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IT IS 5 31, UH, JUNE 21ST, 2023.
[CALL TO ORDER]
THE MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ORDER.CHRISTINE, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THAT? YES.
UM, AS A HEADS UP TO FOLKS, I DO HAVE A PRIOR ENGAGEMENT AT SIX 30 THIS EVENING.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH AS MUCH OF THE AGENDA AS I CAN WHILE I'M HERE.
UM, AND THEN VICE CHAIR ISHMAEL WILL TAKE OVER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING.
THE CHALLENGE IS IF ONE OF THESE FOLKS WHO IS NOT HERE YET, UH, DOES NOT MAKE IT, THEN WE LOSE QUORUM.
SO I AM HOPING THAT ONE MORE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS, UH, MAKES IT, UH, EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON HERE SHORTLY.
UH, AND I'M SORRY IT WAS A PRIOR COMMITMENT, SO, ALRIGHT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY, UH, FOLKS FROM THE PUBLIC HERE TO SPEAK? NO.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
MINUTES.HAS EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR CHANGES Y'ALL CAN HEARING NONE.
[2. Presentation on the Safer Sixth Initiative to be given by Brian Block of the City of Austin Development Services Department (DSD) and Police Commander Jeff Olson the Austin Police Department (APD). The Commission may approve a recommendation to Council on this item.]
ON TO THE FIRST, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM TODAY.THAT'S PRESENTATION ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
OUR FRIEND BRIAN BLOCK IS HERE.
WE HAVE COMMANDER JEFF OLSON OF A B D HERE AS WELL.
UH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I'M BRIAN BLOCK, THE NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT MANAGER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND, UM, DOWNTOWN COMMANDER.
I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I'M COMMANDER JEFF OLSON WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DOWNTOWN AREA COMMANDER, AND I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN BOTH THE COMMANDER AND I WILL BE HERE FOR, UH, Q AND A AND DISCUSSION.
UM, SO THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING US.
THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
UM, THIS IS, UH, JOINT PROJECT WITH NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES FROM D S D AND A P D A GREAT COLLABORATION.
UM, AND KIND OF STEPPING BACK, WE'LL JUST KIND OF REMIND YOU OF SORT OF THE VISION FOR THIS PROJECT AND HOW IT CAME TO BE.
UM, THE VISION IS THAT SIXTH STREET SHOULD BE A WELCOMING, VIBRANT, SAFE, AND WELL-PLANNED ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT WITH BOTH A WIDER VARIETY OF NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES, CATERING TO A DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHIC OF AUSTINITES AND TOURISTS, AND MORE TYPES OF BUSINESSES, INCLUDING BARS, CLUBS, LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUES, AS WELL AS RESTAURANTS, CAFES, AND RETAIL THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY DURING THE DAY, EVENING AND LATE AT NIGHT.
AND, UM, OH, YOU NEED TO, I NEED TO DO BOTH.
UM, SO A REMINDER OF THE OVERALL APPROACH, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POLICING ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO A SAFE SIXTH STREET.
AN APD HAS AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT POLICING STRATEGY, AND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES DEDICATED TO THE DISTRICT.
UH, BUT POLICING ALONE ISN'T SUFFICIENT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT COUNCIL'S MANDATE TO STAFF WAS.
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THEIR SAFER SIXTH STREET RESOLUTION ASKED STAFF TO COMPLIMENT POLICING BY TAKING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS, THEY WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFE DISTRICT IN A HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE WAY.UM, SO LOOKING AT IT, COMPLIMENTING AND BEING BROADER THAN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN POLICING, I THINK THIS TIES IT INTO AN EMERGING FIELD AND MOVEMENT IN CITY GOVERNMENT AROUND NIGHTTIME PLANNING, NIGHTTIME MANAGEMENT.
UM, THERE ARE NOW 15 CITIES THAT HAVE AN OFFICE OR A STAFF ROLE THAT DOES THIS KIND OF WORK, HAS A NIGHTTIME LENS AS A LIAISON BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS AND CITY DEPARTMENTS FOCUSED ON, YOU'LL KIND OF HEAR THESE THREE TERMS, THAT IT'S SAFE, THAT IT'S WELL PLANNED, AND THAT IT'S VIBRANT.
AND, UH, THAT'S THAT LIAISON ROLE THAT, UM, WE TRY TO PLAY AND THAT OTHER CITIES ARE ADDING THIS ROLE.
SO, UM, WE'D LIKE TO DO MORE OF IT.
UM, KEY GOALS FROM THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
THESE ARE PRETTY BROAD, YOU KNOW, THEY COVER PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN, IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN TO BRING MORE ORGANIZATION AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE SPACE.
UM, DESIGN THAT KIND OF BOTH ACCOMMODATES THE LARGER CROWDS AND THE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN AT NIGHT AND LEVERAGES IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY NOW WE'VE GOT THE, A LOT OF THE PUBLIC SPACE THAT ISN'T DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE IT, AND IT CREATES A KIND OF A CHAOTIC ENVIRONMENT.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE ORGANIZED AND MORE WELL DESIGNED.
A BIG THING WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS BAR OPERATOR PARTNERSHIPS, CREATING THESE BETTER PARTNERSHIPS WITH BARS TO WORK TOGETHER ON SAFETY, ON ORGANIZATION, ON ENHANCING OPERATING STANDARDS.
UM, AND THEN DIVERSE USES IN ACTIVITIES, ENCOURAGING MORE DIVERSE NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES IN BUSINESSES, UH, BEYOND BARS FOCUSED ONLY ON SERVING ALCOHOL OR THAT ARE HIGH VOLUME ALCOHOL FOCUSED, ADDING LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY AND OTHER TYPES OF, OF ACTIVITIES, RESTAURANTS, UM, BOTH OTHER NIGHTTIME ACTIVITIES AND OTHER KINDS OF USES.
UM, WE'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT ON THE PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AND WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE AROUND LIGHTING.
UM, THE SIXTH STREET DECORATIVE POLES ALREADY HAD L E D BULBS IN THEM.
THE BRIGHTNESS IS ALREADY PROGRAMMED TO BE TURNED UP AT CLOSING TIME.
AUSTIN ENERGY TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LIGHTING, UM, AND ON THE SIDE STREETS AS WELL AS SIXTH STREET ITSELF, THE SIDE STREETS DON'T HAVE THOSE DECORATIVE POLES.
UM, THEY WENT THROUGH, UM, THEY REPLACED ALL THE BULBS WITH L E D BULBS.
UM, ON THE SIDE STREETS, THEY FIXED 10% THAT WEREN'T WORKING.
SO THAT UPGRADE TOOK PLACE DURING THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE'VE KIND OF ESTABLISHED A CITY, UM, GOAL THAT ANY FUTURE REDESIGN OF THE STREET, UM, WOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO INCLUDE DEDICATED PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING VERSUS TRYING TO GET THAT LIGHTING FROM THE STREET LIGHTING NETWORK, WHICH IS HOW IT IS NOW.
UM, AND THEN AS STAFF, WE'LL BE ENCOURAGING ESTABLISHMENTS TO INSTALL SECURITY LIGHTING ON THE FRONT OF THEIR BUILDING ON THE FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS.
TURN THAT ON AT CLOSING TIME TO KIND OF HELP, UM, HELP WITH CLOSING TIME ORGANIZATION.
UM, STREETSCAPE, WE REALLY KIND OF ESTABLISHED GOALS RELATED TO MORE ORGANIZED SPACE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND LINE CUES.
UM, REDUCING THE CONGREGATING IN THE TRAVEL LANES SINCE IT HINDERS PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY.
AND SINCE IT'S NOT DESIGNED FOR GATHERING CURRENTLY, IT LEADS TO A CHAOTIC ENVIRONMENT.
I MEAN, WE COULD FORESEE A FUTURE WHERE, UM, IT COULD BE DESIGNED FOR GATHERING AND OPERATE BETTER.
CURRENTLY, IT'S NOT THE LINES COMING OUT OF THE BARS RUN INTO WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO, UH, MOVE ALONG THE STREET.
AND THERE'S ALSO IMPROMPTU GATHERINGS THAT, THAT MAKES IT A BIT MORE CHAOTIC.
UH, POTENTIAL INTERVENTIONS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT AND, YOU KNOW, WOULD HOPE TO HAVE WIDER SIDEWALKS THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGER CROWDS IN LINES.
UM, AND BALLARD'S INTEGRATED INTO THE STREET INFRASTRUCTURE.
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A P D TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND BE ABLE TO DO MUCH MORE QUICKLY A STREET CLOSURE IF AND WHEN THEY NEED TO.UM, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE SO MUCH LEAD TIME NEEDED TO GET THAT DONE, THEY COULD DO MUCH MORE OF A TARGETED, TARGETED EFFORT TO GET IT DONE QUICKLY AS NEEDED.
UM, WE HAVE EXPLORED PILOTS AND TACTICAL INTERVENTIONS TO DO STUFF LIKE THIS TEMPORARILY, TEMPORARILY WIDENING SIDE SIDEWALKS OR, UM, LIMITED REOPENING OF TRAVEL LANES.
WE REALLY JUST WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL IN COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO DO THESE THINGS COST EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY IN A TEMPORARY MANNER.
HOPEFULLY, UM, IN THE FUTURE, IF THERE ARE REDESIGNS OR, UM, RECONSTRUCTIONS, IT'LL, IT CAN INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, MOVING ON TO BAR OPERATOR PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, OUR GOAL HERE IS TO ENHANCE SAFETY THROUGH COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND INCREASED OPERATING STANDARDS FOR VARS, UM, AS WELL AS ENLISTING THEM AS PARTNERS IN, YOU KNOW, BETTER ORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC SPACE.
UM, OUR APPROACH IS FOCUSED ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST, FOCUSING ON PREVENTION AND GUIDANCE AND TRAINING AND SUPPORT, AND WORKING ON INCREASING COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION WITH A P D WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AND WITH EACH OTHER FOR BETTER KIND OF PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S THE ONE WE WANTED TO BE ON.
UM, THIS IS WHERE, UM, WE'VE KIND OF ARE ESTABLISHING MORE, UM, ON THE GROUND PROGRAMS RELATED TO THIS OBJECTIVE.
UM, THERE'S A COUPLE KEY ONES WE'VE EITHER ROLLED OUT OR WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT SOON.
UM, OUR NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENT TRAINING PROGRAM.
THIS IS PROVIDING TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO BAR AND ESTABLISHMENT OPERATORS, AND ALSO ALSO LOOKING TO INCREASE COORDINATION WITH THE CITY.
UM, ALONG WITH THAT, WE CONDUCTED OUR FIRST TRAINING IN APRIL, AND I'LL GET MORE INTO THAT, WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT, UM, WE WERE GLAD TO LAUNCH THAT AND WE'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT IT.
AND THE NEXT ONE, WE INTEND TO LAUNCH SOON AS A NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENT ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
THIS IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM, UM, TO ENHANCE ESTABLISHMENT OPERATING STANDARDS.
RECOGNIZE RESPONSIBLE OPERATORS BUILD A COALITION OF BUSINESSES THAT WORK TOGETHER AND HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THIS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION IS COMING SOON.
UM, HERE'S A SLIDE ON OUR NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENT TRAINING PROGRAM.
OUR FIRST TRAINING PROGRAM WAS, UM, ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE AND STOPPED THE BLEED TRAINING.
35 BAR OWNERS, MANAGERS AND STAFF REGISTERED AND ATTENDED.
UM, AND IT WAS RECEIVED REALLY WELL.
UM, NEXT STEPS FOR THIS PROGRAM ARE DEFINITELY TO CONTINUE, UM, WITH MORE OF THE ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE AND STOP THE BLEED, UM, UNTIL WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, AS MANY STAFF AND MANAGERS THAT WANT IT AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE'D LIKE TO EXPAND TO MORE TOPIC AREAS.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL TRAININGS HERE.
UM, HARM REDUCTION AND NARCAN TRAINING FOR OVERDOSE PREVENTION, DEESCALATION TRAINING FOR BAR STAFF.
UM, MORE INTENSIVE TRAINING FOR DOOR STAFF, THAT THAT'S THEIR JOB.
UM, SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION AND BYSTANDER INTERVENTION TRAINING.
WE'D LOVE TO ADD THESE AS WE GO FORWARD WITH MORE RECURRING AND REGULAR TRAININGS.
UM, NEXT IS THE, UM, NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENT ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
I TOLD YOU WHAT THAT IS AND THAT WE PLAN TO ROLL IT OUT SOON.
BUT, UM, WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON IT.
UM, HOW WOULD ESTABLISHMENTS GET ACCREDITED? UM, THEY WOULD ADOPT REQUIRED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
THEY WOULD AGREE TO IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES.
THEY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN REQUIRED TRAININGS.
UM, SOME OF THE KEY THEMES HERE ARE SECURITY AND DOOR POLICIES, PREVENTING
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AND RESPONDING TO DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND VIOLENCE, FOCUSING ON RESPONSIBLE ALCOHOL SERVICE, MANAGING LINES AND CROWDS IN THE SPACE IN FRONT OF THE BAR, UM, SIDEWALK AND STREET, UM, DIVERSIFYING ACTIVITIES, PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE AND HARM REDUCTION IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET BARS IN ENHANCING THEIR PRACTICES AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM.
WE'VE DRAFTED THE ACCREDITATION CRITERIA.
WE'VE DONE THAT IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR OWNERS AND OPERATORS AND PROPERTY OWNERS.
NEXT STEPS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO FINALIZE THOSE CRITERIA, PARTNER WITH A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE ON YOUR AGENDA FOR OTHER REASONS.
TONIGHT, DAA THE SIXTH STREET PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, OTHER ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT ASSOCIATIONS.
CAUSE WE'D LIKE TO DO THIS IN ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT AREAS.
THIS IS, WOULD BE USEFUL FOR ALL OF THEM, NOT JUST SIXTH STREET, WEST SIXTH RAINEY, THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S A GOAL, WE DON'T HAVE IT YET, BUT WE'D LIKE TO SECURE FUNDING FOR GRANTS TO ACCREDITED BARS SO THEY CAN MAKE ADDITIONAL SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS.
UM, THINGS LIKE METAL DETECTORS, SECURITY CAMERAS, LIGHTING LINE MANAGEMENT TOOLS ID SCANNERS, THINGS THAT CAN KIND OF HELP THE CAUSE.
UM, ORLANDO'S GOT A GREAT PROGRAM WHERE THEY HAVE A LOT OF FUNDING FOR FIVE AND $10,000 GRANTS.
WE'D LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE DOWN I TO OUR LAST SLIDE.
