[Special City Council on February 8, 2022.]
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SPECIAL CALL TODAY HERE ON FEBRUARY 8TH, 2022.
WE'RE MEETING HERE AT THE, UH, UH, CONVENTION CENTER.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT FEELS GOOD TO BE DOING THIS MANAGER A SECOND TIME, UH, TO, TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT DOING INITIALLY IS THAT NEW TED WARN COUNCIL WAS COMING IN AND GOT FITS AND STARTS, BUT YOU WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
UH, AND CERTAINLY IT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE'VE NOW SEEN IT RIPPLE THROUGH OUR PROCESS AND ACTUALLY IMPACT HOW WE'VE ORGANIZED THINGS AND WHERE WE'VE SPENT, UH, SPEND SPEND DOLLARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I'M REAL APPRECIATIVE OF THE FACT THAT AS A COUNCIL, WE SAT HOMELESSNESS AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND IN THAT INTERVENING TIME, UH, THAT REALLY HAS BEEN THE FOCUS WE'VE RAISED WHAT OVER 400 OF A 500 VIA DOLLARS TO MAKE THAT SABET PLAN WORK.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL FINISH THAT FUNDRAISE HERE AND, UH, DEAL WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS FRONT AND CENTER OF SO MANY CONVERSATIONS, BUT I THINK WE DO SEE IT RIPPLE THROUGH SO A VALUABLE PROCESS.
THANKS FOR TAKING US THROUGH IT AGAIN.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
UH, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN THIS VENUE.
I KNOW IT'S A, STILL A BIG SPACE, UH, BUT, UH, THAT'S HOW WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY IN A COUPLE MORE MONTHS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE BACK IN OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WORK SESSION ROOM.
UH, IT DOESN'T WANT TO ECHO THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS THAT THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A INCREDIBLY VALUABLE PROCESS FOR MYSELF, UH, FOR STAFF, UH, AND TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S ALIGNMENT AND SHARED EXPECTATIONS AROUND HOW WE LOOK AT OUR PRIORITIES, UH, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, UH, IT HAS REALLY ALLOWED US TO NOT ONLY DEVELOP BUDGETS THAT HAVE BEEN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE PRIORITIES, BUT ALSO HOW WE ORGANIZE OURSELVES AND OUR STAFF.
AND FROM THE ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, HOW WE FOCUS OUR TIME AND ENERGY, WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE CRITICAL NEEDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT GOING THROUGH THESE EXERCISES REALLY HELP US ESTABLISH WHAT IS THE TOP OF MIND FOR THIS COUNCIL.
AND, UH, AS NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS COME ON BOARD, AND, UH, WE WELCOME OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER WHO IS ON DAY TWO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL INPUT AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'RE TAKING TO, UH, HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS.
WE ARE APPROACHING OUR MOST CHALLENGING BUDGET, UH, THIS COMING YEAR.
UH, AS WE KNOW THAT WE ARE LIMITED BY SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO RAISE REVENUES, UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS WITH ALL THREE OF OUR LABOR ASSOCIATIONS AROUND THEIR FUTURE CONTRACTS.
UH, AND WE HAVE OTHER VERY PRESSING NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND BY STARTING THIS PROCESS EARLY IN THE YEAR AND HAVING THE DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT ARE THOSE KEY PRIORITIES THAT COUNCIL WANTS TO MAKE US CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON IS REALLY GOING TO BE VALUABLE FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD A BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THAT REFLECTS THOSE PRIORITIES.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR STAFF ATTENTION ON WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION.
I THANK YOU AGAIN AND THANK THE TEAM FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CARRIE LANE WHO WILL WALK US THROUGH OUR AGENDA CARRY GOOD MORNING.
UM, I AM CARRIE LANG THE BUDGET OFFICER FOR THE CITY.
AND, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TODAY FOR COMING TOGETHER TODAY AND HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, WE WILL START OUT DOING THE RECAP OF, UM, THE OCTOBER WORKSHOP AND THEN ELEVATE WE'LL LOOK AT THE ELEVATED INDICATORS THAT YOU ALL REVIEWED AND, AND DISCUSS OVER THE POLL THAT THE SURVEY THAT WAS SENT OUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'LL HAVE AN EXERCISE, OUR FUTURE HEADLINES WE'LL REVIEW THE POLL INFORMATION, THEN KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET NEXT STEPS, AND THEN STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND IMAGINE AUSTIN INTEGRATION.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE, UM, RECAP FOR OCTOBER, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE WALKED THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE WORK THAT WE USE TO DEVELOP THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW WE OPERATIONALIZE THAT PLAN AS A, AS AN ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING OUR FRAMEWORK AND OUR STRUCTURE.
WE THEN WALKED THROUGH EACH OF THE STRATEGIC OUTCOMES, SHOWING HIS BUDGET, ALIGNMENTS PERFORMANCE UPDATES AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE TODAY IN EACH STRATEGIC OUTCOME.
UM, AND SO AS WE LOOK AT TODAY AND WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO COVER TODAY, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS IN TODAY'S
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WORKSHOP, HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES AND HOW THEY ALIGNED WITH THE LAST FISCAL YEAR OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE COMMUNICATION THAT I SENT OUT ON YESTERDAY.I INCLUDED THIS, UM, COMPARISON.
AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GO OVER THIS A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, WE ASKED YOU ALL TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY AND THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE, IT REALLY SHOWS, UM, THE CURRENT TOP 10 INDICATORS, THE NUMBER AS WELL AS THE INDICATORS THAT WERE, UM, ELEVATED OR THERE RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER TO BE CONSIDERED AS A FUNDING PRIORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
AND IT INCLUDES THE NUMBER OF METRICS FOR EACH OF THOSE INDICATORS.
LARRY SCHOOLER WILL KIND OF WALK US THROUGH THIS A LITTLE MORE AS WE GO THROUGH THE POLLING, BUT I WANT TO KIND OF LET YOU ALL SEE WHAT WE SAW FROM THIS HEAT MAP, AS FAR AS THE COMPARISONS OF THE 10 INDICATORS AND THE NEWLY RESPONDED INDICATORS.
UM, THE FIRST COLUMN THAT YOU WILL SEE SHOWS THE TOP 10 INDICATORS BY, UM, WITH THE NUMBER OF METRICS FOR EACH ONE AND THE COLOR CODED ON THERE SHOWS HOW MANY OF THOSE METRICS.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EXAMPLE, ACCESSIBILITY TO AN EQUITY OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CHOICES, THERE ARE NINE TOTAL MEASURES.
56% OF THOSE MEASURES ARE EITHER ON TRACK OR AT TARGET.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT THIS, THIS, UM, THIS PAGE IS SHOWING YOU AS FAR AS THE COMPARISONS OF THE TWO.
AND THEN YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE SOME OF THE MEASURES OF THE TOP 10 THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE RUST COLOR.
THOSE MEASURES WERE RECOMMENDED BY AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE POLL TO CONSIDER REMOVING AS A FUNDING PRIORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
WE WILL LOOP BACK AROUND TO THIS, TO THIS INFORMATION, THIS MEASURE ON THIS PAGE LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT WE'LL START OUT HAVING THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'LL TALK THROUGH THE SURVEY RESULTS AND, UM, ALLOW FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE SOME DIALOGUE ABOUT HOW WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
YES, MA'AM COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
CAN YOU, UM, EXPLAIN ON UNDER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY? UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S THREE LISTINGS, SEVEN, EIGHT, AND SIX, AND THE NUMBER OF METRICS AND THEN THE PERCENTAGES 75% AND 83%, BUT THERE'S NOTHING OVER ON THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN.
WHEREAS THE OTHERS ABOVE IT IS THAT BECAUSE THERE'S THREE OF THEM.
WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR THAT IN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT? AS FAR AS THE, SO ON THE, THE SECOND COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS AT THE TOP, IT SAYS INDICATOR RESPONSES IN THE POLL.
THAT JUST MEANS THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE INDICATOR IN THE POLL UNDER THAT OUTCOME.
AND SO, AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT AGAIN, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY, THE CURRENT TOP 10 LIST HAS THREE INDICATORS IN THE OUTCOME, THE NEWLY ELEVATED, OR THE, THE ONES WITH RESPONSES FROM THE POLL ONLY HAD ONE IN THE OUTCOME.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, HOMELESSNESS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THE INDICATOR RESPONSES IN POLE.
SO IT'S JUST CIERA OR IT'S JUST BLANK.
IS THAT WHEN YOU ALL, UM, RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY, YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD ANY INDICATORS THAT WERE NOT ALREADY IN THE TOP 10.
SO THESE, THE SECOND COLUMN ONLY REPRESENTS IF ANOTHER INDICATOR WITH ADDED OUT OF THAT OUTCOME.
JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT.
SO HOMELESSNESS IS STILL AN INDICATOR IS JUST NOT A NEW ONE.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? CORRECT.
HOMELESSNESS IS ONE OF THE EXISTING TOP 10 INDICATORS.
YOU'RE JUST INDICATING ON THIS, THAT THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING NEW ADDED TO THAT AREA.
SO THIS CURRENT LIST IS A LIST OF THE EXISTING INDICATORS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE WITH SD.
AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS COMPARE THIS CURRENT LIST TO THE LIST THAT WAS ADDED WHEN YOU ALL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE POLL TO ADD ANY OTHER INDICATORS TO THE CONVERSATION FOR FUNDING PRIORITIES.
BUT IT'S NOT TAKING A W I MEAN, I, WHEN I DID THIS, I ASSUMED THAT WE WERE KEEPING HOMELESSNESS.
WE DID NOT HAVE TO ADD IT BECAUSE IT'S CURRENTLY IN THE TOP 10.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND, CAUSE I'M NOT SURE I DO.
IF, IF EIGHT PEOPLE WANTED HOMELESSNESS TO STAY AT THE TOP, TED, IS THAT WHAT THIS IS SAYING? EIGHT PEOPLE WANTED IT TO STAY.
THIS IS SAYING THAT THIS CURRENT COLUMN IS THE EXISTING TOP 10 LIST.
WE DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE TOP 10 LIST AT ALL.
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WE'RE SHOWING THE TOP 10 LIST WITH THE, UM, NUMBER OF METRICS FOR EACH OF THE TOP 10, AS WELL AS THE PERCENT THAT IS NEAR OR ON TRACK FOR THE TOP 10.THAT SECOND COLUMN, IF YOU GO OVER TO THE INDICATOR RESPONSES IN THE POLL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN ADDING AN ADDITIONAL OR A DIFFERENT INDICATOR TO THE DISCUSSION, THAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THAT TO THE DISCUSSION.
AND SO THERE WERE EIGHT INDICATORS THAT WERE ADDED THAT WERE NOT A PART OF THE TOP 10 THAT WE ARE COMPARING IN THIS SLIDE.
DO WE HAVE A FEEL OR HOW, BECAUSE ONE OF THE CHOICES WE HAD WAS TO SAY WHETHER WE WANTED SOMETHING TO STAY IN THE TOP 10 THAT WERE IN THE TOP 10.
AND WE WILL, WE WILL COVER THAT.
THAT'S PART OF THE INFORMATION THAT LARRY WILL COVER AS WE GO THROUGH THE POLL AS A WHOLE, BUT THE TOP 10 INDICATORS ARE ALL LISTED BASED ON YOUR RESPONSES OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT THEM TO STAY RIGHT THERE.
SO NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LARRY WHO WILL FACILITATE THE REMAINDER OF THIS CONVERSATION.
CARRIE, CARRIE GIVES IT TO LARRY.
I MEAN, EVEN FOR THIS SPACE, THAT'S A LITTLE FEEBLE.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY VERY TIRED.
SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO WAKE YOU UP A LITTLE BIT.
I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BUSINESS.
SO I HAVE TO ENGAGE YOU A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S MY HONOR TO BE BACK, THANKS TO THE CITY MANAGER, TO CARRIE, TO THE TEAM FOR ASKING ME TO FACILITATE ONCE AGAIN FOR YOU ALL IN CASE ANYBODY OTHER THAN THE FOLKS AT THE TABLE DON'T KNOW ME.
I'M LARRY SCHOOLER, FACILITATOR AND FACULTY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
SO TO BEGIN AT, RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF IN THE LAST MONTH YOU HAVE PICKED UP A REGULAR NEWSPAPER, LIKE HELD A NEWSPAPER IN YOUR HAND, AN IMPRESSIVE SHOWING.
IF I DID THIS AT THE UNIVERSITY, THE RESULT WOULD BE ZERO.
UM, BUT I WANT YOU TO DRAW UPON THAT EXPERIENCE FOR THE BEGINNING OF OUR WORK TOGETHER TODAY.
BECAUSE AS WE ENGAGE THE CONVERSATION AROUND PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR, I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER WHAT HEADLINE YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ, BE IT IN THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN OR THE MONITOR, OR THE TOP STORY ON KUT, UH, ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2023.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE REPORTED THAT WOULD DEMONSTRATE TO YOU THAT AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU HAVE DONE EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL WORK IN THIS LAST BUDGET CYCLE.
SO I'VE JUST POSTED A FEW PAST HEADLINES UP ON THE SCREEN TO BE ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE FACT THAT HEADLINES ARE BOLD.
LITERALLY THEY'RE IN BOLD TYPE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY'RE BOLDLY STATED, UH, THEY OFTEN HAVE SOME DRAMATIC EFFECT, BUT THEY ALSO CONVEY SOMETHING VERY MOMENTOUS, SOMETHING IMPORTANT, SOMETHING BIG.
AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE IS TO DEVELOP A HEADLINE FOR THE PAPER ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2023, THAT WOULD MAKE YOU PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AS A CITY COUNCIL.
THAT WOULD BE AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE LIKELY TO CELEBRATE.
AND THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE BY OCTOBER 1ST, 2023.
SO IT'S OKAY TO DREAM BIG, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO DO IT WITH AN EYE TOWARDS WHAT THE NEXT 18 MONTHS COULD REALISTICALLY DELIVER.
AND SO THESE BULLET POINTS ON THE LEFT ABOUT WHAT MAKES A GOOD HEADLINE, JUST COME FROM THE JOURNALISM WORLD THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE NUMBERS TO GIVE SOME CONCRETE TAKEAWAYS, USE SOME SORT OF EMOTIONAL OBJECTIVES, USE THE WHAT, WHY, HOW, OR WHEN, AND MAKE SOME SORT OF AUDACIOUS PROMISE AS TO WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THE ARTICLE THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO READ.
SO IN JUST A MINUTE, I WASN'T ABLE TO SCARE UP BLANK NEWSPRINT.
UH, SO WE'RE BACK TO THE FACILITATOR'S BEST FRIEND, THE STICKY FLIP CHART.
SO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE ONE PAGE OF FLIP CHART.
YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A SHARPIE MARKER AGAIN, A FACILITATOR'S BEST FRIEND.
AND WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES IS IN LARGE FONT, MEANING WRITING LARGELY WRITE A HEADLINE THAT YOU'D LOVE TO PICK UP THE PAPER ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2023, AND READ THAT WOULD REPRESENT A VICTORY FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL IN THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU CAN WRITE MORE THAN ONE HEADLINE, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO WRITE BIG ENOUGH SO THAT AS THE PAGES ARE DISPLAYED ON THIS WALL, THEY'RE RELATIVELY LEGIBLE.
SO IF YOU NEED A SECOND, UH, NEWSPAPER, SO TO SPEAK, WE CAN CERTAINLY ACCOMMODATE THAT.
I THINK I HAVE 30 PAGES FOR A COUNCIL OF 11, SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE EXTRA PAPER, BUT THE IMPORTANCE, THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO WRITE AT A SIZE AND WITH A CONCISE AMOUNT OF WORDS SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING,
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BUT CAN ALSO SEE IT FROM A DISTANCE.AND AGAIN, THIS IS A THOUGHT EXERCISE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO FEEL BOUND BY ANY OF THESE HEADLINES.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE CALLING THE STATESMAN AFTER THIS AND TELLING THEM WHAT TO PRINT ON OCTOBER 1, 20, 23, OR WHAT WE INTEND FOR THEM TO PRINT.
BUT I HOPE THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO REENTER THIS CONVERSATION AROUND PRIORITIZATION IN A WAY THAT WILL, UH, LEAVE AN INDELIBLE BARK ON YOUR IMAGINATIONS AS WE PROCEED.
SO, UH, THE PAPERS ARE COMING AROUND AND AS I SAY, I'LL GIVE YOU ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MINUTES TO WRITE INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THEN WE'LL ASK FOLKS TO SHARE THEIR HEADLINES WITH THE GROUP.
WE WILL THEN PUT THEM UP AND USE THEM THROUGHOUT THE REST OF OUR TIME TOGETHER.
ANY QUESTIONS I ALSO SHOULD SAY A SPECIAL WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER, WHO I HAVEN'T HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING.
AND, UH, ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY WHAT I SAID IN OCTOBER, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SAY ANYTIME I HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE IN FRONT OF THIS GROUP, WHICH IS, BUT NOT ONLY AM I PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH YOU ALL ON THIS PROJECT, BUT I'M PRIVILEGED THAT MY FAMILY CAN CALL AUSTIN HOME AND THAT YOU ALL DO SUCH A GOOD JOB OF TAKING CARE OF THE CITY FOR US.
UH, WE SHOULD ALMOST BE COMPLETE WITH EVERYONE HAVING THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES, SO HAVE AT IT PLEASE.
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UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN YOU LOOP THE THEME, YOU DON'T GET THE BOOM AT THE END TO SIGNIFY THAT IT'S TIME TO STOP.UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A HEADLINE FIRST? THAT'S PART OF WHAT DOES, SO ONE OF THE HEADLINES I HAVE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF FROM NOW IS THAT AUSTIN HOUSES 1000 RESIDENTS, AUSTIN HOUSES, 1000 RESIDENTS, RECKLESS, I WOULD SAY GREAT MINDS.
ONE SAYS A THOUSAND HOMELESS PEOPLE FIND HOME.
HOLY CANNOLI, WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE FOR CHEATING ON EACH OTHER'S PAPER, BUT WOW.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO 2, 6, 12.
SO THE FIRST ONE SAYS, COUNCIL, AUSTIN'S EMERALD NECKLACE COMPLAINT.
AUSTIN'S EMERALD NECKLACE COMPLETE.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, AND WE REALLY DO HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US.
AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE SAYS CITY SOLVES CLIMATE CRISIS, EXISTENTIAL THREAT ACKNOWLEDGED ADDRESSED BY FOCUSED ACTION.
SO THE EMERALD NECKLACE AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS AS THE TWO HEADLINES, CAUSE MARYELLA'S, I WROTE AUSTIN TACKLES BIG ISSUES STAYS WEIRD.
AS THE WEIRDEST PERSON, I KNOW I AM EXCITED ABOUT THAT HEADLINE STAVES, WEIRD COUNCIL MEMBER, A RENTER, IT OFTEN MET THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GO.
AUSTIN MET THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOAL.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBA BEHIND ALL MY COMPUTERS.
I ALSO HAD ONE ABOUT HOUSING, BUT I DID NOT HAVE A SNAPPY LANGUAGE AS SNAPPY HEADLINE LANGUAGE, BUT WE'RE IN SYNC ON THAT.
UM, I ALSO HAD AUSTIN, UH, RESILIENCE NETWORKS IN PLACE THROUGHOUT CITY RESILIENCE.
AND, UH, GUN-RELATED CRIMES DROPPED TO RECORD LOW GUN-RELATED CRIMES, DROPPED A RECORD LOW MAYOR GIVEN THAT, UH, NEXT OCTOBER I'LL BE A CONSTITUENT AND SIGNING PETITIONS AND SHOWING UP ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION FOR NEXT OCTOBER.
I HAD FOR EVERYONE HOUSING FOR EVERYONE, UH, EMOTION FOR A SPECIAL BUZZER FOR THE FUTURE CONSTITUENTS.
I HAD A BEST EMPLOYER IN TOWN, CITY OF LA CITY OF AUSTIN, BEST EMPLOYER.
AND THEN I ALSO HAD AUSTIN, A MODEL FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
WHO HAVE I NOT HEARD FROM? THAT WOULD LIKE TO SHARE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR TEAM COMES FROM A REVEALING.
I HAVE A HANDFUL LAST HOMELESS PERSON, LAST HOMELESS PERSON HOUSED, UH, SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION, ACCELERATES SIDEWALK, CONSTRUCTION, ACCELERATES PARKS, SLATED TO OPEN WORKS AND THEN LIGHT RAIL CONSTRUCTION ON SCHEDULE.
OH, I LIKE THE SUN TO THAT IS THE SECOND DAY.
UH, MS. SERGEANT COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, KELLY ASKED IF I WOULD SHARE HERS AND ALONG THE THEME OF HOMELESSNESS, SHE HAS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF AUSTIN'S UNHOUSED TO WANT HOUSING HABIT.
AND SHE MIGHT'VE HAD A LITTLE HELP WITH THIS ONE, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITY CUSTOMERS
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CONTINUE TO BE AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. EXCELLENT.INSPIRATION COMES FROM ALL CORNERS.
AT THIS POINT, I THINK I MAY HAVE HEARD FROM EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, IS ANYBODY SITTING ON A HEADLINE? THEY HAVEN'T SHARED YET.
ALL RIGHT, WELL THIS IS THE CALISTHENICS PORTION ONE REAL QUICK.
I ALSO HAD RENT PRICES AT RECORD, LOW RENT.
DID YOU SAY RENT PRICES AT RECORD LOW? I LIKE THE SON OF THAT BY THE WAY, COMES FROM REVEAL.
