[Call to Order]
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IT IS 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT AUSTIN CITY HALL.
TWO MEMBERS ARE OFF THE DIAS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND I, I'LL ASK THE, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE JOINED US REMOTELY, IS THAT CORRECT? SO, UM, WE, BUT WE HAVE A QUORUM, UH, MEMBERS I'LL LAY OUT AND FOR EVERYBODY ELSE'S PAYING ATTENTION, I'LL LAY OUT THE, UH, WHAT I PROPOSE TO BE THE ORDER OF THE MEETING FOR TODAY.
FIRST, WE'LL HEAR FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, SPEAKERS, UH, BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON.
UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM, WE'LL BE BRINGING THOSE UP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CONSENT AGENDA, SO PEOPLE THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS, UH, WILL BE SPEAKING IN THE, IN, IN THE, UM, WAY IT'S BEEN DONE HISTORICALLY, AT LEAST HERE RECENTLY.
WE'LL THEN GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH BRIEF COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS.
WE WILL THEN GO TO THE POOLED ITEMS, ITEMS 16 25, 27, AND, UH, 26, AND I'LL, I'LL READ ALL THAT INTO THE RECORD IN JUST A MOMENT.
BY THE WAY, MEMBERS, UH, AND PUBLIC COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES HAS JOINED US REMOTELY.
AFTER THAT, WE'LL TAKE UP NON-CONSENT ITEMS, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER 34, AND I'LL, WE'LL OPEN AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE'LL TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IF TIME ALLOWS.
AT THAT POINT, WE WILL RECESS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND CALL THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MEETING TO ORDER.
WE'LL HEAR FROM ITS SPEAKERS, IF ANY.
WE WILL ACT AND ADJOURN THAT MEETING AT NOON.
WE WILL HAVE THE NOON PUBLIC COMMENT AND LIVE MUSIC, AND THEN AT 2:00 PM WE WILL TAKE UP ZONING SPEAKERS, DISCUSSION AND ACTION RELATED TO THAT.
LET ME NOW FOR THE RECORD, READ INTO THE RECORD CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS.
ITEM NUMBER 11 SHOULD READ MARCH 8TH, 2023, RECOMMENDED BY THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON A NINE ZERO VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE AND ONE VACANCY.
IT SHOULD HAVE READ ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SPONSORS AND ADD COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE.
ITEM NUMBER 27 WILL READ THE PEOPLE THAT WERE LISTED AS SPONSORS.
AND THEN ADD COUNCIL MEMBER VANESSA FUENTES, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, AND COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER.
COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PORT TIM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR ON 27.
UH, SHOW MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS IS ALSO A SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 27, ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER 16, PULLED BY MAYOR WATSON.
ITEM NUMBER 25, PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
ITEM NUMBER 27, PULLED BY MAYOR WATSON.
AND ITEM NUMBER 26, WHICH IS NOT ON YOUR PRINTED CHANGES OF CORRECTIONS.
ITEM NUMBER 26, BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU WISH TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE.
LET ME ASK, ARE THERE ANY, AND I'LL COME BACK TO THIS, BUT ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT A MEMBER WISHES TO BE SHOWN VOTING? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I PREFER TO WAIT TO HEAR FROM THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.
UM, THEN WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY MEMBER WISHES TO ABSTAIN FROM OR BE SHOWN AS RECUSING THEMSELF FROM YES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON AL ALTER.
UM, I ALSO WOULD PREFER TO MAKE THOSE STATEMENTS AFTER WE FIRST ABSTENTION OR EVEN ABSTENTIONS OR RECUSALS.
UM, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT UP.
MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST ADD, UH, I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT I THINK THAT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IS VERY VALUABLE IN MAKING OUR DECISIONS FAIR ENOUGH.
I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, I, I WORRY THAT IF I DIDN'T DO THAT, SOMEBODY WOULD SAY I WANNA BE SHOWN NOT EVEN AT THIS POINT.
[Public Comments ( Part 1 of 2 )]
BEFORE WE TAKE UP SPEAKERS FOR TODAY'S, UH, MEETING, UH, BEFORE WE TAKE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR SPEAKERS, LET ME SAY IT THAT WAY, IS WE'RE GONNA DO IT AS IT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN DONE IN THE VERY RECENT PAST.BECAUSE THE WAY WE WILL TAKE THESE ITEMS UP ON THE CONSENT ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED WILL BE IMMEDIATELY
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AFTER WE HEAR FROM, UH, WE PASS A CONSENT AGENDA.SO WE WILL HEAR FROM ALL OF THE SPEAKERS, UM, AND THEY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY ON BOTH CONSENT AND NON-CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. UH, AND THE SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP ON ZONING AGENDA ITEMS, THEY'LL BE CALLED UPON AT TWO O'CLOCK, AND EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
SO LET'S GO TO THE SPEAKERS AND, UH, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE BEGIN WITH THE REMOTE SPEAKERS, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO IN PERSON.
FIRST SPEAKER ON ITEM 16 IS BRENDA MALIK.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE MEGAN, MS. MEISENBACH, CAN YOU PLEASE UNMUTE? OH MY GOSH.
WE'RE HAVING A TECHNICAL ISSUE, SO LET'S MOVE TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
UM, FOR ITEMS 3 11, 17, 18, AND 26, GUS PENA ON DECK IS BILL MCKINLEY FOR ITEM 16.
MY NAME IS GUSTAVO GUST PENA, BORN IN EAST AUSTIN, EAST FIFTH STREET.
UH, HERE'S MY ID AS A FORMER IRS SPECIAL AGENT WITH THE IRS.
OKAY, AND THIS IS FROM THE OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE THAT INTO CON, UH, CONSIDERATION, UH, MARY KIRK WATSON
UH, NUMBER ONE, UH, IS THE NU NUMBER THREE IS, UH, HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE, THE STAR PROGRAM, AND WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT AND IMPROVE IT.
AND NUMBER, LET ME SEE, NUMBER NUMBER 11 IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, ALLOCATING 2 MILLION, UH, $355,000 FOR THAT.
THAT IS VERY THIS FOR YOUTHWORKS, SO IT'S VERY GOOD.
AND, UH, NUMBER 17 IS APPROVE OF RESOLUTION, EXTENDING CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE IRS APPROVE OF RESOLUTION, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO CREATE A PLAN TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIRECT, CORRECT, UH, CURRENT, EXCUSE ME, FAST, UH, CHARGING STATION FOR ELECTRIC, UH, VEHICLES EQUITABLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND MY LAST ONE WILL BE THIS, NUMBER 33.
THE IS HOUSING, UH, HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
AND, UH, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS REDUNDANT, BUT WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS JUST MAKE IT A BETTER SITUATION, UH, HOUSE WISE, UH, HEALTH-WISE AND OTHERWISE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND, UH, MAYOR, IT'S, UH, GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK OVER HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY PUNTED YOU OVER HERE INSTEAD OF BACK OVER THERE.
JESUS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS, UH, UH, HAD RESPECT FOR YOU AND, UM, I, I APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL, ALL OF Y'ALL THAT ARE DOING FOR WORK, UH, FOR THE INN AND FOR THE BEST OF INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND MISS, UH, MACKENZIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALSO.
OKAY, I'M GONNA TRY, UM, REMOTE AGAIN.
YES, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON ITEM NUMBER 16.
THANK YOU FOR PULLING IT FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, IT TOOK ME, UH, AT LEAST A WEEK TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EAD MEANT.
SO I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU GUYS REFRAIN FROM USING ACRONYMS SO MUCH SO THE PUBLIC CAN ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THIS FAR-REACHING EAD CHANGE NEEDS TO BE WORKED THROUGH IN PUBLIC.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR WHICH I AM PRESIDENT, UH, IS A
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HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THISSO THE OUTREACH PLAN THAT WAS DISCUSSED LAST WEEK, UH, FELL A LITTLE SHORT.
AND, UH, SO WE HAVE MANY QUESTIONS, AND I'M JUST ASKING THAT YOU TAKE THE TIME TO LET THE PUBLIC GIVE YOU COMMENT ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE, WE NEED MORE ANSWERS.
UM, SO DON'T EX DON'T ACCEPT ANY ZONING CHANGES UNTIL YOU HEAR FROM, UH, FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MEGAN MEISENBACH ON 16.
HI, THIS IS MEGAN MEISENBACH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU HEARING ME TODAY.
I'M IN DISTRICT NINE, AND, UM, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT ITEM WAS PULLED.
I HOPE YOU'LL PAY ATTENTION TO DR.
JAKE WEGMAN WHEN HE SAYS, FOCUS ON LIKE RAIL, DO LESS AND DO IT WELL.
UM, SECURE YOUR SOURCES OF FUND FUNDS AND VALUE CAPTURE ON THE PROPERTY THAT, UH, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PROPOSED EADS COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, WE LOOK REALLY OUT OF PLACE.
MOST CITIES HAVE A LESS THAN 10, AND WE'RE PROPOSING 120, OR AT LEAST A MORE THAN A HUNDRED.
UM, A LOT, A MODEST NUMBER OF LIGHT RAIL EADS THAT WILL SUPPORT FIXED TRANSIT IS IMPORTANT, AND WE KNOW THE FUNDS ARE LIMITED, AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO FOCUS.
UM, THE STAFF HAS DECIDED THAT THE METRIC OF SU SUCCESS IS TO REMOVE OR REDEVELOP PEOPLE'S HOMES AND REPLACE THEM WITH MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENTS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS THE, THE RIGHT, UM, FRAME OF MIND TO APPROACH THIS.
SO WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THIS PROGRAM IS BEING, UM, PROMOTED.
AND I THINK YOU ALSO LOOK AT PLA PLEASE LOOK AT PLAZA.
SO, WHICH IT CHANGED AFTER WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS PROMISED.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HEARING ME, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THE COUNCIL.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE PROCEED.
I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF THE SPRINGS, AND I CLIMB RESILIENCE COMMUNITY LEAD ORGANIZER WITH DAVA.
I'M, I'M CALLING AGAINST ITEM 16, AND I ASK YOU TO, AND I THANK YOU FOR HOLDING OFF ON, UH, PULLING THE ITEM OUT UNTIL, UM, COMMU REAL COMMUNITY ENGAGE STAFF AND THE
AND I KNOW THAT ANY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT DONE IN AUSTIN WILL NEVER COMPARED TO ANYTHING CLOSE TO WHAT RESIDENTS ARE PAYING RIGHT NOW.
THE WAY THAT YOU ARE ADDRESSING EAD WILL DISPLACE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST IMPACTED BY THE COST OF LIVING AND THE RAPID GROWTH, THE EFFECTIVE OT LEADERS BY USING ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FUNDS AVAILABLE, NOT ONLY TO HELP RENT INCREASE, BUT ALSO TO BUILD SUS SUSTAINABILITY, UH, AMONG THE RESIDENTS YOU REPRESENT BY PUTTING YOUR NAME IN RESOLUTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROGRAMS, WORKSHOPS, OR TRAININGS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, HOMELAND, HOME BASED CHILDCARE OR HOME BASE ELDER CARE.
THESE TRAININGS COULD HELP WITH SAFETY SKILLS AND THE RIGHTS AND TEACHING THEM THE RIGHTS OF, OF WORKERS.
YOU CAN CREATE THE INDEPENDENCY BY SU FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
I'M SORRY, YOU CAN CREATE INDEPENDENCY FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
BY DOING SO, YOU COULD, YOU COULD BE ABLE TO KEEP MORE PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES.
JUSTICE IS INDISPENSABLE IN OUR CITY.
AS LEADERS, YOU ARE PLACING A POSITION TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
YOU SAY YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CONSTITUENTS, PROVE IT, BE INCLUSIVE, DON'T MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT A PLAN, AND LET US BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
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GOOD MORNING.GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNSEL.
I LIVE IN THE BIKER WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT 10.
UM, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU LIMIT THE, THE TO THE EADS TWO RAIL LINE AREAS.
UM, PLEASE AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SERVE THE RESIDENCE, UH, AND THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY.
UM, NOT CLEAR THEM OUT TO MAKE A WAY FOR, FOR PEOPLE, UM, JUST MOVING INTO THE CITY, DON'T DISPLACE YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, ALSO I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR CLIMATE GOALS IN TERMS OF WARMING.
UM, THIS DENSITY WILL NOT COME WITHOUT CUTTING DOWN TREES, REMOVING GREEN SPACES, AND CHANGING THE FABRIC AND THE LOOK OF OUR CITY.
UM, MOST OF US DID NOT MOVE HERE HOPING TO LIVE AMONG TOWERS AND SHADOWS.
WE, WE CAME HERE FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR THIS ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
PLEASE RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND RESPECT YOUR CURRENT RESIDENCE AND, AND, UM, AND GIVE US TIME TO DISCUSS THIS PLAN WITH YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MONICA GUZMAN, SPEAKING ON ITEM 1625 AND 29.
I'M MONICA GUSMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GO AUSTIN BAOS AUSTIN.
REGARDING ITEM 25, PETITIONER REQUIREMENTS REPRESENT OUR ONLY PUBLIC PROCESS TO BE ENGAGED IN CRITICAL LAND USE AND VALID DECISIONS THAT IMPACT US.
REGARDING ITEM 44, THIS CHANGE TO THE CODE SEEMS TO BE A GIVEAWAY TO DEVELOPERS, A MECHANISM TO ALLOW INCREASED ENTITLEMENTS AND IMPERVIOUS COVER WITHOUT COMMUNITY BENEFITS, NAMELY AFFORDABILITY OF A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT OR LARGE PROJECTS, BUILDING MORE LUXURY UNITS AT MARKET RATES DOES NOTHING TO SOLVE OUR HOUSING CRISIS.
DESPITE TESTIMONY YOU HEARD LAST WEEK, MANY ARE STILL UNAWARE.
WE URGE YOU TO POSTPONE YOUR VOTE, ALLOWING TIME TO FURTHER INFORM THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY LOW INCOME TRANSIT DEPENDENT RESIDENTS WITH LIMITED OR NO ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.
WEGMAN'S TOUGH LOVE AS HE TOLD THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS LAST WEEK, AND I QUOTE, TRULY SUCCESSFUL TODS HAS BEEN MUCH MORE COMMON IN CANADA OR MEXICO OR OVERSEAS THAN HAS BEEN HERE IN THE US.
AND OF COURSE, TRUE ECON HAS BEEN EVEN RARER THAN SUCCESSFUL.
TODD, HOW ARE WE PROCESSING EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON TRANSIT CORRIDORS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST VULNERABLE IN PLANS CAN, IT CAN BE IT PLAYING OUT IN SOUTH AUSTIN AT SOUTH PERSON EVERHART TWO 90 IN BERKMAN ROAD WHERE WE ARE LOSING AFFORDABLE UNITS TO DENSE LUXURY DEVELOPMENTS WITH INADEQUATE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL NOT ATTRACT TRANSIT DEPENDENT PEOPLE AND THEY ACTIVELY DISPLACED WORKFORCE AND TRANSIT DEPENDENT RESIDENTS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MISSY OSTERMAN SPEAKING ON 26TH.
UH, MY NAME IS MISSY OSTERMAN AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE DECISION TO BRING BACK THE AUSTIN CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY.
BEFORE JOINING THE A CPA FOR ITS 89TH CLASS, I HAD VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW POLICE DEPARTMENTS OPERATED.
WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMETHING IS RUN, IT IS HARD FOR THEM TO SUPPORT IT.
BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT IS STRUCTURED, TRAINED, AND PROCEDURES THEY FOLLOW IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE.
I AM GRATEFUL THAT AUSTIN, LIKE SO MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES HAS HAD THIS PROGRAM AVAILABLE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO BRING BACK THE AUSTIN CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY PROGRAM TO GET THE COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FIRSTHAND HOW THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKS AND TO BUILD STRONGER POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
NEXT SPEAKER ZNO JOSEPH SPEAKING ON 16 AND 34.
THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL, I'M ZNO JOSEPH STATING MY OPPOSITION
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TO ITEM 16 EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION NUMBER SEVEN, PAGE SEVEN, WHICH HAS THE GREEN LINE STATION AREA VISION PLANNING, AND REMIND YOU THAT NATASHA HARPER MADISON ASKED ABOUT THE GREEN LINE ON APRIL 15TH, 2021 AT THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
AND BASICALLY, I WANT YOU TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NO SECRET THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH RIDERSHIP ON THAT LINE.
THAT INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT JUNE 20TH, 2017.
BASICALLY, THE GREEN LINE WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO BE LOCALLY FUNDED AS WELL.
IT DOESN'T MEET FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR DENSITY, SO I AM OPPOSED TO HAVING THE GREEN LINE AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE EAD ITEM BEFORE YOU ON APRIL 3RD, 2018.
WITH REGARD TO THE GREEN LINE, THE ANTICIPATED RIDER SHIP ON THIS LINE IS ACTUALLY LOW AND THAT NEEDS TO BE NO SECRET.
TODD HEMMINGTON TOLD THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AS WELL.
MAYOR, YOU ACTUALLY, UH, TESTIFIED WITH CAPITAL METRO DECEMBER 17TH, 2018 WHEN THE ADOPTED DIVISION PLAN FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT THE PLAN ACTUALLY CALLED THROUGH THE, THE LIGHT RAIL TO BE SOUTH OF NORTHMORE TRANSIT CENTER AND THERE IS A NEED FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY COORDINATE WITH TECH DOC BECAUSE THAT IS LUKE 2 75 AND THE CITY DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THAT WAS NEVER IN THE DISCUSSION DURING THE MEETING.
YOU HAD, UH, THE WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY OR DURING THE JOINT MEETING WITH HOUSING AND MOBILITY.
SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM IF YOU PLAN TO VOTE ON IT, UM, AND ACTUALLY TO CONSIDER INCLUDING TECH DOC SO THAT IT'S ACCURATE.
THIS IS A RUSH TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING AND I WILL LASTLY JUST SAY MY UH, COMMENTS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, THE 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
IT'S 24 TO 30 YEARS FOR THE LIGHT RAIL NORTH OF US, 180 3 IN THE AREA THAT YOU USED TO REPRESENT WHEN YOU WERE A SENATOR.
UM, 37, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A ZONING ITEM, BUT IT'S 3.3 MILES, UM, FROM THE BURLESON VILLAGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLAD ANSWER THEM NOW.
PETERSON SPEAKING ON 26TH, THIS CAROL PETERSON REGARDING THE AUSTIN CITY.
UH, I AM DEFINITELY IN FORD FOR THE POLICE OF THEMATIC AGAIN BECAUSE THEY BRIDGE THE GAP FOR OUR LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IT'S, UM, OFFERINGS AT THIS POINT.
WE HAVE SUCH A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE AND WE HAVE A LACK OF RESPECT, UH, FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ITSELF BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THEY'RE GOING ON OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO IF WE CAN PAY THIS CLASS, IT'LL CERTAINLY HELP OTHERS TO HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU JENNIFER, ALL SPEAKING ON ITEM 26.
HI, MY NAME IS, UH, JENNIFER ALL THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 26.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX AND HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 23 YEARS.
I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE 84TH CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY CLASS AND GRADUATED WITH A CLASS IN DECEMBER, 2015.
IT WAS TRULY AN HONOR TO BE SELECTED TO ATTEND, UM, THE VERY EDUCATIONAL 14 WEEK PROGRAM.
AS I WASN'T REALLY SURE AT THE TIME WHAT TO EXPECT IS ALL I KNEW ABOUT THE POLICE WAS VERY DIFFERENT BEFORE THIS CLASS.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT WAS NOT AWARE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THESE 14 WEEKS WERE PACKED WITH SO MUCH INFORMATION AND GAVE ME A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A P D DOES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WERE ABLE TO TOUR THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, FORENSIC JAIL, UH, FORENSIC LABS, JAILS, AND SEVERAL OTHER PLACES.
AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO DO A RIDEOUT IN THE EDWARDS SECTOR ON A FRIDAY NIGHT WHERE I GOT TO SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT OUR OFFICERS GO THROUGH OUT ON THEIR SHIFTS.
AND IT WAS A REAL EYEOPENER TO ME.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS CLASS HAS NOW HELPED ME TO BECOME MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT APD DOES AND WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
IN MY CLASS ALONE, WE HAD MANY PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, YOUNG AND OLD, AND SEVERAL OF US FROM MY CLASS ARE STILL FRIENDS.
IT WAS A GREAT, IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND HEAR ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND GET ALL THE ANSWERS.
AND I FEEL THAT THIS CLASS WAS A GREAT WAY TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY WHAT THE POLICE ARE HERE FOR AND WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
I FEEL THAT THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW ALL THAT GOES ON BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE SEES WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BACKGROUND.
MANY OF US ARE, UM, ALUMNI AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A P D WHEN NEEDED.
SO PLEASE BRING THIS PROGRAM BACK AS IT IS DEFINITELY WORK WORTH IT FOR OUR CITY
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AND FOR OUR CITIZENS.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS TIME.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE REMOTE SPEAKERS WE'LL GO TO IN-PERSON.
UM, BILL LEY ON DECK ARE CHRISTIAN CHOP AND DANIEL KAMAN.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY UP TO THE FRONT.
IF YOUR NAME WAS CALLED HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR WATSON.
UH, FIRST OFF, A SINCERE THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THE EAD POLICY PLAN TODAY.
MY HUSBAND AND MY FRIENDS ARE SO EXCITED FOR IT.
THIS EAD PLAN MARKS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN AUSTIN'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BY PROMOTING GROWTH AND HOUSING NEAR FUTURE AND EXISTING MAJOR TRANSIT CORRIDORS, AUSTIN WILL BECOME A MORE WALKABLE CITY IN A MORE AFFORDABLE CITY.
THERE ARE SO MANY GEMS OF POLICY TOOLS OUTLINED IN THE POLICY PLAN.
ONE HIGHLIGHT IS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVISIONS TRADING HEIGHT FOR MORE LOW INCOME UNITS.
THIS WILL PROMOTE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TO AUSTIN'S LOWEST INCOME RESIDENTS, UH, WHICH IS MUCH NEEDED STEP TOWARDS CREATING A PLACE WHERE EVEN THE POOREST AMONG US CAN LIVE HERE AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
IN ADDITION, EAD VISION AREA PLANNING WILL GIVE A CHANCE FOR CITY PLANNERS TO RETHINK AREAS IN A WAY THAT PRESERVES THE EXISTING HISTORY AND COMMUNITY OF AREAS WHILE THINKING AHEAD FOR FUTURE NEEDS.
I APPLAUD THIS BECAUSE IT WILL BUILD GREAT COMMUNITY CENTERS AND HOUSING AND IT WILL ADD TO THE EXISTING CULTURE OF THESE VISION AREAS, NOT DETRACT FROM THEM LIKE PLAZA, SALTILLO OR CRESTVIEW STATION.
