* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [City Council Reception on December 15, 2022] [00:00:07] ALL RIGHT, IF I CAN HAVE EVERYONE KIND OF GATHER CLOSER TO THE PODIUM, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED. EVERYONE GATHER CLOSER TO THE PODIUM. I KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP TALKING, BUT WE WILL HAVE A SHORT PROGRAM. NOT REALLY . YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO. DON'T, DON'T BE SHY. AND IF I COULD HAVE OUR HONOREES COME UP TO THE FRONT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD AND JOIN US AT THE FRONT OF THE PODIUM. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT AN AMAZING EVENING. LET'S ALL CHEERS TO THE HOLIDAY. GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO BE HERE AS WE CELEBRATE THE HARD WORK AND REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THOSE WHO ARE MOVING ON FROM THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, BUT VERY MUCH REMAINING AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FAMILY MAYOR ADLER, COUNCIL MEMBERS KITCHEN, TOVO AND RENTERIA HAS BEEN SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE ALONGSIDE OF YOU AS YOUR CITY MANAGER. YOU WERE PART OF THE GROUP THAT BROUGHT ME IN, AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF HAVING TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU OVER THESE PAST FIVE YEARS. YOUR COMMITMENT TO REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND PROVIDES SUCH AN IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS AND THE PEOPLE. INDEED, IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN INTO OUR VISION THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR CITY. THAT LEADERSHIP COMES FROM ITS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF THAT EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. WHETHER YOU'VE SERVED OUT THE COUNCIL FOR EIGHT YEARS OR FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL FOR YOUR WORK AND COMMITMENT TO MAKING AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE. I'M EXTREMELY PROUD TO LOOK BACK ON THIS PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE RECENT YEARS, WORKING ALONGSIDE ALL OF YOU AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM. SO WITH THAT, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN GOVERNMENT, I THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR CITY, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE YOU HERE TONIGHT. I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR PRO AT ALTAR. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO BE IN PERSON AND TO GATHER TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE OUR FOUR OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TOGETHER WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. WE ORGANIZED TONIGHT SO THAT THOSE OF US IN THE CITY WHO'VE WORKED HARD SIDE BY SIDE WITH THESE FOUR COULD COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE AND THANK OUR DEPARTING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR IN ADDITION TO OUR CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE, IF YOU CAN WAVE YOUR HANDS, THAT'D BE GREAT. UM, WE ARE ALSO JOINED BY SEVERAL, UM, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE PART OF THE ORIGINAL TEN ONE OR VARIOUS ITERATIONS WHO SERVE WITH THESE FOUR. WE HAVE CONGRESSMAN ELECT, GREG KASSAR, COUNTY ATTORNEY, DALIA GARZA. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE ELLEN TR CLAIRE'S OFFICE, AND WE HAVE JIMMY FLANAGAN HERE. IS ANYONE ELSE HERE WHO I DIDN'T SEE YET? I DON'T WANT TO FORGET ANYONE. OKAY, GREAT. UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, SEVERAL FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SERVED ON THAT LARGE, WHO WERE INVITED, UM, WHO MAY BE HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, WE HAVE, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE WORKED CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY WITH COVID, UH, JUDGE BROWN, I THINK THAT SENATOR ECKERT I SAW COME IN AND JUDGE HOEN GARDEN. UM, ANY ANYBODY ELSE THAT I MISSED? OKAY, GREAT. UM, I ALSO, BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT THESE FOUR, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, YOU HAVE LENT US THESE FOUR FOR EIGHT PLUS YEARS. UM, I THINK 11 IN THE CASE OF COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO. UM, AND WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SACRIFICES THAT YOU MADE, UM, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU. BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER IS OFTEN A 24 7, SOMETIMES THANKLESS JOB. UM, STEVE, KATHY, AND IN P O TONIGHT, WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. [00:05:01] THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF YOUR TIME IN YOUR LEADERSHIP. EACH OF YOU HAS LEFT AUSTIN A BETTER, MORE EQUITABLE PLACE AS A CITY AND AS A COUNCIL, WE BENEFITED FROM YOUR WISDOM AND THE DECADES OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY THAT YOU EACH BROUGHT TO THE DIAS. YOU EACH STOOD STRONG THROUGH SEVERAL CRISES AND KEPT US FOCUSED ON THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS IN AUSTIN CAN THRIVE. AS MEMBERS OF THE INAUGURAL TEN ONE COUNCIL, YOU HELPED US EXPAND REPRESENTATION AND EFFECTIVELY TRANSITION TO A NEW FORM OF GOVERNANCE. YOU DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH ONE ANOTHER ON EVERY DECISION, BUT THROUGH DELIBERATION AND AT TIMES, LOTS OF IT, WE TOOK THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO. AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU EXPECTED A LOT FROM OUR CITY STRUCTURE, BUT YOU ALSO GAVE A LOT. THANK YOU. LAST WEEK DURING YOUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE HONORED YOU WITH A DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD AND HIGHLIGHTED A FEW OF YOUR KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS TONIGHT. ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, WE OFFER YOU SEVERAL GIFTS OF OUR APPRECIATION THAT WE HOPE WILL REMIND YOU OF ALL THE GOOD TROUBLE THAT WE GOT IN TOGETHER AT CITY HALL. FIRST, WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EACH OF YOU LED ON MOBILITY ISSUES. TODAY, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A MASSIVE 2016 MOBILITY BOND WITH CORRIDOR, REGIONAL SIDEWALK, TRAIL AND BIKE IMPROVEMENTS, BUILDING PROJECT CONNECT, AND EXPANDING OUR AIRPORT AND MORE AS A THANK YOU FOR THE DIRECTION YOU PROVIDED AS WE LEANED INTO THESE BIG INVESTMENTS, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT EACH OF YOU WITH A STREET SIGN. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THE WAY. AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. WE'RE NOT DONE YET. AND IF YOU, IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO PUT THOSE DOWN AND NOT HOLD THEM, OR YOU, YOU CAN. UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I KNOW AT TIMES AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I KNOW AT TIMES YOU WISH THERE WERE SOME CONSTANTS OR PERHAPS A CRYSTAL BALL TO GUIDE YOU. ALAS, WE KNOW THOSE DON'T EXIST IN OUR LINE OF WORK, BUT THAT WON'T KEEP US FROM TRYING TO SHARE ONE WITH YOU AS YOU TRANSITION. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER IF HE COULD PRESENT TO YOU OUR NEW 10, ONE TRADITION OF A CRYSTAL COMMEMORATING YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO ALSO SERVED ON THE, AT LARGE COUNCIL, DEVOTING EVEN MORE YEARS TO OUR CITY. SO WE HAVE EIGHT YEARS AND 11 YEARS, AND THOSE ARE NOTED ON, UM, THE CRYSTALS THAT ARE BEING PASSED OUT. THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. FINALLY, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. YOU HAVE CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD AND POURED YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO YOUR ROLES. SINCE RELATIONSHIPS ARE AT THE CORE OF HOW WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD TOGETHER, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH SIGNED FRAMES FROM YOUR FRIENDS ON COUNCIL. YOU WILL BE MISSED. YOU CAN LEAVE ON THE TABLE BRA. ALMOST DONE. SO, STEVE, KATHY, ANN, AND PIO, WE WISH YOU SOME WEALTH DESERVED REST AND RELAXATION. I AM CONFIDENT THOUGH THAT EACH OF YOU WILL FIND NEW WAYS TO CONTINUE TO SHARE YOUR TALENTS AND VALUES WITH OUR MAGICAL CITY. PERHAPS WE WILL EVEN SEE YOU IN THE WELL OF THE CHAMBERS SOON. THANK YOU FOR DEMONSTRATING YOUR LOVE OF AUSTIN. WITH YEARS IN THE ARENA, YOU'LL BE MISSED AT CITY HALL. THANK YOU. I'M, [00:10:07] I'M NOW GOING TO INVITE EACH OF YOU UP TO MAKE SOME SHORT REMARKS. UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN GIVE YOU THE SPACE THAT YOU NEED, BUT ALSO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL, UM, MEMORIES WITH YOU AFTERWARDS. UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE TIME FOR THAT. SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET US STARTED? THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. IT IS AN HONOR, AN HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE NOT JUST THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MY PAST TWO TERMS AND OFFICE, BUT ALSO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MY COLLEAGUES, OF WHICH ARE MANY. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN. I BEGAN MY SERVICE WHEN I WAS A TEAM AND WORKED AT THE REC RECREATION AID AT THE ACON TWO RECOLLECTION, PAN AMERICAN CENTER. I WORKED AT THE YOUTH CENTER AND I SERVED IN, I ALSO SERVED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD FOR THREE YEARS AND SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FOR 14 YEARS AND AS CHAIR FOR EIGHT YEARS. OVER THE YEARS, I'VE SEEN THIS CITY CHANGE IMMENSELY. ALL THROUGH CHANGE IS EQUITABLE. THE POLICY DECISION FAILED TO MAKE, TAKEN TO CONSIDERATION MY COMMUNITY TIME AND TIME AGAIN. I KNEW IT WAS TIME THAT WE HAD TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE TOO. WHEN I FIRST BEGAN MY SERVICE ON THIS DI, I WAS HONORED TO BE THE FIRST DISTRICT THREE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE NEW TEN ONE SYSTEM. THE TEN ONE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE A MORE DIVERSE AND A REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL. AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT DURING MY TIME, REPRESENTATIVE D THREE THAT I HAVE USED MY VOICE TO ACHIEVE A LASTING BENEFIT FOR MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE CITY OF OFTEN OVER ARM. TAKING ON THE ROAD OF A LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL ISN'T AN EASY ONE, WHICH I'M SURE MY COLLEGE CHAIR TODAY CAN ATTEST TO. HOWEVER, IT IS BEEN A CHALLENGE AND AN HONOR OF A LIFETIME. I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY ON SO MANY POLICY INITIATIVE THAT PUSHED FORWARD AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOAL, EQUITABLE TRANSIT THROUGH MY WORK AS THE CAPITAL METRO BOARD MEMBER AND BOSTON INTER GOVERNOR CONNECTIONS AND ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH THE AUSTIN SATHI SISTER CITY ORGANIZATION. ALL THROUGH, I MIGHT NOT HAVE ACHIEVED EVERYTHING I WANTED TO DURING MY TENURE, ALWAYS VOTED. WITH EAST AUSTIN HISTORY AND FUTURE IN MIND. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT MY TIME ON COUNCIL WAS A LOT, HAS ALLOWED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE A VERY IMPORTANT LIGHT ON THE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE DISENFRANCHISE SO THAT WE CAN BETTER, BETTER MAKE EFFECTIVE POLICY DECISION DECISIONS THAT WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON AUSTIN COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, I DID NOT ACHIEVE MY SUCCESS ALONE. NONE OF THESE ACHIEVEMENTS COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE UNDERLYING SUPPORT OF MY COMMUNITY. THE HARDWORKING CITY DIRECTORS AND STAFF, THE COMMISSIONERS OF D THREE AND MY DEDICATED TEAM ALL THROUGH. THERE ARE SOME FACES MISSING HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY SINCE HAVE SINCE MOVED ON SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND NEW CAPACITY. MY STAFF HAS BEEN ALONGSIDE ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, AND I OWE MY DEBT OF GRATITUDE. LASTLY, I COULD HAVE NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT MY FAMILY AND ESPECIALLY MY WIFE LORI, ALSO KNOWN AS THE FIRST LADY OFFI THREE. LORI, I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR YOUR ACCEPTANCE AND SUPPORT, DESPITE THE LONG HOURS, FREQUENT TRIPS, AND EVEN THE HARASSMENT THAT WE HAVE HAD TO ENDURE FROM TIME TO TIME, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU ALL THROUGH. TODAY IS MY LAST TIME ADDRESSING YOU AS, AS YOUR DISTRICT THREE REPRESENTATIVE. IT WILL NOT BE BE THE END OF MY SERVICE TO, TO MY COMMUNITY. THERE HAS, THERE IS STILL MUCH MORE WORK TO BE DONE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING MY INVOLVEMENT [00:15:01] AND ADVOCACY WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A NEW CAPACITY, WHILE ALSO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH MY BELOVED, MY LOVED ONES, INCLUDING MY NEWEST GRANDSON, MAXIMO. THANK YOU. THANK EVERY CAN I GIVE YOU A HUG COUNCIL? WELL, HELLO EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND, AND THANK YOU CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED. I'VE, I'VE, AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A STREET SIGN . SO, SO, UM, I HAVE PLENTY OF SIGNS ABOUT MY NAME AND KITCHENS AND THINGS, AND SO A STREET SIGN IS, IS PERFECT. SO, UM, SO I WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO IT IS, IT IS AMAZING, UH, TO BE HERE. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. IT'S TRULY BEEN A WILD RIDE WITH A LOT OF GOOD, SOME BAD, AND SOME TOO EARLY TO TELL . UM, I'M VERY, VERY THANKFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS PART OF THE FIRST TEN ONE COUNCIL, I RAN FOR COUNCIL BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT THE CHANGE IN OUR CITY'S GOVERNANCE WAS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE THE SHIP FORWARD. AND I, I THINK WE DID. THE NEW COUNCIL STRUCTURE ALLOWED US TO SEE THE CITY WITH FRESH EYES AND RENEWED ENTHUSIASM. AND I AM PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. I BELIEVE THE TEN ONE SYSTEM HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER FOR THIS CITY. IT IS PROVIDED A WAY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO CHALLENGES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY. IT SHOWED US THAT WHILE WE MAY FACE SIMILAR ISSUES, WE SOMETIMES NEED TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY IMPACT PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY. ONE SIZE DOESN'T ALWAYS FIT ALL. AND AUSTIN AND AUSTIN, THESE LAST FEW YEARS, AS WE ALL KNOW, HAS BEEN, HAS HAD MORE THAN A FEW PROBLEMS TO LEARN THIS LESSON. IN JUST THE LAST FOUR YEARS, OUR CITY HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH MORE THAN A FEW LIFE-CHANGING CHALLENGES, PANDEMIC, DEADLY FREEZES, DROUGHT, OVERHEATED GROWTH, POLICING ISSUES, UNAFFORDABILITY, AND MUCH MORE. I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I'VE BEEN PART OF A COUNCIL, A CITY GOVERNMENT, AND A COMMUNITY THAT HAS FOUGHT FOR SOLUTIONS TO MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. AND WHILE I CAN'T SPEAK TO EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW IN THIS SHORT TIME, AND DON'T WORRY, I WON'T TRY . SO, UH, THERE ARE SOME SUCCESSES THAT I, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ON COVID. I'M PROUD TO HAVE WORKED TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR SENIORS, UH, LIVING IN, IN NURSING FACILITIES. WITH PROJECT CONNECT, WE'VE CREATED AN AMAZING COMPREHENSIVE TRANSIT SYSTEM WITH A FOCUS, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOCUS ON EQUITY AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT. WE'VE TAKEN BIG STEPS FROM OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUSTIN CARES PROGRAM, WHICH PLACES MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS IN OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER. UH, WE'VE LEVERAGED FUNDING TO PRESERVE ICONIC VENUES AND CREATIVE SPACES WITH OUR NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT WATER FORWARD TO PROTECT OUR MOST PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCE. AND WE SHOULDN'T FORGET THE NUMEROUS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESS ADVANCES FROM THE HEAL INITIATIVE'S. NEW WAY TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND SERVICES, TO THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLOOM BLUEPRINT, BM U TWO, UH, AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED. I SEE GREG OVER THERE. UM, THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE MORE TO ADVANCE HOUSING THAN ANY OTHER COUNCIL IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY. WE HAVE SUCCEEDED AT ADDRESSING IMPORTANT CHALLENGES, BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. CITIES CONTINUALLY EVOLVE AND EVERY COUNCIL BILLS ON WHAT CAME BEFORE LEARNING FROM WHAT WORKED AND DIDN'T, AND COLLABORATING WITH CITY STAFF IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER. IT MAKES ME REALIZE THAT WHAT WE MIGHT SEE AS A SPRINT AND FEELS LIKE A SPRINT IS ACTUALLY A RELAY RACE WITH THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE. AND FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW, I'M PROUD AND FEEL FORTUNATE TO HAVE SERVED THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AUSTIN IN OUR CITY WITH MY EXTRAORDINARY TEAM IN THE DISTRICT FIVE OFFICE, WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL, AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND OUR AMAZING CITY STAFF. AND WHILE I CAN'T THANK EVERYONE, I DO BELIEVE THAT SOME THANKS FOR IN ORDER. I [00:20:01] WANT TO FIRST RECOGNIZE MY VERY TALENTED DISTRICT FIVE STAFF TEAM WORKING FOR THE CITY AND REPRESENTING PEOPLE IS A 24 7 ACTIVITY. SOMETHING THAT NO COUNCIL MEMBER EVER DOES ALONE. MY DISTRICT FIVE STAFF HAS BEEN TOGETHER OVER THESE LAST SEVEN TO EIGHT YEARS, WHICH IS AN EXTRAORDINARY TESTAMENT TO THEIR ABILITY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A JOB THAT WE ALL KNOW IS TOUGH. I WANNA THANK DONNA AND KEN AND JASON AND DORA. I WILL, I WILL MISS YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I KNOW THAT EACH ONE OF YOU IS PASSIONATE ABOUT CARING FROM PEOPLE, FOR PEOPLE, AND WILL CONTINUE YOUR GREAT WORK FOR THIS CITY. AND I WISH YOU THE VERY, VERY BEST. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL WHO WILL BE CONTINUING THEIR WORK FOR OUR CITY. THE TOUGHEST JOB OF A COUNCIL MEMBER IS TO IDENTIFY LASTING SOLUTIONS, WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITY STAFF AND THE PUBLIC IN A WAY THAT BUILDS TRUST AND CONSENSUS. I WISH YOU ALL CREATIVITY, WISDOM, AND ENERGY TO FIND A PATH THROUGH THROUGH OUR DIFFICULT PROBLEMS. I ALSO WANNA THANK SAY THAT I APPRECIATE GREATLY THE CITY MANAGER, UM, AND OUR DEDICATED, HARDWORKING CITY STAFF. IT IS NOT EASY TO OPERATE A CITY OF THIS SIZE, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF SOLVING PROBLEMS. THEY ARE RESPONSIVE, HARDWORKING, TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK, AND THEY MAKE OUR LIVES POSSIBLE HERE. AND TO MY FELLOW TEN ONE COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SAYING GOODBYE TO TODAY, I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PO RENTERIA. HE IS A LONGTIME COMMUNITY ADVOCATE FOR HOUSING, FOR TRANSIT AND MORE, AND HAS BROUGHT MUCH NEEDED PERSPECTIVE TO OUR COUNCIL. HE RAN FOR COUNCIL TO IMPROVE THIS COMMUNITY, AND HE HAS SUCCEEDED. I DEEPLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KATHY TOVO, WHO BROUGHT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO OUR NEW TEN ONE COUNCIL. SHE IS A TIRELESS WORKER WITH INEXHAUSTIBLE ENERGY, AS WE ALL KNOW, FOR DETAILS AND FACTS. AND I HAVE ADMIRED AND LEARNED FROM HER LEADERSHIP ON MANY ISSUES. I WISH HER REST AND TIME TO ENJOY HER LIFE AFTER ALMOST 12 YEARS ON THE COUNCIL. AND I ESPECIALLY WANNA RECOGNIZE MAYOR STEVE ADLER. THE JOB OF MAYOR IS TOUGHER THAN MOST PEOPLE EVER REALIZE. AND IT REQUIRES A PERSON TO PUT THEMSELVES ON THE LINE EVERY DAY IN SO MANY WAYS. MAYOR ADLER HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING MAYORS WE'VE EVER HAD IN THIS CITY. AND I, FOR ONE, APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOUR LEADERSHIP HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE AND MADE US A BETTER CITY. FINALLY, I WANNA THANK OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CAP METRO, THE ATP BOARD MEMBERS, UM, JUDGE HOEN GARDEN, AND ALL THE OTHERS THAT I'VE SEEN HERE, UH, TONIGHT. UH, ALL THE COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT DO SO MUCH KNOW THAT I VALUE AND APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION AND CARING. AND LAST, BUT MO BUT MOST IMPORTANT, I WANT TO THANK THE THOUSANDS OF AUSTIN KNIGHTS WHOSE WORK MAKES OUR COMMUNITY WHO WE ARE AND HAVE GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR CITY. THERE'S ONE FINAL THANKS THAT I WANT TO, TO GIVE AND, AND THAT IS TO MY DEAR HUSBAND, MARK, MY PARTNER, WHO I LOVE VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MARK. THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TIME IN MY LIFE. COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, THANK YOU. UM, AND THANK YOU TO SO MANY OF YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED AT CITY HALL, THE FIRST TIME TO TESTIFY, I NEVER DREAMED THAT I MIGHT SOMEDAY BE A COUNCIL MEMBER, OR THAT I WOULD FIND MYSELF LEADING THE PRIDE PARADE AS THE GRAND MARSHALL, OR DANCING AS BALLET AUSTIN'S MOTHER GINGER, OR THAT I'D BE UP IN A FORKLIFT PULLING THE LEVER TO RELEASE THOUSANDS OF TENNIS BALLS TO A SEA OF ANXIOUSLY AWAITING PUPPIES FOR THE ANIMAL CENTER. UM, OR THAT I WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR MORE THAN 11 YEARS ALONGSIDE ALL OF YOU TO SUPPORT EVERYDAY AUSTINITES, MY PATH TO THE DIAS BEGAN AS, [00:25:01] AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, WHEN I FIRST TESTIFIED DOWN HERE ABOUT AN ISSUE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT. THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS SERVING ON NEIGHBORHOOD BOARDS WITH JACK AND OTHERS, STARTING THE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, SERVING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER A LAST MINUTE RUN AGAINST A VERY WELL-FUNDED INCUMBENT. AND WHEN I WAS ELECTED IN 2011, THE EX, THE ADVICE I RECEIVED FROM THE EXITING COUNCIL MEMBER WAS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF EACH DAY ON CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE THE TIME GOES SO FAST. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. UM, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR NEW MAYOR ELECT AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECT, ESPECIALLY AS THOUGH CADRE THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT NINE. UM, AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME, IF ANY OF YOU ARE, ARE HERE TONIGHT, I'D LIKE YOU WELCOME YOU TO CITY HALL AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR ELECTION. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE THIS CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE. AND I PASS ALONG TO YOU THE SAME MESSAGE. THE TIME GOES FAST. I KNOW YOU'LL MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT, AND THERE IS SO MUCH IMPORTANT WORK TO BE DONE. SERVING ON COUNCIL HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING AND OFTEN DIFFICULT WORK, AND I HAVE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT, OR ALMOST EVERY MINUTE. WHEN I RAN, I PROMISED I WOULD PUT EVERY DAY AUSTIN KNIGHTS FIRST. AND WITHOUT HESITATION, I'M PROUD TO SAY I KEPT THAT PROMISE. DURING MY TIME ON COUNCIL, I WAS HONORED TO SPONSOR OR CO-SPONSOR SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MORE THAN 700 COUNCIL CREWS RESOLUTIONS, ORDINANCES, AND BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND TO NAME A FEW. I WAS REALLY PROUD TO LEAD THE EFFORT TO OPEN THE SOBERING CENTER, WHICH WAS AN IDEA THAT JUDGE HOEN GARTON, WHO'S HERE WITH US THIS EVENING, HAD KEPT ALIVE FOR DECADES. SO THANK YOU JUDGE HOEN GARTON FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, THAT'S ALREADY PROVIDED MORE THAN 4,000 INDIVIDUALS WITH A PLACE TO GO AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO JAIL OR THE HOSPITAL. I WAS PROUD TO HELP WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITH THE HUNDRED YEAR WATER FORWARD PLAN, AND WITH THE EFFORT TO BRING MAJOR SOCCER, UH, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER TO AUSTIN TO AND TO USE OUR CITY OWNED LAND FOR THE Q2 STADIUM. AND ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT IS BECAUSE IT HAS HAD SUCH A TREMENDOUS EFFECT IN REALLY PROMOTING YOUTH SOCCER HERE IN OUR CITY. IN ADDITION TO JUST BEING A GREAT AND SUPER FUN UNIFYING FORCE, MY INITIATIVES HAVE HELPED BUILD RESTROOMS AND WATER FOUNTAINS IN OUR DOWNTOWN AND WILL RESULT IN A NETWORK OF RESILIENCE HUBS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND SAFETY DURING EMERGENCIES. AND I'M PERHAPS PROUDEST OF THE WAY MY TEAM AND I HAVE PRIORITIZED THE NEEDS OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS FROM EXPANDING RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, TO CREATING A WORKFORCE PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, TO DISTRIBUTING, TO IDENTIFYING FUNDS THAT ENDED UP DISTRIBUTING MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION MEALS TO CAREGIVERS AND PARENTS OF A I S D STUDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND THERE ARE A LOT MORE INITIATIVES THAT, THAT I COULD TALK ABOUT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE IS THAT I CERTAINLY DIDN'T DO THIS WORK ON MY OWN. ALL OF THIS WORK WAS DEPENDENT ON, CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY, THEIR GOOD IDEAS, THEIR INPUT, THEIR COLLABORATION, AND OF COURSE THE COLLABORATION OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON COUNCIL AS A COMMUNITY AND A REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL. WE'VE DONE GREAT THINGS TOGETHER, BIG THINGS TOGETHER. YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THEM. PROJECT CONNECT, RAISING OUR CITY'S WAGES, CONSTRUCTION SAFETY STANDARDS AND FAIR WAGES FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS PASSING REALLY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION LIKE THE GENERATION PLAN, THE ZERO WASTE PLAN, CLIMATE EQUITY. AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. AT YESTERDAY'S FINAL PUBLIC HEALTH MEETING, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK, UM, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND I ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE AREA OF HOMELESSNESS. AND WHILE WE'VE MADE MUCH PROGRESS, THIS IS REALLY AN AREA THAT'S GOING TO NEED CONTINUED FOCUS AS WELL, BECAUSE FAR TOO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS CONTINUE TO SLEEP ON THE STREETS AND IN THE CREEKS OF OUR CITY. AND THAT'S NOT OKAY. UM, WE HAVE TAKEN AND MADE AN, UH, INCREDIBLE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT FROM THIS CITY. AND FINDING HOME ATX IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS DOING SO AS WELL. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY NOW TO END HOMELESSNESS IN THIS CITY, AND WE MUST, AND WE CAN. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I'D LIKE TO ALSO THANK SOME SPECIAL PEOPLE. UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER AND TO YOUR INCREDIBLE CITY STAFF. IN THE LAST DECADE THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THEY HAVE NAVIGATED A MAJOR TRANSFORMATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS, UM, RESPONDING TO TWO MAJOR DROUGHTS, DEVASTATING FLOODS, SERIAL BOMBINGS, A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND A WINTER STORM. AND THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES PASSED, AND PRESIDENTS. REALLY NICE TO SEE SO MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE PAST WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE NONPROFIT AND THE LABOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELP US GET GREAT WORK DONE TO THE MEDIA WHO COVER CITY HALL AND KEEP US ALL ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR WORK. AND TO MY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS, MANY OF WHOM ARE HERE TONIGHT, OR SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TONIGHT. AND I'D LIKE TO SEND OUT A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY STAFF, CURRENT AND PAST. UM, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE HERE TONIGHT. SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU JUST A SIGNAL, JOY HARDEN SHANNON HALLE, WHO'S NOT HERE WITH US. NIKKI HUFF, ASHLEY RICHARDSON, AMY SMITH, BOBBY LEVINSKY, CYNTHIA MILLER, [00:30:02] KAREN PERKINS, NICOLE GOLDEN, AFA, PHILLIPS, JAKE CURL, AND MY INTERNS THROUGH THE YEARS, EUNICE, NIA SHILPA AND RONNIE. UM, THIS TEAM HAS HELPED ME CREATE AND PA SHAPE AND PASS IMPACTFUL LEGISLATION ON A MYRIAD OF TOPICS. AND AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THE WORK OF A COUNCIL OFFICE EXTENDS REALLY FAR BEYOND COUNCIL MEETINGS. MY STAFF HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ASSIST CONSTITUENTS. THEY HAVE WALKED TO CITY HALL AFTER THE ICE STORM TO HELP WITH WATER DISTRIBUTIONS, TO SUPPORTING TENANTS FACING EVICTION, TO REQUESTING WELFARE CHECKS FOR CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE CALLED OUR OFFICE IN CRISIS. THE DISTRICT NINE STAFF PASSED AND PRESENT HAVE ALWAYS GONE TO EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS TO ASSIST AUSTIN