Sep 21, 2022 Downtown Commission

JEN COMMISSIONER.

TTAG COMMISSIONER SHEAR PRESENT COMMISSIONER HEAV AND COMMISSIONER ROBINSON.

WE ARE AT QUORUM CHAIR.

THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER MOCK IS ON HERE REMOTELY.

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO CHAIR.

THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, NEXT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

HAS EVERYBODY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? ANY COMMENTS, CHANGES QUESTIONS, HEARING NONE.

THE MINUTES STAND ADOPTED AS WRITTEN.

NEXT IT OF BUSINESS IS STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING DOWNTOWN PUBLIC SAFETY.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG AT BREAKNECK PACE.

UH, THE

[2. Staff briefing regarding downtown public safety, Commander Eric Fitzgerald, Austin Police Department.]

WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE COMMANDER ERIC FRITZ FITZGERALD WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE.

UH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, SIR.

THANK YOU, CHAIRS.

UH, YOURS EVENING.

UH, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY.

GET A LITTLE, UH, TROUBLE FROM MY COWORKERS.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU AND, UH, GIVE AN UPDATE ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.

UH, MY NAME IS ERIC FITZGERALD.

I'M THE COMMANDER OVER THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.

UM, I'VE BEEN WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR JUST OVER 20 YEARS AND I TOOK OVER AS THE COMMANDER, UH, OF DOWNTOWN IN DECEMBER OF 2021.

UM, SOME OF THE TOPICS WE'RE GONNA COVER TONIGHT, UH, OVERALL SAFETY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, HOMELESSNESS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND APDS ROLE, UH, ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OR SCOOTER INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

UH, AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KIND OF PUT SOME INFORMATION ON 9 1, 1 VERSUS 3 1 1, BECAUSE I DO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY ON, UH, WHEN TO CALL.

WHEN IS IT WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE THINGS OF THAT NATURE? SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE IDENTIFY THE, UH, EXACT AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO THIS IS A MAP OF WHAT WE CALL GEORGE SECTOR OR THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.

UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO READ THAT, UH, BUT I'LL, I'LL JUST CALL OUT, UH, THE BORDERS FOR YOU.

SO TO THE SOUTH, IT'S THE RIVER, RIGHT? IT'S TOWN LAKE, UH, LADYBIRD LAKE TO THE EAST, IT'S I 35 FRONTAGE ROAD TO THE NORTH IT'S 12TH STREET, UH, AND TO THE WEST IT'S LAMAR BOULEVARD.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

I'M GONNA GET INTO SOME CRIME STATISTICS HERE AND SOME DATA, UH, JUST TO REALLY IDENTIFY THE EXACT SPECIFIC AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO OVERALL SAFETY, ACTUAL SAFETY AND PERCEIVED SAFETY.

SO AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE TO TO TELL MY OFFICERS IS IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SAFE, BUT IT'S ALSO THAT THEY FEEL SAFE, RIGHT? THAT THAT PERCEPTION OF SAFETY IS THERE.

AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROTECTING PEOPLE'S, UH, PER OR PHYSICAL WELFARE, UH, BUT WE ALSO WANT THE COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFE.

AND SO, UH, MAINTAINING BOTH OF THOSE THINGS IS CRITICAL, UH, IN MAINTAINING THE TRUST AND CREDIBILITY WITH THE COMMUNITY.

SO WHAT BETTER WAY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OVERALL SAFETY THAN TO KIND OF DIVE INTO SOME CRIME STATS AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN DOWN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? UH, THE FIRST SLIDE THAT I HAVE HERE IS VIOLENT CRIME DATA.

UM, UH, I TRUTH BE TOLD.

I GET, I

[00:05:01]

I TEND TO PUT A LITTLE TOO MUCH DATA INTO MY SLIDES.

SO FORGIVE ME FOR THAT.

UH, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL DO MY BEST TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT AND, AND, AND MAKE SENSE FOR YOU.

WE LO WE LIKE THAT.

GOOD, GOOD.

SO, AS WE LOOK AT THE, THE, THE GRAPHS HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, 20, 21 YEAR DATE, SO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, THAT'S THAT FIRST COLUMN, RIGHT? WE HAD FIVE HOMICIDES THIS YEAR, WE HAVE SIX.

UM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A 20% INCREASE, BUT WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH SUCH SMALL NUMBERS, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT LARGE PERCENTAGE RAISE MOVING NEXT TO SEXUAL ASSAULTS.

THOSE ARE UP 12%.

UM, THE, THE BIG, THE KEY ONE THAT JUMPS OUT TO ME HERE IS ROBBERY UP 35%.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MAY BE ASKING IS WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THAT? UH, OUR, UH, ROBBERY INVESTIGATORS ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB.

I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN RECENTLY IN THE MEDIA, UH, THE CASES OF JUGGING, UH, THAT HAVE INCREASED.

SO THEY'VE BEEN, UH, DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF, OF, UH, TRACKING DOWN AND MAKING ARRESTS IN SOME OF THOSE CASES.

BUT, UM, THAT'S ROBBERY IS, IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT STANDS OUT IN MY MIND BEING UP 35% YEAR TO DATE, UH, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS ARE ACTUALLY DOWN 7%.

THAT INCLUDES SHOOTING STABBINGS, ANYTHING WHERE THERE'S SERIOUS INJURY.

UH, COULD YOU DEFINE JUGGING FOR THOSE MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS, MY APOLOGIES.

SO THAT IS A TYPE OF ROBBERY WHERE, UH, THE SUSPECTS KIND OF DO SURVEILLANCE, UH, AT A BANK OR A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.

WHEN PEOPLE, AFTER THEY MAKE A WITHDRAWAL, THEY'LL WALK TO THEIR CAR AND THEY'LL FOLLOW THEM.

THEY'LL EITHER ROB 'EM THERE IN THE PARKING LOT, OR, UH, FOLLOW THEM TO WHERE THEY GO.

UH, IT'S KIND OF A WAY THAT THEY KEY IN TO KNOW THAT THE PERSON WILL HAVE CASH ON THEM.

MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT DEFINING THAT, UH, ONTO PROPERTY CRIME DATA, UH, WE'LL SEE THAT THE, UH, BURGLARY OF RESIDENTS, A 6% INCREASE, UH, AUTO THEFT DOWNTOWN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 21% INCREASE.

BOVS DOWN 12% THAT'S BURGLARY OF VEHICLES, UH, SIMPLE THEFTS, 3% SIMPLE ASSAULTS.

THAT'S A, A LOT OF OUR D C FIGHTING THAT WE SEE KIND OF IN, IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS.

UH, OBVIOUSLY WHEN FOLKS ARE INTOXICATED AND, AND WE'RE DOWN THERE IN, IN CRA QUARTERS WITH, UH, WE, WE SEE A LOT OF THAT.

SO THAT'S, THOSE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT ON PAR.

UM, SO THE HIGHLIGHTS AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS DOWN 7% BURGLARY OF VEHICLES DOWN 12%, UH, AGAIN, ROBBERY UP 35% AUTO THEFT, 21% AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, 12%, UH, SHOTS FIRED OR SHOOTINGS.

UM, WE TRIED TO CAPTURE THIS DATA.

IT'S SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A TITLE CODE OR, UH, AN OPTION IN OUR REPORTING SYSTEM THAT THAT WILL CAPTURE ALL SHOOTINGS.

SO WE LOOK AT CALLS FOR SERVICE.

UH, WE LOOK AT APD REPORTING, UH, MECHANISMS, UH, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY DOWN 24% YEAR TO DATE, AND THAT WOULD BE SHOTS FIRED.

SO ANYTIME SOMEONE CALLS, REPORTS, SHOTS WERE FIRED, UH, OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS, SHOOTINGS OF INDIVIDUALS, UH, SHOOTING URGENT CALLS, ET CETERA.

UM, SO I THOUGHT THIS, THIS HEAT MAP HERE, OR 2021 SHOTS FIRED MAP IS INTERESTING.

IT SHOWS THAT 24% OF ALL SHOOTINGS IN DOWNTOWN, UH, FROM 2021 TO 2022, I THINK IT'S JANUARY 1ST TO, UH, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2020 2 87 OCCURRED 21 OF THOSE HAPPENING REALLY IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, RIGHT? IT'S THAT FROM FIFTH TO EIGHTH STREET BETWEEN RED RIVER AND BRAZOS, AND ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, THE MEN AND WOMEN, UH, OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.

AND I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF THE NUMBER OF GUN ARRESTS THEY'VE MADE.

UH, THEY'VE MADE 31%, UH, MORE ARRESTS THIS YEAR.

THAT'S THE PERCENTAGE WE'RE UP IN 2022.

UH, BUT I THINK THAT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, AN ALARMING TREND, RIGHT? THAT THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE CARRYING GUNS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT OR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

UM, BUT SO THAT'S, THAT'S A TREND THAT I'VE, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED AND READ THERE, UH, FROM 2021 TO 20, 22 YEAR TO DATE.

WE'RE UP 31%, SIR.

HAVE CHANGED WITH REGARDS TO COVID.

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

SO HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR OFFICERS WITH THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR STATE ABOUT OPEN CARRY? HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO DETERMINE WHO SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT HAVE A GUN AND RIGHT.

THAT, THAT'S A EXCELLENT QUESTION.

AND, UM, I THINK WE'RE BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING SO MANY GUNS, UM, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THE OFFICERS ARE DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS.

THEY HAVE THEM, THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE LAWS APPROPRIATELY.

THEY DON'T HAVE 'EM IN HOLSTERS.

UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TWO TITLE CODES THAT WE HAVE UP THERE, POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A FELON.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE DEALING WITH THEM.

THEY'VE BEEN ARRESTED BEFORE.

THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ONE, SO THEY COULD BE CALLED TO A DISTURBANCE.

THE OFFICERS FIND A GUN ON THEM THAT, THAT KIND OF INCIDENT, UH, AN UNLAWFUL CARRY OF A WEAPON, JUST MEANING THEY'RE NOT ABIDING BY THE, BY THE STATE LAW, IS, IS THAT 24 INCLUDED IN THE 89 OR THOSE TWO SEPARATE, UH, 24 AND THE 89 MAKE THE 113.

SO THEY ARE, THEY ARE COMBINED OKAY.

THEY ARE COMBINED WELL, IF I MAY, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE, THINGS

[00:10:01]

AND SO THE DATA THAT THAT'S SHOWING INCREASES OR DECREASES, HOW, UH, HAS THAT BEEN KIND OF, UH, BALANCED OUT WITH THE INCREASED NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DOWNTOWN OR, YEAH, SO THAT, THAT'S AN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE 2020, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE WOULD BE AN OUTLIER WITH THE DATA BECAUSE DOWNTOWN WAS SHUT DOWN FOR THE MOST PART.

UH, WE COULD HAVE WENT BACK TO 2018, 2019, AND I'M HAPPY TO DIVE INTO THOSE NUMBERS, UH, AND SHOW THOSE INCREASES.

UH, BUT FOR 2020 AND 20 OR 21 AND 22, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATION OF KIND OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING DOWN THERE, BUT THANK YOU DEFINITELY A GREAT POINT TO BRING UP ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE GUN ARREST OR FIREARM DATA FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

UM, IT'S UNLAWFUL, I THINK, TO TAKE A FIREARM INTO A BAR AND HOW MANY OF THESE ARE AS A RESULT OF SOMEBODY ATTEMPTING TO GO INTO A BAR WITH A FIREARM.

SO I, I DON'T HAVE THAT SEPARATED OUT.

UH, BUT ONE THING I WILL SAY, AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT MORE OF, UH, FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MM-HMM IS, UH, WING AT THE DOORS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON SIXTH STREET.

