[00:00:07]
I'M GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN, TEXAS FOR A WORK SESSION.
IT IS TUESDAY, APRIL 18TH, 2023.
IT IS NINE O'CLOCK, ACTUALLY 9 0 1 IN THE MORNING.
UM, MEMBERS, THE WAY WE'LL MOVE FORWARD ON THIS IS, UH, YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE WERE GONNA TAKE A, A QUICK RECESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS WORK SESSION TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS OVER IN THE CHAMBERS AND THEN COME BACK TO THE WORK SESSION, BUT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE, ARE PRESENT WHEN WE, UH, GO DO THAT OTHER BUSINESS.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO INSTEAD IS START OFF WITH A DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES HAS ASKED THAT WE PULL IT SO THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
WE WILL THEN HOPEFULLY, UH, AND LIKELY RECESS AT THAT POINT FOR ABOUT 20 TO 30 MINUTES, AND WE'LL COME BACK IN, UH, WE'LL RECONVENE, AND THAT'S WHEN WE WILL TAKE UP THE TWO BRIEFINGS AND WE WILL GO INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE END OF THOSE BRIEFINGS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, WHAT WE'LL
[C. Council Items of Interest]
DO IS WE'LL GO TO, UH, COUNCIL ITEM C COUNCIL ITEMS OF INTEREST, AND I'LL CALL UP ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE AUTHORIZATION AND NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT FOR LICENSE PLATE READER, CAMERA SYSTEMS AND SERVICES.AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES.
I, I PULLED THIS ITEM FOR WORK SESSION IN SPIRIT OF, I'M SURE WE ALL, I HOPE EVERYONE HAS SEEN THE MAYOR'S MESSAGE ABOUT, UM, MEETING PROCESSES.
AND I THINK, AND THE SPIRIT OF TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
BEFORE THURSDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT ITEM 10, WHICH IS AROUND THE LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY.
THERE IS AN ITEM ON THIS WEEK'S COUNCIL COUNCIL AGENDA TO APPROVE THAT CONTRACT WITH THE VENDOR THAT PROVIDES THE LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY.
ALSO, AS PART OF THAT, UM, RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL FOR KELLY BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, THAT OUTLINED A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, UM, TO, FOR, FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY AROUND, UH, THE, THE GUIDANCE AND PARAMETERS OF THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY YOU HAVING YET WITHIN OUR, OUR CITY, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN.
UM, WE RECEIVED A MEMO FROM THE CITY MANAGER, UM, AND ACM BRUCE MILLS, UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THAT HAS THAT DRAFT POLICY THAT WOULD GO ALONG WITH THAT LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY.
UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS IF THERE'S STAFF AVAILABLE TO, TO SPEAK TO IT.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE IT, YOU KNOW, HAS THE COMMUNITY SEEN THIS DRAFT L P R POLICY AND BEEN ABLE TO WEIGH IN ON, UM, ON THE DRAFT POLICY? TRY IT AGAIN.
UM, THE COMMUNITY WAS ABLE TO SEE A PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE DRAFT.
THIS DRAFT INCLUDES THE INPUT THAT THEY GAVE US WHEN THEY SAW THE PREVIOUS VERSION.
SO THIS LAST VERSION THAT CAME OUT YESTERDAY HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY THE COMMUNITY.
CAN YOU, IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT AND I APOLOGIZE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, DO YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD? YES, SIR.
JEFF GREENWALT, ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I HAVE WITH ME LIEUTENANT ASKEW, WHO IS WITH OUR POLICE TECHNOLOGY UNIT.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH CENSUS THIS TECHNOLOGY WAS ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS ON COUNCIL.
AND KNOWING THAT WE NOW HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, STATE TROOPERS OPERATING WITHIN OUR CITY, I DO THINK COLLEAGUES, IT IS SUPPORT US, UM, PERHAPS CONSIDERING THIS POLICY AND THIS CONTRACT AT A LATER TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT UTILIZING OUR COMMITTEES, UM, IN A MORE ROBUST MANNER.
SO THIS MIGHT BE, UH, A GOOD ITEM TO HAVE, UH, FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHICH I THINK IS MEETING NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR, FOR US TO CONSIDER ANDREW, WHAT WE CAN DO AND, AND MEMBERS, WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN POST, UH, THIS ITEM WE HAVE TIME, IS WHAT I'M SAYING, TO POST THIS ITEM OR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHICH IT IS, IN FACT, AS COUNCIL MEMBER POINTENT TO SUGGEST MEETING NEXT WEEK.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTEZ, FOR PULLING THIS ITEM SO THAT WE COULD TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT COMMUNITY NEEDS MORE TIME, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND ALSO MAYBE FROM APD TO FIND OUT IF A DELAY WILL IMPACT THE CONTRACT ITSELF OR IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER, UM, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE DELAYING THE ITEM.
LET ME ASK, UH, ARE THERE ANY, UH, CONTRACTUAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE A CONCERN THAT WE JUST DELAYED A WEEK? NO CONTRACTUAL ISSUES? YEAH, I, I JUST THINK THE ONLY THING WE WOULD WANNA KNOW IS IF, UH, WE'VE GIVEN A MEMORANDUM, TRY TO AN ANTICIPATE THE QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT ARE NEEDED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A COMPLETE DISCRETION NEXT WEEK IF YOU'LL GET THOSE TO OUR OFFICE AND WE GET THEM TO THE CHIEF
[00:05:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS ANY ISSUES THAT THE COUNCIL MAY STILL HAVE AS PENDING, UH, RELATIVE TO THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE ADDRESSED.SO MY NEXT QUESTION THEN IS ONCE IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, THEN WHAT WOULD YOU ANTICIPATE VANESSA OR COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO CONVENE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND LET US KNOW WHAT THEY THINK OF THE POLICY.
AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNCIL OF THE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION TO RECOMMEND IT TO COUNCIL OR IF IT WOULD JUST BE PLACED ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
SO, SO JUST SO THAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU ANTICIPATE THIS GOING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE JUST TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL DAY FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEN IT COMING BACK TO COUNCIL FOLLOWING THAT? YES.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SECOND WHAT COUNCILWOMAN FUENTES SAID.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE BROUGHT UP THE RESOLUTION AROUND RAINEY STREET AND PUBLIC SAFETY, WE DID HAVE A, UH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, FORUM.
UH, AND WE HAD FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY, FOLKS WHO HAD LOST LOVED ONES COME.
AND I THINK THAT HELPED US DRAFT THE, UH, RESOLUTION THAT WE DID.
AND I THINK THAT CAN ONLY BE BENEFICIAL FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE ITEM THAT THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER PULLED.
UH, SO I'M, I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER BAYLA? I, I AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, AND, UH, I HAVE, I, I WANNA SAY IT WAS A BACKUP POSTED VERY RECENTLY WHERE THE POLICY WAS POSTED, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, I THINK JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.
UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, UH, JUST YET, AND I WOULD LIKE SOME TIME, I THINK THURSDAY'S A BIT QUICK TO, UH, REVIEW, UH, AND, UH, A SHORT, UH, CONTINUANCE WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATED.
NOW WE, WE'LL BE PREPARED, WE'LL BE PREPARED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE SECOND, AND THEN ACTION CAN BE TAKEN ON THE FOURTH.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I, I GOT THE NI RIGHT, BUT WHEN YOU SAY SECOND, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK SESSION? WELL, YOU HAVE THE WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK, BUT THEN THE FOR ACTION? NO, NO.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK.
THAT'S, AND THEN, THEN IT WOULD BE THE NEXT WEEK, WHICH IS THE FOURTH THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THAT RIGHT.
YOU'D HAVE ACTION ON BEFORE? YEAH, I, I, I MISSPOKE.
