[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 15TH, UH, 2023 MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.IT IS 5 36, AND WE ARE IN SESSION.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS TO, UH, CHECK THE ROLE.
UM, CHRISTINE, WOULD YOU PREFER THAT I DO THAT OR, AND THEN I'LL GET TO ANOTHER ISSUE? YES, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO THE ROLE.
AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MONA, UH, SANCHEZ, WHO IS WITH US VIRTUALLY.
BUT, UH, AND MONA, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO THE ROLE FOR YOU.
UM, BEFORE, BEFORE SHE DOES, LET ME, LET ME MAKE A SPECIAL NOTE.
MONA HAS BEEN OUR STAFF LIAISON FOR YEARS AND HAS DONE A REMARKABLE JOB.
SHE'S INVALUABLE TO THIS COMMISSION.
SHE'S LEAVING US, SHE IS MOVING OVER TO THE FINANCE DIVISION.
AND, UH, MONA, I JUST, I WISH YOU WERE HERE IN PERSON TODAY SO WE COULD EXPRESS OUR AFFECTION FOR YOU AND TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU'VE MEANT TO ALL OF US.
UM, AND WE WANT TO WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR NEW VENTURE.
UM, AND WE WILL HAVE GATHERING, UH, OF COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF, UH, AND I'LL WORK WITH EVERYBODY ON, ON A TIME AND PLACE THAT WILL WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BEFORE CHRISTINE CALLS THE ROLE.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO, OH, I'M SORRY.
IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, I, I INVITE ONE FROM THE FLOOR.
I, I, I'D ALSO LIKE TO E ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MONA, I WANT TO, UM, GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND JUST SAY HOW, HOW DEDICATED SHE'S AS A PUBLIC SERVANT.
AND I ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE ERIN JENKINS, JENKINS, WHO WILL, WHO WAS A STAFF LIAISON FROM THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION, WHO WE STOLE FROM THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IN HERE.
WE REALLY MISS ERIN AT DESIGN COMMISSION.
HE DID AN AMAZING JOB OF TRACKING, UM, THE ISSUES WE WOULD FOLLOW.
AND, UM, I'M EXCITED TO HAVE HIM HERE.
AARON, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.
AND BILL, YOU'RE WORKING WITH
CHRISTINE, IF YOU GO AHEAD WITH A ROLL.
COMMISSIONER HEIM, SETH? HERE VIRTUALLY.
DO WE HAVE ANY EXCUSED ABSENCES? UH, COMMISSIONER TEMPLETON, MONA AND I CAN CHECK THE ROLE ON THAT.
SHE MIGHT HAVE RECEIVED SOME, UH, EXCUSED ABSENCES BY EMAIL.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT?
HAVING, NO, NOBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO APPROVE OR TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? CAN WE POST THE MINUTES TO THE SCREEN? HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW? ARE THERE ANY CHANGES FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED?[00:05:03]
C? NONE.ARE THERE ANY FOLKS ONLINE THAT HAVE ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THE MINUTES? ALRIGHT.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, THE MINUTES STAND AS A, UH, STAND APPROVED.
UH, THE FIRST STAFF BRIEFING OF THE EVENING IS FROM AUSTIN, THE AUSTIN RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS OR ARCH, UH, ADRIAN STIRK, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSIONER HARRIS, MAYBE WE MOVE TO DON'T SOUND, UH, FIRST.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THEM OUT OF ORDER.
IF, IF THE COMMISSION IS FINE WITH THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF FOLKS HERE ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
[3. Staff briefing on the Conceptual Plans for Redevelopment of 1215 Red River Street and 606 & 614 East 12th Street (former HealthSouth property) by Margaret Shaw, Economic Development Department. ]
UH, SO THIS IS, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM THREE, THE STAFF BRIEFING, BRIEFING ON THE CONCEPTUAL PLANS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF 1215 RED RIVER STREET AND 6 0 6 AND SIX 14 EAST 12TH, THE FORMER SOUTH SOUTH PROPERTY.MARGARET SHAW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND COMPANY.
MY NAME IS MARGARET SHAW AND I AM A REAL ESTATE PROJECT MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND ONE OF MY PROJECTS THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE RE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS OF 1215 RED RIVER.
I'M JOINED TONIGHT BY AMANDA SCHWAR OF DRER GROUP.
WE'RE IN A LITTLE PRESENTATION FOR YOU TONIGHT, AND THEN WE'RE OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.
SO AGAIN, TONIGHT, UM, WE'RE HERE AT THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL WHO ASKED FOR A SERIES OF, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'RE STARTING WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO FIRST I WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE PROJECT ITSELF, JUST TO REFRESH PEOPLE'S MEMORIES.
AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO NEGOTIATING TERMS ON THE CONCEPTUAL SITE PLANS, THE BFO, AS WE CALL IT, THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER, UM, THE TERM SHEET FOR THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE A REQUEST FOR YOU TONIGHT FOR A RECOMMENDATION IF IT SO SUITS THE WILL OF THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEN I'LL COME IN FOR NEXT STEPS IN DISCUSSIONS.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AMANDA IN A MOMENT.
SO JUST, UM, FOR MAJOR MILESTONES, AND I DO WANNA CALL OUT, ESPECIALLY FOR ANYBODY WHO'S LISTENING OR WATCHING ONLINE, WE DO HAVE A PROJECT WEBSITE, UM, ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAGE THAT IF YOU GOOGLE AND I JUST CHECKED IT, CITY OF AUSTIN, 1215 RED RIVER.
IT SHOULD COME UP FIRST WHERE WE POST ALL THE INFORMATION AND THE CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS WITH THIS PROJECT.
IF FOLKS WANT TO, UM, KEEP UP WITH IT OVER TIME.
SO JUST TO RECAP, THE CITY ACTUALLY PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND SEVENTIES, BUT SOME OF THE KEY MOMENTS RECENTLY ARE IN 12, IN 2016, WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE LEASE HOLD OF THAT REHAB HOSPITAL.
SO WE GOT SI CITY GOT SITE CONTROL BACK.
SO FROM LIKE 17 TO 18, COUNCIL DEBATED WHAT TO DO WITH THIS PROPERTY, WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE, AND SETTLED IN OCTOBER OF 2018 WITH ISSUING A, A SOLICITATION SEEKING, UM, TO REDEVELOP THE SITE FOR MIXED INCOME HOUSING WITH AN EMPHASIS ON MULTI BEDROOMS, SO PLACES WHERE FAMILIES COULD LIVE, UM, EARNING 60% OF MFI MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW.
AND TO ALSO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CITY OBLIGATIONS WE HAVE ON THE SITE.
SO WE DID, WE CONDUCTED AN REQUEST, RFP REQUEST FOR, UM, PROPOSALS.
WE RECEIVED FOUR PROPOSALS THAT CAME IN RIGHT AS THE PANDEMIC HIT.
SO APRIL OF 2020, WE THEN WENT THROUGH OUR STANDARD, UM, PURCHASING LAW PROCESS TO EVALUATE THAT WITH A STAFF TEAM OF EXECUTIVES.
AND THEN CAME BACK TO COUNCIL IN JANUARY OF 27, JANUARY 27TH, 2021, THE FOLLOWING YEAR, W WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO PARTNER WITH ASPEN HEIGHTS DEVELOPER AND, UM, ISSUE A EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT E N A.
SO IN MY SPEAK, THAT'S JUST A AGREEMENT THAT ALLOWS THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN GOOD FAITH WITH ONE PARTNER AND IT SHOULD LEAD TO A MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
TWO DIFFERENT TERMS. SO BY MAY OF 2021, WE HAD EXECUTED THAT E N A AND THEN WE CAME BACK TO COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 28TH.
AND COUNCIL AUTHORIZED US TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS TO REACH A MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THE BIGGER DOCUMENT UNDER CERTAIN C TERMS THAT BFO BEST AND FINAL OFFER.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP TO NOW.
THEY ALSO PASSED IN DECEMBER, UM, OF 22.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO INITIATE STAFF TO INITIATE REZONING OR COUNSEL TO INITIATE REZONING OF THESE PROPERTIES.
SO THE NEGOTIATING TEAM FROM THE CITY SIDE IS THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT LED, UM, LED BY THEIR DEPUTY MANDY DE MAYO FINANCIAL SERVICES REAL ESTATE, MERRICK ISADOR LAW, RON PGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
[00:10:01]
OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR IS THE LEAD FOR THE CITY ON THE NEGOTIATING TEAM, MYSELF AS PROJECT MANAGER.AND THEN WE HAVE LEGAL AND FINANCIAL COUNSELORS ON THE OUTSIDE.
THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE WAS PLEASED TO SELECT A TEAM THAT IS A LOCALLY BASED DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
ASPEN HEIGHTS IS THE DEVELOPER.
THEY'RE PARTNERING AT THE CAPITAL A, WHICH IS LOCAL N HP FOUNDATION FOR THE AFFORDABLE COMPONENTS.
S STG DESIGN IS THE ARCHITECT SOLITUDE FOR THE ENGINEER STUDIO BALCONIES AND RENNER GROUP FOR ENTITLEMENTS.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO AMANDA.
UH, MY NAME'S AMANDA SWER WITH DRINKER GROUP.
IT HAS BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK ON THIS.
UH, MARGARET GETS THE ALPHABET SOUP PART.
I GET THE PRETTY PICTURES PART, SO, UM, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ASPEN HEIGHTS HERE WHEN WE'RE DONE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO, THE HEALTH SOUTH PROPERTY THAT THE CITY TOOK OUT FOR THE, UM, FOR THE OFFERS IS THE PROPERTY THAT YOU SEE IN GREEN.
SO IT'S THE ENTIRE NORTHERN BLOCK ABOVE A, ABOVE AN EXISTING ALLEY BORDERED ON THE EAST BY SABINE ON THE WEST BY RED RIVER, AND ON THE NORTH BY THE CENTRAL HEALTH SITE.
THAT AS WELL AS THE, IS THE SMALL QUARTER OF A BLOCK THAT IS LOCATED MIDBLOCK JUST NORTH OF 12TH STREET, WHERE THE TWO PIECES OF THE PROPERTY THAT THE CITY TOOK OUT FOR OFFERS, UH, ASPEN HEIGHTS DID ACQUIRE THE SITE THAT'S IN BLUE, THE FAA SITE.
IT IS THERE UNDER CONTRACT TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
SO THE, AS I TALK THROUGH THIS, I TALK, WE TALK ABOUT IT AS THE NORTH SITE AND THE SOUTH SITE.
AND WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT IS THE SITE THAT'S ON THE NORTH OF THE EXISTING ALLEY AND THE SITE THAT'S ON THE SOUTH OF THE EXISTING ALLEY.
THE SOUTH SITE DOES INCLUDE BOTH THE F FAA PROPERTY THAT ASPEN HEIGHTS IS UNDER CONTRACT TO PURCHASE, AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY THAT IS PART OF THE CITY'S, OR THAT IS THE CITY PROPERTY.
THE, THE SITE AS ASPEN HEIGHTS STARTED LOOKING AT IT HAD A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS.
UM, WE LIST THESE, I'LL, I'LL GO THROUGH 'EM PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT ALL OF THESE SITES WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BE INCORPORATED.
ALL OF THE CONSTRAINTS WERE ABLE TO BE INCORPORATED BACK INTO THE PROJECT.
SO THERE IS THE 12TH STREET CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR THAT BISECTS THE SITE PRETTY MUCH DOWN THE MIDDLE.
UM, AND IT'S A PRETTY BIG SWATH THAT GOES THROUGH IT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SHOW YOU THE NEXT PICTURE, WHICH IS HOW WE INCORPORATED THAT INTO THE PROJECT AND REALLY CELEBRATED IT RATHER THAN TRYING TO JUST DESIGN AROUND IT THERE.
THE, THE SITE IS, IT IS BOUND ON, ON FOUR SIDES BY ROADWAYS.
SO ON THE EAST WE HAVE SABINE, WHICH IS A PRETTY NARROW STREET ON THE SOUTH.
UM, THERE IS AN ALLEY THAT REALLY BISECT THE TWO PROPERTIES ON THE WEST.
WE HAVE WHAT IS NOW A REALIGNED RED RIVER, BUT AT THE TIME WAS, WAS NOT.
AND THEN, UH, ON THE NORTH THERE'S THAT, WHAT WHAT HAPPENS WITH 13TH STREET.
SO ALL OF THOSE WERE ITEMS THAT WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
THERE'RE ALSO SEVERAL TREES ON THE SITE, A COUPLE OF 'EM THAT ARE LIKELY HERITAGE TREES.
AND THEN WE HAVE JUST OVERALL THE UTILITY IN THE DRAINAGE.
THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR IS WHERE I WANNA START BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS A MAIN FOCAL POINT OF HOW THIS PROJECT CAME TOGETHER.
SO THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR IS SHOWN ON WITH THE RED DASH LINES IN.
LIKE I SAID, IT RUNS THROUGH AND TAKES A BIG SWATH OUT OF THE BIGGER PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT THE CITY HAD, UM, HAD OUT FOR OFFER.
WHAT ASPEN HEIGHTS HAS DONE AS PART OF THIS PROJECT IS REALLY CREATED A, UH, A PUBLIC PLAZA AREA THAT IS ON THE SIXTH FLOOR OF, OF THE PROJECT.
SO IT TAKES WHAT IN MANY PROJECTS, DOWNTOWN SERVE AS A, OH, LET'S SLICE A PIECE OF THE BUILDING OFF, LET'S, YOU KNOW, CHOP A PIECE HERE AND REALLY CREATES THIS UNIQUE AMENITY TO THE PUBLIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECT.
SO AGAIN, WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS THE NORTH, UH, IS THE NORTH SITE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR SITE AND THE TOWER TO THE NORTH OF THAT.
AND THEN WHAT WE CALL THE SOUTH SITE, YOU SEE ON THE, ON THE HILL SOUTH GARAGE AND THE FAA SITE.
SO THIS IS A RENDERING THAT IS LOOKING TO, LOOKING TO THE NORTHWEST.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU CAN SEE THE CAPITAL IN THE BACKGROUND.
THE TOWER THAT IS PRIMARILY WHITE IS THAT NORTH TOWER THAT SITS ENTIRELY ON THE, ON THE CITY OWNED PROPERTY, WHERE YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE, THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR THAT SPLITS THE TWO SITES AND HOW THAT, UH, AMENITY AREA HAS BEEN UTILIZED.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE SOUTH PROPERTY THAT, UH, IS IN THE TAN, WE'RE GONNA USE THAT, THE MULTI-COLORED, UH, MULTI-COLORED BUILDING.
BOTH OF THESE ARE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT I AM GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THEIR MAKEUP IN JUST A MOMENT.
UM, BUT FIRST I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENTS THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN PUT TOGETHER WITH THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I, I MENTIONED THE AMENITY TERRACE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH THE ELEVATED VIEWING DECK.
UM, THIS IS GONNA HAVE SOME OF THE MOST STORIED VIEWS OF THE CAPITOL ANYWHERE IN THE CITY WITH THAT DIRECT, UM, BASICALLY YOU GET TO SIT AT THE TOP OF A CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR VERSUS JUST DRIVE BY IT.
UH, REAL QUICK IN YOUR CAR, THE GREAT STREETS ARE PROPOSED ALONG THE, ALONG THE SURROUNDING STREETS OF THE PROPERTY.
THERE ARE, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SITE, YOU SEE THE TWO HERITAGE TREES THAT WHERE
[00:15:01]
I MENTIONED THAT IS WHERE WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE AMENITIES.BUT THERE'S A DAYCARE PROPOSED ON THE SITE AND THAT AREA IS REALLY BEING INCLUDED IN THE OUTDOOR AREA FOR THE DAYCARE TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THOSE TREES AND MAKE THEM A, A, A UNIQUE COMPONENT OF THE, UH, OF THE PROJECT.
UH, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE RENDERINGS.