IF WE CAN TALK AFTERWARDS ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, BUT YES, RENT PRICES ARE AT RECORD LOWS.
THE CALISTHENICS PORTION IS TO TAKE YOUR HEADLINES AND PLEASE ARRAY THEM HERE ON THE WALL, PREFERABLY SOMEWHERE KIND OF BETWEEN THESE TWO DOORS SO THAT ALL CAN VIEW THEM.
AND THAT WAY WE'LL BE ABLE TO REFERENCE THEM AS WE CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION.
SO AT YOUR LEISURE DO EXACTLY AS COUNSEL, REMEMBER FLINT IS JUST DEAD.
CAN THEY BOND REFERENDUM PAY FOR A MORE ADHESIVE CONVENTION CENTER WALL? THAT'S RIGHT.
WE'LL GET SOME, OH, WE'RE GOING TO TAPE SPLENDID.
WELL, AS YOU LISTENED TO THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM OF THE GROUP, AND AS YOU ARE VIEWING IT, PERILOUSLY, DANGLING FROM THE WALL, UM, WHAT, IF ANYTHING STOOD OUT TO YOU EITHER TRENDS EITHER WHAT'S NOT UP THERE, UH, SOME ELEMENTS OF THE HEADLINES THAT YOU NOTICED, WHAT, IF ANYTHING STOOD OUT TO YOU AS YOU LISTENED AND, AND SEE THEM BEHIND ME COMES FROM A POOL.
UM, MOSTLY THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE BEEN LABORING OVER FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND NOT JUST THIS COUNCIL, BUT COUNCILS BEFORE US HOMELESSNESS, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOT A NEW ISSUE AS WE ALL KNOW.
SO I THINK THERE IS SOME OPTIMISM THAT WE HAVE MADE AN IMPACT AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LARGER IMPACT.
CAUSE I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT TOO.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE PENETRATED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SUFFICIENTLY TO SHOW WHAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY OCCURRED.
SO A COMBINATION OF A DEMARCATION OF SOME PROGRESS MADE A NEED FOR BETTER PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE AND SOME TARGETS WITHIN REACH COUNCIL MORALES.
I THOUGHT IT WAS QUITE SIMILAR THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIRE FOR COMPLETING A TASK AND BEING ABLE TO SAY, IT'S, IT'S FINISHED AND FINALIZED, OR AT LEAST ACHIEVING A STEP ALONG THE WAY.
UM, CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WE DO THAT IS ONGOING.
AND I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO SEE SOME CLOSURE ON SOME OF THESE TASKS.
SO MAYBE SOME PERIODS AT THE ENDS OF SENTENCES, SO TO SPEAK CUSTOMER KITCHEN.
UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT WAS SAID.
I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, UH, OPTIMISM AND UM, UH, WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, UM, THAT WE'RE REALLY STRIVING TO BE THE BEST.
I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THESE GOALS ARE AMBITIOUS GOALS AND GOALS, BUT GOALS THAT ARE DOABLE.
AND SO I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M HEARING A, A REAL TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO, TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE A, A STRONG MARK WITH THESE, ANY OTHER OBSERVATIONS I'M CURIOUS TO WHAT EXTENT YOU ALL FEEL THAT THESE HEADLINES BOTH REPRESENT WORK, THAT YOU WOULD TAKE
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PRIDE IN AS WELL AS ACHIEVEMENTS, UH, THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE LIKELY TO CELEBRATE AS WELL.AND I'M NOT SAYING THEY DON'T, I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY AMONGST YOUR GROUP OF HEADLINES THAT STAND OUT AS ONES THAT THE COMMUNITY MIGHT CHEER MORE THAN OTHERS? UH, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK THE COMMUNITY IS HOPING TO CHEER FOR THAT WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED THOUGHTS THERE THAT'S WHERE OUR KITCHEN, UH, WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK THAT, THAT THESE HIT ON REALLY THE TOP THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS AND ALSO THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT.
I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE OTHER WELL, I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, BUT ALL OF THESE REPRESENT SOME REALLY TOUGH ISSUES.
I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY WORRIED ABOUT.
AND, UM, AND SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE MY OBSERVATION.
I THINK WE HAD THREE OR FOUR OF OUR HEADLINES FOCUSED ON HOMELESSNESS AND PROVIDING HOUSING.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS A COMMUNITY GOAL THAT WE HAVE TO REHOUSE 3000 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO, NO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HEADLINE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD CERTAINLY CHEER, ESPECIALLY HAVING SUCH A BIG NUMBER AS A THOUSAND RESIDENTS IN A YEAR FROM NOW.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THAT WOULD WRITE AND IT FEELS PRETTY GALVANIZING AS A GOAL.
I THINK OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN NOT BE IN THE NEWS AND NOT HAVE CRISES.
UM, AND, UM, I THINK THAT THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, OUR, OUR GUN VIOLENCE NUMBERS AND OUR VIOLENCE NUMBERS GO DOWN.
THIS REMINDS ME OF A QUIP I'VE HEARD ON NPR.
UH, EVERY 4TH OF JULY, YOU MIGHT RECALL, UH, THEY READ THE WHOLE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE DURING MORNING EDITION.
AND THEN THE ANCHOR USUALLY SAYS IN THE KING GEORGE DIARY OF THAT DAY FOR JULY 4TH, IT SAYS NOTHING OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE HAPPENED TODAY.
SO PERHAPS WE NEED A HEADLINE THAT JUST AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN CONTINUES, AUSTIN IS, UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU.
I WILL PROMPT YOU, BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU ALSO TO BE BEARING THESE HEADLINES IN MIND AS WE DISCUSS NOT JUST WHAT IS OF PRIORITY IN THE CITY, BUT AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAY, WANT TO SPEND CITY DOLLARS WHERE THOSE DOLLARS MOST URGENTLY OUGHT TO GO.
SO WE'LL LEAVE THOSE UP HERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR DISCUSSION.
AND I'M NOW GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT YOUR OWN RESPONSES TO OUR POLL.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SIZE OF THE FONT, BUT I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THIS.
UH, IN TURN, THIS IS A COMPILATION OF ALL OF THE RANKINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL GAVE WHEN ASKED TO RANK THE EXISTING PRIORITIES AND SHORTLY I'LL GET TO THE ONES THAT WERE SUGGESTED BE ADDED.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, SEVEN RESPONSES RANKED HOUSING, NUMBER ONE BY FAR THE MOST, UH, RANKED, UH, THE MOST THAT RANKED IT'S TOPS.
UH, IT ALSO IS WORTH NOTING THOUGH THAT WHILE HOMELESSNESS GOT A NUMBER OF VOTES IN THE FIRST AND SECOND PLACE, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE GOT THREE FIRST PLACE VOTES IN A SCATTERING OF VOTES ACROSS THE TOP FIVE.
SO EVEN THOUGH FOR A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, HOUSING WAS FIRST AND HOMELESSNESS WAS SECOND CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE GOT, UH, AN INTERESTING AMOUNT OF TRACTION AS WELL, BUT YOU'LL NOTICE A LITTLE BIT OF A PATTERN WHERE HOUSING GOT A LOT OF NUMBER ONE VOTES.
HOMELESSNESS GOT A LOT OF NUMBER TWO VOTES, UH, WORKFORCE CAPABILITY AND EDUCATION GOT A NUMBER OF NUMBER THREE VOTES AND SO ON.
UH, SOME FOLKS OMITTED AN INDICATOR ENTIRELY IF THEY FELT THAT THEY WANTED TO EITHER PLAY SOMETHING NEW IN THERE OR THAT IT WAS NO LONGER A PRIORITY.
UM, YOU'LL SEE, UNDER BOTH, I WOULD SAY MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, THAT THOSE TWO GOT THE SORT OF LEAST NUMBER OF TOP TIER, UH, RANKINGS.
IF PEOPLE RANKED MULTIMODAL, IT WAS USUALLY SEVENTH OR LOWER FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE WAS MOSTLY A FIFTH OR LOWER WITH A FEW OTHER VOTES.
SO THE DARKER, THE SHADE OF BLUE, THE MORE PEOPLE PUT IT IN THAT RANKING.
AND IN MOST CASES, THE TOTAL IS 11.
BUT AGAIN, THERE COULD BE TIMES WHERE SOMEONE OMITTED AN INDICATOR IN ITS ENTIRETY.
SO LET ME PAUSE THERE AND JUST ASK WHAT QUESTIONS THIS DATA
[00:35:01]
BRINGS UP FOR YOU.I CAN ALSO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF OTHER DATA WE CRUNCHED AS IT RELATES TO KIND OF A, A MEAN AND MEDIAN TYPE, UH, TABULATION.
SO FOR, FOR HOUSING, UH, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THE MAIN WAS ROUGHLY 2.7 OR THREE FOR RANKING CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE HAD A MEAN OF ABOUT 3.4 PARKS WAS AT ABOUT FOR THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND CAPACITY CAPABILITY.
WAS IT ABOUT 4.4 QUALITY HEALTH CARE, 4.6 HOMELESSNESS, 5.3.
AND THAT'S REALLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE WIDE RANGE OF RANKINGS ON HOMELESSNESS.
AS YOU CAN SEE SOME FOLKS RANKED AT SECOND, SOME FOLKS RANKED AT 10TH.
SO IT REALLY SPAN THE WHOLE SPECTRUM, UH, CREATIVE INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM, 5.7 FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, 6.2 CONDITION AND QUALITY OF CITY OF SOLDIERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND EFFECTIVE ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY SEVEN AND THE ACCESSIBILITY TO MULTIMODAL 7.3 AND THE MEDIAN NUMBERS ROUGHLY TRACK THE SAME WAY.
SO AGAIN, IN SEQUENCE BY MEME RANKING, IT WOULD BE HOUSING, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE, PARKS, TRAILS, AND REC WORKFORCE CAPABILITY AND EDUCATION, QUALITY HEALTH CARE, HOMELESSNESS, CREATIVE INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM, FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, CITY FACILITIES, AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
SO QUESTIONS, FIRST OF ALL, CUSTOMER POOL, I THINK THAT THOSE RANKINGS MAY REFLECT, UM, BOTH OUR STRONG FOCUS OVER THE PAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS, SPECIFICALLY HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING.
AND THEN ALSO FOR ME, AT LEAST, UM, ON THE MULTIMODAL, KNOWING THAT WE JUST CAME OFF OF A REALLY SUCCESSFUL TAX SELECTION ON BEHALF OF PROJECT, WE ACTUALLY PASSED THAT INITIATIVE THAT HAD FAILED FOR TWO PLUS DECADES IN THE PAST.
AND FOR ME, WHILE THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING IN TRANSPORTATION AREAS ANYMORE, OR THAT WE HAVE ANY LESS OF AN, UH, UM, AFFILIATION WITH CAPITAL METRO, BUT FOR ME, THE BIG, THE BIG PUSH WAS ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY.
AND NOW THAT WORK SHIFTS AND CHANGES INTO IMPLEMENT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH IS BY NATURE, A VERY DIFFERENT THING THAN CRAFTING AN INITIATIVE AND PERSUADING PEOPLE TO JOIN YOU IN, IN THE FORWARD PROGRESS.
SO I, FOR ME, WHEN I, WHEN I RANKED MOBILITY AND SO FORTH, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO THINK FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
AND SO IT DOESN'T TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM ISSUES THAT I MAY HAVE PUT DOWN LOWER, LIKE 7, 8, 9, 10, BUT IT'S MORE A REFLECTION OF WHERE HAVE WE BEEN PUTTING OUR VAST EFFORT UP TO DATE, RIGHT? WHERE DO WE NEED, ARE WE AT AN INFLECTION POINT? IS IT TIME FOR US TO PIVOT TOWARDS SOME OTHER EQUALLY, UM, IMPORTANT INITIATIVES? AND FOR ME IT WAS, YES, WE DO.
AND I THINK I'M LOOKING AT CARRIE AND ERIC, BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE INTENTION HERE WAS TO SAY, NOT WRIT LARGE, WHAT ARE THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT AT THIS TIME IN THIS COMING BUDGET, WHERE SHOULD OUR INVESTMENT BE MOST AGGRESSIVELY TARGETED? AND WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS WE'VE BEEN TARGETING MULTIMODAL.
WE ARE GOING TO KEEP GOING WITH THAT, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO PUSH HARDER IN SOME OTHER AREAS, OTHER YES, IT COMES MORE FOR WINDOWS.
I THINK KNOWING THAT SEVEN OF OUR COLLEAGUES INDICATED HOUSING AS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND FOR US TO LOOK AT, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS NEW YEAR WITH 2022, KNOWING THAT HOUSING IS TOP OF MIND FOR THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL AND THAT'S, AND AS YOU SHARED, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SHOULD BE WHERE WE'RE INVESTING OUR RESOURCES OR TIME IN OUR POLICY EFFORTS.
UM, THIS DATA HELPS BACK THAT UP BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ON POINT WITH WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
I'M ALSO GLAD THAT SINCE THIS SURVEY WAS DONE, WE HAVE TAKEN SOME IMPORTANT STEPS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A WORK SESSION DEDICATED SOLELY TO HOUSING, AND I THINK WE MADE SOME GOOD PROGRESS OUT OF THAT.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN.
UM, I WOULD AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING.
I THINK, I THINK WE ALSO THOUGH NEED TO BE CAREFUL, UM, THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT DONE ON THE TRANSPORTATION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AVAILA PUTTING THE PROJECT CONNECT, CONNECT UP THERE.
UM, AND ALSO THE EQUITY ISSUES AROUND PROJECT CONNECT.
THESE ARE ONGOING ISSUES THAT WILL REQUIRE, WILL REQUIRE SOME MONEY, BUT I AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS SAYING IN TERMS OF THE, THE MOST ATTENTION THAT WE NEED TO PAY, BUT THAT IS NOT EXCLUSIVE.
[00:40:01]
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT WE'VE ALREADY PUT IN PLACE ON THE MULTIMODAL, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AS I KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS KNOWS THIS, BUT ON THE MULTIMODAL AND, UM, ON THE EQUITY THINGS RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT, AND THOSE ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES.WE, WE CANNOT SAY THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS SAYING THAT I DO.
I WOULD JUST WANT TO CAUTION THAT FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS, TO REALLY CARRY OUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MAYOR.
AND THEN I THINK CUSTOMER RAVELLO, WHERE IS JUMPING.
YEAH, I TH I TALKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT, UH, AND LESLIE TALKED ABOUT THE, WE DID THIS BEFORE.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO KIND OF TRUE UP ON WHAT WE WERE LISTING, BECAUSE SOMETHING COULD BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, BUT MIGHT NOT BE THE THING THAT WE THOUGHT IF WE PUT MONEY ON IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, WE CAN MAKE THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE ON.
SO IT WASN'T SO MUCH, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT WASN'T THE QUESTION.
OUR PRIORITY QUESTION WAS FOR, IF WE HAVE A DISCRETIONARY DOLLAR RIGHT NOW, WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE TO PUT THAT DISCRETIONARY DOLLAR.
MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING MAY BE THE THING THAT WE CAN MAKE THE MOST CHANGE ON THIS YEAR.
THERE'S THE ADDED WRINKLE TO IT BECAUSE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE PUT A HUGE SUMS OF MONEY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS WILL BE PROJECT CONNECT AND HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE WE'VE NOW TAKEN THOSE DOLLARS AND WE'VE DESIGNATED THEM.
SO NOT ONLY NOT DONE, WE WERE JUST BARELY STARTING, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A DISCRETIONARY DOLLAR.
WE'VE COMMITTED THE ARPA DOLLARS.
WE'VE COMMITTED THE PETTY OR NINE PETTY'S ON PROJECT CONNECT.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, THAT WE TALK ABOUT IT KIND OF TRULY UP WHAT IT IS WE'RE ASKING.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REAL.
WHAT IS THE QUESTION WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER? RIGHT.
IF THE QUESTION IS, WHERE DO WE WANT TO PUT OUR DOLLARS? MOST OF THE DOLLARS ARE A BIG PORT.
I'M ARE GOING TO PROJECT CONNECT AND HOMELESSNESS, BUT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN COMMITTED, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION THEN OF THE UNCOMMITTED DOLLARS, WHERE WOULD BE THE PRIORITY TO PUT THOSE.
AND MAYBE THAT'S A WAY TO APPROACH THE PRIORITY PROCESS.
RECOGNIZING WE, WE HAVE TO DO A GOOD JOB WITH THE KNOWLEDGE WE'VE ALREADY DESIGNATED TO MAKE SURE THEY MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
THAT'S HELPFUL REFRAME, I THINK, UH, CAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO, DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? OH, UH, IT COMES FROM ULTRA.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, YOU GAVE A RANKING, THE LAST ONE WAS THAT BY THE MEDIANS OR? YEAH, WHEN I WAS READING THAT RANKING, THAT WAS A REFLECTION OF THE MEAN, IT WAS ALSO PRETTY, ALMOST IDENTICAL IF NOT IDENTICAL TO THE MEDIAN, UH, VALUES.
AND WHERE DO WE? OH, IT'S NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE THAT.
I'VE GOT IT SORT OF AS WE GO INTO THE TIERS, WHICH IS OKAY.
WE'LL GET TO, SO YEAH, IT'LL, IT'LL UH, EMERGE ON THOSE NEXT STEP.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT THAT WE DID THIS SURVEY BEFORE THIS WEEKEND AND I THINK SEVERAL OF US MIGHT PUT A GREATER WEIGHT TO THE CONDITION AND THE QUALITY OF CITY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE EFFECTIVE ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY THAN PERHAPS WE DID LAST WEEK, WHICH IS PARTLY WHY WE'LL ASK YOU SOME SIMILAR QUESTIONS TOWARDS THE END OF THE AFTERNOON, FOR SURE.
UH, MY FIRST, UH, GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN HOUSING, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE, I KNOW THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE ADDRESSING IS THE GUN VIOLENCE GOING ON, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN IN OUR, IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UH, IT'S GETTING A LITTLE OUT OF HAND AND, AND, AND MY OTHER GOAL IS ALSO IS TO WORK AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO WORK ON VISION ZERO.
UH, THERE'S JUST TOO MANY ACCIDENTS TO MEET PEOPLE, GET RUN OVER PEDESTRIANS AND LIGHT AND WE NEED TO START.
SO START, YOU KNOW, LOOKING INTO WHAT WE CAN DO ON THAT.
I KNOW WE INVESTED SOME MONEY AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE VISION ZERO THAT WE WILL HOPE AND TO GET FAIR ENOUGH.
WELL, UM, I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE MAY HAVE JUST BEGUN, BUT WE'VE DONE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WORK ALREADY.
SO WE WANTED TO PAUSE FOR JUST A MINUTE.
IF WE COULD COME BACK AT 12, 10, AND IN THAT TIME, PLEASE AVAIL YOURSELF OF LUNCH, UH, BEVERAGES, CELL, PHONE, BATHROOM, ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, BUT WE'LL RESUME WITH A MORE DEEP DIVE INTO THE INDICATORS AT 1210.
[00:45:17]
NO, I DO THIS ALL THE TIME AND IT MIGHT EMBARRASS HIM, BUT, UH, GARY LADAKHI ON THE AUSTIN MUSIC MIX AND THE INCREDIBLE AAV SETUP THAT WE ALWAYS TAKE FOR GRANTED.SO MANY THINGS DO YOU SERVE FOR YOUR GREAT HELP WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE A MEETING LIKE THIS? UH, WITHOUT GARY, I THINK I'VE KNOWN GARY LONGER THAN I'VE KNOWN SOME GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NEXT IS WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOP 10 INDICATORS IN A GROUPINGS BASED ON WHERE THEY FELL OUT IN YOUR SURVEY RESPONSES.
UM, AND BY THE WAY, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UM, HOW DID THAT SURVEY WORK FOR YOU? DID YOU FEEL IT WAS RELATIVELY INTUITIVE? DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT? I DON'T MEAN THE ANSWERING OF THE QUESTION WAS DIFFICULT.
I MEAN THE ACTUAL INTERFACE WAS IT IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE USED IT, FINE ANYBODY.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE FEEDBACK.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE AND YOU KIND OF, THIS'LL BE FAMILIAR TO YOU FROM WHAT I WAS SHARING BEFORE, UH, AS CUSTOMER FOR WINDOWS AND OTHERS HAVE POINTED OUT HOUSING RECEIVED A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF HIGH VOTES.
IT DID RECEIVE A COUPLE OF LOWER PRIORITY VOTES AS WELL.
UH, BUT THE MEDIAN WAS RIGHT UP AT NUMBER ONE AND THE MEAN WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN NUMBER TWO AND THREE UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE.
THERE IS, UM, THERE WEREN'T NECESSARILY AS MANY IN A PARTICULAR RANKING, BUT THERE WERE QUITE A FEW WHO RANKED IT IN THE TOP FOUR OR FIVE.
AND SO THAT LED THE MEAN TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE MEAN WAS FOR HOMELESSNESS.
THE HOMELESSNESS HAD QUITE A FEW TOP TWO VOTES AND STILL RANKS SOMEWHERE IN THAT TOP THREE.
SO I THINK THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS TO ASK FOR ALL OF, UH, EXISTING, UH, INDICATORS ARE ESSENTIALLY, UH, WHAT MAKES THIS PARTICULAR PRIORITY OR THESE PRIORITIES MORE OR LESS OF ONE THAN IT WAS WHEN YOU FIRST CREATED A SD 23.
