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AVAILABLE IN EACH AGENDA POSTING.
[1.a. Briefing on Light Rail Program Project Development]
UM, OUR FIRST ITEM TODAY IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS, WHICH I UNDERSTAND MR. CANALY HAS INVITED VARIOUS SAFETY CONSULTANTS TO JOIN.SO WE'LL LET HIM KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION AND INTRODUCE THE TEAM HERE TODAY.
AND, AND, UM, THANKS EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE IN OUR NEW, UH, KIND OF THEATER IN THE SQUARE, I GUESS, OF OUR CONVERSATION THIS MORNING, BUT THANK YOU ALL.
I DO WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR NEW SPACE.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S A BIT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT I THINK THAT'S A FITTING PLACE TO BE.
UM, AS WE BEGIN RAMPING UP TOWARDS OUR FUTURE AND CONTINUING OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT CONNECT.
SO IT'S KIND OF A NEAT PLACE TO BE AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, I HAVE TO REALLY STOP AND PAUSE AND THANK A FEW PEOPLE, UM, REALLY MANY PEOPLE, BUT HIGHLIGHT A FEW PEOPLE, CERTAINLY OUTSCALE OR DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE WHO HAS IN ADDITION TO THE ENORMOUS TASK AHEAD OF HIM DOWN THE DOWN THE LINE IS, HAS BEEN REALLY WORKING TO MAKE SURE WE CAN BE HERE TODAY, ALONG WITH REBECCA CHLOE TODAY, GETTING US THROUGH, UM, A BIG, GIANT SHOUT OUT TO CAP METRO IT FOR REALLY MAKING THIS POSSIBLE TO BE HERE.
SO DOTTIE, THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
SO I THINK I SUPPOSED TO SAY ATX AND I'M DATING MYSELF WHEN I SAY CHANNEL SIX.
UM, AND IN OUR OTHER PARTNERS, CVRE BRIAN AND B CVRE AND GORDON HYLAND ARE GETTING THIS WORK DONE IN A VERY TOUGH SITUATION WITH ALL THE COMMODITY CHANGES AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED AND I THINK WHAT IT ACTUALLY DID GETTING THIS BUILDING TOGETHER, GETTING A SENIOR HERE, UM, ACTUALLY IN ITSELF SHOWS HOW WE'RE PARTNERING TO GET THINGS DONE.
IT'S A SMALL THING IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS, BUT HOW WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER, JUST BE HERE TOGETHER, BE ABLE TO GATHER TODAY.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I ALSO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE BEGIN TO INHABIT THIS ATP SPACE, IT'S A, IT'S A PERFECT TIME FOR REFLECTING, REFLECTING ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN, THE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE'VE HAD IN THE LEAD UP TO THE ELECTION, THE WORK AFTER THE ELECTION, AND ALSO JUST TO ADDRESS OUR, WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT MOMENT HERE TODAY.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE BOARD OPPORTUNITY TO LET US HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH YOU THIS MORNING WITH OUR TEAM.
LET'S GO BACK TO WHERE, UM, WHERE THIS, WHERE, WHY WE'RE HERE, THE VISION THAT AUSTIN VOTERS PUT IN PLACE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND IT'S LIKE, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME UPDATES STARTING WITH ONE OF OUR HIGH-TECH CONNECT, I THINK IS VALUABLE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE AND REMIND OURSELVES THAT WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK SIGNIFICANTLY ABOUT LIGHT RAIL.
IT IS ONE OF MANY COMPONENTS OF OUR PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
SO GOING AHEAD ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
NO, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO REMIND OURSELVES AND OUR, OUR RESIDENTS IS THAT WE HAVE A VISION AND THAT VISION WENT THROUGH A GREAT THOROUGH PROCESS.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHO WE WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE AS AUSTIN AND IT'S, I IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ROOTED IN THE IDEA OF HAVING INTEGRATED TRANSIT SYSTEM.
WE ALREADY HAVE A FANTASTIC SYSTEM THAT KEPT METRO.
THIS IS ABOUT ENHANCING THAT, UM, EASING TRAFFIC JOBS AND REALLY CONNECTING US AS A COMMUNITY NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.
AND THAT WORKED TO GET TO THAT VISION WAS MANY, MANY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY HAVE HELPED US GET THERE.
AND NOW WE'RE IN THE MOMENT WE GET TO KEEP IMPLEMENTING THAT VISION.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GO THERE.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING BACK TO WHERE WE SAID, WHAT WE, WHAT THE VOTERS APPROVED.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS ROOT TO WHAT OUR RESIDENTS ASKS FOR WHEN THEY APPROVE THIS VISION OF PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, AND IT'S ABOUT, AGAIN, IT IS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WHO WE WANT TO BE IDEAL OF GETTING EASING OUR CONGESTION, CONNECTING PEOPLE, CREATING JOBS, AND REALLY SETTING UP OUR FUTURE FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS HERE IN BOSTON.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT TABLE VISION AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK WE SHOULD CELEBRATE SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND JUST REMIND WE HAD A VOTE IN NOVEMBER, 2000, THE CITY COUNCIL, AND IN 2020, UM, UH, THAT'S INTERESTING.
I SAID 2000, UH, 2020, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAPITAL METRO CREATED THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
UM, AND HERE WE ARE, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, AGAIN, CELEBRATE SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND REALLY A SHOUT OUT TO CAP METRO
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FOR REALLY DOING SOME HEAVY LIFTS OVER THESE LAST 20 MONTHS TO MOVE AHEAD ON SOME SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS, STARTING WITH THE CIRCULATOR PICKUP ZONES.UM, WE KNOW THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET OUR PEOPLE MOVING IN CONNECTED TO OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR BUS NETWORK.
UM, GREAT TO GROUNDBREAKINGS ON REALLY KEY METRO RAPID IMPROVEMENTS.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS AFTERNOON WE'LL HAVE AN ITEM IN FRONT OF THE BOARD TO FORMALIZE ATP'S INVESTMENT IN THAT, IN THOSE PROJECTS, THOSE PROJECTS ARE IN CONSTRUCTION AND WE'LL BE DELIVERING, UH, IN THE NEXT YEAR, SERVE NEW SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
SO REALLY, UM, DELIVERING ON WHAT THE VOTERS ASKED FOR, AND THEN JUST THE OTHER NIGHT, UM, A FANTASTIC GROUNDBREAKING ON, UM, ENHANCING A CAT METRO'S RED LINE AND, UH, THAT THE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM THERE, IN ADDITION TO THE DOUBLE TRACKING THAT CAP METRO STARTED, I THINK IT'S DOTTIE MENTIONED THE OTHER DAY.
THAT WAS ALMOST THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION, BUT TWO NEW STATIONS GOING UP, UH, BY, UH, IN NORTH AUSTIN, IF THEY'RE GOING TO REALLY ADD CONNECTIVITY.
SO A GREAT CELEBRATION FOR AUSTIN.
AND AGAIN, SHOWING THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON THIS PROGRAM.
WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT THAT PICTURE.
YOU SEE UP THERE IS TRUE PARTNERSHIPS, EVERYONE IN THEIR FC SCARFS, WHICH IS GREAT, OR ARE ONTO THE PLAYOFFS FC SQUAD.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY BETWEEN THE CITY AND AUSTIN TRANS PARTNERSHIP AND CAP METRO, THAT AUSTIN FC WAS ALSO A PARTNER.
THEY ALSO PART OF THAT, UM, USE OF CITY LAND.
THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW WE CAN COME TOGETHER AGAIN THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS COMING TOGETHER TO GET BIG STUFF DONE FOR US.
SO THAT WAS REALLY FANTASTIC STUFF.
IN ADDITION, UM, TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'VE MOVING ON, THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M GOING TO REMIND YOU OF THE VERT DIVISION THAT WE ALSO HAD, UH, ON THE REALLY THE UNIQUE INVESTMENT THAT THIS COMMUNITY PUT ON THE BALLOT AND APPROVED IN INVESTING IN HOUSING, ALONG OUR TRANSIT CAR DOORS.
UM, WE KNOW AROUND THE COUNTRY AS TRANSIT GETS BUILT, SOMETIMES IT CREATES ISSUES AND DISPLACEMENT AND FOR OUR LEADERS TO SEE THAT AND ADDRESS THAT IN A WAY IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY WAS REALLY FANTASTIC.
$300 MILLION IS GOING TOWARDS ANTI-DISPLACEMENT.
ONE OF THE FIRST ACTION ITEMS THIS BOARD TOOK, UH, ABOUT 20 MONTHS AGO WAS PUTTING IN PLACE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY ABOUT THOSE FUNDS.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SAY THAT IF YOU COUNT THIS UPCOMING BUDGET HERE, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AWAY, UM, ATP WOULD HAVE FUNDED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN ABOUT 20 MONTHS TOWARDS THIS EFFORT.
UM, SO THAT IS A FANTASTIC EARLY INVESTMENT.
I HOPE ON SOME OF THOSE, SHE'S NOT, UM, UH, SHE'S IN HER, UH, BOTANICAL MUSEUM AND ENJOYING OBVIOUSLY STILL ON VACATION ACTUALLY.
UM, BUT SHE REALLY PRESSED US AND PRESSED STAFF TO ACCELERATE THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT IN SUPPORTING THE CITY AND THE GREAT WORK THAT THE CITY'S DOING AND IMPLEMENTING A HOUSING BLUEPRINT AND LOOKING AT HOW WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADVANCE INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INITIATIVES.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE BOARD AND YOUR INVESTMENT IN THAT.
UM, AND THAT WORK CONTINUES VERY COLLABORATIVELY, UM, BETWEEN ALL THE AGENCIES AS THAT WORK IS GOING.
SO AGAIN, REALLY IN 20 MONTHS AND FANTASTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AS I, AS I APPROACH MY NEARLY TWO MONTHS IN THIS ROLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ASKED ME WAS TO ASSESS WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE WERE IN THE PROGRAM, WHERE WE WERE AS ATP.
AND I WANT TO JUST PROVIDE YOU A HIGHLIGHT OF THAT, AND REALLY THAT'S THE DIALOGUE THAT WE WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU TODAY AROUND THIS TABLE.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO SLIGHTLY AGAIN AND REALLY JUST HIGHLIGHT THE FANTASTIC TRACK RECORD OF PARTNERSHIP.
UH, I SAY THIS A LOT TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE PROBABLY AREN'T LISTENING ANYMORE, BUT WE GOT TO NAME OURSELVES, RIGHT.
UM, A NEW GOVERNMENT STARTUP AGENCY.
AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, FI AND DACA WHO REALLY PUT THAT NAME OUT THERE, THE IDEA OF A PARTNERSHIP.
AND I THINK IT REALLY IS AT THE KIND OF A SOUL OF WHO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH WITH CAP METRO IN THE CITY, PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITY, PARTNERING WITH, UM, ALL THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO GET THIS WORK DONE.
AND I THINK WE TRY TO LIVE AND BREATHE THAT EVERY DAY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE, UH, BORN OUT IN THESE FIRST 20 MONTHS AFTER AN ELECTION.
SOMETIMES AFTER AN ELECTION, THINGS, PEOPLE GO QUIET AND IT TAKES A
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WHILE FOR THINGS TO START HAPPENING.THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN AUSTIN, UM, BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY OF THIS BOARD OF THE CAP METRO BOARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
PART OF THE ASSESSMENT ALSO, UM, THAT YOU ASKED ME TO LOOK AT IS, UH, STARTING AGAIN IN MAY, UH, AS I TOOK IN, TOOK ON THIS ROLE IN EARLY APRIL, UH, THERE WAS A MEMO THAT WENT OUT ABOUT THE COST OF OUR LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, KIND OF HAVE AN HONEST DISCUSSION AND HONEST REFLECTION ABOUT THE REALITIES OF THAT WE ARE, UM, WHAT I CAN SAY VERY CLEARLY, EVEN WITH THOSE COST CHANGES ATP.
AND I KNOW ALL THE PARTNERS ARE 100% COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING THE VISION, UM, OF THE VOTERS.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE IS ASSURED THAT WE WILL COMPLETE PROJECT CONNECT.
WE WILL COMPLETE IMPLEMENTING PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT EVEN IN, EVEN IN THE LIGHT OF RISING PRICES AROUND THE WORLD, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT WITHOUT NEW TAXES.
IT WILL REQUIRE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TIMING OF DELIVERY BECAUSE OF THOSE REALITIES.
BUT I THINK WE'RE VERY WELL SET UP TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON, WE ARE DRIVING TOWARDS COMPLETION OF PROJECT CONNECT OVER THE YEARS.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? I THINK THE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS AS WE WORK TOWARDS AN UPDATED LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, THAT WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY ON THAT.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, AND THE TEAM IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS GOING TO WALK THROUGH OUR PROCESSES ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ADVANCING THE WORK.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO, UM, AGAIN, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AS WE REFLECT ON THE UPDATED LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION, IS THAT WHY THE ENTIRE VISION IS HAPPENING.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TRADE OFFS AND PRIORITIES, AND WE'RE GOING TO ROOT THAT IN COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE ROOTED IN THE AVAILABLE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD ON KEY INVESTMENTS IN LIGHT RAIL, AS WE HAVE, AS WE HAVE COMMITTED TO.
IT REALLY IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR OVERALL TIMING OF THAT.
AND THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WITH YOU TODAY.
PART OF THAT IS OUR FOCUS WORK ON, ON COMPLETING THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT EFFORT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GOING TO COMPLETE THAT EFFORT, KNOWING WHERE WE ARE ON COST, HONESTLY, ADDRESSING THOSE COST ISSUES.
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT WITHIN OUR AVAILABLE FUNDING.
AND WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO THE REQUIRED WORK TO GO THROUGH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION PROCESS BECAUSE THEY ARE A PARTNER, THEY'RE AN INVESTOR.
AND I THINK WHAT SETS US UP REALLY WELL FOR THIS EFFORT IS BECAUSE IN NOVEMBER, 2020, OUR VOTERS AND OUR RESIDENTS IMPLEMENTED AN INCREDIBLY UNIQUE FUNDING SOURCE THAT WE CAN BE MOVED FORWARD ON THIS OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY FACING RISING COSTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, OR HAVING TO PAUSE OR EVEN CANCEL THEIR PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THE FIXED NATURE OF SOME OF THE FUNDING, BUT BECAUSE OF THE AGILE FUNDING SOURCE AND RESILIENT FUNDING STREAM THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE WELL POSITIONED TO GAIN, TO COMPLETE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT CONNECT AS WE GO THROUGH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TRADE-OFFS AND PRIORITIES OVER THESE UPCOMING MONTHS.
WE KNOW THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
ATP WAS CREATED TO SOLELY FOCUS ON THESE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE WAY WE'VE DONE THAT IS NOT ONLY HIRING A FANTASTIC TEAM OF EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO BRINGING IN FOLKS TO HELP US AS WELL ON THAT.
AND AS WE CONTINUE THIS WORK, UM, OUR FOCUS WORK, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THAT WORD TODAY, A LOT, THE IDEA OF FOCUS, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON GETTING AND ADVANCING TOWARDS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON IMPLEMENTATION OF LIGHT RAIL, UM, WITHIN THE TIME THAT WE'VE ALREADY SET OUT AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THAT WORK AND BRING OF ALL OF OUR PARTNERS ALONG COMMUNITY AND FTA AS WELL.
SO LET ME INTRODUCE QUICKLY, UM, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT SECTION ON OUR LIGHT RAIL ASSESSMENT.
SO SITTING WITH US TODAY AT OUR, AT OUR THEATER HERE, UM, IS, UH, IS A GREAT, A GREAT TEAM OF EXPERTS THAT ARE NOW PART OF OUR TEAM.
AND I WANT TO FIRST SAY WHAT IT DOES IS COMPLIMENT, UH, THE ATP STAFF AND THE CAP METRO STAFF AT THE CITY STAFF THAT ARE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON ALL OF THESE EFFORTS.
AND WHAT'S NEAT ABOUT OUR, OUR, THE NEW NEWLY CREATED ATP TEAM IS THAT WE HAVE FOLKS FROM ALL OVER.
WE HAVE, UM, I'LL GO THROUGH MY NAME'S JEN AND ALVIN FROM PHOENIX, UM, UH, THE NON FROM NEW YORK,
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UM, VICKY AND JOHN FROM DALLAS, UH, DAVE FROM LOTS OF GREAT PLACES THAT WE'RE PICKING ALL HIS KNOWLEDGE FROM DC AND HOUSTON AND DAVE, I'M PROBABLY MISSING SOME OTHER PLACES, UM, UH, CALIFORNIA, AND TO COMPLIMENT THAT WITH OUR TEAM IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.UM, SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF FOLKS THAT I WANT TO INTRODUCE.
WE HAVE BRIAN BUCHANAN WITH HDR.
HE IS OUR PMO, OUR, UM, REALLY BEEN WITH THIS TEAM AND EFFORT BEFORE THE, UH, BEFORE THE REFERENDUM, UM, WITH ERNST AND YOUNG TOM
UM, CAROLYN HAS A FANTASTIC BACKGROUND, UM, NOT ONLY LEADING TRANSIT IN CHARLOTTE, BUT ALSO LEADING TRANSIT FOR THIS COUNTRY AS FORMER FTA ADMINISTRATOR UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND AN ARJUN GUARD ALSO WITH A, UM, FORMER FTA EXPERIENCE AS A GENERAL COUNSEL FOCUSED ON CIG.
SO WE THINK THIS ASSEMBLED TEAM OF EXPERTS THAT TOGETHER, AND I PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THIS NUMBER, RIGHT THAT TOGETHER HAVE OVER A HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS OF EXPERIENCE OF DELIVERING CIG AND LIGHT RAIL PROGRAMS FROM EAST TO WEST AND NORTH TO SOUTH AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE GOING TO HERE ARE GOING TO BE WITH US TO HELP US ALONG IN THIS PROCESS.
SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO STOP, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT, CAUSE I KNOW ACCORD MEMBER ELKINS NEEDS TO STEP OUT FOR A MOMENT AND GIVE HIM A CHANCE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING, GREG, BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.
FIRST OF ALL, I HARDLY, UH, APPLIED STAFF, UH, BOTH AT CAP METRO IN ATP AND THE CITY FOR PUTTING ON THIS BRIEFING, UM, BEING INVOLVED IN OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I SEE OTHER DMTS AND OTHER TRADE AID TRANSIT AGENCIES HAVING THE SAME PHENOMENON WITH ESCALATING COSTS.
SO THERE ARE, THESE TYPES OF MEETINGS ARE NOT JUST HAPPENING IN AUSTIN, THEY'RE HAPPENING AT OTHER PLACES ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND IT.
I THINK IT'S A NATURAL PHENOMENON OF WHERE WE ARE IN OUR DEVELOPMENT TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF DISCUSSION AND TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UH, SO THIS IS NOT SURPRISING TO ME.
WE HAVE A, UH, SOURCES EQUALS USES ISSUE OF WHICH MANY PEOPLE HAVE RIGHT NOW, OUR SOURCES ARE SOMEWHAT FIXED, BUT THE USES OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE NEED TO THINK MAJOR DESIGN ASSUMPTIONS FOR THIS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS TIMING.
UM, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISED THE VOTERS.
UM, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TWO THINGS, MAXIMUM INNOVATION AND MAXIMUM COOPERATION FOR EVERYBODY ON THE TABLE, AS WELL AS THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS PROGRAM WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY YOU SNEAKING BACK, UH, FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING.
UM, SO WHAT, BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO BRIAN, WHO'S GOING TO KIND OF ACT AS OUR EMCEE FOR THIS.
WE REALLY WANT TO CREATE, EVEN FROM THE SPACE, CREATE A DIALOGUE AND THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME STOPPING POINTS HERE ALONG.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE POWERPOINT.
THERE'S SOME SECTIONS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO PAUSE AND ALLOW THE BOARD TO ENGAGE AND ASK QUESTIONS AND CREATE DIALOGUE, UM, WITH THESE, THESE, YOU KNOW, S UH, SOAK UP THEIR KNOWLEDGE, UM, TODAY AND HELP HELP THAT BY, BY ENGAGING WITH THE CONVERSATION THAT THEY'RE HERE FOR.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE SOME NATURAL STOPPING POINTS TO DO THAT, BUT WITH THAT ALTERNATE OVER TO MR. BUCHANAN, THANK YOU, GREG.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF BOARD APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AND WORK WITH THE GREAT COLLEAGUES AND STAFF HERE ON DELIVERING THIS PROGRAM.
SO I THINK BOARD MEMBER ELKINS DID THE ABOUT 20 SLIDES AND ABOUT FOUR BULLET POINTS THERE BECAUSE, UM, TH THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SUMMARY OF WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO TODAY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE DAY, I THINK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE ARE BEEN DEALING WITH SOME CHANGING COSTS AND SOME CHANGING WORLD EVENTS AND, AND ITEMS LIKE THAT, THAT, UH, WE ALL SEE IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES, BUT THEY ALSO REFLECT INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE, UM, TRYING TO CONSTRUCT OUT THERE.
AND, UH, THIS, UH, PHENOMENON IS, IS CONTINUING TO IMPACT, UM, PROJECTS ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
AND AS BOARD MEMBER ELKINS SAID TODAY, UM, YOU KNOW, SOURCES EQUALS USES KIND OF TYPE OF CONVERSATION.
