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[Call to Order]
I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.IT IS MAY 4TH, 2023, AND IT'S 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HERE PRESENT WITH US AND WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, AT, AT CITY HALL.
UH, MEMBERS THE FOLLOWING WILL BE THE ORDER OF THE MEETING FOR TODAY.
WE WILL HEAR THE CONSENT AGENDA, SPEAKERS, BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON.
WE WILL THEN GO TO A CONSENT VOTE WITH, UH, BRIEF COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS.
WE WILL THEN TAKE UP, UH, SOME NON-CONSENT ITEMS AND ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED, UH, AND I'LL, I'LL ANNOUNCE THOSE AT THE TIME.
BUT THE PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS ARE 30, 31 AND 57.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THOSE ITEMS AND TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT ANYONE REGISTERED TO SPEAK ON A PUBLIC HEARING ITEM WILL BE HEARD DURING THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.
AND, AND SO THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA JUST GO STRAIGHT INTO THOSE, UH, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IF TIME ALLOWS, WE WILL RECESS THE REGULAR MEETING AND CALL TO ORDER THE A H F C AND THE A H P F C MEETINGS.
UH, WE'LL CALL THOSE TO ORDER.
WE'LL HEAR THE SPEC SPEAKERS, IF ANY, ACT AND ADJOURN EACH CORPORATION MEETING INDIVIDUALLY AT NOON.
WE'LL HEAR THE NOON PUBLIC COMMENT AND HAVE LIVE MUSIC.
AND THEN AT TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN WE WILL TAKE UP ZONING ITEMS. MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO READ INTO THE RECORD CHANGES IN CORRECTIONS FOR THURSDAY, MAY 4TH, 2023.
ON THE ACTION ITEMS. UH, THE A H F C ITEM NUMBER ONE, POSTPONED TO MAY 18TH, 2023, A H F C ITEM TWO, POSTPONED TO MAY 18TH, 2023.
ITEM NUMBER 21, ADD TO THE LIST OF SPONSORS.
ITEM NUMBER 22, ADD TO THE LIST OF SPONSORS.
COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE VELASQUEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE CHITO VELA, IT PULLED OFF.
THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ITEM NUMBER 23, ITEM NUMBER 56 AND ITEM NUMBER 22.
THOSE ARE THE CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS.
[Public Comment ( Part 1 of 3 )]
BEFORE WE TAKE UP SPEAKERS FOR TODAY'S MEETING, UH, I'M GONNA FIRST RECOGNIZE THE CITY MANAGER WITH REGARD TO AN ITEM, AND THEN I WILL RECOGNIZE, UH, WE WILL RECOGNIZE THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON A COUPLE OF ITEMS. OKAY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.UH, THERE IS AN ITEM ON, UH, THE AGENDA TODAY.
ITEM NUMBER NINE, I, PRIOR TO MY APPOINTMENT, I WAS A BOARD MEMBER OF SPA GLASS.
I'M NO LONGER A MEMBER, BUT BECAUSE OF, UH, UH, WANTED JUST FULL DISCLOSURE IN TERMS OF POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, I'M GONNA BE STEPPING OFF THE DIAS WHEN THE COUNCIL DISCUSSES ALL THE CONSENT ITEMS THIS MORNING.
IN ADDITION, COUNCIL MAYOR, COUNSEL, I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST, UH, UH, JUST GIVE YOU A, A JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
THERE'S A LOT OF CODE, UH, THERE'S SOME CODE AMENDMENT ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA.
AND WHAT WE WOULD, UH, IN THE PROCESS OF DOING IS TRYING TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR THE COUNCIL ON HOW YOU CONSIDER CODE AMENDMENTS INTO THE FUTURE.
WE'LL WORK WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.
I'VE TALKED TO THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE BRINGING TO THEM THAT FRAMEWORK SO THAT WE CAN HAVE FUTURE DISCUSSIONS IN TERMS OF HOW THAT, HOW THEY SHOULD TAKE PLACE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CAREFUL TO UNDERSTAND ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL STEP OFF THE DICES THANK YOU COMMISSION MANAGER.
I'LL NOW RECOGNIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY ON TWO ITEMS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, MEMBERS, THESE ARE THE, THE TWO ITEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THEY WILL REMAIN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT CAUSE THEY INVOLVE SETTLEMENTS OF LITIGATION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, MEGAN RILEY WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
UH, AS THE MAYOR JUST MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS FOR ITEMS NUMBER 13 AND NUMBER 14 ON YOUR AGENDA.
THE FIRST ITEM, NUMBER 13, WE RECOMMEND A PAYMENT OF $77,000 TO SETTLE THE RANGAL VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN LAWSUIT.
THIS IS A, A CAR WRECK LAWSUIT INVOLVING, UM, MS. GLORIA AND SANITA RANGAL WHO SOUGHT PAYMENTS FOR INJURIES, UH, FROM A A 2020 OR 2018 CAR ACCIDENT.
IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS PAYMENT, THE, THE PLAINTIFFS HAVE AGREED TO, UH, DISMISS A LAWSUIT, AND WE WOULD OBTAIN A FULL AND FINAL RELEASE THAT RESOLVES THE CASE.
ON ITEM NUMBER 14, UH, WE RECOMMEND, UH, THAT YOU APPROVE A PAYMENT OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SETTLE THE SARACO ALEXANDER VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN LAWSUIT.
THIS IS A LAWSUIT THAT ARISES FROM THE MAY, 2020 PROTEST, UH, THAT INVOLVE A P D MS. ALEXANDER SEEKS PAYMENTS FOR HER INJURIES STEMMING FROM HER ATTENDANCE OF THESE PROTESTS.
AND AGAIN, IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS PAYMENT, UH, SHE WILL RELEASE ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY AND ANY CITY
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OFFICIAL, UH, THAT SHE COULD HAVE BROUGHT AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT.AND SHE WILL ALSO DISMISS WITH PREJUDICE, HER LAWSUIT THAT'S FILED IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT, UM, UNITED STATES FEDERAL COURT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON THESE TWO ITEMS? VERY GOOD.
UH, WITH THAT, BY THE WAY, I WANT TO CORRECT SOMETHING WHEN I SAID THAT ITEM 22 HAD BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ITEMS 23 AND 56, NOT 22
THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST GROUP OF SPEAKERS THAT WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM WILL BE, UH, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY ON THE CONSENT AND THE NON-CONSENT I AGENDA ITEMS AND THE SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP FOR ZONING AGENDA ITEMS, UH, WILL BE CALLED UPON AT TWO O'CLOCK.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES, SO, UH, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, WE'LL GO TO THE SPEAKERS AND I'LL CALL ON THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO START WITH THE REMOTE SPEAKERS, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THOSE THAT ARE HERE IN PERSON.
FIRST SPEAKER ON ITEM 12 IS DIANA DEAN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, ALL OF YOUR SERVICE.
MY NAME IS DIANA DEAN, AND I AM CALLING ABOUT, UH, UH, SOME INPUT ON THE EAST M L K COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN THAT WAS DEVISED IN 2002, AND IT'S DIRECTLY, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC SPACE SAFETY.
UH, MYSELF AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, PARTNER WITH, UH, UH, A P D AND THE TEXAS TROOPER TO ADDRESS SECURITY BY REDUCING A DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES.
WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE TEXAS STATE TROOP TROOPERS.
WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH YOU GUYS TO ADDRESS, UH, SPEEDING TRAFFIC.
YOU, WE ARE DEFINITELY, I LIVE IN EAST AUSTIN, SO YOU'VE DEFINITELY BEEN FOCUSED ON CRAIG WOOD, DARLINGTON, TILLERY PERSIAN, EM, FRANKLIN, JJ SEABROOK, UH, ADRIAN LUNA, AND SPRINGDALE ROAD.
THIS IS WHAT'S IN THE PLAN, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND JUST GET SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT QUARTERLY DRUGS, UH, SWEEPS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DISTRICT REP, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT ONE, UH, UH, UH, HOW IS HER INVOLVEMENT WITH A P D AND TEXAS STATE TROOPERS IN THIS AREA? UH, WILL YOU ALSO WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND HOW HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NEW, UH, SURVEILLANCE WITH CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN? UH, ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP, WE HAVE TWO MINUTES, IS THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE IMPROVED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A P D AND D P S AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO FOSTER COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO REDUCE CRIME HERE IN THE, UH, EAST AUSTIN.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE FOR A P D TEXAS STATE TROOPERS TO DESIGNATE AND REOPEN THE COMMANDER'S FORUM MEETING THAT CAN BE HELD QUARTERLY OR MONTHLY SO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS CAN DEVELOP A CORE GROUP OF NEIGHBORS AND RESIDENTS THAT DO FOCUS ON THESE ISSUES AND THAT DO LIVE HERE IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
AND, UH, THIS COMMANDER'S FORUM WOULD ALSO BE A VEHICLE, LIKE I SAID, THANK YOU, SPEAKER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR AND OR MAYOR PROAM.
IF I MAY TAKE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE CALLER TO REACH OUT TO THE DISTRICT ONE OFFICE, NATASHA DOT MADISON AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV, AND OR DISTRICT ONE, THAT'S A NUMBER1@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ALICE WOODS ON ITEM 22.
HI, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS ALICE WOODS AND I'M AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATE AND CONSULTANT.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 22, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN OUR CITY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF ON THIS ITEM, AND I KNOW THAT OTHERS WILL SPEAK ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS FROM A TRANSIT, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, BUT I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE WAY THAT IT CAN ALSO HELP US MEET OUR AFFORDABILITY GOALS.
ELIMINATING OFF-STREET PARKING MINIMUMS WILL LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR DEVELOPERS, ALLOWING THEM TO CHARGE LESS FOR EACH UNIT AND OR BUILD ADDITIONAL UNITS.
IT WILL ALSO FREE UP DEVELOPABLE SPACE SO IT OTHERWISE BE USED FOR SURFACE OR STRUCTURED PARKING, ALLOWING US TO BUILD MORE EFFICIENTLY AND AGAIN, ALLOWING US TO BUILD MORE HOUSING UNITS.
AND FINALLY, HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT CARS WILL NO LONGER BE FORCED TO SUBSIDIZE THE COST OF FREE PARKING FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS, ALLOWING
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THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY IN THEIR HOUSING CHOICES, ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS, AND OFTEN WILL HAVE CASCADING POSITIVE OUTCOMES.AND THIS WOULD BE A HUGE STEP TOWARD MAKING AUSTIN A MORE AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE IN COMBATING OUR HOUSING CRISIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT IT.
NEXT SPEAKER IS FERNANDO GARCIA ON ITEM 56.
HELLO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A NEIGHBOR OF NORTH LAMAR.
UM, WE, I, I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR AVENUE 56.
I LAST TWO WEEKS, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, WE HAD A FLOODING HAPPEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WAS, UH, PUT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN DISTRESS IN OUR, UH, AREA OF THE CITY, ESPECIALLY THE NORTH CREEK DRIVE.
UH, WE HAD FOUR OR FIVE NEIGHBORS THAT HAD FLOODING AND, UH, A COUPLE OF THOSE ARE, UH, AN ELDERLY BLIND COUPLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HELPING THEM OUT IN THIS DISASTER, AND, UH, LUCKILY ENOUGH THEY HAD INSURANCE, BUT I, THIS WAS DEFINITELY UNEXPECTED.
AND I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS ITEM SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THIS KIND OF THING, UH, DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THIS CREEK THAT GOES BY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT, UM, WE'RE MORE PREPARED FOR FUTURE EVENTS LIKE THIS, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CLEAN, CLEAN THESE CREEKS AND HAVE A BIT OF, LITTLE BIT OF BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
UM, WE HAVE AN INTERPRETER FOR SANA ALMANZA SPEAKING ON ITEM 12.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT.
IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, UM, TO OUR INTERPRETER, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE ON YOUR END? ONE MOMENT PLEASE.
LET'S MAKE SURE THE INTERPRETER IS ON.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
EXCUSE ME, MS. AMANZA, IF YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO PLEASE BREAK SO THAT THE INTERPRETER CAN INTERPRET AS OPPOSED TO, UH, GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE STATEMENT.
I'M HERE FROM THE ASSOCIATION, UH, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION FROM, OKAY, I'LL START OVER.
MY NAME IS, AND I, AND I REPRESENT THE ASSOCIATION OF NA OF NEIGHBORS OF POWER.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THINGS THAT ARE MISSING FROM AND THE VERIFICATION OF THEIR AGREEMENT.
THIS IS ABOUT AGREEMENT OF THE STOP OF TRAFFIC LATINOS.
I IS AFFECTING THE AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE LATINOS AND VARIOUS POOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
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SEE IF I GOT THAT.IF IT'S OKAY, I'LL JUST TRANSLATE IT AFTER THIS.
I'M DOING SPANISH CUZ THE COMMUNITY HAD ASKED ME TO, BUT SUBJECTING THESE COMMUNITIES TO CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE AND THE FEAR OF HU HUMILIATING TRAFFIC STOPS IN SEARCHES, ARRESTS, FINES, FEES, LICENSE, SUSPENSION, OR EVEN VIOLENCE AND DEPORTATION THAT CAN RESOLVE FROM THEM IS AN INJUSTICE.
MORE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE FAMILIES INDEPENDENCE OF THOSE IMPACT, IS NOW SUFFER UNDER THE OPPRESSION OF THESE PATROLS.
THESE PATROLS BRING NO BENEFIT FROM THE ALLEGED REDUCTIONS IN VIOLENCE AND CALL TIMES DEMOCRAT.
THIS PARTNERSHIP WAS IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT AND IS AN ANTI-DEMOCRATIC.
THIS PARTNERSHIP IS BEING EXECUTED WITHOUT ANY MUTUAL AGREEMENT, AND UPON NO VARIABLE GUARANTEES, STOP RACIAL PROFILING.
PLEASE END THIS PARTNERSHIP IMMEDIATELY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS VALERIE MENARD.
MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.
I'M ASKING YOU TO STOP AND DESIST.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
THE IDEA WAS FOR, UM, FOR DPS TO HELP A P D, BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS A TERROR OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN, IN, IN AUSTIN, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER.
MADISON HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THE OTHER DAY WHEN SHE SAID, IT'S THE LETTER OF THE LAW.
THE LETTER OF THE LAW IS NO GOOD WITHOUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW.
UH, THE, UH, THE DPS, UH, COLONEL, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, MENTIONED, UM, UH, WHEN ONE OF YOU ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID, UH, UH, MY NEIGHBORS, WHEN THEY SEE ONE OR TWO COPS ON THE STREET, I THINK IT WAS YOU, WHEN THEY SAY ONE OR TWO COPS ON THE STREET, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT WHEN THEY SEE SIX OR SEVEN, UH, WE GET SCARED.
AND SO, UH, FOR ME, HAVING LIVED IN AUSTIN OVER 40 YEARS, I'VE NEVER, NEVER SEEN ANYWHERE IN AUSTIN THE KIND OF PRESENCE THAT DPS, IT'S LIKE A FASCIST STATE.
Y'ALL, IT, IT'S, YOU GOTTA STOP.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE STOOD UP AGAINST THIS.
IT'S ILLEGAL FOR DPS TO RACIAL PROFILE.
WHY AREN'T WE ARRESTING THEM? NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEXIA LA ONDECK IS CARLOS PINON.
IF YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE.
HI, MY NAME IS ALEXIA AND I'M ALSO WITH POD AND I'M HERE TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER TO REITERATE THE NEED TO STOP RACIAL PROFILING IN EAST AUSTIN.
I MEAN, IN THE ONE MONTH PARTNERSHIP, D P S HAS MADE OVER 12,000 TRAFFIC ARRESTS, AND HALF OF THOSE HAVE BEEN LATINO RESIDENTS, AND ONLY 6% OF THOSE HAVE RESULTED IN, UM, ACTUAL ARREST.
AND OF THE MISDEMEANORS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, THE TROOPERS HAVE PASSED OUT, 65% WERE FOR LATINOS AND 23% FOR BLACK PEOPLE.
HOTSPOT POLICING, UM, IS ACTUALLY RACISM.
DISGUISED PATROL ARE SUPPOSED TO PRO, ARE SUPPOSED TO, UM, BE OPERATING IN AREAS THAT IS CONSIDERED HIGH CRIME.
ALTHOUGH RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT WHITE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR COMMIT CRIMES AT SIMILAR RATES, UM, AND THAT THERE IS NOT HIGHER CRIME IN EAST AUSTINSON HAPPENING.
BLACK AND BROWN PAN COMMUNITIES HAVE JUST
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BEEN CONSISTENTLY OVERPOLICED.TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT IN HISTORY, POLICING WAS BORN OUT OF SLAVE PATROLS AND THEN THEY ACTIVELY, UM, ENFORCED JIM CROW LAWS AND THEN PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE MASS INCARCERATION OF BLACK PEOPLE.
THE POLICE HAVE ALWAYS SERVED WHITE PEOPLE IN PERPETUATED ANTI-BLACKNESS, AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS OVER POLICE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES TO THEN ALSO DE UNDERFUND WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL SERVICES, UM, IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
POLICE HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN NOT TO ACTUALLY SOLVE ANY ISSUES.
OTHER THINGS LIKE LIVING WAGES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ACCESS TO FOOD AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS HAVE ACTUALLY SHOWN TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CRIME OF ROOT CAUSES OF CRIME.
AND SO WE ARE ASKING YOU TO STOP THE RAMPANT RACIAL PROFILING BY DPS AND END THIS PARTNERSHIP THAT HAS HARMED BLACK AND BROWN RESIDENTS IN EAST AUSTIN.
ONTECH IS MARIANNE, MARIANNE SANCHEZ, PEDRO HERNANDEZ BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER COMES UP FOR THE PUBLIC THAT'S, UH, WATCHING OR, UH, LISTENING OR WE'LL WATCH THIS IN THE FUTURE.
UH, ITEM 12, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS, WHICH IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, ITEM 12 IS NOT A PUBLIC SAFETY ITEM.
UH, THIS ITEM NUMBER 12 IS ABOUT HUMAN RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND CHECKS SO THAT THERE WILL BE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT SO THAT WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, CAN NEEDS TO CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYEES, TOP CANDIDATES, CONTRACTORS, AND VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE IN POSITIONS THAT DIRECTLY WORK WITH OR ARE FREQUENT CONTACT WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
AND FOR POSITIONS THAT HAVE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, THE CITY IS REQUIRED, UH, TO VERIFY CRIMINAL HISTORY FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ON A ROUTINE BASIS IN ADDITION TO THOSE THAT IT MIGHT BE HIRING.
AND THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT IS THE BASIS OF ITEM 12, UH, AND NOT ITEM 12 IS NOT RELATED TO THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN A P D AND DPS.
UH, THE AGREEMENT ON THAT IS FOR $77,000 A YEAR FOR TWO YEARS, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SERVICES PROVIDED IS BASED UPON THE DEMAND, BUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE AGREEMENT WON'T EXCEED $144,000 FOR A 24 MONTH TERM.
I JUST DON'T WANT THERE TO BE ANY CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THE COUNCIL IS VOTING ON, AND MAYBE EVEN FOR SOME OF THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO PROVIDE, UH, INPUT ON ITEM NUMBER 12.
UH, AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION FOR SOME REASON, ITEM NUMBER 12 IS NOT A PUBLIC SAFETY ITEM.
IT IS A HUMAN RESOURCES ITEM RELATED TO BACKGROUND CHECKS.
FOLLOWING IS DAVID KING, MAYOR COUNCIL
HI, MAYOR COUNCIL, MY NAME IS CHRIS HARRIS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY OF THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION, UH, HERE FROM DISTRICT ONE.
I'M HERE SPEAKING ON ITEM 12 TODAY ABOUT THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH P S ABOUT BACKGROUND CHECKS TO HIGHLIGHT THE LACK OF ANY AGREEMENT, GOVERNOR PARTNERSHIP.
AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE COMING UP, IT, IT, IT, IT FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, IT'S INTERESTING TO WATCH BECAUSE EVERYBODY FEELS THE NEED TO GRAB THE MICROPHONE
UM, AND, AND SO YOU DON'T NEED TO GRAB THE MICROPHONE UNLESS YOU'RE MY HEIGHT AND YOU NEED TO GRAB IT TO PULL IT DOWN.
BUT, BUT, BUT MR. HARRIS, COME ON,
IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY SENSITIVE.
UM, SO I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THIS ITEM AND THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT GOVERNING IT.
UH, IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO AGREEMENT THAT GOVERNS THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH D P S.
UM, AND REALLY TO REITERATE, UH, WHAT SUSANNA SAID, UM, UM, OUR BELIEF IS THAT SUBJECTING THESE COMMUNITIES TO CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE, THE FEAR OF HUMILIATING TRAFFIC STOPS, SEARCHES, ARRESTS, FINES, FEES, LICENSE, SUSPENSIONS, EVEN VIOLENCE AND DEPORTATION THAT CAN RESULT FROM THEM, UH, IS AN INJUSTICE.
UM, AND THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP WAS IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT COMMUNITY OR COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT IS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC.
AND THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP IS BEING EXECUTED WITHOUT ANY MUTUALLY AGREED UPON A VERIFIABLE GUARANTEES, GUARDRAILS, GOALS, METRICS, OR A WAY TO FOR IT TO END IS FOOLISH.
AND SO IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT ABOUT THAT, WE SHOULD HAVE AN INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT ABOUT THIS.
BUT WE HEARD FROM THE D P S DIRECTOR ON
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TUESDAY, THEIR PATROLS, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.UH, THEY ENFORCE EVERY TRAFFIC LAW ALL THE TIME WHERE THEY PATROL.
UH, I HEAR PEOPLE ASKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE FROM THEM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IF WE HAVE THE PATROL UNITS, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.
SO WE DON'T REALLY SEE A WAY FOR THIS TO WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND NOT VIOLATE THE VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY BRINGING IN PREDOMINANTLY POOR PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, ON VEHICLE VIOLATIONS, MOSTLY NOT EVEN TRAFFIC OR MOVING VIOLATIONS, BRINGING PEOPLE IN ON VERY LOW LEVEL OF OFFENSES, UH, FIGHTING THE WAR ON DRUGS THAT IN, IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T SEE FIT TO FIGHT IT HERE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, OUR, OUR POSITION IS THAT WE SHOULD END THIS PARTNERSHIP.
I'M GOING TO TAKE A REMOTE SPEAKER.
HELLO, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO AGENDA ITEM 56.
TODAY, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS THAT THE SEVERITY AND SUDDENNESS OF OUR FLOODING EVENTS IN NORTH AUSTIN ALONG MURS MEADOW BOULEVARD TWO WEEKS AGO WAS COMPLETELY ABNORMAL, WILDLY DANGEROUS, AND ABSOLUTELY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.
IRONICALLY, MY FAMILY AND I WERE ENJOYING WATCHING THE STORM THE EVENING OF APRIL 20TH.
AT 8:12 PM MY FOUR YEAR OLD SON TOOK A PHOTO OF LIGHTNING OUTSIDE OF OUR BEDROOM WINDOW.
FIVE MINUTES LATER, AT 8:17 PM MY HUSBAND TOOK A VIDEO OF THE HEAVY RAIN IN OUR BACKYARD.
EVERYTHING STILL LOOKS NORMAL AT 8:38 PM 20 MINUTES LATER, WE HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM OUR DOORBELL, CAMERA OF US FRANTICALLY EVACUATING OUR HOUSE IN TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER.
IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WATER BEGAN ENTERING OUR HOUSE.
THE MOMENT I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW A RIVER RUSHING DOWN OUR STREET, MY SURVIVAL INSTINCT SAID, GET OUT, SAVE YOUR FAMILY.
IN A FEW MINUTES THAT IT TOOK US TO ACTIVATE AND COLLECT OUR VITAL THINGS, TWO INCHES OF WATER, WERE STANDING UNDERNEATH MY 15 MONTH OLD SON'S CRIB.
THAT'S THE STUFF THAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF.
WE LEFT THE HOUSE IN OUR FAMILY SUV IN SEARCHING HIGHER GROUND, PRIORITIZING, PRIORITIZING THE SAFETY OF OUR FAMILY RATHER THAN MITIGATING DAMAGE TO OUR PROPERTY.
HAVING NEVER EXPERIENCED AN UNPRECEDENTED EVENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THIS, WE HAD NO IDEA HOW HIGH THE WATER WOULD RISE, AND WE DIDN'T WANNA WAIT TO FIND OUT.
THE POINT I'D LIKE TO DRIVE HOME IS THAT LITTLE WALNUT CREEK DID NOT FAIL TO DO ITS JOB.
THE DAMNED CULVERT AT COIL VALLEY BOULEVARD WITH DEBRIS SO HIGH AT ROSE ABOVE STREET LEVEL, SENT A RIVER OF RUSHING WATER DOWN OUR STREET.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, MY LIFE, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN UPROOTED AND WILL BE FOR THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS WHILE WE RECONSTRUCT OUR HOUSE.
OUR HOUSE IS UNSAFE TO LIVE IN.
I FEEL PRIVILEGED THAT WE HAVE OUR SAFETY AND TEMPORARY SHELTER, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR OUR INSURANCE COVERAGE.
BUT MY HEARTBREAKS FOR OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE WITHOUT THOSE LUXURIES, I JUST GOT A BILL FOR $22,000 FROM OUR REMEDIATION COMPANY AND AN ADDITIONAL ESTIMATE OF $20,000 TO RECONSTRUCT OUR HOME.
I'M NOT SURE IF SOMEONE WHO LIVES ON A FIXED INCOME WITHOUT INSURANCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COULD AFFORD THESE.
THE CITY'S FAILURE TO PROACTIVELY CLEAR A WATERSHED HAS PUT OUR LIVES IN DANGER, HAS PUT OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY ON THE LINE, AND HAS DAMAGED OUR PROPERTY, CONTENTS AND INVESTMENTS.
WE ASK THAT YOU AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, PLEASE SERVE THE COMMUNITY BETTER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
BACK TO IN PERSON, UM, ZENOBIA JOSEPH SPEAKING ON 15 16, 17, 19 30, 31, AND 57 ON DECK IS MONICA GUZMAN.
CAN THE CLERK PASS OUT MY HANDOFFS? I THINK THEY'RE DOING THAT.
I RESPECTFULLY, MAYOR, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY MINUTES WE HAVE? I DIDN'T HEAR YOUR OPENING REMARKS.
COUNSEL, I'M ZNO JOSEPH, MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO A NUMBER OF ITEMS. I'LL JUST SPEAK TOPICALLY TODAY SINCE WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO SPEAK ON EACH AGENDA ITEM SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE APPOINTMENTS THAT YOU HAVE ON ITEM 19, I JUST WANT TO OPPOSE THE CHAIR FROM, UM, NADIA BARRE RAMIREZ.
UH, THERE'S A WAZ THAT'S MENTIONED AS WELL, AND THEN THERE'S UM, THE GENTLEMAN FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, UM,
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AUSTIN, THE THE TRAVIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY.AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE BIASED.