SO, SO WHAT ELEVATES THIS IN YOUR MIND OR MAKES IT A LITTLE LESS, UH, SIGNIFICANT.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO SEE AS A TANGIBLE RESULT, A TANGIBLE OUTCOME TO FEEL AS IF THE PRIORITY THAT YOU CARE MOST ABOUT GOT THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES? SO CARRIE LANG, WHEN SHE WAS, UH, OPENING, THE SESSION MENTIONED THE INDICATORS THAT WE HAVE FOR EACH PRIORITY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE TEAM HERE TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST WHAT YOUR PRIORITY IS, BUT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER WRENCH MARIA WAS REFERENCING, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SEE GUN VIOLENCE DROP TO A CERTAIN LEVEL, SOMETHING THAT'S TANGIBLE AND MEASURABLE.
THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THESE INDICATORS.
WHAT, IF ANYTHING HAS ELEVATED OR, UH, LESSENED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRIORITIES LISTED HERE IN TIER ONE SINCE SD 20 THROUGHS FOR IS CREATED? AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE AS A TANGIBLE TO RESULT, TO FEEL AS IF THE INDICATOR WAS GIVEN PRIORITY? AND SO JUST TO PREVIEW FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE EXISTING INDICATORS IN TURN LIKE THIS.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO THEN HIT UPON THE INDICATORS THAT YOU ALL ADDED AS ONES YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE NEWLY PLACED INTO THE TOP 10 AND DISCUSS THOSE AND WHERE WE'RE BUILDING UP TO IS ESSENTIALLY A RE-ASK OF THE QUESTION YOU WERE POOR.
YOU WERE A GIVEN IN THE ORIGINAL SURVEY BASED ON THE DISCUSSION WE HAVE HERE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, AS YOU'RE LISTENING TO YOUR COLLEAGUES, DISCUSS THE PRIORITIES, DID YOUR OPINION CHANGE AT ALL? AND IF SO, HOW, AND THERE'LL BE A WAY FOR YOU TO DO THAT DIGITALLY.
LIKE THERE WAS AN OCTOBER, SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED FOR THE REST OF OUR SESSION.
WHEN SD 23 WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY? WHAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE INDICATOR? UH, THEY WEREN'T RANKED, BUT IT WAS JUST, THESE ARE THE TOP 10.
AND SO UNLESS I'M WRONG, THOSE WERE JUST INDICATED AS THE TOP 10, THERE WASN'T A RANKING OF THOSE 10.
[00:50:03]
AND I THINK HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING.I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT WAS MY MEMORY TO MEYER THAT HOMELESSNESS MIGHT'VE BEEN TOO THE FIRST TIME THROUGH AND THEN ONE THE SECOND TIME THROUGH.
SO WE MUST'VE DONE SOME LEVEL OF RANKING, UH, I THINK BECAUSE OF OUR KITCHEN AND THEN CUSTOMER POOL.
UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE, UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE RANKING BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE RANKING AND WHICH PART OF THE BUDGET WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I MIGHT WANT TO RANK SOMETHING TOPS, BUT I MIGHT THINK THAT I CAN GET SOME FUNDING FOR IT NOT OUT OF, NOT OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE OR I MIGHT WANT IT.
SO THERE, I MIGHT RANK SOMETHING DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME TO RANK IT FOR.
SO I WANT TO BE SPECIFIC ON WHAT WE'RE RANKING IT FOR.
WELL, LET ME LOOK AT CARRIE FOR A MOMENT JUST TO SEE IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS JUST GENERAL DIRECTION.
SO WE DON'T HAVE IT BROKEN OUT INTO WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BE GENERAL FUND REVENUE OR ENTERPRISE.
AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE INDICATORS, HOW WOULD WE RANK AND WHAT FUNDING PRIORITIES WE WOULD GIVE TO THEM? DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? THAT IS IT DOES, IT MAKES IT A LITTLE HARDER.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A FACT THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE RANKED A LITTLE LOWER AND TAKE THAT TO MEAN THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO FUND IT BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF HOW WE MIGHT FUND IT.
I THOUGHT THAT, UM, CARRIE'S MEMO THAT SHE SENT YESTERDAY HAD A GOOD WAY OF, OF ARTICULATING IT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT WAY YOU PUT IT, BUT IT WAS SORT OF LIKE, DON'T THINK OF THIS AS JUST GENERAL IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY.
THINK OF IT AS WHERE YOU WANT SPECIAL EMPHASIS IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET TO BE PLACED RELATIVE TO INVESTMENT.
IS THAT BASICALLY WHAT YOU SAID? OKAY.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S NOT THE LOWER, THE RANKING, THE LESS THE FUNDING, IT'S JUST WHERE THERE ARE.
I THINK THE MAYOR PUT, YOU KNOW, DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS WHERE WE HAVE SOME SAY IN THE DOLLARS HAVEN'T BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR.
GO AHEAD AND MIRROR, PLEASE SEEMS TO BE AN AUDIO ISSUE, SIR, THIS THERE'S GOING TO BE A RECURRENT QUESTION TO, TO TRUE EVERYBODY UP.
I THINK THAT TWO OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE AS REFLECTED BY THE DOLLARS, THAT'LL ACTUALLY BE SPED BACK TO CHAIR OUR HOMELESSNESS AND TRANSPORTATION HOMELESSNESS.
CAUSE WE EXECUTING THE, AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY, A $500 MILLION THREE-YEAR SPAN TO DO LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR METRICS.
I THINK THAT'D BE A PLACE THAT I WOULD LOOK NOW THAT THE COMMUNITIES KIND OF COALESCED AROUND 3000 PEOPLE IN THREE YEARS AND SO MANY PEOPLE IN EACH OF THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS AND BUILDING OUT THE SYSTEM.
SO I THINK THAT THE DEGREE TO WHICH OUR METRICS CAN BE THE SAME AS THE COMMUNITIES METRICS AND THE OTHER PRINCIPALS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
SO I WOULD GO THERE FOR A METRIC.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO, TO, TO FIND A LOT MORE MONEY FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE FOUND THOSE DOLLARS.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE NEW FUNDING DECISIONS, BUT IT WILL REFLECT WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SPENT WELL AND THE WHOLE PACKAGE BOOZE TO HIT THOSE METRICS.
TRANSPORTATION'S THE SAME KIND OF WAY BETWEEN THE THREE BONDS, 20 16, 20 18 AND 2020.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE METRICS BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THOSE DOLLARS WERE EARMARKED FOR.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE SPEND NEXT YEAR, BUT AGAIN, NOT SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES COUNCIL TO FIND THE DOLLARS FROM SOMEWHERE TO SPEND.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RANK THOSE TWO.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT JUST TOTAL DOLLARS THAT WILL BE SPENT, THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THE TOP FEW JUST BECAUSE OF THE DOLLARS, BUT IT'S NOT DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE SPEND DIVIDE UP THE GENERAL FUND AND THE TOUGH YEARS, I'M, I'M NOT SURE STILL HOW TO RANK THOSE.
LET ME COME BACK TO THAT AFTER KINSMEN POOL.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING AS WELL.
AND I THINK STEVE, YOU AND I ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH ON THIS.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, TWO DISCRETE CATEGORIES, ONE WHERE WE KNOW THE EMPHASIS IS NECESSARY AND IT HAS BEEN FOR A WHILE NOW.
AND WE HAVE ACCUMULATED SIGNIFICANT REVENUES IN ORDER TO, UM, ENGAGE THAT WORK, TRANSPORTATION AND HOMELESSNESS SPECIFICALLY, AND FRANKLY, SOME HOUSING BECAUSE WE HAD THAT REALLY BIG BOND OF $260 MILLION JUST TWO YEARS AGO.
THE OTHER CATEGORY FOR ME IS AREAS THAT HAVE CAUGHT THE, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY ALSO SUPPORTS THAT THEY CARE ABOUT.
[00:55:01]
IN SOME CASES, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF AS FAR AS CIVIC ASSETS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE PARKS AND TRAILS, THAT WOULD BE USEFUL.I THINK FOR US AS A BODY TO SHOW THAT WE ARE ALSO TENDING THOSE FIELDS WHILE WE'RE ALSO MAINTAINING THESE, THE WHAT IS IT, THE SEED FEED AND WEED, OR I, I MIGHT HAVE THEM BACKWARDS.
SO IT'S LIKE WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT BUCKETS AND THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT LEVELS AND WE CAN WORK IN BOTH OF THEM AND WE NEED TO, BUT IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT SKILL SETS THAT WE PUT ON THIS BUCKET VERSUS RIGHT.
SO CARRIE MIGHT JUST ASK IF YOU COULD MAYBE WEIGH IN ON THIS A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING IS IF HOMELESSNESS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS MONEY'S ALREADY ALLOCATED, WE DON'T WANT TO COMMUNICATE ANYTHING OTHER THAN KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT THEY'RE WORRIED THAT IF THEY REDUCE IT IN PRIORITY, IT WILL SOMEHOW GET LESS ATTENTION.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE HAVE, SHOULD THEY ARTICULATE? OH, SORRY, ED.
SO I JUST, UM, ONE THING THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IS TO THINK ABOUT IT THE WAY WE DID IT IN 2018, WHEN COUNCIL APPROVED THE INITIAL TOP 10 INDICATORS.
AND BY THE WAY, IT WAS NEVER TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING IN SD 23, ISN'T IMPORTANT, WE KNOW EVERYTHING IN SD 23 IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE W WE ASKED COUNCIL TO HELP US FOCUS IN ON, UM, THE AREAS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, NOT IN AN ABSOLUTE SENSE, BUT THE AREAS THAT YOU FELT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY DID BETTER AT.
AND SO HOMELESSNESS, WE NEEDED TO DO BETTER AT THAT HOUSING WE NEEDED TO DO BETTER AT THAT, THAT OF COURSE, THEN TO IMPROVE IN MOST AREAS IS GOING TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT WE'VE SEEN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING, UM, AND HOMELESSNESS AND MORE TO COME, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST, UM, CAUSE I THINK THAT WORKED WELL LAST TIME THAT COUNSELED LOOK AT THIS EXERCISE IN THE SAME WAY.
WHAT ARE THOSE AREAS YOU MOST WANT US TO GET BETTER AT? I KNOW YOU WANT US TO GET BETTER AT HOMELESSNESS.
UM, WE HAVE A STREAM OF FUNDING SET ASIDE TO DO THAT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND, AND SO, BUT IT'S STILL, I THINK, WOULD BE NOTABLE TO HAVE THAT BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S, YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITIES IS FOR US TO GET BETTER AT HOMELESSNESS.
IT MAY NOT NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING OVER WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE PLANNED, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.
WHEREAS IN OTHER AREAS IT MAY BE, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE YOU WANT US TO GET BETTER AT, AND IT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT.
AND FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, I THINK WE'RE AGNOSTIC ABOUT WHETHER IT'S A CAPITAL BUDGET OR A GENERAL FUND BUDGET OR AN ENTERPRISE BUDGET, BUT WHAT ARE THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU'RE WANTING TO SEE US IMPROVE THAT WILL HELP US A LOT IN CRAFTING A BUDGET THAT'S RESPONSIVE TO YOUR PRIORITIES.
AND THEN JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, WOULD IT, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TODAY TO MAYBE NOT FOCUS SO MUCH ON WHAT'S OUR FIRST OR SECOND OR NINTH OR 10TH, BUT RATHER FOR ME, IT'S IN TWO AREAS, DISCRETE AREAS, ONES WHERE WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE FORWARD MOTION THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED AND THAT, THAT IMPETUS IS THERE AND THE INERTIA IS THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS WE WANT TO STEP UP, FIND NEW FUNDING AND FOCUS ON THESE AREAS THAT, THAT ARE NOT IN THIS BUCKET.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 10 INITIATIVE AREA, TOPIC AREAS, AND WE WORK ON ALL OF THEM, UM, WHICH I THINK WE PROBABLY WILL THIS YEAR ANYWAY.
SO I WOULD KIND OF SHY AWAY FROM SAYING THAT THIS IS NUMBER FOUR FOR ME, VERSUS NUMBER SEVEN.
BUT RATHER I THINK THESE THINGS HAVE ALREADY, WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS THAT I WANT TO CONTINUE.
AND THESE THINGS WE HAVEN'T SPENT AS MUCH TIME ON, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HIGH-PROFILE AND I'D LIKE TO RAISE THEIR PROFILE.
WOULD THAT WORK? AND DO YOU THINK FOR THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO AND CITY MANAGER, WE CAN TOTALLY, YES.
I THINK WE CAN TOTALLY WORK WITH THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, IN 2018, MY MEMORY IS, IS SOMEWHAT IN BETWEEN WHAT SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT AND WHAT THE MANAGER TALKED ABOUT THAT WE DID DO POLLING IN 2018.
AND WE DID HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH COUNCIL ABOUT RANKINGS, BUT WHEN WE LEFT THE, UH, THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY, WHICH IS WHERE WE DID THE EXERCISE ON 2018, WHEN WE LEFT, IT WAS SIMPLY, THESE ARE OUR TOP 10 PRIORITIES, UH, NOT IN ANY KIND OF RANKING ORDER, BUT DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME WAY OF SCORING THINGS SO THAT WHEN WE LEAVE HERE TODAY, WE'RE LEAVING WITH YOUR CURRENT TOP 10 PRIORITIES.
BUT IF YOU KNOW THAT THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL IS TO JUST LEAVE HERE WITH THOSE BEING THE TOP 10, NOT IN ANY KIND OF ORDINAL RANKING, I THINK THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH STAFF.
IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE PART OF THE WAY WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTION DOESN'T NECESSARILY LEAD TO THEN AN EXACT MANIFESTATION.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU RANK IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT WILL THEN FALL OUT AS THE MOST FUNDING GOES TO THE NUMBER ONE AND THE SECOND MOST NUMBER TWO, BUT IT'S A WAY TO TRACK, OKAY.
THESE ARE STILL OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE AND THE ONES THAT WERE SUGGESTED BE ADDED, THESE STILL BELONG IN THE TOP 10 PER THIS COUNCIL.
AND THEN MAYBE THAT DISCUSSION CAN CONTINUE.
THAT COMES FROM A RIGHT TO RHEA.
YOU ARE ONE OF MY POWER TOO, IS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE
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A BLACKOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE LAST FREEZE THAT WE HAD.I DON'T WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WERE OUT LIKE 54, 74 HOURS.
AND, UH, YOU MEAN, UH, THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, SO WHEN I SAW CLIMATE CHANGE, THAT'S HOW, WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THE FUTURE ROLLING BLACKOUTS HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE IT ACTUALLY IS A ROLLING BLACKOUT AND NOT WHAT, JUST ONE WHOLE SECTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PART OF THE CITY DOESN'T GET ANYTHING BECAUSE THERE'S EMERGENCY UNITS, FIRE STATIONS THAT NEED TO HAVE THAT ENERGY, THAT JEWS COMING UP THERE AND THE REST OF US JUST SUFFERED.
AND IF WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE, HOW WE CAN GET TO THAT POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO A ROLLING BACK, BACK OUT BLACKOUT, IT'S REALLY IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IT IS, AND NOT LEAVE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY OUT WITHOUT ENERGY.
WHAT, FIRST OF ALL, I'M SORRY FOR WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH.
AND SECONDLY, I APPRECIATE HOW CONCRETE AND TANGIBLE YOU ARE THERE WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN AS AN OUTCOME.
AS WE SEE ON THE NAME OF THE INDICATOR, I MEAN, RESILIENCE IS MEANT, I THINK TO REFER TO DEALING WITH SORT OF SHOCKS LIKE A TERRIBLE STORM AND STRESSES LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONGOING CHALLENGES, UH, WHETHER IT BE THE UTILITIES OR OTHERWISE.
SO I THINK ON SOME, A RENTAL RATE IS CONCERNED IS AS WELL POSITIONED IN THAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE, UH, CUSTOMER VELA, THE SKILLS AND CAPABILITY OF, UH, THE WORKFORCE.
UM, I, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I THINK I RANKED THAT LOWER.
NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A PRIORITY, BUT I GUESS MY FIRST BLUSH REACTION WOULD BE THAT THAT IS THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE THE PROPERTY TAX.
UH, THEY HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY, UH, AGAIN, IN MY EYES FOR THAT FUNCTION.
AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KIND OF BALANCE THAT OTHER ONE WITH HEALTH, AGAIN, THERE'S NO CENTRAL HEALTH, WHICH ALSO IS A PARTNER WITH US ON, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHERE I, WASN'T KIND OF SURE WHAT THE INTERPLAY IS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THOSE ENTITIES WITH REGARD TO THOSE PRIORITY AREAS.
DID YOU SEEM TO BE A FAIRLY QUICK STUDY IN GENERAL, SIR, BUT I TAKE YOUR POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, DETERMINING WHERE THE CITY'S ROLE STARTS AND STOPS THERE COULD INFLUENCE WHERE IT GETS RENT.
SO I APPRECIATE IT JUST LOOKING FOR OTHER REFLECTIONS ON THE THREE INDICATORS THAT HAD THE MOST TRACTION, IF THERE'S ANYTHING FOLKS WANT TO SHARE ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO FEEL A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AROUND THEM AND OR WHAT HAVE MADE THEM MORE OR LESS OF A PRIORITY IN YOUR EYES AND MAYOR PRO TEM, FORGIVE ME, I WAS NOT REFERRING TO YOU BY MAYOR PRO TEM EARLIER.
UM, SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE OVERLAP SOMEWHAT WITH THE SAFETY PRIORITY FOR EMERGENCY PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS.
AND I THINK WHEN WE PUT IT IN LAST TIME, WE HAD SOME OF THAT BUCKET.
UM, SO FOR ME, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR WILDFIRE PREVENTION WORK THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A HUGE INVESTMENT MORE, BUT WE STILL NEED TO BE DOING THAT.
UM, THE RESILIENCE HUBS BEING SET UP, UM, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE A BUNCH OF OTHER INDICATORS THAT I THINK A LOT OF US ARE PUTTING IN THAT BUCKET.
WHEN YOU GO AND YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES AND SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES, THEY ALL COULD FALL UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE.
AND SO THERE IS A CHALLENGE OVER WHAT WE'VE PUT IN THAT BUCKET IN TERMS OF THE INDICATORS FOR THE HEADER, BECAUSE THERE'S OVERLAP, UM, BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, THE CLIMATE CHALLENGES ARE SO BIG AND CROSS SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, SO I THINK WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO BE PUSHING ON OUR RENEWABLE ENERGY, UM, EFFORTS ON OUR WEATHERIZATION EFFORTS, UM, GET OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN DONE FOR THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WITH CONCRETE MOVEMENT ON VARIOUS PIECES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GREEN JOBS TRAINING.
I MEAN, SO, SO THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP ACROSS THESE THINGS.
SOME OF THESE DON'T COST A LOT OF MONEY, SOME OF THEM WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE WORKS, BUT I THINK THAT BUCKET HAS VERY DIFFERENT CONNOTATIONS BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
UM, FOR ALL OF US, KARINA, I DON'T KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO PULL UP, UH, WHAT INDICATORS
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ARE FALL UNDER THESE PARTICULAR, UH, HEADINGS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE.IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD RETRIEVE? UM, JUST TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY ABOUT WHAT'S UNDER THAT HEADING? YES, EVERYONE HAS.
AND SO IF WE PULL UP THE DASHBOARD AND WE ALL HAVE INDIVIDUAL ACCESS TO THE DASHBOARD TO PULL UP TO SEE, UM, ALL OF THE INDICATE ARE THE MEASURES THAT GO UNDER EACH INDICATOR.
I MIGHT DO THAT FOR THE GROUP HERE.
AND JUST ONE MORE THING, A LINK TO THE DASHBOARD WAS INCLUDED IN THE EMAIL OR THE MEMO THAT CARRIE SENT OUT YESTERDAY.
UM, ONE THING, THIS IS A BIT OF AN ASIDE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO KERRY'S OVERALL QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT AND ADDS TOO, I THINK IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT WHERE, WHERE WE MIGHT WANT TO BE FOCUSING, UM, SOME DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AT SOME POINT IN THIS PROCESS, WHAT KIND OF RESOLUTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, ACTIONS AS COUNCIL HAS PASSED THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FUNDED, YOU KNOW, CAUSE EVERY YEAR WE END UP WITH A, A LIST OF THINGS THAT AREN'T BEING FUNDED, BUT THEY'RE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL ALREADY PASSED.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT FITS IN THE, IN THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE PRIORITIES, BUT, BUT IT CONCERNS ME A BIT TO FEEL LIKE WE MAY HAVE TAKEN SOME ACTION, BUT THEN IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WASN'T FUNDED AND, BUT WE HAVE MOVED PAST IT.
AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OTHER PRIORITIES.
SO, UM, AT SOME POINT IN THIS PROCESS EARLIER THAN WHEN WE GET A PROPOSED BUDGET, I'D LIKE TO, UM, UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE MIGHT BE CHALLENGES TO FUND SOMETHING WE'VE ALREADY PASSED.
WE'RE ACTUALLY BEGINNING OF THAT PROCESS, COUNCIL MEMBER A AS, AND EVEN THIS WEEK AS WE HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, THIS IS IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR LABOR NEGOTIATIONS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PAINT THAT LARGER PICTURE THAT WOULD INCLUDE OTHER, A PARTIALLY FUNDED OR UNFUNDED COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, BUT WE'LL START THAT DISCUSSION LATER THIS WEEK WITH YOU.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THESE THAT REQUIRE STAFF TIME, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SAME AS THE PROGRAM, ATTIC BUDGET MONEY.
