Jul 19, 2023 Downtown Commission

AND THEN WE HAVE THE DESIGN COMMISSIONER REP.

UM, COMMISSIONER STEAD.

COMMISSIONER HOLMES.

AND COMMISSIONER MOCK, AS IN THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER MARK.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOUR FACE ON THE SCREEN.

SAME HERE.

MISS YOU GUYS.

UH, WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, CONVERSATIONS.

AND COMMISSIONER RYAN IS, UH, THERE WILL BE A NEW POSITION, A NEW COMMISSIONER, UH, AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, WE HOPE FOR DISTRICT TWO.

UH, AND WE'RE STILL AWAITING, UM, THE CONFIRMATION OF OUR VERY IMPORTANT LIAISONS FROM URBAN TRANSPORTATION, THE MUSIC COMMISSION, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHEN WE MIGHT HEAR ANYTHING FROM ANYBODY? I BELIEVES I BELIEVE SO ON COUNCIL.

THAT THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

I UNDERSTOOD FROM SPENCER THAT HE, HE WAS GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA FOR TOMORROW, SO HOPEFULLY HE'LL BE ABLE TO COME NEXT MONTH.

FANTASTIC.

THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A SUBSEQUENT TRAINING PERIOD THAT HAVE TO GO THROUGH IF, IF THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT TRAINING PERIOD AS COMMISSIONERS ON THEIR OWN COMMISSION.

I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY ALREADY, YEAH, HE'S ALREADY BEEN THROUGH IT ON THAT, SO, YEAH.

ALRIGHT.

WELL, UM, THE, UH, NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS, UH, TO CALL OR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO.

UH, NOBODY TO SIGN UP.

NOBODY SPEAK ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

UH, APPROVAL

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

OF THE MINUTES.

HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO READ AND REVIEW THE MINUTES? UH, ARE THERE ANY CHANGES? QUESTIONS? I HAVE A CHANGE ON.

UH, TWO B.

UM, I'M LISTED AS THE CHAIR AND I REALLY DON'T WANT AUGUST TO BE MAD AT ME, .

SO IF YOU COULD AMEND IT TO VICE CHAIR, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.

AT LEAST NOT, I DON'T EVEN BE MAD AT ME OVER THAT.

APOLOGIES.

THANKS.

WITH, WITH UNSUPERVISED WITH THAT, THAT CHANGE TO THE MINUTES.

UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? HEARING NONE.

THE MOTION CARRIES.

THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

UH, FIRST ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION, UH, TO APPROVE.

YES, MA'AM.

I'M SORRY.

CAN WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? I KNOW WE DID HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

SECOND.

UM, THE FIRST ITEM IS TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL FOR THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY ON THE RAINEY STREET TRAILHEAD PROJECT AND SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS.

[2. Approve a recommendation to Council for The Trail Conservancy on the Rainey Street Trailhead project and security considerations. Presentations to be given by Nick Blok of the Trail Conservancy and Kimberly McNeeley of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD). The Commission may.]

UM, UH, WE HAVE NICK AND, UH, KIMBERLY MCNEELY, DIRECTOR PARTIER.

WELCOME.

WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU.

SO, COMMISSIONERS.

RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD PROJECT.

MY NAME'S KIMBERLY MCNEELY, I SERVE AS THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.

I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY, UH, MAKE A, MAKE A STATEMENT AND THEN GIVE YOU INTRODUCTIONS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE BEST ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU THIS PRESENTATION.

UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT AS PART OF OUR PRESENTATION, WE ARE COVERING A SUBJECT THAT IS, WE ARE REFERENCING AS THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY,

[00:05:02]

AND I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT PROJECT HAS ALREADY BEEN PERMITTED, GONE THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS, AND IS IN THE BIDDING PROCESS.

AND SO WHEN YOU'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY, WE WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE, UH, SPECIFIC TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO SAFETY.

THAT WAS PART OF THE, UM, RESPONSE TO, UH, RECENT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON RAINEY STREET.

UM, I'M ASKING FOR THAT CONSIDERATION.

YOU ARE, OF COURSE, IT, IT IS.

YOU ARE THE BOARD, UH, I'M SORRY, YOU ARE THE COMMISSION AND COULD CERTAINLY, UM, DO AS YOU FEEL IS APPROPRIATE.

UM, PLEASE NOTE THAT, UH, WHAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER TONIGHT IS PARTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO, ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY, UM, NOT COMPLETELY OR DIRECTLY DIRECTED BY COUNSEL, BUT IS IN PARTIAL RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT CAME OUT, UH, TO IMPROVE SAFETY OUTCOMES AT RAINEY STREET.

SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, UM, NICK BLOCK FROM THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND ALSO, UH, LINDSEY MLA FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, WHO ARE BEST ABLE, AND I WILL REMAIN HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN CASE I AM.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME HERE, CHAIR HARRIS AND THE REST OF COMMISSIONERS.

UH, SO I THINK MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IS, BUT I WANTED TO BRIEFLY, UH, GIVE A RUNDOWN OF WHO WE ARE.

UM, TRAIL CONSERVANCY WAS PREVIOUSLY THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.

UH, WE CHANGED, UH, REBRANDED LAST FALL.

UH, WE'RE A 5 0 1 C THREE, AND OUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT, ENHANCE, AND CONNECT THE BUTLER HIKING AND BIKE TRAIL.

UM, EVERYTHING WE DO, UH, IS REALLY BASED OFF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ECOLOGICAL DEMAND.

SO EVERYTHING, UH, FROM PROJECTS TO, UH, PROGRAMMING AND EVERYTHING ON THE TRAIL THAT WE DO IS, IS THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

UH, TO DATE, WE'VE INVESTED OVER 19 MILLION, UM, ACROSS VARIOUS PROJECTS AROUND THE TRAIL.

UH, AND WE RECENTLY, UH, LAST SUMMER SIGNED A PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT, THE PMA, UH, WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND THAT IS ALLOWING US TO SERVE AS THE PRIMARY CARETAKERS OF THE TRAILS, GIVING US A LOT MORE, UH, ABILITY TO, UH, MANAGE AND MAINTAIN THE TRAIL.

THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO MENTION HERE WAS THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY THAT WE COMPLETED BACK IN 2021.

UH, THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS THERE IN INCLUDING PARD, UH, URBAN TRAILS AND PUBLIC WORKS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE OUR TEAM AS WELL, NICE NELSON NYGARD, WHO'S A, A PLANNING TEAM AND STUDIO ES AND NAR LIGHTING.

UM, THIS IS A PROJECT REALLY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE SAFETY CONCERNS AROUND THE TRAIL.

AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, LIKE WE SAID, EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UH, OVER 650 PEOPLE WERE INTERACTED WITH, UH, BOTH DIGITALLY AND ON THE TRAIL, UM, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS WERE.

AND YOU'LL SEE IN THIS NEXT SECTION HERE THAT THE TOP PRIORITY, UH, SEEING THAT MOST TRAIL USERS ARE ACTIVE DURING THE DAY HERE WAS TRAIL WIDTH, UH, AND SURFACE CONDITIONS.

AND THEN CONNECTIVITY AROUND THE TRAIL, UH, DID CALL ATTENTION WITH A LITTLE BIT LOWER PRIORITY TO THE MAJORITY OF THESE TRAIL USERS WAS, UH, LIGHTING TRAIL ACCESS AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE.

SO NOT THE TOP PRIORITY, BUT STILL A CONCERN THAT PEOPLE HAD.

AND BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY WITH REGARD TO, TO LIGHTING HERE, WE WANTED TO ZOOM IN ON FROM THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY WHAT THE COMPONENTS THERE FOR LIGHTING WERE.

UM, REALLY THE THREE MAJOR CONCERNS YOU'LL SEE LISTED ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE WERE MITIGATING GLARE AND LIGHT TRESPASS, AND THEN CORRESPONDING TO THAT ON THE RIGHT SIDE ARE, UH, KIND OF SOME OUTCOMES OR OBJECTIVES THAT WE CAN KIND OF TURN THAT INTO, UH, HOW TO, HOW TO MANAGE THIS.

UM, SO GLARE AND LIGHT TRESPASS, REALLY UNDERSTANDING, UH, THE ADJACENT TRAIL, UM, ACTIVITY AROUND THE TRAIL, UH, IMPROVING LIGHTING AREAS PERCEIVED AS UNSAFE.

SO HOW CAN WE INCREASE THAT, UH, SENSE OF SAFETY, UM, AND COMFORT.

AND THEN NIGHTTIME WAYFINDING WHERE WE'RE IMPROVING ORIENTATION, UH, WHILE KEEPING UNLI AREAS NATURALLY DARK.

THAT REALLY IS STEMMING FROM A LOT OF THE ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS HERE.

UH, THE NEXT SECTION HERE IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL OF THIS HAS TO BE DARK SKY COMPLIANT.

SO LIMITING, UH, ANY UPLIGHTING GOING ON AND MINIMIZING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS, UH, JUST DUE TO THE TRAIL BEING IN THE RIPARIAN ZONE AROUND THE LAKE.

AND I WANTED TO NOTE THAT IN THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FROM THE, UH, LIGHTING, UH, TEAM HERE,

[00:10:01]

WAS THAT THEY, THEIR SUGGESTION WAS LIGHTING OFF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE DURING THOSE PARK CURFEW HOURS.

AND THEN ZOOMING INTO THE RAINY AREA HIGHLIGHTED IN THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY, UH, THE MAJOR ISSUE THERE WAS JUST THE HIGH GLARE FROM ADJACENT LAND USES.

SO HOW MUCH LIGHT IS COMING FROM THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS ON RAINY AND HOW THAT'S, UH, THERE'S A PERCEIVED LEVEL OF DARKNESS, UM, EVEN GREATER THAN OTHER AREAS AROUND THE TRAIL BECAUSE OF HOW LIGHT IT IS ADJACENT TO THE TRAIL.

AND THEN JUMPING TO THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD PROJECT, UH, WHICH ONCE AGAIN, A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OVER 550, UH, PEOPLE, UH, REACHED THERE.

AND THIS WAS BACK IN JANUARY OF 2022 IN FRONT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

UM, AND LIKE THE DIRECTOR MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD THIS THROUGH, UM, GONE THROUGH ALL THE PERMITTING AND EVERYTHING, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE BIDDING PROCESS RIGHT NOW, UH, WHICH WILL INCLUDE ALL OF THESE NEXT SECTIONS I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.

AND THE PRIMARY GOALS OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO IMPROVE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF THE ONE AND A HALF ACRES, UM, OF THE PARK HERE, PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO THE LAKE FOR TRAIL USERS, CREATE STRONGER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS, AND ADDING LIGHTING AND SAFETY MEASURES IDENTIFIED IN THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY.

AND SO THE PROVIDED SOLUTIONS, I'LL RUN THROUGH ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH WILL BE A LITTLE MORE GRAPHIC FOR YOU.

UH, SO ORIENT ORIENTING YOURSELF, UH, COMING STREET AND EAST AVE COMING STREET TO THE UPPER LEFT THERE.

UM, AND THEN RAINY STREET KIND OF RUNNING TO THE BOTTOM, UH, BOTTOM LEFT AS WELL.

SO THE EXISTING MORRO RIVERA RESTROOM WILL REMAIN, UH, REDUCING AND ENHANCING KIND OF A, A BETTER PERFORMING LAWN.

AND THEN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROJECT IS REALLY REMOVING HIGH MAINTENANCE LAWN AND HAVING A LOT MORE, UH, NATURAL AREAS, WHICH ARE KIND OF CREATING A LITTLE MORE BUFFER BETWEEN THE RAINY STREET AREA AND THE LAKE ITSELF.

AND THEN OTHER, UH, HIGHER USE ZONES, A SEATING AREA, WHICH KIND OF PLAYS OFF THE ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT AT 44 EAST.

UH, THERE'S A RESTAURANT AT THE GROUND FLOOR THERE.

SO THIS WILL ACT AS SPILL OUT SPACE, UM, FOR THEM AS WELL AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD NATURE PLAY COMPONENTS.

THIS IS A STRONG ASK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL, JUST HAVING A MORE FAMILY PROGRAMMING PLACE LIKE THIS.

AND THEN ALL THE WAY DOWN AT THE WATER THERE IS A WATER ACCESS POINT FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH.

THE LAKE IS A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL.

AND THEN THAT LAST COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT IS KIND OF UNDERSTANDING HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING LIGHTING CONCERNS.

AND THE STRATEGY HERE THROUGH OUR LIGHTING CONSULTANTS, UM, IS REALLY TO KIND OF CREATE A GRADATION OF LIGHT FROM HIGH TO LOW, FROM HIGHER BY THE RAINY STREET AREA, UM, AND ON THE NORTH END OF THE PARK.

AND THEN TRYING TO TAPER OFF TOWARDS THE MORE, UH, ECOLOGICAL RIPARIAN ZONES DOWN BY THE WATER MAKES.

SO WITH THIS HERE, UM, WE ARE, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN BIDDING AND NEGOTIATION PROCESS FOR THE RAINEY STREET PROJECT.

UH, WE'LL BE KICKING THAT OFF HERE IN HOPEFULLY SEPTEMBER.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A COMPREHENSIVE SIGNAGE PLAN TO HELP PROMOTE TRAIL SAFETY AND ORIENTATION.

WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW TO ADD, UM, ELSEWHERE AROUND THE TRAIL, UNDERSTANDING HOW THERE'S, LIKE, WE'RE CALLING IT BREADCRUMB LIGHTING, WHICH IS KIND OF HELPING ORIENT YOU TO WHERE, UH, THE NEXT PATH IS IN LOW LIGHT HOURS.

UM, KEEPING SPLIT RAIL FENCING ALONG THESE SLOPES, THESE STEEP SLOPES, UH, TO TRY TO MITIGATE DANGER ALONG HIGH SLOPES, BUT ALSO, UM, THEN ALLOWING PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO WATER WHERE THERE'S LESS SLOPE TO THE WATER.

AND THEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ARE THERE OTHER LOW COST INFRASTRUCTURE OPTIONS, UH, LIKE REFLECTORS OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAN HELP KIND OF ORIENT YOU TO WHERE THE TRAIL IS AND WHERE TO GO.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LINDSAY.

WELCOME.

OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD MOVED FORWARD WITH TEMPORARY SOLAR LIGHTING ALONG THE TRAIL IN FOUR LOCATIONS, INSTALLING TEMPORARY WOODEN SPLIT RAIL FENCE FOR ABOUT 1500 LINEAR FEET, UM, AND ADDING SOME WARNING SIGNAGE AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS AND MAKING FOLKS AWARE OF HAZARDS THAT COULD BE IN THE AREA.

HELLO.

UH, MY NAME'S LINDSEY, ER, UM, A DIVISION MANAGER OF PARK DEVELOPMENT, UM, AT PARKS AND RECREATION.

UM, SO I WANTED TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES BEYOND WHAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN SPEARHEADING WITH THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY PLAN AND THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD.

UM, SO EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, WE WERE PROMPTED TO CONSIDER SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS IN A BROADER FASHION, UM, IN A LARGER AREA ON THE WALLER BEACH, RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD.

UM, AND WE STARTED BY MOVING FORWARD WITH BOTH SHORT TERM, UH, TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS TO GET IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, SOME ADDITIONAL SAFETY, UH, FEATURES, AS WELL AS PLANNING FOR SOME LONG-TERM WIDER SPREAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, BY MARCH 10TH

[00:15:01]

UM, SINCE THOSE SHORT TERM IMPROVEMENTS WERE PUT IN PLACE, WE'VE BEEN MONITORING THE LIGHTING, MAKE SURE IT'S FUNCTIONING AS IT'S INTENDED TO BE.

UH, IN PARALLEL, WE KICKED OFF SOME PLANNING FOR, UH, PUTTING LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE INSTALLING THERE IS WELL THOUGHT THROUGH, WELL-DESIGNED, WELL PERMITTED.

AND SO IN MID-MARCH, UH, WE WERE ASSEMBLED A, UM, GROUP OF CROSS DEPARTMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS, UM, TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE, UM, CHALLENGES WE'D COME UP AGAINST AS WE WERE SCOPING AND PROPOSING THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, AND TO GET THEIR BUY-IN AS WE WERE MOVING FORWARD.

SO WE SPOKE WITH, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY, AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, UH, CTM FOR TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND URBAN TRAILS, UH, AND WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

UM, ALL THE WHILE, WHILE WE STARTED BOTH THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM, UH, WE WERE AS A DEPARTMENT INCREASING TRAIL MONITORING IN THE AREA AT FIRST, UH, RAMPING UP, UH, PARK RANGER PRESENCE, UH, ULTIMATELY TRANSITIONING TO, UH, USING A TEMPORARY CAMERA, UM, AND SCALING BACK SOME OF THAT PARK RANGER PRESENCE TO MONITOR, UM, TO HELP IMPROVE, UH, SAFETY IN THE AREA FOR THE SHORT TERM.

DO I HAVE CONTROL OVER THIS? OKAY.

SO AS PART OF SCOPING THOSE LONGER TERM IMPROVEMENTS, UM, WHAT WE LANDED ON IN TERMS OF WRITING A SCOPE FOR THE PROJECT, UM, WAS WORKING WITH OUR TRAIL CONSERVANCY PARTNERS AND, UM, OUR, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP TO, UM, DESIGN A SCOPE FOR A CONSULTANT THAT WOULD IMPLEMENT THE OUTCOMES OF THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY FOR THE AREA IN QUESTION.

SO AS NICK TALKED ABOUT, UM, THAT STUDY WAS REALLY GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, AND A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF EXISTING CONDITIONS.

AND WE WANTED TO RELY HEAVILY ON, UM, THE OUTCOMES IN THAT AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A CONCEPT PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

WE ALSO ADDED TO A CONSULTANT SCOPE TO CONSIDER A FEW ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURES THAT WEREN'T STUDIED, UM, IN THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY STUDY, SUCH AS CAMERAS, UH, SAFETY BEACONS OR CALL BUTTONS, OR OTHER TECHNOLOGIES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE INCORPORATED TO REALLY DO A THOROUGH LOOK ABOUT WHAT COULD BEST WORK FOR THIS AREA.

UM, BY APRIL, UM, ARE THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY WAS WORKING WITH THEIR CONSULTANT TEAM TO GET A CONTRACT EXECUTED AND, UM, BEGIN PLANNING THE CONCEPT THAT'S WONDERFUL.

UH, THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF SPRING AND, UM, CONCLUDING IN EARLY SUMMER, THEY DEVELOPED A CONCEPT PLAN FOR US, UM, AGAIN USING, UH, THE OUTCOMES OF THE STUDY AND LOOKING AT THE PRACTICAL EXISTING CONDITIONS OF WHAT WE HAD AND RANKING THE IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON HOW WELL THEY ACCOMPLISHED THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT.

UM, THE LIST OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS SHOWN HERE, AND I'LL WALK THROUGH IT WITH YOU.

UM, WE'RE PROPOSING A PERMANENT CAMERA AT THE CORNER OF RAINY STREET IN CUMMINGS, WHICH IS WHERE THE TEMPORARY CAMERA APPROXIMATELY IS LOCATED RIGHT NOW.

UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE, UH, RES STRIPING TO ELIMINATE A FEW PARKING SPACES ALONG THAT CORNER TO ENHANCE THE VIEW SHEDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAMERA THAT'S GONNA GO IN AND REALLY GET THE BEST BENEFIT FOR THAT LOCATION.

UM, ONE OF THE OTHER MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS IS TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE PEDESTRIAN ROUTE, UM, FOR FOLKS TO USE AFTER THE TRAIL CLOSES AT THE CURFEW OF 10:00 PM.

THIS MEANS ADDING A NEW SIDEWALK ALONG EAST AVE AND COUPLING THAT WITH PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING FIXTURES AND TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES IN EAST AVE TO MAKE IT, UM, A BIT MORE SAFE FOR FOLKS TO BE WALKING ALONG EAST AVE INSTEAD OF CLOSER TO THE WATER ALONG THE TRAIL IN THOSE, UM, DARK HOURS AFTER 10:00 PM.

UM, TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UH, AND BE DIRECTED TO THOSE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES OF TRAVEL.

UM, WE WANNA CREATE SOME VISUAL DISTINCTION OF BOTH COLOR AND SURFACE TYPE BETWEEN THE TRAIL AND THE SIDEWALK WHERE THEY INTERSECT.

SO IT'S VERY CLEAR THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO.

AND WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING WAYFINDING SIGNAGE, UM, BOTH UP ROAD ALONG RAINY STREET, AND AS YOU APPROACH THE TRAIL ITSELF, UM, TO INDICATE CLOSURE HOURS, UM, AND ALTERNATE ROUTES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

UM, ALONG THE TRAIL ITSELF, WE HAVE A FEW MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FOCUSED ON REDUCING THINGS LIKE TRIPPING HAZARDS.

WE'RE REDUCING ACCESS TO AN EXISTING SET OF STAIRS, UM, AND, UH, MITIGATING A, A CONCRETE CORNER NEAR A WATER ACCESS.

AGAIN, SOME JUST MORE SMALL MISCELLANEOUS TO PREVENT FOLKS FROM HAVING, UM, HAZARDS IN THEIR WAY WHILE THEY'RE ON THE TRAIL.

UM, AND LASTLY, WE ARE PROPOSING SOME NEW PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING, UM, ALONG THE TRAIL ITSELF.

UM, AND AT THE, UH, RESTROOM THAT'S AT THE CORNER OF RAINY

[00:20:01]

AND CUMMINGS, SO THAT FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THAT FEATURE SPECIFICALLY ARE MORE EASILY ABLE TO FIND IT.

UM, AND, UH, THE STRATEGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIGHTING FOR THE TRAIL ITSELF WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S EITHER DIMMED OR TURNED OFF AFTER CURFEW HOURS.

AND THAT'S THE STRATEGY THAT WILL ADVANCE AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN TO, TO ULTIMATELY PICK THE STRATEGY THERE.

UM, THE IMAGE ON THIS SCREEN ON THE RIGHT, UM, SHOWS THE RED LINE AS THE LIMITS OF THE STUDY AREA AND THE LIMITS OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S BROADER THAN JUST THAT RAINY STREET TRAIL HEAD AREA.

UM, JUST FOR CONTEXT, THE YELLOW AREA THAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IS, UM, WHERE, UH, TEXT DOT, UM, WILL EVENTUALLY BE USING STAGING AREA ON PARKLAND FOR THE I 35 PROJECT.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW THE OVERLAP OF WHERE THAT FUTURE WORK WILL HAPPEN.

SPEAKING OF, UM, SCHEDULE, COST AND NEXT STEPS, UM, BASED ON THE CURRENT COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN, THE COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGH OUR CONSULTANTS IS 800,000 TO A MILLION DOLLARS.

WE'VE REVIEWED, UM, AVAILABLE PARKS DEPARTMENT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED TO THIS AND HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THE THE BEST AVAILABLE SOURCE WOULD BE REALLOCATING, UM, SOME OF THE 2018 BOND FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, THIS WOULD USE THE MOST OF THE CHUNK THAT'S REMAINING FROM THE 2018 BOND, UM, PUTTING OFF SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE TRAILS AND TILT THE FUTURE BOND PROGRAM.

WE DO HAVE THE AVAIL AVAILABILITY THAT WE'RE RESERVING SOME CONTINGENCY CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FROM AN ONGOING TRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET.

UM, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ALLOCATED TO THIS IF IT'S EITHER DETERMINED TO BE NOT NEEDED OR THIS IS MORE OF A PRIORITY.

UM, ANOTHER NOTE IS THAT THERE IS NOT PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDING IN THE VICINITY, UM, THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE APPROPRIATED IN THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR.

SO THAT'S NOT, UM, AN OPTION FOR THIS SITE, UM, WHICH IS WHY THE BOND FUNDINGS ARE BEST AVAILABLE SOURCE, UM, SCHEDULE.

NEXT STEPS WE'RE PROCEEDING INTO DETAILED DESIGN AND PERMITTING THROUGHOUT THIS SUMMER.

UM, WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF OUR CONSULTANTS TO GO THROUGH THOSE STEPS NEXT.

UH, WE ANTICIPATE THE IMPROVEMENTS BEING INSTALLED BY SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PERMANENT CAMERA, WHICH WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, UM, AND HOPING TO HAVE THAT INSTALLED FALL OF THIS YEAR.

UM, TIMELINES SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS WE WORK THROUGH THE DESIGN, THE PERMITTING, CONTRACTING, CONSTRUCTION.

UM, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SUMMARY OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE, BOTH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCIES, UM, MORE ADVANCED BIDDING, UH, PLANS FOR THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD, AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR THE BROADER WALLER BEACH AREA.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR US.

THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER LEMINE.

UH, FIRST THANKS FOR PUTTING ON FULL CLOTHES AND COMING OUT IN THE HEAT.

THIS IS CRAZY.

SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL MAKING THE EFFORT.

SURE.

UM, I CAN YOU, I, THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR QUESTION TO ANSWER, BUT COULD YOU SHOW ME ON THAT MAP OR SUGGEST TO ME WHERE THEY THINK, I MEAN, WE DIDN'T SAY IT SPECIFICALLY, BUT OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENDING UP IN THE RIVER, AND SO I'M WONDERING WHERE THEY THINK THAT'S COULD POTENTIALLY BE OCCURRING, THE POINT OF ENTRY.

I MEAN, I KNOW THEY DON'T KNOW NOW ANSWERS TO THAT, BUT WHERE'S THE AREA THEY'RE TRYING TO LIKE, OKAY, IF WE JUST PUT CAMERAS HERE AND STOP PEOPLE FROM WALKING OVER HERE, WE WON'T HAVE AS MANY DRUNKS IN THE RIVER.

YEAH, WE'RE WASHING OFF.

WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO SPECULATE WHERE THAT MIGHT BE.

I HAVE TALKED TO A P D OFFICERS.

SURE.

I'VE TALKED TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND JUST DEPENDING UPON WHO YOU SPEAK TO, THEY, EVERYBODY, NOT EVERYBODY, MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE SEPARATE THEORIES, SO WE'RE NOT IN A, IN A POSITION TO SPECULATE, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS, IS THAT WHERE THE CATASTROPHIC EVENT OCCURS, HAPPENS TO BE WITH THE WATER.

SO THE FURTHEST THAT WE CAN BRING PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE WATER AND DIRECT THEM IN A, IN A SPACE THAT IS THE FURTHEST FROM THE WATER, THE LESS, THE MORE LIKELY WE WILL HAVE A POSITIVE SAFETY OUTCOME.

WHICH HENCE IS WHY THE CONSULTANT AND THE, THE PARD TEAM HAS SAID, WE WOULD LIKE THAT ALTERNATIVE ROUTE THAT TAKES YOU AWAY FROM THE WATER.

AND IF IT'S WELL LIT AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MORE INVITING, PEOPLE WILL HAVE, WILL CHOOSE THAT OVER A, A GYM OR LESS SAFE ROUTE.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE STRATEGY OR THE, THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT.

BUT I'M SORRY, I CAN'T ANSWER THE EXACT NO QUESTION.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS AN ANSWER.

I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD JUST BE OH YEAH, RIGHT HERE.

PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN PARKS, I'M SORRY, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE A P D, UH, LAKE PATROL ALL, UH, HAVE SOME, UH, RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE, FOR THE LAKE SPACE.

SORRY, I HAVE A SIMILAR OR RELATED QUESTION.

UM, SO IS PART IN CHARGE AT ALL OR HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LAKE ITSELF? LIKE THE SAFETY OF THE LAKE ITSELF WITH ALL THE PEOPLE USING IT NOW THAT WE HAVE, AND EVEN, I MEAN, I'VE LIVED HERE, I WAS RAISED IN ROUND ROCK AND I'VE LIVED HERE MOST ALL OF MY LIFE AND I'VE HEARD FOREVER, LORD, YOU DON'T WANNA FALL IN THAT LAKE, YOU KNOW? UM, SO AS FAR AS POLLUTION AND ALL OF THAT FOR THE LAKE, IS THAT ANYTHING YOU ALL ARE INVOLVED WITH YEAH.

OR HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR? SO PARK PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WATERSHED

[00:25:01]

UM, IN VERY, IN A VERY SUMMARY WAY OF EXPLAINING IT, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LAND, THE SPACE AROUND THE LAKE AND, UM, AND WHATEVER LAUNCHES FROM THAT AREA, THE ACTUAL BEHAVIORS ON THE LAKE, UM, ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LAKE PATROL OR A P D TO ENFORCE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THE LAKE.

