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ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY, IT IS JUST PAST FIVE O'CLOCK ON SEPTEMBER THE SIXTH, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[CALL TO ORDER]
WE'RE GONNA CALL THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER.THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, THIS IS FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
IS THERE CARLOS SOTO HERE OR ONLINE? I DO SEE A PERSON SIGNED UP.
NO, I, I DIDN'T, UM, UNLESS THAT'S FROM AN OLD NOTE.
DID I? NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FOR, OH, OH, WAIT.
I WAS ABOUT TO SAY CARLOS WAS LAST WEEK.
UH, SO NO SPEAKERS ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS? CORRECT.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Transportation Commission REGULAR MEETING on September 6th, 2022.]
NEXT ITEM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.NOW WE HAVE THE SAME DOCUMENT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER THE SIXTH? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES.
AND IS THERE A SECOND THERE FROM, ALL RIGHT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY I OR RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE ONLINE.
ANY OPPOSED? END UP SAYING MINUTES ARE PASSED.
NOW ONTO THE MEAT OF THE AGENDA.
THESE ITEMS ARE LISTED FOR DISCUSSION AND
[2. Discussion and possible action on Project Connect Ordinance update]
POSSIBLE ACTION.THE FIRST ITEM IS A PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE UPDATE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER FOR THIS ITEM, SO, OH, NOT FOR THE SECOND ITEM.
IS THAT RIGHT? AS LONG AS YOU TURN ON THE MIC, MS. CHAIR.
THANK YOU, MS. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT FORWARD.
WE'RE AN AWESOME BASED NONPROFIT WHOSE MISSION IS TO DO EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT WORK REGARDING TRANSIT IN GENERAL WITH A REAL FOCUS ON PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, OUR BOARD HAS DECIDED THAT THE PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU TODAY, THAT'S BEING PUT OUT BY THE CITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO READ A STATEMENT FROM OUR, OUR BOARD THAT'S BEEN APPROVED.
OUR FELLOW AUSTINITES VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOR OF PROJECT CONNECT IN 2020 BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS IT WILL BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING REDUCED TRAFFIC CONGESTION, MORE AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, INCREASED JOB GROWTH, LESS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UM, MORE AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OFF.
I ALREADY SAID THAT ONE IN SAFER STREETS, THEREFORE, TRANSIT FORWARD, SINCERELY APPRECIATES THE CITY'S PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE FOR PROPOSING THESE FAST TRACK MODIFICATIONS.
AND WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THESE CHANGES WOULD PRUDENTLY AND APPROPRIATELY EXPEDITE THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT RAIL AND METRO RAPID BUS LINES, MAKING SURE OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS GET WHAT THEY VOTED FOR SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND MS. CHAIR, THAT'S OUR PREPARED STATEMENT, BUT WE TRULY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT BEING F PUT FORTH BY THE CITY'S PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE TO KIND OF BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO KEEP THEIR EYE ON THE BALL TO GET THESE THINGS DONE.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE.
AND THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
DO WE HAVE ANY BEFORE YOU LEAVE, JUST IN CASE? DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FOLLOW UP, COMMENTS, PEOPLE ONLINE? I'M LOOKING.
OH, WITH, UH, THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE.
AND, UM, FIRST LET ME INTRODUCE JENNIFER PINE WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
SHE WILL START US OFF IN THIS PRESENTATION WITH A PROJECT CONNECT OVERVIEW.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE.
I JUST HAVE A FEW SLIDES, UH, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, SORRY, COULD WE ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE? THANK YOU.
SO YOU, I YOU ALL MAY ALREADY BE FAMILIAR.
UM, PROJECT CONNECT IS FUNDED BY A PROPERTY TAX THAT WAS PASSED BY AUSTIN VOTERS IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
UH, AND, UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF TRANSPORTATION, UM, PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THAT PROGRAM.
UH, CERTAINLY A NEW LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM FOR AUSTIN WAS AMONG THEM.
UM, AND ON THE SLIDE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE AND THE ORANGE LINE ARE THE, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED BACKBONE OF A NEW LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
UH, BUT THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES A METRO, UH, SYSTEM OF METRO RAPID, UM, BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECTS.
IT INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING RED LINE COMMUTER SYSTEM, AS WELL AS OTHER SERVICES, INCLUDING NEW PICKUP SERVICE, UM, UH, AND, UH, FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A BIG PROGRAM, UH, LOOKING TO CREATE JUST A SEAMLESS NETWORK OF, OF TRANSIT WITHIN AUSTIN.
IF WE COULD GO ONE MORE SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, PROJECT CONNECT IS, UM, BEING IMPLEMENTED BY A PARTNERSHIP OF THREE ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, ONE OF THOSE IS AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, ANOTHER IS A CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AND ALSO CAP METRO.
[00:05:01]
SO THIS SLIDE IS INTENDED TO, UH, SPEAK TO HOW THE RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, LAY OUT AMONG THE PARTNERS, UH, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UM, WHICH WAS CREATED, UH, SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIATIVE WAS PASSED IN 2020.UH, OUR ROLE IS KIND OF OVER OVERSIGHT OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, WE HAVE A BOARD THAT WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE THAT OVERSIGHT AND, UH, FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, WILL ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, DELIVERING THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM.
SO THAT INCLUDES, LIKE MANAGING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, UH, AND ALSO ANY COMMUTER LINE, UM, PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE AND ASSOCIATED RAIL FACILITIES.
SO THE, THE CONCEPT IS THAT, UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UM, WILL BE IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECTS, BUT THEN CAT METRO WOULD OPERATE, UH, THE LIGHT RAIL AND OTHER TRANSIT PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY'RE BUILT.
UH, IN ADDITION, UH, CAP METRO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE BUS AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, RUBBER TIRE PROJECTS, UH, IN SOME OF THE RED LINE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE CITY, UM, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, A FULL PARTNER, UM, WORKING WITH US ON PERMITTING RIGHT OF WAY, UM, AND ALL OF THE UTILITY WORK THAT'S GONNA BE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THESE.
UM, AND, UM, AS PART OF THE INITIATIVE AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UM, FUND WAS INCLUDED, UM, AND ACTUALLY A VERY LARGE ONE, IT WAS REALLY NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT AND HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF NOTICE, UM, TO MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL DISPLACEMENT IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
UH, AND THAT IS, UH, MANAGED BY THE CITY.
UH, COULD WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS JUST PASSED LATE IN 2020, THERE'S A LOT TO REPORT AS FAR AS WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE THAT TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE NEW CIRCULATOR PICKUP ZONES ESTABLISHED, SO THAT'S A DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE.
UM, AND THERE'S HAVE BEEN GROUNDBREAKINGS ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, UH, TWO METRO RAPID BUS ROUTES, UM, HAVE, UH, STARTED.
UM, YOU MIGHT SEE THEIR BUS STOPS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UM, IN THE CITY AND THE, AND MORE TO COME.
UH, AND THERE'S ALSO BEEN A GROUNDBREAKING ON A NEW STATION ALONG THE RED LINE AT MACALA THAT WOULD SERVE, UH, AUSTIN FC STADIUM.
UM, SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE IN PROCESS.
UM, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TO NOTE HERE.
THE METRO BIKE PROGRAM, UM, HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO CAT METRO, AND WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THERE'S JUST SEAMLESS CONNECTIVITY AMONG ALL THE DIFFERENT MODES.
UM, AND THE NEW METRO RAPID SERVICE, UM, WILL BE AN ALL ELECTRIC FLEET, UH, AND SUPPORTS CAT METRO'S OVERALL GOAL FOR ELECTRIFICATION OF THE ENTIRE FLEET.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
UM, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? SO, FOR THE LIGHT RAIL PART OF THE PROGRAM, UM, WE'RE REALLY PRETTY EARLY IN THE, IN THE PROCESS THERE, MORE IN THE PLANNING MODE AND STILL DEFINING THE PROJECT REALLY.
SO WHAT'S SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE IS THESE A COUPLE OF MAJOR PHASES, UH, AND THESE, THIS IS ACTUALLY FEDERAL LINGO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FTA, UM, LOOKING FOR THEM TO BE A MAJOR INVESTOR, UM, TO THE TUNE OF MAYBE 50% OF THE CAPITAL COST BEING COVERED BY FEDERAL GRANTS.
UH, SO WE'RE IN EARLY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS AGAIN, REALLY JUST WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, DEVELOPING THE PROJECT, DEFINING WHAT IT IS.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S KIND OF A GATEWAY IN THE FEDERAL PROCESS CALLED ENTERING ENGINEERING.
