[6 p.m. – 6: 30 p.m. – 15 minute break District 3 – Candidate José Velázquez Candidate Daniela Silva 6:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. – 15 minute break District 5 - Candidate Ryan Alter Candidate Stephanie Bazan 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – 15 minute break District 9 - Candidate Zohaib “Zo” Qadri Candidate Linda Guerrero 8:15 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. - End Mayoral - Candidate Celia Israel Candidate Kirk Watson]
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MY NAME IS CAROL EEL CAMP, AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE AUSTIN AREA AS THEIR CANDIDATE FORUM CHAIRPERSON, AND TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION TO SHOWCASE ALL THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR EACH YEAR.
I WANNA INTRODUCE YOU ALL TONIGHT TO OUR PUBLIC AND OUR VIEWING AUDIENCE.
WE HAVE WITH US FOR DISTRICT THREE.
WE HAVE JOSE VELAZQUEZ, AND WE HAVE DANIEL SILVA.
AND I'M GOING TO BE YOUR MODERATOR FOR THIS EVENING.
I PROMISE TO TREAT EACH OF YOU FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY IN RETURN, I ASK THAT, UH, YOU DO THE SAME AND NOT EXCEED THE TWO MINUTES TIMEFRAME FOR EACH ANSWER.
THERE WILL BE TIME FOR EACH OF YOU TO, TO HAVE A COMMENT OR REBUTTAL FOR WHAT THE OTHER SAYS.
OKAY? WE'RE GONNA DO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WE, SO YOU WILL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE YOUR FULL TWO MINUTES, BUT WE WILL HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO COMMENT AND, AND PUT YOUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER.
WE DO ASK THAT YOU RE REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL ATTACKS.
AND SO LET'S STICK TO THE ISSUES TONIGHT AND I WILL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO, UH, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
PLEASE KNOW THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT THOSE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, OUR SPONSORING ORGANIZATION, BUT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE AUSTIN AREA.
NEITHER OF THE CANDIDATES HERE HAVE SEEN THE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.
AND THESE TOPIC COME FROM OUR ORGANIZATION.
THEY COME FROM ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY AND TO INDIVIDUALS FROM INDIVIDUALS.
AT THE END OF THIS DEBATE, EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE TO CLOSE AND TELL THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN WHY YOUR LEADERSHIP WILL MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
ALL RIGHT, WE READY? THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ON WEBSITES.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CANDIDATES COME OUT WITH POSITIONS.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A LOT OF INTERVIEWS AND A LOT OF OF, UH, ANSWERED QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
ONE OF THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES OF WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO WORK WITH IF YOU'RE ELECTED, HAS PROPOSED TO ALLOW EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT MEMBER TO BRING FORWARD A SET OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC CODE REFORMS INSTEAD OF FORCING EVERY AUSTIN DISTRICT TO ADOPT TO THE SAME TYPE OF CODE REFORMS. IF THAT CANDIDATE IS ELECTED AND YOU ARE ELECTED, HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT PLAN WHEN IT'S DISCUSSED? AND WE FLIPPED A COIN.
AND SO, UH, JOSE, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE FIRST ANSWER AND YOU'LL GET THE FIRST REBUTTAL.
WE, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, ABOUT OUR HOUSING.
AND WHILE I, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT DYNAMICS AT PLAY THAT'LL, THAT WHEN IT COMES TO NEIGHBORHOODS, TO NEIGHBORHOODS WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
UH, I WOULD WANNA FLESH THAT OUT AND TALK WITH THAT.
UM, THE, UH, THE, MAY THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR FURTHER BEFORE, UM, UH, HAVING AN ANSWER ON THAT CANDIDATE SILVA, UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN CODE, UH, CHANGES THAT WOULD REALLY BENEFIT THE ENTIRE CITY AS A WHOLE.
AND WHEN WE BREAK IT UP DISTRICT BY DISTRICT, IT CAN GET REALLY DISJOINTED ON WHERE HOUSING IS BEING BUILT.
AND WE NEED HOUSING TO BE BUILT EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF FOLKS WHO LOVE AUSTIN AND WANT TO CALL AUSTIN HOME.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH THAT MAYOR AND THEIR PROPOSAL, SEE WHAT EXACTLY THEY HAVE FLESHED OUT, THINK ABOUT WHAT THE LONG TERM IMPACTS WOULD BE, AND THEN GET BACK WITH THE FOLKS WHO THEY MET WITH WHO ORIGINALLY, UM, PROPOSED THESE CHANGES TO SEE WHERE WE CAN PERHAPS HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, UM, AND SEE WHERE CITYWIDE WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE CHANGES THAT WOULD BENEFIT ALL OF AUSTIN.
SO IN THE, AND THIS WILL BE CANDIDATE SILVA, YOUR FIRST OPTION HERE.
WHEN WE WERE AT OUR LAST DEBATE, WE PULLED OUT THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT SCORECARD, AND IT WAS JUST UPDATED IN 2022.
ALRIGHT, AND SPECIFIC TO DISTRICT THREE, THIS STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT CALLS CITYWIDE FOR 60,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS TO BE BUILT BY 2028.
INCLUDING MORE THAN 6,200 UNITS HERE IN YOUR DISTRICT.
THREE, ONLY 16% OF THAT HOUSING HAS BEEN BUILT, AND THERE ARE 1200 UNITS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER, UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IS THE CITY'S GOAL FOR THIS DISTRICT REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE? WHY OR WHY NOT? I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY REALISTIC AND CAN BE ATTAINABLE IF WE GET SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING CHANGES TO THE
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CODE THAT ALLOW BUILDING OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE EASIER AND LESS EXPENSIVE.UM, A LOT OF FOLKS RIGHT NOW WANT TO BUILD HOUSING FOR TEACHERS AND MUSICIANS.
I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO FOLKS WHEN KNOCKING OUT THE DOORS AND THEY SAY, I HAVE ENOUGH LAND TO BUILD TWO OR FOUR, UM, UNITS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO KEEP DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, BUT BY THE TIME THAT I CAN GET THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEY WON'T BE BUILT UNTIL FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
WE NEED HOUSING BUILT RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY HERE IN DISTRICT THREE.
SO I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY IS ATTAINABLE, BUT WE HAVE TO REALLY WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE ZONING CHANGES A LOT EASIER AND QUICKER.
CANDIDATE VELASQUEZ? YEAH, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY ATTAINABLE.
UH, WE NEED, WE ALSO NEED TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT, UH, A NEW CITY AND PARTNER STOCK WE HAVE AS FAR, UH, TO BUILD AFFORDABLE UNITS, WORK ON THE PERMITTING BACKLOG, AND STAFF UP THE OFFICE EXPEDITE AND, UM, SITE THE SITE APPROVAL PROCESS AND BUILD UP DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS, UH, AND WORK ON FEE REDUCTIONS.
I, UH, I THINK A LOT OF THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN IS, IS GONNA BE THE PERMITTING OFFICE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, STAFF IT UP AND, AND WORK ON WHATEVER THE BOTTLENECKS ARE THERE.
SO, I WANNA FOLLOW UP A QUESTION.
UH, YOU, YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT.
SHOULD THE CITY OF AUSTIN BE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING PROPERTY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS? OR SHOULD THAT BE LEFT TO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS PROVIDING, DID YOU SAY PROPERTY OR PROPERTY? PROPERTY? UM, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
IF WE HAVE UN, IF WE HAVE UNUSED PROPERTIES THAT WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE AFFORDABLE UNITS, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO.
I MEAN, AND, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER, BUT IT WAS, WE, I WANNA SAY IT WAS OVER 700 PIECES OF LAND THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN USE FOR AFFORDABLE UNITS, AND WE'RE NOT USING CANDIDATE SILVER.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT? YES.
UM, I BELIEVE, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONES OF THESE CAN SPECIFICALLY BE USED FOR HOUSING, BUT WE HAVE OVER 6,000 TRACKS OF LAND THAT THE CITY CAN USE.
AND I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY IS A ROLE THAT THE CITY CAN PLAY WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS AVAILABLE, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IT JUST ISN'T ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE FOR THE MARKET TO TAKE CARE OF THIS SITUATION.
AND SO THERE'S A ROLE IN GOVERNMENT IN PROVIDING, UM, RESOURCES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE IN NEED AND WHO CAN'T BE PROVIDED BY MARKET AND MARKET RATE SOLUTIONS.
SO THIS ONE WILL GO CANDIDATE VELASQUEZ IN THIS YEAR, IN 2022, THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE RESEARCH CENTER AT TEXAS A AND M FOUND THAT AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE TEXAS' MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES TO BUILD NEW HOMES IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT FEES CHARGED BY LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES.
NOW, WE, WE BOTH KNOW LOCAL PROFESSIONALS HAVE KNOWN THIS FOR YEARS AND HAVE PUSHED FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATES, BUT WE NOW HAVE A STUDY THAT DOES, THAT HAS A LOT OF DATA WITH IT.
IF ELECTED, YOU'RE GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTIONS AND POLICIES THAT ARE GONNA AFFECT HOME BUILDING PRICES THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, AS WELL AS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
THE STUDY SAYS THAT AUSTIN'S SUBURBAN STYLE DEVELOPMENT FEES ARE 80% HIGHER THAN THE FEES IN THE FIVE LARGEST METROS.
THE INFILL DEVELOPMENT FEES FOR THE INSIDE CITY LIMITS WERE 187% HIGHER THAN FEES ACROSS DALLAS, HOUSTON, FORT WORTH AND SAN ANTONIO.
SO IF ELECTED, WHAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO ADDRESSING AUSTIN'S OUT OF BALANCE DEVELOPMENT FEE STRUCTURE, WORKING TO SEE WHERE WE CAN MAKE IMMEDIATE REDUCTIONS, UH, AND, AND FIGURING OUT WHY, WHY THE THE FEES ARE SO SKY HIGH FIRST STEP CANDIDATE SILVA.
UH, MY FIRST STEP WOULD BE TO MEET WITH EXPERTS IN THE FIELD WITH, UH, FOLKS WHO HAVE A, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, UM, DEVELOPING AND, AND GOING THROUGH THESE PERMITTING PROCESSES TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHERE THE INFLATION IS AND WHERE THERE MAY BE AREAS FOR REDUCTION TO MAKE, UM, FEES MORE EFFICIENT, AND TO SEE IF WE CAN CUT DOWN ON ANY REDUNDANCIES.
SO IF WE, I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP AND JUST CANDIDATE SILVA.
SO IF WE DO, IF WE DO A FEE REDUCTION, IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT THE BUDGET NEGATIVE NEGATIVELY, OR IS THAT GOING TO ALLOW MORE UNITS TO BE BUILT AND WHERE'S THE BALANCE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I THINK IT WILL ALLOW MORE UNITS TO BE BUILT, WHICH IN THE LONG RUN WILL ADD TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE THE MORE UNITS THAT ARE ABLE TO BE BUILT, UM, THE MORE FEES THAT WILL BE PAID IN BY DEVELOPERS.
SO IT MAY TAKE A BIT OF A CUT IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT I THINK IN THE LONG TERM, IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO THE BUDGET.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CUTTING BUDGET CANDIDATE VELASQUEZ? NO, UH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THE MORE HOUSING STOCK WE BRING ONLINE, THE MORE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO STAY IN AUSTIN, UH,
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THE MORE FOLKS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES AND, AND, UH, FEED INTO THE BUDGET.LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, POLICE, UH, IN AUSTIN.
YOU ALL HAVE ANSWERED THIS TOPIC, UH, ON A COUPLE OF OF ISSUES.
AND CANDIDATE SILVA, YOU'LL GET YOUR THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT COULD HAVE, THE P COULD HAVE HAD THE POWER TO SUGGEST DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS TO THE POLICE CHIEF AFTER THE CITIZEN'S WAY IN AND VOTE NEXT MAY.
THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE BALLOT.
THIS COUNCIL PUSHED IT DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT.
DO YOU AGREE THAT THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE THAT SU THAT POWER TO SUGGEST THAT? WHY OR WHY NOT? I DO AGREE WITH IT.
UM, I WAS A PROPONENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT AND REALLY TRIED TO HELP INFORM PEOPLE THAT IT WAS, UM, A PETITION THEY COULD SIGN.
AND THERE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF, UH, THIRD PARTY OVERSIGHT THAT ALLOWS THERE TO BE A BALANCE IN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE ARE, UH, NEGATIVE ACTIONS TAKEN IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE SAW OVERWHELMINGLY BY THE THOUSANDS OF SIGNATURES THAT WERE ON THE PETITION THAT AUSTINITES AGREE, THANK YOU CANDIDATE VELAZQUEZ.
AND I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION AGAIN? IT'S JUST THAT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT COULD HAVE THE POWER TO SUGGEST DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS TO THE POLICE CHIEF AFTER THE CITIZEN'S WAY IN AND VOTE NEXT MAY.
THIS COUNCIL CHOSE NOT TO TAKE ACTION.
THEY CHOSE TO PUT IT TO THE CITIZENS, UH, NEXT MAY.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? WHY OR WHY NOT? YEAH, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH IT.
UH, THE, THE EMS AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT DO NOT POLICE THEMSELVES.
THERE'S A THIRD PARTY INVOLVED THERE.
SO WE, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE OVERSIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK THAT'S BETTER FOR OFFICERS AND BETTER, BETTER FOR OUR CITIZENS.
SO FOLLOWING UP ON THAT QUESTION, LET LET YOU START THERE.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO REBUILD ALL OF AUSTIN? OUR CITIZENS TRUST IN THE POLICE FORCE? A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, ONE, I THINK WE NEED MORE AND, UM, MORE AND BETTER, UH, COMMUNITY POLICING.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS RECRUITING FROM THE AREAS THAT THEY POLICE, UM, AND, UH, WORK AND USE THE, THE COUNCIL OFFICE TO, UM, HELP BRIDGE THAT DIVIDE WHERE IT MAY BE, ESPECIALLY IN, IN DISTRICT THREE CANDIDATE SILVA.
I THINK ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IS COMES BACK TO HOUSING.
AS MANY THINGS DO, MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS, UH, ENOUGH AFFORDABLE AND DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO THAT FOLKS IN ANY SECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY ARE ABLE TO LIVE IN AUSTIN AND REALLY BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE SERVING.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, SO MANY OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS ARE DRIVING IN FROM ELGAN AND BUTTA, AND REALLY FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING SERVED BY THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT.
SECONDLY, I THINK THERE IS ROOM TO GROW IN TERMS OF THE AREA OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN FIGURING OUT HOW WE PERCEIVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND WHAT THE CULTURE IS AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY IN AUSTIN.
AND THERE ARE MANY EXPERTS WHO HAVE WORKED TO IMPLEMENT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES ON A POLICY LEVEL AND A CITY LEVEL.
AND THOSE ARE SOME RELATIONSHIPS THAT I'VE ALREADY BEGAN CULTIVATING.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND, AND CANDIDATES, SILVA WE'LL START WITH YOU.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN'S THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN, IS IT A PROBLEM PRIMARILY, PRIMARILY A HOUSING CRISIS, OR IS IT A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS? WHY? IT'S IT'S BOTH, TO BE HONEST.
UM, I THINK FIRST IT IS A HOUSING CRISIS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT BE IN THE SITUATION THAT THEY'RE IN IF THEY HAD HAD HOUSING OPTIONS WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT IN A TIGHT SPOT.
BUT ONCE YOU FALL INTO BEING UNHOUSED AND BEING IN A HOMELESS COMMUNITY, THOSE SITUATIONS LEAD SOMEONE, IF THEY ALREADY HAD MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR THEM TO WORSEN, THEY LOSE CONNECTIONS TO RESOURCES, THEY LOSE CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY, AND THAT THEN PERPETUATES A PERSON'S ISSUES THAT THEY MAY HAVE HAD SLIGHTLY BETTER, UM, UNDER CONTROL WHEN THEY WERE HOUSED.
SO WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT CONNECTING PEOPLE TO RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT, WHEN IT COMES TO PROFESSIONALISM, IT'S ALMOST, IF THERE ISN'T HOUSING FIRST, IT'S LIKE TELLING SOMEONE WHO'S DROWNING HERE, LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO SWIM BEFORE BRINGING THEM ONTO SHORE.
SO IT IS BOTH ISSUES AND WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS THEM HAND IN HAND.
UM, I THINK THAT WORKING ON MENTAL HEALTH AND, UH, CONNECTING FOLKS TO THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED CAN BE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING ONGOING IN THE SHORT TERM WHILE WE WORK ON BUILDING UP THE HOUSING STOCK
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TO REALLY TAKE HOUSING FIRST POLICY SERIOUSLY.NO, I, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S FIRST.
AND, AND IF WE DON'T, UH, I MEAN THAT IT'S, THAT IT IS BOTH.
AND IF WE DON'T, UH, TAKE A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, THEN IT IS COMPLETELY DESTABILIZING FOR ANYBODY THAT IS SUFFERING WITH ANY, WITH HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
UM, WE NEED COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
WE NEED TO HELP WITH CO UH, COORDINATED ASSESSMENTS AND, UM, WE NEED TO WORK ON A REENTRY ROUNDTABLE TO HELP FOLKS GET BACK INTO HOUSING QUICKER AND HELP, UH, STABILIZE THEIR LIVES BETTER.
SO, CANDIDATE VELASQUEZ, I'M A FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH A SIMILAR QUESTION ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE, CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S TITLED, ADDRESSING HOMELESS IN AUSTIN, AND IT READS, AND I'M QUOTING, AS PART OF THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN COLLABORATES WITH AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO MAKE HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING.
WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL ON ACHIEVING THE ABOVE GOAL AND WHY? UH, C IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LETTER GRADES, I THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS HERE AT CITY HALL IS WE HAVE FOLKS DRAFTING POLICY THAT, UH, DON'T HAVE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE.
AND A LOT OF THE UNHOUSED UNHOUSED ADVOCATES THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO, I HAVE A PERSONAL FRIEND THAT THAT, UH, THAT IS, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DISTRICT THREE AND DEAL DEALS DAILY WITH THE ISSUE IS, UH, THE COMPLAINT IS THAT THEY AREN'T IN THE ROOM WHEN POLICY IS BEING DRAFTED AND THEY AREN'T ABLE TO HELP CRAFT REAL SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE FACING WITH OUR UN HOUSE NEIGHBORS CANDIDATE SILVA.
I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GIVE CITY HALL A GOOD GRADE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I'M ALSO GONNA HAVE TO GIVE THEM A C.
UM, THERE, THERE IS ALREADY EXISTING COLLABORATION WITH DIFFERENT NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS, BUT MORE CAN BE DONE.
UM, HAVING BEEN AN ACTIVIST AND ORGANIZER WITH FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, I HAVE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR GROWTH WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS IN CITY HALL AND USING THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE TO BETTER IMPLEMENT THE RESOURCES AND CREATE A TIGHTER KNIT NETWORK OF THESE RESOURCES.
THE WEBSITE THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS FOR FOLKS TO LEARN ABOUT HOMELESSNESS ON THE CITY WEBSITE, IT'S OKAY, BUT IT CAN BE A LOT BETTER.
