[CALL TO ORDER]
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PATIENTS THIS EVENING, UH, UM, WELCOME TO THE JULY 20TH, 22, UH, 2022 DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING.
I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, MONA, WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO TAKE ROLL TEST TEST? CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.
UM, MY NAME IS MONA SANCHEZ FOR RECORD.
I AM THE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF LIAISON TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED FOR, UM, ATTENDANCE, YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU'RE A COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON.
IF YOU'RE A VIRTUALLY CONNECTED FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT THERE'S JUST NAMES SHOWING RIGHT NOW.
SO COMMISSIONER JILL'S SHEAR COMMISSIONER KELLEN ROBINSON KELLEN.
CAN YOU HEAR US? COMMISSIONER PRESTON RAIN COMMISSIONER DAVID GOMEZ.
COMMISSIONER LAURA TEMPLETON HERE.
COMMISSIONER MIKE LEVINE, COMMISSIONER JOSHUA LICK TECH COMMISSIONER, MEGAN MEISENBACH CHAIR HARRIS ROSEN, COMMISSIONER HAIM STAFF COMMISSIONER, AMY WONG, EXCUSE ME.
PARDON ME? COMMISSIONER JEN WEAVER.
PRESENT COMMISSIONER KIMBERLY TAYLOR COMMISSIONER, CYNTHIA, WHETHER IT BE HERE AND COMMISSIONER NELLIE RAMIREZ HERE.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE HAVE CHANGED THE FORMAT OF OUR MEETINGS PER THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN NOTICE.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR AGENDA IS FORMATTED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM THAT WE'LL HAVE AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES IS, UH, STAFF BRIEFINGS.
AND DURING STAFF BRIEFINGS, WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH A STAFF MEMBER PRESENTING.
UM, BUT WE CAN ASK POINTS OF CLARIFICATION ONLY.
SO THAT IS NEW AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME ADJUSTING, BUT FOR INSTANCE, BRIAN BLOCK WILL BE HERE PRESENTING WITH THE CITY.
AND SO WE WON'T HAVE THIS SORT OF BACK AND FORTH QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WE'LL HAVE DURING HIS PRESENTATION.
SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS.
IT'S JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, UH, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS WELCOME DAVID GOMEZ, BACK TO THE DIOCESE.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HAS EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES, EVERYBODY ONLINE AND FOLKS ONLINE, PLEASE DO SPEAK UP IN CASE I DON'T LOOK YOUR DIRECTION AND SEE A HAND UP.
UH, WAS THAT A YES, I HAVE A QUESTION OR NO.
UH, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS, ADDITIONS, OR COMMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO THE MINUTES HEARING AND SEEING NONE THE MINUTES STAND AS ADOPTED? UH, NOW
[2. STAFF BRIEFINGS (part 1 of 2)]
WE'RE MOVING ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM.
AND WHO IS THE STAFF MEMBER THAT WILL BE PRESENTING TODAY.
HI, I'M MARJORIE CLEAN FLANAGAN.
DOES GOING TO SEE IF YOU GUYS CAN PULL UP OUR PRESENTATION.
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THIS IS MONA.CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU, I DIDN'T RECEIVE YOUR PRESENTATION THROUGH MY EMAIL AND I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS HAVING SOME COMPUTER ISSUES TODAY, BUT CAN YOU SEND IT TO CITY HALL?
IF THERE'S A WAY FOR ME TO SHARE MY SCREEN, MARJORIE, WOULD YOU CARE TO BE THE PRESENTER AND HAVE CONTROL OVER YOUR PRESENTATION? SURE, THAT'D BE GREAT.
MAYBE ARE YOU SEEING MY SCREEN? NO, MA'AM ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THE ARTS PUBLIC PLACES LOGO? WE'RE GETTING A GRAY SCREEN.
AND NOW WE HAVE YOU, WELL, I'M TRYING, DO YOU SEE THAT WE, WE DO STAFF BRIEFINGS FOR SIXTH STREET WITH BRIAN BLOCK.
AND THEN, UM, I HAVE SAID MARJORIE, UH, I'VE COPIED YOU ONTO THE CITY HALL, AB ONE.
SO YOU COULD JUST SEND OVER YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT WE NEED TO WORK OUT THE TECHNICAL ISSUES OUT OF RESPECT FOR TIME.
SO CHAIR W WE'LL TAKE THE ITEMS OUT OF ORDER.
UM, BRIAN, WELCOME, BRIAN, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER AND I WILL HEAR YOUR PRESENTATION ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
UM, GOOD EVENING CHAIR HARRIS AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES MANAGER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M GOING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE AND TELL YOU, UH, GIVE YOU ALL A REMINDER ABOUT SORT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE INITIATIVE AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'LL BE WORKING ON KIND OF AS AN ARC NEXT, NEXT ITEMS. AND I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND POINT OUT THAT, UM, THEY SAY
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FOR SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE IS A INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM WITH, UH, MANY DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATING IN IT.UM, APD IS INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF IT.
UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE COME BACK NEXT TIME, UH, WE WILL HAVE APD DOWNTOWN COMMANDER, ERIC FITZGERALD WITH US.
SO YOU CAN HEAR FROM HIM AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PREVENT OTHER TEAM MEMBERS AS WELL WHEN WE HAVE, UH, ISSUES IN THEIR AREA.
UM, SO I WANTED TO START OFF WITH A REMINDER ABOUT THE OVERALL FOCUS OF THE SIX SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
AND THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SIXTH STREET ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UM, THAT IS THIS SORT OF APPROACH TO A SAFER DISTRICT, UH, THAT CONTRIBUTES TO SAFETY IN A HOLISTIC AND A SUSTAINABLE WAY.
UM, SO THE INITIATIVE IS FOCUSED ON SAFETY, BUT NOT IN A VERY NARROW WAY THAT ONLY CONSIDERS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POLICING.
UM, POLICING IS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT PART TO A SAFER SIXTH STREET.
AND THIS, AS I MENTIONED, THIS INITIATIVE IS A VERY CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH APD, BUT WHAT WE'VE RECOGNIZED IS POLICING ALONE.
ISN'T A SUFFICIENT OR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION.
IT NEEDS TO BE COMPREHENSIVE AND MULTIFACETED.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL KIND OF TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE THREE GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS OF, UH, THE SIX SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
AND THE FOCUS IS ON PUBLIC SPACE IN STREETSCAPE DESIGN.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS THAT BRING MORE ORGANIZATION TO THE SPACE AT NIGHT.
THINGS LIKE ORGANIZED LION CUES, MORE DEDICATED PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS, UM, IMPROVED LIGHTING, UM, AND I, AND YOU KNOW, FOR THE TIME BEING, UM, REMOVING THE SPACE AS BEST WE CAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET WHERE PEOPLE TEND TO CONGREGATE AND OFTEN WITHOUT ANY INTENT OF GOING INTO ESTABLISHMENTS IN WEIRD DISTURBANCES TEND TO HAPPEN.
UH, WE COULD SEE A TIME IN THE FUTURE WHEN SOME OF THE CHANGES WE'RE ENVISIONING FOR SIXTH STREET TAKE PLACE WHERE, UH, THERE ARE PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE MORE DESIGNED FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE, BUT IT'S FOR THE TIME BEING, WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SPACE MORE ORGANIZED WITH EITHER LINE QUEUING WAITING IN LINE TO GET IN SOMEWHERE WOULD COME BACK AND FORTH, GOING TO THE NEXT DESTINATION, NOT, NOT JUST, UH, GATHERING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
UM, THE SECOND MAJOR FEATURE IS IT DIVERSITY OF ACTIVITIES AND USES THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AT LENGTH, AND WE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN LONG STANDING AND WIDELY DESIRED, UM, A WIDER VARIETY OF NIGHTLIFE, ACTIVITIES, MORE ACTIVITIES BEYOND JUST DRINKING, UH, BARS AND CLUBS THAT OFFER LIVE MUSIC OR COMEDY OR THEATER, THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND, UH, JUST ALCOHOL FOCUSED IN, UM, AND ULTIMATELY HAVE A MORE DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHIC, MORE ACTIVITIES AND USES IN THE EARLY EVENING.
AND ULTIMATELY WHEN WE CAN, CAN GET THERE, UH, MORE DAYTIME, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS TO POINT OUT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE DID THIS, DO YOU TAKE THIS DATA POINT IN THE PAST IS, UM, I THINK YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW WE HAVE POINTED OUT THERE HERE'S A, UM, A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF HIGH VOLUME ALCOHOL BOOK IS OURS.
AND WHEN YOU GET TOO MANY OF THOSE IN A HIGH CONCENTRATION, IT JUST CAUSES DIFFICULTIES IN PLANNING AND MANAGING THE DISTRICT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW CAN WE MAKE IT CONDUCIVE AND DESIRABLE FOR MORE DIVERSE USES TO BE THERE? UM, WHAT ARE THE DATA POINTS? IS THAT ON, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 400 BLOCK, THERE ARE 19 BARS ON THAT BLOCK ALONE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE DIVERSIFY ACTIVITIES AND DIVERSIFY USES? AND OUR THIRD NATURE KIND OF FOCUS AREA IS
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AROUND ENHANCING AND IMPROVING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH FARM OPERATORS.HOW CAN WE HELP THEM WITH SAFETY PLANS, WITH HAVING MORE SECURITY AND BETTER TRAINING FOR THEM WORKING WITH THEM TO BETTER MANAGE THE SPACE IN FRONT OF THE BAR LINE CUES AND GETTING PEOPLE TO NOT LOITER IN FRONT OF THE BAR AND REALLY ENHANCING OUR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BAR STAFF AND APD AND THE CITY MORE BROADLY.
WE REALLY WANT THEM AS PARTNERS TO, YOU KNOW, REINFORCE THE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR FOR STAFF AND PATRONS AND BEST PRACTICES AND ELEVATED OPERATING STANDARDS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN OVERVIEW AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO JUST GO BACK TO THAT AND REMIND YOU OF HOW WE'RE TRYING TO APPROACH A SAFER SECURITY.
AND SO NOW I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE STAFF HAS BEEN OR DEPARTMENTAL TEAM HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON AND IN PLANS TO FOCUS ON HERE IN THE SHORT TERM GOING FORWARD.
UM, WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT TWO KEY AREAS AND THAT IS STREETSCAPE PILOTS THAT CAN HELP US WITH THAT BETTER ORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC SPACE AND BETTER PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR UP RIVETERS, SPECIFICALLY AN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
UM, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT EACH OF THOSE JUST A LITTLE BIT, AND I GUESS STARTING, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME NEEDING AS A TEAM ABOUT THIS.
WE'VE ACTUALLY, UM, TAKEN SOME FIELD TRIPS AND WE VISITED OTHER CITIES AND WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN, UM, WHAT'S WORKING IN THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE HERE.
SO WE TOOK SOME, UH, TWO FIELD TRIPS AND ALL TALK ABOUT THEM IN EACH SECTION.
UH, WE WENT TO THE YBOR CITY, HISTORIC DISTRICT IN TAMPA, AND WE VISITED THE LOWER BROADWAY DISTRICT IN NASHVILLE.
UM, OF COURSE WE'D BEEN LOOKING VIRTUALLY IN THROUGH DOCUMENTATION AT, UH, LOTS OF OTHER CITIES AS WELL, BUT WE MADE FIELD TRIPS TO, TO THOSE CITIES.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, OR REFERENCE THEM AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE SORT OF PRIORITIES WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.
SO THAT THE FIRST ONE, AGAIN, STREETSCAPE PILOTS, UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO WITH PILOTS THAT ARE MORE TACTICAL AND INTERVENTIONS WHERE WE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT WITHOUT A MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT OR A MAJOR STREET REDESIGN, SORT OF WHAT CAN WE DO BEFORE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN TO TRY TO START MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND MAKE AN IMPACT? UM, WE HAVE, YOU MAY KNOW, WE HAVE EXPLORED, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD PILOT EVEN LIMITED REOPENING OF SOME TRAVEL LANES AT NIGHT TO, UH, UTILIZE THOSE LANES IN A DIFFERENT WAY, TAKE AWAY SOME OF THIS SPACE WHERE PEOPLE GATHER OPEN UP SORT OF MOBILITY AND ACCESS.
UM, AND THE, WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THAT TO DO THAT SAFELY IT'S.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY SEE THE BENEFITS THAT COULD COME FROM HAVING THE
UM, WE JUST, WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO DO THAT IN ADVANCE OF A, OF A REDESIGN OR REBUILT UP THE STREET.
AND I THINK EVEN THEN IT WOULD NEED TO BE EVALUATED TO SEE IF IT'S FEASIBLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM BOTH NASHVILLE AND EBOR CITY NASHVILLE, UM, CLOSING SLOWER BROADWAY YBOR CITY TRIES TO LEAVE THE STREET OPEN AS LONG AS THEY CAN, BUT EVEN THEY WHO KIND OF MADE A BIG THING OF REOPENING THE STREET, THEY STILL CLOSE IT WHEN IT GETS TO PP CROWDS ON FRIDAY NIGHTS AND SATURDAY NIGHTS, UH, EIGHT TO CLOSE THE STREET.
SO WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO, WE JUST WANT IT TO SHARE.
AND, UH, WE WILL KEEP LOOKING AT IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE TEAM NOTICED WAS EFFECTIVE IN NASHVILLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE IS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO USE EITHER TEMPORARY BARRICADES
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OR BOLLARDS TO TEMPORARILY WIDEN THEIR SIDEWALKS, UH, BY TAKING SOME OF THE STREET, THE PARKING LANE, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE.WE THOUGHT THAT WORKED WELL IN NASHVILLE, UM, THAT COULD OPEN UP MORE SPACE TO, UH, HAVE LINE CUES, TO HAVE A SEPARATE THOSE LINE CUES POTENTIALLY FROM PEDESTRIAN, FROM PATRONS, MOVING BACK AND FORTH.
