* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [2022 City Council Candidate Forum District 1] [00:00:09] GOOD EVENING. WELCOME TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DISTRICT ONE CANDIDATE FORUM. I AM CAROL LEL CAMP WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE AUSTIN AREA, OUR LEAGUE PARTNERS, WITH THE CITIES OF AUSTIN'S ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, TO HELP YOU ALL GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES VYING FOR YOUR VOTE. AS A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS, WE ARE NONPARTISAN POLITICAL ORGANIZATION FOUNDED OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. WE CONSIST OF MEN AND WOMEN PROMOTING INFORMED AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. DESPITE THE DIVISIVENESS IN OUR COUNTRY, YOU ALL CANDIDATES SIT HERE AS EXAMPLES OF THE GOOD THINGS IN OUR DEMOCRACY. IF ELECTED, YOU WILL REPRESENT THE CITIZENS OF THIS DISTRICT AND WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO AFFECT CHANGE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THIS IS HOW OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS. SO LET'S GET STARTED TODAY'S QUESTIONS WHERE WE'RE CREATED BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN THE AUSTIN AREA WITH INPUT FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, NO CANDIDATES WERE GIVEN THESE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE, AND THESE FORUMS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ATX N.TV NETWORK IN THE ARCHIVES ALONGSIDE YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OTHER COMMISSION MEETINGS. THE CANDIDATES TODAY WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT AND TWO MINUTE CLOSING STATEMENTS. AND WE WENT OVER HOW WE TIME. SO YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT. THANK YOU. YOU WILL BE GIVEN ONE MINUTE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. OUR TIMEKEEPERS WILL HOLD UP THOSE YELLOW WARNING CARDS AT THE 32ND MARK ON THE QUESTIONS AND A RED STOPS CARD. WHEN THE TIME EXPIRES CANDIDATES ARE ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM ANY PERSONAL ATTACKS OF THEIR OPPONENTS. AND WE ASK OUR LIVE AUDIENCE TO REFRAIN FROM REACTING IN SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO ANY STATEMENT MADE UP HERE BY THE CANDIDATES. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN IN BALLOT ORDER AND ROTATE. SO EACH OF YOU, EACH OF YOU ARE GONNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER. FIRST. WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH THE TWO, BE THE TWO MINUTE OPENING STATEMENTS, AND THAT WOULD BE BEGINNING WITH MR. RAMOS. HEY, Y'ALL MY NAME IS MISSA RAMOS. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU EVERYBODY INVOLVED FOR PUTTING THIS ON, UH, LOVE TO HAVE AN UNBIASED, UH, EVENT LIKE THIS. SO OF COURSE, RUNNING FOR A DISTRICT ONE CITY COUNCIL. UM, BUT I WANT TO GIVE Y'ALL SOME BACKGROUND ON ME. SO LET ME JUMP INTO IT. UH, I ACTUALLY MOVED FROM DALLAS TO AUSTIN AND OH FIVE, UH, CAME OUT HERE FOR, UH, ACC WAS A WAITER, UH, WAITED ALL THROUGHOUT SCHOOL AND THEN EVENTUALLY WENT TO TEXAS STATE WHERE I GOT MY DEGREE, UH, AFTER THAT JOINED THE WORKFORCE AND DID FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, UH, ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT WAS, WAS ME GOING AROUND AND HELPING, UH, VARIOUS FAMILIES MITIGATE FORECLOSURE AND GET OUT OF FORECLOSURE. UM, CURRENTLY I'M A BUSINESS ANALYST MANAGER AT INDEED. AND BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS I MANAGE A TEAM OF ANALYSTS, UH, THAT WORKS WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, UH, TO SOLVE ISSUES AND ACTUALLY HAVE SOLUTIONS, UM, THAT WE CAN SCALE. AND MY SPARE TIME, I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD FOR A NONPROFIT THAT DOES AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EAST AUSTIN. UH, I ALSO HAVE WRITTEN AND BEEN ON A COALITION FOR ANTIS DISPLACEMENT WE'VE WRITTEN POLICY THAT HAVE TURNED INTO PROGRAMS, AND WE'VE ALSO, I'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH, UH, PRESERVATION AUSTIN AND SOME OTHER DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO STREAMLINE SOME PROCESSES. UM, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE, GO TO WW DOT MESSIAH, RAMOS.COM AND CHECK ME OUT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR VOTE. THANK YOU, MR. RAREY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. UH, MY NAME'S CLINTON RAREY, UH, I HAVE, I MOVED HERE IN 2018. UM, I ALWAYS JOKE AROUND THAT. UH, I'M A REFUGEE, NOT A MISSIONARY FROM CALIFORNIA. UM, THE REASON I'M RUNNING HERE IS THE SAME REASON WHY I LEFT CALIFORNIA, UM, WITH THE RADICAL POLICIES THAT DESTROYED THAT THROUGH HIGH TAXATION, HIGH COST OF LIVING AND THE HIGH CRIME AND HIGH HOMELESSNESS. UH, I'VE STARTED SLOWLY SEEING THAT GET ADOPTED HERE IN 2019. UH, WHEN WE SAW THE MASSIVE ENCAMPMENTS, UM, HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN, I'M A, I'M A FOURTH GENERATION, UH, COMBAT ARMY VETERAN, UM, RAISED IN A FAMILY THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE. UM, MY MOTHER, SHE PRETTY MUCH DRAGGED ME, UM, TO EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT SHE WORKED IN WITHIN THE CITY. UM, AND SHE'S A THIRD TIME COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL. SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE HOW TO RUN A, A SMALL CITY FROM GROWING UP IN A POPULATION OF 60,000 PEOPLE. UM, SO COMING INTO A CITY LIKE THIS, IT'S BEEN, UM, [00:05:01] A CHANGE FOR ME, BUT I, I LIKE A BATTLE AND I IT'S GONNA BE AN UPWARD BATTLE TO FIX THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING HERE IN AUSTIN. UM, AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SOLVED IN THREE YEARS. UM, THAT LIKE OUR MAYOR SAID, UH, AFTER GOING THROUGH ALL THE WOODS IN THE GREEN BELTS AND SEEING HOW BAD OUR HOMELESS PROBLEM IS, IT'S VERY HIDDEN. UM, AND I'VE BEEN DOCUMENTING IT AND IT'S BEEN GREAT TO GET THE EXPOSURE, UH, THROUGH FOX NEWS THAT HAS PUT US OUT THERE AND BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT THE ISSUES THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED BY OUR MAYOR ARE STRIKE THAT, UM, THAT OUR MAYOR SAID HE'S SOLVING IS, IS NOT A REALITY. UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BRING IS BACK TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, SOLVE HOMELESSNESS, UM, AT THE ROOT CAUSE, AND THEN ALSO THE COST OF LIVING. UH, THANK YOU, MS. HOUSE DIXON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND SPEAKING AT YOUR FORUM. MY NAME IS MELANIE HAL DIXON, AND I'VE BEEN A LONG TERM RESIDENT OF AUSTIN FOR MORE THAN 30 PLUS YEARS. SO I'VE SEEN THE DEVELOPMENTS AND THE GROWTH AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR AREA. UM, SPECIFICALLY D ONE, I AM RUNNING, UM, FOR, UH, THIS POSITION BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A VOICE, BASICALLY, UH, WE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE THAT, THAT WANT TO REPRESENT ALL OF US. AND SO HAVING THAT VOICE WOULD BE ONE I'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT, A, A GREAT DEMO, MORE OF TRANSPARENCY WITH HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE WITH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY TO, TO HAVE A, A LEVEL OF EQUALITY, NOT JUST FOR ONE, BUT FOR ALL. AND THIS WOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED FOR ALL OF THE CITY, NOT JUST FOR OUR D ONE. I'D LIKE TO SEE A GREATER EQUALITY PRESENTED