THERE ARE DOZENS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH OUR IN-HOUSE COMMUNITY, AND MANY OF THEM ARE NOT MENTIONED ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
UM, IF YOU CALL THREE 11 AND YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IN-HOUSE COMMUNITY, THEY WILL SIMPLY DIRECT YOU TO THE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT THOROUGH IN INCLUDING WHAT ACTUALLY EXISTS.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN CITY HALL WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE CONNECT FOLKS WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE HEALTHY, THRIVING LIVES.
SO I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP CANDIDATE, SO WE'RE GONNA STAY ON THE SAME TOPIC BECAUSE WE GOT THIS IN, WE GET THIS IN OUR INBOX A LOT.
SO WHAT IS A DIRECTIVE THAT YOU WOULD GIVE TO CODE ENFORCEMENT ABOUT THE ADDRESSING THE POPULATION THAT IS STILL CAMPING IN PUBLIC SPACES? WHAT I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE IS WORKING WITH FOLKS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THE SPACES THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY LIVING IN CLEANER AND SAFER FOR EVERYONE UNTIL WE CAN GET THEM CONNECTED TO THOSE MORE PERMANENT, STABLE LIVING PLACES.
FOLKS WANT TO BE HOUSED, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING RIGHT NOW TO PUT THEM IN, AND THEY REALLY HAVE NO OTHER PLACE TO GO.
AND I THINK MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT NEIGHBORS HAVE ABOUT OUR INHOUSE COMMUNITY IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TRASH.
THERE ARE OFTEN FIRES THAT HAPPEN.
AND IF WE CAN WORK WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT IN DIFFERENT, UH, SECTORS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT TO WORK WITH FOLKS TO KEEP THEIR CAMPS CLEANER AND SAFER, I THINK NEIGHBORS WILL BE A LOT LESS BOTHERED BY THE PRESENCE OF THEM IN THE DIFFERENT WOODED AREAS AROUND THEIR HOMES.
DO YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT? CAN
AND IT, UM, I THINK IF WE'RE ABLE TO ELIMINATE, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THAT BY PROVIDING RESTROOMS, BY PROVIDING SAFER AND, UM, AND, UH, CLEANER OPTIONS FOR THEM TO BE HOUSED WHERE THEY'RE AT, INSTEAD OF JUST, UM, SHOWING UP AND, AND CAUSING AN UPHEAVAL AND, AND HAVING FOLKS START FROM SCRATCH WHEN THEY'VE LOST ALL THE POSSESSIONS THAT, THAT THEY CARRY AROUND IN A CART OR IN THEIR, UM, IN THEIR TENT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT A BIG CONCRETE DIVIDING LINE.
NOW, IF WE WANTED TO ENHANCE EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY AND NON VEHICLE MOBILITY AND ADDRESS THE HISTORY OF SEGREGATION BETWEEN THE EAST SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE, THAT IH 35 HAS HISTORICALLY REPRESENTED IN AUSTIN, WE
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COULD CAP AREAS AROUND UT AND CENTRAL DOWNTOWN AS PROPOSED BY CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS, THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE AND OTHER GROUPS.BUT HOW DO WE, AND, AND WE'LL START WITH CANDIDATE VELAZQUEZ, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE SURFACE LEVEL TREATMENTS TRULY RECONNECT THE CITY AND INCREASE ACCESS FOR EVERYONE AND REDRESS PAST HARMS? THAT IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, MY FAMILY WAS ACTUALLY HERE AND WAS PART OF THE FORCED MIGRATION OVER, UM, EAST AVE AT THE TIME.
SO I, I DEFINITELY WANNA SEE I 35 COME DOWN AND, AND FOR IT TO BE, UH, FOR IT TO BE CAPPED, I THINK WE, IT WOULD BE INCUMBENT ON THE, UH, COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO HELP BRIDGE THAT DIVIDE.
BECAUSE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP HERE IN AUSTIN, IT WAS CALLED, WE CALLED, UH, I 35, THE GREAT WALL OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE VERY FEW RESOURCES CAME OVER AND WE VERY RARELY CAME ACROSS IT.
UM, SO USING THE OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICE AND ALIGNING WITH, UH, WITH OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL BE REPRESENTING THOSE AREAS THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED, UH, AND HELPING TO BRIDGE THAT DIVIDE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, AND WITH THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.
SO ARE YOU STATING THAT WE SHOULD FUND THE CITY SHOULD FUND THE CAPS BECAUSE TECH DOT'S NOT FUNDING THE CAPS.
TECH.IS ALREADY FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHWAY IT'S FUNDED, IT'S GONNA BE 20 LANES.
SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING THE CITY COUNCIL, WE SHOULD FIND FUNDS FOR THIS CAP? ABSOLUTELY.
OUR, OUR, THE I 35 IS A MONUMENT TO SEGREGATION, AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT CANDIDATES.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S, UH, PRETTY CLEAR THAT AUSTINITES DON'T WANT WIDER 35.
UM, THEY WOULD MUCH RATHER, UM, IT BE TURNED INTO, UH, SOME OTHER OPTION, WHETHER IT BE A BOULEVARD OR IT BE, UM, BURIED AND COMPLETELY COVERED.
BUT FOLKS ARE REALLY NOT WANTING, UH, WHAT'S CURRENTLY BEING PROPOSED.
SO I THINK CITY COUNCIL CAN STILL DO SOME WORK IN ADVOCATING FOR WHAT AUSTINITES WANT.
THAT BEING SAID, IF THE OPTION THAT TECH DOT HAS CURRENTLY PROPOSED IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO GO FORWARD, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO FUND THOSE CAPS AND MAKING SURE THAT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT ON WHAT IS PLACED ON TOP OF THOSE CAPS, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT MOBILITY IS ALLOWED TO BE ON THERE, WHETHER IT'S MORE ROOM FOR CYCLISTS OR PEDESTRIANS, MICRO MOBILITY, UM, PUBLIC TRANSIT FOLKS FROM ACROSS, UH, EAST AND WEST AUSTIN, WHO WILL BE USING THOSE THE MOST, SHOULD BE THE ONES WHO ARE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE.
SO CANDIDATE SILVA, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GENTRIFICATION.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DISPLACEMENT, UH, THAT'S HAPPENING IN MANY DISTRICTS.
UM, HOW IS DISTRICT THREE AFFECTED BY THE RISING RENTS OF BOTH RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND SMALL BUSINESS, THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT, AND HOW IS THAT AFFECTING THE DISPLACEMENT OF THESE RESIDENTS? UH, THEY ARE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED, AS WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE PAST DECADE OF GENTRIFICATION THAT HAS BEEN CREEPING IN GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM EAST AUSTIN AS WELL AS MANY LOCAL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE ANYMORE.
THE FOLKS WHO ARE CURRENTLY HERE, WHO HAVE MANAGED TO STAY HERE ARE FEELING A LOT OF STRESS, UM, AND HAVING THIS UNDUE BURDEN OF PAYING THE RISING PROPERTY TAXES OR OF HAVING TO PASS THAT COST ON DOWN TO THE TENANTS WHO LIVE IN THE HOMES THAT THEY LIVE IN, OR IF THEY ARE TENANTS THEMSELVES FEELING A PRICE INCREASES ON RENT FROM A HUNDRED DOLLARS UP TO $700.
I PERSONALLY HAVE A FRIEND WHO LIVED OFF OF SES, CHAZ, WHO HAD BEEN IN HIS APARTMENT COMPLEX FOR YEARS, AND THE RENT WENT UP $700 AND HE HAD TO MOVE TO SOUTH AUSTIN.
THERE WERE PEOPLE IN HIS COMPLEX THAT WERE OF ALL AGE RANGES, BUT PARTICULARLY THERE WERE MANY ELDERS IN THAT COMPLEX.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALSO BEEN SEEING A LOT, AS MANY ELDERS WHO WOULD LOVE TO AGE IN PLACE AND STAY IN THE HOMES THAT THEY'RE LIVING IN, FEELING LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS.
AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD GO IF THEY CAN'T CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THEIR HOME.
BECAUSE IF THEY HAVE TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, THEY'RE FURTHER AWAY FROM RESOURCES THAT THEY RELY ON.
THEY'RE FURTHER AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILY, SO OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY GENTRIFICATION CANDIDATE QUE CAN YOU REPEAT IT ONCE MORE PLEASE? MAYBE
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UM, HOW IS THAT AFFECTING THE CHARACTER, BUT ALSO IS THE IMPACT TO THE GENTRIFICATION AND THE DISPLACEMENT OF CERTAIN POPULATIONS IN YOUR DISTRICT? WELL, SINCE THE LAST CENSUS, I THINK, UH, LATINOS HAVE LOST ABOUT 15% OF, OF HOME OWNERSHIP IN THE DISTRICT, IN SPECIFICALLY IN EAST AUSTIN, 78, 7 0 2.UM, IT, I MEAN, IT'S HAVING A, A, A DAMAGING EFFECT AND, AND, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS CHANGED SO RAPIDLY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS BECAUSE OF GENTRIFICATION.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BE, UM, UH, PRO-HOUSING AND ANTI-GENTRIFICATION.
THE, THE BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY, STAY THERE, THE FAMILIES, I MEAN, ON OUR BLOCK WE HAVE, UM, I THINK ONE MEMBER THAT GREW UP WITH US ON WILLOW STREET THAT STILL LIVES THERE.
SO IT'S, I MEAN, IT IS CHANGING DRAMATICALLY, AND IT'S BEEN IN THE, UM, I WORK RIGHT NOW TO ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
AND IT IS, I MEAN, WITHOUT THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER FOLKS WOULD, WOULD BE OUT TOMORROW.
SO I WISH WE HAD ABOUT 35 MORE MINUTES, BUT IS THERE, AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU EACH A MINUTE ON THIS TOPIC.
IS THERE A TOPIC OR AN ISSUE THAT YOU REALLY WANNA EXPRESS AN OPINION ONTO THE VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT RIGHT NOW? ONE PARTICULAR TOPIC AND, UH, CANDIDATE SILVA WILL START WITH YOU,
UM, IT, IT OFTEN COMES DOWN TO HOUSING, AND THAT'S WHAT I TALK ABOUT A LOT.
BUT I ALSO REALLY WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HEALTH INEQUITIES IN THE DISTRICT THAT OFTEN GO, UM, UNDER WITHOUT ENOUGH ATTENTION.
WE LIVE IN AREAS OF, UM, HEALTHCARE DESERTS AND OF FOOD DESERTS WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE OR TO THE TYPE OF HEALTHCARE THAT BEST SERVES THEM.
THEY ALSO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ACCESS TO FRESH, HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE FOOD.
AND THERE'S ALREADY A 12 YEAR SHORTER LIFE EXPECTANCY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST AUSTIN.
AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.
AND THE MORE THAT WE ARE TAKING SHOCKS TO SUPPLY CHAIN AND, AND SHOCKS TO OUR, UM, AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY VULNERABLE TO FOOD INSECURITY FOLKS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THEY WERE BEFORE.
CANDIDATE VELASQUE IS ONE TOPIC THAT YOU REALLY WANT THE VOTERS TO KNOW ABOUT THAT YOU CARE.
UH, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AND IT IS UNIVERSAL.
PRE-K I THINK THIS, UH, UH, OUR CITY COULD LEAD ON IT.
IT HELPS WITH A JUMPSTART ON CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
IF THEY GET INTO PRE-K EARLIER, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A, UM, BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, MORE LIKELY TO GO ON TO COLLEGE, MORE LIKELY TO EARN MORE MONEY.
UM, AND WE ARE, UM, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BETTER HELP OUR WORKFORCE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, UM, BY ENSURING THAT THEY HAD, THAT FOLKS HAD SAFE AND, UH, EDUCATIONAL PLACES TO DROP THEIR KIDS.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GET, I I ASK YOU TONIGHT TO, UH, TELL US IN ONE MINUTE FOR YOUR CLOSING WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES YOU A GOOD LEADER FOR AUSTIN AND, UH, CANDIDATES.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE TYPE OF LEADERSHIP THAT I PROVIDE IN OFFICE BY WHAT MY CAMPAIGN HAS LOOKED LIKE AND WHAT MY PRESENCE HAS BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY.
FOLKS FEEL UNSEEN AND UNHEARD BY COUNCIL CURRENTLY, AND OUR CAMPAIGN HAS PROVEN AN OPENNESS AND WILLINGNESS TO MEET WITH PEOPLE.
WE'VE BEEN AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, ANSWERING PRACTICALLY EVERY SOCIAL MEDIA DM, EVERY EMAIL, EVERY PHONE CALL, AND INTEGRATING, UH, SUGGESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN US, AS WELL AS THE VAST DIVERSITY OF STAFF ON THE CAMPAIGN THAT WILL TRANSLATE INTO CITY COUNCIL TO SERVE, UH, THE DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONALITY THAT NEED TO BE REPRESENTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
CANDIDATE VELAZQUEZ ACCESSIBILITY.
THIS, UM, THIS CAMPAIGN ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.
A AS DANIEL SAID, THE, UH, NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WE COME ACROSS IN THE DISTRICT THAT DON'T FEEL SEEN, DON'T FEEL HEARD, ESPECIALLY OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT LIKE SOUTH AUSTIN THAT DON'T FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE CURRENTLY.
UM, I HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF BUILDING BROAD COALITIONS AROUND ISSUES, UM, FOR YEARS AND GETTING STUFF DONE IN THE DISTRICT AND, AND THE EAST AUSTIN AND TOPLESS IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
UM, BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER AND BEING ABLE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON DAY ONE BECAUSE OF MY STRONG COMMUNITY TIES AND THE, UH, THE, THE LEVEL OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS IN ME.
[00:30:01]
YOU.PLEASE GIVE THESE FOLKS A NICE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEIR 30 MINUTES WITH US.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND IT, AND FOR WHEREVER YOU'RE LISTENING, UH, TO US.
IT'S NOW OUR TURN TO GO TO THE POLLS AND VOTE AND ELECT OUR REPRESENTATIVE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE, OUR VOTERS GUIDE IS ONLINE AT LW AT WWW L W V AUSTIN.ORG, AND WE HAVE EDITED IT FOR THE CURRENT RACES.
EARLY VOTING BEGINS TOMORROW, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH FRIDAY, DECEMBER THE NINTH, FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM EXCEPT PLEASE NOTE THAT ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, THE POLLS ARE ONLY OPEN FROM 12:00 PM TO 6:00 PM ELECTION DAY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH, 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM THE POLLS ARE OPEN.
POLLING LOCATIONS CAN BE FOUND@WWWVOTETRAVIS.COM.
FIND A LIST OR A MAP, AND YOU'LL SEE THE WAIT TIMES OF THE POLLING LOCATIONS AT THAT SITE.
MY NAME IS CAROL EEL CAMP, AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE AUSTIN AREA AS THEIR CANDIDATE FORUM CHAIRPERSON, AND TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION TO SHOWCASE ALL THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR EACH YEAR.
I'D LIKE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE OPENING STATEMENTS.
I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE OUR CLIENTS.
THIS IS DISTRICT FIVE, AND WE HAVE STEPHANIE BAAN AND WE HAVE RYAN AL.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU IN YOUR CAMPAIGN SO FAR.
I WILL BE YOUR MODERATOR TONIGHT, AND I PROMISE TO TREAT EACH OF YOU FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY IN RETURN.
I ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME AND NOT EXCEED YOUR TWO MINUTE TIMEFRAME FOR EACH ANSWER AND OR REBUTTAL AND TO REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL ATTACKS.
WATCH OUR TIMEKEEPERS SEATED HERE AND LISTEN FOR THE TIMER.
BUT LET'S STICK TO THE ISSUES TONIGHT.
AND I WILL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
PLEASE KNOW THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT THOSE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, OUR SPONSORING ORGANIZATION, BUT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AUSTIN AREA.
NEITHER OF YOU CANDIDATES HAVE SEEN OUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE, AND THESE TOPICS AND QUESTIONS COME FROM OUR ORGANIZATION, OTHER ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AT THE END OF THIS DEBATE, EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE TO CLOSE AND TELL THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN WHY YOUR LEADERSHIP WILL MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ON WEBSITES, FACEBOOK PAGES, INTERVIEWS THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE AND OTHER CANDIDATES HAVE DONE.
AND IN, IN ONE TOPIC, ONE OF THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES, OKAY, HAS PROPOSED TO ALLOW EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT MEMBER, WHICH ONE OF YOU WILL BE ELECTED TO BE THAT MEMBER, TO BRING FORWARD A SET OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC LAND CODE REFORMS INSTEAD OF FORCING EVERY AUSTIN DISTRICT TO ADOPT THE SAME TYPE OF CODE REFORMS. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? WHY OR WHY NOT? NOW, WE FLIPPED A COIN FOR WHO GETS TO START FIRST.
SO CANDIDATE BAAN, UH, YOU WON THAT COIN TO US, SO IT'S YOUR FIRST, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THE REBUTTAL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
I WANNA START BY SAYING I DON'T DISAGREE WITH EITHER CANDIDATE.
UM, SO WHOEVER I, I KNOW WHO IT, WHO THE CANDIDATE IS THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO.
UM, BUT I WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR THING IN THE ZONING.
UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE RULES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR DISTRICT.
I ALREADY FEEL LIKE OUR CODE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, IT TAKES PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IN IT FOR 30 YEARS TO REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, WITH ALL THE OVERLAYS AND EVERYTHING THAT IS A PART OF THE CODE.
AND SO IT FEELS TO ME THAT HAVING INDIVIDUALS HAVE THAT POWER OVER THEIR OWN DISTRICT MIGHT CAUSE MORE HARM THAN HELP.
UM, I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK COLLECTIVELY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE, UM, WHEN WE'RE COMING TOGETHER AROUND SOME OF THE NEW, UM, THE NEW CODES THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT BEING SAID, I, I APPRECIATE, UM, THE THOUGHT BEHIND THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WOULD PREFER TO WORK ON SOMETHING AS A COLLECTIVE.
[00:35:01]
DO NEED TO CHANGE WHERE WE ARE.OUR CODE IS FROM THE EIGHTIES, UM, AND WE'RE GROWING AND WE'RE CHANGING, AND IT'S NOT SERVING US VERY WELL.
I, I DON'T AGREE THAT A DISTRICT OR A COUNCIL DISTRICT OR ALL OUR DISTRICTS SHOULD BE ZONED SEPARATELY OR, OR HAVE SEPARATE PLANS.
UH, WE ARE IN A HOUSING CRISIS AS A CITY, NOT AS DISTRICT FIVE, NOT AS DISTRICT ONE.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A HOUSING CRISIS, AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS FOR EVERYONE.
AND SO THAT IS WHY I PUT FORWARD A VERY DETAILED HOUSING PLAN OF THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN START DOING ON DAY ONE, WAYS TO MAKE IT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS AUSTIN, NOT JUST WHAT WE HAVE SEEN HISTORICALLY, WHICH IS WE'RE GONNA CREATE SPECIAL RULES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO LIVE MAYBE IN THIS LITTLE SPOT OF TOWN OR THIS LITTLE SPOT OF TOWN, OR, OR JUST ON THE EDGES OF AUSTIN.