THIS IS WHAT, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN, HOW WE SEE THE, THE PROGRAMMING REALLY TAKING PLACE OF THAT, UH, OF THE PUBLIC PLAZA.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANNA POINT OUT THE SIDE ON THE RIGHT, THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT REALLY SHOWS HOW YOU GET TO THAT PLAZA.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE ELEVATED AREAS, IT'S A MATTER OF DO PEOPLE SEE IT? DO THEY HAVE TO GO INSIDE A BUILDING? DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO AN ELEVATOR THAT YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE? IS IT REALLY KNOWN THAT ME AS A CITIZEN WALKING DOWN THE STREET CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE IT? THE DESIGN TEAM TOOK SPECIAL CARE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A CELEBRATED, UH, WAY TO GET TO THAT AREA, BOTH WITH THIS, UH, WITH THE STAIRWAY AND THEN THE GLASS ELEVATOR THAT YOU SEE.
AND THESE ARE ALONG THE, THE RED RIVER SIDE OF THE PROJECT.
UH, GETTING INTO SOME OF THE, THE DOWN AND DIRTY ON WHAT THE PROJECT IS MADE OF.
SO AGAIN, I SAID THERE'S A, A NORTH TOWER AND A SOUTH TOWER.
THE NORTH TOWER IS A PROPOSED 37 STORY, UH, MARKET RATE, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROJECT THAT WILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY 573 UNITS.
THIS SITE WILL CONTAIN A LIVE MUSIC VENUE AND AN ARTS VENUE.
UH, IT WILL HAVE A FOOD HALL AS WELL AS PUBLIC PARKING.
THE SOUTH, UH, TOWER IS ALSO A 37 STORY TOWER THAT IS PROPOSED TO HAVE 348 UNITS.
THIS IS WHERE THE CHILDCARE CENTER AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL GROUND FLOOR RETAIL WILL BE.
THAT PUBLIC PLAZA THAT I'VE, UH, BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS ABOUT 30,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO NOT INSIGNIFICANT AS PART OF THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER.
ASPEN HEIGHTS DOES HAVE A $12.2 MILLION, UH, PAYMENT TO THE CITY.
AND, AND THEN, UM, SORRY, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
UM, AS MARGARET SAID, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY WAS REALLY TARGETING WHEN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CAME OUT WAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE NOT ONLY HOUSING ON THIS SITE, BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NOT JUST, AND NOT JUST TINY UNITS.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, THE NORTH TOWER IS UH, 573, UH, MARKET RATE UNITS.
IT'S A MIX OF STUDIOS, ONES TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS THAT THE SOUTH PROJECT IS A MIX OF BOTH MARKET RATE AND AFFORDABLE UNITS.
SO THIS PROJECT WILL PRI PROVIDE, UH, 921 TOTAL UNITS.
OF THAT 25% OF THEM WILL BE AFFORDABLE.
UM, THOSE 20, 25% OF THE TOTAL UNITS ARE IN THAT SOUTH TOWER, UH, PROVIDING 116 MARKET RATE UNITS AND 232 AFFORDABLE UNITS.
THERE IS A MIX OF 50% AFFORDABLE UNITS WITH 170% OF THOSE UNITS BEING RESERVED FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING UP TO 50% MFI AND 115 RESERVED FOR HOUSEHOLDS EARNING UP TO 60% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
THAT IS, IT'S, IT'S ON THERE, BUT I'LL READ IT JUST FOR, UM, ANYBODY THAT'S JUST LISTENING TO THIS AND NOT HEARING IT.
CUZ I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST STORIED THINGS ABOUT THIS PROJECT THAT THERE ARE, UM, 35 PROPOSED 35 STUDIOS, 84 BEDROOMS, 92 BEDROOMS, AND 23 3 BEDROOM UNITS.
SO PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT, UH, ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MULTIPLE BEDROOM TYPES.
THE PROJECT IS COMPLIANT WITH CITY STANDARDS.
UH, THE AFFORDABILITY TERM IS ALSO TIED TO THE GROUND LEASE.
SO MOST PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE IN MOST PROJECTS THAT ARE, ARE DONE USUALLY HAVE 40 YEAR AFFORDABILITY TERM.
THIS WOULD PROVIDE A 99 YEAR AFFORD AFFORDABILITY TERM WITH THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER.
THAT'S CURRENTLY WITH THE, THAT'S CURRENTLY IN REVIEW.
THERE ARE THE TWO PRO, THE TWO TOWERS, THE NORTH TOWER AND THE SOUTH TOWER.
UH, THE SOUTH TOWER HAS TO BE BUILT FIRST OR AT THE SAME TIME, THE, AS THE NORTH TOWER, MEANING THAT THE AFFORDABLE UNITS HAVE TO COME ONLINE FIRST OR WITH THE OTHER TOWER.
YOU CAN'T JUST BUILD THE MARKET RATE TOWER AND HAVE THE AFFORDABLE HOU THE AFFORDABLE TOWER COME AT A LATER DATE.
UH, I'LL JUST HIT A COUPLE OF THE AMENITIES THAT I, THAT I MIGHT NOT HAVE HIT ON AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS THAT ARE PART OF THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER.
SO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE TALKED ABOUT, THERE IS AN ONSITE CHILDCARE CENTER THAT WILL SERVE 75, UH, CHILDREN IN THE AREA.
AGAIN, THAT HAS A 99 YEAR LEASE.
WE DO HAVE, UH, PUBLIC ART SUSTAINABILITY OVER WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE REQUIRED WITH JUST A DOWNTOWN PROJECT.
WE ARE MEETING LEAD GOLD OR FOUR STAR GREEN BUILDER, UH, LIVE MUSIC VENUE, WHICH WAS, UH, A THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER PROCESS.
IT DOES HAVE A 99 YEAR GROUND LEASE WITH, UH, GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO SERVE HIS SERVE HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED OPERATORS.
THAT IS A MOUTHFUL, UM, TO POP OUT.
AND THEN THERE IS, UH, THE COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT IS PROPOSED WITH OVER 35,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE IN WITH A PORTION OF THAT RE UH, LEASE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AT A REDUCED RATE.
AGAIN, A COUPLE OF THE, UH, A COUPLE OF THE ADDITIONAL, I THINK I'VE REALLY TALKED THROUGH MOST OF THESE.
[00:20:01]
ADDITIONAL PIECES THAT GO INTO THE PLACEMAKING, PLACEMAKING AND ACTIVATION.THE, REALLY THE ACTIVATION OF RED RIVER STREET.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS PROJECT STARTED, RED RIVER WAS STILL A ROAD THAT DID THIS
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SURROUNDING STREETS, PROVIDING PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE CONNECTIVITY.
THE PLAZA, UM, THAT, AGAIN, I'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE CHILDCARE.
AND THEN THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE PARKING, UM, THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE, WE ALL TALK ABOUT PARKING, UH, AND EVERYONE HAS THEIR, THEIR DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON IT.
BUT WHAT WE ARE BEING ABLE TO DO IS, UH, IS BUILD PARKING AS PART OF THIS THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE.
WE DID, UH, OUR FIRST STOP AS WE'VE BEEN DOING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WAS AT THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
THE DESIGN COMMISSION DID VOTE, UM, TO SEND A RECOMMENDATION ONTO COUNCIL THAT THE PROJECT DID, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY MEET THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UH, IT'S SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROJECT THAT WAS IN JANUARY.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S FEBRUARY 15TH.
AND WITH THAT, I TOSS IT BACK TO MARGARET.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS REALLY EXCITING PROJECT TO YOU.
SO YES, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING IF IT'S THE WILL OF THIS COMMISSION TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR, UM, COUNSEL AND WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS PROJECT AS IT STANDS UNDER THESE TERMS. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL SOME CONTEXT FOR THE NEXT STEPS.
OUR, OUR NEXT STOP WILL BE AT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UM, AS, UH, PART OF OUR TRI-PARTY BOARDS AND COMMISSION, WE'RE ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER A SERIES OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AS WELL AS NEIGHBORHOOD AND PUBLIC SESSIONS.
UM, FRANKLY, WE'RE ALL, AS WE KNOW IN DOWNTOWN MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST JUGGERNAUT.
SO I THINK SOME OF THOSE THINGS WILL COME AT LATE MARCH AND IN APRIL.
AND THEN, AS WE SAID, WE EXPECT TO BE BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER FOR A DISCUSSION WITH THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT, THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE CONCLUDE AND WE'RE HERE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE DESIGN TEAM TOO HERE AS WELL, AND THE DEVELOPER, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US.
LET ME OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, I HAVE IS THIS ONE NO, UH, TAP ON IT.
ONE IS, UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DECISION TO MAKE THE AFFORDABLE UNITS ONLY AVAILABLE ON THE SOUTH PART AS OPPOSED TO BOTH? YES, I CAN TAKE A STAB AT OR YOU WANT TO START.
UM, SO GENERALLY WHEN, WHEN THIS PROJECT FIRST CAME IN, IT DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH AFFORDABILITY AS IT DOES TODAY.
UM, AND AS WE CONTINUED TO GO THROUGH, WE BROUGHT IN SEPARATE PARTNERS AND REALLY TO MAKE THE HOUSING WORK.
UH, THE PARTNERS ARE ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT INDICATED THAT THE, THAT THE, UM, MY BRAIN'S NOT WORKING.
THAT THE UNITS NEED TO BE PUT TOGETHER.
IT ALLOWS FOR THE FINANCING TO HAPPEN.
SO WHEN YOU START SPREADING UNITS AROUND, THE FINANCING DOESN'T WORK TO ALLOW THE PROJECT TO ACTUALLY FUNCTIONS THAT ACTUALLY, LEMME TAP IN CHIP, PLEASE.
AND COMMISSIONERS, WE DO HAVE MANDY DE MAYO VIRTUALLY WITH US TONIGHT IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS TO THE DEPUTY FOR THE HOUSING, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION WAS THAT, WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN OF BEDROOMS FOR THE NORTH? YOU, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, ONE BEDROOM STUDIOS AND, AND TWO AND THREE BEDROOMS. DID, DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN FOR THE I DON'T HAVE NORTH SIDE.
UM, THE UNITS THAT I WALKED THROUGH WERE SPECIFICALLY THE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
UH, OUR COMMITMENT AS PART OF THE BEST AND FINAL IS THAT THERE WILL BE A MIX OF STUDIOS ONES AND ONES TWOS AND THREE BEDROOMS, BUT THERE IS NOT A DEFINED UNIT MIX AS PART OF THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER OF THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER ON THE NORTH TOWER.
SO THERE WILL BE, UH, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM APARTMENTS AVAILABLE ON THE NORTH SIDE TOO.
SO IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE FOR SINGLES.
STUDIOS, ONES, TWOS, AND THREES.
I JUST DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS.
AND I, I DO AND I SAW MANDY THERE TOO.
IF YOU WANNA ADD, WHO'S OUR DEPUTY HOUSING DIRECTOR WHO'S ONLINE IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ONE TOWER.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I'M DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND I'VE BEEN PART OF THE NEGOTIATING TEAM, UM, FOR THE HEALTH SOUTH PROJECT.
UH, I JUST WANNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT AMANDA PREVIOUSLY SAID.
UH, WE INCREASED, WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THROUGH THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND ONCE WE HIT A CERTAIN TIPPING POINT, UH, OUR FINANCING REALLY BECAME, UM, SOLID.
AND WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA, UH, NEED TO DO A LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT, UH, PORTION FOR THAT 232 UNITS.
UH, AND WE FOUND, UH, A PARTNER, THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM, THE ASPEN HEIGHTS DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS PARTNERING WITH, UH, N H P FOUNDATION, WHICH IS A NATIONAL
[00:25:01]
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT DOES AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.AND SO PRIMARILY THE TWO REASONS FINANCING, AS AMANDA MENTIONED, AND THEN ALSO FROM A MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, RATHER THAN HAVING THE UNITS, THE AFFORDABLE UNITS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE TWO TOWERS, IT REALLY MADE SENSE FROM A MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND IT WAS FRANKLY, THE OPERATOR'S PREFERENCE TO HAVE ALL OF THE UNITS, UM, IN ONE BUILDING.
I GUESS IT'S, IT'S MY HOPE THAT THIS CAN BE A WAY OF SHOWING THAT BOTH TYPES OF HOUSING AFFORDABLE AND FAIR MARKET CAN EXIST PRETTY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER WITHOUT THERE BEING THE FEAR THAT, UM, THE AFFORDABLE UNITS ARE GONNA CAUSE THINGS TO GO BAD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD, THE SOUTH TOWER IS NOT 100% AFFORDABLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER PRO.
THERE IS MARKET RATE UNITS IN THE SOUTH TOWER AS WELL, BUT AS MANDY AND AMANDA HAVE REFERRED TO, IT WAS EASIER FROM OUR OPERATING AND FINANCING.
BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE PART OF, UH, UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT.
AND EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO ALL OF THE AMENITIES.
THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE THAT I LIKE TO MAKE SURE.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SEPARATE.
IT IS, IT IS ONE TOWER THAT EVERYONE GETS TO USE THE SAME AMENITIES.
COMMISSIONER
SO, UH, NICK GALEN, UH, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH ASPEN HEIGHTS PARTNERS, UH, WE'RE THE LOCAL DEVELOPER.
UM, HE WAS CHOSEN, UH, AND WERE HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, ASPEN HEIGHTS IS A LOCAL, UH, LOCALLY BASED NATIONAL STUDENT HOUSING AND MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPER.
UM, SO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE STILL IN THE CONCEPTUAL STAGES OF HOW THE MUSIC VENUE WILL BE OPERATED.
WE HAVE NOT YET SELECTED AN OPERATOR, BUT WE'VE, UM, AGREED WITH, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH, UM, CITY STAFF TO SOURCE AN OPERATOR FROM A, UM, THAT'S LOCALLY BASED THAT TYPICALLY, UM, DRAWS FROM, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED ARTISTS.
AND SO WE HAVE A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF WHAT REALLY, UH, WHAT REALLY IS AN AUSTIN, UM, ARTIST, UH, AND, AND A GOOD REPRESENTATION FROM THE ARTIST COMMUNITY THAT'S, UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAKES AUSTIN SO FAMOUS.
UH, AND THEN BEYOND, UH, MUSIC VIDEO, WE WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO HAVE, UH, LOCAL EXHIBITIONS AND, AND USE OF SPACE IS KIND OF LIKE A FLEX SPACE AS WELL OR, UM, FOR LOCAL USES AND, AND OTHER ARTISTS BESIDES MUSICIANS.
HI, IT'S MARGARET AGAIN AT THIS STAGE OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS, CUZ WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL ASSIGNED AGREEMENT YET.
WHAT THE TEAM WAS MOST EXCITED ABOUT FROM THE CITY SIDE IS FOR THAT SPACE WE HAVE LOCKED IN, WHICH IN MY 25 PLUS YEARS I'VE NOT SEEN, WHICH THEY HAVE LOCKED IN A MINIMUM SQUARE FOOTAGE TENANT IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THEY'RE GONNA BE SUPPORTING IT, DOING THE CORE AND SHELL THE TENANT IMPROVEMENTS.
AND WHAT I THINK IS REALLY SPECIAL IS THEY'RE LOCKING IN A RENT.
SO WE'RE STARTING AT $35 A SQUARE FOOT, WHICH IS BELOW MARKET TODAY, AND WE HAVEN'T BUILT THE BUILDING YET.
THEY'RE LOCKING THAT IN WITH A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, 3% INCREASE, AND THEN THEY'RE LOCKING IT IN FOR THE LIFE OF THE 99 YEAR LEASE.
SO WHAT AT THIS STAGE OF NEGOTIATION IS SO POWERFUL FOR ME IS THAT IS SETTING US UP FOR SUCCESS TO HAVE, UH, AN OPERATOR.
AND THEY'VE ALSO COMMITTED TO A PROGRAMMING THAT IT'S NOT JUST A NIGHTTIME BAR VENUE, THAT THIS IS A SPACE AS NICK WAS ALLUDING TO, THAT'S FLEXIBLE, THAT CAN BE USED AND ALWAYS REGRET DOING THIS AT A BOARD AND COMMISSION FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE BUILDING OPENS MM-HMM.
SOMEBODY'S GONNA HOLD YOU TO THAT.
I APOLOGIZE, NICK, BUT WE'RE, UM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND WE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF HOURS TOGETHER WITH THIS TEAM, THAT IT WAS SOMEPLACE WHERE YOU COULD HAVE A STORY HOUR FOR KIDS IN THE MORNING AND THEN A MUSIC AF AFTERNOON.
