[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
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IT'S NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE'RE MEETING AT THE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM OF THE AUSTIN CITY HALL, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT AND WE, UH, THE WAY WE WOULD GO TODAY IS WE WOULD START A BRIEFING WITH A BRIEFING ON THE DRAFT SCHEDULE FOR THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS AND HAVE ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO THAT.
UH, AND THE ITEM AT THAT POINT, WE HAVE COUPLE ITEMS AND ITEM FIVE HAS PULLED 40, 40 AND 78, AND THAT'S THE ORDER I'LL, UH, CALL THOSE UP.
WE'LL, WE HAVE POSTED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND, UH, WITH, UH, YOUR PERMISSION, I'LL, UH, USE DISCRETION TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHEN WE MIGHT DO THAT.
UH, WE ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, HAVE A ONE O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN WHERE WE'LL HAVE A, UH, JOINT MEETING WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND CAPITAL METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THAT MEETING AT ONE O'CLOCK WILL BE POSTED FOR ALL THREE PARTIES, UH, SEPARATELY FROM THIS POSTING.
BUT, UH, THAT MEETING IS POSTED TO MEET IN THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON
[B1. Briefing on draft schedule for land development code amendments.]
THE AGENDA WILL BE A BRIEFING ON THE DRAFT SCHEDULE FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS AND DISCUSSION RELATED TO IT, AND THE, UH, ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT'S RELATED TO IT.SO I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MANAGER, UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THIS ITEM, UH, IS A RESULT OF THE WORK DONE BY THE COMMITTEE.
UH, WE TOOK THEIR, THE COMMITTEE'S WORK AND THEN, UH, FORMED IT INTO THIS MEMORANDUM, VERONICA, LEAD PRESENT DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF OUR, UH, PLANNING STAFF.
THE ONLY THING I'D SAY IS THAT, UH, JUST, UH, UH, GUESS INFORM THE COUNCIL AGAIN, THAT WE, THAT THE WORKLOAD AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND, UH, SOME OF THE SCHEDULED ITEMS YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE ITEMS BACK IS GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN WE MAY HAVE ADDITIONALLY OR MAY HAVE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE.
AND THAT'S SIMPLY CAUSE WE'VE GOT, UH, WE'RE SHORT STAFFED AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN GENERATED FOR US TO, UH, WORK ON THE CODE.
SO, JUST WANNA GIVE THAT AS AN INTRODUCTORY REMARK.
VERONICA, GOOD MORNING COUNSEL.
VERONICA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, JUST WANTED TO KICK IT OFF OVER TO OUR PLANNING STAFF TO WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION, AS JESUS MENTIONED, IS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOUR OFFICES AS WELL AS THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE TO IDENTIFY THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO DO, UH, THE PRIORITIZATION OF THOSE.
AND WHAT WE, AS STAFF HAVE GONE BACK AND DONE IS REALLY LOOKED AT TIMING BANDWIDTH OF STAFF AND WHAT MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF, UH, OF MOVING FORWARD.
THEY'VE ALSO MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN PAIR UP SOME OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS SO THAT THERE IS NOT, UM, ANY DUPLICATED EFFORTS OR A, A MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO WORK.
I HAVE, UH, STEVIE GREATHOUSE WHO'S GONNA WALK US THROUGH THE BRIEF PRESENTATION, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A SERIES OF DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS IMPACTED BY THESE AMENDMENTS HERE TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO NAVIGATE THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE WRAP UP THE PRESENTATION.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, STEVIE? YEAH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR.
UM, COUNSEL, I'M STEVIE GREATHOUSE.
I'M A DIVISION MANAGER, UM, WITHIN THE CITY'S PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND I'M GONNA BE JOINED UP HERE IN A LITTLE BIT WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE, UM, CITYWIDE INTERDEPARTMENTAL CODE CABINET THAT CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AS THEY COME UP, UM, RELATED TO THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, I OVERSEE OUR CODE AMENDMENT SUPPORT TEAM, WHICH WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL CODE CABINET THAT IS LED BY AC VERIO.
AND I'M PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON THE TIMING OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS THIS MORNING.
UM, UH, OKAY, I'VE ALREADY COVERED THAT.
AS THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL ARE AWARE, THE CITY WORKS, UM, CITY WORK TO DEVELOP AND MAP A COMPREHENSIVE REVISION TO OUR OUTDATED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WAS SUSPENDED IN 2020 BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF LITIGATION.
SINCE THEN, THE URGENCY AROUND UPDATING PROVISIONS OF THE CODE THAT ARE NO LONGER MEETING OUR NEEDS HAS ONLY GROWN.
AND CITY COUNCIL AND OR PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE INITIATED MORE THAN 60 AD HOC AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AROUND A THIRD OF THOSE AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED ALREADY, OF THOSE THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN ADDRESSED.
12 ARE MOVING TOWARDS REVIEW AND ADOPTION IN THE SHORT TERM, AND THE REMAINING AMENDMENTS ARE EITHER, HAVE EITHER BEEN INITIATED MORE RECENTLY OR ABOUT TO BE INITIATED THIS WEEK.
UM, OR MORE COMPLEX AMENDMENTS INVOLVING MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL NEED TO BE FURTHER DEVELOPED BEFORE REVIEW AND ADOPTION CAN BE SCHEDULED.
IN ADDITION, MANY OF THE OUTSTANDING AMENDMENTS ARE OVERLAPPING IN NATURE, UM, OR MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE BETTER ADDRESSED THROUGH A CONSOLIDATED APPROACH UNDER ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
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STAFF HAS RECENTLY FORMED AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CODE CABINET, WHICH WILL HELP TO ENSURE COORDINATION OF CODE AMENDMENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.IN PARTICULAR, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE CODE CABINET WILL BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN HELPING OVERSEE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MORE COMPLEX AMENDMENTS.
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT SUPPORT TEAM THAT IS TRACKING ALL OF THE ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENT CASES AND HELPING TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUAL CODE AMENDMENTS PROCEED SMOOTHLY THROUGH THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS FROM INCEPTION TO ADOPTION.
AT THEIR MAY 23RD MEETING, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM THE CODE CABINET THAT PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS AND PRESENTED INFORMATION ABOUT WHICH AMENDMENTS WOULD ADDRESS HOUSING ISSUES AS WELL AS THE LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY OF EACH OF THE AMENDMENTS.
DURING THAT MEETING, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE DISCUSSED A CODE AMENDMENT PRIORITIZATION ON MATRIX THAT HAS BEEN POSTED FOR CONSIDERATION UNDER ITEM NUMBER 53 ON THE UPCOMING COUNCIL AGENDA.
THE DRAFT CODE AMENDMENT SCHEDULE THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TODAY BUILDS ON THE DISCUSSION THAT TOOK PLACE AT THAT MEETING, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL FACTORS.
UM, IN THE BACKUP FOR TODAY'S MEETING, YOU'LL FIND A MEMO FROM THE DIRECTORS OF THE PLANNING AND HOUSING DEPARTMENTS.
THAT INCLUDES SEVERAL ATTACHMENTS.
ATTACHMENT A PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
ATTACHMENT B PROVIDES A DRAFT SCHEDULE FOR ALL OF THE ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS.
ATTACHMENT C PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EACH OF THE ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS AND UPDATES THE TRACKING DOCUMENT THAT WAS SHARED WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE ON MAY 23RD.
AND FINALLY, ATTACHMENT D INCLUDES THE MEMO THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE BY THE CODE CABINET MAY 23RD.
THE DRAFT SCHEDULE PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENT B WAS DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH CODE CABINET DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PLANNING, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, WATERSHED PROTECTION AND TRANSPORTATION, AND IN CONSULTATION WITH ADDITIONAL LEAD DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING THE DRAFT SCHEDULE, STAFF CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING FACTORS, ITEMS THAT ARE ALREADY WELL UNDERWAY AND IDENTIFIED BY THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AS POTENTIALLY BEING KEPT ON CURRENT TIMELINE.
THE DISCUSSION THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING, STAFFING AND RESOURCE AVAILABILITY, BOTH IN TERMS OF LEAD DEPARTMENT RESOURCES AND THE RESOURCES OF SUPPORTING DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS, AS WELL AS DEPENDENCIES AND LOGICAL ORDERING OF THE AMENDMENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE EQUITABLE T O D OVERLAY DEVELOPMENT WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING THE LARGER CHANGE TO CITYWIDE PARKING MINIMUMS BE ADDRESSED FIRST.
AND FINALLY, THE POTENTIAL FOR GROUPING AND CONSOLIDATION OF RELATED AMENDMENTS.
THE AMENDMENTS IDENTIFIED FOR POTENTIAL CONSOLIDATION ON THE DRAFT TIMELINE GENERALLY FALL INTO ONE OF TWO CATEGORIES, EITHER AMENDMENTS THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH A BROADER AMENDMENT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN OR WILL BE INITIATED, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS, UM, REGULATORY AMENDMENTS RELATED TO SITE PLAN LIGHT AND AMENDMENTS THAT RELATE TO COMPATIBILITY.
OR THE SECOND CATEGORY IS THOSE AMENDMENTS THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS ADDRESSING THROUGH A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AMENDMENT, UM, INCLUDING DENSITY, BONUSES AND APPROACH TO CREATING NEW ZONES.
WHILE CODE AMENDMENTS MAY VARY IN COMPLEXITY AND DEPARTMENT LEAD, THEY ALL MUST FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN CHAPTER 25 DASH ONE, ARTICLE 11 OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND MUST MEET THE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN THE CODE.
THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS INCLUDES THREE PRIMARY PHASES, INITIATION OF THE CODE AMENDMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, REVIEW AN ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE.
DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE AMENDMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT PHASE MAY VARY IN LENGTH WITH SIMPLE CODE AMENDMENTS, WITH FEW CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS TAKING FOUR MONTHS WHILE OTHER HIGHLY COMPLEX CODE AMENDMENTS COULD TAKE MORE THAN 12 MONTHS FROM BEGINNING TO END.
PART OF THE RANGE IN TIMING IS BECAUSE ENGAGEMENT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT CODE AMENDMENTS.
SIMPLE CODE AMENDMENTS MAY INVOLVE NO ENGAGEMENT BEYOND MINIMUM LEGAL NOTIFICATION AND REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WHILE MODERATELY COMPLEX CODE AMENDMENTS MAY ALSO INCLUDE TARGETED OUTREACH TO KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND HIGHLY COMPLEX, IMPACTFUL CODE AMENDMENTS SUCH AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE EQUITABLE TD OVERLAY WILL REQUIRE ROBUST ITERATIVE ENGAGEMENT PRIOR TO CODE DEVELOPMENT.
ATTACHMENT A IN THE MEMO PROVIDED AS BACKUP PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
CODE AMENDMENTS MAY BE INITIATED BY EITHER CITY COUNCIL OR PLANNING COMMISSION.
ONCE THE CODE AMENDMENT IS INITIATED AND A LEAD DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED, STAFF WILL WORK THROUGH AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE DRAFT CODE LANGUAGE AND CODE AMENDMENT, INCLUDING THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, LANGUAGE ANALYSIS, AND A STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND WILL WORK TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AS NEEDED IN DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE AMENDMENT.
ONCE THE DRAFT AMENDMENT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, IT WILL GO THROUGH A REVIEW AND ADOPTION PROCESS
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THAT INCLUDES REVIEW BY THE CODES AND ORDINANCES, JOINT COMMITTEE REVIEW AND PUBLIC HEARING BY PLANNING COMMISSION, AND ANY OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT ARE WARRANTED BASED ON THE TOPIC OF BEING ADDRESSED, AS WELL AS A PUBLIC HEARING WITH THREE READINGS AT CITY COUNCIL.NOTIFICATION IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS, AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS INVOLVED IN THE REVIEW AND ORDINANCE PREPARATION.
THESE SLIDES PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF THE DRAFT SCHEDULE THAT IS PRESENTED.
UM, THESE SLIDES PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN.
UM, THESE SLIDES PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF THE DRAFT SCHEDULE THAT'S PRESENTED IN ATTACHMENT B IN TODAY'S BACKUP.
THROUGHOUT THE DRAFT SCHEDULE, YOU WILL SEE ITEMS THAT ARE LIKELY TO IMPROVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY OR SUPPLY HAVE BEEN MARKED, UM, ON THE GANTT CHART WITH A HOUSE ICON, THE FIRST PART OF THE SCHEDULE PRESENTS THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE AMENDMENTS THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE HAD INDICATED SHOULD BE KEPT ON THEIR CURRENT TIMELINE, UM, AND INCLUDES SEVERAL CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR ADOPTION THIS WEEK.
THE SECOND PART OF THE SCHEDULE PRESENTS A TENTATIVE TIMELINE FOR THOSE ACTIVE AMENDMENTS THAT STAFF WILL BE TAKING UP NEXT.
THIS PART OF THE SCHEDULE INCLUDES SEVERAL AREAS WHERE WE ARE RECOMMENDING GROUPING OR CONSOLIDATION OF RELATED AMENDMENTS.
IN PARTICULAR, A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS AND MODIFICATION TO COMPATIBILITY, A COMPREHENSIVE AND ANALYSIS AND POTENTIAL MODIFICATION TO DENSITY BONUSES, AND A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS AND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ZONES.
AS INDICATED IN THE MEMO, THIS TIMELINE REFLECTS A PHASING OF AMENDMENTS BASED ON AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE NEEDED TO TAKE ON THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES TO DENSITY, BONUSES AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ZONES BEING RECOMMENDED.
I WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE CAVEAT THAT ALL OF THIS WORK, UM, IS VERY MUCH A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT CHANGES AS NEW PRIORITIES ARE IDENTIFIED, UM, AND THAT WE'LL NEED TO CHANGE AS ADDITIONAL IMPACTS TO STAFF, UM, RESOURCES ARE FELT.
AND FINALLY, THE FINAL PART OF THE SCHEDULE INDICATES A LIST OF CODE RELATED STUDIES AND ANALYSIS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AS WELL AS A LIST OF PREVIOUSLY INITIATED CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING BE ADDRESSED THROUGH ANOTHER AMENDMENT OR THROUGH A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
THIS SCHEDULE, AS I MENTIONED, WILL CONTINUE TO BE MODIFIED AS NEW PRIORITIES ARE IDENTIFIED AND NEW AMENDMENTS ARE INITIATED.
BUT WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO SHARE THIS DRAFT SCHEDULE WITH YOU AND ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, AND MEMBERS OF THE CODE CABINET ARE HERE IN CASE THERE ARE QUESTIONS FOR DEPARTMENTS OTHER THAN PLANNING.
SO I INVITE THE CODE CABINET FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TO JOIN ME AT THIS TIME.
YOU ARE YOU GONNA BRING ANYBODY ELSE? OH, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
WELL, THAT SOUNDS WORSE THAN WHEN I SOUNDED LIKE A ROBOT.
UM,
WE ARE COMPLETE WITH THE PRESENTATION AND NO OPENING UP TO QUESTIONS.
SO THAT'S FINE THEN I, THEN LET'S DO THAT.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, I'LL CALL ON YOU FIRST.
I WANTED TO OFFER MY COLLEAGUES AND FOLKS IN ATTENDANCE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.
SO AS WE HEARD AT OUR FIRST, EXCUSE ME, MOST RECENT HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE YEAR STAFF IS EXPERIENCING A PERFECT STORM OF VACANCIES, CONFLICTING DIRECTION FROM PREVIOUS COUNCILS AND LIMITED TIME AND RESOURCES TO ENACT THE MANY POLICIES THAT WE ARE, THAT WE OR PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE ALREADY INITIATED.
AT OUR APRIL COMMITTEE MEETING, WE DIRECTED STAFF TO PRESENT A PRIORITIZATION OF THOSE EXISTING LAND DEVELOPMENT MEN, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS IN MAY, SO THAT WE COULD WEIGH IN AS A COMMITTEE AND EVENTUALLY AS A FULL COUNCIL AT OUR MAY COMMITTEE MEETING.
WE THEN HEARD FROM STAFF AND DISCUSSED POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE PRIORITIZATION DOCUMENT.
VICE CHAIR ALTER HELPED A LOT, UM, AND OUR COMMITTEE NAVIGATED THAT PROCESS WITH THE CHART IN IT.
IT IS NOW ATTACHED TO THIS WEEK'S COMMITTEE REPORT FOR THE FULL COUNCIL.
OUR COMMITTEE TOOK THIS ACTION TO ENSURE THAT STAFF'S LIMITED TIME AND RESOURCES ARE BEING SPENT ON POLICY THAT WILL HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT TO OUR HOUSING GOALS.
WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT BY PRIORITIZE, BY PRIORITIZING THESE HOUSING AMENDMENTS BY IMPACT AND COUNCIL INTEREST, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT STAFF'S PRECIOUS TIME AND RESOURCES ARE SPENT WITH VERY CLEAR DIRECTION FROM THIS BODY.
WITH TODAY'S TIMELINE MEMO FROM STAFF AND FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION WE RECEIVE FROM THIS COUNCIL THIS THURSDAY ON OUR HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS, WE PLAN TO NEXT DISCUSS NECESSARY RESOURCES AND FURTHER PRIORITIZATION AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE 13TH OF JUNE.
I FULLY RECOGNIZE AND WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS NO SMALL TASK AND THAT STAFF IS TAKING ON A LARGE TASK.
THE COMMITTEE IS TAKING ON A LARGE TASK
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AND ASKING ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES TO TAKE ON THE LARGE TASK, VERY IMPORTANT TASK OF ADDRESSING OUR HOUSING NEEDS.THIS IS A BIG FIRST STEP AND I THINK THE BEST OPPORTUNITY WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO THANK YOU STEPH, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMITTEE OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS.
AND THANK YOU FOR TODAY'S BRIEFING.
CAN I ASK QUESTIONS FOLLOW UP TODAY? ALL RIGHT.
I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS MIC TODAY.
UM, AND, AND I I'M NOT GONNA BLAME ANYBODY FOR DOING IT TO ME ON PURPOSE.
SO, UH, BUT I'M GONNA ASK THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU STARTED THE PROCESS AT THE LAST MEETING OF TRYING TO, TO FIGURE OUT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM RANKING, SO THAT AS YOU POINT OUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT TIMING FOR STAFF, YOU'RE LOOKING AT PRIORITIES FOR COUNCIL.
UH, BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK, I GUESS WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO GET AFFORDABILITY.
WHEN YOU WERE CONTEMPLATING THAT, WERE YOU CONTEMPLATING THAT WE WOULD THEN, UH, HOLD ON TO DIFFERENT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CHANGES SO THAT THEY WOULD BE FED INTO THAT PROCESS BEFORE WE STARTED PASSING LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CHANGES? WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON THAT PROCESS TO CONTINUE, SINCE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, I'LL DEFER TO YOU VICE CHAIR.
SO IN OUR MEETING, WE, THE IDEA WAS TO PRIORITIZE WHAT WE KNOW.
AND THEN, UH, THERE WAS A BRIEF DISCUSSION, UH, PARTICULARLY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POOL ABOUT A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS THAT SHE'S BRINGING, I BELIEVE IN JULY AND HOW THAT MIGHT FIT IN.
THE HOPE WAS REALLY TO GET A GOOD, UH, IDEA OF WHAT THE LANDSCAPE IS SO THAT WE CAN GROUP THINGS THAT SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY GROUPED.
AND IF WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS COMING IN JULY THAT MAYBE WE WANT THEM TO HOLD OFF ON UNTIL THEN, SO THAT WE DO GET THAT, UM, THAT WAS THE IDEA.
SO I BELIEVE, UH, AND, AND THE, THE, WHAT WE HAVE TOLD STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE MORE THING ON JULY AND THAT'S KIND OF IT FOR US TO FEED EVERYTHING IN SO THEY KNOW THAT'S COMING.
