[00:00:03]
[I. Call to Order]
ALL RIGHT, ONE MORE MEMBER.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THE MAY MEETING OF THE CAP METRO, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
WE ARE HERE IN THE NEW ROSA PARKS BOARDROOM AT CAP METRO FOR OUR FIRST FULL BOARD MEETING IN THIS NEW SPACE.
THE TIME IS NOW 1207 AS I CALL US TO ORDER.
[II. Recognition]
ITEM TODAY WILL BE TO INTRODUCE SOME OF OUR OUTSTANDING BUS OPERATORS AND MECHANICS, AND TO RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THEIR RECENT PERFORMANCE AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL BUS RODEOS.I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR VP OF BUS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, MR. TURPIN, IS HERE TO KICK US OFF FOR THAT.
CAN YOU KICK US OFF, SIR? YES.
UH, CHAIRMAN TRAIAN, CEO WATKINS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, AND OUR AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
UM, TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY, AND WHAT A BETTER PLACE TO INAUGURATE, UM, OUR NEW, UH, UH, BOARDROOM.
SO IF I COULD TAKE A MINUTE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CAME FROM AS TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UH, OR A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS AGO.
AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS NATION WENT THROUGH, UH, A PANDEMIC OF EPIC PROPORTIONS.
AND AS ALL, UH, TRANSIT AGENCIES WENT THROUGH, NOT EVEN KNOW, UNDERSTANDING OR REALIZING, UH, WHERE WE WERE GOING TO BE, UM, DURING THAT TIME.
AND A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THE FOLKS THAT I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE TO YOU HERE, UH, WERE INVOLVED WITH THAT, WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR, THEIR JOB, AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE UP IN THE AIR.
AND, UH, AND LIKE A PHOENIX THROUGH THE ASHES, UM, CMTA PULLED THROUGH.
WE HAD A GAME PLAN, UM, AND WE NEEDED A VENUE TO CELEBRATE THAT.
AND LIKE MANY OF TRANSLA AGENCIES ACROSS THE LAND, WHAT WE DO AND UTILIZE IS WHAT WE CALL A RODEO.
UM, AND THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE GOT TO RECONNECT, TO GIVE BACK TO OUR ROOTS AND TALK TO OUR, OUR, OUR FELLOW PEERS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND, UM, CELEBRATE, UH, OUR OPERATORS AND THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND WHAT THEY DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS IN DRIVING THESE LARGE VEHICLES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THAT, UM, WE CAME BACK AND WE HAD OUR, OUR, UM, RODEO THIS PAST MARCH.
AND IT WAS JUST A, A TREMENDOUS EVENT, UM, UM, WHERE WE GOT TO RECONNECT WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND COMPETE.
AND, AND I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU, UM, SOME EXTRAORDINARY FOLKS HERE THAT ARE WITH US TODAY, AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, UM, UH, TO BRING US BACK TO BEING THE TOP-NOTCH ORGANIZATION.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, IF WE COULD, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME NAMES OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT I'M PROUD TO BE WITH AND TO WORK WITH.
UM, AND THEY EXEMPLIFY WHAT CAP METRO IS ALL ABOUT, UH, IN THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR THE RODEO, UM, ON OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM.
UM, UM, WE HAVE WITH US AS JAVIER PEREZ, HE'S BEEN THERE OVER A YEAR.
AND, UH, UM, A TRULY EXEMPLARY AND A AND AN UP AND COMING SUPERSTAR FOR US ON THE MAINTENANCE SIDE.
UH, KEVIN MIRANDA, ALSO VERY YOUNG IN HIS CAREER AS WELL.
UM, AND THEY WERE A TOP PART OF THE MAINTENANCE TEAM FOR, UH, THE RODEO.
AND THEN THE, UH, CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD, CHICO KTU, WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR 34 YEARS, RIGHT? 34 YEARS OF SERVICE.
UM, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH OF THESE, THIS INDIVIDUAL.
UM, AND, AND THEY WORKED TOGETHER AS THE MAINTENANCE TEAM AS THEMSELVES TO BRING BACK, UH, FOR OUR RODEO.
AND REMEMBER FROM OUR LOCAL RODEO, WE WENT DOWN TO CORPUS FOR, FOR STATE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
AND THESE ARE THE GEN AND GENTLEMEN SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN ALSO ON THE BUS SIDE, UM, WE HAVE, UH, ARTURO MARIA, OR WE CALL HIM ARTHUR.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA TALK TO MORE ABOUT ARTURO IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN PEDIO, UH, RIVER RIVERA OR PETE, UM, HE'S ALSO HERE.
AND BOTH OF THESE GENTLEMEN, RIGHT? JUST TWO, LET ME UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE.
THESE TWO GENTLEMEN HAVE A TOTAL YEARS COMBINED HERE AT CAP METRO OF 71 YEARS, LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN.
71 YEARS OF SERVICE, RIGHT? AND OF THAT 71 YEARS, THESE TWO GENTLEMEN HAVE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS AND THINGS, AND DRIVING THESE BUSES, AND THEY'RE 71 YEARS COMBINED, THEY'VE HAD A TOTAL OF 11 INCIDENTS WITH THEIR VEHICLES.
LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN, 11 INCIDENTS.
[00:05:02]
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT IN THIS TOTALITY, AND WHAT THESE GENTLEMEN UP HERE AND MY, MY BROTHERS IN THE BACK HAVE DONE TO BRING THEIR LIVES, THEIR FAMILY, AND THEIR REPUTATION TO WHAT CMTA IS TODAY, I AM SO PROUD, SO PROUD AND EXCITED, UM, TO HAVE THESE GENTLEMEN HERE TO REPRESENT US IN THE RODEO.AND THEY'RE EVERYTHING, WHICH MEANS THEY REPRESENT THIS WHOLE OPERATION.
SO IF YOU GUYS COULD COME UP, PLEASE, THE GENTLEMEN, AND WE, UH, WHY DON'T WE GO AROUND BOARD AND TAKE A FEW PICTURES, LOVE IT.
SO TO CLOSE OUT AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, UH, FOR EVERYONE, AND THE IMPORTANT PIECE OF IT IS, IS THESE INDIVIDUALS, WE WON THE STATE RODEO.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THEIR EFFORTS AND WHAT THEIR, THEY DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, UM, SYMBOLIZES, UM, OUR PROFESSIONALISM AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE AT CAP METRO, AND I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH, UM, FOR THESE FOLKS.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.
THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME BACK, RIGHT? SO THEIR EFFORTS AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS GONNA JUST PUSH TO THE, OUR NEW FOLKS AND OUR BUDDING STARS WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RODEO.
AND, UM, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY AND WE HAVE AN OPEN INVITATION TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR NEXT ROOM.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU COME OUT AND REPRESENT WITH US AS WELL.
AND WE MIGHT COME AND VISIT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'D BE RODEOING THERE.
I THINK THAT IT, IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A NEW GENERATION REPRESENTING US, BUT THAT THEY ARE MENTORED AND TRAINED BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A SKILLS ASSESSMENT.
THEY DON'T JUST GIVE YOU AN AWARD.
YOU HAVE TO GO AND DO THINGS BETTER THAN OTHER FOLKS DO.
BUT IT IS ALSO, UM, AN HONOR TO, UH, TO WORK WITH STAFF THAT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT US TO STAY 30 PLUS YEARS.
UH, THAT SAYS A LOT, HOPEFULLY, ABOUT THE COMPANY ITSELF.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT IS A CULTURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD, THAT WE ARE THE TYPE OF ORGANIZATION THAT FOLKS WANT TO SPEND 30 PLUS YEARS WITH.
UH, THAT'S A RARE THING IN, IN THIS GENERATION.
AND, AND IT'S A RARE THING, UM, IN THE, IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE THIS THE TYPE OF PLACE YOU WANT TO STAY.