BUT I THINK WHAT GOT THE TEAM SO EXCITED FROM THE CITY SIDE IS WE'RE SETTING IT UP FOR FAN AS MUCH SUCCESS AS WE CAN WITH THESE BELOW MARKET CORE AND FINISH RIGHT TENANT FINISH OUT THAT THIS IS BASICALLY READY.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE LOCKING IN A RENT THAT'S BELOW MARKET FOR THE LIFE OF THE LEASE.
I THOUGHT I SAW COMMISSIONER LEHMAN WITH HIS HAND UP.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THE, THE, UH, PROPOSAL.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE AFFORDABILITY IS BUILT INTO THE DAYCARE CENTER.
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I HEARD THAT THE RENT WOULD BE REDUCED, BUT HOW, HOW IS THAT GOING TO HELP THE PROVIDE, WILL IT PROVIDE ACCESS TO DAYCARE FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING KEEP? UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LAYMAN FOR THE QUESTION.IT DOES, UM, AGAIN, AT THIS STAGE OF NEGOTIATION, UM, THE CITY ACTUALLY DOES RUN A CHILDCARE CENTER AND HAS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING CHILDCARE.
SO OUR TEAM MEK, UM, WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH HOW DIFFICULT THE, THE BARRIERS ARE TO CHILDCARE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHAT'S LOCKED IN IS THAT FRAMEWORK TYPICALLY THE SAME AS WHAT WE HEARD.
SO TENANT FINISH OUT CORN, SHELL TENANT FINISH OUT, AND A LOCKED IN RENTAL RATE FOR THE LIFE OF THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME OPTIONS WHERE IF ASPEN HEIGHTS CANNOT FIND AN OPERATOR, THE CITY HAS THE RIGHT TO STEP IN ON THAT WITH THAT SPACE.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE NEGOTIATIONS ACROSS A BROAD NUMBER OF TERMS. YES SIR.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING AGAIN IS THAT THERE'S A GOOD DISCOUNT TO THE OPERATOR, BUT I WONDER HOW YOU MAKE SURE THAT PASSES THROUGH TO THE USERS.
I'M ASSUMING THESE HUNDRED OR DOZENS OF FAMILIES WILL WANT SOME AFFORDABLE DAYCARE.
I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, LET ME REPEAT TO SEE IF I'M CORRECT.
YOUR CONCERN IS THAT THAT IS JUST FOR THE BUILDING OPERATOR AND NOT THE ACTUAL TENANT OF THE CHILDCARE SPACE.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW I THINK THAT THE COST SAVINGS WOULD BE PASSED THROUGH THE FAMILIES GET THE, OH SORRY, SHE'S CORRECTING ME.
OR IS IT THE FAMILIES? HOW WILL THAT BE PASSED ALONG TO THE FAMILIES THAT USE THAT? OH, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UM, ON THAT WE HAVE PHRASING IN THERE, HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE IS WHAT WE'RE INTENDING WITH THAT LANGUAGE.
I'VE JUST, AS, AS PART OF THE PROCESS, I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET TO WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS SPECIFIC ENOUGH THAT IT'LL BE ACCESSIBLE AND WILL PEOPLE QUALIFYING UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PART OF IT? MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME QUALIFICATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE DAYCARE.
YEAH, SO THE INTENT IS TO IS TO HAVE AN OPERATION THAT, UM, ALLOWS FOR, UM, AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH CITY STAFF, UM, ALL ALONG.
AND SO IN ORDER TO GET, UH, AFFORDABLE, UH, CHILDCARE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE OPERATORS, THEY REQUIRE LOWER OVERHEADS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THE STRESS OFF OF, UH, THOSE, UH, OPERATORS WHO OFFER THIS GREAT SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY BY, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE RENT IS ACCEPTABLE AND THAT THEY CAN BE, UH, SUCCESSFUL.
UM, IT, IT IS ALSO OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD GIVE PREFERENCE TO TENANTS THAT ACTUALLY ARE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PROPERTY.
UM, BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT STILL.
THAT'S, THAT'S, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE, THE CITY STAFF WOULD LIKE.
AND WE'VE HEARD THAT, UH, PREVIOUSLY.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON IT IS THAT ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SIDE OF IT, THE PEOPLE WHO QUALIFY TO GET THE AFFORDABLE UNITS HAVE TO MEET A TEST OF MEDIAN INCOME.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME MECHANISM SO THAT THIS AFFORDABLE DAYCARE WOULD ACTUALLY BE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
CUZ IF IT'S SIMPLY AFFORDABLE, WEALTHY PEOPLE WILL BE HAPPY TO FILL IT UP.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH.
UM, ARE ANY OF THE UNITS OF HAVING SHARED BATHROOMS OR SHARED KITCHENS, DO THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN KITCHEN? YES, MA'AM.
THEY'RE ALL STANDALONE UNITS, SO IT'S NOT, THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER? NO, THANK YOU.
HI MY VOICE A LITTLE, CAUSE COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE, THE CHILDCARE, THE CAPACITY FOR THE CHILDCARE 75 CAPACITY, SO WITH SO MANY, UM, TWO BEDROOM, THREE BEDROOM.
SO, UM, THE INTENT OF HAVING A CHILDCARE IN, IN THIS PROJECT, UH, IS IT,
[00:35:01]
UH, THE TENANTS, BECAUSE HAVE YOU DONE THE, THE, THE PLANNERS, UH, WITH SO MANY BEDROOMS, YOU KNOW, SO MANY UNITS THAT HAS TWO BEDROOM, THREE BEDROOMS THAT WILL SERVE FAMILIES.SO DO YOU THINK THAT 75, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER 75 CAPACITY IS, IS ENOUGH TO SERVE THE, SERVE THE TENANTS WHO LIVE THERE? IF NOT, THEN HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RESOLVE THAT TO ENROLL AND WHO DON'T? BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT, UM, CHILDCARE SERVICE ARE IN GREAT DEMANDS.
AND NUMBER TWO IS I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE SPACE FOR, UH, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES ALLOCATED AND ALSO FOR, UM, A FORMAL SPACE.
I PRESUME YOU WILL, UH, GIVE THIS PRESENTATION TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, COMMISSION AND ALSO TO THE ARTS COMMISSION.
I SEE IN YOUR, UM, IN YOUR PLAN TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION TO, UM, DIFFERENT COMMISSION.
AND COMMISSIONER MOCK IS ON THE ARTS COMMISSION, SO IT'S IT'S A PARTICULAR PRIORITY FOR HER.
AND, AND I, IT BROKE UP A LITTLE BIT HERE IN THE CHAMBER, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GOT THAT BECAUSE THIS IS ALL REALLY WONDERFUL FEEDBACK.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK Y'ALL AGAIN.
WE ARE NOT AT AN OPERATING STAGE.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE'RE, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE GOAL AND THE INTEREST AND THE GOAL.
I CAN CERTAINLY HAVE NICK COME BACK TO SPEAK TO WHY IT'S 75.
75 IS A VERY IMPORTANT NUMBER BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND FIRE CODE REQUIREMENTS AROUND CHILDCARE AND DESIGNING A CHILDCARE.
SO A LOT OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU MAY BE SEEING COMMISSIONER MOCK IS BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS AROUND THAT.
AND I CAN LET HIM SPEAK TO THAT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT FIRE CODE AND OUTDOOR SPACE, UM, AND HOW YOU GET CHILDREN OUT THE DOOR.
I LEARNED A LOT DURING THIS NEGOTIATION PROCESS ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD JUST SPEAK TO, WE ARE GATHERING FEEDBACK AND SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU IS HOW IMPORTANT ALL OF Y'ALL IS THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT SERVES THOSE TENANTS.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH, AND I'M NOT AN EXPERT ABOUT THE LAWS GOVERNING RIGHTS AND CHILDCARE AND WHO YOU CAN RESERVE CHILDCARE SPACES FOR AND WHO YOU CANNOT.
FOR EXAMPLE, MY BACKGROUND'S IN FAIR HOUSING, MANDY CAN SPEAK TO IT TOO.
THERE ARE VERY VIGOROUS RULES ABOUT WHO HAS ACCESS TO A A HOUSING UNIT.
AND I WANT, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO OR PROMISE SOMETHING THAT LEGALLY WE CAN'T DO WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDCARE AND OTHER, BUT WE HEAR VERY CLEARLY THAT THAT'S OF INTEREST TO MAKE SURE THEY DO SERVE THE AFFORDABLE TENANTS OF THAT BUILDING.
WE'RE ALSO, FRANKLY, EXCITED ABOUT THIS LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY TO THE HOSPITAL ITSELF.
SO AGAIN, MANY PEOPLE PREFER TO HAVE THEIR CHILDCARE AND DAYCARE CENTERS CLOSER TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT, SO THEY CAN PICK THEIR CHILD UP PRETTY EASILY AFTER WORK AND THEY MAY NOT WANT TO LIVE DOWNTOWN.
SO WE ALSO WANNA BE CONSCIOUS OF THE MARKET FACTORS AROUND THAT CHILDCARE CENTER.
AND THEN WHAT I THINK I HEARD ON YOUR SECOND POINT WAS THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE AND THAT ARTS AND THE PROGRAMMING AT THE PLAZA WOULD BE A VERY GREAT INTEREST TO THE ARTS COMMISSION AND TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON WHAT THAT PROGRAMMING IS.
AND, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AND CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, WE'RE AT THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT STAGE, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT DOES THIS HAVE A NICE MIX? COUNSEL HAS GIVEN US THIS BLESSING OF WHAT THESE TERMS ARE AND WE APPRECIATE HEARING THE, THE MORE DETAILED, NUANCED FEEDBACK AROUND THESE AMENITIES.
SO THANK YOU IF I CAPTURE THAT AND DID YOU WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NICK AND AMANDA CAN FOLLOW UP WITH? JUST FYI, WE HAVE A CHILDCARE PROGRAM AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, SO WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE RULES AND REGULATION OF THE LICENSING AND THE QUALITY OF CHILDCARE.
I THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT, I THINK IT'S THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR UPWORK MOBILITY IS IN OUR QUALITY CHILDCARE.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE THIS QUESTION, 75 NUMBER CAPACITY, IS IT ENOUGH TO SERVE THE AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THIS PROJECT? SO I I HOPE YOU'LL BE MINDFUL ABOUT THAT.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE PRESENTATION AGAIN.
[00:40:01]
I APPRECIATE THE INCORPORATION OF THE FEEDBACK FROM DESIGN COMMISSION ON THE RENDERINGS.UM, I, I THINK THIS DEFINITELY CON CONTINUES TO COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, MY TWO COMMENTS TONIGHT ARE, ARE AROUND THE PARKING GARAGE.
UM, SO, UH, POTENTIALLY THE CAP AND STITCH COULD BE AT 12TH STREET.
IT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION THERE IS, UM, BUT 12TH STREET AT 9 35 AND THEN THIS BUILDING WILL SIT AT THE CORNER OF 12TH STREET AND THE PARK.
SO, UM, I GUESS I'M KIND OF JUST EXCITED TO SEE ACTIVATION BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT.
WE'RE BURYING POTENTIALLY I 35 AT THIS INTERSECTION AND THEN WE, WE HAVE A PARKING PODIUM ADJACENT, SO WE'RE NOT BURYING THE PARKING ON THIS, THIS, UH, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
SO JUST, JUST POINTING THAT OUT.
UM, AND I, I JUST, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE BUILDING INCREASE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND, UM, THE PARK.
LIKE I'D LIKE TO, IF THERE'S A PARADE OR YOU KNOW, PLACES TO SIT OUT, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE THE SIX FLOOR TERRACE AND THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THAT INVOLVES MOVING FOLKS UP.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I JUST, I'M, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN KIND OF ACTIVATING THE STREET.
UM, AND I, I FEEL LIKE THE PARKING PODIUM DOESN'T EXACTLY DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND COMMENT IS, UM, JUST ABOUT IF FOLKS DON'T HAVE CARS AND THEY'RE LIVING IN THIS BUILDING, WHAT'S THEIR ACCESS TO GROCERIES? AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS ON THAT AND I, I'M NOT REALLY SEEING A SOLUTION HERE AT THIS TIME AND I, I APPRECIATE YOUR AND A LOG CALL OF A PROCESS, BUT I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT, UM, IF SOMEONE'S GOT A FAMILY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT REALLY BUYING GROCERIES THAT THE BODE GOT, AND IF WE'RE ENCOURAGING A CARF LIFESTYLE, HOW ARE, HOW ARE THEY GETTING THOSE GROCERIES? LIKE SOME SORT OF MINI GROCERY STORE OR MAYBE GROCERY DELIVERY SYSTEM.
I I JUST THINK SOMETHING COULD ENHANCE THE AFFORDABLE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE HEAVILY INVESTED IN AS A PROJECT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER WEAVER.
UM, WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF CHILDCARE, UM, I THINK I WAS LISTENING TO COMMISSIONER MOCK AND TO, TO COMMISSIONER GOMEZ AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ONE, IT'S POSSIBLE OR TWO, IF IT'S BEING CONSIDERED THAT PRIORITY FOR THOSE 75 SPOTS GO TO RESIDENTS WITHIN THE TWO BUILDINGS.
AND THERE, LIKE I SAID, THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE MIX AND WHETHER THEY COME FROM THE AFFORDABLE UNITS OR THE MARKET RATE UNITS, BUT THERE IS A, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE HOSPITAL.
THERE ARE FOLKS THAT WILL WORK AT THE HOSPITAL THAT NEED PROXIMATE CHILDCARE AND THAT IF THERE WERE SPACE AVAILABLE, THEY MIGHT TAKE THAT SPACE.
AND SO FOR THIS, THIS PROJECT TO HOPEFULLY BRING SOME CHILDREN BACK INTO 7 87 0 1, UM, THE ABILITY TO HAVE ONSITE CHILDCARE IS CRITICAL.
UM, I WOULD ALSO, UH, POINT OUT THE STATE HAS DONE A REMARKABLE JOB WITH ITS NEW BUILDINGS.
UH, IF YOU'VE HAD, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO, TO SEE THE NEW CONGRESS MALL, IT'S REMARKABLE.
BUT THE NEW BUILDINGS, UM, THEY'VE GOT A CHILDCARE FACILITY ONSITE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.
AND THEY'RE DOING IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY, UH, TO ENHANCE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY AND BRING IT OVER TO THIS SITE TO HELP CURTAILED COSTS, UM, OPERATING COSTS.
SO JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
WE'RE UNFORTUNATELY FIVE YEARS AWAY FROM THIS.
SO LOTS, LOTS CHANGE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL MODEL FOR THE STATE.
UM, I DO COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
YEAH, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST A QUESTION SORT OF ON PIGGYBACKING ON THE FIVE YEAR PROCESS.
AT WHAT POINT IN THE PROCESS THAT'S COMING UP, WILL WE BE SORT OF, UM, MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT OPERATORS AND FINE-TUNING THINGS LIKE CHILDCARE AND ACCESS TO GROCERIES, LIKE, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE'S A LONG ROAD AHEAD.
AND AT WHAT POINT DO ARE THOSE DECISIONS BEING MADE? I THINK ALL THREE OF US COULD GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT ANSWER ON ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF THIS
SO REAL, I'LL TAKE THE FIRST STAB AND THEN Y'ALL, AND Y'ALL, Y'ALL CHIME IN.
SO REALISTICALLY, ONCE THIS PROJECT GETS THROUGH THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER PROCESS GETS THROUGH THE, THE AGREEMENTS, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF STEPS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN FROM A DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO WE STILL HAVE TO REZONE THE PROPERTIES TO, UM, ZONE 'EM TO CBD.
AND THEN FROM THERE, THIS PROCESS WILL, THIS PROJECT, UM, WILL HAVE
[00:45:01]
SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS.THOSE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS WILL GO THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROCESS.
AND SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE USUALLY HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION AND THEN, UM, I CAN LET NICK THAT, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, AS WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE MORE DEFINED PIECES OF INFORMATION.
