[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.UH, MY NAME IS DANIEL RONAN AND, UM, I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE JULY 12TH TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
I SEE WE HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING ATTENDANCE TODAY, INCLUDING OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS, UH, AS WELL AS SPEAKERS.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH TWO CALLERS, ELI CORTEZ, AND POTENTIALLY, UH, JJ RAMIREZ WHO ARE ON THE PHONE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY COLORS BY THAT NAME AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.
PLEASE SHOW, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO REACH OUT TO THE TWO COLORS INDICATED AND WE CAN CIRCLE BACK TO THEM, UH, AFTER OUR NEXT SPEAKER? KATE MOORE FROM ECHO.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY FOR ECHO, THE ENDING COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS COALITION.
WE'RE THE, UH, LOCAL AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY NONPROFIT THAT COORDINATES THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE HERE TODAY JUST TO, UM, OFFER OUR SUPPORT TO SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TPI.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, UM, DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED TODAY.
WE, UM, BELIEVE THAT WE REALLY NEED AS MUCH FUNDING AS WE COULD POSSIBLY GET FOR, UM, THE SUPPORT OF THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, FOR YOU AS ONE OF THE NEEDS IS THAT WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND UNITS OF SITE-BASED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING COMING ONLINE.
SO THESE ARE PERMANENT APARTMENTS THAT WOULD SERVE, UM, THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, UM, ARE HUGELY NEEDED.
THIS TOOK A HUGE INVESTMENT BY A LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND FINDING HOME ATX WHO YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM TODAY.
AND A LOT OF OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS AND OTHER IMPORTANT PARTNERS HAVE BRAVELY STEPPED UP INTO THE DEVELOPMENT SPACE AND ARE GROWING THIS CAPACITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, IT CANNOT WORK WITHOUT AN ONGOING SOURCE OF SERVICE FUNDING, AND IT NEEDS AN EVERGREEN SOURCE OF SERVICE FUNDING THAT IS GONNA BE NEEDED YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND SO THIS IS A COMMITMENT THAT ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY HAVE MADE TO MAKING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORK.
AND THIS IS A PERFECT SOURCE OF THAT EVERGREEN FUNDING.
UM, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR INITIAL INVESTMENT AND FOR OUR ONGOING IMPACT, UM, FOR US TO CONSIDER, UM, THAT WE PUT IN AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE.
I DO WANNA SAY ON BEHALF OF ECHO THAT WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO POSTPONE THIS DECISION TODAY, UM, AND ALLOW THE PARTIES TO COME TOGETHER AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
ECHO IS MORE THAN WILLING AND WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF CONVENING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE SALLY GASKIN FROM JGI VENTURES.
UM, PSH DEVELOPMENT, UH, LOOKS LIKE A DEVELOPER OWNER.
MY NAME IS SALLY GASKIN AND MY COMPANY IS SGI VENTURES.
AND, UM, I AM WORKING WITH PARTNERING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION ON TWO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, ONE WAS A 2022, UH, TAX CREDIT ALLOCATION.
WE SHOULD BE BREAKING GROUND IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS ON A HUNDRED UNITS AT EAST 39TH STREET.
THE SECOND ONE IS A HUNDRED, ALSO A HUNDRED UNITS.
AND IT, WE ARE EXPECTING TO GET AN ALLOCATION OF 9% CREDITS IN, UM, THE END OF THIS MONTH, THE T D H C A BOARD.
SO, I, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE REALLY WHAT KATE MOORE JUST SAID ABOUT THE NEED FOR FUNDING OF AN EVERGREEN SOURCE FOR FUNDING, UH, SERVICES.
WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE ON KATIE LOFTS, UM, THROUGH AN ECHO HUD SPECIAL
[00:05:01]
NOFO.UM, WE ARE SERVICE PROVIDER, UH, GOT AWARDED, UM, A, UM, SERVICES CONTRACTOR OR FUNDING FOR, UH, THREE YEARS, BUT THAT'S JUST FOR THREE YEARS AND IT'S JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR SERVICES FOR, UM, THIS POPULATION IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, TO DO IT RIGHT, IT'S, IT'S EXPENSIVE AND WE, WE TRULY NEED A SOURCE THAT, UM, ALL OF THESE UNITS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE ARE GONNA HAVE ACCESS TO.
UM, THE, THE TAX CREDIT FUNDING PROGRAM IS HUGE.
I MEAN, THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE 21 TO 22 MILLION A PIECE.
AND WITHOUT THE TAX CREDIT FUNDING, WE COULDN'T PUT THE UNITS ON THE GROUND.
BUT THE PIECE THAT IS NEEDED IS, IS THE SERVICES PIECE.
AND, AND I REALLY TRULY, UM, IMPLORE THAT YOU CONSIDER, I MEAN, THIS IS A GREAT SOURCE OF POTENTIAL FUNDING, UM, AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY SOURCE WE'RE GONNA NEED, BUT IT IS A GREAT START FOR CREATING THAT EVERGREEN FUND, UM, FOR SERVICES FOR THE UNITS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE AND THE ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT WILL BE NEEDED, UM, TO, TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
UH, CURIOUS, WAS IT BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS? 9% LITECH? YES.
I HAVE A, UH, A COMMENT OR QUESTION? UH, GO AHEAD.
CHAIR OF THE TWO MCG THANK YOU.
OF THE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST SPOKE IN CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, UM, WE DO HAVE A TPI WORKING GROUP AND WE WOULD LOVE TO INVITE YOU ALL TO SEND SOME FOLKS WITH YOUR EXPERTISE TO JOIN US IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
CAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY NOT OUR INTENTION TO WORK IN A BUBBLE.
WE HAD REACHED OUT PREVIOUSLY AND WE HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN RECRUITING ANYONE, BUT A WORKING GROUP IS SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, THOSE THAT SERVE ON THIS BOARD AND OTHER EXPERTISE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, FELICIA IS, DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON, UH, ELI CORTES AND JJ RAMIREZ? SHE SHOULD BE ON.
UM, CHAIR, I HAVE A NUMBER ON HERE.
IF YOU COULD PRESS STAR SIX AND GET YOU UNMUTED AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
HELLO CALLER, COULD YOU PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF? HELLO? HEY, YOU ARE.
HEY, THIS IS ELI CORTEZ AND JJ RAMIREZ CALLING IN.
CAN WE BEGIN? YES, YOU MAY BEGIN.
UM, I'M WITH THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE ORGANIZING PROJECT, AND I'M CURRENTLY SITTING IN A ROOM WITH ABOUT 30 TO 40, UH, OTHER UNHOUSED AUSTINITES.
AND WE'RE JUST CALLING IN OPPOSITION TO THIS, UH, THIS TAX CUT TO 20%.
UM, THE MAIN ISSUE WE HEAR WITH HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE IS THAT THERE'S A LACK OF FUNDING IN THE CITY.
SO IT MAKES NO SENSE RIGHT NOW, WHILE OUR HOMELESSNESS CRISIS IS AN ALL TIME HIGH TO CUT FROM 40 TO 20% OF THE HOTEL TAX RATE.
AND I'M GONNA PASS THIS PHONE AROUND AND INTRODUCE AND ANYBODY, AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED AND YOU GET TO HEAR DIRECTLY THEIR NAME AND HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN UNHOUSED.
JASON CY, IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF, UH, MAKING THE BEST OF IT, BUT IT'S QUICK.
I WAS UNHOUSED FOR THREE YEARS.
MICHAEL WILL CALL, YOU'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR NINE YEARS.
20, WE SHOULDN'T CUT THAT 40% EITHER.
JOHN HENRY III HOMELESS FOR FIVE YEARS.
ALLEN JOHNSON HOMELESS FOR A YEAR AND A MONTH.
EIGHT TRACK HOMELESS FOR SEVEN MONTHS AND COUNTING, BAM, HOMELESS ALL WHAT YEAR? OPIS AND I KEEP GETTING KICKED OUTTA WOMEN'S HOUSES.
SO TONY CARTER, I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR FIVE YEARS AND STILL HOMELESS.
WE'RE GOING ON NINE YEARS SINCE OCTOBER 14TH, 2014.
AND NOT ONE OF THOSE DAYS WAS AN EASY DAY.
[00:10:03]
UM, DAVINCI, I'M UNHOUSED ON THE, UH, ON THE STREETS.AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT SINCE THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE NOT RESTORED HOUSING SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS.
AND SO TO CUT, UH, THE LEVELS OF SPENDING IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO.
I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ON THE STREETS CAUSING TROUBLES IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING STRUCTURED FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
AND YOU CAN'T CUT FUNDING FOR THESE THINGS AT THIS TIME.
AND I'M HOMELESS FOR, UH, 12 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR 15 MONTHS.
HI, MY NAME IS MARIA SPE AND I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR THREE YEARS.
MIA SPILLER, HOMELESS FOR 25 YEARS.
JESUS BEEN HOMELESS FOR 20 YEARS.
Y'ALL SHOULDN'T CUT THAT 40% BECAUSE Y'ALL GOT THE CAMPING BAN.
THEN Y'ALL GOT WHAT Y'ALL WANTED.
SO GIVE BACK WHAT YOU NEED TO GIVE, MAN.
JULIO AND NIKKI BEEN HOMELESS FOR TWO YEARS.
BRENDA HERNDON, UH, HOMELESS FOR 10 YEARS.
MY JAN, WORKING CHEF FIVE YEARS.
I JUST WANNA, UH, SO SORRY WE HAVE TIME CONSTRAINTS ON PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, IF YOU CAN WRAP IT UP HERE WITHIN THE NEXT 15 SECONDS, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
THOSE ARE THE ROLES OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COMMENT TODAY AND, UM, YOU ARE HURT BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THIS BODY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD REGULAR MEETING FROM JUNE 14TH, 2023.YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE A COPY OF THE MEETING MINUTES IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CHANN.
UH, SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT MINUTES ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[2. Staff briefing regarding commission announcements and vacancies by Felicia Ojeda, Staff Liaison]
MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING THE, UH, VACANCIES OF THE COMMISSION AND ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS NEEDED, UH, FROM OUR STAFF LIAISON, FELICIA.UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON ONE VACANCY.
UM, AND I HAVE FOLLOWED UP, UM, WITH THAT RESPECTIVE OFFICE.
[3. Staff briefing regarding the Austin Convention Center redevelopment and expansion project by Assistant Director, Katy Zamesnik of the Austin Convention Center Department]
UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION, UM, AUSTIN, EXCUSE ME, AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT, UH, KATIE NIK TO THE DAIS TO TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.THINK I'M WAITING ON A PRESENTATION AND, UH, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS KANATI AS WELL AS, UM, BAAN, UH, NOW JOINING US.
NOPE, IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S THE OTHER ONE.
SO PROBABLY, PROBABLY TOOK LONGER TO PULL THIS UP THAN I'M GONNA BE TALKING FOR.
UH, SO AS THE CHAIR SAID, MY NAME'S KATIE MESNICK.
I AM AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE EXPANSION PROJECT, UH, FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, AND ALSO WORKING ON THE FINANCING PIECE.
SO I'M HERE JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE.
UM, WE DO HAVE ACTIVE SOLICITATIONS ON THE STREET, AND SO I WANTED TO KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THAT.
AND I WILL PREFACE THIS, UH, PRESENTATION BY SAYING THAT I HAVE BEEN INFORMED.
I'M NOT REALLY ALLOWED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A SLIDE AT THE END OF THE CONTACT PERSON, UH, THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONTACT IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
AND THAT IS JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE IN
[00:15:01]
WITHIN THE ACTIVE SOLICITATION PROCESS.UM, SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO TELL YOU IS WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO TELL YOU,
UH, SO REAL QUICK, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE CAME TO PRESENT, UH, TO THIS COMMISSION EARLIER THIS YEAR ON SORT OF THE OVERALL PROJECT.
SO JUST QUICKLY WANTED TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A BIG SCHEDULE NOW THAT WE HAVE ONE.
UM, THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY BE REFINED AS WE MOVE THROUGH OUR DESIGN PROCESS.
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE KIND, WE'VE BEEN IN THE PLANNING PHASE.
WE ARE IN THE SELECTION PHASE.
THE FACILITY WILL CLOSE IN 25 AND REOPEN, UM, AT THE END OF 28, EARLY 29.
AND SO I JUST THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THESE KIND OF QUESTIONS BEFORE AND NOW WE'RE KIND OF ABLE TO, TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL.
SO THE SOLICITATIONS, UH, WE HAVE THREE ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW.
THE FIRST ONE WAS THE R F Q FOR DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES.
UH, THAT WAS RELEASED ON MAY 22ND.
AND WE RECEIVED ALL OF OUR RESPONSES YESTERDAY.
AND THEN WE RELEASED, UH, ON JUNE 19TH, THE R F P FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UM, AND TOGETHER THOSE TWO SOLICITATIONS ARE WHAT COUNCIL APPROVED US RELEASING, UH, IN JUNE OF 2021, UH, WHEN THEY APPROVED THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK METHODOLOGY FOR THE PROJECT.
THIRD, WE HAVE RELEASED AN R F P FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES.
UM, THIS IS GOING TO BE STAFF AUGMENTATION, UH, FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR, UM, FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT THAT WAS RELEASED ON JUNE 26TH.
UM, WE'LL HAVE RESPONSES FOR THOSE LAST TWO AT THE END OF JULY AND THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST.
WE ARE ANTICIPATING COMING BACK TO COUNCIL IN THE FALL, UH, FOR APPROVAL OF ALL THREE OF THESE CONTRACTS.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING ON A COUPLE OF OTHER SOLICITATIONS AS WELL THAT WILL BE RELEASED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
UH, WE HAVE A BRIEFING FOR COUNCIL NEXT WEEK THAT WILL INCLUDE KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF ALL OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WILL BE BEFORE THEM, UM, AHEAD OF THE VOTES, UH, IN THE FALL.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THIS IS WHO YOU MAY CONTACT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS SLIDE GOT UPDATED IN TIME FOR THE, UH, HARD COPY THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, BUT I, WE WILL HAVE FELICIA SEND IT OUT TO YOU ALL SO YOU HAVE IT ELECTRONICALLY, UM, AS WELL.
AND THAT LINK AT THE BOTTOM IS JUST SO YOU CAN GO AND SEE WHERE ALL OF THE SOLICITATIONS LIVE.
THEY ARE ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, AT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.COM.
CAN YOU CLARIFY TITLE FOR, UH, ROCK GONZALEZ? I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW HIS TITLE.
IS HE IN, HE'S IN OUR, HE'S IN OUR PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT REALLY, UH, PERMANENT TO ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE OF THE RFQ SENSITIVITIES, BUT ARE THERE ANY IMMEDIATE CLARIFICATIONS OR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO GIVE YOU A MORE IN DEPTH AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
I, I APOLOGIZE THAT THIS IS ALL I COULD GIVE TODAY.
MOVING ON WITH THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN POSTPONE, UM, THIS ONE PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM TO A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE MEETING, UM, TO BE REPOSITIONED, UM, WITH THE WORKING JUST BEFORE THE WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE UPDATES, WE, WE HAD A SPEAKER WITH A DEAF IN THE FAMILY AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS HERE IN THE BUILDING AND IS ABLE TO COME AND PRESENT ON THIS.
UM, BUT SHE'S NOT QUITE AVAILABLE JUST YET.
UM, SO WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE PRESENTATION TO OF NUMBER FOUR TO BEFORE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, HEARING NO OBJECTION.
[5. Presentation by President & CEO of the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, Scott Joslove, regarding Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) Service Plan ]
LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AGENDA NUMBER FIVE, UH, WITH A PRESENTATION BY, UM, UH, TOM DUNAN OF THE A VISIT AUSTIN TO SPEAK TO THE PROPOSED DRAFT AUSTIN, UM, TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SERVICE PLAN.GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS AND, AND THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE, UH, PROPOSED AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PLAN THAT WE PLAN ON SUBMITTING THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL ON JULY 20TH.
SO, UM, WHAT WE'RE ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO ON JULY 20TH IS TO APPROVE, APPROVE THIS SERVICE PLAN.
IN THIS PETITION, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO START THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING SIGNATURES FROM HOTEL OWNERSHIP GROUPS TO MEET THE 60% THRESHOLD FOR ACTIVATION.
HOTELS MUST HAVE A HUNDRED ROOMS AND BE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE ESTIMATE THIS CLOSE TO 150 HOTELS IN MAKE CASE TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO COLLECT ALL THESE SIGNATURES AND SOME DESTINATIONS.
IN FACT, IT'S TAKEN FOUR TO SIX MONTHS TO ACTIVATE.
WE NEED TO REACH 60% IN TWO OR THREE CATEGORIES, EITHER ONE 60% OF THE HOTELS
[00:20:01]
THAT REPRESENT, UH, SIX HOTEL REVENUE.60% HAS TO BE CAPTURED, RIGHT? SO OF ALL THE HOTELS OUT THERE, WE HAVE TO FIND THE HOTELS THAT REPRESENT 60% OF THE REVENUE AND GET THEM TO SIGN.
THAT'S THE ONE YOU HAVE TO HAVE.
THEN YOU CAN EITHER HAVE 60% COUNT.
SO IF YOU HAVE 150 HOTELS, WE'D NEED 90.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS IN TERMS OF ACREAGE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT THE HOTELS SIT ON.
YOU HAVE TO GET TWO OUT OF THOSE THREE TO BE ACTIVATED.
AFTER THE SIGNATURES AND THE THRESHOLD IS MET, THESE PETITIONS WILL THEN WILL GO OVER TO CITY LEGAL, CITY LEGAL WILL LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, YEP, THESE ARE THE OWNERSHIPS.
THESE ARE ALL VALID, UH, PETITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEN WE'LL MOVE TO OCTOBER.
AND IN OCTOBER, UH, THEY'LL BE TWO VOTES.
ONE TO ACTIVATE THE TPI AND TWO TO SET THE RATE ON, ON SOMETIME IN OCTOBER.
THAT, THAT'S THE GENERAL SCHEDULE THAT THE TPI CREATION WOULD TAKE PLACE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DOCUMENT, THIS TPI DOCUMENT IS, THIS IS THE HOTEL COMMUNITY'S DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT VISIT AUSTIN'S DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT THE CONVENTION CENTER'S DOCUMENT.
UM, IT IS, IT IS A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE HOTEL COMMUNITY AND CITY COUNCIL.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE HOTEL OWNERSHIP GROUPS HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD AS THEIR, AS THEIR PREFERRED PETITION.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT, AS YOU KNOW, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO CREATE A TPI FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS.
SO LET'S, LET'S WALK THROUGH THE TPI SERVICE PLAN.
I, I'D LIKE YOU TO, GUYS, TO TURN TO PAGE TWO, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
ON PAGE TWO, YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN ESTIMATE OF THE, THE T PIT AND HOW IT WILL BE USED.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO HOTEL TAX, THE CITY IS VERY CONSERVATIVE WHEN IT ESTIMATES ITS HOTEL TAX.
AND IT SHOULD, RIGHT? THEY SHOULD COME BACK AND SAY, WE THINK 150 IS THE RIGHT NUMBER, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY'RE PAYING ARTS AND HERITAGE FUNDING CONVENTION CENTER FUNDING AND FUNDING TO VISIT AUSTIN.
BUT WITH TPIS, YOU WANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UM, ROBUST IN YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
IN DALLAS, THEY CREATED A TPI, THEIR COLLECTION WAS HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED.
AND SO IN YEAR SEVEN, THE TPI ENDED.
SO YOU WANT TO, YOU WANT TO KIND OF THINK, WE WANT TO GO OUR BEST CASE SCENARIO AND THE ESTIMATION.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE STARTING THE TPI AT 160 MILLION NEXT YEAR VERSUS 150 FOR HOTEL TAX.
OKAY? AND THEN YOU'LL LOOK OVER AND YOU'LL SEE THE TOTAL ESTIMATED TAXES THAT ARE, ARE TIDD COLLECTED AS 27 MILLION.
IF WE COLLECTED 29, I CAN ONLY SPEND 27.
IF WE COLLECTED 25, I CAN ONLY SPEND 25.
SO YOU WANNA, YOU WANT TO KEEP AHEAD OF IT.
AND SO THE, YOU'LL SEE THE AVERAGE RATE INCREASE ON THAT IS 7.5%.