UM, BUT TO TRY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS VOLUME AND START WORKING IT THROUGH BEFORE WE JUST KEEP PILING ON, WELL SEE.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I ASKED THE, THE, THE WAY YOU SAID THAT IS PART OF THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION.
BECAUSE ON THE AGENDA WE HAVE FOR THURSDAY, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS. AND, AND, AND I'M SURE THIS WASN'T THE INTENTION, BUT IT AT LEAST HAS THE APPEARANCE OF TRYING TO GET IN BEFORE WE PUT TOGETHER A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT, THAT NOT ONLY THE APPROACH OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT IT CORRESPONDS WITH WHAT STAFF IS NOW BRINGING US.
UH, AND IT WOULD GET AROUND THAT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
BUT THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENTION.
THE INTENTION IS THAT THIS ALL WOULD GO THROUGH WHATEVER IS THE COORDINATED STAFF PLUS COMMITTEE REVIEW.
I THINK ONE OF THE KEY THINGS SHE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THAT THE AD HOC NATURE OF HOW WE GOT HERE, IT'S BEEN VERY AD HOC.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO LOOK COMPREHENSIVELY AND REALLY ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, THE DENSITY BONUS PROVISION, FOR INSTANCE, THE ZONING, UM, COMPREHENSIVE LOOK SO THAT THESE PIECES ACTUALLY DO START FITTING TOGETHER INSTEAD OF JUST, YOU KNOW, BEING BAND-AID ON BAND-AID.
AND SO, AND, AND WAS IT YOUR, WAS IT THE ANTICIPATION OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE THAT AS THESE START AD HOC, THAT THEY WOULD GO FIRST TO THE COMMITTEE FOR BEING PLACED IN THE QUEUE, SO TO SPEAK? AND OF COURSE, AND I WANNA SAY IT AGAIN CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE QUEUE WILL ULTIMATELY BE A COMBINATION OF WHAT STAFF IS TELLING US THEY BELIEVE NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO MAKE IT WORK AT ALL, INCLUDING NUMBER OF PERSONNEL TIME, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THE WAY THE COMMITTEE, AS IT ALSO REPORTS TO THE FULL COUNSEL IS RANKING THINGS.
SO IT WAS THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE THAT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING THEM IN THE QUEUE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
AND AS I SUGGESTED A MINUTE AGO, NOTHING STICKS, SLIDES IN OR GETS PRIORITY SIMPLY BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS BROUGHT IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL AS AN IF C BEFORE IT GOES THROUGH COMMITTEE.
I'M HAPPY TO DEFER THE CHAIR ON THAT ONE.
I KNOW SHE HAS, UH, A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS ON, ON WHAT WE CAN USE THE COMMITTEE FOR.
I THINK YOU REALLY DID A GOOD JOB OF ARTICULATING WHAT THE CADENCE IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH.
AND I THINK HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER UTILIZE OUR RESOURCES
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REALLY DOES TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF OF STEP AND THE RESOURCES WE HAVE BY WAY OF THE COMMITTEES.SO I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF GREAT INTENTION TO THINKING THROUGH WHAT THE CADENCE IS GONNA BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE'RE BRINGING BACK, UM, THE PRIORITIZATION ON THE 13TH MEETING, THAT WAS INTENTIONAL ON OUR PART.
WE HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD, BUT AS WE WERE HAVING OUR COMMITTEE MEETING AND TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO EVERYBODY'S CONTRIBUTION, WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE JUST WEREN'T QUITE THERE.
BEING ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO PRIORITIZE.
I'VE DIDN'T SEEN THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHIFTED THEIR PRIORITIES.
SO WE REALLY WANTED TO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE MORE, UM, INTENTIONAL THOUGHT THROUGH THAT PART SO THAT IT WASN'T OUR ORIGINAL INTENTION TO BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK WE DECIDED AS A BODY THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO BRING IT BACK YEAH.
AND GIVE IT SOME MORE TIME AND ATTENTION.
SO, SO WHAT, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT ARE PULLED ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION EVEN HERE AT THIS WORK SESSION, BUT WHAT, WHAT I HEAR, AND I, I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M HEARING IT THE RIGHT WAY AND I'M NOT MISCHARACTERIZING IT, I DON'T WANNA CHARACTERIZE IT ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE COUNCIL, IS WHAT I HEAR IS THAT NOW WITH, AND WE GOT, WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS AND WE'LL WANNA DISCUSS WHAT STAFF HAS SAID AND WITH THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE AND WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S IMPETUS AND MISSION DETERMINATION WAS, IS THAT NOTHING THAT'S ON THE CURRENT AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK IS INTENDED TO GET AHEAD OF THAT PROCESS.
INSTEAD, EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE AGENDA AND IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED THIS WEEK OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE FOR PLACING IN THE QUEUE IN THE APPROPRIATE WAY.
IS THAT, IS THAT THE WAY YOU SEE THAT? I WOULD SAY THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE APPROACH.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'D, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME GREAT INTENTION TO BEING ABLE TO BRING THIS BEFORE THE BODY AS A WHOLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMITTEE IS VERY USEFUL, BUT THE BODY IS NO, THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO COME TO THE BODY AT SOME POINT.
BUT, BUT, BUT WE'VE ALL, I THINK, I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE AND A LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN SUCH A WAY THAT IS USED THE, THE WORD AD HOC AND THE COMMITTEE WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT.
STAFF IS TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T VIOLATE, THAT'S PROBABLY TOO STRONG A WORD, BUT INTERFERE WITH THE PROCESS AND MISSION THAT THE THE OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE STAFF ARE BRINGING TO US TO MAKE THIS WORK BETTER FOR US AND THE CITIZENS.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, AND I'LL COME TO THE MAYOR PRO 10.
AND THANK YOU CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE FOR HELPING LAY THAT PROCESS OUT FOR US.
UM, OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED, I'M CURIOUS FROM STAFF TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC ACTIONS OR INITIATIVES THAT THE COUNCIL CAN UNDERTAKE TO ASSIST YOU IN REACHING YOUR GOALS.
I THINK THAT WILL BE A CONTINUED CONVERSATION, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH THE, WITH THE COMMITTEE, BUT COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, UH, RESOURCES WERE MENTIONED AND WE ARE VERY SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT RESOURCE NEED IS.
WE WANNA IDENTIFY THAT ACCURATELY.
UM, WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN EASY FIX.
WE KNOW, UH, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, GARA MENTIONED ON THE FRONT END, WE HAVE A, A VACANCY RATE THAT'S QUITE HIGH AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR.
SHE'S ALREADY MADE SOME HEADWAY IN ADDRESSING THAT RATE.
BUT AS WE BRING ON NEW STAFF, THEY'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY IMMEDIATELY START REVIEWING CODE AMENDMENTS.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A TRAINING NEED AND UM, IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON THE JOB.
SO LOOKING AT PERHAPS HIRING A CONSULTANT TO HELP, PARTICULARLY WITH SOME OF THESE COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, BUT REALLY TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR WHAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT ASK.
MY NEXT QUESTION WAS IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET, IF THERE WERE ANY BUDGETARY NEEDS THAT YOU MIGHT NEED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS THAT WE COULD ADDRESS? I KNOW YOU JUST MENTIONED A CONSULTANT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU THINK RIGHT NOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD OR IS THAT A BROADER LONGER TERM CONVERSATION? THAT'S A BROADER CONVERSATION.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THOSE, UH, UNMET NEEDS PUT FORWARD BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND WE'LL BE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES PROBABLY DO AS WELL, ESPECIALLY FOR US TO HAVE THAT BROADER PICTURE SO THAT WE CAN HELP YOU COMPLETE WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THIS BEING DISTILLED DOWN INTO SOMETHING VISUAL.
UH, SOME OF US CAN READ UP, DOWN, LEFT RIGHT REALLY, REALLY EASILY AND SOME OF US LIKE PICTURES AND COLORS AND WAYS OF REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE THE, THE CODES AND AMENDMENTS THAT ARE EITHER ALMOST OUT THE DOOR ALREADY BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THEM FOR A WHILE.
UM, EASY AMENDMENTS VERSUS HIGHLY TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS THAT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND Y'ALL'S ABILITY TO TRY TO FACTOR IN, IF WE HAVE NEW IDEAS WHERE EXACTLY IN THAT SCHEDULE IT MIGHT FIT.
[00:25:01]
HELPFUL FOR US AS A, A DIAS TO BE ABLE TO SEE.UM, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO BEEN MORE ON MY RADAR LATELY IS JUST THE GENERAL PROCESS OF GETTING THROUGH CODES AND ORDINANCES AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH, UH, ZONING AND PLATTING.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THAT ALSO HAS TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
I NOTICED IN YOUR MATRIX YOU DID HAVE, HERE'S WHERE COUNCIL APPROVAL IS AND HERE'S WHERE PLANNING COMMISSION IS.
UM, BUT WE HAD, I THINK ONE ALONG THE WAY THAT CAME INTO IT WON'T FIT ON CODES AND ORDINANCES NEXT MEETING BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE TOO MUCH WORK AHEAD OF THEM ON THAT AGENDA.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER LAYER THAT I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND SO IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF, IF WE KEEP AMENDING THAT CHART TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN DOING THAT.
UM, CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THAT PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK, UM, HOPEFULLY IN FAVOR, BUT IF, IF THERE'S OPPOSITION TOO, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FEASIBLE IN FUTURE ITERATIONS OF THAT SCHEDULE.
YEAH, AND I WOULD JUST RESPOND FROM THE STAFF LEVELS THAT THAT'S THE PERSON THAT MANAGES THE STAFF LAY LIAISONS TO CODES AND ORDINANCES.
UM, THEY CODES AND ORDINANCES IS SCHEDULED TO MEET MONTHLY AND CAN HANDLE QUITE A BIT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, STAGGERED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE SIX HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL, HIGHLY COMPLEX ITEMS FALLING ON A SINGLE MEETING.
UM, SO GENERALLY AS LONG AS WE CAN STAGGER IT WITHIN REASON AND AS LONG AS, AND THEY TEND TO DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF MEETING QUORUM.
WE DID HAVE, UM, A MONTH LAST MONTH WHERE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO AND WE HAD TO CANCEL THE MEETING, BUT GENERALLY THEY HAVE BEEN MEETING QUORUM AND HAVE BEEN MEETING MONTHLY.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST, I THINK THAT'S JUST A SIMPLE SORT OF SCHEDULING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T SCHEDULING, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN FIVE HIGHLY COMPLICATED ITEMS TO ALL TRY TO HIT ON THE, THE SAME AGENDA MANAGER.
UH, MAYOR, MAYOR, UH, MAYOR, MAYOR
ONE IS JUST LIKE, UH, WAS MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO, UH, THE PROCESS I HAVE BEEN USED TO IN THE PAST IS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD ESTABLISH IT'S BROUGHT THE GOAL IT WANTED TO ACHIEVE AND WE RETURNED THE STAFF LOOSE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES.
THE D THE DIFFERENCE IS HERE IS THAT WE'VE LANDED ON A FIX AND THEN WE'VE GOTTA GO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO WORK WORK THROUGH THAT FIX, WHICH, WHICH COMPLICATES THE, THE, THE STAFFING, THE LEGAL AND THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS.
SO IT'S ONE THAT YOU COULD HELP US BY VISITING WITH STAFF EARLY ON ABOUT YOUR MAJOR OBJECTIVES AND THEN WHAT KIND OF INCLINATIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT NEED TO GET DONE.
THAT WOULD HELP US GET THROUGH THE PROCESS MUCH FASTER.
THE SECOND THING IS WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES REVIEW.
UH, UNLESS WE FIX THAT REVIEW, THIS STUFF'S, WE CAN PASS THE CODE AMENDMENTS, BUT IF WE DON'T FIX THOSE PORTIONS OF THE CODE, WE'RE GONNA BE AT A LOG JAM WITH, IN THE INABILITY TO PROCESS THINGS FAST ENOUGH SO WE CAN GET THE DENSITY AND THE HOUSING UNITS ON THE GROUND.
AND THE FINAL THING I'D SAY IS THAT, UH, AS, AS THOSE THINGS ARE IDENTIFIED, WE MAY BE ABLE TO, TO, TO MOVE SOME THINGS FASTER AS WE LEARNED ABOUT, UH, THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS, THINGS THAT WE OUGHT TO MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH RESPECT TO DENSITY.
WE JUST WANNA GIVE THAT FLEXIBILITY OF THE STAFF.
I THINK WORKING THROUGH THE COMMITTEE IS THE PRO IS THE, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE COMPLEX AND THEY'RE INTERTWINED.
SO I THINK IF WE ARE GIVEN THAT FLEXIBILITY, IT GIVES THE STAFF THAT FLEXIBILITY TO FIND THE POINT ABOUT ADDING SIX ITEMS THAT MIGHT TAKE A DECRE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME, JUST, JUST MAKES IT DIFF IT JUST, UH, GUMS UP THE PROCESS.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I, UH, ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE I MENTION, WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL TAKE UP THESE ITEMS LIKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UM, URBAN TRANSPORTATION, THEY'VE GOT A, YOU KNOW, WELL VESTED INTEREST IN SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I GENERALLY, UH, ENJOY WHEN WE DO THINGS FROM KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL, TOP DOWN COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES.
I KNOW THAT IN YEARS PAST WE HAD ALL SAT DOWN TOGETHER AND FIGURED OUT WHERE THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT WAS, WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE THINK WERE MOSTLY IN FAVOR OF AND WHO CAN TAKE LEAD AND WANTS TO REALLY GET THAT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
UM, BUT I WANT US TO KIND OF SWITCH INTO HOW CAN WE MAKE THE MOST BANG FOR THE, THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT INTO HOUSING AND PLANNING.
CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A TON OF FOLKS THAT WANNA GET THESE GOOD THINGS DONE.
UM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS IN A REALLY THOROUGH MANNER.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT TAKES TWO YEARS TO GET THROUGH IT AND THEN WE HAVE A NEW COUNCIL AND WE'VE GOT DIFFERING OPINIONS, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN.
I, I THINK THAT'S, UM, JUST KIND OF A WRINKLE WE NEED TO IRON OUT AND TRY TO TRY TO GET US AS, AS FAR AS WE CAN EVERY TIME WE MOVE THE BALL FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR THE CONVERSATION.
I'M EXCITED THAT, THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING AND WE ALL KNOW THE NEED FOR US TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, WENT TO THE COURTS AND, UM, SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL AND NOW THIS COUNCIL COMMITTED TO LAND USE REFORM
[00:30:01]
AND WE'VE BEEN OFFERING TWEAKS, UM, TO OUR, OUR LAND CODE.AND, UM, AND NOW WE'RE AT A POINT AND WE'VE BEEN AT THIS CRITICAL POINT FOR YEARS WHERE WE'VE NOW HAD 38 ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS IN PROCESS BECAUSE WE'RE COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING OUR HOUSING CRISIS AND WE'RE COMMITTED, UH, TO LAND USE REFORM.
AND SO THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AROUND THIS ARE ONE FOR STAFF, BUT TWO, I WANNA DIG INTO THE COMMITTEE PROCESS BECAUSE I, AND I APPRECIATE WANTING TO STRENGTHEN HOW WE DO OUR WORK THROUGH OUR COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT I THINK GIVEN THIS TOPIC, GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING AND OUR COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING OUR HOUSING CRISIS, I JUST WANNA BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE COMMITTEE PROCESS IS MORE EFFICIENT OR FACILITATES A BETTER OUTCOME WITH HOW, UH, HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL HERE, I THINK WE'VE ALL BROUGHT FORWARD HOUSING RELATED POLICIES AND JUST KNOWING THAT IT IS A PRIORITY OF THE WHOLE, UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALLOWING FOR, FOR THAT PLATFORM AND THAT WE'RE ADVANCING AT THE SCALE NEEDED.
UM, SO FOR, FOR STAFF, THE QUESTION I HAD, A COUPLE QUESTIONS I HAD IS, UM, WITH THE DRAFT SCHEDULE FOR THE ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS, HOW DID YOU, HOW DID STAFF PRIORITIZE THESE POLICIES? UH, AND FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE, WE HAVE THE FLAM AMENDMENT FILING DEADLINE.
YOU HAVE THAT POTENTIALLY COMING BACK TO US IN SEPTEMBER, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A EASY CHANGE.
AND I KNOW WE JUST PASSED THAT POLICY AT OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING LAST WEEK.
AND THEN, UM, BUT WE HAVE THE CHILDCARE SERVICES PART, WHICH WAS THE ZONING RELATED TO, UH, BUILDING CHILDCARE CENTERS THAT IS COMING BACK TO US LATER THIS YEAR, UM, WITH OCTOBER AS, AS, AS A TIMEFRAME, THE TENTATIVE TIMEFRAME WEEK PAST THE CHILDCARE REZONING ITEM BACK IN JANUARY.
AND SO I AM TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON, ON THOSE TIMELINES.
I CAN TAKE A STAB ON THAT ONE.
SO AT THE, THAT ONE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ITEM THAT WOULD BE ASSIGNED PRIMARILY TO, PRIMARILY TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS LEAD DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH GETTING OUR STAFF UP TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY STAFF COMPLEX CODE AMENDMENTS.
UM, AND THAT ONE WILL HAVE SOME COMPLEXITY TO IT.
SO THAT IS WHY IT HAS, IT'S, IT'S ON THE TIMELINE, UM, WITH PART ONE OF SORT OF HANDLING, UM, THE ITEMS THAT WE CAN HANDLE, UH, WITH, UM, RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD TECHNICAL WORK WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE ADDRESSED THIS YEAR AS PART OF THAT PART ONE WITH A LATER PHASE MOVING FORWARD THAT WOULD BE MORE COMPLICATED AND INVOLVED IN SOME CASES, UM, WORK THAT'S HAPPENING BEYOND THE CODE.
UM, BUT THAT ONE, THE PRIORITIZATION OF THAT ONE IS SIMPLY A, MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT THE STAFF THAT ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE AND HAVE THE EXPERTISE, UM, TO DO THE WORK.
SO YOU'RE THERE IS IS PART OF THAT, OH, GO AHEAD, ACM.
I WAS JUST GOING TO ECHO WHAT, UM, STEVIE SAID ABOUT THE PART ONE AND PART TWO IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION.
THAT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A VERY COMPLEX, UH, UH, UH, CHANGE PROPOSED.
AND STAFF HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO REALLY WORK THROUGH THAT AND SEE WHAT CAN WE PRIORITIZE SO THAT WE'RE MOVING THE PRIORITIES FIRST SO THAT WE'RE TAKING SOME ACTION AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING THE WHOLE, UH, DIRECTION ON HOLD UNTIL WE GET THE STAFF OR THE, THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT COMPLEX REVIEW.
SO THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE PIECES OF THAT AND MOVE THEM FORWARD EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T MOVE THE WHOLE PIECE FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
AND, AND, AND I GET THAT PIECE, BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE PASSED IT IN IN JANUARY, WAS THERE NOT WORK DONE BETWEEN JANUARY AND NOW ON, ON THE ISSUE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT REALLY BEING LOOKED AT UNTIL WELL, UNTIL THE SUMMER.
YEAH, AND OUR, I WILL JUST SAY THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAD A SINGLE STAFF PERSON THAT WAS INVOLVED IN STAFFING MOST OF OUR CODE AMENDMENTS, UM, THAT LEFT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAD SEVERAL MONTHS WITHOUT US EVEN A SINGLE STAFF PERSON.
WE DO NOW HAVE A TEAM OF TWO THAT ARE DOING ALL OF THE COORDINATION WORK TO KIND OF MOVE THE AMENDMENTS THROUGH, HAVE BEEN SHADOWING ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH LEAD DEPARTMENTS OR CASE MANAGERS EITHER ELSEWHERE IN OUR DEPARTMENT OR THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, THAT ARE NOW AT A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BEGIN TO DO THE WORK, TO PULL TOGETHER THE EXPERTISE THAT WE DO STILL HAVE KIND OF SCATTERED ACROSS THE CITY, UM, IN VARIOUS PLACES, INCLUDING OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT'S SITTING TO MY RIGHT.
