[00:00:02]
UM, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE AUSTIN ENERGY MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
UH, WE HAD FOUR, UH, POLL ITEMS. I'M NOT SURE ANY, ANY OF THESE ARE GONNA TAKE A, A LONG TIME TO, TO GO THROUGH.UH, BUT SINCE THOSE THINGS WERE STUFF WE NEEDED TO POTENTIALLY TALK ABOUT BEFORE THURSDAY, I THOUGHT WE'D START WITH THE PULLED ITEMS WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THE PULLED ITEMS. WE HAVE SOME OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION WORK THAT, UM, UH, ALSO CONCERNS THINGS THAT COULD BE COMING UP.
SO WE WANT TO THEN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, COUNCIL KITCHEN'S GONNA LEAVE US TODAY AT NOON, AND I TOLD HER THAT WE WOULD COME BACK OUT TODAY BEFORE SHE LEAVES, UH, IF NOT EARLIER.
AND WE MAY BE HERE EARLIER THAN THAT, UH, BUT AT LEAST AT 1130.
SO WE CAN HAVE THE PRESENTATION ON THE PROPERTY ISSUE.
UH, AND THAT'LL TAKE US UP TO THE NOON PERIOD WHEN WE CAN THEN BREAK, UH, THE, UM, PULLED ITEMS, UH, TODAY.
THE FIRST ONE WAS, UH, ITEM 23.
IS THAT ONE STILL NEED TO BE PULLED AND DISCUSSED.
UM, THIS IS THE ITEM RELATED TO THE COVID REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE COUNTY.
UM, I'VE BEEN TALKING A GREAT LENGTH WITH, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH AND ACMS, AND THERE SHOULD BE A MEMO I UNDERSTAND COMING OUT, UM, TODAY OR TOMORROW RELATED TO THAT.
AND I'VE HAD MY CONVERSATIONS.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO READ, SO IF I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THURSDAY, I'LL PULL IT.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'VE GOTTEN, UM, WE'VE MOVED FORWARD AND, AND, AND ARE IN A GOOD PLACE.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND DILIGENCE AND DOGGEDNESS ON THAT, UH, ISSUE.
UH, NEXT POLL ITEM THAT WE HAD, UM, WAS, UH, AN ITEM THAT'S, I GUESS DOUBLE POSTED FOR US TODAY.
UM, LESLIE, WHEN WOULD IT BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE TIME FOR US TODAY TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE? SO WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON, UH, THE BASE RATE TODAY, AND I GUESS THAT WILL, UH, PROCEED AS PER THE AGENDA.
UM, BUT THE DISCUSSION OF THE ITEM IS ON THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AGENDA, AND I'D PROPOSE THAT WE, UH, TAKE UP THAT DISCUSSION AT THAT TIME.
ANYBODY DOESN'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT.
WE'LL THEN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THEN.
AND REALLY THAT GETS US THEN INTO, UH, I PULLED, UH, 85 AND, AND 86 AND WANTED TO TOUCH, UH, BRIEFLY, UH, ON, ON THAT 85 AND 86, THAT'S THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, UH, ISSUE AND THE COMPATIBILITY, UH, ISSUES.
55 AND 56, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, HOPPED ON THIS RIGHT AWAY, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT AND APPRECIATE THEIR WORK.
AND THEY HAVE SENT US, UH, POSSIBLE, UH, UH, AMENDMENTS FOR US TO CONSIDER, WHICH WE APPRECIATE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S, UM, UH, MY INTENT TO, TO POST, UH, SOMETHING TO THE MESSAGE BOARD, KIND OF MY NOTES ON THAT AS I'VE DONE IN THE PAST ON THINGS WHICH WILL LIST THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, AMENDMENTS AND, AND, AND HOW I THINK, UH, THOSE FALL DOWN WITH KIND OF OUR COLLECTIVE, UH, UH, DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD.
MOST OF THEM, I THINK, ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.
SOME THAT I THINK WE HAD IN THE RESOLUTION THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES THEIR WAY INTO THE, UH, ORDINANCE, BUT MOST OF THEM, I THINK THERE'S, UH, UH, GOING TO BE, UH, AGREEMENT ON.
BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE TWO ISSUES AT A, AT A KIND OF HIGHER LEVEL, UH, AND THEN TO FOLLOW UP LATER IN THE DAY WITH, UH, THAT POSTING THAT KIND OF LAYS OUT THOSE ISSUES AS WELL AS, UM, UM, MOTION SHEETS, UH, WHICH WOULD, UH, PICK UP THOSE ISSUES, WHICH I'LL PUBLISH TODAY ONTO THE MESSAGE BOARD SO THAT YOU AND THE COMMUNITY CAN, CAN, CAN SEE THEM, UH, COLLEAGUES.
THIS IS DEALING WITH COMPATIBILITY AND DEALING WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN, SORRY, WE'VE SPENT HUGE AMOUNTS OF TIME ON AS A CITY AND AS A COUNCIL OVER THE LAST SEVEN, ALMOST EIGHT YEARS.
AND OBVIOUSLY COUNCILS EVEN BEFORE US ON THAT.
UM, QUITE FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY DELIVERED IN A WAY THAT, THAT I HAD HOPED THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, AND I THINK OTHERS OF US ON THE COUNCIL FEEL THE, THE SAME WAY.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY HARD FOUGHT FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT AS BETWEEN US ON THE D THAT'S LEFT A, A SPLIT COUNCIL.
WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO AFFECT SOME CHANGES, UH, AND, AND THE COURTS HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED AND, AND GIVING
[00:05:01]
US, UH, RULES AND PARAMETERS, SOME OF WHICH I THINK ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT, UH, OVER TIME IN TERMS OF APPLICATION.UH, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT THE COUNCIL GETTING TOGETHER AS A BODY A YEAR AGO AND SAYING, UH, LET'S AT LEAST SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND STILL TRY TO MAINTAIN BROAD CONSENSUS, WHICH WE ROUGHLY DEFINED IN TERMS OF NINE OF US, UH, SUPPORTING.
UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT ANYTHING WE DO THAT HAS NINE OF US SUPPORTING IT THAT IS, IS HARD FOUGHT, IS THIS IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND GOES TOO FAR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UH, THAT'S IN THE NATURE OF TRYING TO GET THOSE BOATS.
UM, BUT THE HOPE WAS IS THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR US TO AT LEAST ESTABLISH WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THAT MEASURE OF CONSENSUS, UH, IN PART BECAUSE IT'S UNCERTAIN AS TO WHAT THE RULES ARE AFTER THAT, WITH RESPECT TO PROTESTS AND, AND LEGAL CHALLENGES.
UH, AT THE VERY LEAST, IF WE CAN MOVE THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD AND, AND DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN AGREE ON THAT OPEN UP, UH, ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THEN, THEN, UM, LET'S, WE HAD DECIDED AS A GROUP WE WOULD DO THAT AND THEN LET THE NEXT COUNCIL NEXT YEAR WRESTLE WITH, UH, GOING FURTHER, NOT GOING FURTHER AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
I THINK THAT INCREASES THE CHANCES THAT WHAT WE DO INITIALLY, UH, WOULD BE ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED AND INEFFECTIVE IN PLACE, UH, IF, EVEN IF THERE WAS A COURT CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF THAT VOTE.
UM, BUT, BUT TRYING TO AVOID A SITUATION WHERE WE DO SOMETHING AND THEN THAT GETS CAUGHT IN COURT AND NOTHING'S ON THE BOOKS LIKE WE'VE HAD FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE TWO CHANGES THAT, UM, I THINK ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TA AND I AGREE ON.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO, TO AIR NOW BECAUSE WITH QUORUM SUBM LIMITATIONS, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS WITH EVERYBODY, BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS WITH, UH, THE SIGNIFICANT PARK TO RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
AND, AND, AND THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE IS, UH, WE HAD THREE CATEGORIES.
WE HAD TRANSIT, WE HAD LARGE, AND WE HAD MEDIUM, BUT, BUT TAKING THE LARGE AND THE TRANSIT AND MOVING THE LARGE CORRIDORS INTO THE TRANSIT CATEGORY AND USING THAT STANDARD RATHER THAN THE LARGE STANDARD, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT I HOPE IS THAT THERE WOULD BE NINE VOTES THERE TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO.
UH, AND THAT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE RULES, THE PROPERTIES.
THERE WAS ALSO, UH, SOME ROADS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED THAT WE WANTED TO BE IN THAT HIGHER GROUP, UM, UH, BERNARD AND, AND SOUTH LAMAR, UH, THAT WERE NOT REFLECTED THAT WAY IN THE ORDINANCE, THAT THE, THE STAFF, UH, UH, DRAFTED.
UH, SO WE, UM, UH, WOULD MAKE THOSE TWO CHANGES MOVING BURN AND SOUTH LAMAR, UH, INTO THE LARGE CATEGORY, WHICH THEN WOULD BE TAKEN AS PART OF THE COMBINED TRANSIT AT LARGE.
WE ASKED THE, THE STAFF TO, TO RUN THE NUMBERS ON IMPACT, JUST CONSIDERING THOSE TWO CHANGES.
AND I THINK THERE ALWAYS GONNA BE A DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY ABOUT OTHERS.
AND, UH, MY HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT CAN WE GET NINE VOTES FOR.
BUT WITH JUST THOSE TWO CHANGES, UH, THE STAFF, UH, GAVE US AN UPDATED ASSESSMENT OF, UH, IMPACT.
AND WITH THOSE TWO CHANGES, UH, THE PERCENTAGE OF ACREAGE ON THE, UH, CORRIDORS THAT, UH, WHERE COMPATIBILITY IS REMOVED OR RELAXED IS 79.49%, SO ALMOST 80%, UH, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL, UH, IMPACT ON THE MEDIUM PROPERTIES.
IF WE DON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES TO MEDIUM, WE JUST MAKE THOSE TWO CHANGES.
I TALKED ABOUT A SECOND AGO, WE'RE OVER 60% OF THE ACREAGE, UH, EITHER HAVING RELAXED OR REMOVED, UH, COMPATIBILITY.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE, WE ARE IN AN AREA THAT GETS US TO SOMETHING THAT IS MATERIAL, UH, AND, AND, UM, WE SHOULD CONSIDER MOVING ON.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RAISED, UM, THAT, UH, WILL, WILL ADDRESS.
A LOT OF THOSE I THINK ARE NOT GOING TO BE CONTROVERSIAL.
BUT AGAIN, I'LL PUT MY NOTES UP SO THAT, THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE THE, WHERE THE DISPUTES MIGHT BE.
I'LL LIST ALL OF THE PC, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'LL INCLUDE SOME OF THE DRAFT MOTION SHEETS TO, TO AFFECT THE, THE KINDS OF THINGS
[00:10:01]
THAT THEY, THEY TALKED ABOUT.BUT AT A HIGH LEVEL, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT WE USE THURSDAY AS A WAY TO TRY AND FIND AT THIS POINT WHERE WE CAN GET THAT BROADER, UH, UH, CONSENSUS.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS, UM, STAYING ALIGNED WITH THE RESOLUTION THAT WE PASSED IN, IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, IN TERMS OF THOSE LARGE CORRIDORS.
AND AT THAT, IN THE RESOLUTION WE PASSED, UM, SOUTH LAMAR WAS A LARGE QUARTER.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT CHANGING WITH REGARD TO SOUTH LAMAR WHAT WE HAD IN THE RE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE ALL PASSED.
AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? YOU ARE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
FOR SOME REASON, IT DIDN'T WORK ITS WAY INTO THE ORDINANCE THAT WAY EVEN, BUT IT WAS IN THE RESOLUTION WE PASSED, BUT WE ARE TRYING AT THIS POINT TO AFFECT THE RESOLUTION THAT, UH, AS A COUNCIL, WE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FOR FOLKS, BECAUSE CALLING OUT SOUTH LAMAR AND BERNARD, I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT CHANGING WHAT WE DID BEFORE.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS JUST, UM, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING, AND I THINK WE ARE HERE, IS THAT, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COMBINATION OF THESE ITEMS, UM, IN RELATION TO THE VMU THAT WE PASSED, UM, AND THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS THAT WE PASSED IN VMU, THAT WE'RE NOT UNDERCUTTING THOSE, AND FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR, WE'RE NOT.
SO, UM, CUZ WE WERE ABLE TO, TO OBTAIN SOME, SOME SIGNIFICANT AFFORDABILITY LEVELS WITH VMU, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE, UM, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE LIGHT RAIL LINES.
SO I'M WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, THAT WE'RE NOT LOWERING OUR STANDARD IN CUR IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING ALSO.
I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
AND IF IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO, TO STATE THAT, UH, EXPLICITLY, CERTAINLY WE COULD DO THAT.
MAYBE THERE'S LANGUAGE IF IT WAS NECESSARY TO DO, I DON'T KNOW IF LANGUAGE IS NECESSARY YET.
I'LL LOOK, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, I CAN'T THINK OF ALL THE PERMUTATIONS WHEN YOU PUT VMU NEXT TO, UM, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL NEXT TO COMPATIBILITY.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S AFFORDABILITY REQUIRED IN BOTH OF THOSE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AND IN, UH, COMPATIBILITY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE SAY IS IF, IF YOU'VE GOT A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT'S IMPACTED BY BOTH FOR SOME REASON, THAT THE, THE HIGHER LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY IS WHAT APPLIES, UM, THERE MAY, THERE MAY BE ZERO CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THAT.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO THINK THROUGH THE PERMUTATIONS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE IT MAKE IT CLEAR.
WHAT WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT UNDER PETTING AFFORDABILITY AT ALL.
UH, WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IMPOSING A DOUBLING STANDARD INADVERTENTLY.
SO, SO THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPATIBILITY ONE IS TO UNLOCK THE AFFORDABILITY BONUS OF SOME OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS.
IT'S NOT TO, TO DOUBLE THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT.
SO WE, WE HAVE NEED TO COME UP WITH LANGUAGE THAT ACCOMPLISHES BOTH THOSE THINGS.
ALLISON? SO I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING SIMILAR, BUT THEN I, UM, WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, THERE'S, THE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL DOESN'T APPLY TO VMU PROPERTIES BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT ABILITY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ADDING THE RESIDENTIAL ONTO COMMERCIAL, BUT THERE'S, I'M SORRY, DID YOU, DID YOU FINISH YOUR THOUGHT? I JUST WANNA SAY THERE'S THAT AND THEN THERE'S, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE BONUS FOR RESIDENTIAL IS THE SAME AS IT IS FOR VMU ONE.
UM, AND THERE IS NO OPTION FOR, FOR EXPLODING THE HEIGHT BECAUSE IT'S EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY.
I WAS THINKING MORE OF THE AFFORDABILITY LEVEL, NOT THE HEIGHT.
I'M SAYING THAT I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE, THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS WERE CHOSEN TO BE THE SAME AS EXCELLENT.
BECAUSE WE JUST, WE JUST CHANGED THEM LAST SUMMER TO 10% AT 60% MFI, I THINK FOR RENTAL.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING THAT.
SO WE'LL POST SOME OF THE, THE ELEMENTS AND, AND LANGUAGE TODAY.
UH, UM, ALLISON AND I CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO, TO TRY TO, TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON THE ISSUES AND PROPOSE A PATH WHERE WE THINK THERE'S AGREEMENT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO POST THIS AFTERNOON.
AND IF THINGS ARE UP IN THE AIR OR UNDECIDED OR WE ANTICIPATE LONGER CONVERSATION, WE'LL TRY TO IDENTIFY THOSE POINTS, UH, AS WELL.
YES, VANESSA? MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR, FOR CLARIFYING THAT YOU ARE HAVING, UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH MAYOR PER TIM AL, UM, YOU REFERENCED THAT THE DATA, THAT THERE'S INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE ASKED OF STAFF ABOUT INCREASING
[00:15:01]
CAPACITY ON BURNETT AND LAMAR.WHERE CAN WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION? WOULD THAT BE SHARED WITH US AS WELL? YES.
IN FACT, THAT INFORMATION I THINK WAS SHARED AND POSTED BY STAFF AS THERE ARE FURTHER ANSWERS TO COMPATIBILITY 56 POSTED.
WHERE DO WE, HAS THIS BEEN POSTED, THESE ADDITIONAL ANSWERS? UH, WE'VE SUBMITTED IT FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, SO IT SHOULD BE GOING OUT THAT WAY.
SO WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR Q AND A REPORTS, WE HAVE NOT REVIEWED THAT DATA.
IF WE CAN HAVE THAT Q AND A REPORT SENT TO US TODAY, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE HAVE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THURSDAY.
I'LL REQUEST THAT AT THE AGENDA OFFICE.
SHE'LL REQUEST THAT I WILL POST THIS TODAY, UH, SO THAT, UH, EVERYBODY HAS THAT TODAY, EVEN IF THE WHOLE Q AND A REPORT DOESN'T COME OUT.
YES, LESLIE, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY'S PUTTING IN ON, ON MAKING THESE CHANGES.
AND I ALSO NOTE THAT THE VERY COMPLEXITY THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AND THAT EMERGED IN JUST THE, THE LITTLE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ALLISON AND ANN REALLY POINTS TO THE NECESSITY, I THINK, TO BE, UH, TO TAKE A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO THESE CHANGES SO THAT WE DON'T IN FACT, UH, CAUSE UH, UNANTICIPATED AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
SO I APPRECIATE THE CAREFUL, UM, ITERATIVE APPROACH.
AND THIS IS A POINT THAT WE HAVE LONG SOUGHT TO GET TO ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
WE'VE TAKEN ON, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISIONS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO, TO GOOD SUCCESS, UH, WITH NEAR UNANIMITY ON THE DIAS.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUSH THROUGH THOSE CHANGES THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE AGREEABLE BEFORE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THEM, UH, LODGED INTO, UH, UH, ORDINANCE FORMS. SO, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THE APPROACH IS BEARING THE KIND OF FRUIT THAT WE WERE ALL, I THINK REALLY WANTING TO SEE HAPPEN.
AND, UM, AND I THANK YOU FOR, FOR ADOPTING THE ITERATIVE AND KIND OF CAUTIOUS APPROACH SO THAT SHOULD THERE BE ANY MISSTEPS, WE ARE ABLE TO PULL BACK AND, AND ADJUST THEM.
AND IF THINGS ARE GOING GREAT, THEN WE CAN PUSH EVER FORWARD IN AREAS WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND TO YOUR STAFF.
CAUSE YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, OF PROCESS, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THIS THROUGH GOING BACK TO THIS SUMMER.
UM, JILL, I HAVE A COUPLE OF, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE ISSUE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULAR DETAIL, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO, TO, UH, DISTRICT FOUR.
AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF MAPS UP THAT I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT AN ISSUE THAT THAT'S COME UP WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, PROPERTIES.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, COULD YOU FOCUS SOMEONE ON THE RIGHT, AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK THE FOLKS AT HOME CAN SEE THIS, BUT WE'LL TRY TO GET THAT IN THE BACKUP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YEAH, SO THIS IS, SO ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT, THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AND THAT WE'VE, UH, DISCUSSED IS THE WHOLE KIND OF SIDE FACING, UH, AND FRONT FACING, UH MM-HMM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BUY TWO OR THREE KIND OF LOTS AND YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT TOUCHES LAMAR AND MAYBE THE ONE RIGHT BEHIND IT, AND THEN COMBINE THOSE AND REZONE THEM AND DO A LARGER DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE, THE IMAGE ON THE SCREEN, ALL THE, THE LITTLE, THE RED DOTS ARE PROPERTIES THAT DO NOT TOUCH LAMAR.
UH, THEY ARE ADJACENT TO PROPERTIES THAT TOUCH LAMAR.
AND AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF RANDOM.
LIKE SOME OF THEM ARE LARGER PIECES OF PROPERTY WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S A, A THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM THERE, BUT IN OTHER CASES, MY CONCERN WAS THAT IF PEOPLE ARE BUYING MULTIPLE LOTS AND WANTING TO BUILD, UH, HOUSING ON THEM, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO COMBINE THEM AND THEN BE, WOULD THE ENTIRE PARCEL THEN BE, YOU KNOW, FRONT FACING OR SIDE FACING? YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'RE COMBINING TWO LOTS, ONE WHICH DOES NOT TOUCH LAMAR AND ONE WHICH DOES TOUCH LAMAR, THEN DO YOU WAVE COMPATIBILITY ON THE, ON BOTH LOTS OR IS COMPATIBILITY WAIVED JUST ON THE, YOU KNOW, FRONT LOT THAT WAS JUST, UH, THAT, THAT INITIALLY TOUCHES LAMAR AND THE, THE, SOME OF THE ANSWERS THAT WE GOT BACK? I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH MAYBE, UM, A LEAN TOWARD.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, AS AN ISSUE, UM, WHERE I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE IN OUR APPROACH TO THESE CORRIDORS SO FOLKS CAN COMBINE, YOU
[00:20:01]
KNOW, A HANDFUL OF PROPERTIES AND ALSO SO THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE, THE, THE COMPATIBILITY LIMITS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE EVEN AND FAIR, AND NOT JUST KIND OF RANDOM BASED ON HOW THE PARCELS ARE DRAWN.UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO BRING THAT TO, UM, UH, TO THE, THE COUNCIL'S, UH, ATTENTION.
I GUESS A GOOD ISSUE TO, TO BRING, I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY TO SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME LANGUAGE THAT, THAT EITHER YOU OR I OR TOGETHER WE COULD PROPOSE TO THE BODY MM-HMM.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE CONCERN WOULD BE JUST IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU BUY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A PROPERTY ON LAMAR AND YOU BUY THE PROPERTY BEHIND YOU AND YOU WANT TO BUILD A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON NORTH LAMAR, IS THAT NEW PROPERTY AGAIN, THIS IS HAPPENING FOUR YEARS, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, DOES THAT ENTIRE PROPERTY GET THE COMPATIBILITY WAIVER? UH, AND I, I THINK THAT'S IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING WE CAN GENERATE, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, LITTLE DETAIL THAT, THAT WE SHOULD, UH, WORK OUT.
I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THAT.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS CLARITY ON IT.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET, UH, UH, SOMETHING FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND WEIGH AS OUR KITCHEN.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY AS YOU DO THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, DIFFERENT THINGS ARE CROSSING ARE HAPPENING ACROSS DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, AND SO WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT.