UH, UM, THE OTHER THING TO MENTION HERE ON, ON STREETSCAPE PILOTS IS WE STILL PLAN TO IMPLEMENT A PILOT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE SEATING AND TIGHTENING AND SMALL-SCALE ACTIVATIONS DURING THE CLOSURE, UM, ON, ON THE WEEKEND NIGHTS.
AND THAT WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE LESS CROWDED PLUGS, REALLY JUST THE 200 AND THE 500 BLOCKS.
AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING AND MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING THIS IN A, IN A WAY THAT MAKES IN AN ORDER OF OPERATIONS AND IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY OF IT MAKES SENSE.
UM, THOSE ARE STREETSCAPE PILOT IDEAS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON THOSE FRONTS.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUR ATTENTION TO NOW IS, UM, AT OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE, WITH THE BAR OPERATORS TO ATTEMPT TO ELEVATE OPERATING STANDARDS, UM, WHAT WE ENVISION, UM, WE EXPECT SIXTH STREET TO REMAIN HIGH PRI A VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT DURING LATE NIGHT HOURS, BOTH, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.
AND WE THINK THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH OPERATORS IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MAKING THAT WORK WELL, WHAT WE SAW WAS, ESPECIALLY IN YBOR CITY, UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATED A GOOD PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION THAT THE OPERATORS HAD WITH BOTH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CITY DEPARTMENTS MORE BROADLY.
WE, THEY HAD SOME REALLY GOOD PRACTICES WITH LINE MANAGEMENT IN OUR OPERATORS TAKING A REALLY ACTIVE ROLE IN MANAGING THE SPACE IN FRONT OF THE BAR.
UM, THEY HAD SECURITY WELL-TRAINED AT BOTH INSIDE THE BAR AND OUTSIDE IN FRONT.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING IS AN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
WE ENVISIONED THAT THIS WOULD RECOGNIZE RESPONSIBLE OPERATORS WOULD ALLOW US TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND SUPPORT.
IT WOULD BE, UH, SORT OF, UH, A FORUM FOR THEM TO BOTH LEARN, GET PAST PRACTICES AND KIND OF TAKE THOSE ON BOARD AND IMPROVE OPERATING STANDARDS.
WE SEE THIS AS A WAY TO KIND OF BUILD A COALITION OF BUSINESSES AND HAVE SOME PEER TO PEER COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY KIND OF TO EACH OTHER.
UM, OUR BIGGEST, UH, I MEAN OUR GOAL, WE HAVE, NO, THIS IS JUST, UH, A SORT OF A VISION RIGHT NOW.
WE WILL WORK TO SEE IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT, BUT IDEALLY WE WOULD HAVE SOME FUNDING FOR THEM FOR MAKING SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS, LIKE LIGHTING, LIKE CAMERAS, LIKE ID SCANNERS, THINGS THAT, UM, ENHANCE SAFETY, UM, LIKE ONCE, UM, A LOT OF THE, OUR OPERATORS HAVE STARTED USING METAL DETECTOR WANDS, BUT, YOU KNOW, COULD WE MAKE THINGS AVAILABLE TO THEM TO KIND OF ENCOURAGE AND INCENTIVIZE THE TYPES OF BEST PRACTICES WE WANT TO SEE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT APD YOU WANT ME TO POINT OUT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD ON WITH IS AN ADDITIONAL, UH, 13 PUBLIC SAFETY CAMERAS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO IS EXPLORE A VERY TARGETED, ENHANCED LIGHTING IN HIGH CRIME AREAS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A NATCHEZ BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH AT THE ALLEY, UM, I'M FROM THE WEST, THE WEST KIND OF CURB LINE OF NICHES.
THAT'S A PLACE WHERE WE THINK VERY TARGETED LIGHTING COULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH WAS, UM, WE, UM, WANT TO WORK ON THESE THINGS THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER, UM, THAT WE THINK WILL HELP, THAT WILL START
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SIGNALING THE WAY AND MOVING US IN THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO TO ACHIEVE THOSE THREE BIG ASPIRATIONAL GOALS.UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANT TO ALSO POINT OUT IS, UM, THERE PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE MORE SIGNIFICANT INTERVENTIONS TO REALLY GET US ALL THE WAY THERE, THINGS LIKE A REDESIGN OF THE STREETSCAPE THINGS LIKE PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE DISTRICT.
THAT'S REALLY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF OUR SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE THAT WE THOUGHT WERE WORTH POINTING OUT.
UM, MAYBE THOSE ARE THINGS WITHIN YOUR SCOPE.
UM, SO WE THOUGHT, UH, WORTH MENTIONING, UM, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT MAKING ALL THE IMPACT WE CAN AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF TRANSFORM THE STREET IN THE DISTRICT IN THE WAY WE LAY IT OUT.
UM, THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND I GUESS SINCE THEIR CHAIR, MAYBE I HEARD, UM, IF THERE'S NOT A Q AND A, I GUESS IT WOULD BE ALMOST LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION, BUT I'M HERE.
UM, WHERE WOULD YOU HAVE, UH, TRYING NOT TO RUN A FOUL OF THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE? UM, I DO HAVE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, NASHVILLE AND, UM, WHERE DID I, I WROTE THE OTHER ONE DOWN, UH, TAMPA WERE THE TWO CITIES, UH, THAT YOU ALL DID SITE VISITS TO.
CAN YOU LIST FOR US OTHER CITIES THAT YOU LOOKED AT, UH, WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER MODELS TO REFERENCE? NOT NECESSARILY WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE BITS AND PIECES FROM EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE.
UM, SO EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, SO WHAT WE WE'VE LOOKED AT MANY OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE, UH, LAS VEGAS, UM, A FEW MORE, BUT THAT I DON'T HAVE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I DON'T KNOW CHAIR HARRIS, IF WHAT YOU MEAN IS KIND OF A DISTRICT, IT'S AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
THAT'S SIMILAR TO SIXTH STREET.
UM, YBOR CITY, THE EBOR CITY DISTRICT IN TAMPA IS QUITE SIMILAR.
NASHVILLE, LOWER BROADWAY IS SIMILAR.
A BOURBON STREET IN NEW ORLEANS HAS SOME SIMILARITIES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, OTHERS THAT HAVE THE TYPE OF, UH, VOLUME OF CROWDS IN CONCENTRATION OF BARS AND CLUBS LIKE SIXTH STREET HAS.
UH, ANY OTHER POINTS OF CLARIFICATION? UM, MY GOOD IS MY MICHAEL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS DO WE HAVE ON THE SIXTH STREET PATROL UNIT AND HOW MUCH FUNDING ARE THEY RECEIVING FROM THE CITY? SO THAT ANSWER WILL HAVE TO COME FROM APD.
AND AS I SAID, AT THE BEGINNING, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE APD DOWNTOWN COMMANDER, ERIC FITZGERALD.
WHO'S A, CO-PARTNER ON EVERY ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT HERE.
UM, HE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF COURSE, AND ANSWER OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, WHEN WE'RE HERE NEXT.
CHAIR HARRIS, UH, COMMISSIONER HARM, SETH.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK THIS IS APPROPRIATE FOR CLARIFICATION.
UM, SINCE THIS HAS BEEN MENTIONED AS AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT BEFORE THAT, HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, ARE YOU SCHEDULED AT THIS POINT TO, UH, GIVE THIS UPDATE TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION? AND I SHOULD SAY IF NOT, LET ME REQUEST THAT, THAT BE THE CASE REQUEST NOTED.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS ITEM AND DISCUSSION IN A MINUTE.
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SO, UH, WHAT WE WERE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TRY, UH, IS TO MODIFY THE AGENDA.[3b. Discussion and possible action on the Safer Sixth Street Initiative]
TO MOVE INTO THE DISCUSSION ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS.THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE A MORE BROADER BASED CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN.
I'VE GOT ONE WHO'S VERY ENTHUSIASTIC, 2, 3, 7, NOBODY SEEMS TO OPPOSE THE IDEA.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MODIFY THE AGENDA AND GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE DISCUSSION ITEM FOR THIS PARTICULAR MORE COFFEE TODAY WOULD HAVE HELPED.
UM, OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE IN DISCUSSION ON THIS AND I HAVE A COMMISSIONER HAIM STAFF.
LET ME FOLLOW UP THEN, UH, AND JUST BE MORE SPECIFIC AND SAY THAT YOU WILL BE, UH, CLEAR, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS AND WHILE SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE NO DIRECT IMPLICATION FOR THE HISTORIC TEXTURES, OTHERS CAN.
AND SO JUST TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH YOU AND BEGIN THAT PROCESS OF GETTING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MIGHT BE ON THE TABLE, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND THERE ALSO MAY BE A FEW THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT, UM, EVEN OTHER AREAS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN WAYS THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR HISTORIC FABRIC AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER, IF I MAY CLARIFY, PLEASE.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED, BUT MAYBE WORTH CLARIFYING THAT, UM, A, UM, KIND OF REDESIGN, THIS IS THIS ART SCOPE DOESN'T INCLUDE REDEVELOPMENT.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ZONING AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE KIND OF MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T, BUT I GUESS WE DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT HOW THOSE THINGS COULD FURTHER THE GOALS THAT WE'VE LAID OUT.
YOU, YOU YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, BUT THE, UM, AND I GUESS IT WAS WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE SIDEWALKS THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN THE TRIGGER WENT OFF, BECAUSE AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, THERE WAS A LOT OF EFFORT A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHEN THOSE SIDEWALKS WERE REDONE, UH, AND HAVING THAT TYPE OF CONSISTENCY.
AND JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, UH, I, I, AGAIN, I ABSOLUTELY THE AGENDA THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS, THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF SUPPORT, BUT MANY TIMES IT'S EASY TO, UH, JUMP INTO THE SOLUTION AND, YOU KNOW, BY, BY BEING ABLE TO DIALOGUE WITH YOU, PARTICULARLY IN THAT AREA, UH, I THINK THAT WE'LL ALL BENEFIT.
AND I WOULD SAY WE WOULD JUST WANT TO OFFER OUR SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT CREATES A WELL-PLANNED NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
OF COURSE, THERE WILL BE EXPERTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, SIDEWALK REDESIGN, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THAT, THAT WE DON'T, THAT WOULDN'T BE WITHIN OUR SCOPE.
AND BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THE DISCUSSION OF THE FUTURE, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE RICHARD SUTTLE REPRESENTING STREAM REALTY, UH, AND HE WILL BE MAKING A PRESENTATION THAT WRAPS INTO THIS DISCUSSION ITEM.
UH, RICHARD, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION NOW? AND THEN WE'LL JUST, WE'LL COME BACK CIRCLE BACK WITH BRIAN AND WITH YOU WITH Q AND A, IF EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THAT CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF, UH, STREAM REALTY, UH, CAITLIN RYAN WHO'S PROJECT WHO OWNS THIS PROJECT IS ACTUALLY ON A PLANE ON OUR WAY IN, BUT I'M GOING TO PINCH IT FOR, UM, TO COMPLIMENT BRIAN'S EFFORTS.
UH, STREAM HAS BEEN, UM, BUYING UP PROPERTIES LONG EAST SIXTH STREET BETWEEN
THE MEMBERS OF THE STREAM TEAM THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ARE AUSTINITES THAT REMEMBER WHEN YOU COULD GO DOWN TO SIXTH STREET ON ANY GIVEN DAY OR NIGHT AND HAVE LUNCH OR DINNER, HAVE A DRINK, GO SEE A SHOW, GO SEE SOME MUSIC AND NOT WORRIED ABOUT GETTING SHOT OR BEAT UP WHAT WE'VE ALLOWED SIXTH STREET TO BECOME IS KIND OF A SHOOTING GALLERY AND A FIGHTING CAGE ALL IN ONE.
AND WE'VE ANALYZED THAT AND, AND OUR, OUR, UH,
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OPINION IS, IS IT'S BECAUSE WE'VE LACKED.WE LACK THE DIVERSITY OF USES.
WE LACKED THE 24 7 ACTIVITY, AND WE LACKED THE, THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE THROUGH THERE THAT IT USED TO BE, THAT WE USED TO ALL ENJOY.
FOR INSTANCE, I THINK BRIAN SAID, HOW MANY, A HIGH VOLUME ALCOHOL SALES PLACES, BARS THERE ARE.
AND MANY OF THEM ARE ONLY OPEN FROM THURSDAY TO SUNDAY AND ONLY IN THE EVENINGS.
IF YOU GO DOWN THERE DURING THE DAY, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY SCARY.
WHAT STREAM ENVISIONS IS TAKING IT BACK TO WHAT IT USED TO BE A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD GO DOWN THERE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, ALL TIMES OF THE DAY, HAVE MEALS, SEE MUSIC AND NOT DO AWAY WITH THE BARS, BUT MAKE THE BARS DO FOOD.
AND THEN ALSO HAVE THE BARS HAVE RULES THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A BUNCH OF 18 YEAR OLDS THAT CAN COME IN THE BAR AND THEORETICALLY NOT DRINK.
WHAT THAT DOES WHEN THEY DO THAT IS 18 YEAR OLDS COME DOWN.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GET INTO THE BARS, THEY HANG OUT IN THE STREET BECAUSE NOW THE STREET IS BLOCKED OFF.