UM, TO ACTUALLY MOVE THAT ITEM FORWARD.
SO THAT ONE I WILL SAY IS A, UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD DEDICATED LEAD STAFF ASSIGNED TO THAT ITEM UNTIL NOW.
GI GIVEN THE PARTICULAR EXPERTISE THAT IS NEEDED.
AND THAT, AND, AND THANK YOU, THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY I BELIEVE WE NEED TO SCALE UP OUR CAPACITY AND HAVE SOME OF OUR HAVE INTERIM SOLUTIONS AS WE AWAIT FOR OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR TO STEP UP.
[00:35:01]
PLANNING DEPARTMENT, IT, YOU KNOW, HAS OVER 30% VACANCY RATE.YOU'VE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT HOW ARE WE BRINGING IN THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, THOSE CONSULTANTS AT THE SCALE THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE INTERIM? I MEAN, KNOWING WE DIDN'T HAVE AN EXPERT STAFF MEMBER ON STAFF FOR MONTHS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT IS THAT PROCESS OF BRINGING IN THE EXPERTISE AND THAT WHAT SCALE? YES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AS UH, AS VERONICA MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO WE'RE, UH, WE, I'VE G WE'VE GIVEN THE AUTHORIZATION TO GET ON CONSULTANTS THAT WOULD HELP US TO AUGMENT STAFF, UH, OTHER WAYS TO AUGMENT THE STAFF.
SO WE'VE GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO GET THAT DONE.
UH, AND THE FACT IS, IS THAT, UH, IT'S THE ISSUE OF WORKLOAD DOESN'T GET DIMINISHED.
YOU JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO GET IT DONE.
SO YOU, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S THE SCHEDULE, UH, RECOGNIZES HOW EVEN IF THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WHEN WE CAN GET TO THOSE, I MEAN, BUT I THINK IT'S ALL IN PROCESS.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S HOLDING US UP WITH RESPECT TO THAT.
I KNOW THE NEW PLANNING DIRECTORS MADE SOME CHANGES TO BRING ON SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF.
UH, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE WORKING AND IN PLACE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE AS FAST AS WE CAN TO NOT JUST, UH, ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BUT OTHER QUESTIONS THAT OTHER COUNSELORS MAY HAVE ABOUT THEIR ITEMS. MM-HMM.
AND IF I COULD ADD ANY ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, RESOURCE QUESTIONS, I'LL DEFINITELY DEFER TO THE ACM OR MY DIRECTOR WHO'S SITTING, UM, BEHIND ME SOMEWHERE.
CUZ WE ARE DEFINITELY DOING THE WORK TO BUILD THAT TEAM TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK LIKE THE, THAT IS HAPPENING MM-HMM.
UM, AND IT IS PARTIALLY IN PLACE NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFFED IT WITH TWO FOLKS, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, UM, FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, BRENT LLOYD TO SAY A FEW THINGS BECAUSE HE'S GOT MORE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY AROUND THAT PARTICULAR, UM, REQUEST FROM COUNCIL AS WELL.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE'S GOT LARYNGITIS, I'M SORRY, BRENT.
AND I'M NOT CONTAGIOUS, I HAVE NO VIRUSES, BUT I, IT'S LIKE, BUT THEY ALSO, UM, BUT UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY KIND OF BROADLY SPEAKING, IN LOOKING AT, LOOKING AT SOME KEY FACTORS THAT INFORMED PRIORITIES THAT WENT INTO THE PREPARATION OF THE SPREADSHEET AND ALSO INFORMED OUR BRIEFING, UM, AT THE HOUSING PLANNING COMMITTEE LAST WEEK, I THINK THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, BROADLY SPEAKING, THREE CRITERIA WE LOOKED AT AND ONE IS, IS HOUSING.
UM, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS ABOUT A LOT MORE THAN HOUSING.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, CABINET MEMBERS THAT REFLECT ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
WE HAVE OUR DEPUTY ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER HERE WHO SERVES ON THE CABINET AND THERE ARE OTHER, OTHER OFFICIALS AS WELL.
BUT HOUSING IS THE PRI PRIORITY RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL AS BEING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING TO EMPHASIZE.
SO WE LOOKED AT WHAT AMENDMENTS ARE THE MOST GERMANE TO HOUSING, WHAT AMENDMENTS ARE GONNA MAKE THE MOST IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN MOVING THE NEEDLE ON GETTING UNITS ON THE GROUND, PARTICULARLY AFFORDABLE UNITS, BUT UNITS IN GENERAL AS WELL.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT SIMPLICITY AND COMPLEXITY.
YOU KNOW, SOME AMENDMENTS, UM, ARE A LOT MORE COMPLEX THAN THEY SEEM AT FIRST BLUSH.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT THE DEGREE TO WHICH AN AMENDMENT COULD BE, UM, IMPLEMENTED WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMETABLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY AND THE CHALLENGES THAT IT PRESENTS, BOTH IN A DRAFTING PERSPECTIVE BUT ALSO IN AN IMPLEMENTATION PERSPECTIVE.
SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS ARE ONES THAT WILL REQUIRE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES, SHIFTS IN THE REVIEW PROCESS, AND THAT WILL VERY MUCH INFORM THE WORK THAT'S ONGOING WITH RESPECT TO THE DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT SERVICES REVIEW PROCESS.
SO WE CONSIDERED THAT AS A FACTOR AS WELL.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHAT AMENDMENTS ARE WELL UNDERWAY ALREADY.
SO WE HAVE AMENDMENTS THAT REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY STAND ON THESE OTHER CRITERIA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN PROCESS, THE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION AND THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY.
AND THEN I'LL JUST SAY IN, UM, IN CLOSING, BEFORE I LOSE MY VOICE, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING
WE, IN THE, IN THE BEST OF TIMES WE'VE HAD A, A GROUP OF PEOPLE SOMEWHAT INFORMAL IN MOST CASES THAT ARE DEDICATED TO WORKING ON CODE AMENDMENTS.
YOU KNOW, NOT ENTIRELY THEY HAVE OTHER JOBS TOO, BUT UM, ARE AVAILABLE TO WORK, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON CODE AMENDMENTS AND ALSO TO BE A RESOURCE FOR COUNCIL.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERING INITIATING AMENDMENTS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT AMENDMENTS ARE GONNA DO WHAT YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA RAISE ISSUES THAT ARE MAYBE NOT APPARENT FIRST BLUSH AND THAT THEY CAN BE ACCOMMODATED REASONABLY WITHIN AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
UM, AND I THINK THERE, THERE ARE A FAIR NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS IN, IN THE QUEUE THAT MAYBE WERE NOT GIVEN THAT LEVEL
[00:40:01]
OF REVIEW.AND I THINK UNDER, UM, INTERIM CITY MANAGER GARZA'S LEADERSHIP AND ACM SENIO AS WELL, THE GOAL IS TO DO BETTER GOING FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL HERE FOR.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD BRENT SAID THAT BECAUSE I DO, THE CODE CABINET WAS VERY THOUGHTFULLY CONSTRUCTED BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
WE HAVE IT REPORTING INTO MYSELF AS THE, THE EXECUTIVE LEAD.
UH, THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE WE ARE PLAYING ON IT AND THAT IS A, A RESOURCE TO COUNCIL AS WELL.
SO THAT INTERDEPARTMENTAL CONSIDERATION AND VIEW OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS IS HELPFUL IN SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU'RE CONSIDERING CHANGES AND COMPLEX, UM, AMENDMENTS WE CAN PROVIDE AS A RESOURCE TO YOU TO HELP VET IT AND HELP THINK IT THROUGH.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS TO JUST ADD TO THIS IS WE MADE THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES CONSCIOUSLY BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THERE NEEDED TO BE FOCUSED ATTENTION ON PLANNING AND PLANNING ALONE, ALL THOSE THINGS SO THAT THERE COULD BE THAT FOCUSED, UH, ATTENTION UNDERSTANDING THAT HOUSING'S A COMPONENT OF THAT, BUT REALLY PLANNING IN THE, IN THE LARGER SENSE.
AND SO, AND I THINK WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING, WHICH IS REALLY CRUCIAL, THE CADENCE AND THE PACE, IF WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THAT AT A, AT A, AT A WORKLOAD THAT WE CAN GET IT DONE, THE STAFF DON'T GET OVERWHELMED AND DON'T GET WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE CUZ WE'VE GOT SO MANY THINGS COMING AT 'EM.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT JUST SLOWS EVERYTHING DOWN.
THAT'S, THAT'S HOW YOU CAN HELP US IN ADDITION TO ADDING RESOURCES.
BUT THAT WOULD BE GREAT HELP TO US SO WE CAN PACE THE WORK, GET IT DONE IN A TIMELY WAY AND GET IT BACK HERE FOR COUNCIL TO HAVE CONSIDERATION TIME TO VOTE.
AND YOU SAW OUR VERY SIMPLE PROCESS OF HOW WE APPROVE A CODE AMENDMENT IS THAT YELLOW DEAL WHERE IT WENT ABOUT TH A 360 OF ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES WE GOTTA TOUCH BEFORE WE COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CABINET IS, IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ACM RIO'S LEADERSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING THE PRIORITY OF COUNCIL AND MOVING THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT.
SO I WANT TO SHARE MY GRATITUDE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF WE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FROM THE LENS OF IF WE WERE TO GET THESE, IF WE WANTED TO GET ALL OF THESE POLICIES BACK TO COUNCIL BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD RESOURCES WOULD BE NEEDED? AND TO YOUR POINT IN A WAY TO NOT EXHAUST OVERWHELM OR BURN OUT OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF, BUT IF WE HAVE A, A GOAL OR A VISION TO HAVE THESE POLICIES COME BACK TO US IN A TIMELY MANNER, KNOWING THE PROCESS, BUT HOW COULD WE SCALE OUR RESOURCES TO THAT EFFORT? HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU TAKEN A LOOK AT THE CHALLENGE THROUGH THE LENS OF IF WE KNOW THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP US, UM, IN, IN THIS EFFORT WHILE WE STAFF UP OUR DEPARTMENT? HOW MUCH RESOURCES WOULD WE NEED TO ACHIEVE IT? I THINK THAT IS A DISCUSSION WE CAN HAVE.
UH, I THINK WE REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE THIS COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AND REVIEW OF ALL THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE ON THE, ON THE RADAR, UM, SO THAT WE CAN RIGHT SIZE THAT RESOURCE, UH, REQUEST.
BUT I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION AND A DISCUSSION THAT WE CAN HAVE.
EXCUSE ME, I AM ALSO NOT CONTAGIOUS.
UM, BUT, UM, I I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
SO AS WE'RE BUILDING THE TEAM, AS WE'RE BRINGING ON STAFF, THAT HELPS US MOVE, IT'S A MOVING TARGET, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO WILL GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO RIGHT SIZE THAT, WHAT THAT RESOURCE WOULD BE.
BUT IT'S HELPFUL TO HEAR FROM COUNSEL WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND MY LAST QUESTION ON THIS IS OUR LEGAL CAPACITY AND YOU KNOW, AND I GUESS THIS IS FOR OUR CITY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT WE ARE RE SHIFTING OUR, UH, OUR PLANNING RE RESOURCES AND DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE, WE'RE SCALING UP OUR RESOURCES, PART OF THE PROCESS DOES COME TOWARDS LEGAL REVIEW OF OUR CODE AMENDMENTS.
AND MY QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE THE LEGAL TEAM NEEDED NECESSARY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BOTTLENECK WITHIN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AS THESE CODE AMENDMENTS COME FORWARD? WE HAVE A GREAT LEGAL TEAM, UM, ON THESE LED BY TRISH LINK WHO'S IN THE OFFICE HERE.
AND, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
WE HAVE A NEW LAWYER JUST STARTED THIS THIS WEEK, SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STAFFED UP.
BUT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE, WE LOOKED AT THIS FROM KNOWING THAT WE HAVE 38 ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS IN PROGRESS, THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS, UH, DRAFT OR WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
HAVE YOU ALL ASSESSED YOUR DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS? AND YOU KNOW, LIKE ARE WE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING THROUGH OF THIS PROCESS AND IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL LEGAL RESOURCES THAT WE'RE ALSO MAKING SPACE AND INCLUDING THAT, ESPECIALLY AS WE COME UPON BUDGET SEASON, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, WE REASSESS CONSTANTLY OUR NEEDS IN THE DEPARTMENT AND THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED FOR MORE PEOPLE AND WE HAVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AS HE PROPOSES
[00:45:01]
THE BUDGET.AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT RESOURCES.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN VERY HARD FOR STAFF BEING SO SHORT STAFFED AND WE HAVE A VERY COMMITTED WORKFORCE AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY COME TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND TO, TO HAVE THIS WORKLOAD WITH SUCH A HUGE, UH, VACANCY RATE IS HARD.
AND SO I KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL FOR STAFF TO HEAR THAT COMMITMENT FROM COUNCIL ON THE RESOURCES.
SATURDAY
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO REMIND MY COLLEAGUES THAT EVERYBODY'S INVITED, UM, TO THE COMMITMENT MEETINGS.
SO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO DECIDES TO ATTEND IS WELCOME.
I MEAN, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MIGHT AS WELL BE A MEMBER OF THE BODY HE'S BEEN TO EVERY MEETING.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE STAFF BE ABLE TO CANDIDLY SPEAK TO US AS A BODY AND EVERYBODY'S INVITED.
COUNCIL ALLISON ALTAR THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RILEY.
UM, I'M PLEASED THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE LEVEL OF STAFFING THAT WE'VE HAD IN PLANNING WITH THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WORK THAT THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL HAS ASKED THEM TO DO.
UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THERE IS A PRIORITIZATION AND THAT WE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, THOSE PIECES.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST, UM, RAISE A FLAG FOR THE AIS D UM, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AS SOMETHING THAT IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR ME.
OUR VOTERS PASSED A $2.44 BILLION BOND AND THEY ARE EXPECTING A I S D TO DELIVER AND WE AS THE CITY HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE, UM, IN DOING THAT.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ON A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TRACK IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE TRACKING THINGS, BUT I, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITHOUT, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THAT RIGHT SO THAT A I S D CAN MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH WHAT THEY EXPECT FOR THAT BOND.
UM, IT'S VERY COMPLICATED IN THIS ENVIRONMENT TO SECURE CONTRACTORS AND DO ALL OF THOSE PROCESSES.
UM, AND THERE THERE ARE PIECES THAT NEED TO BE DONE WITHIN THAT INNER LOCAL, UM, IF THERE ARE A FEW PIECES THAT CAN'T GET RESOLVED QUICKLY, PLEASE GET THE OTHER PIECES DONE AND COME BACK TO US WITH A SECOND ILA IF THERE ARE SOME BECAUSE WE, WE REALLY NEED TO LET THEM KIND OF BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES WAS SAYING ABOUT THE CHILDCARE ITEMS. UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS NOT ONLY HOUSING, UM, AND THESE OTHER ELEMENTS, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEGLECT THEM FOR A FEW YEARS WHILE WE FOCUS ON HOUSING, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL CRISES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
UM, SO I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE US TO BE THINKING, UM, ON THE CHILDCARE AMENDMENTS, HOW WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS, THEY'RE GONNA NEED CHILDCARE, THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE DECENT SCHOOLS.
UM, AND, AND WE CAN BE PENDING WISE AND POUND FOOLISH IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL.
UM, I HAVE A ONE QUESTION FROM YOUR MEMO THAT STUCK OUT TO ME.
WHEN Y'ALL SEE ALL THE, THE ARROW, THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS AND IT WAS A MENTION THERE THAT THESE ITEMS WILL OCCUPY STAFF CAPACITY THROUGH OCTOBER 23.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT THESE ITEMS THEY WILL ALL IN IN SOME BE BE FINISHED IN OCTOBER 23, BUT OTHERS ARE, YOU KNOW, PER YOUR GANTT CHART GONNA BE IN DEVELOPMENT OR THAT STAFF RESOURCES ARE DEDICATED TO THESE ARE, ARE FILLED UP WITH THESE ITEMS UNTIL OCTOBER, AT WHICH POINT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD? YEAH, THAT WAS, UM, THAT LANGUAGE IS PROBABLY LESS PRECISE THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
WELL NOT OCCUPY ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR STAFF RESOURCES.
I THINK WE ARE EXPECTING THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE SHOWING US WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I JUST WANTED TO YEAH, THE, THE GANTT CHART IS ACCURATE,
UM, IT'S COMPATIBILITY THAT'S PRETTY LENGTHY.
IS, IS THE LENGTH OF TIME IN DEVELOPING IT, IS SOMEONE WORKING ON THAT DAY IN AND DAY OUT OR IS THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL WORK ON IT AND THEN IT NEEDS TO GO SOMEWHERE AND SOMETHING WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE.
ESSENTIALLY WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS QUESTION IS IF COUNSEL SAID TO YOU, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO OF THESE ITEMS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST, WE THINK ARE, ARE REALLY CRITICAL NEED TO BE DONE NOW, IS THAT COMPRESSIBLE WITH MORE
[00:50:01]
STAFF OR IS IT JUST IT TAKES THAT LONG CUZ IT TAKES THAT LONG? SO KIND OF TWO PARTS TO THAT ANSWER.ONE IS THAT A LOT OF THE MORE COMPLEX ITEMS REQUIRE EXPERTISE FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
SO BY DEFINITION WE'RE GONNA HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE WORKING ON IT.
UM, OF THOSE MULTIPLE PEOPLE, PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE WORKING ON OTHER THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SO IT'S NOT THEIR ONLY WORK, BUT THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE WE NEED MULTIPLE STAFF FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS ON SEVERAL AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ALL HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BUT THE OTHER, UM, SORT OF TIMELINE CONSTRAINT THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THERE'S ALSO A COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND AN ENGAGEMENT CONSTRAINT.
SO COMPATIBILITY IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY WORK IS ANOTHER REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE ON THE CHART WHERE WE KNOW THAT WE WILL NEED TO HAVE SOME ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND IN SOME CASES ITERATIVE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN SO QUICKLY.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME CONSTRAINTS THERE THAT AREN'T JUST A PEER RESOURCE CONSTRAINT ON THE STAFF SIDE.
AND THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE FLOW CHART, THE CODES, CODES AND ORDINANCE JOINT COMMITTEE, WHAT EXACTLY IS THEIR ROLE IN ALL THIS? WHAT DO THEY BRING TO THE TABLE THAT LET'S SAY PLANNING COMMISSION DOESN'T OR? SURE.
SO THE CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE INCLUDES MEMBERS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY, UM, APPOINTED TO THAT COMMITTEE TO SERVE IN THAT ROLE.
HISTORICALLY, THEY HAVE BEEN KIND OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT HAVE DECIDED TO DEVELOP AN EXPERTISE IN OUR CODE, UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ACTUALLY A FAIRLY SOLID TECHNICAL SOUNDING BOARD, UM, FOR SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT STAFF IS BRINGING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEY WOULD WILL BE INVOLVED IF PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATES THE CODE AMENDMENT THAT IS A STAFF-LED CODE AMENDMENT, TYPICALLY STAFF WOULD TAKE IT TO THE CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE TO, FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO PLANNING COMMISSION TO INITIATE, AND THEN IT WOULD MOVE BACK TO CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AS A DRAFT BEFORE IT HITS THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION REALLY RELIES VERY HEAVILY ON THE CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE, UM, FOR THEIR EXPERTISE AROUND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND DO IS, IS IT REQUIRED BY CODE? AND THAT MIGHT BE A TRISH QUESTION TO GO TO CODE AND ORDINANCES.
WHAT IS A TRISH QUESTION? CHURCH LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT? YES.