WE'RE SEEING THE OWNERS TAKE, UM, UH, A LOT MORE, UH, RESPONSIBILITY IN THEIR SECURITY AND, AND KEEPING, UH, KEEPING THE BARS SAFE.

SO WE'VE SEEN WANDING.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THEY FIND A GUN, THEY MAY WAVE DOWN OFFICERS AND THEN THE INVE THE OFFICERS WILL COME OVER AND, AND CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

UH, SO THAT'S THAT SUMS UP, UH, KIND OF THE CRIME STATISTICS AND TALKING ABOUT OVERALL SAFETY.

THE NEXT, UH, TOPIC THAT I WAS REQUESTED TO SPEAK ON WAS HOMELESSNESS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

UM, NOW TRACKING HOMELESSNESS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TRACK.

WE DON'T REALLY TRACK THAT METRIC.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE TAKE A REPORT, WE ASK PEOPLE THEIR ADDRESS, THINGS OF THOSE NATURE, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT A DEMOGRAPHIC THAT, THAT WE TRACK, RIGHT.

SO I REACHED OUT TO ONE OF OUR VERY VALUED PARTNERS AND THAT'S THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

AND VERY RECENTLY AS IN SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2022, THEY CONDUCTED A COUNT.

UM, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF DATA ON HOW THAT COUNT IS CONDUCTED.

UM, THERE AND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, THEY HAD 10 TEAMS GO OUT BETWEEN 3:00 AM AND 6:00 AM, UM, AND THEY COUNT UNSHELTERED PERSONS, TENTS, MAKESHIFT STRUCTURES, ET CETERA.

UM, AND AGAIN, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS COUNT IS LIMITED TO OBSERVATION ONLY THEY'RE NOT INTERACTING, UH, WITH THE SUBJECTS MUCH LIKE THE, UH, THE ECHO COUNT.

UM, SO THE DATA THAT THEY PROVIDED, UH, WE CAN SEE THAT A SIGNIFICANT DATE IS IN MAY OF 2021.

THAT'S WHEN THE CAMPING BAN WAS, UH, BROUGHT BACK.

UH, SO WE SEE THAT'S WHERE THE NUMBERS KIND OF START.

UH, THE NUMBERS IN ORANGE ARE THE UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS AND THE NUMBERS IN BLUE ARE THE TENS ARE STRUCTURES.

UH, ANOTHER DATE OF NOTE IS THAT OCTOBER OF 2021, THAT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COUNTS.

UH, AND WE SEE KIND OF A, A SMALL UPTICK, UM, SINCE OCTOBER OF 2021, AND GOING APRIL TO SEPTEMBER NOW AT FIVE 18, SIR, JUST WONDERING IF YOU'VE DONE A CORRELATION, CUZ I WAS WONDERING IF IN OCTOBER MIGHT HAVE BEEN WHEN, UH, APD STOPPED, UH, UH, CITING INDIVIDUALS FOR BEING HOMELESS OR, OR IF THAT HAS CONTINUED AND HOW THE DATA HERE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS GIVEN FOR CAMPING IN PUBLIC OR, OR UNLAWFULLY SITTING OR LAYING OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT RIGHT.

AND, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT AS WHEN I GET INTO APDS ROLE IN THIS.

AND SO I THINK AS A COMMUNITY, WE DECIDED THAT HOMELESSNESS, WE WANTED TO DECRIMINALIZE THAT.

AND SO A LOT OF OUR CITY ORDINANCES, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE SIT AND LIE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? UH, WE'RE WE'RE UH, EXPECTED OR, UH, THE ORDINANCE MANDATES THAT WE GIVE THE PERSON WE ASK TO STAND UP AND MOVE ALONG 30 MINUTES TO COMPLY.

I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT, UH, IF WE ASK THAT PERSON TO MOVE ALONG, BEING IN THE STAFFING CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN AND OFFICERS HA REALLY HAVING TO GO FROM CALL TO CALL IT'S, IT'S NOT A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT THE OFFICER'S GONNA STAND AROUND AND WAIT 30 MINUTES TO SEE IF THAT PERSON COMPLIED.

UM, OTHER ORDINANCES FAR AS CAMPING, UM, OUR POLICY AND PROCEDURE ON CITING FOR CAMPING.

UH, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO FIRST.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO NOTIFY THAT PERSON OF, UH, PLACES WHERE THEY CAN CAMP.

UM, WE HAVE A HOMELESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM, UH, THAT'S MADE UP OF SEVERAL ENTITIES, INCLUDING, UH, APD INTEGRAL CARE.

UH, WE WE'RE, WE CAN CALL THEM TO THE SCENE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT, THAT PERSON RESOURCES.

AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE THAT COME WITH ACTUALLY MAKING A CUSTODY REST FOR CAMPING.

POSSESSIONS WITH THEM, RIGHT.

UH, GENERALLY THESE, THESE FOLKS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE A LOT OF, UH,

[00:15:01]

UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT WITH OUR EVIDENCE FOLKS, CAN WE BRING, YOU KNOW, TRUCKS AND TRUCKS FULL OF ALL THIS STUFF TO STORE FOR THEM CUZ YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT IS, WHAT IS TRASH, WHAT IS THIS PERSON, YOU KNOW, THEIR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO, UM, AND, AND WE'LL, I'LL COVER THAT A LITTLE BIT IN KIND OF OUR ROLE HERE, COMING UP.

ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THESE STATISTICS OR DATA, THERE IS UH, A COUPLE HEAT MAPS HERE AND, AND WE'LL MOVE BACK TO GEORGE SECTOR, JUST KIND OF, SO YOU CAN SEE THE OVERLAY, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCES PI OR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND HOW THAT OVERLAYS OVER GEORGE SECTOR.

IT GOES UP QUITE A BIT FURTHER, UM, QUITE A BIT FURTHER NORTH.

UH, BUT THESE, THESE HEAT MAPS KIND OF TELL YOU WHERE, UH, THOSE COUNTS FOUND UNSHELTERED PERSONS AND THEN THE, UH, THE STRUCTURES AND THE TENTS, SO ONTO, UH, APDS ROLE AND HOW IT'S RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS.

UM, SO AS I, AS I KIND OF ALLUDED TO WITH THE STAFFING CRISIS AND, AND LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, UH, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT ANY ENFORCEMENT OPERATION, UH, THERE'S A MEANINGFUL IMPACT WITH, WITH THE PERSON, UH, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT, THAT WE ENCOUNTER.

AND SO SOME OF THESE ARE SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT WE GET, WHY DO YOU CLEAN UP? OR WHY DOES APD CLEAN UP SOME CAMPS AND YOU KNOW, NOT THIS CAMP AND ALL OF THAT.

RIGHT? SO OUR, UH, OUR DISTRICT REP OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES, WHICH IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROGRAM, THEY'RE LIKE, UH, OUR LIAISON OFFICERS, COMMUNITY LIAISONS, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT ASSIGNED TO TAKE 9 1, 1 CALLS THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO KIND OF TEND TO MORE LONG TERM ISSUES, RIGHT? SO THEY'VE BEEN KIND OF TASKED WITH WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN A LOT OF THESE CAMP OR ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS.

SO, UH, WITH A NUMBER OF THAT, WE HAVE CITYWIDE, UH, WE HAD 37 DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES PRIOR TO REIMAGINATION.

UM, SINCE THEN WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 19.

AND THAT MEANS WE HAVE TWO DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHEREAS WE USED TO HAVE EIGHT TO 10.

UH, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THE NUMBER OF ENCAMPMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND THE PRIORITIZATION AROUND THE CITY, THEY'RE HELPING OUT WITH THE CLEANUPS.

UM, HOW DO THEY DETERMINE WHAT PRIORITY THE, THE CAMPS ARE? THERE'S A COUPLE, UH, COUPLE FACTORS UP THERE.

IT'S THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF THE ENCAMPMENT.

UH, WHETHER THERE'S CRIMINAL ACTIVITY GOING IN INVOLVED, WHETHER THERE'S WOMEN AND CHILDREN THERE, WHETHER IT'S A FIRE HAZARD OR RISK, THAT'S HOW THEY KIND OF PRIORITIZE THAT.

WHEN WILL AN OFFICER MAKE AN ARREST FOR CAMPING? THIS IS A, THIS IS A QUESTION WE OFTEN GET FOR THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, I TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THESE POINTS EARLIER WITH YOUR QUESTION, SIR, AND IT'S, UH, THAT'S THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND.

IT'S, IT'S A CLASSY MISDEMEANOR, RIGHT? WE'RE ESSENTIALLY WRITING A CITATION, UM, THAT, UH, IT'S GONNA GO TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA OR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.

UH, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT FOCUS ON SERVICES AND RESOURCES IS REALLY GONNA BE IMPLEMENTED.

UM, WE ALWAYS, WE WANT TO SEE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE SEEN THAT 30 MINUTE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GIVE THAT VERBAL WARNING THAT 30 MINUTE TIMEFRAME, RIGHT? WE WANT THAT VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE AND WE'VE SEEN IT.

UH, WE HAVE OTHER, WE HAVE DATA THAT, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THEY HAVE TWO OVERTIME OFFICERS AND TRACK KIND OF THEIR ACTIVITIES.

AND WE'VE SEEN THAT, UH, WHEN, WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY ABOUT 90% OF THE TIME, UH, VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE IS GAINED, UH, WHEN AN OFFICER IS COMPELLED TO TAKE AN INDIVIDUAL INTO CUSTODY, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THOSE THINGS I MENTIONED THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE OFFICER TO OFFICERS TO MAKE THOSE CUSTODY ARRESTS.

AND WE FOCUS ON THAT MECHANISM OF JAIL DIVERSION, RIGHT? HOW DO WE GET THIS, THIS INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES? UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, LIKE I SAID, WE DO HAVE TO NOTIFY THAT INDIVIDUAL OF PLACES THAT THEY CAN CAMP, UM, AND GIVE THEM A REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.

SO IF I MAY, MM-HMM, WHAT CAMPING LOCATIONS DO THE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE THAT THEY CAN OFFER? YEAH, RIGHT NOW IT'S CAMP ESPERANZA.

THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN ONES.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE MAIN ONE THAT, THAT THEY OFFER ESPERANZA IS CLOSED.

OH, IS IT CLOSED? YEAH.

SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT YEAH.

WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE BEING SENT.

WE, WE FULL DISCLOSURE.

I WORK AT ESPANZA.

I'LL DEFER TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT WORKS THERE.

AND SO WE, WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP OVERNIGHT AND GOING, WHERE IN THE HELL DID THIS GUY COME FROM? YEAH.

UM, SO MAYBE IT IS THAT THEY'RE BEING TOLD THAT THEY CAN COME HERE, UH, BY APD, BUT, BUT WE'RE CLOSE TO NEW REGISTRATIONS.

SO I WAS JUST WONDERING BESIDES ESPERANZA, WHAT ELSE, WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE, UH, AND THAT'S MAYBE SOMETHING YOU AND I CAN DISCUSS OFFLINE AND YOU CAN GIVE US SOME SUGGESTIONS TO GIVE OUT.

ALSO WITH, UH, CUSTODY ARREST, WE TALK ABOUT PROGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT.

OH, WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.

UM, DO YOU MIND SHARING WHAT ESPANZA IS? UH, I'LL,

[00:20:01]

, UH, CAMPUS BARRANZA OR ESPANZA COMMUNITY IS LOCATED AT, UH, SEVEN 80, UM, HIGHWAY 180 3 SOUTH BETWEEN, UH, THE RIVER AND BEN WHITE.

UM, IT IS WHAT IT'S GONE BY MANY DIFFERENT NAMES.

IT WAS THE LOCATION THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT, UH, OFFERED UP WHEN THE CLEANINGS, THE UNDER BRIDGES FIRST STARTED.

