Aug 01, 2023 City Council Budget Work Session

THEN, UM, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A QUESTION.

COULD YOU PROVIDE HER WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THAT? SURE.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW JUST IN THEORY, SO DISTRICT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS ALL THESE FLEET SERVICES SITES AND SITES WHERE WE DO THINGS THAT ARE CITY HELD PROPERTIES.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THE ROLLOUT LOOKS LIKE WHEN, I MEAN, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE TERMS OF TIMING OR I, I DEAL WITH FLEET SERVICES SITES IN DISTRICT ONE IN A WAY THAT I HAVE DEEP CONCERNS.

SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW MORE IN THE WAY OF, AND MAYBE THIS IS A LATER CONVERSATION.

UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW MORE IN THE WAY OF LIKE WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WHAT I CAN PROVIDE MY CONSTITUENTS IN TERMS OF INFORMATION.

MR. VINO IS, IS I THINK, PREPARED TO HELP COUNCIL MEMBER, IT'S ED VINO, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

UM, WE, WE HAD HEARD THAT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SLIDE.

UH, KIM OLIVAREZ, MY DEPUTY C F O IS MEETING WITH, UM, YOUR AID RIGHT NOW TO GET INTO SOME OF THOSE DETAILS, BUT WE'LL ALSO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THROUGH A BUDGET QUESTION RESPONSE.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

[00:15:02]

MOVING FORWARD WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, THERE ARE C I P SPENDING PLAN FOR, UM, FISCAL YEAR 24 INCLUDES THE PURCHASE OF, UM, NEW AND REPLACEMENT VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THEIR FLEET.

THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT IS, UM, A THREE, $305.9 MILLION BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, 674 FTES.

UM, THEY DID LOSE FIVE POSITIONS THROUGH THE LONG-TERM VACANCY PROCESS.

UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, THEY ARE, UM, INCREASING THEIR EXPENDITURES.

THEY'RE SEEING IN, UM, INCREASED EXPENDITURES ON THE OPERATING SIDE, INCLUDING IN PARKING AND INTER FUND TRANSFERS, $17.3 MILLION, CONTRACTUAL AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED TRAFFIC THAT THEY'RE SEEING.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR REVENUE, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING, UH, INCREASE IN REVENUE AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN PLAYING PASSENGERS AND IN INCREASED, UH, TRAFFIC THAT THEY'RE SEEING AT THE AIRPORT.

LOOKING AT THEIR C I P SPENDING PLAN, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT, THEY ARE, UM, THEY HAVE A $236 MILLION INCREASED SPENDING PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

IT DOES INCLUDE THE BAD HANDLING SYSTEM, MODERN MODERNIZING THAT SYSTEM.

UM, THEY WILL BEGIN THAT IN, IN FISCAL YEAR 24.

AND THEN IT IS ALSO INCLUSIVE OF THE, UH, CONTINUED WORK ON OPTIMIZING THE BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL 9.4 MILLION FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF TWO CONCRETE PARALLEL MIDWAY TAXIWAYS.

UM, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR AVIATION'S, UM, FISCAL YEAR 24 C I P PLAN.

LOOKING AT AUSTIN WATER.

AUSTIN WATER HAS A $748.5 MILLION BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

UM, THEY ARE, UM, GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN KEY INFRASTRUCTURE.

THEY HAVE 20 NEW POSITIONS ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPERATING AREAS WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENT.

THEY ARE SEEING A, UM, CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THEIR RECRUITING AND RETENTION EFFORTS, AS WELL AS INCREASED COSTS RELATED TO CHEMICALS, UM, AND, UM, WATER TREATMENT PROCESS, WATER TREATMENT PLANT PROCESSES.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR REVENUE, THEY DO ANTICIPATE A 3.7% INCREASE IN THEIR REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE FISCAL YEAR 27 THAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED A RATE INCREASE.

AND ACTUALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 20, AND EXCUSE ME, IN FISCAL YEAR, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE FISCAL YEAR 17 THAT THEY'VE, UM, DONE AN INCREASE.

AND IN FISCAL YEAR 18, THEY ACTUALLY HAD A REDUCTION IN THEIR RATE.

AND SO THEY'RE BACK TO THE LEVEL A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THE FISCAL YEAR 17, UH, RATE THAT THEY HAD AT THAT TIME.

THAT 80.79 IS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FISCAL YEAR 23 RATE, AND THEY'RE INCREASE TO 83.44, WHICH IS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE AT FISCAL YEAR 17.

I WILL SAY THAT, THAT THOSE RATE INCREASES WILL NOT IMPACT THEIR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THERE'S NO PROPOSED INCREASE FOR THAT, THOSE CUSTOMERS.

AND THEN LOOKING AT THEIR, UH, SPENDING PLAN, AGAIN, THEY HAVE, AUSTIN WATER HAS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON, UM, ACROSS THE CITY.

UM, THIS $26.6 MILLION IS FOR CONTINUED WORK TO TRANSITION THEIR METERS TO READ ELECTRONICALLY.

UH, THE $20 MILLION INVESTMENT IS IN THE WATER SYSTEMS OPERATION CENTER.

UM, THAT CENTER IS A 50,000 SQUARE FEET CENTER THAT THEY WILL HAVE SEVERAL, UH, OPERATING FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING SECURITY FACILITIES, UM, A WELLNESS AREA, UM, MAINTAINING THEIR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER.

SO THAT IS INCLUDED AS WELL AS THE SOUTH FIRST CENTER.

UM, SOUTH FIRST SERVICE CENTER.

THAT IS ONE OF THE SPENDING PLAN ITEMS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

AND IN THE SOUTH AUSTIN REGION.

THEY ALSO HAVE WORK ON WALNUT CREEK, UM, WALNUT CREEK WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

UM, AND, AND THOSE INVESTMENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, $17.3 MILLION WITHIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

YOU WILL SEE, UM, THIS $109 MILLION.

THIS INCREASE INCLUDES THE INCORPORATION OF THE FORMER AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT INTO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, THEIR, THEIR FTES, AS WELL AS THEIR OPERATING FUNCTIONS.

UM, AND THIS ALSO INCLUDES AN INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR CONSULTING SERVICES FOR PERMITTING PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR REVENUE, UM, THE REVENUE IS, UH, ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 BY 8.7%.

THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO JUST INCREASED VOLUME.

THERE ARE THERE MOST OF THE RATES AND FEES

[00:20:01]

AND THEN, UM, IN AUSTIN, D S D AUSTIN CODE, THEY ARE IN, UM, ANTICIPATED A 1% INCREASE TO THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE TO THEIR PORTION OF THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.

THE NEWLY FORMED, UM, DEPARTMENT THAT MERGED THE FORMER TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS, UH, $227.9 MILLION.

THIS, UM, MERGER INCLUDES, UM, FUNDING FOR THE, THE FTES AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN CONTRACTUAL AND MATERIAL EXPENSES FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

UM, THERE IS A DECREASE IN THIS OVERALL BUDGET FOR THIS JOINT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF THE CREATION OF THE STANDALONE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL TIMES WITH YOU.

UM, THAT WILL FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT THESE, UM, PROJECTS THAT THE CITY HAS IN PLACE ARE MOVING FORWARD.

THESE CAPITAL AND BOND PROJECTS THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN A TIMELY MANNER.

THE TOTAL REVENUE FOR THE DEPARTMENT IS $209.7 MILLION, A 4.5% INCREASE.

AND AGAIN, UM, FOR THE TRANSPORTATION USER FEE, WE ARE NOT, UH, PROPOSING A CHANGE IN THAT FEE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.

THE SPENDING PLAN FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS, UH, 296.5 MILLION.

THIS IS A RESULT OF PLAN SPENDING IN, UM, MANY OF OUR BOND PROGRAMS THAT WE JUST MENTIONED.

UM, SO THIS INCLUDES 20 16, 20 18, AND 2020 BOND PROGRAMS. THIS 243.9 MILLION, IT'S GOING TO BE SEVERAL PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH INCLUDES STREET RE REHABILITATION, UM, TRAIL EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENTS TO BRIDGES AND COVERT.

SO JUST VERY VARIOUS, UM, IMPROVEMENTS AND RECONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE CITY FOR THAT PROGRAM.

AND THEN THERE'S THE 11 MILLION, $11 MILLION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FOR MOBILITY AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON STATE HIGHWAY LOOP 360, AS WELL AS THE, UH, LONG LONGHORN DAM, $25.3 MILLION TOTAL PROJECT THAT ANTICIPATES SPENDING OF 5.3 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 24.

THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAS $114.6 MILLION, UM, AN INCREASE OF 1.8% FOR THAT DEPARTMENT.

THEY ARE, UM, ANTICIPATING AN INCREASE IN VEGETATION AND CREEK CLEANUP FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 11 POSITIONS ARE GOING TO BE IN, UH, ADDED TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR, UM, CREEK CLEANUP.

AGAIN, POND MAINTENANCE, STORM DRAIN MODELING, AND THEN THE REVENUE FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

THEY ARE ANTICIPATING A, UH, INCREASE IN THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE.

THEY'RE ANTICIPATING A, UH, $110 MILLION REVENUE, A 8.7% INCREASE IN THE REVENUE.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR, FOR WATERSHED.

THIS IS THEIR FIRST RATE INCREASE SINCE 2017.

LOOKING AT THEIR C I P SPENDING PLAN, UM, THEY HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY.

THE CONFLUENCE PROJECT AT WALL CREEK AT $14 MILLION.

UH, RO G RERO PARK CHANNEL STABILIZATION AT $12.3 MILLION.

LITTLE WALNUT CREEK CONTINUED WORK AT 4.3 MILLION, AND THEN $2 MILLION TO UPGRADE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ALONG THE OLD KNOLL AREA.

SO AS WE TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE, UH, ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THEIR CHANGES, WE ALWAYS WANNA COME BACK TO THE TYPICAL RATE PAYER SLIDE AND HOW THOSE CHANGES IMPACT THAT TYPICAL RATE PAYER.

UM, ALL THE CHARGES, ALL THE MONTHLY CHANGES ARE, ARE LISTED HERE.

I WILL NOTE THAT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PRO PROPERTY TAX BILL, I KNOW I, I GAVE SOME COMMUNICATION ON YESTERDAY ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX BILL AND THE CHANGES THAT, UM, RECEIVING THE PRELIMINARY, EXCUSE ME, THIS REPRESENTS US RECEIVING THE PRELIMINARY ROLE.

THAT'S $2 AND 16 CENTS.

I WILL GIVE AN UPDATE TO THIS ONCE WE HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK THROUGH THE, UM, CALCULATIONS TO SEE WHAT THE I IMPACT WILL BE FOR THE PROPERTY TAX BILL.

WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE, BUT WE WANNA GIVE YOU THOSE DETAILS ONCE WE FINALIZE THOSE CALCULATIONS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO THE LONG CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL OF OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.

NO, THANK YOU.

AND WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.

NO, NICE JOB.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA START WITH THE AIRPORT AND THEN, UM, I'LL LET MY COLLEAGUES, UM, CONTINUE.

UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE VACANCY RATE IS AT THE AIRPORT AT THIS POINT? IT'S 35.

[00:25:02]

IT'S ABOUT 35%.

35% CURRENTLY? YEAH.

AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT VACANCY RATE? I'M GOING DEFER TO OVER YOUR OTHER SHOULDER.

YEP.

I THINK THEY'RE COMING DOWN NOW TO RESPOND TO THAT.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT, UH, JIM AND JOE CANALES AND A GROUP OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS MET YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW WE COULD EXPEDITE THIS.

UH, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, UH, JIM'S ONLY BEEN THERE FIVE MONTHS AND, UH, HE'S, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO GET THIS DONE, BUT THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL DETAILS THAT JIM COULD PRESENT.

MR. SMITH.

YEAH, JIM SMITH WITH THE AIRPORT.

UM, THE MAIN THING WE'RE DOING NOW IS ASKED TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE ISSUES AT THE AIRPORT THAT WERE HINDERING IT FROM MOVING FORWARD.

UM, ONE OF THEM IS THE VACANCY ISSUE.

UM, WE BROUGHT THAT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE.

WE NOW HAVE A CONSULTANT ON BOARD THAT'S GONNA LOOK AT PRIMARILY TWO THINGS.

WHAT CAN THE AIRPORT DO BETTER THAN IT'S ALREADY DOING NOW? AS WELL AS, UM, TRYING TO BRING SOME FOCUS TO OUR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS.

UM, SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

UM, THE MAIN ISSUE WITH THE AIRPORT WAS THE, A RAPID BUILDUP THAT OCCURRED IN THE BEGINNING OF 22.

UM, WHEN WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE, UH, COVID PANDEMIC AT THE SAME TIME, AMERICAN AIRLINES WAS DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS THAT THEY WERE PUTTING INTO THIS MARKET.

AND SOUTHWEST WAS INCREASING ASS BY 34%.

SO THE RESULT IS WE HAD A 35% INCREASE IN OVERALL TRAFFIC AT THE AIRPORT.

SO WE CREATED ANOTHER 130 POSITIONS TO PUT INTO THE BUDGET.

SO THOSE ONE 30 HAVE NEVER BEEN FILLED, OR A LARGE PORTION OF THEM HAVE NEVER BEEN FILLED, AND THAT MAGNIFIES THE NUMBER UP TO 35%.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITIES GOING ON.

I THINK IT'S HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

THE CONSULTANT'S GONNA HELP WITH THE COMPENSATION ANALYSIS, SO IT SHOULD REMOVE SOME OF THE OBSTACLES WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.

CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC ON WHAT'S BEING DONE? I MEAN, I'M GETTING, WE, WE BROUGHT THIS UP IN OUR AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND I, UM, WE'RE RAISING THIS ISSUE AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE HILTON HOTEL AND SOME QUESTIONS WE HAD THERE, UM, THAT LED US TO, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS VACANCY RATE.

AND I HAVE SINCE HEARD FROM SOME EMPLOYEES FROM THE AIRPORT THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A 10% INCREASE STIPEND THAT IS GOING AWAY.

I, I HAVE MIXED INFORMATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED ON THAT, AND CLEARLY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT UNDERSTANDING.

I'VE BEEN TOLD, WELL, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THE 4% AND THE 7%, UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT KEEPING THE 10%.

AND I, I JUST, I NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT.

UM, WE'VE TAKEN STEPS, SAY IN AUSTIN WATER, WHICH HAS ALSO HAD A HIGH VACANCY RATE AND REALLY WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MORE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, MORE CLEARLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.

IF IT'S SIMPLY JUST WE ADDED POSITIONS AND WE NEVER FILLED THEM, THEN YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.

UM, SO CAN YOU PROVIDE MORE DETAILS ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO ADDRESS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AT THE AIRPORT? THERE WAS A STIPEND, IT WAS INSTITUTED AT 10%, UM, THAT WAS IN PLACE FOR THE PAST YEAR, YEAR THAT WE'RE IN.

UM, IT'S PROPOSED FOR NEXT YEAR, UM, THAT, THAT BE REDUCED TO 6%, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, THE EMPLOYEES WOULD GET THE STANDARD CITY RAISE OF 4%, WHICH WOULD GO TOWARDS THE BASE PAY, THE COMBINATION OF WHICH WOULD KEEP THEIR PAYCHECKS FROM GOING BACKWARDS.

BUT YES, THERE IS A PROPOSED OVERALL REDUCTION IN THE RE UH, RETENTION INCENTIVE.

AND THEY'RE ALSO GETTING A 1% INCREASE IN THEIR YES.

HEALTHCARE.

SO THEN THEY'RE BACKWARDS OR IS IT 7% INCREASE? THERE'S ALSO A 1% INCREASE IN THE HEALTHCARE, IS IT, SO THEY'RE BACKWARDS BY THAT CALCULATION AT 9%, OR IS IT A 7% INCREASE AND A 4%? UH, ROBERT HAS JUST TOLD ME IT'S A 7% PROPOSAL FOR THIS STIPEND.

SO THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 1% TO THE POSITIVE.

AND A RETENTION COMPONENT OF THAT.

UM, MANAGER, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE FORUM TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT I AM, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE POSITIONS THAT WE NEED FILLED THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR THE EXPANSION, UM, AND THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE AIRPORT, THEN WE NEED TO BE TAKING STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FILL THEM.

IF WE HAVE JUST A 35% VACANCY RATE, WE NEED TO TAKE STEPS SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.

THERE'S ALWAYS A RECRUITMENT

[00:30:01]

UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAVE SOME VERY TECHNICAL POSITIONS THAT ARE AMONG THOSE 35%, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE WORKING OVERNIGHT, BUT THEY'RE BEING TOLD THEY HAVE TO BE PAID THE SAME THING AS A, YOU KNOW, PLUMBER THAT'S WORKING OVERNIGHT AT THE AIRPORT IS TO BE PAID THE SAME AS A PLUMBER, UM, WHO'S WORKING A, A DAYTIME SHIFT.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS, AND PLUS IT IS THE AIRLINES THAT PAY, UM, THE COSTS HERE, NOT THE TAXPAYERS, BUT IT'S EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT SUFFERS THE CONSEQUENCES WHEN OUR AIRPORT IS NOT FUNCTIONING AT THE RIGHT LEVEL.

SO CAN, NO, I JUST, UH, UH, I THINK, UH, IN TERMS OF THE FORM, I THINK, UH, WE CAN CONTINUE TO PRESENT THIS KIND OF INFORMATION TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.

THIS IS AN OPERATIONAL ITEM.

IT IS ON OUR LIST.

IT'S TOTALLY WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THE COMPENSATION PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE NOT JUST RETAIN ASSOCIATES, BUT WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO ENTICE ASSOCIATES TO APPLY FOR JOBS.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S ALL WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.

WE UNDERSTAND IT'S A, A CRITICAL PRIORITY.

UH, WE MAY HAVE JUMPED THE GUN WHEN WE ADDED THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS BACK IN EARLY 22, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T REALLY INTO POSITION TO DO THE HIRING FOR THAT.

AND THAT'S CAUSED THAT, UH, HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, ARE THE HUGE VACANCY RATE.

BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S ON OUR RADAR.

WE MET YESTERDAY, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, UH, THAT CONSULTANT THAT JIM JUST REFERENCED.

AND, UH, WE, WE HAVE A PLAN TO, TO PUSH THIS FORWARD TO GET DONE WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE IN THE END.

UH, WHILE THE AIRLINES ARE PAYING FOR THIS, UH, THEY, AT LEAST, THIS IS MY MEMORY FROM 21 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS AL ALWAYS, THERE WERE ALWAYS PRICKLY WHEN WE DID NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT WHAT THEIR LANDING FEES WERE, AS WELL AS OTHER FEES.

SO WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THAT, TO THAT ASPECT AS WELL.

I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THEY'RE GETTING, WHICH IS ALSO PART OF THE EQUATION.

AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS OPERATIONS, BUT WE'RE ASKED BEING ASKED TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.

AND SO THIS IS VERY MUCH AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR US TO BE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PLAN.

AND, AND, AND, AND I'M NOT HEARING THAT PLAN THAT'S THERE TO, TO ADDRESS.

MR. SMITH JUST WENT THROUGH WHAT THE PLAN WAS.

HE'S INDICATED WHAT HE, WHAT HE WANTS TO GET DONE AND ACHIEVED.

IF YOU WANT ADDITIONAL DETAIL, WE CAN CERTAINLY SIT DOWN IN YOUR OFFICE AND PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL DETAIL.

I THINK THE PLAN THAT HE AND JOE CANALES AND SEVERAL OTHERS WORKED OUT YESTERDAY IS ONE THAT CAN ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES.

AND I, I'M HAPPY TO COME TALK TO YOUR, OR HAVE US COME TALK TO YOUR OFFICE TO GIVE YOU THAT DETAIL.

UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE KNOW IS A PRIORITY, AND NOT JUST FOR THIS OFFICE, BUT A A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER OFFICES.

I KNOW HR IS WORKING COOPERATIVELY WITH THE AVIATION HR OFFICE, AND WE INTEND TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE AND, UH, AND GET, UH, SOME TRACTION ON THIS.

AND THAT'S OUR INTENT.

MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, THAT'S RELATED TO THIS CONVERSATION.

UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER FOR, FOR FLAGGING THIS AS AN ITEM OF INTEREST FOR, FOR OUR COUNCIL.

UM, AND I JUST WANNA ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS AND WANTING TO UNDERSTAND OPERATIONALLY HOW WE ARE DOING TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, ESPECIALLY AT THE AIRPORT.

AND SO THE CITY MANAGER, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT COME TO MIND AND WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION OFFLINE, UM, IS LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE THE AIRPORT EMPLOYEES ALSO RECEIVED THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE OF 3% PLUS THE 10% STIPEND.

SO I KNOW THAT THERE WERE CHANGES PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING THE STIPEND KEPT AT THAT 10% IN ADDITION TO THE 4% COST OF LIVING INCREASE.

UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA ENSURE THAT WE ARE RETAINING THE AIRPORT EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE AS WE SEEK TO STAFF UP.

AND THE OTHER QUESTION, UM, THAT I HAVE IS FROM THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, HR, YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE CAN WE BE DOING TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES WITHIN HUMAN RESOURCE DIVISION TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE HIRING AS QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE? AND WE, AND HOW MIGHT WE GET CREATIVE WITH THAT? SO WHETHER THAT'S BRINGING IN, YOU KNOW, CONSULTING HR RESOURCES OR FIGURING OUT IF THERE'S A PATHWAY WHERE WE CAN HELP THE HR WITHIN AVIATION DEPARTMENT.

JUST WHAT ELSE? LIKE WHAT ARE THE OTHER CREATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, THINK ABOUT AND CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD? SURE.

HAPPY TO DO THAT.

I'LL JUST ADD, IF I REALLY KEEP QUICK, ROBERT, GOOD INTERIM ASSISTANT SENIOR MAYOR, RIGHT ALONG THOSE LINES, WE ARE BRINGING IN A STRIKE TEAM FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, FROM HR TO HELP STAFF UP IN THE HR, IN THE AVIATION HR TO HELP RECRUIT POST.

SO THAT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.

AND AS JIM MENTIONED, JUST ELABORATE ON THAT.

WE'RE BRINGING IN CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT NOT ONLY INTERNAL PROCESSES TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT FASTER IN THE MEANTIME, BUT ALSO COMPENSATION STUDY.