SO, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET IT DONE NEXT WEEK.
SO, AND I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE USE THE COMMITTEES MORE, AND THIS MIGHT BE A VERY GOOD, UH, WAY TO, TO DO THAT.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT I'LL DO IS MAKE SURE AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S POSTED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE DISCUSSION, AND THEN IT WOULD BE PROPOSED TO BE AN ACTION ITEM ON MAY 4TH.
IS THAT SATISFIED? COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON AL ALTER.
UM, I APPRECIATE MOVING THAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ABOUT THE POLICE ACADEMY.
UM, AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE, ARE THINKING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE FOR THAT MEETING, THAT WE LEAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, ALSO CONCERNED, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE PRIOR PAROLE REPORT.
SO IT ENDED UP BEING LISTED ON THE AGENDA THAT IT WAS ONLY THE CURRICULUM REVIEW, BUT THERE ARE A WHOLE HOST OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT ABOUT THE MOST, THE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR CROW REPORT THAT WHEN WE, WHEN I REQUESTED THAT BRIEFING OR THAT DISCUSSION I HAD ASKED ABOUT.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, IF IT'S NOT UNDER THE CURRENT HEADING, OR IF THAT'S POSSIBLE TO ADJUST IF WE'RE ADJUSTING THE HEADING.
I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION THAT THAT MIGHT BE, THAT THERE WERE SOME CHANGES THAT THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER WAS IMPLEMENTING, AND THAT MIGHT BE BETTER IN MAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME CLARITY ON, AND WE, WE, WE TRIED TO REPORT TO YOUR OFFICE ABOUT WHY, UH, STAFF HAD INDICATED THAT IT, THAT MIGHT NOT BE READY ON TUESDAY.
AND WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL GET AN ANSWER ON ALL THAT, AND I'LL POST IT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD SO THAT EVERYBODY WILL KNOW WHAT THE OVERALL SITUATION IS ON, WHEN THAT WILL BE DONE.
AND WE WILL, UH, CERTAINLY MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR, UH, ALL OF THESE ISSUES.
SO, SO THAT IT DOESN'T WORRY ANYBODY AS COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
SINCE WE HAVE A APD HERE, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO GIVE US A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY NOW? OR WOULD YOU PREFER THAT, THAT WAY POLICY ON, ON WHAT? LICENSE PLATE READERS ITEM 10.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF FLIES IN THE FACE OF WHAT WE WERE GETTING READY TO DO.
BUT, UM, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS.
IF WE'RE PULLING AN ITEM SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A A, AN ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, I WOULD PREFER THAT WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND THEN WE COME BACK ON THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TOPIC? THOUGHTS? UM,
[00:10:01]
I'M, I'M WAITING.I'M, I'M, I'M WAITING ON ONE THING, AND I DON'T WANT TO DELAY US, UH, ANY MORE THAN WE, WE, UH, NEED TO.
HOW LONG IS THE BRIEFING ON THE LAST WORK? WHAT'S THAT? LONG AS THE BRIEFING NOT VERY LONG.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO ROLL IF YOU WANT.
MEMBERS, I'M GOING TO CALL UP THE
[B2. Briefing on lifeguard recruitment and hiring from the Parks and Recreation Department.]
BRIEFING.AND THE FIRST BRIEFING WE'LL HAVE WILL BE THE BRIEFING ON LIFEGUARD RECRUITMENT AND HIRING FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
KIMBERLY GENTLEMEN, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
KIMBERLY MCNEELY, SERVING AS THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.
SO, UH, THIS, THE TITLE STANDS FOR ITSELF.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT LIFEGUARDING HIRING AND THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANTED YOU YOU TO JUST UNDERSTAND A BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES ARE AS WHEN WE ARE, UH, MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT OUR SWIMMING POOL OPERATIONS.
WE UTILIZE THE LONG RANGE PLAN.
WE UTILIZE THE VISION PLAN FOR AQUATICS THAT WAS ADOPTED IN FEBRUARY OF 2018.
WE DO CONSIDER ANNUAL FEEDBACK.
WE DO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE, UH, ASSESSMENTS OF OUR SWIMMING POOLS AND THE NEEDS OF THOSE POOLS, REPAIRS, AND OTHER SUCH, UH, REFURBISHMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
UM, WE TRY TO RESPOND TO UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES.
AND THEN WE ALSO CONSIDER EQUITY WHEN WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT SWIMMING POOL OPERATIONS.
SO I TELL YOU THIS ONLY BECAUSE LIFEGUARDS IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY COMPONENT THAT MAKES US READY FOR A SWIM SEASON.
SO I'M GONNA FOCUS ON OUR VISION PLAN AND WHAT THE VISION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE TOLD US ABOUT, UH, OUR OPERATIONS.
AND THE FIRST THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT WE HAD A VISION PLAN THAT TOLD US THAT WE HAD SEVEN CRITICAL POOLS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, AND THOSE CRITICAL POOLS REQUIRED RENOVATION, OR THEY COULD POSSIBLY FAIL WITHIN, UH, FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.
AND SO WE HAVE WORKED TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE, BUT ONE POOL, AND THAT POOL IS LEAVING ONLY THE GARRISON POOL THAT WE'RE IN GOING TO BE ADDRESSING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO, ALL OF THE CRITICAL POOLS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, OR ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ADDRESSED.
THERE ARE ANOTHER NINE POOLS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UH, THAT ARE GONNA LIKELY NEED SOME MAJOR RENOVATIONS.
AND SO IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, THOSE WILL ALSO BE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT AND WE'LL NEED TO BE CONSIDERING, UH, AS OUR POOLS START TO AGE.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THIS RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO SEE, UM, BUT IF YOU CAN PULL IT UP, THESE ARE THE AVERAGE AGE OF OUR SWIMMING POOLS AND OR THESE ARE NOT, THE AVERAGE AGE JUST IS THE AGE OF OUR SWIMMING POOLS.
AND SO THE AVERAGE AGE OF A COMMERCIAL POOL THAT HAS ITS LIFESPAN IS USUALLY 25 TO 30 YEARS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY OF OUR SWIMMING POOLS ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES, EIGHTY EIGHT, A HUNDRED AND TWO EIGHTY NINE.
I, I WON'T READ THEM ALL TO YOU CUZ I KNOW YOU CAN READ THEM.
AND WHAT THAT LITTLE YELLOW LINE SHOWS YOU IS, THOSE ARE THE RENOVATIONS THAT HAD BEEN DONE.
AND THOSE RENOVATIONS ACTUALLY TAKE AN 88 YEAR OLD POOL THAT HAS BEEN IN A PARTICULAR LOCATION.
AND NOW, UH, BECAUSE OF THE RENOVATIONS, IT MAKES IT CLOSER TO A 47 YEAR OLD POOL.
SO THAT'S A, A BIG STACY, BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, OR BARUM YOU POOL THAT WAS COMPLETELY REBUILT.
INSTEAD OF IT BEING A SEVEN A 62 YEAR OLD POOL, IT'S NOW CLOSER TO APPROXIMATELY A 10 YEAR OLD POOL.
SO ALL OF THIS IS JUST TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A, UM, A INVENTORY OF, WE HAVE A SET OF ASSETS THAT ARE AGING, AND, AND THEY ARE ALL, MANY OF THEM ARE PAST THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY.
WITH THAT SAID, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT DEEP EDDIE, THIS IS A P A PICTURE THAT I PUT IN HERE IN DEEP EDDIE.
IT, IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UM, IT, IT, IT'S, UM, DISINGENUOUS IN THAT IT, IT'S MAKING IT APPEAR AS THOUGH DEEP EDDIE, UH, IS A SWIMMING POOL THAT IS ONLY APPROXIMATELY SIX YEARS OLD.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, NO, THAT'S REALLY NOT TRUE.
