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[CALL TO ORDER ]
WILL CALL TO ORDER THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.WE ARE MEETING, IT'S, UH, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH AT 2:05 PM WE HAVE, UM, MYSELF, VICE CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ HERE IN PERSON.
AND OUR CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON IS JOINING US REMOTELY.
YOU ARE HAVING TO
SO, UM, LEADING OFF, WE ARE JUST, UH, GOING TO FIRST
[1. Approve the minutes of the November 10, 2022 Housing and Planning Committee meeting. ]
APPROVE THE MINUTES.I THINK SO ANY MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOTIONS.
OR COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUE SECONDS.
ANY, UH, ANY OPPOSITION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
WELL, ACTUALLY, I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE BEFORE I GET THINGS GOING ON, UH, CHAIR HARPER MEDICINE, OR YOU WANT TO ADD ANY WORDS HERE AT THE TOP BEFORE WE LAUNCH RIGHT IN? OR SHALL WE JUST DIVE IN? MR. DONALD VICE CHAIR, THIS IS, THIS IS ALL YOU.
WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SEE IF WE REGRET THAT OR NOT.
ITEM NUMBER TWO, OR NO, I'M SORRY.
CAN WE HAVE A SPEAKER SIGN? OH, OKAY.
SO WE HAVE ONE, JUST ONE SPEAKER? YES.
WELL, THEN WE WILL OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT, PUBLIC DISCUSSION, AND INVITE OUR FIRST SPEAKER UP TO DISCUSS.
WELL, IF, IF THAT PERSON SHOWS UP, WE WILL BE SURE TO OPEN IT BACK UP.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAS NOW JOINED US FOR THE RECORD.
[3. Staffing Update (Emergency Medical Services Department, Austin Fire Department, Austin Police Department). ]
SO LET'S LAUNCH RIGHT INTO OUR BRIEFING.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE DIRECT TRUELOVE HERE TO GIVE US A BRIEFING.
ROSIE TRULOVE, DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
I'M GONNA SEE IF THIS IS THIS GONNA WORK.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU GUYS A MUCH MORE DETAILED OVERVIEW OF OUR DEPARTMENT THAN WHAT WE GAVE AT COUNCIL ORIENTATION.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF SLIDES.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS WE WOULD PROBABLY LOVE TO, ONLY BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT.
AND I WANNA GIVE YOU THE BREADTH OF THE WORK THAT WE DO, UM, GIVING YOU MORE INFORMATION TODAY THAN YOU PROBABLY ARE EXPECTING SO THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAMS CAN GO BACK AND DIGEST AND TO HELP KIND OF REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR THE WORK THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS DOING.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER, UH, HAVE A, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR MISSION, OUR STRUCTURE, OUR BUDGET.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT WORK AND PRIORITIES AND, AND HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
SO, THE MISSION OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS TO PARTNER WITH A COMMUNITY TO SHAPE A MORE EQUITABLE OSP AUSTIN, AND TO PREVENT THE DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE AND SERVICES USING PLANNING DISCIPLINES IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESOURCES.
OUR GOALS ARE TO CREATE PEOPLE-CENTERED PLANS AND POLICIES TO SUPPORT PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED PLACES THAT PROMOTE TRANSIT, JOBS, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITATE LONG-RANGE PLANNING, TO PROMOTE THE CREATION OF WALKABLE MIXED USE IN INCOME, UH, MIXED INCOME COMMUNITIES TO COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HONOR AND LEARN FROM AUSTIN'S DISTINCT CULTURE, PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL QUALITIES TO HELP SUSTAIN A MULTI-ETHNIC CITY, TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF RENTERS BY PROVIDING TENANT STABILIZATION SERVICES, UH, TO ADDRESS HOUSING CHALLENGES IN AUSTIN BY CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH OPPORTUNITY, IN GENTRIFYING AREAS.
TRANSFORM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES TO YIELD MORE INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE AND EFFECTIVE OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, LOW INCOME PERSONS AND RENTERS.
AND TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS SYSTEMIC MUNICIPAL RACIAL BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING AND PLANNING BY FOCUSING PROGRAMS, PLANS, AND PROJECTS TO BENEFIT HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES.
I GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT SO THAT YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN WE BROUGHT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT TOGETHER TWO YEARS AGO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO NOW, WE VERY SPECIFICALLY ENGAGED AROUND THESE GOALS TO HELP FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT.
JUST SO YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE'RE ORGANIZED.
WE HAVE A GROUP THAT IS ZONING IN URBAN DESIGN.
THAT'S MORE OF OUR CURRENT LAND PLANNING.
OUR INCLUSIVE PLANNING IS MORE OF OUR LONG-TERM PLANNING, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.
WE HAVE A GROUP THAT FOCUSES ON DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION GROUP BECAUSE OUR, AS WE'LL GO THROUGH ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE OUR FUNDING
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IS COMPLEX IN ITS NATURE.AND THEN WE HAVE OUR PROGRAM DELIVERY AND REAL ESTATE SERVICES.
AND I HAVE FOLKS FROM, I THINK EVERY ONE OF THOSE GROUPS SHOULD WE DECIDE TO GO INTO A LOT OF DEPTH ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN ANY OF THESE DIVISIONS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR 2023 FUNDING SOURCES, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET OF A LITTLE MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, AND ONLY, NOT, NOT EVEN 19 MILLION OF THAT, NOT EVEN 19%, IS, UH, IS FUNDED WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, WE HAVE EXTENSIVE PROJECT CONNECT FUNDING.
UH, WE HAVE OTHER C I P FUNDS.
OUR HUD GRANTS ARE AT ABOUT 11 MILLION.
THAT'S OUR FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT FUNDS.
HOME C CDBG, UM, REFLECTED IN THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
WE JUST GOT OUR ENTITLEMENT ALLOCATIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE LEVEL FUNDING WITH THAT.
UH, A LITTLE BIT OF SHIFTING AROUND BETWEEN THE BUCKETS, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING LEVEL FUNDING.
UH, FOR THIS, THIS YEAR IN OUR C I P AND HOUSING TRUST FUND, WE HOUSING TRUST FUND, WE HAVE 15 MILLION.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE WHAT YOU WILL SEE COME TO YOU AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN APRIL TO HELP ALLOCATE THE FIRST TRANCHE OF THE 2022 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE TOURS YOU SEE THERE IS THE, UM, HOMESTEAD PRESERVATION DISTRICT A, WHICH IS SOLIDLY CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN.
IT'S BEEN COLLECTING FUNDS, AND, UH, NOW THAT IT'S, UH, GOT A NICE ROBUST AMOUNT, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO DEPLOY THOSE WITH ELIGIBLE PROJECTS IN THE COMING YEAR.
IN 2017, UM, WE BROUGHT FORWARD AND COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CITY'S FIRST EVER STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN.
IT'S, IT'S THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
UM, THIS WAS PRETTY REVOLUTIONARY AT THE TIME, AND I THINK IT'S STILL REVOLUTIONARY WHEN I TALK TO FOLKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
NOT MANY D NOT MANY CITIES OR COMMUNITIES HAVE A STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN.
UM, THE GOALS HERE ARE TO DISPERSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ALL 10 DISTRICTS TO CREATE 60,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FROM ZERO TO 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
UH, WE WANNA COUNT AND TRACK ALL NEW AND EXISTING HOUSING.
WE WANNA DEVELOP ALONG IMAGINED AUSTIN CENTERS AND CORRIDORS IN NEAR HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS.
WE WANNA PRESERVE 10,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS AND TO CREATE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND CONTINUUM OF CAL AND CONTINUUM OF CARE HOUSING UNITS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AGAIN, THESE WERE 10 YEAR GOALS.
UM, YOU'LL S YOU, I MEAN, IT'S 2023 NOW.
UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN TELL EVEN SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN THERE IS A LITTLE BIT DATED BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT AUSTIN CENTERS AND CORRIDORS.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT IN THE STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN.
UH, SO IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR US TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO UPDATE THAT AND TO REFRESH THE INFORMATION THAT'S IN THERE.
BUT WE DO KEEP TRACK OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND THIS IS, UH, PROGRESS TO DATE AS OF OUR MOST RECENT SCORECARD.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT'S EFFECTIVE, UH, 2018 TO 2021.
AND YOU'LL NOTE THAT WHEN YOU SEE THE, THE RESULTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, IT'S A CHALLENGE.
WE KNEW THAT, THAT THE GOALS WERE, WERE HIGH AND OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEM WAS GOING TO BE AMBITIOUS WHEN WE PASSED THE STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN IN 2017, IF WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO MEET THAT NEED RIGHT THEN AND THERE, THAT WAS AN 11 BILLION NEED IN 2017.
UM, ADJUSTING FOR INFLATION, IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE THAN THAT BY NOW.
UH, SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE IS, IS, IS JUST A FRACTION OF THE FUNDING OR THE HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE NEEDED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE GOALS THAT THE COUNCIL ESTABLISHED.
I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT INTO THE WORK OF OUR DIFFERENT DIVISIONS FIRST, STARTING WITH OUR, OUR MORE CURRENT LAND PLANNING GROUP.
SO OUR ZONING AND ANNEXATION GROUP, UM, THIS IS THE GROUP THAT IS HEADED UP NOW, UH, IN THE INTERIM BY JOY HARDEN.
JERRY RUSSO RETIRED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 200 CASES THAT ARE FILED PER YEAR, AND THOSE CASES ARE PROCESSED THROUGH WITH OUR ZONING STAFF.
THAT IS REALLY ONLY SEVEN POSITIONS.
WE HAVE THE ZONING OFFICER, A DIVISION MANAGER THAT'S OVER ZONING, AN ANNEXATION, AND FIVE ZONING CASE MANAGERS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FIVE VACANCIES, AND THAT'S THROUGH NORMAL ATTRITION.