SO WE HEAR YOU AND THAT'S WHAT THE MANAGER HAD SAID, WE'RE BRINGING IN SOME RESOURCES TO HELP AVIATION RIGHT NOW TO HELP GET POSITIONS POSTED AND AT LEAST SEE IF WE CAN GET THOSE FOLKS HIRED.

COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE A MARKET STUDY.

UM, SO IT SEEMS THAT AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MAYBE MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL, THAT SOME, THERE ARE DEFINITELY

[00:35:01]

AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL WAS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMPENSATION, UM, ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING ACROSS THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN REMAIN COMPETITIVE AS A CITY AND ALSO RE RECRUIT AND RETAIN THE BEST TALENT POSSIBLE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

COUNCIL MEMBER, IT'S, AND THE DETAILS AREN'T AT MY FINGERTIPS, BUT I KNOW THE MARKET STUDY IS ON THE LIST OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE HARD TO FILL POSITIONS THAT THE ONES THAT, UH, TAKE LONG TIMES TO RECRUIT.

SO THAT'S ALL IN PROCESS.

UH, REBE.

OH, I SEE REBECCA, REBECCA MIGHT HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL DETAIL.

PLEASE DON'T CONTRADICT TO ANYTHING I SAID .

UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING SMALLER MARKET STUDIES FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC JOB FAMILIES.

SO EARLIER THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT A PLANNER MARKET STUDY.

OUR IT MARKET STUDY IS GOING INTO EFFECT THIS MONTH.

AND THEN WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING MARKET STUDY THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.

WE HAVE A CITYWIDE MARKET STUDY THAT IS, UM, UNDER REVIEW RIGHT NOW FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION IN JANUARY OF 24.

SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON THE MARKET STUDIES TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE COMPENSATED APPROPRIATELY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.

OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.

I DID JUST GET AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE OVER AT THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WHO'D BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE STILL DEALING WITH COMPRESSION ISSUES.

UM, SHE'S ACTUALLY TRAINING SOMEONE WHO'S BRAND NEW AND THAT INDIVIDUAL IS GETTING PAID MORE THAN SHE IS, BUT SHE HAS THE EXPERIENCE.

AND SO I WILL SEND YOU FUTURE, I'LL SEND YOU DETAILS ABOUT THAT.

BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS MORALE AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD.

YEAH, AND LET ME JUST, UH, MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT THAT.

I, I, AND I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S CONCERNS ON THIS.

UH, THIS IS A PERSONNEL MATTER.

IT'S TOTALLY WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY TO FIX AND DEAL WITH AND, UH, TO THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT, UH, FEEL COMPELLED TO COMMUNICATE WITH COUNSEL ON THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES.

WHILE CERTAINLY WE CAN'T STOP IT, IT ALSO WOULD HELP IF THEY COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH MY OFFICE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE POWER TO IMMEDIATELY WORK ON THAT ISSUE SPECIFICALLY AND GET IT FIXED.

AND SO I WOULD WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO, TO DO THAT.

DON'T, DON'T MIND THEM CALLING YOU OR, OR, OR, OR TEXTING YOU, BUT THE WAY THE SYSTEM'S SUPPOSED TO WORK, THOSE ITEMS SHOULD BE COMING TO OUR OFFICE AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THEM IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY.

AND IF THIS OFFICE CAN'T DEAL WITH IT IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY, THEN YOU NEED TO GET A NEW PERSON.

I APPRECIATE YOUR CONFIDENCE.

I KNOW THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND SO INDIVIDUALS MAY JUST NEED TO BE REMINDED TO GO TO YOU DIRECTLY.

COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PROTI.

I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CODE AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ON THE, ON PAGE SIX 18 THAT I REALLY LIKE TO REFERENCE WHEN I'M TRYING TO TRACK HOW MANY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE POSITIONS ARE BEING MOVED IN BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS AS, AS THINGS ARE EITHER, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS INCORPORATED TOGETHER OR SEPARATED OUT.

AND THE CODE DEPARTMENT USED TO HAVE 164 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, FTES IS ONLY 149.

CAN YOU TELL ME IF THOSE WERE SPECIFICALLY FROM CODE OR IF THOSE ARE OTHER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES POSITIONS? GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNCIL, JOSE ROY, DIRECTOR FOR D S D.

WE, WHEN WE DID THE CONSOLIDATION, WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT STAFFING ISSUES AND EFFICIENCIES.

THERE WAS A TRANSFER OF EMPLOYEES FROM D SS D TO TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.

AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SHOWING UP IN THE REDUCTION.

IT'S NOT FROM CODE, IT'S ACTUALLY FROM D SS D.

YEAH, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH CODE BEING INCORPORATED INTO D S D, THAT'S CORRECT.

THOSE POSITIONS AREN'T SHOWING ON THE CODE LINE ANYMORE.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY CODE PROFESSIONALS YOU HAVE WITHIN D S D NOW? IT IS ONE 60.

UH, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF, UH, IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES EXCEPT FOR THE DIRECTOR.

SO IT'S ABOUT 1 61 I THINK IT IS.

SO THAT'S RELATIVELY THE SAME.

AND THAT IS, THERE'S OTHER DSD WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT REDUCING FROM CO FROM THE COAST SIDE.

WE'RE NOT REDUCING.

AND, AND FROM THE D SS D SIDE, WE ACTUALLY TRANSFER SOME EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE NEED TO REALIGN SOME OF THE FUNCTIONS.

IT HAS TO BE RESPONDED BY A P D, IT'S A SAFE THING TO DO.

YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT CLARITY.

AND THEN MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION IS GONNA BE ABOUT OVERNIGHT ENFORCEMENT.

I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER HAS A QUESTION THAT IS STILL PENDING IN OUR Q AND A ABOUT GENERAL SHORT-TERM RENTALS, BUT I KNOW WE'VE GOT ONE CONSTITUENT RIGHT NOW WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE THE OVERNIGHT SHIFT IS NOT BEING RESPONDED TO, AND SOME OF THAT MAY BE THAT A POLICE OFFICER IS NEEDED, AND THAT IS CORRECT.

MAYBE, UH, ATTENDING ANOTHER CALL INSTEAD OF GOING TO A SHORT-TERM RENTAL ISSUE.

BUT ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES TO BE EXPECTED OVER THE COMING YEAR? SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE DISCUSSED THAT IN THE PAST, AND IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE PAST.

THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH ENFORCEMENT ISSUES AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT, IT'S ACTUALLY BELONGED TO THE, UH, POLICE OFFICER TO RESPOND TO IT.

UH, WE ARE NOW WITH THE CONSOLIDATION, REALLOCATING SOME RESOURCES TO THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE.

UH, WE DO HAVE OVERNIGHT ENFORCEMENT FOR SOUND, UH, FOR THE VENUE.

SO IN THE FUTURE WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.

BUT HONESTLY, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT NUISANCE ABATEMENT AT THAT TIME OF THE NIGHT,

[00:40:01]

IS IT A P D ALONE THAT TYPICALLY GOES, OR IS IT A CODE THAT IS CORRECT AND AN A P D? YEAH.

OUR INSPECTORS ARE WORKING UNTIL, UH, ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL UNTIL 11, UH, 11 AT NIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEEKENDS AND THEY RESPOND TO THAT TIME.

BUT ANYTHING AFTER THAT IS, HAS TO BE, UH, RESPONDED BY A P D.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

UM, THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR CODE.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

THERE'S A SLIDE ABOUT THE LONGHORN DAM PROJECT.

IS THAT THE WISHBONE BRIDGE THAT'S BEING REFERENCED THERE, OR IS THERE ANOTHER PROJECT HAPPENING OVER AT THE LONGHORN DAM? I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME WORK ALREADY COMPLETED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

HELLO, DIRECTOR MENDOZA.

GOOD MORNING MAYOR.

PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MAYOR, CITY MANAGER.

THE LONGHORN DAM IS THE WISHBONE BRIDGE, UH, BIKING PED FACILITY.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE, UH, GETTING UNDERWAY.

AND SO THE DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOTTED TO THAT PROJECT ARE ONES THAT WILL BE EXPENDED IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR? 'CAUSE I KNOW USUALLY BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION TAKES LONGER THAN ONE YEAR TO COMPLETE.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE TO COMPLETE THE, THE BRIDGE, UH, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT, AND THEN IT'LL START FINAL DESIGN.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

I KNOW THIS WAS ONE THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE CAN WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT BEFORE WE PASSED THE 2020 BOND.

SO I KNOW FOLKS ARE VERY EXCITED FOR THAT TRAIL CONNECTION TO BE COMPLETED.

AND DO YOU HAVE A, DO YOU HAVE A DEADLINE OF WHEN THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC? UM, I CAN GET THAT TO YOU.

TYPICALLY, PROJECTS OF THAT SCALE ARE ABOUT A 12 TO 18 MONTH CONSTRUCTION AND WITH ABOUT A 12 MONTH DESIGN.

BUT I'D BE GLAD TO GET THAT MORE SPECIFIC AND TIGHTER FOR YOU.

THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

UH, I JUST WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR THE SLIDE ON THE HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE EFFORTS.

UH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT START ON ON GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED, BUT ARE WE GONNA GET MORE SPECIFICS ON HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE, UH, AT, AT, AT THE NEXT, UH, I GUESS WORKING SESSION ON THE BUDGET? WHAT KIND OF DETAILS WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO PROVIDE? YEAH, UM, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT SLIDE, BUT I, I I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPERATING C I P AND GRANTS, BUT JUST KIND OF A, I GUESS A DEEPER DIVE INTO ALL OF THAT.

SO, UM, WE CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAIL.

I THINK THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'LL SEE THERE ARE, IT'S, IT'S SUCH A COMPLEX, UM, CALCULATION BECAUSE IT'S ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.

UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME OF THE LARGER, UM, DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE, ARE, UH, PROVIDING RESOURCES INCLUDE PUBLIC HEALTH AND, AND HOUSING.

UM, BUT IT GOES ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ON THE OPERATING SIDE, ON ALL THREE MM-HMM.

CATEGORIES, WHETHER IT'S C I P GRANTS AND OR OPERATING.

AND SO IF IT'S EASIER IF YOU HAVE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON WHAT YOU WANNA SEE, AND THEN WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE.

YEAH, I MEAN, YEAH, I GUESS IT'S A BREAKDOWN OF, YOU KNOW, MONEY ON SHELTERS VERSUS SOCIAL SERVICES VERSUS, YOU KNOW, FTS.

JUST LIKE THOSE TYPE OF METRICS.

WELL, COUNCILMAN, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? I MEAN, WE CAN GET SIT DOWN WITH YOUR OFFICE AND MAKE SURE WE GET A GOOD, A GOOD LIST OF WHAT IT IS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO CROSSWALK BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.

AND THEN WE CAN GET A MEMO OR THROUGH THE Q AND A, EITHER GET IT TO ALL TO YOU AND THE WHOLE COUNCIL SO THAT WE SEE HOW THAT BREAKDOWN WORKS.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

SO LET'S, LET'S DO THAT SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AS ACCURATE AS IT CAN BE.

COOL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SINCE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF HOMELESSNESS, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THIS.

UM, AND THEN I'M MOVE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.

UM, WITH REGARDS TO OUR HOMELESSNESS SPENDING, UM, AND GOING BACK TO PAGE FOUR ON YOUR SPY DECK, HOW MUCH OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED FOR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE IS GOING TOWARDS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING? I'M GOING TO ASK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO COME UP.

AND I THINK AS, UM, MS. GRAY IS COMING UP TO THE PODIUM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE MANY OF US ARE HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE CONCERN THAT THIS COUNCIL MIGHT BE LOSING SIGHT OF INVESTING IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

AND SO I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR ON WHAT OUR COMMITMENT LOOKS LIKE AS A CITY TO CONTINUING OUR INVESTMENTS IN P SS H, UM, AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT OTHER INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING WHEN IT COMES TOWARDS ADDRESSING OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

KIMBERLY MADDOX, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FROST PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? YOU, YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING MM-HMM.

FUNDING IN THE 24 BUDGET? YES.

SO FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH RIGHT NOW IN THE PROJECTED PLAN AS PLANNED SPEND IN 24, IT'S $13,433,182.

[00:45:03]

AND THEN OVERALL, AS PART OF OUR C I P, OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN, HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE ALLOCATED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN THE C I P I DO NOT HAVE THAT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY GET THAT FOR YOU.

YEAH, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, WE KNOW THAT 13 MILLION WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE TOWARDS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

THAT IS THE PLAN SPEND FOR 24.

AND HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR? YEAH.

ROSIE, DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER? DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER? HI, ROSIE.

TRUE LOVE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.

I, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, THROUGH Q AND A, WE WILL PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF, UM, OUR CAPITAL SPEND IN HOW THAT APPLIES TO P S H.

I THINK WE CAN PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT THROUGH Q AND A THEN THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTAR, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.

I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR STARTING WITH AUSTIN WATER.

GIVE A MOMENT HERE.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBERS MANAGER.

I'M SHAY ROLSON, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.

UM, I WAS FIRST WONDERING WHAT, I KNOW THE SMART METERS ARE PART OF, UH, OUR OVERALL PLAN TO HELP REDUCE OUR LEAKAGE BECAUSE WE'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER TRACK IN REAL TIME WHERE THE LEAKAGES ARE HAPPENING.

BUT I'M CURIOUS JUST WHAT'S, WHAT MEASURES WE'RE TAKING IN THIS BUDGET TO MITIGATE ANY LEAKAGE THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM? WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, LEAK DETECTION AND, UH, WATER LOSS CONTROL PROGRAM.

UH, AND THAT INVOLVES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES INCLUDING, UM, RUNNING LEAK DETECTION, UH, ACTUAL PHYSICAL SENSORS THROUGH OUR WATER PIPES, UM, AND THEN FINDING, UH, LEAKS THAT WAY THAT WE THEN DIG UP AND REPAIR.

WE ALSO HAVE, UM, UH, PERFORMANCE INDICATOR FOR OUR RESPONSE TIME WHEN LEAKS ARE REPORTED IN TO OUR DISPATCH.

UH, AND OF COURSE, THE A M I IS A LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR US WHERE OUR CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE LEAKS ON THEIR SIDE, UH, IN NEAR REAL TIME DUE TO THAT, UH, DIGITAL METERING SYSTEM.

UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, A, A WIDE RANGE OF, OF, UM, TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX FOR REDUCING WATER LOSS.

AND I KNOW Y'ALL DO SOME KIND OF ANALYSIS OF WHAT IS THE, I DUNNO IF IT'S HIGHEST RISK OR OLDEST, BUT OUR REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE THAT YOU HAVE, AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THAT'S ABOUT 2% OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

IS THAT CORRECT? UH, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO ON THE EXACT NUMBERS.

WE DON'T REALLY LOOK AT IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT PERCENT OF OUR SYSTEM WE REPLACE.

WE LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR PIPES AND THEN PRIORITIZE REPLACING POOR PERFORMING PIPES.

UM, WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED THE RENEWING AUSTIN PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN, UH, IN PLACE FOR THE, SINCE 2011, AND WE REDUCED OUR BREAK RATES.

UM, I CAN GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT WE WERE WELL ABOVE INDUSTRY AVERAGE, AND NOW WE'RE WELL BELOW INDUSTRY AVERAGE IN THAT, IN THAT TIMEFRAME.

SO WE USE A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH, AN ASSET MANAGEMENT BASED APPROACH THAT REALLY HELPS US TARGET OUR DOLLARS SO THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING, UM, BETTER PERFORMANCE FOR THE MONEY THAT WE SPEND TO REPLACE PIPE.

UM, SEPARATELY, I WAS PERUSING THE, THE WATER FORWARD PLAN THE OTHER DAY AND JUST WANTED TO, UM, UNDERSTAND IN THIS BUDGET, IF WE ARE ON TRACK, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE THINGS IN THIS BUDGET THAT ARE HELPING US MOVE, UM, ALONG WITH THAT PLAN OR, OR IF YOU COULD JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

AND WE, IT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER TO GET THAT AS A QUESTION THAT WE CAN THEN ANSWER COMPREHENSIVELY.

UM, BUT JUST IN GENERAL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WATER FORWARD PLAN IS A, IS A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH, UM, WHERE WE'RE TURNING A LOT OF KNOBS TO, UM, TO GET TO SUSTAINABLE WATER FUTURE A HUNDRED YEARS, UH, FROM NOW.

AND SO, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ELEMENTS OF OUR BUDGET THAT ARE RELATED TO THAT WATER SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS.

WELL WE CAN, UH, TALK MORE ABOUT IT.

I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ANSWERS AND THAT, THAT'S ALL WE'VE GOT.

OKAY, GREAT.

OF BUSINESS SERVICES FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.

UH, AND I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.

GOOD MORNING, STUART RILEY, INTERIM DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER

[00:50:01]

GOOD MORNING, STUART.

I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR, THE, THE PAGE OUTLINING SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, THE $4 MILLION FOR THE ENERGY SOLUTIONS, CONSERVATION REBATES, AND OTHER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. I WAS CURIOUS, ARE WE KIND OF MAXED OUT IN TERMS OF IF WE PUT MORE MONEY IN, WOULD WE EXPECT MORE PEOPLE TO GET REBATES OR WE'RE JUST KIND OF KEEPING LEVEL WITH, WE THINK THIS WILL BE THE DEMAND AND SO THIS IS THE REBATE? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE'LL DO FOR OUR BUDGETING IS WHAT WE THINK WE CAN, WE CAN SPEND OUT THERE WHAT WE THINK THE MARKET CAN SORT OF WITHSTAND IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY JOBS THAT CAN BE PERFORMED.

WE SAW A BIG DIP DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND THAT IS KIND OF REBOUNDED.

SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO HIT THAT MARK IN TERMS OF, OF THE AMOUNT OF SPEND THAT WE, THAT WE THINK OUR, OUR REBATES CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH AND, AND THE JOBS THAT REASONABLY COULD GET DONE WITHIN A YEAR.

AND DO WE DO ANY KIND OF PROACTIVE MARKETING ON THE REBATES? I KNOW I SEE THE, THE LITTLE PIECES IN HOME DEPOT OR WHATEVER, BUT I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT ARE OUTREACHES FOR THESE PROGRAMS? I, I, I WOULD SAY, UM, JUST ROUGHLY SPEAKING, OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES, OUR SOLAR REBATES, UM, THOSE TYPES OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMS ARE, ARE THE MAJORITY OF OUR, OF OUR MARKETING EFFORTS, UM, IN TERMS OF ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR THERMOSTAT PROGRAM, DEMAND RESPONSE, ALL THOSE KINDS OF, UH, HOME PERFORMANCE WITH ENERGY, ENERGY STAR, ALL INDUSTRY LEADING PROGRAMS. AND THAT THOSE ARE, UH, KIND OF THE PREDOMINANT, UH, MARKETING BUDGET OR, OR MARKETING ACTIVITIES THAT WE, THAT WE TAKE ON.

COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN OR ALISON? ALISON ALTER, AND THEN I'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.

MINE WAS ON AUSTIN ENERGY.

JUST REAL QUICK IF, BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO YEAH, WE HAVE QUESTIONS.

YEAH, YEAH.

LET, LET'S DO THAT.

SO WE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON TER, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER VALEN, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

UM, I CAN STAY ON AUSTIN ENERGY WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE, STUART.

UM, GOOD MORNING.

UM, SO I'M SLIDE 14.

IT MENTIONS THERE'S $6 MILLION IN INVESTMENT TO HARDEN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AGAINST WILDFIRE AND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND ADDRESS OVERALL SYSTEM RELIABILITY.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UM, WHAT THAT ENTAILS, PLEASE? SURE.

AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONTINUATION OF OUR, UM, OUR LONG-TERM EFFORTS TO REALLY HARDEN OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND MAKE IT MORE RESILIENT.

SO THAT'S PART OF OUR DISTRIBUTION RESILIENCY PROGRAM, WHICH ADDRESSES OUR UNDERPERFORMING FEEDERS THAT HAVE THE, THE WORST RELIABILITY METRICS IN OUR SYSTEM.

SO WE LOOK AT OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR WE'RE, WE'RE RANKING AND IDENTIFYING WHAT OUR TOP 10 ESSENTIALLY UNDERPERFORMING FEEDERS ARE AND OUR TOP 10 WILDFIRE RISK CIRCUITS ARE.

AND, UH, GOING OUT AND LOOKING AT WHAT TYPES OF CHANGES WE CAN MAKE ON THOSE, UH, ON THOSE PORTIONS OF OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THAT CAN INVOLVE, UM, TREE TRIMMING FIRST AND FOREMOST.

UM, AND THEN IT CAN INVOLVE, UH, COORDINATION OF THE LINES, UM, EQUIPMENT ON THE LINES LIKE LINE FUSES, MAKING SURE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT IS COORDINATED SO THAT IF THERE IS A FAULT ON THAT SYSTEM, THAT IT CAN TRIP OFFLINE AND EVERYTHING IS COORDINATED APPROPRIATELY IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND RECLOSERS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

AND THEN WE COULD, WE ALSO HAVE EQUIPMENT, KIND OF NEWER EQUIPMENT THAT WE CAN INSTALL ON THOSE, UH, SECTIONS, UH, WHICH WILL, UH, ESSENTIALLY DETECT A FAULT AND OPEN TO SHUT OFF THAT SECTION AND THEN RE-CLOSE BACK TO SEE IF THAT FAULT HAS CLEARED.

AND THEN IT WILL ATTEMPT TO DO THAT A FEW TIMES UNTIL, UH, IT, IT SENSES THAT IF THE FAULT STILL PERSISTS, THEN WE WOULD ROLL A TRUCK.

SO THERE ARE THOSE KINDS OF, UH, EQUIPMENT ISSUES.

AND THEN OF COURSE, I THINK YOU'RE AWARE THAT LONGER TERM WE'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING OUT, UH, 'CAUSE THIS IS PART OF A MULTI-YEAR STRATEGY, AND SO LONGER TERM WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME TECHNOLOGY IN TERMS OF WILDFIRE DETECTION CAMERAS AND, AND SOME AI TYPE EQUIPMENT THAT IN THE FUTURE WE WOULD LOOK TO ROLL OUT.