SO HOW DO WE WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THIS, UM, BASED ON WHERE WE ARE TODAY, NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UM, GREG HAD MENTIONED, UH, THE MARCH MEMO ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH OUR PROGRAM COSTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID SEE, UH, AN INCREASE IN COSTS AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME, UM, RELATED AROUND DESIGN PROGRESSION AND SCOPE OF ITEMS, JUST WORKING THROUGH THE GENERAL PROCESS OF, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
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BUILD A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND, AND WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THOSE DESIGN DESIGN ELEMENTS AND WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS ON THAT, UM, REAL ESTATE.I THINK YOU ALL, UM, HAVE SEEN THAT WE ARE IMPACTING REAL ESTATE.
SO THEREFORE WE HAVE TO PAY REAL ESTATE COSTS.
AND AS THOSE COSTS GO UP, OUR COSTS GO UP AND THEN INFLATION AND ANYTHING RELATED AROUND SUPPLY CHAIN AND JUST THE UNCERTAINTIES AROUND THAT.
UM, WE ARE NOT SEEING A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY IN OUR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO THEREFORE, UM, TODAY'S CONVERSATION AND WHERE WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, FROM THIS IS TO TRY TO ALIGN OUR PROGRAM SCOPE WITH OUR SEQUENCING TO OUR AVAILABLE FUNDING.
AND THAT IS, THAT IS OUR CONVERSATION TODAY.
AND I'M WORKING THROUGH A DIALOGUE WITH YOU ON HOW, HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO I'LL JUST REMIND EVERYBODY OF THE GREAT FUNDING SOURCE THIS PROGRAM HAS, UH, RELATED TO PROPERTY REVENUE.
UM, THAT IS A, A FUNDING SOURCE THAT MANY GRANTEES, MANY CITIES ACROSS THE NATION WOULD LOVE TO HAVE.
AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON, ON PASSING THAT, UM, AND IT'S USED FOR A LOT OF THINGS IT'S USED NOT ONLY FOR THE CAPITAL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, BUT ALSO O AND M IT'S GOING TO BE USED TO LEVERAGE GRANTS THAT WE WANT TO GET FROM, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS.
IT'S, IT'S ONGOING PERPETUAL COSTS.
AND AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROGRAM, ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE BALANCED, IT NEEDS TO BE BALANCED IN THE FINANCIAL PLAN.
SO IT WAS ONE THING GOES UP, IT'S GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT ALL PLAYS INTO THE FINANCIAL SITUATION.
AND JUST TO REMINDER THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, O AND M COSTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE GOING UP TO, YOU KNOW, LABOR AND, AND ALL THAT.
SO I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A PERFECT STORM AND IN A WAY OF THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE GOT SOME, WE GOT SOME THINGS TO WORK THROUGH.
SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING, WE ARE TRYING TO BECOME AN INVESTIBLE PROGRAM AND THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK AT US AND RATE US, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT CIG PROGRAM CHECKLISTS, THIS AND THAT IS ALL TO PASS THEIR INVESTMENT TEST.
AND THEY WANT TO BE, THEY WANT TO BE AN INVESTOR WITH US, AND THEY'RE GOING TO RUN US THROUGH A LOT OF CHECKLISTS AND LOTS OF THINGS, AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTIBLE, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH, UM, AND TAKE THOSE LOCAL FUNDS AND LEVERAGE THEM WITH FEDERAL FEDERAL FUNDS TO GET THIS PROGRAM DELIVERED.
SO JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UM, THEY ARE A MAJOR PLAYER.
THEY ARE SOMEBODY THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM AND THEIR PROCESS AND MAKING THEM HAPPY TO INVEST IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO THROW IT TO CAROLYN, UM, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS ACROSS THE NATION AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING THERE.
UM, THERE ARE TWO TAKEAWAYS HERE, AND ONE IS THE AMOUNT THAT FTA HAS INVESTED DURING THIS PERIOD, UM, UH, MAJOR PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND, AND AS YOU SEE IN THIS CHART IS RANGED BETWEEN 800 MILLION AND 1 BILLION.
UH, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF OUTLIERS HERE, UM, ONE BEING HONOLULU, AND, AND THIS IS, UM, WHEN, WHERE IT IS A LARGER INVESTMENT AND, AND THAT DETERMINATION WAS PROBABLY MORE POLITICAL, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS THE HOME STATE OF THE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THEN THE OTHER OUTLIER, UH, THE MEGA MEGA PROJECTS IN NEW YORK.
THERE ARE COMMITMENTS, UM, UH, THROUGH SEVERAL ADMINISTRATION NOW IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR IS, UM, IS IN A STATE OF GOOD REPAIR AND THAT, UM, BETWEEN BOSTON AND DC, THERE'S, UH, ADEQUATE, UH, RAIL, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY IN NEW YORK, WHICH HAS BEEN, I THINK, LONG PROMISED THROUGH, UH, PROBABLY YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
SO THOSE, WE CALL THOSE MEGA MEGA SPECIALS.
AND, UH, AND SO THOSE THAT'S, UH, STOOD OUT.
UM, THE OTHER TAKEAWAY IS THE PERCENTAGE THAT, UH, FTA HAS PROVIDED FOR GRANTS, UH, STATUTORILY.
THEY CAN GO UP TO 60%, BUT YOU WILL SEE HERE ONLY SAN FRANCISCO, UM, RECEIVED A 60% CONTRIBUTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, THESE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
UH, A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN POLICY DRIVEN AND THE OTHER IS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FRIENDS.
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FTA, THE FEDERAL SHARE RANGED IN THE LOW 40%, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A SAUSAGE MAKING PROCESS.UM, SO THE DECISIONS ARE MADE, UH, ON THESE PERCENTAGES BASED ON FTA CASHFLOW, UH, AND THEY LOOK AT THEIR CON CURRENT CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS, AND THEN THEY SEE WHAT, UH, FUNDS THEY STILL HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, THE PAYOUT PERIOD, UM, MOST OF THESE, OH, OKAY.
UH, MOST OF THESE, UH, CONTRACTS IS GENERALLY SEVEN TO NINE YEARS.
FTA WANTS TO PAY THEM OFF AND, AND GET THAT, YOU KNOW, FUNDING OUT OF THE WAY.
UM, BUT IT'S BASED ON ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS AND IT'S OVERLAID, AS I SAID ABOUT, UH, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION'S POLICIES, THE LAST ADMINISTRATION WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON, ON A BUS AND HAD LOWER GRANT, UH, PERCENTAGES.
UH, BUT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION WOULD, THE
SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PURSUE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH A PROJECT THAT'S READY.
WELL, IT'S SO NICE TO MEET ALL OF YOU FINALLY IN PERSON.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING, UM, TO GET US TO THIS POINT AND TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH HDR.
SO I KNOW THAT, UM, I WANT TO OPEN IT ALSO FOR THE BOARD.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY INITIAL QUESTIONS ON THE FUNDING BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON? NO, THANK YOU.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY, I REALIZED THESE ARE SOME OF OUR LARGER, UM, MORE CIG TYPE PROJECTS, CORRECT.
THAT YOU'VE GOT HERE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY CHANCE THAT I REALIZED, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S SAUSAGE-MAKING AND A LOT OF THIS IS KIND OF READING THE TEA LEAVES, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WE RECENTLY RECEIVED A RATHER LARGE PERCENTAGE WISE GRANT FROM THE FTA AS WE WERE, UH, PUTTING THE, UH, REQUEST IN FOR, FOR THE BRT PROJECT.
ANY CHANCE FROM WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT THAT COULD KIND OF BE A GAUGE AS TO HOW THAT MIGHT PLAY OUT AS WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS WHAT FEDERAL PERCENTAGES MAY BE FOR THESE LARGER CAPITAL.
WELL, FTA HAS THREE PROGRAMS, UM, AND SMALL STARTS IS WHERE PROBABLY THE BRT FELL IN.
UM, AND SO WITH SMALL STARTS, IT WAS UP TO 300 MILLION FOR THE GRANT AMOUNT AND A HUNDRED MILLION, UH, FOR THE LOCAL SHARE.
I MEAN, THE FEDERAL SHARE UNDER THE IJ, A IT'S NOW BEEN RAISED TO 400 MILLION, UH, FOR THE MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT AND 150 MILLION IS THE TOP LEVEL OF THE MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION FOR THOSE GRANTS.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT IS TO SAY UNDER THE
AND SO I THINK NOW IS THE TIME, UH, TO ACTUALLY LEVERAGE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND ASK FTA FOR A LARGER PERCENTAGE.
UM, I COULD, YOU KNOW, BASED ON AN FDA WILL PROBABLY CONSIDER THAT BASED ON THE INCREASED FUNDING THAT'S COMING INTO THE PROGRAM.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, I THINK THE ASSUMPTION THAT WAS MADE IN YOUR INITIAL, UM, BUDGET OR PROJECTIONS WAS 45, 40 5%.
I MEAN, ANY INCREASE AT THIS TIME IS GOING TO HELP, HELP THIS.
UM, AS YOU LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE FUNDING, I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY LOOK AT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, ASK FOR A HIGHER PERCENTAGE SHARE.
D DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THIS AT THIS GRAPH THAT THIS GRAPHIC HERE, YOU SEE, UM, I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE MORE RECENT NUMBERS AROUND THERE, AND WE SEE, UH, AGAIN, TAKING THAT OUTLIER, THE, THE NEW YORK CITY PROJECTS, AND YOU CAN NEW YORK AND JERSEY OUT OF THERE.
I SEE FROM 2021, WE'RE LOOKING AT SEATTLE
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AND, UM, THEIR LINWOOD PROJECT FOR EXAMPLE, WAS 1.2 BILLION.AND IT LOOKED LIKE FOR THE TOTAL GRANT AMOUNT AND THAT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE 36% FEDERAL MATCH, UM, THAT DEFINITELY IS ON THE LOWER END.
THAT IS A MORE RECENT FIGURE, BUT AGAIN, JUST, JUST LOOKING AT A CHART LIKE THIS, THAT DOESN'T TELL US THE WHOLE PICTURE.
SO I KIND OF, THIS CHART IS, YOU KNOW, GOING OVER, UH, NOW THREE ADMINISTRATIONS.
SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TIMING THAT THEY PROBABLY ENTERED, UH, INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, SEATTLE, I THINK AT THE TIME WAS PROBABLY THE LARGEST, UM, UH, LOCAL, UH, INITIATIVE OUT THERE.
AND SO AT THE TIME THEY HAD WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE SUFFICIENT FUNDS, AND NOW THEY'VE ALSO RUN INTO THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
SO, SO BASICALLY FROM WHAT, FROM WHERE Y'ALL ARE STANDING, LOOKING AT THIS AS MORE EXPERTS IN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY, LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE AND SAYING KIND OF THE TRENDS, BOTH WITH PROJECT ESCALATION COSTS ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT THEN ALSO SEEING WHERE THE, THE WEIGHING THAT AGAINST THE FEDERAL UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THINGS.
UM, AND I, I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE SEEN SOME ARTICLES THAT THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE AND I, I WANT TO CREDIT, UM, DOTTIE WALK-INS AND GREG AND ALLIE FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH US NOT TOO LONG AGO, THAT SOME OF THAT FEDERAL MONEY THAT HAS BEEN AVAILABLE IS IN SOME CASES BEEN A WASH FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THE PROJECT INCREASING COSTS, UM, WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS, AS THE EXPERTS HERE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SEE, OR BELIEVE THAT OUR FINANCIAL MODEL IS SHOWING YOU BELIEVE THAT, THAT WHAT WE SET WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT KIND OF, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S SPITBALLING, IT'S BALLPARKING THIS, DO YOU ALL FEEL LIKE THAT THAT KIND OF 45% IS STILL A REALISTIC GOAL OR REALISTIC OVERALL, UM, APPROXIMATION AS TO WHERE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME IN AROUND KNOWING THAT OUR COSTS ARE DEFINITELY ESCALATING OR DO WE NOW NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC AND KIND OF RAMP THAT DOWN BECAUSE 45% OF SEVEN POINT OR OF, UH, YOU KNOW, 7.3 BILLION IS ONE THING, BUT 45% OF, YOU KNOW, 15 BILLION IS A BIGGER DEAL ENTIRELY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE PERCENTAGE AND THEN THERE'S THE ACTUAL DOLLAR, RIGHT.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THAT'S, WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT.
SO, UM, I THINK AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FDA ON WHAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT.
BUT I THINK THAT MY, ONE OF MY TAKEAWAYS, I WISH YOU WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM THIS A LITTLE BIT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE PERCENTAGE, BUT LOOK AT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AROUND IN WHICH THESE BILLION, BILLION AND A HALF DOLLAR GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SWEET SPOT REGARDLESS OF THE PROJECT COSTS AND THE PERCENTAGE JUST PLAYS OUT.
UM, SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT IN THE FINANCIAL MODEL AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE PERCENTAGE, IT'S THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, RELATED TO THAT.
AND THE HARD WORK YOU PUT IN ON THIS, I APPRECIATE IT.
NOT ENOUGH I'M ON THAT OR NOT.
I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, UH, BECAUSE IT IT'S BEEN APPARENT JUST BY READING THE NEWSPAPER AND SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT NEEDED THAT.
UH, THERE WAS THE MEMO THAT CAME OUT, UH, SIX MONTHS AGO THAT, UH, ALERTED US TO THE FACT THAT, THAT THE COST OF THE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED AT THE TIME THAT THAT MEMO CAME OUT ABOUT HALF OF THAT INCREASE WAS, UH, DESIGN ISSUES.
UH, IT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE TUNNEL LENGTHENING FROM THE AMOUNT OF MILES FOR MILES.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT DESIGN ISSUE AND OTHER DESIGN ISSUES.
BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THAT OUT, THE AMOUNT OF ANTICIPATED INCREASED COSTS OR MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES OR LABOR FOR LAND, UH, WAS NOT AS HIGH, UH, OR GRADE IN INCREASE FOR THAT ELEMENT, AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWSPAPER IN THE MEDIA OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
UH, SO I THINK IT WAS REASONABLE TO ASSUME YOU'D BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AS WE TRUED UP TO EVENTS AS THEY WERE, THEY WERE DEVELOPING, AND WE'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES
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AROUND THE COUNTRY, UH, NOW GRAPPLING WITH THE DECISION.UH, BUT I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EXPERTS HERE, UH, UH, CONCUR WITH WHAT I THINK I UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY, UH, AND THAT BEGINS WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VOTERS WENT TO THE BALLOT BOX TO APPROVE A PLAN FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, AND GENERALLY THAT PLAN HAD US REACHING, UH, UH, WITH MULTIPLE, UH, PROJECTS, UM, OR SUB-PARTS OF WHAT WAS GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS PROJECT CONNECT, UH, AND THAT INCLUDED, UH, BUS RAPID TRANSIT LINES AND INCLUDED, UH, OTHER TRANSIT PROJECTS.
IT INCLUDED, UH, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UH, IN MY, AS PART OF A PROJECT THAT ANY CITY IN THE COUNTRY HAD DONE DIRECTED TOWARD AFFORDABILITY AND, AND PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
IT ALSO INCLUDED, UH, TWO, UH, RAIL LINES, UH, THE ORANGE LINE AND THE BLUE LINE, WHICH REACHED FROM NEARLY THE NORTH LIMIT OF THE CITY TO NEARLY THE SOUTHERN LIMIT OF THE CITY.
AND IT WENT FROM DOWNTOWN OUT TO THE, TO THE AIRPORT.
IT ACTUALLY STARTED ON A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS AND NEVER RECEIVED FUNDING FOR THEM.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY AHEAD OF THE PACE ON MAYBE OF THOSE PROJECTS, BUT TO CONFIRM WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY, UH, WAS EVEN WITH, UH, THE INCREASE IN COSTS BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING MECHANISM THAT WE HAVE, IT SHOULD STILL BE THIS COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATION THAT WE CAN DELIVER THE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN, UH, UH, GENERALLY AS IT WINS TO THE VOTERS AND WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY.
YES, MA'AM, THAT'S IT RIGHT? WE'RE THIS IS ATP'S WORK, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO GETTING THAT DONE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT REVENUE SOURCE, THAT PROPERTY THAT BRIAN SAID, WE'RE WELL-POSITIONED TO DO THAT EVEN, EVEN IN LIGHT OF THESE WORLDWIDE COSTS, UM, PUSHES ON US AGAIN, AS WE SAID, IT BEGINS ABOUT DIALOGUE, ABOUT TIMING DRIVING FORWARD ON GETTING TO ARE GETTING, SO THAT WOULD BE THEN THE NEXT ELEMENT OF THAT YET WE STILL PLAN ON COMMUNITY CAN STILL PLAN ON DELIVERING THIS PROJECT.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE COST GOING UP MORE DRAMATICALLY THAN ANYTHING THAT I CAN SEE, UH, SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAVE TO GET.
AND I GUESS THAT IS THE KIND OF DECISIONS THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE.
WHAT ARE THOSE SPECIFIC DESIGN CHOICES THAT WE MAKE IN ACHIEVING THAT, THAT, THAT RESULT, WHAT IS THE EVALUATION HEARING WE DO? WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE SET, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT I'M HEARING THAT HAS THE GREATEST IMPACT.
AND I WANT TO CONFIRM THIS AGAIN, IS, IS THE SEQUENCING, WHAT DO WE BUILD WHEN OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIMING RECOGNIZING THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS A SERIES OF, OF, OF, OF SMALLER ELEMENTS OR, OR, OR, OR, OR PROJECTS MANY OF WHICH THEY'RE ALREADY STARTED, BUT IT'S THAT SEQUENCING PLAN, UH, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO NOW TAKE A LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT CHANGES TO THAT SEQUENCING PLAN WILL BE NECESSARY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE OVERALL PRICE.
DO I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY, YOU HAVE MEREDITH OFFENDER.
AND THE WORK AHEAD OF US THAT YOU'LL HEAR HERE IS HOW TO GET TO THAT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S A VERY WELL-DESIGNED PROCESS COMMUNITY RICH TO HAVE THOSE THAT HAVE THAT DIALOGUE, BUT ADVANCE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND THAT SEEMS REASONABLE TO ME, UH, AND APPROPRIATE TO ME, UH, BECAUSE WHEN THE VOTERS WENT TO THE BALLOT BOX AND VOTED TO APPROVE PROJECT, AND THAT, UH, THEY APPROVED A SEQUENCING PLAN AND THEY APPROVED THE ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT PERTAINING TO VOTERS TODAY, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS, HEY, WE'RE STILL GOING TO DO THE PROJECT WITH THE SEQUENCING PLAN MIGHT NEED TO BE AMENDED.
UH, BUT WHEN THE VOTERS WENT TO THE POLLS, THEY, THEY, THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT THE SEQUENCING PLAN COULD CHANGE.
BUT IN ORDER FOR THE SEQUENCING PLAN TO CHANGE, IT WAS GOING TO REQUIRE A VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND A VOTE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
[00:40:01]
OF CAP METRO, BUT BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS WAS THAT, THAT VEHICLE FOR CHANGING THE SEQUENCING.SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS WE'RE ENTERING INTO A PROCESS THAT COULD RESULT IN GOING BACK TO THOSE TWO BODIES, UH, FOR THOSE TWO BODIES, WITH THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ON, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, CHANGING THE SEQUENCING PLAN SO THAT WE CAN STILL PROJECT.
I THINK THAT THE FOCUS ON THAT IS, AND THERE WILL BE A DELIVERED PROJECT, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND THAT I THINK HAS CONSISTENTLY, WE HAVE, I KNOW, THANK GOODNESS WE PROVED THE FINANCING OF THIS PROJECT, THE WAY THAT WE DID, UH, BECAUSE THAT GAVE US THIS FLEXIBILITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT DURING THE, DURING THE ELECTION THAT WE HAD NOW WITH RESPECT TO THIS CHART THAT WE HAVE, AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE, AND YOU HAD A SLIDE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTING TO INVEST IN AN INVESTIBLE PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE NEVER ENVISIONED GOING INTO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH ONE PROJECT CONNECT PROJECT AND SAYING, INVEST IN PROJECT CONNECT.
THAT'S NOT AS A PRACTICAL MATTER HOW THIS WORKS, VERY MULTIPLE GRANTS, MULTIPLE INVESTMENTS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN EACH ONE OF THOSE MULTIPLE INVESTMENTS NEEDS TO BE INDEPENDENTLY STAND ALONE, ALL THE TESTS INDIVIDUALLY.
AND EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS AND GETS EVALUATED AND I'VE SEEN THE LOS ANGELES PROBABLY IS THE, IS THE MOST COMPARABLE EXAMPLE ON THE, ON THE CHART WHERE THEY WENT TO THE FENCE WITH FOUR PROJECTS, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, UH, A BILLION DOLLARS AVERAGING FOR EACH OF THE, OF THE PROJECTS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT GOING AFTER FEDERAL FUNDING, DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT IT'S OUR ANTICIPATION AND OUR EXPECTATION THAT AT THIS POINT, THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A BILLION DOLLARS TOTAL ACROSS ALL THE PROJECTS, BUT OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PROJECTS THAT EACH INDIVIDUALLY COMPETE CONSISTENT WITH THE STANDARDS AND THE PERCENTAGES AND THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ONE OF THE EXERCISES IS TO MAXIMIZE THE GRANT POTENTIAL, RIGHT.
SO HOW DO THOSE PROJECTS STACK UP? HOW CAN WE GET THEM TO BE INDEPENDENT UTILITIES? WHAT THEY CALL IT, AND CAN WE GO AFTER A GRANT FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE TO MAKE UP THE WHOLE ENTIRE SYSTEM? SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THERE, YEAH.
OUR INTENT IS TO MAXIMIZE THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ON, AND THAT IS PART OF THE NEXT THAT'S CORRECT ELEMENT OF THE PROCESS, CORRECT.
AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE PRESENT THIS TO THE FANS AS A SERIES OF PROJECTS TO MAXIMIZE WHAT THE OVERALL CONTRIBUTION IS ACROSS A SERIES OF PROJECTS, TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE PROJECT.