THAT'S A 20 YEAR GROUP THAT WAS WORKING TOGETHER.
AND IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO, HAVE DECIDED TO SHIFT ON AND DO OTHER THINGS, EITHER THROUGH RETIREMENT OR DIFFERENT CHALLENGES HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WE ARE WORKING VERY COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE CITY TO REBUILD THAT DIVISION AND THAT TEAM, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH, WE HAVE STAFF THAT WE'RE BORROWING FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
WE'RE RETAINING THE ASSISTANCE OF TENURED STAFF TO HELP TRAIN NEW PEOPLE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, WORKING WITH OUR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING THAT, THAT ARE HERE LOCAL TO SEE IF WE CAN BUILD A PIPELINE OF STAFF THAT WILL WANT TO START AS PART-TIME HELP AND, AND, AND CONTINUE ON, HOPEFULLY WHEN THEY GRADUATE.
UM, BUT WE'RE VERY MUCH IN A PROCESS OF REBUILDING RIGHT NOW.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A GREAT CONCERN
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TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED THAT CASES WILL TAKE LONGER TO COME THROUGH.AND, AND I JUST WANNA ASSURE FOLKS THAT WE ARE DOING ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND.
UM, WE ARE WORKING TO ANALYZE AND IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES AND, AND OUR GOALS REALLY ARE TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY IN INCREASED TRANSPARENCY.
CAN I PAUSE YOU THERE FOR A MINUTE? SURE.
AND ANYBODY, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY, I'D RATHER THAN WAIT TILL THE END, JUST DIVE RIGHT IN.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS I HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE, IF WE LOSE OUR LAST OWNING OFFICER, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS AT THAT POINT OF, OF HOW WE, AND I DON'T WANNA KNOW.
UH, SO ARE WE LOOKING, SHE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
I SEE HER STANDING OVER THERE.
BUT, UH, IF, ARE WE LOOKING AT OUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TRYING TO HIRE A THIRD PARTY FOR AN INTERIM PERIOD OF TIME, JUST PAYING MORE WHAT? SO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, YES AND YES.
UM, I, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT GOING THROUGH A PROCESS TO BRING IN AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT TO PROCESS OUR ZONING CASES WOULD BE AS EFFECTIVE IN TIME EFFICIENCY.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE AS QUICK TO DELIVER THE RESULTS AS WE WOULD WANT IT TO BE, CUZ WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH A COMPETITIVE APP, YOU KNOW, COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCESS.
AND, AND THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN QUICKLY AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, OR REALLY ANY PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AGENCY.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO GET CREATIVE WITH STAFFING.
WE'RE BORROWING FOLKS, WE'RE CONSULTING WITH RETIREES.
IF, IF EVERYONE LEFT, I WOULD STILL HAVE A WHOLE SLATE OF, OF RETIREES THAT I WOULD GO AND BEG AND CRY AND HOPEFULLY GET SOME HELP ON.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT IS A POINT OF VULNERABILITY.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY A POINT OF VULNERABILITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL BE BAKING INTO MY REQUEST FOR THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS TO GET ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
BECAUSE PART OF, PART OF THE ISSUE WITH THIS GROUP IS THE WORK IS HARD.
IT'S, IT, IT CAN BE CONFRONTATIONAL AT TIMES.
UM, I WANNA COMMEND JOY WHO'S HERE, SMILE AND WAVE JOY, UM, BECAUSE SHE HAS STEPPED UP INTO THE ROLE OF OUR INTERIM ZONING OFFICER AND IS JUST DOING AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING JOB TO KEEP EVERYTHING GOING IN THE DIRECTION WE NEED IT TO GO.
UM, BUT WE ARE HIRING ACTIVELY EVERY DAY.
IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE HIS OWNING CASE MANAGER, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME CUZ I WANT TO TALK TO THEM.
UM, IF I THOUGHT WE COULD JUST BRING IN A CONSULTANT AND FIX THINGS REALLY FAST, I WOULD JUMP ON THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD GET US WHAT WE NEED.
WELL, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT DEGREE PAY VERSUS NOT, YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO TAKE THE PAY FROM ONE OF THESE POSITIONS AND POUR IT OVER THE OTHER FOUR I FOUR IS BETTER THAN ONE.
BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN DO THAT WITH MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE.
WELL, I'M LETTING, BUT I APPRECIATE THE MENT THERE.
UM, WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ENGAGING WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO DO A COMPENSATION STUDY ON THE PLANNER JOB, FAMILY, BECAUSE IT IS ONE THAT I'VE SEEN HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TURNOVER, UH, IN THE LAST ONE TO TWO YEARS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.
AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING FOLKS LEAVE NOT, UM, MOSTLY TO, FOR OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GONNA GIVE THEM MORE MONEY, EITHER INTERNAL PROMOTIONS, YOU KNOW, JUMPING FROM A PLANNER TO, TO A PLANNER SENIOR, AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOING THAT ACROSS THE CITY.
BUT WE'RE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF FOLKS LEAVE FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WE CAN'T COMPETE.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN THERE.
WE SHOULD BE, UH, WE SHOULD BE ROLLING OUT THE, UM, THE, THE COMPENSATION STUDY RESULTS HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL HELP ENOUGH MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WE DO TRY TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR BENEFITS AND WE DO TRY TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH HOW WE, WITH HOW WE, WE OPERATE AS A DEPARTMENT.
UM, I THINK COUNCIL MCC CADRE, YOU HAVE A YEAH.
APPRECIATE WHAT VICE CHAIR ALTER.
I MEAN, I WAS GONNA ALSO ECHO, I PLEASE DON'T LEAVE JOY.
UM, JOY'S NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE.
UM, DISTRICT NINE ALSO NEEDS JOY AS A, AS A COMMISSIONER.
UM, BUT I GUESS, YEAH, AND YOU MIGHT ANSWER THIS, YOU KNOW, LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, AT RELATED TO STAFFING, OBVIOUSLY YOU MENTIONED HOW HARD THE WORK IS, YOU KNOW, HOW MENTALLY GRUELING AND EXHAUSTING IT IS.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PAY, BUT, UM, MY QUESTION WAS, IT'S GONNA BE WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT SEE FOLKS LEAVE? SO, UM, A LOT OF IT IS, A LOT OF IT IS PAY TO BE ABLE TO GO AND DO, UM, WORK IN OTHER, OTHER POSITIONS.
IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE AN AUTOMATIC, UM, STEP PLAN
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WITHIN THE JOB.THE PLANNER, SOME, SOME JOB FAMILIES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE THIS.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT AGAIN, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IT USED TO EXIST BEFORE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE, BUT IT'S NOT IN EXISTENCE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS YOU COME IN AS A PLANNER, TWO, MAYBE A YEAR OR SO OUTTA COLLEGE, OR RIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE, RIGHT OUTTA GRADUATE SCHOOL.
ONCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, THEN YOU WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BUMP TO A PLANNER THREE AND THEN A PLANNER SENIOR.
AND YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR A COUPLE OF BUMPS UNTIL YOU GET TO MORE OF A PLANNER PRINCIPLE LEVEL, WHICH IS THE SUPERVISORY LEVEL.
AND OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY BUMP PEOPLE INTO SUPERVISOR ROLE BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD BE REALLY LOPSIDED.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, HONESTLY A LOT IS THE PACE AND THE, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CASELOAD, WHICH IS WHY I'M LOOKING TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL FTES IN THE NEXT BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME VACANCIES THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, IT'S BEEN HARDER TO FILL TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO COME IN AND ACCEPT THAT PACE OF WORK AT THAT LEVEL OF PAY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO BALANCE THAT WITHIN WHAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL.
UM, DOES THAT HELP? YEAH, THAT HELPS.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU TO TOUCH BRIEFLY ON TIMELINE.
LET'S SAY YOU FIND ONE OF THESE MAGICAL PEOPLE WHO KNOWS, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR ZONING PROCESS IS LIKE AND IS READY TO COME WORK FOR THE CITY.
WHAT IS THE EXPECTED TIMELINE? IF SOMEONE TODAY SAID, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS, I THINK THIS IS A POSITION I WANNA FILL, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO GET THEM ONBOARDED AND, AND UP AND RUNNING IN THE OFFICE ONBOARDED AND UP AND RUNNING? SO IF, IF FOLKS ARE WILLING TO COME IN, IF I FIND SOMEONE WHO'S AMAZING AND MAGICAL AND A SPECIAL UNICORN, I CAN BRING THEM IN TOMORROW AS A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE.
UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE SAME FULL-TIME BENEFITS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR PERMANENT STATUS EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE.
UM, BUT I'M ABLE TO BRING FOLKS IN IMMEDIATELY.
WE'VE BROUGHT, WE'VE FOUND SOME SPECIAL UNICORNS OUT THERE THAT HAVE WANTED TO COME AND WE'VE BROUGHT THEM IN AS TEMPORARIES THEN IT'S A TRAINING PROCESS.
AND I WOULD SAY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AS THEY'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, MAK UM, TO GET UP TO SPEED AND TO BE REALLY OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY IF WE WERE GOING THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UM, FOR A FULL-TIME POSITION.
WE HAVE PLANNER POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AT ALL LEVELS.
PLANNER TWO, PLANNER, THREE PLANNER, SENIOR PLANNER, PRINCIPAL THAT ARE ALMOST ADVERTISED AT, WE PROBABLY HAVE ONE ADVERTISED AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
LIKE ONE OF EACH OF THOSE CLASSIFICATIONS ACROSS ALL OF THE DIVISIONS.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IS IF WE'RE HIRING FOR, IF WE'RE INTERVIEWING FOR MAYBE A PLANNER OR SENIOR IN, IN THE INCLUSIVE PLANNING GROUP, AND WE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY'RE GREAT, BUT THEIR HI.
