* 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. I'M GOING TO CONVENE [00:00:01] THE, UH, [Consent] AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MEETING HERE AT 10 45, UH, ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2022. WE'RE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM SOME SPEAKERS, AND I THINK IT'S A CONSENT AGENDA, SO WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA TRY AND TAKE CARE OF THE AGENDA BEFORE WE GO BACK TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SHOULD BE NOTED IN THE RECORD THAT THERE'S LAID BACKUP IN, UH, AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. UH, WOULD YOU CALL THE SPEAKERS, PLEASE? WE HAVE GU PENA ON HFC ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR. IS MR. PENA STILL WITH US? OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. TRACY FINE ON H OF C TWO. HI, UH, MY NAME IS TRACY FINE. I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF HOUSING FOR NATIONAL CHURCH RESIDENCES, AND I AM ALSO BASED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. I AM HEADING UP THE TRANSACTION FOR ABERT CREEKSIDE NATIONAL CHURCH. RESIDENCES IS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT DEVELOPER THAT SPECIALIZES IN SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE'VE DONE MULTIPLE PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND SEVERAL HERE IN TEXAS, INCLUDING THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA. UH, THE BOND FINANCING FOR ABERT CREEK SITE IS CRITICAL TO PRESERVE THIS MUCH NEEDED SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE HFCS SUPPORT FOR THIS TRANSACTION. I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER SPEAKERS PEOPLE SIGN UP TO SPEAK? ONE LAST SPEAKER. SARAH WATKINS ON H F C TWO. EXCUSE ME, MAYOR. YES. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ENCOURAGE THE NATIONAL CHURCH RESIDENCES FOLKS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE DISTRICT ONE OFFICE. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SARAH WATKINS. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH, UH, BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING TENANT ACTION, AND I HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION AT WHAT IS KNOWN AS WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS ARBS AT CREEKSIDE, UM, SINCE 2017. AND, UM, WE, THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING IN PARTICULAR FOR THE LAST MONTH, UM, TO, UM, TALK WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND, AND TALK WITH EVERYONE ABOUT THE RENOVATION THAT IS UPCOMING, UM, AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, GOING ON. I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, MRS. PATRICE COOKS, UH, WITH ME THIS MORNING. AND, UH, MRS. COOKS AND HER, 52 OF HER, HER NEIGHBORS, UM, SPENT THE ENTIRE MONTH OF OCTOBER, UM, HAVING LITTLE GATHERINGS, UH, WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND TALKING A LOT ABOUT THEIR QUESTIONS AND THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR DREAMS, UM, FOR RENEWED ARBS. UM, AND SO EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF, UH, RESIDENTS WITH ME TODAY, UM, THEY ARE ENGAGED AND THEY ARE WORKING, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM AND, UM, I IN PARTICULAR WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO, UM, THANK BOTH, UM, THE A H F C BOARD, UM, AND IN PARTICULAR A H F C STAFF, UM, FOR THE WAY THAT, UH, YOU'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AT ARBOR'S AND IN PARTICULAR, UM, FOR THE WAYS THAT THERE HAS REALLY BEEN A COMMITMENT TO ENGAGING WITH RESIDENTS AND IN PARTICULAR, UH, WITH RESIDENT ASSOCIATION LEADERS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. UM, I COUNTED SINCE 2020, UH, FOLKS LIKE JAMIE MAY, BRENDAN KENNEDY, AND ESPECIALLY PATRICK RUSSELL, HAVE HAD MORE THAN 12 MEETINGS, UM, WITH THE ASSOCIATION. UM, I KNOW PATRICK AND BRENDAN AND A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS THAT WALK THE HALLS, CLIMBED THE ROOF, REALLY LOOKED AT CONDITIONS, UM, MET FOLKS AT THE DOOR. UM, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE. AND I THINK IT'S, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THE WORK THAT A H F C DOES, NOT ONLY TO BUILD QUALITY HOUSING, BUT TO DO THIS OUTREACH AND TO ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS AND SAY, NOT ONLY DO WE WANNA BUILD YOU QUALITY HOUSING, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT STAYS THAT WAY. UM, AND I THINK THIS