ACTUALLY IN THE CITY CODE PROVISION SPECIFIC TO THE JOINT COMMITTEE, IT SAYS THAT CODE AMENDMENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH THEM AND BECAUSE THEY ARE A JOINT COMMITTEE, IT IS PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZAP.
AND SO THAT'S ZAPS, UM, REAL OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN TO THIS, WHICH IS VERY VALUABLE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO WE DO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS UNLESS WE ARE DIRECTED OTHERWISE.
ARE WE AUTHORIZED, I GUESS LEMME BACK UP THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER 5 0 2 TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION OR TO GO TO CODES AND ORDINANCES.
ARE THOSE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW OR IS THAT A REQUIREMENT WE'VE PUT ON OURSELF? WE ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IF WE ARE AMENDING ZONING REGULATIONS.
SO ANYTHING IN 25 2 ARE OUR REGULATING PLANS OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
WE ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
OTHER AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 25 COUNCIL, UH, MADE A DECISION THAT THAT'S THE PROCESS THEY WANT, WANT TO FOLLOW AND WANT IT TO GO THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
COUNCIL AVELA, I, UM, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF, UH, PUENTES COMMENTS.
AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE, I GUESS THE, THE URGENCY, UH, AND I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
I KNOW THAT OTHER MEMBERS ARE IN A, A SIMILAR SITUATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ELECTED LARGELY TO, UH, LOOSEN UP THE, UH, ZONING REGULATIONS AND GET MORE HOUSING BUILT AND THAT'S BEEN AGAIN, A THEME IN MANY ELECTIONS AND WE AS A BODY NEED TO DELIVER ON THAT.
SO I JUST WANT TO KIND OF REITERATE THE URGENCY OF THAT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SAYING THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING MAJOR UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE MIDDLE OF 2024 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS, IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, UH, FROM, FROM MY CONSTITUENT'S PERSPECTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UH, AND SO THAT LEADS ME INTO THAT.
I KNOW THE CITY MANAGER, YOU MENTIONED THE CONSULTANTS, WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT KIND OF THOSE, UH, ROTATING CONTRACTS FOR, YOU KNOW, ENGINEERING SERVICES OR FOR, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, A BRUSH CLEANUP OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
DO WE HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR IN PLACE FOR, UH, CODE AMENDMENTS? I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE DO.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT A WAY TO, TO BRING A CONSULTANT ON BOARD QUICKLY, UM, AND IN THE AIR OF SENSE OF URGENCY.
[00:55:01]
NO.UH, I, I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
HONESTLY, UH, A LOT OF THESE ARE, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT SOME OF THEM ARE COMPLEX AND SOME OF 'EM ARE GONNA TAKE TIME AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW AND, AND, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND I'LL JUST SPEAK TO THE ONES THAT I'M MORE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH YOUR MIND.
UH, BUT LIKE THE FLUB AMENDMENT ONE IS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY DELETING, YOU KNOW, UH, FIVE PARAGRAPHS OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITHIN, UH, THE, THE CODE.
UH, IT'S NOT GONNA REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S NOT GONNA REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A RELATIVELY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, ITEM THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, COULD BE EASILY KNOCKED OUT.
AGAIN, NOT THAT I'M SAYING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A PRIORITY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I'M JUST KIND OF TRYING TO THINK THROUGH THE, THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON, UH, ON STAFF.
UH, AND THEN I, I THINK ABOUT THAT, UM, THE, UM, DESEGREGATION OF LOTS.
ALSO, I THINK THERE'S A HANDFUL OF WORDS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED IN A HANDFUL OF, UH, PARTS OF THE CODE TO ACHIEVE THAT OUTCOME.
UH, SO WHEN I LOOK AT THOSE, I JUST THINK OF THOSE, AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE DRAFTER HAS TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, THAT THERE YOU'RE NOT ENCOUNTERING ANY KIND OF CONSEQUENCES.
BUT WHEN I LOOK AT A HANDFUL OF THOSE ITEMS, 15 HOURS OF WORK, YOU KNOW, 20 HOURS OF WORK, I MEAN, AGAIN, AND, AND I WANT TO ALSO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHY SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAN'T, NOT, CAN'T BE JUST KNOCKED OUT.
WHY WE CAN'T HIRE A CONSULTANT, OF WHICH THERE'S MANY IN THE, THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF OUR LAND USE CODE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY TALENTED FOLKS OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT A LOT OF EX CITY AUSTIN, UH, EMPLOYEES WHO, WHO KNOW THIS CODE, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS.
THAT WHY WE CAN'T JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SAY, OKAY, THESE SIX ITEMS, LET'S, UH, YOU KNOW, GET, HIRE A COUPLE OF CONSULTANTS, HAVE THEM KNOCK IT OUT, HAVE STAFF REVIEW, UH, THOSE CHANGES AND, AND GET 'EM ON THE COUNSEL AGENDA AND, AND, AND GET 'EM OUT THE DOOR.
SO, CAN I RESPOND TO THE FLOW AMENDMENT EXAMPLE? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE.
THAT IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE ACTUAL TECHNICAL WORK OF AMENDING THAT CODE IS VERY SIMPLE.
I COULD, YOU KNOW, DO THAT WORK.
WE COULD, YOU KNOW, DO THAT WORK TODAY.
HOWEVER, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT TECHNICAL WORK OF AMENDING THAT PIECE OF CODE, WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO SORT OF THE MODERATE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS ON THAT ONE, BECAUSE IT IS ONE THAT THERE ARE STAKEHOLDERS OUT THERE THAT CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THAT SECTION OF CODE THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH IN ADVANCE OF IT HITTING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS PROCESS.
AND, AND AS PART OF OUR SORT OF DUE DILIGENCE AS A TRANSPARENT COMMUNITY AND A COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS, OR A CITY THAT BUILDS TRUST WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE, UM, I'M, I'M SORRY, BUT LIKE THAT PASSED ON CONSENT UNANIMOUSLY.
WHAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON A PLUM AMENDMENT? THE RATIONALE FOR PASSING, THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE DOING THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, AND THERE WAS IDEA THAT IF WE JUST IMPLEMENTED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, THEN WE DON'T WANNA IMMEDIATELY AMEND A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN THAT WE JUST PASSED.
AND BECAUSE STAFF WAS VERY BUSY DOING MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, IN OTHER WORDS, THE REASON FOR LIMITING THE PLUM AMENDMENTS TO THOSE WERE, WERE TEMPORAL.
THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO, WHAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WOULDN'T NEED TO BE DONE.
I, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S PEOPLE THAT CARE DEEPLY ABOUT MANY, MANY CHANGES, BUT WE CAN'T STOP THE ENTIRE CITY PROCESS BECAUSE THERE'S A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEIR COMMENT.
THEY WERE FREE TO DO THAT AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.
THEY'RE FREE TO DO THAT WHEN THE AMENDMENT COMES BACK.
LIKE, AGAIN, WHAT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WHAT, WHAT DO WE, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THE, ON THE PLUM AMENDMENT? IN THAT EXAMPLE, WE TOOK A SIMILAR AMENDMENT FORWARD TO THAT, THAT SECTION OF CODE, ACTUALLY LESS THAN, LESS THAN 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, AND IT WAS VOTED DOWN BECAUSE WE HAD A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF FOLKS SHOW UP AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING TO TESTIFY AGAINST IT.
UM, MOSTLY REPRESENTING THE, THE GROUPS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAMS ACROSS THE CITY THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE THAT DO STILL REVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS AND THAT HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THAT CYCLE FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, WE, WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, ARE WORK AT THE LEISURE OF THE CITY MANAGER AND WILL DO WHAT WE ARE DIRECTED TO DO.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT BUILDS TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT COUNCIL, AND THAT OUR COMMISSIONS ARE LIKELY TO HEAR FROM, UM, IN ORDER TO KIND OF CONTINUE TO HAVE THINGS ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD AND NOT END UP AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
LET ME, IF I COULD JUST, UH, ADD AS, AS SOMEBODY WHO, NOT, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY A CODE ISSUE, BUT IN MY, UH, PRE PREVIOUS TERM HERE, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS QUITE SIMPLE TO CLOSE THE HYDE PARK FIRE STATION, AND I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS MISTAKEN.
AND, UH, THERE WERE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT CAME IN STORM CITY HALL AND BASICALLY SAID, WHAT, WHAT IS THE MANAGER THINKING? AND SO I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THERE ARE AN ACTIVE GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT THAT WATCH WHAT WE DO AND, AND ARE GOING TO GET ENGAGED NO MATTER WHAT.
[01:00:01]
IS THE PRIORITY OF THIS COUNCIL.WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE GOTTA GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT RESOURCES WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO EXPEDITE THAT WORK THROUGH THE COMMITTEE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ON THOSE ISSUES.
AND TO THE DEGREE THAT WE CAN, THE FACT THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS MOVE SO FAST THAT WHEN YOU GET BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU GET TOLD NO MM-HMM.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS IN A WAY SO THAT WE CAN GET IT TO ONTO THE COUNCIL'S AGENDA.
AND WE, BUT WE HEAR YOU, AND WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT THINK THAT THAT HOUSING SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, NOT JUST FOR THIS COUNCIL, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES.
LET'S, WE'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR, OUR SCHEDULE, GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT RESOURCES WE HAVE AND WE CAN AUGMENT, AND TO THE DEGREE THAT WE CAN EXPEDITE THINGS, WE'LL WORK THROUGH THAT.
AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES ON HOUSING ISSUES.
THAT SAID, I THINK YOUR EXAMPLE IS VERY TELLING IN THE SENSE THAT THERE WAS A VERY DIFFICULT AND CONTROVERSIAL MEASURE 10 YEARS AGO THAT DID NOT GO THROUGH.
WHEREAS THIS TIME IT WAS NOT CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL, AND IT FLEW THROUGH.
THESE ARE A LOT OF TIMES, A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HAVE BEEN HIGHLY VETTED AND DISCUSSED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR DECADES.
AND THE COMMUNITY HAS ESSENTIALLY KIND OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY CONSENSUS, THAT'S THE WRONG WORD.
THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE CONSENSUS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS ON JUST ABOUT ANY ISSUE.
BUT THAT SAID, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL, YOU KNOW, IN, IN IN 2005, ARE JUST SIMPLY NOT CONTROVERSIAL ANYMORE BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, NUMEROUS FACTORS.
WE HAVE AT THIS POINT, DECADES OF KIND OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND INVOLVEMENT.
AND AGAIN, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE FACT THAT THE FLU AMENDMENT THAT WAS VOTED DOWN BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION PASSED ON CONSENT WITHOUT ANY OPPOSITION ON COUNCIL.
I MEAN, TO ME, THAT'S KIND OF TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN TERMS OF, OF, OF KIND OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT.
SO A AGAIN, I, I RESPECT THAT VERY MUCH.
I, I THINK THAT THE ATP, UH, AND THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT WAS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF JUST EXTENSIVE AND DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT, WHICH WAS, I THINK ULTIMATELY VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE BIG IMPACTS, ABSOLUTELY NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THESE MORE SMALLER CHANGES WHERE WE'RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT, A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH IT AND ENGAGE IN IT.
UH, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THAT KIND OF SMALL CHANGE WOULD NEED A, A HIGH LEVEL OF, UH, OF, UH, OF, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND KIND OF THIS LONG ITERATIVE PROCESS OF RUNNING IT THROUGH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO ON AND, AND AND SO FORTH.
UM, IN, WITH REGARD TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, AND AGAIN, I, I KNOW LITTLE TO NOTHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CODE AMENDMENTS LIKE BLACK BOX THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY LEAVE COUNCIL, THEY, THEY GO TO STAFF AND WE DON'T HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCREEN.
AND THEN THEY, THEY, THEY COME BACK TO US.
BUT AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF, UH, INFORM MYSELF AND, AND, AND COUNSEL AND, AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, ARE LISTENING, UH, IF WE COULD TAKE AN, AN EXAMPLE, AND I WOULD SAY THE, THE PARKING, UH, ITEM, THE, THE, THE, UH, ELIMINATING, UH, PARKING REQUIREMENTS, A AS A AS AN EXAMPLE.
COULD YOU KIND OF WALK US THROUGH WHAT YOU KNOW NOW THAT IT RECENTLY PASSED? WHAT STEPS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE AS IT KIND OF LEAVES COUNCIL AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GOES TO STAFF AND THEN COMES BACK THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND, AND, UH, TO COUNCIL? SO THAT PARTICULAR ITEM IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE LED, I THINK, BY OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UM,
SO I WILL DEFER TO PAUL TO WALK YOU THROUGH THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER, OPAL BARR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC COST DEPARTMENT.
UM, YES, THE PARKING MINIMUM REMOVAL, IT'S A COMPLEX, UH, CODE AMENDMENT, BUT IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE FOR US.
UH, THERE ARE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THE REMOVAL OF THE PARKING MINIMUMS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING PROGRAM.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE, UM, RESIDENTS CAN SECURE THEIR PARKING SPOTS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING PERMIT.
SO THERE ARE CERTAIN OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE THAT THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, TRYING TO SOLVE ONE PROBLEM, WE DO NOT CREATE ANOTHER.
SO WE NEED TO, UH, ASSESS ALL THESE SCENARIOS, HOW WE CAN MITIGATE OTHER PROGRAMS JUST SO THAT THE COURT AMENDMENT BECOMES REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
SO WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE FIRST STEP AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SINCE IT WAS PASSED, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER, TWO WEEKS AGO, FOUR WEEKS AGO.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEN I GUESS WHAT ARE KIND OF THE NEXT STEPS THROUGH THAT PROCESS? LIKE, WHERE, WHERE DOES IT GO, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS IT? IS IT, YOU KNOW, HELD BY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, HANDLING KIND OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT, OR, UH, SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE ASSESSING DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT COULD BE IMPACTED BY THE, UM, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
[01:05:01]
MM-HMM.SO, SO THEN I GUESS THE, THE ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRAMS TAKES PLACE IN, IN TERMS OF, OKAY, WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT THE REMOVAL OF, UH, OF MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS IS, IS GOING TO AFFECT.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'VE KIND OF MADE THAT ASSESSMENT AND SAID, OKAY, THESE ARE THE THREE AREAS THAT, THAT IT MAY AFFECT, THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE KIND OF THE NEXT STAGE AFTER THAT.
UH, SO ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO MITIGATE OTHER PROGRAMS AND WE BRING FORWARD THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE COURT CABINET MM-HMM.
AND, AND SO AS PART OF THAT, UH, I, I, I GUESS, AND AGAIN, I, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE, THE CODE, UH, AS A DRAFTER OR AS A USER, UH, YOU KNOW VERY WELL, BUT I ASSUME THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT JUST IN ONE SECTION OF THE CODE.
THEY'RE PROBABLY STREWN THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, MANY DIFFERENT SECTIONS WHERE THERE'S REFERENCES TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND ALL THAT.
I, I'M ASSUMING THAT AS PART OF IT, UH, THE PROCESS, Y'ALL WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THERE AND KIND OF CLEAN UP THE ENTIRE CODE TO REMOVE ANY, ANY MENTION, I GUESS OF, OF PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
IS THAT HOW IT WOULD WORK? SO IN THE CASE OF THIS EXAMPLE, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BRENT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE KIND OF THE CODE CABINET APPROACH.
THIS IS CLEARLY AN AMENDMENT THAT HAS IMPACTS FOR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND THEN ALSO HAS THE SUPPORT FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE ACTUAL CODE DRAFTING PIECE OF IT CORRECT.
AND LEGAL, IT'S GOT IMPLICATIONS FOR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ATD LEADS.
IT'S ALSO GOT IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW WE DO ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO THERE WILL BE A FAIRLY RIGOROUS TECHNICAL PROCESS ACROSS AT LEAST THREE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND IN ADDITION TO OTHERS, UM, THROUGH THE CODE CABINET PROCESS TO IDENTIFY AND ANALYZE THE IMPACTS OF THE CHANGES AND MAKE SURE WE'RE MITIGATING FOR ANY IMPACTS THAT ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THAT CHANGE.
AND THEN TO DEVELOP THE CHANGE.
UM, AT THAT POINT, ONCE THE RECOMMENDATION IS DEVELOPED, IT WOULD MOVE THROUGH, UM, SOME FORM OF ENGAGEMENT PROCESS BECAUSE THIS IS A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAT HAS A PRETTY HIGH IMPACT ON THE CITY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE DETAILS OF THAT ENGAGEMENT PROCESS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED YET.
UM, ONCE IT HAS KIND OF GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND IS REALLY READY TO BE PRESENTED IS WHEN WE, ON MY TEAM'S SIDE, DO THE WORK TO ACTUALLY KIND OF HELP SUPPORT SCHEDULING FOR CODES AND ORDINANCES, JOINT COMMITTEE FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
THERE'S A SET, THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE THAT GETS SCHEDULED FOR COUNSEL, FOLLOWED BY THE HEARING DATE AND THE THREE RATINGS AT COUNCIL.
I DON'T KNOW IF BRENT, IF YOU HAD ANYTHING TO ADD FROM, WELL, LEMME JUST ADD ONE OTHER AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
WHAT, WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS WE DON'T WANNA TAKE SOMETHING THAT, UH, MAY BE COMPLEX AND TRY TO OVERSIMPLIFY IT.
CUZ WHEN YOU TRY TO SIMPLIFY A SYSTEM THAT YOU THINK, I KNOW THIS IS THE PROBLEM, SO THIS MUST BE THE FIX, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'VE GOT OTHER ISSUES THAT MANIFEST THEMSELVES THAT WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT.
SO WE RE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHAT I WOULD ASK THE STAFF IS TO THE DEGREE YOU CAN NOT DO THIS SEQUENTIALLY, BUT DO, DO THE THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT, WITHOUT WAITING FOR ONE PIECE TO GET DONE, THEN THE NEXT PIECE GET DONE, ET CETERA.
SO THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THIS DONE IN A, IN A EXPEDITIOUS WAY AS WE AS, AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
I'D RATHER DO SOMETHING KIND OF THOROUGHLY AND, AND WELL, AND, AND CAREFULLY THAN, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, QUICKLY, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU HAVE SOME PIECES THAT MAYBE YOU DIDN'T TOUCH OR THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME UNCERTAINTY LEFT AFTER THE, YOU KNOW, THE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO TO TO HAVE THAT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT BETTER OF MYSELF.
SO, UH, AND AGAIN, THE, THE AMENDMENTS, I KNOW THAT THE FLU AND THE, AND THE SUBSTANDARD LOTS AMENDMENTS WERE, WERE HONESTLY, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE LOOKED AT THOSE IN PARTICULAR WAS CUZ THEY WERE SO SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, AND WE WERE KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S GET THESE KIND OF SIMPLE, EASY THINGS THAT, THAT ARE NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, OVERWHELM AND, AND, AND CAUSE A LOT OF, LIKE ANY KIND, THOSE WHERE WE ARE REALLY FROM MY STAFF, UH, AND THE DISTRICT FOUR OFFICE PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE BEEN REALLY KIND OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY THOSE KIND OF SIMPLE CHANGES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, NOT TRANSFORMATIVE, BUT ARE JUST KIND OF HELPFUL AND, AND WILL, YOU KNOW, MOVE THE PROCESS ALONG.
AND I'M SORRY, UH, MR. LLOYD, BRENT LLOYD, UH, DEVELOPMENT OFFICER STEVIE COVERED MOST OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO WITH REGARD TO PARKING, IN PARTICULAR, THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING FOR ACCESSIBLE PARKING, WHICH IS NORMALLY DRIVEN BY YOUR NUMBER OF MINIMUM PARKING SPACES.
SO THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOME THOUGHT BROUGHT TO BEAR INTO HOW TO INCORPORATE THAT THAT EXISTS ELSEWHERE IN THE CODE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME THOUGHT.