JUST TO MAKE SURE WE NEVER REACHED THE PROBLEM THAT DALLAS HAD AND THE T PIT RUNS OUT IN YEAR SEVEN OR YEAR EIGHT.
OKAY? SO JUST JUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE KNOW THESE NUMBERS ARE, UH, HIGHER THAN WHAT THE HOTEL TAX ESTIMATES ARE, AND THAT'S DONE ON PURPOSE.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PLAN AND HOW WE'LL USE THOSE DOLLARS.
SO IT'S A MINIMUM OF 20% FOR ACC AND PALMER BUY DOWN INCENTIVES FOR GROUPS HOLDING EVENTS IN THESE FACILITIES, IT'S ESTIMATED TO BE 78 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS.
THE ORIGINAL TPI PLAN THAT WAS PUT OUT IN 2020, IT WAS 69 MILLION.
THIS IS A TWO POINT TPI AT 20% VERSUS A ONE POINT TPI AT 40% ONCE THESE EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, SOUTH BY TAKES PLACE NEXT YEAR, AS SOON AS THAT EVENT HAS TAKEN PLACE, WE'LL WRITE THE RENT CHECK FOR THAT.
THOSE FUNDS WILL GO OVER THE AUSTIN COMMENCE CENTER DEPARTMENT.
THOSE NOW BECOME GENERAL FUND DOLLARS AND ARE USABLE BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT FOR WHATEVER USE THEY DEEM THAT THEY WANT TO USE IT FOR.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE LIMITATION THAT THE HOTEL TAX DOES, IT JUST BECOMES GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
OKAY? SO THAT'S HOW THE PROCESS WILL WORK.
AND WE'LL BUILD THAT INTO EVERY SINGLE YEAR OF THE 10 YEAR PPI.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE GONNA BECOME GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT, THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT DETERMINE HOW WE USE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
NOT TOM NEWNAN FROM VISIT AUSTIN, NOT THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.
AND, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THE LAST, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR WANTED TO USE IT FOR HOMELESS SERVICES.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THAT'S NOT MY JOB.
THAT'S THE CITY COUNCIL'S JOB TO DETERMINE HOW THEY'RE GONNA USE THOSE DOLLARS.
AND YOU SHOULD TALK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO APPOINTED YOU AND INFLUENCE 'EM ON THAT DECISION.
BUT THE REALITY IS, THIS IS 78 MILLION IN NEW GENERAL FUND REVENUE THAT WOULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT THE TPI.
SO 20% MINIMUM FOR COMMENCE CENTER BUY DOWNS, 60% FOR SALES, MARKETING AND PROMOTION.
SO THIS IS THE BUCKET WHERE WE'RE GONNA DO LARGER ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO MORE SALES TRIPS, MORE SALES BLITZES, TALKING TO CUSTOMERS ABOUT BRINGING THEIR CONVENTIONS HERE TO TOWN.
THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HELP GENERATE A LARGER HOTEL TAX COLLECTION.
IT ALSO, THERE'S A CARVE OUT IN THERE AS WELL.
IF ANY YEAR THAT WE GET THROUGH THE 20% FOR BUY DOWNS, WE'RE WILLING TO GO TO ANOTHER 20% IF WE CAN GET THERE.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CAN WE GET TO 40 IT, I, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS THAT'S A REALLY BIG NUMBER.
UH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IN THE, IN THE 10TH YEAR THAT WOULD BE 20 MILLION.
[00:25:01]
THE CONVENTION CENTER DOES ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN BUY DOWNS.I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET TO 20 MILLION.
I DON'T WANNA MISLEAD ANYBODY TO THINK WE CAN GET TO 20 MILLION.
THE HOTEL TAX COLLECTION SINCE 2018, 19 WENT FROM ABOUT 90 MILLION TO 150 MILLION PLUS.
SO THAT BUCKET HAS GROWN A LOT THERE.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE EVER GONNA REACH 40%.
CAN WE REACH 23? CAN WE REACH 25, 27 PERHAPS? AND IF WE CAN, WE WILL.
BUT I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A TWO POINT TPI PLAN THAT'S GENERATING 78 MILLION VERSUS 69 MILLION IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS, IN THE FIRST PLAN, IT WAS ONE POINT FOR 40%, AND WE WEREN'T DOING THE SECOND POINT UNTIL THE CONVENTION CENTER PAID DOWN ITS ORIGINAL TWO POINTS OF BOND DEBT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN 2029.
SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN THE SECOND POINT UNTIL 2029.
AND NOW WE KNOW, BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT IN THE LAST YEAR THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS COMPLETELY GOING DOWN.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD A CENTER TO DO ANY BUY DOWNS AT ALL BECAUSE IN FROM 25 TO 29, THE BUILDING WOULD BE CLOSED, RIGHT? SO NOW THIS NEW PLAN HAS US ON THE BACKSIDE OF THAT, AND WE HAVE NOW CREATED THE HOTELS TO GIVE THIS SECOND POINT.
AND THE REASON WHY THEY'RE DOING THAT SECOND POINT IS NOW BE, IS BECAUSE THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL GO DOWN, THERE'LL BE A HOLE IN THE GROUND, AND WE NEED A LARGER SALES AND MARKETING BUDGET TO PRODUCE MORE RESULTS AND MAKE SURE THE HOTEL ACTIVITY DOESN'T SLOW DOWN AND THE HOTEL TAX COLLECTION DOESN'T GO DOWN AND ARTS FUNDING DOESN'T GO DOWN AND HERITAGE FUNDING DOESN'T GO DOWN.
AND SO THE HOTELS HAVE STEPPED UP AND SAID, WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT SECOND POINT RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE WILLING TO DO IT FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THIS NUMBER FROM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE 2020 SERVICE PLAN IN THE FIRST PAGE, THE ONE POINT WAS 35 MILLION.
THE SECOND POINT ADDED TOOK IT TO 69 MILLION.
WE'RE ON A PLAN RIGHT NOW IN THIS NEW SERVICE PLAN THAT GETS US 78 MILLION FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO I MAKE SURE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IS, THAT'S POINTED OUT 10% OF THE SERVICE PLAN WILL BE USED FOR A HOTEL BUY DOWNS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN IS IF YOU'RE THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL, FOR INSTANCE, YOU'RE NOT DOWNTOWN, HOW ARE YOU BENEFITING FROM THIS PLAN? YOU'RE BENEFITING FROM THIS PLAN BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA DO A MUCH LARGER ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN PROMOTING ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY AND EVERYTHING, EVERY GREAT REASON TO VISIT THE CITY, CULINARY ARTS, MUSIC, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MUCH BIGGER ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.
RIGHT NOW, OUR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS, TWO TO $3 MILLION A YEAR.
WE MAY HAVE A 15 MILLION ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR THE CITY PROMOTING EVERYTHING THAT, THAT THE AUSTIN HAS TO, TO BRING TOURISTS TO TOWN.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BOOK A 300 ROOM MEETING IN YOUR HOTEL AND HAVE A SMALL INCENTIVE, YOU CAN OFFER THAT MEETING PLANNER TO CHOOSE YOUR HOTEL VERSUS LET'S SAY THE DENVER MARRIOTT HOTEL, RIGHT? THAT BRINGS THAT BUSINESS INTO AUSTIN AND WE COLLECT EVEN MORE HOTEL TAX DOLLARS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT 10% DOES OF THE SERVICE PLAN.
AND THE LAST 10% IS FOR RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATION.
YOU KNOW, HOW WELL YOUR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS DOING? YOU KNOW, UM, DO YOU NEED SOME EXTRA PEOPLE IN FINANCE OR IN SALES? DO WE WANNA HIRE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AT PID CORP, WHICH WILL BE CREATED THAT THAT'LL HAVE, HAVE THESE DOLLARS? AND SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THE, THE 10% HAS DONE FOR, FOR RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATION.
YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE IN THE PLAN A PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK AND A SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK.
THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK IS WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTERS OPEN AND OPERATING.
SO IT'S BEFORE 2025 AND IT'S AFTER 2029.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, 20% PLUS FOR BUY DOWNS, 60% FOR MARKETING, 10% FOR HOTEL BUYDOWN PROGRAM, 10% FOR RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION DURING THE SECONDARY PERIOD OF WORK, BECAUSE THE BUILDING IS CLOSED, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE THEM BUY DOWNS BECAUSE THEY'RE CLOSED.
SO WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT 10% OF IS DOING BUY DOWNS FOR PALMER EVENT CENTER, AT LEAST 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE IN A BUCKET FOR FUTURE BUY DOWNS AFTER THE BUILDING REOPENS.
AND THE OTHER 5% WILL BE USED BY A, UH, PLAN COULD PROVE BY THE TPI BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL TO USE EITHER FOR SALES AND MARKETING OR BUY DOWNS FOR OTHER HOTEL BUSINESS TO KEEP THE HOTEL TAX FULL.
CUZ WE DON'T WANT THOSE DOLLARS SITTING THERE GOING UNUSED, UH, DURING, DURING THE, DURING THE TENURE OF THE TPI.
THE OTHER GREAT THING ABOUT THE TPI, THE FEE IS TAXABLE.
SO A HUNDRED DOLLARS ROOM RATE BECOMES $102, A $200 RATE BECOMES $204 IN TAX DOLLARS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, LET'S ASSUME THAT TAX DOESN'T CHANGE IN ONE YEAR.
THE NEXT, IN ONE YEAR WE COLLECTED 160, THE NEXT YEAR WE COLLECTED 160.
WE JUST NOW ADDED $27 MILLION IN THE FIRST YEAR IN TERMS OF NEW REVENUE.
THAT'S $375,000 IN ADDITIONAL TAX FOR THE ARTS FUND AND THE HERITAGE FUNDS JUST BY ITS CREATION.
AND THE REALITY IS TPIS, WHEN THEY'RE CREATED, THEY CREATE ACTIVITY FOR HOTELS, THEY CREATE EXTRA TAX DOLLARS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT KICKSTART.
BUT THE REALITY IS THE COLLECTION SHOULD BE A LOT MORE.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE IDEA, AND THAT'S WHY THE HOTELS SUPPORT THIS TPI, IS THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S ADDITIONAL HOTEL ACTIVITY AND ADDITIONAL, UM, ADDITIONAL TAX COLLECTOR.
THERE'LL BE A TPI BOARD THAT'S CREATED.
THE TPI BOARD IS A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION.
[00:30:01]
IT'LL OVERSEE THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT OF THE, UH, OF THE TPI IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY AND VISIT AUSTIN.THERE'LL BE 11 VOTING MEMBERS, FOUR FROM HOTELS WITH 400 ROOMS, FOUR FROM HOTELS WITH 141 TO 3 99 AND THREE HOTELS FROM A HUNDRED TO 140.
THERE WILL ALSO BE THREE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS ON THAT BOARD.
MYSELF, UH, A MEMBER OF THE CONVENTION CENTER LEADERSHIP TEAM, AS WELL AS DENISE ISMAN FROM THE AUSTIN HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION.
THE TPI BOARD APPROVES THE USE OF ALL THESE FUNDS AND THEY TELL US HOW TO USE THEM.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE QUICK QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE TPIT PLAN AND HOW IT WOULD WORK.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THIS.
I KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, BUT THE REALITY IS THE HOTEL COMMUNITY IS STEPPING UP AND SAYING, HERE'S $78 MILLION THAT WE CAN USE FOR BUY DOWNS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THAT NOW BECOMES NEW GENERAL FUND REVENUE FOR THE CITY TO USE FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
WE NEED TO MOVE ON THIS AND MOVE IT QUICKLY BECAUSE THE LONGER WE WAIT TO PASS THIS, THE CLOSER WE GET TO THE COMMENCE CENTER DATE GOING DOWN, THE HARDER IT IS GONNA BE.
FIND HOTEL ROOMS, FILL HOTEL ROOMS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, SIR.
MR. NUNAN COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MCGEE? HI TOM.
UM, I HEARD YOU SAY AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION YOU CITED DALLAS AS AN EXAMPLE, AND THAT THEIR FUNDS WENT AWAY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE FUNDS WENT AWAY.
IS THAT TO DO WITH THE TERM OF THE HAPPENED THE AGREEMENT OR THE AMOUNT THAT'S RAISED OR BOTH? CAN YOU CLARIFY? THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY COLLECTED SO MUCH QUICKER THAT, THAT, LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR SERVICE PLAN, IT SAYS WE'RE GONNA COLLECT 390, ABOUT 390 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS.
IF I GOT TO 390 MILLION IN YEAR SEVEN, WE'RE DONE.
SO THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S NOT JUST 40% OF THE TEPID GOING FOR HOWEVER LONG THE TEPID IS IN, IN FALSE FOR.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA PASS THIS VERSION OF THE TEPID PLAN, RIGHT? SO IT'S GONNA WALK THROUGH AND SAY THERE'S GONNA BE 27 IN YEAR ONE AND 34 AND YEAR FOUR AND ALL THAT STUFF, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO IN THOSE YEARS WHERE I'M RUNNING AHEAD, GIVE THE EXAMPLE THAT IT WAS 27 MILLIONS IN YEAR ONE, WE, WE GET 29, I CAN'T SPEND THOSE, THAT TWO EXTRA MILLION FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO THEN IT GETS FROM THE NEXT BUCKET.
SO I'M ALREADY 2 MILLION AHEAD OF THE 29 MILLION STAGE, BUT WHY CAN'T YOU SPEND THAT EXTRA MONEY? BECAUSE IT'S IN THE PLAN OR BECAUSE OF LAW? THIS, THIS IS A, THIS IS A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PLAN.
AS I UNDERSTAND THE HOTELS ARE COMMITTING TO THIS 390 PER 90 390,000 SO'S ALSO CONTINGENT ON THE PLAN.
YOU, WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T SPEND IN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE GET TO IS DEPENDENT ON THE PLAN, BUT IT'S ON, IT'S BASED ON A BUDGET YEAR TOO.
SO I CAN ONLY SPEND WHAT'S IN THAT BUDGET YEAR.
BUT EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND THE THREE 90, BUT THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK EARLY, SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? AND THEN DALLAS DID THAT AND THEY CAME BACK EARLY.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE DALLAS PLAN WAS WHEN THEY DID IT, THEY WERE BOOKING 23% OF THEIR CONVENTION CENTER BOOKINGS.
HOTEL TAX WENT UP 17% OVER FOUR YEARS.
SO THESE, THESE GENERATE A LOT MORE NEW BUSINESS, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE'RE LOCKED INTO THE, THE MOUTH THAT'S IN OUR BUDGET FOR THAT YEAR.
AND IF WE GO UNDER IT, WE CAN SPEND WHAT'S UNDER, IF WE GO OVER, WE HAVE TO MOVE IT TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I DON'T WANNA HOG THE DI SO, UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I WOULD, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND I, I KNOW I WOULD BE BENEFIT FROM THIS PERHAPS OTHERS WE'RE LOOKING BACK AND TALKING ABOUT A 2020 TPI, WHICH FRANKLY I DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW AS DEEPLY AS I DID THIS ONE, THE CURRENT ONE ON THE TABLE MM-HMM.
BUT BETWEEN THAT TPI ID AND THIS TPI, I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY AS I'VE BEEN ON THIS BODY A WHILE, THERE WERE SOME SIGNIFICANT SHIFTS AND THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WERE, WAS INTENDED AROUND THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO I I I JUST WONDERED IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN THE 2020 TPI WAS BEING DEVELOPED AND WHAT HAS SHIFTED IN THE BELT OUT AND THE RFP PROCESS SURE.
AND ALL AND, AND HOW THAT MIGHT HAVE INFORMED WHERE THIS PARTICULAR TPI LANDED WITH.
SO, YOU KNOW, BACK, BACK IN THOSE DAYS, AND, AND KATIE IF YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN, PLEASE FEEL FREE AS SOMEBODY AT THE COMMISSIONER.
BUT BACK IN THOSE DAYS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING, WE, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE BUILDING A BUILDING WEST OF THE CURRENT CONVENTION CENTER.
WE'D ALWAYS HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER THAT WAS OPEN.
WE WOULD TEAR DOWN THE EXISTING BUILDING IN ONE OR TWO PHASES AND REBUILD IT.
SO WE'D ALWAYS HAVE A BUILDING AVAILABLE TO DO BUY DOWNS.
THEN JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE FIGURED OUT WITH PRICING OF THE LAND NEXT DOOR THAT WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO GO WEST.
AND THE BEST WAY WAS TO BE, TO BUILD THE BUILDING ON THE CURRENTLY LAND THAT WE HAVE AND USE NOT EVEN THE WHOLE LAND INTO A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT, UM, BUT WE, THAT, THAT REQUIRES TO TAKE THE WHOLE BUILDING DOWN
[00:35:01]
AT ONE TIME.AND THAT'S THE PLAN OUR HOTEL COMMUNITY PREFERS.
CUZ WE'VE SEEN OTHER COMMUNITIES, WHEN YOU DO CONVENTION CENTERS, PROJECTS SPREAD OUT OVER SEVEN OR 10 YEARS.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE PROBLEMS FOR SEVEN TO 10 YEARS AND, AND, AND MEETING PLANNERS, LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO GO NEAR A CONSTRUCTION ZONE.
SO WE WANT TO DO THAT IN AS QUICKLY A A, A SCHEDULE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, AND SO, SO THAT, THAT HAS CHANGED.
SO THEN OUR HOTEL COMMUNITY CAME TO US AND SAID, LET'S DO THE SECOND POINT.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO ABOVE 18% EVER, BUT NOW THEY'RE LIKE, NOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HOLE IN THE GROUND, WE HAVE THE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE AND WE WANT TO START THIS THING NOW AND HAVE THE DOLLARS ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS DURING THE MEAT OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND THEN HAVE IT FORWARD AFTERWARDS.
RIGHT? SO THEY'VE STEPPED UP AND SAID, WE'RE WILLING TO ADD A SECOND POINT TO THAT PLAN NOW VERSUS LATER.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING AN INCREASE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THE HOTEL TAX RATES ARE UP AND ALL THE COLLECTIONS UP AND ALL STUFF, BUT BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD THE SECOND POINT SO TO COME, THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING THE 78 MILLION VERSUS 69 MILLION AS WELL.
SO, SO THE COMMENT IS THAT THIS IS A, ACTUALLY A MORE AGGRESSIVE OR OFFER ITS FROM, THAN THE ORIGINAL 2020 DOCUMENT IT IS.
AND, AND I'M I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S 20% BECAUSE FROM MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, DOING THIS WHEN WE'RE AT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF BUY DOWNS, BECAUSE TPI FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR SALES, MARKETING PROMOTIONS, AND THAT'S IT BY STATE LAW, THAT'S THE LAW.
I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT BESIDES SALES, MARKETING AND PROMOTION.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH IT.
BUT THE NICE THING ABOUT OUR PLAN IS WE'RE BUYING BUSINESS FOR THE CITY, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER IN PALMER.
NOW THIS BECOMES GENERAL REVENUE USED ANY WAY THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, THE CITY MANAGER, AND FOLKS THAT WANNA INFLUENCE THEM HOW THEY WANT TO USE IT.
WE LOVE THAT IDEA, BUT IT'S JUST NOT TOM NEWNAN'S.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT ON THE COUNCIL.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T TRY TO TELL THE COUNCIL HOW TO DO THEIR WORK.
I JUST WANT TO BE, PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND 78 MILLION POTENTIALLY FOR, FOR THE CITY TO USE FOR WHATEVER GREAT.
CAUSE THEY WANT TO USE IT FOR THANK YOU.
UH, LET'S, IF WE CAN GIVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE WHICH HAND WENT UP.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS POINT.
YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS A LOT OF COMPLAINT ABOUT CUTTING, YOU KNOW, MONEY GOING TO HOMELESSNESS FROM 40% TO 20%.
UM, THE, AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, THE CURRENT TPI PLAN GENERATES MORE MONEY THAN WHAT THE PRIOR PLAN WAS.
THE ORIGINAL TPA TPI PLAN WAS ONLY A 1% ADDITIONAL TAX ON HOTEL USE FOR, FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, AT LEAST FOR THE FIVE YEARS.
THIS ONE IS 2% BEGINNING IN THE INITIAL YEAR.
UM, AND SO THIS, YES, WE'RE CUTTING, YOU KNOW, CUTTING'S THE WRONG WORD.
WE'RE WE'RE CHANGING 40% TO 20% BECAUSE MORE MONEY IS COMING IN ON THE TPI THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
THE CURRENT ONE TO IN ESSENCE GENERATE MORE FUNDS TO THE CITY THAT THEY CAN USE WHATEVER THEY WANT.