AND IT'S A HUGE PARTY OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE.
THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT STREAM HAS, IS GO BACK IN RESPECTFUL OF THE, OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT THAT'S DOWN THERE AND REDO MANY OF THESE BUILDINGS AND REPURPOSE THEM ALSO OPEN THE STREET BACK UP TO TRAFFIC, SO THAT IF SOMEBODY OLD LIKE ME WANTS TO GO DOWN THERE AND EAT, I CAN TAKE AN UBER AND BE DROPPED OFF ON SIXTH STREET.
I DON'T HAVE TO BE DROPPED OFF SIX BLOCKS AWAY, MANEUVER FOOD THROUGH THE BOLLARDS IN THE 18 YEAR OLDS AND GET TO THE RESTAURANT.
UM, WE ALSO, AND COMMISSIONER HIVE, SETH MENTIONED IT, THE SIDEWALKS TO MAKE THAT REALLY WORK.
THEY PROBABLY OUGHT TO BE CLEANED UP AND WIDENED.
SO YOU CAN MOVE PEOPLE UP AND DOWN.
UM, I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH A QUICK PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, AND ON SOME OF THESE SLIDES, I MAY JUST, I'M GOING TO BLOW THROUGH THIS REALLY QUICK.
WE'VE DONE A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS, UH, AND, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO GIVE A COPY OF THIS TO YOU.
IT'LL BE WITH STAFF, BUT THIS IS A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON ON SIXTH STREET, MISSION STATEMENT OF REVITALIZING IT.
THESE ARE THE PROPERTIES THAT STREAM CURRENTLY OWNS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CONCENTRATION IS CLOSER TO
UH, SOME OF THESE ARE HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
SOME ARE NOT, SOME ARE CONTRIBUTING, SOME ARE NOT, SOME ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY RECENT BUILDINGS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST THE NORTH AND SOUTH ELEVATIONS OF CURRENT CONDITIONS, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
YOU SEE THAT THEY'RE ALL LOW RISE BUILDINGS.
THERE IS AN OVERLAY OVERLAY THAT KEEPS HEIGHT ON SIXTH STREET AT 45 FEET, EXCEPT ON THE WESTERN END.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU GO THROUGH ALL THESE, I'M JUST GONNA, WE DO, WE BREAK THIS INTO BLOCKS, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THE BUILDINGS ON SIXTH STREET, FOR INSTANCE, 5 0 8, WHEN YOU SEE THERE, THAT BUILDING I THINK WAS BUILT IN THE EIGHTIES.
SO FROM A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE, UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO 50 YEARS, I GUESS IT'S NOT HISTORIC.
UM, AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, THE, THE FAKE ALAMO BUILDING THERE ON SIXTH STREET.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS, IS WE, UH, TALKED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEY HAVE INITIATED A CODE AMENDMENT FOR THE FIVE AND 600 BLOCK OF SIXTH STREET TO ALLOW US TO GO HIGHER THAN THE 40 FOOT HIGH 45 FOOT HEIGHT CAP.
THAT AREA IS ALL ALREADY, UM, LIMITED BY THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDOR.
WE HAD PROPOSED GOING TO A 70, 73 FEET ON ONE AND 120 FEET ON ANOTHER TO STEP BACK FROM THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS OR THE HISTORIC RHYTHM, AND GO UP AND BUILD TWO USES THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE'LL MIX.
BUILDING ONE WOULD BE A SMALL HOTEL.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT CREATES MOVEMENT ON SIXTH STREET DURING THE WEEK DAYS, PEOPLE COMING AND GOING, WHICH WILL THEN FEED THE RESTAURANTS THAT COULD BE OPEN FOR LUNCH.
AND THEN THE HOTEL WOULD BRING FOLKS IN THAT ARE GOING TO BE MILLING AROUND AT NIGHT AND BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT THAT, UM, THAT ITEM PASSED THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS REVIEW PROCESS.
UH, LET'S SEE, THESE ARE ALL JUST EXIST AS THE OTHER BUILDING THERE THAT WE WOULD PROPOSE STEPPING BACK.
IT'S, IT'S THE BLOCK WHERE THERE'S NOT MUCH HISTORIC RELEVANCE STEPPING BACK AND, UM, GOING TO THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDOR LIMIT, AND THEN THE REST OF THEM WE WOULD USE IN PLACE AND MIX THE USES AND
[00:40:01]
LIMIT THE USES TO MAKE SURE THERE'S FOOD SERVICE AND NOT HAVE THE SHOT BARS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.THAT'S THAT IS AN ARTIST WE'VE HIRED EMILY LITTLE TO COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO HELP US WITH THE ARCHITECTURE AND, AND ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT THE RHYTHM AND THE, AND THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
THIS IS AN ARTIST'S RENDITION OF KIND OF HOW WE COULD, WE COULD REDO THE SIDEWALKS AND GET PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH THERE, POTENTIALLY HAD ADD TREES.
ALTHOUGH THAT'S GOING TO GET SOME DISCUSSION FROM THE HISTORIC FOLKS, BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T TREES ON THERE TO BEGIN WITH, BUT THIS IS AN IDEA OF THE STREET CROSS SECTION.
UM, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES CREATE, CREATE, UH, ART TO, TO CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY OF THE SIXTH STREET.
IT WOULD ADD TO THE, UM, SUCCESS OF THE WALNUT CREEK RENOVATION BECAUSE WE RIGHT THERE ON WALNUT CREEK.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE LAST ONE.
SO THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS, IS IT STREAM, WANTS TO RE-IMAGINE EAST SIXTH STREET AND RE CLEAN IT UP BASICALLY, AND TURN IT INTO A PLACE WE CAN ALL ENJOY AND NOT HAVE THE DANGER ZONE THAT IS NOW.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SHOT KILLED OR INJURED JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS DOWN THERE.
AND IT HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY MONTH.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS FROM AUSTIN.
WHO'VE BEEN AROUND HERE A LONG TIME.
SO STREAM IS GOING TO STREAM IS TIRED OF STREAM IS TIRED OF WAITING ON EVERYBODY ELSE, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS, MAKE THE INVESTMENT AND DO IT.
THANK YOU, RICHARD, A QUESTION.
UM, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMISSION FOR QUESTIONS.
DOES STREAM ANTICIPATE ACQUIRING OTHER PROPERTIES EITHER ON OR OFF SIXTH STREET THAT A, BUT BETWEEN FIFTH AND SEVENTH, IT'S AN ONGOING ACQUISITION.
SO WE COULD SEE JUST THE COST COULD GROW.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN PRIOR MEETINGS WITH THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE, AND IT IS A PILOT, BUT, UM, THAT A LOT OF THE ACTIVITY HAPPENS BEHIND SIXTH STREET.
YOU MENTIONED HAVING TO WALK BLOCKS FROM YOUR CAR TO COME DOWN TO SIXTH STREET AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET THERE.
A LOT OF THE, THE BAD ACTIVITY HAPPENS ON EITHER SIDE OF SIXTH STREET IN ADDITION TO SIXTH STREET ITSELF.
SO WOULD BE, I THINK I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW STREAM SEES THAT, HOW IT SEES THE REAR FACING ELEMENT ONTO FIFTH AND SEVENTH STREET AND HOW THEY SEE CONNECTING.
WELL, WHAT WHAT'S, YOU'LL SEE AT LEAST WHAT OUR THESIS IS, IS IF YOU CLEAN UP SIXTH STREET, THE REST OF THE PLACE WILL FOLLOW.
AND, UM, WHILE YOU SAY THAT THE STUFF GOES ON ONLY BEHIND SIXTH STREET, THAT'S IT? NO, I SAID HE GOES ON IN ADDITION, IN ADDITION TO EXACTLY, WELL, YOU KNOW, BAD STUFF HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT AND THERE'S NO CROWDS AND THERE'S NO ACTIVITY.
AND WE STREAM INTENDS TO MAKE THE ACTIVITY, BRING IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS AND MAKE IT TO WHERE THE FOLKS THAT ARE WANTING TO CAUSE TROUBLE ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE DOING IT THERE.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO EITHER QUIT OR GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER LEVINE, MIKE ON A BUTTON.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, MOSTLY COMMENT WITH ONE QUESTION AT THE END.
I THINK THAT SIXTH STREET CAN ONLY BE MADE BETTER BY GOOD LANDLORDS.
AND, UH, I'M SORRY, BY GOOD LANDLORDS.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO CARE ABOUT WHO'S RUNNING YOUR PROPERTY AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH IT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE STREAM OBVIOUSLY CARES ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT BRIAN'S THING AND ALL THAT STUFF SHOULD PROBABLY JUST BE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL Y'ALL MAKE AN ASK.
I FEEL LIKE THE CITY OUGHT TO FOLLOW Y'ALL'S LEAD AND YOU TELL US WHAT YOU WANT DOWN THERE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY CAN GO AND DO FIELD TRIPS TO NASHVILLE AND LOOK AT BROADWAY AND TAMPA, BUT UNTIL Y'ALL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT YOUR TENANTS ARE GOING TO NEED THERE, I'D LIKE TO SEE, SEE THE CITY BUILD AROUND THAT AND, AND MAKE CODE AROUND THAT.
UM, I'M ALL FOR THE HEIGHT THERE.
I'M ALL FOR ALL THE PUTTING IN OTHER THINGS.
THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOTELS, THERE, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT IT, PUTTING THE KIBOSH ON SOME LIVE MUSIC, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HOTELS GET, PUT NEXT TO LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN THE COMPLAINTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'M ASSUMING YOU ALL ARE GOING INTO THIS WITH OPEN EYES AND THAT THERE WILL BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT OF LIVE MUSIC OUT THERE INSTEAD OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETHING TO
[00:45:01]
SILENCE IT BECAUSE OF HOTEL MONEY, TOTAL ENCOURAGING.LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT THAT HOTEL AND THAT MUSIC VENUE.
SO WHAT HE'S REFERENCING IS THE WESTERN WENT IN ON WHAT'S.
WHAT WAS THAT FIFTH STREET? AND IT BACKED UP TO THE ALLEY ON SIXTH STREET.
AND THE WESTERN DID SOUND STUDIES AND DETERMINED THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HOTEL VIABLE, THEY NEEDED TO BUILD IT TO AIRPORT STANDARDS, WHICH THEY DID.
AND THEY SOUNDPROOFED IT, THE AIRPORT STANDARDS, AND IT WORKED WHAT HAPPENED WAS ONE OF THE BARS BEHIND US, THREE OF THE ROOF EITHER BURNED OFF, OR THEY TOOK IT OFF OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN THEY INSTALLED A WEAPONIZED BASE LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM UNSHIELDED AND AIMED OUT AND, AND THE WESTERN WENT BACK AND SAID, WOW, THAT'S THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR US.
SO THEY WENT IN AND THEY BUILT A SECOND AIR BLOCK AIR WALL ON THAT SIDE FACING TO WHERE, WHEN YOU STAYED ON THAT SIDE, YOU HAD A WINDOW, FIVE FEET OF AIR, AND ANOTHER WINDOW WE'RE ABLE TO BLOCK OUT EVERY BIT OF SOUND, EXCEPT THE WEAPONIZED BASE.
WE WENT TO THE BAR AND SAID, CAN YOU ANGLE THOSE BASE? AND THEY SAID, NO BASS GOES EVERYWHERE.
AND BY THE WAY, THE BASE, I MEAN, IT WAS VIOLATING THE SOUND ORDINANCE AS WELL.
AND WE ENDED UP HAVING ASSUME, AND WE ENDED UP WITH A SOUND SYSTEM THAT WILL STILL RATTLE YOUR HEAD AND YOUR CHEST WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT BAR, BUT IT'S ALL DOWN FACING AND IT ALL WORKED.
SO THAT'S A LONG WAY OF SAYING WELL AWARE OF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BUILD A HOTEL.
AND WE DON'T, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MUSIC COMES BACK TO SIXTH STREET.
PARKING IS ANOTHER THING WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A PLAN TO DO RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN TAKE AND DO AN UNDERGROUND PARKING STRUCTURE ON ONE OF THOSE BLOCKS AND PROVIDE A LOT OF PARKING SO THAT IT'S EASIER TO GET THERE IN REGARD TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT, UH, BRIAN'S PROGRAM.
I THINK WE'RE COMPLIMENTARY TO EACH OTHER.
I MEAN, BRIAN, OBVIOUSLY HE CAN'T CONTROL TENANTS AND STUFF, BUT STREAM KIN AND YOU KNOW, A COMBINATION OF LIGHTING AND CLEANING IT UP AND ALL, I THINK IT'S ALL COMPLIMENTARY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DEALING WITH, Y'ALL NEED TO HAVE SUCCESS HERE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GONNA BE BUYING UP MORE OF THAT BLOCK.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE LIBERAL AND MAY HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT ONE PERSON THEY OWN THE WHOLE BLOCK, BUT YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT I DON'T SEE A LOT OF OPTIONS DOWN THERE AND WE NEED TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS WORK.
THE HEIGHT, UH, CODE AMENDMENT, JUST, JUST FOR HISTORY THAT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE ON THE WESTERN END OF SIXTH STREET, AS IT GETS TO CONGRESS, THAT HYPE WAS LIFTED BACK WAS EIGHTIES OR NINETIES.
WE'VE PICKED UP A LITTLE BIT OF RESISTANCE TO THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, NOT THAT WE CAN'T OVERCOME, THERE'S AN EFFORT NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON IT TO CREATE AN, A, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT ON SIXTH STREET.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE LANDOWNERS STREAM AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS NO INTEREST IN THAT, BECAUSE THAT CREATES ANOTHER LAYER OF, UH, AND I CAN'T RECOMMEND IT TO MY CLIENTS TO ACQUIESCE TO IT BECAUSE OF THE LAYER OF GUIDANCE THAT IT GETS YOU BEEN.