SO WHEREAS THAT MIGHT WORK IN SOME AREAS, IT MIGHT NOT IN OTHER AREAS, THERE'S ALSO DIFFICULTIES WHEN YOU'VE GOT PROPERTIES COMING IN AT AN ANGLE MM-HMM.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, I WOULD JUST, UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I AGREE THAT THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED AT IN A WAY THAT'S NOT, UM, THAT'S NOT, NOT NECESSARILY COOKIE CUTTER THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO, AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD WANT, I WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND NOT DO A BLANKET RULE.
SORRY, MY VOICE IS A LITTLE ROUGH TODAY.
SO I, I MAY NOT MAKE A TON OF COMMENTS, BUT I, I LIKE THE IDEA.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION.
AND I WONDER IF INGRESS AND EGRESS MAY BE A PART OF IT IS HOW DO YOU ACCESS IT? ARE YOU ACCESSING IT FROM A BACK STREET OR IS IT FRONT FACING OR WHEN THE LOTS ARE COMBINED, IF THEY ARE THEN WALKABLE TO TRANSIT, TO ME, THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE OPENED UP, WHEREAS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS THAT DIRECTION MIGHT JUST NEED TO BE CONSIDERED DIFFERENTLY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THAT.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
MY HOPE IS WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS, UH, ON THURSDAY, PASS SOMETHING, UH, AND, AND BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE, UM, SOME IMPACT.
AND ALSO JUST THE, THE, THE COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET A BROAD CONSENSUS ON.
AND THEN I'LL, I'LL BE EATING MY POPCORN AND WATCHING NEXT YEAR'S COUNCIL WRESTLE WITH, UH, WHATEVER HAPPENS NEXT.
I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU SAID FIRST, AND, AND I, I WOULD, UH, AGREE THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE WHAT WE CAN.
I ALSO WANTED TO JUST COMMENT ON THE FACT THAT THIS COUNCIL LAST YEAR AROUND THIS TIME, UH, INITIATED A, A NUMBER OF CHANGES THAT HAVE NOT YET COME BACK TO US, THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE NEW COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, THAT THOSE ARE ALL IMPORTANT.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE WON'T GET A CHANCE TO, TO TALK TO 'EM NOW, BUT THEY'LL BE COMING BACK.
UM, AND THAT'S THINGS LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, WE, THE ADU, UM, RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO BROUGHT, WE'RE NOT HAVING A CHANCE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AND OPEN UP MORE HOUSING.
UM, WE ARE GONNA GET TO TALK ABOUT E TODD.
I WAS HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THAT, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA COME TO US NEXT WEEK.
SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, TO, TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS THERE.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET TO THE DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING, UH, BUT UM, IT HAS SOME RELATION TO E TODD AND ALSO IT WILL BE COMING BACK, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR.
UM, I WAS PLEASED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET AS FAR AS WE DID ON VMU AND VMU TWO.
UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS, BUT IT, IT GOT US A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO I APPRECIATE, UM, WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, MAYOR, THAT WE'RE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TAKE SOME STEPS ON, UH, COMPATIBILITY AND RESIDENTIAL AND, AND COMMERCIAL, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE MORE STEPS TO BE TAKEN.
BUT I WANTED TO, TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS TEED UP ALREADY, UM, FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL HAS LED OUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES IN THE NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY, UM, IN OUR SECOND DOWNTOWN THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR,
[00:25:01]
FOR ADDING, UM, THE DENSITY THAT WE NEED.IT JUST WASN'T PART OF YOUR, YOUR LIST, AND I THINK THOSE ARE ALL WELL UNDER WELL UNDERWAY.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO SAY A THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, UH, FOR WHEN WITH VM YOUTUBE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS REALLY KIND OF THE, THE, THE WHAT KICK STARTED, THE, THE WHOLE COMPATIBILITY, UH, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION.
AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE LIGHT RAIL, UH, UM, PROJECTS, THE, THE COMPATIBILITY CHANGES DONE.
UH, AND, UH, I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PUSH FORWARD, UH, ON THAT.
I, I DID WANNA, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT THE AFFORDABILITY BONUS PROGRAM FOR COMPATIBILITY, I DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH, UM, KIND OF THE ARBITRARINESS OF IT.
UH, THERE IS, I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU BUY A LOT, UH, IT HAS ZONING.
YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT ZONING IS.
YOU KNOW, YOU GO INTO THAT KIND OF EYES WIDE OPEN, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE PEOPLE COME TO US FOR CHANGES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT WITH COMPATIBILITY, IT'S VERY, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T THINK, AND, AND STAFF, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THERE IS A MAP OUT THERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU BUY YOUR LOT, YOU CAN KIND OF CHECK ON THIS DATABASE AND SEE WHAT, HOW COMPATIBILITY AFFECTS THAT LOT.
I THINK THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL KIND OF PROPERTY BY PROPERTY CALCULATION, SO THAT THERE'S NO REAL KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY IN TERMS OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M BUYING THIS LOT AND I WANT TO DO THIS.
YOU FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WELL, YOU KNOW, KNOW AFTERWARDS AND AGAIN, THEN YOU DON'T CONTROL COMPATIBILITY.
YOU KNOW, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LOT.
IT HAS TO DO WITH PROPERTIES AROUND YOU.
UH, SOME PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM A SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT COMPATIBILITY.
SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, DO, UH, HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST A TOTALLY ARBITRARY KIND OF CALCULATION THAT I'M UNCOMFORTABLE ROLLING INTO AN AFFORDABILITY BONUS.
I, I LIKE THE CLARITY OF LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, VMU, YOU KNOW, WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON, THE TERMS ARE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, YOU BUY THE PROPERTY, YOU WANT TO ADD THE V UH, IT'S A VERY SIMPLE KIND OF STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, ANALYSIS, BUT WITH COMPATIBILITY, IT'S NOT.
AND I THINK THERE ARE KIND OF FAIRNESS AND, AND EQUITY CONCERNS AND KIND OF THE RANDOMNESS WITH WHICH IT'S APPLIED.
UM, AND TO, TO THAT, TO, TO GET TO THE POINT, HOW IS THE BONUS PROGRAM GOING TO WORK? YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH VMU, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT VMU TWO, THE TAKE UP ON THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WAS PROB IT WAS GOOD, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY NOT QUITE AS HIGH AS, AS, AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED, UH, FROM THE STAFF PRESENTATIONS AND THE NUMBERS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
WHEREAS WITH THE AFFORDABILITY BONUS PROGRAM UNDER COMPATIBILITY, I JUST, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE THESE CHANGES.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE VERY LITTLE TAKE UP, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE LOTS WHERE IT'S JUST A PORTION OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE A THIRD OF THE LOT, FOR EXAMPLE, IS TOUCHED BY COMPATIBILITY.
IS IT WORTH IT TO THAT, YOU KNOW, PERSON TO, YOU KNOW, ENTER INTO THE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE UNITS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM OR NOT? I, I JUST, I HAVE CONCERNS WITH, UM, WITH USING OUR AFFORDABILITY, WITH USING AFFORDABILITY BONUS PROGRAM WITH COMPATIBILITY, MY SENSE WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO JUST DO A OVERALL, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION AND LET THEM THEN OPT INTO THE VMU AND, AND THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE THEM, YOU KNOW, OPTING INTO AN OVERALL REDUCTION IN COMPATIBILITY.
YOU KNOW, A, A MORE, KIND OF A CLEAN AND SIMPLE APPROACH TO JUST SAY, WE, AND AGAIN, OUR COMPATIBILITY LIMITS ARE JUST SO OUT OF WHACK AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED, UH, THAT, I MEAN, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CUT IT IN HALF AND STILL BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE, HAVE THE STRICTEST COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'S MY APPROACH.
AND, AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING DOWN THIS QUARTER'S APPROACH.
MY, I WOULD PREFER A CITYWIDE, YOU KNOW, APPROACH TO LOOK AT THIS.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FAIRNESS AND EQUITY IN THAT AS WELL, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF ARBITRARILY PICKING KIND OF CORRIDORS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN REALLY KIND OF USING A, A A, A LIKE LEVEL ONE CORRIDORS, GET THIS, LEVEL TWO CORRIDORS, GET THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, VERY FINELY DRAWING LINES, WHICH AGAIN, I I, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, FAIRNESS ANDY, UH, IN THE, IN THE KIND OF THE LAYOUT AND DESIGN OF, OF THAT, UH, OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, YOU HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING THAT I DISAGREE WITH.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION ON
[00:30:01]
THURSDAY AS TEED UP BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO, UH, AT LEAST DISCUSS THAT ISSUE WITHIN A LIMITED KIND OF AREA.UM, AND I, AND I, I WISH, UH, YOU AND, AND THE NEXT COUNCIL OF GOD'S SPEED ON, ON PICKING UP THAT ISSUE, UH, I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT WHEN WE TRIED TO, TO RAISE THAT ISSUE, THAT'S WHEN, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, THIS ISSUE GOT REALLY ELEVATED AND, UH, BECAME A, A KIND OF A HIGH PITCHED COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, UM, THAT I'M SURE YOU GUYS WILL, WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND, AND MAKE DECISION IN PART BASED ON THE MAKEUP OF THAT COUNCIL.
IN THIS CASE, FOR US THIS WEEK, THE GOAL IS TO TRY AND FIND WHAT WE CAN DO BY THE BROADER CONSENSUS GIVEN KIND OF THE, THE LEGAL STATUS POSITION THAT WE'RE IN AND THE LIKE.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN HOLD ONTO THAT, EVEN IF YOU AND I WOULD BE VOTING FOR JUST MORE BLANKET RULES AND, AND, UH, HECK, I MAY SHOW UP AT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TO, TO, TO, TO HELP YOU.
I, I APPRECIATE THAT MAYOR, AND I PROMISE TO KEEP PLUGGING AWAY.
I HOPE TO SEE YOU IN PUBLIC COMMENT AT, UH,
I'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MY TESTIMONY DOWN TO ONE MINUTE OR THREE MINUTES OR WHATEVER.
I AM, IT'S JUST GLUE ME ENOUGH OUTSIDE FOR ME TO HAVE WORNED YELLOW SO I CAN BRING A LITTLE BIT OF BAD NEWS.
I HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK WE ARE EVER GONNA FIND OURSELVES WITH ANY ITERATION OF A COUNCIL THAT FEELS CONSENSUS WITH THE WAY THAT WE ARE GOING ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND THAT'S MY HONEST BELIEF.
UM, I THINK THE SINGULAR PATH FORWARD WILL FEEL ABRUPT AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND PEOPLE WILL FEEL LIKE THEY LOST SOMETHING AND THEY WILL FEEL LIKE THEY PUT IN ALL THAT WORK, ALL THAT NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING ALL THAT TIME.
AND I SAY THAT WITH THAT LIKE LEVEL OF EXASPERATION, CUZ THAT'S VERY MUCH HOW BEING ON COUNCIL FEELS ALL THAT WORK, ALL THAT TIME, ALL THAT PLANNING FOR, YOU KNOW, THE VARIOUS ITERATIONS OF COUNCIL BEFORE THIS ONE AND THIS ONE BEFORE THE NEXT ONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, BEING IN A POSITION, THANK GOD TO NOT BE IN AN ELECTION RIGHT NOW ANYMORE.
AND, AND REALIZING, LIKE THINKING THROUGH SUCCESSION PLANS AND HOW LITTLE UNIFORMITY WE ENGAGE THE WAY WE OPERATE AS A CITY.
I MEAN, I FULLY INTEND IN 23 TO BRING FORWARD CONSIDERATIONS FOR OUR CITY MANAGER TO THINK THROUGH HOW ARE WE AS A BODY GROUP OF PEOPLE COLLECTIVELY QUALIFIED TO MAKE HUNDRED PLUS YEAR LONG TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS? WHAT LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY DID WE ESTABLISH AS A BODY AND AS INDIVIDUALS THAT SAYS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THESE THINGS.
I WANNA THINK THROUGH JUST HOW MUCH WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISIONS WE MAKE AND IF JUST MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK THROUGH IN OUR CHARTER, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE TO MAKE THEM.
MAYBE THE PEOPLE WHO'VE AMASSED 20 PLUS YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND RELATIVELY COMPLEX, YOU MADE A FEW LITTLE CHANGES.
AND TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL SAID, EVEN JUST WITH THAT, LOOK HOW COMPLEX IT BECAME.
AND ONE OF MY BRILLIANT STAFFERS SENT ME A DIAGRAM THAT I WISH I KNEW HOW TO SHARE, AND IT JUST SAYS, THIS IS OUR CODE AND IT JUST HAS ALL THESE BALLS AND BELLS AND WHISTLES.
AND IT'S ALWAYS GONNA LOOK LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE, AS A BODY, AS A CITY, AS A COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA REACH CONSENSUS EVER.
THE ONLY CONSENSUS WE MAY REACH AS A COMMUNITY IS TO DETERMINE THAT WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH REALIZING WE'LL NEVER GET THERE.
IT WILL BE A FIGHT FOREVER UNTIL WE GET TO THE PLACE WHERE I TRULY BELIEVE WE ALREADY ARE.
WE'RE LOOKING AROUND, YOU KNOW, GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE WHO SERVED US SO WELL DURING THE COURSE OF IT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AROUND AT SOME OF THE FALLOUT FROM THE PANDEMIC AND LOOKING AT AREAS OF TOWN WITH REALLY GOOD SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE AND GOOD TRANSIT, AND PEOPLE MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO EAT EVERY DAY AND BUY PADS.
I STILL, EVEN AFTER ALL THE MENSTRUAL EQUITY WORK, I STILL HAVE CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE CUTTING UP T-SHIRTS FOR MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS.
Y'ALL, NOT EVERYBODY WILL EAT IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
[00:35:01]
TONIGHT.WE WILL NEVER COME TO A CONSENSUS ABOUT HOW TO ALLOCATE WHO GETS TO DO WHAT IN A CITY WHERE THE HAVES ALWAYS WIN, PERIOD.
AND I, I JUST, I DIDN'T PLAN TO SAY THAT TODAY.
SO I'M GONNA BREATHE AND BE THAT.
I'VE JUST REACHED A PLACE WHERE I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE TELLING THE TRUTH TO ONE ANOTHER ALL THE TIME.
AND I THINK THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE LOSING ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF, WHOEVER'S THE MOST APPROPRIATE PERSON.
UM, BUT WHILE THAT PERSON COMES UP, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A CORRIDORS QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH STAFFER IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE PERSON TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT I I WILL CLOSE JUST THE GENERAL COMMENTARY BY SAYING IT DOESN'T FEEL EQUITABLE COUNCIL MEMBER OF
THAT'S WHY IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT AND IT NEVER WILL.
SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE EXCLUSION OF, UM, CORRIDORS AND HIGH, HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS, SPECIFICALLY HIGH IMPACT AREAS, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT OUR FAIR HOUSING GOALS THROUGHOUT THE CITY? AND DOES EXCLUDING SOME PARTS OF TOWN FROM IMPORTANT REFORMS LIKE REDUCING COMPATIBILITY, NEGATIVELY IMPACT FAIR HOUSING PRINCIPLES, AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELAS POINT ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE CHANGES IMPACT THE PRODUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY WAY OF THE TOOLS THAT WE DEPLOY AS A CITY.
I HAVE, I COULD FILL THIS ROOM WITH SMALL DEVELOPERS WHO AREN'T ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS AROUND THE PRODUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE OF BARRIERS, UM, TO ACCESSING OF PROGRAMS LIKE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
AND I FORESEE SOME ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES FOR THEM HERE.
THERE'S A SMALL HUDDLE BACK THERE.
I COULD CHECK BACK IN IF Y'ALL WANT
I ALREADY RAISED MY VOICE A LITTLE.
I WASN'T ANGRY, I WAS JUST REALLY FEELING VERY, I'M FEELING AS WE'RE CLOSING OUT THE YEAR AND MOVING INTO THE NEW YEAR.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A SPEECH THE OTHER DAY WHERE I EXTENDED A GENERAL APOLOGY TO EVERYBODY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GROW UP IN A PLACE, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING TO EVOLVE IN A CITY.
MCKENZIE, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE FROM HERE, RIGHT? LIKE GUYS, WHEN YOU'RE FROM A PLACE, OF COURSE YOU GROW AND CHANGE.
AND IF YOU KNEW ME FIVE YEARS AGO, YOU DON'T KNOW ME TODAY.
UM, BUT FOLKS DON'T GIVE ONE ANOTHER THE SPACE AND THE GRACE TO EVOLVE AS HUMANS.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO, TO SAY ABOUT THE QUESTION I JUST ASKED YOU, UM, CUZ I'M NOT TRYING TO SET YOU UP, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M SPECIFICALLY THINKING ABOUT, UM, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION AND THE LITIGIOUS NATURE THAT WE'VE REACHED WITH CONVERSATIONS AROUND OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
WHEN I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION, I THINK IT'S TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES POINTS ABOUT CONSENSUS.
I THINK NONE OF US IN THE ROOM DISAGREE THAT THE HOUSING SITUATION IN AUSTIN HAS BEEN AND, YOU KNOW, REACHED MAX LEVEL OF UNTENABLE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE ALL JUST AT THIS POINT DEFINITELY READY TO DO WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE ARE ALL ABLE TO DO BY WAY OF OUR CAPACITY AND IN OUR, UH, REPRESENTING OUR CONSTITUENTS TO, TO NOT HINDER THE PRODUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO I'M REALLY ASKING YOU, UM, THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING, IS IT, IS IT SO COMPLEX THAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE TRUE IMPACT TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE YIELD THAT WE NEED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING? THAT WE MAY BE UNFORTUNATELY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE I, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT SIX OR MORE OF US WILL SAY YES IF Y'ALL TELL US THAT THIS WILL DEFINITELY NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE PRODUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS CITY.
WHERE THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE.
UM, SO
[00:40:01]
OF THE DIFFERENT CORRIDORS, IT IS SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE CITY, THE, THE DIFFERENT CORRIDORS, THE AMOUNT OF HEIGHT CHANGES OR, UH, ABILITY TO DEVELOP FURTHER INTO THE LOT OR CLOSER TO ANOTHER LOT.OBVIOUSLY WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT OP IT OPENS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE HOUSING TO BE PRESENT WHEN WE'RE CHANGING THE HEIGHT THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY OR IF WE'RE CHANGING HOW FAR THE BUILDINGS HAVE TO BE AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY LINE.
THIS WHAT WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED, LIKE I SAID, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, IS CITYWIDE IN THE SENSE THAT IT, IT TOUCHES CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
IT'S NOT FULLY CITYWIDE, BUT IT TOUCHES CORRIDORS.
AND SO BY TOUCHING THE CORRIDORS THAT VASTLY WE SHOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSING TO INCREASE ACROSS.
NOW WHETHER THAT MEANS IT STILL WILL BE, UM, UTILIZED IN DIFFERENT SPACES IS A QUESTION I REALLY, I DON'T THINK I CAN ANSWER AT THIS POINT.
AND PART OF THAT I THINK ALSO HAS TO DO WITH WHAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND.
SO IF THERE'S STUFF ALREADY ON THE GROUND AND IT'S NOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT BE WOULD BE REDEVELOPED, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA HAVE THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES COME REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE, WHERE WE CHANGE IT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION
I'M JUST TRYING TO, I WAS JUST GONNA JUMP IN.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION EITHER.
UM, MANDY DE MAYO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IS, UM, LET ME SAY OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING UNDERPINS ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO COLLECTIVELY AND CERTAINLY THAT WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT.
UM, WHEN WE MAKE OUR INVESTMENTS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE ARE CONSTANTLY BALANCING, UM, INVESTING IN LOWER INCOME AREAS, PROVIDING AFFORDABILITY, MITIGATING GENTRIFICATION, AND PROVIDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGH INCOME AREAS.
AND IT IS A CONSTANT BALANCING ACT.
WE HAVE TRIED THROUGH OUR GEO BOND INVESTMENTS TO, IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR LAND ACQUISITION, UH, TO OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO GET LAND IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UH, WE'RE DOWN TWO COUNCIL DISTRICTS AT THIS POINT, BUT, BUT WE'RE NOT GIVING UP.
WE HAVE OUR 2022 AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS AND WE'LL CONTINUE THE INVESTMENT IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UM, AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY BALANCING THE HIGH OPPORTUNITY WITH THE AREAS EXPERIENCING GENTRIFICATION AND TRYING TO MAKE EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S, UM, FRESH IS WHAT IT IS AND IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.
SO I'M NOT BLAMING YOU, I'M JUST SITTING HERE LISTENING TO YOU AND TRISH, WHO'S A CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL AND ALWAYS ANSWERS MY REALLY COMPLEX QUESTIONS FAIRLY.
I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT IT'S TRASH CUZ WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ULTIMATELY IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FACE OUR CONSTITUENTS AND SAY IS THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK OR FEEL FAIR BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
AND YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T FORCE IT CUZ SO MUCH OF IT IS ABOUT PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, RIGHT? AND THE LIMITATIONS THAT YOU HAVE WITH WHICH YOU GET TO MAKE ACQUISITIONS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'M JUST TALKING AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU GUYS, I DO APPRECIATE IT.
UH, I I WOULD LIKE TO
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT YOU TO SOME INFORMATION IN THE STAFF REPORT.
IT'S ACTUALLY FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
UH, IT'S PAGE FIVE OF THE STAFF REPORT THAT THAT DOES LOOK AT, UH, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES IN HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS VERSUS, UH, DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS.
AND AND EVEN THOUGH THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY THE PARCELS WHERE THERE'S RELAXATION OF COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS THROUGH THE PROPOSED, UM, CHANGE TO COMPATIBILITY, IT DOES GIVE YOU A SENSE OF, UH, UH, WHERE PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED THAT ARE, THAT THAT MAY BE MOST LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM RELAXATION OF COMPATIBILITY.
AND, UM, THERE, THERE ARE MORE PROPERTIES IN DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS.