ALTHOUGH THERE, THERE IS STAFF TIME, UM, WHERE WE COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, MEETING THE NEEDLES ON THAT, YOU KNOW SO FOR HOUSING, WE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, BE REALLY INTERESTED IN THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING WITH UT OVER THEIR PROPERTIES, BUT WE MAY NOT BE INVESTING A LOT OF MONEY BEYOND SAY THE STAFF TIME.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THERE ARE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, IT'S MORE STAFF TIME, WHICH IS BUDGET DOES HAVE BUDGET.
UM, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT THAN SAYING WE'RE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, A $250 TO $50 MILLION BOND IN PLACE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO ASK ON THESE THREE, ARE THERE ANY OF THESE THREE THAT HAVE BECOME MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN RECENT DAYS OR IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET? ARE THERE ANY THAT HAVE BECOME LESS IMPORTANT? UM, I'VE HEARD FROM YOU ABOUT SOME CONCRETE WAYS TO MEASURE ACHIEVEMENT ON THEM, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS WHETHER HOUSING, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE AND HOMELESSNESS HAVE TAKEN MORE PROMINENT PLACE IN YOUR MIND, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE UPCOMING BUDGET, LESS AND Y IN EITHER CASE THE KITCHEN.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I THINK WE'VE KIND OF SAID IT BEFORE THAT HOMELESSNESS REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY, BUT WE'RE ON A PATH.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN THAT PATH, WHICH I THINK IS CRITICAL AND REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY.
THANK YOU, OTHERS, IN TERMS OF ANY CHANGE IN YOUR THINKING OVER TIME, ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A PRIORITY SOMETHING SHOULD BE IN THIS FORTHCOMING BUDGET MAY PRETEND.
SO YOU JUST WANT US ON THE TIER ONE PORTION OF THAT CONVERSATION FOR THE TIME BEING YESTERDAY.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT I, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE WAS A HIGH PRIORITY, BUT I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE OF A PRIORITY, PARTICULARLY COMBINING, YOU KNOW, THE ACTIONS WE NEED TO TAKE AS A CITY TO ADDRESS AND, UM, PREVENT CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT ALSO ON THE RESILIENCE PIECES.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GOING THROUGH STORM STORM ERIE AND, AND ALL OF COVID AND OTHER STUFF, THE RESILIENCE PIECE THAT COMES WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND COVID IN
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ITSELF, YOU KNOW, COULD, YOU KNOW, BE ATTRIBUTED TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN SOME KINDS OF WAYS.BUT YOU KNOW, THAT RESILIENCE PIECE I THINK, IS, IS STRONGER FOR ME THAN EVER APPRECIATE THAT INPUT.
OKAY, GOT A THUMBS UP AND A RAISE OF A HINT COUNCILMEMBER WITH THIS.
YES, FOR ME AS WELL, CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE RESILIENCE, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CERTAINLY HAS INCREASED IN PRIORITY LEVEL.
YOU KNOW, OUR COUNCIL PASSED A CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN BACK IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR, AND CERTAINLY THAT LAYS OUT NUMEROUS RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR US TO CONSIDER THAT I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD SEE IN OUR UPCOMING BUDGET.
UM, AND SO KNOWING THAT PREPARING OUR COMMUNITY FOR EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS IS TOP OF MIND.
AND WE'VE HAD, UM, REAL LIFE IMPACT WITH, WITH, WITH WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED, UH, THAT CERTAINLY HAS INCREASED IN IMPORTANCE FOR ME.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING YOU THINK ABOUT FIRST CONNOTATION IS ENVIRONMENT, BUT FRANKLY, ALL OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, AND MAINLY DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES IN OUR CITY ARE A REFLECTION ON HOW RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE, HOW RESILIENT OUR COMMUNITY IS, HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE OUR POLICIES ARE.
AND SO FOR ME, RESILIENCE REALLY CAPTURES EVERY DARN THING THAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHY IT HAS BECOME A, A NATIONAL CONVERSATION REALLY, UH, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO, IS ANYBODY WHO EITHER FEELS DIFFERENTLY OR WANTS TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT ANY CHANGE IN YOUR FEELING ON THESE THREE PRIORITIES? YEAH, I ECHO, UM, MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK THESE ARE ALL STILL VERY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF RESILIENCE IN THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO HAS REALLY BROADENED THOUGH, I WOULD SAY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND SO I WOULD ALSO INCLUDE WITHIN, WITHIN THE CRITICAL RESILIENCE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO, NOT JUST THE HUBS AND REALLY PROVIDING A NETWORK OF, OF PREPAREDNESS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE INITIATED WITH REGARD TO BUILDING A LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM AND, AND OTHER KINDS OF, UM, REAL SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT WE'VE INITIATED THAT ARE ALSO PART OF BUILDING A RESILIENT COMMUNITY.
I ALSO ECHO AND CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT THESE DESERVE A PLACE IN THE, IN THE UPPER TIER.
I THINK THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING NOW IS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE METRICS SHOULD BE FOR HOW WE EVALUATE, WHETHER WE'RE BEATING THESE THINGS NOW THAN WHAT WE HAD THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF THE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED IN TERMS OF HOW, WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAVE BEEN IN RESOLUTIONS AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO I THINK IT GOES MORE TO THE, TO THE METRICS THAT IT'S PLACEMENT.
AND I THINK WE BETTER DEFINE WHAT WE MEAN BY RESILIENCE, UH, AND, AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS THAT ARE PRIORITY BASED ON THE COUNCIL ACTION.
SO I THINK THEY NEED TO BE HERE.
UM, METRICS SEEM TO BE KIND OF PRETTY MUCH LAID OUT ON HOMELESSNESS CAUSE WE WE'RE EXECUTING THAT.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT METRICS YET ON, ON HOUSING, UH, GIVEN, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS TIER OF INDICATORS? ALL RIGHT.
SO I'M GOING TO COVER, I'M GOING TO COVER THE SECOND TIER AND THEN WE'LL PAUSE FOR A SHORT BREAK BEFORE WE GET TO THE LAST.
SO IN THIS TIER WE PLACED, I SAY, WE MEET YOUR ALL'S RESPONSES, UH, PLACED QUALITY PARKS TRAILS, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, FAIRLY HIGH ALONGSIDE THE WORKFORCE SKILLS CAPABILITY AND EDUCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THERE WAS A, EXCUSE ME, THERE WAS A WIDE RANGE OF RANKINGS ASSIGNED TO MANY OF THESE.
THERE WAS PROBABLY A NARROW, THE NARROWEST RANGE WAS FOR THE HEALTHCARE INDICATOR, BUT THEY ALL ESSENTIALLY RANKED IN THIS FOUR TO FIVE RANGE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AS A MEAN OR A MEDIAN.
AND SO I APOLOGIZE IF I SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT WHAT IF ANYTHING MAKES, HAS MADE THIS THESE MORE OR LESS OF A PRIORITY AND WHAT KINDS OF METRICS WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO YOU TO SEE COME OUT OF THE NEXT BUDGET AS IT RELATES TO THESE INDICATORS? THAT'S MORE OF WHAT THIS, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT THE LARGE SCALE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN OUR CITY THESE NEXT FEW YEARS AND OVER THE NEXT DECADE WITH BOTH PROJECT CONNECT WITH THE AIRPORT EXPANSION, WITH THE MOBILITY, BONDS BEING IMPLEMENTED.
AND SO TOP OF MINE IS LOOKING AT OUR WORKFORCE CAPACITY, UM, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT HOW ARE WE INCENTIVIZING
[01:15:01]
OR MAKING IT EASIER FOR OUR MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE AND BE PART OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.AND, UM, AND SO THAT FOR SURE HAS RISEN TO THE TOP TIER MY LIST, UM, THAT I THINK THAT WE'LL NEED TO HAVE A STRONG, A COORDINATED STRATEGY, NOT JUST FROM THE CITY LEVEL, BUT OF COURSE WITH OUR GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE TWO WORKFORCE CAPACITY AND MINORITY WOULDN'T KNOW, BUSINESS PARTICIPATION, UM, WHAT IN YOUR EYES LOOKS LIKE AN, A GRADE, SO TO SPEAK IN THOSE TWO AREAS? YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW WOULD YOU TELL? WELL, ON ONE HAND LOOKING AT PARTICIPATION RATES, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST AND HOW WE NEED TO SCALE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE LARGE SCALE PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN ON ANOTHER HAND, LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM AND PROCESS, SO HOW ARE THERE ANY BARRIERS IN GETTING CERTIFIED? HOW CAN WE MAKE IT EASIER TO GET CERTIFIED? UM, AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE TRAINED UP AND ARE AWARE OF THESE CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES? SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A COMBINATION OF, UM, BIG PROJECT SORT OF PERCENT PARTICIPATION FOR SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF BUSINESSES WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CERTIFICATION, OR MAYBE THE SPEED OF THAT PROCESS BEING IMPROVED.
I MEAN, CAUSE I WANT TO POSITION, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN COMPANIES TO, TO BENEFIT FROM ALL OF THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO, UM, CERTAINLY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, UM, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH CONSTRUCTION GOING ON WITH THE EXPANSION OF AND OUR OWN PROJECTS AND, AND THE OTHER, SO YEAH, THAT'S AND ON THE WORKFORCE CAPACITY PIECE, IS IT, YOU KNOW, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, IS IT PARTICIPATION? IS IT, UH, YOU KNOW, PERCENTAGE OF JOBS FILLED BY LOCAL FOLKS? LIKE W WHAT WOULD BE A WAY FOR YOU TO MEASURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT SPACE? DEFINITELY PARTICIPATION RATE ON, ON THAT END OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
NOW, THE OTHER PART OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THAT I THINK ALSO DESERVES MORE ATTENTION IS OUR CARE ECONOMY AND LOOKING AT OUR CHILDCARE SYSTEM, UM, AND ENSURING THAT OUR CHILDCARE WORKERS AND ANY CARE WORKERS ARE PAID LIVABLE WAGES TO THE EXTENT THAT THE CITY HAS A ROLE IN THAT.
YOU STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT SOMETHING THAT ALSO RISES TO THE LIST, THE UMBRELLA OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, VERY GOOD.
UH, OTHER COMMENTS ON THESE, UH, PRIORITIES IN PARTICULAR, EITHER METRICS OR WHAT HAS MADE THEM MORE OR LESS IMPORTANT TO YOU IN THIS COMING CYCLE.
ON THE FIRST ONE THERE ABOUT, UM, ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY PARKS TRAILS, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES JUST AS OUR CITY BOOMS AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE COME INTO OUR CITY, OUR PARKS, WHICH WERE ALREADY REALLY, UH, HIGHLY VALUED AND, AND USED, UM, ARE EVEN MORE SO.
AND THE PANDEMIC REALLY FOCUSED THE LIGHT ON, UM, HOW IMPORTANT GETTING OUTSIDE AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE SPACE, UH, TO RUM HELPED WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH SITUATION.
AND LORD KNOWS THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO, UM, COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST AUSTIN, COMMUNITY'S MENTAL HEALTH STATUS, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
AND I THINK SOME OF WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING NOW AND IN TALKING TO OUR RESIDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST OVER THIS LAST WEEKEND WITH, UH, THE ERROR THAT OCCURRED, UH, AT THE, UH, OLRICK PLANT, THERE'S A CERTAIN FRAGILITY, UH, PRESENT AMONG OUR COMMUNITY AND UNTIL RECENTLY, LIKE THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO HAVE ALWAYS, REALLY FELT LIKE THIS WAS A SUPER RESILIENT, STRONG BOUNCE BACK KIND OF A PLACE.
AND THAT REFLECTS AN OPTIMISM THAT IS, WAS FUNDAMENTAL HERE.
AND I HAVE SEEN EROSION, UH, JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION, UM, TO THAT.
AND I, I PUT THAT DOWN TO THE, THE MANY AND IN KUWAIT STRESSES THAT PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH AND THEY CAN'T CONTROL EVEN AN EDGE OF IT.
AND SO THEY'VE GONE SO FAR NOW THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALMOST GIVEN UP.
AND SO THE MENTAL HEALTH PIECE THAT, THAT IS OUR WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR MANY YEARS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT HERE.
AND THE ABILITY TO GO OUTSIDE AND JUST GET AWAY FROM THINGS IS PARAMOUNT.
I THINK I JUST WANT TO CAUSE WE'RE KITCHEN, IF I MAY, JUST FOR A MOMENT, I JUST WANT TO RETURN FROM CUSTOMER PAUL'S POINT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IS KIND OF OPEN QUESTION ABOUT WHERE THE CITY FITS INTO THE PIECE ON HEALTH, AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I THINK A COUNSELOR, A KITCHEN, I GUESS, HAS SOMETHING ON THAT.
I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK THE COUNCIL SORT OF, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY AGREE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES IT FIT? WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, FITS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
I WAS JUST GOING TO POINT OUT, I, YOU KNOW, ONE PROJECT IN PARTICULAR THAT WE ARE OF A REALLY CUTTING EDGE NASH NATIONALLY ON, AND THAT'S THE AUSTIN
[01:20:01]
CARES PROJECT, WHICH IS OUR MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PROCESS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION FROM NINE.BUT THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT IT IS IT HAS A COMPONENT THAT'S A FOLLOW-UP COMPONENT.
SO IT'S A DIVERSION FROM THE, UH, FROM THE, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM A POLICING RESPONSE THROUGH 9 1, 1, BUT IT ALSO HAS IN PLACE, UM, MECHANISMS TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL AFTER THEIR CRISIS TO TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY AND PREVENT FUTURE CRISES.
SO THAT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE, UH, WHERE IT'S THE CITY'S ROLE TO STEP IN AND, UH, PUT IN PLACE, UM, SOME CUTTING EDGE PROGRAMS THAT REALLY FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND THERE'S THAT INTERSECTION BETWEEN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
AND IT'S AN EXAMPLE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OF SOMETHING THAT CONTINUE THAT FUNDING IS NEEDED TO CONTINUE AND MAY NEED TO BE, UM, ACCELERATED, OR, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY NEED TO BE MORE FUNDING.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT PROCEEDS, BUT YOU ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
THE SECOND WOULD BE, IS THERE A WAY YOU THINK ABOUT SHOWING PROGRESS IN THIS PARTICULAR ARENA? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM, THERE ARE METRICS RELATED TO IT.
SO WE NEED TO KEEP TRACKING THOSE METRICS AND UNDERSTAND DID WE ACHIEVE THE TARGET, UH, AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? AND, UM, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED OR IS IT A PROCESS ISSUE? SO I THINK THAT FOR, FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE IN DO HAVE METRICS THAT WE NEED TO USE TO, TO MEASURE OUTCOMES THERE.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE COVERED A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT GROUND.
I WANT TO, UM, SECOND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S EMPHASIS ON THE PARKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME THAT HAS INCREASED WITH THE PANDEMIC AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE, OUR PARKS HAVE BEEN, AND OUR TRAILS HAVE BEEN A REFUGE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE YEAR THAT WE WOULD BE INVESTING IN ALL SORTS OF NEW BELLS AND WHISTLES, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION ISSUES.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE QUALITY OF OUR PARKS, UM, REALLY DO NEED TO MAKE SOME INVESTMENTS, UM, IN, IN, IN KEEPING THAT UP.
UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER OF POINT US ON THE WORKFORCE ISSUES LIKE HER, FOR ME, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TIED IN, IN MANY WAYS TO OUR ABILITY TO, TO BUILD MORE HOUSING, TO BUILD OUT, UM, PROJECT CONNECT, TO EXPAND THE AIRPORT.
IF WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO TAKE ON THOSE JOBS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS.
AND THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO BE, UM, MUCH MORE SKILLED, WHETHER THAT INVOLVES ADDITIONAL BUDGET SINCE THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALL THE, ALL THE WAY THROUGH OR THAT THEY ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN THE CONTRACTING PROCESSES OR OTHER THINGS THAT ALLOW FOR THAT, UM, KIND OF TRAINING.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THERE, FOR ME, WE HAVE INVESTED IN THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS OF MEASURES IS NOT NECESSARILY BUDGETARY, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HIRED ON THE HEALTH.
UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ON THE MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT TO HIRE A NEW CHIEF FOR EMS. WE HAVE SET IN MOTION, A PLAN AND A NEED FOR AN IDENTIFIED, A POTENTIAL FUNDING MECHANISM IN THE FIX OF THE BILLING SYSTEMS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND EMS, TO BE ABLE TO GET UP TO A STAFFING LEVEL.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MORE IDEAL OF OUR PARTICULAR STATIONS.
UM, SO I THINK WE COULD BEGIN THAT ROLLOUT AND THAT PLAN AND IDENTIFY FUNDING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WHICH ALSO WOULD POSITION US OVER TIME WITH OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE AND HAVE UNDERWAY TO TRANSITION, TO BEING ABLE TO DELIVER CARE IN PLACE, UM, WHICH OVERALL MAY ALLOW US, UM, TO DELIVER BETTER CARE ALL THE WAY AROUND.
UM, BUT THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE ARE SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE, UM, SOME REALLY IMPORTANT LONG-TERM SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY JUST BEFORE I GO TO THE MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, ON THE PARK'S MATTER, IS THERE ANY KIND OF A WAY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT PROGRESS WOULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF JUST THE MAINTENANCE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S NEEDED? THERE'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE NEEDED AND THERE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PARKS AND IT WOULD BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU CAN MEASURE IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FIELDS THAT AREN'T
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MOWED AS MUCH.YOU HAVE TRAILS THAT NEED CLEARING THERE'S COMES TO MY POOL, LOOKS LIKE SHE WANTS TO JUMP IN.
SO, AND OUR SWIMMING POOLS, THEY'RE PART OF THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT TOO.
THEY TEND NOT TO, THEY TEND TO FALL OUT OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT PARKS AND TRAILS, BUT THE SWIMMING POOLS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUTE.
I THINK WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED TO US OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S TAKEN THE DISPARITIES OF THE COMMUNITY AND OBVIOUSLY ELEVATED THOSE.
UM, I THINK PARKS ARE REAL IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN INCREASED DEMAND ON THOSE, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF THE SAVINGS GRAYS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, AS WE WENT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, UM, THE ONE DISPARITY THAT REALLY STANDS OUT FOR ME IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
UM, UH, FUNDAMENTALLY WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CITIES IN TERMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH STATUS AND CONDITION AND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE'VE SEEN THE REAL IMPACT THAT HAS IN HOW OUR WHOLE CITY OPERATES.
UH, IF IT WASN'T APPARENT BEFORE, THEY'VE ALSO OPENED UP A LOT OF LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT HAVE NOT HAD ACCESS BEFORE.
AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT WORK AND EXPAND ON IT NOW, AS WE GO FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON, ON SOME OF THE CHRONIC CONDITIONS THAT EXIST IN POPULATIONS THAT NEED GOD EXIST, IF THERE WAS, UH, UH, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO, TO HEALTHCARE.
SO FOR ME, THAT REALLY STANDS OUT, UH, SO THAT THE FUTURE, WE HAD CHANGED THINGS, YELLOW WEB STANDS OUT IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR ME, UH, IT, TO ME, IT'S TIED WITH HOUSING, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT AS WE GROW AND BECOME A MORE EXPENSIVE CITY.
HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE THAT GAVE US THE DIVERSITY OF THE CITY? THEY GIVE US THE ARTISTS, THEY GIVE US COMPETING IDEAS, THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
THERE, THERE ARE TWO WAYS YOU MAKE IT SO THAT FOLKS COULD STAY IN THE CITY LONGER.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS YOU MAKE THINGS MORE AFFORDABLE.
YOU MAKE THEM COST LESS WHERE YOU GIVE PEOPLE MORE MONEY TO SPEND THE HOUSING ISSUE IS HOW YOU MAKE IT COST LESS THAN IT WOULD OTHERWISE WITH HOUSING SUPPLY OR PROGRAMS. THE WAY YOU GIVE PEOPLE MORE BUDDY IS INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDDLE SKILL JOBS AND TRADING, UH, THE WORK TO EXPAND NURSING, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT WILL WORK AND EDUCATE PEOPLE INTO NEW SKILL TECH POSITIONS THAT DON'T REQUIRE A FOUR YEAR DEGREE LIKE WE'RE DOING FOR, FOR A TESLA.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO DOUBLE DOWN ON ALL THAT WORK.
AND I THINK THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP KEEP PEOPLE HERE JUST ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SIR.
DO YOU THINK OF INDICATORS THERE AS BEING WHAT WE MIGHT THINK, YOU KNOW, OBESITY RATES, LIFE EXPECTANCY, THAT SORT OF THING? WELL, I WOULD DEFER TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, UH, STAFF ARE THAT, BUT, BUT YES, IT WAS THOSE KINDS OF CO-MORBIDITIES, UH, THAT IN A LOT OF TIMES CASES WERE DRIVING THE MORTALITY RATE THAT WE SAW THAT, AND THE FACT THAT, THAT SO MANY, UH, PEOPLE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES HAD TO BE OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS AND DIDN'T HAVE THE ALTERNATIVES, OR I THINK IT ALSO TIES INTO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BUT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT, UH, I WOULD DEFER TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF, SOME OF OUR ELLIS, AND THEN MAYBE I'LL COME BACK OVER.
I DO AGREE WITH WHAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY TO PARKS BEING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE BUYING PARKLAND IN SPECIFIC AREAS, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT GETTING TO AND FROM THEM IS SIMPLER FOR THE PUBLIC.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MAKING GOOD HEADWAY ON, AND THAT'S GOOD TO SEE.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH, I THINK IT WAS THE MAYOR PRO TEM TALKING ABOUT MAINTENANCE, KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR EVERY SPACE WE WANT PEOPLE TO ENJOY.