UH, SPECIFICALLY CAPITOL METRO STATED ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2017 THAT THERE WAS SOME DISPARITIES IN SPECIFICALLY NORTH AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
THE CHAIR ACTUALLY STATED AS WELL ON JANUARY 28TH, 2019, THAT THERE WERE DISPARITIES.
AND AGAIN, ON JUNE 10TH, 2020, CHAIR COOPER STATED AGAIN ON K U T ABOUT THE DISPARITIES IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND SO I HAVE HANDED OUT TO YOU MY COMMENTS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO HOUSE BILL 3 8 99.
AS YOU'RE AWARE, IT PASSED 144 TO ZERO THIS WEEK.
AND SPECIFICALLY, I WENT AHEAD AND WROTE TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE A COMPLAINT AGAINST YOU, MAYOR, RESPECTFULLY.
AND, UH, THIS MORNING AT 9:45 AM I ALSO WROTE TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, MR. FELAN, BECAUSE YOU VIOLATED SECTION 17 OF THE HOUSE RULES, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY, UM, YOU CAN'T LOBBY AND YOU HAVE BEEN ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION ITEM.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY, UH, INTERLINED AND IT'S CONNECTED WITH THE PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION.
THOSE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DEALS ARE 60% AREA MEDIAN INCOME, 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO EARN $61,000.
THE 2020 MINORITY CHAMBER STUDY HERE AT THE CITY STATED THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS EARN $42,000, WHICH MEANS YOU ARE RE CODIFYING THE 1928 PLAN.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO RIGHT BY AFRICAN AMERICANS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
MAY I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MONICA GUZMAN SPEAKING ON ITEMS 16, 20 22, 23, 24, AND 56.
IF GLEN TOWERY CAN MAKE, UM, HIS WAY UP TO THE PODIUM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I'LL, I'LL DO A DEMO VIDEO LATER.
UM, GOOD MORNING, MARION COUNSEL.
I AM MONICA GUZMAN, DISTRICT FLOOR RESIDENT AND NAKA NORTH AUSTIN CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING CONTACT TEAM OFFICER.
I REPRESENT THE CONTACT TEAM WITH THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
I ATTENDED THE PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING JOHN BART'S, FOUNDER OF A N C AND A C'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PROCLAMATION AND WHAT GOT MY ATTENTION WAS HOW SHE SAW AUSTIN AS A GREAT PLACE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
SADLY, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS NO LONGER WHAT IT USED TO BE, AT LEAST NOT HERE IN CITY HALL.
ON THAT NOTE, I AM SWITCHING HATS.
I'M ALSO POLICY DIRECTOR GAVA GO AUSTIN BAO AUSTIN SPEAKING.
AS SUCH, WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE RELATED ITEMS 28, 22 AND 23.
ON THOSE ITEMS, THERE IS NO PUBLIC HEARING.
YOU'VE OMITTED CITIZEN PARTICIPATION MAKING DIS DECISIONS WITHOUT HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE EXPERIENCING DISPLACEMENT.
ITEM 22, ELIMINATING REQUIRED PARKING SPACES DOESN'T GUARANTEE STUDENTS WILL STOP USING OR NEEDING CARS AND IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE FAMILY FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS WITH FAMILY FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY UNITS.
WE ASK YOU TO SHARE, PROVIDE AUSTIN TEXAS EXAMPLES OF DEVELOPERS WHO REDUCED PARKING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FAMILY FRIENDLY, AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENTS FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AT OR BELOW THE 50% MFI.
GLEN TOWERY ON ITEM 19 ON DECK IS JEN RAMOS SPEAKING ON ITEM 21, ROHIT PRAD ON ITEM 21 ON DECK IS NEMA RAM.
I'M A UT ALUM AND I'M A MEDICAL STUDENT HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 21, URGING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT FEDERAL MEDICARE FOR ALL LEGISLATION.
LIVING IN AUSTIN AND LEARNING THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE IN CENTRAL TEXAS HAS LAID BARE THE FAULTS OF OUR EXISTING HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
I'VE SEEN PATIENTS WHOSE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO BECOMING HEALTHY ARE NOT SCIENTIFIC UNKNOWNS, BUT RATHER ISSUES OF ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY.
OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTY WORK HARD TO FILL IN THE GAPS LEFT BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
HOWEVER, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE AS A CITY CAN DO TO TRY TO REMEDY THE FAULTS OF AN INHERENTLY BROKEN SYSTEM.
WE NEED A UNIFORM, COMPREHENSIVE, NATIONAL SOLUTION.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET IT IS IF CITIES LIKE AUSTIN ADD THEIR VOICES TO A GROWING NUMBER ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND DEMAND A WORKING SOLUTION FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING UPWARDS OF 4 TRILLION ON HEALTHCARE PER YEAR, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE HEALTH OUTCOMES TO SHOW FOR IT.
THE QUESTION ISN'T IF WE CAN AFFORD MEDICARE FOR ALL, IT'S HOW MUCH LONGER WE CAN AFFORD TO GO WITHOUT IT.
THIS CITY AND ITS PEOPLE DESERVE TO
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BE HEALTHY.AND SO MANY FOLKS WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS PART OF THAT WORK, WE PASS THIS RESOLUTION IN SERVICE OF CREATING A MORE EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE, AND CARING SYSTEM TO DELIVER BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL.
AUSTINITES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEMA RAMON ON DECK IS CHRISTIAN CHOP ON ITEM 22.
FOLLOWING IS CURTIS ROGERS ON ITEM 22.
IF YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HA THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS NIM RAMAN AND I AM A MEDICAL STUDENT HERE IN UH, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, I'M ALSO HERE IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 21, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THE MEDICARE FOR ALL RESOLUTION.
UM, SO OFTEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UM, MUST DIRECTLY DEAL WITH ALL THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR UNAFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEM.
UM, MUNICIPAL BUDGETS ARE INCREASINGLY STRAPPED AND LOCAL BUSINESSES DO OFTEN STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET DUE TO RISING, UM, HEALTHCARE COSTS AND HEALTHCARE INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE FRONTLINE RESPONSE WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, FACE MEDICAL DEBT RELATED BANKRUPTCIES OR BECOME GRAVELY ILL OR DIED NEEDLESSLY BECAUSE THEY LACKED THE ADEQUATE HEALTH INSURANCE THAT THEY SO DESERVE.
THUS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN PLAY A HUGE AND IMPORTANT ROLE IN HIGHLIGHTING THE DESPERATE NEED IN THIS COUNTRY FOR AN EXPANDED AND IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL.
BY PASSING RESOLUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN TRULY HELP TO SHAPE THE NATIONAL PUBLIC NARRATIVE AND BUILD POLITICAL WILL NEEDED TO ULTIMATELY WIN GUARANTEED HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYONE AS A MATTER OF RIGHT, AND NOT A MATTER, UM, OF EMPLOYMENT.
IT'S TIME TO BUILD A NATIONAL MOVEMENT DEMANDING MEDICARE FOR ALL STARTING HERE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND I HOPE THAT AUSTIN CAN BECOME A PART OF THAT.
THANK YOU CHRISTIAN CHOPE SPEAKING ON ITEM 22.
CURTIS ROGERS IS ON DECK CHRISTIAN SHAPEY, DISTRICT 10.
UH, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS CADRE, UH, AND THANKS FOR SIGNING ON.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS VELAZQUEZ AND VELA THIS MORNING FOR ITEM 22.
UM, I WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF, UH, REMOVING, UH, PARKING MANDATES.
UM, I OWN A HOME IN DISTRICT 10 AND UNDER CURRENT RULES, IF I WERE TO BUILD AN ADU IN MY BACKYARD, UH, I'D HAVE TO BUILD IN AN EXTRA PARKING SPOT SINCE I'M NOT IN A TODD ZONE, EVEN THOUGH I LIVE A ONE MINUTE WALK FROM THE BUS 30 THAT I TOOK HERE TODAY.
THERE ARE 1.5 PARKING SPACES FOR NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS FOR EVERY ONE UNIT, AND EACH OF THOSE EXTRA PARKING SPACES CAN COST 25,000 TO $50,000.
NOT ONLY WILL THAT COST BE PASSED DOWN TO RENTERS, BUT LESS HOUSING WILL BE BUILT BECAUSE OF IT.
I APPLAUD CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERING PARKING MANDATE REFORM.
IT'S VERY MUCH NEEDED FOR OUR GROWING AUSTIN PASS ITEM NUMBER 22 TODAY.
CURTIS ROGERS ON DECK IS DANIEL KAMAN.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL, BUT HERE SPEAKING IN PERSONAL CAPACITY AND A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN PARK AND REFORM COALITION.
THIS HAS BEEN A PERSONAL, UH, PROJECT FOR A WHILE AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT IT TODAY.
I WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT A THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, FUENTEZ AND VELAZQUEZ FOR BRINGING THIS UP ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DAYCARES AND BARS AND COUNCIL MEMBER QUADRI FOR BRINGING UP THIS ON A CITYWIDE BASIS.
I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO SMALL BUSINESSES IMMEDIATELY AND EVENTUALLY HOUSING LAND IS EXPENSIVE IN AUSTIN AND THE MORE WE ARE FORCED TO DEDICATE IT TO CARS MEANS THE LESS WE CAN DEDICATE TO HOUSING AND OTHER GREAT INTERESTS.
I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO GO TOWARDS OUR AS AND P GOALS OF 50% COMMUTERS GOING BY MEANS OTHER THAN NON CARS.
AND I JUST APPRECIATE THIS TIME.
UM, I HAVE A LIST IN THE PAST.
I'VE READ OFF A LIST OF ALL THE CITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS.
UM, TO BE QUITE FRANK, THIS LIST IS GROWING VERY LONG AND THE NAMES ARE GETTING HARDER TO PRONOUNCE.
I HAVE IT IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE IT, BUT I REALLY HOPE THIS PASSES AND I WOULD LOVE FOR AUSTIN TO BE ON THIS LIST AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY, YES, I'D ACTUALLY REALLY LOVE TO HAVE THAT LIST.
UM, I WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE TO US AND MY OFFICE CAN MAKE COPIES FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
I'M SORRY, DANIEL KAMAN ON DECK IS BILL LEY.
UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR COUNCIL.
UH, I WORK FOR THE NONPROFIT FARM AND CITY.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE AND
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A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN PARKING REFORM COALITION.UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE CO-SPONSORS OF THIS, UH, PIECE, THIS ITEM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AGAIN, FUENTES, UH, AND VELAZQUEZ FOR SORT OF STARTING THIS CONVERSATION EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
UM, AS CURTIS SAID, WE'RE GROWING A, WE'RE JOINING A GROWING LIST OF CITIES AND IT'S NOT CUTTING EDGE POLICY.
THIS IS JUST THE NORM AND WE ARE SO HAPPY THAT AUSTIN IS SOON TO BE THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE TAKEN THIS STEP.
UM, THE MARKET BASED APPROACH SIMPLY REMOVES BARRIERS AND ALLOWS FOR CONTEXT BASED, UM, CONTEXT APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT.
AND CITIES THAT HAVE DONE THIS, THEY HAVE SEEN LOWER RENTS AND STILL ENOUGH PARKING.
UM, ESPECIALLY AS YOU GET FURTHER OUT FROM THE CORE OF THE CITY, IT STAYED ABOUT THE SAME.
FURTHER IN, UH, YOU GOT TO SEE LESS PARKING AROUND TRANSIT AND LOWER RENTS OVERALL.
UM, WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS COMMON SENSE STEP FORWARD AS WE ALIGN OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WITH THE HOUSING MOBILITY AND CLIMATE GOALS OF THE CITY.
AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY IN THE AUSTIN PARKING REFORM COALITION TO HAVE A VERY BROAD RANGE OF SUPPORT FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDERS, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, THE A A R P, SMALL BUSINESSES AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND OTHER LOCAL ACTIVIST GROUPS.
AND WE HAVE HAD A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ITEM.
MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME TODAY AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WILL NEVER LET MR. KAMAN LIVE THAT DOWN.
UM, I REPRESENT TRANSIT FORWARD.
WE ARE AT AUSTIN 5 0 1
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT ITEM NUMBER 22.
BACK IN JANUARY, OUR ORGANIZATION DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE BEST PRACTICES AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, THE PLAN, WHICH OF WHICH Y'ALL PASSED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
THROUGHOUT THAT RESEARCH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN WAS THAT PARKING, UH, MINIMUMS WERE SOMETHING THAT CITIES THAT HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN PUTTING IN EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT CAME UP OVER AND OVER THAT GETTING RID OF THAT WAS THE MOST COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO REALLY INCREASING THE EFFECTIVE OF EFFECTIVENESS OF TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CONCRETE WAYS TO CREATE AFFORDABILITY IN OUR TOWN.
IF WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN MORE HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT STOPS, IT WILL GIVE MORE PEOPLE OPTIONS TO MAYBE GET RID OF THEIR CAR, SAVE $10,000 A YEAR AND DO BETTER FOR THEIR BUDGETS.
SO WE ARE HERE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM.
WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL BRINGING THIS UP.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.
UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT TEXAS.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT ADVOCATE FOR CLEAN AIR AND WATER PARKS AND WILDLIFE IN A LIVABLE CLIMATE.
UH, AND STRONG SUPPORT OF ITEM 22.
UM, THE, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THERE'S SOME 700 MILLION TO 2 BILLION PARKING SPACES IN THE UNITED STATES.
THAT'S, UH, ENOUGH PARKING SPACES, UH, TWO, TWO AND A HALF CAR, UH, PARKING SPACES TO SEVEN PARKING SPACES FOR EVERY CAR IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO FAR MORE PARKING THAN WE NEED.
AND THAT COMES AT A TREMENDOUS ENVIRONMENTAL COST.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WITH ALL THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR SIGNIFICANT WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS FLOODING URBAN HEAT ISLAND, UM, ONE STUDY ESTIMATED THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF, OF PARKING IS BETWEEN FOUR AND, UH, 20 BILLION, UM, NATIONALLY EVERY YEAR.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS MEASURE, UM, AND, UH, EXCITED THAT THE COUNCIL HAS TAKEN IT.
NEXT SPEAKER IS RYAN NLL, SPEAKING ON 22 AND 23 ON DECK IS JAMES ROGERS.
HELLO, MY NAME'S RYAN N I REPRESENT THE AUSTIN COOPERATIVE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
I'M JUST GONNA BE FOCUSING ON 22, THE PARKING, UM, UH, ITEM.
AND SO PREVIOUSLY I'D DONE A STUDY ON HOUSING COOPERATIVES AND PARKING.
AND WHAT I FOUND IS THAT THE COOPERATIVES VERY CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN HAD ABOUT 40 TO 50% CAR OWNERSHIP RATES.
UM, WHEN WE GOT OUT TO KIND OF WHAT ARE, WHAT WERE THE STREET CAR, SUBURBS, SUBURBS, THEY WERE MORE LIKE 50 TO 60% CAR OWNERSHIP RATES.
AND THE FURTHEST CO-OP IN MY STUDY WAS, UM, BY ANDERSON LANE AND 180 3, AND THEY HAD A 70% CAR OWNERSHIP RATE.
SO THAT MEANS THAT EVERY SINGLE CO-OP HOUSING CO-OP IN AUSTIN HAD FAR MORE PARKING THAN THE RESIDENTS ACTUALLY NEEDED.
SO, UM, THE ONE CLOSE TO ANDERSON LANE, I REMEMBER SEEING LIKE MAYBE ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR PARKING SPACES WERE PROBABLY CARS THAT NEVER MOVED, AND ESSENTIALLY IT BECAME, UM, CAR STORAGE.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS WOULD GREATLY BENEFIT THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT AND ALLOW THEM
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TO, YOU KNOW, PUT MORE HOUSING ON THE PROPERTIES THAT WE ALREADY KNOW ARE OVER PARKED BY REDUCING THE, THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, DO YOU MIND IF I ASK A QUESTION, UM, THAT THE ONE ANDERSON AND 180 3 IS THAT, IS IT RIO? WHICH ONE IS THAT ONE? THAT ONE'S A LA COOPERATIVE APARTMENTS LARA UNION.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES ROGERS SPEAKING ON ITEM 56 ON DECK ARES GRANT RYAN ALBRIGHT, GLENN MORMON, TIFFANY MORMON, NAOMI LAOS, AND DUSTIN GRANT ALL SPEAKING ON ITEM 56.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
I DON'T BELIEVE JAMES IS HERE.
HI, MY NAME ISSAI AND I'M ONE OF THE CITIZENS THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THE FLOODING OF MURS MEADOW.
UM, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THIS EVENT, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THE TIME TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 20TH, UH, 1.87 INCHES OF RAINFALL FELL OVER THE COURSE OF TWO HOURS.
30 HOMES IN A HUNDRED PLUS CITIZENS WERE AFFECTED BY THE FLOODING.
UM, HOWEVER, WE'VE HAD FLOODS LIKE THIS.
WE'VE HAD RAINFALLS LIKE THIS BEFORE.
THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL EVENT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, 37 TIMES WE'VE HAD SIMILAR RAINFALL OVER SIMILAR DURATION.
NOT OF THOSE 37 TIMES, OUR HOME FLOODED ZERO, HOWEVER, WE DID FLOOD THIS TIME.
SO YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHAT'S DIFFERENT.
ME ALONG WITH SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS WILL BE ADDRESSING THAT.
UM, AND WHAT YOU WILL HEAR WITH CLARITY IS THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS PREVENTABLE.
UM, ON FEBRUARY OF 2021, THERE WAS AN ICE STORM AFFECTING A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE.
AND IN, IN, UM, MAY 1ST THERE WAS 4.5 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE COURSE OF LESS THAN TWO HOURS, NO FLOODING.
HOWEVER, THIS YEAR, JANUARY 30TH, THERE WAS A SIMILAR ICE STORM AFFECTING AGAIN, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND HOMES, AND THERE WAS RAIN OF TWO INCHES OVER THE COURSE OF TWO HOURS AFFECTING 30 HOMES WITH FLOODING.
SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? THE DIFFERENCE IS, IN 2021, THE DEBRIS FROM LITTLE WALNUT CREEK WAS PICKED UP IN 41 DAYS THIS YEAR, IT WAS NOT PICKED UP WITHIN SCHEDULE, RESULTING IN THE CREEKS AND CANALS NOT BEING ABLE TO FUNCTION AS INTENDED AND EFFECTIVELY TURNING INTO DAMS. UM, SO TO CONCLUDE, I, I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A PREVENTATIVE PREVENTABLE COMMUNITY DISASTER.
UM, AND WHAT MY NEIGHBORS THAT WILL SPEAK FOLLOWING ME WILL ADDRESS WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WAS LIKE, WHAT, HOW IT AFFECTED US, AND HOW WE CAN DO BETTER NEXT TIME SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO I'D LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR ITEM 56.
NEXT SPEAKER IS RYAN ALBRIGHT.
MY NAME IS RYAN ALBRIGHT AND I TOO AFFECTED WAS, WAS AFFECTED BY THIS EVENT.
I'VE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO MAKE ONE FACT ABOUT THIS FLOODING EVENT.
THIS WAS NOT A TERRIBLE NATURAL DISASTER.
THIS WAS NOT DUE TO A FLOODPLAIN.
THIS WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE.
AND A MAN-MADE DISASTER CAUSED BY THE INACTION OF THE CITY, WHICH RESULTED IN A DIVERTED WATERWAY.
IN THE SUBSEQUENT FLOODING OF OVER 30 HOMES, THE LITTLE WALNUT CREEK BED RUNS ALONG THE BACK OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S HOMES.
AND YET NOT A SINGLE HOME FLOODED FROM THE BACK AND SAID EVERY SINGLE HOME FLOODED FROM THE FLOODED FROM THE FRONT, FROM THE STREET, WHICH WAS MADE INTO A LITERAL RIVER AS YOU HAVE AND WE'LL HEAR, THERE WAS NO EXCEPTIONAL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THAT CAUSED THE CREEK TO OVER FILL ITS BANKS.
THIS WAS NOT A 5,000 OR 500 YEAR FLOOD.
WHAT THERE WAS, HOWEVER, WAS A DAMAGE DEBRIS THAT HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE CREEK FOR MONTHS.
AMID OUR NEIGHBORHOODS CRIES FOR HELP FROM YOU, WHICH REDIRECTED THE NATURAL FLOW OF WATER OUT OF THE CREEK ONTO MURS MEADOW BOULEVARD AND INTO OUR HOMES.
WATERSHED HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT THIS DISASTER JUST 10 DAYS PRIOR WHEN THEY CAME OUT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND REMOVED BRANCHES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CULVERT.
BUT INSTEAD OF PROACTIVELY IDENTIFYING AND REMOVING POTENTIALLY, UH, HAZARDOUS, UH, DEBRIS AND BRANCHES, AS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN REQUESTING FOR YEARS, THEY INSTEAD ONLY TOOK WHAT WAS DIRECTLY TOUCHING THE CULVERT.
THIS EMOTIONAL, FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISTRESS WAS ENTIRELY AVOIDABLE AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CAUSED BY THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT FELL THAT NIGHT.
WE ASK YOU NOW FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND YOUR COMPASSION IN RECTIFYING THIS DISASTER IN HEALING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, MEETING WITH US AND, UH, MY NAME'S GLENN MORMAN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, WE MET WITH CITY OFFICIALS LAST WEEK ABOUT THE FLOOD, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY
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TOLD US IS IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT DEBRIS WHEN WE SEE IT.AND I'M HERE TO SAY I REPORTED DEBRIS.
UH, THERE'S A CREEK THAT RUNS DIRECTLY BEHIND OUR PROPERTY RIGHT UP AGAINST THE BRIDGE UNDER MARINS MEADOW.
WE REPORTED THAT DEBRIS THREE TIMES.
THE FIRST REPORT WAS ON FEBRUARY 2ND.
UM, AND THERE IS NO, UH, THERE EXISTS, NO REPORT OF THAT CALL AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN.
THE SECOND TIME WE CALLED AUSTIN THREE 11 WAS FEBRUARY 22ND.
AND AS OF APRIL 28TH, THAT WORK ORDER IS STILL LISTED AS NEW.
ON MARCH 31ST, WE REPORTED THE TREE LIMBS AGAIN BECAUSE THE TREE LIMBS BLOCKING THE CULVERT WERE STILL THERE.
THAT, UH, WE ALSO REPORTED THAT OUR COMPOST HAD NOT BEEN PICKED UP THAT WEEK.
THE THREE 11 TICKET ONLY LISTS THAT THE COMPOST HAD NOT BEEN PICKED UP.
THAT'S ONLY 33% OF THE CALLS WE MADE TO AUSTIN, THREE 11 THAT WERE REPORTED CORRECTLY.
UH, THERE ARE 13 WORK ORDERS BETWEEN FEBRUARY 1ST AND APRIL 20TH, THE DAY OF THE FLOOD REPORTING DEBRIS IN THE CREEK.
BASED ON MY 33% REPORTING SUCCESSFULLY, I THINK THERE WERE PROBABLY MORE LIKE 30 TO 40, UH, 30 TO 40 CALLS THAT RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD MADE THAT WEREN'T HAPPENING.
I THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM OUR OUR WAY OF REPORTING.
THIS IS AUSTIN THREE 11, AND THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH AUSTIN THREE 11.
WE DID OUR CIVIC DUTY TO REPORT THIS, BUT THE CALLS ARE NOT REPORTED OR THEY'RE REPORTED INCORRECTLY.
ALSO, THE, UH, CITY, THE WATERSHED DIDN'T PRIORITIZE EMERGENCY ITEMS. THE CITY PICKED UP ALL THE DEBRIS SITTING ON THE CURBS, UH, WHICH WAS NOT GOING TO CAUSE ANY FLOODING OR PROPERTY DAMAGE.
YES, IT WAS AN ISO, BUT THEY DID NOT PICK UP THE STUFF IN THE CULVERTS THAT CAUSED 30 HOUSES TO FLOOD.
NEXT SPEAKER IS TIFFANY MORMAN.
HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
UM, MY NAME IS TIFFANY MORMAN.
WE HAVE LIVED AT THAT ADDRESS FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN THAT TIME WE HAVE SEEN MUCH, MUCH HEAVIER RAINFALL WITH MINOR, IF ANY, FLOODING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN 2015, ON MEMORIAL WEEKEND, WHEN MUCH OF THE CITY SAW HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING, THE REPORTING SHOWS A WIDESPREAD OF SIX TO EIGHT INCHES OF RAIN FALLING THE CREEK ROSE.
IT CRESTED THE BRIDGE ON MARIN'S MEADOW.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DEBRIS BLOCKING THE CULVERT, THE WATER FLOWED IS EXPECTED AND NEVER GOT DAMNED UP OR CEASED FLOWING.
FEWER HOMES WERE AFFECTED BY FLOODING.
THERE WERE SOME, BUT NOTHING COMPARED TO THIS YEAR.
BECAU ON APRIL 20TH OF THIS YEAR, 1.8 INCHES, 1.8 INCHES OF WATER FLOODED AT LEAST 30 HOMES.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO TRIGGER A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLANE.
THERE USED TO BE REGULAR CLEANUP OF THE CREEK BEDS.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AS WE MENTIONED, IS VERY GOOD ABOUT CALLING AND REPORTING.
THE CREEK IS DIRECTLY BEHIND OUR HOUSE.
I KNOW WE CALL ANYTIME WE SEE DEBRIS OR OVERGROWTH IN THE AREA.
AND IN THE PAST, THOSE HISTORICALLY HAD BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE CITY WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO THIS YEAR.
AND IN THE LAST PROBABLY TWO YEARS, THOSE CONCERNS HAVE GONE UNANSWERED OR AT BEST, MINIMALLY ANSWERED, AND ONLY MINOR DEBRIS HAS BEEN PICKED UP AND THE RESULT CREATED MASSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.
NAOMI BLAS AND ON DECK IS DUSTIN GRANT.
UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS NAOMI LAJAS AND MY HUSBAND RYAN AND I LIVE ON MES MEADOW BOULEVARD.
OUR HOUSE WAS, UH, FLOODED DURING THE STORM OF THE 20TH, ON THE 20TH OF APRIL THIS YEAR I WANNA USE MY TIME TO SHOW A VIDEO FROM AN ELDERLY NEIGHBOR PORTRAYING THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAUMA OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WENT THROUGH BACK SWEATING.
[00:55:09]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.I GUESS, AREN'T WE ALL GLAD YOU DIDN'T OPEN THAT GLASS DOOR THERE.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, FOR THE TIME AND THE COUNCIL AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SPONSORED US TO GET IN HERE, UM, RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TESTIMONIES PRECEDING ME, UH, FOR ITEM 56, THESE 30 HOMES AND A HUNDRED RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE DEBRIS AND BRUSH LEFT UNMANAGED IN THE CITY'S WATERSHED.
TO REITERATE, THIS DISASTER WAS NOT CAUSED BY UNUSUAL WEATHER EVENTS.
THIS WAS NOT AN UNKNOWN RISK, THIS WAS NOT AN EVENT ABSENT OF ADVANCED NOTICES, FOREWARNS AND SERVICE REQUESTS TO THREE 11 AND THE CITY'S PORTALS.