UM, THERE WERE SOME POINTS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IF, IF THERE'S TIME IN RELATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S COMMENTS ON THE AIS D AGREEMENT,
[01:10:01]
BUT I'M HAPPY TO, IF THERE'S INTEREST IN THAT OR NOT.I, I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT.
I KNOW THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, WE SPOKE WITH THEM AND I KNOW THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE TIMING OF THAT AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR NEW SCHOOLS BUILT.
AND, AND I MEAN, LIKEWISE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD, I HAVE TWO KIDS IN A C RIGHT NOW, HAD THREE, AND, AND, AND THAT'S HUGELY CRITICAL FOR OUR, OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND WE DEFINITELY AS A CITY DO NOT WANNA STAND IN THE WAY OF ASD IMPROVING ITS SCHOOLS.
SO WE ARE, UM, DSD IS LEADING AN EFFORT OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION AND EXTERNAL NEGOTIATION WITH A I D ON THE AGREEMENT.
AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO DELIVER THE AMENDMENTS, UH, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT FROM 1994, UM, BOARD THE SIGNATURE OF INTERIM CITY MANAGER GARZA, AND HOPEFULLY THE 30 YEAR UPDATE WILL AS WELL.
UM, BUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER'S POINTS, WE, UM, UH, WE WANNA BRING FORWARD POTENTIALLY AMENDMENTS IN, IN BATCHES, UM, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE ONES THAT ARE MOST IMPACTFUL TO MEETING THEIR BOND PROGRAM.
THERE'S A LOT OF A, YOU KNOW, THE AGREEMENT IS MULTIFACETED AND TOUCHES AND CONCERNS LOTS OF ASPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT, NOT ALL OF WHICH ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF DELIVERING THEIR BOND PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THOSE.
ADDITIONALLY, UNDER, UM, GUIDANCE FROM DST, UH, DIRECTOR ROKS, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT ADMINISTRATIVE FIXES AND THINGS THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY PROVIDE ASSURANCES TO A I S D THROUGH MEMORANDA, UM, THAT WILL ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE AND MAY, UH, LESSEN THE NEED OR AFFECT WHAT PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, AT A MORE BROADER LEVEL, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO SAY WITH REGARD TO CODE AMENDMENTS AND A I S D AGREEMENT IS NOT A CODE AMENDMENT, IT, IT RELATES TO REGULATING DEVELOPMENT.
SO THERE'S SOME LOGICAL, UM, OVERLAP, BUT THERE, IT'S A SEPARATE THING.
BUT WITH REGARD TO CODE AMENDMENTS, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN COUNCIL WILL INITIATE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS WITHIN THE BODY OF A RESOLUTION.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE EASY AND STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND SOME OF THEM ARE ANYTHING BUT
AND SO GOING FORWARD AS WE LOOK AT THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED IN OUR WORK PLAN, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TALKING WITH, UM, THE MANAGER'S LEADERSHIP ON POTENTIALLY BRINGING FORWARD THE EASIER AMENDMENTS FROM A RESOLUTION RATHER THAN MAKING IT AN ALL OR NOTHING THING WHERE WE CAN'T BRING ANYTHING FORWARD UNTIL EVERYTHING'S DEVELOPED.
AND ONE POTENTIAL EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE CHILDCARE.
THERE ARE, UM, ASPECTS OF THE CHILDCARE RESOLUTION THAT ARE, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD AND WE BELIEVE WE'RE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THEM, UM, IN, IN THE TIMETABLE PROVIDED BY, UM, STEVIE, UH, AND THERE ARE OTHER ONES THAT WE MAY BE BRINGING FORWARD.
UM, THERE MAY BE MORE WORK REQUIRED.
AND SO RATHER THAN HAVING ALL OR NOTHING APPROACH THAT WILL EXTEND THE TIMELINE, UM, FURTHER OUT, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT TRYING TO BRING FORWARD THE, THE ONES THAT CAN BE ADOPTED IN, IN A NEAR TERM BASIS, UM, SEPARATELY POTENTIALLY.
UM, WE NORMALLY DON'T DO THAT UNLESS WE'RE GIVEN SPECIFIC DIRECTION TO, BUT I THINK, UM, FOR SOME OF THESE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN INITIATED THAT ARE IN THE BACKLOG, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UM, FOLLOWING THAT APPROACH WHERE WE FEEL IT WOULD RESULT IN AMENDMENTS BEING ABLE TO BE ADOPTED MORE QUICKLY, THAT ARE GONNA MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.
AND AGAIN, WE WON'T DO THAT, UM, WITHOUT, UH, PRIOR CONSULTATION AND GUIDANCE FROM THE MANAGER, BUT I THINK IT'S A, AN APPROACH THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY REINFORCE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH A I S D.
IT ABSOLUTELY IS A PRIORITY AND WE, UH, FULLY SUPPORT A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH A I S D.
I KNOW THE CITY MANAGER HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
I, MYSELF AND OUR TEAM HAVE MET WITH THEIR TEAM.
I KNOW OUR TEAM HAS MET WITH THEM PROBABLY WEEKLY AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, IT REALLY IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF.
AND LIKE YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, MANY PEOPLE ON THE TEAM HAVE SCHOOL, HAVE CHILDREN IN THEIR, IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS.
SO IT'S PRIORITY FOR US AS PARENTS AS WELL.
WELL, I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I I WOULD JUST URGE THE, UH, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THERE, THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS LIMITED RESOURCES, UH, BUT THE, I WOULD JUST URGE THE, THE CONSULTANTS, LIKE I SAID, WE DO IT IN, IN MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE HAVE THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PRE-APPROVED LIST WITH A BUDGETED MONEY READY TO GO WHERE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO KNOCK THIS DESIGN OUT.
AND, AND AGAIN, THERE IT'S TECHNICAL WORK, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A LOT OF, UH, UH, UH, A LOT OF COMPLEXITY, YOU KNOW, AROUND IT.
UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN FARM OUT STUFF, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE SOME OF THE BURDEN OFF OF THE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE, THE SIMPLE ITEMS AND JUST KIND OF CHECK 'EM OFF THE LIST.
I WOULD, UH, REALLY URGE, UH, THE, THE STAFF TO, TO DO THAT CAST MORALES FALTER.
I APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
[01:15:01]
ON THE A I S D INTERLOCAL.UM, AND JUST WANTED TO, TO, UM, FLAG, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE WORKED ON IT WITH US IN 2017, UM, BUT MY OFFICE HAD A RESOLUTION IN 2017 WITH THE PRIOR BOND TO FACILITATE, UM, THAT PROCESS.
IT'S SEPARATE FROM THE ILA, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE EXPEDITED, UM, PROCESS DIRECTION THAT WAS GIVEN IN 2017, WHICH SHOULD STILL HOLD, UM, FOR THIS BOND.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT.
UM, AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UM, JUST FOR THE RECORD FOR, FOR MYSELF, SAY THAT IF I VOTE IN FAVOR OF AN ITEM, UM, THAT IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT AND MY PART FOR, UM, SKIPPING THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, THERE MAY BE THINGS WHERE THE COMMUNITY HAS A LOT TO ADD.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT VALUE ADD OF OUR PROCESS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ON THE RECORD, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, NOT NOT FOR ANYONE ELSE, BUT, BUT IT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME, UM, THAT WE KEEP THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED.
I THINK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN, UH, FOCUSED ON THE LEGISLATURE, UM, AND PERHAPS IS NOT EVEN AWARE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AND PROPOSED AT COUNCIL.
UM, I'LL SAY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL FOR THIS, UH, I THINK VERY PRODUCTIVE BRIEFING.
AND I ALSO THINK I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, UH, WHEN I SAY THAT THE COUNCIL APPRECIATES THE WORK THAT STAFF IS DOING.
AND I THINK COUNCIL ALSO APPRECIATES THAT WE AND YOU HAVE INHERITED SOME, UH, ISSUES INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, LACK OF STAFFING AND HOW THE, HOW THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED PREVIOUSLY THAT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO, TO DO THINGS AND HOW, UH, IT, IT TAKES NOW SOME TIME TO GET UP TO, TO SPEED ON THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UH, FRANKLY, THIS COUNCIL MADE DECISIONS, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT THAT ALLOWED FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO BE CHANGED AND MORE PEOPLE TO BE HIRED IN A NEW PLANNING DIRECTOR AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE INTO, INTO PLAY.
SO, UM, BY THE DEPTH OF THIS DISCUSSION, IT'S CLEAR WHAT PRIORITIES ARE, BUT IT ALSO OUGHT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE APPRECIATE THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF WE HAVE THAT'S HELPING US.
WITH THAT, WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 45 AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
UM, SO COLLEAGUES, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM.
UM, SOME FOR COLLEAGUES, SOME FOR STAFF.
UM, I WANNA START IN THE ORDER OF LEAST IMPORTANCE AND COMPLEXITY IF I MIGHT.
UM, SO, UM, SO FIRST ON LINES 52 AND 53 OF THE RESOLUTION, UH, WOULD REDEFINE TRIGGERING PROP PROPERTY SO THAT THE PROPERTY CONTAINS ONLY RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND IS ZONED SF ONE, SF TWO, SF THREE, SF FOUR A, FOUR B, OR SF FIVE.
I NOTICED THAT NEITHER ARE, ARE NOR LA RESIDENTIAL ZONES ARE INCLUDED, WHICH ARE LESS INTENSIVE SINGLE FAMILY ZONES THAN THE LISTED ZONES, BUT THEY DON'T FALL ON CORRIDORS, UH, WHICH IS WHERE I THINK THIS WAS ADOPTED FROM.
UM, IS THERE A REASON WHY THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED OR WHY THEY COULD NOT BE ADDED AS A TRIGGERING PROPERTY? THE, SO RESIDENTIAL ROW RESIDENTIAL AND LAKE AUSTIN ARE RESIDENTIAL ZONES THAT DON'T FALL ON CORRIDORS.
SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE, UM, THOSE ARE THE RESOLUTION OR THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU WOULD'VE BEEN LOOKING AT BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEVANT FOR ANY OF THE CORRIDORS.
UM, BUT THEY ARE LESS INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL ZONES, UM, THAT ARE NOT LISTED HERE? NO, THERE'S NO REASON IN PARTICULAR THEY WERE LEFT OUT.
UH, HONESTLY, WE'RE WORKING, I THINK MOSTLY OFF OF THE, THE COMPATIBILITY ON CORRIDORS ORDINANCE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO INCLUDING THOSE IN THE LIST OF TRIGGERING PROPERTIES BECAUSE THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SINGLE FAMILY.
UH, THEY'RE NOT SF ZONED IN PARTICULAR, BUT THEY ACCOMPLISH THE, AND SERVE THE, THE SAME PURPOSES.
SO I, I WOULD NOT HAVE ANY, UH, OBJECTION TO ADDING THOSE TO THE TRIGGERING PROPERTIES.
UM, SO IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT IF YOU'RE DOING ANOTHER DRAFT OR IF WE NEED TO DO AMENDMENT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, SO THEN I WANNA MOVE ON TO SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, MORE IMPORTANT FOR ME, UH, WHICH I, WHEN I POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD ABOUT THIS ITEM LAST WEEK, UM, MY PRIMARY QUESTION AND CONCERN WAS THAT THE ITEM DOES NOT SEEM TO INCLUDE ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS.
THIS DEVIATES FROM WHAT COUNCIL APPROVED DURING OUR MOST RECENT COMPATIBILITY CHANGES ON CORRIDOR'S DISCUSSION.
MOST OF THE RELAXATIONS WE APPROVED WERE CONDITIONED ON THE PROVISION OF ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION FOR LAW AND THEN SOME QUESTIONS FOR OUR HOUSING STAFF.
[01:20:06]
GOOD MORNING, MS. LINK.UM, I KNOW THAT YOU SPOKE WITH MY OFFICE, BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF PUBLICLY, UH, TALK ABOUT SOME OF, SOME OF THESE THINGS AS YOU READ THIS.
UM, PROPOSED RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE, ARE ANY OF THESE RELAXATIONS SUBJECT TO ANY TYPE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT? TRI LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT? NO, THERE IS NO DIRECTION IN THE RESOLUTION TO TIE THESE RELAXATIONS TO AFFORDABILITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, WOULD ANY DEVELOPER HAVE TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ACCESS THEIR NEW DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS? NO.
SO FOR ME, THIS IS VERY ALARMING.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO ASK THE AUTHOR AND THE SPONSORS TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THIS ITEM WOULD REMOVE ALL OF THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE WERE INCLUDED IN OUR NEARLY UNANIMOUS ADOPTION OF RELAXING COMPATIBILITY ON CORRIDORS IN DECEMBER.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE NATION, THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN MAKING THEIR, UH, MUNICIPALITIES MORE AFFORDABLE, HAVE, THOSE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE GIVEN BY RIGHT DEVELOPMENT, UH, AUTHORITY, HAVE, HAVE ADDED DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO THEIR, UH, COMMUNITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LOOSENED THEIR ZONING REGULATIONS AND ALLOWED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF MORE HOUSING HAVE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS THAT HAS PRODUCED AFFORDABILITY.
UH, AS FAR AS I KNOW, I CANNOT THINK OF A COMMUNITY THAT HAS ACCESS SUCCESSFULLY, KIND OF AFFORDABLE.
UH, BONUS HAS USED KIND OF AFFORDABILITY BONUSES IN A WAY THAT HAS GENERATED WIDESPREAD AFFORDABILITY.
I THINK THE DISTINCTION HERE IS BETWEEN DO WE WANT MORE SUBSIDIZED UNITS OR DO WE WANT MORE BROAD AFFORDABILITY? BECAUSE THERE IS A HIGH NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS, WHICH BRINGS DOWN THE OVERALL VACANCY RATE, WHICH THEN SOFTENS, UH, THE MARKET AND ALLOWS, UH, RENTERS TO MORE LEVERAGE WHEN NEGOTIATING WITH, UH, THEIR, UH, LANDLORDS, WHICH FORCES LANDLORDS TO DISCOUNT APARTMENTS OR TO DO, YOU KNOW, FIRST MONTH FREE OR TO DO THE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT LANDLORDS DO WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH HOUSING.
UH, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY OF, UH, THE COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT HAVE LIKE A, A PORTLAND, UH, A MINNEAPOLIS, THERE WAS AN EXCELLENT STUDY, WHICH I'LL POST ON THE, UH, THE MESSAGE BOARD WHERE THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LOOSENED THEIR ZONING REGULATIONS HAVE SEEN MUCH LOWER, UH, INCREASES IN THE, UH, RATE OF, OF RENTS AND, AND IN, IN THE, THE, THE COST OF HOUSING THAN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT, UH, INCREASED.
I MEAN, I THINK CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, SAN FRANCISCO AND, AND, AND SAN JOSE AND PARTICULARLY STAND OUT AS COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LOTS OF AFFORDABILITY BONUSES THAT HAVE JUST NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN, UH, IN, IN, IN PRODUCING BROAD BASED AFFORDABILITY.
LIKE, YES, YOU PRODUCE AN AFFORDABLE, A SUBSIDIZED UNIT, A HANDFUL OF SUBSIDIZED UNITS, AND THAT'S GREAT FOR THE HANDFUL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO GET INTO THOSE SUBSIDIZED UNITS.
BUT WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE? THOSE FOLKS THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE SUBSIDIZED UNITS, THEY'RE FACING A MARKET THAT DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING, WHERE YOU REALLY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH EVERYBODY AROUND YOU FOR THAT HOUSING.
UM, I, I WOULD, I GUESS FLIP THE QUESTION AND SAY WHERE HAS THAT APPROACH BEEN SUCCESSFUL? SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND MANY OF THE OTHER, THE REST OF THE NATION AND THOSE STATES IS THAT THOSE STATES ALLOW FOR INCLUSIONARY ZONING, WHICH WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO HERE, UM, IN TEXAS.
AND SO, UM, THAT MEANS THAT OUR LEGAL LANDSCAPE AND THE LANDSCAPE WITHIN WHICH WE ARE OPERATING FOR TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT MINNEAPOLIS, THEY HAVE INCLUSIONARY ZONING, UM, AS PART OF THAT.
UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, I DO WANNA CONTINUE WITH MY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR STAFF, WHICH I THINK, UM, GET ON THE SAME ISSUE OF THE QUESTION THAT YOU RAISED.
UM, SO I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
UM, AND SO JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THE PUBLIC, THE CITY'S STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, UH, WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN I THINK 2017.
IT'S A 10 YEAR PLAN TO HELP ALIGN RESOURCES AND FACILITATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AROUND A SINGLE STRATEGIC VISION TO CREATE 60,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS FOR THOSE MAKING LESS THAN 80% OF MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND ENSURE THAT THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, I THINK IT WAS ADOPTED NEARLY UNANIMOUSLY WITH ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER CLAIR, UM, BEING THE EXCEPTION.
AND IT IS, YOU KNOW, STILL THE GUIDE FOR A LOT OF OUR DECISION MAKING.
SO, ROSIE, DO YOU RECALL WHAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS FOR DISTRICT 10 ARE? I DON'T,
[01:25:01]
OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.SO I BELIEVE THAT OUR GOALS ARE THE CREATION OF 8,456 INCOME RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE UNITS.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? THAT'S REASONABLE.
AND OUR CITY GOAL WIDE GOAL IS 60,000.
UM, SO ROSIE, THE, THE, THE BLUEPRINT HAS A MYRIAD OF STRATEGIES.
WHICH STRATEGIES DO STAFF BELIEVE WOULD BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WAY TO CREATE INCOME RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE UNITS IN DISTRICT 10? FOR DISTRICT 10? I THINK ONE OF THE, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN, THAT I THINK WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE THAT, UM, WOULD START WITH, UH, POTENTIAL LAND ACQUISITION TO HELP, UH, ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BUILD INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS IN THAT, UH, RECOGNIZING THE, THE BASE LAND COSTS IN DISTRICT 10 IS, IS HIGH, AND THAT'S, UH, A BIG COST DRIVER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS.
SO ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES THOUGH THAT WOULD GET YOU TO 8,000 IN DISTRICT 10? I'M NOT SURE.
I MEAN, WE, I, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE VERY LOW ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF D 10 GOALS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE CHANGES IN, IN LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
I THINK INCREASING OUR ABILITY TO, UH, HAVE HIGHER DENSITY IN THAT AREA WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL.
UH, I WOULD WELCOME IF RACHEL TEPPER, WHO IS OUR, OUR PLANNER PRINCIPAL OVER HOUSING POLICY HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS IN THAT REALM AS WELL.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT WE ARE WORKING ON A STUDY THAT WAS INITIATED, UM, BY, UH, WHEN THE ORDINANCE FOR COMPATIBILITY ON QUARTERS WAS ADOPTED, UM, TO SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT GOALS AND CITYWIDE COMPATIBILITY TO LOOK AT THE VERY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR HOW TO ADVANCE THOSE GOALS, UM, IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY.
AND THAT STUDY WILL BE OUT IN JULY.
CAN YOU CREATE 8,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS THROUGH LAND ACQUISITIONS? NO.
SO NOW I THINK THE BLUEPRINT ALSO SETS THE GOAL THAT AT LEAST 25% OF NEW INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHOULD BE IN MODERATE TO HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS.
UM, SO IF THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW INCLUSIONARY ZONING, WOULD IT STAND A REASON THAT THE TWO PRIMARY WAYS THAT WE COULD CREATE INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DISTRICT 10 OR HO OTHER HIGH MODERATE OPPORTUNITY AREAS WOULD BE THROUGH PUBLIC INVESTMENT, AS YOU SUGGESTED IN, YOU KNOW, LAND ACQUISITION OR IN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS? I THINK THAT'S REASONABLE.
I, I WOULD ALSO WANNA CONT TO, TO SAY WHEN WE DID ADOPT THOSE GOALS FOR THE STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN BACK IN 2016, WE DID RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE WERE, UM, HIGHLY ASPIRATIONAL GOALS.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THE COUNCIL THAT WAS SEATED AT THE TIME.