AND THERE WAS NO PEOPLE WERE GETTING TIRED OF PLAYING WHACKAMOLE OR JUST MOVING PEOPLE FROM ONE, ONE BRIDGE UNDER THE, ANYWAY, WE OFFERED THIS, THIS AREA FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO.

UM, AND, UM, AND IT POPULATING, IT WAS SLOW, BUT THEN IT GOT TO ABOUT 200 AND IT WAS BEING RUN BY TEEM.

THE TECH DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND DPS WAS OUT THERE BECAUSE IT WAS A, BASICALLY A STATE RUN, UH, PROGRAM.

UM, IT GREW AND GREW AND GREW.

AND, UH, THE STATE DECIDED, OR THE AGENCIES THAT WERE THERE DECIDED THIS WAS BEYOND THEIR SCOPE.

AND THEY LOOKED FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO STEP FORWARD AND BRING SOME ORDER TO THE SITUATION THAT EXISTED THERE.

CUZ THERE WAS JUST LIKE 200 PEOPLE LIVING IN ABOUT 180 TENTS, UM, IN A SEVEN ACRE FACILITATE THAT USED TO BE TECH DOTS, UM, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, UH, AREA.

SO, UH, WHEN TWO CAME ON, UH, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION, UH, TOOK OVER AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING 200, UH, NON CONGREGATE, LIVING, TINY SHELTERS, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, TO LIVE IN THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY LOCK THEIR BELONGINGS IN AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO MOVE TO, TO HOUSING.

UM, AT PRESENT WE'RE TRANSITIONING FROM, WE HAVE TO PUT A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THERE, BUT, BUT ANYWAY, SO, SO THAT'S THE LOCATION, UM, WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND THAT'S WHAT SPAS A COMMUNITY IS.

EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, SO BACK TO WHEN AN OFFICER MAKE MAKES AN ARREST AND KIND OF HOW WE ESCALATE THAT OR WHAT WE CALL A PROGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE'RE CALLED TO AN ISSUE.

UH, THE FIRST FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA DO IS WORK ON EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, GETTING THAT INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES, UH, WARNINGS, VERBAL AND WRITTEN, THEN A CITATION.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, A CUSTODY ARREST WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SERVICE CONNECTION, WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

UH, AS I TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT WITH THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM, THEY'RE THE PRIMARY RESPONSE ENTITY FOR APD DEALING WITH A LOT OF THE HOMELESSNESS AND ENCAMPMENTS.

UM, IF THE COMMUNITY CALLS 3, 1, 1, THOSE REPORTS WILL BE ROUTED TO THE DISTRICT REPS AND THEY'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SCOOTERS AND MICRO MOBILITY.

UH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, IF WE HAVE INVOLVEMENT IN AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS, THERE'S GONNA BE MAYBE SOME SERIOUS INJURY FATALITY.

UH, THERE COULD BE SEVERAL OR LOTS AND LOTS OF INCIDENTS WHERE WE'RE NOT GONNA RESPOND TO THE SCENE, RIGHT? EMS IS GONNA MAKE IT THERE.

THEY'RE GONNA TREAT THE PATIENT AND THE POLICE MAY OR MAY NOT MAKE IT ON SCENE.

UM, HOWEVER, I DID REACH OUT TO, UH, KEVIN PARKER, A COMMANDER WITH EMS WHO WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SOME DATA FROM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UH, THE MAP IN THE MIDDLE THERE IS, UH, THE KIND KIND OF LOOKS LIKE THE MEASLES, UM, THAT'S INCIDENTS, CITYWIDE.

UM, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING.

I THINK IT WENT ALL THE WAY OUT TO LAKEWAY.

THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF DATA ON THERE AND HE WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO KIND OF FOCUS IT DOWN TO THE, TO THE GEORGE SECTOR OR THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.

UH, BUT I THINK SOME IMPORTANT DATA THERE IS SINCE JANUARY 1ST, 2019, THERE'S BEEN 890 INCIDENTS, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

AND THAT'S OUT OF A TOTAL OF 2,185 INCIDENTS, CITYWIDE MAKING, UH, DOWNTOWN, UH, THAT'S WHERE 40%, 40.7%, UH, OF THOSE INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SCOOTER INCIDENTS? UH, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR GUESSTIMATE ABOUT THE TOTAL NUMBER, INCLUDING THOSE NOT REPORTED? I KNOW THAT'S JUST SHOT IN THE DARK, BUT WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE DOWNTOWN AND WHAT YOU SEE, RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THAT MOST INCIDENTS ARE NOT REPORTED.

CORRECT.

SO, YEAH, I THINK IF IT'S, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE AT LEAST DOUBLE MAYBE TRIPLE THAT.

I MEAN, IF THESE ARE THE CASES WHERE AMBULANCES ARE RESPONDING, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, HEAD INJURIES, SERIOUS INJURIES TO WHERE AN AMBULANCE, UH, IS CALLED TO THE SCENE, RIGHT.

AN EMS TEXT ARE, ARE WORKING ON SO POTENTIALLY DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THAT.

BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE GUESS WHILE SPECULATION.

LOOKING AT YOUR TABLE HERE OF SCOOTER INCIDENTS, WHAT'S A RECOVERED VEHICLE OR AUTO THEFT.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, MAYBE, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE APD RMS OR THE RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN REPORTING.

[00:25:01]

SO THAT COULD BE A STOLEN CAR THAT HAD A SCOOTER IN THE BACK, UH, MAYBE A TRUCK WITH, WITH SCOOTERS IN THE BACK.

UM, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, THE DATA IS PULLED, JUST USING THE WORD SCOOTER, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT FEAT TO TRY AND GET SOME, SOME DATA ON SCOOTER STUFF FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR RESPONSE IS REALLY ONLY IN THOSE SERIOUS INCIDENT, FATALITY, THOSE KIND OF CASES.

MM-HMM WHERE CAN WE FIND THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES? UH, I THINK EMS, UH, WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE ENTITY TO ANSWER THAT.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN TAKE BACK AND RESEARCH THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU OFFLINE.

AND I, I WONDER, EXCUSE ME.

OH, GO AHEAD.

I, I WONDERED IF THE, UM, COMPANIES THAT RUN THE SCOOTERS WOULD BE A SOURCE OF THAT DATA.

ABSOLUTELY.

THEY, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT, BUT I THINK DEFINITELY EMS AND APD THAT'S THAT'S NUMBERS THAT, THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND FAIRLY EASY.

WELL, SPEAKING OF DATA, WHERE CAN WE FIND DATA DISTRICT BY DISTRICT ON WHAT THE CITY MEASURES OR, YOU KNOW, MURDER RATE BURGLARIES? IS THERE A PLACE THAT WE CAN GO TO? CUZ I WAS TOLD BY SOMEBODY THAT WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY, THAT CRIME IS DOWN IN AUSTIN.

AND UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I, WHAT I SEE.

I, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO BELIEVE THAT.

YEAH, THERE, THERE IS A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT, UH, CRIME STATISTICS FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT LINK, BUT I CAN ABSOLUTELY GET IT FOR YOU AND EMAIL IT TO YOU.

I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING COLLISIONS OF SCOOTERS.

UM, IS, IS THERE A DIFFERENT DESIGNATION OF SCOOTER TO SCOOTER COLLISIONS? I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE HAPPENED AND ARE THOSE IN AN INCREASE AND, AND UM, JUST CUZ MY DAUGHTER ASKED ME AND, BUT I THOUGHT THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION CUZ UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY RUN INTO A CAR.

BUT WHEN THEY RUN INTO EACH OTHER, UH, I'M JUST WONDERING.

SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT POINT AND THIS IS, I LOVE THESE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE IT, IT FOSTERS IDEAS TO WHERE IT IMPROVES THE SYSTEM.

AND AS IT STANDS NOW AND I LOOKED, WE DON'T HAVE A TITLE CODE FOR A SCOOTER CRASH OR SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PULL THE DATA.

UH, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE CAN WORK WITH OUR, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR RECORD MANAGEMENT OPERATOR WHO RUNS AND WE CAN ADD THOSE FIELDS.

SO WHEN AN OFFICER RESPONDS AND IT IS TO SCOOTERS THAT CRASH INTO ONE ANOTHER, THERE'S A TITLE CODE THAT MAYBE REFLECTS THAT SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN BRING THAT ACCURATE DATA.

IS, IS THE TITLE CODE SOMETHING THAT COUNSEL WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ADMINISTRATIVELY? ABSOLUTELY DONE ADMINISTRATIVELY.

WE, WE CREATE TITLE CODES ALL THE TIME AND IT'S REALLY, UH, A METHOD FOR US TO ORGANIZE THE DATA.

AND WE USE IT OFTENTIMES, UH, TO DO JUST THAT.

CUZ WE WOULD CERTAINLY HELP YOU GET THAT THROUGH COUNCIL IF NEED BE.

THAT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT IT'S, IT'S ADDING LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST A TITLE OF A REPORT SO THAT WE CAN CAPTURE THAT DATA AND IT'S JUST KIND OF NARROWING IT DOWN MORE SPECIFICALLY.

AND I GUESS IF YOU WERE GONNA DO THAT, I THINK THAT'S A SCOOTER TO, TO PEDESTRIAN, SCOOTER TO BIKE SCOOTER, TO SCOOTER.

SO JUST TO CAPTURE, TO ACCURATELY CAPTURE EVERYTHING.

AND TO SEE IF, IF THOSE KINDS OF COLLISIONS AND, AND ACCIDENTS HAPPEN IN A PARTICULAR INTERSECTION, A PARTICULAR PLACE.

CAN BUY PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, BUY THEIR OWN FROM AMAZON THAT MAY NOT HAVE LIGHTS.

AND, AND ONE THING THAT I CAN DO IS, IS BRING THAT TO OUR PARTNERS AT EMS BECAUSE AS I SAID, THEY MORE THAN LIKELY RESPOND TO A WHOLE LOT MORE COLLISIONS THAT WE MAY NOT BE AWARE OF.

UH, SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN IMPLEMENT IN THEIR SYSTEMS AS WELL.

IT'S JUST TO MAKE DOWNTOWN SAFER.

OF COURSE.

DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR SOMETHING THE COUNCIL COULD DO OR WE COULD RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL THAT WOULD MAKE IT SAFER TO BE A SCOOTER RIDER? UH, I MEAN, OF COURSE MANDATING HELMETS WOULD, WOULD HELP.

UM, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW FEASIBLE THAT IS, BUT I THINK WITH THE HEAD INJURIES THAT WE SEE FROM SCOOTER, FROM SCOOTER WRECKS AND INJURIES, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A ONE THING.

THAT ONE IDEA.

WHAT ABOUT LIGHTING, LIGHTING? I CAN'T ALWAYS SEE THEM.

UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIGHTS ON THE SCOOTERS OR LIGHTING IN DOWNTOWN ON THE SCOOTER, ON THE SCOOTERS? ABSOLUTELY.

UH, THE ONES I'VE SEEN, THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE LIGHTS ON THEM, BUT HOW BRIGHT THEY ARE.

UM, THEY ARE REGULATED BY THAT.

THEY HAVE TO HIT BY STATE LAW.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT ON THE FRONT AND THE BACK SO THAT, BUT I THINK SOME PEOPLE

[00:30:01]

AND YOU MAY BE GETTING TO THIS, BUT UM, WHAT ARE THE STATISTICS ON CITATIONS FROM THE POLICE FOR, I DON'T KNOW, SCOOTERS BEING RIDDEN ON THE SIDEWALK INSTEAD OF THE STREET OR BEING PARKED IN THE WRONG PLACE OR I DUNNO.

UH, SO I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA AND THE ONLY CITATION DATA THAT I CAN CITE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING BACK TO THE SHORTAGE THAT WE HAVE IN OFFICERS.

A LOT OF OUR TIME, UH, WE THERE'S VERY LITTLE UNCOMMITTED TIME, RIGHT.