WATERSHED PROTECTION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH OF THE LAKE AND THE ECOLOGICAL THINGS THAT HAPPEN AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON THE LAKE.

SO HENCE YOU'LL SEE THEM DO A LOT OF CLEANUPS VIA, UM, KAYAKS AND BOATS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND WITH OUR CONCESSION EARS THAT ARE ALONG THE LAKE.

AND THEN THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HELPS US MAKE DECISIONS WITH RELATED TO EMERGENCY RESPONSES.

SO WHEN THE LAKE IS FLOODING, THEY ARE THE ENTITY THAT HELPS MAKE THE DECISION THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO CLOSE THE LAKE BECAUSE THE CURRENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING ARE DANGEROUS.

AND SO THEREFORE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, IF THEY CLOSE THE LAKE, THE DEPARTMENT WILL THEN CLOSE THE TRAIL.

SO THAT'S JUST A BASIC SUMMARY, BUT IT'S A LITTLE THAT WAS A GREAT SUMMARY.

THERE'S A LOT SUMMARY.

THERE'S A LOT THAT'S REALLY, THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.

DO WE HAVE AN ACTIVE PATROL ON LADY BIRD LAKE POLICE PATROL? UH, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.

SO WE DO HAVE A LAKE PATROL THAT WILL, WILL GO, AND THIS IS A BETTER QUESTION FOR APD, BUT THIS IS TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SO I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WHEN THERE IS A, A NEED OR THERE IS, UH, RESOURCES AVAILABLE, THEY CAN DEPLOY A, UH, A LAKE PATROL, BUT IT, I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THAT IS IN THESE PARTICULAR TIMES.

I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THAT IS OCCURRING.

SO IT'S JUST A BETTER QUESTION FOR A P D SINCE Y'ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE VENDORS.

UM, OUTTA CURIOSITY, HOW MANY INCIDENTS DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE? I REALIZE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT AWAY FROM THE TRAIL, BUT THE WATER IS RIGHT THERE.

UH, HOW MANY INCIDENTS DO WE TYPICALLY HAVE ON THE LAKE ITSELF? SO I HAVE A CHART THAT, UM, A P V HELPS US AND AUSTIN PARK, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HELP US KEEP TRACK OF INCIDENCES WITHIN THE LAKE.

AND SO THERE IS A CHART THAT I BELIEVE GOES BACK ALL THE WAY TO 2013 WHERE STATISTICS WERE PULLED.

I WILL NEED TO CHECK THAT TO VERIFY WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY.

SO I'M SAYING THIS FROM MEMORY, BUT I BELIEVE SINCE 2013 THERE HAVE BEEN 20 INCIDENCES, UH, ON THE LAKE.

NOT ALL NECESSARILY RELATED TO RAINY STREET, BUT THAT HAVE HAPPENED, UM, UP AND DOWN.

BUT THOSE ARE DEATHS.

THOSE ARE DEATHS, YEAH.

THOSE ARE FATALITIES.

UM, I WOULD HAVE TO, AGAIN, I PLEASE KNOW THAT I'M GIVING YOU THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

AND IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND IMPORTANT FOR ME TO, IF YOU WANT THE EXACT NUMBERS FOR ME TO CONSULT WITH MY, WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

NO, THAT'S OKAY.

AND JUST, JUST CURIOUS AS, UH, TO WHAT OTHER RISKS MIGHT PRESENT THEMSELVES THAT WERE ACTUALLY SEEING STATS ON COMING BACK FROM ACTIVITY ON THE LAKE.

SO I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS ARE OUT IN KAYAKS AND CANOES AND PADDLE BOARDS, AND SOME OF 'EM ARE JUMPING OFF BRIDGES AND DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO ALL OF THOSE ARE, HAVE THEIR, THEIR RISKS.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE MORE, UH, RELATED TO THE PARK AND CUZ I DIDN'T QUITE FOLLOW.

SO YOU SAID THAT FUNDING FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS WAS GOING TO COME IN PART OR IN LARGE PART FROM ALREADY A, A BOND INITIATIVE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN FUNDED, I GUESS.

UM, YES.

I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT RELATES TO THE PARK FEES THAT BUILDERS PAY WHEN THEY'RE BUILDING HOMES AND BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CONCERN ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE THAT IS IN THE NEWS.

YES, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.

YES.

UM, SO THE, UM, 2018 BOND PACKAGE HAD, UM, MONEY ASSIGNED TO TRAIL REHABILITATION PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH SINCE THE 2018 BOND PASSED.

AND, UM, LIKELY THE REMAINDER OF THAT AVAILABLE FUNDING WOULD BE DEDICATED TO THIS, UM, THE PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDING, I BELIEVE IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT.

SO, UM, THERE'S NO NEW PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDING THAT'S BEING APPROPRIATED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND ALL THE PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED, UM, PARKLAND DEDICATION FOR THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO PROJECTS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR.

UM, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT OR THAT, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONDITION WITH THE, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

OUT OF BARS OR INEBRIATE INEBRIATED FROM THE RAINY STREET DISTRICT ON THE PATH AWAY FROM THE WATER.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND I THOUGHT Y'ALL DID SUCH A GREAT JOB, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK IN THIS, IS WE WANNA KEEP PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE STUMBLING

[00:30:01]

AND I GUESS MY QUESTION, WITH THAT BEING SAID, AT THE VERY TOP OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU MENTIONED THE LIGHTING BEING INSTALLED, THE WAYFINDING LIGHTING, BUT THEN I THINK THERE WAS TALK ABOUT THOSE LIGHTS GOING OFF AFTER CURFEW.

SO I, I THINK WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO, UH, TALK ABOUT IS THAT THERE ARE, THERE THE LIGHTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ALONG THE, UM, THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE ALONG THE SIDEWALKS, THOSE WILL REMAIN ON, THOSE ARE STREET LIGHTS THEY'RE GONNA REMAIN ON.

WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE WINTERTIME BETWEEN FIVE 30 AND 10 O'CLOCK WHEN THE CUR HAPPENS, RIGHT.

THE LIGHTS THAT, THAT THE, THE SUN GOES DOWN AND YOU'RE STILL, PEOPLE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO TRAVERSE THE TRAIL.

SO THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO PROBABLY CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME LOW LEVEL LIGHTING.

AND I THINK WHAT, UH, LINDSAY TRIED TO SAY IS WE WILL DETERMINE DOES THAT LIGHT STAY LOW LEVEL BEYOND CURFEW? DOES IT GET TURNED OFF AT CURFEW? YEAH.

WHAT'S THE BEST OPTION? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT.

BUT THERE WILL STILL BE LOW LEVEL LIGHTING THAT WE BELIEVE IS APPROPRIATE ALONG THE TRAIL.

HOWEVER, THE REALLY WELL LIT STUFF WILL BE ALONG THE SIDEWALK IN THE STREET, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE MM-HMM.

TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND AWAY FROM THE TRAIL.

OKAY, GREAT.

YEAH, AND I'LL JUST ADD IN TERMS OF LIGHTING OF THE WAYFINDING SIGNS THAT INDICATE THE CLOSURE AND THE ALTERNATE PATHS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, THOSE WE WOULD INTEND TO STAY LIT.

SO EVEN THE LIGHTING THAT'S AFFECTED BY THE CURFEW MIGHT STILL BE LOW, POTENTIALLY, YOU'RE STILL DELIBERATING YEAH, THE, OKAY.

THE STRATEGIES WOULD BE EITHER DIMMING AFTER CURFEW OR TURNING OFF AFTER CUR CURFEW.

IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY PLACES WHERE YOU ALL NEED OUR SUPPORT SPECIFICALLY? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? YEAH.

UM, ARE THERE WAYS THAT YOU NEED OUR SUPPORT AS A COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY IN THIS PROJECT? NOT SPECIFICALLY.

YOUR FEEDBACK IS, IS OR THANKFUL TO TAKE THESE QUESTIONS AND TO, TO HAVE YOUR FEEDBACK.

UM, MM-HMM.

SUPPORTING THE PLAN IN GENERAL, IF WITH ANY SORTS OF ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK THAT YOU WANT TO GIVE US IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR.

UM, BUT ULTIMATELY IT, IT'S UP TO THIS COMMISSION SURE.

TO DECIDE HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO, TO DO THAT.

BUT THANK YOU FOR ASKING.

UH, QUESTION.

AND I KNOW PART HAS BEEN, UH, INSTALLING CAMERAS AROUND IN SOME OF THE MORE HIGH RISK AREAS.

UH, AND I'M WONDERING IF, SINCE THE TEMPORARY CAMERA WAS INSTALLED AT THAT LOCATION, UM, HAS IT HELPED, UM, INFORM YOU ABOUT ACTIVITIES THERE THAT OCCUR AFTER HOURS THAT MIGHT, MIGHT BETTER INFORM THE PLAN OR SUPPORT IT? UM, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION SIMPLY, THE ANSWER IS YES.

HOWEVER, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT HAS BEEN INFORMATIVE, UH, WE HAVE A, THOSE, THE CAMERA I BELIEVE HAS BEEN THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS.

AND WE ARE ACT, THE DEPARTMENT IS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN A P D NEXT WEEK TO TALK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION ARE WE GATHERING FROM THESE CAMERAS, NOT JUST THIS ONE, BUT ALL THE CAMERAS, WHAT'S BEEN USEFUL, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE DO DIFFERENTLY IN, IN RECORDING THAT INFORMATION? HOW COULD WE BE SHARING INFORMATION DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING THE DA, THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE COLLECTING TO HELP INFORM HOW WE CAN IMPROVE SAFETY OUTCOMES? SO THE THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES, BUT, UM, TO PROVIDE MORE DETAILS THAT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE HAD SO THAT WE CAN, UM, REALLY, REALLY MAXIMIZE THE, THE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT CAMERA.

I CERTAINLY THINK IT'S AN IDEA OR IT'S IDEAL TO, TO MONITOR ACTUAL BEHAVIOR IN THE AREA.

UM, SURFACE OF THE TRAIL MAYBE, UH, GRANITE DECOMPOSE GRANITE INSTEAD OF SIDEWALK, JUST SO WE'RE NOT PUTTING IN PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GONNA IMMEDIATELY BE TAKEN UP.

SO, MM-HMM.

, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM, FROM COMMISSION? UM, I DID ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID NOTE, UH, ONE, UH, ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION LOCATION BENEATH I 35 FOR THE PROJECT MM-HMM.

, UM, WHEN IT MOVES FORWARD, OR IF IT MOVES FORWARD, UM, HAVE, HOW, WHAT HAVE, HAVE BEEN THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TECH STOCKS AND THEIR CONTRACTORS FACILITIES AT THE BRIDGE SITE TO LOOK LIKE GIVEN THAT THEY'RE, UH, ADJACENT TO THE TRAIL AND TO RAINY STREET? YEAH, I MEAN, I CAN JUST TALK FROM THE, THE SHORT TERM PERSPECTIVE THAT WE'RE TAKING IN TERMS OF OVERLAPPING SOME OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING WITH THAT AREA, UM, IN THE SENSE THAT, UM, WE WANNA PROVIDE A CONTIGUOUS CONNECTION OF THAT, UM, EAST STAFF SIDEWALK SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTEMPTING TO GO TO THE EAST SIDE HAVE A WAY TO GET THROUGH THERE.

WE'RE CONSIDERING MAKING THE,

[00:35:01]

SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO THINK, UM, ABOUT EFFECTIVELY USING THE RESOURCES WITHIN THAT SECTION.

UM, I THINK WE HA I'M PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK, BUT WE HAVE VERY PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT DETOURS, UM, THAT, THAT ROAD AND POTENTIAL SIDEWALK WOULD TAKE DURING CONSTRUCTION AND, UM, WITH THE HOPES THAT THIS PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY WOULD CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE CONDITION AS WELL.

SO, OKAY.

THAT'S HOW WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING IT.

WELL, IF THERE'S ANYTHING, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO, TO CONNECT EVEN DURING CONSTRUCTION, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO ASSIST IN THAT PROCESS, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP.

AND COMMISSIONERS, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US ALSO TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE, WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IN ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS OF THE TRAIL CONNECTIVITY.

SO THEY HAVE ALSO, UH, ACTED JUST LIKE YOU ARE ADVOCATES FOR MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO.

THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN ADVOCATES FOR, UH, CONTINUING TRAIL CONNECTIVITY.

AS YOU HAVE MENTIONED, UH, THE POMO WAS, WAS A, A GREAT THING.

AND, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR WORKING SO HARD TOGETHER TO KEEP THE JEWEL OF AUSTIN VIBRANT AND MOVING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING BACK.

HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.

UM, I, I DIDN'T PREEMPT ANYBODY'S, UH, BUT A MOTION BY ANYBODY, DID I? OKAY.

VERY GOOD.

ITEM IS, UH, TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL FOR THE I 35 EXPANSION PRESENTATIONS TO BE GIVEN BY TOMMY ABREGO OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

THE NEXT

[3. Approve a recommendation to Council for the I-35 expansion. Presentations to be given by Tommy Abrego of the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT)]

MR. ABREGO, I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT CORRECTLY.

WELCOME.

UH, YEAH, TOMMY ABRIGO ABRIGO, MY APOLOGIES.

DOWNTOWN COMMISSION FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT THE CAPEX, UH, CENTRAL PROJECT.

MY NAME IS TOMMY AL.

I'M THE MOBILIA 35 PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE AUSTIN DISTRICT.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT, UH, THE CAPEX CENTRAL PROJECT GOES FROM TWO 90 EAST DOWN TO SH 71 BEN WHITE BOULEVARD.

IT'S ABOUT EIGHT MILES LONG.

WE ARE PLANNING TO CONSTRUCT TWO MANAGED LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, RECONSTRUCT RAMPS, BRIDGE AND INTERSECTIONS, IMPROVE FRONTAGE ROADS, ENHANCE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHS, AND ACCOMMODATE TRANSIT ROUTES.

THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THE PROJECT IS 4.5 BILLION, WHICH, UH, IS CURRENTLY, UH, FEDERALLY FUNDED, AND THE ANTICIPATED CONSTRUCTION START IS IN MID 2024.

HERE'S, UH, SOME IMAGES OF THE DECK.

