[00:00:05]
I WILL BE CHAIRING THE MEETING TODAY.
IT IS TUESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2022.
AS WE CONVENE THIS WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
I'M JOINED ON THE REGULAR DAYAS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WANTAS ELLIS POOL, KELLY AND VAILA AND ON THE VIRTUAL DAYAS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS TOVO AND MAYOR ADLER AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAS ALSO, UM, JUST JOINED US ON THE REGULAR DAYAS.
UM, THIS MORNING, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEMS IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER.
THE JET FUEL STORAGE BRIEFING PULLED ITEMS, EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, WHICH MAY BE DURING THE LUNCH HOUR.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PRETTY HEAVY AUSTIN ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AGENDA, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR ONE 30 AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO, TO MAKE THAT TIME.
UM, FOR RIGHT NOW, I AM SHOWING THE PULLED ITEMS AS THE FOLLOWING ITEM 69, AND I KNEW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REMARKS PERHAPS ON SOME OTHER ITEMS. UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH SOMEONE TALKING TO ME.
[Bl. Jet Fuel Storage Facility Briefing]
WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE JET FUEL STORAGE BRIEFING.IF STAFF WANTS TO MAKE THEIR WAY FORWARD TO DO THAT BRIEFING AND COUNCIL MEMBER FIDESSA HAS ASKED TO MAKE A FEW BRIEF REMARKS BEFORE WE START SO RECOGNIZED COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PULL ITEM 43, WHICH IS THE JET FUEL RESOLUTION FOR CONVERSATION TODAY.
COLLEAGUES, BEFORE WE START, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PROVIDE SOME REMARKS BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ABOUT TO RECEIVE A LOT OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE AIRPORT'S PROPOSED EXPANDED JET FUEL FACILITY.
I FIRST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT LAST WEEK'S INCIDENT AT THE AIRPORT THAT MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES, UM, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE LONG LINES AT THE AIRPORT, UM, WAS LARGELY DUE TO TSA STAFFING ISSUES AS WELL AS A RENTAL CAR AGENCY HICCUP.
AND SO TSA IS HANDLED BY OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, SO THAT IS SEPARATE FROM THE LOW FUEL ALERT THAT WAS ISSUE.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE LOW FUEL ALERT DID NOT IMPACT ANY SCHEDULED WEIGHT, ANY SCHEDULED FLIGHTS IN THE WAY OF CANCELLATIONS DELAYS.
AND SO WHEN WE, UM, TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I JUST DON'T WANT TO CONFLATE WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, UM, WITH THE TSA STAFFING SHORTAGES THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING AT THE AIRPORT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I GET TO SPEAK WITH THE FULL DE DEUS ABOUT, UM, THIS ISSUE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DO HAVE SUB QUORUM, UM, RULES.
AND, UH, AND SO I WANT, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO WALK THROUGH A TIMELINE, UH, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE BECAUSE FIVE OF US ON THIS DAY, US WERE NOT PART OF THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH I WILL REFER TO AS THE VISION PLAN, GIVEN THE RACIST CONNOTATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CALLING IT A MASTER PLAN.
AND 2017, THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT BEGAN CREATING THE 2040 VISION PLAN, WHICH GUIDES THE AIRPORT'S GROWTH AS A DOUBLES IN SIZE AND SERVES AS A ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE MODERNIZATION OF OUR AIRPORT IN 2017, THE AIRPORT THEN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR SMITH HELD THREE TYPES OF MEETINGS.
THIS INCLUDED PUBLIC MEETINGS.
IT ALSO INCLUDED FORMING TWO COMMITTEES.
ONE OF WHICH WAS A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ANOTHER WAS A PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE PUBLIC MEETING TYPE FOUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS WERE HELD AND CONDUCTED AS PART OF THE VISION PLAN ENGAGEMENT.
SO ONE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW ONLY FOUR BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO KNOW OF ALL OF THE VISION PLANS AT THE CITY OFFERS, YOU KNOW, IS FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND, UH, AVERAGE, UH, TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT TO HAVE FOR SUCH A, SUCH A BIG UNDERTAKING OF A VISION PLAN.
AND ONE ITERATION OF A VISION PLAN OF THESE FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WERE CONDUCTED FUEL WAS MENTIONED TWICE AT THE SECOND AND THIRD MEETINGS AND WITH YOU ON THE DAY IS, AND WE'LL BE SURE TO EMAIL THIS OUT TO OUR COLLEAGUES JOINING VIRTUALLY, UM, THERE WERE TWO SLIDES THAT ARE PRINTED IN FOR YOUR REVIEW.
UM, OF THOSE TWO SLIDES THAT MENTIONED FUEL.
IT IS A SYMBOL OF A GAS PUMP AND NOT WHAT THE TANKS WILL ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.
AND I, AND I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE SYMBOLS MATTER.
AND BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE HAVING THESE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES AND YOU'RE SETTING UP A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE FULLY TRANSPARENT.
AND OCTOBER 30TH, 2018 CITY COUNCIL HELD A WORK SESSION MEETING WHERE A BRIEFING REGARDING THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT VISION PLAN WAS INITIALLY PRESENTED TO COUNCIL.
MY STAFF AND I HAVE BOTH REVIEWED THE VIDEO.
IT'S ABOUT A 20 MINUTE CONVERSATION.
WE'LL BE SURE TO LINK IT HERE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, UM, SHORTLY AFTER TODAY'S WORK SESSION.
[00:05:01]
THAT CONVERSATION INITIATED BY MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR.THERE WERE MANY CONCERNS BY THE COUNCIL ABOUT THE LACK OF INFORMATION PRESENTED AND CONFUSION TO THE VISION PLAN, UM, DUE TO THE SCARCITY OF INFORMATION PRESENTED AND COMPARED, ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON TO OTHER VISION PLANS BROUGHT FORWARD TO THIS COUNCIL.
THE CONCERN VOICED BY MEMBERS OF THIS DAY IS, WAS THAT THE MAP THAT WAS PRESENTED WAS A MAP WITHOUT GOALS.
AND ALSO WITH YOU ON THE DAY AS THERE IS THAT SLIDE DECK THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL BACK IN 2018.
AND WE DO HAVE THE, UM, THE GRAPHIC, THE VISION PLAN, UH, TABBED FOR YOU TO, TO LOOK OUT DURING THIS CONVERSATION AS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, UH, THE THEN AIRPORT DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR SMITH, HE HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE GUIDANCE THAT THIS WAS A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, DENOTING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRPORT TO EXPAND THAT THIS WAS NOT SET IN STONE AND BACKED HE, THAT THIS WAS NOT THE POURING OF CONCRETE AND THAT THERE WOULD BE VARIOUS CHECKPOINTS COMING TO COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
AND AT WHICH POINT COUNCIL WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE DETAILED M DEPTH CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE VISION PLAN COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN ASKED IF HE ASKED IF WE WERE TO CHANGE A PART OF THIS PLAN, HOW DIFFICULT THAT WOULD BE, OR IF IT WAS SET IN STONE, THE RESPONSE THE COUNCIL MEMBER RECEIVED FROM THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR WAS THAT THESE AMENDMENTS COULD BE MADE AND THAT THEY WERE NOT LABORIOUS AND THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE REDOING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PLAN.
NOW, I NOTE THIS BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT WAS THE DIRECTION AND FEEDBACK THAT THIS COUNCIL RECEIVED WHEN FIRST DISCUSSING THE AIRPORT VISION PLAN.
AND SO WHY DID THIS NOT COME BACK TO COUNCIL? WHY WAS THE PROCESS PAINTED TO COUNCIL AT THE TIME THAT IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL TO HAVE ANY ADJUSTMENTS OR CHANGES TO THE VISION PLAN? THE VISION PLAN ULTIMATELY ENDED UP BEING APPROVED TWO DAYS LATER AT THE COUNCIL MEETING IN 2018.
AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY OTHER MATERIALS OR COMMUNICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND OF COURSE I WOULD DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF THEY'VE EVER RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS I WAS NOT ELECTED YET.
AND NOT PART OF THAT ORIGINAL CONVERSATION.
SO HERE WE ARE THREE AND A HALF YEARS LATER.
AND THE NARRATIVE THAT IS BEING PAINTED TO ME IS MUCH DIFFERENT.
IN FACT, VERY CLEARLY WE SAW THAT MY COMMUNITY HAD HARDLY ANY SAY IN THIS PROCESS.
AND WHEN IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION ABOUT THE PROPOSED SITE, MY OFFICE IMMEDIATELY TOOK ACTION AND WE HELD TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN THE FALL.
WE ALSO PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY THIS COUNCIL BACK IN DECEMBER, THAT DIRECTED ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE AT ASPIRIN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ON THE FUEL SITE AND ASKED FOR DETAILED INFORMATION AS TO WHAT OTHER ALTERNATIVES WERE CONSIDERED.
THE RESPONSES I'VE RECEIVED FROM OUR AVIATION DEPARTMENT INCLUDE THAT THERE IS NO OTHER SITE THAT THIS WOULD TAKE TOO MUCH TIME AND THAT ALL OF THIS WAS ALREADY APPROVED.
I WILL BE UPFRONT THAT I HAVE HAD A RANGE OF EMOTIONS THAT INCLUDE FROM BEING SAD TO FRUSTRATED, TO DISAPPOINTED WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VISION PLAN AND WHAT IT LAYS OUT, IT CALLS FOR THE RELOCATION OF HIGHWAY 71.
SO LET ME REPEAT THAT THIS VISION PLAN, THE 2048, WE LOOK AT 20, 40 AND BEYOND.
WE ARE WILLING TO RELOCATE A HIGHWAY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE COMPLEX, EXPENSIVE, DIFFICULT TO DO, BUT YET WHEN IT COMES TO A FUEL FACILITY, WE SOMEHOW ARE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RELOCATE IT.
AND, AND SO THAT IS A VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S WHAT COMPELLED TODAY'S CONVERSATION IS WHY WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD ITEM 43, THAT WOULD, WOULD ASK TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES FOR THIS FUEL SITE.
AND LASTLY, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR BACK IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY TO SEE ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM AT PLAY IN THE CITY THAT WE ALL ADORE AND THE NINETIES, THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZED IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO STOP THE FUEL FARM IN EAST AUSTIN.
IT TOOK 15 YEARS TO CLEAN UP AND COUNTLESS FAMILIES WERE AFFECTED WITH HIGH RATES OF CANCER AND POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.
NOW, SOME OF THOSE VERY SAME FAMILIES ARE ORGANIZED ORGANIZING AGAINST THIS FUEL TANK FARM IN SOUTH EAST.
THE MISTRUST AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS ONLY GOTTEN BIGGER.
AND SO WE HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE THIS WEEK.
WELL, WE ALLOW OUR EAST SIDE FAMILIES TO CONTINUE TO BE SUBJECTED TO AIR POLLUTANTS OR WHAT WE WANT TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY ITEM 43 IS ROOTED IN MY COMMUNITY.
IT'S ROOTED AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN DO BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER.
AND SO I, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY'S CONVERSATION AROUND THE JET FUEL SITE,
[00:10:01]
CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THOSE OPENING REMARKS.AND I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR CREATING THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO HAVE THIS CRITICAL CONVERSATION, UH, HAS AS HAD BEEN OUTLINED, WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO, UH, REALLY REVIEW THE SAFETY THAT'S RE UH, UH, INVOLVED IN THIS JET, A FUEL STORAGE FACILITY, AND LOOK AT THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE, UH, EXAMINED BY OUR AIRPORT DEPARTMENTS AND OTHERS.
AND SO TODAY WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT WILL BE LED BY A JACQUELINE LEANFT OUR CEO OF THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT, AND WE HAVE, UH, NUMEROUS STAFF AS WELL HERE TO ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE A THOROUGH, COMPREHENSIVE AND TRANSPARENT IN THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU TODAY, DR.
UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
I'M THE CEO OF DAWSON VERSUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION JOINING ME TODAY, A FEW OF AIRPORT STAFF MEMBERS, ALSO THE FA GOING TO BE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY, UM, THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE, UM, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO A CONSULTANT THAT WE HIRED TO VALIDATE THE PROCESS.
THEY'VE ALL BEEN IN THE ROOM TO, UM, SUPPORT THE PRESENTATION TODAY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I'M HERE SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS, UM, ONE OF THE MINI MASTER PLAN PROJECTS, AS YOU'VE HEARD, UH, THE MASTER PLAN CALLS FOR ABOUT 61 PROJECTS TO MEET THE 20, 40 MA, UM, GROWTH THAT THE CITY AND THE AIRPORT WAS ANTICIPATED AND FORECASTED.
UM, PART OF ALSO THE AIRPORT EXPANSION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, OR YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY A LOT THE AEDP, WHICH IS VALUED ABOUT $4 BILLION PROGRAM THAT WE ANNOUNCED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO TO EMBARK TO MATCH THE, OF THE CITY THAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND US.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE AIRPORT EXPANSION DEVELOPER PROGRAM AND THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE IN THERE TODAY, WE ARE ALMOST ABOUT SIX YEARS BEHIND TAKING ON THAT EXPANSION TO MATCH THE GROWTH AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE SLIDES ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER QUANTAS MENTIONED THAT THE MASTER PLAN WAS FOUR WORKSHOPS IN 20 17, 20 18.
WHEN I WAS HIRED IN 2019, I WAS COMMITTED TO DELIVERING AN IMPROVED AND A MODERNIZE, UM, AIRPORT THAT SUPPORTS OUR CITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
AND THE PROSPERITY THAT COMMITMENT HAS ALSO TO LEAD AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS NOT ONLY AN ECONOMIC DRIVER, BUT ALSO A CUSTOMER DRIVEN AND A COMMUNITY FOCUSED.
DOES THE AIRPORTS, UM, AUSTIN'S AIRPORT IS CO OWNED AND OPERATED, UM, SORRY IS A CITY OWNED AND OPERATED FACILITY.
AND I WANT ALL OF THE AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS TO BE PROUD OF WHAT WE DO AND WHO WE ARE.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN THIS SLIDE HERE TODAY, THAT I CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S HISTORY OF DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AND DECISIONS.
AND AS A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN AIRPORT OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY IS CRITICAL.
AND WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE EQUITABLE AND SOUND DECISIONS FOR TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE OF THE AIRPORT IN 20 17, 20 18, AGAIN, THE HOSTED THE FOUR WORKSHOPS TO GIVE THAT VISION OF WHAT THE AIRPORT WILL DO FOR THE FUTURE OF THE AIRPORT, THE GROWTH TO MATCH THE ANTICIPATED FORECAST OF PASSENGER AND CARGO ACTIVITIES.
THOSE FORK OR SHOPS WERE HEAVILY ATTENDED BY FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE AIRPORT IS PUTTING TOGETHER AS A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
AND IT REALLY LOOKS AT EVERY SQUARE INCH, LITERALLY AT THE AIRPORT, HOW BEST TO FIT THE, IS THESE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE PASSENGER OR CARGO.
THERE IS A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS OF WHERE THE SITES OF THE AIRPORT THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN THE MASTER PLAN TO WHERE EXACTLY WHAT IS BEST FIT TO THE TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR FACILITY THAT WE'RE OPENING OR WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.
WE'VE MET WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, ALSO RECENTLY AS FAR OF, UM, THE DISTRICT TO CONCERN COMMUNITY, UM, OF THE PROJECT AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT IT.
AND WE ALSO, AS A PART OF THE RESOLUTION, WE MET AGAIN, SO A TOTAL OF SIX MEETINGS SINCE OCTOBER OF 2021 THAT WE HELD WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE MEMBERS, A VERY PROUD AND, AND VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE AIRPORT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEY WANT TO LEARN WHAT'S GOING ON, AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGED WITH THEM TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, FOCUS AND OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM AT NRF, THE GROWTH OF THE AIRPORT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THE COMMUNITY, UM, RIGHTFULLY IS HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS, UM, A LOT OF THEM ON, AND I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT THEM, UM, OF WHAT THE INFORMATION WE HAVE.
[00:15:01]
UM, PART OF THE WORKSHOPS, PART OF THE SIX MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, WE PROVIDED A LOT OF THE DOCUMENTATIONS, ALL THE Q AND A'S ON A WEBSITE AVAILABLE, UM, AT ANY TIME.SO WE WERE TRANSPARENT FROM THE BEGINNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE HAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, AND ALSO AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS DURING THE MEETINGS OR OUTSIDE OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, A LOT OF THE FOCUS AND A LOT OF THE FREQUENT QUESTIONS CAME OF WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THE TANKS 500 FEET AWAY FROM HOMES? IS THAT REALLY THE SITE THAT'S SUITABLE? IS THERE ANY OTHER LOCATIONS? IS IT SAFE? AND HOW WILL, UM, HIGHWAY 180 3, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRAFFIC WILL CHANGE AND WHAT WOULD DO IF WE DELAYED THE SITE AND MOVE IT.
AND THEN ALSO WILL YOU BE HIGHER WILLING TO HIRE AN ENVIRONMENTAL FIRM TO VALIDATE THE QUALITY AND DATA? SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES OF ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY WERE THE MOST FREQUENT AND GIVE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU A BIGGER OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER SO FAR.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME EXPLAIN THE S THE JET FUEL STORAGE FACILITY, THE PURPOSE AND THE NEED, BUT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE SAME FACILITY THAT HAS EXISTED FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS OF THE AIRPORT, UM, OPERATING SAFELY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
UM, THE EXISTING FACILITY, AS YOU'VE SEEN THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS ACTUALLY SITTING ABOUT 300 FEET AWAY FROM BUILDINGS WHERE CITY EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER EMPLOYEES OF THE AIRPORT.
UM, AS YOU SEE, THERE'S PRESIDENTIAL BOULEVARD LEADING TO THE TERMINAL, UH, WHERE WE HAVE PASSENGERS COMING IN AND OUT EVERY DAY, AND THEN ACROSS FROM, UM, OUR OFFICES THAT WE WORK FROM TODAY, ALSO THE CURRENT FACILITY, UM, OFFERS TWO TO THREE DAY WORTH OF FUEL WORTH OF FUEL SUPPLY.
UH, THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS FIVE TO SEVEN.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS NOT SPECIFICALLY TO TRY TO CATCH UP WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS.
IT'S ACTUALLY TO TRY TO RESPOND TO THE GROWING AND THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE AIRPORT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE AVERAGE GROWTH AN AIRPORT SEES AROUND THE COUNTRY IS ABOUT 4% ANNUALLY.
THAT GROWTH IS DEFINITELY PUTTING PRESSURE ON A CRITICAL FACILITY THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN MATCH WITH THAT ADB PROGRAM AND EXPEDITE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND AS EXAMPLE, TODAY, WE HAVE THE BAGGAGE HANDLING, UM, PROJECT GOING ON ALREADY THAT HAS BEEN EXPEDITED AND ALSO A CARGO FACILITY THAT HAS BEEN EXPEDITED TO MATCH THE NEED.
UM, THAT MASTER PLAN ALSO CALLED FOR 30 MILLION PASSENGERS BY 2040, SEEING THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE TODAY AND THE RECOVERY OF THEIR COVID, WE WILL ACTUALLY GET TO THE 30 MILLION PASSENGERS A LOT SOONER THAN 2040, AND THAT IS ANOTHER NEED, WHY WE NEED TO STICK TO THE SCHEDULE AND OUR PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
UM, AND I'LL SHOW, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE COMPLIANCE THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE PROJECT TO GET THEM TO THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND APPROVAL.
UM, ACTUALLY, CAN I GO BACK ONE SLIDE? I APOLOGIZE.
UH, ONE THING I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE SITE HERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE THAT YOU THINKS ARE SITTING ON WHAT WE CALL A CONTAINMENT POOL, LITERALLY IT'S LIKE A SWIMMING POOL ON TOP OF CONCRETE THAT WILL CAPTURE ALL THE FUEL IN THE TANKS.
IF THERE'S A SPILL TODAY OR BREAK INTO THOSE TANKS, THAT IS ANOTHER SAFETY FEATURE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE TANKS HAVE, BUT THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT FEATURE THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY OF WHY THIS SITE HAS BEEN SAFE OPERATING FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND EXACTLY WE'LL BE MATCHING THAT DESIGN IN A NEW YOU SIDE, BUT EVEN MORE ADVANCED.
SO, AS I SAID, THERE'S ABOUT 61 PARK PROJECTS IN THE MASTER PLAN AND ALSO THE AIRPORT EXPANSION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
UM, AS YOU SEE HERE IN THE PURPLE, UM, ALL OF THEM, THESE PROJECTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED TODAY.
SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS OR DESIGN OF SOME SORT, THE BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM IS ONE OF THEM.
UM, AND THEN ALSO CARGO FACILITY.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE IN THE PURPLE ARE PART OF HOW THEY ARE DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER TO BE BUILT, TO BE ABLE TO MATCH THAT GROWTH OF THE PASSENGERS, EITHER BEING GATES, TAXIWAYS, EVEN A UTILITY PLAN THAT WE NEED TO BUILD IN.
YOU WANT TO MATCH THE CAPACITY AND TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE NEW GATES WE HAVE BECAUSE THE CURRENT FACILITY THAT WE HAVE FOR UTILITY PLANT CANNOT SUPPORT THAT.
UH, THERE WILL BE CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROADWAYS IN THE BARBARA JORDAN, WE'RE EVEN ADDING AN OPTIMIZING THAT BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL TO ADD CAPACITY.
UM, SO EVERY SQUARE INCH ON OUR AIRPORT WILL BE IN CONSTRUCTION OF SOME, SO MODE TO ADD FACILITIES THAT WILL SUPPORT THE LOT.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT QUICKLY ON THIS PICTURE IS THE, THE GREEN BOX, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED SITE FOR THE JET FUEL STORAGE, UM, AND THE TRANSFER LINE THAT WOULD BE EIGHT FEET UNDER THE RUNWAYS TO THE EXISTING FILE.
THAT TRANSFER LINE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE INTEGRITY OF
[00:20:01]
CREATING A TRANSFER LINE BETWEEN TWO FACILITIES TO TRANSFER THE FUEL BETWEEN THE TWO SITES.UM, THAT IS ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT.
W ONE OF THE REASONS OF THE CRITERIA THAT WAS MATCHING TO PICK A SITE AND WHERE IT WOULD BEST FIT THAT TRANSFER LINE PLAYS A HUGE ROLE OF WHERE IT IS AND HOW FAR IT'S GOING TO BE.
I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ALL STORAGE FEEL TANKS WILL BE ABOVE GROUND.
THEIR TRANSFER LINE WILL BE UNDERGROUND.
I DO WANT TO, I'M NOT A TECH CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY OR OF A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON THE CHEMICALS, BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS BETWEEN WHAT HAPPENED IN EAST AUSTIN TANKS AND THE PROPOSED SITE TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO.
A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN 30 YEARS.
I'M NOT NOTHING ABOUT THEIR, FOR STAFF, FOR US THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DISCOUNTING THE ISSUE BACK THEN.
I WOULD FEEL THE SAME EXACT WAY WHEN I HAVE TANKS THAT WERE, UM, AUDIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMUNITY FOUR OR FIVE FEET, FOUR TO FIVE FEET AWAY FROM HOMES LITERALLY BY, BY FENCE.
UM, DEFINITELY ALSO POORLY MANAGED AND LACKED SOME ADEQUATE SAFETY AND DESIGNS AND PROTOCOLS.
HOWEVER, THE SITUATION WE'RE IN TODAY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IN 30 YEARS.
THERE'S A LOT OF IN A LOT OF CHANGES TO, UM, IMPROVE DESIGNS AND IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL AND FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS, AND ALSO REGULATIONS.
WE, THE NEW SITE SITS ON 10 ACRES OPERATED BY ONE OF THE JEDI FUEL STORAGE EXPERTS THAT AROUND THE COUNTRY, EVERY AIRPORT IN THE COUNTRY TODAY HAS A JET FUEL STORAGE FACILITY.
AND THERE IS A SUBJECT MATTER.
EXPERTS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS TO SERVE THE AIRPORTS.
UM, IT'S ALSO DESIGNED TO PREVENT POLLUTION AND VIOLATIONS.
UM, IT HAS EMERGENCY PLANS FOR LEAKS AND SPILLS.
WE HAVE OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT ONSITE FOR RESPONSE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE REGULAR REGULAR INSPECTIONS BY THE FAA, BY THE CITY, BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE AIRPORT STAFF ON THE SITE THAT HOW IT OPERATES TODAY.
I WANT TO MENTION TOO, THAT THE PHASE ONE OF THE PROJECT WAS CAUSED FOR THE FIRST TWO TANKS.
UM, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO TANKS AND THE RESONANCE IS ABOUT 700 FEET FOR THE FIRST RESIDENT.
UM, SO THAT IS AGAIN, UH, APPROXIMATELY IF I PUT IT IN THAT LANGUAGE, TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS SEPARATED BY A HIGHWAY 180 3 IN BETWEEN, AGAIN, HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TODAY ITS PROJECT AND PROPOSED TO WHAT HAPPENED 30 YEARS AGO.