THEY WANT TO USE IT FOR HOMELESSNESS, THEY WANT TO USE IT FOR PARKS, THEY WANT TO USE IT FOR THE ARTS.
IS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THE, THE 2040 ARGUMENT, IT'S A PERCENTAGE, UH, I'M, I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REAL DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING GENERATED FROM THIS PLAN.
AND, AND THE REALITY IS, IF YOU SAID, TOM, I NEED YOU TO GET TO 40% ON TWO, OKAY, THAT'S GONNA BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE FIVE, IT SAYS THAT IF WE GO THROUGH THE FIRST 20%, WE WILL DIP INTO THAT 60% BUCKET AND BUY MORE BUSINESS.
BUT I CANNOT BUY BUSINESS THAT'S NOT THERE.
I CAN'T JUST GIVE THE DOLLARS.
I HAVE TO HAVE A SALES USE FOR IT.
I HAVE TO HAVE A MARKETING USE FOR IT.
THAT IS THE LAW THAT I'M HELD BY, BY STATE LAW.
BUT WE ARE, WE ARE WILLING TO GET THERE IF WE CAN.
UM, BUT THE REALITY IS THIS IS, THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER BUCKET.
THIS IS 78 MILLION VERSUS WHAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN, WHICH WAS 69.
IN A BEST CASE SCENARIO, IF WE DID THE PLAN BACK TO BACK TO YOURS, WHICH WAS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY WON THIS HOTEL TAX TO BE PAID DOWN BY TWO POINTS.
OKAY? SO THIS IS A VERY LUCRATIVE PLAN.
UM, AND, AND, AND OUR HOTEL COMMITTEE PROUDLY SUPPORTS THIS PLAN.
AND I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S PRETTY AMAZING.
THEY'RE WILLING TO STEP UP AND SAY, WE WE'RE GOOD WITH 78 MILLION GOING TOWARDS A, A GREAT CAUSE.
WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DETERMINES THAT IS.
AND WE'LL, WE WILL COME BY ANNUALLY WITH CITY COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT THE TPI AND WHAT OUR PLAN IS FOR THE YEAR AND HOW THOSE DOLLARS CAN BE USED.
BUT WAITING ON THIS CREATION SLOWS DOWN ANY MONEY COMING IN.
WHAT OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE TPIS? UH, DALLAS, UH, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, FRISCO, WACO, ARLINGTON FORT WORTH, AND, UM, CORPUS CHRISTI TOO.
[00:40:01]
COMPARE THE BUDGET OF VISIT AUSTIN FOR PROMOTING TOURISM COMPARED TO THOSE OTHER CITIES? UH, THIS, THIS YEAR WE WERE, UH, UH, ABOUT $15 MILLION.NEXT YEAR WE BUDGET TO BE $25 MILLION.
UH, DALLAS HAS A 59 MILLION MARKETING AND ADVERTISING BUDGET.
UH, HOUSTON AND FORT WORTH ARE WELL OVER 40 MILLION EACH.
FORT WORTH HAS A BIGGER BUDGET THIS YEAR THAN WE HAVE CORPUS CHRISTI BECAUSE THEY, THEIR T PIN IN PLACE HAS A BIGGER BUDGET THAN WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
UM, UH, FORT WORTH BUDGET IS PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHERE OUR BUDGET IS.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ONE OF HOUSTON'S BUDGETS OF ABOUT 40 MILLION PLUS AS WELL.
WE'RE, SO WE'RE UNDERFUNDED AND WE'RE ALSO UNDERFUNDED COMPARED TO NASHVILLE AND DENVER AND NEW ORLEANS AND ALL OF OUR MAJOR COMPETITORS.
SO THIS GETS US TO A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN TERMS OF BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN OUR COMPETITIVE SET FOR CONVENTION BUSINESS, WE HAVE THE 59TH LARGEST CONVENTION CENTER IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE 10TH LARGEST CITY.
AND WE HAVE THE SMALLEST BUDGET OF ALL OF OUR COMPETITIVE SET.
THIS GETS US TO THE RIGHT BUDGET AND THIS CONSTRUCTION EXPANSION GETS US TO THE RIGHT BUILDING.
YOU THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CHAN, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UM, YES.
SO I, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, ABOUT THE MECHANISM IN PLACE TO TRANSFER, TRANSFER THE MONEY TO THE, UH, CITY'S GENERAL FUNDS.
UM, SO, UH, ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS TO THE MECHANISM IN THE SERVICE PLAN THAT WOULD PREVENT THE CITY FROM USING THE FULL AMOUNT FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE? IT, IT'S ALL FIT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, AND KATIE CAN COME UP HERE, I, I BELIEVE KATIE GONNA SET A WHOLE YEAH.
ONE, LET THE FINANCE LADY TELL YOU HOW THEY'RE GONNA DO IT.
SO, UH, AS TOM MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE THE 20% FOR THE BUY DOWNS AND THAT'S MINIMUM.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WE, THE BUY DOWNS ARE ALLOCATED, THE EVENT TAKES PLACE, THEN THE TPI RELEASES THOSE DOLLARS.
THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE THE SALES USE HAS BEEN SATISFIED.
SO STATE LAW IS SATISFIED AT THAT POINT.
ONCE THE EVENT TAKES PLACE AT THAT POINT, THEN THE, THE FUNDS CAN BE TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE CITY AND AT THAT POINT THEY BECOME GENERAL REVENUE FOR USE FOR WHATEVER, AS TOM HAS REPEATEDLY SAID, THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, DECIDES TO SPEND IT ON.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE, EVERY YEAR WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE 10 LINES THAT THE, THE DOLLARS ARE IN THERE AND WE'RE GONNA BUILD THAT BUCKET AND I'M GONNA GO HERE ARE THREE FOR THE YEAR FOUR HERE ARE FOUR FOR THE YEAR FIVE.
AND WE'RE GONNA START BILLING AND FILLING THOSE BUCKETS.
SO WE'LL KNOW WHEN WE'RE GETTING TO THAT 20% THRESHOLD AND LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE THERE, OH, NOW WE GOT TWO MORE BUY DOWNS FOR US.
IT MAKES SENSE TO GO OVER THE 20% BECAUSE WE'VE GOT MORE BUSINESS FOR THE CITY.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THAT THOUGH.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION? SO, KATIE, SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT THANKS Y'ALL, HE DID THAT THING, UM, THAT WE DON'T GET TO USE THE MONEY UNTIL THE MONEY IS ACTUALIZED.
AND WHAT I MEAN IS WE ALL KNOW THAT CITY-WIDES BOOK YEARS IN ADVANCE AND THEY PAY THEIR DEPOSITS EARLY.
AND THE REASON THAT, UM, CAUSES ME TO HAVE CONCERN TO WANNA GET THIS TO MOVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO START PUTTING THE TAX TO WORK WHILE THE CONVENTION CENTER IS STILL HERE UNTIL WE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR US TO START GETTING MY BUCKET FULL WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO PASS THIS NOW BECAUSE WE WANT THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE TPI IN OUR MARKETING BUDGET TO FILL HOTEL ROOMS ACROSS THE CITY.
IF WE DELAYED THIS, YOU'VE TAKEN AWAY ONE OUT OF MY TWO HANDS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND SO WE, AND, AND SO THAT $27 MILLION WILL BE USED IN THE NEXT YEAR TO BE SELLING FOR THE FUTURE IN THE YEAR TWO THAT'LL BE USED FOR SELLING THE FUTURE.
THEN THE BUILDING WILL GO DOWN.
AND THEN DURING THOSE FOUR YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE GONNA BE USING THOSE DOLLARS DURING CONSTRUCTION FOR SALES AS WELL.
BUT WE STILL WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, USE IT WITH THE LONG FOR THE EVENTS THAT ARE OVER THERE DURING THAT TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SELL THE CITY DIFFERENTLY.
WE'RE GONNA MARKET THE CITY DIFFERENTLY.
SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AND, AND THERE'S A CHANCE, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE MAY HAVE TO RUN SHUTTLE BUSES, WE KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO THAT.
GO TO THE TPI BOARD AND SAYING, YOU GUYS WANNA RUN SHUTTLE BUSES FOR THIS CITYWIDE THAT'S COMING IN TOWN, OR WE MAY NOT GET IT.
THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA SAY, YEAH, DO THAT.
I CAN'T COMMIT TO THAT YET CUZ I THAT'S A, THAT'S A T BID BOARD DECISION.
UM, WELL I AM, I'M GLAD THAT YOU CLARIFIED AS FAR AS THE COLLECTING THE MONEY AND THAT IF WE OVER COLLECT IT, AT LEAST WE COULD USE IT THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE I AM FAMILIAR, UM, WITH HAVING TO HAVE THOSE DOLLARS RIGHT.
WITH THE TEXAS FRANCHISE RECOVERY FEE, WHEN WE CAME IN A LITTLE EARLIER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD, WE HAD TO TURN IT OFF, WE COULDN'T COLLECT IT ANYMORE.
SO AT LEAST IF WE DID, THAT'S AFRAID IF WE COULD USE IT LATER, BUT IT'S BETTER TO HAVE IT CORRECT SO THAT WE CAN USE IT SOONER.
SO IN A SCENARIO THAT WE GOT IN THE FIRST YEAR, THERE WAS 27, WE GOT 29, THAT 2 MILLION ROLLS IN.
IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF ECONOMIC HIT, THAT 2 MILLION IS IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO HELP US
[00:45:01]
MAYBE FULFILL THE, THE, THE GAP THAT TOOK PLACE AND THEN WE CAN USE IT YEAR TWO.UM, IN THIS PLAN, UM, YOU HAVE INCENTIVES AT 20% AND MARKETING AT 60%.
IS THERE ANY REASON TO THAT SHIFT? UH, IT'S, YEAH, DIFFERENT MARKETS ARE DOING DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THE THE DALLAS PLAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GIVING 7.5% BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
AT LEAST AND, AND, AND GREATER.
SO, SO THERE'S THAT, BUT WE ALSO THINK WE HAVE THE NEED FOR MORE CONVENTION CENTER BUY DOWNS THAN THEY'RE, THAN THEY'RE GONNA HAVE CURRENTLY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BEING AGGRESSIVE ABOUT THAT.
BUT 20% BUY DOWNS IS REALLY THE SALES, A SALES ACTIVITY.
SALES OF THAT 60, THERE'S 20% IN THERE KIND OF SLATED FOR SALES.
THE OTHER 47 CIPHER MARKETS, THAT'S REALLY 40 AND 40 IF YOU LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE 10% FOR, FOR HOTEL BUY DOWNS, WHICH IS ANOTHER 10% IN SALES REALLY.
AND THEN THERE'S RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATION.
SO THE NUMBERS AREN'T REALLY THAT DIFFERENT REALLY.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE 40%, UH, I FEEL LIKE TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS WAS MENTIONED ORIGINALLY BACK IN 20, I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN? 17.
I FEEL LIKE 2%, 40% ON 2% WAS MENTIONED, UM, WAY BACK EARLY IN 2017.
BUT I THINK YOU WERE SAYING THAT THAT SECOND PERCENTAGE POINT WASN'T TO COME ONLINE UNTIL FIVE YEARS IN.
IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU SAYING? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF, AND I'VE GOT A COPY IF YOU WANT THE 2020 PLAN HERE WITH ME, IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT, BUT IT, IT, IT, IT WALKS THROUGH SAYING IT'S ONE POINT NOW WHEN THE, WHEN THE, WHEN WE, AND THEY DIDN'T, THE HOTELS DIDN'T WANT TO GO OVER 18% AND WE WERE WAITING FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER TWO POINTS TO ROLL OFF SO THEN WE COULD ADD A SECOND POINT AND STILL BE UNDER THAT 18% THRESHOLD.
AND THEY WERE, THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE THE WHOLE TIME.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE DECIDED WE CAN'T BUILD NEXT DOOR, WE'VE GOTTA BUILD ON THE CURRENT SITE.
AND THE HOTELS ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S DO THE SECOND POINT BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT SECOND POINT WILL BE ACTIVATED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION YEARS AND THEN IN 2029, THE SECOND POINT'S GONNA ROLL OFF ANYWAYS.
AND SO THEN WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION'S DONE, WE'LL DROP DOWN THE TWO POINTS AND WE'LL STILL THE TWO POINT TEE PIT IN PLACE.
SO I THINK WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF NUMBERS, SORRY.
AND YOU LIVE WITH THEM EVERY DAY, SO YOU'RE ABLE TO ROLL 'EM OFF VERY QUICKLY.
UM, WHAT I RECALL IS TESTIMONY, UM, FROM THE HOTELIERS SAYING THAT THE REASON IT WAS GONNA BE 40% WAS THAT 20% WAS GONNA BE DIRECT FROM THE TPI AND 20% WAS GONNA BE THE BUY DOWN.
WELL THEN THE 20% DIRECT MECHANISM WENT AWAY WITH THE CHANGE IN STATE LAW.
AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE 20% UPPING THE TWO PEN PERCENTAGE POINTS, WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TRYING TO RECAPTURE WHAT 40% ON THE FIRST PERCENTAGE POINT WOULD'VE BEEN TWO YEARS.
BUT IF IT WAS IN, IF THAT HADN'T HAVE GONE AWAY, WOULD WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT 40% ON TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS IN FIVE YEARS TIME? AND WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INC UM, SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT MORE REVENUE? BECAUSE I THINK WHAT PO PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR IS WHETHER WE HAVE LOST MONEY ON THIS DEAL.
LIKE AS IN THE PUBLIC, WELL, AGAIN, SINCE YOU'RE AT TWO POINTS AT 20 AND THAT'S 78 MILLION, THEN IT WAS 69 MILLION AND WE'RE NOT LOCKING OURSELVES INTO THAT 20.
WE'RE SEEING IF THERE'S A BUY DOWN, WE'LL GET TO 40.
I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGED, BUT IT WAS BEFORE IT CHANGED.
THE PUBLIC PROMISE WAS 20% DIRECTLY, WHICH THAT LAW CHANGED AND 20% INDIRECTLY.
WELL THIS, THIS WAS THE FIRST SERVICE PLAN THAT 2020 THAT WAS EVER PUT TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE ALWAYS HAD IN, IN TERMS OF 2020.
NOW THERE WAS CONVERSATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE, BUT NOTHING WAS FINALIZED THEN.
UM, AND, AND THEN THE LAW HAS CHANGED.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO NOW WITH THE LAW THAT'S IN PLACE.
AND, AND, AND YOU HAVE, YOU, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A ORGANIZATION THAT'S GONNA TRY TO FILL A BRAND NEW CONVENTION CENTER AND BUY BUSINESS FOR THE PALMER AND HIT AT LEAST THAT 20% THRESHOLD AND DO BETTER IF WE CAN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, IT SHOULD BE APPLAUDED.
THE HOTELS ARE STEPPING UP EARLY TO THAT SECOND POINT CUZ THEY, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, YOU SAID THAT THIS PLAN IS THE PREFERRED PLAN OF THE HOTEL COMMUNITY.
THIS, THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS, AND THEN IN YOUR WALKTHROUGH OF THE TIMELINE, DID I HEAR THAT IF THIS GOES BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND THEY APPROVE IT, JUST CLARIFY FOR ME, DOES THAT MEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THIS PLAN IF APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, UM, IS UM, CONCRETE OR IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY AND THE HOTELIERS TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE UNTIL, UM, YOU SAID THE, THE, UM, WHAT WAS THE LAST PIECE OF, YOU SAID IF CITY COUNCIL, IF CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THIS PETITION.
[00:50:01]
YEAH, THAT'S THE PETITION.IF YOU CHANGE THE LANGUAGE, WE GOTTA START THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN.
SO WHAT, SO IF THEY APPROVE THE LANGUAGE IN THIS PETITION, THEN THAT'S THE SERVICE PLAN.
IF IT AMENDS, YOU HAVE TO START OVER.
SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF THINGS WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUT IN THE SERVICE PLAN? I'M JUST, I'M JUST WANTING CLARIFICATION WHETHER THIS IS LIKE THIS IS IT OR IF THERE WAS CHANCE TO REMEMBER BECAUSE IN LOOKING AT IT, UM, YOU WERE TELLING US ABOUT THE PROCESS MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN I THINK YOU SAID, UH, LATER ON THEN THE, UH, BOARD HAS TO BE CONVENED OR, OR APPOINTED AND CONVENED THAT THERE WAS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A PROCESS AND I WASN'T CLEAR FROM YOUR PRESENTATION WHETHER THAT PROCESS INCLUDED ANY KIND OF AMENDMENT TO THIS PLAN OR IF THE AMENDMENTS HAVE TO BE DONE AND DUSTED BEFORE IT GETS APPROVED.
SO YOU, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA APPROVE THE SERVICE PLAN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND COLLECT SIGNATURES.
THEN YOU GET TO THAT THRESHOLD, WE GOT THE 60% MM-HMM.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE I GOT CONFUSED.
THE CREATION OF THE T PPI HAPPENS AFTER THE, THE, UM, SIGNING THE, THE, THE FINAL APPROVAL OF THIS PLAN.
THIS PETITION GETS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON THAT DAY AND HERE ARE THE 11 HOTEL MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED YOU MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND THOSE KIND OF ACTIVITIES.
THAT YOU TIE ALL THOSE, BUT THAT CREATION OF THE TPI DOES NOT INVOLVE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THIS LANGUAGE.
IT DOESN'T, BUT YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, STATE LAW NOW REQUIRES THIS ALL HAS TO BE FOR SALES, MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND THAT'S IT.
ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS DOCUMENT WOULDN'T BE LEGAL.
AND THEN A LOT OF THE FIGURES YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, I HEARD THAT SOME WERE MINIMUM AMOUNTS.
ARE ANY OF THE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS BECAUSE YOU, YOU ROLLED OFF A LOT OF LIKE NUMBERS, LIKE PERCENTAGE OF THIS, PERCENTAGE OF THAT MAXIMUM 60% FOR SALES AND MARKETING MM-HMM.
THOSE ARE MAXIMUMS. LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY WE GET IN THE FIRST YEAR AND, AND FOR SOME REASON WE ONLY GO THROUGH SEVEN POINT A HALF PERCENT OF THE HOTEL BUY DOWNS.
THERE'S A MECHANISM FOR THOSE DOLLARS TO, TO SHIFT OVER TO SALES AND MARKETING OR ANOTHER CATEGORY AS APPROVED BY THE AT P BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE EXTRA DOLLARS COMING IN AND NOW WE WANT TO PUT A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY IN MARKETING, WHATEVER.
THAT'LL BE AN AT AT PIT BOARD DISCUSSION DECISION.
THAT BUY DOWN BUCKET IS STAYING AT 20% AT MINIMUM.
IT'S GONNA BE FLEXIBILITY BETWEEN THE SALES AND MARKETING.
MAYBE I DON'T USE ALL THE DOLLARS ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I USE 99% NOT 10% AND I'D THROW THAT INTO THE HOTEL PROGRAM OR THE MARKETING PROGRAM.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? BAAN PAN ONLINE READ RE KANATI? I DO.
I I I WOULD SURE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO KEEP THIS THING MOVING.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS MOVES QUICKER BECAUSE WE NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MARKET AND SELL THE CITY.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, I TURNED IT ON THIS TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT, UM, AFTER CONNECTING WITH MY PEERS ON THE TPI WORKING GROUP IS THAT THERE WAS, UM, A A HIGH INTEREST OF ADDING SOMETHING THAT'S QUITE SPECIFIC AS FAR AS FUNDS DIRECTLY, UM, ALLOCATED FOR HOME UNLESS, AND, BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT THINKING, UM, THAT THE WAY THAT THIS IS WRITTEN, WHERE IT'S THE CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION ON WHAT HAPPENS COULD, IS PROBABLY REALLY THE VERY BEST THING BECAUSE OUT OF THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S UNREST WITH SOME OF THE WAYS THAT OUR FUNDS ARE BEING PUT IN THE COMMUNITY ANYWAY, BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE MAKES IT VERY RESTRICTIVE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN UM, THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS ON BALLET AUSTIN AND WHY THEY LOST THEIR FUNDING BECAUSE THERE WERE NEW WAYS THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, HAD TO SHOW THAT THEY CAN GET THIS FUNDING AND THEY DIDN'T MEET THAT ANYMORE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS DIVERSITY AND IF THERE IS THE ABILITY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANNA DO WITH THE FUNDING AND IT'S NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE, THEN I FEEL SURE THAT MY PEERS AND JOHN, YOU, YOU SAID YOU WERE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TO STAY INVOLVED AND SAY THIS IS HOW IT WAS SPENT LAST YEAR AND THIS DIDN'T WORK, BUT BECAUSE OF THIS AND CITY COUNCIL, WE'D LIKE YOU THIS TIME TO DO THIS, UM, TO KEEP REFINING IT AND MAKING IT GREAT BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IS FOR US TO TRY TO PUSH, TO GET SOMETHING IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT'S REALLY SPECIFIC THAT DOESN'T EVEN TURN OUT TO HELP OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR HOMELESSNESS ISSUE
[00:55:01]
ANYWAY.OR AT LEAST NOT AS WELL AS WE COULD.