ANYBODY ELSE? DID I, DID I MISS ANYBODY? ALL RIGHT.
LET'S, UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY WILL BE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[III. Public Comment (Part 1 of 2) ]
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP WITH US IN ADVANCE.AND, UH, WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, IF YOU'RE WITH US, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF IF YOU'RE ONLINE OR COME TO THE PODIUM IF YOU'RE HERE WITH US IN THE ROOM.
UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE MS. SUSAN PANTEL.
SO NOW I HAVE TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT PLACE IN THE ROOM THERE.
UH, MS. PANTEL, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? UM, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE PROCESS FOR SELECTING THE INITIAL PROJECT CONNECT SEGMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT ATP IS GOING TO RELEASE THEIR PROPOSAL TOMORROW, BUT THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY
[00:10:01]
THAT CAPITAL METRO OR CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC IS ON JUNE 6TH, WHICH IS THE SAME DAY THAT YOU'RE MAKING THE DECISION.SO, IF THE PUBLIC HAS A NUMBER OF CONCERNS, IF THERE'S CONTROVERSY, YOU WILL ONLY HAVE AN HOUR OR TWO
AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THAT FROM READING THE, UH, CUSTOMER WITHOUT, UH, INPUT REPORT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE AREAS OF POTENTIAL CONTROVERSY.
ONE IS THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT THEY STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE INITIAL SEGMENT SHOULD GO TO THE AIRPORT.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALSO SAID THAT THEY STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE INITIAL SEGMENT SHOULD NOT GO TO THE AIRPORT BECAUSE THEY WANT HIGHER RIDERSHIP.
ANOTHER CONTROVERSY IS THAT MANY PEOPLE WANT THE, THE LINE TO GO FURTHER SOUTH, SOUTH OF
THERE ARE ALSO MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT THE LINE TO NOT GO SOUTH AT ALL, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE RIDERSHIP IS LOWER.
IF YOU GO, UH, SOUTH OF THE R RIVER, THE HIGHER RIDERSHIP IS NORTH OF THE RIVER AND ALONG EAST RIVERSIDE.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU WHAT HAPPENED IN 2014 WHERE THE, UH, CABINET BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE PROPOSAL.
CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE PROPOSAL, AND THE, AND THE CITIZENS VOTED IT DOWN, AND WE'VE LOST SIX YEARS, THEN WE REALLY, REALLY DON'T WANNA REPEAT THAT.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR YOU TO, UH, THINK AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT THESE POTENTIAL CONTROVERSIES AND HOW YOU MIGHT WORK IT THROUGH SO THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT WHATEVER YOU VOTE FOR.
FINALLY, I JUST WANNA SAY THE SEGMENT THAT I HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR FROM THE BEGINNING IS CRESTVIEW STATION TO YELLOW JACKET.
I THINK THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FROM RIDERSHIP AND FOR THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND THE BUDGET ESTIMATES THAT THEY RECENTLY PUT OUT, SHOW THAT THAT WOULD FALL WITHIN THE BUDGET IN THE LOWER RANGE OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATE.
IT WOULD FALL OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET AT THE HIGHER END OF THE, OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATE RANGE.
BUT IT'S SO CLOSE THAT I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE THE, THERE'S A VERY HIGH RIDERSHIP AT THAT INTERSECTION WITH THE RED LINE AT CRESTVIEW STATION.
IF YOU DON'T EXTEND IT TO THE CRESTVIEW STATION, YOU'LL MISS THAT BIG CIRCLE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIDERSHIP MAP, YOU'LL MISS THAT BIG POTENTIAL RIDERSHIP CONNECTION.
IT'S, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION AND A VERY MUCH SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH, WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THE PROCESS? YEAH.
UM, THIS IS DOTTIE WATKINS, PRESIDENT AND CEO E O FOR CAT METRO.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY ON THE PROCESS QUESTION THAT YOU STARTED WITH, UM, THE ATTP BOARD IS ACCEPTED, IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AND DELIBERATE ON THE RECOMMENDATION AT THEIR MEETING THIS WEEK, ON THE 24TH.
UM, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE THE SAME INFORMATION, UM, PUBLICLY AT THEIR WORK SESSION ON MAY 30TH.
UM, THE CAPITOL METRO BOARD WILL HOLD A WORK SESSION TO RECEIVE THE SAME INFORMATION ON FRIDAY, JUNE 2ND.
SO ALL THREE BODIES WILL HEAR AND DELIBERATE ON THE ISSUES BEFORE THE JUNE 6TH MEETING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL THOSE TO THE ATTENTION, UM, OF EVERYONE LISTENING THAT THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO IF YOU GO TO EACH OF OUR RESPECTIVE WEBSITES, YOU'LL SEE THE POSTINGS FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, TO, TO SEE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, MS. MS WA, MS. WATKINS, WILL THERE BE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK AT EITHER THE CAP METRO WORK SESSION OR THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WON'T BE.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, NOT AT A WORK SESSION.
THE WORK SESSION IS NOT A PLACE WHERE THEY WILL RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE CITY ON JUNE 6TH.
UH, JUNE 6TH WILL BE THE TIME TO, UH, TO SPEAK TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL, OTHER REPRESENTATIVES, YES, IN THE TRI-PARTY MEETING.
SECOND PERSON THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IS MAY, TAYLOR, MAY TAYLOR, AND I THINK SHE'LL BE REMOTE AS WELL.
UM, ARE YOU WITH US? YES, I AM.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
SO YEAH, MY NAME IS MAY TAYLOR.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE MUELLER OR MILLER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON A LETTER THAT WAS RECENTLY APPROVED BY OUR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP, UM, THAT PERTAINS TO THE PROPOSED AUGUST, 2023 SERVICE CHANGES.
[00:15:01]
REALLY PERTAINS TO THE LACK OF SUBSTANTIAL PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES, UM, AS WELL AS TO THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTING THE METRO RAPID ROUTE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.UM, I THINK YOU EITHER HAVE OR SOON WILL RECEIVE THIS LETTER BY EMAIL.
I'M NOT GONNA HAVE TIME TO SPEAK TO ALL OF IT TODAY.
I'M GONNA FOCUS ON THE PART THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE SERVICE CHANGES.
UM, AND I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE REST OF IT, UM, ABOUT OUR REQUESTS REGARDING STOP AMENITIES.
UM, SO SPECIFICALLY, UM, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LOCAL ROUTE 3 35.
UM, THIS ROUTE RUNS CROSSTOWN FROM MUELLER TO EXPOSITION BOULEVARD.
AND BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS PART OF A HIGH FREQUENCY ROUTE NETWORK WITH SERVICE EVERY 15 MINUTES, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
IT FIRST WAS INTRODUCED IN 2018, UM, BUT FOR MORE THAN YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF NOW, THE 3 35 HAS BEEN ON LIKE A TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN SERVICE.
WE'VE ONLY HAD 30 MINUTE FREQUENCIES INSTEAD OF 15 MINUTES.
AND WHEN THIS CHANGE WAS MADE IN SEPTEMBER, 2021, UM, YOU PROBABLY RECALL THAT MANY OTHER HIGH FREQUENCY ROUTES AROUND THE CITY WERE ALSO AFFECTED.
UM, IT WAS DESCRIBED AS JUST BEING A TEMPORARY THING, UM, DUE TO DRIVER AND MECHANIC SHORTAGES.
BUT BY NOW, FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, ACTUALLY, ALL THE OTHER AFFECTED ROUTES HAVE HAD THEIR SERVICE RESTORED.
UM, BUT THE 3 35 STILL HASN'T.
UM, BUT THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANY KIND OF A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A PERMANENT REDUCTION IN SERVICE.