AND IF I MAY JUST ON THAT GRANT PIECE, UM, IT'S THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE, OBVIOUSLY HAS MULTIPLE GRANTS SENATE.
WE ARE ONE ATP BOARD VOTE TODAY AWAY FROM THE LAST PIECE OF PAPERWORK NECESSARY TO GET TWO DIFFERENT GRANTS FOR THE METRO RAPID PROJECTS.
AND THOSE ARE IN THE FEDERAL NEWS, SMALL STARTS PROGRAM AS TWO SEPARATE GRANTS, THE, UM, EXTRA GRANT AND THE PV GRANT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE FEDERAL PROCESS, THE A AND R IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FOR TWO DIFFERENT LIGHT RAIL GRANTS, A BLUE LINE GRANT AND ORANGE LINE GRANT.
SO WE'VE ALREADY ENVISIONED IT THAT WAY.
THE FTA ALREADY UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS A, A SERIES OF PROJECTS AND IN THIS PROCESS, AND I KNOW I'M SKIPPING AHEAD, CAUSE PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS, THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT IN THIS PROCESS OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE DEFINING EXACTLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO IN THE FUTURE, ENGAGE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT THE FTA IS ALREADY A PARTNER AT THE TABLE AND HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED US INTO THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY SEE THE VALUE IN THE PROJECTS THAT GOT IT.
SO THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAVE, PROBABLY THE LAST QUESTION, AND THIS IS PROBABLY A QUESTION YOU CAN'T ANSWER, BUT IS THE QUESTION I HAVE ON, I IMAGINE MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY WOULD HAVE RELATIVE TO THIS AS WELL.
THEN HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE, WHAT IS THE TIMING? UH, AND I WOULD THEN GATHER FROM THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO THE OTHER QUESTIONS, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
THAT'S CORRECTLY, NOT ENTIRELY SATISFYING.
I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE YOU TO TELL ME NOW WITH THE CONCLUSION OF YOUR WORK OVER THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, OR HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK.
AND I HOPE THAT AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE HERE, UH, GREG, YOU GIVE US A FEEL FOR WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO, TO US
[00:45:01]
AND THE COMMUNITY WITH, UH, HELPING US UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT THE, UH, CHANGES IN SEQUENCING THAT THE COUNCIL AND, UH, CAP METRO BOARD ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER, UH, THAT THE COMMUNITY GENERALLY IS GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER SO THAT WE LEAVE HERE TODAY WITH KIND OF A FEEL FOR WHAT THOSE STEPS ARE.UM, UM, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT I KNOW THIS COMMUNITY HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, ON FOR LOTS OF REASONS.
UM, THIS PROJECT IS THE WAY THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION.
THIS IS HOW OUR COMMUNITY, UH, MEET OUR EQUITY AND JUSTICE REQUIREMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE ACCESS, UH, MOBILITY, UH, UH, JUSTICE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT WILL HELP US WITH, UH, URBAN PLANNING IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP BUILD, UH, DENSITY ON OUR CORRIDORS AND IN A WALKABLE CITY.
UM, THAT ADDS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
PEOPLE HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, AND I'M ENCOURAGED THAT WE'RE SAYING AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE STILL GOING TO DELIVER THAT PROJECT.
UM, BUT I AM ALSO REAL SUPPORTIVE OF US MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PROPER STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC'S DOLLARS.
AND I DON'T WANT US TO PULL THE STRING AND SAY, GO DO THIS UNTIL WE ARE SURE THAT WE CAN DO THIS, UH, THAT WE'RE NOT HIDING FROM THE REALITY OF THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING THAT.
AND WE'LL IN FACT, DELIVER A PROJECT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN BE DONE IN THE WAY THAT WE SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
AND I'LL WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE PACKAGE FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL ANSWERS.
UM, I'LL WAIT FOR MY NEXT COMMENTS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON THEM, BUT MY QUESTION BASICALLY IS RELATED.
AND LET ME KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO COME UP LATER, BUT HOW DO WE DEFINE THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS? I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN USING THE CONCEPT OF BUCKETS, UM, IN THE PROGRAM OVERALL, UM, ELEMENTS, DEPENDING ON EACH PART OF TOWN, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS RECENT AS A COMMUNITY, IT'S AN INTEREST OR WHAT WE'RE CALLING A ADDITIONAL SCOPE ADDED TO THE PROJECT IS THAT AS WE TEAR DOWN OUR STREETS TO PUT IN TRANSIT, NOW WE WANT TO HAVE COMPLETE STREETS AND BIKE LANES AND SHADED SIDEWALKS.
WHAT IF THOSE ELEMENTS HAVE IMPACTED THE COST ANALYSIS OF THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER SOMETHING THAT IS ROBUST, THAT IS REALLY GOING TO ADDRESS MOBILITY FOR, FOR OUR CITY.
UM, I'M STARTING TO STEAL THE QUOTE FROM MAYOR ADLER WHEN HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ENTERING, UH, THE GOLDEN AGE OF MOBILITY, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO ADDRESS ACTIVE MOBILITY, ALL OTHER OPTIONS BEYOND THE CAR AND FOR US TO ENTICE PEOPLE AND INVITE PEOPLE TO TAKE TRANSIT INCLUDES HOW DO THEY START THEIR JOURNEY AND ENTER JOURNEY BY FOOT, BY BIKE, BY OTHER MODES BESIDES THE CAR.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A LONG STAIRWAY TO SAY, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT US IN FUNDING, SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF ACTIVE MOBILITY WITHIN THIS TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
AND IF THERE'S A, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER NOW, OR IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT LATER, BUT I JUST WANT TO HAVE MORE CLARITY OF, DO WE HAVE TO DEFINE THE COST BASED ON TRANSIT CORRIDOR ONLY WITH LIGHT RAIL IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, OR, YOU KNOW, BETTER MINTS FORCE BETTERMENTS, AND YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON THAT LATER AND IF THAT'S OKAY, LET ME KNOW IF WE JUST, I JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT ALSO UNDER
IN FACT, FH TWA AND FTA HAVE BEEN PARTNERING, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A GRANT NOW, UM, THAT IS OPEN AND I THINK IT'S NOW GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO THERE ARE OTHER SOURCES, NOT JUST THE CIG PROGRAM FOR GRANTS THAT YOU CAN USE IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO MORE, MORE GRANTS TO APPLY IN HOW WE GRANT'S FALLING FROM THE SKY.
SO I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ALSO HAVE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, GINA
[00:50:01]
ALSO ON OUR BOARD ATTENDING REMOTELY.SO SHE'S LISTENING IN, SO NEXT SLIDE.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAYBE GROUND EVERYBODY WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE IN WHAT'S CALLED PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST YEAR IS EXACTLY WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANTICIPATES TO HAPPEN DURING THIS PART OF THE PART OF THE PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS WHERE YOU DEFINE YOUR PROJECT.
THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THIS IS WHERE YOU WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DELIVER AND BRING FORWARD.
SO WE ARE DOING WHAT EXACTLY THE FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET INTO IS, OR THAT WE ARE INTO IS, IS SET UP FOR, AND THIS INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, FROM PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, THE ENGINEERING WORK WE'VE DONE TO DATE, IT'S BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE OF GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE AND HAVING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY AND ALL THAT.
THIS IS ALL AN ANTICIPATION OF MOVING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO THEY HAVE A SERIES OF GUIDELINES THAT WE AS CONSULTANTS AND STAFF, WE ALL FOLLOW.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THE FIRST ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS PROGRAM BEFORE, BUT THEY'VE, THEY'VE WRITTEN A COUPLE OF THINGS AROUND, AROUND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AS A STEP IN THE PROGRAM.
AND, UM, THEY REALLY WANT A GRANTEE TO TAKE THEIR TIME AND WORK THROUGH THIS PART OF THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE THIS IS THE TIME IN THE PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST CHANGES.
THEY WILL BE THE CHEAPEST CHANGES YOU WILL MAKE AS PART OF THE PROGRAM.
AND IT HELPS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS MORE QUICKLY AS YOU MOVE INTO THE PROCESS.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THOROUGH PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL AT THIS POINT.
AND THAT'S, I'M OVER HAVING THE DISCUSSION WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE NEXT PHASE AFTER, YOU KNOW, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IS ENGINEERING.
SO THAT'S THE, THE, THE GOAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE INTO, WE'RE TRYING TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR MOVE INTO, AND THERE'S SOME CHECKLISTS ASSOCIATED WITH WHEN THEY REVIEW THE GRANTEE AND THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO LOOK FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? ARE THERE TECHNICAL CAPACITY OUT THERE? THEY HAVE THEIR RAGS AND THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE, BUT THEY ALSO LOOK AT CIVIL ITEMS AND STRUCTURAL ITEMS, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME ON THERE THAT, UM, WE NEED TO STILL HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, SO, YOU KNOW, TUNNELS, TRACK GUIDEWAY, STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT, UH, AS WE MOVE LATER INTO THIS PRESENTATION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
SO THIS, ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THIS IS THE TIME TO BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UM, THERE IS A TIME WHEN WE WILL LOCK IN THAT CIG AMOUNT.
UM, AND IT IS AN AMOUNT, NOT NECESSARILY A PERCENTAGE, SO IT IS A DOLLAR FIGURE.
SO THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR PROJECT, THE BETTER CERTAINTY YOU HAVE ON YOUR COSTS AND YOUR, AND YOUR PROJECT DEFINITION, THE BETTER YOU ARE IN NEGOTIATING ON THAT.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY, UM, NOT HAVING MAJOR SURPRISES AFTER YOU'VE LOCKED IN THAT AMOUNT, BECAUSE ANY SURPRISES AFTER YOU LOCK IN THAT AMOUNT ARE ON THE LOCAL ENTITY.
SO JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SORRY, JUST QUICK QUESTION, JUST TO GET IT BACK WITH LINGO IS ON THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE.
WHEN YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOUR, IS THAT WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT? IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FULL FUNDING.
THAT'S WHEN WE, THAT THAT'S IT GET US BACK AND STEP US BACK TO THE PROJECT TIMELINE THAT WE HAD UP TO NOW BEEN WORKING ON THE VOTE THAT WE ORIGINALLY WERE GOING TO BE TAKING A WEEK.
WE THINK WE MAY OR MAY NOT NOW GIVEN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
THE LAST QUOTE, UNQUOTE TIMELINE THAT WE LOOKED AT, WE WERE CONSIDERING A DECEMBER VOTE OF THIS YEAR, IS THAT THE EQUIVALENT OF THIS, THAT WE GOT TO 30% OFF THE TRY PARTIES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VOTE THAT WAS GOING TO VOTE, BE THE VOTE WHERE WE WERE LOCKING IT DOWN, GIVING IT TO YOU TO PUT A BOW ON IT AND SEND IT TO THE FTA AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE READY ON OUR END.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? ALMOST? SO THE, THE VOTE IN DECEMBER WAS TO BASICALLY TIE DOWN ALL THE NEPA PROCESS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH DURING THE SUMMER, GET ALL THE COMMENTS BACK AND SAY, THIS IS OUR PROJECT.
AND THEN START WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON ENTRY AND ENGINEERING FINALIZING OUR COST ESTIMATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THE VOTE YOU WERE TAKING POSSIBLY IN DECEMBER WAS TO BASICALLY SAY, HERE'S THE FIRST IMPLEMENTABLE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO TALK.
OKAY, DIDN'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH AHEAD, BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF LIKE RELATE IT TO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED AND THE LANGUAGE AND LINGO WE'VE BEEN USING TO THIS POINT, BUT FOR MY PURPOSES AND FOR THE PUBLIC, THAT'S PROBABLY LISTENING OUT THERE.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO NICOLE, I GUESS, AS, AS FOLKS HAVE BEEN SAYING, UM, ATP IS REALLY AT THE FAR LEFT PORTION
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OF THIS CHART.ATP IS IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WHILE THE PRO THE PROGRAM IS FACED WITH UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES THAT WERE DISCUSSED EARLIER AROUND COSTS AND INFLATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THIS REALLY IS THE BEST TIME IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR THE PROJECT TO BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THIS IS THE TIME WHERE, UM, IT'S THE LOWEST COST OF MAKING CHANGES AND REALLY THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL TO ULTIMATELY IMPACT, UH, THE PROGRAM THROUGH SOME STRATEGIC DECISIONS AROUND TRADE-OFFS AND CHOICES AT THIS POINT IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AS OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH SIMILAR SITUATIONS, AS THEY'VE SEEN SIMILAR INCREASES IN COSTS AROUND THEIR PROGRAMS, THESE ARE SOME OF THE LEVERS THAT FOLKS HAVE INCORPORATED INTO THEIR DECISION-MAKING GOING FORWARD, UM, SCOPING AND DESIGN CHANGES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LOOKING AT CERTAIN REDUCTIONS OR CHANGES TO THE SCOPE THAT PERHAPS ARE MORE COST-EFFECTIVE, UH, PHASING AND SEGMENTING IS A TOOL THAT MANY OTHER AGENCIES HAVE USED AND CONTINUE TO USE AS THEY BUILD OUT THOSE PROGRAMS, UH, SERVICE PLAN AND TECHNOLOGY, AS BRIAN SAID, O AND M COSTS ARE ALSO SEEING INCREASES.
AND ARE THERE WAYS TO THINK ABOUT USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN OPERATIONS CHANGES TO THE OPERATING PLAN THAT CAN HELP KEEP ATP LIVING WITHIN ITS MEANS? UH, SOURCES OF FUNDING IS ONE THAT THE BOARD CHAIR ASKED ABOUT ALREADY, BUT FINDING OTHER GRANT PROGRAMS, OTHER REVENUE SOURCES, UH, ON THE SIDE OF THE PROJECT, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND CAN THAT BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION TO HELP OPTIMIZE THE OVERALL PROGRAM? AND FINALLY, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK ABOUT RISK MANAGEMENT, ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY, WAYS OF GETTING THE PROGRAM IN PLACE THAT CAN HELP MANAGE THE FINANCIAL ENVELOPE, REDUCE RISK AND ACCELERATE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM OVER TIME.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE PANEL HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PLACES WHERE THEY'VE USED SOME OF THESE LEVERS OR OTHER LEVERS TO HELP THINK THROUGH PROGRAMS ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME PICTURES ON THE NEXT PAGE.
SO BRIAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? YEAH, SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT.
I SPENT 10 YEARS OF MY PREVIOUS CAREER IN PHOENIX AND WAS PART OF THAT PROGRAM THAT INITIAL 20 MILES OF LIGHT RAIL THAT THEY BUILT AND THEN WAS THERE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ALL THE WAY TO THE, TO THE RIBBON CUTTING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS RELATED AROUND SCOPE AND PHASING OF THE PROGRAM WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE WENT THROUGH IN PHOENIX.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PHOENIX IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT THEY HAVE DONE TO DATE, THEY STARTED WITH 20 MILES AND THEN THEY DID A LITTLE, ANOTHER TWO MILE FEDERAL PROJECT, ANOTHER TWO MILE FEDERAL PROJECT.
AND BEFORE I KNOW IT THROUGH UP TO 28, 29, 29 MILES A DAY.
SO THEY, THEY USE THE SAME EXACT PROCESS THERE THAT KIND OF DESCRIBED.
THEY TOOK A PROGRAM AND THEN BROKE IT UP INTO DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT BECAME FEDERALLY FUNDED AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF A SCOPE CHANGE THAT, UM, WE ALL, WE ALL GO THROUGH.
UM, WE HAD, UH, A STATE UNIVERSITY IN PHOENIX, TEMPE AREA CALLED ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, SIMILAR TO UT.
AND, UM, AT THE VERY LAST SECOND IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT, WE RAN INTO AN ISSUE RELATED AROUND SOME ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE WITH THE MICROSCOPE.
AND, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD TO CHANGE THE WHOLE ALIGNMENT OF ABOUT A MILE OF THE LIBRARY OFF IN ORDER TO CHANGE IT AT THE LAST SECOND.
SO I'M HERE TO SAY NOTHING SURPRISES ME ANYMORE ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS. SO I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I HOPE NOBODY EVER GETS DISCOURAGED ABOUT SOME OF THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE, BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS HAD THESE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
AND TODAY, YOU KNOW, PHOENIX IS RUNNING A GREAT SYSTEM, THEY WORKED THROUGH IT, THEY GOT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THEY, THEY WORKED THE WAY THROUGH IT WITH FDA, WITH EVERYBODY.
I MEAN, I THINK JUST ECHOING, UM, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS, EARLIER COMMENTS AS TO WHERE YOU ARE AS TO WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, RELATIVE TO OTHER AGENCIES, YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN SOME RESPECTS, THAT MAKES SENSE.
THE THERE'S UNDERSTANDABLY A HIGH LEVEL OF PLANNING THAT GOES ON, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TAKING A, UH, A TRANSIT TO THE BALLOT.
UM, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP A PROJECT IN ORDER TO PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND.
AND, AND AS WE'VE EXPERIENCED, AS YOU DEVELOP THOSE PROGRAMS, THE DESIGN, UM, UH, THE DESIGN ADVANCES COSTS INCREASE MORE LOT MORE PRECISION AROUND THE COST OF A PROGRAM, BUT ALSO A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN OVER THAT TIME.
HERE YOU GET, YOU HAVE POTENTIALLY UNDER-PERFORMANCE OF YOUR TAX REVENUE.
UM, LUCKILY HERE YOU, YOU KNOW, AS OPPOSED TO MOST TRANSIT AGENCIES THAT ARE FUNDED FROM SALES TAXES, THAT SHOULD BE VERY
[01:00:01]
VOLATILE.YOU HAVE A MUCH MORE STABLE AND, AND STEADILY GROWING TAX REVENUE BASE.
SO YOU ARE INSULATED A BIT FROM THE DOWNSIDES.
WHAT YOU LACK IS THE POTENTIAL UPSIDES AS WELL THAT MAYBE SOME, UH, SALES TAX FUND TO TRANSIT AGENCIES HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU HAVE JUST GENERAL COST INFLATION.
SO IN THE MID TWO THOUSANDS DENVER, AND THERE'S FAST TRACKS PROGRAM THAT WAS PASSED IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, FOUND THEMSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE SALES TAXES WERE UNDERPERFORMING, UM, COSTS WERE HIGHER THAN ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED, AND SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS NEEDED TO MAYBE AID.
UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE, UH, THE BOARD DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THE, THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE THE, THAT WERE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE FROM A FEDERAL FUNDING PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE LOCAL DOLLARS, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THEM WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS, WHICH BY DEFINITION MEANS THE PROJECTS, BECAUSE THERE IS A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS THAT GOES INTO IT.
UM, THEY ARE PROJECTS THAT, THAT HAD THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL IMPACT FROM A RIDERSHIP AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE.
SO IN THAT SITUATION, WHAT RTD DID IN DENVER WAS TO, UM, ACTUALLY, UM, QUALIFY ITS PROJECT UNDER A PILOT PROGRAM, UH, UH, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PILOT PROGRAM THAT EXISTED AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, IN ORDER TO SECURE A FAIRLY, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY LARGE SHARE, UM, UH, ROUGHLY 50% FEDERAL GRANT, UM, STRUCTURED THE PROJECT AS A POKE PIPE PARTNERSHIP, PARTIALLY FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE TO THE FTA, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING WHAT TOOLS COULD IT USE TO MANAGE THE COST OF THE OVERALL PROJECT AND SHIFT THAT COST TO A PRIVATE ENTITY.
UM, SO ULTIMATELY, UM, IT WAS ABLE TO DELIVER IT USED FEDERAL TOOLS AS A TIFIA LOANS AS WELL IN ORDER TO BRING DOWN, UH, THE, THE COST OF ITS DEBT AND TO STRUCTURE ITS DEBT.
IT BROUGHT THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS IN, AND IT SHIFTED RISK TO THEIR PRIVATE SECTOR AND ALL THOSE COMPONENTS WERE USED TO ADVANCE THAT PROJECT.
ULTIMATELY SALES TAXES DID TAKE OFF, UH, AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION IN DENVER, UM, THAT HAS ENJOYED A HIGH ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THAT TIME BE ABLE TO BUILD OUT MOST OF THE REST OF THE FAST TRACKS PROGRAM AS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED, YOU KNOW, WITH SOUNDTRACKS IN SEATTLE RIGHT NOW FINDS ITSELF IN A VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, UM, IN, IN, IN A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE IT IS FACING.
UM, IT, UH, DESPITE STRONG SALES TAXES IS FACING, UM, HIGH INFLATIONARY COSTS RIGHT AWAY AND WHATEVER, UM, THAT'S IMPACTING IT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IT IS DOING THIS EXERCISE RIGHT NOW, RE-LOOKING AT THE PHASING OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM, UH, IN ORDER TO RIGHT-SIZE IT WITHIN ITS FINANCIAL MEANS.
SO, UM, I WENT TO CHARLOTTE IN 2010, UH, TO BECOME THE CEO.
IT WAS A 2030 PLAN THAT HAD FIVE PROJECTS IN IT.
THE FIRST, UH, LIGHT RAIL SEGMENT HAD OPENED BEFORE I GOT THERE.
UM, BUT MY SECOND WEEK THERE, I WAS TOLD THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO DO THE NEXT PHASE.
AND SO, AND SO IT WAS A COMBINATION OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
UM, AND SO, UM, I, I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE LAST THREE STATIONS WERE ON THE PROPERTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, UH, CAMPUS IN CHARLOTTE.