I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM WOULD DISAGREE WITH THE FACT THAT THESE ARE, THAT'S PROBABLY OUR LARGEST PROBLEM IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, I PUT IT ABOVE TRAFFIC.
LIKE THAT IS OUR, OUR LARGEST PROBLEM.
WE WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF SOLVING THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY COMPLICATED AND I, I'M NOT SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET DOWN TO THE EXACT SCIENCE OF WHAT'S GONNA BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN THE NEXT COMING, YOU KNOW, BY FALL.
BUT IF WE CAN GET THE SUPPORT FOR THIS, I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, CAN BEGIN THAT ACTUALLY, UM, CAN EVOLVE TO RISE TO THE OCCASION, UM, TO DO IT BETTER THAN ANY OTHER CITY IS, YOU KNOW, IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, NONE OF US WANNA SEE US TO BE IN THE HEADLINES, YOU KNOW, LIKE SAN FRANCISCO.
WE, WE ALL WANT IT TO, TO WORK.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I, I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS, THIS SERVICE PLAN MOVE FORWARD TODAY.
UM, PERHAPS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS BECAUSE YOU, YOU'RE, THE LAW SAYS THIS IS SALES AND MARKETING ONLY IN THIS PETITION AND THIS PLAN, RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BE IN THERE IS ACTIVITIES FOR SALES MARTIN, THOSE USE.
RIGHT? NOT, BUT PERHAPS, PERHAPS A LETTER FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION SAYS, HEY, WE'D LIKE THE SERVICE PLAN, BUT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE DOLLARS USED THIS WAY.
AND, AND THERE'S A LETTER SIGNED BY THE TOURISM COMMISSION THAT DID THIS DIRECTION OF COUNCIL POTENTIALLY HOW TO USE THESE DOLLARS IS THE WAY TO GO.
NOT, THAT'S NOT DELAY THE CREATION OF THEM.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER TENANT'S REMARKS FOR RUNNING A LITTLE SHORT IN TIME.
NO, I JUST WANNA SAY, EVEN IF WE WANTED TO PUT IN THIS PLAN, THIS MONEY'S GOTTA BE USED FOR HOMELESSNESS.
IT WOULD, IT VIOLATES STATE LAWS.
ALL WE CAN DO IS JUST REQUEST, GET, GET, YOU KNOW, SEND IT TO THE, YOU KNOW, CITY HERE'S, HERE'S YOUR MONEY AND THANK YOU.
UM, CONSIDERING THE HISTORY OF THE TEPA PLAN AND ITS DEVELOPMENT, UH, FROM THE, THE FORMER MAYOR, MAYOR ADLER'S PUZZLE PLAN TO NOW MM-HMM.
AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S NOT UP TO TIME.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT.
IF YOU TELL ME IT'S GONNA BE SPENT ON HOMELESSNESS, GREAT.
BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT MY DECISION TO DETERMINE HOW THOSE DOLLS USED.
I, I'LL TELL YOU A GREAT, A GREAT STORY THAT DANIEL, IT'S LIKE, UM, AUGUST, AUGUST 9TH, OUR BOARD MEETING FOR VISIT AUSTIN IS OUTTA COMMUNITY FIRST.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING OUR ENTIRE BOARD OUT THERE SO THEY CAN SEE THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY OUT THERE.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT, THAT WE THINK ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M JUST PROUD OF OUR HOTEL COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE CREATING THIS 78 MILLION FUND THAT CAN BE USED LONG TERM FOR, FOR A GREAT NEED THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS.
AND, AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE PUBLICLY THAT THE HOTEL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF HOUSING THE UNHOUSED, PARTICULARLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD TO KEEPING A VERY CORDIAL AND VERY SOLUTIONS ORIENTED RELATIONSHIP WITH HOUSING ADVOCATES AS WELL AS THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AND THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPROVING TOURISM HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, AND WE, WE SUPPORT THE IDEA OF TAKING CARE OF OUR HOMELESS POPULATION TOO.
[6. Presentation by Finding Home ATX regarding the Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) Service Plan]
THE AGENDA, WE HAVE, UM, LEO RAMIREZ AND JP COLONY, UH, JP CONNOLLY, EXCUSE ME, COMING FROM FINDING HOME A X, EXCUSE ME.SO I HAVE A SERIES OF, UH, VARIOUS STATEMENTS.
UM, SO GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY NAME IS LEO RAMIREZ, JR.
I'M CEO OF AUSTIN BASED PHILANTHROPY SOFTWARE COMPANY, NCAST.
I'M ONE OF THE THREE SPEAKERS HERE, UH, REPRESENTING FINDING HOME AT X, UH, WHICH IS IN WHICH I SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS.
MY PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS FUNDRAISING, UH, FROM PRIVATE DONORS TO PROVIDE THE INVESTMENTS NEEDED TO END UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN AND PUT US ON A SUSTAINABLE PATH THEY FEED NO OTHER MAJOR METRO, UH, IN THE, IN THE NATION HAS, UH, ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE ADDRESSING FINDING HOME TX.
AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 1.8 MILLION ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, ABOUT 8,000 IN CENTRAL TEXAS, LIKE HISTORY AND CAPITALISM IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD, THOSE WITH MEANS THRIVE WHILE THE VAST MAJORITY SUFFER.
PHILANTHROPY IS NOT EQUITABLE OF THE ROUGHLY 500 BILLION GIVEN TO CHARITY LAST YEAR, AROUND 90%
[01:00:01]
OF THAT MONEY WENT TO 400, UH, OR 450 BILLION WENT TO LESS THAN 200,000 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.THAT MEANS 1.7 MILLION ORGANIZATIONS FOUGHT FOR THE REMAINING 50 BILLION.
THAT NATIONWIDE PHENOMENON EXISTS IN AUSTIN AND ACROSS EVERY NONPROFIT CATEGORY.
WHAT HELPS THE RECOGNITION THAT EVERY ORGANIZATION HAS A ROLE TO PLAY COLLABORATION ENSURES THAT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM THRIVES.
AUSTIN HAS TEXAS'S HIGHEST RATE PER CAPITA OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESS AFFORDABILITY IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR PROBLEM.
FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN MAKE UP 40% OF OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
THE RACIAL DISPARITY IN HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN IS MIND BOGGLING TOO.
WHILE ONLY 8% OF TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE BLACK PEOPLE, THEY REPRESENT 40% OF OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION.
WHILE MANY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE FLOCKING TO AUSTIN AND EXACERBATING OUR HOMELESSNESS CRISIS, MORE THAN 90% OF UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS TELL US THAT THEIR HOMELESSNESS STARTED RIGHT HERE.
IN 20 2300 PASSIONATE AUSTINITES REPRESENTING A WHITE SWATH OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR AND CRITICALLY INCLUDED PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES, CAME TOGETHER IN WHAT THEY LOVINGLY CALLED A MARRIAGE COUNSELING SESSION, OR BETTER KNOWN AS THE SUMMIT TO ADDRESS UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
THAT SUMMIT, WHICH WE NOW CALL FINDING HOME TX, COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO MORE THAN 3000 UNSHELTERED AUSTINITES BY THE END OF 2024.
FINDING HOME AT X'S SECRET TO SUCCESS, WHICH THE WHITE HOUSE CONSISTENTLY REGARDS AS A NATION'S PREMIER EXAMPLE FOR ENDING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS ISN'T MUCH OF A SECRET.
I'M SURE YOU FIGURED IT OUT BY NOW.
AUSTIN'S SECRET, WHICH WILL KEEP US FROM BECOMING ANOTHER SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, OR NEW YORK CITY, IS COLLABORATION FINDING HOME HAS COORDINATED.
UM, SO RATHER, ONE OF OUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAS BEEN BRINGING TOGETHER EVERY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN OUR COMMUNITY ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, ALL THREE MAJOR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, THE AUSTIN CHAMBER, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION, PHILANTHROPISTS, FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND NUMEROUS COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PATH TOWARD ENDING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS REVOLVES AROUND COLLABORATION.
WHY HOMELESSNESS IS EXCEEDINGLY COMPLEX.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
THEIR NEEDS ARE VARIED AND MULTIFACETED.
WHILE EV, WHILE EVEN WHEN NOT EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, LIKE MOST OF US HERE TODAY, WE EACH HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS, DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, DIFFERENT RESOURCES, DIFFERENT ACCESS TO HELP.
THIS IS WHY ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS SYSTEMICALLY AND COLLABORATIVELY, OUR HOMELESSNESS OPERATING SYSTEM, IF YOU WILL, IS SO CRITICAL.
SOME MAY ONLY NEED A VOUCHER TO GET THEM ON THEIR FEET.
SOME HAVE SUBSTANTIAL MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
SOME DON'T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE A COMPLEX BENEFIT SYSTEM.
MOST DON'T HAVE A PERMANENT ADDRESS TO SECURE A JOB.
MASLOW CHEROKEE OF NEED NEED TELLS US THAT FOR HUMANS TO FLOURISH, THEY NEED SHELTER AND SAFETY.
THAT IS WHY HOUSING COUPLED WITH INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, TRANSFORMS OUR COMMUNITY AND UPLIFTS OUR MOST VULNERABLE.
FINDING HOME AT X'S TIRELESS, CONSISTENT, HEARTFELT COMMITMENT TO ENDING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WHICH MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES NEAR SHAW AND JP CONNOLLY WILL ELABORATE MORE ON.
IN A NUTSHELL, OUR HOMELESSNESS OPERATING SYSTEM HAS SUCCEEDED IN IDENTIFYING AND COORDINATING AN ADDITIONAL 1400 UNITS OF HOUSING BEYOND THE GOAL OF 1300.
IN ITS VERY FIRST YEAR, WE HAVE INCREASED COLLABORATION WITH CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE ENTITIES AND INCREASED SYSTEM CAPACITY.
WE'VE RAISED 60 MILLION IN 2022 ALONE FROM THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR.
WE'VE ENHANCED OUR H M I S OR HOMELESSNESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SERVICE, WHICH ECHO MANAGES AND INTEGRATES WITH OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
NOW, WE HAVE GOTTEN EVERY SERVICE PROVIDER IN OUR COMMUNITY TO BE TRAINED ON AND UTILIZE H M I S, WHICH ALLOWS US TO NAME, LITERALLY NAME EVERY PERSON EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS STEPPED UP TOO.
ENDING HOMELESSNESS COLLABORATIVELY REQUIRES UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENTS TO, TO ENSURE WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING OUR GOALS.
WHERE NEARLY 90% FUNDED IN OUR 515 MILLION GOAL, 449 MILLION HAS BEEN COMMITTED AND ANTICIPATED, INCLUDING 400 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, STATE OF TEXAS, AND HOUSING AUTHORITY PRIVATE DONORS, INCLUDING NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS DEED, ST.
DAVID'S FOUNDATION, ASCENSION HEALTHCARE, BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE, AND JOHN PAUL DEJORIA, AMONG OTHERS, HAVE STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE OVER 15 MILLION IN FUNDING OUTTA THE 115 MILLION PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY GOAL THAT I'M IN CHARGE OF.
WITH A TTIP SUPPORT FINDING HOME AT X'S WORK TO RAMP UP, STABILIZE, AND INVEST SYSTEM-WIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY'S HOMELESSNESS OPERATING SYSTEM BY THE END OF 2024, CAN ENSURE
[01:05:01]
OUR INVESTMENTS AND THAT OF OUR EXISTING AND FUTURE SUPPORTERS CAN BE SUSTAINED FOR YEARS TO COME.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO A MORE EQUITABLE AUSTIN FOR ALL.
WITH THAT, I'M HONORED TO WELCOME NAV SHAH TO THE PODIUM.
AND, UH, WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER FOR THE RECORD.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY NAME IS NIRO SHAH AND I'M THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR COMMISSIONER ANN HOWARD IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SHE SENDS HER APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND PRIOR TO JOINING THE FORCES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, I SPENT A DECADE AT A NONPROFIT THAT WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AROUND HOW TO SCALE SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES DESPERATELY WANTED AND NEEDED WHAT'S HAPPENED NOW IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY VIS-A-VIS THE FINDING HOME ATX PLAN.
IT'S BEEN A GALVANIZING FORCE FOR ACTION IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S BEEN A POWERFUL TOOL FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
ONE, IT WAS COMMUNITY INITIATED AND COMMUNITY LED.
SO YOU HAD IN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, THE CHAMBER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE ADVOCATES COMING TOGETHER TO DEFINE A UNIFIED VISION OF HOW WE WANT TO MOVE OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FORWARD TO MEET THE GOAL OF MAKING HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING.
ANOTHER REASON THE PLAN IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL IS IT HAS CONCRETE GOALS.
AS LEO TALKED ABOUT, 3000 PEOPLE HOUSED OFF THE STREETS AND PUT INTO, UH, HOMES BUILDING 1300 UNITS OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, SECURING ANOTHER 1700 UNITS OF, UH, PRIVATE MARKET RENTAL UNITS TO HELP INDIVIDUALS HAVE HOUSING.
BEHIND THOSE CONCRETE GOALS ARE A DETAILED INVESTMENT PLAN OVER A THREE YEAR HORIZON, EQUALING 515 MILLION.
SO TO COMMENT ON THE DS EARLIER, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED TO PUT FUNDING IN ORDER TO MOVE THE NEEDLE, UH, ON HOMELESSNESS.
AND THAT'S VERY LAID OUT IN THE DETAILED FINDING HOME A T X PLAN, WHICH WE CAN SHARE WITH THE, UH, WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IF, IF Y'ALL DON'T HAVE IT.
ANOTHER REASON THAT, UM, AND I SHOULD BACK UP HERE, THIS 515 MILLION PLAN OVER THREE YEARS HAS INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FROM SHELTERS TO SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, SUCH AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TO IMPORTANTLY BUILDING OUT CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CREATION OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, AS WELL AS SOCIAL SERVICES CONNECTING TO THOSE HOUSING UNITS.
AND SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE IS INVESTMENTS INTO SYSTEM STRENGTHENING.
SO JUST YESTERDAY IN OUTSIDE IN THE LOBBY HERE, THE CITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGY DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE CITY'S INNOVATION, UH, OFFICE HELD A SHOWCASE OF 21 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED AS PART OF AN ACCELERATOR THAT WAS ORIGINALLY VISIONED THROUGH, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE PLAN, THOSE 21 ORGANIZATIONS.
THE GOAL WITH THAT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM IS HOW DO WE GET THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE YOUNG AND OR NEW TO THE NEXT LEVEL SO THEY CAN SCALE UP WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL AS DEEPEN THEIR IMPACT? ALSO, A BIG FOCUS ON EQUITY.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF, THE MAJORITY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT GREW WERE, UH, GROUP WERE BROWN AND BLACK LED, UH, NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF AN ACTIVITY THAT I DON'T THINK WOULD'VE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE FOCUS ON THE PLAN SAYING, YES, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BUILDING OUT SOLUTIONS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BUILD OUT A MORE EFFECTIVE SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES THIS, UM, PLAN EXTREMELY POWERFUL.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PLAN, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S MAKING INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, IS PRIORITIZING WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE SOLUTION HERE, WHICH IS MORE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESEARCH AND THE EVIDENCE, IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT INVESTMENTS IN SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS THE PATHWAY TO ELIMINATING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
50% OF THAT 515 MILLION PLAN GOES TO BUILDING OUT NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
AN ADDITIONAL 30% OF THAT PLAN PUTS SERVICES NEXT TO THOSE HOUSING.
SO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THOSE HOUSING HAVE THE RIGHT WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO STAY IN THE HOUSING OVER THE LONG TERM.
AND SO, AGAIN, THAT PLAN REALLY PRIORITIZES HOW DO WE GET INDIVIDUALS OUT OF HOMELESSNESS VERSUS BANDAID SOLUTIONS.
THESE FINDING HOME ATX PLAN WAS CERTAINLY A CATALYST FOR TRAVIS COUNTY TO MAKE AN UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENT INTO HOMELESSNESS.
SO, BACK, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE TIMING NOW.
[01:10:01]
IT WAS A, MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO, THE TRAVIS COUNTY RECEIVED 247 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING.THE FIRST INVESTMENT THEY MADE, LARGELY CONTINGENT ON HAVING THIS PLAN IN PLACE WAS 110 MILLION TO DEVELOP, UH, AFFORDABLE H DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THAT 110 MILLION WILL BE SPREAD ACROSS EIGHT DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING AND BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME TRAVIS COUNTY HAS INVESTED MONEY SPECIFICALLY TO BUILD HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND AGAIN, THAT LARGELY WAS DICTATED ON THIS PLAN BECAUSE ONE, WE HAD A UNIFIED VISION AND A ROADMAP OF HOW TO GET TO OUR COMMUNITY FROM WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO MUCH CLOSER TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
TWO, THEY KNEW THEIR DOLLARS WOULD BE LEVERAGED, SO THEIR 110 MILLION CAN GET PARTNERED WITH CITY FUNDING, GET, GET PARTNERED WITH PHILA PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING AND PRIVATE FUNDING IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE SYSTEM NEEDS ARE THERE AND IN PLACE IN ORDER TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT'S MOST EXCITING IS THAT THE DOLLARS ARE STARTING TO CREATE RESULTS.
NOW, AS LEO ADDRESSED, UH, A BIT EARLIER, UH, ACCORDING TO ECHO'S DASHBOARD, THE, UH, IN 2022, THERE WAS, UH, A 30% INCREASE IN P PSH PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS THAT CAME ONLINE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
PRIOR TO 2022, THERE WAS STAGNATING GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF PSH UNITS COMING ONLINE.
SO A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN THAT ONE YEAR.
AND NOT ALL OF IT, BUT A LOT OF IT IS DICTATED BASED ON WHAT THIS, THE INVESTMENTS THAT WERE GENERATED THROUGH THIS PLAN.
UH, SIMILAR STORY IN INDIVIDUALS MOVING INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS, A 30% INCREASE IN 2022 WHEN IT STAGNATED THE THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THAT.
UM, AND OUR HOUSING PIPELINE IS BIGGER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN.
RIGHT NOW IT'S, THERE'S 1300 UNITS IN THE HOUSING PIPELINE THAT WILL COME ALONG ONLINE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
HOWEVER, WITH THAT SAID, THE TASK IS NOT DONE.
UH, AS LEO MENTIONED, ABOUT 90% OF THE CAPITAL RAISE OF THE FIVE 15 HAS, UH, BEEN COMPLETED, BUT WE STILL HAVE A 10% GAP OF ROUGHLY 60 MILLION.
THAT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT OF THE, THE FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN RAISED AND COMMITTED.
GOVERNMENT CITY, TRAVIS COUNTY, AS, AS WELL AS SOME STATE DOLLARS, HAVE REPRESENTED NEARLY 85% OF THAT CAPITAL RAISE.
SO WE REALLY NEED THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO HELP STEP UP AND GET US TO THE FINISH LINE, AND ALSO HELP SUSTAIN THE, THE NEW SCALE THAT WE'VE TAKEN, OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE URGING FOR A PAUSE ON THE TPI VOTE, FOR US TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY USE THIS VERY IMPORTANT REVENUE STREAM DIRECTLY TO FEED INTO THE HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, TO HELP NOT ONLY FILL THE GAP, BUT CREATE AN EVERGREEN SOURCE THAT WILL HELP FUND SERVICES, UH, IN THE FUTURE, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT TO, UH, JP THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MR. CONNOLLY, UM, I'LL BE BRIEF CUZ I WANNA LEAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE MANY, UM, BUT YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE RECEIVED TWO PRINTED DOCUMENTS.