THIS SLIDE ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTS A LITTLE BIT OF THE DISTANCE.
UM, IF YOU SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE, IT TALKS ABOUT PHASE ONE, WHICH IS THE FIRST TWO TANKS.
UM, THE CIRCLES INDICATE THE DISTANCE 500, 700 1,002 THOUSAND BY COLORS.
UM, IF YOU SEE THAT THE FIRST PHASE, WE WOULD HAVE ONE RESIDENT WITH ESTIMATED, BUT WITHIN THE 700 FEET AND FOR RESIDENTS WITHIN THE FIRST THOUSAND FEET OF THE F THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT, UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS PHASE TWO, THE OTHER TWO TANKS FOR A TOTAL OF FOUR, WHICH IS THE LONG-TERM PLAN FOR ABOUT 15 TO 20 YEARS FROM NOW, WHERE WE WOULD IMPACT, WE WOULD EVENTUALLY PUT UP A PHASE TWO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, ONE OR THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD ASKED IN THE MEETINGS OF WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES AND WHY, AND CAN WE LOOK AT OTHER SITES? AND, UM, THEY ALSO SUGGESTED BY THE COMMUNITY, UH, BACK IN JANUARY, THEY GAVE US 12 SITES.
THEY, UM, LOOKED AT THE MAPS AND THOUGHT MAYBE CAN FIT.
I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, CIRCLE NUMBER ONE.
AND THE STAR IS, AGAIN, THE CURRENT SITE IS NUMBER ONE.
THE PROPOSED SITE IS WHERE THE STAR IS THE OTHER SITES, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, SELECTING SITES UNDER THE FAA REQUIREMENTS, UM, THE FAA REQUIRES US TO GO THROUGH A SITE SELECTION CRITERIA THAT LOOKS AT THE FLOODPLAINS SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS ONE.
UM, AS YOU SEE THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT, THE FLOODPLAINS ARE, UM, I WOULD SAY ALMOST ROUNDING OR WRAPPING THE AIRPORT ON ONE SIDE, BUT THE SITE ITSELF IS NOT IN THE FLOOD PLAINS.
UM, THE OTHER SELECTION CRITERIA, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT TRANSFER LINE BETWEEN THE, THE CURRENT SITE AND THE NEW ONE, AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THAT TRANSFER LINE, ALSO PROTECTING THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRPORT.
SO, AS I MENTIONED TO 8% GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE AIRPORT HERE, ALL OUR EXPANSIONS INSIDE THE FOOTPRINT INSIDE THE FENCE NEED TO MATCH THAT GROWTH.
BEING A CARGO FACILITY, JEDI FACILITY GATES FOR AIRCRAFT PASSENGERS, TAXIWAYS, OR RUNWAYS WERE VERY LIMITED TO WHERE WE CAN PUT SPECIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THAT PASSENGER GROWTH, BUT ALSO TO MEET THE RECOMMENDED FFA, EITHER BEING THE HEIGHT, THE PROTECTION ZONE FOR THE RUNWAYS
[00:25:01]
OR THE CONNECTIVITY TO THE GATES OR SO FORTH.UM, SOME OF THE OTHER SITES ALSO THAT ARE PRESERVED FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT HAVE A LARGER IMPACT SUCH AS NOISE OR FUME FROM AIRCRAFT BURNING THE JEDI, OR ACTUALLY EVEN THE CONNECTIVITY TO THE PASSENGER FACILITY.
UM, I DO WANT TO MENTION ALSO THAT SOME OF THE SITES LIKE NUMBER EIGHT OR NINE THROUGH 12, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT HAVE, UM, RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES ALSO.
SO IF WE LOOK AT SITE NUMBER EIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S ABOUT 727 FEET AWAY FROM A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ARE SURROUNDED BY COMMUNITY TO, AGAIN, THE FOCUS FOR THE AIRPORT AND THE COMMITMENT IS TO HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED AND BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY ALL THE WAY AROUND THE AIRPORT.
UM, THE ALTERNATIVE SITES TO BE PRESENTED WERE, WERE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, SIMILAR DISTANCE TO THE CURRENT SITE TODAY, UH, OUR MAIN FOCUS WORKING WITH THE FAA WAS THE C NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF THE PROJECT TO THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING US, BUT I WILL, UM, LIKE TO INVITE KANE CARPENTER TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME ABOUT HOW WE, UM, DONE THE, THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ARE THE TANKS SAFE, UM, AND ALSO THE RESPONSE TO THE FEATURES IMMEDIATELY, UH, TO PREVENT A LARGE SCALE EMERGENCY IN LIKELY IF IT HAPPENS FOR A FIRE SPILL.
SO, KEN, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT IN THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
HI, UH, KEN CARPENTER, I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER AT THE AUSTIN AIRPORT.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS IS A FEDERALLY OBLIGATED FACILITY AND, UM, THE NEPA PROCESS IS DRIVEN BY THE FAA.
SO, UM, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, UM, PROCESS, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE FAA AND THE DEVELOPER, OR IF IT'S AN AIRPORT PROJECT, THE AIRPORT IS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH FAA.
SO TODAY, UM, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WENT THROUGH NEPA, UM, AND THE PROPER CATEGORY TO CLEAR THE PROJECT AND EVALUATE ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
UM, AND THAT WAS DECIDED BY THE FAA WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
UM, JUST KIND OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THERE FOR THOSE FIRST COUPLE OF BULLETS.
UM, WE REALLY LOOKED AT THESE CATEGORIES, WHICH I THINK ARE RELEVANT TO A FUEL FARM AND OUR FAA PARTNERS AND THE ACTUAL FUEL FARM OPERATOR HAVE EXPERIENCED OPERATING THESE FACILITIES.
SO EVERYONE AGREED THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO FOCUS ON AIR QUALITY, BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES, LAND USE COMPATIBILITY.
UM, NOISE WAS A CONCERN SURFACE, TRANSPORTATION, WETLANDS, WATER RESOURCES, FOR INSTANCE, A FLOOD PLAIN, UM, AND ANY WETLANDS THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT WOULD BE WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA OR ADJACENT, UM, CULTURAL RESOURCES WERE EVALUATED.
UM, THOSE CAN BE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, A CEMETERY, UM, UH, ANY KIND OF HISTORIC SITE.
UH, SO WE COORDINATED WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, UH, STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER TO CONFIRM, UM, THAT WE DIDN'T, WEREN'T IMPACTING THE CULTURAL RESOURCES, UH, DESIGNATED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WAS EVALUATED, VISUAL RESOURCES, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, OF COURSE, UM, AND FLOODPLAINS KIND OF DOES FIT UNDER, UH, WETLANDS AND WATER RESOURCES.
SO WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS WOULD OCCUR BASED ON THE NATURE OF THIS FACILITY, MEANING THAT IT IS HEAVILY REGULATED.
LOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS ARE BEING REQUIRED TO OPERATE THE FACILITY, LOTS OF BEST PRACTICES.
UM, THIS IS A HEAVILY REGULATED FACILITY.
SO PART OF THOSE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS, SPILL PREVENTION IS A TOP PRIORITY.
UM, THEY HAVE A PLAN IT'S EVALUATED BY AN ENGINEER.
UM, ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT IS A FACILITY RESPONSE PLAN.
AND THE FACILITY RESPONSE PLAN IS ACTUALLY SENT TO THE EPA REGION SIX, UM, IN DALLAS.
AND SO THAT PLAN IS SIGNIFICANT, MEANING THAT THEY'RE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO A RELEASE, THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, THEY'RE DOING TRAINING.
AND SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR MITIGATIONS THAT, UM, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS, BUT THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANT.
UM, AND THEN ANY IMPACTS TO 180 3 THAT WOULD BE OFFSITE, UM, TO THE AIRPORT WERE WORKED THROUGH WITH TXDOT AND WE ARE MODIFYING ADDING, UM, A DECELERATION ACCELERATION LANE OFF OF 180 3.
UM, WE DO WANT TO NOTE THAT 180 3 IN THIS AREA WILL BE, UM, UPDATED IN NEAR FUTURE BY TXDOT.
SO TXDOT IS IN THE PLANNING PHASE TO DETERMINE HOW AND WHAT 180 3 WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT DECADE.
SO WE'LL BE AHEAD OF THAT WITH THIS PROJECT, BUT WE ARE MAKING MODIFICATIONS
[00:30:01]
TO 180 3 TO LIMIT THE IMPACTS TO 180 3.UM, JUST SOME GENERAL FACTS THERE.
UH, IT'S PHASE ONE, WHICH ARE THE TWO TANKS, 60 TO 80 TRUCKS PER DAY.
UM, I THINK ALL OF US KNOW 180 3 IS VERY BUSY.
AND SO, UM, THE ESTIMATES ARE SOMEWHERE AROUND 45,000 VEHICLES PER DAY.
UM, SO WE CAN SEE HERE THAT, UM, THE TRUCK TRAFFIC WILL BE MINIMAL.
AND THEN LAST THING AS, UH, MISSY AF STATED THE, THE FAA ISSUED A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN APRIL OF 2020, UM, BASED ON THE LIMITED AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IDENTIFIED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I, I KNOW WE WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS LATER ON THIS.
AND, UM, AS, AS MICHIF STATED, UM, FAA IS ON THE CALL AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY REALLY SPECIFIC TECHNICAL QUESTIONS.
I WILL ANSWER THOSE THE BEST I CAN, BUT I MAY BE DEFERRING TO THEM IN THE FUTURE.
SO JUST TO GO OVER SOME OF THE PERMITS, UM, THE EMISSIONS, I KNOW ARE A CONCERN, BUT THEY ARE AUTHORIZED BY THE TCEQ THROUGH A PERMIT BY RULE, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE A STANDARD PERMIT FOR FACILITIES THAT HAVE LOWER, UH, POTENTIAL TO EMIT EMISSIONS.
AND SO THE, WE HAVE, WE WORKED THROUGH WITH, UM, OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS, WE'VE WORKED THROUGH WITH THE ACTUAL DEVELOPER, MEANING THE FUEL, THE FUEL CONSORTIUM TO CONFIRM THAT THIS PERMIT IS LEGAL AND APPLICABLE TO THIS SITE.
AND I CAN STAND HERE TODAY AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN OVERSEEING ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AT THE AIRPORT FOR MANY YEARS, THE FACILITY IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY.
UM, AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS AIR QUALITY, UM, ADDITIONAL PERMITS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT, THEY WILL HAVE A STORMWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT ISSUED TO THEM BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, THEY CAN BE INSPECTED BY THE STATE AT ANY TIME.
UM, AND, AND THAT PERMIT IS A PUBLIC, UH, IS ON THE PUBLIC FORUM.
MEANING SOMEONE CAN GO IN AND MAKE A COMPLAINT OR ARE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR COMPLIANCE AND THE STATE WILL RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, WE, THEY DO REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE'S A PROGRAM IN TEXAS WHERE IF YOU HAVE A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OF CHEMICALS AT YOUR FACILITY, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT THOSE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS TEXAS TIER TWO.
AND SO THEY DO THAT TODAY AND THEY WILL DO THAT IN THE FUTURE.
THAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR THE STATE TO KNOW, AND ALSO THE LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UH, ENTITY AND THAT'S AFD IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO AFD KNOWS EXACTLY HOW MUCH, UM, UH, HOW MANY CHEMICALS AND WHAT VOLUMES ARE STORED AT THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
UM, THEY HAVE CITY OF AUSTIN PERMITS SITE PERMIT.
UM, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS TO GET A SITE PERMIT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, UH, HAS A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS WHICH ARE GOOD TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, THIS FACADE SITE, IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED, UM, A CITY OF AUSTIN SITE PERMIT AND THEY'VE RECEIVED BUILDING PERMITS AFD.
THEN ON TOP OF THIS ISSUES, ANOTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PERMIT DUE TO THE VOLUME OF THE, OF THE STORAGE AT THE SITE.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE IT, THEY MAINTAIN ANOTHER AFD, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PERMIT, AND THEN THEY HAVE A STATES, I MEAN, A CITY, UH, STORMWATER PERMIT ISSUED TO THEM BY WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, OUR SISTER DEPARTMENT, AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THAT PERMIT, WHICH, UM, IS INSPECTED ANNUALLY BY WATERSHED.
UH, SO THAT'S ANOTHER STORMWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT THAT THEY HAVE, WHICH STORMWATER IS ONE OF OUR MAJOR CONCERNS WITH THE VOLUME OF MATERIAL AND THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING AT THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
UM, NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, UH, SOME SETBACKS THERE FOR FIRE AND EXPLOSIVE PROTECTION.
UM, WE ARE EXCEEDING THOSE WITH THE PROJECT.
UM, THE FIRE CODE IS COMPLICATED, BUT, UM, WE HAVE FOLKS HERE THAT CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME GENERAL, UM, NOTES ABOUT HOW WE'RE COMPLYING WITH THE REGULATION.
UH, THAT ACTUALLY
SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.
I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO JACKIE.
UM, AND THEN ON THAT SLIDE, THAT KANE WAS TALKING, I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE IS NO, UM, ACCORDING TO THE FFA REGULATION IN PLACE OF HOW FAR A STORAGE FACILITY NEEDS TO BE FROM HOUSES, THERE'S NOTHING DOCUMENTED AND DEFINED THAT WAY.
THERE IS ON OTHER ISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE, NOISE AND THE DECIBELS ON.
SO, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THE AFA THAT REQUIRES A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM HOUSES.
[00:35:01]
THE ONLY THING WE HAVE AS SOON AS KANE SHORT ON THE SLIDE BEFORE IS THE NFCA REQUIREMENTS.THIS SLIDE SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL INSPIRE SAFETY.
UM, THIS IS AGAIN WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE HERE ABOUT THE FUEL LEVEL SENSORS, THE AUTO SHUT OFFS, THE SPILL TANKS AND THE WATER CONTAINMENT AND THE CONTAINMENT STRUCTURES I MENTIONED.
AND I SHOWED IN THE PICTURE IN THE BEGINNING AND THE MULTIPLE PERMITS THAT WE HAVE, THE MULTIPLE INSPECTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THE SIDE THAT EXIST TODAY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
THERE'S ANOTHER TESTIMONY OF WHY THIS IS A SAFE SITE AND THIS IS A SAFE PROJECT TO HAVE.
UM, AND IF YOU SEE THE HISTORY OF ALL THE OTHER AIRPORTS AROUND IN THE COUNTRY AND HOW THEY HAVE IT, UM, SUSTAINABILITY, HIGH HIGHLIGHTS, I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE TODAY OF WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED AT AUSTIN AIRPORT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
AND I KNOW YOU ARE OUR CARBON, UH, CREDITATION THAT WE JUST ACHIEVED.
ONE OF THE FIRST AIRPORTS ACHIEVED BEING CARBON NEUTRAL.
IT TAKES A LOT ACTUALLY FROM ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR US TO ACHIEVE SUCH SUCH ACCREDITATION.
AND, AND WE'VE DONE KUDOS TO MY TEAM AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORKING TOGETHER WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO ACTUALLY GET TO THAT LEVEL.
THERE'S A LOT OF EFFORTS IN PLACE.
I WON'T TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THEM, BUT WE'RE, UM, LEAD GOLD RATINGS ON SEVERAL BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE.
WE BUY BACK OUR EMISSIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AT THE AIRPORTS, WE ARE ALSO CONSCIENTIOUS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND US AND THE COMMUNITY AROUND US.
THIS LAST SLIDE HERE, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT? IF WE ARE TO DELAY THIS PROJECT, WE DID HIRE A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO COME UP WITH THE ANALYSIS AS THEY DO ALWAYS FOR OUR ECONOMIC ENGINE OUTPUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AS A REGIONAL AIRPORT, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT AN AIRPORT IS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE TO THE REGION AND TO THE CITY SPECIFICALLY ON THIS PROJECT, AND THESE NUMBERS ARE RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THIS PROJECT.
IT TAKES, IT'S GOING TO TAKE 58 TO 60 MONTHS TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT FROM THE DAY WE TALKED ABOUT IT TO ACTUALLY OPERATING.
SO WE'RE 30 MONTHS INTO IT ALREADY BETWEEN THE DESIGN, THE PERMITTING, THE NEPA PROCESS AND THE FAA APPROVAL AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO BE SHOVEL READY, WHICH WE ARE ON SCHEDULE.
THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO START CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS ANOTHER 28 TO 30 MONTHS.
SO IF WE ARE TIMEFRAME WISE TO THE LATEST PROJECT IS ANOTHER 30 MONTHS TO START ON A NEW SITE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO START ALL OVER.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT DO TO OUR FLIGHTS? SO TODAY, AS YOU HEARING ABOUT THE FUEL SHORTAGE NOTICE AND ALERTS THAT WE'RE ASKING THE AIRLINES, BASICALLY WHEN WE HAVE A FUEL SHORTAGE ALERT, THE AIRLINES ARE ASKED TO TAKE HER FUEL IN OR CARRY EXTRA FUEL WITH THEM, OR HAVE THE RISK OF DIVERTING OUT OF AUSTIN TO FUEL SOMEWHERE IN A DIFFERENT AIRPORT, SUCH THAT WE HAD, UH, UH, BRITISH AIRWAY DUDA, UM, DURING THE FORMULA ONE, UH, TIMEFRAME.
SO WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE TODAY AND ALL THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE HAVING STARTING MARCH SIX, WE ACTUALLY ADDED 50 DAILY FLIGHTS TO THE AIRPORT.
UM, WE HAVE A RISK OF HOW MANY FLIGHTS CAN WE HANDLE WITH THE CAPACITY OF THE FUEL THAT WE HAVE TODAY IN THE TANKS, THAT IF WE ARE TO THE LATEST PROJECT AGAIN, AND START ALL OVER THE CALCULATION SHOWS, AT SOME POINT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, SERVE THESE FLIGHTS AND WE RISK LOSING THESE FLIGHTS COMING INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, EITHER THEIR CARGO OR PASSENGER.
UH, WE DID NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, HOWEVER, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOBS THAT ARE RELATED TO THESE FLIGHTS BEING SUPPORT TO THE AIRLINES OR CARGO OR, UM, UH, GROUND HANDLERS JOBS, OR SO EQUATED ABOUT, ABOUT $4.7 BILLION IN LOST PAYROLL, NOT CITY JOBS, BUT THE COMMUNITY JOBS THAT ARE ACTUALLY LIVE OFF THOSE FLIGHTS.
UM, AND, AND, UH, THE BUSINESSES THAT'S TRY FROM THE AIRPORT AND ALSO ABOUT $6.7 BILLION IN LOSS OUTPUT.
AGAIN, THIS DATA WAS VALIDATED BY A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT, NOT AIRPORT STAFF.
SO THIS IS OUR LAST SLIDE HERE FOR EXCEEDING THE REQUIREMENTS.
WHAT I, WHAT I CALL THE SAYING, WE HIRED AN ADDITIONAL THIRD PARTY TO VALIDATE THE EA PROCESS, UM, AS AT A REQUEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT, AND CHECK THE BOXES AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'D DONE WITH THE FEDERAL STATE AND CITY REGULATIONS.
UH, WE ALSO HIRED A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR.
THIS IS OUR PART OF OUR COMMITMENT TO MONITOR AND AUDIT THE FACILITY WHEN WE START OPERATING IT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE SAID IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING FOR OUR SAFETY, UH, ON OUR, UM, OPERATIONS, WE'VE LISTENED TO THE COMMUNITY ON, UH, ON A FEW OF THE OTHER THINGS ABOUT IMPROVING THE FACILITY DESIGN.
THEY ASKED FOR DECORATIVE FENCING, ALSO LANDSCAPING AND HARDSCAPING.
AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES TO PUT SOME ART COORDINATION IN FRONT OF THE FACILITY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO COMMITTED TO NOT JUST FOR THIS PROJECT SPECIFICALLY, ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS YOU GOT, I WANT, WANNA, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TODAY IS WE'RE COMMITTING TO HAVING A BETTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
[00:40:01]
GOING FORWARD BY CREATING WHAT WE WOULD CALL A GREEN TEAM, WHICH IS, UM, AIRPORT STAFF, BUSINESS PARTNERS, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, TO SHARE TOGETHER THE VISION FOR COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT AND ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE WILL SEE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND MOVING FORWARD TO, UH, WE WANT TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER THAT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND THAT GREEN TEAM WOULD BE OUR PART TO CONNECT WITH ALL THE COMMUNITIES AND ALL THE DISTRICTS AROUND THE AIRPORT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, SHARING OUR DOCUMENTS AND THEIR INPUT AND PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, THE FUTURE TOGETHER.WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HIRE A FULL-TIME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PERSON AS PART OF OUR
SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE FAA ALSO AVAILABLE.
IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER, BAYLA, AND COUNCIL MARPOL WITH REGARD TO THE CURRENT SITE.
UH, AND, UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE MAPS.
IT'S JUST HARD TO KIND OF TRACK WITH THE KIND OF PERSPECTIVE AND, AND THE CURRENT, UH, WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE CURRENT SITES WHERE THE, THE, THE TANK SIT? SO THE CURRENT SIDE PART OF THE FUTURE PLAN IS THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY EXPANSION.
AGAIN, PART OF THAT GROWTH TO HANDLE THE PASSENGER FLIGHTS IS THAT CURRENT SITE ACTUALLY, THE, THE TANKS WILL HAVE TO GO AWAY.
AND THAT IS THE REASON FOR PHASE TWO EVENTUALLY.
UM, AND IT WILL BECOME ONLY A TRANSITION LINE FOR HYDRO HYDRANT FUELING.
SO PART OF, UH, THE GROWTH OF THE AIRPORT ALSO IN PART OF ONE OF OUR PROJECTS WILL BE HYDRANT FUELING, WHICH HAS MEANT, MEANS WE'LL ELIMINATE THE FUEL TRUCKS THAT WOULD BE GOING TO THE AIRCRAFT TO FUEL THE AIRCRAFT ITSELF AND THE HYDRATE FUELING, UM, FROM, FROM THE HYDRANT ITSELF AT THE GATE.
SO THE CURRENT LOCATION WILL STAY AS PART OF KIND OF THE FUELING INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT WILL BE, UH, SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO THE TANKS ITSELF THAT EXISTS THAT ARE IN EXISTING WILL GO AWAY AT SOME POINT.
UH, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CURRENT LOCATION WHERE THE TANKS ARE, IS NOT, UH, GOING TO BE, FOR EXAMPLE, PART OF THE TERMINAL OR PART OF LIKE THE RUNWAY OR, UH, EXPANSION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE NEAR THAT ATTACKS THE PART OF THE, THE TAXIWAY AND THE RUNWAY PROJECTS THAT THE TANKS NEED TO BE TAKEN AWAY.
I GUESS, IS THERE SOME KIND OF, DO THEY NEED TO BE SO FAR FROM ONE OF THE TAXIWAYS OR THE RUNWAYS OR, WELL, THE, IF EVERY, THE TAXPAYER RUNWAY HAS A PROTECTION ZONE AROUND IT, SO THAT REGARDLESS OF, UM, WHAT IS BUILT EITHER CARGO OR BUILDINGS OR TANKS WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT WHERE WE'RE ADDRESSING THE TAXIWAYS.
UM, AND IT HAS TO BE CLEARED AROUND IT TO CLEAR THAT ZONE AROUND THE AIRCRAFT, UH, AROUND THE TAXI, IN THE WRONG WAYS.
AND THE TRANSFER FACILITY, UH, AND I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU CALL IT? A HYBRID TRANSFER FACILITY OR WHATEVER.
SO THERE'LL BE A TRANSFER LINE BETWEEN THE EXISTING SITE TODAY AND A NEW SITE THAT IS GOING TO BE UNDERGROUND.
HYDRATE, FUELING WILL BE ACTUALLY AT THE GATES WHERE THE AIRCRAFT PULLS IN TO FUEL THE AIRCRAFT.
UM, SO CAN WE EXPAND AT THE CURRENT SITE FOR NOW, SO TO GO TO THE, THE EXISTING SITE OR ANY SITE, IT GOES BACK TO THAT, THAT 30 MONTH DELAY, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU NEED DESIGN PERMISSION, APPROVAL, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE GO, IT DOES, IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF THE 30 MONTH.
HOWEVER SPECIFICALLY, DID EXISTING SITE.
IT DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT SAME CAPACITY THAT WE WOULD BE PUTTING ON THE PROPOSED SITE.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH CAPACITY FOR LONG-TERM CAPACITY, OR ARE YOU TO, TO PUT THE CURRENT, UM, PROPOSED SITE ON THE EXISTING.
WE DO NOT HAVE ROOM FOR THAT EITHER TODAY IS POSSIBLY A BEST, WOULD BE ONE TANK NOT TO.