UM, WANNA COVER THE LAST THEME, WHICH IS DIVERSIFYING USES IN ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WE DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT ENHANCEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AND BAR OWNER BAR OPERATOR PARTNERSHIP CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING THE DISTRICT MORE CONDUCIVE TO DIVERSE USES IN ACTIVITIES.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT ACHIEVING THIS GOAL INVOLVES STAKEHOLDERS IN ACTIVITIES THAT GO WELL BEYOND THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
WE JUST WANTED TO KIND OF CLOSE BY EMPHASIZING AND AMPLIFYING THIS ASPIRATIONAL GOALS SINCE WE DO SEE IT AS A CENTRAL, IT'S CENTRAL TO THE VISION FOR A VIBRANT AND SAFE AND WELL-PLANNED ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND IT WON'T MOVE, BUT THAT TAKES US, THERE WE GO.
UM, THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, UM, DISCUSS THINGS THAT, UM, YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH US.
UM, DO YOU HAVE, I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, Y'ALL WOULD LIKE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR A GRANT PROGRAM.
HAVE Y'ALL COME UP WITH A NUMBER THAT YOU WOULD LIKE? WE HAVE NOT COME UP WITH A NUMBER, BUT, UM, I THINK WE'D EN ENVISIONED AS MANY FIVE OR $10,000 GRANTS AS MAYBE WE CAN GET FOR, UM, OPERATORS AND OWNERS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY AND, AND THOSE, AND IT WOULD BE APPLICABLE CITYWIDE FOR THIS SORT OF PROGRAM.
I MEAN, WE'D ENVISION THIS PROGRAM STARTING WITH SIXTH STREET AND THEN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EXPANDING BEYOND THAT.
WELL, WHAT I, WHAT I ASK IS THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU COME AND PRESENT TO US, I THINK WE'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT A NUMBER THAT WE COULD ENCOURAGE COUNSEL TO SUPPORT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND IF, IF A PROGRAM LIKE THIS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE COST FOR THE BAR OWNERS BY REDUCING THEIR INSURANCE PREMIUMS, IT MIGHT BE A REAL INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE.
I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO AN INSURANCE AGENT WHO WORKS WITH, UH, NIGHTLIFE AND LIFE MUSIC VENUES, UM, ASKED HIM ABOUT THIS KIND OF
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THING.UM, WE'VE TALKED TO FOLKS WHO DO COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING FOR DOOR STAFF, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY PITCH IS IF YOU GET YOUR STAFF TRAINED, UM, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET LOWER PREMIUMS. LOOK AT THAT.
BRIAN'S PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT STUFF.
UH, COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
SO IN REGARDS TO THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM, UH, BARS AND, AND JUST PLACES ON SIXTH STREET TEND TO HAVE HIGH TURNOVER AMONG EMPLOYEES.
WAS THERE CONSIDERATION OF WHO HAS TO ATTEND THE TRAINING TO GET ACCREDITATION? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'RE THERE FOR THREE WEEKS AS A BOUNCER, THEN YOU'RE GONE.
THAT KNOWLEDGE SORT OF LEAVES WITH YOU, IT KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE.
IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT'S DEFINITELY COME UP.
WE'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE OWNERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR DESIRE WOULD BE TO HAVE AS MUCH ON DEMAND TRAINING AS POSSIBLE ON VIDEO, THAT IT COULD BE PART OF NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION.
THEY COULD KIND OF SAY, ALL RIGHT, YOU GOTTA SIT DOWN AND WATCH THIS TRAINING.
SO IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, NEW YORK'S DONE, UM, THEY'VE GOT A REALLY COOL PROGRAM.
THEY'VE BRANDED IT, UM, IT'S CALLED NIGHT SCHOOL, N I T E SCHOOL.
UM, THEY'VE DONE WHERE THEY TRY TO VIDEO SOME OF THE TRAINING AND PUT IT UP ON YOUTUBE.
SO I THINK WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT.
UM, THEY HADN'T REALLY, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET ALL OF THE TRAINING OR THE FULL BREADTH OF, OF THE TRAINING, BUT IT'S, IT'S A TOPIC THAT'S COME UP THAT WE KNOW OUR OPERATORS AND OWNERS ARE INTERESTED IN.
SO WE NEED TO KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
I HAVE A QUESTION, MICROPHONE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO PRESENT TO US TODAY.
THIS IS REALLY, UM, THIS IS REALLY AN EXCELLENT PLAN.
MY QUESTION IS AROUND, UM, HOW YOU'RE BENCHMARKING YOUR EFFECTIVENESS.
IS THERE, IS THERE DATA THAT YOU'RE BENCHMARKING THIS PLAN AGAINST IN TERMS OF, THIS IS WHERE CRIME IS AT TODAY, AND IF WE'RE EFFECTIVE, THIS IS WHERE IT WILL BE IN A YEAR OR TWO YEARS? WHAT DOES THAT TIMELINE INTANGIBLE LOOK LIKE? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT BENCHMARKING AND DATA TO SHOW SUCCESS.
AND CRIME ANALYTICS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
I THINK, UM, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN BEYOND.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE TO-DO LIST IS TO, IS TO LOOK AT MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT, HEY, HOW CAN WE, UM, SHOW SUCCESS AND WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE PART OF IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE KEEPING TRACK OF THE STATS, YOU KNOW, PRE INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN AS IT'S GOING ON, JUST KIND OF KEEPING BENCHMARKS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND SEE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, COMPARING THE BARS THAT ARE ACCREDITED AND MAYBE THE ONES THAT AREN'T.
UM, BUT OF COURSE THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE MM-HMM.
BUT I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING TO, FOR US TO KEEP TRACK OF AND, AND HOPEFULLY AS A SUCCESS THAT CAN HELP US CONTINUE TO SELL THE PROGRAM TO SHOW THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU DO COOPERATE WITH US AND, AND VOLUNTARILY OBTAIN THIS CERTIFICATION, UM, WE HAVE STATS TO SHOW THAT THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE THAT, THAT THE BAR AND THE AREA AROUND YOUR BAR IS GONNA BE A SAFER PLACE FOR YOUR PATRONS.
I ALSO, I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY TIMEFRAME OR ANTICIPATED PROCESS FOR REDESIGN IN MIND? UM, FOR STREET REDESIGN? YEAH.
IT'S REALLY OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, I WONDER, UM, YEAH, IF IT, IF THAT MIGHT COME UP THROUGH OTHER AGENDA ITEMS OR OTHER TOPICS THE COMMISSION MIGHT HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, ABOUT ELEVATING LIGHTING AT AS AT CLOSING TIME AND THAT SWITCH OVER TO L A D LIGHTING.
IS ANY OF THAT BEING DONE IN THE ALLEYS BEHIND SIXTH STREET? SO THE DECORATIVE POLES ARE NOT, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT DECORATIVE POLES.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHY WE'RE ENCOURAGING.
UM, WE'RE ENCOURAGING OWNERS TO INSTALL LIGHTING ON THE BACKSIDE OF THEIR BUILDING FACING THE ALLEY.
WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS, HAS LIMITED LIGHTING IN THE ALLEYS, AND WHEN THEY GET SORT OF ZERO LOT LINE DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S REALLY NO ROOM FOR THEM TO HAVE
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LIGHTING FACING THE ALLEYS.AND SO IT SEEMED LIKE THE BEST STRATEGY WAS TO ENCOURAGE PROPERTY OWNERS TO INSTALL IT THEMSELVES ON THE BACK FACING THE ALLEY.
HOW ARE WE DOING ON, ON A SUCCESS RATE ON THAT? I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE'D HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU TO SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE, BUT JUST ANECDOTALLY, I THINK I'VE SEEN SOME, THE CHE ALLEY HAS IT.
YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN PUSHING.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS IS THE PRIVATE PROPERTY ISSUE OF GETTING TO WORK WITH THOSE BAR OWNERS AND THE, THE RESTAURANTS AND ALL THOSE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO IT FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY AND THEIR STAFF SAFETY AND TO JUST CREATE A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY.
AND I THINK THEY'RE VERY AMENABLE TO IT.
IT'S JUST GETTING THE WORD OUT.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM CAN, CAN DEFINITELY HELP WITH THAT AS IS PART OF IT, TO, TO ENCOURAGE THAT, THAT LIGHTING IN THE AREAS THAT WE CAN'T GET TO FROM THE CITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, Y'ALL HAD COME, UH, I THINK IT WAS COMMANDER OLSEN AND THE TEAM THAT WAS HERE AT OUR LAST MEETING, UM, BROUGHT, UH, WERE GOING TO SEND US, UH, SOME INFORMATION ON ROAD BARRIERS.
UH, THE VEHICLE SAFETY MEDICA MITIGATION PLAN AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR, WITH THE FUNDING REQUEST FOR THAT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL ARE SUPPORTIVE OF? I KNOW, UH, LIEUTENANT JUDO HAD LOOKED INTO SOME OF THAT FOR US'.
HOWDY, UH, LIEUTENANT JU AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.
UM, SO I HAD A REQUEST, UH, FROM SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS AFTER THE LAST MEETING ABOUT SOME OF THE BARRICADES THAT WE HAD RENTED FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
AND SO, UM, AFTER THAT MEETING I WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH Y'ALL.
UM, THIS PROPOSAL THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE CONTRACTOR THAT WE USED, UH, MERIDIAN BARRICADES.
UH, AND IT OUTLINES, UH, THEIR, UH, SUGGESTION ON HOW MANY BARRICADES WE WOULD HAVE TO BUY IF THIS WERE THE TYPE OF BARRICADE THAT WE WANTED TO GO WITH TO PROTECT PEDESTRIANS ON SIXTH STREET.
UM, SO, UH, WE CAN CLICK THROUGH IT.
UH, THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE POINTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO, UM, ROLL THESE OUT EVERY THURSDAY AND REMOVE THEM EVERY SUNDAY, UH, ON BOTH ENDS OF SIXTH STREET AND ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF, UH, FIFTH AND SEVENTH STREET RESPECTFULLY.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE WILL SHOW HOW MANY WOULD BE NEEDED ACROSS EACH STREET, UH, ACCORDING TO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS BRAZOS STREET GOING ALONG SIXTH STREET TO PREVENT, UH, CARS FROM GOING THE WRONG WAY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, SAN ENO AND SEVENTH STREET.
SO THEY WOULD, UH, COUNT THE, THAT MANY BARRICADES, UH, HERE IS, UH, THE SOUTH OF SEVENTH STREET.
AND SANJAK, I THINK IT WAS THE SAME THING.
WE CAN JUST ADVANCE THROUGH THESE SLIDES CUZ BASICALLY IT'S JUST GONNA GO YELLOW SQUARES ON ROADS.
ALONG SEVENTH STREET, ALONG ALL THE ROADS AND THEN FIFTH STREET AND ALONG ALL THE ROADS.
AND SO THIS WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT WE NEEDED TO PURCHASE, UH, THE ARCHER 12 HUNDREDS OR THE ACTUAL BARRICADES.
UH, THERE'S HOLLERS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT, THE QUOTE.
AND THEN, YEAH, THE LAST THING WOULD BE THE QUOTE FOR, UM, ALL OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND ITEMS. AND WHEN WE FIRST ASKED THEM HOW MUCH IT WAS TO PURCHASE THEM, I BELIEVE THE QUOTE YEAR AND A HALF AGO WAS THE SAME AS IT IS NOW.
SO ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, $508,000.
UM, I DID, UH, EMAIL Y'ALL SOME, UH, PROS AND CONS AS WELL, UM, FOR THESE TYPES OF BARRICADES, WHERE ARE THEY GONNA BE STORED? WHO'S GONNA PUT THEM OUT? UM, I DID ALSO TALK WITH, UH, MATT MCKOY, UH, WITH TRANSPORTATION.
AND HE'S ALSO LOOKING AT THIS AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE MIGHT BE SOME SHARED RESPONSIBILITY THERE AS FAR AS PUTTING THEM OUT AND TAKING THEM IN ON THE WEEKENDS.
UM, WE HAVEN'T REALLY DEVELOPED THAT INTO A PLAN, UM, BUT MOVING THESE AROUND IS GOING TO BE A, A TON OF WORK FOR OFFICERS, UM, COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE WITH THE TYPE THREE BARRICADES.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE DEPLOYED? YES.
I THINK ANY, ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HELP PREVENT, UH, DRUNK DRIVERS OR ANY KIND OF DRIVER THAT WANTS TO CAUSE HARM TO PEDESTRIANS ON SIXTH STREET IS GOING TO BE, UH, EXPONENTIALLY BETTER THAN WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH THOSE TYPE THREE BARRICADES.
UM, I ALSO SHOWED SOME OTHER OPTIONS WITH BALLARDS, WITH FENCES THAT SWING IN THE MIDDLE AND LOCK.
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UM, THOSE WOULD BE AN OPTION.AND I CAN'T ANSWER FOR PUBLIC WORKS OR STREETS AS TO WHY THEY CAN'T DO THE BALLARDS THAT POP UP.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE ANOTHER OPTION THAT'S ALSO AVAILABLE.
THESE COULD BE DEPLOYED TO OTHER PLACES AROUND TOWN IF NECESSARY.
SO IF THERE WAS A FESTIVAL IN ANOTHER PART OF THE CITY AROUND THE PARK THAT WE NEEDED TO INSTALL THESE IN AS WELL, WE COULD PROBABLY TAKE THEM DOWN TO THOSE AREAS SO IT DOES HAVE THAT, UH, BENEFIT AS WELL AS TRANSPORTING THEM AND INSTALLING THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WOULD Y'ALL LIKE THE COMMISSION TO TAKE ACTION TO ENCOURAGE AS THE COUNCIL GOES INTO BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, UH, TO, UH, UH, HAVE A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE ACQUISITION OF THESE? YES.
UM, COUPLE OF FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, I THINK MY FIRST QUESTION IS THESE BARRIERS.
HOW DO THESE BARRIERS IMPACT FIRST RESPONDERS? LIKE, THERE'S A FIRE, CAN, CAN FIRE TRUCKS DRIVE OVER 'EM? DO THEY JUST SLOW DOWN IF AN AMBULANCE NEEDS TO GET THROUGH? SO THEY COME WITH A DOLLY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AT EVERY INTERSECTION.
AND SO IF A AMBULANCE OR FIRETRUCK NEEDED TO GET THROUGH, WE WOULD HAVE TO TRAIN THOSE DRIVERS TO MOVE THE BARRICADES OR HAVE OFFICERS MEET THEM AT THAT INTERSECTION KNOWING THAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO SOMETHING TO MOVE 'EM.
UM, IDEALLY IF WE WERE TO INSTALL THESE, WE WOULD HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, UH, ONE OF THOSE TWO OPTIONS.
