDGET.

YES, I THINK THAT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA.

I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE EARLY HEADS UP, UH, FROM STEPHANIE AROUND THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, FOR 2022 AND 2023.

AND I'M OPEN TO THOUGHTS ON HOW WE MAY DO THAT, HOW WE MAY GET OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT REALLY, UH, UH, SORT OF THAT EMBODIES THE SHARED ETHIC OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND PRIORITIES, UH, ESPECIALLY AS ITERATED THROUGH THE FOLKS WHO WERE REPRESENTING AND THE COMMUNITIES WHO WE'RE REPRESENTING.

SO I'M OPEN TO IDEAS IF THAT IDEA, UM, MEANS, YOU KNOW, A WORKING GROUP, UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN SO BE IT, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY GREAT FOR US AS A COMMISSION TO HAVE THIS, UH, TO DEVELOP THIS CHEMISTRY, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC, TO HAVE OUR EYE ON THE BALL AT THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR.

SO OPEN TO THOUGHTS AND, UH, UM, IF, IF THAT MEANS A SIDEBAR DISCUSSION BEFORE NEXT MEETING.

AT THE NEXT MEETING AS WELL.

UH, SO THAT NEXT MEETING, WE CREATE THE COMMITTEE, UH, AND PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA OR IF IT MEANS JUST A REALLY LONG SIDEBAR DISCUSSION, THEN THAT SOUNDS GREAT TOO.

UM, I GUESS, I MEAN, WE COULD DO A WORKING COMMITTEE IF THERE'S OTHER FOLKS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JOINING WITH ME AND THEN, CAUSE I THINK THAT, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DUE THE END OF MARCH FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO WE WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT NEXT MEETING.

CORRECT.

YEAH, THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.

WE'D HAVE TO APPROVE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'D HAVE TO APPROVE IT NEXT MEETING.

I THINK, UM, IF THAT'S THE CASE, UH, I'LL, I'LL LOOK AT YOU JESSE TO SEE.

CAN I TALK, IS THAT, UH, IF, IF IT'S NOT A POSTED AGENDA ITEM, AM I ABLE TO SOLICIT WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CREATING AN AD HOC WORK GROUP AT THIS POINT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UH, UH, WELL, IT DOES, IT, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE TO BE CLEAR, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE DISCUSSION OR VOTE.

SO, UM, IS ANYBODY INTERESTED, UH, IN, IN, UH, IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER LES, I'M ALSO INTERESTED.

SO, UH, JESSE, IF, IF YOU COULD, UH, HELP, UH, HELPED ME, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH THE THREE OF US, UH, SUCH THAT, UH, WE CAN FORM, I GUESS, THE, THE SKELETAL, UM, FOUNDATION OF A, OF A WORKING GROUP AND SEE WHERE WE CAN GO FROM THERE AS FAR AS DISTILLING OUT A RECOMMENDATIONS.

THANKS SO MUCH, KENDRA.

I MEAN, COMMISSIONER GARRETT, UM, ANY OTHERS? WELL, THE THREE THAT I HAVE, UH, ARE, YOU KNOW, FIRST AROUND THE, THE HERC, THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVELY DISSOLVED AFTER THE LAST MEETING BECAUSE IT'S BEING RESET, UH, IN AS MUCH AS ITS MEMBERSHIP, UH, AND, UH, HOW, UH, MEMBERS WILL BE APPOINTED.

SO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME VISIBILITY INTO THAT.

I DON'T KNOW WHO ON STAFF, WE MAY BE DISCUSSING THAT WITH WHETHER IT'S JAMIE MAY OR WHETHER IT MAY BE, UH, ERICA OR SOMEONE ELSE IN HOUSING AND PLANNING, BUT, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SORT OF UP TO DATE, UH, AS, AS, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE ALREADY INTO THE QUARTER HERE.

AND, UH, I BELIEVE THAT HERC WAS DISSOLVED AFTER DECEMBER, UH, AND OR THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF IT WAS DISSOLVED AS IT WAS.

UM, SO THAT'S ONE.

THE OTHER IS, UH, AROUND, UH, EXPLORING, UH, I THINK WHAT WAS PARTICULARLY SALIENT, IT SEEMED LIKE FOR A LOT OF US, UM, WAS THE NOTION THAT DURING DANIEL'S PRESENTATION AROUND CODE AND MOLD, UH, THAT RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FUNDS AND IN GENERAL, UH, THE HOUSING REPAIR PROGRAMS, UH, BE BOLSTERED, UM, TO UNIQUELY, UH, TO HELP COMBATING, UH, UM, ISSUES THAT CAUSE MOLD.

UH, AND SO MAYBE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SEE JESSE, IF YOU COULD FIND OUT WHO THE BEST STAFF CONTACTS IN HOUSING AND PLANNING MIGHT BE, UH, TO POTENTIALLY SET UP AN AGENDA ITEM, OR JUST HAVE A DISCUSSION TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE INCORPORATE THAT, THAT, THAT FEEDBACK IS BEING INCORPORATED INTO EVERY ELEMENT OF, OF THESE PROGRAMS. SOME OF WHICH OF COURSE ARE UNDER OUR PURVIEW.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR THE EQUITABLE, EQUITABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, TO BE DISCUSSED

[02:40:01]

SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON OUR RADAR, UH, AND I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE WE CAN GET THAT ONE ONTO THE APRIL AGENDA IF WE LIKED, BUT ANYTHING ELSE.

WELL, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF, UH, ADAM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SUPPORTING US IN A V JESSE.

UM, YOU'RE HERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS WHO SHUT UP IN PERSON AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ONLINE, UH, IT'S HARD WORK, UH, TO BE A VOLUNTEER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S LATE AT NIGHT.

AND WE HAVE FAMILIES WE LOVE THANKS TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR SORTING OUT WAYS TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF IN-PERSON, UH, ATTENDANCE, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC.

UH, AND, UH, WITH THAT SAID, I WISH EVERYBODY A GREAT NIGHT AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.

THIS, UH, I HEREBY ADJOURN.

UH, YES, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR.

OH, I WAS JUST WAVING GOODBYE.

OH YEAH.