WE THEN ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT GROUNDS, FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AS, AS FAR AS WORKFORCE GOES, IT REMINDED ME OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD ABOUT ACCESS TO CHILDCARE.
AND I THINK SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THESE SESSIONS, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS A BUDGETARY COMMITMENT AND WHAT CAN BE A POLICY.
HOW DO WE ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE CHILDCARE FACILITIES, WHICH ISN'T SOMETHING WE NEED TO BUDGET FOR, BUT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT FOR US TO CONSIDER IN SD 23 IS WHAT IS BUDGETARY AND WHAT IS A POLICY DECISION THAT THEN DOESN'T NEED A BUDGETARY LINE ITEM TO SEE IT SUCCEED.
UM, BUT I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL SAID ABOUT JUST, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND THE, UM, THE LAYERING OF, UM, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, ALL, ALL OF THE DISASTER DECLARATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE OVERLAPPED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
[01:30:01]
AND I THINK THERE IS SOME REALLY GOOD POLICY INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PASS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE, UM, HEALTHY STREETS AND LIVING STREETS AND THE, UH, CONGRESS AVENUE WORK THAT'S HAPPENED.AND SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THOSE UNDERWAY BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN'T MAKE THE PANDEMIC GO AWAY, UM, AND WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, GET CLIMATE CHANGE TO GET BACK TO A SAFE PLACE LIKE IT USED TO BE SO THAT IT DOESN'T AFFECT OUR UTILITIES IN THE SAME WAY, UM, THAT WE'RE AT LEAST DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO TRY TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THEM AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED.
AND IN THAT SAME VEIN CUSTOMER, UH, WHAT LOOKS LIKE PROGRESS ON THE CHILDCARE FRONT, CAUSE I'VE HEARD IT NOW A COUPLE OF TIMES, WHAT WOULD BE A WAY FOR YOU TO STEP BACK AND SAY, WE MOVE THE NEEDLE ON EITHER ACCESS TO CHILDCARE OR OTHER ASPECTS OF THAT QUESTION? WELL, I KNOW THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHERE, WHERE CHILDCARE FACILITIES ARE APPROPRIATE.
I KNOW IN THE PAST THERE WERE, UM, ZONING, CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, IN THE LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T DO IN THIS STRUCTURE, CHILDCARE IS ONE OF THEM AND IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL ANSWER BECAUSE THERE'S SOME PLACES WHERE THE TRAFFIC OF CHILDCARE PICKUP AND DROP OFF IS A CONCERN FOR, FOR THIS, THE IMPACTS TO THE STREET.
BUT THERE'S OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHERE WE DO MORE MULTI-USE BUILDINGS TO MAKE SURE IF YOU HAVE MORE CHILDCARE FACILITIES, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MANY STUDENTS IN EACH ONE.
AND THAT KIND OF MITIGATES THE, THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS OF THAT LOCATION.
AND SO I'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS, I'VE BEEN ON THE DIETS THAT WE'RE LESS INCLINED TO EXCLUDE CHILDCARE AS AVAILABLE USES.
AND I THINK THAT'S A WAY THAT GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE THE LEVERAGE AND THE POLICY DIRECTIVES TO LET THE PRIVATE SECTOR STEP UP AND HOPEFULLY FILL IN THAT GAP FOR US.
SO MAYBE LOOKING AT CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE OVERLAYS REMOVE THAT AS AN EXCLUDED USE, OR WHERE RATIOS OF STUDENTS IN A PARTICULAR CENTER, CITYWIDE AVERAGE, THAT THAT GOES DOWN, THOSE COULD BE SOME WAYS TO LOOK AT IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WHAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED IN THE PAST IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE USUALLY TRY TO GO CHANGE, BUT WHEN WE LOOK FORWARD AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE HAVING CHILDCARE DESERTS IN SOME PLACES? WHY ARE WE HAVING HEALTHCARE DESERTS IN SOME PLACES WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY ISN'T THE REASON THAT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING AND TO LET THE PRIVATE SECTOR STEP UP.
UH, CAUSE OUR KITCHEN, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT I THINK PAIGE, THE MAYOR PRO TEM, LESLIE OTHERS MAY HAVE SAID ABOUT, UH, ABOUT PARKS AND, UM, AND ALSO JUST REMIND US ALL THAT, THAT THE, UH, ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN IS UP FOR US THIS YEAR.
AND THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR, BIG DEAL FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE FUTURE OF THAT PARK WILL BE.
SO I THINK IT HAS BOTH PLANNING IMPLICATIONS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A FUNDING IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE IN, IN LIKE A PAGE WAS SAYING HOW PEOPLE GET TO AND FROM THAT PARK HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON ITS ACCESSIBILITY AND ALSO JUST THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE'S OTHER, THERE'S A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT PARK ISSUES ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, BUT THAT'S A KEY ONE FOR US, UH, THIS YEAR.
I WAS FORTUNATE TO FACILITATE THE LOVE STRATEGIC PLAN RECENTLY AND CERTAINLY THEY'RE TIED IN VERY CLOSELY TO THAT.
ANY OTHER, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER, OH, COUNCIL MERTOLA YEAH, JUST WANT TO, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR A MOMENT RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT YOUTH PROGRAMS WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OR SOME OF THE IDEAS FOR ALL AGES, ALL ABILITIES MULTI-GENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING, UH, AND THAT MAY FALL INTO THE LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITY, BUT WITHIN RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK WE HAVE A REAL ADVANTAGE, A REAL OPPORTUNITY RATHER TO EXPAND SOME OF OUR YOUTH PROGRAMMING AND TO CONSIDER IT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, A WHILE BACK, UM, WITH THE AT-LARGE COUNCIL, WE LOOKED AT SOME YOUTH PROGRAMS THAT HAD REALLY GOOD PUBLIC SAFETY OUTCOMES AND, AND STARTED SOMETHING CALLED ROVING LEADERS, UM, AND TRIED TO, TRIED TO FOCUS NEW, ENGAGING YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES IN AREAS WHERE, UM, THERE WAS A REAL NEED FOR, FOR THAT KIND OF REAL POSITIVE ACTIVITY FOR YOUTH.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PARKS, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ALSO ON RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND THE WAYS IN WHICH CERTAIN KINDS OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES NEED TO BE EXPANDED AND, AND KIND OF USING INNOVATIVE ONES TO HELP US MEET SOME OF OUR OTHER GOALS AS WELL.
I'LL JUST ASK YOU WHAT I'VE ASKED OTHERS ANY SPECIAL WAY TO LOOK AT PROGRESS ON THE FRONT
[01:35:01]
OF YOUTH PROGRAMMING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO TARGET, YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A FULL LIST, BUT I WOULD SAY, UM, I WOULD LOOK AT INCREASED PARTICIPATION AMONG NEW USERS OF OUR, OF OUR RECREATION CENTERS AND NEW, UM, YOUTH WHO HADN'T PARTICIPATED, CERTAINLY GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF, UM, AND, AND DIVERSITY, RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY AS WELL IN TERMS OF PARTICIPANT ECONOMICALLY IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN OUR PROGRAMS. YEAH, THANKS.I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS TAKEN THEIR KIDS TO THE PARK FOR ALL ABILITIES.
I THINK IT'S CALLED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
IT'S A SPECTACULAR, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING.
AND, UH, THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
AND THANKS FOR MENTIONING THAT LARRY, BECAUSE I, I DO THINK, UM, I THINK WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY AND A REAL NEED TO EXPAND OUR OFFERINGS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH, UM, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES DIFFERENTLY ABLED.
UM, I ONLY CAME OVER HERE FOR JUST A MOMENT BECAUSE I WAS THINKING, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE, THEN I THINK IT WAS MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, WHO THAT WAY, RIGHT THERE IT IS, UM, REPRESENTED.
I THINK THIS WAS YOUR BEST EMPLOYER IN TOWN, CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN LEADS NATION AND CREATING GREEN JOBS.
SO JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT BEFORE WE CONTINUED ON THIS CONVERSATION OF INDICATORS, THAT THOSE WERE SOME PARTICULAR ITEMS OF NOTE IN THE WORKFORCE SPACE MAYOR PRO TEM.
SO I WAS SAVING SORT OF OUR OWN WORKFORCE FOR LATER, CAUSE IT DOESN'T EXACTLY FALL UNDER THE WAY WE'VE, UM, TALKED ABOUT THIS INDICATOR, BUT SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WANT TO DO ALL OF THIS AND IT'S ALL LAUDABLE, BUT IF OUR OWN WORKFORCE IS NOT HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND THINKS WE'RE THE BEST EMPLOYER IN TOWN, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF IT.
UM, AND, AND SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I STRUGGLE WITH HOW DOES THAT FIT IN HERE BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN REALLY SEE GREAT MEASURES OF THAT UNDER GOVERNANCE GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
AND IN THIS JOB MARKET WHERE, WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVING FOR NEW JOBS AND, UM, WHATNOT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A REALLY LIMITED BUDGET, WE MAY JUST NEED TO BE MAKING THOSE INVESTMENTS INTO OUR OWN WORKFORCE SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER BASIC SERVICES AT THE LEVEL THAT WE NEED THAT WE NEED TO.
UM, AND SO THIS HAS BEEN, UH, THERE'S BEEN A CHALLENGING EXERCISE FOR ME BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME KIND OF CORE BASICS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE ASPIRATIONAL THINGS THAT, THAT WE MOST WANT TO HANG OUR HAT ON FOR OUR LEGACY, BUT YET THEY ARE CRITICAL FOR ACCOMPLISHING OUR WORK AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, SO AS WE, AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIT IT IN THIS FRAMEWORK, BUT I WILL EXPRESS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE BUDGET, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE CREATIVE AND PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO, UM, THE HIRING AND RETENTION OF OUR STAFF.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'LL COME UP LATER AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE FOCUSED IN ON.
I HOPE THIS DOESN'T SMACK OF BIAS ON THE FACILITATOR'S PART, BUT I WILL JUST TELL YOU ALL THAT BY THE TIME OUR SECOND CHILD WAS BORN, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE OFFERED BY THE CITY.
AND IT IS NOT A STRETCH TO SAY THAT IT WAS EITHER LIFE OR CAREER SAVING.
CAUSE I KEPT WORKING FOR THE CITY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AFTER THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT EXACTLY FITS UNDER THE BUCKET THAT, UH, MAYOR PORTEND WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT PAID PARENTAL LEAVE WAS A BIG ONE FOR OUR FAMILY.
WITH YOUR ALL'S PERMISSION, I'M GOING TO MOVE TO THE FINAL TIER OF INDICATORS AND WHAT I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO IN THIS, UH, OOPS.
WHAT I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO HERE IS COVER THE REMAINING INDICATORS FROM THE ORIGINAL TOP 10 THAT GOT IT, GOT THE LOWER RANKINGS, UH, DURING THE SURVEY, UH, INTERESTING THOUGH THAT A NUMBER OF THEM DID GET RANKED HIGHLY BY SOME OF YOU.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU DO HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, NUMBER TWO RANKINGS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, MOST OF THESE SO-CALLED TIER THREE, UH, ITEMS, BUT IN AGGREGATE OR ON AVERAGE, THESE SKEWED A LITTLE BIT LOWER, THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM, THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, THE ACCESS OF ACCESSIBILITY TO AN EQUITY OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND THE CITY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WANT TO MAYBE GO TO MAYOR PRO TEM, JUST BECAUSE YOU MADE REFERENCE A LITTLE BIT AGO TO POTENTIAL CHANGE IN MINDSET AROUND
[01:40:01]
THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE.I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY COMMENTS YOU WANTED TO MAKE AT THIS STAGE ABOUT THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE WE'RE UNDER A WATER BOIL AND THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WE HAVE TO BE PROVIDING BASIC SERVICES.
UM, AND IF WE NEED TO INVEST MONEY IN THAT, WE NEED TO INVEST MONEY IN THAT.
UM, I THINK I HAD RANKED THIS.
I HAD CERTAINLY RANKED THIS IN MY TOP 10 AND, AND HAD PUSHED TO HAVE THIS IN THERE.
THERE ARE OTHER, THERE ARE OTHER, UM, INDICATORS UNDER A GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS.
I THINK THAT ARE ALSO JUST KIND OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, BUT I, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED, WE NEED THOSE SERVICES TO BE, TO BE FUNCTIONING.
JUST WANT TO CHECK AN ASSUMPTION MAYBE WITH THE MANAGER AND THE MAYOR THAT THERE IS MEANT TO BE A SPECIAL, SEPARATE MEETING TO DISCUSS THE WATER.
AS IN, WE SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY GO TOO FAR FURTHER IN DISCUSSING IT.
IS THAT ACCURATE? IT'S GOT TO BE SPECIALLY SET GUARD FEBRUARY 15TH.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN IGNORE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SET OUR PRIORITIES.
I JUST MEANT IT COULD BE A MUCH DEEPER DISCUSSION HERE AND I JUST WANT TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE SET UP CUSTOMER TOVA.
I THINK WE NEED TO ATTEND TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND BE SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING IT AND, AND IN ALL OF THE WAYS, UM, THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM SUGGESTED, BUT GIVEN, GIVEN THE SENSITIVITY OF THIS ISSUE IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE HAVE REPORTERS HERE, I JUST WANT TO CHECK MY ASSUMPTION WITH THE MANAGER THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED THAT AT THIS POINT, IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AN INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE THAT CAUSED THE BOIL WATER NOTICE.
NOW THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE AREN'T THINGS THAT WE WILL ALL NEED TO ADDRESS AND UNDERSTAND, UM, AND, AND RESPOND TO IN SOME WAY, POTENTIALLY WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
BUT I JUST, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY CLEAR WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE AT THIS POINT.
YEAH, FLINT IS, AND THEN A CUSTOMER KITCHEN.
SO I HAD A DIFFERENT THOUGHT NOT UNRELATED TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
YEAH, WE'RE JUST, IF IT'S WITHIN TIER THREE, THAT'D BE PERFECT.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM, THAT'S ALSO PRIORITY FOR THE COUNCIL.
I KNOW ALL OF US SHARE THAT COMMITMENT.
UM, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR FROM A BUDGETARY LENS IS IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVE REVENUE PATHWAYS FOR US TO SUPPORT OUR CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM.
RIGHT NOW IT'S LARGELY DEPENDENT ON OUR HOTEL TAXES AND THERE IS SUCH A NEED FOR US TO OFFER ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE CITY HAS A ROLE IN THAT.
AND SO I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR ANY CREATIVITY THERE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL WAYS THAT WE CAN FUND THE ECOSYSTEM.
SO NOT JUST AN EMPHASIS ON FUNDING, BUT A DIVERSIFICATION OF THE PORTFOLIO TO FEED FUNDING IN THAT COULD BE USED FOR THAT KIND OF WORK KITCHEN.
THAT'S WHEN I WAS GOING TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT, I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF, OF, UH, OF ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE SET A PATH.
AND SO WE NEED TO FULLY FULLY FUND THAT PATH.
UH, WE CREATED THE EDC, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
WE'VE ASKED THEM TO TAKE ON CERTAIN TASK, UH, WITH REGARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CULTURAL, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE'VE ALSO ACTUALLY COMMITTED TO SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE FUND IT THIS YEAR, JUST LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR.
UM, AND, UM, BECAUSE WE SET A PATH FOR PUTTING ENOUGH DOLLARS IN THE EDC TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO REALLY HELP FUND, UM, SOME, UH, MAINTAINING OUR, OUR CREATIVE SPACES.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE'VE ALREADY PASSED THAT WE'VE INDICATED WE WANTED TO FUND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S COMMITTED DOLLARS THAT, THAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF PROGRESS, UH, CONDITION OF CREATIVE SPACES OR HOUSEMATES.
WELL, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND I THINK THAT, UM, VANESSA WAS RIGHT ON TARGET FOR THE ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM.
THE ONE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS A SPECIFIC PROGRAM THAT WE SET UP TO, TO MAINTAIN CREATIVE SPACES, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING THEM.
AND SO THIS IS A, A PROGRAM TO, UM, FOR, UH, CULTURAL VENUES TO, TO PURCHASE AND OR HELP, YOU KNOW, OUR CREATIVES PURCHASE OR IN, OR IN OTHER WAYS,
[01:45:01]
UH, MAINTAIN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND WE ESTABLISHED A TARGET OF $15 MILLION FOR THAT.
AND WE STARTED DOWN THAT ROAD.
SO WE NEED TO KEEP GOING DOWN THAT ROAD TO FUND IT.
THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT.
CAN IT COUNSEL MORELS? UH, I'VE GOT TWO THOUGHTS ON THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN REGARD TO THE HEADLINE THAT I, THAT I CHOSE EARLIER, WHICH WAS ABOUT AUSTIN TACKLING BIG ISSUES.
UM, I DO SEE SOME OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND OUR FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTARY AND QUESTIONS IS ALONG THE LINES OF, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN'T, UM, BE RELIABLE IN THE BASICS THAT EVERYONE AGREES, THE CITY SHOULD BE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES, THEN I WORRY THAT WE LOSE TRUST WHEN WE TRY TO TACKLE THOSE BIG ISSUES.
AND WE TRY TO MAKE BIG POLICY CHANGES, UM, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S HOW YOU GROW AS A CITY IS THAT YOU MASTER THE BASICS AND THEN PEOPLE TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO TO THE PUBLIC AND WE PUT THINGS TO THE VOTER AND WE SAY, DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THESE BONDS? OR DO YOU WANT TO INVEST IN THESE IMPROVEMENTS? WE WANT PEOPLE TO TRUST THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE WISELY SPENT.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, FOR A CITY TO BE ABLE TO DO.
AND AS FAR AS, UM, THE CREATIVES INDUSTRY, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, I KNOW WE, WE ALL LOVE ART AND MUSIC, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO THRIVE IN THIS CITY.
AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT AS AN ARTIST OR MUSICIAN, I ALWAYS START TO THINK ABOUT THE OTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, IS THERE ENOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUSING SUPPLY THAT ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN? DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE? IS CHILDCARE CLOSE ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN BE ABLE TO PURSUE THEIR PASSION, NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DAYCARE CLOSING DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN RUIN A GIG THAT THEY HAD.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT ARTS AND CREATIVITY, I THINK IT'S ON US, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY AND THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, WHETHER THEY'RE PRIVATE OR PUBLIC ARE FUNCTIONING AND ALLOWED AND THAT PEOPLE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN PROVIDE HEALTHCARE AND BE ABLE TO, TO KEEP THEIR LIGHTS ON AND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE AND HAVE OTHER OPTIONS WHEN THINGS AREN'T THERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE WEB OF THE NET IS THAT YOU CAN'T ALWAYS TALK ABOUT ONE OF THESE TOPICS WITHOUT ADDRESSING EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND I, I HATE TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD WITH YOU ALSO, BUT I MEAN, IS THERE SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR THAT CAN SHOW US THAT WE'RE BETTER IN THE SPACE THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IN TERMS OF CARING FOR THE CREATIVE SECTOR AND THEIR NEEDS IN A WRAPAROUND KIND OF A WAY MOSTLY, I WOULD JUST SAY, LISTEN TO THEM.
THEY'RE VERY GOOD ABOUT COMING TO US AND OUR MEETINGS AND BEING ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARING THEIR STORIES WITH US AND WITH EACH OTHER.
AND SO I THINK REALLY LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE MOST EFFECTED IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO BE EFFECTIVE LEADERS.
IT COMES, REMEMBER, UH, OH, I'M SORRY, MAYOR, AND THEN CUSTOMER KITCHEN.
YOU KNOW WHAT OBSERVATION, I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH THESE ARE THAT THESE ITEMS THAT WERE ALREADY ON SD 23 HAD SET HIS PRIORITIES.
WHERE WERE WE? WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF EXECUTING ON THESE DOLLARS, HAVE BEEN PUT ASIDE, UM, ON THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM.
UH, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A LOT OF DOLLARS THAT CAME IN TO DO THAT.
THERE ARE NOW LONG-TERM PROGRAMS THAT ARE SET UP.
THERE'S THE ADDITIONAL BUDDY, 15% OFF, THE 2% BUD, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN PUT ASIDE, THERE'S THE WORK THAT WAS DONE ON RIVERSIDE, UH, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UH, I MEAN, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND RIGHT, AGAIN, I THINK IT COMES TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE APPROPRIATE METRICS ARE NOW THAT WE HAVE THOSE THINGS THAT PLACE THIRD ADMINISTRATION TO JUSTICE.
WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF STEPS WITH RESPECT TO, UH, UH, DON PRIORITIZING VISTA BEATERS.
AND, AND I TRIED TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REALLY CAUSING THE GREATEST STRESS WITH RESPECT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S STILL REAL IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO ADJUST SPECTRUM BECAUSE SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CHOICES WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, PROJECT CONNECT PASS, OR THE 2018 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION BYPASSING.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE THE $300 MILLION IN THE EDITOR'S PLACE WITH ALL THOSE DAYS, BUT THEY'RE SET NOW.
AND I THINK IT'S GOOD TO NOTE THAT THESE THINGS THAT WERE PRIORITIES BEFORE HAVE ACTUALLY NOW SHOWN UP ON THINGS THAT WE HAVE RAISED THAT HAD ADDRESSED IT AND MOVED ON.
UH, I THINK ALSO AGREE WITH COLLEAGUES THAT WE REALLY DO NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT, UH, AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE
[01:50:01]
ISSUES THAT WE HAVE GIVEN WHAT'S JUST HAPPENED, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE CAN UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT ARE, UH, PERSONNEL ISSUES OR OPERATIONAL ISSUES VERSUS, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND, AND CAPITAL ISSUES, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON, ON THOSE CORE BASE BASE FUNCTIONS.NEXT MONTH, COUNSELOR KITCHEN, I WAS JUST GOING TO SPEAK TO THE EQUITY, UM, ISSUE.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR MENTIONING THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M, I'M KIND OF SPEAKING TO A THEME HERE.
THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PROJECT CONNECT ANTI-DISPLACEMENT DOLLARS.
WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THAT AT ALL.
AND NOR DO WE HAVE THE PATH LAID OUT.
I MEAN, OUR STAFF HAS DONE SOME EXCELLENT WORK AND IS REALLY MOVING US DOWN THE ROAD ON THAT, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY DO IMPLEMENT WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO WITH THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT DOLLARS.
AND SO WE WILL GET A NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
AND THAT'S A MATTER OF THINKING IN TERMS OF, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT STAFFING? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFFING, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PROCEED TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THAT? SO THE REASON I KEEP KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN ONCE WE FUNDS INITIAL PROJECT OR ONCE WE GET AN INITIAL PROJECT GOING, IT TAKES A LOT AND OUR STAFF KNOWS THIS AND THEY'RE REMINDING US OF THIS.
IT TAKES A LOT TO GET US FROM THE POINT OF STARTING SOMETHING TO THE POINT OF ACTUALLY SEEING AN OUTCOME.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE STEPS ALONG THE WAY, AND THAT WE ARE LOOKING AND UNDERSTAND ALONG WITH OUR STAFF, BECAUSE OUR STAFF IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING THAT OF, OF WHETHER WE'RE ACTUALLY MEET, MEETING OUR GOALS.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, I JUST WANT TO REPEAT THAT, CAUSE I THINK THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT.
WE DO THAT SOME, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS DO THAT.
SO, AND IT BEARS REPEATING, AND I THINK I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT X AS MUCH, OR JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT IT AS HIGH UP ON THE RANKING DOESN'T MEAN MY EYE ISN'T STILL SQUARELY ON THOSE BALLS.
SO, UH, THAT POINT IS WELL-TAKEN OTHER COMMENTS ON CREATIVE INDUSTRY FOR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE MAYOR PRO TEM.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO JUST, UH, THINK COUNCIL MEMBER TOMO.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT TO POINT OUT THAT AS FAR AS WE KNOW THIS ISSUE, UM, THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW IS PERSONNEL RELATED.
UM, THAT DOES POINT TO SOME CHALLENGES SIMILAR TO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE THAT OUR INDICATORS DON'T NECESSARILY MARK WHAT WE WANT THAT TO MEAN.
UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE AND QUALITY OF CITY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND EFFECTIVE ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S SOME MEASURES IN THERE THAT ARE RELIABILITY AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THE BUILDING LOOK LIKE? WE HAVE ANOTHER MEASURE UNDER SAFETY, THAT IS THE RELIABILITY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THESE DISTINCTIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OUR, IT'S THE RELIABILITY OF OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE BASIC PUBLIC SERVICES.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY MET VERY WELL BY, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE PERSON MIGHT THINK IT FALLS UNDER THAT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE INDICATORS, IT DOESN'T.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ARE WED TO THIS PROCESS WITH THE INDICATORS, THERE, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES IN THERE WITH THAT, THAT, THAT I KNOW THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH ON KIND OF HOW TO, HOW TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
CAUSE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT RELIABILITY OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT COULD NOT, IT COULD BE NOT AN INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE, BUT A BUT A PROCESSOR OR A PERSONNEL ISSUE AS WELL.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE THAT WE HAVE THESE OTHER MEASURES AND THERE IS SOME AMBIGUITY HERE.
AND I THINK WHEN WE GO TO DO THE BUDGETING, WE CAN DEAL WITH IT.
BUT IF WE WANT TO KIND OF OPERATE STRICTLY IN THIS FRAMEWORK, THAT CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
UM, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
I THINK THIS COUNCIL HAS TAKEN A LOT OF STEPS IN THAT REGARD.
UM, I THINK WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH COMMITTED TO REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, BUT I DO WONDER IF WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE THAT'S OUT THERE WITH GUN VIOLENCE AND, UM, THE PERCEPTION OF VIOLENCE THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, AND BE THINKING OF HOW WE ADDRESS THAT.
AND THERE ARE OTHER MEASURES UNDER SAFETY THAT BEGIN TO GET THAT, BUT BECAUSE THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO APPROACH THIS VIOLENCE PREVENTION TENDS TO BE MORE PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE DON'T HAVE REALLY GOOD INDICATORS IN THE PATH THAT WE'VE TAKEN WITH REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY CAUSE REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE VICTIMS AND PREVENTING HOW THE VICTIMS ARE TREATED, HOW THE VICTIMS ARE TREATED AND ALSO PREVENTING THE VIOLENCE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, AND I DON'T WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT WE PUT
[01:55:01]
IN IT'S SAID, BUT THAT IS AN AREA WHERE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF INVESTMENT IN THE, IN COMPARISON TO OUR BUDGET COULD ACTUALLY REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THINGS YOU COULD MEASURE, LIKE THE NUMBER OF, OF GUN INCIDENTS AND DEATH MURDERS AND ET CETERA.UM, BUT IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND NOT ONE OF THESE, UM, WOULD ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
I KNOW IT COMES FROM A RICH AREA.
YOU ALSO SPOKE TO THIS EARLIER.
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS ASPECT OF THE DISCUSSION I JUST WANTED, UM, LIKE, UM, NO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S BECOMING REAL SERIOUS AND IT'S, UH, I'M, UH, I'M AFRAID THAT THE HEADLINES THAT ARE GIVING US A VERY NEGATIVE LOOK AT BY THE, BY THE REST OF THE, OF THE STATE AND A NATION.
SO I DON'T LIKE TO SEE THOSE HEADLINES THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN GOING ON, ESPECIALLY ON IT WHILE WE'RE ALWAYS ON TIME.
AND, UH, THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE NEW YORK JOURNAL SAYING ABOUT OUR PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY NOT TRUE, BUT THEY DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME FROM OUT OF TOWN ON THERE, ON THE WEEKENDS AND CREATE PROBLEMS WITH US AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS POINT ABOUT THE FOUR INDICATORS IN TIER THREE ON THE CITY FACILITY IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, UH, HISTORICALLY WE HAVE ALWAYS, UH, KIND OF PUT THAT AT THAT BOTTOM OF OUR BUDGET BECAUSE THERE'S NOT VERY POPULAR TO BE PUSHING FOR THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN, WHEN THERE'S SUCH NEEDS IN A, IN A CITY.
BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE A HABIT OF, UH, DELAY SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND ESPECIALLY I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE FACILITIES ARE DETERIORATED, ESPECIALLY IN EAST, EAST AUSTIN.
AND, UH, AND I USED TO IN PART OF A TOWN THAT HISTORICALLY HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO A KETCHUP, BUT WE NEED TO REALLY ADDRESS WHERE THE REAL SERIOUS PART OF IT, WHERE IT'S FLAKY.
I MEAN, WE HAD A WATER PLANT THAT, UH, WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE TICKS, UH, LAST YEAR, BUT, UH, THE STORM HIT US BEFORE WE COULD GET IT FIXED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD PERSONNEL THERE THAT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT AND WHICH THAT'S, THAT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT OLD, THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO START ADDRESSING IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR FACILITIES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE, WE RELY ON OFF AN ENERGY WATER, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE KINDS OF FACILITIES AND WOULD A MEASUREMENT BE SOMETHING LIKE, UH, OR REDUCTION IN THE AVERAGE AGE OF SOME OF THE FACILITIES OR WHAT'S ANOTHER WAY YOU WOULD WANT TO GET.
AND IT SAYS THAT, UM, UM, W CLINIC COMES TO ALL SUDDEN ENERGY THAT WE'RE ALWAYS HAVING TO REDUCE OUR RATES TO NOT INCREASE IT BY A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW THAT WE'RE UNDER, UH, YOU KNOW, I, THERE, THE STATE IS LOOKING AFTER US LOOKING AT US AND JUST WITH DYING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE OUR PLANT AWAY FROM US AND OUR AUTHORITY TO OPERATE OUR POWER PLANT.
AND, BUT WE NEED TO REALLY JUST FOCUS WITH, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M THAT THE STATE MIGHT NOT HOLD IT AGAINST US IF WE'RE USING SOME OF THAT MONEY TO IMPROVE OUR, OUR INFRASTRUCTURES, JUST IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
MS. SERGEANT, MR. MAZARRA IS ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS SHARING OR ANY ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO THE COMMENTS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION YOU HAD, HE WAS MENTIONING A PARTICULAR PLANT AND PERSONNEL.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION ON THAT FRONT? NO.
I THINK FOR ME, AUSTIN, ENERGY CONTINUOUSLY, UM, MAKES IMPROVEMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE HAVE THAT DEMONSTRATED IN OUR BUDGET.
YOU CAN SEE OUR CIP BUDGET, OUR MAINTENANCE BUDGETS, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND WE ARE ON SCHEDULES TO DO A RATE REVIEW PROCESSES.
AND AS I SHARED AT THE LAST UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING, WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS THIS YEAR, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS HERE.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO JUST BEFORE WE TAKE A SHORT BREAK IS RETURNED TO THE GRAPHIC THAT WE SHARED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
[02:00:01]
IS ILLUSTRATIVE OF INDICATORS THAT YOU ALL MENTIONED IN YOUR RESPONSES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN THE TOP 10, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO POTENTIALLY SEE, BE PLACED INTO THE TOP 10.SO AGAIN, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE ARE THE EXISTING TOP 10 INDICATORS.
THOSE NUMBERS JUST REFER TO THE NUMBER OF METRICS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED.
IT'S NOT A REFLECTION OF YOUR POLL RESPONSES, BUT IF IT'S IN RED ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, THAT INDICATES THAT AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER SUGGESTED THAT THAT INDICATOR DROP OUT OF THE TOP 10 AND BE REPLACED BY ONE OF THE ONES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
SO THE INDICATORS THAT ARE ON THE RIGHT ARE NOT IN THE EXISTING TOP 10 OF SD 23, AND THERE WERE FOLKS ON THE COUNCIL WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THEY BE INCLUDED, AND THEN THE COLOR CODED BOXES, THE SHADED BOXES SHOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE CITY IS AT OR NEAR THE TARGET FOR THAT PARTICULAR INDICATOR.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, WE'RE AT 86% OF THE WAY TO THE TARGET ON HOUSING, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS 0%, I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY TRUE THAT THE CITY HAS MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THAT AREA.
CARRIE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND UPON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I DO WANT TO JUST MENTION THAT EVEN AS YOU LOOK AT THESE INDICATORS AS A WHOLE AND THE NUMBER OF METRICS THAT ARE THERE, THERE ARE SOME INDICATORS THAT HAVE MEASURING METRICS AND THE NATURE OF THE INDICATOR, FOR EXAMPLE, HOUSING, IT IS MORE LONG-TERM GOAL.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, THE RED AND THE WE HAVEN'T MET OUR, OUR NEAR OUR TARGET IS PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH AND THE LONG-TERM NATURE OF TRYING TO MEET THOSE GOALS.
BUT ALSO SOME OF THESE MEASURES, WE ARE STILL MEASURING THE PROGRESS OF THEM.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T INDICATE WE AREN'T MAKING PROGRESS.
IT'S JUST THAT WHERE WE ARE IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
THAT'S HOW THE INDICATORS SHAKE OUT.
UH, A LOT OF HANDS LET'S SEE POOL CUSTOMERS, POOL AND KITCHEN.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANOTHER, UM, I DO THINK IT WOULD BE TIMELY FOR US TO REVISIT WHAT THE METRICS ON HOUSING ARE.
UM, AND IN WAYS THAT ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE WE HAVE REACHED AND AUTHORITY AND WHERE WE DO NOT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WOULD ALSO IMPROVE SOME OF THE PERSPECTIVES THAT WE HAVE ON WHERE WE'RE ABLE, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY SUPPLYING HOUSING, WHERE IT'S THE CITY'S JOB, RIGHT THROUGH THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION OR OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORK.
BUT AS FAR AS ZONING CASES IN HOUSING, JUST GENERALLY, OR THE BUILDING OF APARTMENTS, THOSE ARE DONE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, THAT THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THEY BUILD IT ON THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT THEY WANT TO BUILD IT ON.
WE DO HAVE INFLUENCE THERE WITH OUR ZONING REGULATIONS, BUT WE CAN'T KEEP THEM FROM BUILDING IT OR, OR MAKE THEM BUILD SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD RATHER THEY BUILD.
SO WE'RE VERY LIMITED, BUT THAT KIND OF DISTINCTION DOESN'T SHOW UP IN HERE.
AND, UH, IN PARTICULAR, WE WERE ALL, UH, RATED AND RANKED ON THE AMOUNT OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED WITHIN THE ARBITRARY LINES OF OUR DISTRICTS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE BEING TRACKED ON THAT.
AND IF WE COULD SCOPE DOWN TO WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON THOSE NUMBERS, THEN IT WOULD BE I THINK, A DIFFERENT AND MORE ROBUST PICTURE, RIGHT.
BUT IT ISN'T, AND IT'S NOT OUR TEAM NECESSARILY THAT'S, THAT'S MAKING THOSE, UH, RANKINGS OR ASSESSMENTS.
BUT I THINK THAT IS, THAT IS PART OF THE DIFFICULTY WE HAVE IN BREAKING THROUGH TO THE COMMUNITY ON THE GOOD WORK THAT WE ARE DOING, BECAUSE ALL THEY HEAR IS THIS CONSTANT DRUM BEAT ABOUT WE'RE FALLING SHORT.
WE'RE NOT DOING, WE'RE NOT PAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT.
AND FOR ME, IN, IN, IN MY LAST YEARS ON THE COUNCIL, IF THERE'S ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THAT IS TO IMPROVE THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY ON THE ACTUAL GOOD WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
AND WE ARE ALL WANTING TO CONTINUE TO DO, AND, AND WE'LL BE DOING INTO THE FUTURE.
AND I THINK TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, CITY MANAGER, IF WE ARE ABLE TO, TO SHIFT THAT AND REBUILD THE TRUST IN THE COMMUNITY, THEN WE WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'LL BE AN EASIER COMMUNICATION THEN WE ARE FINDING IT IS NOW BECAUSE THAT TRUST HAS BEEN ERODED.
SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO BREAK THROUGH THAT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT POINT COUNCIL MEMBER.
I MEAN, THE S I THINK IT'S SIX OUT OF THE SEVEN METRICS THAT ARE PART OF THE HOUSING INDICATOR ARE ONES THAT WE'RE MEASURING.
AND SO WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE KIND OF THOSE BROAD COMMUNITY INDICATORS, UH, THAT WE'RE STILL TRACKING INFORMATION AND TRYING TO GET AT WHAT THE RIGHT, UH, METRIC IS.
[02:05:01]
WE CAN MEASURE OUR PROGRESS, BUT IT'S WORTH A LONGER DISCUSSION OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF DIRECTOR TRULA WANTS TO ADD ANY NUANCE TO WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED.I WAS JUST GOING TO HEAR ROSIE HAD ANYTHING AND THEN COME OVER TO YOU.
I, I THINK SPENCER'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WERE, IS THIS NOT, I NOT, IT'S HARD TO GET THIS STUFF.
UM, SPENCER'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE, THE METRICS THAT ARE IN THERE, UM, ARE OUR BIG COMMUNITY METRICS.
UM, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY AS COUNCIL MEMBER POOL WAS SAYING, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IN A MORE TACTICAL LEVEL AND HOW WE CAN MEASURE THAT PROGRESS THERE.
WELL, I, I JUST HAD A QUESTION AGAIN, CAUSE I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE ITEMS IN RED ARE BEING PROPOSED TO BE REPLACED IS YES.
SO WHEN YOU SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE AT THE TOP ACCESSIBILITY AND EQUITY OF MULTIMODAL, SOME MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, WHEN THEY FILLED OUT THE SURVEY WANTED TO ADD A NEW INDICATOR INTO THE TOP 10 AND TAKE OUT THAT PARTICULAR INDICATOR FROM THE TOP 10.
SO IT'S NOT THAT IT WOULD CEASE TO EXIST.
IT'S JUST THAT THEY FELT IT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE TOP 10 SO THAT THEY COULD INSERT A NEW, UH, INDICATOR INTO THE TOP 10.
SO I GUESS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING, SO WHICH ONE, SO HOUSING'S IN RED.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT SOMEONE SUGGESTED, OH, I SEE.
I THINK I'M CONFUSING YOU WITH, SO IF YOU LOOK HERE, WHEN I SAY RED, I'M SIMPLY TALKING ABOUT THE ITALICIZED TEXT, NOT THE RED HERE.
SO IT'S JUST WHERE IT'S ITALICIZED IN RED.
THAT MEANS THAT AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER THOUGHT THAT THAT INDICATOR COULD SLIDE OUT OF THE TOP 10 AND BE REPLACED BY A DIFFERENT INDICATOR, BUT IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO TARGET OR ANYTHING.
IT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO YOU'RE JUST SO, SO, SO HOMELESSNESS HAS, IS IN RED, RIGHT? AND THAT MEANS THAT THAT'S AT LEAST ONE PERSON RECOMMENDED THAT THAT BE REMOVED.
I UNDERSTAND NOW, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
LARRY DID IT ALSO MEAN THAT THEN, THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, THEIR INCOME EQUALITY WOULD S WE'D REPLACE.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A LINE FOR LINE COMPARISON COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT IT JUST, SOMEONE WANTED INCOMING QUANTUMLY IN THERE.
AND ONE OF THOSE RED, UH, SIZED WOULD COME OUT MAYER AND THEN A CUSTOMER FOR WINDOWS.
SO FOR MY EYE, I'D BE HARD PRESSED TO TAKE OUT THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND HOMELESSNESS, BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING SO MUCH DOLLARS AGAINST THAT.
WE DON'T PERHAPS NEED NEW DOLLARS.
WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT WELL.
SO NOT SURE HOW THAT IMPACTS RANKINGS, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE STILL BE TWO OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES.
I'D BE HARD PRESSED TO TAKE OUT, TRIED TO PRESERVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE.
SO THE, THE, THE HOUSING ISSUE, THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES OF THE WORKFORCE ISSUES, AND THEN THE DISPARITY ISSUES AND HEALTHCARE PARKS, I'D HATE TO TAKE OUT THOSE ISSUES AS WELL AS I THINK THE EMPHASIS ON CITY FACILITIES, ESPECIALLY GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
IF I WERE TO MAKE ANY CHANGE, I THINK I WOULD CONSIDER THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, BECAUSE I THINK TO A LARGE DEGREE, WE ADDRESS THOSE WITH A LOT OF, UH, ACTION BY COUNCIL, WITH RESPECT TO THE MISDEMEANOR ACTION, THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE SEXUAL ASSAULT WORK AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I MIGHT ELEVATE THE SAFETY ISSUE, BUT DEFIED AS BEING TAKING, UH, UH, ILLEGAL GUNS OFF OUR STREET AND GUN VIOLENCE AS A, AS AN IMMEDIATE PRIORITY.
SO JUST SO EVERYBODY'S TRACKING, THE MAYOR WAS SAYING THAT PERHAPS FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE COULD DROP OUT OF THE TOP 10 AND SAFETY, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO GUN VIOLENCE MIGHT FALL.
THAT MIGHT BE PLACED INSIDE THE TOP 10.
JUST TAKE IT BACK A SECOND TO THE HOUSING PERCENTAGE OF TARGET SAYS 0%, AND I JUST, I GUESS I'M HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING WHY IT'S ZERO.
WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, OR EVEN OUR GOAL WITH, UH, BUILDING 60,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT WE'VE AT LEAST BUILT 7,000 UNITS.
IT'S NOT AT ALL WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE.
WE'RE NOT ON TREND WITH IT, BUT THAT IS PROGRESS ON OUR HOUSING GOAL.
UM, AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN ACCOUNT FOR THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED.
UM, SO, BUT CAN I GET FURTHER CLARIFICATION WHY IT SAYS 0% ON TARGET? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER IS SHOWING THE 0% BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE MEASURES IN THE DASHBOARD, THEY AREN'T SHOWING AS ON TRACK OR NEAR TARGET.
UM, IT DOESN'T DISCOUNT THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE.
SO IF YOU DIG DEEPER INTO THE MEASURE, IT SHOWS THE PROGRESS THAT WE MADE, BUT WE CREATED THIS HEAT MAP.
[02:10:01]
HOLISTICALLY ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, WHETHER WE HAD ITEMS THAT WERE ON TRACK OR NEAR THE TARGET.UM, BUT AS WE STATED, YOU KNOW, THOSE, SOME OF THOSE MEASURES ARE LONGER-TERM MEASURES AND WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT A ALL-INCLUSIVE PICTURE IS JUST THAT PORTION.
THAT IS AGAIN ON TRACK OR NEAR TARGET.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK STAFF TO KIND OF RECONFIGURE THIS, TO TAKE OUT THE ONES THAT WE'RE MEASURING, UH, THAT JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO HAVE THAT.
SO IT CAN BE A BETTER DESCRIPTION OF THE ONES THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY TRACKING.
UH, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE WE ON TRACK VERSUS NOT ON TRACK? UH, SO YOU CAN HAVE THOSE TO COMPARE IT TO, BECAUSE THIS IS MORE OF THE HOLISTIC, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE'RE MEASURING AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, CONCRETE DATA, UH, ON THAT SPECIFIC ONE, IT COUNTS AS KIND OF A, A RED HERE WHEN THAT'S, WHAT'S A LITTLE MORE NUANCED THAN THAT.