UM, WHEN WE IDENTIFIED THE 60,000 UNIT GOAL IN 2016, WE IDENTIFIED IT AS AN 11 BILLION NEED, UH, IN 20 $16.
SO THAT'S CLEARLY, UM, MUCH MORE NOW.
AND, UM, AND WE'RE NOT, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETELY ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH JUST DIRECT CITY OF AUSTIN SUBSIDY.
THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, A MYRIAD OF PARTNERS COMING TO THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, WELL BEYOND WHAT WE AT AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AND THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN COULD ACCOMPLISH.
YES, IT WAS DEFINITELY HIGHLY ASPIRATIONAL.
UM, SO OUR BLUEPRINT SET A GOAL THAT 70% OF NEW HOUSING UNITS SHOULD BE CREATED WITHIN A HALF A MILE OF IMAGINE AUSTIN CENTERS AND CORRIDORS.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? UM, AND OUR BLUEPRINT ALSO CREATES THE GOAL THAT, UM, 25% OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHOULD BE CREATED OR PRESERVED TO BE WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSIT.
AND THAT'S 75% OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREATED OR PRESERVED WITHIN THREE QUARTERS MILE OF LOCAL FIXED ROUTE TRANSIT SERVICE, ENSURING METRO ACCESS SERVICE FOR ELIGIBLE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, SO YOU CANNOT, I KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE WOULD IMAGINE THAT WE WOULD CREATE THESE AFFORDABLE UNITS, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH AND MODERATE OPPORTUNITY AREAS WITHOUT USING A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND IF WE DO AGREE THAT DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE PART OF OUR TOOLKIT TO OBTAIN INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS, WHY WOULD WE ZERO OUT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF AN INCREASE IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AS SIGNIFICANT AS THIS ITEM CONTEMPLATES? WE MIGHT DEBATE THAT WE NEED TO CALIBRATE THESE PROGRAMS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THIS ACTION ELIMINATES AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS WHOLESALE, THE WAY I SEE IT.
WE CAN HAVE A DEBATE ABOUT HOW MUCH WE WANNA RELAX COMPATIBILITY AND WHAT WE WANT THE DISTANCE TO BE OR THE HEIGHT LIMITS TO BE.
BUT IF WE WANT TO REDUCE IT THIS DRASTICALLY WITHOUT REQUIRING ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I THINK THAT'S A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
WHEN WE DISCUSS ITEM 40 IN A LITTLE BIT, IT SEEMS INTERESTING TO ME THAT WE ARE WALKING AWAY FROM A MODEL WHERE WE HAVE SEEN SOME DEGREE OF SUCCESS RELAXING REQUIREMENTS ON MULTI-FAMILY CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT WITH AN AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT AT THE SAME WEEK THAT WE ARE TRYING TO CRAFT A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WITHIN SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
ITEM 40 SEEMS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AN INCREASE IN ENTITLEMENTS CAN BE CALIBRATED TO CAPTURE MUCH NEEDED INCOME, RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE HOUSING,
[01:30:01]
AND YET WE ARE WALKING AWAY FROM THE MODEL IN THE MULTI-FAMILY, UM, SITUATION.MY CONCERNS, I WANNA BE CLEAR, AREN'T, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE WE NEED TO BE ATTENTIVE TO MARKET RATE HOUSING SUPPLY, MULTIPLE ACTIONS ARE BEING INITIATED TO INCREASE MARKET RATE HOUSING SUPPLY.
UM, I CO-AUTHORED ALONG WITH MAYOR ADLER, AN ITEM TO ALLOW RESIDENTIAL USE WITHIN MOST OF OUR COMMERCIAL ZONES SUBJECT TO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT THAT WAS PART OF THE DRAFT CODE NEXT THAT HAD BEEN CALCULATED TO BE THE SINGLE LARGEST INCREASE IN HOUSING SUPPLY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS ALSO ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.
I HOPE THAT THAT POLICY CHANGE WON'T BE THE NEXT THING TO HAVE ITS AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT REMOVED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS THIS IS DRAFTED, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM ON THURSDAY.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE COMBINATION OF THE ENTITLEMENTS THAT WE'RE CHANGING IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO SECURE AFFORDABILITY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE DON'T GET TO REQUIRE THE 10% AFFORDABLE THAT MOST OTHER STATES ALLOW, THAT TEXAS DOES NOT ALLOW.
UM, AND I THINK THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO BOTH, BUT YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU, IF WE DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS OUR SITUATION AND WHERE WE ARE IN AUSTIN, UM, WE WILL NEVER GET TO THE 60,000, UM, AFFORDABLE UNIT GOAL.
UM, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO DOWN ANOTHER TANGENT, WHICH I COULD ABOUT WHY WE HAD 60,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS AND 75,000 MARKET RATE UNITS BECAUSE WE USED THE MSA GROWTH RATE, WHICH IS NOT THE GROWTH RATE.
AND THAT MEANT THAT WE ARE NOW FOCUSING ON THE MARKET RATE INSTEAD OF THOSE AFFORDABLE UNITS WHERE WE ALL AGREE WE NEED THOSE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST REALLY, REALLY FEEL THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE THROWING OUT OUR AFFORDABILITY, UM, REQUIREMENTS AS WE PROVIDE THESE ENTITLEMENTS.
SO LEMME MAKE JUST A, A FEW POINTS IN RESPONSE.
FIRST OF ALL, STAFF DID NOT SUPPORT THE COMPATIBILITY ON CORRIDOR'S APPROACH.
UH, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS, UH, TOO COMPLEX AND IT WAS UNCLEAR WHAT ITS EFFECT WAS GOING TO BE.
AND STAFF, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, HAS THERE BEEN AN APPLICANT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE COMPATIBILITY ON QUARTERS BONUS PROGRAM IN THE SIX MONTHS SINCE IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT? IN OTHER WORDS, HAS ONE SINGLE PERSON TRIED TO USE THAT BONUS PROGRAM? AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A VMU PROJECT THAT ALSO KIND OF QUALIFIED FOR THE COMPATIBILITY WAIVER BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO EXCLUSIVELY SAID, I JUST WANT TO USE THE COMPATIBILITY ON QUARTER'S BONUS PROGRAM.
I, I THINK, UM, FROM WHAT, UH, THE INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING JUST TOLD ME, I THINK WE DO HAVE ONE POTENTIAL, UH, APPLICANT WHO'S INTERESTED IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE COMPATIBILITY ON QUARTERS.
UH, AND THAT'S JUST THE ANECDOTAL QUICK CONVERSATION HERE IN THE ROOM.
SO I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT AUSTIN'S COMPATIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY RULES ARE SO FAR OUT OF SYNC WITH EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE NATION WITH EVERY OTHER CITY IN TEXAS, THEY HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE BARRIERS TO CREATING HOUSING AND THE TYPE OF HOUSING THAT THEY ARE A BARRIER TO IS RENTAL HOUSING AND POOR PEOPLE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE IN AUSTIN RENT.
AND THAT IS WHAT COMPATIBILITY IS DOING.
IT IS TAKING, YOU KNOW, A 200 UNIT COMPLEX THAT'S GONNA GO UP ON, ON BURN IT AND TURNING IT INTO A 130 UNIT COMPLEX BECAUSE OF THE COMPATIBILITY FORCE FIELD THAT'S COMING FROM THE HOUSE.
THOSE ARE THE PROBLEMS. ON THE CONTRARY, UH, GETTING RID OF THE, UH, OF COMPATIBILITY, REDUCING COMPATIBILITY DOES NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA HURT, UH, SUBSIDIZED UNITS.
VM U I THINK, AND AGAIN, PLEASE STAFF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I THINK WE'VE GENERATED ABOUT 600, UH, AFFORDABLE UNITS THROUGH, UH, THE, UH, V M U PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I'D HAVE TO VERIFY THOSE NUMBERS AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NO PROBLEM IF IT WASN'T FOR COMPATIBILITY, FORCING THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN THOSE V M U DEVELOPMENTS DOWN, YOU KNOW, THAT NUMBER COULD BE 900, THAT NUMBER COULD BE A THOUSAND.
THE IMPACT OF OUR COM, UH, RES UH, COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL IS QUASHING THE IMPACT OF, UH, V M U.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR MOST, UH, SUCCESSFUL, UH, UH, PROGRAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, CREATING SUBSIDIZED UNITS.
I MEAN, AGAIN, LOOK AT THE, THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY, WHICH IS ALMOST COMPLETELY IMMUNE TO ANY I IS, IS COMPATIBILITY, IN FACT, I THINK IS SPECIFICALLY EXEMPTED FROM, UH, FROM U N O IS, IS THAT RIGHT? I BELIEVE THAT'S CORRECT.
SO AGAIN, COMPATIBILITY AND, AND I WILL SAY A AS A AS KIND OF JUST A, A A A FINAL POINT, COMPATIBILITY, I DON'T EVEN THINK THERE'S A MAP OF COMPATIBILITY THAT EXISTS OUT THERE.
[01:35:01]
YOU KNOW, YOU BUY YOUR PROPERTY AND IT'S ZONED A CERTAIN WAY, YOU KNOW, YOU BUY THIS PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, ZONED MF TWO, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IF YOU WANT TO COME TO US AND, AND HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UPZONED OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, ABSOLUTELY.YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE SHOULD BE.
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY, UH, IN OUR RIGHTS AND IT'S GOOD POLICY TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU NEED TO PUT SOME, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, UNITS ON THE, ON THE TABLE.
BUT COMPATIBILITY IS SOMETHING THAT ANOTHER PROPERTY, WHICH I'M NOT EVEN AWARE OF, MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT.
SOMETIMES IT AFFECTS A PART OF MY PROPERTY.
SOMETIMES IT AFFECTS, YOU KNOW, HALF OF MY PROPERTY.
SOMETIMES IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE PROPERTY.
BUT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE PURCHASER OF A PROPERTY, THE DEVELOPER OF A PROPERTY THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE PROPERTY, IT'S NOT IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE ENTITLEMENTS.
IT'S SOMETHING KIND OF COMPLETELY SEPARATE AND A PART.
UM, AND I, I JUST THINK THAT THE IDEA OF KIND OF HOLDING DEVELOPMENT HOSTAGE, UH, USING COMPATIBILITY AND TRYING TO KIND OF SQUEEZE OUT A FEW AFFORDABLE UNITS, ULTIMATELY THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET HOUSING, UH, PRODUCED.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REAL WORLD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
I DON'T THINK THERE IS ONE, BECAUSE OUR COMPATIBILITY RULES ARE SO FAR OUT OF LINE WITH EVERY OTHER COMPATIBILITY MEASURE IN THE NATION.
MANY CITIES DON'T EVEN HAVE COMPATIBILITY RULES.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I I COMPLETELY SUPPORT V M U.
I THINK THAT THE, THE COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL WAS A GREAT CHANGE, BUT COMPATIBILITY AND KIND OF FORCING, UM, AFFORDABLE UNITS, UH, UH, WITH COMPATIBILITY IS, IS JUST NOT, UH, A PRODUCTIVE APPROACH.
AND I DO HAVE SOME NUMBERS ON VMU, IF, IF COUNCIL'S INTERESTED.
UM, THIS IS FROM RACHEL'S QUICK RESEARCH.
UH, FROM FEBRUARY OF 2022, WE HAD 29 VMU BUILDINGS COMPLETED.
WE HAD NINE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 18 IN PLANNING AS OF FEBRUARY, 2022, UH, VM U HOUSING UNITS WAS 5,379, UH, COMPLETED WITH 2037 UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 3,992 IN PLANNING INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS AS, UH, AS PART OF THAT WERE 540 COMPLETED WITH 496 UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 404 IN PLANNING.
UM, AND AGAIN, NUMBERS FROM OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND HOW LONG HAS THE VMU PROGRAM BEEN IN PLACE? OOH, DO YOU REMEMBER THAT, TRISH? I DON'T, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHEN THAT WAS.
I, I, I LIKE IT, BUT 900 UNITS OVER AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS IS PEANUTS.
I, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON AFFORDABILITY IN AUSTIN.
WE NEED TO GENERATE MORE UNITS, UH, AND, AND WE ARE DOING BETTER.
I MEAN, WE HAVE OUR HOUSING BONDS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING PROJECTS THAT ARE 50% AFFORDABLE.
BUT I, I, LIKE I SAID, I I THINK JUST FROM A LONG-TERM APPROACH, THE IDEA OF KIND OF SQUEEZING OUT THOSE AFFORDABILITY GAINS WITH, UH, UH, IS, IS NOT GONNA PRODUCE A NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, TO, TO BEND THE CURVE ON, UH, ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN AUSTIN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE MAYOR PRO, TIM GOT JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THOUGHTS.
I APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE AND THIS, AND AS SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS THE SECOND TO LAST DISTRICT IN AFFORDABLE UNITS COMING ONLINE SINCE THE BLUEPRINT WAS HANDLED, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT TOOLS IN PLACE TO GET AFFORDABLE UNITS INTO DISTRICT EIGHT.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON BEEFING UP THE BUS SYSTEM.
THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD ENTRY LEVEL TYPES OF JOBS.
UM, AND WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT RUN THE GAMUT ALL THE WAY FROM, YOU KNOW, NICE HOMES ON THE LAKE DOWN TO MOBILE HOMES IN THE CENTER PART OF THE DISTRICT.
AND THEY STILL HAVE ACCESS TO, TO GOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, EVEN IF THEY'RE LIVING IN FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND REALLY TRYING TO, TO MAKE THEIR START IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I ALWAYS TRY TO REMEMBER THAT THE NEW UNITS FOR RENTAL THAT GET BUILT THIS YEAR WILL NATURALLY BECOME MORE AFFORDABLE AS THE YEARS GO ON AND THERE'S MORE DESIRE FOR NEW UNITS AND THE OLDER UNITS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE RENTS THAT THEY'RE OFFERING.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, KIND OF A MIXED PERSPECTIVES, UM, REPRESENTING A DISTRICT LIKE MINE WHERE I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR FOLKS THAT DESERVE NEW UNITS, THAT ARE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, AND THERE'S THAT LONG-TERM COMMITMENT FOR FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED IT.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW THAT AS OUR HOUSING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES MOVE THROUGH THE YEARS AND REPAIRS HAVE TO BE MADE THAT THERE IS THAT COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABILITY.
IT'S JUST MORE OF A MARKET RATE AFFORDABILITY RATHER THAN ONE THAT THE CITY HAS TO MONITOR AND MANAGE OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION AND I SEE WHERE BOTH OF Y'ALL ARE COMING FROM AND APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM, UM, THAT APPRECIATE THE, THE CON CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION.
WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 40 THAT WAS PULLED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
I, I, I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIM FIRST, AND THEN I'LL COME TO COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER.
[01:40:01]
ACTUALLY PROBABLY LIKE TO DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON TER FIRST.I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN GATHER FROM THE DISCUSSION OVER ITEM 45, I THINK DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS CAN WORK AND CAN HELP US ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO ASK THE AUTHOR, WHICH I THINK IS RYAN ALTER.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU ENVISION THIS PROGRAM WORKING AND WHAT TYPOLOGY OF HOUSING YOU IMAGINE IT WILL CREATE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE FROM A HIGH LEVEL IS TO CREATE AN OWNERSHIP DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS TO BE BUILT WITHOUT A SUBSIDY.
THAT'S THE, THE OVERARCHING GOAL.
I, I THINK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO TRY TO PURCHASE OUR WAY TO AFFORDABILITY, WE JUST, WE CAN'T DO IT.
AND SO WHAT THIS PROGRAM, UH, LOOKS TO DO, AND, AND WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH STAFF ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT WORK, BUT ONE OF THE INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE IS TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT REGIME INSTEAD OF PURELY DRIVEN ON A UNIT COUNT BASIS, BUT INSTEAD SAY THAT WE WANT TO, UM, LOOK ON A, A BEDROOM TYPOLOGY.
SO, SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, THE WAY WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS IS YOU TAKE A LOT AND YOU DIVIDE IT BY A CERTAIN NUMBER, AND THAT WOULD TELL YOU HOW MANY BEDROOMS YOU WERE ALLOWED ON YOUR LOT.
AND THEN YOU WOULD SAY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THOSE NEED TO BE AFFORDABLE, AND THEY HAVE TO GO IN, IN VARIOUS UNITS.
LET'S JUST PICK AROUND NUMBER 50%, FOR INSTANCE.
AND WHAT THE REASON FOR THAT IS YOU ARE INCENTIVIZING THE CREATION OF MORE FAMILY STYLE HOUSING, TWO BEDROOM, THREE BEDROOM, UH, UNITS.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS WHEN WE SAY, OKAY, YOU NEED, YOU HAVE SIX UNITS AND THREE OF 'EM NEED TO BE AFFORDABLE, VERY OFTEN THOSE THREE AFFORDABLE UNITS ARE STUDIOS OR ONE BEDROOMS BECAUSE THAT'S, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FULFILLING, THEY'RE FULFILLING THEIR UNIT REQUIREMENT.
AND SO INSTEAD, IF WE SAID, LET'S SAY YOU GET 10 BEDROOMS, UH, 50% OF 'EM HAVE TO BE AFFORDABLE, AND YOU DECIDE TO DO A, A THREE BEDROOM AND A TWO BEDROOM TO SATISFY THAT.
AND THEN WITH THE OTHERS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DO HOWEVER YOU WANT, WHETHER TWO BEDROOM, ONE BEDROOM, FIVE BEDROOM, HOWEVER, WE WANNA CREATE FLEXIBILITY, BUT WITH THE EYE TOWARD NOT TO CREATING SOMETHING OTHER THAN, UH, WHAT WE'VE TYPICALLY SEEN IN THE, THE SMALLER, UH, ONE BEDROOM OR STUDIO REGIME.
SO, SO THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT, BUT REALLY THE, THE OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT LARGER LOTS CAN SUSTAIN MORE UNITS.
LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, A FOURPLEX COULD BE ON A LARGER LOT THAN, THAN A SMALLER LOT.
AND, AND SO IF WE CREATE THE FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, WITH THE PROPER AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS, WE CAN ACHIEVE, UH, I BELIEVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT OUR CURRENT BONUS PROGRAMS PROVIDE.
SO WHAT ENTITLEMENTS WOULD YOU BE GRANTING THEM IN EXCHANGE FOR THE AFFORDABLE? SO IT'D BE A COUPLE, COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WAVING THE UNIT CAP.
SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE ON AN SF THREE LOT WHERE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ALLOWED, UH, TWO UNITS, UH, IF THIS WAS A, A LARGER LOT AND YOU COULD HAVE, LIKE I SAID, A FOURPLEX THERE MAYBE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, NUMBER TWO, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, MCMANSION TINT ASPECTS AND MAKING IT, UH, EASIER TO, TO DEVELOP THERE.
UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER RESTRICTIONS, UM, LOOKING KIND OF AT AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED TO SEE WHAT, WHAT RE WHAT, UM, ENTITLEMENTS WERE RELAXED THERE, WHETHER IT BE, OR I SHOULD SAY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, UH, SETBACKS, HEIGHT, UM, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
WE, WHAT THE IDEA IS FOR THIS TO FIT WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD THOUGH.
SO I'M NOT LOOKING TO TRY TO ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, UM, THAT IS, IS DIFFERENT IN STYLE THAN THAN WHAT YOU SEE THROUGHOUT.
IT MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY CLOSER TOGETHER, BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT A A FIVE STORY HOUSE.
I DON'T, I'VE NEVER SEEN A FIVE STORY HOUSE, BUT, UH,
UM, IT, IT'S ALL WITHIN REASON.