WE DID SOME MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO MAKE IT A ZERO DEPTH ON THREE, BUT THERE ARE SOME, UM, STILL SOME MAJOR WORK.
THE THE WELLS, UM, NEED TO BE, THEY'RE BEING REFURBISHED RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK, CUZ DEEP EDDIE IS CLOSED.
THERE'S ALSO SOME SWIMMING POOL SHELL, UH, UH, RENOVATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT OF THIS, THE ONE THAT'S PERHAPS A LITTLE DISINGENUOUS AS DEEP EDDIE, BUT I COULDN'T FIND, UM, IN TIME FOR THIS.
I COULDN'T FIND THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT, UH, IMAGE TO PUT UP HERE.
SO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF RECENT RENOVATIONS AND NEW CONSTRUCTIONS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SWIMMING, OUR, OUR, UH, INVENTORY IS READY.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A NEW POOL AT COLONY PARK, BRAND NEW POOL.
WE ARE DOING MEN MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO GIBBONS POOL AS WE SPEAK.
WE'RE IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR BOTH COLONY AND GIBBONS CHE POOL, GO VALLEY POOL,
[00:15:01]
MONOPOLI ACHE POOL, AND GO VALLEY POOL ARE COMPLETELY RENOVATED.AND, AND THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE PART, THEY WERE ONE OF THE SEVEN CRITICAL POOLS.
MONTOPOLIS AND NORTHWEST ARE GOING THROUGH SOME MAJOR RENOVATIONS, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING THE BARTON SPRINGS BATHHOUSE AND THE PARK KOSA BATHHOUSE.
SO THOSE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE UPCOMING SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR, OUR SYSTEM OPERATING.
UM, HERE'S HOW WE TRIED TO MAINTAIN OR HOW TO, UM, GET ON TOP OF OUR MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
AND SO WE DID A STRATEGIC REALIGNMENT OF OUR, OF OUR AQUATICS DIVISION USING RESOURCES THAT WERE WITHIN OUR OWN SYSTEM.
SO WE DIDN'T ASK FOR, WE DID GET SOME NEW RESOURCES, BUT THE STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT IS RECLASSIFYING POSITIONS SO THAT WE CAN BETTER RESPOND TO MAINTENANCE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND IN THE, UM, IN THE SEASON WHEN WE'RE GETTING READY FOR THE SWIMMING POOLS TO BECOME UP AND RUNNING, UM, WE'VE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF, OF INCREASED NUMBER OF COMPLETE UNITS.
AND SO, UH, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETE, UH, SETS OF INDIVIDUALS, CREWS THAT GO OUT.
AND SO RATHER THAN, UH, WE MADE SURE WE FILLED VACANCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING OUT IN COMPLETE CREWS, UM, WE UTILIZE CONTRACTORS TO ASSIST.
WE'VE REVIEWED THE FACILITY DOWNTIME BECAUSE WE HAVE A USED TECHNOLOGY.
SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE A, A, A MAINTENANCE PERSON RESPOND TO A PARTICULAR CHLORINE OR ACID ISSUE, WE NOW HAVE, WE CAN DO THAT ELECTRONICALLY, UM, SITTING IN OUR, IN OUR SEATS, IN OUR CARS, UH, IN OUR DESKS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, INCREASE THAT.
SO THAT HAS DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF DOWNTIME.
WE'VE TRIED TO EXTEND OUR SPLASH PAD HOURS, AND I ONLY PUT THAT ON THERE BECAUSE THAT SPLASH PADS IN AND OF THEMSELVES HAVE THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
AND SO, UH, WHILE WE'RE EXTENDING THAT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE ACCESS TO WATER, IT DOES, UM, PROVIDE US A FEW MORE GLITCHES SOMETIMES IN OUR SYSTEM.
BUT THAT AUTOMATION IS HELPING US, UM, TREMENDOUSLY.
AND WE'VE, UM, PARTICIPATED, WE'VE HAD OUR STAFF PARTICIPATE IN CROSS-TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN RESPOND TO JUST ABOUT ANY, UH, ANY RES ANY SORT OF MAINTENANCE ISSUE.
SO HERE'S THE THING THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE REALLY, UM, INTERESTED IN, AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT OUR LIFEGUARDS.
AND SO IN OUR, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR OPERATIONS, WE NEED APPROXIMATELY 850 LIFEGUARDS EACH SUMMER.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE FROM 2014 ALL THE WAY TO 2022, HOW WE HAD NOT, OR PERHAPS DID NOT MEET THE GOAL IN, IN EACH YEAR EXCEPT FOR, YOU CAN SEE, UH, 2017, 2018, IN 2019, WHERE IN THE UPPER LEVEL, 2019, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, WAS A LIVING WAGE INCREASE.
UH, AND THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL IN HELPING US, UM, RECEIVE THOSE LIFEGUARDS OR GET THE RIGHT NUMBER OF LIFEGUARDS.
AND IN 2000 AND, UH, 20, OBVIOUSLY, THAT, THAT WAS THE YEAR OF COVID.
SO THERE WERE, WE DIDN'T NEED THE LIFEGUARDS AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
SO I, I LET YOU KNOW THIS BECAUSE, UM, I WANTED YOU TO REALIZE THAT IN 2019, WE WERE COMPLETELY ON TRACK FOR LIFEGUARDING, AND WE ARE SIMILAR THIS YEAR.
I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
WE'VE PUT IN SOME INTERVENTIONS THIS YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ON TRACK FOR 2023, BUT WE'RE COMPARING IT TO 2019, WHICH WAS ON ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL YEARS.
ONE OF THE, UM, CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LIFEGUARDS IS THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE ALL THE SWIMMING POOLS ACTUALLY ARE, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE POPULATION ACTUALLY LIVES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS A CHALLENGE FOR US IS WHEN YOU'RE 16 OR 17 OR 15, AND YOU NEED TO GET TO A SWIMMING POOL AND YOU LIVE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OR, AND THE, THE SUBURBAN AREAS OF THE CITIES, AND THE, AND THE POOLS ARE ACTUALLY MORE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE.
AND SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE, BUT I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE HAVE, UM, HOW WE HAVE TRIED TO, UH, MANAGE THAT.
SO THE VISION PLAN TOLD US, WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE STAFFING ISSUES, AND HERE'S THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO.
YOU NEED TO TRAIN AND MENTOR STAFF.
YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR HIRING PRACTICES.
YOU NEED TO HIRE YEAR ROUND LIFEGUARDS.
PLEASE IMPLEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENHANCE, UM, THEIR RECRUITING EFFORTS.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE, UM, PROCURING FULL-TIME, I'M SORRY, FRONTLINE STAFF, TO DO THINGS THAT ARE NON-LIFE GUARDING THINGS.
SO YOU'RE NOT ASKING THE LIFEGUARDS TO DO, UH, AN ADDITIONAL JOB.
SO BRING IN YOUR CASHIERS, BRING IN YOUR MAINTENANCE FOLKS, AND PLEASE DON'T ASK YOUR LIFEGUARDS TO DO THAT.
AT LEAST THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN ALSO TO ENHANCE THE LIFEGUARD EXPERIENCE BY PROVIDING THEM SOME AMENITIES THAT, THAT, UM, ARE, ARE DESIRABLE.
SO HERE'S WHAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT IN COLLABORATION WITH, UH, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO AUTOMATE SOME OF OUR PROCESSES, INCLUDING OUR I NINE PROCESS AND OUR COM, UH, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, BOTH OF WHICH ARE NEEDED TO BECOME HIRED.
WE CREATED SOMETHING CALLED TOPS, WHICH YOU MAY HAVE HEARD SOME NEGATIVE, UM, FEEDBACK ON.