WE NEED TO HAVE REAL REFORM THAT TOUCHES ALL OF AUSTIN AND OPENS THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THAT AUSTIN HAS TO OFFER.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN, IN WHAT I HAVE PROPOSED, A LOT OF IT ARE THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN DO, LIKE I SAID, STARTING ON DAY ONE AND WORK IN PARALLEL WITH A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, CODE, WHETHER IT'S A REWRITE, SIMPLIFICATION, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, BUT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE IT SO THAT THE CODE IS ACTUALLY WORKING TOWARDS AFFORDABILITY INSTEAD OF RIGHT NOW.
IT INCENTIVIZES AND PUSHES WHAT PUSHES AWAY ANY KIND OF, OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT AUSTIN THAT THE CODE BASICALLY STEERS YOU INTO SCRAPING A LOT AND BUILDING A BIG HOME THAT FEW PEOPLE CAN AFFORD.
AND THAT'S HAPPENING IN ALL OF AUSTIN.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE SAYING, WELL, THAT'S OKAY IN SOME PARTS OF AUSTIN, BUT NOT OTHERS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO TAKE A, A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO THIS, THIS CRISIS.
WE'RE GONNA START, UH, CANDIDATE ALTAR.
AND, UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BIG, HUGE ELEPHANT RUNNING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF AUSTIN
AND WE ARE LESS THAN TWO YEARS AWAY FROM CONSTRUCTION ON THAT.
UH, THE LOWERING AND THE WIDENING OF I 35 CANDIDATE BAAN HAS STATED SHE AGREES WITH THOSE ON OUR CURRENT COUNCIL WHO HAVE ALREADY NOTED THAT WE SHOULD GO NO WIDER OR NO HIGHER ON 35.
WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE CURRENT MOBILITY 35 CAPITAL AREAS CENTRAL EXPRESS PLANS? I DON'T LIKE THE CURRENT PLAN.
I THINK IF WE LOOK AT DATA, DATA HAS SHOWS US THAT WHEN YOU SIMPLY ADD LANES, YOU FILL IT WITH MORE CARS AND IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
INDUCED DEMAND IS A REAL THING.
AND SO WE WOULD NOT BE SERVING AUSTINITES IF WE PRETENDED LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT OCCURS EVERYWHERE BUT AUSTIN.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO IS HAVE THIS MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT ACTUALLY SUPPORT SOME OF THE OTHER INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING, LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING IN PROJECT CONNECT.
IF WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, SPENDING CITY RESOURCES TO INCENTIVIZE AND CREATE TRANSIT OPTIONS, WE SHOULDN'T IN PARALLEL WITH THAT CREATE OR SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO DETRACT FROM THAT AND NOT ACTUALLY BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO IS IF WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, DOING ANY KIND OF EXPANSION, IT SHOULD ACTUALLY MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH THE CITY AND, AND CREATE WHETHER IT'S, UH, ROUTES FOR TRANSIT OR OTHER MULTIMODAL OPTIONS.
AND SO YOU LOOK AT ONE PLAN, FOR INSTANCE, THAT'S BEEN PUT OUT THERE, UH, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND SAY EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS PERFECT, BUT THE, THE RECONNECT AUSTIN PLAN THAT FULLY BURIES THE HIGHWAY THROUGH DOWNTOWN USES THE EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY AT SURFACE LEVEL, UH, AND CREATES A TUR.
SO, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT HELPS CREATE REVENUE, THAT HELPS PAY FOR, UH, THAT PROJECT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A CAP OR, OR NOT JUST THOSE STITCHES, BUT WE'RE TALKING A FULL GREEN SPACE OR, YOU KNOW, COUPLE LANES ON AT, AT LEVEL THAT REALLY DO BRIDGE EAST AND WEST AUSTIN AND, AND CREATE REAL TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE, NOT JUST MORE LANES THAT ARE GONNA BE FILLED WITH MORE CARS CANDIDATE BA ON.
YEAH, SO I STICK BY WHAT I SAID BEFORE THAT I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, MORE LANES DO US MUCH MORE GOOD.
UM, I WILL NOTE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY WHEN WE WERE ASKED IF WE SHOULD GO MORE LANES AND
[00:40:01]
IF WE SHOULD RETHINK POSSIBILITIES AND LOOK AT SOME OTHER PLANS, UM, THAT I WAS THE ONLY CANDIDATE THAT SAID NO TO MORE LANES AND THAT WE SHOULD RETHINK THE PLANS.UM, AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT RETHINK 35, UM, TO LOOK AT FURTHER ANSWERS THERE, BUT I STUCK WITH WHAT I SAID FROM THE, FROM THE GET GO THERE.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, IN THAT, UM, WITH THAT BUILD, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT OUR CITIZENS WANT AND WHAT IS GOOD FOR THEM.
I 35 HAS BEEN A SCAR, UM, IN AUSTIN FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW PEOPLE USE THE CITY.
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BRIDGE THAT GAP FROM EAST AND WEST.
UM, AND AGAIN, IF WE DO END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT IS CURRENTLY PLANNED, WE NEED TO BE THINKING INCLUSIVELY AGAIN AND HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO THE TABLE TO HELP MAKE DECISIONS AROUND WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND WHETHER WE CAP IT OR WHAT WE DO IN THAT, IN THAT SPACE.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS US FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, AND IT'S NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER, BUT IT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO TAKE, UM, ALL OF OUR CITIZENS INTO ACCOUNT AND WE NEED TO LOOK LOCALLY.
UM, CUZ OF COURSE 35 GOES THROUGH AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A REGIONAL ISSUE AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE NEED, NEED TO PUT AUSTINITE AT THE CENTER OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO LET'S CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT 35 IN, UH, CANDIDATE BAAN.
YOU'LL GET THE FIRST CHANCE TO ANSWER THIS ONE.
THE PLANS ARE, THERE'S A 20 LANE, UH, HIGHWAY GOING THROUGH WITH, WITH, UH, TOLL MOBILITY ON IN THAT DESIGN.
AND WE ARE, AGAIN, JUST TWO YEARS AWAY FROM CONSTRUCTION STARTING ON THAT PROJECT.
WE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE EAST WE, EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY AND THE NON VEHIC MOBILITY THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST I 35 HAS HISTORICALLY REPRESENTED IN AUSTIN THAT DIVIDING LINE.
AND RIGHT NOW WITH THE CAP AND STITCH THAT IS BEING PROPOSED BY THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS AND OTHER GROUPS, IF WE THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT IT DOES TO THAT CONNECTIVITY, WOULD THE CAP AND STITCH PROPOSALS THAT GROUPS SUCH AS THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE HAVE BROUGHT UP ACCOMPLISHED THIS? THANK YOU.
I THINK CAP AND STITCH IS, IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
I THINK IT DOES LOOK AT, UM, USING THAT SPACE IN A NEW WAY, UM, AND ALLOWING MORE TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT AREN'T, UH, CARS.
UM, SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN LEAVE OUT THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE PUTTING ON THE TABLE.
I DO THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO GO WITH CAP AND STITCH THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY BACKS THAT AND HELPS, HELPS PAY FOR THE CAP.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN JUST SIMPLY SAY THAT THAT IS THE ANSWER.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT MORE LANES SHOULD NOT BE THE ANSWER.
WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK TO OTHER, UM, PLACES IN THE NATION AND SEE THAT, UM, THAT IT DOESN'T SERVE FOLKS WELL.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AS FAR AS SUSTAINABILITY AND THE TYPE OF CITIES THAT WE'RE BUILDING FOR OUR FUTURE.
UM, AND WE NEED TO THINK BEYOND THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND THINK INTO, UM, THE NEXT DECADES AND WHAT SORT OF CITY WE'RE LEAVING FOR OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, FRIENDS.
UM, AND I, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT AN EASY ANSWER, BUT WE DO NEED TO SEE WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO THIS ISN'T ME SAYING NO, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF SAYING NO, IT'S SAYING SOMETIMES THERE'S POWER IN THE PAUSE AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US AND LISTEN AGAIN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND, UM, COME, COME TO A SOLUTION THAT AGAIN, IS GONNA SERVE US LOCALLY.
YEAH, I WOULD SAY PUTTING A, A GREEN SPACE WHERE CERTAIN PORTIONS OF I 35 EXIST PRESENTLY OR, OR SOME KIND OF OF BRIDGE ISN'T AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO JUST HEAL THIS, THIS WOUND AND, AND BE A BRIDGE FROM EAST TO WEST.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE LITERALLY CEMENTED RACISM INTO THIS CITY IN 1928 THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN AND, AND PUTTING A CAP OR A STITCH
[00:45:01]
OVER THAT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THAT BANDAID ON IS NOT GOING TO JUST OVERNIGHT SOLVE, UH, THESE CHALLENGES.WHAT, WHAT HAVE BEEN DECADES AND DECADES OF BOTH ECONOMIC BUT ALSO RACIAL SEGREGATION IN THIS CITY.
AND SO IF WE WANT TO TRULY BRIDGE EAST AND WEST, WE HAVE TO CREATE, UH, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN EAST AND WEST.
AND THAT'S HOUSING OPPORTUNITY, THAT'S ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
AND, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONNECTING PEOPLE THROUGH MORE THAN JUST A, A BIKE LANE OR A SIDEWALK.
YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE THE, THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS FROM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FROM EAST AUSTIN, UH, WHO RIGHT NOW DOESN'T NECESSARILY, UM, FEEL LIKE GOING INTO, INTO DOWNTOWN IS, IS ACCESSIBLE.
WE, WE NEED TO MAKE THAT A A POSSIBILITY.
SO I THINK THE, THIS IS A STARTING POINT.
THIS IS NOT THE, THE FINISH LINE.
AND SO ONCE WE DO THIS, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE TO THE EQUATION.
WE CAN'T JUST SAY WE FIXED IT BY PUTTING THIS CAP OR THIS STITCH.
THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA HEAD OVER TO ANOTHER TOPIC.
LET'S HEAD OVER TO THE AUSTIN, THE POLICE AND OUR ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
STEPHANIE, UH, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, CANDIDATE BA ON THIS IS, UH, FOR YOU TO GO FIRST.
CANDIDATE ALTAR HAS STATED IN THE PAST THAT MANY INSTANCES OF POLICE RESPONSE DON'T ACTUALLY REQUIRE A TRAINED OFFICER TO RESPOND SUCH AS RESPONDING TO A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OR SEXUAL ASSAULT.
AND WE COULD USE OTHER TRAINED PROFESSIONALS.
WOULD THIS HELP WITH OUR OFFICER'S RESPONSE TIME TO OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AND VIOLENT CRIMES? WHY OR WHY NOT? SO I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT THE POLICE SHOULD BE DOING THE JOB THAT THEY SIGNED UP TO BE DOING.
AND SO IT IS HELPFUL IF, UM, THEY'RE DOING THE WORK OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THAT IF WE HAVE SITUATIONS WITH MEN AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THAT WE HAVE FOLKS SPECIFICALLY HELPING AROUND THOSE AREAS, UM, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE COMING INTO, UM, AGAIN, MORE OPPORTUNITY AND POSSIBILITY WHERE THIS IS A, COULD BE A NEW ERA OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR US, UM, WITH THE NEW CADET CLASSES COMING IN, UM, AND HOW THEY ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE TRAINING DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT, UM, PART OF THE STRESS IS DOING JOBS DUTIES THAT AREN'T, AREN'T INITIALLY WHAT PEOPLE SIGNED ON TO DO.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, AGAIN, THE POSSIBILITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN FILL THOSE ROLES MORE APPROPRIATELY.
UM, SO I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT, UM, WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING, UM, WHAT OUR EMS IS DOING IN THAT SAME SENSE, WE NEED TO PAY PEOPLE WHAT THEY'RE WORTH.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF OPEN UNFILLED SPOTS AND SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD WORK AT RUDY'S FOR MORE FRANKLY.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, UM, WORKING PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE AS CLOSE AS THEY CAN TO THE CITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEN, THEN WE GET BACK TO OUR HOUSING SITUATION, WHICH IS A WHOLE, A WHOLE NOTHER PIECE.
BUT SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE CAN DO AROUND, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY IN GENERAL, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY MOVING IN A GOOD DIRECTION WITH THESE NEW, UM, WITH THE NEW CADET CLASSES THAT WE HAVE COMING IN AND THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE, UM, THERE.
AND SO I, I DO APPRECIATE THE MOVEMENT FORWARD CANDIDATE AL, AND EXPLAIN YOUR USING OTHER PROFESSIONALS.
WE ARE ASKING OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO BE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, TO BE CASE WORKERS, TO DO A WHOLE SLEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES THAT TO SOME DEGREE THEY'RE NOT TRAINED TO DO, TO SOME DEGREE THEY DON'T WANT TO DO.
AND TO A LARGE DEGREE SOMEONE ELSE WOULD BE BETTER SERVED OR BETTER SUITED DOING.
AND IT WOULD NOT JUST HELP FREE UP THAT OFFICER'S TIME TO GO RESPOND TO OTHER AREAS OR OTHER, UM, SITUATIONS THAT WE THINK OF AS MORE TRADITIONAL, UH, POLICE RESPONSE, PUBLIC SAFETY TYPE.
BUT YOU ALSO END UP WITH BETTER RESULTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL BEING SERVED.
AND THAT'S WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY REALLY IS ALL ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY BEING SERVED BY OUR VARIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
[00:50:01]
THE EMS DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE THAT MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING TO GO DEESCALATE A SITUATION, WHY WOULD WE NOT WANT THAT TO BE THE TYPE OF RESPONSE THAT WE DEPLOY? UH, IF THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, SADLY WE HAVE SEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT DO A GREAT JOB, UH, OF RESPONDING TO VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.AND, AND SOME INSTANCES, SOME INSTANCES, UH, RE-TRAUMATIZING THE VICTIM, AND THAT IS THE LAST THING WE WANT.
AND SO COULD WE ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY IF WE UTILIZED A DIFFERENT RESPONSE PROFESSIONAL? AND SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE A HOLISTIC VIEW AND SAY WHAT WILL MAKE US SAFER AS A COMMUNITY AND WHAT WILL IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR THE COMMUNITY? AND I BELIEVE A LARGE WAY TO GET THERE IS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE UTILIZING THE PROPER RESPONSE PROFESSIONAL TO THESE SITUATIONS.
AND IN MANY INSTANCES, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS A POLICE OFFICER.
SO LOOKING, LET'S CONTINUE, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR BOTH OF YOU AND CANDIDATE ALTAR.
LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR CITIZENS, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE IF ELECTED TO REBUILD THE OUR CITIZENS TRUST IN OUR POLICE FORCE? YEAH, TRUST HAS TO BE A TWO-WAY STREET.
WE NEED TO, AS A PUBLIC, HOLD OFFICERS TO ACCOUNT WHO DO NOT DO, UM, WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO OR, OR, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THE RULES THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW.
BUT WE ALSO, AS A COUNCIL AND AS A CITY, NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE ROLE THAT POLICE ARE PLAYING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WHEN THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS SERVING US, WHICH BY AND LARGE, MOST POLICE OFFICERS ARE, ARE DOING A VERY THANKLESS JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO SERVE MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND SO WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT TOO.
SO WHAT I THINK FROM THE PUBLIC SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE, THE POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT THAT'S GONNA BE NOW ON THE BALLOT IN MAY.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP CREATE, UH, A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY THAT WILL BUILD TRUST IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT WE ALSO, ON THE, ON THE FLIP SIDE, NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP AS A COUNSEL WITH APD, ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, THAT WE ARE ASKING THEM TO SERVE THE ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS PROPER.
THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT, THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE DOING AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE BUILD THAT TRUST FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS.
CANDIDATE BAAN, WHAT, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE IF ELECTED TO REBUILD THE TRUST IN OUR POLICE FORCE? THANK YOU.
YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE DEESCALATION AND PROTECTION, UM, AND REALLY LOOK AT, UM, HAVING POLICE DO THE WORK THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND SO IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION THAT WE ASKED BEFORE OF STREAMLINING, UM, WHAT THOSE POSITIONS MEAN AND HOW THEY SERVE.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THINGS LIKE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY HAVING, UM, COFFEE WITH THE OFFICER AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE, UM, OUR POLICE OUT IN SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN COME AND ASK QUESTIONS OR JUST BE IN COMMUNITY WITH THEM.
AND SO MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IN THOSE SPACES, UM, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO WORK TOGETHER WITH AFFECTED, AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND OUR LEADERSHIP, UM, TO DECIDE WHAT SOME OF THOSE OTHER MOVES SHOULD BE.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS OUR ROLE TO TELL PEOPLE THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE NEED TO ASK OUR COMMUNITY WHAT'S GONNA MAKE THEM FEEL SAFER, WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED.
I AM ALSO, UM, IN FAVOR OF THE POLICE OVERSIGHT ACCOUNTABILITY.
LIKE I, UM, I DO FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE EXPECTATIONS SET, UM, BECAUSE THAT, UM, NOT ONLY HELPS OUR CITIZENS, IT SUPPORTS OUR OFFICERS WHEN THEY KNOW, UM, WHERE THEIR, WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE, UM, THEN WE CAN LEAN BACK ON WHETHER THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING OR NOT.
AND SO, UM, ULTIMATELY AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED, MAKING SURE THAT
[00:55:01]
LEADERSHIP IS PARTICIPATING IN THAT, AND ALSO WORKING TO ENCOURAGE ANTI-BIAS TRAINING DEESCALATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT WE DON'T GET INTO SITUATIONS OF, OF HARM AND HURT.SO CANADA BAAN, WE'RE GONNA START WITH YOU.
AND THIS IS, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE, IT'S THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT SCORECARD, AND THIS WAS UPDATED IN 2022.
IT WAS A CHECK IN A FOUR YEAR CHECK IN ON THESE 10 YEAR GOALS.
AND THE STATISTICS ARE PRETTY GLOOMY, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR SCORECARD.
AND SO LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DISTRICT FIVE.
THE OVERALL CALL IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH, BLUEPRINT WAS THAT 60,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS WERE GOING TO BE BUILT ACROSS THE CITY BY 2028, INCLUDING OVER 4,000 UNITS HERE IN YOUR DISTRICT.
FIVE, ONLY 13% OF THIS HOUSING HAS BEEN BUILT.
IS THE CITY'S GOAL FOR YOUR DISTRICT, REAL DISTRICT REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE? WHY OR WHY NOT? I THINK WE SHOULD ALWAYS SET HIGH GOALS.
WE'RE WELL BEHIND IN, UM, MEETING OUR HOUSING GOALS.
AND SO IF WE CONTINUE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SET, SET THE BAR LOWER SO THAT WE CAN MEET IT, WE'RE NOT DOING OURSELVES ANY JUSTICE.
UM, SO I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN REACH THOSE GOALS.
UM, BUT HOW WE GO ABOUT IT MAY HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSITY OF HOUSING THAT INCLUDES MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE PRACTICAL AND NATURALLY AFFORDABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THE BLUEPRINT IS HELPFUL BECAUSE IT GETS, GIVES US SOMETHING AGAIN, TO WORK TOWARDS.
UM, AND SO I DO THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT D FIVE CAN DO BETTER.