AND THAT'S STILL IN THE PLANNING PHASES.

I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT SYSTEM.

SO OF THE 6 MILLION, HOW MUCH IS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT? I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

AND IF YOU COULD ALSO TELL ME WHAT IS, HOW THIS 6 MILLION RELATES TO SIMILAR INVESTMENTS LIKE LAST YEAR.

IF IT'S DIFFERENT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

UM, AND THEN CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UM, THE PROPOSED FEE INCREASE A LITTLE BIT MORE? UM, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE RATE INCREASES IN THE FALL, UM, WE WERE NOT CONTEMPLATING, YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER INCREASES.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ARGUMENT IS THAT IT IS FOR THE FI FISCAL HEALTH OF THE UTILITY, WHICH I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE AND THAT IT IS SMALL WITH 1%, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK TO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, THAN WHAT WAS IN THE SLIDE? ABSOLUTELY.

AS UTILITIES, NOT ONLY DISTRIBUTION RESILIENCE, BUT JUST BEING FINANCIALLY RESILIENT, BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY KIND OF, OF WEATHER EVENT OR EMERGENCY THAT COMES ALONG.

UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS

[00:55:01]

AND SO AS WE WERE PREPARING OUR BUDGET AND PRESENTING THAT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND LOOKING AT OUR, OUR CURRENT DAYS CASH ON HAND OF 93 DAYS BEING WELL BELOW OUR MINIMUM OF 150 AND INDUSTRY STANDARD IS MORE LIKE 200 DAYS CASH ON HAND AS A MINIMUM.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE, OUR, OUR 93 DAYS IS, IS ABOUT $200 MILLION BELOW OUR, EVEN OUR MINIMUM TARGET.

UM, AND LOOKING AT THAT AND THINKING ABOUT HAVING THE FINANCIAL RESILIENCY THAT WE NEED AS A UTILITY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND IF NEEDED.

UM, SO HAVING THIS, THIS SMALL $1 PER MONTH, UH, FOR THE TYPICAL RATE PAYER INCREASE WOULD GO STRICTLY TOWARDS OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH, OUR FINANCIAL RESILIENCY, BECAUSE AS WE PUT THAT RATE INCREASE INTO EFFECT, WE HAD BEEN COMING OFF OF TWO YEARS WHERE WE HAD LOST A CUMULATIVE $90 MILLION AND WE HAD BEEN FUNDING THAT GAP THROUGH OUR CASH.

SO, UM, AND THEN WHEN WE PUT IN THIS $30 MILLION INCREASE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THAT RATE CASE THAT DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING IN IT TO REPLENISH OUR RESERVES AND TO GET OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH METRICS BACK ON TRACK.

AND EVEN IF IT HAD REALLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF INCREASED O AND M COSTS AND INFLATION HAS REALLY, UM, JUST COMPLETELY, UM, WIPED AWAY ANY POTENTIAL TO REBUILD ANY OF THOSE RESERVES JUST BECAUSE OF INFLATION.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW, THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE.

SO WHAT THE RATE PAYER SEES THOUGH IS THE COMBINATION OF THE BASE RATES AND THE P S A.

UM, WE'VE BEEN GETTING THESE REPORTS MONTHLY ON THE P S A AND WHERE WE'RE GOING, WHICH I THINK HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE WE WERE OVER COLLECTING AND NOW WITH THE HOT SUMMER, WE'RE PROBABLY UNDER COLLECTING IS THE SENSE THAT I HAVE, BUT YET THE BUDGET PREDICTS MUCH LOWER, UM, POWER SUPPLY COSTS.

SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN YES.

WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE ASSUMING.

AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THE BUDGET, UH, ON THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT AND THAT, THAT COST, THAT, THAT IS A PASS THROUGH CHARGE DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

AND, AND THERE'S A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN WHAT THE BUDGETED AMOUNT IS THERE AND WHAT THE RATE IS BECAUSE THE RATE WAS SET TO MAKE UP FOR AN UNDER RECOVERY OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING FOR THE COMING YEAR IS LOWER POWER SUPPLY COSTS, UM, BECAUSE OF LOWER NATURAL GAS COSTS AND KIND OF PREDICTIONS THAT NORMALLY THE, THE ERCOT MARKET WOULD TRACK THAT AND HAVE LOWER ERCOT MARKET COSTS.

SO THAT'S WHY OUR BUDGET, BUT REALLY, UM, THAT RATE IS THAT PASS THROUGH RATE HAS BEEN SET BY COUNCIL AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE EVEN THOUGH WHAT WE'RE PREDICTING.

SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT WOULD DO IS IF THAT PREDICTION TURNS OUT TO BE ACCURATE, IT WAS, IT WOULD HELP US MAKE UP FOR THAT UNDER RECOVERY THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.

BUT LIKE YOU SAID, IN THIS SUMMER, WE HAVE NOT, UH, REALLY BEEN MAKING UP FOR THAT UNDER RECOVERY IN THE SHOULDER MONTHS.

WE TEND TO GET, GET A LITTLE BIT AHEAD, AND THEN IN THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DIP BACK DOWN AGAIN AND THEN, AND THEN WE HOPE THAT THAT EBBS AND FLOWS AND HITS OUR, HITS OUR THREE YEAR TRAJECTORY THAT WE WERE ON.

SO THE P S A RATE WAS SET SO THAT WE WOULD MAKE UP THE UNDER RECOVERY, BUT THE, EVEN AS THE, EVEN AS THE, THE BUDGETED COSTS ARE LOWER, EVEN AS THEY GO DOWN CAPTURE THAN WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH THAT MONTHLY UPDATE THAT SAYS WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF OUR OVER UNDER, SO THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU THE, YOU KNOW, THE CERTAINTY THAT WE'RE ON TRACK TO, TO MEET AND THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE RATE'S NOT TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO BE ON TRACK AND HAVE THE RIGHT RATE.

WHAT I THINK THAT THAT MONTHLY REPORT IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.

AND I THINK IT'S A BIT OF A LAG.

SO IT MAY BE EVEN WORSE THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF WHERE THE, WHERE THE RATE IS.

UM, I WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE P SS A RATE AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE DOING THIS OTHER RATE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S, UM, POSSIBLE GIVEN, GIVEN THE LEVEL OF HEAT THAT WE'RE SEEING.

AND, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT EVEN IF WE WERE TO, UM, LET'S SAY THERE'S $50 MILLION OF UNDER RECOVERY LEFT TO, TO RECOVER, THAT'S ABOUT 12 DAYS CASH ON HAND.

SO EVEN IF WE GET THAT WHOLE THING, WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT MAKING UP A WHOLE LOT IN TERMS OF WHERE OUR FINANCIAL METRICS AND OUR FINANCIAL RESILIENCY NEED TO BE.

WHAT IS THE PROJECTION OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF RATES OVER THE LONG HAUL.

UM, I THINK THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR AE.

UM, I HAD A QUESTION FOR WATERSHED.

IS THAT GOOD? GOOD MORNING, MS. HARTLEY.

GOOD MORNING, SARAH HARTLEY WATERSHED PROTECTION.

UM, SO I GUESS WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD AN INCREASE IN FEES FOR MANY YEARS, UM, FOR WATERSHED.

UM, WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN, RAIN TO RIVER THAT IS COMING AND WE'LL GET IT RIGHT TODAY.

UM, IS I, I WANNA UNDERSTAND

[01:00:01]

WE HAVE CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HAVE GROWTH, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT MOVING A LOT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER INTO THE SYSTEM AND YOUR RATES ARE BASED ON THAT.

UM, AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER ISSUES.

UM, JUST THAT IMPACT OUR ABILITY, UM, TO KEEP OUR WATERSHED PROTECTED.

SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WE'RE GONNA NEED IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS IDENTIFIED AND THAT YOU'RE GONNA IDENTIFY? SURE.

AND YES, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE RANGE RIVER, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE.

AND WE'VE SPENT THE LAST ABOUT 18 MONTHS WORKING THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN A VERY DEEP WAY.

AND WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED, UM, FROM US WHEN IT COMES TO ADAPTABILITY AND RESILIENCE AND THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IN PLACE.

AND AS YOU SAID, WE HAVE NOT RAISED OUR, UM, BASE RATE IN ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.

AND SO WE, THIS YEAR COMING FORWARD WITH ABOUT A 3.2% INCREASE.

AND IN OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST, WE DO EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO COME FORWARD WITH, UM, ADDITIONAL FEE INCREASES AS OUR REVENUE HAS BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE FLAT, UM, AS, AS AUSTIN BUILDS OUT.

AND THE IMPERVIOUS COVER STARTS TO KIND OF FLATTEN OUT ITSELF.

SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING OUT AN R F Q TO, UH, GET A CONSULTANT TO WRITE THAT, UH, STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE.

AND SO AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION OVER THE NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GONNA START SEEING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, FINANCIALLY FOR US WHEN WE SEE WHAT THOSE GOALS ARE FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE.

UM, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO, UM, LOOK AT THOSE RATES, THE BASE RATE AND BRING FORWARD POTENTIAL INCREASES.

AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WE ARE JUST REALLY, REALLY IMPACTED.

SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG, YOU KNOW, FOR BRIDGET FUTURE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS CONTINUING.

THANK YOU MS. HARLEY.

APPRECIATE IT.

UM, FOR HOMELESSNESS, I WANTED TO ASK THE BUDGET STAFF IN THOSE CALCULATIONS.

IS THE AR ARE THE ARPA INVESTMENTS INCLUDED? THEY'RE NOT.

SO IF WE COULD GET, UM, WHAT WE'RE SPENDING FROM ARPA ON HOMELESSNESS AND THE CATEGORIES AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT'S PROJECTED TO BE FOR THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR, AND, AND IF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE IT FOR, FOR PAST YEARS.

'CAUSE THAT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF THE, THE GENERAL FUND HOMELESSNESS BUDGET.

UM, THAT IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO OUR ABILITY TO, TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF, OF OUR, OF OUR HOMELESS NEIGHBORS.

SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND THEN, UM, I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION FOR A D D, UM, THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.

UM, I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK WITH THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

THEY'VE BEEN DOING, UM, SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK USING OUR BOND FUNDING WITH THE CREATIVE SPACES.

AND IT SEEMS TO OVERLAP A LOT.

THERE'S A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE THERE.

UM, SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WHO'S GONNA BE ADMINISTERING THAT POD AND WHAT ROLE THEY'RE GONNA PLAY BECAUSE THEY'VE DEVELOPED A LOT OF EXPERTISE.

ANOVIA HORAB, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

IF, UH, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL FOR THE F Y 24 BUDGET PASSES, WE WILL COME BACK WITH AN AMENDMENT TO THE I L A WITH THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO MANAGE THE ICONIC, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE VENUE ICONIC VENUE FUND.

AS YOU MAY RECALL, UM, JUNE OF 2021, AS PART OF THE INITIAL PROCESS OF THE CULTURAL TRUST, UM, COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THEM TO ADMINISTRATE THE BONDS AS WELL AS THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.

AND SO WILL THAT, IS THAT ALREADY CAPTURED IN THE 2.5 MILLION, LIKE THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR THE ICONIC VENUE FUND? COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? ARE THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR THE A A D C TO, UM, ADMINISTER THE ICONIC VENUE FUND ALREADY CAPTURED IN THE 2.5 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED EXACTLY AS PART, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN THE COUNCIL TOOK ACTION, BUT 10% OF THE BUDGET STABILIZATION TRANSFER IS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR THE CULTURAL TRUST.

OKAY, GREAT.

HOT REVENUE IS LESS THAN HALF THAN WHAT IT IS NOW AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.

APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THEN ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE WE GO BACK TO THE AIRPORT IS, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THERE WAS A LARGE INCREASE IN REVENUE.

IS THAT JUST HOT REVENUES THAT HAVE EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS? IT WAS ABOUT 20 MILLION ROUGHLY HIGHER THAN WE BUDGETED THE LAST FISCAL.

I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT BEFORE THEY GET DOWN HERE.

I, THAT NUMBER WAS BUDGET TO BUDGET, SO IT WAS A 40% INCREASED BUDGET TO BUDGET IN THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

IF YOU COMPARE IT TO THE ESTIMATE, UH, THEY'RE ONLY BUDGETING ABOUT A 2.6% INCREASE.

SO THE FUNDAMENTAL DYNAMIC THERE IS JUST, UM, IN FY 21,

[01:05:02]

AND IT'S COME ROARING BACK SO QUICKLY.

IT'S BEEN HARD TO, TO MAKE THOSE PROJECTIONS HIGH ENOUGH EVERY YEAR TO KEEP UP.

AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEEING A BIG INCREASE JUST, UM, VERSUS THE BUDGETED NUMBER, BUT NOT AS MUCH VERSUS WHAT THEY'RE ESTIMATING TO COLLECT THIS YEAR.

AND THEN I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE AIRPORT.

UM, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS OPERATIONS, BUT WE ARE APPROACHING OUR BUDGET, UM, AND IT'S OUR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE AT THIS STAGE TO, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, SO MR. SMITH, HOW WAS THE 7% CONVEYED TO, UM, THE EMPLOYEES THROUGH A MEMO? OKAY, SO, UM, CAN I GET A COPY OF THAT MEMO? BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING FROM EMPLOYEES THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT WAS IN THERE.

UM, AND I SHOULD CORRECT MYSELF BEFORE, IT WAS 1% ON THE PENSION SIDE, NOT ON THE HEALTHCARE SIDE THAT THEY WERE, UM, THAT THEY'LL BE FACING COME JANUARY, WHICH MADE IT 10% OVERALL WITH, WITH THE 4%.

BUT, UM, I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENTION TO EVEN WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY CONVEYED BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, THE UNION DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

UM, SO EVEN WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD BY SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES.

UM, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU AND, AND MR. GOODE AND WHOEVER ELSE IS APPROPRIATE ABOUT ADDRESSING THESE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO AND YOU TAKE A 664 NUMBER, I BELIEVE THAT WAS NUMBER OF FTES.

AND I THINK YOU SAID IT WAS 101, UM, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT WE HADN'T FILLED, THAT WE HAD ADDED OVER THE YEARS.

YOU STILL HAVE A 20% VACANCY RATE, WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO BE SEEING.

UM, SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN ASCRIBE THIS FULLY TO THAT.

WE ADDED, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS.

AND SO I REALLY DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT I AM CHAIR OF AUDIT AND FINANCES AS WELL WITHIN MY RESPONSIBILITIES TO OVERSEE THIS AND, AND DO THAT.

AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE, UM, CONVERSATIONS.

AND IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WANNA JOIN IN THAT CONVERSATION, UM, THEN LET'S, LET'S DO THAT.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH AT THE AIRPORT.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING IT SAFE AND SECURE FOR ALL OF THE PASSENGERS AND THE CREWS AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE.

UM, AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THIS.

UM, AND IF WE DID NEED TO GO UP TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT STIPEND HIGHER, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DO IT IN THE BUDGET.

WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION AND DECIDE THAT'S NOT TIME YET, AND WE HAVE TO DO THESE OTHER THINGS.

UM, BUT I, I DO WANNA CONTINUE, UM, TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

UM, SO IT JUST, I, I I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THIS IS AN ISSUE.

IT'S NOT ONE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AS A COUNCIL MUCH.

UM, AND, AND IT DOES IMPACT THE POTENTIAL BUDGET MOVING FORWARD.

LET, LET ME JUST SAY THAT WE AGREE THAT THE VACANCY RATE IS HIGH.

WE AGREE THAT, UH, THE BOLUS OF PHYSICIANS THAT WERE ADDED IN THE EARLY PART OF 22 ARE NOT THE SOLE DRIVER OF THAT.

WE HAVE, WE HAVE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO DO THAT THROUGH ADJUSTMENTS OF SALARIES OR BONUS, NOT BONUSES, BUT RETENTION TO TRY TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS RECRUIT.

WE UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE ISSUES.

UH, MR. SMITH HAS BEEN IN ALL IN THAT, IN THAT POSITION FOR FIVE MONTHS.

AND HE IS WORKING TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE SO THAT WE CAN FILL THOSE SLOTS SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.

AND I, AND IT'S, I'M, I'M, I'M NEW TO THIS GAME BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE, THESE, UH, USUALLY STIPENDS USED TO BE THE TOTAL AND SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGEMENT.

IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE CONSIDERED DURING THE BUDGET THAT MAY HAVE CHANGED WHILE I WAS GONE.

UH, WE MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AS APPROPRIATE TO DEPEND DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE AGAINST MARKET.

AND IT WOULD BE, IN MY JUDGMENT AT LEAST, IT WOULD BE UNUSUAL THAT YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION AS PART OF A BUDGET PROCESS.

'CAUSE WE HAVE THE DISCRETION TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HIRE THE INDIVIDUALS.

AND WE'RE NOT DISPUTING THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT FOR OVERSIGHT.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT FOR OVERSIGHT.

WE INTEND TO GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.

DOES THAT COMPLETE YOUR QUESTIONS? I'M GOING TO, OKAY.

WE'LL GO COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.

COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.

AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

UH, MR. SMITH.

COUPLE MORE FOLLOW UP.

I'LL, I'LL STAY ON AIRPORT FOR JUST A SECOND.

I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HONESTLY, FROM A BIG PICTURE PERSPECTIVE.

UH, WE HAVE ABOUT, WAS ABOUT 11 MILLION IN PLAIN, UH, PASSENGERS IN ESTIMATED FISCAL YEAR 23 IN PLAIN.

IS THAT, IS THAT BOARDINGS? YES.

TO ABOUT WHAT, 25 MILLION PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING THIS YEAR, WE'LL PROBABLY FINISH ABOUT 22, 20 2 MILLION PEOPLE.

IT'S BASICALLY HALF OF THE TOTAL TRAFFIC THAT RUNS THROUGH THE AIRPORT.

THAT WAS MY QUESTION.

SO ALL IN ALL, WE'RE CLOSE

[01:10:01]

UH, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK ABOUT THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT.

UH, UH, COULD YOU GIVE, COULD, COULD YOU PUT THAT NUMBER IN CONTEXT WITH SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR AIRPORTS, THE MAJOR TEXAS AIRPORTS? WELL, RELATIVE TO SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS A COMPETITOR OF OURS, SINCE WE SHARE THE CATCHMENT BASIN THAT WE BOTH USE, UH, WE HAVE MORE THAN TWICE THE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS AND PASSENGERS THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS NOW MM-HMM.

AND THAT'S BEEN INCREASING SINCE ABOUT 2008.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE MORE THAN TWICE AS LARGE.

WE HAVE MORE AIRLINES, MORE ROUTES.

UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 290 DEPARTURES A DAY.

UM, PROBABLY ABOUT 32,000, 33,000 PASSENGERS PER DAY, UM, LEAVING FROM OUR AIRPORT.

AND, AND AGAIN, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, UH, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT WHAT WOULD LIKE A D F W UH, UH, OR LIKE A HOUSTON HOBBY, UH, HALF IN TERMS OF, UH, PASSENGERS, UH, SOMETHING LIKE D F W, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY, YOU'RE PROBABLY CLOSE TO A HUNDRED MILLION PASSENGERS.

A OKAY.

UH, THANK YOU.

YOU, THAT WAS, I JUST WANTED TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS FOR CONTEXT AND LET ME GO TO AUSTIN ENERGY.

CAN I HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY.

MORNING.

UH, THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT A STUDY OF BEARING ELECTRIC LINES, I THINK A MILLION DOLLARS.

IS THAT IN THE BUDGET? DID THAT MAKE IT INTO THE BUDGET? IT IS, IT IS IN THE BUDGET.

UM, OUR TEAM IN ENGINEERING HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE SCOPE OF WORK TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO GET A, A CONSULTING FIRM THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK.

AND SO WE, WE'VE BEEN PREPARING THAT SO THAT ONCE THE BUDGET'S ADOPTED, WE CAN GO OUT AND, AND WE DO EXPECT THAT TO BE ABOUT A A MILLION DOLLAR STUDY.

AND CAN YOU JUST KIND OF DESCRIBE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT IS THAT GONNA INVOLVE? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE ASKING THEM TO, TO STUDY TO DO? SO THAT'S GOING TO INVOLVE SORT OF WHAT ALL THE IMPLICATIONS WOULD BE WITHIN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT CHANGES WOULD BE NECESSARY.

UM, WHAT DOES THE GEOLOGY LOOK LIKE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF, OF BURYING THE LINES, WHAT WOULD THE FEASIBILITY BE FOR INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEY'RE CURRENTLY FED FROM OVERHEAD.

SO THEY HAVE A SERVICE PANEL ON THE SIDE OF THEIR HOME WITH A WEATHERHEAD THAT COMES UP IF THEY WERE FED FROM UNDERGROUND.

YOU KNOW, BASICALLY GETTING A HANDLE ON ALL THOSE SORT OF COLLATERAL EFFECTS.

AND THEN, UM, ALSO LOOKING AT COSTS AND FEASIBILITY AND JUST, UH, ENGINEERING WISE.

AND, AND THESE ARE ALL, UH, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THIS BEFORE.

I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, UH, NOW GOING BACK QUITE A BIT, OBVIOUSLY WITH ALL THE, THE, THE WINTER, UH, DISASTERS THAT, THAT KEEP HITTING, UH, TEXAS, UH, SO PRIOR TO THIS AND WHERE WE WERE KIND OF SPECULATING ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT OUR COSTS OR THIS AND THAT, THE IDEA OF THIS STUDY WOULD BE TO KIND OF FIRM UP HOW DIFFICULT AND WHAT IT WOULD COST.

IS THAT YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE, WE'VE HAD SOME OF THOSE AD HOC CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST, AND WE'VE THROWN ROUGH NUMBERS OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD IN THE PAST AND WHEN OTHERS HAVE LOOKED AT IT IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TEE THAT UP FOR THAT POLICY DISCUSSION AND HAVE A, HAVE A POLICY DISCUSSION AROUND REAL NUMBERS.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE, UH, SEEN AS, AS, AS TRYING TO KIND OF PUT OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

UM, BUT JUST COME, COME BACK WITH KIND OF A, A VERY OPEN BOOK IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS WOULD BE.