[00:20:01]
I WANNA TELL YOU THAT IT'S NOT NEGATIVE, IT'S ACTUALLY POSITIVE.WHEN YOU ARE A LIFEGUARD, YOU HAVE TO DO ALL THOSE EMPLOYMENT THINGS.
THE I NINE, YOU HAVE TO DO THE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE YOUR LIFEGUARD TRAINING.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO PASS YOUR A E D AND FIRST AID TRAINING.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO IN-SERVICE TRAINING.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO YOUR SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING.
YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT.
SO WHAT TOPS DOES IS IT'S ABLE TO ALLOW US TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO BEFORE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SIT A STAND.
AND SO THAT SYSTEM, WHILE, UH, IT HAD A FEW GLITCHES LAST YEAR, WE HAVE SINCE, UM, UH, TOOLED RETOOLED IT, WE'VE TWEAKED IT, AND WE'VE ALSO SHARED IT WITH OUR H R D DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, FEEDBACK FROM THEM TO MAKE IT THE BEST SYSTEM THAT CAN BE.
AND THIS YEAR IT'S WORKING, I'M GONNA SAY SEAMLESSLY, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S GONNA BE A GLITCH AT SOME POINTS IN TIME.
BUT UP TO THIS POINT, IT HAS BEEN WORKING SEAMLESSLY.
WE HIRED THOSE 13 FULL-TIME LIFEGUARDS.
UH, THEY ARE ALREADY, UH, WORKING AND IN IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND THAT WAS, THANKS TO COUNCIL'S ALLOCATION LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE A NEW PAY RATE OF $20 PER HOUR, THE LIVING WAGE THAT HAS BEEN QUITE EFFECTIVE.
AND THEN JUST RECENTLY YOU SAW LAST WEEK WE ANNOUNCED THE, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR LIFEGUARDS TO EARN UP TO $750 BONUS.
UH, WE'VE REDUCED THE BARRIERS TO ENTRY.
THERE'S, YOU ARE, YOU, UH, CAN TRAIN TO BE A LIFEGUARD FREE OF CHARGE.
IF BY CHANCE YOU DON'T PASS THE TRAINING, THEN WE'RE GONNA OFFER YOU A CASHIER JOB OR SOME OTHER JOB WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO WORK THIS SUMMER.
UM, ONCE YOU COMPLETE YOUR TRAINING, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE ALL GONNA PROVIDE YOU A $400 STIPEND TO PAY FOR THAT TRAINING SO THAT WE'RE GONNA PAY YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UH, WHETHER YOU'VE, WHETHER YOU'VE PASSED SUCCESSFULLY OR NOT.
BUT WE'RE GONNA HOPE THAT YOU'RE GONNA PAY, YOU'RE GONNA, UM, YOU'RE GONNA WORK SOMEWHERE FOR US.
UH, WE HAVE FREE UNIFORMS, WE'RE ISSUING FREE UNIFORMS. NO LONGER DO YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A CULTURE OF INTENTION, UH, RETENTION, I'M SORRY, BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB GROWTH, LETTING INDIVIDUALS KNOW WHAT COULD BE.
YOU CAN START HERE AS A LIFEGUARD, AND THEN YOU CAN BECOME, BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH,
UM, UM, ALSO THROUGH THE OFF-SEASON, WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE OFF, UH, CROSS-TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP, UH, LIFEGUARDS ENGAGED.
AND THEN THOSE AMENITIES, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT, UH, AMENITIES AT OUR, AS WE REVE, UH, RE RENOVATE OUR SPACES.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AIR CONDITIONING, THERE'S FAN, THERE'S GOOD AIR CIRCULATION.
THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR, UM, OUR YOUTH, OR SORRY, OUR, OUR YOUNG FOLKS TO PUT THEIR LUNCHES SO THAT THEY'RE IN REFRIGERATORS INSTEAD OF, UM, PERHAPS THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST.
HERE'S OUR, OUR MARKETING EFFORTS.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN, UH, ON CBS, THERE WAS A A ACTUALLY ON THE NEWS, THEY WERE ANNOUNCING THE FACT THAT YOU COULD COME AND BE A LIFEGUARD, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, YOU CAN SEE LITTLE REAL ESTATE SIGNS, YOU CAN SEE BANNERS, YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE CHRONICLE.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMEN.
YOU CAN SEE OUR ADVERTISEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE'VE BEEN TO THE HIRING FAIRS.
WE GO DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE OUR SWIM ATX PROGRAM STILL.
SO WE ARE, UM, WE'VE, UH, DEDICATED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECRUITING OUR LIFEGUARDS.
UM, ALSO IN OUR VISION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS GOES, UH, TO TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH OUR PROGRAMMING.
AND A LOT OF WHAT THIS, UH, WHAT OUR VISION PLAN TOLD US IS THAT IF YOU CAN, UH, ENGAGE YOUTH AT A YOUNG AGE AND GET THEM SWIMMING LESSONS AND HELP THEM FEEL AS THOUGH THEY'RE COMFORTABLE AND PART OF A COMMUNITY AT YOUR SWIMMING POOL, GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE GONNA WANNA COME BACK AND WORK THERE.
SO REALLY, OUR VISION PLAN ABOUT PROGRAMMING TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, A, A BETTER JOB OF, OF GETTING THOSE YOUNG FOLKS SWIMMING LESSONS, ENGAGING THEM.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, TO INCREASE OUR YEAR ROUND SWIMMING LESSONS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO TRY AND SEE IF WE CAN START SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, WHAT WE CALL IT, A SWIMSAFE PROGRAM.
IT, IT SORT OF, UM, DEC DECREASED IN, IN AMOUNT IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAD DURING THE COVID, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO REVIVE THAT PROGRAM.
UM, YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE KNIFE GUARDS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMMING, BUT IT'S ON OUR MIND.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE OUR YOUTH AND GET THEM INTERESTED IN SWIMMING.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT SWIM LESSONS ARE, AND SUPER IMPORTANT IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE JUST TO HAVE THAT LIFE SKILL, UH, SO THAT WE CAN PREVENT, UM, ANY SORTS OF NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE WATER.
BEFORE I END THIS, AND YOU ASK QUESTIONS, PLEASE KNOW THAT AS OF FOUR 14, SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, FRIDAY, RIGHT? UH, WE HAVE 299 LIFEGUARDS READY TO WORK RIGHT NOW, WHICH MEANS THEY, ALL OF THEIR PAPERWORK'S DONE.
EVERYTHING IS, THE BOXES ARE ALL CHECKED.
[00:25:01]
HAD MORE LIFEGUARDS THAN WE NEEDED, WE WERE, UH, AT 302 AT THIS SAME POINT IN TIME.SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANTLY, THERE'S NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
WE'VE HAD 700 APPLICATIONS TO DATE, UH, FOR THE MONTH OF BAY.
WE HAVE 167 LIFEGUARDS SIGNED UP FOR, OR INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP FOR LIFEGUARDING CLASSES.
AND WE HAVE 46 INDIVIDUALS WHO SAID, HEY, I WORKED THERE LAST YEAR.
I JUST NEED TO TAKE THAT ONE CLASS.
UM, SO WE HAVE 337 LIFEGUARDS CERTIFIED, AND ONLY 299 THAT ARE, UM, HAVE ALL THEIR PAPERWORK DONE.
SO YOU CAN BET THAT WE'RE WORKING REAL HARD TO CONTACT THOSE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THE 299 NUMBER, THE 337 NUMBER.
UM, I'M READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER VELO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORT.
AND IT WOULD JUST BE SPECTACULAR IF WE WERE TO ABLE TO OPEN ALL OR VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE POOLS AT THE START OF THE SEASON.
UH, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE VERY WELL RECEIVED BY, UH, BY OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UH, JUST A A A QUESTION ON THE BUDGET.