KNIGHTS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY LIVED IN OUR DISTRICT. AND I AM SO ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU. UM, AFTER THIS DISCUSSION, UM, I HAVE A DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD THAT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT TO EACH ONE OF YOU. YOU ARE, ARE WELL DESERVING OF THAT HONOR, SO THANK YOU. AND I'D LOVE TO, UM, INVITE OUR ROUND APPLAUSE AND HUGE, HUGE THANKS TO MY CONSTITUENTS. I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY WHO ELECTED ME IN 2011 AND THE VOTERS OF DISTRICT NINE WHO REELECTED ME IN 2014 AND 2018. IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE HONOR TO SERVE YOU ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. SO THE DISTRICT NINE OFFICE RECEIVES VOLUMES OF CONSTITUENT EMAIL PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEK. UM, BUT A SPECIAL ONE KIND OF STANDS OUT FOR ME. IT CAME IN A BATCH WITH LOTS OF OTHER EMAILS WE WERE GETTING BACK IN JUNE 18, AS, AS OUR COUNCIL STARTED TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO USE THE MCCULLOUGH CITY OWNED PROPERTY FOR A SOCCER STADIUM, UM, OR TO SAVE IT AND, AND BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING INSTEAD. AND ONE DAY NIKKI CALLED MY ATTENTION TO, TO ONE THAT SHE WANTED ME TO READ BEFORE THE OTHER BATCH. DEAR DR. KATHY, THE EMAIL READ, I KNOW THIS SUBJECT HAS EATEN A LOT OF YOUR TIME, BUT I DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT THIS SOCCER THING. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO THE SOCCER THING BECAUSE YOU CAN DO THE OTHER THING SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT ALSO PEOPLE'S NEEDS ARE BIGGER THAN THEIR WANTS. SO THE HOUSING WOULD BE THEIR NEED, BUT THE SOCCER WOULD BE THEIR WANT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH YOU ABOUT THIS THING. I'M ABLE TO DO IT ANYTIME NEXT WEEK. AND IT TOOK ME A MINUTE AFTER READING TO REALIZE THAT THE EMAIL HAD COME FROM MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, NOW, NOT NOW, 15 CHOLI, WHICH BRINGS MY NEXT THANKS TO MY TWO FAVORITE CONSTITUENTS. CHO LEE AND ELLA. ELLA AND CHARLI. I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU. YOU SPEAK UP WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT FAIR, AND YOU'RE NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK UP WHEN YOU HAVE IDEAS OR YOU WANNA SEE CHANGES. AND YOU'VE BEEN WITH ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN AN EASY JOURNEY. UM, YOU'VE BEEN WITH ME FROM MY FIRST COUNCIL CAMPAIGN THROUGH LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS, WHETHER THEY HAPPENED AT THE GROCERY STORE OR AT CHURCH, UM, OR AROUND THE HOUSE. AND YOU WERE EVEN MY OFFICE MATES DURING THE PANDEMIC. SOMETHING I KNOW YOU REALLY ENJOYED . YOU'VE EXPERIENCED PROTESTS AT OUR HOUSE, UH, THREATENING EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS, AND YOU'VE BEEN AMAZINGLY GOOD SPORTS AS WE NAVIGATED ALL OF THOSE THINGS, INCLUDING OUR PACKED SCHEDULES. UM, I THINK YOU'VE EATEN MORE MEALS PROBABLY IN OUR CAR THAN WE'VE EATEN AT OUR TABLE AS WE RACED FROM SCHOOL BETWEEN YOUR ACTIVITIES AND MINE. UM, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOUR DAD, TOM HURT, WHO'S ALSO WITH US TONIGHT. THANK YOU, TOM. YOU HAVE BEEN A HUGE SUPPORT THROUGH MY YEARS ON COUNCIL, AND I CERTAINLY COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS JOB IN THE WAY I HAVE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT. MANY OF THE ISSUES OUR COUNCIL HAS TACKLED ARE, ARE PRETTY INTRACTABLE, AND THEY'LL TAKE TIME TO SOLVE. WE'VE MADE PROGRESS, BUT THERE'S STILL IMPORTANT WORK TO DO FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE STAYING ON. AND THE NEXT COUNCIL, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY ENDING HOMELESSNESS, ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE, HELPING FAMILIES STAY IN AUSTIN AS A CITY, AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THESE AND OTHER ISSUES. AND WE MUST, AND AS I THINK MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT ATTEST, I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO GIVES UP EASILY WHEN I THINK WE CAN GET TO A BETTER OUTCOME AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY, I PERSIST. AND SO AS I LEAVE CITY HALL NOW TO PURSUE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THOSE SAME QUESTIONS THAT BROUGHT ME HERE. HOW DO WE MAKE OUR CITY A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE? AND HOW CAN AUSTIN BECOME A CITY WHERE ALL CAN THRIVE AT? UH, THE 2011 INAUGURATION PA PASTOR PAUL ESCAMIA, WHO COINCIDENTALLY WAS MY PASTOR AT THE TIME, SPOKEN AS INVOCATION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF CIVIC LEADERSHIP. AND HE SAID THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND THE DAUNTING TASKS HE SAID ARE LIGHTENED BECAUSE SO MANY OTHERS STAY STAND BESIDE US AND LABOR ALONGSIDE US. AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND FOR LABORING ALONGSIDE US. ALL OF THESE PAST YEARS, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE BEFORE OUR CITY ARE GREAT. AND I LI AS I LEAVE CITY HALL NOW, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THOSE SAME QUESTIONS. AND THOUGH I WILL LEAVE MY ROLE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO CONTINUE THIS WORK TO MAKE AUSTIN A PLACE WHERE ALL CAN THRIVE. SO, THANK YOU [00:35:05] MAYOR. THIS IS, UH, EXTRAORDINARILY AND WONDERFULLY SWEET AND KIND. UH, MAYOR PROAM AND, AND CONTINUING COLLEAGUES CHEETO AND, AND, AND PAIGE AND, AND MACKENZIE AND THE OTHERS. AND, AND, AND THE COLLEAGUES DEPARTING WITH ME. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THEM. THIS IS A SPECTACULAR JOB. UH, TO BE ABLE TO, TO HELP LEAD IN, IN, IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE, I THINK IS UNPARALLELED. I I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A POSITION IN GOVERNMENT THAT, THAT RIVALS BEING ABLE TO BE A LOCAL, ELECTED OFFICIAL IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES YOU CAN HAVE AT SCALE. UH, AND, AND I AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH, WITH THIS TEN ONE GROUP OF, OF COUNCIL MEMBERS GOING BACK EIGHT YEARS. YOU KNOW, IT IS, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THIS IS A LONELY JOB. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A UNITED STATES SENATOR, OFTENTIMES YOU CAN GO TO THE GROCERY STORE WITHOUT HAVING EIGHT PEOPLE STOP YOU TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE POTHOLE IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME OR WHAT THEY NEED TO GET DONE. BUT IN THIS JOB, YOU ARE LIVING IN WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS IN RESIDENCE OF YOUR CITY. AND, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THIS GROUP BECAUSE I FEEL A SPECIAL BOND. AND I KNOW WE DO ALL OF US WITH ONE ANOTHER. WE WERE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. YOU CAN JUST READ THE PEOPLE THAT COMMENT ON OUR TWITTER FEEDS TO KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND BEFORE I START, I, IF I COULD, IN THE HOUSEKEEPING MEASURE, WE HAVE THREE OF OUR FORMER COLLEAGUES THAT ARE, THAT ARE WITH US, UH, HERE TONIGHT. AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND GIVE PEOPLE IN THE CITY A CHANCE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THEM. UH, IN OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, UH, I, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT AS MAYOR, DEPARTING MAYOR, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE OUT PARDONS, UH, WHICH IS, I GUESS I'D BE PRESIDENT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UH, BUT, BUT, BUT I DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GIVE OUT KEYS TO THE CITY. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REAL IMPORTANT TO GIVE A KEY TO THE CITY, TO EACH OF THE TEN ONE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I GAVE ONE TO, TO US AS WE WERE TOGETHER GATHERED AS A GROUP. WE HAVE SOME OTHERS WITH US TODAY. AND I WANNA BEGIN WITH JIMMY FLANAGAN, MEMBER OF THE TEN ONE COUNCIL. WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEY DANIEL GARZA AND CONGRESSMAN ELECT GREG KASSAR. I THINK THERE'LL ALWAYS BE A SPECIAL BOND WITH THE GROUP OF US THAT, THAT SERVED IN THIS POSITION. WE WERE ENTRUSTED ALMOST AS TRUSTEES OF A NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT WITH SUCH EXPECTATIONS THAT VOICES FROM ALL OVER THE CITY WOULD BE HEARD. UH, THAT, THAT THERE WOULD BE NEW EMPHASIS ON EQUITY AND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES CITYWIDE. THAT, THAT ALL OF THE TALENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY WOULD BE BROUGHT TO BEAR. AND I, AND I THINK WE DID GOOD BY THAT, THAT PROMISE, UH, AND THAT POTENTIAL. AND I'M, AND I'M AS PROUD OF THAT AS, AS ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, TO ACCOMPLISH AS, AS A COUNCIL. UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, THE, THE, THE VOTERS, UH, THAT PUT ME INTO THIS, UH, OFFICE. CUZ AS I SAID BEFORE, NO GREATER HONOR COULD, COULD COME TO ANYONE. I THINK I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE LARGER GROUP OF RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY WHO HAVE CONSTANTLY BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO ME, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ACCESS THAT I'VE HAD, TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO ALL CORNERS OF THIS CITY. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW INSPIRING IT HAS BEEN TO SEE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY SO MANY AND SO MANY PARTS OF OUR TOWN. UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME NAIVELY THAT I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT MADE CITIES WORK. UH, AND THE LESSON FOR ME OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS IS THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE. THAT, THAT, THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CITIES WORK BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE AND THE THINGS THAT THEY DO. AND AT BEST CITY [00:40:01] GOVERNMENT FILLS IN THE GAPS IN THAT CITY. UH, AND, AND I AM AM ALWAYS SO IMPRESSED BY AND INDEBTED TO, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS MAGICAL PLACE. I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO TOGETHER AS A GROUP. UH, THIS WAS A SERIES OF COUNCILS THAT NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WAS FACING US, WHETHER IT BE POLITICALLY EASY OR HARD, AND I'M NOT SURE I KNOW WHAT THE POLITICALLY EASY THINGS WERE, , BUT WE WERE WILLING TO AND, AND KNOW THAT WE WERE NEEDED. WE WERE ELECTED TO DEAL WITH THE HARDEST THINGS. AND, AND WE DID, UH, ON MOBILITY, RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING AT A SCALE THAT WAS UNHEARD OF AND UNIMAGINED, UH, TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY THAT WE KNEW FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WAS GONNA BE DIS DIVISIVE AND DISRUPTIVE. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TO HAPPEN TO BE ABLE TO INSTILL EQUITY AND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY IN EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY AND CITY GOVERNMENT DOES. YOU KNOW, WE, WE, AS A COUNCIL TRIED TO AVOID CONTROVERSY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. WE JUST WEREN'T VERY GOOD AT IT. AND I, AND I, AND I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY THE, THE MOTIVATION OF TRYING TO DO RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN KATHY TALKED ABOUT, UH, YOU TIME GOES QUICKLY. THIS IS THE, THE FIRST AND ONLY JOB I HAVE EVER HAD. WHERE ON THE DAY THAT I TOOK OFFICE, I KNEW EXACTLY HOW MANY MINUTES I HAD LEFT IN THIS JOB. UH, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, THAT LED ME TO MAKING PROBABLY VERY POOR CHOICES ON LIFE WORK BALANCE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE SAND WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE, THE, THE CLOCK. I WANT TO THANK CITY STAFF, UH, MANAGER, YOU AND, AND TO LOOK AROUND THE ROOM. I THINK IT'S REALLY FITTING THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE ARE CITY STAFF. UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE INTEGRALLY INVOLVED IN CITY GOVERNMENT. THE, THE, THE CHIEFS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT, THE, THE, THE LABOR ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE WITH US TONIGHT. THE, THE ADVOCACY GROUPS. WHEN YOU ARE SITTING AT THIS PLACE KNOWING YOU'RE LEAVING AND THERE IS ANOTHER GROUP COMING IN, AND YOU'VE SEEN TWO GROUPS COMING IN BEFORE YOU COME AND GO, IT REMINDS YOU OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO PUBLIC SERVICE WITHOUT AN ELECTED OFFICE. AND, AND TITLE, BECAUSE THERE IS THE, THE, THE WAR ROOM OF ANY CITY. THERE IS THE BANK, UH, OF ANY CITY. AND AS I LOOK AROUND THE ROOM WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, AND I THINK HOW MUCH YOU TAUGHT ME, UH, OVER THIS EIGHT YEARS, I WANT TO SAY, UH, I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO YOU, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL STAFFS THAT ARE HERE, NOT, NOT MINE, BUT THE OTHER COUNCIL STAFFS, UH, THAT I HAVE SEEN DO WORK ON THE SECOND FLOOR THAT I'VE SEEN, COME INTO MY OFFICE AND, AND WORK WITH MY STAFF THAT I SEE IN THE BULLPEN WHILE WE'RE DOING MEETINGS, SENDING OUT THE SOS MESSAGES TO COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T SCREW UP AND THEY WOULD KNOW WHAT, WHAT IT WAS THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN NEXT. UH, YOU ARE, YOU ARE AN AN AND JUST AN, AN UNUSUAL GROUP OF PUBLIC SERVANTS, UH, IN THIS CITY. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK AND I GET A CHANCE TOMORROW AS, AS WE GATHER MY STAFF. UH, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, MICHAEL MCGILL AND UM, UH, UH, UH, LIZZIE LEWIS, UH, HERE TONIGHT. AND, AND MORGAN, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, BARBARA, UH, WHO IS A FIXTURE IN THIS BUILDING. NOW, I WANNA MOST SIGNIFICANTLY THANK MY, MY TWO CHIEFS OF STAFF, JOHN, JOHN MICHAEL CORTEZ, UH, WHO REALLY LAUNCHED US AND WAS ALL THINGS MOBILITY AND ALL THINGS LAND USE, UH, IN MY OFFICE AND LESLIE VA GEESE, UM, UH, CHIEF OF STAFFER FOR FIVE OF THE EIGHT YEARS WHO, WHO I WATCHED IN AWE OWN ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO, TO RUN AN OFFICE AND, AND TO, AND TO HELP, UH, A GROUP OF PEOPLE, BE A TEAM AND TO, AND TO WORK TOGETHER. I WANT TO THANK, UH, MY, MY FAMILY, UH, AND, UH, DIANE. UH, AND MY DIANE AND I HAVE ALWAYS DONE EVERYTHING TO TOGETHER, GOING BACK TO OUR RELATIONSHIP, STARTING ON BOARDS AND ON [00:45:01] PANELS. JUST, WE JUST HAVE ALWAYS DONE IT TOGETHER. UH, AND THIS JOB WAS NO DIFFERENT. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, I TRIED TO FORMALIZE THAT A LITTLE BIT BACK IN 2015, HAD MY NOSE BIT OFF . UM, BUT DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE COULDN'T FORMALIZE IT THAT WAY, SHE HAS BEEN THERE WITH ME AND WORKING, UH, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. IT IS MY GOAL IN JANUARY TO BE IN HER FACE SO MUCH. UH, AND IN THE FACE OF MY THREE GIRLS SO MUCH IN JANUARY THAT BY THE END OF JANUARY, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND ME A JOB. . I WANNA SAY THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A GLORIOUS EIGHT YEARS. I THINK THAT WE HAVE DONE RIGHT BY THE TRUST THAT THE CITY, UH, HAS GIVEN TO US IN THIS, UH, TEN ONE COUNCIL. I THINK WE MADE NOT ONLY LIFE BETTER IN THIS EIGHT YEARS, BUT, BUT IMPROVED THE PROSPECT OVER THE, THE NEXT 20 YEARS. THIS IS A MAGICAL PLACE, THIS CITY. UH, AND AND DESPITE ANYTHING THAT TEXAS MONTHLY MIGHT WRITE AND, AND ALL THE MAGAZINE ARTICLES SAYING THE SAME THING THAT I READ OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS, THIS IS A CITY THAT IS DEFINED BY ITS PEOPLE. AND AS LONG AS WE CAN KEEP OUR PEOPLE HERE, THE MAGIC OF THIS CITY, THAT INTANGIBLE QUALITY THAT MAKES US DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD WILL BE PRESERVED BECAUSE WE CAN DO CHANGE WELL, SO LONG AS WE STAY TRUE TO WHO WE ARE. WE'VE TRIED TO DO THAT. MY COLLEAGUES AND I THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION TONIGHT AND GOD'S SPEED GOING FORWARD. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS AND KELLY AND BAYLA TO JOIN US. WE HAD A COUPLE OTHER MEMBERS WHO HAD THINGS COME UP AND WERE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT. UM, I WANNA, UM, CONCLUDE BY THANKING THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS EVENING POSSIBLE. UM, THE CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, ESPECIALLY JASON ALEXANDER, SAMMY CURTIS, ROSEMARIE MARTINEZ, AND KA GADE. AMINA SHAKI IN MY OFFICE. UM, TONIGHT WAS MEANT TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TO CELEBRATE AND THANK YOU, UM, AND TO DO IT. THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN WORKING BY YOUR SIDE, UM, REALLY HARD, UM, CONTRIBUTING THEIR OWN LIVES TO SERVICE OVER THESE MANY, MANY YEARS. UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE, UM, BY, IN ADDITIONALLY, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT RYAN AL ALTER, WHO IS HERE, UM, MAYOR, MAYOR ELECT WATSON WAS HERE EARLIER, AND I DON'T THINK JOSE OR ORZO WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT. UM, BUT I WANT TO CONCLUDE BY ALL OF US, INCLUDING MY COLLEAGUES, UM, JUST TO SAY THANK YOU, UM, AND TO GIVE YOU ONE ROUND OF APPLAUSE HERE IN THE ATRIUM ONE MORE TIME. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. HE WOULD ALSO LIKE ME TO SAY THAT THERE'S A TON OF DELICIOUS MEXICAN FOOD THAT IS IN, UM, THE VENDING MACHINE AREA SO THAT WE CAN SERVE IT AND NOT INTERRUPT THE FLOW OF THE EVENING. SO PLEASE HELP YOURSELVES ENJOY. TAKE A MOMENT AND STOP BY AND SHARE YOUR MEMORIES WITH THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.