UM, AND FOLLOWING THAT WOULD BE MORE FINAL DESIGN ACTIVITIES AND, AND ULTIMATELY CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY EARLY, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
IF WE GO TO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, SO ONE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT WITH OUR BOARD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IS THE TRAJECTORY OF, UH, COSTS FOR THESE KINDS OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROGRAM ESTIMATES, YOU KNOW, AS DESIGN HAS ADVANCED, WE'RE SEEING THOSE COSTS GO UP.
UM, AND SO JUST RECOGNIZING THAT TRAJECTORY, WE'RE TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF TIME HERE TO PAUSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DEFINING A PROJECT THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT AND AFFORD.
UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN SOME OF THE TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, CERTAINLY IN THE AUSTIN AREA, THE COST OF RIGHT AWAY, UH, REAL ESTATE PRICES, I MEAN, IS PROBABLY NO SURPRISE.
THAT'S, UH, A MAJOR PART OF THE COST INCREASE, UH, THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING.
BUT JUST IN GENERAL, UH, THE INFLATION RATES, UM, LABOR SHORTAGES AND OTHER KIND OF ISSUES IN THE INDUSTRY ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE THINK THAT AT THIS EARLY STAGE IS THE TIME TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DEFINING PROJECT IN THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, ALSO OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AS THE, YOU KNOW, LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM HAS CONVINCED YOU MIGHT HAVE GONE TO SOME OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, LOOKING AT THE EARLY DESIGN CONCEPTS.
[00:10:01]
SOME SCOPE CHANGES.YOU KNOW, THE, LIKE THE TUNNEL IS A, IS A BIG, A BIG ELEMENT OF THE PROJECT, AND THAT HAD GROWN A LITTLE BIT.
SO, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE SIMPLIFIED CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES OR OTHER THINGS WHERE WE CAN MAKE SURE, UH, WE'RE KEEPING IT WITHIN A MANAGEABLE COST RANGE.
UH, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF DOING THAT WORK RIGHT NOW, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO REALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY LATER IN THE YEAR AND INTO NEXT YEAR TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DEFINE THE PROJECT.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? SO, TO SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, WHICH IS A KEY COMPONENT, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE FEDERAL FUNDS.
UH, AND WE'D ACTUALLY STARTED THIS PROCESS BACK IN 2021, AND WE'RE STILL IN IT, UM, AND PROBABLY WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE YET, UM, AS PART OF NPA, UM, IT, IT'S FEDERAL LAW.
IT'S TRIGGERED WHENEVER THERE WOULD BE FEDERAL DOLLARS OR OTHER KIND OF FEDERAL NEXUS LIKE THAT INVOLVED.
AND WHAT IT REQUIRES IS A, IS A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE IMPACTS OF, UH, CONSTRUCTING AND OPERATING YOUR PROPOSED PROJECT.
UM, LOOKING AT JUST EVERYTHING FROM HISTORIC RESOURCES TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES TO IMPACTS ON NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, AND DOING A FULL ANALYSIS, UM, PUTTING ALL THAT DOCUMENTATION TOGETHER AND MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT.
AND IT IS TYPICALLY AROUND THIS TIME IN THE PROCESS, SO PRETTY EARLY, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A FULLY DESIGNED PROJECT YET AT ALL.
UM, AND I, I THINK A COUPLE OF THE REALLY GOOD THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THE NEPA PROCESS, ONE IS, UM, YOU IDENTIFY NOT ONLY WHAT THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ARE, BUT HOW YOU CAN MITIGATE THEM.
AND, UM, AS PART OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE NEPA PROCESS, THOSE ARE COMMITMENTS THAT ARE MADE ON THE PART OF ATP OR CAT METRO, UM, THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE PROJECTS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A REAL COMMITMENT THAT'S MADE, YOU KNOW, AT THIS STAGE OF THE PROCESS.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK IS REALLY CRITICAL ABOUT NEPA IS THE PUBLIC PROCESS THAT IT, UM, ENTAILS.
AND THAT JUST MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED AND AWARE OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, UM, WHAT THE IMPACTS MIGHT BE, WHAT THE MITIGATION MIGHT BE AT THIS EARLY STAGE, AND CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, MEANINGFUL INPUT THAT CAN BE ACTED UPON.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, AND AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THE LIGHT RAIL, UM, PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE YOU'LL BE SEEING, YOU KNOW, THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTATION OUT THERE AND AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT AND, AND REVIEW.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? UH, SO THAT, THAT'S MY BRIEF KIND OF OVERVIEW OF, UH, PROJECT CONNECT SO FAR.
I DON'T, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, UH, TURN IT OVER TO TURN IT BACK TO DONNA
I CAN GO INTO THE, THERE WE GO.
THE, AGAIN, I'M DONNA GALL LOTTI.
UM, THE, THIS IS THE LARGEST RETROFITTING OF RIGHT OF AWAY THE CITY HAS EVER UNDERTAKEN.
WE KNOW THAT THE CITY'S CODE AND CRITERIA, WHICH FOCUS DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ON VERTICAL SITE SPECIFIC PROJECTS WERE NOT WRITTEN TO ACCOMMODATE A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE.
TODAY, WE BRING FORWARD A FOUNDATIONAL ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT NOW AND SETS A FRAMEWORK BY WHICH WE CAN ADD COMPONENTS AS SCOPE AND DESIGN PROGRESSES.
THIS IS A ONCE IN A GENERATION PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS A NUMBER OF COUNCIL ADOPTED POLICIES AND PLANS SUCH AS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN GOALS, SUPPORTING THE AS S AND P MODE, SHIFT GOALS, HEALTH AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, TRANSFORMING THE TRANS NETWORK AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES.
THE ENNO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION IS A THINK TANK THAT DID A REPORT ON WHY NORTH AMERICAN TRANSIT PROJECTS TAKE LONGER AND COST MORE THAN THOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
THE 2021 ENNO REPORT SITES SEVERAL CASE STUDIES DEMONSTRATING THAT AUSTIN IS NOT ALONE IN HAVING A CODE RELATED OBSTACLE.
THE REPORT IDENTIFIED LOCAL REGULATION, PERMITTING, AND DECISION MAKING PROCEDURES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AS AN OBSTACLE TO ACHIEVING VIABLE COST EFFECTIVE TRANSIT SYSTEMS ON PAR WITH THOSE OF PURE NATIONS.
IN OCTOBER OF 2021, COUNCIL PASS RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO SCAN CODE CRITERIA AND PROCESSES, LOOKING FOR OBSTACLES TO EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION AND PERMITTING OF PROJECT CONNECT THE RESOLUTION SITES, THE CITY'S MOBILITY PLAN, THE VOTER REFERENDUM FOR PROJECT CONNECT, THE ENNO REPORT, AND THE KNOWN DIFFICULTIES OF AUSTIN'S CODES AND ORDINANCES.
IN IMPLEMENTING A LINEAR PROJECT, COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE FOR PUBLIC MOBILITY PROJECTS IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, AND PROJECT CONNECT WILL BENEFIT FROM THAT ORDINANCE.
THIS RESOLUTION PROVIDES FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE OBSTACLES WE KNOW TODAY.
PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE STAFF HAVE SCANNED CODE AND
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CRITERIA, AND GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW TODAY, WE HAVE A DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR PROJECT CONNECT REGULATIONS AND PROCESSES THAT WILL BENEFIT THE PROGRAM AS IT PROCEEDS.WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSIT AND HEALTH AND SAFETY BENEFITS OF LIGHT RAIL IN A WAY THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND RESPECTFUL OF THE COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S RESOURCES, AND ENSURE WE DON'T GET IN OUR OWN WAY AS WE IMPLEMENT PROJECT CONNECT.
THE FOUNDA, THIS FOUNDATIONAL ORDINANCE HAS FIVE MAIN COMPONENTS, STRUCTURE, NOISE AND MITIGATION PLAN, ADJUSTMENTS TO SITE PLAN USES, AND FISCAL PAYMENT.
THIS ORDINANCE IS A STANDALONE REGULATORY INSTRUMENT, SO THAT WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS COME IN FOR REVIEW, BOTH THE APPLICANT AND THE REVIEWER CAN GO TO ONE PLACE FOR ANY REGULATIONS OR STANDARDS FOR TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECTS.