BUT THEIR EXPERIENCE MAY BE MORE, UM, MAKES THEM MORE SUITED MAYBE TO ZONING WORK.
WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT TO, TO BRING THAT PERSON ON FROM THAT CANDIDATE POOL.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S A SIMILAR TITLED POSITION.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TALKING AND SHARING APPLICANTS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK AS WE'RE ADVERTISING POSITIONS.
BUT IT'S, I WOULD HAVE TO, I WOULD BE LYING IF I WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU A GUESS, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS FROM WHEN WE ADVERTISE A POSITION BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE START PROBABLY AT LEAST THREE MONTHS IF WE WERE GOING REALLY FAST TO GET THROUGH ADVERTISEMENT.
YOU KNOW, HAVE THE JOB OPEN FOR TWO OR THREE WEEKS, HAVE IT CLOSE, DO THE INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH ALL OF THE, THE PROCESSES, ALLOW THEM TIME TO GIVE NOTICE, AND THEN JOIN OUR, OUR WORKFORCE FULL-TIME.
AND THE TEMPORARY OPTION, YOU SAID THAT IS KIND OF LIKE WHEN WE HAVE SEASONAL OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND THEY, THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR SOME OF THE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS OR DENTAL OR SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED.
AND OUR GOAL IS NEVER TO KEEP SOMEONE IN A TEMPORARY STATUS.
UM, IF THEY'RE WORKING OUT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE OF OUR TEMPORARIES, AND I'VE DONE THIS, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND APPLY FOR THOSE FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE EMPLOYING IS WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF STUDENTS THAT WE'VE HIRED FROM, UM, THE COMMUNITY REGIONAL PLANNING PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THAT ARE GRADUATING IN MAY.
THEY CAN'T WORK FULL-TIME YET, BUT THEY WANT TO START NOW.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THEM IN AND HELP GET THEM ON BOARD AND TRAINED.
AND THEN POTENTIALLY, UM, WHEN WE GET CLOSER TO THEIR GRADUATION, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO DO AN ADVERTISEMENT AND TRANSITION THEM SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO APPLY.
AND ALL OF THE FUND THAT GOES WITH THAT.
AND THE LAST QUESTION, CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S MORE TO THE PRESENTATION, IS WHERE WOULD PEOPLE GO IF THEY WANT TO SAY, I WANT TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION? WELL, YOU COULD ALWAYS GO TO AUSTIN, TEXAS JOBS, BUT YOU CAN ALSO FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME.
AND THAT'S ROSIE, R O S I E DOT TRULOVE, T R U E L O V E@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO PASS ANY APPLICATIONS THAT I GET ONTO THE RIGHT FOLKS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK TO FILL POSITIONS ALL ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
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IT THERE FOR NOW.SO, AWAY FROM STAFFING AND ONTO THE WORK, UM, WE DO HAVE, THIS IS THE GROUP THAT DOES ALL OF THOSE FUN PODS THAT WE DO, THOSE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS.
BRO OAKS IS SLATED TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL ON MARCH 23RD.
WE HAVE TWO PODS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW IN SOME SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION.
UM, WE DID THE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT OR THE PROJECT ASSESSMENT BACK IN NOVEMBER ON ONE THAT'S, UH, THAT WE'RE CALLING THE FIRESTONE PUT.
AND THAT'S AT THREE 11 TO THREE 15 SOUTH CONGRESS.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE THAT YOU ALL HEARD AT, UM, THE MEETING ON THE WORK SESSION ON THE 21ST.
THAT'S FOR 200 EAST RIVERSIDE.
AGAIN, THOSE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENTS ARE REQUIRED PARTS OF, OF CODE.
THEY HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO THE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY FILE THEIR PUT APPLICATION.
SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE COMING OUR WAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE MULTIPLE PUT AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN THE WORK OR IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW.
UM, THIS IS THE GROUP THAT ALSO WORKS ON ANNEXATIONS.
WE HAD 10 ANNEXATION CASES THAT WERE APPROVED IN 2022.
UH, WE ALSO WORK ON OTHER JURISDICTIONAL MATTERS LIKE E T J RELEASES AND MUDS.
AND, UM, GIVEN THE, THE TIME OF THE BIUM WE'RE AT, UH, LOTS OF LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS COMES OUT OF THIS GROUP TOO.
WE ALSO HAVE, WITHIN OUR CURRENT GROUP, UH, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
HERE, WE'RE ENCOURAGING PRESERVATION OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC BUILDING STRUCTURES AND SITES AND DISTRICTS PROMOTING AWARENESS OF CULTURAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE.
UH, WE HAVE 600 PLUS HISTORIC LANDMARKS, EIGHT LOCALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS, AND 18 NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UM, WE HAVE OUR HISTORIC REVIEW PROCESS.
UH, WE REVIEW ALL PROPOSED DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION OF ALL BUILDINGS THAT ARE OVER 45 YEARS OLD AND ANY PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO HISTORIC LANDMARKS IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UH, WE HAD 10 CASES IN FISCAL YEAR 22 AND ONE CASE SO FAR IN FISCAL YEAR 23.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON OUR EQUITY-BASED HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH IS INTENDED TO REPLACE AUSTIN'S 1981 HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN WITH AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ORIENTED PROCESS AND OUTCOME.
THE DRAFT PLAN CREATED BY THE COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP, UH, IT PROPOSES IMPROVED IN NEW POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND TOOLS.
AND WE PLAN TO, TO RELEASE THIS IN 2023 FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT.
SO IT IS COMING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THE LAST GROUP IN OUR, UM, CURRENT LAND PLANNING OR CURRENT LAND USE BRANCH OF THE FAMILY TREES URBAN DESIGN.
UM, HERE WE SHAPE A CITY'S, UH, PHYSICAL FORM TO CREATE PEOPLE-CENTERED PLACES THAT ARE FUNCTIONAL, ATTRACTIVE, COMFORTABLE, AND SAFE.
UM, SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UH, DESIGN-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PLANS, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES, THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM, THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UM, SOME TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND CODE AMENDMENTS GET PROCESSED THROUGH OUR URBAN DESIGN TEAM.
MOVING ON TO INCLUSIVE PLANNING, SOME OF YOU ARE GONNA HEAR A WHOLE LOT ABOUT THE FIRST ITEM ON THIS LIST ON THURSDAY.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL ALL COME AND ATTEND OUR JOINT MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
UM, THIS IS OUR GROUP THAT DOES MORE OF OUR, OUR OUR DEEPER LEVEL, UM, SMALL AREA, UH, DISTRICT-BASED PLANNING EFFORTS.
AND SO I, I'VE GIVEN YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIVE ONES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT ARE ACTIVE.
ONE BEING OUR PROJECT CONNECT, EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, UH, POLICY PLAN, OUR PALM DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE, OUR SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLANNING INITIATIVE, THE NORTHEAST AUSTIN DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE, AND THEN DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING AS A CONCEPT.
I'VE GIVEN YOU A LOT MORE INFORMATION IN THE SLIDES, AND I WON'T NECESSARILY GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU AND WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO IF FOLKS DO HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY'RE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY CAN GO TO FIND OUT INFORMATION.
UM, THE PROJECT CONNECT, E T O D PLANNING, UH, WAS CREATED BY RESOLUTION IN 2010, UH, I'M SORRY, 2021.
AND WE ARE BRINGING THIS BACK TO THE JOINT MOBILITY COMMITTEE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE ON THURSDAY WITH HOPEFULLY ACTION BY COUNSEL AT THEIR MARCH 9TH MEETING.
THE PALM DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE KICKED OFF IN MAY OF 2021.
UM, DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID WAS MOST OF THE WORK.
UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S COME OUT OF THAT.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU RIGHT NOW, UM, AT THE REQUEST OF PLANNING AND, AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AT PLANNING COMMISSION LATER ON IN SPRING OF 2023, I WANNA SAY IN APRIL, MAY PALM DISTRICT, APRIL, THE DISTRICT COMMISSION MADE A COUNCIL.
APRIL PLANNING COMMISSION MADE A COUNCIL.
UM, AND SO IF, IF FOLKS WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE, THE, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU CHECK OUT THE SPEAKUP AUSTIN.ORG PALM DISTRICT PAGE.
UM, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLANNING THIS, THIS VISION PLAN WAS A
[00:25:01]
ADOPTED IN 2016.WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE WORKING ON THE REGULATING PLAN.
UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN CAUGHT UP IN VARIOUS ITERATIONS THROUGH VARIOUS ITERATIONS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE.
WE ARE WORKING ON THIS AS A STANDALONE ITEM AND SHOULD BE BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU IN JUNE-ISH OF THIS YEAR.
BASED ON THE LAST CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH COUNSEL, WHICH WAS LAST FALL, THE NORTHEAST AUSTIN DISTRICT PLAN WAS CREATED BY RESOLUTION, UM, IN 2020.
UH, THIS IS ONE THAT WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, IT WILL ALLOW US TO, THE PLAN WILL CREATE AND MAINTAIN GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS, PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STABLE JOBS, IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, RETAIN CURRENT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, FOSTER HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC SPACES, UH, BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND BASED ON MARKET CONDITIONS AND BE CENTERED IN EQUITY.
THIS PLAN WILL KICK OFF, UM, SPRING SUMMER OF 2023.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE SOLICITATION EFFORT TO BRING IN A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THAT.
SO WE'RE REVISITING HOW WE'RE GONNA ACHIEVE THIS.
BUT WITH THE POTENTIAL ADOPTION OF THE E T O D POLICY PLAN IN MARCH, THAT WILL HELP FEED INTO, UM, THE, THE TRANSIT SPACE THAT IS, OR THE TRANSIT ORIENTED SPACE THAT'S PART OF THE NORTHEAST AUSTIN DISTRICT PLAN.