IT'S NEVER BEEN INCLUDED IN AN ANNOUNCED SERVICE CHANGE.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN, UM, PULLED OFF THE LIST OF HIGH FREQUENCY ROUTES, AND THE REDUCED SERVICE IS NO LONGER LISTED UNDER ACTIVE SERVICE ALERTS.
SO THIS REALLY RAISES THE QUESTION FOR US, UM, OF WHEN, IF EVER WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE THE PRIOR SERVICE LEVEL RESTORED ON THIS ROUTE.
UM, SO WE REALLY REQUESTED ON THIS NEXT SERVICE CHANGE THAT YOU RESTORE THE 3 35 TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES.
UM, WE THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO ANYWAY, BUT ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE METRO RAPID ROUTES THAT RUN WILL RUN THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BEING DELAYED UNTIL 2025, UM, PUT IN THE 3 35 BACK TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES WOULD ALSO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF, UM, BUILDING AND SUSTAINING TRANSIT RIDERSHIP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BECAUSE IT FOLLOWS THE SAME PATH THROUGH MUELLER, THAT THE EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY METRO RAPID LINES WILL EVENTUALLY TRAVEL.
UM, IT'S REALLY USEFUL FOR US, UM, WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT AT THE CURRENT 30 MINUTE FREQUENCIES, THE LONG WAIT TIMES REALLY DISCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HAS ANY OTHER OPTION FROM BUYING THE BUS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF US IN MUELLER ARE KIND OF IN THIS MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN, WE'RE NOT QUITE TRANSIT DEPENDENT, BUT WE'RE NOT REALLY CHOICE RIDERS EITHER.
I WOULD THINK OF IT AS BEING TRANSIT RELIANT, WHERE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US MIGHT HAVE, UM, MORE, UM, DRIVERS THAN CARS IN OUR HOUSEHOLD, OR WE FREQUENTLY USE BIKING AND WALKING.
UM, WE MIGHT NOT CHOOSE TRANSIT FOR EVERY TRIP, BUT WE REALLY NEED IT AS ONE OF OUR OPTIONS.
UM, AND THESE ARE RIDER WHO, LIKE, IF WE CAN'T RELY ON THE SERVICE, LIKE WE MIGHT STRETCHED TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE, UM, OR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SWITCH AWAY FROM TRANSIT, UM, MORE THAN WE WOULD WANT TO.
AND WHEN YOU LOSE RIDERS IN THIS WAY, I THINK IT'S HARDER TO GET THEM BACK.
UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS 25%, UM, INCOME RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT REALLY BENEFITS FROM HAVING HIGH QUALITY TRANSIT SERVICE.
UM, AND I JUST REALLY URGE YOU TO KEEP US IN MIND, UM, AS PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY, REALLY AFFECTED BY THIS REDUCED SERVICE AND THIS DELAY AND THE METRO RAPID ROUTES.
UM, AND PLEASE READ THE REST OF OUR LETTER TOO.
I, I'M SORRY, I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT THANK YOU.
UH, THE NEXT PERSON THAT IS SCHEDULED IS ZNO JOSEPH.
MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU ONLINE? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR MEMBERS.
MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION AS A MATTER OF TRANSPARENCY, ARTICLE 13 TAX MATTERS DISSOLUTION.
IT SPECIFIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 0 1
AND REGARDLESS OF ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THESE ARTICLES IN CORPORATION ARE THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE CORPORATION, QUOTE SHALL NOT DIRECT ANY OF ITS ACTIVITIES TO ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATION BY PROPAGANDA OR OTHERWISE.
I SHARE THAT WITH YOU BECAUSE I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AND ASKED FOR THE REVOCATION OF AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP NONPROFIT STATUS.
AS YOU ARE AWARE, MAYOR KIRK WATSON AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AS WELL, GREG CANAL, HAVE LOBBIED AGAINST HOUSE BILL 38 99, WHICH WOULD PUT THE FOURTH VOTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO ISSUE DEBT FOR PROJECT CONNECT THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
AND SO IT IS YET TO BE DETERMINED WHETHER THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE WILL INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER.
BUT I HAVE TOLD COUNSEL AT LEAST
[00:20:01]
TWICE THAT I'VE WRITTEN TO THE I R S AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR AGENDA ITEMS. I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION ACTION ITEM ONE, WHICH IS THE AUGUST, 2023 SERVICE CHANGES.AGAIN, I'VE ASKED DOT WATKINS SEVERAL TIMES TO MOVE THE 8 0 1 SOUTHBOUND CHINATOWN STOP, WHICH IS MID-BLOCK TO CVS PHARMACY.
I'M NOT SURE IF SHE PAID ATTENTION, BUT ON THE 18TH OF MAY, ERICA PROFFER FROM KVU DEFENDERS DID A FOLLOW-UP TO DANGEROUS BY DESIGN.
AND ONCE AGAIN, NORTH LAMAR IS NOTED IN THAT REPORT.
IT DOESN'T COST CAPITAL METRO ANY MONEY.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED.
IT SHOWS THAT CEO DOTTY WATKINS EARN $357,555, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING A GOOD RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT.
AND SADLY, MARTIN CARI IN FY 21 EARN $112,000, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS, WALKERS AND CANES CAN'T GET ACROSS MIDBLOCK CHINATOWN SAFELY.
AND HE'S DONE NOTHING IN ALL THESE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING TO HAVE THAT STOP MOVE.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO MOVE THE STOP.
THERE'S A LANDING PAD THAT IS STILL AT KRAMER IN NOMAR, AND YOU CAN TURN THAT INTO THE NUMBER ONE STOP AND STILL SERVE US WELL AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE CONSENT ITEM, WHICH IS JUST THE MINUTES FROM APRIL 24TH, 2023.
I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR APPIN YOUR ATTENTION.
ONCE AGAIN, IT'S VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION.
YOU PAY THE PEOPLE ON THE CSAC COMMITTEE WITH THESE BUS PASSES.
THEREFORE, THOSE OF US WHO SPEAK FOR FREE, NO BUS PASSES, NO COMMUTER, 31 DAY PASS, WE DON'T GET OUR VIEWS IN THE BOARD PACKET.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
YOU'VE NOT SAID WHY YOU ACTUALLY SCRIPT WHAT THEY SAY IN THE CSUN MEETING AND ACCESS, BUT YET YOU ONLY PUT OUR NAMES, I THINK YOU'RE COOKING THE BOOKS.
YOU WANT THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING IS ALL WELL AND GOOD AT CAPITAL METRO, WHEN IN FACT, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NOT.
AND LASTLY, I WOULD JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT YOU HAVE 20 MILLION FROM MACAL STATION, AND HERE WE ARE ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR YOU TO RESTORE 3 92 BACK TO THE TARGET.
IT'S NOT GONNA COST 20 MILLION.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'LL LASTLY JUST ASK YOU TO PLEASE MOVE THE BENCH.
THERE'S A SHELTER ON THE 2 43 SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH ACTUALLY IS BY, UH, AN ABANDONED, UM, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT AND PUT IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND I JUST LASTLY WILL TELL YOU, UH, RESPECTFULLY, MR. CHAIR, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THESE MEMOS IN THE FOUR PACKET, BUT ON PAGES 70 AND 71, UM, IS THE TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE SELLING THE BUS PASSES, ESPECIALLY AT REPUBLIC SQUARE.
SO I WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO MAKE THE SYSTEM FREE FOR EVERYBODY AS OPPOSED TO MAKING THOSE ELDERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING PAID BECAUSE THE 20 SOMETHING YEAR OLDS SAY THEIR STUDENTS AND THE DRIVERS CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND IT MAKES FOR AN UNFAIR SYSTEM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME AND APOLOGIZE FOR MY VOICE, BUT I GUESS IT'S ALLERGIES.