AND I, AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I, AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT THAT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE EARLIER, I, I REALLY, I OFTEN JUST TAKE MY HATS OFF TO YOU ALL, LIKE REALLY WALKING US THROUGH THE THING THAT YOU ARE AN EXPERT IN AND WE
[00:45:01]
ARE NOT.UM, AND SO WHEN I'M ASKING THE QUESTIONS, I'M TRYING TO MAKE CERTAIN, I'M TAKING ALL OF THE INFORMATION INTO CONSIDERATION.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IT'S STILL ON ITS FACE WHEN YOU'RE INTERPRETING THE DATA AS A LAY PERSON.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE EVEN, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S EVENLY DISTRIBUTED, IN WHICH CASE, I THINK ULTIMATELY, I GUESS IF THERE WERE A FOLLOW UP TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION, UH, DOES WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A PROPOSAL FOR US TO CONSIDER IF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE FOR THERE TO BE MORE OF A BALANCE.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M ASKING OR SAYING? MAYBE IT'S NOT A QUESTION.
I THAT'S THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE CONCERN THAT I AM EXPRESSING.
AND, AND THERE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS AT, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT THERE NOT BEING AS MANY DESIGNATED CORRIDORS IN WEST AUSTIN.
UM, AND UM, I, I HAVE HEARD PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TALK ABOUT THAT ISSUE.
UM, AND I I CONCUR THAT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE AS A CITY SHOULD PERHAPS REASSESS.
AND I, AND I I THINK YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WHICHEVER ITERATION OF THE BODY, YOU KNOW, IS TAKING A LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT REASSESSMENT HAS TO ALSO COME WITH THE REALLOCATION OF FUNDING.
OUR DOLLARS HAVE TO SPEAK TO OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING IT FAIR, PERIOD.
BUT I THINK IN A LOT OF WAYS WE ARE GONNA LEAN ON Y'ALL FOR YOUR WISE COUNCIL ON WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE.
AND AS WE ARE MAKING THESE EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT DECISIONS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE STAFF TO NOT BE SHY.
I THINK AS A BODY, EVEN IF IN THE MOMENT RECEIVING THE INFORMATION DOESN'T MAKE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER YOU'RE FACING HAPPY, TELL 'EM THE TRUTH SO THEY CAN REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS WELL.
AND IF WE JUST CAN'T DO IT, IF WE NEED TO MOVE MONEY IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE MAD AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXPEND SOME POLITICAL CAPITAL, I WOULD HOPE THAT Y'ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT SAYING THAT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS SO WE CAN CONFIDENTLY MAKE THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS WHEN THOSE DOLLARS HAVE TO MOVE.
THANK YOU, YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT STAFF, UH, ALWAYS PUTS FORWARD THEIR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND THEY DO IT AS YOU MENTIONED WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THEIR EXPERTISE IN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND I APPLAUD THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
IT'S NOT EASY, UM, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, UH, FOR THE VARIOUS REASONS, BUT MOST CERTAINLY, THEY ALWAYS PUT FORWARD THEIR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO YEAH, WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, REALIZING OF COURSE THAT THESE ARE ON THE CODE AMENDMENTS AND YOU'RE BRINGING UP TOPICS THAT UH, DEFINITELY WE ALL SHOULD CONSIDER.
OF COURSE WE'VE GOT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE THAT MIGHT ALSO BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
ONE, ONE OF THE AMENDMENTS, UH, FIRST BECAUSE OUR, UM, UPPER MADISON, I THINK THE POINTS YOU'RE RAISING ARE REALLY GOOD POINTS.
CAUSE I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS TO ACTUALLY MAKE A, A MUCH, UM, STRONGER IMPACT ON OVERALL EQUITY IN THE CITY THAN, THAN WE HAVE.
SOME OF THOSE ARE GONNA BE REALLY POTENTIALLY HARD CHOICES, UH, CUZ IT REPRESENTS, UM, UH, CHANGE ON ISSUES THAT ARE HOTLY DEBATED AND PEOPLE COME FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES ON.
AND I REALLY DO HOPE THAT, UH, YOU AND AND THE COUNCILS IN THE FUTURE PICK THOSE UP.
UM, WE HAVE AN AFFORDABILITY STATEMENT, UH, ON BOTH 55 AND 56 AS PART OF THIS.
AND OUR STAFF HAS INDICATED THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT BOTH 55 AND 56 PROMOTE AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY FOR US.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE CUZ THEY REPRESENT WHERE I THINK THERE COULD BE AGREEMENT, UM, AND CONSENSUS.
UM, BUT NOT TO THE EXCLUSION OF PEOPLE DOING FURTHER WORK.
ONE OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROPOSING IS SIMILAR TO THE AMENDMENT THAT WENT ON AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, WHERE THERE'S A REQUEST FOR, UH, UH, DATA AND REPORTING BACK TO COUNCIL ON THE IMPACT OF THIS.
UH, IS IT IN FACT, UH, ACHIEVING WHAT WE HOPE IT WOULD ACHIEVE? AND IF NOT, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS AND IS IT HAPPENING IN THE PLACES WE WANT IT TO HAPPEN? AND IS THAT DISPROPORTIONATE? UH, AND I THINK THAT UM, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON ISSUES THAT ARE HOTLY DEBATED AND CONTESTED LIKE THAT IS TO DEVELOP THAT
[00:50:01]
KIND OF FACTUAL UNDERPINNING SO THAT WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ARE HELD, THERE'S A MORE OBJECTIVE BASIS AND, AND MAYBE BETTER TOOLS AVAILABLE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO, TO BE THE CITY WE WANT TO BE MAYOR.AND UH, YOU KNOW, I REALLY, UH, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, WHAT, UM, NATASHA WAS SAYING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE WORKED ON, UH, ME AND MY WIFE OFF AND ON, MY WIFE WORE THERE AND, UH, IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN.
AND UH, IT'S, IT WAS A LONG PROCESS AND JUST TO HAVE THE COURTS BRING IT DOWN THAT, THAT WE WASTED A LOT OF RESOURCES, A LOT OF MONEY, AND UH, WE STILL ENDED UP GETTING BEATEN THERE AT, AT THE VERY END BY THE COURT.
SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A LONG PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THESE ARE KIND OF THINGS THAT, UH, IS GENERATION WISE, YOU KNOW, US SENIORS ARE SLOWLY GETTING, UH, MOVING ON, YOU KNOW, AND ENJOYING OUR RETIREMENT OR PASSING OFF, YOU KNOW, AND UH, THE NEW GENERATION COMES IN AND CHANGES THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SAINT IN SPANISH THAT LITTLE BY LITTLE, IT GOES A LONG WAY.
AND, AND THAT'S THE WAY THAT I SEE IT HERE IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE TELL PEOPLE THAT THE TRUTH ABOUT THEY ARE GONNA GET THIS PLACE IF YOU DON'T PASS AND, AND BUILT MORE HOUSING BECAUSE AUSTIN IS GROWING AND WE'RE A HIGH TECH COMPANY, UH, CITY.
AND IF, IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, THEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE GONNA CHANGE.
AND YOU'RE SEEING IT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, YOU'RE HAVING MILLION DOLLAR HOMES WHERE ONE SOLD FOR 20, 30, $40,000 AT 40 YEARS AGO.
UH, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO PEOPLE HERE.
AND THE HARDER YOU RESIST, THE MORE YOU'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND LOOK AROUND AND SEE THAT YOUR NEIGHBOR HAD MOVED, YOUR NEIGHBOR HAD MOVED OUT CUZ THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE TAXES.
AND UH, IT'S A CHAIN REACTION.
YOU DON'T BUILD HOUSING, PEOPLE MOVED.
THEY WON'T COME BACK TO WORK UNLESS YOU PAY A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
CUZ IT TAKES TIME TO COMMUTE IN THIS CITY.
AND, UH, IT IT'S JUST SO EXPENSIVE.
SO IF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KEEP GOING DOWN THIS AISLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT DENSITY, WE DON'T WANT HOUSING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU'RE GONNA END UP SEEING YOURSELF HAVING TO BE MOVING CUZ YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, IN THE EIGHT YEARS WE JUST SLOWLY, SLOWLY, IT WAS A LONG FOUGHT PROCESS AND WE WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE, A LOT OF THINGS DONE, BUT IT'S AT A VERY SLOW PACE.
AND, AND WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE THAT PACE CUZ WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT HAS TO COME AND TO GO THROUGH A LONG PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TWO TO THREE YEARS JUST TO BUILD ANYTHING HERE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THE NEXT COUNCIL CAN MAKE A BETTER CHOICE ON THESE KIND OF ITEMS BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES ARE LEAVING US BEHIND ON HOUSING AND ONCE WE START LOSING PEOPLE, UH, THEY THEY'RE, AND FORCING THEM OUT OF TOWN, THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK.
KA I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS.
THANKS FOR, FOR RAISING THOSE AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT THIS WEEK AND AT LEAST MOVING THIS PART FORWARD.
KA POINT, THIS THANK YOU, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR, FOR THE CONVERSATION.
YOU CERTAINLY HAVE HAVE GIVEN ME, UH, A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, TO PROCESS, UM, AS COUNCIL CONSIDERS LAND USE REFORMS AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, SERVING THESE LAST TWO YEARS ON COUNCIL AND SEEING THAT THE WAY WE HAVE APPROACHED LAND USE REFORMS HAS BEEN
I KNOW THAT THAT WILL LIKELY NOT BE THE CASE, UH, IN ALL SCENARIOS, IN ALL DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF COUNCIL.
AND SO I'M THINKING THROUGH LIKE, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY LOOK LIKE WHEN WE, WHEN WE ADDRESS LAND USE REFORM THAT IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS CLEARLY NOT WORKING.
I THINK WE ALL HAVE FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT THAT HAVE BEEN PRICED OUT OF OUR CITY AND, AND KNOW THAT THE SCALE OF THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN.
UM, AND SO IN THINKING THROUGH MOVING FORWARD, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? YOU KNOW, IS IT FEASIBLE FOR US TO HAVE SUPER MAJORITY CONSENSUS ON LAND USE REFORMS MOVING FORWARD? I, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT TO ME SEEMS LIKE A, A A TALL ORDER, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROCESSED
[00:55:01]
IN PLACE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NOTIFICATIONS.WE HAD OUR, THE FIRST KIND OF MASS SCALE NOTIFICATION, UH, THAT WENT OUT TO AUSTINITE THROUGHOUT THE CITY REGARDING THE COMPATIBILITY, UH, STANDARD REFORMS. UM, AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR, FOR, FOR OUR STAFF, WE NEED TO DEVELOP A PROCESS TO SEAMLESSLY GET THOSE NOTIFICATIONS OUT BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE LARGE SCALE REFORMS, BUT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE NOTIFIED.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM, FROM THE RECENT COURT RULING.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN HAVE THE NOTIFICATION IN SPANISH, THAT HAS A LINK AVAILABLE FOR, FOR AUSTINITES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, I HAD, I ATTENDED A CONTACT TEAM MEETING IN MY DISTRICT AND THEY WRAP A GOOD POINT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE EVERYDAY AUSTINITE MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT COMPATIBILITY MEANS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU'RE PUTTING VERBIAGE OUT THERE WITHOUT ANY CONTEXT.
WE CAN AT LEAST PROVIDE A LINK SO THAT FOLKS CAN GET UP TO SPEED ON ON WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THOSE COMMENTS, UM, FOR OUR CITY MANAGER AND FOR STAFF.
SO WHEN, WHEN, UH, IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, NEW FACES AT THE TABLE THAT WE DON'T STALL ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING, UM, AND WE CAN CONTINUE AT THE SPEED THAT IS NEEDED.
JUNE, MAYOR, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, BUT FOR LEGAL AND HOUSING STAFF, GO AHEAD.
I'LL START WITH JUST THE, THE, ANY THOUGHT OR ANY, I KNOW I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MODEL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE SLAMMED, BUT ANY THOUGHTS ON THE TAKE UP OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, IN A BONUS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, IN A KIND OF A COMPATIBILITY BONUS PROGRAM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SCENARIO? IS THERE ANY, I MEAN, UH, JUST ANECDOTALLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SURE.
SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE THAT WERE PLANNING TO DO A VMU PROJECT ON THE CORRIDORS WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ADD UNITS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE, UH, OR THEY'RE SUBJECT TO LESS COMPATIBILITY.
BUT I'M, I'M SKEPTICAL THAT ANYBODY THAT'S NOT ALREADY KIND OF DOING A BONUS PROGRAM WILL OPT IN, YOU KNOW, AND GIVE AWAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, UM, IN ORDER TO, ESPECIALLY CUZ I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT VMU, YOU KNOW, VMU HAS A LOT OF ADVANTAGE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FAR THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF KIND OF BENEFITS THAT SOMEBODY GETS FROM OPTING INTO THE PROGRAM ABILITY WAIVER, UH, WOULD JUST BE KIND OF ONE BENEFIT THAT MAY, ANY THOUGHTS ON, ON HOW MUCH UPTAKE WE, WE HOPE TO SEE? WE WANT TO FEE IN THE PROGRAM? GOOD MORNING.
UH, GREG DUTTON HOUSING AND PLANNING COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, AS WAS POINTED OUT BY MAYOR PROTE, I THINK THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS ARE SET IN ACCORDANCE WITH VMU TODAY.
SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S KIND OF A TRIED AND TRUE AFFORDABILITY LEVEL.
COMPATIBILITY IS UNUSUAL BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM WOULD OFFER A REDUCTION IN COMPATIBILITY AS THE BONUS ITSELF.
SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.
UM, NOT AWARE OF OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE DONE IT BEFORE.
SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WELL IT'S GONNA WORK.
I THINK IT'S AN ATTEMPT, BEST ATTEMPT TO, TO BASE IT ON SOMETHING THAT HAS WORKED AFFORDABILITY WISE.
BUT THE, THE BONUS ITSELF, UM, IS A NEW APPROACH.
AND, AND TO BE FAIR, AND TO NATASHA'S POINT ABOUT, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HONEST AND FRANK ADVICE, I KNOW Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE KIND OF WRAP THIS INTO A LARGER KIND OF APPROACH.
AND, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT KIND OF FRANK, UH, UH, ADVICE, UM, FROM STAFF.
YOU MENTIONED ANOTHER POINT TOO, IS THERE ANY OTHER CITY THAT HAS TAKEN THIS APPROACH? I'M NOT AWARE OF WHEN WE, WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SEE IF THERE'S A, A PRECEDENT OUT THERE, UH, FOR A COMPATIBILITY KIND OF WAIVER, BONUS PROGRAM, BUT I GUESS NOT, HUH? UH, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF.
AND THEN, UH, UH, TO, UH, UH, TO, UH, LEGAL TO TR UM, ANY THOUGHTS ON THE, THE, THE MAP THAT WE, UH, HAD PUT UP EARLIER WITH REGARD TO LIKE PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, LATER BEING COMBINED TO WHERE THE COMBINED PROPERTY TOUCHES THE CORRIDOR AND WHETHER THEY GET, THEY WOULD ALL BENEFIT FROM THE, UH, COMPATIBILITY, UH, REDUCTION IN THE, IN THE, THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, PATRICIA LINK LAW DEPARTMENT.
I, I THINK, WELL, SO THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS.
IF THE TWO PARCELS ARE JOINED TOGETHER THROUGH A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WHICH IS WHERE THE TWO, YOU KNOW, LOTS SHARE KIND OF THE OBLIGATIONS TO COMPLY
[01:00:01]
WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, NO, IT WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE.THE, THE PART THAT'S THE PARCEL THAT IS NOT ON THE CORRIDOR ITSELF WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, THESE COMPATIBILITY CHANGES.
UM, AND SO, BUT THERE'S WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT IN, IN TERMS OF UH, ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL LAND TO THE OVERLAY.
UM, I THINK ANOTHER UH, KIND OF IDEA THAT IS OCCURRING TO ME, AND I DON'T GET ATTACHED TO IT CAUSE I'M JUST TALKING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HERE FOR A SECOND.
UM, BUT FOR YOUR BONUS PROGRAM, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXTEND THAT COMPATIBILITY TO THE BONUS PROGRAM, BUT I JUST NEED TO THINK THROUGH HOW THAT WOULD LOOK AND IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT NOW, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING COUNCIL COULD DO IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
WELL, I APPRECIATE IT THAT, CUZ I, I JUST SEE THAT AS BEING A REAL HEADACHE, UH, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE ROAD IF WE DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, SET SOME, SOME PRETTY GOOD RULES FOR IT, UH, UPFRONT AND, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER DEAL WITH IT UPFRONT THAN, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS FROM NOW OR, UH, UH, WHENEVER.
AND MENTIONING THE OVERLAY TOO.
THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS ABOUT THE OVERLAY IN THE RAIL, UM, UH, COMPATIBILITY REDUCTIONS THERE.
WE JUST DEFINE THAT WITHIN THE, THE, THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, RIGHT? THE COMPATIBILITY ORDINANCE ITSELF.
WHY THE, THE SHIFT IN, IN TACTICS TO GO TO THE OVERLAY ON, ON, ON, ON THIS COMPATIBILITY REDUCTION.
SO IN ORDER FOR A PARTY, UH, PARCEL TO PARTICIPATE IN VMU, THEY HAVE TO GET THE ZONING CHANGE.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE V AND THE STRING.
AND SO WHAT COUNCIL DID IS THEY, THEY TOOK WHAT IS EXISTING VMU STREETS, CUZ THERE'S A LIST OF, OF STREETS IN VMU.
AND FOR STREETS THAT ARE WITHIN THAT, THAT ALSO MEET THE DEFINITION OF THE LIGHT RAIL.
THEY GET, GET THE VMU TWO OPTION, UM, FOR THIS, IN ORDER TO MAKE A GEOGRAPHIC CHANGE THAT COUNCIL HAS ASKED FOR.
THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT IS TO DO THE OVERLAY BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING IT'S HAPPENING NOW.
UM, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF THE ZONING STRING ITSELF, BUT IT IS PART OF THE REGULATIONS THAT APPLY THAT WILL APPLY IF IT'S APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
I I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT ACTUALLY, AND TO GO TO A REAL BASIC QUESTION, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M I, WHAT IS AN OVERLAY THAT, THAT'S, HONESTLY, I HAVE NOT REALLY DEALT WITH THAT A LOT.
AND, AND IT'S A, IT'S A NEW KIND OF CONCEPT FOR ME.
UM, SO OUR CODE HAS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OVERLAYS.
WE HAVE THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS THAT COUNSEL ADDS INTO A, AN INDIVIDUAL ZONING CASE.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, LIKE A PUD FOR EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, ARE THE PUD BASICALLY AN OVERLAY OR NO? UM, WE HAVE, UH, SO IF, UH, YOU COME, YOU GET AN APPLICATION FOR MF SIX AND COUNCIL SAYS MF SIX APPROPRIATE, EXCEPT WE THINK THIS ONE ELEMENT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
COUNCIL CAN DO, DOES A, A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY TO CHANGE THAT ONE ELEMENT OF THE ENTITLEMENTS UNDER MF SIX.
SO WE USE, TYPICALLY USE THAT ON AN INDIVIDUAL ZONING CASE.
UM, WE HAVE OUR UNO AREA, WHICH IS THE UNIVERSITY AREA, AND IT IS ACTUALLY MORE SIMILAR TO THE CORRIDOR OVERLAY IN THE SENSE THAT IT DOESN'T BECOME PART OF THE ZONING STRING.
IT'S PART OF THEIR ZONING REGULATIONS, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF THE STRING ITSELF.
UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS IN SOME RESPECTS ARE A FORM OF AN OVERLAY BECAUSE WE ARE GROUPING PROPERTIES TOGETHER.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE SOME VARIATIONS OF HOW WE UTILIZE THEM AT THE CITY.
ANYTHING ELSE? WE'RE READY, PAIGE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO FLAG, I KNOW THAT WE, UH, HAD ORIGINALLY TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROHIBITION WITHIN IT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES ALONG THE YEARS OF HOW, HOW THOSE ARE ALLOWED AND WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED.
UM, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MAYBE ALONG TRANSIT CORRIDORS ARE A MORE APPROPRIATE USE AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, IN, IN QUIETER, YOU KNOW, FAMILY AREAS IN TOWN.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALLOWING FOR THEM WHERE THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED.
BECAUSE I, I THINK A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION IS VERY MUCH ABOUT THE BACHELOR BACHELORETTE PARTY COMPLEX.
AND I THINK THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A USE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S
[01:05:01]
MUCH MORE HELPFUL.FOR INSTANCE, FAMILIES WHO ARE DOING, UH, A HOME REPAIR LIKE A ROOF OR A KITCHEN WHERE THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, LONGER, LONGER RENTALS TO BE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP CLOSE TO THEIR SCHOOLS THAT THEIR KIDS ARE GOING TO AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN STILL FUNCTION WHILE THEY'RE DOING, UM, IMPORTANT RENOVATIONS TO THEIR HOMES.
AND SO, I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE IT IN THE ORDINANCE OR IN THE STAFF REPORT AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS, BUT I, I KNOW THE CONVERSATION IS MORE NUANCED THAN JUST SHOULD THERE BE PARTY HOUSES OR SHOULD THERE NOT BE.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT IF WE REALLY WANT THESE PROJECTS TO FINANCIALLY PENCIL OUT WHERE WE CAN HAVE THAT LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY COMMITMENT, THAT SOMETIMES ALLOWING SOME SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE SURE THE PROJECTS ACTUALLY GET BUILT.
SO I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY TO GET INTO THE NUANCE TODAY, BUT I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
I REMEMBER WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM JOHN HAWKIN YOS, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS OR MONTHS AGO AT THIS POINT.
AND HIS ASSESSMENT, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT IF THERE WAS ENOUGH HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY, THEN THE SHORT TERM RENTALS WOULDN'T BE IMPACTING AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING STOCK AS A WHOLE.
SO I, I KNOW THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT'S ON A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW PROJECTS TO GET BUILT SIMPLY BECAUSE WE, WE GET MAD AT SOME OF THE ENFORCEMENT, UM, OR THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AROUND SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT CONVERSATION TODAY WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT YOU MAY BRING AN AMENDMENT TO THAT PORTION OF IT OR ARE YOU JUST FLAGGING IT FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION? I'M NOT SURE YET CUZ I'M NOT FEELING WELL.
SO I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST SAY THAT WOULD, I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA NECESSARILY GET INTO THE CONVERSATION THEN TODAY IF IT, IF IT MAY NOT BECOME AN ISSUE.
BUT I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT MAKING THESE CHANGES TO INCREASE HOUSING SUPPLY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT A SHORT TERM RENTAL BECOMES A PARTY HOUSE, IT DOES, IT DOES BECOME A MINI HOTEL RATHER THAN A MORE PERMANENT HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE.
