* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [District 8 – Paige Ellis, Richard Smith, Antonio D. Ross, Kimberly P. Hawkins] [00:00:06] HI, I'M AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS, AND I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DISTRICT DATE ON THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M PRO AFFORDABILITY, PRO-ENVIRONMENT, PRO-CHOICE, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR PART TO END GUN VIOLENCE ON AFFORDABILITY. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN. A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE SAID, I WAS ABLE TO BUILD A LIFE HERE AND START MY FAMILY, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT MY KIDS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL IN AUSTIN. THAT'S WHY WE MADE SURE WE INCREASED THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO 20% AND I WAS PROUD TO BE PART OF THE ORIGINAL CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THAT INITIATIVE. WE ALSO INCREASED THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES TO $20 AN HOUR AND FOCUSED ON RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SPECIFICALLY IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. I'M ALSO PRO-ENVIRONMENT. BEFORE I RAN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE FOUR YEARS AGO AND STEPPED INTO THIS SEAT, I WORKED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRM, SO I HAVE A GOOD WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THE OVERLAPPING REGULATIONS, CENTRAL TEXAS ECOLOGY, AND I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR PART HERE LOCALLY TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AS OUR CITY GROWS. I'M ALSO PRO-CHOICE, SO YEAR OVER YEAR WE'VE DEDICATED FUNDING IN THE CITY BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR ACCESSING HEALTHCARE. WE'VE HAD TO CHANGE THAT THIS YEAR BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, THE STATE OF TEXAS CONTINUES TO CHIP AWAY AT PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AND THEIR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIGHT BACK AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO SAY THAT THOSE ARE NOT AUSTIN VALUES. WE ALSO CARE ABOUT ENDING GUN VIOLENCE HERE IN AUSTIN. WE HAVE A FOCUS ON POLICIES ABOUT SAFE STORAGE. WE GIVE OUT FREE GUN LOCKS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT THEM, AND DID YOU KNOW THAT A STOLEN GUN IS FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE COME OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE? THAT'S WHY I'VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED THE FEDERAL GRANT MATCH PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT APD CAN TRACK DOWN STOLEN VEHICLES AND THEREBY STOLEN GUNS. A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE SEE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN ARE THAT THEY LOVE OUR PARK SPACES AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THEM. THAT'S WHY WE PUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO LOCAL DISTRICT PARKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOOD AND FUN AND PLAYFUL FOR DECADES TO COME AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE ALSO CARE A LOT ABOUT ROAD SAFETY. WE HAVE REALLY, REALLY WIDE STREETS IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, AND SO WE AS A COUNCIL OFFICE HAVE STEPPED UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BETTER SIGNALS, BETTER STRIPING, MORE VISIBILITY, BETTER AND SAFER CROSSWALKS. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR PART TO SLOW DOWN THE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC THAT A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SEEING. WE'VE PUT A LOT OF TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THIS WORK. SO I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD FOR FOUR YEARS WITH MY TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STEPPING UP TO SERVE AND DELIVER FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, AND I KNOW WITH FOUR MORE YEARS WE CAN GET SO MUCH MORE DONE FOR YOU. I HOPE I CAN EARN YOUR SUPPORT. THANKS A LOT. HI, I'M RICHARD SMITH. I'M RUNNING FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY, PROTECT AUSTIN'S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND MAKE AUSTIN MORE LIVABLE FOR ALL RESIDENTS. MY WIFE KATHLEEN AND I HAVE CALLED AUSTIN HOME FOR 25 YEARS. WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN. I'VE BEEN A PATENT ATTORNEY FOR MOST OF MY CAREER. DURING THAT TIME, I ALSO SERVED AS A JUDGE AND AS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LAW SCHOOL. I CURRENTLY SERVE ON AUSTIN'S BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE OAK HILL ASSOCIATION OF NEIGHBORHOODS OR OAN AND THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. I'VE ALSO SERVED THE HOMELESS FOR MANY YEARS THROUGH MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES. THE ROLE OF A CITY GOVERNMENT IS TO ADDRESS THE CORE ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE COMMON GOOD, SUCH AS PUBLIC SAFETY, PARKS, TRANSPORTATION, CLEAN WATER, AND RELIABLE ENERGY. BUT AUSTIN'S GOVERNMENT