UM, WE, WE HAVE MUCH OPPORTUNITY HERE AS WELL.
UM, IN OUR DISTRICT WE HAVE TWO MAJOR ARTERIES, MIN CHAKA AND LAMAR.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLANS TO LOOK AT, UM, ADDING SOME MORE DENSITY ALONG, UH, THOSE CORRIDORS.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN ALREADY COME TOGETHER AND SEE WHERE WE CAN HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE SO THAT PE SOMEBODY AGING IN PLACE HAS SOMEWHERE TO GO.
SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO DOWNSIZE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY IN AUSTIN AND DOESN'T HAVE TO LOOK AT MAYER OR GERALD.
I WAS TALKING TO, TO SOMEBODY THE OTHER DAY WHO THEIR SEARCH FOR, UM, DOWNSIZING KEEPS GOING FARTHER AND FARTHER AWAY FROM AUSTIN.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVED IN AUSTIN HER WHOLE LIFE.
UM, BUT SHE DOESN'T NEED THE BIG HOME THAT SHE HAS ANYMORE.
AND THE FACT THAT SHE CAN'T FIND SOMETHING HERE AS A NATIVE AUSTINITE IS A DISSERVICE THAT WE'RE DOING TO OUR COMMUNITY BY NOT ALLOWING, UM, HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
YEAH, I MEAN, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME MORE OF THAT BLUEPRINT.
IT SAYS THAT LAST YEAR WE BUILT THREE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, THREE, AND THAT'S A STEP UP FROM THE ZERO WE BUILT THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO WE ARE CLEARLY, WE'RE NOT FALLING SHORT, WE'RE FAILING.
AND BEYOND THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRULY DEEPLY AFFORDABLE LEVEL, THAT THAT 30% MFI HOUSING, THAT THAT IS SO NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE HAVE 1% OF THE HOUSING STOCK TO SERVE 17% OF THE PEOPLE.
THAT THAT DISCONNECT IS REAL AND IT'S REAL FOR TOO MANY PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT IS WHY I PUT FORWARD VERY CONCRETE, VERY REAL PLANS AND IDEAS OF THINGS WE CAN DO STARTING ON DAY ONE TO START MAKING AUSTIN MORE AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THE KEYSTONE OF WHAT I HAVE PUT FORWARD, I'VE CALLED OPPORTUNITY UNLOCKED.
AND WHAT IT IS, IS AT ITS FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL A TRADE, WE ARE GOING TO CREATE MORE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT EASIER TO PURSUE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE IN AREAS RIGHT NOW, WHERE THAT'S RESTRICTED AND THE TRADE OFF IS THAT THREE QUARTERS OF THOSE HOMES HAVE TO BE AFFORDABLE.
THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS THAT IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY A PENNY BECAUSE WE CAN'T BUY OUR WAY OUT OF THIS CRISIS.
AND IT ACTUALLY CREATES THE PROPER INCENTIVES WITHIN THE CODE TO MAKE HOUSING AFFORDABLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE MAKE IT SO DIFFICULT TO, TO BUILD ANYTHING THAT'S NOT THAT BIG EXPENSIVE HOME.
AND THAT'S WHY WE SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE SAID IN THE BLUEPRINT.
SO IF WE WANNA BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, THEN WE NEED TO TAKE SERIOUS ACTION.
AND WE HAVEN'T FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I'M READY TO DO IT STARTING ON DAY ONE.
WE'VE GOT ENOUGH TIME FOR ONE QUESTION MORE AND THEN YOU'RE CLOSING, BUT
[01:00:01]
IT'S, WE'RE GONNA DO A ONE MINUTE ANSWER.AND PRETEND LIKE YOU'RE ELECTED AND YOU'RE SITTING IN YOUR OFFICE BECAUSE AS A LEAGUE WE WERE SCROLLING THROUGH THE WEBSITES AND SCROLLING AND SCROLLING DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ENDORSEMENTS FOR THE CANDIDATES RUNNING.
AND YOUR, NOT ONLY YOUR DISTRICT, BUT OTHERS, THERE ARE 80 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ADVOCATING FOR THEIR RESIDENTS INTERESTS IN AUSTIN, ACCORDING TO THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
AND IF ELECTED, HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE ALL THESE VOICES ALONG WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ENDORSED YOU WITH GETTING THEIR VOICES HEARD? HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THOSE PEOPLE WALKING INTO YOUR OFFICE? AND I THINK WE START WITH, UM, CANADA ALTAR ONE MINUTE.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'VE DONE MY ENTIRE CAREER AT THE LEGISLATURE.
WE WORKED WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS AND CONSENSUS TO GET ANYTHING DONE WORKING IN A DEMOCRATIC OFFICE IN THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE TO GET ANYTHING DONE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH IN ORDER TO BUILD A WORKABLE SOLUTION THAT ACTUALLY CREATES REAL RESULTS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE DONE YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT AND WHAT I HAVE SHOWN TO BE ABLE TO DO, UH, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING POLICY, HEALTHCARE POLICY, UH, EDUCATION, THESE ARE REAL ISSUES THAT, THAT TOUCH EVERYBODY'S LIVES.
AND SO I PLAN TO BE AN INCREDIBLY OPEN OFFICE.
MY DOOR WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN AND I AM READY TO SIT DOWN AT A TABLE WITH EVERYBODY AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE FEELING EVERY DAY.
CANDIDATE BISON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I, UM, WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT OF THOSE ENDORSEMENTS, THREE OF THE FORMER D FIVE CANDIDATES ARE SUPPORTING ME FOR THE VERY REASON THAT THEY TRUST ME TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THEIR PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THEY ARE GONNA VOTE FOR ME, YOU KNOW, IN THIS, IN THIS ELECTION.
UM, AND THEY KNOW THAT I AM KNOWN TO SHOW UP.
I HAVE ANSWERED QUESTIONS AS PEOPLE HAVE COME.
I'VE GONE TO THESE VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS, TALKED TO THE DIFFERENT, UM, ASSOCIATIONS, AND I'VE ALSO GONE TO AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WHO OFTEN FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT HEARD.
UM, AND I CURRENTLY SERVE ON SEVERAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES WHERE WE DON'T EXPECT TO DO IT ALL OURSELVES.
SO YOU DO LEAN ON THE PEOPLE IN YOUR TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT AND ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY.
SO I'LL USE SOME OF THE SAME LEADERSHIP STYLE THAT I USE ON THOSE, UM, GROUPS THAT I CURRENTLY SERVE AND CONTINUE TO SHOW UP, ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND ASK QUESTIONS TOO, CUZ UM, I'M NOT GONNA BE THE EXPERT IN EVERY SPACE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL AN TONIGHT LET'S GIVE THESE CANDIDATES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND WE REALLY WANNA THANK THOSE THAT ARE STREAMING, UH, WATCHING US TONIGHT AND THOSE THAT HAVE COME DOWN HERE.
OKAY, WE GET TO GO TO THE POLLS AND WE GET TO ELECT OUR CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT FIVE.
OUR VOTERS GUIDE IS ONLINE AT WWW L W V AUSTIN.ORG AND WE HAVE EDITED IT GUYS FOR THE CURRENT RACES.
EARLY VOTING BEGINS TOMORROW, OKAY, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7TH.
POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM EXCEPT PLEASE NOTE THAT ON SUNDAY, THE DECEMBER 4TH, THE POLLS ARE ONLY OPEN FROM 12:00 PM TO 6:00 PM.
ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM THE POLLING LOCATIONS CAN BE FOUND@WWWVOTETRAVIS.COM.
IT'S NOT.ORG, IT'S VOTE TRAVIS.COM.
WE RAN OUTTA TIME FOR THE CLOSING STATEMENTS.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHY WE GAVE YOU THE ONE MINUTE ANSWER.
THE, UH, POLLING LOCATIONS CAN BE FOUND.
FIND A LIST OR A MAP IN THE WAIT TIMES.
PLEASE GO VOTE AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS CAROL EEL CAMP, AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE AUSTIN AREA AS THEIR CANDIDATE FORUM CHAIRPERSON, AND TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION TO SHOWCASE ALL THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL IN THE MAYOR.
EACH YEAR WE'RE NOT DOING OPENING STATEMENTS, SO I'D JUST LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR CANDIDATES THIS EVENING.
MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW BOTH OF THESE CANDIDATES.
WELL, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT CAMPAIGN TO GET TO THIS POINT.
WE HAVE FOR DISTRICT NINE, WE HAVE
[01:05:01]
ZOE CODI, AND WE HAVE LINDA GUERRERO.I'LL BE YOUR MODERATOR TONIGHT, AND I PROMISE TO TREAT EACH OF YOU FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY IN RETURN.
I ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME AND NOT EXCEED THE TWO TWO MINUTE TIMEFRAME FOR EACH ANSWER OR, AND, OR RESPONSE OR REBUTTAL.
AND PLEASE RE REFRAIN FROM ANY PERSONAL ATTACKS.
WATCH OUR TIMEKEEPERS SEATED AT THE END OF THE TABLE AND LISTEN FOR THE TIMER.
LET'S STICK TO THE ISSUES TONIGHT.
I'LL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
PLEASE KNOW THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT THOSE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION, OUR SPONSORING ORGANIZATION, BUT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AUSTIN AREA.
NEITHER OF YOU CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN SEEN.
OUR QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN OR SEEN OUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.
AND THESE TOPICS COME FROM NOT ONLY OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND ENTITIES ACROSS THE CITY AND INDIVIDUALS.
AT THE END OF THIS DEBATE, EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE A ONE MINUTE TO CLOSE AND TELL THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN WHY YOUR LEADERSHIP WILL MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL OF US TO LIVE.
YOU ALL READY? SO ON THE FIRST, ON THE FIRST TOPIC, AND THIS HAS COME IN FROM, UH, IT CAME IN FROM A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THE, UH, HANCOCK GOLF COURSE.
AND LET'S SEE, WE'RE GONNA START, LET'S SEE, CANADA CAVITY.
DO YOU THINK THE LAND WHERE THE HANCOCK GOLF COURSE SITS SHOULD BE REPURPOSED? WHY OR WHY NOT? I'M GOOD.
UM, YEAH, I, I, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT THE, THE OVERALL THEME IN THIS CITY AND THIS RACE HAS BEEN.
UH, AND THAT'S BEEN AS A CITY, THERE'S EITHER COLLECTIVE PAIN, UH, OR THERE'S COLLECTIVE JOY.
UH, AND WHY SO MANY FOLKS HAVE RUN FOR THIS, FOR THIS SEAT SPECIFICALLY, IS THAT AS A CITY, WE'RE IN A HOUSING CRISIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK OTHER CANDIDATES, UH, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY RUN FOR THE SEED.
AND I SEE TOM AND, AND AND GREG IN THE AUDIENCE.
UM, IT WAS THAT COLLECTIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, EMPATHY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO RIGHT BY FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THIS CITY.
UH, AND, AND, AND WE NEED MORE HOUSING.
SO, YOU KNOW, REP, YOU KNOW, GOLF COURSES AND SIGNIFICANCE TO, TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND, AND BUILDINGS ARE GREAT.
UH, BUT IT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE TRUE CHARACTER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT A, NOT A BUILDING OR, OR A GOLF COURSE.
UH, AND IF WE'RE LOSING OUR PEOPLE, IF WE'RE LOSING THE SOUL OF THIS CITY, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WHAT THEY ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR, OUR, OUR SERVICE WORKERS, OUR TEACHERS, UH, OUR STUDENTS WE'RE FAILING AS A CITY.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT, IF IT ANYTHING THAT, THAT EQUATES TO MORE HOUSING, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT I'M, THAT I'M BEHIND.
HAVING SERVED AS CHAIR ON THE PA ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR SIX YEARS AND HAVING GOTTEN MY ENDORSEMENTS FROM THE SIERRA CLUB AND ENDORSEMENTS FROM THE, UM, CLEAN WATER ACTION AND ALSO THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL DEMOCRATS, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT OPEN SPACE IS DEAR TO SO MANY PEOPLE.
AND, UH, THERE'S NO MORE LAND IN CENTRAL CORE AUSTIN.
HAVING THAT GOLF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IS STILL ONLY A NINE HOLE.
THAT IS BECAUSE THE OTHER NINE HOLES WERE PREVIOUSLY TAKEN FOR DEVELOPMENT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, EFFORT TO KEEP THAT GREEN SPACE WHERE IT IS.
IT ALSO HAS THE OLDEST, UM, COUNTRY CLUB.
IT'S NOW REC CENTER IN AUSTIN.
AND SO I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO FIND HOUSING.
THESE OPEN SPACES GIVE US QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND TO COMMUNITIES.
YOU CAN FIND PEOPLE ENJOYING THEM.
SO I KNOW THAT, UM, THIS IS VERY SIGNIFICANT AREA.
THERE IS NO MORE SPACE TO BE HAD, AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THIS AREA SO THAT WE CONTINUE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND WE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'LL START WITH YOU CANDIDATE GUERRERO, AND LET'S JUST KEEP ON THAT TOPIC.
AND WE HAD OVERALL A GOAL OF 60,000 UNITS THAT WERE TO BE BUILT ACROSS THE CITY BY 2028.
AND I'M LOOKING AT MY QUESTION, AND I SAY ONLY 25% OF THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN BUILT IN DISTRICT NINE, BUT THAT IS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF THE ENTIRE SCORECARD.
YOU KNOW, DISTRICT NINE HOLDS, UH, 25%.
IS THIS CITY'S GOAL FOR DISTRICT
[01:10:01]
NINE, IS IT REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE? WHY OR WHY NOT? I THINK IT'S ATTAINABLE.I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR OTHER WAYS TO GET THIS GOAL TO HAPPEN.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL AREAS TO BUILD HOUSING IN COUNCIL HAS THAT IN FRONT OF 'EM.
AND I SUPPORT LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL AREAS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND GIVING ENTITLEMENTS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE HOUSING ON THOSE COMMERCIAL AREAS.
ALSO, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS AND MANY NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, WE FOUND AREAS THAT WE FELT WOULD BE EXCELLENT TO INCREASE HOUSING.
HOWEVER MANY OF THOSE PLANS HAVE BEEN SHELVED.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA COME AND LOOK AT THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS SO THAT WE CAN START OPENING UP THOSE VERY, VERY PERSONABLE, BUT YET NEEDED AREAS WITHIN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD, DISTRICT NINE THAT FELT THIS WAS THE AREA THAT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTS.
SO ALSO, THE CORRIDORS ARE ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL HOUSING WITH.
WE ALREADY HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE.
I'M SORRY, DO YOU MIND REPEATING THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? SURE.
THE, THE, UH, IT, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT CALLS FOR THOSE 60,000 UNITS, AND HERE IN DISTRICT NINE, ONLY 25% OF THIS GOAL HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
IS THE CITY'S GOAL FOR YOUR DISTRICT, IS IT REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE? WHY OR WHY NOT? YEAH.
UH, I I THINK IT'S BOTH REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE, AND I THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO MY, MY FIRST, UH, ANSWER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A, THERE'S A COLLECTIVE, A NUMBER OF FOLKS IN THE CITY WHO ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THIS HOUSING CRISIS.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, WE NEED TO BE CREATIVE AS A CITY.
I THINK WE NEED TO WORK WITH FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN OUR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, WHETHER IT BE A I S D AND ACC OR ACC AND, AND BUILD HOUSING FOR TEACHERS AND FOR STAFF.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE ENTITLEMENTS TO FOLKS WHO, WHO BUILD, WHETHER THEY BUILD GREEN OR BUILD SOLAR.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE A, HAVE A DIVERSITY OF HOUSING.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRICT NINE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RICH HISTORY, WHETHER IT BE DOWNTOWN OR NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MUELLER, UH, CHERRYWOOD HYDE PARK, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT DIVERSITY OF, OF, OF HOUSING THAT BRINGS THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S SO, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH NEEDED.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, PROJECT CONNECT, UH, YOU KNOW, COME TO LIFE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD IN THESE TRANSIT QUARTERS, UH, DENSITY IN THESE TRANSIT QUARTERS IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, BUT MAKING SURE IT'S A DENSITY THAT IS, THAT IS AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, UH, FOR, FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF AUSTINITES.
UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO TACKLE THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND, AND THAT ASPECT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE PAY FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THE CITY, UH, A LIVING WAGE.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S MY ANSWER.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LAND USE CODE NEXT IS OFF THE TABLE, AND THERE ISN'T TALK ABOUT YET ABOUT A BIG LAND CODE REWRITE.
ONE OF THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES HAS PROPOSED TO ALLOW EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT MEMBER TO BRING FORWARD A SET OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC LAND CODES REFORMS INSTEAD OF FORCING EVERY AUSTIN DISTRICT TO ADOPT THE SAME TYPE OF CODE REFORMS. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? WHY OR WHY NOT? CANDIDATE KA UH, I MEAN, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING, I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A DISTRICT SPECIFIC, OR, OR CASE BY CASE, UH, SITUATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, THE HOUSING CRISIS, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A COLLECTIVE PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY, AS A AS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A BODY, UH, ON THE DIAS.
SO, UH, I, I THINK THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT AFFECT EVERYONE REGARDLESS IF THEY LIVE IN, IN DISTRICT ONE OR FIVE OR 10.
UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE EXPEDITING THE PERMITTING PROCESS, WHICH IS BOTH, UH, COSTLY, UH, AND, AND THAT THAT BURDEN FALLS ON HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS ALIKE.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MISSING MIDDLE, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING ON THE VMU TWO AND AFFORDABILITY UNLOCK PROGRAMS, UH, I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS A CITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.
A LOT OF THIS, THE HOUSING STRAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, CARRIES THROUGH THROUGHOUT.
AND THEN I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO, TO REALIZE THE, THE INTERSECTION OF, OF, OF TRANSIT WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, UH, AREN'T AS CAR DEPENDENT AS A CITY THAT WE INVEST IN PUBLIC TRANSIT, THAT WE INVEST IN BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS, UH, THAT WE MAKE AUSTIN, UH, YOU KNOW, A PLACE THAT FOLKS CAN GET TO AND FROM WORK, UH, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE A CAR, UH, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO LIVE IN
[01:15:01]
THE CITY.UH, AND, AND, AND THE, THE LACK OF, OF, OF, OF, OF, OF, UH, TRANSIT OR THE LACK OF, UH, OF MOBILITY IS A HINDRANCE ON THEM.
SO CANDIDATE GUERRERO, IF THIS WERE BROUGHT FORTH AND YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MEMBER, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER SPECIFIC CODES, WOULD YOU WANNA WORK UNDER THAT PLAN KNOWING THAT YOUR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD BE DOING THE SAME IF YOU WERE ELECTED? UM, I THINK THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOUSING IN AN EQUITABLE LENS, AND I THINK THAT EVERY PART OF AUSTIN NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE ON A MAJOR PLAN FOR THIS CITY, FOR HOUSING STOCK.
AND SO HAVING SERVED FOUR YEARS, UH, WITH THE UNO OVERLAY, UH, THE UNIVERSITY OVERLAY, WE BROUGHT OVER 20,000 HOUSES INTO THE UNIVERSITY AREA FOR THE STUDENTS.
WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE UNITS AND NESTLE THAT AND RESPECT THE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING THAT, UH, INCREASE OF ENTITLEMENT.
SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S A GREAT MODEL THAT CAN BE USED IN ALL AREAS OF AUSTIN AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT HOUSING AND WE LOOK AT IT IN AN EQUITABLE LENS, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT EVERY AREA OF AUSTIN IF WE ARE IN THIS HOUSING CRISIS, SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, THAT THERE'S FAIRNESS ACROSS THE BOARD, AND THAT WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS.
AGAIN, THE UNO OVERLAY WAS ABLE TO BRING THOUSANDS OF NEW UNITS INTO WEST CAMPUS AREA.
IT TOOK FOUR YEARS TO PLAN THIS.
WE WORKED WITH THE BUSINESSES, WE WORKED WITH CITY PLANNERS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE ALL COLLABORATED TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THIS CAME FORWARD IN A WAY.
AND IT STILL A FABULOUS MODEL TO BE USED ALL OVER AUSTIN.
CANDIDATE GUDO, WE'LL START WITH YOU MM-HMM.
AND THIS YEAR, THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE RESEARCH CENTER AT TEXAS A AND M FOUND THAT AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE TEXAS' MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES TO BUILD NEW HOMES IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT FEES CHARGED BY THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES.
NOW, WE, MANY LOCAL PROFESSIONALS HAVE KNOWN THAT FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THE STUDY CAME OUT HERE IN 2022 THAT STATED THAT, AND HERE'S SOME OF THE, THE DATA FROM THAT.
YOU'RE GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTIONS AND POLICIES THAT WILL AFFECT THE HOME BUILDING PRICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AS WELL AS IN DISTRICT NINE.
BUT THIS STUDY SAYS THAT AUSTIN'S SUBURBAN STYLE DEVELOPMENTS FEES ARE 80% HIGHER THAN THE FEES IN THE FIVE LARGEST METROS.
AND THAT THE INFILL DEVELOPMENT FEES INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS WERE 187% HIGHER THAN FEES ACROSS DALLAS, HOUSTON, FORT WORTH, AND SAN ANTONIO.
AND THIS IS THE DATA FROM THEIR STUDY.
IF ELECTED, WHAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO ADDRESSING AUSTIN'S OUTTA BALANCE DEVELOPMENT FEE STRUCTURE, AND HOW WILL THAT AFFECT, AFFECT THE BUDGET? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE YOU SEE, THIS IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
THIS IS SET UP AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE WE CAN DO ABOUT THE FEES, WHAT WE HAVE TO GO AND SAY, WHY ISN'T THIS BEING PROCESSED CORRECTLY, FASTER, AND MORE EFFICIENTLY? WE HAVE TO GO INTO THAT AREA WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET THEIR PERMITS THROUGH.
WHEN I'VE TALKED TO STAKEHOLDERS, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD 30 STORIES OR YOU'RE JUST ADDING ON TO YOUR HOUSE, THEY'RE ALL HAVING THE SAME ISSUES PROCESSING THEIR PERMITS.
SO AS LONG AS THIS IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH WAS VOTED ON BY THE COUNCIL, AND SUPPORTED AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER WAYS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE'S THE WASTE, WHERE'S THE GAPS, HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS MORE EFFICIENT? LOOK AT THE STAFFING AND WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PROGRAM AND SEE WHERE IT IS THAT WE NEED TO GET TO, WHERE THE PEOPLE CAN FILL, THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, QUICKLY GET THEIR PROCESS GOING.
AS FAR AS THE FEES, WE'D HAVE TO COMPLETELY DISMANTLE THE WAY THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING IT, WHICH WAS WOULD BE TO GUT THE ENTERPRISING FUNDING THAT IS SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE, UH, DEPARTMENT.
YOU MIND REPEATING THE NUMBERS AGAIN? I KNOW YOU SAID, YEAH.
IN THE SUBURBAN STYLE DEVELOPMENTS.
WHICH DISTRICT NINE IS GONNA BE THE INFILL DEVELOPMENTS? MOST OF DISTRICT NINE MM-HMM.
BUT THE INFILL DEVELOPMENT FEES INSIDE OUR CITY LIMITS ARE 187% HIGHER THAN THE FEES ACROSS DALLAS, HOUSTON, FORT WORTH, AND SAN ANTONIO.
SO, IF ELECTED, WHAT'S YOUR FIRST STEP TO ADDRESSING AUSTIN'S OUTTA BALANCE DEVELOPMENT FEE SCHEDULES? YEAH,
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I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS, HAS ITS, YOU KNOW, RELATES TO THE, THE PERMITTING PROCESS IN THE CITY, UH, AND THE COST OF THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, LEADS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BUILDERS AND, AND HOMEOWNERS ALIKE.UH, BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE OTHER FIVE METRO CITIES, HOUSTON, DALLAS, UM, UH, SAN ANTONIO, UH, IS WE WE'RE IN A UNIQUE POSITION WITH OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1984.
UH, IT'S THAT LINE DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT'S STUNTS PROGRESS IN THE CITY, UH, THAT STUNTS, UH, INNOVATION, THAT'S, THAT'S STUNTS GROWTH.
UH, AND WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIFIC TYPES OF HOUSING THAT WE CAN BUILD, UH, AND WE'VE SEEN BUILT IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MUELLER, WE DON'T SEE THAT TYPE OF HOUSING, UH, YOU KNOW, ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY.
WHEN WE SEE THINGS, UH, THAT, THAT HAVE HAPPENED, AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE HIGH PARK AND CHERRYWOOD, UH, THINGS LIKE ADU, UH, IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CITY, THOSE, THOSE JUST AREN'T ALLOWED.
UH, AND, AND, AND THAT, THAT BURDEN AND THAT RESTRICTION IS WHAT OFTEN, YOU KNOW, CAUSES THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FEES TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY ARE THAT CAUSES, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE 187% HIGHER BEING IN, IN THE FILL.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK LINDA'S RIGHT.
I THINK, I THINK UNO'S GREAT, BUT WE, WE WON'T SEE THINGS LIKE UNO THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
CUZ A LOT OF FOLKS WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN BEFORE UNO WHEN IT WAS IN ITS INCEPTION, WOULDN'T WANT SEE UNO IN THEIR BACKYARD.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT THE, THE ROOT CAUSES.
AND A LOT OF THAT TRUTHFULLY IS, IS HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST SINCE 1984.
SO, CANDIDATE CO WE WILL START WITH YOU ON THIS, AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE TOPICS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS BIG CONCRETE THING THAT GOES RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR DISTRICT.
AND THE MOBILITY 35 PROJECT, THERE'S LOTS OF WEBSITES ABOUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, WE KNOW WHAT TECH DOTS PLANS ARE, WE KNOW WHAT THE FUNDING IS, THE FUNDING'S THERE, AND TO WIDEN THAT HIGHWAY AND LOWER IT.
AND IF WE WANTED TO ENHANCE EASTWEST CONNECTIVITY AND NON VEHICLE MOBILITY AND ADDRESS THE HISTORY OF SEGREGATION BETWEEN THE EAST SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE THAT I HAD 35 HAS HISTORICALLY REPRESENTED, WE COULD CAP THE AREAS AROUND THE UT AND AROUND THE CENTRAL DOWNTOWN.
THIS HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS, IT'S SUPPORTED BY THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE AND OTHER GROUPS.
BUT WOULD THE, WOULD THE CAP AND STITCH PROPOSALS THAT THESE GROUPS HAVE SAID, WILL THEY ACCOMPLISH THIS? YEAH.
WOULD ACCOMPLISH, WHAT? WOULD IT ACCOMPLISH? THE, YOU KNOW, ENHANCING THAT EASTWEST CONNECTIVITY, TAKING AWAY THE HISTORY OF SEGREGATION OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 1928? YEAH.
NO, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK THE SEGREGATION IN THE CITY AND, AND THE UGLY HISTORY OF IT, UH, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE IF SOMETHING'S BLEEDING OUT, I DON'T THINK IF YOU PUT A BANDAGE ON SOMETHING OR SOMEONE, IF THEY'RE BLEEDING OUT, IT'S GONNA MIRACULOUSLY CURE THEM.
UH, I 35 IN GENERAL, AS A CAMPAIGN, WE'VE ALWAYS CALLED FOR NO WIDER, NO HIGHER, UH, IT'S GOING TO COST CONGESTION, IT'S GOING TO HURT THE ENVIRONMENT, UH, IT'S GOING TO DISPLACE FOLKS, AND IT'S, IT'S JUST GOING TO, UH, FURTHER WIDEN THIS, THIS HORRIFIC SCAR, UH, CAP AND STITCH IS AN OPTION.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE PUSHING OUT FOLKS, UH, AND YOU'RE PUTTING, YOU'RE PUTTING GREEN AND YOU'RE ADDING GREEN SPACE, WELL, I'M OBVIOUSLY A, A HUGE PROPONENT OF GREEN SPACE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO RIGHT THE BY THE ENVIRONMENT, IF WE'RE DOING WRONG BY FOLKS, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT SOLVING ANYTHING.
UH, YOU KNOW, I I, I THINK WE, WE LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, RELATING TO I 35 BY GROUPS LIKE WE THINK, UH, 35 AND, AND RECONNECT AUSTIN.
UH, I KNOW, I KNOW ONE OPTION WAS TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BURY 35.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DO, UH, UH, AND, AND I KNOW WE HAVE LIMITATIONS AS, AS A, AS A CITY, UH, AS A CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, BUT I, I, I THINK LOOKING INTO, UH, ALL OUR OPTIONS AND, AND EXHAUSTING THEM AND, AND TALKING TO STAKEHOLDERS AND TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT IT'LL AFFECT AND GETTING THEIR INPUT, UH, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I DO SEE THE MERITS OF, OF CAPPING AND SITING AND ALL THAT, BUT, BUT TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT IT AFFECTS, UH, I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND SOMETHING THAT, UH, AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND AS, AS COMMUNITY LEADERS FOCUSING TO CONTINUE TO DO CANDID GUERRERO.
WHEN I WAS SITTING ON THE, UM, I 35 COALITION, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE HAD TO DO WAS HAVE SEVERAL SESSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY FROM THE EAST AUSTIN AREA TO TALK ABOUT THE WOUNDEDNESS OF, OF THAT SCAR THAT RUNS DOWN.
IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE TWO THINGS.
ONE, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF RUDENESS, THIS WOUNDEDNESS THAT EXISTS.
AND THE OTHER THING WAS WHEN I WENT TO GET REPRESENTATIVES TO VOICE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, YOU CAN FIND HARDLY ANY OF OLD AUSTIN LEFT THAT
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COULD COME FORWARD.SO I THINK A LOT OF THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW OUT HERE LIVING ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD, UH, THE CHANGES IN ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE HAD VMU JUST TO REFER TO, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CODE CHANGES.
BUT ANYWAY, KS STITCH GET A MARVELOUS WAY TO HEAL AND DO THAT CONNECTIVITY.
IT'S AN ABILITY TO HAVE SUSTAINABILITY, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WAS ASKED TO SIT ON THE CAP AND STITCH, UH, THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED, THE CITY'S ALREADY MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
IT'S AN HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO COME FORWARD, TO IMPLEMENT THEIR VISIONS FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE GRAND IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY THERE TO PROCEED WITH THIS CAP AND STITCH.
SO I THINK THAT IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE, FOR AUSTINITES, AND THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY IS BEHIND IT AND THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THE BEST WE CAN OUT OF THIS POTENTIAL THAT'S COMING FORWARD.
SO I GUESS MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, AND I WAS TOLD BY THE PROGRAM MANAGER THAT, YOU KNOW, HE, THEY ARE WAITING ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO TELL THEM ABOUT THESE CAPS BECAUSE THEY'LL BUILD THE WALL TO SUPPORT THE CAPS, AND THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW BIG THEY'RE GOING TO BE AND WHERE THE CITY AND OTHER ENTITIES ARE GONNA HAVE TO FUND IT.
SO I'M GONNA ASK BOTH OF YOU THIS QUESTION.
ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT CITY FUNDING TOWARDS THIS, UH, PROJECT CAPPING PARTS OF I 35? JUST GO AHEAD, GROW, AND THEN I'LL GO.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS IN ORDER TO GET THIS GOING AND MOVING FORWARD.
IT'S GONNA COST MILLIONS EACH CAP.
I TALKED WITH TECH DOT AND ASKED THEM RECENTLY WHAT THEY THOUGHT, UH, EACH CAP WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY, AND WE'RE IN THE MILLIONS, SO WE WILL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.
BUT THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IF WE GET THAT PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPPING ON THESE CAPS.
PLUS THE CITY, THE COUNTY, OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED, PROBABLY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING ONE NEAR THERE.
WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD CHERRYWOOD WHO'S ALREADY BROUGHT FORWARD PROPOSALS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THERE.
THEY'VE ALREADY BROUGHT FORWARD WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE GREAT, SOME IDEAS THEY WANNA SEE ON ONE OF THE CAPS CLEARLY, UH, NEXT TO THEM.
SO, UM, THEN I TALKED TO SOME RESIDENTS FURTHER DOWN I I 35, AND THEY WERE SADDENED THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CAP NEAR THEM.
SO THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF MOVEMENT WITH THESE CAP AND STITCHES.
SO I THINK ONCE AGAIN, YES, IT'S GONNA TAKE MONEY.
THIS TOWN IS VERY GOOD AT FINDING MONEY.
WE ARE ABLE TO RAISE DOLLARS WHEN THERE'S PROJECTS WE WANT TO GET BEHIND.
AND I THINK IT'S SOUNDING TO ME LIKE THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF GETTING THESE CAP AND STITCHES PUT TOGETHER, AND THAT IT'S GONNA BE A HUGE COMMUNITY BENEFIT FOR THEIR AREAS.
SO THAT'S A YES CANDIDATE CODI.
SO YOUR QUESTION IS, SHOULD THE CITY TAKE ON THE BURDEN? ARE YOU GONNA SUPPORT THE FUNDING? YEAH, SO I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, TO SEE WHERE, WHERE FEDERAL AND STATE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THERE AREN'T MANY TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S CITY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE CITY TO PUT THE CAPS ON.
NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I WAS SAYING TO SEE IF THERE, IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY, UH, RESOURCES AND GRANTS FROM, UH, THE STATE OR, OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, BUT, BUT IF NOT, YEAH, I THINK IT'S A CITY AND AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
UH, I THINK THE CITY, YOU KNOW, HAS TO TAKE THE HIT, BUT MAKING SURE THAT IT'S RESIDENTS, UH, AREN'T OR OVERBURDENED, UH, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THERE'S ALREADY SO MANY THINGS IN THE CITY, UH, THAT HAVE, UH, THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE TAKEN A HIT FOR IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO ON THIS ONE, CANDIDATE GUERRERO, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA START WITH YOU.
WE, I KIND OF DID A YES NO QUESTION THERE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, ADDRESSING THE, THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN.
AND ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE, IT'S TITLED, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN RES.
AS PART OF THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN COLLABORATES WITH AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO MAKE HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING.
WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL ON ACHIEVING THE ABOVE, THE ABOVE STATEMENT AND WHY? UM, I THINK I WOULD GIVE THE CITY A B BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE TRYING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
I'VE HEARD MEETINGS, I'VE SET THROUGH MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT VENUES THEY ARE TRYING RIGHT NOW, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE SET UP FOR HOMELESSNESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I THANK YOU.
I HAVE BOTH ENDORSEMENTS FROM, UH, EMS AND THE FIREFIGHTERS, BUT WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH
[01:30:01]
THEM AND HAVE GONE TO SEVERAL TRIAGES, THEY HAVE MENTIONED THAT WHAT IS A HUGE CONCERN IS THAT THERE'S A DISCONNECT WITH A LOT OF THE SERVICES OUT THERE.SO WE HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UM, SERVICES AND WE HAVE THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS BEING IMPLEMENTED, BUT IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE RIGHT HAND ISN'T SPEAKING TO THE LEFT HAND.
SO I THINK ONE THING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS TO QUICKLY FIND OUT WHERE ARE THOSE GAPS? WHERE ARE WE FAILING? WHAT NEEDS TO REOCCUR? HOW CAN WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER WITH THOSE SPECIFIC AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT IT'S CLEARLY EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE AND THERE IS FOLLOW THROUGH.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD THE MOST IS THAT THERE'S A, A, A NOT ENOUGH FOLLOW THROUGH, EVEN THOUGH WE TRY TO DO THESE WRAPAROUND SERVICES WITH THIS SITUATION, IT IS A, YOU KNOW, A PROBLEM IN THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING EVERYONE TOGETHER AT THE TABLE TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND IF THEY'RE BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THOSE SITUATIONS.
SO I THINK THAT'S KEY, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL HAS CLEARLY, WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMING TO MY HEAD, QUICKLY TRIED MANY EFFORTS.
WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE STATEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT HOMELESSNESS, RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING? WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE A GRADE TO THIS POINT? I'M GONNA SAY INCOMPLETE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE, THE ONE THING THAT I NOTICED IN THE CITY WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE WAS OUR OWN HOUSE POPULATION.
I THINK IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT A CITY AND I, WE TREAT OUR MOST VULNERABLE, UH, COMMUNITIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THAT CASE, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED WITH UNHOUSED FOLKS SINCE I'VE MOVED HERE.
I'VE MOVED HERE AS A BIO PREMED STUDENT, AND I WAS SEEING OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY FOLKS SUFFERING, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THEIR ELEMENTS THAT MADE ME CHANGE MY, MY CAREER PATH.
UH, AND, AND THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNHOUSED FOLKS.
THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE THE, THE WORKING POOR THAT MIGHT WORK AT A STARBUCKS OR, OR A WHATABURGER OR A TARGET.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY, THEY EITHER GO INTO A TENT OR THEY GO INTO THEIR CAR AND THAT'S WHERE THEY SLEEP.
UH, THERE'S FOLKS SUFFERING FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, AND THERE'S FOLKS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, ALL OF THIS STARTS OFF WITH A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, GETTING THEM INTO SOME SORT OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND THEN AFTER THAT, TACKLING THEIR DEVICES THAT, THAT, THAT ARE, THAT OVER THAT OVERCOME THEM.
I THINK AS A CITY, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, LEADERS AND, AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY THAT ARE FILLED WITH COMPASSION AND, AND EMPATHY.
UH, BUT I, BUT I THINK MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE ALL GO HOME, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT OR YOU LIVE IN A, YOU A IN A, IN A NORMAL, YOU KNOW, IN A STANDARD HOUSE, UH, YOU HAVE NEIGHBORS, BUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA BE SLEEPING ON THE STREET TONIGHT ARE ALSO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO RIGHT BY THEM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT'S THE FASTEST 30 MINUTES THAT HAS EVER GONE BY.
UH, AS A DISTRICT NINE REP, I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE, SO I, I WAS, UH, PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR ANSWERS, BUT THAT WAS QUICK.
SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE EACH OF YOU AND, UM, WE STARTED WITH, UH, CANDIDATE CODI ON THE BEGINNING.