IT WILL BRING A PLACE WHERE LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN ENJOY BOTH LOCAL TO THE AREA AND CITYWIDE.
IN CONCLUSION, EAD WILL BUILD A BETTER AUSTIN.
I HOPE YOU PASS BOTH THE EAD POLICY PLAN AND THE EAD OVERLAY TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTIAN CHOP.
OKAY,
EDGAR HANDEL ON DECK IS JAY CROSSLEY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M A DISTRICT THREE RESIDENT.
THIS EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ITEM HAS A POTENTIAL TO BE A CONSEQUENTIAL POLICY AND COULD ALLOW FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE TO LIVE CENTRALLY NEAR TRANSIT AND AMENITIES.
THANK YOU COUNSEL, AND ESPECIALLY TO STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND LONG ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
ON THIS ITEM, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE ADJUST OUR LAND USE AROUND THE NEW PROJECT CONNECT STATIONS, NOT ONLY TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR FEDERAL MONEY FOR THE PROJECT, BUT BECAUSE IT COULD FINALLY BREAK THE HOLD THAT CAR CENTRIC PLANNING HAS ON THIS CITY.
THIS POLICY WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT AFFORDABILITY IMPACTS AND CLIMATE IMPACTS BY ALLOWING FOR MUCH GREATER HOUSING CAPACITY BY TRANSIT, THE CITY CAN REDUCE VEHICLE MILES, TRAVEL PER CAPITA OVERALL ENERGY CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA AND PROTECT UNDEVELOPED LAND AT THE FRINGES OF THE CITY AND IN THE SUBURBS.
I WANT TO URGE YOU TO ALL MOVE QUICKLY TO DEVELOP AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WITH A CLEAR TIMELINE THAT WOULD LEAD TO TO DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR ALONG WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW LIGHT RAIL LINES AND RAPID BUS ROUTES.
ALSO, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING BUS ROUTES IN THIS PLAN, WHICH WILL LIKELY CARRY THE MAJORITY OF TRANSIT UNITERS IN THIS CITY.
TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE NEED FOR SWIFT IMPLEMENTATION NEAR MY HOME ON THE FUTURE ORANGE LINE, THERE ARE BRAND NEW GAS STATIONS BEING BUILT.
THIS SORT OF CAR-BASED USE NEEDS TO BE PROHIBITED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, ALONG WITH THE MASSIVE PARKING GARAGES ATTACHED TO APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT WILL LIKELY HOUSE PEOPLE WHO USE CARS MUCH LESS FREQUENTLY THAN OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
THANK YOU FOR DEVELOPING THIS PLAN AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT DURING ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
JAY CROSSLEY ON DECK, FELICITY MAXWELL AND MICHAEL NAS.
MY NAME'S JAY BLAZE AT CROSSLEY.
I'M WITH THE NONPROFIT CALLED FARM AND CITY AND I LIVE IN D FOUR.
UM, AND UH, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THIS WORK AND FOR TRYING TO BUILD AN AUSTIN FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WE HAVE PUBLISHED TWO REPORTS ON THIS ISSUE AND HAVE DONE A LOT OF ANALYSIS, UM, AND UM, I'VE SORT OF BEEN BUSY WORKING ON A FREEWAY PROJECT, SO I DIDN'T BRING YOU ALL THOSE THINGS AND I'M SORT OF TIRED OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S CLEAR IT, IT IS CLEAR WHAT'S WRONG HERE AND IT'S CLEAR WHAT AN EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE CITY WOULD BE.
UM, WE 2 MILLION PEOPLE ARE GONNA MOVE INTO OUR REGION OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
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OF THEM PEOPLE OF COLOR, THEY'RE NOT CALIFORNIANS.UH, A VERY TINY AMOUNT ARE CALIFORNIANS.
AND EVERY AMOUNT OF NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT WE DO HERE IN THIS ROOM IS THE REASON THAT OUR CITY IS EXPENSIVE AND IS THE REASON THAT PEOPLE ARE DISPLACED.
IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF DEVELOPERS OR ANY OTHER BOOGEYMAN.
UM, AND SO EXCLUSIONARY ZONING IS THE PROBLEM AND, AND AN E T O D STRATEGY SHOULD, SHOULD REMOVE THAT PROBLEM, THAT 1920S ERROR.
UM, UH, ONE EXAMPLE IS THE EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WHERE THE ACTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN STILL EXISTS.
ZERO AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED.
MANY HOUSES HAVE BEEN REBUILT USING THE CURRENT CODES, BUT ZERO ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE ALLOWED.
THERE ARE LESS PEOPLE LIVE IN THE EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY THAN IN 2010.
AND AND IN 2010 THERE ARE ABOUT A THOUSAND PE LOW INCOME PEOPLE LIVING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
TODAY THERE ARE ZERO, WHEREAS THE PLAZA CELL TO T O D DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NEXT DOOR, WHICH WAS LIKE TRAIN TRACKS, A BUNCH OF PEOPLE LIVE THERE NOW.
AND SO ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF THIS REPORT IS THERE'S SOME ERRORS
IT STATES THAT T O D CAUSES DISPLACEMENT, WHICH IS FALSE.
UM, AND SO WE NEED TO DO THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
UM, A KEY POINT IS JUST ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LIVE THERE WILL DOUBLE PROJECT NECK RIDERSHIP.
NEXT SPEAKER IS EDGAR HANDEL ON DECK, OUR FELICITY MAXWELL AND MICHAEL NAZ.
I LIVE A QUARTER MILE, AN EIGHT MINUTE WALK FROM THE A ACC EAST VIEW BUS STOP ON THE PLAN PLEASANT VALLEY METRO RAPID LINE.
I CAME HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 16 IN EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
JUST THIS WEEK, MY THREE-YEAR-OLD AND I WERE ON A CALL WITH MY BROTHER WHO LIVES IN HOUSTON.
HE BRAGGED TO MY TRAIN OBSESSED SON THAT HE LIVES A FEW MINUTES FROM THE LIGHT RAIL AND I TAKEN IT STRAIGHT TO THE RODEO.
MY BROTHER LIKES CARS AND HE WORKS ON CARS FOR A LIVING.
HE TOOK THE TRAIN BECAUSE IT'S CONVENIENT AND IT'S CLOSE TO WHERE HE LIVES.
IF AUSTIN WANTS TRANSIT AND RECENT ELECTIONS AND POLLS HAVE SHOWN, WE DEFINITELY DO, THEN WE NEED A LOT OF HOMES AND DESTINATIONS NEAR TRANSIT.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE, THAT MEANS ZONING FOR DENTS, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, AND ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS ALONG ALL PLANNED TRANSIT LINES AND DOING IT SOON WITHOUT WAITING FOR TRANSIT TO BE BUILT FIRST.
I WOULD LOVE TO ONE DAY SEE LIGHT RAIL IN EAST AUSTIN, BUT THE REASON EAST AUSTIN GETS BUS LINES WHILE CENTRAL AUSTIN GETS LIGHT RAIL IS BECAUSE CENTRAL AUSTIN HAS DENSER CORRIDORS WITH GOOD RIDERSHIP.
IF WE WANT EX EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TRANSIT ACROSS ALL OF AUSTIN, WE NEED TO BUILD THE TYPES OF PLACES THAT JUSTIFY MORE TRANSIT INVESTMENT.
LET'S STOP WAITING FOR DENSITY AND TRANSIT TO ARRIVE PERFECTLY IN SYNC.
LET'S AVOID A FUTURE WHERE A LOW DENSITY ZONING HAS CREATED GREAT ACCESS TO TRANSIT.
FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD THE NEARBY MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOMES, WE SHOULD NOT ONLY APPROVE THE EAD PLAN, BUT ALSO ENSURE THAT THE RESULTING IMPLEMENTATION ACTUALLY DELIVERS ABUNDANT HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT.
NEXT SPEAKER IS FELICITY MAXWELL.
ON DECK ARE MICHAEL NAS AND HANS MAGNUSON.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A LONGTIME ZILKER D FIVE RESIDENT AND A CURRENT AURA BOARD MEMBER.
YOUR CONSIDERATION OF ITEM 16 REGARDING EAD.
AS YOU KNOW, WHEN PROJECT CONNECT WAS PASSED WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT, EAD WAS A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THE OVERALL PLAN FOR OUR CITY.
IT'S BEEN EXCITING TO SEE THE FIRST WAVE OF EAD IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE WORK THAT IT'S ALREADY DOING, AND WE SEE THIS STEP AS THE NEXT CRUCIAL STEP IN THE EAD PROMISES WE MADE IN 2020.
EAD UNLOCKS A WIDE KEY ELEMENTS OF OUR FOR OUR CITY, MOST IMPORTANTLY HOUSING.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO IMMENSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS LIKE BELOVED SMALL BUSINESSES, GROCERIES, MEDICAL DAY, MEDICAL SERVICES, DAYCARES AND MORE, ALL OF WHICH BECOME POSSIBLE NEAR AND AROUND OUR TRANSIT IF WE DO EAD PROPERLY.
AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, IT'S BLUE BONDED SEASON HERE IN AUSTIN AND THAT FEELS LIKE AN APT METAPHOR FOR THE WORK YOU ALL ARE DOING ON EAD, JUST LIKE LADY BIRD ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.
THERE IS A VISION OF BEAUTIFICATION AND GROWTH IN OUR CITY THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH EAD.
YOU
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF ITEM 16, AND PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS IS BROADLY SUPPORTED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE MANY BENEFITS THAT WILL BRING BEYOND HOUSING TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL NAZ, ONDECK R HANS MAGNUSON AND JANICE RANKIN.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR CITY COUNCIL.
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I'M AN ECONOMIST.I'M THE DISTRICT FOR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
UH, IF I HAD TO SUMMARIZE URBAN ECONOMICS IN ONE SENTENCE, IT'S MAKE LAND VALUABLE AND MAKE RENT CHEAP.
BUILDING A TRAIN LINE OR A BUS LINE IN THE DESERT IS NOT MA DOES NOT MAKE VALUABLE LAND BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PEOPLE THERE TO RIDE IT AND THERE'S NO BUSINESSES, NO PLACE TO GO ON IT.
SO LIKE THE BEST THING IS TO LIKE FOSTER AS MUCH DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESS AND PEOPLE LIVING NEAR THIS TRAIN LINE.
UM, LAND USE MINIMUMS ARE GOOD FOR THAT REASON.
I LIKE THAT THE FUND IS THERE TO KEEP BUSINESSES THERE DURING CONSTRUCTION.
SECOND AVENUE, SUBWAY IN NEW YORK HAD A LOT OF BUSINESSES FAILED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THERE'S A FUND TO RELOCATE BUSINESSES THAT IS OBVIOUSLY BAD.
WE WANNA KEEP THE BUSINESSES NEAR THESE SPOTS.
WE DO NOT WANT THEM TO MOVE AWAY OR WE'LL LOSE THE BENEFIT OF THIS.
REGARDING SOME OF THE EQUITY THINGS.
LAND TRUSTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE BENEFITS THEY GIVE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE COST FOR THE LAND AND THE THE LACK OF TAX INCOME, THE FREE LEGAL COUNSEL TO RENTERS IS EXCELLENT.
UM, IT COSTS VERY LITTLE AND THE FEW CASES THAT ARE BROUGHT HAVE A LARGE EFFECT ON ALL THE OTHER LANDLORDS WHO FEAR BEING OPPOSED AT THE COURTS.
UM, THE BIG THING IS SOFT DENSITY IS TOO WEAK.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE BIGGEST THING IS IN THE MARKET FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND YOU NEED LOTS OF RENTERS TO BE ABLE TO GATHER TOGETHER TO OUTBID A SINGLE RICH OWNER WHO WANTS TO BUILD ONE UNIT.
UM, SO YOU NEED TO ALLOW DENSITY THERE, LIKE ALLOW MORE UNITS IN ORDER FOR AFFORDABILITY TO EXIST.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JANICE RANKIN.
ON DECK ARE LUIS OSTA AND ZACH FAS.
JUST READ YOUR NAME INTO THE RECORD.
I REQUEST THAT YOU PULL ITEM 16 FROM THE AGENDA.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ILL CONCEIVED, UH, PLAN AND NEEDS WORK AND I THANK, UH, WITH SOME THOUGHTFUL, UM, WORK WE CAN FIX THE PLAN.
THE CURRENT, UM, STATED GOAL OF PROVIDING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, I, I THINK IS, IS FLAWED.
UM, UNTIL YOU REMOVE THE FEE AND LIEU OPTION AND YOU ADD THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR ANY T O D OF DEVELOPMENT, THE OUTCOME WILL BE THAT YOU WILL HAVE EXPENSIVE LUXURY APARTMENTS AND CONDOS AND MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL NOT TAKE THE BUS.
I SUPPORT THIS DATA GOAL, BUT UM, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE REVISED.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE POTENTIAL, UH, FOR INVERSE CONDEMNATION TO FORCE PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES BECAUSE PUTTING ETO OVERLAY ON BUS STOPS ON THE EXISTING LAND USE CODE PROHIBITS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND BUSINESSES FROM UH, EXISTING.
WHY HAS THIS POSITIVE BEEN RUSHED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA? IT'S A MATTER OF GREAT IMPORT, A LARGE SWATH OF RESIDENTS AND MERITS A MORE TRANSPARENT REVIEW.
UM, I THINK THE EAD POLICY THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED IS A MAJOR DISTRACTION THAT WILL TAKE AWAY FROM PROJECT CONNECT AND QUITE POSSIBLY RISK IT TO FAIL, WHICH WILL BE A SHAME YOU WILL IF ADOPTING THIS ETAL POLICY.
DISENFRANCHISED A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TIME AND RESOURCES WILL SPENT IN DISTRICT AND FEDERAL COURTS.
PUBLIC SUPPORT WILL DIMINISH FOR, UH, THE PUBLIC, UH, TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JANICE RANKIN.
ONDECK ARE LUIS OSTA AND ZACH FATS.
HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE? 10 MINUTES.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M JANICE RANKIN FROM DISTRICT SEVEN, REPRESENTED BY LESLIE POOLE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU TO POSTPONE ACTING ON THE POLICY PLAN AND RESOLUTION TODAY BECAUSE THE SCOPE OF THE EAD POLICY PLAN IS OVERLY BROAD AS PRESENTED.
IT IS A MAJOR POLICY DIRECTION AND A PARADIGM SHIFT FOR LAND USE IN AUSTIN.
IT NEEDS TRANSPARENCY AND IT NEEDS TO BE ALIGNED WITH A REVISED FUNDING STRATEGY FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
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UH, THE RESOLUTION 2 0 2 1 0 6 1 0 0 9 3RD OF JUNE 10TH 21.THAT RESOLUTION STATES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SHALL INCLUDE A SUFFICIENT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO ENSURE IMPACTED PEOPLE AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ARE INCLUDED.
AS STATED IN EXHIBIT A, YOUR EAD POLICY PLAN DRAFT, THE VOICES OF MANY INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WERE OVERLOOKED IN THE INTEREST OF TURNING DOWN THE VOLUME.
THE EAD WEBSITE SHOWS THAT 944 RESPONSES WERE OBTAINED IN THE PROCESS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONDUCTED BY STAFF.
AND IN A CITY OF MORE THAN 660,000 REGISTERED VOTERS, THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO CREATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WILL OF ALL AUSTIN STAKEHOLDERS.
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN MISSING IN THIS.
WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING WHAT STAFF HAS BEEN DOING, BUT WERE THERE ANY TOWN HALL MEETINGS HELD BY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS? WHERE AND WHEN HAS THE PUBLIC COMMENT REQUIREMENT BEEN MET FROM THAT ORDINANCE? LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
LET'S GET THIS DONE RIGHT AND NOT RUSHED TO ADOPT EAD BEFORE FINALIZING THE REVISED PROJECT CONNECT BUILDOUT PROPOSAL WITHIN ITS AVAILABLE FUNDING AUTHORITY.
IT CANNOT BE DIVORCED FROM EAD DENSITY PLANNING, OTHERWISE WE'LL HAVE DENSITY WITHOUT THE TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT.
SO IF YOU HAVE DENSE LAND USE FOR A PERIOD OF 20 YEARS AND NO TRANSIT TO SUPPORT IT, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? THANK YOU.
AND I ASK YOU TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM.
ON DECK ARE ZACH FAS AND MARY FARROW.
I'M, UH, UH, DINA AND RESIDENT AND I CAME HERE TO SUPPORT OF ITEM 16 AND EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
OVERALL, I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR FINANCES, DISPLACEMENT, THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THEY CARE ABOUT A LOT AS SOMEBODY SORT OF GREW UP AND CAME FROM COMMUNITIES THAT ALWAYS GOT BULLDOZED OVER IN THE NAME OF, UH, SOMEBODY CLAIMING TO BUILD FOR THE FUTURE.
BUT THE ACTUAL PEOPLE OF AUSTIN AND THE LOCAL BUSINESSES OF AUSTIN ALREADY GETTING DISPLACED AND WHERE THEY ONE STOOD STANDS, MILLION DOLLAR HOUSES AND GENTRIFIED COOKIE CUTTER SHOPS THAT COME FROM, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA AND NEW AND WHATEVER THE TIME FOR BUILDING SLOW AND DELIBERATE DENSE DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR PROJECT CONNECT WAS 20 YEARS AGO.
NOW WE LIVE WITH DIFFICULTIES THAT WERE CREATED BY PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS.
THE REAL PROBLEM IS NOT THAT WE WON'T GO FAR ENOUGH WITH ET OS, BUT THAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT WE WON'T GO, WE'LL GO TOO FAR, BUT THAT WE WON'T GO FAR ENOUGH.
UM, SPECIFICALLY AS WE ONLY ARE EVALUATING THEM IN LIGHT RAILS.
WE SHOULD GO FURTHER BY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING THE KIND OF MIXED USED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN.
NOT JUST IN THESE LIGHT RAILS, BUT ACROSS OUR METRO RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES.
I UNDERSTAND, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ANXIETY AROUND THIS, BUT THE COMMUNITIES OF AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT PEOPLE CLAIM TO DEFEND HERE, ARE ALREADY GETTING PUSHED ACROSS THE CLIFF, RIGHT? PROJECT CONNECT OF WHICH EAUS ARE A KEY CRITICAL PORTION OF IS THE ONLY LIFELINE THEY'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE, TO LIVE AND GROW UP AND RAISE THEIR KIDS IN AUSTIN AS PART OF A COHESIVE, TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY.
SO I HOPE WITH THAT IN MIND, YOU UNDERSTAND THE SORT OF SEVERITY SITUATION AND YOU GO FORWARD WITH ITEM 16.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ZACH FADS ON DECK ARM MARY FARROW AND J P CONLEY.
I AM A CAR-FREE AUSTINITE AND PRESIDENT OF AURA.
I CAME HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY EXCITEMENT FOR THE E T O D POLICY PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU ITEM 16, AND TO ASK THAT YOU BRING FORWARD AMENDMENTS TO MAKE MORE EXPLICIT.
THE LAND USE CHANGES, INCREASE NUMBER OF HOMES YOU WILL ALLOW TO BE BUILT AROUND OUR FUTURE LIGHT RAIL STATIONS.
WHEN VOTERS APPROVED PROJECT CONNECT, THEY ALSO APPROVE THE ETOD PROCESS AND THE DENSITY NECESSARY SUPPORT ANY MASS TRANSIT PROJECT.
THE EASIEST WAY FOR PROJECT CONNECT TO FAILS, WE BUILD A TECHNICALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY GREAT SYSTEM, BUT FAIL TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIVE NEAR IT AND RIDE THE DAMN THING.
THIS IS CURRENTLY THE CASE TODAY AROUND MANY OF OUR PROPOSED STATIONS.
OUR LAND USE LAWS MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO BUILD THEIR HOMES AND HOUSE THE FAMILIES THAT WILL USE AND JUSTIFY THE EXISTENCE OF OUR SOON-TO-BE BORN LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION CHANGES MUST GO TOGETHER.
PROJECT CONNECT IS TO SUCCEED FOR MOST AMERICAN.
THE TWO BIGGEST COSTS OF LIVING IS HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN AUSTIN, WHERE WE DEMAND THAT FOLKS FIRST SPEND AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF THEIR INCOME ON SHELTER BECAUSE OF OUR SEVERE HOUSING, SHORT OF, AND THEN ALSO REQUIRE THAT THEY MUST OWN A CAR SPENDING THEIR MONEY ON GAS, ON TIME, ON IN TRAFFIC THERE TO HAVE ANY SENSE OF FREEDOM AND MOBILITY.
PROJECT CONNECT IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THIS.
IT GIVES AUSTINITES THE OPTION TO LIVE A LOW CARBON WALKABLE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE LIFESTYLE THAT IS MORE AFFORDABLE
[00:45:01]
AND FREES THEM FROM CAR DEPENDENCE.I ASK THAT YOU GIVE THIS OPTION TO AS MANY AUSTINITES AS POSSIBLE.
NOT ONLY WILL IT HELP THE MANY THOUSANDS WHO DO TAKE IT, IT WILL ALSO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON THE HOUSING MARKETS AND THE STREETS FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT.
OUR CLIMATE, TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABILITY GOALS ARE DEPENDENT ON DECISIONS WE MAKE TODAY AROUND EAD.
I ENVISION A RADICALLY INCLUSIVE AUSTIN, WHICH PEOPLE VASTLY DIFFERENT MEANS AND CIRCUMSTANCES CAN LIVE ON THE SAME STREETS, WALK TO THE SAME STORES, AND TAKE THE SAME TRAIN.
THE AUSTIN, WE, THAT IS NOT THE AUSTIN THAT WE LIVE IN STATE, BUT I BEG YOU TO HELP MAKE IT THE AUSTIN OF OUR FUTURE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY FARROW ON DECK A POUND CONLEY AND RYAN N. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
UM, I'M MARY FARROW FROM DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, THE TERM OF THIS COUNCIL BEGAN WITH GREAT CONGRATULATIONS AND A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET THINGS DONE.
UM, AS YOU PREPARE TO VOTE ON THIS E TODD PLAN TODAY, I'M SURE IT FEELS GOOD TO HAVE THE VOTES TO DO SOMETHING BIG.
THE ONLY THING I CAN IMAGINE THAT WOULD FEEL BETTER IS IF YOU HAD THE FULL SUPPORT OF AUSTINITES WHO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THIS ACTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVEN'T HEARD OF EAD AND MANY OTHERS HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY NOT, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE EXPANSE, EXPANDED SCOPE OF THE BUS ROUTES.
THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION STATES THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, CITY STAFF AND CONSULTANTS HAVE ENGAGED IN, UH, EFFORTS TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDERSTAND CURRENT CHALLENGES.
UM, BUT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION STATED THAT CRITICAL TO THE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY WAS TURNING DOWN THE VOLUME ON VOICES THAT TRADITIONALLY HAVE DOMINATED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FORUMS. SO VOICES WERE INTENTIONALLY SILENCED IN THIS PROCESS, AND I FIND THAT VERY TROUBLING.
THOSE OF US IN THE CROSSHAIRS ARE LEGITIMATELY WORRIED ABOUT IRREVERSIBLE, IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, UM, IN RESPONSE TO THOSE CONCERNS, A NEW POINT, TALKING POINT AROSE THAT NO LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CHANGE WILL HAPPEN TODAY.
BUT OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT IT PUTS IN PLACE, UH, EFFORTS TO, UM, BEGIN THAT PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.
UM, I I AM VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE NEED FOR, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND GOOD TRANSIT.
THERE WAS A TIME THAT I EITHER RODE A BUS OR TOOK A BIKE FROM THE AREA BEHIND CAPITOL PLAZA TO THE CAPITOL WHERE I WORKED.
AND, UM, I AM VERY SYMPATHETIC ALSO TO THE NEED FOR FAMILIES TO HAVE PLACES TO LIVE.
UM, PLEASE, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO PROVIDING GOOD GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, INCLUSION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
SPEAKER ISIA, PAUL CONLEY ON DECK R RYAN NILL AND BRIAN TROIAN.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I I WANNA SPEAK BRIEFLY ON TWO ITEMS. ONE IS ITEM 16 E T O D AND ALSO, UH, ON ITEM 25, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PUT TOGETHER A COMMISSION TO REEVALUATE, UM, ASPECTS OF OUR CHARTER AROUND, UM, AROUND, UH, PETITIONS AND HOW WE GET THINGS ON THE BALLOT.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, THANK AND COMMEND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE CO-SPONSORING THAT ITEM.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING FOR OUR FUTURE.
I, I DO WANNA SAY SPEAKING ABOUT ITEMS ON THE BALLOT, WHEN WE PUT PROJECT CONNECT IN FRONT OF VOTERS, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN OVERWHELMINGLY SPOKE AND THEY MADE LOUD AND CLEAR WHERE THEY STAND AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT AUSTIN'S FUTURE.
THEY WANT THAT FUTURE TO BE A FUTURE WITH LIGHT RAIL AND THEY WANT THAT FUTURE TO BE A FUTURE WITH SUCCESSFUL LIGHT RAIL BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE GET OUT OF THE GRIP OF CAR DEPENDENCY.
IF WE WANT TO BE TRUE TO THE LOFTY GOALS THAT WE ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WE DON'T GET THERE IF WE DON'T COMMIT TO A SOLID VISION AROUND E T O D, THAT MEANS PLANNING FOR GROWTH IN AUSTIN'S URBAN CORES IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WILL BE TRANSIT DEPENDENT IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE FOCUSED AROUND TRANSIT.
EVERY TIME WE FAIL TO ACCOMMODATE REAL GROWTH IN AUSTIN'S URBAN CORES, WE PUSH DISPLACEMENT OUTWARDS.
WE DRIVE POVERTY SPRAWL, WE PUSH LOW IN INCOME PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT OF THE CITY.
AND THEN WHAT DO WE DO? WE COME BACK AND SAY, WELL NOW WE NEED MORE HIGHWAYS FOR THESE PEOPLE.
SO, SO THAT'S THE PATTERN THAT WE HAVE TO BREAK HERE.
OUR, OUR OUR, YOU KNOW, LIGHT RAIL WILL BE MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE IF WE HAD BUILT IT 20 YEARS AGO.
SO LET'S NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME.
THE ONLY COMMENT I WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M, I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE POLICY PLAN FOR E T O D THAT'S MOVING FORWARD TODAY, BUT THAT IS A LOFTY DOCUMENT WITH A LOT
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OF GREAT PROMISES TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I HOPE THAT YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL, WILL HOLD STAFF ACCOUNTABLE TO ACTUALLY FULFILLING THE VISION ARTICULATED IN THAT PLAN.AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN SEE REAL TANGIBLE GOALS AND METRICS SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
MAY JUST EVERYBODY, UH, AND MR. CONLEY, I I JUST WANTED TO, UH, EMPHASIZE YOUR POINT.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE DISCUSS HERE ON THE DIAS ARE INTERNALLY GENERATED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STAFF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE PROPOSING AN IDEA.
THE LIGHT RAIL PLAN WAS VOTED ON BY THE PUBLIC IN A NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WHICH IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WAS THE HIGHEST TURNOUT IN 2020 THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN.
SO, AND IT WAS A VERY HIGH PROFILE ELECTION, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE YES AND NO SIDE.
AND WE HAD 58% OF AUSTINITES COME OUT AND SAY, LET'S DO THIS.
SO I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, AGAIN, I I WE NEED INPUT, BUT WE GOT SO MUCH INPUT IN THAT VOTE AND I JUST THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR RAISING IT.
NEXT SPEAKER IS RYAN NILL SPEAKING ON 16 AND 24 ON DECK ARE BRIAN BEDROSIAN AND WILL WILLIAM BUNCH.
NO, I'M REPRESENTING THE AUSTIN COOPERATIVE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION SUPPORT FOR THE EAD PLAN.
UH, SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE RETAIL SPACES IN EAD ZONES AND ALONG THE NEW RAIL RAIL LINES, THEY INCLUDE BLACKSTAR CO-OP WHEATSVILLE, TREASURE CITY THRIFT, UM, FOR THEM, INTERRUPTION AND BUSINESS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION IS A VERY HUGE CONCERN.
AND SO WE'RE EXTREMELY INTERESTED AND EXCITED ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION INTERRUPTION FUND POLICY IN THE ETOP PLAN.
ADDITIONALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS VELA AND HARPER MADISON FOR THEIR SUPPORT LAST FALL FOR SUPPORTING HOUSING COOPERATIVES, UH, BEING ADDED OR AT LEAST AMENDED AND EXPOUNDED UPON IN THE PLAN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HOUSING CO-OPS ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN LONG-TERM AND DEEP AFFORDABILITY WITH ZERO TO LITTLE ONGOING SUBSIDY, BUT THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO START.
SO WE NEED COMMUNITY SUPPORT, UM, AND PARTNERS TO EXPAND COOPERATIVE HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
UM, ONE SUGGESTION I WANNA MAKE IS, UH, SOMETHING I LEARNED FROM ONE OF THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT THE HOUSING WORKS CONFERENCE LAST WEEK, AND THAT WAS JENNY SCHUTZ, THE, UH, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE FELLOW AND AUTHOR OF FIXER UPPER.
AND OVERALL, SHE SUGGESTED THAT IT'S MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL IF WE FOCUS ON CITYWIDE POLICIES RATHER THAN AREA POLICIES.
SO I THINK TO LIKE MAXIMIZE THE EFFORT, UM, AND OUTCOME BY CITY STAFF AND THE COUNCIL, THAT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON THE SYSTEM-WIDE ASPECTS OF THIS PLAN RATHER THAN THE STATION SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE PLAN.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE E UTAH PLAN MOVE FORWARD.
UM, ALSO, I DID SIGN UP TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE SMALL KNOT AMNESTY AND I HAD A PRESENTATION REPAIRED, BUT I'M SURE THE BUZZER'S ABOUT TO GO OFF ON ME, SO I'LL SEND MY NOTES, UH, VIA EMAIL.
NEXT SPEAKER IS BRIAN BEDROSIAN ON ITEM 24 ON DECK WILLIAM BUNCH AND RICHARD SMITH.
UH, COUNCIL MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY.
MY NAME IS BRIAN BEDROSIAN AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH FLU NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
WE RECENTLY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT A NEIGHBOR WHOSE BID, UH, BEFORE THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS TO DISAGGREGATE THEIR LOT, UM, WAS APPROVED.
UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS AT, UH, DESEGREGATION AS A WAY OF UNLOCKING ANOTHER HOUSING TYPE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT ALLOWS FAMILIES TO FIND A MORE AFFORDABLE OPTION.
UH, THE COST OF PROPERTY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS IT IS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IS ONE OF THE MOST BIGGEST HURDLES, UH, FOR FOLKS TO STAY, UH, IN THE NEIGHBOR IN THE CITY.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN IS ORIGINALLY PLATTED WAS PLATTED AS 25 FOOT LOTS, WHICH WERE THEN PURCHASED, UM, AND AGGREGATED INTO 50 AND 75 FOOT LOTS WHEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS A SUBURB OF THE CITY.
UM, CURRENTLY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, UH, SUPPORTS THE DISAGGREGATION AND THE USE OF THESE NARROW LOT HOMES AS A BUFFER BETWEEN OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND OUR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO PROVIDE A NEW HOUSING TYPE IN THE MIX THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH THE, UH, UH, ADU, UH, EXCEPTION AS WELL.
UH, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROVISION.
AND AGAIN, MAY I REAL, I JUST WANT TO THANK MR. BEDROSIAN FOR EXPLAINING MY ITEM PROBABLY AS GOOD AS, UH, OR BETTER THAN I DID, UH, AND, AND THANK THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING DEBATE AND, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS REALLY KIND OF COME DOWN SQUARELY ON THE SIDE OF, OF THE SMALL ODD AMNESTY,
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SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.NEXT SPEAKER IS WILLIAM BUNCH, SPEAKING ON 24 25 AND 43 ON DECK ARE RICHARD SMITH AND BRAD BOOKER.
UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, WELCOME TO, UH,
MY FIRST TIME HERE, I AM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
BUT I AM SPEAKING TODAY JUST FOR MYSELF ON, UH, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
I WANT TO URGE YOU TO NOT PUT YOUR THUMB ON THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION AND URGE THEM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR A PETITIONED ORDINANCE.
UM, I THINK, UH, THIS COUNCIL'S ALREADY DONE SOME WONDERFUL THINGS TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO VOTERS AND TO THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN MAKING THE DECISIONS FOR OUR FUTURE.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD GO EXACTLY OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND BE ROUGHLY A POKE IN THE EYE TO VOTERS.
UH, GETTING 20,000 SIGNATURES THAT ARE VALID IS NOT AN EASY TASK, UH, BY ANY MEANS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO CAMPAIGN AND TRY TO TRY TO WIN YOUR ISSUE.
UH, IT IT'S AN IMPORTANT CHECK ON THE POWER OF THIS BODY WITH ALL DUE RESPECT.
WE NEED THAT CHECK AND BALANCE.
AND AS SMALL D DEMOCRATS, PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD SEE IT THAT WAY.
ALSO, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT STATE LAW REQUIRES ONLY 20,000 SIGNATURES FOR CHARTER AMENDMENT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO MAKE IT HARDER TO, UH, UM, UH, ADOPT AN A PETITIONED ORDINANCE THAN IT IS TO MEND THE CHARTER.
SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SEE? YOU'RE GONNA SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO MEND THE CHARTER WITH THINGS THAT REALLY DON'T BELONG IN THE CHARTER BECAUSE THAT'S FEASIBLE.
SO PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR THUMB ON THAT.
LET'S ALSO LOOK AT INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM ON 43.
I MIGHT EVEN SUPPORT IT IF WENT THROUGH PROPER CHANNELS.
IT HASN'T GONE TO THE PARKS BOARD, IT HASN'T GONE TO THE, UH, PARKS CONCESSIONS AND CONTRACTS BOARD.
IT SHOWS UP LAST MINUTE AS AN ADDENDUM ITEM.
THERE'S NO MONEY FIGURE ATTACHED TO IT, BUT IT'S A 10 YEAR FEE WAIVER.
UH, AND ALSO WE HAVE A PARKS PLAN GOING RIGHT NOW WHERE OTHER CONCESSIONS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED.
THANK YOU SPEAKER, YOUR TIME HAS UNTIL THE ZOO ZER PARK PLAN IS COMPLETED.
NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD SMITH SPEAKING ON 25 ON DECK, OUR BRAD BOOKER AND ALEX STRANGER.
I'M A 30 YEAR RESIDENT OF AUSTIN AND I'VE BEEN A LICENSED ATTORNEY FOR 40 YEARS.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON THE PETITION PROCESS PER ITEM 25.
FIRST WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT, IF ANYTHING WE DO ABOUT CITIZEN PETITIONS THAT ADVANCE UNENFORCEABLE PROVISIONS LIKE CURRENT PROPOSITION A ELECTIONS ARE EXPENSIVE FOR TAXPAYERS AND IS UNFAIR TO ASK THEM TO FUND A BALLOT PROPOSITION LIKE PROPOSITION A THAT CANNOT BE IMPLEMENTED AS WRITTEN UNDER STATE LAW IN ANY ATTEMPT TO ENFORCE PROPOSITION A WILL GENERATE EXPENSIVE LITIGATION THAT TAXPAYERS WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO FUND AT A MINIMUM.
VOTERS SHOULD BE CLEARLY NOTIFIED WHEN PROVISIONS IN A PROPOSED ORDINANCE ARE UNENFORCEABLE AND THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO ENFORCE THOSE PROVISIONS WILL RESULT IN LITIGATION THAT THE TAXPAYERS WILL HAVE TO FUND.
THIS CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE FOR PROPOSITION A SECOND.
COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR PERSONAL OPINION ON A CITIZEN POSITION AND ARE FREE TO EXPRESS THAT PERSONAL OPINION.
BUT YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING YOUR POSITION, CITY RESOURCES OR OFFICIAL EMAILS TO PROMOTE YOUR PREFERRED OUTCOME OF A CITIZEN PETITION.
DOING SO PUTS YOUR THUMB ON THE SCALE OF WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FAIR VOTE OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS USING YOUR POSITION TO EFFECTIVELY TELL VOTERS HOW TO VOTE IS A MOCKERY OF THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
SINCE MANY VOTERS WILL FOLLOW WHAT YOU SAY WITHOUT DOING ANY INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION OF AN ISSUE.
FOR EXAMPLE, A CITY EMAIL WAS RECENTLY SENT STATING THAT PROPOSITION B EFFECTIVELY GUTS PROPOSITION A.
I'VE STUDIED AND COMPARED BOTH PROPOSED ORDINANCES AND HAVE FOUND THAT PROPOSITION B IS ACTUALLY AN IMPROVEMENT OVER PROPOSITION A BECAUSE IT ELIMINATES THE UNENFORCEABLE PROVISIONS OF PROPOSITION.
A THANK YOU SPEAKER, YOUR TIME HAS AND ACTUALLY BROADENS PROPOSITION.
A NEXT SPEAKER IS BRAD BOOKER SPEAKING ON ITEM 26.
ON DECK IS ALEX STRANGER AND BONNIE ALGER.
[01:00:03]
ALEX STRANGER.GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM 26 BECAUSE OUR POLICE, THEY ARE LITERAL INSTRUMENTS OF WHITE SUPREMACY.
OKAY, I'M GONNA TELL YOU GUYS A STORY.
UM, ON JUNE 15TH, 2020, I WAS ASSAULTED BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER THROWING A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL THROUGH A SMALL BUSINESS BECAUSE THE OWNER CALLED ME BY THE WRONG GENDER PRONOUN.
AND LISTEN, THAT'S A MICROAGGRESSION, OKAY? AND MICROAGGRESSIONS, THEY ARE LITERAL ACT OF VIOLENCE.
AND I DID NOTHING WRONG, BUT THE POLICE, THEY STILL ASSAULTED ME BY TAKING ME AND MY COMRADES IN ANTIFA TO JAIL, THEY HANDCUFFED US AND TOOK US, UM, IN THE BACK OF THE POLICE CAR WITHOUT OUR CONSENT.
UM, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THE POLICE ARE REALLY, UM, IT'S NOT LIKE OUR POLICE REALLY CARE ABOUT PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY.
ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A LEAD CONTENT MODERATOR FOR TWITTER, I CALLED THE COPS AND MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR FOR GOING TO THE PARK BY HIMSELF DURING COVID BECAUSE HE'S A MURDERER AND HE'S WALKING AROUND OUTSIDE WITHOUT A MASK ON.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THE POLICE, THEY NEVER CAME, OKAY? THE POLICE NEVER CAME.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE AIDING AND ABETTING IN MURDER AND IN WHITE SUPREMACY.
AND IF YOU WANT MY HONEST OPINION, WE SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE POLICE AT ALL, OKAY? AND WE NEED TO REPLACE OUR RACIST POLICE FORCE WITH NON-BINARY, ANTI-RACIST AND GENDER NEUTRAL SECURITY CAMERAS ON EVERY SINGLE STREET QUARTER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROGRESSIVE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR LISTENING TO ME SPEAK ON THIS.
SPEAKING ON 26 ON DECK IS DESI SCALLY AND ELLIS GLASGOW.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I WOULD, UM, LIKE VERY MUCH FOR YOU TO CONSIDER BRINGING BACK OUR AUSTIN CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.
IT TAUGHT ME SO MUCH AND BROUGHT TO LIGHT MANY THINGS ABOUT THE CITIZENS POLICE AND WHAT THE POLICE FOR OUR CITY DOES FOR US BEHIND THE SCENES THAT WE DON'T SEE AND HOW MUCH WE CAN ACTUALLY HELP OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY DOES SO MUCH MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE.
WE ACTUALLY, UM, SUPPORT THEIR ACADEMY ITSELF BY DOING THE, UM, DRUNK DRIVING PROGRAM WITH THEM, UM, HELPING THEM PREPARE FOR WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO ON THE STREETS, DOING THEIR DRIVE ALONGS WITH THEM AND ASSISTING THEM WITH MANY OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THEY DO, MEETING THE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
SO THAT REALLY ASSISTS THEM A GREAT DEAL.
AND SO BY OPENING US BACK UP TO THE PUBLIC, IT WILL ENLIGHTEN SO MANY MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE AND WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR THEIR POLICE AS WELL.
SO, UM, PLEASE CONSIDER ADDING THAT BACK INTO THE, UH, COMMUNITY AGAIN.
NEXT SPEAKER IS DESI SCALLY SPEAKING ON 27 AND ALICE GLASGOW IS ON DECK.
EDWARDS UNIVERSITY AND AN INTERN WITH ENVIRONMENT TEXAS.
TODAY I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 27 AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER POOL FOR BRINGING THOSE FORWARD.
UM, AUSTIN IS MAKING GREAT PROGRESS IN IMPROVING ACCESS TO TRANSIT AND OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO CARS, BUT WE DO CONTINUE TO BE A VERY, VERY CAR DEPENDENT CITY WITH 95.6% OF HOUSEHOLDS HAVING ACCESS TO AT LEAST ONE CAR.
WE ARE ALSO THE LEADING STATE IN CARBON EMISSIONS WITH TRANSPORTATION BEING A LEADING CAUSING FACTOR.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, CRITICAL TO OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT WE MAKE USING ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS EASY AND BENEFICIAL AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BE, WE MUST ACTIVELY CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY FOR THOSE OF US WHO CHOOSE, CHOOSE TO DRIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLES BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE AS EASY TO OWN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AS IT IS TO OWN A GAS POWERED TRADITIONAL VEHICLE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS EV SALES ARE BO BOOMING AND MANY EVS ARE NOW CHEAPER OR AT A COMPETITIVE PRICE WITH GAS POWERED VEHICLES AND TAX CREDITS FROM THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT WOULD EVEN MAKE THIS A BETTER DEAL FOR AUSTINITES.
BUT IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY BUY INTO THE EV MARKET, WE NEED TO MAKE IT AS APPEALING AND EASY TO OPERATE AS POSSIBLE AND CONSUMERS WILL ONLY FEEL COMFORTABLE OP ADOPTING EVS IF THEY'RE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RECHARGE
[01:05:01]
THEM WHEN NEEDED.MOST PEOPLE WHO OWN AN EV SPEND THEIR TIME OVERNIGHT CHARGING IT IN THEIR GARAGE, BUT THIS ISN'T AN OPTION FOR EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN APARTMENTS OR CONDOS THAT'S LESS ACCESSIBLE.
SO THE NEED TO HAVE TYPE THREE FASTER CHARGING, UM, CHARGERS IN THE THE PUBLIC SPACE IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO MAKE EVS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND TYPE THREE CHARGERS OR LEVEL THREE, UM, BASICALLY MEANS THAT YOU CAN PLUG YOUR CAR IN.
AND ABOUT 80% OF ITS BATTERY WILL BE RESTORED IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
UM, AND COMPARISON TYPE TWO CHARGERS TEND TO TAKE ANYWHERE BETWEEN FOUR TO 10 HOURS.
SO IN ORDER TO HAVE TRUE ACCESSIBILITY ON THIS MATTER AND TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT ALONG WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IN THE PUBLIC TRANSIT WORLD, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE A CAR CITY.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE NEED TO MAKE EVS MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ALICE GLASGOW ON ITEM 44.
MAYOR PROAM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, INTERIM CITY MANAGER.
JESUS CITY MAN, A CITY ATTORNEY.
I'M ALICE GLASGOW FROM DISTRICT 10, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU IN SUPPORT OF ITEM NUMBER 44.
THIS IS YOUR ZONING DISTRICT'S CHART.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE ZONING DISTRICTS THAT YOU CURRENT THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS REGARDING ZONING.
THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER 44, THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE TODAY.
I THANK YOU FOR, UH, PLACING THE ITEM HAS TO DO WITH THE CH ZONING DISTRICT.
THIS IS ONE OF THREE ZONING DISTRICTS THAT ARE INFREQUENTLY SOUGHT.
SO YOU DON'T SEE THIS ZONING DISTRICT APPEAR ON YOUR AGENDAS FOR RESOUNDING.
SINCE THE TEN ONE COUNCIL, UM, WAS PUT IN PLACE, YOU'VE CONSIDERED ONLY ONE CH ZONING CASE.
AND THAT WAS IN DISTRICT SIX FOR FIDEL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NORTHWEST AT THE INTERSECTION OF US 180 3 AND EVERY RANCH BOULEVARD.
AND THERE NEEDED THE CX ZONING TO ALLOW FOR THE, UH, THE LAW, THE HEADING, THE, THE HEIGHT THAT GOES ON TOP OF THE BUILDING THAT YOU SEE AT THE DEL CHILDREN'S AT MILLER.
SO, UM, BACK TO THE, TO THE, THE AMENDMENT TODAY, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU HERE IS THAT, UH, THE CH ZONING DISTRICT, THE REASON IT IS NOT SOUGHT FREQUENTLY, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHERE THEY ARE, THEY EXIST, THEY'RE ONLY ABOUT LESS THAN HALF A DOZEN LE LESS THAN A DOZEN OF THEM IS THE RESTRICTIVE FRONT AND REAR SETBACKS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FRONT YARD SETBACK IS 50 FEET.