BUT NICK, I'LL LET YOU ANSWER THE OTHER PIECE ON OPERATORS, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK MOST OPERATORS, UM, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD FEWER THAN FIVE YEARS.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE, UM, WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHO WE ARE GONNA HAVE, UH, SIGNED UP FOR THESE SPACES FOR THESE, UH, SEVERAL RETAIL SPACES, WHICH COULD BE A BODEGA AND ONE OF THEM, I, I PERSONALLY, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I WOULD SAY WITHIN 24 MONTHS OF, OF DELIVERY OF THE PROJECT AND THAT FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE.
SO WE HAVE TO BUILD THE BUILDING.
WE'VE BEEN IN DEEP CONVERSATIONS WITH EXPERTS ABOUT HOW TO DESIGN AND SPACE.
THAT CHILDCARE FACILITY MOVED A LOT IN THE LAST YEAR OF OUR TALK, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE IT MEETS CODE MEETS LOGIC.
IN FACT, I COMMEND OUR PARTNERS BECAUSE THEY WENT OUT ON THEIR OWN TO DO AN OPTION ON THE FUTURE FARMERS BUILDING AT SIX 14 12TH, WHICH ENABLED US TO PUT THE BLOCKS.
A LOT OF THIS RIGHT, IS DOMINO'S FALLING IN, UM, A LITTLE TETRIS GAME.
SO I JUST WANNA REITERATE, WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH A LOT OF THE SITE PLAN, THE DESIGN, THE ZONING, AND THEN TYPICALLY YOU DON'T START TALKING ABOUT OPERATORS UNTIL YOU'RE WELL INTO CONSTRUCTION, IS WHAT NICK WAS SAYING.
SO WE'RE STILL, AS CHAIR HARRIS SAID, WE'RE STILL YEARS AWAY FROM THIS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE.
UM, GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE LOCKED IN SOME RENTS AT 2022 PRICES.
SO, AND THEY'RE VERY WELL AWARE OF THAT, RIGHT? SO WE'VE LOCKED IN SOME STARTING POINTS ON PRICES WHERE THE BUILDING ISN'T EVEN BEEN.
SO I THINK, AS WE SAY, FROM THE NEGOTIATING TEAM, WE'VE TRIED TO SET THESE SPACES UP FOR AS MUCH SUCCESS AS WE CAN IN A MARKET THAT WE KNOW IS ONLY SEEMING TO GET MORE POPULAR.
AND AS CHAIR, UM, SORRY, AS COMMISSIONER WEAVER IN THIS SENSE, UM, SAID WE HAVE CAP AND STITCH AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER REALLY DYNAMIC PROJECTS LIKE, UM, CHAIR HARRIS SAID WITH THE STATE THAT WILL ALL HOPEFULLY FIT SYNERGY.
THE SITE OF THE, THIS SITE IS VERY EXCITING AND A VERY EXCITING LOCATION, BUT I JUST WANT TO CAUTION THAT WE DON'T WANNA GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF US WHEN WE GET INTO THE DEPTHS OF OPERATIONS.
BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF CHILDCARE PREFERENCES THAT IS VERY OPEN TO BOTH SIDES OF THIS TABLE THAT WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE IN HERE IS WHAT I HEAR.
OUR CHILDCARE PREFERENCES FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE BUILDING OR WORK WITHIN A MILE, YOU KNOW, UM, THOSE KINDS OF ASPECTS ARE REALLY WONDERFUL.
UM, AND I ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK, I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO SAY THAT YES, WE DO HAVE PUBLIC ART IN THIS, AND SO WE WILL BE SEEKING SOME INPUT FROM ARTS COMMISSIONS AND OTHER ARTS LEADERS OF LIKE HOW THAT WORKS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT THROUGH THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROJECT.
IT'S BY THEIR VOLUNTARY, UM, COMMITMENT TO THE ART IN AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ENLIVEN THIS SPACE.
I JUST CAN ADD TO THAT, UM, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT.
DEREK VAMP WITH ASPEN HEIGHTS.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, UM, THE, THE CHILDCARE, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF SOLUTIONS WE CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT THE INTENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD HAVE THE OPERATOR BE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN OPEN BOOK TO ENSURE THAT THOSE SAVINGS ARE PASSED DOWN TO THE FAMILIES THAT, THAT HAVE CHILDREN THERE.
UM, WE HAVE A THIRD OF THE GROUND FLOOR, WHICH IS RETAIL SPACE, AND SO I THINK THAT'S ABOUT 30,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF SPACE TO PUT IN THINGS LIKE AN URBAN TARGET, UH, GROCERY STORE, OTHER FOOD SERVICES, YOU KNOW, A FARMER'S MARKET, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
SO I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT WE ARE BOOKMARKING SPACE FOR THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND THEN AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COLLECTIVELY FIND OPERATORS AND THE TYPES OF USES THAT WE WANT TO REALLY COMPLIMENT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIVING IN THE BUILDING.
UM, BACK ON THE, UM, UNIT MIX, UM, BETWEEN THE 50 AND 60% MFI, HOW ARE THE, THE AFFORDABLE UNITS BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN THOSE TWO LEVELS OF MFI? IT'S ROUGH.
IT, IT'S ROUGHLY HALF AND HALF.
I CAN GIVE YOU THE, THE REAL NUMBERS, BUT IT'S, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UH, THEY WERE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE, THOSE BELOW 50 AND BELOW 60% OF OUR TIME.
I I THINK IT'S 117 AND 115, SO, OKAY.
UM, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF 13TH STREET WAS NOT RECONNECTED? I KNOW EVERYBODY LIKES COMPACT AND CONNECTED, BUT IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, ACCESS THAT
[00:50:01]
SPACE OR THERE UTILITIES THAT RUN A RUN AFOUL OF ANOTHER DEPARTMENT? CORRECT.AND SO THE 13TH STREET POTENTIAL CAME UP AS PART OF COUNCIL'S WISH TO HAVE MORE CONNECTIVITY, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
CHAIR HARRIS AT THIS POINT, IT IS A GREAT STREETS SIDEWALK.
SO IF, IF WE CAN'T MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, IT WILL BE A WIDER SIDEWALK WITH ACTIVATION ALONG THAT FROM A PEDESTRIAN.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT A FUNCTION OF IF 13TH STREET WERE NOT TO BE REOPENED THAT PERHAPS THE NORTH TOWER COULD EXPAND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL UNITS.
UM, WHERE DOES THE 12.2 MILLION, ONE POINT TI ONE TIME PAYMENT GO? UH, IT ACTUALLY WILL GO BACK TO GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN HOW IT'S UP TO COUNCIL TO HOW IT'S DISTRIBUTED.
SO IT JUST, IT'LL JUST BE CHALKED UP TO GENERAL REVENUE AND NOT DEDICATED.
SO IT TURNED OUT THROUGH THE PROCESS THERE WAS NOT OUTSTANDING DEBT.
THEY HAD NOT ISSUED THE DEBT ON THAT.
UM, AND SO, SORRY TO BE TOO WONKY.
SO 12.2 GOES BACK, AND I DO THINK FOR, AND ESPECIALLY FOLKS WHO, UM, FOLLOW THIS PROCESS VERY CLOSELY, THE ORIGINAL OFFER WAS 21 MILLION FROM ASPEN HEIGHTS COUNCIL, CHOSE TO TAKE THE MINIMUM BID WAS 12.2 IN THE RFP TO, UM, FACILITATE, FACILITATE SOME OF THE THINGS ON THE CITY SIDE.
AS I SAID EARLIER, THAT'S THE CITY OBLIGATIONS COUNCIL CHOSE TO PUT BACK INTO THE DEAL, THE BALANCE BETWEEN 12 TWO AND THE 21.
AND THAT'S WHAT STARTS TO GET YOU TO SOME OF THE, UH, TERMS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UH, I REALIZED THAT THE, THE HOTEL SITE IS SEPARATE, SEPARATELY OWNED, YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT, BUT HAS THERE ANY, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION WITH THE DEVELOPER OF THAT SITE AND THIS SITE IN HOW YOU MIGHT EFFECTIVELY INTEGRATE THE TWO AND MAKE THEM FLOW WELL TOGETHER? NOT AT THIS TIME, NO.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF, IF THAT WAS ABLE TO MATERIALIZE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPLORE CAUSE WE THINK IT'D BE PROBABLY A BETTER OUTCOME.
DO, DO WE KNOW, I WOULD SAY I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO, IF IT'S OKAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, GIVEN REAL ESTATE AND AUSTIN, TEXAS DOWNTOWN, I'D LIKE TO NOT DISCUSS THAT OR MAKE PROMISES IN AN OPEN FORUM.
I'M A REALTOR, BUT WE ARE
NOT TALKING NECESSARILY ABOUT ACQUIRING IT.
HOW THEY INTERACT, JUST HOW THEY INTERACT, HOW THEY INTERFACE.
UM, LA LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS IS A REMARKABLE PROJECT.
I KNOW HOW HARD EVERYBODY'S BEEN WORKING ON IT.
UH, THE, UH, OPEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION IS REMARKABLE.
I THINK IT HAS THE CHANCE TO REALLY BE A HALLMARK OF A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO I COMMEND EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
I WISH IT WEREN'T FIVE YEARS OUT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK.
COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, I I WANT TO THANK YOU.
UM, I, I DO WANT TO, I HOPE THAT AUSTIN CAN BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF, UM, CREATING, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ACTUALLY STAY AFFORDABLE.
THE THING THAT MAKES, UM, ATTEMPTS BY COMMUNITIES TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHOUT TAKING THE CONSIDERATION, TRANSPORTATION, GROCERIES, AND CHILDCARE THAT THEN TURNS THAT SUPPOSEDLY AFFORDABLE APARTMENT OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE ACTUALLY NOT AFFORDABLE.
SO IT, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN INCORPORATE THOSE THINGS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE RETAIL SPACE BY PUTTING GROCERY STORES THERE, THAT THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE $5 FOR A TOMATO.
UM, UM, BUT I THINK ALSO TO SAY THAT IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE HERITAGE TREES, AND I, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU SAID THAT THE CHILDCARE IS, WAS, WAS PUT IN A WAY THAT IT KIND OF INCORPORATES THE HERITAGE TREES THAT, THAT WE LOOK AT CHILDCARE AS AS IMPORTANT AS THE HERITAGE TREES.
UM, AND SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHILDCARE, UH, SLOTS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UM, BUT I, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT AS BEING THAT WE COULD BE, THAT AUSTIN COULD BE IN THE FOREFRONT OF CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING THAT INCORPORATES, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE STUFF THAT MAKES LIVING IN AUSTIN AFFORDABLE.
AND IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GO PAST THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IF WE DON'T, THEN WE JUST KEEP SUCKING OUT THE, THE, THE INCOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS AND THEY, THEY, THEY CAN'T MOVE ON.
[00:55:01]
THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THIS PACKAGE OF TERMS WHERE, AND I, I DID NOT CALL OUT FOR THEM THAT THEY'VE, UM, COMMITTED TO THE 30, AT LEAST 30% OF THE BUSINESSES WILL BE LOCALLY BASED THAT WE'VE LOCKED IN SOME AS BEST AS WE CAN.ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE AS A DEVELOPER WHO'S LOOKING AT A LONG-TERM PROFORMA WITH THEIR INVESTORS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE LOCKED IN AS BEST WE CAN.
THESE SPACES, YOU'RE RIGHT TO SERVE, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FAMILIES AND PEOPLES IN THE AREA.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN IN THIS FORUM, WE DO ENVISION AND BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE SEE, BELIEVE THAT WE CAME UP WITH A PROPOSAL THAT WE HOPE TO SEE PEOPLE WHO CAN LIVE DOWNTOWN FAMILIES.
AND I DO THINK, I'M GONNA STEAL THE CHAIRMAN'S PHRASE, BRINGING CHILDREN BACK TO 7 8, 7 0 1, UM, WHERE WE CAN HAVE FAMILIES LIVING IN DOWNTOWN, WALKING TO WORK, HAVING CHILDCARE ACCESS.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE HIT HARD ENOUGH TONIGHT.
THE PLAZA IS REALLY, TRULY SPECIAL WITH PROGRAMMING THAT THEY INTEND TO SEE WHERE ANYBODY, UH, UM, ANY A VISITOR WHO CAN COME IN WHO'S ON FAMILY VACATION CAN PARK IN THAT GARAGE, GO HAVE LUNCH AND THEN GO TOUR THE CAPITOL OR GO TO WATERLOO PARK OR GO VISIT UT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UM, AS WELL AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS AT THE HOSPITAL HAS A PLACE TO COME FOR LUNCH.
UM, WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT HOW, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF A PANDEMIC, HOW STRESSFUL PEOPLE'S LIVES WERE IN THAT AREA.
AND TO GIVE THEM AN OPEN SPACE WHERE THEY CAN SIT, HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE.
AND ANYWAY, FOR SOMEONE WHO'S SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF ELDER CARE, IT FEELS REALLY SPECIAL TO ME TO THINK THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD FIND A PLACE TO GATHER AS FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UH, IT JUST CAME TO MY MIND, BUT WHAT SCHOOL, IF THESE KIDS ARE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS, WHAT SCHOOL WOULD THEY GO BE, BE GOING TO? AND HAS THAT BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE THEY WOULD'VE GONE TO PEAS.
YEAH, I KNOW, BUT THAT'S CLOSED.
I, I I THINK THAT AS WE PLAN STUFF LIKE THIS, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIGURE OUT, SO HOW FAR IS THE SCHOOL, CAN THEY WALK TO IT? WILL THEY BE ABLE TO USE THE, THE CAP AND STITCH THING TO GET TO A, TO A SCHOOL IN EAST AUSTIN OR WHATEVER? AND, AND THINK, UH, FOUNDATION'S COMMUNITY HAS DONE A REALLY WONDERFUL JOB OF, OF, OF WORKING WITH, UH, THE SCHOOLS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO, TO INCREASE THEIR, THEIR, UH, THE GRADES OF THE INDIVIDUALS BY PROVIDING TUTORING AND OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT ARE REALLY HELPFUL AND, AND INCREASE A PERSON'S OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BREAK OUT OF THE POVERTY CYCLE THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN.
UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT IS EVEN THOUGHT OF WHERE THEY WOULD GO.
I THINK AS THEY GET OLDER THEY WOULD BE, UH, MARIO HENRY MUSTANGS AND AUSTIN HY MAROON'S LOYAL FOREVER.
THAT, THAT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION THOUGH.
I, I'M NOT SURE, AND THERE'RE FEW, IF ANY, SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN 78, 7 0 1, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD TRACK TO.
AGAIN, WE'RE AT THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, DRAFTING STAGE WHERE WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT GETTING TO A DEAL.
AND ONCE I, AS I'VE TOLD NICK MORE THAN ONCE, ONCE WE HAVE INK ON THE PAPER, WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS FROM THERE.
BUT THESE ARE REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS AND I DID PUT THAT DOWN IN MY NOTES OF, TO MAKE SURE WE START EARLY CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, I THINK AS THESE UNITS ARE STARTING TO COME ONLINE.
UM, WE HAVE AN ACTION ITEM BEFORE US TODAY.
I, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE, UM, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S SUPPORT FOR THIS, UM, GOING FORWARD.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION FROM ANY COMMISSIONERS? I'LL MOVE.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER ISHMAEL SUPPORTING.
DO I HAVE A QUESTION? WE'RE GOOD.
UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING THIS EVENING.
YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DISCUSSION AS WELL.
AND, UM, THE QUESTIONS AND, AND THE INPUT VERY OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE IN A HURRY TO SEE IF GIVE BILL.
APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION.
UH, IF, IF WE HAVE, UH, UH, ADRIAN STIR WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AVAILABLE, A KEISHA JOHNSON'S MOTHERS WILL BE JOINING US TODAY.
FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE ARE BRINGING HER INTERVIEW.
[01:00:01]
HERE.LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU GUYS ARE READY TO GET STARTED.
[2. Staff briefing on the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) by Adrienne Stirrup, Austin Public Health. ]
UP THE PRESENTATION THERE.MY NAME IS AISHA JOHNSON'S MOTHERS.
I AM THE SOCIAL SERVICE AGREEMENTS ADMINISTRATOR, ADMINISTRATION MAN MANAGER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT THAT MEANS IS CONTRACTS, SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS THAT, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, UM, ADMINISTERS LIVE IN MY UNIT, UH, MY AREAS.