AND SO I WOULD, I I COULDN'T SUPPORT THAT KIND OF A SHIFT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN INTERESTING, WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS HERE IN AUSTIN LONGER THAN SOME OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, BUT IT'S REALLY CLEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT THOSE ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING, THAT IS INCREASINGLY A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE TAKING LONG-TERM RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES OFF THE HOUSING MARKET BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS MORE FINANCIALLY LUCRATIVE, UM, THAN, THAN LONG-TERM RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES.
SO ANYWAY, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION IF IT HAPPENS ON THURSDAY.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY ON THAT POINT.
JUST TO GO AHEAD, JUST TO FOLLOW UP QUICKLY, I APPRECIATE THAT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING AND HOUSING STOCK, THAT WE DON'T INADVERTENTLY THINK THAT THERE'S DEFINITE UNITS AND WE'RE EITHER STRUGGLING OVER RENTAL OWNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO LIVES HERE, SOMEONE WHO IS TEMPORARILY STAYING THERE.
I THINK IF THE PROJECT DOESN'T PAN OUT, THEN THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A UNIT FOR SOMEONE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY CALIBRATED IN THAT AND I WOULD BE OPEN TO, UM, MAINTAINING SOME SORT OF LIMITS ON HOW MANY COULD BE THERE.
BUT AGAIN, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY.
SO I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE ISSUES.
UH, WE'LL GET SOME STUFF POSTED, UH, TO THE MESSAGE BOARD TO HELP FACILITATE THE CONVERSATION THIS WEEK.
CHEETO, LET'S WORK TOGETHER ON, UH, THE, THE ISSUES THAT, UH, YOU'VE RAISED.
WE MAKE SURE WE TEE THOSE UP AND MAYBE ADDRESS THEM.
I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS TOO.
UH, THOSE WERE ALL THE PULLED ITEMS. YES.
I, I JUST WANNA, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CAFE ON ITEM 41.
AND, UH, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW WOULD IT AFFECT, UH, YOUR, I MEAN, I READ IT AND IT SOUNDS VERY GREAT AND UH, CUZ I I DO HAVE, UH, THE OLD BROWN BUILDING IN THERE AT A FOUR 11 CO MILE.
ALSO HAVE ANOTHER TRIANGLE THERE AT BA ROAD THAT'S ALSO, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ABOUT BUILDING SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE ON FOUR 11, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY ONCE, UH, TO, TO, UH, WITH THIS DEVELOPER COME IN AND SAYING HE WOULD DEVELOP THAT AND GIVE HIM 50 AT MARKET RATE, 50% BE LOW INCOME, I MEAN WITH DEEP LOW INCOME, 50% AND UNDER, BUT, UH, FOR 40 YEARS.
AND THEN THE LAND, ONCE 40 YEARS UP, EVERYTHING WOULD BE GIVEN BACK TO THE CITY.
AND UH, AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS HE HAD A PROJECT IN HOUSTON AND HURRICANE HARVEY, ONE OF THOSE BIG HURRICANE CAME,
[01:10:01]
WIPED HIM OUT.SO IT NEVER GOT TO THAT POINT, BUT I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW WOULD THOSE KIND OF SITUATIONS YOUR, YOUR AMENDMENT WILL AFFECT? DID IT HAVE ANYTHING THAT WILL AFFECT THAT? ANYTHING LIKE THAT WHERE, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING FOUR 11, WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HERE AS PART OF THE STAFF PRESENTATION TODAY.
SO THIS, UM, RESOLUTION WITH REGARD TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WOULD, WOULD, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS A PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT CITY REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SET UP THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY RESTRUCTURE THE REAL ESTATE PROCESS HERE AT THE CITY SO THAT THEY'RE A PART OF IT.
SO I THINK THIS WOULD ENHANCE, UM, WOULD, WOULD ENHANCE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UM, A NATURAL PARTNER IN THE BEGINNING.
AND SO IT WOULD SAY, IT WOULD SAY, UM, IT WOULD DIRECT THE MANAGER TO ESTABLISH POLICIES TO ENHANCE THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR CITY AND THE, AND THE ENTITY WE SET UP TO HELP REDEVELOP THOSE WHO ARE IN, IN A BETTER POSITION IN SOME CASES TO DO THE KIND OF THING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, TO WORK WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS IN REDEVELOPING THOSE TRACKS.
YOU KNOW, I MISSED ALL THAT LAST ONLY QUESTION I HAD.
YEAH, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
AND, UM, YOU KIND OF TEED UP SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA TALK IN A BIT.
ONE OF THE FOUR PROPERTIES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND I HAD ASKED THE STAFF TO DO UPDATES ON IS FOUR 11 SHAONE.
AND I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT PROPOSAL YOU TALKED ABOUT.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A PRETTY INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA HAND OUT SOMETHING THAT, UM, FORMER MAYOR PROTE COLE BROUGHT FORWARD.
SHE BROUGHT FORWARD A RESOLUTION ABOUT FOUR 11 SHAONE AND THEN THERE WERE, UM, THREE FOLLOW UP MEMOS LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF FOUR 11 SHAONE.
AND I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE GOOD BACKGROUND FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE BECAUSE THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOME IMPETUS BEHIND REDEVELOPING THAT TRACK, ESPECIALLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THEN IT, AND THEN IT JUST HASN'T MOVED FORWARD.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO HAND THAT OUT AS BACKGROUND FOR WHY, FOR WHY WE MIGHT CONSIDER THE SECOND PART OF THE RESOLUTION THAT MY SPONSORS AND I BROUGHT FORWARD WITH RELATIONSHIP TO THE A E D C WOULD DIRECT THE MANAGER TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT OF SEVERAL OF THOSE SITES, INCLUDING FOUR 11 SHAONE TO SEE IF, IF THAT WORK CAN MOVE FORWARD AND THAT SITE CAN BE REDEVELOPED.
SO I'LL HAND THIS OUT SINCE WE'RE, YEAH.
CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, OUR PAST MAYOR PRO 10 COLE WAS TRYING TO PUT, BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO THEY COULD PUT, UH, STUDENTS AND, UH, HOUSTON TILL AND SOME OF THE TEACHING SISTERS THAT ARE MARRIED AND, AND, UM, BUT I NEVER GOT OFF THE, NEVER GOT PASS.
SO, AND WHEN I SAW THAT ADDRESS, I JUST WAS VERY INTERESTING.
GUESS IT IS IN MY DISTRICT, SO, AND IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UH, CHAMS COURT.
SO, UH, IF YOU CAN JUST KEEP ME IN TOUCH ON THAT, BUT I'M GUESS THERE WAS GONNA BE A PRESENTATION AND YEAH.
AND HOPEFULLY, UM, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK SHE WAS THE FIRST TO KIND OF SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
AND SO, UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ON TOP OF THE PACKET IS THE ONE THAT SHE BROUGHT FORWARD AND THEN THE CO-SPONSORS WERE COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY, I CO-SPONSORED IT AS OKAY.
CO THAT IT JUST THROUGH ALL THE PULLED ITEMS, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE
[E. Executive Session]
SESSION NOW.LET'S SEE, WE CAN COME BACK OUT IN AN HOUR TO HAVE THE, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE PROPERTY, UH, ISSUE.
UH, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO IN A CLOSED SESSION TAKE YES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE TO LEAVE AT NOON, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THE EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL TAKE.
DO YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE WE CAN FINISH IT IN AN HOUR? I THINK SO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE PERSONNEL MATTERS, WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO DISCUSS.
THE, I THINK A MATTER WHICH HAS SOMETHING JUST TO HAND OUT TO US OKAY.
WE'LL, WE BE ABLE TO PICK UP A LARGER CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY.
THAT MEANS IT'S REALLY JUST THE REPORT ON THE LABOR NEGOTIATIONS AND THE QUESTIONS ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE BOTH RELATIVELY BRIEF.
SO I THINK WE'LL ACTUALLY BE BACK BEFORE 1130.
WE NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO USE A FULL HALF AN HOUR.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP THREE ITEMS PURSUANT TO 5 51 0 7 1 THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO E ONE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN LABOR NEGOTIATIONS, E TWO SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS, ALSO PURSUANT TO FIVE 5,174, THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
WE'LL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM E THREE, UH, WHICH IS, UH, PERFORMANCE COMPENSATION BENEFITS FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL MOVE DIRECTLY OVER THERE.
UM, UH, AND LET'S MOVE AS DIRECTLY OVER THERE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THAT'S GONNA BE IN PERSON IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ROOM.
[01:15:01]
UH, 10 31.WE ARE, UH, AT A CLOSED SESSION AND CLOSED SESSION.
WE GOT LEGAL ISSUES RELATED ITEMS, E ONE AND E TWO PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM E THREE.
UH, WE ARE NOW BACK INTO THE, UH, COUNCIL OF WORK SESSION HERE ON NOVEMBER 29TH, 2022, AND BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM, UH, MANAGER,
[B2. Briefing on the Palm District Planning Initiative]
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE PRESENTATION NOW IN PALM SCHOOL DISTRICT.WE'RE GOING TO, UH, DO THE AUSTIN ENERGY MEETING AT ONE 30.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, BRIEFING ON THE CITY ON PROPERTY AT THREE.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE WATCHING THE SOCCER GAME DURING ALL OF THE BREAKS, UH, AND, AND AS WE CAN, AS, AS WE CAN CATCH THAT.
SO WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND START THE BRIEFING ON THE PALMS SCHOOL.
LET US, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE RECORD, BUT AS YOU LET US IN, YOU SAID OCTOBER 29TH.
DON'T REMEMBER FOR THE CORRECTION.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL.
TODAY'S BRIEFING ON THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN IS THE CULMINATION OF WORK INITIATED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION FROM 2019.
OUR STAFF FROM OUR HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAVE MOSTLY WORKED IN HOUSE ON THE PLAN AND IN COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP ACROSS MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS WITHIN, WITH A MULTITUDE OF STAKEHOLDERS.
THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN PROVIDES A VISIONARY FRAMEWORK WHICH MULTIPLE PARTIES, PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND NONPROFIT CAN USE TO LEVERAGE AND GUIDE INVESTMENTS MOVING FORWARD.
AS YOU ARE AWARE, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC INVESTMENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITHIN THE PLAN, AND THOSE INCLUDE THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE WATERLOO GREENWAY, PALM PARK AND PALM SCHOOL, THE PLANNED I, UH, 35 RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THE INNOVATION DISTRICT, THE CITY CHARTER REQUIRES THAT THE PLAN BE ADOPTED AS AN AMENDMENT TO IMAGINE AUSTIN, WHICH REQUIRES THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION FIRST TAKE ACTION ON THE PLAN.
AS SUCH, COUNCIL CONSIDERATION WILL BE DELAYED UNTIL THAT OCCURS.
HOWEVER, WE WANTED THIS COUNCIL TO BE BRIEFED ON THE BODY OF WORK BECAUSE THE PLAN WAS INITIATED BY AND BY AND UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A TREMENDOUS LIFT THAT H P D DIVISION MANAGER STEVIE GREATHOUSE HAD PUT INTO THIS PROJECT, WHICH ALSO INCLUDE PIVOTING OUR TRADITIONAL OUTREACH INTO A VIRTUAL SETTING AS A PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC HIT SOON AFTER THE PROJECT GOT STARTED.
THE ABILITY TO INITIATE AND COMPLETE THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WHICH IS STILL PRESENT, DEMONSTRATES THE RESILIENCE OF OUR CITY ORGANIZATION AND OUR COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION FOR A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT SUCH AS THIS.
AT THIS POINT, I'LL TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO STEVIE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL CITY MANAGER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT GRACIOUS INTRODUCTION TO THIS BODY OF WORK.
VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY TO SHARE IT.
UM, STEVIE GREATHOUSE, DIVISION MANAGER HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I'VE SERVED AS THE PROJECT LEAD ON THIS BODY OF WORK SINCE IT WAS INITIATED BY COUNCIL IN LATE 2019.
UM, WHILE WE ARE REQUESTING CITY COUNCIL POSTPONE THE HEARING ON THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR THIS THURSDAY TO FEBRUARY 23RD, UM, IN ORDER TO ALLOW PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION, WE ARE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON THIS WORK TODAY.
AND NEXT SLIDE, ADVANCE WITH THE POWERPOINT.
SO IN THE PRESENTATION THAT I'M GONNA PROVIDE TODAY, I'M GONNA PROVIDE, UM, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL AS THE DRAFT PLAN.
THE PLAN, UM, REALLY WAS THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A SHARED VISION FOR A COMPLEX CULTURALLY RICH AND RAPIDLY TRANSFORM FORMING PART OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
THE STUDY AREA FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS, UM, EXTENDS ROUGHLY FROM 15TH STREET TO LADYBIRD LAKE AND TRINITY STREET TO I 35.
THIS AREA OF DOWNTOWN IS REALLY GROUND ZERO FOR A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC INVESTMENTS ANTICIPATED OVER THE YEARS OF HEAD.
AND THE IMPETUS FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS CAME OUT OF THE DESIRE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE ENERGY THAT IS COMING TO THIS DISTRICT TO ENSURE THAT THE CULTURE, CULTURAL, AND HISTORIC IDENTITY OF THE DISTRICT IS AMPLIFIED RATHER THAN OBLITERATED BY THE CHANGES AHEAD.
IN ADDITION TO INITIATING THIS PLANNING PROCESS, THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2019 ALSO PROVIDED DIRECTION ON A NUMBER OF SIGNIF, SEVERAL ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY.
UM, THIS PLAN WILL GUIDE THE ITEMS THAT ARE STILL YET TO COME AND WAS GUIDED BY THE ITEMS THAT MOVED FORWARD IN ADVANCE OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
WE CONDUCTED PRE-PLANNING ACTIVITIES IN 2019 AND 2020 LAUNCHED THE WEBSITE FOR THIS PLANNING PROCESS AT THE BEGINNING OF 2021 AND HAVE HELD THREE MAJOR ROUNDS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, CULMINATING AND RELEASE OF A PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT PLAN IN OCTOBER NEXT, AND HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS BACK TO COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION, UM, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE HAVE APPROACHED THIS WORK THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUIDED BY KEY EQUITY GOALS AS WE MOVE THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
SO THROUGHOUT 2021 AND 2022, WE CONDUCTED A
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NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE NATIONAL AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS TO CONSULT, CONDUCT A VIRTUAL DESIGN WORKSHOP AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IN JULY OF 2021, WE HIRED A LOCAL CONSULTANT, MARTHA KO, TO CONDUCT TARGETED OUTREACH TO EAST AUSTIN THOUGHT LEADERS THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS.
AND WE PARTNERED WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE WHO HIRED SAKURA ROBINSON TO SUPPORT A SERIES OF SCENARIO PLANNING WORKSHOPS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AND WHO ALSO SUPPORTED DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREFERRED DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO THAT IS PRESENTED IN THE PLAN DOCUMENT.
AS A RESULT OF THESE ACTIVITIES, UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED RICH INPUT FROM A WIDE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND THROUGH VARIOUS, UM, ENGAGEMENT CHANNELS.
AND YOU CAN READ THE RESULTS OF THAT WORK AS WELL AS OTHER BACKGROUND MATERIALS OF VIDEO OR ALL AVAILABLE@SPEAKUPAUSTIN.ORG SLASH PALM DISTRICT.
PARTICIPATION IN THE SURVEYS HAS BEEN FAIRLY DIVERSE.
IN PART TO THE TARGETED OUTREACH WE DID THROUGH MARTHA COTER, WE RECEIVED ABOUT 55% OF THE INITIAL VISION SURVEY RESPONSES, UM, WERE FOLKS THAT SELF-IDENTIFIED HIS HIS HISPANIC OR LATINX, UM, WHICH WAS A MAJOR TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THIS BODY OF WORK.
IN JUNE OF 2021, WE HOSTED TWO WELL ATTENDED VISIONING FORUMS AND RECEIVED AROUND 370 COMMENTS ABOUT HOW FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PALM DISTRICT EVOLVE OVER TIME.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF EMPHASIS IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ON HISTORY, COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL USES.
THROUGH INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, OUR CONSULTANT MARTHA CUTERA AND HER TEAM, REACHED OUT TO A VARIETY OF KEY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING EAST AUSTIN, MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, AND THOSE WITH CULTURAL TIES TO THE DISTRICT.
THE RESULTS OF THIS WORK ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE LISTENING REPORT.
AND BASED ON THEIR TARGETED WORK, THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS COMMUNITIES BY DESIGN PROGRAM ASSEMBLED A TEAM, UM, THAT VISITED AUSTIN FOR AN ORIENTATION, UH, GATHERING ORIENTATION VISIT IN I THINK OCTOBER OR FEBRUARY 25TH, 2020.
UM, AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER.
SO THAT WAS, THAT TEAM VISITED IN PERSON.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE AIA TO SEND A TEAM VIRTUALLY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES OVER THE SUMMER OF 2021.
UM, AND TO HOLD, WE CAN'T CALL IT A REGIONAL URBAN DESIGN ASSISTANCE TEAM BECAUSE IT WAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORMAT, BUT THEY DID A SORT OF VIRTUAL VERSION OF A REGIONAL URBAN DESIGN ASSISTANCE TEAM AND PROVIDED A RECOMMENDATION REPORT AT THE END OF THAT VIRTUAL VISIT.
KEY IDEAS IN THAT REPORT INCLUDED BEING SUPER INTENTIONAL WITH CULTURE AND PLACE MAKING THROUGH PUBLIC ART AND LEVERAGING THE PUBLICLY CONTROLLED SITES, UM, IN THE DISTRICT TO ACHIEVE THE VISION.
SO THE PLAN INCLUDES A VISION AND DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR THE DISTRICT AND IDENTIFIES A PREFERRED SCENARIO FOR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT.
THE OVERARCHING VISION FOR THE DISTRICT IS THAT IT BECOME A VIBRANT, HISTORIC HUB OF DOWNTOWN WHERE THE PAST IS HONORED, CULTURE IS CELEBRATED AND THE FUTURE IS SHAPED.
THE FIRST ELEMENT OF THE VISION LOOKS AT ENSURING INCLUSIVE GROWTH THAT WILL PROVIDE A PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR LONG TIME AND RECENT RESIDENTS AS WELL AS ESTABLISHED AND NEW BUSINESSES.
THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE VISION INCLUDES ENSURING THAT THE DISTRICT BECOMES A CULTURAL DESTINATION THAT CELEBRATES ITS MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE AND BUILDS ON THE MANY EXISTING CULTURAL RESOURCES IN THE DISTRICT.
THE THIRD ELEMENT OF THE VISION CALLS FOR STRENGTHENING THE PHYSICAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS WITHIN DOWNTOWN AND BETWEEN EAST AUSTINSON AND DOWNTOWN.
AND FINALLY, THE FOURTH ELEMENT CALLS PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE DISTRICT BY RESTORING EXISTING NATURAL AND OPEN SPACES AND PURSUING A HIGH STANDARD OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT WITH A FOCUS ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE PLAN ALSO IDENTIFIES AROUND 50 DESIRED OUTCOMES ACROSS THE FOUR THEMES.
UM, MANY OF THESE OUTCOMES ARE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS, UM, BECAUSE AS I'VE MENTIONED, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK ALREADY KIND OF TEED UP TO HAPPEN IN THIS DISTRICT, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF PUBLIC INVESTMENTS.
IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, WE PARTNERED WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE WHO RETAINED ASCA OR ROBINSON TO SUPPORT A SCENARIO PLANNING ACTIVITY THAT LED TO DEVELOPMENT OF THREE WHAT IF SCENARIOS FOR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZED AROUND THE CONCEPTS OF LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
THEY ALSO HELPED US TO DEVELOP A PREFERRED SCENARIO, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
AND THAT PREFERRED SCENARIO REALLY BUILDS ON THOSE LIVE WORKPLACE SCENARIOS AND INCORPORATES SURVEY RESPONSES THAT WE RECEIVED AROUND THE LIVE WORK INPLACE SCENARIOS, WHICH INDICATED A DESIRE FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND A RANGE OF INCOMES AND AN EMPHASIS ON CULTURE, SPACE, CULTURAL SPACE AND PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE'VE GOT QUITE A FEW RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY AND SORT OF ACROSS ALL OF THOSE RESPONSES, THERE WAS A DEFINITE INTEREST IN SEEING THIS DISTRICT BE A DISTRICT THAT IS FOCUSED ON SORT OF ITS CULTURAL ASSETS THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND IN SOME CASES KIND OF TO TURN DOWN THE OFFICE DEVELOPMENT A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU WILL, TO ACHIEVE THOSE OTHER GOALS.
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SCENARIO ENVISIONS THAT THE PALM DISTRICT WILL BECOME A THRIVING 24 HOUR A DAY COMMUNITY.IT PRIORITIZES MIXED USE BUILDINGS WITH GROUND FLOOR SPACES FOR RETAIL, ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION, CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES, WHILE SUPPORTING EXISTING LIVE MUSIC AND CULTURE SPACES.
UM, AND REALLY SORT OF BUILDS ON THE SPINE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE DISTRICT OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY.
AND NEXT THE IMPLEMENTATION SECTION OF THE PLAN PRESENTS SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO MOVE TOWARDS THE PREFERRED SCENARIO AND THE VISION AND DESIRED OUTCOMES IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN.
MANY OF THESE ACTIONS BUILD ON INVESTMENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY IN THE DISTRICT OR FOR WHICH FUNDING HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN IDENTIFIED.
AND THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE PLAN IS REALLY TO HELP GUIDE AND COORDINATE THESE FUTURE INVESTMENTS AND PROGRAMS SO THAT WE LEVERAGE THIS ACTIVITY FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT AND CREATE A WORLD CLASS DISTRICT OF DOWNTOWN.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS PLAN ARE FAR FROM A WISHLIST.
UM, MANY OF THEM ALREADY HAVE WILLING SPONSORS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME ASPECT OF THE WORK.
THE IMPLEMENTATION SECTION ALSO TEES UP A CONVERSATION ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE.
AT A MINIMUM, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT WILL MONITOR PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AS WE DO WITH OUR OTHER SMALL AREA PLANT.
MANY OF THE FOLKS WHO PROVIDED INPUT DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS ALSO EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE BODY THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATION.
MORE BROADLY, THERE ARE ALREADY MULTIPLE KEY GOVERNANCE ENTITIES IN THE DISTRICT.