THIS ORDINANCE DEFINES TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECT AS A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT, GENERALLY DEPICTED ON EXHIBIT A, WHICH IS THE, THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM MAP WITH ANY RELATED APP, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO A RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSIT LINE, RAIL STATION, OR A TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL FUNDED BY A PUBLIC ENTITY.
WE KNOW THAT AS PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS AT AUSTIN, TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP HAS TO IDENTIFY MITIGATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION NOISE, AND THAT THOSE MITIGATIONS ARE BINDING.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE FTA RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES, WE REALIZED THAT MANY OF THESE STANDARDS START WHERE THE CITY'S ESCALATION OF NOISE COMPLAINTS ARE, SUCH AS REGULAR, REGULAR MONITORING OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE LEVELS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE THE CITY REQUIRES MONITORING AFTER A NUMBER OF VALID COMPLAINTS, WE WILL REQUIRE MONITORING AS A STANDARD BY ADOPTING THETA'S RECOMMENDED PRACTICES.
THEREFORE, WITH THIS ORDINANCE, WE'RE REQUIRING THAT THE MITIGATION PLAN INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES.
THE NOISE MITIGATION PLAN CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN COMPONENTS, THE NOISE MITIGATION AND MONITORING PLAN THAT IS IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE NEPA ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND SUBMITTED TO THE FDA.
TWO IS AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WILL SUBMIT THEIR PLAN REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTORS SPECIFIC NOISE PLANS THAT ADDRESS MITIGATION FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTION.
AND THREE, IT WILL INCLUDE A COMMUNICATION PLAN WITH PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFICATION AND MONITORING.
AND ALL OF THAT IS IN OUR EXHIBIT A, UH, EXHIBIT B OF THE ORDINANCE.
TO ACCOMMODATE MOVING ON TO PERMITTING PROCESS TO ACCOMMODATE A VARIETY OF POTENTIAL PERMITTING PACKAGES.
THE ORDINANCE WILL INCLUDE MINOR CHANGES TO THE FAST TRACK AND PHASED ENGINEERING PORTIONS OF CODE BY REMOVING CONSTRAINTS.
SO IT WILL ALLOW A LINEAR STRETCH OF RAIL TO BE IN THE FAST TRACK PROCESS, EVEN IF NO OCCUPIED BUILDING IS IN THAT SITE PLAN, APPLICATION PACKAGE IN CURRENT CODE.
UM, THE FAST TRACK PROCESS REQUIRES THERE TO BE A BUILDING, BUT IF, IF A SITE PLAN PACKAGE WAS JUST LINEAR RAIL, WE WOULDN'T WANT, WE WOULD STILL WANNA BE ENABLE THAT DESIGN BUILD PROCESS.
IT WILL ALLOW VARIANCES TO BE PROCESSED AT THE PHASE LEVEL AS OPPOSED TO NOT ALLOWING IT IN THE FAST TRACK PROCESS AT ALL.
UM, AND ENSURE PHASES CAN BE SUBMITTED AS UPDATES AND EXTEND THE SITE PLAN LIFE TO 10 YEARS.
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DEFINES USES WITHIN USE CATEGORIES ALONG WITH EXAMPLES.
BECAUSE THIS IS OUR FIRST LIGHT RAIL PROJECT, THERE IS EQUIPMENT THE CITY HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN, AND WITH THIS ORDINANCE, WE ARE DEFINING THE USE SO THAT THERE WILL BE PREDICTABILITY AGAIN ON BOTH THE APPLICANT AND REVIEWER SIDE OVER TIME.
THE FIRST TRANSIT SYSTEM USE IS TO ESTABLISH THAT ATTRACTION POWERED SUBSTATION IS A LOCAL UTILITY SERVICE, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE WORD SUBSTATION IN IT, THEY'RE NOT GIANT OPEN SUBSTATIONS, WHICH ARE CLASSIFIED AS MAJOR UTILITY USE.
A TPSS IS MUCH SMALLER AND ENCLOSED LIKE YOU SEE IN THE PICTURES, AND IT FITS THE DEFINITION OF LOCAL UTILITY SERVICE.
THIS ORDINANCE WILL ALSO STATE THAT A MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR LIGHT RAIL FALLS WITHIN THE CIVIC USE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE FACILITY AS OPPOSED TO RAILROAD FACILITY USE.
UH, RAILROAD FACILITY USE IS A MUCH MORE INDUSTRIAL USE, ONLY ALLOWED INDUSTRIAL ZONES AND INTENDED FOR ACTIVITIES USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH FREIGHT YARDS.
THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR THE EXISTING RED LINE WAS PERMITTED IN 2003 AS MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE FACILITIES.
UM, SO IT ISN'T NEW, BUT AGAIN, WE WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH THE ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH THE USE, UH, TO MAKE REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION EASIER OVER TIME.
THE, UM, THE FINAL ITEM IN THE ORDINANCE IS THE FISCAL EXEMPTION OUTSIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE,
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UM, ORDINANCE APPROVED IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, EX.UM, WE DO BENEFIT FROM THAT ORDINANCE.
IT EXEMPTED PUBLIC MOBILITY PROJECTS FROM POSTING FISCAL, BUT ONLY IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THIS ORDINANCE EXPANDS THAT FISCAL EXEMPTION TO TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THINGS SUCH AS PARK AND RIDES.
AND, UM, THE NEXT STEPS INCLUDE COMMISSIONS THROUGH OCTOBER WITH THE INTENT OF GOING TO COUNCIL IN DECEMBER FOR APPROVAL.
WE ARE ALSO COORDINATING WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UM, TO GO TO THE ATP BOARD AND THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
LET'S OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR COMMENTS OF QUESTIONS.
DOES IT FOR YOU ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING? I HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S PROBABLY VERY EASY FOR YOU TO ANSWER, AND COULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY IT DOES, IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO POST FISCAL, THAT'S A TERM I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, SO WHEN SITE PLANS ARE APPROVED, POSTING FISCAL MEANS THAT BASICALLY THE, THE DEVELOPER OR OWNER HAS TO PAY THE CITY, UM, A SUM OF MONEY THAT THE CITY HOLDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T, IT'S REALLY MOVING MONEY FROM ONE POCKET TO ANOTHER.
UM, AND THIS IS, AND SO WITH THE CPO ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED IN MAY MM-HMM.
AND AGAIN, IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID MOVING MONEY FROM ONE POCKET TO ANOTHER.
UM, BUT THAT ORDINANCE DUE TO THE LANGUAGE IN THE, UM, IN THE RESOLUTION WAS LIMITED TO JUST IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SOME PROJECT CONNECT ITEMS, POSSIBLY AT, UM, PARK AND RIDES OR, OR AT TPSS, FOR EXAMPLE, MIGHT BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WE WANNA EXTEND THAT SAME, UM, OKAY.
SO CURRENTLY, DOES THAT, UH, GO, IS THAT USED IN DEVELOPMENT OF ROADWAY QUARTERS? NO, THEY, THEY GIVE THE MONEY BACK.
SO ONCE, UM, THE MONEY'S JUST HELD DURING DEVELOPMENT AND AFTER OUR DEVELOPMENT IS COMPLETE, THE DEVELOPER GETS THE MONEY BACK.
OR THAT'S WHAT I MEANT IS THE QUESTION.
I HAD A QUESTION IN PARTICULAR, YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHANGE, UM, WITH THE RED LINE FOR THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY TO BE CLASSIFIED.
OH, IN A NEW CATEGORY, IT'S, UH, THE RED LINE, THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS OR WAS PERMITTED IN 2003 AS A MAINTENANCE AND, AND AS A MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
UM, WE JUST WANNA ENSURE THAT AS STAFF TURNOVER HAPPENS, AS TIME PROGRESSES, THAT NO ONE, UM, TRIES TO INTERPRET A MAINTENANCE FACILITY AS A RAILROAD FACILITY WITHIN CODE, BECAUSE RAILROAD FACILITY IS DEFINED AS A MUCH MORE INDUSTRIAL USE.
SO HAS THIS MAINTENANCE FACILITY ENGENDERED ANY PROBLEMS OR COMPLAINTS OR ANYTHING THAT NO, NOT THAT WE HAVE SEEN.
AND SO, ARE, ARE THERE ANY POTENTIAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF CHANGING THAT KIND OF FACILITY TO BE NOT INDUSTRIAL? DID NOT HAVE TO, NO.
IF THE PERMIT CAME IN TODAY MM-HMM.