AND HOW MUCH WOULD ONE TANK DO IN TERMS OF ALLEVIATING THE FUEL SHORTAGES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? SO AGAIN, WITH THE FLIGHT OPERATIONS, UM, WHAT THE CALCULATION DID AGAIN, A PART OF DESIGNING THE CALL IS SET CALLED FOR ON NEEDING THE EXISTING TWO TANKS AND THE TWO NEW TANKS, ALL FOUR OF THEM TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
WHAT ABOUT A SITE OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT PROPERTY? WAS THAT CONSIDERED OR IS THAT POSSIBLE? SO AGAIN, IT'S THE TRANSFER LINE, IT'S THE DISTANCE.
UM, HOW FAR IS IT? AND WE, UM, THE S THE AIRPORT SPECIFICALLY, AS FAR
[00:45:01]
AS THE CITY DEPARTMENT, OUR PROPERTY THAT WE OWN IS INSIDE THE FENCE.UM, AGAIN, WOULD WE IMPACT, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT DESIGN ANALYSIS FIRST STRESSING A LAMP, AND THAT DELAY WOULD BE WAY MORE THAN 30 MONTHS.
AND, BUT IN GOING BACK TO THE FUEL LINE AND THE FUEL LINES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE, THE, THE PROCESS WOULD BE WHERE THE, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY TRUCKS NEEDED ANYMORE TO DELIVER THE FUEL FROM THE TANKS TO THE, UH, AIRPLANES.
IS THAT RIGHT? UH, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, SIR, THE TRANSFER ALIGNED BETWEEN THE, THE PROPOSED SITE AND THE EXISTING, THAT'S JUST A TRANSFER LINE TO TRANSFER FUEL BETWEEN THE TANKS.
UM, THE HYDRANT FUELING IS AT THE GATE ITSELF, AND THAT WOULD BE WHERE THE, THERE WOULD BE LINES COMING FROM THE SITE EVENTUALLY TO THE GATE TO PROCESS, TO CARRY THE FUEL FOR THE GATES.
AND WE WOULD NOT NEED THE FUEL TRUCKS ON THE AIRFIELD AND THREE CONCRETE TRUCKS.
AND I'M SORRY, I THINK I'M MISSING HYDRANT FUELING THEN.
IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED HYDRANT? YES.
THAT'S FROM A HYDRANT AT THE GATE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY CONNECT THE HOSE FROM THE HYDRANT TO THE TANK OF THE AIRCRAFT TO FUEL IT.
AND WHEN IS THAT HYDRANT FUEL AGAIN IN THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN? WHEN IS THAT CHANGE SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE? THE HYDROGEN FUELING AT THE NEW CONCOURSE IS PART OF THE NEW CONCOURSE DESIGN.
AND WHERE WOULD THE DATE MORE OR LESS BE FOR FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS AS THE NEW GATES COME ON.
AND, UM, IN THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN, AND I WAS REVIEWING SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS AND THE PRESENTATION WAS THE FUEL FARM DISCUSSED IN THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WERE BEING HELD TO FOR THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN WAS THE FUEL FARM DISCUSSED.
AND WHAT WAS THE FEEDBACK, UH, AT THAT, UH, UH, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN, AND HOW WAS IT DISCUSSED AND WHAT WAS THE FEEDBACK AT THAT TIME? SO IT WAS DISCUSSED IN 20 17, 20 18, THOSE FOUR WORKSHOPS THAT WERE HELD TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE MASTER PLAN AND ALL THE PROJECTS IN THERE.
UM, THERE WAS NO FEEDBACK, NEGATIVE, I SHOULD SAY, NO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK RECEIVED AT THE TIME.
AT THAT TIME, THOUGH, THERE WERE THOSE 12 POSSIBLE SITES IDENTIFIED.
IS THAT CORRECT? THE MASTER PLAN TALKS ABOUT THE SITES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ALL THE PROJECTS IN THE MASTER PLAN AND THE LOCATIONS OF UP IT DOESN'T ELABORATE IN THE DISCUSSIONS.
AGAIN, I WAS NOT HERE IN 2017 OF ALL THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE ON EVERY PROJECT, ALL THOSE 61 PROJECT.
IT IS THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IF ASKED, BUT, AND WHERE WERE THOSE MATERIALS OR ANY MEETINGS, UH, WHERE THOSE MATERIALS PROVIDED IN SPANISH, WHERE ANY OF THE MEETINGS CONDUCTED IN SPANISH? AND AGAIN, I'M SORRY, DIRECTOR.
I KNOW THAT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, PREDATES YOUR TIME, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO IF THEY WERE IN SPANISH OR ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER VILA, MAY I LET SOMEONE ELSE HAVE A, HAVE A CHANCE? AND IF FOLKS CAN TRY AND KEEP THEIR, THEIR QUESTIONS TO A FEW QUESTIONS SO THAT EVERYONE HAS TURNED, WE CAN, WE CAN GO BACK.
SO I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER, POOL, COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, COUNCIL MEMBER FUN, TESSA AND KITCHEN DIRECTOR GAFF.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND THANKS TO THE ADDITIONAL FOLKS WHO HAVE COME TO PROVIDE US ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ALL ASPECTS OF THIS PROJECT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CORRECTLY UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT, UM, AND ACKNOWLEDGING A DIRECTORY AFTER YOU WEREN'T HERE AT THE TIME.
BUT WE DO HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN 2017 AND 18.
SO IN 27, 8, 20 17 AND 2018, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORKED TO CREATE THE MASTER PLAN FOR AIRPORT EXPANSION.
IT INCLUDED COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN THAT PROCESS.
THE CITY SUBMITTED THE PLAN TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR APPROVAL.
AND IN 2020 RECEIVED THE GO AHEAD FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF THE FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, WHICH WE CALL FONZIE.
UH, AND THAT MEANS APPROPRIATE STEPS HAD BEEN FOLLOWED AS, UH, THE PROCESS ROBUST, RIGOROUS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE OVERSIGHT AND AUTHORITIES FOR THE SAFETY AND THE OPERATIONS OF THE AIRPORT.
THERE ARE TWO STORAGE FACILITIES ON THE SITE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE 1999.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY LEAKS FROM THESE STORAGE UNITS? NO.
ARE THERE SAFETY MEASURES TO PREVENT FUMES FROM LEAKING WHEN TRUCKS DEPOSIT FUEL INTO THOSE STORAGE UNITS? I'M SORRY, SAY THAT LAST QUESTION AGAIN.
ARE THERE SAFETY MEASURES TO PREVENT FUMES FROM ESCAPING OR LEAKING WHEN TRUCKS DEPOSIT
[00:50:01]
FUEL INTO THE STORAGE UNITS? YES, WE HAVE.WE HAVE, UM, UH, PLANS IN PLACE.
UM, I IMAGINE THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY, UM, AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF, OF, OF PROTECTION THEN, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU'RE FUELING YOUR CAR AT A GAS AT A GAS STATION, A GAS PUMP, CORRECT.
THERE'S SEVERAL VALVES ON THE, ON THE FACILITY.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VIDEO, A YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT WE DID SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS EFFORT TO HOW THE OPERATION IS AND HOW SAFE IT IS.
AND ONE OF THE NEW, UM, SAFETY, UH, ELEMENTS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME, WITH THE HYDRO, THE HYDRANT, UH, LINES WOULD BE TO EVEN FURTHER REDUCE THE CHANCES OF ANY, UH, FUMES ESCAPING DURING THE FUELING PROCESS, BECAUSE THAT WILL ALL BE UNDER UNDERGROUND.
HAVE THERE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BUILDING A BARRIER THAT SEPARATES, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL AREA FROM 180 3 THAT WOULD BE ON, I GUESS ON THE WEST SIDE, THE SIDE AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT? I WAS NOT.
THE VEGETATIVE BARRIER THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IS CLOSER TO WHERE THE FUEL STORAGE FACILITY WOULD BE BUILT, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
KUT REPORTED THAT THE FAA SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THE AGENCY, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION HAS NO REGULATIONS OR GUIDANCE ON HOW FAR, UH, AND THEY USE THE TERM FUEL FARM COULD BE, YOU SHOULD BE FROM PROPERTIES OUTSIDE.
THE AIRPORTS PERIMETER IS, IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT IS ACCURATE.
SO THERE ARE NO REGULATIONS ANYWHERE NATIONALLY FOR, FOR THAT FOR DISTANCE WITH DFA, CORRECT, IS A BUYOUT FOR HOMES THAT MAY BE WITHIN.
I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE NO HOMES ACTUALLY WITHIN THE 500 FOOT RADIUS, BUT POTENTIALLY IN PHASE TWO, THERE COULD BE HOMES WITHIN THAT RADIUS.
UM, SO I BUY OUT AS AN OPTION HAS BEEN, UM, RAISED AND DISCUSSED.
IS THAT AN OPTION AND WHY OR WHY NOT? IT IS NOT.
UM, SO THE BUYOUT UNDER THE FEDERAL REGULATION, THE FAA REGULATIONS REQUIRES TO HAVE TO MEET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, UH, TO MITIGATE SOME KIND OF AN IMPACT THAT HAS MOST BUYOUTS COMES THROUGH.
FOR EXAMPLE, A ONE 50 STUDY, A NOISE STUDY THAT IF THERE IS A NOISE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITIES, THE MITIGATION WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOUNDPROOFING THE WINDOWS, UH, OR EVENTUALLY AVAYA, OR THE FEDERAL WILL THEN SUPPORT THE BUYOUT FOR USING AIRPORT FUNDS OR AN ALSO OFFER THE FUNDS THROUGH THE FFA BECAUSE ALL AIRPORTS ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED.
AND UNDER THE GRANT ASSURANCE COMPLIANCE, WE'RE USING AIRPORT FUNDS AND REVENUE HAS TO BE INTO OUR CRITERIA THAT THEY HAVE FE WOULD, UH, WOULD APPROVE.
AND THIS SITUATION SPECIFICALLY, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FINDING BY DFA AND THEREFORE IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR BIO.
AND IN FACT, IF SOMETHING WERE TO CHANGE ALONG THOSE LINES, AS FAR AS THE CITY, DOES THAT PUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN A NEGATIVE POSTURE WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, IF WE DO OUR TO USE AIRPORT REVENUES FOR A BUYER ON THIS PROJECT, IT WOULD PUT US WITH IN NONCOMPLIANCE WITH DFA.
AND THEN I HAVE, UH, JUST ONE LAST QUESTION AND IT GOES TO THE POTENTIAL RELOCATION OF 180 3.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING THIS THE REASON WHY, REASON, WHY THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT IS A PART OF THE FUTURE PLAN FOR A BIA IS BECAUSE TXDOT HAS INDICATED THAT THE STATE PLANS, IF FUTURE EXPANSION OF 180 3, NOT THAT THE CITY PLANS TO MOVE THAT ROAD, IS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
ANY THING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THAT TEXT DOT, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TXDOT OR CATHETER OR THE, THAT IS PART OF THEIR PROJECTS AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT IMPACT, BUT IT'S NOT AN AIRPORT DRIVEN INITIATIVE.
CAN I JUST CLARIFY IF THAT'S 180 3 OR 71 THAT WAS MOVED BECAUSE EITHER ONE ARE A DOT THEY'RE NOT AIRPORT HIGHWAYS, SO THEY'RE BEING MOVED BECAUSE OF, WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING MOVED.
I MEAN, THE PLAN PROPOSAL, THE PROPOSAL TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION TEXTS, THOUGHTS, PLANS TO WE WORK WITH TXDOT OR CAP MORE ON ANY OF THE EXPANSION THAT THEY'RE DOING OR ANY OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW IT HAD AN IMPACT, THE AIRPORT OR VICE VERSA.
SO AGAIN, DOES THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE AUTHORITY TO RELOCATE 180 3 OR 71 OR ANY STATE HIGHWAY, OR IS THE INCLUSION OF THAT PLAN? A NECESSARY ELEMENT OF OUR PLANNING PROCESSES, WHICH WE'RE DOING IN COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES? YEAH.
WE MAINLY IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM.
THANK YOU DIRECTORY AFTER BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR THE GRACIOUSNESS AND THE WONDERFUL TOUR THAT YOU GAVE ME AND MY STAFF LAST WEEK AT THE AIRPORT, IT REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT INTRICACIES OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO OUT THERE AND SEEING
[00:55:01]
THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEARBY AND BEING ABLE TO GO OVER AND LOOK AT IT WAS VERY HELPFUL.UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE, JUST FOR MY UNDERSTANDING THROUGH RESEARCH THAT MY STAFF AND I HAVE DONE, WE CAME TO LEARN THAT OUR CITY'S RANKED 11TH LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT THE AIRPORT ITSELF IS RANKED 34TH LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN MY UNDERSTANDING THROUGH THE 11 FUEL ADVISORIES THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED SINCE 2019 IS THAT WHILE INITIALLY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE AIRLINE TICKETS COMING OUT OF OUR AIRPORT MAY NOT FEEL THAT BURDEN THE COST IS PASSED ON TO THOSE TRAVELING THROUGH THE AIRPORT FOR HAVING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL FUEL ON THE PLANES AND LESS PASSENGER GARAGE, PASSENGER.
EXCUSE ME, IS THAT CORRECT AS WELL? CORRECT.
SO THE, THE TINKERING FUEL AND FOR AIRLINES IS AN ADDITIONAL COST THAT ALSO, UM, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT FOR, UM, LOAD BALANCE, UM, NUMBER OF PASSENGERS, NUMBER OF MUCH OF CARGO THAT THEY'RE CARRYING DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH FUEL THEY'RE CARRYING, UM, COST OF FUEL.
ALSO, IT PLAYS A HUGE ROLE OF HOW EFFECTIVE AND COST-EFFECTIVE THAT IS FOR THEM TO TINKER FUEL.
AND IS IT DOABLE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FLIGHTS A DAY VERSUS SO MANY A DAY FOR A SPECIFIC AIRPORT AND ALSO PUTS A STRAIN ON THE OTHER AIRPORTS THAT THEY'RE COMING FROM.
AND THEN FINALLY, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION SURROUNDING OUR STORAGE TANKS FOR THE FUEL, WE ARE ALSO PLANNING ON EXPANDING GATES AT THE AIRPORT.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE FUEL ON HAND, IT WOULD NOT BE AS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR AIRLINES TO EXPAND WITH US FOR ADDITIONAL GATES, WHICH WE PLAN ON CREATING ANY WAY.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO I HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER, QUINTUS KITCHEN, ANYONE ELSE HAVE TOVO ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.
UM, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR AF AFTER BEING HERE WITH US, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH HOW WE CURRENTLY OBTAIN FUEL FOR THE FUEL STORAGE FACILITY, WHERE IT COMES IN FROM, AND THE PROCESS AND ENSURING THAT WE HAVE OUR RESERVES ON HAND? SO THE FUELS COMES ACTUALLY FROM BASTROP VIA TRUCKS THAT ARE TRUCKED EVERYDAY DAILY COMES IN AND THEY, WHAT WE CALL A, UH, UPLOAD INTO THE TANKS.
UM, IT TAKES TIME FOR THE TANK, THE FUEL TO SETTLE INTO THE TANKS AND THEN BE PULLED BACK WITH, FROM THE, THE OTHER TRUCKS ON THE AIRFIELD TO THE AIRCRAFT.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT'S A 24 7 OPERATION, AND THAT WE HAVE 60 TO 80 TRUCKS THAT ARE COMING IN ON A, ON A DAILY BASIS THAT ARE ENSURING THAT OUR FUEL RESERVES ARE REPLENISHED AND STOCKED UP.
UM, WHAT CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO INCREASING THE FREQUENCY IN WHICH WE OBTAIN OUR FUEL SO THAT WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE FORMULA ONE WEEKEND OR NASCAR WEEKEND, ANY OF THESE BIG TOURIST EVENTS IN OUR CITY, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF TRUCKS COMING IN WITH THE FUEL, UM, TO AVOID ANY TYPE OF LOW FUEL ALERT.
UM, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE FREQUENCY OR MORE TRUCKS TO HAVE FUEL.
IT'S MORE OF THE, UM, THE OPERATION OF UPLOADING THAT FUEL AND LETTING IT SETTLE.
UH, PART OF THE CONTINGENCY PLAN THAT WE HAVE WHEN WE HAVE A HIGH DEMAND IS WE ACTUALLY TRY TO CREATE THE SCHEDULE SO THEY CAN COME IN ON TIME AND BE AVAILABLE AND READILY, OR EVEN COME IN FROM SAN ANTONIO.
SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES ARE, OR SOME OF THE OTHER FACILITIES.
SO TO HAVE THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE TRUCKS COMING IN, UM, AND BE AVAILABLE, BUT IT IS A TRANSFER SITUATION BETWEEN THE TRUCKS AND THE TANK, THE SETTLING, AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OPERATION.
SO WE, SO HAVE WE EXPLORED THE TRANSFERRING OF THAT FUEL TO SEE IF THERE ARE AN INTERIM SOLUTION FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET THE CURRENT DEMAND THAT WE HAVE FOR FUEL SO THAT THE FUEL TRUCKS SEXUALLY THAT COME FROM THE FACILITY TO THE AIRPORT HAVE TO UPLOAD INTO THE TANKS.
THEY WON'T BE UPLOADING INTO THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT AWAY CORRECTLY.
SO IT REALLY IS AGAIN THAT THE CAPACITY OF THE TANKS AND HOW MUCH IT CAN HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
I AM NOT A TECHNICAL PERSON TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO IT, BUT THERE IT IS OPERATION THAT IS HEAVILY MANAGED BY DAWSON FUEL FOLKS.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST APPLIED TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHEN WE FIRST APPLIED FOR APPROVAL WITH THE FAA, IT WAS ONE SITE THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR THE FUEL FARM.
UM, HOW LONG DID THAT PROCESS TAKE? BECAUSE WE RECEIVED APPROVAL ON APRIL 20, 20, BUT ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH WHEN WE ACTUALLY SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION TO THE FAA? OKAY.
HI, UM, WE STARTED THE PROCESS IN APPROXIMATELY AUGUST OF 2019.
AND SO, UM, WE START FEELING SILLY CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN
[01:00:01]
THE DEVELOPER AND FAA THAT THAT'S WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, UM, WORKED THROUGH THE FALL AND PROBABLY THE FIRST SUBMITTALS TO FAA, UM, KIND OF DRAFT EAS WERE PROBABLY IN JANUARY OF 2020.SO THAT'S ABOUT SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, SIX, SIX HARD WORKING ON THE DOCUMENT FIVE TO SIX MONTHS.
AND MY LAST QUESTION FOR NOW, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REVIEW AND RESEARCH THAT ME AND MY TEAM DID, WE FOUND THAT AS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, UM, ANALYSIS ON PAGE FIVE OF THE EA, THERE IS A FUEL FARM MASTER PLAN THAT IS REFERENCED DATED SEPTEMBER, 2019.
CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT WHAT THIS FUEL FARM MASTER PLAN ENTAILS AND WAS IT EVER PRESENTED TO COUNCIL? UM, THAT'S AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT FOR THE, UH, THE FUEL CONSORTIUM CREATED, UH, TO EVALUATE BASED ON THEIR FUTURE PROJECTIONS AND CURRENT OPERATIONS, UM, IN THE ACTUAL MASTER PLAN, UM, THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2020, I THINK CHAPTER FIVE.
UM, THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW AND WHEN NEW, UM, ADDITIONAL FACILITIES WOULD BE REQUIRED AND IT'S REALLY LEFT UP TO THOSE FOLKS.
I MEAN, SO THE MASTER PLAN FOR FUEL AT THE AIRPORT IS NOT REALLY A CITY FUNCTION.
IT'S REALLY AN AIRLINE FUNCTION AND THE AIRLINES ACTUALLY BUY THE FUEL DIRECTLY FROM FLINT HILLS REFINERY IN CORPUS CHRISTI.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MANAGING THIS ALL THE WAY FROM THE COAST ALL THE WAY TO THE AIRCRAFT HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS NOT A CITY FUNCTION.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT THE EXPERTS ON THAT, BUT THERE WAS A MASTER PLAN CREATED AND THEY, THEY DEVELOPED THAT TO DETERMINE THEIR NEED.
I HOPE, I HOPE THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, AND THEN, UM, COMES MORE.
UH, THE FIRST ONE I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER OF ALA ASKED ABOUT THE EXISTING SITE.
SO, UM, IF I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU HEARD YOU CORRECTLY.
SO, UM, I HEARD PERHAPS ONE ADDITIONAL TANK, BUT NOT TWO WOULD FIT ON THAT SIDE.
DID I HEAR THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
I ALSO HEARD, UM, SO MY QUESTION GOES IN, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT THE TIMELINE, SO IF THAT WERE A ROUTE TO PURSUE THE TIMELINE WOULD BE 30 MONTHS.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT, SO HERE'S MY QUESTION.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S AN EXISTING SITE, IS THERE ANY, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR EITHER EXPEDITED OR SHORTENED VERSION OF ANALYSIS SINCE THE SITE IS ALREADY BEING USED FOR THE SAME PURPOSE? UM, SO THE, THE DESIGN OF THAT EXTRA TANK OR AT MODIFICATIONS TO THAT SITE WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE TIME TO PUT THAT TOGETHER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THE PLANS ON THAT SITE THAT WAS NEVER PRODUCED OUTWEIGH OR THOSE OR WHATEVER.
SO THERE WAS ACTUALLY THE TIMEFRAME IS THE DESIGN, THE PERMITTING PROCESS BY DOING THE EA ASSESSMENT, UM, GETTING ALL THE PERMITS BY THE STATE AND CITY.
UM, THAT IS WHERE THAT 30 MONTH, AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK TO, CAN IT BE 30, 28? I DON'T, BUT THAT IS THE AVERAGE OF HOW LONG IT TOOK US TO GET FROM THE BEGINNING OF DESIGNING A PRO.
I UNDERSTAND THE STEPS, THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT, IS IT JUST AN ACTUALLY THIS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THE PROCESS AT ALL, BUT IT, IT, IT JUST, WOULD IT BE A QUESTION FOR ME ABOUT WHETHER YOU COULD ACTUALLY SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTEN THAT TIMEFRAME BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY USING THE SITE FOR THE SAME PURPOSE? SO THAT'S JUST A QUESTION AND PERHAPS THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD RESPOND TO LET US KNOW WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL UNDERSTANDING, OF COURSE, THAT YOU CAN'T PREDICT EXACTLY HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE, BUT, UM, PARTICULARLY THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PART, OF COURSE, YOU'D HAVE TO ASSESS, YOU KNOW, THREE TANKS VERSUS TWO TANKS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WELL, ANYWAY, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE DEGREE TO WHICH THERE ARE SOME SYNERGIES, UM, OR SOME SHORTENED TIMEFRAMES FROM THAT KIND OF APPROACH.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS THE, UM, YOU HAD SHOWN A SLIDE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE SITES THAT WERE MENTIONED.
UM, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPE OF ANALYSIS WAS DONE OF THOSE SITES? YEAH, SO THE, THE SITE SELECTION IS THE CRITERIA AGAIN, OF WHAT IS THAT SITE, WHERE IT IS ON THE AIRPORT, UM, LAND, UM, STORMWATER WET, UM, UH, EXCUSE ME, UM, FLOODPLAINS, UH, LOCATION, BUT ALSO, UM, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE USE OF THAT SITES, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE SITES WERE INSIDE WHAT WE WOULD CALL A GATE ENVELOPE.
[01:05:01]
REALLY WHERE THE GATES WOULD GO IN THE TAXIWAYS.IF WE ARE TO PUT A FUEL TANKS IN THERE, THEN I CAN'T PUT THE GATES, UM, SIM SIMILAR THING TO THE USE AGAIN, AND THE IMPACT, UM, AIR CARGO FACILITY OR A GENERAL AVIATION FACILITY WOULD HAVE A HIGHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UH, FROM THE FUMES AND THE NOISE THAN A JET A.
SO THE LOCATION OF THOSE, AGAIN, OF BEING USED TO, WHAT WOULD THE DECIDE, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST FIT FOR THAT SITE? EITHER THE SITE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING AIR CARGO ON THERE, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WOULD HAVE A HIGHER IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE NEIGHBORS.
SO THAT IS THE PART OF THE CRITERIA.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE SLIDES HAD THE 10, UM, UNDER THE EA THAT'S THE CRITERIA THAT WE LOOK AT.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE SITES WAS AN ANALY.
EACH OF THE 12 SITES WERE PRESENTED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
DID I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY, CORRECTLY, AND EACH ONE OF THE 12 SITES WERE ANALYZED AGAINST THE CRITERIA? CORRECT.
SO THERE'S A, I'M SURE THAT OTHERS ARE AWARE OF THIS.
AND I, I HAVE JUST NOT SEEN THIS DETAIL, BUT THERE'S, UM, A DOCUMENT THAT EXPLAINS FOR EACH SITE, WHAT THE ISSUES WERE AGAINST THE CRITERIA, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
MA'AM A MATRIX AND A DOCUMENTS WILL PRESENT IN, IN IT'S ACTUALLY AS AN ATTACHMENT TO A MEMO THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS RECEIVED TO.