UH, ON THE LEFT, WHAT YOU SEE IS THE EAST WEST CROSSING ON SIXTH STREET BEING PROPOSED, AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE SAME CROSSING WITH THE DECK PLAZAS, UM, THESE, UH, IN, IN THIS AREA.

SO WHAT THIS IMAGE REALLY SHOWS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR PROJECT IS WE'RE LOWERING THE I 35, UH, MAIN LANES AND MANAGED LANES, AND, UH, AND THAT WAS OUR PLAN IN THE PROJECT.

WE HAVE NOW, UH, TEAMED UP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND, UH, I BELIEVE SUSAN DANIELS WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAPTAIN STITCH PRO CAPTAIN STITCH PROGRAM THAT WILL GIVE YOU A OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE PLAN IS THERE.

SO THERE'S A REAL NEED TO CONNECT THE EAST AND WEST THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AND UNIVERSITY AREA OF I 35.

UM, ANOTHER PART OF THE PROJECT IS TO KNOCK DOWN THE UPPER DECKS THAT ARE EXISTING OUT THERE ON 35.

SO AS WE'VE MOVED ALONG WITH OUR DESIGN, WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY.

THIS IS A GREEN SPACE FOR EVERYBODY TO COME TOGETHER.

WE RECENTLY WENT OUT TO, UH, DALLAS, TEXAS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE CLYDE WARREN DECK PARK OUT THERE.

UM, I WAS ON TOP OF THE DECK PLAZA.

IT WAS A REALLY, UH, COOL EXPERIENCE.

YOU SEE THE HIGHWAY COMING UNDERNEATH YOU, YOU SEE THE CARS, YOU DON'T FEEL THEM, YOU DON'T HEAR THEM, AND YOU'RE ON A PARK.

SO IT'S A REALLY TRANSFORMATIVE THING.

THIS IS 11TH STREET.

UM, WHAT, THIS IS THE SAME CONCEPT, BUT WHAT I WANNA FOCUS ON, UH, WHAT YOU SEE WITH THE, ON THE LEFT SIDE IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE 30 FOOT WIDEN BRIDGE.

SO, UM, WHAT, WHAT TEXTILE WILL BUILD IN THE EAST WEST BRIDGE IS UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR, IS AN ADDITIONAL 30 FEET IN ADDITION TO THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS ARE BUFFERED AWAY FROM THAT TRAFFIC.

SO IT'S ENHANCED, UH, SAFETY FOR THE PEDESTRIANS.

AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE, THAT

[00:40:01]

WE RECEIVED.

THIS IS AN OLDER RENDERING THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA SHOWING WHAT WE CALL THE BOULEVARD CONCEPT.

THIS IS FOR BETTER PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, AND AGAIN, AS A RESULT OF THE COMMUNITY REACHING OUT TO US AND SAYING THEY WOULD LIKE MORE OF AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIGHT SIDE, TRADITIONALLY YOU WE'RE USED TO SEEING THE I 35 FRONTAGE ROADS NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND ON THE WEST AND EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.

NOW THEY'RE BOTH ON THE SAME SIDE, CREATING AN URBAN BOULEVARD SECTION WITH THE DECK, UH, PLAZAS NEXT TO THEM.

AND, UH, WITH THOSE FRONTAGE ROADS, WE ARE ALSO, UH, LOWERING THE SPEED, UH, WITH THE DESIGN OF A BOULEVARD SECTION NATURALLY, UH, THAT PEOPLE DRIVE AT A SLOWER SPEED.

SO, UM, THE FASTER TRAFFIC IS BELOW WHERE, WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE THEM ANYMORE.

AND, UH, PEDESTRIANS HAVE, AGAIN, UH, SAFER ACCESS FOR EAST WEST, I LIKE TO SAY IN THE RIGHT SIDE.

UM, I 35 IS OUTTA SIGHT AND OUTTA MIND.

HERE'S ANOTHER ONE, UH, SHOWING, UH, AT THE FOURTH STREET, UH, THIS IS HIGHLIGHTING TWO THINGS.

UH, AT FOURTH STREET, WE'RE ALSO ACCOMMODATING FOR TRANSIT ROUTES.

SO THIS IS THE PROPOSED, UH, FOURTH STREET, UH, RED LINE ON THE PROJECT.

SO WE WOULD BE ACCOMMODATING FOR THAT.

ON THE RIGHT IS WHAT IS A LAND BRIDGE.

AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE FRONTAGE ROAD IS ALSO LOWERED IN THIS LOCATION.

AND PEDESTRIANS COULD TRAVEL OVER THE HIGHWAY INTO PALM PARK WITHOUT EVER, UH, CROSSING TRAFFIC.

NO SIGNALS, UM, NO MIXING WITH VEHICLES IN THIS AREA.

THIS IS PART WHAT, WHAT IS OUR LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, PROJECT FROM HOLLY STREET TO BEN WHITE BOULEVARD.

THIS IS THE BRIDGE GOING OVER THE LAKE.

SO IN ADDITION TO OUR PROJECT, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY AND TRAILS CONSERVANCY FOR A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT, UH, YOU SEE PROPOSED HERE.

UH, WE ARE ALSO INCLUDING BACK BOXES ON THE STRUCTURE FOR, UM, ACCOMMODATING FOR A BAT HABITAT.

UM, AND THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE HERE IS LOWER THAN THE VEHICULAR BRIDGE.

SO AGAIN, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, PEDESTRIANS WANT THE EXPERIENCE OF NOT HEARING THE VEHICLES OR SEEING THE VEHICLES.

SO THAT'S THE LOWER BRIDGE.

WE ALSO CHECKED THE CLEARANCE, UH, WHICH YOU SEE, UH, CIRCLED IN THE MIDDLE.

THAT'S WHERE, UM, THE RECREATIONAL BOATS, I THINK GO THROUGH.

AND SO, UH, WE WERE GOOD WITH THE LOWERED BRIDGE ON THAT.

WE COORDINATED WITH THE, WITH THE CITY ON THAT, ON THE BOTTOM ARE CONCEPTS, BUT WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS WHAT I CALL THE BULGE OUT OF THE BRIDGE.

SO THIS IS WHERE PEDESTRIANS WILL BE ABLE TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE AND, UH, SEE THE LAKE, SEE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, ET CETERA.

THIS IS AIRPORT BOULEVARD, AND THIS IS A PROPOSED SINGLE POINT URBAN INTERCHANGE, UH, A SPIE.

WHAT DOES THIS DO? UH, THE RAMPS AND ARTERIALS ARE CONTROLLED BY ONE SINGLE, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

IT'S MORE EFFICIENT THAN YOUR STANDARD DIAMOND INTERCHANGE AND TAKES UP LESS SPACE.

IT ALSO IMPROVES SAFETY.

AND LIKE I SAID, VEHICLES ONLY CROSS AT ONE LOCATION.

UM, THE DETAILED, UH, IMPROVEMENT IS YOU GET INCREASED GREEN TIME, WHICH ALLOWS MORE VEHICLES THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS RENDERING.

THERE'S ALSO AESTHETICS BEING PROPOSED ON THE BRIDGES.

UH, WE HAVE LANDSCAPING, UH, WHAT WE CALL, UH, SHADE STRUCTURES, UH, VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ALONG, UH, THIS EAST WEST, UH, PART OF THE CORRIDOR.

THIS RENDERING IS IN NO WAYS THE MEANS OF THE FINAL DESIGN.

WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND THE PUBLIC TO GET WHAT'S BEST.

UM, WHERE IS THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS IN THIS AREA, RIGHT? SO YOU SEE SOME OF THE CROSSINGS THAT ARE AT GRADE.

IF YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT, YOU SEE A, WHAT'S KIND OF, UH, A COVERT LIKE DESIGN FOR CROSSING NORTH SOUTH ON THE STRUCTURE.

AGAIN, THIS IS NOT FINAL.

WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC CONCERNS FOR ACTUALLY BOTH BEING AT GRADE BECAUSE YOU'RE MIXING WITH VEHICLES AND BEING UNDERGRAD BECAUSE OF A SHADED STRUCTURE.

IT'S NOT WELL LIT NIGHTTIME, UH, SAFETY.

SO WE WE'RE STILL, UH, WORKING THAT OUT AND VETTING WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR PEDESTRIANS WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THIS.

S SPEY, THIS IS THE SAME CONCEPT AT RIVERSIDE DRIVE.

UM, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THE ACCOMMODATION OF THE FUTURE OF BLUE LINE FOR PROJECT CONNECT.

SO, UM,

[00:45:01]

AND AS PART OF OUR STRUCTURE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT BUILDING, WE'RE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT OUR BRIDGE STRUCTURE ACCOMMODATES FOR THAT TO GO IN IN THE FUTURE.

THIS IS JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUR OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE HISTORICALLY ON THE PROJECT.

UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, VARIOUS COMMISSIONS, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR.

UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, NINE VOICE MEETINGS, UH, ON THIS, UH, 10 VOICE MEETINGS ON THIS, UH, I'M SORRY, NINE VOICE MEETINGS ON THIS PROGRAM.

AND WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE, UH, VOICE MEETING, UH, 10, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, UH, WITH THE TRAILS, UH, COVERS CONSERVANCY TO TALK ABOUT THAT LADY BIRD LAKE AREA.

UM, WHAT IS TECH STOCKS PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION? WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DETOUR THE TRAILS? UM, AND THE CONTINUED COORDINATION THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE TRAILS CONSERVANCY.

THIS IS, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THIS, BUT THIS IS JUST SHOWING HIGHLIGHTED THE, UH, BUILD ALTERNATIVE THREE, WHICH IS THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR THE PROJECT.

UM, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT THIS WAS BEING COMPARED TO AN ANO ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE, UH, NAMED ALTERNATIVE TWO.

AND THE, THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE WAS, UH, THIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS, UH, RIGHT OF WAY INCA, LESS RIGHT OF WAY IMPACTS AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAPTAIN STITCH FOR THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY.

THIS IS HIGHLIGHTING OUR ACCOMMODATION FOR BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS.

UH, WE HAVE A, UH, UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR, SIX OVER 16 MILES OF S U P SHARED USE PATH.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS BOTH PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS ARE ABLE TO USE IT.

IT'S, UH, ABOUT 10 FOOT WIDE.

UH, AND THEN I MENTIONED OUR, OUR 30 FOOT ADDITIONAL, UH, WIDE BRIDGES EAST, WEST ON THE CORRIDOR.

AND THEN I ALSO MENTIONED THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DECK PLAZAS UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR.

THIS IS JUST GOING THROUGH OUR CONTINUED COORDINATION WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOR THOSE CAPTAIN STITCH LOCAL ENHANCEMENTS.

UH, WE'RE, UH, EXCITED TO WORK IN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS GROUP.

UH, I, MYSELF AM BORN AND RAISED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.

AND, UH, SO I, I WANNA JUST GIVE A THANKS TO TO THE CITY AND UT FOR BEING GREAT PARTNERS WITH US.

THIS IS A PROJECT TIMELINE.

UH, WE'RE RIGHT AROUND A CORNER IN AUGUST OF THIS SUMMER IS WHEN WE RECEIVE THE, WHEN WE ANTICIPATE TO RECEIVE THE ROD RECORD DECISION.

AND WHAT THAT IS, IS JUST EXPLAINING, UH, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE FOR THE PROJECT.

AND THAT RELEASES TECH STOP TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION ON CAPEX CENTRAL.

THE TYPE OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IS A E I S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.

AND THAT'S, UH, IN OUR WORLD, UH, THE HIGHEST, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS WE COULD MAKE ON A PROJECT.

THIS IS JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION.

ON THE TOP, YOU SEE THE DARK BLUE ON THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE THE LIGHTER GRAY BLUEISH, UH, THAT THOSE ARE CAPEX NORTH AND CAPEX SOUTH, UH, FROM UH, 45 TO TWO 90 EAST.

AND THEN, UH, BENIT BOULEVARD DOWN TO 45 IN THE BUTA AREA.

THESE, UH, PROJECTS LED LAST SUMMER AT OVER A BILLION DOLLARS.

THE CAPEX NORTH IS BEING CONSTRUCTED BY, UH, POLICE CONTRACTORS AND THE CAPEX SOUTH PROJECT IS BEING CONSTRUCTED BY, UH, FLORA INDUSTRY.

THAT'S ALL I HAD FOR THIS EVENING.

IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS? YEAH, YOU BET.

UM, I ACTUALLY WENT TO WHAT, WHAT THESE CAPEX UH, THINGS JUST RECENTLY LAST WEEK AS A MATTER OF FACT.

AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IN THIS BUILDING, BUT YOU GUYS ARE HAVING LIKE A LITTLE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING THAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT AT 35 AND CAESAR CHAVEZ, CORRECT.

SO, YES.

SO WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS OUR DRAINAGE TUNNEL PROJECT.

THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT'S BUILT.

UM, I MENTIONED THE ROADWAY GOES ABOUT 40 FOOT, GIVE OR TAKE, DE DEPRESSED BELOW ITS CURRENT GRADE.

WELL, IN HEAVY RAIN EVENTS, WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT CARRIES ALL THAT WATER.

MM-HMM.

, THIS DRAINAGE TUNNEL SYSTEM IS A HUNDRED FEET BELOW THE GROUND AND ABOUT 22, UH, FEET IN DIAMETER THAT GOES UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR WHEN YOU GET TO SIS OR CHAVEZ.

MM-HMM.

, IT'S GONNA GO EAST UNDERNEATH CESAR CHAVEZ

[00:50:01]

AGAIN AT A HUNDRED FEET AND THEN OUTFALL INTO THE RIVER NEAR THE ONE, UH, US 180 3 SECTION IN, IN EAST AUSTIN.

SO THE BUILDING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I BELIEVE IN THAT AREA IS THE PUMP STATION THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.

AND THAT PUMP STATION IS TO PULL THE WATER OUT SO IT DOESN'T STAY STAGNANT IN THE TUNNEL.

IT DOESN'T GET DIRTY.

AND WE'VE AGAIN, BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY, UM, AUSTIN WATERSHED AND THAT GROUP, UH, FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR WATER QUALITY TREATMENT.

OTHER COMMISSIONERS COME.

THAT, THAT WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT THE WATER QUALITY TREATMENT.

SO YOU BEAT ME TO IT.

THANKS .

THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION, REALLY HELPFUL.

UM, AND ALSO THE PICTURES ARE SUPER HELPFUL TOO CAUSE I HADN'T SEEN A LOT OF THAT STUFF BEFORE YET.