UH, IDEALLY, I MENTIONED LAST TIME WE HAD THAT PUBLIC SAFETY ZONE AT, UH, NICHE'S STREET.
UM, THERE'S ALWAYS OFFICERS OVER THERE, SO HAVING THEM KNOW WHAT STREET'S PROBABLY THE BEST ONE TO ACCESS, UH, SIXTH STREET FROM, UM, IT WOULD JUST TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF COMMUNICATION, BUT I THINK WE COULD GET THAT SQUARED AWAY BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE QUOTE FOR APPROXIMATELY 509 GRAND, DID YOU ALL SORT OF SHOP THAT AROUND AND TALK TO VARIOUS VENDORS OR DID YOU JUST TALK TO THESE, THIS ONE COMPANY? SO THIS IS GONNA BE THE ONLY COMPANY.
IT'S GONNA BE A SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE, MEANING THAT THEY OWN, UM, ALL OF THE COPYRIGHT LAWS AND EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THESE DEVICES.
SO THERE IS NOBODY ELSE THAT OFFERS THESE TYPES OF BARRICADES.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY, UM, INVOLVE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS AND, AND SURE.
SO THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE KNOW AND WE USE FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
SO, UM, THIS IS PRETTY EASY FOR US TO GET TOGETHER FOR YOU.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMEND THE ADOPTION OF THE VEHICLE SAFETY MITIGATION PLAN AND APPROVE AN AMOUNT FOR, UH, APPROPRIATION NOT TO EXCEED 109,000 FOR THE PURCHASE OF ARCHER 1200 BARRIERS TRAILERS AND RELATED EQUIPMENT FOR 65 BARRIERS.
HEARING NOTHING CALL QUESTION.
UH, ANY OPPOSED? HEARING NONE.
WE'LL PASS IT ON TO, TO COUNCIL AS THEY GO INTO BUDGET DELI DELIBERATIONS.
THE SAFETY OF FOLKS ON SIXTH STREET AND DOWNTOWN IS PARAMOUNT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, AND HOPEFULLY THIS MAKES IT SAFER FOR EVERYBODY.
AND OF COURSE, THE ABILITY TO DEPLOY 'EM AROUND TOWN CAN CERTAINLY HELP OTHER COMMISSIONER ISHMAEL, I THINK YOU HAVE SOME BUSINESS.
UM, IS, IS THIS ON, IS THIS WORKING? UM, SO FOLLOWING UP ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE JUST HEARD, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT BY THE WAY.
I NOTED THAT ONE OF THE, UM, ASPECTS OF THE PLAN AND THE, UM, DIRECTION THAT YOU WERE GIVEN FROM COUNCIL HAD TO DO WITH, UM, MAKING THE SIXTH STREET AREA, AND I WOULD SAY ALL OF DOWNTOWN, BUT IN THAT INSTANCE, THE SIXTH STREET AREA, MORE WELCOMING.
UM, AND YOU SAID, UM, ALSO TAKING STEPS TO MAKE THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE AREA MORE DIVERSE.
UM, AND SO, AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, THIS MONTH IS LGBTQ PLUS PRIDE MONTH.
AND, UM, FOLLOWING ALONG THOSE LINES AND THE FACT THAT THE LGBTQ Q COMMUNITY, UM, HAS FELT UNDER PRESSURE LATELY, I WANTED TO OFFER A RESOLUTION TO THE COMMISSION FOR ITS, UM, CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL.
AND, UH, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I WILL JUST READ THE RESOLUTION.
WHEREAS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN IS A VERY, THE VERY HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN IS AND SHOULD ALWAYS BE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE, AND DIVERSE, AND WHEREAS MEMBERS
[00:35:01]
OF THE L G B LGBTQ COMMUNITY AS RESIDENTS, WORKERS, PROFESSIONALS, EMPLOYERS, CREATIVES, ENTREPRENEURS AND VISITORS CONTRIBUTE TO DOWNTOWN'S, VIBRANCE AND VITALITY.AND WHEREAS JUNE 28TH, 2023 MARKS THE 54TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL UPRISING IN NEW YORK CITY, WHICH SPARKED THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
AND JUNE IS THE NATIONWIDE MONTH TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER QUESTIONING AND, UH, PLUS COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH, EACH JUNE RAISES AWARENESS AND PROVIDES SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, AND IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME EDUCATED, ENGAGED IN DIALOGUE, STRENGTHEN ALLIANCES, AND BUILD UNDERSTANDING.
AND WHEREAS THE AUSTIN PRIDE PARADE TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 12TH, 2023 ON CONGRESS AVENUE WILL CULMINATE A WEEK OF ACTIVITIES CELEBRATING PRIDE AND EQUALITY.
AND WHEREAS THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY CURRENTLY FACES MOUNTING DISCRIMINATION AND TOLERANCE AND HATE AT TIMES, RESULTING IN INCREASINGLY HOSTILE AND DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS FOR LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE.
AND WHEREAS BY PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL, WE ENHANCE AND STRENGTHEN THE VALUE OF EVERYONE THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY, ENABLING ALL TO LIVE OPENLY, EQUALLY AND WITHOUT FEAR.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN SHALL CONTINUE TO REAFFIRM EACH JUNE AS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER QUESTIONING PLUS PRIDE MONTH.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SHALL URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE ALL STEPS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE A CULTURE OF INCLUSIVENESS AND ACCEPTANCE, WHILE ENSURING THAT DOWNTOWN CONTINUES TO BE A SAFE, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT THAT EMBRACES AND CELEBRATES OUR DIVERSITY, OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND DISCUSSION.
UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, UH, TODAY IS MY FIRST COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, SIR, I'M A LITTLE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY OF SORT OF THESE RESOLUTIONS.
UH, IS THERE A PRECEDENT FOR RESOLUTION LIKE THIS? THERE ARE, THERE'S PRECEDENT FOR RESOLUTIONS.
ARE YOU MEANING A GAY PRIDE? YES, SIR.
I AM NOT SURE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE COMMISSION MORE THAN ABOUT A YEAR.
BUT THERE ARE, UH, PRECEDENTS FOR RESOLUTIONS THAT FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHATEVER IS BEING PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL.
AND THIS, IN MY OPINION, UM, FOLLOWED ALONG WITH SAFETY AND DIVERSITY AND HAVING A WELCOMING DOWNTOWN.
UH, I THINK I, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE, UH, SORT OF HOW THIS FALLS ON THE COMMISSION'S PURVIEW.
UH, I BELIEVE I, I CHECKED THE PARADE ROUTE AND I THINK IT STARTS AT THE CAPITOL AND GOES SOUTH.
SO THAT INCLUDES THE BOUNDARIES OF, OF DOWNTOWN.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON TWO MORE POINTS, SIR.
I WENT TO THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S SPONSORING THE PARADE.
UH, THAT'S A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
AND I WAS WONDERING, UM, AND THIS IS, I'M SIMPLY IGNORANT OF THE MATTER.
DID THE COMMISSION HAVE ANY, ANY, ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH ABOUT HOW 400 PEOPLE DOWNTOWN IMPACTS EMS, UH, TRASH COLLECTION, DOWNTOWN, RESIDENCE, DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, AND SO FORTH? ACTUALLY, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
AND AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAD PRESENTATIONS FROM FIRE, EMS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WAIT, WHO? THERE WAS ANOTHER POLICE, FIRE, EMS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, ABOUT, UM, SORT OF, UM, MASS EVENTS DOWNTOWN, NOT, NOT, NOT, UH, DANGEROUS EVENTS, BUT WHEN THERE IS A, UM, MASS EVENT DOWNTOWN AS FAR AS A FESTIVAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, EXACTLY WHAT STEPS ARE TAKEN.
UM, NOTHING WAS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED ABOUT PRIDE, BUT SINCE THEN, I HAVE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT AND I THINK IT WAS YES.
AND I CAN'T YOUR LAST NAME, I HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING, CAN YOU TELL ME AGAIN? IT'S JULA.
UM, I REACHED OUT TO HIM
UM, I ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE, THE PRIDE, UM,
[00:40:01]
ALLIANCE.I THINK IT'S, IT'S CALLED PRIDE ASSOCIATION.
I, I THINK THAT'S THE ORGANIZATION HOSTING.
THAT'S WHAT I DISCOVERED ON THE INTERNET.
SO I'VE REACHED OUT TWICE BY EMAILING, BY PHONE.
I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM, BUT I DID WANT TO TRY TO COORDINATE WITH THEM ALSO.
SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, YES.
UM, WE, I PERSONALLY IN THE COMMISSION I DO, DOES HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT PRIDE ROUTE SAFETY OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
UM, AND IT'S, UM, A GREAT EVENT FOR CELEBRATING THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, BUT AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.
UM, ONE OF OUR GREAT STRENGTHS IN AUSTIN IS OUR DIVERSITY AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE A WELCOMING CITY.
UM, I, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, AND I WANT TO SORT OF TAKE A STEP BACK AND SAY THAT DOWNTOWN'S A PUBLIC SPACE, RIGHT? IT'S PART OF THE CITY.
AND I, AND I I DO SUPPORT THIS IDEAL THAT EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF, UH, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RACE, HEIGHT, HAIR COLOR, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, SURE SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN DOWNTOWN IN THE PUBLIC SPACE.
BUT IN RESEARCHING, UH, THE RESOLUTION, UH, I WAS VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, STONEWALL UPRISING.
SO I SORT OF RESEARCHED IT AND I FOUND THE SOURCE, UH, COONEY CITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
THEY HAD A SORT OF A WRITE UP ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS, BUT, BUT ONE THING SORT OF JUMPED OUT, UH, THAT SORT OF CAUGHT MY EYE, UH, AS A PART OF THE UPRISING.
UM, PARTICIPANTS, UH, THREW BEER BOTTLES AND, AND THINGS AT LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES.
UH, AND THAT'S A BIT CONCERNING THAT THIS WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR RESOLUTION SIMPLY BECAUSE, I DUNNO IF YOU RECALL, BUT MAYBE FOUR MONTHS AGO, UH, WE SAW A VIDEO ON TWITTER OF FIREWORKS AND ROCKS BEING THROWN, LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES, AND I BELIEVE A MEMBER OF APD WAS IN FACT INJURED.
SO THAT WAS A BIT CONCERNING TO ME THAT, THAT THAT PARTICULAR, WHEREAS CLAUSE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RESOLUTION, UH, BEING SO CLOSE TO WHAT WE SORT OF RECENTLY SAW IN THE DOWNTOWN CITY CENTER, UH, JUST SIMILAR BEHAVIOR.
UM, JUST, JUST WONDERING, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THAT? OH, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
YOU'RE, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
I'VE ACTUALLY DRIVEN MY CAR IN THE PRIDE PARADE BECAUSE MY TEMPLE GETS A, UM, SPACE EVERY YEAR FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY MARCHES UNDER A BANNER.
AND I'VE DRIVEN MY CONVERTIBLE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY EASY.
PEOPLE CAN KIND OF DANCE ON MY BACK SEAT.
AND THERE IS NEVER, IN MY EXPERIENCE, BEEN ANYBODY ASSAULTING THE POLICE AT A PRIDE PARADE.
EVERYBODY IS HAPPY AND IN A GOOD MOOD, AND THE ONLY CONCERN THAT HAS EVER BEEN HAS BEEN, IN SOME CASES, THREATS AGAINST THE PARADE AS OPPOSED TO PEOPLE IN THE PARADE ACTING OUT.
SO, UM, I SHOULD CLARIFY, I WASN'T SUGGESTING THAT PARTICIPANTS AT THE PARADE WOULD ATTACK LAW ENFORCEMENT.
MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE AT, WE'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION THAT'S MENTIONING AN EVENT THAT HAD VIOLENCE TARGETING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THIS EVENT WAS, WAS 54 YEARS AGO.
SO I'M NOT SAYING IT'S GONNA HAPPEN NOW, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, THAT WHERE AS CLAUSE WE'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON INCLUDES VIOLENCE AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH I THINK, UH, SHOULD JUST BE RECONSIDERED IS ALL I'M SAYING HERE.
WELL, IT'S, IT, IT'S MY EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT THOSE OF US IN THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, WHEN WE CELEBRATE PRIDE AND WE CELEBRATE STONEWALL, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT CELEBRATING THE VIOLENCE THAT NECESSARILY TOOK PLACE.
ALTHOUGH WE UNDERSTAND THE ANGER THAT MAY HAVE PROMPTED IT, UM, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT AUSTIN'S POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES TO REACH OUT TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
UM, AND OUR INTENT, MY INTENT PERSONALLY, AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTENT OF MY COMMUNITY WHEN WE CELEBRATE, UM, STONEWALL, IS SIMPLY THE FACT THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY FINALLY SAID, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
AND, UM, WE STOOD UP FOR OURSELVES.
AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NEVER HAPPENED, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, STONEWALL UPRISING AS JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICE FIRST RESPONDERS OR ANYTHING TO THAT EFFECT.
IT'S MORE ABOUT FINALLY AT SOME POINT WE STOOD UP FOR OURSELVES AND WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD POWER AND THAT WE HAD PRIDE, AND THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE.
UH, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ALL THE QUESTION, UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION IS PRESENTED.
UM, WE'LL GET THE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION
[00:45:01]
TO COUNSEL AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE BARRIERS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.[3. Presentation on the East Sixth Street Public Improvement District to be given by Caitlyn Ryan and Shawn Cirkiel of the Pecan Street Owners Association. The Commission may approve a recommendation to Council on this item.]
IS THE PRESENTATION OF THE EAST SIXTH STREET PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.UH, WE HAVE KAITLYN RYAN AND SEAN CRILE.
I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCE.
THATS, UH, CERIL, UH, THE PECAN STREET OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
UM, WE JUST WANTED TO COME AND KIND OF FOLLOW UP.
I DON'T, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M THE CHEF OWNER OF PARKSIDE, UH, THE BACKSPACE DOWNTOWN ON ANDERSON LANE, UH, AND JUNE AND VAMINOS ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, BRAZOS HALL AND 800 CONGRESS.
UM, I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SIXTH STREET PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
UM, AND I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THE SIXTH STREET PROPERTIES OWNER OWNERS ASSOCIATION IS AS A, UH, PROPERTY GROUP, WE HAVE, UM, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT INTERESTS SOMETIMES THAN BOTH THE BUSINESSES AND, UM, THE DIFFERENT TRANSITORY TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT THAT HAPPENS IN DOWNTOWN.