UM, AND IT'S AN EXCITING BODY OF WORK.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR GROUP IS REALLY THIS CONCEPT OF DISTRICT PLANNING IN AND OF ITSELF, THIS WAS INITIATED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
UM, WE DID HAVE STAFF THAT WERE ADDED TO OUR BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 IN A HALF CAPACITY.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO HIRE IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THOSE, THOSE POSITIONS ARE VACANT RIGHT NOW.
BUT THIS IS ASKING US TO ESTABLISH A DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING PROCESS, UM, AS SET FORTH BY THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO BETTER DEFINE HOW AUSTIN SHOULD ACCOMMODATE NEW RESIDENTS JOBS AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, OPEN SPACE AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WE'RE WORKING TO DEVELOP THE CRITERIA AND TO START TO BUILD UP THIS PROGRAM AND TO HIRE ON STAFF.
AND ALL OF THAT IS, IS, UM, COMING YOUR WAY WITH AN UPDATE.
UH, LATER ON IN THE SPRING, I WANTED TO MENTION SOME OF OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE HAVE 18 IN TOTAL RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, NOT AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING LIST, OBVIOUSLY, CUZ THERE'S NOT 18 ON HERE.
BUT WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT AMENDMENTS, UH, THE MISSING MIDDLE SITE PLAN, ADDITIONAL TENANT PROTECTIONS, NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY REGULATION PLAN UPDATES, CREATIVE SPACE AND LIVE MUSIC, VENUE UP AMENDMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER QUALITY CHANGES, COMPATIBILITY REGULATIONS, ANALYSIS AND DIRECTION REGARDING OFFSETTING REDUCTIONS TO DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY, UM, OR AFFORDABILITY.
UH, THESE GUYS ARE VERY TIME CONSUMING AND WE, UH, VALUE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO THESE IN, IN A, IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA BE EFFECTIVE FOR YOU GUYS AND EFFECTIVE FOR US.
UM, AND SO WE HOPE TO HAVE A LOT MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT IN, IN THE NOT DISTANT FUTURE.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE STACK OF FOLDERS THAT ARE ALREADY ON OUR DESK THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED OF US BY YOUR PREDECESSORS OR IN SOME CASES THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THEMSELVES ON THAT POINT, BECAUSE HOPEFULLY IT'S, IT'S MY PLAN TO MAKE THAT STACK GROW A LITTLE LARGER.
HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS WORK BETTER? BECAUSE IT IS TAKING A LONG TIME AND I KNOW THAT'S A FRUSTRATION FOR MANY YEP.
OF US, BUT ALSO TO YOUR, LIKE WE, YOU HAVE BEEN OVERLOADED AND IT'S NOT, IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
AND SO YOU, AND YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON HOW WE MIGHT ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE.
DO YOU, IS IT JUST NEEDING MORE PEOPLE? IS IT, UH, WHAT WE NEED? WE NEED TO, TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THINK ABOUT, AND I, AND I'VE ALREADY ASKED MY STAFF TO START THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, BUT WE NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THINK ABOUT HOW IT MAKES SENSE TO APPROACH THIS.
UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH CODE NEXT, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE NEXT ITERATION OF THAT.
UM, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT IF, IF WE NEED TO DO A THIRD ITERATION OF IT AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING COMPREHENSIVE, IF WE WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT'S STRATEGIC AND TARGETED, DO WE WANNA DO SO THAT, THAT REALLY HONES IN ON FIVE OR SIX KEY ISSUES THAT WE THINK WILL HELP.
UM, WE NEED TO GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING FROM THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE SO THAT WE CAN THEN HAVE A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M WORKING WITH MY TEAM AND, AND HOPE TO PRESENT TO THE CITY MANAGER, WHICH I HAVEN'T HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM ABOUT THIS YET.
UM, BUT I HOPE TO PRESENT TO THE CITY MANAGER SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN KIND OF GET THIS BACK UP IN A, IN A BIGGER WAY THAN
[00:30:01]
JUST ONES Z TWO Z CODE AMENDMENTS MM-HMM.BUT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO JUST STICK OUR HEAD UP AND LOOK AROUND A LITTLE BIT TO SEE HOW WE CAN FIND A PATH THAT'S GONNA MAKE SENSE TO, TO PROCESS ALL OF THIS BODY OF WORK.
NOT ONLY WHAT WE HAVE, BUT ALSO WHAT WE KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALL REALLY EXCITED TO WORK ON.
WE JUST WANNA DO IT IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA BE SMART.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOME, SOME THOUGHT INTO.
COULD YOU SHARE, YOU SAY YOU HAVE 18 HERE.
COULD YOU SHARE A LIST OF WHAT THOSE 18 ARE, UH, WITH OUR OFFICES, JUST SO WE CAN HAVE AN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE THOUGH OR PUT THEM IN AN ORDER OF, OF RELATIVE DONENESS.
WHICH ONE FIRST, OR, YEAH, OR IF YOU HAVE EXPECTED TIMELINES ON ANY OF THEM, JUST GIVE US A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT YEAH.
THAT YOU CAN, SO THAT WE CAN KNOW.
AND MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING ON HERE THAT WE WOULD WANNA ROLL INTO SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE DOING.
UH, OR MAYBE IT'S, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, WE MIGHT NEED TO HELP YOU PRIORITIZE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, AND WE'RE SO ABSOLUTELY WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, AND, AND ABSOLUTELY WE WANT TO, I THINK WE ALL COLLECTIVELY BETWEEN STAFF AND COUNCIL WANNA WORK ON THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE AND ARE GOING TO GIVE US, UM, THAT ARE GONNA BE EFFECTIVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
WE'LL CERTAINLY TEE IT UP WITH THE LIST THAT WE HAVE THAT'S ONGOING AND YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT AT MAYBE A FUTURE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE SO WE CAN START TO KIND OF GET OUR ARMS AROUND IT.
IF I COULD DO A PITCH FOR THAT.
COUNCIL MORALES, HOW IS STAFFING AND VACANCIES FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING THIS PARTICULAR WORK? IT IS, WE ARE NOT FULLY STAFFED.
UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'VE SIGNED A LOT OF OFFER LETTERS IN THE LAST WEEK.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE, ERICA, FOR HOW MANY VACANCIES YOU HAVE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD SAY ON THAT OR A ROUGH PERCENTAGE? PERCENTAGE WISE? 15 50%.
BUT THIS IS, I MEAN, DID SHE SAY 50 OR 50? 15? SHE DIDN'T SAY FIVE ZERO.
I MEAN, I COULD TELL YOU, I MEAN, I COULD GO THROUGH MY ORG CHART AND SAY, WELL, THIS ONE WENT TO DSD AND THIS ONE WENT TO THIS COMPANY AND THIS ONE WENT TO THIS COMPANY AND THIS ONE WENT TO THIS DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, IT'S ALARMING WHEN YOU SAY IT THAT WAY.
UM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO KEEPING IN MIND FIVE OF THOSE ARE NEW POSITIONS THAT WE, THAT WE, WE ARE ONLY GETTING, GETTING TO THE TIME PERIOD RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE ALLOWED TO FILL THEM.
UM, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT, THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN THIS WORKFORCE.
UM, AND I THINK I, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, I SAW THE SAME THING HAPPEN WHEN I TOOK OVER HOUSING FIVE, SIX NOW, SIX AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
UM, AND WE'VE BUILT THE MOST AMAZING TEAM, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HIRING RIGHT NOW, UM, SINCE WE'VE SEEN THIS, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE HIRING JUST SOME ABSOLUTELY STELLAR, STELLAR TALENT IN THIS AREA.
BUT IT DOES TAKE TIME AND, AND WE DO HEAR EVERY TIME WE MAKE A JOB OFFER, WE'RE SCRAMBLING TO GET THEM TO THE HIGHEST ZONE THAT WE CAN TO GET THEM AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING HARD ON IT, BUT IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT AS MAYBE PUBLIC AS SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF, OF VACANCY, BUT IT IS IMPACTFUL TO US.
AND I'VE GOT ONE LAST QUESTION.
I, I SEE THE CHAIR HAS HER, UM, HAS HER HAND UP AS WELL.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT OUTSIDE OF MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE RULES, ARE THERE ANY INCENTIVES OR BONUSES? CAUSE I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE AMAZING PEOPLE WORKING IN HOUSING AND PLANNING RIGHT NOW ARE PROBABLY VERY TIRED AND PROBABLY DOING MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF ALL OF THAT IS TRUE.
WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ORIGINALLY WERE INTENDED.
AND, AND IT'S FUNNY YOU BRING THAT UP CUZ WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT AS, AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM ON MONDAY.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, THERE'S, BUT IT'S NOT, I MEAN, IT, IT'S, WE WANT TO, WE WANT, WE VALUE THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH.
AND, AND EVEN THE ONES THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT ARE GOING ON TO DO OTHER THINGS, WE STILL VALUE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THE SPACE THAT WE'RE ALL IN.
AND I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR WE DID A LOT WITH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS COMING BUDGET CYCLE, THE CONVERSATION MAY HAVE TO START THERE AS WELL JUST TO RE RETAIN THE FOLKS THAT WE KNOW ARE WORKING HARD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY THE WORKFORCE, UH, CHAIR HARBOR MEDICINE.
UM, SO, UH, ROSIE, I WAS JUST WONDERING ONE, IF I'M TELLING FOLKS, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID YOU GAVE A PITCH EARLIER.
YOU SAID, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN DOING, YOU KNOW, ZONING, THEN COME ON DOWN, GIVE US A CHAT.