SO, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, WE'RE REQUESTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE, UM, ARCH, THE DOWNTOWN SHELTER.
UM, AS WE ALL KNOW, UM, SOME, UH, TRANSITION DID HAPPEN, UM, BASED ON THE EARLY TERMINATION, UH, OF THE CONTRACT WITH FRONT STEPS.
SO ON JULY 28TH, 2022, OUR CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED, UM, ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH TO OPT TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH URBAN ALCHEMY, UM, OUT OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA TO OPERATE THE, THE AUSTIN RESOURCE CENTER, UM, CENTER FOR HOMELESS, WHICH IS KNOWN AS ARCH.
UM, OUR SHELTER FOR A 13 AND A HALF MONTH TERM BEGAN AUGUST 15TH.
WITH THAT AUTHORIZATION, COUNCIL GAVE SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS AS IT RELATES TO WHAT IS EXPECTED, UM, WITHIN THIS TRANSITION, UM, AND OPERATION.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT, AND THAT'S GONNA REALLY BE MY UPDATE TO YOU GUYS IN THE COMING SLIDES.
UM, THE CONTRACT ACTUALLY WAS EXECUTED FOR THAT SAID DATE IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,100,007, UM, AUGUST 15TH, 2022 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022, PROVIDED A SIX WEEK TRANSITION OVERLAP PERIOD.
AND SO WOULD THAT ALLOWED FOR, UM, BOTH HER ALCHEMY AND FRONT STEPS.
THE PREVIOUS, UM, SERVICE PROVIDER TO DO IS MAYBE A WARM, A WARM TRANSITION, A WARM AS WARM AS POSSIBLE HAND OFF OF KIND OF STATUS OF WHERE THE ARCH WAS AT THAT TIME.
IT ALLOWED URBAN ALCHEMY THE TIME TO, UM, TO PREP AND PLAN AND ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UH, COUNCIL DIRECTIVES THAT WERE REQUIRED TO HAPPEN PRIOR TO THE OCTOBER ONE START DATE.
UM, YOU, AND YOU'LL SEE AS WE GO FURTHER INTO THE SLIDES, KIND OF HOW THAT TRANSITION PERIOD ALLOWED FOR THEM TO ADVANCE TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW AND MAKE SUCH QUICK CHANGES AFTER OCTOBER ONE, AND AS YOU CAN OCTOBER 1ST, URBAN WE WAS, IT WAS A FULL TAKEOVER AT THAT POINT.
IT THAT MEANS THERE WAS NO MORE FRONT STEPS INVOLVED IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE SHELTER.
SO, HOUSEHOLD DIRECTION, THE FIRST DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL WAS URBAN ALCHEMY.
YOU GOTTA PRIORITIZE HIRING THE, THE STAFF THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AT THE, AT THE, UM, AT THE ARCH.
SO, WHAT URBAN ALCHEMY DID WAS THEY CAN, THEY ACTUALLY OFFERED, UM, INTERVIEWS TO 40 INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE, WERE THERE WHO WANTED TO ACTUALLY, WHO WERE INTERESTED IN, IN, IN THEIR POSITIONS.
AND OUT OF THOSE 40, 37 WERE HIRED.
UM, THEY OFFERED POSITIONS OF 37, AND OF THOSE 37, 90 2% ACTUALLY WERE HIRED AND OFFERED THE POSITION.
UM, SO A VERY HIGH AMOUNT OF FOLKS REMAINED IN THE ARTS WHO WERE ALREADY WORKING THERE, WHICH WAS A BIG CONCERN, UM, OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS MEMBERS, EMPLOYEE STAFF OF THE ARCH.
UM, THE SECOND DIRECTION, UH, FROM, UH, COUNCIL WAS QUARTERLY REPORTS ON PERFORMANCE AND OPERATION.
UM, WE ARE JUST NOW GETTING INTO THAT FIRST, UH, QUARTERLY REPORT BECAUSE THEIR, THEIR TIMEFRAME DOESN'T START, DIDN'T START STARTING TILL OCTOBER 1ST.
SO THAT FIRST QUARTER ENDED AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
BEING A NEW AGENCY, THEY'RE STILL GETTING OUR PERFORMANCE PROCESS UNDERWAY.
THE DATA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND BEING FINE TUNED AND THEN ANALYZED NOW.
SO I SHOULD HAVE THAT DATA, UM, UH, IN THE COMING, IN THE COMING DAYS, UM, IF NOT, YEAH, IN THE COMING DAYS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WE'LL RECEIVE DATA, UM, ON NUMBERS OF RESOLUTIONS TO ANY CLIENT GRIEVANCES, GRIEVANCE REPORTS FOR CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS THAT DEEMED THEM THEIR ACTION FOR NUMBER THREE.
THE THIRD, UM, DIRECTION WAS FOR QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE
[01:05:01]
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.UM, THIS REQUIREMENT ADDED, UM, WE ACTUALLY ADDED THIS INTO THE WORK STATEMENT, UM, THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION DOCUMENTS, AND REQUIRED THE AGENCY TO PARTICIPATE IN QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH, UM, OUR, UH, HOMELESS RESPONSE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
UH, WHERE UPDATES ARE PROVIDED, QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED, AND INPUT PROVIDED ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICES.
UM, URBAN ALCHEMY HAS AS FULFILLED THIS OBLIGATION IN THEIR FIRST QUARTER AND GAVE AN AMAZING UPDATE, RECEIVED GREAT QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK IN THEIR FIRST PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, ANOTHER DIRECTION, UH, DIRECTIVE WAS RECIPIENT.
UH, RECIPIENTS SHOULD RECEIVE GUIDANCE, MENTORSHIP, AND OTHER SUPPORT NECESSARY FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO BASICALLY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT URBAN ALCHEMY HAS WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND SO OUR AGENCY, UM, URBAN ALPHA IS WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR HOME STRATEGY DIVISION, UM, WITH ECHO AND OTHER AGENCIES WITHIN OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE TO HELP ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO, TO PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY OF SERVICES, AND, UM, RENDER A SYSTEM-WIDE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, UH, IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR CITY GOALS AND PRIORITIES.
UH, ADDITIONALLY WEEKLY, UM, AND MONTHLY COORDINATION MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING BETWEEN, UM, IT'S MORE, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF, UM, MOVED TO MORE LIKE A BIWEEKLY NOW, UM, MEETINGS WITH OUR HOME STRATEGY DIVISION WITH MY, MY CREW HERE AT, UM, IN AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH CONTRACTING, UM, AS WELL AS AGENCY STAFF FROM URBAN ALCHEMY TO CHAT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, IT, THE CONVERSATION CAN STARTS OFF WITH CONTRACTING ISSUES OR QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO JUST ACTUAL, UM, SERVICE DELIVERY, UM, COMPONENTS IN WHICH OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY STAFF DEFINITELY SUPPORTS, UM, WITH RESPONSES, UM, AND ANSWERS THAT THEY MAY NEED OR, UM, CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
ANOTHER DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL, UM, WA UM, IS THAT THE AGENCIES WILL, UM, PROMINENTLY DISPLAY CLIENT GRIEVANCE POLICIES THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY, UM, AND INCLUDE REPORTS OF ANY FILINGS OR ANY FILINGS OF GRIEVANCES, AND THE RESOLUTION OF WHICH THEY, THEY, THEY APPLIED, THEY ACTUALLY RENDERED TO THAT GRIEVANCE.
UM, URBAN ALCHEMY HAS PROVIDED A COPY TO US, UM, THEIR CON UH, ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH OF THEIR GRIEVANCE POLICY, AND HAVE POSTED THOSE THROUGHOUT THE RESPECTIVE, THE ACTUAL LOCATION.
SO THAT, THOSE WERE ALL THE DIRECTIVES FROM COUNCIL.
HOWEVER, URBAN ALCHEMY DECIDED, HEY, WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNCIL HAS.
AS, UM, AND MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS, IF YOU'VE TAKEN A DRIVEN DOWN SEVENTH STREET, THEY DID AN EXTENSIVE CLEANUP OF EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
UM, THAT MEANS THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDES, UM, WATERING, REDUCING THE LAUTERING IN THAT AREA, UM, AS WELL AS JUST A, A, A, A LOT MORE VIBRANT LOOK OF THE, THE BUILDING AND CLEAN LOOK OF THE BUILDING INCLUSIVE OF, UM, PLANTS AND NEW TREES AND MULCH, UM, AND POWER WASHING THE FRONT EVERY MORNING.
SO THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT WASN'T JUST ONE TIME.
IT'S INTENDED TO HAPPEN ONGOING.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO RESTRUCTURED THE RESTRUCTURED THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
UM, WHAT THEY DID IS THEY RE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE FAMILIAR AT SOME POINT, FRONT STEPS WERE SLEEPING FOLKS ON THE FIRST FLOOR, KIND OF IN THAT MAIN LOBBY WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE BUILDING.
SO WHAT URBAN ALCHEMY DID IS THEY ACTUALLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF OFFICE SPACES THAT WERE UTILIZED, UH, PREVIOUSLY BY FRONT STEPS AND MADE THOSE SLEEPING QUARTERS.
SO FOLKS CAN NOW BE ALL ON THE SAME LEVEL, UM, FOR SLEEPING QUARTERS, UM, AND USE THAT OPEN LOBBY FOR, UH, KINDA LIKE A LIVING SPACE.
THERE'S TVS THERE, THE COMPUTER, UM, ACCESS, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTERS FOR THOSE RESIDENTS, UM, IN THAT SPACE.
UM, AND IT'S JUST MORE OF A, A MORE FREE ENVIRONMENT SPACE VERSUS SOME MORE, UH, SLEEPING QUARTERS.
UM, THEY ALSO, UH, SHIFT SHIFT IN HOURS OR IN SPACE FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE NIGHT WORKERS.
WHAT THEY FOUND IS FOLKS WHO WORK AT NIGHT, WHO NEED THE SLEEP DURING THE DAY AND SHELTER DURING THE DAY HAD NOWHERE TO GO.
AND SO THEY SHIFTED SOME AND USED SOME OF THAT OFFICE SPACE, UM, TO CREATE SPACE FOR FOLKS WHO WORK AT NIGHT.
UM, THEY HAVE AN ACTIVE, A VERY ACTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH COMMUNITY CARE WHO WAS HOUSED IN THE, UM, ARCH BUILDING, UM, AND THEIR NEED FOR RESPITE BEDS.
AND AS WELL AS WE CONDUCTED A CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY WITH THOSE IN THE, UM, IN THE FACILITY IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
[01:10:01]
THAT DATA IS BEING COMPILED, BUT LUCKILY I ACTUALLY HAVE THAT DATA NOW.SO, SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED IN PERSON VIA A TABLET AND PAPER SURVEYS, UM, AS WELL AS ONLINE VIA GOOGLE, GOOGLE'S FORUM, GOOGLE, GOOGLE DOCS.
SO WE WANTED TO PROVIDE, UM, A MULTITUDE OF WAYS TO SUBMIT RESPONSES.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO SURVEY 74 ARCH, UM, INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS OUR SOUTH BRIDGE LOCATION, WHO, WHICH IS RAN BY O AUSTIN URBAN LEAGUE.
WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO ASSESS, UM, ASSESS 65 OF THOSE, UM, CLIENTS, UH, IN, IN DECEMBER.
AND THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED IS, DO YOU FEEL SAFE WHILE STAYING IN THE SHELTER? UM, OF THOSE 77 AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED, UM, AT THE ARCH, UM, ARE YOUR NEEDS BEING MET, FOOD BUILDING STORAGE, HYGIENE, UM, AT THE ARCH, 81% OF THOSE SURVEY AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED.
AND IS STAFF POINTING YOU IN THE, IN THE DIRECTION OF HOUSING, ARE THEY ASSISTING YOU WITH MOVING THROUGH THIS, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE TO FIND PERMANENT, UM, HOUSING? UM, AND OF THAT 65, UM, AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED AT THE ARCH? AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS STAFF TREATING YOU WITH RESPECT, KINDNESS, AND PROFESSIONALISM FOR THE ARCH 89% AGREED AND OR STRONGLY AGREED.
SO THOSE WERE THE ACTUAL CONTRACT, UM, THE, THE SURVEY QUESTIONS THAT WERE, UM, ASKED IN THE RESPECTIVE RESULTS.
AND THAT COMPLETES THE UPDATE, CONCLUDES THE UPDATE, CURRENT UPDATE OF OUR ARCH SHELTON IN PARTNER.
AISHA, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION, COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ? I, I HAVE ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW.
UM, YOU CAN TELL ME THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
TELL ME TO SHUT UP IF I'M TAKING UP TOO MINUTES TIME.
BUT I, I, I, I WANTED TO, TO ASK, YOU SAID THAT THE, THAT THE, UH, COUNCIL, UM, DIRECTED YOU GUYS TO GET INTO A DISCUSSION WITH URBAN ALCHEMY.
AND I WANTED TO TO ASK YOU, HOW DID, HOW WAS IT THAT URBAN ALCHEMY WAS SELECTED? CUZ I DIDN'T SEE AN RFP THAT THAT, THAT THEY ENDED UP COMING IN THROUGH AN R RFP.
SO IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
AND, AND THERE WAS AN RFP ACTUALLY MM-HMM.
UM, THERE WAS AN OPEN R F P AND WE ACTUALLY ONLY RECEIVED ONE APPLICATION, UM, FOR THAT RFP, WHICH WAS URBAN ALCHEMY APPLICATION.
UM, MY, UH, SECOND QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE, THE DATA THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU MEET WITH THEM, UH, YOU WERE MEETING WITH THEM WEEKLY OR EVERY TWO WEEKS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT YOU WERE DEALING WITH, UH, OR, OR, OR TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. UM, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT, THAT THE FIRST QUARTER JUST ENDED AND YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE DATA FROM THAT.
BUT BASED ON THE, UH, MEETINGS THAT YOU WERE HAVING, UM, WERE THERE ISSUES, CONCERNS, UH, THAT WOULD ALERT YOU TO, UH, US NOT GOING DOWN THE SAME ROAD? WE WENT WITH ARCH WITH, UH, FRONT STEPS.
CAUSE CUZ WHEN YOU GET DATA, WHEN YOU GET DATA AND IT TAKES YOU A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DATA SHOWS, YOU KNOW, STUFF CAN SNEAK UP ON YOU.
AND, UM, SADLY THAT HAPPENED BEFORE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PAST.
AND THESE, INITIALLY IT WAS WEEKLY CALLS AND NOW LIKE I SAID, IT HAS TRANSITIONED TO BIWEEKLY CALLS.
THAT'S THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THOSE CALLS, TO KIND OF BE AHEAD OF IT RIGHT.
IN THE EVENT SOMETHING ARISES.
UM, AND SO BASED ON THOSE CALLS, I, I REALLY THINK WE ARE TRANSITIONING INTO A, DEFINITELY INTO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
UM, WE AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ARE A LOT MORE ACTIVE WITH THIS.
NOTHING THAT WE WEREN'T WITH THE PREVIOUS, BUT WE, THEY ARE VERY, RECE ARE RECEPTIVE TO US AS AN URBAN ALCHEMY RECEPTIVE US.
AND OUR, AND OUR INPUT, UM, HAS HEATED TO A LOT OF, UM, UM, MANY AND ALL, MOST PRE PRETTY MUCH PREDOMINANTLY ALL OF OUR REQUESTS AS WELL AS, UM, SUGGESTIONS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, MEETING THE NEEDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCE AND HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND HAVE BEEN A WILLING AND, AND, AND OPEN PARTNER TO, UM, ANY EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AS IT RELATES TO OUR, ANY, ANY RESPONSE THAT BE NEEDED.
UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT I, I, LIKE I SAID, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE DATA, HOWEVER, JUST THIS ACTUAL IN INPUT THAT I'VE BEEN GETTING FROM, UM, BUSINESS PARTNERS AS WELL AS, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SURVEY, WE'VE BEEN GETTING REALLY POSITIVE OUTCOMES FROM THE SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN RENDERING SINCE OCTOBER 1ST.