IF THE, IF, IF THE PERMIT WAS WERE TO COME IN TODAY, IT WOULD JUST BE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND WE WOULD, AND WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD.
THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING IT IN THE ORDINANCE IS JUST SO THAT IT'S, UM, JUST SO THAT IT'S WRITTEN SOMEWHERE.
WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OLD CONVERSATIONS OR TRY TO PULL UP AN EMAIL FROM A LONG TIME AGO.
AND SUGGEST WHEREVER WE GRAB THE BIRD RAIL.
NOW LET ME POINT OUT, UM, CAP METRO JUST GOT A 70 MILLION GRANT FOR A NEW, UM, DEMAND SERVICES MAINTENANCE FACILITY, WHICH IS WHERE THE PICKUP VEHICLES WILL BE SERVICED.
NOW, I PRESUME THAT IF NORTH OPS AND EAST OPS HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH THE ZONING PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY PROBLEMS, BUT THERE MIGHT BE.
AND FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASONS YOU WANNA CALL OUT RAIL FACILITIES, LET ME SUGGEST THAT YOU CALL OUT FUTURE BUS FACILITIES.
UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER PLACE WHERE YOU SPECIFICALLY
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USED MAYBE IN THE NOISE MITIGATION PLAN.AH, SO THE NOISE MITIGATION, THE, THE REASON THAT WE SPECIFICALLY DID NOT INCLUDE BUS FOR THE NOISE, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP THE NOISE PLAN AS PART OF THEIR, UM, E AND, AND EFFORTS WITH NEPA THAT JENNIFER WAS DESCRIBING EARLIER.
AND, BUT RIGHT NOW, CAP METRO IS PULLING PERMITS FOR BUS STATIONS AND WERE WE TO INCLUDE BUSES, IT WOULD STOP THEIR PERMITTING PROCESS.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE MITIGATION PLAN.
AND CERTAINLY THOUGH, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE MITIGATION PLAN IS, IS, IS READY, AND IF CAP METRO, UM, FOUND IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, USEFUL, WE COULD ADD IT AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE TO WHATEVER EXTENT IT SIMPLIFIES THE BUS PROCESS.
IT ACHIEVES THE SAME EFFECT AS THE RAIL PROCESS.
SORRY, I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER PLACE WHERE I SPECIFICALLY SAW A RAIL, BUT, UM, OH, UNDER DEFINITIONS TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECT MEANS A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT GENERAL.
DOES THAT, IS THAT DEFINITION APPLICABLE ONLY TO THE NOISE PLAN? THIS IS PART FOUR A.
NO, THAT IS, UM, JUST FOR THE WHOLE ORDINANCE ITSELF AND WHERE IT SAYS, SO IT SAYS, BUT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO A RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSIT LINE.
SO THAT PUBLIC TRANSIT LINE IS WHERE WE INCLUDE WHERE, WHERE BUSES B R T FALLS.
I WOULD SUGGEST GOING ONE STEP FURTHER AND ACTUALLY CALLING OUT BUSES.
WE HAVE WHAT THE FORMER, UH, CEO CAMP METRO REFERRED AS B RT, LIKE AT SOME POINT THE METRO RAPIDS AT SOME POINT, MAYBE WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY OPENS TO PUT IN FULL ISOLATE SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF TRAFFIC E RT.
AND AGAIN, YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THE COVERAGE ALREADY IN PLACE, RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN.
WOULD THAT NOT BE ON THIS IS, IS IT EXHIBIT? YEAH, THAT IS, YES.
THAT ARE ON, THAT'S EXHIBIT A.
AND SO AND SO, UM, RIGHT, THE DEFINITION, WE DID INTEND THAT WHERE IT, WHERE IT LISTS PUBLIC TRANSIT LINE, THAT THAT INCLUDES BUSES.
BUT I, I, UNDER, I HEAR YOUR POINT, PUBLIC TRANSIT LINES INCLUDING BUSES.
UH, COMMISSIONER FRANCO? NOPE, YOU'RE ON MUTE.
COULD YOU GO BACK AND EXPLAIN THE NOISE ORDINANCE, UH, SECTION ONE MORE TIME FOR ME? SURE.
I THOUGHT I PICKED UP ON IT, BUT I I WASN'T TOO CLEAR.
YEAH, THE, UM, LET ME GO TO MY NOTES.
SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT THE IS IS TO REQUIRE, SO WHAT OUR ORDINANCE IS DOING IS REQUIRING THAT AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UM, PROVIDE A MITIGATION, A NOISE MITIGATION PLAN.
WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT A MITIGATION PLAN TO FTA ANYWAY.
WE KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF THE, THE NEPA PROCESS IS ATP.
ATP HAS TO IDENTIFY MITIGATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION NOISE.
AND WHEN WE STARTED TO LOOK AT THE REQUIREMENTS OR, AND THE, AND THE BEST PRACTICES, FTA HAS ALL OF THIS INFORMATION ABOUT BEST PRACTICES FOR, UM, FOR THESE NOISE MITIGATION PLANS.
AND WE LOOKED AT THAT, WE SAW THAT, UM, SOME OF THOSE, A LOT OF THOSE ITEMS ARE, ARE SORT OF, THEY SORT OF START WHERE THE CITY'S ESCALATION PROCESS IS.
SO JUST IF YOU WERE GETTING A SITE PLAN FOR, UM, A COMMERCIAL DE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE TO, UM, AFTER SEVERAL VALID COMP, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION NOISE COMPLAINTS, THEN THE CITY WOULD SAY, OH, WELL NOW LET'S, LET'S REQUIRE A MONITORING PLAN.
WHEREAS FTA SAYS, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THEIR BEST PRACTICES INCLUDE START WITH A MONITORING PLAN AND, UM, A MONITORING PLAN, A COMMUNICATION PLAN.
AND SO EXHIBIT B GOES INTO, UM, WHAT'S REQUIRED.
SO WHEN AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP CREATES THEIR MITIGATION PLAN, THE CITY'S GONNA REVIEW IT AGAINST EXHIBIT B AND MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS ALL OF THESE THINGS.
HOW ARE COMPLAINTS, UM, TR LOGGED AND HOW IS THE MONITORING OF VIEWABLE ONLINE? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE CONTRACTORS GOING TO NEED TO PROVIDE,
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW? AND SO ALL OF THESE ITEMS WILL BE REQUIRED, UM, AS THE MITIGATION PLAN, AND THEY WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE CITY, UH, FOR THE CITIES TO REVIEW.AND THIS IS SEPARATE FOR ME, SORT OF NOISE MITIGATION, THEY MIGHT HAPPEN DURING OPERATIONS AND WHATNOT.
AND ONE MORE QUESTION WITH REGARDS TO, UM, UH, THE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND RE THE DEF THE CHANGE IN DEFINITION.
I KNOW YOU, I NOTICED YOU PUT IN THEIR COMMERCIAL.
UM, WOULD THAT INCLUDE POTENTIALLY COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE IF THEY WANTED TO HAVE OFFICES FOR, UM, ATP OR FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE USE OF THE, OF THE, OF THE TREND, THE FACILITIES ON TOP, UH, TO MAXIMIZE, YOU KNOW, DENSITY AND SPACE? SURE.
SO I THINK UPON REVIEW, RIGHT, IF THEY, IF THEY HAD A SITE PLAN COME IN AND INCLUDED A MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND OFFICES, UM, WE WOULD TYPICALLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AMOUNT OF SPACE.
AND SO BOTH USES HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE ZONING REGULATIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR SITE IS ZONED CS, THEN YOU COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, OFFICE IS A PERMITTED USE IN CS AS WELL AS A MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
UM, AND THAT'S SORT OF HOW SITE PLANS ARE REVIEWED TODAY, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE A SITE PLAN COME IN AND IT HAS A GAS STATION AND A RESTAURANT, BOTH OF THE USES HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE ZONING AND, AND BY CLARIFYING MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN THE ORDINANCE, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, REVIEWERS ARE, ARE BUSY, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF APPLICATIONS COMING IN ALL THE TIME.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ONE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS A MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
IS IT A MA YOU KNOW, AND THEY LOOK AT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION, IS THIS A MAINTENANCE FACILITY OR, OR A RAILROAD FACILITY? THEY CAN LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE AND SEE THIS IS A MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
AND YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE, UM, AT THE PERMITTING HISTORY OF THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE FACILITY FROM 2003.
UM, BUT HAVING IT IN THE ORDINANCE SORT OF TAKES CARE OF THAT FOR THEM.