THE STREET SIDE YARD IS 50 FEET.
IF IT'S A, A SMALL SITE FOR SITES LIKE THE DELL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, IT'S A 40 ACRE SITE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
UH, REGARDING THE SETBACKS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO IMPROVE YOUR COVER, YOUR WATERSHED, UH, ORDINANCE ALSO APPLIES.
SO WHENEVER YOUR WATERSHED ORDINANCE IS MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN YOUR ZONING ORDINANCE, THE THE LEAST, UH, RESTRICTIVE, THE MOST RESTRICTIVE ONE APPLIES.
SO IF YOUR WATERSHED ORDINANCE IS MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN IT TRUMPS YOUR ZONING IMPERVIOUS COVER, THAT IS ALWAYS A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW THAT APPLIES.
SO I'M GONNA, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE, UH, MS. GLASCO, I HATE TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT I THINK THAT'S, I'M SORRY.
I'LL JUST WRAP UP VERY QUICKLY.
SO THE, UH, THIS IS THE PROVISION THAT, UH, RELATES TO THE 10 ACRES FOR SEATING.
THANK YOU, SPEAKER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
SO COUNCIL MS, I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. GLASGOW.
THAT CONCLUDES SPEAKER COMMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MEMBERS, THAT, UH, CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKER COMMENTS.
[Consent Agenda ( Part 1 of 2 )]
WE'LL DO IS WE WILL TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP THE ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.I'LL ASK, UH, NOW, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? AND FOR THE RECORD, THOSE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED ARE 16 25, 26, AND 27.
IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? YEAH, ACTUALLY, YOU COULD PUT 25 BACK ONTO CONSENT.
UM, I GOT THE INFORMATION THAT I NEEDED WHILE WE WERE WAITING AND YOU CAN SHOW ME AS VOTING NO ON THAT ITEM.
SO, UM, THERE HAS BEEN AN AMENDMENT OFFERED ON 25 BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS LEAVE IT OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND WE'LL JUST COME BACK TO IT IN, IN THAT WAY, JUST FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, OKAY? IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOS TO BE SHOWN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING? YES.
I'D LIKE TO BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING ON ITEM 24,
[01:10:01]
THE RE RESOLUTION RELATED TO SMALL LOT AMNESTY.I'M ABSTAINING BECAUSE, WELL, I BELIEVE THIS ITEM HAS MERIT.
I'D LIKE TO REVIEW THE ACTUAL CODE LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF IT'S SOMETHING I'D SUPPORT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE INITIATING MULTIPLE VARIOUS AMENDMENTS, BUT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE PRIORITIZATION OF WHICH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE ITEMS WE WANT OUR STAFF TO FOCUS ON.
UH, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY.
WE ARE ALSO LAUNCHING A SIGNIFICANT SET OF WORK WITH OUR EAD ITEM LIKELY TODAY.
UM, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WE ARE FOCUSING THEIR TIME ON WHERE WE THINK WE COULD HAVE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ISSUES WE ARE FACING.
AND WHILE THIS ITEM MIGHT BE PART OF THAT, I THINK AT SOME POINT WE DO NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION MORE BROADLY.
YOU'LL BE SHOWN ABSTAINING ON ITEM NUMBER 24.
ARE THERE IS MR. MAYOR? I'D LIKE TO BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING FROM NUMBER 11 AND NUMBER 24 AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WILL BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING ON ITEMS 11 AND 24.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ABSTENTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ARE THERE ANY RECUSALS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, I DON'T WANT TO IGNORE YOU AND YOU WANT TO BE SHOWN VOTING, NO ABSTAINING OR RECUSING YOURSELF ON ANY OF THE ITEMS. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.
UH, MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, BRIEF REMARKS THAT ANYONE LIKE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA? VERY GOOD.
IN THAT CASE, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS STATED WITH THE ABSTENTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY ON ITEM 24 AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY ON ITEM 11, HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED MEMBERS, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS TAKE UP THE PULLED ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER.
SIX, AND THEN, AND IT'S JUST NUMERICAL, JUST TO MAKE IT EASY FOR EVERYBODY TO GET THEIR AMENDMENTS AND THINGS IN PLACE.
[16. Approve a resolution accepting the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Policy Plan; incorporating ETOD Policy Plan tools for the stations within the boundaries of the Northeast Austin District planning process; initiating amendments to Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan to adopt elements of the ETOD Policy Plan; and initiating amendments to City Code Title 25. ( Part 1 of 2 )]
WE WILL BRING UP IS ITEM NUMBER 16 MEMBERS.THERE ARE THREE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ITEM NUMBER 16 AT LEAST THAT I HAVE.
UH, SO I'M GONNA CALL THOSE OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M MISSING.
UH, THE, THE FIRST AMENDMENT THAT I WILL BRING UP IS THE AMENDMENT OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
THE SECOND IS A TWO-PART AMENDMENT THAT IS BROUGHT BY MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS.
AND THE THIRD IS AN AMENDMENT OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
AM I MISSING ANYBODY'S AMENDMENT? COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER IN LIGHT OF COUNCIL MEMBER VELAS AMENDMENT, WHICH COVERS WHAT MY AMENDMENT WOULD'VE COVERED, I'M NOT GOING TO BE OFFERING THAT VERY GOOD MEMBERS.
THAT LEAVES US WITH TWO AMENDMENTS.
AND, AND AS I SAID, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VAL'S AMENDMENT, THEN WE'LL GO TO MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS'S AMENDMENT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 16? AND I JUST MAY NOT HAVE THE YELLOW SHEET, BY THE WAY.
THAT REMINDS ME, UM, FOR PURPOSES OF EASE IN THESE SORTS OF THINGS, UH, TWO THINGS.
ONE IS THE EARLIER YOU CAN GET IN THE AMENDMENTS, THE BETTER.
UH, SECOND IS WHEN YOU HAVE A YELLOW SHEET, DON'T JUST DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE ALSO HAS A COPY SO THAT WE KEEP A GOOD RECORD ON THIS.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
UH, FOR A MO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
I WANNA GET A MOTION ON THE TABLE FOR ITEM NUMBER 16.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE IS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM IS TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 16.
I'LL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FOR A PROPOSED AMENDMENT MAYOR, THIS IS, UH, AN AMENDMENT THAT, UH, PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT SHARPER DIRECTION WITH REGARDS TO, UH, UH, ITEM 16 AND THE EAD, UH, PROCESS, UH, TO GET MORE DETAILED PLANS BACK ONCE THE PLANNING PROCESS IS, UH, DONE.
AND, AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, REVIEW IT RIGHT, RIGHT QUICK.
UH, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COORDINATING WAS OFTEN, UH, TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UH, TO GET, UH, POPULATION GOALS THAT MAXIMIZE OUR, UH, SCORING ON THE, UH, FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR, UM, TO, UH, EXPLORE, UH, A VALUE CAPTURE TOOLS SUCH AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.
WE'RE GONNA NEED A LOT OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
[01:15:01]
ALONG THAT LINE.AND, UH, WE CAN ALSO USE THAT, UH, MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONG THE LINE.
SO, AGAIN, NOT TO INITIATE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT TO HAVE THEM, UH, LOOK AT IT AND COME BACK TO US WITH SOME, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IT ALSO JUST DISCUSSES LIKE THEIR STAFFING NEEDS AND PRIORITIES.
WE'RE GONNA GET A, A, A VERSION OF THE NEW KIND OF DRAFT ON THE LINES FROM, UH, ATP SOON THAT MAY CHANGE SOME OF THEIR PLANNING PRIORITIES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AND THEN FINALLY, JUST TO KIND OF ON AN, AN OVERLAY, JUST PROVIDING, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME INTERIM OVERLAYS.
UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST, UH, SOME GUIDANCE ON THOSE, UH, THOSE OVERLAYS.
I'VE WORKED WITH STAFF ON THESE FOR, UH, THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF DAYS FEVERISHLY WITH, UH,
AND, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LANGUAGE IS THEY SUGGEST SOME EDITS, WHICH WE'VE, I BELIEVE INCORPORATED ALL OF THEIR EDITS AND IT'S, UH, BROADLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOVES ADOPTION OF VELA AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
IS THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON AL ALTER? UM, SO WE JUST GOT THIS AND, AND I HAD ONE, ONE, UM, SMALL AMENDMENT THAT I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST, WHICH I HOPE WILL BE FRIENDLY IN THE BULLET ON EXPLORE VALUE CAPTURE TOOLS.
UM, IT SAYS EXPLORE VALUE CAPTURE TOOLS SUCH AS TAX INCREMENT, FINDING FINANCING TO FUND ITEMS. UM, WOULD YOU MIND IF WE CHANGE THAT TO INCENTIVIZE, BECAUSE THE INFORMATION THAT I'M LEARNING ABOUT HOW SOME OF THE OTHER TEXAS CITIES ARE USING THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING IS DIFFERENT THAN, UM, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN SOME RESPECTS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A NUANCE TO IT.
I DON'T WANNA PRECLUDE OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT BY PROVIDING DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE TO FUND THAT I, I I DON'T HAVE.
WOULD YOU, WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE TO SAY FUND OR INCENTIVIZE WOULD TO, TO, TO SURE.
LEAVE IT AT THAT AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WHEN THEY, UH, BRING THEIR ANALYSIS BACK.
SO I'M TRYING, TRYING VERY HARD NOT TO HAVE US AMEND THINGS ON THE DIOCESE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN'T FOLLOW AND, AND THE CLERK CAN'T FOLLOW IT FOR PURPOSES.
THIS, THIS SMALL CHANGE, HOWEVER, AND BECAUSE WE GOT IT SO LATE, IT MAKES IT HARD TO DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I'LL DO THAT, BUT I'LL BE CANDID WITH YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS YOU WANT TO DO IT, SO IT MAY, THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH DOING THIS.
TELL ME AGAIN WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT.
MAY I WANT TO MAKE MY AMENDMENT AND THE THIRD BULLET IN THE SECOND BE IT FOR FURTHER RESOLVED ON THE DRAFT AMENDMENT PAGE WHERE IT SAYS, EXPLORE VALUE CAPTURE TOOLS SUCH AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING TO FUND ITEMS I WANT INSTEAD TO SAY, EXPLORE VALUE CAPTURE TOOLS SUCH AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING TO INCENTIVIZE OR FUND ITEMS. AND THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.
THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER MOVES AN AMENDMENT TO THE VELA AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, SO THAT THE THIRD BULLET UNDER THE SECOND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED WOULD READ, EXPLORE VALUE CAPTURE TOOLS SUCH AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING TO INCENTIVIZE OR FUND ITEMS SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS, PARKS, REGIONAL WATER QUALITY FACILITIES, UTILITY RELOCATION, AND OTHER NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA SECONDS THE MOTION, UH, TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE THAT MOTION IS ADOPTED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE VELA AMENDMENT AS AMENDED? IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO PASSAGE OF THE VELA AMENDMENT AS AMENDED DURING MAY? YES, I'D LIKE TO ABSTAIN.
WE GOT THIS VERY LAST MINUTE AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TIME TODAY UNNECESSARILY DOING THAT, SO, UM, FAIR ENOUGH.
UM, THERE BEING NO OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE VELA AMENDMENT AS AMENDED.
IT, IT, IT IS ADOPTED WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MACKENZIE KELLY BEING SHOWN AS ABSTAINING MEMBERS.
THAT WILL TAKE US TO THE SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT AND THAT IS THE AMENDMENT OFFERED BY MAYOR PRO TIM PAGE ELLIS, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE MAYOR PRO TIM, FOR DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ADOPTION OF MY AMENDMENT.
UM, THE FIRST PORTION OF IT IS TO CHANGE JUST CITY AND CAP METRO OWNED LAND TO PUBLICLY OWNED LAND.
AND AS I HAD MENTIONED TUESDAY IN THE WORK SESSION, UM, THERE IS LAND THAT I KNOW OF THAT IS EITHER OWNED BY ACC OR TRAVIS COUNTY THAT I THINK COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS.
OBVIOUSLY IT WOULDN'T COMMIT THEM TO PARTICIPATION, BUT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE CONVERSATIONS TO TAKE PLACE.
[01:20:01]
SO THEN IT UPDATES, UM, SOME OF THE LANGUAGE FROM OAK HILL BUS RAPID TRANSIT TO PINNACLE TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT, UM, THAT THAT PARK AND RIDE THAT IS CURRENTLY OPERATING THERE.UM, AND MAKES A COUPLE OF OTHER AMENDMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE AND INTENT IS STREAMLINED THROUGH, UM, THE APPENDICES.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF IT IS, UM, WHEREAS IN CONSIDERATION OF THE TIMING OF THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IN RAIL UNDER PROJECT CONNECT TRANSIT SYSTEM, RAIL IS FIRST PRIORITY FOR COMMENCEMENT OF ALL INFLAMMATION ACTIVITIES, EXCEPT CONCURRENT COMMENCEMENT MAY OCCUR FOR A METRO RAPID LINE THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN AWARDED FEDERAL FUNDING AND IS ASSESSED TO RATE UNCOMPETITIVE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING ON THETA'S LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA.
AND THEN IT ADDS ANOTHER, WHEREAS THAT IS, UH, LISTED.
SO I, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I WON'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW.
UM, AND THIS BASICALLY IS ALSO IN LINE WITH WHAT I HAD MENTIONED IN THE WORK SESSION ABOUT THE OAK HILL LINES BEING VERY FAR BACK IN, UM, TRYING TO RANK HIGH ENOUGH TO EVEN BE SUBMITTED FOR AN APPLICATION FOR SOME FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET US MORE IN PARITY.
BUT THIS DOES NOT, UM, AFFECT ANYONE ELSE'S METRO RAPIDS AND IS ONLY FOCUSED ON THE, THE DISTRICT DATE LINES.
MAYOR PRO TIM ELLIS MOVES ADOPTION OF THE ELLIS AMENDMENT TO ITEM NUMBER 16.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
SO MAYOR, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW YOU WANNA HANDLE THIS, BUT I I WOULD LIKE TO ADD FURTHER CLARIFICATION TO HER AMENDMENT.
I HAVE NO, NO HESITATION THAT OAK HILLS PROJECT WITH THE, WITH THE GOVERNMENT OWN LAND THERE, ET CETERA, UM, NEEDS TO BE AMONG THE PRIORITIZATION AMONG THE BUS, THE BUS RAPIDS, UM, AND, AND THOUGHT ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE THERE.
UM, BUT AS WRITTEN, IT SEEMS TO COVER EVERY, SINCE WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING THEY'RE ALL NOT COMPETITIVE ENOUGH, UM, IT DOES SEEM TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING.
SO I WANT, WANTED, I HAVE SOME SUGGESTED LANGUAGE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WANT ME TO HANDLE THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, AND RATES HIGH WITHIN THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT PRIORITIZATION TABLE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE, WE WANNA BE FOCUSING ON THINGS THAT ARE ALSO HIGH IN THAT PRIORITIZATION AND GIVEN THE CONCERN THAT WE'RE HEARING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE BUS ROUTES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME PRIORITIZATION, UM, CUZ WE CAN'T DO IT ALL WITH THE SNAP OF OUR FINGERS.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE CONSIDERING, UM, THIS AMENDMENT WOULD HAVE THAT ROUTE WRAPPED IN WITH THE, WITH HIGH, UH, IMPORTANCE INSTEAD OF MEDIUM PRIORITY.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT COVERS IT.
I'LL DEFER TO THE MAYOR ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING THAT AMENDMENT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WORKS WITH MY INTENT.
UM, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO REPEAT THE LANGUAGE.
WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS RECOGNIZE YOU FOR A MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM, UM, AND UNTIL A TIME WHEN IT CAN BE CALLED BACK UP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT ACTUALLY IN FRONT OF US, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE THAT AS A MOTION TO POSTPONE AND, AND LET'S SAY UNTIL, UM, WHAT TIME IS IT UNTIL, UH, ONE O'CLOCK? UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS STARTING AT NOON AND, UM, AND, AND THE COMMUNICATIONS AND LIVE MUSIC.
SO THE, IT'S A MOTION TO POSTPONE ITEM, UH, NUMBER 16 UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK.
IS THERE A YES, COUNCIL MEMBER? UM, MAYOR, I CAN TYPE IT UP HERE AND PRINT IT OUT THERE IN FIVE MINUTES.
IF, IF, IF, IF I HAVE A COPY OF OF HER AMENDMENT WELL, THEN, THEN, THEN I'LL ACCEPT IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE, I MEAN WE COULD TABLE THIS FOR THE, IF WE COULD JUST MAKE A, IF WE CAN TABLE THIS FOR THE MOMENT AND THEN IF WE GET THROUGH THE OTHER ITEMS, WE CAN, WE CAN COME BACK AND COUNCIL BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE BEFORE, BEFORE NOON.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
I JUST ALSO WANTED TO VOICE MY PREFERENCE FOR IF WE'RE ABLE TO, IF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER IS ABLE TO OFFER THAT LANGUAGE WITHIN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 30 MINUTES AS WE WORK THROUGH THE OTHER TWO ITEMS. THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE AS WELL.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR MOVES THAT WE TABLE.
UM, ITEM NUMBER 16 UNTIL 1150.
UH, IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO TABLE HERE? YES, MAYOR PRO TIM? NO OBJECTION.
I'LL JUST FLAG WE'LL SEND YOU OVER A DIGITAL VERSION SO WE CAN SPEED THE PROCESS UP.
THANK YOU THERE BEING NO OBJECTION.
ITEM NUMBER 16 IS TABLED UNTIL 1150.
[25. Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to establish a charter review commission to propose amendments to the City Charter including, but not limited to, changes in petition requirements.]
[01:25:01]
NUMBER 25.UH, ITEM NUMBER 25 WAS ORIGINALLY PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS INDICATED THAT IT CAN BE PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA.
UH, HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER MOVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAD A, A MOTION HAD A, AN AMENDMENT.
SO LET ME ASK, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 25, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER MOVES RYAN AL ALTER MOVES THAT WE ADOPT.
ITEM NUMBER 25, IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER ON HIS AM PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA TALK REAL QUICKLY ABOUT THIS ITEM AND THEN THE AMENDMENT AS WELL.
SO JUST AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, THIS ITEM'S CALLING FOR A CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS TO OUR CHARTER.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE START THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW SO THAT WE DO HAVE AMPLE TIME FOR THE COMMISSION TO ENGAGE IN ROBUST PUBLIC DIALOGUE AND SO THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO CONSIDER THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS IN ADVANCE OF PUTTING THEM ON THE BALLOT.
UH, THIS RESOLUTION ALSO ANNOUNCES OUR INTENT TO HOLD CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION OR A CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, 2024, AND THEN HAVE THOSE FUTURE ELECTIONS, UH, AT THE HIGHER TURNOUT NOVEMBER ELECTIONS GOING FORWARD.
AND LASTLY, I I KNOW IT'S BEEN TOUCHED ON, UH, WE HAD SOME PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS RESOLUTION DOES ASK THE COMMISSION TO LOOK AT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CITIZEN INITIATIVES, UH, INCLUDING THE THRESHOLD TO GET SUCH AN INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT AND TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY MEASURES.
UH, OUR CURRENT THRESHOLD FOR THESE INITIATIVES IS INCREASINGLY LESS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PUBLIC.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND VALUABLE CITY RESOURCES ON AN ELECTION, THAT PETITION SHOULD STEM FROM A REPRESENTATIVE CROSS SECTION OF THE PUBLIC, UH, NOT AN EVER SHRINKING SLIVER.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN MISLEADING TACTICS USED IN THESE PETITION DRIVES AND INCREASING THAT THRESHOLD PERCENTAGE, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY AND MOVING CHARTER ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER RESPECTS AUSTIN VOTERS WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY VOICED A DESIRE FOR MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNANCE.
AND THEN YOU'LL NOTE ON THE VERSION THREE THAT WE SENT OUT, THERE IS AN ADDITION LAST BULLET OF THE LAST PAGE, UH, JUST TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION OF THE OUTCOME IN ELECTION, WHERE YOU HAVE TWO SIMILAR BALLOT MEASURES, UH, ON THE SAME SUBJECT IN CASE THERE IS A CONFLICT, PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IF BOTH WERE TO PASS.
SO WITH THAT, I MOVE ADOPTED, UH, FOR THE RECORD COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AL RYAN AL ALTER IS MOVING TO ADOPT, UH, ALTAR AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 25, VERSION THREE.
THAT'S THE YELLOW SHEET THAT YOU HAD IN FRONT IS ITEM 25, VERSION THREE.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER 25 VERSION THREE? HEARING NONE, THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED.
THAT'LL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF ITEM 25, VERSION THREE AS AMENDED? I OBJECT.
UM, THEN IS THERE ANY FURTHER, IS THERE ANY FURTHER OBJECTION? HEARING NONE.
THE MOTION IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING NO MEMBERS.
[26. Approve a resolution related to restarting the Austin Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy.]
TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 26.IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT? ITEM NUMBER 26, I MOVE TO ADOPT.
ITEM 26, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MOVES TO ADOPT.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER MEMBERS, THERE IS A PROPOSED MOTION, UH, I'M SORRY, THERE'S A PROPOSED AMENDMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, UH, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER ON THE, UH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
THIS AMENDMENT WOULD SIMPLY MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM, UH, INCLUDES A DIVERSITY OF VOICES AND IS, UH, REACHES OUT TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DO, UH, CONTINUE ON OUR TREND HERE.
I HAVE ONE MINOR TWEAK ON THE FOURTH BULLET.
WE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS ASKED FOR US TO INCLUDE THE WORD EXPLORING BEFORE SAFEGUARDS, AND THAT IS AGREEABLE.
SO, UH, I NEED TO MOVE TO AMEND MY AMENDMENT BY ADDING EXPLORING.
WELL, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR MOTION TO AMEND AS ADDING THE WORD EXPLORING BEFORE THE WORD SAFEGUARDS.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, LET ME GET THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER MOVES TO ADOPT, UH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WITH THE WORD EXPL, ADDING THE WORD EXPLORING BEFORE SAFEGUARDS IN THE FOURTH BULLET, IT IS SECONDED
[01:30:01]
BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCILMAN POOL.I, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE ADD EXPLORING SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT POLITICAL ACTIVITY, DOES THAT MEAN THAT IF WE FIND SAFEGUARDS TO DO THAT, THAT WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO I IMPOSE THEM? I MEAN, IT SOUNDS, SEEMS LIKE IT TAKES IT FROM ACTIVE ACTION TO JUST KIND OF A CONCEPTUAL WELL, MY READING OF THIS IS THAT WE ARE REVIEWING THE FEASIBILITY OF ALL THESE THINGS, AND SO BY INCLUDING EXPLORING THOSE, THAT'S THE SAME AS SEEING WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AND THEN POTENTIALLY IMPLEMENTING THOSE, THEN, THEN I WOULD SAY I DON'T THINK IT'S A NECESSARY ADDITION.