[01:15:01]
AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS, IS, UH, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THE TOTAL NUMBER, WHAT THE CAPACITY, WHAT YOUR CENSUS IS AND HOW MANY OF THEM ARE DAY SLEEP AND HOW MANY OF THEM ARE RESPITE? I, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA AT, AT AT BAY RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU AS IN THE RESPITE BEDS.UM, AND THE CAPACITY, UH, I CAN SEND THAT ACTUALLY TO YOU.
SO WE, DR SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, CUZ I KNOW THAT ALL THIS HAPPENED LIKE RIGHT AFTER THE, UH, THE, THE COVID STUFF AND, AND THEY WEREN'T AT A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY, BUT IF THEY'VE GONE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY, WHAT IS THAT EQUAL? BECAUSE IT USED TO BE A HUNDRED BEDS, UH, UP ON, ON THE THIRD FLOOR AND NOW THEY, THEY GOT THE TWO CONFERENCE ROOMS THAT THEY TURNED INTO SLEEPING QUARTERS ALSO.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TOTAL NUMBER WAS.
AND AL I CAN PROVIDE YOU, I WANNA MAKE SURE I GIVE YOU ACCURATE NUMBERS ON THAT AND I CAN DEFINITELY SEND THAT TO, TO, TO YOUR REP REPRESENTATIVE, SO TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT.
HOWEVER, I KNOW IN NOVEMBER, UH, THEY SHELTERED OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD CUZ IT'S, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHY NOVEMBER'S IS, BUT I, THEY SHELTERED LIKE 115 NIGHT NIGHTLY.
SO, AND THAT'S MINUS RESPITE BEDS MORE, MORE THAN LIKELY.
CUZ THEY, I KNOW THEY HADN'T BEEN USING MANY OF THEIR RESPITE BEDS, BUT I WANT TO DEFINITELY GET YOU THE NUMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPITE BEDS.
AND, AND THE LAST AN ACCURATE NUMBER TOO.
THE LAST THING IS THAT THEY, THEY ARE USING H HM I S RIGHT? THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM? YES.
AND WE JUST DID THE POINT IN TIME COUNT LIKE TWO SATURDAYS AGO.
IS THAT ANOTHER PIECE OF DATA THAT YOU DON'T HAVE JUST YET? AS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY SHELTERED THAT NIGHT? OH, OKAY.
UM, COUNT IS, IS, YEAH, YOU MAY BE AWARE, UM, IS LED BY ECHO AND NO, I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA AS OF YET.
YOU WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO KNOW A ROUGH ESTIMATE ON THE ECHO COUNT, WOULD YOU? HAVE THEY RELEASED ANYTHING? OH NO, THEY WON'T RELEASE IT UNTIL MARCH.
I MEAN, I, I WISH THERE WAS A WAY THAT WE COULD GET IT SOONER THAN THAT, BUT, BUT WITH REGARDS TO THE SHELTERS, THEY, THEY CAN RUN A REPORT IN HMISS ON A DAILY BASIS TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR CENSUS WERE LIKE AT SALVATION ARMY AT, UH, CASA MARIA AND, UM, RATH G CENTER AND ALSO THE ARCH, CUZ THOSE ARE ON SHELTER POINT AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT COUNT.
SO THAT'LL TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE SHELTERED THAT NIGHT, BUT NOT THE, THE ONES THAT WERE NOT UNSHELTERED.
AND THAT WON'T COME TILL MARCH.
IS THERE, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ISSUE, IS THERE A RATIO OF SHELTERED TO UNSHELTERED? SO WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS COUNT AND IT'S 1.5 OR 2.5.
I, I THINK THAT THE HOPE WAS THAT WE COULD GET A REAL NUMBER AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING IN THE PAST.
AND THE HUD MANDATE OF HOW THE POINT IN TIME COUNT GOES HAS BEEN RESTRICTIVE AS TO US BEING ABLE TO GET A REAL GOOD COUNT FOR, FOR THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE HOMELESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, SO WE ARE THINKING THAT THIS, AT THIS POINT IN TIME COUNT IS GONNA SHOW A TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
AND BECAUSE THE SHELTERS WERE RUNNING AT LESS THAN CAPACITY, UM, THE, THE RATIO'S ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF SCREWY FOR, FOR, BECAUSE OF THE EPIDEMIC, SO.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.
YEAH, I ACTUALLY JUST HAD, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT EMERGENCY AND WINTER WEATHER SORT OF PREPAREDNESS AND SORT OF ANY, UM, PROTOCOL CHANGES THAT THERE WERE, LIKE GIVEN THE ICE STORM LAST WEEK OR, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD ANOTHER WINTER STORM TWO YEARS AGO.
JUST HOW, HOW, HOW, WHAT KINDS OF CHANGES WERE MADE IN DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE EXTREME WEATHER AND UM, JUST HOW, HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE THIS PAST, THIS PAST WEEK, WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF AGO.
YOU KNOW, SO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WAS FUNDED BY COUNCIL TO SOLICIT AND FUND A, A ACTUAL AGENCY TO PROVIDE COLD-WEATHER SHELTER SERVICES.
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY CONTRACTED WITH AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAD.
SO OUR, THE ARTS AS WELL AS URBAN ALCHEMY HAVE NOT BEEN ATTACHED TO OUR COLD-WEATHER SYSTEM RESPONSE BECAUSE URBAN ALCHEMY, I MEAN URBAN A AREA URBAN LEAD IS PROVIDING THAT SERVICE, UM, WHERE THEY'RE FUNCTIONING, UM, AS A SUPPORT TO OUR LARGER SYSTEM, UM, STAFFING THREE SHELTERS.
MY QUESTION IS HOW DID THE ARCH, DID THE ARCH IN PARTICULAR HAVE ANY CHANGES IN THEIR PROTOCOL TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE EXTREME WEATHER FOR THEIR CLIENTS AND FOR EVERYONE THAT WAS AT THE ARCH? LIKE, WERE THERE ANY CHANGES IN HOURS? WERE THERE ANY CHANGES IN PROCESSES? LIKE, UM, WERE THERE ANY CHANGES THERE IN PARTICULAR, BASED ON THEIR AVAIL, BASED
[01:20:01]
ON ACTUALLY OUR COLD-WEATHER RESPONSE SYSTEM, THEY, THEY FUNCTION AS BUSINESS AS USUAL.UM, I CAN DO, DO A LITTLE BIT DIGGING TO SEE IF THEY DID ANYTHING OUTSIDE, BUT ANY OF THAT DATA THAT I WOULD'VE GOT, IF THEIR NUMBERS INCREASED, I WILL GET THAT NEXT MONTH.
CUZ WE GET OUR DATA FOR THE CURRENT MONTH IN THE, IN THE NEXT MONTH.
BUT THEY WERE NOT PART OF OUR CITY RESPONSE SYSTEM BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY FUND AN ENTITY TO DO, TO DO THAT.
COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, I'M JUST WONDERING, BUT, BUT THAT CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN URBAN LEAGUE ACTUALLY IS NOT IN EFFECT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS ARE STILL UNDER THE CONTROL OF AUSTIN, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH CUZ THEY'RE GIVING, UH, AREA, UH, UM, THE URBAN LEAGUE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO RAMP UP.
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING OVER IN OCTOBER OF THIS, THIS YEAR AS OPPOSED TO ALREADY DOING IT.
IS THAT, IS THAT WRONG? THAT'S INCORRECT.
URBAN ALP URBAN LEAGUE IS ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING.
THEY HAVE, THEY DO NOT HAVE THEIR OWN FACILITY, HOWEVER, THEY ARE STAFFING PROVIDING SERVICES AT THREE PARK FACILITIES THAT ARE WHATEVER IS DEEMED WHAT PARK FACILITIES ARE DEEMED AVAILABLE FOR RESPONSE.
UM, AND THEY ARE STAFFING PROVIDING SERVICES.
THEY'RE PART OF OUR, UM, EMBARKATION PROCESS WHERE YOU REGISTER TO ACCESS COLD-WEATHER, SHELTERING, SHELTERING.
AND THEY ARE RUNNING FOR, THEY ARE ACTUALLY LEADING AND RUNNING THREE SHELTERS CURRENTLY.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER SCHER? YES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I ACTUALLY DID GO ON A TOUR OF THE ARCH BACK EARLY DECEMBER, UM, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER AND DON'T TAKE THIS AS GOSPEL, BUT I THINK THEY HAVE AROUND 130 BEDS AT FULL CAPACITY AND THEY HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE ON A WAITING LIST AS, UH, BEDS OPEN UP ALREADY.
SO I THINK THO THOSE ARE, ARE GOOD SIGNS.
UM, AND, AND I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT HOW THE PLACE SEEMS TO BE RUN AND THE AREA OUTSIDE.
UM, WHICH LEADS TO MY NEXT QUESTION AS YOU'RE WORKING WITH URBAN ALCHEMY, OR DO YOU, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, GLEAN FROM HOW THEIR OPERATIONS ARE THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY, INCLUDING JUST DOWNTOWN IN GENERAL? SO, GREAT.
THAT, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
UM, OUR HOME STRATEGY STRATEGY DIVISION ONE COUNCIL DIRECTION THAT CAME OUT OF, ON BACK WHEN THIS ALL HAPPENED WAS FOR OUR HOME STRATEGY DIVISION TO, UM, KIND OF BASICALLY WHAT WITH PLAN FOR OUR, OUR SHELTERING SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO LOOKING AT HOW OUR CURRENT SHELTER IS OPERATING IN A POSITIVE, UM, MANNER, USING THAT INFORMATION ALONG WITH PUBLIC INPUT, UM, PROVIDER INPUT TO BUILD OUT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FORWARD MOVEMENT OF OUR SHELTER STRUCTURE.
UM, SO THAT IT'S DEFINITELY A PART OF THE, THE PLANNING.
UM, AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA CALL IT EVIDENCE-BASED KIND OF PRACTICE, UH, INVOLVEMENT OF OUR PLANNING.
AND I WANNA MAKE, I WANNA MAKE SURE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UH, THIS IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS.
UH, AND I'M WONDERING, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK THAT WE GOT INTO THE MESS THAT WE GOT INTO, UH, AFTER THE ARCH OPENED WAS THAT THERE WAS NO FLOW.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF IT'S BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT THAT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS NEED TO BE PLACED INTO, UH, HOUSING, UH, THEY NEED TO GRADUATE FROM BEING, USING THE SHELTER TO ACTUALLY GETTING HOUSING AND THAT THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE WAITING LIST OR PROVIDE A FLOW, UH, AS OPPOSED TO PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVING TO STAY THERE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND ESSENTIALLY LIVING THERE AND NOT LI NOT HAVING ANY ROOM FOR PEOPLE.
PEOPLE DECIDE THAT MAYBE IT'S EASIER IF I STICK CLOSE BY AND THEN THEY START TO POPULATE AROUND THE AREA.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S HOW THINGS GOT REALLY BAD IN THE PAST.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF, IF THE CITY HAS SOME MANDATES OR EXPECTATIONS, UH, FROM, UM, URBAN ALCHEMY ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY NEED TO GRADUATE INTO HOUSING AND, AND HOW THE FLOW IS GONNA HAPPEN CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO PERFORMANCE, UM, RE PERFORMANCE, UM, MEASURE FOR, UM, A REQUIREMENT AS IN HOW THEY, THEY NEED TO HOUSE SOMEONE, HOWEVER I CAN SPEAK TO.
UM, THEY ARE ACTIVELY PROVIDING, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT TO ASSIST WITH THAT FLOW.
UM, AND THEY DO PROVIDE, AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE, UM, THE ENTITIES I'M TRYING TO GET, UH, THAT I'LL HAVE THAT DATA FOR YOU, UM, FROM THEIR QUARTERLY REPORT, UM, THEY
[01:25:01]
ARE PROVIDING CARE COORDINATION AS WELL AS, UM, DAY RESOURCES TO ASSIST, WHICH IS CASE MANAGEMENT TO ASSIST WITH THIS FLOW.AND I KNOW THEY HAVE HAD SOME, UH, POSITIVE, AND I, I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER CAUSE I'LL HAVE THAT FOR YOU, BUT I KNOW THEY HAVE HAD SOME, UM, POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF HOME HOUSING.
THOSE THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN SHELTERED AT, UH, THE ARCH.
AND I THINK CONNECTED TO THAT IS, IS UM, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE THERE TO GET LINKED WITH EMPLOYMENT CUZ THEN MAYBE THEY CAN SELF-RESOLVE AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT ON A VOUCHER.
UH, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S IN, UH, UH, A MEASURE OR, UH, A GOAL THAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE WANTING FOR, UH, URBAN ALCHEMY TO BUILD OUT.
NOT IN THIS PERSPECTIVE CONTRACT, HOWEVER, I'M DEFINITELY GONNA WRITE THAT DOWN.
THEY HAVE, UM, ONE OF THE, IN INTENTS IS SOME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S, UH, WHERE WE HAVE ACTUAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS THAT ARE, UH, FUNDED THROUGH RESPECTIVE AGENCIES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THAT THAT EX THAT EX THAT EX EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE OTHER FOUNDATION, UH, WITH THE TOOTH PROJECT, UM, THAT IS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
AND THE INTENT IS TO PARTNER WITH OUR SHELTERS, UM, AND OUR ENCAMPMENTS TO, TO ACTUALLY EMPLOY THOSE, UM, WHO ARE EXPERIENCING IN HOW, HOW HOMELESSNESS TO, TO ACTUALLY AS, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, SOFT SOFTEN THE BLOW ON OUR ACTUAL, UH, HOMELESS, YOU KNOW, COUNT.
UM, SO, UH, BUT IT'S NOT A CURRENT REQUIREMENT AND OR MEASURE THAT SOMETHING AS MEASURED IN THAT CONTRACT.
JUST FULL DISCLOSURE, I I WORK AT THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION, SO YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT LOVELY PROJECT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONER? ANYBODY ONLINE? COMMISSIONER, MOP, MS.
UM, AND THERE ACTUALLY IS A COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE SHELTER AND THEY WERE COMING DOWN, YOU KNOW, UP AND DOWN SEVENTH STREET.
PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER, BUT I'M KIND OF CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE A HUNDRED OVER A HUNDRED WAITING LIFTS THAT WE CANNOT SHELTER.
SO MY QUESTION IS HOW DO THEY GO AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT KIND OF SERVICES DO WE CONTRACT URBAN EL ME, UH, HAS, DO THEY PROVIDE SERVICES TO HELP BUILD THAT COMMUNITY? CAUSE I THINK, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY WANT TO HAVE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND BELONGING.
SO I, I DON'T WANT TO PICK UP, TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF THE TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THIS IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY, WITH ALL THIS WAITING LIST, IS THERE A, A ACTION PLAN OR PROCEDURES, THE WEATHER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS AGO, THE ICE STORM, WHERE WILL THESE PEOPLE GO AND DO YOU WORK ICE? YEAH.
DO YOU WORK WITH THE, THE THE FIRST VILLAGE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS OVER THERE? I MEAN, HOW IS, UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME IDEA.
HOW IS THE SERVICE COMMUNITY FOR THE HOMELESSNESS? HOW DO YOU WORK TOGETHER? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE THAN JUST SHELTER.
YOU HAVE, UH, ADDICTION, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SELF PRESCRIBED MEDICATION, YOU KNOW, SO, SO, SO IT IS MORE THAN JUST SHELTER.
SO IS THERE A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PLAN TO ADDRESS ALL THOSE ISSUES FROM THE POLICY PERSPECTIVE ALL THE WAY TO OTHER NONPROFITS? SO, THANK YOU.
THAT'S A REALLY LARGE QUESTION.
[01:30:01]
DO IN AS OUTTA RESPECT, UM, FOR OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER, DIANA GRAY, I THINK THAT WILL BE A GREAT OPP THAT'LL BE A GRA UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR HER TO, TO PROVIDE THAT LARGER ANSWER, BECAUSE THAT'S DEFINITELY ALL STRATEGY, KIND OF WHAT THE CITY'S PLAN IS.WHAT I CAN SPEAK TO IS FUNDING.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, UM, STARTING ACTUALLY A YEAR AGO, WE WERE A REALLY BUSY BEE.