UM, I WENT AND TALKED TO THE, UM, CHANCELLOR, UM, WHO WANTED TO USE LAND FOR, UM, MORE BUILDINGS RATHER THAN MORE PARKING LOTS.
AND SO WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WE CAN BUILD THE TRANSIT TERMINUS ON YOUR CAMPUS, UH, AS A SOLUTION.
AND SO WE DEVELOPED A PARTNERSHIP THERE, BUT I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE FTA TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT ELIMINATING THE LAST TWO STATIONS.
UH, THE, THE LAST TWO STATIONS WERE IN A VERY ENVIRONMENTAL LEAD, CHALLENGING, UH, AREA, VERY SWAMPY.
AND WE HAD TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE COULD MITIGATE THAT AND IT WAS GOING TO COST US MORE.
SO BY GOING BACK TO THE FTA, GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, AMENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, IMPACT STATEMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO KEEP THE PROJECT MOVING AND, UH, AND MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
AND WE DIDN'T DELIVER THOSE LAST TWO STATIONS, BUT WE PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY STILL A VIABLE TRANSIT SOLUTION.
[01:05:01]
AT FTA AND I'LL LET YOU FINISH THIS STORY HERE.UM, WE HAD THE ISSUE WITH BOSTON.
UM, THEY WERE USING A CMR CONCEPT, UH, FOR MANAGING THE PROJECT.
THE PROJECT HAD GONE OVER BUDGET, OVER SCOPE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF TIMELINE ISSUES.
UH, THEY, UM, FTA HAD ALREADY LOCKED IN THE SHARE.
AND SO, UM, SO TH SO FTA REQUIRED A RECOVERY PLAN FROM, FROM, UM, UH, MBTA IN BOSTON TO SAY, YOU'RE GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DELIVER THIS PROJECT UNDER THE CONTRACT, UM, THAT WE HAVE WITH YOU? AND THIS IS AGAIN ABOUT TIMING.
SO THIS IS, UH, THE STORY ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY NOW, RATHER THAN GETTING INTO THE PROCESS AND THEN HAVING YOUR SHARE AND AMOUNT LOCKED IN, AND THEN FTAS GOING TO SAY TO YOU AT THAT POINT, WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU MORE MONEY.
WE WANT YOU TO DELIVER THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, THAT STARTED UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION THAT I WAS IN AND THE DA.
SO AS CAROLYN MENTIONED, I FOLLOWED HER AT THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION AND THAT WORKSHEET, IT ACTUALLY PAID OFF DURING MY TENURE THERE, WHERE MBTA IS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF A SPONSOR THAT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AFTER THEY'VE ALREADY GOTTEN THE FEDERAL TRANSIT GRANT, AND THEN THEY EXPERIENCED, YOU KNOW, COST OVERRUNS.
UM, SO THAT'S A SUCCESS STORY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO FIND YOURSELF.
UM, YOU'D RATHER SORT ALL THOSE PROBLEMS OUT ON THE FRONT END, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, STEPPING BACK AS, UH, AS I'M A LAWYER, THE CIG PROGRAM IS VERY UNIQUE.
UM, AND I MEAN, ONE EASY WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT AS MOST GRANT PROGRAMS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT'S THREE OR FOUR PAGES OF STEPS, THREE OR FOUR PARAGRAPHS OF STATUTORY TAX TELLING YOU WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THIS ONE IS 30 PAGES THAT I HAD THE PLEASURE OF PERUSING FREQUENTLY.
UM, IT'S VERY STRUCTURED, VERY RIGOROUS.
THERE'S ALL THESE CHECK-INS AND PROCESS THAT EXISTS BECAUSE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE FEDERAL INVESTMENT.
AND BECAUSE IT'S DESIGNED TO FORCE ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS AND JUDGEMENTS TO BE MADE UP FRONT SO THAT IN THE END, YOU GET TO A DELIVERABLE PROJECT WITHOUT HICCUPS THAT NO ONE WANTED ON THE BACKEND.
AND I REALLY LIKED THE STORYTELLING BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT RESONATES, AND THIS IS WHAT REALLY STICKS IN, IN, INTO, YOU KNOW, THE LIVED EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAVE TO ENDURE AND THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM.
I KNOW CHARLOTTE IS THE SISTER, CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE THEM AS PART OF OUR, IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN, HOW MUCH WE'VE LEARNED FROM THEM.
SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE STORIES THAT, THAT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH US.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF YOU, OR I WANT THIS REALLY TO BE A DIALOGUE ASK WHILE WE HAVE THEM HERE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IN PARTICULAR WITH BOTH PHOENIX AND DENVER, SINCE THOSE WERE, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE BOTH KIND OF FROM GROUND ZERO, THEY WERE, THEY WERE STARTS.
WHAT WAS THE TIMEFRAME, BRIAN, IN PARTICULAR, YOU TALKING ABOUT PHOENIX, WHAT WAS THE TIMEFRAME FROM THE START FROM THE TIME THAT THEY WENT TO THE VOTERS AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED TO DO TO THE TIME THAT THE PROCESS THAT, THAT THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, THE FINAL PIECE, THE FINAL PROJECT PIECE WAS ACTUALLY COMPLETED VERSUS WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY HAD PROJECTED THE TIMELINE WAS TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
SO IN PHOENIX, UM, A SMALL CONTRACT WAS LED IN AND AROUND 1998, UM, TO BROUGHT ON A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE TO, TO START PLANNING, UM, MAJOR CONTRACTS IN THE YEAR 2000, THEY ORIGINALLY HAD THE TARGET FOR 2006.
THEY ENDED UP CUTTING THE RIBBON AND OPENING THAT PROGRAM IN 2008.
SO IT TOOK ABOUT 10 YEARS FROM, FROM WHEN THEY INITIALLY HAD THE VISION AND MOVED OVER.
UM, THE FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT FELL IN THE MIDDLE.
PHOENIX WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT THEY HAD ENOUGH CASH, THAT THEY COULD CARRY THE PROCESS THROUGH AND WORK ON ALL THAT PRE-DEVELOPMENT STUFF AND ALL THAT STUFF AS PART OF THEIR, THEIR LOCAL SHARE THEIR LOCAL FUNDING.
UM, SO THE FFCA CAME, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT IN THERE.
UM, BUT THEY STARTED CONSTRUCTION BEFORE THEY HAD AN FFCA AND SOME OF THAT STUFF, BUT WE TOOK IT FROM, FROM INCEPTION TO CUTTING THE RIBBON 10 TO 12 YEARS NOW IS ABOUT THE NORM.
AND, AND WITH PHOENIX, DID THEY END UP TRULY DELIVERING THE ENTIRE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT OR DID THEY END UP SCALING BACK AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT SEEN TO FRUITION EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO LIVE WITH DULL.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO START WITH ZERO.
SO THERE WAS A VISION FOR A LOT MORE, BUT AS THAT EARLY CONTRACT, THAT EARLY WORK WAS DONE, THEY, THEY STARTED TO NARROW IN, ON A BROWN 20 MILES OF THAT.
[01:10:01]
ULTIMATELY WHAT THEY ENDED UP DELIVERING AS PART OF A PART OF THEIR FIRST PROJECT WAS 20 MILES, BUT THEY ENDED UP TAKING IT TO ANOTHER ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS TO DELIVER THAT THE ORIGINAL WAS 2006.SO I, I GUESS MY I'M TRYING TO SORT OF, SORT OF, KIND OF GET TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES.
I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE HERE, BUT WOULD YOU SAY THAT 20 MILES THAT, THAT THEY ULTIMATELY DELIVERED WOULD THAT KIND OF EQUATE TO THE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN WHERE WE GOT PASSED WITH PROP A AND THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS? IS THAT MORE KIND OF CONTIGUOUS? SO I WOULD SAY ON A MILE BASIS, THAT'S CORRECT.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE AUSTIN PROJECT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE PHOENIX PROJECT.
THE PHOENIX PROJECT IS ALL A GREAT PHOENIX PROJECT.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO PHOENIX, THE STREETS ARE REALLY WIDE AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE THE RAIL AND STUFF THROUGH THERE.
SO I WOULD SAY IT'S A COMPARABLE PROJECT, BUT AUSTIN OBVIOUSLY HAS ITS DIFFERENCES, MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
AND THEN HOW ABOUT, YOU MENTIONED DENVER, HOW ABOUT TIMELINE AND COMPARISON FOR THAT'S TRACKS WAS PASSED IN 2004 AS AN EXPANSION OF THEIR EXISTING LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AND EXPAND AND ADD ADDIE COMMUTER RAIL, UM, HEAVY RAIL TECHNOLOGY FOR A PORTION OF THE EXPANSION.
UM, FIRST PROJECTS, UH, WERE STARTING TO BE COMPLETED LATE IN THE TWO THOUSANDS.
THE EAGLE PROJECT WAS AWARDED IN 2010.
UM, SINCE THEN MORE AND MORE EXPANSION PROJECTS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING INCREMENTALLY.
AND THERE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST ONE LINE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS, UM, THERE'S REPLACEMENT SERVICE AS A BRT VERSUS A RAIL LINE, BUT THAT'S STILL SORT OF OUT THERE.
SO THEY ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO DELIVER AS MUCH OF THE FAST FACTS PROGRAM, UH, OVER TIME.
AND YOU SAID THAT WAS, BUT THAT WAS AN ACTUAL EXPANSION OF THEIR EXISTING PROJECT, BECAUSE I IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE TRAVELED TO DENVER.
I USED TO TRAVEL A LONG TIME AGO WHEN FOR, UH, FOR AN OLD JOB, LIKE TO PRE 2004, THEY USED TO HAVE PRE 2004, LIKE 2000.
I THINK THE LAST TIME I TRAVELED TO DENVER, IT WAS LIKE 2002, 2003, BUT THEY HAD THE ORIGINAL LINE THAT WENT FROM THE AIRPORT.
DIDN'T THEY HAVE, THEY HAD SOMETHING OR MY THINKING OF THAT, THEY ONLY HAD SOMETHING AROUND THE AIRPORT.
NOT NOTHING TO THE NEW DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
THERE WAS THE OLD STAPLETON AIRPORT POTENTIALLY THAT YOU MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT.
UH, PRIOR TO, DID THEY HAVE ANY LIGHT RAIL AT ALL BEFORE THIS 2004 VOTE? YES.
THAT'S IT THAT'S ONE OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
SO THEY WERE, THEY WERE VOTING TO EXPAND SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY EXPAND THOSE AND THEN ANYTHING LARGELY NORTH OF DOWNTOWN, UH, DELIVERED IN THE FORM OF HEAVY RAIL, MORE OF COMMUTER RAIL TYPE TECHNOLOGY.
SO THAT WAS A BRAND NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THEM, UM, THAT THEY WERE DELIVERING.
UH, WE HAVE G NOW STILL HAVE, UM, SHE HAS A QUESTION.
YOU CAN ONLY BE IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FOR TWO YEARS FOR A CIG PROJECT.
IF IT WAS A SMALL STARTS, THERE IS NO LIMITATION ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU CAN BE MPD JUST TO ADD TO THAT.
THERE ARE, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO GET AN EXTENSION, UH, BY REQUEST TO FTA, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HAVE TO SHOW CAUSE.
AND, AND WHAT THEY DON'T WANT IS SOMEONE JUST SITTING DOING NOTHING WHILE THEY'RE IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO GO BEYOND TWO YEARS, BUT TWO YEARS WILL BE THE TYPICAL TIMEFRAME.
AND I, I WOULD SAY THIS ALSO, UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU A PROJECT ABOUT A LOT OF GRANTEES DO A LOT OF WORK BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
SO THEY MAY SPEND ONE OR TWO YEARS GOING THROUGH FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND ALL THAT.
SO IN THE WHOLE PLANNING PROJECT DEFINITION TYPE TIMEFRAME, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY SPEND FOUR OR FIVE YEARS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT ELEMENT OF THAT PROJECT IS, BUT ONLY BEING IN THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FOR THE STATUTORY TWO YEAR, TWO YEAR LIMIT.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS, GINA? NO, THANK YOU.
I LIKE TO GO BACK TO SLIDE 21.
UM, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO SLIDE 21, CHLOE, BECAUSE TO ME, THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT REALLY RESONATES AND THAT WE'VE USED, UM, IN THE DESIGN ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION WORLD.
[01:15:01]
TELLS A VERY STRONG STORY THAT I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS TWO YEAR TIMELINE WITHIN THAT FIRST ALIGNMENT OF THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, ANY DECISIONS WE MAKE NOW REALLY IMPACT HOW QUICKLY WE CAN MOVE LATER, ANY SURPRISES THAT WE WANT TO DISCOVER SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SURPRISES AND THAT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF WORK OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS AND WANTS, AND WE CAN PROMISE NEEDS TO REALLY HAPPEN WITHIN THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THINGS.SO ANYTHING THAT ONCE THESE LINES CROSS, I REALLY, THAT'S WHY I LOVE THIS GRAPHIC.
ONCE THIS LINES CROSS THINGS BECOME EXPONENTIALLY MORE EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? ONCE WE CUT THE TRENCHES ON THE STREETS, THINGS BECOME CRITICAL AND EVERYBODY LOSES SLEEP AT THAT TIME.
AND SO WE CAN'T, WE DON'T WANT US TO GET TO THAT POINT WHERE THINGS BECOME REALLY, UM, EXPONENTIALLY, MORE EXPENSIVE, MORE DIFFICULT TO DO.
EVERYBODY GETS REALLY AGGRAVATED.
SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE US TO TAKE THE NECESSARY TIME TO DO THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
DO IT CONSCIENTIOUSLY BECAUSE THIS, THIS, THIS LIKE TELLS A REALLY STRONG STORY TO ME.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, INCLUDING, FOR, INCLUDING THIS GRAPHIC.
UM, MADAM CHAIR FOLLOWUP TO GINA'S QUESTION AND KIND OF DOVETAIL TO THAT REMINDS ME WHEN WE OFFICIALLY ENTERED THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE WITH, UH, WITH FTA, IT WAS ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO.
SO WE HAVE TILL JULY OF 20, 22 AND THAT OKAY.
AND THAT WAS THE, THERE WAS, UM, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO PULL UP THE TIMELINE, BACKUP THE SLIDE OUT OF MY HEAD THAT I SEEM TO REMEMBER, WASN'T THERE SOMETHING AGAIN ON THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE THAT WE HAD, THERE WAS THE DECEMBER, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A VOTE IN DECEMBER, AND THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING IN JUNE OF NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT, THAT DATE WAS WHAT ANTICIPATING SOMETHING WAS COMING BACK FROM THE FEDS AROUND THAT TIME.
SO I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THAT WAS THE ENTRY INTO ENGINEERING, WHICH IS THE POINT AT WHICH YOU COMPLETE THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND YOU MOVE INTO ENGINEERING.
SO THAT WAS, WE WERE ON TRACK TO MAKE SURE WE COULD ENTER INTO ENGINEERING BASICALLY RIGHT BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF OUR TWO.
SO, SO WE STILL HAVE TO, WE, WE THERE'S, THERE'S STILL THIS WINDOW IN OTHER WORDS THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF BECAUSE WE WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS SOME FUDGE FACTOR THAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD BUILT INTO THAT TIMELINE FOR THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE DO HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS HERE THAT WE DON'T OVER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT HERE AND RUN THE RISK OF MISSING THAT WINDOW AND, AND GOING PAST THAT TO YOUR DEPTH.
SO YOU HAVE TO WATCH THAT, OR AS WAS MENTIONED THERE AN EXTENSION, AS LONG AS THE GRANTEE IS SHOWING PROGRESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND ALSO WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD AS PART OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, YOU ALSO HAVE TO COMPLETE THE NEPA PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND GET OUR, GET OUR D I S F P I S ROD, UM, TYPE CONVERSATION AND WORK OUR WAY FROM THAT.
SO ALL THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE COMPLETION OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, ONE OF THE POINT I'D ADD JUST FOR AWARENESS, NOT, NOT THAT I COUNSELED THIS AS A PATH THAT YOU FALL OUT OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T GET BACK IN.
LET'S SAY, IF YOU JUST BLOW THROUGH THAT TWO YEARS, AND YOU'RE JUST NOT THERE YET.
UM, WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THAT THE COSTS, THE COSTS YOU'VE INCURRED DURING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALLY CAN BE REIMBURSED BY THE FEDERAL GRANT YOU WOULD LATER RECEIVE WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
THOSE ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE REIMBURSABLE COSTS.
SO THAT'S THE REAL DOWNSIDE OF FALLING OUT OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S NO BARRIER TO JUST REAPPLYING AND GETTING BACK IN THE PROGRAM LATER.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME COST ISSUE.
UH, WHERE'S SHE GOING TO PRESENT AN EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE THAT FDA IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE DEALING WITH.
EVERYBODY IS PROBABLY LOOKING AT THE SAME, EVEN EVEN SMALLER BIT PROJECTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS.
[01:20:38]
THERE WE GO.SO ALL OF THESE HONEYCOMB AREAS WILL SUPPLY US WITH DATA AND THAT DATA IS WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE A THOROUGH AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE AND THEN HAVE A, I'LL HAVE A DIALOGUE AFTER EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT TO GIVE YOU SOME THOUGHT PROVOKING THINGS ABOUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE THINK WE STILL NEED TO WORK ON A LITTLE BIT, AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A LITTLE BIT AND DEFINE WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEY'RE NOT JUST ALL CIVIL TYPE ITEMS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET, ALTHOUGH THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.
THERE'S SOME OTHER WORK WE'D LIKE, WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE ALSO.
SO, UM, MOVING FORWARD, NEXT SLIDE.
SO PLANNING, UM, THIS IS WORKING WITH ALL THE DATA.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THINGS CONTINUE TO GROW AND MOVE.
SO JUST WANTING TO, ONCE AGAIN, LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHIC, LET'S LOOK AT HOUSING, LET'S LOOK AT THE ETO D PROGRAM AND LET'S BRING ALL THAT DATA INTO SOME REASONABLE WAY THAT WE CAN MEASURE IT AND UTILIZE IT TO, TO MAKE DECISIONS, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS AND COME BACK TO THE BOARD, UM, WITH, WITH THESE TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS ARE WE GOING TO DO IN THESE SCENARIOS? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE ETO D OPPORTUNITIES? WHAT ARE THE ZERO HOUSEHOLDS? AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SERVING AS PART OF THIS.
SO JUST ONCE AGAIN, COLLECTING DATA, UM, THIS IS KIND OF A CATCH ALL CATEGORY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING FROM, FROM THE BOARD OR FROM, FROM ANYBODY AT THE PANEL HERE ABOUT ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE FEEL IN AND AROUND THE PLANNING THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AS PART OF THIS EXTENDED PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR THIS SLIDE.
I DO HAVE, AND WE STARTED THE BEGINNING TALKING ABOUT THE GROUND THAT CAPITAL METRO RECEIVE FOR ETO D UM, AND NOW YOU JUST MENTIONED ETO D WITH THE, WITH THE PLANNING, ALLOWING US TO BRING THE MOST PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE STATIONS.
HOW DO WE GET THE MOST RIDERS AND MAXIMIZE THESE INVESTMENTS RIGHT NOW, CUPPA WAS WORKING, I BELIEVE, WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
CAN YOU GIVE US A BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THE ETL D OR YES.
SO AS MENTIONED, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TWO DIFFERENT GRANTS RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO TRANSITORY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING WORK, AND WE HAVE FRAMED IT AS EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
WE WITH THE E IN THERE, BECAUSE WE DON'T JUST WANT TO DRIVE DEVELOPMENT AT OUR STATIONS, GIVEN THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO DRIVE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT AT OUR STATIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING SPACES THAT WILL WORK FOR RESIDENTS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND NOT JUST GETTING DEVELOPMENT.
I MEAN, GETTING DEVELOPMENT IS GOOD AND THERE'S A REAL ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR ALL DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AS WE DESIGN OUR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING.
WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY HOUSING AND PLANNING FOLKS.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A STATION AREA PLANNING, UM, FOR SOME SELECT STATIONS ON, UM, BOTH THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINE.
UM, AND AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE BLUE LINE STATIONS IS ALSO THE LOCATION WHERE WE HAVE METRO RAPID SERVICE AS WELL.
SO REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE HELP INCENTIVIZE THE BEST STATIONS, THE BEST DEVELOPMENT AROUND OUR STATIONS? AND SO ONCE THAT PLANNING WORK IS DONE, THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS IN THE CITY.
WE'LL LOOK TO SAY, OKAY, HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THROUGH OUR, YOU KNOW, PLANNING AND ZONING AND LAND USE PROCESSES? HOW CAN WE HELP MAKE THIS VISION OF DEVELOPMENT IN THIS LOCATION ACTUALLY HAPPEN? GREAT, THANK YOU.
YEAH, AND I, I DO THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO COLLABORATE AND LAND USE MAYOR PLANTING THE SEED, MADAM CHAIR, YES.
IT IS THAT KIND OF ENVISIONING WHERE THE, THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUNDS WOULD ALSO COME IN AS WELL AS, AS WE, AS CAP.
METRO IS WORKING WITH THE CITY STAFF AND IDENTIFYING KEY.
[01:25:01]
HERE'S WHAT, HERE ARE THE PLACES WHERE WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN MAKE THE MOST DIFFERENCE.HERE'S HOW WE WANT TO UTILIZE THIS CITY AND CAP METRO STAFF WORKING TOGETHER.
OKAY, NOW THIS IS THE KIND OF PLACE WE WANT TO BUILD.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PLACEMAKING, HERE'S WHAT WE WANT TO BUILD AROUND THIS.