THAT WE CAN SPEND DOING COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

UH, I BELIEVE THERE'S A STATISTIC THAT WAS PUBLISHED THAT, UH, CITATIONS HAVE DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY THAT WERE WRITTEN BY OFFICERS.

AND, UH, THE REASON BEHIND THAT IS OFFICERS ARE VERY CALL DRIVEN.

RIGHT? UH, OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE, ARE GETTING LONGER.

THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING ALL OF OUR TIME GOING FROM NINE ONE, ONE CALL TO NINE ONE, ONE CALL, REALLY NOT ALLOWING US THAT TIME TO DO PROACTIVE POLICING.

WON'T WE GO AHEAD AND LET HIM FINISH THE PRESENTATION THEN WE CAN CONCLUDE WITH ANY I I'M CLOSE.

I PROMISE.

SORRY IF I'VE TAKEN UP TOO MUCH TIME.

YOU'RE THE SHOW TONIGHT? YEAH, I THINK THIS IS, I THINK THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE HERE, BUT IT'S, IT JUST TALKS ABOUT 9 1 1 VERSUS 3, 1, 1.

UH, AS I MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS, I GET A LOT OF, UH, QUESTION THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION IN THE COMMUNITY.

UH, WHEN TO CALL 9 1 1 VERSUS THREE, ONE, ONE, WE'VE ACTUALLY CREATED A DOCUMENT.

IT'S OUR AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE GUIDE.

AND, UH, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.

UH, WE'VE JUST PUT IT ON OUR, UH, OUR WEBSITE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE, WHICH I HAVE UP THERE.

UM, AND I'LL JUST GO OVER KIND OF THE FIRST PORTION OF IT THAT THAT'S RELEVANT TO THAT.

BUT THE REST OF THE DOCUMENT TALKS ABOUT, UH, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN AN OFFICER ARRIVES, WHEN AN OFFICER WILL MAKE AN ARREST, WHEN AN OFFICER WON'T MAKE AN ARREST, UH, JUST A LOT OF DETAILS THAT, THAT EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, KIND OF WHY, WHY, AND WHEN WE DO WHAT WE DO.

UH, BUT WHEN TO CALL 9 1, 1 IS WHEN THERE'S IMMINENT THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY, UM, INJURY THAT REQUIRES MEDIA, IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION, OF COURSE, INJURY STEMMING FROM AN ASSAULT REGARDLESS OF THE TIMEFRAME.

UH, AND IF THE SUSPECT IS STILL ON SCENE, AND I THINK THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT OF THAT IS, UH, THE COMMUNITY, THE PUBLIC.

THEY SHOULD NOT BE THE ONES IF YOU'RE TORN ON WHICH ONE, ALWAYS CALL 9 1 1 DEFAULT TO THAT AND LET THE OPERATOR ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE, DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHICH, WHICH WAY TO ROUTE THE CALL.

UM, BUT THAT'S IT.

SO I KNOW I'VE ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO THE PRESENTATION RELEVANT TO DOWNTOWN.

AT LARGE, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT A, UM, A COMMENT, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, I WAS AT A, UM, RESTAURANT AND THERE WAS A HOMELESS PERSON OUTSIDE SITTING ON THE SIDEWALK AND HE WAS IN OBVIOUS DISTRESS AND THERE WERE TWO POLICE OFFICERS THERE WITH HIM AND THEY WERE TRYING TO GET HIM VOLUNTARILY TO MOVE ALONG AND THEY WERE GIVING HIM OPTIONS FOR HOW THEY COULD HELP MOVE HIM.

UM, THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE HE WAS STARTING TO, UM, DESTROY SOME PROPERTY AND THEN THEY WERE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN TELLING HIM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KEEP DOING THAT, THEN WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO ARREST YOU.

MY POINT IS THAT THOSE OFFICERS HANDLED THAT SITUATION.

SO WELL, I WAS SO IMPRESSED AND, UM, THEY KEPT CALM.

THEY WERE RESPECTFUL OF THE HOMELESS PERSON AND THEY ENDED UP DIFFUSING THE SITUATION.

SO I JUST WANTED TO, I CONGRATULATE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THERE MUST BE SOME REALLY GREAT TRAINING GOING ON.

I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CALIBER OF OFFICERS WE'RE PUTTING OUT THESE DAYS.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE MUCH MORE PATIENT THAN WHEN I STARTED 20 YEARS AGO.

UM, AND A LOT OF THAT IS AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY, THE DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES THAT THEY'RE LEARNING.

UH, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

IF YOU HAVE THEIR NAMES, I'D BE, I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE THEM.

I FORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T.

SO WHEN YOU SHOWED US THE, UH, I GUESS VIOLENT CRIME STATISTICS EARLIER, MM-HMM , IS THERE A TIME OF DAY WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN MOST OF THEM HAPPEN? IS IT LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND FOUR ON RIGHT THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY, OR IRONICALLY ENOUGH, I HAVE THAT DATA AND IT WAS IN THE, IN THE DATA POLL THAT I DID.

I DIDN'T INCLUDE IT IN THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA OVERWHELM YOU WITH DATA.

MM-HMM , BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY, UH, SOMETHING THAT I CAN GET TO YOU.

AND, BUT, BUT TYPICALLY OF COURSE, IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE HOURS WHEN WE'RE SEEING THE LARGE CROWDS.

AND THERE'S SOMEONE ON SCREEN OR TWO PEOPLE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS.

WERE REPORTED WITH REGARDS TO SCOOTERS, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHY THERE'S SUCH A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS THAT EMS IS TENDING TO, WHICH I'M ASSUMING ARE GOING IN THROUGH 9 1, 1, BUT THEN ONLY LIKE FOUR TO SIX INCIDENCES THAT, UM, APD IS CODING IS SERIOUS.

CAN WE ERRORS? UM, THIS IS, UH, NELLIE AND I ACTUALLY WANTED, I I'VE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE CONNECTING.

SO MY APOLOGIES, I WASN'T ABLE TO QUEUE IN TO QUESTIONS AS THE PRESENTATION WAS GOING THROUGH.

MY QUESTION WAS SPECIFICALLY, UM, GOING BACK TO THE, A SLIDE WHERE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EMS INCIDENTS THAT

[00:35:01]

UM, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? YEAH.

I, I THINK THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AND HOW THEY HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S SERIOUS INJURY, EMS IS GONNA GO ANYTIME AN AMBULANCE IS CALLED, YOU KNOW, 9 1, 1 IS CALLED, UH, WHETHER THEY SEND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR NOT, OR WHETHER WE HAVE OFFICERS TO AVAILABLE TO SEND, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THESE SCOOTER, UH, INCIDENTS THEY HAPPEN, UH, DURING THOSE BUSY THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY NIGHTS WHERE OUR OFFICERS, WE HAVE NO UNITS AVAILABLE TO SEND.

SO THAT, THAT COULD, UH, KIND OF TALK TO, OR SPEAK TO THE DISCREPANCIES THAT YOU SEE.

BUT, UH, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, EMS IS GONNA COME AND THEY'RE GONNA CHECK OVER THE PATIENT AND, AND OFFICERS WILL COME WHEN IT IS THAT SERIOUS INJURY WHERE THEY'RE HOSPITALIZED.

AND WE, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, SO IF, IF EMS GOES OUT TO A SCENE, UM, AND APD DOESN'T SHOW UP, THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WAIT FOR APD TO CONSIDER SOMETHING SERIOUS WHEN THEY'RE TRANSPORTING SOMEONE.

NO.

HOW WOULD THAT BE COMMUNICATED BACK TO APD? SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A, AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ACCURATE REALLY, LIKE, I GUESS, APDS, UM, ASSESSMENT OF SAFETY IN THE SCOOTERS DOWNTOWN REALLY IS IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT ONE, NOT SHOWING UP TO SCENES AND JUST THE, THE DIFFERENCE IS STARK.

IT'S NOT LIKE EVEN 10% MORE OR EVEN 50, OR EVEN 200% MORE.

IT'S LIKE SIX AND 890.

UM, THOSE, THOSE ARE START LIKE VASTLY DIFFERENT NUMBERS, RIGHT? AND SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE PULLED FROM OUR DATA, AND I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT MAYBE CALL DATA THAT WE NEED TO PULL THAT THAT WAS REPORT DATA.

SO WHEN AN OFFICER WRITES A REPORT, SO IN MANY INSTANCES, THE POLICE ALONG WITH FIRE ACTUALLY WILL RESPOND TO A MEDICAL INCIDENT, RIGHT.

AND WHEN THE POLICE GET THERE, WE, YOU KNOW, THE AMBULANCE IS THERE, THEY'RE CHECKING OUT THE PATIENT.

IF THEY'RE GONNA GO I IN THE AMBULANCE AND BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.

UH IT'S YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY SOMEONE JUST FELL OFF THE SCOOTER.

THERE'S REAL, NO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION THAT NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED.

OUR OFFICERS WILL GO, UH, BACK IN SERVICE WITHOUT WRITING A REPORT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND IT WILL BE, IT WILL ENTITLED TO A MEDICAL CALL.

I UNDERSTAND THE, YEAH, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE, WHEN THE REPORT HAPPENS, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I GUESS THE, THE, THE, IT'S A PRETTY BIG DISCREPANCY IN NUMBERS.

AND SO IT'S JUST, UM, IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANT.

UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED, YEAH, AND THAT, THAT COULD BE, JUST CREATE MORE UNDERSTANDING AROUND THAT AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS, UM, SOME GRAVITY THAT IS BEING MISSED WITH REGARDS TO THE VOLUME OF CALLS AND WHETHER, OR NOT MORE OF THOSE 890 CALLS ARE ACTUALLY MORE SERIOUS THAN WE ARE AWARE OF BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL WITHOUT APDS INVOLVEMENT.

SO THAT'S ALL.

NOPE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

NO, I, AND, AND IT COULD BE JUST AS SIMPLE AS, UH, WE PULLED REPORTS WRITTEN WHERE EMS PULLED CALLS FOR SERVICE, WHERE THEY RESPONDED.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN SHORE UP COMMISSIONER MO.

OH, YES.

UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M JUST WELL AWARE OF THE HEAT, UH, OF THIS YEAR.

WE STARTED HAVING THREE DIGITS HEAT IN MAY.

SO I'M WONDERING, UM, IS THE WEATHER HAS A LOT TO DO, I MEAN, DO YOU, YOU KNOW, COLLECT DATA , UH, IF, IF HEAT, YOU KNOW, HAS A, HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE INCREASE OF THE SEXUAL ASSAULT, I MEAN, NOT THE SEXUAL ASSAULT, BUT THE VIOLENT OF THOSE.

UH, SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, YOU'RE ASKING IF THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE KIND OF AFFECTS WHAT WE SEE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

WHERE THEY'LL COME DOWN TO SIXTH STREET AND DO JUST THAT THEY'LL SET UP A TENT, UH, KIND OF A MARKETING, SO THAT FOLKS ARE AWARE.

UM, I THINK, UH, ABSOLUTELY IT DOES.

I THINK FOLKS ARE OUT AND ABOUT, BUT, UH, SUMMERTIME TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER FOR US THAN, THAN FALL AND, UH, SPRING JUST BASED ON THE UNIVERSITY BEING IN SESSION.

UH, SO WE DON'T SEE THE CROWDS THAT WE GENERALLY DO FOR HOME FOOTBALL GAMES AND, YOU KNOW, AT UT OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO, UH, IT, IT CAN IN, IN BEHAVIOR, I THINK THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT DISCUSSION.

UM, BUT GENERALLY DURING THE SUMMERTIME, UH, WE SEE KIND OF THE NUMBERS AND THE ACTIVITY IN THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT KIND OF LOWER THAN OUR, OUR TRADITIONAL NUMBERS IN THE FALL.