THIS WAS NOT AN EVENT THAT INFLICTED MINOR OR NEGLIGIBLE DAMAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THIS WAS NOT AN EVENT THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS COULD HAVE DONE MORE TO FLAG, BRING ATTENTION TO OR MITIGATE WHAT THIS WAS.
AS OTHERS HAD SAID, IT WAS PREVENTABLE, IT WAS PREVENTABLE.
HAD THE CITY PRIORITIZE PREEMPTIVE MEASURES FOR DEBRIS CLEANUP IN KNOWN VULNERABLE, VULNERABLE AREAS APPROPRIATELY AND UPHELD THE PROMISES TO UNCLOG THE WATERSHED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS THOROUGHLY.
I ENCOURAGE US ALL TO WORK TOGETHER TO REMEDY THE SITUATION AND FUND THE BUILD BACK OF THE COMMUNITY TO WHOLE AND NORMAL, I'M SORRY, NOT THE NORMAL THAT WAS PRE APRIL 20TH 23, BUT A NEW NORMAL IN WHICH THE CITY IS PROACTIVE AND ATTENTIVE TO MAINTAINING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROACTIVELY KEEPING IT SAFE AND RESILIENT, FREE FROM P POTENTIAL AND PREVENTABLE DISASTER.
NEXT SPEAKER IS LEAH BOJO ON ITEM 57.
UM, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT SO I CAN JUST MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.
MAYOR, DO HAVE A SPEAKER FOR THE A H P F C.
[Consent Agenda ( Part 1 of 2 )]
UH, LET'S DO THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THAT.I'LL, I'LL TRY TO TAKE THAT UP.
SO THE SPEAKER DOES, IS THE SPEAKER HERE OR ONLINE? THEY ARE HERE.
WELL THEN, UH, BE PATIENT WITH US AND I'LL GET TO THAT JUST AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
AND, AND MAYOR, IF I MAY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE NEIGHBORS WHO ABSOLUTELY SHOWED UP.
UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY, UH, AND WILL BE TAKEN UP THE ITEM AFTER THE CONSENT AGENDA TO DISCUSS IT IN MORE DETAIL.
AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, THE, THE WORDS, THE VIDEOS, ALL THE INFORMATION.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE TO, TO BE SEEN AND HEARD ON, ON ANY ITEMS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THE, THE TWO ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ITEMS 23 AND 56.
BUT I'LL ASK IF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT GENERAL.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, MR. MAYOR, I DON'T WANNA PULL AN ITEM, BUT I'D LIKE TO ADD MYSELF AS A CO-SPONSOR ON ITEM NUMBER 22, PLEASE.
UH, THAT WAS THE NEXT THING I, LET ME STICK WITH, PULLED FOR A SECOND.
ANY, ANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE PULLED? ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR THAT THEY WEREN'T PREVIOUSLY LISTED? AND, AND I'M SORRY, SAY IT AGAIN.
COUNCIL MEMBER NUMBER 22, THE PARKING ITEM.
COUNCIL YOU HARPER MADISON WILL ALSO BE SHOWN AS A SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 22.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? YEAH, I KNOW WE'RE BRINGING UP 56 LATER, BUT I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR TO THAT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL BRING IT UP.
UM, ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE PULLED OR SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO BE SEEN AS SHOW SHOWN AS A SPONSOR ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING ON ANY MATTER RELATED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN AS VOTING NO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? YES, PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT ME VOTING, UM, OR AS VOTING NO ON ITEM 21.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER, I'D LIKE TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM 22.
UM, I'M OPEN BROADLY TO RELAXING OUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND EVEN ELIMINATING THEM IN SOME CONTEXT.
[01:00:01]
THIS ITEM INITIATES THE, ESSENTIALLY THE UNIVERSAL ELIMINATION OF PARKING REQUIREMENTS.AND I'M NOT READY TO ENDORSE THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, FOR SOME OF THE OTHER LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED, I'VE BEEN ABSTAINING.
I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO THINK HARD AS A COUNCIL TO HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE THE STAFF AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UH, WITHIN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO DO ALL OF THESE AMENDMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
AND WE DO NEED TO PRIORITIZE WHAT IS GOING TO GET US, UM, THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK IN TERMS OF CODE AMENDMENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A VERY QUICKLY SHIFTING LANDSCAPE WITH RESPECT TO WHAT THE LEGISLATURE MAY BE PUTTING FORWARD.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED AND STRATEGIC ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING.
UM, SO I AM GOING TO BE VOTING NO ON 22.
UM, I ALSO, WITH RESPECT TO SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS, I THINK THERE ARE SCENARIOS WHERE I COULD SUPPORT THOSE WHEN THEY COME BACK.
AND I DON'T THINK I CAN SUPPORT THE FULL ELIMINATION, ALTHOUGH I COULD MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES AND HAVE ALREADY SUPPORTED SEVERAL CHANGES IN THAT REGARD.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY OTHER ITEMS? ALL RIGHT.
AT THIS TIME I'LL RECOGNIZE MEMBERS WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AGENDA.
AND I WILL FIRST RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ON ITEM NUMBER 21.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR TESTIFYING TODAY.
I, ITEM 21 IS THE MEDICARE FOR ALL, UH, SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
UH, TEXAS CONTINUES TO HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED RATES IN THIS COUNTRY.
UM, THE UNITED STATES RANKS LAST IN ACCESS TO CARE, ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY, EQUITY AND HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES.
AND AS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRIES IN THIS WORLD, THIS IS SIMPLY NOT OKAY.
AS A NATION, WE SPEND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR TO UPHOLD A BROKEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, A BROKEN SYSTEM THAT PREVENTS OUR COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITIES WITHOUT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND FINANCIAL SECURITY FROM TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR LOVED ONES.
RIGHT NOW THE SAD REALITY IS THAT ONE IS ONE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DOCTOR VISIT AWAY FROM BANKRUPTCY.
THAT IS A REAL PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE.
I'VE BROUGHT FORWARD THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE I BELIEVE FUNDAMENTALLY THAT HEALTHCARE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT AND THAT EVERY AUSTINITE IS ENTITLED TO LIFESAVING ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES.
I WANNA THANK YOSHA SING WITH THE STUDENTS FOR NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY AND WORKING, UM, WITH MY OFFICE ON THIS ITEM.
I WANNA THANK AMELIA CASA WITH MY TEAM FOR HER WORK ON THIS ITEM, AND THANK ALL OF OUR ADVOCATES WHO ARE HERE IN SUPPORT TODAY.
I KNOW THAT SOME, UM, SOME HAD A, WERE NOT ABLE TO REGISTER TO TESTIFY, UM, BUT WE SEE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
I ASK COUNCILMAN MCC CADRE ON ITEM NUMBER 22.
UM, WELL TODAY'S AN EXCITING DAY.
UH, AND I, UM, AM SO EXCITED TO ADD AUSTIN TO THE LIST OF OF NAMES THAT, UH, CURTIS HAD PROVIDED.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS, UH, BOTH REMOTE AND IN PERSON THAT HAVE COME OUT AND, AND HAVE HAD THEIR VOICE HEARD.
UH, WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE SET AN AMBITIOUS, UH, AND PROGRESSIVE GOALS FOR THE CITY.
AND ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ROADBLOCKS TO ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS, IN MY OPINION, HAS BEEN OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS OR WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE DEBT DEBTS IN OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, AND WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE HOUSING SUPPLY AND AFFORDABLE UNITS, THESE ARE ALL ELEMENTS OF OUR CODE THAT THAT'S STANDING OUR WAY.
AND ONE OF THE BIG, BIG ONES ARE PARKING MANDATES THAT DICTATE THAT PEOPLE PROVIDE AN ARBITRARY AMOUNT OF CAR STORAGE ON THEIR PROPERTIES.
AND I THINK OUR PRIORITIES SHOULD BE ALLOWING SPACE FOR PEOPLE RATHER THAN MANDATING SPACE FOR CARS.
UH, AND WE'RE NOT THE FIRST CITY TO DO THIS AS IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, UM, EARLIER TODAY.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE ONE OF THE, UH, LARGEST AND STUDIES SHOW THAT CITIES THAT HAVE REFORMED THEIR PARKING RULES HAVE GATHERED THE REWARDS OF NEW HOUSING THAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BUILT, BUILT OTHERWISE.
AND TO ANYONE WHO WORRIES THAT ELIMINATING PARKING MANDATES WILL LEAD TO NO MORE PARKING.
UH, THE SCIENTIST DOESN'T SHOW THAT.
UH, WE HAVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE HERE IN AUSTIN THAT THE MARKET WILL STILL DELIVER PARKING WITHOUT THE CITY MANDATING IT FOR A DECADE.
NOW, DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN FREE TO CHOOSE HOW MUCH PARKING THEY WANT IN ANY DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.
AND DURING THAT TIME, THE VAST MAJORITY OF NEW TOWERS AND BUILDINGS HAVE INCLUDED A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF PARKING.
AND WE CAN FULLY EXPECT DEVELOPERS AND FINANCEERS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PARKING AT THEIR NEW PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY IF THESE PROJECTS ARE NOWHERE NEAR GOOD TRANSIT OR OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING.
BUT THIS WILL GIVE THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY
[01:05:01]
TO AVOID OVER PARKING ANY PROJECT, AND IT WILL ALLOW SMALLER PROPERTY OWNERS TO BUILD THINGS LIKE BACKYARD GRANNY FLATS.AND THEN, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS SIMPLY MARKET-BASED FIX, UM, THAT ENABLES US TO BETTER ACHIEVE OUR MOBILITY, AFFORDABILITY, SAFETY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND EQUITY GOALS.
UH, SO I WANT TO THANK MY, MY CO-SPONSORS, UH, COUNCILOR FUENTES, RYAN AL ALTER, UH, POOL, UH, MAYOR PROTIME ELLIS, UH, VELASQUEZ VELA AND HARPER MEDICINE.
UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, CITY STAFF.
I WANT TO THANK MY STAFF, ESPECIALLY KAYLA PRITCHARD, WHO IS SOMEWHERE, UH, ON THE SECOND FLOOR, PROBABLY WITH A BIG GRIN ON HIS FACE.
UH, IT'S YOUR VOICES THAT HAVE BEEN MAKING THIS NOISE FOR MANY YEARS THAT HAVE MADE THIS MOMENT POSSIBLE, SO THANK Y'ALL.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY THANK THIS IS RELATED TO ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND NINE.
UH, THE CITY HAD FUNDED SOME RENOVATIONS FOR FIRE STATIONS AND EMS STATIONS THAT BADLY NEEDED IT.
THE, THE MONEY, UH, WAS A LITTLE SHORT, SO THERE WERE ABOUT, UH, THREE STATIONS THAT WE DID NOT HAVE MONEY FOR.
WE KNEW THIS PROBLEM WAS COMING PROBABLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 18 MONTHS AGO OR SO.
UH, I WAS PREPARING, UH, AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL AND REALLY TRYING HARD TO PUSH IT.
UH, THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
I MENTIONED IT TO THEM AND THEY WERE RIGHT AWAY.
WERE SAY, WE DON'T NEED AN IFFC, WE'RE GONNA GET THIS DONE.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN 60 DAYS LATER, AND HERE IT IS ON OUR AGENDA WITH 17 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE RENOVATION OF THOSE LAST THREE STATIONS.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, TO THANK THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR HARD WORK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER ON ITEM 18.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT ITEM 18, WHICH AUTHORIZES GRANT FUND POSITIONS GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS TO EXPAND PAC VACCINATIONS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CASE AND CLUSTER INVESTIGATION, AND OTHER PAC RELATED ACTIVITIES.
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, I THINK WE'VE SEEN MORE AND MORE HOW OUR PUBLIC HEALTH INVESTMENTS ARE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY SAFETY AND WELLBEING.
OUR PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF POSITIVELY CHANGE LIVES AND SAVE LIVES ACROSS THE CITY.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARD WORK OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY CLINIC, LONE STAR, CIRCLE OF CARE, AND THE CLIENT KIND CLINIC.
THESE PARTNERS STEPPED UP AND WORKED TIRELESSLY TO KEEP IMPACTS FROM HAVING A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
OFTEN WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE WISE CHOICES IN OUR INVESTMENTS THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER AND MORE RESILIENT TO THE WIDE RANGE OF CHALLENGES OUR CONSTITUENTS FACE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SOME QUICK REMARKS ON ITEM 20, WHICH IS THE NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY REGULATING PLAN, AND IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO THAT REGULATING PLAN THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD.
THIS IS A BOOMING REGIONAL CENTER, AS YOU ALL KNOW, OFTEN, UH, DUBBED AUSTIN'S SECOND DOWNTOWN, OR AUSTIN'S UPTOWN.
AND THIS REGIONAL CENTER IS GROWING INTO AN ATTRACTIVE CENTRAL TEXAS DESTINATION THAT DRAWS TOURISTS AND SHOPPERS, SOCCER FANS, AND IT PROVIDES GREAT JOBS AND HOUSING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANNA THANK MY CO-SPONSORS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALISON AL ALTER, UH, KELLY CADRE, AND PARTICULARLY COUNCIL MEMBER VALLA, WHO REPRESENTS, UH, PART OF THE NORTH AUSTIN GATEWAY PLAN AREA.
MY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
I'D LIKE TO JUST FIRST OF ALL SAY I, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY.
I THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
I THINK THERE'S SOME ALSO VERY CHALLENGING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I LOVE WHEN I SEE CHAMBERS THIS FULL.
THAT MEANS WE'RE OPERATING COLLECTIVELY, RIGHT? IF WE, IF WE ALL WIN, THEN WE ALL WIN.
IF WE ALL LOSE, THEN WE ALL LOSE.
BUT IF WE FIGHT TOGETHER, THEN WE'RE FIGHTING TOGETHER.
I APPRECIATE WATCHING US FIGHT TOGETHER.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION, Y'ALL FOUGHT TRAFFIC, GOT UP EARLY, HAD TO COME TO THE COPPER BUILDING, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
UM, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, UM, FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS ITEM, ITEM NUMBER 22, AND ALL THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS.
THE WORK ON THIS ITEM, THIS INITIATIVE IS CRITICAL.
UM, IT WAS SO IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
MANY OF THE ADVOCATES IN THE ROOM.
GO AHEAD, PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK.
I THINK Y'ALL SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELVES
[01:10:01]
TODAY.THIS POLICY WILL DO SO MUCH FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
OVER THE COMING YEARS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, MANDATING PARKING MINIMUMS HAS RESULTED IN OUR CITY PRIORITIZING PARKING LOTS OVER PEOPLE FOR FAR TOO LONG.
WITH THIS CHANGE, IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT WE KICK OFF A BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE NOT ONLY CHANGE OUR CODE, BUT ALSO CHANGE OUR CULTURE AROUND PARKING.
I WON'T GO TOO FAR INTO IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR CULTURE AROUND CARS.
HOW WE MOVE PEOPLE AROUND IS CRITICAL.
AND NOT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD TO GO CLIMB IN A CAR AND DRIVE AROUND.
WE HAVE 360 PLUS THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN THE CITY.
THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE HOTELS THEY SERVE.
I WANT Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE PEOPLE AND HOW THEY GET AROUND, HOW THEY GET ACCESS TO THE THINGS THEY NEED, INCLUDING WHERE THEY WORK WHEN THEY'RE WORKING FOR YOU, WHEN THEY CLEAN YOUR HOTEL ROOM, YOUR AIRBNB WORK AT THAT RESTAURANT.
IF THEY LIVE IN HARKER HEIGHTS AND THEY MAKE $17 AN HOUR, PLEASE TELL ME HOW OWNING A CAR THAT COSTS THEM 10,000 PLUS A YEAR MAKES SENSE.
REGISTRATION, INSURANCE, YOUR OH 2 CENTS, YOUR, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
THE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP, Y'ALL.
I WANT US TO JUST AS A COMMUNITY, AS WE SIT HERE COLLECTIVELY, I WANT US TO BE THINKING ABOUT THESE CULTURE SHIFTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE TOGETHER.
Y'ALL REMEMBER ROTARY DIAL PHONES? WE DON'T DO THAT NO MORE.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF WE SHOULDN'T DO ANYMORE.
WE DON'T SMOKE IN AIRPLANES NO MORE.
Y'ALL FEEL ME? I KNOW Y'ALL HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING.
I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS LARGER CONVERSATION WILL REQUIRE THE KIND OF COLLABORATION THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DO TOGETHER.
IT'S AN ECOSYSTEM OF DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION IN AUSTIN, AND I AM EXCITED, FRANKLY, TO SHARE THAT OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND GIN WEAVER, WHICH, BY THE WAY, PO PO.
JEN WEAVER, UM, OF THE CITY'S DESIGN COMMISSION TO HOST A TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL, UM, WITH THE INSTITUTE TO BRING PERSPECTIVES, EXPERTISE, AND DATA TO ENSURE THAT THESE CODE CHANGES WILL ACTUALLY BRING FORWARD AS A COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE, A BUILT ENVIRONMENT THAT WE ARE AIMING FOR INTENTIONALLY.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL, COLLEAGUES AND ALL WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT.
I RECOGNIZE IT'S NO SMALL TASK.
THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND ALL OUR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN LEADING IN THIS CONVERSATION AND WHO WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD IN THIS CONVERSATION MOVING FORWARD.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO FOLLOW COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON AFTER THAT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE TODAY FOR THE SUPPORT OF ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH WILL SUPPLY DISTRICT SIX AND OTHER AREAS OF AUSTIN AND THEIR RESIDENTS WITH EMS STATION 10, OUR STATION 25 AT 52 28 DUVAL ROAD.
I'VE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HA, THAT HAVE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND WHEN THEY BE REALIZED.
AND IF YOU'VE DRIVEN BY THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE BUILDING IS JUST A SHELL OF ITSELF.
SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, ESPECIALLY WITH US CLOSELY APPROACHING SUMMER AND AN INCREASE OF, UH, WILDFIRE RISK HAPPENING.
UM, THAT STATION WILL HELP KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE AND PROTECTED.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR SUCH A ROBUST AND THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION WITH THE QUESTIONS ON TUESDAY REGARDING THE A P D AND DPS COLLABORATION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEM DURING MY RIDE OUT WITH DPS, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND BEFORE I FINISH MY REMARKS TODAY, I WANT TO THANK BUILDING SERVICES AND AT XN FOR GIVING MY OFFICE AND STAFF SUPPORT THIS MORNING WHEN I GIVE A PROCLAMATION OUT FRONT IN HONOR OF MAY 4TH.
I APPRECIATE STAFF'S CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL WHEN WE NEED ASSISTANCE.
AND MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
I WAS WONDERING WHETHER THAT WAS COMING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 19, OUR NOMINATIONS, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS.
I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER FOR MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO THE, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT ONLY BRINGS OUR APPOINTMENTS UP TO TWO.
SO IF YOUR LAST NAME ISN'T AL ALTER
THANKS, MAYOR, FOR LETTING ME GO A SECOND TIME.
THERE WERE TWO THINGS I JUST WANTED TO, UM, MENTION ON ITEM 22, UM,
[01:15:01]
BECAUSE I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE PART OF INITIATING THE CONVERSATION ON PARKING AND TIME, UH, IN OUR CITY.AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSURE OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING A SINGLE PARKING SPACE WITH THIS ACTION, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT PARKING MAY BE NECESSARY IN THE FUTURE.
AND I SPECIFICALLY WANNA ADD THAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE ROLE THAT ADAPT HAS PLAYED HERE AS THEY HAVE DONE IN CITIES LIKE OURS ACROSS THE NATION, REVISITING THAT ARE REVISITING THEIR PARKING RULES TO GUARANTEE ACCESS TO PARKING FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
UM, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY INCLUDED IN THIS, UH, OVERVIEW AND THE REVISITING OF OUR RULES.
AND WE WILL NOT FORGET, UM, FOLKS WHO DO NEED ACCESS TO PARKING BECAUSE OF, UM, ADA REGULATIONS.
AND I THANK THE SPONSOR FOR MAKING THIS A FOCUS OF THE INITIATIVE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? UH, MEMBERS THE CHAIR, UH, WILL INTENDS TO TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA SHOWING THE NO VOTES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ? HEARING NONE, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM 21.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER BEING SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM NUMBER 22 MEMBERS.
[56. Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to identify resources and strategies to assist victims of recent storms and flooding and to develop an accelerated plan to assess and clean up vegetation debris in creeks to reduce flood risk.]
I WILL NOW GO TO ITEM NUMBER 56, WHICH WAS AN ITEM PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
THANK YOU MARY MAYOR, VERY MUCH.
UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE, UH, MERGES METAL NEIGHBORS, UH, THAT TESTIFIED AND ALSO HEARD, UH, ANOTHER GENTLEMAN FROM THE LAMAR ROMBERG AREA WHERE THERE WERE, HE WAS A, A CALLER, BUT ALSO, UH, IDENTIFIED THERE WERE FOUR HOUSES THAT FLOODED IN THAT AREA.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY CONVERSATIONS WITH WATERSHED IS THAT THERE'RE PROBABLY TOTAL OF ABOUT 60 OR SO HOMES, UH, THAT FLOODED, UH, DURING, UH, THE, THE, THE RECENT, UM, HEAVY RAINS.
UM, I, I, I MET WITH, UH, THE MUR MEADOW, UH, NEIGHBORS, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, LAST WEEK.
AND I APPRECIATE THEIR, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THEM INVITING ME INTO THEIR HOUSES AND THEIR BACKYARDS, AND TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE, THE SITUATION, UH, WAS AND, AND, AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
UM, AND, UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND GET THIS ON THE AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, AND I, AT, AT THIS POINT, REALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, UH, WATERSHED, UH, JUST TO KIND OF HEAR WHERE THEY ARE.
I KNOW THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON THE ITEM WITHOUT IT PASSING IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING RESOURCES AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM, UH, FROM THE DIRECTOR.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE, THE SUFFERING PAIN THAT YOU GUYS ARE DEALING WITH, AND I APPRECIATE THE MEETING WE HAD LAST WEEK, AND FOR THE, THE INFORMATION YOU'VE PROVIDED TODAY TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
SO, UM, OUR MISSION IN WATERSHED IS TO PROTECT LIVES, PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENT FROM IMPACT FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION.
AND SO, LIKE I TOLD THE, UH, COMMUNITY LAST WEEK, WE COULD DO BETTER.
UH, AS IT RELATES TO THREE 11, YOU SHARED SOME INFORMATION.
UH, OUR STAFF HAS BEEN RESPONDING TO THREE 11 CALLS SINCE THE WINTER STORM, AND THE DEBRIS DID HAVE AN IMPACT HERE, UH, THAT THE CULVERS WERE BLOCKED AND THAT EXACERBATED THE FLOODING.
IS THERE FLOOD RISK THERE? YES, THERE IS.
BUT THE, THE FLOODING DID GET EXACERBATED BY THE, BY THE DEBRIS.
AS THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY STATED, UH, WE, WE HAVE PRIORITIZED CITYWIDE NOT JUST THIS COMMUNITY, BUT THIS COMMUNITY IS IN AN AREA THAT WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S RISK.
SO WE HAVE A VEGETATION CONTROL PROGRAM, AND WE GO OUT THERE THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK.
AND, UH, THE LAST TIME, UH, ACCORDING TO OUR DATA, WE WERE OUT THERE WAS IN DECEMBER BEFORE THE WINTER STORM.
WE WERE SET TO BE OUT THERE AGAIN WITH OUR CONTRACTOR IN MAY.
THIS RAIN HAPPENED BEFORE THEN, SO, UH, YES, THERE'S MORE WE COULD DO AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SINCE THE STORM, WE DID HAVE OUR CREWS OUT THERE THE NEXT MORNING, WE REALIZED THAT EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE WAS BEYOND WHAT WE COULD DO BY OURSELVES.
SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS THAT WERE OUT THERE ASSISTING US.
WE DID CLEAR ALL THE COVERTS AGAIN BEFORE THE, THE ADDITIONAL RAINS THAT CAME.
WE HAD SERIES OF RAIN EVENTS, UM, FOLLOWING, UH, APRIL 20TH.
SO OUR GOAL IS GOING TO BE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE, THE DEBRIS CLEAR AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
BUT I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A CITYWIDE PROBLEM.
UH, AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL RAINS WE'RE SEEING THIS YEAR, AND WE EXPECT THE WEATHER, THE NORMAL, UH, FALL, UH, BECAUSE OF A LINEAR PHENOMENA, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE WHERE WE CAN AND, AND DO BETTER.
UM, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION WE'VE ALREADY BEEN GATHERING.
AND JUST YESTERDAY IN A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, UH, THE EARLIER SPEAKER TODAY THAT TALKED ABOUT THEIR FLOODING, WE WEREN'T, UH, I WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
MY STAFF HAD ALREADY BEEN OUT THERE, SO, SO AS WE CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, I, UH, IDENTIFY HOW WE CAN PROVIDE RESOURCES.
UH, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WATERSHED DOES IS IN, IN, IN ADVANCE OF THE STORMS, DURING THE STORMS AND THEN GO IN OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, IT TAKES THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO GET THERE.
IT IS A, A COMPLETE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP.
[01:20:01]
WANT TO THANK HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, IMMEDIATELY COORDINATED WITH RED CROSS TO BE OUT THERE.UH, I UNDERSTOOD FROM MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THEY RECEIVED MAYBE WASN'T WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING OR WANTED.
SO THEY PARTNERED WITH THE AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK, WHO'S BEEN OUT THERE, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM GOING OUT THERE.
AND, AND WE'RE EXPLORING OTHER IDEAS RIGHT NOW, WORKING WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AT THE STATE.
AND SO THE HCM OFFICE IS GONNA BE PROMOTING MORE INFORMATION ON, UH, OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, YOU SAID WE'RE ALREADY WORKING, UH, ON ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR RESOLUTION.
AND, UH, AS I PUT TOGETHER THE INFORMATION ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, I'LL SUMMARIZE IT IN A MEMO TO MAYOR COUNSEL AND SEND IT TO YOU ALL FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UH, UH, THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR MOR MORALES.
AND COULD YOU ALSO JUST UPDATE US ON THE C I P, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT IS APP PENDING FOR, UH, THE, THAT AREA FOR THE, THE MES UM, UH, MEADOW AREA AND THAT, THAT PORTION OF THE LITTLE WALNUT CREEK YES.
SO AS, AS STATED, THERE IS A C I P PROJECT WHERE WE'RE DIVERTING THE FLOATS FROM THE LITTLE WALNUT CREEK IN THROUGH MER MEADOW.
AND ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE, YOU'LL SEE THE BOX COVERS ARE OUT THERE.
THEY'RE LIVING BY 13 BOX COVERTS.
SO WE'RE DIVERTING A SIGN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FLOW THAT WILL REDUCE THE, UH, THE FLOODING RISK FOR ALL THESE HOMES.
WE HAVE ABOUT 80 HOMES THAT ARE IN A FLOOD PLAIN CURRENTLY.
AND SO THAT PROJECT WAS DELAYED BECAUSE WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING ANOTHER CONTRACTOR, AND WE EXPECT THE NEXT THREE MONTHS TO GET BACK OUT THERE, UH, WITH A NEW CONTRACT OUT THERE.