SO I'M JUST GONNA TAKE US A STEP BACK AND SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD QUITE A BIT ABOUT FINDING HOME ATX AND ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY EFFORT THAT WENT INTO THAT, I WON'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THAT.
INSTEAD, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 2017 WHEN THIS TPI DEAL WAS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF Y'ALL RECALL, BUT THIS TID DEAL WAS EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL AND DIVISIVE, AND IT DID NOT RECEIVE SUPPORT, NOT EVEN FROM ANYTHING RESEMBLING A CLOSE MAJORITY OF COUNSEL AT THAT TIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MOTIVATED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE DEAL WAS THAT IT WAS SPECIFICALLY PRESENTED SPECIFICALLY AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS THAT IS ON PUBLIC RECORD.
IT'S IN THE NEWS AND IT'S ALSO IN THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF HERE, A TRANSCRIPT OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FROM 2017 WHERE SCOTT JOLO, WHO WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO BE PRESENTING HERE TODAY, UM, UM, INSTEAD OF TOM NUNAN MADE VERY PUBLIC COMMITMENTS TO CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE SIMPLY HERE TO REMIND YOU ALL OF, AND IF YOU'VE SKIPPED TO PAGE, I WON'T READ ALL OF IT ON RECORD HERE.
YOU HAVE PRINTED COPIES OF IT, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY CAN REVIEW THIS.
BUT IF YOU SKIP TO THE FOURTH PAGE, HERE'S A QUICK QUOTE FROM, UM, SCOTT JOS LOVE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR HAS TALKED ABOUT A 40% CONCESSION, THAT'S 20% FROM DIRECT FUNDING FOR TOURISM IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND 20% THAT COMES VIA A ROUNDABOUT WAY WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, RIGHT? THAT'S THE BUY DOWNS.
SO THERE'S VERY PUBLICLY PROMISED TO COUNCIL.
NOW THIS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD TODAY
[01:15:01]
THAT, WELL, THE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW ANYMORE FOR THE DIRECT FUNDING, UM, FROM THE, UH, HOTEL TAX.BUT IN FACT, SHORTLY AFTER MAKING THIS PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO COUNCIL, THE HOTELIER ASSOCIATION WENT TO THE TEXAS LEDGE AND LOBBIED AND VERY ACTIVELY LOBBIED.
AND THERE'S ALSO PUBLIC RECORD OF THIS, UM, TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO MAKE, TO USE THE DIRECT FUNDING FOR THIS.
SO THERE WAS A KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M NOT GONNA IMPUTE INTENTIONS, BUT THE COMMUNICATION AND COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY, WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, WERE NOT THEN SUPPORTED IN OTHER FORMS AND IN OTHER PLACES.
SO I THINK THERE'S A REAL QUESTION HERE, IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS DEAL, IS THIS A DEAL THAT IS GOOD FOR AUSTIN? AND IS THIS A DEAL THAT IS GOOD FOR THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE COMMUNITY? BECAUSE THIS WAS GOING TO BE A KEY PIECE OF THAT INFAMOUS DOWNTOWN PUZZLE THAT WE WERE ALL WORKING AS A COMMUNITY TO SOLVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, JUST ON THAT SAME PAGE, FURTHER DOWN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTAR ASKED, WHY ARE YOU WILLING TO DO SO MUCH MORE FOR AUSTIN THAN THE OTHER? AND THE ANSWER FROM SCOTT JOLA WAS, WELL, WE LOVE AUSTIN MORE THAN DALLAS
WELL, I'M HOPING THAT THAT LOVE FOR AUSTIN IS STILL HERE.
AND SINCE I'M SURE THAT WE ALL STILL LOVE AUSTIN, I THINK WE CAN ALL GET TOGETHER AND FIND THE BEST DEAL FOR AUSTIN.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN BY RAMMING THIS PR THIS, THIS DEAL FORWARD AS IT IS BEING PRESENTED.
THERE IS CLEARLY A DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT WAS PROMISED TO THE COMMUNITY BACK AT THAT TIME AND WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED NOW.
AND IT IS A RADICAL DISCONNECT.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU READ THROUGH THIS TRANSCRIPT, YOU'LL SEE NOT ONCE WAS THERE A MENTION OF, UH, ONE POINT PLAN WITH A FIVE-YEAR DELAY UNTIL THE SECOND POINT COMES ABOUT THE DEAL THAT WAS NEGOTIATED ALLOWED FOR A A TWO POINT PLAN WHENEVER THE DOWNTOWN HOTEL ASSOCIATION, UM, FOLKS WERE WILLING, UM, WHENEVER THE DOWNTOWN HOTEL COMMUNITY WAS WILLING TO GO TO TWO POINTS, THAT CHOICE WAS LEFT TO THEM.
BUT THE DEAL THAT WAS NEGOTIATED WAS 40% OF EVERY PERCENTAGE POINT.
SO WHENEVER THAT SECOND POINT CAME ABOUT WAS 40%, 40%, ONE POINT 40% OF TWO POINTS, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE THE DEAL WE NEED IS JUST A ONE POINT DEAL.
RIGHT? AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THIS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE, ABLE TO THOROUGHLY VET.
BUT ONE THING I PROMISE, IF WE FORCE THIS DEAL THROUGH TO COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, THEN THERE ARE MANY FOLKS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT HAVE A SAY AND MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE A SAY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW
SO WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC, UM, DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT PERCENTAGE POINTS, AND THAT'S THE COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE HERE ON RECORD, UM, TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
SO I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, AS ADVOCATES, WE WORKED, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE DOWNTOWN, UH, HOTEL COMMUNITY WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS BACK IN 2017 BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY VISIBLE PROBLEM.
AND WE ALWAYS SAID, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE ENFORCEMENT STARTS, ONCE THE CAMPING BAN COMES IN PLACE AND FOLKS NO LONGER SEE HOMELESSNESS AS MUCH, THAT WILL BE THE MOMENT THAT FOLKS WILL START TO TRY TO PULL BACK FUNDING SOURCES FROM HOMELESSNESS AND REDUCE COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS IN HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE IT WILL NO LONGER BE A PRIORITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'LL START TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD BE USING THESE DOLLARS FOR ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS.
AND OUR FEAR IS COMING ABOUT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE AS HOMELESSNESS BECOMES LESS VISIBLE DOWNTOWN, WE SEE VERY CLEAR SHIFTING AWAY FROM PUBLIC COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.
SO WE NEED TO CALL Y'ALL'S ATTENTION BACK TO THE COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE.
THIS WAS VERY MUCH ABOUT FINDING A CONCRETE AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND MOVING FORWARD, AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO REMIND COUNSEL OF THAT AS WELL.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, UM, AND JUST A POINT OF ORDER, WE HAVE A SPEAKER THAT NEEDS TO BE ON IN FIVE MINUTES, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE BOTH SPEAKERS, UM, ON THE AGENDA STICK AROUND CUZ WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, THE FINDINGS OF THE TPI WORKING GROUP AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION ON THE TPI.
BUT, UH, FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU COULD PLEASE CLARIFY, UM, THESE TWO DOCUMENTS BEFORE US THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE PLACED CUZ WE'VE A TRANSCRIPT OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FROM 2017 WHEN THE TPI DEAL WAS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL.
I, THE TRANSCRIPT IS VERY LONG.
I CUT IT SHORT ONLY TO THE PORTION OF THE DISCUSSION THAT IS RELEVANT.
UM, BUT OF COURSE THE WHOLE THING IS ON RECORD AND I'M HAPPY TO SEND IT.
UM, THE OTHER DOCUMENT THAT I SUGGEST, UH, SUBMITTED IS A SUMMARY OF THE ORIGINAL DEAL AS IT WAS NEGOTIATED AND ITS VARIOUS COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE DOLLAR ESTIMATES THAT WERE, UM, AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
AND THIS SECOND DOCUMENT ALSO CONTAINS CLIPS FROM THOSE DISCUSSIONS ON PUBLIC RECORD QUOTES, UM, FROM SCOTT JOLO AND FROM COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE PUBLICLY TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME, WHICH WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN.
AND THE, THIS ONE THAT SAYS THOUGHTS FURTHER REVISED ON ITEM 12.
[01:20:01]
I'M SORRY, THIS, THIS ONE.IS THIS THE, THE THOUGHTS FURTHER REVISED ON ITEM 12? YEAH.
REFERS TO ITEM 12 ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, THIS, UH, SERVICE PLAN THAT WE RECEIVED TODAY.
THIS ONE THAT SAYS DRAFT? YEAH.
IS THIS A DEAL? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WELL, YOU'VE BEEN REFERENCING, YOU'VE BEEN REFERENCING THAT A DEAL WAS MADE AND I'M SAYING IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT A POTENTIAL DIRECTION ON A DRAFT OF A DOCUMENT A DEAL, OR IT IS A PROCESS OF NEGOTIATION? WHEN I SAY DEAL, I REFER SPECIFICALLY TO COMMITMENTS MADE ON RECORD TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE A CITY COUNCIL VOTE.
I THINK IT WAS A CONVERSATION AND PERSPECTIVES.
AND EVEN AFTER THAT, AS WE WERE HEARING TODAY, ONCE THAT HAPPENS IN JULY ON THIS, IT WON'T BE A DEAL YET UNTIL IT'S A DEAL.
USE THE WORD PROMISE SEVERAL TIMES IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DON'T THINK PROMISES WERE MADE.
I THINK PERSPECTIVES WERE DELIVERED WITH THE HOPE AND OUTCOMES.
AND I JUST, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION, BUT I'M, I'M REJECTING IT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THIS AS A DEAL.
AND I DON'T THINK THE 2020 WAS A DEAL.
I THINK THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A MASS MOVEMENT AND A LOT OF GOOD WORK BEING DONE WITH HOPEFUL OUTCOMES AND PERSPECTIVES, BUT IT WASN'T A DEAL UNTIL THE ACTUAL HOTELIERS AND THE COUNCIL GOT TOGETHER TO MAKE THE DEAL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT A DISTINCTION.
WELL, SINCE YOU WERE CHARACTERIZING IT AS A DEAL.
WELL, WHAT I'M CHARACTERIZING IS A DEAL IS SPECIFICALLY THE NEGOTIATION AND THE COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, WHICH LED TO A COUNCIL VOTE.
UM, UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO I ALSO SERVE ON A CITY COMMISSION, I SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH HOW THINGS HAPPEN AND WHEN FOLKS SAY THINGS ON PUBLIC RECORD AND SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO THOSE THINGS AND THEN THINGS CHANGE, THAT IS OFTEN FELT TO BE A WALKING BACK OF THE POSITION THAT WAS TAKEN.
NOW WE CAN NEGOTIATE, WE CAN ARGUE ABOUT THIS ALL, ALL, BUT I'M SPECIFICALLY, WHEN I SAY DEAL, I MEAN A PROPOSAL THAT WAS MADE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT WHEN I ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON WHEN THE 2020 WAS BEING DEVELOPED AND WHAT WAS THE CIRCUMSTANCE AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE COUNCIL ON WHAT DECISIONS THINGS HAVE SHIFTED RADICALLY, IF YOU HEARD THE ANSWER YEAH.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WERE GOING ON THEN DON'T APPLY NOW.
AND I THINK WE ALL NEED TO AT LEAST PROCESS THAT AS AN OPTION.
BUT IF THINGS HAVE SHIFTED RADICALLY AS YOU NOTE, THEN MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, FOR THE COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN AT LARGE, TO ALSO MM-HMM.
HAVE TIME TO EVALUATE THE CURRENT SITUATION IN REALITY AND DECIDE, UM, IF THE DEAL PROPOSED TODAY MAKES SENSE FOR THE CONDITIONS TODAY AND FOR THE PRIORITY OF THE COMMUNITY TODAY.
AND IF THAT IS HOW AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY AT LARGE FEELS, THEN ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO, YOU KNOW, NOT RUSH FORWARD SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS NOT HAD THE TIME TO ACCURATELY VET.
NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY I DIDN'T, IF I HEARD, UH, MR. NEWNAN CORRECTLY, THIS PROCESS WAS GOING ON FOR SEVEN YEARS, SO WE LOOK AT IT AS A SEVEN YEAR PROCESS, NOT A RUSHING PROCESS.
SO, UM, SO JUST WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE COMMENT, UH, QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER IAN OR COMMISSIONER YES.
UM, I GUESS MY COMMENT IS BEING NEW TO THIS COMMISSION AND LISTENING TO WHAT WAS SAID EARLIER AND NOW WHERE WE'RE AT, I'M NOT, UM, I'M NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME, UH, WITH WHAT WAS PRESENTED FROM TOM NEWNAN BECAUSE THE LAW CHANGED AND THE ONLY THING WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS ADVISE COUNSEL ON WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, FEEL ABOUT THIS, UH, WHAT DOES HE CALL IT? A SERVICE PLAN.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE.
AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE EVERY, EVERYONE'S PASSION, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT PASSION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS COUNSEL BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN NEGOTIATE ON THIS, UM, DEAL.
BUT, SO I, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF OUR BODY IS ABLE TO MAKE THE KIND OF CHANGE THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR AND REQUESTING.
[01:25:01]
THANK YOU MR. CONNOLLY.WE, UH, HAVE TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
WE MAY HAVE SOME EXTRA QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
[4. Presentation by Chief Operating Officer, Hanna Cofer with The Trail Foundation]
WE HAVE, UM, HEIDI ANDERSON COMING FROM THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TO PRESENT ON HER ORGANIZATION.THIS HAS BEEN DELAYED FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETING AS A ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PRESENTERS.
UM, AS A REMINDER TO COMMISSIONERS, THIS WAS TO BE OUR PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT, UM, FOCUSED MEETING TO ELEVATE THE CONCERNS, UM, RATHER THE TOPICS AROUND HOT TAX REVENUE FOR PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT.
SO THIS IS WHY THIS IS ON THIS AGENDA.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE, UM, MS. ANDERSON HERE THIS AFTERNOON AND WELCOME.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN PULL UP OR I CAN WING IT, WHICH IS FINE.
SO I'M NOT HANNAH COFER, WHO IS ON YOUR AGENDA.
I'M THE CEO OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.
HANNAH HAD A DEATH IN THE FAMILY LAST NIGHT, AND SO WE'VE BEEN KIND OF LIKE WINGING IT ALL DAY LONG.
UH, I THINK I PROBABLY KNOW MOST OF THIS BY HEART, BUT, UH, I'M HERE AT THE CHAIR'S REQUEST TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT A PARTNERSHIP IN THE PARKS, UH, ARENA LOOKS LIKE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HOW WE FUND OURSELVES AND HOW WE FUNCTION AND HOW WE BRING, WE SUPPORT TOURISM IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU SQUEEZING ME IN HERE AS I, UH, REMANAGE MY SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, OR REALLY THE TRAIL, IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO IT WAS 19 71, 50 PLUS YEARS AGO NOW, THAT LADY BIRD JOHNSON AND HER FRIENDS ACTUALLY STARTED THE TRAIL.
AND IT WAS IN 1972 WHEN THE FIRST SEGMENT OPENED.
UH, THOSE LADIES HAD BEEN IN LONDON, THEY HAD LOOKED OUT OVER THE TIMMS. THEY THOUGHT WE CAN DO THAT AT WHAT WAS THEN TOWN LAKE.
AND THEY CAME BACK AND THEY DID IT.
AND SINCE THEN, WE HAVE WORKED HARD OVER THE YEARS TO EXPAND THAT TRAIL, WHICH NOW IS A 10 MILE LOOP ALL THE WAY FROM MOPAC TO PLEASANT VALLEY.
UH, IT SITS ON WHAT IS STILL CALLED TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, 300 ACRES OF PARKLAND.
IT HAS 5 MILLION TRAIL USERS A YEAR.
WE HAVE COUNTERS OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL THAT SHOW US THIS AND GIVE US THIS DATA.
WHEN I STARTED AT AS CEO OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY SIX YEARS AGO, THAT NUMBER WAS 2.6 MILLION.
SO, UH, YES, 1971, WE BROKE GROUND.
WE STARTED WORKING ON OUR, UH, THE FIRST PROJECT OF WHAT WAS THEN THE CITY, UH, IN 1975 WAS LEFF POINT.
MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT SPACE.
THE TRAIL FOUNDATION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2003.
WE WERE ESTABLISHED BECAUSE EVEN THEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT COULD NOT FUND THE PARK SYSTEM THAT THEY HAD IN PLACE.
WE'RE NOW 20 YEARS OLD, UH, AND ABSOLUTELY AMPLIFYING THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, WE DO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, AND I CAN SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT WITH YOU.
AGAIN, I ALREADY MENTIONED 5 MILLION VISITS TO THE TRAIL ANNUALLY.
AND THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT THAT PARK LOOKS LIKE.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ACTUALLY ZILKER PARK, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT PARK DESIGNATION, OR ROY GUERRERO PARK, WHICH SITS ON THE EASTERN END, WHICH IS ACTUALLY BIGGER THAN ZILKER PARK.
FUN FACT, UH, AND NEEDS A LOT OF LOVE OVER THERE TOO.
JUST DOESN'T HAVE A PARTNER REALLY TO DO IT JUST YET.
SO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, HERE WE ARE, WE STARTED LITERALLY WITH A TIP JAR AND A C AND A AND A TABLE UNDERNEATH MOPAC WITH FOUR GUYS WHO WERE RUNNERS AND DIDN'T LIKE THE POISON IVY.
AND SO THEY WERE LIKE, THROW IN YOUR CHANGE, WE'RE GONNA GO GET SOME POISON IVY OUTTA THE WAY.
ALSO, FUN FACT RUNNERS DON'T REALLY RUN WITH CHANGE, SO THAT WASN'T TERRIBLY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT, UM, BUT THEY DID RALLY SUPPORT.
AND, UM, WE HAVE GROWN AND GROWN AND GROWN TO BE DOING A LOT OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE, UH, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION.
I WILL NOTE THAT JUST TODAY WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW GOAT PROGRAM.
GOATS EAT POISON VY, IT DOESN'T AFFECT THEM.
AND THIS MORNING WE LAUNCHED 150 GOATS THAT ARE OUT ON THE TRAIL.
THEY WILL BE THERE FOR THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS, 24 7 WITH HANDLERS.
THEY WILL BE SAFE, BUT THEY'RE EATING THE POISON IVY ON THE TRAIL RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
THEY WERE HUNGRY TOO, BY THE WAY, AT 9:00 AM OKAY, NEXT SLIDE.
SO IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR, WE SIGNED WHAT WE CALL THE PMA, THE PARK, THE PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT.
THIS WAS A VERY LONG NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY.
FOUR YEARS, IN FACT, TWO YEARS WORKING VERY DETAILED WITH THE THE CITY LEGAL, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE PUT ALL OF THE, UH, PIECES TOGETHER IN THIS AGREEMENT THAT SET EVERYONE UP FOR SUCCESS.
[01:30:01]
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT TRANSFERS THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE OF ALL OF THIS PARK OVER TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, ALLOWING THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO REALLOCATE SOME OF THEIR FUNDS TO OTHER UNDERSERVED AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE A PARTNER.ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT NOW IS IN THAT AGREEMENT, THERE IS NO FUNDING COMING TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO DO THIS WORK.
WE ARE 100% COMPLETELY PRIVATELY FUNDED, OKAY, 99% BECAUSE WE DO RECEIVE A LITTLE PARKLAND DEDICATION, UH, THAT IS THROUGH THAT REAL ESTATE PROGRAM THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS.
IT IS SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION, AND THAT'S ONLY WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE.
BUT DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS IS, UH, COMPLETELY FUNDED BY DONORS AND HOPEFULLY THOSE 5 MILLION PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE EVERY YEAR.
WE, I LIKE TO SAY OUR WORK FALLS INTO SEVERAL BUCKETS.
AND REALLY THE BIGGEST ONE, WHICH IS THE LEAST SEXY, IS THE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION.
THAT IS THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE OUT THERE, UH, REMOVING THAT, UM, THAT POISON IVY, ALTHOUGH GOATS PEOPLE KIND OF LIKE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S LOTS OF TRASH PICKUP.
IT'S LOTS OF, UH, SHORELINE STEWARDSHIP.
IT'S, UH, ULTIMATELY GONNA BE MOWING, LOTS OF TREE WORK, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT WE RELY HEAVILY ON VOLUNTEERS.