I'M, I'M, I'M WILLING TO PUT IT IN THERE TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUE AND, AND, UM, HAPPY TO, TO KEEP IT THERE.
IT, IT, IT PROBABLY JUST PROVIDES CLARIFICATION.
PROBABLY IS NOT NEEDED, BUT IT PROVIDES CLARIFICATION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE, UH, MOTION TO AMEND MAYOR PRO? TIM, JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, DID IT INCLUDE THE, UH, ALTERNATE NAME THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAD POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD? HAS THAT BEEN INCORPORATED? COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, AND THEN THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, AND I'LL COME TO BRING CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER VELAS, DIDN'T YOURS HAVE A NUMBER OF PLACES WHERE IT WAS EDITED? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA? YES.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE MOTION AND IT DOES, AND I, I KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, UH, BASED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, IT WAS A, A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND I THINK WE'RE ALL SET WITH IT.
SO ON THAT, THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM, IF IT WAS JERMAINE TO THE POSTING LANGUAGE, AND IF WE COULD, COULD MOVE FORWARD KNOWING THAT, THAT THAT WAS A CHANGE IN PROGRESS FOR THE, THE ACTUAL PROGRAM IN THE CLASS.
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WITH ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE'S NO SUCH THING REALLY AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, YOU HAVE TO AMEND AND, AND MAKE AMENDMENTS.
SO WHILE IT, WHILE WE'RE ALL FRIENDS,
AND I'VE CALLED THAT OUT SEVERAL TIMES, AND THAT'S BEEN SECONDED.
IS THERE, IS THERE DISCUSSION OR IS THERE GOING TO, ARE THERE GOING TO BE AMENDMENTS? UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THAT AMENDMENT? ALL RIGHT, THEN, THEN THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS THE MOTION TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER 26 THAT'S BEEN PUT FORTH BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE.
THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.
AND FOR THE RECORD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON HAS BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US AND, AND WE WELCOME YOU.
I WANNA SPEAK TO THE ISSUE AFTER, AFTER WE'RE DONE VOTING ON.
UM, YOU DON'T WANNA SPEAK BEFORE WE VOTE? JUST NO.
UH, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR FOR, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND FOR THE AMENDMENT, UH, AND TO ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT JOINED US TODAY.
I'M, UH, AN ALUMNI OF THE CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY, AND I WAS ENCOURAGED TO JOIN BY A FRIEND THAT WE NEEDED MORE LEADERS OF COLOR IN THE PROGRAM TO SPEAK TO OUR ISSUES.
UM, AT THE TIME, THE PROGRAM WAS STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT MADE ME FEEL SAFE AND ENCOURAGED TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS AND VOICE MY CONCERNS.
I WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY WITH A LOT OF VALUE, VALUABLE INFORMATION AND INSIGHTS, AND ALSO FELT LIKE I WAS HEARD BY MEMBERS OF APD.
SO IT WAS UPSETTING TO HEAR THAT THAT WAS NO LONGER THE CASE.
AFTER HEARING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FELLOW ALUMNI AND FRIENDS THAT RAISED, RAISED MULTIPLE ISSUES THAT ARE CONCERNING, UH, I ASKED THAT WE TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY EXAMINE HOW THIS PROGRAM WORKS, INCLUDING A REVIEW OF CANDIDATE SCREENING PROCESSES, CURRICULUM AND TEACHING PRACTICES.
I DO BELIEVE THAT A WELL-STRUCTURED PROGRAM CAN HELP OUR COMMUNITY REBUILD THE MUCH NEEDED TRUST THAT WE NEED IN THIS CITY.
BUT IF WE WANNA SEE CHANGE, WE HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS IT HAS BEEN LAID OUT IN COUNCIL MEMBERAL ALTER'S AMENDMENT.
SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
IS THERE ANY, ANY FURTHER? COUNCILMEMBER KELLY? YES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECOGNITION HERE.
UM, I TOO, AND AM AN ALUMNI OF THE, UM, COMMUNITY NOW CALLED THE COMMUNITY POLICE ACADEMY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
[01:35:01]
GRADUATED IN THE 100TH CLASS OF THE PROGRAM, AND IT'S BEEN ON DUE OR ON HOLD DUE TO COVID AS OF DECEMBER OF 2019.2,716 COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE GRADUATED FROM OVER 101 CLASSES AND BEFORE C O V D TWO CONCURRENT CLASSES ARE TYPICALLY HOSTED EVERY YEAR AT APD HEADQUARTERS.
THIS PROGRAM MEANS A LOT TO ME, NOT JUST BECAUSE I'VE GONE THROUGH IT, BUT BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO MEMBERS AND ALUMNI WHO'VE TAKEN IT AND THEY'VE TOLD ME SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS, UM, INCLUDING THAT THEY GOT THEIR EYES OPEN TO WHAT REALLY OUR OFFICERS GO THROUGH ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND IT IMPROVES COMMUNITY AND POLICE RELATIONS.
ONE THING THAT REALLY STRUCK ME WHILE I WAS TAKING THIS CLASS WAS LEARNING THAT OFTENTIMES WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE COMMUNITY IS MEETING A POLICE OFFICER FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT COULD BE ON THE WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE.
AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST MET WITH AN OFFICER WHEN THEY'RE HAVING A BAD TIME, BUT ALSO WHEN GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVES.
AND SO, THANK YOU TO MY CO-SPONSORS FOR CO-SPONSORING THIS ITEM.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ITS PASSAGE TODAY.
BEFORE I TAKE A VOTE ON THIS, WELL, FIRST IS ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO BE RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK BEFORE I TAKE A VOTE? I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, BECAUSE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD THERE WAS AN INDICATION OF ANOTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENT, AND I WANT CLARITY ON WHETHER OR NOT I NEED TO CALL UP ANOTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENT BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW WITH THE MAIN, UH, UH, MOTION, IT, IT, DOES THAT ALREADY REFLECT THE, THE COMMUNITY POLICE ACADEMY LANGUAGE OR, OR IS THAT NOT IN THERE AT, AT THIS POINT? THE, THE, IT'S UP HERE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER'S PROPOSED IN THE AMENDMENT THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED, THAT WAS PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
IT MAKES THAT CHANGE IN THE SECOND LINE OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S SCRATCH CITIZEN AND PUT IN COMMUNITY, THEN I WOULD WITHDRAW MY AMENDMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, I WAS LOOKING IN THE BACKUP TO SEE, UM, THAT COMMUNITY HAD BEEN SUBSTITUTED FOR CITIZEN THROUGHOUT.
I SEE IT THROUGHOUT, IN AGENDA EIGHT, BACKUP AMENDMENT, RED LINE C VELA.
UM, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, YOU SAID YOU HAD ALSO MADE THOSE CHANGES.
I, I SAID THAT I HAD AGREED TO THOSE CHANGES AND UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZED THAT THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM CHANGED, AND I WAS UNAWARE OF IT WHEN DRAFTING THE RESOLUTION.
AND SO I WELCOME THE ADDITION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA, BUT IF HE BELIEVES THAT THE MOTION SHEET THAT WE JUST PASSED FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER TAKES CARE OF THAT, THEN I'M NOT SURE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT.
IT DOES, IT DOES TAKE CARE OF IT IN MO IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE.
AND I, I DON'T THINK IT, IT'S NECESSARY TO AMEND.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE CLARIFIED EVERYTHING.
UM, WE'RE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, AND THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 26 AS AMENDED.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE IS SHOWN OBJECTING.
UH, IS THERE ANY, ANY FURTHER OBJECTION TO THE MOTION? ITEM NUMBER 26 AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE BEING SHOWN VOTING NO MEMBERS.
[27. Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to create a plan to increase the number of direct-current fast charging stations for electric vehicles equitably throughout the City.]
US TO ITEM NUMBER 27.THERE ARE TWO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ITEM NUMBER 27, UH, BY PRO, UH, PROPOSALS THAT WILL COME FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
FIRST, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT? ITEM NUMBER 27, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL IS SHOWN, MAKING THE MOTION TO ADOPT.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR A PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.
UM, MY FIRST AMENDMENT IS A MOTION TO AMEND LINES 53 AND 54 TO READ AS FOLLOWS, THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTED TO DEVELOP A VISION PLAN FOR EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
ADD AFTER A FORMAL AND COMPLETE REVIEW OF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE CHARGES IS CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS ARE DISTRIBUTED AS A MEMORANDUM TO THE MAYOR AND COUNSEL, YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER POOL? I, UM, I WANTED JUST TO SPEAK, UH, TO THE REASONS WHY I HAD NOT ACCEPTED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY'S AMENDMENT PREVIOUSLY.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE MAPS ARE ALREADY READILY AVAILABLE ONLINE@AUSTINENERGY.COM.
THEY DO SHOW THE CURRENT AVAILABILITY OF ALL TYPE TWO CHARGERS AND WHERE WE HAVE THE DC FAST CHARGERS.
SO THAT IS ALL THAT INFORMATION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE.
I BELIEVE AUSTIN ENERGY'S ON THE LINE.
COULD THEY SPEAK TO MY AMENDMENT PLEASE? UM, OH,
[01:40:01]
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND, SO WE CAN'T HAVE A DISCUSSION, BUT YES, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT HAVING DISCUSSION, UM, YET.IS THERE A SECOND TO THE, AND THAT IS THAT, JUST FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE RECORD, WE, WE'VE HAVE TWO PEOPLE JOINING US BY ZOOM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO PEOPLE SHOULD BE JOINING US BY ZOOM, I SUPPOSE, IS THE ONLY WAY TO SAY THAT.
UM, MADAM CLERK, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE OTHER THAN THE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE, OF DULY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL? UM, WE HAD A REQUEST TO MOVE OVER.
AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION TO AMEND BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? IS THERE A SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND? THE MOTION TO AMEND, UH, A MOTION TO AMEND NUMBER ONE BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FAILS FOR LACK OF A SECOND.
I'LL, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO.
UH, MY LAST MOTION MAY HAVE FAILED, BUT AT LEAST I CREATED SOME AWKWARD SILENCE
SO MY SECOND AMENDMENT, I MOTION TO AMEND LINE 70 TO ADD THE FOLLOWING, INCLUDE A FISCAL IMPACT AND CITY RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE VISION PLAN.
LET ME, IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? MOTION TO AMEND NUMBER TWO BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FAILS FOR LACK OF A SECOND.
THAT WILL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER POOL? I JUST WANTED TO ASSURE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THAT, UM, AS STATED IN THE RESOLUTION, FEDERAL FUNDS ARE INDEED AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE CHARGERS.
AND THEN JUST, UH, TO SPEAK REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, TO BRING EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION TO THIS RESOLUTION, IT'S A PRETTY IMPORTANT ONE.
OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN INCLUDES A GOAL OF EQUITABLY REACHING NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2040.
UH, IT BECAUSE IT ALSO INCLUDES A GOAL OF CUTTING VEHICLE EMISSIONS AND REDUCING OUR USE OF FOSSIL FUELS TO NEARLY ZERO BY 2030.
AGAIN, A DIFFICULT ENDEAVOR THAT WE ARE UNDERTAKING WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
THIS GOAL IS ONLY SEVEN YEARS AWAY.
IF WE DON'T DO EVERYTHING WE CAN NOW, WE MAY BE AT A POINT IN THE FUTURE WHERE IT WILL HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON IMPROVING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND OUR, OUR WORK HERE IS ALL ABOUT IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OUR LIFE HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO I'M HOPING THIS RESOLUTION WILL HASTEN THE INSTALLATION OF DC FAST CHARGERS EQUITABLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
HAVING ACCESS TO CHARGERS, ESPECIALLY THE FAST ONES, AS ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS NOTED EARLIER TODAY, CAN NUDGE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ON THE FENCE ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
HAVING MORE ACCESS AND THEREFORE MORE USERS IS REALLY ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GET TO NET ZERO.
THE CITY SHOULD BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION AND IN THE FUTURE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AUSTIN ENERGY LEADING THIS CONVERSATION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR RESOLUTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
AND TO THAT END, I'M ASKING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY BE PREPARED TO BRING FORWARD AND SHOWCASE THEIR IDEAS AND PROSPECTS FOR INNOVATIVE THINKING AND INNOVATION HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR, OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY LEADING IN THIS REGARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, I MEAN, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER.
AND I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, UM, LEADING ON DRAFTING THIS AND BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO US.
UM, I WANNA SECOND THAT HOPE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY CAN BE, UM, EVEN MORE PROACTIVE THAN THEY'VE BEEN, UM, IN ADVANCING THE EV CHARGER ACCESS.
UM, I HAD A RESOLUTION IN 2019 THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL WAS ON FOR ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK YOU ALREADY HAVE THE DIRECTION TO BE, UM, DOING ALL OF THIS.
IT'S ALSO IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS, UM, WITH AUSTIN IN ENERGY, BEEN A LEADER ON SO MANY THINGS.
AND I THINK, UM, THIS IS ONE WHERE WE CAN AGAIN, UM, DO THAT ALSO AS A, AS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNER.
UM, I, I WILL SAY IT'S, IT IS MY EXPERIENCE THAT THESE TYPES OF CHARGERS AND THESE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY CAN OPEN UP ACCESS, UM, TO, TO EVS, UM, AND HELP US REACH OUR CLIMATE GOALS.
UM, EVS, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE BUYING THEM, UH, SECONDHAND, CAN BE AN EXTREMELY COST EFFECTIVE WAY, UM, TO ADDRESS THE NEED IF YOU DO NEED TO DRIVE.
[01:45:01]
UM, BUT THEY, PEOPLE DO NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO CHARGERS.SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS MO WORK ME FORWARD.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THE MOTION BEFORE US IS A MOTION TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 27.
IS THERE, UH, ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION? YES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? UM, I DON'T OBJECT, BUT I WILL BE ABSTAINING BECAUSE WHILE THERE IS FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABLE WITHOUT A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE FULL FISCAL IMPACT, I CAN'T SUPPORT THE ITEM.
UH, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 27? SEEING NONE, THE MOTION PASSES WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN AS ABSTAINING MEMBERS.
MAY I HAVE, I, UM, HAVE PASSED OUT THE MOTION SHEET YOU REQUESTED.
SO, UM, AT 1150, I'LL BRING IT UP.
UM, IT WAS, THE MOTION TO TABLE WAS TO TABLE IT UNTIL 1150 A TIME CERTAIN.
[10:30 AM - Austin Housing and Finance Corporation Meeting]
I WILL, UH, NOW RECESS THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.UM, IF THE STAFF WILL PLEASE WALK US THROUGH, BY THE WAY, I'M CALLING TO ORDER.
IT'S MARCH 9TH, 2023 AND I'M CALLING US TO ORDER AT 1146.
WE HAVE AN, UH, WE HAVE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESENT TO PRESENT BY, UH, BEING VIRTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, PLEASE PROCEED.
GOOD MORNING, MR. PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT YOUR, UH, A HFC OR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AGENDA FOR TODAY.
UH, YOU HAVE THREE ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA.
THE FIRST IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM YOUR FEBRUARY 9TH MEETING.
UH, THE SECOND IS A LOAN MODIFICATION TO INCREASE THE LOAN AMOUNT TO PROJECT TRANSITIONS INCORPORATED FOR THE BURNETT PLACE DEVELOPMENT SERVING INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV AIDS AND VULNERABLE TO HOMELESSNESS.
THE LOAN AMOUNT WILL TOTAL 6.3 MILLION IN SUPPORT OF CONSTRUCTION OF 61 UNITS, AFFORDABLE AT 30, 40 AND 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
YOUR THIRD ITEM IS AN APPROVAL OF AN ISSUANCE OF 40 MILLION IN PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS WOODWAY SQUARE.
UH, LOCATED AT 1700 TERRY ROAD.
THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO REPAIR AND REHABILITATE THE PROPERTY FOR CONTINUED HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HAVE YOU HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? AND I OFFER ALL THREE OF THOSE ON CONSENT MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, OF STAFF? UH, THE PRESIDENT INTENDS TO TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA.
MY, LET ME ASK, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THAT MEMBERS OF, UH, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WISHES TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE.
ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.
ARE THERE ANY, UM, IS THERE ANY DESIRE BY ANY MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING OR RECUSING THEMSELVES? I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE NO ON BOTH.
SO YOU'RE VOTING NO ON A H S C TWO AND A HS C THREE THREE? THAT IS CORRECT, YES.
I WILL, WILL VOTE TO, IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, YOU'LL BE SHOWN VOTING NO.
ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, UM, MEMBERS, IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER DESIRES TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING, RECUSING, OR VOTING NO.
IN THAT CASE, UH, IS IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? H FFC ONE, AH, FFC TWO AND AH, FC THREE? HEARING NONE, UH, THOSE ITEMS ARE ADOPTED WITH BOARD MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING NO.
ON ITEMS TWO AND ITEM NUMBER THREE, MEMBERS WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER AND RECONVENE THE COUNCIL MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND IT IS 1149, UH, ON MARCH 9TH.
SO IF WE WILL JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE, WE FOLLOW OUR RULES MEMBERS.
[16. Approve a resolution accepting the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Policy Plan; incorporating ETOD Policy Plan tools for the stations within the boundaries of the Northeast Austin District planning process; initiating amendments to Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan to adopt elements of the ETOD Policy Plan; and initiating amendments to City Code Title 25. (Part 2 of 2 )]
WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 16 WHEN WE, UH, AT, AT 1150.THE ITEM YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER.
ALISON AL ALTER HAS PROVIDED A YELLOW SHEET ITEM NUMBER 16, AND IT SHOWS THE AM PROPO HER PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE, UH, TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT.
AND THE AMENDMENT IS THE, THE MAIN AMENDMENT IS THE ONE PROVIDED BY MAYOR PROTE ELLIS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT.
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I MOVE TO AMEND, UH, MAYOR PROTE ELLIS'S MOTION, UM, AS LAID OUT ON THE YELLOW SHEET, AND I HAVE SHARED THAT, UH, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES WHO ARE ONLINE AS WELL.UM, SO IT WOULD READ ONLINES 1 0 7 TO 1 0 9, WHEREAS IN CONSIDERATION OF THE TIMING OF THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IN RAIL UNDER THE PROJECT CONNECT TRANSIT SYSTEM, RAIL IS FIRST IN PRIORITY FOR COMMENCEMENT OF ALL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES, EXCEPT CONCURRENT COMMENCEMENT MAY OCCUR FOR A METRO RAPID LINE THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN AWARDED FEDERAL FUNDING AND IS ASSESSED TO RATE ON COMPETITIVELY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING ON THETA'S LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA.
AND THIS IS WHERE I WOULD BE ADDING TO MAYOR PROTE ELLIS'S MOTION AND RATES HIGH WITHIN THE BUS RAPID TRANS PRIORITIZATION TABLE.
SECOND, THAT MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER TO AMEND THE ELLIS, UH, AMENDMENT.
IT IS SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TIM ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, UM, FOR, UH, MAYOR PROTE ELLIS? I'M JUST A, A LITTLE BIT, UM, SENSITIVE AS A SITTING ON THE BOARD OF PROJECT OF CAP METRO AND THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
I WANTED TO CONFIRM, AND, AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SAID THIS, BUT IF YOU COULD, UH, UM, CLARIFY OR EMPHASIZE, HAS THIS PRIORITIZATION SUGGESTION BEEN VETTED THROUGH CAT METRO? YES.
IT HAS BEEN RUN BY PROJECT CONNECT STAFF, BUT NOT, NOT KEN METRO.
I CAN DOUBLE CHECK IF THAT WAS DONE SEPARATELY, BUT I KNOW THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE HAS SEEN IT.
MAYOR, THIS, THIS DOES PRESENT A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, UM, RELUCTANCE FOR ME, A LITTLE BIT OF, OF CONCERN FOR ME.
WE ARE AT, WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THREE OF THE PARTNERS ARE ENTIRELY AWARE OF EVERYTHING.
AND I, I THINK THERE IS SOME CONVERSATION WITHIN CAP METRO ABOUT, UM, AUGMENTING BUS LINES IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE RAIL MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO COMMUNITIES.
AND I, I DON'T EXPECT, I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE, AND YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, WOULDN'T INTEND TO INTERFERE WITH THAT DECISION MAKING MAYOR PRO TIM? NO, IT, IT WOULDN'T, BUT I, I JUST WILL FLAG.
I HAVE SPOKEN WITH CAT METRO STAFF FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR NEED, AND SO THEY'RE CERTAINLY AWARE OF IT, BUT I, IT WOULD NOT INTEND TO, UM, HAVE A CITY POLICY THAT'S ABOUT LAND USE PLANNING, INTERFERE WITH THE PROGRAMMATIC EFFORTS OF THE OPERATING THE BUS SYSTEMS. THAT'S GREAT.
I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR PROTO.
UM, THE, THE MOTION BEFORE US IS THE MOTION TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE.
THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE, UH, AMENDMENT BY MAYOR PROTO ELLIS AS AMENDED.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE, THE MOTION IS ADOPTED.
THAT'LL TAKE US BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 16.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 16.
IT'S BEEN SECONDED AS AMENDED.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 16? HEARING NONE.
ITEM NUMBER 16, ITEM NUMBER 16 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING? NO, I'D LIKE TO ABSTAIN.
INSTEAD OF VOTING NO, AS I ANNOUNCED IT, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WILL BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, YOUR VOTING AYE.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, YOUR VOTING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
THAT TAKES US, UH, MEMBERS, WE HAVE SIX MINUTES BEFORE WE GO TO, UH, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION AT NOON,
[34. Conduct a public hearing and consider a resolution in accordance with Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 26 to authorize a change in use of dedicated parkland, known as Pioneer Crossing Neighborhood Park to enable the Austin Transportation Department to construct and use approximately 9,574 square feet of permanent drainage easements as part of the East Braker Lane extension project. (Location: Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second Street, Austin, TX 78701.]
I WILL CALL UP ITEM NUMBER 34.IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO OPENING A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 34? HEARING NONE THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN.
UH, I'M GOING TO ASK CARD STAFF TO COME UP.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, I'M SORRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON? YES, MA'AM.
I, I'D LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK ON MY ITEM PLEASE IF, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON WE'VE WORKED ON THIS REALLY, REALLY HARD.
I APPRECIATE THAT IT, IT'S GOING FORWARD.