WHOLE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS HAS JUST BEEN REALLY, REALLY REMARKABLE. AND I WANT TO COMMEND, UM, EVERYONE FOR IT. AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT CONTINUE ALSO AT OTHER A H FFC PROPERTIES. AND I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I GET MOST OFTEN IS, DOES THE CITY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE PLACE WHERE I LIVE? UM, AND IN THIS CASE, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT, UM, RESIDENTS ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE [00:05:01] THE CITY REALLY CARES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES AHFC SPEAKERS. WE DO HAVE ANOTHER LAST MINUTE CALL FOR THE MORNING. READY? IT. OKAY. WE'LL GET THERE IN A SECOND. STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THIS WORK. AS NOTED, ANDY DE MAYO AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. YOU HAVE FOUR ITEMS, UH, ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY. AND AS YOU NOTED, MAYOR, THERE'S LATE BACKUP ON TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. ITEM ONE IS APPROVING THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 13TH MEETING. UH, ITEM TWO, AS WE HAD SPEAKERS REFERENCES WITH RESPECT TO, UM, ARBS AT CREEKSIDE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BOND ISSUANCE, UM, UP TO 25 MILLION IN PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS OR MULTIFAMILY REVENUE BONDS. AND ITEMS THREE AND FOUR ARE RELATED TO CITYVIEW AT THE PARK APARTMENTS, WHICH IS A 70 UNIT, UH, SENIOR, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX IN DISTRICT THREE THAT A H F C IS BOTH ASKING FOR, UM, AUTHORIZATION TO FORM A NON-PROFIT SUBSIDIARY AND TO ACQUIRE THE, UH, INVESTOR INTERESTS IN THAT PROPERTY. I AM HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. UH, AS NOTED PREVIOUSLY, THERE'S LATE BACKUP ON ALL OF THESE ITEMS, AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE SPEAKERS BOTH FROM NATIONAL CHURCH RESIDENCES AND OF COURSE, UH, FROM THE TENANT ORGANIZERS AND THE RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE LAST WEEK ON THE, UM, ARBS CREEK SIDE, UH, COMPLEX. GREAT, THANK YOU. UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, CONSENT AGENDA COULD BE ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR. IS THERE A MOTION TO PROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? UH, DIRECTOR HARPER MADISON MAKES THAT MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? UH, MAYOR PROTE SECONDS THAT MOTION? UH, DISCUSSION DIRECTOR POOL RE OH, I'M GOOD. OKAY. DISCUSSION DIRECTOR HARPER MEDICINE. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. I WANTED TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF OUR LAST SPEAKER, WHICH THANK YOU BY THE WAY. THAT WAS LIKE BRILLIANTLY ARTICULATED. I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER MYSELF. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. I WANTED TO ALSO, UM, JUST A RESOUNDING THANK YOU FOR THE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION OF THE H F C STAFF. I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THIS UP, UM, AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE, UM, ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES WHERE IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE HAVE THE, THE BEAUTIFUL REGAL AND ROYAL PURPLE OF COLONY PARK IN THE ROOM. AS I SAY THIS. UM, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE REALLY INTERESTING FRANKEN MANAGEMENT PROPERTIES THAT MY OFFICE INHERITED, AND THAT WASN'T THE ONLY ONE. AND SO ONCE WE REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, AS, AND FOR FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LISTENING, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT YOU TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN A PERSON COMES ON TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. IT'S A BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL HONOR. AND MOST FOLKS COME IN HERE READY TO DO THE WORK, BUT THERE'S NO TRAINING. NOBODY TRAINED YOU TO BE THE CITY COUNCIL PERSON WHO COMES IN HERE AND TAKES ON THE ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE QUEUE LONG BEFORE. FOR ME, FOR EXAMPLE, LONG BEFORE I EVER THOUGHT ABOUT POLITICS AS A PROFESSION, POLICY MAKING AS A PROFESSION. SO THEN YOU HAVE TO ACCLIMATE AND THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME COMMITMENTS. AND SO ALL THAT SAID, I WAS NEW TO IT, BUT THE RESIDENTS, MUCH LIKE COLONY PARK AT