AGAIN, WHEN I STARTED SIX YEARS AGO, WE HAD FOUR VOLUNTEER EVENTS A YEAR.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE GIFTS THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH THOSE VOLUNTEER HOURS THAT HELP US BE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
UH, UH, THAT WORK FOR US IS GOING TO BE GROWING AGAIN SUBSTANTIALLY AS WE SLOWLY TRANSITION AND TAKE ON MORE AND MORE WORK TO DO.
THERE WERE FOUR STAFF PEOPLE SIX YEARS AGO, NOW WE'RE UP TO 17 AND GROWING.
THE NEXT BUCKET OF OUR WORK IS THAT CAPITAL PROJECT WORK THAT WE DO.
MAYBE IT'S A RESTROOM, MAYBE IT'S A BOARDWALK, MAYBE IT'S A WATER ACCESS POINT.
UM, AND A BACK IN, UH, AT OUR 15TH ANNIVERSARY, WE LAUNCHED 15 PROJECTS FOR THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY BASED ON COMMUNITY NEED AND BENEFIT.
MOST OF THOSE PROJECTS STILL TODAY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON ARE ON THE EAST SIDE.
THE WEST SIDE WAS REALLY DEFINITELY WHERE WE STARTED OUR WORK.
AND WE'VE BEEN MOVING OVER TO THE EAST SIDE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE HOLLY POWER PLANT, WHICH WAS DECOMMISSIONED AND JUST REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC, ALLOWING EIGHT NEW ACRES OF PARKLAND TO THE CITY.
AND THIS, AND THE, UH, TRAIL WAS REALIGNED ALONG THE WATER'S EDGE OVER THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK OVER THERE TO BE DONE.
A LOT OF SHADE EQUITY FOR US TO ADDRESS IN THAT SPACE.
AND A FEW NEXT SLIDE, GOOD EXAMPLES OF THIS, WHAT'S COMING ON THE HORIZON THROUGH US.
WITH US IS THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD PROJECT.
UM, THAT IS GOING TO BE RIGHT THERE IN THAT PARK THAT IS AT THE END OF RAINY STREET.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS SINCE REALLY, UM, 2019.
THE PANDEMIC SLOWED US DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S ABOUT A 2 MILLION PROJECT.
WE WILL BREAK GROUND SOMETIME THIS FALL, AND THEN THERE WILL BE A HUGE ENHANCEMENT THERE WITH WATER ACCESS IN THAT SPACE, NATURE PLAY, UM, A COMMUNITY TABLE, A LAWN, SOME EXTRA AND NEW TRAIL SYSTEMS WITHIN THAT SPACE AS WELL.
BUTLER SHORE'S EXERCISE EQUIPMENT IS THE NEW EXERCISE THAT WE ARE, UH, INSTALLING RIGHT ACROSS FROM ZACH THEATER.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE, I LOOKS KIND OF MEDIEVAL, TO ME, IT LOOKS HARD.
THERE'S A HUNDRED DIFFERENT EXERCISES YOU CAN DO.
IT'S TALLER THAN ME TOO, SO, UM, BUT IT'S GONNA BE SPECTACULAR.
IT WAS LIKE REALLY A HIGHLY REQUESTED FROM THE PUBLIC.
IT'S GONNA HAVE OUR FIRST SOLAR POWERED SHIELDED WATER FOUNTAIN.
SO THAT'S A PILOT PROGRAM FOR US IF IT WORKS.
FINGERS CROSSED WE'LL START IN, UH, UH, PUTTING MORE OF THOSE ALONG THE TRAIL.
AND THEN HOLLY PROJECT IS OVER IN THAT NEW SPACE I WAS JUST MENTIONING.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THERE.
BUT THE FIRST ONE IS THE FISHING PIER BECAUSE THAT COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR REALLY LIKES TO FISH.
AND WE'VE HEARD THAT A LOT FROM, UH, THE FOLKS WHO'VE, UH, THE LONG TIMERS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHAT THEY, THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING THEM A FISHING PIER.
OUR BIGGEST PROJECT TO DATE, UM, THAT IS SOLELY IN OUR LAP AT THE MOMENT.
THE BOARDWALK WAS A HUGE PROJECT AT 28 MILLION.
WE DID TRANSPORTATION BOND MONEY FOR THAT IS THE SEA HOME WATERFRONT, OR THE SEA HOME INTAKE.
SO I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE SEA HOME POWER PLANT, WHICH NOW HAS BEEN REDEVELOPED AND HAS LIKE TRUE FOOD IN IT AND TRADER JOE'S AND LOTS OF FUN OVER THERE.
THIS INTAKE FACILITY IS JUST SITTING THERE ABANDONED.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BRING IT TO LIFE AFTER WE RAISE 15 MILLION,
[01:35:01]
WHICH IS NO SMALL FEAT, BUT WE'RE WORKING HARD ON IT.UM, THE 15 MILLION, UH, PRICE TAG IS FOR PHASE TWO.
PHASE ONE WAS MANAGED BY THE CITY JUST TO CLEAN UP THIS BUILDING.
AND I DO WANNA NOTE THAT HOT FUNDING WAS USED AND BOND MONEY THROUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR THAT PARTICULAR PHASE.
PHASE ONE ONLY MADE THE BUILDING SAFE TO ENTER.
REMEMBER, IT'S A BUILDING MEANT TO BRING WATER IN.
HUGE, GIGANTIC HOLES IN THE GROUND THAT LOOKED DOWN LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, 30 FEET.
KIND OF SCARY TO THAT BASEMENT WHERE THE WATER CAME IN.
WE'VE BEEN CLOSING THOSE UP AND REDOING THE WIRING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, HOT FUNDING AND BOND MONEY WENT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO COMPLETE THAT FIRST PHASE AT THE TUNE TOTAL OF ABOUT 3 MILLION.
SO THIS 15 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN IS THE CAMPAIGN THAT WILL BRING THIS SPACE TO LIFE AND OPEN IT TO THE PUBLIC ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO WE DO A LOT OF PROGRAMMING ON THE TRAIL AS WELL.
THIS HAS REALLY RAMPED UP THROUGH OUR POMA.
UH, IN FACT, WE USED TO NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO PROGRAMMING ON THE TRAIL BECAUSE WE WERE JUST KIND OF ONE MORE ORGANIZATION OUT THERE.
NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS FORMAL AGREEMENT AND, AND KNOWING HOW MUCH MONEY WE INVEST ON A REGULAR BASIS INTO THIS PARK, UH, WE, WE HAVE TO DO MORE PROGRAMMING TO BUILD THAT AWARENESS.
SO WE HAVE A MUSIC ON THE TRAIL PROGRAM EVERY SATURDAY WHERE WE HIRE LOCAL ARTISTS AND MAKE THE TRAIL THEIR VENUE.
I JUST MENTIONED HOLIDAYS ON THE TRAIL.
WE JUST ANNOUNCED OUR FIRST ARTS AND CULTURE PLAN.
THAT IS A PUBLIC ART PLAN FOR THIS PARTICULAR PARK.
UH, IN FACT, ANOTHER LITTLE KNOWN FACT, THERE WAS A MORE MORATORIUM PUT ON ANY ARTISTIC IN INSTALLATIONS PUT INTO THIS PARK BACK IN 2014, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST BEING OVERRUN BY THOSE KINDS OF REQUESTS.
SO WE TOOK A MOMENT, THE, THE COUNCIL PUT THE MORATORIUM INTO PLACE, AND THEN WHEN THAT EXPIRED ORGANICALLY, WE STEPPED UP TO FUND A PUBLIC ART PLAN SO WE COULD THOUGHTFULLY SEE HOW WE NEEDED TO STEP BACK INTO THIS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE PARTNERING WITH THE ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM THIS NEXT YEAR TO DO EIGHT TEMPORARY, UH, INSTALLMENTS OF ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS IN THAT AREA, UM, THROUGH THEIR TEMPO PROGRAM.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL, THE MAC MOVE TEXAS TREE FOLKS.
WE DO, WE RELY HEAVILY ON PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AND THEN WORK IN THE COMMUNITY NEXT SIDE.
UM, WE OFFER, UH, A BIG EVENT, EARTH DAY JUBILEE, WHICH WAS A HUGE, HUGE HIT THIS YEAR.
OUR MODS MOONLIGHT MARGARITA RUN WAS THE BIGGEST ONE THIS YEAR EVER.
YOU EARN YOUR MARGARITAS AT THE END.
SO THAT'S A, A BIG ENGAGEMENT, UH, EVENT THAT WE HAVE.
AGAIN, THESE ARE BOTH, UH, FUND, THOSE TWO ARE FUNDRAISING, UH, EVENTS FOR US.
THE PREVIOUS SLIDE ARE FREE PROGRAMMING TO THE PUBLIC, UH, BENEFITS TO TOURISM.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO ARGUE THAT THE TRAIL IS NOT ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC PLACES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HELPING TO MAKE AUSTIN THE SPECIAL PLACE THAT IT IS WITH THE 5 MILLION VISITORS THAT WE HAVE A YEAR OUT THERE.
WE DO HAVE SOME DATA, IF YOU WANNA SEE IT, ABOUT WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY THAT SHOWS, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FROM OUT OF TOWN, OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FROM SPECIFIC ZIP CODES.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE ALL THE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE ON THE TRAIL THAT ARE HUGE ATTRACTION SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, A C L, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
OUR COUNTERS ON THE TRAIL GIVE US INCREDIBLE DATA AND TELL US THAT DURING A C L EACH OF THOSE TWO WEEKENDS, USAGE OF THE TRAIL SPIKES BY 350% FOR THOSE TWO WEEKENDS, 350%.
SO PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN HOTELS DOWNTOWN AND AROUND TOWN, AND THEY'RE USING THE TRAIL TO GET TO EVENTS LIKE ACL, KITE FESTIVAL, ET CETERA.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF FILMING THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE TRAIL.
YOU MIGHT HAVE JUST SEEN THE JENNIFER GARNER SHOW.
UM, I WATCHED THE WHOLE THING IN THE DAY AND THERE WERE LOTS OF SCENES ON THE TRAIL, WHICH WAS EXCITING AROUND AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.
BUT THE TRAIL'S ALWAYS INCLUDED.
AND WE HAVE MORE OF THOSE KINDS OF FILMING OPPORTUNITIES COMING TO US.
UH, ONE THING I WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT HERE IS ONE OF OUR BIG COMPREHENSIVE, UH, UH, PROJECTS FOR THE TRAIL IS A COMPREHENSIVE SIGNAGE PLAN.
WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR USER EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST, AND NOT REALLY AS MUCH FOR OUR LOCALS, BUT FOR OUR TOURISTS.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE OUR TOURISTS COME TO THE TRAIL? THEY'RE STAYING IN
[01:40:01]
THE FOUR SEASONS, OR THEY'RE STAYING AT THE HYATT, OR THEY'RE COMING UP FROM SOUTH AUSTIN AND HOW THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.SO WE'RE WORKING ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE SIGNAGE PLAN THAT IS GO, IS AUDITING ALL THE SIGNS THAT ARE OUT THERE TODAY, AND THEN CREATING A THOUGHTFUL, MEANINGFUL, HOLISTIC PLAN THAT WILL CREATE KEY KIOSKS AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE AND ACTUALLY ACCURATE MILE MARKERS, WHICH DON'T EXIST TODAY BECAUSE THE TRAIL HAS KIND OF EVOLVED A LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE.
PLUS PEOPLE HAVE STOLEN THEM AS SOUVENIRS.
SO, UM, THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY, I THINK, IN IMPACTFUL, UH, PROJECT FOR THE TRAIL SO THAT THE USERS OUT THERE, THOSE 5 MILLION PLUS AND GROWING PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, KNOW WHERE TO GO, KNOW WHERE THEY CAN TURN AROUND, KNOW WHERE THEY COULD POTENTIALLY STOP AND, AND GET A REFRESHMENT.
UH, I THINK A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE FOR US, THIS IS A PIECE OF THE PLAN.
WE'VE HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH TOM AND OTHERS ABOUT POTENTIAL HOT FUNDING FOR THE SIGNAGE.
NOT WHILE, NOT WHILE THE PLAN ITSELF IS BEING DEVELOPED, WE HAVE THAT FUNDED, BUT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO THEN IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN AND IT WON'T BE INEXPENSIVE.
WE'RE GONNA NEED SUPPORT FOR THAT.
SO IT'S A POTENTIAL, WE THINK, CANDIDATE FOR HOT FUNDING FOR US.
UH, AND THIS GETS INTO JUST IN PARTICULAR OUR FUNDING AGAIN.
UM, ONE THING I WANNA POINT OUT IS OUR BUDGET CAN BE UP TO SIX, SIX AND A HALF, $7 MILLION A YEAR.
THESE PARKS DEPARTMENT ADMITTEDLY AND HONESTLY SHARES WITH US THAT THEY HAVE TRADITIONALLY PUT IN WELL UNDER $1 MILLION A YEAR INTO THIS PARK.
SO WE ARE ABSOLUTELY PRIMARILY THE PRIMARY STEWARDS AND FUNDERS OF THIS SPACE.
YOU CAN SEE HERE 45% OF ALL OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM INDIVIDUALS.
THOSE ARE THOSE DEDICATED TRAIL USERS OUT THERE PRIMARILY, UM, GOVERNMENT.
WE GET SOME FUNDING THAT'S MOSTLY THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION WE HAVE GOTTEN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS CORPORATIONS LIKE, UH, TO DO SPONSORSHIPS OF THE MARGARITA RUN, THINGS LIKE THAT.
FOUNDATIONS ARE BIG AND GROWING FOR US, AND A LITTLE BIT OF EARNED REVENUE.
UM, NOT MUCH, BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DEDICATED FUNDING FOR THE CITY TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND NOT JUST OUR GOALS ARE NOW LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGH THAT POMA DOC DOCUMENT.
UM, SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE FUNDED.
UM, I WENT THROUGH THAT FAST, BUT, UM, I AM OPEN TO QUESTIONS AND, UH, ANY, ANY AND ANY COMMENTS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR US.
UM, YES, COMMISSIONER KANATI, CHAIR OF OUR PARKS AND OPEN, UH, ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP.
UH, I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT ALL THOSE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU DO.
I WANTED TO POINT OUT, IN ADDITION TO THE ECOLOGICAL UPLIFT AND THE BEAUTIFUL RESTROOMS AND THE PROGRAMMING, Y'ALL AS AN ORGANIZATION ARE VERY HELPFUL IN EXPANDING OUR PARK NONPROFIT FUNCTIONING IN THIS CITY IN WAYS THAT, UH, I DON'T THINK FULLY PEOPLE APPRECIATE.
Y'ALL BRING, UH, PLANNING RESOURCES.
I THINK IT WAS THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE WE DID, UH, THAT CAME IN AND Y'ALL OPENED UP A CONSORTIUM FOR NONPROFITS TO COME AND LEARN BEST PRACTICES FOR HOW TO DO FUNDRAISING IN THE PARK SPACE.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE BASIS FOR WHAT WAS OUR EARLIER DRAFT OF A FUNDRAISING, UH, WORKING GROUP REPORT.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU, UH, YOU CUT THE TEETH FOR THE CITY IN NEGOTIATING THESE AGREEMENTS AND WE'RE ALL IN YOUR WAKE APPRECIATING ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DID TO FIGURE THOSE THINGS OUT FOR US.
I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU AS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF A PART NONPROFIT FOR THE CITY, AND THANK YOU.
MY EYEBROWS ARE GOING GRAY, NOT JUST MY HAIR.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER MCGEE.
UM, SO YOU MENTIONED ABOUT NEEDING MORE VOLUNTEERS, UM, AND THAT SOME OF YOUR WORK IS, UM, INITIATING, UH, LITTER CLEANUP.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION OR THOUGHT TO, UM, ENGAGING WITH, UM, STAKEHOLDERS THAT, LIKE ARE LADYBIRD LAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE KAYAKING AND PADDLEBOARD RENTALS AND STUFF THAT MAYBE THERE'D BE SOME INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE RENTING THOSE THINGS TO HELP WITH CLEANUP SUCH AS YOU GO OUT, YOU RENT IT, YOU TAKE THE, THE EQUIPMENT OUT, YOU, IF YOU COME BACK WITH A BAG OF TRASH IDEA, YOU WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A COMMITTEE? JUST KINDA NEXT GO
WE'RE WE ACTUALLY HAVE NO PURVIEW OVER THE LAKE ITSELF, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T COLLABORATE.
KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL, DOES MOST OF THE CLEANUPS ON THE LAKE.
WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE, UM, WITH ALL THE CONCESSIONAIRES AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE, AND WE ACTUALLY DID HOST OR CO-HOST OUR OWN CLEANUP, UM, FOR EARTH DAY.
AND WE HAD 2000 MANDY, 2000 VOLUNTEERS THAT DAY GOING OUT TO HELP.
BUT IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS AND BECA IT SEEMS TO BE BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF AN A CHALLENGE.
[01:45:01]
DO, UM, I'M FORGETTING WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT LIKE, UH, DO IT YOURSELF CLEANUPS.WE'RE LAUNCHING A DO-IT-YOURSELF CLEANUP WHERE WE CAN, YOU CAN STOP BY OUR OFFICE.
WE'LL GIVE YOU BAGS, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE, THE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, HANDLE THAT YOU CAN GO WALK AND THERE'S EVEN A TERM FOR IT WHERE YOU CAN GO TAKE YOUR WALK ON THE TRAIL AND PICK UP TRASH WHILE YOU'RE, WHERE YOU'RE DOING IT.
PARTNERSHIPS ARE GOOD IDEA THOUGH.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? SO MUCH FOR COMING.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR, UM, YOUR BRANDING CHANGE AS WELL.
MOST RECENTLY FROM FOUNDATION TO CONSERVANCY, WE DID THAT TO BETTER REFLECT OUR NEW ROLE AND HOPING TO HELP, UH, EDUCATE MORE OF THOSE TRAIL USERS SO THEY'LL STEP UP AND, AND HELP US AND RETURN.
I I WAS GONNA POINT OUT THE WAY FINDING SIGNAGE.
SO I KNOW YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT.
WE'LL, WE'LL ONCE YOUR SUPPORT WHEN WE'RE READY TO LAUNCH THAT.
UM, AND AS MR. CONTI HAS POINTED OUT, UM, SEVERAL TIMES DURING, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, WE HAVE THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PASSED BY THIS BODY, MAY 10TH, UH, 2021, TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO, UH, ALLOCATE HOT TAX FUNDS TOWARDS, UH, PARKS ENVIRONMENT USES.
SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DRAWING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THIS BODY.
SO TAKE A READ OF IT, IT'S REALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
UM, IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL IS ALSO MINDFUL OF IN TERMS OF HOW WE ELEVATE, UH, HOT TAX, UH, REVENUES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED USERS, INCLUDING ARTS AND CULTURE AND HERITAGE.
UM, COMMISSIONER, CAN I, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING QUICK TO SAY? JUST A QUESTION.
DID WE EVER CONFIRM THIS MADE ITS WAY INTO THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS? I'VE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME, SO I'D LIKE TO CONFIRM MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LATER WITH FELICIA THAT THIS HAS ACTUALLY MADE IT INTO COUNCIL AND MAKE, AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE NEW COUNCIL ACTUALLY HAS A COPY OF THIS, UM, LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
DOES THAT WORK? CAN I SAY SOMETHING? OH, I'M SORRY.
UH, WE, WE CAN'T, UH, ACTUALLY TAKE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
CAUSE I HAVEN'T I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING.
I'M ACTUALLY, I LOVE WORK IN MY COMMUNITY AND, AND I LOVE Y GUYS VERY MUCH.
AND I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL SEEING? I'M SORRY FOR WHAT Y'ALL ARE SEEING, BUT LIKE, I'M, I'M NOT GETTING, I'M NOT GETTING OUT.
I HAVEN'T, I HAD, UM, NOBODY, NOBODY HAD NOBODY ASKED ME TO STAY.
MY FAMILY HAS BEEN, UH, TREATED MY FAMILY HASN BEEN TREATED FOR YET, BUT THEY DON'T.
BUT, BUT IT DON'T, BUT IT DON'T HELP.
THEY DON'T WANT SOMETHING DONE THAT Y'ALL WANT THE STREET.
I I, I KNOW WHO, I KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE ARE THAT ARE DOING, MAYBE WE WON'T SAY ANYTHING, BUT WE, UH, WE CAN POSSIBLY GET, WE'RE NOT GETTING OURSELVES.