THANKS, CHAIR TRAIAN, I, I KNOW THE DIAS MUST BE A LITTLE CONFUSED OVER THE STATEMENT THAT THE MAYOR HAD, UM, LOBBIED AGAINST HOUSE BILL 38 99, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASSURE ALL OF YOU THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN DID NOT LOBBY AGAINST HOUSE BILL 38 99.
UM, THE CITY DID SUPPORT SOME AMENDMENTS TO THAT BILL THAT WOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE ON PROJECT CONNECT THIS NOVEMBER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL WERE, WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
THE NEXT PERSON WHO'S SCHEDULED TO SPEAK IS DAVID LEE IS REMOTE.
UM, MR. LEE, ARE YOU WITH US? YES.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT, PLEASE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DAVID LEE, UM, AND I'M A JUNIOR AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND A RESIDENT OF CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX.
UM, I WANTED TO BRING IT TO ATTENTION.
UM, TODAY, THE MATTER OF YOUTH VOICE IS SOMETHING THAT I'M PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN ON THIS MATTER AT THE PROJECT CONNECTS, UH, COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND I THINK THAT THIS MATTER IS PARTICULARLY TIED TO, UM, FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT CAP METRO MIGHT UNDERTAKE.
AND, UH, TODAY I KIND OF WANTED JUST TO EMPHASIZE THE IDEA OF YOUTH PERSPECTIVE AS PART OF THE COMMUNAL FEEDBACK PRO PROCESS, UM, FOR PROJECTS.
UM, BECAUSE GIVEN THAT MANY PROJECTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE, UM, COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, UM, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT MANY OF ITS PERSPECTIVE WRITERS ARE SITTING IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES AROUND THE CITY.
[00:25:01]
UM, THESE ARE YOUTH RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE OR STILL IN COLLEGE.YOU NEED SOME WAY TO GET TO AND FROM WORK OR SCHOOL WITHOUT A CAR.
UM, THESE PEOPLE WILL BE TRANSIT DEPENDENT, UM, ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SUCH AS, UM, THE BUS OR THE TRAIN.
UH, AND THE FUTURISTIC NATURE OF MANY, UH, OF THESE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS SUCH AS THE LIGHT RAIL, FOR EXAMPLE, NECESSITATE, UM, THIS KIND OF PERSPECTIVE OF YOUTH WHO ARE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY.
UM, AND THIS IS EVEN MORE TRUE FOR YOUTH WHO ARE LIVING IN MARGINALIZED OR WHO ARE LIVING IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, WHO ARE LIVING IN, UH, BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
UH, IF WE'RE TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, EQUITY AND REPRESENTATION, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED BY ENGAGING YOUTH EARLY ON IN, UH, THEIR JOURNEY AND IN PARTICULAR TARGETING, UM, MARGINALLY OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES.
AND I HOPE THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT I'VE SAID TODAY ARE THINGS THAT, UM, CAT METRIC CAN TAKE INTO FURTHER CONSIDERATION MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION, UM, THAT, AND I, SORRY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT I'M HERE, UM, WITH ARNOLD TARI, A FRIEND OF MINE AND A FELLOW YOUTH WHO SHARED A SIMILAR PERSPECTIVE WITH ME ABOUT YOUTH ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THE BOTH OF US ARE JUST, I THINK, TEST GOOD TESTIMONIES AS TO, UM, THE POWER OF YOUTH VOICE AND, UM, THE CHANGE MAKING POTENTIAL THAT IT CAN HAVE.
UM, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT THAT OUT TODAY.
AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, TO PRESENT TO THE BOARD.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED IN, WHO'VE GOT THE MAYOR FOR, UH, FROM LEANER.
UM, I WANTED TO START OUT BY CONGRATULATING YOU ON THE NEW BOARDROOM.
AND WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO DO THE PEOPLE'S WORK.
I LOVE THE NEW ACCESS, AND IT JUST FEELS GOOD NOT GOING UPSTAIRS AND THROUGH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE BUILDING.
I WANTED TO THANK YOUR STAFF FOR OUR RECENT BUILD, CENTRAL TEXAS DISCUSSIONS.
WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP, AND WE LOVE WHERE WE'RE AT AND HOW DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SEND A BIG THANKS TO YOUR STAFF FOR HOW EVERYBODY MOBILIZED RECENTLY TRYING TO FIND ASSISTANCE FOR ONE OF OUR MOBILITY CHALLENGE RESIDENTS LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE SERVICE ZONE.
IT WAS REALLY HEARTWARMING AND BIG THANK YOU TO DOTTY AND EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN SO HELPFUL LATELY WITH ALL OF OUR, OUR MANY LEANDER ISSUES.
SO, UH, BUT USUALLY I'M UP HERE A LITTLE MORE FORMAL ASKING FOR EXPANSIONS, AND TODAY IT'S A LAID BACK DAY BECAUSE TODAY I'M NOT GOING TO ASK FOR ANYTHING.
I'M GOING TO INVITE Y'ALL OUT.
UM, SCHOOL'S GETTING OUT, THE SUN IS SHINING.
AND I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO A FEW EVENTS WE HAVE COMING UP.
SO ON SATURDAY, JUNE 17TH AT BLEDSO PARK, FROM FIVE TO 9:00 PM IS OUR JUNETEENTH BLOCK PARTY.
OUR THEME IS ABSOLUTE EQUALITY.
AND LIBERTY FEST, WHICH IS TYPICALLY OUR 4TH OF JULY SHOW, UH, THIS YEAR, HAS BEEN MOVED TO MONDAY, JULY 3RD.
SO HOPEFULLY Y'ALL DON'T HAVE PLANS, UH, AND YOU CAN COME JOIN US AT DIVINE LAKE PARK.
PARK OPENS AT SIX WITH FIREWORKS AT NINE 30.
I RECOGNIZE IT CAN BE HARD TO SEE ALL OF THE AREAS YOUR BOARD COVERS, BUT THESE ARE BOTH OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE THE TRAIN UP, HOP ON THE PICKUP SERVICE, AND COME OUT TO THE FESTIVALS AND VISIT THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU, UH, WORK SO HARD FOR ALL THE TIME.
IF YOU WANNA EMAIL ME IN ADVANCE THAT YOU'RE ATTENDING, MY EMAIL IS MAYOR@LEANDERTX.GOV.
IT'S SUPER DIFFICULT TO REMEMBER.
UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO PERSONALLY ESCORT YOU AROUND AND INTRODUCE YOU TO RESIDENTS AND STAFF, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT OUR EVENTS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND PRESENTING TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, THE NEXT PERSON THAT SIGNED IN IS SARAH BLACK.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
MY NAME'S SARAH BLACK, AND I THINK MY COMMENTS ARE REGARDING ALSO ITEM 4.2, THE ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD, AND ALSO THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO TRAVEL.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW STOP 5 5 58 AT 6,200 LOYOLA HAS NO CORRESPONDING STOP ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, THE NEAREST STOPS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ARE ALMOST THE QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY EACH.
AND RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED ME, AND WE'VE CALLED CAPITAL METRO BEFORE, ASKING FOR A BUS STOP TO BE ACROSS THE STREET FROM STOP 5 58.
AND WE WERE TOLD THERE HAS TO BE A, A LIGHT AND A CROSSWALK ALSO, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE COORDINATED.
BUT, UM, THAT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT WE STARTED ASKING FOR THIS.
UH, MY FRIEND LIVES AT THAT ADDRESS AND HE'S
[00:30:01]
DISABLED, AND THIS, THAT'S THE ACCESS.AND SO HE HAS TO RIDE THE 3 37 ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE END OF ROUTE, WHICH IS STOP, UM, AT, AT DECKER AND LOYOLA.
AND THEN HE COMES BACK THE OTHER DIRECTION SO THAT HE CAN HAVE A SHORTER WALK.