AND SO WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT WHEN THIS STORM OCCURRED, UNFORTUNATELY.
UH, AND SO THE UTILITIES HAVE BEEN RELOCATED.
THE MAIN COMPONENT OF THE BIG BOX CULVERS IS WHAT'S LEFT TO BE BUILT.
AND SO WE, WE WILL HAVE A NEW CONTRACT, UH, IN PLACE SOON.
AND, AND, UH, WAS, IS THAT, IS THERE, WERE THERE ABOUT 60 HOMES TOTAL FLOODED, UH, CITYWIDE, OR AS FAR AS YOU'RE AWARE, HOW, HOW MANY HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN THE, IN THAT RECENT RAIN EVENT? SO THE, UM, WATERSHEDS THAT RECEIVED THE MOST, UM, RAIN THAT, THAT EVENING ON APRIL 20TH INCLUDED LITTLE WALNUT CREEK.
UH, IT ALSO INCLUDED HARRIS BRANCH, BULL CREEK AND WALNUT CREEK UHHUH.
UH, WE ALSO HEARD OF FIVE HOMES THAT FLOODED IN ANOTHER AREA OF WALNUT CREEK.
UH, THAT'S THE WHISPERING VALLEY AREA.
UH, WE, WE KNOW THERE'S AT LEAST SOME HOMES THERE.
UH, SO WE DO ASK THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU HAD EXPERIENCE FLOODING TO PLEASE USE THREE 11 TO NOTIFY US SO WE CAN HAVE, UH, BETTER DATA AS WE'RE COLLECTING THIS.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THOSE TWO AREAS ARE THE ONES THAT THAT EXPERIENCE FLOODING, LITTLE WALNUT AND WALNUT CREEK.
AND OF COURSE THERE WAS ALSO A VEHICLE INUNDATION, UH, IN, IN A LOT OF ROADWAYS THAT, SO OVERALL, I THINK WE HAD ABOUT 12 ROADS THAT WE CLOSED.
AND I BELIEVE 180 3 IN DUVAL IS WHERE WE SAW SIGNIF SIGNIFICANTLY FLOODING THERE.
I THINK IT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A PROJECT THAT'S UNDERWAY.
AND, AND, AND, AND MAYOR AND, AND COUNCIL.
UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE THREE 11 TOOL IS A GREAT TOOL.
UH, IT REALLY ALLOWS PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE THEIR NEEDS TO THE CITY.
IT'S A GREAT DATA COLLECTION TOOL.
SO I THINK WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE CALLING FROM THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT NOT JUST IN THIS SITUATION, BUT IN OTHER SITUATIONS, UH, IT, IT CREATE, IT DOES ALSO CREATE THE EXPECTATION THOUGH, THAT SOMETHING IS GOING, SINCE IT'S BEEN REPORTED MM-HMM.
AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE'S SOME CONFUSION TOO, CUZ SOME, SOMEONE WILL REPORT A THREE 11 ITEM AND THEN IT'LL BE CLOSED.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BEEN COMPLETED.
THAT MEANS, I THINK IT'S ALREADY BEEN, I'M NOT HONESTLY SURE WHAT IT MEANS, BUT THERE'S JUST KIND OF, I THINK, A MISCOMMUNICATION THAT, THAT CREATES SOME ANXIETY AND, AND CONFUSION IN SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE, AS THE NEIGHBORS SAID, DOING THEIR CIVIC DUTY AND REPORTING PROBLEMS TO THE CITY.
BUT THEN KIND OF THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONFUSED AND, UH, AND, AND SOMETIMES UPSET BY THE REACTION.
SO, UH, I, THAT'S BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS ITEM, BUT I DID WANNA, UH, JUST KIND OF POINT THAT OUT AND, AND PUT IT ON, UH, ON, ON COUNCIL'S RADAR CO COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU, IF I WILL, JUST TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT.
WE DID, THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT WE KNOW WE'VE BEEN HAVING.
AND OUR PARTNERS AT THREE 11, I BELIEVE HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT THAT I THINK SOME OF IT JUST ROLLED OUT IN APRIL.
BUT, UH, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ON THREE 11.
YOU, UM, YOU STARTED WAY BACK WHEN YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO BE A SPONSOR OF THIS.
SO I'M WANT TO COME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, SHOULD BE LISTED AS A SPONSOR ON THIS ITEM FROM COUNCIL.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GET A MOTION OUT AND, AND I, I'LL CALL ON EVERYBODY FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES.
MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER AVELA SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 56.
UH, NOW THE ITEM, WE'LL BRING IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN AVELA TO SEE IF HE HAS ANYTHING HE WANTS TO ADD.
[01:25:01]
WAY AND COME THIS WAY.I, I WILL JUST ADD THAT, THAT I KNOW THAT THE DIRECTOR ALSO MENTIONED THERE'S SOME, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, ZERO INTEREST, UH, SBA LOANS.
A AGAIN, I, I, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION OVER TO, UH, THE, THE EMERGENCE MEADOW OR HOMEOWNERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THEY'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY AND ALL POSSIBLE SOURCES FOR ASSISTANCE IN RECOVERY.
AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UH, WE WILL GET THAT OVER, UH, TO, UH, THE HOMEOWNERS ALONG WITH ANYTHING THAT THE CITY CAN DO INTERNALLY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM OUT.
I KNOW ONE OF THE IMMEDIATE ASKS WAS, UH, THEY JUST HAVE A LOT OF DEBRIS, YOU KNOW, FROM THE, THE CARPET AND THE, THE DRYWALL AND ALL THAT STUFF THAT HAD TO COME OUT OF, UH, THE HOMES.
UH, SO AGAIN, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR THE NEIGHBORS, UH, UH, WE, WE WANT TO DO THAT AS A CITY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR.
I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES' QUICK WORK ON TRYING TO, UH, MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, I HOPE THE DIRECTOR DIDN'T GO TOO FAR.
I WANTED TO JUST DAYLIGHT SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN A DISCUSSION, I THINK ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2019.
WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE AND CREATING THE CLEAN CREEK'S CREW, SO I WAS HAPPY THAT WE DID THAT.
I KNOW, UM, OVER THE PANDEMIC IT WAS A BIT HARD TO GET EVERYTHING STAFFED UP, BUT CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE CREW'S WORK AND THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE VERSUS THE DRAINAGE UTILITY FEE, AND JUST WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION? THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND YES, UH, THAT WAS A, A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM AND IT IS AN ITEM THAT, UH, CREATED THE CLEAN CREEK CREW USING THE KEEP, UH, THE AUSTIN CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, WHICH IS NOT UNDER THE PURVIEW OF WATERSHED.
SO OUR PARTNERS AT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, THEY HIRED THAT CREW.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, WE HAVE RESOURCE RECOVERY HERE.
SO WE, WE COORDINATED WITH RESOURCE RECOVERY TO CR TO CREATE THE SCOPE OF WHAT THAT CREW DOES IN GOING OUT TO, TO CLEAN THE CREEKS.
AND THEIR FOCUS IS KEEPING THE CREEKS CLEAN, RIGHT? BUT IT'S, I BELIEVE, ONE CREW.
SO IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFICS ON HOW IT'S FUNCTIONING, I WOULD INVITE MY PARTNER FROM ARR TO COME UP HERE AND GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
BUT IT IS, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S IT'S MOVING FORWARD AND OUR DEPARTMENT IS COLLABORATING WITH RESOURCE RECOVERY ON THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL, CUZ I KNOW IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET THE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMMING AND ASSIGNMENTS TO BE FULLY IN SYNC.
AND SO I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE IN A PLACE RIGHT NOW, UM, WHERE WE CAN ALLEVIATE THESE SITUATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING FOR THE NEIGHBORS.
UM, I ALSO WROTE DOWN WILLIAMSON CREEK.
I, IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE VIDEO, I REALLY APPRECIATE GETTING TO SEE THAT VIDEO, BUT IT, UH, REMINDS ME OF THE HOMES THAT ARE ALONG WILLIAMSON CREEK IN MY DISTRICT.
I KNOW IT'S ON YOUR RADAR CUZ THERE'S SOME DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS ON Y'ALL'S LIST OF, YOU KNOW, HOMES THAT MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE HELP WITH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MITIGATE FLOODING.
UM, CUZ THEY'RE ALL VERY MUCH AWARE THAT WHEN THE RAINS COME, THEY, THEY KNOW EXACTLY HOW DETRIMENTAL IT CAN BE TO THEIR HOMES.
UM, IS THREE 11 THE ONLY WAY TO REPORT IT OR IS THERE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO OUR OUTAGE MAPS THAT THE UTILITIES RUN, IS, IS THREE 11 THE ONLY WAY TO REPORT THESE ISSUES? NO, UH, AFTER A TRAIN EVENT, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT, WE GO OUT AND, UH, RECONNAISSANCE THE AREA, UH, OUR STAFF.
AND SO COMMUNITY USUALLY COMES OUT AND WE TALK THAT WAY.
WE COLLECT DATA THAT WAY AS WELL.
UM, BUT THREE 11 IS A DATABASE AND SO IT IS OUR PREFERRED TOOL.
EVEN I HAVE IT ON MY APP AND WHEN I'M OUT THERE, I'M USING THREE 11 BECAUSE IT'S LOGGING IT IN.
UH, AND, AND YES, I HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT SOME DATA, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT BEING CAPTURED PROPERLY, SO WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
BUT THREE 11 IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO TRACK IT AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE WORKFLOW OF DO.
IS IT SOMETHING THAT OUR CREWS CAN GO OUT THERE AND REPAIR, RE RE REMEDIATE OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE USED AS DATA FOR LARGER C I P PROJECT TO THE WILLIAMSON CREEK, UH, AREA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? WE DO, WE ARE EVALUATING OPTIONS.
UH, SOME OF THESE, UH, WE, WE HAVE OVER ALMOST 10,000 HOMES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT ARE AT RISK OF FLOODING.
ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THAT IS RELATED TO CREEK FLOODING.
OTHERS ARE RELATED TO LOCALIZED FLOODING, WHICH IS CREEK, UH, AWAY FROM THE CREEK.
SO THOSE AREN'T EVEN IN A, IN A FLOODPLAIN MAP, JUST, JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR, IT'S AREAS THAT ARE LOW INUNDATION AND MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WHEN THE WATER GETS TO A CERTAIN LEVEL, THOSE HOMES WILL FLOOD AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTIES AT, AT RISK THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO THREE 11 HELPS US MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING ANY INFORMATION, ANY DATA AS WE'RE PRIORITIZING THESE PROPERTIES.
AND I ALSO WILL REMIND PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT THOSE MAPS, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN A FLOODPLAIN DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE TERRAIN AROUND YOUR HOME, UM, MIGHT HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE FLOODING OCCURS.
AND SO IF YOU'VE RECENTLY MOVED, MAYBE TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AND GET A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENS.
[01:30:01]
CUZ MY LAST APARTMENT WAS ON THE TOP OF A HILL, BUT STILL HAD TERRAIN ISSUES WHERE WATER ALMOST CAME IN THE FRONT DOOR.SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS COMING AND SPEAKING TO US TODAY AND SHARING THEIR SITUATION AND HOPE WE CAN FIND QUICK REMEDIES TO MAKE IT BETTER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FOR BRINGING FORWARD ITEM 6 56, WHICH DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO IDENTIFY RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES TO ASSIST THE VICTIMS OF RECENT STORMS. PARTS OF DISTRICT SIX WERE ALSO AFFECTED BY THE RECENT RAINFALL, AND I'VE MET WITH WATERSHED, UM, PROTECTION AND WE SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT THEIR DEPARTMENT AND RESPONSE TO THAT RECENT STORM.
UM, DIRECTOR MORALES, YOU WERE OUT IN MY DISTRICT REAL QUICK AFTER THAT HAPPENED.
AND SO FOR THAT, OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY THANKFUL.
UM, MAKING THE COMMUNITY SAFER DURING MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AND THAT'S WHY I ASK TO BE A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS ITEM.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIMELINESS, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IN BRINGING THIS FORWARD FOR ALL.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
I'LL ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PRESENTATION THIS MORNING.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR.
UM, YOU DID SAY SOMETHING THAT CAUSES ME CONCERN AND I WONDER IF THIS IS AN ITEM THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I THINK WE AS A BODY, WE BRING FORWARD ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION THAT DON'T NECESSARILY CAUSE ANY IMMEDIATE CHANGE, UM, UH, LONG-TERM CHANGE, RIGHT? UH, OFTEN TELL MY CONSTITUENTS, I'M MAKING POLICY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BABIES RIGHT NOW.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING POLICY FOR YOU, THEY WERE HERE 20 YEARS AGO.
SO THAT SAID, MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS WHY THREE MONTHS? YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT TAKING THREE MONTHS FOR GO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
I COULD GET ON TASKRABBIT RIGHT NOW AND GET SOMEBODY TO CLEAR DEBRIS OUTTA MY YARD RIGHT NOW.
REALLY 11TH, LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION.
THREE MONTHS FOR A PROCUREMENT ISSUE THAT WILL HELP TO ALLEVIATE REAL HARM TO PROPERTY OWNERS.
I'M JUST, I'M CURIOUS AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT CASTING ANY DISPERSIONS, BUT I AM VERY CURIOUS WHY SO LONG? WHAT, WHAT'S THE HOLDUP AND HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? SO IT IT, THE COMMENT WAS RELATED TO THE C I P PROJECT THAT STALLED, UH, IN LITTLE WALNUT CREEK.
I'M FAMILIAR AND GETTING A NEW CONTRACTOR.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY USING A MECHANISM THAT'S MORE OF A EMERGENCY TYPE, UH, PROCUREMENT WHERE WE MEET WITH OTHER CONTRACTORS AND GET LOW BID AND MOVE IT FORWARD.
SO THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS ITSELF, OTHERS CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO IT MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN, THAN I COULD.
BUT WHEN WE PUT OUT A C I P PROJECT, WE, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE STATUTE AND, AND PUT IT OUT FOR BIDS, GET, GET QUALIFIED BIDS AND ALL THAT AND GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO IT REQUIRES THE DESIGN, IT REQUIRES THE BID DOCUMENTS, IT REQUIRES CONTRACTORS TO BID ON IT, IT REQUIRES AN ASSESSMENT EVALUATION, BRINGING 'EM BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND SO THOSE PROCESSES GENERALLY ARE THREE TO SIX MONTHS ON A REGULAR C I P.
THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH MORE OF AN EXPEDITED PROCESS BECAUSE OF THE, THE CONTRACT SITUATION WE HAD WITH, WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
AND SO I DO BELIEVE, UH, THAT ITEM WILL BE COMING TO YOU SOON BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY IN THE WORKS TO GET A NEW CONTRACTOR TO GO BACK AND FINISH THAT PROJECT.
I APPRECIATE THE SENSITIVITY OF YOUR POSITION AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING YOUR BEST, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE AS A HOMEOWNER YOU SAW THAT VIDEO MM-HMM.
AND SO I JUST, I, THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS.
THEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA ALSO BROUGHT UP SOMETHING, UM, WHEN YOU RESPONDED TO HIM ABOUT THE AREAS THAT FLOODED.
TWO OF THE THREE AREAS YOU MENTIONED ARE IN MY DISTRICT.
I JUST WANNA KNOW MOVING FORWARD, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ALL HAVE A PROCESS FOR COMMUNICATION.
I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL YOU JUST SAID IT RIGHT THERE FROM THE PODIUM.
I THINK OFTENTIMES THEY'RE SO DISILLUSIONED BY THE CITY THAT THEY DON'T EVEN BOTHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT THREE 11 PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING RESPONSES OR WHATEVER.
I THINK THEY JUST DON'T BOTHER SOMETIMES.
THAT SAID, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS, I'M JUST NOW HEARING YOU FROM THE PODIUM.
I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF PROTOCOL WHERE WE COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WHERE THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE COMMUNICATE.
SO IF WATERSHED HEARS THAT HARRIS BRANCH OR WALNUT CREEK OR ONE OF MY CREEKS FLOODED AND MY ADJACENT HOMEOWNERS ARE AFFECTED, I'D LIKE TO KNOW AND THERE'S NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW.
AND SO THEY MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND REPRESENTATION.
LIKE, I'M NOT BEING RESPONSIVE.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS I DIDN'T KNOW, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW? AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD JUST MAYBE MOVING FORWARD, LET'S HAVE SOME MEETINGS, HAVE SOME COFFEES CHIT CHAT ABOUT LIKE HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD INTO PROTOCOL, THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION AS SOON AS THAT FIRST THREE 11 COMES AND IT'S
[01:35:01]
D ONE OR D SIX OR D EIGHT OR D THAT THAT REPRESENTATIVE NEEDS TO KNOW, OTHERWISE OUR CONSTITUENTS FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT BEING RESPONSIVE.AND THAT'S CERTAINLY NEVER THE CASE.
I THINK THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS CITY IS THIS JUGG OR NOT WITH LOTS OF MOVING PIECES.
AND THEY SAY THE CITY, SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY THE CITY, I'M LIKE, BRO, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
LIKE, IT'S SO FAR REMOVED FROM ME.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS.
THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA ALSO BROUGHT UP, UM, THE FUNCTION OF THREE 11.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, BUT I WANNA KNOW FROM YOUR OFFICE, AND CERTAINLY NOT IN THIS FORUM, BUT MOVING FORWARD, I WANT YOUR OFFICE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR OFFICES.
HOW CAN WE HELP MAKE THAT TOOL WORK BETTER FOR YOU? CUZ IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THERE'S AT LEAST SOMETHING CLUNKY AND NOT ALIGNING.
IN WHICH CASE WE NEED TO KNOW AS A BODY, HOW DO WE MAKE IT WORK BETTER FOR YOU? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND YES TO YOUR SIR FIRST POINT, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, AND CLARIFY THAT WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THOSE WATERSHEDS THAT I LISTED IS WHERE WE HAD THE SIGNIFICANT RAIN.
WE DID CHECK SOME OF YOUR AREAS.
I I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY FLOODING IN YOUR DISTRICT.
UH, ONCE WE DID KNOW THERE WAS FLOODING IN THE DISTRICTS, WE NOTIFIED THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, BUT TO YOUR POINT, WE'LL WE WILL IMPROVE ON THE COMMUNICATIONS AS IT RELATES TO THREE 11.
UM, THE CONCERNS THAT COMMUNITY HAS SHARED IS THAT THE SYSTEM CLOSES OUT THEIR TICKET, BUT THEY HAVEN'T ACTUALLY RESOLVED THE ISSUE.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT'S, UH, AN ITEM THAT'S ALREADY BEING ADDRESSED THROUGH THE THREE 11, UH, PROCESS.
UH, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO.
AND, UM, I WILL BE SETTING UP MEETINGS WITH YOUR DISTRICT SO WE CAN HAVE A DEEPER CONVERSATION.
UM, COLLEAGUES, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ALL THAT I TOO SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION ON THREE 11.
IT'S WHY I BROUGHT FORWARD A RESOLUTION LAST YEAR THAT WAS ADAPT ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY BY THIS COUNCIL.
UH, BRINGING UP SOME OF THE VERY ISSUES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY WHERE A CASE IS SUBMITTED AND A NOTIFICATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT SAYS THE CASE IS CLOSED WHEN IN FACT IT HAS JUST BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT.
I WAS TOLD BY STAFF THAT THAT ISSUE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED AND THAT IT'S BEEN CHANGED.
UM, BUT IF WE ARE HEARING FROM YOUR COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT THE CASE, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REACH OUT TO JERRY GALVAN WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AS HE'S OVERSEEING THAT PROJECT.
UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MARVELLA FOR, FOR HIS WORK.
UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A, AS A CO-SPONSOR.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS MY, MY SYMPATHY FOR THE FOLKS WHO, WHO AT A TIME COME IN AND SPEAK ABOUT THEIR HARDSHIPS AND, AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY, THEY WENT THROUGH.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU NEED MORE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS REMAINING DEBRIS FROM STORM MARA THAT IS OUT THERE.
UH, WE, WE, WE ARE EXPERIENCED AS CITYWIDE, SO WE PARTNER WITH OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO IN GENERAL, COULD WE USE MORE RESOURCES TO ANSWERS? YES.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO, UM, BE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE JUST HAD THE PARTIAL DECLARATION FROM, UH, FEMA WITH RESPECT TO DISASTER AND, AND EXPLORING WHETHER THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, UM, TO ADDRESS ANY REMAINING DEGREE, UM, THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND LEVERAGE SOME OF SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.
UM, BUT ALSO I WOULD ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, AS WE'RE EVALUATING WATERSHED'S BUDGET AND THE VARIOUS FEES, ET CETERA, THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE ARE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT MIGHT BE A SHORT-TERM BENEFIT OF NOT RAISING A FEE.
UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED IN THIS AREA IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE, UM, SEVERAL FAMILIES WHO ARE HERE OBVIOUSLY TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A REPEATED OCCURRENCE.
UH, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER AVE CLOSE BRIEFLY.
WE, AGAIN, THANKS TO THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THE GOAL OF THE RESOLUTION IS TO MARSHAL ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, NOT JUST TO HELP THE HOMEOWNERS, BUT ALSO TO GET THE, THE CREEKS CLEAR.
UH, WE ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR FLASH FLOODS IN AUSTIN, UH, BOTH SPRING AND FALL.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE REALLY MAJOR THUNDERSTORMS. I MEAN, WE SEE IT, YOU KNOW, WE SEE IT HAPPENING ON THE ROADWAYS.
AND, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, OF KEEPING THOSE, UH, CREEKS CLEAR SO THAT OUR, UH, OUR, OUR PROPERTIES ARE PROTECTED SO THAT OUR PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED IS, IS, UH, ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO THE HOMEOWNERS WHO CAME AND TESTIFIED AND, AND SHOWED US, UH, VIDEOS AND PHOTOS.
UH, AND AGAIN, MY, MY SINCERE APOLOGIES AND SYMPATHIES TO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE IS GOING THROUGH.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AND TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANY AND ALL INFORMATION THAT, UH, THAT THE CITY GETS TO US.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I WILL JUST MOVE PASSAGE
[01:40:02]
MEMBERS.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAS MOVED APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 56 IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE HEARING NONE.
THE MOTION TO APPROVE IS ADOPTED ON ITEM NUMBER 56.
COUNCIL MEMBER BAILEY AND COUNCIL MEMBERS UH HMM.
MEMBERS, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE HAVE A SPEAKER ON, UH, THE AUSTIN HOUSING AND FINANCE CORPORATION.
[10:30 AM - Austin Housing and Finance Corporation Meeting]
OBJECTION, WE'LL RECESS THE MEETING OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, AND I'LL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.AND I WILL ASK STAFF, UH, TO MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
MR. MAYOR? YES, MAY I, UM, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST IN THE ROOM.
THE PRESIDENT OF OUR LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE NAACP IS IN THE ROOM.
NOT SURE WHAT HE'S HERE TO TESTIFY ABOUT, BUT I CERTAINLY WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM.
UH, MR. PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'M THE, UH, O THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TODAY.
YOU HAVE TWO ITEMS BEFORE YOU ON YOUR AGENDA, HOWEVER, DUE TO A, UH, ADVERTISING ERROR, UH, WE ASK YOU TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AND THEN NOT TAKE ACTION UNTIL NEXT, UH, MEETING.
THAT'S WHAT I, EVERYBODY HEARD THAT? SO WHAT I'LL DO IS, UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEMS, UH, A HSC ONE AND A H S C.
UM, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER, SO I'LL INVITE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THAT SPEAKER AS YOU IF YOU'LL DO THAT.
UH, MAYOR, THE SPEAKER IS FOR THE A H F P C.
WELL THEN NO SPEAKERS ON THIS ONE.
UM, IS THERE ANYBODY WISHING TO BE HEARD ON HFC ONE? HEARING NONE.
IF WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM, UH, ON ITEM NUMBER ONE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, SINCE WE NEED TO ADVERTISE IT FOR NEXT, UH, MEETING.
SO YOU WANT IT TO, TO JUST REMAIN ON RECESS? THE MEETING? YES.
I'M SORRY, MAYOR, WHO I DIDN'T MEAN TO TOUCH THE MICROPHONE.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO JUST POSTPONE THESE ITEMS UNTIL, UH, KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, POSTPONE THE ITEMS UNTIL THE NEXT, UH, AGENDA MAY 18TH.
UM, WE WILL LEAVE THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ'S, UH, MOVES THAT WE POSTPONE, UH, ITEMS, UH, ONE AND TWO.
IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
WE POSTPONE THESE ITEMS UNTIL MAY 18TH.
IS THERE YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION? HEARING NONE.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
[10:30 AM - Austin Housing Public Facility Corporation Meeting]
I WILL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN HOUSING PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION MEETING.UH, GOOD MORNING, JAMIE MAY, THE, UH, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY.
YOU HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. UH, ONE, THE FIRST IS, UH, FOR A 20 MILLION MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BOND, UH, FOR KAREN POINT AT CAMERON.
UH, THIS IS A 150 UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, 100% OF THE PROPERTY WILL BE, UH, AFFORDABLE AT 50% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, AND IT IS TARGETED FOR SENIORS.
THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR A 45 MILLION MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BOND, UH, FOR ACG RBJ TWO.
UH, THIS IS THE REBECCA, THE TOWER.
UH, IT IS A 225 UNIT DEVELOPMENT FOR, UH, TARGETING SENIORS.
AFFORDABLE AT 30%, 50%, AND 60% M F I.
AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR ACTION ON BOTH OF THESE ITEMS AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING? UH, NO, SIR, NO ACTION REQUIRED.
SO, UH, PURELY FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, YES, SIR.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON A H P F ITEM NUMBER ONE IS ZENOBIA.
THANK YOU MAYOR, COUNSEL, AND RESPECTFULLY, MAYOR, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHEN WE WILL GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY THAT ONLINE SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS.
UM, MY SOME, SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL LIKE WE JUST DID, AND THERE WOULD BE NO WAY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A PRECISE TIME.
THAT'S WHY I CALL OUT THE ORDER THAT WE WILL
[01:45:01]
GO IN.AND IT'S ALSO WHY I'VE TAKEN THIS ITEM OUT OF ORDER SO THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK EARLIER IN THE DAY.
IF I MAY CLARIFY, MAYOR, I'M JUST MEANING LIKE PUBLIC HEARINGS, IMMINENT DOMAIN.
IF YOU WOULD JUST, UH, I KNOW AT WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER ALLOWING THE SPEAKERS TO SPEAK ON EACH ITEM.
SO WHATEVER YOU DECIDED, IF YOU COULD JUST PUT THAT ONLINE SO THAT THE SPEAKERS KNOW, WHICH IS WHY I'M NOT REMOTE, BECAUSE I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHEN TO SPEAK AND ALL OF THAT.
AND WELL, YOU'VE GOT THE FLOOR NOW.
THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, I'M ZNO JOSEPH.
UH, MAYOR, JUST LET ME PREFACE.
UH, 1 0 6 0 6, UH, SETTLER'S TRAIL IS UH, UH, ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON'S, UH, ADDRESS IN DISTRICT SIX.