AND AS A GROUP, WE'VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED IN, UM, ON LIGHTING, UH, CLEANLINESS AND KIND OF ORGANIZING OURSELVES FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, STARTING IN 2022, UM, WE IMPLEMENTED AN ALLEY CLEAN, UH, AS PRIVATELY FUNDED THROUGH OUR OWN DISTRICT.
UM, WE FOCUSED ON CLEANING THE ALLEYS ON A BI-MONTHLY BASIS, REMOVING ALL THE TRASH, UM, UH, WEEDING, ET CETERA.
AND THROUGH THAT PARTNERSHIP, UM, WE GOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND WASTE MANAGEMENT TO RE-ENGAGE IN THEIR OWN CONTRACT AND HAVE, UH, ESSENTIALLY STARTED CLEANING AND MAINTAINING THE ALLEYS AGAIN, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL.
UH, WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH, UH, WITH THE A P D ON A BI-MONTHLY BASIS THROUGH OUR MEETINGS, TALKING ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY CONCERNS.
WE'VE ALSO, UH, STARTED TO BUDGET AND OUTLINE A PLAN FOR THE DECORATIVE LIGHTING ON SIXTH STREET TO UPGRADE.
IT'S BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT 12 OR 13 YEARS, UM, AND HASN'T REALLY HAD THE MAINTENANCE DONE TO IT IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY.
WE'VE ENGAGED A THIRD PARTY VENDOR OUT OF, UM, HOUSTON, WHO WE'RE LOOKING TO ESSENTIALLY UPGRADE THE WHOLE DISTRICT TO BE ON A MODERN CONTROLLABLE WIFI SYSTEM.
SO IT COULD BE GREEN FOR TONIGHT WITH AUSTIN FC WHEN UT PLAYS ON SATURDAY, IT COULD BE ORANGE.
THE WHOLE DISTRICT COULD BE ILLUMINATED TO BE BRIGHT WHITE AT TWO, THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING FOR A P D AND EMS AND FOR THE CITY.
UM, WE'VE ALSO, UM, ENGAGED A COUPLE PRIVATE SECURITY RESOURCES TO EXPLORE DOING OUR OWN SELF-AUDITS FOR THE DIFFERENT AREAS, BUSINESSES AND ENVIRONMENTS, TO SEE IF WE CAN'T COME UP WITH A MORE COHESIVE PLAN THROUGH OWNERSHIP, UM, TO MAYBE TACKLE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HAPPEN DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN VERY ACTIVE WITH, UM, WITH, UH, THE SAFER SIXTH STREET PLAN.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT PROPERTY OWNERS ARE EXCITED ABOUT WITH THE PLAN IS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE IT FOR, UM, TENANTS AND TENANT REPRESENTATION.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION, UH, PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE, UM, BARS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, DON'T JOIN THE, UH, THE, THE, THE PLAN OR DON'T SIGN UP OR AREN'T ENGAGED WELL, IT BECOMES VERY EASY FROM A LANDLORD PERSPECTIVE, ESSENTIALLY, WE CAN SLOWLY START TO ASK ALL THE TENANTS, ANY OF THE BARS IN THE NEAR TERM, ARE YOU CERTIFIED? HAVE YOU BEEN ACCREDITED? IS IT MANAGERS OR EMPLOYEES? WHAT'S YOUR PLAN FOR ONBOARDING? SO IT STARTS TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE POWER BACK TO THE STREET.
UM, AND THROUGH OWNERSHIP RIGHT NOW, IT TENDS TO BE SO MUCH DRIVEN.
THE NARRATIVE REALLY IS SO MUCH DRIVEN BY WHAT'S THERE CURRENTLY WITH THE BARS.
AND OUR GOAL IS REALLY TO FOCUS ON A MORE ROBUST LONG TERM.
UM, WE, WE'VE ALSO PROPOSED, UM, UH, BALLARD SYSTEM AS WELL IN COORDINATION WITH DAA AND TRANSPORTATION AS PART OF THE CITY SIDEWALK, UM, REMODEL.
THAT'S LOOKING TO GO THROUGH OVER THE NEXT, HOPEFULLY TWO YEARS THERE, THERE SHOULD STILL BE BUDGET LEFT OVER FROM THE 2010, UM, BOND.
AND AS PART OF THAT, WE ARE HOPING TO GET PERMANENT BALLARDS, UH, INSTALLED ON THE STREET SO THAT THEY COULD BE HYDRAULICALLY ADJUSTED SO THAT A P D WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO, UH, CUT OFF CERTAIN BLOCKS, OPEN CERTAIN BLOCKS FOR WEATHER, ALLOW ACCESS FOR VALET, UM, AND KIND OF ALLOW IT TO BE A MORE MANAGEABLE SYSTEM AS WELL.
UM, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RENEWING OUR PI FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE WOULD ASK THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO APPROVE THAT.
UM, AS PART OF, UH, THE RENEWAL PIT AND PLAN, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCREASE OUR MAXIMUM PIT, UM, ALLOCATION FROM OUR OWN PROPERTY GROUP SO THAT WE HAVE MORE MONEY TO SPEND ON THE RESOURCES THAT WE WANT TO.
[00:50:01]
YOU VERY MUCH.QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UH, ONE QUESTION IF I MAY.
SO THE REVENUE FROM THE PIT COMES FROM THE, THE PEOPLE, THE ENTITIES IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT.
AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT RENEWING IT? YES.
OR NOT ALL, BUT MAJORITY, YES.
THERE IS, THERE IS A, THERE IS A SMALL MATCHING PORTION THAT DOES COME FROM THE CITY.
UM, BUT THE MAJORITY OF IT DOES COME FROM ALL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
WELL, THEY'VE ASKED US IF WE WOULD SUPPORT THE RENEWAL OF THE, THE, THE EAST SIXTH STREET, UH, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UH, PIT.
I, SO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
WE'LL PASS THAT ON TO COUNSEL AND, UH, HOPE THANK YOU'ALL FOR DOING THE WORK YOU DO.
IT'S, I KNOW IT'S FRAUGHT WITH CHALLENGE.
[4. Presentation on the Downtown Strategic Plan to be given by Melissa Barry of the Downtown Austin Alliance. The Commission may approve a recommendation to Council on this item]
BUSINESS IS, UH, THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC PLAN.UH, WE'VE GOT MELISSA BARRY WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND I'M GONNA STEP OFF THE YES, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO.
SO, UH, VICE CHAIR FINAL IS GONNA TAKE OVER THE BALANCE OF THE MEETING.
UH, SO MY NAME'S MELISSA BARRY.
I'M THE CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UM, AND MUCH LIKE THE EAST SIXTH STREET PI, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT FOR, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, THIS SLIDE HERE IS SHOWING YOU THE, THE RED BOUNDARY IS THE DISTRICT BOUNDARY.
AND, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT CONCEPT, UM, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT CONCEPT IS, IS, UM, FORMS OUT OF STATE STATUTE AND PROPERTY OWNERS PAY AN ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT.
IT'S CALLED A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT TO, UM, GET SERVICES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE CITY IS PROVIDING.
AND WE, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE MANAGES THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT UNDER A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON.
SO, UM, WE JUST WENT THROUGH A 10 YEAR RENEWAL PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE A, UM, A NEW SERVICE PLAN THAT GETS US TO 2032.
UM, AND WE, AS PART OF THAT, UM, PLANNING PROCESS, WE ALSO OPERATE UNDER A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE HAVE A, WE'RE A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION, WE ALSO HAVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
SO, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PAST YEAR, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNDERSTANDING THE NEW SERVICE PLAN WAS UNDERWAY, INITIATED ON A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS TO LOOK AT WHAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS LOOKED LIKE.
SO, UM, WHAT I AM SHARING WITH YOU TODAY IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
I, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR BOARD ORGANIZES BY COMMITTEES, AND EACH COMMITTEE IS DEDICATED TO ONE OF THE PRIORITY AREAS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, UM, AND THE WORK OF REALLY GETTING INTO THE DETAILS HAS YET TO COME.
THAT'S, UM, THE NEXT STEP WITH EACH OF THE COMMITTEES.
WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH THE IDENTIFIED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO DEFINE WHAT THESE ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST AS A, A QUICK RE RECAP, OUR MISSION, UM, AND THIS MISSION WAS ACTUALLY UPDATED IN OUR, OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE, PRESERVE, AND ENHANCE THE VIBE, VITALITY, AND VALUE OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, FOR EV THAT'S FOR EVERYONE.
WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN IS A PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
UM, I LOVE ALL THE WORDS THAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT.
WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE, WE'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE.
UH, AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT AS WE, WE WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE PRIORITIES IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND, UM, IN 2017, WE WENT ON A VERY, UM, ROBUST PROCESS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE, WE WENT OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
WE MET WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER AUSTIN TO TRY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF DOWNTOWN AND THE VISIONS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR DOWNTOWN.
THAT, UM, PROCESS LED TO WHAT WAS CALLED THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
[00:55:01]
VISION.AND THAT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN VISION HAS BEEN THE NORTH STAR FOR HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THE LANGUAGE IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, IT'S REALLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HEAR REALLY CONSISTENTLY EVEN SINCE THE, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN VISION WAS CREATED.
SO THERE'S FIVE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
THIS IS, AGAIN, IT'S A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, MEANT TO LAST US UNTIL 20 28, 5 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
UM, AND I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM, UM, VERY BRIEFLY.
SO, OUR FIRST STRATEGIC PRIORITY IS AROUND PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE.
AND, UM, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS CLEAN AND SAFE, AND IT'S ALSO WELCOMING FOR EVERYONE.
SO, UM, YOU ALL PROBABLY ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
YOU'VE SEEN OUR AMBASSADORS, UM, WALKING THROUGH DOWNTOWN, HELPING PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO, OUR AMBASSADORS DO SO MUCH.
THEY, THEY CLEAN, THEY PICK UP CLEAN GRAFFITI, THEY PICK UP TRASH, THEY POWER WASH THE SIDEWALKS, BUT THEY ALSO ARE TRAINED TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HOSPITALITY, THE FRONT, THE, THE FACE OF DOWNTOWN FOR EVERYONE.
SO OUR AMBASSADORS ARE, ARE A BIG COMPONENT OF THE PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE OBJECTIVES THIS YEAR TO REALLY, UM, TACKLE AND DECREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN.
BY INCREASING ACCESS TO FACILITIES AND SERVICES.
WE ARE LOOKING TO REDUCE CRIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY RELEVANT WITH, UM, THE WORK OF, OF THE EAST SIXTH STREET PIT.
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO, UM, ADDRESS CRIME AND VIOLENT CRIME, UM, INCREASE VIBRANCY AND DIVERSITY.
SO HAVING MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, MORE, MORE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND, MORE VIBRANT STREETS, MAKING DOWNTOWN MORE WELCOMING AND CLEANLINESS IS ALWAYS THE, THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING WE DO WITH OUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR STARTING POINT.
THE SECOND PRIORITY AREA IS ACTIVE URBANISM.
AND THE GOAL HERE IS TO IGNITE A ATTRACT AND CULTIVATE AUTHENTIC ARTS CULTURE, NATURE, MUSIC, AND SENSE OF PLACE.
SO THIS IS REALLY LIKE THE ESSENCE OF AUSTIN, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT EXPERIENCE, THE THINGS THAT WE ALL LOVE ABOUT AUSTIN, THE REASONS WHY WE'RE HERE ARE REALLY, UM, REVERBERATING THROUGH DOWNTOWN AND THE, THE EXPERIENCE THAT PEOPLE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM LOOKING AT STREETS AND STOREFRONTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ACTIVE STOREFRONTS, UM, BRINGING MORE ARTS, MUL MUSIC AND CULTURE SUPPORTING, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ACTIVATING PARKS AND GREEN SPACES AND, UM, FINDING MORE WAYS FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES TO THRIVE IN DOWNTOWN.
THE THIRD PRIORITY IS BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
AND THIS IS REALLY, THIS PHOTO IS, IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE, THE WAY OUR BOARD REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
IN THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, WE REALLY GRAPPLED WITH HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE HISTORIC, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, REALLY THE, THE HISTORY AND CULTURE AND HISTORY AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND THE CHARACTER WHILE CONTINUING TO GROW INTO THIS MODERN CITY THAT WE ARE.
SO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT GOALS ARE REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, HOW DO WE DO THAT? HOW DO WE, UM, PUT MORE TOOLS AND INCENTIVES IN PLACE FOR PRESERVATION? HOW DO WE, UM, MAKE SURE THAT NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND, AND ARE SORT OF MANAGED AND SUPPORTED? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S TREES DOWNTOWN SO PEOPLE CAN WALK IN THE SHADE ON DAYS? LIKE TODAY, WHEN MY COLLEAGUE AND I WALKED FROM OUR OFFICE TO HERE AND REALIZED THAT WITHOUT TREES, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY MISERABLE.
UM, THE FOURTH CATEGORY IS MOBILITY.
AND HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE MOBILITY SPACE, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW WITH, UM, TWO BIG PROJECTS UNDERWAY.
I 35 BEING RECONSTRUCTED AND PROJECT CONNECT IN, UM, IN PROGRESS.
AND SO WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW TO CONTINUE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET DOWNTOWN.
WE REALIZE THAT ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN IS, IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN.
SO HOW DO WE, UM, ENHANCE ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN? UM, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AND PARTNERING WITH THE CITY ON THE AFFORDABLE PARKING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A, A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM THAT HELPS, UM, FOLKS WHO WORK IN VENUES TO HA FIND AFFORDABLE PARKING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY.
WE WANNA CONTINUE AND EXPAND THAT KIND OF ACCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EVEN THE DAYTIME EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS
[01:00:01]
TO SERVICE EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE PARKING.UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE, WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THESE BIG PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE HORIZON AND WHAT IT'S GONNA DO TO, TO THE CONSTRUCTION'S GONNA DO, TO ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, REALLY WANNA GET AHEAD OF THAT WITH A PLAN FOR HOW WE'RE GONNA, UM, BEGIN TO MITIGATE SOME OF THAT SO THAT, UM, OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES CAN STAY AND THRIVE DURING THAT CONSTRUCTION SO PEOPLE CAN GET TO WORK, UM, AND VISITORS CAN KEEP COMING.
AND, UM, LASTLY, WE ARE REALLY, UM, OUR BOARD HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK IN OUR LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE CATEGORY.
WE WENT THROUGH A PRETTY, UM, EXTENSIVE UPDATE TO OUR GOVERNANCE AND OUR BYLAWS RECENTLY.