AND THEN, UM, THE LAST QUESTION RELATED TO THAT, UM, WERE THESE, WAS IT, WAS IT THAT THESE SITES WERE NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF ONE OR MORE CRITERIA OR WERE THEY JUST NOT OPTIMAL? SO IT'S NOT THAT, I GUESS, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE, UH, NOT POSSIBLE AGAIN, THE BEST FIT FOR THE SITE, COMPARING IT TO ALL THE 12 SITES AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THAT CRITERIA.
UM, THAT'S WHERE, UM, AGAIN, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT SITE FOR THE FACILITY.
I GUESS I'M ASKING A DIFFERENT QUESTION IN, IN I'LL I'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AND ASK MORE PRECISELY, BUT I'M ASKING, ACTUALLY ASKING WHAT'S POSSIBLE NOT WHAT'S THE BEST FIT.
SO, UM, I'LL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
MY LAST QUESTION IS ON THE BUYOUTS.
I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL HAD.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT THAT FOR A RANGE OF REASONS USING AIRPORT FUNDS IS NOT APPROPRIATE OR POSSIBLE, UH, FOR BUYOUT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE CITY MIGHT HAVE SOME OPTIONS FOR BUYOUT.
UM, MY QUESTION, HERE'S MY QUESTION.
HAVE WE EXAMINED USE OF CITY FUNDS AS OPPOSED TO AIRPORT FUNDS PER BUYOUT, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SMALL NUMBER OF HOMES, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING.
SO THAT MAY BE A QUESTION FOR A CITY MANAGER.
SO I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH THE USE OF CITY FUNDS, UH, TO, FOR OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSES THAT ARE NOT WHAT THE AIRPORT WOULD BE, UM, CONSTRAINED BY.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU.
I KNOW OUR LEGAL TEAM HAS LOOKED INTO THAT AND I DON'T KNOW, OUR CITY ATTORNEY WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
IF WE, IF WE NEED TO DO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, THAT'S FINE.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY? I REMEMBER, I THINK THE QUESTION IS, UH, I THINK THAT THAT DIRECTOR, YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE FAA BEING ABLE TO REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR SOMETHING, AND THAT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
THERE CERTAINLY IS A CONVERSATION WE COULD HAVE IF ANYBODY WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING A BUY-OUT TO DO CONDEMNATION, BUT I'M NOT SURE WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE, UH, AND THERE MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY THERE.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'VE COVERED JUST ABOUT ALL, ALL THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT I HAD.
I THINK I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN THAT COUNCIL MEMBER OF FONTEZ BROUGHT UP IN HER INITIAL COMMENTS AND IN THE RESOLUTION ITSELF.
SO AS, AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS ON THIS DIET DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONCEPT PLAN, I REMEMBER THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, ABOUT SOME OF THOSE AREAS BEING VERY GENERAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT, I, I REALLY WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT THERE WERE NOT CONVERSATIONS, UM, THAT THIS COUNCIL TOOK, TOOK PART OF PAR TOOK PART IN, UM, THAT TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A LOCATION FOR THE FUEL.
AND, AND I'M NOW CONFUSED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, BECAUSE IT SOUNDED, AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE INFORMATION WE WERE RECEIVING FROM YOUR RESEARCH COUNCIL MEMBER QUINTUS, AND SOME OF THE OTHER RESEARCH THAT, THAT I'VE, UM, THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE SHARED THAT THERE WERE NOT SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LOCATIONS IN THAT EITHER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S A REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING A CONCEPT PLAN THAT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AND ACTUALLY PROVIDING A MAP WITH, WITH A SPECIFIC LOCATION THAT IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
AND SO THAT IS, UM, THAT IS A CONCERN AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER FRONT US YOUR WORK, AND ASKING US TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE
[01:10:01]
HERE FOR, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD BE LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, AS WELL AS, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING STAFF.I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS TODAY ON SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ALL PART OF, IT'S ALL PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO I HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS RENT VIA MAYOR ADLER AND MYSELF.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, DIRECTOR YAFFE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE FAA, UM, LACK OF REGULATIONS AROUND PROXIMITY TO RESIDENCES? WHY IS THERE NOT A STANDARD THAT THEY TYPICALLY FOLLOW FOR THIS TYPE OF LOCATION? UM, I CAN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY WHY THEY DON'T HAVE IT UNDOCUMENTED.
THEY DO HAVE OTHER ONES, HOWEVER, THE NFBA HAS A SPECIFIC SEPARATION FROM, UM, TANKS, UH, AS WE SHOWED INTO ONE OTHER SLIDE.
SO THAT IS WHERE IT'S A DOCUMENTED SEPARATION REQUIREMENT BY ANOTHER FEDERAL AGENCY.
AND THEN CAN YOU GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, THE PREVIOUS TANK FARM AND WHAT THE JET A FUEL STORAGE, UH, WOULD, WOULD BE? I KNOW YOU HAD A SLIDE UP THERE, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO READ THROUGH IT THAT QUICKLY.
UM, BUT WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THOSE STORAGE METHODS AND THE PRODUCTS IN THEM? SO THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GASOLINE AND JET A, UM, AND AS FAR AS ITS VITALITY TO CATCH FIRE, UM, JEDI ACTUALLY, THERE'S A YOUTUBE VIDEO.
IF YOU LOOK IT UP, UM, IF YOU'VE PUT A MATCH INSIDE THE JEDI, UM, IT WILL ACTUALLY TURN OFF THE MATCH.
YOU WILL NOT SEE THE, THE, THE JAR OF THE FUEL WILL NOT CATCH.
UM, IF YOU PUT IT IN A GASOLINE IS COMPLETED, DEFINITIVE WILL ACTUALLY CATCH A FIRE RIGHT AWAY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M NOT A CHEMIST TO EXPLAIN THAT, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT HAPPENED IN EAST AUSTIN, 30 YEARS AGO TO TODAY, THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPANIES THAT WERE MANAGING THOSE TANKS.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY ONE, UM, TOGETHER.
THE DIFFERENCE TODAY IS WE HAVE ONE JET, A CONSORTIUM THAT'S RUNNING THAT, THAT FACILITY, THEY HAVE RUNNING IT ON SEVERAL AIRPORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UH, THEY'RE DOING IT AGAIN ON BEHALF OF THE AIRLINES, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF, UM, PROTOCOLS IN PLACE AND EMERGENCY AND CONTINGENCY IN PLACE TO CATCH IT FROM EITHER THEIR SENSORS, THAT SPELL PROOF AUTO PREVENTION, UM, INSPECTIONS ON A DAILY BASIS, IT'S STAFFED 24 7.
UM, AGAIN, THE HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO IS THAT CONTAMINANT POOL THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THAT'S SITTING ON CONCRETE.
SO THERE'S NO FUEL SPILLS TO THE GROUND.
WE HAVE STORMWATER, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY ON THE SITE STORM WATER INSPECTIONS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT IMPACTING THAT, UM, AGAIN, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, INSPECTIONS REGULARLY FROM THE AIRPORT STAFF, FROM THE FEDERAL AGENCY THAT COMES TO THE AIRPORT ONCE A YEAR TO INSPECT.
AND IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY DO THEIR INSPECTIONS ON THE FACILITY AND ON THE FIELD TRUCKS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU INCLUDING THOSE IMAGES, BECAUSE AT FIRST I THOUGHT MAYBE THEY WOULD BE BURIED BELOW GROUND, AND IT'S JUST THE TRANSFER LINE.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS CONTAINED ABOVE GROUND.
AND THEN HAS THE, UM, THE EXTRA CONTAINMENT POOL AROUND IT IN CASE SOMETHING DOES GO WRONG.
AND THAT IS REALLY ANOTHER REASON IS THE TRANSPORT LINE, THE SHORT DISTANCE OF THE TRANSFER LINE DIDN'T CONTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THAT TRANSPARENT LINE IS IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.
UM, I THOUGHT THE GRAPHIC WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, ABOVE VERSUS BELOW GROUND FOR THESE STORAGE, UM, SITUATIONS, OBVIOUSLY ANY SORT OF SEEPAGE OR LEAKAGE INTO THE GROUND WOULD, WOULD BE DAMAGING I'M SURE FOR ANY TYPE OF FUEL COMPONENT.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AIR QUALITY ISSUES? UM, IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR, FOR THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL, UM, GETTING INTO THE AIR, IT SEEMED LIKE THESE POOLS WERE ACTUALLY CONTAINED AND YOU SAID THERE WAS VIDEOS.
WE COULD LOOK UP ABOUT HOW IT'S TRANSFERRED FROM THE TRUCK INTO THE STORAGE FACILITIES, BUT IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF EVAPORATION FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD OR OTHER WAYS THAT THIS CAN GET INTO THE AIR AND CREATE, UM, BREATHING ISSUES OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE? UM, YEAH, SO SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TCEQ PERMIT, WHICH IS PERMIT BY RULE, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT A CHEMIST, BUT I'LL REFER TO WHAT THEY CALL THE
SO THE PERMIT BY RULE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE ADD THE AIRPORT, EVERY, EVEN YOUR, YOUR, UM, BUG SPRAY AT HOME HAS
UM, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT A VIEW SEES IS THE VAPOR COMING UP FROM THAT CHEMICAL THAT, THAT HAS IN, IN YOUR, UH, GASOLINE, WHEN YOU'RE FUELING YOUR CAR THERE'S VIEW SEES, UH, THE TCEQ PERMIT IS WHAT THEY PERMIT TO ANY SITE DEVELOPMENT, NOT SPECIFICALLY TO THE AIRPORT IS A LIMIT OF 25 TONS OF VIEW SEES A YEAR TO BE ADMITTED.
UM, THAT'S WHAT THEY, THAT LIMIT THAT THEY PUT BEYOND THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH DIFFERENT MITIGATIONS AND SO FORTH.
THE, UM, PROJECT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING,
[01:15:01]
WE HIRED PART OF THE CONSULTANT IN THE EA ASSESSMENT IS TO GET THAT PERMIT.THEY, THEY DID THE STUDY AND IT'S 3.6 IS WHAT THE NEW TANKS WOULD ADMIT THE CURRENT TANKS AS A 4.9.
SO THAT, UM, WAY BELOW THE LIMIT THAT THE TCEQ WOULD PERMIT, UM, AS FAR AS VAPOR AGAIN, UM, MY INITIAL STUDY SODA, BUT WITH THE VAPOR, IF THERE'S ANY VAPOR THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE TANKS, IT WOULD EVAPORATE WITHIN ABOUT A 200 FEET.
SO AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF UCS AROUND US IN THE AIR SPECIFICALLY, BUT THE LIMIT THAT WE GO TO IS WHAT THE TCEQ PUTS IN PLACE.
THAT'S THE END OF MY QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MAY, OR PART TIME, IF I MAY, UH, WE DO HAVE A STAFF FROM AROSA FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TIME TO JUST HA ASK THEM TO COME UP AND SPEAK TO ANY OTHER SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS DISCUSSION.
I'M GREG POPE WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE BATTALION CHIEF OVER THE RF DIVISION, WHICH IS THE AIRCRAFT RESCUE FIREFIGHTING WITH ME, LIEUTENANT, UH, LIEUTENANT DAVID MCGUIRE IS ONE OF OUR, HE IS OUR MAIN INSPECTOR OUT THERE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR US, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THEM AT THIS POINT.
DO YOU MIND JUST DESCRIBING THE PROCESS THAT YOU CURRENTLY USE TO INSPECT THE FACILITY AND THEN, UH, YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN, UH, WORKING WITH THE AIRPORT TO IDENTIFY THIS NEW FACILITY TO ENSURE THAT SAFETY SOUNDS YOU WANT TO TALK FOR A FEW MINUTES FIRST? ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE INSPECTORS FOR, UH, YES, SIR.
I DO ANNUAL INSPECTIONS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
SO AGAIN, CAN YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD PLEASE? MY NAME IS LIEUTENANT DAVID MCGUIRE.
I DO ANNUAL INSPECTIONS AT ALL THE SITES OUT AT A BIA, AND THEN THE ARF TRUCKS, THE AIRPORT RESCUE FIREFIGHT TRUCKS DO THREE INSPECTIONS, CORRECTION, FOUR INSPECTIONS, ONE EVERY QUARTER, AND THEN THEY ALSO INSPECT EVERY VEHICLE THAT IS EITHER COMING ONLINE AND AN ANNUAL INSPECTION.
THOSE INSPECTIONS INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM SAFETY, UH, EXTINGUISHERS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE ALARMS, ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS WORKING CORRECTLY HAS BEEN, UH, EITHER A GREEN TAG, BLUE TAG OR A RED TAG.
WE IMMEDIATELY NOTE THAT WE IMMEDIATELY TURN ALL THAT EQUIPMENT IN AND ALL OF THAT PROCESS GOES TO OUR HAZMAT ENGINEERS AND ANYTHING THAT WE DON'T, AREN'T AN EXPERT AT THAT.
WE HAVE A HAZMAT ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES THAT THERE'S ANY MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
SO WE'LL TAKE A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS FOR FIRE AND THEN GO BACK TO VENTURI MENTOREE.
DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR, CAUSE MY MENTOR, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR FIRE? I HAVE A QUESTION.
I, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, COULD YOU BUILD A TANK LIKE THAT WITH JET FUEL MIX TOO? IF IT WASN'T ON THE AIRPORT, COULD YOU BUILD THAT NEXT TO A RESIDENTIAL 500 FEET AWAY? THAT IS BEYOND MY EXPERTISE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WITH THAT QUESTION, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PROXIMITIES AND OUR CAPABILITIES IS MAINLY EXTINGUISHMENT AND AUGMENTATION OF, OF THE FIRE SYSTEMS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PROXIMITY, THAT'S OUT OF OUR REALM OF EXPERTISE AND I'D BE REMISSED TO, TO BE ABLE TO TALK INTELLIGENTLY ON THAT, UM, FOR WHAT LIEUTENANT MCGUIRE AND I HAVE, IT'S ACTUALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE TO THIS AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE ACTUAL FIRE DEPARTMENT THEY'RE ON, ON, ON THE AIRPORT GROUNDS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HONEST ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO TAKE QUESTIONS SINCE OUR FIRE PROFESSIONALS ARE UP HERE.
I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS FOR THEM SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER, ANDREA, IF HE HAS OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, MAYOR ADLER AND MYSELF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FONTUS.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THEM? UH, WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE ONE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS WOULD BE ALLOWED WITH OUR RESIDENTIAL ZONING.
WOULD THIS BE A PERMISSIBLE USE? SO IF THERE IS SOMEONE ON STAFF THAT CAN HELP CLARIFY OR SHED LIGHT ON THAT ISSUE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, FIRE AT THE AIRPORT THAT IS ON HAND AND AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE'S NOT A FIRE STATION IN SOUTHEAST THAT IS EQUIPPED TO HANDLE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND THAT THERE'S ONLY FOUR IN THE ENTIRE CITY AND THERE'S JUST NOT ONE IN SOUTH EAST.
SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE TO NOT ONLY, UH, CONTAIN IT WITHIN THE AIRPORT PROPERTY, BUT, UM, WHAT WOULD BE THE EFFORT TO THE NEIGHBORS AND THE RESIDENTS NEARBY? ABSOLUTELY.
[01:20:01]
SO ON, ON AIRPORT GROUNDS, WE HAVE THREE, UM, CRASH TRUCKS OR RESPONSE TRUCKS.THEY BOTH, THEY ALL CARRY 3000 GALLONS OF WATER, 400 GALLONS OF FOAM.
UM, WITH THAT WE CAN PRODUCE WITH OUR RESERVE TRUCKS THERE ON THE AIRPORT GROUNDS, WE CAN PRODUCE 42,000 GALLONS OF FOAM IN ORDER TO MITIGATE, UM, TO AUGMENT THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS WITHIN THE TANKS, IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN.
UM, OUR RESPONSE UNITS, OUR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, WE HAVE FOUR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL RESPONSE UNITS THROUGHOUT TOWN.
AIRPORT IS RIGHT BY THE MUELLER SUBDIVISION OR OLD MUELLER AIRPORT, AND ONE IS OFF MANCHESTER AND SLAUGHTER.
SO THOSE WOULD BE THE FIRST RESPONDING UNITS.
UM, THE ONE THEY'RE ON AIRPORT, WE HAVE A FOAM TRAILER DOES THAT, THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO COME HELP US AUGMENT OUR FOAM CAPABILITIES.
THE FOAM IS THE BEST WAY TO PUT OUT THESE FIRES AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WATER, WATER, JUST APPLYING WATER IS NOT THE CORRECT SOLUTION.
SO WE'D HAVE TO PRODUCE THIS FOAM.
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FOAM CAPABILITY.
AND IF FOR SOME REASON WE RAN OUT AS A CITY, WHICH I BELIEVE THE FIRE WOULD BE OUT BEFORE WE RAN OUT OF FOAM.
UM, WE HAVE OTHER CITY AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH WITH AN AUTO WADE, UH, PARTNERSHIP THAT WOULD RESPOND AS WELL.
BUT AS FOR THE HOUSES AND CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH THE 51 FIRE STATIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, CREATING A BOX ALARMS AND RESPONSE PROTOCOL, WE WOULD HAVE THE AREA COVERED MORE TIMES OVER THEN, THEN WE WOULD NEED, AND THEN, UH, DIRECTOR YAFFA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SHE'S NOT A CHEMIST, BUT JUST IN YOUR EXPERTISE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GASOLINE AND JET FUEL, UH, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD SHARE, UH, YOUR, YOUR, UH, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN THAT REGARD.
UH, MY, MY, MY KNOWLEDGE OF JEDI AND AFGHANS, UM, I AM A PRIVATE PILOT.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY BEING AT THE AIRPORT IS, UH, A FAVORABLE, UH, JOB TITLE FOR ME IS BATTALION CHIEF OVER THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS AT THE AIRPORT.
UM, THE VOLATILITY OF, OF, OF JET A IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
IT'S A MIXTURE OF KEROSENE AND DIESEL, WHICH, UM, I THINK OUR HEARD SOMEONE SPOKE BEFORE, BEFORE YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH PUT A MATCH INSIDE A JAR OF JEDI AND, AND, AND IT'S GOING TO GO, WOW, A HUNDRED LOW LEAD OR WHAT, UM, THE AIRCRAFT THAT I FLY FLIGHTS, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY A GASOLINE, UM, IT'S A HUNDRED LOW LEAD.
YOU CAN POUR IT ON YOUR HAND AND, AND GO LIKE THAT.
AND WITHIN FIVE SECONDS IT HAS EVAPORATED.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY A LOT MORE VOLATILE.
SO HAVING THESE JET EIGHT TANKS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A ROADWAY OR HOUSE, UM, WHEN, WHETHER IT BE JET A, AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN, BUT IT, IT, IT'S NOT AS CONCERNING TO ME THAN, THAN HAVING, UM, A MILLION GALLONS OF A HUNDRED LOW LEAD OR, OR REGULAR AV GAS THERE.
CAUSE IT'D BE A LOT MORE VOLATILE.
WHAT MAKES ME SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT THE FIRE STATION IS THERE AND WE, WE WILL BE RESPONDING OR ALL THE FIRE SYSTEMS THAT, THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT HAVE BEEN PUT THERE IN ORDER TO FIRST GET A HANDLE ON THIS, ON, ON ANY KIND OF SITUATION.
AND THEN WITH WHAT THE AIRPORT PROVIDES US WITH WITH THE RESPONSE TRUCKS, BEING ABLE TO AUGMENT THAT AND TO KEEP IT FROM BECOMING A HUGE DEAL OR HUGE, UM, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD, UH, THEY GIVE US A LOT OF GOOD EQUIPMENT AND IN ORDER TO HANDLE THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I JUST TALKED AROUND YOUR QUESTION, SIR.
COUNCILMEMBER KELLY QUESTIONS FOR THEM.
UM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOAM AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR PEOPLE AT HOME THAT MIGHT NOT KNOW OXYGEN, HEAT AND FUEL ARE REFERRED TO AS A FIRE TRIANGLE.
AND IF YOU TAKE ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS AWAY, THAT'S WHAT STOPS THE FIRE.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A CLASS B FIRE, LIKE WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE JET FUEL STORAGE FACILITY, THE FOAM SMOTHERS THE FIRE IN ORDER TO PUT IT OUT IN A MUCH SAFER, QUICKER, AND MORE EFFICIENT MANNER.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFIED SO THAT PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT PROCESS WORKED, KNEW, UM, ALSO AS FAR AS THE FIRE SAFETY, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU DO AFD INSPECTIONS EVERY FOUR MONTHS, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
AND SINCE 1999, WHEN THESE STORAGE TANKS HAVE BEEN AT THE AIRPORT, HAD THERE EVER BEEN ANY ISSUES THERE SINCE 1999, THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, SOME SMALL FUEL SPILLS ALL LESS THAN 20 GALLONS.
AND THAT WAS THAT THAT'S AT THE CURRENT FACILITY.
SO OF THOSE EIGHT, UH, BASICALLY YOU TAKE KITTY LITTER OUT THERE, YOU PUT KITTY LITTER ON IT AND YOU CLEAN IT UP.
IT IS NOT WHAT WE CALL A MAJOR SPILL AT ALL.
AND IT'S ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S LIGHTENING PROTECTION IN PLACE AS WELL AT THE TANKS.
AND THE NEW TANKS ARE OVER-ENGINEERED AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE FOAM INSIDE THE TANKS TO PUT THE TANKS OUT BEFORE WE WOULD EVER SHOW UP.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT FOAM WOULD PUT OUT ANY FIRE, THOSE THINGS HAPPEN AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY
[01:25:01]
DESIGNED TO DEFLECT HEAT AS WELL.WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO OUR OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS, UH, COME TO MY MENTOREE.
WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WAS THERE A ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT STUDY DONE? SO, UM, AND WE WENT BACK TO ASK THE DFA SPECIFICALLY FOR CLEARANCE, REMEMBER THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AS PART OF THE FFA.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY, UM, REFER TO JOHN FROM MCPHAIL AND FROM THE FAA, IF WE CAN BRING THEM ONLINE.
UH, CAN EVERYBODY SEE AND HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
JOHN MOVED BACK FAR LANE, I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST IN THE SOUTHWEST REGION OF THE F PHASE AIRPORTS DIVISION IN FORT WORTH.
UM, I, UM, WORKED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND, UH, ISSUED THE FONZI FINDING OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
UH, BASICALLY WE WORK UNDER, UM, NEPA OR AS KANE, MR. CARPENTER TALKED ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.
WE, UH, WORK UNDER THE, THE, THE FRAMEWORK OF NEPA AND WE HAVE NEPA IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES OR, UH, UH, POLICY.
AND SO UNDER, UM, 10 51 F, WHICH IS OUR, UM, AIRPORT OR TO OUR, OUR, UH, UH, FRAMEWORK THAT WE WORK UNDER FOR NEPA ARE ISSUING ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS, UH, DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
AND WHAT IS THE THRESHOLD TO DO, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANALYSIS? SO WHAT IT SAYS IS IF WE, IF, IF THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS BEGINNING, IF, IF, IF THE IMPACTS TO THOSE SAY, UH, I THINK WE HAVE 13, 11 TO 14 RESOURCE CATEGORIES.
IF, IF THOSE IMPACTS DO NOT REACH A THRESHOLD OF SIGNIFICANCE, UH, WHICH WE HAVE IN OUR GUIDANCE, THEN THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
SO THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, UH, TO A RESOURCE.
THAT MEANS THERE IS NO TH TH THAT THERE'S NO, UH, IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANALYSIS.
SO WHICH THE THRESHOLD WOULD BE A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT TO, UH, MINORITY AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.
SO IF THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACT, THEN THERE CANNOT BE ANY, UM, DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT TO THOSE, TO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO WITH THIS PROJECT COMMENSURATE, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UM, COMPLETELY CONTAINED ON AIRPORT.
UM, AS, AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, THERE WAS NO, UH, THE, THE AIR AIR EMISSIONS WERE, ARE WAY BELOW THE STANDARD OR THE TYRIA FROM TCQ.
UH, WE WEREN'T REQUIRED TO DO AN AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS BECAUSE, UM, AUSTIN IS IN ATTAINMENT OF ALL, ALL AIR QUALITY STAMP NERDS.
SO, UH, BECAUSE THE PROJECT WAS ENTIRELY CONTAINED ON THE AIRPORT AND THOSE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, THERE WAS NO, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANALYSIS.
SO I'M TRYING TO GET THIS STRAIGHT.
SO, BECAUSE OF ALL THAT CRITERIA THAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT, THAT JUST YOU CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY, IF THAT WAS WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
BECAUSE THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACTS.
THERE WERE NO IMPACTS THAT COULD DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.
AND SINCE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO JUST BACK OFF AND SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS THAT WOULD LIKE TO, TO ASK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, FLINT, US MEN POOL, AND TOVA THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO BE SUPER CLEAR HERE.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT THAT WAS CONDUCTED WAS CO WAS FOCUSED ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY IN AND OF ITSELF.
SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DID NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
RESIDENTIAL USES THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NEIGHBORS LIVING WITHIN 500 FEET.
SO THEY THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT ANALYSIS WAS NOT TRIGGERED BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WAS ONLY FOR AIRPORT PROPERTY.
AND THAT IS THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE IS THAT WE HAVE FAMILIES LIVING 500 FEET AWAY FROM THE PROPOSED FUEL SITE, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON, THE RESOLUTION THAT I'M BRINGING FORWARD CALLS FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT ANALYSIS TO BE CONDUCTED.
AND THIS IS AN AREA THAT, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT HAS CLASSIFIED AS A, AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND SO THAT ALSO BRINGS FORWARD
[01:30:01]
CERTAIN, UH, CLASSIFICATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS.AND SO IF I'M WRONG IN THAT, FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME, BUT THAT IS THE DISTINCTION IN THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT ANALYSIS BECAUSE THE EAC THAT THERE'S NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY ASSESSING PROPERTY WITHIN THE AIRPORT AND NOT A PROPERTY RESIDENCES OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT.
MR. JEFF, DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT? I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S FOR MR. MCFARLANE.
UM, WELL, SOME OF THE MEDIA THAT ARE EVALUATED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AIR QUALITY IMPACTS THE FLOODPLAINS WATER QUALITY WATER RESOURCES.
THOSE ARE, THOSE CAN LEAVE THE AIRPORT.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH THOSE MEDIA CAN LEAVE THE AIRPORT, WE DID FIND THAT THERE'S NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT EXCEEDS THE THRESHOLDS ESTABLISHED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE, MEANING AIR QUALITY THERE'S, WE DON'T HAVE OFFSITE IMPACTS, UM, THAT WOULD EXCEED PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS, UM, ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT AS JOHN JUST STATED, UM, OUR COMMUNITY HAS GOOD AIR QUALITY, SO WE'RE NOT IMPACTING THE LOCAL AIR QUALITY, UM, IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY.
UM, THAT WOULD CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT WOULD THEN POSSIBLY TRIGGER, UM, ANOTHER STUDY AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EVALUATION.
SO, SO I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE WANT TO ADD IS, UM, THE STATEMENT OF THAT THE IMPACTS WERE DONE AT THE AIRPORT ONLY IT'S IT'S YOU DOING AIR QUALITY IMPACT, YOU'RE DOING STORMWATER IMPACT WHAT LAND IMPACT, WHICH IS THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE PROJECT SITE, NOT SPECIFICALLY TO THE GATES OR THE TUNNEL OR THE BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL.
SO IT LOOKED AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IS EXACTLY DID THAT, IS IT LOOKED AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, THE AIR TO WATER AND TO WETLAND, UM, AROUND THE SITE SPECIFICALLY, IT FOUND THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
THEREFORE, I DID NOT NEED TO GO FURTHER TO LOOK AT, REGARDLESS OF WHO LIVES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, 180 3, IF THERE WOULD BE ANY, BECAUSE IT DID FIND THAT THERE WAS NO IMPACTS TO ANY OF IT AROUND THE SITE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, COUNCILMEMBER TOVA AND THEN I MAY JUMP IN HERE.
THAT WAS THE PIECE THAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE.
THE REASON WHY THEY'RE THE CONVERSATION OR THE, OR THE DISCUSSION OR THE DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED, THE WAY IT WAS IS BECAUSE IT WAS A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACTS, WHATEVER THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA WHERE BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SINCE IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO WE DIDN'T, SO THERE WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND IT WAS DEEMED TO BE OF NO IMPACT TO SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, CORRECT.
SPECIFICALLY TO THE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY TO THE SITE FULL STOP.
DO YOU HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR THEM OR MAY OR OTHER WAS YOUR QUESTION ALSO FOR THAT ON THIS? OKAY, GO AHEAD.
THE CHANCE TO GIVE SOME COMMENTS WHAT IS APPROPRIATE? YEAH, I HAVE, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK ONE RIGHT NOW FOR OUR, UH, GUEST ONLINE.
CAN YOU HELP ME? AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU SAID THIS EARLIER.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHEN NEPA WAS LAST UPDATED AND IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGES DURING THE LAST TWO, THE, TO THE NEPA REGULATIONS DURING THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION.
SO THE CEQ OR THE COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY GUIDELINES, DEEPA REGULATIONS WERE UPDATED, UM, OR AMENDED, UH, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO DURING THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THOSE, A LOT OF THOSE, UH, MID-MAY THAT'S WERE RELATED TO REPORTING AND, AND, UH, GUIDELINES AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, RECORDING TO A FEDERAL PERMITTING DASHBOARD.
AND, UM, IT ACTUALLY REMOVED THE ACTUAL REMOVE, THE, UM, REQUIREMENT FOR ANALYZING CUMULATIVE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS.
HOWEVER, I THINK, UH, THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE, UH, REGULATIONS WOULD BE, UH, AMENDED AGAIN, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO, SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY DURING THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION, SOME OF THOSE REGULATIONS WERE ACTUALLY, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT PHRASE WOULD BE WERE ROLLED BACK IN THAT, IN THAT SOME OF THE PROTECTIONS THAT EXIST FOR COMMUNITIES AROUND AIRPORTS, UM, WERE MADE LESS, IT SOUNDS AS IF THE REGULATIONS BECAME LESS STRINGENT DURING THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION.
[01:35:03]
I THINK THAT'S A FAIR, FAIR AND ACCURATE STATEMENT.UM, AND YOU GAVE ONE EXAMPLE, ARE THERE OTHER, SO ONE WAS ONE EXAMPLE OF, OF HOW THOSE PROTECTIONS WERE ROLLED BACK IS CUMULATIVE IMPACT.
WERE THERE OTHER CHANGES THAT, THAT RESULTED IN A LESS PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR, FOR NEIGHBORS OF AIRPORTS? UH, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT DID.
UM, IT DID REQUIRE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS TO BE COMPLETED WITH, UH, WITHIN ONE YEAR AND SET PAGE LIMITS FOR EAS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS ARE, UH, SO THERE'S CATEGORIES, CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS ARE THE, UH, IS THE, UH, DOCUMENT THAT WE WOULD DO FOR, UM, LESS IMPACTFUL PROJECTS, ENVIRONMENT.
EAS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IS KIND OF THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND THEN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS IS THE NEXT LEVEL OR THE MOST IMPACTFUL PROJECTS.
IT DID LIMIT PAGES AND TIME TO SET TIME LIMITS AS WELL, AS FAR AS HAVING THOSE, UM, ASSESSMENTS COMPLETE.
I'VE I HAVE, UM, OTHER THAN GRANTS, I'M NOT SURE THAT I'VE EVER SEEN A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY SET LIMITS ON A PAGE, A PAGE COUNT.
AND I GUESS I'M GLAD WE DON'T DO THAT FOR RESOLUTIONS BECAUSE I'VE SOMETIMES WOULD HAVE BLOWN RIGHT BY THOSE, UM, YOU INDICATED THAT, THAT YOU EXPECT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME CHANGES TO THE NEPA REGULATIONS SOON, SOME REVISIONS.
YES, I WOULD EXPECT THE, UH, THE DEEPER IMPLEMENTING
UM, THOSE, THOSE THINGS THAT WERE ROLLED BACK.
AND SO DO YOU BELIEVE THAT CUMULATIVE IMPACTS WILL BE ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT, UH, IS, UM, BEING TAKEN A LOOK AT, SORRY, VERY BAD GROUND.
I THINK CUMULATIVE IMPACTS HAVE BEEN IN THE ORIGINAL REGULATION, 66 SINCE 1969.
AND, UM, AND, AND EVALUATING THOSE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS, WHICH MEANS GOING OFF AIRPORT, UM, OR OFF PROJECT SITE, UM, FARTHER INTO, YOU KNOW, FAR, FURTHER AWAY.
SO, UM, SO YES, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THOSE WOULD COME BACK, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 19 69, 19 70 UNTIL, UNTIL ABOUT 2020.
THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, MR. MCFARLANE, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I READ THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND THERE, UM, IT SEEMED TO BE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS AND THERE WERE IMPACTS TO 180 3.
UM, BUT ALL THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THERE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE NO IMPACT.
UM, SO THE QUESTION FOR ME REALLY IS WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF HAVING, UM, THIS KIND OF FUEL FACILITY, UM, WITHIN THIS LEVEL OF PROXIMITY TO NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT JUST BROADLY SPEAKING, WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF, YOU KNOW, EXPLOSION? WHAT HAVE BEEN THE EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES ELSEWHERE? UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT KIND OF RISKS AND INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED ELSEWHERE? I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO PUT IN STATE OF THE ART, UM, CONTROLS, UM, AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE, UH, PERMITTING.
UM, BUT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE REAL QUESTION IS THIS FEAR OF WHAT MAY BE, AND ONE WAY TO UNDERSTAND HOW REAL THAT IS OR HOW JUSTIFY THAT IT IS, IS TO LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED ELSEWHERE.
CAN YOU PROVIDE US ANY, UH, PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, GIVEN THAT YOU COVER MORE THAN JUST AUSTIN? UH, WELL, I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE SAFETY AND, AND SAFETY RISKS OF, OF FUEL FARMS. I, MY, MY ANALYSIS OR THE NEPA NOW HOUSES REALLY ONLY EVALUATES THE IMPACTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT LIKE THE 13 OR 14 RESOURCE CATEGORIES HAS THERE, SOME MATERIALS IS ONE OF THE RESOURCE CATEGORIES, BUT IT REALLY PERTAINS TO THE HAZARDOUS WASTE THAT WILL BE GENERATED, UM, LIKE BY A LANDFILL OR, UM, BY CONSTRUCTION.
IT DOESN'T, UH, NEPA DOESN'T REALLY LOOK AT THE, UH, SAFETY RISKS PER SE.
I'LL HAVE TO DEFER, UH, THOUGH THOSE QUESTIONS TO, UH, BACK TO THE AIRPORT OR TO, UH, AFD.
CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT? UM, SO IF THE NEPA DOESN'T LOOK AT THE SAFETY HAZARD, WHICH ULTIMATELY HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, IF THEY'RE REAL, HOW DO WE ASSESS THAT? WELL, AS JOHN STATED, UM, YES, HE'S GOT A VERY SPECIFIC
[01:40:01]
FRAMEWORK THAT HE'S WORKING WITHIN.UM, BUT I'M GLAD YOU REVIEWED THE, THE EA THAT WAS CREATED FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND I THINK HOW MOST OF YOUR QUESTION COULD BE ANSWERED IS ON, ON PAGE SIX, IT LISTS ALL THE PERMITS AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, UM, REQUIRED TO OPERATE AND CONSTRUCT THIS FACILITY.
SO THAT'S REALLY, UM, YOU HEARD FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'VE GONE OVER, I DIDN'T, I WENT OVER ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED, BUT CLEARLY, UM, BETWEEN THE BUILDING PERMITS AND THE SITE PERMIT, UM, THIS FACILITY IS HEAVILY REGULATED, UM, AND THERE'S ALMOST TWO PAGES OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO MITIGATE THE RISK THAT YOU'RE WITH.
ARE YOU AWARE OF OTHER JET FUEL FACILITIES THAT HAVE HAD, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'D BE SPILLS OR EXPLOSIONS OR WHATNOT LAST 20? I MEAN, THERE WAS, I MEAN, CLEARLY YOU CAN GO ON YOUTUBE OR R AND SEE THAT THERE WERE SOME FACILITIES IN THE EAST THAT HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST.
AND, UM, OUR UNDERSTANDING FROM THE VERY EXPERIENCED DESIGN TEAM THAT IS PUTTING THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER IN THIS PROJECT TOGETHER IS THAT THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN MITIGATED IN THIS PROJECT.
THE SYSTEM ADDITIONAL CONTROLS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'VE GOOGLED, UM, YOU KNOW, TANK FARMS ON FIRE OR SOMETHING, UM, THAT THIS PROJECT IS CAPTURING, THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN A, IT'S A BIG ISSUE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS PRESENT TOUGH ISSUES.
I JUST WANT TO START OFF, I THINK, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND FOR BRINGING THIS QUESTION TO THE COUNCIL FOR HER, UH, UH, ADVOCACY FOR HER CONSTITUENTS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TEN ONE COUNCIL AND THE, THE OLD COUNCILS, UH, LOOKING AT THIS, UH, AND, AND, UH, EAST AUSTIN FUEL TANK FARM, UH, IS THAT, UH, VOICES ARE BEING HEARD IN WAYS THAT I DON'T THINK VOICES WERE HEARD BEFORE AS READILY.
AND I REMEMBER, UH, GOING THROUGH THAT PERIOD OF TIME, AND I, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT AND, AND, AND SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE IMITATION AND THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, A FEW WEEKS BACK WITH ONE OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, THAT WAS HELD.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, THAT THE ANXIETY AND REAL FEAR THAT YOU COULD, UH, FEEL AMONG THE FOLKS AT THAT COMMUNITY MEETING THAT HAD LIVED THROUGH THE EAST AUSTIN TANK FARM PERIOD, UH, WAS STILL REAL, UH, PALPABLE.
AND I REMEMBER THOSE TIMES AND THE HARM THAT WAS BEING DONE, UH, AND, UH, A SYSTEM AND INSTITUTIONS THAT TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO RECOGNIZE THE LEGITIMACY OF THE, UH, THE COMPLAINTS FROM THE NEIGHBORS, UH, THE REAL, UH, HARM THAT WAS BEING DONE, UH, AND THE, UH, THE EQUITY, INJUSTICE, UH, VIOLATIONS, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT, UH, A SAFE CONDITION, UH, ALSO WANT TO, TO, TO RECOGNIZE, UH, JACQUELINE, THE AFT AND THE AVIATION FOLKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN A MOMENT I'LL TALK ABOUT THE FUEL ISSUE, UH, BUT, UH, SEPARATE FROM THAT, UM, HUGE PRIDE IN OUR CITY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO OUR AIRPORT, UH, AND HOW THAT'S MANAGED AND OPERATED, HOW IT FEELS LIKE, UH, AUSTIN, UM, UH, STAFF COMPONENT THAT IS DEALING WITH TREMENDOUS GROWTH.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO GET BACK TO PRE PANDEMIC PLACES.
AND WE'RE WHAT 50% EXCEEDING PRE PANDEMIC PLACES, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND YOU'RE AT THE SAME TIME DOING THIS HUGE, UH, PROJECT, WHICH IS SO LARGE BECAUSE THE NEED IS SO IS SO GREAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE TIME WHEN, WHEN WE SOMEWHAT HAVE US NOT BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE HOPE THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T COME TO AUSTIN, UH, WAS DEMONSTRATED TO BE A, UH, UH, A FAILED POLICY,
[01:45:01]
UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE DO COME AND YOU JUST GET STRESSED AND ARE UNABLE TO, TO PROVIDE A QUALITY, UH, FOR THE LIFE FOR THE, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO JUST REALLY QUICK, AND I RECOGNIZE, UH, THE RECENT CHALLENGES WITH THE LINES.
UH, AND AS A COUNTERPOINT, THIS POINTED OUT THAT'S UNRELATED TO TODAY'S FUEL CONVERSATION.
UH, BUT THE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO TSA AND STAFFING ISSUES, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY THE DRIVING FORCE OF THIS, UH, WE NEED THE PERSONNEL, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, RECOGNIZED PRIOR TO THE MOST RECENT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UH, WE REALLY DO NEED FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IN THAT WE NEED HELP FROM OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION, UH, TO REALLY HELP US AND HELP THIS COMMUNITY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STAFFED, UH, UH, APPROPRIATELY.
SO ALL THAT BACKGROUND SAID FOR ME, THIS ISSUE, UH, RAISES TWO QUESTIONS.
AND THE FIRST ONE, AND THAT, TO ME, THE THRESHOLD QUESTION IS THE QUESTION OF SAFETY.
I MEAN, IS THIS SAFE, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING NEARBY, EVEN IF IT IS SAFE, I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE EXISTING PERCEPTION AND ANXIETY ABOUT SAFETY IN PART BORN OF A VERY REAL EXPERIENCE THAT OCCURRED OVER IN EAST AUSTIN.
BUT I THINK THAT THE INDICATED ACTION FOR US IS DIFFERENT, UH, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT IT'S UNSAFE, OR IF THERE'S A PERCEPTION, UH, OF, OF, OF IMPACT AT SAFETY.
SAY IF IT'S UNSAFE, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE THE LOCATION WHERE WE NEED TO BUY OUT PEOPLE THAT ARE, WOULD OTHERWISE BE IN AN UNSAFE LICE.
UH, I WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE MATERIALS THAT, THAT WERE, THAT ARE PRESENTED AS I GO THROUGH THEM.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT I'VE HEARD AT THIS POINT, THAT COMPELLING CASE THAT THIS FUEL SYSTEM IS PROPOSED IS NOT SAFE, UH, IF IT IS SAFE, UH, AND WE'RE DEALING WITH A PERCEPTION ISSUE, UH, THEN MOVING THE LOCATION AND INCURRING THE, UM, THE ASSOCIATED DELAYS AND IMPACT ON SERVICE.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE AN OUT-SIZED REMEDY, UM, IF IT'S SAFE, BUT THE PERCEPTION EXISTS.
I THINK WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER A VOLUNTARY BUYOUT PROGRAM, UM, THAT IS NOT BEFORE US RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE A LOOK AT.
I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD WANT TO BE BOUGHT OUT THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DISTANCE AWAY IS THAT YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A VERY REAL PERCEPTION ISSUE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WITHIN 500 FEET OR PEOPLE WITHIN 700 FEET OR A THOUSAND FEET, OR WHETHER YOU GO PAST A THOUSAND FEET, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU'RE DEALING WITH A, WITH A PERCEPTION ISSUE.
AND THEN I ALSO RECOGNIZE IS THAT AS WE EXPAND THIS AIRPORT AND THE RUNWAYS EXPAND, I REALLY THINK THAT THE PARK ONE 50 IS GOING TO RESULT IN, UH, THE, THE NEED TO OFFER, UH, BUYOUTS AND, AND FINDING PEOPLE COMPARABLE HOUSING REGARDLESS OF COST, UH, IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT ARISES.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, AT WHAT POINT WE BEGIN TO HAVE A FEEL, YOU SAID THAT THE STUDY TAKES, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF THREE YEARS TO ACTUALLY WORK ITS WAY WHERE THE FAA ACTUALLY REIMBURSES, BUT WE OUGHT TO HAVE A FEEL BEFORE THAT TIME AS TO, UH, WHAT WE THINK IS THE IMPACTED, UH, UH, FOLKS.
BUT I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UH, AS, AS, AS AN OPTION.
THE SECOND REAL BIG ISSUE, I THINK IS THAT THE PROCESS QUESTION, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.
UH, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS EXPANSION OF THE AIRPORT, IT'S A HUGE PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE A $4 BILLION PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGING IN IMPROVING AND RIGHT-SIZING MOBILITY TO THE CITY IT'S HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE DOING A BIG INVESTMENT IN, IN PROJECT CONNECT AND ON 9 35.
SO WE REALLY ARE DOING THE REAL BIG INVESTMENTS IN MOBILITY.
THIS IS A BIG PROJECT, UH, AND, AND WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AS WE WORK THROUGH THE $4 BILLION PROJECT THAT THIS IS A, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING NOT JUST THE ENGINEERING QUESTIONS, BUT ALSO THE REAL PEOPLE, QUESTIONS, POLITICAL QUESTIONS, THE PERCEPTION ISSUES, UH, THEN WE NEED TO STAFF, UH, THE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HANDLING
[01:50:01]
THIS WITH, UH, WITH A REAL EYE TO RECOGNIZING THAT, UH, THIS IS AN EARLY INDICATION AND A LONG PROCESS, AND WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.WE HAVE TO AFFIRMATIVELY SEEK OUT PEOPLE THAT, UH, WOULD RAISE CONCERNS OR OBJECTIONS SO THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH THEM.
UH, WE CAN'T GO THROUGH A PROCESS HOPING THAT THAT, THAT, THAT THE QUESTIONS DON'T GET RAISED, WE SHOULD BE RAISING THOSE QUESTIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED, UH, EARLIER IN, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
UH, AND I AM ENCOURAGED THAT, UH, IT APPEARS AS IF THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT IS IN FACT, MOVING IN THAT, IN THAT DIRECTION, UH, TO STAFF THAT APPROPRIATELY.
I HAVE A, I WAS ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT JOHN WAS THERE.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, ADD ON WHAT THE MAYOR WAS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RICH LAND, THAT WAS A STATE THAT WAS TO THE NORTH YEARS AGO, AND ABOUT 1999 DURING THE BUY-OUT, UH, EVEN THOUGH THE FFA FAA SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BUY OUT THE PEOPLE THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE ZONE, THEY STILL SUFFERED A LOT.
I KNOW THE CITY WAS, AT THAT TIME, CAME UP WITH SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH $6 MILLION TO OFFER BUYOUT, WHICH I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T THINK IT EVER HAPPENED, BUT THEY WORKED AT DISCUSSION THAT WAS GOING ON A YEAR AS THE EXPANSION.
THAT THE WAY I ANNOUNCED IT, THERE IT'S A LOT OF CONCERNED PEOPLE IN THAT AREA RIGHT NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED THAT WITH ALL THAT ADDED NOISE, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE FIRST MOVED OUT THERE, WE WERE NOT OPERATING, UH, AIRLINE AIRPLANES THAT LATE AT NIGHT, NOW IT STARTS SOMEWHERE AROUND FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND GOES ALL THE WAY TO ABOUT ONE OR TWO O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPACTING A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE STILL LIVING THERE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UH, AND THEY WERE REALLY HAVING A LOT OF ANXIETY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEW RUNWAY THAT Y'ALL ARE ADDING ON.
AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT YOU Y'ALL NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE OUT THERE AND GIVE THEM SOME HONEST ANSWERS.
IT DON'T GO SEND TO CONSULTANTS OR WHOEVER YOU'RE HIRED TO GOT GO OUT THERE AND DISCUSS THAT KATE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS, AND THAT, THAT CREATES A LOT OF FRUSTRATION AND ANXIETY BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE NOT BEING TO THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT CREATES A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE FACING.
SO WHEN YOU DO, PLEASE GET PROFESSIONALS THAT KNOW, AND NOT JUST SOME TEAM THAT'S OUT THERE, THAT'S GOING TO JUST SAY, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU AND NEVER COME BACK.
SO I REALLY JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO THAT, OR NO, ON THE EXPANSION PROCESS WEEK, UH, TO THE HOA AT RICHLAND STATES FOR THE EXPANSION PROGRAM.
AND WE, UM, AND THEY HAD GOOD QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO, FIRST OF ALL, ASK, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE CLERK AND OUR STAFF TOGETHER.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE ADD SOME OF THE MATERIALS UP IN SHARED WITH US TO THE BACKUPS, SO THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THEM.
I KNOW WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, WE HAVE THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN.
UM, I THINK THERE WERE VARIOUS COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS THAT WERE SHARED, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY DURING THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, OR SOMEHOW MAKE IT EASY FOR FOLKS TO FIND THAT LINK UNDER THIS ITEM, AS WELL AS TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
I THINK THAT TRANSPARENCY, UM, WOULD BE HELPFUL AND WELCOME, AND A QUESTION.
SO IN THE MASTER PLAN, UM, IT INDICATES, UM, THAT THERE'S SORT OF THE, THE, THE, THE SECOND FUEL FARM WOULDN'T REALLY GO INTO MOTION TILL 20 YEARS, BUT THEN IT ALSO SAYS, WELL, WE HAVE TO DO THE DESIGN AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST TIMING.
UM, SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? AND CAUSE I, I, ON ONE HAND, THE MASTER PLAN SEEMS TO SUGGEST THAT IS 20 YEARS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I'M HEARING WE NEEDED THIS YESTERDAY.
SO KARA HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THAT THE MASTER PLAN, WHEN IT GETS, WHEN IT WAS PUT TOGETHER, THE FORECAST BY THE FAA PROCESS LOOKS AT THE AVERAGE, WHICH IS THE 4%.
SO LOOKING AT A 4% INCREASE ANNUALLY FOR THE AIRPORT, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, HOW MANY PASSENGERS, WHICH IS THE 30 MILLION BY 2040.
HOWEVER, THE REALITY IS THAT AUSTIN AIRPORT TODAY, WE ARE LOOKING AT 8% INCREASE.
SO ALMOST BASICALLY DOUBLING WHAT THE FORECAST OF A STANDARD AVERAGE IS THAT INCREASE.