UM, WHAT QUALIFICATIONS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THOSE PEOPLE? I DON'T HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE LOOKING TOP
[00:35:01]
OF YOUR HEAD.WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR STRENGTHS? SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOLKS THAT, UM, I THINK BY AND LARGE, ALL OF THE PLANNER POSITIONS ARE, ARE GONNA REQUIRE AN ADVANCED DEGREE.
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR FOLKS.
NO, IT WAS THE, IT WAS THE ZONING OFFICERS THAT YOU WERE MAKING REFERENCE TO.
YOU DIDN'T SAY PLANNING, YOU SAID YOU SAID ZING.
WELL, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME TITLES.
THEY'RE ALL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE, WHEN WE HAVE A JOB OPEN FOR A PLANNER SENIOR IN, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN, IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING TEAM AND SOMEONE MAY APPLY THAT DOESN'T HAVE POTENTIALLY THOSE SKILLS, BUT THEY DO HAVE OTHER SKILLS.
WE, WE LOOK TO, TO SHIFT THOSE BETWEEN THE JOB, THE JOB POOLS.
BUT TYPICALLY WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE STRONG COMMUNICATION SKILLS, STRONG WRITING SKILLS, UM, STRONG DATA DEPENDING ON WHAT GROUP THEY'RE WORKING ON.
UM, ANALYTICS, ANALYTICS SKILLS, ANYTHING ELSE, ANDREA OR ERICA? INTERESTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY OKAY.
INVESTED IN WANTING TO, TO COMMUNICATE AND WORK WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE JOBS AND, AND THE, THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
AND SO I TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER AND SAY, UM, AND, AND ACTUALLY I'M GONNA ASK YOU A QUESTION.
YOU SAID I'D LIKE TO PITCH THAT FOR FUTURE MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY CAUGHT THAT OR IF THE CLERK PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
WHAT WAS IT YOU WERE PITCHING THAT YOU WANTED TO PITCH? I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE, THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE HOPPER AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, APPROACHES TO CODE AMENDMENTS.
AND SO THE THING THAT I WAS GONNA SAY THAT THREADED, UM, TOWARDS THE QUALIFICATIONS QUESTION WOULD BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE NEED TO BE VERY QUICKLY PRODUCING A HOUSING STAFF WORKFORCE.
UM, IN WHICH CASE I, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THAT ON THE LIST AS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED MOVING FORWARD.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN LEAN ON Y'ALL'S DEPARTMENT TO REALLY SORT OF HELP US FIGURE OUT WHICH SKILLS TRANSLATE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK A LOT OF INDUSTRIES ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES WITH 50% STAFFING SHORTAGES AND REALLY CRITICAL OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S, IT'S NATIONWIDE, IT'S INTERNATIONAL.
EVERYBODY HAS STAFFING SHORTAGES.
AND SO I THINK NOW IT'S THE TIME AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY SORT OF FOCUSING ON THE STAFFING SHORTAGE.
LET'S REALLY REVERSE ENGINEER THAT THING AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE FILL THAT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT TOMORROW.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA FIND OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION WHEN WE REALLY AREN'T DOING 18 L D C REVISIONS AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE REALLY BLOWING AND GOING, I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE PREPARED.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT US TO BE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU, UM, HAD TO DO WITH, UM, THE ADVANCED DEGREE QUESTION.
I AM FINDING THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS AROUND THEIR EXPECTATIONS THERE.
AND SO I JUST WONDER, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE HOUSING AND PLANNING AND ZONING INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM FOR DECADES, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN ADVANCED DEGREE.
WOULD EXPERIENCE BE, COULD EXPERIENCE BE CONSIDERED IN LIEU OF THAT ADVANCED DEGREE? IS THERE A WAY AROUND THE ADVANCED DEGREE? I THINK IT'S AN UNNECESSARY BARRIER.
SO I, I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO LOOK AT THAT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF WE HAVE SUBSTITUTION CLAUSES AND I WOULD WANNA GO BACK AND TALK TO THE HR FOLKS.
I DO WANNA CLARIFY WHEN I SAY ADVANCED DEGREE, I MEAN A COLLEGE DEGREE.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A MASTER'S OR ANYTHING BEYOND COLLEGE.
I I JUST THINK THAT YEAH, I KNOW, BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY JUST IN CASE I WASN'T CLEAR.
I KNOW SOME OF OUR POSITIONS DO ALLOW FOR THOSE SUBSTITUTIONS.
UH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M NOT SURE IF THESE DO, AND I WOULD BE WAY BEYOND MY SKIS IF I STARTED A PINING ON, UM, WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH MY HR EXPERTS.
I I WAS JUST PUTTING IT ON THE RECORD.
I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD VERY QUICKLY, UM, VISIT.
OKAY, I'M GONNA KEEP GOING AS I TRY NOT TO BREAK THE CLICKER HERE.
UM, SO DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION.
UM, SOME OF OUR KEY INVESTMENT PRIORITIES FOR 2023 INCLUDE, UM, OUR DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION NAVIGATORS, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO CONNECT VULNERABLE RESIDENTS TO SERVICES OUR TENANT RELOCATION SERVICES WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE FOR ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS FACING DEVELOPMENT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS.
IT'S 14 DIFFERENT CONTRACTS TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO HOUSEHOLDS AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT ALONG PROJECT CONNECT STATIONS AND LINES.
SERVICES ADDRESS A VARIETY OF NEEDS FOR TENANTS, HOMEOWNERS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
THIS IS FUNDED WITH THE 300 MILLION ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, REPRESENTATION MATTERS, UH, A PROGRAM PROVIDING LEGAL REPRESENTATIONS FOR HOUSEHOLDS FACING EVICTION.
WE KNOW THAT FOLKS THAT HAVE LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE MUCH BETTER OUTCOMES, UH, THAN THOSE THAT DO NOT.
AND THEN OUR, I BELONG IN AUSTIN PROGRAM, WHICH IS A COMPANION PROJECT TO OUR REPRESENTATION MATTERS
[00:40:01]
PROGRAM FOR HOUSEHOLDS FACING EVICTION TO INCLUDE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENTS, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, MOVING AND OR STORAGE.ANYONE THAT WANTS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SHOULD FOLLOW, UM, THE LINK IF YOU'RE ONLINE AND LOOKING AT THIS, UM, AND THE BACKUP.
OR GO TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND SEARCH FOR RESOURCES FOR RENTERS AND THAT WILL GET YOU THE, THE DETAILS ABOUT THOSE PROGRAMS THERE.
OUR DIS DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION NAVIGATORS PROGRAM, THIS IS, THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM AND APPLICATION PROGRAM APPLICATIONS WILL BE OPENING IN 2023.
WE'RE SERVING SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS IN D ONE AND D TWO DURING THIS PILOT PHASE, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO RECRUIT AND PAY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANT TO TAKE PRACTICAL STEPS TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT.
THEY'LL HELP TO INFORM COMMUNITY RESIDENTS ABOUT RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP THEM STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
SERVICE CONNECTORS AND GUIDES AND AMBASSADORS FOR THE CITY AND PARTNER RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE HOUSING STABILITY.
OUR TENANT RELOCATION SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDES, UH, NOTIFICATION TO RESIDENTS OF MULTI-FAMILY AND MOBILE HOME PARK DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE SLATED FOR CLOSURE DUE TO REDEVELOPMENT.
UM, THERE ARE TIMELINES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
120 DAYS FOR MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, 270 DAYS FOR MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS, UH, LOOKING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, AND THE BENEFITS INCLUDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, HOUSING LOCATOR ASSISTANCE, MOVING IN, STORAGE, UH, RENT AND DEPOSIT, PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER SERVICES OR NEEDS.
OUR COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS PROGRAM COMES, AGAIN, STEMMING FROM THE 300 MILLION PROJECT CONNECT ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUNDING, PROVIDING FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HOUSEHOLDS FACING CURRENT DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS OF PROJECT CONNECT LINES OR STATIONS.
UH, PROVIDING RENTER AND TENANT STABILIZATION SERVICES, EXPANDING AND PRESERVING HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDING OTHER SERVICES THAT BUILD ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE SPRING 2023.
WE BROUGHT THE CONTRACTS TO COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN NEGOTIATING THOSE CONTRACTS AND, AND GETTING THEM READY FOR EXECUTION.
AND SO THAT PROGRAM WILL BE LAUNCHING IN EARNEST, OOPS.
UM, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER, UM, FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT, UM, UH, A NICE ROBUST SERIES, UH, MAPPING DISPLACEMENT.
THIS IS TAKING INFORMATION, BASING IT ON, UM, THE MAPS AND THE WORK DONE IN THE UPROOTED STUDY.
WE'D ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO POKE AROUND IN HERE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU CAN TELL FROM THESE MAPS.
WE'RE HAPPY TO GO INTO ANY OF THESE TOPICS IN MORE DETAIL AT A FUTURE MEETING, IF THAT HELPS.
UM, BUT IT'S A A GREAT TOOL FOR FOR FOLKS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE POPULATION THAT WE HAVE.
WITH RESPECT TO OUR PROJECT CONNECT FUNDING, WE HAVE 23 MILLION OF THE FIRST INITIAL INVESTMENT OF 65 MILLION.
WE SET ASIDE 23 MILLION FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UH, WORK TO ACQUIRE MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES TO EXTEND OR PRESERVE THEIR AFFORDABILITY PERIODS.
UM, THIS INCLUDES 8 MILLION TO PROVIDE LOANS TO ELIGIBLE 5 0 1
AND, AND RIGHT NOW WE'VE ACHIEVED 162 UNITS OF NATURALLY ACCORD OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAD 20 MIL, 21 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THIS IS GOING TO, THESE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE DEPLOYED THROUGH OUR RHODA AND ODA PROGRAMS, WHICH I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN A MINUTE.
BUT RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, WE HAVE FIVE DEVELOPMENTS RESULTING IN 380 UNITS, UH, BELOW 50% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME AND 23 OWNERSHIP UNITS BELOW 80% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME.