ARE YOU BUDGETED FOR THE $750 BONUS? BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAD SOME, UH, SOME SERIOUS EXPENSES RELATED TO THE, UH, THE WINTER STORM IN TERMS OF LIKE LIMB MANAGEMENT ON, ON THE PARKS AND ALL THAT.
SO ARE YOU FULLY BUDGETED TO PAY OUT THE, THE $750 SIGNING BONUS OR, YES, SIR.
SO THIS YEAR WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO USE OUR VACANCY SAVINGS.
SO THE REASON WHY IT TOOK US A LITTLE TIME TO ANNOUNCE THAT IS WE DID OUR SECOND QUARTER, UM, ESTIMATES, AND WE WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT VACANCY SAVINGS THIS YEAR TO BE ABLE TO PAY BONUSES.
I CAN'T SAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT FOR FUTURE YEARS, BUT WE ALSO MIGHT BE SO SUCCESSFUL IN ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THAT FOLKS WILL JUST WANNA COME BACK AND WORK FOR US, AND WE MIGHT NOT NEED A BONUS NEXT YEAR.
SO I'M BEING AS OPTIMISTIC AS I POSSIBLY CAN, BUT I'M ALSO A REALIST.
AND TO THAT, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT GOING TO, I I, AND I MAY NOT CHARACTERIZE THIS QUITE CORRECTLY, BUT STEP PAY FOR LIFEGUARDS OR LIKE A RETURNING WHERE SOMEONE WOULD, YOU KNOW, THEIR SECOND YEAR MAKE MORE, THEIR THIRD YEAR MC MORE, UH, UH, UH, COULD YOU DISCUSS THAT OR WHAT ARE Y'ALL THINKING ABOUT? YEAH, SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT IS, IS THAT OUR CURRENT, OUR PER OUR, THE CURRENT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WORD, A A A STEP PAY THAT SAYS THAT IF YOU'VE BEEN WITH US FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME OR YOU HAVE A CERTAIN A SKILL, WE CAN PAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEN BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE HOURLY RATES BASED UPON THE SKILLSET THAT YOU HAVE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE, UM, INCENTIVES THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET VERY CAREFULLY.
HOW CAN WE WORK THAT INTO OUR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THE INCENTIVE TO COME BACK, NOT NECESSARILY GETTING A BONUS, BUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOU'VE HAD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE AND A CERTAIN SKILLSET, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO EARN SOME MORE MONEY.
WE THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE A MOTIVATOR FOR INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS A, A, A CAREFUL BALANCE TO STRIKE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE SPLASH PADS AND, AND, AND LIFEGUARDS AND OTHER EXPENSES.
I MEAN, THE, THE HUGE BENEFIT OF THE SPLASH PADS IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A LIFEGUARD THERE.
UH, AND SO THUS THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CHEAPER.
UH, OF COURSE, IT'S NOT THE FULL SWIMMING OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, WHERE KIDS REALLY GET TO.
BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT PORTIONS OF MY DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR, I THINK ABOUT, UH, THE NORTHERN, UH, PORTIONS LIKE NORTH OF ROMBERG.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SWIMMING OPPORTUNITIES.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A DEVELOPMENT OF A, OF A PARK, UM, IN THAT AREA.
BUT I JUST, I, I THINK THE SPLASH PATHS ARE A BIG HIT, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF NORTH AUSTIN THAT, UH, DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ACCESS TO, UH, POOLS, UH, AND HAVE A LOT OF, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES WITH KIDS THAT NEED THAT, YOU KNOW, SUMMER RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, THEY'RE A, A REAL BIG HIT.
AND I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE PARKS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE SPLASH PADS, ALTHOUGH I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THEY CAN BE.
AND I, I SEE THE MAINTENANCE AT BARTHOLOME WHERE IT GETS CLOGGED, AND I SEE FOLKS OUT THERE KIND OF CLEARING IT OUT AND, AND FIXING IT UP.
BUT THEY ARE REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR FAM FOR FAMILIES AND KIDS.
UM, AND LAST, I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT I'VE NOTICED ON MY, MY CAP METRO BUS RIDES THAT THERE ARE STILL SIGNS THAT STAY LIFEGUARD'S BEING HIRED AT $15 AN HOUR.
I DIDN'T WANNA, I DIDN'T WANNA UPSET THE BUS DRIVER, BUT I, I HAD HALF OF MIND TO JUST PULL THAT SIDE DOWN MYSELF.
SO I, I MADE THAT MISTAKE THE OTHER DAY.
THE, WE HAVE TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK AND MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T SAY Y M C A BECAUSE THE Y M C A IS, I'M NOT ADVERTISING FOR THEM.
BUT ANYWAYS,
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
I JUST WANNA SECOND THE NOTION OR THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SPLASH PAD.
AS SOMEONE WHO WAS UTILIZING ONE JUST THIS WEEKEND WITH MY ALMOST TWO YEAR OLD SON, THEY, MY KIDS
[00:30:01]
LOVE IT.AND, UH, IT IS SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS WHO CAN'T SWIM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT WATER EXPOSURE AND EXPERIENCE.
SO THEY'RE DEFINITELY A BIG HIT IN OUR HOUSEHOLD.
AND, UH, DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
I, I KNOW THE HEADACHES, WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED THEM, BUT YEAH.
UM, THEY, THEY DEFINITELY HAVE THEIR PLACE IN THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? THERE'S A, AN APPROPRIATE BALANCE OF POOLS AND SPLASH PADS.
AND I DO, I DO AGREE WITH YOU KIDS.
WE, ONE OF THE THINGS IN OUR LONG RANGE PLAN SAYS THAT WE WANT TO, UH, INCREASE ACCESS TO WATER.
SO WE, WE HAVE THAT ON OUR RADAR.
UH, I ALSO WANT, SECOND, I'D LIKE THE CONCEPT OF THE STEP PAY.
I KNOW IN PROBABLY EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT THE CITY RUNS, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER YOU'RE HERE, YOU'RE ABLE TO KIND OF GET INTO HIGHER PAY SCALES, WHICH ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO COME BACK.
UM, AND IT'S, THIS IS ALL GREAT NEWS, SO I'M REALLY GLAD YOU DID THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW OFTENTIMES WE'RE GETTING PRESENTATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND INITIATIVES OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS HAVE REALLY BEEN HELPING.
UM, AND I WANNA FLAG FOR THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL.
WE HAD A CONVERSATION PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO AROUND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND THINGS LIKE DENTAL INSURANCE AND MAKING SURE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES QUALIFY FOR THE CITY BENEFITS.
BUT SOME OF OUR, OUR TEMPORARY AND SEASONAL EMPLOYEES MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR THAT.
UM, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IT IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE.
AND I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH THAT IMPACTS THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIFEGUARDS AND WORK FOR PAR DURING THE SUMMER, BECAUSE I'M IMAGINING THERE'S A LOT THAT ARE ALREADY ON THEIR FAMILY INSURANCE PLANS.
UM, BUT I AM VERY CURIOUS JUST ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE EN ENTICING PEOPLE TO COME WORK FOR THE CITY AND DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN GO SEE, UM, DOCTORS AND DENTISTS AS MUCH AS, AS THEY POSSIBLY NEED TO, ESPECIALLY AT A YOUNG AGE.
YOU WANNA GET PEOPLE SET UP EARLY.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE PAID TRAINING.
AND SO IS THAT WHERE THE $400 COMPLETION, UH, BONUS CAME FROM, IS KIND OF INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROGRAM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY PASS THE TEST, AS YOU SAID? YES.