SO THAT 8% EXPEDITED THE NEED TO ACTUALLY START BUILDING AND DESIGNING SOME OF THESE FACILITIES
[01:55:01]
IN THE MASTER PLAN, MUCH SOONER, OTHERWISE WE WOULD RUN OUT OF CAPACITY.AND IS THAT TRUE OF ALL OF THE PIECES OF THE MASTER PLAN? ABSOLUTELY.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, WE'RE ABOUT SIX YEARS BEHIND AND BUILDING SOME OF THESE FACILITIES TODAY, HOWEVER, WE ARE LOOKING AT SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM GOALS TO MATCH THE CAPACITY NEEDS AND THE DEMAND THAT WE'RE GETTING SUCH AS OPTIMIZING THE BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL, ADDING, UM, GATES, LOOKING AT BUSING ABILITIES.
UM, WE'RE DOING A BAGGAGE CLAIM TODAY, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE BOTTLENECK OF WHERE IT IS AND THE PRIORITY OF THOSE PROJECTS IS WHAT INITIATES THE TIMELINE.
SO RIGHT NOW THE BAGGAGE HANDLING PROJECT IS ONE OF THE, IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITY.
UM, AS A PROJECT THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, FIRSTLY EXAMPLE, THE UTILITY PLANT WOULD BE FURTHER DOWN IN A SCHEDULE BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS FACILITY WOULD BE RUN BY THE AIRLINES THROUGH A CONSORTIUM THAT THEY HAVE CALLED US FUEL OR U S FUEL, NOT SURE HOW THEY APPROACH THAT.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT WORKS? BECAUSE THERE IS NO CIP PROJECT THAT WE HAVE TO REVIEW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BUILDING IT.
WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR THE BUILDING IT'S ON OUR LAND.
CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW THIS OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE WORKS? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, UH, AND I HAVE ALSO SOME OF THE AIRLINE REPRESENTATIVES OF HERE IN THE ROOM, TOO, THAT THAT'S EXACTLY HOW THE FACILITY IS AT ALL.
THE AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY IS RUN BY A CONSORTIUM OR AIRLINE SPECIFIC PRIVATE TENANTS BECAUSE THE, THE INTEGRITY AND THE SAFETY, AND ALSO THE, THE FUEL IS GOING INTO THE AIRCRAFT ITSELF.
SO THAT IS AN OPERATION THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS VERY SIMILAR TO AUSTIN.
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE DOING IT THAT WAY.
AND BECAUSE IT IS A TENANT OR A THIRD PARTY, WE, IT'S NOT A CIP PROJECT THAT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, SO WE'RE BASICALLY LEASING THEM.
THE LAND IS THAT THERE ARE TENANT IN THAT SENSE, SO THEY'RE REBUILDING IT AND THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE SAFETY, ET CETERA.
AND WE TAKE CARE OF MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE PERMIT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AIRPORT ITSELF IS OVERSEEING TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES AND GETTING ALL THE PERMITS.
THE AIRPORT IS, IS TO CONSIDER STILL THE LANDLORD THROUGH THE LEAST THEY HAVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLIANCE, OR WE HAVE THE REQUIREMENT AND OBLIGATION FOR THE OVERSIGHT OF THEIR PERFORMANCE.
AND SO WE ARE ABLE, WE ARE ABLE TO PUT THIS ON HOLD BECAUSE WE HAVE TO AGREE TO THE LEASE.
SO RIGHT NOW THE PROJECT WAS READY TO, TO IMPLEMENT NOTICE, TO PROCEED BY MARCH.
AND RIGHT NOW IT IS ON HOLD, UM, AS OF, UH, UH, REQUEST.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL NEED FOR OUR BUYOUTS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE AIRPORT CAN'T DO IT AT THIS CURRENT TIME FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, UM, BECAUSE, UM, WE CAN'T BE REIMBURSED BY THE FAA, UM, GIVEN THE SCOPE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT WAS FOUND TO BE NON-SIGNIFICANT FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN BROACHED THAT THE CITY MIGHT PAY FOR IT.
I HAVE A LOT OF RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE CITY PAYING FOR BUYOUTS, UM, FOR THE AIRLINES, CAN THE AIRLINES PAY FOR THE BUYOUTS SOONER THAN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT FROM? UM, SO IN, IN A CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AIRLINES ARE OPPOSING THAT OPTION HEAVILY A ONE, BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE PROJECT THAT WOULD VALIDATE THAT FOR THEM TO DO SO.
AND ALSO IT'S, UM, THEY'RE LARGE CARRIERS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO OPERATE IN A LOT OF AIRPORTS AND THAT SETS A PRECEDENT THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY DOES NOT WORK FOR, UM, THE AVIATION INDUSTRY THAT WAY.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT JUSTIFIES IT FOR THEM.
UM, I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU, MISSY AFT, AND I THINK WITH MS. VAN DONKA, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE OUR AIRLINES WHO ARE COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY TO BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS MAY NOT BE THE EXAMPLE THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE INVESTMENT FOR YOU TO MAKE.
I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE PRECEDENT, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS WHO ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND WHO ARE DOING BUSINESS HERE.
AND WE INVITE YOU TO BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITY GREAT.
SO I DID WANT TO, TO ADD THAT AND, AND I THINK THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE EXPLORING FURTHER.
I'M NOT SURE HOW I CAN MAKE IT GERMANE TO THE, THE RESOLUTION, BUT I WILL, WE'LL MAKE THAT COMMENT WHILE YOU'RE, WHILE YOU'RE HERE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SORT OF THIS QUESTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
UM, IT BASICALLY SAYS, THIS IS THE ALTERNATIVE, AND THEN NOT DOING ANYTHING AT ALL IS THE OPPOSITE ALTERNATIVE.
UM, BUT THERE ARE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE EXPRESSED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE LOOKED AT, I THINK, 12 LOCATIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT ARRIVED AT THE SINGLE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSED OPTION, UH,
[02:00:01]
BEYOND THE NO BUILD AND WHAT WERE THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, UM, THAT WERE CONSIDERED, OR WAS THIS REALLY JUST THE ONLY PLACE? SORRY, AGAIN, I WASN'T HERE DURING THE MASTERPLAN DISCUSSION OF RECOGNIZING WHERE THE BEST SITE TO, TO, UM, RECOMMEND ON THE MASTER PLAN, AS YOU SEE IT IN THE MAPS.HOWEVER, UM, PART OF THE MASTER PLAN IN AS A GENERAL DISCUSSION IS LOOKING AT THE, THE ASSETS OR THE FACILITY OR THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE BUILT IN THE AIRPORT AND CREATING THAT ROADMAP OF WHERE IT NEEDS TO SIT THE CONNECTIVITY TO, UM, AIRLINES OR GATES, UH, THE PURPOSE OF THE USE, THE IMPACTS ENVIRONMENTALLY, EITHER THE NOISE OR JEDI BURNING, UM, ALSO THE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE ROADWAY OR TO THE AIR FIELD.
SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY IN THE ADP DOES NOT NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE BY ROADWAYS OR SOME DOES NOT NEED TO BE SPECIFICALLY CLOSER TO THE GATES.
THAT'S THE CRITERIA OF THE NEED, THE BEST FIT, THE IMPACTS.
THAT'S WHAT GOES INTO THAT CRITERIA, DECIDING WHERE IS, UM, AND HOW EVERY PIECE OF LAND ON OUR FOOTPRINT INSIDE THE FENCES USED OR PLANNED.
AND, AND I'VE HEARD THAT, UM, APPROACH THAT, THAT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, EVERY INCH NEEDS TO BE USED.
I SPENT HOURS WITH MR. SMITH, UM, GOING THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN WITH GIANT MAPS AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF BEFORE WE VOTED.
AND, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS A GIANT PUZZLE TO GET ALL OF THE PIECES AND THEY EACH HAVE THEIR REQUIREMENTS FROM THE FAA.
UM, AND SO IT'S NOT PIECES ARE NOT INTERTWINABLE AND THERE'S LOTS, THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF LOGISTICS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO PRETEND THAT I'M AN EXPERT ON, UM, WHAT I'M REALLY, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY WE DIDN'T PUT IT THERE.
WHAT WOULD WE PUT IN THAT SPOT THAT WOULD BE LESS IMPACTFUL THAN THE FUEL FACILITY OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE BASICALLY SAID WE HAVE TO USE EVERY INCH OF THIS SPACE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST, CAN WE FIND ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE ON THE AIRPORT? WE'D HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING THERE OR YOU HAVE TO SERIOUSLY CUT BACK SOME ASPECT OF, OF THE EXPANSION PLAN AS I'M UNDERSTANDING IT.
GIVEN HOW MUCH IS FILLED WITH THIS STUFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU MOVE THE RUNWAY CLOSER, THAT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU CAN'T MOVE THE TERMINAL BECAUSE YOU GOT A RUNWAY IN THE WAY.
YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE ONE TERMINAL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOT BE CONNECTED.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, ARE THERE, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE OTHER THINGS WOULD BE JUST AS IMPACTFUL AS THIS, IF YOU MOVE THEM OVER THERE.
IT'S EITHER JUST AS IMPACTFUL, IF NOT MORE.
UM, AGAIN, INSIDE THE AIRPORT, WE'RE LIMITED TO THE FACILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED AS EITHER AIR CARGO, GENERAL AVIATION, UM, UH, GATES, UH, OR TERMINAL, UM, AND SO FORTH, UM, BAGGAGE HANDLING PROCESS, WHICH AGAIN HAS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE TERMINAL.
SO WE REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A DESIGN OF AIRPORT, YOU START WITH, WITH THE TERMINAL AND THE GATES WOULD BE, WHERE WOULD THEY BE? THE MAIN TERMINAL WOULD, WHICH IS A PASSENGER PROCESSING, UM, SCREENING, BAGGAGE HANDLING TICKETING, AND THEN THE SUPPORT FACILITIES WOULD GO THERE.
WE'RE ALSO LIMITED TO WHERE THE RUNWAYS AND THE RUNWAY PROTECTION ZONE AND HOW, AND WHAT CAN WE PUT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THE NAVAIDS OR THE EQUIPMENT FOR, FOR THE KNOTS, FOR THE RUNWAY, THAT IS ONLY THE FEW THINGS THAT CAN BE AROUND IN THE AIR, IN THE RUNWAY, UH, THE RUNWAY PROTECTION FOR APPROACH IN AN, UH, UH, APPROACH ZONE.
AGAIN, THAT HAS TO BE PROTECTED.
THERE'S VERY LIMITED OPTIONS OF WHAT WE CAN PUT ACCORDING TO HEIGHT, ACCORDING TO USE.
AND WHAT WOULD THAT FACILITY IS.
SO IT REALLY IS A VERY, UM, INTELLIGENT PROCESS.
IT'S NOT JUST KIND OF A DRAWING FROM, FROM SOMEBODY THAT THINKS, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT.
SO ANY AIRPORT WITH THEIR PLANNING TEAM, THEIR CONSULTANTS, AND EVEN THEIR PRO DIRECTOR, CAN'T JUST DECIDE WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT THINGS.
IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THIS INTELLIGENT PROCESS OF THE BEST USE FOR THAT FACILITY AND THE LOCATION.
AND THEN IF YOU ARE PUTTING THE NEW RUNWAY, WHICH IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING THE TRANSFER PIPING UNDER THE NEW RUNWAY, I BELIEVE IF I HAVE, I'VE GOT TOO MANY, TOO MANY MAPS HERE I MAY HAVE WITH THE WRONG ONE, BUT, UM, SO IF IT'S GOING UNDER THE NEW RUNWAY, THAT RUNWAY IS GOING TO IMPACT THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THEN THAT IS AGAIN, PART OF THAT ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
SO THERE WOULD BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WHEN THAT RUNWAY HAPPENS.
UM, AND IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE MAYOR WAS SAYING, IT'S LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE SOME KIND OF NOISE CORRIDOR OR, OR SOMETHING THERE WHERE THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUYOUTS FOR SOME
[02:05:01]
THAT WOULD INVOLVE, UM, BUYING OUT THEIR PROPERTY AND HELPING THEM TO HAVE FINANCE THE RELOCATION.SO IT'S MORE THAN JUST A NORMAL BUYOUT, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THE, THE BUYOUT FOR NOISE SPECIFICALLY IS TIED TO THE FAA.
ONE PART, ONE 50 STUDY, AND THAT STUDY DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT.
SO WE'RE COMING INTO THE NUMBER OF OPERATIONS, THE APPROACH AND THE NOISE CONTOUR, THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AND THE SIZE THAT ALL IMPACTS THAT NOISE CONTOUR.
AND THAT, THAT DRIVES THE ONE 50 STUDY, IF NEED TO, AGAIN, UPDATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REALIZES THAT THAT'S, THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WE ARE GOING THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE ADP, UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WHEN TO INITIATE.
AND THAT PROCESS IS IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, EVERY PROJECT HAS ITS OWN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
THE RESULTS WOULD LOOK AT, BUT IT ALSO LOOKS AT COLLECTIVELY WHAT ALL ARE THE IMPACTS OF THE AIRPORT.
AND WHAT WOULD BE THE TIMING FOR THAT PROCESS ON THE NEW RUNWAY? UM, I MEAN, AGAIN, THE EA IS GOING ON TODAY.
UM, IF, IF AN FA AND JOHN IS ON THE PHONE AND HE CAN PROBABLY ANSWER THAT TO A ONE 50 STUDY, IF IT NEEDS TO GET INITIATED BY THE TIME THE STUDY IS INITIATED AND ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE RESULTS THAT'S, WE'RE LOOKING AT AT LEAST TWO TO THREE YEARS, AND JOHN CAN ADD TO THAT IF HE HAS ANYTHING AND THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE EXPANSION PROGRAM, THE NEPA PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH TAKES US TO ABOUT 20, 32, ACCORDING TO THE PR APPROVED AIRCRAFT FORECAST, OUR, OUR PASSENGER FORECAST FOR THE, FOR OUR AIRPORT.
SO, SO WE'RE KIND OF GOING ABOUT 2 20 32 DOES NOT INCLUDE THE RUNWAY THAT IS NOT INCLUDED, UM, THAT WILL MOST LIKELY BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, KIND OF WHAT PROJECT CONNECTS DOING THAT THAT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
AND SO, UM, IN THE FUTURE, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE WOULD GET THERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE MASTER PLAN IT'S AFTER 2040.
UM, COLLEAGUES, DO FOLKS HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS CONSTANTLY FAILING? ACTUALLY THIS QUESTION WOULD BE FROM MR. MCFARLANE, UH, JUST OFF OF, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHENS, COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO A POTENTIAL EXPEDITED APPROVAL PROCESS FOR RELOCATION OF, OR IN ADDITION TO THE, OF A TANK TO THE CURRENT LOCATION, IS THAT IT POSSIBLE AT ALL? UH, OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT I GUESS WOULD BE THE EXPECTED TIMELINE IF WE WERE JUST ADDING A TANK TO THE EXISTING, UH, LOCATION WHERE THE, THE CURRENT, UH, JET FUEL TANKS ARE.
SO THE NEPA PROCESS OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION BEFORE ADDING, YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT ADDING A TANK TO THE EXISTING FUEL FACILITY, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
SO THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY FALL UNDER A CAT X OR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION, UM, OR, OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, AIRPORT COULD ELECT TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, BUT BASED ON OUR ORDERS, UH, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, IT WOULD LIKELY COULD BE DONE UNDER A CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE CAT X.
AND THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, UH, A FOUR TO SIX MONTH PROCESS DEPENDING ON, ON THE SITUATION.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH DIRECT FROM A FOREIGN LAND, JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS FOR A DIRECTOR.
YOU HAVE TO END BEFORE THE QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WAS OUT THERE, MY STAFF AND I WERE OUT AT THE AIRPORT, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK.
AND I APPRECIATE THE HOSPITALITY OF INFORMATION AND THE FRANK DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD REGARDING THE ISSUE.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW THAT YOU WERE NOT THE DIRECTOR DURING THE WHOLE PROCESS AND YOU'RE INHERITING THESE DECISIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY MADE.
UH, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT THE, THE, THE MASTER PLAN AND THE PLAN THAT ARE REFERENCES AS WELL WITH THE JET FUEL, THE ALTERNATIVE SITE LOCATION, AND THE CRITERIA WAS PROXIMITY TO A RESIDENTIAL, UH, HOUSING.
UH, ONE OF THE CRITERIA, WAS IT CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE FUEL TANK LOCATING PROCESS? NO.
SO THE, AGAIN, IT LOOKS AT INSIDE OF THE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT OF HOW FAR A FUEL TANK NEEDS TO BE FROM RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, IF, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING REGULATED TODAY THAT SAY THE MINIMUM IS 500 FEET, THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN OUR CRITERIA, BUT THERE ISN'T.
SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, IT'S REALLY, IT LOOKS AGAIN AT WHERE THE LOCATION IS, WHAT IS THE NEED OF THE PROJECT? SO ONE OF THE FIRST NEEDS OF THE PROJECT IS THE CONNECTIVITY TO THE CURRENT SITE, WHICH HAS THAT TRANSFER LINE AGAIN.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE IMPACT THEY WOULD DO ON ALL THE OTHER FUTURE PROJECTS.
UM, LOOKING AT THE CURRENT, UM, FACILITY THAT WE HAVE AT THE AIRPORT TO PUT A TRANSFER LINE UNDER THE ROADWAYS OR THE TERMINAL ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT, AGAIN,
[02:10:01]
IS NOT FEASIBLE.SO THE FEASIBILITY OF THE LOCATION GOES THROUGH SEVERAL CRITERIA, UM, INCLUDING WHAT IS AROUND IT AND THE IMPACTS, BUT BECAUSE THERE IS NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT TO DISTANCE THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT WE LOOK AT.
SO JUST, YEAH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT WAS NOT RESIDENTIAL, UH, PROXIMITY TO THE FUEL TANK WAS NOT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ONE THAT EXISTS TODAY, SIR, BUT THE FAA DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
THERE IS NEW REQUIREMENT FROM BFA, UH, BUT THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE, UH, AS A CITY, AS, UH, AS A COMMUNITY CAN NOT LOOK AT THAT.
AND IN PART OF THE DISCUSSION, AGAIN, IF WE DO NOT PUT A FUEL STORAGE FACILITY AND WE WOULD PUT AN AIR CARGO OR A JEDI, WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT THAT HAS MORE IMPACT ON RESIDENTS.
AGAIN, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT OF HOW FAR A CARGO FACILITY NEEDS TO BE FROM RESIDENTS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHICH, WHICH FACILITY WOULD BE BEST FIT WITH LESSER IMPACT.
AND IS THERE ANY OTHER, UH, LOOKING JUST AROUND THE NATION, UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER AIRPORT THAT HAS A FUEL TANKS AS CLOSE TO A RESIDENTIAL HOMES AS AUSTIN AS IS PROPOSING? YES, THERE IS.
WHICH, UH, UH, WHICH AIRPORT I CAN'T CITE THEM ALL OFF OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UH, I KNOW FOR SURE DALLAS LOVE FIELD IS WITHIN 500 FEET AND, UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? OKAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUNDUS, YOU THINK YOU DIRECTORY, AFTON AND TEAM FOR MR. CARPENTER FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
I THINK WE, AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, IT WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT THIS PROPOSED SITE FOR THE EXPANDED JET FUEL FACILITY, UM, WAS APPROVED DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHICH ROLLED BACK OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.
UM, SO WHEN WE HAVE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS COME UP IT'S, AND THAT WE KNOW THAT, UM, RESIDENTS BEING WITHIN 500 FEET WERE NOT CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE SITE SELECTION CRITERIA.
THIS IS WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AS POLICY MAKERS.
AND I KNOW THAT WHAT WE HEARD TODAY WAS A PRETTY OUTSTANDING, UM, IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THIS WOULD HAVE, UM, TO YOUR AIRPORT, EXPANSION AND OPERATIONS.
UM, BUT EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT IS THE HUMAN IMPACT THAT THIS WOULD HAVE.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD CENTERED ON, UH, THE SAFETY, THE PROTOCOLS, UM, AND THE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
UM, TO ME, STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT, UM, WE HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE IN ZONING THAT WOULD PROHIBIT HAVING SUCH, UH, FUEL TANKS THAT CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL USES.
AND SO THERE'S STILL SOME GAPS.
AND, AND SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THIS RESOLUTION ITEM 43 WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY MY COMMUNITY WHO ARE PROTESTING THIS PROPOSED SITE.
I HEAR THEIR CONCERNS, I SHARE THEIR CONCERNS, AND I, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO OUR DELIBERATION ON THURSDAY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, RENTER.
AND JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION IS THE CITY DOES HAVE A POLICY ABOUT HAVING CHEMICALS NEAR RESIDENTIAL.
IT'S A THOUSAND FEET, YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT BUILD HOW THERE'S NEXT TO ANY KIND OF, UH, CHEMICAL FACILITY HERE IN AUSTIN WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET.
SO JUST, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A POLICY WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, CAN WE GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT IN A FOLLOW-UP ONE WAY OR THE OTHER? I'M JUST, I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED BY WHAT WE'VE HEARD.
SO, UM, IF WE COULD GET SOME CLARITY VACATION, WE'LL HAVE TO CONTACT OUR SISTER DEPARTMENT TO, TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I DON'T THINK WE WENT THROUGH FULL SITE PERMIT.
THERE ARE NO, NO VARIANCES WHERE ISSUE AND CHAIR THAT'S ABOUT PROBLEM TO THAT POINT.
UM, THE, EXACTLY WHAT IS INTENDED BY CHEMICAL.
AND DOES THAT INCLUDE GAS STATIONS CAR? UH, WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.
YEAH, WE'LL GET CLARIFICATION.
SO THERE AGAIN, CAUSE WE DID GET THE PERMIT FROM THE CITY, SO THANK YOU.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE EQUIVALENT, THERE IS A GAP THERE, A GAS STATIONS BETWEEN CLOSE TO RESIDENCES, UM, THAT ARE EXISTING RESIDENTS MUCH CLOSER THAN THOUSAND FEET.
SO I JUST, I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR US TO HAVE, HAVE THE FACTS ON THAT.
SO IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY.
CAN THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER QUINTUS, UM, FOR YOUR, UM, DILIGENT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
[02:15:01]
ALL RIGHT.SO WE HAVE, UM, DID YOU STILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT 43 IN ADDITION OR HAVE WE, AND ONE TAKEAWAY THAT I HOPE OUR AVIATION TEAM, UM, TAKES FROM THIS CONVERSATION IS JUST THAT THE NEED FOR ROBUST AND EARLY ENGAGEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AS WE UNDERGO THE EXPANSION PROGRAM.
AND I KNOW THAT OUR, OUR AVIATION TEAM UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR.
UM, AND ACMP AND DACA AND OUR CITY MANAGER ARE COMMITTED IN BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTS OUT IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED WORK TOGETHER, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
UM, IF YOU'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO OTHER THINGS, IT HAD LIKE A TEN SECOND STATEMENT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE ABOUT ONE OF THE ITEMS, BUT NOT, NOT A POLL ITEM.
IT'S A, IT'S ANOTHER ITEM I WANTED TO GIVE SOME NOTICE OF MY INTENTION TO POSTPONE IS NOW THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
SO, UM, THIS, SO COLLEAGUES, THIS, UH, COLLEAGUES, AND THIS IS FOR THE COLLEAGUES IN THE PUBLIC, THIS IS ITEM 51 THAT RELATES TO VMU TOO.
I JUST WANT TO, UH, GIVE EVERYONE NOTICE THAT I'VE REQUESTED.
AND THE STAFF HAS AGREED TO A POSTPONEMENT OF ITEM 51 TO THE APRIL 21ST, UM, COUNCIL MEETING, UH, THE ITEMS NOT ON CONSENT AGENDA.
AND SO THE POSTPONEMENT WILL ACTUALLY BE VOTED ON WHEN THE ITEM COMES UP ON THURSDAY.
AND I WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR, PORT, TIM.
I JUST WANTED TO USE THIS TIME TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC AND AWARENESS OF THE INTENT TO POSTPONE THE ITEMS. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THAT.
I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN AS A CO-SPONSOR ON YOUR ITEM ON, UH, I THINK IT'S ITEM 42, WHICH IS COMMERCIAL PARKLAND ORDINANCE CHANGE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
SO, UH, CLERK, IF YOU COULD PLEASE, UM, ADD COUNCIL MEMBER POOL AS A SPONSOR FOR ITEM 42 COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT ITEM 42 ALSO, AND WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A COACH.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, AND ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY CURRENT CO-SPONSORS COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, MAYOR ADLER, THIS IS ONE, UH, UH, UH, ADD TO A COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHENS, A DISCUSSION OF THE ITEM BEING POSTPONED, UH, FOR THURSDAY.
UH, FOR THAT REASON WE WON'T BE TAKING ANY TESTIMONY ON THE MERITS OF THAT ITEM.
UH, WE'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AT THE END OF APRIL.
UM, ANY OTHER ITEMS BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE STATESMAN POD? OKAY.
SO WHILE STAFF MOVE OVER, I THINK WE'LL TAKE A COUPLE MINUTE RECESS FOR A MINUTE.
I THINK PEOPLE PROBABLY, WHY DON'T WE TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND THEN WE'LL START BACK UP WITH THE STATESMAN PUDS.