AND THEN THE 20 MILLION FOR THE COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT ON A PREVIOUS SLIDE.
SO FOR OUR PROJECT CONNECT ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS, THE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, UM, YOU'LL SEE, UH, THE NEXT THREE YEAR TRANCHE IS ABOUT 75 MILLION.
WE'RE SETTING ASIDE TENTATIVELY SLATING, 43 MILLION FOR LAND ACQUISITION, 14 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, AND 14 MILLION FOR MORE IMMEDIATE INTERVENTIONS WITH, UM, SOME OPERATIONAL EXPENSE IN THERE OF 4 MILLION.
AND THEN TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS IN REAL ESTATE, UM, OUR 2022 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, 350 MILLION IN FOUR INVESTMENT AREAS.
THESE ARE THE SAME INVESTMENT AREAS THAT WE HAD, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THE 250 MILLION, UM, BOND INITIATIVE FROM 2018.
UM, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, OUR GO REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH IS A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
AND OUR ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWS AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION TO ACQUIRE, UH, PROPERTY AND TO DEVELOP IT, AND USUALLY IN PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER.
UM, FUNDS TO BE SPENT OVER SIX YEARS.
UH, WE SHOULD BE BRINGING CURRENTLY OUR SPENDING PLAN AND STAFFING REQUEST TO COUNCIL ON APRIL 20TH.
AND OUR FIRST ROUND OF AWARDS WILL COME ON MAY 4TH.
WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS.
[00:45:01]
THESE MAY NOT BE NEW TO YOU, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS. JUST TO CONTINUE TO REMIND, UM, OUR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS A QUARTERLY, IS ON A QUARTERLY REVIEW CYCLE.THIS IS HOW WE DEPLOY BETWEEN THIS AND OWNERSHIP.
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IS HOW WE DEPLOY ALL OF OUR SUBSTANTIVE FUNDS FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHETHER IT'S GEO BONDS, IF WE WERE GONNA DEPLOY THOSE TURS FUNDS THAT WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING, THEY COME THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. AND SO WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GET TO KNOW THEM.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK TO ANY PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO THAT THEY CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR APPLICATION PROCESS AND, AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA IN, WE ENVISION CONSISTENT ANNUAL ENCUMBRANCES, UM, AS WE HAD WITH THE 2018 BOND PROGRAM, WE ARE SEEING INCREASED DEVELOPMENT COSTS.
WE ARE SEEING A LIMITED INCREASE IN COMPLIMENTARY FUNDING SOURCES, UM, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR DOLLARS MAY NOT GO AS FAR, AND WE SAW THAT WITH THE 2018 BOND AS WELL.
UM, OUR LOANS ARE GETTING BIGGER, UH, AND WE DO EXPECT OUR FUNDS WILL BE SPENT, UH, WITHIN THREE YEARS OF ENCUMBRANCE FOR, FOR RENTAL HOUSING, UH, FOR OUR OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS. AGAIN, A QUARTERLY REVIEW CYCLE.
UM, SOME OF OUR PRIMARY USERS, EXCUSE ME, USERS OF THESE FUNDS ARE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
AND OUR SMALLER DEVELOPERS LIKE OUR, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND OUR CHODOS, UH, THERE'S A LONGER DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE ADJUST OUR EXPECTATIONS ACCORDINGLY.
I WANTED TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PIPELINE BECAUSE IT'S A, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
ON THOSE TWO PROGRAMS, BOTH RHODA AND ODA MM-HMM.
SO MANDY OR JAMIE, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT ALL? I WANTED MANDY DE MAYO DEPUTY DIRECTOR REGARDING THE RHODA AND ODA FUNDS.
WE ARE, UM, GUIDED BY OUR APPROPRIATIONS, OUR BUDGETARY APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE 2018 BONDS.
SO THE ANNUAL, THE OVERALL ALLOCATION OUT OF THE 250 MILLION, 96 MILLION WAS DEDICATED TO RHODA.
WHEREAS 28 MILLION WAS DEDICATED TO ODA REPRESENTING ROUGHLY THREE PLUS ALMOST FOUR TIMES, UH, THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT INTO RENTAL HOUSING.
WE KNOW THAT OUR BIGGEST, BIGGEST NEED AS A COMMUNITY, AS DICTATED BY THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT IS DEEPLY AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING.
THAT'S NOT TO DISCOUNT THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, BUT RENTAL HOUSING IS REALLY WHERE OUR BIGGEST NEED ACROSS THE COMMUNITY IS.
AND THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY KIND OF WHERE I WAS GOING IS HOW DO WE LOOK AT THIS IN TERMS OF OUR BLUEPRINT AND FIT IT IN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, MORE, MORE IS GENERALLY BETTER EXCEPT FOR WE KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE A 30% UNIT IS COMPARED TO AN 80% UNIT.
AND SO IF WE HAD A PLAN OF, WE WANNA REALLY ATTACK THAT 30 50% MFI VERSUS VOLUME, JUST, JUST, I'M, I'M CURIOUS IF WE HAD THOUGHT THROUGH IT IN THAT WAY.
WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT THAT, JAMIE? YES.
30% UNITS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE, AND THAT'S GENERALLY BECAUSE OF THE OPERATION OF THOSE, UH, UNITS.
UH, SIMILARLY, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THEY COME WITH VERY LITTLE OPERATING, UH, COST ON THE, OUR, UH, OPERATING FEES ON THE BACKEND.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE EX UH, COMMUNICATED TO OUR DEVELOPER PARTNERS WHO BORROW THE FUNDS IS WE TARGET, UH, 50 UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS PER 50% UNIT AS OUR SUBSIDY.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO KEEP THAT RIGHT AT ABOUT $50,000.
HOWEVER, WITH, UH, INCREASED DEVELOPMENT COSTS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT SUBSIDY IS GONNA INCREASE.
UM, AND AGAIN, FOR A 30% UNITS THAT'S CLOSER TO $80,000 FOR PSSH, THAT'S CLOSER TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PER UNIT.
UM, ON THE OTHER END OF THE SITE OF THE SPECTRUM, THE OWNERSHIP SIDE, WHEN WE HAVE 80% OWNERSHIP UNITS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THOSE ARE STRUCTURED AND BECAUSE OF THE FINANCING AROUND THEM, OUR SUBSIDY ACTUALLY HAS TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER, UH, CLOSER TO 80 OR EVEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR AN OWNERSHIP UNIT.
UM, WHICH IS AGAIN, WHY WE, UH, TEND TO PRIORITIZE THE RENTAL SIDE, UH, BECAUSE WE DO GET MORE BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THOSE CALCULATIONS ARE VERY BACK OF THE ENVELOPE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT ON 350 MILLION,
[00:50:01]
EVEN IF WE DEDICATED ALL OF IT TO 50% UNITS THROUGH THE RHD A PROGRAM, WE WOULDN'T HIT THAT NUMBER.AND I CAN'T DO MATH IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN'T DO, WE CAN'T HIT THAT NUMBER, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER EXPENSES THAT ARE GONNA COME, UH, COME IN INTO PLAY.
HAVE Y'ALL DONE ANY ANALYSIS ON COST EFFECTIVENESS OF, LET'S SAY YOU HAD SOME PROJECT THAT'S ABOUT TO OPEN THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, 180% UNITS AND WE SAID WE WANNA BUY 50 OF THOSE UNITS DOWN TO 50% OR TO 30% THE COST TO DO THAT VERSUS THE COST AT A PRICE PER UNIT VERSUS GOING IN MM-HMM.
AND IN THE PAST WE HAVE DONE SOME RENT BUY DOWNS.
UM, WE'VE PRO FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON CONSTRUCTION, UH, FINANCING IN THE LAST, WITH THE LAST BOND PACKAGE.
UH, ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE CONTROL AT THAT POINT, UM, WE CAN, UH, DEDICATE THE FUNDS EARLIER AND, UH, HELP THE DEVELOPER FIND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES, WHETHER IT'S A FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OR MULTI-FAMILY DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM.
WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT IS ALREADY FIXED, WE HAVE LESS ROOM TO NAVIGATE.
UM, ALTHOUGH IF THE, IF THE DEAL MAKES SENSE, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER.
WHEN, WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL SENSE OF THE COST? IS, IS ONE CHEAPER THAN THE OTHER? IF SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE FULLY INVESTED IN AND BUILT AND WE COME IN AT THE VERY END AND BUY IT DOWN, VERSUS BUILDING BUY DOWN IS GENERALLY A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.
YEAH, BECAUSE THEY, THE, IF WE COME IN EARLY ENOUGH, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO INFLUENCE THE PROFORMA AND, UH, EXTEND THAT OUT OVER 15, 30, 40 YEARS.
UM, WHICH THAT LONGER RUNWAY GIVES THE DEVELOPER A LOT MORE ROOM TO BE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF THEIR FUNDING SOURCES AND THEIR AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE CS C UNITS, UM, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT THE THE LEAD AGENCY ON HOMELESSNESS, UM, WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT WE DO PARTNER WITH DIANA GRAY IN THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
AND, AND WE WORK TO, EVEN, EVEN GOING SO FAR AS TO PROVIDING SOME OF THE OPERATING SUBSIDY THAT OUR, THAT OUR MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING C O C UM, DEVELOPMENTS NEED THROUGH THE FORM OF OUR LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER.
AND IF YOU RECALL AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE CONTRACTS THAT WERE COMING THROUGH, AND THAT'S A FAIRLY NEW PROGRAM THAT WE STARTED TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, UM, TO START SETTING ASIDE SOME OF OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND ALLOCATION EVERY YEAR TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE CAN INCENTIVIZE, UM, AND, AND GET OPERATIONAL MORE OF THOSE, UM, C O C BASED PERMANENT SUPPORT HOUSING PROPERTIES.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT LAND ACQUISITION IN THE 2020.