SO, SO THE ONE THING IS THE WAY THAT OUR SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY SET UP, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH H R D, SO THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM, IT'S, IT'S A WAY TO MAKE, UH, KEEP THE PROMISE THAT WE MADE WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE SYSTEM IS THAT IT'S HARD TO HIRE SOMEBODY, UH, TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO A JOB THAT HAS A MINIMUM QUALIFICATION OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE CERTIFICATION, BUT YET THEY DON'T HAVE IT.
SO THIS IS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT'S, THIS IS THE WAY THAT WE CAN PAY PEOPLE FOR TRAINING, IS BY PROVIDING THEM THE STIPEND.
WITH THAT SAID, WE GOT A GREAT, UH, SUGGESTION FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ABOUT THINKING AND WORKING, PERHAPS, UH, UH, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY RUN A POLICE ACADEMY.
NOT THAT THIS IS ANYTHING LIKE A POLICE ACADEMY, BUT THE CONCEPT OF PAYING SOME STIPEND FOR FOLKS TO GO THROUGH.
HOW DO WE, HOW CAN WE PERHAPS WORK WITH H R D TO PUT IN A SYSTEM LIKE THAT? BUT IT'S, IT WAS A WAY TO GET US TO MAKE, KEEP OUR PROMISE FOR THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE CAN STILL WORK ON A, A SYSTEM THAT MIGHT BE MORE SUSTAINABLE FOR THE FUTURE.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR, UH, THAT CONVERSATION'S HAPPENING.
AND THEN I'LL, I'LL JUST END ON SAYING I'M GLAD THAT THE, THE PIPELINE IS GETTING BUILT AGAIN, THAT JOBS PIPELINE.
CAUSE I KNOW WITH COVID IT WAS REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE WHO HAD DECIDED TO TAKE OTHER CAREERS DURING THAT TIME, UM, TO GET THEM BACK INTO LIFEGUARDING.
SO I'M GLAD THAT THAT, UM, RETURN RATE OF PEOPLE COMING AND WORKING IN THE DEPARTMENT IS, IS GETTING BETTER.
UM, I'LL MAKE THIS REALLY QUICK.
I, WE GOT A NOTIFICATION, AT LEAST I GOT A NOTIFICATION DURING THIS MEETING.
UH, SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE, UM, ALL THE FLOWERS TO YOUR COMMS TEAM, UH, FOR THEIR SUMMER JOB.
JUST GOT HOTTER, UM, UH, POST ABOUT, UH,
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, RE-UP WHAT EVERYONE HAS SAID ABOUT THE STEP PAY AND THE BENEFITS, UH, THAT THE MAYOR PROTE HAD MENTIONED.
UH, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS.
UM, UH, THE SLIDE THAT HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, AGE OF THE POOL AND THEN TIME OF, OF RENOVATION.
I, I, IS THERE A, I GUESS A BENCHMARK OF POOL HITS TO, TO NEED A RE RENOVATION? UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF, OF RENOVATIONS AND, AND WHERE DO YOU SEE, UH, UM, I, I GUESS THE NEED ARISE THE MOST? RIGHT.
SO, UM, THE LIFESPAN OF A COMMERCIAL POOL IS 25 TO 30 YEARS.
SO USUALLY AT 30 YEARS, RIGHT? THAT ASSET COULD NOT USUALLY, OFTENTIMES AT 30 YEARS, THAT ASSET COULD BE REBUILT.
UM, OUR, OUR TEAM HAS A ASSET MANAGEMENT PROCESS.
IT GOES INTO AN ENTIRE SYSTEM WHERE WE ARE, UM, THOSE POOLS THAT ARE PAST THEIR TIME OR NEED THEIR RENOVATION ALONG WITH OTHER MAINTENANCE ASSESSMENTS, UH, THEY GET PRIORITIZED IN THAT ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT DO WE NEED TO KEEP THEM GOING, AND THEN AT WHAT POINT IN TIME DO THEY RISE TO A COMPLETE REBUILD? AND WHEN THEY RISE TO THE COMPLETE REBUILD, THEN WE LOOK AT OUR, OUR BOND PROGRAM OR OUR OTHER, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO
[00:35:01]
RENOVATE COMPLETELY RENOVATE THAT PARTICULAR ASSET.SO, UM, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT LONGER CONVERSATION THAN WE HAVE RIGHT HERE, AS I COULD EXPLAIN OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
EXCUSE ME, DIRECTOR MAGNE, THIS IS ALL GREAT NEWS.
I'M REALLY EXCITED WITH THE DIRECTION, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED.
UM, I WANTED TO DIG A LITTLE BIT ON A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS. WE HAD MENTIONED AT ONE POINT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW, HOW YOU'VE ADDRESSED THAT? SO, I APOLOGIZE.
I SAID I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT IT IN THE PRESENTATION AND I FORGOT.
SO WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR LIFEGUARDS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FREE BUS PASSES, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE.
UH, THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS READILY ADVERTISED OR MADE AVAILABLE, BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS PART OF THE PROCESS THAT SHOULD SOMEBODY WANT THAT, THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN HAVE THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE KICKED AROUND THE IDEA, ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NOT COME TO FRUITION, OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF SHUTTLE THAT COULD PICK OUR LIFEGUARDS UP, BUT AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK INTO OUR BUDGET, STILL RUN SUMMER CAMP, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BALANCING ALL THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE THE, THE BUS PASSES.
AND THEN FIRST, SOME OF THE POOLS THAT USED TO HAVE SWIM TEAMS BEFORE THE LAST FEW SEASONS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHALLENGE.
HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH THOSE TEAMS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, GET THEM BACK UP AND RUNNING? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
I JUST HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION THIS WEEKEND, UM, AT A, A HIRING FAIR THAT ONE OF OUR STAFF WAS AT, AND SHE WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT ALL THE THINGS SHE WAS TRYING TO DO TO, UH, INCREASE PROGRAMMING.
AND WE DIDN'T TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SWIM TEAMS, BUT I WILL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
CUZ I KNOW FOR RAMSEY IN PARTICULAR, WE'VE HAD A SWIM TEAM IN THE PAST, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN ACTIVE AT RAMSEY FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND, AND I IMAGINE THERE'S SOME ISSUES OF RESTARTING UP THAT, THAT MIGHT NEED ATTENTION, AND I'M SURE IT'S NOT THE ONLY POOL THAT HAD THAT MM-HMM.
I'LL GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO THE AMENITIES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUITE A DIFFERENCE ACROSS OUR POOLS IN TERMS OF HOW, UM, WELL CONSTRUCTED THE BATHROOMS ARE AND THE BREAK ROOMS AND ET CETERA.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOOD THAT YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE AMENITIES.
HOW ARE YOU, HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING THAT FOR THE POOLS THAT HAVE LESS OF THOSE KIND OF BUILT IN BRAND NEW AMENITIES? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A REAL ISSUE FOR OUR LIFEGUARDS WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE IN THE HEAT.
YEAH, SO, UM, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE SOME LIMITED OPTIONS THERE ON ON, QUITE FRANKLY, RIGHT? WE HAVE TENTS, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE SHADED AREA.
WE HAVE FANS, UM, WE HAVE, UH, TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING COOLERS, ICE WATER, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
KIND OF SOME OF THE BASIC, UH, BUT TO THE POINT THAT I WAS MAKING, UM, TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER QUADRI, WE DO HAVE THAT ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND WE DO UNDERSTAND WHERE ON OUR, UH, ON THE PRIORITY LIST WHERE RENOVATIONS NEED TO OCCUR.
AND SO, AGAIN, WE'LL BE PUTTING TOGETHER A VERY COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN TO IMPROVE THOSE AMENITIES AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REALLY, IT'S NOT SOMETHING TECHNO TECHNOLOGY OR SOMETHING FAR OUT.