AND REALLY, UM, WITH THE INTENT TO, UM, BE A STRONGER AND MORE INFLUENTIAL LEADER AND, AND VISIBLE STEWARD OF DOWNTOWN FOR EVERYONE.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONTINUING THAT GOVERNANCE WORK THAT WE, WE'VE BEEN DOING TO TRANSFORM THE GOVERNANCE OF THE ORGANIZATION, UM, BUILD OUR ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH AGENDAS, UM, AND REALLY COMMUNICATE THOSE THINGS IN WAYS THAT, UM, ELEVATE THE, THE FOCUS AND THE, THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORK ON ENGAGEMENT.
WE, WE HAVE, UM, A LOT GOING ON AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, UM, WITH SO MANY THINGS GOING ON.
BUT YOU, WE, WE ARE LOOKING TO FIND MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO COLLABORATE AND ENGAGE WITH FOLKS, UM, IN, IN WAYS THAT WORK FOR THEM.
UM, LASTLY, WE HAVE A SERIES OF TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS, IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, WE THINK ARE GOING TO SHAPE DOWNTOWN IN REALLY MEANINGFUL WAYS.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN SOME CASES WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE TABLE ALREADY.
IN OTHER CASES, WE ARE, UM, REALLY LOOKING TO, UM, BE A PARTNER ON THESE THINGS.
SO I 35 AND, UM, HA THE CAP AND STITCH OPPORTUNITY THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY CAP AND RECONNECT THE CITY PROJECT CONNECT, UM, MOVING FORWARD, WHAT, HOW THAT SHAPES OUT DOWNTOWN IN TERMS OF THE STATION DESIGN AND THE STREET DESIGN IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE HISTORIC ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES EAST SIXTH STREET, UM, FIGURING OUT AND TRYING TO WORK WITH THE PARTNERS ALREADY AT THE TABLE.
WE'VE HAD ALREADY HAD A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE ROOM TODAY TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WE REALLY WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND BE, BE A PARTNER IN, UM, THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE EXPANSION OF THE CON CONVENTION CENTER IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR DOWNTOWN.
SO WE WANNA CONTINUE TO STAY INVOLVED IN THAT.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK, UM, I HAVE LAID OUT SORT OF AT A HIGH LEVEL THE FOCUS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AS I SAID, WE ARE, UM, AND I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER IS ON OUR BOARD, UM, AND WE'RE, OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE REALLY WORKING THROUGH WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE WITH, WITH ALL OF THESE GOALS AND INITIATIVES.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, MAYBE JUST ONE QUESTION.
SO YOU SAID THIS IS VERY HIGH LEVEL, WHICH I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND.
ARE YOU GUYS GONNA COME BACK WHEN YOU HAVE MORE DETAIL TO SHARE? BECAUSE I, I THINK A LOT OF THE STUFF YOU MENTIONED IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, PERSONALLY I WAS, I, I REALLY ENJOYED READING ABOUT INCREASING THE TREE CANOPY BY 10%.
I, I THINK THAT'S HUGE, UH, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OVER, MAYBE OVER, WE CAN TALK WITH STAFF AND OVER THE COURSE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE AGENDAS THAT Y'ALL HAVE, WE CAN SEE HOW TO FIT THAT IN.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH ALL OF OUR PRIORITIES, THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND A LOT MORE THINKING THROUGH.
SO, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF ALIGNMENT WITH WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE ALREADY LOOKING AT.
SO WE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND AT THIS STAGE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED FROM THE COMMISSION? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? AT THIS STAGE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED FROM THE COMMISSION? THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE NEED RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
I'M SURE THERE WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YES, I ALSO HAVE, I'M THE DATA NERD.
I HAVE ANOTHER DATA QUESTION FOR YOU.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INCREASING THE TREE CANOPY BY 10%, DECREASING HOMELESSNESS BY
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75%, IS THAT BENCHMARKED ON THIS YEAR? THAT'S BENCHMARKED ON THE FIVE YEAR RUNWAY STARTING IN 2023, STARTING IN THIS YEAR AND GOING TO 2028? CORRECT.SO IN TERMS OF SPECIFICALLY AROUND FOLKS EXPERIENCING, UM, UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, LIVING DOWNTOWN, YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS FROM THE HEADCOUNT AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE BENCHMARKING AGAINST GOING FORWARD? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION,
[5. Presentation on the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative to be given by Laura Dierenfield of the City of Austin Transportation Department, Jana McCann of McCann Adams Studio, and Patrick Benedict of HDR Inc. The Commission may approve a recommendation to Council on this item. ]
IS ON CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE LAURA DARFIELD OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, JANA MCCANN OF MCCANN ADAMS STUDIO, AND PATRICK BENEDICT OF H D R INC.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
UM, WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE, ESPECIALLY AS I THINK MANY OF YOU, MAYBE NEW IN YOUR ROLE, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THIS INITIATIVE.
SO THIS IS PROBABLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, BE BRIEFED ON A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF, UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT IN TERMS OF THE FOCUS AREAS OF, OF CREATING A, UH, A VIBRANT, INCLUSIVE, INVITING, AND, UM, KIND FUTURE PROOFING DOWNTOWN.
SO, UH, TONIGHT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH A BRIEFING ON THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.
AND YOU CAN CONSIDER THIS SORT OF A, A BIT OF A PRIMER, UH, AHEAD OF A DEEPER, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, THAT WE'RE PREPARING FOR LATER THIS FALL.
UH, WITH THAT, I'LL START WITH AN INTRODUCTION.
I'M LAURA DEERFIELD WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH, UM, INCREDIBLE TEAM, UH, JANA MCCANN WITH MCCANN ADAMS STUDIO IS PART OF THE, UH, LARGER GROUP LED BY BENEDICT PATRICK, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT.
UH, LEE FRIEDBERG FROM HDR AND OUR VERY, UH, WONDERFUL PARTNERS AT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE WHO REALLY ARE CREDITED AS THE CATALYST FOR, UH, THIS WORK.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VISION PLAN THAT STARTED, UH, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC IN 20 17, 18 TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN TALK THROUGH THE KEY CONCEPTS THAT ARE IN THE VISION PLAN AND OUR EFFORTS NOW TO REALIZE THAT VISION PLAN, UM, THROUGH AN INITIAL DESIGN PHASE.
UH, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
WE HAVE SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH THE 2020, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY BOND THAT IS GONNA ENABLE US TO, UH, BRING FORWARD AN INITIAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN WE'D LOVE TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE ME MANY MEMBERS OF THE TEAM HERE TONIGHT.
I'LL JUST ADD THAT WE ALSO HAVE COLLEAGUES FROM THE, UH, HOUSING, UH, OR ACTUALLY NOW THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS WE MERGED.
SO JORGE RUSIN AND HIS COLLEAGUES JILL QUA, UM, ARE OUR LEADS THERE.
AND THEN JAVI GONZALEZ, UH, AS OUR PROJECT MANAGER, UM, AND AMALIA CARMONA, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT IS WITH, UH, THE, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
I'M GONNA OFFER JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO JANA TO REALLY TAKE YOU THROUGH MANY OF THE ASPECTS OF THE WORK WE'RE WE'RE DOING TOGETHER.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS DEFINITELY A PARTNERSHIP OF THE CITY AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND AN IMPORTANT ONE TO REALLY REALIZE THE FULL POTENTIAL OF CONGRESS AVENUE AS THAT MAIN STREET OF TEXAS.
IT ENCOMPASSES, UM, FROM 11TH STREET DOWN TO RIVERSIDE, SO A LITTLE OVER A MILE 1.2.
AND, UM, WHAT WAS DONE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WAS TO, UM, UH, REALIZE A, A VISION PLAN.
ONE THAT WAS, UM, GATHERED FEEDBACK FROM MANY PEOPLE, MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT WE COULD, UM, DO TO REALLY CELEBRATE CONGRESS AVENUE IN MANY DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS.
UM, IN 2020, THERE WERE FOUR NAMED PROJECTS AND WHAT WAS CALLED THE LARGE C I P, UM, PORTION OF THE 2020 BOND PROGRAM.
SO RECALLING THAT IS AN EVALUATION OF THE, UM, THE BRIDGE OVER BARTON CREEK ON, UM, BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, AN EXTENSION OF SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD, THE LONGHORN DAM, WITCH BONE BRIDGE, AND THEN THIS PROJECT.
SO THOSE FOUR, UH, LARGE NAMED PROJECTS, UM, SHARE, UH, FUNDING.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT TO ABOUT A 30% PHASE AND THEN BE ABLE TO PEEL OFF AN INITIAL CONSTRUCTION PHASE WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WE'RE WELL UNDERWAY IN THAT EFFORT AND VERY EXCITED TO BRING A, A MORE FULLY REALIZED AND, UM, DETAILED DESIGN TO THE COMMUNITY LATER THIS FALL, AND WANNA PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, UM, TO PREPARE FOR THAT.
WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT OFF TO JANA TO TALK ABOUT THE VISION PLAN.
UH, SO I WANNA, WE'LL GO OVER SORT OF THE OVERVIEW OF THE VISION PLAN, AND I'LL TRY TO CONTRAST FOR YOU WHAT
[01:10:01]
WAS IN THAT DOCUMENT VERSUS HOW WE, OUR TEAM HAS DEVELOPED THIS INTO THE NEXT STEP BECAUSE THE VISION PLAN WAS STILL PRETTY CONCEPTUAL.AND SO NOW WE'RE KIND OF DIVING INTO IT AND REALLY ANALYZING HOW IS THIS REALLY, UM, GIVEN THOSE VISION AND VALUES THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THIS SCREEN, HOW DID THOSE REALLY GET ENUNCIATED IN THE, IN THE SORT OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN? SO WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE COMPLETION OF WHAT SOME PEOPLE CALL SCHEMATIC DESIGN, 30% ENGINEERING.
SO IT'S STILL GONNA BE FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL UNTIL WE HEAR BACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEXT PHASES OF DESIGN.
SO ONE OF THE MANTRAS, I THINK, IN THE VISION PLAN WAS TO BALANCE THE AVENUE OR MAYBE REBALANCE IT.
UM, WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT, OR LONG, EVEN THE VISION PLAN, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HAD SIX LANES OF TRAFFIC, THREE EACH WAY, VERY, UM, JUST NON-EXISTENT BICYCLE FACILITIES AND SOMEWHAT COMPROMISED EVEN PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, UH, IN TERMS OF ADA SLOPES AND CROSS SLOPES AND, UM, ACCESS.
SO THERE REALLY IS SORT OF AN URGENCY TO ADDRESS SORT OF KEY TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESSIBILITY ON THE AVENUE.
AND SO THIS PROJECT IS, IS INCORPORATING THAT, BUT ALSO INCORPORATING ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT CREATE A GREAT URBAN DESIGN SPACE.
AND I THINK AS MELISSA BARRY WAS POINTING OUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO REALLY LOOK AND CREATE THE MOST WELCOMING PLACE POSSIBLE WITH THIS PROJECT.
SO IN TERMS OF THE CROSS SECTION DESIGN, THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE TACKLE IN LOOKING AT THE STREET.
AND SO, AS I MENTIONED, WE BEFORE HAD SIX LANES AND ACTUALLY, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS REDUCED THAT TO FOUR LANES.
AND I'M TALKING UP FROM THE, THE BRIDGE NORTH TO THE CAPITOL AND HAS CREATED, UH, MARKETED AND DEDICATED BICYCLE LANES, WHICH HAS BEEN A HUGE IMPROVEMENT, BUT THEY'RE STILL DOWN AT THE STREET LEVEL.
AND SO THE FUTURE CROSS SECTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARD IS THE ONE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN, WHICH IS CALLING OUT WHAT WAS CALLED OUT IN THE VISION PLAN, WHICH CREATED IS GOING TO CREATE FIVE VEHICLE LANES.
AND SO THAT IS TO PROVIDE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR LEFT TURN LANES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
UM, AND MUCH WIDER SIDEWALKS WILL BE REMOVING THE, THE, UM, ANGLE IN AND OR PARALLEL PARKING THAT EXISTS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO EXPAND BOTH A DEDICATED BICYCLE WAY THAT YOU SEE ON THE CURB EDGE.
YOU HAVE A TWO FOOT WIDE BUFFER, THEN I THINK WE'RE NOW AT SEVEN AND A HALF FEET WIDE FOR THE BICYCLE LANE.
THEN GOING TOWARD THE PROPERTY, WE HAVE AN A SEVEN FOOT WIDE AMENITY ZONE WITH THE SHADE TREE.
I'LL TALK HOW IMPORTANT SHADE TREES ARE,
AND THEN LIKE AN EIGHT FOOT STOREFRONT ZONE WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY FOR BUSINESS OWNERS TO PUT CAFE TABLES OR THINGS THAT THEY MAY WANNA SELL OUT ON THE, AT THEIR EDGE OF THE AVENUE, AS WELL AS POSSIBLY POPULATE THAT AMENITY ZONE SPACE WHERE THE TREE LINE IS.
SO THIS FIVE LANE CROSS SECTION HAS PROVIDED A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE, UM, TALK ABOUT FUTURE PROOFING, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THIS LARGER NETWORK IN, IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THIS FIVE LINE SECTION IS GONNA HELP US ACHIEVE THAT.
HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT NORTH OF SIXTH STREET, THE TRAFFIC DEMANDS ARE MUCH MORE DIMINISHED.
AND SO THERE MAY BE A POSSIBILITY TO ALLOW THOSE OUTER TWO LANES TO BE FLEX LANES WHERE MORE FUN THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN TERMS OF LIKE FOOD TRUCKS OR, UM, POSSIBLY EVEN PARALLEL PARKING OR SERVICING.
SO THOSE THINGS CAN BE FLEXIBLE NORTH OF SIXTH STREET.
AND SO THIS IS THE OVERALL, AGAIN, THIS IS THE VISION STRAIGHT FROM THE VISION PLAN DOCUMENT, THAT THAT PARSES OUT THOSE DIFFERENT ZONES.
AND SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID WITH OUR, WITH THE CITY IS REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GONNA BE THE EXACT DIMENSIONS OF ALL THOSE, UM, SPACES.
AND SO THAT IS DETERMINED, WE FIGURED IT OUT, AND THAT'S WHAT PART OF 30% PLANS ARE DOING.
SO OUR TEAM HAS REALLY BEEN DOING SOME PERSPECTIVE DRAWINGS JUST TO START TO GET, TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT IS THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THIS PLACE, UH, GIVEN THOSE KIND OF, THAT FIVE
[01:15:01]
LANE CROSS SECTION.AND THIS IS JUST AN IMAGE OF THE AVENUE AT 100 CONGRESS AVENUE ON THE, THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET, LOOKING NORTH TOWARD THE SECOND STREET INTERSECTION SHOWING.