SO, UH, CANDIDATE GUERRERO, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
I, I'D REALLY LIKE IN ONE MINUTE, TELL US WHY THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN, WHAT QUALITIES AND WHAT WERE YOUR LEADERSHIP? HOW WILL YOU MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE? I CAN MOVE THIS TOWN QUICKLY, UH, FORWARD IN MANY DIRECTIONS BECAUSE OF MY LONG AND DEEP, UH, EXPERIENCE, HAVING SERVED ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, I'VE SPENT TIME AS A, UM, BOND OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONER.
I UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET THESE PROJECTS UP AND RUNNING.
I'VE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, BUDGETS.
I'VE LOOKED AT ALL KINDS OF PROJECTS.
UM, I KNOW HOW TO WORK AND DEAL WITH, UH, COMMUNITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS.
I'M ALSO ABOUT CONSENSUS BUILDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE CITY AND LOOKING AT IT.
I WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
IT WILL BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME, AND I WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO, UH, BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND HAVE AN OPEN POLICY AND AN OPEN DOOR WHERE THAT PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEIR VOICE IS BEING HEARD AT COUNCIL, AND GIVE THEM THE TIME THAT THEY NEED TO DISCUSS THEIR CONCERNS WITH ME.
YEAH, I THINK EXPERIENCE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
UM, I'M, I'M THE ONLY CANDIDATE IN THIS RACE THAT'S CURRENTLY, THAT HAS WORKED IN CITY GOVERNMENTS.
I WORKED AT THE CITY OF KYLE, AND I WORKED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WORK FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND I WORKED IN, IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN THOSE RESPECTIVE CITIES.
I'VE DONE POLICY WORK AT THE TEXAS CAPITAL, UH, POLICY THAT NOT ONLY AFFECTED, UH, US AS A STATE, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, LOCAL POLICIES AND HOW STATE AND LOCAL, UH, INTERSECT.
AND I'VE ALSO BEEN AN ORGANIZER.
UH, AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK LIKE, LIKE ME AND YOU HAVE A FUNNY NAME, UH, YOU ORGANIZE FOR SURVIVAL, UH, AND
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IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU BRING FOLKS TOGETHER.UH, AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS TO THE COALITION BUILDING.
UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE SUPPORT, UM, OF FORMER CANDIDATES IN THIS RACE MEANT A LOT TO ME.
UH, I, I THINK FOLKS LIKE BEN LEFFLER AND TOM WAL ARE SOME OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE IN GREG SMITH ARE SOME OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE THAT I, THAT I GOT TO MEET.
AND HAVING THEIR FINGERPRINTS ON THIS CAMPAIGN AND ON THE CITY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
SO WHETHER IT'S THEM OR FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN THE SUPPORT OF EDUCATION AUSTIN, WHICH IS THE TEACHERS UNION, WHETHER IT'S ELECTED OFFICIALS OR COMMUNITY LEADERS, UH, THIS CAMPAIGN AND THE CITIES FOR THEM.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL, UH, ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
LET'S GIVE THESE CANDIDATES A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
NOW IT'S OUR TURN AS THE VOTERS IN, UH, DISTRICT NINE TO GO MAKE A DECISION TO GO AND VOTE.
AND, YOU KNOW, EARLY VOTING STARTS TOMORROW.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, THE LEAGUE'S VOTERS GUIDE IS ONLINE.
TOMORROW GOES FROM DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 9TH.
FRIDAY 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM BUT PLEASE NOTE THAT ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, THE POLLS ARE ONLY OPEN FROM 12:00 PM TO 6:00 PM ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH FOR THIS RUNOFF, 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM YOUR POLLING LOCATIONS CAN BE FOUND@WWWVOTETRAVIS.COM.
YOU'LL SEE THE WAIT TIMES AT THE POLLS.
PLEASE GO VOTE AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
THE MAYOR'S, UH, DEBATE IS COMING UP.
GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE DEBATE THIS EVENING.
MY NAME IS CAROL EEL CAMP, AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE AUSTIN AREA AS THEIR CANDIDATE FORUM CHAIRPERSON, AND TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION TO SHOWCASE ALL THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR EACH YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR CANDIDATES THIS EVENING, UH, THE TWO CANDIDATES, CONGRATULATIONS TO GET THIS FAR.
WE HAVE CELIA ISRA, AND WE HAVE, UH, CANDIDATE KURT WATSON.
I WILL BE YOUR MODERATOR TONIGHT, AND I PROMISE TO TREAT EACH OF YOU FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY AND RETURN.
I ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME, AND TRY NOT TO EXCEED YOUR TWO MINUTE TIMEFRAME FOR EACH ANSWER AND OR YOUR REBUTTAL OR RESPONSE.
AND TO REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL ATTACKS, WATCH OUR TIMEKEEPERS SEATED TO MY LEFT AND LISTEN FOR THE TIMER.
LET'S STICK TO THE ISSUES TONIGHT.
AND I WILL RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
AND PLEASE KNOW THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT THOSE OF THOSE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ETHICS VIEW COMMISSION, OUR SPONSORING ORGANIZATION, BUT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, OF THE AUSTIN AREA, THE CANDIDATES.
NEITHER OF YOU HAVE SEEN OUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.
AND THESE TOPICS COME NOT ONLY FROM OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT FROM ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS AROUND THE CITY.
AT THE END OF THIS DEBATE, EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE TO CLOSE AND TELL THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN WHY YOUR LEADERSHIP WILL MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.
SO LET'S JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
AND AGAIN, WE FLIPPED A COIN TO SEE WHO GOES FIRST.
SO ON THIS ONE, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH CANDIDATE IS THAT I AM, CANDIDATE WATSON HAS PROPOSED TO ALLOW EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT MEMBER TO BRING FORWARD A SET OF DISTRICT SPECIFIC CODE REFORMS INSTEAD OF FORCING EVERY AUSTIN DISTRICT TO ADOPT THE SAME TYPE OF CODES.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I, I DISAGREE COMPLETELY WITH, WITH KIRK'S PROPOSAL, UH, IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN RESPONSE TO WE, WE PUT OUT A TRANSPORTATION, I MEAN, A, AN AFFORDABILITY HOUSING PLAN.
A FEW WEEKS LATER, KIRK DID THE SAME.
I, I'M RUNNING TO BE AN AGENT FOR CHANGE FOR THOSE WHO ARE GETTING PUSHED OUTTA THIS CITY.
AND WE ARE IN A HOUSING SUPPLY CRISIS, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR THE LUXURY TO DO MORE, UM, REVIEWS AND TASK FORCES AND SLOWING THINGS DOWN BY DISTRICT, BY DISTRICT IS THE, IS THE RECIPE FOR STATUS QUO.
WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD URGENTLY.
AND I, UM, ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION TO IT, AND KIRK ADJUSTED HIS STATEMENT.
BUT IT STILL LENDS ITSELF TO THE QUESTION OF WHY, WHY WOULD WE DO THAT? AND THE EXAMPLE THAT I, THAT I, THAT I CAME UP WITH IN MY HEAD IS, FOR EXAMPLE, LAMAR IS A DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AND IF YOU SAY THAT ON ONE SIDE OF LAMAR YOU CAN HAVE, UM, UH, A
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CAR LOT, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LAMAR, YOU CAN HAVE MIXED USE VERTICAL.THAT'S NOT BRINGING THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT NEW INJUSTICE AND WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING MANY YEARS AGO, WHICH IS WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION TOGETHER.
SO WITH THE ONSET OF PROJECT CONNECT, WE NEED, WE NEED TO BE MORE, MORE THOUGHTFUL AND, AND MOVE MORE URGENTLY AND QUIT DIVIDING OURSELVES UP IN THAT WAY.
I, THE, WE HAVE BEEN STAGNATED FOR ABOUT A DECADE NOW ON TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND HOW WE APPROACH THINGS.
AND THE REASON I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN STAGNATED IS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN OFFERED AN ALL OR NOTHING APPROACH PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS WHERE WE HAD PEOPLE REPRESENTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES AROUND THE CITY.
WE HAD AN AT LARGE SYSTEM AND THIS, AND CODE NEXT WAS PUT TOGETHER AS AN AT LARGE SYSTEM TO DROP IT ON THE ENTIRE CITY AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE, ALL OR NOTHING.
AND WE ENDED UP WITH NOTHING IN PART CAUSE WITH SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS AND PEOPLE REPRESENTING THEIR SPECIFIC AREAS, YOU HAD TO GET A SUPER MAJORITY OF VOTES.
WHAT I'VE LAID OUT IS A PROPOSAL THAT ALLOWS US TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, AND AT THE SAME TIME, MOVE THINGS FORWARD FASTER.
WE HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
AND IT CAN'T BE A ALL AN ALL OR NOTHING, UH, DECISION.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ANY DISTRICT DOESN'T, CAN DO NOTHING.
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THAT IN MY PLAN THAT A DISTRICT CAN SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING.
IN FACT, WE HAVE A BASELINE THAT WE CALL THE BLUEPRINT, AND WE JUST, AND IT'S DETERMINED BASED UPON DISTRICTS, JUST LIKE I'M TALKING ABOUT, BASED UPON DISTRICTS, ABOUT HOW MUCH, UH, DENSITY AND HOUSING YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE IN THOSE DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE TO OPERATE FROM THAT BASELINE, AND EVERY DISTRICT WILL HAVE TO TRY TO MEET THAT BASELINE.
BUT THIS ALLOWS DISTRICTS THAT HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT WILL MOVE FORWARD FASTER TO NOT BE STYMIED BECAUSE IT HAS TO APPLY IN ANOTHER DISTRICT AND IT GETS VETOED BECAUSE THERE'S NO SUPER MAJORITY.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM WE'RE RUNNING INTO, IS THIS QUESTION SHOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AT CITY HALL.
IT'S WINNER TAKE ALL, YOU TAKE IT MY WAY OR NO WAY.
WE OUGHT TO BE LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP THAT LOOKS FOR NEW WAYS TO DO THING AND HAS PROVEN IN THE PAST THE ABILITY TO GET IT DONE.
CAN I, CAN I SPEAK TO THAT? SURE.
THERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR IN THAT IS THIS CITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN CALLED OUT AS ONE OF THE MORE, MOST INEQUITABLE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, UM, RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY, UH, DIVIDED BY CLASS.
AND WE HAVE GOT TO GET PAST THAT.
UM, THIS DISTRICT BY DISTRICT.
I AGREE THAT THE 10 MEMBER DISTRICTS IS SOMETHING I FOUGHT FOR FOR YEARS, SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
BUT BY USING IT AS A WEAPON TO, FOR STAGNATION IS, IS DOING HARM TO, TO THE CITY AS WE ARE TRYING TO OVERCOME THE INEQUITIES OF THE PAST.
SO KURT, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO FIRST TO, TO GO AGAIN.
BECAUSE YEAH, ABOUT ABOUT ONE MINUTE.
THERE'S NO, IT'S, THIS IS NOT ABOUT CREATING EQUITY.
IT IS ABOUT HELPING CREATE MORE EQUITY.
SO THAT, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET SOMETHING MOVING.
EVERY DISTRICT WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH REGARD.
WE HAVE TO GO WITH THAT BASELINE TO MISCHARACTERIZE A PROPOSAL AS SOMEHOW CREATING INEQUITY IS REALLY NOT POLITICAL LEADERSHIP.
IT IT'S POLITICS AND IT'S AN EFFORT TO SAY SOMETHING.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH REGARD TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY WANT TO WIN THE WAR ONLY THEIR WAY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS.
AND YOU CAN BUILD THE EQUITY INTO THE COUNCIL VOTING FOR THINGS THAT WILL BE CITYWIDE MY PROPOSAL, ALLOWING DISTRICTS TO DO SOME SPECIAL THINGS DOESN'T PRECLUDE ANY OF THAT.
AND THAT IS THE WAY YOU CAN ADD TO IT AND GET THE EQUITY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO CANADA, WATSON, CANADA, ISRAEL HAS PROPOSED, WE CREATE A LIGHTER VERSION OF THE COMMERCIAL AND SITE PERMIT REVIEW PROCESS FOR SMALLER MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING PLANS.
AS CURRENTLY THE CITY TREATS SOME OF THESE SITE PLANS THE SAME AS DEVELOPMENTS WITH HUNDREDS OF UNITS.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE TO THE CURRENT REVIEW PROCESS? YEAH.
AND, AND, AND THAT, THAT IDEA,
[01:45:01]
UH, MAY BE ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT THAT GETS PUT INTO PLACE.WHAT I'VE INDICATED WE OUGHT TO DO FOR YEARS, I HAD THE, UH, EXPERIENCE OF SERVING ON THE TEXAS SUNSET COMMISSION, UH, WHICH IS A STATE AGENCY THAT, UH, I WAS APPOINTED TO AS A SENATOR, UH, THAT REVIEWS AGENCIES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND COMES OUT WITH BEST PRACTICES, COMES OUT WITH, UM, WAYS TO CREATE EFFICIENCY.
AND WHAT I'VE CALLED FOR, BECAUSE YOU GET SO MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO FIX THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS TO SUNSET THROUGH THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WHICH REPORTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SUNSET THAT PROCESS THE SAME WAY WE DO AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND THE SAME WAY I PUT CAPITAL METRO THROUGH IT, UH, WHEN I WAS A SENATOR ABOUT A DECADE AGO.
SO WE GET DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT ACTUALLY MAY BE ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT COMES OUT OF IT.
I'VE ALSO, UH, PROPOSED THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE POPUP PERMITTING, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A SATURDAY WHERE WE BRING IN A SMALL PERMITTING PERMITS, UH, SMALL APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS FOR LET'S SAY RESIDENTIAL OR, UH, SMALL COMMERCIAL, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THAT WHAT YOU COULD THEN DO IS AT THAT MOMENT, GET THOSE, GET THOSE OUT ON A SATURDAY SO THAT THOSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO STAND IN LINE AND THEY'RE NOT STANDING IN LINE BLOCKING SOMEONE ELSE.
THERE'RE GONNA BE A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS LIKE THAT.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS IS THE KIND OF THING CITY HALL'S NOT GETTING DONE WELL AND WE, THERE'S A GREAT FRUSTRATION THAT IT'S NOT GETTING THESE THINGS DONE WELL.
IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING IN THE TALENT AND WE BRING IN THE EXPERIENCE TO PROVE WE CAN GET THESE THINGS DONE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK I, I OFFER TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN CANDIDATE IS WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT BACK? OKAY.
SO CANDIDATE IS, THIS IS YOUR TURN.
CANDIDATE WATSON HAS PROPOSED WE TEMPORARILY CUT DEVELOPMENT FEES FOR CERTAIN DESIGNATED PROJECTS THAT COULD FILL CRITICAL HOUSING NEEDS RIGHT NOW.
WOULD THAT AFFECT THE BUDGET NEGATIVE NEGATIVELY IF WE LOSE THESE FEES? OR WOULD IT ALLOW MORE HOUSING STOCK TO BE BUILT? WELL, IT WOULD DO BOTH.
IT WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE BUDGET AND THE BUDGET.
THAT'S AN, AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT, UM, THAT WE RELY UPON.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IT, THAT DIVERSE DESERVES OUR ATTENTION AND OUR MERIT, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING AT BUILDING SOMETHING THAT IS AFFORDABLE OR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE OR MISSING MIDDLE.
WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A, OF A HOUSING SUPPLY CRISIS.
AND, UH, MY, MY PLAN WOULD CALL FOR US TO ADDRESS THESE, ADDRESS THIS CRISIS BY MANY, MANY WAYS.
WE CANNOT ADU OUR WAY OUT OF THIS CRISIS.
WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT, UM, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING RE, RE, RE UM, RETHOUGHT.
UH, I WAS JUST READING THE NEW YORK TIMES WHERE MANY OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING AT THIS, BUT NONE HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON WHAT CAN YOU DO IN, IN THE MIDST OF A, OF A PANDEMIC WITH WHAT WAS A BANK, WHAT WAS A UNUSED, UH, SHOPPING CENTER.
THIS IS, THESE ARE, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET MORE, UM, ENGAGEMENT, MORE HOUSING FROM OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AND FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND, AND, UM, DO, DO CONSERVANCY EFFORTS.
AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES, AS I LAUNCHED MY CAMPAIGN IN JANUARY AND, AND PUT OUT THESE PROPOSALS EVERY WEEK IN AN ISRAEL ADMINISTRATION WILL BE HOUSING AN AFFORDABILITY WEEK.
WE NEED TENACITY, WE NEED LEADERSHIP.
AND I'VE GOT THE, THE EXPERIENCE TO BRING US TOGETHER FOR THAT THANK YOU CANDIDATE WATSON CARE TO RESPOND.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE IN THIS QUAGMIRE WITH REGARD TO A, A COST OF LIVING, AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE BASICS, THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT CITY GOVERNMENT CONTROLS.
LET'S FACE IT, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THE CITY CAN'T CONTROL IN A COST OF LIVING EMERGENCY.
WE CAN'T CONTROL INFLATION, WE CAN'T CONTROL MORTGAGE RATES OR SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS OR A WAR IN UKRAINE.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE NEED TO BRING TO THE TABLE A FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT WE CAN CONTROL.
ONE OF THOSE ARE THE FEES THAT WE CHARGE.
AND FOR THE GO GOVERNMENT TO SAY, ON THE ONE HAND, WE ARE IN A HOUSING CRISIS AND EMERGENCY, A COST OF LIVING CRISIS AND EMERGENCY.
AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVE THE HIGHEST FEES THAT WE'RE CHARGING FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION OR MAYBE IN THE STATE.
WE DON'T GET TO BE THE VICTIM AND THE PERPETRATOR.
WE NEED TO FIX THAT AND WE NEED TO FIX IT QUICKLY, UH, WITH A SENSE OF IMMEDIACY AND WHAT I, YOU SAID IT RIGHT.
WHAT I'VE SAID IS WE OUGHT TO CUT THOSE, IT WOULD'VE AN IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.
AND WHAT I'VE ALSO SAID AS PART OF THAT PROPOSAL
[01:50:01]
IS THAT WHILE WE'RE IN THIS, UH, COST OF LIVING EMERGENCY, WE COULD USE WHAT IS EQUIVALENT TO THE CITY'S RAINY DAY FUND AS A WAY TO FILL IN GAPS IN THAT.THAT IS A GOOD USE OF THAT ECONOMIC STABILIZATION FUND SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO STABILIZE THE ECONOMY, UH, AND THE COST OF LIVING.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ANOTHER TOPIC AND CANDIDATE WATSON, IT'LL BE YOUR, UH, YOUR FIRST UP.
IF WE WANTED TO ENHANCE EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY IN-VEHICLE MOBILITY AND ADDRESS THE HISTORY OF SEGREGATION BETWEEN THE EAST SIDE AND WEST SIDE THAT I 35 HAS HISTORICALLY REPRESENTED IN AUSTIN, WE COULD CAP AREAS AROUND UT AND CENTRAL DOWNTOWN AS PROPOSED BY CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS, THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE AND OTHER GROUPS.