SO IN TERMS OF HOW FAR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION WILL START, AND THIS GOES BACK TO THE HISTORIC FABRIC, BECAUSE WE WANT TO AVOID FAST, UH, FACADE, PRISM.
UM, HOW FAR BACK DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE VERTICAL ELEVATIONS BEGINNING? RIGHT NOW WE'RE PLANNING ON STEPPING, LEAVING THE FACADE AND THE BUILDING GOING BACK 15 FEET, AND THEN GO UP FROM THERE.
NOW YOU MENTIONED FACADE ISM IN STUDYING THESE BUILDINGS.
MANY OF THEM ARE TODAY MERELY FACADES.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THOSE BUILDINGS OVER THE YEARS, THEY'VE EITHER BURNED OUT OR THEY HAVEN'T BEEN MAINTAINED.
AND WHAT YOU SEE ON THE STREET IS ALL THAT'S LEFT OF THAT BUILDING OTHER THAN MAYBE THE PARTY WALLS.
SO, AND SOME FRANKLY MAY, THE FACADE MAY HAVE TO COME DOWN.
CONSTRUCTION HAPPENED, FACADE GOES BACK UP, AND I KNOW THAT DRIVES PRESERVATION, SOME PRESERVATION FOLKS CRAZY, BUT IN SOME INSTANCES THAT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT.
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, JERRY HARRIS? UH, YES.
WELL, WE'LL ENJOY A MUCH LONGER AND MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION WITH, UH, UH, WITH MR. SUTTLE AT THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION, BUT JUST, I REALLY HAVE TO, TO SAY, UM, RICHARD, THIS IS A BIG IDEA AND IT'S VERY EXCITING.
SO JUST SO THERE'S NO MISUNDERSTANDING, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET AND CAN BE A REAL CONDUIT FOR MANY POSITIVE THINGS.
I DO WANT TO BE CAREFUL IN THAT THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF SAFETY AND SECURITY,
[00:50:01]
AND FRANKLY, THEY'RE REALLY TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.HOWEVER, STREAM COULD JUST GET BETTER TENANTS AND WORK WITH THE CITY ON SOME BETTER POLICING.
AND MANY OF THE OBJECTIVES CAN BE MET.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ADDING THE DENSITY, THOSE TWO, HOWEVER, DO MARRY WELL.
AND I DO THINK THAT BY KEEPING THAT STRUCTURE QUESTION AND WHAT'S APPROPRIATE IN ENHANCING THE TOTAL OVERALL EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST THE SECURITY AND SAFETY EXPERIENCE IS WHERE I THINK THE CONVERSATION WILL BE ENRICHED.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT HAVING JUST SPENT A WEEK IN TORONTO AND HAVING A VERY SPECIAL, UH, ACCESS TO THEIR HISTORIC PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE, THERE ARE BEST PRACTICES FOR WORKING WITH DENSIFICATION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION WHILE STILL MAINTAINING HISTORIC INTEGRITY.
AND I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE WITH, UH, WITH MR. SUTTLE AND CERTAINLY WITH YOUR CLIENT.
AND, UH, UH, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THINGS SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, BUT I THINK ON THE WHOLE DONE, RIGHT, UH, LET ME JUST APPLAUD THIS EFFORT AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO GET BETTER TENANTS DOWN THERE IN ORDER TO REHAB THESE BUILDINGS.
AND WHEN YOU TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT SAYING, HEY, TRUST ME, YOU BUILD A NICE RESTAURANT HERE, ALL THESE OTHER SHOP BARS THAT WE DON'T CONTROL ARE GOING TO GO AWAY AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT BUSINESS.
AND THEY LOOK AT US LIKE WE ARE FROM MARS AND THEY SAY, WE'RE NOT SPENDING THE MONEY HERE UNTIL SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN STREAM DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUY UP MORE OF THE PROPERTIES AND ACTUALLY CONTROL IT.
BUT IN ORDER TO INVEST THE CAPITAL THAT IT TAKES TO GET THE VELOCITY GOING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO JUST BE ABLE TO RETURN IT AND SAY, IT'LL WORK OUT.
AND IT JUST DIDN'T, IT DOESN'T WORK.
THESE BUILDINGS ARE IN REALLY BAD SHAPE.
UM, COMMISSIONER, MEISENBACH HAD HER HAND UP A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
THIS IS, UM, COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO SPEAK AT, OR AT LEAST FOR ME, IS IT HOW'S THAT, THAT BETTER? AND YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU JUST VERY QUIET.
THANK YOU, MR. SUTTLE FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I THINK THE IDEA SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE FEW WAYS THAT SIXTH STREET CAN BE REHABILITATED.
UM, I'M WONDERING, UH, WHAT THE ZONING IS, ARE MOST OF THOSE BUILDINGS OR THE VARIETY OF ZONING AND WHAT THE NEW ZONING WOULD BE.
THANK YOU TO CLARIFY YOUR PRESENTATION.
I THINK I HEARD YOU ASK WHAT IS THE ZONING AND WHAT WOULD THE ZONING NEED TO BE? THE ZONING IS ACTUALLY CBD ZONING.
NOW, THE ONLY THING THAT'S THAT THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS ON TWO OF THE BLOCKS.
THE NORTHERN HALF OF TWO OF THE BLOCKS IS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE ZONING OVERLAY, WHICH CAPS THE HEIGHT AT 45 FEET UP TO 70 AND ONE 20 ON THOSE TWO BLOCKS, BUT THE ZONING WOULD STAY THE SAME, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK HAD A QUESTION.
UM, THIS IS VERY EXCITING, BUT I KNOW I MOVED OUT HERE IN 83 AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT WAS ABLE TO ENJOY SIXTH STREET TO HAVE NICE FOOD, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T GO DOWN THERE ANYMORE BECAUSE I FEEL UNSAFE.
SO I FELT LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE SORT OF LIKE A CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN I TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, IN DIFFERENT PART OF THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, FAMILY ACTUALLY GO OUT IN THE EVENING, FAMILY STROLLING DOWN, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SQUARE, DIFFERENT PIAZZA, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENING.
AND THEY HAVE NOT JUST ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.
THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF ICE CREAM SHOPS AND YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SHOPS AND THAT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WITH THE STREAM AND YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR VISION, THAT YOU ALSO, UM, HAVE THE, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN IN MIND THAT IS, UH, FAMILY FRIENDLY TO THE PEOPLE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE VISITORS.
UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS, IT FEELS LIKE RIGHT NOW SIXTH STREET IS, IS WHAT THE OUT OF TOWN VISITORS WILL COME AND JUST HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.
SO IT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN, UH, ONE OF MY THOUGHTS
[00:55:01]
IS THAT, UM, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE WHOLE DISTRICT THAT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY, NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDLY, THAT WE ALL WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN CAN COME DOWN AND ENJOY, YOU KNOW, UM, OUR HISTORY.AND WE TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SAME FAMILIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY WALKING DOWN CONGRESS AVENUE.
THEY AVOID TURNING EAST ON SIXTH STREET BECAUSE IT'S NOT FUN.
WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE CORNER ON EAST SIXTH, GO DOWN, EAT ICE CREAM, HAVE LUNCH DINNER AND WHATEVER.
WE TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT, RICHARD REAL QUICKLY, CAN YOU, AND I REALIZE THAT THE MARKET WILL DICTATE MIXES AS WE GO DOWN THE LINE.
BUT AT THIS POINT WITH A PROJECT, WHAT DOES STREAM ANTICIPATE THE PRODUCT MIX TO BE FOR THE, THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE SO USES THAT WOULD, WOULD ENCOURAGE 24 7 USES.
SO I'VE MENTIONED THE OFFICE, I'VE MENTIONED THE HOTEL MENTIONED RESTAURANTS, MENTIONED MUSIC VENUES AND MENTIONED BARS.
AND THOSE, THOSE THAT MIX SHOULD DO IT.
A THOUGHT PROCESS IS MAKE A BAR, ALSO PROVIDE FOOD SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST A SHOT BAR AND KEEP IN MIND, WE'LL NEVER OWN ALL OF IT.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY OUT THERE WE'LL HAVE A SHOT BAR, BUT IT WON'T BE NEAR AS MUCH FUN TO GO TO FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT WANT TO GO TO SHOT BARS.
ONE STREAM IS DONE MIXING THE USES THE PERCENTAGES.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT WILL BE OBVIOUSLY INVEST IN THIS TYPE OF CAPITAL.
WELL, IS THERE ANY RESIDENTIAL, THERE'S NOT ANY RESIDENTIAL.
THERE IS A COMMISSIONER ON LANDMARK COMMISSION.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THAT WHEN YOU STAY AT A HOTEL, YOU'RE WILLING TO PUT UP WITH SOME OF THE STUFF THAT GOES ON WITH, UH, A DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S HARDER TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
WELL, WE'VE SEEN RAINEY HAVE A MIX OF THOSE USES RESIDENTIAL HOSPITALITY LODGING, AND WHILE RAY STREET HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE ISSUES, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MIX THOSE TWO AND PEOPLE, THOSE UNITS SELL, SELL FOR THEY HAVE, BUT THEY'RE HIGH DENSITY, HIGH RISE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT ON SIXTH STREET BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE HISTORIC SIXTH STREET.
WELL, AND AGAIN, THAT WAS AGAIN, THINKING MORE ABOUT THE FIFTH, SEVENTH FACING NOW.
AND I REALIZED THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS ON, ON THE SITE BECAUSE OF THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR.
WELL, I'M, I'M FAMILIAR WITH, THERE ARE SOME RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS PLANNED IN THAT AREA, OFFICE SIXTH STREET.
SO IT W WHILE STREAM'S PLAN IS NOT TO INCORPORATE IT INTO THE REHAB OF THE SIXTH, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AROUND IT.
I WAS WONDERING AS PART OF THE MULTIPLE USES THAT COULD GO THERE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AROUND, UM, THEATER OR PERFORMANCE FOR OBVIOUSLY FOR PERFORMANCES THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO GO SEE OPERA AND, AND PLAYS AND THINGS, BUT ALSO A VENUE FOR, UM, SCHOOLS, UH, JUNIOR HIGHS AND HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A WAY TO SHOW WHAT THEY DO.
THERE IS A PLAN FOR, WE CALL IT A MUSIC VENUE, BUT IT WOULD MULTIPURPOSE.
YOU COULD DO MANY DIFFERENT PERFORMING ARTS IN A MUSIC VENUE IF, UH, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE AND THE CONTENT, BUT YES, IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S NOT ALL GOING TO BE ROCK AND JAZZ AND COUNTRY BANDS EVERY NIGHT.
IT WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PROVIDING, UH, MORE PERFORMING ART ORGANIZATIONS, COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY.
I NOTICED IN LOOKING AT ALL THE CHEERIOS, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING SIXTH STREET MENTIONED ALL AND PECAN STREET REALLY EMPHASIZED.
IS THAT A REBRANDING THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND OR WOULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? NO, IT'S A REFERENCE BACK TO WHAT IT USED TO BE.
I THINK THIS WILL ALWAYS BE SIXTH STREET.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE NICKNAME DIRTY SIXTH STREET, WHICH IS WHAT THEY CALL IT.
NOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHY THAT IS AND SOME OF IT'S HISTORICAL, IT'S NOT SO GOOD, BUT, UM, THAT IS JUST A NOD TO THE HISTORICAL, UH, PECAN STREET.
[01:00:01]
YES.UM, WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE, UH, BREAKING GROUND ON THE FIRST PHASE? WELL, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN AT THIS NOW FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO GET INTEREST FROM THOSE THAT CAN HELP US FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
AND WE JUST NOW GOT THAT DONE.
SO NOW, UM, IF WE COULD GET THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT DONE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD START PROBABLY IN A YEAR.
I HOPE YOU CAN REHABILITATE IT CAUSE I'D LIKE TO GO BACK DOWN TO SIXTH GRADE.
I MEAN, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER PECAN STREET CAFE AND I MEAN, WHETHER YOU ATE DINNER OR JUST THE DESSERTS, I MEAN, WHO'S GOING TO GO DOWN TO SIXTH STREET FOR DESSERT RIGHT NOW.
UM, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON, I'VE THOUGHT I SAW YOU WITH YOUR HAND UP.
SHE LOOKS, SHE'S HAD HER HAND UP LIKE TWICE.
YOU MAY HAVE TO HIT ME WITH A PENCIL.
UM, UH, MY QUESTION WAS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW LONG THE TRANSITION WOULD TAKE.
UM, AND MIXING OF USES WOULD ALSO IMPACT OPEN CARRY, UM, IN THE AREA.
I THINK IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OPEN CARRY IS NOT ALLOWED IN BARS, BUT LIKE IF THERE'S FOOD, UM, IN A LOCATION AS WELL AS BAR, THEN OPEN CARRY IS ALLOWED.
SO JUST KIND OF SAYING OUT LOUD THAT IT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM THE SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE AND FROM THE CITY AND FROM APD, JUST IN TERMS OF, AS WE TRANSITION THIS SPACE AND HAVE MIXED USES AND OPEN CARRY IS ALLOWED MORE IN THE AREA, WHAT SORT OF IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE ON SAFETY.