AND SO IT WAS SURPRISING TO SEE, FOR ME TO FIND OUT LAST WEEK THAT THE BENCHES, THE SEATING WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THAT IN ROUTE STOP AT LOYOLA DECKER ON CAPITOL METRO THAT STOPPED 61 83 BOTH STOPS AT, UM, DECK AND LOYOLA THE ONE AT, AT, UM, 6 180 3, AND THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET, ALL THE SEATING WAS TAKEN AWAY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY WRONG BECAUSE I USED TO LIVE IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
AND PEOP YOU KNOW, THE BUS DRIVER TOLD ME, OH, IT'S CUZ PEOPLE SMOKE AND DRINK, WHATEVER.
BUT I LIVED IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN AND PEOPLE WERE SMOKING AND DRINKING AND THOSE STOPS WEREN'T TAKEN AWAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHY IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN ARE YOU TAKING AWAY STOPS? AND THE ONLY OTHER TIME I SAW STOPS TAKEN AWAY WAS WHEN I VISITED THE CARVER LIBRARY AND THERE'S A STOP NEAR CHICON, AND THAT'S THOSE THAT SEATING DISAPPEARED.
THAT'S JUST, I MEAN, WHY ARE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BEING TARGETED? UM, SO I DON'T AGREE WITH ALL ANYWHERE SEATING BEING TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE MAYBE SOMEBODY SMOKED OR DRINKS AT THAT BUS STOP BECAUSE MY FRIEND'S NOT DRINKING AND SMOKING.
I'M NOT SMOKE, DRINKING AND SMOKING.
AND THAT AREA, THE, THE STOP, THE, THE BUS THAT GOES IN THAT AREA, THAT AVERAGE AGE OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS 58 YEARS OLD.
SO THOSE PEOPLE NEED THEIR SEATING.
I WANT MY SEATING, MY FRIEND NEEDS A SEATING.
PLEASE RETURN THAT SEATING AND PLEASE PUT THAT BUS STOPS IN FOR HIS, ALSO HIS APARTMENT ACROSS FROM 6,200 LOYAL.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR COMING AND CHAIR PRESENTING.
UH, UM, LET ME GET, UM, UM, BOARD MEMBER VE AND THEN I'LL COME TO YOU NEXT.
WHAT, UH, WHAT WAS THE LINE AGAIN? WHAT BUS STOP LINE WAS THAT? IT COVERS? WELL, 61 83.
IT HAS A 3 37, THE 2 33, THE 2 37.
SO IT'S MULTIPLE, UH, STOPS AT THAT.
HEY, BOARD, UM, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON.
UM, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, IN LIGHT OF THE EXERCISE THAT WE WENT THROUGH, UH, REGARDING OUR, UH, SERVICE STANDARDS AND AMENITY STANDARDS FROM LAST WEEK, UM, MIGHT I, UH, SUGGEST YOUR DIRECT, UH, UH, PRESENT C E O WATKINS, UH, PERHAPS TO, TO, TO HAVE STAFF MAYBE, UM, UH, GET WITH THIS WOMAN AND MAYBE CIRCLE BACK AROUND IF NOTHING ELSE WITH THE OPS COMMITTEE.
I'M, I HAVE TO SAY IF I, I'M, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED IF I'M HEARING THAT WE WERE REMOVING BENCHES FROM STOPS.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE'S, IT IS LIKE, WELL, THERE MAY BE THERE, THERE, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING, SOMETHING ELSE IN THE REST OF THE STORY AND THAT SOMETHING'S JUST NOT BEING COMMUNICATED EFFECTIVELY TO YOU AS THE RIDER AND TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO MAYBE IF, UH, DOTTIE, YOU AND STAFF COULD CIRCLE BACK WITH HER AND MAYBE WITH US AS THE BOARD AND, AND KIND OF LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND MAYBE TO THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THAT STOP, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE SEE THE APPROPRIATE STAFF.
UH, THE NEXT PERSON SIGNED UP IS RUBEN BROOKS.
FIRST TIME SPEAKING IN THIS NEW CONFERENCE ROOM.
UM, SOME OF YOU WHO KNOW ME ALSO KNOW THAT I'M A DATA NERD.
I BELIEVE THAT DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ANALYSIS PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PUBLIC DECISION MAKING.
AND SO I WAS VERY PLEASED WHEN THE DASHBOARD WITH DATA DASHBOARD WAS ADDED TO THE CAP METRO SITE, IT MEANT THAT I NO LONGER HAD TO RELY ON KINDLY HEARTED CAP METRO STAFF, OR ON PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS TO GET THE DATA I WANTED TO LOOK AT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LATEST RELEASE OF THAT DASHBOARD SEEMS TO ME A BIG STEP BACKWARDS AMONGST OTHER THINGS.
IT NO LONGER SHOWS, ALLOWS YOU TO ACCESS THINGS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, BUT ONLY GIVES PER ROOT DATA ANNUALLY, WHICH IS KIND OF USELESS IN NOW WHEN THINGS ARE CHANGING SO RAPIDLY TO FIND
[00:35:01]
OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.ALSO, DISTRESSING WAS THAT THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PROCESS FOLLOWED IN GAINING THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY IN WHAT DATA SHOULD BE PROVIDED ON THOSE DATA SITES.
I KNOW OF ONLY ONE PUBLIC MEETING AT THE CSC THAT THEY DEVELOPMENT CREW ATTENDED, AND NO OTHERS.
UH, IF YOU'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH A SERVICE CHANGE, THE LINE OF PEOPLE SPEAKING WOULD GO OUT AND AROUND THE BLOCK.
UM, I REALIZED THESE SITES APPEAL TO A SMALLER PROPORTION OF PEOPLE, BUT STILL BETTER PROCESS WOULD, WOULD HELP A GREAT DEAL IN THIS CASE IN MAKING A VALUABLE RESOURCE MORE VALUABLE.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, I HAVE A DATA REQUEST.
UM, WE'VE HEARD DISCUSSION THIS MORNING ABOUT STOPS THIRD CAP MAT OVER 20, CLOSE TO 2,400 STOPS LOCATED ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND VERY LITTLE DATA IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY OF THEM.
LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE BOARDED EACH STOP OR HOW MANY PEOPLE EVEN BOARDED THE TOP 10 STOPS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DATA ADDED TO THE DASHBOARD.
THE DASHBOARD, I THINK, IS A SIGN OF CA NOT ONLY IS IT USEFUL TO PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC DECISION MAKING, BUT IT'S A BIG INDICATOR THAT CAP METRO IS TRYING AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO BE AN OPEN ORGANIZATION AND TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC WHENEVER IT CAN.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN IT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND ADDRESSING THE BOARD.
UH, LET'S MAKE SURE HE GETS TO THE PROPER PERSON TO GET THE INFORMATION HE'S LOOKING FOR.
AND, UH, THE NEXT PERSON IS, IS IT SOPHIE? TAYLOR CHERYLN.
UH, WELL, IF SHE IS NOT HERE TO PRESENT, SHE HAS LEFT US A, A, UH, GOOD AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION SO THAT I, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE PASS THIS ON TO YOU.
UH, WHAT ABOUT EMILY SEALS? RIGHT.
PLEASE COME FORWARD THREE MINUTES, PLEASE.
I'M EMILY SEALS, A SOCIAL WORKER AT SUNRISE HOMELESS NAVIGATION CENTER.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M ALSO HERE TODAY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO SOME OF THE NEW NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS, AND ALSO TO THANK, UM, YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PERMANENT FREE FARS PROGRAM FOR OUR UNHOUSED AUSTINITES.