BUT I I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME REMARKS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME BRIEF REMARKS ON ITEM NUMBER 16.
I FIRST WANNA THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES.
ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, PASSED AND PRESENT, BUT AS MOST ESPECIALLY MAYOR PRO, TIM ELLIS, UM, AND ALL OF THE CITY STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS POLICY PLAN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
[01:55:01]
OUR SPECIAL CALLED JOINT MEETING, UH, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING AND MOBILITY COMMITTEES, UM, I REALLY FOUND THAT AND ESPECIALLY HELPFUL MEETING AND THE COMMENTARY WAS GREAT AND OUR STAFF DID SUCH A MASTERFUL JOB OF REALLY BRINGING FORWARD WHAT THE ITEM DOES AND DOES NOT DO.UM, SO AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO FOLKS, ANYBODY WHO DECIDES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, INFORMATION THAT FRANKLY IS NOT FACTUAL, THAT'S A CHOICE.
UM, SO WHEN I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, THE RESOLUTION, UM, THAT WE PRODUCE DIRECTING STAFF TO DO THIS WORK, I SAW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THIS TIME UNLIKE SO MANY CAST EXAMPLES OF EXCLUSION AND INEQUITY AND FRANKLY OUTRIGHT RACIST CITY PLANNING.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE AUSTIN IS UNIQUE IN MANY, MANY WAYS, UM, RACISM AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CITY PLANNING IS NOT ONE OF THOSE WAYS, UM, I WANT US TO BE THE TEMPLATE MOVING FORWARD.
LIKE I BELIEVE WE ARE IN SO MANY OTHER INSTANCES FOR FORWARD FACING PROGRESSIVE THOUGHT AROUND MUNICIPAL POLICY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ENSURE THAT ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN ALL PARTS OF OUR BEAUTIFUL FAIR CAPITAL CITY.
UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT AS MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS AS POSSIBLE HAVE ACCESS TO THE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS THAT WE ARE MAKING IN OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
FINALLY, I'M SO HAPPY AND SO PROUD TO SEE US DO SO, UH, LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING THAT WE CAN PRODUCE, YOU KNOW, BY WAY OF OUR CURRENT CODE AND LIMITING THE NUMBER OF NEARBY RIDERS AS OUR CURRENT CODE DOES.
WE'LL DO JUST THE OPPOSITE OF THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE ASKED FOR THIS E O POLICY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE ARE VOTING TODAY TO LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES, UM, IN THE PAST AS A CITY AND OPEN LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF FUTURE DOORS TO FUTURE HOMES FOR RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE EXCLUDED.
THEY LIVE IN NEAL OR GEORGETOWN OR SOMEWHERE ELSE OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS.
SO WHAT DOES THE EVE TODD POLICY ACTUALLY DO? IT WILL BUILD CAPACITY.
UM, WHAT DOES THE E O POLICY DO? IT WILL BUILD CAPACITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND CREATE GROUND FLOOR SPACE FOR THOSE BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS WHO SERVE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.
IT WILL ALLOW FOR LAND ACQUISITION FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND BETTER LEVERAGE EXISTING TOO, RATHER EXISTING PUBLIC LAND.
UH, IT WILL ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE VARIETY, OF MORE HOUSING SUCH AS TOWNHOUSES AND DUPLEXES AND TRIPLEXES.
IT WILL REDUCE OR OUTRIGHT ELIMINATE FRANKLY, PARKING MINIMUMS AND CAN IMPLEMENT A PARKING MAXIMUM CAP.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW, JUST A FEW OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS POLICY PROVIDES, UM, TO FINALLY REALLY DO SOME GOOD WORK THAT MANY OF US ON THIS COUNCIL AND COUNCILS BEFORE US HAVE INTENDED.
UH, WHEN WE ARE IN FOR OFFICE, OUR SUCCESS AT ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THESE BOLD AND PROGRESSIVE DIRECTIVES WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY AND THE REGION.
SO LET'S NOT JUST LET THIS POLICY PLAN BECOME ANOTHER BINDER ITEM ON A SHELF SOMEWHERE, AS I MAKE REFERENCE TOO OFTEN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE GOALS HERE AND STRATEGIES IN THE YEARS TO COME WITH ALL OF YOU ALL.
SO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR WORK MEMBERS.
I'LL, WE, WE'VE OPENED A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 34 FOR THE RECORD.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT THIS, WE WE'RE GONNA START THIS WAY TO THIS ITEM WITH A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT.
I TALKED FOR A LIVING NECESSITATING, UH, THE CHANGE IN THE USE OF PARKLAND, THE AMOUNT OF PARKLAND THAT'S REQUIRED, AND THE AMOUNT OF MITIGATION TO BE PAID BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDERTAKING THE PROJECT.
IT WILL CONCLUDE WITH THE STATUTORY REQUIRED FACTUAL FINDINGS, ASSUMING THAT THE COUNCIL DOES IN FACT FIND.
AND THOSE FINDINGS WOULD BE THAT A, THERE IS NO FEASIBLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF THE PARKLAND.
AND B, THE PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARKLAND RESULTING FROM THE USE.
I'LL RECOGNIZE PAR STAFF, MS. MAYOR, MAYOR PROAM, COUNCIL MEMBERS GREGORY MONTE WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY TAKING MY STATEMENT.
AND UH,
WELL THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME, WELL MAYBE, PERHAPS YOU CAN SAY NECESSITATING BETTER THAN ME.
UM, ALRIGHT, IF, IF THERE ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS MEMBERS, MEMBERS, WE HEARD FROM ALL SPEAKERS EARLIER DURING CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
SO IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 34? SEEING NONE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 34
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AND THAT MOTION WILL BE TO EITHER APPROVE OR REJECT THE ITEM WITH THE FINDINGS THAT THERE IS NO FEASIBLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF THE PARKLAND.AND B, THE PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARKLAND RESULTING FROM THE USE.
IS THERE A MOTION MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ADOPTION OF THE MOTION? HEARING NONE.
MEMBERS, IT IS 12 O'CLOCK HIGH NOON AND
[Public Comments ( Part 2 of 2 )]
THAT WILL TAKE US TO OUR CITIZEN'S COMMUNITY OR NOON CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS.AND I'LL TURN, I'LL, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK.
UH, TO HELP US WITH THAT FIRST SPEAKER IS RICHARD VICTOR SILVER, WHITE MOUNTAIN NOON.
EVERYONE, YOU'VE ALREADY ANNOUNCED MY NAME.
I'M HERE TO BRING TWO THINGS TO YOUR ATTENTION ABOUT TRAFFIC FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.
FIRST, ACCORDING TO WHAT I'VE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED WHEN I'M OUT DRIVING BRINGS ME TO BELIEVE THAT RIGHT TURN ON RED NEEDS TO TO BE TOTALLY PHASED OUT IN OUR CITY.
MANY YOUNG DRIVERS DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN PROCEED IF IT IS SAFE TO TURN RIGHT.
IT WAS PUT INTO THE EFFECT IN THE SEVENTIES BECAUSE OF A FUEL SAVING MEASURE IN RESPONSE TO MOTOR FUEL SHORTAGES.
A LOT OF DRIVERS WHO WERE NOT YET BORN WHEN RIGHT TURN ON RED WAS NOT AN OPTION.
SEE IT AS A SUGGESTION ALSO OF DRIVERS THAT HAVE A GREEN LIGHT DON'T GO BECAUSE OF SO MUCH TRAFFIC AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BLOCK THE BOX.
THE RED LIGHT TURNER SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY, THEREFORE BLOCKING THE BOX.
SO THEN OTHER DRIVERS BLOCK THE BOX, THEN THERE ARE MORE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AND ROAD RAGE.
AND THEN PEDESTRIANS CANNOT EVEN CROSS THE STREET WHEN THEY HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
NOWADAYS DRIVERS JUST SPEED ON WHILE TURNING RIGHT ON RED, THEREFORE COMING WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING VEHICLES.
SO WITH THIS IN MIND, THESE DRIVERS ARE CONSTANTLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS AND NEAR MISSES OF THE DRIVERS THAT HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT DON'T SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES AGAIN, CAUSING ROAD RAGE.
THIS IS HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.
YOU MUST FIRST OBEY THE LAW, TAKING ACTION.
ONCOMING TRAFFIC HAS A RIGHT OF WAY.
WAIT UNTIL TRAFFIC CLEARS BEFORE ATTORNEY.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET THE MEMO THAT THIS CHANGED IN NEW YORK CITY.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO TURN RIGHT ON RED UNLESS THERE IS A SIGN POSTED THAT YOU CAN.
THEY'RE REASONING IS BECAUSE OF SO MANY PEDESTRIANS.
OUR LAW NEEDS TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE OF ALL OUR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. NOW THE TIME HAS ARRIVED TO CHANGE THIS LAW.
YOU CAN EITHER INSTALL NO RIGHT ON RED SIGN STROUT THE ENTIRE CITY OR SOMETHING MORE PRACTICAL WOULD BE AN ORDINANCE OR LAW.
THAT RIGHT ON RED NO LONGER IS NO LONGER ALLOWED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IF WITH PEOPLE MOVING TO OUR CITY FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE, IT MAKES SENSE TO CHANGE IT.
NOW I FEEL THAT WE ARE WAY BEHIND AND MAKING IT ILLEGAL TO TURN RIGHT ON RED.
HAVING A DRIVER'S LICENSE DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE.
WHAT ARE THE POLICE THINKING? ARE THEY THINKING TO LET THEM ALL KILL THEMSELVES RUNNING RED LIGHTS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOWHERE TO BE SEEN? ARE THEY TRYING TO THIN OUT THE POPULATION THEIR OWN WAY? THOUGH I GET ALONG WITH A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS, I THINK CERTAIN POLICE OFFICERS NEED TO HAVE A BREATHALYZER INSTALLED INTO THEIR POLICE CARS TO BE SURE THEY ARE NOT DRUNK ON POWER.
SO UNLESS THEY HAVE A PASSING SCORE OF HUMBLE, THEIR CARS WON'T START.
YOU CAN'T FIGHT CITY HALL, BUT I'M SURE GONNA TRY TO BE CONTINUED.
WELL, IT'S A SHAME THE MAYOR CAN'T BE HERE FOR THIS, BUT GOOD AFTERNOON, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
I WANT TO ADDRESS SOME CONFUSION.
THERE SEEMS TO BE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAS LED TO A GRAVE INJUSTICE, WHICH IS THE FIRING OF SPENCER CRONK, THE CITY MANAGER.
NOW WE ALL REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED, REALLY THE LAST THREE WINNERS WHEN THERE WAS SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND ICE AND POWER OUTAGES.
RECENTLY PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR THREE DAYS.
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AS A WEEK.AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY TO BLAME.
AND THIS CITY COUNCIL BLAMED SPENCER CRONK.
BUT I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED WHY SPENCER CRONK WAS FIRED INSTEAD OF CELEBRATED.
BECAUSE I THOUGHT AS YOU ADDRESSED THE LAST TIME YOU MET ON THE SEVENTH, I THOUGHT STOPPING CLIMATE CHANGE WAS SOMETHING THIS CITY COUNCIL TOOK SERIOUSLY.
NOW THE LAST I CHECKED, AND I'VE GOT THE NUMBERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME FROM ERCOT, THE TWO LEADING SOURCES OF ENERGY IN TEXAS ARE NATURAL GAS AND COAL.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT EVEN CLOSE.
WITHOUT NATURAL GAS AND COAL, THERE WILL BE NO POWER FOR ANYBODY.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE ULTIMATE POINT.
THIS CITY COUNCIL IS COMPRISED OF DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
WE HAVE ONE REPUBLICAN ON THIS CITY COUNCIL.
NOW YOUR LEADER, JOE BIDEN, HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR HE'S TARGETING COAL AND NATURAL GAS.
MORE THAN 20 STATE SUE BIDEN FOR CANCELING KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE.
BIDEN DID THAT AS SOON AS HE GOT INTO OFFICE, THEY'RE NOW STOPPING NEW OIL PROJECTS LIKE THE WILLOW PROJECT IN ALASKA.
BIDEN VOWS TO SHUT DOWN COAL PLANTS ALL ACROSS AMERICA.
SO YOU UNDERSTAND GAS AND COAL, THE TWO LEADING ENERGY SOURCES IN TEXAS, IN AUSTIN, AND THE DEMOCRATS WANNA SHUT THEM DOWN.
A QUARTER OF US COAL FIRE POWER PLANTS WILL RETIRE BY THE END OF 2029.
NOW, IF THE MAYOR WAS HERE, I WOULD REMIND HIM HE JUST MET WITH JOE BIDEN, WHO IS THE ONE CALLING FOR THESE ENERGIES TO BE SHUT DOWN.
SO WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS IF WE SHUT DOWN COAL AND NATURAL GAS? WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
IT WILL LOOK LIKE EXACTLY HOW IT LOOKED LIKE DURING THE WINTER STORM FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
HOW'S THAT MANMADE GLOBAL WARMING GOING? WE NOW HAVE ICE STORMS EVERY YEAR HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SPENCER CRONK WAS FIRED.
IF ANYTHING, HE SHOULD BE CELEBRATED.
THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE 3, 4, 5 DAYS WITHOUT POWER SAVED US.
THE DAYS FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WE HAVE PRESERVED FOR SHUTTING OFF THE POWER THREE DAYS WITHOUT POWER.
HOW ABOUT THREE MONTHS? MAYBE THREE YEARS? HOW ABOUT THREE GENERATIONS? HOW COMMITTED IS THIS CITY COUNCIL REALLY TO FIGHTING MAN-MADE CLIMATE CHANGE? AND HAVE WE REALLY WEIGHED THE COSTS? THANK YOU.
HAVE WE REALLY WEIGHED THE COST? SPENCER CRONK SHOULD BE NEXT SPEAKER.
PLEASE TURN INTO HIS OFFICE, WELDON FOR SAVING THE HOW PEOPLE AUSTIN KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THESE PEOPLE SHUT OFF THE CALL OF GAS.
CLERK, CAN YOU CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER? THANK YOU.
UM, DURING THE CAMPAIGN, I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE FROM A SINGLE DAD WHO, UM, WHO LIVES OFF OF PARK PARKER AND ALTOR.
HE SAID, UM, I'VE GOT FIVE KIDS AND I CANNOT LET THEM GO OUTSIDE BECAUSE I'M IN FEAR THAT SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO THEM.
THERE'S ALWAYS COPS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS SHUTTING DOWN THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY APARTMENT.
AT NIGHTTIME, THEY WALK UP AND DOWN THE STREET ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT, MOST OF THE TIME ON DRUGS, SCREAMING AND YELLING, INCOHERENT THOUGHTS.
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AROUND THERE.
SO IT WAS ABOUT 2018, I WAS TAKING CLASSES AT ACC, UM, IN SOCIAL WORK, AND MY DAD HAD GOTTEN SICK AND I HAD TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF AS HE PASSED AWAY AFTER GETTING BACK INTO THE GAME, THE RECKLESS AND HEARTLESS ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED BY AN OVERNIGHT VOTE IN JUNE OF 2019 TO ALLOW PUBLIC CAMPING.
AND AS WE SAW, THE RESULTS OF THAT HORRIFIC ACT WERE WORSE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY ADDRESSING HOMELESS CRISIS IS SO HEAVY ON MY HEART IS THAT THAT ONE TIME I EXPERIENCED HOMELESS AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT CAMPING AND MANY OF THE OTHER PROVISIONS WAS NOT AN OPTION WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH IT.
WHAT I'VE SEEN TAKING PLACE UP TO THIS POINT HAS PRIMARILY BEEN A DEFENSIVE STRATEGY.
WE'VE GOT A P D AND A F D INUNDATED WITH CALLS JUST A MONTH OR SO AGO.
UM, A MAN IN SERIOUS DISTRESS DOWSED HIM HIMSELF WITH GASOLINE, LIT HIMSELF ON FIRE AND JUMPED OFF THE SOUTH FIRST BRIDGE ONTO BEN WHITE PRO, POSSIBLY TRAUMATIZING THE DRIVER THAT HIT AND KILLED HIM AND INCONVENIENCING THOUSANDS OF FOLKS WHILE A P D CLEARED THE SCENE.
I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS THAT I HAVE IN COMMON WITH MY CITY COUNCILMEN IS THAT WE ARE BOTH DIEHARD COWBOYS FANS, OKAY? SO, BUT WE WILL NEVER GET THE COWBOYS BACK TO THE SUPER BOWL IF WE ONLY FOCUS ON THIS LOSING STRATEGY.
WE'VE GOTTA BE MORE PROACTIVE AND FOCUS ON OUR OFFENSIVE STRATEGY AND GET SOME POINTS ON THE BOARD.
FIRST, WE NEED TO AGGRESSIVELY SUPPORT THE CAMPING ORDINANCE AND STATE LAW.
I BELIEVE THAT HOMELESSNESS IS NOT A CRIME, BUT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS BY NOT ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE AND ALLOWING THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH HOMELESSNESS TO BECOME A HARM TO THEMSELVES AND OTHERS, OR TO ENABLE THEM SO THAT THEY ARE FORCED TO COMMIT A CRIME, IN MY OPINION, AS A CRIME.
I SENT SOME ADDENDUMS OUT TO YOU.
UM, BY THE WAY, I DID SEE THIS MORNING ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH UT AND THE D A C THAT
[02:10:01]
WAS OUTSTANDING, AND THAT WILL GET SOME POINTS ON THE BOARD.BUT ONE OTHER THING I WANNA ADD IS THAT THERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT ADULT EDUCATION COURSES THROUGH TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, THAT CAN BE COURT OF, THAT CAN BE A YEAH.
AND IT'S CRUEL TO NEGLECT THOSE IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THOSE CLASSES.
SECOND, I WANNA SPEAK, UM, A SECOND ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
WE HAVE TO START ENFORCING THE POTENTIALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TYPE TWO AND TYPE THREE SHORT TERM, UH, RENTALS OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN THE CITY.
LEAVE THE TYPE ONE S ALONE, BUT THIS CAN ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES AND OPEN UP, UM, NEEDED HOUSING UNITS.
AND ALSO, UM, AND I, I ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE SECONDS TO SPEAK ON MENTAL ILLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS THE CORE OF THE HOMELESS CRISIS.
YOU HAVE THE DATE IN FRONT OF YOU THAT OVER 90% OF WHAT IS BEING SENT, UH, SPENT IS GOING TO STAFF SALARIES, FACILITIES, HOLIDAY PARTIES, UM, ET CETERA.
THIS IS A SLAP IN THE FACE THAT LESS THAN 10% AVAILABLE FUNDING IS GOING TO THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING AND, AND SUFFERING AND STRUGGLING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, THEIR FAMILIES AND THOSE WHO LIVE WITH AND SUPPORT THEM, AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IS IMPACTED BY NOT PRIORITIZING MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS.
NOW ON THE SALVATION ARMY CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT THAT JUST CAME UP, THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE OR SHORT TERM NOTICE.
JOSE AND I WERE BOTH AT THE CANDIDATE INVITE LAST YEAR AND WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M JUST GONNA KEEP SPEAKING OUT UNTIL WE, SOME THANK YOU.
SPEAK FOR YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
HI, UM, MY NAME IS LIZ AND I AM A GOOD FRIEND OF CAROL CAR.
ENGLISH IS CAROL'S SECOND LANGUAGE, SO I AGREED TO COME AND SPEAK ON HER BEHALF.
UM, SHE'S A BEAUTIFUL FRENCH ACCENT, BUT IT'S HARD, HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, CAROL HAS BEEN LIVING AT 2,900 SUNRIDGE DRIVE, 78,741 DISTRICT THREE SINCE MAY OF 2018.
UH, BEGINNING IN DECEMBER OF THIS PAST YEAR WHILE IN HER APARTMENT, SHE FIRST NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM A STATIC INDUSTRIAL MACHINE LOCATED AT 52 0 4 EAST BEN WHITE BOULEVARD.
CAROL IDENTIFIED THAT THE NOISE SEEMED TO BE LI LOUDER THAN WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED REASONABLE.
AND OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE NOISE SEEMED TO BE PERSISTENTLY IRREGULAR AND OCCURRING AT ALL THE HOURS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT.
ON JANUARY NINE, CAROL DETERMINED THIS NOISE WAS TO BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING HER QUALITY OF LIFE.
ENOUGH FOR HER TO ENGAGE WITH AUSTIN RESOURCES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF THE NOISE IS IN VIOLATION OF CITY CODE.
IT IS NOW MARCH 9TH, AND SHE DOES NOT YET HAVE THE INFORMATION SHE SEEKS DESPITE MULTIPLE INTERACTIONS WITH CITY RESOURCES, INCLUDING VISITS WITH EMPLOYEES OF THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT, HER GOAL IS TO OBTAIN A REPORT FROM AUSTIN CODE THAT WHEN PRODUCED WOULD CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, WHICH COMES FROM SECTION 25 DASH THREE DASH 86.
WHAT THE, THE REPORT WE HOPE TO GET IS THE NOISE WAS ASSESSED AT THE PROPERTY LINE NEAR TO WHERE THE MACHINE IS LOCATED INSTEAD OF, FOR INSTANCE, 200 FEET AWAY FROM THAT MACHINE AND THAT PROPERTY LINE, THE NOISE WAS, WOULD BE ASSESSED ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, AT VARYING TIMES OF DAY AND DAYS OF THE WEEK VERSUS MINUTES APART ON THE SAME DAY.
THE THREE OCCASIONS SEEMS TO BE THE STANDARD PRACTICE AND THAT THE NOISE WOULD BE ASSESSED TO BE EITHER IN VIOLATION, WHICH WOULD BE GREATER THAN 70 DECIBELS OR NOT IN VIOLATION, WHICH WOULD BE LESS THAN 70 DECIBELS.
GIVEN THAT THE REPORT IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE EIGHT WEEKS AFTER IT'S BEEN INITIATED, CONTAINING THE ABOVE INFORMATION, CAROL IS ASKING WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE NEXT STEP IN ENFORCING THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT TO GENERATE THIS REPORT THAT WOULD ACCURATELY, UH, REFLECT THE SITUATION.
IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO HELP CAROL, THEN IT IS HER AIM TO ALERT YOU OF THE CHALLENGES SHE HAS EXPERIENCED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORT.
UH, MY, WE'LL APOLOGIZE, I'M NOT GETTING BACK TO YOU IN A TIME MANNER.
IF YOU'LL GET WITH HIM, HE'LL GET ALL YOUR INFORMATION.
WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET THE REPORT AND IF IT'S IN VIOLATION, WE'LL TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
I'M A SEVENTH GENERATION MINNESOTAN AND A FIRST GENERATION TEXAN AND AUSTINITE.