FOR OUR D ONE AREA WITH OUR SCHOOLS, PROVIDING BETTER WAGES FOR OUR TEACHERS, FOR OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR ARTISTIC COMMUNITY AND OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS. I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, A GREATER INPUT FOR, FOR ANYONE THAT WOULD COME. I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY WHERE EVERYONE AND ANYONE WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO COME. I ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT MY CAUSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER, MADISON ALMOST DID IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS NATASHA HARPER MADISON. I HAVE THE PROUD HONOR OF BEING THE CURRENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT ONE, UH, RIGHT HERE IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN. I LEFT BRIEFLY, UH, FOR A STINT, UH, EXPERIENCING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. UH, PEOPLE POWERED POLITICS. THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED PROJECT VOTE SMART. THEY WERE POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS PRIMARILY WHO TOOK THE TIME TO ENTER INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE'S KEY ISSUE POSITIONS INTO A DATABASE SO THAT WHEN FOLKS DO VOTE, THEY CAN DO SO IN A WAY THAT'S VERY, VERY INFORMED. THEY GET TO LOOK UP PEOPLE'S KEY ISSUE POSITIONS. UM, I AM A PERSON WHO IS NOT BOUND FOR POLITICS. THIS IS NOT IN FACT WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT I DO. I DON'T SAY I'M A POLITICIAN. I SAY I WORK IN POLITICS. I THINK THE DISTINCTION SPECIFICALLY IS THAT I AM EXACTLY WHAT I WANNA SEE OUR DEMOCRACY LOOK LIKE. I'M A PERSON WHO WAS NOT GROOMED FOR THE POSITION, BUT VERY QUICKLY FELL INTO IT. I AM A PERSON WHO BY WAY OF MY FORMATIVE EXPERIENCE, SO OUT OF NECESSITY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT'S MY NATURE, RESOURCEFUL. I AM CLEVER AND I AM A FIGHTER. UM, I REALIZED PRETTY QUICK THAT THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS JOB. UM, WELL, ANYBODY CAN DO IT, BUT TO DO IT WELL, BUT TO BE EFFECTIVE, TO BE EFFICIENT, UM, GIVEN SO MANY OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE POSITION PRESENTS, UM, I'M A MOM, I'M A WIFE, UH, I'M A, A DAUGHTER, I'M A NIECE, I'M A GRANDDAUGHTER, AND I'M AN AUNT TO 17 GEN Z IN THIS CITY. AND WHEN I LOOK AT THEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I RECOGNIZE IS THAT THEY WILL INHERIT WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE LEAVE FOR THEM. UM, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I GET TO WORK ON WHILE I'M IN THIS POSITION, UH, I'LL NEVER SEE EXACTLY HOW THEY ALL SHAKE OUT. UH IT'S BECAUSE I'M THINKING LONG RANGE, LONG TERM. AND I THINK WHOEVER IT IS THAT DISTRICT ONE SELECTS TO REPRESENT THE 46 SQUARE MILES, UM, THAT CONSTITUTE THE DISTRICT. THEY NEED SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA HAVE VISION AND COURAGE. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW BEGIN THE QUESTIONS. OKAY. WE'RE GONNA START OUT OUR QUESTIONS TONIGHT WITH SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE MIND OF A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN AND THAT'S AFFORDABILITY. UM, WE KNOW THAT STATE LAW IS REQUIRES PROPERTIES TO BE APPRAISED [00:10:01] AT MARKET VALUE OR WHAT THEY WOULD SELL FOR IN THE CURRENT HOUSING ENVIRONMENT. UH, THAT'S IMBALANCED BY OUR SUPPLY AND DEMAND. AND WHILE INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAXES ARE CAPPED AT 10% PER YEAR FOR HOMEOWNERS PROTECTING THEM FROM MASSIVE INCREASES IN TAXATION. THE SAME IS DEFINITELY NOT TRUE FOR RENTERS. UM, PEOPLE LIVING IN RENTAL PROPERTIES ARE BEING HIT WITH HUGE RENT INCREASES TO OFFSET THE LANDLORD'S VALUATION INCREASES. AND WITH 50% OF DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS LIVING IN RENTAL PROPERTY, WHAT MEASURES WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES AND WILL BEGIN WITH OUR ANSWERS WITH MR. RAREY FIRST, I WOULD DO A PROPERTY TAX FREEZE FOR AT LEAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS, UM, AND THEN DRASTICALLY DO A THIRD AUDIT, A THIRD PARTY AUDIT ON AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE AUSTIN WATER AND THE DEPARTMENT SERVICES. UM, THE GENERAL FUNDS ARE NOT BEING SPENT APPROPRIATELY AND THEY NEED TO BE STRUCTURED TO ONLY SUPPORT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO OUR COST BUILD AND AUSTIN ISN'T SO EXPENSIVE WHERE THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE CITY TO BUILD IN AUSTIN, WHERE NEW HOMES, UM, UP TO 20% OF THE COST WHEN SOMEONE BUYS THAT HOME IS TIED TO THE MOR IN THEIR MORTGAGE. UM, SO THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM THE APPRAISALS TO UP TO $116,000, JUST IN THE COST TO BUILD THE HOME AND FEES, UM, FROM DUE TO THE DELAYED IN CONSTRUCTION. UM, THEN I WOULD FIRE THE, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT AREN'T EXPERIENCED IN THE DEPARTMENT SERVICE AND ACTUALLY HIRE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING QUALIFIED TO RUN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT. SO OUR PERMITTING AND OUR INSPECTION DEPARTMENT STREAMLINES, UM, SO WE CAN GET MORE HOUSES ON THE MARKET, UM, AND AT A MORE AFFORDABLE COST FOR ALL, NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. THANK YOU, MS. HOUSE DIXON. I WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT, UM, EXAMINING THE, THE CURRENT AUSTIN AND ENERGY, UH, PROTOCOLS AT THIS POINT AND SEE HOW THEY WOULD APPLY TO LESSENING, UM, AND THEN RE REVAMP THOSE PROTOCOLS AND THEN IMPLEMENT THOSE PROTOCOLS RIGHT NOW. OUR MFI IS AT 60, UH, 80 RIGHT NOW, WHICH GIVES THE HOME OWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER, UM, A LOT OF ADVANTAGE FOR, UM, FOR, UM, UH, MARKET RATES. AND I WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT FINDING OUT HOW TO LOWER THAT AND, AND, AND REALLOCATING THOSE, THE FUNDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED, UH, BACK INTO THE, THE COMMUNITY. AND SO THAT WOULD GIVE OUR TENANTS THOSE THAT ARE LEASING, MAYBE A STAVE OFF OF, IN TERMS OF MINIMIZING, UM, THE INCREASE OF RENTAL. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER, MADISON US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS COMPLICATED. UH, I HAVE, UH, ALMOST FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. TELLING YOU JUST HOW COMPLICATED IT IS. I THINK, UH, MR. REARY WAS ON POINT WHEN HE MADE REFERENCE TO FEES. FEES ARE DEFINITELY A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE PROBLEM. HE WAS ALSO ON POINT WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT STAFFING, BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF. WE CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO FIRE ANYBODY. AND SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS STAFF UP DEPARTMENTS, UH, WELL, I'M SORRY, I'M GONNA GO BACK FIRST. WE NEED FOR THE DEPARTMENTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY, WHICH THEY CURRENTLY DON'T DO. WE NEED TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS AS IT STANDS TO GET YOUR, YOUR PROPERTY PERMITTED. IF YOU'RE BUILDING A HOUSE, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH 16 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, DON'T TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT CAUSES A PROBLEM WITH COMMUNICATION BEING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AND I THINK MAYBE EVEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE TO BE INNOVATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE. UH, WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY LOSING AFFORDABILITY, UM, EVERY DAY IN PLACES WHERE IT ALREADY OCCURS. THANK YOU, MR. RAMOS. YEAH. SO, UH, I GUESS TO KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN, IF I WAS TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LONG TERM, ESSENTIALLY I WOULD LOOK AT AN INCOME BASED TAX ASSESSMENT, UM, FOR, I GUESS, LEGACY HOMEOWNERS. SO THAT WOULD BASICALLY ALLOW FOR, UH, US TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY DICTATE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES BASED ON HOW MUCH THEY'RE BRINGING IN. UM, ESSENTIALLY A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GETTING PUSHED OUT BECAUSE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES CONTINUOUSLY, UH, INCREASE OVER TIME. UM, AND THAT CAUSES, UH, THE, THE DISPLACEMENT THAT ALSO CAUSES, UH, FOR [00:15:01] PROPERTY OWNERS WHO OWN A HOME, UH, TO INCREASE COST ON THEIR RENTERS AS WELL. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THE LONG TERM, THE SHORT TERM, UH, I WOULD BUILD AN EXPEDITED PLAN TO ALLOW, UH, DEVELOPERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TO HOP THE LINE AND ACTUALLY GET THEIR PERMITTING DONE QUICKER AND HAVE A P UH, A PERSON THAT'S THE MAIN POINT OF CONTACT, HELP THEM STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH, UH, THE BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS NEXT QUESTION WILL START WITH MS. HOUSE DIXON AND LET'S TALK TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY. THERE ARE 13 IDENTIFIED HIGH INJURY ROADWAYS IN AUSTIN, AND TWO OF THOSE ARE HERE IN DISTRICT ONE, MLK ON BOTH SIDES OF 180 3 AND PART OF CAMERON ROAD AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, IF ELECTED, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS DOING ENOUGH TO ADDRESS PROBLEM AREAS LIKE THESE, AND TO KEEP US SAFE ON OUR STREETS? FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE THE AREAS ARE AND WHAT'S BEING ACTUALLY DONE IN THOSE AREAS. UH, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEING, UM, PERFORMED IN THERE. AND WHAT I WOULD DO IS I WOULD LOOK AT, UM, HOW TRAFFIC FLOWS I WOULD SPEAK WITH, UM, TECHO TO FIND OUT WHAT WOULD TO FIND OUT THE, THE ORIGINAL PLANS FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA AND IMPLEMENT, UH, PROCESSES THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD PROVIDE, UH, SAFETY FOR OUR, OUR, OUR PUBLIC, OUR, OUR PEOPLE. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER, MADISON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, SO I I'M INTENTIONALLY SERVING ON THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, AND SERVING ON CAMPO, WHICH IS OUR REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY, UH, FOR JUST THAT REASON, RECOGNIZING OFTENTIMES LAY PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS, THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE. UM, ALSO DON'T RECOGNIZE WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE. AND SO, UH, STREETS LIKE, SO THIS IS CAMERON ROAD. THIS IS THE PART THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT BEFORE WE TURN INTO DESSAU AND DESSAU GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO PARMER AND PEOPLE, THE SPEED LIMIT'S 45, BUT PEOPLE ARE EASILY DOING BETWEEN 60 AND 65 IT'S CUZ THEY CAN, IT'S A WIDE OPEN ROAD. AND SO TRAFFIC CALMING IS NEEDED ABSOLUTELY ON THIS ONE AND ON MLK. AND I THINK HONESTLY, SOME ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT IS GONNA NE IS GONNA BE NECESSARY. AND I GENERALLY SPEAKING, I TRY TO FIND EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO FIND A NON, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT SOLUTION GIVEN HOW THIN THEY ARE STRETCHED. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO BEING ABLE TO FLY IN THESE, UM, AREAS. AND SO REALLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE THE CULTURE, WHICH MEANS WE'RE GONNA GONNA HAVE TO YEAH. ENFORCE IN THOSE AREAS. THANK YOU, MR. RAMOS. YEAH. IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE ROADS, UH, WE COULD ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING LIKE ADD ROUNDABOUTS TO SLOW TRAFFIC. UM, A LOT OF, A LOT OF TIMES WHERE WE SEE THESE, I GUESS, TRAFFICKED ACCIDENTS HAPPENING, UH, FOLKS ARE SPEEDING LIKE MISS, UH, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN HAD MENTION. UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY IF WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A ROUNDABOUT THERE THAT WOULD, UH, DECREASE HOW FAST PEOPLE CAN GO IN THOSE INTERSECTIONS IN ON THOSE ROADS, UM, I WOULD ALSO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ISSUES THEY'RE, UH, HAVING, UM, WITH, UH, WITH THE ROADS, WITH THE ROADS AND THE TRAFFIC AS WELL IN THE, IN THE AREA. UM, YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. RAREY. FIRST OFF, I WOULD END ALL THE UTOPIAN FALLACY IDEAS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED, LIKE VISION ZERO. YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET ZERO FATALITIES. UH, THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE FATALITIES IS TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT. AND WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL DEFUNDED THE POLICE AND REDIRECTED THE FUNDS THROUGH REIMAGINED POLICING, WE NOW DON'T HAVE TRAFFIC AND ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE OUR DETECTIVES BEING PULLED OFF CASES THAT THEY CAN'T SOLVE THE MURDERS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF HERE IN THE CITY. AND SO WE NEED TO RE REAFF OUR POLICE AND RE PULL THOSE FUNDS BACK FROM AWAY FROM THESE UTOPIAN IDEALS AND PUT 'EM BACK INTO THE POLICE OFFICERS, GET THEM BACK ON THE STREETS TO ACTUALLY ENFORCE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT. CAUSE RIGHT NOW PEOPLE ARE SPEEDING BECAUSE THEY CAN, PEOPLE ARE TEXTING AND DRIVING BECAUSE THEY CAN. AND WHEN PEOPLE DO THIS, THEY GET COMPLACENT AND THEY KEEP DOING IT. AND THAT'S WHEN THE MORE ACCIDENTS HAPPEN AND THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE DIE. AND WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE TOUGH LOVE. I MEAN, IT SUCKS GETTING PULLED OVER, BUT IF YOU'RE HAVING YOUR PHONE IN YOUR HAND, YOU'RE GONNA GET PULLED OVER AND YOU'RE GONNA GET A TICKET. BUT IF YOU GET A TICKET ENOUGH, YOU'RE GONNA STOP DOING IT EVENTUALLY. AND I'M SORRY, IF YOU CAN'T UN, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT, THEN DON'T DO IT. DON'T BREAK THE LAW PERIOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT CITY SERVICES, UM, REGARDLESS OF HOW, WHAT IT'S BEEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS OR A WEEK, UH, IN VIEW OF [00:20:01] THE CONTINUED DROUGHT, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU PERSONALLY TAKE TO PRESERVE AUSTIN'S WATER SUPPLIES AND NATURAL RESOURCES? AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH MS. HARPER BROWN. I'M SORRY. MISS MADISON, HARPER, MADISON, SORRY. MAYBE I GOT ADOPTED BY A WEALTHY FAMILY. LAST NAME BROWN. I'LL TAKE IT. UM, WELL, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. UM, BEFORE I, I BECAME A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. I, I WAS A BUSINESS OWNER AND I RAN A FLOWER SHOP CALLED ECO CHI FLORAL LONG BEFORE ANYBODY RECOGNIZED THAT SUSTAINABLY SOURCE PLANTS AND FLOWERS WAS IMPORTANT, I WAS DOING IT. LET'S JUST SAY, UH, THAT BUSINESS