SO JUST KIND OF SAYING THAT OUT LOUD, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, YOU KNOW, ON, IN OUR OTHER DISTRICTS, DOWNTOWN CONGRESS AND FOURTH STREET AND RAINY STREET SO FAR, IT HASN'T BEEN A PROBLEM.
AND I HEAR THAT, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF AN AREA WHERE THERE IS ALREADY, UM, QUITE A BIT OF CARRY GOING ON, UM, AND IN THE MIDST OF TRANSITION WHERE IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT FUZZIER WITH REGARDS TO WHERE AND WHERE IT ISN'T ALLOWED, JUST THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED, UM, PRETTY, PRETTY LOUDLY AND UPFRONT SO THAT IT CAN BE DEALT WITH IN ADVANCE AS OPPOSED TO JUST KIND OF WINGING IT AND SEE HOW IT GOES.
SO, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST SAYING IT OUT LOUD SO THAT IT CAN BE CONSIDERED, WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS PLACE NOT ONLY BE SAFER, BUT FEEL SAFER, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT A BUNCH OF OPEN CARRY WOULD MAKE THAT FEEL SAFE.
NOT A FUN CONVERSATION TO HAVE, BUT A REALITY AGAIN, LIKE AS, AS THE SPACE IS TRANSITIONING AND THE, WHERE IT'S ALLOWED AND WHERE IT'S NOT ALLOWED, BECOMES A LITTLE FUZZIER AND MURKIER FOR AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT ISN'T NEAT AND TIDY AND SIX MONTHS LONG.
COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ IS OUR FUND REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
SO TECHNICAL EXPERT ON THE MATTER, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS, ANYBODY ONLINE? YES.
AND COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER.
SO, UM, AS YOU'RE ACQUIRING OTHER PROPERTIES ALONG 63, ARE YOU GOING TO BE ASKING FOR THE OVERLAY TO BE AMENDED FOR THOSE PROPERTIES? ALSO, THERE'S NO PLANS TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
MANY OF THE, MANY OF THE BUILDINGS WOULD, WOULD BE ABLE TO BE REUSED.
MANY OF THEM HAVE LANDMARK STATUS.
MANY OF THEM ARE CONTRIBUTING, BUT RIGHT NOW THE PLAN IS JUST THE 500 AND 600 NORTH SIDE BLOCKS, OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UM, BRIAN, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO CIRCLE BACK ON WHILE WE GOT YOU ON? I CAN CHIME IN JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THE QUESTION ABOUT, UM, OPEN CARRY AND BARS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BUYERS THAT HAVE A TABC LICENSE THAT'S 51% ALCOHOL OR MORE, UH, ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE GUNS INSIDE.
UM, THE OPEN CARRY ON THE STREET AND SIDEWALK IN PUBLIC SPACE VERSUS UNCHANGED.
I DON'T, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW VERY WELL, THE PERSPECTIVE OF APD, THEY WANT TO SEE A MORE DIVERSITY OF USES MORE OF THE RESTAURANTS, RETAIL, LESS OF THE BARS.
THERE WAS ALSO A QUESTION ABOUT TIMING WHEN THIS MIGHT START, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO
[01:05:01]
START THE PILOT, SOME OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS THAT BRIAN'S TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO WE CAN DO A PILOT TOMORROW OF STARTING TO OPEN THOSE STREETS UP AGAIN, WATER BARRIERS TO WIDEN THE SIDEWALKS CARS GOING IN AND OUT TO INCREASE CIRCULATION.AND THOSE ARE TYPES OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN FASTER THAN THE REHAB OF THE BUILDINGS AND THE CODE AMENDMENT.
WELL, UM, WHEN YOU ALL GET TO THE DESIGN PHASE, WE SURE I KNOW THE DESIGN COMMISSION WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE IN MIND.
UH, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK TO, WE'D LOVE TO GET INTO THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE'VE WE'VE NOT RUN IN WE, WELL, I CAN'T SAY NOBODY WE'VE ONLY RUN INTO LIMITED OPPOSITION OR RESISTANCE TO THIS, AND IT'S REALLY WEIRD.
I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, BUT IT'S VERY SMALL.
AND, UM, EVERYBODY ELSE SEEMS TO THINK WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING IN THIS.
WE SEEM TO BE ON THE RIGHT PATH.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR RESCHEDULING FOR US.
ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, WE'RE GOING TO CIRCLE
[2. STAFF BRIEFINGS (part 2 of 2)]
BACK TO OUR PRIOR AGENDA ITEM.IF WE'RE READY, CAN WE GO BACK TO ART AND PUBLIC PLACES? HEY EVERYONE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND WE HAVE A LOT OF BASS IN MY VOICE, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE WHO JUST LEFT HERE.
UM, MY NAME IS CONSTANCE WHITE AND I'M HAILING FROM DALLAS, TEXAS.
SO I'VE SEEN SOME WOES OF ENTERTAINMENT AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS, UH, TRANSITIONING, DIBELLA AND BEING ONE OF THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND IT, IT EBBS AND FLOWS THROUGHOUT THE AGES.
UM, I'M THE NEW ART AND PUBLIC PLACES MANAGER, LIKE I SAID, HAILING FROM DALLAS, TEXAS.
YOU CAN SEE MY WORK IN THE DFW, METRO, SAN DIEGO, INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BIRMINGHAM, UH, BOTH CAROLINAS AND CALIPH OTHER PLACES IN CALIFORNIA.
UM, BUT FROM TRAILS TO TRANSIT AIRPORTS, LIKE I SAID, ALL MANNERS OF PARKS, CONVENTION CENTERS, AND AVIATION, I'VE MANAGED PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS AND I'VE BEEN A CONSULTANT.
UM, AND A LOT OF PLACES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, DALLAS IS HOME.
SO I'M GLAD TO BE HERE IN TEXAS, CLOSE TO HOME MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME NOW.
SO I'M FINISHING MY DAY 12 WITH ALL OF YOU, ESTEEMED INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU BETTER AND TO, UH, GETTING TO KNOW AUSTIN BETTER AS WELL.
DO WE STILL HAVE MARJORIE? I'M STILL HERE.
THE FLOOR IS YOURS FOR STAFF BRIEFING.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.
AFTER OUR LITTLE TECHNICAL BLIP, LET'S CALL IT.
I'M GIVING YOU A LONG OVERDUE UPDATE ON ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.
I'M A SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER WITH ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, AND I'M SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO GET CONSTANCE UP FIRST AND HAVE HER INTRODUCE HERSELF.
SHE'S OUR BRAND NEW PROGRAM MANAGER, AND WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT SHE'S HERE.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, BUT UH, WHY LISTENED TO ME TALK ABOUT THE CITY'S PUBLIC ART PROGRAM WHEN YOU CAN LISTEN TO THIS AMAZING VIDEO THAT WE RECENTLY COMMISSIONED A LOCAL VIDEOGRAPHER FOOD ME, OH, GUN ROOM TO PRODUCE FOR US.
SO WITH THAT, HOPEFULLY AP CAN HELP LIKE THE VIDEO JUST TWO MINUTES ON, BUT HOPEFULLY PUBLIC ART AND ART THAT BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
IT IS REALLY A LOT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.
SOME PEOPLE CAN BE INTIMIDATED BY GOING INTO A GALLERY OR MUSEUM.
UH, BUT IF IT'S ALL IN, IN A PUBLIC SPACE, PEOPLE CAN JUST STUMBLE UPON IT.
UH, SELFLESSNESS OF REPUBLIC ARCHIES BECAUSE THE NAME OF THE ARTIST IS KIND OF IN THE BACKGROUND.
IT'S REALLY HOW THE PIECE IS ENGAGING WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, THE COMMUNITY, AND OFFERING JUST EXPERIENCE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE
[01:10:01]
BE EXPOSED TO ART, BUT SPECIFICALLY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS OR COMMUNITIES THAT WOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS NECESSARILY TO MUSEUMS ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, STAFF WORKS WITH OVER 20 DEPARTMENTS AND HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS EACH YEAR TO BRING ART TO OUR SHARED CIVIC SPACES.HOW ARE ARTISTS SELECTED? ARTISTS ARE SELECTED BY INDEPENDENT JURIES.
ARTISTS ARE SELECTED TO DESIGN AND INSTALL SITE-SPECIFIC ARTWORKS FOR THE NEW CITY BUILDINGS OR PARKS OR OTHER SORTS OF FACILITIES THROUGH THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES FOR WELL WORKING WITH ART AND PUBLIC PLACES IS DEFINITELY PLACED ME ON A PLATFORM WHERE I UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL IT TAKES TO INSTALL A PUBLIC ART PIECE.
YOU HAVE TO COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHOEVER THE PROPERTY OWNER IS, OR YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU CAN JUST GO TO THE NEXT LIGHT.
SO PUBLIC ART IS PART OF OUR PUBLIC HISTORY, PART OF OUR EVOLVING CULTURE AND OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY.
THE QUESTIONS SHOULDN'T ALWAYS BE ABOUT HOW DOES THE ART LOOK, BUT ALSO HOW DOES IT MAKE US FEEL AUSTIN'S PUBLIC ART COLLECTION IS FOR, WITH, AND BY THE PUBLIC.
I KNOW EVERYONE HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT SINCE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN STATES AND VISION FOR A VARIETY OF DISTRICTS AND DESTINATIONS, THAT SUPPORT THE CREATIVE EXPRESSION OF AUSTIN CITIZENRY THROUGH ART MUSIC, THEATER PERFORMANCE.
AND I'M GLAD YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT IN CONNECTION TO THE SIXTH STREET PLAN.
SO I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, WHICH IS NICE.
HOW DOES THE AIPP PROCESS WORK? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
GENERALLY, THE AIPP PROCESS IS SPLIT INTO FOUR PHASES.
THERE'S PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, ARTIST'S SELECTION, THE DESIGN PHASE FOR THE ARTWORK AND THE FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION PHASE.
EACH OF THESE PHASES INCLUDES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF REVIEWS AND APPROVALS.
THE AIP AIPP IS A PROGRAM THAT WELCOMES THE VOICES OF MONEY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS PROCESS CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM TWO YEARS UP TO ABOUT FOUR.
SO THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE FEW OF THE NEW THINGS AIPP HAS WORKED ON IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE CREATED THAT VIDEO, JUST YOU JUST WATCHED.
WE REPAIRED 14 PIECES IN OUR AGING 35 PLUS YEAR OLD COLLECTION.
WE SHIFTED OUR OPEN CALL LAWN.
SO I CALLED TO BE MORE COGNIZANT OF WORKING ARTISTS PLANNING.
WE APPROVED A PRE-QUALIFIED ARTISTS POOL, AND WE LAUNCHED AN ONLINE APPLICATION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HOPING TO SERVE ARTISTS SELECTION, JURIES.
AS A NOTE IN FY 21 AIPP PROJECTS SUPPORTED OVER 330 CREATIVE SECTOR JOBS.
WE'RE ON TRACK FOR THAT TO BE EVEN MORE IN FISCAL YEAR 22.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, TO CATCH YOU UP A FEW INSTALLED ARTWORKS FROM 2020 AND 2021 IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THIS DIGITAL INSTALLATION BY LAUREN CONNIE IS CITED.
IT SAYS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY BRANCH, IT EXPLORES CONNECTION BY CREATING A, A LIVING HOME FROM MESSAGES FROM ONLINE FORUMS. LIKE TWITTER AND REDDIT ABOUT THE PANDEMIC LONELINESS AND WEEK.
THESE TWO 10 FOOT TALL, ICONIC OWLS BY NEW AMERICAN PUBLIC ART OR FACILITATED AS PART OF THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO REDEVELOP THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLAN.
THE ALIS HOLD A SECRET THAT REWARD.
THE CURIOUS, I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU, BUT YOU CAN ASK SOMEONE IN THE KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
THIS HIDE AND SEEK SCULPTURE LOCATED ALONG SABINE STREET IN YOUR WALLET.
PRE FEATURES 30 SOME ODD BRONZE AMPHIBIOUS FROGS.
THEY'RE OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC AND PROVIDE A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE SPECIES LIVING IN OUR CREEKS AND RIVERS.
THIS SCULPTURE BY LOCAL ARTISTS, BAILEY LOOT REFLECTS THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE OF WATER, TRACING THE ROUTE FROM GROUND TO STEAM, TO THE CLOUDS AND BACK AGAIN.
THIS PIECE CALLED TRACKING THE END OF THE RAINBOW SEEKS TO INSPIRE THE PUBLIC THROUGH COLOR AND SHEER SIZE.
[01:15:01]
KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD IS KEY TO DRIVING GOES PER PERSONAL COMMUNITY AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.THIS PIECE IS A REMINDER THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T TAKE THE COWBOY OUT OF BOSTON.
A SLIDE HERE, GUYS COMING SOON TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA OR SIX PROJECTS AND A VARIETY OF PHASES.
THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT STATION ONE ARTIST, ROB ELSA DECK IS WORKING THROUGH A DESIGN IN HOPES TO INSTALL IN 2024 RUSH SQUARE ARTISTS.
GEORGE SABRA IS NEARLY UNDER CONTRACT AND WHO HAS TO BE INSPIRED BY THE MANY USES OVER THE YEARS OF BRUSHED SQUARE.
DUNKIN PARK IS SELECTING HIS ARTISTS IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
AND ALONG WITH FOUR OTHER PARKS WILL HAVE A LOCAL ARTIST EXCITED TO INTERACT WITH BOTH NATURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT THROUGH VARIOUS MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD AND PP STAFF IS WORKING TO REALIZE TWO LOCATIONS ON THE SITE FOR PUBLIC ART, VERY EXCITING PROJECT.