WE FRONT LOADED OUR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE HAD SET ASIDE FOR LAND ACQUISITION, UM, TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY.
UM, THESE ARE ALL OPPORTUNITY BASED DECISIONS.
UM, WE WILL DEVELOP EVERY ONE OF THESE PIECES OF PROPERTY THROUGH A SOLICITATION PROCESS.
RIGHT NOW, OUR CAPACITY IS TO ISSUE THREE TO FOUR SOLICITATIONS A YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 60 ACRES OF, OF VACANT LAND PURCHASED, UM, CHALLENGES OF COURSE WITH LAND PRICES AND BORROWING COSTS.
UM, IN OUR 2018 BOND, WE KIND OF SET BUCKETS FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. UM, WITH THE 2022 BOND, WE HAVE TAKEN THOSE BUCKETS AWAY TO ALLOW US TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE, UM, IN CASES IF, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARISE THAT MAKE SENSE THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SPEND ON LAND ACQUISITION VERSUS OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD IN SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT WE WOULD'VE VALUED, UM, WITH THE 2018 BOND FOR THOSE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION HAS 11 PROPERTIES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE FULLY OPERATIONAL, UM, AS PARTNERSHIPS.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE GO IN, UM, WITH, UH, UH, AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER AS A PARTNER IN THE DEAL TO ACHIEVE CERTAIN FINANCIAL ASPECTS THAT ALLOW IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, MORE SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN AND, AND MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, ARBORS AT CREEKSIDE RECENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, UH, REFINANCING ARBORS AT CREEKSIDE WITH A NEW PARTNER, UH, REFINANCING RETREAT AT NORTH BLUFF WITH A NEW PARTNER.
UM, V COLINA IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST PARTNERSHIPS.
IT'S FULLY LEASED, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE PARTNERSHIP UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND THAT'S A SPARROW AT RULAND.
UM, THE OPENING OF THAT IS IN MARCH, APRIL, I WAS CLOSE.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING PROJECT AND WE LOVE TO USE IT AS THE EXAMPLE OF ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS COMING TOGETHER FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WHERE WE CAN LEVERAGE THINGS TO REALLY ACHIEVE, UM, DEEPLY, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WE HAVE TWO TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE CLOSING, UH, THIS SPRING.
[00:55:01]
AT GARDNER, THAT'S A AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION OWNED PROPERTY THAT WE DID A SOLICITATION ON, UM, TWO YEARS AGO.AND THEN SOCO 1 21 WHERE WE ARE THE, THE A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNER OF THAT.
WE HAVE FOUR PROPERTIES THAT ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW, UH, AND IN PRE-CONSTRUCTION.
OH, THIS IS A SPARROW AT REDLAND.
ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL? ISN'T IT GONNA BE MAGICAL? 171 UNITS, A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE.
101 DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
IT'S GONNA OPEN IN APRIL, 2023.
THIS TOOK A LOT OF, THIS IS, AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR VOUCHERS, UM, COMING INTO PLAY, UM, IN, IN ONE BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.
UM, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
UH, THIS IS OUR PORTFOLIO OF HOMES THAT WE, AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MAINTAINS OWNERSHIP OF THE DIRT AND WE SELL THE IMPROVEMENTS TO AN AFFORDABLE, INCOME RESTRICTED HOME BUYER.
WE HAVE 15 OCCUPIED COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HOMES.
WE HAVE 29 HOMES THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE, SUBSTANTIALLY ACQUIRED FROM, UH, A BULK PURCHASE OF HOMES FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON REHABBING THOSE AND GETTING THEM OUT ON THE MARKET.
UH, WE USE OUR PREFERENCE POLICY, UM, AS WE'RE SELLING THESE, AND WE SHOULD HAVE OUR FIRST HOME CLOSING THIS SPRING, UM, UNDER THE PREFERENCE POLICY IN OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
UM, OUR LOTTERY OPENS MARCH 1ST, WHICH IS TOMORROW.
UH, OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS WHERE WE CONTRACT WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES, GEO BONDS, UM, FEDERAL FUNDS.
WE'VE USED LOCAL FUNDS, UM, TO, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY EXPLORING RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE OUR PRODUCTIVITY WITH THESE.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHERE WE GO INTO INCOME RESTRICTED HOMEOWNERS HOMES AND WE REPAIR THEM.
WE FIX THE ROOF, WE STABILIZE THE FOUNDATION, AND WE MAKE THEM SO THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY IT'S A, IT'S A HOUSING PRESERVATION PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT OUR HOUSING STOCK DOES NOT DETERIORATE.
AND REALLY IT ALLOWS FOLKS TO, TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND, AND NOT BE FORCED TO SELL THEM AND HAVE THEM STILL BE DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
UM, BACK IN 2022, THERE IS A RESOLUTION DIRECTING, UH, US TO CONDUCT A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS IN ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS REQUIRED OF OUR HOUSING PROJECTS OR OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY.
WE DO THIS EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT THIS WAS, UM, A REQUEST BY COUNCIL TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED AND CONCENTRATED AND TO REVIEW THINGS SUCH AS CHILDCARE FACILITIES, UNDERGROUND FACIL, UTILITIES, UH, PRIORITIZING CONTINUUM OF CARE UNITS AND, AND OUR ABILITY AND CAPACITY TO SERVE MANUFACTURED HOMES.
UM, WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING TO, SINCE THIS, IT'S GONNA BE MORE ROBUST THAN WE TYPICALLY DO.
WE'RE GONNA BRING IN SOME OUTSIDE HELP TO HELP WITH, TO ASSIST US WITH THE, WITH THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
UM, BUT WE ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING IN THE SUMMER OF THIS YEAR.
KEEP PEOPLE, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE THEM CUZ I THINK MOST OF THESE FOLKS ARE HERE IN THE ROOM.
UH, MANDY DE MAYO IS OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
ANDREA BATES IS OUR INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
UH, JOY HARDEN IS OUR INTERIM ZONING OFFICER.
NEFERTITI JACKMAN, SMILING WAVE OF NEFERTITI IS OUR COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
ERICA LEAK IS OUR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OVER PLANNING.
JAMIE MAE IS OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OVER ALL THINGS HOUSING PROGRAM.
E AND LILA IS NOT HERE, BUT SHE'S OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER.
AND THIS IS, UM, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING TO, TO LEAD THE DEPARTMENT AND TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I'M SURE WE WILL HAVE THAT GET COOKED UP BY ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY IN THE FUTURE.
I DO HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU.
YOU, UH, AND I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I, YEAH.
SO THERE IS A COM COMPETITIVE GRANT FOR LAND USE PLANNING THAT I THINK WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT OR MAYBE OUR STAFF HAVE TALKED ABOUT, AND I WANTED TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL LOOKED INTO OR WHAT.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, I KNOW THAT THAT WAS SENT TO ME AND I ASKED MY TEAM ABOUT IT AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT OTHER THAN TO TURN AROUND AND SAY ANDREA OR ERICA, DO YOU REMEMBER IF WE'RE DOING ANYTHING ON THAT
SO WE PUT IT ON OUR LIST, UH, WHEN DETAILS COME OUT TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY PROJECTS THAT WILL BE WELL SUITED FOR THAT.
WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD FIT INTO OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT BEING ABLE TO GET PEOPLE OR HELP WITH OUR AMENDMENTS THAT ARE PILING UP OR OTHER ABSOLUTELY.
PROJECTS JUST, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE CREATIVE THINGS, I BELIEVE YOU BELIEVE.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MEDICINE HAD A QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, OR CHAIR OF HARBOR MEDICINE.
[01:00:01]
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MANUFACTURED HOME AND AN RV AND IS IT, DOES IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH ONE BEING ABLE TO DRIVE OFF AND ONE NOT FUNDAMENTALLY? UM, IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S, IT'S THE ABILITY FOR IT TO LIFT.IF IT'S PERMANENTLY ANCHORED TWO THE GROUND, THEN I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO.
IF IT IS NOT PERMANENTLY ANCHORED TO THE GROUND AND IT HAS THE ABILITY TO, IN THEORY, GET UP AND DRIVE AWAY, THEN THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SERVICE TO BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH LAW AND THE BOND COVENANTS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COME WITH THAT.
AND THEN, SO YOU SAID OUT OF THE 29 TOTAL, 15 ARE OCCUPIED, BUT YOU JUST SAID WE'RE HOPEFULLY ABOUT TO HAVE ONE OWNER.
SO 15 OF THOSE ARE OCCUPIED, BUT RENTALS? NO, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL OCCUPIED BY OWNERS.
WE'RE JUST HOPING TO, WITH OUR PREFERENCE POLICY, WE, WE DID OUR FIRST LOTTERY.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THE FIRST OF THAT NEW PROCESS, UM, CLOSED AND, AND AND OWNING THEIR HOME THIS SPRING.
AND SO THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS, YOU SAID THE LOTTERY OPENS TOMORROW.
HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT? HOW DID THE WORD GET OUT ABOUT THE LOTTERY OPENING TOMORROW, MANDY, FOR THE OTHER 14 HOMES? SHE'S LOOKING IT UP.
AND AND I CAN, I CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND PASS UNTIL OH, OKAY.
HEY MANDY, IT'S THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS THE NAME OF OUR LAND TRUST AND IT'S A C L T DASH HOMES RIGHT.ORG.
AND YOU CAN GO ONLINE A C LT SLASH HOMES-HOMES-HOMES.ORG.