UM, THE DOWNTOWN STUFF LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, EXPENSIVE.

IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SAME SORT OF EFFORT PUT INTO THE RIVERSIDE AND AIRPORT AREAS AS WELL.

I FEEL LIKE THE DESIGN IT IS NOW IS GONNA LEAD TO THE SAME SORT OF THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO OVERCOME BY GETTING RID OF THE CURRENT I 35 SITUATION IN TERMS OF BLOCKING OFF ONE SIDE OF TOWN FROM THE OTHER.

AND I FEEL LIKE THOSE INTERCHANGES LOOK VERY, UH, UNFRIENDLY AND WELCOMING.

AND AS IN, YOU KNOW, I LIVE NEAR THE AIRPORT ONE AND I DO, I RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO LIKE, MOVE CARS THROUGH THERE.

I GO THROUGH THERE REGULARLY AND ANYTHING YOU NEED TO GET TRAFFIC BETTER, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE SAME KIND OF CREATIVITY AND LEVEL OF WILLING TO SPEND WOULD BE USEFUL THERE AS WELL AND APPRECIATED.

SO ABSOLUTELY.

THANKS.

UH, AND JUST, JUST A FRIENDLY FOLLOW UP.

OUR FIRST ROADWAY PROJECT IS THE LADY BIRD LAKE PROJECT FROM HOLLY STREET TO BEN WHITE BOULEVARD.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON IS AT THE WOODLAND, UH, AVENUE LOCATION FOR A STITCH.

UH, AND A STITCH IS ANYTHING 300 FEET OR LESS.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT SIMPLY MEANS.

IT DOESN'T REQUIRE FIRE LIFE SAFETY, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THE SPRINKLE SYSTEM, THE JET FANS, EVERYTHING IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON THAT RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.

AND THEN, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL O OPPORTUNITIES UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR, UM, FOR A CAP OR A STITCH.

DID SOMEBODY DOWN THERE HAVE A QUESTION? NO.

UM, SO 170,000 ISH CARS, TRUCKS, AND BUSES ON A 35 EVERY DAY.

HOW LONG IS THE PROJECT PROJECTED TO LAST? SO WE RECEIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE IN, UH, 23.

UH, THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL'S THE FIRST THING TO HAPPEN.

SO THAT'S NO ROADWAY WORK YET.

IN 24, THE ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION WOULD START IN 26.

UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY PER, WE, WE ARE ALMOST DONE PROCURING OUR, OUR TEAMS FOR THE DESIGN OF THE ROADWAY.

SO WE'D BE ABLE TO HAVE BETTER ANSWERS ON THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE.

UH, BUT SIX OR EIGHT YEARS RIGHT NOW WHILE WE'RE AT SCHEMATIC LEVEL IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO EIGHT YEARS POTENTIALLY .

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, APPRECIATE IT.

UM, GO AHEAD.

OH, SORRY.

OH, I THOUGHT YOU SAID YEAH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UM, I SAW THAT YOU HAD THE LIGHT RAIL, UH, AND YOUR RENDERINGS.

HOW CLOSELY HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH PROJECT CONNECT? SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, AT P AND AND THE CITY.

SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN ENTITIES WE'VE BEEN, UH, COORDINATING WITH.

UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY ALSO MET WITH CAP METRO, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S, UH, RAILROAD CLEARANCE AS PART OF OUR PROJECT.

AND SO WE WANNA BE IN CLOSE COORDINATION, UH, WITH THEM WITH THE FOURTH STREET RED LINE AND THE AIRPORT RED LINE, WHICH ARE CROSSINGS THAT WILL BE THERE WHEN WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

UH, THE BLUE LINE, NOT AS MUCH A PART OF THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S IN THE FUTURE, BUT IN OUR STRUCTURE WE ACCOMMODATE FOR IT.

SO WITH THAT IN MIND, IF THE BLUE LINE EVER GETS BUILT, UM, WOULD IT NOT BE BETTER TO GO AHEAD AND PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO BACK AT SOME POINT IN TIME AND RETROFIT THE BRIDGE, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN DESIGNED TO CARRY IT.

UM, CERTAINLY, UH, THAT, THAT IS, UH, AN OPTION AS PART OF OUR STRUCTURE.

WE SIMPLY HAVE THE, THE SPACE THAT ACCOMMODATES FOR IT.

BUT I DON'T SEE WHY THAT WOULDN'T BE AN OPTION.

I JUST, YEAH, IT WOULD SEEM TO BE SAVING COSTS IN THE LONG RUN.

SURE.

AND IF IT NEVER GETS USED, IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THE BRIDGE IS STILL THERE.

AND YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT HOW LONG THE PROJECT LASTS.

SO, RIGHT.

JUST A THOUGHT.

SO WHAT IS THE TRAFFIC DISRUPTION ON I 35 OR THE ANTICIPATED TRAFFIC DISRUPTION?

[00:55:02]

I, I WANNA KNOW HOW THAT, I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT SIX YEARS OF TRAFFIC DISRUPTION ON I 35.

NOT THAT IT NECESSARILY WOULD BE ANY WORSE THAN THE BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT MM-HMM.

, I'M JUST WONDERING.

BUT, BUT IT WILL BE.

SO, UH, PART OF THAT, UH, AS WE GO INTO FURTHER DESIGN IS THE PHASING OF CONSTRUCTION.

UH, THERE'S MULTIPLE PHASES, AND IN THAT THOUGHT IS TO BUILD PARTS OF THE PROJECT THAT MINIMIZE THE IMPACT.

UH, THERE, THERE IS A RECOGNITION THAT THERE IS AN IMPACT TO TRAFFIC.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO, UH, MAINTAINING, UH, I THINK IT'S TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC IN THE, IT'S EITHER TWO OR THREE.

UH, I CAN GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT, ON, IN THE NORTH SOUTH DIRECTION ON 35 FOR THE ENTIRETY OF CONSTRUCTION COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THAT TRAFFIC AS PART OF OUR PHASING.

ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE ARE GONNA, UH, TRY TO GO TO BID IN THE SPRING IS THE MLK BRIDGE, AND THAT'S THE VEHICULAR BRIDGE WITH THE ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.

UH, WE WANNA DO THAT IN, IN ADVANCE.

UM, WHILE IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC LOCATION, UH, IT IT'S A KEY EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY LOCATION TO BUILD IN ADVANCE OF THE CORRIDOR TO HAVE THAT EAST WEST DONE.

ESSENTIALLY.

IT GIVES FOLKS AN IDEA OF WHAT THE FUTURE WILL LOOK LIKE.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.

TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL ON THE CABINET STITCH COMPONENT OVER THE PROPOSED I 35 EXPANSION.

ALRIGHT, UH, NOW WE GET TO HEAR ABOUT CAPTAIN STE.

WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM

[4. Approve a recommendation to Council on the Cap & Stitch component over the proposed I-35 expansion. Presentation to be given by Susan Daniels of City of Austin Transportation and Public Works Department. ]

UH, THE PRESENTATION IS BY SUSAN DANIELS.

WELCOME, SUSAN.

GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.

UM, SUSAN DANIELS, I'M WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

I ALSO HAVE ERIC BOCK WHO IS HERE, UM, FROM A TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.

AND THEN WE'LL BOTH BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS.

UM, WANTED TO JUST THANK TOMMY TO GOING BEFORE ME AND PRESENTATION BECAUSE HE SAID A GREAT CONTEXT, UH, FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR WITH THE, THE CAPTAIN STITCH EFFORT ITSELF.

AND LET ME MAKE SURE I'M DOING THESE SLIDES CORRECTLY.

LONGER, BIGGER, UM, LIDS THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON AND STITCHES A BIT MORE ABOUT THE CONNECTIVITY EAST AND WEST.

UM, SO WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT, FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATIONAL NATURE OF WHAT THE CAP AND STITCH PROGRAM CAN PROVIDE FOR AUSTIN.

UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, CAPS OVER THE FREEWAY FOR QUITE AN EXTENSIVE LENGTH OF, OF AREA.

UH, WE HAVE CAP OPPORTUNITIES, UH, ONE THAT'S SOUTH OF THE RIVER, TOMMY MENTIONED AT WOODLAND AVENUE.

WE HAVE CAPS THROUGHOUT THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA AT UT AND THEN, UM, NORTH OF THAT AS WELL.

AND REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS SIGNIFICANT.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES ACROSS THE NATION WHO ARE LOOKING TO DO CAPS AS WELL.

A LOT OF PROJECTS HAVE GONE IN THAT ARE MUCH SMALLER, BUT THERE, THERE ARE NEIGHBORING, UM, CITIES LIKE DALLAS WHO HAVE PROJECTS IN CLYDE WARREN PARK THAT THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY.

UM, JUST FOR A SCALE PURPOSES, CLYDE WARREN PARK IS FIVE ACRES.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT MANY, MANY, MANY MORE ACRES THAN THAT FOR CAPS AND STITCH OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN AUSTIN.

AND TXDOT IS LOOKING, YOU KNOW, THEY CONTINUE TO REFINE WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING BACK AND FORTH FOR QUITE A WHILE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SETTING EACH AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT MIGHT EXIST.

UM, SO REALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE OTHER PROJECTS.

YOU KNOW, CLYDE WARREN, THERE'S A PROJECT IN DENVER, PHOENIX, WASHINGTON, DC UM, I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE, THE BEST EXAMPLES IS PROBABLY THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY IN BOSTON.

UM, IT IS ALSO A VERY SIGNIFICANT, UM, CAP AND STITCH EFFORT, UM, IN THAT CITY.

AND IT'S ONE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO.

AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, I HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

UM, TOMMY ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE CAPEX CENTRAL PROJECT, AND REALLY IT IS THE BASIS UPON WHICH WE GET TO BUILD, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS BECAUSE OF TEXT DOT LOWERING THE MAIN LANES THAT GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SEIZE ON THAT TO REALLY CREATE A BETTER PUBLIC SPACE, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THOSE CAPS AND STITCHES ARE.

UM, I THINK TOMMY GAVE A GREAT OVERVIEW.

A LOT OF HIS RENDERINGS SHOWED WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE ADJACENT TO THE HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT REALLY THE CAPS ARE THOSE

[01:00:01]

SO THIS IS JUST A CLOSEUP OF, UH, KIND OF THAT DOWNTOWN NEAR EAST AUSTIN AREA.

AND THIS SHOWS, UM, THE ALTERNATIVE THREE, THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT.

AND IT SHOWS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAPS, UM, OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE'RE KIND OF REFINING HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY AT HOLLY STREET, UM, AND THEN FROM CAESAR CHAVEZ ALL THE WAY UP TO EIGHTH, POTENTIALLY UP TO NINTH STREET, WHERE WE CAN MAKE A BETTER CONNECTION WHERE THE HILL GOES WAY UP.

UM, AND WE THINK WE CAN DO THAT, UH, BETTER WITH A CAP THAN SIMPLY HAVING A BIKE AND PED BRIDGE CONNECTING OVER.

UM, THERE'S ALSO SOME OPPORTUNITIES AT 11TH AND 12TH AND, UM, ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ELSEWHERE.

THIS IS REALLY BUSY, BUT I, WHAT I REALLY WANT YOU TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, OUR EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITIES, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE HAVE THE MOST KNOWNS ABOUT THE CAF OPPORTUNITIES KIND OF IN THAT WOODLAND TO 12TH AREA.

UM, SO WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF OUR TIME, UH, ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.

UM, UT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY FROM 15TH STREET UP TO DEAN KEATON TO DO CAPS THERE.

AND THEN FURTHER NORTH OF UT THERE'S ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY.

AND, UH, BOTH THE CITY AND TEX O HAVE BEEN REALLY STUDYING THIS AND TAKING A LITTLE BIT EXTRA TIME ON THIS NORTHERN STRETCH TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH WHAT, WHAT THOSE, UM, POSSIBILITIES ARE.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S COMING OUT OF THAT ANALYSIS, UM, PRETTY SOON.

UM, BUT THAT IS ONGOING.

AND, AND SO WE ARE DOING SOME OF OUR ENGAGEMENT IN PHASES.

SO THERE'S A LOT PACKED INTO A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.

UM, OBVIOUSLY A, A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT AND THIS ONLY COMES AROUND ONCE IN A GENERATION.

UM, AND WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.

SO THERE'S THE CAPS AND STITCHES THEMSELVES, BUT PROJECTS LIKE THIS HAVE A MUCH GREATER REACH.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THOSE POTENTIAL IMPACTS, WHAT ARE THOSE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, WHAT MITIGATION MIGHT NEED TO BE DONE, REALLY LOOKING, UM, FAR BEYOND JUST THE CORRIDOR ITSELF.

AND SO THIS KIND OF OUTLINES SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS WHAT A VISION, WHAT OUR FRAMEWORK MIGHT BE TO MOVE A PROJECT FORWARD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, WE'RE DIVING INTO EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT, UM, AS A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE CAPS CAN ALSO ACCOMMODATE AND BE MINDFUL OF, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT MIGHT OCCUR, AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT IN A VERY EQUITABLE WAY.

UH, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING TO DO A EQUITABLE MOBILITY STUDY, UM, THAT WILL HAPPEN IN 2024, UH, BUT, BUT REALLY, UM, LOOKING DEEPER INTO WHAT CAN HAPPEN.

WHERE DO PEOPLE WANT TO TRAVEL? WHAT ARE THESE AMAZING ASSETS THAT WE HAVE ON EITHER SIDE? UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE ON THE DOWNTOWN SIDE, JUST A STONES THROWAWAY.

WE'VE GOT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND IT'S REDEVELOPMENT HAPPENING.

WE'VE GOT, UM, THE PALM DISTRICT, UM, STUDY AND, AND ANALYSIS AND FUTURE PLANNING THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.

WE HAVE ALL OF THE WORK OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY, UH, THAT PAR WATERSHED AND, UM, UH, THE CONSERVANCY ARE DOING.

AND SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ACTIVITY ON THE DOWNTOWN SIDE.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, A LOT OF HISTORY, A LOT OF SERVICES, UM, BOTH ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE.

SO WE'VE GOT THE MAC, WE'VE GOT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UM, HERITAGE AND CULTURAL CENTER.

WE'VE GOT, UH, SIX SQUARE.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, UM, VERY VITAL ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO TIE INTO AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF AND ARE ABLE TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO THE CAPS, UM, VERY SEAMLESSLY.