I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW THAT UP WITH, UH, SOME, A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION OR A BOND, YOU KNOW, TO DO A TEST.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING TO LOOK AT IT ON PAPER AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA COST.

IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA PICK A COUPLE OF AREAS, OR, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF TEST PROJECTS AND SEE, UH, I JUST THINK THAT WE, WE NEED TO GET SOME EXPERIENCE AND WE NEED TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND NOT JUST ACADEMICALLY, BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, PICK A NEIGHBORHOOD.

UH, MY SENSE WOULD BE, HONESTLY, I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, MUELLER NEIGHBORHOOD HAS THEIR LINES BURIED.

OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A, YOU KNOW, A GREENFIELD THERE TO WORK WITH THAT MADE, UH, EVERYTHING A LOT EASIER.

BUT HONESTLY, I WOULD USE THAT AS ALMOST THE BASE AND START KIND OF BEARING ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND IT AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, AS MUCH AS WE COULD.

BUT ANYWAY, I, I APPRECIATE THAT DIRECTION.

I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT MONEY'S IN THE BUDGET.

UH, AND, UH, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT THE, WHAT THE STUDY, UM, UH, RETURNS.

UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THE TOP 10 FEEDER LINE PROBLEMS. UH, CAN WE GET A LIST OF, UH, THOSE LINES IN, IN THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE, ARE CAUSING, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY, A LOT OF HEADACHES, AND OBVIOUSLY OUR CUSTOMERS AS WELL? UH, A LOT OF HEADACHES, UM, UH, JUST ANECDOTALLY, I SWEAR THEY'RE ALL IN MY DISTRICT, , EVERY TALK, EVERY CUSTOMER I TALK TO IS SURE THAT THEY'RE ON THAT LIST.

THE SAME, UH, THE, THE SAME IMPRESSION THAT I GET.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH,

[01:15:01]

AND THEN, UH, WITH RES, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE P S A ADJUSTMENT, UH, I, I, I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSE.

I MEAN, I KNOW THE, OBVIOUSLY FUEL PRICES HAVE DROPPED, UH, SINCE WE SET THE P S A, I KNOW WE WERE KIND OF IN RECOVERY MODE, BUT IN TERMS OF THE P S A ADJUSTMENT, WILL THERE BE ANY, UH, UH, ADJUSTMENTS FOR FUEL COSTS THAT THE CUSTOMERS WILL SEE ON THEIR BILL OVER LIKE THE NEXT 12 MONTHS OR SO? UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRACK.

SO, UH, WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT P S A, SO WE COME BACK AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER EVERY YEAR WITH THE PASS THROUGH CHARGES BECAUSE WE NEED THE BENEFIT OF LOOKING AT THE WHOLE SUMMER'S WORTH OF DATA.

AND SO, BECAUSE IT CAN, IT CAN BE SUCH A WILD SWING FROM WHATEVER THE SUMMER, UH, IS.

AND SO HAVING THE BENEFIT OF THAT SUMMER DATA, WE COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO SET THE PASS THROUGHS THAT BECOME EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1ST.

SO LAST YEAR WE HAD A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS UNDER RECOVERY FOR THE P S A, AND IT WAS SET AT A RATE THAT WOULD RECOVER THAT FOR THAT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS UNDER RECOVERY OVER A THREE YEAR HORIZON RATHER THAN A ONE YEAR HORIZON.

AND SO THAT RATE IS WHAT IS IN EFFECT.

AND SO WE SET THAT RATE AT, AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD, WOULD GET US WHOLE OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.

UM, AND THEN ALSO WHEN THAT WAS SET, COUNCIL PROVIDED US THE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY TO MAKE TWEAKS TO IT, TO KIND OF HAVE THESE COURSE CORRECTIONS OF 5% UP OR DOWN SO THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE BIG SWINGS, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR.

AND THAT WAS SORT OF WHAT WE HAD REFERRED TO AS THIS SELF-INDUCED OSCILLATION, BECAUSE WE'D SET IT HIDE, OVER, RECOVER, AND THEN, AND THEN WE'D UNDER, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT DOING THIS.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MANAGE THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY.

AND SO EACH MONTH WE'RE SENDING TO COUNCIL A MEMO THAT SAYS WHERE WE ARE ON THE OVER UNDER RECOVERY, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE THINK THAT BASED ON OUR FORECAST, WHETHER WE NEED TO USE THAT 5% UP OR DOWN AUTHORITY.

SO IT'S, IT'S LIKELY THAT AT SOME POINT DURING THIS THREE YEAR PERIOD, WE WILL NEED TO MAKE SOME KIND OF ADJUSTMENT.

UM, RIGHT NOW, I, I CAN'T SAY WHEN OR, OR HOW MUCH THAT WOULD BE.

GOT IT.

THAT, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.

SO WE SHOULDN'T EXPECT DRAMATIC CHANGES IN THE P S A GIVEN THAT 5% AUTHORITY, AND GIVEN THE LONG TERM, UH, YOU KNOW, THREE YEAR TIME HORIZON YOU HAD FOR, FOR MAKING UP THE, THE ADDITIONAL COST.

OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO, IS TO SMOOTH IT OUT.

AND, AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE MARKET, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE THESE BLOWOUTS IN THE MARKET THAT WOULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT TO US, AND WE, WE CAN NEVER CONTROL FOR THAT.

UM, BUT OUR, OUR INTENT IS TO REALLY SMOOTH IT OUT.

AND, UH, COUNCIL ENT, DID YOU GET YOUR, THANK YOU.

JUST TO ADD ON, SINCE YOU'RE THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE RESILIENCY INITIATIVES THAT ASA ENERGY IS UNDERTAKING WITH THIS UPCOMING BUDGET.

ONE ITEM THAT I FLAGGED FOR, FOR YOU AND, UM, AND DIRECTOR KAHN IS THE, UH, THE MOBILE UNIT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SAW DURING THE WINTER STORM, WE BORROWED A MOBILE UNIT FROM SAN ANTONIO'S UTILITY.

THEY CAME IN AND PROVIDED A WIFI HOTSPOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THAT REALLY CAME THROUGH AT A DESPERATE TIME OF NEED.

SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT INITIATIVE AND PERHAPS WHERE AUSTIN ENERGY IS AT AND FUNDING IT? ABSOLUTELY, YES.

AND THANK YOU FOR CALLING THAT OUT.

WE DO HAVE THAT IN OUR BUDGET FOR A LEASED UNIT THAT WE WOULD, UH, HAVE IN OUR CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR.

AND, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR, UM, AS WE, AS WE WORK THROUGH THE DETAILS ON OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT TO IDENTIFY THE BEST WAY TO DEPLOY THAT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THEM IN, IN OUR FLEET DURING THE STORM.

AND SO WE KIND OF SCRAMBLED TO FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO, TO USE THAT KIND OF UNIT, UM, WHERE TO TAKE IT, WHAT THE BEST USE CASES WERE FOR IT.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON IN TERMS OF, OF WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ALL IT CAN DO FOR US BOTH WITHIN AN EMERGENCY AND JUST IN TERMS OF A, A MARKETING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TOOL, UH, AT OTHER TIMES AS WELL.

YEAH, I MEAN, 'CAUSE I THINK HAVING THAT, UM, THAT MOBILE UNIT AVAILABLE, NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE POWER AND TIMES OF NEED, BUT JUST TO GET, YOU KNOW, SIGNUPS FOR THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO GET SIGNUPS FOR THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE REGISTRY, LIKE HAVING THAT OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHEN WE'RE HAVING OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

YES, AGREED.

UM, THE WATERSHED WOULD BE THE NEXT.

AND, AND I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.

AND, AND WE HAD, UH, AN EVENT, UH, WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, CADRE WHERE THE C P SS BROUGHT, NOT JUST THAT, IT'S, THEY HAVE THIS BIG RV THAT HAS A LOT OF, UH, HOOKUPS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CHARGE UP AND THEY'LL HAVE WATER AND THEY'LL HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE IT WHEREVER THEY NEED.

BUT THEN THEY ALSO HAD A, A NUMBER OF SMALLER VANS THAT, THAT PERFORM A SIMILAR FUNCTION, BUT ON A, A SMALLER SCALE.

UH, AND I, I THOUGHT THEY WERE EXTREMELY USEFUL, OBVIOUSLY, IN AN EMERGENCY.

BUT LIKE I SAID, EVEN AS JUST A MARKETING TOOL AND AN OUTREACH TOOL, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE, THE PERSONNEL THAT, THAT I TALKED TO FROM C P S, YOU KNOW, THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GREAT, UH, UH, UH, TOOLS FOR THE UTILITY TO USE FOR, UH, OUTREACH, UH, AND EVENTS.

SO THAT, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.

[01:20:01]

GOOD MORNING, SARAH HARTLEY, WATERSHED PROTECTION.

UH, UH, MS. HARTLEY, SO QUESTION MY UNDERSTANDING ON THE, OH, LORD, I LOSE TRACK OF THE, THE WINTER STORMS THAT, THAT WE HAVE AND THEIR NAMES, BUT THE ONE WHERE, UH, ALL THE TREES SHED THEIR BRANCHES, UH, MOST RECENTLY, MARA, UH, THE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST FOR, UH, THE LIMB COLLECTION AND CLEANUP AFTER THAT WAS ABOUT $21 MILLION, OR, OR SO.

IS THAT ABOUT CORRECT? I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT NUMBER.

UH, IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE ABOUT A $15 MILLION CHECK COMING FROM FEMA AT SOME POINT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT COME IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE.

SO WE COULD ADD, YOU KNOW, $15 MILLION OF ESSENTIALLY REVENUE, UH, TO THIS, UH, BUDGET CYCLE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF, UH, WHERE WE ARE ON THAT REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS AND, AND THE TIMING OF THE FEMA PAYMENT FOR, UH, WINTER STORM MARA? YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD NEED TO DEFER TO BUDGET OR HE, FOR THE OVERALL, 'CAUSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING OVER THAT FOR US.

SO HESSAM IS LEADING THE, THE PROCESS TO GET THE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT.

AND ALTHOUGH WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH SEVERAL OF THE, UH, THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROJECTS, IT COULD TAKE, WE COULD GET SOME MONEY IN FISCAL YEAR 24.

IT COULD TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO GET THAT FULL REIMBURSEMENT.

WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH, UM, WITH H SSIM AS WELL AS WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE TO REALLY, UH, LOOK AT HOW SOON WE THINK THOSE PROJECTS WILL COME IN.

BUT WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON WHICH PROJECTS WE THINK WILL BE REIMBURSED AS EARLY AS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.

'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT IS ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE, IN THE POT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN THEN USE FOR, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ONE-TIME ITEMS IN, IN, IN DIFFERENT, UH, PROJECTS THAT, THAT THE, THAT THE DIOCESE WOULD, UH, WOULD, UH, LIKE TO FUND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.

THE ONLY, THE ONLY CAVEAT I'D SAY IS THAT THE DOLLARS THAT COME IN FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION IS A, IT'S A ENTERPRISE FUND.

AND THE DOLLARS WOULD HAVE TO BE CREDITED TO THAT FUND, I'M ASSUMING, UNLESS, UH, OR MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN CORRECT ME, BUT IT'S ALSO THAT AR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY AS WELL.

CORRECT.

SO, SO FOR THE ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE, UH, EXPENSES THAT RELATED TO THOSE RE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT, THEY'LL GO DIRECTLY TO THOSE FUNDS IN THE INSTANCE OF AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THE GENERAL FUND, UM, FORWARDED THEM THAT THOSE DOLLARS THIS FISCAL YEAR, ANY REIMBURSEMENTS FOR A R R WILL GO BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES.

THANK, THANKS THAT, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE PULLED 15 MILLION OR 20 MILLION OUT OF RESERVES TO PAY FOR THE CLEANUP, AND SO IT IS OWED BACK INTO RESERVES.

UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS MY, UH, UNDERSTANDING, BUT WE'RE UP TO 20%.

AND, AND, AND IF WE COULD, UH, UH, I, I, MY COLLEAGUES I THINK HAVE QUESTIONS IN ON THE, ON THE, ON THE BUDGET Q AND A ABOUT THAT.

SO, SO, UH, BUT THAT WOULD, UH, BE GREAT TO GET, UH, ANSWERS ON THAT.

UM, THEN I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE, UH, THIS ONE ACTUALLY WOULD BE FOR A R R, UH, REGARDING THE TRANSFER CENTER AND, AND MAYOR, WHILE A R R IS COMING DOWN, THERE WAS A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, HARPER MADISON, ALSO ABOUT THE NORTH SERVICE CENTER.

WE HAVE STAFF WHO'S READY TO PREPARE TO ANSWER HER QUESTION ABOUT THE TIMELINE ON THAT.

IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO DO IT.

GOOD MORNING, UH, RICHARD MCHALE, INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

OFF POTENTIALLY BULK ITEMS, UH, MATTRESSES, YOU KNOW, SOFAS, YOU KNOW, EASY CHAIRS, ALL THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING THE BULK PICKUP FOR.

UH, THE IN, IN THE, UH, OH LORD E IS, IS IT AN ESTIMATE THAT CAME OUT IN KIND OF LIKE A MARCH MAY TIMEFRAME? WAS JUST AN INITIAL KIND OF LOOK AT THE BUDGET.

THERE WAS A LINE IN THERE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR, UH, PLANNING, UH, FOR, UH, A TRANSFER CENTER FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M, I'M WRONG ON ANY OF THE DETAILS ON THIS, BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, I BELIEVE WE TAKE THE, THE, THE TRASH THAT WE COLLECT AND DRIVE IT DOWN TO KIND OF SOUTHEAST TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, AND DEPOSIT IT AT THE LANDFILL AT A PRIVATE LANDFILL THAT WE USE OVER THERE.

THE CITY LANDFILL HAVING BEEN CLOSED, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME AGO.

UM, THE, A TRANSFER CENTER WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS WOULD, UM, ALLOW CURRENT CUSTOMERS TO DROP

[01:25:01]

UH, AND THAT SAID, LIKE IN, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY, UH, DISTRICT, I'VE GOT A LOT OF APARTMENT RESIDENTS AND APARTMENT RESIDENTS DON'T GET BOAT PICKUP.

SO WHEN AN APARTMENT RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT COUCH COMES TO THE END OF ITS YOUTHFUL LIFE, THERE'S, THERE'S VERY LIMITED OPTIONS, UH, FOR, UH, FOR A DISPOSAL.

UH, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT, UH, TRANSFER CENTER.

UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE US MOVING TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT TRANSFER CENTER.

DID THAT MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE, THE PLANNING FOR THE TRANSFER CENTER MAKE IT INTO THE BUDGET? UH, THAT MONEY DID NOT MAKE IT IN THE, INTO THE, THE CURRENT BUDGET.

UM, WE TOO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME TRANSFER STATIONS.

WE ANTICIPATE HAVING A NORTH AND A SOUTH TRANSFER STATION.

UH, WE DID DO SOME WORK ON OUR, UH, ON THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER WHERE, UH, THE, WE HAD SOME MONEY IN THAT PROGRAM FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND SOME OTHER WORK, WHICH WE DID NOT SPEND ALL THAT MONEY.

SO I THINK WE CAN STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TRANSFER STATION WITH EXISTING FUNDS.

, UM, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, UH, LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED YET FOR THOSE FACILITIES.

WE'RE HOPING THAT WOULD BE ON SOME CITY PROPERTY, BUT, UH, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, FOR A TRANSFER STATION WITH EXISTING FUNDS WE HAVE.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT.

UH, AND, UH, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

UH, AND I, MY INTEREST IS REALLY JUST THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLANNING FOR THAT PROJECT WITH THE IDEA THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION OR A BOND GO OUT TO BUILD THE TRANSFER CENTERS.

UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ALSO, THERE'LL BE POTENTIALLY OPERATIONAL SAVINGS TO A R R INSTEAD OF HAVING TO DRIVE DOWN ALL THE WAY TO, IT'S BASICALLY A 45 AND AND 35.

THE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S A, A GOOD RUN FOR THE TRUCKS.

UH, THEY WOULD HAVE A SHORTER RUN THAN THEY DUMP THEIR TRASH AT THAT LOCATION.

AND THEN IT'S LOADED ONTO A MUCH LARGER, KIND OF MORE EFFICIENT TRUCK FOR, UH, UH, A DROP OFF.

SO I GUESS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY FOR, UH, OPERATIONAL SAVINGS FOR A R R IF WE WERE TO DO, UH, TO RESTRUCTURE KIND OF OUR, OUR TRASH COLLECTION USING, UH, NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSFER CENTER.

UH, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, THAT IS PART OF OUR GOAL.

UH, ALSO JUST THE CREATION AND THE BUILDING OF THE NORTHEAST, UH, SERVICE CENTER WILL CREATE SOME OPERATIONAL SAVINGS.

'CAUSE WE'LL BE ABLE TO, INSTEAD OF HAVING DRIVING TO OUR ONLY SERVICE CENTER ON KENNETH GARDNER IN, IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, UH, THAT NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER WILL BE ABLE TO, TO SAVE US.

THE TRANSPORTATION WON'T ONLY BE JUST FOR TRASH, IT'LL ALSO BE FOR ORGANICS, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS A CONSIDERABLE DRIVE FOR US OUT TO BASTROP COUNTY TO PUT THAT MATERIAL DOWN.

SO MM-HMM.

, UH, WE, WE'D ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO, UH, RECYCLING, UH, TRANSFER STATIONS.

SOME OF OUR ROUTES ARE CLOSE TO OUR DROP-OFF SITES FOR RECYCLING, SO NOT ALL OF THEM WOULD GO THROUGH THAT CENTER.

, UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, THIS TRANSFER STATION WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, SO THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REVENUE.

UM, SO YES, THERE WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOME SAVINGS AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

IT IS, UH, AGAIN, I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN LAREDO, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE DUMP AND YOU SHOW 'EM A BILL, BASICALLY IN YOUR NAME, A UTILITY BILL IN YOUR NAME, YOU CAN DUMP LIKE YOUR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, BED, UH, A TRUCK BED FULL OF, OF TRASH.

I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LIMITS IS.

IS THAT WHAT WE WOULD ENVISION SOME KIND OF SIMILAR PROCESS WHEREBY EXISTING CUSTOMERS WOULD HAVE A SPOT TO TAKE BULK ITEMS OR, I, I KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS WAY DOWN THE ROAD, BUT YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE AT THAT POINT TO, TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF FINE DETAILS.

UM, THAT CERTAINLY COULD BE AN OPTION.

ALRIGHT.

WELL, AGAIN, I WOULD JUST, UH, AND GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STUDY.

I WOULD JUST, UH, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO NOT SEE THAT MILLION DOLLARS, BUT IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT DOLLARS, UH, I I'M GONNA, THAT'S FINE.

UH, I DON'T NEED TO GET DEEP INTO IT.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDIES AND THE PLANNING FOR THE TRANSFER CENTER IS MOVING FORWARD.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM, FROM THE FORMER, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, KEN SNIPES, IS THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY WITHOUT, UH, A MAJOR TRANSFER CENTER LIKE THAT.

AND SO AGAIN, I WOULD JUST, UH, URGE THE DEPARTMENT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BROAD SUPPORT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AND, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, BUT YOU KNOW, FROM THE, THE COUNCIL NO.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER, ONE OF THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH KEN WAS THAT, UH, THE NEED AND RICHARD WAS THE NEED FOR, UH, TRANSFER STATIONS.

THAT'S ALWAYS PART OF, I MEAN, FOR, FOR MA LARGE CITIES, IT'S PART OF THE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION PLAN.

AND SO THIS IS ONE THAT WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH.

I I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDED FOR, FOR THAT DEPARTMENT AND, UH, NOT JUST THE EFFICIENCIES AND SAVINGS IT, THE CONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL.

YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED TO, YOU DON'T NEED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

WELL, THAT WAS ONE OF MY POSSIBLE AMENDMENT ONE TIME.

UH, BUT, UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, TENTATIVELY SHELVE THAT ONE, UH, WITH YOUR, UH, UH, STATEMENT THAT, THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH, UH, MONEY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANNING.

UH, AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ARE, ARE REGARDING HOMELESSNESS, HOMELESSNESS, HOMELESSNESS HOME.

I MEAN, YOU'RE WELCOME TO GIVE IT A SHOT, RICHARD.

[01:30:01]

THIS IS A CUE YOU SHOULD SET BACK FROM THE MICROPHONE.

MAYOR, CAN WE BRING UP, UM, STAFF THOUGH TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT, PLEASE? THAT'D BE GREAT.

BEFORE TRANSITION, WHOEVER, WHOEVER WE NEED TO ANSWER QUESTION, THIS IS THE NORTHEAST CENTER.

ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING, KIM OLIVAREZ, DEPUTY C F O.

UM, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL A REGARDING THE, THE TIMELINE FOR THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.

UM, BECAUSE OF A COUNCIL APPROVING THE NEW PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION, UM, FOR OUR OFFICE, ADMINISTRATIVE WAREHOUSE SERVICE CENTER TYPE FACILITIES, WE'RE ABLE TO UTILIZE APPROACH SIMILAR TO WHAT WE USED FOR THE PERMITTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND THE AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS CONSTRUCTION.

UM, WHICH WILL ACCELERATE OUR TIMELINE SIGNIFICANTLY FOR, UH, BRINGING THAT NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER TO, TO FRUITION.

UM, WE'RE ATTENDING, UM, THERE'S SOME VARIOUS STEPS THAT I NEED TO GO THROUGH INTERNALLY, BUT OUR PLAN RIGHT NOW IS FOR US TO RELEASE AN R F P, UM, FOR THAT PROJECT THIS FALL.

UM, FROM THE TIME THE R F P IS RELEASED TO, WE ARE MOVING IN AND OPERATING WOULD BE FOUR YEARS OR LESS, UM, IS, THAT'S OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE.

UM, THAT AT THE SAME TIME.

SO THAT MEANS THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO RELOCATE OUR OPERATIONS FROM HARGRAVES TO THAT SITE.

UM, AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS, UH, WORK GOING ON TO ASSESS THE, THE SITE CONDITIONS AT HARGRAVES AND WHAT REMEDIATION, UM, WORK MIGHT BE REQUIRED FOR THAT PROPERTY FOR FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT AND REUSE.