AND SO SHE MENTIONED THAT HER CONSTITUENTS DON'T CALL HER.
AND SO SOME OF THE TIMES, UH, IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T FEEL THAT SHE'S REPRESENTING US AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO 72 0 5.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT FOR ME? UM, WE ONLY KNOW, UH, WHAT'S ONLINE.
IF YOU WANNA ADDRESS THAT AFTER I'M FINISHED SPEAKING, THEN YOU CERTAINLY MAY.
RESPECTFULLY, MAYOR, AS IT RELATES TO 72 0 5 KAREN POINT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE STAFF PROVIDED YOU WITH A MAP OVERLAY.
IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS JUST CONCENTRATIONS OF POVERTY.
MOVING OVER TO THE CAMERON AREA, AND I WILL JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT CORONADO HILLS, WHEN CAPITOL METRO ELIMINATED THE SERVICE JUNE 3RD, 2018, THE SERVICE WAS ELIMINATED THERE AS WELL.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE 526 UNITS WITHIN ABOUT TWO MILES, 50% AREA MEDIAN INCOME OVER AT THE OLD, UM, HOME DEPOT AS WELL.
AND SO AFRICAN AMERICANS WOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE HERE BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT $38,000.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE WEST OF I 35, IT'S 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN I SAY YOU'RE RE CODIFYING THE 1928 PLAN IS BECAUSE OF THESE, UH, AREA MEDIAN INCOMES.
UH, SPECIFICALLY I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL AS IT RELATES TO THE CAMERON ROAD AREA.
THAT'S A HIGH INJURY, UH, AREA, AND IT'S SPECIFIED BY THE AUSTIN TRANSIT, UH, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UH, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL THAT THERE'S A BAD REQUEST WHEN YOU TRY TO OPEN UP THE DOCUMENT.
SO THE PUBLIC WAS NOT ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THIS ALL ENTAILS.
AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK MANDY DE MAYO, UH, TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THAT'S HAPPENED WHERE THERE'S NOTHING THAT OPENS UP, UH, WHEN WE CLICK ON THE LINK.
AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT AREA.
UH, IT APPEARS TO BE CONCENTRATIONS OF POVERTY AND IT WOULD APPEAR TO, UM, VIOLATE THE FAIR HOUSING ACT OF 1968.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
ANY MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU TALKING TO ME TODAY.
ARE, UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS, CORRECT? UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER ONE OF THE A H P F C WITHOUT OBJECTION.
I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM A H P F C NUMBER TWO, ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NOT ANY SPEAKERS MAYOR.
THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM A H P F C TWO.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF A H P F C.
I WILL NOW CALL BACK TO ORDER.
AND APPARENTLY THERE'S BEEN A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT THE ORDER WE'RE GOING TO GO IN.
WE WERE GOING TO GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 23, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP THE NON-CONSENT ITEMS. 30, 31 AND 57.
SO WHAT WE WILL PROBABLY END UP DOING IS TAKING UP ITEM NUMBER 23 AND, AND MAYBE OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON 30 AND 31 BEFORE THE 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN FOR, UH, COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS.
[23. Approve a resolution relating to subdivision plat processes and fees for residential development and the creation of infill lots; and initiating amendments to City Code Title 25 to achieve an amended plat process and to increase opportunities to create infill lots for residential development.]
I'LL CALL UP ITEM NUMBER 23.AND I'LL RECO RECOMMEND COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
UH, COLLEAGUES, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COST OF HOUSING, IT'S, IT'S DIRECTLY RELATED TO TWO THINGS.
COST TO BUILD THE COST OF THE LAND.
AND WHILE WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, LABOR, INTEREST RATES, WE CAN IMPACT THE COST OF LAND.
IF YOU TAKE A LOT, YOU DIVIDE IT INTO MULTIPLE PIECES THAT DIVIDES THAT COST TO TWO OR THREE HOMES, AND THAT HAS A REAL MEANINGFUL IMPACT.
BUT CURRENTLY, IF YOU WANT TO SUBDIVIDE A LOT, YOU MUST GO THROUGH A LENGTHY AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS THAT CAN ADD TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO THE COST OF THE LAND.
[01:50:01]
BUT IF YOU WANT TO JUST JOIN TWO LOTS TOGETHER, IT'S QUICK AND CHEAP.AND, AND I JUST BELIEVE IT SHOULDN'T BE EASIER TO CREATE LARGE LOTS FOR LARGE EXPENSIVE HOMES INSTEAD OF SMALLER LOTS FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES.
AND THIS ITEM CORRECTS THAT IMBALANCE.
UH, IN SO DOING, WE'RE CREATING AN EASIER AND CHEAPER SUBDIVISION PROCESS TO LOWER HOUSING COSTS.
AND WE GIVE THOSE WISHING TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES AN ADDITIONAL OPTION TO STAY RATHER THAN BE DISPLACED BY POTENTIALLY SUBDIVIDING THEIR LOT AND BEING ABLE TO GENERATE MORE INCOME ON THEIR EXISTING LAND.
SO I ALSO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE A COUPLE THINGS THAT THIS ITEM DOESN'T DO.
DOESN'T CHANGE THE ZONING, IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANY NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE LOT SIZES, SETBACKS, IMPERVIOUS COVER REQUIREMENTS.
UH, IT IT JUST FOCUSES ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE INCREASED DENSITY WEAR APPROPRIATE FOR INFILL DEVELOPMENT.
SO I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND VELASQUEZ FOR CO-SPONSORING THIS.
UH, I WANNA THANK MY CHIEF STEP, BEN LOEFFLER, WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY, UH, WITH BRENT LLOYD, WHO IS ALSO VERY WORTHY OF THANKS GETTING US HERE.
UH, REALLY JUST HELP ADDRESS OUR AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING CRISIS.
AND WITH THAT, UH, I MOVE, ACTUALLY, I SHOULD ALSO NOTE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A YES, AN AMENDMENT HERE.
UM, WE NEED TO CONSIDER WILDFIRE RISK IN ALL THAT WE DO, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON ALTAR FOR LEADING ON THAT ISSUE.
BUT WITH THAT, I, I MOVE ADOPTION MEMBERS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER MOVES ADOPTION.
IT IS SECONDED BY, ARE ARE YOU SECONDING? YES, SIR.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HARPER MADISON.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DIS WELL, I, I, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON AL ALTER FOR A PROPOSED AMENDMENT MEMBERS YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU A, UH, A SHEET TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER 33.
AND I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT'D I SAY? I'D LIKE TO AMEND LINE 33 OF ITEM 23.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING.
AND SHE BEGINS THE AMENDMENT AT LINE 33.
AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
UM, SO THIS AMENDMENT ADDS WILDFIRE RISK TO THE OTHER HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS ALREADY ADDRESSED SUCH AS FLOODING.
UM, YESTERDAY I SPENT, UM, THE DAY WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR MANY, MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OUR COUNTY AT OUR WILDFIRE SYMPOSIUM.
AND I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WILDFIRE RISK SHOULD BE PART OF OUR DIRECTION OF SOMETHING THAT WE CONSIDER, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, I DO WANNA BE TRANSPARENT THAT I'M GONNA BE ABSTAINING ON THIS ITEM BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST REVIEW WHAT STAFF COMES BACK WITH.
I APPRECIATE YOUR CLARIFICATIONS.
THAT ADDRESSED ONE OF MY CONCERNS.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THIS CAN GO AND, AND I WANNA WAIT TO SEE, UM, WHAT COMES BACK WITH RESPECT TO THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL BE CLOSELY LOOKING AT WHEN IT COMES BACK IS WHETHER IT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE AND THE BEST PRACTICES WITH RESPECT TO WILDFIRE EVACUATION ROUTES AND SAFETY.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ORION AL ALTER, UM, SAYING THAT THIS IS FINE WITH HIM.
UM, WE HAVE SOME REAL SERIOUS ISSUES POTENTIALLY WITH RESPECT TO INSURANCE IN THE HOMES THAT WE BUILD IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE AND THE WILDFIRE RISK, UM, THAT WE NEED TO BE BUILDING INTO OUR CODE AND MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT EXACERBATING.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS ITEM TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION WILDFIRE.
YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 23.
IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT TO ITEM NUMBER 23? HEARING NONE.
THE ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 23 IS AMENDED.
THAT'LL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.
MAYOR, I JUST WANNA, I'M SORRY.
ARE, ARE YOU ABSTAINING FROM YOUR MOTION? NO, I'M, I'M VOTING ON MY MOTION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 23 AS AMENDED? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ITEM NUMBER 23 AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER BEING SHOWN ABSTAINING.
MEMBERS, UH, WILL NOW GO TO ITEM NUMBER
[30. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Section 25-2-586 (Downtown Density Bonus Program) relating to compliance with Great Street Standards for properties located along Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) frontages and establishing a fund for certain fees.]
30.ITEM NUMBER 30 IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE.
WE WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 30.
IS THERE, IS THERE ANY STAFF THAT WANTS TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM? AND I'M NOT BEGGING FOR ONE, I'M JUST
[01:55:01]
UH, NO PRESENTATION.MAYOR COUNCIL, JOY HARDEN WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 30 IS THE ITEM INITIATED BY THE COUNCIL.
AND, UM, IT WILL CREATE A THIN LIEU FOR PROPERTIES REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH GREAT STREETS, BUT ARE LOCATED ON TEXTILE RIGHT OF WAY BECAUSE TEXTILE RIGHT OF WAY WILL NOT ALLOW GREAT STREET STANDARDS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THIS WILL JUST ALLOW PROGRAMS TO PARTICIPATE AND, UM, BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS LIKE THE DENSITY BONUS TO ALLOW MORE HOUSING.
THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION.
IS THERE ANY, IS THERE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 30? MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, ACTUALLY WHAT I NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO CONDUCT A QUICK PUBLIC HEARING, HOLD THOSE MOTIONS, UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 30.
IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE HEARD? MADAM CLERK? NO.
THERE'S NO ONE TO BE HEARD WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 30.
UM, MEMBERS, YOU'VE, UH, HEARD THE MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON IS, WAS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 30? HEARING NONE.
[31. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Section 25-2-586 (Downtown Density Bonus Program).]
31, WHICH IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND ALSO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE.DO YOU WISH TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MS. HARDEN? UM, JUST REAL QUICKLY, THIS IS AGAIN, ANOTHER ITEM INITIATED BY THE COUNCIL AND IT WILL ALLOW PROPERTIES IN THE CAPITAL DOMINANCE OVERLAY DISTRICT TO EXCEED THE LABLE HEIGHT, UM, IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DOWNTOWN DISNEY PUNISH PROGRAM.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 31.
MADAM CLERK, IS THERE ANYONE TO BE HEARD? NO SPEAKERS WITHOUT SPEAKERS.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE CLOSING OF THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 31? UH, HEARING NONE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT? ITEM NUMBER 31.
MOTION IS MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM 31? HEARING NONE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO ADOPT? ITEM NUMBER 31, HEARING NONE.
[57. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance granting additional floor-to-area ratio entitlements to the project at 62 and 64 East Avenue in accordance with the Downtown Density Bonus Program under City Code Section 25-2-586(B)(6).]
ITEM NUMBER 57, WHICH IS TO ALSO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE.UH, MS. HARDEN, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US 30 SECONDS ON THAT
IT IS, UM, UH, THIS IS RELATED TO ITEM, UH, ITEM LOCATED AT 62 EAST AVENUE AND IT HAS A CASE NUMBER SITE, UH, S P 20 22 0 8 52.
THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS REQUEST, WHICH THE PROGRAM'S ADMINISTRATIVE ALLOWANCE ALLOWS FOR 50 15 TO ONE.
THIS WILL ALLOW THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT TO GO TO 29 TO ONE F A R.
AND, UM, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY WILL BE PAYING A FEE OVER 800,000.
AND, UH, STAFF DOES SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WANNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO
UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 57.
UH, MADAM CLERK, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 57 MEMBERS.
THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 57.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 57? HEARING NONE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT? ITEM NUMBER 57, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES ADOPTION.
SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEAM.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 57? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE? UM, YEAH, AS IT'S IN, IN D NINE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS AN OFFICE WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING, UH, WITH TRANSPORTATION STAFF TO LOOK INTO THE MOBILITY STUDY AS WELL AS THE BIG RED DOG STUDY, THEN YEARS AGO TO SEE WHAT MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS GONNA BE INITIATED.
UH, MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO LOOK AT THIS AREA AND OTHER AREAS DEVELOPING DOWNTOWN TO ENSURE THAT THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS DEVELOPING ANY WAY OF A COMPLETE COMMUNITY AND HELP REDUCE DEPENDENCY ON CAR OWNERSHIP.
UH, IMAGINE AUSTIN CALLS FOR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, YET THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REAL PLAN TO CREATE THAT FOR RAINY.
UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN WAS ADOPTED OVER 10 YEARS AGO, AND OUR CITY LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT, UM, THAN IT DID 10 YEARS AGO.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN UPDATE THAT AND BRING IN MORE COMPREHENSIVE VISION, UH, TO DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND REGULATORY TOOLS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IS WHAT I'M, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 57? HEARING NONE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 57, HEARING NONE.
MEMBERS SIT VERY QUIETLY FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS OR TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS.
[Public Comment ( Part 2 of 3 )]
OUR 12 O'CLOCK NOON, UH, TIME, CERTAIN, UH, COMMUNICATION, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AT, UH, RIGHT AT 12 O'CLOCK.[02:00:01]
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S 12 O'CLOCK.UM, ITEM WE WILL NOW TAKE UP, UH, OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE CITY CLERK TO BEGIN, UH, THAT PROCESS.
OKAY, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS ANNE.
UH, I'M THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN SHAKESPEARE.
WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY FOR DECADES.
WE'VE HAD 37 YEARS OF DOING FREE SHAKESPEARE AND ZER PARK, AND NOW OUR AUSTIN FUNDING HAS BECOME ZERO.
SO WITH NO FUNDING THIS YEAR, WE'RE NOT DOING A MONTH OF FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK.
WE'RE DOING A WEEKEND, WE'RE NOT HIRING 15 ACTORS, WE'RE HIRING FIVE.
THIS CAN BE MULTIPLIED BY HUNDREDS OF OTHER ARTS GROUPS AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITS.
YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS SIMPLY DEVASTATING THE AUSTIN ARTS COMMUNITY ALL IN THE NAME OF D E I.
DID, YOU KNOW THAT HOT TAX FUNDING NOW CAN BE APPLIED FOR FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM A FIVE COUNTY RADIUS.
DID YOU KNOW THAT FOUR PROFIT GROUPS, BARS, RESTAURANTS, THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME EXHIBIT SPACE, CAN ALSO APPLY FOR HOT FUNDS? ARTISTS IN AUSTIN AND ARTS GROUPS ACTIVELY WORK DAILY TO CREATE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, DIVERSE PERFORMERS, ACTORS, ARTISTS, DANCERS, MUSICIANS, TECHNICIANS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE, AND TO SERVE A DIVERSE AUDIENCE.
I'VE MET WITH DOZENS OF ARTISTS AND ARTS GROUPS AND WE AGREE THAT WE NOW NEED AN OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE, NOT IN THE FUTURE, BUT AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WITHOUT YOUR INTERVENTION, THERE'LL BE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS AND ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ART IN AUSTIN.
WE URGE YOU TO FREEZE THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROCESS AND AUDIT THAT DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY.
ETHAN SMITH ON DECK IS JEANIE RAM RAMIREZ.
UM, SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF, RFPS KIND OF GOT A BACKLOG OF THINGS I WANNA TALK ABOUT.
I WANTED TO ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER SAID A LITTLE EARLIER.
YOU SAID THAT COST OF HOUSING IS RELATED TO THE COST TO BUILD AND THE COST OF LAND, RIGHT? AM I GETTING THAT RIGHT? BUT I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT.
I WOULD SAY THE COST OF A HOUSE IS RELATED TO DEMAND.
SO IF I CAN BUILD A HOUSE FOR 200,000 AND, UH, THE LAND COST 200,000, THAT'S 400,000.
AND IF SOMEBODY'S WILLING TO PAY 700,000, I'M GONNA MAKE 300,000.
IF THE COST OF THE LAND IS 100,000 AND THE COST OF BILL IS 100,000 AND PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY 700,000, THE COST WILL BE 700,000.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE RFP PROCESSES.
I SPOKE ABOUT THIS AT LAST COUNCIL, BUT, UM, WE PUT SO MUCH ENERGY AND EFFORT INTO ASSIGNING A VALUE FOR, UH, AFFORDABLE QUOTE UNQUOTE, IT'S INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING MFI BASED, BUT THERE IS A MUCH SIMPLER METRIC THAT IS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AND THAT IS, UH, HOW MANY BEDROOMS ARE PER UNIT AND THAT THIS IS SIMPLE MATH.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOKED AT HEALTH SOUTH, SO I REACHED OUT TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND I ASKED THEM, HOW ARE YOU GIVING ASSIGNING A VALUE TO THIS? AND I DID NOT, I WOULDN'T SAY I GOT A STRAIGHT ANSWER
UM, BUT WE SHOULD, THAT THERE SHOULD BE PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY.
IF YOU WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THIS LAND IS WORTH 50 MILLION AND WE'RE GIVING IT TO THESE DEVELOPERS FOR 10 MILLION CUZ WE BELIEVE THEY'RE PROVIDING 40 MILLION OF PUBLIC BENEFIT.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHOW YOUR WORK ON THAT.
AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PLACE TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY.
AND I THINK THAT PROBABLY APPLIES TO MORE THAN JUST ONE, UM, RFP PROCESS.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF GET ON THE RECORD AND SAY, I THINK THAT THE RFP PROCESS FOR THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD TRACKS 16 AND 18 SHOULD BE SEPARATE.
UM, THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TRACK 18 BEING A GREEN SPACE AND, UH, WHATEVER PUBLIC FUNDING THAT, UH, CONCENTRATING
[02:05:01]
IT IN TRACK 16.UM, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY? UM, OH YEAH, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN THE IDEA OF SAVING THE CO-OPS, THE RESIDENTIAL CO-OPS OF WEST CAMPUS.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE INSTITUTIONAL PROVIDERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH I SPOKE ABOUT LAST TIME IN REFERENCE TO HOUSTON TILSON.
AND THAT WE NEED A DEFINITION AND THAT, UM, THESE INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY THE UNO, UH, THE SEVEN DIFFERENT UNO RESOLUTIONS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND THEY WERE ENCOURAGED TO EXPAND IN A WAY THAT WASN'T WITHIN, UM, THE KIND OF INSTITUTIONS THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF HOUSING THEY WERE OPERATING AND THAT THEY WERE GIVEN THESE KIND OF CARROTS TO EXPAND AND THAT, UH, THEY BOTH, BOTH OF THEM WOUND UP IN REALLY BAD DEBT BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND THEN, UM, YOU HAD A SITUATION WHERE THEN THEY COULDN'T EXPAND AND THEY, THEY KIND OF ADDED UP DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
AND WE, WE WANT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOT TO BE SUBSTANDARD, AND YET SINCE THEY'VE BEEN IN SUCH FINANCIAL STRAITS, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENED.
AND I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT GETTING THEM SOME MONEY FOR THEIR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JEANIE RAM RAMIREZ.
I'M A MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST.
I WANNA SAY HI TO EVERYBODY, THE NEW COUNCIL AND THE NEW MAYOR.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE GREEDIEST MUSIC FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I WANNA KNOW, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DELEGATION? I KNOW MR. QUAD QUADRI IS NOT HERE.
I MEAN, HE, HE SUPPORTS MUSICIANS.
I SAW HIM ON TV AND I'M HOPING THAT HE, HE STANDS BY THAT.
BUT IF THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY MEETINGS YET, DELEGATIONS MUSIC COMMISSION CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
THEY CANNOT MEET WITH JAY PENSKE, THE BILLIONAIRE.
UH, YOU KNOW WHAT? ONE OF Y'ALL NEED TO START A DELEGATION AND HAVE MEETINGS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS ALREADY STARTED THEIR PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND I'M NOT GONNA LET THIS GO.
THIS IS UNDER ROLAND SWENSON'S FAULT.
DECADES OF NOT PAYING MUSICIANS, BUT HE IS RETIRED, SOLD IT TO JAY PENSKE THE BILLIONAIRE, AND NOW WHAT? YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS ON THE BACK OF MUSICIANS.
I'VE BEEN DOING MUSIC FOR 37 YEARS.
I AM SINGING LADY BANANA BREAD IF YOU WANNA LOOK ME UP.
AND, UM, I SING ROCK AND ROLL.
THIS IS 37 YEARS I'VE BEEN IN THE MUSIC, MUSIC INDUSTRY.
I GRADUATED IN 1982 FROM CROCKETT HIGH SCHOOL, RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, I'VE STUDIED MY ART, I'VE BEEN DOING IT.
THERE'S SO MUCH REPRESSION WITH WOMEN, YOU KNOW, ALREADY IN THE INDUSTRY.
UM, SORRY, I'M, I'M GETTING COMPASSION.
INSTEAD OF GOING BY ONE OF, YOU KNOW, DELEGATION, THANK YOU JOEY D FRANCISCO FOR BRINGING UP WHAT IS GOING ON AT SOUTH BY, BUT IT TOOK A THIRD PARTY FROM NEW JERSEY TO DO THAT.
WHY? BECAUSE EVERYONE'S IN BED.
YOU KNOW, INCESTUOUSLY, WHY DID, WHY DID THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE BRING THIS UP YEARS AGO? BECAUSE THEY'RE BESTIES WITH SOUTH BY ROLAND SWITZER.
AND IF Y'ALL CAN'T DO SOMETHING AND, AND REALLY STAND BEHIND PEOPLE AND MUSICIANS, OH, Y'ALL CALL IT THE CAPITAL MUSIC OF THE WORLD ON THE BACKS OF US WHERE I'M A LOWER PROFILE ARTIST, BUT WE ACTUALLY ARE THE BACKBONE.
THE HIGHER PROFILE ARE TOURING.
WE, YOU KNOW, THE LOWER PROFILE WE WANT SPONSORS, WE WANT TO HAVE PR, ALL OF THAT.
BUT WE ARE THE BACKBONE AND YET NOTHING IS, WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME BYLAWS FOR THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION.
I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NEW ONES THERE, BUT THERE'S A, A LOT OF SELF-SERVING GOING ON AT THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION.
ONE IN 20 18, 19 20 20 WHEN WE HAVE THE SHUTDOWN, YOU MIGHT LOOK IT UP AND SEE ALL THE PEOPLE I CALLED OUT WHO GOT ACL GIGS, I'M TALKING MUSIC COMMISSIONERS, GOT ACL GIGS SOUTH BY SOUTHLAND.
YOU KNOW HOW COVETED THOSE GIGS ARE? WHY IS IT THAT Y'ALL CAN'T TAKE ANY KIND OF GIFTS, MONEY, ET CETERA.
BUT THE OFTEN MUSIC COMMISSIONERS CAN TAKE BIG, YOU KNOW, SLOTS LIKE A C L, THEY'RE COVETED.
THEY HAD ONE LATINA AND AMY CORBIN IS NOT SUPPORTING LO LOCAL LATINAS.
I NEED TO SAY THAT SHE HAS SPEAK ONE NEXT TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I'M SO SORRY, BUT YOU KNOW, I JUST ACL AMY CORBIN SELF-SERVING OPPORTUNITY HOARDING PEOPLE ON BOARDS AND Y'ALL ARE IN CHARGE OF THEM.
THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL MA'AM MA'AM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT COUNCIL MCC CADRE AND I HAVE MET WITH SOUTH BY REGARDING THE I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY CALLS.
MY RYAN IS IN MY RYAN AL ALTER.
YOU'RE IN MY, MY, I LIVE OFF MANCHA MANY TIMES.
I'VE CALLED MA'AM NOAM ANSWERS MA'AM, ANY
[02:10:01]
OF MA'AM, MY ASSISTANT.UM, SO I, WE'LL CONNECT WITH YOU OFFLINE TO LET YOU KNOW HOW THE MEETING WENT WITH SOUTH BY SO WE CAN TALK ALSO WHEN YOU GET MA'AM MA'AM, I THINK YOU JUST NEED SEAT AT THE TABLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT DELEGATION, MA'AM.
HEY, UM, I WAS SCHEDULED TO SHOW A VIDEO, BUT IT'S ON AN APPLE AND IT DOESN'T TALK TO ADELE, SO I REALLY NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO SAY, UM, EXCEPT THE, CUZ THE VIDEO WAS, UH, TWO MINUTES AND 49 SECONDS.
SO I'M NOT READY TO SPEAK, BUT I'M GONNA TAKE MY THREE MINUTES, UM, BECAUSE WHAT, UH, AND TELL YOU WHAT THE VIDEO IS.
OKAY, IN, UH, JANUARY 2ND, 2007, I STARTED DOING A TIME LAPSE OF THE CITY GROWTH OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF ZILKER CLUBHOUSE.
AND, UH, I WOULD GO ONCE A WEEK AND TAKE 30 FRAMES.
AND, UM, SO I'VE CAPTURED THE GROWTH FROM THAT TIME UNTIL TODAY.
I'M STILL DOING IT, BY THE WAY.
UH, BUT I MADE THE VIDEO, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, HAS A CONCEPT THAT IT, THIS ALL HAPPENED IN ONE DAY.
AND SO I STARTED WITH THE SUNRISE AND UM, THEN I JUST CAPTURED THE GROWTH OF THE CITY AND THEN I DID A SUNSET AND WE ENDED BY DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY DOWN LADYBIRD LAKE, UH, AND CAUGHT THE FIREWORKS ON JANUARY 1ST, 2023 AS AN ENDING.
AND SO AS YOU WATCH THE VIDEO, IT IS JUST ALL GOING UP AND IT HAS SOUND, SOUND EFFECTS FOR TRAFFIC AND NOISE.
YOU, YOU CATCH THE SEASONS, UM, OF COURSE THE BUILDING AND THE GROWTH OF THE CITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SHOW YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO TELL YOU.
BUT WHAT, SINCE I HAVE A SECOND LEFT, UM, I'M INTERESTED IN, UM, TALKING TO SOMEONE IN THE ARTS COUNCIL ABOUT THIS AND I DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT I SEE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU WILL, UM, TALK WITH MY CHIEF OF STAFF RIGHT THERE, WE WILL GET SOMEBODY, UH, FOR YOU TO CONTACT MM-HMM.
SO IF YOU WILL, UM, LET, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET THAT, GET THAT SO WE CAN SEND IT TO EVERYBODY.
WELL, AND ACTUALLY, AND IT SOUND SOUNDS SWEET, SO I WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE IT.
I'VE LIVED HERE SINCE THE SEVENTIES AND IT, IT JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IF YOU'LL VISIT WITH, UH, MS. PATE, NEXT SPEAKER ISRA ALVAREZ MOST YEAH, YOU ARE
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER.
UH, HERE WE'RE, I WEAR MANY HATS, BUT I'M JUST WEARING THE HAT OF RAUL ALVAREZ WHO USED TO SIT RIGHT OVER THERE.