UH, THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER CENTER WE'LL HAVE AN ARTIST DIG INTO THE COMMUNITY'S HISTORY THAT WILL BE HOUSED IN THE FACILITY.
AND WE HOPE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DESIGN TEAM ON THE INSTALLATION SCHEDULE.
FINALLY AIPP IS WORKING WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION ON AN ARTS AND CULTURE PLAN THAT WILL ALLOW FOR ARTWORK TO BE SITED NEAR THE TRAIL.
THAT PLAN WILL INFORM THE NEXT PHASE OF THE LADY BIRD LIKE BOARDWALK AIPP PERMANENT ARTWORK SEATS WITH THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, I'M SURE.
CONSTANCE ON DAY 12, AND THEN I CAN ANSWER.
AND, UH, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, YOUR AUDIENCE MEMBER.
COMMISSIONERS, UH, ACTUALLY I'D LIKE TO START IF COMMISSIONER, UH, MOCK HAS ANY, UH, QUESTIONS BECAUSE THIS IS HER BAILEY WICK.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST LEARNED THAT WE HAVE OVER 300, 300, UH, P P ITEMS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, AND THERE'S SO MANY IN DOWNTOWN AREA.
I GET, I WANTED TO SAY IT AGAIN.
WE NEED TO BRING BACK THE ARMADILLO SO THAT WE CAN TOUR ALL THE DOWNTOWN EIP PROJECTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT CONDUCIVE TO WALK UNDER THREE DIGITS DEGREE TO, TO APPRECIATE ALL THESE ARTWORK.
SO DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONERS, HE IS BRING BACK THE I'M A GORILLA COMMISSIONER.
I WAS IN FREDERICKSBURG OVER THE WEEKEND AND I THINK I SAW ONE OF YOUR MISSING ARMADILLOS.
IT'S BEEN RECRUITED FOR WINE TOURS, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, YES.
I THINK THIS IS THE POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, HOW ARE THE ARTISTS CHOSEN? IS THERE LIKE A CRITERIA LIST OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT? SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TOOLS TO HELP US SELECT ARTISTS, BUT THEY'RE SELECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT JURY.
NO ONE IS, UM, BEHIND THE SCENES PICKING IN A DARK ROOM.
WE HAVE A, AN INDEPENDENT JURY FOR EACH PROJECT AND THEY ARE PAID, UH, TO SELECT.
SO THAT'S SELECT THE ARTIST WHO IS EVENTUALLY COMMISSIONED.
WE ALSO HAVE ADVISERS TO THAT JURY THAT INCLUDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, PROJECT DESIGN, TEAM, CITY STAFF, ALL KINDS OF STAKEHOLDERS, UH, MARJORIE QUESTIONED, UH, THE PROJECTS ARE ALLOCATED, OR THE FUNDING IS ALLOCATED FROM 2% OF CIP PROJECTS.
HOW MUCH FUNDING IN TOTAL IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE? SO ARE YOU ASKING PER FISCAL YEAR, HOW MUCH DO WE SPEND OR Y HOW, HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE, UH, VIA THE 2% OF CIP OR IS IT KEPT IN HOW MUCH YOU CAN SPEND EVERY YEAR? THERE'S NOT A CAP EXCEPT ON, I THINK AUSTIN ENERGY HAS A CAP ON SOME OF THEIR PROJECTS AND IT'S 300,000, BUT THAT'S PROJECT SPECIFIC AS FAR AS HOW MUCH WE CAN SPEND FOR A YEAR.
THERE'S NO CAP, WE'VE HAD PIECES OF THE EAST, AND THIS IS OUR, UM, LARGEST, MOST EXPENSIVE CASE.
UM, OUR ANNUAL IS ABOUT 4 MILLION FOR THE WHOLE PROGRAM, BUT IT, IT CHANGES BECAUSE OUR PROJECTS
[01:20:01]
DON'T GO FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THEY CROSSED THE SCHOOL YEAR.SO IT GIVES YOU SOME NUMBERS, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS PLAN AGAIN, UH, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING ARTISTS, PROCUREMENT PAYMENT AND SITE SELECTION.
UM, SO I AM MORE FAMILIAR WITH ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM MAYBE 15 YEARS AGO.
UM, SO I'M NOT CURRENT, I'M NOT SURE IF POTENTIALLY PRACTICES HAVE CHANGED, UM, REGARDING THE ARTIST SELECTION, IS IT RFQ OR R F A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS OR REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS, AND THEN HOW DO YOU SEE SELECTING ONE OR THE OTHER KIND OF AFFECTING THE ART THAT WE'RE GETTING? GREAT QUESTION.
UH, OUR ORDINANCE AND GUIDELINES ALLOW US TO DETERMINE THE SELECTION PROCESS EACH TIME.
SO IT CAN BE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, AND IT CAN BE A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION.
WE USE BOTH DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT, DEPENDING ON THE TIMELINE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, AND, UH, JUST A NUMBER OF THINGS, ALSO BUDGET DETERMINED SOMETIMES WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS BECAUSE, UH, AS PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WE BELIEVE THAT ARTISTS SHOULD BE PAID FOR THEIR TIME.
SO IN ORDER TO PAY THEM TO DO A PROPOSAL, WE HAVE TO HAVE A LARGE, LARGE ENOUGH BUDGET TO HAVE THAT MONEY TO PAY THEM.
AND THEN, AND YOUR, WHAT WAS YOUR SECOND QUESTION? YEAH, I APPRECIATE BOTH TOOLS, BUT, UM, SOMETIMES WHEN IT'S JUST A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS THAT CAN BE LIMITING TO NEWER VOICES THAT MIGHT BE INTIMIDATED BY A SMALLER PORTFOLIO.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY MUCH IMPORTANT TO KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IF, IF A YOUNGER ARTISTS, OR IS INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING A REAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, LIKE, I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
REGARDING THE FINANCING OR OF THE ARTIST, UH, IT MEANT PROCESS WORK, OR HOW DOES THE PAYMENT PROCESS WORK OR IS THERE A TYPICAL WAY, OR, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS I KNOW OF A PARTICULAR STORY WHERE AN ARTIST WAS OUT, HAD PAID FOR THE PROJECT MATERIALS AND INSTALLATION, AND WASN'T REIMBURSED UNTIL TWO YEARS LATER.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF, IF MAYBE METHODS HAVE BEEN MODIFIED AND WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS IS ON ARTISTS FOR PAYMENT.
UH, WELL, DEAR GOD, I HOPE THEY'VE BEEN MODIFIED IN 15 YEARS, BUT, BUT LET ME GO BACK TO YOUR, YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT, UH, AN EMERGING ARTISTS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH PORTFOLIO TO BE SUBMITTING, YOU KNOW, THESE BIG THINGS.
WE DO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR EMERGING ARTISTS CALLED TEMPO.
IT'S OUR TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART PROGRAM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY FUNDED THROUGH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS.
THOSE BUDGETS ARE UP TO $10,000 AND WE USUALLY SELECT A 10 EACH YEAR, ONE IN EACH DISTRICT.
AND THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY, UM, IT'S A PROPOSAL BASED PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR DESIGN PROPOSALS AND, UH, THEN THERE THEY'RE SELECTED THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT JURY.
SO WE, WE DEFINITELY DO HAVE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE DABBLING STILL IN PUBLIC ART AND ARE NOT QUITE THERE TO HAVE A FULL CAREER YET.
AND, AND WE LOVE THAT PROGRAM AND HOPE TO, UH, CONTINUE ON WITH IT.
IT MAY BE GETTING SOME TWEAKS TO THE PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IT.
NOW, AS FAR AS THE PAYMENT SYSTEM IS, UH, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIBLE STORY.
AND I'M EQUALLY REGRETFUL FOR THAT HAPPENED TO THAT ARTIST.
UH, OUR CONTRACTS JUST LIKE ALL THE CONTRACTS IN THE ENTIRE CITY ARE MILESTONE PAYMENTS.
AND WE DON'T THE CITY AS A WHOLE IS NOT OKAY FOR THINGS BEFORE THEY'VE HAPPENED.
WE DON'T PAY FOR SERVICES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.
WE DON'T PAY FOR MATERIALS BEFORE THEY HAPPENED.
THAT'S JUST A POLICY THAT, THAT PURCHASING HAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO, UM, THE ARTISTS GET A CONTRACT AND ALL OF THEIR PAYMENT SCHEDULE IS SET OUT IN THAT CONTRACT.
IT CAN BE, YOU SUBMIT, UM, THE TIMELINE FOR YOUR PROJECT AND YOU GET A PAYMENT, YOU DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND YOU COULD A PAYMENT, YOU PRESENT YOUR MID DESIGN TO THE AIPP PMO FOR FEEDBACK, AND YOU GET A PAYMENT.
UM, AND THEN TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROJECT, IT'S, ONCE THE ARTWORK
[01:25:01]
IS INSTALLED, YOU GET A PAYMENT.AND ONCE THE PROJECT TITLE TRANSFERS, AND IT GOES UNDER CINDY'S INSURANCE, YOU GET A FINAL PAYMENT.
SO HOPEFULLY THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
AND THERE ARE NO MORE TWO, TWO YEAR LATER PAYMENTS BECAUSE THAT'S AWFUL ONE.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO EMAIL ME THEIR NAME, I'M HAPPY TO TALK FURTHER.
UH, AND THEN REGARDING THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS FOR ART AND PUBLIC SPACES, UM, HOW, HOW DOES THAT FUNCTION? THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, UH, THE CIP FUNDS THE BOND FUNDS HAVE TO BE SPENT ON AT, OR NEAR THE FACILITY, THAT'S SPONSORING THE PROJECT.
SO IF THE FACILITY IS ON TOP OF THIS REC CENTER, THEN THE ARTWORK GOES IN ONE OF THE TOP LIST REC CENTER.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY LIKE, UM, WE'LL COLLECT ALL THE MONEY AND THEN SPEND WHEREVER IT IS ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, THAT'S NOT HOW THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN.
AND THEN WITHIN THAT, UM, SPECIFIC FACILITY, IT'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AIPP STAFF, UM, THE DESIGN TEAM, STAFF, SYDNEY STAFF, AND THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHERE THE NEED IS FOR PUBLIC ART.
IT ALWAYS HAS TO BE, UM, IN A SPACE THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN WE FURTHER DO A DEEP DIVE WHEN AN ARTIST IS UNDER CONTRACT TO, UH, DETERMINE IF THIS REALLY IS THE BEST FIT OR WHERE THERE ARE WORKS AND GO.
UM, LAST QUESTION REGARDING KIND OF THE PROCUREMENT AND SITE SELECTION.
UM, IS IT THE FUNDS FOR THE DISTRICT ARE SPENT WITHIN THE DISTRICT OR ARE THEY, HOW, HOW ARE THE FUNDS DISPERSED AMONG THE DISTRICTS? UM, I WOULDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE FUNDS ARE, OR THEY'RE NOT DISPERSED BETWEEN THE DISTRICT IF IT'S BOND FUNDING.
SO THE, THE VOTERS VOTE TO, TO FUND, UM, AN IMPROVEMENT, LIKE A AUSTIN ENERGY FACILITY OR, UM, A NEW REC CENTER OR A NEW POOL.
AND THEN THE PROJECT COMES TOGETHER AND THE FUNDING COMES DOWN FOR US TO SPEND IT AT THAT LOCATION.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO DISTRICTS.
UM, IT'S JUST WHERE THE, WHERE THE CAPITAL PROJECT IS.
SO THE CAPITAL PROJECT WOULD BE THE SPONSORING FACILITY.
I HAVE A QUESTION OUT OF CURIOSITY, UM, FOR THE LAMAR STREET UNDERPASS, WHAT WAS THE SPONSORING FACILITY? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BLUE FINS OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MURALS THAT HAVE BEEN PAYING WELL, BOTH BECAUSE THE BLUE FINS ARE NOW GONE AND THERE'S ANY MURAL UP.
SO ARE THEY DIFFERENT SPONSORING FACILITIES OR ONE IN THE SAME? I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS PUBLIC WORKS THAT DID THE ORIGINAL BLUE FINS, AND THOSE WERE DIAZ SESSIONS THROUGH THE CITY OF BOSTON AS DEESCALATION AND FALLACY, THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, SENIOR COLLECTIONS MANAGER, FRANK QUICK TOOK A NUMBER OF OLDER, UH, ARTWORKS IN OUR COLLECTIONS TO CITY COUNCIL AND CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO PULL THOSE OUT OF THE COLLECTION SINCE THEN, UM, THAT SPACE HAS GONE THROUGH TWO PUBLIC ART PIECES, ONE THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BONDS.
UM, THAT WAS PART OF THE TEMPO PROGRAM.
AND THEN WHAT'S CURRENTLY, THERE ARE THE BE WELL MURALS, WHICH WERE FUNDED THROUGH, UM, A, UH, AMERICAN RESCUE ACT FUNDING PROGRAM, ARPA, AND THEY COLLABORATED WITH THE AUSTIN CONSERVATION OR GROUP TO DO WPA STYLE MURALS TO HELP GET ARTISTS BACK ON THEIR FEET DURING COVID.
SO THERE THAT ONE DOESN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC SPONSOR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE TWO YEAR OLDS WORDS AIPP FUNDED.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE, UH, THIS EVENING, AND WE DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, UH, CONSTANCE.
WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU HERE AND LOOK FORWARD
[01:30:01]
TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MUNDANE.
[3c. Discussion and possible action on the Downtown Commission Annual Internal Review and Report]
ITEM OF BUSINESS IS, UH, THE, UH, ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW AND REPORT.UH, SO I CAN'T LEAD ANY BETTER THAN THAT.