SO WE WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY AN APPROPRIATE GOVERNANCE BODY THAT BUILDS ON THIS ECOSYSTEM TO KIND OF GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM OF MONITORING PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
THE PLAN ALSO IDENTIFIES SEVERAL MAJOR INITIATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT SHOULD BE LEVERAGED OVER THE COMING YEARS TO MOVE THE PLAN FORWARD AND CALLS FOR US TO WORK TO ACCOMMODATE HOUSING AT A RANGE OF INCOMES IN THE DISTRICT THROUGH INCENTIVES, THROUGH INVESTMENTS, AND THROUGH, UM, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE PUBLICLY OWNED SITES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT.
WE PRESENTED THE PLAN TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THEIR SPECIAL CODE MEETING ON NOVEMBER 15TH.
AT THAT MEETING, THEY CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TOOK ACTION TO POSTPONE THEIR DECISION UNTIL DECEMBER 20TH, BECAUSE THE DECEMBER 20TH PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING IS A CONSENT ONLY MEETING.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE PLAN AND TAKE ACTION AT A MEETING IN JANUARY.
UNDER ARTICLE 10 OF THE CITY CHARTER PLANNING COMMISSION IS REQUIRED TO TAKE ACTION ON ANY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH THIS PLAN IS.
UM, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT CITY COUNCIL POSTPONE THE HEARING THAT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY TO THE FEBRUARY 23RD, 2023 MEETING IN ORDER TO ALLOW TIME FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO TAKE THEIR ACTION.
ONCE THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, STAFF WOULD WORK ON SEVERAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A FOCUSED AMENDMENT TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE ALONG WALLER CREEK, A FOCUSED AMENDMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN, UM, AS WELL AS WORKING TO FINALIZE OUR APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE.
SO THE ACTION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING THIS WEEK IS REALLY THAT CITY COUNCIL POSTPONED THE HEARING THAT HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY TO THE FEBRUARY 23RD MEETING TO ALLOW TIME FOR PLANNING COMMISSION TO TAKE ACTION AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING.
WE WOULD THEN BE ASKING, ASSUMING THAT PLANNING COMMISSION TAKES THAT ACTION, WOULD BE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN AS AN ATTACHMENT TO IMAGINE AUSTIN.
AND WE WILL ALSO BE RECOMMENDING ADOPTION OR APPROVAL OF A COMPANION RESOLUTION THAT INITIATES SEVERAL KEY IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A FOCUSED AMENDMENT TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE RELATING TO SETBACKS AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ADJACENT TO WALLER CREEK AND A FOCUSED AMENDMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR WE CAN ANSWER THEM OFFLINE BEFORE FEBRUARY 23RD.
COLLEAGUES, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO SAY AT THIS POINT? UH, YES.
AND, UH, ARE YOU, HAVE Y'ALL BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE COUNTY ON, UH, THE BUILD THE PALM SCHOOL ITSELF BUILDING? SO WE, THE COUNTY IS AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THIS EFFORT AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNTY STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF THE PLAN.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN KIND OF REVIEWING THE TEXT ALONG WITH US THAT'S GONE INTO THIS PLAN DOCUMENT.
WE'VE HAD SOME HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
UM, WE HAVE NOT, THE PLANNING TEAM HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE SORT OF REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATION ACTIVITIES.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TEEING UP THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SUCCESS.
REGARDLESS OF WHO ENDS UP OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THE CITY MANAGER OR OTHERS MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL KIND OF FEEDBACK THEY CAN PROVIDE ON THAT ASPECT OF IT.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT THE, THE, THE COUNTY, UM, HAS NOT TAKEN ANY ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS COURT ACTION RECENTLY ON IT.
UM, BUT THE BUILDING IS EMPTY.
THE COUNTY STAFF HAVE MOVED OUT OF IT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THIS IMPORTANT PLAN MOVE FORWARD AND TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT AS A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
AND, AND LIKE MY COUNCIL MEMBER ANTHONY AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER OF KATHY TOBO HAS BEEN SUPER INVOLVED IN,
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IN THE SAVING PALM SCHOOL EFFORTS.AND THAT WAS SOMETHING AND A GROUP THAT I ALSO ORGANIZED WITH BEFORE I GOT ELECTED.
AND SO I ESPECIALLY AM CURIOUS, ARE THERE OTHER, UM, INSIGHTS THAT BUBBLED UP RELATED TO PALM SCHOOL FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? I KNOW YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION LISTED HERE TO HAVE, UH, CULTURAL PROGRAMMING AS PART OF THE USE OF THE SPACE, BUT ANY OTHER, UM, INSIGHTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? SURE.
I THINK WE DEFINITELY RECEIVED, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH SUPPORTING THE NOTION OF KIND OF PRESERVING THE SITE INTACT, UM, AND IMPROVING IT AND MAKING IT BE MORE OF AN EXTENSION TO KIND OF THAT HAVE PALM PARK AND PALM SCHOOL DEVELOPED IN TANDEM WITH ONE ANOTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ROBUSTLY USING, UM, THE BUILDING ITSELF FOR CULTURAL USES THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
BUT WE ALSO HAD A CONTINGENT OF FOLKS THAT BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT WE HAVE AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, UM, IN THE CITY THAT WOULD WARRANT CONSIDERING JOINT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT MIGHT TAKE UP THE PORTION OF THE SITE THAT ISN'T COVERED BY THE SCHOOL AND HAVE BUILDINGS ON IT LIKE THAT.
THERE WERE, THERE WERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ASKED FOR THAT AS WELL.
SO I WON'T, I WON'T SAY THAT IT WAS LIKE SORT OF A MONOLITH.
WE HAD BOTH, BOTH SIDES OF THAT VIEWPOINT.
UM, THE PLAN ON THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO THAT IS IN THE PREFERRED SCENARIO, UM, SHOWS THE SITE STAYING WITH JUST THE PALM SCHOOL BUILDING ON IT.
BUT I DO WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THIS PLAN IS NOT A REGULATORY DOCUMENT.
UM, THE COUNTY IS OBVIOUSLY THE PROPERTY OWNER.
ADDITIONAL WORK WOULD NEED TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FINANCING FOR THAT WORKS FOR THE, OUR PARTNER AT THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT WHAT THE PLAN IS CLEAR ON IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING ON THE SITE.
WE ARE UNEQUIVOCAL IN THE RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE THE SITE, UM, BE USED FOR CULTURAL PROGRAMMING IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAS ADOPTED RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT WOULD REQUIRE WHATEVER FUTURE USE OF THAT SITE INCLUDE A CULTURAL PROGRAMMING COMPONENT.
HAVE WE SHARED THE FEEDBACK WITH THE COUNTY? YES.
SO THEY'RE AWARE OF, OF THAT THERE WERE SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ALSO EXPRESSED THE DESIRE FOR HOUSING YES.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BUBBLE UP THAT CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY? UM, WE'VE DEFINITELY HAD SORT OF A ROBUST CONVERSATION AROUND BOUNDARIES.
UM, BECAUSE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR IS DESIGNATED, AT LEAST IN THE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, STUDY WAS DESIGNATED TO RUN ALL THE WAY FROM REPUBLIC SQUARE TO SALTILLO.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY MUCH, YOU KNOW, GOES BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES THAT WE'VE DRAWN FOR THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.
UM, WE MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO KIND OF HAVE THE, TO, TO NARROW OUR BOUNDARIES SOMEWHAT OR ELSE AT SOME POINT YOU'RE TAKING AN ALL OF DOWNTOWN WITH YOUR PLAN.
AND THAT WASN'T THE, THE GOAL OF THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
WE ALSO WANTED TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WE WEREN'T, UM, KIND OF, EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF OVERCOME THE BOUNDARY THAT IS I 35, WE DON'T WANNA SIGNAL TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE SORT OF A DOWNTOWN PLANNING APPROACH TO EAST AUSTIN.
SO WE KEPT THE BOUNDARY ALONG 35.
UM, BUT WE DEFINITELY HAD HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WOULD'VE PREFERRED THAT WE HAD EXTENDED THE BOUNDARIES TO COVER THE FULL EXTENT OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
UM, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF TREATING IT IN THE DISTRICT AS AN INTERSECTION POINT.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO, I KNOW, WORK ALREADY UNDERWAY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, HAS DONE SOME PRELIMINARY DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE AND IS WORKING TO DO ADDITIONAL, UM, CONSULTANT RETENTION TO, TO DO MORE OF THE, THE SORT OF WORK TO EXPLORE HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THESE KINDS OF DISTRICTS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND OUR HOPE IS THIS PLAN WOULD BE A GUIDING DOCUMENT TO THAT WORK THAT'S BEING LED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY.
SO THERE WAS, UH, THERE WERE ENOUGH INSIGHTS SHARED FROM THE COMMUNITY TO WANT TO SEE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES GO PAST I 35 THROUGH THE SIDE.
YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN WE HAD THAT ALREADY ON THE BOOKS WITH WHAT WAS IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, STUDY WAS LOOKING AT A QUARTER THAT COULD POTENTIALLY EXTEND PAST 35 TO, SO, UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN CONVERSATION UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S LEADERSHIP WITH STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT SORT OF HOW YOU ACTUALLY CREATE THAT DISTRICT THAT I DON'T WANNA, UM, KIND OF STEAL ALL THEIR THUNDER CAUSE I THINK THEY'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL WITH DIRECTION RELATED TO THAT.
UM, AND IT'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION ABOUT KIND OF DREAMS VERSUS BUILDING ON WHAT'S THERE NOW.
UM, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT, UH, WENT INTO THIS REPORT, UM, BY YOU AND FELLOW STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I, I WANTED TO GO THROUGH, THERE WERE A COUPLE NEXT STEPS YOU SAID IN TERMS OF CITY STEPS.
UM, ONE WAS ADOPTING THIS INTO IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN, WHICH IS GONNA HAPPEN IN FEBRUARY.
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO OTHER PARTS THAT I WANTED TO GET GREATER CLARITY ON.
ONE WAS LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SECOND ONE IS, BUT IF YOU COULD PROVIDE SOME GREATER CLARITY SURE.
AND ANTICIPATE WHAT THOSE ARE THAT WOULD BE, YEAH, SO THE RE THE RECOMMENDATION ON AMENDMENTS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WILL BE A VERY TARGETED AND FOCUSED RECOMMENDATION.
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I WANNA BE SUPER CLEAR, UM, THAT REALLY WOULD BE DEALING WITH SOME SETBACK AND BUILDING WALL ISSUES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO WATERLOO GREENWAY.UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY CODE LANGUAGE THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE SECOND READING DRAFT OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT DIDN'T PROCEED WHEN THAT PAUSED, UM, THAT WE WOULD BE BRINGING BACK TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE.
UM, BASED ON A LOT OF OBSERVATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD FROM FOLKS TRYING TO BUILD OUT THE GREENWAY ON HOW DEVELOPMENT IS INTERACTING WITH THE GREENWAY.
UM, SO WE ARE NOT PROPOSING A REGULATING PLAN AS PART OF THIS WORK.
UM, MOST OF THIS DISTRICT HAS ALREADY GOT CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ZONING.
UM, AND WE WOULD JUST PROPOSE KIND OF WORKING FORWARD IN PARTNERSHIP AND NOT TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN THROUGH REGULATIONS PER SE.
ALTHOUGH THERE IS GUIDANCE IN THE PLAN THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, WE COULD USE THAT GUIDANCE FOR THAT.
BUT THE, THE ITEMS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY GONNA BE TEED UP IN FEBRUARY IS THAT VERY FOCUSED AMENDMENT TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE RELATING PRIMARILY TO SETBACKS ALONG THE WATERLOO GREENWAY.
AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM THAT IS GONNA BE TEED UP IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, UM, TO REFLECT THE BOUNDARIES AND CONTENT OF THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.
SO AGAIN, A VERY FOCUSED AMENDMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT, UM, HAS BOUNDARIES THAT ARE WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN THAT WOULD REFLECT THE PALM DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, CUZ THE PALM DISTRICT BOUNDARY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE SUB-DISTRICTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
AND THOSE, JUST TO BE SUPER CLEAR, THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN FEBRUARY ARE INITIATION OF THOSE.
SO THE ACTUAL AMENDMENT TO THE CODE AND THE ACTUAL AMENDMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN WOULD RETURN, UM, AT A POINT IN THE FUTURE, UM, PRESUMABLY LATER IN 2023.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE A RESOLUTION TO INITIATE THOSE TWO CHANGES THAT WOULD BE ASKED FOR IN FEBRUARY.
AND STAFF WOULD BE READING THAT? CORRECT.
UM, AND THEN A KEY PART OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, USING CITY LAND EFFECTIVELY TO ADVANCE THE PLAN.
UM, WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT OT AND FINANCED ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPUS.
UM, SO I HAVE SOME SENSE OF THAT.
WHAT I, WHAT I'M STILL MISSING, UM, IS WHAT HAPPENS TO, AND THIS IS PROBABLY A QUESTION MORE FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO GET BACK TO US ON, IS WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR MAKING SURE WE HAVE ALL THE SECURITY NEEDS AND, AND POLICING NEEDS ADDRESSED IN DOWNTOWN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A STATION AT THAT LOCATION? IF THAT'S PART OF THE PLAN, WHICH I, I'M STILL NOT TOTALLY UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHERE THAT PIECE COMES IN.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'D BE MOVING, YOU KNOW, HEADQUARTERS AND, AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE A, AN, AN EXPANSIVE PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPUS SO WE, WE COULD GET ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND BE ABLE TO REALLY MEET THE NEEDS AND THAT THE BUILDING'S NOT IN GREAT SHAPE, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT I AM CONCERNED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT, UM, BASES FOR OUR POLICE DOWNTOWN.
AND, AND I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT PIECE OF THE PLAN AND, AND THIS PLAN HAS CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS BASED IN ON THE FUTURE OF THAT.
SO IF YOU CAN GET BACK TO US, I DON'T KNOW IF TODAY'S THE RIGHT TIME FOR THAT.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, MAYOR, PRETEND AND WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU ON JUST THAT BROADER DISCUSSION ON WHAT THE, THE FUTURE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENCE DOWNTOWN BE.
AND, AND IT'D BE GREAT IF WE'RE NOT, IF WE'RE WAITING UNTIL FEBRUARY TO PASS THIS OR ADOPTED.
IF WE COULD MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, AHEAD OF TIME, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE IN HERE, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TURS FOR THE WATERLOO.
UM, THAT THERE WAS ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ALLOCATED FROM THAT ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR WATERLOO GREENWAY.
I THINK IT WAS ON THE TUNE OF 30 MILLION.
UM, AND WE HAD BEEN DISCUSSING WHETHER THAT COULD BE APPLIED TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND MY RECOLLECTION IS WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY TAKEN ACTION ON THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, AND SO IN LIGHT OF THIS PLAN, WHICH IS RIGHT IN THE AREA, UM, CAN YOU EITHER SPEAK TO OR SPEAK TO US IN THE FUTURE ABOUT WHAT WE COULD USE THAT MONEY TO LEVERAGE? CUZ I THINK WE CAN'T USE IT FOR HOUSING.
THERE MAY BE OTHER PIECES OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THE DISTRICT WHERE THAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE, UM, USE OF USE OF FUNDING EVEN IF IT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE THE, THE, THE THE BODY CENTER IT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE, UM, A LOT OF, A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
BUT BE GOOD IF WE HAD THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP WITH THE WALLER CREEK LGC AND OTHERS TO, AND LAW TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ELIGIBLE USES ARE OF THE, WHAT I'M HEARING IS WHAT THE ELIGIBLE USES ARE OF THE EXISTING WALL CREEK TOURS, IF THERE'S SURPLUS AND IF IT COULD BE USED TOWARDS ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN.
I WANTED TO JUST THANKS STEVIE FOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS.
THIS IS REALLY, IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD EVEN DESPITE THE PANDEMIC.
[01:40:01]
THANK YOU FOR THE, THE WORK AND I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY CO-SPONSORS ON THIS ITEM.UM, BECAUSE SEVERAL OF US ARE, ARE ROLLING OFF.
I REALLY WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING IT TODAY, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS NOT THE COUNCIL, SADLY THAT'S GONNA GET TO APPROVE IT.
UM, MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER AND R WAS A CO-SPONSOR IN BRINGING THIS FORWARD WITH ME, UH, MAYOR ADLER, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR IT.
IT WAS A HUGE RESOLUTION AND DID A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND MOST OF THOSE ARE IN MOTION AND, AND THOSE THAT AREN'T, I THINK YOU'VE NOW PICKED UP AND ARE SENDING FORTH WITH, WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU HAVE HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW ISSUES THAT'LL CONTINUE TO NEED ATTENTION.
YOU MENTIONED ONE OF THEM, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR HAS, THEY WERE, BECAUSE OF A COUPLE DIFFERENT DECISIONS WITH REGARD TO CONSULTANTS, THEY HAVE PUT UP, THEY THEY COMPLIED WITH OUR, OUR DIRECTION IN A, IN A, IN A GREAT WAY BY PUTTING UP TEMPORARY SIGNS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THOSE IN PLACE.
BUT THE LONGER WORK OF REALLY IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT SITES AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS, IS STILL TO HAPPEN.
AND I JUST WANNA TO MENTION AGAIN, UM, THE, THE, THE FERVENT REQUEST THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE MADE IS THAT, THAT THAT PROCESS THAT A D D IS ENGAGING IN, NOT START FROM SCRATCH.
AND I KNOW I'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ED D AND, AND THEY'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE DONE THE HISTORY, HAVE DONE HISTORY OF DIFFERENT SITES ALONG THAT AREA AND WANT VERY MUCH TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
AND I THINK YOU SAID THAT, THAT THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY TO, FOR THAT PROGRESS, FOR THAT PROJECT TO PROCEED THAT, THAT IT'S REALLY HAND IN IN HAND WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE SPENT YEARS RESEARCHING SOME OF THOSE SPOTS ALONG THERE AND HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION AND IN SOME CASES ORAL HISTORIES AND OTHER KINDS OF INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE STORIES.
UM, RAINY STREET, THE RAINY STREET WORK THAT, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FIX THE FUNDING ON THIS SUMMER HAS ALSO STARTED AND MO IS MOVING FORWARD AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME GREAT STORYTELLING ELEMENTS IN THAT POCKET PARK LONG RAINY, WHICH I THINK ALSO, UM, HELPS MEET A LONG FELT NEED THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED IN HERE TO REALLY CELEBRATE THE HISTORY, UM, INCLUDING AND, AND TELLING THE STORIES OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE NO LONGER IN THAT AREA.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT THIS REPORT REALLY FOCUSES ATTENTION ON THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT, UM, THAT PART OF TOWN AND SHAPED IT AND WENT TO SCHOOL AT PALM SCHOOL AND PLAYED IN PALM PARK AND, AND ONCE UPON A TIME LIVED DOWN THE STREET IN RAINY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS, THIS TRANSFORMS HOW WE THINK ABOUT THIS PART OF TOWN.
UM, WE RENAMED IT IN FACT IN THAT RESOLUTION FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT TO THE PALM DISTRICT TO REALLY REENTER IT ON PEOPLE AND THE STORIES THAT ARE, UM, AS IN EUROPE AS YOU SAID, UM, IN AT RISK OF BEING OBLITERATED AS THE DEVELOPMENT IN THAT, IN THAT PART OF TOWN TAKES PLACE AND CONTINUES.
SO I THINK THIS IS JUST A SUPER, THIS REALLY MEETS MY EXPECTATIONS OF, OF WHAT THE PLAN WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND I JUST AM VERY APPRECIATIVE TO YOU AND ALL OF THE OTHER STAFF AND THE MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WORKED ON IT.
AS I UNDERSTOOD THE CONVERSATION YOU JUST HAD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER WITH MAYOR PROTE ALTER, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE WALLER CREEK AMENDMENTS WOULD BE COMING FORWARD HOPEFULLY WITHIN 2023.
THAT WOULD BE SUPER, I MEAN, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, I CAN NEVER OFFER ANY GUARANTEES OF TIMING, BUT THAT IS THE GOAL FOR SURE.
YEAH, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TIMING ON THAT FOR YEARS NOW, SO THE SOONER THE BETTER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE SEE REDEVELOPMENT ALONG THAT LINE, ALONG THAT AREA, I THINK WE REALLY WANNA HAVE THOSE GUIDELINES IN PLACE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE, OH, I HAD ONE REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO SAY THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THESE THAT ARE GONNA NEED CONTINUED COUNCIL SUPPORT AND ONE OF THEM IS THE ONGOING WORK IN RE STREET, THE OTHER, I MENTIONED THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE DISTRICT AND WORK.
UM, I WANTED TO SIGNAL TO MY COLLEAGUES, SEVERAL OF YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE ON IT AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO.
BUT, UM, I AM WORKING WITH SEVERAL TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING FORWARD SOME ACTION FOR OUR COUNCIL NEXT WEEK RELATED TO PALM, UM, AND CONTINUED COLLABORATION AROUND PALM SCHOOL, BUT ALSO AROUND AN ASSET.
AND SO THOSE, I THINK SEVERAL OF YOU ARE COMMITTED CO-SPONSORS AND A COUPLE OTHERS OF YOU ARE, ARE CONTEMPLATING.
AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT ACTION ON FOR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING TO KIND OF PUSH, PUSH FORWARD.
WE'VE TAKEN SOME STRONG ACTION AS A CITY IN TERMS OF KA BLESS YOU, UM, PALM SCHOOL AND AND PARTNERING.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME STRONG ACTION TOGETHER WITH THE COUNTY NEXT WEEK THAT REALLY HONORS THE WORK THAT YOU DID IN THIS PLAN AND THAT THE COMMUNITY DID IN THIS PLAN, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL DIRECTIVES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COLLABORATION WITH TRANSPORTATION
[01:45:02]
PLANNING THROUGH THIS AREA? YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR A BIKE IN PEDESTRIAN, UM, IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, CAT METRO AND TECH STOP KIND OF RIGHT ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS.CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT HOW THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO ARE PLANNING TRANSPORTATION IN THIS AREA ARE, ARE COLLABORATING TOGETHER? SO YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS TO TRY TO SYNC UP THAT ARE KIND OF MOVING A DIFFERENT, UH, IT'S ALMOST LIKE TRAINS ON TRACKS, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO COORDINATE ACROSS THEM.