SO WE'LL GET YOU THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, CONTEXT, UH, IF THAT'S HELPFUL, THAT'D BE GREAT.
AND IF WE CAN INCLUDE THE UNITS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE IN THAT COUNT, THAT'D BE PREFERRED.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST SUBBING OUT, BUT I THINK EMERGENCY PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY IN MY ESTIMATION SHOULD MOVE LEFT.
APPRECIATE THAT WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FOLLOW IN CUSTOMER TOVA MAYOR ADLER'S STEAD IN TERMS OF, AS YOU LOOK AT PROPOSED NEW INDICATORS, WHICH IF ANY, WOULD YOU SUPPORT ADDING INTO THE TOP 10 AND WHAT WOULD YOU AND I ALSO WANTED TO JUST, UM, ECHO THE MAYOR'S POINT ABOUT SAFETY.
SO I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT POTENTIALLY MOVING OUT, UM, THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF, OF JUSTICE AND, AND PUTTING IN SOMETHING RELATED TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WHICH OBVIOUSLY THE GUN ISSUE BEING VERY TARGETED WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO LOOK THROUGH THE MEASURES, UM, AND WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE A GUN MEASURE AS ONE OF OUR GUN INCIDENT AND VIOLENCE INCIDENT MEASURE THAT I CAN SEE IT'S A LITTLE WONKY TO TRY AND DO IT RIGHT HERE.
UM, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE, SO IT JUST CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, UM, OR CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON FOR THAT.
UM, I ALSO FAVOR THE, UM, INCLUSION OF THE PREVENTION ITEM THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO MENTIONED.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO KIND OF PUT THAT UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE, WHICH IS WHY I'M NOT, W WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT NEED TO REVISE SOME OF THE METRICS OR MOVE SOME OF THEM AROUND.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT WE DO THAT.
UM, BECAUSE YOU'D ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THE CONDITIONS AND QUALITY OF THE CITY FACILITIES, ET CETERA, I MIGHT WANT TO MOVE IN ONE OF THE MEASURES OF HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH MIGHT GET A LITTLE BIT TO THE RYE ABILITY OR SOME MEASURE OF RELIABILITY, UM, IN THERE UNDER THAT.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT'S A MATTER OF CHANGING, WHICH ARE MY PRIORITIES AS MUCH AS MAKING SURE WE HAVE SOME CLARITY ON WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, WHICH HAS MORE TO DO, WHICH INDICATORS ARE IN WHICH BUCKET.
AND DO WE HAVE THE INDICATORS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA AT ALL COMPLETE, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY TO THE COUNCIL THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, SAFETY INDICATOR, THAT INDICATOR FALLS UNDER MOBILITY AND IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON INJURIES FROM TRA FROM TRAFFIC CRASHES, DRIVING BLOCKAGES.
AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER DISCUSSION ON, UM, SAFETY METRICS AS, AS MAYOR PRO TEM HAS MENTIONED TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THE SAFETY THAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY AND THAT WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION ON.
WE HAVE A WHOLE OUTCOME THAT SAFETY, AND I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CLEAR, BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY PREVENTION IS UNDER THE SAFETY OUTCOME.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE IS UNDER THE SAFETY OUTCOME.
THOSE ARE THE INDICATOR CATEGORIES.
UM, WE DO ALSO UNDER MOBILITY, HAVE A SAFETY INDICATOR AREA, RIGHT.
I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE INDICATOR CATEGORIES THAT ARE UNDER THE SAFETY OUTCOME.
AND I GUESS I WAS GOING TO ASK KAREN STAFF, MAYBE THE MANAGER TO THE MAYOR, PRETEND QUESTION ABOUT, LIKE, WHEN WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO TALK
[02:15:01]
ABOUT WHERE INDICATORS GO? I MEAN, THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE SUBJECT FOR TODAY'S MEETING, BUT IS THERE ANOTHER, UH, PERCEIVED OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION OR SHOULD THAT BE HANDLED IN ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS OR WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FEELING ABOUT THAT? I THINK WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES.WE CAN START OUT WITH ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS AND IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A BROADER DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE AS WELL.
I WANTED TO, UM, ASK, UH, FOR KNOWLEDGE, THE MAYOR PROTONS WORK ON SETTING UP THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
AND I'M WONDERING IF UNDER THE METRIC THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, UM, ALONG THE LINES WITH WHAT THE MAYOR WAS TALKING ABOUT, IF WE SHOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, THE GUN VIOLENCE AND, AND FOCUSING ON REDUCING CRIME IN THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR US TO, TO TRACK AND FOLLOW IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET AND IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING? I THINK THAT WAS WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING.
AND I THINK THAT WAS ALSO, YOU KNOW, IMPLIED IN WHAT OTHER FOLKS WERE SAYING.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT THE INDICATORS ARE NOT GETTING US THERE, UM, IN THE WAY THAT SHARP IS.
I THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVEN WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
SO AGAIN, ANY COMMENTS FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YET ON THESE NEWLY PROPOSED, OR I SHOULDN'T SAY NEWLY PROPOSED, BUT THESE INDICATORS ON THE RIGHT THAT MIGHT SLIDE INTO THE TOP 10 COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, I DISAGREE WITH WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEPING FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AS A METRIC, BUT MAYBE SWAPPING IT WITH, UM, SOMETHING ABOUT GUN SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
I THINK THAT'S IN LINE WITH SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING LATELY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KEEP LIKE HOMELESSNESS.
I, I DON'T SEE SUPPORTING REMOVING THAT AS AN INDICATOR.
UM, AND I DO THINK MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CHOICES IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE STILL MONITORING THE ONGOING INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
UM, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT DOES IT VERY GOOD OTHER COUNCIL COMMENTS ON THIS SET OF OPTIONS HERE CAUSE HER THROUGH, WELL, MY BIGGEST CONCERN, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMING A BUDGET IN THE FUTURE BUDGETS THAT ARE, WE'RE GOING TO BE RUNNING INTO NEGATIVE, BUT I REALLY WANT TO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A AND GET SOME REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL COSTS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
I THINK THAT IN A, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DISCUSS THAT ISSUE DOWN HERE, THIS LAST INDICATOR HERE.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL COMMENT OR DISCUSSION ON THE SUGGESTED INDICATORS TO INCLUDE IN THE 10? ALRIGHT.
LAST FOR A SHORT BREAK, JUST UNTIL TWO O'CLOCK AND WE WILL RETURN WITH KIND OF THE CLOSING COMPONENTS OF OUR DISCUSSION THEN.
OH, DO YOU JUST WANT TO DESCRIBE AGAIN WHAT OUR NEXT EXERCISE FOR SURE.
THE CONVERSATION AND THEN JUST GET THEM, GET EVERYONE THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY MIGHT, UH, UM, RESPOND TO THAT CAN EVEN GIVE YOU A LITTLE COMING ATTRACTIONS HERE.
SO, UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT THE FONT IS QUITE SMALL ON THE SCREEN, BUT IT WON'T BE FOR YOU WHEN YOU, UH, GO TO THE LINK.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE'VE TAKEN ALL 10 OF THE EXISTING SD 23 INDICATORS, AND THEN WE'VE ADDED THE INDICATORS THAT IN YOUR SURVEY RESPONSES YOU SUGGESTED MIGHT BE ADDED IN.
AND WHAT YOU'LL BE ASKED TO DO IS TO INCLUDE YOUR CHOSEN 10 AND TO COUNSELOR PAUL'S POINT EARLIER, IF IT'S MORE USEFUL TO YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE ONES I REALLY CARE ABOUT.
I DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT THE NUMBERS, BUT I REALLY, THESE ARE JUST 10 THAT I CARE ABOUT.
UM, BUT THE MAIN THING IS WE WANT TO SEE WHAT THOSE 10 ARE.
AND SO ON THE SCREEN, WHEN YOU GO TO THAT WEBSITE AT THE TOP, WHICH IS THE SAME ONE WE USED IN OCTOBER POLIVY.COM FORWARD SLASH KW POLL TWO, YOU'LL BE ABLE, AND I'LL DEMONSTRATE THIS FOR YOU AFTER THE BREAK, BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MANIPULATE WITH CLICKS, UH, BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES TO SHOW WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES LIE.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IN REAL TIME HOW THE RANKINGS ARE FALLING OUT AND HOW THE RESPONSE IS, LOOK, AND THEN WE CAN, UH, SHARE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
AND THEN ALSO LOOK AHEAD TO THE REST OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO ADD A, SORT OF A PLACEHOLDER VIOLENCE PREVENTION OR SLASH GUNS OR SOMETHING IN THERE? IF WE WEREN'T, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
[02:20:01]
IF IT'S OKAY WITH EVERYBODY, LET'S COME BACK AT, UH, 2 0 5, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.2 0 5, UH, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A QUICK TUTORIAL ON HOW TO COMPLETE THIS, UH, LAST QUESTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO POSE TO YOU.
IT'S RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK LITTLE DEMO.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF INTERNET CONNECTED DEVICE.
UH, IF YOU DON'T LET US KNOW AND WE CAN TRY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
UM, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOING TO THE WEBSITE.
THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN, WHICH IN CASE IT'S HARD TO SEE IS PULL V.COM FORWARD SLASH K W POLE THE NUMBER TWO.
SO YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE POLL E V.COM FORWARD SLASH KWL TO SPELL THAT WHAT EBY, OH, SORRY.
WHOLE P O L L E V AS IN, UH, ERIC, VICTOR.COM FORWARD SLASH K W TWO.
AND YOU CAN IGNORE THE PART WHERE IT ASKS FOR YOUR NAME.
YOU DON'T NEED TO GIVE US YOUR NAME.
SO ONCE YOU GET TO THE SCREEN THAT YOU SHOULD SEE ON THE PROJECTOR, YOU WILL ESSENTIALLY BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE RANKING BY CLICKING ON A PARTICULAR INDICATOR WITH YOUR MOUSE.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT IT TO BE MORE OF A PRIORITY, YOU WOULD CLICK THE UP ARROW LIKE THAT.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE LESS OF A PRIORITY, YOU WOULD CLICK THE DOWN ARROW LIKE THAT UNTIL YOU GET IT TO A PLACE THAT YOU'D LIKE IT.
SO I WOULD SAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHICH NUMBER RANKING YOU GIVE.
SOMETHING IS WHAT YOU INCLUDE IN YOUR TOP 10.
SO I WOULD, IF I WERE YOU SPENDING LESS OF THE TIME WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER SOMETHING IS NUMBER TWO OR NUMBER THREE AND MORE SHOULD THIS BE IN MY TOP 10 OR NOT? NOW, ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT WE HAVE ADDED WHAT WHAT'S THE USERNAMES IGNORE IT.
I KIND OF BLANKED ON WHAT, HOW DO WE DO THIS? WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? BUT SORT OF CATHY, I, I, I MAY, UH, INSERT YOU INTO MY SON'S A KEELING MIDDLE SCHOOL, A CLASS FOR A INSTRUCTION.
UM, YOU'RE ON POLIVY.COM FORWARD SLASH KW POLL TWO.
AND THAT TAKES YOU DIRECTLY TO THE POLL QUESTION.
YOU MAY HAVE TO CLICK, SKIP, BUT IT'LL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT THERE.
AND THEN, UH, ONCE YOU FIND THE INDICATORS, YOU CLICK ON ONE OF THEM AND THEN USE THE UP OR DOWN ARROWS TO ADJUST HOW MUCH OF A PRIORITY THAT IS FOR YOU.
AND AS I WAS SAYING, IT'S LESS IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT NUMBER ONE THROUGH 10, YOUR INDICATORS ARE, AND MORE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHETHER SOMETHING IS IN YOUR TOP 10 OR NOT.
SO I WOULDN'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT WHETHER A PARTICULAR INDICATOR GOES 2, 3, 4, BUT WHETHER IT'S IN YOUR TOP 10 AND IT GOES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
SO WHATEVER YOU BELIEVE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, YOU SHOULD UP ARROW IT AS HIGH AS IT'LL GO.
AND IF YOU THINK SOMETHING IS NOT AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY, YOU WOULD DOWN ARROW IT SIGNIFICANTLY.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IN THIS LIST, YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THE INDICATORS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AS POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTES, INCLUDING COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE, WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING HERE JUST A MINUTE AGO.
WE ALSO ADDED THE EIGHT OR SO OTHER INDICATORS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS PUT IN THEIR SURVEY RESPONSES AS ONES THAT YOU COULD DECIDE TO PUT INTO YOUR TOP 10.
SO AGAIN, YOU LOOK AT THE ENTIRE LIST AND YOU CLICK ON ANY OF THE INDICATORS TO ADJUST IT UP OR DOWN, BUT FOCUS MOSTLY ON GETTING YOUR 10, RATHER THAN BEING TOO CONCERNED ABOUT WHICH RANK THEY GO.
IF I WANTED TO ELEVATE A GUN LEGAL GARDENS.
THAT'S THE, UH, THAT'S COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN THE, IN THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE BEST.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE GUN VIOLENCE ITEM, THAT'S COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
SO FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE
[02:25:01]
OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT YOU WILL, SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER AND CHILDCARE WOULD BE AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.UH, I WOULD IMAGINE, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL SEE, MAYOR WAS THAT CARRIE MAN WAS ASKING ABOUT WORK CHILDCARE THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING A FEW TIMES MIGHT FIT.
AND HE MENTIONED IT AS A WORKFORCE ITEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY EXISTING INDICATORS OR HOW THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS AS YOU YEAH, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THE LINE ITEM THAT JUST SAYS SAFETY.
IS THAT THE ONE THAT CARRIE WAS SAYING IS UNDER MOBILITY? YES, IT IS.
IF YOU WANTED GUN VIOLENCE, THAT WAS COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS.
IF THE GUN VIOLENCE ISSUE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AT THE END IS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE.
UH, WHERE IS IT? COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
SO ARE WE, UM, ARROWS SHOWING THESE IN RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER ON THE PAGE OR JUST IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE WE START? NO, THIS IS, THIS IS MEANT TO BE AS IF YOU WERE COMING AT IT AS A NEW, SO THEY'LL ADJUST THEMSELVES ON THIS PAGE AS WE'RE THROWING THEM UP OR DOWN, AND WE'RE DOING THEM RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND THEN THEY'RE ALL GOING TO FEED INTO YOUR CHART.
I THINK I MIGHT HAVE A FUTURE IN OPTOMETRY.
WHENEVER YOU FEEL COMPLETE, YOU WOULD JUST CLICK THE BLUE SUBMIT BUTTON AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND IT WILL UPDATE IN REAL TIME.
THE CURRENT TOP 10 COMMUNITY WORKFORCE INCLUDES A MEASURE THAT ADDRESSES CHILDCARE MAYOR TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT CHILDCARE.
I THINK YOU WERE CORRECT IN IDENTIFYING IT IN THAT, UH, CAPABILITY OF WORKFORCE.
UH, THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO, NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO ADD MORE THAN 10.
IS THERE A SECOND? THIS CAN JESSICA
[02:30:39]
JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DELICIOUSNESS OF WHAT WE HAD TO EAT TODAY AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO PROVIDED IT.IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANYONE BESIDES GADHIA WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
I TRIED TO EAT FOR AT LEAST 12.
SO I TRIED TO EAT FOR 12 OF THOSE 58 FOR THOSE WHO'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED AND ARE LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, THE SYSTEM, ESSENTIALLY WEIGHTS YOUR RESPONSES IN REAL TIME.
SO COMMUNITY AND COMPLIANCE BEING NUMBER ONE DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S GOTTEN THE MOST NUMBER ONE VOTES.
IT JUST MEANS THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE PUT IT HIGHLY ENOUGH THAT IT THEN MOVED TO THE TOP OF THE LIST.
IS THERE, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO SEE THE CHART RIGHT THERE ON OUR SCREEN HERE, IF WE'RE LOGGED IN, IT'S JUST TRICKY FOR ME TO GIVE YOU A SIMPLE URL COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, IF I CAN JOIN A PRESENTATION IF I KNOW THE USERNAME, UM, YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT THAT, NOT THAT SIMPLE.
LET ME THINK ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
I, I MAY BE STUCK WITH A DISPLAY THAT'S ON THE SCREEN.
CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY WE WILL, UH, EMAIL ALL OF THE DATA, INCLUDING THIS SHOT AFTER THE MEETING.
BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT IN REAL TIME AND THEY'VE RECEIVED IN BLUE, THEN IT MEANS IT WAS SUBMITTED.
I THAT, IF IT, IF IT'S WE SEE IT IN BLUE NOW, AND IT SAYS IT, GORDON.
NOW I SEE IT SAYS RESPONSE RECORDED.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE WHAT WE HAVE AS OF NOW.
SO AGAIN, THESE ARE WEIGHTED SCORES, MEANING IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE MOST PEOPLE PUT COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE, ONE, TWO, ET CETERA, BUT ON A WEIGHTED SCORE, COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS CAME OUT FIRST FOLLOWED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE, ACCESSIBILITY, EXCUSE ME, ACCESS ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY PARKS, TRAILS, AND RECREATION, EMERGENCY PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS, AND RECOVERY, HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE, HOMELESSNESS SKILLS AND CAPABILITY OF WORKFORCE FINANCIAL COST AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CITY, GOVERNMENT,
[02:35:02]
AND ACCESSIBILITY OF TO AN EQUITY OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CHOICES.SO AS OF THIS MOMENT, THESE WOULD BE YOUR 10 INDICATORS.
WE ALSO HAD SAFETY CITY FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY.
GUYS MAY HAVE SKIPPED OVER HERE.
DIVERSITY OF CIVIC AND CULTURAL VENUES, EVENTS, PROGRAMS, AND RESOURCES, VIBRANCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ECOSYSTEM, CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, TRANSPORTATION COSTS, INCOME EQUALITY, AND FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
SO I THINK WE'RE WAITING ON AT LEAST ONE.
UM, I JUST WONDER, I KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU S WHAT YOU MEANT WHEN YOU SAID IT'S YOU SAID IT'S WEIGHTED, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE THAT GOT THE MOST RANKING.
WELL, I'VE BEEN COUNCIL MEMBER IS THE FACT THAT COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS IS POSITIONED FIRST.
THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF FIRST PLACE VOTES IN SECOND PLACE VOTES IN THIRD PLACE, VOTES, IT, IT DID THE BEST, NOT IN THE NUMBER OF VOTES AT GOD, BUT IN TERMS OF HOW HIGHLY IT WAS RANKED BY THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED.
SO IT'S A, IT'S NOT A REPRESENTATION OF, WELL, THIS ONE GOT THE MOST FIRST PLACE VOTES NECESSARILY, BUT IT IS SAYING MORE PEOPLE PUT THIS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER OF THE INDICATOR.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD BE MEASURING THINGS.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ENTIRETY OF THE, THE, THE RESPONSES AND Y'ALL CAN DO ANY KIND OF METRIC THAT YOU'D LIKE, THIS IS JUST THE WAY THAT THIS PARTICULAR SOFTWARE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE I'D HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHETHER THAT WAS REALLY THE WAY THAT I WANTED TO RANK IT, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE LOOKED AT BEFORE, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO PUT SOMETHING, NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE, ET CETERA.
WELL, CAN WE GET THE DATA THE OTHER WAY TOO? YOU'LL GET, YOU'LL GET EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DATA THAT THERE IS, WHICH IS EVERYBODY'S RESPONSES ANONYMOUSLY, BUT EVERYBODY'S LISTS.
WHAT I MEAN IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS KIND OF, THIS KIND OF GRAPHIC IS USEFUL, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS KIND OF GRAPHIC USING, UM, YOU KNOW, USING HOW, HOW YOU DID IT.
SO IT'S SHOWING ME, I HAVE NINE RESPONSES.
JUST WANT TO CHECK IN, I KNOW OBVIOUSLY COUNCIL MEMBER ARBOR MEDICINE, ISN'T WITH US TODAY.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO NEEDS, HELP NEEDS ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER VELA? OH, HE'S WORKING THROUGH IT.
AND THERE, I THINK TO COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN'S POINT, I MEAN, CLEARLY SOME OF THIS IS ABOUT THE PRODUCT THAT WE'RE SEEING, WHETHER IT'S PARTS THIS WAY OR THE WAY THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING.
UM, SO IT GIVES, UH, STAFF AND, AND COUNSEL AND INDICATION OF HOW THINGS MAY HAVE CHANGED SINCE WE LAST TALKED AND THE RESULT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS, UH, IN A MORE CONCRETE SENSE.
UH, BUT THEN THE OTHER BENEFIT FROM TODAY WAS REALLY THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AROUND THESE.
AND SO THE PROCESS THAT WE USE TO REALLY CREATE AND REDEFINE HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE INDICATORS, WHAT ARE THOSE, WHAT ARE THOSE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAD, UH, AS HAVE BEEN LAID OUT? AND SO BOTH THE PRODUCT AND THE PROCESS HAVE BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT AS, AS PART OF TODAY'S DELIBERATIONS.
UM, SUBMITTED, WE ACTUALLY GIVE EXTRA CREDIT TO THE PERSON WHO FINISHES LAST.
IT SHOWS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THOUGHT AND DELIBERATION.
UH, SO AGAIN, AS A SINGLE DATA POINT, NOT THE ENTIRETY OF IT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE, ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY PARKS, TRAILS, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOLLOWED BY HOUSING, EMERGENCY PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY, COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS, HOMELESSNESS, ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY, HEALTHCARE SAFETY AND FINANCIAL COST OF CITY GOVERNMENT WERE NECK AND NECK, AND THEN SKILLS AND CAPABILITY OF WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION HERE FOLLOWED BY THE REMAINING INDICATORS.