SO WE ARE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AS WE CAN ON, UM, BOTH SITES, BUT THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER IS KIND OF A, IT'S A CRITICAL PATH, UM, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT ON HARGRAVES, REGARDLESS.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS COMING FORWARD.

YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE? UH, I DO.

JUST ON, UH, HOMELESSNESS.

WELL, HANG ON ONE SECOND.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF HER? YEP.

YEP.

WELL, WELL, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU WHEN, WHEN THE TIME COMES.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHILE SHE WAS THERE.

BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, I HAVE A QUESTION.

WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IS WHAT HE'S, HE'S GOING TO, SO IF, IF WHOEVER THINKS THEY CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, MAKE YOUR WAY.

AND, AND I'LL ASK THE, THE SOUTH BRIDGE AND NORTH BRIDGE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE FULLY FUNDED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

OUR TWO BRIDGE SHELTERS, I KNOW LAST YEAR I THINK WE FUNDED HALF A YEAR OF NORTH BRIDGE, UH, BECAUSE WE WERE ANTICIPATING POTENTIALLY CONVERTING IT TO A, UH, A P S H, BUT THEN I DON'T THINK WE HAVE CONVERTED IT TO A P S H, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH BRIDGE SHELTERS ARE FULLY FUNDED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

UM, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.

I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE, UM, THE, UM, PLANS FOR NORTH BRIDGE AND THEN WE'LL LET, UM, UH, KIM MADDOX FROM A P H SPEAK TO THE BUDGET.

UH, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT ORIGINALLY THE PLAN HAD BEEN TO CONVERT NORTH BRIDGE TO P S H EVENTUALLY, UH, GIVEN ITS OPERATION AS A BRIDGE SHELTER, THE NEED FOR THAT SHELTER AND OUR OTHER PIPELINE FOR P S H, WE HAVE ELECTED TO CONTINUE OPERATING IT, UM, AS BRIDGE SHELTER.

UH, AND, AND THEREFORE, UM, TO YOUR POINT, WOULD BE NEEDING TO LOOK AT THE, THE FULL YEAR'S OPERATION.

KIMBERLY MADDOCK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.

SO WE, UM, DO HAVE FULL FUNDING IN THE BUDGET AND THE GENERAL FUND SOCIAL SERVICES FUNDING FOR THE SOUTHBRIDGE SHELTER OPERATION FOR THE FULL YEAR.

WE HAVE A PORTION OF IT IN SOCIAL SERVICES FOR NORTHBRIDGE AND HAVE MADE ALTERNATE FUNDING, UM, ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE OTHER HALF, FOR 24 UHHUH.

THAT PROJECT EVER MOVED THROUGH.

THEN, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEN THAT, THAT THOSE WERE FULLY FUNDED.

UH, AND IF, IF YOU ALL ARE TELLING ME THAT, THAT THEY ARE, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S GREAT.

UH, AND I, I SUPPORT, I MEAN, I THINK NORTHBRIDGE AND SOUTHBRIDGE PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE AS BRIDGE SHELTERS.

UH, I, I CAN TOTALLY SEE AT SOME POINT DOWN THE LINE MOVING THEM TO P S H OR ONE OF THEM.

BUT GIVEN KIND OF, UH, THE LACK OF P S H THAT WE'VE SEEN COMING ONLINE RECENTLY, UH, I I I THINK IT'S, UH, PROBABLY FOR THE BEST THAT THEY STAY, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR, IN THEIR CURRENT ROLE.

UM, AND THEN ON THAT, WELL, ACTUALLY, LET ME, UH, ASK ABOUT, DID WE, I'M ALMOST CERTAIN, AND I REMEMBER DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN WITH REGARD TO THIS, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAD BUDGETED, I WANT TO SAY $10 MILLION FOR THE PURCHASE OF ANOTHER HOTEL THAT WAS GOING TO BE A NEW, UH, BRIDGE SHELTER AND OR A, UH, UH, A P S H.

UH, BUT AGAIN, I'M WORKING FROM MEMORY, BUT THEN I THINK WE HAD BUDGETED, LET'S SAY, 10 MILLION.

BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT THE, THE, UH, BIDS, THE QUOTES THAT WE WERE GETTING WERE LIKE 14 MILLION OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND SO THERE WAS KIND OF A SHORTFALL, AND I DON'T THINK THAT

[01:35:01]

I JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO CHECK ON WHAT THE STATUS OF THE, THE, UH, POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF A ANOTHER, UH, HOTEL, UH, WHERE WE WERE WITH THAT.

I, I, I THINK I CAN GIVE SOME CONTEXT, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THEN I'LL ALLOW ED AND HIS TEAM TO PROVIDE ANY DETAIL.

UM, UH, IN 2022, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF REPLACING NORTH BRIDGE WITH ANOTHER BRIDGE SHELTER TO ALLOW FOR THE, ITS CONVERSION TO P S H UH, DURING BUDGET CYCLE LAST YEAR, UM, THE DISCUSSION WAS A, THAT WE HAD SOME HOME ARPA WE MIGHT UTILIZE FOR A PORTION OF THAT PURCHASE, BUT IT WOULD NOT ALONE BE ENOUGH.

SO THAT MAY BE THE FUNDING THAT YOU'RE THINKING OF.

UM, THE THOUGHT AT THE TIME WAS THAT IF WE MOVED FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION, THE COMPANION FUNDING WOULD BE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.

UH, AS IT TURNED OUT IN THE 2020, UH, ONE SESSION, UH, THE TAX CODE CHANGED SLIGHTLY SUCH THAT THAT WAS NO LONGER AN ELIGIBLE USE.

AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHY WE ENDED UP DECIDING TO KEEP NORTHBRIDGE IS THAT WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE BUDGETED MONEY, BUT OUR PATH FORWARD TO FINANCING A NEW, UH, FACILITY WAS, WAS CURTAILED.

OKAY, GOT IT.

THAT, THAT MAKES A A LOT OF SENSE.

SO ARE WE STILL CONSIDERING ANOTHER HOTEL, OR IS THAT COMPLETELY KIND OF OFF THE TABLE AT, AT, AT THIS POINT? SO, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY DIVISION RECENTLY GAVE A BRIEFING TO COUNCIL ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, SHELTER BEDS IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

UM, THE, THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC CAPITAL DOLLARS, UH, IN THE BUDGET CURRENTLY FOR NEW SHELTER.

UH, THE MAYOR MAY HAVE SOME COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RECENT, UH, INFLUX OF RESOURCES INTO THE COMMUNITY ON THE CAPITAL SIDE.

BUT NO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET FOR NEW SHELTER FACILITIES, PER SE.

UH, GREAT.

AND, AND, UH, AND I WOULD HONESTLY LOVE, I KNOW THAT, THAT I READ THE, THE, THE WATSON WIRE, UH, AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE, UH, THE NEWS, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, T D H D A, UH, FUNDING.

THAT'S HONESTLY JUST TREMENDOUS.

UH, I THINK, UH, THAT ESPERANZA, UH, IS A GREAT, UH, SPOT.

THEY DO GREAT WORK AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, MOVING THAT FORWARD, IT'S, IT'S JUST A, A GREAT, UH, MODEL.

UM, AND, AND NOW LAST QUESTION ON, ON HOMELESSNESS OR ANY OTHER TOPICS.

UM, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE CUT RIBBONS ON P S H PROJECTS THAT WERE MOVING FORWARD THAT WE'RE KIND OF ANTICIPATING, OR THAT IN CONVERSATIONS, I WOULD SAY LAST YEAR, THERE WAS THIS IDEA THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE, UH, UH, IS IT ESP AT RUTLAND? I THINK THE FAMILY ELDER CARE PROJECT, UH, I, I WANNA SAY LIKE LAST YEAR THEY WERE TELLING ME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MARCH, APRIL OF THIS YEAR AND MARCH, APRIL HAS COME AND GONE.

UH, YOU KNOW, NOTHING YET.

AND I, I, YOU KNOW, AWAIT WITH, WITH ON PINS AND NEEDLES FOR THE OPENING OF OUR NEXT, UH, UH, P S H FACILITY.

CAN, CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON, UH, AS TO WHERE WE ARE WITH, UH, WITH THAT? SO, UH, I DON'T HAVE A DATE FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE VERY CLOSE THERE.

THEY, LIKE MANY DEVELOPERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.

UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE PRE-LEASING, THEY'RE BEGINNING TO TAKE ON POTENTIAL TENANTS.

UH, AND SO WE'LL GET BACK TO COUNCIL WITH A, A DATE CERTAIN AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT.

AND THANK YOU.

AND I THINK DIRECTOR, TRUE LOVE RIGHT BEHIND YOU, ACTUALLY, SHE MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WAS GONNA SAY ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT DIANA SAID.

UM, THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, UH, AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT OPEN, UM, JUST LIKE YOU ALL ARE, AND WE WILL GET THAT DATE AND PUT IT IN Q AND A BACK TO YOU.

AND JUST OUT OF, UH, CURIOSITY, ANY OTHER P S H PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE VERGE OF OPENING, I'LL, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR SPREADSHEETS OF THE PIPELINE, BUT THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA USE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ASKED.

AND SO WE'LL INCLUDE THAT IN THERE.

UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE.

I THINK YOU GUYS WILL BE PRESENT PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO SEE, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S CLOSE TO A THOUSAND UNITS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE FOR P S H.

UM, AND THAT'S THE PIPELINE OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED, UM, BUT THAT ARE IN EITHER PRE-DEVELOPMENT OR CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL BE COMING ONLINE IN THE NEXT, UM, THREE YEARS.

THURSDAY, THE T D H C A BOARD VOTED TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO A NUMBER OF NONPROFITS IN, IN AUSTIN.

AND NO FURTHER QUESTION.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ANY, UH, DETAILS ON OUR LATEST, UH, P S H UH, UH, UH, PROJECT MAYOR IF, WELL, IT'S, IT'S, UM, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UH, I STARTED WORKING WITH, UM, T D H C A AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE BEFORE I WAS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE WAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN HOW WE MIGHT GET SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO HELP US.

UM, I THINK WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING EARLIER IN THE YEAR, BUT FOR THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH PREOCCUPIED A LOT OF PEOPLE.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, LAST

[01:40:01]

UH, THERE'S ABOUT THREE PLUS MILLION, BETWEEN THREE AND 4 MILLION FOR PLANNING, UH, THAT WILL ALLOW FOR PLANNING OF HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING SOME NON CONGREGATE SHELTER AND, AND EXPANSION OF, UH, ESPERANZA.

THERE'S ABOVE 56 MILLION FOR THE ACTUAL BUILDING OF, UH, NON CONGREGATE SHELTERS.

AND THE INITIAL ANTICIPATION WOULD BE THAT MANY OF THEM WOULD BE LIKE WHAT YOU ARE NOW SEEING AT ESPERANZA, WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TINY SHELTERS WHERE THERE WOULD BE A HARD DOOR AND PEOPLE WOULD, UM, HAVE, HAVE THOSE, UM, THAT ADDS UP, OBVIOUSLY NOT TO 65 MILLION, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER 5 MILLION, UH, THAT IS SPLIT EVENLY BETWEEN CARITAS AND LIFEWORKS 2.5 AND 2.5 FOR, UH, HOME STABILIZATION, UH, INCLUDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

SO ANOTHER $5 MILLION FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I'M VERY, UM, APPRECIATIVE OF THE ROLE THAT, UH, T D H C A AND THEIR STAFF, THEIR PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN, IN HELPING US, UH, BE ABLE TO GET $65 MILLION FOR AUSTIN, UH, TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESSNESS.

WITH REGARD TO, UH, MS. GRAY'S REPORT RECENTLY TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL ON, UH, EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS.

OF COURSE, THAT THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE ABOUT A THOUSAND BEHIND.

UH, WHEN YOU COUNT 150, UH, TEMPORARY SHELTER BEDS BECAUSE OF WHAT THE CITY'S NOW DOING WITH THE OLD SALVATION ARMY FACILITY, YOU COUNT ABOUT 300 WITH THE MARSHALING YARD.

AND THEN WHAT OVER A A PERIOD OF TIME, UH, THIS COULD GET US UP TO, AND, AND BY THE WAY, THE MARSHALING YARDS ALSO DONE AS A TEMPORARY, BUT THIS COULD GET US TO A ANOTHER 700, UH, SHELTER BEDS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, BECAUSE I MEAN THAT, IT'S JUST A LOT OF FUNDING.

SO THANKS FOR ASKING ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M REAL PLEASED WITH WHERE WE ARE ON THAT.

APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS, MA'AM.

COUNCIL MEMBER PUENTES, DID YOU HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED? NO, NOT, NOT YET.

WELL THEN I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.

IT'LL BE THEN COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.

UM, CITY MANAGER, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS REGARDING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION FOR YET.

SO I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT AS AN AREA THAT WE CAN TOUCH NEXT WEEK AT OUR, UH, SCHEDULED WORK SESSION.

UH, AND DIRECTOR TRULA OF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, UM, TO HELP YOU AND YOUR TEAM BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANSWERS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TYPES OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WE'RE INVESTING IN THIS YEAR, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PIPELINE, AND, AND ALSO JUST UPDATED TIMELINES ON THE PERMANENT SUPPORT CAUSING AND HOW IT COMPARES TO PREVIOUS YEARS.

UH, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS REGARDING THE SMALL BUSINESS ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDING.

I BELIEVE THAT QUESTION WILL GO FOR MS. HOLT RAB.

UH, I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE CITY'S ALLOCATING DOLLARS TOWARDS MITIGATING THE DISPLACEMENT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.

SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE CRUX OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

AND, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS AND WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS CAME ABOUT AND THEN TALK THROUGH, UM, SOME, UH, LOGISTICS OF THE PROGRAM.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

NOVIA HORAB, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, IN OUR, UH, BRAINSTORMING WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS DIVISION AS WELL AS WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP PROJECT CONNECT, WE REALIZED THAT THERE WERE GONNA BE POTENTIAL DISPLACEMENT, NOT ONLY ON SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT THE CREATIVE, UM, SPACES ALONG THE CORRIDOR.

SO, UM, JUST DOING A PILOT PROGRAM THIS YEAR OF FOCUSING ON A $30,000 GRANT WITH 50 OR LESS EMPLOYEES TO SEE HOW WE CAN ASSIST, UH, BUSINESSES TO STAY OR RELOCATE.

AND SO IF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY COME BACK WITH AN ADDITIONAL ASK.

'CAUSE IT'S ONE-TIME FUNDING.

GOOD DEAL.

VERY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS.

AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, UM, V'S BARBECUE, WHICH IS RIGHT OFF OF, UM, 71 IS A SMALL BUSINESS.

AND, UM, WHILE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY WITHIN THE PROJECT CONNECT CORRIDOR, I WANTED TO SEE KIND OF YOUR THOUGHTS, LIKE, ARE, IS THE FUNDING FOR THIS DISPLACEMENT, UM, ANTI DISPLACEMENT PROGRAM TIED TO THE A T P DOLLARS OR IS IT THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS? IT'S THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.

AND CAN WE HAVE CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE CITY THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE THAT OR ALSO AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT, LET US, UH, GO BACK AND CONSIDER THAT CONSIDERING THE BUDGET SIZE? WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT.

YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

JUST, YOU KNOW, I HIGHLIGHT VIC'S BARBECUE AS ONE EXAMPLE THAT OF A BUSINESS THAT'S BEEN OPERATING FOR DECADES THAT

[01:45:01]

IS AT RISK OF CLOSURE.

UM, JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE GROWING CITY AND THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, THE DISPLACEMENT OF OUR SMALL MOM AND POP SHOPS.

OH, YES.

UM, SO WANTED TO FLAG THAT FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND SINCE I HAVE YOU HERE, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS AROUND THE ICONIC LIVE MUSIC FUND VENUE FUND.

CAN YOU REMIND ME, UM, HOW IS THIS ALLOCATION DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR'S ALLOCATION? SO IN 2020, COUNCIL APPROVED FOR THE CREATION OF THE ICONIC VENUE FUND WITH FUNDING UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $15 MILLION.

AND SO WE HAVE DONE, COMPLETED THREE TRANSFERS TO APPROXIMATELY 7.5.

AND SO THIS WOULD GET US THE NEXT TRANSFER TO 9.9.

AND SO WE STILL HAVE A WASTE TO GO TO FUND UP TO $15 MILLION, BUT THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PASSED WITH, UH, POTENTIAL LIST OF VENUES AS WELL AS RESTAURANTS.

AND WE CAN PUT THAT RESOLUTION, UH, AS PART OF A Q AND A.

JUST A REMINDER.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND SINCE WE PA WE PASSED THIS INITIATIVE IN 2020, YOU MENTIONED, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BARRIERS OR CHALLENGES WE FACE IN GETTING THESE DOLLARS OUT? SO AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE RESPONSIBILITY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THEY PROVIDED A MEMO ON HOW THEY TOOK APPLICATIONS, AND THEY'RE STILL VETTING PROJECTS, UH, BUT, UH, VERY CLOSE TO, UH, COMPLETION OF THE FIRST TWO COMING OUT FROM THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.

SO I GUESS PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE, UM, A E D C, UM, COME CHAT WITH US ON THAT MANAGER.

I JUST WANNA FLAG, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE SUCH CRITICAL PROGRAMS, FOR ME, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET THESE DOLLARS OUT? AND SINCE WE'RE THREE YEARS OUT OF HAVING EXPENDED, UM, IT'S, IT'S CONCERNING.

NO, I THINK, NO, I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A VALID, VALID CONCERN.

IN FACT, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I TALKED TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, BUT I THINK SHE RAISED SOME ISSUES WITH, WITH OUR OFFICE THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT MOVING IN AS WE WERE NOT MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE NEEDED TO.

SHE INDICATED THERE WERE A COUPLE OF HANGUPS WITHIN PARTS OF OUR ORGANIZATION.

SO WE OWE YOU TO FIGURE OUT HOW, WHAT, HOW WE CAN BUST, BUST THOSE THINGS LOOSE SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THE DOLLARS OUT MORE SWIFTLY.

NOW, AND PART OF THIS IS THAT WE WERE MAYBE BEING A LITTLE RISK AVERSE, SO I, WE JUST HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE DOLLARS OUT IN A FASTER WAY.

UH, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ABOUT FLEET SERVICES.

DO WE HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF FLEET SERVICES HERE? YES.

WONDERFUL.

UM, I KNOW LAST COUNCIL MEETING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAD FLAGGED THE AC ISSUE WE HAD IN OUR FIRETRUCK, FIRETRUCKS, UH, DIVISION.

AND, UM, WHAT I WOULD WANNA SPEAK TO, UH, TODAY IS REGARDING AC, UM, FUNCTIONALITY WITHIN A R R AND HOW WE'RE HANDLING THAT.

BECAUSE I KNOW THE BUDGET REQUEST, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE TO HANDLE MAINTENANCE ON OUR FLEET, ER, FLEET, FLEET VEHICLES MM-HMM.

UM, BUT WANTED TO TALK THROUGH WHAT ELSE IS THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERING? MM-HMM.

THAT REGARD, WE STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH MAINTENANCE, IDEALLY WITH OUR OWN VEHICLES, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, YOU DO YOUR PM YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE VERY MANY PROBLEMS ON A PERSONAL VEHICLE.

SO, UM, JENNIFER WALLS, DIRECTOR OF FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES.

UM, YES, WE ARE EXPERIENCING A NUMBER OF AC FAILURES AND OUR, UM, A R R VEHICLES.

SO TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT INTO THAT ISSUE IS WHEN A LOT OF TIMES THE SPECIALTY TRUCKS LIKE FIRE TRUCKS AND GARBAGE TRUCKS, A LOT OF THE ENGINEERING GOES INTO THE FUNCTION OF THE TRUCK, WHETHER THE PART THAT PUTS OUT FIRE, THE PART THAT PICKS UP THE REFUGE.

NOT A LOT OF ENGINEERING GOES INTO THE AC AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

THAT'S KIND OF STANDARD OFF THE SHELF.

SO WITH OUR AR TRUCKS, THEY'RE PUT IN AN EXTREME DUTY MORE THAN FIRE TRUCKS.

THEY'RE RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE STREET COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF WHAT REGULAR FIRE TRUCKS DO.

AND THIS BRINGS US BACK TO THE TRANSFER STATION CONVERSATION.

OUR TRUCKS PUT ON 50% MORE MILES ON THOSE TRUCKS.

SO THEY'RE RUNNING UP AND DOWN.

THEY, THEY, THEY OPERATE FAR BEYOND THE SCOPE OF WHAT THAT TRUCK IS DESIGNED TO DO.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF MAINTENANCE ISSUES WITH THOSE TRUCKS, NOT JUST AC JUST IN GENERAL.

IT'S A TOUGH DUTY CYCLE.

THOSE TRUCKS GO INTO LANDFILLS.

OUR TECHNICIANS CALL LANDFILLS, TRUCK KILLERS, WE, THEY CAN GO INTO A LANDFILL.

IT PUNCHES A HOLE INTO THE OIL PAN, OIL DRILL.

I MEAN, IT IS, TRUCKS HAVE DRIVEN OUT WITH ENTIRE MATTRESSES IN THEIR UNDERCARRIAGE.

SO THIS IS A HARD, HARD , EXTREME DUTY VEHICLES.

SO WITH

[01:50:01]

THESE VEHICLES, THAT WINDOW BETWEEN PMS, ALL KIND OF NON CRAZY STUFF CAN HAPPEN TO THAT TRUCK.

SO YES, IT'S HARD TO KEEP PACE WITH REPAIRS ON A R R TRUCKS, NOT JUST AC JUST EVERYTHING IN GENERAL.

SO, SO WITH THAT, YEAH.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, WHAT IT, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING OF DOING OR LIKE WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING? SO ONE OF THE STRATEGIES A R R CAME UP WITH ADDING REDUNDANCY, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TWO, YOU KNOW, ADDING IN A SECOND, UH, UM, AIR CONDITIONER, UM, TO THE TRUCKS THAT COMES, UH, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THE ONE THAT'S INSTALLED ON THE TRUCKS.