SO, UM, PLEASE BE BACK IN, CAN I ITEM WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM 69 AS SOON AS WE GET BACK AND I MAY PER TIME, ALISON ALTER IT IS APRIL 5TH AND, UM, WE ARE JUST BACK FROM A FIVE MINUTE RECESS, UM, AND WE WILL RECONVENE THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL BEGINNING FROM THAT AND WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
69 AND WHEN I SEE WHAT TIME IT IS, RIGHT, MY COMPUTER WENT UP, BUT IT'S 1134.UH, STAFF HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, SO, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, I PULLED THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION TODAY AND REALLY, I DIDN'T INTEND TO HAVE A VERY LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
I JUST WANTED TO LAY OUT A FEW THINGS.
AND SO THE STAFF DID REACH OUT AND ASKED ME, UH, WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS I HAD.
AND I INDICATED THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A, I HAVE A RANGE OF QUESTIONS ON A RANGE OF ELEMENTS, BUT THAT WE DIDN'T NEED ALL THE STAFF FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THIS TO BE PRESENT TODAY.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, JERRY REST OF IN HERE AND HE CAN LIKELY ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS RAISED BY HIM BY THE COMMENTS I'M GOING TO MAKE.
UM, AND I MAY HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR HIM AS WELL.
SHOULD I LEAD INTO IT? WELL, THANKS VERY MUCH.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A COMPLICATED DISCUSSION.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON A LONG TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, PROCEEDING THROUGH DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BUT IT REALLY DATES
[02:20:01]
BACK.I WOULD SAY THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE, THE FUTURE OF OUR WATERFRONT, YOU KNOW, DATE BACK DECADES LONG BEFORE ANY OF US WERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE TOWN LAKE CORRIDOR STUDY.
AND SOME OF THE OTHER PLANNING THAT ENDED UP AND GOT MERGED INTO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE PROCEED WITH THIS LARGEST TRACT WITHIN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT OVERLAY, I THINK IS REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS MY STAFF AND I APPROACHED THIS, WE ARE LOOKING, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT BOTH AS A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT REALLY FULFILLS AND MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR ORDINANCE TO BE SUPERIOR TO WHAT WOULD BE, WHAT WOULD BE DEVELOPED UNDER CONVENTIONAL ZONING AS WELL AS TO SEE HOW CLOSELY IT COMPLIES WITH THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT OVERLAY.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LAY OUT FOR YOU ALL, A COUPLE OF THE AREAS THAT I'M LOOKING AT.
UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD, I KNOW WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE APPLICANT HERE TODAY.
I KNOW WE'RE SCHEDULED TO MEET TOMORROW.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE ITEMS WITH YOU.
I WOULD SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS COMPLICATED IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF US.
WHAT WE HAVE, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, PARKS, BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I AM PROCEEDING FROM, UM, PROCEEDING LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST MAKING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB LOOKING, TAKING A LOOK, VERY CAREFUL, LOOK AT THIS.
THEY EMBEDDED WITHIN THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, A LOT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS ALSO HAD SOME OF THE CONCERNS RAISED BY THE PARKS SPORT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS I APPROACHED THIS, I STARTED FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS AND WENT FROM THERE.
I WOULD ALSO JUST NOTE, AND I CAN MAYBE WRAP AROUND TO THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT IN LOOKING THROUGH THIS IS OUR FIRST, UH, LARGE PUD IN A LONG WHILE.
AND AS I LOOK AT THE POT ORDINANCE, I SEE SOME REAL NEED TO MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL REVISIONS TO IT.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT WE REQUIRE, SOME OF WHAT THE PUDDLE ORDINANCE EXPRESSES.
THANK YOU AS SUPERIOR ELEMENTS ARE NOW CURRENT CODE.
SO I THINK UNFORTUNATELY FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT SERVE ON THAT PROCESS, UM, HAVING BEEN A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO SERVED ON IT, IT WAS LENGTHY AND LONG AND WHATNOT.
THE LAST TIME WE REVISED THE PLOT ORDINANCE, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL WORK ON THAT.
AND I MAY ACTUALLY JUST BRING FORWARD SOME DIRECTION TO DO THAT THIS SUMMER.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THE PEDAL ORDINANCES IS IN NEED OF SOME REVISION, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I APPROACHED THIS, UM, I TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT THEIR EXISTING PUD ENTITLEMENTS WERE, WHAT THE ENTITLEMENTS WERE AS THEY WERE DESCRIBED IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN, WHICH DID GO THROUGH AND IDENTIFY ENTITLEMENTS FOR SUGGESTED ENTITLEMENTS FOR, UM, TRACT BY TRACT THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
THIS WAS WORK THAT WAS DONE IN CLOSE COORDINATION AND DONE BY TO SOME EXTENT ECO NORTHWEST UNDER OUR CONTRACT FOR WIKI, WITH E ECO NORTHWEST WHO HELPED THE CITY DEVELOP THE BALANCE OF ENTITLEMENTS AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND DETERMINE WHAT WAS APPROPRIATE.
AND THEN I LOOKED AT WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED.
AND SO I DEFINITELY SEE A NEED FOR, I THINK THERE ARE SOME TERRIFIC ELEMENTS IN HERE IN THIS PLAN, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING AND TRANSFORMATIONAL.
I THINK THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS GOTTEN IT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO WHERE THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE BEGINNING TO BE COMMENSURATE TO THE ENTITLEMENTS.
I SEE AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY AND A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT WITHIN A FEW DIFFERENT AREAS, PARKS AND TRAILS, POTENTIALLY ENVIRONMENTAL WITH REGARD TO THE USE OF RECLAIMED WATER, UM, AND REALLY CRITICALLY, AND I THINK MOST IMPORTANT AREAS OF A REAL NEED FOR, UM, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND JUST, UM, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THAT.
I'LL READ OUT SOME NUMBERS AND I'LL PROBABLY DISTRIBUTE THESE IN SOME FASHION ON, ON THURSDAY, BUT I, MY BASED ON MY OFFICE'S CALCULATIONS AND I, AND I AM AWAITING VERIFICATION FROM OUR STAFF ON THIS, THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN, I'LL READ THROUGH THEM.
AND THEN I'LL KIND OF TELL YOU WHAT THE UPSHOT IS.
THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN IDENTIFIED, UM, TARGETED SQUARE FOOTAGES FOR OFFICE RESIDENTIAL RETAIL AND HOTEL.
AND THOSE WERE ABOUT 812,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE 960,003,000 ISH SQUARE FEET, OR 962 UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL, 112,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL AND 254 SQUARE FEET THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF HOTEL.
AND THOSE, UM, THAT WORKED OUT TO ABOUT A TOTAL DEVELOPMENT ON THIS TRACT AT 2 MILLION, 142,900
[02:25:01]
SQUARE FEET OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE STATESMEN TRACT.AND AGAIN, THIS WAS THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY ECO NORTHWEST, WHICH WAS BALANCING BOTH AN INCREASE IN ENTITLEMENTS AND A COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND IT, AND IT SUGGESTED A 4% ON-SITE HOUSING FOR THAT LEVEL OF SQUARE FOOTAGE.
THE PROPOSED PUD ACTUALLY EXCEEDS THOSE BY ABOUT 3 MILLION, 515,000.
SO IT'S CONSIDERABLY MORE, UM, IT'S ASKING FOR CONSIDERABLY MORE ENTITLEMENTS THAN WERE IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT OVERLAY, WHICH CERTAINLY I THINK WE CAN, UM, CONSIDER, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ALSO HAVE A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER REQUIREMENTS, UM, COMMENSURATE WITH THAT LEVEL OF, OF INCREASED IN TOURNAMENTS.
I THINK WE NEED MORE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND THE AREA WHERE AGAIN, WHERE I SAY THE BIGGEST GAP IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I HAVE ASKED OUR, UM, OR MY STAFF RATHER DID ASK OUR REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF WEIGH IN ON WHAT SOME AVERAGE VALUES ARE FOR THOSE DIFFERENT USES.
AND WE CALCULATED THOSE BASED ON THE INCREASED SQUARE FOOTAGE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE ARE ROUGH NUMBERS BASED ON THIS CALCULATION.
THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO ASSESS COSTS AND THINGS ON THIS, BUT IN TERMS OF AN AVERAGE SQUARE FOOTAGE VALUE, THE AVERAGE SQUARE SQUARE, UM, THE TOTAL VALUE OF THAT GAIN FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAN TO WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS SOMEWHERE IN THE ORDER OF $840 MILLION MORE SO THERE'S, THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT.
MORE VALUE ON THIS BEING ASKED FOR ON THIS TRACT THAN IS THAN IS IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN.
SO, YOU KNOW, AT A MINIMUM, I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK BACK TO THE FED ORDINANCE AND LOOK TOWARD MORE OF A 10% OF AFFORDABLE UNITS, RENTAL UNITS ONSITE AT 60% MFI, WHICH IS WHAT THE PUTT ORDINANCE CALLS FOR.
I BELIEVE WE SHOULD LOOK FOR 5% OWNERSHIP UNITS AT 80%, WHICH IS AGAIN, WHAT THE PUDDLE ORDINANCE WOULD WOULD CALL FOR.
UM, I AM GOING TO BE BRINGING FORWARD SOME DIRECTION ON THURSDAY ASKING ECO NORTHWEST TO TAKE A LOOK AND UPDATE THEIR MODEL.
I THINK SOME OF THEY HAD SOME OF THAT UPDATING OF THEIR MODEL IN 2021.
I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THIS SITE WAS OR WAS NOT INCLUDED AND THAT WILL GIVE US A MORE NUANCED, UM, MORE REALISTIC SET OF UNDERSTOOD FINANCIAL UNDERSTANDINGS WITH REGARD TO THIS STATESMEN TRACT OF, OF WHAT IS DOABLE UNDER, UNDER, UNDER THESE ENTITLEMENTS.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE, AND WE'LL BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THE DEVELOPER TOMORROW.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SITE PARTICIPATE IN BETTER BUILDER PROGRAM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM WORK WITH UNITE HERE TO, UM, ON THE HOTEL USE AND THE ABILITY FOR, FOR UNITE HERE TO WORK WITH THE EVENTUAL EMPLOYEES OF THAT HOTEL USE, IF THERE IS TO BE A HOTEL USE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ITEMS WITHIN, UM, THAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE WITHIN OUR DISCRETIONARY ZONING ABILITIES.
I THINK IT IS PART OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE, INCLUDE BETTER ACCESS TO THE PARK.
UM, I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT HERE IN MY CHART, MY HANDY-DANDY CHART, BUT THAT IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC, UH, FOLLOW THE PARKS DEPARTMENTS, PARKS BOARDS, RECOMMENDATION THAT THE PUBLIC CONTINUED TO ENJOY ACCESS TO THE PARK FROM THE CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE RATHER THAN HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT TO GET TO IT.
SO IF THAT ELEMENT IS NOT INCLUDED, THAT'S WHEN I'M GOING TO INCLUDE, UM, I MENTIONED TRAILS, THERE ARE SOME ELEMENTS THAT THE, THAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING WITH REGARD TO THE TRAILS THAT I'VE ASKED THROUGH OUR Q AND A THAT WE GET SOME FEEDBACK ON FROM OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHETHER THOSE ARE DESIRED ELEMENTS.
UM, AND IF SO, WHAT, UH, WHAT THOSE MIGHT COST THE DEVELOPER HAS, THIS IS, THIS IS SORT OF A SECOND TIER ISSUE, BUT THE DEVELOPER HAS, UM, PROPOSED THAT THE PARK BE MAINTAINED THROUGH THE TOURS, WHICH WE'VE SET UP, BUT HAVE NOT FUNDED.
AND SO, UM, SOME OF MY QUESTIONS IN THE Q AND A WE'LL ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT, WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE.
UM, AND, AND WE WILL HAVE THE DECISION ABOUT WHO SHOULD ULTIMATELY BEAR THOSE COSTS OF, OF THE PARKLAND THAT IS PART OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK THAT KIND OF COVERS, UM, COVERS A LOT OF THE MAIN AREAS.
AGAIN, MY, MY FOCUS AT THE MOMENT IS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING THOUGH.
IT, IT WILL COVER SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE DIRECTION IF WE CONSIDER THIS ON THURSDAY WILL RELATE TO SOME OF THESE OTHER ISSUES WHERE SUBMITTING QUESTIONS TO THE Q AND A ASKING ABOUT THOSE ELEMENTS WITHIN THE PARK'S DESIGN THAT ARE PROPOSED BY THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT MODEL FOR APPROACHING THAT PARKS DESIGN, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC INPUT.
THERE IS A PROPOSAL WITHIN THIS TO DRAW WATER FROM LADYBIRD LAKE FOR, FOR USE ON SITE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT IS WHAT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN CALLED FOR.
SO JUST ASKING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE SOME WATER FORWARD STRATEGIES INTO THIS DEVELOPMENT.
THE OTHER PODS THAT ARE COMING
[02:30:01]
FORWARD SEEM TO BE WORKING WITH THOSE STRATEGIES.AND I THINK WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR LARGE DEVELOPMENTS TO DO SO.
UM, SO I'LL LAND THERE FOR THE MOMENT, UM, AND WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, WHERE I AM IN MY THINKING ON THIS.
UM, OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, THANK YOU FOR, UM, RAISING THE IMPORTANCE FOR US TO BE COMPARING THIS TO EXISTING ZONING.
UM, IT'S A PUD AMENDMENT, BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, RELATIVE TO WHAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE AND, UM, UNDER A PUD, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THEIR SUPPORT SUPERIORITY, UM, COMMENSURATE WITH THE ADDITIONAL, UM, ENTITLEMENTS AND, AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO, UM, AND I'LL BE ASKING MY STAFF AND, UM, I HAD, NO, I HAVE SOME MEETINGS TOMORROW ON THIS AS WELL, BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY TO GET STRAIGHT KIND OF HAVING A VERY CLEAR CHART WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO NOW, THIS IS WHAT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT CALLED FOR.
AND THIS IS WHAT, UM, THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
UM, BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE SOMEWHAT, SOMEWHAT STAGGERING AND THAT MAY BE A GOOD PLACE, UM, FOR DENSITY, BUT IT IS NONETHELESS STILL A VERY BIG CHANGE, UM, ENTITLEMENTS, IT'S AN AREA THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UM, OUR STAFF, AND IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO TELL US TODAY, MAYBE YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH IT.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT SAYING, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE 20% AFFORDABLE.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT, IF IT DETAILS THE MIX OF THAT AFFORDABILITY BECAUSE, UM, THE LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY THAT WE ASKED FOR MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS FOR THE DEVELOPER, WHETHER IT'S AT 80%, IF IT'S 60%, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, AND THAT MAY GO INTO OUR CALCULATION.
SO IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FROM OUR STAFF IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT THAT IDEAL MIX IS FOR THAT 20% IN THIS LOCATION OR WHAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME.
UM, I AM GOING TO NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARK AMENITIES AND WHAT IS BEING COVERED AND WHAT IS NOT BEING COVERED.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GIVING A WHOLE LOT OF WEIGHT TO THIS UNDERGROUND PARKING STRUCTURE AND NOT A WHOLE LOT OF WEIGHT TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT THE MOST PEOPLE WILL USE.
I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE BENEFITS TO UNDERGROUND PARKING AND I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T WANT UNDERGROUND PARKING, BUT THERE WE DO NEED TO EXAMINE THE TRADE-OFFS, UM, THAT WE'RE THINKING THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THE DISCUSSION AND, AND, AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE, UM, SET ASIDE QUITE A BIT OF TIME TOMORROW TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS, ET CETERA ON THIS.
AND, AND SO I'M LIKELY WE'LL HAVE MORE THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ON, ON THURSDAY AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE REMEMBER KITCHEN, UM, THANK YOU ALSO, AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR THINKING COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AND MAYOR PRO TEM.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT I DO, I ALSO SHARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PUD, UH, ORDINANCE, AND I DO THINK IT NEEDS, IT NEEDS SOME REVISION, UM, THE ORIGINAL, UH, INTENT TO, UH, TO HAVE PUD, UH, ZONING ATTACHED FOR SIGNIFICANT CON UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS IS SOMETHING WE SEEM TO BE LOSING ALONG THE WAY.
UH, AND I'VE ENCOUNTERED THESE KINDS OF CONCERNS WITH OTHER, UM, POT APPLICATIONS IN THE PAST TOO.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS THERE.
UH, YEAH, JUST, UM, A BIT OF AGREEMENT WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA HAS LINED UP.
AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAS SAID I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN ENSURING THAT THE, UM, THE TRAIL IS AN EASY ACCESS TO THE SITE, UM, AS WAS DISCUSSED, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA, COULD YOU, COULD YOU, UM, REITERATE WHAT THAT PIECE WAS? SO I BELIEVE CROSSING THE RIVER.
I BELIEVE THAT IT MAY ALREADY BE CAPTURED IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THEY'VE PICKED UP THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING THE PARKS BOARD.
UM, IF YOU GIVE ME A MINUTE, I WILL FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS BASICALLY THOUGH THE CONCEPT WOULD BE, I THINK THE PROPOSAL AT PRESENT HAS A BUILDING RIGHT NEXT TO THE RIGHT NEXT TO THE BRIDGE, MORE OR LESS WHERE THERE IS CURRENTLY ACCESS TO THE PARK.
AND SO, UM, ALL OF THE BOARDS, I BELIEVE ALL OF THE BOARDS SO FAR HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THAT ACCESS HAVE REALLY STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT THAT ACCESS CONTINUED TO BE FROM CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE SO THAT THE PUBLIC FEELS WELCOME IN THEIR PUBLIC PARK AND IS NOT, IS NOT COMPELLED TO SORT OF WALK THROUGH A WALKTHROUGH,
[02:35:01]
THE DEVELOPMENT TO GET TO IT, TO GET TO THAT DAY.THAT, AND THAT'S THE PIECE THAT RESONATED WITH ME.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACCESS IS EASY AND WELCOMING AND WELL SIGNED.
SO THE WAYFINDING IS SIMPLE AND, UM, AND THAT THE PARK IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE IT IS IT IT'S A PUBLIC ASSET.
THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THE ENTITLEMENTS.
ONE THING I FAILED TO MENTION IN MY OPENING REMARKS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE PUDDLE ORDINANCE, THAT REQUIRES THAT THERE BE A BASELINE SET AND THAT BASELINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE EXISTING ZONING.
THE EXISTING ZONING ON THIS TRACK IS, IS ALSO PUD.
I THINK, TO LOOK AT THEIR CURRENT ENTITLEMENTS FOR THAT PUD, THE STAFF HAVE SET THAT BASELINE AT THE SOUTH CENTRAL.
AND SO I THINK THERE IS A POLICY QUESTION TO BE HAD ABOUT WHETHER THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE PLACE, BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS A JUMP IN ENTITLEMENTS BEFORE YOU EVEN GET TO TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE IN ENTITLEMENTS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR ON TOP OF THAT, I'M SORRY TO BE CONFUSING ABOUT THAT, BUT WHERE YOU SET THE BASELINE REALLY MATTERS BECAUSE IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BASELINE AND WHAT'S PROPOSED THAT TRIGGERS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, GOSH, ALMOST EVERY TIME WE HAVE A PUD, BUT, BUT THIS ONE IS MORE COMPLICATED AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SOUTH CENTRAL WORK INTER INTERACTING IN THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THAT I THINK THE PUDDLE ORDINANCE IS IN NEED OF SOME REVISION.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE JUST NOT SUPERIOR.
I MEAN, TO A TWO-STAR GREEN BUILDING IS NOT IN MY S MY MIND SUPERIOR.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE, I THINK, PUDS COMING FORWARD WITH THREE-STAR SEVERAL RECENT POETS HAVE THREE STARS.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE ELEMENTS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY BEHIND WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT RELATE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES GIVEN, GIVEN THE STATE OF THE CLIMATE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THOUGH, AND THIS GETS BACK TO SOMETHING, YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR PRO TEM IS THE NEED REALLY TO HAVE A CHART EVERY SINGLE TIME.
AND I ASKED FOR THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME, UM, AND SOMETIMES IT'S ALMOST WHAT I NEED, AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON IT.
AND THIS TIME MY STAFF HAD TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON IT.
THANK YOU, ETHAN PHILLIPS, UM, FOR DOING ALL OF THAT WORK TO REALLY LAY OUT WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE EXISTING ENTITLEMENTS? WHAT DOES SOUTH CENTRAL REQUIRE? WHAT ARE WHAT'S THE PROPOSAL? AND BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IN OUR APPLICATION, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE INTERWOVEN.
AND SO AS I LOOK THROUGH THE SUPERIORITY CHART THAT THE APPLICANT GAVE US, SOME OF WHAT'S BEING SUGGESTED AS SUPERIOR IS ACTUALLY A CURRENT CODE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE SHOULD ALWAYS GET INFORMATION, I THINK, AS PART OF OUR PUB, THAT MAKES IT CLEAR REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE APPLICANT HAS SAID.
WHAT OF, WHAT OF, WHAT IS BEING CREDITED AS COMMUNITY BENEFITS? ARE THOSE, IS THAT CURRENT CODE OR IS THAT ACTUALLY SUPERIOR? THAT WOULD HELP US, I THINK, AT THIS, UH, FROM THIS, FROM THIS SIDE, YOU KNOW, DO OUR JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT IT IS TRULY A SUPERIOR DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FUNDUS.
AND THANK YOU, MEMBER TOBO FOR FLAGGING THE AREAS FOR US TO LOOK INTO.
I, I SHARE YOUR SENTIMENTS AROUND WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS A THREE-STAR GREEN BUILDING, UM, UM, ELEMENTS AS PART OF THIS PUD AGREEMENT.
UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD STARTED A CONVERSATION ON THE MESSAGE BOARD AROUND, UH, FUNDING, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RETAIN REQUIREMENTS AROUND, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE PEDIGREE PAYMENT, BUT ALSO LOOK AT IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UM, DIRECT FUNDING FOR OUR UNHOUSED, YOU KNOW, JUST KNOWING THE IMMEDIATE NEED THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN OUR COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE SHELTER, TO PROVIDE HOUSING, UH, BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO SEE KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE STAFF WANTED TO SHARE AS WE MAKE, AS WE HAVE THIS CONSIDERATION.
SO I SEE MS. GRAY IS HERE, WAS THAT WHO YOU WERE, UM, MS. GRAY, DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT? THANK YOU.
UM, SO I, UM, OF COURSE THIS ISSUE OR THIS, SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS EMERGED, UH, LAST WEEK, AND, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING RAISED ARE, UH, TOUCH ON SEVERAL POLICY PRIORITIES AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS THAT IN MY VIEW ARE VERY RELATED.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, UM, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SETTING ASIDE FUNDS DIRECTLY FOR HOMELESSNESS, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IN OUR COMMUNITY IS DIRECTLY LINKED, UM, ALSO TO HOUSING STABILITY AT LARGE.
AND SO, UM, THERE ARE CERTAINLY ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO PROVIDE COUNSEL, UH, SHOULD, UH, WE WANT TO LOOK AT THIS AS A, AS A POLICY OPTION, BUT I DID WANT TO GIVE A GENERAL LAY OF THE LAND IN TERMS
[02:40:01]
OF OUR CURRENT STATUS AND ALSO, UH, SOME OF THE ONGOING PROCESSES THAT MIGHT, UH, INFORM COUNCIL POLICYMAKING.SO, FIRST OF ALL, THE OVERALL QUESTION THAT'S BEEN ASKED IS, DO NEED ADDITIONAL SHELTER.
AND I THINK THAT CLEARLY, UH, THE, THE ANSWER IS YES.
UH, WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL UNSHELTERED POPULATION.
UH, WE ARE WORKING TO RESTORE SOME OF THE CAPACITY THAT WAS DIMINISHED DUE TO COVID IN OUR CONGREGATE SHELTERS, BUT EVEN SO, UH, OUR SHELTER CAPACITY FAR AS FAR BELOW THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION HAS BEEN, DO WE NEED FUNDS FOR THE HEAL INITIATIVE? AND SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF FUNDING OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE AS CURRENTLY FRAMED, AND THEN WHAT SOME OF HER OPTIONS MIGHT BE COUNSEL SET A GOAL FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR OF AT LEAST 200 PEOPLE SERVED THROUGH THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UM, BASED ON OUR PACE YEAR TO DATE, UH, WE BELIEVE WE WILL MEET THAT GOAL.
PART OF THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OR WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH $6 MILLION THAT COUNCIL, UH, EARMARKED THROUGH THE ARPA FUNDING FOR RAPID REHOUSING.
SO THAT IS FUNDS TO MOVE PEOPLE INTO THEIR PERMANENT HOUSING LOCATION.
UH, AND WE ALREADY HAD SOME, UH, ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE FOR EXISTING SHELTER THIS YEAR.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MEET THE 200 PERSON GOAL WITH THE CURRENT BRIDGE SHELTER CAPACITY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE ARE HAVING TO MANAGE THAT VERY CLOSELY.