YEAH, I WEAR COUNCIL MEMBER HAR FROM MADISON RIGHT ABOUT, UM, AND REALLY, I KNOW, UH, IT'S KIND OF A NEW COUNCIL AND UH, UH, I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY PRESENTED TO COUNCIL MANY TIMES SINCE I LEFT IN 2006.
THIS IS ACTUALLY ONLY MY THIRD TIME, YOU KNOW, CUZ UM, AND PARTLY IT'S, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE KNOW THE, THE DIFFICULTIES IN DECISION MAKING AND THE DELIBERATION, RIGHT? THAT'S REQUIRED IN, IN MAKING THESE HARD DECISIONS.
UH, SO WE WANNA RESPECT THE ABILITY OF YOU TO WEIGH THE ISSUES THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T HAVE, WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO, RIGHT? ALL OF THE, UH, THE, THE ISSUES AND, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO CHANNEL GUS GARCIA, NOT, NOT OTHERS, YOU KNOW, CUZ HE, HE ONLY CAME TO TALK TO ME A COUPLE TIMES ABOUT ISSUES AND HE WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME, RAUL, THAT I'M FOR THIS THING, HERE'S WHY I'M FOR IT.
BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES TO CONSIDER.
SO IT'S KIND OF IN THAT SPIRIT THAT I SHARE THESE KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO HAD A FORMER MAYOR WHO CAME AND SPOKE TO ME AND HE HAD NEVER COME TO SPEAK BEFORE.
UM, AND UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE ISSUE CUZ AT THE END OF THE MEETING, I WON'T SAY HIS NAME, BUT, UH, AND IT WASN'T THIS MAY ALREADY YEAH, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY DON'T, DON'T LOOK AT ME, BUT, BUT AT THE END OF THE, UH, OF THE MEETING, HE HANDS ME LIKE THIS METAPHYSICAL TREATIES ON THE NATURE OF REALITY
[02:15:01]
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.AND SO I, I KIND OF FORGOT WHATEVER WE HAD TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AND SO I'M NOT GONNA END MY PRESENTATION LIKE THAT, BUT, UH, UM, I HAVE WRITTEN MY OWN METAPHYSICAL TREATIES, BUT I'M NOT GONNA END IT THAT WEIRD BECAUSE I KNOW IT HAPPENS.
BUT, UH, BUT AGAIN, I THINK MY, MY, UM, SUGGESTIONS, YOU KNOW, OR HOW DO WE RESTORE KIND OF THESE COMMUNITY VALUES, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WHAT DO YOU WANNA BE KNOWN FOR AS A COUNCIL, RIGHT? OR AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, RIGHT? IS UH, ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, HONORING COMMUNITY VOICE, RESTORING AND MAINTAINING BALANCE ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, KIND OF HOW DO WE DO THAT AND KEEPING YOUR PROMISES.
AND I KIND OF LAY OUT, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM AN EAST AUSTIN PERSPECTIVE, SORT OF HOW SOME OF THESE THINGS HAVE GONE SINCE I LEFT THE COUNCIL TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE ON, UM, WHY THE COMMUNITY KIND OF VIEWS THE COUNCIL AND KIND OF HAS SOME HIGHER, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, FOR THE KIND OF DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE.
BUT, BUT MAINLY I WANNA SAY IS THAT DON'T THROW OUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR ADOPTED PLANS THAT OUTLINE YOUR COMMUNITY VISION RATHER LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS AND IMAGINE AUSTIN.
SO I'LL END JUST BY LOOKING AT, UH, KIND OF HOW DO WE LOOK AT THIS HOUSING ISSUE IN A BALANCED WAY.
AND SO I HAVE JUST AN EXCERPT FROM ONE PAGE OF, UH, OF THE, UH, IMAGINE AUSTIN PAGE 1 36 AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT THREE BULLETS FROM THERE, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING, UH, KEY CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE, YES YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING, UH, MIXED USE, MIXED INCOME, UH, UH, NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO MAINTAINING THE UNIQUE AND DIVERSE CHARACTER OF AUSTIN.
BALANCING NEW DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT FOR LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS WHILE MAINTAINING ESSENTIAL CHARACTER.
YOU KNOW, I JUST ASK THAT YOU KIND OF THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE APPROACH THIS, UH, HOUSING, NOT IN A HOUSING AT ALL COSTS THAT THROW EVERYTHING ELSE OUT THE WINDOW, BUT BALANCE ALL OF THE VALUES AND ALL THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANY AND, UH, ALL OF OF THESE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MEANT TO BE HOME RUN BALLS, BUT YOU MAY NOT SEE IT THAT WAY,
APPRECIATE YOUR, WHAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE SPANISH SPEAKERS AND WE HAVE AN INTERPRETER ON THE LINE.
VIC, CAN YOU HEAR US? VIC, ARE YOU THERE TO OUR TRANSLATOR? YOU UM, CAN UNMUTE ON YOUR SIDE.
VIC, I'M GOING TO, UM, CALLING THE SPEAKER NOW, RODRIGUEZ.
HELLO VIC, YOU ARE CUTTING OFF.
I'M CALLING FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DUCK SPRINGS.
OKAY, SORRY COUNSEL
UM, LET'S TRY THE INTERPRETER AGAIN.
AND, HELLO VIC, CAN YOU TRY UNMEET AGAIN? JEN, I DON'T WANNA SAY IN THE LINE FOR TURNING.
IT'S ONLY THREE MINUTES AND I WANT TO KNOW, EXPLAIN TO ABOUT MY WHY.
FEELING IN MY HEART ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY I SEE IN THE CITY.
AND SO I I'M REALLY NERVOUS I FOR MY TIME.
[02:20:02]
OKAY, I AM GONNA MOVE TO, UM, IN-PERSON SPEAKERS SO THAT WE CAN RECONNECT WITH THE INTERPRETER.I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ FOR COMING OUT TO THE RANCH OFTA FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND AGAINST ALLAHS.
THE EVENTS WAS A, THE EVENT WAS A SUCCESS AND IT CAME OFF WITHOUT A HITCH.
I COME TO YOU TODAY ASKING FOR ACTION ON PAUSING THE EL UPCOMING ELEVATE GRANT PROGRAM.
ECHOING THE CONCERNS OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
THEY'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU THE ISSUES AND I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN YOU LETTERS WITH MY CONCERNS AS WELL, BUT I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING POPULAR BUT CONTROVERSIAL AND HOW WE'LL LIKELY, HOW WE LIKELY FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS WITH THRIVE.
THIS IS APPLICABLE HERE BECAUSE THE SAME PHILOSOPHY FOR THRIVE WILL BE USED FOR ELEVATE.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TOUCH A THIRD RAIL HERE, BUT IF ANYONE HAS A RIGHT TO SPEAK ON THIS, IT'S ME BECAUSE IT AFFECTS MY LIFE'S WORK AND IT AFFECTS THE COMMUNITY THAT ADOPT ME AS ONE OF THEIR OWN.
THE RACIAL EQUITY LENS THAT THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT IS USING TO WRITE PAST WRONGS IS COMMENDABLE, BUT INCOMPLETE AND SHORT-SIGHTED SIMPLY PUT IN ITS CURRENT FORM, IT SEEMS TO PENALIZE BIPO ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJ AND PROJECTS IF WHITE ALLIES ARE INVOLVED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET WRITTEN FEEDBACK JUST SCORES.
FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS, I'VE BEEN PUZZLING OVER WHY AUSTIN'S ONLY MUSIC FESTIVAL DIDN'T GET A FULL PANEL REVIEW AND THEN IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS.
IT'S PROBABLY THE FACT THAT I SAID IN ONE APPLICATION QUESTION THAT WAS REVIEWED THAT WE HAD TWO CORE CONSTITUENCIES, THE TRADITIONAL AUDIENCE COMPOSED OF MEXICAN AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH GENTRIFIED OUT TO THE SUB SUBURBS AND THE OTHER AUDIENCE, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF MUSICAL LOVERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS.
WE ENCOURAGE AND WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR FESTIVAL SO THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT AN UNDERAPPRECIATED CULTURAL MUSIC FORM.
IT'S PROBABLY THE FACT THAT WE HAD A DIVERSE BOARD.
IMAGINE HOW I FELT IT WAS THE GUT PUNCH TO END ALL GUT PUNCHES.
AND YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THAT I CO-FOUNDED THIS ORGANIZATION WITH THIS GENTLEMAN BACK THERE.
UH, TOGETHER WE HAVE TRAVELED THOUSAND OF MILES ALL OVER TEXAS RECORDING ORAL HISTORIES WITH MUSICIANS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP FILL THE BLANKS AND DOCUMENT THE CRIMINALLY UNDER DOCUMENTED GENRE.
I'VE SPENT TENS OF THOUSAND DOLLARS OF MY OWN MONEY ON THIS PROJECT OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS.
I'VE DEVOTED TENS OF THOUSANDS AND HOURS OF MY LIFE TO THIS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS ALONE.
I DID EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO SAVE THIS EVENT FROM DYING AND KEEP AUSTIN KUK FRIENDLY
THIS PAST WEEKEND WE PRESENTED AT OVER A DOZEN DIFFERENT BANDS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.
OVER 50 INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS WERE PAID, THE SOUND CREW WAS PAID, 99% OF THEM WERE MEXICAN OR MEXICAN AMERICAN.
THE CROWD WAS 90% LATINO WITH A, WITH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER COMING FROM OUTTA TOWN.
WE NEVER TELL THE MUSICIANS TO CHANGE FOR THE MORE DIVERSE AUSTIN CROWD THAT SHOWS UP FOR OUR FESTIVAL.
WE DON'T ASK THEM TO SING IN ENGLISH.
WE DON'T ASK THEM TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT THEY NORMALLY DO.
THIS IS RELEVANT TO THE UPCOMING ELEVATE GRANT BECAUSE THE RUBRIC ASKS WHO HOLDS POWER IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? HOW DO THEY REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY? I AM NOT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
BUT WHAT HA WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HIM? I'M THE LOGICAL SUCCESSOR SINCE I'M THE CO-FOUNDER AND I MANAGE THE BUSINESS, I HOLD SIGNIFICANT POWER IN THE ORGANIZATION, I MAKE IT RUN.
BUT THE RACIAL EQUITY ANGLE OF THESE PROGRAMS WILL AUTOMATICALLY DIMINISH OUR VALUE BECAUSE I DON'T REPRESENT THE MUSICIANS OR THE TRADITIONAL AUDIENCE FOR IT TO BE IMPLIED THAT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS MUSIC OR THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE OTHER NON BIPO ALLIES ON OUR BOARD MAKES OUR ORGANIZATION LESS FUNDABLE AND LESS VALUABLE IN TERMS OF CITY INVESTMENT IS QUITE HONESTLY OFFENSIVE TO ALL OF US WHO WORK SO HARD FOR THIS MUSIC.
NOT TO MENTION THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CREW IDENTIFIES AS FEMALE, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF IN ULTA MUSIC.
MA'AM, YES, APOLOGIZE, BUT YOUR TIME IS UP.
PLEASE FOCUS ON OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE NOT IN AND OURS WE SUPPORT RATHER THAN WHO WE ARE.
UM, WE'RE GOING BACK TO RODRIGUEZ VIC, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? VIC, IF YOU CAN HEAR US AT CITY HALL, CAN YOU PLEASE UNMUTE? INTERPRETER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU, YES.
[02:25:06]
HI, UH, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE CLIMA CLIMATE CHANGE THAT'S GOING ON AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE TREES THAT NEED TO BE PLANTED ON THE SIDE OF THE R I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ALL THE TREES THAT NEED TO BE PLANTED.IT IS GOOD FOR THE FAMILIES, IT IS GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN THAT HEAT HAS HAS SOME EXTREME.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THE CHILDREN TO PLAY WHEN IT GETS SO HOT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THERE BE MORE WATER SPOUTS PUT AROUND THE, THE PUBLIC AREA AND PARKS BECAUSE MY MOTHER TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO PLAY AT THE PARK AND THERE IS NO WATER OR ANYTHING FOR THE CHILDREN TO COOL OFF.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST TO SEE MORE BENCHES AND MORE COVER FOR THE BUS STOPS.
IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SEE ELDERLY PEOPLE, SENIOR CITIZENS, PEOPLE ON WHEELCHAIRS AND CHILDREN HAVING TO, UH, RESIST THE EXTREME HEAT.
UM, I OFTEN HAVE TO CRY BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE A CHILD THAT HAS THREE ROW POLICY AND WE HAVE TO BE STANDING THERE AT THE BUS STOP WITH ALL THE HEAT AND NO COVER.
OKAY? I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO NOT BE DISPLACED ANYMORE.
EVEN THE WEATHER IS DISPLACING CAUSE THERE'S HEAT, THERE'S FLOOD, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S EXTREME HEAT.
AND SO, UM, I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO COUNT.
UM, IT IS EVERYTHING THAT I WANT TO DO FOR ME AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO COUNT HOW MANY OF YOU ARE MOTHERS, FATHERS SON.
YOU HAVE TO FIGHT WHAT FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DOVE SPRINGS AND I JUST DON'T SEE IT.
WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING DISPLACED.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WANT THAT, THAT WE CAN SEE, UM, COVERED AREAS.
OKAY? WE WANT TO SEE THE WATER.
WE WANT TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE VALUED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SEE A LOT OF MONEY BEING INVESTED ALL AROUND THE CITY, BUT NOT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT IN THE COMMUNITIES OF LATINX PEOPLE, OF BLACK PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR.
WE WANT BE ABLE TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
[02:30:06]
UH, WE WANT A, THE REAL CHANGE THAT WE TALK ABOUT HERE MEETING.I AM A MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN AND I'VE HAD TO MOVE AND I HAVE BEEN DISPLACED.
I HAVE A, A DAUGHTER THAT IS, THAT IS, UM, HAS DISABLED AND WE TO SEE TRUE CHANGE WHERE MONEY IS INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
OKAY? AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT CHANGE.
AND THIS IS THE CHANGE FOR THE ELDER, FOR THE, THOSE THAT ARE DISABLED FOR CHILDREN.
AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TREES, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO WATER.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE COVER, UM, AT THE BUS STOPS AND SHARES FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED IT.
UM, IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG AND WE, WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY CHANGES THAT YOU SAY HAPPEN.
THE NEXT THE NEXT SPEAKER IS IRENE HERNANDEZ.
SHE WILL ALSO UTILIZE INTERPRETATION SERVICE.
AND I COME HERE TO TALK TO YOU IN, OKAY.
I WANT TO TALK ALSO ABOUT WATER SPROUTS AND ALSO TREES.
UM, NOW THAT THE, WITH ALL THIS CLIMATE CHANGE AND THAT THE SUMMER IS COMING, UM, A LOT OF US PARENTS TAKE OUR CHILDREN TO THE PARK THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO BECAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE WHERE THE CHILDREN CAN COOK UP.
SO WE WANT TO ASK FOR MORE TREES AND MORE WATERS.
I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT THE COVER AND THE, THE, THE BENCHES AT THE BUS STOPS.
IT IS WAY TOO HOT AND WE ALWAYS SEE PEOPLE WAITING THERE AND OFTEN THE BUS TAKES A LONG TIME TO, TO GET THERE.
I HAVE USED THE BUS A LONG TIME FOR A LONG TIME AND I HAVE SEEN ELDERLY, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE ON WHEELCHAIRS, I'VE SEEN CHILDREN AND IT IS, UH, UNBEARABLE HEAT.
UM, SO I WANT TO SEE MORE COVER OF THE BUS STOPS, UM, CHAIRS.
OKAY? AND I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE WANT TO BE HEARD.
I WANT TO MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HEARD AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE.
WE NEED, WE NEED TO HELP FROM CITY.
THE CITY NEEDS TO, TO LISTEN TO US AND WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TREES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WATER
[02:35:01]
STOPS FOR OUR CHILDREN.I LIVE IN THES AREA, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE AREA WHERE THERE IS IS VERY LITTLE THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
WE WANT TO ALSO SEE THE COVER FOR THE BUS STOPS ON THE BENCHES.
OKAY? SO I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE ARE LISTENED TO, THAT WE ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO SEE ALL THESE CHANGES, THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY SUFFERING THE ELDERLY, PREGNANT, PREGNANT MOMS THAT ARE OFTEN STANDING AT THE BUS STOPS.
WE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE CHANGES AND FOR THE CITY TO REALLY LISTEN TO US AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JESUS MA ON DECK IS DEWEY BROOKS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER.
MY NAME IS DEWEY BROOKS, A LONGTIME, UH, VOLUNTEER BACK FROM, AND SOME OF Y'ALL MIGHT REMEMBER AUSTIN AQUI FEST, UH, AUSTIN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM WHEN IT STARTED ON FIFTH STREET.
UH, CO-FOUNDER OF PRO ARTS COLLECTIVE UP THROUGH AND NOW A VOLUNTEERING WITH RODEO AUSTIN.
BUT I AM HERE TODAY AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE TO DELIVER A LETTER ON BEHALF OF OUR 500 PLUS MEMBERS ASKING FOR CHANGES TO HOW THE AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN WORKS WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS SECTOR.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR THE CREATION OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, STAFFED BY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND EXPERIENCED ART PROFESSIONALS.
THIS IS BEST PRACTICE OF MAJOR CITIES AND LONG OVERDUE IN AUSTIN AS IT WAS FIRST RECOMMENDED BY THE CREATE AUSTIN CULTURAL MASTER PLAN BACK IN 2009, THEN REITERATED IN THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN 2012.
IN ADDITION, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S, ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS AND OVERALL MANAGEMENT OF THE CULTURAL ART FUNDS.
OUR HOPE IS THAT SUCH A AUDIT CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING A NEW DE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL ARTS COMMUNITY.
AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE HAS STUDIED HOW CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY SUPPORT THEIR CULTURAL WORKERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, AND WE HAVE MUCH EXPERTISE TO SHARE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING ON NEXT STEPS AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH YOU TODAY.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE NOON PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UM, MEMBERS, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, OF COURSE, IS OUR LIVE MUSIC.
AND THEN AFTER THAT IS A TIME CERTAIN OF TWO O'CLOCK, WHICH IS, WHICH WILL IS THE TIME WE'LL TAKE UP OUR ZONING MATTERS.
SO, UH, AND BY THE WAY, EVERYBODY OUGHT TO PAY ATTENTION TO, UM, OUR MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY THAT WE DO THIS, BUT TODAY'S A SPECIAL DAY BECAUSE TODAY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND I MET HER JUST ABOUT BACK, WE HAVE A HARPIST SO THAT THE HEAVENLY SOUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING OUT OF HERE ALL MORNING LONG NOW, WE'LL HAVE AN EXCLAMATION MARK.
UM, BUT IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, WE WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL 2:00 PM WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE IN RECESS.
[Live Music Sarah Hall]
AS I INDICATED BEFORE WE, UH, RECESS TO, TO GO TO OUR LIVE MUSIC, UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM SARAH HALL TODAY AND SHE'S A FREELANCE HARS BASED, UH, RIGHT HERE IN OUR HOMETOWN OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.SHE'S BEEN CLASSICALLY TRAINED SINCE THE AGE OF SIX AND SHE NOW PERFORMS
[02:40:01]
AS AN ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC HARS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS.SHE ALSO PERFORMS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
SHE'S A MEMBER OF SSS HEARTSTRINGS BASED OUT OF LA AS WELL AS ILAN STRINGS AND THE DALLAS STRING QUARTET.
NOT ONLY DOES SARAH HAVE A VERY BUSY PERFORMING CAREER, BUT SHE ALSO WORKS AS A SESSION MUSICIAN AND IS THE ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION MANAGER FOR AUSTIN, TEXAS.
MUSICIANS, A MUSICIAN FOCUSED NONPROFIT LOCATED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND SO I AS MAYOR OF THE OF AUSTIN, UH, HAVE 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 THAT'S 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 MAY 4TH, 2023 AS SARAH HALL DAY IN AUSTIN.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, SARAH HALL.
[02:45:04]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.SARAH HALL, YOU GONNA PLAY ANOTHER ONE FOR US? NO.
OKAY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M NOT CUTTING HER OFF.
UM, TELL US WHERE YOU, WHERE WE CAN HEAR YOU, WHERE WE SEE YOU.
UH, I POST A LOT OF THINGS ON MY INSTAGRAM AT HAR STREET, TX.
HAR STREET, TX, HAR STREET, TX.
AND MY NEXT PUBLIC GIG IS AT SOUR DUCK ON EAST M L K.
UH, THIS WEDNESDAY, MAY 10TH, FIVE 30.
HEY, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHY DON'T Y'ALL COME UP AND LET'S TAKE A PICTURE.
I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS REGULAR MEETING.
[Consent Agenda ( Part 2 of 2 )]
UH, MEMBERS AS YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS WE HAVE A TIME CERTAIN FOR THE ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS.MAYOR COUNSEL JOY HARDEN WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
YOUR ZONING AGENDA BEGINS WITH ITEM NUMBER 33, NPA 20 22 0 0 2 1 0.02.
THERE'S A STAFF POST MOMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JUNE 8TH COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 34 IS NPA 20 22 0 0 1 5 0.06.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 35 C 14 20 22 1 15.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 36 IS NPA 20 22 0 0 1 5 0.03.
THERE'S A STAFF POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING.
THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 37 C 14 20 22 0 1 0 5.
AGAIN, STAFF POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 38, UM, IS NPA 20 22 0 0 1 5 0.04.
THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING ITEM, UM, YOU GONNA START RIGHT? YES.
THE RELAY REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 39 C 1 4 20 22 0 1 0 6 NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 40 IS NPA 20 22 0 0 1 6 0.02.
THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JUNE 1ST COUNCIL MEETING.
THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 41 C 1 14 20 22 0 1 21 NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JUNE 1ST COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 43 IS C 1 14 20 20, 20 23 0 0 0 9.
THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON FIRST READING ONLY.
ITEM 45 IS IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT MEMBERS, UM, NOTE THAT IT WAS BEING OFFERED ORIGINALLY OR THE ORIGINAL NOTES THAT SOME OF US RECEIVED INDICATED IT WAS BEING OFFERED ON ALL THREE READINGS AND BUT INSTEAD, AS SHE JUST SAID, IT'S GONNA BE OFFERED ON FIRST READING ONLY AND THAT WILL BE THE CASE WITH 45, 46 AND 47 AS WELL.
BUT I JUST WANNA CALL THAT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.
THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AGAIN, THIS ITEMS IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT FIRST READING ONLY AND ITEM 47 C 1 14 20 22 0 0 2 7.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 48 IS C 1 14 20 23 0 1 10.
[02:50:04]
THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.ITEM ITEM 49 IS C 14 20 22 1 43.
THIS ITEM IS BEING, UM, OFFERED FOR POSTPONEMENT TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING BY COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER ALISON AL ALTER AND ITEM 50 IS C 14 20 22 0 1 77.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JUNE 8TH COUNCIL MEETING.
APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JUNE 8TH COUNCIL MEETING.
AND ITEM 54 IS C 1 14 20 23 0 0 0 6.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS, BUT THERE ARE SPEAKERS TO THIS ITEM.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? THANK YOU.
UM, MEMBERS WE WILL TAKE UP THE ITEMS THAT SHE READ, UH, OTHER, SO ON YOUR AGENDA, ITEM 48 AND ITEM 51 WILL BE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
OTHERWISE THE ITEMS IN THE, ON THE AGENDA UNDER THE ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS WILL ALL BE TAKEN UP AT ONCE, UH, AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, UH, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ,
[Public Comment ( Part 3 of 3 )]
AND I'LL ASK THE CITY CLERK TO, UH, CALL THOSE WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.BY THE WAY, YOU CAN SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR ON ITEMS, UH, FOR, LET'S JUST DO IT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN WE'LL TAKE UP 48 AND 51.
OKAY, MAYOR, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS GINA GRANDE SPEAKING ON ITEM 40.
UM, I THINK THIS IS UP FOR POSTPONE.
IT IS, UM, BUT I AM THE CO-CHAIR OF THE OKAY.
UM, SO SHOULD I CONTINUE TO SPEAK OR SHOULD WE MA'AM POSTPONE MA'AM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK, BUT UNDER OUR RULES, IF AN ITEM IS UP FOR POSTPONEMENT, YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK AS TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT ITSELF.
THEN I BELIEVE, UH, POSTPONEMENT HAS GREAT MERIT IN THAT WE NEED MORE THOUGHTFUL REVIEW, UH, OF THIS PROJECT AND THE ADVERSE IMPACTS IT'LL HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SPEAKING ON THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT FOR ITEM 41, FRANCIS AK FRANCIS, ARE YOU THERE? I'M HELLO.
UH, UH, YES, MY NAME IS FRANCIS AK.
I'M CALLING IN IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM 41.
AND THANK YOU FOR POST POSTPONING IT.
UH, IN REGARDS TO THE BOARD, BOARD MAIL, PLANT, PLANT, UH, PROJECT IN THIS AREA, THIS AREA IS TOO CLOSE TO THE COLORADO, UH, RIVER.
AND WHERE THE ITEM WHERE THE, I'M SORRY, I'M, I WAS WORKING ON SOMETHING ELSE MA'AM.
MA'AM, IF I, AND WHERE THE WILDLIFE FACTORY MA'AM, EXCUSE ME IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT.
UH, IF YOU'RE FOR THE POST, BECAUSE IT'S BEING OFFERED AS A POSTPONED ITEM, UH, YOU CAN SPEAK TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT, BUT AT A LATER DATE, UH, WE'LL HAVE UH, TESTIMONY REGARDING THE, THE MERITS OF THE, THE ITEM ITSELF.
SO IF YOU'RE FOR OR AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW THAT I'M AGAINST OF THE ITEMS, I MEAN OF THE, OF THE, OF THIS PROJECT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SPEAKING ON ITEM 51, DANIEL BARROW.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS Y'ALL TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS DAN BURRELL AND I LIVE IN MATTHEWS PARK, WHICH IS A NINE HOME POCKET DEVELOPMENT BUILT ON ROUGHLY TWO AND A HALF ACRES AT THE CORNER OF MATTHEWS AND ALBERT.
AS I KNOW MY TIME IS LIMITED AND I HAVE
[02:55:01]
A FEW POINTS THAT I FEEL IN MATERIAL AND HOPE YOU'LL WILL TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION.UM, AS, AS SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVE ALLUDED AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS, THE SECTION OF ALBERT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS A QUARTER MILE, ONE AND A HALF LANE, POORLY MAINTAINED STRIP OF ROAD WITH NO CURVES, NO SIDEWALK, POORLY LIFT, POOR TO NO DRAINAGE OR WATER ABATEMENT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY NO SPEED ABATEMENT.
THAT LAST POINT IS THE ONE THAT I WANT TO STRESS BECAUSE ADDING 400% DENSITY, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE LOCKS SEEKING THIS TYPE OF ZONING MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE RESULTING INFLUX OF VEHICLES AS WELL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT PEOPLE WALK THEIR DOGS AND CHILDREN UP AND DOWN THIS INSULAR ROAD ALL DAY LONG.