IT, IT REMOVES THE, THE NEED FOR THEM TO SPEND TIME RESEARCHING THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
I THINK, I THINK I UNDERSTAND, UH, I JUST WANNA, I GUESS MY POINT BEING THAT WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU, THAT Y'ALL ARE, ARE PUTTING IN OR CHANGING, I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE US FROM USING IT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SOME, IN SOME INTERESTING WAYS, PERHAPS.
OFFICE SPACE OR EVEN HOUSING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, SAN FRANCISCO DID SOME AMAZING STUFF.
I KNOW IT'S NOT TRAINS, RIGHT? IT'S NOT A TRAIN SYSTEM.
THEY'RE MAINLY FACILITS FOR BUSES.
BUT REGARDLESS, JUST THERE'S SOME INTERESTING WAYS THAT MAYBE WE COULD USE THAT LAND AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO HONEST, WOULDN'T WANT, WANT TO PRECLUDE US FROM DOING SO.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, UM, POINT TO REMEMBER IF, IF THERE WAS EVER A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT NEEDED TO BE REZONED, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T DO IN THIS ORDINANCE, BUT WERE THEY LOOKING AT A PROPERTY THAT NEEDED TO BE REZONED, THAT WOULD BE A REASON TO, TO ZONE IT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A REASON TO PICK ONE ZONE OVER ANOTHER ZONE IS WELL, YOU KNOW, PICK SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS FOR MULTIPLE USES.
JUST TO SORT OF FOLLOW UP ON THAT, HAVE YOU ANTICIPATED PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ON, UM, ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT PERTAINING TO THE, OR IN COORDINATION WITH THE, UH, LINEAR STRUCTURE? AND WOULD THEY, I ASSUME THEY WOULD ALSO FOLLOW THE SA OR HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE COORDINATES? UM, THE REQUIREMENTS, YES.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF PROJECTING THE NOISE, UH, ANY OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU'VE INCLUDED IN THIS ORDINANCE YES.
IF IT MET THE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN EACH SECTION, RIGHT? YES.
AND THEN I, I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE OTHER QUESTION, PART OF THE QUESTION OVER.
WELL, THAT'S FOR THE QUESTION ON INTEREST IN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS MM-HMM.
IF I MAY, UM, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY, COMMISSIONER, UM, SO EXTENDING THIS FAST TRACK PROGRAM ONTO ANY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT MAY BE, THAT MAY BE BUILT, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THE RAIL LINE, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE, AS WE, I THINK ALL OF, WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT THERE'S TTIA FUNDS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN EXTENDED FOR LOW INTEREST LOANS FOR HOUSING ALONG OUR RAIL CORRIDORS.
AND SO WHILE OUR RAIL MAY NOT BE BUILT, IF WE COULD FAST TRACK THAT HOUSING, IT MAY HELP US SOLVE OUR HOUSING CRISIS.
[00:35:01]
PUTTING IN, UH, THAT OR APPLYING THAT FAST TRACK PROCESS TO HOUSING THAT IS IN SUPPORT OF THE RAIL? IF IT WAS PART OF THE SAME SITE PLAN, THEN IT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THIS ORDINANCE.I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF, THERE ARE A LOT OF EFFORTS AND DEPARTMENTS LOOKING AT, UM, WAYS TO, UM, TO, TO, UM, WAYS TO IMPROVE SITE PLAN PROCESS, RIGHT? AND, AND YOU KNOW, IF THIS, AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND EXPAND THE, THE, THE, THIS TYPE OF REGULATION TO OTHER TYPES OF PROJECTS.
BUT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT INDEPENDENTLY WITH THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION IS JUST ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT.
BUT IF THERE WAS A SITE PLAN THAT HAD, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A, LIKE YOU WERE DESCRIBING A MULTIPLE USE SITE PLAN THAT INCLUDED A COMPONENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT AS WELL AS SOMETHING ELSE, THEN IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THIS, UH, SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE.
I GUESS THEN I WOULD SAY, I THINK MAYBE IT'S, UH, FOR, FOR A DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER MEETING THAT WE WRITE IN, REWRITE A MEMO TO COUNSEL, UM, HELPING FAST TRACK SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT MIGHT BE IN SUPPORT OF THE RAIL.
SORRY, ONE LAST QUESTION ON UNDER PART SEVEN, A SITE PLAN, IT SAYS, UH, IT USES THE PHRASE IS MORE THAN 10 YEARS AFTER APPROVAL DATE OF THE SITE PLAN.
WHAT IS, WHAT DETERMINES THAT DATE? UM, APPROVAL OF THE SITE PLAN IS WHEN IS, IS WHEN THE, THE SITE PLAN PERMIT IS ISSUED.
AND SO OUR ORDINANCE IS EXPANDING THE LIFE OF A SITE PLAN TO 10 YEARS.
TYPICALLY A SITE PLAN IN CURRENT CODE, A SITE PLAN HAS A LIFE OF THREE YEARS AFTER APPROVAL DATE.
SO THE APP IN CURRENT CODE, UH, A SITE PLAN APPLICATION HAS ONE YEAR.
SO YOU SUBMIT ON DAY ONE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR SITE PLAN PERMIT APPROVED BY ONE YEAR FROM THEM AND PLUS LATE DAYS OR, OR YOU KNOW, WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, AND THIS ORDINANCE IN, UM, SECTION A PART SEVEN A FOUR ALLOWS FOR UPDATES UP TO, UM, FIVE YEARS MM-HMM.
SO IT'S, SO THAT'S, IT'S FIVE YEARS FOR THE APPLICATION, BUT ONCE IT'S APPROVED, THEN YOU HAVE A LIFE OF 10 YEARS AND IN PART A ONE, UM, THAT IS ALLOWING, UM, ALLOWING PHASES.
SO THAT'S A COMBINATION OF FAST TRACK AND PHASED ENGINEERING WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, UM, TO ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, UPDATES TO THE PLAN SO THAT, SO THAT THERE, THERE MIGHT BE A VARIETY OF CONSTRUCTION, UM, POSSIBILITIES.
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, LIKE ONCE THIS IS PASSED, THIS KIND OF THE LANGUAGE AND THE ORDINANCE SORT OF, UM, OPENS THE, THE, THE POSSIBILITY WITHIN FAST TRACK AND PHASE ENGINEERING A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS PASSED, THEN WE CAN WORK WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND SORT OF GET INTO THE WEEDS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN A PHASE ONE, OR WHAT WOULD YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU WANNA INCLUDE, WHAT WOULD THEY NEED TO SEE IN ORDER TO, IF PHASE ONE ON A PARTICULAR STRETCH WAS MOVING UTILITIES WELL, WHAT ALL WOULD THEY NEED TO SEE IN THAT SECTION? AND THEN ONCE THAT PHASE IS APPROVED, THAT WOULD BE AN APPROVAL DATE AND THEN THEY COULD SUBMIT, THE APPLICANT COULD THEN SUBMIT, UH, THE NEXT PORTION AS, AS AN UPDATE INSTEAD OF, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A REVISION, WHICH IS JUST MORE TIME CONSUMING AND COSTS MORE MONEY.
UM, SO THE UPDATE ALLOW, SAY, YOU KNOW, SPECIFYING THAT THE, THESE PHASES AND THESE FAST TRACK LAYERS COULD COME IN AS UPDATES, UM, ENABLES THEM TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EACH SECTION, KEEP ONE CASE NUMBER, HAVE ALL OF THIS WORK UNDER ONE PERMIT INSTEAD OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO KIND OF STOP AND RESET WITH A BRAND NEW APPLICATION OR STOP AND RESET WITH A BRAND NEW REVISION.
AND WILL THE CITY, LIKE SOMEONE LIKE YOU BE, UH, ASSIGNED TO SORT OF BE THE MONITOR OR THE, THE PERSON WHO'S KEEPING UP WITH ALL OF THIS? OR IS THAT A JOINT RESPONSIBILITY WITH ATP OR, YEAH, I HOPE SO.
UH, I AM THE
THAT'S, I GUESS THAT WAS MY QUESTION, REALLY.
AND SO, AND SO, YES, IDEALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND, AND WORK WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS A PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW TEAM MM-HMM.
AND SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM, YOU
[00:40:01]
KNOW, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS PASSED, BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET IN THE WEEDS ABOUT SPECIFIC APPLICATION QUESTIONS.THAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS SO BENEFICIAL.