THAT'S ONE INITIATIVE WE HAVE.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE JUST RECENTLY DID WAS TAKING AR OUT FROM A ENTERPRISE, UM, TYPE FOOTING AND PUTTING IT UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY FOOTING.

WHAT THAT INVOLVES IS TAKING A LOOK AT THEIR RESERVE FLEET, UM, PUTTING A MOBILE MECHANICS THAT CAN GO OUT TO THE TRUCKS IN THE FIELD TO TRY TO HELP SERVICE THOSE, UM, BE, BE WHEN THEY FAIL, RATHER THAN CALLING A TOW TRUCK AND BRINGING IN AND TAKING THAT TIME UP.

UM, WE'VE INSTITUTED SATURDAY PMS, UM, OR OUR TECHNICIANS COME IN ON SATURDAYS TO ADDRESS, UM, MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND AC ISSUES.

ANOTHER THING WITH A R R TOO IS THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.

WE HAVE TO REPAIR THESE VEHICLES SO THEY'RE OUT ON THEIR ROUTES.

SOMETIMES THEY CAN COME IN AS LATE AS SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING, SEVEN AND 4:00 AM IN THE MORNING.

I BELIEVE 4:00 AM THE TRUCKS ROLL OUT.

SO THAT'S OUR WINDOW.

AND YOU SAW THE FACILITY THAT WE'RE WORKING OUT OF, RIGHT? YES.

SO AND SO SHORTAGE OF TECHNICIANS.

AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH H R D AND OUR TEAM TO TRY TO, UH, LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO RECRUIT IN THAT POSITION.

IT'S A NASTY JOB.

WE ALL KNOW THAT.

I MEAN, THOSE GUYS CRAWL IN THE TRUCK AND ISN'T JUST THEM CRAWLING UNDER THE TRUCK.

THERE'S LOTS OF CRITTERS THAT LIKE TO FALL OFF THOSE TRUCKS.

SO RECRUITING FOR THAT POSITION IS DIFFICULT.

UH, WE'RE, IT IS JUST, WE'VE THROWN EVERYTHING AT IT.

WE'RE WORKING WITH A R R TO TRY TO FIND, UH, SOLUTIONS, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S A CONSTANT DRIVE.

IT'S CONSTANT DEMAND.

UM, WELL, THANK YOU.

THERE'S, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING HAVING A MOBILE MECHANIC GO OUT, YOU KNOW, TO THE TRUCK TO HELP, UM, FIX IT ON ONSITE.

, I THINK, UM, IS GREAT.

AND THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTING OUT MECHANICAL SERVICES, UM, TO HELP.

'CAUSE WHEN A TRUCK IS OUT, THEN WE'RE PUTTING OUR, OUR WORKERS IN, YOU KNOW, DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IF THEY'RE DRIVING IN, UM, YOU KNOW, TRUCKS.

AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, THERE'S A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF TECHNICIANS.

UH, WE SEND STUFF TO VENDORS AND THEY TAKE LONGER THAN WE DO 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO GET IN LINE BEHIND EVERYBODY ELSE.

SO THAT WE, IT, IT'S JUST FROM ALL CORNERS, THIS HAS JUST BEEN A, A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION TO TRY TO WORK OUR WAY OUT OF IT.

SPEAKING OF THE TRANSFER STATIONS, I THINK IT OPERATIONALLY THAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST BOOST.

IF WE CAN KEEP THOSE TRUCKS OUT OF THE LANDFILL AND LET TRUCKS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO OPERATE IN THE, IN THE LANDFILL GO, THEN THAT REDUCES MAINTENANCE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, ALL THOSE OTHER TYPES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH GOING TO THE LANDFILL WON'T BE THERE.

SO WE CAN FOCUS AND, AND, AND ON NOT HAVING TO GO OUTTA WAY TO DO THOSE KINDS OF CRAZY KIND OF REPAIRS THAT ARE JUST POP UP DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY.

AND WE CAN GET MORE STREAMLINED AND, UM, UH, PREDICTABLE ABOUT STAFFING AND WHAT HAVE YOU TO, TO, TO FIX THOSE KINDS OF REPAIRS.

TRANSFER STATIONS WILL DO THAT.

THEY'LL ALSO OPEN UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ELECTRIFICATION OF THE REFUSE FLEET BECAUSE IT'S A FIXED ROUTE.

UM, IT'S A HUNDRED.

THOSE TRUCKS CAN GO PETER BUILT, AND I THINK MAC ARE, ARE HAVING, UH, HAVE, ARE BUILDING ELECTRIC, UH, REFUGE TRUCKS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A LANDFILL.

THAT'S, THAT'S, THE MAINTENANCE ON THOSE IS LESS.

SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT IF THOSE TRANSFER STATIONS ARE THERE, IT'LL CUT OUT A WHOLE LOT OF, OF MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT KEEP US FROM KEEPING PACE WITH THE AC REPAIRS.

YESTERDAY, IS THE, IS THAT, UH, ONE IS THESE MILES THAT ARE BEING PUT ON, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH RESERVES TO YEAH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR YEAH.

AND ALSO ANOTHER ADDITIONAL THING, WE'RE WORKING WITH A R R TOO TO HELP, UH, THE DRIVERS IDENTIFY WHEN THEY TRULY HAVE AN ISSUE.

UM, HISTORICALLY AC WASN'T IN REFUGE TRUCKS BECAUSE THEY OPEN THE DOORS A LOT.

SO A LOT OF PERCEPTION ABOUT WHETHER THE CAB IS COOLING MAY BE JUST THAT YOU NEED TO CLOSE THE DOOR MORE.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THEY'RE IN AND OUT, THAT'S NORMALLY A PART OF THEIR JOB.

I GET IT.

UH, BUT IT MAKES THAT MOTOR RUN HARDER TO TRY TO COOL.

WHICH MAKE IT CAN MAKE IT BURN QUICKER.

SO THEN THAT'S JUST REPETITIVE COUNSEL THAT'S HAPPENED.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL NEED TO LOOK AT WITH RESPECT TO FLEET, WE TALKED ABOUT IT

[01:55:01]

TO BE ABLE TO GET THE MAINTENANCE DONE? SO JENNIFER, I THINK WHAT, WHAT WE OWE THE COUNCIL IS A, IS AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THIS.

IT'S, IT'S, IT GETS, LET'S NOT GET INTO THE TO, TO THE MINUTE DIESELS.

I THINK WE CAN DO IT IN TERMS OF A MEMO WHEN WE GET THAT TO THE COUNCIL SAYING, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THESE TRUCKS GET BACK IN, IN SERVICE FASTER? YES, THE TRANSFER STATION'S GONNA BE A HUGE BENEFIT, BUT ONCE, UH, ONCE WE GET THE STUDIES DONE IN TERMS OF SIDING, IN TERMS OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE NEED DO TO GET THAT DONE, TO KIND OF HELP THE AUSTIN, NOT JUST AUSTIN RESEARCH RECOVERY, BUT HELP THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

THANK YOU, JENNIFER.

COUNCIL.

OH, I STILL HAVE ONE.

GO AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M HAPPY TO PASS IT OFF AND YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME.

NO, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET'S KEEP GOING IN ROTATION.

UH, NEXT I HAVE, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.

I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE C I P SPENDING PLAN.

AND SO I'M TRYING TO FIND THIS SLIDE FOR THIS ONE.

MY QUESTION IS, UM, ON THE C I P SPENDING PLAN, WE ARE PROJECTING TO SPEND ABOUT 300 MILLION WITH THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR OF OUR SPENDING PLAN.

UM, IS THAT ASSESSMENT, WAS THAT AN INCRE? WHAT, WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WE SPENT LAST YEAR? I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER RIGHT OFFHAND.

I KNOW IT WAS A LITTLE SOUTH OF THAT.

UH, 'CAUSE PRIMARILY THIS YEAR, WE ARE ENTERING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. UH, NOTABLY THE 2016 LOCAL MOBILITY BOND.

WE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE LIKE ON VISION ZERO SIDEWALKS, BUT WE ARE MOVING INTO CONSTRUCTION, UH, FOR A MAJORITY OF THOSE LOCAL MOBILITY, UH, PROJECTS.

UM, BUT LAST YEAR'S SPEND, I, I DON'T HAVE RIGHT OFF THE CUFF, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO GET A SENSE WITH THE CREATION OF THIS NEW CAPITAL SERVICES DIVISION, HOW DOES THAT DIVISION ACCELERATE OUR SPENDING PLAN? YES.

SO THE NEW CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DIVISION AND INTERIM DIRECTOR, UH, I'M SORRY, I'M INTERIM TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR RICHARD MENDOZA.

UH, UH, INTERIM, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR JAMES SNOW, UH, IS HERE.

BUT THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, A MAJORITY OF THE LARGE C I P, UH, TO INCLUDE THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM.

AND, UH, NOW WITH THE DEDICATED DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE CONSOLIDATED RESOURCES TO FOCUS ON EXPEDITING THOSE PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.

THE CAPITAL SPENDING PLAN FOR THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS ARE NAMELY THE LOCAL MOBILITY PROGRAM.

SO THESE ARE THE SMALLER NUMEROUS SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.

UH, SOME OF THE URBAN TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS, DIVISION ZERO INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WHICH WE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED THE 2016, UH, PROGRAM.

AND THESE ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

UH, SOME OF THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROJECTS AS WELL.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR BOND PROJECTS, THE MAJORITY OF THE 800 MILLION THAT'S UNSPENT ARE IN OUR MOBILITY BONDS.

IS THAT RIGHT? UM, OF THE 2016, 80% OF THAT PROGRAM IS SUBSTANTIALLY SPENT OF 2018 BOND.

UH, WE'RE AT ABOUT 40% SPEND.

AND ON THE 2020 WE'RE ABOUT 8% SPEND.

SO WHAT THE TEAMS HAVE BEEN DOING ARE FOCUSING ON THE, UH, MORE MATURE BOND PROGRAMS, CLEARING THOSE OFF OUR PLATE.

AND THEN, LIKE WE HAVE SIDEWALK PROGRAMS ACROSS ALL THREE BOND PROGRAMS. SO AS WE SUBSTANTIALLY, UH, COMPLETE THE OLDER BOND PROGRAMS, WE FREE UP CAPACITY, THEN WE CAN START EXECUTING AND IMPLEMENTING ON THE NEWER BOND PROGRAMS. OKAY.

I THINK THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

I MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS LATER, BUT THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL.

STEP BACK, BROADEN THE, THE TENT A LITTLE BIT.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALDER.

THANKS, MAYOR.

I HAD A, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK I'M GONNA TAKE MOST OF THEM OFFLINE.

UM, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK OUR C F O MR. BENINO TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LEGISLATURE AROUND THE COS FUNDING FOR RETIREMENT AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THE CITY'S MAKING.

AND MAINLY, I I, I'D LIKE TO PRESS THE POINT ON THE 1% THAT IS BEING ASKED OF EMPLOYEES TO ADD TO THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY, UH, A, UM, AS PART OF THEIR RETIREMENT, WHICH IS, I, FOR ME, I, I LOOK AT IT AS A SAVINGS ACCOUNT BECAUSE IT WILL BE DRAWN DOWN BY THEM FOR THEM IN THE FUTURE.

UM, WE HAVE PUT INTO THIS BUDGET ELEMENTS THAT RELATE TO SENATE BILL 1444 THAT WAS SUCCESSFULLY PASSED ON THE COS REFORMS. IF YOU COULD REMIND US WHAT THOSE ELEMENTS ARE, PLEASE.

UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.

AND MAYBE IF I COULD JUST TAKE A QUICK

[02:00:01]

YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'RE, UH, ARE THREE PENSION SYSTEMS. ONE FOR POLICE, ONE FOR OUR CIVILIANS, AND, UM, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, SWORN PERSONNEL, AND ONE FOR THE FIRE SYSTEM.

THEY ARE ALL ESTABLISHED IN STATE STATUTE.

THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS, UM, PUT IN PLACE BY THE PENSION RE REVIEW BOARD OF TEXAS FOR HOW THOSE SYSTEMS ARE, UM, MANAGED.

UM, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS THAT YOU MAINTAIN A AMORTIZATION PERIOD OF LESS THAN THREE YEARS.

IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN THAT, YOU GET PUT ONTO A WATCH LIST.

AND IF YOU'RE ON THE WATCH LIST FOR, FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS, UM, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY COMPELLED TO COME UP WITH A FUNDING RESTORATION PLAN.

UM, IN THE LAST SESSION IN THE 87 SESSION, WE HAD THAT SITUATION WITH THE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHERE THEY WERE ON THE WATCH LIST AND WE NEEDED TO FIX THE SYSTEM.

AND WE DID, WE WERE ABLE TO ENACT, UH, LEGISLATIVE REFORMS THAT RESULTED IN A LOWER BENEFIT TIER FOR NEW HIRES AND RESULTED IN HIGHER CITY AND EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS.

UM, IT WAS A 2% INCREASE FOR POLICE MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS.

WE WORKED HAND IN HAND ON THIS WITH, UM, OUR, UM, OUR, OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE COS SYSTEM, THE STAFF FROM COS.

UM, WE ALSO BRIEFED AND, UM, RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM BOTH AFSCME AND THE E M S PRESIDENT UNION REPRESENTATIVE.

SO WE WENT UP TO THE LEGISLATURE, UH, HAND IN HAND ON THIS.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SAME SIMILAR REFORMS, UH, PUT IN PLACE FOR COORS.

UM, WE DID NOT DO A LOWER BENEFIT TIER FOR COORS BECAUSE WE HAD ALREADY IMPLEMENTED A LOWER BENEFIT TIER WAY BACK IN 2012.

BUT WE DID GO FORWARD WITH A PLAN THAT INCREASED BOTH THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS AND THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTIONS.

THE MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS WERE A 2% INCREASE, BUT PHASED IN OVER TWO YEARS.

SO THERE'LL BE A 1% INCREASE EFFECTIVE, UH, JANUARY OF 2024, AND ANOTHER 1% IN JANUARY OF 2025.

BUT WITH THESE REFORMS, UM, BOTH OF THOSE TWO SYSTEMS ARE IN, UH, SUSTAINABLE SHAPE.

WE, WE WILL STAY OFF OF THAT, UH, PENSION REVIEW BOARD.

WE'LL START PAYING DOWN OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITIES.

UH, AND TO ENSURE THAT THESE, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT SYSTEMS ARE THERE FOR OUR RETIREES WHEN THEY NEED THE, WHEN THEY NEED TO WITHDRAW FUNDS FROM THEM.

AND CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO BOTH A P R SS AND COS WAS? YEAH, AND IT, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU WANT IT, IT HAD BEEN, UM, WELL STATUTORILY IT WAS 8% TO COS UM, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL FOR MANY YEARS HAD APPROVED SUPPLEMENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THE FUND IN, IN REASONABLE SHAPE.

UM, WE HAD INCREASED OUR CONTRIBUTIONS VOLUNTARILY UP TO 19%.

UM, WITH THE NEW LEGISLATION, UM, THE, THE, THE WAY IT'S DONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO TRY TO KEEP IT TO APPLES TO APPLES, IT WOULD BE ABOUT A 20% CITY CONTRIBUTION RATE, UM, TO THE, UH, TO THE COER SYSTEM IN, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.

UM, IT'S NOT SHOWN AS A PERCENT ANYMORE.

THERE'S WHAT'S CALLED A LEGACY LIABILITY CONTRIBUTION, WHICH IS A SET DOLLAR AMOUNT.

UM, AND THEN THERE IS STILL A PERCENT OF SALARY PIECE, UM, TO THE COMPONENT.

BUT IF YOU WERE TO PUT 'EM ALL JUST FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES TO HOW WE USED TO CALCULATE IT, UM, IT'S ROUGHLY A 20% CITY CONTRIBUTION TO THE COER SYSTEM.

THE EMPLOYEE'S CONTRIBUTIONS ARE GOING TO 9% OF SALARY.

AND THE LAST PIECE ON THAT, THERE WAS A, A, THE LUMP SUM CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY TO COER SPECIFICALLY, IS THAT THE LEGACY CONTRIBUTION, WHICH WAS ABOUT 18 OR $19 MILLION? UM, NO, IT, IT'S CERTAINLY MORE THAN THAT.

UM, OUR, OUR OVERALL CONTRIBUTION IS 160 OR $170 MILLION TO THE SYSTEM ANNUALLY.

UM, BUT YES, THERE IS A LEGACY LIABILITY PORTION.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM HAD SUBSTANTIAL UNFUNDED LIABILITIES.

AND WHAT WE DID IS WE, WE PULLED THAT OUT OF THE CALCULATION AND ESSENTIALLY PUT IT ON LIKE A MORTGAGE PAYMENT.

OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS, WE ARE GONNA PAY DOWN THAT MORTGAGE, UM, DUTIFULLY.

AND JUST LIKE YOU HAVE AN AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE FOR YOUR HOME LOAN, WE, WE HAVE ONE SET IN STONE FOR PAYING OFF THAT LEGACY LIABILITY.

UM, AND, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT PIECE IS.

UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT.

IT IS THE BULK OF THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RIGHT NOW IS THE PAYMENT TO THAT LEGACY LIABILITY.

THANKS.

AND IF ANYBODY WANTS SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THAT AT THE COS UM, ANNUAL MEETING LAST WEEK, THERE WAS A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION, UM, THAT WAS LED BY, UH, THE INVESTMENT FOLKS, UM, WHO WORK AT COER.

AND I THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT STREAMING IN THE ARCHIVE ON THE COER MAIN PAGE.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.

COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

ADD TO THAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW THIS YEAR'S SPENDING ON VEGETATION MANAGEMENT MIGHT COMPARE TO THE PREVIOUS FEW YEARS, JUST SO THAT WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S ANY ADJUSTMENTS THERE.

UM, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER WAS TALKING ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.

I, I DON'T NEED YOU TO GET UP OR ANYTHING, BUT, UM, JUST TO

[02:05:01]

AND THEN I SENT YOU THE INFORMATION COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, BUT I WANTED TO CALL MY COLLEAGUE'S ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET Q AND A QUESTION NUMBER 80, WHICH OUTLINES THE ARPA SPENDING AND THE TIMELINE FOR THAT.

UM, I WANNA THANK THE FLEET DEPARTMENT, MS. WALLS FOR COMING UP HERE AND EXPLAINING EVERYTHING.

I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSES OVER OUR LAST TWO MEETINGS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW THINGS WORK.

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING TWO, UM, EMPLOYEES OF FLEET MANAGEMENT IN THE GARAGE JUST YESTERDAY AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.

UM, I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH JOB AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS TO GET THINGS FIXED AND DONE, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING YOU IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.

UM, MR. VAN ENO, I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON COUNCIL MEMBER VELAS QUESTION ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENTS FROM FEMA.

I'D LIKE TO SEE ANY OUTSTANDING REIMBURSEMENTS IN SOME SORT OF SPREADSHEET THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON BROKEN DOWN BY DISASTER.

UM, AND THEN PERHAPS ALSO GET THE ANTICIPATED AMOUNT OF REIMBURSEMENT, AT LEAST GOING BACK TO 2021 AND WHAT WASN'T REIMBURSED BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE HAD SOME ISO FAC ISSUES OR, UM, CLAIMS THAT WERE NOT REIMBURSED.

I'D JUST LIKE TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I DON'T REALLY NEED A RESPONSE FROM YOU AT THIS TIME, BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD PROVIDE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

IT'S A LOT OF DETAIL.

WE HAVE IT, WE CAN PUT IT INTO A BUDGET QUESTION RESPONSE.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THEN, UM, CITY MANAGER, PERHAPS YOU COULD ANSWER THIS.

UM, IS THERE A REASON THAT OUR LIFEGUARDS DON'T GET HOLIDAY PAY? I'M, I SAY THAT AGAIN.

OUR LIFEGUARDS NOT GETTING HOLIDAY PAY.

I THINK THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT OUR LAST MEETING AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DON'T GET THAT, BUT MANAGERS DO.

I, IS, UH, REBECCA STILL HERE? I, I THINK REBE, I MEAN, UH, RATHER THAN ME TRYING TO KEEP ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT HR, WHICH I CLEARLY THANK YOU .

NEED MORE INFORMATION.

LET ME LET REBECCA TRY TO ANSWER THAT.

HI, REBECCA KENNEDY.

HUMAN RESOURCES? THAT IS CORRECT.

OUR LIFEGUARDS ARE MAJORITY TEMPORARIES AND OUR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES ARE PAID FOR WHAT THEY WORK.

AND SO THEY ARE NOT, THEY DO NOT RECEIVE HOLIDAY PAY IF THEY WORK A HOLIDAY, THEY ARE PAID WHEN THEY WORK, BUT THEY DO NOT RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL BANK OF TIME TO USE AT A LATER DATE OR ANOTHER SET OF PAY THAT OUR REGULAR EMPLOYEES DO IF THEY WORK ONE OF THEIR BENEFITED DATES.

IS THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE TEMPORARY? YES.

SO IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU COULD PERHAPS GET US A BREAKDOWN IN THE QUESTION FORMAT TO FIND OUT WHAT THE COST WOULD BE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THAT ADDITIONAL PAY? THEY WORK THE SUMMER MONTHS.

THERE'S LOTS OF HOLIDAYS DURING THE SUMMER AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT IMPACT DO THE BUDGET WE MIGHT HAVE IF THAT HAPPENS.

WE CAN DO THAT.

AND THEN FINALLY, UM, ACTUALLY IF YOU COULD STAY UP HERE PLEASE.

MS. KENNEDY.

I'M SORRY.

I AM, WE'RE MAKING YOU WORK HARD TODAY.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY LIKE, UM, I GUESS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GET OUR LIFEGUARDS INTO OTHER CITY SERVICES? I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY A HIGH POTENTIAL TO ENCOURAGE LIFEGUARDS TO GET INTO 9 1 1 E M S OR FIRE.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE CITY PROVIDES ANY KIND OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR THAT? WE DO THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, DIVISION AND HUMAN RESOURCES HAVE, UH, ACADEMIES THAT ARE ALL ANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES CAN PARTICIPATE IN.

AND THAT'S TEMPORARY OR REGULAR.

SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, COURSES THAT WE HAVE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DIFFERENT AREAS TO LEARN ABOUT THE CITY.