BUT WHAT WOULD THE CAPS DO THAT CURRENT OVERPASSES DO NOT DO TOWARDS THE GOAL OF CONNECTIVITY? END UP, AM I ON THE CAPS WOULD END UP BEING PARK LIKE? UH, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CLYDE WARREN FREEWAY IN DALLAS, UH, WHAT HAPPENED THERE WAS THEY, THE FREEWAY WAS PUT DOWN AT GRADE AND BELOW, AND THEN THEY BUILT THE CAPS ON TOP.
SO IF YOU CAN VISUALIZE, LET'S SAY, UH, WHERE AT FOURTH STREET WHERE THE PALM SCHOOL IS, WHAT THESE CAPS WOULD DO IS YOU WOULD BASICALLY HAVE, UH, THE, THE FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENT OF A PARK OR, UH, AREA THAT RUNS WHERE YOU COULD LITERALLY WALK FROM PALM SCHOOL ALL THE WAY OVER TO, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS, WHAT WAS I 35? CUZ I 35 WOULD BE BELOW THAT.
AND YOU COULD ALSO, UH, POTENTIALLY BUILD ON THAT.
UH, THAT WOULD ADD TO THE TAX BASE MAY EVEN HELP PAY FOR THE CAPS AND, UM, AND, AND PUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF, OF BUILDING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE AND INCENTIVIZE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
UH, TO ADD TO YOUR DOWNTOWN CAN ISRAEL? YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE A DISTINCTION ON THE, WE TALK ABOUT THESE CAPS AND STITCHES AND UH, WE GET KIND OF WONKY ABOUT IT.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS NOT JUST A GENERATIONAL DECISION.
AND WE WERE PROMISED NO WIDER NO HIRE.
AND WHAT TEXT DOT HAS GIVEN US IS NOT THEIR BEST VERSION OF WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE.
MY COLLEAGUES AND I IN THE HOUSE WROTE THREE DIFFERENT LETTERS TO TEXT.TO NUDGE THEM FORWARD.
AND THIS, WHEN I, WHEN I HAVE TALKED TO TEXT DOT ABOUT THIS PROJECT, I WANT MORE TRANSIT ASSETS.
THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION IS, IS UH, IS NOT A GASOLINE DRIVEN ENGINE.
THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION IS, UM, IS HIGH CAPACITY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING TECH.TO BE BETTER AND DO BETTER.
UM, BUT, AND TO RESPECT YOUR QUESTION, CAROL, REGARDING THE CAPS AS WE RETHINK IT AND, UM, MY HOPE IS THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT STITCHES, BUT THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TRULY RECONNECTING WITH A CAP.
BECAUSE I DO WANT TO BUILD VALUE ON THERE FOR THE FUTURE.
WE COULD, WE COULD SET ASIDE, WE COULD MAKE A, A HOUSING FUND ON TOP OF, WHAT WAS I 35 JUST LIKE THEY DID IN DALLAS, BUT BUILD INTO THE FUTURE AND WE'VE GOT TO CHALLENGE I 35 ON THEIR ENGINEERING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE BEST TO CREATE THAT CAP.
I KNOW THAT THEY CAN, THEY JUST NEED TO BE, THEY THE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CHALLENGE IS THERE.
PARKS ARE GREAT, BUT BUILDING VALUE WITH A, YOU KNOW, A BIKE SHOP OR A COFFEE SHOP OR SOMETHING THAT, THAT WILL ADD VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AND ADD VALUE TO OUR COFFERS IN THE FUTURE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE REALLY GOTTA LOOK AT.
AGAIN, THIS IS FOR GENERATIONS DOWN THE ROAD.
SO AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, AND I'LL GIVE GIVE YOU EACH ONE MINUTE, UH, TO, TO, TO ANSWER THIS ONE PROVIDING THAT IT, IT, IT IS SUNK.
THAT'S WHAT THE, THE MOBILITY PROJECT STANDS RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT TEXT.IS WAITING FOR THE CITY TO DECIDE IF THEY'RE GOING TO FUND THE CAPS AND IF, AND WHAT LEVEL AND HOW HEAVY DO THOSE SUPPORT WALLS NEED TO BE.
SO IF THAT GOES, ARE YOU WILLING TO GO ON RECORD AS SUPPORTING THE CITY FUNDING THE CAP IN DOWNTOWN TO FINALLY RECONNECT EAST WEST? ABSOLUTELY NOT, NOT AT THIS JUNCTURE.
I NEED MORE, UM, ENGAGEMENT FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY THERE.
THERE HAS BEEN AN EFFORT OVER THE YEARS FOR, UH, PRIVATE ENTITIES TO HELP FUND THAT, BUT TECH DOT CAN DO SO MUCH MORE AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ENOUGH OUTTA TECH DOT THAT, THAT WE DESERVE OVER, OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS.
SO I THINK THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY WITH, WITH A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND, AND THE TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY WHO IS MORE FOCUSED ON EQUITY TO, TO PULL DOWN SOME MORE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
[01:55:01]
SO THAT BURDEN ISN'T JUST ON US.WE ARE LOOKING AT A 27 BILLION SURPLUS IN THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR.
I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME, SOME MORE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING TO TO, TO TRULY DO WHAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WANTS CANDIDATE WATSON.
AND MY ANSWER IS THAT WE WE'RE STILL OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT ALL SOURCES OF, OF REVENUE THAT WOULD HELP PAY FOR THOSE CAPS.
I AM COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET CAPS ON I 35, REGARDLESS OF WHAT, HOW WE PUSH I 35, UH, I MEAN, UH, TEXT DOT MORE IN ORDER TO GET MORE OUT OF I 35.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROCESS WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN MORE OUT OF TEXT DOT AND SO THERE'S MORE MAYBE TO BE, TO BE RECEIVED.
FOR EXAMPLE, BY 2017, UH, THE PLAN STILL HAD UPPER DECKS AND THERE WAS TALK OF EVEN ADDING LANES TO THE UPPER DECKS AND THAT'S BEEN TAKEN OUT.
SO THERE, THERE'S MORE TO BE DONE THERE, BUT I'M COMMITTED.
AND IF IT ENDS UP AT BEING AT A POINT WHERE THE CITY NEEDS TO COME UP WITH FUNDS TO BE PART OF THIS, I'M COMMITTED TO ALSO LOOKING FOR HOW WE COME UP WITH THOSE FUNDS.
AND IT MAY BE, UH, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING IMAGINATIVE LIKE WE DID, UM, WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND I WAS MAYOR AND WE CAME UP WITH A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, TO GET THE LONG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.
GONNA CHANGE TOPICS A LITTLE BIT AND, UH, CANDIDATE IS THAT I WANT YOU TO BOTH IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE SITTING UP IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AT SOME POINT NEXT YEAR, AND ACCORDING TO THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, THERE ARE 80 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ADVOCATING FOR THEIR RESIDENTS INTEREST.
AND WE HAVE SEEN THE ENDORSEMENTS THAT MANY OF YOU AND OTHERS IN THESE RACES HAVE RECEIVED ON YOUR CAMPAIGN MATERIAL IN YOUR SITES, IF ELECTED, HOW DO YOU BALANCE ALL THESE VOICES VISITING YOUR OFFICE? CANADA, ISRAEL, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT AUSTIN THAN IT WAS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.
THIS IS A 11 LARGEST CITY AND THERE ARE, UM, VARIED INTERESTS AND VARIED PERSPECTIVES.
AND I HAVE A REPUTATION AS A, AS AN AS A NINE YEAR MEMBER OF THE TEXT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SERVED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, THE POLICE MONITOR BOARD, THE ROBERT MILLER ADVISORY COMMISSION AND A BOND ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND THE, THIS IS AN, WHAT I'VE LEARNED OVER THE COURSE OF THIS TIME IS I NEED TO BE A GOOD, A BETTER LISTENER AND, UM, THAN IMPARTING MY IDEAS OR HAVING MY PLAN.
THIS IS ABOUT LISTENING AND ENGAGING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M PREPARED AND EXCITED TO DO THAT.
I EARN THE SUPPORT OF NEIGHBORHOODS ON NOVEMBER THE EIGHTH, SUCH AS ALLEN DALE AND, UM, AND HYDE PARK AND CRESTVIEW WHO, WHO, UM, FOR WHOM I, I EARN THE MOST VOTES IN THOSE AREAS.
AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER FOLKS VOTED FOR ME OR NOT, MY JOB IS TO LISTEN TO THEM AND, AND BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THEM.
ACTUALLY, THE INTERACTION WITH THE PEOPLE AND CONSTITUENCIES HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE PART.
AND, AND IT'S BEEN FUN, UH, CAMPAIGNING WHERE YOU'RE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND GETTING TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE AT THEIR DOORS, UH, ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE THINKING.
AND, AND FRANKLY, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF A RUNOFF IS YOU GET A LITTLE MORE TIME TO DO THAT, UH, AND HEAR MORE.
I'VE ALWAYS HAD IN MY OFFICE COORDINATORS THAT HELP ME, UH, FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAYS TO HEAR AND HAD AN AFFIRMATIVE JOB OF LISTENING TO DIFFERENT GROUPS SO THAT WE WERE GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
WE'VE BEEN, I DID THAT THE 13 AND A HALF YEARS I WAS IN THE SENATE AND I DID IT WHEN I WAS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES THAT WE'RE SEEING ALL THE TIME IS, IS IS THINGS LIKE THIS, UH, THE SMARTPHONE TECHNOLOGY AND THAT TECHNOLOGY OUGHT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE AND HOW WE GAIN INFORMATION.
UH, WHEN I WAS IN THE SENATE, UH, ONE OF THE BILLS THAT I PASSED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE COUNCIL TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER WAS THE MESSAGE BOARD.
THAT WAS MY LEGISLATION THAT, UM, ALLOWED FOR COUNSEL TO COMMUNICATE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, THROUGH THAT MESSAGE BOARD.
WE OUGHT TO ALLOW FOR MORE OF THAT FROM THE, THE COMMUNITY AND HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.
AND I'LL SAY THIS A ABOUT THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
I, I THINK TO SOME DEGREE THE PANDEMIC DID A LITTLE BIT OF DAMAGE TO THEM.
CAUSE THEY COULDN'T, PEOPLE COULDN'T MEET AND COULDN'T GET TOGETHER IN THE SAME WAY.
BUT THEY'RE VERY GOOD WAYS FOR THE MAYOR TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE A CONDUIT FOR TALKING TO THE NEIGHBORS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THAT'S THE GOOD NON-TECHNOLOGY PART OF IT.
THE GOOD OLD FASHIONED SHOE LEATHER AND JUST TALKING AND LISTENING PART.
BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE TECH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BUT YET WE'RE STILL NOT ACTING LIKE IT WHEN IT COMES TO HOW OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPERATES.
I'D LIKE TO GET SOME OF THOSE FOLKS IN THE ROOM AND SAY, HELP US INVENT SOMETHING NEW
[02:00:01]
THAT DOES BETTER COMMUNICATING.SO WE'RE GONNA SWITCH GEARS AND, UH, CANDIDATE WATSON, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
UM, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUSTIN POLICE FORCE AND AS THE LEADER IN THE COUNCIL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO REBUILD THE CITIZEN'S TRUSTS IN OUR POLICE FORCE? WELL, I'D START WITH THE IDEA THAT, THAT WE NEED TO, AGAIN, IT'S A VERY FRUSTRATING THING THAT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UM, UH, CREATES, AGAIN, THESE, THESE ALL OR NOTHING PROPOSITIONS.
UH, WE CAN HAVE A A, A POLICE FORCE THAT IS JUST A POLICE FORCE THAT MEETS AUSTIN'S VALUES THROUGH APPROPRIATE RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, UH, SUPERVISION, AND HAVING A VERY TRANSPARENT AND EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
BUT THAT IS NOT BINARY WITH HAVING A FULLY STAFFED POLICE FORCE AND A POLICE FORCE WHERE PEOPLE, UH, THE, THE RESPONSE TIMES ARE LOWERED WHEN PEOPLE NEED THEM.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE WHERE 9 1 1 OPERATORS, UH, AREN'T HAVING TO PUT PEOPLE ON HOLD.
ULTIMATELY, THE WAY YOU CREATE THAT TRUST IS YOU HAVE AN AN ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM THAT IS TRANSPARENT AND YOU GET THE JOB DONE WELL.
AND WE'RE IN A SITUATION NOW WHERE, UH, WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED.
UH, PEOPLE ARE, ARE FEARFUL OF THAT, AND WE SHOULD NOT HA PEOPLE OUGHT TO FEEL SAFE IN THIS TOWN.
PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE SAFE AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE, AND UNTIL WE ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CREDIBILITY, AS YOUR QUESTION IMPLIES.
CAROL, WHAT I'D LIKE TO, THE POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT I WAS APPOINTED TO THE FIRST POLICE MONITOR BOARD BY THEN, MAYOR, UH, GARCIA.
AND I LEARNED THAT, UH, THE WOMEN AND MEN WHO WEAR THE BADGE WANT REALLY GOOD WOMEN AND MEN TO WEAR THE BADGE.
AND, UH, BEING POLICE OVERSIGHT HAS GOTTA BE A KEY COMPONENT OF WHAT WE DO IN, IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.
I, I, I FULLY SUPPORT, UM, US STAFFING UP.
AND THE REASON, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE NEED TO STAFF UP IS ALSO BECAUSE WE, WE ARE LOSING SOME SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS, AND WHEN WE LOSE SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS, WE LOSE, WE LOSE THAT POLICE OFFICER WHO HAS THE, THE, UH, THE ABILITY TO, TO USE A, A GUARDIAN MENTALITY INSTEAD OF A WARRIOR MENTALITY.
AND WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE ACADEMY, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT NEARLY AS GOOD A POLICE OFFICER AS WHEN YOU ARE A MORE SENIOR OFFICER.
SO HAVING, WHEN WE LOSE SENIOR OFFICERS, WE'RE ALSO LOSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THOSE, UM, MENTORSHIPS AND COACHING MOMENTS WITH THE YOUNGER OFFICER ABOUT HOW YOU CAN CALM DOWN A SITUATION, HOW YOU CAN BE MORE COM, UH, AN ENGAGED MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AND, AND BE PROUD TO WEAR THE BADGE.
SO LET'S CONTINUE ON, UM, WITH THE SUBJECT OF THE POLICE.
AND AS YOU ALL, MOST OF US ARE AWARE THAT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, THE STAFFING AND FUNDING OF THAT WAS PUT OFF BY THIS YEAR'S COUNT, THIS CURRENT CITY COUNCIL, AND PUSHED TO A, THE CITIZENS NEXT MAY.
AND AS PART OF THAT OVERSIGHT, THAT COMMITTEE COULD HAVE THE POWER TO SUGGEST DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS TO THE POLICE CHIEF AF AFTER OUR ELECTION THAT COULD HAPPEN.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? WHY OR WHY NOT? KENNEDY SURVEIL.
I, I DO AGREE IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A POLICE FORCE THAT IS, UM, THAT IS A BETTER POLICE FORCE, IT ALSO MEANS A POLICE FORCE THAT IS ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY WON'T ENGAGE IF THEY DON'T THINK YOU DON'T CARE OR YOU DON'T, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO THEM.
IT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH, WITH POLICE OVERSIGHT OR THE POLICE MONITOR.
AND THAT IS HAVING AN ACTIVE AND, AND, UH, POLICE MONITOR PROCESS SO THAT THE PUBLIC FEEL, IF, IF A PUBLIC, A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HAD A BAD INTERACTION WITH A COP, UM, PERHAPS THEY LOST, THEY WERE HAVING A BAD WEEK AND THEY LOST THEIR TEMPER.
IF THAT PERSON DOESN'T FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IF THEY, IF THEY REPORT THAT INCIDENT, THAT IT'S GOING TO GO SOMEPLACE BENEFICIAL AND HELPFUL AND FRUITFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT THAT POLICE OFFICER IS, IS, IS APPROPRIATELY, UM, UM, UH, DEALT WITH THEN, THEN WE'VE LOST AN THEN WE, WE'VE LOST AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT POLICE FORCE A BETTER POLICE FORCE.
CANDIDATE WATSON, I'M PROUD THAT, UH, WHEN I WAS MAYOR THE FIRST TIME, UM, WE, I, I HELPED LEAD THE CHARGE FOR THE CREATION OF THE VERY FIRST OFFICE OF THE POLICE MONITOR.
THAT WAS WHEN IT STARTED, WAS, WAS WHEN I WAS MAYOR.
AND IT IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED TO BE MADE IN, IN AN ONGOING WAY.
SO I DO FAVOR THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE NEED TO MAKE IT A ROBUST, UH, OFFICE.
AND AS I SAID IN MY PREVIOUS ANSWER, I THINK THE WAY YOU RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE WAY
[02:05:01]
YOU ARE ABLE TO RECRUIT BETTER IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE WAY, UH, PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN THIS COMMUNITY, IS IF ONE OF THE ASPECTS IS HAVING A TRANSPARENT AND EFFECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.WE'LL START WITH YOU ON, ON THIS ONE, AND LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN'S HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM IS MORE OF A HOUSING CRISIS OR A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS? WHY? YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE I WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY TO YOU THAT I THINK IT'S MORE ONE OR THE OTHER.
I THINK IT'S A CLEAR COMBINATION OF THE TWO, AND I THINK IT DEPENDS UPON THE INDIVIDUAL AND, UM, AND I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE ALL OF THE ABOVE IN ORDER TO SOLVE IT.
UH, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH, UH, CITY HALL AND ONE OF THE GREAT FRUSTRATIONS IS THAT AGAIN, WE WERE GIVEN PRETTY MUCH ALL OR NOTHING.
YOU, YOU EITHER ALLOWED FOR PEOPLE TO CAMP, UH, AND, AND SLEEP ANYWHERE THEY WANTED TO ANY TIME OF DAY, UH, WITHOUT ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR IT FELT LIKE YOU HAD, UH, THE OTHER CHOICE WAS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND WHILE WE NEED MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, THAT WAS IT.
IT WAS ALL, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE TWO.
CLEARLY, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES NEED TO BE A PART.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE HOUSING LIKE, UH, RAPID HOUSING, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT NEED IN NEED OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, BUT NEED TO GET ON THEIR FEET QUICKLY.
THERE'S THAT MOMENT IN TIME AND THEN THEY, THEY WON'T BE, UH, LIVING HOMELESS THINGS LIKE CONGREGATE SHELTERS, THAT SORT OF THING, PLUS MENTAL HEALTH.
UH, WHEN I WAS IN THE SENATE, I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER 370 MILLION APPROPRIATED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN ORDER TO REDO THE AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL.
AND I PASSED LEGISLATIONS SO THAT DALE MEDICAL SCHOOL, THROUGH IT, PSYCHIATRIC DEPARTMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF REDESIGNING BRAIN HEALTH IN OUR REGION THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN, IN HOW WE DEAL WITH THOSE LIVING HOMELESS.
ULTIMATELY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE AS PART OF THAT TO SHOW YOU WHY I THINK THERE'S A COMBINATION.
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED WHAT I CALL THERAPEUTIC HOUSING.
WHAT, AND I'VE LEARNED THAT FROM OTHERS, THERAPEUTIC HOUSING, SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE IS IN A CRISIS AND THEY'RE IN THE HOSPITAL AND WE RESTORE CAPACITY, THEY'RE NOT CURED, BUT CAPACITY'S RESTORED.