ARE THERE ANY MORE? UH, YES, SUSAN? YEAH, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, SO I THINK THE FIRST ONE IS, IS SORT OF MORE OF A, MAYBE MORE OF A COMMENT, BUT, BUT MAYBE YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THIS, BUT, UM, I'M ENCOURAGED TO SEE THIS.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT WAS, I'D HEARD THAT THIS WAS IN DEVELOPMENT, SO I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SORT OF GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSIT.
UM, CUZ WE ALL, I MEAN, I THINK ALL THE THREE ENTITIES THAT ARE PART OF THIS PROJECT ARE HOPEFULLY WORKING IN CONCERT AND, AND ONE ANOTHER'S ALLIES IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, I THINK BACK TO WHEN WE WERE FIRST, UM, PUTTING, UH, INTO PLACE THE FIRST METRO RAPID LINE AND, UM, HEARING SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT HAPPENED AT THAT TIME, JUST PERMITTING A NEW TYPE OF BUS STATION THAT HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, ELECTRONICS OR, YOU KNOW, ARRIVAL SIGNS.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, AN EXTREMELY, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD FROM STAFF AT THAT TIME, WAS AN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING PERMITTING PROCESS JUST FOR THOSE STOPS.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S EASY FOR US TO UNDERESTIMATE HOW MUCH WE GET IN OUR OWN WAY WITH THIS.
AND WITH THAT SAID, UM, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING AS A HOUSING ADVOCATE IN THE CITY TO OFTEN SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UM, GETTING OUT OF OUR OWN WAY AND MAKING THINGS SIMPLER AND FUNDING HOUSING.
BUT IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING, A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE ACTUALLY CONTINUOUSLY PASSING MORE THINGS THAT MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS COMPLICATED THAT MAY HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOLITARY EFFECTS THAT MAY BE GOOD IN RESPECTS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL PICTURE OF THE REGULATORY WORLD FOR BUILDING HOUSING PROJECTS IN THE CITY, WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING A LOT RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDST OF A HOUSING CRISIS TO ACTIVELY EVEN MAKE THAT MORE COMPLEX.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO YOU IS THAT THIS IS VERY ENCOURAGING, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU DON'T VIEW IT AS THE END POINT.
LIKE I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, ADVOCATE AND, AND BRING TO COMMISSIONS LIKE THIS BODY.
IF YOU'RE RUNNING INTO PLACES WHERE YOU'RE HITTING A WALL OR PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE WORKING TOGETHER, AND WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY MORE, OR WORK TOGETHER MORE LIKE, PLEASE COME TO UTC.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, WE WANNA BE THE ADVOCATES AND I'LL BE TRYING TO KEEP MY EAR TO THE GROUND WITH THINGS OF THAT NATURE TOO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY, UM, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE IT'S REALLY CONCERNING AND THE PUBLIC DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, THAT WE'RE GETTING IN OUR OWN WAY WITH PROJECTS THAT ARE OUR COMMUNITY PRIORITY.
AND, UM, ESPECIALLY IF WE ADD ADDITIONAL COMPLEXITY OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS THAT WE'RE BUILDING, THAT'S THROWING OBSTACLES IN YOUR WAY.
LET'S NOT TREAT THIS AS THE END POINT.
LENO, LIKE, LET'S CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY AND, AND FOSTER OUR GOALS AS A CITY.
UM, I GUESS THAT'S REALLY JUST A COMMENT IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THAT, YOU CAN, YOU MAY NOT AND THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
UM, BUT I GUESS THE OTHER, THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD, AND THIS MAY TIE TO SOME OF THE PUBLIC PART, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP QUESTIONS.
UM, AT SOME POINT, STEERING PROJECT CONNECT REALLY EARLY, LIKE BEFORE THE ELECTION.
UM, SOME, SOME OF US AT LIKE PCAN MEETINGS AND THINGS WERE ASKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT ABOUT A DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT OR CONTRACTS OF THAT NATURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, TYPICALLY THERE'S DESIGN AND THEN THERE'S BUILD, BUT WHAT IF WE DID A DESIGN BUILD? WOULD THAT EXPEDITE THE PROCESS? I DON'T ACTUALLY PERSONALLY HAVE A, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL BEING CONSIDERED ANYMORE IN THIS PROCESS AS AN OPTION, BUT HOW WOULD, UM, LIKE A DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT RELATE TO THESE REGULATIONS? OR MAYBE YOU CAN JUST TELL ME, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT DESIGN BUILD ANYMORE, BUT, WELL, THE, THE POINT OF THE SEC OF THE SITE PLAN, UH, CHANGES IN, UH, PART SEVEN ARE TO ACCOMMODATE A VARIETY OF CONSTRUCTION METHODS.
SO I CAN ANSWER THAT, WHETHER IT IS DESIGN BUILD OR DESIGN BID BUILD OR, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, THE POINT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE SMALL MODIFICATIONS TO THE SITE PLAN CHAPTER, THEN WE HAVE ROOM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE SPECIFICS OF APPLICATIONS SORT OF, OF, UM, ANY OF THOSE CONSTRUCTION METHODS WOULD BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE APPLICATION.
AND IT WOULDN'T, UM, WITH, WITH THE IDEA BEING THAT IT WOULDN'T SLOW IT DOWN, AND I CAN JUST COMMENT ON, UM, WHETHER A DELIVERY METHOD HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO SAY THE ANSWER IS NO, IT HASN'T.
UM, THAT'S PART OF OUR PROCESS OVER THE NEXT BIT OF TIME HERE TO REALLY EVALUATE ALL THE DIFFERENT DELIVERY METHODS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE SELECTING THE BEST THING FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO THAT MAYBE DESIGN BUILD, IT MAY BE, UH,
[00:45:01]
PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD OR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT RISK.THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT MODELS AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THEM TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SELECTING THE RIGHT FIT OR FITS, UM, TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECTS.
LOOKING AROUND, DO I SEE ANY MORE, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
SO THIS IS POSTED FOR POSSIBLE ACTION FOR US IS THE DESIRE THAT WE WOULD EXPRESS, UH, UM, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE FAST TRACK CHANGE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY LANGUAGE OR, I, WE CAN COME FROM SOMETHING FROM THE DIAS, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR LANGUAGE? UM, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I THINK, I MEAN, UM, I MEAN DO YOU CALL THIS JUST GENERALLY THE, IT'S A, IT'S AN ORDINANCE AMENDING, UM, IT'S A FOUNDATIONAL ORDINANCE FOR TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECTS.
UM, UM, WOULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, MORE STARTED A FOUND
I'M READING FROM THE A NOTIFICATION, BUT, UH, IS THAT A DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE AND WE CAN READ IT TO? NO, IT WASN'T, UM, IS IT A DOCUMENT WE COULD PUT ON? UM, SO I'M SORRY TO CLARIFY, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION, UM, WE CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS.
WE CAN COME BACK IN NOVEMBER AND FINALIZE A FORMAL, FINALIZE A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SUPPORT AND THE UTC MEMBERS FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING, JUST STATING THAT THEY SUPPORT THE ITEM, UM, WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE THAT LANGUAGE IN THE MINUTES AS WELL AS JUST THE UTC SUPPORTS THIS ITEM.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF FORMAL RECOMMENDATION, WE CAN ALSO COME BACK.
I, I DON'T NEED A FORMAL ONE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO, ALRIGHT, SO THEN I WILL, UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION AND I SAW YOU ABOUT TO, ALL RIGHT.
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT, UM, THE UTC SUPPORTS THE PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE TO FAST TRACK DEVELOPMENT AND WE'LL CALL IT THAT FOR NOW, AND THEN WE CAN CALL IT THAT ON WHICH WE JUST RECEIVED THE PRESENTATION SO THAT IN THE MINUTES WE CAN, I'D SECOND THAT MOTION.
DO WE WANNA HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, THIS IS ITEM BACKUP.
ITEM ONE BASICALLY IS THE CURRENT LANGUAGE THAT, THAT HAS VERSION TWO AND READ AT THE TOP.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SORT OF VOTING TO SUPPORT.
DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? YES.
YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING TOO.
AND I DID HAVE A QUESTION ALONG THE SAME LINES IS ANOTHER VERSION ANTICIPATED BEFORE YOU GO TO COUNCIL.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION, ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, DESIGN COMMISSION AND, AND DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INTERESTED IN EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK.
SO THERE COULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE CHANGES BASED ON, BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT WE, THAT WE GET THROUGH THESE COMMISSIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE, THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH, UM, AT ITS SO FAR, BUT MM-HMM.
I, I ANTICIPATE THERE WOULD BE BY THE TIME DECEMBER.
SO COMES IF WE MIGHT AMEND THAT AS PRESENTED.
I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE RIGHT AS PRESENTED, UM, ON WHATEVER TODAY IS PRESENTED ON NOVEMBER THE THIRD, OH, WAIT, NO, OCTOBER.
I'M ABOUT, I LIVE A MONTH IN THE FUTURE,
UM, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, UH, OF SUPPORTING AS THIS PRESENTATION WE JUST RECEIVED? UH, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY AYE.
I ANY OPPOSED? RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? THERE'S ONES EXTENSION.
[3. Discussion and possible action on 2023 Meeting date selection]
ITEM THREE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON OUR 2023 MEETING DATE.THERE SHOULD BE AN ITEM IN OUR LIST.
IT SHOULD BE TOWARDS THE BACK.
UM, AND THIS WAS ALSO POSTED FOR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS ONLINE.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE RETURNING TO THE UCC OR HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, THIS IS NOTHING NEW.
UM, WE'RE JUST SELECTING THE DATES WITH 2023.
UM, ALL BOYS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE TO DO THIS AND, UH, IT'S JUST A STANDARD PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH.
UM, THE, AND I REALIZE THIS IS PRETTY SMALL ON THE SCREEN, BUT IT'S OKAY.
[00:50:01]
UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO FINALIZE THESE DATES NOW FOR FREE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, BUT BY NOVEMBER 30TH, UH, WE DO HAVE TO, I DO HAVE TO SUBMIT OUR FINAL DATES TO, UM, THE, UH, TO CITY HALL SO THAT WAY WE CAN BE, UH, LOCKED IN FOR THOSE DATES.
SO, SO IT IS BASICALLY EVERY FIRST TUESDAY EXCEPT FOR THE, AND JULY, BECAUSE IT'S JULY 4TH.
BECAUSE I FIGURED EVERYONE WOULD, EVERYONE WOULD STILL BE ON BREAK AND, UH, JULY.
FOR JULY AND OR DRUNK AND AND WHAT ELSE? AND OR DRUNK.
YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
WELL, DOES ANYONE WANT TO POSTPONE CHOOSING THESE STATES? BECAUSE IF SOME REASON THEY NEED TO GO LOOK MORE DEEPLY INTO THEIR CALENDARS, OH, I CAN'T SEE THE PEOPLE ONLINE.
IS IT, DO WE KNOW HOW LONG WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO JOIN REMOTELY FOR? I HAVEN'T GOTTEN LANGUAGE ON THAT OR DIRECTION ON THAT.
I WOULD ASSUME THOUGH, UM, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY DIRECTION ON THAT.
WE WILL CONTINUE IN THE FORMAT THAT WE ARE, THAT WE'RE IN.
UM, I CAN CERTAINLY SEE COUNCIL CONTINUING THE FORMAT THAT THEY HAVE.
I THINK EVERYONE APPRECIATES THE FACT THAT EVERYONE EXCEPT THE CHAIR COULD BE, UM, VIRTUAL.
SO I DON'T SEE, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING SAYING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA STOP THIS FORMAT.
ALL IN SUPPORT OF NOT GETTING PEOPLE TO HAVE TO DRIVE TO COME DOWN HERE AND SIT AND LOOK AT EACH OTHER TALK, RIGHT?
WE CAN LOOK ONLINE AND SEE THOUGH.
YOU ALL ARE MUCH NICER TO LOOK AT THAN MOST PEOPLE
WELL, SO IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO WAIT ON THIS OR CAN WE JUST TAKE A VOTE THAT THESE DATES SEEM OKAY.
UM, ALRIGHT, I'M NOT SAYING, DO YOU WANNA PROPOSE A SURE, SINCE IT ONLY APPLIES TO ME PROBABLY ONE MONTH.
I'LL BE GLAD TO MAKE THAT
UM, I'LL SECOND, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UM, SELECTING THIS SLATE OF DATES.
UM, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE, AYE.
ALL OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTIONS RIGHT? ALL? DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ONE OF THOSE? I I MUST HAVE MISSED IT.
I THINK IT'S THE SAME COLOR AS IN THE BACKGROUND.
WHILE WE'RE ON THAT SUBJECT, YOU MENTIONED A GOOD POINT, CYNTHIA.
UM, WE DO HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP.
I MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP, WHICH IMPLIES A FEW THINGS FOR ALL BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UM, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T EXPECT ANY CHANGES REALLY TO THIS BODY UNTIL, UM, FEBRUARY.
UM, IF THERE ARE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT IF WHEN NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ELECTED, THERE'S A, A SORT OF A GRACE PERIOD.
UM, AND THEN, SO THE CURRENT MEMBERS WE HAVE WILL ESSENTIALLY BE WHO WE HAVE UNTIL FEBRUARY OR UNTIL, UH, THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, RUNNING FOR ELECTION, CHOOSE SOMEONE ELSE.
THEY MAY VERY WELL CONTINUE TO CHOOSE THE MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.
UM, BUT I'LL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH THAT AS I GET INFORMATION.
UM, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T EXPECT ANY CHANGES OVERALL UNTIL FEBRUARY OF 2023
WELL, YOU KNOW, WHICH BRINGS UP, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T REALLY AN AGENDA ITEM, SO MAYBE WE CAN OR CAN'T TALK ABOUT.
I'LL JUST MAKE THIS STATEMENT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR OTHER FOLKS ON THIS COMMISSION TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE RESOLUTIONS AND WRITE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE COME MOSTLY FROM A VERY FEW FOLKS ON HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A PROGRAM ON HOW WE DO THAT.
I MEAN, I SORT OF PICKED IT UP BY VIRTUE OF SEEING OTHERS DO IT AND READING THEM.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE FEEL MORE, UH, ABLE TO GET THEIR, THEIR VOICES ACROSS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A THING WE TAKE OFFLINE, CHRISTOPHER, TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT WE MIGHT ADDRESS THAT OR I MIGHT BE ABLE TO PULL A FEW THINGS OFF, UM, ONLINE, BUT I'LL, I'LL CIRCLE BACK ON THAT.
AND I SAW SOME HEAD SHAKING, SO I THINK THAT WOULD FULFILL SOME NEEDS.
UM, MAYBE IT'S TIME TO GO AROUND.
MAYBE IT'S TIME TO GO AROUND AND GET PEOPLE'S REQUESTED TOPICS AGAIN.
UH, WELL, LET'S DO OUR, UM, BRIEFINGS
[BRIEFINGS]
FIRST AND THEN WE'LL, YES.UH, SO MOVING THROUGH OUR BRIEFING SECTION, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION COMMISSIONER, WEATHER MEETING.
WELL, I MISSED THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING BECAUSE I FINALLY GOT COVID, A VERY MILD CASE, BUT NEVERTHELESS, I WASN'T AT THE MEETING.
UM, THERE WAS ONLY ONE ITEM ON THE MEETING THIS LAST MONTH, SEPTEMBER THE 19TH, I BELIEVE, UM, THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEY, THE COMMISSION RECEIVED A REPORT FROM P D ON, UM, CRIMINAL
[00:55:01]
ACTIVITY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.AND THERE WAS ONE SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION THAT TALKED ABOUT, UM, INSTANCES OF ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S DETAILED ENOUGH FOR OUR COMMISSION TO GET A LOT OUT OF, BUT THERE WAS A ONE SHEET, AND IT'S ON THE, UH, ONLINE PORTAL UNDER THE COMMISSION PRESENTATION.
UM, UM, PARTICULARLY MENTIONED SCOOTER INCIDENTS MM-HMM.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW THAT RELATES TO THAT.
SO
UH, JOINT SUSTAINABILITY IS DIANE HERE? I HOPE SHE HASN'T BEEN STUCK IN THE WAITING ROOM THE WHOLE TIME.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER WHEELER IS, UH, ABSENT TODAY.
UH, BICYCLE ADVISORY ATHE LATON.
SO I WAS ON VACATION LAST MONTH, BUT I CHECKED THE NOTES.
UM, LAST MONTH THE ADVISORY COUNCIL HAD THE PRESENTATION ON I 35, WHICH WE HAD LAST MONTH.
AND THEN THEY, UM, ADDRESS THE PARKING AND THE BIKE LANE PROGRAM, AND I ASSUME THEY VOTED FOR IT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL ABOUT BICYCLES.