AND SO OF THE ORIGINAL 10, IT LOOKS LIKE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE,
[02:40:03]
ACCESSIBILITY TO AN EQUITY OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, CHOICES, VIBRANCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ECOSYSTEM, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.THOSE ARE THE FOUR THAT I AM NOTING THAT I BELIEVE WOULD BE LOWERED FROM THE ORIGINAL 10.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS PRELIMINARY.
THIS IS NOT A VOTE, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO REPRESENT THIS.
AND WE'LL BE SURE TO GIVE YOU AS MANY AS WE CAN.
I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT FORD TO BE LOW.
OH, WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT BASED ON MY QUICK REVIEW OF THIS, THERE ARE BELOW THIS 10TH SPOT, UH, OF THESE INDICATORS, FOUR OF THEM WERE IN YOUR ORIGINAL TOP 10 INNER NOW IN THIS RUN BELOW IT.
SO THAT'S MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM AND FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
SO THEY GOT LESS OF A PRIORITY IN THIS TALLY.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO HAND THINGS BACK TO CAROLINE AT THIS POINT, BUT, UH, IF THIS IS MY LAST WORD, YOU FOR THE TIME BEING, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ROBUST PARTICIPATION IN THIS ACTIVITY.
AND I'LL HAND THINGS BACK TO CARRY.
AND, UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE DISCUSSION OVER THIS TIME.
AND AS LARRY MENTIONED, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST OF OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO LOOK AT FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
WE WILL PROVIDE THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION IN DETAIL THAT LARRY MENTIONED, UM, AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPILE IT ALL TOGETHER.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO ACTUALLY DO A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING BEFORE I GO ON TO THE TIMELINE.
IF ANYONE NEEDS A PARKING PASS TO GET OUT OF THE GARAGE, PLEASE JUST COME SEE ME OR KIM OLIVAREZ.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED THAT BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD, BUT AS WE LOOK AT OUR CONTINUED DISCUSSION AND DEVELOPMENT, AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET, WE'RE AT THE SPACE WHERE WE'RE DOING POLICY INPUT.
WE, WE TAKE TIME TO TALK TO YOU AS COUNCIL.
WE LOOK TO HEAR FROM OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, WE HAVE ALREADY HAD A WORK SESSION WITH THE JOINT INCLUSION, COMMISSIONS, THEIR BUDGET WORK GROUPS, TO TALK THROUGH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND HOW THEY CAN BRING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS.
WE'LL CONTINUE THESE POLICY DISCUSSIONS, UM, IN APRIL ON APRIL 15TH, WE'LL BE PROVIDING THE FINANCIAL FORECAST, UM, FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST REPORT TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED TO A BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AS WELL AS, UM, THE COUNCIL TOWN HALL MEETINGS OF COUNCIL DECIDES THEY WANT TO DO TELLING HOW MANY IT IS IN, IN YOUR DISTRICTS.
THEN BUDGET IS HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN, UM, PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH THAT.
WITH THOSE DISCUSSIONS ON JULY 15TH, THE CITY MANAGER WILL BE PRESENTING HIS PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THEN WE'LL GO ON TO COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND OF COURSE AT THE END, OUR MID MID AUGUST, AUGUST 17TH, THROUGH 19TH, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR BUDGET READINGS AND OUR TAX RATE HEARING.
AND, UM, NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCUSSION OR QUICK DISCUSSION ON, UM, AND I WOULD JUST MESSED UP MY SLIDES.
ON THE INTEGRATION OF IMAGINED AUSTIN IN STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
I'VE ASKED DIRECTOR ROSIE TRUE LOVE TO COME AND GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE AND, AND PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT AS ROSIE'S COMING UP, THE COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING OUR JULY 27TH, IS THAT A SPECIAL CARD COUNCIL MEETING? IS THAT IN PART TO THE COUNCIL OR IS THAT A TOWN HALL DONE BY STAFF? NO, THAT'S INPUT TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, ROSIE TRUELOVE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND PLANNING.
UM, I THINK I HAVE CONTROL OF THESE.
SO I'M HERE TODAY JUST TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF SOME WORK THAT WILL BE COMING OUR WAY IN THE COMING MONTHS.
AND THAT IS LOOKING AT HOW WE ALIGN.
IMAGINE AUSTIN AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS ADOPTED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO IN 2012.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THAT ABOUT EVERY 10 YEARS.
AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO ABOUT NOW AND COINCIDENTALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROACHING THE END OF OUR FIRST ROUND OF STRATEGIC DIRECTION, WHICH IS SD 2023.
[02:45:01]
AND IT BRINGS US TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 20, 28.AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SEE HOW WE CAN ENSURE THAT BOTH OUR LONGTERM VISION PLAN FOR THE CITY AND OUR SHORT-TERM STRATEGIC DIRECTION ARE ALIGNED AND MAKE SENSE AND WORK WELL TOGETHER.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION, AS YOU GUYS KNOW IS OUR SHORT TERM, UH, PLANNING DOCUMENT IT'S, UH, ALLOWS FOR EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT CITY OPERATIONS.
IT'S GOT A QUALITY OF LIFE FOCUS AND ALLOWS FOR PLANNING AND APPROVEMENT ALIGNED TO BUDGET FUNDING.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY AND THE VARIOUS OUTCOMES.
UH, IMAGINE AUSTIN IS OUR, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING DOCUMENT THAT ALLOWS FOR CONTINUOUS AND ONGOING GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION.
IT CONTAINS THE COUNCIL'S POLICIES FOR GROWTH DEVELOPMENT AND BEAUTIFICATION.
THERE ARE ELEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY CITY CHARTER THAT ARE CONTAINED IN IMAGINE AUSTIN.
AND IT ALSO CONTAINS OUR, OUR GROWTH CONCEPT MAP SERIES.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT, OOPS, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IS HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE THE TWO DOCUMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY BUILD UPON EACH OTHER.
THAT THEY'RE VERY SEAMLESS BETWEEN THE TWO DOCUMENTS.
AND REALLY WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME EFFICIENCY AT THE STAFF LEVEL SO THAT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BY WHAT WE HAVE NOW AS ARE OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION, ALIGNMENT GROUPS, AND OUR IMAGINE AUSTIN PRIORITY PROGRAM TEAMS THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD, UH, EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE ALIGNMENT THERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN ALIGN OUR SHORT-TERM AND OUR LONG-TERM GOALS, UH, SEE THAT WE'RE OUTCOME BASED PRIORITY, PRIORITY SETTING AND BUDGETING THAT WE HAVE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT WE HAVE A SIMPLIFIED FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT IT'S TRANSPARENT.
AND DATA-DRIVEN, THAT ALLOWS US TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON MEASURING, COMMUNICATING, AND IMPROVING COMMUNITY OUTCOMES.
I THINK OF THESE TWO DOCUMENTS THAT ARE VERY MUCH ALIVE IN THEIR OWN RIGHTS AS MORE OR LESS GETTING MARRIED.
AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE THEM INTO ONE SEAMLESS EXISTENCE.
UH, HOPEFULLY STREAMLINING, NOT ALL THE FURNITURE IS GOING TO FIT IN THE NEW HOUSE.
UH, AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'LL KEEP THE BEST OF BOTH DOCUMENTS AND SEE HOW WE CAN BRING THIS TO, UH, THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
I MEAN, IT DOES ALIGN A LOT OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
UH, AND SO THE TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON BOTH IMAGINE AUSTIN AND , UH, HAVE NOW BEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
SO ALMOST OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, THINKING ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE AS EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE AND HAVING THE OUTCOMES AND INDICATORS AND MEASURES, UH, TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY CAN BE LINED UP, UH, AND, AND, AND SIMILAR.
SO WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING ANY EFFORTS, UH, THAT WE DO.
SO, SO I REALLY WANNA THANK, UH, DIRECTOR, TRUE LOVE AND ALL, AND, AND FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, EVERYONE THAT HAS REALLY BEEN LEANING INTO, UH, HAVING MORE INTEGRATION AROUND THESE LONG-TERM PLANNING DOCUMENTS.
I THINK I'M TURNING IT OVER TO ED.
I'M NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT I JUST PUT MYSELF ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SO THE CITY, UM, THE CITY PUTS OUT A WEEKLY CITY NEWS ARTICLE, AND I JUST WANTED IT.
THIS IS THE, UH, FROM MY EMAIL, THIS IS CITY NEWS FROM FEBRUARY 1ST, WE HAD THE WINTER STORM COMING IN, SO IT KIND OF STOLE THE THUNDER, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE REAL HEADLINE WAS RIGHT HERE.
LIKE CARRIE LANG WAS SELECTED AS OUR NEW BUDGET OFFICER FOR THE CITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WAS AWARE OF THAT.
GARY HAS SERVED AS WELL AS AN INTERIM BUDGET OFFICER FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW.
AND SO WE'RE SO, SO THANKFUL THAT SHE'S WITH US NOW AS OUR PERMANENT BUDGET OFFICER.
UM, THANK YOU, CARRIE, EMMY AWARD FOR A GREATEST, UH, EMBARRASSMENT UNANNOUNCED GOES TO ADVANCE, YOU KNOW, FOR MAKING HIS COLLEAGUE BLUSH.
UM, I, UH, JUST IN CLOSING WOULD LIKE TO GIVE EVERY, UM, PERSON, JUST A ROUND ROBIN QUICK OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS THAT YOU'RE HAVING AS WE REFLECT ON THE WORK THAT WE DID TODAY.
I KNOW THAT THIS WORK IS NOT COMPLETE, BUT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK TODAY.
SO I JUST INVITE SOME BRIEF, UH, CLOSING THOUGHTS FROM EACH OF YOU.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE THEM, I'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'VE BEEN PRETTY QUIET ALL DAY.
I'M JUST SOAKING IN ALL THE INFORMATION.
IT'S GREAT TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES WHERE THEY WANT TO SEE US HEADED AND WHAT PRIORITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM AND TO MOVE FORWARD IN A GOOD WAY FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
[02:50:01]
VILLA.IT'S A HIGH LEVEL OF ABSTRACTION RIGHT NOW, AND I, I REALLY NEED TO GET A BETTER GRASP OF THE CITY BUDGET.
I JUST FEEL LIKE I'M NOT QUITE READY TO COMMENT OR PRIORITIZE UNTIL I HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER GRASP OF THE BUDGET.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING DISCUSSION TODAY.
I THINK, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'VE SHOWN AGAIN, THAT WE'RE ON, WE'RE REALLY ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, UM, IN THE WORK THAT WE WANT TO DO, UH, IN THESE PRIORITIES.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I THINK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN OUR PRIORITY AREAS AND HAVING THE FOCUS.
SO I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN BEING FOCUSED.
I REALLY DO LIKE THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, ADDING SOME OF THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION, THE ADDRESSING THE GUN VIOLENCE, WHICH I SEE, UM, HERE IN THE EMERGENCY PREVENTION.
UM, WE DO HAVE ONE COLLEAGUE WHO WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THAT WILL BE, UM, HOW HER PREFERENCES WILL BE INTEGRATED, UM, INTO THE NEXT STEPS.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES OF DOING THIS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE REAL CLEAR ON PRIORITIES SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS WHERE WE SPEND OUR RESOURCES, WHERE WE WANT TO SEE THE MOST MOVEMENT.
I'M JUST REALLY ENCOURAGED BY HOW MUCH MOVEMENT AND FOCUS THERE HAVE BEEN IN THE PHASE THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED.
SO I THINK IT JUST SHOWS THAT THIS IS WORKING EXACTLY THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY MY BIG TAKEAWAY.
THAT'S WHERE OUR TOTAL, YEAH, I AGREE.
I THINK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN SOME REALLY KEY AREAS AND WE TEND TO FOCUS ON THE AREAS THAT WE STILL NEED MORE ATTENTION ON, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO STEP BACK, UM, FROM TIME TO TIME AND REALLY TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'VE MADE GREAT GAINS.
AND SO I THINK ONE THING FOR ME TODAY THAT IS HELPFUL IS THE REBALANCING OF PRIORITIES.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S, UM, MAYBE A CONFUSING STORY, RIGHT? BECAUSE SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE ARE GOING DOWN IN AR ARE DROPPING DOWN ON THE LIST ARE REALLY DROPPING DOWN.
NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE ANY LESS CRITICAL TO THIS CITY, BUT, BUT BECAUSE WE'VE DONE SO MUCH WORK ON THEM AND NEED TO REFOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON SOME OTHER, UM, SOME OTHER AREAS.
SO EXPLAINING THAT TO THE PUBLIC GENERALLY MAY TAKE A LITTLE WORK.
I FOUND THIS SESSION TO BE REAFFIRMING AND, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES THAT I LISTED, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL WERE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH.
SO THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW HEADING INTO THIS YEAR AND UPDATING THE STRATEGIC STRATEGIC DIRECTION, CERTAINLY, UM, TO THE POINT THAT WAS JUST MADE.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND COMMUNICATING WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WITH OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT BY PREVIOUS COUNCILS AND THIS COUNCIL, UM, AND THE WORK THAT LIES AHEAD.
AND SO IF ANYTHING, IT'S EXCITING TO KNOW THAT THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL AND OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT ALSO HAVING THAT ANCHOR OF FOCUS OF WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT ARE BUBBLING UP FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO WHAT I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED AND REALLY GOTTEN A LOT FROM THESE MEETINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE IMPLEMENTED THE, UH, SIX STEPS THAT WE DID, WE USED TO GO TO MIDNIGHT, THREE DAYS IN A ROW ON THE BUDGET.
SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT, WHERE WE'RE STANDING.
AND SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU.
AND IF YOU HAVE ONE AGAIN, NEXT YEAR, I'LL BE UP THERE.
THE GUESTS, THE ADLER WRENCH, MARIA CAUCUS CUSTOMER, SOMEWHERE ELSE, I ENJOY GETTING TO SEE HOW MUCH WORK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
UH, SOME OF THESE HAVE BEEN SET OUT AS PRIORITIES IN THE PAST, AND NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME REALLY BIG WORK AS A DIOCESE AND AS A COMMUNITY, IT FEELS LIKE WE CAN SWITCH OUR ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE WANT TO WORK ON NEXT.
UM, I ALWAYS WANT TO KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS A FIVE-YEAR DOCUMENT THAT STARTED IN, I THINK, 2018.
UM, AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE, WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A COMP, OH, IS THAT MY TIME? MY TIME IS UP LADY'S TIME HAS EXPIRED.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, WE SHOULD BE SEEING THIS PROGRESS.
AND I THINK IT SHOWS THAT EVEN THOUGH IT CAN BE TIRESOME TO DO THIS WORK DAY IN DAY OUT, THAT IT, IT DOES HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THESE ARE IN LINE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON, LIKE THE ASM P THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, LIKE ALL THESE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND, AND APPROVING ARE, ARE BEING REFLECTED IN THIS.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD EXERCISE, EVEN THOUGH IT CAN BE VERY DETAILED AND SOMETIMES
[02:55:01]
CONFUSING AT TIMES FOR US TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT AND WHAT IT NEEDS TO SAY, UH, MANAGER, OH, I'M SORRY.AND ACTUALLY I WAS GOING TO THANK YOU, LARRY FOR, UM, LEADING US TO THE EXERCISE AND CARRY FOR ALL THE PREPARATION AND THE TEAM THAT HELPED SUPPORT ALL OF THE WORK THAT PULLED ALL THIS TOGETHER CITY MANAGER.
THANKS FOR PULLING THIS ALL TOGETHER AND GETTING US IN THE ROOM AND, AND THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR REALLY GOOD INSIGHTS.
AND I AGREE AND AMPLIFY ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AROUND AROUND THIS, UM, THIS TABLE ALL DAY TODAY.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INPUT FROM EVERYONE.
AND AGAIN, THANKS LARRY FOR, FOR THE BAD JOKES.
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, WHAT WAS ONE THAT MY SON GAVE ME, I'LL HAVE TO THINK OF ANY BAD JOKES OR DAD JOKES.
UM, UH, OH, I KNOW WHAT HE SAID.
HE SAID ROBBIE SCHOOLER, AGE SEVEN.
HE SAID, UM, WELL, IF IT'S OFFICIAL, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF FISH.
I'VE TAUGHT HIM WELL, UH, CITY MANAGER.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED ABOUT, I CAN FOLLOW THAT, BUT THIS ONE I CONTINUE TO, TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, UH, GAVE ON JUST APPRECIATING, UH, LARRY, YOUR FACILITATION AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT OUR STAFF PUT INTO THIS AFTERNOON.
THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF SOMETHING THAT WE'VE STARTED AS YOU HAD MENTIONED ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO IN 2017.
UH, MANY OF THE FOLKS IN THE DIOCESE WEREN'T AROUND DURING THAT TIME, BUT THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND CHANGE AS WE GET ON NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS WE, UH, HAVE SHIFTING PRIORITIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS ARE SO CRITICAL.
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS EARLY ON IN THE YEAR.
UH, SO IT COULD HELP FRAME SOME OF OUR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS, PARTICULARLY AROUND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH WILL BE THE LAST BUDGET, UH, WITH THIS ITERATION OF, OF .
UH, AND AS WE LOOK TOWARDS INTEGRATING US 2 23 WITH IMAGINE AUSTIN, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGING BUDGET, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY.
UH, AND SO IT'S ALL THE MORE REASON TO HAVE THIS LINE OF COMMUNICATION OPEN AND TO CONTINUE TO REVISIT OUR PRIORITIES, UH, AS WE MAKE SOME OF THOSE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO I JUST CAN'T THANK, UH, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT TODAY.
UH, IT WAS REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, I DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT YOU DID TAKE THE TIME TO BE HERE AND THAT YOU WERE VERY PRESENT AND, AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AROUND ANY OF THESE PRIORITIES.
SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO DO GREAT WORK FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
I WILL NOT FORGET TO MAKE SURE THE MAYOR, UH, ADJOURNS THE MEETING, LIKE I ALMOST DID IN OCTOBER, BUT I DID WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO SHARE WITH YOU SOMETHING THAT I WAS REFLECTING ON AS I LISTENED TO TODAY'S CONVERSATION.
I GOT UP THIS MORNING IN A SAFE HOUSE.
IT WASN'T BROKEN INTO, I WOKE UP WITH A FAMILY WHO'S ALL DOUBLE VACCINATED AND WERE ELIGIBLE BOOSTED, THANKS TO THE RESOURCES OF THIS COMMUNITY.
I GOT HERE IN ONE PIECE, THANKS TO ROADS THAT ARE LARGELY BUILT AND OR MAINTAINED BY THIS ORGANIZATION.
YOU COULD HEAR ME THANKS IN PART TO OUR UTILITY AND THE ENERGY THAT IT SUPPLIES.
AND SO, AS WE THINK, BIG AND DREAM BIG, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US ALL TO APPRECIATE THAT EVERY DAY, THE CITY DOES INCREDIBLE THINGS TO MAKE THE LIVES THAT WE LIVE HERE, AS SWEET AS WE ALL I THINK BELIEVE THEM TO BE.
UH, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS SOMETHING THAT'S FAIRLY OBVIOUS, BUT I KNOW THIS BODY MAY NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING NOR SHOULD IT, BUT YOU ALL DID YOUR WORK TODAY WITH A LEVEL OF DELIBERATION AND DARE I SAY IT, CIVILITY THAT IS UNCOMMON AND IS WORTH NOTING.
THERE ARE CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE JUMP OVER THE DIOCESE AND PHYSICALLY ATTACK ONE ANOTHER.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN ELECTED OFFICE WHO STOCK THEIR OPPONENTS AND CALL EACH OTHER NAMES.
AND I'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE 2007, AND NOT ONCE HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED.
SO RATHER THAN CELEBRATING A LACK OF A NEGATIVE, I CHOOSE TO CELEBRATE A POSITIVE, WHICH IS THAT YOU ALL CAME TOGETHER DESPITE DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW AND DID SOME GREAT WORK.
SO I'M HONORED TO HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THANKS TO THE MANAGER AND TO THE NEW LEAD NAMED PERMANENT BUDGET OFFICER.
SO MAYOR, I THINK IT'S A GOOD POINT, LARRY, AND I APPRECIATE YOU POINTING OUT THE THINGS YOU LISTED, THOSE SOUND LIKE, UM, UH, KIND OF LIKE THE
[03:00:01]
LOWEST BAR IN TERMS OF GETTING HERE SAFELY.AND, UH, I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS MEETING NATIONALLY.
AND IN VISITING WITH PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH SUCH BIG CHALLENGES THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, AND WOULD MOST, EVERY ONE OF THEM WOULD KILL FOR THE ECONOMY WE HAVE FOR OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING AT COMING FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT EXISTS IN THIS CITY FOR THE EMPHASIS THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON EQUITY AND LOOKING AT PUBLIC SAFETY IN WAYS THAT THEY TALK ABOUT ASPIRATIONALLY AND WE'RE DOING IN THIS CITY.
I MEAN, THIS IS WE'RE DOING EVEN WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND WE'RE DOING INCREDIBLY WELL RELATIVE TO OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND FOR THAT, WE HAVE TO BE THANKFUL, BUT WE CAN ALSO CELEBRATE IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE TODAY IN TERMS OF MOVING ON THE PRIORITIES WE SET EVIDENCE, IS THAT PROUD TO SERVE WITH YOU GUYS AND WITH THE STAFF.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT, UH, 2 46.