EXTRA SHADE, UH, EXTRA COOLERS, EXTRA FANS, EXTRA OPPORTUNITY FOR ICE WATER, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND THEN OUR SUMMER CAMPS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR OUR FAMILIES WITH, FOR THE EXPERIENCES OF THE, THE CHILDREN, BUT ALSO FOR THE CHILDCARE DURING THE SUMMER.
HOW ARE WE DOING ON HIRING THE SUMMER CAMP COUNSELORS? WE'RE TRACKING, WE'RE TRACKING POSITIVELY THERE TOO.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS.
I DIDN'T BRING THEM TODAY, BUT I KNOW I JUST TALKED TO, UH, TO OUR HI.
I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH OUR HR TEAM AND THEY WERE TELLING THAT WE WERE TRACKING POSITIVELY ALSO USING THAT SAME TOP SYSTEM FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, CUZ THEY HAVE A EXTRA SET OF TRAINING THAT THEY MUST GO THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO CHAIR FOR CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
I CAN GET YOU SOME ANSWERS TO THAT ALSO ALONG WITH THE, UM, WITH THE SWIM TEAM ANSWERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON, ON THIS BRIEFING? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, MEMBERS, WHAT I WANNA RECOMMEND WE DO IS THAT WE RECESS UNTIL, UH, 10 10, UH, JUST SO THAT Y'ALL FROM, FROM STANDPOINT OF TRYING TO MANAGE OUR TIME, YOU'LL KIND OF KNOW HOW AND, AND WHEN WE RECESS, LET'S, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN MEET IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL RECESSING THIS, UH, WORK SESSION FOR 30 MINUTES TO GO TAKE PICTURES?
WE'RE ALL GONNA GO HAVE OUR PICTURES MADE, SO THAT'S WHY WE ALL LOOK SO GOOD TODAY.
UM, UH, WEARING OUR SPECIAL CLOTHING AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S SCHOOL PICTURE DAY.
WELL, MADAM CITY, UH, ATTORNEY.
[00:40:01]
SO LET'S GO TAKE OUR PICTURE, UH, NOW THAT THE WORLD KNOWS.I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS WORK SESSION ON APRIL 18TH, 2023.
[B1. Briefing on the Texas Department of Public Safety collaboration with the Austin Police Department.]
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA WILL BE UNDER BRIEFINGS, AND IT'LL BE A BRIEFING ON THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATION WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.UH, OKAY, MAYOR, MAYOR PROAM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, BEFORE I ASK CHIEF CHACON AND DR.
GAN TO, UH, COME UP ON THEIR REPORT, I JUST WANNA PROVIDE YOU, UH, SOME BACKGROUND AND SOME CONTEXT TO HOW THIS PARTNERSHIP CAME TO BE.
I BEGAN, UH, I BE AGAIN AS INTERIM CITY MANAGER NINE WEEKS AGO.
AND AT THE TIME, THE CITY WAS, WAS AND IS EXPERIENCING SOME SERIOUS CHALLENGES, UH, CHIEF AMONG THOSE CHALLENGES, THE HISTORIC, UH, STAFFING CRISIS AT AUSTIN POLICE AT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, THAT I'VE TRIED TO INSTILL A BIAS FOR ACTION IN THIS ORGANIZATION, AND YOU ALL GAVE ME A CHARGE TO MAKE CHANGES AND TO MAKE THEM QUICKLY.
UH, WE KNEW, WE KNEW AND, UH, WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE RECORD, UH, HIGH RESPONSE TIMES FOR CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE AND INCREASE IN GUN CRIMES AND HIGH PROFILE INCIDENTS SUCH AS THE STREET TAKEOVERS THAT OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER I BECAME, UH, SHORTLY, UH, UH, TOOK PLACE SHORTLY AFTER MY APPOINTMENT.
AND THE, UH, AN EXPIRING POLICE CONTRACT THAT SPURRED CONCERNS ABOUT THE RETIREMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS.
GIVEN ALL THESE FACTORS, WE WERE PRESENTED WITH A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH DPS AND IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, NEVADA CHIEF JACON AND INTERIM ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BRUCE MILLS.
THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT MOVE, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH DPS HAS HELPED US RESPOND, UH, TO THE TAKEOVERS WE EXPERIENCED IN FEBRUARY AND YIELDED 17, UH, UH, ARRESTS.
I THINK THAT, UH, FROM THE INFORMATION PRESENTED TODAY, WHICH INCLUDES THE MOST RECENT DATA, THAT THIS IS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP, MAKING AN IMPACT AND MAKING AUSTIN SAFER, I RECOGNIZE THAT ACTING QUICKLY IN RESPONSE TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS CRITICAL NEED.
AND OUR COMMUNITY DIDN'T ALLOW TIME TO NORMALIZE THIS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND I'M HOPING THAT TODAY'S PRESENTATION, UH, WILL, UH, PROVIDE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE RAISED AND PROVIDES ASSURANCES TO THE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS PRODUCING RESULTS.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT I KNOW THAT, THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT THIS SITUATION AS I DO.
AND GIVEN THE FACTORS BEFORE US, WE WANTED TO LAUNCH THIS PARTNERSHIP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT THIS OVER TO, TO JACOB CHIEF.
GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND, UH, COUNSEL, UH, MR. MANAGER JOSEPH CHUCKLE AND CHIEF OF POLICE.
JONATHAN KRANK, WHO IS THE CHIEF DATA OFFICER FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU JOINTLY ON AN UPDATE ON THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, WHICH ACTUALLY BEGAN ON MARCH THE 30TH OF THIS YEAR.
IF I CAN GET THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO JUST A QUICK, UH, UH, KIND OF OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL GO THROUGH, A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND, UH, JUST KIND OF EXPANDING ON THE REMARKS MADE BY THE MANAGER, UM, HOW THE PARTNERSHIP IS, IS WORKING, UM, THE, THE PARTS THAT WE'RE TRYING, UH, TO INSTILL REGARDING COLLABORATION AND IMPORTANTLY TRANSPARENCY.
UM, THE, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
KRING AND WHO GO OVER THE DATA DRIVEN APPROACH TO BOTH TRAFFIC SAFETY AND VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, AND THEN AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE INITIAL RESULTS LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY LEAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AT THE END.
SO IF I CAN GET THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE BACKGROUND, UH, BACKGROUND TODAY, A P D CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN 300 VACANT OFFICER POSITIONS JUST THIS YEAR IN 2023.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 102 SEPARATIONS YEAR TO DATE.
UM, AND THAT NUMBER GROWS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, WE HAVE FEWER OFFICERS TODAY THAN WE DID 15 YEARS AGO, AND THE CITY IS NOW OVER A MILLION PEOPLE.
COMMENSURATELY, UH, THESE STAFFING SHORTAGES COMBINED WITH THIS RAPIDLY GROWING CITY HAVE CREATED A CHALLENGE.
UM, THESE VACANCY RATES AND RECRUITING CHALLENGES ARE NOT, UH, EXCLUSIVE TO AUSTIN.
WE'RE SEEING THIS AROUND THE, THE STATE.
WE'RE SEEING IT AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND PARTICULARLY HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN PD, THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, DPS, OR ANY OF THE, UH, ABOUT 46 DIFFERENT, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT ARE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
WE ARE ALL COMPETING FOR THE SAME SMALL POOL OF APPLICANTS.
WE WANT GOOD QUALIFIED PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE, UH, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS A DEPARTMENT AND AS A CITY.
UM, BUT WHAT IT MEANS REALISTICALLY
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IS, IS THE, THESE DECREASED STAFFING LEVELS HAVE LED TO LONGER RESPONSE TIMES, OFFICERS GETTING TO THE HIGHEST PRIORITY CALLS.IT TAKES LONGER TO GET THERE, AS WELL AS LONGER WAIT TIMES FOR THE LOWER PRIORITY CALLS THAT HAVE TO WAIT WHILE OFFICERS ARE HANDLING THE HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS.