SO FOR TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL ON THE ACTUAL STREET SCAPE, UM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT JUST KICKED OFF THEIR AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS, UM, WITH THE PUBLIC.
THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED HEAVILY, UM, WITH THE, THE CITYWIDE PLANNING TEAM THAT WE'VE PULLED TOGETHER TO ADVISE THIS PROJECT AND ARE GONNA BE TAKING SORT OF THE TRANSPORTATION RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THIS PROJECT WILL FLOW DIRECTLY INTO THAT WORK ON THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UM, FOR AUSTIN, FOR THE, UM, INTERSTATE 35 WORK, WE'VE ALSO BEEN COORDINATING WITH THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE.
SO WE PROVIDED, UM, SOME INFORMATION IN THE, THE PREFERRED SCENARIO, SOME POTENTIAL LIKE FUTURE SCENARIOS OF WHAT CAPS ON I 35 MIGHT LOOK LIKE THAT ARE VERY CAVEATED BECAUSE THEY'RE ABOUT TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY TO DESIGN CAPS.
BUT WE MADE SURE TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T SHOWING ANYTHING THAT WAS COMPLETELY ZAINY AND COULDN'T BE DONE.
SO WE HAVE, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE DESIGN WORK ON IH 35 RECONSTRUCTION IS LOOKING LIKE, WHERE THE CAPS WILL LIKELY BE.
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE PREFERRED SCENARIO, UM, AT LEAST BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD WHEN WE CREATED IT, IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT IS GONNA BE A CONVERSATION AS PART OF THE, THE CAPPING AND STITCHING OR MY WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING IT NOW, MY 35, UM, KIND OF CORRIDOR PROJECT ALONG I 35.
UM, BUT THEY'VE DEFINITELY BEEN INVOLVED AND OUR HOPE IS THIS WORK WOULD KIND OF PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INPUT TO THAT PROCESS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING AT A STAFF LEVEL, UM, THE TECHNICAL WORK AROUND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY, UM, FOR I 35 RECONSTRUCTION AND ARE INVOLVED IN KIND OF ADVISING THEIR PROJECT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN SIMILARLY FOR, UM, PROJECT CONNECT AND THE POTENTIAL TRANSIT INVESTMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A PARTICULAR, UM, INITIAL INVESTMENT SHOWN ON THIS MAP.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME, SOME HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WILL BE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW TO, UM, KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THAT INVESTMENT, INITIAL INVESTMENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT, UM, WORKS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, THAT WILL BE KIND OF AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, BUT WE'VE DEFINITELY HAD, UM, FOLKS FROM CAPITAL METRO INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO INVOLVED IN REVIEWING THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, UM, FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
SO I THINK THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT IS AS OF RIGHT NOW A CONFLICT, BUT ALL OF OUR PROJECTS OBVIOUSLY CHANGE AND I THINK THAT'S MY CELL PHONE RINGING IN THE BACKGROUND.
I KNOW THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY BOTH WITH THE, THE ACTUAL TRAIL ITSELF, SOME OF THE EASTWEST CONNECTIONS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BY I 35, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER FORM THAT TAKES MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT THIS PLAN, WE'RE NOT INADVERTENTLY NOT LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE CAN COME INTO THE PALM DISTRICT BY WAY OF, YOU KNOW, LIGHT RAIL BIKE PEDESTRIAN TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I'M APPRECIATIVE THAT Y'ALL ARE HAVING ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
YEAH, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE DEFINITELY HAPPENING.
THANKS, I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE, THE PRESENTATION BACK.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY EXCITING AND I THINK THIS IS, UH, REALLY GOOD WORK AND, AND IT LOOK FORWARD TO, TO WATCHING THE DISCUSSION THAT CONTINUES ON IN, IN IN IN FEBRUARY.
UM, ONE THING, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO FOR THE ORDINANCE THAT SHE BROUGHT, UM, AND, AND THOSE OF US THAT WORKED ON IT, I REMEMBER BRINGING BACK SOMETHING I CALLED THE DOWNTOWN PUZZLE BY WAY OF, UH, BULLETIN BOARD APPROACH IN 2016, UH, WHERE I SUGGESTED THAT ALL THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE SO, UH, INTERRELATED AND I SEE THIS AS, AS BEING AN, AN OUTGROWTH OF, OF THAT OR CONSISTENT WITH THAT.
SO, CUZ I DO THINK THAT THAT INTEGRATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE DEGREE THAT THAT, AND I'LL JUST LIST SOME ITEMS HERE, YOU DON'T NEED TO RESPOND TO 'EM, BUT JUST IN TERMS OF THOUGHTS I HAD, UH, IN, IN GOING THROUGH IT, UM, IT'S, IT WOULD INVOLVE CONSIDERABLE COORDINATION BOTH IN TERMS OF AN OPERATION AND CONSTRUCTION WITH SO MUCH HAPPENING IN THIS AREA, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING THINGS ONCE AND THAT SOMEBODY WHO'S DOING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS AWARE OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS DOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NEVER DIGGING ANYTHING UP OR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SEE ON THEIR OWN.
SO THERE PROBABLY SHOULD BE AT LEAST SOME CONSIDERATION IN EVALUATION OF A COORDINATION OR A GOVERNANCE BODY.
UM, YOU KNOW, A A WALLER, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION OR SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS KIND OF WORKING, UH, THIS AREA TO, TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THAT MAKES SENSE TO, TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER
[01:50:01]
ON, ON THE PROMISE AND THE POTENTIAL OF WHAT THE INTEGRATION, UM, UH, BRINGS WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THE LDC CHANGES, THE ONES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.I HOPE THAT, UH, YOU GUYS ARE ALSO CONSIDERING SOME POINT, UM, UH, CODIFYING DESIGN STANDARDS, UH, IN, IN THE DISTRICT.
KIND OF LIKE HOW SAN ANTONIO HAS DONE THE RIVER WALK CUZ I THINK THAT REALLY, UH, INCREASES THE, THE PLACE SENSE OF, OF THE SENSE OF PLACE MM-HMM.
UM, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, THE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, UH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY.
I KNOW AS WE MOVE THE POLICE, UH, OUT, SO I JUST REITERATE THOSE, WHERE'S THE STAGING AREA, UH, IN THIS LOCATION, IF THAT, IF THAT GOES AWAY, HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH THAT? UH, THE FIRE STATION, UH, THAT'S DOWN THERE TOO.
SO OVERALL PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN, I KNOW WE HAVE THE INTEGRATED RESPONSE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEEN BROADLY PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL.
BUT, BUT REALLY I THINK THE, WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWNTOWN IN TERMS OF INTEGRATED SAFETY FUNCTIONING, UH, IS GONNA BE A, A BIG PART OF, UH, OF THIS.
THERE'S GONNA BE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, UH, AFFORDABILITY AND, AND PRESERVING, UH, WHAT IS, WHAT IS AUSTIN, UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, MOST OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT ARE DEALING WITH, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS.
AND, AND FOR ME IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, I THINK THAT AFFORDABILITY, WITH RESPECT TO MUSIC VENUES AND ART VENUES PROBABLY IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION.
UH, AND I KNOW THERE'S A BROADER COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DEBATE AND DISCUSSION, WHICH I'M SURE WILL CONTINUE NEXT YEAR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS EVEN THE PLACE TO BE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, UH, HOUSING BECAUSE OF THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT RELATIVE TO HAVING TWICE AS MANY UNITS A MILE AWAY ON A TRANSIT CORRIDOR.
BUT, BUT MUSIC VENUES AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S AFFORDABLE SPACES FOR THAT, THAT THAT REALLY HAS DRIVEN A LOT OF THE CREATIVITY IN THIS AREA.
WE WILL LOSE, UH, UNLESS, UH, THERE'S A, A PLANNED RESPONSE TO THAT.
UH, PROBABLY ALSO INVOLVES FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN BEN DENSITY PROGRAM AND WHETHER THERE ARE WAYS THAT DOLLARS COULD BE COMING FROM THAT TO MUSIC VENUES ON THE GROUND FLOOR, UH, AS PEOPLE ARE ARE BUILDING OR UNDERWRITING LEASE PAYMENTS FOR, FOR THOSE KINDS OF USES.
UH, BUT ALSO SEEING IF THERE'S A PROJECT CONNECTED TO DISPLACEMENT FUNDS.
UH, WE TALK ABOUT COORDINATING THEM ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING TO, TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT WITH RESPECT, CUZ THAT IS ALSO A DISPLACEMENT, UH, AND AFFORDABILITY, UH, UH, UH, ISSUE.
UM, PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE SOME ANALYSIS OF THE ARCH AND THE CONCENTRATION OF, UM, OF, UH, SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THAT AREA.
UH, HOPEFULLY WITH FINDING OM A TX AND THE PROGRESS ON THAT, AS WE GET MORE AND MORE UNITS, THERE'S PROBABLY A CHANGE IN THAT AND, AND WHERE WE'RE DOING SHELTERING.
UM, BUT THAT CONVERSATION'S GONNA BE HAPPENING AND IT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED WITH THE PLANNING OF THIS SO THAT THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE HELPING ONE ANOTHER.
UH, SO I'D MAKE THAT ADDITIONALLY AN ELEMENT OF THE, OF THE REPORT.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSIDERING SIXTH STREET RECONSTRUCTION, UH, AND OVERLAY EXEMPTIONS AND, AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS IN ONE CONTEXT.
IT DOESN'T STRETCH ALL THE WAY TO THE BOUNDS THAT YOU HAVE, BUT THEY OVERLAP WITH ONE ANOTHER.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOUR EVENTUAL REPORT WOULD, WOULD SPEAK ABOUT HOW THAT INTEGRATION IS OR HOW THAT OVERLAP, UH, IMPACTS THE, THE, THE AREA PLAN THAT WE HAVE HERE.
THERE'S ALSO SOME, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT REMOVING CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDORS, UM, AND IMPACT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE BURYING, UH, I 35, THERE MAY BE ACTION THAT THE LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS CONCERNING SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THIS IN AND AROUND THE, THE ARCH.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OR NOT, BUT IF THAT DOES, YOU NEED TO BE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS TOO.
IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE ON, ON THE ECOSYSTEM, UH, THAT'S IN THIS, UH, UH, AREA, UH, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, AT SOME POINT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PART OF THIS PLANT OR OTHERWISE, UM, UH, GREATER, UM, UH, FOCUS ON VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY ON RAINY STREET AND, AND THE BALANCE OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WHAT THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE CITY THAT'S NOW GOING ON AT THAT INTERSECTION.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THAT CONNECTIVITY, UH, WORKS AND I THINK ALSO NEEDS TO BE, UH, UH, A REAL FOCUS OF THE, OF THE REPORT THAT'S HERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TOVO HAD RAISED, UH, SOME ISSUES EARLIER
[01:55:01]
WITH SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA, SOME OF THE HOUSES IN THE AREA, UH, THE COUNCILMAN BULL HOUSE, THE HOUSE NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE, UH, THE, THE HAWK HOUSE THAT'S, UH, NEXT TO, UH, WATERLOO PARK.UH, WE HAD HOPED WHEN WE WERE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT THE, THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF THOSE, HOW ARE WE DOING THOSE IN TERMS OF ADAPTED REVIEWS? ARE THEY HAPPENING HERE? ARE THEY PART OF THIS PLAN? UH, WHAT IS THE, THE GAME PLAN? AND WE KIND OF PUNTED THAT AS AN AD HOC DECISION LOOKING FOR THIS PROCESS, UH, PERHAPS TO, TO, TO HELP GIVE US THAT OVERALL FOCUS WHILE YOU HAVE ALL THE VOICES OF THE, OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND, AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND THEN, THEN FINALLY, UM, YOU OUGHT TO PAUSE AND TAKE A SECOND TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE CONTINUING TO CALL THIS THE PALM DISTRICT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE NAMING THIS AFTER, UH, WANEE PALM.
UH, AND THAT'S GONNA BE A LOT EASIER CONVERSATION TO HAVE EARLY AND THEN TO DECIDE THAT QUESTION, UH, SO THAT YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD THEN TO CONTINUE BRANDING AND HAVING TIME AND PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING THIS PROJECT WITH A NAME THAT COULD CHANGE.
UH, IF IT COULD CHANGE, IT NEEDS CHANGE NOW, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE THEN EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT AND EMBRACE THAT.
UH, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT NEEDS TO, TO, TO, TO BE RESOLVED.
THAT'S MY LIST OF THOUGHTS IS USUALLY CUZ YOU GO THROUGH IT.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN, THE WALLER CREEK, I MEAN, A LOT HAS CHANGED.
WALLER PROBABLY, AND THE SURROUNDING AREA OF WALL CREEK MIGHT BE THE MOST CHANGED PART OF AUSTIN.
I REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU REALLY TOOK YOUR LIFE IN YOUR OWN HANDS GOING DOWN INTO WALL CREEK, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ESPECIALLY LIKE LATE AT NIGHT.
UH, AND THIS PAST SUNDAY, UH, I WENT WITH MY FAMILY TO THE CREEK SHOW, UH, AND IT WAS A WAY AND INTERACTED WITH A NEW PARK THERE.
UH, I MEAN, IT'S JUST GORGEOUS.
AND I, I JUST WANT TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, CITY STAFF CREDIT, PRIOR CITY COUNCILS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, YOU KNOW, DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE, UH, HAVE JUST TURNED THAT INTO A REAL JEWEL THAT GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE IN, IN, IN AUSTIN WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY.
I APPRECIATE IT AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE VISIONING.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, I JUST WANNA ECHO THE APPRECIATION FOR THE PRESENTATION AND JUST THE OVERALL DIALOGUE.
UH, MAY I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE NAME CHANGE COMPONENT CUZ THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ABOUT.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
UM, THERE'S A FIREFIGHTER BY THE NAME OF DAVID THOMPSON THE SECOND, UH, HE AND THE FOLKS OVER AT FIRE STATION NUMBER EIGHT ARE WATCHING US RIGHT NOW.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WATCHING US DO THIS TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS EVERY OTHER WEEK.
SO NOW, YOU KNOW, UM, WE EXPECT Y'ALL TO BE TUNING IN.
UM, AND THAT JUST LEADS ME TO REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHILE WE'RE ALL TOGETHER.
IT WAS REALLY TERRIFYING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO SEE JUST HOW FEW PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE DO.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE DO IN THIS BUILDING.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE AS A BODY DO, WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN WHAT WE DO IN THE COUNTY DOES.
AND I JUST, I HOPE THAT AS WE'RE HAVING THESE BIG TRANSFORMATIVE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT HOW COLLECTIVELY WE GET TO BRING THE COMMUNITY WITH US.
UM, CUZ I GOTTA TELL YOU, I THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE DO DO.
AND THAT'S FRIGHTENING WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ALONG, ADVOCATING FOR PEOPLE, MAKING SURE IT'S EQUITY CENTERED.
IF WE'RE JUST MAKING ALL THAT UP AND NOT ACTUALLY REPRESENTING ANYBODY'S CONCERNS OR CARES CUZ THEY'RE NOT TALKING TO US CUZ THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE DO, THEN I REALLY THINK WE HAVE A, A BIGGER CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO BE HAVING.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS, KELLY? YEAH, JUST QUICKLY, THANKS FOR, FOR MENTIONING THE CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, RENAMING.
I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE TO HAVE EARLY ON AS WELL.
AND I HOPE THAT WHATEVER THE EVENTUAL NAME IS, THAT IT IS NOT A REVERSION BACK TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, DISTRICT BECAUSE WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME REVISIONING THAT AREA.
AND, AND THAT LEADS ME TO ONE OTHER THING THAT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION TO MY COLLEAGUES WILL BE REMAINING BEYOND JANUARY, AND THAT IS THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE RFP, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF WHO MADE THAT POSSIBLE, AND I WON'T TALK ABOUT IT HERE.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY CLEAR TO ME THAT, THAT IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ANY PROPOSALS FOR THE EXPANSION ARE, ARE WORKING WITHIN THE PALM DISTRICT FRAMEWORK.
AND OUR VISIONS FOR THAT CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION OF NOT JUST BEING, YOU KNOW, A LARGER, A MUCH LARGER FACILITY THAT IS,
[02:00:01]
IS NOT INTERACTING WELL WITH THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT.AND SO THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE, THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE NEXT COUNCIL, I THINK IS GONNA HAVE TO BE VIGILANT ABOUT WHEN THOSE PROPOSALS START COMING BACK IN.
THAT IT, THAT IT REALLY DO WHAT WE HAD HOPED IT WOULD DO.
OR IT WILL BE A CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT AND NOT, NOT A PALM DISTRICT OR, OR WHATEVER THE EVENTUAL NAME IS.
IT'LL BE, UM, FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THOSE ACTIVITIES AND NOT ON, ON, UM, THE OTHER ONES THAT WE WANTED TO SEE AND ENCOURAGE IN THAT AREA.
SO THANKS AGAIN, STEVIE, FOR ALL YOUR, YOUR WORK.
UM, I THINK IT IS, UH, ONE 20.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN START AUSTIN ENERGY UNTIL ONE 30.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO, UH, ADJOURN THE, UH, NO, NOT, I'M GONNA RECESS THE, UH, WORK SESSION HERE NOW AT, UH, ONE 20.
WE'LL RECONVENE AT, UH, THREE O'CLOCK FOR THE, UH, UH, LAST PRESENTATION AND, AND WE'LL CONVENE AT ONE 30 IN 10 MINUTES FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.
WE'RE IN THE 20TH MINUTE AND THE SCORE IS STILL ZERO ZERO
BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, UM, I THINK WE HAD EARLIER COME OUT OF THIS, THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, SO WE'RE JUST NOW GOING TO THE LAST, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE HERE AT, UH, 4 25.
LET'S SPEND THE NEXT, UH, HALF AN HOUR, UH, ON THIS, UH, QUESTION, WHICH IS THE REAL ESTATE QUESTION.
SEE IF WE CAN, I WAS GONNA SAY COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO WAS THE ONE ONE WHO REQUESTED THIS ONE, RIGHT? WE SHOULD PROBABLY, YEAH.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AS WELL.
[B1. Redevelopment of City-Owned Properties: Status Update]
LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE PRESENTATION MANAGER.UH, OUR LAST PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON IS A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN TO PROVIDE A STATUS UPDATE ON FOUR UH, PROPERTIES.
AND SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION PREPARED ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES, UH, PROVIDING A STATUS UPDATE ON THOSE.
WE HAVE DARRELL ALEXANDER, OUR HEAD OF BUILDING SERVICES AND CAME VIRUS, OUR DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER WHO WILL BE GIVEN THE PRESENTATION AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DARRELL.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AGAIN, I'M GERALD ALEXANDER, BUILDING SERVICES OFFICER FOR THE BUILDING SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE ARE GOING HERE TO, UH, GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION ON THE REDEVELOPMENT CITY ON PROPERTY, THE STATUS UPDATE, UM, REQUESTED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER TOWA.
UH, THIS IS THE COUNCIL STATUS AND THE UPDATE REQUEST.
UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC FACILITY GOVERNANCE OVERVIEW REAL QUICK, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE CITY OWNED FACILITIES AT STATUS.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
NEXT SLIDE, SFG OR STRATEGIC FACILITY GOVERNANCE TEAM OVERVIEW, UH, WAS STRATEGIC GOVERNANCE TEAM, UH, GOV FACILITY GOVERNANCE TEAM, EXCUSE ME, UH, WAS LAUNCHED IN 2013 THAT ESTABLISHED POLICIES PROCESS AND CREATE PROACTIVE HOLISTIC CORPORATE STRATEGY THAT ACTUALLY WAS HERE TO, TO BE A ONE STOP SHOP FOR WHEN IT COMES TO FACILITIES AND BUYING FACILITY AND RENOVATING, UH, UH, CITY OWNED FACILITIES.
THE PRINCIPLES, UH, CONTINUOUS IMPROVED WORK ENVIRONMENT, UH, FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, UH, DECREASE OVERALL OCCUPANCY COSTS AND EXERCISE, IMPROVED STEWARDSHIP OF ALL TAXPAYER DOLLARS, UH, IMPROVE THE PUBLIC FACING EXPERIENCE, UH, IN THE CITY FACILITIES AND ADVANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND IMPROVE CITY FACILITIES AND AMENITIES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT, UH, AND THE PLAN FOR FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT FACILITIES AND ACCOMMODATE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE CHANGES TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND, AND OUR CITY NEEDS.
UH, THE EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT FOR, UH, THE S FG TEAM IS THE, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, VERONICA PERINO, UH, THE GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS FOR ALL, UH, STRATEGIC OUTCOME.
UH, THE MEMBERSHIP IS MYSELF, KIM OLIVERS FROM, UH, UH, FSD, THE DEPUTY CFO AND ALSO MICHAEL GATES.
UH, SUBJECT MAC EXPERTS ARE FROM FSD, UH, BUILDING SERVICES AND E D D.
UH, KEY AT ADMINISTRATION, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC ADMINISTRATIVE OCCUPA PLAN, UH, INTERNAL REVIEW OF LEASES.
PROPOSED, UH, SALE OF THE CITY PROPERTY, ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT OF ALL DEPARTMENT REQUESTS FOR FACILITY AND SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, FREQUENT COMMUNICATIONS WITH CITY MANAGERS, UH, OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT OF OFFICE LEADERSHIP.
AND WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH ALL DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S THE CHIEF OF FACILITY AND SPACE NEEDS.
UH, AND THAT ASTERISK THERE, THE STAFF CONTINUES TO REQUEST COUNCIL APPROVER FOR SALES, UH, LEASES AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE CHARTER AND STATE LAW.
[02:05:02]
SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND ACTIVE PROJECTS THAT THE S F G T HAS IS ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE PERMITTING IN DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UH, THE STAND OF AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS.SOME OF OUR ACTIVE PRO PROJECTS ARE, UH, RENOVATION OF TO LAKE CENTER, AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE CENTER, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITY.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, UH, FLEET AND AR SERVICE CENTER, WHICH HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON, UH, RELOCATING FLEET SERVICES, UH, FROM HARGRAVE SITE.
AND THEN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE PLANNING THAT ALLOWING US TO TAKE LEASE, UH, TAKE, UH, DEPARTMENTS OUT OF LEASE PROPERTY INTO OWN PROPERTY, CITY OWNED PROPERTY.
UM, STATUS OF THE FOUR PROPERTIES.