THE IDEA IS TO HAVE THIS BE SOMETHING THAT IS UTILIZED THROUGHOUT THE CITY
[01:45:01]
IN A CON, IN A, IN A MANNER THAT IS, UM, UH, FLEXIBLE SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST KIND OF ONE SIZE FITS ALL EVERYWHERE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T WORK THE SAME IN DISTRICT 10 AND DISTRICT FIVE AND DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, DIFFERENT NEEDS AND, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE APPROACH.SO I, I WANNA THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID, AND, AND I MAY HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU ON THURSDAY.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE HOW YOU SEE THIS ITEM WORKING IN CONCERT WITH ITEM 45 AND HOW YOU RECONCILE A SCENARIO WHERE IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO CREATE A SINGLE FAMILY DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IN TANDEM WITH WALKING AWAY FROM A MULTI-FAMILY DENSITY PROGRAM? YES.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THEY WILL WORK KIND OF HAND IN GLOVE IN A COUPLE WAYS.
ONE, UM, THIS IS SOLELY FOCUSED ON, I, I'M SORRY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU SAID 45.
I WAS THINKING OF COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ITEMS, LET ME BACK UP.
HOW THIS WILL WORK IN TANDEM WITH ITEM 45.
I BELIEVE THAT WHAT ITEM 45 LOOKS TO DO WOULD HAVE ALMOST NO IMPACTS ON THIS BECAUSE THESE ARE IN, UH, OUR SF ZONES AND ITEM 45 SPECIFICALLY EXEMPTS OUR SF ZONES SF SIX BEING THE, THE ONE AREA OF DIFFERENCE.
SO, UH, THEY WHOLLY ARE NOT, UH, IMPACTING EACH OTHER.
ALSO IN TERMS OF HEIGHT, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE SEE, LET'S USE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED AS AN EXAMPLE WHERE YOU'RE ALLOWED EITHER 25% OR 50% INCREASE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ON, YOU KNOW, AN ONCE GOING, ONCE AGAIN WITH AN SF THREE LOT 35 FEET, SO YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN THE, IN THE 40 FEET REALM.
UH, AS WE TALK ABOUT COMPATIBILITY, THERE IS A COMPATIBILITY WAIVER WITHIN BUILT INTO THAT.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO MY POINT EARLIER, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO GO SUPER HIGH.
SO IF I PERSONALLY THINK 25% WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MAXIMUM NECESSARY, UM, AND NOT EVEN ALTOGETHER UTILIZED WHEN WE'VE SEEN FOR A LOT OF THE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED PROGRAMS, IT'S TOWNHOUSE STYLE THAT TYPICALLY REACH ABOUT 40 FEET.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN GET TO I THINK 25% BONUSES, 43.75, UM, BUT I DON'T SEE COMPATIBILITY RUNNING INTO THIS ITEM AS IT WOULD WITH LIKE A, A LARGE 200 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON.
IT'S, THIS IS MORE, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING OR, OR TOWNHOUSE STYLE OR DETACHED UNITS THAT, THAT TYPE OF PRODUCT.
SO LET ME, UM, RESTATE THE SECOND QUESTION IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO IF YOU BELIEVE A DENSITY PROGRAM, BONUS PROGRAM WILL WORK IN A SINGLE FAMILY AREA, WHY CAN'T IT WORK IN A MULTI-FAMILY AREA? IT CAN, I DON'T, I I, WHAT WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP WITH THE ITEM 40 IS GIVING ME SOMETHING TO CHEW ON.
I'M, I'M THINKING REAL HARD OVER HERE ABOUT WHAT THE APPROPRIATE PATH FORWARD IS.
SO I, YOU'RE, I, I THINK DENSITY BONUSES ARE GREAT.
I THINK THEY'RE A HUGE TOOL FOR US.
UH, AND I THINK THEY REALLY INFORM KIND OF A LARGER QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ANSWER AS A BODY IN TERMS OF WHEN WE UTILIZE THESE BONUSES, DO WE ALWAYS AIM FOR THE MOST AFFORDABLE IN TERMS OF MFI, BUT FEWER UNITS? OR DO WE WANT MORE UNITS BUT NOT QUITE AS AFFORDABLE? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO THINK IN THESE DEVELOPMENT BONUS PROGRAM OR THE AFFORDABILITY, OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. EXCUSE ME.
UM, BUT I DO THINK IT'S WORTH THINKING ABOUT THAT AND I'M, I'M ACTIVELY THINKING ABOUT IT, SO.
WELL, WELL, I'M GLAD THAT PLANTED A SEED.
UM, AND I WANNA JUST CLARIFY THAT I AM SUPPORTIVE OF COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ITEM RELATED TO THE THIRD TIER FOR AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
I THINK THAT WAS A PROGRAM THAT WE ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY IT HAS BEEN WORKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE GIVE AWAY ON ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, THE LESS THAT WORKS, UM, BECAUSE THE LAND COSTS WILL GO UP ELSEWHERE.
AND IT'S JUST, THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE PIECES OF PUZZLE THAT WORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
IF, IF YOU GO BEYOND JUST SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS THE WAY THAT, THE LENS THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT THIS FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT AND YOU TAKE THE, THE BROADER VIEW, UM, WE, WE DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF WHEN WE MOVE ONE PIECE, WHAT HAPPENS AND, AND, AND WHAT LEVERS WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET THE AFFORDABILITY, UM, BEYOND SUBSIDIZING.
AND IN THIS ITEM, I WORKED WITH COUNCIL FRONT, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES TO LIKE A, WAS AT THE BEGINNING, I THINK WORK HAND IN GLOVE, UM, THAT AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED IS A UNIT DRIVEN PROGRAM.
[01:50:01]
AND SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA HELP, UH, INFORM WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO ACHIEVE, UH, THE AFFORDABILITY LEVELS, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF UNITS, BUT THE TYPE OF UNITS.AND SO THE HOPE IS THAT WE ARE BOTH ABLE TO CREATE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW FOR NON-SUBSIDIZED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND LET'S SEE IF, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOMES THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT BONUSES.
SO THAT'S, UH, I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THEY GO.
MAYOR
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE ARE CONTEMPLATED TO BE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE DENSITY BONUS, UH, PORTION OF WHERE WE STARTED TODAY, AND WHICH I THINK IS CRITICAL BECAUSE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IN THESE BONUS PROGRAMS, WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT, AND HOW WE CAN MAXIMIZE, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN TERMS OF OUR PORTABILITY GOALS.
SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR PRO, TIM.
UH, I'LL GO TO ITEM 41 THAT WAS PULLED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
AND I JUST HAD SOME GENERAL HIGH LEVEL QUESTIONS SINCE I'M NOT IN THE SUB CORUM.
UM, BUT I SEE WE WANTED TO END UP SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE GEOGRAPHY BASED BONUS PROGRAMS, UM, BUT NOT QUITE TO THE TIER ONE AND TIER TWO THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
SO I JUST WASN'T SURE IF THERE WAS A SPECIFIC TARGET WE WERE TRYING TO HIT OR IF STAFF, UM, HAD KIND OF IDENTIFIED ANYTHING WITH YOUR TEAM ABOUT HERE'S A RANGE THAT WE EXPECT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET TO IN, UM, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE, THE HEIGHT THAT WOULD GO WITH IT.
AND IN THAT CALIBRATION OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AFFORDABILITY LEVEL, WE ARE GONNA LEAVE UP THE STAFF TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE THE RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT AT MINIMUM IT'S GONNA BE 10% AND THEN THE MAXIMUM WOULD BE 50%, WHICH IS THE STANDARD FOR AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, UH, LEVELS ONE AND TWO.
SO IT'S GONNA LAND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 TO 50%.
AND THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL WHEN, UM, WHEN WE GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, AND I THINK YOU HAVE MADE THE LIST FOR US BEFORE, UM, AND CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE THOSE THRESHOLDS ARE.
I KNOW WITH VMU TWO, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, WE LANDED ON THE, YOU KNOW, THAT SECOND TIER OF VMU BEING 12% AFFORDABILITY.
AND SO I JUST WAS KIND OF TRYING TO JOG MY MEMORY ON, IS IT BETWEEN 10 AND 50, 12 AND 50? IS THERE ANOTHER NUMBER IN A DIFFERENT DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE THE NEW FLOOR IF IT'S NOT 12%? I, I THINK FOR AS COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES SAID, WE'LL, LOOK AT THIS.
IT'S GOOD TO LOOK AT EACH OF THESE IN AS WE'RE CALIBRATING IN THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR OWN, UM, STRUCTURAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL YOU A DIFFERENT NUMBER BETWEEN, BUT I THINK BETWEEN 10 AND 50, THE GOAL HERE BEING, OF COURSE TO INCENTIVIZE FOLKS TO COME, UH, AND PRODUCE AFFORDABLE UNITS WITHOUT COMING TO US FOR SUBSIDY.
AND SO WE'LL BE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND, AND I'M HAPPY TO RECIRCULATE THE VERY SUBSTANTIAL LIST OF DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE IN PLACE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I, I KNEW I HAD SEEN ONE ALONG THE WAY.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE ALSO HAD CONVERSATIONS JUST ABOUT RECALIBRATING THE PROGRAMS AND REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH ONES ARE FUNCTIONING WELL, WHICH ONES ARE BEING USED.
I KNOW IN THE PREVIOUS ITEMS THAT WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT, WE'VE ASKED ABOUT WHO'S ACTUALLY COMING AND APPLYING FOR THIS AND HOW MANY UNITS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING, YOU KNOW, KEYS INDOORS SO PEOPLE CAN UTILIZE THEM.
AND THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE, THE OVERALL CODE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD THAT STARTED THE MORNING.
UM, YOU'LL SEE A LINE ON THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT DOING THAT COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. WE HAVE MANY AND SOME ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS, AND WE WANNA HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND, AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT MAKES THEM SUCCESSFUL, WHAT MAKES THEM NOT, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT ARE GOING INTO THERE.
AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO, UH, RECOMMEND SOME POTENTIAL CODE CHANGES AS A RESULT OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, CONSOLIDATE, DO THINGS SMARTER, HAVE THINGS BE MORE ADMINISTRATIVELY EASY RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR EVERY DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WE HAVE, WE HAVE PROBABLY A DIFFERENT CALIBRATION, UM, CALCULATION.
UH, THERE'S DIFFERENT RULES ABOUT THEM.
SOME OF THEM HAVE FEE AND LOO, SOME DON'T.
SOME HAVE FEE AND LOO THAT I CAN APPROVE.
SOME HAVE FEE AND LOO THAT COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE.
IT'S VERY BURDENSOME ADMINISTRATIVELY BASED ON HOW THEY'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF COBBLED TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE ANALYSIS THAT I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO UNDERTAKE, IS TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE AND HOW CAN WE DO THIS IN A WAY THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND, UM, AND CAPITALIZE ON THOSE.
[01:55:01]
LOOK LIKE SOMETIMES BEHIND THE SCENES WHEN STAFF TAKES THESE, THESE DIFFERENT, UM, PRIORITIES OF OURS AND TAKES THEM, TRIES TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE 'EM ALL WORK TOGETHER? LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, JIGSAW PUZZLE.HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE CHANGING ONE THING, THAT WE'RE NOT INADVERTENTLY, UM, MAKING ANOTHER ONE LESS USEFUL OR LESS, UH, POPULAR? UM, AND SO I, I THINK THIS IS A DIAS THAT REALLY WANTS TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND TRY TO CLEAN UP ANY CONFUSION ALONG THE WAY.
I KNOW IN THE PAST YEARS WE'VE SAID IF THERE'S ANY CONFLICTS OR ANY AREAS THAT ARE UNCLEAR, WHERE AS STAFF IS TRYING TO LOOK AT OUR DIRECTION AND WHAT WE APPROVE, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TRY TO HASH IT OUT OURSELVES AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, UP OR DOWN VOTES ON WHICH ONE'S GONNA TRIUMPH AND WHICH ONE'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE MORE USEFUL.
BUT I, I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE TO TRY TO SORT OUT, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS CUZ I CAN'T REMEMBER THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AS I'M EVALUATING, UH, THE PROPOSALS THAT MY COLLEAGUES BRING THAT I KNOW WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY RIGHT SIZE IT TO MAKE SURE IT CAN BE USEFUL.
I THINK THERE, THERE ARE MORE THAN I HAVE FINGERS AND TOES AND SO I CAN'T EVEN COUNT THEM ALL.
UM, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS IN, IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER POOLED.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
MAYOR, I HAVE THIS QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOR CITY MANAGER, IF IT'S FOR ROSIE, BUT THE FIRST BE IT RESOLVED MENTIONS THAT IT'S GOING TO POTENTIALLY ESTABLISH DAYS WHEN ZONINGS WILL BE ACCEPT ZONING APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED, AND THE NUMBER OF ZONING APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED PER DAY.
AND I'M JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THAT POTENTIAL LIMITATION.
WHAT'S ENVISIONED THERE? ARE WE SAYING THAT YOU CAN ONLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, 20 ZONING APPLICATIONS PER MONTH AND THEN IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NUMBER 21, YOU GOTTA WAIT TILL THE NEXT MONTH? OR WHAT, WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S OUR THOUGHT IN HOW THIS WILL LOOK? GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
LAUREN MIDDLETON PRATT, PLANNING DIRECTOR.
SO THE GUIDANCE THAT STAFF IS LOOKING FOR IS ONE TO ALLOW FOR MORE PREDICTABILITY FOR STAFF.
RIGHT NOW, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE ARE SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS WE HAVE SOME STAFF WHO HAVE 60 ZONING CASES, SOME WHO HAVE 40, SOME WHO HAVE 25.
IN A NORMAL LANDSCAPE, A GOOD CASELOAD WOULD BE ABOUT 25 ZONING CASES.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS MORE OF AN INTERNAL PROCESS WHERE DSD RECEIVES THE ZONING APPLICATION AND THEN THEY SEND IT OVER TO STAFF.
AND SO IF YOU PICK A PARTICULAR DAY, LET'S SAY MONDAY, THAT ALLOWS THE, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT ON MONDAYS, STAFF WILL THEN RECALIBRATE, PRIORITIZE THEIR CASELOAD AND DO WHAT WHAT YOU WILL CALL AN INTAKE PROCESS ON MONDAY THAT DEVELOPERS COULD APPLY OR SUBMIT AN APPLICATION MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IF THEY WANT TO.
BUT ON MONDAY, STAFF WOULD DO THAT INTERNAL INTAKE PROCESS WHERE WE WOULD THEN PRIORITIZE OUR CASELOAD FOR THAT DAY.
IN TERMS OF HOW MANY WE WOULD RECEIVE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE STILL DISCUSSING WITH LEGAL, MAYBE IT'S FIVE, MAYBE IT'S 10 RIGHT NOW.
THE, THE SUBMISSION, UM, CASELOAD IS NOT AS HEAVY AS IT WAS IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
AND SO WE MIGHT SEE FIVE APPLICATIONS COMING IN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
BUT ONCE WE GET TO THOSE HIGH SUBMISSION MONTHS WHEN WE'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, 10 20, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO SAY, OKAY, EVERY MONDAY WE'RE GOING TO ACCEPT 10 APPLICATIONS.
AND SO THIS, THIS RESOLUTION IS MORE OF A, UM, I WOULD CALL IT A, A SAFETY NET FOR STAFF.
IT WOULD BE, UM, IT WOULD ALLOW US SOME TIME TO PROVIDE, AGAIN WHAT I SAID, PREDICTABILITY FOR STAFF.
THIS IS NOT, UM, A RESOLUTION TO HOLD UP DEVELOPMENT.
WE DON'T WANNA SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS.
WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME REGULARITY ON THE CASELOAD THAT WE'RE SEEING.
AND A, AS WE LOOK TO ADMINISTER THIS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, FUNCTIONALLY SPEAKING, IF WE HAD 50 50 APPLICATIONS COME IN YEAH.
AND ONLY 10 OF THEM CAN REALLY BE DOLED OUT TO STAFF AND THE OTHER 40 ARE JUST SITTING IN THE QUEUE, UH, VERSUS SAYING TO THOSE OTHER 40, WELL, YOU NEED TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK TO APPLY CUZ YOU WEREN'T.
I FEAR THAT IT POTENTIALLY CREATES A BIAS TOWARD THOSE WHO ARE THE REGULARS.
[02:00:01]
SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE CONSCIOUS OF THAT FOR SURE.AND, AND I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT JUST WANT TO VOICE THAT AS WE LOOK TOWARDS ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER? LAYLA, I, I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF RESOURCES AND THE, THE LIMITATIONS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION WE'RE IN BECAUSE OUR CODE DATES IN 1984 AND IT'S NOT REALLY REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE CURRENT NEEDS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO I THINK AS A CONSEQUENCE, WE HAVE A TON OF REZONING APPLICATIONS MM-HMM.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE SAYING LIKE, WE ALSO CAN'T HANDLE THE, THE VOLUME OF REZONING, YOU KNOW, SO, SO SOMETHING'S GOT TO, TO GIVE ON THERE.
UM, I I I'M GONNA HAVE TO MULL IT OVER HONESTLY AND, AND, AND, AND SEE WHERE WE ARE ON THAT.
BUT IT, IT JUST, IT, IT CONCERNS ME.
IT'S JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE TRAPPED A LITTLE BIT ON, UH, ON THE HOUSING FRONT.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED THAT NEW HOUSING, UH, AND WE NEED IT, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY.
UH, BUT, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO CRANK OUT THE, THE PERMITS AND THE REZONING.
AND AGAIN, I'M JUST KIND OF THOUGHTS IN GENERAL.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THAT? HOW DO YOU, HOW ARE YOU SEEING KIND OF TRYING TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE BALANCE? I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN AND, UM, I, I IPL I JOKE WITH STAFF, YOU KNOW, BEING ON, THIS IS MY 35TH DAY
BUT WHAT I SAW, UM, ON MAY ONE IS THAT THERE'S, WE HAVE AWESOME STAFF AND THEY ARE CRANKING AWAY AS HU AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT I AND THE REST OF THE, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP TEAM WANT TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, IT IS EVERYONE'S INTENTION TO GET ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TIGHTROPE MM-HMM.
AND SO THERE'S NO INTENTION OF US TO SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS.
BUT IF, IF WE ARE ALLOWED THE, THE CAPABILITY OF ONE HIRING A THIRD PARTY, UH, CONSULTANT, WHICH I'M CURRENTLY IN, THE PROCESSES OF SPEAKING WITH THE PROCUREMENT AND PURCHASING OFFICE TO SECURE, TO SECURE A CONTRACTOR THROUGH A LIMITED COMPETITIVE PROCESS WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY THREE OR MORE, UM, CONSULTANTS TO BID ON THE PROJECT, GET IT EXPEDITIOUSLY APPROVED, AND THEN HAVE SOMEONE COME IN TO TAKE OVER THAT FOUR MONTH BACKLOG THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT WILL THEN FREE UP EXISTING STAFF TO FOCUS ON THOSE TYPICAL, UM, APPLICANTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH.
AND SO WE, WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE NEED OF LET'S GET IT DONE MM-HMM.
AND SO HIRING THE THIRD PARTY AS WELL AS FILLING THE VACANCIES.
RIGHT NOW WE WITH, UH, A TYPICAL LANDSCAPE OF LOTS OF APPLICATIONS AND A FULL STAFF, WE COULD GET IT DONE REGULARLY.
UM, OTHER CITIES, PEER CITIES OUR SIZE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 PLANNING STAFF RIGHT NOW WE'RE OPERATING AT FOUR.
AND SO WITH THE ABILITY TO FILL THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE, FILL THE UNMET NEEDS THAT WE HAVE DUE TO THE DECOUPLING OF THE TWO DEPARTMENTS, WE SHOULD GET THERE.
BUT AGAIN, THIS RESOLUTION IS JUST A SAFETY NET.
AND, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, AGAIN, SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUILDERS AND THE, THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, UH, UH, UH, I KNOW THIS, UH, ONE GENTLEMAN ALWAYS, UH, JOKES ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE A 12,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT AND YOU KNOW, YOU DRAW A LINE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT TO CREATE TWO 6,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS, AND THAT TAKES ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN A YEAR OF TIME.
UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE I THINK COUNCIL AND OUR POLICIES YES.
COULD MAKE THAT A SIMPLER, EASIER PROCESS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK ABOUT IN A NUMBER OF THE ZONING CASES, OBVIOUSLY Y'ALL HAVE VERY COMPLEX REZONINGS THAT ARE PUDS AND, AND YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT KIND OF, UH, PROJECTS LIKE THAT, BRODY OAKS, UH, AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER WORLD OF MUCH SIMPLER, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHTFORWARD REZONINGS.
AND, AND THAT'S HONESTLY WHERE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, FROM A COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE, FROM A, YOU KNOW, RULE CHANGE PERSPECTIVE TO MAKE THOSE REZONINGS, WHICH WE KNOW ARE GONNA GET DONE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO, UH, UH, UNDER, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LAW AND THE CODE.
LET'S JUST GET THOSE IN AND OUT AS QUICKLY AS AN AND AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE FROM STAFF, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT Y'ALL ARE IDENTIFYING AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS PROCESS IS, IS UNNECESSARY, OR THIS PROCESS IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, DUPLICATIVE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, LET US KNOW.
[02:05:01]
TO, UH, UH, AND AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL IN GENERAL WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP Y'ALL, UH, BY, BY REDUCING THE, THE UNNECESSARY WORKLOAD AND COMPLEXITY WHENEVER POSSIBLE.I THINK, UH, THIS IS LIKE, UH, LAUREN SAID THIS IS KIND OF A, A SAFETY NET.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S TRYING TO BRING SOME WATER TO THIS PROCESS, BUT I WILL SAY, UH, THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY ONCE THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, I GUESS, UH, CONSULTING SERVICE IS DONE, THAT GIVES US A ROADMAP OF HOW DO WE CAN SIMPLIFY THIS PROCESS.
THERE WILL BE A BUNDLE OF CODE AMENDMENT CHANGES THAT WILL NEED TO BE DONE.
AND I PROMISE YOU, WE WILL BE GORING SOME OXES WHEN YOU DO THAT.
AND YOU'LL, AND WE'LL HAVE, UH, SOME PEOPLE COME TELL US WHY WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THOSE ELEMENTS IN THE CODE THAT BASICALLY SLOW US DOWN MM-HMM.
AND WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HELP FROM COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO CUT THROUGH THAT.
I, I I WILL SAY, UH, THAT THERE WAS THIS, WAS IT THE SUCKER REPORT? I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT.
UH, WHICH HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A GREAT PAPERWEIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW,
BUT AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, I DON'T THINK WE EVER IMPLEMENTED, I WAS ON PLANNING COMMISSION AT THE TIME, AND I, I THINK WE IMPLEMENTED VERY, VERY LITTLE, I WOULD SAY OF THE ZUCKER REPORT.
SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, TO THE NEW ZUCKER REPORT, ZUCKER JR.
AND, AND, AND THAT, AND ZUCKER HAS, I THINK, BEEN ABLE TO BE UTILIZED AS KIND OF A BASELINE IN, IN SOMEWHAT IN SOME INSTANCES.
BUT, UM, I, MACKENZIE'S GOING TO HAVE ITS OWN PERSP AND, AND AS THE MANAGERS POINTED OUT, IT'S GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, TO FIX THINGS AND SPEED UP THINGS AS I THINK EVERYBODY PROBABLY AT THIS TABLE HAS PROMISED WOULD HAPPEN.
EXCITED, UH, TO, TO HEAR THAT WHEN WE HAVE A CONFLICT, WE FEEL, WE USUALLY FEEL STRONGLY BOTH WAYS.
MEMBER PRO TIM, ONE LAST IDEA THAT I JUST REMEMBERED AS AS YOU WERE DISCUSSING THIS IS WE HAVE HAD THE CONVERSATION WHEN WE DEVELOP NEW BONUS PROGRAMS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS AND AUTHORIZED AS LONG AS THEY MEET THE CRITERIA AND WHAT QUALIFIES FOR REZONING.
AND SO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BONUS PROGRAMS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION TO COME FROM DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT USUALLY HAMMER OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT A BONUS PROGRAM SO THAT IF YOU CHECK THE BOXES, THEN YOU QUALIFY FOR IT AND IT'S NOT, UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF A REZONING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO COMPLETELY CHANGE ONE USE WITH RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND YOU KNOW, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT GO WITH IT THAT, YOU KNOW, IS A TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
AND SO I THINK IF WE AS A DIAS CAN, CAN HAMMER OUT EXACT THRESHOLDS THAT WE WANT TO BE FOLLOWED, THEN IT GIVES THAT POWER TO STAFF TO SAY, WE KNOW WHAT THE INTENT IS, WE KNOW WHAT THE DIRECTION IS, AND WE FEEL, UM, SUPPORTED IN MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.
THEN I'M GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER BEFORE THIS.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ON THIS ITEM SPECIFICALLY AT THE END.
IF I CAN WRAP UP THIS ITEM? YES.
UM, AND REALLY IT'S THIS ITEM AND JUST THE ITEMS WE DISCUSSED IN GENERAL.
MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU TO GAIN SOME CLARITY ON THE COMMITTEE PROCESS.
SO TAKING TODAY'S CONVERSATION, WHAT IS, HOW IS THE COMMITTEE GONNA BE INTEGRATED? WELL, I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME, BUT THE COM I WAS LOOKING AT THE, THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR TRYING TO GET CLARITY MYSELF ON HOW THAT WAS GOING TO BE UTILIZED.
UM, AND I THINK I'M MORE CONFUSED NOW THAN I WAS AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF WE WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO USE WHAT THE COMMITTEE BROUGHT FORWARD THAT, AND WHAT I THINK THE ANSWERS WERE WHEN I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION EARLIER, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THESE ITEMS WOULD BE SCORED IN SOME WAY ABOUT WHERE THEY WOULD BE IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES, THUS NOT SLIDING UNDER THE DOOR IN ADVANCE OF OTHERS AND NOT, UH, BEING, UH, AD HOC BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE PART OF AN OVERALL PROCESS.
BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT BEEN THE WAY THE DISCUSSION HAS GONE.
AND SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I'M GOING TO ASK THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
BY THE WAY, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE IS ALSO ON, UH, SHE'S ON VIRTUALLY.
AND IF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HARBOR MADISON, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, CHIME IN HERE, FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW, BUT I'LL RECOGNIZE.
LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING OR YOU WANT ME TO GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, RYAN AL ALTER, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
SO I THINK WHAT WE ENVISIONED HERE, PART OF THE DISCUSSION WITH STAFF, UH, WHEN WE LEADING UP TO THIS WAS WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY KNEW ABOUT THESE ITEMS AND KIND OF ROLLED THEM IN.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CHART, FOR INSTANCE, THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE ALREADY WITHIN THAT CHART, UH, OR WITHIN THE, THE GANTT CHART,
[02:10:01]
THE COMPATIBILITY ALREADY WITHIN THAT.SO THEY KNEW THOSE WERE COMING AND, AND ROLLED THOSE IN.
BUT WAS THAT, THAT WAS WHAT STAFF WAS DOING, BUT WHAT WAS THE COMMITTEE DOING IN TERMS OF ITS RANKING? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THE COMMITTEE, WHAT, WHEN WE, THE CHART THAT WE PUT FORWARD WAS EXCLUSIVELY ON AMENDMENTS THAT WERE ALREADY PASSED BY COUNCIL MM-HMM.
AND THE REASON WHY WE WANTED TO COME BACK AND VISIT ON THE 13TH WAS TO INCORPORATE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AS A BODY IN TERMS OF HOW WE INCLUDE ANY NEW ITEMS WITHIN THAT OVERALL SCHEME.
AND, AND TO STAFF'S POINT OF IT BEING A LIVING DOCUMENT, THAT THAT WILL ADJUST.
THAT'S KIND OF OUR HOPE IS TO, UM, PERIODICALLY LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE IN OUR PRIORITIES, UH, SEE IF STAFF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN TWO OR THREE MONTHS THEY SAY, THIS ITEM THAT WE THOUGHT WAS REALLY SIMPLE TURNED OUT TO BE REALLY COMPLEX.
DO YOU WANT US TO CONTINUE TO KEEP IT AT THAT HIGH PRIORITY AT THE EXPENSE OF SOMETHING ELSE? OR DO YOU WANT MAYBE SOMETHING TO, TO, I WON'T WANNA SAY JUMP THE LINE, BUT TO TAKE A A PRIORITY? IT'S, IT'S ALL ABOUT, UH, CONTINUING TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH STAFF SO WE UNDERSTAND NOT ONLY HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING, BUT IF WE HAVE ANYTHING NEW IN THE QUEUE WHERE IT FITS INTO OUR OVERALL PICTURE AND REGIME.
SO, SO WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF, OF NO ITEM WILL, ULTIMATELY THE GOAL WOULD BE THAT NO ITEM THAT MAKES A CHANGE TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WOULD ULTIMATELY BE CONSIDERED TO BE AD HOC.
CAUSE ULTIMATELY IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE PRIORITIZED BY GOING TO THE COMMITTEE BEING PRIORITIZED IN THAT WAY.
AND BY BEING PRIORITIZED IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER LAID OUT WHAT, HOW STAFF IS GOING TO LOOK AT IT.
AND, AND TO KIND OF PUT, UM, TO MAKE FOR, FOR SIMPLICITY, SAY, OR, OR TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, LIKE FOR COUNCIL MEMBER POOLS, UH, SHE POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD THAT SHE HAS SOMETHING RELATED TO, UM, I THINK IT WAS SOFT DENSITY NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S RELATED TO ADU.
SO THAT WILL FIT INTO THE ADU CONVERSATION.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THAT ITEM, WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS FITS WITHIN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS NOT AD HOC, BUT IS PART OF SUSTAINABLE, THE CONVERSATION WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? COUNCIL MEMBER? IT, IT, IT'S HELPFUL.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THE DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT'S IN THE MEMO THAT WE WERE BRIEFED ON TODAY, THAT IS THE COMMITTEE'S GOING TO, LIKE, IS THAT GONNA BE THE BASE DOCUMENT? THE COMMITTEE DELIBERATES ON THE PRIORITIES MOVING FORWARD? I, I BELIEVE SO.
I, AND, AND I'LL LET COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON WHEN I CALLED ON HER BEFORE THE SYSTEM WASN'T WORKING AND SHE'S AVAILABLE NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER, DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE BEING RECOGNIZED.
YOU KNOW, I FIND IT A LITTLE BIT DISRUPTIVE FOR ME TO SPEAK FROM THE JUMBOTRON, SO I WILL DEFER TO THE VICE CHAIR IN THE MOMENT UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC QUESTION FOR FAIR ENOUGH.
SO YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT THE, WHAT WE HAVE FROM STAFF WILL BE OUR BASE DOCUMENT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, IF WE AGREE WITH EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS.
AND, AND AT FIRST BLUSH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, A PRETTY GOOD TIMELINE.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE JUST FEEL FOR, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER REALLY NEEDS TO BE PRESSED HARD, MAYBE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO REALLY LOOK AT A CONSULTANT FOR.
OR, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IF IT IS RANKED HIGHER, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT TRADE OFF? AND CUZ YOU CAN'T JUST MOVE SOMETHING UP IN THE LINE WITHOUT IT IMPACTING EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND SO, UH, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT ANY FUTURE ITEMS WERE, THE HOPE IS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE THINK IS COMING AND GIVE STAFF THE ABILITY TO THINK ABOUT WHERE THOSE FIT INTO THE OVERALL CHART.
BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF WHAT IS COMING FITS WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES ALREADY.
FOR INSTANCE, THE ONE I'M BRINGING ON THE 20TH PROBABLY FITS IN THE ZONING CATEGORY.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO JUST, UH, GIVE THEM AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE AND, AND INFORMATION AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR JOB COMPREHENSIVELY.
I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT IT IT IS, AND I WOULD JUST ASK MANAGER THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN TODAY'S CONVERSATION WITH COUNSEL, KNOWING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA LIMIT OUR PROGRESS BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESOURCES AND, AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE INDICATED THAT THAT WON'T BE A PROBLEM.
SO KNOWING, SO PERHAPS AT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE 13TH, WE CAN HEAR FROM STAFF ANY UPDATES THAT ARE MADE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULED BASED ON THAT WE ARE PROVIDING OUR, OUR GUIDANCE ON, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCELERATING OUR PROGRESS.
[02:15:01]
ASK, UH, ASSISTANT MANAGER, BIENO TO GET WITH PURCHASING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROCESS OF THE CONSULTANT THAT, UH, THAT LAUREN TALKED ABOUT, THAT WE CAN, UH, MEET THE STANDARD, GET THEM ON QUICKLY AS I UNDERSTOOD, UH, THE DIRECTION FROM A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IS TO MAKE SURE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LIST IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINES AND WERE THERE THINGS THERE THAT, UH, IF ADDITIONAL AUGMENTATION OF RESOURCES, WE COULD DO A DIFFERENT, UH, SCHEDULE.WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT.
THAT'S THE SCHEDULE THAT I THINK IS, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT.
BUT IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE IT, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY WANT TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK, UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO JUST UPDATE THE COMMITTEE JUST IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE GOALS AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE.
DID THEY CAPTURE THAT MUSCLE MANNERS? THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND I WAS GONNA JUST ADD THAT STAFF'S ALREADY BEEN, IF WE, AS WE'VE CONTEMPLATED THIS LIST, I THINK STAFF HAS A GOOD IDEA OF GOOD TOPICS THAT WE COULD HIRE A CONSULTANT ON, UM, UH, TO, TO FOCUS ON.
AND LAUREN AND I WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, UH, EVEN LOOKING AT WHAT THE CONVERSATION SHE'S HAVING NOW, WE CAN EXPAND THAT DISCUSSION AND THAT SCOPE AND BRING SOMEBODY ON QUICKLY.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL, I'LL ALSO ASK, UH, ANNE AND, AND TRISH WHO TALKED EARLIER ABOUT OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR LEGAL PROCESS OR THE PROCESSES THEMSELVES, JUST TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WITHIN THAT, UH, SYSTEM THAT WE USE NOW THAT COULD BE SHORT CIRCUITED THAT, IN OTHER WORDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE QUICK, QUICK FIX ITEMS THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT WE KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE.
WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S SOME GIVE WITHIN THOSE SCHEDULES AS WELL THAT GETS IT TO A, A QUICKER TIMELINE IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE.
I MEAN IT, UH, BUT, BUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS A SOVEREIGN BOARD AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE AUTHORITY BY STATE LAW.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE RESPECT THOSE, THOSE GUARD GRABS.
MAYOR PROTO, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, DIRECTOR BRASIN, ARE WE APPROVING THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE SPREADSHEET THAT, UM, THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR HAD WORKED ON? AND THEN THE, THE GANTT CHART THAT'S IN YOUR MEMO IS JUST A STAFF REFERENCE THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THE PRIORITY? THAT IS CORRECT.
THE, YOU'RE APPROVING THE, THE FRAMEWORK THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD.
WE ADDED THE STAFF MEMO AS MORE CONTEXT TO THAT DISCUSSION SO YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT WORKLOAD LOOKS LIKE.
AND IT WILL BE AN ONGOING BASIS FOR OUR CONVERSATION AND OUR WORK WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO EXPLAIN WHAT A GANTT CHART IS.
I KNOW A COUPLE OF US HAVE BEEN USING THAT, BUT I'M SURE NATASHA PROBABLY HAS SOME FOLKS, SHE'S LIKE, YOU GOTTA SPELL IT OUT.
YOU CAN'T JUST USE ALL THESE, ALL OF THESE SHORTENED TERMINOLOGY.
BUT THE GANTT CHART IS ESSENTIALLY, UM, A PROJECT MANAGEMENT TYPE OF SCHEDULING DOCUMENT WHERE YOU CAN SEE WHICH MONTHS OF THE YEAR YOU'RE, YOU'RE INTENDING TO ENTER WHICH PHASES OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AND WHEN THEY START, WHEN THEY END, AND THE DIFFERENT STEPS IN THE MIDDLE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A GANTT CHART.
AND UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SPEAK ON HER BEHALF AND THROW THAT INTO THE MIX.
AND IT ALSO, I MEAN, IT MAY INTERACT WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS, THE ADU ITEM OR SOME OF THE OTHER ONES.
SO THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL KIND OF COORDINATION OF THE VARIOUS ITEMS THAT HAS TO, TO TAKE PLACE.
BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW, UH, UH, SHE'S, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING IT TO COUNCIL AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S LONG OVERDUE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, TO, TO MENTION THAT, UH, CAUSE I, I, I KNOW, UH, COUNCIL PEPPER, RYAN ALTRA MENTIONED IT, UH, RIGHT NOW, SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'LL FIT RIGHT IN WITH THE INFILL DISCUSSION IN THERE.
IT'S AN A CRITICAL PART OF THAT WHOLE RELATIONSHIP AND, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HER BRINGING THAT ITEM FORWARD.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I THINK OKAY, AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, DID YOU WANT TO TALK ON THIS ITEM? YES, BRIEFLY.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALISON ALTER AND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL TOOK THEIR CONCERNS AND PRIORITIZATION TO THE MESSAGE BOARD.
I ENCOURAGE THE BODY TO, TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT RESOURCE TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERNS AND SORT OF LAY OUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US TO SORT OF SEE THAT AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE IT.
SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING INTERESTING TO SAY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT HAS TO DO WITH BUSINESS.
I WILL BE PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TODAY, UM, THAT WILL BE UP LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, IT JUST CLARIFIES SOME OF THE LANGUAGE RELATED TO, UM, LINE 45.
WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS CHANGE THE WORDING TO STATE THE PILOT PROGRAM WILL EXTEND TO THE END OF A 12 MONTH PERIOD FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.
IT STRIKES THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 23 AND 24, AND THEN CEASE UNLESS FURTHER EXTENDED BY COUNSEL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT LANGUAGE BECAUSE IN TALKING WITH APD FURTHER ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE AND THEIR TIMELINE WITH THE PROGRAM, IT, IT OCCURRED TO US THAT IT MAY TAKE A FEW MONTHS TO STAND UP THE PROGRAM.
AND IF WE ARE LOOKING TO GET REAL GOOD DATA, I WANNA ENSURE THAT WE COVER AS MUCH
[02:20:01]
TIME AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT.SO HOPEFULLY IT'S AMENABLE TO THE AUTHOR, UM, OF THE ITEM 85, BUT IT WILL BE POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD LATER TODAY.
[E. Executive Session]
GOING TO NOW GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION.UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 51 0 71 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO E TWO, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION A, AN INITIATED PETITION ON THE MAY, 2023 BALLOT.
ITEM E ONE HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
UH, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM ANNOUNCED WITHOUT OBJECTION? WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PUBLIC THAT'S WATCHING.
UH, AT THE END OF THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION, I'LL COME BACK IN AND ADJOURN THE WORK SESSION.
UH, WE HAVE A TIME CERTAIN OF ONE O'CLOCK, IT'S A DIFFERENT MEETING, BUT FOR THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED AT ONE O'CLOCK, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL, CAPITOL METRO AND THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WILL BE HAVING A JOINT MEETING THAT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, WE HAVE FINISHED WITH THE EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO, UH, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 5 51 0 71.
UH, IN THAT WE RECEIVED LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO ITEM E TWO, UH, WHICH WAS LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO PROPOSITION A, WHICH WAS A PETITION INITIATED, UM, UH, ELECTION HELD IN MAY OF 2023.
IT IS NOW 1202 AND WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE AUSTIN CITY CO I'M CALLING THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL BACK TO ORDER.
BUT, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE NOW ADJOURNED.
I WANNA BE SOMEBODY'S HERO, BUT I KNOW I OWN OWN.