SO, OF COURSE, A PROJECT LIKE THIS, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF PLANNING COMPONENTS.

WE HAVE IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING, WE HAVE PHASING, WE HAVE FUNDING THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.

WE HAVE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

[01:05:01]

THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.

SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AND, AND, UH, TRYING TO, TO WEAVE ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS TOGETHER.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS GOES IN, UH, INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE TYPES OF MULTIFACETED NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.

THIS IS AN IMAGE OF THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY IN BOSTON.

UM, AND YOU CAN SEE KIND OF HOW THE, THE HIGHWAY SITS WITHIN.

IT KIND OF GOES UNDERNEATH AND THROUGH, BUT REALLY WHEN YOU'RE, UM, A PEDESTRIAN AND YOU'RE IN THAT DOWNTOWN SITUATION, UM, THE HIGHWAY IS MUCH SECONDARY TO THE, THE FACILITIES THEMSELVES THAT ARE AT GRADE.

SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, ASPECTS IN THIS IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING, UH, WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS THINKING, WHAT THE COMMUNITY DESIRES.

AND, UH, WE WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH YOU, ONE OF YOUR, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS IS A PART OF.

UH, SO WE, WE THANK HER FOR THAT SERVICE.

US.

KIND OF LOOKING BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT, UM, THIS EFFORT FOR CAP AND STITCH DIDN'T ORIGINATE WITH THE CITY.

IT DIDN'T ORIGINATE WITH TDOT.

UM, IT REALLY WAS BORN OUT OF A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS HAVING, THE COMMUNITY LOOKING AT WHAT TDOT WAS DOING, LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, AND REALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING MORE HERE.

AND SO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE BROUGHT A LOT OF FOLKS TOGETHER.

THEY, THEY CREATED SOME ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, AND THEY, THEY CREATED A STEERING COMMITTEE.

UM, THEY ALSO BROUGHT EXPERTS INTO TOWN TO EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? CAN THE CITY, SHOULD THE CITY DO THIS? AND SO ALL OF THOSE EFFORTS WERE REALLY BUILDING UPON, UM, AND, AND TRYING TO BRING THAT COMMUNITY TO LIGHT AND HEAR ALL OF THEIR VOICES.

AND SO, WANTING TO JUST EMPHASIZE HERE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY.

AND I, I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE IS NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE A MISSION FOR WHAT THEIR ROLE IS, BUT ALSO A VISION STATEMENT.

AND I THINK THIS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH ASPIRATIONAL TO WHAT SHOULD THIS CAPTAINS STITCH PROGRAM ULTIMATELY BE? AND I, I WON'T READ IT HERE, BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO, UM, GO BACK AND READ IT, YOU KNOW, NOW OR AT ANOTHER TIME.

SO, THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UM, HAS PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE VISION AND MISSION AND GOALS ARE, GOALS, AND IN ORDER TO CAPTURE ALL THE, THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE REALLY KINDA SIFTED ALL OF THAT, UM, INPUT THAT WE HAD RECEIVED FROM PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.

WHAT ARE THEY HEARING, WHAT HAVE, UM, WE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND REALLY SIFTED THAT INTO THESE SIX PRIMARY GOALS.

AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE USING AS OUR NORTH STAR.

SO AS WE GO ALONG, WE'RE GONNA BE ALWAYS REFERENCING BACK TO ARE WE MEETING THE, UH, DESIRES OF THE COMMUNITY? ARE WE MEETING THESE GOALS? UH, THIS IS SOME OF OUR, UM, ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DID.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY LAST SUMMER.

UH, IT WAS A VERY PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR US.

IT WAS A GREAT AND FUN EVENT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF FUN TO LOOK BACK AT WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO AND, AND WHERE WE ARE COMING UP VERY, VERY SHORTLY.

AND SO I'M EXCITED TO BRING SOME OF THOSE UPCOMING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO YOU.

SOME OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, IN THE MEANTIME IS REALLY TRYING TO DIG IN AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO WHILE THE BIG OPEN HOUSE EVENTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, UM, IT'S HARDER TO HEAR INDIVIDUAL VOICES IN THAT TYPE OF FORMAT.

SO WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TALKING VERY DIRECTLY WITH SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

UM, OF COURSE, OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

THOSE ARE OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, CAPITAL METRO, UM, AND MANY OTHER, UH, FOLKS WHO HAVE THAT, THAT TECHNICAL BACKGROUND TO, TO BRING TO BEAR.

UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE BEEN TALKING TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE WAY, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, LOCATION BASED AND CONTEXT BASED.

UH, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE AT HOLLY MIGHT BE VERY DIFFERENT TO WHAT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE AT 11TH AND 12TH STREET.

AND SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES, WHAT THE HISTORY IS, THE CULTURE IS, WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT.

UM, SO WE'RE BRINGING ALL OF THAT FORWARD, UM, INTO OUR CONCEPT DESIGNS.

[01:10:03]

UM, TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.

SO I WANNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME HERE TALKING IN A BIT MORE DETAIL.

UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID WAS REALIZE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS TO EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.

AND WE NEEDED TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR PROJECT? AND WORKING WITH THE, THE STEERING COMMITTEE REALLY CAME UP WITH WHAT THE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, SO THAT CREATES A BASIS FOR OUR WORK ON EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.

AND FROM THERE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOME DIFFERENT STRATEGIES.

WE HAVE SIX DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE AS WE GO.

UM, EVERYTHING FROM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, INTEGRATION OF ART, MUSIC, PERFORMANCE, UM, RETAIL.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT KIND OF RETAIL CORRIDORS, UM, HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH ON CORRIDOR AND OFF CORRIDOR.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HOW DO WE PRESERVE, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH, UH, AFFORDABILITY FOR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

UM, REALLY LOOKING AT DEVELOPMENT CLUSTERS AND WHAT OPEN SPACES COULD DO TO, UM, BALANCE OUT, UH, DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN ALSO, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, COMMUNITY CA CAPACITY BUILDING.

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE VERY FOUNDATIONAL IN ORDER TO, TO CREATE A, A PROJECT OR REALLY A PROGRAM OF PROJECTS THAT ALL WORK TOGETHER THAT HOPEFULLY GIVE THE BEST BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO BRING US THINGS LIKE ECONOMIC VITALITY AS WELL.

UM, SO SOME OF THE UPCOMING STUDIES, SO I TALKED, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EQUITABLE MOBILITY, AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA LOOK AT THERE.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA LOOK AT, AT WHERE DO WE NEED TO CONNECT, HOW DO WE NEED TO CONNECT? UH, WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF FOLKS TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH BY DIFFERENT MODES? UM, LOOKING AT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE TO, TO DO THAT EFFECTIVELY.

UM, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO WORK WITH CAPITAL METRO TOO, UH, TO SEE HOW CAN WE SERVE THE NEW CAPS AND THE FUNCTIONS THAT WILL COME AND GET PEOPLE, UM, BACK AND FORTH TO THESE DESTINATIONS.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AND WORKING WITH THEM ON, UH, TRANSIT SERVICE, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE E T O D EFFORT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN GOING ON WITH PROJECT CONNECT THAT THE CITY'S BEEN BUILDING A TOOL, TOOL KIT FOR, UH, WE HAVE THE RED LINE CROSSING.

WE HAVE, UM, UH, PROJECT CONNECT THAT COMES RIGHT NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.

ALL OF THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE WORKING TOGETHER, AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO LEARN, UM, A BIT MORE FROM THOSE EFFORTS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ALONG THE CAP AND STITCH, UM, IN THAT REGARD.

COUPLE OTHER THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITABLE MOBILITY, UH, AND HIGHWAYS.

SO ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS WE GET IS, WHAT IS AIR QUALITY? DO WE WANNA PE PUT PEOPLE NEAR THE HIGHWAY? AND, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME REALLY LOOKING AT THAT.

WE KNOW THAT HIGHWAYS, UH, HAVE A LOT OF CONCRETE, HOW DO WE CREATE SHADE? HOW DO WE CREATE, UH, YOU KNOW, LESSEN THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT? AND SO ALL OF THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF, UH, WHAT WE DIVE DEEPLY INTO, UM, MOSTLY INTO NEXT YEAR.

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF THE WORK TO COME.

FUNDING STRATEGIES.

THIS IS ONE OF THE FAVORITE QUESTIONS THAT WE ALWAYS GET, IS HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND THIS.

AND, UH, THE, THE QUICK ANSWER IS IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES.

WE HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT THIS FROM MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

WE HAVE THE CAPITAL COST OF ACTUALLY PAYING FOR THE CAP STRUCTURES, PAYING FOR THE AMENITIES ON TOP.

UH, WE NEED ONGOING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

UM, WE WANT THESE CAPS TO BE ACTIVATED, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE A, A VERY VITAL LIFE AND, UM, SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL.

SO NOT ONLY ARE WE LOOKING AT THE TRADITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR SUCH THINGS, YOU KNOW, UM, BOND PROGRAMS OR ARE, YOU KNOW, VOTER APPROVED OR NON-VOTER APPROVED DEBT.

BUT THEN ALSO, UH, CAPS LIKE THIS ARE ALWAYS HAVE A WHOLE VARIETY OF, OF SOURCES WHAT MIGHT VALUE CAPTURE LOOK LIKE.

CAN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BE A PART OF THIS? UM, OTHER PARKS LIKE CLYDE WARREN PARK, OBVIOUSLY NAMED, UM, UH, AFTER, UH, ACTUALLY THE SON OF THE GENTLEMAN WHO, UH, DONATED, UH, THE MONEY FOR THE PARK AND GOT THOSE NAMING RIGHTS.

AND AS WELL

[01:15:01]

AS SPONSORSHIPS, PHILANTHROPY, ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE WEAVING TOGETHER TO CREATE A WHOLE FUNDING STACK.

WE ARE ALSO GOING AFTER FEDERAL GRANTS.

UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT.

UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH, UH, A LARGE DOLLAR TAG HERE.

UH, WE'RE, WE'RE RELYING ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SEE IF WE'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY DIRECT FUNDING FROM THEM.

UH, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING A COUPLE OF PLANNING GRANTS, VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THESE DOLLARS.

THESE, THESE DOLLARS IN PARTICULAR HELP US LOOK NOT, NOT ONLY ON WHAT HAPPENS ON THE CAPS AND STITCHES THEMSELVES, BUT REALLY COMMUNITY-WIDE.

HOW DO WE LOOK OUTSIDE OF JUST THE BOUNDARY OF I 35? UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, UH, FEDERAL FINANCING OPTIONS.

THERE'S BIG GRANT PROGRAMS LIKE THE MEGA GRANT AND INFRA GRANT AND RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES, AND THE LIST GOES ON.

UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE.

SO, UH, LET'S TURN NOW TO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP AND HOW CAN YOU ALL GET INVOLVED? UH, WE DO HAVE FOCUS GROUPS THAT WE, WE INTEND TO DO IN, UH, KIND OF THE AUGUST, AUGUST SEP, OR LATE, LET'S SEE, SEPTEMBER.

SO YEAH, LATE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME.

WE HAVEN'T PINNED DOWN THE DATE SPECIFICALLY ON THIS YET, BUT WE DO WANT HONE IN.

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT AND GETTING A LOT OF INPUT KIND OF LOCATION BASED.

NOW WE NEED TO THINK MORE TOPIC BASED.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE LIST HERE OF SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO REALLY WORK THROUGH TO INFORM THE TYPES OF, OF CONCEPTS THAT WE MIGHT BRING FORWARD.

UM, AND TO ALSO INFORM, UM, ULTIMATELY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON THESE CALVES.

SO SEPTEMBER, STAY TUNED.

SEPTEMBER IS WHEN, UM, WE HOPE TO HAVE A SERIES OF OPEN HOUSES.

THESE WILL BE CITYWIDE.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO PLAN OUT HOW MANY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, BUT PRIMARILY LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE MAYBE A, A NORTH, SOUTH CENTRAL OR, OR A COUPLE OF THEM.

NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO DOWNTOWN.

UM, WE MIGHT DO ONE IN THE EVENING AND ONE ON A WEEKEND.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN AND MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO COME.

UM, AGAIN, JUST A SHOUT OUT TO OUR PARTNERS.

WE CAN NOT DO THIS WITHOUT, UM, MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN IT.

TDOT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNER.

THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS A CONTINUED PARTNER.

UM, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WELL.

AND LEAST, BUT NOT LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS OUR STEERING COMMITTEE.

UM, THEY REALLY HELP, UH, GROUND US AND, UH, KEEP US ON TRACK, AND THEY CALL US OUT WHEN WE'RE NOT ON TRACK.

AND SO THAT'S A REALLY VITAL ROLE FOR OUR STEERING COMMITTEE TO PLAY.

AND THAT'S ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS.

HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, SUSAN.

QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? I HAVE A COUPLE.

COMMISSIONER SHERMAN, I, SO ON THE MAP, NOT ALL OF THE GREEN IS ACTUAL PARK, RIGHT? CORRECT.

THAT'S, THAT INDICATES THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CAP.

WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AND SO OUR OPPORTUNITY NOW IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO PUT ON TOP.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN PUT PARK LIKE AMENITIES THERE.

WE CAN ALSO PUT SOME BUILDINGS.

AND SO IT REALLY IS, WHAT IS THAT RIGHT MIX? AND, AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS DIFFERENT FOR EACH CAP LOCATION.

UM, AND I'M SORRY.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

AND THE, AND THE, WHEN YOU SAY, UM, BUILDINGS ON THE CAP, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT OFFICE SPACES, APARTMENTS? WOULD IT BE JOINT EFFORTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE, AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT? HOW WOULD THAT WORK? ANY AND ALL OF THAT, ACTUALLY, IT'S ALL BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION SO FAR.

UM, ANY AND ALL OF THAT, UM, IT'S ALL BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION SO FAR.

WE'VE, UM, TALKED ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, RETAIL BUSINESSES THERE, TALKED ABOUT, UH, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, CITY SPACE THERE, UM, PARKS AND SPLASH PADS FOR KIDS.

AND IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE FUNDING WE GET AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY DECIDES.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT ALL OF THESE OPEN HOUSES AND, AND STEERING COMMITTEES ARE ALL ABOUT.

I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET INVOLVED.

I'VE REALLY ENJOYED THE TIME I'VE SPENT ON THIS.