SO, SO I'M WONDERING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR PREVENTIVE MEASURE, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL IF WE HAVE WATER STATION, YOU KNOW, AROUND TO COOL PEOPLE OFF? YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? MM-HMM, NO, THAT, THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.

AND IN FACT, UH, THE SOBERING CENTER, UH, HAS HAD SEVERAL, UH, OUTINGS

[00:40:01]

AND, AND IF Y'ALL, AREN'T AWARE OF THE SOBERING CENTER, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK ON THAT.

THAT'S AN AMAZING, UH, DIVERSION, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE'VE INSTITUTED THAT OFFICERS CAN TAKE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE INTOXICATED TO THE SOBERING CENTER RATHER THAN TAKING THEM TO JAIL.

UH, BUT THEY COME DOWN TO SIXTH STREET AND THEY'LL SET UP A TENT, LIKE I SAID, AND HAVE WATER TO GIVE OUT.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH QUESTION REAL QUICKLY ON GEOFENCING.

SO THE STATE PRESERVATION BOARD HAS, AND, AND I REALIZE THAT WE'RE JUST TALKING, OUR DATA HAS BEEN ABOUT GEORGE SECTOR, BUT GEORGE TO MLK IS A DIFFERENT SECTOR.

RIGHT? CORRECT.

AND SO PART OF THAT LAND IS GEO FENCED, UM, AROUND LIKE THE CAPITAL ONE STEP, UM, HAVE Y'ALL HAD ONE, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER AREAS THAT ARE GEO FENCED AND HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU FIND THAT IN RELATION TO SCOOTER RELATED INCIDENTS? SO, UH, WE DO ACTUALLY, SIXTH STREET IS SUPPOSED TO BE GEO FENCED, AND I SAY SUPPOSED TO BE, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE DOWN THERE, YOU'VE SEEN PEOPLE RIDING SCOOTERS DOWN IT, UH, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS, UH, THAT IS ALLEGEDLY GEOFENCED AS WELL, WHERE THE SCOOTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO SLOW DOWN, NOT OPERATE IN THAT VICINITY.

UM, BUT YES, THAT, THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY HELP, UH, IN AREAS WHERE WE'RE SEEING.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN WORK WITH EMS ON, WHERE ARE WE SEEING MOST OF THE SCOOTER INCIDENTS AND MAYBE GEOFENCE THOSE LOCATIONS.

AND I DUNNO WHAT THAT MEANS.

WHAT IS SCOOTER, UH, GEO FENCE? UH, IT'S A WAY THAT THE, THE, THE COMPANIES THAT RUN THE SCOOTERS, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S INSIDE THE SCOOTERS, THEY ALL HAVE GPS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY, WELL, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK WHY THEY DO IT, BUT IF THEY'RE TAKEN OR STOLEN THAT THEY CAN TRACK 'EM.

UH, BUT THEY CAN ALSO BUILD INTO THAT TO WHEN THE SCOOTER WORKS AND DOESN'T WORK.

SO IF IT ENTERS INTO A CERTAIN ZONE INTERESTING, THEN IT, THEN IT WOULD SHUT ITSELF DOWN.

SO IT, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THERE'S SOME, SOME WEAKNESSES IN THE GEOFENCING.

I PRESUME THAT THAT IS PROBABLY WITH THE SCOOTER OPERATOR, I PRESUME AS WELL, UNLESS IT'S A PRIVATELY OWNED SCOOTER.

YEAH, WELL, EXACTLY.

AND, AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GET WITH TRANSPORTATION DIVISION.

UH, THEY DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE MICRO MOBILITY COMPANIES AND HAVE THOSE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS AND SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT, HEY, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE GEOFENCE.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE JUST NOT SEEING THOSE THINGS.

WHERE, WHERE IN PAT, IS IT JUST EAST SIXTH STREET OR IS IT THE SIXTH STREET CORRIDOR? UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC, UH, BOUNDARIES OF THE GEOFENCE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S, UH, I, I WOULD BE JUST GUESSING THAT I THINK THE HISTORIC ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT THERE ON E SIX E SIX, UM, IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GEO FENCE ANOTHER AREA DOWNTOWN, WHERE WOULD YOU GEO FENCE? YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO DIVE IN TO THE DATA, UH, IMMEDIATELY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I WOULD THINK WEST SIXTH STREET KIND OF WHERE WE SEE, UH, ANOTHER, UH, COLLECTION OF, OF LOTS OF, LOTS OF BARS AND LOTS OF CROWDS ON THE WEEKENDS, RAINY STREET POTENTIALLY.

UM, AND THOSE, THOSE AREAS MAY BE GEOFENCE ALREADY.

UH, BUT THE ONLY ONE I'M FAMILIAR WITH IS ON E SIXTH STREET, BUT DEFINITELY SOMETHING I CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

IS YOUR UNIT WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY STAFF ON THE SAFER STREET SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE? UH, WE ABSOLUTELY ARE, UH, MYSELF AND BRIAN BLOCK WITH, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIVISION, UM, ARE WORKING ON SEVERAL PROJECTS IN THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.

SO A FRIEND OF MINE SAID, HE'S, HE WORKS AT BRAS AND 10TH.

AND HE SAID HE HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT UPTICK WITH, UM, EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED PERSONS IS WHAT HE CALLED IT.

SO I KNOW THAT DURING THE REIMAGINING, THE CITY COUNCIL WANTED SOCIAL WORKERS TO BE MORE INVOLVED.

DO YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH SOCIAL WORKERS IN YOUR UNIT? I MEAN, THEY'RE EMOTIONALLY DISTURB PEOPLE DOWNTOWN.

ARE THEY, DO THEY SO ASSIST YOU? WE DO.

WE DO SEE QUITE A BIT OF THAT, RIGHT.

BECAUSE WE HAVE THE AUSTIN RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS.

WE HAVE CARITAS, WE HAVE ST DAVID'S.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THE, UH, A LOT OF RESOURCES ARE HERE DOWNTOWN.

SO, UM, I WAS OVER THE, UH, C I T UNIT, THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM.

UH, I NO LONGER AM, BUT WE, WE DID WORK, UH, THAT, THAT UNIT REALLY DOES AMAZING THINGS AND WORKS WELL WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, SOCIAL WORKER PROGRAMS FROM INTEGRAL CARE.

UH, THEY WORK WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND, AND, UH, JUST REALLY, UM, TRYING TO GET, GIVE AUSTIN THE BEST, THE MOST ROBUST MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE THAT WE CAN.

DATA THAT YOU SHARED, UH, ABOUT, UH, ARRESTS AND STUFF, SAFETY DOWNTOWN, UM, DID YOU SHOW US THE PIS, UH, PUBLIC PUBLIC INTOXICATIONS? I DID NOT.

WONDERING ON THE

[00:45:01]

SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, UH, NUMBER OF PUBLIC INTOXICATION ARRESTS, NUMBER OF REFERRALS TO THE SOBERING CENTER, BECAUSE YOU CA TALKED ABOUT IT BEING A DIVERSIONARY, UM, AVENUE FOR, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE INTOXICATED DOWNTOWN.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING TO, TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE YOU BEEN, HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO DIVERT HOW MANY PEOPLE AND WHAT THE ARRESTS LOOK LIKE WITH REGARDS TO PUBLIC INTOXICATION? UM, YEAH, SO I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK ON THAT DATA SPECIFICALLY.

UM, BUT PERHAPS THE NEXT TIME I PRESENT TO YOU GUYS, IF YOU KNOW, THE SOBERING CENTER AB ABSOLUTE SUCCESS PROGRAM, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

IT'S, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR OFFICERS, UH, RATHER THAN HAVE TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR, FOR HAVING TOO MANY DRINKS, BEING ABLE TO TAKE THEM, UH, TO THE SOBERING CENTER WHERE THEY CAN GO IN THERE, GET THE HELP THEY NEED WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE.

SO I DIDN'T BRING THOSE STATISTICS WITH ME SHOULD BE VERY EASY TO GET THOSE, AND I CAN GET THOSE, GET THOSE TO YOU AT A LATER DATE.

SO YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THE STATS ON REPEAT OFFENDERS EITHER, UH, REPEAT OFFENDERS FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION, FOR WHICH CRIME PUBLIC INTOXICATION? UH, NO, I WOULDN'T HAVE THAT.

UH, COMMANDER FITZGERALD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TO SEE.

WELL, WAIT, I STILL HAVE A QUESTION, SORRY.

IF I CAN SQUEEZE IN YES, JEN COMMISSIONER WEAVER.

UH, THANK YOU.

UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, SUPER EXCITING.

UH, TWO QUICK QUESTION COMMENTS, UH, REGARDING SOME OF THE SCOOTER INFRACTIONS, ESPECIALLY KIND OF COLLISIONS ON SIDEWALKS AND JUST CHANGING GRADE.

IS THERE ANY TALK OF PUTTING UP A NO SCOOTERS ON SIDEWALK SIGN? UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF, UH, CONFLICTS COULD BE AVOIDED WITH, WITH A SIMPLE SIGNAGE.

THAT THAT'S NOTHING THAT I'VE HEARD, BUT SURELY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED.

I THINK I KNOW I HAD SEVERAL CONTACTS WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN VERY GOOD IDEA.

UM, AWESOME.

UM, AND THEN I JUST WANTED YOU TO GIVE A QUICK COMMENDATION, UH, TO OFFICER COHEN CAME OUT TO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX IN DOWNTOWN THIS WEEK.

UM, WE HAD A HOMELESS MAN CAMPING AT OUR DUMPSTER.

IT WAS, UH, A 20 MINUTE KIND OF PROCESS WHERE, UH, THE CAMPER WAS ALLOWED TO REMOVE HIS, HIS BELONGINGS.

IT ALL WAS VERY PEACEFUL AND RESPECTFUL, AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE GOOD TRAINING AND, UM, EVERYTHING THAT AUSTIN POLICE, UH, DEPARTMENT IS REALLY BRINGING TO THE TABLE.

I'LL I'LL DEFINITELY PASS MY THANKS ALONG TO OFFICER CALLEN.

HE'S, HE'S ONE OF OUR BEST IN DOWNTOWN, SO THANK YOU.

UH, COMMANDER FITZGERALD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.

THANK, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, IF I'M NOT INCORRECT THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WILL NOT BE HERE TONIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

UM,

[3. Staff briefing regarding Austin Public Health Report, Adrienne Sturrup, Adrienne, Austin Public Health.]

THAT I'M CORRECT.

UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND, UH, I WOULD WELCOME COMMISSIONER WEAVER.

SO, UH, GIVEN THAT, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION ITEMS.

[1. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Design Commission]

OOPS, OOPS.

COMMISSIONER WEAVER.

SORRY, GRABBING MY AGENDAS.

SO WE'RE NOT HAVING ADDED ADDED FEES AND COSTS.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE TELEPROMPTER READY TO GO.

NO, NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FINE.

OH MY GOODNESS.

UM, AT THE LAST MEETING OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION, WE REVIEWED FUNCTIONAL GREEN.

UM, I WOULD SAY IT'S A COMMISSION.

WE WERE NOT THAT EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW PROGRAM.

IT'S REALLY DUPLICITOUS, UH, DUPLICITOUS TO OTHER, UH, EXISTING PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS.

A LOT OF THE, UM, UM, A LOT OF THE REQUIREMENTS ARE ALREADY COVERED AND THE EXAMPLES GIVEN WAY CITY STAFF ARE REALLY ABOUT SUBURBAN IMPLEMENTATION.

THIS WILL BE, UH, REQUIRED OF ALL DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS.

AND, UM, IT'S HEADED TO CITY COUNCIL DESIGN COMMISSION IS WRITING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.