AND THIS IS SORT OF AN EXCEPTIONAL CROSS-SECTION BECAUSE, UM, AN EXCEPTION TO THE FIVE LANE, BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY NEEDING TO INTRODUCE A RIGHT TURN LANE, A SOUTHBOUND LANE, SO YOU SEE THAT FIRST CAR LANE, UM, SO THAT IT'S, THE STREET IS A LITTLE BIT WIDER HERE, ONE LANE WIDER TO ALLOW FOR THAT VERY INTENSIVELY NEEDED RIGHT TURN.
SO IN THIS ONE EXCEPTION, YOU SEE, UM, FROM THE CURB OR FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, UH, RAIN GARDEN OF ABOUT EIGHT FEET WIDE, THEN THE, UM, BICYCLE LANE, THEN A BUFFER ZONE, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE GRANITE, COBBLES, AND THEN A LARGER LARGE FORMAT PAVER.
AND THEN THE PROPERTY LINE, YOU SEE RIGHT WHERE THAT LOW RETAINING WALL IS TO THE LEFT OF THAT.
SO THIS IS JUST AGAIN, TO KIND OF WHAT IS THE SENSE OF THIS? AND WE'RE BRINGING NEW TREES, UM, ALL ALONG THE AVENUE THAT WILL BE OF VERY HEALTHY, BE PLANTED IN A WAY THAT WILL, UM, GIVE THEM THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL TO GROW QUICKLY AND WITH THE MOST VITALITY.
SO THE TREES ARE JUST A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PART OF, OF THE AVENUE.
THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN GREAT SHAPE, MANY OF THEM.
AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THE SPECIES THAT, UH, ARE GONNA WORK BEST IN THIS URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
SO ONE OF OUR BIGGEST TASKS I THINK, AND BESIDES FIGURING OUT UTILITIES, IS FI FIGURING OUT UTILITY FREE ZONE FOR THAT TREE TO BE PLANTED IN.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO USE LIKE SOIL CELLS AND SORT OF UP MUCH UPGRADED PLANTING TECHNIQUES, UM, THAT REALLY HAVE BECOME ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS OR SO.
SO WHEN THOSE TREES WERE PLANTED, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE EIGHTIES, THOSE THINGS, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT CHOICE.
SO NOW WE'VE LEARNED AN IMMENSE AMOUNT MORE ABOUT TREES AND TREE HEALTH.
CAN, BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM THIS SURE.
I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE RIGHT TURN LANE.
UM, I ASSUME THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COMING SOUTH ON CONGRESS, TURNING RIGHT ON SCISSOR CESAR CHAVEZ.
IS THIS GOING TO JUST BE LIKE A REGULAR RIGHT TURN LANE OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A SLIP LANE? IT'S GONNA, I THINK IT'S A REGULAR RIGHT TURN LANE.
BECAUSE SLIP LANES OF ARE TERRIBLE FOR PEDESTRIANS.
SO THAT WAS WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION, SO THANK YOU.
NO, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
SO YES, AND ALL, EVEN SOUTH OF THE RIVER, WHEREVER WE'RE USED TO HAVE THOSE FREE RIGHTS MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED A SMART RIGHT THAT, THAT YOU CAN DO.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO PULL IN BEST PRACTICES AND TRYING TO LET THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE BIKE REALLY BE PROMINENT AND SAFER.
SO IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE INITIAL DESIGN CONCEPTS AND PLACEMAKING CONCEPTS FROM THE VISION PLAN, THE VISION PLAN SET OUT THREE DIS OR SOME DISTINCT ZONES.
IT KIND OF CREATED A DELINEATED CHARACTER ZONE.
SO STARTING FROM THE VERY NORTH AT THE STATE CAPITOL, THOSE TWO BLOCKS FROM NINTH TO 11TH WAS TERMED THE CIVIC STAGE, BECAUSE THAT OFTEN IS WHERE MAJOR EVENTS UNFOLD.
UM, AND THAT IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUR, TO THE THRESHOLD TO OUR STATE CAPITAL BUILDING.
SO THAT IS A, A SPECIAL AREA THAT MIGHT THEN RECEIVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TREATMENTS THAN SAY THE HEART OF AUSTIN.
SO THAT MIDDLE SECTION FROM ABOUT FOURTH STREET TO, UH, 10TH STREET OR NINTH STREET RATHER, IS REALLY THAT PLACE WHERE THERE'S THE DENSEST PACKING, I WOULD SAY, OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS WITH THE SMALLER, LIKE EVEN DOWN TO 25 FOOT WIDE FACADES.
AND WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF RETAIL, THERE'S MUSEUMS, THERE'S RESTAURANTS, THERE'S BARS, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST ACTIVE.
AND SO THAT AREA ALSO MIGHT GET SOME DIFFERENT TREATMENTS.
AND THEN, UM, WE, WE HAVE THIS TERM CALLED THE GREEN GATEWAY THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE VISION PLAN, AND THAT IS THE TWO ZONES THAT COME INTO THE RIVER TOWARD THE BRIDGE SHOULD BE THE IDEA WAS CELEBRATED IN TERMS OF CONNECTION TO NATURE, CONNECTION TO WATER.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS SHOWING YOU THAT RAIN GARDEN.
SO THERE'S MORE OF A CONCENTRATION OF PLANTING IN LANDSCAPE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO TRUE RAIN GARDENS WHERE THEY'RE PERFORMING, UH, THE FUNCTION OF STORM WATER, UH, RUNOFF AND FILTRATION AND SORT OF HELPING TO KIND OF FEED THE GROUND WITH, WITH THAT WATER.
AND THEN THERE'S THE BRIDGE ITSELF, PERHAPS THE MOST KIND OF ICONIC PART OF THE AVENUE BESIDES THE SPECTACULAR VIEW TO THE CAPITOL.
[01:20:01]
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BRIDGE, BUT, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF ON THE BRIDGE, LIKE THE BATS, LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S AT THE END OF A HISTORIC NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, THAT THE BRIDGE ITSELF IS ELIGIBLE FOR NATIONAL REGISTER DESIGNATION.UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN AND CARE THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN, IN TERMS OF THE FINAL DESIGN FOR THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START A PROJECT LIKE THIS, YOU SORT OF HAVE TO SAY THIS IS WHAT IS, THIS IS THE MAIN STREET OF TEXAS, LIKE THE CAPITAL UP ABOVE THE US CAPITAL IS SORT OF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH THIS GRAND AVENUE FLANKED WITH BEAUTIFUL SHADE TREES.
AND WE HAVE HOPEFULLY GOT THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AND HAVE ENJOYED THAT, ALTHOUGH WE'VE GOT OUR TREES ARE STRAGGLING A LITTLE BIT.
BUT ONE OF THE, AGAIN, THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSISTENT THINGS IS THAT TREE LINE, ESPECIALLY FROM CESAR CHAVEZ UP TO 11TH STREET.
AND WE WANT THE STREET LIGHTING POLES TO BE IN LINE WITH THE TREE TRUNKS AND HAVE THAT KIND OF CLEAN VIEW.
AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO USE THOSE SORT OF THE SIMILAR PAVING MATERIALS FOR THE STOREFRONT AND WALKING ZONES AND A SMALLER PERMEATE PERMEABLE OR PERVIOUS PAVER FOR THE AMENITY ZONE, WHICH IS LOCATED WHERE THE TREES ARE, SO THE TREES CAN BENEFIT FROM ABSORBING THE WATER IN THAT AREA.
SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY ARE IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY.
AND SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THOSE KEY THINGS.
AND OTHER, IN, IN OTHER AREAS, WE CAN KIND OF PROVIDE A BIT MORE DIVERSITY.
SO I THINK I'VE DRIVEN THE POINT HOME THAT WERE REALLY IMPORTANT, REALLY FOCUSED ON TREE AND TREE HEALTH AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY'S ARBORIST AND WATERSHED PROTECTION AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ENGAGED WITH TREES AND TREE PLANTING.
SO I THINK THIS IS, WE'RE BASICALLY KIND OF CREATING A SPECIAL MASTER PLAN FOR THE TREES.
UM, USING MANY OF THEM MAY BE PLANTED IN THIS TECHNIQUE CALLED SOIL CELLS THAT GIVES THEM THE MOST ABILITY TO SPREAD THEIR ROOTS UNDERNEATH PAVING WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE PAVING.
SO THIS IS A VIEW OF THE OLD BAKERY THAT'S BETWEEN 10TH AND 11TH STREET LOOKING NORTH TOWARD THE CAPITOL AND JUST SHOWING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT STREETSCAPE COULD LOOK LIKE.
AND I KNOW THE DAA IS GOT A MURAL PLANNED FOR THAT BIG BLANK WALL ON THE LEFT.
AND THEN YOU'RE SEEING ALSO THE DECISION OR OUR PROPOSAL IS TO USE CONTEMPORARY STREET LIGHTING POLES ON THE AVENUE THAT ARE VERY SLEEK AND VERY KIND OF NOT CR YOU KNOW, REQUIRING A LOT OF ATTENTION, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE HIGH PERFORMANCE POLES THAT AGAIN, ARE GONNA BE LOCATED IN LINE WITH THE TREES.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE A PEDESTRIAN LUMINAIRE AT ABOUT A 14 FOOT HEIGHT JUST UNDER SORT OF THE TREE CANOPY AND THEN A TALLER LUMINAIRE THAT WOULD BE ORIENTED TOWARD THE ROADWAY.
SO AGAIN, LIGHTING, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
AND SORT OF, UM, LIKE THE HISTORIC SO-CALLED HISTORIC POLES THAT ARE ON SIXTH STREET, WERE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THOSE WERE ON CONGRESS AVENUE STARTING IN THE 1940S.
SO THEY'RE NOT, WHAT WE'VE GOT OUT THERE IS NOT EXACTLY THE, THE GREEN POLE THAT YOU SEE THERE IN THE IMAGE ON THE BOTTOM IS NOT A TRUE HISTORIC REPLICA OF ANYTHING THAT WAS HISTORIC.
SO WE IN CON IN CONSULTATION WITH TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WE DO, THEY, THEY SAY, WELL, IF YOU CAN'T REPRODUCE EXACTLY THAT HISTORIC FIXTURE, BY ALL MEANS DO NOT CREATE A FALSE HISTORIC FIXTURE.
AND IT'D BE BETTER IF YOU DID JUST A CONTEMPORARY SORT OF LOW KEY THING.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE TWO CHOICES WE HAD IN ORDER LEANING TOWARDS OR VERY MUCH PROPOSING, UH, SORT OF A CONTEMPORARY, UH, POLE AND LUMINAIRES THAT CAN BE MUCH HIGHER PERFORMANCE AND A LOT MORE CAPABLE OF CARRYING, UH, CARRYING IN AN ELEGANT WAY.
THINGS LIKE CAMERAS, SIGNAGE, BANNERS, OR OTHER ACCESSORIES THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED OR DESIRED.
AND IN TERMS OF SEATING AND FURNISHINGS THOUGH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE CITY'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND THEIR COMMISSIONERS, THEY REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF STICKING WITH THE DARK GREEN, AT LEAST FOR THOSE BENCHES.
AND I, WE'VE GOT SORT OF DUALITY GOING ON BETWEEN THE GREAT STREETS BENCH ON THE TOP LEFT AND THE CONGRESS AVENUE BENCH, WHICH IS THE DARK GREEN STRAP METAL BENCH.
AND SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT STRAP METAL BENCH AND UM, WHERE EVERYONE SAID YOU CAN DISPENSE WITH THOSE
[01:25:01]
BULKY PLANTERS THAT DON'T REALLY HOLD MUCH IN TERMS OF PLANTING MATERIAL.AND THEN WE'VE ALSO HEARD, WELL, WE SHOULD PROBABLY UPGRADE THE, THE LITTER BINS.
SO PROBABLY NOT GONNA SEE THAT EXACT SAME THING, WHICH WE'VE HEARD OVER THE YEARS THAT THE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY HAS A HARD TIME MAINTAINING THEM AND JUST, THEY'RE VERY HEAVY AND BULKY.
SO THEY'RE PROBABLY SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS ARE LISTED THERE THAT WOULD BE IN THE PEDESTRIAN AREA.
UM, PART PROBABLY THE BULK OF PARKING FOR BIKES AND SCOOTERS, HOWEVER, WON'T BE ON THE AVENUE, BUT JUST AROUND THE CORNER TO MAXIMIZE THE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR ACTIVITIES AND CAFES AND PUBLIC ART CHAIRS, BENCHES, ET CETERA.
UM, ONE THING THAT, UH, WE PROBABLY DO NOT WANT TO PUT TOO MUCH OF FIXED SEATING IN THAT CIVIC STAGE AREA BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE A TON OF EVENTS HAPPENING.
AND SO IT WILL, WOULD PRECLUDE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO CIRCULATE AND SORT OF CROWD IN THERE.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY DEFINITIVELY, UH, SO FAR PLACED PUBLIC RESTROOMS. I KNOW THIS, THE CITY HAS DONE THE SO-CALLED PORTLAND LU, UM, THEY COULD BE ACCOMMODATED, BUT AGAIN, IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT IN THE NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN, WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY DETERMINE WHETHER THAT'S A GOOD IDEA AND DITTO WITH DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
THERE ARE, I THINK, TWO DRINKING FOUNTAINS ON THE AVENUE ALREADY.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO WILL BE PROBABLY DOING IN THE NEXT PHASE IS LOOKING AT LOCAL ART AND INTERPRETIVE, HISTORIC INTERPRETIVE ELEMENTS THAT COULD BE REALLY ENHANCING OF THE STREET AND TELLING OF THE STORIES AND OF THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF THE PLACE.
NOW THIS IS ANOTHER NEW SORT OF PERSPECTIVE VIEW, UM, LOOKING TOWARD THE SIXTH STREET INTERSECTIONS, AGAIN, LOOKING NORTH IN THAT HEART OF AUSTIN ZONE WHERE YOU'LL SEE SOME PLANTING AT THE BASE OF THE TREES, BUT ALSO PROBABLY MORE SPACE THAT CAN BE USED FOR CAFE TABLES AND BENCHES AND OTHER AMENITIES.
SO THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM THE VISION PLAN SHOWING THE BRIDGE, AND HERE THEY'RE INTRODUCING BIG PLANTER PLANTERS AND A SHADE OVERHEAD.
AND YOU SEE ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE THE DEDICATED BICYCLE PATH THAT HAS THE FAMILIAR TERRA TERRACOTTA SMOOTH PAVED SURFACE.
AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE JUST BASICALLY A CONCRETE SURFACE FOR THE PEDESTRIANS.
UH, AND THEY HAVE THEREFORE A BUFFER THERE.