CAUSE SIR, I'LL NEVER, NEVER SEE, SIR.
I, I, I'D LOVE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AFTER THE MEETING.
WE, WE HAVE, UM, VERY LIMITED TIME LEFT TO GET TO OUR AGENDA, BUT PLEASE STAY PUT AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU AFTER THE MEETING.
[8. Final update from the TPID working group ]
ON TO THE NEXT POINT OF OUR AGENDA, UH, COMMISSIONER MCGEE, IF WE CAN, UM, HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE TPI WORKING GROUP.WELL, THE WORKING GROUP MET ON JULY, UM, I WANNA SAY FIFTH.
UM, WE, UH, DISCUSSED THE PROMISES MADE WITH REGARD TO THE T PED.
UM, AND WE DRAFTED A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU.
UM, HOWEVER, THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF HAVING SEEN THE SERVICE PLAN, UM, THAT, UH, APPEARED THREE DAYS AGO.
UM, AND WITHOUT, UH, HEARING ALL THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE, UH, GIVEN TODAY AND THE COMMUNITY INPUT.
SO, UM, I KNOW THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKING GROUP WOULD LIKE TO, UM, POSTPONE OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THIS BOARD.
UM, IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD TODAY, AND, UH, ALSO IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE HEARD TODAY, UM, AND THE, UH, SERVICE PLAN THAT'S HOT OFF THE PRESSES AS IT WERE.
UM, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO ASK THAT THE, UM, TPI WORKING GROUP AND THIS COMMISSION THAT WE COULD, THAT WE RECOMMEND TO DELAY COUNCIL'S VOTE ON JULY 20TH.
UM, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY, UH, A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
[01:50:01]
THE AMOUNT OF THE CONCESSION, UM, THE, UM, LENGTH OF THE TERM.UM, AND, UH, I'M FORGETTING THE ONE OTHER THING THAT I NOTED, UM, AND HOW SURPLUS REVENUES ARE GONNA BE USED.
UM, IT'S A VERY DETAILED PLAN, UM, AND I THINK EVERYBODY JUST NEEDS TIME TO GO THROUGH THOSE DETAILS.
UM, SO THAT, UH, TOM AND FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SEVEN YEARS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTED PARTIES THAT ARE JUST HEARING THIS ALL FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UM, SO, UM, CERTAINLY THE TID WORKING GROUP WOULD LIKE TO, I'M SURE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AGAIN, UM, IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD TODAY.
SO IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, COMMISSIONER MICKEY, YOU, UM, WE ARE ESSENTIALLY SAYING IN OUR DRAFT TOURISM COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT FROM JULY 12TH IS NOT, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE WISH TO MOVE FORWARD.
[9. Discussion and possible action of a recommendation from the TPID Working Group regarding the TPID service plan recommendation]
MOVING INTO SUBJECT RATHER TOPIC NINE ON OUR AGENDA DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE T WORKING GROUP REGARDING THE TPI SERVICE PLAN RECOMMENDATION.UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO STATE THAT AS A MOTION FOR SECONDING? SURE.
UM, WE RECOMMEND TO DELAY COUNCIL SPOKE ON THE TPI SERVICE PLAN ON JULY 20TH.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? SECOND.
UH, SO FORWARDED AS A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MCGEE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER, UM, SHAPEY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? DISCUSSION OR DISCUSSION? EXCUSE ME.
I'M TIRED,
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S A VERY, IT'S BEEN A LONG MEETING.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY OR COMMISSIONER CHANN.
UM, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH THE HOTELS AND THE CITY FOR SEVEN YEARS.
THE HOTELS HAVE COME UP WITH THEIR PLAN THEY WANNA SUBMIT TO THE CITY.
I THINK EVERY DAY THAT CITY COUNCIL DELAYS IN TAKING ACTION ON THIS STEEP BID PLAN IS A DELAY IN THE TIMING OF WHEN THEY CAN COLLECT START COLLECTING TAX.
UM, I THINK THEY, AT LEAST PURSUANT TO THE PRESENTATION, THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT AT LEAST THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, MORE THAN THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED AS BEING, UM, SHIFTED TO THE CITY.
UM, IT MAY NOT BE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED FOR THE HOMELESSNESS, BUT THAT IS FOR CITY COUNCIL.
DECIDE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA USE IT FOR.
UM, I THINK THE ORDINANCE THAT CREATED THIS COMMISSION, UM, THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION IS TO PROMOTE TOURISM.
THE TPI DEFINITELY IS AN ACTION THAT PROMOTES TOURISM.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE TALK ABOUT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE TANGENTIALLY RELATED TO PROMOTION OF TORTOISE, AND, BUT THE T BAND TPO PLAN SPECIFICALLY IS BEING, BEING PROPOSED TO PROMOTE TORTOISE AND GENERATES A GREAT DEAL OF FUNDING TO THE CITY, AND I THINK IT SHOULD, SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IMMEDIATELY.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I SUPPORT WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SHANNON JUST DESCRIBED, AND I WAS GOING TO BRING UP OUR CHARTER AND OUR MISSION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR ME TO READ IT ALL.
BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING AND INVOLVE WITH THIS, UH, DISCUSSION AND DEBATE THAT YOU WOULD GET ONLINE AND GO TO THE TOURISM AND COMMISSION SITE AND READ THE DOCUMENTS.
AND I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO THE, TO THE CITY COUNCIL SITE AND READ THE DOCUMENTS OF WHAT THIS CHARTER IS ABOUT, AND THEN DECIDE WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE DELAYING.
UM, I AGREE, UH, WITH BOTH COMMISSIONERS, THEIR COMMENTS, I, I FEEL THAT WAITING WON'T, UH, CHANGE ANYTHING AND DELAYING IT IS, IS NOT A GOOD THING.
UM, AND I THINK THE FOCUS SHOULD, I THINK WE SHOULD APPROVE IT.
AND THEN THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON GOING TO, FOR THE PUBLIC AND VARIOUS GROUPS TO GO TO COUNCIL AND, UH, PUSH FOR THE GENERAL FUND AMOUNT TO BE USED TOWARDS HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST APPROACH.
AND I THINK DELAYING IT IS, IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
[01:55:04]
I REALLY HATE TO, UM, EXTEND THE TIMELINE.I KNOW THAT A LOT OF INTERESTED IN PARTIES HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD AT THIS FOR, UH, SEVEN YEARS NOW, BUT, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, PUT BEFORE US, UH, VERY, VERY RECENTLY.
AND WE HAVEN'T HAD ALL OF THE TIME TO, UH, PROPERLY, UH, IN MY OPINION, DIGEST THIS INFORMATION, UM, AS, AS A BODY.
UM, AND I, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK TO MYSELF, UM, IS THIS THE BEST DEAL THAT WE CAN GET, UM, FOR, FOR THE CITY? UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT, UM, TH THIS, AGAIN, I, I REALLY WISH THAT THIS WAS PUT, UH, UM, BEFORE US A BIT SOONER.
UM, AND SO I AM, UH, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POSTPONEMENT FOR THAT REASON.
COMMISSIONER SCHEE, COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE PROCESS IS BEEN EXCEEDINGLY LENGTHY AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
I THINK THAT AS FAR AS PUTTING IT FORWARD TO US, UM, IT'S REALLY NOT FOR US.
IT'S FOR THE HOTEL OWNERS TO DECIDE WHAT THEY ARE WANTING TO COME FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO.
UM, I THINK A TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, WOULD BE AND SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT, UM, WOULD BRING IN THIS MUCH ADDITIONAL, UM, TOURISM AND HOT TAX TO THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I WOULD THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY OUR OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO GET THE MOST AMOUNT OF HOT TECHS IN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, TO DO THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE ALL WANNA SEE DONE.
UH, COMMISSIONER MCGEE, ESSENTIALLY, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID SO FAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE ON VERY EASILY.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT, UM, NOT TO HARK ON THE PROMISES THAT WERE MADE, BUT THEY WERE SO PUBLIC AND NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE.
AND IF WE'D HAD THE TIME TO GET THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED WITH TODAY, IF WE'D HAD THE TIME TO DIGEST THAT AND LOOK AT IT PROPERLY, WE WOULD HAVE A, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE A UNITED, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
BUT I DON'T SEE A UNITED, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
AND I WORRY, I THINK CITY COUNCIL'S GONNA HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR THAT, THAT ITEM NUMBER 12.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE DIVISION THERE, AND THAT DIVISION IS GONNA COME FROM THE FACT THAT THE PROMISE WAS SO CLEARLY STATED PUBLICLY SO MANY TIMES, AND IT HAS MORPHED AND CLEARLY THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND IN THAT PROCESS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA GET AS CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL DEAL AS WE WERE PROMISED, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE THAT'S WHAT IT IS, CUZ I HAVEN'T HAD PROB WE HAVEN'T HAD PROPER TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
AND I, AM I CONCERNED BY BEING TOLD, YOU KNOW, HAVING ONE PARTY SAYING IT'S A, IT'S AS CLOSE A DEAL AS WE CAN GET AND OTHER FOLKS COMING AND SAYING THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING IT AS A CUT IN FUNDING.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S, I THINK THAT, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT THERE BE YEARS OF DELAY.
I THINK THERE IS, UM, I THINK THERE IS UNITY IN WANTING TO HAVE A TEA PERIOD.
NO, I, I MEAN, I JUST, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME SORT OF, UM, CONFUSION HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT THERE'S A CUT, YOU CAN'T CUT SOMETHING THAT YOU NEVER EVEN HAD.
AND IF THERE WERE LONG AND LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT DOCUMENTS THAT SOMEONE PULLED OUT FROM A TRANSCRIPT FROM 2017.
YOU KNOW, THESE WERE JUST DRAFTS AND THINGS THAT WERE PUT FORWARD YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
AND THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS COME FORWARD NOW FROM THE OWNERS AND THEY'RE BRINGING IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WHETHER OR NOT WE LIKE THAT OR NOT REALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT REALLY THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO.
I MEAN, THEY DON'T NEED US TO, TO APPROVE IT OR NOT APPROVE IT.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY THERE'S NO SUPPORT FROM ME ON DELAYING IT ANY FURTHER.
IS THERE ANYONE ONLINE THAT HAS AN ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR IN THE ROOM? COMMISSIONER MCGEE? UM, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND.
THIS IS, THIS IS GONNA BE COUNSEL'S DECISION AND ALL THAT WE CAN DO AS A BODY IS RECOMMEND ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I JUST FEEL THAT FOR, WE HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN THE TIME TO, LIKE, WHEN WE MET AS A WORKING GROUP, WE DIDN'T HAVE
[02:00:01]
ALL THIS INFORMATION AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY.UH, AND AS TARA, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST COMMENT THAT WE RECEIVED THIS PLAN LESS THAN THREE BUSINESS DAYS AGO.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S A LOT TO, TO JUST IN A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, I KNOW THAT ACTUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING THIS DOCUMENT FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO ESSENTIALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS THEY'RE VOTING FOR IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS OF HAVING BEEN PASSED ON JULY 7TH.
THIS HAS BEEN, YES, AN ONGOING SEVEN YEAR SLOG IN TERMS OF, UH, COMING TO TERMS WITH WHAT THE FINAL TERMS ARE.
AND THIS AGREEMENT, UH, HOWEVER, IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.
AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN ADDITION TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UP ON THIS DIOCESE, UH, EVERY THURSDAY OR EVERY OTHER THURSDAY AS IT WERE.
UM, AND THE NEW CITY MANAGER AND THE NEW MAYOR.
UM, BUT WHAT I HAVE TO STAND BY AS CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION AND AS THE CHAIR, I THINK STAND IN FOR ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, IF I COULD SPEAK, UH, TO THAT EFFECT, IS THAT WE SHOULD BELIEVE, BELIEVE IN THIS PROCESS OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO, UH, THE TABLE.
AND FRANKLY, I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT ON BEHALF OF THOSE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THIS PLAN TO ENGAGE THE FORMER PARTIES THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, UM, IN PARTICULAR THE HOUSING ADVOCACY COMMUNITY WHERE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ARE SUCH LARGE AND IMPORTANT ISSUES HERE IN TOWN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, I, I HAVE STRONG RESERVATIONS ABOUT OFFERING, UH, ANY RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN STATED.
UM, SO WHAT I, WHAT I GUESS I'M, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE RUSH NATURE OF THIS PLAN AND WHAT ANOTHER MONTH WOULD DO.
I'M NOT, UM, SURE IT WOULD REALLY BE ALL THAT DAMAGING.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, I THINK WE CAN MOVE TO WHAT COMMISSIONER BAILEY WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT AND THEN PUT THIS UP FOR A VOTE.
ACTUALLY, MY COMMENT, I DIDN'T HAVE A COMMENT.
I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS SERVICE T BID AND WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL THAT THEY ACCEPT IT FROM THIS BODY.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A VOTE ON IT.
UH, WE ACTUALLY CAN'T MAKE A MOTION UNTIL WE CLOSE THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE.
WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION.
I THOUGHT WE ALREADY VOTED, SO I, WE CAN VOTE.
UH, COMMISSIONER MCGEE, CAN YOU RESTATE THE MOTION, PLEASE? IT'S BEEN SECONDED.
THE MOTION WAS FOR THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL TO DELAY, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE, UM, TID THAT WILL BE PRESENTED AS AGENDA ITEM 12 ON JULY 20TH, 2023.
THOSE IN FAVOR WITH THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, THOSE AGAINST, THAT'S FIVE VOTES.
THE COUNCIL, THE COMMISSION RATHER, IS EVENLY SPLIT ON THE MOTIONS.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON COMMISSIONER BAILEY'S MOTION? WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
UM, A VOTE OR IS THERE A DISCUSSION? DO WE NEED FURTHER DISCUSSION? I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
COMMISSIONER SHAY, WE, WE DO IN FACT HAVE A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION HERE.
IF, UH, IF THIS WAS THE, THE MOTION THAT YOU WANTED TO PUT FORWARD, OR IF, UH, IF YOU WANTED TO PUT FORWARD JUST THE APPROVAL IN ISOLATION, THAT WILL BE A A, SORRY, A SECONDARY MOTION IF WE PUT FORWARD THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS COMMISSIONER BAILEY, UH, OUTLINED IS TO ACCEPT THE TPI AS WRITTEN.
WELL THEN I, UH, MOTION TO, UH, SUBSTITUTE FOR THE, UM, SO THIS IS DISCUSSION, SO IT'S NOT ANY MOTION.
SO WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT? WELL, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS MY COMMENT THAT WE HAVE A, A DRAFT ON THE TABLE THAT WE COULD PUT FORWARD AND YEAH.
IF I MAY, I THINK COMMISSIONER MATHIS, UH,
[02:05:01]
AND THE REASON THAT I SECOND THIS MOTION IS I THINK THAT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, VOICE THEIR CONCERNS TO CITY COUNCIL.UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, INVOLVE OURSELVES ANY FURTHER IN THIS.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FOR DISCUSSION.
SO AGAIN, I REITERATING MY POINT BEFORE THIS, THE TOURISM COMMISSION, THIS PROMOTE TOURISM, THIS PLAN, I BELIEVE PROMOTES TOURISM DIRECTLY BY RAISING FUNDS TO DO SO, AND ALSO GIVES MONEY TO THE CITY TO, FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
AND SO I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS PLAN'S ADOPTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER KANATI COMMENT OR QUESTION WOULD BE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE A RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL TRY TO ALLOCATE GENERAL FUNDS INTO THIS HOMELESS POPULATION SPACE.
IT'S NOT TRYING TO CHANGE THE PLAN, BUT I, I, WHAT I UNDERSTOOD FROM THE PRESENTATION WAS THIS IS A DECISION FOR COUNCIL, AND IF WE THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT USE, IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD ADD TO THIS? AND I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PHRASE IT EXACTLY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MIGHT GET EVERYBODY AROUND THE SAME.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING, WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S ACTUALLY THEN SUBJECT TO THE GENERAL BUDGET PROCESS, AND THAT WOULD BE THE AVENUE FOR, UM, ADVOCACY AROUND HOUSING.
IF THIS WERE TO BE A PLAN THAT SPECIFICALLY WENT TO HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE OUTLINED EXPLICITLY IN A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION AS AN A, AS AN EDIT TO WHATEVER'S BEING PROPOSED LAW.
RIGHT? BUT THERE ARE WORKAROUNDS THAT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH BUY DOWNS AND WHATNOT, AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED.
SO THAT'S THE BUDGETING PROCESS OF COUNCIL.
RIGHT? SO, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS JUST TO, NOT TO MICROMANAGE A BUDGET ITEM, BUT JUST TO SAY WE THINK THAT ONCE YOU HAVE THESE FUNDS, COUNSEL, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO APPLY THEM TOWARDS HOMELESSNESS IN YOUR ALLOCATION OF GENERAL FUNDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE OR NOT AS A, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PHRASE THAT ANYMORE CLEARLY, BUT, OKAY.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE TALKING.
SO WOULD YOU, I WOULD SUPPORT SOMETHING SAYING THAT WE, THE TOURISM COMMISSION, UM, WOULD APPROVE THE PLAN AND WOULD, UM, WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO SEE CITY COUNCIL, UH, UM, USE THE FUNDS THROUGH THE BUY DOWN, UM, FOR HOMELESSNESS ISSUES AS THEY SEE FIT, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE RAPID HOUSING, PERMANENT HOUSING SERVICES.
I'M NOT CLEAR, YOU KNOW, ON IF THE PARTIES THAT WE SAW TODAY, IF, YOU KNOW, UM, THE FINDING HOUSING AT X IS DIFFERENT THAN ECHO, IF THEY'RE THE SAME HOUSING OR THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOUSING UNITS, ARE THEY COMPETING FOR MONEY? I WASN'T REALLY SURE ABOUT THAT, BUT I WOULD SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED AND RECOMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL USES THOSE FUNDS, UH, TO, UM, HELP THE UN HOUNDED OR UNHOUSED.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MODIFY YOUR MOTION? YES, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY WHEN I CLARIFIED.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HEARD MR. SUGGEST THAT HE WOULD EVEN AGREE THAT IF THAT WAS OUR WILL TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, SO AS MY MOTION, I WOULD, I RECOMMEND THAT WE APPROVE THE TPI SERVICE AGREEMENT AS REVIEWED TODAY AS IS AND SEND FORWARD TO COUNSEL.
I ALSO WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AS A BODY SEND A LETTER TO COUNSEL WITH OUR ADVOCACY FOR ANY ABILITY TO ASSIST HOMELESS SERVICES THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND AND THROUGH THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS THAT WE ENDORSE SUPPORTING THOSE EFFORTS AS A PRIORITY.
I SECOND THAT YOU MOTION I KNOW IT'S TOO WORDY.
SO THE, IT'S IT'S AN EDIT OF MOTION, SO YOU HAVE TO SECOND THE NEW MOTION.
SO I'M JUST, I'M RESPONDING TO COMMISSIONER, UH, MCGEE'S COMMENT.
YEAH, HE, COMMISSIONER BAILEY MADE AN AMENDMENT.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS IS AS AN AMENDMENT, NOT SECONDING THE AMENDMENT.
SO, SO SECOND, THE, THE, IT'S A VERY LONG DAY.
SO NOW THERE'S DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT, THE DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDED, UM, MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE A POINT OF DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, HOW, WITH THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT TO REVISITING AND ACCEPTING THE, BECAUSE THERE'S NO DELAY, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE TPI WORKING GROUP BROUGHT TODAY AND THEN WITHDREW TODAY BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING WE HEARD.
IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE WHAT THE MOTION, THE AMENDED MOTION YOU'RE MAKING, WHY
[02:10:01]
WOULD WE NOT JUST REVISIT THE RECOMMENDATION THE WORKING GROUP BROUGHT TODAY AND CONSIDER WHETHER TO ADOPT IT BECAUSE DO THEY NOT DO ONE AND THE SAME THING, BUT NOW IT'S SOUNDING LIKE THERE'S MORE SUPPORT FOR THIS THAN NOT AS I READ IT.SO WHAT I, WHAT I THINK IS UP DISCUSSION IS, UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF IDEAS AT THE TABLE.
SO, UM, WELL, I THINK FOR ME, THE REASON THAT I SECONDED IT IS BECAUSE I'M SAYING I ALSO SECOND THE, I WILL SUPPORT THAT DOCUMENT SAYING THAT WE RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO CITY COUNCIL, WHICH I DID NOT BEFORE.