STARTING IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR, WE RELEASED A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDING OVER ABOUT 72 MILLION, UM, ACCESSIBLE TO NONPROFITS TO APPLY FOR A, UM, AN ARRAY OF SERVICES TO PROVIDE IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY TO THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FROM RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SERVICES, UM, UH, EMERGENCY CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES, STREET OUTREACH SERVICES, UM, EVEN IF IT'S ENROLLMENT SERVICES, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES.
SO WE ARE SUPPORT OUR, UH, WE DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THERE'S A LARGER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PARADIGM TO THIS.
AND SO THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN PART OF OUR STRATEGY IS FUNDING NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO ASSIST IN ADDRESSING, UM, ADDRESSING OUR, UM, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, HOWEVER, TO ANSWER THAT REALLY LARGER PICTURE, UM, DIANA GRAY ACTUALLY WILL BE A GREAT RESOURCE TO REACH OUT TO, AND SHE CAN PROVIDE THAT LARGER PICTURE AND RESPONSE.
COMMISSIONER MOCK, WE WILL EFFORT HAVING, UH, DIANA COME TO A FUTURE MEETING.
WE'LL CERTAINLY FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
THA IS THERE ANY ACTION ITEM FROM THE COMMISSION? ALRIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION VERY MUCH AND HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.
[6. Discussion and possible on the Downtown Commission Graffiti Working Group. ]
SIX, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION GRAFFITI WORKING GROUP.WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY ACTION, BUT I DID WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK BRIEFING.
WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING, UH, THE, THE WORKING GROUP IS GOING TO BE MEETING NEXT WEEK.
UH, AND WE'VE BEEN GATHERING, UH, DATA, UH, FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND FROM, UM, OTHER ENTITIES, UH, FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS TO HAVE A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND WE'VE CERTAINLY HAVE GOTTEN SOME ATTENTION ON THIS.
UM, THE ONLY TWO CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE ASSIGNED BUDGETS FOR GRAFFITI ABATEMENT ARE PARKS AND RECREATION AND BUILDING SERVICES AND BUILDING SERVICES.
AS I UNDERSTAND, IT JUST DEALS WITH THE PHYSICAL BUILDINGS THE CITY HAS.
UH, PAR HAS, UH, A BUDGET OF $500,000 AND FOUR FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS FOR FTES ASSIGNED TO ABETTING GRAFFITI IN THE PARKS.
UM, THE, UM, DE THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, WILL EITHER SEE THE GRAFFITI ON THEIR OWN AND HAVE A CREW GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF THAT WHILE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF SOMETHING ELSE.
SO THERE'S NOT A RECORD OF THAT AND THERE'S NOT A FISCAL NOTE ON IT NECESSARILY.
UM, CALLS ARE ROUTED IN FROM THREE 11 WHEN THE PUBLIC CALLS ABOUT A GRAFFITI ISSUE.
AND THOSE ARE TYPICALLY ROUTED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THEN WILL SEND THEM OUT AS APPROPRIATE TO THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
BUT THERE'S NO COHESIVE EFFORT AROUND, YOU KNOW, BOTH TRACKING IT, ACCOUNTING FOR IT, AND DOING SOME OF THE COST MEASUREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UM, DAA UH, THIS, THIS SHOCKED ME.
UM, IN 2022, THEY REMOVED 11,400 TAGS JUST IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME INTEREST OF, UH, HAD SOME INQUIRIES ABOUT THE UT AREA, AND I, I WOULD EXPECT THAT THAT IS COMPARABLE.
UM, THE, UH, UM, I'M WAITING ON NUMBERS FROM TEXT DOT AND CT RMA, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE TAGGING ALONG OUR, UM, HIGHWAYS.
UM, THE, UM, UH, LET ME THINK.
UM, THERE WAS A TIME, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO, TO FIND OUT WHEN THERE WAS A, LIKE A VOLUNTEER SERVICES COORDINATOR THAT, UM, HELPED, THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY, THAT HELPED GROUPS COME TOGETHER TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND THIS MAY BE SOMETHING FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER, UH, AS A BUDGETARY RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, THE CITY, TO, TO RECREATE THAT POSITION.
UM, TO HELP WITH THIS, AGAIN, THINGS THAT WE AS A GROUP HAVE NOT A WORKING GROUP, HAVE NOT DISCUSSED.
[01:35:02]
WE ARE, UH, GOING TO BE VISITING WITH, UM, UM, MR. WAKE WITH THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM TO SEE WHAT STRATEGIES WE CAN, UH, USE TO DIVERT, UH, THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE DOING THE GRAFFITI TO A MORE PRODUCTIVE ARTFUL PURPOSE.UH, AND WHETHER THAT'S THE USE OF PUBLIC SPACE OR PRIVATE SPACE, I THINK THE, THERE WAS A LOCAL PERIODICAL THAT, THAT SEEMED TO FOCUS ON THE MURALS THAT WE HAVE IN TOWN.
WELL, THOSE MURALS WERE ALLOWED BY THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY AND IN SOME CASE CASES COMMISSIONED.
UH, AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND THEY ARE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY.
AND THEY'RE GETTING TAGGED TOO.
AND THEY'RE GETTING TAGGED TOO.
I MEAN, THE, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH WAS VANDALIZED BY SOMEBODY TAGGING IT.
IT'S A, A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART THAT AUSTIN IS ACTUALLY KNOWN FOR.
UM, BUT, UM, THE, THE, UH, UM, THE DAA IS GOING TO BE JOINING US AND TALKING TO SOME OTHER BUSINESS FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY IT.
BUT I THINK FINDING A NUMBER OF CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM.
COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, AT OUR LAST MEETING, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, YOU THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS, UM, AN ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRED THE CAGING OF SPRAY PAINTS.
UM, STAFF HAS BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE THAT.
WAS IT A LEGISLATIVE IT WAS A CITY ORDINANCE.
UH, AND WE'VE FOUGHT HARD FOR IT BECAUSE, UH, IT WAS IN THE LATE SEVENTIES THAT WE, WE PUSHED FOR IT AND, AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET IT.
UH, JUST BECAUSE IT, IT WAS JUST, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS A LONG TIME.
UH, UH, WELL, THE CITY NOW THAT WE HA WE, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WASN'T ABLE TO FIND IT, BUT PERHAPS THEY WEREN'T GOING BACK FAR ENOUGH GOING BACK BACK FAR ENOUGH.
UH, CUZ CUZ AGAIN, IT WAS A MAJOR ISSUE BACK THEN.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS AS WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT ARE TROUBLESOME FOR, FOR THE MAJORITY, UH, OF THE POPULATION IN AUSTIN, I REMEMBER WHEN SKATEBOARDING WAS A BIG DEAL AND PEOPLE WERE USING, UM, LIKE, UM, CULVERTS AND OTHER THINGS TO DO THAT, AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, WE CAN'T HAVE THAT.
SO WE BUILT, UH, SKATEBOARD PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
UH, AND I'M THINKING, UH, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT GO AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE ANYWHERE, IF WE CAN BUILD SKATEBOARD, UH, PARKS, THEN PERHAPS WE CAN BUILD GRAFFITI PARKS.
WELL, THE SKATEBOARD PARK, YOU CAN COMBINE BOTH THE SKATEBOARD PARK AT 12TH AND SHO CREEK IS COVERED.
AND SO, UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT IS A BRIEF UPDATE ON, UM, THE WORKING GROUP.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, OR WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IS PEER PROGRAM, SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS, ACTUALLY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STAFF HAS ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THEIRS AS A, SAN ANTONIO HAS SOME GREAT MODELS TO LOOK AT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CITIES AROUND THE, THE COUNTRY THAT ARE DOING THINGS PROACTIVELY TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.
UH, AND WE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
THERE MAY BE SOME GOOD SPOKES OUT THERE TO, TO TIE IN.
I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN, AND AGAIN, MAYBE WE'RE TAKING UP TOO MUCH TIME, BUT, BUT CREATING A, A COMPETITION AND, AND, AND, UH, RECOGNIZING ARTISTIC TALENT AND BEING ABLE TO, TO HAVE IT BE ACTUALLY USED SOMEWHERE, UM, UM, NOTICED AND, AND USED AND, AND HAVING THAT COMPETITION AT, AT, AT A LOCATION WHERE PEOPLE COULD DO AND U USE A CANVAS THAT'S NOT SOMEBODY'S BUILDING.
I THINK THERE, THERE ARE GONNA BE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
UM, IF I'M, I JUST HAD A, A BRIEF QUESTION THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO DEPARTMENTS, IF YOU COULD ASK IF, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, AND I'M NOT GOOD AT TIMEFRAMES, BUT I'M GONNA SAY THAT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE TO EIGHT YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A LOT OF, WE WERE DOING THIS AT OTHER, LIKE, UM, I REMEMBER THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL WAS TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, THIS, THIS CAME UP MM-HMM.
AND SO AS YOU'RE TALKING TO DEPARTMENTS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO FIND OUT WHETHER THERE WERE ACTIONS TAKEN THEN, UM, THAT MADE THINGS SIMMER MM-HMM.
LIKE IF CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED THAT COULD BE CREATING SORT OF THE, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, I, THIS, THIS, ALL, THIS IS ALL STARTING TO, AS I'M SITTING HERE AND GOING AND THINKING ABOUT PAST MEETINGS, THIS IS ALL SOUNDING VERY FAMILIAR MM-HMM.
AND I REMEMBER GOING THROUGH SOME OF THESE SAME CONVERSATIONS, FIVE,
[01:40:01]
EVEN DURING THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING.I REMEMBER IT WASN'T BSCA, EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT PYREX, AND IT WAS FIVE TO EIGHT YEARS AGO.
SO TH THIS HAPPENS PERIODICALLY.
AND SO IF THERE'S A RHYTHM TO IT, IF THERE'S A PATTERN TO THAT, IT WOULD BE, I THINK IT MIGHT BE USEFUL.
UM, I'VE, I'VE, SOME OF IT TOO IS, UH, THE CONSISTENCY OF PROGRAMMING, UH, OF ENFORCEMENT, UH, AT THE, THE CITY LEVEL AND WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
AND OVER TIME THERE ARE OTHER PRIORITIES, I SUPPOSE, AND, AND THINGS FALL OFF.
UM, AT ANY RATE, WE'LL BE COMING BACK IN MARCH.
UH, I HOPE WE'LL HAVE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO PUT, UH, IN, UH, A MOTION FOR BUDGET PURPOSES.
UH, MARCH IS THE MEETING WHEN WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK WE COULD CARRY ON THE WORKING GROUP BEYOND, UH, THAT MARCH MEETING BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME BIGGER ISSUES TO, TO DISCUSS.
BUT ANYHOW, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE AND, AND ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE.
AND, UM, I SEE COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH QUESTION, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HARRIS FOR YOUR GOOD WORK.
UM, I WONDER IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR THE KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM, WHICH HELPED NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN SIGNS WERE DEFACE THAT NE, YOU KNOW, NEEDED TO READ THE SIGN.
AND SO THOSE THINGS NEEDED TO BE CLEANED UP.
AND SO NEIGHBORHOODS WERE GIVEN MONEY BY KEEP AUSTIN.
AND I HAVE A RESPONSE THAT, THAT WOULD BE A GRANT PROGRAM THROUGH KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL.
THAT, AND INCIDENTALLY, I, I DID LOOK AT, AT THEIR WEBSITE, WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM AS WELL BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE A COMMUNITY PARTNER IN THE ABATEMENT PROCESS, UH, IF THEY WANTED TO.
UH, BUT THEY DON'T APPEAR TO HAVE AN ACTIVE GRAFFITI ABATEMENT PROGRAM AMONGST ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY DO.
COMMISSIONER SCHEY, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL, UM, THAT HAS A LINK THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE.
BUT I TRIED CALLING AND I'VE LEFT A COUPLE OF EMAILS FOR THE CONTACT INFORMATION THAT IS THROUGH THAT WEBSITE, AND NOBODY RESPONDED.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BUDGETING IS FOR THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S IN CHARGE, BUT WE'LL FIND OUT.
[7. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Historic Landmark Commission ]
ITEM IS, UH, UH, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION COMMISSIONER HEIM, SETH.WELL, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE HAD A VERY RARE, UH, MOMENT WHERE OUR LAST MEETING WAS CANCELED, AND THAT, UH, WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE STORM HAPPENED TO BE THAT WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
SO, UH, OUT OF CAUTION, WE WOUND UP, UH, HAVING NOTHING SCHEDULED.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAVING A DOUBLE MEETING COMING IN, UH, EARLY MARCH.
I WILL SAY THAT, UH, THINGS HAVE STILL BEEN MOVING FORWARD, AND YOU PROBABLY SAW OUR RECOMMENDATION ON THE WESTGATE TOWERS, UH, WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR HISTORIC ZONING.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT A SURPRISE.
UH, IT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT BECAUSE THAT CERTAINLY IS A WORTHY STRUCTURE FOR PRESERVATION.
UH, MOST OF MY CONCERNS THAT I'VE EXPRESSED HERE, PARTICULARLY WITH DOWNTOWN, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, UH, FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE, UH, PROPERTIES THAT MIGHT BE, UH, THREATENED.
UH, I THINK THIS IS AN, UH, AN ODD AND IRONIC CASE WHERE THE, THE, THE, THE FEW POLICIES WE DO HAVE WERE THE VERY REASON WHY IT WASN'T SUPPORTED BECAUSE OF THE TAX ABATEMENT, UH, FOR THE CONDO OWNERS.
SO, UH, YEAH, IT'S, IT CONTINUES TO BE INTERESTING, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
WELL, AND I THINK, UH, TO ADD TO THAT, THAT, UM, THE ABATEMENTS WERE ACTUALLY CAPPED UNDER A, UH, UH, SOME CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE YEARS AGO.
SO THE IMPACT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN IT HAD BEEN.
SO, YEAH, I, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE, WE HAVE PLENTY MORE, UH, IN THE, IN THE WORKS AND OF COURSE, AS I'VE REPORTED, UH, THE, UH, WHOLE REDO OF OUR PLAN WITH, UH, EQUITY-BASED, UH, FOCUS IS, IS WELL UNDERWAY.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AS WE GO.
[9. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Arts Commission]
COMMISSIONER MOCK ARTS COMMISSION.UM, WELL, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND ALL THE WHEELERS OUT THERE, UH, NOW THAT WE SLOWLY GET OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, I'M SURE YOU ALL WANT TO, TO BRING SOME JOY, YOU KNOW, INTO YOUR LIFE.
SO I WILL RECOMMEND EVERYBODY TO GO TO VISIT AUSTIN'S WEBSITE AND THEN GO TO THE ARTS, UH, LANDING PAGE AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE THINGS
[01:45:01]
TO DO SLASH ARTS AND TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN TOWN BECAUSE OUR ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS IN OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY, WE WANT OUR HELP.WE ARE, YOU KNOW, GETTING MORE AROUND.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTISTS, THEIR PROGRAM, THEIR PERFORMANCE, AND ALL THAT.
AND WE HAVE TWO MORE PROGRAM, UH, FUNDING PROGRAM THAT IS GOING TO ROLL OUT IN MAY IF YOU ADDRESS THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION, UM, ISSUES, UM, IN THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, AGAIN, UH, BRING BACK THE DI
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, THAT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY IS SO IMPORTANT AND DI IS THE BEST TOOL TO CONNECT ALL OF US AROUND DOWNTOWN.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU FORGET THAT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER MOCK AS QUEEN OF THE QUESTION.
I, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY BRING THE DI BACK, THEY'LL NAME EACH OF THEM AND YOUR YOURS WILL BE PROMINENT ON BUS NUMBER ONE.
[12. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Public Safety Commission ]
RAMIREZ, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER.UM, WE TOO POSTPONED OUR MEETING.
OUR MEETING WAS ON MONDAY AFTER THE, THE ICE STORM, AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS WERE BUSY DEALING WITH OTHER THINGS, AND WE DID NOT WANT TO BURDEN THEM WITH REPORTS
UM, SO, UM, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN MARCH.
ANY COMMENT ON THE, ON TODAY'S ACTION AT COUNCIL? UM, OR NO, FROM THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE? NO.