THEY'RE NOT JUST PUT BACK OUT ON THE STREET OR THEY BOUNCE FROM COUCH TO COUCH TO COUCH FOR A WHILE AND THEN ARE ON THE STREET.
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM TO BE THANK YOU CANDIDATE IS THAT, I, UH, FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HAVING, HAVING A NEW A NEW AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL IS, IS GREAT, BUT THERE WAS NO NEW MORE, NO MORE BEDS PUT IN THERE.
THERE'S NO MORE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UM, WE'RE DEALING WITH A, UH, A WORKFORCE CRISIS.
IF I GO TO INTEGRAL CARE'S WEBSITE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE CASE MANAGERS WHO ARE GONNA BE WORKING WITH AUSTIN POLICE AND, AND, AND HELPING US FIND, FIND, UH, A DIGNIFIED PLACE FOR OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS TO BE.
THERE WAS OVER 50 OPENINGS FOR, FOR CASE MANAGERS.
WE ARE IN A CRISIS OF OUR OWN MAKING.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENED OVERNIGHT.
THIS IS A, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR DECADES.
I SEE IT AS AN A, A FAILURE OF THE CITY.
WE KNEW THAT THE GROWTH WAS GONNA BE HAPPENING.
WE HAD BEEN LOVING OURSELVES TO DEATH FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND THE LAST PLACE, AS I WENT TO THE WARMING SHELTERS THIS SPRING AND VOLUNTEERED WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE, THE LAST PLACE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WANTED TO GO WAS TO THE ARCH OR THE SALVATION ARMY.
THEY PHYSICALLY RECOILED AND SAID, I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE.
THEY ARE MAKING NEW, NEW, NEW COMMUNITY IN, IN, AND THEY ARE HIDDEN AND THIS, SO IT IS, IT IS A, IT IS A MULTILAYERED, UH, UH, CRISIS AND WE NEED, UM, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO, TO, TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS, UH, ALONG THE WAY.
SO LET'S CONTINUE ON WITH, WITH THIS TOPIC AND CANDIDATE.
WHAT GUIDANCE WOULD YOU GIVE ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND CODE ENFORCEMENT ADDRESSING THE POPULATION THAT'S STILL CAMPING IN PUBLIC SPACES AS A LEADER? WE, WHEN I TALK ABOUT US BEING IN A HOUSING CRISIS, IT IS, IT IS ALL KINDS OF INDIVIDUALS.
AND THAT IS SOMEONE WHO MAYBE THEY'RE MAKING A DECENT LIVING AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER AT GOOGLE.
UM, BUT THEN THERE'S OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO, FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO, ANY ONE OF US IN THIS ROOM WHO HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES WITH TWO OR THREE BODY BLOWS IN LIFE AND, AND, AND AN UNDIGNIFIED UM, PLACE.
BUT WE HAVE GOT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN BE, HAS A ROLE TO PLAY HERE THAT'S EITHER
[02:10:01]
A, AN ENGAGED PARTNER WITH A KAITA OR A FAMILY ELDER CARE, OR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO BE WORK ON THE, TO WORK ON THESE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS.UM, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT, I'M NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY THAT SOMETIMES THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ITS OWN WORST ENEMY BECAUSE AUSTIN ENERGY JUST WON'T MOVE THE DAMN LIGHT POLES.
I'VE HEARD THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, NOT JUST FROM SMALL LOT DEVELOPERS, BUT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THEM ALL THROUGH THIS JOURNEY THAT I'M ON, AND WHEN THIS, WHEN AUSTIN ENERGY CAN'T TELL YOU WHETHER IT'S GONNA TAKE THREE MONTHS OR A YEAR TO MOVE THOSE LIGHT POLES, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU TWO YEARS TO GET A SITE PLAN TO DO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A BROKEN SYSTEM AND WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, TO ADDRESS IT IN A, IN AN URGENT MANNER.
CANDIDATE WATSON, SPECIFIC TO YOUR QUESTION, YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT CAMPING AND, AND, AND PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE STREETS, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO ANSWER.
THE, THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IS WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THE CAMPING BAN.
THE CITIZENS HAVE VOTED AND SAID THEY WANT THE CAMPING BAN ENFORCED.
THE LEGISLATURE HAS ENACTED LEGISLATION MANDATING THAT THE CAMPING BAN BE ENFORCED, SO WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THE CAMPING BAN.
WHAT'S FRUSTRATING ABOUT IT IS IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S BEEN ANY ACTION TAKEN SO THAT YOU CAN ENFORCE THE CAMPING BAN IN A HUMANE WAY BY HAVING PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES.
SO YOU ASK ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE MY DIRECTION? MY FIRST DIRECTION WOULD BE THAT WE CONVENE ALL OF THOSE NOT-FOR-PROFITS.
WE CONVENE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS, AND WE ASK, WHY IS THIS FAILING AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO WITH IMMEDIACY IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM FAILING? UH, THIS IS NOT A SITUATION THAT WE SHOULD LET CONTINUE GOING BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACHES TO HOMELESSNESS, PEOPLE LIVING HOMELESS.
AND SO MY GUIDANCE WOULD BE LET'S FIRST ADDRESS THE NEEDS, THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US SO THAT WE'RE BETTER ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS THAT LIKE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, WE NEED MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, BUT WE NEED A LOT OF OTHER THINGS ALONG THE WAY AND WE'RE NOT GETTING IT.
CAROL, CAN I POINT OUT SOMETHING OR ARE WE, I JUST, OKAY.
THE, UM, SO CANDIDATE WATSON, YOU'LL BEGIN ON THIS ONE AND WE'RE GONNA SWITCH GEARS.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN THE BEGINNING.
UM, BUT THIS YEAR, 2022, THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE RESEARCH CENTER AT TEXAS A AND M FOUND THAT AUSTIN IS ONE OF TEXAS' MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES TO BUILD A NEW HOME IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT FEES CHARGED BY LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES.
NOW, THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, AND THE LOCAL PROFESSIONALS, WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR YEARS AND HAVE PUSHED FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATES, ONE OF THE, THE STUDY FOUND WAS THAT AUSTIN'S SUBURBAN STYLE DEVELOPMENT FEES ARE 80% HIGHER THAN THE FEES IN THE FIVE LARGEST METROS.
AND THE INFIELD DEVELOPMENT FEES IN OUR CITY LIMITS ARE 187% HIGHER THAN FEES ACROSS DALLAS, HOUSTON, FORT WORTH AND SAN ANTONIO.
IF ELECTED, WHAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN ADDRESSING AUSTIN'S OUTTA BALANCE DEVELOPMENT FEE STRUCTURE, AND HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE BUDGET? WELL, AS YOU SAY, WE, WE'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED THIS IN A PREVIOUS QUESTION.
WHAT I HAVE AS PART OF MY PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD, UH, LOOK TO REDUCING THOSE FEES BY AT LEAST 50%, UH, ON THE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE WANT.
THE SECOND THING IS THE SUNSET PROCESS THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
I WANT THAT TO COME BACK TELLING US DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN BUILD IN EFFICIENCIES AND SAVE MONEY FOR THOSE THAT ARE TRYING TO BUILD THE, THE HOUSING THAT WE SAY THAT WE WANT SO, SO BADLY.
AND, AND I DO WANT, SO WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS HOW DO WE BUILD INTO THE SYSTEM THE SAVING OF TIME? BECAUSE THE OLD SAYING IS TRUE, TIME IS MONEY.
AND IF WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE CITY IS HOLDING THINGS UP, WHAT WE'RE CHARGING EXTRA FEES BY COMPARISON, THEN WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HOLDING THINGS UP, WHICH ADDS TO THE COST.
UH, WE'RE A BIG PART OF THAT PROBLEM AT THAT POINT.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO NEED, AS, AS YOU SUGGEST IN THE FIRST PART OF THAT QUESTION, TO LOOK AT SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THERE TO BE WAYS TO, UM, UH, BUILD OUR HOUSING AND PERHAPS SAVE MONEY THING.
AND I'M, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL CAUSE OF THE TIME, BUT THINGS LIKE, UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING A A, A MCMANSION BUILT ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY, HAVE THE ABILITY FOR THAT TO BE A DUPLEX,
[02:15:01]
TRIPLEX, OR FOURPLEX, WHICH WOULD ADD TO THE HOUSING AND PROBABLY WOULDN'T ADD MUCH TO THE COST OF WHAT, OF THE STRUCTURE THAT'S BEING BUILT CANDIDATES THAT I YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT IS, THAT IS PERSONAL TO, TO MY WIFE AND I IN THAT WE HAVE, WE GOT THAT NOTICE FROM THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY LAST SUMMER THAT SAID, 300 MORE DOLLARS A MONTH, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.THAT WAS AN ICE BUCKET, ICE WATER BUCKET MOMENT FOR OUR FAMILY.
AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE HAVEN'T BUILT ENOUGH HOUSING FOR ENOUGH KINDS OF, OF OF PEOPLE.
I WILL DIRECT THE VIEWERS TO MY WEBSITE WHERE IF YOU GO TO HOMES FOR ALL, THERE IS A THOROUGH, UH, BOLD, VISIONARY, URGENT HOUSING PLAN.
AND ONE OF, ONE OF THEM IS, I'VE TALKED ABOUT REPURPOSING COMMERCIAL AND, AND, BUT WE OWN 6,000 TRACKS OF LAND.
AND I'M, AND I'M, WE NEED TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL AND MOVE MORE URGENTLY ON THE LAND THAT WE OWN, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALLOWING PEOPLE WHO FOR HOME, UM, THE, THE PRESERVATION, UH, COMMUNITY AND THE SMALL BUILDER COMMUNITY IS GETTING TOGETHER ON THINGS LIKE CALLED A DENSITY BONUS SO THAT, UH, YOU COULD STILL PRESERVE THE EXISTING HOME, ALLOW, ALLOW MORE BUILDABLE AREA AND PERHAPS PUT A DUPLEX IN THE BACK.
THESE, WE'VE GOT TO, WE'VE GOT TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT BUILDING, UH, INTO THE URBAN INFILL AND ALSO BUILDING IN THOSE MEDIUM SIZE DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
I, I MENTIONED THE, THE, WHAT WAS A HOME DEPOT ON 51ST AND I 35.
WE, THE CITY PURCHASED IT ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO, AND WE KEEP DOING RFPS AND RETHINKING IT.
AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW I WOULD LIKE TO LEAD AS MAYOR, AND THAT IS WITH URGENCY FOR THOSE WHO ARE, WHO CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE HEART OF THIS CITY.
IT'S NOT RIGHT THAT WE ASK INDIVIDUALS TO, TO DRESS OUR WOUNDS AT THE INTERSECTION OF 38TH AND LAMAR AT SETON, BUT THEN THEY GO HOME AT NIGHT TO BEST DROP TEXAS.
IT'S NOT RIGHT THAT WE ASK OUR TEACHERS TO TEACH IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, BUT GO HOME AT NIGHT TO ELGAN, TEXAS.
IT'S THE SINGULAR REASON WHY I'M RUNNING.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF OUR LEAGUE MEMBERS THAT HAVE SAT ON DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THROUGHOUT, AND I WANNA TALK A MINUTE ABOUT THE CITY'S THE CURRENT STATE OF THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WANT YOU TO THINK ROADS, WATER, SEWER SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD GREAT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
AUSTIN HAS DONE A GOOD JOB, BUT YOU'RE GONNA BE INTERACTING WITH LOTS OF THESE DEPARTMENTS AND LEADING LOTS OF BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE? AND WE'LL START WITH CANADA, ISRAEL, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD AUSTIN, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES FROM, FROM AS MUCH AS I EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO, WHO HOLDS THE KEYS TO, TO US MOVING QUICKLY AND IN A VISIONARY FASHION ON HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY.
FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING OVER THE COURSE OF THESE LAST FEW MONTHS, OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, UM, NEED TO BE PAID WELL AND THEY NEED TO BE SUPPORTED.
AND THEY, THEY ARE, THEY HAVE CREATIVE IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS.
THEY NEED THE LEADERSHIP FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT'S GOING TO SAY, WE, WE WANT TO EMPOWER YOU WITH THOSE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR OUR PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES, AND I, WHAT I'M BEING TOLD IS THAT THEY, THERE'S A LOT THAT THEY DON'T NEED US TO TAKE ACTION.
THEY NEED US TO JUST SIMPLY LEAD AND EMPOWER, UH, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THESE, TO THESE INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS. BUT THE ISSUES OF, UH, UM, UH, ENERGY AND AVAILABILITY AND WATER AVAILABILITY, UM, HOW WE'RE GONNA RESPOND IN THE CASE OF A WILDFIRE IN THE FUTURE, WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
RESILIENCY HUBS ARE, ARE PLANNED AND NEED TO BE RESPECTED, AND WE SHOULD THINK THROUGH MORE OF THAT.
THIS IS A BIGHEARTED CITY AND DURING TIMES OF CRISIS, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AROUND THOSE RESILIENCY HUBS AND, UM, THE, THE, THE AIRPORT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED.
THE I 35 NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH, PROJECT CADET NEEDS TO BE, UM, IMPLEMENTED.
AND I, I BELIEVE I HAVE THE SKILLS TO BRING ALL OF THAT TO BEAR AND, AND DO IT WITH, WITH A LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS.
UM, WHEN I SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES ALREADY, AND I'LL SAY IT PROBABLY AGAIN BEFORE THE END OF THE EVENING, THAT CITY HALL'S NOT DOING A GOOD JOB OF TAKING CARE OF THE BASICS.
UH, WHEN I WAS MAYOR, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SET, UH, TO, TO PRESERVE OUR WATER SUPPLY FOR DECADES BECAUSE WE TOOK DECISIVE ACTION AND WE PUT THE DEAL TOGETHER TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, WE'RE SITTING ON ABOUT 25, UH, BILLION DOLLARS OF MONEY THAT'S SET ASIDE FOR, UH, TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
[02:20:01]
NOW, SOME OF THAT INCLUDES PROJECT CONNECT AND SOME OF IT'S THE AIRPORT AND SOME OF IT IS, UM, UH, I 35.BUT THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE, WHERE IT'S BEING SPENT OR HOW IT'S BEING SPENT, AND IT'S NOT BEING SPENT RAPIDLY ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH OUR GROWTH.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO BE HOLD THAT ACCOUNTABLE.
WE NEED TO HOLD EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT.
I'VE CALLED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SESSIONS WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR WE MAKE A FULL REPORT ON A FIVE YEAR RUNNING TIMELINE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS SO THAT WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR GETTING THINGS DONE.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT, UH, IN MY VIEW THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING A NEW DIRECTOR, UH, AT THE WATER UTILITY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK TO, UH, CONTINUED RESILIENCY WITH OUR WATER.
AND WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN THAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER, UH, SO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THE KIND OF WATER WE'RE GONNA NEED FOR THAT.
AND THAT AS PART OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE OWN OUR OWN ELECTRIC UTILITY, WHICH IS A GREAT ASSET.
AND I HAVE FOUGHT TO DEFEND THAT UTILITY IN THE LEGISLATURE SESSION AFTER SESSION.
BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S OPERATING AT A CAPACITY THAT ALLOWS US TO MEET THE NEEDS WE HAVE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE CONSERVATION, BUT WE'RE NOT PUTTING OURSELVES WHERE WE HAVE TO HAVE RATE INCREASES ALL THE TIME.
WELL, THAT 45 MINUTES WENT BY PRETTY DARN FAST ALSO, UM, NOW IF YOU TAKE EACH OF YOU AND WE STARTED WITH, UH, CANADA, ISRAEL.
SO WE'LL START WITH CAN WATSON JUST TELL, GIVE US A ONE MINUTE CLOSING AND TELL THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN WHY YOUR LEADERSHIP'S GONNA MAKE OUR MAKE AUSTIN BETTER? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING THIS AND THANKS FOR EVERYBODY THAT WATCHES IT.
CITY HALL HAS JUST NOT DONE A GOOD JOB OF TAKING CARE OF THE BASICS AND, AND CAUSE OF THAT, UH, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE LOVE ABOUT OUR CITY ARE AT RISK.
I CARE A LOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE NEED IS TO HAVE OUR NEXT MAYOR IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE AS A BIG CITY THAT WE'RE NOT FACING RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THEM TONIGHT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO FOOL AROUND.
WE HAVE TO BE WORKING ON THIS.
VIRTUALLY EVERY QUESTION HAS RESULTED IN PART OF AN ANSWER BEING WE'RE TAKING TOO LONG.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD AND A SENSE OF IMMEDIACY AND AN ABILITY TO MOVE RAPIDLY TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS AND MEET THOSE CHALLENGES.
AND I ASKED FOR YOUR VOTE, THANK YOU, CANDIDATE ISRAEL GROWING UP IN EL PASO, TEXAS.
I, UM, I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE IN THE POSITION THAT I'M IN TODAY.
I AM VERY HONORED TO HAVE SERVED IN THE LEGISLATURE, SERVED OVER OVER NINE YEARS.
UM, I KNOW THAT LITTLE WOULD BE VERY, VERY PROUD OF, OF, OF WHO BIG SULIA HAS BECOME.
UM, I'M NOT LEAVING THE, MY POSITION IN THE LEGISLATURE TO DO MORE STUDY AND ANALYSIS AND TASKFORCE TO BE THE MAYOR OF THE 11TH LARGEST CITY BECAUSE, UM, OUR PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND IT'S NOT RIGHT.
IT'S NOT JUST WE PRETEND TO BE A PROGRESSIVE CITY, BUT THAT CITY WE'RE LOSING.
THAT SPIRIT OF AUSTIN THAT DREW ME HERE IN 1982 THAT SAID TO THIS LESBIAN LATINA, YOU'RE WELCOME IN THIS CITY.
I KNEW THAT I'D BE WELCOME IN THE CITY, BUT WE'RE LOSING THAT SPIRIT OF AUSTIN.
WE ARE BE WE ARE PUSHING PEOPLE OUT INSTEAD OF INVITING THEM IN.
I HAVE BEEN, UH, TESTED BY FIRE AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND I'M READY TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL FOR THE CITY THAT, THAT MOLDED ME IN 1982.
GIVE THESE GUYS, GIVE THESE TWO CANDIDATES A VERY ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
OKAY, Y'ALL HAVE DONE, Y'ALL HAVE DONE YOUR JOB ON A CAMPAIGN.
EARLY VOTING STARTS TOMORROW, DECEMBER THE FIRST.
IT GOES THROUGH FRIDAY, DECEMBER THE NINTH.
THE POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ON SUNDAY, THE POLLS ARE ONLY OPEN FROM 12:00 PM TO 6:00 PM ELECTION DAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH, 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM THE LEAGUE HAS UPDATED THE VOTERS GUIDE AT WWW L W V AUSTIN.ORG AND WE HAVE EDITED IT FOR THE CURRENT RACES.
PLEASE, THE POLLING LOCATIONS CAN BE FOUND@WWWVOTETRAVIS.COM.
FIND A LIST, THERE'S A MAP AND THE WAIT TIMES.
PLEASE GO VOTE AND HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.