UH, MONO WILL PULL THAT UP FOR US.
UH, THERE WERE SOME HARD WORK IN THERE, SO WE WILL NEED TO, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO ADOPT IT.
IT'S JUST A REVIEW OF THE REPORT THAT'S BEING PRESENTED.
SO THERE'S NO ACTION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ON THIS UNLESS PEOPLE HAVE ANY CHANGES.
I HAD A QUESTION COMMISSIONER ISHMAEL.
UM, YEAH, SO UNDER TWO A, UM, IT SAYS THAT WE'RE TO, UM, SERVE AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR STAFF ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN AND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE, BUT THEN UNDER BEAT THAT UNDER B IT JUST AS RECOMMENDATIONS ON AMENDMENTS TO DEATH.
UM, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I READ THAT WRONG THE FIRST TIME I READ IT.
SO I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW, WITHDRAW MY QUESTION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LEVINE.
MAYBE, MAYBE I JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COMMISSION, WHICH IS MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR NOW, BUT DO THEY EVER ASK US FOR OUR OPINION ON THE LDC STUFF AND DO THEY CARE? I MEAN, DOES THAT COME UP? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO THEY CARE PART, BUT THEY DO.
WE DISCUSS THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE, WE, I'M NOT BEING NO, NO, WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
WE, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE HAD, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THEY SEND TO US TO LOOK AT OR DO WE HAVE TO TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO LOOK AT, COULD WE RE SORRY TO POPCORN? COULD WE REQUEST A BRIEFING OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE CONVERSATION FROM HOUSING AND PLANNING? OKAY.
MIGHT I, MY SORRY, COMMISSIONERS, UM, MIGHT I SUGGEST THIS COULD BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FOR ITEM SIX, THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION? I THINK THIS IS A LEGACY LEFT OVER WHEN THERE WAS A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE.
SO SOME OF THIS IS NOT AGING AS GRACEFULLY AS, UH, SUCH AS MYSELF AS IS, AS IT SHOULD.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE.
WELL, YEAH, I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THAT, THAT THESE ARE TERMS OF ART THAT ARE MAYBE NOT BEING USED ANYMORE, BUT THEY ARE STILL AMENDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, MAYBE PIECEMEAL NOW INSTEAD OF AN ENTIRE REWRITE.
AND I'M NOT REALLY NOT ARGUING YES OR NO ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW, LIKE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WILL DISCUSS HERE, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO DISCUSS HERE IN WA WHAT THAT DISCUSSION, HOW IT WOULD, HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD IT OCCUR? IS IT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO INITIATE OR DO THEY SAY IT'S ABSOLUTELY JERMAINE, ABSOLUTELY GERMANE TO THIS COMMISSION? UM, CERTAINLY WITHIN YOUR WHITES AND CERTAINLY CAN HAVE ANY, ANY BRIEFING ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IN CONVERSATION WE MAY WANT TO SET A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO TALK ABOUT THE MISSION ITSELF SINCE IT IS SOMEWHAT DATED.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM, ANYBODY ONLINE AND UP LOST THE VISUAL OF ALL, BUT COMMISSIONERS, CAN WE SCROLL DOWN MORE ON THIS FOLLOW UP ON THE WIND CODE? UM, JUST TO SUPPORT KIND OF THE CONVERSATION FOR THE LAND CODE CONVERSATION.
I, I FEEL LIKE A BRIEFING, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT UPCOMING CHANGES, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL, THERE'S SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS ON, UM, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A REVIEW OF REALLY WHAT THE LAND CODE IS FOR DOWNTOWN, RIGHT.
BECAUSE FOR THERE'S A NUMBER OF PARCELS THAT ARE ZONED WITH OUTDATED STONING.
AND SO JUST KIND OF TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THAT MEANS, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FOR DEVELOPMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, UM, IF IT'S IN THE FUTURE LAND USE, YOU'LL PROBABLY GET IT BY, RIGHT.
ONCE YOU SUBMIT THE SITE PLAN FOR THAT ZONING REQUEST, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I JUST, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO REVIEW THE EXISTING STATE
[01:35:01]
OF THE LAND CODE.UM, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONERS, WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF WHAT IT IS.
WELL, AND TO THAT POINT, I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT I'VE ASKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF TIMES IS THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN DOWNTOWN THAT DO NOT COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION THAT SHOULD, UM, AND I APOLOGIZE, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE EXTRA WORK FOR STAFF.
I JUST THINK IT COULD BE A HELPFUL TOOL TO, TO REVIEW THE UPCOMING PROJECT SO THAT WE ALL HAVE A, A BASE LEVEL COVER CONVERSATION.
IT'S JUST YOUR MAINTENANCE TO THIS ISSUE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS REPORT.
AND SO PERHAPS ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, NUMBER SIX, WE CAN, WE CAN GET JERMAINE ON THE BRIEFINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, UNLESS THERE'S SOME ISSUE WITH REGARDS TO UPDATING THIS SPECIFIC REPORT, UM, RELATED TO THIS.
WELL, I THINK IT'S GERMANE TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE FULFILLING THE MISSION.
SO, BUT I THINK WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND WE CAN SET SOMETHING FOR FUTURE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AT STAFF, FURTHER DIRECTION UNDER ITEM SIX, FEATURE AGENDA ITEMS. ALRIGHTY.
[4a. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Design Commission]
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY.UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO OUR, UH, REPORTS FROM OUR COMMISSIONS AND COMMISSIONER WEAVER YOU'RE BACK.
UH, PULLING UP OUR LAST AGENDA UM, SO AT THE JUNE 27TH MEETING OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, WE DISCUSSED, UH, A PARK, UH, IMPROVEMENT AT, UM, SIERRA GOSA NEIGHBORHOOD PARK RESTROOM REHAB, UM, WHICH IS A POOL.
UM, WE REQUESTED MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PARK IMPROVEMENT.
UM, THEY'RE BASICALLY UPGRADING THE RESTROOMS, BUT THE CONCERN WAS REALLY REGARDING ACCESSIBILITY AND, UM, JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE COMPLYING WITH WHAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO APPROVED, UH, A TRAIL PROJECT AT, UM, WORKER SHIM LEAN.
UM, SO THAT'S THE COUNTRY CLUB TRAIL COUNTRY CLUB CREEK TRAIL PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN THE BIG CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY ON IS PREPARING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE UPDATE OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN ANNOUNCE THAT CALL FOR, UM, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, UM, NEXT MONTH.
AND I WILL DEFINITELY SHARE THAT WITH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THE UPDATE? UH, SO WE ANTICIPATE SOME, SOME FOLKS THINK IS SIX MONTH PROCESS.
ONCE WE HAVE, UM, THE PUBLIC INVOLVED.
SOME, SOME PEOPLE THINK CLOSER TO A YEAR, UM, AND WE'VE CREATED FIVE DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS WITH DIFFERENT TITLES.
UM, AND EACH WORKING GROUP HAS, UM, A STAFF LIAISON AND A COMMISSION MEMBER SIGNED COMMISSION MEMBER.
UM, SO I'LL BE DOING URBAN STRUCTURE WITH OUR CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER.
AND SO, UM, THERE'LL BE DIFFERENT KIND OF FOCUS AREAS.
AND THE HOPE IS THAT EACH ONE OF THESE WORKING GROUPS HAS 20 TO 30 PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE REVIEWING THE GUIDELINE EVALUATORS.
SO IF A GUIDELINE IS PROPOSED, UM, WE CAN KIND OF EVALUATE WITHIN THE WORKING GROUPS, IF IT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH, UM, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND ALSO THAT, UM, POINTS.
SO IT'S, UM, KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF A COMPLEX PROCESS THAT WE HAVE DESIGNED FOR OURSELVES.
UM, UH, HOPEFULLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS, UM, COMMISSIONER HAIM, SETH.
[4b. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Historic Landmark Commission]
YES.UM, IT WAS THE, UH, LONG OVER A YEAR LONG PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FOR THE PRESERVATION EQUITY PLAN, UH, HAS MADE, UH, GOTTEN TO A VERY IMPORTANT MILESTONE ON JUNE 29TH, THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP.
THIS WAS A DIVERSE BUNCH OF ALMOST 30 VOLUNTEERS, MOSTLY, BUT
[01:40:01]
PEOPLE COMING FROM DIFFERENT, ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF AUSTIN, UH, WHO WENT THROUGH SYSTEMATICALLY, UM, THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT SYSTEMS WORK AND, UH, SPREAD EXPRESSLY, UH, MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO NOT ONLY MAKE GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO REACH COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED OR NOT AS WELL REPRESENTED IN PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES.AND, UH, WE HAD SOME FANTASTIC IDEAS.
UH, THE, UH, GROUPS WORK AS RAW AS WRAPPED UP, BUT WE ARE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE, UH, THEIR REPORT IS GOING TO BECOME AVAILABLE AND WILL BE PRESENTED TO VARIOUS OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WE ANTICIPATE THEM COMING, UH, IN FRONT OF THIS COMMISSION.
UH, THE IMMEDIATE TARGET FOR US NOW IS TO ENTER THE WORK OF PHASE TWO.
UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ITEMS WHICH WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL, UM, EFFORTS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT.
AND, UH, THE PHASE TWO IS GOING TO HAVE A COMBINATION OF IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTREACH.
WE ARE ASKING THE COUNCIL FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STAY ON TARGET AND KEEP THE, KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING.
UM, BUT I EXPECT IF, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH AND EVERYTHING CAN CONTINUE THAT, UM, OVER THE NEXT YEAR, A LOT OF THIS WILL START FALLING INTO THE PLATE INTO PLACE AND COVER GAPS THAT WE'RE MISSING AND THEN OPEN UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO I JUST WANT TO PASS ON COMPLIMENTS TO EVERYBODY.
WHO'S PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THIS AND, UH, IN SOME WAYS PREPARE YOU ALL, UH, FOR, UH, A REAL TREAT WHEN YOU START SEEING THE, THE END RESULT.
[4c. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Urban Transportation Commission]
UM, COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY.COMMISSION RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE, UM, STATE PRESERVATION BOARD AT THE MAY MEETING.
THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU HAD.
IT SEEMED PRETTY OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF A RESPONSE PERHAPS, OR, UH, A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE FROM THE TRANSPORTATION PART OF THE CITY.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TURNOVER AND SOME CHANGES, AND SO WAS ABLE TO GET THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE UTC ON, UH, JUNE THE SEVENTH AND, UH, HAD THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT WAS MADE TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO THE UTC.
AND WE ENDED UP WITH A, OF ON THE SPOT RESOLUTION.
AND I'LL JUST READ THAT PARAGRAPH TO YOU THAT SORT OF SUMS IT UP, THAT THE UTC RECOMMENDS THE CITY MANAGER DIRECT THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND OTHER CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS, THE INTEGRALLY INVOLVED IN DETERMINING RESOURCES FOR THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE STATE PRISON PRESERVATION BOARD AND OTHER NECESSARY STATE OF TEXAS AGENCIES, INCLUDING UT AUSTIN TO ADDRESS PLACEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING SAFE ACCESS AND PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS TO COMPLETE THE TEXAS CAPITOL MALL PROJECT AT NORTH CONGRESS AVENUE IN MLK BOULEVARD.
I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT ANY ACTIVITY HAS TAKEN PLACE SINCE THEN, BUT WE DID CALL ATTENTION TO IT.
AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR TWO ESTEEMED COMMISSIONS WORKING TOGETHER.
THAT'S CORRECT COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER CANNOT SAY NO.
[4d. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Arts Commission]
COMMISSIONER MOCK, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION.WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M READING YOUR REPORT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE GOOD THINGS HAPPENING IN HIS COMMISSION.
SO, UM, I'M VERY THANKFUL TO THE STAFF AND ALSO, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ADDRESSING THE EQUITY ISSUES ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTING OF, UM, FUNDING OR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
SO, UH, WE FINALLY, UM, I'M VERY HAPPY TO REPORT TO YOU THAT WE FINALLY GOT TO LAUNCH OUR THRIVE, UH, PROJECT IN OCTOBER 12TH.
AND I ALSO LIKE TO HAVE YOUR HELP AND THE HELP OF THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND SERVE AS PANELISTS TO HAVE SELECT, UH, PROJECTS, DIVERSE PROJECTS THAT REPRESENT OUR CITY, THE THRIVE, UH, INITIATIVE, UM, IS FOR THE 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
THE FUNDING IS B BETWEEN 30,000
[01:45:01]
TO 80,000.AND WE HAVE, ARE LOCATED ABOUT $4 MILLION, YOU KNOW, UH, IN THIS INITIATIVE.
SO, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEVEN TO NINE PANELISTS, UH, TO SERVE IN, IN THIS, UM, SELECTION.
SO, UM, AND, UH, THE, THE DEADLINE TO APPLY TO SERVE ON THE PANEL LIST IS SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO, UH, I AM JUST LOOKING FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS A NEW CHAPTER OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO, UM, DISTRIBUTE, UH, THE HOT FUND, UM, TO REALLY REPRESENT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY AND TO EMBRACE, UM, THE DIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY.
SO, UH, YES, UM, WELL FOR THE VIEWERS AT HOME, UM, PLEASE HELP FILL UP.
WE NEED A LOT OF PANELISTS AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST INITIATIVE.
SO WE NEED DIVERSE PANELISTS TO SERVE ON, UH, ON, ON, ON SELECTION WE VIEW, UH, SO THAT THE PROJECT WE ARE GOING TO FUND IS GOING TO REPRESENT, UH, THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF, OF, OF THIS CITY.