BUT AGAIN, NOT ALL OF THE GREEN AREA IS GONNA BE PARKLAND OR JUST JUST AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

SOME OF IT'S GONNA BE PRI PRIVATELY, UH, AT LEAST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, MAYBE PRIVATELY OWNED, PRIVATELY OPERATED FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPMENT.

CORRECT.

[01:20:01]

UM, NONE OF THAT HAS BEEN DECIDED.

SO WE DO WANT TO, UM, AS A, A FUNDING STRATEGY, BE ABLE TO HAVE PARTNER.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A PARTNER MIGHT BRING TO THE TABLE.

UM, THE IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO, TO BALANCE ALL OF THAT OUT.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE, UH, VERSUS THE REVENUE THAT WE NEED TO GENERATE IN, IN ORDER TO BRING IT TO FRUITION.

SO I LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU SAID THAT COMMISSIONER, NOTHING'S OFF THE TABLE.

AND SO ALL OF THAT IS PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT'S ONGOING.

AND I GUESS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT WOULD BE, WHEN YOU SAY VALUE CAPTURE, ONE OF THE BENEFITS WOULD BE TAX BASE INCREASE AND, UM, BEING ABLE TO BRING MORE TAX REVENUE INTO THE CITY, POSSIBLY.

WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, WE'RE ANALYZING THAT RIGHT NOW.

WE DON'T KNOW, UM, JUST YET, UM, KIND OF WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DIVING INTO.

SINCE DIFFERENT FORMS OF CAP, WHETHER IT'S A BUILD OUT OR IT, IT'S PARKLAND OF SOME FORM OR JUST A DECK ALL REQUIRES DIFFERENT ENGINEERING.

AND GIVEN THE TIMELINE THAT TXDOT HAS FOR THE PROJECT, HOW SOON DO DECISIONS, AND I REALIZE THAT SOME OF IT IS DEPENDENT UPON MONEY THAT COMES FROM WHATEVER SOURCE, BUT IN ORDER TO STREAMLINE THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN PROCESS FOR THE I 35 PROJECT, WHEN DO WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WILL GO WHERE ON THE CAP? YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

SO RIGHT NOW, AS TSOS DOING THEIR EARLY PLANNING, WE'VE BEEN ALREADY WORKING WITH THEM ON THE CAP STRUCTURES, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN, WHAT IS THE FIRE LIFE SAFETY COMPONENTS THAT, UH, TOMMY ALGO TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.

UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THAT STRUCTURAL CAPACITY IS.

WE'RE DOING SOME ANALYSIS ON WHAT SIZE AND SCALE AND USE OF BUILDINGS COULD BE, UM, COULD BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM.

UM, SOME OF THE KEY DECISION POINTS, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT TYPES OF USES CAN AND CAN'T, UH, BE INCLUDED.

UH, WE'RE WORKING, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE AN AIRSPACE LEASE AGREEMENT, RIGHT? SO TDOT'S THE OWNER OF THE, THE CORRIDOR, AND WE WOULD BE LEASING SPACE, UM, FROM THEM.

AND SO PART OF THAT AGREEMENT WILL START TO ARTICULATE WHAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE.

BUT THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE INFORMED BY THE COMMUNITY AND BY US AS TO, TO WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, OF KEY TIMEFRAMES COMING UP, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WITH, UH, THE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO GO ABOUT CONSTRUCTING THIS.

UH, THE VERTICAL COMPONENTS LIKE COLUMNS, WALLS, FOOTINGS, THOSE ARE REALLY GREAT THINGS TO GET THE, UM, CONTRACTOR FOR THE HIGHWAY PROJECT TO PUT IN.

UM, POTENTIALLY EVEN THE, THE GIRDERS AND THE, THE LIDS THEMSELVES, THE DECKS.

UM, SO IT REALLY IS, UM, LOOKING AT, WELL, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN? AND, UH, KIND OF BUILDING THOSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

THE CAP STRUCTURES THEMSELVES REALLY ARE THE FIRST PRIORITY.

UM, THE MORE THAT WE CAN SECURE THE CAP STRUCTURE COMPONENT, THE MORE THE REST, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE STARTS TO FALL INTO PLACE.

UM, IF WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME STRUCTURAL CAPACITY, THEN UM, PARTNERSHIPS BECOME MORE REAL.

UM, WHAT HAPPENS ON TOP OF THEM BECOMES MORE REAL AS WELL.

AND SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, OF KEY, UH, DATES THERE OVER THE NEXT, UH, LET'S SAY 18 MONTHS, UM, TO REALLY DIVE IN AND KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW WE'RE GONNA APPROACH THE, THE CAP STRUCTURES AND HOW MIGHT WE FUND THEM.

ME TALK TO EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.

AND LET'S, UM, AND I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION, BUT LET'S LOOK AT A BASELINE FOR A CAB.

LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT IT'S SOME SORT OF OPEN SPACE PARKLAND COMPARABLE TO WHAT CLIVE WAR THEY DID WITH CLAUDE WARDEN MM-HMM.

, WHICH IS MAGNIFICENT ONE.

HAVE Y'ALL MET WITH THE TEAM THAT DID CLYDE HORN? SO WE KNOW THE PITFALLS, THE PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT HAVING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, NUMBER ONE.

AND NUMBER TWO, DO WE HAVE A, A BASELINE COST FOR THE FIVE ACRES OF CLY WARREN AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT IN INCREMENTALLY ACROSS THE CAP HERE? YEAH.

SO DOES, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? LET

[01:25:01]

SO, UM, TALKING ABOUT OTHER EXAMPLES AND CLYDE WARREN BEING, BEING ONE OF THEM, YES, IT'S BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO GO AND HAVE DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, BOTH THE FOUNDATION THAT OPERATES AND MAINTAINS, BUT ALSO, UM, THE CITY OFFICIALS WHO ARE PART OF THAT PROCESS AND, AND CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THAT PROCESS.

UM, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE CONSULTANTS WHO WERE ON THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR CONSULTANT TEAM AS WELL.

AND SO THAT'S BEEN A GREAT BENEFIT TO US BECAUSE THEY CAN TALK ABOUT NOT ONLY WHAT THEY DID ON CLYDE WARREN, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY DID AT THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY PROJECT THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW, UH, NEXT TO THE DALLAS ZOO OVER I 35.

UM, WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO OTHER CITIES WHO ARE LOOKING AT THESE AS WELL, UH, TRYING TO GET, UH, MEETING TOGETHER WITH EL PASO, WHO'S ALSO LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR.

SO IT'S, IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HAVE THOSE LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, REALLY LOOKING AT HOW DID PEOPLE GO ABOUT IT? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE LESSONS? UM, HOW CAN WE SHARE INFORMATION TOGETHER? UM, CLYDE WARREN, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW THE, THE NUMBERS EXACTLY, I CAN'T REMEMBER THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT OUR, OUR VERY INITIAL COST ESTIMATES WERE BASED ON, ON CLYDE WARREN AND SOUTHERN GATEWAY AS EXAMPLES.

AND SO THAT REALLY, UM, GAVE US A GOOD BASELINE, UM, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT WHERE WE THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 15 ACRES, UM, SINCE THAT TIME.

UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY UNDER A PROCESS RIGHT NOW, UH, LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL CAPS, THAT SPACE THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, KIND OF AUSTIN CONDITIONS AND, UH, COST ESCALATION SINCE, SINCE CLYDE WARREN WAS BUILT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT COST ESTIMATE LOOK LIKE NOW? AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PROCESS AND WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN THE FALL.

UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS? I I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UM, ON SLIDE FIVE, YOU OUTLINE ALL THE POTENTIAL, UH, CAP SPACES.

WHAT PERCENTAGE DO YOU THINK IS REALISTIC IN TERMS OF, OF, OF THE CAPS THAT, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET FROM THIS PLAN AS FAR AS WHICH ONES DO YOU THINK MIGHT COME TO FRUITION? IS THAT WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS? MY QUESTION IS, IS MORE ASKING YOU, AND IF YOU CAN'T GIVE IT, THAT'S FINE.

JUST AN ESTIMATE.

OUT OF ALL THE CAPS, UM, OUTLINED ON SLIDE FIVE, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS LIKELY TO COME TO FRUITION? I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT YET, CUZ WE'RE REALLY IN THE DISCOVERY PHASE AND, UM, REALLY IS A, A FUNCTION OF WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY, WHAT PARTNERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING ON, AND WHAT'S THE APPETITE, WHAT, WHAT, UM, MIGHT THE CITY BE ABLE TO DO.

UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, EVERYBODY'S WORKING TOGETHER AND NOT JUST THE CITY OF BOSTON, BUT UT AS WELL.

AND HOW CAN WE CREATE, YOU KNOW, REALLY A, A CONTINUATION OR, UH, KIND OF A, A PEARL STRING OF PEARLS OF CAPS UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR.

UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT GET BUILT AND WHAT NOT, MIGHT NOT.

UM, THAT'S ALL PART OF KIND OF AN IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING PROCESS, UH, THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH.

AND ALSO REALLY A FUNCTION OF, UM, UH, DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON.

IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY.

MAY I SAY, UM, MS. DANIELS, IS MY MIC ON TAP IT? NO, NO.

UH, MS. DANIELS, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CAPTAIN STITCH HAS EVOLVED.

IT SEEMS LIKE INITIALLY IT'S VERY CONTENTIOUS AND, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE NOW WE'VE, YOU KNOW, MANY PARTIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER AND I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S, UM, EFFORTS ON THAT.

I'M NOT SURE, UM, HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE EFFORT, BUT KUDOS TO YOU FOR, FOR HELPING THIS EVOLVE TO THIS POINT.

UM, I WANTED TO SHARE OF TWO SMALL FUNDING SOURCES.

THAT COULD BE HELPFUL.

LIKE THAT BEING EXPLORED FOR POTENTIAL CAPS? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.

UM, RAILS TO TRAILS, UM, SMALLER, NOT-FOR-PROFIT, BUT IT'S COULD BE HELPFUL.

UM, AND THEN I KNOW TEXTS THIS MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE RELEVANT.

I KNOW TEXTS DOT WHEN BRIDGES ARE NO LONGER SERVICEABLE OR THEY NEED IMPROVEMENT, SOMETIMES THEY WILL GIVE BRIDGES AWAY FOR FREE.

UM, IS THAT, ARE ANY EXISTING TECH DOT RESOURCES

[01:30:01]

UM, IT'S VERY MUCH A FUNCTION OF HOW THE, THE CAPS CAN FIT WITHIN THE OVERALL HIGHWAY DESIGN.

SO MY ASSUMPTION MAYBE UNVERIFIED IS THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY DIFFICULT THING TO DO ON THE SCALE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

UH, MIGHT BE BETTER FOR LIKE A SMALLER, UH, BRIDGE OPPORTUNITY SOMEWHERE.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO AND, AND CERTAINLY ANY IDEA IS A GOOD IDEA THAT WE SHOULD BE, BE SEARCHING FOR.

ARE YOU TALKING LIKE A WARREN TRESS BRIDGE THAT'S BEEN TAKEN OUTTA SERVICE TO BE USED FOR BIPED OR SOMETHING? SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YEAH, LIKE, UH, SOMETIMES, UM, A TRESTLE BRIDGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, MAYBE IT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT AND INSTEAD OF IMPROVEMENT MM-HMM.

OR THE CAPACITY HAS INCREASED, UH, FOR THAT ROADWAY.

SO INSTEAD OF JUST DESTROYING IT, UH, SOMETIMES TEXDOT WILL, UH, JUST GIVE IT TO A NEW HOME IF, IF SOMEONE COMES UP WITH A PURPOSE FOR IT, UM, AND TO YOUR POINT ON FOR A BIKE PATH OR, OR SOMETHING WHERE IT'S A LOWER LOAD MM-HMM.

, THAT COULD EASILY BE PUT INTO PLACE POTENTIALLY.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS IN URBANISTS ON, UH, IN AUGUST FOR FEEDBACK.

UM, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE VERY MUCH AT A KIND OF FEASIBILITY STAND, UH, POINT IN, IN THE PROCESS.

UM, I'M CHAIR OF DESIGN COMMISSION AND I JUST WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO, TO SHARE WITH DESIGN COMMISSION.

IT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE ONCE YOU GUYS HAVE FIGURED OUT THE SCOPE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

UM, BUT WE'VE, WE'RE UPDATING OUR URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, THIS YEAR.

HOPEFULLY THEY'RE ADOPTED MAYBE SOMETIME EARLY NEXT YEAR.

UM, SO IN THE FUTURE, I, I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN STAY IN CONTACT.

YEAH, WE WOULD LOVE TO COME AND, AND HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMISSION AS WELL.

UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT ON INCORPORATING EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S SUCH AN, A BIG AND DIFFICULT DISCUSSION, UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BEING INCORPORATED.

THAT PROJECT IS SO EARLY IN CONSIDERATION AND YOUR PROJECT IS SO EARLY IN CONSIDERATION, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR COLLABORATION IS GREAT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, UM, MAYBE A COUPLE OF MY THOUGHTS.

SO A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND ONE THAT WE, WE REALLY NEED TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION, UM, NOT JUST RIGHT NOW IN THE EARLY PLANNING STAGES, BUT REALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MIKE.

UM, AND I FORGOT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM IT SO FAR.

BUT GOING BACK TO ONE THING YOU SAID, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFICATION.

UM, DID YOU SAY THAT THE CITY WOULD NEED TO ACQUIRE AIR RIGHTS FROM TEXDOT IN ORDER TO REALLY DO ANYTHING CAP, UH, OR ON TOP OF THE CAP OR WHATEVER YOU CAN ACTUALLY ULTIMATELY DECIDE YOU WANT TO DO? YOU'D HAVE TO GET THAT, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE THAT AS PART OF THE AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENT THAT YOU HAD WITH TDOT.

AND HAVE YOU HAD ANY PUSHBACK FROM TEXDOT? HAVE YOU HAD ANY LIMITS PLACED ALREADY BY TEXDOT SAYING, WELL, THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA LET YOU DO THAT? NO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

UM, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITIES CAME TO, TO POTENTIALLY HAVE CAPS, UM, IT WAS ALWAYS A ASSUMED AND, UM, PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT AN AIRSPACE AGREEMENT WOULD BE A PART OF THAT, THAT, UH, DISCUSSION.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WITH TEXT O AS THE OWNER, IF WE WANNA BUILD SOMETHING THAT IS OTHER THAN A HIGHWAY USE, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT.