IS FALLING SHORT IN THESE AREAS. OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER AND POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE WOEFULLY UNDERSTAFFED. ON ANY GIVEN DAY, WE'RE ABOUT 400 POLICE OFFICERS. SHORT OF OUR AUTHORIZED NUMBER OF OFFICERS, 9 1 1 RESPONSE TIMES CONTINUE TO GET LONGER. CRIME, ESPECIALLY VIOLENT CRIME IS GETTING WORSE, AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND EMS PERSONNEL ARE DEMORALIZED BY BEING STRETCHED SO THIN AND SHORTS. STAFFING OF POLICE OFFICERS IS A BIG REASON WE HAVE TRAFFIC FATALITIES THAT ARE AT RECORD LEVELS. CLEARLY WE NEED TO START HIRING MORE PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL AND MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY A PRIORITY. AGAIN. THE RISING CRIME HAS ALSO MADE OUR PARKS LESS SAFE AND THE HOMELESS CAMPS HAVE LEFT LITERALLY TONS OF WASTE TO BE REMOVED. WE JUST HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB KEEPING OUR PARKS SAFE AND CLEAN [00:05:01] PLACES YOU WANT TO VISIT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER, YOU'VE SEEN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES RAPIDLY INCREASE, AND IF YOU'RE A RENTER, YOU'VE SEEN THE SAME. WE'VE ALL BEEN FRUSTRATED BY WATER BOIL NOTICES AND THE LOSS OF POWER FROM RECENT STORMS, AND THEN THERE'S TRANSPORTATION. OUR STREETS ARE IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR. OUR HIGHWAYS ARE OFTEN CLOGGED WITH TRAFFIC, AND OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT IS UNRELIABLE AND DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. MY FRIENDS, AUSTIN IS A BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT CITY. IT JUST NEEDS PRO LEADERS WHO WILL MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT THOSE DECISIONS. AS A JUDGE, IT WAS MY JOB TO WEIGH THE MERITS OF DIFFERENT SIDES OF AN ISSUE AND MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. AS AN ATTORNEY, IT IS MY JOB TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS AND NEEDS OF MY CLIENTS, AND AS YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE DOING, REPRESENTING YOU AND WEIGHING THE ISSUES TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR DISTRICT EIGHT AND OUR CITY. FIRST THINGS FIRST, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, I WILL LISTEN AND RESPOND TO YOU. IF YOU CALL ME, YOU'LL GET A RESPONSE. IF YOU EMAIL ME, YOU'LL GET A REPLY. I WILL PRIORITIZE HIRING MORE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR OUR CITY. I WILL OPPOSE GIVING AUSTINITES HARD EARNED MONEY AWAY AND PUSH FOR A COMPREHENSIVE INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF OUR CITY'S FINANCES. STARTING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER, I WILL WORK TOWARD LOWERING PROPERTY TAXES AS WELL AS PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT FEES. I WILL PROMOTE PROTECTION OF OUR SPRINGS AND FRAGILE WATER TABLE. I WILL ADVOCATE FOR ACTUAL SOLUTIONS TO HOMELESSNESS, NOT JUST BUYING HOTELS AND STICKING A HOMELESS PERSON IN A ROOM. FROM MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS, I KNOW THAT HOMELESSNESS IS A HUMAN PROBLEM AND NOT FUNDAMENTALLY A HOUSING PROBLEM. I WILL PROMOTE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SO THAT OUR HOMELESS GET OFF THE STREETS AND STAY OFF THE STREETS, AND THERE IS NOTHING HUMANE ABOUT THE CAMPS WE HAVE SEEN IN WHICH AUSTIN'S HOMELESS ARE TARGETED BY CRIMINALS AND LEFT TO LIVE IN FILTH WITHOUT THE CARE THEY NEED. I WILL WORK TO PROACTIVELY DEAL WITH OUR WATER AND POWER PROBLEMS. THESE ARE ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED WITH HANDS ON ATTENTION AND REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. YOU CAN BET THAT'S ONE OF MY FIRST GOALS. WHATEVER THE ISSUE, YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT I AM THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT REFUSES TO SIT BY AND WATCH WHILE OUR CITY DETERIORATES. I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC SERVICE. I'VE BEEN A JUDGE. I'VE REPRESENTED OTHERS. I'VE SERVED THOSE IN NEED. THAT'S WHAT THE JOB OF A COUNCIL MEMBER IS ALL ABOUT SERVICE, SO I'M ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT. IF YOU WANT TO SEE OUR CITY GET BACK TO BASICS AND FOCUS ON MAKING OUR CITY BETTER, PLEASE GO TO RICHARD SMITH ATX.COM AND FIND OUT HOW TO GET MORE INVOLVED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE AUSTIN SAFER, MORE LIVABLE AND MORE AFFORDABLE. HELLO, MY NAME IS ANTONIO ROSS AND I AM RUNNING FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. DISTRICT EIGHT BEING RAISED IN AUSTIN ALLOWED ME TO SEE AUSTIN GROW INTO THIS FASCINATING AND DIVERSITY DRIVEN CITY. I AM A UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN AND I STUDIED PSYCHOLOGY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. I HAVE BEEN AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF MY COMMUNITY BY JOINING AIS D'S LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE, WHICH IT IS MADE UP OF ALL FORMS OF AUSTINITES FROM PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND ALSO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. THAT ALSO GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY DISTRICT HAD THE SAME RESOURCES TO SUCCEED. I ALSO STARTED A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED WE'RE NOT OUR SCARS IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE STRICKEN WITH LIFELONG ILLNESSES. AS A FATHER, HUSBAND AND WORKING TAXPAYER OF AUSTIN, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUENESS THAT THIS GREAT CITY HAS TO OFFER, THE LIVE MUSIC, THE BEAUTIFUL ART, AND THE LAND ITSELF. WITH THAT SAID, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS MANY CHALLENGES THAT IT STILL FACES SUCH AS HOMELESSNESS, UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO NAME A FEW. AS YOUR DISTRICT EIGHT CITY COUNCILMAN, I WILL PROPOSE A REALISTIC PLAN TO TACKLE AND REDUCE THE HOMELESS ISSUE BY VISITING THE CAMPSITES AND BEGIN BY ASSESSING THE MENTAL STATE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THEN MOVING FORWARD WITH PLACING THEM WITH THE PROPER HELP TO GETTING HOUSED AND STAYING HOUSED. I WILL HAVE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF HOMELESS AND THOSE ARE LIFESTYLE, MENTAL ILLNESS AND DISPLACED. I WILL MEET WITH LAND DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO MAKE HOUSING AFFORDABLE WITHOUT COMPROMISING LIVING QUALITY. I DO APPRECIATE THE THREE YEAR PLAN THAT IS PUT IN PLACE TO RAISE THE 515 MILLION TO HOUSE 3000 INDIVIDUALS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHICH 85% HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOUNTED [00:10:01] FOR. IF THE PLAN GOES THROUGH, AUSTIN WOULD BE THE FIRST BIG CITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO END HOMELESSNESS AND HAVE TO BRING BACK CAMPING BANDS. WITH THE RECENT TRAGEDIES IN OUR SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SAFETY HAS TO BE PRIORITIZED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I WILL ADVOCATE FOR THREE PUBLIC SCHOOL DAYS TO BE DISMISSED FOR SAFETY TRAINING. THAT WOULD INCLUDE SAFETY DRILLS FOR STAFF, A P D, AND MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS. THESE DRILLS WILL RANGE FROM HANDLING AUTO THREATS TO HANDLING LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS. I FEEL THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP OUR LOVED ONES SAFE IN OUR SCHOOLS. I'M NOT IN THIS RACE FOR MY COMMUNITY ALONE. I WANT TO JOIN WITH THE OTHER COUNCILMEN IN OTHER DISTRICTS TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF AUSTIN IS SAFE, EQUAL, FAIR, AND AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE. AS A RESIDENCE OF AUSTIN, I AM PROUD OF OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITIES AND ALL THE GREATNESS THAT EXISTS HERE. I WILL BE ESPECIALLY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT YOU, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN. I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO DO JUST THAT, SO PLEASE VOTE FOR ANTONIO ROSS. WE CAN ALL BRIDGE THE GAP TOGETHER. THANK YOU. HELLO, I AM CANDIDATE KIMBERLY HAWKINS RUNNING TO REPRESENT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT. THE REASON I ENTERED THIS RACE IS BECAUSE I LOVE AUSTIN AND I'M PROUD TO SAY I LIVE HERE, BUT SOMETHING HAS CHANGED. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY 25 YEARS LIVING IN AUSTIN, I'M HEARING PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY'RE SICK OF IT AND THEY'RE LEAVING. I DRIVE PEOPLE FOR A LIVING, SO I TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND I HEAR A LOT OF CONSTERNATION ABOUT THE STATE OF THINGS. THE OTHER DAY, I HAD A BUSINESS TRAVELER TELL ME HE JUST DIDN'T GET AUSTIN, AND OF COURSE AUSTIN MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYBODY, BUT THAT DROVE A PROVERBIAL STAKE IN MY HEART. I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE AUSTIN, BUT SO MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN SCRUBBED IN THE NAME OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND THE CITY KEEPS ASKING MORE AND MORE OF ITS CITIZENS AND EVEN A PROGRESSIVE LIKE ME IS HAVING A HARDER AND HARDER TIME DEFENDING IT, MUCH LESS EXPLAINING IT. I'M A LONG SHOT, BUT IF I WERE TO BE ELECTED, I CAN PROMISE I WILL PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO MAKING SURE AUSTINITES FEEL A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT. THAT'S WHAT I HEAR A LOT OF AUSTINITES SAY THEY WANT. WE NEED TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS YESTERDAY. WE SHOULD BE EXPANDING MORE ROUTE AND RUNNING MORE BUSES. I THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE SATURATED BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON AFFORDABILITY EMISSIONS, WHICH BY THE WAY, WE ARE BEHIND ON OUR GOALS FOR EMISSIONS AND I BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON TRAFFIC AS WELL. THE ROADS ARE ALSO IN SHAMBLES AND OUR LACK OF ATTENTION TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS PEOPLE AN AVERAGE OF $500 A YEAR. BOTTOM LINE, I WANT TO BE A REAL PART OF MAKING AUSTIN A PLACE I LOVE TO LIVE AGAIN, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANT TO BE SURE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION AND EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.