[02:15:01]
I AM AN OWNER AND A RESIDENT IN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME IN DISTRICT THREE NEAR WHAT WILL BE THE POLIS BLUE LINE STOP.AND I AM EXCITED FOR WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE STATION AND FOR TRANSIT STOPS ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
BUT I FEEL THAT CURRENT PLANS AREN'T THINKING BIG ENOUGH.
THE FREEDOM, THE ENERGY, THE SERENDIPITY AND WALKABILITY REQUIRES DENSITY, DENSITY OF PEOPLE, NOT CARS.
DENSITY OF HOUSING, YES, BUT ALSO DENSITY OF BUSINESSES IN THE PAST.
WHEN PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF DENSITY, IT FEELS LIKE 90% OF WHAT THEY CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT IS TRAFFIC AND NOISE, AND WHICH MOSTLY COMES FROM TRAFFIC.
UM, SOME REALLY DO NOT WANT ANY MORE NEIGHBORS.
BUT IN A CITY, WHICH IS BY MY DEFINITION, A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE NEAR OTHER PEOPLE, AFTER ALL, I THINK MOST SHOULD WELCOME MORE NEIGHBORS.
HOUSING, UNIT LIMITS, SETBACKS, PARKING MINIMUMS, IMPERVIOUS COVER, FLORIDA AREA RATIOS, HEIGHT LIMITS, FEES, COMPATIBILITY.
THESE ARE THE WORDS WE USE IN AUSTIN.
NOW, HOUSING IS EXPENSIVE AND TRAFFIC IS BAD ANYWAYS.
ARE THESE POLICY TOOLS ANYMORE OR ARE THEY WEAPONS NEAR OUR TRANSIT STOPS? LET'S THINK DIFFERENT AND THINK BIG.
OUR TRANSIT STOPS SHOULD BE HUGE.
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, TONS OF HOUSING, TONS OF BUSINESSES.
THE ONLY THING WE SHOULD LIMIT SHOULD BE CARS CAP THE PARKING PER ACRE.
YES, BUT DON'T COUNT IT AGAINST A FLORIDA AREA RATIO LIMIT.
THERE SHOULD BE NO FLORIDA AREA RATIO, LIMIT LIMITS.
THE ZONES SHOULD BE BIGGER THAN A QUARTER OR A HALF MILE.
LAST MONTH, ME AND 18,000 OTHER PEOPLE RAN EITHER 13.1 OR 26.2 MILES THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE CITY.
WE CAN HANDLE WALKING MORE THAN HALF A MILE IF ECONOMICS ALLOW IT.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE 20 STORY BUILDINGS AROUND EVERY LIGHT RAIL STOP IN THIS CITY AND CITY LIFE FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AROUND THE AREA SHOULD BE SO VIBRANT THAT PEOPLE LIVING HERE OR LIVING THERE DON'T EVEN NEED TO GET ON THE TRAIN AND THAT SOMEBODY LIVING DOWNTOWN MAY WANT TO TAKE A TRAIN OUT AND VISIT AND DON'T BAN HOTELS.
WHAT BETTER PLACE IS THERE FOR A HOTEL THAN NEAR A TRANSIT STOP? DUE TO STATE LAW, YOU WILL NEED NINE VOTES TO GET ANYTHING DONE WITH ZONING, BUT IF YOU HAVE NINE VOTES, I ASK WHY HOLD ANYTHING BACK? FOR TOO LONG, AUSTIN HAS AIRED ON THE SIDE OF RESTRAINT.
LET'S PLAY CATCH UP AND GET AHEAD.
I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF DUB SPRINGS AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF EAST WILLIAMSON CREEK, OF NOT ONLY EAST WILLIAMSON CREEK, BUT ALL THE CREEKS AND GREEN BELLS IN AUSTIN.
WE LIVE IN A TIME OF SCARCITY, UH, AS CLIMATE CHANGES, PRETTY SOON WE WON'T HAVE WATER, TREES OR GREEN VEGETATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SERIOUSLY IN LAND, UH, PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION, AND RESTORATION OF PARKS, CREEKS AND TRAILS FOR THE BENEFIT OF HEALTH.
CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS ASTHMA, HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, AND CANCER, AMONG OTHERS ARE THE CAUSES OF GREEN SPACE DETERIORATE DETERIORATION.
WE DO HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS THERE IS A $2,000 FINE FOR CAMPING, TRASH, OR FIRE OF WHICH ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING.
EAST WILLIAMSON CREEK IS FULL OF CONTAMINANTS FROM HUMAN FECES, ANIMAL FECES, PLASTIC AND TRASH THAT COMES FROM UNHOUSED, PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE AND BUSINESSES UPSTREAM.
THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WALKING OR HIKING IN THAT SPACE BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE.
I RECOMMEND THAT YOU CREATE A PROGRAM TO STIPEND UNHOUSED, UH, PEOPLE WITH CASH FOR CLEANING UP THEIR LIVING AREAS IN THE CREEKS WHILE YOU FIND A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO SUPPORT THEM.
THE CITY CAN SUPPORT THEM BY SELECTING A PICKUP SITE CLOSE TO THEIR CAMP ENCAMPMENTS
[02:20:01]
FOR THEM TO PLACE THEIR TRASH BAGS.AND THE THE CITY IS ABLE TO PICK UP AT A LATER TIME.
WATERSHED PROTECTION HAS THIS ISSUE ON THEIR RADAR, BUT WE, WE CAN WORK STRATEGICALLY TO HELP PEOPLE LIVING IN THERE AND TO PROTECT OUR GREEN SPACE AS WELL.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS, UH, WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR CREEKS, AND IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD SAY, WELL, I CAN BYPASS IT, NOT PAYING A NOT PAY ATTENTION TO IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S SCARY WHEN YOU WALK IN A GREEN SPACE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL SAFE.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL ALIVE.
THIS IS, UM, THIS IS TREASURE.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TREASURE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO WALK TO SEND OUR KIDS TO WITH A BIKE.
WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE, YOU KNOW, FOR RECREATION.
THIS IS, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR RECREATION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT DOABLE.
UH, I I ASK YOU TO PLEASE, UH, TAKE MATTERS INTO THIS HANDS IF WE ARE WILLING, THE NEIGHBORS ARE WILLING TO PARTNER WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION WITH, UM, ANYONE THAT IS WORKING ON THIS SO WE COULD BE ABLE TO CLEAN UP OUR SPACES AND WE CALL AND THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY THAT TELLS US, YOU KNOW, WE DIRECT YOUR, YOUR, UH, SOME YOUR THINGS TO THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE, BUT IT'S NOT WORKING.
UH, I WILL HAVE MR. JORGE MOR REACH OUT TO YOU.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.
GET YOUR INFORMATION AND, UH, I HAVE HIS INFORMATION AND I'LL, WE WORK VERY CLOSE.
AND I ALREADY CONTACTED SOMEBODY FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION AND I JUST ASKED THEM THE, TO, YOU KNOW, TO INCLUDE US IN THE CLEANUP PROCESS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ONLY A WATERSHED PROTECTION, I UNDERSTAND ISSUE.
AND, UH, SO, BUT WE'LL MAKE, WE'LL MAKE CONTACT WITH YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THANK YOU.
KK, MAYOR, MAYOR PROM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AS OF JAN, UH, I'M RICK KIVAN AND AS OF JANUARY, UH, I'M IN DISTRICT FOUR.
I'M CURRENTLY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ROBERT MILLER AIR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT PLAN, IMPLEMENTATION ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THANK YOU MAYOR WATSON FOR REAPPOINTED ME TO THE COMMISSION LAST MONTH.
THANK, UH, AND THANKS ALSO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS POOL AND VELA, UH, FOR REAPPOINTING COMMISSIONERS, CORKY HILLIARD AND MARTIN LUKI.
AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR, UH, PASSING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO SERVE A BIT MORE THAN EIGHT CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITH MAYOR PROTE ELLIS'S APPOINTMENT OF JOSH RHODA EARLIER TODAY.
ALL 11 SEATS ARE NOW FILLED OUR COMMISSION'S EXISTENCE AS HE'S TIED TO THE MASTER DEVELOPER AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND COACHELLAS MILLER'S MASTER DEVELOPER.
SO BOTH EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2024.
OUR, UH, THE NEXT 1220 MONTHS, 21 MONTHS ARE CRITICAL FOR RESIDENTS OF MILLER IN MANY WAYS.
LAST MONTH WE SENT YOU TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE FIRST WAS TO ELIMINATE THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT THAT OUR COMMISSION MEMBERS MUST LIVE ON IN ONE OF 25 SPECIFIED NEIGHBORHOODS.
I HOPE ALL CURRENT MEMBERS SERVE TO THE END, BUT IF THERE'S A VACANCY, REMOVING THE REQUIREMENT CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FASTER AND EASIER.
THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION ADDRESSES THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF MILLER'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
THE MDA SPECIFIED THAT 25% OF HOUSING AT MILLER BE AFFORDABLE.
CATIS HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS, WHICH HAS EXCEEDED 25% BY A POINT OR TWO AT TIMES OVER THE NEXT 21 MONTHS.
THE COUNCIL MUST TAKE THE TIME TO ENSURE THE CONTINUANCE OF MILLER'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM SO THAT IT IS SECURE FOR DECADES TO COME.
NOW, SWITCHING HATS AND SUBJECTS, I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
I WAS AMONG THE CITIZENS WHO SPENT TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AND ITS FUTURE LAND USE MAP ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2007, OPEN TO MORE DENSITY.
WE STUDIED OUR PLANNING AREA WITH AN EYE TO WHERE MORE, WHERE DENSITY COULD BE ACCOMMODATED AND WHERE IT COULDN'T.
THE MIXED USE OVERLAY WAS GIVEN TO EVERY SITE WHERE COMMERCIAL USES WOULDN'T BE MISSED.
WE APPLIED THE VERTICAL MIXED USE OVERLAY TO ALMOST EVERY ELIGIBLE SITE.
VM U WAS SOLD TO CITIZENS AS A MEANS OF ADDING RESIDENTIAL USES TO COMMERCIALLY ZONE PROPERTIES ON CERTAIN CORRIDORS.
IT WAS NOT TO DISPLACE COMMERCIAL USES FOR RESIDENTIAL ONES WITHOUT CHANGING THE ORDINANCE OR REQUIRING REZONING.
THE CITY IS NOW ALLOWING VMU TO BE USED AS A MEANS TO MORE HOUSING WHILE NOT REQUIRING ADEQUATE SPACE FOR COMMERCIAL AMENITIES.
NEW AND NEARBY RESIDENTS WILL NEED AND FYI, MOST BUILDING, UH, CODES, INCLUDING AUSTIN'S DEFINE LIVE WORK UNITS AS A RESIDENTIAL USE.
[02:25:01]
USES IN SPACE ARE LIMITED.IF YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOW THE FURTHER EM ELIMINATION OF COMMERCIAL SPACES NEEDED FOR A MORE COMPACT AND WALKABLE CITY, JUST TELL US OUTRIGHT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS AND AT TIMES THE CITY'S OWN ORDINANCES NO LONGER MATTER.
THE LAST SPEAKER IS DESSA DAVIS, AND THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS.
MEMBERS, UH, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE SPEAKERS FOR OUR NOON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
UH, WE WILL NOW GO TO HAVING SOME LIVE MUSIC.
WE HAVE ONLY LEFT ON THE AGENDA A TIME CERTAIN OF TWO O'CLOCK FOR ZONING MATTERS.
SO UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, WE WILL BE RECESSED UNTIL 2:00 PM.
HOWEVER, UH, I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL JOIN US FOR THE LIVE MUSIC.
THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE 'EM A FEW MINUTES TO SET UP AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME LIVE MUSIC HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, WE ARE RECESSED UNTIL 2:00 PM EVERYBODY, I'M EXCITED THAT
[Live Music: Wahab Rasooli]
I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE TO YOU FOR OUR MUSIC PORTION OF TODAY.WELL, HABRA SUI AS A SINGER AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL TV OF HIS PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL TV STATION, WAHOO, WAHAB ROLI WAS FORCED TO LEAVE KABUL, AFGHANISTAN WITH HIS FAMILY LAST YEAR WHEN THE TALIBAN ROSE TO POWER AFTER MOVING THROUGH REFUGEE CAMPS IN QAR, GERMANY, PHILADELPHIA, AND EL PASO.
HE ARRIVED IN AUSTIN IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.
HIS LYRICS SPEAK OF THE CRUSHING LOSS OF BEING AWAY FROM HIS HOME.
THEY SPEAK OF WAR AND VIOLENCE, SADNESS AND LOVE.
THEY ALSO SPEAK TO HAPPINESS AND HOPE WAHAB IS ECSTATIC TO PERFORM AGAIN FOR MEMBERS OF THE AFGHAN COMMUNITY AND THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
HE'S HAPPY TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT'S A PART OF HIS EFFORT TO SEEK, TO REBUILD HIS CAREER AND ADAPT TO HIS NEW LIFE AS A TEXAN.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WAHAB RAI TRYING TO, IS IT, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S START THAT OVER.
[02:32:17]
OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.[02:36:28]
THANK YOU.I'M GONNA INVITE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCILS THAT ARE HERE IN THE CHAMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR WORK.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE ENJOYABLE THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO IS WE GET TO BE INVOLVED IN CITY OF AUSTIN PROCLAMATIONS.
AND AS MAYOR, UH, I'M REAL PLEASED TODAY TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS IS BLESSED WITH MANY CREATIVE MUSICIANS WHOSE TALENT EXTENDS TO VIRTUALLY EVERY MUSICAL GENRE.
AND WHEREAS OUR MUSIC SCENE THRIVES BECAUSE AUSTIN AUDIENCES SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC PRODUCED BY LEGENDS, OUR LOCAL FAVORITES AND NEWCOMERS ALIKE.
AND WHEREAS WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOWCASE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTISTS.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 9TH, 2023 AS WAHAB RAUL DAY.
AND IT'S SIGNED BY ME ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL AS MAYOR OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THANK STEP OVER HERE IN THE MIDDLE AND TAKE A PICTURE.
IS THAT OKAY? UH, HELLO EVERYONE.
FIRST I WANT TO SAY, UH, I'M SORRY IF I HAVE SOME MISTAKE IN ENGLISH BECAUSE IT'S MY, IT'S NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE.
I'M TRYING TO LEARN SOON ENGLISH.
SO THANKS ABOUT YOUR KINDNESS, ABOUT SUPPORT ME, AND I WANT TO THANKS FROM A I S D STAFF, MISS ANY HERE, AND THEY COMING TO SUPPORT ME IN HERE.
I WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, I AM WORK AT A I S D.
I, AND ALSO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT I'M WORKING A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I AM THEIR, UH, BROADCAST ENGINEER.
UH, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING AND THANKS FOR THIS.
UH, I THINK IT'S, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL TWO O'CLOCK WHEN WE WILL RECONVENE FOR OUR ZONING CASES AND HEARINGS.
[02:40:01]
I'LL CALL THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL BACK TO ORDER.IT'S, UH, TWO O'CLOCK ON MARCH 9TH, 2023.
[Consent Agenda ( Part 2 of 2 )]
WE ARE NOW AT OUR, OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, UH, WHICH RELATES TO ZONING.I'LL, UM, BEFORE I PULL OUT THE WHOLE CONSENT AGENDA, I, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO COME UP AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN HAVE YOU SPEAK AND THEN WE'LL BRING UP ITEMS 41 AND 42 SEPARATELY.
SO I WILL READ THROUGH THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
YES, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO, YES.
THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL JOY HARDEN WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
YOUR ZONING AGENDA BEGINS WITH ITEM NUMBER 37.
THAT'S NPA 20 22 0 0 2, 1 0.02.
AND THIS ITEM IS BEING POSTPONED BY STAFF.
THERE'S A STEP PLUS MOMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 4TH COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 38 IS C 14 20 22 0 2 0 3.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THERE'S AN APPLICANT POST MOMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 23RD COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 40 IS C 1 14 20 22 0 1 7 0.
AND THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
AND THEN WE HAVE ITEM 41 AND 42.
UM, THEY'RE RELATED CASES, AND THESE WILL BE YOUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. SO MEMBERS, THE CONSENT AGENDA WOULD BE ITEM 37, 38, 39, AND 40 IS LAID OUT BY MS. HARDEN.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WELL LET ME ADD, WE'LL GO TO, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN WE WILL GO, WHEN WE CALL UP 41 AND 42, WE'LL GO TO THOSE.
MAYOR, MAYOR, THE REMOTE SPEAKER IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UM, WELL IN THAT CASE, YES, UH, MAYOR, I DID, UH, TRY TO SIGN UP FOR ITEM 38.
WE CAME IN PERSON HERE YESTERDAY AND I HAVE A WITNESS AND THE KIOSK WAS NOT ACCEPTING IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN.
THEN I CAME THIS MORNING, I, AGAIN, I TALKED TO CITY CLERK AND SHE HAD MISSED IT.
I AM THE PRESIDENT OF ONTOP CONTACT TEAM.
I'M THE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR ITEM 38.
AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM PLEASE.
YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE YOU DID YOU YESTERDAY? YES.
AND IT SAYS SHE WAS OPEN FOR, UH, SIGNUP IN PERSON AND I CAN'T, AND YOU TALKING TO THE CITY CLERK THEN? YES, I DID.
WELL, MS. AMANZA, IF I, WHEN I DO THIS, THEN I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR EVERYBODY, RIGHT.
AND SO I'M GONNA WELL, I WOULD THINK YOU'D WANNA HEAR FROM THE OFFICIAL REPRESE.
WELL, WE DO, BUT BEFORE YOU PUT IT ON ME, YEAH, WE DO HAVE RULES.
AND, UM, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES.
BUT I, I'M, THIS IS, I'M NOT GONNA, NOT GONNA DO THIS WITH, WITH EVERYBODY.
AND, AND IT, WELL, I APPRECIATE IT, MAYOR.
YOU'RE MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT.
I, I LIKE TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT FOR US.
I KNOW YOU DO
AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU, YOU'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL FOR A LONG TIME,
UH, WOULD YOU PUT ON THAT POWERPOINT PLEASE? UH, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UH, THIS PROJECT IS, UH, IS, IS ACTUALLY IN THE PROJECT CONNECT DISPLACEMENT AND E EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR PLAN.
THE PER CAPITA INCOME FROM A TAPAS COMMUNITY IS 12 $20,859.
THE MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS $42,344.
THE CHILDHOOD POVERTY RATE IS 26.4.
THERE BE APPROXIMATELY 600 UNITS THAT WILL BE BUILT.
300 AT MARKET RATE, 36 2 BEDROOMS, TWO THREE BEDROOMS. AND THAT MAKES 262 1 BEDROOM UNITS, 300 SO-CALLED AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS, 36 2 BEDROOM UNITS, THREE THREE BEDROOM UNITS, AND A TOTAL OF 261 1 BEDROOM UNITS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT ALL TOGETHER, THAT'S FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE ONE BEDROOM UNITS, 72 2 BEDROOM UNITS AND FIVE THREE BEDROOM UNITS WITH 80% OF THE 300.
SO CALL AFFORDABLE UNITS WILL BE AT 80% MFI, ONE PERSON IS SIX 61,804 PERSONS, WHICH TYPICALLY IS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO FIVE PERSONS IS 88,250.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MFI, LIKE I SAID, FOR A PERSON'S OF FOUR IS 33180% IS 88,250.
[02:45:01]
AND EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE 60% MFI FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR, UM, MANUS IS 44,000, UH, 140% AND 66,000 AT 60% MFI.UH, IF THIS DEVELOPMENT IS TO SERVE THEM ON TOPLESS COMMUNITY, WE NEED DEEPER AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
WE NEED MORE TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS, UH, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY, WE ARE GIVING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD MIXED, UH, UNIT DEVELOPMENT THERE.
AND EM, O U ALLOWS RESIDENTIAL ATTACHED HOUSING WITH SMALL RETAIL.
AND SO IF, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVING UP THE POSSIBILITY OF RESIDENTIAL ATTACHED HOUSING, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD DEMAND MORE DEEPER AFFORDABLE UNITS AND MORE UNITS OF FAMILY.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REMOTE CALL IN IS NOW ON THE LINE.
SYNOVIA JOSEPH SPEAKING ON ITEM 37, 40, 41 AND 42.
MAYOR, MAY I ASK YOU A TECHNICAL QUESTION BEFORE YOU START MY TIME? UH, MA'AM, I'LL A, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY TECHNICAL IF YOU, IF IT'S ABOUT YOUR TESTIMONY RIGHT NOW, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER TECHNICAL QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UH, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT YOU USE YOUR TIME AND THEN I'LL ANSWER TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AFTER, UM, BY ON PHONE OR OTHERWISE.
COUNSEL, I'LL JUST ASK THE QUESTION, MAYOR.
IT'S ABOUT THE, YOU JUST SAID WE HAVE RULES AND THE RULES ARE NOT CLEAR AND I WAS JUST WANTING YOU TO CLARIFY.
PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR IMMINENT DOMAIN DIFFER FROM PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ZONING.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO CLARIFY WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK ON THOSE IMMINENT DOMAIN ISSUES LIKE I SIGNED UP FOR THIS MORNING.
AND IF YOU WOULD POST THAT FOR THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE CAN HAVE CONSISTENCY IN THOSE RULES THAT YOU JUST REFERRED TO AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO ITEM NUMBER 37.
UH, I ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, A COMMENT AS RELATES TO THE AIR POLLUTION FROM SH 71 THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE THERE IN THAT AREA.
SO THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE ISSUE AND NOISE POLLUTION AS WELL.
AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT STAFF HAS ACTUALLY JUSTIFIED THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S MULTI-FAMILY, BUT IT'S 3.3 MILES AWAY FROM THE BURLESON VILLAGE, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT PROJECT.
AND THIS IS CONCENTRATING POVERTY.
IT'S NOT AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING AND IT VIOLATES THE FAIR HOUSING ACT OF 1968 AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO ITEM NUMBER 40.
THAT'S YOUR DESAR RIDGE DEVELOPMENT.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO DISCIPL DISAPPROVE THIS PROJECT.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE IT IS ACTUALLY WITHIN LESS THAN TWO MILES OF AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE.
AND SPECIFICALLY I WROTE TO THE PUG CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 23RD.
THE DESCRIPTION IS THAT IT IS HAS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS.
IT'S VERY LOW RESPIRATORY HAZARD.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE INCLUDES HIGHER ASTHMA IN THIS RATE 20 TIMES, UM, THAT IN THIS CENSUS TRACT.
AND IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT DIAGNOSED DIABETES, ASTHMA RATES AS WELL.