THEY'RE USING THE PLANTER AND USING THAT ZONE AS WHERE THEY'RE LOCATING THE LIGHTING AND THE POLES FOR THE STRUCTURE OF THE CANOPIES.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THIS REALLY HIT US AS BEING QUITE CONGESTED WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT IN A CROSS SECTION AND REALLY ANALYZE HOW BIG THESE SPACES ARE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE WE'RE PROPOSING WITH THIS DESIGN IS TO NOT DO A FOUR FOOT WIDE PLANTER, WHICH ITSELF IS VERY HEAVY.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND YOU KNOW, WILL IT, IT WILL BE IMPINGING.
WE FELT TOO MUCH ON THE, THE, THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE BICYCLE ZONES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DIMENSIONS.
AND SO IT'S ALSO AN ISSUE AS OUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER WILL TELL US THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW MUCH WEIGHT WE ADD TO THE BRIDGE WITH THINGS LIKE PLANTERS AND CANOPIES AND OTHER OBJECTS THAT ARE BRINGING WHAT'S CALLED A DEAD LOAD, EXCESS DEAD LOAD TO THE BRIDGE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE, UM, SUPER COGNIZANT OF THAT CUZ WE CAN'T, WE'RE KIND OF ON THE EDGE OF, WE CAN'T ADD A WHOLE LOT MORE.
SO THE PLANTERS WERE KIND OF AN EASY DECISION TO FOREGO IN THIS CASE.
SO, UM, ON THE BRIDGE IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE VIEW FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM SORT OF A, A LONG ELEVATION VIEW OF IT.
AND YOU'RE SEEING THESE, THE BEAUTIFUL PRIMARY ARCHES OF THIS CONCRETE ARCH BRIDGE THAT DATES BACK FROM 1910.
BUT SINCE THAT TIME IN THE, IN THE 8 19 80, THERE WAS A VERY MASSIVE WIDENING OF THE BRIDGE FROM LIKE 51 FEET TO 80 FEET.
AND SO THEY KIND OF CLIPPED THE SE SERIES OF SECONDARY ARCHES OFF.
AND SO THOSE ARCHES ARE NOT STRUCTURALLY DOING ANYTHING NOW.
THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL, THEY KEPT THEM.
UM, BUT, AND THEN THE NEW BRIDGE IS, I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE BEAMS FOR THOSE CREATED THE BAT HABITAT THAT WE NOW THE BATS ARE ENJOYING.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF INTERVENTIONS ARE CREATING A GATEWAY OPPORTUNITY, THESE WERE ARE KIND OF THE
[01:30:01]
ZONES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE COULD PUT NEW CANOPIES ON ON THOSE, YOU SEE THESE FOUR LOCATIONS.UM, BUT SORT OF TRYING TO CENTER THEM IN THE VISUAL CENTER OF THE BRIDGE AND WHATEVER WE DO WITH THE BRIDGE IN TERMS OF STRUCTURES AND LIGHTING LIGHT POLES, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THOSE ARE SYNCHRONIZED WITH THOSE MAJOR PEER LOCATIONS.
UM, THEY, UH, IN THE VISION PLAN, THEY NOTED THAT A GATEWAY OPPORTUNITY COULD BE CREATED ON THE BRIDGE SOMEWHERE ON THIS IS SOUTH AUSTIN TO THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO A DEBATE WE COULD ALL HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S A GATEWAY.
THE BRIDGE ITSELF IS A GATEWAY, SO DO WE NEED TO ADD SOMETHING ELSE TO IT TO PRONOUNCE THAT MORE CAREFULLY? SO THESE ARE JUST SOME SORT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRIDGE FROM 1910 DOWN BELOW, UM, EXCUSE ME, IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN THE WIDENING AT THE BOTTOM, WHICH THEN CUT THE ARCHES, THE SECONDARY ARCHES.
AND SO ANYWAY, WE, THE MAIN POINT ABOUT THIS IS WE NEED TO EMPHASIZE AND ENHANCE THAT EXISTING BEAUTIFUL RHYTHM OF THE, THE STRUCTURE FROM THE 1910 BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS, UM, JUST A, A VIEW AGAIN THAT WE CREATED TO SHOW WHAT WOULD, WHAT COULD THIS LOOK LIKE? SO ON THE LEFT SIDE YOU'RE SEEING A KIND OF A WOOD DECKING WHERE THE PEDESTRIANS CAN WALK AND REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN THEIR SAFE PLACE.
THEY HAVE A, THEY'RE NOT ON TOP OF HOT PAVEMENT, THEY'RE LOOKING OVER, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE, I THINK BEING ON A BOAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE THAT HORIZONTAL MEMBER GUARDRAIL, UM, THESE IN SOME SORT OF WAY OF MAYBE EVEN HAVING A WIDER SURFACE, LIKE A LEANING SURFACE AT THE TOP OF IT THAT COULD ALSO BE ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION OR ARTIST INTERVENTION.
AND THEN YOU SEE THIS, WE HAVE A, AN EXISTING SLOT DRAIN.
THIS IS AN EXCITING FEATURE OF THE BRIDGE, GETTING THE WATER DOWN AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THAT TRENCH DRAIN ON THE LIMIT BETWEEN THE WOOD DECKING AND THE SMOOTH PAVING FOR THE TERRACOTTA PAVING FOR THE BICYCLE.
THEN WE TO PROTECT BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A WALL.
AND SO THIS IS A VEHICLE BARRIER THAT'S CRASH ATED AND THAT WILL REALLY PREVENT ANY KIND OF PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE CAR INTERACTION.
SO IT'S, UM, IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
AND WE DID THIS RECENTLY ON THE LONGHORN DAM BRIDGE, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR SENSE OF SAFETY AND REAL SAFETY.
ANOTHER BIG IDEA FROM THE VISION PLAN THAT WE ARE PROBABLY GONNA APPROACH MORE IN THE 60%, UM, WOULD BE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRETTY MAJOR SORT OF TERRORIST RAIN GARDEN AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER WHERE IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS GET INVOLVED IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, BUT WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, USE THE IDEA OF PERFORMATIVE LANDSCAPE TO HELP US WITH THE KIND OF A LOT OF BIG DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER RUNOFF ISSUES.
AND SO THIS COULD BE A QUITE A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SORT OF MAKE A DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT RAIN GARDENS DO AND HOW THEY CLEAN THE WATER AND STEP IT DOWN AND THEN CAN RELEASE IT TO, UM, TO THE LAKE OR AT LEAST TO THE EARTH WHERE IT'S DOING SOMETHING.
AND SO A LOT OF FOCUS HAS BEEN, UH, PLACED ON THOSE CONNECTIONS FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE BRIDGE DOWN TO THE, THE HIKE BIKE TRAIL ON EACH SIDE.
AND WE HAD SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THAT NOTION OF, UM, IN THIS, WE'RE NOW IN THE GREEN GATEWAY SECTION TO REALLY CONNECT THAT LOW LEVEL.
LIKE IF YOU'RE ON EX CESAR CHAVEZ OR ON BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A CLUE THAT THERE'S A RIVER BELOW YOU OR A TRAIL BELOW YOU.
SO WE NEED TO, WE WANT TO MAKE MUCH MORE EXPLICIT CONNECTIONS AND MUCH MORE OBVIOUS ONES SO THAT IF YOU'RE A TRAIL USER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE OKAY, THIS IS WHERE I POP UP AND GET ONTO SOUTH CONGRESS OR POP UP AND GET INTO THE DOWNTOWN.
RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST ODDLY INVISIBLE, IT'S NOT VERY WELL MARKED.
UM, IN TERMS OF INTERPRETIVE AND PUBLIC ART ELEMENTS, AGAIN, THAT'LL PROBABLY BE HOPEFULLY COMING IN IN THE NEXT PHASE OF WORK AFTER WE'VE SORT OF DEFINED THE MAJOR KIND OF FOOTPRINT AND MADE, CREATED SOME SPACES FOR THESE KINDS OF THINGS TO HAPPEN.
SO I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES AND OPPORTUNITIES AND TYPES OF PUBLIC ART THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE AS WELL AS THE WHOLE MEAN TELLING OF HISTORY AND
[01:35:01]
CULTURE.SO THIS IS JUST A, THERE IS A, MOST OF THE PUBLIC ART THAT'S BEEN DONE IN AUSTIN HAS BEEN FOCUSED MORE IN THE CENTRAL CITY AND THERE'S A LOT MORE IN THE DOWNTOWN THAN ELSEWHERE.
UM, SO THIS IS, THESE ARE JUST SOME SNIPPETS OF SOME OF THE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
SOME OF THEM ARE A I P P AND SOME OF THEM ARE DIFFERENT.
LIKE THE, UH, I THINK THE BAT AND SUSANNA, IS IT EBERLY STATUE ARE BOTH, I DON'T, I THINK THEY CAME FROM DIFFERENT INITIATIVES.
MAYBE MELISSA CAN TELL ME OR SOMETHING.
UM, ANYWAY, AND THEN THE, THERE'S AN A I P P ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, UM, INITIATIVE THAT HELPED TO PRODUCE THAT TOP LEFT ON WHERE THE, YOU SEE THESE SORT OF SCULPTURAL, UH, CYPRUS TREES AND THAT'S WHERE DRINKING FOUNTAIN IS.
AND THAT WAS ALL PART OF THIS WHOLE NOTION OF REALLY, UH, PLAYING IN AND EMPHASIZING THE CREEK SYSTEM OF AUSTIN AND THAT SORT OF CREEK ENVIRONMENT.
I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE END.
IT'S NOT ADVANCING ANYMORE, IT'S GOING BACKWARDS.
IS THAT THE END OF THE I THINK WE HAVE MORE.
WHOOP, IS THAT IT? SORRY, I DID SOMETHING I DIDN'T, WASN'T SUPPOSED TO.
UM, WE HAD A COUPLE MORE SLIDES, BUT I'LL JUST OFFER WHAT WE INTENDED TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL, UM, HERE.
UM, WE'D LOVE TO OPEN THIS UP FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT JUST BRIEFLY, UH, AS YOU SAW, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE THAT VISION PLAN AND PUT IT INTO AN INITIAL PHASE OF DESIGN AND BRING THAT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR FEEDBACK.
SO THAT'S OUR MAIN GOAL FOR THIS NEXT BIG MILESTONE AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AS COMMISSIONERS TO, YOU KNOW, AND BE A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY PROCESS TO REALLY TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DETAILED DESIGN AND HELP US TO SHAPE, UM, REALIZATION OF THAT VISION PLAN.
AND THEN WE'D REALLY LIKE TO TAKE A PIECE OF THAT AND MOVE IT INTO CONSTRUCTION.
SO AS PART OF THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THIS FALL, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL IS WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE? WE ARE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOR, FOR ALL OF IT.
THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED YEAR OLD DRAINAGE ISSUE TO SOLVE UNDERNEATH THE STREET
SO, UH, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT COLLECTIVELY AND UNDERSTAND IT AND ALSO LOOK TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO REALIZE THIS VISION PLAN, AT LEAST IN PART.
SO THAT WAS W BE WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT GOING FORWARD.
UM, WE DO REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT MOMENT WHERE WE CAN, UH, REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS IN MORE DETAIL.
UM, WITH THAT, I DO WANNA, AGAIN ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE LEE FREEBERG HERE, WHO IS OUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, IS REALLY HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS, UM, THE PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS, GEOMETRIC CONSTRAINTS,
AND THEN, UM, OUR FEARLESS LEADER, BENEDICT PATRICK WITH HDR, WHO'S REALLY BROUGHT QUITE AN ASSEMBLY OF, UM, SUB CONSULTANTS, UH, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS, THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, UM, UTILITY ANALYSIS AND TO REALLY GET A GOOD SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE SORT OF UP AGAINST AS WELL AS WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE THE, UH, WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, VERY HELPFUL, VERY INFORMATIVE.
UM, I ALSO OWE AN APOLOGY TO BENEDICT PATRICK BECAUSE I THINK I GOT YOUR NAME BACKWARDS, I'M SURE THAT NEVER HAPPENS TO YOU.
IN LOOKING AT THE PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED, IT APPEARS THAT THE FEW PARKING SPACES THAT THERE ARE ALONG CONGRESS WILL PRETTY MUCH BE GONE.
SO IS THERE A PLAN FOR MORE PUBLIC PARKING? THERE'S, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MANAGES QUITE A FEW GARAGES IN TOWN, SO THERE'S BEEN AN ONGOING EFFORT TO IMPROVE WAYFINDING CUZ A LOT OF THE CIRCULATION DOWNTOWN IS PEOPLE LOOKING FOR PARKING AND THERE ACTUALLY IS, UM, FAIRLY RELIABLE PARKING IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT,
SO I THINK PART OF IT IS UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT CONGRESS AVENUE WITH A VERY FINE MICROSCOPE AND KIND OF HONING OUR, OUR, OUR FOCUS THERE.
BUT IF WE STEP OUT AND LOOK AT THE GRID AND UNDERSTAND THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEST HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THERE ARE WAYS TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE PARKING, UM, RESTROOMS, UM, EVEN JUST HOW EACH STREET FUNCTIONS UNIQUELY TO HELP PROVIDE THE MOBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO I WOULD OFFER THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WAYFINDING EFFORTS, UM, AS WELL AS JUST YEAH, WITH THE EXISTING INVENTORY, WE WOULD LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CERTAINLY AVAILABLE.
DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A BARRIER, BUT WE THINK THE SPACE ITSELF CAN BE SO MUCH MORE IN TERMS OF INVITING PEOPLE TO CONGRESS AVENUE.
AND SO THAT'S THE REALLY THE TRADE OFF THERE.
AND I HAVE A ANOTHER QUESTION.
[01:40:01]
UM, BECAUSE I'M PART OF ANOTHER GROUP AND WE HAVE AT TIMES THOUGHT ABOUT DONATING TREES TO THE CITY AND WE'VE TALKED TO THE CITY ARBORIST ABOUT IT AND THEY HAVE THAT OFFICE HAS LET US KNOW THAT, UM, WHILE THEY APPRECIATE THE OFFER, UM, THERE IS GENERALLY AN ISSUE WITH TAKING CARE OF TREES, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH WATERING TREES.UM, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT TREES THAT THEY AREN'T ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO ALONG CONGRESS AVENUE WITH THE TREES THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE, MAY NOT BE IN GREAT SHAPE, AND THEN ALSO THE NEW TREES THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT PLANTING, UM, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF TREE CARE AND HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE HANDLED BY THE CITY AND WHO IS GONNA BE PAYING FOR IT.
I THINK YOU BRING UP SUCH AN IMPORTANT POINT, AND I THINK AS JANNA WAS DESCRIBING, THE AIM HERE IS TO STRUCTURALIZE THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF THE TREES AS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE EXPERIENCE ON CONGRESS AVENUE ITSELF.