UM, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ONE YEAR CONTRACT.
UH, WE, UH, BY ERROR LEFT OUT THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION, AND I DO KNOW, I JUST, I WAS GETTING TO THAT.
[8. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Urban Transportation Commission ]
COMMISSION IS NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA, SO MAY I DO THAT? YES.DO I NEED A MOTION TO, UH, OKAY.
SO, UH, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, UH, A DISCUSSION OF RECENT ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION, AND WE DO HAVE COMMISSIONER WEAVER OR CHAIR WEAVER, UH, ON THE LINE.
UH, DO, DO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING? I'LL MOVE.
COMMISSIONER ISMAIL MOVES SECOND.
YOU GOT A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
YOU HAVE BEEN NOW ADDED TO THE AGENDA.
COMMISSIONER OR CHAIR WEAVER, PLEASE, UH, REGALES WITH WHAT IS GOING ON, UH, WITH THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION.
UM, AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, WE REVIEWED THREE PROJECTS, UM, THE FIRST BEING 1215 RED RIVER, THE HEALTH SOUTH PROJECT.
UM, GENERALLY WE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT ACTIVATION WITH THE STREET AND KIND OF RAISING THE PUBLIC PLAZA OFF GRADE.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE 11 CONGRESS, UH, IS REALLY HAVING TROUBLE WITH, UH, MAINTAINING THEIR RESTAURANTS.
UM, SO WE WERE JUST MAKING SURE THAT WAS KIND OF ADDRESSED.
UM, BUT WE DID, AS YOU SAW,
UM, WE'LL SEE THE PROJECT AGAIN WHEN THEY'RE, UH, THEY'VE COMPLETED THE SITE CLEAR AND, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO EVALUATE IT IN GREATER DETAIL.
UM, WE ALSO REVIEWED FOUR 10 EAST FIFTH STREET WILSON TOWER.
WE FOUND THAT THE PROJECT DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, THAT WAS PRIMARILY DUE TO JUST NOT REALLY INCORPORATING PUBLIC
[01:50:01]
ART OR KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE, ONE OF THE FOUR SQUARES IN DOWNTOWN.IT SITS ON THE SQUARE, AND IT DIDN'T REALLY INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE DESIGN.
UM, WE ALSO REVIEWED A CITY PROJECT, UH, KRAMER LANE SERVICE CENTER SUBSTATION IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE DID FIND THAT THAT COMPLIED WITH THE CITY DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS.
WE ARE NOT HAVING A BRIEFING FROM ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION, PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, URBAN TRANSPORTATION, UH, BECAUSE OUR LIAISONS ARE NOT HERE THIS EVENING.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS, BUT BEFORE WE DO, UM, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING FROM THE CITY CLERK ON, UH, NEW COMMISSIONERS? YES.BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE LOSING SOME FOLKS.
AND AS A REMINDER, IF YOU ARE NOT BEING REPLACED AND YOU DO NOT RESIGN, I GET YOU FOR AT LEAST TWO MORE MONTHS.
I APPRE I APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT.
AND I, I WILL SAY A LONG TIME, UH, COMMISSIONER JOEL SHEER, UM, HAD YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSIONER COMMISSION FOR A LONG TIME, CORRECT? VERY, VERY.
SO, UM, AND I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR, YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, FOR, FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, WE, STEPHANIE, UH, YOU, YOU DID PROBABLY RECEIVE, AND, AND PLEASE, I'LL HA HAPPY TO FORWARD THIS AGAIN TO ALL THOSE, UH, AGAIN, BUT THIS, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF COMMISSIONERS, UM, THAT ARE, UH, SUBJECT TO THE END OF THE FIRST TERM.
AND SOME ARE, UM, TWO NEED, WOULD NEED TO BE REAPPOINTED BY NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO YOU MIGHT NOT BE AT TERM, BUT THERE IS, UH, YOUR APPOINTOR, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, MAY HAVE TURNED OVER.
AND I REALLY, UH, WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE OR HAVE NOT DONE ALREADY, THAT IF YOU DO, UH, DESIRE TO SERVE, AND WE WOULD SO DESIRE TO HAVE YOU SERVE, UM, AT THE WILL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TO, TO CONNECT WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR APPOINTMENT.
THERE IS A 60 DAY HOLDOVER PERIOD.
SO THERE, I I ONLY HAVE RECORD OF A FEW COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.
THERE MAY MAY BE MORE NEXT WEEK ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
I DO HAVE, JOSH LEK HAS BEEN REAPPOINTED TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, AND I KNOW, UM, UH, BEN HEA YOU'VE BEEN REAPPOINTED TO HISTORIC LANDMARKS, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY GOT A THUMBS UP.
THEY, UH, WOULD APPROVE YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR LIAISON ACTIVITIES IN THAT REGARD.
UH, HOPE IF THEY'LL HAVE ME
UM, BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR REAPPOINTMENT TO THAT COMMISSION.
AND, UH, KIMBERLY TAYLOR HAS BEEN REAPPOINTED TO THE PARKS AND REC RECREATION COMMISSION.
THAT IS WHAT I HAVE ON, ON RECORD.
SO THERE IS A 60 DAY HOLDOVER PERIOD, EVEN THOUGH, UH, TECHNICALLY IT'S A FEBRUARY 28TH, UH, UH, TERM.
BUT I WANTED TO SAY THERE IS A 60 DAY HOLDOVER PERIOD.
AND, UH, SO THEY'RE NOT, NOT, UH, SEEKING TO, TO NOT AUTOMATICALLY EXPIRING.
UM, THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN SERVING ON THE SAME BOARD AND COMMISSIONS SINCE 2015 MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT.
THAT'S, UM, AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
AND SO I DO WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THOSE WHO MIGHT BE TURNED OFF IN YOUR SERV FOR, FOR YOUR SERVICES DEEPLY, UH, RESPECTED.
AND, UH, I'M GETTING SWEATY EYEBALLS, SO I'M GONNA END ON THAT.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? IS THERE ANYBODY, UM, AND I REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF OUR, UH, MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT.
IS THERE ANYBODY AND WE KNOW COMMISSIONER, SHE, FORMER CHAIR SURE.
UH, IS, UH, IS RETIRING FROM, FROM OUR BOARD, UH, IN TWO MONTHS,
UNLESS THE MAYOR PICKS, UNLESS THE MAYOR PICKS SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, BUT, UM, IS THERE ANYBODY ONLINE OR
[01:55:01]
HERE WHOSE TERM IS ENDING? WHO, UH, COMMISSIONER MEISENBACH.ARE Y'ALL GOING TO BE REAPPOINTED? DO WE KNOW WHAT YOUR STATUS IS? I LEFT A MESSAGE, UM, WITH MR. CADRE AND DIDN'T RECEIVE A RESPONSE.
WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD SO LONG, I WON'T BE ELIGIBLE, IS YOUR TERM ENDING.
SO, UH, AND GET ME IF I'M WRONG, CHAIR LEHMAN, YOU WERE APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN IS, UM, IS NO LONGER ON SERVICE, UM, THERE IS, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN APPOINTMENT FROM THAT NEW, I THINK IT'S, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, UM, FOR, UH, THIS POSITION.
AND I WOULD, I DO NOT, I DO HAVE THIS AS SECOND TERM EXPIRING IN 2023.
SO I GUESS CHAIR LEHMAN, YOU'VE BEEN WITH US TOO FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT I DON'T, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE HE WOULD BE TWO TERMS. YES.
UM, YES, IT'S STILL SUBJECT TO THE 60 DAY HOLDOVER PERIOD, AND I'M HOLDING EVERYBODY TO THAT 60 OLD OVER.
UM, AND I, I DO NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION.
I THINK IT'S USUALLY POSTED AS LATE BACKUP.
SO, UH, FOR ANY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS NEXT WEEK, UM, THAT USUALLY HAPPENS LIKE DAY OF OR SEVERAL DAYS.
SO I DON'T YET HAVE WHAT IS ON THAT AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
UM, FOR COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, REITERATE THAT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FOLKS ABSENT TODAY, UM, WITH THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS THAT WE POTENTIALLY WILL HAVE VACATING, UM, WE MAY RUN INTO QUORUM ISSUES.
UH, AND SO WHY I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE GOING TO ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT, UH, AT LEAST TO STAY TUNED, UH, IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS NOT AN APPOINTMENT, SO WE CAN MAKE WARM
AND WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH EVERYBODY ON IT.
UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I WANTED TO NOTE THAT, UM, UH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HAVING, UM, AN UPDATE ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN AND STAFF WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO COME THIS EVENING, AND WE HAVE, UH, MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEM TO BE HERE FOR OUR MARCH MEETING.
SO ANOTHER REASON THAT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE QUORUM SO WE CAN HAVE THAT MEETING.
UH, AND, UM, AS I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR THE COMMISSION TO HAVE A MOTION DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, THAT WOULD HAVE THAT REPORT ON A SEMI-ANNUAL BASIS.
SO IT'S SCHEDULED BECAUSE IT, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE, AND I'D LIKE TO GET THAT FOR THE APRIL MEETING, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE POST SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THE OTHER DAY, IN THE LAST YEAR, THERE'VE BEEN NINE HOMICIDES DOWNTOWN, SEVEN OF WHICH HAVE OCCURRED AR AROUND SIX, AROUND EAST SIXTH STREET.
UH, AND IT, FOR EVENTS LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, OBVIOUSLY THERE COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THE NINE HOMICIDES THERE WERE 106 ROBBERIES, 176, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, 164 BURGLARIES 259 A, THIS SURPRISED ME.
UH, AN ADDITIONAL THEFT, MORE THAN A THOUSAND THEFTS, NINE ARSON CASES, AND A THOUSAND, MORE THAN A THOUSAND OF WHAT THEY CALL PART TWO CRIMES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE CRIME VIEWER, THE CITY OF WILSON'S CRIME VIEWER, AND YOU SEE THE FOCUS FOR A LOT OF THOSE, IT'S ALL OVER 7, 8, 7 0 1, BUT YOU DO SEE NODES AND IT, IT UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THIS SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE UNDER OUR SPOTLIGHT
[02:00:01]
CONSTANTLY.SO ANYHOW, UM, I'D LIKE TO GET THAT ON THE APRIL AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY, ANY, IS THERE ANY OTHER ITEM THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE? COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ? UM, I KNOW THAT I'M NOT NECESSARILY A VOTING MEMBER, SO I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD REQUEST THINGS, BUT JUST IN, IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BRING IN AND POTENTIALLY EXPAND DISCUSSIONS TO TALK ABOUT THE STAGING OF, UM, EMERGENCY SERVICES OF, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF SPECIAL SORT OF OPERATIONS AND, AND, UM, HEAR FROM EMS, HEAR FROM FIRE, UM, IN ADDITION TO A P D, JUST IN TERMS OF HOW THEY, HOW THEY STAGE AND SORT OF PREPARE FOR LARGE EVENTS FOR POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, FORBID MASS CASUALTY, LIKE MASS CASUALTY EVENTS, JUST KIND OF WHAT, WHAT KINDS OF RESOURCES THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO, TO SORT OF RESPOND TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
COULD WE, COULD WE BRACKET ALL OF THAT IN FOR THE APRIL MEETING? YES, CHAIR.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, I MAY REACH OUT TO YOU IF YOU HAVE LIKE, SPECIFIC CONTACT PEOPLE.
OTHER MEMBERS? I THINK, I THINK THAT THERE WAS MENTION OF HAVING DIANA GRAY COME TALK SOME MORE DIANA GRAY.
I KNOW SHE'S BEEN A RE LITTLE RELUCTANT TO COME HERE IN THE PAST.
UM, PERHAPS WE CAN GET THAT ON OUR MARCH AGENDA.
THEY WOULD BE TIMELY FOLLOWING UP ON TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER, UM, FUTURE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? UH, EXCUSE ME.
CHAIR HARRIS, DO YOU MIND IF I, UM, ALSO ADD A COUPLE THINGS, JUST SUGGESTIONS.
I'M NOT A COMMISSIONER, BUT I DO THINK KIND OF A RELEVANT CONVERSATION IS ABOUT THE PALM DISTRICT.
IS COMING FROM THE CHAIR, IS THAT A, IS THAT A RECOMMENDED FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? YES.
AND LET'S, LET'S HAVE THAT TIED INTO THE UPDATE ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
SO WE'VE GOT AT LEAST THOSE TWO ITEMS FOR MARCH, AND THEN WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF VERY SIGNIFICANT ITEMS FOR APRIL.
I, I SAW IN THE NEWS THAT THERE WAS MORE DISCUSSION AROUND, UM, TECH DOT AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH REGARDS TO I 35.
UM, DO WE FEEL LIKE THE, THE CAP AND STITCH? YEAH.
UH, AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AND ARE GOING TO BE MADE, OR WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEING, UM, MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO ACTUALLY CHANGE? AND CAN ANYTHING BE CHANGED SINCE IT WAS VOTED ON MANY YEARS AGO? UM, BUT HOW IS IT GONNA IMPACT, LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, 12TH AND 13TH STREET YEAH.
AND ITS IMPACT ON, ON, ON THE, THE HOSPITAL YEAH.
SO JUST KIND OF WONDERING, IS IT TOO EARLY STILL OR, I THINK THEY'VE MOVED ON WITH A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR I 35.
WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY HAVING TECH.COM, BUT I THINK THIS MIGHT BE MORE, UH, THE ATD COMING IN TO ADDRESS, UM, HOW THEY'RE GONNA INTEGRATE DOWNTOWN OR HELP FACILITATE DOWNTOWN WITH A PROJECT, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A VERY LONG PROJECT AND VERY INVASIVE.
SO, UH, IS THAT SOMETHING, CHRISTINE? I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, UM, THE ATD STAFF IS IN A POSITION YET WHERE THEY CAN REALLY, UM, DISCUSS IT AT THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL? THEY MIGHT NOT BE, BUT I'M GONNA CERTAINLY REACH AND I, I, I SEE CH UH, CH CHAIR, UH, UM, SORRY COM I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER WEAVER'S HAND IS UP, BUT, UH, I CAN ALWAYS ASK.
I'M HAPPY TO ASK COMMISSIONER WEAVER.
UH, I'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THIS MATTER WITH, UM, A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS STAFF, UM, AND ALSO THE AIA ADVOCACY GROUP, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE AIA.
UH, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, TECH OT IS MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS.
UM, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO WORK WITH TRAFFIC ENGINEERS.
THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO WORK WITH URBAN PLANNERS.
AIA WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE AN URBAN PLANNER INTEGRATED FOR THE PARTS WHERE
[02:05:01]
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CAP AND SKETCH.UM, SO I THINK SOMETHING POTENTIALLY HELPFUL THAT WE COULD DO AS A COMMISSION IS, UH, REQUEST A BRIEFING BY TEXT, DO AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UM, WHERE COUNCIL CAN ALSO TAKE THAT REQUEST TO INCORPORATE URBAN PLANNING.
UM, AND KIND OF SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES FROM DOWNTOWN.
I, I THINK IT WOULD JUST HELP, UH, CITY COUNCIL AS AS THEY'RE MAKING THAT REQUEST THEMSELVES.
SO I, I DO SEE THAT AS A, A GOOD POTENTIAL, UM, CONVERSATION FOR THE COMMISSION.
THAT I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO TECH DOT'S.
DISTRICT DIRECTOR, DISTRICT DIRECTOR, OR DISTRICT ENGINEER, I THINK IS THE APPROPRIATE TITLE.
AND I'LL WORK WITH THE, BOTH THE CORRIDOR OFFICE AND AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO PULL TOGETHER SOMETHING TIMELY.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THIS IN TANDEM WITH CONVERSATIONS, NOT JUST THE I 35, BUT ALSO I ALSO HEAR CAP AND STITCH, WHICH IS KIND OF BEING, UH, KIND OF TREATED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS TEXT.IS SAYING YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CAP AND STITCH IF YOU FUND IT AND, AND DO.
I, I, I WILL COORDINATE AND, AND TRY AND BRING SOMETHING MORE COMPREHENSIVE BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
AND IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS OF THE COMMISSION? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO, MOVE.
THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION STANDS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE BOYS, JACK.
ANYONE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CLEAN TO THE.