ARBOR'S, THEY CALLED ME OVER THAT JANUARY AND THEY SAID, WE WANT YOU TO SEE OUR SWIMMING POOL. THE WATER WAS GREEN AND IT WAS A MOSQUITO BREEDING GROUND. AND I THINK THEY SAT US ALL NEXT TO THE POOL ON PURPOSE, UM, JUST FOR IMPACT. UM, THEY SAID, I WANT YOU TO SEE THE POOL AND WE ALSO WANNA TAKE NOTE THAT WE CAN'T MEET IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM BECAUSE THERE WAS A FLOOD AND IT WAS NEVER REPAIRED. SO THERE'S MOLD. WE CAN'T SIT IN THERE. I JUST, I'LL NEVER FORGET THE IMPACT OF THE WAY THAT THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS ADVOCATED FOR THEMSELVES AND THE FACT THAT Y'ALL TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GET CREATIVE AND THINKING THROUGH HOW TO ADDRESS IT. BUT IT WASN'T JUST THE CREATIVITY, IT WAS THE COMMITMENT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I DON'T THINK Y'ALL GET ENOUGH, UM, CREDIT FOR WHEN YOU REALLY DO DIG DOWN DEEP AND MAKE THE COMMITMENT FOR SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFICULT. CUZ IT'S ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHERE EVEN WHILE YOU GUYS WERE WORKING, YOU COULDN'T TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOU WERE DOING AT EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY. SO SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE FOLKS FEEL LIKE NOTHING'S HAPPENING. YOU CAN'T SEE THE, YOU KNOW, THE FEET KICKING FEVERISHLY UNDER THE WATER. SO YOU, YOU FEEL LIKE NOTHING'S HAPPENING, BUT I PROMISE Y'ALL, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, IF IT'S BEEN HANDED TO THE, TO THE HANDS OF THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO FEEL SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, COMMITMENT AND INTEGRITY AROUND DELIVERING A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT. ESPECIALLY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS WHERE WE ALL TOOK A LOOK AT THIS INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING PROJECT FOR OUR, UH, AGING RESIDENTS AND IT WAS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE. IT WAS BAD. AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK, I WANT TO LOOK FORWARD, BUT I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WITHOUT MAKING THAT COMMITMENT, WE WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE WITHOUT THEM MAKING THAT COMMITMENT TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES. WE WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE AND JUST BECAUSE TO OUR RESIDENTS AT LARGER CITI GENERAL CITIZENRY, JUST CUZ YOU DON'T SEE THE WORK, DOES NOT MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING. CUZ I SAW THEM KICKING [00:10:01] FEVERISHLY UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO FINALLY SAY THEY DIDN'T WANT TO COME PREMATURELY, RIGHT? SO THEY HAD TO WAIT AND GET BEAT UP ALONG THE WAY WITH THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEM NOT HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, MADE THE COMMITMENT OR DOING THE WORK, BUT THEY WERE DOING THE WORK ALL ALONG. AND I JUST WANTED TO, UM, NOT SO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND THIS, THIS PROJECT ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER DISTRICT ONE ASSETS THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED AND UNDERREPRESENTED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR TIME TO SHINE, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE CITY TO REALLY MAKE THESE TRUE COMMITMENTS WITH OUR TIME, WITH OUR DOLLARS AND WITH OUR STAFF'S INNOVATION. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. ONCE AGAIN, Y'ALL SHOWED UP WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. OUR STAFF HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE RESIDENTS, UM, AND THE TENANT ORGANIZING, UM, ON THE PROPERTY. AND WE CANNOT WAIT TO TAKE YOU ON A TOUR, UM, OF THE PROPERTY, UH, AFTER, UH, THE RENOVATIONS HAVE OCCURRED. SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT. GREAT. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA, ALL FOUR ITEMS HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, STATE OF VOTE. THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AS OPPOSED, I'M SEEING IT AS UNANIMOUS. WITH THAT WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF ALL OUR WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU STAFF. UH, AND WE WILL ADJOURN THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MEETING HERE AT 10 56. * 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.