NOW, THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO THE, TO THAT POT OF FUNDS FOR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT AND KIND OF LEVERAGE AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT WE WANT TO PULL FROM THAT TO HELP MO BEST AND MAXIMIZE THAT FOR, FOR PUR, FOR PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN MAYBE UTILIZING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO, TO, TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THAT AREA AND MAXIMIZE GROWTH AROUND THAT.
IS THAT KIND OF, KIND OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING THAT? I THINK IN SOME WAYS THAT'S A POSSIBILITY, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HOW IT'S GONNA FLOW.
UM, WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT THE $300 MILLION FOR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT TO BE OUR T O D KIND OF LEVER.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THERE'S, THAT WE FIND A PLACE WHERE THAT SYNERGY MAKES SENSE.
AND THAT THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE DO THE REAL DRIVER BEHIND TOD AND IS TO GET GOOD LAND USE POLICIES IN PLACE SO THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WHO WANT TO DEVELOP IN THIS COMMUNITY CAN IT HELP, CAN, CAN SEE THE VISION AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS MULTIPLE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE THE SORTS OF DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY WANT IN VARIOUS PLACES.
SO NOT TO HARP ON THE LAND USE CODE MAYOR, BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS AS WE WANT TO DENSIFY, AND IT WILL HAPPEN.
I MEAN, IT WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING AWESOME, LIKE A LIGHT RAIL GOING UP NORTH LAMAR, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO BE THERE.
AND SO DEVELOPERS ARE GOING TO BUILD STUFF THERE CAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO BE THERE, BUT IT'S JUST DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS AS SMART OF A GROWTH AS POSSIBLE AND CAPTURES AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AIM, AIM OURSELVES TOWARD FROM THE FRONT.
I THINK OF MAYOR, I WOULD SAY YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE.
AND AS A COMMUNITY, WE OFTEN WATCHING THE, YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST PATH, UH, TO, TO DO, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE COMPETING PRIORITIES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, UH, LAND USE PLANNING, UH, BUT SOME OF THE REAL CHALLENGES FOR THAT, I THINK THE COUNCIL HAS WORKED THROUGH WITH THE WORK THAT IT DID WITH COMPATIBILITY IN, UH, JUNE.
AND THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, ORDINANCES THAT ARE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL, SPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO CORRIDORS THAT ARE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL TO VOTE ON IN SEPTEMBER.
AND I HOPE, UH, THE UNANIMOUS SUPPORT ON THE RESOLUTION IS GIVING RISE TO THOSE ORDINANCES WE'RE ABLE TO HOLD.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE A REAL, UH, UH, EXPECTATION, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL TO DO WHAT IT TAKES IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, ENCOURAGES AND FOSTERS AND MAKES MOST POSSIBLE.
UM, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION WITH THE RIDERSHIP AND CURRENT WHAT'S IN PARENTHESIS, CURRENT AND PROJECTED AS WE MOVE TOWARDS PROGRAM A PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND, AND SELECTING THE FIRST INVESTMENT, WHAT WOULD MAKE IT MOST ATTRACTIVE TO THE FDA IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE SERVING THE MOST PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND SO WITH THE RIDERSHIP NUMBERS AND THE DATA AND HOW MUCH WE'VE EXPERIENCED INFLUX OF FOLKS COMING INTO OUR CITY, HOW ARE WE RUNNING THAT RIDERSHIP PROJECTIONS? HOW ARE WE MEASURING THAT? SO YOU USUALLY RUN IT, WHAT THEY CALL AN OPENING YEAR TYPEWRITER SHIP, WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE IT TO BE, UM, SO YOU USED THE NPL MODEL AROUND, AROUND, UM, THE COMMUNITY POPULATION AND ITEMS LIKE THAT AS PART OF THAT.
AND THEN YOU RUN A HORIZON HERE AND THERE.
AND SO WHAT'S THE GROWTH THAT'S PROJECTED AND ALL THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEY LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THE INVESTMENT WE MIGHT ANTICIPATE ON DAY ONE, BUT HERE'S WHERE THIS COMMUNITY THINKS THAT THEY'RE HEADING.
AND HOW MUCH RIDERSHIP ARE WE GOING TO ANTICIPATE THEN TOO? SO IT'S KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A RANGE THEY'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING FOR TODAY, BUT THEY ALSO WANT IT TO WORK TOMORROW AND NOT TO JUMP ON THE LAND USE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOVETAIL OFF OF THAT, I WAS KIND OF THINKING ALONG THAT SAME LINES, BUT, BUT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND TECH, KNOWING THAT WE'RE ALSO SEEING SOME CHANGES IN COMMUTER PATTERNS, UH, POST COVID, I SHOULDN'T SAY POST COVID, WE'RE STILL IN COVID, BUT, UM, NOTING THAT, THAT NOW THAN A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE KIND OF MAKING THAT FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT AND ALLOWING FOR MORE TELEWORK, UM, I KNOW CAP
[01:30:01]
METRO, OUR NUMBERS ARE NOT WHERE, WHERE ARE WE DOWN TO ABOUT 65%, 70% SOMEWHERE IN THAT I'M OVER, SYSTEM-WIDE OVERALL WORRIED ABOUT 65% OF WHERE WE WERE IN 2019, OUR LOCAL BUS SERVICES ABOUT 70.SO WHEN YOU FACTOR THAT IN, YOU LOOK AT 65 TO 75% OF WHERE WE ONCE WERE, UM, ARE YOU ALL, AND FOR THAT MATTER, I SHOULD SAY, IS FTA NOW LOOKING AT THIS, SEEING THIS FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN WONDERING, HM, MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE A NATIONWIDE REVIEW OF WHAT SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS PROJECTIONS AND MODELS ARE TO APPLY GOING FORWARD, OR HOW ARE WE FACTORING IN LOOKING AT THAT? SO ATP ALONG WITH EVERY OTHER GRANTEE ACROSS AREA IS TRYING TO WORK WITH THE FDA ON WHAT EXACTLY, HOW DO YOU MODEL THIS POST COVID WORLD AND ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
SO THAT IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, UM, WITH, WITH THE FDA RIGHT NOW, THEY WILL ALLOW PRE COVID TYPE NUMBERS AND RIDERSHIP AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT'S GOING TO EVOLVE THROUGH THIS WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS.
YOU WERE ALSO GOING TO JUMP IN ON NOVEMBER.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, UM, ONE OF THE MEASUREMENT STICKS THAT THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION WILL MEASURE US AGAINST THIS IS TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE LAND USE ALONG THE INVESTMENT.
SO JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, THAT, UH, IT IS IMPORTANT.
UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL WANT TO SEE THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, SOME LOCAL AUTHORITY AROUND THAT.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN TO GET OUR BEST INVESTMENT FOOT FORWARD.
SO, ERIC, I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE SOME ZONING CASES LATER THIS AFTERNOON, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.
AND AGAIN, IN, IN SEPTEMBER, UH, THERE'LL BE ORDINANCES THAT COME BACK, UH, SPECIFICALLY DEALING WITH, UM, UH, GREATER DEVELOPMENT ON THE CORRIDORS, UH, ESPECIALLY TRANS OF CORRIDORS IN THE, IN THE CITY AND ON RIDERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T PASS TRANSIT BACK IN 2009, WE DIDN'T PASS TRANSIT IN 2014, UM, MEANS TO A CERTAIN DEGREE THAT WE'RE ADVANTAGED NOW BECAUSE OUR, OUR, OUR DEMAND IN THE CITY IS SO, SO GREAT.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE, WE GENERALLY SCORE WELL, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN SO LONG TO GET TO THE PLACE THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO MORE.
I KNOW WE HAVE A HARD STOP AT ONE.
SO IF FIVE KIDS JUST THAT WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT SLIDES AND THEN WE'LL STOP.
LET'S TALK THROUGH ALL OF THE NEXT SLIDES AND THEN WE CAN ALWAYS REWIND IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC QUESTION AND MOVING TO THE NEXT ONE TECHNICAL REVIEW.
UM, SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD A LITTLE EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO BUILD AND HOW MUCH AND WHERE, AND, AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE GREAT WORK WE'VE ALREADY DONE TODAY, BUT ALSO LOOK AT SOME ADDITIONAL WORK ASSOCIATED WITH THE LAKE CROSSING AND YOU KNOW, HOW WE DO THAT AND WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THAT.
UM, CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE TUNNEL EXTENTS AND ARE THERE TRADE OFFS THAT MAY HELP US REDUCE THE TUNNEL EXTENTS, UM, MOVING FORWARD, UM, STATIONED IN STATIONARY, AS YOU'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF US TALK TODAY ABOUT THE STATIONS OR STATIONS IN THE FUTURE, UM, THAT MAY, UH, NEED TO BE, UH, LOOKED AT AND JUST HOW THOSE STATIONARIES ARE DEVELOPED, UM, A MAINTENANCE, A STORAGE FACILITY, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO, TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE FACILITIES, BUT, UM, JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE.
UM, SO NO MATTER WHAT WE, WE LOOK AT AS FAR AS OUR IMPLEMENTABLE PROGRAM OF PROJECTS, UM, THERE, THERE WILL NEEDS TO BE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT THAT INITIAL INITIAL PROGRAM.
UM, THE CORRIDOR MOBILITY APPROVALS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, TRANSIT PROJECTS ARE ALSO ABOUT OTHER MOBILITY CONNECTIVITY FIRST AND LAST MILE SIDEWALKS, UM, ALL THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS. AND HOW DO THOSE PLAY INTO THE COST? ARE THERE OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? AND JUST WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE ALONG THESE CORRIDORS? UM, MOVING FORWARD IN TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VEHICLES THEMSELVES OR THE SIGNAL SYSTEM AND ALL THAT.
SO ALL THESE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, WE JUST NEED, UH, WE NEED TO CONTINUE IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT TO, TO WORK LONG, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, ALL FEED INTO THIS ALSO IN THIS FEEDS INTO THOSE OTHER THINGS.
SO THIS IS WHAT I, I GUESS I WANT TO MAKE A VERY CLEAR, THIS IS NOT JUST A TECHNICAL DECISION.
THIS IS, THIS IS A DECISION BUILT AROUND SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, PILLARS.
SO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, NEXT SLIDE, UM, JUST CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, UM, WORKING WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S WORKED GREAT, UM, MOVING FORWARD, UM, AND MAKING SOME KEY DECISIONS, UM,
[01:35:01]
ALSO JUST REMINDING GET THE FTA AND LET'S GET THEM INVOLVED, CONTINUE TO GET THEM INVOLVED.THEY CAN HELP US SOLVE ISSUES.
THEY CAN HELP US WORK THROUGH ISSUES.
UM, THEY WANT, THEY WANT A SUCCESS ALSO.
SO JUST BRINGING THEM ALONG IN THE PROCESS AND THEN OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY PRESENT THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIPS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, NEXT SLIDE, FINANCIAL REVIEW.
THIS IS BALANCING THE FINANCIAL MODEL THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT, UM, LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES AS OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES COME OUT, UM, MAXIMIZING ANY OF OUR FINANCIAL TOOLS, SUCH AS TIFIA IN ANY OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS. AND THEN JUST TRYING TO GET A PLAN OF FINANCE THAT MAXIMIZES OUR LOAN AND GRANT AND MINIMIZES OUR RISKS.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A RISK CONVERSATION IN HERE ALSO AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT HOW WE, UH, FINANCIALLY MODEL THE PROGRAM, NEXT SLIDE.
SO MARKET SAUDI, AND THIS IS GOING OUT AND TALKING TO PEOPLE AND SEEING WHAT EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTORS, THE BUILDERS, TALKING TO THE FINANCERS THAT FINANCE IT, AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND SEEING WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SPEND SOME TIME AND TALK TO THAT COMMUNITY AND GET THEIR IDEAS.
UM, MANY OF THEM ARE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM TODAY, SO I'M SURE THEY HAVE A BUNCH OF GREAT, GREAT IDEAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW CERTAIN STRATEGIES MAY DRIVE THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IN FUTURE INVESTMENTS.
SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS A PLUS ON, ON WHAT WE'VE DONE TODAY.
UM, SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO MAYBE FOCUS ON SO PARTICIPATION IN SO COMMUNITIES THAT MAYBE WE HAVEN'T SEEN AS MUCH, UM, FEEDBACK FROM AND HOW DO WE ENGAGE WITH THEM IN THE, IN THIS NEXT PHASE OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, UM, ENSURE THAT, THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT THIS TO BE AUSTIN'S PROJECT, THE COMMUNITY'S PROJECT.
THIS IS WE WANT THEIR VALUES AND THEIR PRIORITIES TO BE REFLECTED IN, IN WHAT WE BRING BEFORE THE BOARD AND ENGAGE CAC MOBILITY COMMITTEES AND, AND OUR PARTNERS IN, IN, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO TELL OUR STORY, CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES AND THINGS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD AND JUST KEEPING EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP HERE BETWEEN CAP METRO, UM, THE CITY IN ATP AND JUST MOVING THAT WHOLE ENTIRE THING OVER.
SO JUST MAXIMIZING THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THE, THE ELEMENTS OF WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING MULTI-DISCIPLINE TEAMS TOGETHER TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH.
THERE ARE SOME TIPPING POINT THINGS THAT WE WANT TO GET, GET STARTED ON, AND IT WILL DRIVE SOME OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING, YOU KNOW, OUR NEXT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS ON MOVING THIS FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR A DIALOGUE ABOUT, ABOUT THIS ELEMENT, ANY QUESTIONS REMEMBER SHOTGUN? SO YOU SAID SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.
SO WHAT ARE WE EXPECTING THEN? I THINK WE PRETTY MUCH ESTABLISHED THAT, THAT THE ORIGINALLY THE PLAN WAS, OH, HAVE A TRI-PARTY MEETING AND REVIEW ALL THIS AND GET THE 30% COST ESTIMATE AND MAKE SOME DECISIONS AND, UH, IN AUGUST, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT FINAL, FINAL VOTE AS IT WERE IN DECEMBER.
I THINK THIS PRETTY MUCH ESTABLISHES IT, THAT THAT ORIGINAL TIMELINE HAS BEEN BLOWN, BEEN BLOWN AWAY.
CAUSE WE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AS IT WERE, AND LOOK AT THIS AND KIND OF TO YOUR POINT, REEVALUATE THIS BASED ON WHAT THESE, THESE COSTS ARE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND REALLY KIND OF HOME BACK IN ON THIS SCOPE.
UM, ARE YOU SAYING THEN THAT IT, THAT, THAT YOUR ANTICIPATION IS FROM THE, THE, UM, CONSULTANTS SIDE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS SIDE THAT Y'ALL MAY NEED UP TO EIGHT MORE MONTHS IN WHICH TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE, TO, TO STUDY THIS, TO DESIGN, TO, TO WORK THROUGH THIS BEFORE YOU COULD BRING IT BACK TO HAVE THAT FINAL TRI-PARTY MEETING AND US TO, TO TAKE THAT VOTE AND SEND IT OFF TO THE FEDS.
I'LL GIVE YOU THE SAME ANSWER I GAVE THE MAYOR IN A BRIEFING IS I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO GIVE A TIMEFRAME ON SOME OF THE ASPECTS THAT WE ARE, WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO LOOK AT, ARE GOING TO REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING, SOME ADDITIONAL PLANNING, SOME ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE WITH OUR PARTNERS ON, ON TRADE-OFFS AND ITEMS LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO WORK THROUGH.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK IT IS PRUDENT THAT WE LOOK AT NOW AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, SO THE SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS IS, IS KIND OF BASED ON SPENDING SOME TIME ENGINEERING AND SPEND SOME TIME PLANNING, HAVING SOME DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMUNITY, WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO WE CAN BRING A DATA-DRIVEN INFORMED DECISION AND RECOMMENDATION TO THE GROUP.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE GAME PLAN RIGHT NOW, UM, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY AROUND THIS TABLE THAT WANTS TO SPEND ANY MORE TIME AT THIS.
THEN WE WANT TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
[01:40:01]
WE DON'T WANT TO GET IN PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS AND ITEMS LIKE THAT.UM, OUR JOB IS TO BRING YOU AN IMPLEMENTABLE PROGRAM AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO, BUT WE ALSO, WE, BASED ON WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE HAVE SOME MORE WORK TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF MANAGE EXPECTATIONS AS WELL, BOTH FOR, FOR, FOR US ON THIS DIOCESE AND FOR OUR PARTNERS LIKE ME REPRESENTING CAP METRO, AND GOING BACK TO, TO MY BOARD ON MONDAY, SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF, OF KIND OF WHERE THINGS STAND AND, AND I'M SURE THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL, BECAUSE ANY CHANGE, AGAIN, ANY CHANGE IN THE SEQUENCING IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED BY AND VOTED UPON BY PER THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT BY CATHERINE METRO AND BY THE CITY COUNCIL, WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT.
BUT, UM, BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT WOULD TAKE US, YOU KNOW, EIGHT MONTHS WOULD TAKE US INTO MARCH THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD ONLY BE, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A THREE MONTH DELAY FROM THE ORIGINAL TIMEFRAME, FROM WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT VOTING ON.
AND I THINK THAT FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT'S A FAIRLY, I MEAN, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, IF THAT ONLY PUTS US THREE MONTHS BEHIND WHAT OUR ORIGINAL TIMEFRAME WAS, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, YOU GUYS ARE PRETTY MUCH KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK.
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR YOU, AS YOU'RE SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW SAYING SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS IN, I REALIZED YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE SOMETIME LET'S JUST CALL IT, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, SPRING, WE, IF YOU'RE SHIFTING IT FROM WINTER OF 22 TO SPRING OF 23 FOR, YOU KNOW, BRINGING SOMETHING BACK TO US, I, FROM ME PERSONALLY, MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S NOT A BAD DELAY FOR THE INVESTMENT BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S STILL PRETTY SOUND AND, AND PRETTY SMART.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A PRETTY AWESOME JOB IF THAT'S YOUR, YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THIS NOW COMING TO US, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE.
THAT'S ONLY GOING TO BE MOVING US BACK A FEW MONTHS FROM WHAT WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY.
AND I THINK IN MY, YOU HAD A QUESTION AND ALSO, YEAH, BUT YOU OKAY.
IF YOU RESPONDED TO, SO MAYBE WE CAN PULL UP THE LAST SLIDE, THE LAST SLIDE, THERE'S ALWAYS AN EXCELLENT, SO ONE OF OUR SHEDS GREAT COMMENTS.
UM, I THINK I WANT TO DRAW US BACK FIRST OF ALL, THE WAY WE WANT TO, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME TODAY.
THIS IS MOVING DIFFERENT FOR ATP.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PART OF OUR IDENTITY THAT WE WANT TO CREATE THESE DISCUSSIONS OR MEETINGS, VERY VALUABLE, NOT ONLY FOR US TO HEAR WHERE YOU GUYS ARE, BUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE WATCHING TO SEE WHERE WE ARE.
SO THANK YOU FOR INVESTING YOUR TIME THIS MORNING IN THIS AND CHANGING YOUR CALENDARS AROUND AS WELL.
UM, UH, WHEN I, I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO WHERE WE ARE, IT REALLY MATTERS.
UM, BRIAN, I THINK WE'RE NEVER SHOWED, YOU ASKED A QUESTION TO BRIAN ABOUT THE TIMING OF THESE PROJECTS EACH, WHERE DO YOU GUYS, TOM, WHERE DENVER WASN'T WHERE CHARLOTTE WAS, WHERE HAWAII WAS PROBABLY, THERE WAS, THESE ARE 10 TO 12 YEAR PROGRAMS. WE HAD A CHART UP THERE THAT SHOWED THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERING, AND CONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE ONE YEAR IN TO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
SO I WOULDN'T, I WANT TO COUCH ANYTHING AS A DELAY OR NOT.
WE ARE IN THAT WORK AND WE ARE STILL IN THE TWO YEAR WINDOW THAT ARJUN TALKED ABOUT.
WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL COME BACK WITH OUR UPDATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WITHIN THAT TWO YEAR WINDOW.
SO IT'S A MATTER OF THE WORK, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, THE WORK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WHAT THE MESSAGE I'M HEARING TODAY IS GET THE WORK DONE, MAKE SURE IT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, YOU ACTUALLY DON'T GET TO PASS, GO, AND WE WANT TO PASS, GO, AND WE'RE GOING TO PASS GO.
SO I THINK THIS IS THE NECESSARY WORK THAT WE WANT TO BE DOING AND WE HAVE TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND I LIKED THAT WE'RE STILL IN OUR WINDOW.
WE'RE STILL IN WHAT WE'VE TOLD EVERYONE ABOUT REALLY FROM THE BEGINNING ABOUT WHERE OUR OVERALL SCHEDULE IS.
WE'RE STILL INTO THAT 10 TO 12 YEARS TIMEFRAME.
AND THE CHART THAT CHAIR MENTIONED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE NOW.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO FRAME THAT.
UM, AND AS WE TALK ABOUT MILESTONES, UM, THE REAL MILESTONE IS GETTING FEDERAL FUNDING IN IN-VITRO IMPORTANT KEY MILESTONE IN THESE UPCOMING 60 MINUTES IS HAVING A GREAT COMMUNITY PROCESS TO GO THROUGH PRIORITIZATION AND TRADE-OFFS TO MOVE OUR PROGRAM FORWARD.
SO GIVEN THAT WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN FRONT OF YOU IS THAT TIME THAT WE THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOUR POINT.
THIS IS NOT AN OPEN-ENDED DISCUSSION.
THE VOTERS MADE A DECISION ABOUT VISION WORK, IMPLEMENTING THAT VISION.
UM, AND SO WHERE WE ARE IS IN ADDITION TO THIS WORKSHOP, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS HAS INVITED US TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN MOBILITY COMMITTEE TO HAVE A SIMILAR, MAYBE NOT 40 SLIDE DECK, BUT A SIMILAR CONVERSATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER ITEMS TO DEAL WITH.