WE'LL START WITH ONE TEXAS CENTER, UM, CONSTRUCTED IN 1983.
IT'S OVER 213,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC'S.
ABOUT A THOUSAND, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES THERE.
UM, OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION INCLUDE TEAR DOWN, REBUILD, RENOVATION, OR RELOCATION OF STAFF FOR ALTERNATE FACILITIES.
OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONTINUE DISCUSSION FOR MORE COLLABORATIVE MIXED USE APPROACH FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CULTURAL SPACE, UH, MUNICIPAL SPACE TO INCLUDE CHILDCARE AND OTHER COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
UH, ALL OPTIONS INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE SITE, AND COLLABORATION WITH THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE COMMITTEE AND AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDING ON EIGHTH STREET, UM, BUILDING 1938.
UH, STILL OVER 48,000, UH, SQUARE FEET.
UM, IT'S A HISTORICAL PROPERTY, UM, IN HOUSES FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND DURING THE D UH, DISCUSSION WHILE, UH, PUTTING IT THERE, WE HAD DISCUSSED THAT THIS PROPERTY HAS SOME, UH, COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATION THAT WILL BE NEEDED BEFORE WE MOVE ANYBODY IN THERE.
UH, ADC RECOGNIZES THAT AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE TIME AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT A, A BUILDING THAT THEY WILL NEED IMMEDIATELY.
UH, OUR RECOMMENDATION TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THE BUILDING AVAILABLE FOR CULTURAL SPACE, UH, AND ASSESS THE IMPACT ON THE, THE OVERALL LONG-TERM OFFICE SPACE NEEDS.
CUZ ONCE WE MOVE, UH, FSD, I WILL NEED TO PUT THEM SOMEWHERE 3002 GUADALUPE STREET.
UM, RIGHT NOW THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE ARSON, UH, DIVISION IS THERE ABOUT 25 FTES.
AGAIN, THIS IS A HISTORICAL PROPERTY.
UH, IT'S ABOUT 76,000, UH, EXCUSE ME, 7,600 SQUARE FEET.
OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO MAKE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THIS CULTURAL SPACE.
UM, STAFF IS AN ACTIVE DISCUSSION WITH A D C.
UM, WE'LL COLLABORATE WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR RELOCATION FOR ITS STAFF.
UM, CURRENTLY THIS IS USED BY BUILDING SERVICES, DAWSON POLICE DEPARTMENT, SWAT, UH, EMS WATERSHED, MALE DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
IT'S APPROX ABOUT 300, UH, IN FTS IT'S ABOUT 5.1 ACRES.
UH, IT'S GOT OVER 60, SO 67,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, ADC HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE, IN THE PROPERTY, UH, BUT THEY'VE GOTTA RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, WE'VE GOTTA FIND A SPACE FOR THE CITY OPERATION THAT'S ALREADY LOCATED THERE.
OR THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME REDEVELOPMENT WHERE THOSE OPERATIONS CAN STILL BE MAINTAINED THERE.
OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UH, ALL THREE, UH, UH, ENTITIES, ADC, S F G T A H, FFC PARTNER TO CONDUCT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL CAPABILITY FOR CULTURAL SPACE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MUNICIPAL PURPOSE, AND CITY OPERATIONS.
UH, THIS IS PRIME REAL ESTATE AND I THINK, UH, WE'D BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T GO INTO SOME DETAIL TO, UH, SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS, OPTIMIZE THE USE OUT OF THIS, THIS, UH, THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY.
AND I'LL HAND THIS OVER TO KIMBERLY.
UH, SO WE WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY NOTE, UH, THE COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, ACTIVELY WORKING ON WITH JUST A MOMENT.
MAYOR, WOULD YOU MIND MUTING YOUR MICROPHONE? YOUR SHAKY LEG COMES THROUGH ON THE MIC.
UM, SO, UH, WE, THE AEDC AND CITY STAFF, WE ACTUALLY BEGAN BIWEEKLY REAL ESTATE FOCUSED MEETINGS, UM, THIS PAST JULY.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY COLLABORATING WITH, UH, WITH THEM ON, PARTICULARLY WITH THE CULTURAL TRUST, UH, TO ENSURE THAT EACH OF THE DEAL STRUCTURES FOR THOSE PROJECTS NOT ONLY ADDRESS OWNERSHIP AND LEASE REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR THOSE THOSE AGREEMENTS, BUT ALSO MAINTAIN THIS TAX EXEMPT STATUS OF BOND DOLLARS, UM, WHERE THEY MIGHT BE USED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM OVER THE PAST MONTH OR SO TO, UM, START FIGURING OUT A, AN INCLUSIVE
[02:10:01]
MOU, UM, TO ESTABLISH ALL THE DIFFERENT GOALS AND ROLES THAT WOULD, UH, NEED TO BE DEFINED FOR, UM, CONDUCTING VARIOUS SITE EVALUATIONS AND CONCEPTUAL FEASIBILITY STUDIES OF CITY-OWNED FACILITIES, UM, AND SITES.UM, SO STAFF'S ASSESSMENT OF THOSE FUTURE SPACE NEEDS AT THOSE LOCATIONS IS PENDING, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT WIDE, THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF HYBRID WORKING ENVIRONMENTS, UM, IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, WELL, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS DEFINITELY, UM, A SHIFT IN HOW WE LOOK AT OFFICE SPACE.
THE WAY THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IT, PRE PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED COMPLETELY.
THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED.
UM, SO THROUGH, BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, WE'RE ALSO JUST HAVING TO KIND OF RETHINK THESE CITY PROPERTIES AND ANY OF OUR PROPERTIES IN GENERAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MEETING OUR NEEDS LONG TERM, NOT JUST IN THE, IN THE IMMEDIATE, UM, SPACE, BUT ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EDC.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO JUST THE DESIRE TO DO THESE ASSESSMENTS, WE DO NEED TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO FUNDS THAT ARE BUDGETED TO SUPPORT THOSE ASSESSMENTS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS FURTHER WITH COUNCIL, UM, TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD CARRY FORWARD.
UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE FOUR PROPERTIES, BUT IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO JUST ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES ACROSS THE, THE CITY THAT WE, WE, WE CONSIDER THE, THE OVERALL LANDSCAPE, THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR OFFICE NEEDS, THE LANDSCAPE OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CITY'S PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED DRASTICALLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO WE DEFINITELY ARE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, TIME, SIGNIFICANT TIME SCHEDULED HERE IN THE VERY, THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, UM, TO DO SOME DEEP DIVE DISCUSSIONS ON A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE, OF OUR, OUR CITY FACILITIES AND OUR OVERALL NEEDS RELATIVE TO THAT CHANGING LANDSCAPE.
UM, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING, UH, TO LOOK AT THE, EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES, UM, IN ISOLATION, WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERING THEM IN, IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE MATTER.
THIS ALSO WILL ALLOW US TO BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE IN OUR, HOW WE ASSESS AND ANALYZE THE, THE FUNDING OPTIONS.
UM, THAT FUNDING LANDSCAPE HAS ALSO CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THE STATE HAS PUT MORE SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS ON WHAT KIND OF DEBT CAN OR CANNOT BE ISSUED, UM, FOR WHEN IT'S NON-VOTER APPROVED VERSUS FEDERAL APPROVED.
SO WE NEED TO BE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, GOING FORWARD AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT WILL HELP US IN DETERMINING WHAT WHAT MIGHT BE, UM, BEST USED OR, OR INCLUDED IN A FUTURE BOND PROGRAM.
UM, WHAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR NON-VOTER APPROVED BONDS, BUT JUST BEING ELIGIBLE, DOES IT NOT MEAN THAT IT SHOULD BE THE USE OR THE FUNDING, UM, SOURCE USED.
UM, AND ALSO LOOKING AT WHERE MONETIZATION VERSUS A GROUND LEASE MIGHT MAKE THE MOST SENSE FOR A PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
SO, UM, THOSE, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED, UM, GOING FORWARD, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH EDC AS WELL AS WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN A AND HOUSING AND PLANNING AND A H F C, UH, WE WERE IN A MUCH BETTER SPOT NOW THAN EVEN JUST A YEAR AGO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE, UM, MORE MEANINGFUL, UM, AND STRATEGIC DECISIONS AROUND THOSE FACILITIES OVERALL, AS WELL AS THE FOUR THAT ARE, UH, UNDER CONSIDERATION TODAY.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
WE ALSO HAVE MICHAEL GATES ON THE, ON, ON THE LINE AS WELL.
UM, I, I HAVE KIND OF A GENERAL QUESTION.
SO I WAS SHARING WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, CONSIDERATIONS AND, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'M RECOGNIZING IN DISTRICT ONE.
AND I SHARED WITH THEM THIS MAP THAT I HAVE.
IT'S A FACILITIES MAP, IT JUST HAS LIKE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, A KEY AND IT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, THE LEGEND KIND OF SHOWS WHERE ALL THE FACILITIES ARE.
UM, BUT THEN IT SUBSEQUENTLY DOESN'T IT, IT SAYS HOW IT'S USED BY DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT LIKE I WAS SHARING WITH Y'ALL, WE FOUND A SPACE THAT FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THIS 2200 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, IT'S A HOUSE THAT'S JUST SITTING EMPTY.
IT HAS A COUPLE OF BOTTLES OF LIKE POOL CHEMICALS IN IT.
A FAMILY COULD BE LIVING THERE MM-HMM.
SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE AUDIT OF THE FACILITIES THEMSELVES, BUT HOW ARE THEY ACTIVELY PRESENTLY CURRENT DAY USED? WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS TO THEIR USE? LIKE, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY COMPREHENSIVE LIKE THAT? AND IF NOT, WHAT COUNSEL ACTION WOULD YOU ALL RECOMMEND THAT WE, UM, GIVE THE CITY MANAGER IN TERMS OF DIRECTION TO GET THAT, HAVING THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
I THINK I'M GONNA ASK MICHAEL, IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOUR TEAM IS DOING RIGHT NOW FOR THE REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION, UM, AND HOW THAT MIGHT, UM, HELP
[02:15:01]
WITH ANSWER, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S QUESTION IN THE FUTURE.ANY QUESTIONS SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE FUTURE? AND I APPRECIATE THAT, MICHAEL.
AND IF I MAY ADD JUST A LITTLE, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REALLY ANSWERING THE QUESTION.
I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER ANECDOTAL EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE ANOTHER CITY HELD ASSET THAT SITS ON 12TH STREET, AND I ASKED MULTIPLE PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOM ARE LITERALLY ON THE PAPERWORK AS BOARD MEMBERS IN, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, WHICH IS TERRIFYING.
UH, SO THAT TO SAY IT'S JUST SITTING THERE EMPTY.
AND SO HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE THIS BUILDING HAVE NO CLUE.
I ONLY KNOW BECAUSE I WENT UP, KNOCKED THE DOOR, IT HAPPENED TO BE OPEN, I WALKED INSIDE LIKE, ARE NOT JUST, ARE WE MAKING AN ASSESSMENT ABOUT THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF THESE PROPERTIES, BUT IS A PERSON ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION GOING TO THE PLACE AND TALKING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FOLKS LIKE RUNNING THE, WHATEVER THE THING IS, OR THE STEWARDS FOR THE SPACE.
LIKE EVEN THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE STEWARDSHIP FOR A SPACE THAT'S A HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED CITY HELD ASSET.
SO THERE ARE CERTAINLY PARTS OF TOWN WHERE THINGS AREN'T, AREN'T BEING KEPT UP WITH.
AND SO I JUST WONDER HOW MANY OF THOSE PLACES NEED SOMEBODY TO PHYSICALLY GO KNOCK THE DOOR AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION ASKED.
UH, SO WITH THE, THE RING SYSTEM, THE REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WE HOPE TO MELD ESSENTIALLY WHAT REAL ESTATE HAS IN THE WAY OF DATA.
WE'VE GOT THE INVENTORY, THE CITY'S WE OWN, AND THEN TYPICALLY BUILDING SERVICES, ASSUMING THEY'VE GOT, MAINTAIN THOSE PROPERTIES, WHAT THOSE PROPERTIES ARE USED FOR.
AND SO WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM, WE HOPE TO BUILD A, AGAIN, MELD FOLD TOGETHER THOSE, THE INVENTORY WITH THOSE ACTIVE USES.
UM, AND THEN WE COULD HAVE AT A PUSH A BUTTON, YOU KNOW, CONFERENCE LIST OF ALL INVENTORY IN THOSE SPACES AND WHAT THEY'RE ACTIVELY BEING USED FOR.
WE'RE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT ONLINE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023, BUT WE, WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
WE HOPE TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING SOON.
SO FOR FEAR OF, OF BEAT THIS THING ALL THE WAY TO DEATH, I'M JUST GONNA SAY
AND SO I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT WHEN YOU SAY THAT, THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR SOMEBODY TO PHYSICALLY BE GOING TO THESE PLACES.
I, I WOULD LIKE, I GUESS I'M ASKING IS THERE PROTOCOL ASIDE FROM A NUMBER TO CALL, LEAVE A, LEAVE A MESSAGE AND LET'S SAY SOMEBODY AT THAT 9 74 NUMBER CALLS YOU BACK IN THREE MONTHS, THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S JUST THE, THE LAG TIME, THE DRAG TIME THAT HOW ARE WE QUICKLY ASSESSING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE SPACES? IS THERE A SYSTEM? DO WE HAVE A SYSTEM? SHOULD WE ENGAGE SOME OF OUR VOL? WE HAVE D ONE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE BEGGING US FOR STUFF TO DO.
SHOULD I DEPLOY A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS TO GO CHECK, KNOCK SOME OF THESE DOORS? JUST TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO QUICKLY ASSESS WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING BEHIND THE DOORS.
SO WE WILL BE RELIANT ON THOSE DEPARTMENTS, STEWARDS OF THOSE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES TO UPDATE THE RENT SYSTEM.
I'M, AND WE'LL NEED TO ESTABLISH A CADENCE FOR THAT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE GROUND IN THOSE FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CHANGE IN USE OR IF THEY'RE REDUCING THEIR FOOTPRINT, YOU KNOW, IT WON'T BE A, TYPICALLY IT'S ON A PROACTIVE, YOU KNOW, DSD WE'LL SEE GOING OUT AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SCOURING
TO BE CLEAR, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
MAYOR, MAY I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT VACANT COUNCIL MEMBER HUB? MADISON, YOU RAISE A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME OTHER VACANT PROPERTIES, UM, IN OUR CITY, AND I WANNA, AND YOU ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT THE POLICY MEASURES, AND I JUST WANNA, UM, CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO LINES ONE 70 TO 1 77 IN THE PUBLIC LAND, UM, ITEM.
SOME OF THOSE PIECES ARE NOW EMBEDDED WITHIN OTHER RESOLUTIONS ON OUR AGENDA.
BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS IN ONE 70 TO 1 77, UM, THAT ACTION WOULD ACTUALLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD WORK WELL WITH, WITH THE SYSTEM THAT, UM, YOU'RE ROLLING OUT MICHAEL GATES, IT ASKS THE MANAGER TO PLEASE REPORT TO THE COUNCIL ON CITY OWNED FACILITIES OR THOSE THAT ARE VACANT OR THOSE THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED SO THE COUNCIL CAN BE AWARE OF THEM BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE ARE SOME PROPERTIES THAT COULD, THAT COULD SERVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING PURPOSES IF THE COUNCIL WERE AWARE OF THEM AND COULD DIRECT SOME, SOME FURTHER ACTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE HAVE, UNTIL WE HAVE A MECHANISM FOR THE MANAGER REPORTING BACK ON THOSE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE A, A SOURCE OF INFORMATION THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ACCESS TO.
SO THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S LINES ONE 70 TO 1 77 IN ITEM 36.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH,
[02:20:01]
MUNICIPAL BUILDING.UM, I, I HAVE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PART OF SOME REVIEWING THAT OR TOURING THE BUILDING, UH, FOR CULTURAL SPACE PURPOSES.
BUT I HAD THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A E D C.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT ON THIS SLIDE.
AM I, IS IT JUST NOT MENTIONED? I MEAN, IT'S STILL HAPPENING, RIGHT? YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE, THAT IS A PROPERTY THAT WE'VE, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH AEDC ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT REGARDLESS OF, OF WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OR THE USE OF THAT SPACE, IT REQUIRES COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATION.
UM, SO THAT IS A BARRIER, UM, AT THIS POINT.
BUT WE'RE, WE'VE A C IS AT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE A PARTNER IN THE, OKAY.
I, I GUESS I'M REACTING TO THE LANGUAGE THAT PERHAPS WASN'T MEANT THIS WAY.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THE BUILDING AVAILABLE FOR CULTURAL SPACE, BUT DOES THAT MEAN PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES WITH WITH AEDC? YES.
SORRY, JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT IS WITH A YEAH, IT IS WITH AEDC, IT'S JUST THAT IT IS NOT, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR MOST RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, IT'S NOT A TOP PRIORITY LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE RENOVATION NEEDS THAT EXIST IN THAT SPACE AND THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
JUST, JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES, UH, INFORMATION, AND YOU MAY WANNA SPEAK TO THIS TOO, BUT ON OUR DECEMBER 8TH, UM, AGENDA NEXT WEEK, UH, THERE'S TWO PROPERTIES THAT ARE, UM, TWO PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE, THERE'S AN AGENDA ITEM RELATED TO CULTURAL TRUST, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'LL ALSO HAVE AVAILABLE, I'LL, I'LL PULL THAT ITEM FOR WORK SESSION AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT WORK SESSION.
ALSO, THE, UM, A E D C HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH A PROCESS, AN RFP PROCESS FOR THE BOND MONEY AND ALSO FOR, UM, OTHER FUNDS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO CULTURAL TRUST.
AND SO THE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA NEXT WEEK, THE TWO PROPERTIES RELATE TO THAT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PROPERTIES AND OTHER, OTHER, UM, ARRANGEMENTS THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL TO BE AWARE OF.
SO WE CAN EITHER DO THAT IN THE WORK SESSION OR IF NEED BE, IF IT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE COULD DO IT IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNCIL HAVE A HEADS UP.
AND WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, THE USE OF THAT BOND MONEY EVER SINCE 2018, I BELIEVE, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER CULTURAL TRUST DOLLARS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, THAT EVERY, THAT THE COUNCIL UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE.
I REMAIN DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DON'T GET TO VOTE ON IT BECAUSE I KNOW THE MAYOR'S DONE A LOT ON THIS AND OTHERS HAVE DONE A LOT ON THIS, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS CAN VOTE ON NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO ASK IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS WITH RESPECT TO THE FACT THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE WORKING FROM HOME.
UM, YOU MENTIONED YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY TO DO IT, BUT WHAT IS PLANNED AND WHAT IS NEEDED AT THIS POINT? BECAUSE IT, WE HAVE SEEN A CONSIDERABLE SHIFT, AS YOU NOTED IN WORK, UM, HABITS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID THE STRATEGIC FACILITIES GOVERNANCE PLAN, UM, WHICH WAS WORKED ON WITH AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS IN ON M EVERY YEAR FROM JUST SWITCHING FROM LEASING TO OWNING.
AND IF THE NUMBER OF SPACES THAT WE NEED IS LESS BECAUSE WE'RE DOING MORE, UM, HOTELING IN TERMS OF SPACE OR WHATEVER, THAT INCREASE COULD BE EVEN MORE OVER TIME.
UM, SO I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THAT FROM THE, THE TELEWORKING AND WHAT IT, YOU KNOW, DOES IN TERMS OF, OF, OF MOBILITY, UM, FREEING UP SOME MOBILITY ISSUES.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO, TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING? YEAH, SO THE, THE LACK OF FUNDING, UM, BULLET POINT THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE, THE PROPERTY FEASIBILITY STUDIES THAT ARE BEING ENVISIONED, UM, WITH A EDC IN PARTNERSHIP FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE VARIOUS PROPERTIES.
SO THAT, THAT WAS A SEPARATE FUNDING ISSUE.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPACE NEEDS IN GENERAL, UM, LIKE DAR MENTIONED THAT WE'RE DOING THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE PLANNING WHERE WE'RE, UM, ACTIVELY, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER THE PUZZLE OF WHERE, WHERE DOES EVERYBODY GO THAT'S IN LEASE SPACE TO GET THEM OUT OF LEASE AND INTO OWN SPACE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE BEEN DOING SIGNIFICANT WORK AROUND COLLECTING DATA ABOUT TELEWORKING PRACTICES WITHIN EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A, WHEN IT COMES TO THE TELEWORKING FOR EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS, IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SORT OF A SITUATION.
EACH DEPARTMENT HAS DIFFERENT, UM, WORK PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT REQUIRE SOME MAY REQUIRE FOLKS TO BE IN OFFICE REGULARLY, OTHERS IT CAN, IT CAN BE DONE REMOTELY.
SO WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING DATA FROM THE DEPARTMENTS ACCORDINGLY TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT
[02:25:01]
WHAT'S OUT SPACE DO WE ACTUALLY NEED.AND THERE WAS A RESOLUTION THAT CAME FROM COUNCIL TOIA THAT'S ALSO BEEN, UM, DRIVING SOME OF THAT WORK.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON A RESPONSE THAT CAN GO BACK TO COUNCIL HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT UM, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE, THE KIND OF THE, THE EQUATION.
UM, AND DETERMINING OUR SPACE NEEDS.
WE KNOW BY ELIMINATING THE LEASE SPACE, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT FAR MORE EASILY BECAUSE OF THE HYBRID WORKING ENVIRONMENT THAN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN PRIOR TO THE, THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO SILVER LINING OF THE PANDEMIC I SUPPOSE.
UM, BUT UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH.
UM, WE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TOWN LAKE CENTER PROJECT THAT DAR MENTIONED, UM, THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO REALLY PUT INTO PRAC ONCE THAT SPACE IS READY TO MOVED INTO, UM, THAT WILL BE ONE OF OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY TEST THE KIND OF THAT NEW APPROACH TO HOW WE DO THE SPACE PLANNING, HOW WE DO HOTELING AND THE SORT, IT RE IT HAS A LOT OF, UM, OF LOGISTICAL REQUIREMENTS TO IT.
IT'S NOT SIMPLY SETTING UP THE DESK SPACE AND FOLKS WALK IN THE DOOR AND DO THEIR, DO THE WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S UM, EITHER EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR COMPUTERS AVAILABLE OR DOCKING STATIONS.