FOR OVER FOUR YEARS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, ADVOCATES AND PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS HAVE WORKED TOWARD THE GOAL OF FREE TRANSPORTATION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AFTER CAT METRO MADE A COMMITMENT LAST FALL TO BOTH THE T E F EMERGENCY ALLOTMENT PROGRAM AND A PERMANENT PROGRAM.
MYSELF, PAULETTE, AND OTHERS FROM T H R A AND CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ FROM TRINITY CENTER, AND HIS STAFF HAVE MET WEEKLY WITH CAT METRO STAFF AND THE TF CONSULTANTS.
AS ADVOCATES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, WE HAVE PROVIDED EXPERTISE IN COLLABORATION FOR BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE CONNECTED MANY SERVICE PROVIDERS TO THE TF EMERGENCY ALLOTMENT PROGRAM, IDENTIFIED AGENCIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT, FOSTERED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE HM I S TEAM AT ECHO AND INFORMED AND GUIDED PROCESSES, AND HAVE CONTINUED TO CENTER THE UNIQUE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN INTO EVERY CONVERSATION AND DECISION.
WE'RE HERE TO THANK YOU FOR THE EMERGENCY ALLOTMENT PROGRAM WITH T E F SUNRISE.
SUNRISE ALONE WAS GRANTED OVER 75,000, 31 DAY BUS PASSES TO DISTRIBUTE EACH DAY.
OUR FRONTLINE STAFF DISTRIBUTE BUS PASSES THROUGH OUR VARIOUS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING, INCLUDING OUR NAVIGATION CENTER IN SOUTH AUSTIN, OUR MOBILE OUTREACH TEAM THAT WORKS ALL OVER THE CITY WITH UNSHELTERED PEOPLE.
OUR RESEARCH STUDY TEAM, WHICH I'M A PART OF, OUR WELLNESS TEAM AND OUR HOUSING TEAMS, THE BUS PASSES WE PROVIDE OUR CLIENTS ARE A LIFELINE TO MEDICAL, MENTAL HEALTH APPOINTMENTS, JOB INTERVIEWS, SOCIAL SECURITY APPOINTMENTS, APARTMENT SEARCHES, HOUSING APPOINTMENTS, AND IT GIVES PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEMS. IT PROVIDES PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO MOVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO OBTAIN FOOD, CLOTHING, SHOWERS, INCLEMENT WEATHER, SHELTER, AND OTHER LIFE SUSTAINING RESOURCES.
BEFORE THE TF EMERGENCY ALLOTMENT PROGRAM, SUNRISE ONLY WAS ABLE TO GIVE OUT ONE DAY BUS PASSES.
UM, AND THE NEED FOR THAT TRANSPORTATION HAD TO BE CONFIRMED AND VERIFIED.
THE PROCESS WAS CUMBERSOME, TIMELY, AND DEGRADING TO BOTH STAFF AND CLIENTS.
AND NOW WE'RE ABLE TO ASSURE THAT ANYONE NEEDING TRANSPORTATION CAN ATTAIN A 31 DAY BUS PASS.
ONE OF OUR STAFF AT SUNRISE EXPLAINED THE, DUE TO THE LONG WAITS FOR BOTH SHELTER AND HOUSING, BUS PASSES ARE SOMETIMES ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE OUR, UM, CLIENTS.
[00:40:01]
AND IT ALSO REALLY STARTS THE PROCESS TOWARDS PEOPLE WORKING TOWARDS THEIR GOALS.UM, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL AND SEVERAL OF US DID ON, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON FRIDAY FROM CHEYENNE KRAUSE WITH CAT METRO.
WE WERE REALLY DELIGHTED ABOUT CAT METRO'S FIRM COMMITMENT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CAT METRO H M I S INTEGRATION PROGRAM, AND THAT THE PROGRAM WILL NOT INCLUDE A COST SHARING COMPONENT FOR THE SERVICE PROVIDERS.
WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGED THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FULLY FUNDED.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH CAP METRO STAFF AND TOWARD THE PILOT PROGRAM, WHICH LAUNCHES IN JUNE 8TH, AND THE PERMANENT PROGRAM.
I HOPE OUR COMMUNICATION CONTINUES TO BE TRANSPARENT AND THAT WE'RE ALWAYS CENTERING THE VOICES OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
I'M THANKFUL THAT WE CAN START CELEBRATING MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THIS PARTNERSHIP AND THIS COLLABORATION AND CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OF AUSTINITES WHO MOST NEED AND BENEFIT FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
MR. CARTER, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO SEE.
I'M GLAD, GLAD TO BE IN THE NEW, THE NEW BOARDROOM
YOU KNOW, IT'S MY FIRST TIME BACK AND SINCE Y'ALL REMODELED, UM, FIRST OFF, MY NAME IS TONY CARTER.
I'M A TEAM MEMBER WITH T H R A WANTED ORGANIZER, AND I WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK Y'ALL FOR LISTENING TO WHAT WE HAD.
YOU KNOW, YOU HELPED US WITH THE, WITH THE BUS PASSES AND STUFF, AND THANK YOU FOR Y'ALL AGREEING ON THE PILOT PROGRAM AND THE PERMANENT PASSES.
YOU KNOW, THAT GONNA BE A BIG HELP TO A LOT OF US THAT IS NOT HOUSED.
I'VE BEEN ON THE WAITING LIST FOR OVER FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW.
I'M STILL WAITING, BUT Y'ALL, WITH THOSE HELP ON THOSE PASSES HAVE HELPED ME TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WHERE I NEED TO GO, GET ME TO MY LITTLE JOB AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL AND ALL OF THAT.
AND I'M JUST ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WANNA SAY THANK Y'ALL AND CONTINUE, AND I HOPE WE ALL CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLES OUT THERE THAT REALLY NEEDS THE HELP.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THE BOARD TODAY.
THE NEXT PERSON IS JJ RAMIREZ.
I'M AN ORGANIZER AT THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION.
I'M THE ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS AT THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE.
AND LIKE, LIKE TONY JUST SAID, WE SAY THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, LISTENING TO US, LISTENING TO WHAT OUR FOLKS HAD TO SAY AND COMMITTING TO FUNDING THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE COST SHARING WOULD'VE BEEN A NIGHTMARE.
IT WOULD'VE PUT US BACK INTO, UH, SCARCITY SUPPLY MINDSET.
AND LIKE SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, BLACK MARKET, YOU KNOW, THAT COMES FROM THE DEMAND AND NOT ENOUGH NEED, RIGHT? BUS PASS, UH, BUYING.
UM, SO HAVING THIS PROGRAM FULLY FUNDED, UM, REALLY ALLEVIATES THAT.
IT REALLY HELPS PEOPLE GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOOD, SHELTER, UM, EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED JUST TO SURVIVE, RIGHT? AND WE, AS WE SAW ON SOME OF THE DATA THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE, YOU HAD 40,000 RIDES FOR A TIME PERIOD, AND THAT INCREASED TO OVER 200,000 RIDES FOR A SAME, SIMILAR TIME PERIOD.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T AFFORD TO RIDE THE BUS, RIGHT? SO, UM, THIS IS, WE'RE JUST REALLY, REALLY THANKFUL AND LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THIS PROGRAM REMAINS FULLY FUNDED AND TO MEET ALL THE NEEDS FOR OUR UNHOUSED, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THE BOARD TODAY.
UH, NEXT PERSON IS BARRY JONES.
UH, HELLO, MY NAME IS BARRY JONES.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A QUICK SHOUT OUT OF GREAT THANKS TO ALL OUR BOARD MEMBERS, UH, BOTH THE, UH, RETURNING MEMBERS AND THE NEW MEMBERS, UM, UH, FOR THIS HOMELESS FREE RIDE CARD.
UH, MYSELF, I'VE SEEN IT MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, JUST, JUST THAT I'VE MET.