UM, FOR SPECIFIC ON THE JOB TRAININGS, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OUTLINED TO TRAIN SOMEBODY TO GO INTO A DIFFERENT, UH, JOB FUNCTION.

BUT IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO SEE IF WE'RE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER, UM, SIMILAR TO SOME OF OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS, UM, TO POTENTIALLY DO SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE.

I THINK I WAS JUST THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX ABOUT OTHER CAREER PATHWAYS TO HELP SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LOWER OR, OR HAVE HIGHER VACANCIES.

I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.

, THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE.

THAT ARE MORE LOCAL, UH, SHORTER ROUTES EACH DAY? SURE.

COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.

AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

I HAVE A FOLLOW UP A R R QUESTION FROM WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES WAS TALKING ABOUT.

I HAVE HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS WITH FLEET AND, UH, WHEN DIRECTOR WAS HERE ABOUT THE ELECTRIC, UH, OPPOR OPPORTUNITIES AND OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR TRASH VEHICLES.

AND THE ANSWER ALWAYS WAS THAT WE WANNA DO IT, BUT WE NEED THE TRANSFER STATION BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE 'EM DRIVING OUT.

BUT YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE THAT MADE ME WONDER IS DO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY? AND THAT'S AROUND THE RECYCLING ROUTES.

'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THOSE ROUTES ARE VERY LOCALLY CONTAINED.

AND SO I'M WONDERING IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXPLORE ON THE RECYCLING SIDE, HAVING VEHICLES

[02:10:01]

THAT THAT CONVERSATION WAS ACTUALLY INVOLVED HAVING A NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.

SO ONCE WE HAD THAT NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, WE WOULD THEN HAVE AN OPERATION CENTER NORTH AND OPERATION CENTER SOUTH AT KENNETH GARDNER.

SO AT THAT POINT, OUR RECYCLING, UH, TRUCKS COULD GO AHEAD AND CONVERT.

UM, 'CAUSE OUR K G S C SOUTH OPERATIONS WOULD JUST SERVICE THAT SOUTH AREA.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE THE MILEAGE, UH, DISTANCES THAT, UH, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

GOT IT.

UM, SAME THING WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE NORTH SIDE.

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY BEGIN THAT PROCESS BEFORE WE HAVE A TRANSFER STATION.

THE THING IS, RIGHT NOW THE TECHNOLOGY FOR TRASH TRUCKS AND, AND THE ELECTRIFICATION IS NOT QUITE THERE.

UM, WE'RE GETTING, UH, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN FROM SOME OF MY COUNTERPARTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, UH, THEY'RE GETTING ABOUT 60% OF THE PAYLOAD THAT THEY CAN GET ON A NORMAL TRUCK.

UH, AND ABOUT 40% OF THE DISTANCE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE ISSUE.

AND THE COST RIGHT NOW IS EXTREMELY HIGH.

WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT, UH, $750,000 JUST FOR ONE ELECTRIC TRUCK.

SO HOW'S THAT COMPARE TO A REGULAR TRUCK? UH, A REGULAR TRUCK RIGHT NOW WE'RE PAYING ABOUT $390,000, SO.

WELL I APPRECIATE THAT.

I, I THOUGHT YOU UNCOVERED A NUGGET FOR ME, BUT YOU DID NOT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, WE, WE DO.

I MEAN, ONCE THE, ONCE THE PRICING COMES DOWN A LITTLE BIT, WE DO HAVE, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING OUR DOWNTOWN ROUTE.

UM, 'CAUSE THAT ROUTE WILL STRICTLY LEAVE OUR SOUTH SERVICE CENTER AND SERVICE A C B D.

SO A NOT, NOT A LOT OF DRIVING ON THAT ONE.

SO THAT WOULD BE A GOOD ONE TO START OUT ON.

UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, THE, THE COSTS ARE STILL, UH, IT'S CONSIDERABLY HIGH SURE.

AT THIS POINT.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

THAT'S ALL HAVE THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER .

YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE ME.

MY, UH, MY KIDS, THEY LOVE TO MAKE MENTION THE FACT THAT MY LACK OF TECHNOLOGY IS AN ISSUE.

SO MY APOLOGIES.

NO PROBLEM.

I HAVE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS.

UM, ONE OF THEM INCLUDES, SO LIKE ALONG THE LINES OF THIS DISCUSSION AROUND FLEET, I REALLY APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES' QUESTIONS.

UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR LITERALLY FIVE YEARS NOW.

UM, BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE FLEET SERVICES IN OUR DISTRICTS AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS A SOURCE OF CONCERN.

AND I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MS. WALLS.

SHE IS NOT ONCE NOT RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST OR CONCERNS.

SO QUICK SHOUT OUT MR. SNIPES.

QUICK SHOUT OUT.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO PUT ON OUR LIST OF CONCERNS AS A BODY IS ALONG THE LINES OF WE HAVE FLEET SERVICES, WHICH REQUIRE REMEDIATION IN ALL OUR DISTRICTS.

THAT IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOME CONSOLIDATION SERVICES, WE SHOULD ALL BE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE GET FLEET SERVICES OUT OF OUR DISTRICTS AND PUT THEM INTO A CONSOLIDATED SPACE.

THAT'S ONE THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT.

BUT ALSO THAT SAID, UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I'D LIKE TO VOICE.

SO I'LL START WITH.

UM, SO IN THEORY, WHILE I RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE GOAL, I'D LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO EXPLAIN FOR ME THE SCOPE AND THE DESIRED IMPACT OF THE $30,000 GRANTS FOR E D D.

SHE'S COMING DOWN JUST A SECOND.

I KNOW IT'S HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN.

I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING.

DOES SHE NEED TO REPEAT THE QUESTION, ANOVIA? NO.

IF WE COULD POTENTIALLY BREAK THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE, EVEN IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE COURSE OF THIS MEETING, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

I'M LOOKING FOR MY RESPONSE.

SORRY.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

NO, SO AS PART OF THE $30,000 GRANT, IT WILL POSSIBLY INCLUDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, ASSISTANCE WITH RELOCATION OR STAYING AT THEIR LOCATION.

AND SO THAT'S THE SCOPE AROUND THE 30,000.

[02:15:05]

'CAUSE I'M HAVING SOME TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.

WE CAN PUT THAT INTO THE FORM OF A BUDGET Q AND A AND GET BACK WITH YOU.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE DEPENDENT UPON THE BUSINESS AND WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY, BECAUSE MOST SMALL BUSINESSES AREN'T COOKIE CUTTER.

SOME HAVE BETTER FINANCIALS, SOME HAVE BETTER LEASES NOT SO, SO IT'S GONNA BE DEPENDENT UPON WHAT THE BUSINESS WILL NEED.

AND AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE AT 30,000, WE WILL ONLY HAVE AN IMPACT OF 20 POSSIBLY BUSINESSES.

SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UM, EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE THAT FUNDS.

BUT AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THE BUSINESS IS IN THEIR, UH, STAGE OF LIFE.

IT'S JUST DIFFERENT FROM BUSINESS TO BUSINESS.

BUT WE CAN PUT THAT INTO THE FORM OF A Q AND A.

AND WHEN YOU SAY FROM BUSINESS TO BUSINESS, I THINK FROM A PROTOCOL PERSPECTIVE, IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT FOR US AS A BODY TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE SHOULD JUST HAVE MORE IN THE WAY OF, SO LIKE IF I'M ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION TODAY, IT'S 'CAUSE I HAVE NO INFORMATION.

AND I THINK MOVING FORWARD IF WE COULD FRAGMENT, JUST HAVE COLUMNS AND MAKE IT MORE SYSTEMIC.

THEN MY NEXT LEVEL OF QUESTIONING IS AROUND OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

SO THANK YOU MS. ANOVIA.

I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE.

UM, THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER IS ONE I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT.

I'M CERTAIN THAT'S A SEPARATE PERSON.

WE HAVE STAFF HERE, THEY'RE COMING DOWN.

UH, THIS IS TRICIA TETRO, DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.

I APPRECIATE YOU BEING, UH, IN PRESENCE.

SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER PARKING GARAGES ARE A PART OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER ENTERPRISE FUND.

TWO OF THE CONVENTION CENTER PARKING GARAGES ARE DOWNTOWN AND HAVE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL SPACES.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ITS OWN, ITS OWN REAL ESTATE AT A DISCOUNT, BUT CAN CREATE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND RENT, FRANKLY, THAT ARE COMMUNICATIVELY EQUAL TO MARKET RENTS AND RATES.

HOW DOES, AND DO, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, I WANT TO EXPLORE HOW DO WE UTILIZE THESE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL SPACES FOR PILOT PROJECTS TO SUPPORT AND UPLIFT LOCALLY OWNED AND LOCALLY OWNED RETAIL BUSINESSES? COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER RETAIL SPACES IN THE SECOND STREET GARAGE AND IN THE FIFTH STREET GARAGE.

UH, THOSE ARE RUN BY REAL ESTATE SERVICES.

UM, I'M SORRY IF I MAY, I HATE TO INTERRUPT YOU, , IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONVERSATION.

BUT WHEN WE SAY REAL ESTATE SERVICES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN AND I THINK MY CONSTITUENTS DUNNO WHAT YOU MEAN.

THOSE OFFICE, UH, THOSE RETAIL SPACES ARE WITHIN THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT'S ENTERPRISE FUND.

THEY'RE WITHIN, THEY'RE UNDER OUR CONTROL.

HOWEVER, THE LEASES FOR THOSE SPACES RUN THROUGH MICHAEL GATES AND THE OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES.

THEY NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACTS, THEY ASSIST WITH ACQUIRING THE, UM, TENANTS WITHIN THOSE OFFICE SPACES.

AND SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

BELONGS TO THE GENERAL FUND THAT IS NOT TO AN ENTERPRISE FUND, THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER THERE'S A WAY FOR THOSE TO BE INCUBATORS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL THAT GET NEEDS TO GET DONE AND AN EVALUATION ABOUT HOW WE WOULD GO DO THAT.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THE OTHER DAY, AND I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO ANOVIA IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT WHEN WE HAVE, UH, REAL ESTATE THAT'S

[02:20:01]

BUT WITH RESPECT TO ENTERPRISE FUNDS, MY MY GUESS IS IS THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY NEEDING TO USE MARKET RATES TO PROTECT THOSE, TO PROTECT THOSE FUNDS AS THEY EXIST.

BUT WE, WE NEED TO GET YOU SOME ADDITIONAL DETAIL ABOUT HOW THAT KIND OF REAL ESTATE CAN BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANNER THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING.

SO, TO BE FAIR, UM, UH, ASSISTANT OR, OKAY, I ALMOST CALLED YOU JG BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHAT I DO.

AND TO BE FAIR, WHEN YOU SAY THEY ARE NOT A PART OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND, IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? YEAH.

WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE A REAL ESTATE THAT IS A PART OF THE GENERAL FUND, IT MAYBE ED CAN HELP ME HERE.

THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME INCUBATOR OR THAT, THAT REAL ESTATE TO BE USED TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL, UH, BUSINESSES THAT OTHERWISE, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, READY PIECE OF REAL ESTATE WHERE WE BEAT IT, BUT I THINK IT'S ONE THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.

AND I, AND I CAN BE CORRECTED, BUT I THOUGHT ON ENTERPRISE FUNDS, UH, IT'S MOST LIKELY THAT YOU'VE GOTTA USE MARKET RATES FOR THAT KIND OF, UH, FOR THOSE KINDS OF RETAIL LEASES.

BUT I COULD BE, I COULD STAND CORRECTED.

WOULD YOU MIND OFFERING ME THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MR. VAN DINO TO RESPOND? SURE.

AND SOME OF THIS WE MIGHT WANT TO PROVIDE MORE DETAIL TO THE COUNCIL, BUT YOU KNOW, AS, AS, UM, DIRECTOR TERELL MENTIONED, WE HAVE GROUND LEASES OR LEASES ON THE FIFTH STREET AND SECOND STREET GARAGE.

WE CAN PROVIDE YOU A LIST OF WHAT THOSE LEASES ARE.

I THINK MOST RECENTLY IT WAS THE ESCAPE ROOM, UM, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO COUNCIL FOR, TO, TO LEASE THAT SPACE TO THE ESCAPE ROOM GROUP.

BUT THESE ARE SPACES THAT, UM, THAT ARE MARKET-BASED RENTS.

WE'D GO OUT, UH, DO AN R F P TO SEE IF WHAT THE INTEREST IS IN LEASING THESE SPACES.

AND WE'VE BROUGHT THEM BACK TO COUNCIL AND, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN APPROVED.

UM, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL RESOLUTION, A POLICY RELATED TO, UM, UM, PROVIDING BELOW MARKET RENTS AND THEN, UM, A PERFORMANCE BASED, UH, BELOW MARKET RENTS LARGELY FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD PROVIDE SOME COMMUNITY BENEFIT.

WE DO HAVE PROTOCOLS IN, IN PLACE TO DO THAT.

BUT FOR THESE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES, UM, UM, WHERE THE GARAGES WERE FUNDED, I BELIEVE THROUGH HOTEL TAXES, WE HAVE PURSUED MARKET-BASED RENTS AT THOSE, AT THOSE PROPERTIES.

AND THERE WOULD BE SOME LIMITATIONS IN REGARDS TO WHERE WE COULD DO BELOW MARKET RENTS AND WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS WE COULD REALIZE ON CITY OWNED SPACES, DEPENDING UPON WHAT THE FUNDING SOURCES WERE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, WOULD DEPEND THAT WOULD CHANGE WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN THOSE SPACES.

MR. ENO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, SO I WON'T GIVE YOU A HARD TIME, BUT I WILL SAY LIKE HAVING A MORE CLEAR, UH, I DON'T THINK YOU WERE UN WITH YOUR DESCRIPTION, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND I TO HAVE JUST A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT MEANS.

SO WHEN YOU SAID BELOW MARKET RATE AND THEN MARKET RATE AND THEN INCENTIVES, IF WE HAD A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

WILL DO.

WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.

SO IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, MY STAFF AND I, MY COLLEAGUES AND I TO SEE, WE SAY THE OPERATING COST? CAN WE SEE LIKE SOME COMPARATIVE GRAPH? UM, I COULD, WHAT WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION THAT SHOWS IN THE PAST KIND OF HOW THOSE COSTS HAVE COMPARED FROM YEAR TO YEAR IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF SMART HOUSING WAIVERS AND KIND OF WHAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE FOR, UM, THOSE COSTS GOING FORWARD.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UM, THEN THE LAST OF MY QUESTIONS IS AROUND AUSTIN ENERGY.

UM, WHERE DOES OUR SMART HOUSING AND OR OTHER REBATE PROGRAMS EXIST WITHIN OUR BUDGET? DOES THE BUDGET INCREASE OUR REQUESTING INCLUDING SUPPORT FOR THOSE PROGRAMS? YES.

GOOD MORNING AGAIN, STUART RILEY, INTERIM DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, BUSINESS SERVICES OF AUSTIN ENERGY.

UM, I BELIEVE THE SMART HOUSING REBATES YOU'RE REFERRING TO WOULD BE ON OUR LINE EXTENSION FEES.

WE REQUIRE DEVELOPERS TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN COSTS OF SERVING THAT NEW CUSTOMER.

UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT QUALIFIES AS SMART HOUSING, UM, GETS A WAIVER OF THOSE COSTS TO THE PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS.

SO IF IT'S A 50% AFFORDABLE, UM, COMPLEX, IT WOULD GET A 50% COST WAIVER IN TERMS OF THE COSTS NEEDED TO SERVE.

UM, AND THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN OUR OPERATING COSTS IN TERMS OF FOR OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND, AND THE COST THAT WE HAVE TO PAY TO EXTEND SERVICE TO, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT.

[02:25:01]

AND THAT'S JUST BASICALLY GOING TO BE DRIVEN BY HOW MUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS BEING DEVELOPED IN AUSTIN IS GOING TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THAT WAIVER WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ABSORB.

AND THEN THAT, UM, BASICALLY GETS SOCIALIZED AMONG OUR, AMONG OUR RATE PAYERS.

BUT I, BUT WE, WE CAN OKAY.

I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR STAFF AND, AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION.

WE'LL SEE IF THAT HITS THE MARK.

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE YOU FOLLOWING UP WITH MY STUFF.

UM, I LIED.

I SAID I HAD ONE LAST QUESTION.

I HAVE ONE MORE.

UM, FOR FLEET SERVICES, I JUST WANT TO SAY I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE MOVEMENT ON THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, ESPECIALLY FOR NO OTHER REASON THE DOMINO EFFECT IT WILL HAVE ON HARGRAVE SITE.

UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK MS. FALLS WALKED US THROUGH EXPERTLY, BUT CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH JUST BRIEFLY THE TIMELINE FOR THE BUILD OUT OF THE JOINT SERVICE CENTER AND WHAT WOULD NEXT STEPS BE FOR THE SITE? I DON'T THINK I HEARD THAT.

UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE KIM OLIVAREZ WHO MIGHT BE BEST TO SPEAK TO THE TIMELINE FOR THE PROJECT.

SHE'S, AND SHE PROVIDED THAT EARLIER.

SHE'S COMING DOWN.

ALRIGHT.

KIMMEL, LAVAR, DEPUTY C F O.

SO YES, SO THE TIMELINE FOR BRINGING THE SERVICE CENTER TO FRUITION WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 48 MONTHS OR LESS FROM THE TIME WE RELEASED THE R F P UP UNTIL WE ARE MOVING IN.

UM, DURING THAT TIME, LIKE, I THINK I I, I'M NOT SURE IF I NOTED THIS PREVIOUSLY OR NOT, BUT, UM, FLEET IS ACTIVELY LOOKING AT AND RESEARCHING WHAT REMEDIATION REQUIREMENTS MIGHT, UM, STILL BE REQUIRED ON THE HARGRAVE SITE.

UM, SO WE'RE DOING THAT IN PARALLEL.

UM, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO LOOK AT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCELERATE, UM, THE ABILITY TO VACATE THE HARGRAVE SITE.

UM, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED IN TERMS OF HOW WE HANDLE THE, UM, THE PROJECT AGREEMENT FOR THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY, I COMMIT TO SEEKING OUT THINGS TO ACCELERATE THAT I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA DISRUPT.

UM, BUT WHEN YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED, I THINK HAVING SOME INFORMATION FOR MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES, WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS? SO, I MEAN, WHEN WE TYPICALLY DO A PROJECT LIKE THIS, THERE'S A, IT'S WHAT'S CALLED A PURCHASE AND SALES AGREEMENT.

UM, WHERE YOU TAKE POSSESSION OF THE NEW FACILITY IN ITS ENTIRETY AT UPON COMPLETION.

IF, IF I AM GOING TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCELERATE THE ABILITY FOR US TO VACATE THE HARD GRAVE SITE, I NEED TO, I, I HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT OPTIONS WE HAVE, UM, WITH THAT, THAT PURCHASE AND SALES AGREEMENT, UM, TO ALLOW FOR THAT.

BECAUSE IT, LIKE I SAID, IT WOULD TYPICALLY BE YOU DO NOT TAKE POSSESSION UNTIL COMPLETION.

IF I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR A PHASING OPPORTUNITY THAT JUST MAKES THE AGREEMENT HA THE AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

AND I NEED TO WORK THROUGH THE LEGALITIES OF THAT TO SEE IF THAT'S TRULY POSSIBLE OR NOT.

UM, BUT I, I ABSOLUTELY COMMIT TO SEEKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, VACATING THAT HARGRAVE SITE AND MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR OTHER USES IS A, IS AN A, IS A PRIORITY FOR THIS BODY.

UM, AND ALSO A PRIORITY FOR, UH, UH, FOR FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES AND JENNIFER, TO JUST TO GET HER FOLKS INTO THAT NEW FACILITY, I WOULD FULLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO INTERACT WITH MY STAFF, UM, AND LET US KNOW WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A NEW PHONE WHO IT IS, BUT IF WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP YOU THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.

WE NEED TO KNOW HOW CAN WE HELP YOU WALK THROUGH THIS.

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WE HAVE THIS ENORMOUS SITE AT THE CORNER OF 12TH AND HARTGRAVE, THE CENTRALLY AUSTIN, SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL

[02:30:01]

DOWNTOWN VIEWS ARE BEING ENCUMBERED CURRENTLY BY FLEET SERVICES.

A BUNCH OF BUSTED UP FIRE TRUCKS AND POLICE CARS.

THIS IS TRULY IMPORTANT TO ME AND A THING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR LITERALLY YEARS.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF ONE, THE BASIC LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE.

BUT TWO, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.

ABSOLUTELY.

COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR, PRO TEM.

I DON'T WANNA JUMP IN FRONT OF ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I HAD A PROCESS QUESTION THERE.

SO FAR THERE AREN'T ANY.

AND, AND WE'RE VERY GO FOR IT.

UH, WE HAVE FOUND OVER SOME YEARS IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE DEADLINES FOR WHEN TO PUT IN OUR Q AND A WHEN WE CAN GET THE STAFF RESPONSES BACK.

'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

AND THEN UNDERSTANDING OUR PROCESS FOR AMENDMENTS AND WHEN IS APPROPRIATE FOR US TO START LOOKING FOR CO-SPONSORSHIP AND, UH, MAKING SURE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS WELL.

SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY OR WE WERE ANOTHER DAY.

UM, AND, AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL JUST START WITH WHAT I THINK IS KIND OF OUT ON THE TABLE.

UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED, OR WE HAVE, WE HAVE POSTED SO THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW FOR, UH, THE ABILITY FOR US TO MEET ON THE THIRD AND ON THE EIGHTH.

WE HAVE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, UH, LOOKED AT THOSE TWO DATES AS POTENTIAL DATES.

UH, THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS WITH THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD AS A COUNCIL AND THE NUMBER THAT ARE STILL OUT.

ONE THOUGHT WAS THAT WHAT WE DO IS WE MAKE THE EIGHTH, WE MAKE THE EIGHTH A Q AND A DAY, A DAY WHERE WE COME IN, WE, WE MEET AT THE POSTED TIME, AND THAT IS A DAY FOR US TO, UH, FOLLOW UP ON ALL THE QUESTIONS AND WHERE THEY ARE.