FAILED. UM, WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE USING LESS WATER. THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE PUTTING POTABLE WATER ON GRASS IN 2022 DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS. I MEAN, STEP ONE, GET PEOPLE TO USE LESS WATER FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T ESSENTIAL WASHING YOUR CAR IS NOT ESSENTIAL. WATERING. YOUR GRASS IS NOT ESSENTIAL. WASHING YOUR PET IS NOT ESSENTIAL DOING LAUNDRY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN IT'S BEEN PROVEN STATISTICALLY PROVEN TO USE MORE RESOURCES IS NOT ESSENTIAL. I THINK EVERYBODY'S JUST GONNA HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THESE DROUGHT CONDITIONS THEY'RE BAD NOW AND THEY ONLY GET WORSE. CLIMATE REALITY IS REAL BELIEVE SCIENTIST, AND WE NEED TO USE LESS WATER AND WE NEED TO ENFORCE, UH, PEOPLE USING LESS WATER. WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHO'S USING HOW MUCH BY WAY THEIR BILLS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. RAMOS. SO THE WAY THAT I WOULD, UH, GO ABOUT IT IS I WOULD ACTUALLY DO UNDERGROUND WATER CONTAINMENT, UM, AND ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT WANTED, UH, UNDER UNDERGROUND WATER CONTAINMENT TO TRAP RAINWATER THAT THEY COULD FURTHER USE ON THEIR LAWNS ESSENTIALLY WOULD GET, UH, A REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL THE WATER THAT THEY SAVE. UH, AS, UH, NATASHA HAD MENTIONED, WE CAN TRACK THAT AND WE CAN SEE THEIR RATES. AND IF YOUR RATES DIP LOWER THAN YOUR PREVIOUS YEAR, BASED ON THE HISTORICAL DATA, YOU SHOULD GET A REIMBURSEMENT. UM, I WOULD ALSO DISCOUNT SYSTEMS SO THAT FOLKS ARE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT WATER AND, UH, ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY USE IT, UH, EFFECTIVELY AS WELL. UM, WHENEVER THEY ARE ABLE TO, UM, AND JUST, YEAH, TRY TO ACTUALLY GET MORE SUSTAINABLE, UH, WATER SERVICES. THANK YOU, MR. RAREY, MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, WE LOSE 6.5 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER YEAR HERE IN AUSTIN IN THE LAST DECADE, WE'VE LOST ENOUGH WATER TO FEEL LIKE TRAVIS 1.5 TIMES. SO INSTEAD OF TELLING PEOPLE TO USE LESS WATER, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ESSENTIAL FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE ROOT CAUSE. I MEAN, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE BOIL WATER NOTICES OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS. AND THE LAST THING WE WANT TO END UP IS WITH NON DRINKABLE WATER, OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS FAILING AND WE WANT TO GROW OUR CITY TO HAVE A HIGH DENSITY LIVING. IT'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUPPORT 3 MILLION PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY LOSING 6.5 BILLION GALLONS PER YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HOUSE DIXON. I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH MR. UH, CLARY IN TERMS OF HOW WE HAVE WASTED WATER OVER OVER THE YEARS. UM, ESPECIALLY FOR ND ONE, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, COMPARED TO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE OF OTHER PARTS OF OUR CITY IS SO INADEQUATE. UM, WE LACK OF MUCH OF THE DRAINAGE, UM, UM, WITHIN OUR AREA AND, UM, USING LESS WATER, UM, AS, AS WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY STATED, I DON'T BELIEVE IS A SOLE SOLUTION TO THE ANSWER, BUT EXAMINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE, WHAT WE ARE USING AT THIS TIME AT THIS POINT IS GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ERIC, WE'LL START WITH MR. RAMO. SO WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LAND USE. OKAY. WHAT UPDATES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR REZONING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES IN DISTRICT ONE? AND HOW WILL YOU ENSURE THE VOICES OF ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE PRIORITIZED AHEAD OF THE VOICES OF DEVELOPERS WHO MAY ALSO BE CAMPAIGN DONORS WHEW, COVERED IN THE HOT WITH THIS ONE? UM, SO BASICALLY WHAT I WOULD DO, UH, IS I WOULD LOOK AT EXPANDING AND DEVELOPING, UH, THE MAJOR CORRIDORS. SO PLACES ON, UH, AIRPORT BOULEVARD, SOME SPOTS ON MLK AS ALSO ON, UH, MAIN ROAD. UM, BUT I THINK WHEN IT COMES BACK DOWN TO IS GETTING THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THAT FEEDBACK INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO PASS, UH, MAJOR REZONING FOR, UH, CODE NEXT AND, AND, UH, THAT'S FAILED A FEW TIMES. AND THE MAIN REASON WHY THAT'S FAILED IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH CODE NEXT PROFESSIONALS [00:25:01] AND THEY'VE COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS I'VE TOLD THEM THEIR CONCERNS, BUT NOTHING HAPPENS. AND SO WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY IS I WOULD ACTUALLY ENGAGE MY COMMUNITY, HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. SATURDAYS WOULD ALSO BE OPEN SO THAT I'M MORE ACCESSIBLE. AND WHEN YOU COME, WE WILL CAPTURE YOUR INFORMATION DOWN SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE SOME EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP ON, UH, REZONING. THANK YOU, MR. BARRY. SO BASICALLY I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING MR. RAMOS SAID. UH, SO I'D ADD ON TO THAT. UM, BY PRIORITIZING THE HIGH DENSITY, LIVING ON, UH, TRANSIT CORRIDORS, THEN ALSO IMPROVING THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME. SO WE CAN GET MORE HOMEOWNERS TO CREATE MORE GENERATIONAL WEALTH BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU CREATE LEGACY WEALTH IS THROUGH HOME OWNERSHIP. AND IF WE PRIORITIZE HIGH DENSITY TO LIVING, ALL WE'RE DOING IS CREATING LAND OLIGARCHS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HOMEOWNERSHIP HERE IN, IN AUSTIN. AND SO NOW WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT WITH, UH, LIKE PICASSO HOMES, WHERE THE MAYOR SITS ON THE BOARD FOR THAT WHERE A LOT OF INVESTORS ARE COMING IN AND TURNING HOMES INTO FRACTIONAL HOME OWNERSHIP. AND IT'S BASICALLY TIMESHARES INTO THESE COMMUNITIES AND THEY'RE JUST PUSHING PEOPLE OUT. SO WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE, UM, ANYTHING SHORT TERM RENTALS IN NEIGHBORHOODS SO WE CAN GET, UM, MORE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE HOME OWNERSHIPS VERSUS RENTERS. UM, THEY CAN AFFORD THE LOWERING PROPERTY TAXES AND OUR CODES. THANK YOU, MS. HOUSE DIXON, WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THE QUESTION? SORRY. I TURNED BACK PAGE. WHAT UPDATES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AS FAR AS FOR REZONING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IN DISTRICT ONE? AND HOW WILL YOU ENSURE THE VOICES OF ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE PRIORITIZED AHEAD OF THE VOICES OF DEVELOPERS WHO MAY BE CAMPAIGN DONORS? I WOULD HEAD OFF THE, UM, THE, MY CONSTITUENTS BY SAYING, UM, UH, FIRST OF ALL, HAVING AN OPEN DOOR POLICY AND ALLOWING THE COMMUNITY TO, UH, PARTICIPATE AND VOICE THEIR OP THEIR CONCERNS FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR, UM, EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, THAT OPEN DOOR POLICY WOULD THEN BE, UM, RESPECTED AS WELL AS PULLING TOGETHER A LIAISON BETWEEN THE DEVELOPERS AND MY, MY COM THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN TERMS OF UPDATES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF, OF, OF A CHANGE WITH, UM, WITH HOW TRAFFIC IS, I MEAN, HOW THINGS ARE BEING RUN IN TERMS OF, AND HOW THEY RELATE WITHIN, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER, MADISON, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING, THAT'S MY NUMBER ONE THING. SO, UM, I WOULD START WITH REALLY GETTING, UH, DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY, THE THINGS THAT WE CAN AGREE UPON, WE ALL RE WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED MORE HOUSING. UH, WHAT WE DON'T ALL RECOGNIZE NECESSARILY IS THAT OUR ARBITRARY BARRIERS LIKE MINIMUM LOT SIZES, PARKING REQUIREMENTS, UM, COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, SOMETIMES IMPERVIOUS COVER REQUIREMENTS ARE ALSO A BARRIER TO THE PRODUCTION OF HOUSING. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO IMMEDIATELY GET BEHIND. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UM, MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE TAKING EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD VERTICAL AND DENSE AND APPROPRIATE CORRIDORS. UH, I'D LIKE TO BYPASS BARRIERS FOR P REALLY INCENTIVIZE THE PRODUCTION OF HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING A GOOD JOB OF IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF BARRIERS TO THE PRODUCTION OF HOUSING. UM, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE WHOLE CONVERSATION AROUND BRINGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN AND HIGHLIGHTING THEIR DESIRES FOR THEIR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO START WITH ACTUALLY TALKING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT THIS STUFF MEANS. MOST OF THEM DON'T KNOW. THANK YOU, MR. RAMOS. OH, SO SORRY. I CAN GO BACK IN YOU GOT THIS. THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR NOT CHECKING. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE SUBJECT TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. UM, WE'LL START WITH MR. RAREY. THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN CONTINUES TO EXPLODE AND INCOME INEQUALITY CONTINUES TO RISE AND INTENSIFYING HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS. WHAT ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE SERVICES ARE NEEDED TO KEEP DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS HEALTHY. AND IS THE CITY DOING ENOUGH? WHY OR WHY NOT? IT STARTS WITH CENTRAL HEALTH. THAT'S ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING [00:30:01] ADDRESSED. UM, I'M GLAD THAT LAWSUIT WENT THROUGH TO GET THAT AUDIT SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE HOW THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN SPENT. AND IF THEY'VE BEEN SPENT ADEQUATELY TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT ARE UNINSURED OR NOT UNINSURED AT ALL, UH, TO GET THE PROPER HEALTHCARE THAT THEY NEED. UM, BUT WE ALSO NEED MORE, UM, ACCESS TO FITNESS CENTERS FOR SOME INDIVIDUALS IN LOW INCOME, UM, OUT THERE, CUZ RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S EITHER A FOOD DESERT WHERE THEY'RE EATING UNHEALTHY FOOD, SO THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD OR ACCESS TO, UH, HEALTHCARE TO GET HEALTHIER. SO GYMS, UM, IF YOU LOOKED AT ME A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I WAS 268 POUNDS. UM, I'M DOWN IN 180 3 AND THAT'S THROUGH EATING HEALTHY AND WORKING OUT AND NOT WORKING OUT LIKE CRAZY, ONLY FIVE, 10 MINUTES OF CARDIO DAY AND LIFTING WEIGHTS. SO YOU KNOW THAT, SO IT'S BRINGING IN THE EDUCATION TOO ON HEALTHIER EATING HABITS BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE OBESE, IT COMES WITH A LOT OF DISEASES THAT GETS YOU SICK AND COULD GET YOU KILLED. THANK YOU, MS. HOUSE DIXON. WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS MORE INFRASTRUCTURE SET, MORE PROGRAMS, MORE, UM, TRANSPARENCY FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY SET UP IN THE PAST. WE, WE HAVE CERTAIN AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY, UH, IN PLACE, BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING, UM, THEY'RE NOT BEING FOLLOWED. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS BETTER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. I'D LIKE TO SEE BETTER MEDICAL SERVICES. I'D LIKE TO SEE ARE UNHOUSED WITH, UM, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. I'D LIKE TO SEE JOB TRAINING IMPLEMENTED. I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, A, A HOLISTIC INFRASTRUCTURE SET IN PLACE AND NOT JUST BANDAID A PROVIDING HOUSING FOR, UM, FOR, FOR OUR UNHOUSED, MS. HARPER, MADISON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, I I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, START AT THE ROOT OF IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POVERTY RELATED ILLNESS. UM, SO MUCH OF THAT IS, IS ABOUT LIFESTYLE. UM, IT'S ABOUT ACCESS. UH, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO, TO DIG INTO THAT, BUT WHEN WE REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, THERE'S, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE PIE, THE CITY'S SLICE OF THAT PIE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT CAN DO JURISDICTION WISE. IT'S LIKE MAYBE 10% OF THAT PIE. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPEAL TO OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET A BETTER RELATIONSHIP GOING WITH BOTH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE STATE AND THE COUNTY. IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US AT EVERY JURISDICTION, UM, TO REALLY DIG INTO HEALTHCARE IS A BIG ONE. IT'S A BIG ONE. IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, THE PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD HEALTHCARE, GET ACCESS TO IT. AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A, THE DISPARITY HAS TO DO WITH INCOME. UM, AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE REALLY WANNA TACKLE HEALTHCARE DISPARITY, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE IT SO THAT PEOPLE EARN MORE MONEY. PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO MORE IN THE WAY OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. AND FRANKLY, THAT ALSO HELPS TO PREVENT A LOT OF THOSE DISEASES THAT PEOPLE GET BY WAY OF POVERTY. THANK YOU, MR. RAMOS, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? SURE. THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN IS EXPLODING. INCOME EQUALITY, INEQUALITY CONTINUES TO RISE AND INTENSIFY HELP DISPARITIES AMONG THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS. WHAT ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE SERVICES ARE NEEDED TO KEEP DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS HEALTHY. AND IS THE CITY DOING ENOUGH AND WHY OR WHY NOT? SO AS WE ARE LOOKING AT NEIGHBORHOOD CREATION PLANS, UH, WHAT I WOULD ACTUALLY DO IS, UH, FOR ANY DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, WANTING TO REZONE, UH, I WOULD GO THROUGH THE POINT SYSTEM AND CREATE A COMMUNITY BETTERMENT PLAN. AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT BETTERMENT PLAN WOULD DO IS IF YOU, UH, COME INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE TALK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION, AND OUR COMMUNITY SAYS, HEY, WE'VE NEVER HAD A GROCERY STORE HERE IN 40 YEARS. UM, WE'VE ALSO NEVER HAD A DOCTOR'S OFFICE IN 20 OR 10, AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO PARTNER WITH SOMEONE TO BRING IN INTEGRAL CARE. UM, THEN ESSENTIALLY YOU WOULD GET, UH, TAX EXEMPTIONS OR DISCOUNTS AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THAT COMMUNITY. THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT I WOULD DO. UM, AND IT DOES ACTUALLY GO BACK TO, UH, THE THINGS THAT NATASHA WAS TALKING ABOUT AS WELL. UM, WE HAVE TO ALSO ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES AND THE WEALTH GAP, THE GENERATIONAL WEALTH GAP TOO. AND THAT COMES BACK TO REINVESTING INTO OUR COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA START WITH MS. HOUSE DIXON ON THIS ONE, AND LET'S TALK A LITTLE JUSTICE IN INEQUALITY AND IN 2017, [00:35:01] THE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES FROM THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE FOUND, AND I'M QUOTING PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ARE ON UNLEVEL FOOTING IN THE CIVIL JUSTICE SYSTEM DUE TO SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION, PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE UNABLE TO USE OUR COURT SYSTEM AS A MEANS OF PROTECTION AND JUSTICE. A RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE FOR AUSTIN'S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO ENGAGE IN CONTINUOUS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING. WHAT RESULTS ARE WE SEEING FROM THIS EFFORT? AND DO YOU THINK IT'S ENOUGH? WELL, LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING IT IS NEVER, NEVER ENOUGH. RACISM IS SOMETHING THAT IT GOES DEEP INTO OUR, OUR WHOLE SYSTEM. IT IT'S, IT'S PERPETUAL EVERY DAY IN TERMS OF HOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT. UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD, UM, AS, AS A COMMUNITY BE MORE ACTIVE IN TERMS OF HOLDING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY, FOR WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY DO IT, MAKING SURE THAT OUR EQUAL RIGHTS THAT OUR RIGHTS ARE NOT VIOLATED, OUR CIVIL RIGHTS ARE NOT VIOLATED AND THAT WE ARE TREATED AS, AS, AS PEOPLE UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER, MADISON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, OVERREPRESENTATION WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE, THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, UM, IT STARTS EARLY. IT DOESN'T START WHEN PEOPLE ARE ADULTS, IT STARTS WITH EDUCATION. OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE ABSOLUTELY 100% SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE FACTORIES. SO I WENT TO AN EDUCATION MEETING RECENTLY WHERE THEY DISCLOSED THAT OVER 40% OF AUSTIN'S BLACK AND BROWN POPULATION, BUT SPECIFICALLY AUSTIN'S BLACK POPULATIONS. AUSTIN'S BLACK STUDENTS FOR OVER 40% OF THEM QUALIFY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION WHEN THEY QUALIFY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. THERE'S ALSO BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS WHEN THERE'S BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS, GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? OUR SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE, I THINK IS THE START DNI TRAINING, HONESTLY, I THINK IS KIND OF A JOKE. I HAD OUR P D UNION PRESIDENT TELL ME THAT IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING WAS EXCLUSIVELY GIVEN TO MAKE WHITE MEN FEEL GUILTY. HE SAID IT TO MY FACE. SO THAT'S HOW CONFIDENT I AM THAT THAT'S WORKING FOR A P D MR. RAMOS, LET ME TAKE A DEEP BREATH. UH, SO THIS ONE'S TOUGH, UM, VERY, VERY, VERY TOP TOUGH COMPLEX SITUATION. AND AS A BLACK MAN, IT'S JUST REALLY, UH, YEAH, IT, IT KIND OF TEARS ME APART. I THINK MOST OF US IN HERE WOULD PROBABLY AGREE THAT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS COPS ARE NEEDED. UM, THERE'S JUST TIMES WHERE WE NEED THAT HELP. WE NEED THAT ASSISTANCE. WE NEED THAT SUPPORT, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE DON'T COMMIT CRIMES BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, THEY COMMIT CRIMES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES. THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATION. INSTEAD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REINVESTMENT INTO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THEN WE COULD START ABOUT, START TALKING ABOUT REASSESSING, WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR APD AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR, UH, POLICING ON THAT REALM. UM, IN THE INTERIM, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SEE, I GUESS, A SH A LONGER TIME FOR POLICE CADET TRAINING IN THE FIELD. THANK YOU, MR. RAREY ALL. I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE AGAIN WITH MR. RAMOS AND ADD ONTO AS WELL. UM, NOBODY HERE WOULD AGREE AND SUPPORT RACISM AND NOBODY WOULD, I MEAN, EVERYBODY HERE WOULD CALL OUT AN INDIVIDUAL IF THEY WERE BEING RACIST TO ANYBODY, WHAT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT RACE, UM, AND NOBODY HERE SUPPORTS BAD POLICE. SO, UM, THE STIGMA THAT ALL POLICE ARE BAD, UM, IT'S KIND OF DWINDLED OUR POLICE FORCE AND ONLY LEAVING THE BAD OFFICERS BECAUSE THE GOOD OFFICERS ARE AFRAID TO DO THEIR JOB. AND SO THEY LEAVE. SO NOW WE'RE LEFT, LEFT WITH BAD OFFICERS, UM, BUT IT ALSO STARTS WITH BROKEN HOME. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A MISSING MOTHER OR MISSING FATHER, UM, THEY'RE WORKING ALL DAY TWO JOBS AND THEY'RE LATCHKEY KIDS. YOU HAVE THIS, YOU HAVE TWITTER OR, OR TIKTOK OR WHATEVER, RAISING THE KID. AND WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING THESE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE DOING ONLINE, DESTROYING THEIR OWN LIVES. AND IT'S A VISITOR VICIOUS CYCLE WHERE THEY, THEY JUST WANT TO GET LIKES AND THEY GO OUT THERE AND THEY DO THESE CRAZY STUFF AND BREAK THE LAW, THINKING THAT THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING GREAT. I MEAN, WE JUST HAD THIS MASS SHOOT AT THE TIME MASS SHOOTER IN MINNEAPOLIS. I WAS DOING IT ON FACEBOOK LIFE, SHOOTING PEOPLE WITH A BIG SMILE ON [00:40:01] HIS FACE. UM, SO IT'S, IT STARTS IN THE HOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SORRY. NEXT TACKLE. UH, UH, A SUBJECT THAT, UH, SORT OF PERVADES AUSTIN AND THAT'S HOMELESSNESS. AUSTIN HAS, WILL START WITH, UH, HARPER, MISS. I THOUGHT WE STARTED THERE. MISS MA HARPER, MADISON, EXCUSE ME. AUSTIN HAS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE WITH A STEADY AND ALARMING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. AND WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU SUPPORT OR TO PROVIDE SHELTER AND SERVICES TO THESE INDIVIDUALS IN HOMELESSNESS? I WOULD DISAGREE THAT THERE'S AN ALARMING INCREASE, UH, HAVING BEEN MARRIED TO SOMEBODY WHO WORKS FOR THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND HAS DONE SO FOR OVER 20 YEARS, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE CALLS THAT THEY MAKE TO THE WOODS FOR 20 YEARS. THOSE PEOPLE DIDN'T JUST GET THERE. UM, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THERE. THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO LIVED BEHIND MY FIRST CAMPAIGN OFFICE OFF AT EAST 12TH STREET IN HARGRAVE. SOMEBODY WHO LIVED IN THAT RAVINE BEHIND THAT OFFICE FOR 20 YEARS LIVED OUTSIDE. SO I, OUR HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM, WHEN IT BECAME MORE VISIBLE, I THINK PEOPLE THINK IT BECAME MORE PROMINENT, MORE PREVALENT. IT DID NOT. UH, WE DO HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM, JUST LIKE WE HAVE A BIGGER POPULATION OF HOUSED PEOPLE. WE HAVE A LARGER POPULATION OF UNHOUSED PEOPLE. MY PRIMARY CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO OUR UNHOUSED IS WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR PREVENTION? JUST LIKE THE SCHOOLS OR A SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE. OUR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IS A FOSTER CARE TO UNSHELTERED HOUSING PIPELINE. I THINK US NOT HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE AROUND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. I HAVE PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY THAT HAVE TRIED TO GET BEHAVIORAL HELP FOR, LET ME TELL Y'ALL, UH, THE RESOURCES THAT PEOPLE KEEP TOUTING AND BRAGGING ABOUT. THEY ARE NOT REALLY AVAILABLE AND WE NEED COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH HELP FOR FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS. THANK YOU, MR. RAMOS. YEAH. SO FOR HOMELESSNESS, I LOOK AT TWO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, UH, AS P POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. UH, WE HAVE ONE CURRENTLY IT'S CALLED COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE AND ESSENTIALLY COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, UH, HAS A BUNCH OF AN ENCLAVE OF DIFFERENT HOUSING TYPES THAT ALLOW, UH, THE HOMELESS TO GO THERE, LIVE THERE, UM, AND ACTUALLY GIVE BACK. UM, NOW ON A BROADER SCALE, WE COULD ALSO LOOK TO OUR, UH, SISTER CITY HOUSTON, AND ACTUALLY ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE, UH, HOMELESSNESS, UH, FINDINGS THAT THEY HAD WITH THEIR COALITION. UH, TWO OR TWO TO THREE YEARS AGO, HOUSTON, UH, IMPLEMENTED, UH, A PRO A PROGRAM IN WHICH THEY ACTUALLY HAD MORE HOUSING BUILT FOR THE HOMELESS AND THAT DECREASED THEIR HOMELESSNESS BY 63%. WE COULD POTENTIALLY EMULATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE AND ESSENTIALLY HAVE MORE HOMELESS SERVICES, UH, THAT HELP OUT, UH, OUR UNHOUSED FOLKS, MR. RAREY. SO OVER THE LAST FOUR WEEKS, I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN GOING THROUGH THE ENCAMPMENTS IN THE GREEN BELTS AND DOCUMENTING IT. AND IT, IT GOT IT'S IT'S BAD. UM, ECHO THAT'S GOING OUT IN THERE AND DOING THE HEADCOUNTS. THEY HAVEN'T DONE A HEADCOUNT IN TWO YEARS. THEY SAY THERE'S 4,000 PEOPLE HOMELESS IN AUSTIN. IT'S MORE LIKE OVER 8,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY HOMELESS, UH, BETWEEN ME AND JAMIE HAMMONDS. THAT'S GOING AROUND DOCUMENTING IT. AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO ME TO SHOW THEM WHERE THE ENCAMPMENTS ARE, CAUSE THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB. UM, AND THIS HOUSING FIRST AGENDA THAT WE'RE GONNA WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE 515 MILLION TO START HELPING THESE INDIVIDUALS. NO, THAT DOESN'T WORK. IT'S GONNA ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE THAT COME HERE BECAUSE 60% OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO WE'RE HOMELESS BEFORE THEY CAME TO AUSTIN. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THIS DATA. ALL THEY ASK IS THEIR, WHERE WAS THEIR LAST ZIP CODE OR WHERE THEY'RE LIVING, OR IF THEY'RE LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN, THESE PEOPLE, THEY KNOW TRIGGER WORDS ON HOW TO GET ACCESS. IF THEY DON'T SAY THEY'RE FROM AUSTIN, THEY CAN'T GET IN SOMETIMES DEPENDING ON THINK THEM FROM CALIFORNIA AND HOW THE SHELTERS WORK OUT THERE, THEY HAVE TO SAY THAT THEY LIVE IN THOSE CITIES TO GET FREE SERVICES. UM, SO I'VE MOVED TO A SHELTER PLUS TREATMENT APPROACH. SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHO HAS MENTAL HEALTH, WHO HAS DRUG ADDICTION ISSUES, AND WHO'S JUST CHRONICALLY HOMELESS SO WE CAN GET THEM THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED AND ACTUALLY ENFORCE THE CAMPING BAN, MS. HOUSE DIXON. I WOULD SAY THAT WE DO HAVE AN ALARMING SITUATION FOR THE HOMELESS HERE AND ESPECIALLY IN D ONE. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, AGREE WITH, UM, MR. LARRY AND MR. RAMOS IN TERMS OF HOW WE SHOULD GO ABOUT APPROACHING THOSE, THAT SITUATION. D ONE HAS, IS, IS THE AREA IS WITHIN OUR AREA HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FIRST AREAS THAT, THAT HAS BEEN LISTED [00:45:01] FOR HAVING THE MOST HOMELESS SHELTERS I ASK. WHY, WHY ARE WE DESIGNATED TO HAVE MOST OF THE SHELTERS, UH, LOCATED WITHIN OUR AREA? UM, IN ESSENCE, IN TERMS OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW ALL OF THIS BEGAN AND WHAT SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE FOR THE, THOSE THAT ARE IN THE, THOSE THAT ARE IN THIS HOMELESS POSITION. DO WE HAVE ACCESS? DOES THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE ACCESS? YES, WE DO. CAN WE IMPLEMENT THAT ON A MORE READILY, MORE AGGRESSIVE, UH, LEVEL? YES, WE CAN. ARE WE DOING IT? NO, WE ARE NOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND US, WE HAVE ABOUT 25 MORE QUESTIONS, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT ENOUGH TIME FOR TWO MINUTES CLOSING EACH . UH, SO THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY IF YOU'VE PRACTICED YOUR CLOSING. GREAT. BUT IF THERE'S SOME TOPIC THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON THAT YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO DO IT IN YOUR, IN YOUR TWO MINUTE CLOSING. AND SINCE WE STARTED WITH MR. RAMOS, WE ARE GOING TO START WITH MR. RAREY, UH, TO GIVE OUR, UH, CLOSING STATEMENTS. YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES. AND SO TELL US WHY WE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU. GROWING UP. I WAS RAISED BY A DEMOCRAT AND A REPUBLICAN. AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE, HOW ARE THEY EVEN STARE, STILL MARRIED WITH HOW DIVIDED OUR COUNTRY IS RIGHT NOW? UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T PUT POLITICS IN THE HOUSE. AND THAT WAS ONE THING THAT THEY TOLD US WHEN GROWING UP THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA INSTALL POLITICS. WE LET THEM MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE THAT WAY THEY HAVE DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN CITY COUNCIL IS DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT, IT'S ONE ITEM IS BROUGHT UP AND IT'S NINE AGAINST ONE, AND IT'S MOVING FORWARD ON THIS UTOPIAN FALLACY OF THESE IDEAS THAT WILL SOLVE THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS OR SOLVE THIS BY DOING THAT. BUT THERE'S HISTORIES OF HOUSING FIRST, NOT WORKING, UM, ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SIXTIES. UM, AND JUST ENFORCING THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE. I MEAN, IN 20 21, 40 6% OF THE SOLVED MURDERS WERE FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE RELEASED BY OUR DA AND JUDGES THAT REDUCED CRIMES FROM VIOLENT OFFENDERS. AND SO JUST GETTING THE RULE OF LAW BACK IN ORDER HERE IN THE CITY OF A CITY OF AUSTIN. SO PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND FOCUSING ON HOUSING FOR ALL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL, NOT JUST A FEW. AND SO THAT'S SLASHING OUR FEES ACROSS THE BOARD, ENCOURAGING, UM, BUILDERS OUT HERE AND NOT GIVING THE TAX BREAKS TO CORPORATIONS, BECAUSE THEN IT'S US THAT BURDEN THAT COST. AND THAT'S WHY PROPERTY TAXES ARE SO HIGH BECAUSE BIG CORPORATIONS AREN'T PAYING ANY OUT HERE. WE'RE WE INCENTIVIZE THEM TO COME OUT HERE WITHOUT ANY PROPERTY TAXES. SO MAKE THEM PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. SO WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY BURDEN THAT COST, UM, AND TRANSPARENCY. WHEN YOUR GOVERNMENT TELLS YOU THAT YOU DON'T NEED AN AUDIT, YOU DEFINITELY NEED AN AUDIT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MS. HOUSE DIXON. TELL US WHY WE IN DISTRICT ONE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU. YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY AT THE, AT, AT EVERY GIVEN TIME HAS, SHOULD HAVE A VOICE. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY OR MYSELF WILL SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE, AND THE COMMUNITY NOT SERVE ME. I'M HERE TO SERVE AND TO BE YOUR VOICE IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, MY, I WILL HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY TO HEAR THOSE CONCERNS, NOT JUST HEAR THEM, BUT INCORPORATE THEM IN SOME OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES, WHICH WE HAVE NOT HAD IN THE PAST. YOU VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE I AM FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WITH A SLIDING SCALE. FOR THOSE THAT MAKE LESS THAN $50,000 A YEAR VOTE FOR ME, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE UNHOUSED AND THE, AND THE SERVICES AND THE, AND THE POOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NEED THAT, THAT THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE THAT'S NEEDED IN ORDER TO BRING THAT THIS PROCESS, UM, A WORKING PROCESS VOTE FOR ME, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE HAVING IN, IN D ONE RIGHT NOW IS GOING TO AFFECT US LONG TERM. THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, SUCH AS CONSTANT FLOODING, SUCH AS TAXATION. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT GOING, GOING FORWARD, MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HARPER, MADISON. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE [00:50:01] THAT. I SAY, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY. WHO'S RUNNING FOR DISTRICT WANTED IT'S FOR WHO'S RUNNING FOR ANYTHING. PUBLIC SERVICE IS NOT EASY. SO MY APPLAUSE AND MY HAT'S OFF TO EVERYBODY WHO'S RUNNING, CUZ IT TAKES BRAVERY AND IT REQUIRES TRUE TIME, TRUE COMMITMENT. AND YOU REALLY GOTTA DIG DEEP AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, I HAD A MENTOR. TELL ME ONE TIME WHEN COMPROMISE GOES, WELL, EVERYBODY FEELS LIKE THEY LOST SOMETHING. SO ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE GREATERS FOR THE GREATER GOOD ARE GREATER AUSTIN CITIZENRY. WHAT THEY'VE DECIDED TO DO IS TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THEY WON'T ALWAYS DO IT EXACTLY. LIKE THEY SEE FIT WHEN COMPROMISE GOES, WELL, EVERYBODY FEELS LIKE THEY LOST SOMETHING, SO THEY'RE GONNA LOSE IT FOR YOU. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. THAT SAID WHOEVER COMES INTO DISTRICT. ONE NEEDS TO BE READY TO WORK DAY ONE DISTRICT ONE DOES NOT HAVE THE TIME OR THE LUXURY OF HAVING SOMEBODY SPEND FOUR YEARS GETTING ACCLIMATED TO THE ROLE. IT'S A COMPLEX, COMPLICATED JOB THAT YOU HAVE TO COME IN, READY TO WORK ON DAY ONE. I ALREADY HAVE THINGS IN THE QUEUE THAT I'M WORKING ON. I'VE ALREADY STARTED TO PLANT THOSE HEIRLOOM SEEDS THAT I GET TO, THAT I GET TO HARVEST IN A COUPLE YEARS AND THEN PLANT SOME MORE. I'M READY TO WORK TODAY FOR DISTRICT ONE. IT'S GONNA BE THE DISTRICT THAT SEES THE MOST DEVELOPMENT. IT'S THE DISTRICT THAT ALREADY SEES THE MOST CHALLENGES. I'VE BEEN IN THREE BRIEFINGS IN THREE DAYS WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW DISPROPORTIONATELY D ONE WAS REPRESENTED. THAT'S LACK OF SIDEWALKS. THAT'S LACK OF ACCESS AND THAT'S LACK OF AFFORDABILITY. D ONE DESERVES A CANDIDATE. WHO'S GONNA COME IN READY TO TACKLE THOSE CHALLENGES. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT HAVE TO HURT DEVELOPMENT CAN BE COMMUNITY CENTERED. IT CAN BE PEOPLE FOCUSED. IT CAN BE AMENITIES RICH, AND IT CAN BE COMPACT AND CONDENSED IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE. LAND IS FINITE AND YOU NEED SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA COME IN AND REPRESENT D ONE, READY TO TELL YOU HARD TRUTH. I'M A TRUTH TELLER AND I'LL DO IT FOR D ONE FOR FOUR MORE YEARS OF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR, UH, ATTENTION THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, MR. RAMOS. WHY SHOULD DISTRICT ONE VOTE FOR YOU? UM, SO I KNOW WE HAVE TWO MINUTES. I'M GONNA KEEP IT PRETTY SHORT. UH, SO CHANGE IS HAPPENING. IT'S HAPPENING IN AUSTIN IS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT ONE AND TO BE QUITE FRANK CHANGE CAN BE GREAT. BUT THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF IS, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR PART OF THAT CHANGE? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR VOICE IS BEING CONSIDERED AND INFLUENCING ANY PART OF THAT CHANGE CHANGE? THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR CITY AND OUR DISTRICT FOR GENERATIONS, YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND YOUR FAMILIES. I KNOW WHY I'M RUNNING. AND THE REASON WHY I'M RUNNING IS BECAUSE I HAVE THE ABILITY IN MY EXPERIENCES TO PARTNER FORM COALITIONS, COLLABORATE AND GET THINGS DONE. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, DATA SPOUTED TONIGHT AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT WHERE ARE THE SOLUTIONS? THAT'S WHAT I WORKED ON. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AS YOUR NEXT D ONE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU CANDIDATES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SINCERITY IN ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS TONIGHT. AND I'D LIKE FOR A MOMENT TO ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE THAT'S HERE LIVE AND THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING AND THOSE THAT WILL WATCH. AND IN MY INTRO TONIGHT, I TOLD THESE CANDIDATES THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO AFFECT CHANGE, BUT IT'S YOU THE VOTERS OF DISTRICT ONE WHO HOLD THAT POWER IN OUR DEMOCRACY, YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO ELECT A REPRESENTATIVE AND THE OBLIGATION TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. ONCE IN OFFICE, THE LEAGUE ENCOURAGES ACTIVE PARTICIPATIONS OF EACH OF YOU AND KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. AND WE HAVE A, A POSTER UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF THIS ROOM THAT IS VOTE FOUR ELEVEN.ORG. THERE IS ELECTION INFORMATION FOR ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND IT GIVES YOU THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR WHERE YOU LIVE. AND IT IS A PROJECT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN THE US AND ITS EDUCATION FUND. AND IT WAS FOUND, IT WAS PUT TOGETHER BACK IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS ALSO TO AID IN YOUR DECISION OF THAT KNOWLEDGE AND POWER IS OUR NON-PARTISAN VOTERS GUIDE IN THIS ELECTION FOR THIS ELECTION, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW DOT L WV, AUSTIN.ORG IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND MANDARIN. THE PRINTED GUIDE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH [00:55:01] ONLY AT THIS TIME AND DISTRIBUTED TO MANY LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN, INCLUDING OUR PHENOMENAL CITY OF AUSTIN LIBRARIES. WE'LL HAVE THOSE VOTER GUIDES FOR YOU. EARLY VOTING BEGINS MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH AND ENDS MONDAY, OCTOBER 24TH AND ENDS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH. ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION FOR WHEREVER YOU ARE, LISTENING AND WATCHING, AND PLEASE BE A PART OF THIS GREAT DEMOCRACY AND GO VOTE. THANK YOU. AND GOODNIGHT. GOOD NIGHT. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.