DOTTIE HAS GRACIOUSLY INVITED US TO THE PLANNING AND OPS COMMITTEE AND CAPITAL METRO TO HAVE A SIMILAR TO
[01:45:01]
THE CONVERSATION AND GO, UM, UM, BOARD CHAIR HAS ASKED WHAT IS OUR CADENCE WITH OUR PARTNERS IN GETTING IN FRONT OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, ENHANCE AND IMPROVE THAT.
SO WE WANT TO DO THAT IN AUGUST AND THEN GET TO THE WORK ON THAT HONEYCOMB.
UM, BE A BUNCH OF, I THINK WE COULD, WELL JUST START WEARING V COSTUMES TO WORK, UM, FEED THE BEES, GOING AROUND, DOING ALL THIS WORK WITH, ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN COMING OUT IN THE SPRING IN LINE WITH WHERE WE ARE IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, STILL IN THAT TWO YEAR WINDOW, COMING BACK TO ALL OF THE BODIES TO TALK ABOUT THAT UPDATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN THE SPRING.
AND, AND THE REASON WE CAN STAY ON TRACK WITH WHERE WE ARE AND, AND IS FIRST AND FOREMOST, CAUSE WE'VE DONE AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF WORK ALREADY DOING ALL OF THIS, UH, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WORK COMMUNITY WORK.
WE FIGURED OUT A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN BE PLUGGED IN PLAY OTHER DIFFERENT PLACES.
THERE IS SOME NEW WORK THAT WILL HAVE TO OCCUR AS CONVERSATIONS OCCUR.
SO AS WE WANT TO DO THIS TECHNICAL AND COMMUNITY, CHECK-IN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT AUSTIN DOES REALLY, REALLY WELL.
WE WANT TO EMBRACE THAT AND KEEP DOING THAT, BUT WE'RE LIVING WITHIN THAT WINDOW THAT WE LAID OUT AND WE'LL BE BACK IN THE SPRING.
UM, WE WILL BE BACK HERE EVERY MONTH, UPDATING WE WILL BE BACK IN FRONT OF THE ART COUNCIL AND THE BOARD AND THE CAP METRO BOARD UPDATING WE'LL BE WITH OUR CAC AND OUR TAX UPDATING.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO GO CREATE THE PROCESS OF, OF DISENGAGEMENT AROUND PRIORITIES AND TRADE OFFS.
AND SO WE'RE STILL IN THAT GREAT, I THINK SCHEDULE THAT WE LAID OUT AT A VERY MACRO LEVEL.
AND, UM, SO THIS IS REALLY JUST A CONTINUATION.
I WANT TO ASSURE EVERYONE, THIS IS WE'RE IN PROJECT WHERE YOU HAVE TWO HOURS AGO, WE WERE IN DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE STILL IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOT BETWEEN THE BOARDS, OUR EXPERTS, OUR STAFF BETWEEN ALL THREE AGENCIES WERE REALLY SET UP VERY WELL TO, TO AGAIN, TO MOVE FORWARD IN LIGHT OF SOME CHALLENGES, FROM A COST PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE WE HAD AND THE INVESTMENT THAT OUR CITIZENS MADE IN THIS, IN THIS VISION.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
SO I THINK THAT HELPS ME FRAME UP THE TIMELINE, UH, BOARD MEMBER.
AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK GIVEN THE CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHAT INEVITABLY, I THINK GOING TO BE AMENDMENTS TO THE SEQUENCING PLAN THAT GOES BACK TO THE DECISION FACTORS.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT TIMING IS BECAUSE WE NEED A PROJECT THAT WE NEED, UH, A SEQUENCING PLAN THAT CAN DELIVER THE PROJECT THAT, UH, VOTERS WERE PROMISED.
UM, AND IT NEEDS TO BE REALISTIC AND IT NEEDS TO DO RIGHT BY, UH, THE PUBLIC FUNDING THAT WE HAVE AND THE PROMISE AND POTENTIAL OF PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UH, AND, AND TO GO TO COURT, REMEMBER STRATTON'S, UH, QUESTION, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UPDATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND GIVING TO THE BEDS, WHAT WE HAD HOPED TO GIVE TO THE FENCE BY JUNE, UH, WE'D HOPED TO BE COMPLETED VIS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WORK AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE LAYING OUT A SCHEDULE THAT ACTUALLY ENABLES US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW UNTIL YOU GET INTO THAT WORK, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THAT, THAT WE GET TO THAT PLACE.
UH, BUT BY THE SPRING, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER FEEL FOR THE DIFFERENT VARIABLES INVOLVED.
AND WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHEN IT IS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO, UH, AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.
AND IT COULD BE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO REPORT BACK EARLIER THAN THE SPRING.
ONCE YOU GET INTO THIS AND, AND YOU'RE REPORTING BACK IN FEBRUARY AS TO WHAT THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, SO YOU'RE GONNA GO AND ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC.
AS I LOOK AT THIS, I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO THE REPORTING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE JULY AND AUGUST TIMEFRAME.
CAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD HERE TODAY HAS TO GO MORE BROADLY TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, GAINING IT BACK TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE GREAT.
WE'VE SET UP OUR PROCESS SO THAT ANYONE ON CITY COUNCIL WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO EVERY CITY MEMBER.
UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS IN METRO, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
WE SET UP THE CAC, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY
[01:50:01]
COUNCIL AND THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCILS.THEY, THEY NEED TO BE BROUGHT IN.
UH, SO BECAUSE IN PART THEY'RE CONNECTORS TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY AND HAVING THAT HAPPEN, UH, BEFORE WE PASS THROUGH AUGUST SO THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BE COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU HAVE INDICATED IN YOUR ORAL DISCUSSION, THIS, THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT DISAPPEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY BETWEEN JULY AND SPRING, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY SO ON THIS CHART.
SO I WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO, TO TAKE THIS CHART AND ANNOTATE IT OR AUGMENT IT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'D BE GOOD.
AND YOU DID NOT INTEND TO DISAPPEAR FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN COME BACK WITH SOMETHING.
UH, SO, UM, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, WE SET ASIDE TIME FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, OVER THE LAST MONTH, THESE ARE THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
AND THESE ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH.
WE HAVEN'T RESOLVED ANY OF THESE ISSUES NECESSARILY, OR MAYBE WE HAVE RESOLVE SOME OF THEM, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT.
FINANCES IS IT APPLIES TO THIS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT COSTS AS IT APPLIES TO THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT, WHATEVER IT IS, EVEN AS YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND NOT RESOLVING THOSE THINGS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS A FEEL FOR WHAT THE DISCUSSIONS ARE THAT ARE TAKING PLACE OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH AN UPDATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, NO ONE IS SURPRISED EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT ALMOST GOOD.
GOOD, GOOD DO THAT ALONG WITH YOU SO THAT THERE'S NOT A PERCEPTION THAT YOU GUYS WENT AWAY SOMEWHERE AND THEN INTO A BACKROOM AND CAME BACK FOR SOMETHING.
SO COMMUNITY IS IN, INVOLVED IN CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH THAT PROCESS.
UH, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO COME BACK AT LEAST TO THE ATP BOARD.
UH, I THINK THAT COULD ALSO BE DONE IN WRITTEN FORM IF YOU WANTED TO, AND YOU CAN COPY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COPY THE BOARD MEMBERS AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS AREA SO THAT YOU CAN KIND OF FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING, I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT TOO.
THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, UH, SOME MEASURE OF ANXIOUSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND, AND THE ONLY WAY I THINK EFFECTIVELY TO DEAL WITH THAT IS GOING TO BE, TO BE AS TRANSPARENT.
YOU CAN BE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PROCESS.
THANKS, MARY, APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS I THINK THAT'S SPOT ON.
AND I THINK THAT TRANSPARENCY STARTED TODAY, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT THE COST AND THE HONESTY AND DEAL WITH THOSE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AS THE TEAM WALKED THROUGH, WHAT'S ROOTED IN THIS WORK PLAN IS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE WILL BE HERE AND WE'LL BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND I THINK AS WE, AND WE WILL, I THINK THE IDEA IS, IS AMENDING THIS AND BUILDING OUT THIS SCHEDULE, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S BUILT OUT WELL AND INTENTIONALLY, UM, WHEN WE, SO WE STARTED DOING THE WORK, WHEN DOES EIS REIGNITE THE COMMUNITY? WE START LAYERING ON TO THIS FRAMEWORK OF THIS CALENDAR IN AN INTENTIONAL WAY, BRINGING EVERYONE ALONG AT THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF OUR, WE WOULD PROBABLY SAY WE DO WANT UPDATES.
THAT'S COMING UP A STANDING MEETING ON THIS AGENDA AND HOW WE COMMUNICATE BACK.
SO I THINK THE COMMENTS ARE SPOT ON.
WE'LL CONTINUE ENHANCING THIS AND BUILDING IT OUT AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WE'RE BUILDING IT OUT AS WE CAN.
UM, JUST TO KIND OF DOVETAIL ON, UH, WHAT THE MAYOR WAS SAYING AND BUILD OFF THAT, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE TOO, THAT THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FUNDAMENTALLY, MAYBE SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT, UM, I KNOW UP TO THIS POINT, WE HAVE HAD SOME PHENOMENAL LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT WHERE WE ACTUALLY GO OUT, WHETHER IT'S VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE'RE AT THE VERY GRANULAR LEVEL.
WE'RE AT THE STREET LEVEL WHERE WE'RE LITERALLY, WE'RE SHOWING, UM, POTENTIAL MOCK-UPS TO, UH, TO FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S AT THE DRAG OR DOWN AT PLEASANT VALLEY OR UP AT CREST VIEW AND SAYING, HEY, GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS VERSION VERSUS THAT VERSION? WE'RE REALLY GETTING THEM TO REALLY GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THAT INDIVIDUAL STATION OR THAT INDIVIDUAL, UH, UH, CONJUNCTION OF WHERE LINES ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER.
UM, BUT IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE NOW WE'VE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE TAKING ALL THAT DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED.
AND NOW WE NEED TO KIND OF BRING IT UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL THAT, THAT THE NEXT LEVEL OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ALMOST WOULD SEEM LIKE HALF WILL BE, HEY
[01:55:01]
GANG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE AMAZING FEEDBACK YOU'VE GIVEN US ON WHAT YOU WANT THIS THING TO BE.NOW WE HAVE TO, TO, TO TAKE THAT AND SQUARE IT WITH THE REALITY OF WHAT THE COST DRIVERS ARE BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO MAKE THE CHOICES FROM THAT.
AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT, THAT THIS NEXT LEVEL OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND YOU GUYS THAT HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF I'M COMPLETELY IN LEFT FIELD, PLEASE TELL ME, BUT IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THAT THIS NEXT LEVEL IS GOING TO BE, MAYBE I KIND OF EQUATED, I GUESS, TO WHAT I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE GETTING TO THIS POINT IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHEN, WHEN THE CONSULTANTS AND STAFF AND EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, OKAY, CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO BOARD, WE'VE GOT THIS GREAT PLAN FOR YOU.
DO YOU WANT TO DO BRT? OR DO YOU WANT TO DO LIGHT RAIL? HERE'S WHAT THE UPSIDE AND THE DOWNSIDE IS HERE ARE THE PUTS AND THE TAKES, HERE'S THE COST OF THIS AND THE COST OF THAT.
AND THE ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE, WE'VE TAKEN THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
HERE'S WHAT EVERYBODY HAD TO SAY ABOUT THIS IN THE, IN THAT, AND HERE, THESE THINGS ARE NOW ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AT THIS POINT IS KIND OF NOW AT THIS HIGHER LEVEL OF, OKAY, THANKS GUYS.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE WHAT WE GOT FROM EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT STATIONS, EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE LINES, AND WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND NOW STEP THAT UP AND GO BACK TO THE VARIOUS, UH, UH, COMMITTEES, COMMUNITY, INTEREST GROUPS, AND STUFF, AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT'S YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS LARGER PICTURE DEAL.
Y'ALL ARE GOING TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT FEEDBACK TOGETHER AND THEN COME BACK TO US ULTIMATELY AT THE END AND SAY, OKAY, HERE ARE OUR CHOICES.
YOU GUYS KIND OF FIGURE IT OUT.
IS THAT, IS THAT NOW KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT THIS LEVEL OF, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK NOW, REMEMBER, I THINK THAT'S JUST SPOT ON, IT'S A GREAT LANGUAGE.
IT SAID ZOOMING UP, BUT RELYING ON ALL THAT WORK WE'VE DONE BEFORE, IT'S ALL A LIE.
ALL THAT WORK WE'VE DONE IS ALIVE AND IT HELPS ACTUALLY BRING THAT UP.
SO I DON'T THINK I CAN ADD ANYTHING TO THAT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IN MY HEAD THAT I'VE GOT WHERE WE ARE AND THEN KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS FOLKS HERE, THAT WE'RE GOING OUT TO TALK TO THEM AGAIN AND FEEDBACK KIND OF LEVEL SETTING EXPECTATIONS TO COMMUNITY.
CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE SHIFTING PHASES IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WHEN WE BRING SOMETHING TO THEM, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT BRINGING THEM A MOCK-UP OF A STATION TWO OR THREE CHOICES AND SAYING, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? WE'RE NOW BRINGING IT TO THEM.
WE WERE GOING TO GO OUT TO THOSE AREAS PERHAPS, OR WE MAY JUST GO TO THE COMMITTEES.
I LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU GUYS ARE THE EXPERTS THAT DO THAT STUFF.
BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT NOW THAT BIGGER PICTURE, AS OPPOSED TO THE INDIVIDUAL STATIONS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, OR WHATNOT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THAT'S AGAIN, UH, SPOT ON, I THINK WHAT WE SAY IN THESE UPCOMING WEEKS, REALLY COMING BACK AND DOING A LITTLE MORE DIALOGUE WITH THE OTHER BOARDS, MAKING SURE THAT WE CONSTRUCT AND STRUCTURE THAT ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO MATTER.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT A FOREVER WE'RE WORK.
THAT'S GOING TO START NOW, UM, AND BRING THAT BACK ABOUT HELP WITH THAT STRUCTURE.
THAT ENGAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST ADD GETTING BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING TO BRIAN EARLIER.
I FEEL I QUICK WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
WE HAD A VERY, UM, A VERY ROBUST AND, UM, OPTIMISTIC TIMELINE ORIGINALLY WHEN WE WERE SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT VOTE IN DECEMBER.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT WHEN WE DID THAT, WE ALSO BUILT IN THIS EXTRA TIME, BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING, THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE COULD BE UP TO TWO YEARS.
AGAIN, WITH THE CAVEAT WE COULD ALWAYS IF NECESSARY APPEAL FOR, YOU KNOW, PUT, PUT IN FOR AN EXTRA EXTENSION, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THAT THAT WAS THAT BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SITTING HERE DOING.
THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TIME BUILT INTO THIS PROCESS TO ALLOW US, AND I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE WRONG IMPRESSION.
NO, ONE'S KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
THIS IS NOT A KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
THIS IS REALLY, WE, WE FUNDAMENTALLY HAD EXTRA TIME BUILT INTO THE TIMELINE SO THAT WE COULD, WE COULD DEAL WITH UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THIS SO THAT WE COULD RESPECTFULLY AND PROPERLY PREPARE AND HAVE TIME TO EXTEND CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, DECISION POINTS FURTHER OUT LIKE THIS, IF NECESSARY.
SO THIS IS STILL TO YOUR POINT, GREG, THAT THE TIME IS STILL THERE.
WE'RE JUST, INSTEAD OF DOING IT IN DECEMBER, WHICH WAS A ORIGINALLY AN ATP GENERATED OR ALL THREE PARTNERS GENERATED, YOU KNOW, DATES.
WE'RE NOW JUST GOING TO BE PUSHING THAT OUT FURTHER, PROBABLY INTO THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO BE INTO THE SPRING, BUT WE'RE STILL WITHIN THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WINDOW, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE UNTIL AS LATE AS, YOU KNOW, JUNE, JULY TO SUBMIT THE FINAL PAPERWORK.
I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AND, UM, WE NEED TO GET STARTED.
[02:00:01]
BUT WE GOT TIME HERE.WE, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME TIME, BUT WE NEED TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THIS, THIS PROCESS AND, AND UPDATE AND BRING BACK WHERE WE ARE EXACTLY.
AND AS WE FIND OUT INFORMATION OR LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO PARTICULAR PROBLEMS, BRINGING THOSE TO YOU SO WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESSES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I'LL I'LL PUT IT WELL, I'LL JUST SAY I'VE GOT FAITH IN Y'ALL.
I'VE GOT FAITH IN, IN, IN THE TEAM.
WE'VE GOT THE STAFF, THE BOARDS GUYS LOOK WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE WHEN WE STARTED, WE HAVE COME SO INCREDIBLY FAR, SO INCREDIBLY FAST THAT WE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
IF IT WASN'T FOR THE GOOD, HARD WORK OF EVERYBODY SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE, PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE AND THE FOLKS IN, IN AUSTIN, TEXAS WE, WE CAN, WE CAN STILL GET THIS DONE AND I HAVE FAITH THAT WE CAN, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR RECOGNIZING THIS WHEN YOU DID AND BRINGING THIS TO US SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DIG DOWN DEEP INTO THIS AND GET IT DONE AND STILL MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN.
ONE, ONE FINAL THOUGHT IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, BECAUSE MS. FLOWERS, YOU DID MENTION THAT SOME OF THIS FUNDING IN THAT SLIDE SPANS DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE ANXIETY THAT WE HAVE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MANAGE, UH, ENTER INTO PROJECT ENGINEERING WHILE WE HAVE THE BUY THEM ADMINISTRATION.
SO CAN YOU SHED A LITTLE BIT MORE LIGHT THAN ONCE THE FUNDING HAS BEEN GRANTED? IT DOESN'T GO AWAY.
AND SO, UH, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY ADMINISTRATION DURING THE 50 YEARS OF FTA THAT HAS NOT HONORED THIS CONTRACT.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT'S THE FULL FUNDING.
THAT CONTRACT IS THE FULL FUNDING GRANT, WHICH WILL COME WITH, AS WE ENTER INTO PROJECT ENGINEERING, BUT THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE AND DISTINCT STEPS IN THE FEDERAL PROCESS.
AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER FEE AND DACA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR OUR PANEL.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO RECESS.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS VALUABLE DISCUSSION FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE THE TIME TO BE HERE.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION.
UM, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND TO TAKE A RECESS AND RECONVENE AT 2:00 PM.
COULD I HAVE A MOTION MOTION BY BOARD MEMBERS, STRATTON AND A SECOND MAYOR ADLER SECOND.
UM, NOW THE TIME IS 2 0 6 OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING.
I BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
[3.a. Finance & Risk Committee]
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY UPDATES AND ACTION ITEMS. SO OUR FIRST ITEM TODAY IS THE ATP TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS, NEITHER THE PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY EQUITY AND THE DB COMMITTEE NOR THE, UH, EAC, WHICH IS ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE MET THIS MONTH.BUT OUR BOARD MEMBER ELKINS WILL BE SHARING THE FINANCE AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT OR MY BROKEN, WELL, I FEEL RATHER NAKED HERE GIVEN THAT THERE'S NO OTHER PRESENTATIONS PERFORMING HERE.
THE OTHER TWO COMMITTEES DIDN'T MEET.
IT'S USUALLY THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
ANYWAYS, WE MET ON JULY 12TH, THE FINANCE AND RISK COMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAD AN INTRODUCTION TO ATPS NEW ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR.
UH, SO IT WAS GREAT TO MEET HER WELCOME, UH, SHEREEN, UM, DIANE, UH, OUR CFO.
I HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE SECOND QUARTER PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR ATP.
UH, WE ALSO HAD A PRESENTATION FROM OUR INTERNAL AUDIT OR KATIE HOUSTON ON THE DRAFT AUDIT PLAN DISCUSSION FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
SO IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION FROM KATIE.
AND THEN WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON FUTURE TOPICS AND MEMBERS, SUGGESTIONS, IDEAS.
SO SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT INTEGRATION RISKS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE KEY RISKS FOR ATP.
UH, SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT, TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S GOOD COMMUNICATION ACROSS ATP STAFF, UM, CAP METRO CITY AND CONTRACTORS.
ONE OF THE MEMBERS, UM, TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AUDIT NEEDS FOR THE AUDITS THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING AND THAT WE SHOULD,
[02:05:01]
UM, BE CAREFUL ABOUT RELYING UPON AUDIT SERVICES FROM AUDIT FIRMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ENGAGED, DOING CONSULTING WORK TO AVOID POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.UM, SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE FHR EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE VARIOUS CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE WITH CAP METRO AND, UM, THAT THAT ARE UNDER CAP METRO'S JURISDICTION, BUT ARE BEING REIMBURSED BY ATP.
SO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
AND HOW DO WE HAVE CONTROLS OF THAT? UH, THERE WAS ALSO A DISCUSSION ABOUT FUTURE FTA GRANTS AND WHO THE GRANTEE SHOULD BE, WHETHER THAT SHOULD BE CAP METRO OR ATP.
SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION POINT ABOUT, UH, HAVING SOME PRESENTATIONS TO THE FAR COMMITTEE FROM VARIOUS EXPERTS ON, ON, ON THE RISKS AND CHALLENGES ON WHO SHOULD BE THE FTA GRANTOR.
UM, LET'S SEE, HERE, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGE ORDERS THAT WERE RECENTLY APPROVED BY, UM, CAP METRO ON AECOM AND H AND TB CHANGE ORDERS FOR 30% DESIGN.