WE'VE SEEN THOSE TIMES, UH, INCREASE, UM, KIND OF YEAR OVER YEAR.
KRING WILL GO INTO THAT, UH, A LITTLE BIT HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO, HOW THE PARTNERSHIP WORKS, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP IS DESIGNED TO BE A VALUABLE AND INNOVATIVE MEASURE TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, I PRETTY MUCH TALK WITH, UM, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR CENTRAL TEXAS FOR DPS.
UM, IT IS, UH, DIRECTOR VINCENT LUCIANO ON A DAILY BASIS.
HE AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THE PARTNERSHIP STRONGER.
UM, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARISE THAT GIVE EITHER OF US CONCERN, UH, WE ADDRESS THEM HEAD ON AND VERY QUICKLY.
AND, UM, AS BRIEFINGS ARE HELD EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND, UH, MYSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF MY STAFF ARE THERE WITH THE DPS TROOPERS, UM, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN.
MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER WORKED IN AUSTIN BEFORE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR, WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNITY FEEL LIKE? WHAT IS THE CULTURE OF AUSTIN? UH, WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT AS THEY, UM, AS THEY CONDUCT, UH, THIS OPERATION WITHIN THE CITY.
AND IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE MY EXPECTATIONS AS A CHIEF OF POLICE ON HOW THIS COMMUNITY, UH, EXPECTS TO BE POLICED? SO, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT EACH ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS MAINTAINS THEIR OWN OPERATIONAL JURISDICTION.
OF COURSE, UM, THE, UH, TEXAS DPS HAS JURISDICTION STATEWIDE.
UH, IT IS NOT NEW FOR THEM TO BE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT I GO TO THESE BRIEFINGS WITH, I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS BECAUSE THEY WORK IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, UH, THEY OPERATE UNDER THEIR OWN SET OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UH, WE OPERATE UNDER THE SAME STATE LAW, AND WE'RE ALSO COMMISSIONED BY THE SAME COMMISSIONING BODY THAT TEXAS COMMISSIONED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH, UH, REQUIRES THE SAME AMOUNT OF TRAINING FOR BOTH AUSTIN PD OFFICERS AND TEXAS DPS OFFICERS.
I KNOW MANY QUESTIONS HAVE, HAVE RISEN ABOUT WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRAINING THAT THE TWO DEPARTMENTS RECEIVE, AND, AND THE FACT IS, IS THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET THE SAME STANDARDS.
SO, UM, MY, MY EXPERIENCE WITH TEXAS DPS IS AN INCREDIBLY PROFESSIONAL, UH, AND RESPECTED ORGANIZATION THAT, UH, IS HERE TO HELP US RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH, UM, THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES THAT WE ARE.
THE PARTNERSHIP REALLY HAS A TWOFOLD OBJECTIVE.
UH, THE FIRST IS TO ASSIST US WITH OUR, OUR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AS PART OF THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT HAVING A LOT OF OFFICERS OUT THERE, THEY'RE MAKING BACKUPS OF A P D OFFICERS ON HIGH PRIORITY CALLS, AND WHEN NECESSARY WILL BE THE FIRST UNIT ON SCENE FOR PRIORITY CALL RESPONSE.
UM, THEY ARE TARGETING AGGRESSIVE DRIVING, RECKLESS DRIVING, RACING AS, AS WAS MENTIONED JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO.
AND THEN, UM, OTHER HAZARDOUS TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.
THE SECOND PART OF THE OBJECTIVE IS REDUCING VIOLENCE AND, AND PARTICULARLY GUN-RELATED VIOLENCE.
UM, THESE CAN INCLUDE SHOOTINGS, ASSAULTS, ROBBERIES, UH, OTHER MAJOR CRIMES THAT HAPPEN UNFORTUNATELY ON A DAILY BASIS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING ON THAT FOR ALMOST THE LAST THREE WEEKS AND HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
AS I TURN IT OVER IN A MOMENT TO DR.
KRING, UM, HE'S GOING TO BE TALKING CERTAINLY ABOUT NUMBERS, ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CRIMES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY, UM, AND, AND, AND HOW, HOW THOSE ARE CHANGING, UH, BASED ON THIS OPERATION.
BUT I THINK WE CANNOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT BEHIND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS IS A PERSON, IS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY SOME TYPE OF CRIME THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS CITY.
A PERSON OR A FAMILY THAT IS, UH, GRIEVING, UH, POTENTIALLY OR HURTING BECAUSE SOMEBODY IN THEIR FAMILY WAS HURT.
AND I, AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, AND I KNOW EVERY ONE OF MY OFFICERS TAKES THAT INCREDIBLY SERIOUSLY.
THAT IS THE REASON THAT WE PUT THE UNIFORM ON EVERY SINGLE DAY.
IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE SAFETY
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IN THIS CITY.AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS DONE IN THE RIGHT WAY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT, UM, LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO BE PEOPLE CENTERED, THAT WE NEED TO KEEP PEOPLE AT THE CENTER OF THIS EFFORT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, AND, AND NOT CAUSING HARM, BUT ACTUALLY HELPING.
I MENTIONED THE, UH, COLLABORATION.
UM, WHAT I'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER FROM DIRECTOR LUCIANO AS WELL AS OTHER MEMBERS OF LEADERSHIP WITH DPS.
THEY'RE NOT HERE TO TAKE OVER.
THEY'RE NOT HERE, CERTAINLY NOT HERE TO CAUSE HARM OR TO CAUSE ANXIETY.
UH, THAT IS NOT THEIR MISSION.
UM, AND THAT IS CLEARLY COMMUNICATED, UH, AT THE OUTSET OF EVERY, UH, NEW SQUAD THAT COMES IN, UH, TO WORK IN THE CITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THE MINDSET THAT WE ARE HERE TO KEEP CITIZENS SAFE, UH, TO ALWAYS HAVE THAT SMILE ON YOUR FACE TO WHEN POSSIBLE, WRITE A WARNING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE A TICKET.
UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
UM, TEXAS DP DPS I MENTIONED, THIS OPERATES OBVIOUSLY UNDER STATE LAW, BUT ITS OWN SET OF POLICIES JUST LIKE A P D DOES.
UH, THEY ARE NOT, UH, FOLLOWING A P D POLICY, HOWEVER, THEIR POLICIES AND OUR POLICIES, UH, MANY, MANY TIMES ALIGN.
UM, DIRECTOR LUCIANO, UH, TALKS EVERY WEEK WITH, UH, DA JOSE GARZA AND COUNTY ATTORNEY DELIA GARZA, UH, ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
AND IT IS THEIR NORMAL PRACTICE, UH, WHEN IT, WHATEVER JURISDICTION THAT THEY GO INTO TO, UH, CONTACT THE LOCAL PROSECUTORS AND SEE HOW THINGS OPERATE IN THAT JURISDICTION SO THAT THEY CAN ALIGN THEIR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS WITH THOSE PROSECUTORIAL PRACTICES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE.
SO YOU WILL SEE THEM, UH, MANY TIMES, UH, DOING A SITE AND RELEASE BASED ON THE SITE AND RELEASE POLICIES OF BOTH OFFICES.
UM, AND, AND THAT IS KIND OF THE SAME THING THAT A P D IS DOING.
SO, UM, SO AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE D P S DOESN'T FOLLOW OUR POLICY DOESN'T MEAN THAT MANY TIMES THOSE POLICIES AREN'T VERY, VERY SIMILAR.
UH, IT IS OUR INTENT TO CONTINUE TO REPORT WEEKLY, UH, AND PUSH THE NUMBERS OUT TO PUSH DATA OUT.