IN ORDER TO PULL THAT OFF, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PROBABLY HAVE A CUTOFF DATE SO THAT WE'RE NOT ROLLING RIGHT UP UNTIL THE DATE.

AND THERE'S STILL ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.

AND, UH, THERE'S BEEN A THOUGHT ON THAT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD USE THE, UH, THE FOURTH OR THE FIFTH AS THAT DATE, THAT WOULD GIVE THE COUNCIL ALSO THE ALL DAY OF THE THIRD TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANSWERED OR THEY WANT TO MEMBERS, UH, WANT TO HAVE ANSWERED.

AND THEN USE THE FOURTH OR THE FIFTH AS A DEADLINE.

AND GRANTED, THERE MAY BE OTHER QUESTIONS, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A DEADLINE THAT CAUSES, YOU CAN'T AN ASK ANY QUESTIONS, BUT IT IS A GOAL THAT WE ALL AGREE WE WILL TRY TO ACHIEVE.

AND THEN THAT GIVES A FEW EXTRA DAYS.

IF WE, IF WE SET IT FOR, UH, SIX O'CLOCK ON THE FOURTH, THEN THAT WOULD GIVE STAFF, UH, UNTIL WE MEET AT 10 O'CLOCK ON THE EIGHTH.

AND THAT'D BE MY RECOMMENDATION, I THINK, IS TO GIVE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.

THEN, UM, THE 10TH HAS BEEN, UH, DESIGNATED, UH, IN A GENERAL FASHION AS THE DAY THAT WE WOULD COME TOGETHER AND PUT OUT AMENDMENTS AND OR IFCS AMENDMENTS BEING ITEMS THAT WOULD AFFECT APPROPRIATION EITHER BY, UH, ADDING, ADDING ITEMS THAT COST MONEY OR TAKING ITEMS OUT THAT SAVE MONEY.

HOWEVER, UH, THAT WOULD LOOK, BUT THEY AMENDMENTS WOULD BE DEALING WITH APPROPRIATIONS AND IFCS WOULD OF COURSE DEAL WITH POLICY.

I WOULD HOPE THAT WHAT WE WOULD DO IS ONLY HAVE IFCS THAT ACTUALLY RELATE TO THE BUDGET, UM, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, UH, ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS A, A POLICY MATTER IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, IF IT'S NOT GERMANE, I WORRY ABOUT POSTING REQUIREMENTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

THAT BEING SAID, WE NEED TO SET A TIME, IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE COUNCIL HAD THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IN ADVANCE OF THAT MEETING SO THAT THERE AT LEAST BE SOME UNDERSTANDING.

AND SINCE THE EIGHTH IS A DAY WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING, ONE THOUGHT WOULD BE THAT WE HAVE THOSE IN THAT WE HAVE, UH, AMENDMENTS IN SOMETIME, EITHER THE DAY BEFORE THE EIGHTH OR MAYBE NOON ON THE NINTH TO GIVE EVERYBODY TIME, DEPENDING UPON WHAT WORKS OUT ON THE EIGHTH.

I THINK IT WOULD WORK BETTER FOR US, AND PARTICULARLY IF WE HAVE THE THIRD AND WE, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS, THIS ADDITIONAL TIME THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO HAVE, IF WE WOULD SAY, UH, SIX O'CLOCK ON THE SEVENTH, THEN WE WOULD MEET ON THE

[02:35:01]

EIGHTH.

THAT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO LOOK AT IT ON THE NINTH, MEET ON THE 10TH, GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE ITEMS IN A, A, A, A CONTROLLED FASHION.

AND THAT WOULD PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE PEOPLE WOULD KNOW MORE AS WE THEN MOVE TOWARD THE 16TH WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE MEETINGS WHERE WE START VOTING.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION AND I LAY IT OUT FOR DISCUSSION.

COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I I BELIEVE THAT OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD SUGGESTIONS, AND I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT FELL IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED.

IF THEY DO, THEY HAVEN'T SHARED IT WITH ME.

OKAY, THEN NEVER.

SO, UM, MAYBE THAT WAS JUST RELATED TO THE, OH, SORRY.

THE TIMELINE OF OUR MEETING SCHEDULE AND THE PUBLIC INPUT.

SO I APOLOGIZE, I MAY, I I WORKED CLOSELY WITH THEIR THEM ON THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE FOR DATES.

THAT I DID WANNA SUGGEST IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME TIME ON THE EIGHTH FOR EACH OF US TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE KNOW WHAT AMENDMENTS WE'RE PROPOSING, UM, SO THAT IF OTHER COLLEAGUES ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING US IN THOSE AMENDMENTS, UM, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT CLEANER AND FASTER IF WE'VE DAYLIGHTED, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE TO THE EXTENT THAT FOLKS HAVEN'T YET.

UH, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT HAS BEEN ADDED IN WHAT THE DISSERTATION I JUST WENT THROUGH IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON THE THIRD, THE EIGHTH, AND THEN TIMELINES FOR FILING, UH, GETTING ALL YOUR QUESTIONS IN SO THE STAFF HAS TIME TO ANSWER THEM.

AND GETTING A TIMELINE FOR WHEN AMENDMENTS AND IFCS MIGHT BE SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE MESSAGE BOARD SO THAT ON THE 10TH WE HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE DAY.

THEN I, I COMPLETELY APOLOGIZE FOR MISUNDERSTANDING.

NO, THERE'S NO APOLOGY NECESSARY.

IT'S JUST, I, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

IF THEY DID IT, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT YOU PUT INTO LAYING ALL THAT OUT SO THAT WE COULD UNDERSTAND IT TODAY.

ANY THOUGHT? I KNOW THERE'S A, A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE COMPLICATED QUESTIONS.

UH, BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, TIMELINE FOR THE RESPONSES ON, UH, THE BUDGET QUESTIONS, UH, AND I ASK, BECAUSE WE HAVE AMENDMENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELEVANT DEPENDING ON THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION.

SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HAVE THE AMENDMENTS READY UNTIL WE HAVE, UH, ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.

HOW, HOW ARE, HOW ARE Y'ALL FEELING ABOUT THE BUDGET QUESTIONS IN A TIMELINE FOR KIND OF GETTING THOSE ANSWERED, GETTING THE RESPONSES, UH, POSTED? SURE.

UM, STAFF IS REALLY WORKING REALLY HARD TO TRY TO GET THOSE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.

UM, I KNOW WE HAVE A NUMBER THAT, UM, ARE BEING PUSHED OUT.

I THINK ABOUT 30 ARE BEING PUSHED OUT TODAY.

SO WE'RE WORKING, REALLY WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS, WORKING ACROSS SEVERAL THINGS TO TRY TO GET DONE.

THE GOAL IS TO GET 'EM OUT WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF RECEIVING THE QUESTION.

UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A LAG, BUT WE'RE GONNA REALLY DO A PUSH OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE GET THESE OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I THINK I'VE SEEN IT PROBABLY GO FROM A THIRD ANSWER TO, YOU KNOW, MORE LIKE HALF ANSWERED, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST LIKE 12, 15 HOURS OR SO.

SO, UH, APPRECIATE THAT.

AND, AND AGAIN, UH, WE'LL BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE RESPONSES.

SO WITH THAT, LET ME AGAIN, HOPEFULLY I'LL LAY IT OUT THE WAY I JUST SAID IT A MINUTE AGO, , UM, SOME, BUT HERE'S WHAT I, HERE'S THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE THIRD WE DON'T MEET, SO THAT THERE'S TIME FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO WORK ON ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND TIME FOR STAFF TO BE WORKING ON ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

THE FOURTH, AT SIX O'CLOCK BE THE DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS, AGAIN, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS THE PREROGATIVE OF ASKING AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION OR IF SOMETHING POPS UP.

BUT, UM, BUT THAT IS THE GOAL AND THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL WOULD BE THAT THAT WOULD BE THE DISCIPLINE DEADLINE.

THE SEVENTH AT SIX O'CLOCK WOULD BE THE DEADLINE, THE GOAL DEADLINE OF HAVING AMENDMENTS, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND IFCS SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL THROUGH THE MESSAGE BOARD.

THE EIGHTH WOULD BE WHAT I'M CALLING A Q AND A DAY, WHICH IS, UM, BEING ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS THAT WE GOT SO THAT EVERYBODY, UH, HAS THE ABILITY TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE FULLY ANSWERED.

AND THEN THE 10TH WOULD BE THE DAY THAT WE WOULD, UH, GATHER TO LAY OUT AMENDMENTS AND IFCS, ASK MEMBERS QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR AMENDMENTS OR IFCS, UH, MAYBE DISCUSS WHETHER THAT SOMEBODY WANTS TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, WHETHER THAT BECOMES A NEW VERSION, JUST SO THAT ON THE 16TH WHEN WE START THIS PROCESS, WE WILL HAVE HAD TIME TO GO THROUGH THESE IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS FOR THE, UH, AN ORDERLY FASHION OF THE MEETING.

COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER, UM, THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THE CLARITY HERE AND, AND YOU'VE ALREADY SAID THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND OFTEN WE'LL GET ANSWERS BACK AND THEY WON'T ANSWER OUR QUESTION AND THEN WE NEED TO DIVE, UM, DEEPER.

SO, SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE

[02:40:01]

SO, UM, DONE THAT.

AND, AND SO THE SEVENTH AT SIX O'CLOCK, SO THE DAY BEFORE THE EIGHTH WOULD BE THE GOAL FOR COUNCIL TO HAVE PUT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD WHAT THEIR AMENDMENTS ARE OR THEIR IFCS ARE.

AND THEN WHAT I GET FROM YOUR QUESTION IS THAT AT SOME POINT DURING THE EIGHTH CALL ON THE COUNCIL TO ASK THEM, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU SEE THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE A PART OF SO THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME DISCUSSION IN THAT REGARD? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, I'M, I'M SAYING NOT, I'M SAYING NOT FULLY LAY OUT OUR AMENDMENTS, RIGHT, BUT MAYBE FLAG WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND THEN FOLKS WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO EITHER DO IT IN THAT MEETING OR OUTSIDE OF THAT TO SURE.

CONNECT WITH THAT.

AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I, I I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL, I'LL ASK ABOUT THAT, UH, ON THE EIGHTH.

I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE, WE DEAL WITH.

AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE SURE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE ON THE SEVENTH AT SIX O'CLOCK IS THE GOAL OF HAVING THE DEADLINE SO THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE EIGHT ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IS SUGGESTING, HA, TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE BECAUSE THAT WAY YOU WILL KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY'S UP TO, UH, IF, IF PEOPLE LIVE WITH THAT.

BUT I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE WE DO THAT THAT WAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.

I ALSO WANTED TO POINT TO THE FACT THAT WE WILL BE THOSE WHO ARE BRINGING AMENDMENTS WITH POSTING THEM ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.

RIGHT? THAT ALSO IS A REALLY SMART WAY FOR ALL OF US TO INDICATE OUR SUPPORT IN ADVANCE SO THAT WE CAN PUSH THROUGH THAT INFORMATION EARLY ON AND, UM, MAKE QUICK WORK OF THAT AS WELL.

THAT'S GOOD.

GOOD REMINDER.

SO AGAIN, LET ME QUICKLY RUN THROUGH THIS AND, UM, TAKE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE, WE WILL NOT, WE WILL CANCEL THE MEETING THAT HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE THIRD.

THAT WILL BE A WORK DAY ON THE FOURTH AT SIX O'CLOCK.

THAT WILL BE THE GOAL TO HAVE QUE ALL QUESTIONS IN TO STAFF SEVENTH AT SIX O'CLOCK.

THAT WILL BE THE GOAL FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND PROPOSED IFCS TO BE POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.

AND, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE JUST ALL AT THAT TIME.

IF YOU GOT ONE AND YOU'RE READY TO GO GET IT OUT THERE, AND THAT WAY, UH, PEOPLE MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROVIDE INPUT BEFORE THEN, BUT THAT WILL BE THE SEVENTH.

THE SEVENTH AT SIX O'CLOCK WILL BE THE GOAL.

THE EIGHTH WILL BE A Q AND A DAY AND UH, AND UH, WE'LL HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS TO WEIGH IN ON AMENDMENTS IN ADVANCE OF THE 10TH.

BUT THE 10TH WILL BE THE DAY THAT WE ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LAY OUT THEIR AMENDMENTS, UH, IN ADVANCE AND IFCS IN ADVANCE SO THAT THERE CAN BE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, UH, OFFERS OF, WELL, IF YOU DID THIS, IT MIGHT BE FOR IT.

THAT SORT OF THING.

UM, AND, UH, I, I SUPPOSE AT THAT TIME TOO, PEOPLE WILL HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHETHER THEY'RE JOINING IN ON SOMETHING THAT IS MY RECOMMENDATION.

AND UNLESS, UH, THERE'S OBJECTION.

UM, WE HAVE AN OBJECTION.

, NOT AN OBJECTION, BUT JUST CLARIFICATION MAYOR, PLEASE.

UM, ON THE, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, PRESENT THEIR AMENDMENTS AND IFCS, IN ADDITION TO PUTTING IT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND IT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE AS WELL SO WE CAN START VETTING THAT INFORMATION AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE MOST UPDATED DOCUMENTATION AS POSSIBLE.

I'VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS, BUT I'LL TAKE THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

UH, NO, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I'M GLAD YOU POINTED THAT OUT.

YES, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR NEXT TUESDAY'S WORK SESSION ON THE EIGHTH THAT WE WOULD WANT A BRIEFING ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FROM OUR HOUSING STAFF.

ALSO, I WANTED TO JUST OFFER SOME PRAISE AND EDIFICATION.

OKAY, GOOD.

THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A GOOD, AGAIN, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF COURT A Q WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT ON Q AND A DAY.

SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED OR FULLY ANSWERED.

UM, AND, AND IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA ASK IN ADVANCE, IT, IT ALSO PROBABLY BE HELPFUL TO THEM SO THAT THEY'RE PREPARED JUST LIKE YOU DID JUST THEN.

COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED.

I DO.

[02:45:01]

UM, IS, UM, MS. MCNEELY STILL IN THE ROOM? I DON'T SEE HER.

DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.

UM, I WILL JUST PUT IT ON THE RECORD THAT KIMBERLY MCNEELY HAS HELPED US WORK ON THIS EAST AUSTIN, NORTHEAST AUSTIN PROJECT.

I MEAN TO HER DETRIMENT.

'CAUSE I'M CERTAIN SHE'S OVERWORKED HERSELF.

I JUST WANTED TO OFFER SOME PRAISE AND EDIFICATION.

GOOD DEAL.

COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION FOR THE MEMO THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, YESTERDAY ABOUT THE TAX ROLL THAT INDICATED THERE WAS, UM, 5.2 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND.

UM, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR RESERVES FROM? THAT WOULD JUST BE 17% OF THAT WOULD NEED TO GO INTO RESERVES IF WE KEPT AT THE LEVEL PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET.

YEAH, TO THE EXTENT IT WAS DEVOTED TO ONGOING SPENDING.

UM, THAT EVERY DOLLAR OF ONGOING SPENDING YOU NEED TO DEVOTE 17 CENTS TO RESERVES TO MAINTAIN THAT POLICY.

OF COURSE, WE'D RECOMMEND THAT YOU DEVOTE IT TO ONE TIME ITEMS OR, OR EVEN BOLSTER RESERVES FURTHER.

BUT THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I JUST RAISED THAT BECAUSE IN A PAST BUDGET WE DIDN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE RESERVES WHEN WE HAD THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDS SHARED AND IT, IT CREATED SOME HAVOC AT THE END AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD REALLY GOTTEN TO A PLACE I THINK THAT EVERYONE WAS COMFORTABLE AND THEN WE HAD TO MAKE SOME LAST MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE ON THE FLY THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE ACCOUNTED FOR THAT, UM, AS WE WENT.

GOOD DEAL.

AND COUNCILMAN VELA, WHEN LA WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET THE NEXT SALES TAX MONTHLY REPORT? LET ME DOUBLE CHECK.

AND IF THE ANSWER'S THE 18TH AT FIVE O'CLOCK, THAT'S NOT A GOOD ANSWER.

, I THINK WE, WE SHOULD GET IT ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 9TH.

THAT'S, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM.

AND I'LL JUST FLAG, UM, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUDGET TOWN HALL YESTERDAY, SO THANK YOU TO CARRIE AND THE REST OF THE TEAM THAT WAS ON OUR CALL.

UM, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER BUDGET TOWN HALLS I THINK, STILL YET TO BE CONDUCTED.

UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THOSE, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT EITHER.

ITEM NUMBER TWO, AND I'LL ASK THE, UH, CITY CLERK TO CALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TWO.

LATER TODAY.

UM, I THINK ON THE 16TH WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME AS WELL.

THAT'S TRUE.

UM, BUT CHECK IN ON SOME OF THE OTHER BUDGET TOWN HALLS IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO ONE YET.

'CAUSE THERE'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND GET SOME MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED FOR FOLKS.

GREAT POINT.

ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, THAT, UH, COMPLETES AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE AND WITHOUT OBJECTION, UH, THE COUNCIL WILL BE IN RECESS AND TAKE UP ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR AT 3:00 PM WE ARE RECESSED AT 12:48 PM UNTIL 3:00 PM GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.

IT'S THREE O'CLOCK.

I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER AFTER A RECESS.

THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UH, IT IS AS I JUST INDICATED, THREE O'CLOCK AND WE ARE BACK IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT AUSTIN CITY HALL AND WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COUNCIL PRESENT.

UM, FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS

[2. Approve an ordinance authorizing acceptance of $478,144 in grant funds from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; amending the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Fleet Mobility Services Department Operating Budget Special Revenue Fund (Ordinance No. 20220817-004) to appropriate these funds; and amending the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Fleet Mobility Services Department Capital Budget (Ordinance No. 20220817-004) to transfer in and appropriate $478,144 from the Fleet Mobility Services Department Operating Budget Special Revenue Fund to assist with the purchase of electric and compressed natural gas vehicles. 2]

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE REMOTE SPEAKER ON ITEM TWO, BUT THEY HAVE NOT DIALED IN.

SO I'M GONNA START WITH THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.

UM, ONCE WE CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.

FIRST SPEAKER IS MESSIAH RAMOS, FOLLOWED BY CHIVAS WATSON AND, UH, JAYLA PEOPLES.

IF I'VE CALLED YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.

THIS IS FOR ITEM TWO.

IF SHE'S CALLED YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND, AND IF YOU'RE, UH, NOT THE SPEAKER, TAKE ONE OF THE SEATS HERE IN THE FRONT SO THAT, UH, OUTTA RESPECT TO PEOPLE THAT WILL BE FOLLOWING YOU AS A SPEAKER, WE CAN MOVE, UM, MORE EFFICIENTLY WITH OUR TESTIMONY.

WOULD YOU CALL THOSE THREE NAMES AGAIN? YES.

MAYOR MISA RAMOS, CHIVAS WATSON, JAYLA PEOPLES.

IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.

I'LL CALL THE NEXT THREE, THEN CARLA PERRO, CHASE WRIGHT, SASHA ROSE.

IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.

[02:50:02]

I'LL CALL THE NEXT TWO.

CHRIS EDELMAN, CHARLOTTE DAVIS.

AND THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR ITEM TWO IN PERSON.

UM, LET ME CALL THEM AGAIN, MAYOR.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK YOU TO DO IS CALL ME QUICK.

ALRIGHT.

MISA RAMOS, CHIVAS WATSON, JAYLA PEEPLES, CARLA RERO, CHASE WRIGHT, SASHA ROSE, CHRIS EDELMAN, AND CHARLOTTE DAVIS.

ARE ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE PRESENT THAT SIGNED UP ON ITEM NUMBER TWO? OKAY.

UM, MEMBERS, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER TWO IN FRONT OF US.

UH, I WOULD ASK IF THERE'S A MOTION TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER TWO, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER TWO.

IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAR HARPER MADISON AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ OFF THE DAIS.

UH, MEMBERS THAT

[3. Approve a resolution adopting the maximum proposed property (ad valorem) tax rate that will include an increase for the operations and maintenance of the City for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.]

WILL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.

UH, WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER THREE AND IT'S RELATED TO THE MAXIMUM PRO PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX.

WE HAVE A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE MAX MAXIMUM PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER ON AUGUST 16TH FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 TO 2024 UNDER STATE LAW.

A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO ADOPT THE MAXIMUM PROPOSED TAX RATE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER REQUIRES A ROLL CALL VOTE.

THE MAXIMUM RATE THAT THE CITY CAN ADOPT WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE SET BY STATE LAW IS $45 AND 58 CENTS.

44, I'M SORRY, 44.

$44 AND 58 CENTS PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION.

IF WE GO ABOVE THAT RATE, WE HAVE TO CALL AN ELECTION MEMBERS.

THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED ON THIS IS ASK FOR A MOTION, THEN WE AND A SECOND, AND WHEN WE, THEN I WILL CALL ON THE PUBLIC THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, AND THEN WE WILL GO TO A VOTE.

UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, THE RESOLUTION SETTING, THE PROPOSED MAXIMUM PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 TO 2024 AT $44 AND 58 CENTS PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION? YES, SIR.

UH, ERIC NELSON FINANCIAL SERVICES, JUST WANNA CLARIFY, IT'S 44.58 CENTS.

I'M PER $1 IN TAXABLE VALUE.

WELL, THAT, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT .

THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.

LET ME ASK THAT AGAIN.

UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION SETTING? THE PROPOSED MAXIMUM PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 TO 2024 AT 44.58 CENTS PER HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION? THE MAYOR PRO TEM MAKES THAT MOTION.

IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MEMBERS.

I WILL NOW TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK HER TO CALL THOSE SPEAKERS THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.

FIRST SPEAKER IS ROBERT LILY, FOLLOWED BY CHIVAS WATSON, FOLLOWED BY SASHA ROSE.

IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.

I'LL CALL THE NAMES AGAIN.

ROBERT LILY CHIVAS WATSON AND SASHA ROSE.

IF YOU'VE HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE CHAMBERS.

THERE'S ONLY POLICE PAPERS MADAM CLERK.

TRY IT ONE MORE TIME.

ROBERT LILY CHIVAS WATSON AND SASHA ROSE.