THERE IS NO EXCESS, UM, IN THAT BRIDGE SHELTER AT PRESENT.
AND SO GENERALLY, UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO EXCEED THAT 200 PERSON GOAL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR OPTIONS TO DO THAT.
AND WE'RE COGNIZANT THAT SHOULD WE WANT TO EXPAND THE HEAL INITIATIVE, WHICH WE'VE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH.
WE WOULD NEED TO BE LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL BRIDGE SHELTER, UH, IN GENERAL.
UM, SO THEN BRIEFLY I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE UPCOMING FUNDING ACTIONS THAT COULD IMPACT THE LANDSCAPE OVERALL IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO EMERGENCY AND BRIDGE SHELTER.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, UH, THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OPEN FOR CRISIS SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST $5 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR SHELTER.
WE HAVE ANOTHER $3 MILLION IN THAT RFP THAT IS FLEXIBLE FOR CRISIS SERVICES COULD BE STREET OUTREACH, COULD BE DAY RESOURCE CENTER COULD ALSO BE ADDITIONAL SHELTER DEPENDING ON THE PROPOSALS WE RECEIVE, UH, FROM COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICE PROVIDERS.
UH, I DON'T, UM, I WOULD NOT REPRESENT THAT THAT WILL MEET OUR OVERALL NEED FOR SHELTER IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE WILL KNOW MORE WHEN WE RECEIVE, UH, THOSE PROPOSALS, THE RFP CLOSES ON MAY 12TH, AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDING IN EARLY JUNE BASED ON APH IS CONTRACTING TIME.
UM, AND, AND I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT IN THE SUMMIT INVESTMENT PLAN, THERE IS A ANOTHER $7 MILLION TARGETED TO SHELTER AND OTHER CRISIS RESOURCES, WHICH ARE PART OF THE ONGOING FUNDRAISING.
WE WOULD HOPE TO SECURE, UM, FROM PRIVATE SOURCES OR OTHER, UM, OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
SO I'LL STOP THERE AND ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR GRAY.
UM, I GUESS, SO AT THIS TIME, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT US REVISITING THE, UH, THE FUNDING FRAMEWORK THAT WE APPROVED TOWARDS REDUCING HOMELESSNESS AS PART OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLARS? DO YOU RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES OR ARE THE FUNDING STREAMS THAT YOU JUST LAID OUT WITH BOTH THE RFP AND WITH THE 7 MILLION AS PART OF THE, UM, COMMUNITY, UH, INVESTMENT THAT IS COMING IN, UM, ARE ANY CHANGES THAT YOU'D RECOMMEND ANY, UM, ANY INSIGHT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US ON THAT? SO I'M COUNCIL MEMBER WE'VE COMMITTED TO UPDATE COUNCIL, UH, AND, AND CITY LEADERSHIP ABOUT, UH, APPROXIMATELY EVERY QUARTER ON OUR FRAMEWORK FOR SPENDING, UH, WE ARE, UH, DUE FOR AN UPDATE TO COUNCIL, UH, APPROXIMATELY MAY 1ST.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
I WILL SAY THAT MY SENSE IS IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE PREMATURE BECAUSE WE ARE STILL, WE HAVE TWO OPEN RFPS RIGHT NOW, OR RFPS THAT ARE IN PROCESS.
SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT THE FUNDING, UH, COMMITMENTS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT OF THAT PROCESS.
UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN IDENTIFY, UH, IN OUR FEEDBACK TO COUNCIL IN THE NEXT
[02:45:01]
AREAS WHERE WE'LL BE WATCHING CLOSELY, OR THAT COUNCIL MAY WANT TO CONSIDER, UM, FOR, UM, FOR POTENTIAL SHIFTS.AGAIN, I THINK IT'S QUITE EARLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE SEVERAL YEAR PROCESS, UH, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY OPEN TO DISCUSSING IT OR PROVIDING FURTHER ANALYSIS, COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN.
UH, DIRECTOR GUY, AND AS PART OF YOUR UPDATING US, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU, UM, GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS AS PART OF THAT PROCESS ON WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ACCELERATE HEAL.
SO, UH, TO HELP WITH, UM, EXCEEDING 200 THIS YEAR, AND ALSO AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT, SPEAK TO WHAT WE COULD DO NEXT YEAR.
SO AGAIN, THAT YOU MAY NEED MORE TIME TO SPEAK TO NEXT YEAR, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN FORECAST THROUGH NEXT YEAR, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I HEAR, WELL, FIRST OFF, LET ME JUST SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO, UH, THE INCREDIBLE WORK, INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE DONE TO KEEP, UM, HEEL ON TRACK, UM, AND, UM, TO KEEP THIS SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD AND JUST, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AS YOU SAID THAT, YES, WE NEED MORE SHELTER.
UM, AND, AND WE NEED TO, AND I BELIEVE WE NEED TO ACCELERATE OUR, OUR HEAL PROGRAM.
SO, UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING YOUR, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS AS PART OF THAT UPDATE, UM, ON HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SAY, AND IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON OPTIONS FOR THE SOURCES OF THAT.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL.
WE KNOW THAT 200 IS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT MAKING ENOUGH OF A DENT.
SO I WANT TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD WITH REGARD TO THIS, TO THIS PUD.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, THIS IS A TRANSIT AREA AND THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL.
UM, IF THERE'S A PATH TO DO BOTH, UH, IN, IN THE SENSE THAT IF THERE'S SUFFICIENT DOLLARS AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS PUD, I WOULD WELCOME THAT, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON SITE BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE, THIS TRANSIT AREA.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS, COUNCIL MEMBER TOYOTA, TO PUSH FOR A HIGHER LEVEL OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MARY ELLA.
I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND KIND OF THE, THE PULLING STUFF TOGETHER THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO DID.
AND, UH, AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, PROBABLY GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE TAPE SO THAT I CAN, I CAN WATCH IT MORE CLOSELY.
UM, I, IT WOULD BE GREAT, UM, UH, DIRECTOR GRAY TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE AND SPEED UP HEAL AND GET PEOPLE OUT OF ENCAMPMENTS.
I'M MINDFUL AS YOU LAID OUT THE PROGRAM, IT WAS EACH PIECE WAS BEING DONE IN PROPORTIONS OF THE OTHER PIECES.
SO A LOT OF CITIES HAVE FAILED BY PROVIDING A LOT OF EMERGENCY SHELTERING BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE, THE NEXT STEP IN, IN, IN HOUSING TO BE ABLE TO PULL PEOPLE THROUGH THOSE EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
THEY HAD SET UP, UM, PEOPLE IN, IN EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
IF I RECALL WHAT YOU'VE TAUGHT US BEFORE, THAT'S NOT A REALLY GOOD ENVIRONMENT TO EFFICIENTLY MAKE USE OF SERVICES AND THE LIGHT TO ACTUALLY GET AND KEEP SOMEONE OFF THE STREET.
IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE IN SCALE WITH THE NEXT THING, WHICH IS HOW YOU PULL PEOPLE OUT OF THE HAT.
WE'VE SEEN EXAMPLES OF SOME CITIES LIKE PORTLAND AND OTHERS THAT MAY BE OVERLY INVESTED ON THE EMERGENCY SHELTERING COMPONENT, NOT REALLY ADVANCING, YOU KNOW, TAKING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS IN A PERMANENT WAY, BUT EXHAUSTING WHILE THEIR FUNDING IN, IN DOING THAT.
AND, AND, AND NOW HAVE REAL SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T DO IT SCALE.
AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOUR APPROACH IS AND THE, IN THE SUMMIT IS TO DO ALL THAT IN SCALE.
SO I'M EAGER TO HEAR HOW WE CAN, WE CAN SCALE UP THAT PORTION, RECOGNIZING THAT IT HAS THAT, THAT RIPPLE KIND OF EFFECT.
UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE POD, UH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE ONE, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DRIVE AS MUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WE, AS WE CAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION I ALWAYS HAVE WITH RESPECT TO PUTTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN, IN THE MOST EXPENSIVE LOCATIONS IN OUR CITY, UH, IS THAT, UM, I'M,
[02:50:02]
I'M NOT, UH, I'M NOT, UM, CONVINCED THAT THAT'S THE WAY TO BEST HELP THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND TO PUT PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THERE'S A CRITICAL MASS OF, UM, UM, OTHERS, UH, THAT ARE, UH, SHARING A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE, UH, IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO, TO, TO LIVE.SO, UM, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT A HOUSING THAT MIGHT BE A STOP OR TO STOP BUS STOPS AWAY TO SEE IF THAT ENABLED US TO, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR GREATER NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
BUT I CERTAINLY WANT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE CITY, UH, FROM ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF BACKGROUNDS, AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE WITH LOWER INCOME.
I JUST DON'T KNOW FOR ME, WHETHER IT NEEDS TO BE, UH, AT, UH, BROWN GROUND ZERO, BUT I APPRECIATE IT LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AND THEN TO THE MESSAGE BOARD POSTS.
I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE STARTING THIS CONVERSATION WITH THIS, UH, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RFPS THAT ARE OUT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER OF ELLA THERE'S THAT $10 MILLION, I GUESS, RFP THAT HAS APPARENTLY JUST HIT THE STREETS.
AND A LOT OF THAT SEEMS TO BE REAL FLEXIBLE DOLLARS AND I WOULD JOIN, UH, AND FOLLOW YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THAT OF A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR SCIENTISTS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE CANDIDATES THAT WE HAVE TAKING COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, AND THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GRAY FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO IMPLEMENT THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
I KNOW THAT IT'S A PROVEN WAY THAT THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD TO HELP SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED, ESPECIALLY THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, I THINK IT'S ALSO WONDERFUL THAT WE HAVE A GOAL OF HELPING 200 THIS YEAR, BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, OUR HOMELESS PROBLEM IN AUSTIN IS MUCH LARGER THAN THAT.
SO I WANTED TO ASK JUST BRIEFLY, ARE YOU LIMITED BY FUNDING OR RESOURCES IN YOUR DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE ENTER OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE FUNDING THAT YOU NEED, BUT ALSO THE HUMAN RESOURCES OR PERSONNEL IN YOUR OFFICE TO BE ABLE TO SCALE UP THAT OPERATION.
SO LET ME ADDRESS THAT FIRST QUESTION OR EXCUSE ME, THE SECOND QUESTION.
FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE, UM, FILLED TWO, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, THREE PERMANENT POSITIONS, UH, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO FAR, WE HAVE FOUR ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS COMING ON NEXT MONDAY, UH, AND ANTICIPATE FILLING ALL OF THE, UM, THE NEWLY APPOINTED POSITIONS, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT WE LOST YOU THERE FOR A SECOND.
CAN YOU TRY IT? WE HEARD THAT WE HAVE FOUR STAFF COMING IN ON MONDAY, AND THEN WE LOST YOURSELF STILL.
CAN'T HEAR YOU MAYBE TURN YOUR VIDEO THAT WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
UM, SIMPLY THAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO HAVE ALL OF OUR POSITIONS FILLED WITHIN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS OR SO.
UM, SO, UH, I, THAT WILL CERTAINLY RELIEVE SOME OF THE CAPACITY PRESSURE WITHIN THE DIVISION STAFFING.
I DO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, I MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY $6 MILLION FOR HEAL WITHIN THE CURRENT RFP FOR RAPID REHOUSING.
UH, THE RAPID REHAB OVERALL RAPID REHOUSING RESOURCES WITHIN THAT RFP ARE APPROXIMATELY 37 MILLION.
SO WE ARE FUNDING SUBSTANTIAL, RAPID REHOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IT'S NOT EXPLICITLY SET ASIDE FOR HEAL.
WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE MAY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS FROM COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALLOW US TO DEDICATE MORE THAN $6 MILLION TO THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO MATCH THAT ARE SORT OF RIGHT SIZE IT TO OUR BRIDGE SHELTER CAPACITY.
SO CURRENTLY, UM, WITHIN THE, FOR THE HEAL INITIATIVE, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE, UH, CONCEIVABLY ENOUGH, UH, TO EXPAND THAT EFFORT.
UM, OF COURSE SECURING THE PHYSICAL SHELTER SPACE, UH, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, EXECUTED ON.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, THE LONGER TERM OPERATION OF SUCH SHELTERS IS SOMETHING THAT GOES PAST THE PERIOD OF ARPA FUNDING.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER, UM, WHAT, UH, THE LONGER TERM RESOURCES WOULD BE SUPPORT SUCH A FACILITY OR WHETHER IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE A LIMITED LIFETIME DURING THIS PERIOD IN WHICH WE'RE REALLY TRYING, UM, TO HAVE A SURGE, IF YOU WILL, IN, UH, IN REDUCING UNSHELTERED,
[02:55:01]
HOMELESSNESS AND PERMANENTLY HOUSING.UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE INVESTED QUITE A LOT OF MONEY THROUGH ARPA, UM, AND THAT THE TIME FRAME WITHIN WHICH THIS POD WOULD, UM, PROVIDE, UH, THE RESOURCES, WE WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE IMPLEMENTED OUR, OUR, OUR PLAN AND HAVE RESET THE EQUILIBRIUM FOR OUR HOMELESS, UM, RESPONSE SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND I THINK SORT OF BROADER AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WITHIN THAT, WE DO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT KIND OF HOUSING WE ARE TARGETING, UM, WITHIN THAT.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO CALL ON YOU.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE ATTORNEY THAT WE ARE STRAYING, UM, FROM JERMAINE NESS HERE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT INEVITABLE GIVEN THAT THE QUESTION WAS RAISED ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD SPEND MORE MONEY IN HOMELESSNESS.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD KEEP THAT IN MIND, UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
I COUNCIL MEMBER AVAILA AND COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVA JUST VERY QUICK QUESTION FOR, I KNOW WE ARE RUNNING A LITTLE LATE, UH, WHEN WILL THE RFPS THAT ARE OUT, UH, DIRECTOR GRANT, WHEN WILL THOSE BE, UH, CLOSING? SO THE, UH, HOUSING STABILITY, WHICH IS THE RAPID REHOUSING R B HAS CLOSED, AND WE ANTICIPATE RECOMMENDATIONS INTERNAL, UM, IDENTIFICATION OF RECOMMENDED, UH, FUNDED AGENCIES BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, THE CRISIS RFP, WHICH INCLUDES FUNDING FOR SHELTER CLOSES ON MAY 12TH.
AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR THAT FUNDING IN JUNE.
UH, THE EVALUATIONS WOULD BE COMPLETE, OF COURSE IT WOULD THEN NEED TO MAKE ITS WAY TO COUNCIL.
AND, UH, JUST A QUICK FOLLOW-UP I KNOW EVERYBODY, THE CITY INCLUDED ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE HURTING BECAUSE OF THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES.
UH, HOW IS THAT AFFECTING, UH, YOUR GOALS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS AND, UH, AND, AND COSTS, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING OUT THERE? SO, UM, CERTAINLY I THINK, UH, LET ME SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO ATTENTIONAL, UH, FACILITY ACQUISITION.
I THINK THAT, UH, HPD WOULD BE BETTER SUITED, CERTAINLY TO SPEAK TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UM, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GENERALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ACQUIRED AS A CITY FOR HOTELS THUS FAR, UM, WHICH ARE BEING TWO OF, WHICH ARE THREE OF WHICH WILL BE CONVERTED TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
ONE IS OPERATING AS A SHELTER LONG-TERM WE HAVE HAD A PARTNER ACQUIRE A HOTEL, UH, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS RELATED TO DECREASES IN TOURISM DURING THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
UH, THERE WERE MORE HOTELS ON THE MARKET AT THAT TIME.
WE STILL THINK IT'S A VIABLE OPTION, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT OUR COSTS PER UNIT MIGHT INCREASE SOMEWHAT.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT WITH A CAVEAT THAT EVEN SO THE COST PER UNIT AND THOSE HOTEL ACQUISITIONS HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER, UM, THAN A NEW BUILD, UH, COST PER UNIT FOR A COMPARABLE STUDIO APARTMENT.
UM, SO IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT COUNCIL MEMBER.
I THINK THAT IT WILL PROBABLY PLAY OUT MORE IN THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, UH, SPACE AND WOULD, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE FURTHER INFORMATION, I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY DEFER TO, UH, HOUSING AND PLANNING ON THAT FRONT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK IN PARTICULAR, WITH REGARDS TO THE REHOUSING OF THE FOLKS AT, UH, IN ST.
JOHN'S, UH, VERY HAPPY THAT THOSE 35 OR SO FOLKS ARE NOW IN, UH, A BRIDGE SHELTER.
UH, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK, UH, AND ALL YOUR STAFF'S WORK ON THAT ISSUE.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER AVAILA FOR WORKING, NOT ON THAT AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT BRINGS US BACK TO ITEM 69? I DO.
YEAH, I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, PERHAPS A LONGER CONVERSATION, BUT I CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE GOAL OF HAVING ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ALL PARTS OF TOWN.
WHEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO, UM, INCENTIVIZE THAT THROUGH OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT, THAT OUR COUNCIL OR PREVIOUS COUNCILS HAVE PASSED THAT CALL FOR THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE SET GOALS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS BY DISTRICT, AND IT IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE TRUE THAT WE CAN BUILD MORE UNITS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN THAN WE CAN IN OTHERS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POLICY DIRECTION THAT OUR COUNCIL HAS ON, ON THE BOOKS.
WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY DIRECTION THAT SAYS WE SHOULD BUILD THE MOST, THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, AND GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST NUMBERS.
WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVE A POLICY DIRECTION IN MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS THAT SAYS WE SHOULD BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ALL PARTS OF TOWN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO STAND BY THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THIS SITE, IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT,
[03:00:01]
GENERALLY IN HEALTH, SOUTH IN ONE TEXAS CENTER.AND IN SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
UM, AND WE JUST NEED TO STAY FIRM IN MY OPINION.
SO I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR HEAL.
IF WE GET TO THAT POINT WHERE THAT'S, UM, WHERE THAT'S THE WILL OF COUNCIL, I WILL BE ASKING THE MANAGER TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR AVAILABLE SOURCES OF FUNDING, UM, RATHER THAN TRYING TO BALANCE IT AGAINST, UM, ANOTHER EXISTING PRIORITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FIRST WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR MEANS.
LET ME JUST END BY SAYING DIANA TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT THE REALLY SIGNIFICANT, UM, PRIVATE FUNDRAISING THAT'S GOING ON AROUND HOMELESSNESS.
AND I WELCOME THAT AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT PASSES WHERE I DON'T WAKE UP TO EMAILS IN MY INBOX ABOUT ENCAMPMENTS OR, UM, THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
I KNOW MOST PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY SHARE A REAL GENUINE CONCERN TO SEE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS IS HOUSED.
AND SO I WILL JUST USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY AS RELATED TO THE STATESMAN PUD AND THE DETERMINATION OF WHETHER WE SHOULD REQUIRE ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WRITING AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT AND CARE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS, PLEASE JOIN US IN THIS EFFORT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED LOTS OF OUR, OUR, UM, FEDERAL FUNDING TO THIS NEED, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO MEET THAT SHELTER NEED AND THE SHELTER AND EMERGENCY SHELTER, ESPECIALLY IN THAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT OUR PRIVATE COMMUNITY CAN REALLY STEP UP AND HELP US WITH.
SO I JUST WANT TO ISSUE THAT CHALLENGE TO OUR, THE BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR CITY AND INDIVIDUALS TO REALLY HELP US MEET THAT PARTICULAR NEED.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN THIS CITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO ALSO UNDERSCORE THAT MONEY THAT WOULD COME FROM THIS POD WOULD BE SO FAR DOWN THE LINE THAT WOULD NOT ADJOURN.
IT WOULD NOT ADDRESS ANY IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE NOT BEING COVERED.
UM, QUICKLY, MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON A CONVERSATION WITH HOUSING, IS IT THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE, THAT WE COULD REQUIRE THE MONEY, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A PASSAGE IN ON THIRD READING, THAT THE PARTS ARE VERY FLEXIBLE.
AND THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY THE REASON THAT I'VE BEEN PUSHING THIS BECAUSE OF FUNDS WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE AS OPPOSED TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IT'S COMING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME TRADE-OFFS THAT COME WITH THAT IN TERMS OF HOW THEY STRUCTURE THEIR FINANCES, ET CETERA.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, WE HAVE A LOT OF FEES THAT COME DUE AND VERY RARELY IS IT RIGHT WHEN THE RIGHT WHEN IT PASSES.
UM, BUT, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THERE AREN'T OTHER OPTIONS FOR FUNDING AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS NOT CLEAR IN MY VIEW, BUT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ON THE WILL OF THE DIOCESE.
UM, SO WE HAVE THREE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS, UM, TO COVER AS WELL AS MOVING BACK OUT HERE FOR A PRETTY HEAVY AUSTIN ENERGY SESSION ON THE POTENTIAL FOR A RATE PROCESS, UM, AND AFTER ACTION STORM URI ITEMS. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE THAT PLENTY OF TIME.
UM, WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS THAT WE, UM, MOVE UP TO OUR OFFICES TO DO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH MAYBE A 15 MINUTE PAUSE TO GET SETTLED, ET CETERA, MOVE THROUGH AS MUCH OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AS WE CAN, AND THEN COME OUT AS CLOSE TO ONE 30 AS POSSIBLE.
IF WE DETERMINE THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS WITH AN EXTRA HALF AN HOUR, WE'LL TRY AND STAY FOR THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT AIMING TO BE OUT HERE FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, 1 32, UM, AT THE LATEST, IF EVERYONE IS ON TIME AND WE MOVE THROUGH THE OTHER ITEMS, ANYONE OBJECT TO THAT AS THE APPROACH, OKAY, THEN I WILL READ THE, THE, THE SCRIPT, UM,
[E. Executive Session (Part 1 of 2)]
CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP THREE ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE, FIVE, ONE.ZERO SEVEN ONE, OR THE GOVERNMENT CODE.THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO
CAUSE NUMBER
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO
[03:05:01]
OF AND CONSIDER COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR THE CITY MANAGER.IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEMS ANNOUNCED HEARING NONE, THE COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO LET'S RECONVENE IT EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 1235.
IT'S NOW 2:42 PM AND WE ARE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION AND CLOSED SESSION.
WE DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEMS, IWAN AND
UM, WE DID NOT, UM, MOVE TO
UM, I AM GOING TO RESA THE RECESS RECESS, THE TODAY'S WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND I WILL PASS THE GAVEL OVER TO CHAIR POOL WHO WILL CONVENE THE AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
IT IS 4 0 1 ON APRIL 5TH, AND I'M GOING TO RECONVENE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING.
[E. Executive Session (Part 2 of 2)]
THAT THE ONLY ITEM LEFT ON OUR AGENDA IS ONE MORE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM.BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IF ANYONE HAD ANY OTHER NOTES OR COMMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SO WE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM, UH, PURSUANT TO SECTION 5, 5 1 0 7 4 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO
UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEMS ANNOUNCED HEARING COUNCIL OVERTIME? SORRY, MY FRIEND, TIM IT'S GONE SO SMOOTHLY.
I THOUGHT I'D THROW A WRENCH IN THE WORKS.
I DIDN'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE AN OBJECTION.
UM, I DID HAVE A COMMENT BEFORE, BUT I HAD A CRACKER IN MY MOUTH.
I DID WANT TO JUST CALL MY COLLEAGUES ATTENTION TO SOME QUESTIONS THAT I'M SUBMITTING INTO THE Q AND A WITH REGARDS TO THE STATESMAN, BUT ALSO WITH REGARD TO A COUPLE OF REAL ESTATE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA.
THERE'S ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN, IN ONE OF OUR DOWNTOWN BILLING BUILDINGS, THAT IS, UM, A MUCH LOWER, MY SUSPICION IS A MUCH LOWER RENT PER SQUARE FOOT THAN WOULD OTHERWISE BE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO THAT, AND THE, THE RETURN OF THE OTHER REAL ESTATE ITEM THAT TALKS THAT, UM, HAS US SUB LEASING A, ONE OF THE TRACKS THAT WE OWN TO, UM, A POTTERY AND A BOAT STORAGE PLACE ARE JUST, I THINK, WORTHY OF SOME CONVERSATION AS WE CONSIDER HOW WE'RE USING OUR FACILITIES AND HOW WE'RE, UH, HOW ARE REALLY BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE REVENUE.
SO I'LL LET YOU FINISH YOUR STATEMENT THERE.
AND I BELIEVE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS IN Q AND A ON AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE ITEMS. OKAY.
SO NOW IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEMS ANNOUNCED HEARING NONE, THE COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND I WILL PLAY ON THAT.
I WILL COME BACK OUT AND CLOSE THE MEETING.
UM, BUT IF EVERYONE COULD TRY AND GET UPSTAIRS AND IN FIVE MINUTES TO BE ON, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
OUT OF CLOSED SESSION AND CLOSED SESSION, WE DISCUSSED LEGAL ISSUES OR PERSONNEL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEM
UM, AND I WILL NOW ADJOURN TODAY'S WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.