AND THE SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA ARE ACTUALLY GRADE AT C AND THE PREDOMINANTLY HISPANICS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SO I WOULD ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS PLEASE TO PULL THIS ITEM.
OTHERWISE, YOUR EQUITY ACTION PLAN IS SIMPLY A FARCE.
AND LASTLY, I WILL JUST COMMENT ON ITEMS NUMBER 41 IN 42.
THAT CONCLUDES THE YOU'RE WELCOME SPEAKERS, REMOTE SPEAKERS.
AND WE BUT THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO, UM, MEMBERS WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY OF THE ITEMS OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE ANY MEMBER THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES OR ABSTAINING FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
[Items 41 & 42]
TAKE US TO ITEMS 41 AND 42 AND I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEMS 41 AND 42.UH, YES, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, AGAIN, JOY HARDEN WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAVE ITEM 41, WHICH IS N P N P A 20 22 0 0 2 3 BERGMAN RESIDENTIAL, AND THIS IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT CASE, UM, LOCATED AT 63 0 5 BERGMAN DRIVE.
THE REQUEST IS FROM HIGHER DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY TO MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE.
[02:50:01]
AND THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 42 C HUNDRED 14 20 22 0 1 0 4 BARKMAN RESIDENTIAL REZONING CASE, ALSO LOCATED AT 63 0 5 BARKMAN DRIVE.THE REQUEST IS FROM S F SIX NMP TO MF FIVE NMP.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS MF THREE NMP.
AS THIS IS AN UPZONING YOU WOULD BE MOST COMPATIBLE WITH THE ADJACENT AND NEARBY USES.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION IS M F FIVE C O N P AND WITH THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY THAT LIMITS THE HEIGHT TO 45 FEET.
WE HAVE SPEAKERS HERE TODAY THAT WILL, UM, YOU'LL HEAR BOTH FOR AND AGAINST, UM, THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
AND THE APPLICANT IS HERE REQUESTING M F FIVE N P WANTING TO REMOVE THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
THAT WAS HIS REQUEST AND ALLOWED THE HEIGHT OF 60 FEET AND WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR THE SPEAKERS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS MS. HARDEN? ALRIGHT, I'LL, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES, I WILL INVITE THE ZONING APPLICANT UP TO MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS VICTORIA HASI WITH THROWER DESIGN ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNER.
THE SUBJECT TRACK IS OUTLINED IN BLUE.
UM, IT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF HIGHWAY TWO 90 EAST ON BERKMAN DRIVE.
IF YOU NOTICE, IT ALSO HAS, UM, A SECONDARY ACCESS POINT ON HICKMAN AVENUE, WHICH IS AN INTERNAL NEIGHBORHOOD STREET.
SO THE SUBJECT TRACK AGAIN IS OUTLINED IN BLUE.
THIS IS HOW THE TRACK RELATES TO ELEMENTS OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A HIGHLAND MALL, UM, A REGIONAL CENTER TO THE WEST, AND THE SITE IS 0.43 MILES FROM THAT CENTER.
IT IS ALSO 0.25 MILES FROM A GROCERY STORE.
THAT'S ALONG EAST HIGHWAY TWO 90.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND RESTAURANTS THAT ARE TO THE SOUTH, UM, AT ABOUT 0.6 MILES AWAY.
WE ARE ASKING FOR A MULTI-FAMILY FUTURE LAND USE AMENDMENT, AND WE'RE ALSO ALSO ASKING FOR REZONING TO MF FIVE IN P.
SO LOOKING AT DENSITY, THE SITE IS JUST A LITTLE UNDER ACRE AT 0.86, UH, ACRES.
AND UNDER AN SF SIX SCENARIO WITH CURRENT ZONING WOULD ALLOW ABOUT 10 UNITS.
UH, WE ARE ASKING FOR MF FIVE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THE UNIT BREAKDOWN.
IT WOULD BE, UM, AT MAXIMUM WOULD PROVIDE 46 EFFICIENCY UNITS, 37 1 BEDROOMS. UM, IF YOU AVERAGE ONE IN TWO BEDROOMS, IT WOULD PROVIDE ABOUT 34 AND THEN TWO BEDROOMS AT 31 UNITS.
BUT WE ALL KNOW, UH, THERE ARE LOTS OF MATTERS THAT IMPACT WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY ACHIEVE ON A SITE.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE INCLUDING COMPATIBILITY WITH SETBACKS AND HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS, INTERNAL CIRCULATION DRIVES, DETENTION, WATER QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, PROTECTED TREES THAT MADE EXIST ON THE SITE AS WELL.
SO THIS IS, UH, CALLING TO ATTENTION.
UM, BUT THERE ARE THREE SITES JUST TO THE SOUTH THAT ALL HAVE, UM, WELL, THE SITE IN PINK AND THE SITE IN GREEN HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR SEVERAL DECADES NOW, AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS ARE EQUITABLE TO AN MF FIVE OR MF SIX DENSITY UNDER TODAY'S, UH, CODE, UH, ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE SITE AREA IN ORANGE IS CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
IT HAS DEVELOPMENT ON IT, UM, ALREADY, AND THAT WAS GIVEN GRM MU ZONING NOT TOO LONG AGO.
UM, BUT G R RM U HAS A DENSITY, UH, THAT'S EQUITABLE TO MF FIVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, THERE'S A PRECEDENT IN THIS AREA FOR MF FIVE DENSITY AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
SO AS MENTIONED, THE SITE IS TRIGGERED, UM, IS IMPACTED BY COMPATIBILITY.
EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN YELLOW IS SF THREE, UM, EITHER USE OR ZONING.
AND THE SITE IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH IS, WHILE IT IS AN SF SIX ZONE PROPERTY, IT IS BEING USED FOR SF THREE USE.
AND SO WE CANNOT HAVE, WE ARE TRIGGERED BY COMPATIBILITY.
YOU'LL SEE THE GREEN AREAS WHERE THERE CAN BE NO STRUCTURE AT ALL.
THEN THERE'S THE ORANGE AREAS WHERE THERE CAN BE UP TO TWO STORIES AND 30 FEET, AND THEN THE BLUE AREAS WHERE THERE COULD ACHIEVE THREE STORIES AND 40 FEET WITH COMPATIBILITY APPLYING.
AND THIS IS JUST COMPARING THE, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF MF THREE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION OF MF FIVE OR OUR REQUEST OF MF FIVE.
UM, THERE'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF A LOT OF THE SETBACK, UH, OR A LOT OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
UM, BUT THE F A R IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PIECE TO
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THIS.UM, AND WITH THE CONDITION THAT WE'RE IN IN OUR CITY AND NEEDING MORE HOUSING, UM, MF FIVE DEFINITELY GIVES THE GREATER ABILITY TO HAVE AS MANY UNITS AS WE CAN GET ALONG A CORRIDOR THAT HAS TRANSIT, UM, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT COULD USE MORE HOMES SO THAT THEY COULD ALSO DRAW MORE COMMERCIAL USES IN THE FUTURE.
UH, I'M AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UH, WE'LL NOW TURN TO, UH, PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
UM, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS NINA RINALDI.
ON ITEM 42 ON DECK IS PELLEY AND LOGAN SUGAR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF, UH, BERKMAN DRIVE IN WINDSOR PARK.
I LIVE A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY FROM THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY STATE MY SUPPORT FOR ZONING, UM, THIS PROPERTY FOR HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
UM, I LIKE MY NEIGHBORHOOD A LOT AND I WOULD LIKE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE THERE.
UM, BERKMAN DRIVE IS A REALLY BUSY STREET AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF THE TRAFFIC AND, YOU KNOW, THE CROWDING THAT CAN HAPPEN ON, ON BERKMAN DURING RUSH HOUR.
UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE THAT ANY DAY OVER THE CONDITIONS ON THE STREET, UM, FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WHEN CARS ARE TRAVELING REALLY FAST AT DANGEROUS SPEEDS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, COULD USE MORE PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT ON THE STREET, BETTER BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE IN GENERAL.
AND I WOULD, UM, JUST LIKE TO RE RESPECTFULLY STATE MY SUPPORT FOR, UM, FOR HIGH HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL HERE.
MS. RE JUST REAL QUICK, THE, THE COMPLEX THAT YOU LIVE IN, THAT'S SOMEONE RIGHT ACROSS FROM HANKS? UH, YES.
THE, HOW, HOW MANY UNITS ARE THERE? UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S, WELL, MORE THAN YOU KNOW, 30, 40, BUT I, I DON'T HAVE A, A, A FIRM NUMBER.
NEXT SPEAKER IS CESAR PE AND ON DECK IS LOGAN SUGAR.
UM, I ALSO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT MORE PEOPLE COMING THERE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND AND A LOT MORE, MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE AUSTIN AREA, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE SUITABLE TO HAVE GREATER HOUSING CAPACITY FOR THAT.
UM, IT'S A VERY BUSY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I KNOW WE'VE ALL KIND OF SEEN THE DEVELOPMENTS IN RIVERSIDE RECENTLY, AND I JUST, UH, HAVING SEEN IT CHANGE OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS OR OR SO, I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT DEVELOPMENT THERE AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A SIMILAR THING HAPPEN IN THE BERKMAN AREA.
NEXT SPEAKER IS LOGAN SHUGART ON DECK.
UH, MAYOR COUNSEL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I ALSO LIVE IN WINDSOR PARK AND HOPEFULLY, I GUESS I'M A THIRD PERSON TO GIVE FULL SUPPORT FOR MF FIVE.
THIS LOT IS LITERALLY, AND I DO MEAN LITERALLY RIGHT ON TOP OF ROUTE 10, WHICH IS A HIGH FREQUENCY BUS ROUTE THAT ALREADY GOES THROUGH MUELLER AND DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS A BIKE LANE.
IT'S THE EXACT PERFECT PLACE THAT WE, UH, NEED HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO SEE EM.
VELA, I VOTED FOR YOU SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE YOU, UH, SUPPORT THESE KINDS OF GOALS AND I REALLY HOPE TO SEE YOU CONTINUING TO SUPPORT, UH, HIGH DENSITY INFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JEANETTE LINSON.
ON DECK IS RICK KREK, THEN SCOOTER CHEATHAM, MADAME CLERK.
SO, UH, IF YOU'RE, IF SHE'S CALLED YOUR NAME A AS BEING ON DECK OR PLEASE COME DOWN AND, AND HAVE A SEAT HERE IN THE FRONT, SO WE'LL, WE'LL KNOW PEOPLE ARE, UH, RESPONDING TO THAT AND WE CAN, UH, GET YOU UP MORE EFFICIENTLY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR WATSON, UH, MAYOR PROTE ELLIS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M CHAIR OF THE WINTER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYING CONTACT TEAM.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE LOCATED, UM, OUR BOUNDARIES ARE, I, ITS 35 2 90 EAST NORTHEAST DRIVE, MAINER ROAD, AND 51ST STREET.
WE'RE THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S JUST NORTH
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OF MUELLER.THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 2,113 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND 71,193 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL.
UM, AND, AND HANG ON, HANG ON A SECOND, MR. HART.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S IN CONTROL OF THE SCREENS, BUT IT'S DISTRACTING TO HAVE WHATEVER'S BEING LOOKED AT.
UH, I'M TRYING TO GET INTO IT.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 2,113 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND 71,193 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL AND COUNTING SLATED FOR WINDSOR PARK FROM 10 NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WINDSOR PARK TOWERS, HIGHGROVE, CLAYTON LANE RESIDENCES, THE ACRE AT BERKMAN, BERKMAN RESIDENCES, WINDSOR VILLAGE, WHEELIS TOWN HOMES, THE LANCASTER, THE SOLOMON, EAST 51ST AND CAMERON BERKMAN DRIVE IS A TWO-LANE LOCAL MOBILITY STREET WITH BIKE LANES.
IT IS SEVERELY OVER CAPACITY, YET THERE ARE THREE NEW PROJECTS SLATED TO BE BUILT THAT WILL PRIMARILY USE THIS STREET AND 6 3 0 5 BERKMAN DRIVE IS ONE OF THEM.
SEEING THESE UNDERUSED, UH, AND PROPERTIES, UH, PURCHASED AND REDEVELOPED FOR FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES, UH, WHILE ALSO DEVELOPING GREAT WORK AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH, WITH DEVELOPERS WHO ARE MOVING INTO OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A GREAT WORK AND, AND REALLY INSPIRATIONAL FOR ME.
BUT IT MAKES ME SUTTER TO THINK THAT THE ACCESS TO AND THE SUCCESS OF THESE 10 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WILL BE RIDING ON A SUBSTANDARD OVERBURDEN STREET NETWORK.
THESE ESTIMATES DON'T EVEN INCLUDE WE LIST, OR 51ST AND CAMERON AND CAMERON ROAD IS THE ONLY ROAD, UH, IMPACTED BY THESE PROJECTS, SLATED FOR AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL LANE.
SO WE NEED YOUR HELP, UH, TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
AND JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF RESIDENCES THAT WE ARE EMBRACING, UH, AND ABSORBING IN OUR COMMUNITY WARRANTS IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND, AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION.
I'M JEANETTE SWENSON AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, WINDSOR PARK ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION AT THE FEBRUARY 11TH GENERAL MEETING.
THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS ON ZONING MF THREE AND DENSITY FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT 63 0 5.
BERKMAN DRIVE, MF THREE WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE CONTACT THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT TEAM REZONING BURKE 63 0 5.
BERKMAN DRIVE TO MF FIVE, FACING, FACING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE TO THE EAST AND THE WEST IS UNPRECEDENTED IN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD AND SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR INCOMPATIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTION IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
MF THREE IS AN IMPERFECT COMPROMISE, ALTHOUGH THE SITE IS 500 FEET FROM HARRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 63 0 5 PROVIDES LITTLE FAMILY FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
RENTERS AND FAMILIES ARE BEING DRIVEN FROM WINDSOR PARK.
SO, UH, 63 0 5 PROVIDES FOR NO NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE, EVEN THOUGH 83 80,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM WINDSOR VILLAGE DIRECTLY TO THE SOUTH AND WILL BE MINIMALLY REPLACED, BUT FINALLY ADOPTING MFI WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON AN ALREADY OVERBURDENED BERKMAN DRIVE.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY FOUR HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT PROJ PRO PROJECTS PROPOSED, OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHICH WE'LL USE, WHICH WILL BE USING THE CURRENT TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND WILL FEED ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC ONTO BER UH, ONTO BERKMAN.
IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE AUSTIN'S HOUSING SHORTAGE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS RICK CROAK, AND AFTER RICK IS SCOOTER CHEATHAM, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, MY NAME IS RICK CROAK AGAIN AND, UH, NO HATS, UH,
I AM ALSO A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, AND AS I SAID EARLIER, UM,
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I WORKED ON THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.I SENT YOU A LONG MISSIVE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, SO I, I HOPE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE CAN'T VIEW THIS REZONING IN A VACUUM.
UM, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, WINDSOR VILLAGE IS BEING REDEVELOPED.
UH, 50,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE HAS BEEN, UH, BULLDOZED.
UH, AND ANOTHER 35,000 OR SO WILL BE, UM, RAISED IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
I ASSUME THERE ARE 405 APARTMENTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW.
PHASE TWO WAS PRESENTED, UM, TO THE PLANT, THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CONTACT TEAM LAST MONTH.
AND ANOTHER 300 UNITS ARE PLANNED FOR THAT.
SO THAT IS 700 LIVING UNITS THAT WILL HAPPEN AT BERKMAN AND B BRIARCLIFFE THAT'S ABOUT 1500 FEET SOUTH OF THIS PROPERTY.
I THINK, UM, GOING FROM EMORY RIGHT NOW, IT'S VERY CLOSE.
UH, WE'VE LOST A LOT OF THE RETAIL AND SERVICES THAT WERE IN WINDSOR VILLAGE, OR COULD HAVE BEEN IN WINDSOR VILLAGE HAD IT BEEN BETTER MANAGED.
UM, BUT UH, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THERE NOT BEING ANOTHER PROBABLY THOUSAND RESIDENTS, UM, ON BERKMAN DRIVE IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE AND NOT SEE THAT BERKMAN NEEDS SOME HELP.
SO IF YOU'RE SETTING A PRECEDENT, IF YOU GRANT THE MF FIVE, YOU'RE SETTING A PRECEDENT.
IF YOU GRANT THE MF THREE, I THINK THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, GAVE THE, THE PROPERTY ZONING OF, UH, SF SIX, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, TO THIS PROPERTY ORIGINALLY.
BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE ANY, ANY MORE DENSITY THERE, THEN WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME HELP ON BIRKMAN.
I HAVE AN ADVANCED DEGREE IN COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING.
I WAS ALSO PART OF THE PROCESS IN 2007 OF CREATING THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
AND AT THAT TIME, I OPPOSED THE MASSIVE AMOUNT.
I SAY 22 PER 2% OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WAS UPZONED.
UM, AND BECAUSE I FELT LIKE ZONING IS OUR ONLY BARGAINING POWER, UH, BUT, UM, BUT THE, BUT THE ZONING PASSED AND AT THAT TIME, WINDSOR PARK WAS ONE OF THE MOST UP ZONED NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, I GUESS MY ARGUMENT AND, UH, I'M, I'M REFERRING BACK TO ONE OF THE MAYOR'S ACCEPTANCE SPECIES WHERE YOU SAID, UH, FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT TAKE A LOT OF EXTRA ZONING, THAT WE NEED TO START TO GIVE THEM A BREAK AT TIME.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE THAT ARGUMENT.
UH, I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE HEARD.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA BRING UP IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, AUSTIN'S VERSION OF NEW URBANISM IS NOT THE FORM OF NEW URBANISM THAT WAS CREATED BY HANK DENMAR AND ANDRE DWK.
UH, AND MANY OF OUR DECISIONS ABOUT DENSITY ARE DISRUPTING THE DNA OF THE CITY.
AND, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, BERKMAN IS A HEAVILY TRAVELED, UH, STREET ALREADY.
IT'S VERY SMALL AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO MUCH UNLESS YOU HAVE IN A DOMAIN.
UH, IF YOU ADD ENOUGH, UH, ENOUGH, MORE UNITS TO, TO THE TRAFFIC ON THAT STREET.
UH, AN ALTERNATE WAY TO PULL OFF THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS, THESE KINDS OF DIFFICULT PROBLEMS IN NEIGHBORHOODS IS TO LOOK FOR OTHER KINDS OF, SUCH TO INCENTIVIZE.
FOR EXAMPLE, CAPITAL PLAZA IS, UH, SOMEWHAT UNDERUTILIZED, UH, UM, ENTITY AND, UH, CHAIR, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
SO IT COULD, CAPITOL PLAZA COULD TAKE FIVE OR 10,000 PEOPLE AND THEY WOULD ALL, THEY WOULD, THEY, THEY'RE RIGHT ON A, A MAJOR QUARTER.
AND WOULD NOT HAVE TO DISRUPT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OKAY, THAT, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS.
UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEMS 41 AND 42? HEARING NONE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
MEMBERS WILL NOW TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 41.
WE'LL TAKE THESE UP SEPARATELY FOR THE RECORD.
UM, WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM 41 FIRST.
IS THERE A MOTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM 41? COUNCIL MEMBER BAILEY, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION.
UH, MAYOR, I WOULD, UH, MOVE TO, OH LORD, HOLD ON JUST A SECOND HERE.
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I WOULD MOVE TO, UH, SUPPORT THE MF FIVE ZONING AND I'M, I'M SORRY, LET ME ASK A, A PROCESS QUESTION RIGHT NOW, PLEASE.CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS THE, UH, THE AMENDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AS OPPOSED TO THE ZONING.
WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPER MOTION IN, UH, IN THIS MS. HARD? YES.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, IN THIS ONE, THE STAFF AND THE APPLICANT BOTH, UM, HAVE THE SAME RECOMMENDATION.
SO YOU CAN MOVE THE STAFF OR THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST TO THE, UH, MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE WHILE YOU'RE THERE? MM-HMM.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED M F FIVE CO.
SO WE HAVE THREE RE ONE REQUEST AND TWO DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DIDN'T KNOW, I KNEW THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION THERE.
BUT EVERYONE IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS, THE NPA WITH THE APPLICANT AND THIS, THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST IS MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT, AND THAT'S THE MOTION THAT WAS JUST MADE? YEAH.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER, NEVERMIND.
OKAY, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ITEM NUMBER 41, ITEM NUMBER 42.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION.
MAY I I JUST WANT TO, THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT THAT I DISAGREE WITH FROM MY, MY NEIGHBORS IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, OF CONSTRUCTION AND THE AMOUNT OF NEW HOUSING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
WE ARE FACING SUBSTANTIAL TRAFFIC CONCERNS.
UH, I I WOULD SAY THOUGH THAT, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY, UH, OF THAT, UH, MORNING AND AFTERNOON KIND OF PEAK TRAFFIC IS FROM CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC FROM COMMUTERS COMING IN FROM EAST TWO 90, FROM MAYER, FROM ELGAN, AND FROM OTHER PARTS THAT ARE USING, YOU KNOW, BERKMAN AND A CAMERON TO AVOID THAT 2 99 35, UH, INTERSECTION, WHICH CAME BACK UP.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S AN ONGOING CONCERN AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, TO, TO WORK ON THAT.
THAT SAID, I WOULD MOVE TO ZONE IT, UH, MF FIVE, UH, WITH NO, UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY AND AS WITHOUT SUPPORT THE APPLICANT COMMIT APPLICANT'S, UH, UH, UH, THAT THE, UH, APPLICANT'S UH, M F FIVE REQUEST REQUEST.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
IS THERE A DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OH, MA'AM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS IS READY FOR ALL THREE READINGS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MOTION WAS TO THAT IF IT, IF, IF, IF IT PASSES BY THE MAJORITY, IT NEEDS TO PASS BY, IT WILL PASS ON ALL THREE READINGS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE SEEN AS ABSTAINING.
AND THE MOTION IS ADOPTED ON ALL THREE READINGS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON AL ALTER BEING SHOWN ABSTAINING.
AND MEREDITH, IF I MAY MAKE JUST A BRIEF COMMENT, I DID WANNA NOTE THAT THE APPLICANT IS DEDICATING A 10 FOOT EASEMENT BETWEEN, UH, HICKMAN AND BERKMAN.
THAT BLOCK IS A VERY LONG BLOCK.
UH, AND THEY ARE CREATING A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE 10 FOOT EASEMENT, WHICH THEY WILL BUILD AND THEY WILL LIGHT, UH, TO HELP PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CONNECTIVITY, UH, AS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
WOULD I BE WITHOUT YOU AS THE SKY AND AS TRUE AS BONNETS AND COLD RAINY DAYS? AND.