UM, SO I THINK AT BEST WE'RE TRAINED TO ADVISE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION, UM, TO BE LESS RESTRICTIVE OR MORE VOLUNTARY OR, OR SOMETHING.

[00:50:01]

UM, COMMISSIONER IT'S BASICALLY REQUIRING LIKE GREEN ROOFS ON ALL BUILDINGS.

I, I WOULD SAY IT'S A PROGRAM BORROWED FROM SAN FRANCISCO.

THAT'S GREAT.

UM, AND THAT'S, WE ALSO REVIEWED A PROJECT BY STONE LAKE, UM, WHICH IS GOING ON AT RED RIVER.

UM, AND BIT, UH, WE APPROVED, WE RECOMMENDED THE PROJECT TO CITY COUNCIL.

UM, IT'S ALL RESIDENTIAL, THE EXISTING CARMELOS WILL BE STAYING AND THERE'S, UM, A REALLY NICE PUBLIC, UM, PUBLIC PLAZA REALLY CONSIDERED.

UM, OKAY.

IT'S AN HISTORICAL LANDMARK.

[2. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Historic Landmark Commission]

SPEAKING OF HISTORICAL LANDMARKS, COMMISSIONER HEIM, SETH IS NOT WITH US.

I BELIEVE, UH, NEXT WEEK.

I MEAN, NEXT MONTH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S PRESERVATION PLAN.

UH, THAT'S CORRECT.

CHAIR.

THAT'S, UH, SLATED FOR OCTOBER 19TH MEETING.

UH, IN A FOOTNOTE, UH, FOR WHAT WOULD BE HIS REPORT, BECAUSE I KNOW COMMISSIONER RHIM STAFF WOULD COMMENT ON IT.

UH, THE, UH, CASTLEMAN BULL HOUSE, WHICH IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE FREIGHT LOADING DOCKS AT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER.

UH, THERE WAS A, UH, A AND I HAVE NOT READ THE, THE FINAL RESOLUTION, BUT, UH, IT'S CONTROLLED BY THE CONVENTION CENTER.

AND, UH, I BELIEVE FUNDING HAS NOW BEEN SET ASIDE TO COMPLETE THE RESTORATION OF IT, OF THE INTERIOR.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD NEWS BECAUSE IT'S SET IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DISREPAIR FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

BUT THEY DO LIKE, THEY DO LIKE OUTSIDE THE, THEY DID STABILIZATION WORK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, SO YEAH.

I THINK IT WAS 2019.

SO YES, TIME FLIES WHEN WE'RE HAVING FUN.

SO THAT WOULD BE, I I'M NOT REPORTING FOR HIM.

I JUST INFERRED THAT HE MIGHT HAVE REPORTED ON THAT.

UM, EXCUSE ME, HERE, THIS, THIS SORT OF A OFF THE WALL THING, BUT MR. SUBTLE PRESENTED HIS PLAN FOR, UM, SIXTH STREET OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES.

AND SOME OF THE BACKS OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES ARE VERY INTERESTING AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENGULFED IN A HUGE THING, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE THE BACK OF THE BUILDING COULD BE A HALLWAY BEFORE YOU GET TO THE GIANT BUILDING.

THAT'S JUST THE THOUGHT.

WELL, I, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THOUGHT TO BRING TO OUR NEXT MEETING WHEN COMMISSIONER HK THIS YEAR.

AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN PRESERVATION PLAN AND SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.

I'M JUST GLAD YOU CLARIFY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.

CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAYING THE COMMISSIONER WAS A HISTORIC LANDMARK WELL, COMMISSIONER HUNTS F MAY INDEED BE A HISTORIC HISTORIC LANDMARKS CAN LAST FOREVER.

CHAIR HARRIS.

COULD YOU COMMISSIONER LANDLORD, COULD YOU CLARIFY WHAT BUILDING YOU WERE REFERRING TO MEANS TO THE FREIGHT DOGS? THE BUILDING IS THE CASTLEMAN BULL HOUSE.

IT HAD BEEN LOCATED ADJACENT TO ST.

DAVID'S AT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, UH, AND HAD BEEN THE HOME OF CARITAS FOR, I BELIEVE, 20 YEARS.

AND, UM, THE CHURCH WAS GOING TO EXPAND ITS FACILITIES.

UH, WHAT IS NOW PRESERVATION? AUSTIN AGREED TO PAY FOR THE MOVE.

THE CITY AGREED TO PUT IT ON CITY OWNED LAND, UH, BEHIND WHERE THE CONVENTION CENTER IS.

AND THAT'S HOW IT CAME TO BE WHERE IT IS TODAY.

THAT'S IS THE O HENRY HOUSE STILL OVER THERE? YES.

IT'S ON RED RIVER AND THIRD ISN'T IT RIVER IT'S BY THE, BY THE HILTON.

YEAH, THAT, YEAH.

ITEM IS, UH, COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND SHE IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING.

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, THE NEXT

[3. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Urban Transportation Commission]

UM, ARTS

[4. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Arts Commission]

COMMISSION.

I KNOW COMMISSIONER MOCK IS ON THE, ON THE LINE WITH US.

PROJECTS OR INCREASED BY THE, BY THE FUND, UH, FOR EACH PROJECT.

THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

I, I AM VERY HAPPY TO, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT THE HOT FUND, THE HOTEL FUND, UM, HAS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE COLLECTED MORE THAN WE HAVE BUDGETED.

SO, UH, ALL THE, UH, FUNDING PROGRAM WE SUSPECT WILL, WILL BE INCREASED EITHER INCREASED BY FUNDING, MORE

[00:55:01]

AND ALSO, UH, WE PROBABLY WILL HAVE MORE MONEY FOR THE TEMPLE PROJECT THAT IS A TEMPORARY PUBLIC ARTS PROJECT.

UM, SO THIS IS VERY GOOD NEWS.

THAT MEANS, UM, OUR CITY, YOU HAS RECEIVED MORE VISITORS AND, UH, AND WE STILL HAVE ONE MORE MONTH, UM, TEXTS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT AND REPORT.

SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A PIECE OF GOOD NEWS.

THAT'S IT.

AND COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, I PROMISED THAT WE WOULD MOVE YOU UP IN THE DISCUSSION ITEMS SINCE YOU'RE ALWAYS THE, THE LAST, BUT THE BEST ON THE AGENDA.

UM,

[6. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Parks & Recreation Board]

PARKS AND RECREATION.

NOPE, NO PARTS AND RECREATION TONIGHT.

UM,

[7. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Public Safety Commission]

THAT'S ALRIGHT.

UM, UH, BRIEFLY, UM, I GUESS DURING OUR LAST MEETING, UM, WE REVISITED A DISCUSSION THAT WE STARTED IN AUGUST ON APDS USE OF, UM, LRAD, WHICH IS, UM, SOME SOUND EQUIPMENT THAT THEY USE IN PLACE OF MEGAPHONES TO SORT OF PROJECT SOUND OUT, UM, IN LIGHT OF SOME WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS THAT WERE, UM, FILED, UM, DURING THE SUMMER 2020 PROTESTS, JUST TO SEE IF THE LRAD HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

AND JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERSTANDING AROUND WHAT THESE DEVICES DO, CAN'T DO, WHAT DECIBELS THEY OPERATE AT, HOW SAFELY THEY CAN BE OBLIGATED.

SO WE DID A PRETTY TWO COMMISSION MEETING REVIEW OF THAT.

UM, WE ALSO, UM, SPEAKING OF PARKS AND REC, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION IS GONNA BE WORKING, UH, IS, UM, JOINING A WORKING GROUP ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE PARKS, UM, THAT THE PARKS AND REX COMMISSION, UM, HAS STARTED OFF AND, UM, I'M ANTICIPATING THEM GETTING STARTED IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, UM, JUST IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON IN THE PARK AND JUST CREATE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT KINDS OF, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SORT OF CONDITIONS COULD BE IMPROVED.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO JUST GOT A WILDFIRE READINESS UPDATE, WHICH WE DO, UM, TWICE A YEAR, JUST TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WILD FIRE READINESS, UM, WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS IS BEING MADE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON PREPARING THE COMMUNITY AND FORMING THE COMMUNITY.

UM, THE PROGRAM INVOLVES DOING QUITE A BIT OF OUTREACH.

UM, AND SO IT'S KIND OF EXCITING TO HEAR, UM, HOW THEY'RE BRINGING MORE, MORE OF THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE COVERED THIS LAST MEETING, UM, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, WE'RE GONNA BE COVERING, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HOW ALL THREE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ARE GOING TO BE, UM, IMPLEMENTING OR FOLLOWING, UM, THE GRACE ACT ORDINANCE, UM, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A FEW MONTHS AGO, I THINK IN JULY, JUST SEEING HOW THEY'RE DOING WITH POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND THAT STUFF ON THEIR END.

UM, AND I THINK WE'LL BE HEARING ANOTHER APD QUARTERLY REPORT WITH STATS AND STUFF.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE.

I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER GOMEZ? OH, I'M SORRY.

GO AHEAD.

GO.

SO JUST WONDERING A AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN HOW, UH, AUSTIN DEALS WITH THE PROBLEMS OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, I'M, I'M INTERESTED TO FIND OUT IF THE ISSUES THAT ARE DRAWING THESE TWO COMMISSIONS TOGETHER IS HOMELESSNESS AND ITS IMPACT ON PARKS AND REC AND, AND, UH, THE INTEREST THAT PUBLIC SAFETY HAS ON, ON THAT, JUST AS A, AS A, A QUESTION AND HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH OF CITY TIME ENERGIES AND REV, UH, RESOURCES ARE BEING SPENT IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUE, THIS ISSUE.

SO THE QUESTION FOR ME WAS, IS, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID THAT THE, THAT BOTH COMMISSIONS ARE, ARE GONNA BE GETTING TOGETHER TO REVIEW SOME ISSUES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH PARK SAFETY.

MM-HMM UH, AND I WAS WONDERING IF THOSE, THE, THOSE WERE CONNECTED TO THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE PARKS AND, UM, AND WERE THOSE TWO THINGS FIT TOGETHER? I AM NOT ALTOGETHER SURE.

UM, THE WORKING GROUP HAS YET TO MEET.

KIND OF GONNA BE, UM, THAT THEY, THEY HAVE YET TO GET STARTED, UM, AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY IT IS THAT THEY WANT TO ADDRESS.

UM, THEY'RE GOING TO START MEETING SOON.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I THINK THERE WAS A NEW DASHBOARD OR SOME NEW DATA THAT WAS AVAILABLE AND THEY WERE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THAT AND THEY WERE JUST

[01:00:01]

SO, UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO, TO HAVE BEEN ASKED TO JOIN THEM IN THIS WORKING GROUP SO THAT WE CAN JUST JOIN THE CONVERSATION.

AND, UM, BUT YEAH, UM, THEY'RE JUST NOW GETTING STARTED.

UM, AND AS SOON AS I'M ASSUMING THAT WE'LL PROBABLY HEAR BACK FROM THEIR WORKING GROUP, MAYBE ONCE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, GIVEN THAT NEXT MONTH IS OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER COMMISSION, OR A LITTLE TOUGH TO PULL TOGETHER DECEMBER COMMISSION MEETING.

SO I'M ASSUMING WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM THEM AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

AND I'D BE HAPPY TO REPORT BACK ON WHAT WE HEAR LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO FOR THAT CHAIR.

I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER WEAVER HAD THE NEXT QUESTION.

THANKS.

UH, TWO, TWO QUESTIONS.

UM, DO YOU MIND EXPANDING ON WHERE THE FIRES ARE HAVE HAPPENED OR WHERE THAT'S AN ISSUE? UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M PREPARED TO, TO TALK TO EXACTLY WHERE FIRES WERE, WHAT THE WILDFIRE READINESS.