IF WE CAN SAY THAT WE APPROVE THIS DRAFT OF THE, UH, TPI THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
I WILL FINALLY SAY, YEAH, THAT I, THIS CONDITION IF YOU APPROVE THE TPI DOCUMENT.
SO, UH, JUST COMMISSIONER
SO, UM, MY, MY, UM, SO I ACTUALLY WROTE THE, UH, DRAFT LANGUAGE HERE, AND IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE CONDITIONAL ON ANYTHING LIKE THIS WAS MEANT TO BE AN, AND SO, UH, PASSING THE, UH, TPI SERVICE PLAN AS IS, AND THEN SECOND OF ALL, RECOMMENDING THAT 20% OF THE FUNDS BE USED FOR, UM, HOMELESS FUNDING.
SO IT'S, IT, IT'S VERY MUCH IN THE SAME VEIN, WHICH IS WHY I WAS ORIGINALLY CONFUSED EARLIER.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I GUESS THE ONLY, THE TERM WHEN IT SAYS WE RECOMMEND AT A MINIMUM, AS LONG AS WE AGREE, IS WORDSMITHS, THAT IT'S, IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THAT 20% IS NOT A PROMISE OR A THRESHOLD THAT, THAT WE'RE SOMEHOW GOING TO AUDIT.
IT'S JUST A NUMBER THAT WE THINK IS A REASONABLE NUMBER TO THROW IN.
I JUST, WHEN I FIRST READ THIS, AND I WAS CONTEMPLATING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY, I FELT LIKE WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO FORCE THIS LANGUAGE ON TOP OF THE TPI.
I READ IT, AND, AND I, AND WHEN I READ THAT, I COULDN'T AGREE TO IT.
AND I'M UNFORTUNATE WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE UNTIL JUST THIS MOMENT FOR YOU TO CLARIFY YOUR INTENTION.
AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND I THINK WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH THIS, I THINK IF THAT'S YOUR INTENTION, IS JUST, IT'S, IT ADDS TO THE RECOMMENDATION AND IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE ACTUAL TPI, AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO FORCE THE LANGUAGE INTO THE TPI.
I CAN SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
SO I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS AS CHAIR, I, I DON'T WANT TO ENDORSE ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT IS NOT TO POSTPONE THIS AMENDMENT, THAT'S NOT TO POSTPONE RATHER THE PLAN.
UM, MAINLY BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THREE BUSINESS DAYS TO REVIEW IT.
AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT THE PROJECTIONS IN THIS TPI SERVICE PLAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE NUMBERS COME FROM, WHAT CITAS IS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, I THINK THIS IS RUSHED AND PURPOSEFULLY SO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER TO TRY AND GET THE ANSWER THAT THE HOTEL NUDGING ASSOCIATION WANTS.
AND FRANKLY, I THINK THIS MERITS MORE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND MORE INPUT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN AT THIS TABLE, OR AT LEAST WE'RE AT THE TABLE SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE TEA PIT PASS.
SO I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF PUTTING ANY AMENDMENT FORTH ON THE EXISTING PLAN, BECAUSE TO VOTE FOR THIS PLAN IN ANY FORM IS TO MERIT THIS TIMELINE, WHICH I DO NOT, NOT THINK IS WARRANTED GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT HAS LITERALLY COME TO US AFTER A CLOSE OF BUSINESS DAY ON FRIDAY.
SO, I'M SORRY, WHAT? WHO ARE, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I STAND AND WHY I DON'T BELIEVE THAT VOTING FOR AN AMENDMENT, I, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO VALIDATE THIS TIMELINE, UH, COMMISSIONER IAN.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T REALLY GET THE PUBLIC COMMENTS GOING AND THE DISCUSSION FOR ANY KIND OF, UM, ADVOCACY AROUND THE FUNDS BEING ALLOCATED IN A WAY UNTIL WE APPROVE THIS PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEP.
BECAUSE WE'VE ALL SAID OVER AND OVER, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL.
AND WE'RE JUST HOLDING UP THE PLAN THINKING THAT COUNCIL'S GONNA CHANGE ITS MIND ABOUT FUNDING WHEN THEY, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THIS PLAN BEFORE WE CAN GET THE PUBLIC ENGAGED AND SUGGEST THESE, UH, ALLOCATIONS.
AND IT'S TO THE GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE FUNDS ARE GONNA EXIST IN THE GENERAL FUND AT THE CITY.
AND I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THEY USE SOMETHING, WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE SPECIFIC ABOUT IT COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
BUT I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WILL HAPPEN UNTIL WE APPROVE THIS PLAN.
[02:15:01]
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S AT A STANDSTILL.AND, UH, WHEN COMMISSIONER MCGEE SUGGESTED THAT WE DELAY IT FOR HOW LONG THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, FOR ONE MONTH, TWO MONTHS, WHAT IS OUR, WHAT IS THE DELAY? I, AT LEAST A MONTH, I MEAN, WE'VE ASKED FOR THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS, IT'S BEEN DELAYED.
SO THAT'S SORT OF MY FRUSTRATION IS AT THE END OF THIS, WE ARE, WE ARE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON A PLAN WE SAW LESS THAN THREE DAYS AGO, THREE BUSINESS DAYS AGO.
SO THAT IS MY CONCERN, IS THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS PUSH TO US WITHOUT HAVING AM AMPLE TIME TO REVIEW.
IF THIS IS A FAIR PROCESS, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN VETTED, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD THE TIME TO WEIGH IN ON THIS CURRENT VERSION OF THE PLAN.
IT IS NOT THE SAME PLAN AS PROPOSED IN 2020.
AND I, I, I JUST STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT COMMENTING ON THIS PLAN THAT WE BARELY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, AND NOW WE HAVE ALL THIS NEW INFORMATION TRANSCRIPTS ABOUT WHAT WAS PROMISED, UH, OR RATHER PO UH, PROPOSED AT, UH, AT AN EARLIER TIME.
I, I JUST THINK THIS BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS CRITICAL TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLAN BEFORE US.
SO HOW COMMISSIONER PEN, CAN WE, CAN WE DI THANK YOU CAN THEN, CAN WE GET A TIMELINE OF THE DELAY? SO IF, UM, WE DON'T APPROVE IT TODAY, THEN YOU WANNA, UH, GIVE YOURSELF ANOTHER 30 DAYS TO REVIEW.
AND I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED BETWEEN, I UNDERSTAND WE GOT IT THREE DAYS AGO AND OKAY, MAYBE WE CAN TAKE ANOTHER MONTH TO REVIEW IT AS A BODY, BUT THE PUBLIC REVIEWING IT, IS THAT ON US OR IS IT ON THEM? LIKE, THAT'S THE PART I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON.
LIKE, IF, IF YOU DELAY IT 30 DAYS, OKAY, YOU'RE GIVING THIS BODY MORE TIME TO DIGEST IT, BUT THE PUBLIC COMMENTING, AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE THAT PUBLIC, UM, ACTIVATION NEEDS TO COME AT A COUNCIL LEVEL, CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, NOT AT THIS BODY, BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE PAST MOTION WAS TO DE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT WE DELAY IT, UH, BY, WELL, IT WASN'T REALLY SPECIFIED, BUT LIKE I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT'S ONE MONTH THAT WE WOULD DELAY IT TO THE NEXT, UM, COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH I CAN'T, I THINK IT'S AUGUST, END OF AUGUST.
SO THAT WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AT OUR AUGUST MEETING FOR THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO THEN COME WITH A TRUE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S MORE INFORMED WITH THE PERSPECTIVES THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY.
AND IF, IF IT HASN'T CHANGED, THAT'S FINE AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FULL THROTTLE, UH, ENDORSEMENT OF THIS PLAN.
BUT AT THIS TIME, I, I CAN'T EVEN, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY RECOMMENDATION OTHER THAN TO DELAY.
UH, WELL, I'M COMMISSIONER OF BAILEY.
YEAH, WELL I MADE A MOTION, THE MOTION WAS SECOND, I THINK AS CHAIR.
YOUR JOB IS, YOU HAD DISCUSSION, YOU VOICED YOUR OPINION AS THE CHAIR AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
BUT WOULD YOU FINISH THE VOTE PLEASE FOR THE SECOND? YES, I WAS, I, I WAS TRYING TO HONOR COMMISSIONER PENOC AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TALKING COMMISSIONER AILEY AND I'M, I'M TRYING TO LEAVE IT TOWARDS THE END SO I DON'T PUT MYSELF IN.
I I'M REALLY TRYING TO KEEP, OKAY, KEEP IT CLEAN HERE.
UM, MATHIS, YOU KNOW, I MAY BE INCORRECT ON THAT, WHETHER WE DELAY IT OR NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE THIS PLAN, GUYS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE THIS PLAN.
WE HAVE NO CHANCE OF CHANGING THIS PLAN BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE OWNERS ARE PUTTING FORWARD AND SAYING THAT WE CAN DO.
AND WE WILL DO ALL THAT WE CAN PROBABLY BE EFFECTIVE ON, IS IF WE SAY, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION ON HOW THESE FUNDS ARE, ARE SPENT, THERE'S NO CHANCE AND US CHANGING THIS PLAN, YOU'RE JUST DELAYING IT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANNA DO? THANK YOU.
WHEN ALL WE'RE GONNA END UP BEING AS AT THE SAME SPOT OF, YES, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADDRESSES OUR VERY SERIOUS HOMELESS ISSUE.
IF THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANT, THEN LET'S DO THAT.
I GUESS I'M JUST NEW TO POLITICS CUZ I DON'T UNDERSTAND JUST KICKING A CAN DOWN THE ROAD WHEN REALLY WHAT WE WANNA DO IS ACTUALLY MAKE SOMETHING AWESOME HAPPEN.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE VOTE? COMMISSIONER SCHEE? I, I JUST WANTED TO, TO CLARIFY THE MOTION, UH, THE, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UH, WAS IT THIS OR WAS LIKE, WHAT WAS THE MOTION ON THE TABLE? BECAUSE IF IT WAS THIS, I WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
THE MOTION WAS TO, AS I RECALL, WAS TO APPROVE THE TPI AS REPRESENTATIVES REVIEWED TODAY FOR COUNSEL TO GO FORWARD AND NEGOTIATE AND TO RECOMMEND THROUGH,
[02:20:01]
UH, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR EXTRA EMPHASIS ON, UH, CONSIDERATION FOR HOMELESS SERVICES THROUGH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THROUGH GENERAL FUNDING IS THE WILL OF THE TOURISM ENCRYPTION TO SEE THAT PRIORITIZED.SO IT'S A APPROVE THE TPI PUT FORTH THE RECOMMENDATION TO AMPLIFY HOMELESSNESS BEFORE COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S IF YOU CAN RE I'M TRYING TO KEEP, MAKE IT SMALLER SO YOU CAN REPEAT IT AS AN ACTUAL MOTION, BUT I'M SORRY I'M HAVING A HARD TIME DOING IT.
IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG DAY FOR ME.
CAN YOU REDO THE MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE TPI, UH, THAT WE REVIEWED IN OUR PACKET TODAY AND SENT FORWARD TO COUNCIL WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION AND TO, I ALSO ALSO INCLUDE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BODY, THE TOURISM BODY THAT ASKS THEM TO AMPLIFY, UH, PRIORITY FUNDS TOWARDS HOMELESSNESS WHEREVER POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE TPI PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? SECOND.
THAT MOTION? IT'S ALREADY BEEN OKAY.
UM, MATHIS, COMMISSIONER MCGEE.
I'M GONNA SPEAK AGAINST THE MOTION SIMPLY BECAUSE I FEEL THAT WE HAVE UNITY ABOUT WANTING A TEA BED.
WE HAVE UNITY ABOUT HELPING SERVE THE HOMELESS AND I UNDERSTAND THE, THE FEAR OF DELAYING, UM, BUT I STILL WORRY THAT THERE IS, UM, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ME PERSONALLY VOTING FOR OR AGAINST THE CURRENT PLAN, JUST BECAUSE I HAVEN'T, I FEEL LIKE IT HASN'T BEEN, WASN'T PROVIDED SOON ENOUGH.
AND I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT AS COMMISSIONER MATHIS POINTS OUT A VOTE ON WHAT, ON US RECOMMENDING THAT THE COUNCIL VOTE FOR THE PLAN OR DELAY THE PLAN PROBABLY ISN'T GONNA MAKE A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA, UH, PEOPLE ARE GONNA COMMENT AND IT'S ULTIMATELY GONNA BE DOWN TO THE COUNCIL'S DECISION.
WHAT I THINK I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR IS RATHER THAN VOTING FOR OR AGAINST THE COUNCIL, UM, FOR, OR, OR FOR A DELAY OR FOR THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE TPI, I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE GOING BACK TO THE TPI WORKING GROUP'S ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION.
UM, IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE SERVICE PLAN THAT SEEMS TO HAVE CONTENTION.
IT JUST SIMPLY SAYS THAT WE ALL AGREE THAT AT PAGE SHOULD BE CREATED AND THAT WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT A MINIMUM OF 20% SHOULD GO TO HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY UNDERSCORING, UH, THE PROMISES WERE MADE.
I DON'T SEE THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION AS IN CONFLICT WITH, UM, ANY OF THE PRESENTATIONS WE HEARD TODAY.
UM, SO THAT, I JUST, I I AM HESITANT TO, UH, COMMIT ON THE SERVICE PLAN WE'VE REACHED TODAY BECAUSE WE ONLY JUST GOT IT.
I'M MORE COMFORTABLE WITH PERHAPS GOING BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL WORKING GROUP, UH, RECOMMENDATION CUZ IT'S MORE GENERAL.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UM, CAN YOU PUT IT ONE MORE TIME AND WE'LL GO FOR A VOTE UNLESS THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION REALLY, JUST SO, SO EVERYONE, IT'S FRESH, WE HAVE TO HAVE IT FRESH.
I AM, I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION APPROVE THE TPIT SERVICE PLAN THAT WE'VE REVIEWED TODAY AND THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE SEEN, SEND IT AND PUSH IT FORWARD TO COUNCIL WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH A SIDE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION THAT WOULD ALSO AMPLIFY OUR INTEREST IN SUPPORTING HOMELESS ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS AND WITH HOPES THAT THE TPI CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT PROCESS.
ARE WE VOTING THOSE IN FAVOR? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT WE'LL BE, THERE'S NO DISCUSSION NOW.
UM, THOSE AGAINST, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE SPLIT AGAIN.
UM, I I DON'T SEE, UH, I ONE SECOND.
UM,
[02:25:01]
OR WHAT'S YOUR, OKAY.UH, I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE A MOTION TO, UM, PUT FORWARD THE TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TPI WORKING GROUP, UM, UH, UH, APPROVE THAT AS STATED.
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN NO, NO, THAT, THAT WAS A SEPARATE MOTION.
IT, IT WAS A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE AND THAT, THAT'S WHY I VOTED AGAINST IT.
ACTUALLY, WE VOTED ON THIS RECOMMENDATION.
SO, SO NOW I'M PUTTING FORWARD A MOTION TO VOTE ON THIS RECOMMENDATION.
CAN I, ARE YOU ASKING FOR CAN I, SORRY, WE HAVE MOTION TO NO, NO, NO.
JUST AS STATED, THERE'S NO DELAY.
IT'S, UH, YOU SEE IT? NO, I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT AS STATED.
AND MY ONLY CONCERN WITH IT IS THAT I JUST WANT THE LANGUAGE TO BE TO WHERE THAT IT'S VETTED LEGALLY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WITH THE WAY THAT FUNDS CAN BE ALLOCATED OR VERY SPECIFIC IN THE PLAN.
SO THAT IS MY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY EXPERTISE.
THIS, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S, UH, COUNSEL WILL HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO THAT THROUGH THEIR BUDGET BUDGETING PROCESS, WORK OUT ALL OF THE LEGALITY.
SO, UM, I I'M NOT REALLY PERSONALLY CONCERNED THERE.
WELL THEN I HAVE, THEN I GUESS I NEED DISCUSSION.
RIGHT? I NEED TO QUESTION THEN, CAN YOU, I WANT TO BE SURE.
BACK TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT LEGAL.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN THE SENTENCE HERE, THE TOURIST COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT A MINIMUM OF 20% OF A T P A REVENUE CAPTURED.
SO ARE WE SAYING THAT 20% OF THE TPI REVENUE CAPTURED SHALL HAVE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF UNENCUMBERED FUNDS USED TO SUPPORT PERMANENT? I GET THE UNENCUMBERED.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A AND 20% OF A T ID REVENUE CAPTURED SHALL HAVE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF UNENCUMBERED FUNDS USED TO SUPPORT PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO IS THAT A TWO BUCKET APPROACH THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING HERE? THAT 20% OF THE ACTUAL T ID REVENUE IS SUPPOSED TO GO TO HOUSING? AN UN UN THAT'S WHY I AGREE WITH YOUR STATEMENT ABOUT HAVING A LAWYER.
THE WORDSMITHING HERE, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE THE LANGUAGE DOESN'T MA DOESN'T MIRROR THE LANGUAGE IN THIS AGREEMENT.
I JUST WANT IT TO BE SEAMLESS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WHATEVER THAT PORTION COULD BE IN HERE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE, THE FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND GOING THERE.
SO THE, UH, THE REASONING THERE IS THAT WE CAN'T PUT TPI D FUNDS DIRECTLY INTO HOMELESS FUNDS.
AND SO WE POINT OF ORDER, THAT'S MY POINT OF ORDER.
COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A CHAIR AND WE ARE SP WE, WE ARE BEHOLDEN TO ROBERT'S RULES.
PLEASE WAIT FOR THE CHAIR TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SO THE CHAIR CAN RECOGNIZE YOUR, ENTER YOUR NAME INTO THE RECORD AND WE CONTINUE THE DEBATE.
COMMISSIONER MCGEE? UM, I, I'M NOT SURE IT'S, IT'S PAST FIVE.
UH, AND WE'RE GETTING INTO WORDSMITHING AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO END IN ANY WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REALLY COME TO A CONCERTED.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
SO WE HAVE TO MOVE TO ADJOURN.
UH, IS SUPERIOR TO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, BUT IT DOES HAVE TO BE VOTED ON.
UM, SO THERE'S A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
UM, UH, I GUESS, ARE THERE FOLKS THAT, IS THERE SOMEONE ACTUALLY, JOHN, SECONDED.
UM, ANNA, UH, COMMISSIONER PEN, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT QUICKLY FOR THE COURT OF THE ORDER? UM, YES.
SO WITH THE MOTION TO ADJOURN, ARE WE BASICALLY SAYING WE'RE NOT VOTING ON IT? CUZ WHY WOULD, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY SAYING WE'RE DELAYING IT 30 DAYS.
MAY I? NO, IT'S, WE'RE TAKING NO ACTION.
UM, BECAUSE THE, THE COMMISSIONER IS SPLIT.
MAY I COMMENT? COMMISSIONER MCGEE? UH, A MOTION TO ADJOURN WOULDN'T BE BECAUSE THE COMMISSION IS SPLIT.
A MOTION TO ADJOURN IS SIMPLY TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AND ALL BUSINESS AT THIS CURRENT MEETING WILL END, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE VOTED ON BECAUSE IT DOES CURTAIL THE BUSINESS, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DON'T CONCLUDE, UM, TO A VOTE ON THE CURRENT MOTION.
UH, AND WE, UH, DON'T BRING UP ANY FURTHER MOTIONS.
UM, AND WE, WE LEAVE THINGS AS THEY ARE.
UH, WE'VE TWO FAILED MOTIONS AND ONE MOTION THAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE FLOOR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO VOTE, TO MOVE TO ADJOURN CUZ WE'RE VOTING WHETHER WE WANT TO END BUSINESS.
WILL MOTION CONTINUE? SO THE, TO ADJOURN.
THE MOTION TO ADJOURN HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER MCGEE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BEATY.
[02:30:01]
IT'S, I WOULD YAY OR NAY ACTUALLY.UM, SO THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT.
UH, HANDS UP, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.
UM, THOSE AGAINST ADJOURNMENT.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? SO WE'RE THE MEETING.
AND THEN SO THIS, THE TPI D SERVICE PLAN WILL GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEEK? YES.
IT'S STILL, YEAH, IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
SO WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT, UH, 5:07 PM AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT THIS AFTERNOON, AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN AUGUST.