UH, PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMISSIONER.
ERNEST? YEAH, P AAC HAD ALSO THE, UM, I 35 EXPANSION PRESENTATION, UM, AND THEY DID MEMBER ELECTIONS LAST, UH, MEETING.
UH, FOR THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, I DID ATTEND ON SEPTEMBER 8TH.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BIKE LANE BLOCKAGE PROGRAM.
ACTUALLY, SPENCER FROM THE, UM, BAC CAME AND GAVE A, UH, CITIZEN'S PRESENTATION ON SOME DATA, WHICH INCLUDED SOME VERY INTERESTING STATS, LIKE 20, I WANNA SAY 21% OF THE, UH, BIKE LANES REPORTED BLOCKED CURRENTLY ON THE THREE ROOM APP OR EVEN INVESTIGATED AT ALL.
SO 80% JUST GO INTO THE WIND BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NOT THE RESOURCES.
AND IT WAS A PRETTY, UH, FRUITFUL DISCUSSION.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF EMAIL FROM, UM, FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS ALWAYS MIXED, UM, UM, ONLINE MOST STUDENT SUPPORT.
THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SERVICE TRADES AND THAT SORT OF THING, SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A BIT.
AND THEN THEY WERE GETTING THE I 35 PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD RECEIVED JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE.
SO I DID NOT STAY AROUND FOR THAT.
UM, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAME UP? DO YOU REMEMBER CHRIS? NO, SIR.
AND THEN, UM, SUSAN SUMMERS WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY ATP.
YEAH, THE SEPTEMBER MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS, UM, CANCELED BECAUSE OF TOMA SOMETHING IN THE POSTING, AND WE DIDN'T DO A REPLACEMENT MEETING.
SO, UM, WE'RE MEETING NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND SO I'LL HAVE, UM, AN UPDATE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ALL RIGHT, SO THEN MOVING ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS OFF, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THEIR SHEETS, BUT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ON HERE, UH, BOND UPDATES, VISION ZERO UPDATES, SOUTH CONGRESS, PARKING, GREAT STREETS PROGRAM, PLACEMAKING UPDATES, AND THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.THESE ARE ALL ITEMS OF INTEREST.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST THAT PEOPLE WANNA TALK ABOUT? MAYBE THEY WANT TO USE AS A, UM, A JUMPING OFF POINT FOR WRITING A RECOMMENDATION OF SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, I, TWO THINGS THAT CAME UP DURING THE TODAY'S DISCUSSION THAT I'D LOVE TO, TO HEAR MORE ABOUT.
UM, ONE OF THEM BEING, UH, WHAT SORT OF DELIVERY METHODS ARE THEY LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING FOR THE, FOR THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE DOING WORK ON, ON ANALYSIS FOR THAT, I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT AND WHAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT.
AND THE OTHER ONE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF WE WANNA TAKE THIS ON OR NOT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING OR THE, THE, THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING AND TRANSIT IS SUPER IMPORTANT AS WE ALL KNOW.
SO ARE THERE ANY WAYS THAT ANYTHING WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE, UH, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE ENTIRE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, BUT ANYTHING THAT, ANY THOUGHTS CUZ THAT'S, THAT'S ITS OWN ANIMAL? ANY THOUGHTS WE CAN COME UP WITH, HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY SOME, SOME, SOME ORDINANCE CHANGES OR THINGS THAT WE THINK COULD HELP ADDRESS, UM, UH, UM, HOUSING ALONG OUR RAIL CORRIDORS TO, TO, IN SUPPORT OF THE, OF, OF OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM, UM, VIS AVI, YOU KNOW, FAST TRACKING, MAYBE SOME DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN A QUARTER MILE WALK SHED OF THE, OF THE RAIL SYSTEMS SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE IN PLACE FIRST.
WE MAY NOT, WE MAY NOT HAVE THE RAIL IN PLACE, BUT THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T START BUILDING THE HOUSING THERE AND BUILD THOSE EVEN FASTER THINGS ALONG, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
[01:00:01]
MM-HMM.UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, ART THROW ON THERE AS A TANGENT TO THAT, OR MAYBE IT WAS A PRECURSOR TO THAT, IS THERE A CODE NEXT V2? I KNOW THAT IT WENT TO SPENCER CRONK AT SOME POINT, AND I DO NOT KNOW.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THAT WENT.
MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE HAS HEARD ANY NEWS.
NO, BUT I THINK IT, HE DIED, IT, IT, I THINK THERE WAS A FEELING THAT THE WAY THE, WELL, THE WAITING, THE RULINGS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND I DON'T FEEL THAT THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S NOT CONFIDENCE THAT THAT EXISTS, BASICALLY.
UM, AND SO PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE PRO CODE CHANGE, I THINK THEIR SENSE IS THAT LIKE, TO GET WHAT THEY REALLY WANT, THEY EITHER NEED TO OVERTURN THE RULING MM-HMM.
I HOPE I, I'M TRYING TO BE CAREFUL IN THE WAY I STATE THIS, BUT VERY DIPLOMATIC.
WASN'T THERE SOME, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS IN THE DISPLACEMENT, UH, EXPENDITURE FUNDS AND THAT CAME ALONG WITH PROJECT CONNECT? RIGHT.
UM, SEEMS LIKE THERE WERE SOME, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, WE RECEIVED A PRETTY GLOSS OVER PRESENTATION AND MAYBE SOME OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY HAVE HEARD MUCH MORE DETAIL, BUT, UH, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY HAD ALREADY TARGETED SOME FUNDS TO BEGIN LOOKING AT FINANCING AROUND RAIL LINES.
YEAH, THEY HAVE, THEY ALREADY STARTED RIGHT IN 62 MILLION THAT THEY'VE ALREADY, THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND SPEND THIS YEAR, BUT THAT'S NOT A CHANGE TO THE LAND USE CODES.
THIS IS JUST NO, I KNOW THAT, BUT, UM, I THOUGHT THE COMMISSIONER WAS LOOKING AT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP WITH HOUSING NOW, AND I, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE A, A REPORT TO REQUEST.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO DON'T GET INTO TOO MUCH DISCUSSION NOW SINCE THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY OUR AGENDA, IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE MIGHT BE SOME BITS THAT WE COULD LEARN TO TRY AND SHAPE HOW WE MIGHT ACT.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, SO I'M SURE CHRISTOPHER TOOK THAT POINT DOWN AND WE'LL TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO WRANGLE THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH, YOU KNOW, MEANINGFUL DATA.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY, ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT TO, I ALREADY ASKED CHRISTOPHER ABOUT THIS, BUT I GET NOT INFREQUENT QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING ON MY STREET OR REQUEST TO DO SOMETHING ON MY STREET AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I SHOULD HANDLE THOSE REQUESTS.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I SHOULD FIND OUT THE INFORMATION AND WHAT I SHOULD FEED BACK.
SO A SESSION ON PROVIDING INFORMATION AT THE PUBLIC MM-HMM.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE, UM, I SENT AN EMAIL TO CHRIS A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT I WAS, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU MENTIONED THIS, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN GETTING INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTING A, YOU KNOW, WRITE ON RED PROGRAM POSSIBLY UNLIKE SOUTH CONGRESS OR SIXTH STREET, AND THEN TAKING IT FURTHER IF IT HELPS ELIMINATE THE CAR CRASHES.
ATHENA DID GET YOU EMAIL ON THAT.
I APOLOGIZE IF I DIDN'T RESPOND.
I WASN'T SURE, UM, IF IT HAD BEEN MENTIONED AND I JUST MISSED IT.
NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S AN ITEM WE SHOULD PUT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND WE'LL SEE ABSOLUTELY.
HOW TO COME THROUGH AND, UM, YEAH, SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD, A GOOD BASE CASE TO WRITE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ALL RIGHT.
WITH THAT, UH, WE ARE DONE WITH OUR AGENDA AND WE ARE READY FOR ADJOURNMENT.
BYEBYE, YOU'LL ALWAYS LAY YOUR LATE.
NOTICE MY NEW BALL COMES AND ME YOUR BEST.
IT AIN'T THE THINGS YOU DON'T, IT'S THE THINGS YOU
[01:05:01]
DO, YOU DO.YOU DRIVING CRAZY, GOING OUTTA MY MIND.
NO, DOESN'T, IT AIN'T THE THINGS YOU DON'T, IT'S THE THINGS YOU DO.