UM, SO, UM, THE IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DICTATED BY, BY COUNCIL THAT THEY HAVE TO REPORT TO US TWICE A YEAR ON WILDFIRE READINESS AND WILDFIRE READINESS IN GENERAL, JUST HAS TO DO WITH THE PROGRAM ITSELF, HAS TO DO WITH OUTREACH THAT THEY'RE DOING TO THE COMMUNITY TO PREVENT WILDFIRES.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PROGRAM THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR, OF COURSE THEY HELP FIGHT WILD WILDFIRES.

THE, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES THAT, BUT THAT PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, UM, PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE DOING THE MOST THAT THEY CAN TO SORT OF BE WILDFIRE AWARE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING GRASS MATS ON YOUR, ON YOUR DOORSTEP AND LIKE CUTTING BACK BRUSH, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT COMU THAT, UM, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT I HEARD FROM THEM AND THAT I, IT ALWAYS SURPRISES ME IS THAT, UM, WILDFIRE RISK IS ASSOCIATED WITH SORT OF LUSH GREEN AND LIKE TREE CANOPIES AND GREEN SPACES.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OUR URBAN SPACES THAT ARE ALSO CONSIDERED WILDFIRE RISKS, JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A BIG LUSH TREE CANOPY AROUND YOUR HOUSE DOESN'T MEAN MEAN THAT YOU THERE AREN'T RISKS.

AND SO THAT'S SORT OF THE POINT OF THE PROGRAM IS MOSTLY TO JUST CREATE MORE AWARENESS AND, AND, AND HAVE MORE HOUSEHOLDS READY AND PREPARED.

SO IT WASN'T REALLY NECESSARILY ABOUT THE, WE DIDN'T GET A REPORT ON WILDFIRES PER SE.

I MEAN, UH, I KNOW ANECDOTALLY THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE WILDFIRES THAT HAPPENED THIS PAST SUMMER, AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY PUTTING THEM OUT, BUT THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY TO DO WITH OUR REPORT.

UH, PLUGS INTO MY SECOND QUESTION.

I'M REALLY WONDERING HOW FIRES ARE KIND OF RELATING TO RESILIENCE.

UM, AND AS WE'RE, SO I GUESS THIS IS A DOUBLE PRONGED QUESTION AS WE'RE KIND OF HAVING PUBLIC OUTREACH AROUND WHAT OUR FIRST RESILIENCE HUBS WILL LOOK LIKE.

AND I KNOW THERE'S PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, AND SIX AREAS, I THINK THEY'RE MOSTLY EAST AND NORTH.

UM, IF THERE'S KIND OF ANY, IF THE PUBLIC HEALTH GROUP IS MEETING TO KIND OF CONSIDER PUBLIC HEALTH IN, IN THE RESILIENCE HUBS.

UM, AND THEN I GUESS ALSO FROM MY OWN, SELF-INTEREST ON ADDRESSING PUBLIC HEALTH AND RESILIENCE HUBS.

UM, I, ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION, WE'RE WORKING ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, GROUPS THAT ARE LEADING OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR.

UH, I'M LEADING THE URBAN STRUCTURES GROUP, WHICH IS REALLY LOOKING AT HOW MASTER PLANS COME TOGETHER, UM, IN, IN THE URBAN SCENARIO.

UH, AND OUR CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER IS ALSO CO-LEADING OUR GROUP.

UM, SO IF ANYONE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH WOULD LIKE TO JOIN, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.

UM, WE HAVE A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS AND WE'LL START WORKING ON OUR SMALL GROUPS IN TWO WEEKS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MEACH.

REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE DEC, WHAT THE DECIBEL LEVELS WERE FOR EACH OF THOSE DEVICES AND WHAT THE, IT HAD TO DO WITH THE DECIBEL LEVEL AND THE DISTANCE RIGHT.

UM, MS. RAMIREZ, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE A MEASURE FOR, UH, WHAT SOUND IS NOT SAFE IN A PUBLIC REALM WHEN I'VE WORKED ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE? UM, COMMISSION COMMITTEE? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.

UM, WE WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH DISTURBANCE TO SLEEP AND, UM, ENJOYMENT OF LIFE RATHER THAN SAFETY TO YOUR EARDRUMS. SO I WONDER IF YOU HAVE A, A MEASURE OF THAT FOR GUIDELINES.

I PERSONALLY DO NOT.

UM, I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, SAFE DECIBEL LEVELS WITH REGARDS SPECIFICALLY TO THE LRE DEVICES.

UM, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK BACK ON THE MEETING, UM, AND REWATCH PARTS OF THE MEETING TO

[01:05:01]

WITH WHICH, UM, THOSE DEVICES WERE FROM PEOPLE.

UM, AND SO I WOULD NEED TO LOOK BACK AT THE MEETING TO, TO GET A, TO GET YOU A NUMBER.

I, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A DECIBEL LEVEL NUMBER, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

I'M SORRY.

WOULD HAVE, BUT I CAN FIND THAT OUT.

IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DEFINED BY WHETHER IT WAS OUTDOORS OR WHATEVER, VARIOUS VARIOUS THINGS.

IT WOULDN'T BE VERY COMPLICATED.

UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ FOR QUICK, SORRY.

COMMISSIONER LEVINE.

IT'S MORE ATTRACTIVE IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE, IT'S FOR PEOPLE THAT BECOME HOMELESS BECAUSE OF THAT.

REAL QUICK QUESTION.

UM, YOU MENTIONED THE RESILIENCY HUBS.

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A RESILIENCY HUB DOWNTOWN AT ALL? DO, HAS THAT BEEN BROUGHT UP? THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE.

WE'RE DOING ONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

I'M INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH IT.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

AND, UM, I'M WONDERING IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING ANY OF THOSE DOWNTOWN, I'M SORRY, WHAT IS IT? YEAH, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WHAT IS IT IT'S, UH, MAYBE ONE OF YOU ALL BE BETTER SUIT HERE, COMMISSIONER WEAVER, SINCE YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT, IF ONE, YOU WOULD TELL US WHAT A RESILIENCY HUB IS.

AND TWO, TELL US WHETHER THERE'S ONE THAT'S FORECASTS FOR DOWNTOWN HAPPY TO, UH, SO THE RESILIENCE HUBS, YOU KNOW, ARE REALLY DEFINED TO ADDRESS WHAT IS, UM, LIKE SPECIFIC TO THAT SITE.

AND HOUSTON RESILIENCE HUBS ARE REALLY AROUND FLOODING.

UM, AND SO AUSTIN RESILIENCE HUBS ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, PROBABLY ADDRESSING, UM, PEOPLE BEING OVERHEATED, UM, POTENTIALLY LOSS OF POWER.

AND SO WE JUST HIRED OUR CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER WHO STARTED THIS SPRING.

UM, SHE ACTUALLY CAME OVER FROM HOUSTON'S RESILIENCE OFFICE.

UM, AND SO SHE'S STILL ROLLING OUT HER PLATFORM AND, AND WORKING ON INTEGRATING TO THE CITY SEPARATELY, THE CITY RECEIVED, UH, $2 MILLION IN GRANT MONEY, UM, FROM AA R P, WHICH IS, UH, A NATIONAL FUND, NO, FROM ARPA.

UM, AND SO THEY HAVE SIX PROJECTS THAT THEY WANNA PUT THAT ON, AND THEY'RE ALL SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS THAT ARE REALLY PUBLIC PROJECTS ALREADY.

UM, SO $2 MILLION ON SIX PROJECTS THAT REALLY PAYS FOR DESIGN FEES.

YOU KNOW, I'D REALLY LIKE TO, I, SO I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY'RE HAVING PUBLIC MEETINGS ABOUT WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SEE, UM, IN THESE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT HAVE HIGHER.

UM, I, I DON'T, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY PICK THOSE SIX AREAS.

I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, THE ONE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WILL BE FOCUSED ON, UM, THEY'LL HAVE A CAFE IN IT, THAT'LL BE FEEDING, UM, PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE FED, UM, ALSO TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MAYBE FOOD SERVICES THAT ARE FELONS OR, UM, COME FROM, YOU KNOW, MORE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES.

AND THEN ALSO IT'LL BE A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE, UM, THE IDEA WAS BORN IN THE LOCATION WAS BORN OUT OF ACTIONS.

WE TOOK DURING THE FREEZE.

SO WE FED ABOUT A, A BUNCH OF US MADE ABOUT A THOUSAND MEALS DURING THE FREEZE OUTTA THIS KITCHEN.

AND WE FIGURED OUT LIKE, WELL, WE COULD DO THIS ALL THE TIME.

AND THE CHURCH IS GIVING US THE LAND AND THE KITCHEN AND THE SPACE AND EVERYTHING FOR IT.

SO THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY BE AROUND FOOD.

IT'LL BE A SHELTER AS WELL FOR WHEN THINGS ARE HOT OR WHEN THINGS ARE COLD, WHEN THERE'S NO POWER, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, AN EMERGENCY SHELTER, IF YOU WILL, BUT NOT AS ROBUST PER SE, AS LIKE A GYM DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T HOLD HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, BUT IT'D BE A SAFE PLACE.

LIKE WE DISTRIBUTED WATER OUT OF THERE DURING THE FREEZE WHEN OUR WATER WAS OUT.

SO IT KIND OF JUST MADE SENSE AND OURS WAS KIND OF ORGANIC IN THE WAY THAT IT CAME ABOUT.

AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY WAS TALKING ABOUT DOING THESE THINGS LIKE, WELL, THIS, THIS PUZZLE PIECE KIND OF FITS.

SO OURS IS KIND OF NATURAL AND OBVIOUS WHERE IT WILL BE.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING THEM AROUND THE CITY.

AND, AND LIKE, UH, THE WEAVER IS SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS.

YOU KNOW, THEY WOULDN'T ALL BE THE SAME OR SERVE THE SAME NEEDS.

LIKE THIS ONE ALSO HAS A GARDEN, A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN IT.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE ALL KINDS OF LIKE, DO GOOD STUFF IN IT, BUT ALSO SERVE AS A EMERGENCY SERVICES STATION OR SUBSTATION IF PEOPLE HAVE LIKE A DISTRIBUTION POINT.

IF I, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY READING THAT THE RESILIENCY HUBS WERE PLACES WHERE THE DISTRESS OVER, UM, SNOW BID, UH, HIT THE, THE MOST AND WHERE RESOURCES WERE LIMITED.

AND SO IT REQUIRED A LOT MORE RESOURCES FROM THE CITY TO GET STUFF OUT THERE TO HELP PEOPLE STAY ALIVE.

SO THESE WERE THE LOCATIONS THAT WERE SELECTED.

AND THEN THE IDEA IS FOR THESE HUBS TO HAVE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR, AND THE REASON WHY

[01:10:01]

SO WHEN YOU'RE WATERING, ELECTRICITY GETS SHUT OFF AND YOU DON'T HAVE WATER OR ELECTRICITY THAT YOU CAN GO TO THESE PLACES TO GET FOOD, TO CHARGE UP YOUR CELL PHONE AND DO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, BUT IT IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR HOPEFULLY IF WE CAN KEEP 'EM GOING YEAR ROUND FOR ANYBODY THAT MIGHT NEED THOSE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, DURING, THROUGHOUT YEAH.

ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES DURING THE DEAL WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY PROVIDING THE MEALS, BUT DISTRIBUTING THEM, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAD, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS FOOD READY TO GO.

WE HAD A BUNCH OF RESTAURANTS DONATE ALL THE STUFF, AND WE COOKED ALL THESE MEALS AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, NOW COME AND GET IT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WAS CONTRACTING AND IT IS ALL ON THE FLY.

IT'S NOT POINTING FINGERS, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THEM WERE, WERE PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT THAN OTHERS.

SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE ASKED TO DISTRIBUTE SOME OF THE STUFF.

SO, YOU KNOW, THIS WILL KIND OF GIVE SOME AGENCY, I THINK COMMISSIONER WEAVER, IS THERE ONE PROJECTED FOR DOWNTOWN? THANK YOU.

THERE IS NOT ONE PROJECTED FOR DOWNTOWN.

UM, AND NOT ALL OF DOWNTOWN IS ON THE DOWNTOWN NETWORK.

SO SOME, THE WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN DID LOSE POWER.

UM, DURING SNOW V UM, I, I PROPOSED A RESILIENCE HUB IN MY NEXT PROJECT, AND I DID RECEIVE SOME SUPPORT FOR THAT.

AND IT'S REALLY TOO SOON TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.

IT'S JUST A BIG CONVERSATION.

UM, BUT THERE ARE NO CURRENT, UM, RESILIENCE HUBS DOWNTOWN.

UH, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.

THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING TALKING ABOUT FUTURE PROGRAMS THAT WE MIGHT, MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A FUTURE FUTURE.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

EXACTLY.

I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION IS THE RESILIENCE HUB NETWORK OF THE PILOT PROGRAM.

AT THIS POINT, IT'S NOT EVEN A PILOT PROGRAM YET.

THEY'RE STILL JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR GRANT MONEY.

UM, MARK KORE AND THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS AN IDEA THAT I THINK IS REALLY, UM, STRONG ABOUT RESILIENCE HUBS AS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, BUILDINGS WHO CAN NOT SERVICE ALL THE LOAD OF WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED OF THEM.

LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE BEDS ARE.

UM, AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE CAN SLEEP AND THEN SHELTER IN PLACE.

UH, AND THEN MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER BUILDING AROUND THE CORNER THAT HAS OTHER SERVICES LIKE SHOWERS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A POINT OF DISTRIBUTION.

YOU NEED BACKUP POWER, LIKE WHAT ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND CAN A CLUSTER OF BUILDINGS COME TOGETHER AND NOT BE LIKE A, NOT MAKE THE BURDEN SO GREAT.

WHICH IS REALLY INTERESTING AS WELL.

ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE COVERED? I KNOW THAT NEXT MONTH WE'LL HAVE THE HISTORIC, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE ALSO SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM PROJECT CONNECT COME AND TALK ABOUT THAT.

WE WERE GERMANE TO THE AGENDA, EVEN THOUGH WE DISCUSSED THINGS SOMEWHAT OUT OF ORDER IN THAT LAST DISCUSSION.

I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT ON IT.

UH,

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UH, THAT'S CRAIG CHAIR, IT LOOKS LIKE TENTATIVELY ON AGENDA, WHICH, UH, MOST OF THESE DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IS A PALM DISTRICT PLAN, PROJECT CONNECT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN.

YOU ALL NEED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE 20, 23 MEETING DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE.

AND THEN IF YOU WANTED AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, STAFF TO COME AND CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT SCOOTERS AND RELATED INCIDENTS, WE CAN GET THEM BACK ON FOR OCTOBER 19TH AS WELL.

I THINK WITH THE THREE ITEMS WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA PROVIDED WE HAVE, UM, EACH ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY, ONES THAT MAKING IT, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY ROBUST MEETING.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE TIME FOR YES, MA'AM FOR AFTER THAT MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE SCOOTER TRANSPORTATION PEOPLE AGAIN, MM-HMM AND MAYBE WHAT LET'S KEEP THEM COMING BACK.

YEAH, YEAH.

MAYBE IN NOVEMBER IF THEY HAVEN'T MEETING AND MAYBE WE COULD PRESENT THEM WITH SOME QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME SINCE THEY HAD NOT TOO MANY ANSWERS ON ACCIDENTS.

SO THE MICRO MOBILITY FOLKS FOR NOVEMBER.

UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER? SURE.

THERE'S NOT MUCH INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THAT.

I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME INFORMATION ON THE, UH, FUNCTIONAL GREEN AND THE GREENFIELD DETENTION THAT'S, UH, CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE CITY AND WHAT ITS EFFECT IS GONNA BE ON DOWNTOWN SPECIFICALLY, CUZ IT'S,

[01:15:01]

AND UH, JUST LIKE THE DENSITY BONUS.

IT DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET ANY INFORMATION ON THAT.

IT JUST JUST HAPPENED.

AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD HAVE SOME INPUT ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.

COMMISSION COMMISSION WEAVER.

I THINK BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, FUNCTIONAL GREEN WILL BE PASSED.

THERE YOU GO.

I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THAT THESE ITEMS ARE GOING TO COUNSEL BEFORE THEY COME TO US.

SO, OKAY.

OTHER COMMISSIONERS, SEE, I MAKE A SUGGESTION COMMISSIONER MO YES.

UM, I, I AM REALLY INTRIGUED, UM, BY THE DESIGN COMMISSION.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY, UH, SHOULD BECOME MORE AWARE OF THE GLOBAL WARMING, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE START TO HAVE THREE DIGITS IN MAY.

IT REALLY IS CONCERNING.

SO WITH ALL THESE TALL BUILDINGS PUTTING UP AROUND DOWNTOWN AREA, I'M REALLY, I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, HOW IT, IT MIGHT, UM, AFFECT THE AIR FLOW AND HOW HEAT, YOU KNOW, MY RETAIN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN AREAS THAT THAT WILL KEEP DOWNTOWN, UM, OTHER THAN IT SHOULD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF ALL THESE HIGH RISES.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHICH COMMISSION SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS GLOBAL WARMING AND HOW IS IT GOING TO AFFECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND HOW WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE MATERIAL THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING.

AND SO THAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE HEAT CAN BE THIS DISSIPATED, YOU KNOW, SOONER, UM, THAN LONGER.

AND SO I, I DUNNO, AND I'M ALSO AWARE THAT IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THE ENVIRONMENT IS A LOT HARDER THAN OTHERS BECAUSE OF, UM, THE LACK OF THE LACK OF FOCUS ON, ON THE DESIGN OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO, BUT ONE THING ABOUT DOWNTOWN IS ALL THESE HIGH RISES.

UM, I'M JUST, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I'M, IT IS JUST ME THAT, THAT, UM, HOW IT IS GOING TO, UH, AFFECT THE AIRFLOW.

HOW IS IT GOING TO RETAIN MORE HEAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? SO JUST, THAT'S MY FAULT STAFF QUESTION FOR YOU.

IS THERE, IS THERE A DEPARTMENT OR, UM, ARE THERE STAFF THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS ISSUE THAT COULD ADDRESS SOME OF COMMISSIONER MOCKS QUESTIONS? I'M NOT PREPARED TO ADDRESS THAT TONIGHT, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY DO THE RESEARCH AND FIND OUT AND BRING THE ANSWERS BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, THE OFFICER WATER UTILITY RELATED TO GLOBAL LIKE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.

WE CAN WE CANE, I MEAN THE SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER ABLE TO ASSIST US IN SUSTAINABILITY, SO LET AROUND, SEE, IT SOUNDS LIKE A ACTION TO GLOBAL WARMING.

I JUST, WE CAN HEAR YOU IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

UH, MAYBE WE CAN GET THAT ON THE NOVEMBER AGENDA.

THE SURFACE AND CREATING OVERHANG AND, AND BLOCKING LIGHTS.

IF I MIGHT ADD TO COMMISSIONER MOCK COMMISSIONER LEHMAN, UM, CITY, COUNCIL'S NOW TAKING UP AGAIN, THE ISSUE OF ENCROACHMENTS ENCROACHMENTS ARE, UM, INTRUSIONS FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, AND SPECIFICALLY PERMANENT, AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT OF THE LIFE OF THE BUILDING.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, A HIGH RISE GOES UP AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE SPACE IN THE 13TH, THROUGH 18TH FLOOR.

THEY WOULD ASK FOR AND PAY FOR THE RIGHT TO INTRUDE STARTING SO MANY FEET ABOVE

[01:20:01]

UH, MAYBE THIS IS A SHADE, MAYBE THIS IS BLOCKED LIGHT.

I MEAN, IF THEY WERE ABLE TO GO 50% ACROSS THE STREET, YOU'D HAVE PRACTICALLY TOUCHING EACH OTHER.

ANYWAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S COMING UP AND I, I GUESS WE COULD DIAL IT INTO OUR THOUGHTS THAT MAKE ANY SENSE DOWN DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

I DON'T WANNA STEP ON THEIR TOES.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT.

WHAT WAS THE QUESTION ABOUT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES? NO ENCROACHMENTS.

OH, OKAY.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD FALL WITHIN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

SO IF THERE'S A STAFF MEMBER WHO CAN COME AND ADDRESS THAT.

WELL, LET'S MORE BROADLY THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.

WELL, I THINK THAT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, I THINK THAT WOULD ENCAPSULATE SOME OF WHAT COMMISSIONER LEHMAN'S MENTIONING.

WELL, I, IF I MAY COMMISSION GOMEZ, I, I HEAR, UM, THE CONCERN THAT, UM, THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH THAT'S DEPENDENT ON.

SO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE GONE TO CHICAGO, WE KNOW IT'S STILL IN CITY PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE BUILDINGS ARE AND THE WAY THE WIND COMES ON OFF, OFF THE, OFF THE, THE LAKE, UM, IN, IN AUSTIN NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF METAL AND A LOT OF CONCRETE, AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SHE WAS SAYING CONCENTRATING THE HEAT DOWNTOWN.

UM, AND TO WHAT, TO WHAT EXTENT IS IT IMPACTING THE, THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK DOWNTOWN? UM, AND ALSO THE, THE WEATHER THAT HAPPENS CUZ I, MY WIFE HAD POINTED OUT A NUMBER OF TIMES THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT STORMS THAT ARE COMING.

AND JUST BEFORE THEY GET TO AUSTIN, THEY SPLIT, THEY GO AROUND OUR CITY AND THEN THEY COME BACK TOGETHER AND SHE FORMULATED THAT PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE OF THE, THE NUMBER OF TALL BUILDINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE CREATING THIS HEAT DOME THAT, AND, AND THE IMPACT OF THAT HEAT DOME ON, ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT MIGHT IMPACT SIDE NOTE TO THAT, THERE WAS THIS RECENT STUDY THAT WAS DONE THAT SHOWS STORMS GOING AROUND AUSTIN, LIKE EXACTLY IS YOUR DEFINE WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING A BIT FARFIELD FROM, FROM THE AGENDA ITEM.

THESE ARE, THESE ARE GREAT CONVERSATIONS, BUT OH NO, BUT, BUT MAY I SAY SOMETHING OR NOT? I REALLY CONFIRM.

I MEAN, FROM MY POINT THAT WE NEED TO BRING BACK THE DI NOBODY SHOULD BE WALKING IN DOWNTIME BECAUSE HE'S SO HOT.

IT'S NOT A DOWNTOWN MISSION.

COMMISSIONER MOCK.

I LOVE THAT YOU BRING UP THE DILO, EVERY MEETING, PERSEVERANCE, WE SHOULD HAVE MANY DI'S WELL, WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ONE THAT, THAT FINDS ITS WAY BACK ONTO THE STREETS WILL BE MOCK ONE.

I'M GLAD SOMEBODY APPRECIATED THE DOUBLE LUNG CONTRA THERE.

I APPRECIATE THE ROBUST DISCUSSION TONIGHT.

UH, AND UM, I KNOW WE ALL APPRECIATED, UH, COMMANDER FITZGERALD COMING AND SPEAKING TO US.

UM, THERE ARE NO OTHER ITEMS FOR US TO DISCUSS TONIGHT.

UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MOVE SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.

I, I RIGHT.

WE STAND ADJOURNED.

IT IS 6:56 PM ON, UH, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION STANDS ADJOURNED.