AND THOSE CHANGE ORDERS DID NOT GET REVIEWED BY ATP, WHICH ULTIMATELY ATP IS PAYING THOSE.
SO I THINK GOING FORWARD, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY OF THOSE CONTRACTS, UM, WHERE THEY'RE UNDER CAP METRO, BUT ULTIMATELY BEING REIMBURSED BY ATP, THAT WE HAVE APPROVAL RIGHTS ON THOSE.
SO I THINK SOME OF THOSE INTER LOCALS WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WILL GIVE US THAT TYPE OF PROTECTION.
UM, SOME CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES SUCH AS CLOSING TRAFFIC ON GUADALUPE STREET WERE DISCLOSED AND DISCUSSED.
UM, AND THEN I THINK REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION TO HAVE IT, THE TREASURER OF ATP PRESENT THE FDA PROCESS TO THE FAR COMMITTEE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, THE FDR MEMBERS ALSO WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE ORDER PROCESS FOR ATP, WHAT CONTROLS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ENSURE THAT CHANGE ORDERS WHEN THEY COME ARE, WERE PROTECTED AND THAT WE'VE GOT THE ADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION AS CHANGE ORDERS OF WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS TO COST CONTROLS IN LARGE PROJECTS.
SO OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE, UH, AUGUST 9TH AND IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION.
MAY I ADD A COMMENT, UM, ON THE ITEM ABOUT THE E-COMMERCE AGENCY B DESIGN CONTRACTS? I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS MINT THIS WAY.
THIS IS WORDED IMPROPERLY OR IS MISUNDERSTOOD.
THE KENT METRO BOARD DID NOT AUTHORIZE CHANGE ORDERS ON THAT CONTRACT.
WE MODIFIED THE CONTRACT TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL SPENDING.
IT'S AN ID IQ CONTRACT OR INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE WHERE TASK ORDERS ARE ISSUED AND ALL OF THE TASK ORDERS ARE MANAGED BY THE ATP STAFF.
SO I JUST WANTED IT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE ATP STAFF ARE MANAGING THOSE CONTRACTS, WHICH ARE THEN BEING PAID FOR BY ATP, NOT THE CABINETRY STUFF.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU FOR OUR STRATA.
[4.a. Approval of minutes from the June 15 Board Meeting ]
MOVING ON TO OUR FIRST ACTION ITEM TODAY, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 15TH, 2022 AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING.AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THIS ACTION ITEM.
IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE MINUTES, THEY'LL HAVE A MOTION.
MAYOR ADLER, SECOND MEMBER STRATTON, EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[4.b. Approval of a resolution adopting Title VI Program Plan for ATP]
OUR SECOND ACTION ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING TITLE SIX PROGRAM PLAN FOR ATP AND MS. CHAVEZ, THE ATP DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND DB BRIEF THE BOARD LAST MEETING ON THIS PLAN, A COPY OF SENIOR PACKETS.AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO, BOARD MEMBERS STRETCH AND MOVES.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO IT'S UM, ALSO I ON MY, BY MYSELF, UM, THIS MO THE TITLE SIX POLICY HAS NOW BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU, MS. CHAVEZ FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
CAUSE I KNOW THIS WAS A HEAVY LIFT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA FLIP AROUND THE SCRIPT
[Items 4.d. & 4.e.]
HERE A LITTLE BIT.SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR FOURTH AND FIXED FIFTH ACTION ITEM.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO A VOTE TOGETHER.
UM, THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN INTER LOCAL GRANT AGREEMENT WITH CAPITAL METRO FOR EXPO CENTER AND PLUS, AND VALLEY METRO RAPID BUS PROJECTS, CAPITAL FUNDING IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $35,635,829.
[02:10:01]
AND ACTION ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE ATP FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET TO APPROVE FUNDING FOR THE EXPO CENTER AND PLEASANT VALLEY.METRO RAPID BUS PROJECTS IN THE AMOUNT OF 13 MILLION, $349,695,000.
UM, MR. CARR, WHICH IS THE ATPS DEPUTY COUNCIL BRIEF THE BOARD LAST MONTH ON THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS MS. ATPS BUDGET DIRECTOR WILL PRESENT TODAY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET AMENDMENT AND HOW IT WILL BE.
IT WILL ENABLE US TO HELP CAP METRO FUND THE CONTEMPLATED ILA FOR THIS IMPORTANT GRANT.
SO MS. SILER AND MR. CARR WELCOME.
UM, SO TODAY WE'RE REQUESTING A BUDGET AMENDMENT FROM THE BOARD TO FULLY APPROPRIATE THE FUNDING FOR THE, FOR THE METRO RAPID EXPO IN PLEASANT VALLEY LINES.
AND THE REASON FOR THIS REQUEST IS BECAUSE, UM, IT IS, IT IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO SECURE THE FTA, UH, SMALL STARTS GRANTS.
WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR IS A COMMITMENT FROM, UM, FROM US THAT WE WOULD TOTALLY, THAT WE HAD ALREADY COVERED, UM, THE, THAT WE WOULD COVER THE LOCAL MATCH.
SO WE ARE INCREASING OUR BUDGET, OUR OPERATING BUDGET BY TRANSFERRING THE ENDING BALANCE THAT WE HAD OF $9 MILLION.
AND WE'RE TRANSFERRING THAT INTO THE CAPITAL FUND.
UM, AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, AND THEN W THEN WE'RE ALSO TAKING JUST OVER $4 MILLION OUT OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
AND WE'RE MOVING THAT ALONG WITH THE $9 MILLION INTO THE TWO VARIOUS METRO RAPID LINES FOR A TOTAL BUDGET AMENDMENT OF NINE, UH, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $13.4 MILLION ADDED TO THE GRANTS.
SO WHAT THAT WILL DO, YOU CAN SEE UNDER THE AMENDED BUDGET LINE FOR THESE TWO LINES, IT'S A $17.7 MILLION BUDGET FOR EXPO AND AN $18 MILLION BUDGET FOR PLEASANT VALLEY COMBINED.
THAT EQUALS THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT YOU'LL FIND IN THE ILA THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE APPROVING.
THAT'S WHAT WE WILL BE REIMBURSING CAP METRO.
I WANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE SPENDING THE MONEY THIS YEAR.
IT IS SIMPLY APPROPRIATING IT TO ALLOW, UH, TO NOTIFY THE FDA THAT YES, IN FACT, WE HAVE, WE HAVE COMMITTED THESE FUNDS.
UM, IT ALSO IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
WE'LL BE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SIMPLY A TIMING ISSUE.
UM, SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD WITH OUR
ANY QUESTIONS? NO, NO QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU HAVE A QUICK COMMENT HERE, HELP US HERE JUST TO HELP US HERE.
SO WHILE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IS FOR 9 MILLION, THIS FULLY FUNDS $35 MILLION FOR THESE THAT THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO DO BOARD, IF YOU ALLOW US, IF THIS RESOLUTION IS TO INCLUDE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT STIPULATES THAT THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT TAKES UP THE FULL AMOUNT OF $35 MILLION, SO THAT WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FULL AMOUNT IS APPROPRIATED AND BUDGETED.
UM, SO FOR THAT TO WORK ON THAT LANGUAGE, UM, CASEY, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YEAH, WE WILL HAVE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE RECITALS IS WHAT I'M HEARING THAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO COULD YOU MAYBE STATE, UM, NOW THE, UM, THE BACKUP MATERIAL HAS A CHART THAT'S JUST LIKE THAT, THAT SHOWS THAT THE TOTAL APPROPRIATED THE AMENDED BUDGET WOULD EQUAL $35 MILLION.
I THINK WHAT I WOULD, MAYBE SOMEWHERE IN THE NOW BE IT RESOLVED, WE SAID, UH, OR, UH, WHEREAS THE ATP CAP, METRO AGREED PORTIONS FOR FUNDING AND METRO REPS ARE PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
UM, CASEY, I JUST THINK WE, UM, IF WE CAN GENERALLY GET SOME LANGUAGE AND THEN WE, WE COULD ADD THAT IN BOARD.
I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO JUST DEMONSTRATE IS THAT IN THE ACTUAL BOARD ACTION ITEM, THE RESOLUTION, WE ARE SHOWING THAT THE FOUR $35 MILLION IS APPROPRIATED IN ADDITION TO THE TABLE.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT LANGUAGE WILL CRAFT THE RIGHT LEGAL LANGUAGE AND PUT IT IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
I, WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHAT THAT NEXT FRESH WOULD BE ALSO CIRCULATED TO THE BOARD.
UM, SO WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS TAKE A VOTE ON THE BUDGET AMENDMENT AND THEN ALSO TAKE A VOTE FOLLOWING THAT ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION SO THAT
[02:15:01]
THE ACTION TAKES PLACE TODAY, WHICH I KNOW IS CRITICAL FOR THE GRANT.SO, UM, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING IS, WELL, LET, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE, UH, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE DONE WITH YOUR DISCUSSION, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL THE VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN I CAN READ INTO THE RECORD, THE PROPOSED AMENDED LANGUAGE TO THE RESOLUTION.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS? YEAH, I'M I'M I GUESS I SEE WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM, BUT STAFF HAS HAD THIS FOR OVER A MONTH.
IT, IT SEEMS LIKE I, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NECESSARY SINCE ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BRIEFED AND NO BOARD MEMBER EXPRESSED A CONCERN ABOUT THIS, THAT I WAS THAT, I MEAN, IT SEEMED TO BE IF NO BOARD MEMBER RIGHT NOW IS BRINGING THIS FORWARD AS A, IS A CONCERN, THEN IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS KIND OF NOT NECESSARY AT THIS TIME.
AND MAYBE WE JUST WANT TO KIND OF MOVE THIS, MOVE THIS ALONG, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE KIND OF MUDDYING THE WATERS NOW IN DOING THIS THIS WAY.
I GUESS I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE POINT, IF IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WHILE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR 9 MILLION, THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET
IT'S JUST A CLARIFICATION BOARD.
I WANT TO PUBLICLY MAKE THAT CLARITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE MOVE THE FUNDS AROUND FROM ONE BUDGET, THE NET RESULT OF THAT IS THAT THERE IS $35 MILLION IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
IT'S JUST TO CLARIFY, IT'S A, IT'S A DEMONSTRATION.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DEMONSTRATING THAT ALL THOSE FUNDS ARE IN APPROPRIATED, WHICH IS WHAT THIS BUDGET ACTION DOES.
SO THAT'LL BE IN THE MINUTES FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, SUPPOSE THAT MAY BE SUFFICIENT, I THINK, UM, RATHER THAN CHANGING THE WHEREAS CLAUSES.
THAT'S I THINK THAT'S WHAT I CAN, I CAN APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THAT.
I JUST, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT AND IT GETS RESOLVED BY SAYING ADDITIONAL FINDINGS.
I I'M JUST SAYING, I THINK IT'S SUFFICIENT TO HAVE THAT IN THE MINUTES THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE AMENDING THE RESOLUTION AT THIS TIME.
AND IT DOES SAY 17 MILLION PER ROUTE.
SO I THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY, IF SOMEBODY DOES THE MATH FOR AN HOUR OR AN OKAY.
SPOT DEMONSTRATING THAT IT'S THE FULL AMOUNT THAT'S IN THE ILA.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION, UM, WITH THAT I LIKE TO CALL A EMOTION FOR A BOAT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR MEMBER ELKINS? UM, MOTIONS, MAY RADNOR SECONDS.
EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
UM, SO THANK YOU EVERYONE, MS. SILER FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, UM, I KNOW THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT MILESTONE FOR THIS COLLABORATION TO GET US MOVING FORWARD ON THIS TRANSIT PROGRAM.
AND, UM, BUT IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BITTERSWEET BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ALSO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR, UM, BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON, WHO HAS ANNOUNCED THAT HE'S STEPPING OFF FROM THE CAP METRO REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR BOARD.
AND, UM, I LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK HIM FOR ALL HIS EFFORT AND THE HEAVY LIFT THAT HAS BROUGHT US THIS PROGRAM HERE TODAY, BECAUSE IF YOUR WORK HAS STARTED WAY BEFORE WE WERE EVEN CREATED.
SO I, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR ELOQUENCE AND YOUR WISDOM AND HELPING US ADVANCE, UH, ALSO FOR BEING THE REPRESENTATIVE OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO IS HELP US THINK OF MOBILITY REGIONALLY, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING THAT AMBASSADOR FOR OUR REGION.
AND, UM, AND I LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND ESPECIALLY FOR YOU TO GIVE US SOME COMMENTS OF WHY YOU WANT TO ABANDON IT THERE, OR DO YOU WANT TO START FIRST WITH THE ROASTING BEGIN? OKAY.
I, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON, UH, A LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT QUITE FRANKLY, SOMEBODY THAT, THAT, THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO WORK WITH, UH, UNTIL UNTIL THIS PROJECT.
UH, AND I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I MEAN, GIVEN HIS EXPERIENCES AND WHERE HE HAS COME FROM,
[02:20:01]
UH, HE'S BROUGHT A VOICE TO THIS PROJECT THAT OTHERWISE WE WOULD NOT HAVE, HAVE HAD.UH, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN PART THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE BENEFITS OF HAVING, UM, MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS PROJECT, UH, AS WELL AS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL CHOOSE WHO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WAS AND HAVING, UH, THE CAP METRO BOARD HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE WHO, WHO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WOULD, WOULD, WOULD BE.
UM, I KNOW THAT IN THE DEBATES THAT WE'VE HAD, HE HAS FREQUENTLY BROUGHT A VOICE TO THIS TABLE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN HERE.
UH, AND THAT WAS ALSO REAL IMPORTANT AS WE WERE CONSIDERING A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF FIRST IMPRESSION, UH, AND, AND BUILDING SOMETHING NEW AND BUILDING SOMETHING WITH, UH, WITH A, WITH A WHITEBOARD.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, THE, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON'S INVOLVEMENT HAS HELPED US CREATE A PRODUCT THAT IS BETTER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, UH, ABSENT HIS INVOLVEMENT.
SO I WANT TO THANK HIM, UH, AND TELL HIM THAT I HAVE ENJOYED SERVING WITH HIM AND JUST GREATLY APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP.
UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.
I KNOW IT HASN'T BEEN EASY JUGGLING YOUR DAY JOB AND LOOK AT THE MAN'S IN HIS UNIFORM THERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S HARD DOING THIS, UM, BUT IT'S A HUGE VALUE TO THIS CITY.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE PROBING QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED DURING THE BOARD MEETINGS.
I THINK THEY'VE ALL GIVEN US GOOD INSIGHT, UM, YOUR HUMOR, BECAUSE EVERY BOARD NEEDS SOME ELEMENT OF HUMOR.
WE CAN'T JUST BE DRY ALL THE TIME.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS YOUR COMMUNICATION AND YOUR LIAISON WITH CAP METRO, THAT'S CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT, AND YOU'VE BEEN A REAL, A TERRIFIC PARTNER IN THAT, AND JUST YOUR OVERALL SUPPORT AND ALSO THE HISTORY OF PROJECT CONNECT, BEING A NEWCOMER, BEING ABLE TO, UM, ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
AND, UH, I KNOW YOU'RE STILL GONNA BE INVOLVED ON THE OTHER SIDE WITH CAP METRO, SO, UH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE YOU APPRECIATE IT.
UM, GREG, SO WARD MEMBER, JUST TO ADD, TO ECHO ALL OF THAT.
I, UH, I KNOW YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK.
I KNOW THE FIRST TIME YOU AND I PROBABLY MET EACH OTHER WAS IN SOME, SOME SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM OVER AT CITY HALL WHEN, UH, WE, WE, UH, YOU, YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN THE BUILDING AND WE WALK YOU THROUGH THIS NEW, SOMEWHAT, UH, CRAZY IDEA.
AND, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WAS YESTERDAY.
AND I JUST KNOW THAT, UM, YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ALL OF US SUPPORTING THAT, UH, HELPING TO EXPLAIN IT AS WELL.
CAUSE SOMETIMES US AS GOVERNMENT FOLKS, DON'T ALWAYS EXPLAIN THINGS THE BEST IN HELPING TO EXPLAIN THAT TO THE PUBLIC, WHAT WE WERE DOING AND THE SUPPORT, AND THEN YOUR ROLE IN HELPING STAND UP ATP, THE CONVERSATIONS.
THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE ASKED, I THINK HAS LED TO THIS POINT WHERE WE'RE SITTING IN HERE, UM, UH, GETTING US TO, UM, GETTING THIS ENTITY STOOD UP AND ALL OF YOUR EFFORT.
AND AS YOU'VE TOLD ME, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE NOW WE HAVE A HOME AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO BE OVER HERE.
AND I THINK WE'LL BE SEEING YOU A LOT AS WE CONTINUE OUR COLLABORATION WITH, UM, CAPITAL METRO, AS LONG WITH THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR, UM, ALL YOUR ADVICE AND THOUGHTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT YOU AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
SO THANK YOU LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
WE HAVE OUR BOARD MEMBER FEE AND BECCA WHO MAYBE YOU WENT, TURNED AROUND.
SO THESE, YOU CAN HAVE EYE CONTACT WITH ME, UM, DRIVE, WHAT CAN I SAY THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID, THANK YOU.
YOU DON'T CARE IT OFTEN IN SERVICE, BUT, UM, AS, AS
UM, AND I WAS LOADED TO THE NEXT STEP OF ATP AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THANK YOU, MS. VAN DECA, AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY.
THIS HAS BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY.
[02:25:01]
GOING TO MAINTAIN MY SERVICE AS THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE TO CAPITAL METRO.I WILL STILL BE IN THAT CAPACITY.
I'M, I'M EAGER TO, TO CONTINUE THE WORK AS THE CAPITOL METRO OPERATIONS PLANNING AND SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIR, AND AS SUCH A MEMBER OF THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE THAT WILL HELP BRING TO YOU, HOPEFULLY A VERY QUALIFIED AND EAGER PUBLIC MEMBER TO JOIN THIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
BUT THE HONEST TRUTH IS THAT, UM, WHILE I MAY BE, UH, CURRENTLY THE CAP METRO REPRESENTATIVE TO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD, UM, THIS IS A VOLUNTEER LABOR OF LOVE.
AND, UM, WHILE I VERY MUCH ENJOY THE BUS PASS THAT I DO GET COMPENSATED FOR IN MY SERVICE HERE, UM, THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN MY LIFE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF FROM WHERE I ONCE WAS.
UM, I AM NO LONGER, UH, AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR THAN I ONCE WAS.
I AM NOW A FULL TIME PAID FACULTY MEMBER FOR GALEN COLLEGE OF NURSING.
AND IN CASE YOU HADN'T NOTICED THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS, I HAVE BEEN DASHING IN HERE IN MY LAB COAT IN MY SCRUBS, UH, FROM, UH, SOME CLINICAL SITE WITH A BUNCH OF STUDENTS.
AND, UM, IT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO JUGGLE A PAID JOB WITH THIS.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, UH, MY FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES TO, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I, UH, I AM THE, THE FATHER OF AN AMAZING LITTLE, I'VE GOT TWO, TWO, UH, TEENAGERS, BUT ONE OF THEM IS AN AMAZING YOUNG WOMAN WHO IS A UNICORN.
UH, OUR DAUGHTER, MADDIE IS THE REASON I GOT INTO NURSING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND SHE IS A, SHE IS MISSING 29 GENES ON CHROMOSOME.
ONE IS THE OLDEST KNOWN CASE IN THE WORLD AT THIS POINT.
AND, UM, RECENTLY BECAUSE OF SOME OF SOME RECENT HEALTH PROBLEMS AND, UM, RECENTLY WAS OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE FORM OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY.
AND, UM, IT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO JUGGLE, UM, THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND THE, UM, THE FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, NOT ONE BUT TWO BOARDS.
UM, MY FAMILY AND I, MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD SOME VERY PRAYERFUL AND CAREFUL THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.
AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING HERE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN.
THIS COMMUNITY MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
I WENT OFF FOR AWHILE, BUT AS MY MOM USED TO SAY, YOU'LL SPEND FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OF YOUR LIFE TRYING TO GET OUT OF AUSTIN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, TRYING TO COME BACK TO IT.
THIS, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL.
AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS SPECIAL.
I TRULY BELIEVE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE WITH PROJECT CONNECT, WHAT I AM DOING HERE FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND IS PART AND PARCEL TO WHAT I'M DOING FOR MY DAUGHTER, WHO IS, UM, WHO IS DISABLED, BUT ALSO TO IT'S ALSO FOR MY SON WHO IS, UM, UH, TYPICALLY DEVELOPING THAT EACH OF THEM WOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I VIEWED THIS PROJECT CONNECT IS ABOUT, IS IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S CONNECTING THIS CITY TOGETHER AND WHAT'S SO AMAZING AND SPECIAL ABOUT IT IS WHEN YOU GET ON THE BUS, WHEN YOU GET ON THAT TRAIN, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE A, IF YOU ARE WHAT WE NOW CALL AN ESSENTIAL WORKER, FRONTLINE, WHO IS WORKING AT A HOSPITAL OR WORKING AT A, UH, WORKING AT A RESTAURANT OR GROCERY STORE, OR IF YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT OR CEO OF A COMPANY, YOU ARE THERE, YOU ARE EQUAL WHEN YOU ARE ON THAT TRAIN.
I HAVE HEARD STORIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE COME TOGETHER AND LITERALLY INDIVIDUALS HAVE MET THEIR SPOUSES AND GOTTEN MARRIED AS A RESULT OF THEIR TRIPS ON THAT, ON, ON, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT TOGETHER.
IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO CONNECT TO WHERE THEY LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
AND EVEN IF PEOPLE DON'T USE TRANSIT, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES BECAUSE IT GETS THE OTHER CARS OFF THE STREETS SO THAT IT ALLOWS FOR THEM TO HAVE BETTER COMMUTES TO THIS ALSO WILL MAKE THE WORLD A HEALTHIER PLACE.
AND CONNECTING BACK TO MY NURSING EVEN DIRECTLY MAKES IT HEALTHIER FOR MY, MY CHILDREN TO THIS WAS TOO CRITICAL, A PROJECT AND TOO IMPORTANT.
I JUST CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO IT IN BOTH WAYS AND FROM BOTH BOARDS, BUT, BUT PLEASE NOTE TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND AS MUCH AS I CAN GOING FORWARD, I DO WANT TO BE CONTINUING A ROLE IN THIS WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND WITH TRANSIT THROUGH, THROUGH CAPITAL METRO.
I JUST CAN'T KEEP UP THE PACE DOING IT WITH, WITH BOTH BOARDS AT THIS TIME.
SO I'M GOING TO BE STEPPING DOWN EFFECTIVE JULY 31ST AT 11:59 PM.
DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TRANSITION TIME, GIVE CAP METRO AND OPPORTUNITY TO, TO VOTE ON MY REPLACEMENT.
AND, UM, BUT I WILL STILL BE AROUND AND I LOOK FORWARD
[02:30:01]
TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ON THE AMAZING WORK THAT WE HAVE AHEAD, WE'VE DONE SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS, GANG.IT IS NOT EASY TO LAUNCH A STARTUP, LET ALONE A GOVERNMENT STARTUP WITH SO MUCH AT STAKE IN THE COMMUNITY, COUNTING ON US, LITERALLY CARRYING THE, CARRYING THE MONARCH AND CARRYING THIS WORK ON OUR SHOULDERS.
AND I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THE COMMITMENTS THAT YOU MAKE RONICA, TONI COLLETTE, WHO HAS NOW MOVED ON, BUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, I, I FEEL YOUR PAIN BECAUSE AGAIN, I I'M LIKE YOU IN SOME WAYS I'M A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO THIS IS, THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE.
AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE STILL SITTING HERE KNOWING THE COMMITMENTS THAT YOU HAVE.
I KNOW TONY, YOU, YOU HAD A, YOU HAD TO STEP OFF CAUSE YOU HAD A BUSINESS AND YOU KNOW, YOUR PAID JOB WAS CALLING ON YOU.
IT'S NOT EASY TO CARRY THIS BURDEN AND TO DO THESE THINGS, THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITMENTS THAT YOU MAKE AND THAT YOU DO.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU JUST IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CAPACITY AS WE MOVE THIS THING.
DARE I SAY, KEEPING THIS TRAIN ON DOWN THE TRACKS AND MOVING THIS PROJECT ON DOWN THE ROAD.
AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE A SMALL GIFT FOR YOU TOO.
SO AT THE END OF THE MEETING WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH OUR TOKEN OF GRATITUDE FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND, UM, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS YOU AND I HAD.
UM, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING FAR.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU AND DOTTIE AND WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH CAP METRO, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD HAVE BEEN ABOUT THE HEALTH, YOU KNOW, THE CONNECTION OF TRANSIT, TRANSPORTATION, AND FELLS.
SO THIS IS WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY CITY REALLY.
SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT WORK AND IT'S ADMIRABLE WITH THE PASSION AND THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU'VE SHOWN TO, TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, UM, AND AGAIN, GRATITUDE TO YOU.
AND I KNOW DOTTIE, UH, YOU'VE BEEN, UH, YOU'RE GONNA, NOW YOU SIT ON THE BOARD, YOU STILL WORK WITH HER, BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY FINAL WORDS ALSO BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE FIRST THING.
I, THE FIRST THING I ASKED HIM WHEN HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS STEPPING DOWN FROM THE ACP BOARD, I WAS LIKE, CAUSE YOU'RE NOT QUITTING AS COMPLETELY ARE YOU? UM, AND AS SOON AS HE SAID, NO, HE WOULD STAY ON THE CAP METRO BOARD.
THEN I WAS WILLING TO, TO ACCEPT THE NEWS.
AND WE ALL APPRECIATE, UM, AS BOARD MEMBERS THREATEN SERVICE AND, AND RECOGNIZE THE TIME COMMITMENT THAT IT TAKES.
UM, BUT HE'S COMMITTED TO HELPING TRANSIT AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE HIM.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH HIM.
[4.c. Approval of a resolution electing ATP Vice Chair and appointment of Vice Chair as Board liaison to the Planning, Sustainability, Equity, and DBE Committee]
YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE STEPPING DOWN, I WANT IT TO TAKE A MOTION FROM THE BOARD.IF WE SHOULD POSTPONE THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION, ELECTING A VICE CHAIR OR, OR FOR US TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE, UH, YOUR REPLACEMENT.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION WHAT MADAM CHAIR.
I, IF YOU LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, IF YOU DO PROCEED WITH THIS ITEM, I WOULD FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO ABSTAIN, BUT I THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE APPROPRIATE TO POSTPONE IT SO THAT, UM, CAP METRO, MY, MY REPLACEMENT WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET A MORE FULLER SAY IN THE DISCUSSION AND THE DECISION, UM, SINCE THAT PERSON IS GOING TO BE SERVING OUT THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM, IT WOULD SEEM DISINGENUOUS FOR ME TODAY TO CAST THAT VOTE, KNOWING THAT I AM GOING TO BE ROLLING OFF THAT THIS IS MY LAST MEETING, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
UM, AND I WILL ADD THAT THE CAP METRO BOARD IS POSTED TO, UM, NAME THE REPLACEMENT FOR BOARD MEMBERS.
STRETTON ON THIS BOARD AT THEIR BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY THE 25TH.
SO THIS COMING MONDAY, SO WE WOULD HAVE THE, THE AUGUST MEETING TO THEN VOTE ON A VICE CHAIR.
SO THAT PERSON WILL BE S W WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO INTERRUPTION FOR THE ATP BOARD IN TERMS OF HAVING THE CAP METRO, UM, PERSON ON BOARD.
SO THEY WILL BE AT THE AUGUST MEETING.
I PERSONALLY DON'T MIND POSTPONING THIS ITEM, ONE MORE MEETING.
UH, I WANTED TO ASK THE BOARD IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YEAH.
IF POSTPONING, SO IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO THEN HAVE YOUR REPLACEMENT SIT HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS SUGGESTION BOARD STRATTON.
UM, SO WITH THAT ACTION ITEM, NUMBER THREE HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOR THE AUGUST MEETING, UH, YEAH.
DO I HAVE A MOTION SECOND BY THE MAYOR, BUT WHO CALLS THE MOTION OF FIRST BOARD MEMBER STRATTON SECOND BY MAYOR ADLER? UM, ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
[5. Update on Executive Director recruitment and hiring process ]
HAVE THE ITEMS FROM THE BOARD THIS MONTH BOARD MEMBER ELKINS WILL SPEAK ON THE UPDATE ON THE BOARD FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT HIRING PROCESS.[02:35:01]
BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON AT OUR LAST MEETING, YOU WANTED US TO GIVE AN ACTUAL STATISTIC.WELL, WE'RE GONNA, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS, THIS SLIDE, BUT I'VE MET WITH BOARD MEMBER ELKINS AND STAFF TO GIVE US A PROCESS ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT.
AND IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THE BOARD PASSED A RESOLUTION IN APRIL AFTER WE DETERMINED THE DEPENDENT LEADERSHIP FOR ATP, AND IT REQUIRED BOTH MEMBER ELKINS AND I TO WORK WITH ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AT ATP AND DEVELOP A PROCESS TO RECRUIT AND SELECT THE PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
AND, UM, SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WHAT WE ANTICIPATE COLLABORATING WITH THE RECRUITER TO FURTHER REFINE THE PROCESS FOR HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THESE ARE THE PROPOSED HIGH-LEVEL STEPS.
SO WE'VE DEFINED SIX STEPS THAT WE'LL BE TAKING.
AND ONCE THE RECRUITER IS HIRED, WE WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH A, YOU KNOW, MORE DETAILED PROCESS AND A TIMELINE AND INCLUDING WHAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THIS NEXT STEPS.
SO, UM, SO WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK YOU HAVE A COPY BOARD MEMBERS, TRAFFIC IS YOUR BACK IS TO THE, TO THE, TO THE SCREEN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT THE PROCUREMENT TO SELECT THE RECRUITER SEARCH FIRM.
WE'RE GOING TO OBTAIN THREE QUOTES.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO SCHEDULE THE INTERVIEWS WITH THE IDENTIFY SEARCH FIRMS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND INFORM THE BOARD OF THE SELECTED SEARCH FIRM AND WHO WE CONTRACT WITH.
THE SEARCH FIRM WILL CONDUCT THE INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS WITH THE ENTIRE ATP BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL DEVELOP THE, THE RECRUITMENT CANDIDATE PROFILE AND WHAT THAT STRATEGY STRATEGY LOOKS LIKE, INCLUDING THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN, ACCORDING TO THE JPA.
AND, UM, THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ATTRACTING AND EVALUATE THE CANDIDATES.
WE'LL PRESENT THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE FOR INTERVIEWS WITH THE BOARD, AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN AND WE'LL COMPLETE THE SEARCH.
UM, SO BOARD MEMBER ELKINS CENTER, KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS? NO, NO, I THINK YOU WENT THROUGH IT.
UM, I THINK WE, UH, WE WILL GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GET SOME GOOD CANDIDATES, UH, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO RUSH IT.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING THOUGHTFUL AND GETTING ENGAGEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I DO, I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD WITH ITS RECOMMENDATION ON WHO THE SEARCH FIRM WILL BE, SO THAT THE BOARD COULD APPROVE THE SEARCH FIRM AND THE COMMITTEE WILL BE COMING BACK WITH ITS RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT THE, UH, CANDIDATE PROFILE AND RECRUITMENT STRATEGY WILL BE SO THAT THE BOARD CAN APPROVE THOSE AS WELL.
UH, THREE FIRMS STAFF RECOMMEND YES.
UH, TO, TO BOTH BOARD MEMBER ELKINS AND, UH, VERONICA.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH, UM, FOR, FOR YOUR WORK.
AND LAST MONTH I BROUGHT SOME, UH, HAVE RAISED SOME QUESTIONS, JUST SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT POINTS TO, TO THINK ABOUT AND STAFF TO ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND ABOUT, UM, HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY KIND OF PARALLEL TRACK THIS AND GO AHEAD AND GET THE, GET LET'S GET THE SEARCH FIRM ON BOARD AND NOT, UH, AND, AND KIND OF ENSURE THAT WE'VE GOT THAT GOING SO THAT WE DON'T MISS A WINDOW POTENTIALLY WITH THAT.
AND, UM, I, THIS, THIS TO ME LOOKS GREAT.
I THINK THAT THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD.
I, UM, I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE PLAN TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THREE DIFFERENT FIRMS AND GETTING IT.
UM, UH, I THINK THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S PROBABLY TIMELY AND WELL PUT TOGETHER AND LOOKING AT, UH, MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION TO YOU, DO YOU THINK MAYBE, UM, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR TIMEFRAME WOULD BE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE SEARCH FIRM, UM, DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, UNREALIZED, IT'S NOT ME, BUT YOU KNOW, THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, DO YOU THINK THAT, THAT, UM, LIKE BY NEXT BOARD MEETING OR SEPTEMBER KIND OF, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULES CLEARLY AGAIN, THIS THAT WE DON'T PAY NEARLY ENOUGH FOR YOU TO KNOW THIS, TO BE THE ONLY THING YOU DO CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BUS PASSES AND ALL, BUT, UM, QUITE A Y'ALL THINK WOULD BE THE, KIND OF THE REALISTIC AND WITH STAFF TIMEFRAME FOR EVALUATING, AND THEN BRINGING BACK TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR HIRING FOR THE FARM.
SO WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A VERY HIGH LEVEL SCHEDULE.
UM, AND ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, THINGS THAT CAME UP LIKE THE EARLIEST WE COULD HAVE WITH MARCH OF NEXT
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YEAR FOR, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE AN ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION AS TO WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS.SO WE TOOK OUT ALL THE STATES AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE WENT THROUGH TO BE MORE REALISTIC, I KNOW STAFF IS ALREADY WORKING ON THE, ON SEARCHING AND GETTING THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE DIFFERENT FIRMS. SO, AND I, WHAT I WOULD COMMIT TO DO IS AT EVERY BOARD MEETING, WE WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE PROGRESSING.
AND THEN I THINK BY THE NEXT, FOR ME, WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE A SCHEDULE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING EVERYDAY ON THIS.
SO, UM, AND THE OTHER THING THAT WAS DISCUSSED TOO, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS PROPOSITION? HOW DO WE MAKE ATP THE MOST ATTRACTIVE ORGANIZATION THAT CAN RECRUIT THE BEST CANDIDATE, THE MOST TALENT AND, UM, AND BE ABLE TO REALLY BE, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE REASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRAM, IN SOME AREAS THAT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO REALLY GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER, IN A WAY THROUGH ALL THIS, THE TRANSITIONS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH BOARD MEMBERS.
AND, UH, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FULL BORE SEEDED BEFORE WE ALSO MAKE A DECISION ON, ON WHO OUR, UM, NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WOULD BE.
SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE ARE THINGS THAT PLAY INTO THE SCHEDULE AND THE PARAMETERS THAT WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S EXTREMELY WISE.
I THINK THAT MARCH COULD BE REALISTIC AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST CONTINUING TO KEEP THE BOARD UPDATED AS TO, TO Y'ALL'S WORK, KNOWING THE DEMANDS ON YOUR SCHEDULES AND KNOWING THAT STAFF IS WORKING STAFF, STAFF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, I WOULD LIKE AN ADD ON TO WHAT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHEN WE HIRED OUR CHIEF AUDITOR.
I THOUGHT THAT THAT PROCESS WENT VERY SMOOTHLY.
Y'ALL WERE VERY EFFECTIVE WITH THAT.
I REALIZE THAT THIS HAS KIND OF KICKED UP A FEW NOTCHES COMPARED TO HIRING AN AUDITOR.
UH, AND I DO, I DO AGREE WITH YOU, UH, UH, CHAIR CASTRO, RATHER THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT NOW THAT WE'RE KIND OF GIVEN WHAT WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT AND TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF FIND THIS BALANCE.
WE DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO SLOW IT TOO MUCH, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO RUSH IT EITHER.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME PROGRAM DEMANDS THAT ARE KIND OF CHANGING HERE.
WE WANT TO FIND THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT POINT IN TIME FOR THIS JOB.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S PROVEN INAPPROPRIATE TO, TO, TO BE MEASURED ABOUT THIS.
UM, AGAIN, I WON'T BE HERE, BUT I THINK STEPPING BACK, BEING ON CAP MED FOR WATCHING THE PROCESS NOW, I THINK IT WILL BE, I WILL BE CURIOUS TO SEE, AND AGAIN, I WON'T BE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS ANYMORE, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT YOUR SEARCH FIRM, ULTIMATELY, HOW THEY ADVISE YOU AND WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THEY MAY SAY AS TO HOW TO PROCEED WITH THIS.
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE MARKETPLACE NOW, AS WE'RE SEEING CHANGES.
CAUSE THESE CHANGES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING THAT AFFECT OUR OWN PROJECT ARE ALSO AFFECTING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORKFORCE IN GENERAL.
AND THEY MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW QUICKLY OR HOW SLOWLY, WHAT KIND OF A TIMELINE AND WHAT KIND OF A PROCESS TO BUILD AND KNOW, AND ESPECIALLY WHAT, WHAT OUR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ARE GIVEN THE JPA AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT, IT SOUNDS PRETTY SOUND FROM WHAT, FROM WHAT YOU'VE LAID OUT AND, UM, GIVING, CONTINUING TO GIVE THE BOARD THE FULL BOARD BRIEF, YOU KNOW, A MONTHLY BRIEFING AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON, AND THEN MAYBE EVEN, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENES, KEEPING THEM ABREAST, I THINK IS VERY REASONABLE, INAPPROPRIATE.
AND I ALSO WANT TO REASSURE EVERYONE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR HOW MUCH YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THIS BAG.
JUST, JUST THE REPRESENTATION OF US BEING IN THIS BUILDING ALREADY.
IT STARTS TO TELL US THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS GOOD ADVANCEMENT AND THERE'S ALWAYS, WE'RE ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD, BUT, UM, LOTS OF WORK AHEAD.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF GINA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? CAUSE I SAW YOUR PHOTO COME UP ON THE SCREEN.
SO WITH THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? ANY LET'S SAY, WELL, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I DO WANT TO, AGAIN, JUST REALLY THANK YOU AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TIME TODAY FOR THIS.
I THINK REALLY, UH, WHAT WAS A CRUCIAL CONVERSATION, UM, NOT ONLY WITH YOU IN THE ROOM, BUT WITH OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE'RE ADVANCING OUR, OUR PROGRAM, UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO AND THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THE ENERGY INTO THIS.
WE KNOW, I KNOW EVERYONE AT THIS TABLE HAS A LOT GOING ON, SO WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND SO I THINK JUST TO QUICKLY RE HIGHLIGHT THE, THE BIG, THE BIG AMENDMENT THAT, THAT WE JUST PASSED AND THE ILA,
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NOT TO KIND OF BURY THE HEADLINE THERE, BUT, UH, THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.UM, IT SHOWS COMPLETE ADVANCEMENT ON THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND I REALLY JUST WANT TO PERSONALLY RECOGNIZE DOTTIE FOR REALLY HELPING ENERGIZE THE FOCUS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
RIGHT? CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON.
LET'S BE VERY CLEAR, RIGHT? DOTTIE HAS A LOT GOING ON.
WE IN OUR TEAM AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS BUILDING.
AND, UM, I THINK SHE JUST HELPED US COLLECTIVELY ENERGIZE AROUND GETTING THIS DONE.
WE KNOW IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PROJECTS GOING.
SO DOTTIE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR STAFF'S VICKY, UH, KEPT MATURE YOUR ATTORNEY, BRANDON, DIANE, AND THEN REALLY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO JEN PINE, WHO IS REALLY BEEN WORKING ON BEHALF OF BOTH AGENCIES AS AN INTERFACE WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO MOVE THESE SMALL START GRANTS FORWARD.
UM, NEXT WEEK, UH, NEXT MONDAY I HOPE GET METRO BOARD TAKES UP THIS ITEM AND I THINK THEY WILL.
AND, AND ONE THING, THESE, THESE EXECUTE AND NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THERE'S FULL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN OUR STAFFS ON EVERY WORD AND THAT DOCUMENT.
SO WE FEEL REAL HAPPY AND FEEL REALLY THANKFUL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR, FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE, UH, UH, DOTTIE AND GREG AND YOU FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE APTA, UH, CONFERENCE THAT WAS IN AUSTIN HERE THE LAST TWO DAYS, UH, THE GATHERING NATIONALLY OF PEOPLE FROM CITIES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHO ARE LOOKING AT THE PROSPECT OF HAVING, UH, AN ELECTION TO, TO APPROVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, UH, THAT CAME TO AUSTIN TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IT WAS THAT WE DID HERE, THAT, THAT, THAT WORKED.
UH, AND, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THE ACCOLADES THAT EVERYONE IN THE CITY GOT.
AND, UH, YOU GUYS PARTICIPATED IN PANELS AS DID MANY OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE, THE CITY THAT HAD WORKED ON THAT, UH, UH, PROJECT.
UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL TO, TO SEE OUR SUCCESS THROUGH, UH, THE EYES OF PEOPLE IN CITIES, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU, GREG AND BODY, OR FOR THAT PARTICIPATION IN THAT WORK.
AND I ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE TEAM FOR THE WONDERFUL GROUNDBREAKING OF MCCOLLOUGH STATION AND FOR INVITING US TO BE PART OF THIS MOMENTOUS EXPERIENCE.
I THINK THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD WORK HAPPENING FROM SO MANY ANGLES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SECOND, WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, MAYOR THAT THE LOVE FOR THIS PROGRAM IN OUR CITY IS, IS VAST IT'S IN MANSON.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE.
SO WITH THAT FURTHER ADO, UM, THIS CONCLUDES THE JULY MEETING.
SO I LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD, THE STAFF FOR THE WORK SESSION, ALL THE WORK THAT WENT BEHIND THE SCENES TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, UM, TO ALL THE STAFF THAT'S ALWAYS HERE.
SO FAITHFULLY AND PATIENT, WE'RE GETTING AFFORDED THIS DISCUSSIONS THROUGH TO TAKE PLACE, UH, FOR ALL THE, I WAS HERE YESTERDAY, VISITING WITH THE, UH, JUST TO COME CHECK OUT THE SPACE AND THIS STILL LOOKED LIKE A CONSTRUCTION ZONE.
SO FOR ALL THE WORKERS, THEY STILL HAD HARDHATS ON AND BROOMS AND MAKE THIS LOOK SO PRISTINE AND PRETTY TODAY, THANK YOU TO ALL THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OUT THERE.
AND, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY DID A LOT OF LONG HOURS TO GET US HERE TODAY.
IT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR HELPING US PUT THE TELEVISED, THIS, YOU MAKE AN OKC.
I KNOW YOU SPENT A LOT OF HOURS.
SO MAYOR TELL YOUR CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE TO HELP US DO THIS.
SO I KNOW THIS WAS MADE LOOK EASY, BUT I KNOW AS OF YESTERDAY THERE WAS A, STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
SO THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD STANDS ADJOURN AND THE TIME IS 2 53.