SO VERY MUCH, UH, UH, ASSUMED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE, THE, UH, THE PACKAGE.

AND AGAIN, NOTHING THAT YOU'VE HEARD OR SEEN OR ANY INTERACTIONS YOU'VE HAD WITH TEXDOT SO FAR LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT YOU SOMEDAY AND GO, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE NEVER AGREED TO THIS .

NO.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD, UM, CONVERSATION BACK AND FORTH, AND IT, IT TRULY IS ONE, SOMETIMES IT'S A PUSH AND PULL, SOMETIMES IT'S, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY RIGHT IN THE SAME LINE.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DISCUSSIONS ARE VERY GOOD AND WE'RE ABLE TO, TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD THAT WE, THAT WE ULTIMATELY THINK ARE COLLECTIVELY BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY CHAIR.

THIS IS AMY.

HI, COMMISSIONER MA.

HI.

I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE CAPS AND STAGES,

[01:35:01]

UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, MS. DANIELS FOR, UM, GIVING SO MANY DIFFERENT, UM, PRESENTATIONS TO SO MANY COMMISSIONS.

UH, THIS, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A HISTORY MAKING PROJECT.

UM, IT NEEDS TO INVOLVE, I THINK, OUR ENTIRE CITY TO CORRECT ALL THE BAD POLICY THAT DISCONNECT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY IN THE PAST.

WE ARE GIVING A SECOND CHANCE TO RECONNECT AND TO TRANSFORM OUR CITY SO THAT WE CAN GIVE OUR FUTURE GENERATION SOME HOPE FOR BETTER AUSTIN.

SO I THINK WE ARE MAKING HISTORY HERE.

IT NEEDS TO INVOLVE EVERYBODY WHO ARE INTERESTED TO BUILD A BETTER AUSTIN TO GET INVOLVED.

SO I REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU, MS. DANIELS, AND I'M HOPING THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, WE WILL HAVE A, UM, WE'LL PUT A AGENDA, A REGULAR AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT THIS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE OUR, UM, OUR TIME TO, TO KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE.

WE ARE REALLY MAKING HISTORY HERE, AND SO WE SHOULD REALLY CELEBRATE AND, AND, AND CAP CAPITALIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND UTILIZE THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, 50 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AND PEOPLE LOOK BACK AND SAY, OH, WOW, THAT GENERATION HAS DONE SOME GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

UH, COMMISSIONER LEVINE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, I JUST AM HAVING TROUBLE CONTEMPLATING LIKE HOW MANY ACRES THIS IS.

YOU SAID IT'S THE, THE ONE IN DALLAS IS LIKE FIVE ACRES OR SOMETHING, AND THIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE.

AND THE ONE IN BOSTON IS HOW MANY ACRES? I APPROXIMATELY, I DON'T KNOW, JUST WHATEVER, A HUNDRED.

UH, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN, THAN WHAT THE POTENTIAL IS HERE.

BUT IT'S MUCH CLOSER TO THAT THAN IT IS TO LIKE A CLYDE WARREN.

SO JUST, UH, FOR KIND OF COMPARISON SAKE, UM, THE DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, ADJACENT CAPS, UM, THAT'S AROUND 15 ACRES OR A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UH, UT'S AREA.

TOMMY, I'M SURE COULD, COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S AROUND 30 ACRES AS WELL.

UM, YOU THEN WE HAVE, UH, WOODLAND, UH, SMALL ONE AND A HALF ACRE OPPORTUNITY THERE.

THERE'S, UM, NORTHERN CAPS THAT ARE STILL UNDER STEADY, AND SO WE'LL FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT THE ACREAGE MIGHT BE THERE.

UM, BUT YES, THIS IS, UM, ALTOGETHER QUITE SIGNIFICANT.

SO THE, SO THE PART THAT UT WOULD HAVE AN INTEREST IN IS AN ADDITIONAL 30 ACRES IN ADDITION TO THE 15 AND THAT, UM, 12TH TO HOLLY STREET AREA.

WHO ALL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THIS, YES, ALL OF AUSTIN, BUT THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN DIVIDED, UM, AND HAVE A DESIRE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CONNECTIVITY, UH, BACK TO KIND OF, UM, CULTURAL, HISTORIC, UM, SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY BACK, UH, WITH, WITH KIND OF EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY.

WE HAVE YET TO, TO, UH, KIND OF SETTLE ON A, A FINAL, UM, ACREAGE NUMBER.

UH, SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY IS THAT DYNAMIC BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CITY AND TDOT TO LOOKING, OKAY, CAN WE TWEAK THIS ONE, EXPAND IT, DOES IT NEED TO CONTRACT BECAUSE OF THE HIGHWAY, UM, CONFIGURATION AND THE CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS.

SO IT'S A REALLY DYNAMIC PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, KIND OF FINALIZE WHAT THAT FOOTPRINT WILL BE.

BUT THAT'S BEEN A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR.

I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M GOING TO, UM, IN A WORLD WHERE WE HAD THE FUNDING TO DO ONE SECTION, ONE SECTION, WHAT WOULD IT BE? WELL, THAT IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER.

I REALIZE THERE, THERE ARE QUESTIONS OF EQUITY INVOLVED, BUT YEAH, SO I WOULD GO BACK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER M SAID THAT THIS REALLY IS A PROJECT FOR ALL OF AUSTIN.

AND SO WHAT OF THOSE CAPS REALLY ENCAPSULATE THE MOST OPPORTUNITY WHERE ALL OF AUSTIN MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME AND ENJOY.

UM, YOU KNOW, SHE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE, THE HISTORY AND THE DIVIDE THAT, THAT THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF I 35 TODAY CREATES.

AND SO REALLY GOING BACK TO

[01:40:01]

UM, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THOSE AREAS ARE THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO PAY THE CLOSEST ATTENTION TO, AND WE DO THAT PRIORITIZATION, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT PRIORITIZATION JUST YET.

UH, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ANTICIPATE POTENTIALLY NEEDING TO DO.

UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO ALL OF IT.

UM, BUT WE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUNDING SCENARIOS LOOK LIKE, AND THEN WE'LL GET BACK TO THOSE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT.

UM, BUT REALLY WHO ARE WE SERVING AND HOW CAN WE, UM, KIND OF HARKEN BACK TO SOME OF THAT DIVIDE THAT WAS CREATED AND UNDO SOME OF THAT WITH THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING.

WE CAN'T ADDRESS ALL OF THAT PAST DIVIDE AND THE PAST POLICIES, BUT WE HOPE THAT THIS PROJECT CAN TAKE A STEP TOWARDS THAT.

AND THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, UM, HOLD AS A, A PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA.

THAT WASN'T THE ONE I I KNOW, AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST I COULD DO.

I KNOW.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU ALL.

APPRECIATE IT.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING REPORTS BACK FROM EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, MR. CHAIR.

YES, SIR.

CAN WE MAKE A POINT OF HAVING THEM BACK MORE OFTEN? UH, THIS IS GONNA BE LIKE FAST MOVING, IT SOUNDS LIKE.

AND, UM, EXPENSIVE AND THERE'S GONNA BE LIKE REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAH.

THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OF HAVING CONSENSUS NOW BECAUSE YOUR LAUNDRY LIST OF WISHES AND EVERYBODY GETS A CAP IN THE STITCH, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD REALITY.

I THINK IT'LL BE IMPORTANT TO BE DISCUSS.

I MADE DISCUSSING THIS MADE FROM COMMISSIONER MOCK AND I'LL ADD YOURS TOO.

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND WE WILL EXPECT TO SEE YOU BACK SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

AGENDA ITEMS FROM COMMISSION.

UM, WE ARE LIGHT ON, UM, UH, LIAISONS FROM COMMISSIONS, BUT WE DO HAVE COMMISSIONER MA FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION.

I'D LIKE TO REPORT TWO THINGS, UH, FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION.

UH, WE HAVE OUR THIRD, UH, GRANT PROGRAM, UM, THAT IS THE NURSES, UH, THAT, UH, UH, IS, IS, IS HAPPENING, UH, LAST WEEK.

UM, SO PLEASE GO TO THE WEBSITE, THE ARTS, UH, UH, DIVISION, UH, WEBSITE, AND, UH, LOOK AT THE APPLICATION.

AND THIS IS TO SUPPORT, UM, NEW SMALL ORGANIZATION, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GET SOME SMALL FUNDS SO THAT, UH, IT'S SORT OF LIKE A, A A A SEED INCUBATOR TYPE OF FUNDING FOR, FOR THE YOUNG AND BUDDY, UM, UH, BUDDING ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATION.

AND THE SECOND GRANT THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, FOR ARTISTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY UTILIZE THEIR RIGHT BRAIN A LOT.

SO WE HAVE A TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, TO, TO HELP THEM WITH, UH, MARKETING, UM, UH, BUSINESS APPROACH TO, TO THE GOOD WORK.

SO THOSE TWO ARE ON OUR WEBSITE AND, AND THEY HAVE SOME, UH, FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR THOSE ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS.

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]

UH, ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD.

HELLO, CHRISTINE.

ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SPECIFICALLY, AND WE'VE BEEN FAIRLY LIMITED ON WHAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT IN THE PAST BECAUSE IT WAS A REAL ESTATE RELATED MATTER, BUT, UH, THE COLLAPSE OF THE HEALTH SOUTH DEAL, UM, THEY CAME BEFORE US SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.

GREAT PRESENTATION.

UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT PROVIDED OR WAS GONNA PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND THAT'S NOW GONE BECAUSE IT'S NOT A FEASIBLE PROJECT.

SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE OR SOMEBODY FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE CAN PROVIDE THAT'S NOT SEQUESTERED IN THE, THE WORLD OF A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION? WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON NEXT STEPS.

WE WILL HAVE A ITEM

[01:45:05]

LOUD ENOUGH, BUT NOT LOUD ENOUGH.

UM, WE'LL HAVE THIS, UM, OH, THERE IT IS.

UH, WE WILL, THERE IS AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL TOMORROW.

I DO NOT RECALL THE ACTUAL AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THAT IS ASKING FOR STAFF TO COME BACK BY THE, UH, MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER COUNCIL DATE.

SO I DO THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ON THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE HEALTH SOUTH PROPERTY.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, WE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT.

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT TOO.

CHAIR BY ME, COMMISSIONER WEAVER, MY CONDOLENCES TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS SO HARD ON THAT PROJECT, UM, THAT WAS, I KNOW, A YEAR'S LONG EFFORT AND I'M JUST REALLY SAD TO SEE IT NOT MOVE FORWARD.

IT'S A GREAT, UH, UH, A GREAT PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT CAN REALLY DELIVER COMMUNITY BENEFITS.

SO, YOU KNOW, CITY IS FOCUSED AND READY TO MOVE FORWARD AND NOT ALL, NOT ALL DEALS CAN HAPPEN.

SO YEAH.

ONWARD THROUGH THAT'S TRUE.

ONWARD.

IT WAS, UH, THERE WAS A LOT GAINED OUT OF THOSE YEARS OF HARD WORK EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T COME TO FRUITION.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BE LEVERAGED IN WHATEVER WE DO GOING FORWARD ON THAT.

UM, COMMISSIONERS OTHER, UH, PROGRAM REQUESTS, COMMISSIONER LEVINE, WEIRD, WEIRD TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE MEETING AND NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT SCOOTERS.

SO CAN WE DO BRING THE SCOOTERS BACK? ? I'M REALLY NOT BEING FACETIOUS THOUGH.

THEY'RE STILL DANGEROUS.

AND THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT STILL HAS NOT BEEN FILED.

AND DID WE EVER, DID WE EVER GET THE STATISTICS FROM EMS AND ALL THE, I MEAN, EVERY TIME SOMEBODY COMES BEFORE US, WE NEVER GET, ACTUALLY THE DATA WE ASKED FOR, WE HAD ASKED, UM, FOR ACCIDENT DATA FROM, UH, E M S AND THE A P D AND I THINK THEY WERE GONNA COORDINATE ON GETTING SOME OF THAT FOR US.

ANYTHING ELSE FROM COMMISSIONER? ALL RIGHT, WELL THAT, ANYTHING ITEMS FROM STAFF I, WHICHEVER YOU'RE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH.

ALL RIGHT, REAL QUICK, SO, UM, I SENT AN EMAIL OUT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND I KNOW I WAS SPEAKING WITH COMMISSIONER LEVISON ABOUT THE AUTHENTICATOR.

UM, IF EVERYONE RECEIVED THAT EMAIL, JUST MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE THAT TRAINING OR WHATEVER IS BEING REQUESTED IN THAT EMAIL BY THE 31ST OF THIS MONTH.

UM, I DON'T REALLY KNOW, I DON'T HAVE MUCH KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT IT BEING REQUIRED.

I'VE JUST BEEN ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS RE COMPLETE THAT TRAINING BY THE 31ST OF THIS MONTH.

UM, I BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S JUST ANOTHER MECHANISM OR FIREWALL FOR SAFETY TO PREVENT ANY TYPE OF CYBER ATTACKS AND, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE ON ANY, UH, CITY ISSUE EMAIL.

SO JUST, UH, MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE THAT BY THE 31ST, THERE'S AN APP THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DOWNLOAD.

UM, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO USE YOUR, UH, CITY ISSUED EMAIL, UH, TO ATTACH TO THAT APP AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE OUTLOOK APP AS WELL.

THAT'D BE, UH, REAL BENEFICIAL.

NOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM THE SECURITY TRAINING VIDEO THAT WE HAD TO DO ASIDE? I'M NOT, YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE.

I, I, I, I DON'T KNOW.

UM, WHEN DID YOU DO THAT TRAINING? UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

IT POSSIBLY COULD BE RELATED TO THAT, BUT I'M NOT TOO SURE ON THAT.

I'M NOT I ACCURATE.

AND ALSO, UM, JUST PLEASE NOTE THERE WAS A CHANGE, UH, IN THE DATE FOR NEXT MONTH'S COMMISSION MEETING.

ORIGINALLY IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE 16TH, UH, BUT DUE TO THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE COUNCIL BUDGET, WE'VE BEEN MOVED TO THE 23RD OF AUGUST.

AND THAT'S ALL FOR ME.

UH, DOES THE COMMISSION REMEMBER THE EMAIL? I'M MENTIONING THAT IT WAS CYBERSECURITY TRAINING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? MM-HMM.