SO I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS REALLY ENGINEERING THE SUCCESS OF THOSE TREES WITHIN THE PROJECT.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THE MAINTENANCE OF THE DOWNTOWN OVERALL MEANING, YOU KNOW, UM, SH SHAMPOOING THE SIDEWALKS, THAT MAY BE A GENEROUS TERM, BUT, YOU KNOW, CLEANING THE SIDEWALKS AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE, UM, NATURAL ELEMENTS OF THIS, OF THE STREET ARE, ARE LOOKING GOOD, IS REALLY A COMBINATION OF THE CITY AS WELL AS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE HAS A HUGE ROLE TO PLAY.
SO WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE IN THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A AMONGST ALL OF THE, UM, MAINTENANCE NEEDS AROUND THE CITY, WE COULD ARGUABLY SAY WE DO A BIT BETTER DOWNTOWN, BUT WE COULD DO BETTER CITYWIDE FRANKLY.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MECHANISMS IN PLACE NOW THAT WOULD JUST BE, UM, LEVERAGED IN A FUTURE, UM, CONGRESS AVENUE AS, AND NOT REALLY NOT TO, UM, UNDEREMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SORT OF DESIGN THAT INTO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND I'M SO EXCITED THIS PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD.
I WANNA SAY THAT I THOUGHT THE VISION PLAN WAS WONDERFULLY CARRIED OUT WITH ALL THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THAT BEING SAID, I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE MUCH BOLDER WITH THE BRIDGE.
I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE STRUCTURAL LIMITATIONS, BUT LET'S TAKE THOSE ARCHES AND MAKE THEM BIG AND MAKE THEM LIGHT AND AIRY AND PUT THEM UP ON TOP.
IT SHOULD BE VISIBLE WITH A DRONE COMING DOWN THE RIVER.
IT SHOULD BE THE IMAGE OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
I THINK THESE PERSPECTIVES ARE WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CULTIVATE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY AND UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO MAYBE WRESTLE WITH ALL OF THEM, BUT I THINK WE'VE PUT OUR FAITH IN, IN A, UH, A FORUM, A PROCESS THAT CAN BRING ABOUT THESE IDEAS, THE, THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A GATEWAY AND REALLY A STANDOUT WITHIN OUR PEER CITIES AND THE VIEW OF THE CAPITAL RESPECTING THAT.
SO THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT I THINK THROUGH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE CAN HELP TO TEASE OUT AND UNDERSTAND AND REALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN A PHASED APPROACH TOO, RIGHT? LIKE NOT EVER TO FORECLOSE ON THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT TO SORT OF TAKE IT, UH, EACH PIECE IN STRIDE AND, AND DO SOMETHING.
WE WANNA DO SOMETHING FOR SURE.
SO, OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, TWO QUESTIONS PLEASE.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS THERE, IS THERE A BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT? WHAT, WHAT'S THE NUMBER JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY? YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY EVOLVING.
THE UTILITIES ARE A REALLY CORE PART OF THIS, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE SLEEPING GIANT RIGHT, OF ALL OF THIS.
SO IT'S REALLY GETTING OUR HEAD AROUND WHAT IS THAT AND, AND ALL OF THE OTHER PIECES, UH, TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY, I MEAN WE'RE IN THE HUNTS PROBABLY COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION I WOULD GUESS, BUT THAT NUMBER IS NOT QUITE THERE YET IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE DO? WE WANNA TRY TO AT LEAST GET A PHASE DONE SO THAT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF RECONCILE AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY FOR JUST FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO, WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND WHAT CAN WE DO.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION, I'LL PROBABLY BUTCHER THE TERMINOLOGY, BUT, UM, NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSIONS, A PHRASE SIMILAR TO THAT WAS USED UH, ON PAGE 18 OF THE SLIDE.
WE HAD THE SHADE COVERS ON THE BRIDGE.
WOULD, WOULD THOSE SHADE COVERS IMPACT THE CITY'S ABILITY TO, TO PURSUE THE NATIONAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR THE BRIDGE? OR WHAT WAS THAT IN CONSIDERATION OR SUCH? A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, THE BRIDGE IS ELIGIBLE FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
AND THE WORK ON IN THE 1980S DID VERY SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE, THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THE BRIDGE.
UM, BROUGHT ABOUT A GREAT HAP BAD HABITAT
UM, WE DEFINITELY, AGAIN, DON'T WANNA FORECLOSE ON THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, SO NEED TO BE CAREFUL ON THAT CONSULTATION WITH THE, UH, TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY FRUITFUL AND UNDERSTANDING KIND OF PERSPECTIVES.
IT DOES RANGE IN TERMS OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE GREAT PERSPECTIVES AROUND A GATEWAY.
THERE'S ALSO WHAT, HOW WOULD WE NOT FORECLOSE ON THAT FUTURE OPPORTUNITY BUT STILL PROVIDE THE FUNCTIONALITY OF SHADE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WALKING ACROSS THAT
[01:45:01]
BRIDGE, ESPECIALLY ON A DAY LIKE TODAY IS, IS QUITE INTENSE.AND SO HOW, HOW DO WE KIND OF THINK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE PIECES? SO I THINK IT'S TO KIND OF KEEP ALL THE DOORS OPEN AND THEN BRING THOSE OPTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT DOES THIS DOOR LEAD US TO AND WHAT DOES THAT DOOR LEAD US TO.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, WITH THE, UM, BRIDGE IN TALKING ABOUT THE SHADE, I WOULD JUST SAY AS A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT WHO WALKS AROUND DOWNTOWN A LOT, I KNOW EXACTLY HOW HOT IT IS AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I WOULD PRIORITIZE SHADE OVER A HISTORIC MARKING FOR THE BRIDGE.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE, UM, AND ALSO THE CONNECTIONS TO THE TRAIL FROM THE STREETS.
UM, HAVE WE GOT ANY ENGINEERING ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE? THAT'S BEEN A VERY KEEN FOCUS.
AND ONE THING THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD IN A MORE DETAILED DESIGN IS UNDERSTANDING HOW EACH FOUR OF THOSE CORNERS COULD REALLY INTERACT.
UM, SO DEFINITELY GREEN GATEWAYS ARE BEING THOUGHT THROUGH AT A DETAILED LEVEL AND THEN OF COURSE THE UM, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, ONE OF THOSE FOUR PROVIDES A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALIZE UM, A PORTION OF THAT, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO YEAH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT ALL FOUR, BUT HOW WE CAN REALLY MAKE THEM HAPPEN.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO YOUR WHOLE TEAM FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I CAN TELL YOU ALL REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR CITY.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, IS AROUND THE TIMING WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PROCESS, YOU WANNA GET A LOT OF PUBLIC INPUT, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT.
IN PARALLEL TO THAT HAPPENING, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AND DEVELOPERS THAT ARE CHARGING AHEAD.
HOW ARE YOU COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS? ARE THEY AWARE OF THIS PLAN SO THAT AS THEY FILE FOR THEIR PERMITS AND BEGIN CONSTRUCTION AND RAISING INVESTMENT FUNDS FOR THEIR BUILDINGS, THAT THEY'RE AWARE THAT THEIR SIDEWALKS MAY BE CHANGING? YEAH, SUCH A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARGUABLY IN A REALLY GREAT PLACE WITH THIS VISION PLAN CUZ THAT KIND OF SETS A TONE IN AN EXPECTATION FOR WHAT WE AS A COMMUNITY COULD, COULD GET OUT OF THE STREET MM-HMM.
AND THEN IT ALSO PROVIDES THE FLEXIBILITY AS THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE.
SO PERFECT EXAMPLE WOULD BE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, WHICH ALSO HAS THAT DISTRICT PLAN, UM, VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD.
SO AN ENABLING THROUGH, UM, THE, THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, BEING ABLE TO, TO REALIZE THAT THAT PROJECT WITH, WITH THE DEVELOPER.
SO, UM, THAT'S HOW I WOULD IMAGINE THESE BIG CATALYTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO PROCEED USING THE VISION PLAN AS THAT ANCHORING TOOL AND THEN THE, THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TO HELP SHAPE IT.
THERE'S ALSO OF COURSE A FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO BAKE INTO THE, UM, TO THE PROJECT ARCHITECTURAL, UH, GUIDANCE SO THAT AS YOU GET INTO THOSE FINE DETAILS THAT JANA WAS SPEAKING TO IN SOME OF THE RENDERINGS, YOU KNOW, WAYS TO CREATE CONSISTENCY BUT ALSO FLEXIBILITY IN THAT STREET FRONTAGE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE ARE WANTING TO BRING FORWARD AS A TOOL.
AND SO YOU'RE IN CONTACT WITH THEM.
AND I THINK I REALLY WANNA CREDIT THE DAA FOR JUST HAVING A REALLY GOOD PULSE ON THAT AND, AND BEING A REALLY IMPORTANT PART IN LIAISON TO THAT COMMUNITY AND UM, WOULD JUST YEAH.
WANNA KEEP ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS OPEN AND ON THE TABLE FOR HOW TO REALIZE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS YEAH, THE MARKET ALLOWS AND INTEREST IS THERE.
AND MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AS EVERYTHING IS EVOLVING, UM, DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATED TIMELINE SO WHEN CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE, WOULD BEGIN FOR JUST THIS INITIAL 30%? YEAH, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THE INITIAL 30% WOULD REALLY HELP TO REALIZE THE FULL SURE 11TH TO RIVERSIDE OF COURSE.
AND THEN FROM THERE WE WOULD TAKE A CHUNK OFF TO THEN DEVELOP FURTHER.
SO I REALLY CANNOT SAY WHAT THAT TIMELINE WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THE, UM, WITH THE 2020 BOND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN AN ASK TO, TO GET THIS WORK DONE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS THERE WAS A PLANNING YEAR.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD, WE'D LOVE TO BE, I'D LOVE TO HAVE SOMETHING GOING
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE ONE BENCHMARK TO TRY TO REALIZE TIMELINE-WISE, UM, WHAT DOES THAT PUT? IS THAT 2028 OR SO? UM, BUT THAT WILL ALSO COME WITH A FULLER UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE ABOUT AVAILABLE FUNDING, UM, AVAILABLE REACH, YOU KNOW OF MM-HMM
SO JUST SO, SO I'M CLEAR, AND FORGIVE ME IF THIS IS BEING REDUNDANT.
UM, FOR THAT INITIAL 30%, YOU'RE PULLING FROM THE 2020 BOND AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHICH PIECE OF THIS PLAN IS GOING TO BE THAT INITIAL 30% YET?
[01:50:01]
UH, APOLOGIES CUZ I'M SURE I'M NOT BEING CLEAR.THE, UM, 2020 BOND RESOURCES IS ENABLING US TO PULL TOGETHER THE TEAM THAT'S LED BY BENEDICT GOT IT.
SO THAT'S LIKE A REALLY IMPORTANT FIRST MILESTONE OF AN, OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
FROM THERE, THAT SAME FUNDING WOULD BE USED TO THEN FURTHER A PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THAT PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION, THE SIZE SCALE OPPORTUNITY IS, IS UNDETERMINED, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY ENERGY AND, AND FOCUS AND RESOURCE WE CAN FRANKLY BRING TO THE PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, I E THE, THE, UM, WITH THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT OPPORTUNITY, WHAT CAN THAT DO TO HELP LEVERAGE OR, UM, OTHER PORTIONS OF THE AVENUE AS THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE TO YOUR EARLIER POINT, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN ACTUATE THIS PLAN, UM, WITH THAT 30% DESIGN.
SO IT'LL BE A VERY, I THINK, HELPFUL LEVERAGING TOOL GOING FORWARD REGARDLESS OF HOW WE ACTUATE EACH PIECE WITH HOPEFULLY THAT 2020 BOND INVESTMENT BEING ONE OF THE FIRST KIND OF, UM, UH, PHASES OF THE WORK.
OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT, UM, SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE NEW AT THIS POINT WE USUALLY HAVE REPORTS AND UH, DO YOU HAVE, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NOT AT ALL.
UH, IT APPEARS THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT NORMALLY WOULD BE GIVING THE REPORTS ARE NOT HERE OR THERE MAY BE VACANCIES ON THOSE POSITIONS.
BUT GENERALLY THE OTHER COMMISSIONS OR SEVERAL OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS IN TOWN HAVE LIAISONS THAT REPORT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, DAVID, I KNOW YOU'RE HERE.
UH, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT? YES.
[6. Discussion of recent activities and actions taken by the Public Safety Commission ]
SO MUCH A REPORT, BUT I CAN GIVE JUST A REAL QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE MOST, MOST RECENTLY BEEN DISCUSSING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.WE DID HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS ON THEIR BUDGETS AND PASSED A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE SPECIFIC THINGS THEY WERE SEEKING IN AS THEY GO FORWARD IN THEIR BUDGET REQUEST TO THE CITY.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT WITH FIRE, EMS AND POLICE REGARDING THE DRUG OVERDOSE ISSUE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING ABOUT THAT, ABOUT SHORTAGES IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS.
AND IN NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTERS.
WE'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE DPS DEPLOYMENT AND, UM, SUPPLEMENT TO THE P D PATROLS AND WITHIN AUSTIN AND WE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE AUSTIN LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM THAT THE, THE COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING REENTERING.
UM, ALL OF THESE DISCUSSIONS ARE PRETTY BRIEF, SO IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN ONE OR ANOTHER OF THEM, YOU CAN GO ON, FIND THE AGENDA ITEM, CLICK IT AND GO TO THAT PART OF THE VIDEO AND GET A PRETTY CONCISE UPDATE ON THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND A FEW OTHERS I'M PROBABLY FORGETTING.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY OTHER LIAISONS.
COMMISSIONER ANSTEAD, ARE YOU STILL AVAILABLE? I BELIEVE NOT.
COMMISSIONER, THERE'S, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THERE.
SO, UM, DOES ANY COMMISSIONER HAVE A FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
AGENDA ITEM THEY WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST? NOTHING.UM, I THINK WE'VE GONE THROUGH OUR AGENDA, SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ISSUES AND NO, UM, OBJECTIONS, I BELIEVE WE STAND AUR.
CAN WE GET A MOTION THEN A SECOND.
SORRY TO, I FORGOT WE HAVE TO BE THERE.
I CAN, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR ADJOURN? YEAH, I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE VOTE THOUGH, DO WE? NO.
THERE WAS A DRY GOOD STORE, A FLOWER SHOP, A BARBER WITH NO NOSE.
THERE WAS ONE DRUNK COP, A BEAUTY POWDER WHERE THEY SIT IN LUMS HAIR.
THEY'D HIDE BENEATH THE DRYERS.