AND SO I GUESS THE QUESTION I WAS ASKING THOUGH, I WE CAN PASS THAT NOW, BUT WITH THE LOTTERY OPENING TOMORROW, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW, HOW DID THEY FIND OUT? SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, UH, OF OUTREACH AND PERSONALIZED OUTREACH, REALLY FOCUSING ON, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE THROUGH OUR PREFERENCE POLICY.
AND WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO APPLIED UNDER OUR PREVIOUS LOTTERY COULD CARRY THEIR APPLICATIONS FORWARD.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT, UM, WE'LL HAVE NEW APPLICATIONS AND THAT, UH, APPLICATION PORTAL SHOULD BE OPEN, I THINK, FOR A MONTH.
OH, SO I KNOW I COVERED A LOT.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE, WE GET REALLY EXCITED WHEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHOWCASE THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, UM, IN, IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE WAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR INDULGING US.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I'M SURE WE'LL BE SEEING MORE OF EACH OTHER.
I, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEM THREE, I WOULD LIKE
[Items 2 & 4 ]
TO BRING UP ITEMS TWO AND FOUR TOGETHER AS THEY'RE, UH, VERY MUCH RELATED.ITEM TWO AS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON SETTING COMMITTEE CALENDAR AND POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR 2023.
AND ITEM FOUR, IDENTIFY ITEMS TO DISCUSS AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS HISTORICALLY MET QUARTERLY, UH, AND MOSTLY RECEIVED BRIEFINGS FROM STAFF.
UH, I HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH, UH, CHAIR HARBOR MADISON AND BELIEVE THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COMMITTEE MEET MORE OFTEN, AND I'M IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH THAT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY TACKLE A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE ON THIS ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING.
UH, THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED ARE, ARE SUBSIDIZING MIXED INCOME COMMUNITIES, INCENTIVIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, JUST WE, WE HAVE A, A LOT OF CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US, A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THIS SPACE.
I THINK THAT'S WHY SO MANY OF US WANTED TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE TO BEGIN WITH.
UH, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, THE CHAIR WOULD LIKE TO, TO SPEAK MORE TO THIS.
I SEE SHE HAS HER HAND UP, SO I'LL I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, TO YOU.
I JUST, I WANTED TO REALLY JUST PUT SOME EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO.
I'M REALLY RECOMMENDING THAT WE MEET AT A TEMPO THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REALLY DIG INTO THIS HOUSING CONTINUUM.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO YOU NAME SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE SUBSIDIZING, I, I WANNA GET AS GRANULAR AS POSSIBLE ONCE WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR MUTUAL HIGH LEVEL, UM, ITEMS ARE.
B SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR UNHOUSED, I WANNA GET MORE GRANULAR AND TALK ABOUT CREATIVE IDEAS LIKE PLUG-IN HOMES, WHICH WE CAN GET FOR $14,000 AND PUT TOGETHER IN FOUR HOURS, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEN WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LAND THAT WE PUT IT ON.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT INITIATIVES COULD WE LAUNCH FROM THERE? UM, REALLY SUBSIDIZING DEEPLY AFFORDABLE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, TO ROSIE'S POINT ABOUT LAND
[01:05:01]
BANKING AND COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW, WHAT PRIVATE DOLLARS CAN HELP THERE.
I REALLY, AS MUCH AS WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, I WANT US TO BE LEVERAGING PUBLIC LAND AND CITY ASSETS AND OUR CONTRACTS, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA INCENTIVIZE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING THROUGH CODE CHANGES.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE MAKING THE POINT OF, I WANNA ADD MORE, I, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE WAY MORE THAN 18.
UM, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CHANGES TO OUR PERMITTING PROCESS AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE ALL AGREE ON, LIKE PARKING REFORM AND EQUITABLE E EQUITABLE COMPATIBILITY CHANGES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I WANT US TO NOT MISS THE FACT THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT A 50% STAFFING SHORTAGE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION IS WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT, WHAT CAN WE AS A BODY DO, GIVEN HOW IMPORTANT THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THESE SUBSTANTIAL SHORTAGES ARE TO THE WORK THAT WE ULTIMATELY WANNA DO.
AND THEN MAYBE EVEN BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO IT SUBSTANTIVELY WHEN OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ASKING US QUESTIONS.
SO PEOPLE ARE GONNA ASK MY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY BY THIS, MY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA ASK, WHAT DO THESE SHORTAGES MEAN? AND I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME, SOME GOOD ANSWERS TO GIVE THEM.
SO MAYBE THIS BODY CAN ALSO SERVE AS A RESOURCE, UM, WHILE WE'RE SORT OF WAITING THROUGH HOW TO, HOW TO SOLVE FOR OUR, UH, OUR STAFFING CHALLENGES.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENSURE OUR PROCESSES ARE GENERATING REAL ABUNDANT AND REAL NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO TALKING ABOUT THOSE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS LIKE, YOU KNOW, CO-OPS AND GROUP HOMES AND HOMES FOR ALL AGES.
FRANKLY, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENT HOUSING, THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT OUR SENIOR, WE, WE ARE NOT RATHER TALKING ABOUT OUR SENIOR POPULATION AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.
SO YEAH, TO YOUR POINT, I, I REALLY WOULD LOVE FOR US TO JUST MEET AS FREQUENTLY AS FOLKS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I THINK THE WORK AHEAD OF US THIS NEXT FOUR YEARS IS GONNA BE SO DEEPLY ENTRENCHED IN THIS HOUSING WORK THAT THE MORE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO HERE, THE MORE OUR SUCCESSORS AND THEIR SUCCESSORS WILL BE ABLE TO DO MOVING FORWARD.
SO I REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THE MEETING AND LOOK FORWARD TO, TO FINISHING IT UP.
UM, YEAH, I WANNA ECHO WHAT, UH, CHAIR HARPER MEDICINE, VICE CHAIR ALTAR HAVE SAID.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE THREE OF US RIGHT NOW IN THE DIAS, WE, WE RAN ON THE URGENCY OF, OF THE CRISIS OF, OF AFFORDABILITY, UH, IN THIS CITY.
UH, AND GOING OFF OF WHAT CHAIR HARPER MEDICINE SAID, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR OUR TEMPO NEEDS TO MATCH THE, THE CRISIS AT HAND.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A SENSE OF URGENCY BECAUSE WHETHER IT'S OUR UNHOUSED FOLKS OR IT'S, YOU KNOW, GENERAL FOLKS, UH, IN THE POPULATION IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF, OF TIME.
UH, SO I'M, I'M ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, MEETING MORE FREQUENTLY THAN WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW.
WELL, OH, COUNCIL VELAZQUEZ, UM, I TOLD MYSELF AT THE ULI PANEL, I WOULD LET, I WOULD STOP LETTING Y'ALL TALK BEFORE ME BECAUSE Y'ALL TAKE EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY AND ZOE DID.
UH, I MEAN, WE DID RUN ALL RUN ON THAT URGENCY AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S EXPECTED OF US.
AND I THINK, UM, PICKING UP THE, UH, THE TEMPLE, I DON'T THINK I, I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THAT AT ALL.
CAN YOU REPHRASE WHAT YOU WERE SORRY, I STEPPED AWAY FOR A MINUTE.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE SCHEDULE AND, AND HISTORICALLY WE'VE MET QUARTERLY, UH, LOOKING AT MEETING MORE FREQUENTLY TO KIND OF DIVE DEEPER INTO SOME OF THESE ISSUES SO THAT WE CAN REALLY START TACKLING, UH, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED AT A MORE GRANULAR LEVEL, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES, UH, AND, AND COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS.
SO I WOULD TOTALLY BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I KNOW ESPECIALLY WITH THIS NEW DIAS, PEOPLE ARE VERY EAGER TO GET TO WORK AND TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK MORE MEETINGS WOULD, WOULD BE WARRANTED AND WE WILL STILL HAVE MORE THINGS TO COVER THAN WE POSSIBLY HAVE TIME FOR.
I I WOULD ADD THAT STAFF SUPPORTS THAT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE FEEL THE SENSE OF URGENCY AS ALL OF YOU DO.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU SAW IN 2018 WE HAD A 250 MILLION HOUSING BOND THAT TECHNICALLY HAD AN EIGHT YEAR SPEND PLAN THAT WE SPENT IN FOUR.
UM, WE WANT TO GET AS MUCH DONE AS ABSOLUTELY QUICKLY AS WE CAN AND AS SMART A WAY AS WE CAN POSSIBLY DO.
AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT, UM, THAT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL AND THE COMMITTEE AND THE FOLKS HERE TODAY ARE EXPRESSING FOR US.
UM, I, I THINK OUR STAFFING SITUATION IS IMPORTANT.
UM, I, I DO WANNA JUST MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE UNCLEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE A 50% VACANCY RATE FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE DIVISION THAT HAS, UM, THE, THE PLANNING TEAM HAS A SUBSTANTIAL VACANCY RATE.
I, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS IN THE LAST WEEK, BUT LAST TIME I LOOKED WE WERE RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHERE THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS AS A, AS A WHOLE ENTITY.
SO I DIDN'T WANT FOLKS TO TAKE THAT AWAY AND HAVE A, A SENSE OF PANIC IN THEIR HEART BECAUSE THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S, WE HAVE VACANCIES.
[01:10:01]
WE'RE, I WOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT STATE IF WE WERE AT THAT MANY VACANCIESUM, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU ALL, UH, AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE CAN EXTEND THE COUNCIL AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, I KNOW I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CHAIR TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND, AND SCHEDULING, UH, OUR FUTURE MEETINGS.
UM, BUT IF, UH, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, I JUST, I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO ALSO, UH, REACH OUT TO CHAIR HARBOR MADISON WITH ANY IDEAS OF ITEMS YOU WANNA DISCUSS AND WE WILL HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS IN FULL.
SO, AND IF, UH, WITH THAT, IF THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, UH, AND THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, WE WILL BE ADJOURNED AT THREE 15.