UM, UM, IT'S GREAT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO BRING IT FORWARD WITHOUT A COST SHARING FEATURE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THAT THIS, UH, ALLOWS OUR SERVICE, UH,
[00:45:01]
AGENCY LIKE, UH, TRINITY CENTER AND UH, UH, SUNRISE CENTER TO DEDICATE THOSE FUNDS TO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.AND THEY HAVE MANY IMPORTANT THINGS TO DEDICATE THOSE FUNDS TOO.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR, UM, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR COMMUNITY LEADERS WHEN THEY CAME FORWARD WITH A, A PROBLEM, AND, UM, RESPOND TO THAT PROBLEM, UH, AND, AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
UH, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN ENOUGH.
AND ONCE, ONCE AGAIN, THANKS A MILLION.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THE BOARD ON, UH, THE NEXT NAME IS, I THINK VERNON JARMAN.
PLEASE COME FORWARD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME OUT TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE PILOT PROJECTS.
I'M ONE OF TO ASSIST STORIES CUZ I WAS HOMELESS AND I COULDN'T GET AROUND TOWN, COULDN'T GET TO MY DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS.
NOW I'M ABLE TO GET TO MY DOCTOR APPOINTMENT.
I'M TRYING TO GET MY HELP BACK BETTER AND I JUST LIKE TO JUST THANK Y'ALL.
CAUSE WITHOUT Y'ALL HELP, I COULDN'T DO NONE OF THIS.
I COULDN'T FIND NOTHING TO EAT, TAKE SHOWERS.
I WAS ALWAYS A HOUSE, WAS TRYING TO PAY FOR IT.
I SAID, THANK Y'ALL MEMBERS FOR Y'ALL HELP FOR THE POPE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THE BOARD TODAY.
LET'S SEE, THIS LAST ONE, UM, I THINK, IS IT SEAN? PERKIN? SEAN? OKAY.
YEAH, I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO TRANSLATE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UH, MY NAME IS SHAMAN PERKIN AND I, UH, AM, UH, UH, WITH T H R A ALSO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS INTO MAKING THIS, UH, HAPPEN, UH, PRODUCTION OF THESE, UH, NEW TICKETS AND STUFF.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMAIN, UH, AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE WITH EACH OTHER.
UH, AND THIS SHOULD BE A FIRST STEP INTO A LARGER, UH, RELATIONSHIP, SO IN THE FUTURE.
AND THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THE BOARD.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM WHO HAS NOT SIGNED UP WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? ANYONE ELSE? PLEASE COME ON, COME FORWARD, YOU TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND YOU'LL, AND, AND, UH, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND IF YOU'LL SIGN THE SHEET JUST FOR OUR RECORDS, UH, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, THAT'D BE GREAT.
A, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, UM, BOARD MEMBERS.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY.
I'M AN ORGANIZER AT TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES.
UM, AND WELCOME TO THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, UH, YOU'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS TODAY ABOUT THE, UM, IMMEDIATE MATERIAL BENEFITS, THE WAY THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO TRANSFORM PEOPLE'S LIVES AND BEING ABLE TO ACCESS MEDICAL CARE, HOUSING.
UM, I, ON THE FRONT LINES HAVE SEEN SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE DAILY, UM, AND HOW MUCH OF A BIG STEP THIS IS IN, IN REALLY ALLOWING PEOPLE TO START WORKING, UM, TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, PICKING UP THE PIECES THAT THEY NEED TO, TO LIKE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I, I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
I THINK JUST BRIEFLY, ONE REQUEST THAT WE HAD, UM, IS WE BELIEVE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, UM, Y'ALL TO SEE THE, THE PROGRESS AND THE POWER BEHIND, UM, THIS, THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, TF AND CAP METRO BEHIND THE SCENES.
YOU HEARD FROM EMILY TODAY, WHO'S A BIG PART OF THAT COALITION IN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS.
UM, BUT IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MAKE A ROOM ON YOUR AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING AND SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS TO HEAR UPDATES ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH T E F AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR Y'ALL TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM US AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT AND JUST WANTED TO UPLIFT THAT REQUEST.
UM, BUT THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR THE TIME TODAY.
IF, IF YOU, UH, IF YOU WILL SIGN THE FORM AND THEN, UH, MAKE YOUR REQUEST IN WRITING, THEN WE, UM, THEN WE'LL GET IT TO THE APPROPRIATE STAFF.
IS THAT, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CROWD OR ADDRESS THE BOARD BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM THE TOPIC? I WANTED TO THANK THEM MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK TO US TODAY, BUT ALSO TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE DILIGENT WORK AND HANDWRINGING AND THINKING, AND RETHINKING AND RETHINKING OF THIS, THESE PROGRAMS FROM SOME OF OUR STAFF.
SO I WANTED TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO, UM, SAM ALEXANDER AND CHEYENNE KRAK, WHO HELPED LEAD THE EFFORT.
EDNA PARRA FROM OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM WHO WORKED VERY HARD ON IT.
[00:50:01]
FROM OUR FINANCE TEAM, WHO HAS PUZZLED THROUGH MORE SPREADSHEETS THAN WE'D LIKE TO, UM, ADMIT.UM, AND I'M SURE I'M LEAVING OUT SOME FOLKS, BUT JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE, THE HARD WORK OF THE STAFF AND THANK THEM FOR, FOR PUTTING THE TIME IN AS WELL.
I THINK, UM, SOMETIMES WE COME UP AGAINST PROBLEMS THAT AREN'T EASY TO SOLVE, BUT I THINK WE HAVE FOUND A WAY TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
AND, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO COLLECT DATA AND REPORT THAT DATA BACK TO THE BOARD IN THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO BE PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE COLLECTIVELY.
SO THANK YOU TO THE STAFF AND, AND, UH, WE ON THE BOARD WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO THANK, UH, OUR CEO AND STAFF AS WELL.
UH, WE HEAR, UH, HUNDREDS OF IDEAS ALL THE TIME, AND THE QUESTION ALWAYS COMES, HOW DO WE OPERATIONALIZE THAT IDEA? HOW DO WE MAKE IT WORK, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, AND FOR THE STAFF WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN? AND, UH, LISTENING TO AND LOOKING AT THE PROFESSIONALISM THAT IS DEMONSTRATED, UH, BY STAFF, UH, IS, IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT I'M ALWAYS PROUD OF.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK, UH, THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF CONTINUE TO DO.
[IV. Advisory Committee Updates]
ARE UP TO OUR BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATES, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MS. ORTIZ IS HERE TO INTRODUCE THOSE.AND WE SHOULD START WITH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR TRAIAN, VICE CHAIR, POOL PRESIDENT AND CEO WATKINS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT, AND I'M HERE TO PROVIDE THIS MONTH'S COMMITTEE UPDATES.
EDNA BUTTA IS OUT OF THE OFFICE AND COULDN'T BE HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE OUR CHAIRS, CHAIR HUNT, CHAIR TAYLOR AND CHAIR FOSTER WITH US TODAY.
AND AFTER MY SUMMARY, I'LL PASS IT ALONG TO THEM.
CHAIRS THIS MONTH, ACCESS AND CSAC MEETINGS WERE ON MAY 3RD AND MAY 10TH.
BOTH COMMITTEES WERE UPDATED ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS PROGRAMED BY BRIAN ROBERTSON AND TRANSIT POLICE UPDATE BY JEREMY BENOIT.
ACCESS RECEIVED A DEMONSTRATION OF THE UPCOMING SPARE SOFTWARE FOR DEMAND RESPONSE WITH JOHN DRINKWATER, WHICH IS OUR SPARE LABS CONSULTANT.
CSAC RECEIVED A COMPLAINT STATISTICS UPDATE WITH BRIAN ALEJANDRO AND MARCELLA WOOD FOR P S A C.
THEY MET IN APRIL TO DISCUSS OUR INPUT PROCESS FOR TRANSIT POLICE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH WE IMPLEMENTED THIS MONTH ON MAY 19TH WITH OUR FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INPUT MEETING, JEREMY BENOIT AND LELE PRESENTED MULTIPLE POLICIES AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL MEETINGS EVERY OTHER MONTH.
ALSO, AF WE ARE WORKING ON RECRUITING NEW PSAC MEMBERS.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH MR. EASTON TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A FULL LIST OF YOUR APPOINTMENTS AS WELL AS INFORMATION ABOUT THE PSAC APPLICATION PROCESS THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS AND ANYONE INTERESTED.
AND THANK YOU TO PETER BRITON FOR COORDINATING AND SUPPORTING PSAC PLUS, OF COURSE, THE OTHER COMMITTEES.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR CHAIRS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND FOR JOINING US TODAY.
AND I WILL PASS IT ON TO THEM FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
UH, WHICH CHAIR WILL, WILL GO FIRST? OR SHOULD WE JUST CALL ONE? SHOULD WE, UH, START WITH CSAC? LET'S START WITH CSAC.
MR. YOU, MR. TAYLOR MAY HAVE, I THINK MR. TAYLOR MAY HAVE DROPPED OFF.
UH, I GUESS, UH, ACCESS ADVISORY NEXT? YES.
I WAS, I NEVER CAN GET THE CAMERA TILTED JUST RIGHT.
ANYWAY, UM, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN TRAIAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, AND CEO OF WATKINS AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
UM, THE ACCESS COMMITTEE, BASICALLY, UM, WE DID RECEIVE REPORTS FROM, UM, THE CUSTOMER, THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS, AND ALSO, UM, THE, THE, UH, NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, AND THE EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT DEMONSTRATION AND, AND TALK ABOUT SPARROW.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
I HAVE SEEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS OUT IN THE
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STREETS.I, I SAW ONE OUT THERE, UH, LAST WEEK AT TECH RIDGE, AND I'M, I'VE SEEN OTHERS.
IT'S JUST, JUST AT STOPS AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY NICE TO SEE, UM, THE LEASE DEPARTMENT, IT'S COMING ALONG.
WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GETTING UPDATES ON THAT.
AND, UM, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT ALL STANDS UP WHEN, WHEN ALL, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GET CERTIFIED AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH THEY'RE WORKING ON.
UM, WHAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE SPIRO, UH, METRO ACCESS, UM, REPLACEMENT SYSTEM.
UM, IT WAS, WE HAD A REALLY GOOD DEMONSTRATION OF IT.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THAT THAT RELATES TO IT BECAUSE, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF-BLIND OR NOT, THEY'RE NOT ORGAN, THEY'RE NOT IDENTIFY AS DEAF-BLIND PEOPLE, UH, TO THE DRIVERS, THE OPERATORS.
AND SO, UH, THAT CAUSES THEM TO BE MAYBE LEFT AT TIMES.
UM, MAYBE, UM, THEY DON'T CONNECT AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WE'RE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND HOPEFULLY S SPIRIT WILL HELP US WITH THAT AT ALL AS WELL.
UM, OUR COMMITTEE LIKES TO TEST THINGS.
WE LIKE TO TEST, UM, DO IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THINGS.
SO, UM, SOME OF SEVERAL OFFICERS ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN TESTING THE SPAR PILOT.
AND I HAVE BEEN TESTING THE, UM, THE FAIR CAPPING APP THIS MONTH.
IT'S AMAZING THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THE PILOT.
UH, I COMMEND YOU GOLFER AND HOW THE IDEA OF FAIR CAPPING, UM, BECAUSE IT MAKES, UM, IT, IT, UM, CAPS THE PHARISEE AND NOBODY PAYS MORE THAN A MONTHLY PASS OR A, A DAILY PASS.
UM, I'M GONNA DO A WHOLE LOT OF BUS RIDING, CUZ I, I WANT THAT $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE.
I WANNA MAKE THE CAP FOR THE MONTH.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RIDING, UM, AND I'VE BEEN USING A LOT OF FEATURES.
I'VE BEEN USING THE TECH RIDGE PARKING RIDE A LOT.
UH, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.
UM, HAVE OF MARKING THE, UH, PARDON ME, GET MY PHONE.
SO, UH, YOU'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB AT THE ACCESS COMMITTEE'S REQUEST OF, OF MARKING, UM, THE CROSSWALKS TO TAKE US FROM, UH, UM, A ABC, UH, ABC, UM, DE UH, ACROSS THE PARKING LOTS.
SO TO GET THE OTHERS, UH, PLA UH, BASE, UH, YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB LABELING, UH, MARKING THE CROSS, THE, UH, PLACE TO WAIT AT TECH RIDGE BAY E FOR PICKUPS.
AND YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THAT.
UM, AND THE, THE BAY SIGNS ARE ACTUALLY, UM, MARTIN IS WORKING ON GETTING THEM BRAILLE.
THEY'RE, I CAN READ THEM BECAUSE I ALSO CAN READ PRINT.
I KNOW WHAT PRINT BUTTERS LOOK LIKE, AND SO I CAN ACTUALLY READ THE BAY SIGNS, BUT SOME PEOPLE CANNOT.
SO MARTIN'S WORKING ON THAT, AND I HAVE TO COMMEND YOU GUYS ON NEXT DEPARTURE.
UM, NOT ONLY CAN I FIND OUT WHEN MY, WHERE MY STOP IS, UM, I FIND OUT WHEN THE NEXT BUS, UH, LEAVES MY STOP.
BUT THIS MORNING I WAS AT, UM, METRIC AND SCOFIELD AND I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHERE THE STOP WAS GOING NORTH.
AND SO I WAS, WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO IS I WAS ABLE TO LOOK UP IN THAT APP, FIND OUT WHERE THE STOP WAS, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE STOP ON MY OWN.
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN DOING THIS KIND OF STUFF.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF WORK SESSIONS WE THINK COMING UP, UH, ONE ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA HELP, UM, PEOPLE ARE DEAF BLIND, AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THE INFORMATION IDENTIFIES THEM IN THE APP AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THAT'S GONNA ROLL OUT WITH SPPI.
AND MARTIN AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A WORK SESSION ON ANNOUNCE THE ANNUNCIATORS BECAUSE, UM, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US IS TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR TRANSFER POINTS ARE, WHICH WE ALWAYS ANNOUNCE.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO TELL WHERE THE BUS, WHEN THE BUS TURNS, BECAUSE IT HELPS US TO ORIENT OURSELVES WITH THE CITY.
BUT THIRDLY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHEN WE GET OFF A BUS STOP, IF IT'S A PEDESTRIAN SAFE CROSSING.
UH, AND FINALLY, UM, THE LADY FROM MUELLER ARE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE NINE, THE, UH, 3 35.
I TAKE THAT BUS, I GO TO CHURCH, UH, I TAKE A GO TO CHURCH AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
DO YOU PROMISE THAT IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE 15 MINUTES AND IT'S 30.
AND I GOT WET YESTERDAY WAITING FOR THAT 30 MINUTES.
UH, BUS WENT BY AS I WAS CROSSING THE INTERSECTION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COMMITMENT THAT THE AGENCY MADE AS PART OF HR CONNECT,
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UH, OR, UM, METRO REMAP.AND NOW THAT COVID IS BEHIND US, IT'S TIME TO PUT THAT SERVICE BACK.
QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIR.
VICE CHAIR POOL AND, AND C E O PRESIDENT, UH, WATKINS AND THE REST OF THE BOARD.
I'M VICE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CURRENTLY ACTING CHAIR UNTIL OUR UPCOMING ELECTIONS IN JUNE.
UM, ON THAT NOTE, I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UM, FORMER CHAIR ADAM POWELL FOR HIS CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN, UM, FORMING