UH, THE NEXT POINT THAT UH, THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTING TO SOME OF THE CONFUSION AND THAT IS THE CHERRY PICKING AND MISREPRESENTATION OF DATA.
SOUTH STONE HAS BEEN USED TO CITE PRECEDENT FOR SF SIX, BUT IT IS OMITTED OR IGNORED THAT THE ZONING WAS ONLY PASSED WITH THAT WITH A STRICT OVERLAY.
THAT ENTRANCE TO THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULD ONLY BE ACCESSIBLE VIA DETMAR BECAUSE OF ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES I OUTLINED EARLIER.
ADDITIONALLY, HOUSING INVENTORY LEVELS SPECIFICALLY OF A CERTAIN SIZE AND TYPE ARE CITED BASED ON THE MLS WITHOUT NOTING, WITHOUT NOTING THE 230 PLUS HOMES IN SOUTH STONE.
THE A HUNDRED PLUS BEING BUILT UP ON COOPER AND THE SEVEN HOMES ON ONE ACRE RECENTLY APPROVED JUST ONE LOT AWAY FROM THIS ONE, WHICH GIVES THE FALSE IMPRESSION OF SCARCITY.
THE LACK OF INVENTORY IS IN HOMES AND LOSS LIKE THE ONES THAT I I MENTIONED IN MATTHEWS PARK HERE, WHICH AGAIN IS NINE HOMES ON TWO AND A HALF ACRES.
UM, WHICH THERE'S NEARLY MARKET AND NONE IN DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TESTIFYING YOUR, YOUR TIME EXPIRED.
MAY MAYOR, THAT'S ALL THE REMOTE I HAVE RIGHT NOW, SO I'M GONNA SWITCH TO IN-PERSON.
THE FIRST IN-PERSON SPEAKER FOR ITEMS 33 45, 46, 47, 52 IS DENOIA JOSEPH AND ON DECK WILL BE ROY WHALEY.
THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL, I'M JOSEPH.
MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO 1 12 1 21 NORTH IH 35 AND THAT ITEM SPECIFICALLY UH, WOULD INCREASE THE DENSITY AT 0.7 MILES TO THE NEAREST BUS STOP, WHICH IS ROUTE 3 92.
I WOULD JUST REMIND YOU THAT ON JUNE 3RD, 2018 WHEN CAPITOL METRO CHANGED THE 52 BUS ROUTES FOR CAP REAP, THEY ENTER LINE ROUTE 2 43 WITH 3 92, WHICH IS THE WELLS BRANCH BUS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE PEAK BUS WAS TAKEN OFF, THE BUS RUNS MAYBE EVERY 30 MINUTE HEADWAY.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS MORNING I ACTUALLY RODE THAT BUS AND IT WAS LATE.
SO I GOT TO TECH RIDGE PARKING RIDE AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND I WAS ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DENSITY IN THE AREA THERE AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA AND ONE BEING BUILT ON YEAGER AND RIGHT THERE AT TECH RIDGE BOULEVARD AND THIS WOULD ADD MORE DENSITY BUT THERE IS NO SIDEWALK EVEN TO GET TO THE 3 92.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL AS IT RELATES TO ITEMS 44 TO 47, WHICH IS THE RED LEAF PROJECTS, THAT'S THE HIGHLAND MALL AREA.
I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THE HISTORY, IT WAS ACTUALLY A NEGRO ORPHANAGE AND THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 300 ACRES THAT WERE OWNED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALL DAY LONG I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE 10 OF 25 IN SHERRY S'S STAFF REPORT, YOU, YOU'LL SEE 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME FOR 10% OF THE UNITS.
I WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2020 AS WELL, WHEN THIS ITEM, WHICH WAS A DIFFERENT ONE, THE HIGHLAND VILLAGE ITEM WENT BEFORE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT WAS MIKE GERBER WHO SAID THE INTEREST IN THE AREA DID NOT WANT TO SERVE LAURA INCOME.
SO RESPECTFULLY, MAYOR, WHEN I TELL YOU THAT IT'S RE CODIFYING THE 1928 PLAN, IT IS AND I WOULD ASK, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CHEETO VELA SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TRANSIT BEFORE HE WAS EVEN ELECTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT IF HE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO PAUSE THIS PROJECT AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING SO THAT WE CAN LIVE WHERE THE STREETS ARE NAMED FOR US.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ROY WHALEY FOR ITEMS 39 AND THEN SPEAKING TO THE POSTPONEMENT FOR 40 AND 41 ON DECK IS DANIEL YEZ, DANIEL YANA SPEAKING ON THE POSTPONEMENT FOR ITEM 40.
AND THEN ON DECK IS CHRISTOPHER BROWN,
[03:00:05]
CHRISTOPHER BROWN, MONICA GUZMAN, AMANDA SW SPEAKING ON ITEMS 54 AND 51 JEFF DICKERSON, YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR, RESPONSIBLE AND SENSIBLE STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT.AS ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS PREVIOUSLY SPOKE ABOUT THIS IS THE LOCATION AROUND THAT CURB WHERE TO PROPOSE 37 UNITS, 29 UNITS ARE TO BE BUILT.
YOU NOTICE THAT BELOW THAT DEVELOPMENT IS THE SOUTH STONE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS STOPPED DEVELOPMENT AND HAS RAISED ALL THIS AREA OF NATURAL VEGETATION.
THAT'S NOT THE GUY ONE, IT'S 7 6 0 5.
ANYWAY, WHILE HE'S LOOKING FOR IT, I'M JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
THERE ARE NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENTS LISTED FOR THIS PROJECT.
THIS DOES NOT INCORPORATE ANY IMAGINED AUSTIN GUIDELINES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRE PRESERVATION.
WHERE ARE THE PROTECTIONS FOR THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT BY THE CITY COUNCIL? ONCE THIS LANDSCAPE IS GONE, IT'S GONE FOREVER.
THIS PROJECT ALSO DISENFRANCHISES CURRENT RESIDENCE AND PROPOSED UNSTOPPABLE JUSTIFICATION.
JUST LIKE WHAT OCCURRED IN EAST AUSTIN, THE COUNCIL OWNS THIS ZONING TRAJECTORY.
WHERE ARE THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO THE CURRENT RESIDENCE FOR AFFORDABLE LIVING IN THIS AREA WHEN THERE ARE NO AFFORDABLE COMPONENTS TO THIS PROJECT? FINALLY, THERE ARE NO FUNDS IN THE 2023 BUDGET, BUT THE NEXT TWO YEARS FOR THIS AREA LISTED NONE FOR STREET, NONE FOR WATER, NONE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS NO BOND FUNDING UNTIL 2026.
THERE IS NO MONEY AVAILABLE FOR ANY IMPROVEMENTS.
THE CITY IS OPERATING OVER A EXTENDED BUDGET.
KAREN FERNANDEZ SPEAKING, I ITEM 54, IT ALSO SIGNED UP FOR 51.
I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT I WOULD GET TWO MINUTES FOR EACH.
SO THIS WILL PROBABLY MOSTLY BE ADDRESSING THE ALBERT LANE SINCE I'M PRETTY NEUTRAL, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON THE OTHER ONE.
LIKE ALL THE LOTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS ON A NARROW ROAD WITH NO SIDEWALKS, CURVES, OR STAR DRAINS.
WE HAVE FLOODING ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS REMEDIATED BY OUR BAR DITCHES, WHICH WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OURSELVES AS WELL AS THE GREATER LEVEL OF PERVIOUS COVER THAT OUR LOTS PROVIDE.
COMMISSIONER K BASO, WHO WAS ACTUALLY VISITED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE FIRSTHAND THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDED AN SF SIX WITH THE CO OF SIX UNITS PER ACRE.
ZAP FURTHER RECOMMENDED WE MEET WITH THOROUGH DESIGN TO COME UP WITH AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER.
UNFORTUNATELY, THROWER DESIGN HAS TOLD US THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN DOING A NEGOTIATION ON A CO WITH LIMITS ON UNITS, ALL THE OTHER LOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE HAVE WORKED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY BUILT SOMETHING WITH THE INTENT OR AT LEAST THE INTENTION TO BUILD, HAVE GIVEN US A CO WITH FOUR TO SIX UNITS PER ACRE.
MATTHEWS PARK, WHICH IS AT THE CORNER OF ALBERT AND MATTHEWS IS NINE UNITS ON TWO AND A HALF ACRES.
MATTHEWS IS FOUR UNITS ON 2.5 ACRES, 1105.
MATTHEWS IS FOUR UNITS ON ONE ACRE.
AND THE PROPERTY SOUTH, AS JEFF REFERENCED, IS A CO WITH SIX UNITS AND ONLY BECAUSE IT IS GOING ON DITMAR AND NOT SHERT AND ALBERT, THE STAFF REPORT APPARENTLY BASED THEIR RECOMMENDATION IN PART ON THE FACT THAT THIS LOT COULD BE ACCESSED VIA SHERWOOD AND ALBERT.
YET THE APPLICANT REMOVED SHERWOOD TO AVOID THE NEED FOR AN NTA ON SHERWOOD, WHICH WOULD'VE REVEALED IT IS ONLY 18 FEET, NOT THE 20 FEET STATED IN THE APPLICATION.
DISTANCE TO HEALTH, TRANSPORTATION AND SERVICES ARE ALSO INCORRECT ON THE APPLICATION.
WE HAVE ASKED CITI ABOUT THIS AND UNLESS THE NEW RESIDENTS PLAN TO HAVE A HOVERCRAFT OR GO THROUGH
[03:05:01]
SOMEBODY ELSE'S BACKYARD, THOSE DISTANCES ARE NOT CORRECT.WE HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK ON SOME OF THESE THOUGH THE RUSH TO UPZONE WITHOUT CONSIDERING ALL THESE ISSUES IS NOT FAIR TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT IS WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE CONDITIONAL UNIT OF FOUR TO SIX UNITS PER ACRE UNTIL THE NECESSARY AND VERY LONG OVERDUE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
IF THE CITY WOULD CONSIDER THE 300 HOMES CURRENTLY APPROVED, THEN THEY WOULD SEE THAT WE HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE GREATLY NEEDED AND FILL IN THE CITY.
WITHOUT MA'AM FLOODING THE EXISTING HOMES AND RESIDENCE.
THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE FOR CONSENT ZONING.
UM, IF WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ON THE CONSENT ITEMS, LET ME ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WANTS TO PULL SOMETHING, UH, FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT'S BEEN READ, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING? I GOT YOU.
UH, ABSTAINING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER WILL BE SHOWN RECUSING HIMSELF ON ITEMS 36, 37, 38 AND 39 P PULL.
51 IS PULLED THE THE TWO, THE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE PULLED ARE 48 AND 51.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WISHES TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES ON ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IN THAT CASE? UH, THE CHAIR INTENDS TO TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA ON UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ADOPTING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ? HEARING NONE, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
[48. C14-2023-0010 - 9815 & 9817 Anderson Mill Rd. - Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 by rezoning property locally known as 9815 and 9817 Anderson Mill Road (Bull Creek Watershed). Applicant Request: To rezone from neighborhood commercial-conditional overlay (LR-CO) combining district zoning to community commercial (GR) district zoning, as amended. Staff Recommendation and Zoning and Platting Commission Recommendation: To grant neighborhood commercial-conditional overlay (LR-CO) combining district zoning, to change a condition of zoning. Owner/Applicant: Ramin & Jennifer Zavareh. City Staff: Sherri Sirwaitis, Planning Department, 512-974-3057.]
US THEN TO ITEM NUMBER.WHAT I'M GONNA DO MEMBERS IS GO TO ITEM 48 AND ITEM 51 IN THAT ORDER.
NUMBER 48 IS C 1 14 20 23 0 0 1 0.
WE HAVE A APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MAY 18TH COUNCIL MEETING AND THE APPLICANT IS HERE AND AVAILABLE TO SPEAK TO HIS REQUEST.
LET ME FIRST ASK, UM, WHAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, UH, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET TALKED, JUST PLEASE COME UP, BUT I'M GONNA TRY AND EXPLAIN WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GET A MOTION, UH, ON THE TABLE AND HA SO THAT WE HAVE A MOTION THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALL DISCUSSING.
NOW THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DENY THE POSTPONEMENT AND IF I GET A SECOND I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
IS THERE A SECOND SEC? SECOND OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UM, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY ON OUR MOTION.
UH, I'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
MY FIELD OFFICE IS NOT FAR FROM WHERE YOUR PROPERTY IS LOCATED, SIR.
AND UM, A ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION AS WELL AS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT VARIES FROM WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY BY PUTTING A USED CAR LOT THERE.
UM, I DON'T FEEL THAT A POSTPONEMENT WOULD AFFECT THIS CASE ANY DIFFERENT OR THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
IF MS. HARDEN COULD COME UP AND I COULD JUST ASK HER A COUPLE QUESTIONS REAL QUICK, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
WHILE YOU'RE COMING UP, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 48? HEARING NONE THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPENED.
MS. HARDEN, IF YOU'D COME FORWARD, AND SIR, IF YOU'LL LET MS. HARDEN HAVE THE MICROPHONE JUST HANG TIGHT.
IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN SIT THERE IN THAT SEAT RIGHT THERE.
SO, MS. HARDEN, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS L R C O AND THAT DOES NOT CURRENTLY ALLOW FOR A USED CAR LOT TO BE AT THAT LOCATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THE CLOSEST AUTO USE WOULD BE SERVICE STATION, BUT THAT'S PERMITTED IN THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
AND UM, WOULD A POSTPONEMENT AT ALL CHANGE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THIS CASE? NO, IT WOULD NOT.
SO POSTPONING WOULD REALLY HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE THAT WE TAKE REGARDING THIS TODAY? IT WOULD HAVE NO OUTCOME ON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
COOL, THANK YOU SIR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS RAMIN VERE AND I'M THE APPLICANT.
I'M ASKING FOR A POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE WE HAD CERTAIN, UM, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS POSTED ON THE CASE LATE YESTERDAY AND THEY DIDN'T GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO COME UP WITH PROPER REBUTTALS AS FAR AS, UM, SO I JUST NEED TO POSTPONEMENTS SO I CAN COME UP WITH PROPER REBUTTALS AND RESEARCH IT AND BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE RIGHT ANSWERS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HALF A DAY WHEN I'M WORKING IS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO COME UP WITH
[03:10:01]
PROPER ANSWERS FOR EVERYTHING.UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, IS THAT SOME OF THE COM EV A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT THE STAFF, UH, THE COMMUNITY HAS MADE ARE BASED ON WRONG INFORMATION FROM THE SOUND OF IT.
BECAUSE THE WAY MY BUSINESS OPERATE DOES NOT OPERATE LIKE THE WAY THE COMMUNITY THINKS.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD LIKE TO USE AN EXAMPLE OF THEY'RE CLAIMING THAT I'M GONNA CREATE EXTRA TRAFFIC OR HAVE AN 18 WHEELER COMING TO DROP OFF CARS.
THAT'S NOT HOW MY BUSINESS OPERATES.
AND I DID TELL THE STAFF MEMBERS, KELLY, ALL OF THIS DETAIL ALREADY, THAT I GET CARS THAT COME AND GO TO MY MECHANIC SHOP FIRST BEFORE ANYTHING.
EVEN THE MOST PERFECT CAR THAT WE GET HAS TO BE AT MINIMUM DETAILED INSPECTED DRIVEN.
BECAUSE OF THAT, ALL OF OUR CARS GO TO OUR MECHANIC SHOP FIRST AND THEN WE DRIVE THEM TO THE NEW LOCATION.
SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY 18 WHEELERS OR ANY ADDITIONAL.
ALSO, THERE'S NOT EVEN ANY ADDITIONAL PARKING AND ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CREATED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE TRAFFIC COUNT ON ANDERSON MILL IS OVER 22,000.
WE WILL NEVER ON OUR BEST DAY GET THAT MANY THAT WE GET MAYBE AT MOST ON A REALLY GOOD WEEKEND, FIVE TO 10 CUSTOMERS A DAY.
SO WE ARE NOT GONNA CREATE ANY MORE AT ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LIKE THE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE CLAIMING.
SIR, IF I MIGHT ASK, ARE IT IS A CAR DEALERSHIP THOUGH THAT YOU WANNA PUT THERE? YOU JUST DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE, THE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE, UH, I IMPACT TO THAT CAR DEALERSHIP? MY PLAN FOR THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THAT PROPERTY.
I BOUGHT IT WITH THE INTENTION OF USING IT FOR A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT.
I OWN A USED CAR DEALERSHIP, SO THEREFORE RIGHT NOW IT'S GONNA BE USED FOR A USED CAR DEALERSHIP, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA BE.
I'M MIGHT RENT IT, I MIGHT SELL IT, I'M ASKING FOR IT.
I CHANGED MY REZONING REQUEST FROM CS BECAUSE EVEN WHEN WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, THE CS ZONING WOULD ALLOW CERTAIN BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT EVEN WANTED BY ME TO BE THERE.
AND WE EVEN MADE AGREEMENT WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNERS NOT TO HAVE THOSE BUSINESSES, BUT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PUT IT ON THE TITLE OF THE PROPERTY AND THEY NEVER DID.
EVEN RIGHT NOW I'M OKAY WITH, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF THE STAFF TO TRY TO COME UP WITH AGREEMENT ON STUFF, THE ITEMS THAT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THAT PLACE.
NOBODY CONTACTS ME BACK TO, TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE.
YOU, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE ZONING CATEGORY AND THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF DOESN'T ALLOW FOR A CAR DEALERSHIP AND THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA DO? YES.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE REQUESTING A GR ZONING TO BE ALLOWED THAT AND ALSO FROM A CS ZONING.
THE OTHER REASON WE'RE DOING THAT IS BECAUSE A CS ZONING WILL ALLOW CERTAIN BUSINESSES LIKE LIQUOR STORE AND STUFF THAT I EVEN KNOW IT DOESN'T FIT A CHURCH.
WE EVEN PUT THOSE ITEMS AS THE PURCHASE FOR THE PROPERTY WHEN WE BOUGHT IT.
MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST, YES, I WAS GOING.
IS THERE, IS THERE A DISCUSSION THAT ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE? BECAUSE I'M GOING TO ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY TO CLOSE ON HER MOTION IF THERE'S NOT OTHER DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, YOU RECOGNIZE TO CLOSE ON THE MOTION.
AND I, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AS AN APPLICANT, UM, FOR MEETING WITH MY STAFF FOR OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF.
IT WAS LESS THAN AN HOUR ACTUALLY, BUT YEAH, I APOLOGIZE THEN.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA NOTE FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE IS A SIGN ON THAT PROPERTY CURRENTLY THAT SAYS IT WILL BE A USED CAR LOT.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER ACTION WE TAKE TODAY, THAT WE, WE DO OUR BEST TO FOLLOW STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT IS NOT THE, THE BEST LOCATION FOR THAT USE IN MY DISTRICT.
I DRIVE THAT ROAD EVERY DAY AND I WOULD, I WOULD HATE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE IMPACTED IN A WAY WITH ZONING THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR IT.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO DENY POSTPONEMENT.
SO MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS MOVED TO DENY POSTPONEMENT.
IT WAS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, MEMBERS, WE WILL NOW OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MERITS OF, UH, ITEM NUMBER 48 AND I'LL, UH, ASK MS. HARDEN TO COME BACK UP IF SHE WOULD.
UM, SO I'LL LIKE THIS OUT BRIEFLY, UM, SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT SOME, THE PROPERTY'S LOCATED AT 98 15 AND 98 17 ANDERSON MILL ROAD.
IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED L R C O AND THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY PROHIBITS SERVICE STATION AND DRIVE-THROUGH SERVICES.
AND THE APPLICANT'S AMENDED REQUEST IS FOR GR.
[03:15:01]
THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH A SINGLE FAMILY UNOCCUPIED STRUCTURE STRUCTURE AND IT'S SURROUNDED BY SEVERAL LARGE TREES.THERE ARE RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY USES WITH SURFACE PARKING AREAS ZONED L O C O TO THE NORTH.
BETH BETHANY, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND SOUTH UNITY CHURCH OF THE HILLS TO THE EAST.
THERE'S A CONVENIENT STORAGE USE ANDERSON MILL SELF STORAGE AND OFFICE STRUCTURES THAT ARE ZONED SF ONE AND LO TO THE WEST.
THERE'S A DRIVEWAY FOR THE UNITY CHURCH OF THE HILLS, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE AND A DETENTION AREA AND AN OFFICE BUILDING VALCON SCREENS.
THE STASH RECOMMENDS MAINTAINING L, THE L R C O NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, COMBINING DISTRICT ZONING FOR THIS PROPERTY BECAUSE THE EXISTING ZONING WILL PERMIT THE APPLICANT TO DO, TO PROVIDE A VER VARIETY OF LOW INTENSITY COMMERCIAL OFFICE AND CIVIC USES THAT WILL SERVE THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
THE PROPOSED L RCO ZONING IS CONSISTENT WITH DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA BECAUSE THE SITE IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO L L C O ZONING TO THE NORTH, SOUTH AND WEST AND S 71 ZONING TO THE EAST.
AND JUST ADDITIONALLY THE ZONING AND PLA COMMISSION ALSO SUPPORTED THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OF KEEPING THE L O C O ZONING DISTRICT.
ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. HARDEN? COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER ALLISON AL ALTER.
SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THEN THE MOTION, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A MOTION, BUT THERE'S, WE DO NOT HAVE A MOTION YET.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO KEEP THE ZONING L R C O.
SO IF WE'RE KEEPING THE VOTING, THE ZONING THE SAME, THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO KEEP THE ZONING THE SAME? ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST WAS CS, LIKE HE STATED AND HE AMENDED IT TO GR, BUT THE STAFF AND COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION TO KEEP IT THE SAME.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN A CASE WHERE IT'S COME IN AND IT'S RECOMMENDED TO KEEP THE SAME AND, AND I GUESS I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT OPTIONS IF WE WANT IT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO YET MM-HMM.
I THINK THE CODE I WILL HAVE TO CHECK WITH LAW IS A YEAR OR 18 MONTHS.
UM, IF IT IS DENIED, IF SO, IF STASH RECOMMENDATION IS GRANTED BY THE COUNCIL, UH, THE APPLICANT CANNOT RETURN BACK EITHER A YEAR OR 18 MONTHS.
I NEED CONFIRMATION FOR THE SAME OR A LESSER, OR A LESSER INTENSE ZONING.
SO HE COULD NOT COME BACK FOR GR OR CS FOR A YEAR OR EITHER 18 MONTHS.
AND WE HAVE NO, IS THERE A MOTION THAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY DO THE SAME THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO RETURN OR, YEAH, I MAY NOT.
LIKE HE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN IF THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT HE WANTED.
IS THERE A MOTION THAT WOULD DO THAT? I'M NOT AWARE OF ONE, NO.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SIX, WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE, UM, TO SEE HAPPEN, POSSIBLY MAKE AN AMEND, UH, MOTION.
JUST BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM AT THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO, SORRY.
THERE'S NOT THERE BEING NO ONE, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 48 AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR A MOTION.
UM, I HAVE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO KEEP THE ZONING L R C O AND, UM, DENY THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST FOR A CHANGE.
GIVE THE APPLICANT A TIME CHANCE TO, UM, SECOND.
WAS THERE A SECOND MOTION? THANK YOU.
UH, SIR, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL WITH REGARD TO THE MERITS OF THAT MOTION.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY WHEN WE HAVE MULTIPLE G DOORS, 12 GRS ON ANDERSON MILL, EVEN IF WE PUT SOME RESTRICTION, YOU SAID YOU'RE AGAINST MY CAR SALES PLACE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE AGAINST IT, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A GR WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON BUSINESSES THAT YOU GUYS ARE AGAINST? BUT I STILL GET GR BECAUSE THERE'S, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A RESTAURANT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED THERE, WHERE THERE'S RESTAURANT TWO DOORS DOWN, FOUR DOORS DOWN.
THERE'S A RESTAURANT IN YOUR SH SHOPPING CENTER WHERE THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S KELLY'S OFFICE IS.
THERE'S A BAR IN THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S COMPLEX RIGHT NEXT TO A SCHOOL.
[03:20:01]
I'M NOT ASKING FOR A BLATANT GR I WAS NOT ASKING FOR A BLATANT CS.I WOULD LIKE TO GET A ZONING, BUT WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS, I'M OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND EVERY ZONING THAT'S ON ANDERSON MILL IS NOT A BLANK ZONING.
THEY ALL HAVE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
THEY ALL HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON THEM.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING A GR ON A STREET THAT THERE'S A GAS STATION RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, ANOTHER GAS STATION 0.3 MILES DOWN, THERE'S THIS FOOD RESTAURANT'S THREE DOORS DOWN AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH HAVING A GR ON ANDERSON, WHICH IS A MAJOR ARTERIAL ROADWAY WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS? YOU SAY NO CAR USE CAR SALES.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALLOWED UNDER GR WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE RESTAURANT BEING THERE WHERE THERE'S OTHER RESTAURANTS RIGHT BY THERE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF IT.
I UNDERSTAND PAWN SHOP AND STUFF NOT BEING ALLOWED.
I GET THOSE, WHICH WE ALREADY WAS PLANNING ON, WHICH I TOLD THE COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF ALREADY.
WE DON'T WANT THOSE THINGS AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PUT THOSE AS AS A RESTRICTION.
BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALLOWED ON THEIR GR THANK YOU, SIR.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
YES, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
I'D LIKE TO JUST CLOSE THIS OUT WITH DISTRICT SIX IS, IS A VERY UNIQUE PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S DISTRICT.
UM, DISTRICT SIX HAS HAD SOME AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN ANNEXED AND THERE ARE SOME HODGEPODGING, IT SEEMS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES AND AREAS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED UNDER OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND I'D LIKE TO REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY.
AND, UM, THE COMMUNITY IS SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL? THE, CAN I ADD ONE THING THEN ONE, ONE THING.
CAN I JUST WITHDRAW MY APPLICATION THEN? BECAUSE YOU, YOUR, THE STAFF HAS ALREADY CLEARLY HAS MADE UP THEIR MIND ALL BASED ON WRONG FACTS AND WRONG DETAILS.
BUT IS THERE ANY WAY, BECAUSE THERE'S NO POINT FOR ME TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
WHEN CAN I JUST WITHDRAW MY APPLICATION THEN UNDER THE CODE? BECAUSE THERE'S NO POINT OF REDOING THE SAME ZONING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO SIR, JUST HOLD ON A SECOND.
YEAH, LET THE MAYOR CONFER WITH CITY ATTORNEY.
ACTUALLY, I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT WAS AN OPTION FOR THE, THE APPLICANT TO WITHDRAW IF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK AT A LATER TIME FOR A DIFFERENT ZONING APPROVAL AND NOT HAVE THAT WINDOW THAT COUNCIL ALLISON ALTER ASKED ABOUT.
IF HE WITHDRAWS IT, JUST BE WITHDRAWN ITEM.
IF, UM, WITHDRAWN 18 MONTHS, HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN, DOES HE HAVE TO STAY DOWN FOR 18 MONTHS? HE'S EITHER 12 OR 18.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE WHICH ONE BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
SO IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE LAND USE COMMISSION AS REQUESTED BY AN END IS WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT BEFORE THE COUNCIL WILL ON THE APPLICATION.
SO SIR, UH, IF YOU WITHDRAW AT THIS POINT IN TIME BEFORE THE COUNCIL TAKES A VOTE, YOU, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW AND YOU'LL BE RECOGNIZED AS WITHDRAWING, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REFILE YOUR APPLICATION FOR 18 MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMISSION, UM, AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE WITHDRAWING IT AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS.
SO I I WANT YOU TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
UH, WELL, I JUST, MY QUESTION IS IF I, THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE CLEARLY MADE UP THEIR MIND IT'S C I MEAN IT DOESN'T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO KNOW THAT I'M, I'M ASKING FOR OTHER OPTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT SIR UN UNDER THE WAY THE, THE, THE CODE OPERATES AND THE RULES WORK.
UM, AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES IT MAY NOT FEEL FAIR.
IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S NOT FAIR, SIR.
IT'S, I'VE ASKED THIS FROM THE STAFF FROM THE BEGINNING.
HEY, IF YOU DISAGREE WITH SIR, MY ZONING, SIR, LET'S DO SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THEY, I GOT ZERO RESPONSES, SIR.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED AND WE ARE PREPARED, THE COUNCIL'S PREPARED TO VOTE OR AS YOU ASK, YOU CAN WITHDRAW YOUR APPLICATION.
[03:25:01]
I'M TELLING YOU WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE.CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION THOUGH ABOUT IT? BECAUSE WELL, IF YOU'LL ASK THE QUESTION WHETHER I WITHDRAW OR KEEP GOING, I WON'T BE ABLE TO RE REQUEST AGAIN FOR 18 MONTHS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
OKAY, WELL THEN LET'S JUST GO THROUGH THE, UM, I MEAN, IF, IF IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME RESULTS, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
SO LET'S JUST GO THROUGH IT AND WE'LL BE DONE.
CAN I, CAN I JUST STATE, UM, REAL QUICKLY, UM, THE APPLICANT DID HAVE OTHER CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, HE WOULD BE GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF THIS REZONING BECAUSE THE CURRENT REZONING HAS MORE PROHIBITED USES AND WE LIFTED SOME OF THOSE PROHIBITED USES.
SO HIS ZONING DOES NOT EXACTLY STAY THE SAME AS WHAT IT IS TODAY.
MAYOR, I JUST WANNA YEAH, MA'AM, HANG ON.
MAYOR PRO TEM THEN COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, RYAN AL ALTER AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THE APPLICANT'S OPTIONS AT THIS POINT.
IF HE WITHDRAWS, HE HAS THE SAME ZONING THAT EXISTS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS STILL CAN'T COME BACK FOR 18 MONTHS.
IF WE CHANGE IT TO THE STAFF, REC STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS HAVE CHANGED, BUT HE'S STILL NOT ABLE TO DO THE, THE CAR DEALERSHIP LIKE WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED STILL CAN'T COME BACK FOR 18 MONTHS.
AND IF AND IF HE WITHDRAWS, HE CAN'T COME BACK FOR 18 MONTHS.
SO BOTH WAYS CAN'T COME BACK FOR 18 MONTHS.
I'LL JUST SAY I, I FEEL BAD FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS INVESTED IN A PROPERTY THAT IS CLEARLY TRYING TO, TO MAKE A BUSINESS OUT OF IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
IT SEEMS LIKE HE COULD BE FLEXIBLE ON SOME OF THE USES AND SOME OF THE ALLOWANCES IN THAT.
UM, I TRUST THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND HER TEAM HAVE, HAVE DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
I MIGHT HAVE TO ABSTAIN IF WE CAN'T UNTANGLE THIS JUST CUZ I, I FEEL BAD SOMEONE'S TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH PROPERTY THEY OWN, BUT I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THERE MIGHT BE COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THE INTENDED USE INITIALLY, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING QUITE LIKE THIS BEFORE.
UM, I MEAN I THINK IF WE RE IF WE SEND IT BACK TO THEM THAT MIGHT SEND A MESSAGE THAT MAYBE THEY REVISIT IT, RETHINK IT, WORK WITH THE APPLICANT.
I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN AN OPTION.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN IT WOULD BE AN OPTION, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE COMMISSION WOULD DO WITH IT AND STAFF WOULD RE-NOTICE EVERYTHING FOR THE COMMISSION MEETING ITSELF.
SO IT WOULD BASICALLY BE, UM, ASKING THE COMMISSION TO RECONSIDER THEIR DECISION.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU.
AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA WHO WAS TUNED IN AND WATCHING THIS BECAUSE SHE LET ME KNOW AND I CONFIRM WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER CAN INITIATE A REZONING THAT WAIVES THE WINDOW.
SO IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD TODAY WITH FOLLOWING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK, OR IF YOU WITHDRAW YOUR APPLICATION, I WOULD BE ABLE TO INITIATE THAT REZONING.
SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER TOPO.
IT'S TIME FOR THE COUNCIL TO DELIBERATE ON THIS.
OBVIOUSLY AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COUNCIL'S TRYING TO COME TO A, A CONCLUSION.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE DOWN THE MOTION ON THE TABLE TO THEN NEW MOTION OR YOU MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION AND WE CAN VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
SHE CAN OR, OR SHE CAN WITHDRAW HER MOTION.
NO, WE, IF SHE, SHE CAN'T WITHDRAW HER MOTION, IT BELONGS TO THE COUNCIL.
SO WE EITHER VOTE, WE EITHER VOTE FOR OR AGAINST HER MOTION, OR IF A SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS MADE.
AND THEN IF, IF THERE, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT RECONSIDERATION, BUT, WELL, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO SEND IT BACK TO, I DUNNO IF IT CAME FROM ZAPPER PLANNING COMMISSION TO GIVE THE APPLICANT A TO ZAP TO GIVE THE APPLICANT A CHANCE TO WHERE DO YOU WORK THIS OUT? IF IT COMES BACK AND WE NEED TO SAY NO, THEN WE HAVE THAT OPTION, BUT AT LEAST PRESERVES HIS ABILITY TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.
I, I'D LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FEEL BADLY THAT HE'S SEEMS TO BE FLEXIBLE AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HIM THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I, I, I KNOW THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY'S DISTRICT AND I, I FEEL BADLY SINCE YOUR TEAM HAS MET WITH HIM AND WE HAVEN'T, BUT JUST WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US AT THIS POINT, I FEEL THAT'S THE MOST FAIR
[03:30:01]
THING TO DO.IS THERE A SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND TO THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? COUNCILMAN MCC CADRE SECONDS.
THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, A POSSIBLE SOLUTION HERE WITHOUT TAKING THE TIME TO SEND IT BACK TO, UH, THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND IT GOES THERE BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, PART OF THE TOWN OF THE CITY.
AND THAT WAS WHAT, UH, IT SOUNDED LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WAS IN FACT OFFERING, WHICH WAS THE ABILITY TO WAIVE THAT 18 MONTH, UH, TIMEFRAME THAT WOULD PROHIBIT HIM FROM COMING BACK.
SO IF HE GOES BACK TO ZAP, HE WOULD STILL BE LOOKING AT THE 18 MONTH.
IF WE DID NOT, IF WE VOTED, EXCUSE ME, NOT TO AGREE TO IT, BUT HE CAN HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS, HE CAN COME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
IF MEMBER KELLY'S AMENDED MOTION, WHICH INCLUDES WAIVING THE 18 MONTH TIME LIMITATION, WHICH SOUNDED LIKE TO ME WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO.
WELL, IT MAY BE WHAT YOU WANTED.
DO WE DON'T HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION ON THE FLOOR? WELL THE, THE MOTION WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW IS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION MADE AND SECONDED TO REFER THIS ITEM BACK TO ZAP, UH, TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A, A DIFFERENT SOLUTION.
THAT IS THE, THE, THE MOTION THAT WE WOULD, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO AMEND THAT MOTION, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TAKE AMENDMENTS ON AT AT FIRST.
BUT ULTIMATELY THAT MOTION NEEDS TO BE VOTED ON AND THAT WOULD TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION OF JOY? IS THAT IN ORDER AT THIS MOMENT? ACTUALLY ABOUT THE MOTION.
I I MEAN I'VE DRIVEN OUT TO THIS AREA AND I'VE SEEN IT AND I'VE BEEN OUT THERE A VERY LONG TIME AND I MEAN, I EVEN LIVE ON ANDERSON MILL ROAD.
UM, I I WOULD AGREE WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND I WOULD HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TO THIS LOCATION WOULD, WOULD LEAN ON ME FOR THAT, THAT KNOWLEDGE IN MAKING THIS DECISION.
ASK THAT JOY QUESTION PLEASE, MS. HARDEN.
AND ONE, ONE THING IS, IF, IF A WAIVER OF THE 18 MONTHS WAS GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP, IT WOULD HAVE TO COME UP IN A DIFFERENT ACTION MAY 18TH, BUT THE MOTION COULD BE MADE AT THAT MEETING.
IT, IT COULD BE AN ITEM ON THE 18TH WHERE THAT COULD BE BROUGHT UP.
UH, AND AND ALLOW FOR A, A DIFFERENT ACTION.
MS. HARDEN, HE HAS A QUESTION.
AS WE'RE ALL GETTING HELP FROM PEOPLE NOT ON THE DIAS HERE, SOMEONE HAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT SINCE YOU ARE CHANGING SOMETHING MM-HMM.
THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD HAVE THE ABIL THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE US TAKING ACTION AND NOT A DENIAL.
AND SO HE COULD COME AND TOMORROW APPLY FOR A NEW REZONING THAT IS NOW A DIFFERENT BE BECAUSE IT, WE DIDN'T DENY THIS ZONING.
IT WOULD JUST BE A NEW REZONING.
YEAH, THERE WERE LIKE EIGHT PROHIBITED USES AND NOW THERE ARE TWO PROHIBITED USES, SO WE DIDN'T JUST DENY IT, WE DID SOMETHING RIGHT.
UM, BUT I MEANT TO RUN BACK TO LAW TO CONFIRM THAT.
BUT LUCKILY WE HAVE A LAWYER ON THE DOCKET MM-HMM.
SO THERE IS A CHANGE IN SOMETHING.
SO UNDER THE CODE, BECAUSE THE APPLICANT'S APPLICATION WOULD BE DENIED AND THE LAND USE COMMISSION DID NOT RECOMMEND THE APPLICANT'S APPLICATION, THAT IS WHAT'S TRIGGERING THE 18 MONTHS.
SO THOSE TWO ACTIONS TOGETHER.
AND SO IF WE DID SEND IT BACK FUNCTIONALLY, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE DIFFERENCE OF IF WE SENT IT BACK TO ZAP VERSUS HE GOT THE WAIVER AND HAS TO START FROM SCRATCH, WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE DIFFERENTLY FOR HIM OF GOING BACK TO ZAP AND ASKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR GETTING A WAIVER AND STARTING THE PROCESS FRESH? WELL, THE, THE THING THAT I WOULD SAY, I'M ASSUMING Z'S RECOMMENDATION, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS NOT, IS DOUBTFUL THAT IT, IT WOULD CHANGE.
WE UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND WE LOOKED AT IT CAREFULLY AND WE REMOVED SIX EIGHT CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS.
THE RESTAURANT USE THAT WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE IS ALLOWED IN L R RESTAURANT LIMITED.
SO THE USES THAT, UM, ARE ALLOWED AND WE TOOK OFF COS LIKE I, WE LOOKED AT IT CAREFULLY, WE COULD REVISIT IT.
I DON'T THINK OUR RECOMMENDATION'S GOING TO CHANGE.
I CANNOT SPEAK FOR THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, SO THE ONE THING I THINK WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY COULD WORK TOGETHER AND UM, SO IF SHE WANTED TO
[03:35:02]
INITIATE, UH, REZONING, THEY COULD WORK TOGETHER ON WHAT THEY WOULD FEEL IS APPROPRIATE AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY, UM, THIS IS WHAT STAFF FELT WAS APPROPRIATE FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE.UM, THE CITY, UM, IT'S NOT MY RECOMMENDATION, IT'S THE CITY'S RECOMMENDATION, BUT I THINK THE VALUE WOULD BE FOR COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY COULD WORK REALLY HAND IN HAND WITH THE APPLICANT.
UM, AND SO IF THERE'S GR AND WITH THE APPLICANT STATED STAFF DOES NOT FEEL THAT AUTO USES WERE THERE, HE FEELS LIKE THERE'S CERTAIN G GR USES THAT HE WOULD FIND APPROPRIATE OUTSIDE OF THE AUTO USES.
THAT WAS NOT OUR POSITION, BUT MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND THE APPLICANT CAN FIND SOME RESOLUTION.
OKAY, WELL I TRUST COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'M GONNA WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT OR OKAY, THEN I RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO VOTE.
YOU RECOMMEND EVERYBODY VOTE NO RIGHT VOTE? NO.
LET, LET'S SEE IF HE CAN WIN THIS.
UH, I'M, UH, THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, REFER THIS BACK TO ZAP, UH, SAY AYE.
THAT, THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS TO KEEP THE ZONING L R C O CO COMBINING DISTRICT, UH, WHICH WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY STAFF AND THE RECOMMENDATION OF ZAP.
AND I'M GONNA PAUSE JUST TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING THEY WANT TO ADD TO THAT CAST MEMBER POOL.
I WANTED TO ASK THE MAKER OF THE MOTION IF SHE WANTED TO WAIVE THE 18 MONTH PROHIBITION.
I, I'M NOT ABLE TO MAKE THAT MOTION HERE BECAUSE IT'S A SEPARATE ACTION, BUT I DO INTEND ON MEETING WITH THE APPLICANT AND DISCUSSING WHAT PLANS HE COULD USE FOR THAT PROPERTY.
AND HE BRING BACK AND, AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO COUNSEL.
I MAY NEED SPONSORS, I'LL WORK WITH LEGAL ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT PROCESS.
SHE'D HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK ON THE MAY THE FIRST TIME TWO, THAT WAS MAY 18TH AND IT'D BE A SEPARATE, UH, A SEPARATE ACTION.
AND I WOULD SUPPORT THAT ACTION.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MAIN MOTION INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST ADD, UH, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AGAIN.
I KNOW YOU INITIALLY CONTACTED US THROUGH FACEBOOK MESSENGER.
I'D BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU PERSONALLY SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
I'LL BE AT MY FIELD OFFICE TOMORROW FROM NINE TO FOUR IF YOU WANNA DROP IN.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
[51. C14-2022-0110 - 7605 Albert Road - Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 by rezoning property locally known as 7605 Albert Road (Williamson Creek Watershed; South Boggy Creek Watershed). Applicant Request: To rezone from development reserve (DR) district zoning to townhouse and condominium residence (SF-6) district zoning. Staff Recommendation: To grant townhouse and condominium residence (SF-6) district zoning. Zoning and Platting Commission Recommendation: To grant townhouse and condominium residence-conditional overlay (SF-6-CO) combining district zoning. Owner/Applicant: Mark Hensen. Agent: Thrower Design (Victoria Haase). City Staff: Nancy Estrada, Planning Department, 512-974-7617. A valid petition has been filed in opposition to the rezoning request.]
CHAIR LAYS OUT ITEM NUMBER 51.UH, MEMBERS OF THIS ITEM WAS, UH, PULLED AND THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER ON ITEM 51.
UH, AS WE HEARD FROM INDIVIDUALS, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, ITEM 51.
WE HAVE GONE OUT THERE, WE HAVE REVIEWED, UH, THE AREA AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WEIGH EVERYTHING, THE NEED FOR HOUSING AND, AND WHAT IS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH STAFF, UH, TO ADD NO PARKING SIGNS ON MATTHEW LANE, MATTHEW'S LANE ADD SIGNAGE AND STRIPING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ALBERT AND SHERWOOD TO HELP MANAGE THE SPEED, WHICH IS A, A CONCERN, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY DIRECT TRAFFIC ALERT VEHICLES.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO IS, THERE'S IMPROVING THE ALBERT SHERWOOD INTERSECTION IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDED AND WE'RE WORKING ON AND ADDING SIDEWALKS FOR ALBERT ROAD AND BIKE MARKINGS.
UM, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING, WE ARE WORKING WITH STAFF TO DO.
AND SO I KNOW A SEPARATE CONCERN WAS, UH, RELATED TO SHORT TERM RENTALS OF THIS, UH, PROPERTY.
I WOULD LIKE, I WILL BE BRINGING A MOTION TO PROHIBIT TYPE THREE STR IN THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE REZONING REQUEST WITHOUT THE UNIT CAP AT THIS TIME.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ONE, ONE SECOND.
UM, WHAT I'M WANT TO DO IS, UH, IS I'LL COME BACK TO YOU FOR A MOTION.
UM, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE WE OPEN AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT, UH, MAYOR, I THINK WE YEAH.
UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, UH, WE'RE OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 51.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE SPEAKERS, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S WHY I WANTED, BUT YOU'RE OPENING PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S WILLING TO DO THAT.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? UM,
[03:40:01]
NO.UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IS MOVING STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UM, I KNOW HE HAS AN AMENDMENT FOR STR UM, OH, AND I WILL JUST ADD THAT IT IS A VALID PETITION ON THIS ITEM, SO IT WILL REQUIRE NINE VOTES.
UH, I'LL CALL ON THE CITY CLERK TO TELL US IF WE HAVE SPEAKERS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND BY THE WAY, MEMBERS, THERE WERE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THAT TEST, UH, THAT CAME AND GAVE TESTIMONY DURING THE, UH, CONSENT ITEMS ON ZONING.
THE FIRST SPEAKER FRED 51 IS EUGENE SUTTON.
MY NAME IS EUGENE SUTTON, A MEMBER OF THE MATTHEWS AND LANE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'VE OPTED FOR PICTURES THIS TIME BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY'S TIRED OF LISTENING TO ME SPEAK.
THE FIRST PICTURE THAT YOU SEE IS SOUTH STONE.
IT'S WHERE THEY'RE PLANNING TO BOW 231 UNITS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY KNOCKED DOWN ALL THE TREES.
THERE'S ONE LIVE OAK TREE THAT'S OVER TO THE LEFT, BUT THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS 10.1, UH, 10.11 ACRES, HAS ONLY ONE TREE LEFT.
NEXT PICTURE, THIS IS, UH, THE TREES THAT ARE AT 76 0 5 THAT'S ALSO STANDING THERE BY SOUTH STONE.
AND LOOKING TO YOUR RIGHT, THE TREES FORMALLY THAT WERE ON SOUTH STONE, FORMED A NICE CANOPY OVER SHERWOOD.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THAT'S NO LONGER THERE.
THIS IS A LOOK BACK TO 7,500 WIND, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER 54 ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY.
BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE TREES TO THE LEFT EXTEND ALL THE WAY DOWN ON SHERWOOD.
NEXT ITEM AGAIN, ANOTHER PICTURE.
THERE'S SOME, UH, HERITAGE TREES IN THERE.
THERE'S A MIXTURE OF CEDAR RED OAK, LIVE OAK.
UH, THERE WAS LIVE OAK WILT, BUT THERE ARE SOME LIVE OAKS THAT SURVIVED AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF HERITAGE TREES.
THIS IS THE INTERSECTION OF ALBERT SHERWOOD AND DAMON.
THERE'S A NEW SUBDIVISION, OR NOT A SUBDIVISION, THERE'S AN SF THREE THERE AT THE CORNER.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S ALREADY THREE CARS PARKED THERE AND IT IS A CONCERN AS FAR AS TRAFFIC IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NEXT PICTURE, THIS IS LOOKING DOWN.
ALBERT AND DAMON IS THERE TO YOUR RIGHT, YOU AGAIN, SEE THE MIXTURE OF TREES THAT ARE PROLIFIC ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE INCREASING OUR, UH, NUMBERS OF CARS AND THERE IS ANOTHER REZONING PLAN TO PUT, UH, NINE UNITS AT 1512 DAMON AT THE END OF THE STREET.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT NINE HOMES ON THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE.
NEXT ITEM, SIR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
RUTH LOYER, FOLLOWED BY CARBON WEIMER.
HI, RUTH LOWERERS SECRETARY, UH, MATTHEWS LANE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AUSTIN.
UH, I'M OPPOSED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AT 76 0 5 MATTHEWS LANE.
I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD BRING UP HIS SLIDES.
AGAIN, THE PICTURES THE LAST ONE OF ALBERT ROAD.
WE'RE NOT AGAINST HOUSING IN OUR AREA.
WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
WE'RE NOT MAD AT THROWER DESIGN.
THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB, WHICH IS TO MA ASK FOR THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE IN THE AREA.
HOWEVER, ALBERT ROAD IS FACING OVER 150 UNITS THAT HAVE APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT THERE ARE 24 UNITS ON THIS ROAD.
THAT'S A HUGE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
NOT JUST PEOPLE, BUT THEIR AMAZON VANS AND OTHER THINGS.
WHEN SOMEONE GETS KILLED, IT'S DOWN TO YOU AND THE CURRENT ZAP YOU APPROVE THIS.
EXCUSE ME, THE APPLICATION WAS IN LAST YEAR.
IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DELAYED UNTIL THE NEW COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A PHYSICS PROBLEM ON ALBERT ROAD.
I ALMOST GET HIT WALKING MY DOG ALL THE TIME.
12 UNITS AN ACRE FAR EXCEEDS ANY DEVELOPMENT.
SIX UNITS AN ACRE IS ON SOUTH STONE, WHICH IS WHAT THEY BASE THE MODEL ON.
WE UNDERSTAND SF SIX OFFERS FLEXIBILITY.
UM, AND THAT MIGHT BE RIGHT, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A VERY LOWER, MUCH LOWER UNIT COUNT.
THE CITY USES ALTERNATE FACTS.
[03:45:01]
I'M RECOVERING FROM PNEUMONIA.AND, AND MY BREATHING IS HARD.
UM, FROM THIS PODIUM TO THAT DOOR IS 29 FEET AS THE CROW FLIES TO WALK, THERE IS 72 FEET.
I'M SORRY THAT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE REPORT THE STAFF GIVES THANK THANK YOU IS NOT FACTUAL.
I'M SORRY IF I'M SAYING THAT CORRECTLY.
I'M GONNA FAULT YOU FOR PUTTING TOO MANY UNITS ON THIS PROPERTY, BUT NOT MISPRONOUNCING MY LAST NAME.
UH, LIKE MY NEIGHBOR RUTH SAID, WE SUPPORT SF SIX ZONING.
WE WANNA GIVE PEOPLE THE FLEXIBILITY TO BUILD HOUSES, BUT WE DO NOT SUPPORT UNCAPPED DENSITY, NOR DO WE SUPPORT THE ZAP RECOMMENDATION OF NINE UNITS PER ACRE.
THEY LOOKED TO THE SOUTH STONE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS NEARBY, WHICH HAS SIX UNITS PER ACRE.
UH, THAT'S NOTHING LIKE THIS ROAD BECAUSE SOUTH STONE HAS SIDEWALKS AND STREETS AND STORM DRAINAGE AND THE ONLY WAY TO ACCESS IT IS THROUGH DITMAR.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE.
SOUTH STONE IS NOTHING BUT SIDEWALKS AND STREETS.
IRONICALLY, THERE ARE NO HOUSES THERE.
THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE 240 IF THERE'S A HOUSING CRISIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THOSE AREN'T GETTING BUILT OR PURCHASED.
WE'D LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE MOVE INTO THOSE HOMES.
WE'D ALSO LOVE TO HAVE MORE NEIGHBORS.
LIKE I SAID, WE JUST NEED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS FIRST.
IT'S NOT COMFORTING TO ME WHO HAS TO WALK MY DOG AT NIGHT AFTER I'M DONE WORKING MANY HOURS OR WALK MY DAUGHTER ON THE WEEKENDS, CLUTCHING HER SWEATY LITTLE TWO YEAR OLD HAND AND PULLING HER INTO A BAR DITCH FULL OF POISON IVY EVERY TIME A CAR DRIVES BY.
UH, WE NEED THE INFRASTRUCTURE, OR AT LEAST SOME SORT OF ACTUAL REAL COMMITMENT FROM THE CITY TO BUILD THAT INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE IT'S AT ALL APPROPRIATE TO BUILD THIS NUMBER OF UNITS IN THE HOUSING.
UH, IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE AND RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS TO PUT HUNDREDS OF UNITS ON A STREET WITH THIS LITTLE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT A CONFIRMING AND APPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 51.
COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER RYAN AL ALTER.
YOU'RE NOW RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO, I GUESS I FIRST NEED TO MOVE ADOPTION THEN AMEND.
SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO ADOPT THE STAFF RECOMMENDED REZONING.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALT ALTER.
YOU'RE NOW RECOGNIZED, UH, ON AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 51.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADOPT AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, WHICH WILL PREVENT, PREVENT, UH, TYPE THREE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER MOVES ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 51.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO AMEND? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE MOTION TO AMEND IS ADOPTED.
THAT'LL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS TO ADOPT A STAFF RECOMMENDATION AS AMENDED BY AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION THERE BEING? OKAY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO BE SEEN, UM, ABSTAINING.
AND I REALLY DON'T THINK I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD VALID PETITIONS ON THREE READINGS WITHOUT GIVING, UM, SUFFICIENT TIME TO HEAR THE CASES.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION AS AMENDED? HEARING NONE.
THE MOTION IS ADOPTED, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER BEING SHOWN ABSTAINING MEMBERS.
[Additional Item]
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.MAYOR COUNSEL, I JUST WANNA TAKE A POINT OF, UH, PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND INTRODUCE OUR NEW PLANNING DIRECTOR TO THE DIAS.
LAUREN MIDDLETON PR IS WITH US IN THE AUDIENCE.
THIS AND IS ROUNDING OUT HER FIRST WEEK AS OUR NEWEST DIRECTOR TO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM.
BEEN THE BEST WEEK OF YOUR LIFE, HAVEN'T YOU?
IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE IN AUSTIN.
I MOVED HERE ABOUT, UH, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO AND ENJOYING EVERY BIT.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON THE EAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
STARTED MY URBAN PLANNING CAREER IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
UH, DID SOME WORK ON THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SIDE A LITTLE BIT WITH THE US AIR FORCE.
AND I WAS LAST THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF BUTA, NOT KYLE, FOR THOSE WHO MADE THAT ISSUE.
[03:50:01]
AND SO HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, YOUR FAMILY JUST SOUTH OF YOU.STILL LOVE THAT COMMUNITY, BUT I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL AND EXCITED TO BE HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
UM, MEMBERS, IT'S ALSO MUNICIPAL CLERKS WEEK, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO RECOGNIZE, UH, OUR CITY CLERK AND THE HARDWORKING STAFF IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
WE DON'T SAY IT ENOUGH, BUT WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO MEMBERS.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULAR CALLED MEETING WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IT'S 3:03 PM THANK YOU ALL SO LATE.