SO THERE'S THINGS LIKE, UM, FOLKS THAT HAVE ERGONOMIC REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES TO THE PUZZLE, UM, TO, TO MAKE THAT WORK.
BUT TLC IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE SPACES WHERE WE CAN PUT THOSE, UM, THOSE NEW APPROACHES TO, TO WORK.
UM, AND UM, NO MATTER WHAT THE DATA OF HOW PEOPLE ARE TELEWORKING OR WORKING IN THE OFFICE IS, IS IS A MAJOR DRIVING COMPONENT TO IT.
CAN YOU JUST SAY ONE MORE TIME WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TOWN LAKE CENTER? CUZ I THINK I MISSED THAT.
SO TOWN LIKE CENTER WAS PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY AUSTIN ENERGY, RIGHT.
UM, AND SINCE THEY MOVED TO THEIR NEW HEADQUARTERS, UM, THEY, WE'VE TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP FROM AE SPECIFICALLY TO CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IN GENERAL.
AND SO WE, THEY'VE BEEN, THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING OUT AND UM, SO THEY WE'RE NOW GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN START, UM, DOING SOME REARRANGING, UM, IN THERE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO OCCUPY IT WITH, UM, SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENTS AND THE SPORT, UM, OTHER, JUST OTHER GENERAL CITY OPERATIONS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT HELPS US IN MOVING OUT OF THE LEASE SPACE FOR SURE.
AND WHAT ARE WE PAYING AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THAT SPACE? UM, THERE IS, GOSH, LET ME TRY AND REMEMBER RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, THERE WE HAD THE MOU, IF, IF YOU GIVE ME ONE SECOND, I CAN PULL THAT
IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS AROUND, OH GOSH, AROUND 30 MILLION TOTALS.
THERE WAS AN A, A A, AN APPRAISAL DONE OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, SO WE DO, WE ARE, AND ACCORDING TO THAT APPRAISAL, UM, WE ARE, THERE'S A, UM, A PAYMENT BACK TO AE, UM, OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS TO, UM, TO COVER THAT COST TO MAKE THE RIGHT PAYERS WHOLE ON THAT AMOUNT.
UM, AND I'M ALMOST THERE, I'M GONNA ASK IT.
SO, SO I'M FINE WITH THE, THE RATE THERE, BUT, UM, CITY MANAGER AND YOU GIVE US ANSWERS ON THURSDAY FOR OUR OTHER AE QUESTIONS.
IF WE KNOW THIS MUCH CERTAINTY ABOUT THIS SALE FROM THE CITY TO AUSTIN ENERGY, THEN SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY BIT KNOWN VARIABLE THAT WE COULD BE CALCULATING AND REDUCING, UM, BY FIVE OR 6 MILLION A YEAR, THE REVENUE REQUIREMENT, UM, ACCORDINGLY, IF IT'S, I MEAN, THIS SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ALREADY MOVED IN THERE AND WE'RE, WE'VE AGREED ON THE PRICE.
IF, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WE, WE WE'VE NOT PHYSICALLY MOVED IN.
SO, UM, AND I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S JUST AN AUTOMATIC SAVINGS FOR AE AND I, I WANNA REFRAIN FROM SPEAKING FOR THEM.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, I MEAN, THERE'S STILL, THERE'S THE COSTS THAT THEY'RE INCURRING AT THE NEW FACILITY, SO IT WASN'T JUST A, WE'RE NO LONGER NO LONGER HAVING TO PAY FOR THIS BUILDING BECAUSE IT WAS AN OWNED ASSET.
SO COULD I ASK, WE ASKED AUSTIN TO GIVE US A LETTER ON SOME THINGS THAT WERE, IF YOU COULD ADD TO THAT LIST OF RESPONSE FROM THEM, NOW THAT WE KNOW IT'S 30.5 NOW, THEY DIDN'T SAY, IT WASN'T SET CERTAIN, THEY JUST SAID IT DIDN'T CREDIT IN THE YEAR THAT THEY WERE ANALYZING.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT IT CREDITED IN THE YEAR YOU WERE ANALYZING IT'S 30.5 MILLION, IS THAT APPROPRIATELY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE'RE FIGURING OUT WHAT THE REVENUE IS REVENUE REQUIREMENT IS AND, AND LET THEM PUT FORTH THEIR BEST ARGUMENT FOR WHATEVER POSITION THEY TAKE? THANK YOU.
ON, UM, ON THAT FOUR 11, UH, UH, CHICO, UH, I NOTICED THAT, I MEAN, I GO BY THERE ALMOST EVERY OTHER
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DAY AND, UH, UH, BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME MORE DEVELOPMENT, BUT COULDN'T WE USE, UH, THE, UM, UH, DISPLACEMENT MONEY THAT WE'RE, UH, GETTING FROM OUR TAXES FROM METRO BECAUSE IT'S ONLY LIKE LESS THAN TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE RAIL STATION AND, UH, IT'S IN THE, IT'S ISN'T A PRIMARY.SO I, I WOULD REALLY LOOK INTO, YOU KNOW, USING SOME OF THAT AFFORDABLE MONEY TO TRY TO WORK WITH SOMEONE ELSE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN THE PRIVATE BUSINESS OR ESPECIALLY A NON-PROFIT TO LOOK INTO THAT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME OF THE SMALL, UH, CITY OFFICE BUILDINGS THAT ARE LOCATED RIGHT OFF OF, UH, FOURTH STREET, I MEAN FIFTH STREET, EXCUSE ME.
AND WE COULD INCORPORATE THOSE OFFICE BUILDINGS INTO THAT AND HAVE IT LIKE A MIX USE BUILDING WHERE OUR CITY EMPLOYEES CAN WORK THERE AND MIGHT EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LIVE THERE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT Y'ALL LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
YEAH, VANESSA, I REALLY AGREE.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THESE FOUR PROPERTIES ARE REALLY PRESENT ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES.
AND AGAIN, JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE MERE PROTIME COLE FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE RESOLUTION ABOUT FOUR 11.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PROGRESS THAT HAPPENED KIND OF EARLY ON IN THAT, AND WE HAVE THE THREE MEMOS THAT I DISTRIBUTED EARLIER.
UM, BUT THEN IT NEVER MOVED FORWARD.
AND I THINK ABOUT THIS PROPERTY IN MANY WAYS.
IT'S LIKE THE RYAN DRIVE PROPERTY.
I THINK IT MADE A LOT OF SENSE TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE FUNCTIONS, THE CITY FUNCTIONS THERE AT ONE POINT.
BUT, UM, NOW IN ADDITION TO THE CITY OFFICES AND THANK YOU, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TOUR RECENTLY AND SAW, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR FLEET SERVICES IS THERE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ABOUT A 9,000 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE STORING OUR CITY'S, UM, USED FURNITURE, WHICH I, I THINK IS A REALLY IMPORTANT FUNCTION TO HAVE, BUT NO LONGER REALLY NECESSARY IN CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WONDER ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHETHER THAT FURNITURE COULD GO AND BE HOUSED AT, SAY, THE CONVENTION CENTER WAREHOUSE OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OF OUR CENTRAL, OUR CENTRAL CITY.
UM, AGAIN, I LOVE THAT WE BUY, YOU KNOW, THAT WE KEEP THAT OLD FURNITURE KIND OF WORKING THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE BEST AND HIGHEST USE OF, OF THAT RIGHT THERE ON THAT SITE.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THESE FOUR PROPERTIES ARE REALLY, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WAY IN WHICH YOU TALKED ABOUT THE AED C'S ROLE IN EACH OF THESE.
I THINK THAT'S VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE RESOLUTION WE'RE CONSIDERING FOR THURSDAY ABOUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE MANAGER IS, IS, UM, DIRECTED TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE ADC IN THE, WITH REGARD TO THESE FOUR PROPERTIES SO THAT WE CAN SEE THEM MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES WITH ALL OF THEM, AND ESPECIALLY WITH, WITH FOUR 11 AND IF WE HAVE THAT ENTITY THAT WE'VE SET UP TO DO THE, JUST THIS VERY KIND OF PROJECT, I THINK WE'LL SEE MOVEMENT ON ON THOSE FOUR.
AND I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK.
I WANNA NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
SO THE STAFF HAD COME FORWARD WHEN WE ASKED YOU MANAGER TO FIND A PERMANENT SITE WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY BE, UM, THAT OUR 1 24 WEST EIGHTH STREET BE USED FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
YOU WERE, YOU WERE ASKED, WE POSTPONED IT AND YOU WERE ASKED TO HAVE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
AND THAT WAS SORT OF THE LAST WE HEARD ABOUT IT THAT LAST SPRING.
IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM THIS PRESENTATION, AS IF, AS IF THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE MUNI BUILDING IS NOW STRICTLY LOOKING AT IT FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES, WHICH STILL LEAVES US WITHOUT A PERMANENT HOME FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
SO I NOTE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THE NEXT, THE REST OF YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO SORT OUT, BUT IT DOES NEED A PERMANENT HOME.
AND MAYBE IT'S ONE TEXAS CENTER IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT, OR IT'S ANOTHER CITY ON SITE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE, IT REALLY SHOULD BE DOWNTOWN, NOT SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
BUT REGARDLESS, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE COUNCIL DECIDES, WE, WE POSTPONED THAT.
AND I DIDN'T INTEND FOR IT TO BE A INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT MAY, OR YOU MADE THE MOTION, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU INTENDED FOR IT TO BE A PERMANENT, UH, AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT, BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND IT'S REALLY NOT FAIR, I THINK, TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT PERSONNEL AND THE, AND THE MANY, MANY STAKEHOLDERS WHO RELY ON IT FOR THAT TO BE A PENDING QUESTION.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD POSSIBILITIES HERE AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, ALSO EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WOULD BRING THESE QUESTIONS UP BEFORE COUNCIL ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS SO THAT SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT, UM, BEING SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED FOR RE FOR, UM, OTHER PURPOSES LIKE THE, LIKE THE PROPERTY YOU MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBER.
ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS BEFORE WE STOP? IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK.
OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU LISTED HERE FOR CITY FACILITIES, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE PRIORITIZE FOR THAT FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT? ARE THERE ANY THAT KIND OF RISE? WHICH LOCATION? WHICH YEAH.
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BE BLACK.YEAH, I, I THINK FOUR 11 SHAONE IS PROBABLY, WOULD PROBABLY BE BE THE KIND OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE.
THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH OTHER LIKE COMMUNITY BUILDING THAT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S A NEED RENOVATION COST.
GUADALUPE STREET, THAT'S A MORE EASILY ACHIEVABLE, UM, SPACE.
UM, ONE TEXAS CENTER, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HEAVY LIFT ON THAT ONE.
SO I THINK YOU GET YOUR BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK OUT OF FOUR 11.
BECAUSE THERE'S JUST, JUST SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE IF WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND REALLY DO A METHODICAL LOOK AT HOW DO, HOW DO YOU MAXIMIZE THE USE.
AND AS I LOOK AT HOUSING AND PROJECTS IN DOWNTOWN, UM, AND I'VE OFTEN SPOKEN IN THIS DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER THINGS SHOULD BE AT GROUND ZERO OR NOT.
I THINK WHEN WE OWN THE PROPERTY LIKE THIS, IN THAT SITUATION, THE CONSIDERATIONS ARE, ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE CAN GET TO THAT LOWER BASIS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE, THE OWNERSHIP AS WE SEE THINGS PLAY OUT, NOT A HARD AND FAST ROLE.
HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TRACKS AND WHAT THE ALTERNATIVES ARE.
UH, YES, NATASHA, THERE WE GO.
UH, I WAS HOPING THAT Y'ALL COULD OFFER US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY AS A BODY BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT THE INTENDED PURPOSE FOR THE SEPARATE ENTITIES.
UH, WAS IN A CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY AND THE PERSON DIDN'T INTEND TO DO IT, BUT I CAN SEE HOW EASY IT WAS TO DO.
THEY WERE INTERCHANGING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITH THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OR ED D WITH A E D C AND THEN WITH THE, NOW THE FACILITIES, IS IT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT? STRATEGIC STRATEGIC FACILITY GOVERNANCE.
GOVERNANCE TEAM? NO, BUT IT WAS A MANAGEMENT CORPORATION OR THERE WAS, IT WAS A SHORTER AWESOME HOUSING AND FINANCE.
THE AFC, IT'S LIKE, NO, PFC, THE P A PFC, PFC, P A, PFC, PFC, PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION, CORPORATION, UH, ALL THE ACRONYMS. SO ALL, SO THE PFC, E D D A E D C.
COULD YOU VERY QUICKLY LET US KNOW WHO DOES WHAT AND WHO DOES NOT? BECAUSE I, I, FOR, WITH THE FLEET SERVICES SITE AT HARRE, FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE TALKED TO FOR YEARS NOW, UM, THE ARR AND FLEET SERVICES FOLKS, BUT ONLY VERY RECENTLY WHAT I HEARD OR WHO WE HEARD FROM ABOUT THAT SITE WAS THE FACILITIES, THE F PFC, THE E C P PFC, PFC FACILITIES.
SO AND SO, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO'S WHO, WHAT'S WHAT.
AND, AND THEN AS AN EXTENSION OF THAT, UM, THIS, THERE'S AN, ACTUALLY, I WAS VISITING A FRIEND IN CLARKSVILLE AND THERE'S A, A FACILITY IN CLARKSVILLE, AND I JUST FOUND MYSELF THINKING, WHAT A VERY EMPTY LOOKING SPACE.
AND IT IS THE CLARKSVILLE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER.
UM, AND THE LOT LOOKS HUGE, AND THE PARKING LOT WAS HUGE.
AND THERE WAS, IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEKEND ON A WEEKDAY, AND THERE WAS TWO CARS AND THIS GIANT PARKING LOT.
AND SO WHEN WE SEE THINGS LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW FOR, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES PROBABLY DO THIS TOO, WHEN YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT, YOU'RE SEEING THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE TO DO WITH TRANSIT OR SIDEWALKS OR, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST SORT OF TAKE NOTE IF, IF WE'RE OUT AND ABOUT AND WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND WONDER, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, MICHAEL, THAT QUESTION IS FOR YOU AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS ASSESSMENT WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR STOCK, WITH OUR ASSETS, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SHOOT YOU OVER? LIKE, I HAVE THIS ADDRESS FOR THIS CLARKSVILLE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER AND JUST SOME OF THE BASIC STUFF THAT I KNOW, BUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SHOOT IT OVER TO YOU TO GET A REAL QUICK ASSESSMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES HERE AND WHOSE RADAR SHOULD THIS BE ON? IF IT'S NOT ALREADY, UH, SIMPLE EMAIL OR PHONE CALL, WE'LL RUN IT DOWN FOR YOU.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, UM, SO, UH, WE, SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE ALPHABET SOUP, UM, OF THE ED D A EED, C S F G T, UM, AND PFCS, SO THERE, RIGHT NOW THE ONLY PFC EXISTS IS THERE'S A, AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PFC.
UM, BUT, AND THEN S F G T, WE, WE DISCUSSED THAT, THAT'S A COMBINATION OF MY, OF MY DARRELL, MYSELF AND, UM, MICHAEL.
UM, AND WE ARE FOCUSING ON CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, UM, FOR ED D UM, VERSUS A E D C, I THINK THERE'S UM, THERE'S A TRANSITION OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT PREVIOUSLY ED D WOULD'VE BEEN HANDLING THAT ARE, ARE SHIFTING OVER WITH AEDC SINCE COUNCIL'S CREATION OF IT.
UM, WE, I KNOW FROM SF GT STANDPOINT, WE ARE LOOKING AT WHERE,
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UM, PARTICULARLY OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM THAT ALLOWS FOR THEM TO HAVE REVENUE GENERATION, UM, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES.UM, SO, UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A MORE CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TYPE OF CHARTS THAT CAN BE EASILY SHARED.
UM, SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY PREPARED TO KIND OF WRITE OFF THE CUFF, GO THROUGH ALL THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT YEAH, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YEAH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE, WE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH Y'ALL TO, TO MAKE IT EASIER.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MEDICINE, I, I HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT SITE BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK I BROUGHT, AND OUR COUNCIL ACTUALLY PASSED A RESOLUTION RELATED TO ANOTHER PROPERTY.
UM, THE CLARKSVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS, HAS BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT ABOUT THAT SITE.
AND SO IF YOU REMIND ME, I WILL TRY TO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION AND PASS IT ALONG TO YOU BECAUSE I, I, IT WAS A NEIGHBOR, IT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AND I THINK A LOT OF IT'S AUDIENCE IS NOW DISPERSED ACROSS THE CITY, AND I THINK IT'S A SITE THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THE CLARKSVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS, UM, HAS BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS AND I THINK WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO USE THAT AND REDEVELOP IT FOR HOUSING.
THERE WERE SOME IMPEDIMENTS TO THAT AND I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE THAT HAD TO DO WITH PUB, BUT THOSE WERE CONVERSATIONS THEY WERE HAVING WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH, WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH FOLKS, BUT ALSO WITH OUR HOUSING FOLKS.
BUT I, I THINK IT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD SITE TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND SEE WHETHER THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE POTENTIALLY WITH, WITH THAT REALLY WONDERFUL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CREATE SOME HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND YEAH, PLEASE REMIND ME AND I'LL PASS IT ALONG.
AND THEN I HAD ONE THING TO SAY ABOUT TOWN LAKE CENTER, BUT SORRY, WELL, IT'S JUST LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, YEAH.
EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, A LOT OF THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF RESTRICTION COMES WITH THAT.
AH, THAT COULD BE PART OF THE CHALLENGE.
UM, BUT, BUT MAYBE THERE ARE SOME POSSIBILITIES THERE.
I I THINK THE CHALLENGE WAS MORE ABOUT THE, ABOUT POSSIBLY WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER RENT, UM, SAID BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT THE CITY OWNED THAT IN THE COURSE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE DID TRANSFER TO THE CLARKSVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
SO THERE WAS ANOTHER CITY OWNED TRACT, UM, THAT THEY HAD ALSO RAISED AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE WERE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY TRANSFER FOR AND THEIR BUILDING ON IT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO NOTE AND, AND, UM, IF YOU COULD, WHEN YOU'RE RETURNING THE QUEST, THE RESPONSE ABOUT THE AUSTIN, ABOUT TOWN LAKE CENTER, RECENTLY STAFF COMMUNICATED WITH US ABOUT A PROPERTY TRANSFER FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THIS ONE, BUT I MAY BE WRONG.
AND IT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT TALKED ABOUT THE METHOD OF CALCULATING THE COST, AND IT WAS GOING TO BE THE, THE, THE PRICE THAT THAT DEPARTMENT HAD PAID PLUS THE CARRYING COSTS WERE GOING TO BE ASSESSED TO THE NEW DEPARTMENT.
AND I RAISED THIS BECAUSE IT IS ALSO CAPTURED IN ITEM 36 BECAUSE FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THE RYAN DRIVE WITH OTHER PROPERTIES, THE QUESTION HAS COME UP, LIKE, HOW, HOW COULD THAT THAT DEPARTMENT BE REIMBURSED AND SHOULD THAT DEPARTMENT BE REIMBURSED FOR THE CURRENT MARKET VALUE? OR SHOULD THEY JUST BE MADE WHOLE FOR, OR SHOULD THE ORIGINAL DEPARTMENT JUST BE MADE WHOLE FOR THEIR ORIGINAL PRICE PLUS THE CARRYING COSTS? AND I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN THE EARLY DAYS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, THE RYAN DRIVE TRACK LOOKED LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN, WHEN I WAS WORKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BRING THAT FORWARD FOR POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE COST, THE MARKET PRI THE MARKET VALUE OF THAT TRACK WAS REALLY HIGH.
AND SO HAD AUSTIN ENERGY NEEDED TO GET THE MARKET VALUE OUT OF IT, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDEVELOP IT FOR HOUSING.
AND SO I JUST, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE, UM, USE, USE A MECHANISM LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU JUST RECENTLY USED, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE DEPARTMENT GETS MADE WHOLE FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE PLUS ANY CARING COSTS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE MARKET PRICE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING IT WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN USING
AND SO, BUT AGAIN, THAT IS A WHEEL THAT'S ONE OF THOSE WHEELS THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD TO REINVENT A COUPLE TIMES AND IT'S FRANKLY PREVENTED A COUPLE GOOD PROJECTS FROM MOVING FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS THEY MIGHT HAVE BECAUSE OF THAT COST ASSOCIATED.
SO I HOPE WE GET THAT ANSWER, BUT ALSO, IF IT'S NOT WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED, I'LL WANNA KNOW WHAT THE PROJECT IS THAT I DESCRIBED THAT WE HAD GOTTEN AN EMAIL ABOUT WHERE, WHERE THAT WAS THE METHODOLOGY.
CUZ I THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE METHODOLOGY GOING FORWARD.
I THINK WE'VE HANDLED EVERYTHING.
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, IN THE MEETING HERE AT 5 0 8, UH, SOME MEETINGS ADJOURNED.
REMEMBER WE HAVE THE, UH, TRY GROUP MEETING TOMORROW ON PROJECT CONNECT AND
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THEN THE COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY.HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT ALL ON THURSDAY.
IF NOT, IT WOULD EXTEND OVER UNTIL FRIDAY AS ALL MEETINGS CAN.
BUT LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET DONE ON THURSDAY.
ALL RIGHT WITH THAT WE'LL ALL SEE LATER.
I'M SORRY TO BE SO TEDIOUS, BUT, UM, MY STAFF JUST MENTIONED THAT THE, THE ONE WHERE THE METHODOLOGY WAS WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED WAS 2201 GROVE BOULEVARD.
AND SO IF THAT'S NOT THE METHODOLOGY THAT WAS USED IN THE TRANSFER OF THE BUILDING FOR FINANCIAL SERVICE FROM AE TO FINANCIAL SERVICES, I, I'D LIKE AN EXPLANATION OF WHY.
CAN, CAN YOU SAY THE ADDRESS AGAIN? SURE.
THAT WAS WHERE STAFF SAID THEY USED THAT METHODOLOGY OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE PLUS CARRYING COSTS RATHER THAN MARKET VALUE.
AND MAYBE THE BEST WAY TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO US IS IN THAT PART OF THAT MEMBER.
WHEN YOU ADDRESS THAT TOPIC, TELL US THAT ANSWER.
UH, WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURN.