[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYBODY.IT IS 5:31 PM I'M CALLING THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UH, FIRST THING IS TO CALL THE ROLL.
UM, WOULD AARON, WOULD YOU BE HAPPY TO DO THAT OR THANK YOU.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF AFTER I CALL ROLL, DID YOU WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS THAT WE HAVE? OKAY.
IS THAT, DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR MIC ON.
COMMISSIONER CARDONA BAYLOR HERE.
COMMISSIONER LEVINE, COMMISSIONER LIGHT.
AND COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER HERE.
UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK IS THE ONLY COMMISSIONER THAT HAS BEEN REAPPOINTED AND IS FULLY FUNCTIONAL AS A LIAISON TO THE COMMISSION.
AND AS OF, I BELIEVE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE DESIGN COMMISSION APPOINTEE WAS ALSO, UM, MADE OFFICIAL, BUT HE'S NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.
WELL, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE ALL THOSE POSITIONS FILLED FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, I SENT OUT AN EMAIL, UM, WAS IT LAST WEEK OR THIS WEEK? IT WAS, IT WAS THIS WEEK ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, I MENTIONED THE ROLE THAT OUR LIAISONS PLAY.
THEY ARE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND PROVIDE GREAT FEEDBACK TO THIS COMMISSION.
AND, UM, WE HOPE THAT THEY TAKE SOMETHING BACK FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO SHARE WITH THEIR PARTICULAR BOARDS AND COMMISSION.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, COM FILLED HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, THE FIRST, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO, NO ONE IS SIGNED UP.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? MM-HMM.SO THE MOTION, OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
CLERK WANTS ME TO HAVE A VOTE.
[2. Presentation on Large Events/Mass Casualty Preparedness to be given by Lt. Chris Juusola of the Austin Police Department (APD), Kevin Parker of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), William Manno of Austin Center for Events, and Tom Vocke of the Austin Fire Department (AFD). (Part 1 of 2)]
MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, THE FIRST IS PRESENT PRESENTATION ON LARGE EVENT MASS CASUALTY PREPAREDNESS.UM, PRESENTED BY, UH, LIEUTENANT CHRIS GIK OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
KEVIN PARKER OF EMS, WILLIAM MANO OF THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS.
AND TOM VOGUE, DID I PRONOUNCE THAT? VOKI VOKI, UH, OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
BEEN A LONG TIME INCOMING, SO WE'RE GLAD TO SEE SUCH AN ESTEEMED PANEL FOR US TONIGHT.
THE FLOOR IS, YOURS JUST GOT A LIGHT ON IT.
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT IT'S GOOD.
I AM CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE FIRE MARSHAL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OVERSEE THE SPECIAL EVENTS SECTION.
SO, UM, SO A PART OF, UH, FOR AFD IS, IS OUR RESPONSE TO, UH, WITH SPECIAL EVENTS.
ONE OF OUR THINGS THAT WE WORK ON IS, IS RESPONSE TO, AND MOSTLY PLANNING FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND INCLUDING ALL THE MAIN EVENTS DOWNTOWN.
AND SO WE HAVE A FULL-TIME STAFF THAT'S ASSIGNED TO
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THE SPECIAL EVENTS SECTION OF, UH, SEVEN PERSONNEL THAT THAT FOCUS MOSTLY ON THE PLANNING PORTIONS OF SPECIAL EVENTS.AND SO, UM, A BIG FOCUS FOR US IS, LIKE I SAID, THE PLANNING PART.
AND, AND AS WE GO THROUGH, UH, WITH EVENT PREPARATION, WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING FROM, UH, EMERGENCY ACCESS EXITS, UM, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED FOR CODE COMPLIANCE AND FIRE CODE COMPLIANCE.
AND SO, UH, AGAIN, THE BIG FOCUS FOR US WITH ALL THESE EVENTS IS LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EVENTS GO OFF AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO, UH, OUR TEAM TAKES A LOOK AND, AND PARTICIPATES IN ALL THE REVIEW OF ALL THE SITE PLANS, UH, LOOKS THROUGH EVERYTHING FOR ACCESS.
UH, WE, WE GAUGED AT THE CROWD.
WE LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT'S AROUND THE AREA.
WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM A RESPONSE STANDPOINT, UH, WHAT THINGS WOULD LOOK LIKE COMING IN, WHAT THINGS WOULD LOOK LIKE GOING OUT IF WE DID HAVE AN INCIDENT THERE.
AND AGAIN, THE MAIN FOCUS BEING ON, ON PREPARATION.
UM, WE ALSO DO SOME OTHER THINGS ALONG THE WAY.
UM, ON OUR OPERATIONS SIDE, UH, WE MAINTAIN OUR FOUR PERSON STAFFING AT ALL OUR STATIONS, UH, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO OUR STAFFING DOWNTOWN IS, IS CONSISTENT.
OUR STAFFING IN, IN ALL THE PARTS OF THE CITY IS CONSISTENT ALL THE TIME.
UH, WE DO HAVE THE MANDATORY FOUR PERSON STAFFING AND, UH, AND WE ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT ALL THE TIME.
SO THE, THE, THE TRUCKS AND THE UNITS, UH, DOWNTOWN ARE ALWAYS STAFFED.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT THOUGH, WE DO PARTICIPATE WITH, WITH THE OTHER GROUPS, WITH RTF.
AND IN CASES OF EVENTS LIKE SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR SOME OF THE OTHER BIG EVENTS, WE DO STAND UP ADDITIONAL UNITS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, STAFF FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE.
AND SO SOME OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE DO DOWNTOWN IS, IS ENSURING THAT, THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING OVERCROWDING ISSUES, THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING, UH, ACCESS ISSUES, AND THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THINGS ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, TO GET INTO THE PLACES AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXIT SAFELY AND THAT CROWDS ARE UNDER CONTROL.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE WORK WITH EMS AND N P D AND ALL THE OTHER FOLKS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, INCLUDING CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO GET THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
UM, WE ALSO, SPECIFICALLY FOR LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WE, WE HAVE PERSONNEL IN THE COMMAND POST.
WE COORDINATE WITH THE OTHER FOLKS.
WE WORK WITH THE PACE TEAMS, WHICH IF, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PACE TEAMS ARE, THOSE ARE GROUPS THAT, THAT WORK TOGETHER.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, A COMBINATION OF, OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, EMS AND, UH, AND ALSO HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND CODE ENFORCEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, WE'RE KIND OF WORKING AS A TEAM TO ADDRESS, UH, SEVERAL ISSUES AT ONE TIME.
AND SO WE WORK TOGETHER TO DO THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE DO DURING THESE BIG EVENTS, UH, IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH THE RESCUE TASK FORCES AND, AND THAT'LL BE COVERED MORE, MORE IN DEPTH BY PD, UM, IS THAT WE, UH, WE ASSIGN FIRE WATCH AT LOCATIONS IF WE HAVE AREAS THAT ARE GONNA BE OVERCROWDED OR AREAS THAT ARE GONNA BE USED FOR, FOR, UH, CONCERTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT AREN'T NORMALLY USED FOR THAT.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE FOLKS THERE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS.
AND ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OUT WITH OUR TEAMS THAT, THAT ARE TYPICALLY OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS, UH, INSPECTING BARS AND LOOKING AT LOCATIONS AND, AND CHECKING FOR OVERCROWDING AND DOING CODE, ACTIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE DO HAVE A, UH, A PA PROGRAM, UH, SO PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES, WHICH INCLUDE ALL OF, ALL OF THE, THE BARS IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND SO WE, WE DO PERMIT THOSE, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH, UH, AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THEN ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
SO I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP IN, IN WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FIRE SPECIFIC AND, AND REALLY THE, THE MAIN FOCUS FOR US, UH, FROM FIRE PREVENTION AND FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT'S NOT JUST ON THE, ON THE RESPONSE PIECE, BUT ACTUALLY, UH, THE PROACTIVE PIECE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD ACCESS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THOSE AREAS AND, AND HAVE, UH, PROPER EXING SET UP, PROPER ACCESS SET UP, AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE LIFE SAFETY CODES ARE BEING ENFORCED.
I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS,
UH, THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA, YOU KNOW, HAS FAIRLY GOOD COVERAGE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDPOINT.
WE DID JUST RECENTLY ADD TWO FOLKS TO OUR SPECIAL EVENTS SECTION.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THAT EXTRA BANDWIDTH THERE.
AND SO FELT LIKE THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO, TO MEET ALL THE DEMANDS OF, OF THE EVENTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY STILL PULLING IN FOLKS WHEN WE NEED FOLKS FOR BIG EVENTS.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PULLING FOLKS IN ON OVERTIME.
WE'RE BRINGING FOLKS, UH, WE HAVE A PRETTY DEEP BENCH IN OUR, IN OUR FIRE PREVENTION SECTION, SO WE BRING OTHER INSPECTORS FROM OUTSIDE OF SPECIAL EVENTS TO COME
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HELP WHEN WE NEED IT.SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, UH, WE'RE IN A REASONABLE POSITION RIGHT NOW, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THINGS WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
UH, ARE YOU GETTING, SINCE Y'ALL HAVING A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH THE BARS, AND THAT'S BEEN ONE OF WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, FROM, UM, THE CITY ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE, UH, THIS EVENING, WHICH WOULD'VE MESHED NICELY WITH Y'ALL'S PRESENTATION.
UM, UH, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GETTING, UM, GOOD INTERACTION WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AND OPERATORS DOWNTOWN? I I THINK GENERALLY WE DO.
AND, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE WITH COVID AND A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF FRUSTRATION WITH COVID FROM THE BAR OWNERS, UNDERSTANDABLY, UH, WITH THEM TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR BUSINESSES AND STUFF.
THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED FROM THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE WHERE WE HAD PLACES FLIPPING THEIR, THEIR LIQUOR LICENSE FROM WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RED LIQUOR LICENSE TO BLUE LIQUOR LICENSE, MEANING RESTAURANTS, SO THAT THEY COULD STAY OPEN.
UH, AND SO WE'RE JUST NOW, UH, A YEAR AND A HALF LATER GETTING THE LIQUOR LICENSE BACK WHERE THEY SHOULD BE MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THINGS ARE ESTABLISHED.
WE DO WORK REGULARLY WITH T A B C TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON, ON ALL THE PERMITTING AND STUFF AT BARS.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I FEEL LIKE OVERALL WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MOST OF THE BAR OWNERS AND MOST OF THE BARS IN, IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, NOT PERFECT, AND, AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE US COMING, BUT I THINK IN THE END, WE, WE TRY TO BE REALLY REASONABLE AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, COMING DOWN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, EMPTYING ALL THE CLUBS AND, YOU KNOW, DOING THINGS THAT REALLY AREN'T THAT PRODUCTIVE.
UH, BUT WE DO WORK WELL WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING THE CROWDS DOWN.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT PERFECT AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE STAFFING TO DO THAT EVERY DAY OR EVERY WEEKEND, BUT WE DO IT ON A REGULAR BASIS AND, AND TRY TO KEEP IT AS IRREGULAR AS POSSIBLE, SO THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE COMING.
BUT HONESTLY, WHEN THEY SEE US DOWNTOWN, I THINK THERE'S A, A SECRET WHISTLE OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN WITHIN, UH, 15 MINUTES.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WE'RE THERE, BUT OVERALL, I DO THINK THAT MOST OF OUR OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE IN, IN DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO, TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE, THE VENUE SAFE AND, AND, AND KEEP THE AREA NICE.
WHAT SORT OF, UH, PROGRAM DO YOU GUYS HAVE IN PLACE TO, UM, EDUCATE OR TRAIN RESTAURANT AND BAR OWNERS? SO WE, WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE OUR, OUR INTERACTION WITH THE, WITH THE BAR OWNER OR MANAGER ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEY KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, AND WE DO PROVIDE GUIDELINES OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FROM A LIFE SAFETY STANDPOINT.
BUT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, REALLY, THERE'S NOTHING IN PLACE CURRENTLY THAT WE'RE DOING OTHER THAN JUST OUR REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS AND OUR ANNUAL INSPECTIONS AND, AND OUR PERMITTING PROCESS WITH THEM.
HOW, HOW ACTIVELY ENGAGED, AND I KNOW THERE'S A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP, BUT HOW ACTIVELY ENGAGED HAVE Y'ALL BEEN WITH THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE? UH, WE, WE WERE, UH, PRETTY ENGAGED WITH IT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, SO I FEEL LIKE WE HAD A LOT OF INPUT.
UH, I, MYSELF, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE PROCESS PRETTY HEAVILY.
WE LOOKED THROUGH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS MM-HMM.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE HAD A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME GOOD IDEAS THAT THAT COULD BE MOVED FORWARD AT SOME POINT.
SO, J ONE OF OUR CONCERNS THAT I WANT TO BRING TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE IS THAT SO MUCH OF THE FOCUS IS ON THE IMMEDIACY OF SIXTH STREET ITSELF.
SIXTH STREET EXTENDS EAST SIXTH STREET EXTENDS BEYOND NORTH AND SOUTH.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THE, THE METRICS, THE MAPPING, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT IS A FOCUS AREA, BUT THIS IS A BROADER ISSUE THAT COVERS MORE THAN SIXTH STREET.
UH, AND SO I'D LOVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS ON THAT.
SO I KNOW WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE INITIAL, YOU KNOW, SAFER SIXTH STREET AREA, I MEAN, WE FOCUSED PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN I 35 AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SAN JACINTO AREA.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SIXTH OR FIFTH STREET TO SEVENTH STREET WAS KIND OF THE MAIN AREAS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE FOCUS OF, OF A LOT OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WASN'T THE ONLY THING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WAS ABSOLUTELY THE FOCUS.
UM, HAVE I, HAVE I CAUSED ANYBODY TO HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? UM, GENTLEMEN, ANYTHING FROM YOU GUYS? I BELIEVE YOU, UH, MENTIONED THE SAFER SIXTH STREET PROGRAM AND, UH, MR. BLOCK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, ALL OF US WERE INTEGRAL IN WORKING WITH HIM ON A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND YOU WERE ASKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UM, THE BAR OWNERS.
UM, WE ARE WORKING ON AN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM WITH MR. BLOCK.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS OUR INTERACTION WITH THE BAR OWNERS, WE'RE HAVING THOSE MORE FREQUENTLY.
WE JUST HAD OUR FIRST, UH, MEETING WHERE WE INVITED A LOT OF BAR
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OWNERS AND BOUNCERS FROM EAST SIXTH STREET, UM, DOWN TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND TRAININGS ON WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS A CRITICAL INCIDENT, UM, WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WITH THEIR PATRONS, UH, WHAT ACTIONS THEY SHOULD BE TAKING TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, AND ULTIMATELY SOME LIFESAVING, UH, TECHNIQUES THAT THEY COULD USE, UH, SHOULD THEY FEEL THE NEED TO USE THEM, AND, UM, DON'T HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO US IN, IN ONE OF THOSE CHAOTIC TIMES.SO, UM, THOSE, THOSE INTERACTIONS ARE HAPPENING NOW AND THEY'RE NEW AND WE HOPE TO HAVE MORE OF THOSE.
HAVE Y'ALL HAD, AND I'M THINKING PARTICULARLY ABOUT ACL AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN PARTICULAR, UM, HAVE Y'ALL HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS INITIATIVE, UH, TO VISIT WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR NEEDS AND CONCERNS? YEAH.
KEVIN PARKER, I'M A DIVISION CHIEF FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. I OVERSEE THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS SECTIONS, ALSO ALL OF OUR WORK WITHIN THAT, THE DOWNTOWN RESPONSE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, IN OUR WORK WITH THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, UM, CHIEF VOKI, UM, AND A APD AS WELL, HAVE REPRESENTATIVES, UH, ALONGSIDE EMS AND THE PROGRAM MANAGER, BILL MANO AND, AND YES, ACL, UH, FESTIVAL AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ARE, ARE VERY INTERESTED AND PROACTIVE IN TAKING PART IN NOT JUST, UM, PLANNING THE EVENTS, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH TABLETOP EXERCISES, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR STAFF HAS, UH, UNDERSTANDS THEIR KEY STAFF MEMBERS, UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR PLANS ARE AND WHAT OUR CAPABILITIES ARE AND WHAT WE NEED FROM THEM.
UM, AND WE RELY ON THEM A LOT, UH, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY HAVE THE ACCESS TO, UH, THEIR GUESTS THROUGH THEIR APPS, UH, TO PUSH OUT SAFETY MESSAGING ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
UH, SO YES, WE WORK QUITE EXTENSIVELY WITH THEM.
SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MOST LIKELY, UH, MASS CASUALTY TYPE INCIDENT THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE IN AUSTIN? UH, YEAH, AND I, I WAS GONNA COVER THIS IN, IN MY PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UM, AND THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE TRENDS WE SEE IN 2021 AND 2022 WERE, UH, PROBABLY OUR MOST VIOLENT YEARS ON E SIXTH STREET.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, PRIMARY CONCERN FOR MOST PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES RIGHT NOW.
UH, FIREARMS COMING DOWN TO SIXTH STREET, UH, SHOOTINGS, LARGE CROWDS, UM, YOU KNOW, BULLETS FLYING THROUGH TONS OF PEOPLE USUALLY AREN'T, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO END WELL.
SO PLANNING FOR THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS IS, UH, WHAT WE'VE SET OURSELF UP FOR.
AND I'LL BE, UM, IN MY PRESENTATION SHOWING SOME OF THOSE STEPS, STEPS WE HAVE TAKEN TO KEEP PEOPLE A LOT MORE SAFER IN, UH, THOSE, UH, MASS CASUALTY SITUATIONS INVOLVING SHOOTINGS DOWNTOWN.
AND THE, THE OTHER, UM, BESIDES THE SHOOTINGS, THE OTHER, UH, RISK THAT EXISTS IS A, A UNCONTROLLED VEHICLE INTO A CROWD OF PEDESTRIANS.
UH, WHETHER THAT'S AN ACCIDENTAL, UM, CASE OR AN INTENTIONAL CASE, THAT'S THE OTHER BIGGEST RISK WE HAVE, WHICH REGRETTABLY WE'VE SEEN WE HAVE.
AND, AND YOU ASKED EARLIER, UM, KIND OF WHAT OUR NEEDS WOULD BE, UH, FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND TYPICALLY FOR VEHICLES, WE ONLY HAVE TYPE THREE BARRICADES, WHICH IS BASICALLY, UH, PIECE TWO PIECES OF METAL HOLDING UP, UH, THREE, UM, YOU KNOW, CARDBOARD OBJECTS ACROSS THAT ARE JUST REFLECTIVE.
AND SO, UM, IF IF THEY'RE NOT MANNED WITH SOMETHING HEAVIER THAN THAT, THAT DOESN'T REALLY PREVENT VEHICLES FROM COMING DOWN TO SIXTH STREET.
UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE SEEN THOSE INCIDENTS IN THE PAST.
BUT, UM, SOME RESOURCES THROWN TO HELP, UH, KEEP VEHICLES OFF OF OUR HEAVILY PEDESTRIAN AREAS.
UH, ARE THOSE, LIKE THE, THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT ARE LIKE THE WATER-FILLED BARRIERS? UM, I, I HAVE SOME EXAMPLES IN THE PRESENTATION.
I WANT YOU, I'M PROBABLY, I'M PROBABLY ASKING QUESTIONS THAT COME ALONG FURTHER,
SO WHY DON'T WE LET Y'ALL PROCEED?
I'M, UH, LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER GIK.
I'M THE OPERATIONS LIEUTENANT FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.
UH, I'VE BEEN ON AND OFF IN DOWNTOWN FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.
UM, DON'T HAVE ABOUT 17 WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I DO HAVE OUR NEW COMMANDER JUST SELECTED THIS WEEK FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS, UH, COMMANDER JEFF OLSON.
AND I REALLY WANT TO, UH, THANK LU JULI FOR, UH, TAKING THIS OVER FOR ME.
IT KIND OF WAS SOMETHING THAT I ARRIVED AND I WAS TOLD THIS WAS HAPPENING, AND LUCKILY HE HAD ALREADY PREPARED FOR IT
UM, SO I'M GONNA LET HIM HANDLE THE MAJORITY OF THE HEAVY LIFTING WHILE I, UH, KIND OF GET MY FEET BACK WET.
I HAVE WORKED, UH, IN DOWNTOWN BEFORE, WHOEVER THAT WAS IN 2009 TO 2011.
SO, UH, I'M JUST KINDA GETTING BACK
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FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THE MORE RECENT TRENDS AND, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO MAKE, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.AND SO THIS IS MORE OF A, A CASE STUDY FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THAT JUST FINISHED UP.
AND WE FEEL LIKE IT'S THE MOST RELEVANT WAY TO SHOW KIND OF THE STEPS THAT, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ARE TAKING IN DOWNTOWN, UM, BECAUSE IT, UH, DEMANDS THE MOST RESOURCES AND PLANNING, BUT IT SHOWS ALL THE STEPS THAT WE TAKE TO PREPARE AND KEEP, UH, CITIZENS SAFE AND VISITORS SAFE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE VISITING, UH, DOWNTOWN FOR ANY EVENT, REALLY.
SO, UH, FROM, UH, MARCH 6TH TO 19TH, UH, THIS YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 345,000 PEOPLE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, WE HAD 90 PLUS VENUES, UH, WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, THAT WERE OFFICIAL, UH, ACTIVATIONS.
AND WE HAD, UH, NUMEROUS UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVATIONS.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A COUNT ON THOSE, CUZ BASICALLY, IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND YOU JUST GOT A BUSINESS, YOU CAN RENT THAT OUT TO ANYBODY.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THESE, UH, PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T PART OF IT WERE JUST, UH, LEASING THEIR SPACE TO PEOPLE, UM, AND IN CONCERTS AND AND WHATNOT.
UM, TYPICALLY, UH, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT STAFFING DOWNTOWN, UH, THAT'S THE, THE MAJOR COMPONENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS TO RESPOND TO ANYTHING.
UM, TYPICALLY WE TRY TO HAVE DOWNTOWN STAFFED A HUNDRED PER A HUNDRED PERCENT OR MORE FOR EVENT EVENTS.
UH, I THINK FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, EVERY SHIFT WAS ALLOWED TO HIRE FOUR ADDITIONAL BODIES FOR OVERTIME, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE ENOUGH OFFICERS DOWNTOWN.
UH, THIS HAPPENS, UH, EVERY WEEKEND FOR BAR CLOSE.
UM, CHIEF CHACON HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT DOWNTOWN WILL CONTINUE TO BE STAFFED WELL.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING SOME STAFFING PROBLEMS IN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE STILL HAVE THAT ASSURANCE FROM THE CHIEF THAT THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BECAUSE OF ALL THE VISITORS AND, AND CITIZENS WALKING AROUND, THAT THEY WILL BE SAFE.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, WE, IN ADDITION TO HIRING PEOPLE, UH, OFFICERS WORKING ON SIXTH STREET, WE DO ALSO, UM, HIRE ADDITIONAL CALL TAKING SHIFTS TO HANDLE THE CALLS OUTSIDE OF SIXTH STREET.
UM, Y'ALL WERE EXPRESSING CONCERNS THAT THERE ARE, ARE OTHER AREAS THAT AREN'T EAST SIXTH STREET, YOU KNOW, WEST SIXTH STREET WE HAVE RAINY STREET.
SO THESE SHIFTS ARE ALSO DESIGNED TO FOCUS ON THOSE OTHER BUSY AREAS OF THE TOWN AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE WORK WITH CLOSELY.
UH, AS COMMANDER PARKER HAD MENTIONED, UM, THEY'RE MAKING SURE OUR BARRICADES ARE STAFFED SO THAT WAY VEHICLES AREN'T DRIVING THROUGH.
UM, THEY'RE WORKING WITH OUR SOUND ENFORCEMENT TEAMS, OUR PACE TEAMS, AND THEY'RE, UH, WORKING TRAFFIC AT BUSY INTERSECTIONS TO MAKE SURE PEDESTRIANS ARE SAFE AND THERE'S NO MAJOR COLLISIONS THAT ARE GONNA CAUSE CONCERNS IN THE AREA.
THESE ARE OUR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
TYPICALLY, WHEN WE'RE PLANNING ANY KIND OF MAJOR EVENT DOWNTOWN, UH, WE HAVE OUR STANDARD OPERATIONS JUST RESPONDING TO CALLS, TYPICALLY, UM, TAKING PROACTIVE MEASURES ON, UH, ISSUES THAT WE'RE ALREADY AWARE OF, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR BAR OWNERS, UM, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCES, HOTELIERS, WHATEVER THE ISSUES THEY'RE BRINGING TO OUR ATTENTION, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE RESPONDING TO THOSE WHENEVER THEY'RE NOT BUSY, UH, MONITORING OUR STREET CLOSURES.
UM, WE SHUT DOWN SIXTH STREET EVERY NIGHT, THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
UM, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE EXPANDING THAT TO SUNDAY.
UM, WE HAVE OFFICERS RESPONSIBLE FOR TOWING VEHICLES, UM, THAT MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE CAN HAVE ENTIRETY OF SIXTH STREET AVAILABLE, UH, ENSURES THAT EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN GET IN AND OUT OF THE AREA AS NEEDED IF THERE IS A CRITICAL INCIDENT.
UM, WE STAFF OUR PACE TEAMS UP, UH, WITH FIRE, UH, AND, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WE WORK THE TRAFFIC, LIKE I MENTIONED IN SOUND ENFORCEMENT QUESTION, WHAT DOES CASE TEAMS DO? THAT STANDS FOR PUBLIC ASSEMBLY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS. THANK YOU.
AND IN ADDITION TO OFFICERS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, SOMETIMES RE WE REQUIRE SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER UNITS, UM, LIKE ORGANIZED CRIME.
IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH DRUG DEALING IN THE AREA, WE MIGHT REACH OUT TO OUR ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION, HAVE THEM RESPOND DOWN WITH SOME DETECTIVES SO THAT WAY THEY CAN WORK OPERATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE OUR COUNTER ASSAULT STRIKE TEAM.
UM, BASICALLY WE MENTIONED A RESCUE TASK FORCE EARLIER.
UM, THESE ARE OFFICERS THAT ARE PAIRED UP WITH, UH, EMS OR FIRE TO RESPOND TO ANY KIND OF CRITICAL INCIDENT QUICKLY.
WE FIND THAT, UM, THESE TEAMS CAN GET TO A, A SHOOTING VICTIM WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS.
UH, IN, IN ALL CASES, IT'S BEEN LESS THAN A MINUTE SO FAR THAT I'M AWARE OF, UH, MAKING SURE EODS IN THE AREA.
UM, THAT'S BASICALLY OUR BOMB SQUAD, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NO SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES.
AND IF THERE ARE SOME, WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CAN RESPOND TO THOSE AS WELL.
WE HAVE OUR METRO TACTICAL UNITS, AND THOSE ARE JUST SPECIALIZED UNITS, UH, THAT HAVE, UH, SPECIAL TRAINING TO TARGET SOME OF, UM, SPECIFIC CRIMES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHETHER IT BE AUTO THEFTS, CAR BURGLARIES PER SNATCHINGS.
UM, THEY, THEY WOULD ALSO HA HELP US WITH THE NARCOTICS ISSUES
[00:25:01]
THAT WE EXPERIENCE AS WELL.SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST VIOLENT CRIME INITIATIVE.
UM, WE MENTIONED THAT PATROL IS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ASSETS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I MENTIONED THAT OUR MAJOR CONCERN LATELY HAS BEEN SHOOTINGS ON SIXTH STREET.
SO WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO ALL THE OFFICERS THAT THEY'RE TO BE VERY PROACTIVE AND THAT THEY'RE TO WORK WITH OUR HALO UNIT.
UM, THOSE ARE THE CAMERAS THAT MONITOR DOWNTOWN.
UM, THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FOR PEOPLE WITH GUNS.
OUR OFFICERS ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH GUNS.
OUR, UM, RELATIONSHIP WITH BAR OWNERS AND, AND DOORMEN.
WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO IF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO ENTER BAR, UM, BARS WITH GUNS, WE'RE MADE AWARE OF IT AND WE RESPOND TO THOSE.
AND ALL THESE THINGS PUT TOGETHER.
UH, WE HAD 130 ARRESTS, UM, FROM OUR PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS, UH, YIELDING 61 CEASES FIREARMS IN 2022.
UM, IN 2023 THIS LAST YEAR, UH, WE HAD 131 ARRESTS.
IT WAS ABOUT THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
WE HAD 61 SEIZES FIREARMS. IT'S NOT A TYPO.
UM, IT WAS THE EXACT SAME NUMBER.
AND THOSE ARE ALL THE DRUGS THAT WERE SEIZED AS WELL.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER CONCERNS FROM, UM, I GUESS A, A HEALTH STANDPOINT WOULD BE THE FENTANYL.
UM, WE DID SEIZE A LOT OF FENTANYL THIS YEAR, UM, AS QUITE, I THINK THAT'S THOUSANDS OF DOSES OF FENTANYL IF YOU BREAK UP THE, THE, THE GRAMS ON THAT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE TRENDS ARE IN, IN, IN HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS IS, IS KIND OF WHERE WE TRY TO DRIVE, UM, OUR ENFORCEMENT WENT.
SO, UM, ON THE GUN SEIZURES IS, DOES THAT MEAN THEY WENT INTO A BAR WITH A GUN? IT COULD MEAN A NUMBER OF THINGS.
UH, IT, IT COULD RANGE FROM SOMEBODY WAS INVOLVED IN A FIGHT AND THEY WERE INTOXICATED AND THEY HAD A FIREARM IN THEIR PERSON, AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE CARRYING IT BECAUSE, UM, OF A CRIMINAL HISTORY OR, UM, THE WAY THEY WERE CARRYING IT.
IF IT'S NOT IN A HOLSTER, UM, THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION AS WELL.
UM, SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY CARRY IT.
IF WE SEE A GUN TUCKED IN SOMEONE'S WAISTBAND AND IT'S NOT SECURED PROPERLY, THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION AS WELL.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WITH FIREARMS. AND, AND YOU MENTIONED THE BAR OWNERS LETTING US KNOW THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ENTER BARS.
THAT'S CERTAINLY ANOTHER WAY AS WELL.
WE MENTIONED, UH, HOW WE ALL INTERACT TOGETHER, UM, IN A UNIFIED COMMAND.
SO, UM, THIS SLIDE JUST DEMONSTRATES HOW MANY DIFFERENT UNITS, UH, WITHIN APD CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, OTHER AGENCIES.
WE TALKED ABOUT T A B C, AND WE HAVE OUR, UH, AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
UM, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE USUALLY IN ONE PLACE COMMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER, SO THAT WAY WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE SHOULD A CRITICAL INCIDENT HAPPEN.
UM, THE LEFT HAND IS ALWAYS KNOWING WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING.
ESSENTIALLY, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW, UM, THAT WE HAVE STARTED THIS YEAR.
IT'S CALLED THE PUBLIC SAFETY AREA.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THE 600 BLOCK IN EZ.
AND WHAT IT ESSENTIALLY GUARANTEES IS THAT WHOLE BLOCK WILL BE CLEAR FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
UH, THE RIGHT SIDE IS, UH, OR SORRY, THAT WOULD BE THE EAST SIDE.
UM, IT'S NOT FACING NORTH, UM, NORTH IS TO THE RIGHT, BUT THE EAST SIDE OF THE STREET BY CARITAS WOULD BE STRICTLY FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO USE.
AND WE'RE GONNA RUN OUR COMMAND CENTERS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR TRANSPORT VANS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE EXTRA OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS THERE SHOULD, UH, AN EMERGENCY HAPPEN.
UM, WE'RE EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH IT.
WE HAVE AN AMBULANCE EXCHANGE POINT IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A SHOOTING AND THERE'S VICTIMS, WE HAVE A CLEAR AREA TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE AND WE CAN TELL EMS TO MEET US HERE.
AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S A CLEAR PLACE FOR EMS TO GET THE PATIENT LOADED UP, UM, TREATED IMMEDIATELY, AND THEN ON THEIR WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS JUST NORTH TO THAT LOCATION, THEY COULD HAVE AN EASY ACCESS TO DELON HOSPITAL ON THE VERY, UH, WEST SIDE OF THE STREET.
UM, THAT'S IF, UH, FIRE NEEDS TO USE THE AREA, THAT'S, THAT PORTION OF THE BLOCK IS SET ASIDE FOR FIRE TO USE AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT, IT GIVES A VERY LARGE AREA FOR ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES TO USE SHOULD IT BE NEEDED.
AND IT'S WITHIN A BLOCK OF EAST SIX STREET.
SO, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BARRICADES EARLIER.
UM, WE, UM, CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY FROM, UH, MERIDIAN IS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY.
AND WE HAD THESE, UM, PUT OUT FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST JUST BECAUSE IN THE PAST, UM, THAT FESTIVAL SPECIFICALLY, WE HAD DRUNK DRIVERS, UM, COMING INTO, UM, HEAVILY, UM, VISITED AREAS BY PEDESTRIANS.
AND IT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN OF OURS AND, AND WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN.
SO WE RENT THESE FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, BUT SOMETHING HEAVIER THAN WHAT WE HAVE, LIKE THESE WOULD, WOULD BE A HUGE HELP TO US TO HAVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS OF THE YEAR AND THERE'S 50 OTHER WEEKS OF THE YEAR THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR A DRUNK DRIVER COMING TO DOWNTOWN IS, IS QUITE POSSIBLE.
[00:30:01]
THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.UM, YEAH, HOW MANY OF THOSE BARRIERS WOULD YOU NEED AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY PER BARRIER? THANK YOU.
YOU THINK YOU BEAT ME TO IT? YEAH.
SORRY,
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER ON WHAT THE DEPARTMENT PAID FOR THESE BARRICADES OR HOW MUCH THEY COST, BUT IF I GET YOUR INFORMATION, I CAN LOOK THAT UP AND GET IT TO YOU FOR SURE.
AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY DID YOU NEED? SO THE VERY FIRST YEAR THAT WE DID THIS, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE'VE DONE IT, UH, THE FIRST YEAR, AND WE DIDN'T USE AS MANY BECAUSE ALL OF OUR SOUTH BY ACTIVATIONS WERE ON SIXTH STREET.
UM, THIS YEAR REQUIRED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE.
SO, UM, THE FIRST YEAR IT WAS ONLY ON THE ENDS OF SIXTH STREET, SO IT WOULD START AT THE FRONTAGE ROAD.
WE HAD A GROUP OF 'EM, AND I THINK THERE WAS FIVE OF 'EM THERE, THERE WAS FIVE OF 'EM AT RED RIVER, AND THEN THERE WAS FIVE OF 'EM DOWN ON BRAZOS STREET.
AND IT ALSO CAME WITH, UH, TWO PEOPLE FROM THE COMPANY THAT COULD MOVE THEM, SHOULD EMERGENCY VEHICLES NEED TO GET THROUGH.
NOW, THIS LAST YEAR, UH, WAS MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, MOVED ALL THEIR ACTIVATIONS TO RED RIVER STREET.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TO PUT THESE ALL ACROSS RED RIVER TWO, AND THEY WERE ACROSS SEVERAL INTERSECTIONS, AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE BLOCKING, UH, FIVE DI DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS, UM, FROM FIFTH TO 10TH STREET.
SO MULTIPLY THAT TIME IS FIVE, THAT'D BE ANOTHER 25.
I'VE HEARD DISCUSSION IN THE PAST OF PERMANENT BARRICADES THAT WOULD BE EMBEDDED IN THE STREET THAT WOULD BE RAISED AND LOWER, AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THAT AND WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN.
WE LIKE THAT IDEA, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, THE BEST EXPLANATION OF WHY I HEARD THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO IT, IT HAD TO DO WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERNEATH THE STREET IS, IS WHY THAT, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT THOSE AREN'T A POSSIBILITY FOR US.
IN TERMS OF, AND I THINK THIS IS BEING DISCUSSED AROUND THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT, AND I KNOW FOR SOME OF THE MAJOR EVENTS, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE, BUT HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT OPENING SIXTH STREET UP TO TRAFFIC AT NIGHT AND ON THE WEEKENDS? BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED.
AND WHEN I WAS, UH, TRAVELING TO SOME OF THE DIFFERENT CITIES TO KIND OF GET IDEAS ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WENT TO NASHVILLE AND TAMPA, UM, WITH FIRE AND EMS AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, WE BROUGHT BACK SOME IDEAS AND, UM, EVERY CITY WAS DIFFERENT IN NOT ANYTHING LIKE AUSTIN.
SO, UM, WHILE SOME OF THOSE CITIES CLOSED THEIR STREETS AT DIFFERENT TIMES OR HAD A DIFFERENT TRAFFIC PATTERN, UH, WE ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT AT THIS TIME THAT ANY, ANYTHING THAT WE OBSERVED OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY WASN'T GOING TO WORK FOR US AND WASN'T GOING TO BE SAFE.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH A BUNCH OF INTOXICATED PEOPLE THAT VISIT BARS THAT ARE JUST LINED UP ON SIXTH STREET, WALKING OFF THAT VERY NARROW SIDEWALK INTO THE STREET.
SO WE'RE CONCERNED WITH AUTO PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS, NUMBER ONE.
UM, NUMBER TWO, SHOULD, UM, SOMEONE HAVE SOME ILL WILL TOWARDS SOMEBODY.
WE WOULDN'T WANT SOMEBODY TO DRIVE DOWN ON A CAR ON SIXTH STREET AND, YOU KNOW, POINT A FIREARM OUT AND START SHOOTING PEOPLE.
I THINK THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF, UM, SAFETY CON CONCERNS OVERALL WITH WHAT OPENING SIXTH STREET WOULD LOOK LIKE, THAT, UH, WE WEREN'T PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD ON IT AT THE TIME.
UM, YES, SIR, THAT YOU'RE, OH, I WAS, UM, WHEN Y'ALL ARE, WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT FOR Y'ALL, I'LL HAPPILY SPEAK ABOUT EM S'S APPROACH TO SPECIAL EVENTS AND LARGE MASS CASUALTY INCIDENTS.
I, UH, DO NOT HAVE A SLIDE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS JUST GONNA BE A, A, A CONVERSATION.
UM, SO AGAIN, KEVIN PARKER, I, UH, PRIOR TO BEING THE DIVISION CHIEF OVER, UH, THE SECTIONS I SEE NOW, I WAS THE COMMANDER OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO I WORKED EVERY SPECIAL EVENT AND DID ALL THE PLANNING FOR IT FOR SEVEN YEARS.
UM, WE ARE SIMILAR TO FIRE IN THAT WE HAVE PERSONNEL DEDICATED TO THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS.
WE HAVE A FOUR UNIFORMED PERSONNEL, UH, THAT REVIEW THE PERMITS, UM, DETERMINE THE NECESSARY EMS RESOURCES, WHICH CAN RANGE FROM NO EMS RESOURCES ARE NEEDED FOR YOUR SMALLER LEVEL EVENTS TO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, ET CETERA.
UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS NOT ONLY REVIEW THE PLANS, UM, AND MAKE THE PLANS, BUT TYPICALLY AT LEAST TWO OF THEM ARE ALSO WORKING ON THE EVENTS.
UH, SO THEY HAVE SOME VERY SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE EVENT HISTORY AND HOW WE GOT, UH, TO THE PLAN THAT IS GOING TO BE EXECUTED.
UH, THEY ALSO WRITE UP THE BRIEFINGS THAT WILL BE DELIVERED, UH, VIA EMAIL TO THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO THE BRIEFINGS THAT WILL BE SPECIFIC TO THE PERSONNEL WORKING THE EVENT.
UM, WE OFTENTIMES PARTNER WITH OTHER,
[00:35:01]
UM, EMS AGENCIES THAT ARE PRIVATE, UM, TO TAKE CARE OF INITIAL PATIENTS INSIDE OF VENUES.UH, FOR EXAMPLE, STUBS HIRES A PRIVATE M S VENUE OR E M S PROVIDER, UH, THAT TAKES CARE OF ALL OF THOSE PATIENTS AND WE JUST COORDINATE WHEN TRANSPORT IS NEEDED, UM, THAT LESSENS THE RESOURCES NEEDED FROM THE CITY.
UM, AND IT ALSO MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR, UH, THE PROMOTER OR THE BUSINESS, UH, TO CONTINUE OPERATING.
UM, AND, AND WE WILL STAFF THE COMMAND POSTS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY RESPONSE THAT WE GIVE IS A JOINT RESPONSE, UH, TO WHATEVER ISSUE WE'RE TRYING TO FIX.
UM, CHIEF VOKI AND LIEUTENANT OLA AND I TRAVELED, LIKE HE SAID TO NASHVILLE.
UM, AND LARGELY I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WERE DOING, UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY WERE DOING THERE THAT WE ARE, WERE NOT ALREADY DOING WITHIN AUSTIN AND, AND FRANKLY, THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN DOING FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY IN NASHVILLE, THEY LOOKED TO US TO, UH, TAKE MORE KNOWLEDGE FROM US ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE INCIDENTS.
UM, EMS SPECIFICALLY, UH, DOES NOT STAFF ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL, UM, ON THE BUSIEST NIGHTS AT THIS TIME.
UH, COUNSEL HAS PROVIDED US FUNDING TO GET MORE EQUIPMENT, UM, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO, UH, PLUS UP OUR STAFFING ON THOSE BUSIEST NIGHTS.
UH, THAT EQUIPMENT HAS ALL BEEN ORDERED AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF COMING IN, AND THEN WE WILL BE FUNDING THAT, UH, THOSE PERSONNEL HOURS ON AN OVERTIME BASIS TO START THE PROGRAM AND TO REALLY DIAL IN WHAT EXACTLY WE, UM, SHOULD DO, UH, AS WE COME OUT OF COVID FOR THE LONG TERM.
UM, STARTING NEXT, UH, FRIDAY, WE BEGIN A PILOT PROGRAM ON RAINY STREET TO PROVIDE AN EMS PRESENCE ON RAINY STREET ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS, UH, FROM, UH, APPROXIMATELY 8:00 PM TO APPROXIMATELY 300.
UM, THAT WILL ONLY BE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UH, PARTNER ON THE JOINT AGENCY RESCUE TASK FORCES THAT BOTH OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
THOSE ARE THE, UH, COMBINED UNITS THAT DEAL WITH, UH, VIOLENT AGGRESSION, UH, TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE.
SO SHOOTINGS, STABBINGS, VEHICULAR ASSAULTS, AND JUST REGULAR ASSAULTS.
UM, THEY ARE TYPICALLY, UH, TWO DISTINCT UNITS OUT OPERATING.
UH, THEY HAVE A BUILT-IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, SECURITY ELEMENT, UM, TRADITIONALLY IN EMS AND FIRE RESPONSE, IF THERE IS A THREAT OF VIOLENCE, WE WILL STAGE AWAY FROM THE SCENE IN A SECURE AREA UNTIL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES ON SCENE AND TELLS US THAT THE SCENE IS SAFE.
AND, UM, THIS SETUP WITH A BUILT-IN SECURITY ELEMENT ALLOWS US TO FOREGO STAGING AND TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND.
UM, AND WE ARE SEEING, UM, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PATIENT OUTCOMES.
UM, WITH THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CARE, UH, TO THESE PATIENTS, UM, WITHIN SECONDS OF, IN TENS OF SECONDS, NOT EVEN MINUTES OF THE TRAUMA BEING INCURRED TO THEM.
UH, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE, ARE BEING SHOT IN THE CHEST AND WITHIN 60 SECONDS HAVE A HIGHLY TRAINED, HIGHLY EQUIPPED PARAMEDIC AT THEIR SIDE, UH, PROVIDING VENTILATIONS, UH, RESPIRATIONS, UM, SUPPORTING THEIR, UH, BLOOD PRESSURE, ET CETERA, UM, AND BEGIN THAT CARE WHILE THE AMBULANCE IS RESPONDING.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, THAT TAKES CARE OF ONE PATIENT AT A TIME.
UM, WE ALL STAFF IN THE HALO REALTIME CRIME CENTER, WE STAFF A TACTICAL COMMAND POST WITH A EMS OFFICER, UM, OR A SUPERVISOR, A FIRE SUPERVISOR EQUIVALENT, AND A POLICE SUPERVISOR EQUIVALENT THAT SHOULD WE ENCOUNTER MULTIPLE PATIENTS WOULD BEGIN TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE THAT RESPONSE, UH, FROM THE OUTSIDE TO ASSIST THOSE PATIENTS AND MAKE SURE IT WAS A, A COORDINATED DEDICATED RESPONSE.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, LIKE, UH, LIEUTENANT GILO WAS JUST TELLING YOU TO ESTABLISH THAT, UH, STAGING AREA THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I WANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT SPECIFIC THAT THAT IS NOT THE ONE THAT WE WILL ALWAYS USE, UM, BUT IT IS LOCATED, UM, IN THE AREA OF THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SHOOTING STABBINGS, ET CETERA.
BUT, UM, JUST TO SET EXPECTATIONS, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS ON BRAZO STREET,
[00:40:01]
WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAND CARRY PEOPLE THREE BLOCKS.UM, THE ENTIRE PUBLIC SAFETY LEADERSHIP IS, IS AWARE OF THAT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE SPENT THE PAST YEAR THROUGH 2022, UH, TRAINING JOINTLY IN ACTIVE ATTACK RESPONSE, UM, ALL THREE AGENCIES IN BOTH DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS AND NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS, UH, TO GET THOSE TRAINING REPETITIONS IN TO WHERE NOT ONLY ARE UNITS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY WORKING DOWNTOWN OR AWARE OF THE RESPONSE PLANS, BUT THE UNITS WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE TRAINED AND WE WORK UNDER A COMMON OPERATING PICTURE.
UM, THAT IS THE, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE FOR THAT.
COMMISSIONERS, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, IT'S MORE FOR, I THINK EVERYBODY PROBABLY SPECIFICALLY MORE FOR APD.
YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE A TRAINING FOR BAR OWNERS AND BOUNCERS FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
MY CONCERN IS FOR, FOR THE UNOFFICIAL SOUTH BY EVENT HOLDERS THAT, YOU KNOW, A STARTUP OR SOMEBODY YOU KNOW, WHO'S HAVING A REALLY BIG PARTY CUZ IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT MAYBE SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU INTERACT WITH ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, ONLINE TRAINING MATERIALS OR, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF REACH OUT TO SAY TO FOLKS THAT TYPICALLY THROW PARTIES THAT AREN'T SELF BI OFFICIAL, HEY, HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY OPEN TO ANY IDEAS TO MAKING CONTACT WITH PEOPLE THAT MAY NEED THE TRAINING.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT TEAM.
SO I THINK THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THEM TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE MM-HMM.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
I'M HAPPY TO CONNECT WITH YOU OFFLINE ABOUT THAT TOO.
I WOULD JUST ADD ALSO THAT THOSE EVENTS MAY STILL BE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS AND STILL NEED PERMITTING EVEN THOUGH THAT THEY'RE NOT SOUTH BY EVENTS, WE STILL PERMIT OTHER EVENTS IN TOWN DURING THAT TIME.
SO WE HAVE A REGULAR PERMITTING SYSTEM THAT WE USE SOUTH BY HAS THEIR SPECIFIC THINGS, BUT OTHER EVENTS THAT GO ON DURING SOUTH BY COULD STILL BE REQUIRED, UH, TO PERMIT JUST DEPENDING ON EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
IS THAT PERMIT THROUGH A VENUE OR WHAT IF SOMEBODY JUST HAD IT AT THEIR STARTUP OFFICE? SO IT, IT DEPENDS.
SO IF, IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY HAVING A PARTY WHERE THEY'RE HAVING, UH, ADDING A, A LARGE CROWD IN THERE AND IT'S A CHANGE OF USE, THEY WOULD NEED A PERMIT FOR US FOR, FOR A TEMPORARY CHANGE OF USE FROM AN OFFICE SPACE TO A PARTY SPACE.
AND SO THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THE CENTER OF EVENTS.
SO THERE IS SOME OVERSIGHT IN MOST CASES, BUT NOT ALWAYS.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS.
I'VE HAD TO WORK WITH THEM ON 4TH OF JULY PARADES, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE RECENT PAST ABOUT MAKING THE PROCESS EASIER OR STREAMLINING IT.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY EFFORT IN THAT REGARD? I WOULD SAY, BILL, DO YOU WANT TO YEAH.
GIDE, BILL MANK, UH, AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, PART OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, THE, WE TRY TO KEEP THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD PARADES AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
THEY ARE, UH, FOR THE MOST PART THE LOWEST TIER LEVEL.
WE HAVE SEEN SOME THAT HAVE INCREASED AND SIZE AND SCOPE THAT WILL PUT THEM IN A HIGHER TIER LEVEL MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO WE ACTUALLY, UM, ARE PLANNING TO DO A, A STAKEHOLDER MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AFTER THIS JULY 4TH AND GIVE THEM MORE INFORMATION ON, UH, WHAT TO EXPECT FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, BUT WE DO WANT TO KEEP THAT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
THE, AND THAT WOULD BE A, A NEIGHBORHOOD PARADE IS A TIER ONE AND THE DEADLINE IS THREE DAYS AND THAT ALLOWS US TO COORDINATE, UH, WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE, UM, UH, PEACE OFFICERS FOR THE BUBBLE ESCORTS CUZ THAT'S REQUIRED.
UM, MOST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARADES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS AND THEY HAVE A GROUP OF OFFICERS THAT THEY WORK WITH, SO THAT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
UM, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AND, AND TRY TO ADJUST THE PERMITTING AND APPLICATION PROCESS TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
UH, PROVIDED THE SCOPE OF THE PARADE IS, IS, UH, NON-PROBLEMATIC.
HOW MANY PARADES OR MARCHES OR SIMILAR THINGS LIKE THAT DO WE HAVE DOWNTOWN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? THIS WILL BE
[00:45:01]
AN ESTIMATE.I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT DOWN ESTIMATE IS FINE.
UM, MOST OF THE PARADES AND MARCHES DOWNTOWN, UM, I WOULD SAY AROUND 20, UH, IN LEGISLATIVE YEARS THAT COULD GO UP.
HAVE, HAVE YOU HAD ANY, ANY ISSUES THAT HAVE ARISEN WITH THE DOWNTOWN PARADES, JUST FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? NOT, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A BROADER PERSPECTIVE HERE, BUT MOST OF THE PARADES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE, LIKE I SAID, FOR YEARS.
AND SO WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY, UH, WITH THOSE ORGANIZERS.
UM, THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED TO MEET WITH THEM AFTERWARDS AND TWEAK THINGS THAT DIDN'T QUITE WORK QUITE RIGHT.
UH, MAYBE, UH, SOME OF THE SIDE TREES ARE GETTING TOO CONGESTED, SO WE'LL ALTERNATE, YOU KNOW, GET AN ALTERNATE ROUTE THE NEXT YEAR AND TRY THAT.
UH, BUT OVERALL IT, IT'S GOING FAIRLY WELL.
WE'RE PRETTY, UH, UH, USED TO THE PLAN AND USED TO WHAT HAPPENS, WELL, I THINK IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, THE AGGIE BAND WILL BE MARCHING RIGHT BACK UP CONGRESS AVENUE AGAIN.
UM, SO WITH THE LATEST SPADE OF LEGISLATIONS AND ALL THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT ARE SEEMING TO TARGET MORE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH I'M PART OF, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY HEARD SOME RUMORS THAT AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH PRIDE PARADES THAT PROUD BOYS AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE GONNA SHOW UP AND TRY TO DISRUPT THE PARADES.
I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD AND IF YOU ALL ARE MAKING ANY PREPARATIONS FOR THAT TYPE OF OCCURRENCE.
I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY SPECIFIC, UH, THREATS OR ISSUES ALONG THAT LEVEL.
UM, APD DOES HAVE THEIR REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER THAT IF THEY PICK UP ON IT, THEY'LL LET AUSTIN CENTER FOR VENTS AND ALL THE OTHER ACE DEPARTMENTS KNOW, UH, AND THEN WE'LL DEVELOP A PLAN TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, BUT OUR GOAL AS ALWAYS IS TO PROVIDE A VERY, UM, DIVERSE, UH, SET OF, UH, EVENTS IN AUSTIN THAT ARE SAFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR VISITORS.
AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY GOOD AT DOING THAT.
UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UH, AND I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP.
UM, SO MORE GENERALLY WITH THE PROLIFERATION OF, UM, LAWS REGARDING FIREARMS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF FIREARMS AND THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE TO CARRY FIREARMS, WHEN IT COMES TO YOU PREPARING FOR MASK CASUALTY EVENTS, AND YOU WERE MENTIONING THE NUMBER OF, UM, WEAPONS THAT HAVE BEEN SEIZED, HOW DO YOU MAKE THOSE DETERMINATIONS BETWEEN SOMEBODY WALKING DOWN THE STREET WITH, I MEAN, SO FOR INSTANCE, ON SIXTH STREET, CAN SOMEBODY WALK DOWN THE STREET WITH AN ASSAULT TYPE WEAPON JUST HOLDING IT AND JUST WALK DOWN THE STREET? THEY COULD, AND WE'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE, BUT JUST BECAUSE, UH, SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO CARRY SUCH A WEAPON DOES NOT PRE, UH, PREVENT ONE OF OUR OFFICERS FROM WALKING UP TO THEM AND HAVING A CASUAL CONVERSATION.
UH, TYPICALLY, UH, WE ENCOURAGE THAT, UM, SOMEBODY THAT IS LEGALLY CARING WILL ARTICULATE THAT THEY ARE LEGALLY DOING SO.
AND SO IT MAKES IT EASY WHEN YOU HAVE THAT INTERACTION TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS ARE IF THEY ARE LEGALLY CARING.
AND MOST PEOPLE DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE LEGALLY CARING, SO THAT WAY THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE, UH, THEIR FIREARM, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARILY TAKEN AWAY TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE AND, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATION PROCESS.
SO, UM, TYPICALLY WHEN WE INTERACT PEOPLE THAT ARE LEGALLY CARING, UM, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY COMPLIANT WITH US AND THEY DO RESPOND TO OUR QUESTIONS, UM, THAT'S TYPICALLY OUR EXPERIENCE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA CHIME IN ON, ON YOUR QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE L LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
UM, WE NOT ONLY BE FOR OUR PARAMEDICS AND THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, WE WORK REALLY HARD TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY EDUCATION.
UM, UM, AND WE LOOK AT BOTH TRAINING OUR FIRST RESPONDER COLLEAGUES, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF A FORCE MULTIPLYING EDUCATION.
UM, AND WHEN WE GO OUT AND DO THAT, AND WE HAVE SOME PARAMEDICS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY WORKING WITH SEVERAL OF THE LGBTQ BARS AND BUSINESSES, UM, AT THE END OF THE TRAINING, THEY GET A STOP THE BLEED KIT, UM, THAT THEY CAN USE.
AND THEN WE PROVIDE THEM THE RESOURCES IF THAT, UH, BUSINESS WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE, UM, AN ENTIRE KIT FOR X NUMBER OF
[00:50:01]
PATIENTS AND MAYBE KEEP IT, UH, NEXT TO THEIR A E D OR SOMEWHERE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.UM, WE PROVIDE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION TO THEM.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO THAT SAME ISSUE IS, UH, WE KNOW WHEN THESE EVENTS COME UP IN DOWNTOWN, UM, THEY ARE BROUGHT UP TO US PRETTY EARLY.
I WAS JUST ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH OF, UH, POLICE PRESENCE FOR THE QUEER BOMB EVENT THAT'S COMING UP.
SO WE DO PLAN FOR THESE EVENTS, YOU KNOW, MONTH, MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OUR OFFICERS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TOO.
SO LIKE SERGEANT CRU RYAN, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF OUR L G P O A WILL REACH OUT TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THREATS THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF, WE'RE AWARE OF AS WELL IN ADDITION TO ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE RECEIVING FROM THE AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THERE BE SOMETHING CREDIBLE THAT COMES UP ON THE RADAR, WE DO HAVE THE MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
WE DO HAVE OUR SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM, WHICH IS BASICALLY OUR CROWD MANAGEMENT TEAM, SHOULD WE HAVE ANY, UM, LARGE EVENTS WHERE THERE MIGHT BE VIOLENCE.
UM, IT'S MORE OFFICERS WITH SPECIALIZED TRAINING THAT CAN COME IN AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS PEACEFUL FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S TRYING TO HAVE A, HAVE A GOOD TIME OR, OR A PEACEFUL EVENT.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE MECHANISMS IN PLACE FOR THAT.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I DO HAVE, UH, DO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, HAND UP ONLINE.
I KNOW THAT I'M ONLINE, UM, BUT I, I DO WANNA, I DO WANT TO EXPRESS MY, UM, APPRECIATION FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR, UM, THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN TO PREPARE TO KEEP US SAFE.
UM, I HAVE A, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS RELATED TO, UM, A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND IN AN EVENT OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND HOW YOU ARE COORDINATING YOUR RESPONSE BETWEEN ABB AND EMS? AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ON THE OVERDOSE RESPONSE SYSTEM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE FINDING QUITE A BIT OF FENTANYL WITH THAT.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT EMS IS RESPONDING TO THOSE CRISIS AS WELL.
HOW ARE THOSE CONNECTED TO YOUR RESPONSE? SO, UM, FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE, UM, WE KNOW, UH, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM AND WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS WHO ARE ON DUTY 24 HOURS A DAY, UM, THAT RESPOND TO THOSE CRISES AND ARE AVAILABLE, UH, TO ASSIST THOSE PATIENTS, UM, WHEREVER THEY ARE AT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE PATIENTS, UH, MY SPECIAL OPERATIONS PARAMEDICS COME INTO CONTACT WITH, WE ARE, UM, SEEING BECAUSE OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISES.
UH, SO THAT MAY BE THE PERSON WHO HAS SCALED THE TOWER CRANE AND IS THREATENING TO JUMP.
UH, THAT MAY BE SOMEBODY WHO HAS JUMPED OFF OF THE MOPAC FOOTBRIDGE, UM, AND IS SUICIDAL AND TRYING TO, UH, HARM THEMSELVES.
UM, OUR RESCUE TASK FORCE PARAMEDICS, ALSO OUR CASMED PROVIDERS, UM, ALL OF OUR SPECIAL OPERATIONS PARAMEDICS ARE GOING THROUGH AN ENHANCED MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING PROGRAM, UH, THAT HAS ALREADY BEGUN, UH, AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT JUNE.
UM, AND THOSE PARAMEDICS FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE HAVE THE INITIAL TRAINING.
UM, MY SPECIAL OPERATIONS PARAMEDICS WILL HAVE THE ESCALATED TRAINING AND THEN THEY CAN ALWAYS CALL IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH SIDE THAT IS MORE INTEGRATIVE, UH, WITHIN CARE SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
UM, AND THEN ON THE, UH, OVERDOSE RESPONSE, UH, AGAIN, ALL OF OUR THOUGH OUR, OUR PRIMARY MISSION IS, UH, DAMAGE CONTROL RESUSCITATION.
SO TRAUMA RESUSCITATION OF VICTIMS WHO HAVE BEEN SHOT, STABBED, OR HIT BY A VEHICLE.
UM, AS PARAMEDICS, WE HAVE A DUTY TO ACT, UM, FOR ANY LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY.
SO WE CARRY OUR STANDARD COMPLIMENTS OF AEDS AND MONITORS AND FEN UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, NARCAN WITH US.
UM, SO THEY HAVE NARCAN IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE AND THESE, UH, PATIENTS THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THAT ARE OVERDOSING, UM, THAT SAME RESPONSE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A TRAUMATIC INCIDENT.
UM, IF THAT PATIENT WAS IN DANGER, THEY WOULD GET A, IF THEY'RE ON DUTY, THEY WOULD GET A RESCUE TASK FORCE SENT TO THEM.
UH, THOSE PARAMEDICS CAN PROVIDE THAT CARE IN SECONDS AND THEN TURN OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE OTHER PARAMEDICS.
UM, IF IT'S AN ACTIVE OVERDOSE IN WHICH WE RESUSCITATE SOMEBODY OR WE REVERSE THE OVERDOSE OF A PRESUMED OPIOID WITH, UH, NALOXONE OR NARCAN,
[00:55:01]
UM, THEY ARE OFFERED ENROLLMENT AND FLAGGED WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH DIVISION, UH, SO THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWED UP WITH IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT AND OFFERED, UH, TREATMENT, UM, BOTH ON AN INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT BASIS.AND IF THERE IS NOT, UM, AN EXISTING CAPABILITY FOR TREATMENT OR THERE IS A HESITANCY TOWARDS TREATMENT, THEY ARE OFFERED A BRIDGE PROGRAM OF BUPRENORPHINE, WHICH, UH, HELPS, UH, REDUCE THE RISK OF OPIATE OVERDOSES.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS? YES.
UM, JOSEPH FOLLOW UP IS A P D CARRY NARCAN AT THIS POINT? YES.
WE ALL, UH, ASK THAT OUR OFFICERS CARRY TWO DOSES OF, UH, NARCAN, NARCAN AS WELL.
AND WHEN WE ENCOUNTER SOMEBODY THAT IS, UH, SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSING, UM, THOSE ARE UTILIZED RIGHT AWAY.
AND, UH, EMS IS CALLED SO THAT WAY THEY CAN RESPOND AND, UM, PERFORM LIFE-SAVING MEASURES FOR THEMSELVES AS WELL.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH QUESTION, UH, AS FAR AS THE CRISIS IS CONCERNED, OFTENTIMES, UH, POLICE WILL, UM, FIRST INTERACT WITH A PERSON EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
AND, UM, IN THE PAST HOW IT WAS IS WE HAD, UH, CERTAIN OFFICERS THAT WERE CERTIFIED AS MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS.
THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENTLY LOOKING AT MAKING EVERY SINGLE OFFICER, AND THAT'S STARTING IN THE POLICE ACADEMY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE OFFICERS ARE MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AND HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF INEXPERIENCE TO, UM, PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THOSE IN CRISIS AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT, UH, IS, UH, OF MOST CONCERN AND AND SPECIFIC TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THAT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE MAKES IT TO WHERE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE IS A DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, THE POLICE OFFICER IS TYPICALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN FILL OUT A FORM CALLED A PEACE OFFICER OR EMERGENCY DETENTION REQUIRING A HOSPITAL TO HOLD ONTO A PERSON AND HAVE A DOCTOR EVALUATE THEM.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT A POLICE OFFICER WILL OFTEN DEAL WITH AND CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE IT IS IN STATE LAW THAT, UM, THAT KIND OF RESPONSE IS NECESSARY.
SO, UM, YOU WILL OFTEN SEE POLICE OFFICERS IN SOME FORM OF FASHION, UM, INVOLVED IN, IN SOMEONE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
AND ON THE, UM, FENTANYL AND NALOXONE, NARCAN, UH, FRONT, UM, WE HAVE RECENTLY BEGUN, UM, DISTRIBUTING, UH, OPIATE REVERSAL AGENTS LIKE NARCAN AND NALOXONE, UH, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IF REQUESTED.
AND WE HAVE, UH, THE KITS IN FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO DO SO AT THIS TIME.
THIS MAY SEEM NON-SEQUITUR, BUT UM, WE HAVE, UM, A REMARKABLE, UM, SCHOOL IN AUSTIN THAT PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT AND IT'S THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEATH, AND WE HAVE, AS A RESULT, A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION THAT IS DEAF AND HEART OF HEARING.
AND I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT EMERGENCY RESPONSES AND ALL OF THAT.
WHAT SORT OF TRAINING DO YOU DO WITH YOUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING ON THE MEDICAL SIDE? THAT, UH, IS TYPICALLY HANDLED, UH, BOTH IN OUR INITIAL ACADEMY EDUCATION AND THEN THROUGH SCENARIOS IN OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION SECTIONS WHERE WE, UH, DISCUSS AND, AND LEARN, UH, EVOLVING TRENDS IN, UH, COMMUNICATIONS DIFFICULTIES.
UM, SO WHEN I CAME INTO THE DEPARTMENT, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH WE COULD, UM, CALL TELETYPE THROUGH EMS COMMUNICATIONS.
AND NOW WITH TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER OPTIONS.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY ADDRESSED, UH, THROUGH OUR INITIAL CADET ACADEMY AND THEN THROUGH CONTINUING EDUCATION TRAINING FOR ALL OF THE VARIOUS, UM, DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE THAT WE ENCOUNTER AND, AND, AND HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK WITH TO MAKE SURE WE, WE MEET THEIR NEEDS.
I LIKE DIFFERENTLY ABLED AND I WOULD SAY YES, POLICE, IT'S, IT'S VERY SIMILAR.
UM, ACADEMY TRAINING WILL TYPICALLY GO THROUGH SCENARIOS, UM, IN DEALING WITH THOSE IN THE HEART OF HEARING COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, NEAR THE EXACT NUMBER, WE DO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT WE DO, UH, PAY A STIPEND FOR THAT ARE ASL CERTIFIED.
UM, SO IF WE DO ENCOUNTER THESE SITUATIONS, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE BEST, QUICKEST RESPONSE WOULD BE IF WE COULD GET ONE OF THOSE OFFICERS TO RESPOND.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE.
WE DO ALSO HAVE, OF COURSE, THE TECHNOLOGY ASPECT THAT COULD BE USED THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, REACHING OUT WITH INTERPRETIVE SURFACES THAT WE USE FOR ANY NUMBER OF LANGUAGES THAT ASL COULD BE USED THERE WITH A WEBCAM.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY DO OUR BEST TO ASCERTAIN AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN, UH, LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY AND OUR, OUR OTHER RESOURCES TO GET SOMEONE THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO GET
[01:00:01]
MORE IN-DEPTH ANSWERS AS NEEDED.UM, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME TONIGHT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, ARE, ARE, UH, THE TWO OF YOU FROM A P D? UM, I, I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT, UH, UPCOMING STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING THROUGH, AND THEY WANTED ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO BE AWARE OF IT AND CERTAINLY THE PUBLIC.
AND DO YOU, WHILE YOU'VE GOT THE, THE MIC IN FRONT OF YOU, DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT OR ARE YOU PREPARED TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE UPCOMING STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR I P D? NO, I SAW THE SAME COMMUNICATION COME THROUGH, AND SO IT'S A PRETTY BROAD AND GENERAL TOPIC.
SO WITHOUT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING LOOKED FOR, I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF I CAN PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK AS TO THE, THE GREATER PLAN FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, I, I JUST GOT THE EMAIL, I GUESS, YESTERDAY, AND SO I KNEW Y'ALL WOULD BE HERE.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE OUR CHALLENGES AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ANY SECRET WHAT THOSE ARE.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE MY RESPONSES.
YOU KNOW, STAFFING, RECRUITING, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE COMMUNITY INTERACTION WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY BE MY RESPONSE TO A GENERAL QUESTION LIKE THAT.
YEAH, OUR, OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF, I KNOW HAS BEEN, UH, PUSHING THIS OUT FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
UM, IT'S BEEN BOTH A, AN INTERNAL PROCESS IN TERMS OF GETTING OUR, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL INVOLVED TO SEE IF THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS AND, AND ISSUES TO BEARING UP, AND THEN KIND OF THEN FLOWING MORE INTO GETTING THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED AS WELL.
SO ONCE WE GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER, IT WILL BE A, A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THIS LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO, KINDA JUST MAKING SURE WE HIT DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND ALL ASPECTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY SO THAT WHEN WE DO KIND OF FINISH THIS OUT, UM, WE CAN KIND OF ALL JUMP ON BOARD WITH IT.
WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY AS A RESIDENT OF DOWNTOWN, THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT ALL OF YOU DO DOWN HERE.
I SEE YOU GUYS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND YOU DO A TERRIFIC JOB.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS EVENING, AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR RESCHEDULING FOR TONIGHT.
AND SOMEBODY OBVIOUSLY WANTS TO TALK TO US ON THE TELEPHONE.
IT'S LIKE THE BEGINNING OF A HORROR MOVIE, THOUGH.
[3. Downtown Commission Election of Officers]
UH, IS AT THE ELECTION OF DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OFFICERS.UH, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TAKEN PLACE IN APRIL.
WE DID NOT HAVE THE APRIL MEETING, SO WE GET TO DO IT NOW.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE AS CHAIR IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION.
AND I'M NOMINATING ED COMMISSIONER ISHMAEL, UH, AS VICE CHAIR IF, WELL, I'LL SECOND HIS NOMINATION AND I'LL NOMINATE YOU AS CHAIR AGAIN.
UM, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON, I WILL DO 'EM TOGETHER IF THAT, IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE CALLED QUESTION.
UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SERVING ANOTHER YEAR'S CHAIR.
UM, I THINK WE DO SOME GOOD STUFF HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE TIMES THAT WE DON'T GET TO MEET.
UH, THERE ARE TIMES THAT, UM, UH, I THINK THINGS GO BEFORE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT SHOULD COME BEFORE US, BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE SO WE CAN PROVIDE INPUT.
UM, BUT NOT A DOG AND PONY SHOW AFTER THE FACT.
UH, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PRESS.
WHEN I FIRST BECAME CHAIR A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC, AND IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE TO DO MEETINGS.
NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE EVERYBODY IN PERSON WAS A CHALLENGE.
AND, UM, WE'VE MADE IT THROUGH THAT.
AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE HERE IN PERSON, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE WONDERFUL TOOL OF HAVING PEOPLE AVAILABLE ONLINE TO PARTICIPATE.
SO THAT'S A BARRIER THAT'S NO LONGER THERE, WHICH IS A BLESSING.
UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE.
[01:05:01]
AS I'VE MENTIONED, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, ANY OF OUR LIAISONS HERE.[2. Presentation on Large Events/Mass Casualty Preparedness to be given by Lt. Chris Juusola of the Austin Police Department (APD), Kevin Parker of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), William Manno of Austin Center for Events, and Tom Vocke of the Austin Fire Department (AFD). (Part 2 of 2)]
SIR A QUESTION? YES.SO FROM WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE, FROM THE POLICE, IF WE WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH SOMETHING, SO FOR INSTANCE, THE BARRICADES THAT THEY MENTIONED, AND MAYBE SOMETHING FROM US TO, TO COUNCIL SAYING, HEY, WE REALLY THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
OF COURSE WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY AND HOW MUCH, BUT HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT INITIATING THAT? UM, I THINK YOU'D PROBABLY GET WITH THE NEW DOWNTOWN COMMANDER THERE, UM, UH, WAS IT JOE OLSON? MM-HMM.
WE WOULD DO A RESOLUTION, GET THE INFORMATION FROM HIM THAT WE NEEDED TO WRITE THE RESOLUTION, AND THEN WE'D ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO ALLOCATE OR IDENTIFY FUNDS FOR, FOR THOSE RESOURCES.
SO CAN WE GET THAT MOVING? I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS AN AGENDA ITEM AND WE'RE, WE'RE OUT OF ORDER, BUT MIKE CAN BRING THE AGENDA ITEM BACK.
YOU CAN ASK IF WE CAN RECONSIDER, UM, DISCUSSION.
CAN WE, AND ACTION OF, UH, NUMBER TWO, AND THEN SEE IF Y'ALL WANT TO DO A RESOLUTION.
JUST ONE SIDE NOTE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT RECONSTRUCTING SIXTH STREET, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I THINK AT THAT POINT THE PERMANENT BARRICADES WOULD BE AN OPTION, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT TIMEFRAME OR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT.
SO I, YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE E SIX, UH, REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT BY STREAM REALTY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, A LOT OF THE STREET INFRASTRUCTURE IS ACTUALLY FAILING, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST PURELY THE STREAM.
IT'S BEEN UNDER A CONVERSATION FOR ABOUT AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AS FAR AS I KNOW.
BUT IT'S THE RIGHT OF WAY IN FRONT OF THE 40 OR SO STOREFRONTS THAT THEY OWN, THAT WHEN THEY REDEVELOP, THEY'LL HAVE TO IMPROVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS IS ABOUT, UM, I THINK THEY'RE GIVING A LANE BACK TO THE SIDEWALK TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT WIDER.
UM, SO IT'S, BUT IT'S, THAT'S ALL STILL GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYTHING'S EVEN, I'M NOT, IT'S VERY EARLY IN THAT FILING PROCESS, I WOULD SAY.
WOULD, WOULD SOME OF THE BALLARDS NOT BE ON STREETS LIKE BRAS AND TRINITY? EXCUSE ME.
JUST, UH, JUST A, A REMINDER MAYBE THAT WE BRING UP ITEM NUMBER TWO AGAIN FOR, UH, DISCUSSION.
AND THEN WE CAN, UH, ENGAGE MORE FOLLY.
IS IT THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO BRING UP ITEM NUMBER TWO FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING OFF MY ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER ON THAT ONE.
WELL, I APOLOGIZE FOR BRINGING UP THAT ORDER INTERRUPT
WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE HERE IS TO, TO DISCUSS ISSUES LIKE THIS.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSITING SIXTH STREET, RED RIVER IS ANOTHER ONE, UM, THAT'S HEAVILY USED AND, AND INTERACTED BY, BUT YOU'VE GOT ALL OF THE SIDE STREETS, UH, AND TRAFFIC.
ALTHOUGH THERE, THERE MAY BE BARRICADES FURTHER UP, SAY, BY ST.
DAVID'S CHURCH RATHER THAN DOWN ON SIXTH STREET ITSELF.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON MANY OF THESE STREETS IS ANCIENT, AND IN SOME CASES THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT MAPPING ON SOME, SO IT'S ACTUALLY A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
THEY, THEY FIND THEMSELVES HITTING A WATER LINE THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WAS THERE, FOR INSTANCE.
AND THEN IT GU IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET FOR TWO DAYS.
SEEN TO HAPPEN WHEN THE STATE WAS BUILDING THE PARKING JU GARAGE FOR THE, THE GREAT LAWN.
UH, THEY HIT UNMARKED WATER LINES EVERYWHERE AND IT STARTED TO FILL UP THEIR EXCAVATION.
SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THAT, IS IT JUST PUTTING BALLARDS UP AT EITHER END OF SIXTH STREET AND RED RIVER OR IS IT MUCH LIKE THEY'VE DONE, UH, ON RAINEY STREET? UM, OR IS IT A WIDER THING TO, YOU KNOW, TO BLOCK OFF MORE OF THESE STREETS? YEAH, I'M CASTING BACK IN MEMORY NOW, AND I KNOW THAT PRIOR TO THE STREAM REDEVELOPMENT, THERE WAS A PLAN THE CITY HAD PUT FORTH TO RE REDO SIXTH STREET, AND I THINK THERE WAS OPPOSITION FROM THE SIXTH STREET MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHATEVER CAME OF THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT IN IMPROVED A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
SO POTENTIALLY WE COULD FIND OUT MORE IF IT'S JUST MEMORY AT THIS POINT.
WELL, WE DO HAVE BRIAN BLOCK WITH, UH, THE CITY COMING TO DISCUSS THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
SO THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN BRING UP AT THAT TIME.
BUT IF THERE'S A RESOLUTION THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD ABOUT AT LEAST, I MEAN, I'M SURE THESE DEVICES, IF THEY'RE NOT USED FOR SIXTH STREET, CAN BE USED.
IT COULD BE USED IN ANY NUMBER
[01:10:01]
OF EVENTS.YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I DO THINK SHE'S RIGHT.
I MEAN, I THINK THE, SORRY, COMMISSIONER LEVINS IS RIGHT.
UM, THAT THE FIRST STEP IS GETTING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED, HOW MUCH IT COSTS MM-HMM.
WHATEVER THEY, TIL PERMANENTLY ON SIXTH STREET, THESE COULD STILL BE, THESE COULD STILL BE UTILIZED.
IN OTHER CASES, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE MORE EVENTS THEY DO NOW UP NEAR THE DOMAIN, FOR INSTANCE MM-HMM.
SO THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE USEFUL IN MORE AREAS THAN JUST SIXTH STREET AB GO AHEAD.
UH, THERE WAS A FATALITY, UH, ON RED RUBBER THAT WAS A CAR DRIVING INTO A CROWD.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALL OF DOWNTOWN
REGARDLESS IF SIXTH STREET IS IMPROVED.
WELL THEN LET'S EFFORT GETTING SOME MORE INFORMATION.
COULD Y'ALL REACH OUT TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND SEE IF WE COULD GET SOME ESTIMATES ON COST OF THE, THE BARRIERS AND HOW MANY THEY THINK THEY WOULD NEED AND, AND WHERE THEY THINK THEY WOULD PLACE THEM TO? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE.
AND IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW WHAT, I WOULDN'T, SINCE I LIVE DOWNTOWN, I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF OUR LIAISONS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, IDENTIFY ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION.WE HAVE ONE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE THAT IN QUESTIONS FOR BRIAN AS WELL.
UM, BUT DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ARE WE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN? WE WERE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE IT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
AND THAT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO THAT, THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR, I BELIEVE UP JUNE NEXT MONTH SCHEDULED.
SO I'LL, I'LL BE CONFIRMING WITH ALL THOSE PRESENTERS, UM, NEXT WEEK TO ENSURE THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT MONTH MEETING.
UM, WHAT ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT? THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING A LOT OF ALTERATIONS TO DOWNTOWN STREETS AND SUCH, SO WE SHOULD GET, WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING IN PROJECT CONNECT STAFF.
PROJECT CONNECT IS WORKING ON THE STATION DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PUBLIC COMMENTS ON A FEW OPTIONS THIS SUMMER.
SO IF WE CAN MAKE THAT AN ACTION ITEM ALSO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THEIR REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK.
UH, CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON THE CONGRESS MASTER PLAN TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR? THEY'RE TRAINED TO GET TO 30% DD BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
ARE YOU, UH, REFERRING TO THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE? YES.
THAT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
WE HAVE A GOOD AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
FORIN DE MAYO, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF SYLVIA ROSECOE IS WORKING TO TURN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT OR THE HERITAGE CORRIDOR INTO A STATE RECOGNIZED CULTURAL DISTRICT, WHICH WILL PROVIDE $250,000 OF ANNUAL PROGRAMMING MONEY FOR PARADES AND REALLY ACTIVATE THAT FURTHER.
SHE'S TRYING TO EXTEND IT FROM THE CURRENT HERITAGE CORRIDOR TO, UM, CULTURAL DISTRICTS FROM TREATY OAK TO PLAZA SALTILLO.
UM, SO IT'D BE GREAT, I THINK, TO GET A REC, UH, KIND OF BRIEFING ON WHAT THAT IS AND IF WE CAN WRITE A RECOMMENDATION AS SHE'S GOING FORWARD FOR THAT PURSUIT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO IS THAT ALONG SIXTH? IS THAT FIFTH? FIFTH, FIFTH, YEAH.
YEAH, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF, UM, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS GO THROUGH RIGHT NOW ON FIFTH.
AND SO, UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE CAUSE WE'VE JUST REVIEWED A LOT OF THINGS ON FIFTH AND, UH, I, WE CAN'T GO BACK AND MAKE REQUESTS OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROCESSED, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD KIND OF INCORPORATE CULTURAL THEMES ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
UM, COULD WE GET, OKAY, I WAS READING ABOUT THE E SIXTH STREET PI PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
IT'S CURRENTLY A BUDGET OF LIKE $87,000.
WE KEEP TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUES ON SIXTH STREET, UM, AND THE PIT
[01:15:01]
REALLY CAN BASICALLY FUNDS MARKETING AND NOT THAT MUCH.UM, SO AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT WITH STREAM, I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST KIND OF LEAVES ME TO WONDER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT BID.
UM, HOW'S IT GETTING REAUTHORIZED? DOES THAT NEED TO BE A BIGGER ISSUE OR A BIGGER TAXING DISTRICT TO FUND SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE SAFETY, LIKE THE BARRICADES OR, UM, WELL, IT MAY DEPEND ON THE LANGUAGE OF THE PIT ITSELF.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE OF THE PIT AND LOOK AT, I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A REASON IT WAS ONLY $87,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS EXACTLY, MM-HMM.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THEM AT THE DUNHAN ALLIANCE FOR LIKE SEVERAL YEARS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW ACTIVE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
I I DO OUR, OUR DEPARTMENT MANAGES THE CONTRACT WITH THE EAST SIXTH STREET, THE PECAN STREET MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
UM, BUT JUST FOR CONTEXT, JUST FOR EDIFICATION OF WHY THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT A WHOLE LOT IS THAT WHEN THE EAST SIXTH STREET, THE EAST SIXTH STREET PIT OVERLAPS GEOGRAPHICALLY WITH THE DOWNTOWN PIT.
AND TO NOT DOUBLE ASSESS PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE SAME GEOGRAPHY.
THE EAST SIXTH STREET BUSINESSES ARE ONLY ASSESSED UP TO THE FIRST 500,000.
AND THEN THE DEEP HEAD, THE DPI, THE DOWNTOWN PIT ARE ASSESSED ABOVE 500,000.
SO THE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE EAST SIXTH STREET PIS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE LOW BECAUSE THERE IS CAPITAL 500,000, HALF MILLION CA WOULDN'T SAY CAP, BUT IT IS A CAP ON THEIR ASSESSMENT VALUE.
SO I, THAT IS THE THING I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CONVERSATION.
JUST FOR, FOR EDIFICATION, WE'RE HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO THE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
CAN YOU, SO WHAT IS THE BOUNDARY OF THAT PIT CAN BRING IT UP.
IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY ON, UH, CITY'S WEBSITE AND WE CAN BRING THAT UP IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, AND WE CAN ALL, AND THEY ARE UP FOR REAUTHORIZATION WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO IT'S, IT'S A TIMELY GOOD QUESTION CONVERSATION.
UM, GIVEN THAT IT IS A PETITION PROCESS, RIGHT? IT IS NOT A COUNCIL, UH, FIAT PROCESS AS SHALL CAN WELL IMAGINE.
DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE ACTIVELY SEEKING THE AUTHORIZATION? UM, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON THAT, AND I THINK HAVING THE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION COME AND SPEAK, UH, IS ACTUALLY VERY TIMELY, UH, AS PART OF THE SAVE SIXTH STREET CONVERSATION.
SO HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
CAN YOU TELL US REAL QUICKLY IF THOSE FUNDS HAVE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE? THEY'RE GOVERNED BY STATE STATUTE, UH, FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, AND I CANNOT, YOU KNOW, UH, COME UP WITH THE ACTUAL NUMBERS, UH, THE ACTUAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, BUT I CAN GOOGLE IT.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO, TO STATUE THAT IS FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS LIKE SAFETY, SO LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY, STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS, PUBLIC REALM ENHANCEMENTS, UM, CLEANLINESS THAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CITY'S BASIC DUTIES.
UM, UH, AND SO THAT'S, IT HAS TO BE IN THE PUBLIC REALM, SO IT CANNOT BE IMPROVEMENTS TO A PRIVATE BUILDING.
UM, AS I'M SURE YOU COULD BE WELL AWARE,
IT'S FOR OBVIOUSLY FOR THEIR AREA AND THEY DO EVERYTHING IN THE PUBLIC REALM.
BUT, BUT IS THERE, WHO, WHO MAKES THE DECISION FOR THE SIXTH STREET P ABOUT HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE USED? UNDERSTANDING THEY'RE DEFINED BY STATUTE, BUT WHO MAKES THE DECISION HOW THAT MONEY'S USED? I WOULD ASSUME THAT MERCHANT GROUP DOES WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
THE CITY, IT'S THE PECAN STREET MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE ENTITY THAT MANAGES THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
OTHER CITIES HANDLE THEIR BIDS, COULD HANDLE THEIR BIDS DIFFERENTLY.
SOME CITIES MANAGE THEIR OWN PITS WHERE IT'S JUST A STAFF PERSON DOING THAT.
[01:20:01]
CONTRACTS OUT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PIT TO AN OUTSIDE ENTITY.AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE AS STAFF DON'T OVERSEE THE CONTRACT.
UM, BUT IT IS THE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION THAT'S REQUIRED BY CHAPTER 3 72 TO PRESENT AN ASSESSMENT AND A PLAN EACH YEAR.
AND ACTUALLY WHY THIS IS REALLY TIMELY IS THAT ON JUNE 1ST, WHICH IS, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NEXT WEEK MM-HMM.
UM, DED WILL BE ON, UM, JUNE 8TH, UH, FOR THEIR BOARD TO TAKE ACTION.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ON JULY 20TH FOR ALL OF 'EM.
SO HAVING EAST SIX COME IN JUNE OR JULY, UM, IS VERY, IS IS VERY TIMELY.
WHAT IS THE DATE OF OUR JULY MEETING? IT DO, DO, DO IT IS MY HANDY PHONE SAYS JULY 19TH, SO THE DAY BEFORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT WE MIGHT KIND OF LOOK AT MOVING SOME OF OUR AGENDA AROUND TO JULY WHERE WE'RE PERHAPS THAT WE TRY AND GET THEM BEFORE JUNE TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO KICK, UH, UH, SOME THINGS TO NOT BRIAN BLOCK, HE'S COMING.
BRIAN IS ON VACATION, BUT YES, BRIAN IS VERY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
BUT, BUT PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE SURE THE AGENDA ISN'T TWO PACKED SO THAT WE'RE HERE JULY NINE O'CLOCK.
BUT LET'S, PERHAPS WE COULD DO THAT AND PRIORITIZE THAT FOR JUNE.
WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BUMP THE DOWNTOWN PLAN PRESENTATION.
THAT'S, IS THAT BROAD? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN, I DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT.
I KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THIS IS HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT WHAT THE PRIORITY.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN FOR NINE MONTHS.
WELL, WE COULD HAVE A VERY GOOD LONG, ROBUST JUNE, UH, JUNE, JUNE MEETING, WHICH IS FINE.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO IT'S VERY TIMELY CONSIDERING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ASSESSMENTS ARE ALL, WILL BE, THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE ON JULY 20TH.
SORRY TO INTERJECT CHAIR HARRIS.
I HAVE A FEW MORE SUGGESTIONS.
HAVE WE HAD ONE IN A WHILE? THERE WAS ONE A FEW MONTHS AGO, IF I MAY.
SO THAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE SCHEDULED FOR THE JULY MEETING.
UM, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, WE'RE FINISHING THE UPDATE.
WE'LL BE OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS IN AUGUST.
I BELIEVE WE ARE HAVING A SESSION IN CITY HALL, UM, IN THE BULLPEN.
UM, SO PEOPLE CAN COME TO THAT, BUT YOU COULD ALSO REQUEST A BRIEFING.
UM, SO WE'LL TRYING TO GET FEEDBACK BEFORE WE TURN OVER.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE.
UM, SO WHY DON'T YOU HEAD DO THAT AFTER THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION
UM, BUT I THINK IF WE HAD IT AT THE AUGUST MEETING, THAT COULD BE, IF YOU WANTED A BRIEFING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT FOR SOME TIME AND THEN THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT.
THE LAST SUGGESTION, UM, FORMER CHAIR CAROL OF DESIGN COMMISSION AND I BOTH TESTIFIED AT HOUSING AND PLANNING COUNCIL ON TUESDAY ABOUT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
UM, IN THE NINE YEARS THAT CHAIR CARROLL HAS BEEN ON DESIGN COMMISSION, FOUR AFFORDABLE UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT DOWNTOWN OUT OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
UM, THERE'S BEEN 87 UNITS BUILT ON RAINY.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BROKEN PROGRAM.
SO, UH, CHAIR CAROL HAS MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL IN THE PAST.
IF YOU WANTED A BRIEFING ON THAT AND MAYBE MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OR TRY TO GET INVOLVED, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
AND THEN FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MARKET RATE AS A DEVELOPER, MARKET RATE FINANCES UP, UM, CAP RATES ARE UP.
SO IF WE ONLY HAD LUXURY PRODUCTS DOWNTOWN BEFORE, THAT'S DEF WE'RE GONNA SEE A WIDER GAP OF THAT MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IN WHAT'S DELIVERED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND PLANNED.
UM, SO IF WE WANT TO SEE AFFORDABLE PRODUCT DOWNTOWN,
[01:25:01]
I ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER CO-OPS OR OTHER CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO, FOR FAMILIES OR, UM, BECAUSE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM DOESN'T NECESSARILY FUNCTION THE WAY I THINK, THINK PEOPLE THINK IT DOES.UM, SO, UH, IF ANYONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
MIGHT BE A BIGGER CONVERSATION ON KIND OF JUST INCREASING INCOME DIVERSITY DOWNTOWN.
I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT AT OLI THIS AFTERNOON, IN FACT.
AND THERE WAS THE OPINION OF SOME PEOPLE THAT REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO FINANCIALLY GET THERE IS TO HAVE CITY LAND IN THE DEAL.
BECAUSE DOWNTOWN LAND IS SO EXPENSIVE THAT IF YOU HAVE TO, RIGHT.
IF YOU HAVE TO BUY IT, THERE'S NO WAY ANY DEVELOPER CAN AFFORD TO BUY IT AND THEN BASICALLY JUST DONATE IT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THAT'S WHY THE DENSITY BONUS HAS NOT WORKED.
IT'S NEVER GONNA WORK DOWNTOWN.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING AND WELL THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM AT THE MOMENT FOR DISCUSSION AT OUR AUGUST MEETING, SO THAT'S RIGHT.
IF WE CAN GET THAT ON THE SCHEDULE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
MR. JENKINS, DID YOU CATCH EVERYTHING?
UH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CHAIR.
DID YOU WANT ME TO YEAH, COUPLE, UH, OH, STAFF YOU DO YOURS AND THEN I'LL DO MINE.
YOU WANT ME TO DO THE OH YEAH.
WE WILL NOT BE IN CITY HALL BECAUSE THE COMMISSION IS THIS WEDNESDAY.
WELL, THAT IS DURING BUDGET DELIBERATIONS.
SO WE GET A ROAD SHOW, YOU'RE GONNA BE ON THE ROAD AND WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE IN DOWNTOWN, SO JUST LIKE LETTING Y'ALL KNOW.
WE'LL TRY AND FIND A SPACE DOWNTOWN.
BUT THERE ARE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CITY HALL ON EIGHTH STREET AT ONE POINT IN TIME.
WAIT, YOU ALSO HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE TELECOM, THE CAPACITY TO BROADCAST VIA AXN.
AND I, I KNOW THE ONLY OTHER BUILDING THAT I'M AWARE OF IS THE, UM, PD BUILDING.
UM, AND NOT TO, NOT TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL.
WHAT? THE PDC BUILDING THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER UP THERE BY THE OLD LING MALL.
WHAT WAS, WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO SAY WITH THE OTHER, THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS YOU CAN HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND WE CAN SEE WHATEVER YOU DECIDE WHICH DATE, WHAT THE AVAILABILITY IS AT CITY HALL, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE MEETING AT CITY HALL.
BUT, UH, WE DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL, I BELIEVE LAST WEEK THAT, UM, THERE ISN'T GONNA BE ANY SPACE FOR ANY MEETING, UM, ON THE 16TH OF AUGUST AND WE GET FIRST DIBS.
UM, I CAN'T MAKE THAT DETERMINATION, BUT I'LL DO WHAT I CAN
UM, DID THE ONE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND STUFF DEPARTMENT DOWN THERE.
IS COULD WE USE THEIR SPACE IF WE COULDN'T FIND SOMETHING ELSE? I DON'T.
DO YOU KNOW IF THEY HAVE, UH, ATX IN OVER AT THAT SPACE? BECAUSE THEY HAVE, UM, THEY HAVE BROADCASTING, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, SCREENS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THE ABILITY TO BROADCAST SPEAKING FROM AN URBAN DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, THE HIGHLAND MALL DEVELOPMENT IS A LOVELY EXAMPLE THAT IT WOULD DO EVERYONE GOOD TO SEE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE.
YOUR PREFERENCE FOR MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL, NUMBER ONE.
UH, AND THAT KIND OF DETERMINES NUMBER TWO.
WELL, THAT WOULD ASK BE MY PREFERENCE, BUT
I STRONG ABSTAIN, SO I WAS THAT A, A HANDS UP OR NO, IT LOOKS LIKE A MAJORITY PREFERS TO MEET.
SO THAT WOULD NECESSITATE THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING RATHER THAN, UM, IS THERE A CHANCE IF WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, AND I DON'T WANT TO DO, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, BUT IS THERE A CHANCE THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THE BUDGET DELIBERATIONS AND IT EXTENDS TO THE 20TH?
[01:30:02]
I REALIZE THIS ISN'T THE LEGISLATURE IN CITY HALL, BUT JUST YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING WEEK.YOU MAY BE HAVING A SPECIAL SESSION.
UM, YOU MAY WANNA LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING WEEK, UM, THE WEEK AFTER THE 16TH.
SO THAT WOULD BE WHAT THE, THE 23RD? UM, SO THE WEEK OF THE 21ST.
UM, AND I CAN GET WITH THE CLERK TO SEE WHAT THE SPACE AVAILABILITY IS AT CITY HALL FOR THAT WEEK.
AND THEN I CAN PROVIDE DATES TO YOU GUYS ON, UM, WHICHEVER WORKS BEST.
I THINK THE, THE, THE DIRECTION THAT I'M GETTING FROM THE COMMISSION IS THEY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE MEETING HERE.
SO IF WE CAN EFFORT A DATE FOR A SPECIAL CALL MEETING FOR THAT, I REALIZE THAT RUNS INTO THAT LAST OF AUGUST.
VACATION, WELL, MAYHEM AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY I'M LEAVING THE 29TH OF AUGUST FOR A WEEK, BUT UH, THAT WOULD BE WELL AFTER.
OR YOU CAN CALL IN REMOTELY FROM VACATION.
THE THREE OF, I'M JUST PLAYING
THEY DO HAVE TECHNOLOGY THERE.
UM, ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM STAFF? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.
UM, IT IS 7:02 PM UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION STANDS IN RECESS.