SO THAT'S MY REPORT, SHORT AND SWEET.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER REMARK.
HOW MIGHT FOLKS, UM, LINK UP TO VOLUNTEER, TO SERVE AS A PANELIST? UH, THEY CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE, THE AUSTIN COACH, US WEBSITE, AND, AND, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION ON THAT AND WE NEED, WE DID.
AND ACTUALLY, UM, WE, WE HAVE HONORARIUMS AS TYPE ONES, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO SERVE ON THE, UH, AND ON THE PANEL.
SO, UH, AND WE NEED A LOT OF THEM.
I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE PROBABLY NEED 50 TO 60 PANEL FOR ALL THREE OF OUR INITIATIVES, BUT THE FIRST ONE WE ARE GOING TO LAUNCH ON A TOBA 12, WE NEED SEVEN TO NINE PANELISTS.
CHRISTINE WOULD, Y'ALL CIRCULATE THE LINK AND WE CAN CERTAINLY DISSEMINATE THAT TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
WE DO NOT HAVE A REPORT TONIGHT.
NO, SHE CAN MAKE IT THIS EVENING.
SO, UH, PARKS OR PARKS ARE GETTING A LITTLE TOASTY THESE DAYS.
[4g. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Public Safety Commission]
LAST BUT NEVER LEAST COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.UM, I HAD IT, I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME SINCE I'VE UPDATED YOU ON WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN THE LAST MEETING.
AND I THINK I HAD TECHNICAL ISSUES AT THE TIME BEFORE THAT.
UM, I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS IN JUNE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY GOT OUR QUARTERLY REPORT UPDATE FROM, UM, EMS, AND THAT WAS REALLY GREAT BECAUSE ON TOP OF THEIR NORMAL STATS AND STUFF, THEY GAVE US AN UPDATE ON THEIR AVOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT PROGRAM, UM, AND THEIR BW PRONET FRIEND BRIDGE PROGRAM.
AND IT WAS JUST REALLY GREAT TO, TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND SO IT WAS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT EMS HAS IN PLACE HAS HAD IN PLACE AND ALL THE SORT OF ACTIVE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING DAY TO DAY TO SORT OF HELP.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS REALLY GREAT.
THEY ALSO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY HEALTH, UM, PARAMEDIC TEAM.
UM, AND IN GENERAL, THE SAFETY COMMISSION, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION IS TRYING TO SORT OF USE THE WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN TRANSFORM THE USE OF THE QUARTERLY REPORTS TO START A SHOWCASE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE IN THE COMMISSION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ALWAYS TUNED INTO WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS DOING.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN START USING THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS TO START TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MORE OUT OF THE ORDINARY THINGS OR THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ABOUT THAT EMS AND APD AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE DOING.
SO WE'RE KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT SORT OF REVITALIZING THE QUARTERLY REPORTS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO THEY TOLD US ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF.
WE ALSO HAD OUR BIG BUDGET MEETING, UM, WHERE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BUDGET, UM, THAT WAS A LONG, LONG TALK, BUT I'M ON TOP OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, BUT ALL THREE, UM, ALL THREE AGENCIES.
WE ALSO IN OUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, BACK TO THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
[01:50:01]
BUDGET PROPOSAL, UM, WHICH, UM, LET ME LOOK AT MY NOTES TO MAKE SURE I DON'T MISS IT, WHICH JUST URGES THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER IN GENERAL, THE INVEST IN COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY, UM, AS THEY'RE PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGETS AND OVERALL CITY BUDGET AS WELL.SO THAT WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED THAT AS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION THIS TIME.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, I THINK IT WAS A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT WE GOT AN UPDATE ON THE CITY-WIDE SORT OF STAFFING STUDY THAT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR APD EMS AND, UM, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT HOW APD IS SHORT-STAFFED, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, EMS IS REALLY SHORT STUFF AS WELL.
AND FIRE, YOU KNOW, I THINK FIRE IS THE ONE THAT'S PROBABLY IN THE BEST SHAPE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SUFFERING FROM STEPPING SHORTAGES CITY-WIDE AND NOT JUST WITH OUR SWORN PERSONNEL, BUT IN OUR CIVILIAN SORT OF POSITIONS AS WELL.
SO IT WAS NICE TO HEAR, UM, MORE DETAILS ON ALL THAT AND JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PLANS THAT THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES HAVE IN PLACE TO SORT OF START TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT AS ALWAYS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK, OUR MEETINGS ARE RECORDED.
YOU CAN HEAR MORE OF OUR DISCUSSION ON THAT THERE.
UM, AND THEN I'M GOING TO JUMP AHEAD TO JULY.
THAT WAS JUST JUNE, UM, AND JULY WE HEARD FROM FIRE, AND WE DID A LOT OF THE SAME THING.
IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED, UM, THE QUARTERLY REPORT, THEY TALKED TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR ROLE, THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN ARSON INVESTIGATIONS, UM, HOW INVOLVED THEY ARE IN PERMITTING, UM, AND INSPECTIONS, LIKE ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON FIRE IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ALL THAT AND HOW, HOW CRITICAL IT IS FOR THEM TO STAY STAFFED AND TO GROW THAT SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP UP WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND WE'VE HEARD ABOUT BUNCH OF THEIR RECRUITING TOOLS AND, UM, THE OTHER NEW THING THAT WE'RE DOING, I THINK IT'S BEEN OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IS WE'RE STARTING A NEW ROLLING ITEM CALLED HOW IT WORKS IN HOPES OF JUST CREATING A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSPARENCY AND UNDERSTANDING AROUND LITTLE BITS OF OPERATIONAL SORT OF MATTERS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT LEXIPOL, WHICH IS, UH, A DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UM, THAT APD USES, UM, AS IN THEIR RISK MANAGEMENT, UM, DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE ALSO, WHAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION? OH, AND THEN WE ALSO JUST, UM, DID A LITTLE Q AND A, AND SORT OF HOW TO FIND, UM, APD REPORTING SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE AND HOW TO FIND ALL THE PUBLIC FACING REPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UM, HOW YOU CAN REQUEST REPORTS THAT YOU DON'T SEE THERE.
UM, AND WE HEARD FROM BOTH APD AND OPO, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
I MEAN, THERE WERE, THERE ARE LINKS POSTED ON OUR AGENDA, AND THERE'S JUST A LOT MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SORT OF FIND ALL THAT INFORMATION.
CAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN SITE IS SOMETIMES A LITTLE TOUGH TO, TO DIG THROUGH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IT, UM, FOR NOW THAT'S IT? THAT WAS WHAT, WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THE, HOW IT WORKS? UM, BOTH, UM, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO WATCH OUR MEETINGS.
SO HONESTLY THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND JUST REGULAR CITIZENS.
UM, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE TUNE IN AHEAD OF, UM, BUDGET SESSIONS SO THAT THEY CAN KNOW, LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THINGS WORK AND WHO, SO, UM, JUST, JUST EVERYDAY CITIZENS THEY HAVE, WHAT'S THE, HOW, WHAT'S THE OUTREACH PLAN.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR BECAUSE WE JUST STARTED AND WE'RE ASKING, WE'RE ASKING QUESTIONS AND WE'RE GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS AND HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK AND WORKING OUT THE LOGISTICS.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S IT FOR NOW? DON'T HAVE AN OUTREACH PLAN YET, MAYBE NEXT YEAR.
I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THAT SOMEONE CAME TO YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AND GAVE A REPORT OR UPDATE ON, UM, CITY STAFFING, NOT JUST WITH SWORN CITY STAFF THAT STAFFING IN GENERAL.
AND I WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTED IN THAT, UM, WHOEVER THAT WAS AND, UH, HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY GET THEM TO ALSO COME BEFORE OUR COMMISSION, BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE, UM, THE TURNOVER IN CITY STAFF, THE, THE INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE THAT, THAT, UM, ARE NOW IN CERTAIN POSITIONS IN THE CITY STAFF, THE VACANCIES AND THE CITY STAFF ARE REALLY CAUSING A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES WITH THE RUNNING OF OUR CITY.
UM, I, I WOULD AGREE IN THAT THE STUFFING
[01:55:01]
AND EMPLOYING PEOPLE OVERALL FOR THE ENTIRE CITY IS, UM, IS A CHALLENGE IN EVERY DEPARTMENT.UM, AUSTIN IS AN EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT, UM, CAN, ARE OFFERING VERY COMPETITIVE SALARIES.
UM, AND SO, UM, MY HEART GOES OUT TO EVERYBODY THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY AND WORKS REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR THE CITY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S A, IT'S A CHALLENGING TIME.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S TURNOVER EVERYWHERE.
THERE WAS SPECIFICALLY A STUDY FOR, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES SO THAT WE COULD SORT OF TAKE A MORE GLOBAL LOOK AT CIVILIAN AND SWORN.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS DEALING WITH.
I MEAN, ACROSS THE BOARD, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY REPORTS FROM OUR WORKING GROUPS.
UH, THIS EVENING, LET'S GO, GO TO
[6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, AS BRINGING SOMETHING BACK ABOUT STAFFING ISSUES IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN RAISED.THE DOWNTOWN LAND DEVELOP THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AS IT APPLIES TO DOWNTOWN GETTING A STAFF BRIEFING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WOULD, WOULD BENEFIT FROM LEARNING WHAT'S CBD ZONING, ISN'T CAPITAL DOMINANCE OVERLAY, AND ALL THE VARIOUS OVERLAYS THAT WE HAVE CONGRESS AVENUE OVERLAY.
CAN WE ADD TO THAT, UH, DISCUSSION OF, OR NOT DISCUSSION THERE'S NO DISCUSSION TO BE HAD, BUT MAYBE AN UPDATE OF WHAT'S BEING BUILT? I MEAN, I READ ABOUT IT AND I APPRECIATE THE UPDATES VERY MUCH THAT MONA SENDS ALONG FROM THE DIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS, BUT IT'D BE KIND OF COOL TO HAVE A MAP.
UH, THAT'S UPDATED REGULARLY WITH HERE'S THE NEW 40 STORY BUILDING HERE AND 30 HERE AND A HOTEL HERE AND MOVE THERE.
COMMISSIONER, I THINK THAT THE, ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE WEBSITE, THERE IS AN EMERGING MAPS AND EMERGING PROJECT MAPS THAT I COULD DEFINITELY SEND YOU THAT LINK.
AND MAYBE THEY COULD COME OUT HERE MORE OFTEN.
IS, IS THERE SOMEBODY ON STAFF OTHER THAN THE DVR DIRECTOR OF LAND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES THAT COULD ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THOSE IN GENERAL, THE CITY, BECAUSE THE DA IS REALLY FOCUSED ON TOWN DOWNTOWN THEY'VE ASSUMED THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO WE COULD HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE DA GIVE AN UPDATE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY DID A NICE PRESENTATION THE LAST TIME ON, I FORGET NOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT WAS REALLY WELL DONE.
WE DON'T NEED ANYTHING THAT COMPLEX, BUT JUST A QUARTERLY UPDATE, EVEN IT WOULD BE COOL.
LIKE EVERY, EVERY TWO, THREE MONTHS JUST HERE'S THE 10 NEW BUILDINGS COMING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW I GET ASKED A LOT ABOUT IT AND I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST BE ABLE TO SAY THAT SINCE I'M ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, I KNOW WHAT THAT BUILDING IS.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU MIGHT WORK FOR ME, BUT IT'D BE COOL TO HAVE HIM OUT HERE AND TALK TO US WELL, AND, AND THIS SUBJECT HAS COME UP BEFORE.
UM, OTHER ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE CITY HAS DECIDED NOT TO RENEW CONTRACTS WITH THE AUSTIN, ALWAYS UP FRONT STEPS FOR THE AUSTIN RESOURCE, FOR THE HOMELESS AND ON THE SEVERAL OTHER CONTRACTS THAT THEY HAVE WITH FRONT STEPS.
I'M JUST WONDERING THE IMPACT OR EFFECT OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, ON THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED AT THAT SITE AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON DOWNTOWN.
UM, CAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A BIG DEAL AND I'D HATE TO LOSE THE A HUNDRED SHELTERS THAT ARE THE A HUNDRED BEDS THAT ARE THERE.
UM, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH, UM, WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GONNA STEP IN UH, FROM THE, UM, OSTEO PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES WITH THE, REGARDING THE CEASED SUCCESSION, SUCH ANOTHER FRONT STEPS CONTRACT.
MA'AM OTHER ITEMS FROM COMMITTEE MISSIONERS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
I KNOW IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.
IT'S BRUTALLY HOT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT CAME DOWN THIS EVENING REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.
UM, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS GOOD JULY AT A GOOD BEGINNING OF AUGUST.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS CHAIR, I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT THAT THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING IS AUGUST 17TH.
[02:00:01]
SO I'M, AGAIN, WON'T BE LOOKING FOR QUAL, UH, GOING OUT FOR CALL TO COURT FOR QUORUMS. EXCUSE ME.THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY.
AND, UM, HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.
UH, AS ONE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, UH, THIS IS STILL A, TO SOME EXTENT A UNIVERSITY TOWN AND, UH, FOLKS SCOOT.
WE NO LONGER HAVE AQUAFEST, UH, TO BRING PEOPLE BACK IN AUGUST.
UH, SO MAKING QUORUM IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND SO IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE TRAVELING, PLEASE LET STAFF KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND WITH THAT, UH, I WILL CALL FOR AN ADJOURNMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONS, JULY 20TH, 22.